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An Arizona man says he is still suffering from trauma nearly two years later after he was wrongfully jailed for 17 days when American Airlines falsely identified him as a burglary suspect to police.
"It continues to affect me. Every time I have to relive these moments, this anxiety rushes back, and I'm less trustworthy and more hyper-vigilant when I'm out and about," said passenger Michael Lowe in an interview with NPR.
A lawsuit against the airline filed Monday in a Texas district court argues Lowe, 46, is suffering from "incomprehensible trauma" following his experience in a New Mexico jail due to the "gross negligence" of American Airlines.
According to the lawsuit, the incident began on May 12, 2020, when Lowe boarded an American Airlines flight departing from Flagstaff, Ariz. to Reno, Nev., with a layover in Dallas.
During the layover at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, a burglary took place at a duty-free store in terminal D shortly before Lowe's flight departed, the lawsuit said.
Surveillance cameras at the airport showed the suspect boarding Lowe's plane, the lawsuit said.
To identify and locate the suspect in the burglary, airport police obtained a search warrant ordering American Airlines to "produce any and all recorded travel data" for passengers onboard flight 2248, according to the lawsuit.
But when police asked American Airlines for a list of passengers, according to the lawsuit, they provided only one name: Michael Lowe.
"In response to the search warrant, American did not produce 'any and all recorded travel data for all individuals,'" the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit did not go into detail as to why American Airlines only provided airport police with just Lowe's name.
"Michael was erroneously named by American as the culprit. The detective took them at their word and didn't do anything to disprove what they already provided him," Lowe's attorney Scott Palmer told NPR in an interview Wednesday.
As a result of the actions by American Airlines, the lawsuit said two arrest warrants were issued for Lowe; he was arrested a year later while in New Mexico on the Fourth of July.
During his incarceration at the Quay County, N.M., detention center for 17 days, the lawsuit argues that Lowe experienced an "unending nightmare," describing the gruesome experience he endured while in custody.
Lowe argues he continuously told authorities that they arrested the wrong person.
"I don't understand how, in 2020, American Airlines could misidentify a passenger and give only one name, my name only, as the sole culprit for a crime I didn't commit," Lowe told NPR.
The lawsuit goes into detail describing Lowe's experience at the detention center, emphasizing that he "lived in a constant state of fear of confrontation or abuse."
Lowe was eventually released from the detention center and the charges against him were eventually dropped, according to the lawsuit. However, the suit alleged that his experience in the Quay County Detention Center left him with continuous distress and anxiety.
"As a result of this sustained severe emotional pain, anguish, anxiety, depression and loss of self-esteem, Mr. Lowe has become a man desperate to find himself," the lawsuit said.
NPR reached out to the Quay County Sheriff's Department and the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport for a request for comment but did not immediately hear back.
In an emailed statement to NPR, American Airlines says they did nothing wrong regarding the incident, saying they were responding to a police request.
"As required by law, American cooperates with and responds to court orders for information related to possible criminal activity, and that's what we did in this instance when we were presented with a search warrant," American Airlines spokesman Rob Himler told NPR.
Palmer said: "It's baffling. It's troubling. It's wrong on a lot of levels. This lawsuit is going to get to the bottom of how this happened and why it happened."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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"The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking."
Albert Einstein
Your thoughts and mind are truly powerful. A change or a positive habit when it comes to your thinking can make a world of difference.
But on the other hand, getting stuck in the same old thought habit can be that one thing that cripples you, paralyses you, causes much suffering and gets you stuck instead of getting you to move forward towards a happier and more positive life.
In this article I'll explore 7 common destructive thought habits that I have had to struggle quite bit with in the past and what I have done to overcome or at least minimize them. I hope you'll find something helpful in this article.
1. You see things in black and white.
Instead of seeing life as it is, somewhat messy with a lot of exceptions to different rules, you see things in black and white. You are right and someone else is wrong. This way is good and that way is bad. Things are either this way or that way and there no exceptions or gray areas.
This makes it harder to make sense out of things, to take action in the right way and can be a way of thinking that makes you more and more inflexible as time passes. You get stuck and you can become terribly critical and unfair towards yourself and other people. You put barriers in your mind and life and this creates a lot more unhappiness and suffering than necessary.
What to do about it:
- Try to understand the other side. It's easy to stick to your point of view. But you can gain powerful insights about the other person and yourself too by trying to understand their point of view. This also tends to decrease harshness and negativity and can make it easier to reach an understanding where both parties feel more satisfied with the solution.
- Be aware. Like with any habit in this article, just being aware and paying attention during your normal day can help you to discover and reduce these thought patterns by stopping that thread of thought and then changing what you focus on.
- Find the exception. If thoughts pop up telling you that you suck in school or that your partner never helps out at home then say stop before those thoughts become a big black cloud of anger. Pause for a second or two. Then ask yourself: what is the exception to this thought? Find one exception or more to that black and white thought you are feeding.
You may for example realize that your partner cooks a lot of the food at home or do many of the repairs. Or that you are pretty good at writing and geography but have some improvements to make when it comes to math.
