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This summer cable TV networks have offered some dark, complicated serialized murder stories - "Dexter" on Showtime and "The Killing" on AMC. On Wednesday, the FX network adds another to the mix - "The Bridge" which, like "The Killing," is based on a Scandinavian television series. Our TV critic David Bianculli has this review.
DAVID BIANCULLI, BYLINE: The FX version of the Scandinavian series "The Bridge," like the Showtime version of the Israeli TV series that inspired "Homeland," is a major revamp as well as a crucial relocation. With "Homeland," the focus became American politics and home-soil terrorism. With his new adaptation of "The Bridge," the setting is changed to the U.S.-Mexico border.
This allows executive producer Meredith Stiehm, a writer-producer from "Homeland," to deal with everything that relocation provides - including the white-hot issues of immigration reform and border security. "The Bridge" opens with a crime scene that couldn't be more symbolic, or more gruesome. An unknown killer has managed to place a body on a border bridge between Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas - so precisely on the border that half of the body is in each country.
That makes it, at first, a jurisdictional issue for the respective first responders: an El Paso police detective named Sonya Cross, and a Chihuahua state policeman named Marco Ruiz. Sonya is played by Diane Kruger, the German actress from "Inglourious Basterds." Marco is played by Demian Bichir, who played Mary-Louise Parker's Mexican husband in "Weeds," and was Oscar-nominated for his supporting role in "A Better Life."
In this early scene from the premiere, Sonya claims the on-the-border murder case, but within hours, she reaches out to Marco when a new development changes things. Oh, and Sonya, like Claire Danes' character in "Homeland," is doing her job while struggling with a disorder. In Sonya's case it's Aspergers, which explains her no-nonsense conversational approach when she calls Marco in the middle of the night.
DIANE KRUGER: (as Sonya) Is this Marco Ruiz?
DEMIAN BICHIR: (as Marco) Speaking. Yes.
KRUGER: (as Sonya) Sonya Cross, El Paso PD.
BICHIR: (as Marco) Hmm. The one in charge. I remember.
KRUGER: (as Sonya) Were you sleeping?
BICHIR: (as Marco) I do that at night. Yes.
KRUGER: (as Sonya) There were two women on the bridge.
BICHIR: (as Marco) You found another one?
KRUGER: (as Sonya) No. Two different bodies - a lower half and an upper half. Two different women. You find half a body in Juarez - Hispanic, late teens to twenty - you would have the other half.
BICHIR: (as Marco) Ouch.
KRUGER: (as Sonya) Something wrong?
BICHIR: (as Marco) No, no. I'm listening. Cut in half.
KRUGER: (as Sonya) Yes. Do you have a girl that matches this description?
BICHIR: (as Marco) Well, we have lots of bodies. We have lots of parts and bones and skulls and...
KRUGER: (as Sonya) It could be a year old. Her legs were frozen.
BICHIR: (as Marco) Frozen?
KRUGER: (as Sonya) Yes. Can you look into it?
BICHIR: (as Marco) Of course. Yeah. I'll do it first thing in the morning.
KRUGER: (as Sonya) Who can I call to look into it now?
BIANCULLI: The killer is making a point - the first of many - in a way to ensure that the issues he wants to address demand international attention. And very soon, his agenda involves many characters who, at first, seem to have little to do with one another. But, as one promotional tagline for this series says: Everything is connected. Beginning with those two bisected bodies.
The supporting cast includes Ted Levine as Sonya's understanding boss - a role that's similar to but less comic than the one he played as Tony Shalhoub's boss on "Monk," the comedy mystery series about a detective with a serious case of O.C.D.
But "The Bridge" plays everything straight - except that Bichir, who's so charismatic and unpredictable as the Mexican cop, is just as likely to break into a wry smile as a sudden outburst. And Kruger's Sonya is flat-out unpredictable; the two of them, like the two mismatched investigators of "The Killing," make this new murder mystery an intriguing character study.
The first three episodes of "The Bridge" were available for preview and they suggest an increasingly complicated story line - and provide enough startlingly intense moments to keep you not only involved, but captivated. This "Bridge," I'm guessing, is heading somewhere good.
DAVIES: David Bianculli is founder and editor of the website TV Worth Watching and teaches TV and film history at Rowan University in New Jersey. Coming up, Ken Tucker reviews Eleanor Friedberger's new solo album. This is FRESH AIR.
Copyright © 2013 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
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{Observing symmetrical & asymmetrical aspects in people.}
The celestial, inner worlds that we see in the Morph are digital and mathematical and symmetrical in their beauty. And the beings in there are also beautifully symmetrical and complex. There is an implicit mathematical order to nature and the shape of everything in the cosmos-things that are holy and good rest in a mathematical symmetrical balance. A symmetrical face is a beautiful face. But of course, most of human beauty comes from an inner radiance so it doesn't matter what shape your face is. Often people that have asymmetrical faces have quirky good looks. Sean Penn, Robert de Nero, and Christina Aguilera have asymmetrical good looks.
If you look at the lines we've drawn on Christina Aguilera's face, you can see her eyes are asymmetrical in that the right eye is slightly higher than the left one, and the end of her nose turns towards her right side. Her mouth is also slightly asymmetrical in that it is set slightly "off center" toward the left side of her face. In a perfectly symmetrical face, the eyes would be level, the nose straight and the mouth centered.
Some people are born with symmetrical features that gradually get bent out of shape over the years by their silent attitudes and their emotions. Anger, evil and arrogance begin to contort one's face as early as in one's teenage years. Some inner sentiments that appear on the face are obvious to see. One who lies a lot, that lives in a phony reality of their own making, will see their mouth slant downwards at the edges. Those that are very stingy develop tight, thin upper lips.
If a person is arrogant you will see it as an etheric bubble under their nose; they hold their chin up ever so slightly higher than normal. This is because in their deep inner soul they look down their nose on humanity. In women, the arrogance is often seen as a slight pout. Their upper lip is unnaturally curved upwards and they pinch the end of their nose downwards slightly. It is as if they are trying to hold an invisible ping-pong ball between their upper lip and the underside of their nose. Posh Beckham, the former Spice Girl and now David Beckham's wife, is a classic in the ping-pong pout category. Super models on the catwalk often do the pout as part of their overall presentation. I would have loved to put a photo of the "model-girl pout" here but photographers have copyright laws that cover their work. Resources at Stuie Wilde.com are as skinny as the girls, acquiring rights to fashion pictures is not a possibility.
Here is a simple quiz to test to you with a perception of symmetry. We've cut out the mouths from photos of three famous people. See if you can work out who is who from the clues. The answers are at the end of this article.
One is talented and generous beyond words.
One is humble, diligent and brave.
One is a predator who profits from the misery of others.
|Mouth A
|Mouth B
|Mouth C
In the olden days when I was still a seminar presenter, I would take participants out in the street and I'd show them how to read people by watching breakdowns in symmetry that are present in people's faces. It was a very interesting time; I enjoyed the process enormously. What I found was that once you show a person what to look for they get it immediately. Even the more subtle, hidden emotions, like self-hate and shame become obvious. But what caused the most surprise for my long-suffering clients was when I had them identify the human predators.
Some predators like murders and criminals are usually easy to spot as they give off a darkness that is erratic and scary, but most predators are cleverly hidden inside high fashion and/or a three-piece suit. These people legally thieve off humanity or they act to control or crush their fellow men and women: stockbrokers, bankers, arms dealers, cosmetic surgeons, sex slavers, bent reporters, crooked politicians, shonky businessmen and women of all kinds.
These predators are hard to spot but once you know a bit about the etheric it gets easier. All predators have an etherically curled lip that is usually curled up at the right side of the mouth. It's a very subtle snarl that speaks from their cold, reptilian brain. Predators are heartless and self-centered; humanity is food for them that provides sex, money, service, adulation and admirers. Predators are materialists; they see humans as underlings placed here to serve them and/or hold them up. So etherically and/or sometimes physically, the predator's snarl speaks of an utter disdain for others. Now, socially he or she may play Mr. Nice Guy but you aren't looking at the "show" they offer, you look for the underlying demonic feeling that bends their etheric and drives their life. In fact, the more a person plays at being nice, the darker they usually are. When you bump into Mr. Nice Guy, or Little Miss Perfect, proceed with great caution or better still, flee.
Perception is a lot to do with understanding signs, some of which are obvious once you know what to look for. For example, most men who wear a moustache that don't have a beard as well are usually authoritarian. They seek control. The moustache often hides a closet Nazi. It grants them the inner sense of importance, manhood and virility. They are here as the elite, to act as prison guards for humanity. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule but a moustache offers you a serious warning.
Mugabi: Africa's Black Hitler
The trick to dealing with these men is to subjugate yourself momentarily to their self-importance, and the silent threat they offer. So it's "Yes, sir, no sir" all the way. They want to be seen as nice people so tell them they are wonderful and amazing and whatever other compliments come to mind. Basically, you masturbate their egos and while they are glowing with self-indulgence, you beat a hasty retreat avoiding any niceties like goodbye. If you marry one, I'm sorry for you, you'll probably become his slave.
Men with moustaches and beards are different; they look old-fashioned and they are usually a bit dreary, but they are often "natural" and equitable toward others. The bearded ones are often earth types: biologists, archeologists, mountain people, gardeners, the man at the health food shop etc. They are not usually a worry. They tend to think a lot and they are often emotionally crippled, hiding their feelings and communicating poorly when it comes to what they really think and feel. But, as they will soon be off to the Gobi desert to dig for bones for three years, you are not going to have to deal with them very much. That's one less thing to think about.
The female Nazis are more difficult to spot at first glance. Plastic surgery, Botox®, make-up and high fashion can confuse you. Sometimes these women have cruel eyes and bent mouths, but the trick is to listen to their voice. People with beautiful, melodic voices are almost always good people, they have well-developed spirits. It's the raspy, high-pitched ones you have to watch carefully. The would-be controllers of this world are more pushy and louder than normal; they are here to bark orders and make demands. And woe betide you, if you don't follow what the camp commandant wants-click your boots and salute!
Symmetry is fun to watch, it tells you heaps about who people really are. I'll do some more of these pieces from time-to-time. Then there are some aspects of perception that come across as very subtle feelings and etheric nuances that don't fall into any easily defined category. Etheric perception and ESP comes to you over time.
© Stuart Wilde 2005 – www.stuartwilde.com
Mouth A: Jane Arraf
TV journalist. CNN's Baghdad correspondent. She is known to be very brave when reporting under fire. (Her lips show an up-beat, warm person that is humble, and yet there is also a dogged strength about them as well.)
Mouth B: Dick Cheney
Vice President of America and former CEO of Halliburton. Cheney made tens of millions as the head of Halliburton. He still has millions of share options in the company. He's keen to promote war. Halliburton's ranking as a US defense contractor has risen from being outside the top one hundred before the Iraq war began, to being the sixth largest contractor now. Current contracts with the US military are reputed to run at one billion dollars a month. (Cheney's lips and his mouth overall, have an asymmetrical, crocodile look that says they are about to try to eat you.)
Mouth C: Keanu Reeves
Actor, hero of the Matrix films. Recently, he gave a group of twenty-nine technical assistants on the Matrix film a gift of fifty million pounds ($94 million dollars at today's exchange rates) to be shared equally amongst them. He said that he had no need for any more money as he had enough and that he wanted to acknowledge the special input that they had made that contributed to the success of the films. (Keanu Reeves' lips show great symmetry and a fullness that suggests warmth, honor, kindness and equanimity.)
Bye for now SW.

