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Slide 1 of 6
1. "30 Rock"
Much like the Angels adding Josh Hamilton to an already formidable lineup, the addition of Kristen Schaal to an already stellar ensemble might be the move that puts "30 Rock" over the top. But let's be honest: Alec Baldwin, with his six(!) straight wins in the lead comedy actor category and the "piercing blue eyes of an ice dragon," is carrying this team.
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text:
It's an old Portland story; one of community, love and a slow flash in the night.
From lowly box boy I had risen to the lofty position of journeyman checker at a supermarket on Southeast 82nd Avenue, Albertsons, and was a member of Grocery Clerks Local 1092. This netted me a significant hourly wage as compared to my wants and needs at the time. This would do until I graduated from the University of Portland. I was headed towards a degree in physics and a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. But there would a few twists and turns of life in my community in the interim.
The busy grocery store was a community within the community of the surrounding neighborhood we served. Albertson employees worked shoulder-to-shoulder as a team. We all got to know each other very well as we strived to meet the motivating service standards set by Joe Albertson. The store had also became the centerpiece of my life, albeit indirectly, at the snack bar.
To help ensure quality service to our customers, the manager's office was located a half-story above the main floor. It had an un-glassed window through which shopping activities and the lengths of check-out lines were watched. One day as I busily served shoppers in my check stand, one of the box boys pointed out that there was a good looking blond girl in the manager's office. I took the time to glance up from my work; he was right. A pretty girl was speaking to the manager apparently interviewing for a job in the store's snack bar. Luckily for me she got the job.
I was still committed to my very first and only girl friend of nearly three years. That, thankfully, shortly came to an end. Then I became a socially unencumbered young man and thought that I should get to know the new girl in the snack bar a little better. She was very attractive, the result of a Scandinavian and Slovenian heritage. Not practiced in such things, I had to work up the courage to ask her out. Tired after a four-hour turn in a check stand on a Saturday, I plopped myself down at a table next to the snack bar counter and struck up an ice-breaking conversation; how busy the store was and that the summer weather was nice. Suave I was not. She complained about how tired she was and described that she had spent the weekend at a girlfriend's house in McMinnville just south of Portland and had ridden there and back in her girlfriend's dad's red Cadillac convertible with the top down. Apparently her social skills and domain were a bit more expansive than mine. I nervously came up with, "Are you too tired to go out?" This seemed to be a safer course-of-action than making a direct, easily understood, unambiguous request that could be turned down, deflating my ego in the process.
She scooped hard ice cream into a cone for a customer then made a reasoned reply. "Not if somebody asked me."
That was not quite the response I was expecting, but it held out hope. She would go out if somebody asked her. But I thought, hey, I was asking her, sort of. I dug deep and summoned up something more manly and direct, "Well, I'm asking."
With a slight blush for not realizing my intent, or at least not admitting it, she accepted my offer. Two years later, we were married.
Because of my student workload, and my job performance, I was able to convince the store's manager to let me work part-time after school a couple of days during the week, coupled with two full-time days on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday was best. Wages for Sunday were computed at time-and-a-half, thanks to the union. Also, work was much less hectic than on Saturdays when enticing ads and people's shopping habits brought them to this high-quality store in droves. Then it was four hours standing in the check stand, an hour break for lunch followed by another four hours checking shopping carts full of groceries, with a friendly smile. A Saturday left me pretty well exhausted by the end of my shift.
To put things in perspective, such work was in the days before automatic bar code readers and customers that take items out of their shopping carts and place them on conveyor belts leading to the waiting checker. Back then shopping carts were pushed into the check stand where I stood. Bent over slightly, I had to quickly fish items out of a shopper's cart, read the stamped prices, or weigh produce items, slide everything to the box boy as I entered prices into the cash register by pushing the correct keys followed each time by pressing a large flat entry button with the heel of my right hand. This was done almost continuously on a Saturday.