2. You look for problems even when there are none.
This is a weird one. In the past I have found myself looking for problems even when there are none really. I think in part comes from snapping back into your old mindset. I used to be much more negative and see problems everywhere for many years. So the mind is conditioned to operate that way and so used to it. So on some days you sit around and suddenly realize while thinking that you are looking for a problem in a situation or area of your life where there are none.
What to do about it: One thing that really helped me was to have this written down on my white board on my wall to remind me each day: "There is no problem".
Nowadays, if I am faced with what I start thinking is a problem I ask myself: who cares? I most often then realize that this isn't really a problem in the long run at all.
I also think this can come from thinking a bit too much about personal development and working on that. You become so accustomed to looking for solutions that your mind wants to find problems that it can solve. This personal development stuff is awesome. But read about and think about it in moderation and not all the time.
3. You are addicted to your comfort zone.
If you are always thinking about how to feel and be really, really safe then making a positive change will be impossible. The unknown and change is uncomfortable and scary to the mind because it tends to want your existence to be stable and continue to be as it has been so far.
What to do about it:
- Do it in small steps. What holds us back in our zone of comfort is often a fear or that facing that fear head on might be overwhelming. Doing things in small steps allows you to stretch your comfort zone and slowly making it less uncomfortable and frightening.
- Focus on the positive past. Realize it can be fun to get out of your comfort zone despite what your mind and feelings might be telling you before you get started. Think back to the previous times when you have broken out of your comfort zone. Focus on the positive memories, when you got out there, when you took a chance. And you will probably remember that it wasn't so bad, it was actually fun and exciting and something new to you.
4. You think that what you feel now is just how it is.
One habit I used to have was that I used to think what you feel right now is kinda permanent. That it is how you really feel about things and will feel in the near future too. However, it is really hard to predict how you will feel just an hour or 15 minutes from now. The mind fools you as you identify with the emotions you are feeling right now. This can really hold you back.
What to do about it:
- Use and strengthen your discipline muscle. You may for example not feel like going to the gym today. Your mind might say "It's ok, you don't need that anyway, you were there three days ago". And so you lie back on the couch. But you can also say to yourself "No, today is workout day and I will go even though I don't feel like it/don't think I need to right now". And so you go. And after you have been there for maybe 15 minutes you start to enjoy it and you're glad you went.
- Just be aware that your mind doesn't always want what you know is the right thing to do. The mind often tries to get us to choose the easiest option in our daily lives. It makes it seem like what you feel now is reality. Even though emotional states are fleeting and you can change them around in just a few minutes or hours by going to that gym.
5. You think you already know how things work.
If you think that you already know something then your mind will not be open to actually learning it. Whatever someone is telling you, your mind will sort through based on what you think you know. You'll only hear and learn what you what you want to hear and learn.
What to do about it: Whenever you want to learn anything it may be a good tip to disregard as much as possible of what you think you know. Keep your mind as open as you can. In my experience this makes it easier to pick things up and not disregard important stuff.
Of course, the ego often wants to jump in to meddle and strengthen itself by making you think that you already know whatever you're about to learn. Be a bit careful with trusting that somewhat arrogant inner voice.
6. You get stuck in envy and it poisons your life.
Envy can be like a tiny devil on your shoulder that whisper words into your ear, gnashes on your soul and makes life into something that is often filled with suffering and much negativity. Or the envy can just be something that irritates and distracts you from time to time.
What to do about it:
- Focus on yourself when it comes to comparing. Comparing what you have to what others have is a good way to make yourself miserable. It feeds your ego when you buy a nicer car or get a better job than someone else. You feel great for a while.
But this mindset and the focus on comparing always winds up in you noticing someone that has more than you. That someone has an even better job or car than you. And so you don't feel so good anymore. The thing is that there is always someone with better or more than you. So you can never "win". You just feel good for a while and then you don't.
A more useful way to compare is to just compare yourself to yourself. Look at how you have grown and what you have achieved. Appreciate what you have done and what you have. See how far you have come and what you are planning to do.
This will make you make you more positive and emotionally stable since you are no longer comparing and feeling envious of what the other guy have that you haven't. - Be grateful for what you got. Besides comparing yourself to yourself it can be helpful to add a regular gratitude exercise to your life to minimize the envy. So take just two minutes out of your day to focus on being grateful for all the things you got. Make a list of them in your head or write them down in journal at the beginning or end of the day.
- Get a life. If you find yourself sitting around too much and not having enough to do then it's very easy to feel stuck and to get stuck in thought loops and go into a downward spiral. Simply by filling your life with more fun activities and people and the things you want out of life you won't have time or a reason to be envious.
Other benefits of getting a life are that you become a lot more relaxed and less prone to overreacting about the little things. So spend less time analyzing life and more time living and exploring it in whatever way you'd like.
7. You overthink.
I used to be a chronic overthinker. This makes taking action very hard, you analyze small things until they become big and scary in your head and in general overthinking things most often leads to a negative view of those things.
I have however successfully reduced or almost eliminated overthinking in my life. It did take time, but on the other hand you are in the company of your mind each day so you might as well start working on a better relationship between the both of you.
What to do about it: How did I do it? The most important thing was probably that I focused a big part of a year in my personal development on reading/listening to books by Eckhart Tolle like Stillness Speaks, A New Earth and The Sun Will Also Die and establishing a habit of being in the present moment.
