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The sexual behaviour of older people is more often the target of jocularity or ridicule than the subject of serious scientific research. As a consequence, relatively little is known about the sexual behaviour of the over-65s and such information as is available shows a polarisation according to gender, male sexual behaviour and dysfunction being viewed very much in the light of physical problems, whereas women's sexual behaviour revolves around attitudes towards sexuality and the psychological effects of ageing. This review will address the biological changes associated with ageing, the psychological and social concomitants, the prevalence of sexual dysfunction, its aetiological factors, and the management of common sexual problems including those found in an institutional setting.
Biological changes
Masters and Johnson described the physiology of coitus as having four components. Excitement, plateau, orgasm and resolution, all of which show age related changes. As ageing increases, desire may not always result in sexual excitement. The triggers for sexual excitement become more specifically sexual and may require intimate body contact and manual stimulation. The intensity of sexual fantasies decreases and it may take a man longer to achieve an erection and following ejaculation more time before an erection is possible. The physiological changes are listed in Box 1⇓. In addition, older men experience anatomical changes, including thinning of the pubic hair, laxity of scrotal tissue, atrophy of the perineal muscles, loss of collagen tissue and occasionally weight gain. The phase of ejaculation undergoes changes which result in a decline in the intensity of orgasm and in the propulsive force of ejaculation. The volume of the ejaculate may be reduced by 50%. Sex drive and performance vary widely between individuals of the same group and the maintenance of sexual activity depends on factors such as regular sexual activity, the presence of a willing sexual partner, the absence of a major physical illness and the integrity of the relationship.
Physiological changes in ageing men
Sexual organ atrophy
Diminished testosterone level
Delay in attaining erection
Erection of poor quality
Longer delay in achieving and maintaining a full penile erection
Decline in intensity of orgasm
Decreased hormone levels are associated with reduced desire
Age-related changes in women (see Box 2⇓) include thinning of the pubic hair, shrinkage of the labia, thinning of the vaginal mucosa and laxity of the perineal muscle. The thinning of the vaginal mucosa and the reduced lubrication may lead to dyspareunia and bleeding during intercourse. Orgasmic contractions may become painful.
Physiological changes in ageing women
Changes are secondary to declining secretion of oestrogen after the menopause
Loss of elasticity in breast tissue and loss of breast dimensions
Cervix and uterus shrink in size
Walls of the vaginal canal atrophy and vaginal length and width decrease
Decrease in vaginal lubrication
Sex steroid starvation may indirectly affect sex drive
The ageing male experiences a reduction in the activity of the cells of Leydig with an associated drop in testosterone of 0.4–0.8% per year after the age of 50. Interested readers are referred to a comprehensive review of this topic and its relationship to depression by Seidman & Walsh (1999).
Psychological changes
Ageism prevails in most Western societies. Social attitudes and beliefs that consider sexual behaviour as inappropriate, repugnant or abnormal in old age will contribute to the curtailment of such behaviour. Older people have a difficult task in coming to terms with the decline in physical attributes, sexual potency and attractiveness. All too commonly they adopt negative attitudes towards their sexuality. A study in Finland (Paunonen & Hagmann-Laitila, 1990) found that more than half of 50 residents in a nursing home did not consider it proper for older people to have an active sex life; 25% felt that sexual needs and desires were sinful and shameful. Fewer than a quarter of the respondents were prepared to talk to the staff about sexual matters.
Factors other than social constraints, such as a disturbed relationship, physical fatigue and infirmities, psychological problems and economic worries, will also militate against a regular sex life.
Patterns of sexual behaviour
A number of factors have been identified as important in the maintenance of sexual activity. Good physical health, the availability of a partner, and a regular and stable pattern of sexual activity earlier in life predict the maintenance of sexual activity in old age. The proportion of sexually active married people declines from 55–60% in 60- to 74-year-olds to 25% in the over-75s.
Older women were brought up to prize modesty and they are reluctant to complain of sexual problems. A survey relating to urogenital ageing in 2045 people aged between 55 and 85 found that no more than 11% were affected at any one time (Barlow et al, 1997). Of that group, 73% were sexually inactive. Of the 11% affected, only one-third sought professional advice, whereas 36% resorted to over-the-counter remedies and 33% did not seek help. Bachmann's (1990) study of 59 healthy post-menopausal women aged 60–70 reported that 66% were coitally active and 34% were abstinent. The active group reported more sexual interest, greater sexual satisfaction and on pelvic examination were noted to have less genital atrophy. Little information is available on the sexual behaviour of older women in other cultures. A study on Chilean women reported that 40% of women over 60 were sexually active (Gramegna et al, 1998). The sexual adaption of women following the loss of their marital partner has been studied (Malatesta et al, 1988). Increasing age of the widow was associated with less unhappiness with loss of marriage-related activities. What the older woman missed most could be expressed as non-sexual heterosexual activity, such as the social company of a man.
Older men report more interest in sex than women do. Most studies find that the most important factors in the maintenance of sexual activity are the availability of the partner and good physical health. A study of 81 healthy married men aged 60–71 with no physical illness, no psychopathology and no marital problems found that 36% of the sample suffered from erectile failure. Ageing was associated with a decline in the frequency of sexual intercourse and an increase in the frequency of masturbation (Weizman & Hart, 1987). A sample of 319 men aged 50–80 were surveyed by a postal questionnaire, revealing that physiological potency for men aged 50–59, 60–69 and 70–80 amounted to 97%, 56% and 51%, respectively (Feldman et al, 1994). Among the oldest men (70–80 years) 46% reported orgasm at least once a month. Brahler & Unger (1994), surveying a group of 450 elderly men and women who still had a partner, found that 65% of people aged 61–70 and 33% of those aged over 70 engaged in sexual activity. In a study in Massachusetts, 15% of 70-year-old men were completely impotent and 34% moderately impotent. The problem was associated with a significant number of physical and medication problems (Feldman et al, 1994).
Few studies have looked at the general population living in the community and relatively little is known about the wider aspects of sexuality, such as intermittent physical contact, masturbation and affection. One recent study reports that 72% of men and 40% of women over the age of 65 engage in occasional masturbation (Bretschneider & McCoy, 1988). Other studies have looked at poor self-image and reluctance to talk about sex (White & Catania, 1982) and sexual difficulties associated with dementia (Haddad & Benbow, 1993).
Types of sexual dysfunction
A recently published sexual dysfunction survey in the USA involved 1410 men and 1749 women aged 18–59, of whom 79% took part. In women, 32% complained of a lack of interest in sex, 26% of an inability of achieve orgasm and 16% of pain during intercourse. Of the men, 31% complained of premature ejaculation, 18% of performance anxiety and, in the 50- to 59-year-old age group, erectile failure was present in 18%. Low sexual desire was associated with general unhappiness, and sexual dysfunction was strongly associated with unsatisfactory personal relationships (Laumann et al, 1999).
The DSM–IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) proposes seven categories of sexual dysfunctions. The first three are related to disorders of desire, arousal and orgasm. Categories four to six define sexual problems associated with pain, physical illness, and drugs and alcohol, and category seven defines disorders that are not otherwise specified. In older men, erectile failure is by far the most frequently encountered problem, whereas in older women loss of sexual interest and motivation is the main problem.
Older people do not seek help for their sexual problems for a variety of reasons. In my Sexual Problems Clinic in Edinburgh, out of a total of 3340 people seen over 25 years, only 54 patients were over the age of 65 and all of them were male (see Table 1⇓).
Numerous factors contribute to a varied and complex aetiology. They include the biological changes of ageing, negative cultural expectations, medical or surgical problems, the effects of drugs, and mental illnesses such as depression, psychosis and dementia.
Physical disorders
Ageing is associated with an increase in the prevalence of chronic illnesses, in the number of prescribed drugs and also in the likelihood of surgical procedures which have distressing physical and psychological sequelae. In addition, there may be damage to the vascular integrity of the genitalia and functional limitation of the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. Illnesses that contribute to sexual problems in old age include cardiovascular problems, particularly hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, renal failure, cancer, arthroses and neurological problems (Feldman et al, 1994) and the sequelae of various operations such as prostatectomy, hysterectomy, mastectomy and various ostomies. The effects of prostatectomy on sex function have been well studied. According to one study (Thorpe et al, 1994), prostatectomy is associated with major erectile failures in 12% and absent ejaculation in 24% of cases. The sexual dysfunction found in prostate cancer patients is largely due to the effects of treatment, with radical prostatectomy carrying the highest risk (Helgason et al, 1996). Finasteride, which is used in prostatic enlargement, is associated with loss of libido, erectile failure and reduced volume of ejaculate in 5–6% of men (Gormley et al, 1992).
Illnesses that result in disability, such as stroke and dementia, invariably lead to important changes in sexual behaviour (Boldrini et al, 1991). There is little evidence that post-stroke patients are routinely given an opportunity to discuss their sexuality openly with their physician. Changes in sexuality after a stroke are often due to a change in role function because of the increased dependency of the afflicted partner (Burgener & Logan, 1989).
Mental disorders
The most common mental disorders affecting older people are depression, dementia, delusional disorders and delirium. Sexual behaviour may change significantly in depression (Feldman et al, 1994) and dementia (Haddad & Benbow, 1993). Delusional disorder may be associated with pathological jealousy, which may cause severe distress to the other partner as well as endangering his or her well-being. Sexual problems may be further compounded in this group of patients by the use of psychoactive agents.
Substance-induced sexual dysfunction
The effects of chronic alcohol misuse on sexual function are well recognised and will not be discussed in detail here (Wagner & Jensen, 1981). In small doses, alcohol acts as an anxiolytic and may improve performance, but larger doses will result in retarded orgasm and erectile failure. Drugs like cocaine and amphetamines increase sexual interest and activity initially because of their enhancing effects on mood and energy, but the long-term effects are usually detrimental.