subset: commoncrawl


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Kansas City
View northeast down the Kansas;
the Missouri flows from left to right
© 2000 Airphoto—Jim Wark
'Great River of the Kansas'
Today, the Kansas River (bottom)—also known as the Kaw—is closer to its probable 1804 location than the Missouri River, which at that time may have met it at nearly a right angle somewhere near the petroleum depot at upper center. In the photo, Kansas City, Kansas, is to the left and lower right of the two rivers; Kansas City, Missouri, founded in 1821, is at upper right.
The expedition's campsite from 26 to 28 June 1804 was near the wooded point that protrudes at the confluence. They knew that the Kansas River—named for the resident Indian tribe—was important, but they would not be able to explore it to the extent they would have liked. Its full length and character were still conjectural. "To Describe the most probable of the various accounts of this great river of the Kansas," wrote Clark, "would be too lengthy & uncertain to insert here."
Still, they decided to stay for several days to "recruit"—which to them meant rest—and at least get acquainted with this part of it. After building a defensive line of logs and brush against the possibility of an Indian attack during the night—one of the engages had indicated the area natives could be unfriendly—they proceeded to the business of discovery, determining the latitude of the place, recording the contours of the floodplain and uplands, and measuring the rivers' widths, flows, temperatures, and silt content. Clark found only one fault: "The waters of the Kansas is verry disagreeably tasted to me."
The men noticed flocks of brilliant-hued Carolina parakeets (Conuropsis carolinensis) in this neighborhood. Although common at that time throughout the southeast and in the wooded river bottoms of the plains, this sole North American species of parrot was eventually doomed to extinction. Tending, like the passenger pigeon, to feed in hordes upon orchards and grain fields, it was regarded as a pest by farmers. On the other hand, its sheer beauty was part of its doom. It was trapped for the caged-bird market. Worse, it was extremely attractive to the millinery trade, which paid good prices for its plumage, and its sociable habits made it easy for hunters to harvest in profitable numbers. By 1920 the species was gone for good.
From Discovering Lewis & Clark from the Air
Photography by Jim Wark
Text by Joseph Mussulman
Reproduced by permission of Mountain Press


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Possible Delays On Three Nations Crossing North Channel Bridge
Enniska /February 2, 2015
The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne would like to inform the community that today, Tuesday, February 2, 2016 between the hours of 10 p.m. and 1 p.m., engineering testing will be conducted on the North Channel Bridge.
The bridge will not be closed during this time; however, this testing may require traffic to be held back for periods of time.
For more information, please contact Mohawk Government Offices at 613-575-2348.


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Industries Served
- Environmental Consumer Goods
- Health & Wellness
- Media
- Retail
- Sporting Goods
- Technology
What's on your wall?
To some, posters might be seen as little more than crass, obtrusive clutter. Yet for others they are essential to the lifeblood and culture of a place. As a medium, posters are profound in their accessibility, directness and simplicity. From an objective point of view, they embody a civic, corporate or pop culture that is messy, subversive, resourceful, sometimes deviant but most of the time educational and inspirational. From another perspective, posters also reflect something deeper: the creativity, entrepreneurship, passion and political ideals of communities. If posters were not an available medium it is probably fair to say that it would mean the loss of an essential component of popular art form. It is also obvious that without posters work places, store fronts and floors as well as common living areas would be a much less interesting places not only to look at, but to live in as well.


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Zentraedi Glaug Command Pack
Code: 55403
Price: $36.95
Shipping Weight: 0.75 pounds
In Stock
Quantity in Basket: None
Note: Robotech® products are available in North and South America, the European Union, Australia and New Zealand only.
Zentraedi Glaug Command Pack
This diverse pack provides your Zentraedi forces with greater tactical capabilities; three figures total.
Note: This product does not qualify for the special Media Mail rate, and cannot ship via Media Mail.


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Click here to print the obituary below
In Memory of
Marcus De-Wayne Arnold
January 11, 1959 - July 17, 2013
Marcus De-Wayne Arnold was born January 11, 1959, in Indianapolis, Indiana. His mother is Barbara Jean Arnold-Smith and father was William David Arnold, who preceded his death on March 9, 1972 when Marcus was a teenager. His mother then met and married Emanuel L. Smith, "Smitty" on December 30, 1972, after the family moved from Indianapolis to Highland, California, who has been Marcus' and his siblings father for 41 years, now.
Marcus attended San Gorgonio High School in San Bernardino, CA where he played on the basketball team and then moved to Portland, Oregon after high school to attend Linn-Benton Community College and then Oregon State University where he received his Bachelor's degree in Psychology. Marcus worked as a counselor in his earlier years, then as a car salesman for many years and at the time of his death he was employed by the Holiday Inn Hotel. It was in Oregon when he met Laura Cook and they married in 1983 and had 2 beautiful daughters, Nicole (age 30) and Morgan (age 27). Marcus and Laura divorced after 20 years of marriage. Marcus then met his current love, Jennifer Summers in 2009, who had remained by his side until his death.
Marcus was an avid golfer and he and his brothers would all love to play golf when they all got together. If you looked on Facebook, you would see many pictures with the brothers playing golf together. Marcus was a doting grandfather and loved to spend his time being "Pepe" to his granddaughter Madison, (age 10) and his new grandbaby, Harper Rose (age 12 weeks). These 2 girls would just light up his life.
Marcus De-Wayne Arnold departed this life on Wednesday, July 17, 2013, at the young age of 54, when he lost his battle with nasal cancer. Marcus was a fighter and was determined to beat this disease, but the Lord took him home to allow him to rest and be at peace with no more pain. I know the sun is shining on his beautiful spirit and Marcus is telling us all not to be sad and that he is watching us all from above.
Marcus leaves to cherish his memory his daughters, Nicole and Morgan (husband Casey), his granddaughters Maddie and Harper Rose of Portland, Oregon, his parents Barbara and Emanuel Smith of Highland, CA, his brother Rick Arnold (Pauline) of San Bernardino, CA, Michael Arnold (Ninva) of Tejunga, CA, John Arnold (Gina) of Fontana, CA, sister Kitty Arnold of Wichita, KS and baby sister, Debbie Arnold-Webb (Elton) of Highland, CA, 19 nieces and nephews and 8 great-nieces and nephews and many cousins, uncles, aunts and friends.
A memorial service will be held in Skyline Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home Chapel, 4101 NW Skyline Blvd., Portland, OR, on Saturday, July 20th, at 10am. A reception will follow the memorial service at the Wilsonville Holiday Inn, 25425 SW 95th Avenue, Wilsonville, OR 97070, (503) 682-2211.
Another memorial service will take place the following week at Montecito Memorial Park, 3520 E Washington Street, in Colton, California, 92324, on Sunday, July 28th, 2013, at 11am.
The family of Marcus De-Wayne Arnold wishes to acknowledge with our deepest appreciation, the many comforting messages, prayers, flowers and other expressions of kindness and concern evidenced at this time in thought and deed.
Please visit Marcus' Internet memorial and online guestbook at
Thank you.
Chapel Memorial Service
Saturday, July 20, 2013 | 10:00am
Skyline Memorial Gardens & Funeral Home Chapel
4101 NW Skyline Blvd., Portland, Oregon 97229 | (503) 292-6611
Driving Directions
Reception and Memorial Gathering
Saturday, July 20, 2013 | 11:00am
Wilsonville Holiday Inn
25425 SW 95th Ave , Wilsonville, Oregon 97070
Driving Directions
Memorial Service
Sunday, July 28, 2013 | 11:00am
Montecito Memorial Park
3520 E Washington Street, Colton, California 92324
Driving Directions