I listened to those books over and over on my mp3 player while out walking, while riding the bus and so on. This had two big benefits: I was very focused on his advice and it popped up in my head during the day which made it easier to stay aware of though patterns and Tolle became a sort positive influence in my weekly life. Just like a friend can influence you with his/her positive, negative or ambitious attitude and vibe.
Practice being present and it becomes a lot easier to minimize overthinking and to use thinking as a tool rather than letting thoughts control you.
One effective way to realign yourself with the present moment and to let go of overthought thoughts that just run around in circles in your mind is to breathe. To just sit down for 2 minutes, close your eyes if you want and take relatively deep belly breaths. Focus 100% of your attention on the air going in and out of you during these 2 minutes. This calms the mind and body and gets you back into living in the moments that are unfolding right here, right now.
Set short deadlines for decisions. Another very helpful thing is to start using short deadlines. Instead of thinking about something for days, tell yourself that you have – for example – 30 minutes to think. Then you will make a decision.
I also use even shorter deadlines for smaller, daily decisions. I don't sit around thinking about decisions like if I should exercise, make a phone call, try some new food or anything where I may feel a bit of resistance from within. Instead as soon as I think about it I make a decision to do it within maybe 10-30 seconds and I start moving.
I have found this to be a good way to become more decisive instead of falling into the paralyzing trap of overthinking.

subset: commoncrawl


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'The Big Bang Theory' Season 7: Bob Newhart Returns as Professor Proton
Even in light of the genius flowing through 'The Big Bang Theory,' this seems like a no-brainer. Following a highly publicized guest turn as Sheldon (Jim Parsons)'s childhood hero Professor Proton, legendary sitcom star Bob Newhart has been announced to return for season 7 in a recurring capacity, but will anything prove different about his return role?
News of Newhart's return comes to us through TVLine, as 'The Big Bang Theory' announced the appearance during an Emmy-related panel discussion recently. Newhart had previously appeared in antepenultimate season 6 episode "The Proton Resurgence," and has reportedly been booked for two episodes this time around.
'The Big Bang Theory' season 7 will pick up some months after the events of season 6 finale "The Bon Voyage Reaction," showing Leonard on his arctic cruise while Raj explores his newfound ability to talk to women without alcohol. Additionally, former 'Southland' star Regina King will reprise her role as the university's director of human resources, Janine Davis, last seen being fought over by the main characters for a tenured position.
Stay tuned for the latest on the hourlong season 7 premiere, and tell us in the comments what other 'Big Bang Theory' guest stars you'd want to see return when the megahit CBS comedy picks back up on September 26!


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Minimalist magic. Three types of flowers in crisp white tones, including white roses. This bouquet is part of our Beautifully Simple range. New for 2023, it's a collection of minimalist bouquets that celebrate elegance and understated beauty. About their white flower bouquet > It's handcrafted Their local florist will choose each white bloom, checking it's perfect. They'll then handcraft them into an exquisite bouquet. > It'll guaranteed for at least 7 days Anything less and we'll put it right. > The packaging is planet-friendly. Chic, minimalist packaging that won't harm the planet. > It includes a card You let us know the message and the florist will usually handwrite it. > It'll arrive looking amazing They do all the hard work arranging the blooms, so it arrives ready to delight.
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Joined Stern 1987
Leonard N. Stern School of Business
Kaufman Management Center
44 West Fourth Street, 9-59
New York, NY 10012
Joined Stern 1987
Leonard N. Stern School of Business
Kaufman Management Center
44 West Fourth Street, 9-59
New York, NY 10012
Roy C. Smith joined the faculty of the New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business in September 1987. He was the Emeritus Professor of Management Practice and was the Kenneth Langone Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance for 18 years. Prior to assuming this appointment he was a General Partner of Goldman, Sachs & Co., which he joined in 1966, specializing in international investment banking and corporate finance. Upon his retirement from the firm to join the faculty, he was the senior international partner. During his career at Goldman Sachs he served as President of Goldman Sachs International Corp. while resident in the firm's London office in the 1980s.
Professor Smith received his B.S. degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1960, and his M.B.A. degree from Harvard University in 1966.
Professor Smith's principal areas of research included international banking and finance, all forms of entrepreneurial finance and institutional investment practice, professional conduct and business ethics. He was a frequent guest lecturer at other business schools in the U.S. and in Europe.
In addition to various articles in professional journals and op-ed pieces, he was the author of The Global Bankers, E.P. Dutton, 1989, The Money Wars, E.P. Dutton, 1990, Comeback: The Restoration of American Banking Power in the New World Economy, Harvard Business School Press, 1993, The Wealth Creators, St. Martin's Press, 2001, and Adam Smith and the Origins of American Enterprise, 2002, and Paper Fortunes - The Modern Wall Street, 2010. He was also co-author with Ingo Walter of several books including Street Smarts, Harvard Business School Press, 1997, High Finance in the Euro Zone, FT-Prentice Hall, 2000, Global Banking, Oxford University Press, 2003, and Governing the Modern Corporation, Oxford University Press, 2006.
Professor Smith was a Limited Partner of Goldman, Sachs & Co. until its public offering in May 1999. He had been a director of public and privately-held corporations in the US and in the UK, and was a founding partner of a London-based, financial services consulting company.