Pharmacological agents and sexual dysfunction
There is a significant literature on the sexual side-effects of antidepressant drugs – one review (Ellison, 1998) cites 118 references. All types of antidepressants, including monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclics and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are implicated in a variety of sexual problems affecting libido, arousal and ejaculation. Depression per se is also associated with sexual problems and it is, therefore, important for clinicians to enquire carefully as to what specific phase of the sexual response cycle is affected. There are now specific diagnostic criteria for antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction in DSM–IV, subsumed under category 292.89. It is likely that as up to 50% of patients treated with SSRIs may develop sexual dysfunction, mainly related to delayed or absent ejaculation or orgasm. These drugs may also be involved in erectile failure. Once an antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction has been established, appropriate treatment may involve a reduction in the offending medication, a 'drug holiday' or a change to a different antidepressant. The antidepressants that are least likely to affect sexuality are nefazodone, mirtazapine and reboxetine. Occasionally, patients treated with SSRIs may report increases in sexual desire. The drugs implicated here are trazodone, bupropion and, much less frequently, venlafaxine, paroxetine and fluoxetine. Trazodone is the drug most frequently associated with priapism (Warner et al, 1987). This problem has also been reported with phenothiazines, butyrophenones and benzisoxazoles (Patel et al, 1996).
Antipsychotic drugs, however, have a predominantly depressant effect on sexual function through their effects on the dopaminergic system. Non-psychotropic medication may also have a negative influence on sexuality. Anticonvulsants, antihypertensives, H2 blockers and thiazide diuretics (O'Keefe & Hunt, 1995) as well as cimetidine, digoxin and metoclopramide (Guay, 1995) are known to cause erectile failure. A full discussion of this topic can be found in Ellison (1998).
Management of sexual dysfunction
Assessment of a sexual dysfunction requires a careful history from the client with a corroborative history from the spouse/partner. Hawton (1985) has summarised the important features of a sexual history as:
establishing a language that is mutually comfortable;
using a mixture of closed and open questions;
getting an accurate description of what is actually wrong;
taking a longitudinal perspective;
interviewing both partners jointly and separately; and
taking a medical history including a complete list of drugs that the client is taking.
Many older couples need accurate information about the physiological changes associated with ageing. Patient education is therefore an important part of the management of sexual dysfunctions (Bachmann, 1990). The range of treatments available comprises psychosexual counselling, hormonal therapy, drug treatment, mechanical devices and vascular surgery (Box 3⇓).
Treatment options
Basic education and advice
Psychosexual counselling
Hormonal therapy
Drug treatment
Mechanical devices
Vascular surgery
Psychosexual counselling
This is an important aspect of any management plan since sexual dysfunctions, whatever the underlying cause, usually have a psychological overlay. It is, therefore, recommended that pharmacological treatment be combined with counselling.
Hormonal treatment
The use of testosterone supplements to treat the viropause (male menopause) is controversial. The proportion of older men with a significantly reduced testosterone level is low. Large epidemiological studies have shown that total testosterone remains steady until the age of 50 and then declines by approximately 0.4–0.8% per year (Gray et al, 1991). Administration of testosterone to eugonadal men leads to a small increase in sexual interest but it is no more effective than placebo in improving sexual dysfunction (Schiavi et al, 1997). On the other hand, there are numerous reports in the literature attesting to the benefits of androgen supplements in hypogonadal men. Libido, arousal and ejaculatory capacity all show improvements (Morley et al, 1993). The empirical use of exogenous androgens in eugonadal elderly men should not be encouraged as such treatments potentially could induce polycythaemia, worsen coronary artery disease and exacerbate benign prostatic hypertrophy (Seidman & Walsh, 1999).
In women the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is widespread although still controversial. It reverses the physiological changes associated with sex steroid starvation. Post-menopausal women who suffer from loss of libido in addition to the physiological changes associated with oestrogen deficiency may benefit from the gonadomimetic tibolone.
Drug treatment (Box 4⇓)
Oral agents
A variety of drugs have been used in the treatment of male sexual dysfunctions, including yohimbine, phentolamine, apomorphine, bromocriptine and trazodone. The availability of sildenafil has had a tremendous impact on the management of erectile failure. Sildenafil is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor and its success has tended to eclipse other forms of drug treatment. Sildenafil has been shown to be an effective treatment both in non-organic erectile failure (89% response at 50 mg) and also in the organic impotence secondary to diabetes mellitus, hypertension and neurological disorders.
Drug treatment
Oral phentolamine
Apomorphine sublingual tablets
Intracaversonal injection of vasoactive drugs
Intraurethral insertion of prostaglandin (MUSE)
Use of vasoactive cream
Clinical experience suggests that men with psychogenic impotence respond well to 50 mg sildenafil, whereas 100 mg is more effective in organic impotence. The drug is rapidly absorbed, although the ingestion of food will delay absorption. It is safe and has relatively minor side-effects, the main ones being headaches, flushing, dyspepsia, nasal congestion and abnormal vision. It is contra-indicated in patients taking nitrates because of the danger of provoking severe hypotension. The possibility of a synergistic action between sildenafil and non-nitrate antihypertensive medication has recently been raised (Cohen, 2000), although an editorial reply (Kloner & Siegel, 2000) refuted this suggestion. Not every patient will respond to sildenafil and it is very unlikely that patients with severe vasculogenic impotence or cavernosal fibrosis will show a response.
Oral phentolamine has been tried in mild erectile failure and there is some evidence that the drug is beneficial in about 50% of cases (Goldstein et al, 1998). More recently, it has been used in female sexual arousal disorder in menopausal women. The results indicate a mild positive effect of phentolamine across all measures of arousal (Rosen et al, 1999). There are also anecdotal reports of the value of sildenafil in arousal disorders in women.
Premature ejaculation has been mostly treated by psychological methods such as the squeeze technique or the stop–start method. Over the years, there have been sporadic reports on the effectiveness of certain drugs such as thioridazine, clomipramine and the SSRIs. A recent study (Strassberg et al, 1999) suggests that clomipramine 25 mg taken as needed as little as four hours prior to sexual activity is of value in treating premature ejaculation.
Intraurethral drugs
Prostaglandin E1 is used as an intraurethral pellet in a preparation known as MUSE (medicated urethral system for erection). In a large study involving 1511 men suffering from impotence due to a variety of causes, the improvement rate was 66%. Over an extended period, however, the results were less impressive (Padma-Nathan et al, 1997).
Topical creams
Most topical creams that have been used in erectile failure are smooth muscle relaxants and vasodilators. These include glyceryl trinitrate, minoxidil, prostaglandin E1, as well as a triple cream containing aminophylline, isosorbide dinitrate and co-dergocrine mesylate. Whereas the results with most of these have been disappointing, one study using the triple cream reported a 60% improvement rate (Gomaa et al, 1996). A recent study (Le Roux & Naude, 1999) was unable to reproduce the successful results reported earlier and they found no difference between the active cream and the placebo cream.
Intracorporal injection therapy
Since the early 1980s, a variety of drugs have been used effectively by intracorporal injection in the treatment of erectile failure. Papaverine, phentolamine, prostaglandin E1 and moxisylyte, among others, have been tried. The most frequently used drug is now prostaglandin E1 because of its favourable side-effect profile relative to the earlier preparations, which occasionally cause penile pain, bruising, hypotension, flushing, fibrosis and priapism. Although the response rate is about 65%, some studies have shown that there is a drop-out rate of about 25–40% over a two-year period. For a fuller discussion of this topic, see Eardley & Sethia (1998).
Mechanical devices
There are a number of these, the most popular being the vacuum constriction devices. Their use increased during the 1980s and for some time they were the most popular form of treatment for erectile failure, particularly in older men. In a large series of 1517 patients treated by this method, 92% were able to have an erection and 77% were able to have sexual intercourse (Witherington, 1989). There are conflicting data about the effectiveness of these devices when used over an extended period of time. The pros and cons of this type of treatment are fully discussed by Eardley & Sethia (1998).
Penile implants have been in use for over 40 years and different types of prostheses are available. Vascular surgery is occasionally used when arterial or venous abnormalities have been clearly demonstrated.
Sexual behaviour in institutional settings
A significant number of older people who require institutional care suffer from either physical or mental impairment of such a degree that it is no longer safe for them to live independently. In an institutional setting, sexual behaviour becomes linked to questions relating to privacy, attitudes of the nursing staff, and cultural expectations of other residents. Sexual disinhibition may be present in about 7% of cognitively impaired older people. There is an ongoing conflict between protecting patients' dignity and the patients' desire to fulfil their sexual needs. Nursing home staff as well as visitors or family may feel embarrassment when confronted with the sexuality of older people. Sometimes this may lead to older people being treated like children and being forbidden to have any sexual outlet. This, in turn, may provoke anger and frustration in the patients.
People with dementia may become less interested or more interested in sex. They may become more childlike and less subtle in their sexual demands. They may undress and/or masturbate in front of other residents or visitors. They may seek to engage other residents sexually. There is a conflict between supporting autonomous decision-making and protecting residents from abuse and exploitation. The resolution to the conflict is obviously easier if one or both partners, despite cognitive impairment, is aware of the implications of the relationship and able to decide whether they want to continue with the relationship or not. It is much more difficult if one or both partners is so cognitively impaired that they have no awareness of what they are doing. In such situations, it is important that the staff have the opportunity of discussing each client individually and involving their relatives/carers instead of adopting a blanket approach using pharmacological agents to contain such behaviour. There may be situations where, other methods having failed, it may be necessary to use drugs in order to inhibit undesirable or socially unacceptable sexual behaviour. Various agents have been tried and good results have been reported with SSRIs, anti-androgen therapy and oestrogen. The use of the oestrogen patch is an excellent treatment in the management of elderly men with dementia who suffer from sexual disinhibition. There are also isolated reports on the successful use of anti-androgens in elderly women with dementia who exhibit compulsive and antisocial sexual behaviour.
