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The first half of Elliott Nugent's memoir, Events Leading Up to the Comedy, is pretty forgettable. Nugent, a classmate of James Thurber at Ohio State University, is probably best known for The Male Animal, the play he co-wrote with Thurber. The son of two professional actors, Nugent first hits the boards at the age of eight, and after his graduation from college, became an actor himself.
He soon expanded into writing, and quickly gained a hit on Broadway with Kempy, in which he co-starred with his father and sister. He married a fellow player, Norma Lee, and became a producer and director as well.
In 1929, MGM picked up an option to use him in their movies, and his first starring role was in "Wise Girls," the film version of Kempy. Then, starting with "The Mouthpiece" in 1932, he became a film director as well. He went on to play in over twenty movies and direct over thirty–few of them much remembered today, however.
Despite its rich potential for anecdotes, though, Nugent relates his story in an uninspired, "this happened, and then this happened" manner that would have led me to set the book aside after a few chapters had there not been a promise of something remarkable to come.
That something is an account of his battle with an illness he never actually labels, but which has all the signs of manic depression. Starting in the mid-1940s, Nugent's pace of activities reached a frenzy. At one point, he watched in make-up the opening act of a play he was producing, then cut across the alley and took his first entrance in another play he was performing in. Aggravated by too much drinking and too little sleep, his few reserves of patience and perspective were exhausted and he began acting erratically.
He would go for days on end from work to parties to spur-of-the-moment trips, spending wildly, accosting strangers, and launching into angry tirades against long-standing friends. Then, days later, he found himself toying with the idea of suicide:
I scribbled a note to Norma, shoved it deep in a trouser pocket, got in my car, and drove to the Roosevelt Hotel. I remembered a certain fire escape on the tenth floor and in the back of the building, near the room my father used to occupy.
I checked my hat and coat downstairs, then rode up in the elevator, nodding to the operator as if I were one of the guests in the hotel. I pulled open the hall door to the fire-escape door, went outside, and closed it, then peered over the railing to the alley ten stories below. Instead of climbing the railing, I lighted a cigarette and sat on the railing, experimentally teetering a bit. In another moment, I might have toppled over backward, but the door opened and a stranger emerged. He gave me a curious look.
"It's getting colder," I said casually. "I don't think I'll stay out here very long."
I offered the man a cigarette, bu he refused and went inside. I imagined that he could see me through the Venetian blinds of my father's old room. Abruptly I rose and went downstairs, almost without thinking or making any decision.
Nugent's behavior reached a point where his wife resorted to having him committed to a Connecticut mental hospital known as the Institute of the Living. There, he was subjected to most the known treatments of the day short of electric shock: drugs, wrapping in cold towels, spending nights in tepid baths, and insulin shock. The latter finally brought him to a level of self-control that convinced his wife and psychiatrist to release him.
Within months, however, he was back on a high. This time, he headed off on a cross-country tear that landed him in jails in Palm Springs and Hollywood and nearly got him drowned in riptides off Acapulco. His wife finally tracked him down after he returned to New York and checked into four different hotels under four different names–all in the course of one day. This time, he was sent to Bellevue Hospital and then a reputable facility upstate.
Nugent's account of his bouts of manic depression reminded me very much of those of Washington Post publisher Phil Graham–as seen from the perspective of his wife, Katharine, in her memoir, Personal History. Except that Nugent survived where Graham took his life. Both men's illness was ineptly treated, though they had access to the best care available, and endured by their bewildered family and friends.
Written in 1965, nearly twenty years after the start of Nugent's illness, Events Leading Up to the Comedy comes to a rather abrupt end. Aside from the need to "try to forgive myself," Nugent takes no great lesson from his experiences.
Perhaps, as a writer of light, comedic plays, Nugent lacked the darkness of imagination to really convey the terrors of his depressions. The passage above, for example, is utterly matter-of-fact–no different in tone, really, from that of the rest of the book. And so, in the end, Events Leading Up to the Comedy amounts to an interesting but not particularly moving account of mental illness.
Nugent, whose stage and film career ended by the late 1950s, wrote one other book after this memoir. Of Cheat and Charmer tells of the end of a Hollywood film director on a bout of drinking and fighting and womanizing that must draw heavily on Nugent's own adventures while on manic highs. Nugent died in New York City in 1980.


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Former government minister Verna St Rose Greaves staged a one-woman "naked" protest outside Parliament yesterday against what she said was the Government's continued failure to protect the country's women and children.
St Rose Greaves, who had been gender, youth and child development minister until losing her portfolio in Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's first Cabinet reshuffle in 2012, marched in front of the Parliament building dressed in a peach-coloured cotton bodysuit with a red shawl draped over her head, carrying a double-sided placard reading "The Empress Has New Clothes"—a reference to the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale—on one side, and "Another Baby Dies; Another Mother Cries" on the other—a quote from a calypso sung last year by Lady Adanna.
"(You have) to be stark raving naked and bawling for what happening to our children. You doh have to shame for nothing when your children under attack. You can't shame, yuh have to stand up. You have to strip yourself bare because of how they are stripping our children of their dignity," St Rose Greaves told reporters outside the Parliament Building, Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain.
Her protest served two purposes: to highlight the death of baby Simeon on March 1 when his head was cut during a Caesarean section on his mother, Quelly Ann Cottle; and despite this, while several prominent citizens, including Archbishop of Port of Spain Fr Joseph Harris, have criticised the behaviour of women for Carnival, none of them has yet decried the circumstances of the deaths of baby Simeon and others.
"We spend time on all kinds of other things, but the things that are important we don't... I want to hear Joe Harris and them talk about what has happened to this child and the others. Let us hear. I haven't heard them, but they worried about all kinda woman wining down and all kinda thing," she said.
Her costume, she said, represented her nakedness, and the fact someone has to tell another they are naked. It also symbolised the nine months (of pregnancy) and what happens after.
She also had a shoe box, which had multiple meanings as well, including the hopeful message of love, but also the more cynical notions that "as a state we pay more attention to our shoes than our children", and also the "coffins of many of our small children".
There is a history of child abuse, she said, that is not only from the outside, which is what is always talked about, but from within the hospitals.
She said to nurses who were afraid to speak out that their silence will not protect them, although she asked the universe every day that one's tongue will be loosened and the truth be told.
She also criticised the population, saying unless something happened close to home—a child or grandchild—people will not pay attention and act.
She was very harsh toward Health Minister Fuad Khan—to whom she wanted to present the shoe box—and his response regarding the enquiry into baby Simeon's death. "I was listening to Dr Khan yesterday on TV and I'm thinking, they already are trying to put up a defence. And you come out on the TV to say the woman has 12 children. That is what he always does. He puts people business out there. (Even if) she has 142 children out there, each one is precious.
"The father said he needs anger management. I can only imagine what that man is going through. All these parents who lose children, you ask what is the follow-up... I want these people to get a good team of lawyers because we need justice. Not just justice for them alone, but all before them... and there will be many more to come because nobody is doing anything about it," she said.
She added Khan, who had attended the Senate and left during her protest, "passed her like a full bus" as he was leaving.
She also demanded updates on the activities of the Children's Task Force that had been established by Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar after the brutal murder of six-year old Keyana Cumberbatch last November, and an examination on the current laws against (medical) negligence, "whether it accommodates this type of silence on these matters".
Asked if she felt there was no reaction from authorities on her various protests on these and similar issues, St Rose Greaves said, "I feel good about what I'm doing. I have to do what I have to do. I cannot account for other people's inaction."
This is not St Rose Greaves' first Parliamentary protest. After Cumberbatch's death she had to be physically removed by police officers after she interrupted a sitting of the House of Representatives by shouting from the public gallery: "It cannot be business as usual! Our children are dying! Do something! Oh God! Kamla! Yuh fail us! Yuh fail de children!"