Harvard University
U.S. Naval Academy
Up to Us: NYU Interviews Roy Smith
R. Smith (2010)
The Modern Wall Street
St Martin's Press


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What is the Unicist Approach to B2B Market R&D Labs?
The discovery of the unicist ontogenetic intelligence of nature allowed defining the triadic structure and the complementation and supplementation laws that underlie any entity.
These discoveries established the groundings to develop the unicist double dialectical logic that underlies all systems in nature.
The use of the double dialectical logic made the emulation of the organization of nature possible, developing objects to install into human adaptive systems to make them faster, safer and reliable.
The Unicist B2B Market R&D Labs are based on (*):
1) The installation of a prototyper that allows launching the Lab with real commercial processes.
2) The use of the unicist business positioning segmentation.
3) The use of the unicist business model segmentation, institutional roles segmentation, personal role segmentation and relationship segmentation.
4) The use of unicist country scenarios.
5) The triadic functional product segmentation.
6) The use of virtual collaboration technologies.
7) The use of a Unicist Corporate University to catalyze commercial processes.
8) The use of object driven marketing.
9) The use of commercial objects, semantic objects and semiotic signs.
10) The use of client centered management as a meta-model.
11) The development of a unicist scorecard to monitor the metrics of the processes.
(*) A condition to manage the unicist approach is to go beyond the use of dualistic logic and use the double dialectical logic in order to be able to emulate dynamic processes in mind. It implies leaving behind the use of the disjunction "or" substituting it by the use of the functional conjunction "and".
You can access the book on "Introduction to Ethical Intelligence in Business" by Diana Belohlavek at: http://www.unicist.org/deb_ieib.php
Unicist Press Committee
NOTE: The Unicist Research Institute was the pioneer in complexity science research and became a private global decentralized leading research organization in the field of human adaptive systems. http://www.unicist.org


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Earl Bobby is Looking for a Loo
A man's adventure to find an empty toilet turns into a serious and intense one.
First, he is looking for his shoes, then his balls, and now Earl Bobby is back, looking for a loo this time. Yeah, you heard me right. I'm not kidding. This one is very simple. You only need to help Earl Bobby find an empty toilet to do his business.
After playing his game of golf with his friend Baron Mucki, Earl Bobby is ready to go home. Unfortunately, he eats too much after the 18th hole and now he needs to find a loo to do his business. Sound easy? Don't be so sure yet, because this "finding toilet" task is very difficult to do. It's there within your sight, but somebody's occupying it and he does not want to leave. NOT without force, at least.
Am I enjoying the game? Yes I am, until I meet the dreadful text parser feature. It's fun at first, but when you're stuck for hours just figuring out what word you should use, the fun disappears quickly. In fact, I have to type the name of every item on the screen just to figure out what to do next. Even with my wife helping me find that one word, it still takes me about 5 hours just to find the God-forsaken word so I can go to the next step. I might not be that good at text parsing games, but this one is way too ridiculous for me. You will see what I mean when you play the game (EVIL LAUGH).
Technically, I don't think this game is any longer than the first two Earl Bobby games. It has approximately the same number of locations to explore. But the text parser aspect can cause it to become really long. If you are good at text parser games (like the old Sierra games), however, you will finish the game in two hours at most.
The other thing I really hate about this game is the pixel hunting. I was unable to pick up objects I knew I needed unless I rested the tip of my pointer on precisely the right spot. This is really frustrating, as the hand icon appears over all items no matter where the pointer is placed.
This game has better graphics compared to the previous two. Too bad there are still many commercial games out there having much better graphics than this one. Don't worry though, I have played many games with worse graphics and still enjoyed them.
The sound FX and conversations don't help to improve the game. The character's voices are sooo lame that I turned my speakers off at times just to avoid them.
But enough already about the bad parts of the game. Now we will talk about the part that makes this game fun to play: The HUMOR. Most of the conversations and actions will make you laugh with the satire and wackiness of Earl Bobby. Some of the puzzle solutions, once you discover them, are actually brilliant. Of course, sometimes you need to use more than logic to solve a puzzle. But if Monkey Island™ can do it, why not this game?
So if you are looking for a game to fill your spare time, go ahead pick this one. It might brighten your day with its humor. But if you have a hard time with games having "non-logical, out-of-the-box" kinds of puzzle solutions and the dreadful "pixel hunting," then stay away from this game because you will lose lots of your hair in the process of finishing it. I'm not joking, especially with the "additional" text parser puzzles during conversations. That combination is way too deadly for me. The choice is yours.
Final Grade: C+
System Requirements:
- Windows XP/Viista/7
- Playable on Linux with Wine
- 1 GB Hard Disk Space
- 2 GHz Single Core Processor
- Direct 3D compatible video card
- Strong nervous system


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I sipped my first glass of champagne at about 6 a.m. London time. It wasn't my last that January morning either. I don't often sip bubbles so it was a real treat - even more so because I was indulging in one of the complimentary pleasures of the British Airways First Class Lounge at Heathrow Airport.
Bubbles at the entry of First Class Lounge Heathrow |
Several months ago when planning our winter sojourn to the United States, we had thrown common sense to the wind and decided to burn a pile of our accumulated frequent flier airline miles. We used our stash of Alaska Airlines miles for round-trip First Class travel between Athens, Greece and Seattle, Washington.