Saturdays were ad days, days with discounted prices on some items to attract customers into the store where it was hoped they would buy other normally-priced things. It required too much work to change the prices on the ad items already stocked on the shelves. Nor was it efficient to mark them with the ad price as they were replenished on the shelf during the day only to have to change the price on unsold ad items on Sunday. A checker had to memorize the ad prices. The ad sheet that appeared in The Oregonian hung in my check stand, just in case I forgot. Customers would quickly point-out, sometimes not very pleasantly, when the stamped price was entered instead of the ad price. That added a little embarrassment and more stress during Saturday's shopping mayhem. In response, I made a habit of showing up to work a half-hour early on ad days, then stand before the ad sheet in the back room and repeat the ad prices again and again in my mind, or spoken out loud like a mantra. Then I was ready to face the throngs.
Finally, checkers in those days had to know the "multiples," without error. Store management thought that shoppers would buy more items if they were marked with a single price for group of them; for example, five cans of beans for $1.19. That would be $0.24 for one can, $0.48 for two cans, and so on, rounding up in each case, of course. There was no time to use a scratch pad or a hand-held calculator even if they had existed at the time. This had to be done by disciplined rote. There was no time to do the calculations in the check stand - don't hesitate, don't back-up and slow down the line of customers, quick, enter $0.48 for the two cans and move on. With all this, calmer Sundays were a welcome relief with more pay.
It was on a pleasant Sunday night in Portland, around closing time that made working in the grocery business especially memorable. The rather slow evening was winding down. There were just a few employees in the large store; a box boy, the assistant store manager, someone tending the bakery department and a person working in the snack bar. We were all doing final store-closing tasks. I was cleaning up, sweeping out the check stands and restocking the cigarette displays in the check stands. My wife was waiting in the parking lot. She had come to drive me home to a small rental duplex apartment not far from the store. With her was her young niece who was to spend the night at our apartment and to see where Uncle Bob worked. They had purchased two ice cream cones in the snack bar where my wife had worked and were now enjoying them in the warm evening air in our car with the windows rolled down. She saw a man entering the store, as did I.
That lone, last customer came in just at closing time, pulled out an empty shopping cart from the stack by the front door and went into the isles. Now I had to keep the cash register open to serve this last customer, delaying the end of my shift. Finally he pushed his cart into my check stand. It held only two items; a yellow onion and a bottle of after-shave lotion. That seemed odd, but the fellow did need a shave. I had learned long before not to question a customer's shopping habits. Just pick up the items, register the costs, politely state the total, collect the payment, make change, keep that pleasant smile and thank him for shopping at Albertsons.
I announced the small sum. The man asked if he could speak to the manager. He held a well-worn paper shopping bag wrapped around something. I took this to be the return of a purchase. This was not unusual. I grabbed the microphone in my check stand and over the store's loudspeaker system I asked for the assistant manager, "Larry, Check Stand Four, please."
Larry was in the elevated manager's office. It was not unusual to see him there at the end of the day, closing the books, doing some administrative work. He also had noted the late shopper from his office perch. As requested, Larry came down and the man walked over to talk to him before Larry reached my check stand. They spoke briefly, out of earshot. Then, together they went up to the manager's office.
This did not trigger any suspicion. I merely thought he wanted to speak to the manager about returning an item, or to make a complaint. I went back to stacking cigarette packs, oblivious to the unfolding events. I looked up and saw Larry and the man talking about something. A couple of minutes later they both came back down and were walking towards the store's safe near my check stand. The man was right behind him, close. The large safe was next the large windows in the front of the store for all to see. For security reasons, it was not hidden away. Curiously, I did take note of Larry's face. He contorted his mouth and made eye motions trying to indicate something. I didn't have a clue. Then, the man looked around nervously and shouted, "Forget it!" as he bolted out the door.
Larry yelled, "Get that #%*^# son of a #%*^#!" With that, I sprang into action.
At the time I was on the University of Portland track team, was a fairly good sprinter and in pretty good shape. On occasion, a teenager from the community would wander into the store, clutch a bottle of wine and run out the door. In one fluid motion I would push my cash register drawer shut, throw off my store apron as I headed out the door in hot pursuit. My capture rate until then was almost 100%. I was usually able to catch up with running wine thieves, also known as shoplifters, by the end of the parking lot, grasp them by the collar and return them to the justice of store management, their parents and maybe the police. This Sunday evening I thought that this seemingly strange set of events was something like one of those wine-toting teenager encounters. But I had not seen the man anywhere near the wine isle. There was no time to think rationally. I reacted impulsively, instinctively, and soon found myself running after the man across a busy thoroughfare and down a dark neighborhood street. My wife witnessed this from the safety of our car, of me flying out the door and giving chase.