subset: commoncrawl


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The week before Christmas, I had to put my precious Angel (cat of 20 years) to sleep. The night before, a dear friend of mine was killed. Since then, I have been hearing from so many people how they, too, have been losing loved ones whether they are humans or animals. I've noticed in previous years how there seems to be so many deaths around the holidays, but for some reason, it seems to be more so this year. Not only deaths, but people have been dealing with the most horrible situations such as serious health issues and just plain old "bad luck."
Recently, I was pondering why so many bad things seem to happen around the holidays and my first thought was, "I don't have a clue." As I pondered further, another thought occurred to me. During the holidays, from before Thanksgiving until after New Year's, most people are in a chaotic state of mind. The season is supposed to be about love and joy, but rarely do we see and feel the love and joy. Instead, people are running around trying to get the perfect gifts, fighting in the stores, going into debt, arguing over whose holiday to celebrate, what holiday figures should be displayed, what greetings should be said, eating and drinking too much, family discord, travel stress, and well, you can add your own. All this negative energy is being emitted into the Universe and it affects everyone and everything around us.
Dr. Masaru Emoto, a researcher and Chief of the Hado Institute in Tokyo, has established this in one of the most convincing effects that human consciousness can have on physical reality. Not long ago, I had the pleasure of meeting him and hearing him speak. By using water and a process of freezing water and observing the crystals, he proved that certain energies can affect the shape of the crystals. He calls this "Hado…the intrinsic vibration pattern at the atomic level in all matter, the smallest unity of energy. Its basis is the energy of human consciousness."
In experiments, he produced various Hado through spoken and written words, as well as playing different types of music to the water. Depending on the energy exposed to the water, it produced different types of crystals. Beautiful, loving, and kind words and music would produce crystals that looked like snowflakes. Negative, hateful, and ugly words and music exposed to the water created crystals that looked like cancer cells, nothing at all like a magnificent snowflake. His many experiments proved that our words and actions do affect those around us as well as what we put into the collective consciousness. (For more information, go to masaru-emoto.net.)
Thinking on this, I came to the theory (my theory only) that the chaotic energy we put into the collective consciousness during the holidays affects everyone and not always in good ways. Maybe, just maybe, that's one reason so many "bad" things happen to so many during the holiday season?
So how can we change the energy during the holiday season (as well as throughout the year)? We can become very aware of what we are feeling and what energy we are putting into the collective consciousness. Are we contributing love, peace, kindness, and compassion? Or are we contributing the negative chaotic energy by fighting and arguing, stressing, and buying into the consumerist mentality that the holiday season seems to have become? For so many, we've completely lost sight of the true meaning of the holiday season whether it's Christmas or any other holiday celebrated during this time.
I would like to invite each of us to become very aware of what we are really celebrating. What kind of energy are we putting into the Universe? Who or what are we really worshiping? How are we treating each other? Are we lifting people up or tearing them down? What kind of crystals are we making? Mother Teresa said, "Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier." She also said, "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."
As we go into the year, let us hold everyone in the world, regardless of color, race, religion, politics, financial status, or sexual preference in the collective consciousness of total, unconditional love. Let's look for the God/Good in everyone. As Gandhi said, "If you don't find God in the next person you meet, don't waste time looking for him further." Let's live the Golden Rule "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." We really can be the change we wish to see in the world.
In the New Year, I am seeing you embraced with love, happiness, good health, peace, and prosperity.
Published in the Cookeville Herald Citizen newspaper December 27, 2013.