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There is no denying the fact that, many of us consider moving to be one of the most stressful and least fun events of our life. The whole process of moving all your stuff from one city to another can apparently lead to its the-least-fun demeanor. Once you've decided about every aspect in the new city including where to work, your kids' new schools, your new locality, the next big task is to figure out a trustworthy moving company to do the most tedious job.
Before you start, it's important to know that reputable moving companies always go for an in-house estimate and if your company is keen on giving an estimate over the phone without a physical survey, it's a big red flag to avoid that company. During the estimate, don't forget to include each and every thing which you wish to be moved including the long forgotten items in your basement, attic or in storage and ask as many as questions from the moving company's rep to assure your confidence in them.
Believe us; your greatest nightmare can be getting hooked up with a forged and unlicensed company. Hence, we always recommended confirming your movers' US DOT number and also checking their licensed documents to avoid any problem in future.
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"A practical guide not only to mindfulness meditation and healing, but daily life." —Joseph Goldstein, Insight Meditation Society, author of One Dharma and coauthor of Seeking the Heart of Wisdom
"Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn eloquently explains the power of paying attention and increasing awareness. I strongly recommend this book for everyone who wants to begin healing their life."—Dean Ornish, M.D., author of Stress, Diet, and Your Heart and Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for the Reversal of Heart Disease
"Happy 15th birthday to one of the great classics of mind/body medicine! More than any other, Full Catastrophe Living is the book that enabled Americans to discover the inner life. This book has brought peace of mind to hundreds and thousands of people and healed countless lives. This is your chance to let it heal yours." —Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., author of Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings
"A wonderful guidebook for those of us who choose life and healing. I hope you all make the choice and read the book." —Bernie Siegel, M.D., author of Love, Medicine, and Miracles and Peace, Love, and Healing


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Ben Popken's "Beat The Cheat" Reader's Digest Article Online
I've got a new article in Reader's Digest about 9 scams that exploit national trends and how to avoid them. Flimflammers use the same basic scams over and over again, they just use the strips newspaper headlines to layer on like papermache on their chickenwire schemes. My article points out nine recent iterations and how to avoid them. Thanks to all the readers who sent in their stories to help out with the article. Loyal blog readers will enjoy that we splashed longstanding Consumerist nemesis IDT Energy's skanky sales practices in national print. Gotcha, suckers.


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$150,000 awarded to VC for nuclear scholarships
Sept. 14, 2009 at 4:14 a.m.
The Victoria College has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Grant funds will be used to establish a Nuclear Education Scholarship program in order to expand and improve the educational opportunities and career prospects for nuclear education program students.
Participants will benefit from an array of services, including academic advisement and monitoring, mentoring, tutoring, supplemental instruction, career counseling and job placement assistance.
A minimum of 15 scholarships of up to $5,000 each will be awarded to qualifying students during the first semester of the program.
Scholarship awards will either be renewed based on continued eligibility or additional scholarships will be awarded for a second semester. Students will receive scholarships based on academic merit and potential, with consideration given to financial need and the goal of promoting the participation of minorities, women and persons with disabilities.


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Airdate: November 10, 2004
Written by Steven S. DeKnight; Directed by Jeannot Szwarc
Isobel was… aggressively sexy. – Clark
A WITCH HUNT IN SMALLVILLE – After Lana (Kristin Kreuk) reads from a spell book written in the 1600s, she, Lois (Erica Durance) and Chloe (Allison Mack) become possessed by witches that had been burned at the stake. The three witches have come back seek revenge and search for the powerful Kryptonian crystals, wreaking havoc on the town in the process. Clark attempts to stop the witches but they strip him of his powers and force him to reveal the location of the crystal he hid in the cave.
Guest Stars
Erica Durance (Lois Lane)
Lara Gilchrist (Madelyn Hibbins)
Melanie Papalia (Brianna Withridge)
William Taylor (Mr. Jacobson)
Mark Acheson (Magistrate Wilkins)
Featured Music
Blame by Black Toast Music
What You Waiting For by Gwen Stefani
We Might As Well Be Strangers by Keane


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You would think Hillary Clinton would have plenty to say about the conflagration in Iraq, the ongoing Syria war, the arrest of one of the Benghazi attack suspects (and what it tells us about al-Qaeda), the Gaza war and the faltering talks in Iran. After all, Clinton played a major role in policies that directly or indirectly contributed to the current state of chaos, war and violence. Perhaps this is all a sore subject that she'd rather not discuss, but if she is going to run on her "competence" as secretary of state, it's not as though she can ignore the topic. If a capable interviewer gets a hold of her anytime soon, here are some questions that get to the nub of the matter:
1. Should Israel exercise "restraint" or proceed until Hamas is seriously disabled for a number of years?
2. Was it a mistake to limit talks with Iran to nukes? How can we lift sanctions so long as Iran's proxies wage war on Israel?
3. Should John Kerry return home and ask for sanctions if there is no deal by July 20 with Iran?
4. If Iran freezes its program and we lift sanctions, how is that a good deal for the West, especially if there is a sunset on sanctions?
5. What should we have done to keep the threat of force credible?
6. Did the turnaround on the "red line" in Syria harm U.S. credibility with allies and with Iran?
7. Given what happened in Iraq, should the president reconsider the zero-troop plan for Afghanistan?
8. In private and in public, Sunni monarchies disparage U.S. leadership and staying power. Why do you think that is?
9. The U.S. indictment of the Benghazi terrorism suspect says he was motivated by radical ideology. Are you willing to put aside the video as the cause of the Sept. 12, 2012, attack?
10. Did you underestimate al-Qaeda's strength after Osama bin Laden's assassination? What steps did you take to prevent al-Qaeda's regeneration and spread?
11. If the Islamic State establishes its own territory, would that be a direct threat to the United States, potentially more acute than Afghanistan pre-9/11? If so, would that be a major policy failure?
12. Did you put too much emphasis on the "peace process"? On Israeli settlements?
13. Do we need to increase the defense budget? Given threats from Russia, China and the Middle East, how do you justify going from a military capacity to fighting only one war rather than two?
14. Should the next president return to the two-war capacity that was U.S. policy for decades?
15. Now that Burma has regressed on human rights, should sanctions be reinstated? Were they lifted too quickly?
16. How have we "pivoted" to Asia? Where is the enhanced presence?
17. Did the "light footprint" work in Libya?
18. Will women be better or worse off in the Middle East after the Obama administration? What specifically did you do to promote the rights of women there?
19. What is the biggest error of the Obama administration: refusing to act promptly in Syria, not backing the Green Revolution, obsessing over the "peace process" or lifting sanctions on Iran?
20. If you are the next president, would you want a military as it will be downsized by 2017 or a larger one?


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Spirit Day 2013: The 10 Most Shocking Facts About Bullying
Thursday, October 17, 2013
By Oscar Lopez, Oct 17, 2013 11:26 AM EDT
Today is National Spirit Day. Today we stand together to put an end to the bullying of LGBT youth. Bullying has become a widespread epidemic in the United States, and the bullying of gay, lesbian or transgender youth has reached critical levels. By wearing purple today, people around the country can show their solidarity in the fight against bullying. As reported by E News Celebrities who have pledged their support to Spirit Day include Macklemore, Betty White, Demi Lovato, Kim Kardashian, Kristen Bell and Kelly Osbourne.
Purple is the color representing 'Spirit' on the LGBT rainbow flag. It is a representation of courage and strength in the face of the adversity faced by members of the LGBT community on a regular basis. In recent years, much has been done to prevent bullying of gay and lesbian = youth: Dan Savage's 'It Gets Better' program as well as the work of the Trevor Project have helped decrease the alarming rate of gay teen suicides. Huge strides have been made in the quest of LGBT rights this year with gay marriage being adopted in 13 states and DOMA being repealed in the Supreme Court. Spirit Day recognizes all these achievements.
However, LGBT youth continue to face bullying and gay and transgender people are attacked on a regular basis. If we are to put an end to this violence, it must begin in our schools and in our homes. It is startling to see how endemic the problem of bullying is. Below are the 10 Most Shocking Facts about Bullying. They are a reminder of the importance of Spirit Day in creating awareness and promoting solidarity in the fight against bullying across America.
1. One in four kids in the US are bullied on a regular basis.
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2. Students in grades 6 through 10 are the most likely to face bullying.
3. 77% of students report being verbally bullied or abused in some way.
4. In 85% of school bullying cases, no intervention was made by a teacher or school administrator.
5. Approximately 80% of students report being bullied online.
6. Teens who identify as gay are five times more likely to commit suicide than those that identify as heterosexual.
7. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in American teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18.
8. Gay teens are 20% more likely to attempt suicide in politically conservative areas of the country.
9. In September 2010, 9 gay teenagers killed themselves across the country. That's 9 young men under the age of 18 in one month.
10. 9 out of 10 LGBT students experience harassment. 61% have felt unsafe and 22% have reported being physically assaulted.
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I would want to think that in this day and age, society would be more understanding and more apt to intervene. Sad statistics!
1587 days ago
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...So...online harrassment is frowned upon? Ya don't say!? (Haha, couldn't resist.)
I just don't see the point in bullying. If you don't agree with someone's ways... fine. The end. No need to make a big deal about it. I may not agree with gay marriage, but I'm not going to berate anyone who is for it. because really, how does it affect me?
1588 days ago
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Fire Escape Inspectional Services are happy to offer a free fire escape evaluation and answer questions about the procedures in your state for getting your fire up to code and certified.
Please use this form to upload photos of your fire escape components and we will contact you with a free fire escape evaluation.
OR you could email us with a description of your fire escape situation and some photographs and we will contact you for a free fire escape evaluation.
Please email us at info(at)FireEscapeInspectionalServices.com
1) If after your free fire escape evaluation it is determined that you require a full inspection then schedule a fire escape inspection by a Design Professional or other acceptable to Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) and submit the inspection report to the owner and the City / Fire / Code Official (AHJ).
2) Review the submitted inspection report: If the fire escape passes inspection , go to step 3 OR perform repairs then go to step 3.
3) Fire Escape Certification or Load Test: Perform a fire escape Load Test (100 PSF) then submit a fire escape confidence test OR submit an opinion affidavit with disclaimer of liability OR submit a certificate of other evidence of strength in lieu of a Load Test, CERTIFICATION.
Thank you
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Click here to print the obituary below
In Memory of
Georgia Lee (Price) Beard
May 5, 1942 - April 14, 2012
Georgia Lee Price Beard 69 of Louisville, passed away Saturday, April 14, 2012 at The Altenheim. She was born in Erie, PA, on May 5, 1942, to the late, George and Bernice Post Price. She was the receptionist for The Altenheim, and attended Maple Grove Baptist Church.
She is survived by her loving husband, Walter L. Beard, and her 3 sisters; Joyce, Debbie, and Jackie, and her sister-in-law; Rose, and her many nieces and nephews.
A service to celebrate Georgia's life will be held at 10:00 am Tuesday in the chapel of Arch L. Heady Russman & Sons, 1201 E. Oak St. with burial at Upton Cemetery, Upton, KY. Visitation will be 2-8 pm Monday.
Monday, April 16, 2012 | 2:00pm - 8:00pm
Arch L. Heady Russman & Sons
1201 E. Oak Street, Louisville, Kentucky
Driving Directions
Celebration of Georgia's Life
Tuesday, April 17, 2012 | 10:00am
Chapel of Arch L. Heady Russman & Sons
1201 E. Oak Street, Louisville, Kentucky
Driving Directions