This fellow seemed to be in better shape than those high school kids heisting wine bottles. Or at least he had more motivation to evade my capture. As I closed on him I could hear him huffing and puffing, getting out of breath. I was not yet breathing hard and offered, not-so-gently, "Buddy, you're not going to outrun me!" I had a reputation to uphold.
I came up behind him running at full speed, reached out and grabbed hold of his collar. Then the world slowed down as in those slow-motion scenes in action movies. I saw a glint, a reflection of the streetlight off of the polished blade of a rather large knife being swung around - at me! With this slow flash I put on the brakes and back-pedaled, also in seeming slow motion, as the point of the knife swept by very close to my face. In an instant the world moved more rapidly and caught up with reality. This was a criminal, an attempted robber who had concealed this knife in a paper bag at my check stand. It was the same knife, as I was to learn later, that was nudged point-first into the back of Larry as they neared the store's safe. However, I did not recall hearing Larry's later caution, "Watch out! He's got a knife!" as I ran out into the night.
We stood there, face-to-face for a few moments. He was panting heavily with real wide-eyed fear in his eyes. I was trying to get my mind around the real situation in which we found ourselves. Then he spun around and again started running down the street as fast as he could. I followed and closed to a safe distance, but kept up with him, knowing that he would tire and would have to slow or stop at some point. But then what? The answer came a few steps later. He stopped again, turned and held the knife by the blade with his arm cocked to throw it. I could hear panic in his voice as he threatened, "I'll throw this! I'll throw this!"
Without thinking about it very carefully, or at all, I replied, "Give it a try my friend."
Under the streetlight I noticed piece of wood about three feet long by the side of the road. I bent down, picked up this impromptu club and held it like a batter at the plate in a baseball game. That really set the thief off into another realm. He started screaming at me, turned and ran wildly, arms flailing. His attempted robbery was turning sour. No doubt the thought of jail bars was too much for him to bear. Maybe he had been there before and did not relish another stay courtesy of Multnomah County. I trailed him, thinking or hoping that somebody back at the store would be sending the cavalry any time now, maybe even the police. All I had to do, I thought, was to stay in contact until help arrived.
Sure enough, help did arrive, the box boy, driving up from behind. He had run out to my wife and asked to use our car. After seeing me run after a fleeing man, she got out quickly with her niece in tow and turned over the car. She had thought that maybe the box boy could help catch the thief, or save my life. The next thing I knew was that the car was right alongside of me on my right with the box boy shouting out the open window, "Where the hell is he?!"
I opened the driver's side door, tossed him the wood club as he slid across the bench seat to the passenger side. Now the odds were more in our favor. The thief was on foot. I was in my car with a club-armed box boy at my side; Batman and Robin in a 1962 Plymouth Valiant Batmobile. It took a few seconds to change control of my car and this enabled the panic-stricken thief to gain some distance down the road. As I stepped on the gas and sped towards him he darted left at a cross street. By the time I neared the corner he turned left again at the next street, running back towards the store. That did not seem to make much sense until I realized that he was likely trying to get to his car. As I squealed around the corner, we saw that he was indeed stopped by a parked car, trying to unlock the driver's side door.
A little common sense would have helped right about then. But no, I just screeched to a stop right next to him, about three feet away. There we were, face-to-face again. I thought the box boy, a reasonably strong high school athlete, would get out and confront or maybe even club the man. But he thought it safer to strike from afar. He stood up on the bottom of the now-open passenger side doorway and whacked at the thief over the top of my car. This had little effect except to do harm to my car's roof. Then, another slow-motion scene unfolded.
