text:
Finding our voices
24 May 2009 16:30No Comments
By MANIJEH NASRABADI in New York
[TEHRAN BUREAU] Our stories don't always mention the cataclysmic events that turned Iranian society upside down in 1979. We were children then, some of us swept up by our terrified parents and carried into exile and some of us already in the United States, watching our immigrant parents lose the Iran they knew as if for a second time. Despite the wide range of our experiences, Iranian American writers of my generation (I was born in 1975) have had to confront the impact of the Islamic Revolution at the level of childhood trauma as well as come to terms with our Iranian identities in its aftermath. This struggle forced us to enter the world of our imaginations, often the only place elastic and safe enough for us to explore the mixtures of fear, alienation and loss that might otherwise have defied articulation.
For Porochista Khakpour, the experience of fleeing Iran when she was three-years old, the confusion and the boredom of the trip, proved formative for her literary future. On a train hurtling across Europe in 1980, she told stories to fill the endless hours and her father wrote them down. The journey into exile would span several years and multiple countries before finally landing the family in Southern California, with the young Khakpour already dedicated to a life of letters.
"By the time we were settled in the US, I had no doubt what I wanted to be when I grew up," said Khakpour, whose debut novel, Sons and Other Flammable Objects, was published in 2007 when she was 29 years old. "Reading and writing were nearest and dearest to me at a time of extreme instability."
"If it weren't for the Islamic Revolution," she said, reflecting on her success, "I may never have gone this route."
This February marked 30 years since the Shah of Iran fled a rising tide of social and political unrest and the Ayatollah Khomeini returned to take the helm of a popular uprising. There were already 100,000 Iranians living in the US at that time, roughly half of them university students, like my father. Over the past three decades, educated professionals (1 out of every three dentist and physician), wealthy elites (taking with them $30-$40 billion), religious minorities (Jews, Baha'is, Armenians, Assyrians and Zoroastrians), draft dodgers (on the run from a bloody eight-year conflict between Iran and Iraq) and a smaller trickle of working class laborers have fled Iran because of persecution, war, economic crisis or some combination of all three. The 2000 US Census figures put the population of those born in Iran and those born in the US with Iranian ancestry at just over 500,000. However, many diaspora organizations estimate the figure at between 600,000 and 1 million due to under-reporting -- some Iranians do not like to identify themselves as such.
This hesitancy should not be surprising. February was also the 30-year anniversary of the drastic downgrade in US-Iran relations, from extremely close allies to mortal enemies. While many immigrant groups face negative attitudes from white Americans, Iranians were singled out for a special kind of demonization. The Iranian Revolution had adopted anti-American rhetoric, giving voice to popular resentment of the corrupt US-backed Shah and the US's role in profiting off of Iranian oil and thwarting democratic movements for twenty-five years. When a small group of Iranian students captured the American Embassy in Tehran in fall of 1979 and took its remaining occupants hostage, they unleashed a 444-day US media spectacle in which Iran began to overshadow the USSR as the main target of American animosity and threats.
An entire nation and its people became synonymous with terrorism. I remember my father coming home with stories about how a stranger called him a terrorist on the bus or how his colleagues at work had accused him of supporting terrorism because he tried to defend the right of Iranians to choose their own government. Some Americans organized racist anti-Iran rallies, and Iranians were the target of so many hate crimes that many changed their names.
Iranian American literature has not only developed in this hostile climate but it has achieved mainstream commercial success. Memoirs by writers who reached adulthood in Iran, such as Reading Lolita in Tehran (2003), Journey from the Land of No (2004) and Persian Girls (2006), found mass audiences in the post-9/11 period, when the public appetite for knowledge about places that were poorly understood, and hyped as potential threats, seemed insatiable. These books, among others, put Iranian American literature on the map and painted compelling portraits of the lives of individual Iranian women on the brink of a final separation from Iran.
Now, the second-generation of writers in their 20s and 30s, who were born in the US or arrived here as children, are transforming Iranian American literature from an immigrant to an indigenous phenomenon. While the difficulties of being very young immigrants factor into some of our stories, we have all faced a daunting challenge: how to grapple with the violent legacy of revolution in an America that is both virulently anti-Iran and the place we've called home for most, if not all, of our lives.
Group 1
The tension and discomfort that come with this territory have also been a powerful fuel for the literary impulse. "As a young person [in California], I always felt so ambivalent and awkward about my Iranian background, and I think that dispelling that sense through writing, even as an adult, has always motivated me," said Azadeh Moaveni, the author of two memoirs, Lipstick Jihad (2005) and Honeymoon in Tehran (2009).
As a beginning writer who left Iran as a young child, Moaveni drew inspiration and solace from the work of other Asian diaspora authors. "When I first read Salman Rushdie's novel, Shame, it was as though a new plane of existence had been revealed to me. What rich, spectacular, worthy things one could do with one's shame," she said.
Moaveni's memoirs are part of an increasingly popular trend among younger Iranian-American writers, which is not present in the first generation's body of work: the "return" narrative. Lipstick Jihad traces the author's journey back to Iran as a journalist, where, as she writes in the introduction, she went looking for "the generation I would have belonged to, had I not grown up outside." She details slices of modern life that debunk Western myths of Iranians as anti-American or uniformly devout, and that make it harder for readers to maintain the distance between "us" and "them" that is necessary for fear to flourish. Honeymoon in Tehran charts the fundamentalist crackdown unleashed in Iran after President Ahmadinejad's election, at the same time that Moaveni decides to start a family there.
Khakpour's work represents a more nascent trend: a turn towards unconventional fiction. "I care more about sentences than plot or characters," she said, "so the whole [novel] came out of issues of voice, style and structure." In Sons and Other Flammable Objects, Darius and his son Xerxes come close to being psychically crushed under the weight of a past that goes back, through the lineage of their names, to the kings of the ancient Persian Empire. Khakpour described her language as "energetic, sprawling and strange," but necessary to convey the absurdity and pain of her character's lives. For example, intense encounters with Darius's retelling of history leave Xerxes "[f]everish from bouts of familial chaos theory and hived with ancestral existential smallpox."
For most of the story, which is set in southern California and New York City, Iran as an actual place hardly exists. The novel "never showcases Iran as a real setting. It never wants to," Khakpour explained. "Everything happens in the diaspora. So it's a real product of the hyphenate identity, perfectly split between the two."
In Dalia Sofer's debut novel, The Septembers of Shiraz (2007), we learn the fate of an Iranian Jewish family targeted both for their religious and ethnic background and for their upper class status in Iran during the revolution. Simultaneous sections of the book also take place in Brooklyn's Hasidic community, where the college-age son of the family, Parviz, struggles to find his place in America -- providing the author with an opportunity to describe the suspended state of living in exile. Parviz is drawn instinctively to the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Sofer writes, "A bridge, he thinks, is the only place where uncertainty is permissible, where one can exist with no connection to any land -- or any person -- but with the reassurance that connection is possible." Thus the narrative takes up what Sofer described as "a common theme for many of us -- a sense of living between two cultures, two places, two histories."
Sofer drew on autobiographical threads to tell her story. Her father was arrested in 1979 on false charges of being a Zionist spy. The family left Iran when she was ten-years old, and she counts herself among "the last witnesses of a vanished era, the record keepers of an historical incident gone awry." The Septembers of Shiraz transitions from a chronicle of what was lost to a speculation about what can be. "[Iranian American] writers of the newer generation are now exploring their alienation on the peripheries of multiple societies, and their inability to truly inhabit any given space," she said.
Group 2
For some second-generation, Iranian American writers, the struggle to exist in several, often-conflicting, cultural spaces is a biological phenomenon as well, springing from the inter-ethnic unions of their parents. Roger Sedarat, a poet and professor at Queens College, was born in Normal, Illinois to an American mother and an Iranian father who then moved the family to Texas. "You could say I grew into my Iranian culture as opposed to growing up with it," he said. His first book of poetry, Dear Regime: Letters to the Islamic Republic (2008), intertwines references to American and Iranian cultures, languages and poetic forms "to both clarify and confuse."
Growing up in Texas in the 1980s, "There was something disjointed about seeing my father wearing cowboy boots, trying to use phrases with his thick Persian accent like, 'sure as shootin'," Sedarat explained. At the same time, this friction sparked his creative energy. "[My poetry] comes from the inevitable incongruity of my subjective position," he said.
Despite his physical distance from the Iranian Revolution, Sedarat nonetheless experienced its fall-out half a world away. "I felt the repercussions in San Antonio, Texas when the US hostages were taken at the American embassy," Sedarat remembered. "I'd pick up the phone to hear voices in Texan accents, possibly of our own neighbors, telling me that our family had to leave the country or we would be killed. I lived in constant terror during that time. All the windows of my father's car were smashed. Even at school, which in America is supposed to be a place of tolerance, kids in class would give me a hard time. One day a teacher confiscated disparaging signs about Iran from some kid; one showed Mickey Mouse giving the middle finger with a caption that said, 'Hey Iran.' [Later] I saw her laughing over them with the teacher next door." After incidents like these, Sedarat's father told him never to identify as Iranian in public.
Under such inhospitable, even dangerous, conditions, it's not surprising that it took Sedarat many years to decide to explore his Iranian heritage. It wasn't until after he received a PhD in American literature, that he began mixing ancient Persian forms, like the ghazal, with trends in contemporary American poetry. In a poem titled "In Praise of Moths" Sedarat writes a post-modern ghazal, which includes the following lines, playful and serious at the same time: "Double double boiling some trouble:/ Eye of Khomeini plopped into a ghazal./My Father's Buick, a real gas guzzler,/ Backfired, and wrote its own kind of ghazal." Working with such disparate influences as the 12th century Persian poet Hafez, the verses of Wallace Stevens and the rhymes of Tupac Shakur, Sedarat creates poetry that confronts the dissonance of his hybrid identity.
Group 3
In addition to their diverse relationships to Iranian literary and political history -- and their various combination of biological identities and cultural influences -- all of the writers interviewed for this article showed a keen awareness of yet another fraught terrain that we must navigate. Due to the systematic demonization of Iran and Iranians in the US media, the same popular interest that has produced a market for Iranian American literature also comes loaded with assumptions, stereotypes and prejudices.
"I don't want the American reading public to come away [from reading Dear Regime] thinking Iran is backwards or any more in violation of human rights than any other country, including the United States," Sedarat said.
But he is also wary of writing that goes too far in the other direction. "To avoid this stance brings another problem, producing a kind of feel good, ethnic pat on the back that showcases the surface of the culture without sufficient depth."
The pressure that comes from being part of a targeted group has often led immigrant families to construct protective walls of silence. "Like many Iranian Americans of my generation, [when] I grew up there was so much you were never supposed to talk about, especially as women, and also so much you were never supposed to write about," said scholar, critic and memoirist Jasmin Darznik "In part this had to do with saving face in front of Americans, and in part it was simply the continuation of long-standing cultural taboos," she explained.
Now Darznik is in the process of breaking these taboos as she completes her first book, a memoir titled The Good Daughter (2010). Darznik, left Iran when she was five-years old with her Polish father and Iranian mother. She grew up with "a very carefully edited version of Iran's history, politics and culture" and, it turns out, of her family's history as well. Then, one day in 1999, shortly after her father's death, Darznik accidentally discovered a photograph of her eleven-year old mother dressed as a bride and standing next to the Iranian man who was her first husband. When her mother finally decided to break decades of silence and tell her story to Darznik, she revealed the existence of another daughter left behind in Iran.
Now, with her mother's consent, Darznik is turning this story into a book that must contend with such controversial issues as child brides, abusive husbands and polygamy. And she knows this means wading into potentially dangerous waters.
"There's been a huge backlash against Iranian American women writers in the last few years, particularly memoirists and particularly Azar Nafisi [the author of Reading Lolita in Tehran]. [T]here's a sense that we're playing into the hands of a conservative agenda," Darznik said.
She hopes her audience will be more open-minded and attuned to the nuances of her story. "[I]t's abhorrent to me to think someone would read my memoir as proof of the backwardness of Iranian culture or the oppressiveness of Islam," she said. "But while it's important to me to write a story that ultimately upends such prejudices, what do I do with aspects of my story that seem to confirm those stereotypes? Do I not write those parts?" The solution she's found is to write "the most complicated story I can in the most engaging manner I can write it."
Poet, novelist and visual artist, Aphrodite Desiree Navab uses satire to challenge racist and sexist stereotypes of Iranians in her one-woman performance art piece Super East-West Woman (2002-present). "I took my chador [the black cloth religious Muslim women use to cover their bodies in Iran] and turned it into a cape," Navab recounted. "The Superman figure of popular Western culture is transformed into a Superwoman," her "chador turns into a cape of agency. She pokes fun at herself, her two cultures and the ludicrous situations in which her life, between East and West, has placed her."
Navab, who was born in Iran to an Iranian father and Greek mother, also uses her work to celebrate the multiple cultural spaces she inhabits. She is currently working on Tales Left Untold, "a transnational epic, which draws from both real and imagined stories of my life." Her poetic prose cannot be neatly classified. "It is at once fiction, and not, autobiographical, and not," she said.
Group 4
The desire to resist classification, and the tokenism that can go along with it, informs the vision for the future that many younger Iranian American writers share.
"I am elated to walk into any bookstore and pick up one of many books written by Iranian American authors like Anita Amirrezvani or French-Iranian author Marjane Satrapi," said fiction writer Parissa Ebrahimzadeh who left Iran at the age of two and grew up in Mission Viejo, California among a large Latino population. Some of her short stories look at the intersection of Latino and Iranian immigrant groups thrown together in exile. "I am happy for a younger version of me who is growing up now and has so many voices to pick up and relate to."
Ebrahimzadeh also sees the potential for Iranian American literature to continue to diversify. "My generation is still holding on to so many stories that haven't been shared yet," she said. She is hard at work on her first novel about an Iranian immigrant family in California. "I always have so many questions for other Iranian Americans: What has their experience been like? What new ways of being have formed?"
The impulse among Iranian American writers to ask and answer these questions and to support each other's work led to the formation of the Association of Iranian American Writers (AIAW) in May 2008 -- a network whose membership spans the genres and the generations, and which is dedicated to promoting emerging writers alongside more established ones.
Persis Karim, professor of literature at San Jose State University and AIAW's founder, also co-edited A World Between (1999) and edited Let Me Tell You Where I've Been (2006). These two anthologies have introduced new voices and showcased the development of Iranian-American literature over the past ten years. "While the conflicts between the US and Iran continue to loom large and pose an important part of the backdrop, second generation writers are aware that they can't resolve these tensions," Karim said. "There is confidence in the idea of writing outside those debates, in exploring, rather than attempting to reconcile, the conflict."
"There is, finally, a sense of a community of Iranian-American writers," Darznik said. "And yet, the more Iranian Americans publish their writing, the more aspiring writers must distinguish themselves from what's been 'done' before. Whether this creates more or less opportunity for the younger generation is debatable, but I do think that pressure it what keeps the literature from stagnating."
Khakpour also hopes her generation will continue to chart a new course for Iranian-American literature. "My generation of writers is still emerging. I'm hoping they will be more irreverent and wild and quirky," she said.
Sedarat offered his "ideal vision" of the future: "to have the super rich living in the Middle East revive the old Persian courtly tradition, subsidizing the kind of poetry I write," he said. "Barring that, my ideal is for Iranian-American writers to cohere around some kind of literary movement, a circle of writers getting together, exchanging ideas, reading and discussing the same books, etc. To a certain extent, I'm starting to see something fantastic happening with AIAW, of which I am a proud member," he said.
Sofer, whose next novel is about an elderly man living in the south of France, emphasized a sentiment that was echoed by all of the writers interviewed here, that great writing is what really counts no matter where you come from or what topics and settings you chose. "Powerful connection, from the writer's pen to the reader's mind -- and hopefully heart -- far surpasses labels and categorizations. So my advice? Let "Iranian-American literature" think of itself as just plan old "literature."
This story first appeared in Hyphen Magazine.
Manijeh Nasrabadi holds a master of fine arts in creative nonfiction from Hunter College. This fall, she begins a doctoral program in American Studies at New York University. She's writing a memoir about her relationship with her Zoroastrian, communist father and his family in Iran.