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A new era begins this year in Chestnut Hill with Mike Gambino taking over the Boston College program after Mik Aoki departed for Notre Dame. The 2000 BC graduate enters his first season as head coach of the Eagles after spending the last four years as an assistant coach on the Virginia Tech coaching staff. He also served as a volunteer assistant at BC from 2003-2005.
Gambino is making an impact early with his changes to the program, which range in scale from planning a new stadium, to starting a new tradition honoring a former teammate, to infusing competition in the outfield, with many players fighting for starting positions. When asked about the coaching transition, senior 1B/OF Mike Sudol said "Anytime you bring in a new coach, it breeds competition…no ones spot is locked. Everyone has been busting their butts since Day 1." Senior catcher Garret Smith added "The level of competition we have seen in the past four to five months have been really good."
That competition is most evident in the outfield spots, as All-ACC outfielder Robbie Anston vacates the centerfield position. The first name that comes to mind to fill that spot for coach Gambino is redshirt junior Marc Perdios, who has battled injuries throughout his time on the Heights, sitting out the entire 2009 season with a knee injury. Last season, Perdios appeared in only 14 games (six starts) as he hit .158 with two homers and two RBI. His bad luck has continued this winter as he is not expected to be 100 percent on opening day as he recently came down with mono, which might limit his playing time especially early on.
The other two spots in the outfield are wide open with several players in the mix. Freshman Tom Bourdon, senior Mike Sudol, and junior Andrew Lawrence are competing for the other two everyday positions. Bourdon was selected in the 38th round by the Boston Red Sox out of Northwest Catholic High School in Simsbury, Connecticut. "He has the chance to be a special player here at BC" boasted Gambino, who most recently coached 2010 MLB third round draftee Austin Wates at Virginia Tech.
Sudol's senior leadership will have tangible significance for the Eagles, but the number he carries this season will bear a sentimental meaning. Gambino is starting the tradition of awarding the number "8" jersey to a player each year in honor of former Eagle and Gambino's college roommate Sonny Nictakis, who lost his battle with Hodgkins disease in the summer of 2000. He was a two-time captain for the Eagles in 1998 and 1999. No Boston College baseball player has donned the number since the 1999 season, and this year Mike Sudol has the honor.
"Bringing Sonny's No. 8 back is something that is very important to me and one of the first things I wanted to do as head coach," Gambino said. "Wearing his number will be the biggest honor a player can receive in our program. It will be given to one player each year – the one that best shows the qualities that made Sonny such a great teammate, great leader and great friend.
"When we think about what we want in this program and the type of kids we want to represent BC baseball, Sonny was the embodiment of all those qualities: hard worker, great teammate, leader, unselfish, committed to being great at everything he did." Gambino added. "He handled adversity, never complained and held himself and everyone around him to an incredibly high standard. Sonny didn't care whether or not anyone liked him. He had true confidence in himself because of the morals and values instilled in him by his family and he had the integrity to always do the right thing. And that's part of why everyone loved him."
Sudol stated "I know how much Sonny meant to Coach Gambino, and will try to live up to the expectations and starting the new tradition."
Even though he's in competition for an outfield spot, Sudol could be sporting that number at first base, left open by the loss of Mickey Wiswall after the Mariners selected him in the 7th round of the 2010 MLB Draft. According to Mike Gambino, "Mike Sudol, Kyle Prohovich and Rob Moir are all battling it out for that position. Sudol has picked up the position quickly while putting himself right into the mix for being a converted outfielder."
The Boston College infield returns three out of the four everyday starters from last year's squad that finished with a .979 fielding percentage, which was the third best in the country last season.
Matt Hamlet returns to second base after a solid 2010 season which saw him hit .291 with three homers and 36 RBI. He split time this summer between the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod League and the North Shore Navigators of the NECBL. With the Red Sox, Hamlet hit .167 in 16 games totaling 36 at-bats. At mid-season, he went to the North Shore Navigators as he hit .194 with four RBI.
Anthony Melchoinda, who began the 2010 season at first base before switching back to his natural position of third base midseason, leads the returning infield. In 2010, he ended up leading the team in batting average at .358. He started all 58 games, hitting seven homers and driving in 41 runs. He was solid this summer in the NECBL with the North Shore Navigators as he hit .248 with two homers and 19 RBI in 38 games.
He will be joined on the left side of the infield by junior Brad Zapensas, who has started at shortstop for the past two seasons for the Eagles. He had a .318 batting average with a homer and 14 RBI last year while starting every game. He was excellent at shortstop as he made six errors for a fielding percentage of .978. He played the summer of 2010 in the Northwoods League with the Green Bay Bullfrogs, playing a total of 61 games while hitting .285 and driving in 28 runs. He ended up winning the 2010 Rawlings Finest in the Field Award for his outstanding defense in the Northwoods League with a .980 fielding percentage.
Behind the plate will be senior Garret Smith, who is entering his second season behind the dish after spending his first two seasons as the starting shortstop. When asked about the impact of new assistant coach Scott Friedholm has had on him this fall, Smith stated "Scott has helped with the pitch calling and try to start having me think like a hitter." Starting pitcher John Leonard was equally impressed with the development of Smith behind the plate saying "For a kid that has caught for 1.5 years, he is pretty good back there."
That starting pitching staff that Smith will be catching will be led by junior RHP Mike Dennhardt, senior RHP John Leonard, and senior LHP Nate Bayuk. Dennhardt finished last season with a 4-7 record and an ERA of 7.22. Leonard went 2-2 with a 7.53 ERA in eight starts as he missed the start of the season with an arm injury. Bayuk only appeared in seven games last season out of the bullpen recording an ERA of 3.86 while not getting a decision.
Both Dennhardt and Leonard spent the summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Dennhardt played with the Chatham Anglers, going 2-3 in 8 starts with a 1.80 ERA over 45 innings, while Leonard pitched with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox going 3-3 in six starts with a 1.96 ERA over 36.2 innings pitched. Bayuk spent the summer in the NECBL with the Lowell All-Americans. He worked out of the bullpen in all 16 appearances going 1-1 with an ERA of 1.80.
Both Dennhardt and Leonard were very happy with their experiences in the Cape League saying it was an excellent experience and the best times of their lives.
Dennhardt will be making the adjustment into the number 1 starter role this season as he served as the Eagles number man for most of the 2010 season. In a recent interview, he stated "It'll be a challenge I look forward to. I'm going to turn a lot of heads this spring. I made the necessary adjustments this past summer and can't wait to go head to head with some of the best players in the country."
The backend of the bullpen will be in excellent shape with junior RHP Matt Brazis entering the season as the closer. Last season, he recorded nine saves in 29 appearances while going 1-0 with a 4.73 ERA. He spent the summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League as a teammate of Mike Dennhardt with the Chatham Anglers. Brazis ended up appearing in 12 games going 3-0 with three saves and an ERA of 1.32. "We will start the season with Brazis as the closer, but if the middle relief struggles early on, we might end up using him earlier in games to get some key outs," commented BC head coach Mike Gambino.
The two biggest losses to the pitching staff are last year's number 1 starter Pat Dean, who moved on to the minor leagues, and junior RHP Taylor Lasko, who will miss the 2011 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Last season, he was a key arm as he appeared in 21 games making eight starts, going 4-2 with a 5.14 ERA.
The Eagles will open the season on February 18th in Conway, South Carolina, against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. The tough early slate continues as they travel to face the third ranked Florida Gators on February 24th and 25th, then head to Fort Myers, Florida, to play the Boston Red Sox, and then return to Gainesville to play the final game of the three game set against the Gators on February 27th. According to Gambino, his former teammates from the late 90's still talk about getting hits in the annual game against the Red Sox and the players look forward to it every season. BC will also participate in a tournament at Bethune-Cookman before starting the grueling ACC schedule.
Photos are the courtesy of BC Media Relations