Very few older people consult professionals because of sexual dysfunction. Epidemiological data are sparse and studies are usually not comparable because of the differences in the sample groups. As life span increases and older people become healthier, they will have increasing expectations regarding their sexuality. Clinicians and professional helpers need to be aware of such problems, be ready to educate and advise older people on how best to adapt to physiologically altered responses and, in some cases, treat them by psychosexual counselling or chemotherapy as well as alleviate any physical problems.
Key points
Sexual problems are common in old age, but older people are reluctant to seek help
Sexual problems are associated with the biological changes of ageing, physical illness, the effect of various drugs and the negative sociocultural ethos
Older people need basic education and advice concerning their adjustment to age-related physiological changes in their sexuality
Pharmacological treatment is highly effective in erectile failure regardless of aetiology
Problems of sexual attitude and behaviour in institutions should be discussed openly
Multiple choice questions
The following treatments have been shown to be effective in eugonadal men with erectile dysfunction:
vacuum constriction devices
MUSE (medicated urethral system for erection)
Physical changes in ageing women include:
thinning of the vaginal walls
increased vaginal lubrication
shrinkage of the labia
a shorter period to become sexually aroused
painful contractions during orgasm.
The preservation of an active sex life in old age is related to:
good physical health
readiness to seek medical advice
the availability of a partner
a regular and stable pattern of sexual activity earlier in life
economic affluence.
Reduced sexual activity in older women is associated with:
inability to achieve orgasm
pain during intercourse
lack of interest in sex
performance anxiety
the use of hormone replacement therapy.
Sildenafil is contraindicated in the following patients:
those on regular nitrates
those on insulin
those taking antidepressants of the SSRI type
those with sickle cell anaemia
those on benzodiazepines.
- © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2000


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Montreal's most beautiful songbird Nikki Yanofsky is a dog lover too! Even with her crazy busy schedule she always has time for some puppy love…
Where do you live now and who lives with you?
I live in Montreal with my parents and my 2 older brothers… plus Vince, Rafa and Harry, my three dogs 🙂
Did you have animals when you were very young? What was your first experience ?
Yes I've had animals since kindergarten. I had a standard poodle named Hudson, he was amazing.
What are the stories behind each of the dogs you have now ?
Vince: We got Vince right after Hudson passed away. He's quite the rebel dog, he's a chocolate brown miniature poodle who weighs 14 pounds. He only loves my mom !
Rafa: My brother got Rafa because whenever my mom and I would leave town, Vince would adore my brother…. but the second we'd return Vince would pretend like he didn't even know him! So he got fed up and got his own dog, a 70 pound Golden Doodle who is quite the character.
Harry: Harry is my dog, I love him soooo much. He is 5 pounds and a pure white tiny toy poodle. Hes gorgeous! I got him because when I'm on the road its nice having a piece of home with you at all times, sometimes it can get lonely but not anymore with my little boy!!
You travel a lot, you must miss them …
I do miss Rafa but sometimes Vince comes and Harry comes with me EVERYWHERE!
We still miss Hudson every day 🙁 but wouldn't trade the experience of having him for the world.
Keeping busy sharing the love with our three boys!!
Many , many thanks to Nikki's mom Elyssa for providing these photos!
TPK "In rescuing animals, I lost my mind , but found my soul." ~anonymous

subset: commoncrawl


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HALIFAX, Feb. 28, 2013 /CNW/ - Pieridae Energy Canada Ltd. (Pieridae) has registered its Goldboro LNG Project with Nova Scotia Environment. Filing of the environmental registration document is the first step in the provincial environmental approval process for the proposed project to be located in Goldboro, Nova Scotia.
Goldboro LNG, www.GoldboroLNG.com, will include a natural gas liquefaction plant and facilities for the storage and export of liquefied natural gas (LNG), including a marine jetty for loading. The project will create significant direct and indirect economic benefits for the local community, province and region.
"This is an important milestone in our proposed development of the Goldboro LNG Project," said Mark Brown, Director of Project Development, Pieridae. "We look forward to working with the Department of Environment and consulting with all stakeholders throughout the environmental assessment process."
Nova Scotia Environment has reviewed the Goldboro LNG Project and developed a draft Terms of Reference for a comprehensive environmental assessment of the project. The public has until Friday, March 29, 2013 to comment on the draft, at which time Nova Scotia Environment will finalize and issue the final Terms of Reference. That document will serve as the "roadmap" for Pieridae to conduct the environmental assessment.
"We are committed to keeping stakeholders informed, and listening to and acknowledging their concerns and aspirations throughout the environmental assessment process," said Brown.
The proposed Goldboro LNG facility is anticipated to receive, liquefy and export up to about ten million metric tons of natural gas per year and have on-site storage capacity of 690,000 cubic metres of LNG. It is anticipated that at its peak Goldboro LNG will create up to 3,500 jobs during construction and 200 ongoing operation and maintenance positions.
The Goldboro LNG environmental registration document and the draft Terms of Reference issued by Nova Scotia Environment can be viewed at http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/ea/goldboro-lng.asp or at the following locations:
Pieridae will host a public information session at the Goldboro Interpretive Centre on Thursday, March 7, 2013 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
About Pieridae Energy Canada
Pieridae Energy Canada, www.PieridaeEnergy.com, is a Canadian energy infrastructure development company focused on liquefied natural gas (LNG) opportunities. The company's management team has extensive LNG experience and deep connections to the LNG industry world-wide. Pieridae operates as the project lead in the initial phases of development of a project.
SOURCE: Pieridae Energy Canada
For further information:
Sean Lewis, Pieridae Energy Canada at 902.425.1860 x. 225 (O), 902.223.2782 (M) or email@example.com.
Pieridae Energy Canada
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In trading on Monday, shares of Gold Reserve Inc (Toronto: GRZ) crossed below their 200 day moving average of $3.03, changing hands as low as $3.02 per share. Gold Reserve Inc shares are currently trading down about 1.6% on the day. The chart below shows the one year performance of GRZ shares, versus its 200 day moving average:
Click here to find out which 9 other Canadian stocks recently crossed below their 200 day moving average »
Looking at the chart above, GRZ's low point in its 52 week range is $2.50 per share, with $4.05 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $3.10.
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Looking back: Bank bandits terrorized family
Published 10:37 am, Saturday, December 8, 2012
The two men were well-dressed, polite and patient that Friday afternoon in November 1942. But they were very insistent, using handguns to make their unauthorized withdrawal from the First National Bank in Hale Center.
An account of the heist first appeared in the Plainview Evening Herald hours after the robbery, on Nov. 27, 1942. A more in-depth report followed in Sunday's edition.
The pair made a clean getaway in a commandeered auto, stolen from a farm family who had been left bound in their home north of Abernathy.
Initially bank Vice President R.A. Jefferies told police that approximately $16,000 — almost all the cash on hand — was taken. However, bank officials later discovered that the bandits overlooked several thousand dollars in their haste, making off with just $9,626.
Authorities told the Herald that the thieves, described as about 30, executed the robbery about 2 p.m., less than an hour after they had bound four members of the Carl Ellis family hand-and-foot in their home, and took the Ellis family auto to use as their getaway vehicle. The car was found abandoned four miles east of the Iowa Avenue School a few minutes after the heist.
Bank cashier Al Lemond told officers that the first he knew that a robbery was in progress was when a gunman approached his window and pointed an automatic pistol at him, calmly saying, "Let's have it." At the same time the gunman motioned with the gun for Lemond to move away from his teller's window. The pair had been leisurely standing around the lobby, apparently waiting for other customers to leave.
At that time the other bandit was standing near the front of the bank, according to Lemond. That thief ordered Jefferies, Lemond and fellow bank employee Mrs. Jessie Payne to lie face down on the floor, along with customers Curtis Logan, E.J. Watkins and Hollis Bryan. While the heist was in progress, two more customers came into the bank were forced to join the others on the floor, Peggy Walls who had come in through the back door and Sam Scalings who entered through the front.
One of the pair scooped up the cash from the tellers' cages, and then tried to open the vault door. That's when he ordered "the president of the bank" to open it for him.
Jefferies complied, with one of the gunman holding an automatic within in few inches of the banker's body.
Inside the vault the thief dumped papers from a cardboard box and began filling it with all the currency in sight — about $4,000 of that was in $1 bills.
Moving quickly, they ordered the bank employees and customers inside the vault and attempted unsuccessfully to lock it. They overlooked about $5,000 in their hasty search.
Once the thieves left the bank, those inside the vault opened the door and quickly spread an alarm.
Happening to be sitting in a car outside the bank were W.E. Lynch, Perry Lynn Beecher and Delma Harper, all of Hale Center.
"We saw a car drive off fast," 15-year-old Perry Lynn Beecher said, "and in a few minutes people began coming out of the bank and said it had been robbed. We took after the car, a gray-green Ford coach," he told officers.
Lynch, driving his 1935 Plymouth coupe, pursued the fleeing car five miles south of Hale Center, where it turned east on a dirt road. Although they were having trouble keeping up with the fleeing auto, Lynch said he and his companions saw from a distance when the getaway car stopped about four miles east of the pavement. It was pulled across the road, to block traffic, two men got out and entered a waiting coupe. Lynch said he was not close enough to get a tag number, but saw it was a black car — possibly a 1936 or 1937 model Ford or Chevrolet.