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Fiji Time: 5:31 AM on Monday 26 February
/ Front page / Sport
Friday, February 07, 2014
SYDNEY - Parramatta superstar Jarryd Hayne has declared a miserly defence can be the cornerstone of an Eels revival under new coach Brad Arthur.
Parramatta have easily been the worst defensive side of the last two NRL seasons, a fact Hayne readily admits, but the Kangaroos utility says things are set to change dramatically this year.
Defence has been the Eels' pre-season priority under Arthur, according to Hayne, as they seek to bounce back from successive wooden spoons.
"Brad has come in and we spent the first six weeks just on our defence," Hayne told AAP.
"Our attack is probably not quite where it needs to be at the moment but I would rather have our defence in order, than have our defence put pressure on our attack and an attack that is a bit of razzle and the pressure then is on our defence.
"We were the worst in the comp last year so that is something we have been looking a lot at and it is something we definitely have to fix."
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February 24, 2017
Monday I took my church keyboard to Norfolk for repairs.
After my 2-hour journey (which included stopping by Regent to take Sarah to lunch), I pulled up in front of the store and went in.
There were three employees there, all young men in their 20's and 30's. They sported band t-shirts, cool, shaggy hair, and funky jeans. In fact, if you were to happen to see them walking down the street many miles removed from a music store, you would still know they were musicians. They had The Look.
And me? Could they tell I was also a musician? Probably not. (Well, apart from the fact that I was bringing them my keyboard.)
I have no doubt that when I walked in and their three heads raised from what they were doing to size up their new customer, they were all thinking the same thing. "Meh. Middle-aged, grandma-type, unfunky hair, slightly plump, not at all cool. But looks nice enough."
And I am certainly fine with that. If I were a young musician in a music store, I would have made the same split second assessment.
The young man who greeted me was polite and courteous as he carried my keyboard in and talked with me about what needed to be fixed.
All fine. All dandy. Just another business transaction in the middle of another business day.
But you know what?
I was so very, very tempted to drop the middle-aged momma persona and tell those young guys "the rest of the story."
Because here's the thing.
There are thousands of amazingly talented musicians on this planet, most of whom dream of making a living with their music. However, only a small percentage ever succeed at doing that.
And what those guys did not know about the non-impressive middle-aged mama in their midst was that I had made a living with music for sixteen years, traveled full-time to about 35 states, covered 500,000 miles, wrote songs, and recorded 12 studio albums. Over the course of sixteen years, Steve and I (and our various band members including my two sisters and a brother-in-law) averaged about 180 dates a year.
(Actually, what Steve and I did included more than just music since Steve also preached in the churches we went to; however, music was a huge part of what we did.)
Steve and I have recorded CD's with some of Nashville's best players providing the track for songs we have written. (On about half our CD's we played our own instruments but we eventually transitioned to studio players.)
We have loaded gear in and out of so many buildings I have lost count. I have been 8 months pregnant with a 6-year old child in tow, setting up and tearing down equipment all over the country. We've been broken down by the side of the road in huge cities and on deserted country roads.
In this particular RV, the engine was accessed from the inside, hence the hinder most parts of Steve and my brother-in-law, Randy.
After driving and living in some pretty old, decrepit vehicles, we eventually worked our way up to this lovely rig which, like all the vehicles before it, was our full-time home. And that semi truck was my family car, which I drove to the grocery store, Wal-Mart etc.
We started young, with my two sisters who were still in their teens. They lived with Steve and me in a battered old 31- foot R.V. for 18 months.
This is one of my favorite road pictures. Steve (who was raised without sisters) had to get used to living with three women in very close quarters. He was a real sport.
We entered a large music contest in Asheville, NC and took third place. The prize was a recording package at Mark Five recording studio in Greenville, NC.
The studio was owned by Eddie Howard who ended up producing half a dozen albums for us.
The kids spent a lot of time in those studios . . .
in vans and trucks . . .
and in churches and auditoriums.
The kids also got involved in the setting up process as seen in this picture when Nathan is helping his Grandpa Campbell unload stuff.
We went through quite a few permutations over the years.
We met thousands of people and sang in enormous, fancy buildings, store-front churches in inner cities. rural churches bordering corn fields, and metropolitan churches, one of which was in Arlington, VA and had people of 55 nationalities in attendance.
We did a little TV and radio and plenty of outdoor concerts in all sorts of settings. We got a kick out of the fact that our contemporary christian band was placed on a flatbed trailer advertising beer.
I could write story after story after story of our adventures but that isn't really the point of this particular post.
The point is this:
It is so easy to see someone and sum them up in an instant without knowing a thing about them. I have done it countless times and you probably have, too.
The guys in the music store did what we all are prone to do. They put me in a preconceived middle-aged mom category, never dreaming that I have probably done more concerts in my life than the three of them combined.
I wasn't upset about it then and I am certainly not upset about it now because they didn't do a thing wrong. In fact, they were the epitome of courtesy and professionalism.
I just look upon the incident as a lesson to myself to never stop being curious about the story behind each person I meet. The temptation is to size them up, look at their clothes, their hair, their bearing, their socioeconomic status and imagine I've got them figured out. But I don't.
It reminds me of a man who came to a meal our church was serving a while ago, someone most people wouldn't look at twice. He was slightly over the hill, more than slightly unkempt and at first glance, not exactly impressive. Turns out he used to a university physics professor.
Who knew?
Who really knows anything about anyone at first (or second) glance?
And so this blog post is written to myself, reminding me that I should always give people a chance to show me who they are before I plop them down into the category I have created for them. Because I sure appreciate it when people do that for me.
And that's my thought for the day.
The Middle-Aged Mom
What about you? What is that people would never guess about you when they first meet you?
Becky, did you ever play at spiritual emphasis week at A/G headquarters in Springfield. I worked there from December 1996 through May 1998 and remember a family being the featured "act" on of those weeks. Just wondered if it might have been you.
Nope, that wasn't us. But it sure would have been fun if it had been! 🙂
Thought provoking post, Becky. I am as guilty as the next person. I realize it happens most often when I'm in the roll of protector like when my son was young or now with my little grandson. Otherwise I like talking to whoever is available!
I still have some of your cassette tapes and when able to play, Double Dose is still top of the list and was my son's favorite. It still is and at 27 he still remembers it! Loved every time we were able to worship with you in southeastern CT. I recall one of your breakdowns was here and I was able to suggest a place for you guys to get parts … lol…all church secretaries are well rounded!
That is so funny that your 27-year old son still remembers Double Dose. It is my mom's favorite song that we ever did. Tell your son a voice from his distant past is saying hello to him today. 🙂
Thanks for suggesting a place to get parts all those years ago–church secretaries are the best!
Great post! We met a chap on the beach this summer, at first glance just a retired gent picking for fossils. Turned out that he worked with the British Antartic Survey team for years! Really interesting and still relevant work even though he retired about 15 years ago! A good lesson in judging a book by its covers for all of us! Ps just about to move…found a huge pile of zip locks down the back of the drawers, made me smile and think of you!
I bet you so enjoyed that conversation with the fascinating fossile-picking fellow. I love it when life unexpectedly introduces us to interesting people; I'm glad you didn't pass up the opportunity to cross his path.
And I'm happy there is someone else with a huge pile of Zip-locs in the back of the drawer; we need to start some sort of club. I never knew the problem was so prevelant! 🙂
Great post Becky, when we first moved to Kansas 20 years ago, I was the room mom for my daughter's fourth grade class and had to put out sign up sheets for parents to sign up to bring certain supplies for the parties throughout the year. So this blonde women, a little ditzy in my mind, signs up for a party late in the year and I am thinking well that is one I will certainly have to call and remind…..patting myself on the back for being so organized….well it turns out, she became one of my best friends, one of the nicest, NON JUDGMENTAL people in the world, and she wasn't ditzy at all, she had her PhD in Engineering and was a professor at Kansas State University, she commuted 2 hours out to K-State, 2 hours back 3 days a week and was a divorced mom raising 3 kids, she was JUST exhausted all the time!!!! Boy, was my face red, I told her my first impression when we became close friends and she just thought that was hysterical and reminds me about it even to this day!
I LOVED your story about the blonde-haired "ditzy" woman! And I really love that after you got to know each other, you told her your first impressions and that you both got a chuckle out of it.
I am inspired by just hearing about her–the PhD, the long commutes, the professorship, raising children on her own. So many amazing people with whom we get to walk life's path.
Long time reader, first time commenter. I just want to throw something out there because it struck me as funny. You assumed that they had you pegged as not a musician, as perhaps nothing more than a middle aged mom type who couldn't possibly have paid their dues as a struggling musician. Perhaps you chose to leave out parts of the story that clearly show that they did take you only at face value, but as the story is written you made a judgement about who they were too.
One of my very close friends appears to be very young and works for a large guitar store chain on weekends. He is in to music, has The Look, and was in several bands as a young(er) person. My friend has a 4 year old daughter battling retinoblastoma and works on weekends to help offset the cost of treatment, by day he works in an office managing production flow. So although we all make judgements as part of our toolset in navigating the world (we have to!) maybe those employees didn't assume anything about you based on your presentation in their store outside of "person coming in with keyboard that needs to be fixed" and you were projecting a little on to them. What if one of those guys had the same opportunities as your children and when you walked in they thought "She reminds me of my mom, the super amazing musician, I bet she thinks I only care about what is new and current."
So many relationships never start because we think we know what others are thinking about us. I always try to use the times where I'm feeling judged as an opportunity to check my mindset. Often times I feel most judged when I am feeling like an outsider so I acknowledge my feelings and try to address the feelings in a way that doesn't also have me being a judgymcjudgerson.
Just a thought.
J Bradd,
I'm always happy to hear from a first-time commenter; thanks for taking the time to join the conversation.
What you wrote is a great example of what I mean when I say that the comments are the best part of the blog. My readers open my eyes to so many new things and help me see viewpoints I might normally never think about.
I love the perspective you provided and I agree that, without even being aware of it, I was maybe being a little judge-y on my end with the music store guys; not necessarily in a negative way because I thought they were very friendly and courteous. But I probably did read more into the transaction than I needed to, doubtlessly because of my own insecurities.
I loved when you said, "I always try to use the times where I'm feeling judged as an opportunity to check my mindset." What a great reminder to all of us.
I was sad to hear about your friend who has the daughter with cancer. I know he must be so exhausted working a full-time job, in addition to weekend hours at the music store and also dealing with his daughter's hospitalizations and treatments. A cancer parent juggles love, worry, uncertainty, exhaustion and hope—sometimes all in the same five minutes. I can honestly say I understand at least a part of his journey since Sarah was 6 when she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. My heart goes out to him and his family.
Again, thanks for commenting. Would love to hear from you again!
Loved your post. First thing folks would never know about me is that I'm a PK. For those that don't know, preacher's kid. We also sang with mom and dad at churches. Was not born into a Christian home, but that's another story. Many of those pictures with the kids are what I remember when you were traveling because you came to our church in Minnesota. Think Sarah was about 3 or 4. Sooo cute(just a more mature cuteness now). Have about 3 or 4 of your cd's. You were a blessing then and even more, knowing the trials and blessings you have gone through.
How fun to hear that you grew up singing with your family, too! Those are some great memories, aren't they?
And it's so great to know I have a few readers who actually heard us sing back in our road days. How cool is that? 🙂
Great post. Such a reminder not to judge people but get to know them. We are all guilty. People probably do not know that I have lived in Guam for 3 months and visited Germany and Japan. If you were a stranger you would probably think I am a little old gray haired grandma but never would guess all the things I do. Thanks for the post and reminder to give people a chance.
You have done some very significant things with your life–travel back when you were younger, your career in Social Services and now your volunteer work and the way you help so many people.
You have so many great stories behind what people may see as 'little gray haired grandma."
Becky, you and the family have certainly led an interesting life! Loved seeing those looks from the 80's!
Since I am small and blonde, I think most people have the stereotypical first thought of "dumb blonde". Some seem surprised that I am both knowledgeable and capable!
Small, blonde . . . and smart! A great combination and I am glad you get to surprise people with it. 🙂
Wow, that was a trip down memory lane! And with a great message to take away. Great post as always, Beck!
Love, Deb
Yeah, you lived that memory lane trip with me so I'm sure it was extra interesting for you to read the post!
Thank you, kind sir.
Very thought provoking Becky. There certainly is more than meets the eye.
Now that I am in a wheelchair and use a communication device to communicate, it is interesting to me to see how people approach me versus some years back when I used to be a pediatric physical therapist who appeared like any other young professional.
I've heard a lot about how people with disabilities can be prejudged based on their wheelchair etc but surprisingly I haven't felt that very much. While there certainly are times in a restaurant when the waitress looks at my husband to order for me etc, by and large I've been surprised by how many people approach me to say hi and are very friendly and kind.
Although I communicate in a pretty unique way, I answer very quickly and interact with high confidence to a person's initial questions and quite often a nice conversation ensues.
However I also see the opposite with my son who is a big, handsome, able bodied 20 year old. People have no idea when they first see and approach him of his cognitive disabilities which impact how he will communicate back to their initial hello and questions. As a result he interacts differently than their initial look at him suggested. The person will often be polite but the conversation falters out and that heartfelt connection may not occur which hurts my mama heart.
Both of these situations are teaching me to look beyond appearances.
And wow, you have done so many cool things with your music!!! 🎶
You and your son are perfect examples of the post, being able to give perspective from two points of view.
I so admire your attitude of patience and forebearance when people are awkward or unthinkingly insensitive to you or Joe. It is a true testimony to your quality as a person.
And for some reason, I hadn't realized you worked as a pediatric PT. What a rewarding line of work!
Good post! Great reminder. Nothing is as it appears, You have certainly lived a very full life so far Becky. And the best part is, I am guessing, that you have very little regret because you have lived true to yourself all these years.
As for myself, I actually think that what you see is pretty close to what you get. 95% of the time have Sarah by my side and that, in a nutshell, is what I've been doing for the last 20 years. Underneath, I would love to travel and do a great many more exciting things that most people would find quite mundane. So maybe, what one can't see is what I wish I could do. That this is not all of who I would like to be. That I am frustrated, I do feel claustraphobic and limited. Kind of like a bird in a cage, I just can't get out. I cannot live my own life because I must care for the one who depends on me. People see a happy, smiling, confident face but what lurks beneath is not so content. I am somebody else besides my daughter's caretaker but I am caught in the net.
That's what people would never guess about me when they met me.
Your reply stopped me in my tracks.
I appreciated your honesty and vulnerability and the door you opened to allow us to view the inner heart and struggles of a full time caregiver.
Yes, you ARE somebody else besides your daughter's caretaker and I know that someday, in some way you will have the chance to put feet to your dreams.
I would have to say that when I was 18, I decided, with a friend, to enlist in the Air Force. We had our physicals, had done the entry paperwork and even had our job assignments….we were going to be fuel specialists and would be in charge of fueling up trucks, heavy equipment, convoys, etc. As the day for our delayed-entry swearing-in approached, we got really nervous because so many people had said 'nice girls don't go into the military.' We were going to use the military education benefit and I so wanted to become a Physical Therapist. But it didn't happen. We changed our minds.They scared us and they scared us right out of it. I guess in hindsight, it was a good choice because I never would have met my husband or had the children that we have. I love my life and can't imagine anything different. When people look at me, I'm sure they see a semi-shy, almost 58 year old woman, not a flashy dresser, just comfortable, and who never went to college but has a great career and long time (33 years!) job. I agree, looks can be deceiving. 🙂
Isn't it interesting to look back and think of all the "what ifs?" It sounds like you have made peace with the decisions of the past; I know you are enjoying a wonderful family, job, and life.
But I know it's still interesting to look back at what might have been as a fuel specialist and wonder where that might have taken you.
You must have been quite the adventurer at heart to sign up for the military at the age of 18. Good for you for even contemplating such an adventerous step!
Thrift stores, fuzzy socks
and conversing with my Yorkie
are all on the list of things I love.