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text:
Locking down Linux.conf.au
Give five hundred very technically proficient Linux enthusiasts unfettered access to the same Wi-Fi network and you might be asking for trouble.
Nearly every year, network administrators at Linux.conf.au, Australia's premiere open source conference, have to deal with some sort of shenanigans on the network.
Chief among the concerns for conference network admin Steve Walsh has been the appearance of mysterious rogue wireless access points with the same or similar names to the official network.
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I see lots of bad reviews here. I just dumped my POS iPhone to return back to the LG VX8600/AX8600 cell phone. In the year I used it I NEVER dropped a call, always had great reception, and loved the MP3 player. Another reviewer just recently mentioned you cannot play MP3's via bluetooth. Totally incorrect. I have been playing them since I bought the phone over a year ago along with a stereo BT headset.LG Cell phone Reviews
The wired headphone adapter is easy to use, and plugs in quite simplistically. Yes, the iPhone did do better on the ease of MP3 playing, but unlike the LG VX8600/AX8600 cell phone, it does NOT support playback over BT. Later this month the iPhone SDK should be released with lots of improvements, but I could not take the last 6 months of constantly dropped calls on the ATT network, so I will gladly pay the EFT to ATT and I have gone back to my the LG VX8600/AX8600 cell phone, and I am still loving it.
My ONLY complaint about the LG VX8600/AX8600 cell phone is the keypad is on the smaller side, and with my big fingers I tend to hit double keys frequently, but if you ever tried the iPhone for texting, the LG VX8600/AX8600 cell phone is a relief.
LG VX8600/AX8600 cell phone photos