Continuing the pursuit, Lynch steered into the bar ditch to get around the abandoned car. A few hundred yards down the road one of his tires blew out and he had to stop.
Returning to the abandoned car, Lynch and his two companions found $55 in $5 bills which the robbers lost when they were switching vehicles. Later, officers found another loose $5 at the scene. The $60 was subsequently returned to the bank.
Residents a few miles east of that scene told officers they saw a black coupe speeding along the dirt road about 2:30 p.m., but officers lost the trail at FM 400 — then known as the Plainview-Petersburg highway.
Two hours before the bank holdup the same pair were knocking on the door of the Ellis home, Mrs. Ellis told authorities.
She said two commonly dressed men came knocking on her door, asking to borrow a jack. The Ellis home was located three miles north of Abernathy on the highway.
She got the jack out of the family car, which was parked outside, but it wasn't working. After tinkering with it for a several minutes, one of the pair asked if they could come inside to warm. She invited them in, but quickly noticed that they didn't appear cold. After staying for several minutes, one asked if she could drive them to their car, which they said was stopped on a side road east of the highway. She refused.
They then asked if her husband's brother, 18-year-old Nelson Ellis, could take them. She said he had been ill and she didn't want him to go.
A few minutes later her husband drove up in their pickup, and agreed when one of the men asked him to take them to their car. Five-year-old Jimmy Ellis begged to go along, and climbed in the family car with his father and the two strangers. As the car was about to leave, Mrs. Ellis voiced her suspicions to Nelson Ellis, and he ran outside and got into the car as well.
Watching from her porch, Mrs. Ellis knew something was wrong when she saw the car turn west from the highway. The men had told her that their car was east of the highway.
She got into the pickup and started following.
Mrs. Ellis later told offices that the gunmen had been watching the house as they drove away, and when they saw the pickup leave they drew their guns and forced her husband from under the wheel. They took over, turned the car around and started toward Mrs. Ellis. Once they caught up with her, the gunmen forced her to abandon the pickup and join them in the car.
Returning to the Ellis home, the gunmen ordered the family out of the car, one at a time, and into the house. With guns drawn, one of the men backed into the house and the other followed, keeping all four covered.
While one guarded those inside, the other forced Ellis to fill the car with gasoline from a barrel in the yard.
The gunmen then used a lariat and cord to bind the family. The lariat was used to tie Curtis Ellis to a piano, his hands first being bound behind him with cord, which the gunmen took from their pockets. Nelson Ellis was tied with his feet to the heating stove and his hands to a platform rocker.
Mrs. Ellis was ordered to lie on the divan, where she was bound hand-and-foot. One of the gunmen found a pair of gloves and had Mrs. Ellis put them on to prevent the cords from cutting her hands.
When it came to 5-year-old Jimmy, who was crying, the gunmen first asked for adhesive tape, but his mom said there was none in the house. The men discussed gagging the child, but his mother pleaded against that. Ultimately the intruders laid Jimmy where his mother could place her arms around him, and tied him to the divan.
When she asked one of the men what time it was, he took a clock off the piano, wound it, and set it on the piano stool where she could see it.
After taking a rag and wiping the furniture, door knob and other objects, the men went into the kitchen and changed clothes.
They left the house through the kitchen door.
"It was 1:15 by the clock when the men left here, and it had been an hour since they came," Mrs. Ellis told police.
Within five minutes after the pair left, Ellis had broken the cords binding his hands, and got a knife out of his pocket and freed the others. Ellis then went to the highway a few yards away and caught a ride to Abernathy to report the incident.
Responding to that call from Ellis, Hale County Sheriff Oat Martine and Deputy Ted Andrews were on their way to Abernathy when the bank was robbed.
After being notified by shortwave radio, they turned back toward Hale Center to begin their investigation and take up the chase.
A quick review of subsequent issues of the Herald indicated that a month later the bandits apparently were still at large.
To comment:


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TechCrunch Disrupt Beijing Finalist Moglue Launches The Second Version Of Its Interactive E-Book Creator
Moglue, the publishing platform that makes it easy to create interactive e-books, has launched its completely redesigned second version, which features a streamlined user interface and more design tools. After the TechCrunch Disrupt Beijing finalist released the first edition of Moglue 10 months ago, many users asked for the ability to preview books in real-time on mobile devices, which the… Read More
Moglue Lets Authors Create And Publish Interactive Ebooks On iOS And Android The Simple Way
New York- and Seoul-based Moglue (last year's TechCrunch Disrupt Beijing finalist) has rolled out a few changes to make it easier to create and publish interactive ebooks on smartphones and tablets. Its ebook publishing platform now consists of two main elements, MoglueBuilder (used to create content-rich ebooks without programming skills) and MoglueViewer (used to preview ebooks on… Read More
Moglue Makes It Dead Simple For Anyone To Create And Publish Interactive Ebooks
Creating and publishing content-rich, interactive ebooks without programming skills or distribution power: that's the problem New York- and Seoul-based startup Moglue is trying to solve. The TechCrunch Disrupt Beijing finalist offers two products: MoglueBuilder (a desktop app that makes it dead simple for authors and artists to create and publish interactive ebooks)… Read More


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Congress president Sonia Gandhi will flag off the party's re-enactment of the Dandi March on Saturday to mark the 75th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's historic salt satyagraha.
Briefing reporters on the eve of the programme, Congress leader Sunil Dutt said on Friday that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi are likely to be present at Dandi in South Gujarat when the 23-day walk will conclude on April 6.
Before flagging off the march, Sonia Gandhi would visit Hriday Kunj at Sabarmati Ashram established by Mahatma Gandhi.
More than 300 people from different parts of India and abroad would participate in the march, Dutt said. They would retrace the steps Mahatma Gandhi took and travel more than 240 miles.
Dutt denied allegations that the march had political motives. He said it was meant to create peace, amity and goodwill among people.
He said it would be his endeavour to see that the path Mahatma Gandhi travelled during the Dandi March was made a heritage path.
The Father of the Nation had undertaken the march to protest against the imposition of salt tax on farmers by the British Government.
A worker cleans a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmathi Ashram in Ahmedabad in Gujarat on Friday.
Photograph: RAVEENDRAN/AFP/Getty Images


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Jason Heyward and Cody Johnson Voted into the '09 All-Star Game
June 7, 2009 - Carolina League (CarL) - Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release
WOODBRIDGE, VA - The Carolina League has announced that outfielders Jason Heyward and Cody Johnson have been named to league's All-Star team that will take on the California League All-Stars on Tuesday, June 23 in Lake Elsinore, CA.
Johnson, 20, made the team as a designated hitter by hitting a league best 18 home runs with a .267 average and 39 RBIs, good for third in the league. He is currently one big fly shy of the overall Minor League home run lead. Baseball America ranked Johnson as the #12 prospect in the Atlanta Braves system prior to the start of this season.
Heyward, 19, is in the top 10 in the league with his .295 average he also has nine home runs and 22 RBIs. Ranked as the #2 prospect in the Braves organization at the start of the season, Heyward has played in 37 games but has been out of the lineup since May 26 nursing a tweaked oblique. This is the second time the young prospect has been honored this season, the Carolina League named Heyward Player of the Week for May 11-17. When he returns to action, he will look to extend his seven-game hit streak over which time he has raised his average 34 points.
The Carolina League All-Stars will be led by Pelicans manager Rocket Wheeler. Wheeler was named Minor League Baseball's Manager of the Year by Baseball America following the 2008 season which had the Pelicans competing for the Mills Cup against the Potomac Nationals after posting a regular season record of 89-51.
Voting for the game was conducted by each team's general manager and manager and a member of the media from each city.
• Discuss this story on the Carolina League message board...
Carolina League Stories from June 7, 2009
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Kinston Swept at Winston-Salem - Kinston Indians
- Dash Sweep K-Tribe, Extend Win Streak to Eight - Winston-Salem Dash
- Three Dash Named to Carolina League All-Star Team - Winston-Salem Dash
- Keys Salavage Series Split with Red Sox - Frederick Keys
- Salem Held to Just Four Hits, Fall 5.5 Back in Southern Division - Salem Red Sox
- Blue Rock Takes Two from Lynchburg - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Nats and Pelicans Play to Split of Double-Header - Potomac Nationals
- Cats Swept in Double-Header - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Jason Heyward and Cody Johnson Voted into the '09 All-Star Game - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Pelicans and P-Nats Split Double-Header - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Lynchburg Sends Trio to All-Star Game - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Four Rocks Named All-Stars - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Chisenhall, Phelps and Berger are All-Stars - Kinston Indians
- Loop to Represent Sox in High-A Midsummer Classic - Salem Red Sox
- Six Keys Headed to All-Star Game - Frederick Keys
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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Braves-Phillies: Atlanta's Battery Power Mighty in Road WinJuly 25, 2008
The Atlanta battery was the story Friday night in Philadelphia. In beating the Phillies for only the second time in ten games this season, catcher Brian McCann and starter Jair Jurrjens led a dominant effort in an 8-2 series opening win at Citizens Bank Park.
The few negatives for the Braves were able to be forgotten as a throwing error by McCann and Ryan Howard's 30th homerun in the 9th with the Braves leading 8-0 at the time proved to be basically meaningless.
This might have been one night where the Braves were glad that Chipper Jones and his sore hamstring were watching from the 3rd base dugout for all nine innings. Super-sub Omar Infante had two hits from the 8th position in the lineup and made three superb defensive plays that Chipper would have been hard pressed to make himself.