Regular readers know that The Scout is usually in pursuit of the best deal for the least amount of money or airline miles, but we had a change of heart on this one.
With all due credit to our inhouse deal finder, his research paid off on this trip as well. He found that for 20,000 airline miles more per person we could fly First Class (140,000 miles)* instead of Business Class (120,000)*.
We had the miles, so why not use them? we asked ourselves. Why not experience the posh side of travel this time?
A 747 flies the transatlantic routes |
Checkin and security entrance |
It was the next morning that we finally entered the world of first class travel. It began at check in when we were directed to a glitzy private area where check in and security screenings were handled as a part of the route to the First Class lounge, dining room and terrace.
I was like a kid in a candy shop or Alice as she tumbled into Wonderland! I left The Scout sitting in a leather wing chair sipping a pre-breakfast cappuccino while I unabashedly scurried about taking photos of this opulent area. Who knew such a comfy, cushy world existed at airports? (I've been in Business Class lounges before but this was beyond that, so very beyond that!)
While this was likely a one-time shot for us, obviously there is a world in which first class is quite routine. As we were eating breakfast, a well-dressed man passed our table and as he did called out a greeting to the hostess, using her first name. Then added, "I will have my usual. I will be over in my chair." as he headed to the seating area. Incredible!
First class seat British Air
A Mimosa while waiting for take-off |
We perused the menu and sipped - yes, another bubbly while awaiting take off. When the flight attendant took our orders The Scout asked when the meal would be served. Her reply, "Any time you would like it Mr. Smith." Yes, just like Alice must have felt in Wonderland!
Never has the near 10-hour flight between London and Seattle gone as quickly as this one did.
I followed our journey on my television scree |
First Class Part Two
Now our return journey wasn't quite as posh and we can thank the US-based carrier Alaska Airlines, a code-share partner with British Air for tainting an otherwise delightful introduction to First Class travel.
Alaska Air Premium Economy - snack bar and water |
When traveling on award-travel you are not always able to get the flight you want as seats are often scarce. We were unable to get first class seats on the direct BA flight from Seattle to London so flew Alaska Airlines to Boston and then British from Boston to London. Alaska also has Business Class seats, for which we were waitlisted. . .but never cleared the wait list so a six-hour segment of our return trip was spent in Alaska's economy seats. We paid an additional $99 per person to be seated in Premium Economy a few rows at the front of the coach class section.
Because we were waitlisted we were not allowed to use the Alaska Lounge at SeaTac even though our first class tickets were code-share tickets with the airline. It was admittedly a 'first world problem' but irritating to think of turning over all those miles and ending up in economy, however. . .
British Air first-class lounge Boston |
Claim tickets need numbers on them |
Alaska Air had been unable to ticket us all the way back so it was while checking in at British Air that we discovered the Alaska ticket agent had issued us baggage claim tickets for our two checked bags without any claim numbers printed on them. The sharp BA agent caught the error and hand-wrote the numbers on our claim stubs.
That proved to be a good thing because our bags were left in Boston. A fact we learned in Athens. And there, the first thing the lost bag clerk asked for were the baggage claim numbers
The First Class Story Ends at the Village Service Station
The bags did arrive in Athens on a later flight. However, we live four hour's drive from the Athens airport in the rural Peloponnese. We got a call the next day saying the bags would be sent by courier to the Athens bus station and put on a bus bound for Kalamata. There they would be put on a passenger bus bound for the villages to the south of the city. At 2 p.m. the bus would leave our bags at the village service station.
2 p.m. the village service station and there were our bags! |
We have three service stations and they didn't know which one it would be. "Ask around the village and someone will know," we were told. We did just that and at 2:15 the bus pulled into Taki's service station, the bags were unloaded and our adventure into the world of first class travel officially came to an end.
Our first-class travel comes to an end |
If You Want to Book First Class
Appetizers and bubbles |
Now before you go rushing off to book yourself in First Class using award tickets let me caution that these were not 'free tickets'. In addition to the 140,000 reward miles per person we also had to pay $637 per person of which $499 was the 'carrier imposed surcharge' and $138 were taxes and user fees (split between Greece, United Kingdom and the United States). And a booking fee of $25.
That said, it compared favorably with the fare had we simply purchased the tickets as they are about $4,500 per person.
Note the small print when booking award seats whether Business or First Class as sometimes it is a mixed cabin ticket meaning one segment might be in the elite class but other segments will be in the economy section - despite the number of miles you have turned in.
That is it for this week! Thanks for being with us again and we look forward to being back next week with some more tales from The Stone House on the Hill. Until then, safe travels to you and yours~
Linking this week with:
Our World Tuesday
Wordless Wednesday


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My little boys doesn´t know so much about my singing career and so on but today they wanted to watch some videos and they of course wanted to watch when both me and daddy, Johan, were on stage together and we found this old and so fun live shoot from Lissabon where me and Nightwish performed Shut your mouth with Pain=)
So fun and boy I miss being on STAGE!!!!
Next week my dear ones, exciting things will come your way so stay tuned!!