My window had been rolled down earlier by my wife because of the nice evening weather. The blade of the knife made another slow flash in the light of yet another streetlight. It was very close to my face. I could have reached out and touched it! It was amazing how fast I locked the door and rolled the window up, by hand-crank, just in time to hear the clack of the point of the blade against the glass. This was followed by another blow from the heel of the knife. A shower of broken tempered glass, like gravel, burst across my left cheek. Then the knife's business end was thrust in through the jagged opening!
This was getting way out of hand, slow motion or not. I leaned completely over, flat onto the passenger side, almost knocking the box boy off the car, and stepped on the gas. I held the steering wheel with my extended left hand. We sped out of harm's way to the stop sign at the end of road where it met Southeast Holgate Street. The passenger side door was wide open with the box boy hanging on for dear life while uttering a few expletives. When I stopped he climbed back in and shut the door, thinking I would turn around for another confrontation. However, adrenaline was in full swing by this time, blocking any logic to my following actions. Rather than turn around and drive cautiously back to near the robber's car to get a license plate number or get a better look at him and the car, I just drove to the store's parking lot a block away. Larry, my wife and her young niece were standing outside.
Things fortunately came to a safe end, but my heart was still beating fast. The last few minutes had been a blur, almost like watching a play or movie of from outside of myself, an out-of-body experience. My wife was quite relieved to see that I was alright but saw that our car had a broken-out side window and some scratches and dents in the roof, thanks to the box boy's impromptu, over-the-car clubbing technique.
Larry had called the police and a patrol car showed up a few minutes later, with full siren and lights flashing. Descriptions of the man were given by each of us late-night employees, independently. In the melee, the box boy and I had no recollection of the getaway car; make, model or color. What I could remember about the man in my check stand was that he was white, in his late twenties, wearing a dark blue jacket, slight build, about five foot ten inches tall with brown hair and an unshaven face. That could describe a lot of people. The assistant manager had a better memory of the robber, having faced him close up in his elevated office. Not surprisingly, our descriptions did not match. What was seen and remembered, especially under the stress of the robbery, varied. An officer asked if I could come down to the precinct tomorrow and look at some mug shots to possibly identify the person who attempted to rob the store at knife-point. Maybe the thief had had a run-in with the law before.
I made a few trips to the police station in the following weeks and carefully looked through pages and pages of photographs, front views and side views of men that had been arrested. The pictures of these people were apparently taken right after being processed into the police station after their arrest. Some had bruises and cuts on their face, some with swollen black eyes, apparently resulting from fights or disorderly conduct on the streets of Portland.
I never did identify any of the photographs as belonging to the robber. But I was a bit surprised to recognize some guys that I had known in high school. One picture jumped out at me as being the boy who sat in front of me in algebra class; another had been in my gym class. This made for an interesting trip down memory lane. I was thankful that I had not made decisions to wind up in the police's family photo album.
Joe Albertson received the report. Store management covered the repairs to our car. The box boy and I were bathed in some glory for a few weeks. We were local heroes, of sorts, at least among the community of store employees. We would have been real heroes if we had captured the thief. But I could have been on the bad side of things if that knife had found its intended target. That old brown paper bag could easily have held another utensil used for armed robbery - a gun.
The human mind can mentally slow things down, as mine did with the slow flash from a knife blade being whipped around, being able to just barely avoid it. But the mind can't slow things down enough to avoid a speeding bullet. That slow flash in the night could just as well have come from the muzzle of a pistol, a flash turning point in life - or a quick end of the road.
-- Robert Wright

subset: commoncrawl


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I work and my spouse is a stay-at-home dad. We have three young kids. Our problem is the division of housework. I work nine-hour days and usually from home one night a week. On the weekend, I do all the cooking and dishes. I also do the dishes on the weeknights I don't bring work home.
He does shopping, plans an activity for the kids after school once a week, prepares dinner Monday through Thursday, does heaps of laundry, meets friends for lunch once a week, conducts family business (doctors, etc.), surfs the Net, and works out at the gym two or three times a week. I don't begrudge him the lunch with friends since he doesn't get the socialization that I receive at the office.