But Infante's smooth glovework on three plays was matched by his fellow infielders. Kelly Johnson might be thinking he wish he got in on the act. The fact that not one of these 6 plays wound up on the late edition of "Web Gems" surprises me.
1) Infante goes backhand in the bottom of the 2nd to rob Pat Burrell of a double.
2) Mark Teixeira snares a short hop off of Shane Victorino in the bottom of the 3rd.
3) With a runner on first in the bottom of the fifth, Yunel Escobar goes behind the 2nd base bag, steps on the bag just as he's throwing to first to turn a double play. He may have thrown it before he actually touched the bag, but that was only after seeing the slow motion replay.
4) One batter after Escobar's DP, Infante barehands a chopper off the bat of Carlos Ruiz to end the inning.
5) In the bottom of the 6th, Infante cuts across shortstop and barehands a slow chopper and throws out the speedy Jimmy Rollins by a full step.
6) After taking a liner off the glove, Jair Jurrjens recovered going towards 3rd base to throw out Jayson Werth for the last out in the 8th inning. Jurrjens finished the night giving up only 3 hits and one walk, with six strikeouts in 8 innings - almost identical numbers to his Toronto start 4 weeks ago.
Once Jurrjens was out of the game everything changed. Greg Norton had the unique distinction of pinch-hitting twice in the same inning, as he doubled to lead off the top of the 9th, and then drove in a run later on a infield grounder.
The big blow was from McCann, who launched a grand slam into the right field seats off of Brad Lidge four innings after taking Kyle Kendrick 420+ feet to straight away center.
If Will Ohman losing the shutout with 2 outs in the 9th is the worst thing about the Braves evening, I doubt they'll be complaining. However, with Mike Hampton scheduled to return for a nationally televised match-up Saturday against Braves' nemesis Cole Hamels, the Braves won't get to enjoy their series opening victory for too long.


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Very Long Trip Report - Nov 23rd Viking Pride Christmas Mark
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December 16th, 2003, 05:30 PM
Senior Member
Cruise Maniac
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 232
Very Long Trip Report - Nov 23rd Viking Pride Christmas Mark
We started planning this trip in early 2003. We had received some literature from Viking River Cruises on their Christmas market cruise from the previous season and the idea sounded appealing to us. There are six of us traveling together on the river cruise portion consisting of me (Patty), my husband (Mark), his parents (Bob and Margaret), and our friends (John and Katrina). We would all meet up on the ship in Vienna and after the cruise go our separate ways. My in-laws would return home while our friends continued on to Munich, and we would visit family in D�sseldorf and then stopover in London for a few days on our way back to Los Angeles.
Flight and Vienna
We had redeemed Delta Skymiles to fly in Virgin Atlantic�s premium economy cabin from LAX to Heathrow. Tickets cost us 60,000 miles each, only 10,000 more than regular economy which I thought was a great value (unfortunately this option is no longer available using Skymiles effective Nov 17, 2003). Then we booked separate tickets to fly on BA from Heathrow to Vienna.
Nov 21/22 � A representative from Virgin Atlantic calls us this morning to inform us that our departure to Heathrow is delayed by 2 hours due to a delay in the inbound flight from Heathrow, so we postpone our shuttle pick up to 3:30pm. At the airport, the check-in agent suggests rebooking our BA flight to a later one which he does for us along with tagging our luggage for the later flight. Having arrived too late to secure row 70 exit seats, we are handed boarding passes for our pre-reserved row 71 seats along with a $12 per person meal voucher due to the flight delay. The flight over is comfortable, that extra legroom and width really makes a big difference! Leg and foot rests also help. We had reserved seats on the upper deck of the 747 as I had read that this section is quieter with better service. Overall we are very pleased with Virgin�s premium economy product. We are served dinner shortly after takeoff and a light continental breakfast prior to arrival. I sleep for about 5 hours in between which is pretty good for me.
Due to the flight delay, we end up spending about 4.5 hours at Heathrow waiting for the last BA flight to Vienna that day. Transit from terminal 3 to terminal 1 is pretty efficient. We use the airside busses, encounter very minimal security lines at that time of day, and pick up our BA boarding passes all in less than half an hour after arrival.
We have lunch, shop, and use the ATM to withdraw some pounds for later in the trip at the terminal 1 waiting area and meet up with Mary and her husband from the cruisemates message board. They are taking the same BA flight to Vienna.
We arrive in Vienna just before 10:00pm and are met by the transfer service I had pre-booked through
(I called from Heathrow to let them know about our change of flights). The cost is 23 euros to the first district and takes about 30 minutes. We are staying at the Hotel Bristol located on the K�rntner Ring. The location is great, right across from the State Opera and we are upgraded to a very nice executive room with a balcony overlooking the opera house. I wish we had more time to enjoy the hotel. We walk for about an hour in the area surrounding St. Stephans Catherdral, have drinks at the Bristol Bar (it seemed like everyone else was dressed in tuxedos and gowns that evening, must have come from the opera) and go to bed around 1:00am.
Vienna and Viking Pride
Nov 23 - The next morning we walk around the inner city a bit more, down the pedestrian streets of K�rntnerstrasse, Graben, Kohlmarkt, through the Hofburg complex and the Burggarten, and head to the ship around noon. Cab fare to the ship�s location on Handelskai from our hotel costs about 14 euros. We had wanted to arrive in Vienna a few days earlier but couldn�t get any award seats. There are so many things we want to do here and just don�t have enough time (and in retrospect we didn�t make very good use of our first day). On board the ship we meet up with the rest of our party who had all flown in that morning. A light luncheon buffet consisting of sandwiches, pasta, and soup is set up in the lounge. I should also mention that we are on board the Viking Pride instead of the Viking Spirit due to some shuffling around of the ships because of low water problems.
Around 2:30pm our cabins are ready. We booked a category D on the main deck. The cabin is approx. 120 sq ft with a sofa that converts to a single bed and another single bed that folds down from the opposite wall. There is a small window right above the water line, a vanity area, and a tiny closet (which we actually found to be adequate after unpacking everything). All in all it�s about the size of our bathroom at the Bristol but not much smaller than some ocean ship cabins we have stayed in. We found it to be fine for a 7 day cruise as we are usually off the ship during the day and in the restaurant or lounge at night. We store one empty suitcase under the sofa, the other one under the vanity area, and there is enough room to walk around. There�s a safe, telephone, TV, and hairdryer in the cabin and contrary to the pre-departure literature we had received, there are outlets on board for both 220 as well as 110 voltage. The 110 outlet accepts U.S. style plugs so we don�t need our adaptors (but we do need them for later in the trip). Wake up calls can be programmed on the telephone but we brought along a travel alarm clock just in case.
Around 3:00pm we decide to head back into the center of Vienna. We take the U-bahn from Vorgartenstrasse station which is about a 5-10 minute walk from the dock. If I remember correctly it�s 1.50 euro for a one way journey to Stephansplatz. There are touch screen machines (English option available) that take credit cards or cash and push button machines that take cash only. Going into town you take U-1 toward Reumannplatz and the same line toward Kagran on the return, a quick journey of about 4 stops. All day tickets (about 5 euros) are available which work out well if you will be using public transport more than 3 times in one day. Or if you have a larger group, you can get 8 transferable all day tickets for 24 euros (3 euros each). We walk around the city some more until it gets dark and head back to the ship for dinner.
Dinner is a single open seating and the time varies depending on the tour and sailing schedule but is generally around 7:00pm. Usually a choice of 2 appetizers, soups, entr�es, and desserts are available but on a few evenings it is a set menu. Grilled chicken or steak is always available. I found all of the fish dishes to be excellent while the red meat dishes were sometimes hit or miss. In addition to wines by the bottle, a house wine is available for 3.50 euros for a half carafe. Corkage is 7.50 if you bring your own wine although this is not always charged. I have copies of the menus from the entire week if anyone is interested.
There�s not much in the way of evening entertainment on board. There is a solo keyboardist who plays in the lounge every night. On two evenings local musicians and a choir come aboard. A few nights are spent docked which allows the opportunity to go ashore. There�s usually one movie played each evening on the in cabin TV, and books and board games are available. We are all too tired to do much after dinner and go to bed early.
Nov 24 � Starting at 6:30am there is a self serve coffee, tea, and pastry station by the entrance to the lounge. Coffee and tea are also available here everyday until about dinner time. Breakfast is usually served from 7:00am to 9:00am and consists of a hot and cold buffet with additional hot items available to order. The French toast is very good and so is surprisingly, the pineapple. Champagne is available by the juice station.
This morning there�s an included shore excursion consisting of a 45 minute bus ride into the city and around the ring road followed by a 45 minute walking tour starting from Stephansplatz. There are busses available to head back to the ship for lunch and complimentary transfers to and from the main Christmas market at Rathausplatz in the afternoon. You are free to utilize the included tours and transfers as much or as little as you wish. There�s an optional tour to Sch�nbrunn this afternoon as well as an optional concert this evening, each costing 44 euros per person. These are the only optional tours offered on this cruise. If you want to do things like go to Sch�nbrunn on your own, they will gladly give you information on how to get there by U-Bahn, you just have to ask. As a matter of fact, we found this to be true throughout the cruise regarding questions about getting into the city or getting around by public transportation. This information is not usually volunteered but if you ask, they are more than willing to help. City maps are provided at the reception counter each morning. Tours leave very promptly, sometimes even a few minutes early.
We decide to take the 45 minute bus ride into the city and skip the walking tour. Our guide points out the various buildings and landmarks along the way. After the ride, we visit St. Stephans Cathedral. It�s very foggy today and you can�t see the top of the tallest spire. John and Katrina opt for the climb to the top and we all meet up later in front of the opera house. We decide to go to the Neue Burg and see the collections of armoury and musical instruments. This place is huge and there are rooms upon rooms of exhibits. A good audio guide is included in the price of admission, and in the instrument section, you can hear examples of some of them being played. After a few hours here, we start heading toward the Christmas market and stop at Caf� Landtmann for a snack.