But for now: Pain and Nightwish from Lissabon:


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I have a new free bonus pattern that features the letters found in Alphabet Soup. This baby quilt has a name strip and a large area to feature a big print that you don't want to cut up. Wide backs are great for this project. This quilt comes together quickly since it only needs a few few letter blocks to bring it together.
I've made it twice already and I have a third in the works. This one featuring Tula Pink's Monkey Wrench is for my son, Nate.
Quilt Details
Fabric is Monkey Wrench by Tula Pink
Pattern - Bonus Name Quilt
Designed by me
Quilted by Gotcha Covered Quilting
Started on 5/2/19
Finished on 5/11/19
Quilt measures - 50" x 50"
Quilt Details
Pattern - Bonus Name Quilt
Designed by me
Quilted by me
Started on 4/25/19
Finished on 5/4/19
Quilt measures - 50" x 50"
The free bonus pattern is available now by filling out your information below. Click "Bonus Projects" to get this quilt pattern sent to your email. Ask for Alphabet Soup at your local quilt shop.
© Blog post written by Julie Herman
For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/


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Doing things the smart way saves a lot of sweat and frustration. That's one of the reasons Honda ATVs are so popular—because they're such a smart solution. And that's especially true with our FourTrax Foreman Rubicon family of all-terrain vehicles. With four models in the lineup, it's easy to choose the right mix of premium features, like our exclusive automatic DCT transmission or our conventional ATV semi-automatic manual. Available electric power steering is a perfect example of working smarter, and so is independent rear suspension (IRS) which is standard on all models and gives you a smooth ride even over rough terrain. Best of all, every Foreman Rubicon features the same reliable 518cc Honda engine, with power and efficiency that punch way above their class.
Important Safety Information: Recommended for riders 16 years of age and older. Honda recommends that all ATV riders take a training course and read their owner's manual thoroughly.
This is not an offer for credit and should be used for estimation purposes only based on the information you provided. You should not base your decision on this estimate alone. Title, registration, tax and other fees, and personal circumstances such as employment status and personal credit history, were not considered in the calculations.
Front - Dual 190 mm discs
Rear - Dual 170 mm discs
Front - 25 x 8-12
Rear - 25 x 10-12
Front - Independent double-wishbone; 7.3 in. travel
Rear - Independent dual-arm; 8.5 in. travel
Front rack - 99 lb.
Rear rack - 187 lb.
Black Forest Green
Honda Phantom Camo®
Matte Gray Metallic
Matte Navy Blue
MSRP excludes destination charge. Visit powersports.honda.com to view applicable destination charge amount.
UTILITY ATVs ARE RECOMMENDED FOR RIDERS 16 YEARS AND OLDER. ATVs CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO OPERATE. FOR YOUR SAFETY, BE RESPONSIBLE. READ THE OWNER'S MANUAL. ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. BE CAREFUL ON DIFFICULT TERRAIN. ALL ATV RIDERS SHOULD TAKE A TRAINING COURSE (FREE FOR NEW BUYERS. ASK YOUR DEALER OR CALL ASI AT 800-887-2887). NEVER RIDE AFTER CONSUMING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, ON PAVED SURFACES, ON PUBLIC ROADS, WITH PASSENGERS, OR AT EXCESSIVE SPEEDS. NO STUNT RIDING. RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN RIDING. FourTrax®, Foreman®, Rubicon®, Rancher®, Recon®, Phantom Camo®, Honda Pro Connect™, TraxLok®, and Electric Shift Program® (ESP) are registered trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. ©2022 American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
We are in the process of adding model data for the new 2025 Honda models. We do everything we can to ensure that all of our information is correct; however, during the initial entry process, we reserve the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to model specifications, features, images and prices displayed on this and any associated webpage at any time without prior notice. Please contact your local dealer to confirm the information.
Due to continued challenges across supplier networks as well as increasing logistics costs, product pricing, freight charges, specifications, and features are subject to change at any time without prior notice. Please confirm all information with your local dealership.
Images, where available, are presented as reasonable facsimiles of the offered unit and/or manufacturer stock images. Non-standard options or features may be represented. No guarantee of availability or inclusion of displayed options should be inferred; contact the dealer for more details.
Price, if shown and unless otherwise noted, represents the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) or dealer unit price and does not include government fees, taxes, dealer vehicle freight/preparation, dealer document preparation charges, labor, installation, or any finance charges (if applicable). MSRP and/or final sales price will vary depending on options or accessories selected; contact dealer for more details.
Images, where available, are presented as reasonable facsimiles of the offered unit and/or manufacturer stock images. Non-standard options or features may be represented. No guarantee of availability or inclusion of displayed options should be inferred; contact dealer for more details.


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FunStuff: Charlottesville events September 27 and beyond
Map the dark or calligraphy?
We're never quite sure where Rosamond Casey's art is going to take us– whether it's a Rorschach game like Catch the Baby, or the creation of imaginary characters and their inner lives with Mapping the Dark: A Museum of Ambient Disorders. Whatever she's doing, the journey is worth taking, and her all new Mapping the Dark class offers a chance to go along for an eight-week Thursday night ride. Participants start with a sensory experience from the physical world and proceed to record it through writing, drawing, photography, sculpture, movement, and found elements, including sound, detritus, and written scraps. Or perhaps expression through the Art of Calligraphy is more your style. That eight-week, 9:30am until noon class also begins September 27, and both are in the Starnes classroom, room 17 in McGuffey.