text:
Just like Granny made!
Scottish Tablet
Delicious butter tablet recipe with ingredients and cooking directions to make this traditional Scottish toffee cake
Scottish Tablet Recipe is also called Scottish Toffee and will help keep your dentist in business! But well worth it. It has a delicious crumbly sweet sensation with a lovely butter aftertaste. High in calories and sugar, so great as an occasional treat.
Main Course
Free delivery and save 8% off all orders with discount code AFF8 at Campbells Meat.
Tablet Ingredients
1 teacup of milk
Large tin of condensed milk
900g of sugar
100g of butter
Eating in by Sue Lawrence has a traditional Scottish tablet recipe using vanilla extract.
The book The Scots Kitchen by F. Marian McNeill suggest using an enamelled saucepan when making Scots tablet. It also has flavourings which include cinnamon, coconut, fig, ginger, lemon, orange, peppermint, vanilla and walnut and gives guidance on how to easily add these.
Tablet Recipe
1. Melt the butter and sugar. Add the condensed milk and the teacup of milk.
2. Stir and turn up the heat and keep stirring until it reaches boiling point.
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Buy your favourite dishes, meats and treats direct from a Scotland butcher. Use discount code SR1601 at checkout for 10% off & free delivery on orders with a subtotal over £30 at online butcher Donald Russell, cannot be used with any other discount codes and will not apply to half price steak selections.
3. Turn the heat down low and stir for 45 minutes (chair and book optional!)
The book Nick Nairn's New Scottish Cookery suggests an optional ingredient of grated white chocolate.
Whilst Scots Cooking: The Best Traditional and Contemporary Scottish Recipes by Sue Lawrence suggests adding a teaspoon of pure vanilla essence to tablet recipes.
4. Remove from the heat and beat 60 times with a wooden spoon. Put a wee bit on a plate and if it sets then it's ready to be put onto the shallow trays.
5. If you would like to make it more crispy then add a drop of vanilla extract and a table spoon of syrup at the last moment and stir for a couple of minutes off the heat.
6. Score the surface marking into squares and allow to set and get cold.
7. Best washed down with Irn Bru!
The book Sue Lawrence's Scottish Kitchen: Over 100 Modern Recipes Using Traditional Ingredients has a white chocolate and cardamom tablet recipe.
Scottish Tablet Recipe
Sue Lawrence in Eating in writes about the earliest mention to a Scottish tablet recipe in literature which she traced to The Scots Household in the Eighteenth Century by Marion Lochhead. Early ingredients and cooking methods are included.
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Product Features
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text:
Some useful operators, and Show, Read, Eq, Num, Fractional, and Floating instances for Vector and Matrix.
In the context of the standard numeric operators, one-component vectors and matrices automatically expand to match the dimensions of the other operand.
|Matrix-matrix, matrix-vector, and vector-matrix products.
|Dot product: u <.> v = dot u v
|least squares solution of a linear system, similar to the \ operator of Matlab/Octave (based on linearSolveSVD).
|Produced by Haddock version 2.6.1


text:
Originally Posted by sabermaths: fade
Originally Posted by joboarder: 7-6-2 Posted.....7-6-2 OVERALL.......80% capper goes to breaking even for the week...makes you wonder is all I am saying.....people post and things always change
still profit, im not here to make friends, im just here to pass along my picks, take them for what they are worth.
Where were you last two days when i went 3-0-1? hiding like i predicted youd do
wasnt hiding anywhere
you were gone for 2 days while we were winning, had we gone 3-0 today youd still be in hiding, carry on with the hate while im bringing in the dough
Originally Posted by timothyjohn14: hey red. im still waiting for your monday leans. thanks.
no leans, just whatever my guy sends me, ill post them when he texts me tomorrow
I gamble for fun, it seems like you need this money to make a living, sorry you are uneducated my friend. All im doing is passing along my friends picks to the people of covers, no one is making anyone play these picks.
his two picks today
thunder -3
grizz/clips under 186


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About Us
Wendy Joy MCSP
Wendy trained as a chartered physiotherapist in London and qualified in 1991.
She is a mother of three teenage daughters. Over the years she has worked in many healthcare locations along the South Coast, in both the NHS and also private settings.
Wendy's area of special clinical interest is paediatrics. She works clinically and also manages a paediatric multidisciplinary clinic. In addition, she enjoys lecturing and taking part in local education opportunities for children and also those who work with children.Wendy believes in constantly pushing forwards and questioning current practice. She is also a keen advocate of early intervention.
Storycises™ has given her the opportunity to research, produce and start a project which is hoped will continue to show the importance of relevant early intervention and the positive effects it can have on a child's life.
Jane Reynolds MSCP
Jane qualified from the University Of Southampton in 2003 having previously had a career as a paramedic.
She works in the NHS and privately with children from 0-18 with a variety of conditions. These include children with motor coordination difficulties as well as county rugby players, but her specialty is working with children with neurodevelopmental conditions. She has studied for a post registration qualification with the Bobath Centre in London.
For Jane, the main inspiration for this project were the children she has worked with and the positive results she achieved using the same principles used in Storycises ™. She found there was increasing number of children who had gaps in their foundation movement skills who had consequently struggled for years. Jane feels strongly that by providing effective early intervention, these gaps could be prevented and ultimately the children would be able to achieve increased confidence, better self esteem and more success at school.


text: by Tiana Feng It's kind of hard not to rock out to this new one by Vancouver's Elias. It's a new one off their 3rd studio release Fossils that was released on Valentine's Day. I don't know why people keep writing really pretentious reviews on them. They don't sound like Radiohead or Mars Volta. It's just simple, fun and enjoyable indie-rock. Elias- Hands and Knees Website


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Event Calendar
Steve Earle & the Dukes with Special Guests The Mastersons
On sale now
McPhillips Station Casino | Mainstage
July 31st
8:00 pm | $50 & $60 * Sold Out
*Plus taxes and fees.
Club Regent Event Centre accepts no liability for tickets purchased via the secondary ticketing market. Guests are strongly recommended to only purchase from the Club Regent or McPhillips Station Casino Box Offices, or Ticketmaster.
Thanks .


text:
Josip Ilicic has turned down a lucrative offer from Dynamo Kiev in order to stay with current club Palermo.
Reports this morning suggested that the Palermo man was wanted by the Ukrainian outfit [12] ahead of the January transfer window opening.
"It's all true," agent Amir Ruznic stated to Calciomercato. "Dynamo made him an offer that would be difficult for any player to refuse.
"But Josip has said no because he wants to stay at Palermo and help steer the Rosanero ship into calmer waters.
"The player's desire is to stay in Sicily and in Italy in the future should the day arrive when President Maurizio Zamparini decides to sell him.
"My client has a strong bond with the Rosanero fans and he doesn't want to betray them for money."
See the latest Serie A predictions and betting tips with Eurotips.co.uk [13]


text:
April 23, 2008 EditionAlso in this issue...
News | Sports Scene | Education | Viewpoints | Records |
WR McDonald's manager honored
Walnut Ridge is home to one of the nation's top McDonald's restaurant managers.
Miranda Spargo recently received the 2007 Ray Kroc Award, an annual performance-based award that recognizes the top one percent of McDonald's restaurant managers in the country.
Named after McDonald's corporate founder Ray Kroc, the award was established in 1999 to honor hardworking restaurant managers ~ those who make Ray Kroc's vision of excellence come to life in their restaurants and for their customers each day.
A select 137 managers were chosen this year to receive the Ray Kroc Award, an honor that comes with a cash award, a Ray Kroc award trophy and pin and a trip to Chicago for an awards gala held recently.
The Walnut Ridge High School graduate began her career with McDonald's in 1989 as a crew person and has been manager of the Walnut Ridge restaurant since 2005.
"It was a shock at first," Spargo said regarding when she learned she was a Ray Kroc Award winner. "I was ecstatic. I come from a small town, so traveling to Chicago was a big deal. It's good to know that the corporation is really out there looking at all of the restaurants, and it's nice to be appreciated through the company."
Spargo credits her employees as a major reason for her success.
"I think I'm persistent and follow good leaders, but my people are key. You have to have a strong team," she said. "I enjoy working with so many different people, both employees and customers. I enjoy the daily interaction with people."
"Miranda is a very important member of our McDonald's family," McDonald's owner-operator Tim Thomas said. "We value her contributions to our team and are very proud of her accomplishments. She truly raises the bar for our industry. Through the energetic way in which she manages the restaurant to her commitment to customer service, Miranda truly deserves this prestigious recognition."
Spargo and her husband, Matt, live in Walnut Ridge with their two dogs, Peanut and Stretch. She is the daughter of Mike and Debbie Wheelis of Walnut Ridge.
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text:
A quick point needs to be made about the gathering brouhaha over individual "investors" getting shafted in the Facebook IPO: Let's be cautious about this victimhood.
The Wall Street Journal's current story (sorry, may be behind paywall) about where information on Facebook's revenue warning was shared or not prior to last Friday's trading includes a section on one retail "investor" who is aggrieved to the tune of $18,000. He got caught up in Nasdaq's interrupted order flow as well as caught short by the stock's price decline.
But it turns out that this Mr. Duvendack tried to make four trades, going in and out of the stock. He was snagged on both of his sales, ultimately settling, the paper reports, for that $18k loss. Note: He was day-trading. He wasn't investing. Sorry for your loss, sir, but you are not an investor. This is a term that we in media loosely apply, for simplicity's sake, to market activity. I cringe every time I see it used, as well, for the punters in the Chinese stock markets. Come on!
It may turn out that true investors in Facebook never make back what they put in, although that's hardly clear now. At the least, they got an expensive souvenir, much as what one often takes home from a milestone event (after paying an admission fee that quite exceeds an $8 online trade) and sticks in the drawer. Even if that is all it was, I'll grant such spectators the investor title. I will not give it, or much sympathy, to traders.