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Back to Life Pieces to Masterpieces
Washington, D.C. – On June 23rd, D.C. based Life Pieces To Masterpieces will host it's
2009 Graduation Celebration from 6 PM until 8 PM at the 14th and V Street NW location
of Busboys and Poets.
Jim Vance of News Channel 4 will help the community-based-nonprofit celebrate
another year of beating the odds: In Washington D.C. only 30% of African American
young men graduate from high school. At Life Pieces To Masterpieces, 100% of their
young men graduate and go onto post-secondary education.
"We are so proud of our graduates and believe that they will be an inspiration to all who
attend our celebration," said Mary Brown, Executive Director of Life Pieces To
The event will honor fifteen graduates, including the founding sister of Life Pieces,
Monique Johnson. Six of the graduates have been named Bill and Melinda Gates'
Achiever Scholars and have received $50,000 in scholarship support for their post-
secondary education plans.
Attendees can expect food, drink, artful expression, meaningful participation, and a true celebration
of what is working in some of Washington's most underserved communities. The event
will be sponsored by Lamell McMorris and Perennial Sports and Entertainment.
Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling Theresa Benjamin at 202-399-7703 or
emailing [email protected]. "We invite members of the community, business
leaders, and longtime Life Pieces supporters to join us as we celebrate our young men
and their significant accomplishments," said Brown.


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How to Say Hello
by EKurtz | 1 Comment
What's the proper way to address an English speaker? Here are some common spoken greetings (in American English):
- "Hi"
- "Hello"
- "Hey"
- "[Name of person being greeted]!" (Very informal; said enthusiastically)
- "It's nice to meet you" Or "Nice to meet you" (If meeting someone for the first time)
- "Pleased to meet you" Or "It's a pleasure" Or "The pleasure is mine" (This last is only used in response to "Pleased to meet you")
In casual settings – as when greeting friends, neighbors, classmates, or equals, for example – all of these are appropriate. In more formal settings – as when greeting, for example, work superiors or some relatives, "hi" and "hello" are still appropriate, but "hey" is not. However, the use of any expression should always be judged in context – that is, case by case. If you're good friends with your boss or buddy-buddy with your relatives, "hey" may be perfectly fine.
You may also use time-specific greetings
- "Good morning" (Used often and comfortably amongst friends, family, and acquaintances alike)
- "Good afternoon" (Not used often and especially not used familiarly, e.g., amongst friends)
- "Good evening" (Not used often and especially not used familiarly; used somewhat more often in slightly more formal settings, as in a public address or when greeting a host/hostess at a restaurant)
Time-specific greetings are excellent openers to public addresses (i.e. when speaking to crowds), as is the phrase "ladies and gentlemen". Often, such greetings are followed by a thank-you to the listeners for attending the address.
Common conversation starters
- "It's great to see you"
- "It's very good to see you"
- "Nice to see you" (If a lot of time has passed since seeing the person being greeted, this could be accompanied by: "After so long")
- "It's been quite awhile" Or "It's been awhile" (If a lot of time has passed)
- "It's been so long" Or "I can't believe it's been so long" (If a lot of time has passed)
- "How long has it been?" (If a lot of time has passed)
- "I'm glad we're doing this" (Where "this" refers to meeting up)
- "I'm glad we have the chance to get together"
- "Glad we were able to work this out" (Where "this" refers to getting together)
- "Did you have an easy trip?" (If the person being greeted traveled to the meeting place)
- "How was the trip?"
- "How was your trip?"
- "Did your trip go okay?" Or "Trip go okay?" Or "Trip was fine?"
- "How was traffic?" (If the person drove)
- "How were the roads?" (If the person drove)
- "How was your flight?" (If the person flew)
- "Was your flight on time?" (If the person flew)
- "Was your train on time?" (If the person came by rail)
- "How are you?"
- "How are you doing?" Or "How you doin'?" Or "How ya doin'?" Or "How doing?" (The last three are very informal)
- "What's going on?" (Mostly familiar)
- "What's happening?" (Mostly familiar)
- "What's up?" (Very familiar)
- "What's up with you?" (Also very familiar)
- "What's the latest?" (Implies: "What's new in your life?")
- "How is everything? "(Similar to "What's the latest?" Implies that the person asking isn't totally up to date on what's going on in the life of the person being asked)
- "How are things?"
- "How's things?" (This is not correct grammar, but it's part of the English vernacular)
- "How've you been?" Or "How have you been?" (Appropriate for all levels of familiarity)
Try these out, then check back later for more conversation tips and conversation closers!
Tags : Conversational English
Posted under : Resources


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I plan to watch both recommended videos, but I was able to rent I AM, so I'm able to pull together some thoughts for this week. I have been fascinated by the quantum aspects of this course, and the quantum aspects discussed in this video also fascinate me. I found the discussion about aboriginal cultures valuing cooperation at the highest value and holding competition as a very low value enlightening. Especially that competition beyond certain boundaries is considered mental illness. Decades ago, I lost most interest in intense competition. I always thought that meant something was wrong with me. The revelation that that intense competition might be considered mental illness amuses me. I believe too much of any one thing is considered mental illness, with a balanced approach being considered the healthier approach to most things in life.
The message our culture sends that to be happy we must buy stuff is flawed. The truth is, we need a certain amount of stuff to survive, and that makes us happy. The lie is that more stuff equals more happy. But how many of us engage in "retail therapy?" George Carlin's "A Place for my Stuff" piece is always a great way to call attention to this tendency to relate to our "stuff."
I liked the discussion about democracy in nature and how that's coded into our DNA. But the part that really got me thinking was Marc Ian Barasch and Rollin McCraty say, in essence, "The heart is the boss of us.†Love, care, gratitude are healthy and renew our physiology. Our heart sends a stressful or emotional pattern, it literally inhibits our brain. The heart's electromagnetic field is huge and can be felt outside the body. It can be measured and have a physiological effect. The discussions in this area are stunning. They hypothesize that the heart is the access point to the spirit. Thoughts and emotions affect more than we think. The discussion about the effect of emotions on random number generators in cities around the world and the effect of 9-11 on those numbers was astounding, lending support to the theory that what we do on an individual level does affect the world. Dean Radin admits it sounds way too close to the New Age concepts that so many people poo-poo, yet it has a basis in quantum physics.
Thom Hartmann's analogy about disassembling a car and reassembling it, and disassembling our dog and reassembling it (not a good idea, by the way) proving there is something fundamentally different between machines and life. Note: Your doctor generally gets you are not a machine. Your insurance company? You're a machine to them.
I am adjusting to the idea of connectedness. I think I can accept that. I'm not certain their approach is the most correct one for that; however, the discussion is valuable. Changing of perceptions. True. That can make all the difference.
Tom Shady's questions he sought to answer in this documentary, and the answers he came up with (spoiler):
What is wrong with the world? I am.
What is right with the world? I am.


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Two Polacca Men Indicted for Murder on Hopi Reservation
|U.S. Attorney's Office November 19, 2010
PHOENIX—A federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a one count indictment this week against Gene Austin, 30, and Calvin Masaquaptewa, 22, both of Polacca, Arizona, for second degree murder.
The indictment alleges that on or about October 14, 2010, within the confines of the Hopi Indian Reservation Austin and Masaquaptewa, deliberately and intentionally murdered an adult Indian male victim.
Both men are in the custody of the United States Marshals Service and will be arraigned on Wednesday, November 23 at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Lawrence O. Andrews in Phoenix.
A conviction for second ddegree murder carries a sentence of up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. In determining an actual sentence, Judge G. Murray Snow will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.
An indictment is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Brian E. Kasprzyk, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2010-250(Austin & Masaquaptewa)


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Hi! My name is Julia!
I grew up in Austria but have traveled the world and finally settled in London more than 10 years ago.
I am a qualified guide for the City of London and the City of Westminster.
When I moved to London in 2005 I had no idea that one day my passion for navigating its streets would translate into fab guide badges I wear when out and about with visitors.
I am outgoing, enthusiastic and welcoming, and I would love to share my knowledge about London with you. I guide in English or German.
Now put on your comfy shoes and WALK WITH ME!


text:
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Posted on 19 Feb
Flew to Houston
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Flew to Austin
You were wonderful in difficult circumstances.
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Flew to Dallas
All went smoothly. Glad of the 2hr gap between flights in Dallas as queues were horrendous.
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Everything went like clockwork. The flight, connection times and connection airport was perfect and very easy to follow and the customer service from the staff at DialAFlight was excellent.
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Flew to Dallas
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Flew to Houston
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Really enjoyable holiday - hotel in New Orleans recommended by Jensen and was very well situated
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Flew to Longview
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Flew to Houston
Not being a regular traveller a tip about trying to check in online problems with shared carriers would have been a good heads up especially when already abroad.
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Flew to Austin
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Multiple flights and various hotels plus three rental car pick ups with differing drop off points and everything ran on rails. Easy.
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Book with you next year
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Flew to Dallas
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Flew to Houston
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Flew to Dallas
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As usual our trip was organised perfectly
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Posted on 11 Aug
Flew to Dallas
All went very well apart from the cleanliness of the final hotel in New Orleans. The hotel daily cleaning of the bedrooms left a lot to be desired. The hotels in Austin and Houston were superb in every way. The bus journey and train journey that Riley booked for us were also excellent.
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Posted on 10 Aug
Flew to Austin
Callum went above and beyond, informing me of cheaper flights, making sure that I had all the right documents and that I was checked in and happy with everything.
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Posted on 08 Aug
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I would advise against recommending short connection times through Frankfurt airport. Would not have made ours without paying for gate to gate service.
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Flew to Dallas


text: TV Fanatic Interview With Nina Dobrev - Part II Steve Marsi at October 27, 2013 8:59 am. Comments Part two of our interview with The Vampire Diaries' Nina Dobrev. Watch what she has to say about the end of the season! This video is no longer available. Please check below for related videos. Edit Delete Follow The Vampire Diaries Show: The Vampire Diaries Related Videos: Vampire Diaries Videos Related Post: Exclusive Video Interview: The Vampire Diaries' Nina Dobrev Speaks to TV Fanatic! Uploaded by: Steve Marsi Uploaded: October 27, 2013 Duration: 158 seconds