September 27, McGuffey Art Center, 6:30 to 9pm, $200
Inside baseball for political junkies
Can't get enough of Election 2012? Fascinated by the moves the candidates– and their campaign strategists– make and how they handle blunders? Then you might want to spend your Thursday night taking in the now classic behind-the-scenes documentary on Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign from acclaimed filmmakers D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, who embedded themselves in the Clinton camp. The War Room introduced the country to ragin' Cajun James Carville, Clinton's campaign manager, and Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos, 20 years ago the director of communications. Calling the two Clintons "cagey generals," the Washington Post says, "The War Room fairly bristles with the frenetic energy, flat-out fun, and Southern-fried cunning that won the White House."
September 27, Jefferson Madison Central Library, 7pm, free
Weigh in on the ouster
Still steaming from the failed coup d'etat at UVA this summer, and the Board of Visitors effort to sweep all that "unpleasantness" under the carpet? Apparently you're not alone. The still-unexplained actions that so roiled the community have also sparked local legislators to hold a bipartisan Joint Town Hall Thursday night at UVA Law School. Democratic state Senator Creigh Deeds and Delegate David Toscano join Republican delegates Steve Landes and Jimmie Massie (from Henrico County) at a public hearing to discuss board governance and potential legislation for the 2013 General Assembly Session. Could be civic engagement at its best. Doors open at 5:30pm.
September 27, Caplin Auditorium, 6:30 to 9 pm, free
Block party, part 2
The Tom Tom Founders Festival kick-off block party in the spring was a smash, drawing around 2,500 people to McGuffey for music, food, and brews. Capitalizing on a good idea, Tom Tom founder Paul Beyer decided to do it again on Friday, using the same winning formula. The musical line-up includes the country rock of Pantherburn, the Irish-influenced folk of Chamomile & Whiskey, the Music Resource Center's student Drum Team, and the Boys & Girls Club's Dance Step Team. There's a street food fair and a beer garden featuring sponsors New Belgium Brewing and local craft-brewer, Wild Wolf. Even better, proceeds from drinking beer will support the Community Investment Collaborative, a local microfinance group, and the festival's Innovator in Residence.
September 28, McGuffey Art Center, 5 to 8pm, free
In 1965, Ralph Nader declared the rear-engine Chevrolet Corvair "unsafe at any speed." But what if, in some alternate reality, that were all a cruel conspiracy and that U.S. government testing found the car was really safe? When Benjy Bennett, a recent high school grad with Asperger's Syndrome, discovers that the car his father has just bought has been unfairly maligned, he becomes its defender, because like him, it's "not disabled, just different." For Benjy and his widowed dad, a wild ride ensues in Charlottesville resident Jonathan Rintels' first novel, Lifemobile. And yes, Rintels owns his own Corvair– one that's in much better shape than his book's cover art.
September 28, New Dominion Bookshop, 5:30pm, free
Music and camping
Fridays After Five may be over, but outdoors music is not quite calling it a season. The 2nd annual Misty Mountain Music Festival this weekend lines up a who's who of Charlottesville bands– Indecision, Eli Cook, Second Draw, and much, much more. Misty Mountain in Greenwood is family-friendly and RV-friendly and even has cabins– if you make your reservation quickly. Or just bring a tent.
September 28-29, Misty Mountain Camp Resort, 4:15pm Friday and 12:30pm Saturday, $30 advance
Take a kid mountain biking
It's a good idea to get out in the woods on a Saturday in early fall anyway– but this is a worldwide event– Take a Kid Mountain Biking– sponsored by the International Mountain Bicycling Association to promote... mountain biking, with kids. BYO child, mountain bike, helmet, and water. The local Charlottesville Albemarle Mountain Bike Club provides safety checks and a skills clinic, then it's time to hit the trails according to age and skill level. Chaperones are included, and it's a good opportunity to drive a few miles north of the Airport to check out one of Albemarle's newest parks, with over eight miles of trails.
September 29, Preddy Creek Trail Park, 1 to 4pm, free
Kiting west of the mountains
Here's another little-known park, this one on the other side of the Blue Ridge: Waynesboro's Coyner Springs, with more than 300 acres nestled up against the mountains. That will be the site of Fly n' High Flags & Kites on Saturday, with kite making, flying, parachute races, face painting and hayrides. At noon, everyone can participate in the giant American flag ceremony, so called because it really is a giant flag. Bring a lawn chair to the park at 2091 Lyndhurst Road, and food will be available for purchase. Note to dog owners: this park has a leash-less dog park.
September 29, Coyner Springs Park, 10am to 3pm, free
Qu'est que c'est balalaika?
Funny you should ask. A balalaika is a triangle-shaped, Russian guitar-like instrument with three strings used in traditional folk music there and all over Eastern Europe. And that's not the only traditional Russian folk instrument we've never heard of. The Washington Balalaika Society Orchestra incorporates the domra, bayan and related wind and percussion instruments in its performances, one of which will take place on Sunday at Piedmont Virginia Community College. Here's a chance to hear virtuoso balalaika soloist Andrei Saveliev, pictured. Follow the performance with borscht and vodka.