The setting of the main Christmas market in front of the Rathaus all lit up is very pretty in the evening (well OK even at 3:30pm as that�s when it starts to get dark). The market itself however is rather disappointing. It is mostly low quality junk. The only items I end up buying are some fr�chte tee (fruit tea) and a souvenir gl�hwein (hot mulled wine) mug. I hear there are other Christmas markets in Vienna but don�t have time to explore. We walk over to the bus transfer area around 4:30pm but find that the last bus has left already (see my earlier comment about promptness) so we just take the U-bahn back to the ship.
An early dinner is served this evening as about half of the passengers are going to the concert tonight. We decide to stay on board. Passengers are requested to be back on board at 11:45pm for a midnight sailing.
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December 16th, 2003, 05:32 PM
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Posts: 232
Re: Very Long Trip Report - Nov 23rd Viking Pride Christmas
D�rnstein and Melk
Nov 25 � Today we arrive in the town of D�rnstein early in the morning. There are two included tours, a wine tasting and an hour long walking tour. Half the passengers will do one portion first and then swap as there are too many of us to all go wine tasting or all go on the walking tour together. We decide to go wine tasting first. We are taken to the Loiben winery where we sample 3 wines from the region. Most are in the 5-6 euro range. We buy 4 bottles to take back to the ship. You can sample additional wines at the sales counter. After the tasting we are taken back to the dock where we start our walking tour. Very picturesque little town and quite empty this time of year. If you do both tours there�s really no additional time to wander on your own so keep that in mind.
At noon, the ship sails toward Melk. This is our first lunch on board which consists of a cold sandwich and salad buffet with soup, hot entrees, and desserts available to order from the waiter. I like their cream soups which are all very light and not a heavy, thick soup.
This afternoon there is an included tour to the Melk Abbey. We are split into 3 groups which I think is still a bit too large, 4 would have been better as some of the exhibit rooms are quite small and it is hard to get a close look at things. From the abbey, there�s a great view of the town below. The baroque style interiors are very over the top. The tour takes about two hours and afterwards we decide to take a quick walk around town before heading back to the ship which sails before dinner.
Tonight is the captain�s welcome cocktail reception and dinner and most passengers are dressing up a bit. Dinner is a 6 course set menu this evening consisting of a cold appetizer of pate, oxtail soup, a hot appetizer of salmon and John Dory fish, whole roasted loin of veal, a parfait for dessert and a cheese plate. The two set menus we have during the week were both good and I didn�t mind the lack of selection.
Sometime in the very late evening/early morning we dock in Linz. So far there has been no mention of low water problems so we hope that we will actually be able to sail all the way through. On one of the previous sailings the ship switch was done on the Salzburg day. On our sailing, the plan is still to go to Salzburg tomorrow and meet up with the same ship in the evening in Passau.
Nov 26 � This morning we depart at 8:30am for the excursion to Salzburg. The total bus ride is about 2 hours including a 20 minute stop in Mondsee for a restroom break and a quick picture of the lake. The busses drop us off right outside of Schloss Mirabell on the other side of the Salzach river from the main part of town. There is an included walking tour of about an hour and a half and an included lunch at the Sternbr�u at noon. Again you are free to utilize as much or as little of the inclusions as you wish. You just have to meet back at the bus location at 4:00pm sharp.
We start out on the walking tour which takes us through Mirabell gardens and across the bridge. It�s drizzling (our first day of any rain) and cold and about half an hour into the tour we are only half way across the bridge. There seems to be a lot of waiting around for everyone to gather and not much ground covered. At this point, knowing how little time we had in Salzburg, we decide to leave the tour and go off on our own. We continue across the bridge and walk down to Getreidegasse and toward the cathedral where the main Christmas market is located (we are told that this market is much better than one we visited in Vienna). We decide to take the festungsbahn (funicular) up to Hohensalzburg fortress and purchase roundtrip tickets for about 8 euros each. There�s also an option to purchase a one way ride and walk down (or vice versa) and the price includes admission to the inner courtyard. There�s a separate admission for the 50 minute guided tour of the interior which we decide to take as well. We are led from room to room and provided an accompanying audio guide. Very nice views from the top, the rain has stopped but everything is still enshrouded in a bit of fog. After the audio tour, there are some exhibits which you are free to look through at your own pace displaying furniture, armoury, musical instruments, and implements of torture, among other things. As we exit the exhibit area, we realize that we have lost Mark�s parents. So Mark and John set off to look for them as Katrina and I wait in the courtyard. After about half an hour of searching, we give up and head back down hoping that they know how to make their way back to the bus. Back at the Christmas market we run into Mark�s parents and discover that they�ve been down here eating goulashsuppe the whole time we were wandering around looking for them!
We have lunch at the Christmas market and sample a variety of food from the goulashsuppe to the giant pretzels to the wurst. We pick up another gl�hwein mug to add to our collection. This market is indeed much better and I end up buying some incense burners, ornaments, decorations, and candle holders. In between we decide to walk over to St. Peter�s cemetery for a look, quite an amazing little place. Soon it�s a quarter past three and we start walking back toward the bus park. Five and a half hours is not a lot of time. We pass by Mozart�s Geburtshaus and walk through Mirabell gardens again. I take a picture of John at the top of the steps. He is after all related to the von Trapp family, if very distantly. There�s another small Christmas market at the bus park. It�s 4:00pm and we are back on board just in time. G�nther, our cruise manager, comes on board the bus looking very peeved that there are about 5 people missing. He says we�ll wait exactly 10 minutes and leave. The missing passengers get on board just in time and we�re off for a 2 hour drive toward Passau.
When we arrive at the dock in Passau around 6:00pm, we find the Viking Europe docked here instead of the Pride. Hmmm� the Viking Europe is not supposed to be here, they are one day ahead of our schedule on the same itinerary and should have left for Regensburg already. We find out that our ship is docked further up and at the port talk this evening, the first mention of the low water situation is made. Apparently a decision was made that the Europe cannot sail any farther than Passau and those passengers will have to be bussed and change ships. However, we are told that since our scheduled departure from Passau is not until tomorrow evening and they are expecting some rain, we are going to take a wait and see approach. Most passengers seem to be taking the news rather well as we don�t hear too many complaints. Tonight after dinner a Bavarian duo come on board to perform some folk music. The ship stays docked in Passau overnight.
Nov 27 � This morning we are told that the ship will sail at 9:00am instead of staying docked in Passau so they can get a head start on sailing through the low section of the river. The plan is to meet the ship later in Deggendorf. Since we will not have access to the ship, there will be some arrangements made for lunch. We don�t know where yet as none of the restaurants are open at this time but it will be whatever restaurant or combination of restaurants that can take 140 people on short notice. This is minute by minute planning but in the end it works out well.
There is an included walking tour and we are split into 4 groups. We spot a cheery, giggling guide and decide she�s the one we want so we inch toward her. Eva, originally from Chicago but has lived in Germany for over 30 years, turns out to be wonderfully hilarious and this is the best guided tour of the trip! Look for the giggly woman with short curly, blond hair. Our tour starts near the Rathaus and we are shown markings on a wall where the various high water levels throughout the years are recorded including August, 2002. It�s hard to believe that only a year ago the river could have been this high. We step into the entrance of the glass museum where Eva tells a joke about Neil Armstrong that has us in tears (you will have to find out for yourself) and continue to the cathedral to see the organ. No concert is given as it�s off season. Passau is quite a pretty town sandwiched between the Inn and the Danube rivers.
As the Christmas market is not open yet, we are taken to a flower shop and a confectionary. At the flower shop, we�re given a quick tour of the converted old house. Actually we are not quite sure why we�re here. I seem to recall some mention of a wreath making demonstration which doesn�t materialize. In any case, it�s a cute shop with some nice ornaments for sale. Upon arrival at the Simon confectionary, we are given some hot punsch and a demonstration on lebkuchen (gingerbread) making by Walter Simon who is the 4th or 5th generation of the Simon family operating this business. We try some old style (sweetened only with honey) and some new style gingerbread. The old style has a spongy consistency like cake or bread and is not as sweet. Some of the dough is aged for 6 months and it�s said that it will keep for several years. We each get a decorated piece to take home. I buy some more lebkuchen and some apfel strudel to take back to the ship.
At the end of the tour we are advised that we will be having lunch at the Helig Geist so we head there and say goodbye to Eva (can�t we take her with us?). Lunch was a set menu of 3 courses including a dumpling soup, turkey in a mushroom sauce (it is Thanksgiving after all), and ice cream. Afterwards we shop and Mark�s dad gets his ATM card stuck in a statement printer, mistaking it for an ATM machine, outside a bank. This is Thursday and we are in luck. The bank re-opens today at 2:00pm, and they are able to get his ATM card out of the statement printer. Had it been Wednesday or Friday the bank would have been closed all afternoon.
It�s clear today with no rain in sight as had been predicted. The sun even shines for a brief moment in the afternoon. We stop in a glass shop and I pick up a small perfume bottle from the 1940�s. They also have some nice replica pieces here of glass from various centuries and regions. At 4:00pm we are meeting the bus again for the approximate 45 minute ride to Deggendorf. On the bus we are informed that the ship is slightly behind schedule so we will be stopping in the center of Deggendorf and have an hour to walk around before continuing to the dock. We are also told that the tentative plan is the ship will stay docked in Deggendorf this evening and tomorrow we will bus to Regensburg from here, a distance of about 90 kilometers. The ship will try to continue during the day and meet us later in Regensburg (the lowest part of the river is still ahead of us at this point).