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HeartbrokenI cannot express to you the pain i feel in the core of my being. my love is leaving me. he is moving to Colorado to be with another woman. he is leaving in two weeks. we have been together for 10 years. we broke up almost two years ago but have been seeing each other from time to time and have sex. now that he is moving i feel that this is the actual breakup. I love him so much. My heart is broken. So for the last two years he has been having a long distance relationship with someone but all the while has still been having sex with me. Now its truly coming to an end he is moving his 15 year old son and himself. He chose her :( i pray to god to make me strong. i cant take the pain....I'm dying inside....My love is leaving me
cindalicious4u 36-40, F 1 Response 0 Dec 8, 2011
This is so sad. I am so sorry for your pain.

Your broken heart will mend.....slowly, yes. We all must go through a mourning process.

I know you want to vent, and, at this point, nothing anyone says will matter.

Hang in there sweetie. There is life after heartbreak.


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This Site Comes With Music!
Do you want to hear the music?
South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition originated as a community based effort called Friends of Los Gatos Creek. To date, this group has conducted over 140 creek cleanups removing 170 tons of trash from Los Gatos Creek and the Guadalupe River.
Our local watershed has seen the impact of nearly 20 years of neglect as the City of San Jose Agencies chartered with protecting our rivers and creeks were shuttered or drastically curtailed due to budgetary constraints.
Our group's vision is to apply a similar reclamation effort to additional rivers and streams. So in August 2014, Friends of Guadalupe River was launched with a long range goal of extending our efforts over to Coyote Creek. Since August we have had 7 cleanups and have taken 11 tons of trash out of this river. A simple idea was hatched - TEAM 222; we would be active every 2nd month, on the 2nd Saturday for two hours. TEAM 222 events are transforming our local creek. It's amazing the impact something as limited as two hours of volunteer work makes!
Join us for our next cleanup and you'll see what an impact just two hours of work will make on our lovely creeks and rivers.
Restore: With the restoration efforts of our group, the Los Gatos Creek has become habitable again. Beaver action along Los Gatos Creek, 2014.
Revitalize: Enjoy this collection of video tracks of Chinook salmon activity on Los Gatos Creek. Even in the face of severe drought conditions, these fish fought their way up our creek to spawn.


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Event Overview:
What is the Representative Assembly?
The National Education Association Representative Assembly–the RA–is the highest decision-making body within the over 3 million-member NEA. With over 8,000 delegates, the RA is also the world's largest democratic deliberative body.
Over the course of eight business sessions spanning four days, RA delegates debate the vital issues that impact American public education and set Association policy and activities for the year ahead.
Is the Representative Assembly the same as the Annual Meeting?
No. The Annual Meeting is the six-day period of time that includes the Representative Assembly. The first two days of the Annual Meeting are devoted to delegate registration and a wide range of pre-RA meetings, conferences, and exhibits. See the Full 2014 Annual Meeting Agenda for a full listing.
What is the NEAExpo?
The NEAExpo is a trade show for our delegates and members in attendance at the Annual Meeting.
Exhibitor Information:
NEA EXPO represents an exceptional opportunity for you and your company's representatives to meet face-to-face with over 15,000 attendees of the NEA EXPO. These attendees include delegates representing over 3 million NEA members who help influence the buying decisions of their schools and local districts - representing a multi-million dollar marketing opportunity for you and your company.
Why exhibit at NEA EXPO 2016?
By exhibiting at the NEA EXPO 2016, your company will benefit from the unique opportunity to meet one-on-one with the leaders of American education. The NEA EXPO represents a multi-million dollar marketing opportunity for your company to showcase its products, services and educational programs to over 10,000 of our country's most influential educators. In order to reach the top decision-makers in education, this is the convention you need to attend.
No other convention gives you one-on-one access to over 15,000 NEA attendees representing over 3 million NEA members nationwide.
The extras that make this show special!
Recognition in the exhibitors list in RA Today convention newspaper, which is mailed to every NEA member.
Free listing in the program guide that provides all attendees with your contact information for use when they return home!
Free listing on Information Kiosks located throughout the Center.
Four complimentary Exhibit Hall passes per 10' x 10' booth.
Visitors tracking/lead management solutions.
About the Non-Profit Fundraising Expo
The first two days of the Annual Meeting offer more free time to delegates who come to the convention center to register and attend the NEA Expo. Once NEA's Representative Assembly starts, the organization hosts a small Non-Profit Fundraising Expo to raise money and/or share information to support state and local projects approved by their Association. In most cases, non-profit exhibitors are local or state associations or caucuses who raise money for special projects. Exhibitors who are not state/local associations or an official NEA caucus are considered commercial exhibitors allowed when sponsored by a local or state association or NEA caucus.
About NEA:
The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education - from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.


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|Reviews for 3rd times a charm
| dren999 chapter 1 . 5/17/2006
dame u no if they combine star wars game "X wing" with the freespace 2 game engine it would rock.
o ya freespace 2 is my fav flying game
and the loki is a fast ship cause its a ship
good job now u made me remember how i like the game and im going to reinstall it
| Cpt. Ritter chapter 1 . 7/26/2005
It's a good start, I look forward to more. Don't give up on it... it's good. Keep it going, develop a plot. Oh yeah, Kyser is spelled Kayser.


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TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Apr 2, 2013) - Radius Financial announced today the launch of its loyalty program, Radius Affinity. "The Radius Affinity loyalty program empowers our loyal broker partners to achieve more personally and professionally." says Suzanna Stefanec, V.P. of National Sales & Products for Radius Financial. "Radius Affinity recognizes loyal brokers for their support by awarding them with greater rewards and enhanced Discount and Reward Points to allow them to be more competitive."
Radius Affinity is built on the existing Radius Points program but offers enhanced rewards and services for brokers that meet minimum threshold levels to qualify for Radius Affinity Gold and Radius Affinity Platinum. Radius Affinity offers enriched service levels such as dedicated underwriting and priority service. The Program rewards brokers with the ability to convert reward points to discount points and qualify for no cost switch/transfers and rate hold pre-approvals.
Brokers can use the Radius Reward Points as travel vouchers or on pre-loaded visa cards for clients, referral sources and personal use. Radius Discount Points can be used to offer cash back and buy down interest rates. The Radius Affinity Program is available to Radius approved mortgage brokers across Canada when they meet minimum funded requirements.
Radius Affinity is fast and convenient; Brokers have online access to manage their accounts, 24/7. The Program is available to approved Submission Agents registered with Radius Financial. Stefanec adds, "At Radius Financial, we understand the importance of a true partnership. When our business grows as a result of loyal brokers, we want to share our success with them! The Radius Affinity loyalty Program gives Brokers a competitive advantage in an ever-changing marketplace and gives them flexibility in how they want to run their business," says Stefanec.
Radius Financial Inc. is a Canadian owned and operated residential mortgage lender. Radius provides exceptional service and is dedicated to helping Canadians achieve their goals of home ownership and financial security. Radius Financial mortgage products are distributed by mortgage brokers throughout Canada. Radius Financial is an approved lender with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Genworth Financial Canada.