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Crowds of people turned out to cheer on the Women's Tour as it passed through the county and ended in Northampton yesterday (Wednesday).
Here are a selection of pictured submitted by the public as the tour made its way from Oundle to Northampton.
For the Chron's pictures from the event click here PICTURES
For the Chron's video and full report from the event click here VIDEO AND REPORT


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Welcome to the
New Nikola Tesla Street Corner Sign on West 40th Street and 6th Avenue, Manhattan, New York
Hotel New Yorker
Above: The Statue of Liberty and New York City, when Tesla came to the United States in 1884, the Statue of Liberty was not erected. The Statue of Liberty was erected in 1886 (two years after his arrival).
Above: New York City at night, seen from Tesla's window in Hotel New Yorker on the 33rd floor.
Above: Hotel New Yorker, where Tesla lived for the last ten years of his life, from 1933 to 1943. Tesla died in Hotel New Yorker on January 7, 1943 in his suite on the 33rd floor, Room number 3327.
Plaque erected on Nikola Tesla's Room 3327 in Hotel New Yorker, Manhattan
Above: Tesla commemorative
plaque on Hotel New Yorker erected July 10, 2001 by the Tesla Memorial
Society of New York and Hotel New Yorker.
Above: Susannah Norris-Lindsay, artist who created the "Engineer's Club" plaque and Dr. Ljubo Vujovic, President, Tesla Memorial Society of New York
Tesla-related places to visit in New York City
Above: New York City at night, millions of electrical bulbs are lit - fed my Tesla's AC Current electricity.
Above: Times Square at night, lit by Tesla's Alternating Current Electricity and Neon Lights. Tesla discovered Neon lights and had an exhibit in the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893.
Above: Ellis Island, Immigrant Receiving Station opened in 1892. Millions of Immigrants came to America through Ellis Island. Tesla came to the United States through Castle Clinton (below) in 1884.
Above: This is Castle Clinton - Tesla came to the United States through Castle Clinton (below) in 1884 (at the tip of Manhattan Island).
Above: Today's Ellis Island is a museum of Immigration - millions of Immigrants came to the United States through Ellis Island. It was opened 1892.
Above: A Plaque commemorating the first Edison Power Plant using Direct Current, in Downtown Manhattan. Edison started the "War of the Currents" to protect his electrical empire against Tesla's Alternating Current Electricity. Tesla/Westinghouse won the War of the Currents, which made Alternating Current the standard for electrical transmission around the world. The electrification of America and the world started.
The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in Manhattan, New York City where Tesla funeral took place on January 12,1943.
Above: Plaque of Nikola Tesla on Radio Wave Building. Radio Wave Building located at 49 West 27th Street (between Broadway and Sixth Avenue), Lower Manhattan. It was the former Gerlach Hotel, where Tesla lived before the end of the century and experimented with Radio Waves, in 1896.
The following are places in New York City that are Tesla-related:
Above: Earth at Night (click to


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As you begin shopping around for an online master's degree program, it is very important to carefully research all of your options to ensure that your decision is a sound one. A great way to begin your research is to investigate online programs that are accredited.
The process of obtaining accreditation is an outward sign of a program's quality. Choosing an accredited program can boost your future earning potential and lower your chance of unemployment or underemployment. A resume that boasts reputable programs and employers goes a long way in establishing credibility and competence in this ultra-competitive job market.
Colleges and Universities are accredited by regional accreditation agencies, depending on location: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. These are all part of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Click here for a link to CHEA's home page.
Accredited online programs afford students the following top three benefits:
- Approved curriculum and educational programs. Accreditation is an outward acknowledgement of quality. Undergoing the accreditation process requires universities to provide detailed evidence of the curriculum's quality and effectiveness. Each program, course, and learning outcome is analyzed for its comprehensive and correlated attributes. When a school gains accreditation, it is then tasked with vigorously upholding these standards of quality. Graduating from an accredited online education program is an assurance to future employers that the education you've received is one of high quality.
- Meet US Department of Education standards. Although the US Department of Education is not a central authority exercising national control over college(s) and universities, it does maintain a set of standards that accredited online education programs strive to meet. Accredited programs consistently strive to meet the high standards outlined by the Federal government. Credits earned from accredited online education programs have a greater potential to transfer to other institutions.
- Financial assistance options. Accredited online education programs offer a wide range of tuition assistance. Students of accredited online colleges and universities are typically eligible for the same grant and loan programs including Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Work Study, and Academic Competitiveness Grants, as well as participating in assistance for military tuition and government reimbursement.
Marygrove College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC-NCA) and is approved by the Michigan State Department of Education. For a full list of accreditation requirements and standards please visit the United States Department of Education website. You can also find a full list of accredited online universities and colleges via the Department's searchable database.
Already made up your mind? Great! Enroll for fall classes now, and become the master teacher you always wanted to be.


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Sony announces development of new Dokodemo Issyo title
Toro and Kuro could be making a return shortly.
Sony's mascot cat is gearing up for a brand new game. The Dokodemo Issyo series official site posted notice today indicating that a new entry in the series is under development. The notice did not share further details.
Dokodemo Issyo is one of the PlayStation brand's oldest titles, having originated on the first generation system. While various games have been released offering different game experiences, most titles focus on player interaction with a white cat named Toro.
The latest full game release for the series was Mainichi Issyo, a 2006 PS3 download title that is, to this day, being continually updated with new content.
Additional Images (Total 2 Images, Use click action to expand)


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Product Description
Ever wonder what it was like to leave your body and check out the astral plane?
"Astral Projection" Mp3 in Isochronic life empowering vitality entrainment, changes your state of consciousness so you can have an out of body experience in the astral realm.
You can…
- perceive a world outside of your physical body.
- project your astral body out into the astral plane.
- be conscious of a very vivid experience, see visions, hear noises, while your physical body paralyzed.
- Find a quiet room. You can lie on a bed or on the floor if it's not too cold.
- Leave your phone in another room.
- Wear loose clothing. You don't want a wedgie bringing you out of a trance.
- Remove your jewellery.
- Turn on a specialized entrainment recording that uses Isochronic Tones so you don't need to use headphones.
- Focus on your breath…in and out, in and out.
- Visualize your head stretching it out by an inch or two from your skull.
- Now visualize your feet stretching out. Hold that image.
- Go to your third eye-the gateway to the astral realm, believed to exist in the middle of your forehead.
- Imagine a yo-yo rolling in and out that is hooked onto your astral body.
- Follow the yo-yo's path-remember to keep breathing.
- Roll out again and this time, try to follow.
- Visualize floating out and upward.
- Be parallel with your physical body.
- Look down and you'll see your motionless shell.
- You should be able to fly at this point.
- Structure in the astral world is different than in the physical world so you may be able to flow through the walls.
- Any fear that crops up will have you slamming back into your body faster than a wink. Try to keep focused on the experience in a detached way.
- If this is your first successful try at astral projection, enjoy the moment and after which, return to your body.
- If you don't know how, just lie parallel to your physical body and imagine yourself sinking back down into it.
- When you're back, relax, and finish listening to the entrainment recording
- You're home. Next time, you might be able to meet your spirit guides.
Astral projection is a skill that can be cultivated using Isochronic Tones.
Obtaining and maintaining the proper brainwave frequency is easier and more effective when using entrainment.
This soundtrack is in ISOCHRONIC TONES
- HEADPHONES are NOT required, but you have a stronger entraining experience if you wear them.
- Isochronic Tones produce a "helicopter" noise that can sound like "woot woot". They don't sound pretty but they are precise and fast.
- Isochronic Tones are the most powerful and effective entrainment to date.
- Isochronic Tones introduce a single tone or pulse, to the brain, that turns on and off in a particular pattern. This form of entrainment does not rely on a combination of two tones.
- Because the contrast between the on and off is high (contrast between the sound pulses and silence is more pronounced), there is a high neural response emitted by your brain.
- This contrast is easily noticed by your brain (because it is listening carefully), and leaves a deep, clear and strong imprint in your gray matter.
- This effect excites the thalamus and causes a frequency following response, where your brain internally recreates the frequency and this re-shapes your level of consciousness. This is what makes it the most powerful and effective entrainment.
- Your brain doesn't have to work as hard to achieve entrainment as it does with Binaural Beats.
- Isochronic Tones are exceptional for dissociation and have hypnotic qualities.
- Isochronic Tones synchronizes both hemispheres, laying new neural networks as a bridge between them. When this happens, you have all regions of your brain working together at the same time.
- Whatever you are trying to achieve, be it an increase in intelligence, emotional well-being, manifesting, clearing subconscious blocks etc, you'll be using your whole brain, and have that much more power.
- You can play Tones for more than one person at a time (as in a classroom, sick room, office, bedroom, etc)
What Entrainment Does For You
- Entrainment is a permanent solution to change a behaviour or habit because it involves changing your brain-map by either strengthening existing but atrophied neurons, or completely making new neural pathways and networks.
- When you make new networks, your brain releases different chemicals that affect how you think and feel.
- The more dense the networks, the more permanent the effect.
- Prolonged exposure to a brainwave frequency re-wires the brain to that state's attributes.
- Entrainment can recover brain functions damaged by injury or age. New neurons can migrate within the brain to damaged areas and form new connections and restore some or all lost function.
- A single session begins the journey, the effects you feel lasting for about an hour though your state of mind may last much longer.
- New connections form at an amazing speed, and that's why you will experience an immediate effect, but to reconnect into networks and have a permanent effect, they need to be stimulated through activity or repetition or they atrophy. (You need to listen to the session for at least 30 days consecutively).
- Without repetition, neural pathways and associations cannot change.
- Entrainment supercharges the formation of new neural pathways, reorganizing you at a higher level of brain function.
- Your subjective experience may be influenced by your willingness and ability to relax and focus attention.