In town I find a small porcelain box at one of the shops and try to pay with my Amex but am told that they take EC cards (some type of local debit card?) only. This turns out to be a common occurrence on our trip as credit card acceptance is generally very low compared to the U.S. in shops (this was quite a large shop) and casual eateries. I find a geldautomat (ATM) nearby, take out some cash, and head back to the store to pay. It�s close to 6:00pm and we head back to the bus for a short ride to the dock. Upon arrival we see that there�s still no ship but are told the ship will be here in about 20 minutes. That 20 minutes seems to be taking hours as it�s been a long day and we are all tired and hungry. Finally the ship is docked (it�s a surprisingly quick process) and we go aboard.
Tonight there is no port talk as we are back on board so late. Instead the captain announces during dinner that we are sailing again and will try to sail through the night to Regensburg. He makes no guarantees but says he is very confident. Applause all around. As you can see plans are changing three times a day (that we know of) and we are just happy to be sailing. When we retire that evening we still aren�t sure what will happen tomorrow.
December 16th, 2003, 05:33 PM
Senior Member
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 232
Re: Very Long Trip Report - Nov 23rd Viking Pride Christmas
Nov 28 � We wake up early this morning to find that we are docked. It�s still quite dark and Mark goes up on deck to check if we are indeed in Regensburg and confirms that we�ve made it! The ship is docked just a few steps from the old stone bridge and we take a short walk around before breakfast.
After breakfast, we decide to walk around the city on our own and skip the included walking tour. It�s raining today but only lightly so I just wear my hat and leave the umbrella on board. Since the ship is docked here all day, I figure I can easily go back and retrieve it if necessary.
There are several Christmas markets open already in various squares. Some have more traditional German wares while others have more contemporary wooden, ceramic, and metal crafts. Regensburg has a college town feel and is just very pleasant for walking around. We come upon a great ceramic studio and purchase several small ceramic houses that are handmade on site. It�s located on Goldene B�ren Strasse, just walk along the main road that follows the Danube past the stone bridge and the studio is on your right (Danube side). I believe they also have a booth at one of the Christmas markets but the selection is better at the studio.
We head back to the ship to drop off our purchases and have lunch on board. This is only our second lunch on board the ship since we had stayed in Vienna all day on Monday and had the schedule deviation in Passau. After lunch there�s a glass blowing demonstration in the lounge which we attend. Karl Ittig travels from his studio in Wertheim to give the demonstration on board during the off season and he�s quite a funny and entertaining guy. He tells us a little about the history of his family (he is the 6th? generation in a family of glass blowers). He makes a glass ornament and candlestick and has a passenger help with a second ornament.
After the demonstration, we head back into town. John and Katrina decide to dash into the Kepler House just before they close while the rest of us visit the Uhren (clock) museum which is only briefly open in the afternoon. Turns out the museum is upstairs of a retail watch store and is maintained by the store. The exhibit area is small but interesting. The descriptions and video are in German only.
Instead of staying docked in Regensburg until midnight, the ship will sail at 6:00pm today so we have to be back on board shortly. The low water makes it very slow going so we have to shave off some time in port to make our schedule. On our way back to the ship, we stop at the Wurstkuchl (facing the Danube next to the bridge, you can�t miss it) for a snack, thanks to George�s recommendation from the cruisemates board. Very good sausages. There�s a tiny table service area inside to the left, but if you just want some takeaway, order directly from the kitchen.
Tonight is the captain�s farewell cocktail reception and dinner. This is our second set menu of the week. I enjoy this one better than the first although the first was good as well. We start with a cold appetizer of a salmon trio, then wild mushroom soup, a hot appetizer of green and white asparagus with prawns, roasted tenderloin of Argentinean beef (the best entr�e we�ve had this week other than fish, very tender, well prepared), a dessert of baked Alaska and a cheese plate. Half way through the week we notice that the wines by the bottle at dinner are getting cheaper. The same wine that we paid 25 euros for earlier in the week is now selling for 15 euros. After dinner there�s a music trivia quiz and it�s announced that for the first time ever, there are two passengers with perfect scores (drum roll) and Mark is one of them. He goes up and collects his prize of two drink coupons.
Nov 29 � This morning we find that the ship has made good progress overnight and we will be docking in N�rnberg in the morning instead of the expected time of 1:00pm. I had planned to spend a leisurely morning aboard watching our ship move through the locks but realize that since we�re ahead of schedule, we are now entering the last lock. So we make a mad dash back to the cabin to grab the camera and then up onto the sun deck (kind of a misnomer for this trip I think). Fascinating, and we stay on deck to watch the entire process. I get some pictures of the wheelhouse fully lowered and we hear a warning to duck as the ship passes under the gate.
Our docking location is in an industrial harbor area along the Main-Danube canal. It�s raining lightly and we take a quick walk around the area. About half of the passengers opt to take a taxi into town as soon as we dock. We decide to stay onboard to listen to, and partially nap through (sorry G�nther), a lecture on the canal. This week�s pace has been hectic and it�s nice just to relax on board, plus our flight tomorrow is not until 6:15pm so we have most of the day to explore.
After lunch, we go on the included excursion that takes us by bus to see the coliseum, the rally grounds, and the location of the trials before dropping us off in the center of N�rnberg for a walking tour which starts at the Kaiserburg. The rain has stopped and the temperature is quite mild. I�m comfortable in just my lightweight raincoat. One of the first things we notice is the crowds. We�ve gotten used to the relatively light tourist traffic everywhere else on this trip but in N�rnberg there are busloads of people. We make our way down to the main Christmas market at the Hauptmarkt and this being the first weekend of the market, it is elbow to elbow. We find it nearly impossible to make our way through and decide just to explore the rest of the city and make note of the places we want to return to tomorrow. There are several smaller Christmas markets all over and stalls lining most of K�nigstrasse. After about an hour, we make our way back to the Hauptmarkt to board the bus that takes us back to the ship.
For our last dinner on board I was very excited to see roast loin of lamb on the menu, but disappointed to hear that I can�t order mine medium rare. Gino, our waiter, tells me that it�s all prepared medium and to give it a try. If I don�t like it, he�ll bring me something else. Well, when the lamb arrived it was more like medium well and tough, so I send it back and get the trout instead which is perfectly done. This is the only dining disappointment of the week and the only time I send anything back. After dinner, a local choir comes on board to perform a Christmas concert.
Nov 30 � This morning we get up at 5:30am to have breakfast and say goodbye to Mark�s parents before they depart on their 7:00am transfer to the airport (at least they are not on the 5:20am transfer!). Disembarkation is well organized. For those with included transfers, departure information was given during the Friday evening port talk as well as a list posted next to reception. For passengers with independent flight or other transportation arrangements, there is a taxi sign up sheet and you just have to put your cabin number, the time you wish to be picked up, and your destination. Everything is then taken care of by the Viking staff. They can also look up train schedules for anyone requesting this information. Account settlement is taken care of on the morning of disembarkation between 5:00am and 9:00am.
After breakfast, we pack and place our luggage outside our cabin. Passengers with late departures are requested to vacate their cabin by 10:00am but have access to the public areas of the ship until their departure. Around 9:00am we say goodbye to John and Katrina as they depart for the train station, and check with Verona, the assistant cruise manager, for instructions on taking public transportation into the center of N�rnberg. We are told that since the Pride must depart at 11:00am this morning, they will simply move our luggage over to the Spirit which is docked just behind us.
Today is clear and very cold, near freezing temperatures, the coldest day of our trip so far. It�s so cold I have to wrap my scarf around my head having already packed my hat. We walk across the bridge to the bus station on the other side of the canal and take bus number 67 to the Frankenstrasse U-bahn station where this bus terminates. We buy an all day family ticket from the driver for 5.80 euros that covers all day public transport for both of us. From Frankenstrasse station we take the U-bahn about 4 stops to Lorenzkirche station which puts us in the center of the city just south of the Pegnitz River. The center of N�rnberg is surrounded by a city wall and divided into two sections by the Pegnitz, to the north is the Sebald side and to the south is the Lorenz side, named after their respective churches.
We take a walk on the former moat along the wall surrounding the center which is now a pedestrian walkway. It�s very quiet and we don�t encounter anyone else on the walk, but we do encounter lots of doggie deposits. They don�t seem to be very good about picking up after their dogs here. We cross over to the Sebald side and wander through the Christmas markets, a much calmer scene this morning but still surprisingly busy for this early in the day. I find a stall that sells marzipan in all different shapes and forms, including �sausages� and �potatoes� made of marzipan, and buy a small marzipan pig. There�s also a children�s Christmas market with old fashioned carousel, train, and ferris wheel rides and an international market with stalls representing various cities from around the world.
We head toward the direction of the Kaiserburg to the Albrecht D�rer house. Today the guided tour with �Agnes� is in German only so we opt for the audio guides which allow us to tour the rooms and exhibits at our own pace. Afterwards, we head to the Helig Geist Weinstube for lunch, a very large, casual restaurant with a big seat yourself dining hall, good food, and reasonable prices. Mark has the N�rnberg sausages (better than the ones we tried at the market last night) and I order the zwiebelrostbraten which turns out to be some sort of flat steak smothered in a fried onion sauce. Delicious but very greasy, order something to wash it down with. Our total bill was about 24 euros.
After lunch we did some more exploring and came upon a fantastic fountain which I later found out was called the Ehekarusell or the �Marriage Merry-Go-Round� fountain created in 1984 as an interpretation of a Hans Sachs poem. In fact throughout N�rnberg, there are really wonderful public sculptures many of which are interpretations of the works of other artists, poets, and writers.