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This delicious homemade lasagna is made with tomato sauce mixed with ground beef, layered with noodles and cheese.
- 1 pound lean ground beef (93% lean)
- Tomato Sauce for Lasagna
- PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
- 1 container (15 oz each) ricotta cheese
- 2 cans (15 oz each) Hunt's® Dinner Starters Seasoned 6 dry no-boil flat lasagna noodles, uncooked
- 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In large skillet, cook the beef until crumbled and no longer pink, occasionally stirring it the drain. Then add the tomato sauce.
- Spread over the bottom of dish a 1-1/4 cups meat sauce. Place over the meat sauce 2 noodles, top with half of the ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and again 1-1/4 cups meat sauce.
- Repeat the layers. Top with remaining noodles, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese.
- Spray with cooking spray the underside of aluminum foil and cover the dish tightly with foil.
- Bake for about 30 minutes the remove foil;then bake 15 minutes more or until cheese melts.
- Leave for about 10 minutes before serving.


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From WikiGallery
The Assassination of Brion, Tutor to the Prince of Conti (1558-1614) at the St. Bartholomews Day Massacre in 1572, 1833 - Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury - WikiGallery.org, the largest gallery in the world
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The Assassination of Brion, Tutor to the Prince of Conti (1558-1614) at the St. Bartholomews Day Massacre in 1572, 1833
by Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury
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Columbus, OH
Reviews: 3
Average Rating: 4.5
3 reviews
Posted May 07, 2013
Love the Bag - Way too Big
As much as I adored this bag, it completely overwhelmed my frame. At 5'3'', this was much more like a travel satchel than an everyday handbag. With sadness, I had to send this back.
Sizing: Larger than Expected
report inappropriate content
Posted August 31, 2011
Sexy yet Casual
Perfect for a wedding rehearsal dinner; comfortable yet sexy! The slight off-the shoulder look adds the perfect amount of skin.
Sizing: True to Size / As Expected
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Posted June 10, 2011
Really cute, Great price!
I wanted some fun "pearl" earrings, and these are adorable. I love the pink color, and they definitely stand out. Their large size makes them droop ever so slightly, but other than that, they are perfect. Could even be used for bridal!
Sizing: Larger than Expected
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hi everyone! i am so honored to be a finalist in cotton's road to the runway contest! i am representing the south region, and the picture above is the photograph i entered. basically, 8 finalists were selected from the 8 regions of the us, and we are now pitted head to head with another fellow contestant until there's a final winner for each region. if you have a free moment, please feel free click here to go vote for me in the south. i'd love and appreciate every vote! thank you so much for all your support! xoxo
5 Comments
Love your jacket!!! =]
Really nice coordinate! love the jacket color!
congratulations for the cotton's and good luck! =)
The boots and blazer are so nice together really pulls the outfit into one wonderful look.
I do like the manner in which you have peseentrd this specific issue and it does indeed offer us some fodder for consideration. On the other hand, from just what I have observed, I just hope when the actual remarks pack on that people today keep on issue and not start on a tirade involving some other news of the day. All the same, thank you for this outstanding point and while I do not necessarily agree with it in totality, I regard the point of view.


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Baker City beer notes
Some final notes about the beer scene in Baker City, Oregon (where we visited last weekend)…
The biggest beer selection in town (from a restaurant) is at Paizano's Pizza—that's the pizza parlor owned by our friend Kina, whom we were visiting. They've gone out of there way to establish a stock of good beer, so besides the usual mainstays you'll also find bottles of Terminal Gravity's beers (they're semi-local, "nearby" in Enterprise), Pike Brewing's Naughty Nellie, and gluten-free Redbridge, among many others.
Another source for good beer: Bella Main Street Market, right in the heart of downtown (just a block down from Barley Brown's, actually). In fact Bella has much more in the way of wine, but they do stock several coolers of good beer: Deschutes and Full Sail 22-ounce specialties, a nice assortment of Belgian beers, Sierra Nevada Celebration that was going for $6 a six-pack—things like that. Also an interesting selection of Japanese sake.
On a homebrewing note, we also met the most serious and dedicated homebrewer friend of Kina's ever. (Hi Ted!) He's got the homebrewing setup to aspire to: the basement is (mostly) dedicated to brewing with a custom setup, things like fermenters built out of kegs that are temperature-regulated with glycol, a kegerator fridge with three tap handles, and he's even built his own walk-in cooler fully stocked with beer—both homebrewed and specialty beers from other breweries.
(They had just returned from a beer-drinking trip to Belgium also.)
It's a serious enough setup to run as a microbrewery, and totally inspired me to start brewing regularly again: I'm planning a Coconut Cream Stout this weekend.


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Jessica Alba is an American actress, model and businesswoman, born April 28, 1981 at Pomona USA. She has won various awards for her acting, including the Choice Actress Teen Choice Award and Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television, and a Golden Globe nomination for her lead role in the television series Dark Angel. She started her career in film ...Read More »
Home / Tag Archives: jessica alba wallpaper


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Salida Colorado is a GEM of a community located in Central Colorado.
Best of Salida Lodging
Hotel - Salida Gateway Inn and Suites
Bed and Breakfast - Mountain Goat Lodge
Vacation Cabin - Spruce Ridge Cabin
Vacation Rental - The Salida Victorian
Pet Friendly Hotel - Super 8 Salida
Cheap Lodging - Silver Ridge Lodge
While adventure sports are fun, you cannot live on the edge forever. Salida has a wonderful downtown shopping district with interesting original buildings, painted with interesting and unique Victorian color schemes.
Downtown Salida has dozens of art galleries and other funky shops, sure to entertain and intrigue you. Our annual Salida Artwalk festival brings in art lovers from all over the country.
Not to be outdone, our recreation and adventure amenities provide fun from 14ers to river sports on the Arkansas River. During winter, Monarch Resort brings some of Colorado's best powder to our doorstep.
During summer, rafting and kayaking on the Arkansas River has something for the whole family. Book a raft trip, and enjoy quiet float through Salida, a rowdy ride through Brown's Canyon or a wild extreme trip through the Numbers.
Hiking and Mountain Biking are some of the best in Colorado. Sample it all, from the Monarch Crest Trail above timberline, to the Rainbow Trail and Salida Mountain Trails just outside of downtown Salida. These trails are fun and challenging enough to bring you back again and again.
Come visit us soon and see why Salida has developed its reputation as the recreation capital of central Colorado. We offer a wide variety of lodging from hotels and Bed and Breakfasts, to RV Parks and traditional Campgrounds to spectacular long term rentals and Vacation Homes. Finally for those on a budget, free camping and even a local hostel.
Looking for easy and free wi-fi? There are several places to get online in Salida, both on Highway 50, and downtown.
Amazingly there is also a Salida California, make sure you know which Salida you are visiting!!!


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Dance Company Goes for Gold
Opening Night for Tom Gold's Handpicked Dance Company
For a certain group of charitable New Yorkers—the kind who attend many formal events a month—opening night gala for Tom Gold Dance was a welcome and somewhat more casual and boisterous addition to the social calendar.
The evening began with an hour-long ballet performance at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, followed by a semi-casual and partly family style dinner at Brasserie Cognac in Midtown.
And the more relaxed—but still chic—style felt just right for the ballet company the event was celebrating on Thursday.
"They always make it look fun," event co-chair Elyse Newhouse said of the dancers. (Ms. Newhouse and fellow co-chairwomen Gillian Miniter and Fe Fendi were all dressed in red in an ode to the dancing woman in red who appeared on the invitation).
Choreographer Tom Gold (whom Ms. Newhouse described as "kind of a legend in the ballet world"), danced with the New York City Ballet for 21 years, and handpicks dancers for his eponymous company from a variety of dance companies—the City Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet. Mr. Gold, who currently has 12 dancers who commit almost 20 weeks a year to his company, chooses them by reputation, references and from the ballet class he takes every day at Steps.
"Each company has a distinctive style and when they come together it's magic," he said.
Since it's a small company, personalities are important. "In a small group if you have even one person who throws the dynamic off, you're totally screwed. I've gotten better at spotting cohesiveness early on," he said.
Luciana Paris, a dancer with the American Ballet Theatre who arrived from Japan shortly before the performance and party, appreciates working with New York City Ballet dancers because "their approach is different and we can all learn a lot."
Mr. Gold and his dancers are headed to Sofia, Bulgaria, in June ("I hear Sofia is the new Prague," he joked).
On Thursday night, it was probably the last act of the performance that got the most attention. Called "La Plage," the dance depicted a romp from the jungle to the beach. The male dancers wore nothing but underwear, which got the guests talking (and asking about workout routines).
"Why can't ballet be highbrow and a little lowbrow, too?" Mr. Gold joked.
"If we didn't love Tom so much, we wouldn't do it," said New York City Ballet dancer Andrew Scordato. It's this kind of admiration for Mr. Gold that drew many of the dancers to his company.
"It's great to be involved with something more intimate, and doing this on our off time keeps us in shape," Mr. Scordato said. "Learning a different style of choreography is good for me and for any dancer."
"Tom is New York City Ballet blood, which is so special to me. He's family and treats us like family," he said.
To express his appreciation of the dancers and the donors that came out to support his company, Mr. Gold offered a quote he tries to live by: "Someone once told me that A people work with A people, and B people work with C, D and E people. These are all A people here tonight."
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text: So far, I've only seen 3, maybe 4 posters actually contributing to this thread's purpose, which is to provide detailed analysis according to the IJS rule book; none from those who call BoP as a hater. I really, I mean it sincerely, am interested in Lv. 4 analysis; yes, expect opposing views, but that's what this thread is about. I assume it's too much of a scary job for most people, so I don't blame on just the fact it's not done; I know because I never went back after my file got deleted midway done; never again will I try, at least in written form.