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If you've had a chance to drop by the Carina blog, you know a little bit about what inspired AZTEC GOLD as well as my romantic suspense novel from Carina Press, THE FIFTH KINGDOM, which will be out in July 2011 (more on that story next week!).
Here is a little something else about what inspired certain parts of AZTEC GOLD.
I collect frogs. I don't know how that got started, but one day someone brought me a frog from a trip and then my sis brought me one made of some parasitic wood from Puerto Rico. Then I went to a conference and guess what they gave us? Frogs made from some kind of mineral that deposits on trees in the rainforest. From that day on, if I went somewhere new I collected a frog to commemorate the trip.
So there are these two frogs which inspired parts of AZTEC GOLD and trust me, these frogs have nothing to do with a prince in disguise.
The first frog is one I bought at those pyramids that I mentioned in the Carina Press Blog. It's made from gold obsidian which is not a pure obsidian since it has strands of gold color through the midnight black stone. Pure obsidian was very rare and therefore highly prized by the Aztecs. It's one of the reasons all their sacrificial knives were made from the stone.
An obsidian knife plays a big part in the novella, but I won't say more and spoil it in case you haven't read it yet.
The second frog I also bought during a different Mexican trip, this time to Guadalajara while I was on my way to the city of Tequila. The kind of craftsmanship in this frog is very common in Mexico and I love the bright colors, but there was something almost crazy about this frog. Something that inspired Eztli Etalpalli, the demon in the novella. Eztli Etalpalli, which means Blood Wing in Nahuatl, has "Jaguar claws and wings sharp as knives." For some reason I could imagine this crazy-colored frog with sharp talons and long knives out of its back. Can you?
How did Eztli Etalpalli come to exist? Here's a little blurb for you explaining how the Clawed Butterfly goddess, Izpapalotl gave birth to the demon.
Cynthia paused in front of one panel of drawings and inscriptions which explained how Izpapalotl had fallen in love with a nahual human and taken him as a lover while posing as a normal woman. The union had resulted in a child: Eztli Etalpalli. A panel a little further down detailed the demon demi-goddess's birth and life up until the time of her banishment.
Unlike her full-blooded goddess mother, Eztli Etalpalli lacked the power to assume human shape, even though her father had been mortal and a nahual. Because of that, Izpapalotl had kept her far away from civilization, fearful of what others might do to the half-demon child.
When Eztli Etalpalli had grown enough to defend herself, coming into her own powers, Izpapalotl had demanded of her worshippers that they build this temple for her daughter. That they deliver their tributes there for safekeeping.
The rest of the story they already knew: Eztli Etalpalli's dissatisfaction and greed had led to her exile deep in the jungle.
I hope you enjoyed today's little behind the scenes look at the creation of AZTEC GOLD.


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FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP)- Boston starter John Lackey pitched five sharp innings, Philadelphia opening day starter Cole Hamels threw six good innings and the Red Sox beat the Phillies 6-1 Thursday night.
Facing a Red Sox lineup that looked ready for the regular season, Hamels gave up one run and four hits. He struck out five and walked two.
Lackey allowed one run and four hits, with no walks and one strikeout.
Shane Victorino's bases-loaded triple off Michael Stutes highlighted Boston's five-run seventh.
The Phillies got a run off Lackey in the first when Pete Orr singled, Jimmy Rollins doubled and Michael Young had an RBI groundout.
The Red Sox scored in the second when Will Middlebrooks led off with a double, Jonny Gomes singled and Daniel Nava hit a sacrifice fly.
© 2018 Cox Media Group.


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What Really Went Wrong
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Lost Enterprises Presents What Really Went Wrong
The films pander in truth, as the titles suggest. Whats Really Going On? Whats Really Going Wrong? Lost tapped into the ethos of the times, chronicling wanton youth as they set about destroying everything around them lips, paradigms, rules, sluts, their livers, their careers. Even if you despised the frantic, raw hedonism of Lost films, you had to acknowledge the accuracy of the portrayal. Performance surfing is built on the misdeeds of kids who have no regard for their future. The truth is a battle cry. The spittle-tinged refrain from a drunken punk song.
By the 90s, surfing had lost its voice our rebel yell muted by the dangling carrot of mainstream acceptance. It was all about Kelly Slater, but Slaters ubiquitous adoration came at a price. His handlers decided Middle America wanted squeaky clean, and the magazines and brands towed the line: High fives, high on life, the high contrast plastic sheen of Baywatch and People Magazine.
The antidote was Lost. Each film a document, each video an eloquent anti-establishment manifesto. Wardo, Cory and crew led the way by tapping into our sordid roots. Surfing is not about public offerings. It is not about point totals and fitness. Surfing is groms in trash cans. Moshpit fights, blackouts, no-hope pull-ins, nitrous balloons, vacuumed Mexi weed, sand-bottomed beatings, the weird old hanger-ons with their hair on fire, going bigger than your friends, underage girls sitting on the laps of old men who admittedly need therapy. Surfing is making the wrong decisions for the right reasons, and getting rewarded for it. Put in the disc. Press play. Consider this a reminder. Lewis Samuels 2009
Starring: Chris Ward, Cory Lopez, Strider, Randall, Chicken Willey, Vince, Gilligan, LSDave, Brian Ramirez, David Dixon, Mark Gabriel, Tom Curren, Kelly Slater, Justin Matteson, Matt Archbold and 100 others.
More from
Lost Enterprises
2010 What Really Went Wrong
2009 Five 5.5 x 19 1/4 Redux
2000 Lost at Sea
2000 Whats Really Goin Wrong
2000 Whats Really Goin On
1999 Lost Across America
1997 Five 5.5 x 19 1/4


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Another day, another dinosaur / Monsters do their now-familiar thing, with wings, in 'Jurassic Park III'
Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, July 18, 2001
JURASSIC PARK III: Science fiction. Starring Sam Neill, William H. Macy and Tea Leoni. Directed by Joe Johnston. (PG-13. 92 minutes. At Bay Area theaters.)
"Jurassic Park III" has the integrity of a solid B-movie. If it lacks the inspiration of "Jurassic I," it also lacks the bloat and self-importance of most summer blockbusters. No one was trying to make an epic here. This is a monster movie -- 92 minutes, lots of action, lots of green legs stomping, get in, get out.
Flying dinosaurs make an appearance, and while they're not as big an innovation as the advertising might suggest, they do make for a couple of nifty sequences. In the obligatory opening disaster, a man (Mark Harelik) and his stepson are para-sailing off the island, hoping to see some dinosaurs. They won't go to the island, so the dinosaurs, ever hospitable, fly out to greet them. . . . Oh, no!
It has been eight years since the first "Jurassic Park" -- years in which audiences have come to take the miraculous for granted. In the new picture, we're treated to a dinosaur stampede, brilliantly rendered, and for the characters caught in it, it's as distressing as ever. Yet for us it registers about as powerfully as an old newsreel about the running of the bulls in Pamplona.
Likewise, though director Joe Johnston cranks up the John Williams themes at the sight of brachiosauruses gamboling contentedly in their vegetarian paradise, for audiences it's just another day. The public has become so dinosaur savvy that it knows the herbivores from the carnivores.
All this is a measure of the series' success, but it also suggests that this new installment may be the end of the line. For all its economy and directness, "Jurassic III" doesn't do anything new, and the impact of doing the old stuff just isn't there anymore. The only possible direction for yet another sequel would be nihilism: The dinosaurs take over the planet, eat everybody, roll credits.
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Sam Neill, who skipped the second installment, is back as paleontologist Alan Grant, who, like Harrison Ford's heroes, always looks vaguely disgusted about something. Not that anything bad has happened yet -- he's disgusted in advance. Grant is still researching dinosaurs, but one thing he knows for sure:
He is never going back to dino-island, heck no, no way, forget about it.
But he does agree to fly over it, with a wealthy and adventurous married couple (William H. Macy and Tea Leoni) who open their checkbook and keep adding zeros until he can't resist. To watch the scene in which Grant breaks down and agrees to take the money is to wonder if that's how Neill looked when he agreed to make this sequel.
The dinosaurs show up early -- that's a great virtue of "Jurassic Park III. " Thanks to a plot turn not worth revealing, Grant and his party end up landing on the island, and that's when the movie becomes an almost nonstop struggle for survival. A T. rex takes an early interest in the passenger cabin of their airplane, much the way boys take an interest in tin cans. It's miraculous that the characters survive 10 minutes, but the movie is good at presenting hopeless situations and steering the characters out of them.
This time Grant has new information based on his decades of research. The raptors are really, really smart. "They were smarter than dolphins," he says, "smarter than primates."
Smarter than audiences? He doesn't say. But the raptors are capable of setting traps and coordinating their attacks. They even have their own language. If there's another sequel, expect subtitles.
There are two ways to make a monster movie. One way is to make audiences hate the monsters. The other is to pull a "King Kong" and make audiences like one particular monster. "Jurassic Park III" tries to do something impossible --
to make us feel warm toward the monsters in those rare moments when they're not trying to eat the cast.
This blunts some of the emotional effectiveness of the story, as if the filmmakers were ambivalent about making a monster movie in an environmentally aware era.
This film contains graphic sci-fi violence.