September 30, Dickinson Building, 3pm, $15
Tuesday night jazz
German-born jazz pianist/Indiana University music prof Monica Herzig invites you on a journey (which seems to be a recurring theme with this week's female artists). In fact, her latest recording is called Come with Me, and her sultry, soaring sound captures the melancholy, the joy, the complexity of life– everything you want to find in jazz. Herzig plays her own music (which won a Down Beat magazine award in 1994) along with jazz standards from Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael, and the not-so-standard in jazz, like Bob Dylan. Held in a hip downtown restaurant and sponsored by the Charlottesville Jazz Society as part of its new Arts/Educator series.
October 2, Escafé, 7 to 9pm, free
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Community Drum Circle at McGuffey Art Center on the second Saturday of each month (October 13). ^:30PM. on the first floor just inside the South end doors. Come on time because the doors must be closed at 6:45. Bring a drum or rent one for a nominal fee. Family friendly; kids welcome. Facilitaed by William "Whit" Whitten.
Thursday, Sept. 27, 7PM, I am hosting an introduction to 3d photography via the Charlottesville Photography Initiative. This even is free and open to the public, but to attend you must register:
We will demonstrate a range of techniques and equipment used to obtain images for 3d display. This can range from a standard single-lens camera (such as one you might have), to various types of stereo rigs and purpose-made 3d cameras, like the new Fuji W3 digital P+S 3d camera.
We will demonstrate several new (digital and film) and vintage media for showing your 3d photographs. Slide film shooters are especially invited - slide film is the ultimate 3d image acquisition and display medium!
Thanks for your interest. Feel free to contact me with questions via the CPI page.
100 Thousand Poets, Musicians & Artists for Change
C'ville Coffee at 1301 Harris St. Charlottesville, Va. is hosting a 100 Thousand Poets, Musicians and Artists for Change event on September 29th from 4-6 p.m. Local poets, writers, musicians and artists are invited to join with people around the world. Over 700 events in over 115 countries will promote social, political and environmental change. See more about world events at www.100tpc.org. Bring a song, a poem, photographs or posters to join with other's for affirmative change. If interested in participating, please contact Bob at .
'Coffee should be black as Hell, strong as death, and sweet as love.'
- Turkish proverb
Don't miss the only Charlottesville appearance of BALKANIZE! for the foreseeable future!
BALKANIZE!, Central-Virginia's favorite Turko-Balkan folk music ensemble, will be performing unmistakably dance-able Balkan, Eastern European and Turkish dance songs at C'ville Coffee, 1301 Harris Street, in Charlottesville, on Sunday, September 30, 2012.
The show starts at 6:30 p.m. and runs until 8:30.
This show is our only scheduled performance in Charlottesville and will include songs from our newest CD "... For Your Are Made Of Stars."
Admission is $8, payable at the door.
We hope to see you there!
Oct 3, head to the Pigeon Hole on Elliewood Ave to experience the first Presidential Debate as the entertainment it actually is. In an evening sponsored by Gadfly, a Cville based arts/culture web magazine, the new pop punk band Synthetics will open for Mitt and Barack with a rousing set. Come enjoy the spectacle of American decline with a tofu salad sandwich and some good music!


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CHICAGO, Ill. — We're just days into the vaccination of front-line health care workers and many are asking, who's next? States are beginning to roll out their plans, but timing is still very much in the air.
For the last nine months, the check-out lines at grocery stores have not slowed.
"We took one day off," said Barbara Eastman, the owner of Happy Foods, a family-owned grocery store on Chicago's northwest side. "We took off Easter Sunday. We closed the store and said everybody's got to take a break."
Essential workers like grocery store staff have worked tirelessly during the pandemic to keep the shelves stocked and Americans fed. In many cases, they've taken on great risks themselves.
Grocery store worker John Wipperfurth came down with the coronavirus, despite taking every precaution.
"I just took a little time off and came back a little more cautious afterwards," he said. "But I was cautious before. That was the real scary part."
In fact, researchers at Harvard University recently found that supermarket workers who had direct contact with customers were about five times more likely to contract COVID-19 than their colleagues who didn't interact with customers.
It's one reason experts like Lori Post says essential workers should be a priority following health care workers. Post is the director of the Buehler Center for Health Policy and she's an emergency medicine professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.
"They can't work remotely. They must show up to work. They need to be vaccinated. They're high up on the priority list," said Post.
Right now, across the country, front-line healthcare workers and long-term care facilities are at the top of the list. But Post says groups like factory workers, correctional officers, inmates and disproportionately affected communities of color should be prioritized ahead of healthy adults.
The exact timeline for when the general public could get vaccinated is difficult to pin down. Additional emergency approvals could accelerate a potential summer roll-out to healthy people. But even after the vaccine is widely available and a distribution plan is in place, it will likely take months more before restrictions are eased.
"Best case scenario, next summer, middle of summer, end of summer, that we're going to be able to have enough vaccines," said Post.
And, for those who have worked hard to keep the economy going, like Barbara Eastman and her employees, they are still ready and waiting in line.
"Most of us are looking forward to being vaccinated and being safe and being part of that group that's gonna make everybody safe."