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Pssst... Want to win a Pi-Top Raspberry Pi Laptop?
Adafruit Conductive Silver Ink Pen - Micro Tip - CW2200MTP
Deliveryfrom just £2.50
No Quibblereturns policy
Securepayment system
Next Day DeliveryOrder by 2PM*
Share this Product
Experiment with paper electronics with this silver conductive ink pen that will let you draw traces! We like the make of this pen, it has a nice liquid silver ink that flows easily, and it works great. In just 3 minutes from opening the packaging, we made the image above, a coin cell holder with an LED.
There are two 'tips' available - standard and micro. The microtip allows for finer control but is a little harder to use (because it doesn't deposit as much silver at once).The CW2200STP (standard tip pen) has an orifice size of 1 mm and will draw traces that will average 2.0 mm in width. The CW2200MTP (micro-tip pen) has an orifice size of 0.7 mm and will draw traces that average 1.5 mm in width. See the image above with a demonstration of the kind of traces you can draw with each of the lines (by someone with no practice :)
We strongly suggest reading the excellent tutorial document written by the makers which discusses use, shelf life, safety, soldering, and more!


text:
February 4, 2018
3278 x2182 px
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Tragedy often prompts us to our knees. We don't even know what to say, but the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:26) I wholeheartedly believe that prayer is the best and most powerful thing that a Christian can do. Because it expresses a complete dependence on the best and […]
Sometimes life is just hard, ya know? Tragic. 2018 began with the unexpected death of my brother-in-law on January 1st. We're trying to make our way through the fog. "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be […]
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text: The following reply was made to PR pkg/30031; it has been noted by GNATS. From: Johnny Lam <firstname.lastname@example.com> To: Eric Gillespie <firstname.lastname@example.com> Cc: email@example.com, email@example.com, email@example.com Subject: Re: pkg/30031: Cannot compile package subversion 1.1.4 on NetBSD 2.0.2 Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 10:20:44 -0400 Eric Gillespie wrote: > email@example.com writes: > > >>/bin/rm /usr/pkg/lib/python2.3/site-packages/libsvn/*.a >>rm: /usr/pkg/lib/python2.3/site-packages/libsvn/*.a: No such file or directory >>*** Error code 1 > > > I can't reproduce this problem on 2.0.2/i386. Does the > workaround i committed work for you? It should... > > Actually, those rm commands are themselves a workaround. I never > understood why libtool was building .a files for a Python > extension; it seems like a bug, and the submitter's system is > actually doing the right thing. Can that package be taught to use shlibtool instead of libtool? shlibtool will only build the .la file and the shared library/module, as opposed to libtool which will also build the .a file. Then the "rm" hack won't be needed. Note, however, that shlibtool is purely a pkgsrc beast. Cheers, -- Johnny Lam <firstname.lastname@example.com>


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Category: UK
6/24/09 Late Day Clips - UK
By admin on Jun 24, 2009 | In UK
Daily Telegraph Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme at Hampstead Theatre review This commendable revival of Frank McGuinness's play is held together by sensitivity and compassion. Carrie's War at the Apollo Theatre review Carrie's… more »
6/24/09 AM Clips - UK (part 2)
By admin on Jun 24, 2009 | In UK
Daily Telegraph Whispering Happiness at Tristan Bates Theatre review Kenneth Emson's Whispering Happiness is thoughtprovoking but leaves the audience with a barrage of questions. The Guardian Adrian Jackson on the curious coincidences that inspire… more »


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Big Bear, CA – The snow is here and driving in the winter terrain can be challenging. Caltrans, California Highway Patrol (CHP), U.S. Forest Service, San Bernardino County Sheriff, San Bernardino County Fire and the Big Bear Lake Resort Association have compiled winter driving tips for motorists who plan to travel to the mountains during the winter season.
• Keep three car lengths away from the vehicle in front of you. The distance needed to stop on ice is twice as long as you would need to brake.
• NEVER brake suddenly while driving on ice – use brakes lightly.
• If you are required to put chains on, look for a turnout or find a safe area to pull over to the right side of the road out of the flow of traffic. DO NOT STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADWAY TO PUT CHAINS ON.
• Black ice remains on the roadway that is not subject to direct sunlight. Be careful when driving into shady areas and cautiously slow your vehicle on approach.
• If you go into a skid, special maneuvering is required. In a Front Wheel Drive, when your car begins to slide, slowly remove your foot from the accelerator, until you feel your wheels regain traction – do not brake! As your tires grab the road, slowly turn the steering wheel in the direction you want your front wheels to go. In a Rear Wheel Drive vehicle, when you start to spin, remove your foot from the gas pedal and slowly steer in the direction you want the car to go. If you are still skidding, counter-steer until your vehicle is pointing in the right direction. Never apply steady pressure to the brakes.
• Make sure you can see out all windows of your vehicle before you drive.
• Use your low beams when driving in fog, ice or snowstorms.
• Reduce your speed before you approach a turn. Avoid sudden acceleration or deceleration. Travel gently, meaning move slowly, turn slowly, and brake slowly. Sudden changes can cause a skid.
• Be especially aware of your surroundings, including other drivers that may be losing control on the roadway. The posted speed limit may be 45-mph, however, that does not mean 45-mph is a safe speed for the conditions.
• When driving uphill pick a path that will allow the most traction.
• Make sure your tires have good tread and are properly inflated. Chains may be required in mountain areas so plan ahead. Make sure you install the chains on the drive tires. Refer to your vehicle's manual or contact your dealer if you are unsure if your vehicle is two wheel or rear wheel drive. It is crucial to put the chains on the proper tires.
• Carry emergency supplies, including: food, water, warm clothing, blankets, medication and a cell phone.
• Caltrans maintenance crews work continuously day and night using de-icing agents to keep the roadways clear for travelers. Please be patient and courteous while Caltrans crews work to keep the roads clear.
• Be courteous to other drivers and be aware of driving conditions before you make your trip.
W: No Restrictions – Watch for snow on pavement.
R-1: Chains are required on all commercial vehicles (trucks or buses). All other vehicles
(cars, pick-ups, vans, etc.) must have either snow tread tires or chains on the drive axle.
R-2: Chains are required on all vehicles except four-wheel drives with snow tread tires.
Four wheel drive vehicles must carry chains in the vehicle.
R-3: Chains required – ALL VEHICLES – no exceptions.
Snow chains can be purchased at retail department stores, sporting goods, and auto parts stores. Mountain weather can change dramatically on very short notice. For current road conditions, call Caltrans Public Affairs at (909) 383-4631 or Road Conditions at (800) 427-ROAD (1-800-427-7623). You may also check the Caltrans website at for road information and closures.


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JoshuaPundit found a video by a social activist in Saudi Arabia, who has a strong opinion about the ridiculous Saudi rule prohibiting women from driving. If this guy and his friends are living in Saudi Arabia, they are seriously brave. I hope this video gets a lot of play and makes a difference.
At a previous job for an international company my team hosted in DC training for representatives from other offices. Mid-week of the first week my boss held an after class bbq at her house for attendees to relax and get to know each other. One of the polite switch techs from the Saudi Arabia site felt relaxed enough to tell an amusing story about a group of Saudi women who wanted to drive. They decided to demonstrate this by holding a drive-through-town procession of female protesters. And they were all promptly beheaded. Ha ha ha. Frozen smiles all around when he got to the punchline.
I'm a musical ignoramus….what's the underlying Bob Marley piece?
I wonder if this guy has had his visit from the morals squad, yet…..? Unlikely to behead him for this, I suppose, but who knows?
Get the Keystone XL Pipeline in, and open up Federal lands for drilling and production, so we don't have to deal with the medieval monsters any more……!
American prosperity would be just an unintended consequence!