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Anyone up for a spicy couscous recipe? Couscous is a quick and simple dish, so naturally I love it. It makes a great pairing with fish, and both can be cooked up quickly. I usually start with plain couscous and spice it up myself, it is simple to do and much yummier than any overpriced pre-made couscous mix you'll buy at the market.
What You Need To Make This Spicy Couscous Recipe
1 cup COUSCOUS
2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
1 medium ONION (chopped)
3 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
1 HOT PEPPER (finely chopped)
1 tsp MUSTARD SEEDS
1 tsp CHILI POWDER
1 tsp PAPRIKA
½ tsp TURMERIC POWDER
1 tsp TOMATO PASTE
1 ½ cup WATER (or broth)
SALT (to taste)
How To Make Spicy Couscous
Heat olive oil on medium high heat and then add onions.
Stir for 1 minute and add mustard seeds, hot pepper, and garlic.
Continue sautéing for a couple more minutes.
Stir in chili powder, paprika, and turmeric.
Add salt and tomato paste and mix well.
Pour in 1 ½ cups of water, stir, cover pot and turn up the heat and bring the pot to a boil.
After ingredients come to a boil, stir in the couscous and mix well. Cover and remove from heat and allow pot to sit for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes the couscous will have completely absorbed all the water.
Uncover and immediately fluff with a fork; this will keep the couscous for overcooking and becoming a sticky, starchy mess; couscous should be light and fluffy, and in this case, nice and spicy, too.
Give this spicy couscous recipe a try, and I hope you like it.
Bon appétit!
This couscous recipe goes great with this DELICIOUS BLACKENED FISH RECIPE!
Thanks for watching my couscous recipe video. If you liked it, then used the buttons below to share the recipe with your friends. Thanks!
-Chef Buck


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It is Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow template with Happy Father's Day theme with combination yellow, red color and small loves images as background that is free to download. Father's Day is June 17 2012 on Sunday,that is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. It celebrates the contribution that fathers and father figures make for their children's lives as on Wiki.
Simpleway to Create Slideshow for Presentation wit Free Templates
It is simple to create slideshow for presentation with Microsoft PowerPoint with certain theme like on Fathers' Day. There are so many free PPT template to download with theme of fathers image, or father with baby, father on their office as symbol of the celebration like in this free template for PowerPoint. And here some presentation templates with backgrounds for PowerPoint 2007 like blue love.
It is a good idea to bring the relation between father and son or father and daughter in Father's Day celebration.The final creation can be used for many purpose such as for business, education, teacher at school when teaching students or the most interesting ideas is us it as a gift for you father.
Happy Fathers' Day Slideshow Presentation Template as Gift
There are so many ideas to give present for someone on special day. When you are planning to give gift for your father, you can give a slideshow in video format that you can upload on Youtube or other video hosting. You can insert picture of photos of you with your father when you were a child until you grow up now. That is just want to remind him how care you are to your dad. With combination red and yellow and four small red love pictures to show how deep your love your your father.
PPT Template with Red Love Pictures Sample
Free PowerPoint Presentation Template for Fathers'Day
You can dowload and use the PPT template with love heart for fathers day for free.


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John Laws
John Laws back on air on the Supernetwork today
While digital radio continues to make inroads into the media landscape, in a stroke of retro genius Bill Caralis has lured possibly Australia's most analogue announcer back on air. John Laws plugged his golden microphone […] Read More
Caralis and Laws: over before it begins?
The biggest game in radio at the moment isn't "secret sound" or "5th caller through". In fact, its not even on air. Bets are being taken across the radio industry on how long the John […] Read More
Laws joining 2SM in January?
Source: Radioinfo Those close to John Laws report that the radio legend is not taking retirement all that well and is desperate to return to his natural habitat, the padded walls of a radio studio. […] Read More
Is John Laws making a comeback?
From ABC online Radio personality John Laws is reportedly considering making a comeback, and could be back on the air as early as next month. Newspaper reports today say Mr Laws has held talks with […] Read More
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Craig Wilson a leading digital and inbound marketing consultant who was recently ranked globally as one of Top 100 SEO Experts to follow. He is managing director of Sticky, a digital agency based in Newcastle, Australia and co-founder of DiG Festival.
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Craig is a contributor to the collaborative series of world-wide marketing books The Age of Conversation 1, 2, 3. He has contributed to Marketing Magazine and Digital Ministry and is often called on by media to comment on industry news. Craig is regularly invited to speak on media issues, especially social and digital media, and at various events around Australia on topics ranging from Search Engine Optimisation, the changing media and marketing landscape and inbound marketing.Read More...
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Topeka Even though the state doesn't appear to be in the crosshairs of any terrorist attacks, officials say Kansans should remain vigilant and a little more aware of their surroundings.
Throughout the state, officials say security has been increased for locations such as oil and gas pipelines, airports and public buildings in the wake of last week's attacks in New York and Washington.
Since then, there has been speculation about additional attacks, perhaps on Saturday. But state and federal law enforcement officials emphasized Friday they had no information about any credible threats in Kansas.
"I'm not aware of anything directed at Kansas," said Col. Don Brownlee, Kansas Highway Patrol superintendent. "It doesn't lessen the drive to be prepared for anything that may come."
FBI spokesman Jeff Lanza in Kansas City, Mo., agreed, adding, "People should always be vigilant about their security and report any suspicious activity to authorities."
On Friday, Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft warned Acting Gov. Jane Swift of Massachusetts that terrorist strikes could be attempted in Boston in the coming days, though he stressed that no specific threats have been made.
Gov. Bill Graves hasn't received any similar warnings about Kansas.
"We have not received any additional warnings or alerts from federal authorities beyond those communicated last week in the wake of the disasters," said Graves spokesman Don Brown.
As the second weekend since the Sept. 11 attacks approached, much of the state was trying to resume some semblance of normalcy.
In Manhattan, Kansas State University planned its football game against New Mexico State. Kansas State officials said there will be extra security at the 46,000-seat stadium. Coolers are banned, and bags and purses will be searched.
At the Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson, spokesman Jeff Ollenburger said the facility will maintain normal hours.
"We have a lot of people coming in and reflecting on what the country can do," he said.
Throughout the state, security that was increased immediately following the attacks remained in place for the foreseeable future.
At Boeing's Wichita plant, officials were aware only of media reports about the possibility of a second wave of violence, said spokesman Dick Ziegler.
"We have already stepped security up. We are comfortable at the state of preparedness the situation has called for," Ziegler said.
Koch Industries spokesman Jay Rosser said the company received no official warning to take extra security measures at its pipelines and refineries and wouldn't say security measures the company is taking.
Associated Press Writer Roxana Hegeman in Wichita contributed to this report.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. We strive to uphold our values for every story published.


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Reviewed By Matt C (Grand rapids, MI) Reviewed for a 2004 Mazda 6 —5/12/2012 12:28 PM
These shocks r awesome! I was scared I l was about to waste 200 bucks but the ride in my mazda 6 is like night and day. No more bottoming out on train tracks or scraping on on ramps when I feel like speed racer. It's not welded stiff but not too soft. It's perfect for that race feel.