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2017 JJA Jazz Awards Banquet Photos
Photos by Janis Wilkins of the Jazz Journalists Association's 2017 JJA Jazz Awards Banquet, held June 6, 2017 at the Golden Unicorn Restaurant, New York City.
Posted by Ozmotic Media at 7:04 PM
JJA Jazz Awards Banquet June 6 NYC
Jazz Journalists Association members and friends will celebrate the 2017 JJA Jazz Awards winners and nominees on June 6 at a Chinese banquet at the Golden Unicorn Restaurant, 18 E. Broadway in New York City. The public is cordially invited, but tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance.
Posted by Ozmotic Media at 11:57 AM
2017 JJA Jazz Awards Winners Named
The Jazz Journalists Association has announced winners of its 21st annual Jazz Awards, celebrating 41 categories of excellence in music and music journalism. Pianists reign, with 78-year old McCoy Tyner celebrated for his Lifetime Achievement in Jazz, 13-year-old Joey Alexander hailed as Up and Coming Musician of the Year, Kenny Barron (73) named Pianist of the Year, the late Bill Evans' Some Other Time: The Lost Session from the Black Forest (Resonance Records) winning as Historical Recording of the Year, Robert Glasper acknowledged for his use of electronics, and Vijay Iyer cited for his role in Duo of the Year -- his duet partner being trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, recipient of the Musician of the Year Award.
Posted by Ozmotic Media at 2:50 PM
2017 JJA Jazz Awards Nominees announced
Professional Journalist members of the Jazz Journalists Association are voting now for winners of its 21st annual JJA Jazz Awards. Nominees have been named in 41 categories of excellence in music and music-related media. Jazz Awards winners will be announced online at jjajazzawards.org on Monday, May 15, and will receive their engraved statuettes throughout the summer at their performances across the U.S. JJA members, Awards winners and nominees, and their supporters will gather to celebrate the JJA Jazz Awards at a ticketed event in New York City in early June, details to be announced.
Posted by Ozmotic Media at 11:47 AM
2017 JJA Jazz Heroes named
The Jazz Journalists Association has announced the 2017 "class" of JJA Jazz Heroes, 26 individuals in twenty locales around the U.S. who are being honored for their personal work in keeping jazz alive and thriving in their communities. Jazz Heroes are selected each year by community members in consultation with the JJA; the award recognizes the many kinds of non-musical contributions that are needed to keep the music going and bringing in new audiences. More on the 2017 honorees.
Posted by Ozmotic Media at 12:00 AM
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The Magical Mystery Tour Is Waiting to Take You Away
"When a man buys a ticket for a magical mystery tour… He knows what to expect. We guarantee him the trip of a lifetime."
So begins the most highly controversial and hotly debated piece of filmmaking in the Beatles brief but illustrious repertoire.
The Paley Center for Media, in association with Apple Films, recently hosted a special screening of The Magical Mystery Tour, newly restored and now with a remixed soundtrack. Following the movie, a stellar panel—Elvis Costello, Stevie Van Zandt, Jonathan Clyde (Apple Films), director and screenwriter Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton, the Bourne films) and moderator Bill Flanagan (MTV/VH1 Storytellers)—discussed their first memories of seeing the film and what it meant to them. Though there were a couple of disgruntled comments—how much better the film might have been had the Beatles put more time into it, the randomness and weak plot, and how it fell short of earlier Beatles' movies—there was also a generous outpouring of love and respect for the project, its makers and the effects the film had on their generation. And, as some wise men once said, all you need is love.
Flanagan introduced the film by saying that it was most likely that anyone in the room who thought they had seen the movie before really hadn't. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology and video sharing, many of us have seen the music videos derived from the film, but never the whole piece in its entirety.
Magical Mystery Tour premiered on BBC1 on Boxing Day in 1967. Despite being filmed in full color, it was only available that day in black and white (because that was all BBC1 had to work with at the time) and with wonky sound throughout the broadcast, the film — only thought of as a one-off piece of "light entertainment" more akin to a television show than a movie — was a complete flop.
The BBC bought it sight unseen, probably expecting something more along the lines of the goofball hijinks they let loose in Help! It would be the perfect light entertainment for happy families enjoying their Christmas holiday. By that time, the Beatles had appeared on all the comedy shows and had done sketches or played the song of the day, so when Paul McCartney offered a movie, it seemed like a no-brainer to the powers that be at the BBC. What the network got was something altogether more surprising, and not necessarily in the way the BBC would have liked. Many older viewers were offended by the outlandish behavior coming from what had previously appeared to be such a nice group of clean-cut boys. It pushed the boundaries of what the license-paying population could find acceptable, or even morally acceptable. Complaints came pouring into the Beeb. These were no longer the lovable Mop-Tops British families gathered around their televisions to see.
After receiving such a harsh negative response in its native land, American distributors never backed the project's passage across the pond. It only finally made it to the U.S. when bootleg copies started appearing at midnight screenings at cult movie houses in the early- to mid-70s.
Given a budget and few to no corporate constraints, the Mop Tops were also given free rein to do what they wanted, how they wanted. What they made, oddly enough, was an incredible piece of technical filmmaking, despite its weaknesses—of which there are many. But their ideas and influence were drawn upon for years; artists as wildly diverse as the Monty Python troupe, Martin Scorcese, and John Waters can cite Magical Mystery Tour as an inspiration. What the general public thought at the time is another story.
There really isn't much of a plot to speak of, just a series of vignettes that don't even really tie together in any way except by the fact that the titular coach brings the band and fellow travelers from place to unexpected place. To even speak of a script is somewhat inaccurate because the boys took a guerrilla approach to filmmaking. Like Christopher Guest would do decades later with mockumentaries like Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman and the rest (though I dare say with significantly less preparation than a Chris Guest joint), they established a premise, gave some minimal direction to the cast and let the cameras roll. The dialogue was almost entirely improvised, and it looks at times as if they didn't feel the need to try alternate takes. Characters look directly into the camera or at people off-screen, lines are flubbed fairly regularly, but that really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.
"As a filmmaker, Tony," asked Flanagan, "did it strike you as competent? "It's a piece of communal filmmaking," Gilroy said, "with no script and they had no real tools or authority to make it. But they were so used to framing every song. In the movies, nothing bleeds into anything else. It's really a whole toolbox for everything that's going to happen in moviemaking over the next two years, including The Monkees' TV show and movies like Easy Rider. And they're doing it on their own without anybody helping then. It's shabby and crazy and shambolic, but it's really fantastic."
Clyde continues, "Richard Lester very astutely said to them in '67, 'go and make your own movie. Forget about the conventions and make a movie, approaching it like you would a record. Just let it flow.' And that's what they did."
There are moments of real tenderness and sweetness that contrast with moments that are largely uncomfortable and have a highly surreal nightmarish quality that many later directors (and one hugely popular British comedy troupe) surely mined for inspiration.
he fictionalized "Richard Starkey's" poor, widowed Aunt Jessie (Jessie Robins), a rather large woman, and the mildly deranged Mr. Bloodvessel (famous-in-the-UK performance poet Ivor Cutler) frolicking on the beach was one of the former, though it was deemed by British censors to be wholly inappropriate viewing. Apparently fat women should not be seen engaged in acts of romantic love, even if it is just some smooching on the sand.
One of the creepier moments — and at first I wasn't sure if there was something wrong with me for thinking this way, though my worries were later assuaged — was a quiet bit with John Lennon (a silent George Harrison sitting beside him) conversing with a little girl named Nicola. His "character" reminded me of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, stroking Mike Teevee's hair, the sweetness of the tableau just barely masking a vaguely lecherous undertone. Considering Britain's longstanding history of notorious pedophiles — including, I might add, the recent scandal surrounding the BBC and whether or not it officials turned a blind eye from the misdeeds of alleged aggressor Jimmy Savile — the conversation has a distinctly devious feel about it. John tells her he has a present for her, asking repeatedly if she wants it, she gigglingly declines, he tells her she's going to get it anyway, then proceeds to draw a deflated balloon from his pocket and asks her if she wants to blow on it. I can't be the only one who thinks this is a bit much, though I am looking through the lens of time crusted over with several decades' worth of accumulated cynicism filtered through the collective unconscious.
Most of the time I just sat slack-jawed in incredulity that something could be so terrible and so brilliant at the same time, but there are a lot of seeming contradictions permeating the film. It's awash with very England-specific bits of nostalgia, but is oddly revolutionary as well. It calls on familiar archetypes, and then twists them into something altogether absurd. The toothy coach conductor, Jolly Jimmy Johnson, is an über-unctuous tour guide who wouldn't have been seen as anything but true to type in the 60s. There were such people who did just that job with just that particular over-enthusiastic way about them, trying their hardest to make the boring sights of the English countryside seem like the last bastions of true grace on our dark, industrial world. Neither would it have seemed off for a young man to go on an excursion with a widowed auntie. It was just something that people did. These characters and situations would have been instantly recognizable to the viewers of the 1960s. (As for the title, there were in fact "mystery tours" that left Liverpool promising fun and adventure, but apparently they only ever just ended up in Blackpool. Ah well.)
Flanagan talked about how the individual Beatles also managed to preserve their personas throughout all of their movies, never departing from the images established in the very beginning with Hard Day's Night. "I don't know what direction Richard Lester gave them," says Flanagan, "what he told them to do or not do, or told them how to shed their inhibitions. We don't know that. But it is very hard to be yourself." He continues, "They never violate their personalities on camera in any piece of film we have of them. George is the same George in this film as the others. There's no contradiction of who he is in any of their films."
However, they were starting to spin off in individual artistic directions: Paul was just getting into the avant-garde, John the surreal, Ringo spent his time hamming to the camera, and George maintained a quiet — albeit newly psychedelic — dignity throughout.
I can't talk about the movie without mentioning the music. Ostensibly, the scenes between the songs are just the glue holding together, flimsy as they may be, some of the earliest and most beloved music videos of all time. The sound has been completely remastered by a team led by Giles Martin, son of the Beatles' producer and sometimes-composer George Martin, and it sounds incredible. "Blue Jay Way" is a haunting fugue that, with almost makes George out to be the star of the whole production. "The Fool on the Hill" captures Paul's whimsy and eye for composition. And, of course, Magical Mystery Tour also contains the only official visuals ever made for "I Am the Walrus," a highly unusual composition serendipitously recorded at just the right in just the right place by just the right people, and argued by many to be The Beatles' single greatest musical achievement.
Costello adds in "We wouldn't be here if the songs didn't have such emotional force. They have almost Edward Lear–like language, but it's the heart… It's genuinely affecting."
The boys also paid their respects to one of the most influential (and all but unknown in the U.S.) of their predecessors, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. They aren't named directly, but Viv, Neil, Legs, Sam, Roger, Rodney and Vernon are there in all their glory accompanying a burlesque act (apparently not too risqué for the people of Britain) and belting out a tune now guaranteed to elicit "a-ha!" moments from the younger crowd for being the nomenclatural source of the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie.
I was fed a steady diet of Beatles music as a child — the first album I remember ever begging to be put in the tape deck was Sgt. Pepper when I was in the first grade — so when the first bars of the title song bounced into the room in 5.1 Dolby digital sound, a chill shot straight through me. I may have been slack jawed, but the corners of my mouth held a constant smile. Yes, it's an hour of madness and rambling. Yes, the cinematography probably would have been better with a professional at the helm and not an enthusiastic Ringo Starr. Yes, there are moments when you just have to ask yourself how they ever thought it would play well to anyone.
"It's not supposed to make sense,' says Flanagan. "It's anarchy and nostalgia mixed together — so charming and so sinister. ("The perfect definition of the English," quips Costello.) It's tatty and forward thinking at the same time. And what they probably got from Richard Lester is that sense of 'we're young we're having fun, everything is beautiful and it will never be like this again.'" But it is also a piece of history, a source of inspiration for many of our greatest artists and an hour-long distillation of the personalities of four sometimes-foolish young men whose remarkable musical gifts left an indelible mark on the world, changing it forever and for the better.
The restored and remastered Magical Mystery Tour is available on DVD and Blu-Ray now.
For more information, go to the Paley Center for Media's website.