Around 2:30pm we take the U-bahn and bus back to the dock. On the way to the U-Bahn station we find a poster on a wall advertising �Die James Bond Party� at a local club two weekends ago. Figuring that the party was over already and the poster was destined for the garbage, we decide to liberate it. It will make a great addition to Mark�s collection of James Bond paraphernalia at home as well as a nice reminder of the trip. Back at the dock, we board the Viking Spirit this time and relax in the lounge while waiting for our taxi. Cash is accepted at the bar after you�ve settled your account. We try the bottled Hefeweizen which turns out to be pretty good, too bad we only discover this on the last day. Otherwise the only beers available on board are Becks on draft and Bud.
I think we are the only passengers left from the previous week�s cruise. We also find out that the passengers on the Nov 29th Europe sailing will have to be bussed to Passau to join their ship and no one is sure at this time if the Nov 30th Spirit sailing will make it through to Vienna. We were just lucky it seems. Our taxi arrives promptly at 4:00pm and we are off to the airport. The ride takes about half an hour and costs approximately 20 euros.
We check-in for our Eurowings flight to D�sseldorf (there�s no one else in line), go through security, and are at our gate in a matter of minutes. We probably could have left the ship at least half an hour later for our 6:15pm flight but didn�t want to take a chance.
December 16th, 2003, 05:37 PM
Senior Member
Cruise Maniac
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 232
Re: Very Long Trip Report - Nov 23rd Viking Pride Christmas
This concludes the first half of our trip and the river cruise portion. I just want to add a few additional comments. We had a very enjoyable time and thought the river cruise was a great way to travel with a small group of family and friends. We also felt that there was every intention on the part of the captain and his staff to try to sail all the way through to N�rnberg from the start of the cruise and were extremely lucky to be able to do so. A lot of last minute decisions and alterations were made to our schedule but we felt that it was all handled very well. I do feel for the passengers from earlier sailings who had to do an enormous amount of bussing as that is certainly not something that I would have enjoyed. Even with the minimal bussing that we encountered, we were already sick of riding in busses. So had our situation been less favorable, I�m sure my overall view of the trip would have been quite different.
A few minor quibbles and suggestions for Viking� we would have liked to have some sort of tray or shelf in the shower to store our shampoo, conditioner, etc. We ended up having to put everything on the shower floor. I missed having chocolates on the pillow at turn down, and I wish that we could�ve ordered our red meat prepared medium rare at dinner. That�s it for the gripes. Some general positives are the on time departures for all tours, how refreshing not to wait around, and the flexibility of being able to participate in any of the scheduled activities as much or as little as you like. It was made very clear at the start of the cruise that it was perfectly acceptable to start out on a tour and leave the tour at any point in time. There was no need to inform anyone of your decision as long as you make it back on board before the scheduled sailing.
We had very good weather throughout most of the week with only a few days of light rain (I only used my umbrella once). I brought along a full length cashmere overcoat as well as a lightweight cotton raincoat and alternated between the two depending on the weather of the day. Hat, gloves, and scarves are a must. Temperatures were in the high 40�s to low 50�s mid-day (with the exception of the last day in N�rnberg where it was around freezing � John and Katrina reported that it snowed on the way to Munich that day) and nights in the 30�s. Indoor temperatures (museums, restaurants, etc.) were kept quite warm so it�s better to wear several light layers rather than one heavy layer in order to transition comfortably between outdoor and indoor temperature changes.
We used ATM�s (usually called bankomat in Austria or geldautomat in Germany) throughout for the best exchange rates. We were not charged a transaction fee by any of the banks in Austria and Germany and our bank at home also does not charge a fee so our ATM transactions came through at a rate of 1.18 to 1.19 (and over 1.20 later in the week when the dollar hit an all time low). It was easy just to withdraw small amounts of cash as needed. Our Amex charge card transactions posted at a rate of 1.21 to 1.22 including their 2% conversion fee. We brought along some U.S. dollars as a back up but didn�t end up exchanging any of it as the cash exchange rate was rather poor. I think they only gave about 75 euros for every 100 dollars exchanged on board and off ship it was not much better.
Calls from the ship are very expensive. I think they said it varied between 2 to 6 euros per minute depending on which carrier it was in that particular location. We brought along our Siemens S46 which operates on a GSM 1800 MHz frequency as one of its bands, and just used AT&T Wireless� international roaming service. I called just before our departure to add their discounted international roaming plan for $5.99 a month which brought the per minute call cost down to $0.99. Service was very clear and we used it to make several calls home as well as within Europe. I didn�t use any local pay phones but believe that you must purchase a local prepaid card as they do not take coins or currency.
In Austria and southern Germany, the greeting �Gr�ss Gott� is used more commonly than �Guten Tag� so you�ll hear this greeting upon entering shops, etc. We used the German for Dummies book to learn some basic phrases and the names of various food and drink which was very helpful in deciphering menus.
December 16th, 2003, 05:48 PM
Senior Member
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 232
Re: Very Long Trip Report - Nov 23rd Viking Pride Christmas
I'll be finishing the rest of my trip report sometime in the next few weeks to include the time we spent around D�sseldorf and the Rhine area plus our 4 days in London. If anyone is interested in receiving a copy of the full trip report when it's done, please email me directly.
December 16th, 2003, 05:53 PM
Senior Member
First Mate
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 350
Re: Very Long Trip Report - Nov 23rd Viking Pride Christmas
What a nice trip report; thanks for sharing. I'm looking forward to the rest of the report.
December 20th, 2003, 12:27 PM
Shirley B
Posts: n/a
Re: Re: Very Long Trip Report - Nov 23rd Viking Pride Christ
Dear Patty--
I was delighted to read every word of your trip report! So nice to have favorable river levels, nice weather, and enjoyment after the trying times for river sailing this past summer.
Sounds like a wonderful way to see the lovely Christmas markets--completely dispelling my fears that as a California girl I would find the winter weather in Germany and Austria just a tad too cold in November and December!
Thanks for all the great suggestions and recommendations. Keep in touch!
Shirley B
March 1st, 2004, 12:46 PM
Posts: n/a
Re: Very Long Trip Report - Nov 23rd Viking Pride Christmas
Very interesting. Thank you.
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Two years ago, in the movie Dogma, Alanis Morissette played God. On her forthcoming album -- delayed for months due to tense contract negotiations with her label, Maverick -- she takes on a bigger role: producer.
"Playing God didn't require much," Morissette says while taking a break from recording at Doghouse Studios, a West Los Angeles facility owned by the Eagles' Glenn Frey. "There's a lot more to producing a record, but I was up for the experience."
It's a big step for Morissette, whose last two albums, Jagged Little Pill and Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, were handled by Glen Ballard, the songwriter and producer for hit records by Dave Matthews, Aerosmith and others. "I listen to my gut about what the next chapter in my life is going to be," she says. "Ever since I was nine, I knew at some point I would produce my own records -- it's a natural step."
Morissette composed most of her best-known material with Ballard, but for this album she wrote on her own. "My purpose was to get back to my truths again, and there's no better way for me to do it than writing songs," she says. "My songs always change my life -- if I'm at all off my proverbial path, as soon as I start to write songs, it gently pushes me back on. I'm afraid of it sometimes."
The lyrics move away from the intimate revelations of earlier work toward more universal topics. "I always thought there were my issues, and there were global issues," she says. "Now I realize they're the same."
Not that Morissette has abandoned the edgy confessionals that charged Jagged Little Pill. The song tentatively titled "Narcissus" opens with the line, "Dear mama's boy, I know you've had your butt licked by your mother." And the standout track, "21 Things I Want in a Lover," is a want ad detailing what a potential paramour should be.
For the record, Morissette is looking for someone who's masculine and feminine, is politically aware and uninhibited in bed. "I exactly mean it," she says. "If somebody said, 'Hey, I'm twenty-one of these things, let's go to lunch,' I'd be excited. I get very specific about what I choose."
Asked whether she's prepared for an onslaught of applications from wannabe lovers, she laughs. "Sure," she says. "Just get on my Web page. But people have to be really honest." And is she the grand prize in this contest? "Yeah, for dinner," she adds, "but we'll stop at dinner, OK?"
In the studio -- which she has personalized with Indian statues, scarves and The Big Book of Filth: 6,500 Sex Slang Words and Phrases ("Required reading," she says) -- Morissette is easygoing with the musicians. "I'm a nurturing person," she says. "I know how it feels to be on the other side of the glass."
Though she remains a major international artist, Morissette saw a big decline in sales from Jagged Little Pill, which sold a staggering 16 million copies, to her most recent album, which sold 3 million. But she says that she values personal satisfaction over commercial success. "Finishing the record, that's my goal," she says. "Once I finish it and hold it in my hand, I consider it a success."
Morissette admits to being out of touch with current pop tastes. When she's asked how many members of Backstreet Boys or 'N Sync she can name, she draws a blank. "You got me there," she says. She may be older than some folks on the radio, but she doesn't feel ready to be put out to pasture. "I'm an elder on some levels," she says, smiling, "but I still feel like a little bit of the junior."


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What We Worship We Shall Become by Shilo Shiv Suleman
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About this artwork
Shilo Shiv Suleman's piece comes from an inquiry into women and mythology. In her words: "In Varanasi, en route to the Kumbh Mela, I once asked a Sadhu, 'Why do we only worship the Goddesses but not the women in our homes? Can't we kind of see that there's actually a huge connection between the two?' And he looked at me and said, 'You know....' in a whole haze of smoke... 'If you want to be treated like a Goddess, then become one.' This thought churned in my head, and became this affirmation and poster." You can see more of Shilo's work at: http://www.shiloshivsuleman.com
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