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Word on the street is that former Alaska Governor, and Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin will endorse Donald Trump today or tomorrow.
The Ted Cruz peeps aren't too happy about it, complaining that Trump isn't the sort of "conservative" that Palin has endorsed in the past.
But it made one wonder where THIS politician (the one in the middle) will turn.
Well, not really.
We know Senator Sasse ain't a Trump guy.
There's probably a 99% of so chance he's a Cruz guy.
But still…
(And Iowa Governor Terry Branstad just said, "it would be a mistake for Iowa to support" Ted Cruz. Mrrrawar!
Once again, legislation on the edge!
Democrat Heath Mello and Left Wing Republicans Kathy Campbell and ohn McCollister introduced a Medicaid expansion plan at the Capitol today.
Governor Pete Ricketts has expressed his opposition to Medicaid expansion numerous times recently.
So where does it stand politically?
Answer: Teetering on the edge!
Any proposed legislation would require 33 votes to break a (assumed) filibuster in the Unicameral.
There are 49 Senators…
(…doing math…)
…Therefore, if 17 Senators do not support the Medicaid expansion plan, and sustain the filibuster, it's a no-go.
Well, after the Mello-Campbell-McCollister gig, a different set of Senators came forward, to OPPOSE the bill. And in their ranks they had…
And they said they have 4 more on their side.
That's (more math…) 19!
So, they have to hold on to most all of them.
And the Medicaid Expansionists need to turn 3 of them.
And the battle of Whose Will is Stronger begins.
Or continues…
At least they're consistent…
And just because, it is worth looking at the LJS's Don Walton's political column from yesterday.
As he is wont to do, once again The Don pointed to a number of votes from the 2015 legislative session to note how "independent" the legislature is.
But you know what Don never notes? The Democrats of the Legislature aren't the least bit "independent". As a matter of fact, they must take their marching orders directly from the the Democrat State Chair, or from Heath Mello, or from some other fat-cat Democrat in a smoky back room.
Because they march in lock step on nearly every issue, just like the band director told them to. No variation. No independent thought.
Boy, sure doesn't seem to be what George Norris had in mind when he proposed that "non-partisan" body.
But the party Dems gotta be happy that they have good little drones…
If we can put Joe Biden on the moon…
And then, looking for the Congressional Republicans to get all clappy whenever President Obama speaks, Walton asks why Republicans couldn't support the idea of Joe Biden curing cancer! Do Republicans LIKE cancer?????
Well, part of it is because of the inherent idiocy of the "proposal", which is using a word that does not apply.
Does anyone think that Joe Biden is going to march down to the National Institute of Health and start peering into beakers and ordering blood samples and the like?
OK, let's back up. Let's say the President DID propose Biden do this…in the first year of his first term. Well, if nothing else, it might sound like Joe had a mission for the next four years, and we could measure getting Congressional approvals and funding and yadda yadda.
But in the final 12 months of his LAST term? That's the time to focus on "cancer", eh?
And oh by the way, WHICH "cancer" is it we are talking about? As NRO's Kevin Williamson points out, that is a very generic term for a number of different illnesses.
"Cancer" refers to a category of diseases, one that contains hundreds of different maladies. Some of those have a great deal in common with one another, many do not. Spindle-cell breast cancer really isn't very much at all like Hodgkin's lymphoma; the former presents a very difficult course of treatment with a poor outlook, while the latter is so effectively treated (90 percent survival rate) that it is sometimes described as "curable," though physicians tend to shy away from the use of that word.
That is almost like suggesting that Joe Biden is going to go out there and cure "illness".
But ain't it like a Democrat to suggest something sweeping, pretty much impossible, in a dumb amount of short time…and then complain when everyone else doesn't get on board since the GOAL is so awesome.
Not everything is the "moon landing".
(Which didn't happen in 12 months either…)
McCoy in the chair
The Council of State Governments announced that Nebraska State Senator Beau McCoy will serve as the 2016 National Chair.
The CSG, the nation's only organization serving all three branches of state government, champions excellence in governance to advance the common good.
You know what to do


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Clinical and Economic Outcomes of Nutrition Interventions across the Continuum of Care
Marian de van der Schueren,1 Marinos Elia,2 Leah Gramlich,3 Michael P. Johnson,4 Su Lin Lim,5 Tomas Philipson,6 Azra Jaferi,7 and Carla M. Prado8
In this report, nutrition and health system researchers, clinicians, economists, and policymakers discuss emerging global research on nutrition health economics, the role of nutrition interventions across the continuum of care, and how nutrition can affect healthcare costs in the context of hospital malnutrition.Read Full Article (PDF 661 KB)
1 Dutch Malnutrition Steering Group and VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 2 National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre (Nutrition), and University Hospital Southampton NHS, University of Southampton, Southampton, England, United Kingdom. 3 Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 4 BAYADA Home Health Care, Moorestown, New Jersey. 5 Dietetics Department, National University Hospital, Singapore. 6 Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. 7 The New York Academy of Sciences, New York, New York. 8 Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada


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Let kids be kids and enjoy all the quality and design details of our adult bikes, plus the benefits of Electra's patented Flat Foot Technology®.
- Cruiser hi-ten steel frame
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- Alloy rims, front hub, seat clamp and stem
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- 20"x 2.125" RetroRunner tires
- Matching bells and valve caps
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Can I use a lifeline?
James's Gate is home to both a casual pub and a laid back sit-down restaurant. It's a great place to spend the evening — especially on the patio during the summer months. On Monday nights, stop by for a grueling game of trivia and try your hand against the J.P. regulars who come week after week. And no matter what night you go, the fish n' chips and sangria are must-orders.
Trivia starts at 8 p.m. James's Gate, 5 McBride St., Jamaica Plain, 617-983-2000. jamessgate.com
(John Blanding / Globe Staff)
- Search Restaurants in Jamaica Plain
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- video Tour the Green Street area
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- Talk Your Jamaica Plain picks?


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|Goals scored
|Goal attempts
|Attempts off target
|Fouls committed
|Yellow cards
|Red cards
MŠK Žilina coach Pavel Hapal warned his players to take nothing for granted as they prepared for the final step towards a place in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
The Slovakian titleholders look poised to become only the third team from their country – after MFK Košice (1997/98) and FC Artmedia Petržalka (2005/06) – to reach the group stage after upsetting AC Sparta Praha 2-0 in the Czech capital last week. Yet Hapal sought to contain the growing sense of anticipation when he stressed: "We've proved nothing yet. It's not good to enjoy a victory before the end."
That said, Hapal hopes a packed Pod Dubňom Stadium – the game was sold out by the end of last week – will help roar the five-time Slovakian champions across the line. "I am so glad that we have a full house," he said. "I hope the fans help us achieve our goal. We would like to give them a similar performance to last week's in Prague. Of course, it's important to be careful in defence but we don't want to just sit back." Žilina won their two earlier home qualifiers with six goals scored and only one conceded and their Czech midfielder, Emil Rilke, said: "If we can repeat our previous home performances, we'll go through."
While Hapal has a full squad to call from – having rested several players during Saturday's 0-0 draw with FK Senica – Sparta crossed the border into Slovakia low on numbers. Although playmaker Libor Sionko and top scorer Bony Wilfried are available after suspension, Marek Matějovský, Erich Brabec and Tomáš Řepka are all banned, Ondřej Kušnír and Libor Hušek remain on the long-term injured list and Martin Zeman has been excluded for disciplinary reasons. So coach Jozef Chovanec must call on several players who are not fully fit, including defender Jiří Kladrubský who has two broken fingers.
Sparta haved made an unhappy start to the season, suffering a third defeat in six domestic outings with Saturday's 1-0 home reverse against FC Viktoria Plzeň – quite a fall for a team that did not lose a single game last term. In a bid to lift morale, Chovanec took his players to Zilina three days ahead of the game. The returning Sionko insisted there was "not a crisis" but did stress the need to take their chances after three games without a goal. "Finishing is our main problem," he said.
©UEFA.com 1998-2011. All rights reserved.


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Skateboarding Cures Depression
in Canadian Skater Girl
It's not really a surprise to hear that skateboarding cured the depression of 21 year old canadian Melani Hatter.
Most non-prescription help for depression comes from keeping your brain busy since depression is the result of your brain activity slowing down. What better way to keep your brain aroused than an neural-stimulating sport like skateboarding? Melani Hatter used her love of skateboarding to put herself on the road to recovery from mental illness, why can't you?
Melani was hospitalized last summer with very supportive family by her side. She also had a friend who visited her daily during those hard days.
"During that time, I kept looking out the window at the people skateboarding on the Halifax Commons. I started to crave boarding as it makes me feel so alive."
Her friend thought skateboarding would help take Mel's mind off her illness, even for a little while, so she went and got Melani's skateboard.
When Melani was well enough, they would skateboard together during Melani's 30-minute day passes.
"I was fighting severe depression and I couldn't find a way to beat it. I didn't see any paths, so I tried to hurt myself. I awoke in the hospital," said Melani.
"I was told that if I hadn't ended up there, they were not sure I'd be here today. That's a very scary thought."
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one in five adult Canadians will experience a mental disorder.
Melani wants to help those people like her. Skateboarding was something that helped part of her recovery.
Why not use that skateboarding to raise awareness concerning mental health?
Here's what Mealni's explanation on Facebook:
Why I'm raising money for CMHA, National:
From personal experiences with mental health issues, I have come to realize that not enough is being done about mental health in general. I want to raise awareness and funds to support CMHA in any way I can.
I thought of the name "Skating for my Sanity" when I was recently in the hospital for mental health reasons myself. I got re-interested in skatboarding and wondered if I could do anything useful with it to help people who were in a situation like I was.
The original plan was to skateboard from Halifax to Moncton, to raise funds and awareness for CMHA, and mental health in general. However, upon contacting the Department of Motor Vehicles, and discussing the laws, there is no way legally to do this. The Act states that no roller blades or skateboards are allowed on any roadway…which differs from my previous knowledge. Therefore, in August 2012 the plans have changed to say the least. What I will be doing is either holding a skate day at the Halifax Commons, or mapping out a 40k marathon route around Halifax where I can use sidewalks and bikelanes- or both.
Either way, in the end..its not the distance you travel, but the journey you make along the way. Stay tuned for more info.
100% of proceeds donated to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
So far, Melani has raised $5,000 for the Canadian Mental Health Association. In August, Melani is planning on holding a skateboard event in HRM.
You can follow this skater girl's progress on Facebook at Skating for my Sanity.