My husband complains he has to clean the house all by himself with no help. While we have both tried to get our kids to pitch in, they spend more energy trying to avoid housework. So what happens is either my husband cleans up the house during the week (and complains bitterly about it to me) or we as a family spend most of one weekend day cleaning the house and have to bark at the kids to get them to clean up.
My husband resents the first approach and thinks I need to do more housework. I think he has much more time during weekdays to clean and resent the implication that I'm not pulling my share.
My husband and I both find cleaning a tedious way to spend weekends. What can we do to enjoy our family time more and not make one another resentful?
Well, you have to work full time and presumably no one helps you out. Managing a home and children is just as much of a full-time job as yours, albeit with no pay, vacations, 401(k), future, promotions or meetings.
So the path of least resentment is to compare your two jobs to make sure the entire family workload is being distributed equally.
How many hours of your daily nine do you spend actively working? Are you pressing ever onward and eating at your desk, or do you get stretch/surf breaks and lunch with colleagues? What are your husband's afternoons like — do the kids play and do homework quietly, or do they wring Daddy dry?
Who's the Parent in Chief on weekends and weeknights? Were the preschool years exhausting to the point where he's still recovering?
Not only will this help each of you understand the true nature and demands of what the other does every day, it will also, ideally, flush out any lurking resentments. Is he feeling underappreciated? Are you? Did he feel pressured into househusbandry, or you into breadwinning?
While I'm in no position to say which of you has grounds to complain, I'm going to stomp in anyway, ill-advisedly, with a suggestion: It appears (hedging!) as if your husband could add a relatively painless 30 minutes of housekeeping to his weekdays, while the kids are at school (hello!), and cut the weekend cleaning load substantially.
You, too, could reduce that pile by putting in an extra 30 minutes yourself on one weeknight and both weekend days. That's four hours of cleaning, split 60-40, with his larger share reflecting his job as keeper of the home.
Ideally, that gentle and equitable distribution of chores will leave you both feeling pleasant enough to dedicate one hour on the weekends to do family chore time.
This hour will not, realistically, be about getting the house any cleaner. The point will be to teach your kids that: couples work best together; all members of a household contribute; keeping things short, contained, routine and set to upbeat music is the secret to cheerful cooperation; play time is important, but it feels better when you earn it; and having a nonnegotiable, incentive-heavy, clean-first-then-play rule is better than barking at kids whom you've taught that dragging their feet is the way to get out of chores.
Since you don't want the job-comparison strategy devolving into bean-counting, note the attitude you bring to it. Instead of the, "You need to do more!" tone you've both adopted, make a conscious choice to have this mindset: "Would it help or hurt the family if I were to take on more?"
It may be that both of you are to the point of diminishing emotional returns, where the cost of a clean floor is a pair of resentful parents. If that's the case, then either spring for a housekeeper or consider that kids don't notice dirt but do absorb stress through their pores.


text:
Reuniting with Old Friends
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Hi ladies,
Think of an old friend and how much he or she means to you. What will you vow to tell them? Share here.
If you've not taken the vow to tell this friend what they need to hear, visit http://www.facebook.com/tellthem to take the vow.
Replies (21-25):
Interesting, I have an old friend I can't find, she doesn't have fb or anything that I can tell anyway.
I wish I could find some old friends from high school, but they aren't on facebook. :-(
Sue ~ Head Admin
~ D.V. Survivor/Admin
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HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Once he compared the number of applicants with the number of seats available on their next two chartered planes, the president of Honor Flight Tennessee Valley saw a discrepancy.
"We simply can't get all of the World War II veterans in the next two trips," Joe Fitzgerald said a few weeks ago. "We have to have another flight."
So far, 1,002 veterans have taken free trips to see their memorials in Washington, D.C. The local Honor Flight, which took its first trip in April 2007, cut off the application process at the first of the year, but too many veterans signed up to get them all to D.C. on trips scheduled for April 24 and May 29. Both of those flights will carry 110 World War II vets.
"I can't say no to a veteran," Fitzgerald said.
So the board of directors is back in fundraising mode, and they've chartered a plane for Sept. 11. No new applications are being sought.
"What a special day to have an Honor Flight," Fitzgerald said. "There couldn't be a better day for it."