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EVs sure have been getting a bad rap: this weekend's New York Times hit piece on the Tesla Model S's inability to sustain an adequate charge and last year's scrutiny from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after a Chevy Volt fire at the test facility have sparked doubt and criticism about cars powered by lithium-ion batteries.
The Li-ion batteries in these cars were heralded as the beacon mobility's future--green, safe, reliable.
But these technologies are constantly evolving, and the deficiencies at this current development stage aren't that surprising (you remember nickel-metal hydride batteries and the EV1?).
The Li-ion battery, of course, has long been hailed as the best EV battery around, but its flaws at enduring heat and providing range have spurred innovators to seek alternatives.
Sure, a Li-ion battery with a range of 40 odd miles is going to get you around town on any given day, but what about your Griswold-esque family vacation or your D.C.-to-New York go-for-the-jugular odyssey? Can we conceive of the 500 mile road trip powered by a battery?
Electric cars are only just arriving in any main stream capacity, but already auto makers are having to look at what's next.
Li-ion vs. NiMH: Refresher
The conventional logic has it that Li-ion offers greater storage in a more compact space compared to the less expensive NiMH. Battery capacity is measured by energy density in Watthours/kg, and the energy density in Li-ion is twice that of NiMH. By that same token, Li-ion can cost almost twice as much as NiMH ($800-$1,000 per kilowatt hour compared to $500 to $550 per kilowatt hour, respectively). As a result, plenty of hybrids use NiMH, for financial savings; the Prius, for example, uses a battery pack with 168 NiMH batteries that produce 1.2 volts each. Plus, according to Andy Chu, vice president of marketing and communications at battery-maker A123, because hybrids do not rely solely on electric, they can afford to sacrifice some energy density and stick with the NiMH without fear of running out of juice.
As of 2010, 98% of EVs used Li-ion batteries, and come 2017, 100% will use Lithium-ion, according to Strategic Analytics. Only 11% of mild hybrid EVs in 2010 used Li-ion but predictions double that percentage come 2017. As a continued indication of a trend away from NiMH, full hybrid EVs will bump from 0% Li-ion-powered to 17% over the same interval. In other words, Li-ion is slowly taking over the hybrid market as NiMH goes the way of the dodo. But to anyone who hasn't been living under a rock, this could create some major anxiety for you on your future road trips.
As battery range (i.e. the distance your battery fully charged will get you) becomes more of a consumer focus, increasingly compact power will become tantamount to battery choice for hybrids and electric cars. The Volt has a 16 kWh capacity, and the all-electric Nissan Leaf provides 24 kWh. The Tesla Roadster, which indeed uses Li-ion batteries, stores 56 kWh of electric energy and delivers up to 215 kW of electric power (a NiMH battery pack with the same electric energy would weigh over twice as much). Tesla technology hinges on assembling thousands of top-notch lithium-ion cells into a liquid-cooled battery pack.
To be sure, increasingly capacious chemistry and materials are used to improve the capabilities of batteries such as switching from carbon-based anodes to silicon-based ones. But even as these improvements appear, Li-ion is not immune to competition.
A Throne Usurped: Will Li-ion's Reign End?
Li-ion batteries are generally low-maintenance, as they lack memory issues and do not need planned cycling to prolong the battery life. As with all batteries, Li-ion doesn't hold up so well in extreme heat or cold, no matter what Tesla CEO Elon Musk insists. To monitor thermal changes, lithium becomes more expensive to design.
But though Li-Ion is king at least for now, it is ultimately not infallible. Can there be more stable chemistries developed that do not have as many degenerative side reactions when batteries are cycled?
Innovators say yes, but it is unclear how long it will take for these energy alternatives to be implemented and commercialized. The Great White Hope in the Holy Grail of battery range seems to be lithium air technology.
Lithium Air Apparent
The energy density of lithium air is 5,210 wh/kg compared with the more modest 160 wh/kg and 90 to 120 wh/kg in lithium-magnese oxide and lithium iron phosphate, respectively according to research firm Frost & Sullivan. The 300 liter volume at which cars cap their battery size does not prevent those hoping for the 500 mile dream. But it sure ups the ante for research and development.
Your typical battery consists of anode, cathode, and electrolyte parts. Using air as the anode--as is the case with lithium-air technology--can be more efficient in the long run with decreased weight of the battery and much better energy density, power, speed, range, and battery life cycle. IBM in Silicon Valley is a leader in developing this technology, which Taison Tan, a lithium-ion technology expert, estimates is still 10 years away.


text: You want Super Bowl tickets? Of course you do. Me too. Let us help each other out. Before I explain further, I ask (actually beg beg beg) you to go to this specific link at the P&G "Fan-cestry" site, go thru the easy steps and create your history as a fan. Takes maybe 5 minutes. Read More


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Discussion in 'Stillwater' started by Rob Hardman, Jan 17, 2013.
I've got a drift boat and am always looking for someone to come along.
Bummer, I should have done some research before heading up to RSL today to find it frozen.
I'll take you up on that offer if no one else does! Anything to keep me fishing but get my ass out of sub 40 degree water.


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A memorial service for Dr. Harold A. Sofield, 87, an orthopedic surgeon, will be at 4:30 p.m. Monday in the auditorium at Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, 2211 N. Oak Park Ave.
He died Thursday in West Suburban Hospital Medical Center in Oak Park.
For most of his medical life, Dr. Sofield was associated with both hospitals, as chief of orthopedic surgery at West Suburban and chief of surgery at Shriners. He had been affiliated with Shriners since 1927, which predates his graduation from Northwestern University Medical School.