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Maybe you've seen the Apple map app jokes: A priest using Apple maps walks into a bar … or a hotel … or a church. Even Mad Magazine's gotten into the fun with a spoofed New Yorker cover that places the Sea of Galilee at the equator. I've laughed, too, enjoying a little more freude than schaden at Apple's mappy discomfiture. But this is an age when we rely on the accuracy of map applications for more than finding the nearest Starbucks or Fred's new digs. This reliance, like a faith that our cell phones will work or the electricity will be on, means that failure can be a crisis. As our family recently learned, failure is not an option when our need for a map app becomes deadly serious.
Apple CEO Tim Cook didn't seem to recall that famous line from Apollo 13 when he released his apology letter, groveling to consumers about how sorry Apple is for that terrible map app everyone has to use after installing the new OS. Here's a tip, Tim Cook: We don't want sorry. We want it to work right.
We own an iPad. We installed the new
OS and had a few chats with Siri, just for kicks. She's a little dry and doesn't like questions such as, "Do you believe in God?" or "Have you ever considered marriage?" So, entertainment value-wise, Siri was a bust for us. But that failure pales in comparison to what happened to us by way of Siri and the crap map app at 5:23 a.m. last Sunday.
It started at 4:45 a.m. when the sound of a dying seal permeated my dreams, and I was still in a semi-sleep state when I realized the mortally wounded seal was in fact my six-year-old son, lying on the floor by my bed, unable to draw breath. We suspected that the cause was reactive airway to an upper respiratory virus, but cause was irrelevant--we had to open up his throat again. So, we tried some of the usual home remedies. After about a half hour, his nail beds were bluish, his nostrils pulling in with every breath, and the skin flanking his ribs indenting with each stridorous rasp. [ETA, 10-14-2012: His condition, something he and an older brother have had before, is called "croup," which results from an upper respiratory virus infection. It sounds quite alarming but generally does not require an ER visit.]
We hadn't had a middle-of -the-night emergency like this in our current town, where we've lived only a few months. Our urgent care visits have been in the daytime. The main hospital is about a 20- to 25-minute drive from our home, but we also knew of another hospital about 5 minutes away. What we didn't know was whether or not it had an emergency room. So, we asked Siri.
The only hit she gave us for urgent care was the facility that was at least 20 minutes away. My husband, a resourceful fellow, turned to that now ancient technology known as the land line and called the closer facility. Yes, they had an emergency room. I left immediately with my son, and he was there in under five minutes, being treated with steroids and nebulizer.
After I returned home, my again ever-resourceful husband ran a little test. He did a search using Google maps for urgent care facilities near us. The search yielded several choices, including the one only minutes from our house. If we'd relied on Apple and Siri instead of our 10-year-old phone, a phone book, and a landline, our son's urgent care would have been unnecessarily and dangerously delayed. We'd debated even getting a landline or keeping a phone book--after all, who needs those in this modern, wired world of ours? I'm glad we listened to our inner Luddites on this one.
Strangely enough, we weren't alone in our experiences with an Apple map app fail that morning. A friend of mine noted on Facebook that the app had failed her, too, as she drove around in a town where she'd just moved, trying to find urgent care while her son vomited. She lives in Illinois. Siri tried to send her to … Tennessee.
So we don't care if you're sorry, Apple. What we care about is that we, the consumers of your high-priced product from a company that has worked to earn user trust, have a product we can rely on. When you're in software development, you never should say you're sorry. You should say you're going to make it right because for your users, failure is not an option.


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Puppy: shadow
Profile: hey im brooke, and i have a german shephered. He will be a year old on december 2. I have never had a dog until shadow. I love my dog so much he is very sweet and loving.
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shadow is my german shephered puppy . he will be 1 year old on december 2. he is the first dog ive ever had. i love him so much ,and so does my family .View Profile


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What: Opening Reception for Claire Basler's "Jardin Éternel/Eternal Garden."
Where: Alkusari Stone at The Houston Design Center.
Who: Consul General of France Sujiro Seam and Jane Seam; artist Claire Basler, in from France; gallerist Yvonamor Palix, who curated the international exhibition and brought Basler to Texas, with husband Mark Bayse; charming speakers included architect and designer Anne Breux, PaperCity's Catherine D. Anspon, and French author Brigitte Lardier-Cunningham; Alkusari Stone owner Tom Alkusari; Houston Design Center's Sheri Roane, Fred Baca, and Natalia Blachuta; Texan-French Alliance for the Arts executive director Karine Parker-Lemoyne; and Francophiles and denizens of design including Gillette Burns, Beau Burns, Jennifer Pierce, The French Farm's Gisele Oriot (who provided a number of the delicacies), Verlyn Bounds, and Oscar Solis Flores.
PC Moment: Basler debuted her exquisite floral paintings in the United States for the first time. The large canvases filled the showroom surrounded by the real-life beautiful blossoms that inspired them. Basler's paintings transport the viewer to the artist's profuse garden at her château near Vichy. Consul General Seam welcomed the distinguished crowd as they sipped coffee and teas and enjoyed classic French fare, including macaroons, mini croque monsieurs, and madeleines. (The exhibit will be on view weekdays through Friday, August 5.)