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Top 10 Peninsula Commercial Real Estate Stories of 2011
Who can resist a good Year-End Top Ten list? Here's my take on the Top Commercial Real Estate stories for 2011 from the SF Peninsula:
1. Google Eats Mountain View: The 800-lb internet gorilla went on a real estate feeding frenzy like none seen previously in tiny Mountain View. With a mix of high profile purchases and leases, not to mention the acquisition of a number of smaller properties, Google stayed in the real estate headlines throughout 2011.
2. Tenants Descend on Downtown Locations: Everybody likes downtown Palo Alto, right? With the best selection of tony restaurants on the Peninsula, great access to rail and a terrific high tech vibe, it's no wonder that a mix of VC and startup tenants have flooded the University Avenue corridor. And what about downtown Mountain View? Another amenity-laden transit friendly downtown has suddenly emerged as a hub for start-ups. These two submarkets, which led the earliest signs of a market recovery in 2010, absolutely exploded this past year, with rents skyrocketing and vacancies evaporating, in stark contrast to nearby multi-tenant markets which remained largely flat. It should have surprised none that this feeding frenzy led to one of the highest per-square foot office building purchases in Silicon Valley memory.
3. Facebook Likes Menlo Park: Welcome to Sun Quentin, Facebook. The fast-growing social media behemoth has plans to grow beyond its new 1,000,000 square foot headquarters, which may prove a challenge in development-unfriendly Menlo Park. Facebook has gone to great lengths to repurpose the dowdy Sun facility into a more modern tech friendly campus
4. Downtown RWC Redevelopment Agency: Shortly after approving a new redevelopment district within the downtown corridor, the city of Redwood City initiated an RFP process for a key property, which garnered extraordinary interest. With finalists selected, much-needed additional high end office space seems in the cards for this emerging downtown core.
5. Saltworks Controversy Grows: Possibly the largest proposed real estate development in the region for decades, the plan to transform a 1400 acre tract of baylands from their current use as salt ponds into a new mixed-use community faced enormous controversy in 2011 over traffic concerns and issues surrounding water rights. Given that residents of Redwood City recently defeated a much smaller project on the east side of 101 just a few years ago, it seems likely that developer DMC has a long battle in front of them
6. VMWare's dramatic growth: VMWare's 1,000,000 square foot lease of the beautiful former Roche campus in Palo Alto's Stanford Research Park isn't one of the Top Five stories of 2011? It was just that sort of year.
7. Sony lands at Bridgepoint: On and off the market for years, Sony pulled the trigger on the largest deal in San Mateo County this year. Great news for the Sobrato Organization, which pre-leases the former Siebel HQ to a solid tenant long before the collection of short-term subleases currently filling the property expire.
8. Industrial-Strength Life Sciences Development The Shorenstein Companies 40 acre, 2.3 million square foot biotech project was approved early in 2011. "The Industrial City" continues its evolution as the Biotech Capital of the West, though a potential glut of life sciences real estate in the Bay Area may slow this project down.
9. Sobrato Buys Frys' Site: Tenants in the area around Fry's Electronics in Palo Alto have long been operating under the knowledge that the current commercial uses would eventually give way to new residential development. the 15 acre site purchased by Sobrato is certainly one of the best developable in-fill sites in Northern California. It's hard to imagine a site in this size range with more potential anywhere, really.
10. Starship Apple: Cupertino may be a few freeway exits away from where most would say the Peninsula ends, but Apple's proposal for a very distinctive new headquarters is just too interesting to leave off the list. The proposal to construct the worlds largest Aerobie has elicited a lot of interest, but will spreading out Apple's employee's in a massive circle foster the sort of collaboration that built Silicon Valley?
So, there you have it. Some of my runners-up included the successful major leases in South Mtn View by developers Four Corners and Dostart, the approval of the massive expansion of Stanford Hospital, and the continuing saga of downtown Sunnyvale's redevelopment efforts (another one not technically on the Peninsula). National stories of local importance such as the AMB/Prologis merger got my attention as well.
Agree? Disagree? Think of a flagrantly obvious story that I completely forgot about? Comment away–I'd love to hear from you.
Category: Uncategorized


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The One-Armed Man Question
FLASH FICTION:I MET MA'S boyfriend Dave when he came for tea. I knew by the way they talked it was serious.
I had a sixth sense for disaster. He wore sandals. He had long cracked toe nails and crooked toes. He could scamper up Nelson's Pillar – maybe not the Spire. He wanted to be my step-hippie-daddy. During tea I said nothing, just stared. Occasionally I stuck my tongue out, with a full mouth of masticated Brennan's Bread. Today's saliva today. My brother Sid kept reading The Profession of Violence.
Dave was a New Age liberal type with techniques aplenty not to get phased by me but I knew he had to be sweating a little. He engaged me in conversation but I ignored him. I just belched.
"Victor, behave," Ma said. He was talking auras and Ki energy. I was hoping that fire from heaven would envelope him. Spontaneous combustion is rare but he was dry enough to pull it off.
Sid suddenly stood up and left. Dave looked up, disconcerted, kept talking, eating and not bursting into flames. Ma said I could leave the table. I just sat there absorbing as much Ki energy as possible. They eventually went into the TV room.
"Toodle-pip," Dave said.
He had to go for sure. I joined them. I rarely watched TV except for the World at Waror in my lighter moments (I had a few) F Troop, Get Smartand Green Acres.Distilled genius – a bit like myself.
The lovebirds were whispering and sitting close together but they moved apart. "Carry on," I said and picked up the Victor– my namesake comic that Ma bought every week. She wasn't all bad.
It had good reconstructions of Banzai charges. At intervals I lowered it to observe them. They feigned watching TV but I knew their gonads were aflame just like the tip of their cigarettes. Dave rolled his own, of course. Continuing my campaign of psychological warfare I winked when I was sure Dave made eye contact. Ophthalmic wise, not higher-self wise.
When The Fugitivestarted I threw Victoracross the room to give the show my full attention. Ma shouted "Victor pick up the Victor."
"It wasn't me," I said.
"Of course it was you."
"It wasn't me."
"It was you – there is no one else here."
"What about Dave?"
"What about Dave?"
"How could Dave do it? He is sitting here beside me?"
"It was all his Ki energy like."
Dave was pale and sweating a bit. Spontaneous combustion was now impossible.
"Dave, don't mind him," Ma said, patting his hand.
"No problemo."
Holy God-o, I thought – as in Beckett, not the Bible.
"Yes kiddo?" he said with such sincerity it was laughable. Ma relaxed a little.
"Dave, how does the one-armed man clean his arse?"
Ma jumped up. "Victor get the f**k out of here."
At the door I called, "Toodle-pip."
The next time Dave came it would be his last.
Send your Flash Fiction stories, of no more than 500 words, to firstname.lastname@example.com


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Sucker Punch
starring Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Scott Glen and Carla Cugino
directed by Zach Snyder
Warner Bros. (2011)
Judging by some of the reviews I read for this movie before finally seeing it for myself, I was expecting something far more offensive. As it stands, Sucker Punch is more offensive in terms of depictions of women than half the anime and other action movies I've seen over the years. The movie is a mish-mash of genre pastiches that are given a fresh coat of glitz and hurled at the audience's eyes at a hundred miles per hour.
Emily Browning plays Baby Doll, a twenty-year-old orphan who is locked in an insane asylum after accidentally killing her sister while fending off her evil stepfather. Inside, a crooked orderly forges a doctor's signature to have Baby Doll lobotomized at the behest of the evil stepfather. At the moment this occurs, she escapes into a dreamworld of her own design that has her imprisoned in a burlesque show that traffics women. Like The Wizard of Oz's Judy Garland, Emily Browning's character inhabits this dreamland with the inmates, orderlies, doctors, and others she has interacted with inside the asylum. The psychiatrist (Carla Cugino) becomes the dance instructor, the evil orderly becomes the burlesque's promoter, and her fellow inmates become her fellow dancers. The girls devise a plan to escape by gathering items like a map, a knife, and a key. But to do these things, they need to create distractions. For these girls, the distraction comes in the form of Baby Doll's dance routines, which the audience never actually sees--perhaps Emily Browning just can't dance.
The acting is ... passable. Scott Glen as Baby Doll's version of Yoda was a nice touch, though it takes a while for his character's presence to come together. And Carla Cugino is at her sultry best in her role. As for the girls led by Emily Browning, I suppose you could call them a cross between The A-Team and Sailor Moon. They kick a lot of ass and look pretty doing it. The weightier aspects of the story kind of get thrown under the bus for the sake of visual magic tricks, but I wasn't expecting much more than that anyway.
Honestly, if I was supposed to be offended by the movie, I must be a horrible human being, because I actually rather liked it. I don't know if I'll be in a hurry to watch it a second time, but it was fun the first time around.


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Minutes after receiving a May 7 call about about swimmers in distress off the Crown Beach shore, police and firefighters were on the scene, gear in hand. Firefighters and the Coast Guard arrived soon after, and the swimmers were rescued and transported to the hospital.
It was a scene local public safety officials have repeated a number of times in the year since 53-year-old Raymond Zack waded into San Francisco Bay off the same beach and died as more than a dozen of them watched, rocking this Island community and provoking an international outcry. And it's one public safety brass hope will erase memories of the tragedy and rebuild the public's trust.
Police Chief Mike Noonan and Fire Chief Mike D'Orazi sat down with reporters to detail the steps they've taken to ensure a similar tragedy never occurs again.