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You judge: Good customer service or bad customer service
UPDATE: Blockbuster has now changed its policy to allow debit cards to rent X-Box 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii games.
I have been a customer of Blockbuster for about 5 years. About 1 1/2 years ago I started the blockbuster online service as well. I would visit the store about once a week to rent a game for my son. So all together I would spend a minimum of $50 per month with them.
Recently I purchased an Xbox 360 for my son. So we go to blockbuster to rent a 360 game. Once at the counter I am told there is a new rule, I must have a credit card on file to rent a 360, playstation 3 or wii game. I explained to them that I don't have one nor will I have one. I have a debit card on file with them already. So I call their customer care. The lady I spoke with was rather friendly and told me that she could not do anything about it. She said she would have her supervisor call me within 5 days. A week goes by and no call, so I call them back. They are still nice and tell me the same thing. This goes on for over a month. Finally a supervisor calls me and is really defensive right off the bat. I explained my situation to him. I have no credit card and had no intentions of getting one, I have been a customer for years, I have returned every game and movie I have ever rented. I also told him that if they did not value me as a customer that I would be canceling all my memberships. He proceeded to tell me that I did not understand how business worked. That this was necessary. These games are expensive he said. Now the last time I looked they are at most $10 to $20 more. I don't see a difference in a credit or debit card. One can be canceled as easily as the other.
Anyway I did cancel my memberships in protest and sent an e-mail to Blockbuster corporate, which after another month has gone unanswered.
So what is your opinion? Please vote.[/b]
I'm not quite sure what to vote for in your poll. The customer service sounds food, up to the point at which they don't contact you when they said they would - if it's going to take a month, then tell your customers that it will take a month, not 5 days (and be apologetic about the long wait). I don't like the way the supervisor was defensive, if he had appeared more understanding and explained properly why he couldn't allow you to use your debit card then perhaps you wouldn't have been so angry. In general then, I think it's bad customer service (for this event, not necessarily for everything) - I'll vote in the poll now.
I'm sure there must be a good reason why they've implemented this rule as there will be more potential customers like you who just wont be able to buy / rent from them as a result of this. I don't think cancelling your memberships was a good idea, it won't have any affect on the company at all but you've lost your benefits. Remember, you're not the only one complaining (or he would, no sorry... should have called up in 5 days) and so you won't have much affect on them.
I say that it's not their duty to allow just one person to do things in their own way, it would be too complicated and confusing. Maybe a rule change is in order? Whatever though, I would say that if you want to point blame (personally I don't see the point) then it's either the company policy that made the customer care person you spoke to give you an inaccurate time estimate. Or the customer care person just didn't ask her supervisor (which would make sense; I bet most people just forget or don't bother to call back when they're not called back. Therefore not talking to the supervisor would save money and time). But perhaps the supervisor just didn't bother to call you, maybe through company policy or through his own whims - we'll never know.
If they're so concerned about the possibility of you absconding with one of their games why don't they just take a security deposit? At least that's hard cash that, unlike a credit or debit card, can't be cancelled.
I can actually see where they are coming from with that and games being $20-$30 more than the $6 rental fee? Where ever you're at those games must be CHEAP! I mean where I'm at Xbox 360 games are $60, along with PS3 games are $60, and Nintendo Wii games are $50. I can understand they're concerned with stealing games, but a credit card is a little harsh they should just make you have one of those stupid Blockbuster card that I think everyone is required to have or almost everyone has one anyway.
Sorry, I was not clear about the $10 to $20 more. I was referring to the 360, ps3 and wii games costing them $10 to $20 more than the ps2 or gamecube or xbox games.
I agree with your complaints, but in the end, Blockbuster is a very large company. I will most likely get a credit card myself later on, but even so, I respect people who wont. Blockbuster is going to be losing a ton of service.
If you really want to take a stand against this, make a petition or get names of other's who're leaving their service because of this. Make them notice you by a bulk of people, not by individuals.
Good idea, although not sure where I would find others willing to or have already left their service. But yes it is the principle of the matter that bothers me.
Captain Fertile
I've never known them require a credit card for renting a game. A console yes but a game no (or did I misread your original post?).
I think this is a crazy rule where games are concerned. Back in the days whne VHS video rental was new and a new movie release on VHS would cost about £80.00 but the charge for a night/s rental was about £2.50. No card was required at all so I think the equation between cost and risk is negligible here - you are gonna have to show some faith in your customers at some point.
Its not like the difference between the cost of console rental and console purchase.
Anyway, as you were long-term customer in good standing I feel that some flexibility would be warranted as a reward for years of membership and a blemish-free record (I take it your membership was fine of course).
I can understand your conternation and in this case I think you are right to feel upset.
Yes it was for a game rental and my rental history is without incident.
Yes, I would agree that is terrible customer service. These big companys have no concern for the little people, only profits.
Well I am not so sure they understand how to make a profit if they are going to treat their customers in this manner, only to lose them. Granted they only lost $50 plus per month when they lost me, but that is still $50 subtracted from the bottom line.
I was just thinking about when I was younger and worked in retail some. There is usually a huge amount of shrinkage from theft, damage, etc. I imagine they lose more from a person walking out of the store with a stolen game or movie than they do from customers not returning it.
Don't take me the wrong way. This is their store and they can run it how they see fit. But it is also my hard earned money that I can spend where I see fit. And my voice as a consumer to speak with as well. Ok rant off....for now
id say thats bad service... plus they are 2 expensive ... i dont use em anymore
So I found this online petition website and I am thinking about making one. What do you think? Is it worth the time and effort?
Nobody should be rude to you. That is a fact.
I'm sick and tired of people wanting something above and beyond the policies of whatever company it is, and saying the service is bad if they don't get it.
At restaurants, people try to order things not on the menu and get pizzed when they can't have it. Cell phone users rant and rave because their bills are so high, because they used twice as many minutes in their plan. People travelling are incredulous because they must have a credit card, not a debit card to rent a car.
Rules are rules. They are in place for a reason (even if we don't all know what it is), not just to make it inconvenient for you to rent a game.
Also, you should have a real credit card. There are just too many things that you can't do in life without one.
I don't agree with the rudeness, nor the time it took to get back to you. Unfortunatly I can understand them setting the policy of having a credit card on file for renting expensive items.
Not eveyone is as honest as you are when returning items of this nature, and this gives the company the right (right or wrong) to charge you for the entire cost of the game in question.
I think you should get as many iun happy people that feel the same as you about them together and sen therenames onapaper and send it tothem maybe having alotsofpeople allcomplaning all at once willmake them change there ways of doing things,.
that was horable tech support. Just last yeare I took a help desk class were we learnd all about tech support and stuff and what gos agenst every gid line we read about good helpp desks world by follow in sittuations like this.
You had ever right to bbe upset about it
This is one of the both sides are right kind of thing.
If a customer has not has any non-lost rents then it should be allowed to no have a credit card. I worked with a video store and if someone did not have the credit card they had to give money to the video store to hold for collateral if they did not return the game. I have heard excuses for not turning in games, movies etc that could make me a millionaire if i went stand up comic. I think they should cut the costumers come slack if they have had a clean record or hold money as collateral for it. One place a worked for use membership credit cards to take $2.50 without telling the card holder so I quit. I also reported it to the main head quarters and 2 weeks later the building closed down and turned into a carpet sales store. I don't think it is right for credit cards to be held in membership accounts. It unsafe & it can easy be access because here the video stores employees go in the back and do whatever till someone rings a bell and accounts can be access easy because when i go to the one where have here the key is always in the register. So i think both sides have a equal say but as they say business is buisness.
When I joined this company as a member, there was no policy about having a credit card. A debit card was acceptable. This is one of the reasons I joined. They changed the rules of the game after I had been a member for years. I have no problem with them doing what they want with their company, after all it is their company. But I am a consumer and I have every right to be upset about the way a company deals with me as a customer.
As far as "you should have a real credit card"....not gonna happen. Personally I won't throw away money in interest. Yes I know you can pay it off each month. Well how many have said that and something comes up and they are not able to do it this month, then next month something else comes up. It is just too easy to get in trouble. I'll keep my "real" debit card, which is backed up with "real" cash in a bank. Yes I will have to not rent cars or rent games at blockbuster, but it is a fair trade for me.
I don't think that the store should condone such mannerism within their facility. By allowing this to occur, they welcomed an entire plethora of ill-mannered situations. A manager should have been able to handle this, or the store owner/corporate might need to get involved. And if corporate gets involved, someones loosing their job.
I say it was bad customer service, this is not a good thing for a company to do to a valuable loyal customer.
I have been a Blockbuster member for years and they have changed their policy several times. When they first came on the scene you needed a credit card to get an account and then because of customer complaints they did away that requirement. With the emergence of the new gen consoles and Blockbusters no late fees policy they changed the policy back to needing a credit card for a new account or a card associated with the account because if you dont return a rental by the 8th day Blockbuster charges the sale amount to your in store account. And if you dont return it after 30 days they will charge your card. But if you return it before 30 days that fee is credited back to your store account. I speak from experience on this. I had a $10.00 fee on my account because my ex did not return a video on my account. I paid the amount, in order to rent that day. Once it was brought to her attention she returned the video and my account was credited the $10.00 dollars back. You can view this procedure at the following URL under the In-Store Movie and Game Rental section http://www.blockbuster.com/corporate/termsAndConditions.
I agree with you 100% about the credit card/debit card. I do not own a credit card anymore because of the exact reason you stated why you dont have one. But I find this odd that they did not take your debit card for the account. My debit card is an all access card and associated with my account.
This is horrible service. I agree that companies have rules in place to protect their bottom line and that these rules cant be changed for one person just because, but as stated I have a debit card associated with my account and have never had a problem. I truly believe that this a local store location problem. Unfortunately whoever talked to you from corporate was not well informed on their own policies. I agree with your decision to discontinue your membership, but I would have called Corporate back and talked to someone else just because I need to voice my opinion and chances are in your favor that you would get someone who is a little more reasonable or knowledgeable. An email is good, but that could sit in an email inbox for weeks before anyone even looks at it or it can be deleted without a second thought. My two cents.
Futile...do you rent x-box 360 games, playstation 3 games, or nintendo wii games? I am curious because these are the only items their new policy requires a credit card to rent, and you said you had no problems renting without one. I was also told this was a company wide policy change as of January of this year.
Yet another reason that my name for them, for years, has been "Lacklustre Video."
On the other hand, I only had ONE problem, ever, with NetFlix, and that was extremely minor (received the wrong DVD since the previous viewer had put the wrong disc into the sleeve), and their customer service handle it perfectly: sending me the correct DVD without my having to wait for the wrong one to get back to them.
Now, Lacklustre is trying to advertise that their new service is better than NetFlix since one may get DVDs directly from their stores on the spur of the moment. While that certainly is true, their ads make it sound as if you have to WAIT for NetFlix. This, simply, is NOT the case, since the NetFlix system is not just based upon having only a single disc out at any given time. Thus, you always have at least one other disc to watch while the returned one is exchanged for the next DVD in your queue. Sure, there are not "NetFlix stores" from which to get specific DVDs on the spur of the moment, but one may always use Lacklustre (or Hollywood Video or the like) for that, even if one does use NetFlix.
I really don't understand why blockbuster wouldn't take your debit, did you hand them your debit card when they asked for credit, or did you simply say that it was on file. I'm sure it was a misunderstanding if it were the latter, because debit and credit use the same scanner, and i would think the employee of the moment doesn't know/have access to the "file" your card is on.
But if it's the first, then I know i won't go to blockbuster because i know i will NEVER get a credit card. My debit is just as good, and better becuase of no interest.
Sonic, I own a Wii and a 360 and I rent both. Matter of fact I have Spiderman 3 for the Wii out right now. Like I said I have never had a problem renting games other then them being out of stock when I want them. I also agree with Squirrel I just swipe my card. You are correct about their policy being in affect since January. But I know that I do not have a credit card on file and I know that I use only my debit or cash when I rent. I do not have a reasonable explaination why I do not have a problem and you do or rather did. The only reason I can come up with is maybe since I have been renting from BB since the dawn of time I fall under a Grandpa clause or something. Your guess is as good as mine.
I would stand somewhere in between. I think that you are a victim of bad wording in corporate policy, but really it isn't that big of a deal.
There are good uses for credit cards, you know.
To answer your question, they could tell by looking at their computer that what I had on file is a debit card, and they required a credit card.
I think in your case, that maybe store has employees that recognize you as a regular and good standing customer, so they don't ask for it. In my case all the employees were allowing me to rent these games without ever mentioning the new policy, except for a new employee and a new assistant manager. All of the other employees never asked for a credit card. It was the new ones that "followed the book".
sonicj, I'm also unsure of what to vote. I totally sympathize with you as I was in the exact same situation about 4 years ago. I found it appalling that people with credit cards (and potentially paying for stuff with money they didn't have) were afforded more credibility than someone consistently paying with a debit card or cold hard cash. Now I just accept it as a way of life. If you want total access these days you need a credit card whether you ever intend on using it or not. I finally gave in and got a credit card simply to have total access to anything I wanted. That's the way it is.
littlegiant, I completely understand what you are saying and agree with you, "it is the way it is". But, it is not "the way it was", meaning when I joined it was not that way. That and the way it was all handled is what has me up in arms. Anyway I see what you are saying.
For some unknown reason, Companies do not care about keeping their long term customers happy. It is like we already have you HA,HA! Companies are more concerned with protecting themself from new customers.
I do not see why your debit card, especially considering your long term relationship, should have been a problem.
Blockbuster has now changed their policy to allow debit cards to rent X-Box 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii games.
I would like to think that my protest, in some small way, played a part in this reversal in policy. But the reality is that it probably had no effect at all. Although, something caused this to happen, so maybe there were more like me that canceled memberships in protest.
Well this is a good change!
I think you're right, there has to be something that made Blockbuster change it's mind. This was either down to people doing what you did, or Blockbuster deciding that they could get more business if they allowed debit cards.
Obviously I don't know which - but either way they must have decided that they were missing out on a substantial enough amount of profit to change their policy.
In some way, I hope they changed their policy through people like you standing up and actually showing them that you won't give in. This would prove that Blockbuster does listen to it's customers, even if it takes a large amount of them to do the same / a similar thing.
Alright sonic! Stick it to the man!
Hey maybe they've been screwed by some of their credit card holding clients as of late and finally decided it was safer to give more respect to people who actually have the cash on hand. Sheesh.. what a concept! More respect for people who actually have the money as opposed to those who are deemed 'good for it'... What's next? Actually being able to pay cash for a hotel room again? (heh heh... that'll be the day...)
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