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Skip to comments.Conditions in Nelson's navy uncovered by scientists
Posted on 09/03/2011 7:14:51 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Sailors in Admiral Nelson's navy were plagued by scurvy, ridden with syphilis and often mutilated by amputations but only a minority were from lowest social class, Oxford University archaeologists have found.
An examination of 340 skeletons from three 18th and 19th century Royal Navy graveyards found that a "surprisingly high" proportion suffered from scurvy and infected wounds.
The bones, excavated from sites in Greenwich, Gosport and Plymouth, also found that more than six per cent of sailors in Nelson's navy, were amputees, many of whom died as a result of operations that went wrong.
But despite uncovering evidence of syphilis, ulcers, serious tooth infections and possible malaria among the remains of the seamen, researchers said evidence indicated that only a minority came from the lowest rung of the social ladder.
The unprecedented scientific investigation into life below decks for Nelson's men, by researchers from Oxford and Cranfield Universities, will be broadcast tomorrow evening (SUN) in a Channel Four documentary, Nelson's Navy: Back From the Dead.
Individuals examined by the scientists included an 11-year-old boy who may have been a "powder monkey" transporting ammunition to gunners and a "top man" who worked at the top of the masts and most likely died by falling from the rigging during a battle.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
of course they weren't from the lower classes. The press gangs took men from all walks of life and tough sh** if they didn't like it. Probably took from the middle classes because they were better educated and on the average made better sailors than the lower classes would have.
Geeze. They needed to paw through bones to learn that? A casual search through a good research library would have revealed that.
Seafaring in the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries was a dangerous trade. So dangerous that serving in the navy was probably safer than serving on a merchant vessel. With larger crews they were more likely to survive the hazards of the sea.
John Paul Jones got his first command (of a merchantman) when every officer aboard the ship he was sailing back to Britain on died of disease. No one else in the crew could navigate. Jones was a passenger, and he knew how to navigate, so the crew had him sail the ship back to Britain, and the owners made him captain when he arrived.
Thanks for sharing that. I love trivia like that. J P Jones was an interesting character.
Who said something about Sodomy, rum and the lash being the three great traditions of the Royal Navy again???
Was totally amazed the first time I crossed the continental divide...with roads some signs would still say Use 1st gear only......you could look down the side of the mountains and alway see some car hundreds of feet below that didn't make the curve....and to do it in a covered wagon.....they don't make people like that anymore....soft times make for soft people....coming down the mountain was worse than going up....and we were pulling a camper...yikes, the young are nuts....:O) That was back in the 80's.....don't know about the interstates now in that area....
"The press gangs took men from all walks of life and tough sh** if they didnt like it. Probably took from the middle classes because they were better educated and on the average made better sailors than the lower classes would have."
Ah. . . no. Not regularly at any rate. That is a myth. Bad novels and bad movies (and even a few bad history books)not withstanding, only "seamen, seafaring men, and persons whose occupations or callings are to work in vessels and boats upon rivers" were subject to impressment. And the press was only used during national emergencies, not during times of peace.
Officers did not want unskilled men on their ships. They could get enough of those. So a press gang that came back with nothing but landsmen — especially middle-class landsmen — were liable to get their grog stopped.
Pressing someone who was in the middle classes — whether a skilled tradesman or a member of the gentry — was also liable to prove expensive to the officer foolish enough to try it. If the victim could prove that he was not liable to the press, he could sue the officer for damages and generally win. A jury of that victim's peers were not likely to encourage behavior that could get *them* serving involuntarily on a King's Ship.
Yes, men other than mariners served involuntarily in the Royal Navy. But even that was "voluntary" — they were given a choice between volunteering for patriotic duty in the Royal Navy and being hung for a crime of which they had been convicted.
(And if you are wondering why — if only those liable for the impressment were 'pressed — the US got into a war with Britain over the British impressing American citizens, it is that those Americans that got 'pressed were mariners, therefore fair game in British eyes.)
I love the Age of Sail!
"We'll render passing honors, Mr. Bush!"
"Don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash."
Great thread!
News flash! Skeletons reveal people living in 18th and 19th century suffer from 18th and 9th century conditions!
HOT, oh my, no a/c. Windows all down, water bottle thingy in front of the radiator. Stopping for oil, flat tires, water and to let the car cool down. Bagged Lunch in a rest stop, sleeping outdoors or in the car. If we had enough money (later trips), we would get to stay in a REAL MOTEL, & eat in a real CAFE, rofl.
Up and down those mountains on 2 lane roads,in those cars, yikes. Hold your breath and don't say a word. (Desi and Lucy comes to mind in that trailer).
BUT NO, not in those Wagons, and it was very dangerous in the wild west in those times. Mine made it, as I can atest, wink. Strong women for sure. I do love to think of them often, as I do genealogy and know how they came to America and traveled West.
Very strong men as well, but I said stong women as it was much harder on them.
If anybody here hasn't read the Maturin/Aubrey series by Patrick O'Brian, you are missing out. It is a great set of books.
That was my first thought . Are they digging up graves to do tests ? If so , disgusting .
Thanks! I had little idea that there would be any kind of response at all, I surprised and pleased. :')
"You don't think we'd eat an admiral like that all at once, do ya?"
Thanks all; I've never seen HMS Victory, but have been on the USS Constitution, and the low headers would take some getting used to. I love wooden ships, but had I been in the navy, the advent of all-steel vessels would have been very welcome. Y'know, until all navies were built that way, and shooting started again. :')
then you really might not want to see this, about John Paul Jones:
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Awe, look at how cute everything was back in 2008. Way back in the day I was in awe of blooming daffodils in early March, and the fact that succulents survived outdoors year round. Sadly we don't have any pre-Agave pics. I remember a really sad looking Abutilon, but I forget what else was planted here before we took over and went succulent crazy. Nothing cool enough to take pictures of.
More little baby succulents. Matti just yanked out that baby Agave last month. The cactus is dead. I never noticed there was a unicorn on that little stepping stone thing until just now. We knew early we wanted a surf/unicorn theme.
That bowling pin may look decorative, but it's there to protect the smaller succulents from our neighbor's dog walking around in there. She's little, so she doesn't do very much. The mice/rats running around at the night are very tempting.
The rosemary being held up with a rope is gone. It was getting pretty gnarly and annoying. The clump of Dietes vegeta (Fortnight Lily) is long gone too. For six months I had no idea what it was. It was a freebie from an Mission roof garden going away plant giveaway. The three plants front right died. I don't even remember what they were, except for the poppy.
The Cerinthe has been yanked since this was taken, but I often forget that there's a weird little wooden frame thing in there. Matti ripped out the wood edging months ago.
Wholly crap! We used to have an entire yard full of grass and a cold frame thing. The cold frame turned out to be a big pain in the ass and we ripped it out. I had a successful crop of lettuce in there, but it was really hard to get in there to do anything. That picnic table has gone to picnic table heaven (staghorn fern class mounting materials).
I'm not sure what to call this explosion of crap in the middle of the lawn. It started out as a succulent dumping ground, now it's a forest of Senecio mandraliscae (please let us know if you want some, we always have plenty to share). We're thinking about clearing some of the insanity and putting in a few half wine barrels for more veggie growing space. Matti's lettuce experiment has really turned around, and I'm loving the fresh salads.
Check out that big mass of nasty on the right. It's hard to believe it's been less than a year since we (Matti) went on a mattress vine killing mission. You can witness the very last of it's demise here. Our neighbor let us relocate his weather contraption, so it no longer needs the shelter of an umbrella. Here are some pics of what's hanging out in the mattress vine zone now:
If want to see all of the pics we took of the garden look no farther than this link. We have a few more old school ones here. It's still hard to remember what a crap hole our back yard was when we moved in. It was so crappy we didn't document it on film. I've learned my lesson, and now take a lot of before pics. I'm still pretty darn amazed at the transformation of our happy little Outer Sunset rental garden.
Categories: Our Backyard | Tags: before after, Cacti and Succulents, Cerinthe, Cold frame, garden, outer sunset garden, succulent | Permalink


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