In what has become a tradition for Honor Flight Tennessee Valley, the group will take burial flags of World War II veterans on the trip this weekend. A ceremony at Signature Aviation, adjacent to Huntsville International Airport, is planned for 5 p.m. Friday during which 25 families hand over those flags, and another ceremony will be held at the memorial Saturday morning, with the veterans' names and area of service recited.
Also planned for the Friday ceremony is the display of a World War II-era P51 Mustang plus four F16s. Anyone who wants can come see the planes beginning at 3:30 p.m. Friday.
A special guest will be present at the Huntsville airport before the World War II veterans leave for D.C. "American Idol" runner-up Bo Bice, the grandson of Honor Flight honoree Harold Bice of Huntsville, will sing the national anthem at 5:15 a.m. Saturday.
The singer will also accompany his grandfather on the flight.
"It's a huge honor to get to go and experience this with my grandfather," Bice said in a Tuesday phone interview. "...The hell those men and women (veterans) went through, they don't get enough credit."
Bice said he's listened to his grandfather's stories, and recently the elder Bice was awarded a medal he never got after the war. The first time the singer saw his grandfather with the medal, he had a look on his face like, "it was a finale, closure that he needed, to be able to look on all the hell he went through."
The singer said he wants to be low key on the trip because "this day is not about Bo Bice."
"It's about Harold Everett Bice and the men and women who served and gave all for our country. ... I hope it will give (his grandfather) some kind of closure for some of the things that chase him around.
"I tell you this, I love my granddaddy. Make sure you write that Bo loves his granddaddy."
Times writer Chris Welch contributed to this report.


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131 Murals
Castle Wall Murals
Bring the architectural grandeur of some of the world's finest castles into your space with this collection of wall murals. Each wallpaper mural captures the magnificent details and splendor of these landmark structures and transfers their sophistication onto your walls. Your space is thus transported to a picturesque location in faraway Europe, perhaps by a riverside in France or at the foothills of the Italian Alps, where you have the opportunity to enjoy a spectacular, uninterrupted, exclusive view of your favorite castle. These murals are tributes to the marvels of architecture and the many minds and hands that made them possible. Each wallpaper mural in this collection is as unique and breathtaking as the castle it depicts and the picturesque setting it sits on. Whether you're a history buff, an architect, a student of design or connoisseur of beautiful man-made structures, these murals are sure to make a mark. The variety of castles, chateau and fortresses featured here highlight the many kinds of artistic influences and styles of architecture that rose to prominence during various periods. From ornate details to sharp, clean edges, elaborate scrolls and decorative carvings to monolith turrets and archways, you will find every kind of design inspiration among these murals of stately structures.
Prominent murals featured here include one of Scotland's Edinburgh Castle sitting atop Castle Rock, an ancient Irish castle, a close up view of the elaborate designs on the gates of Catherine Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russia and a fine collage of many landmarks from around the world including the Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids and others.
This is a collection of classy wall decor with a touch of the vintage charm that is suitable for modern, eclectic and traditional settings alike. Fascinating black and white, sepia toned and full color photographs as well as whimsical artwork and paintings- all find a place among these wonderful wall murals of castles.


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The Giants emerged from Dallas not only looking like the best team in the NFC but also stomping the life out of a hated division rival in the process.
Five turnovers on the road and a 90 plus yard punt return would be enough to sink most teams, but the Giants held firm and weathered an early self- inflicted storm.
The story on the Cowboys this season had been that they are a talented team that always beat themselves.
Tonight the Giants spotted the Cowboys 21 points off of turnovers and still beat them by a touchdown.
The defense was able to generate pressure and knock out quarterback Tony Romo with a broken clavicle.
The offense was just as an impressive rolling up almost 500 yards of offense while running and passing at will through the Cowboys vaunted defense.
Yes, it was must win game tonight and the team who needed it most came out on top.
For the first time this season there was some clarity. The desperate team did not win, the best team won tonight.
That team was the Giants.
Did tonight's win make the Giants the favorite in the NFC East?
Share your thoughts on Big Blue's great victory right here.


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Reynold Cruisers Shoe ReviewSkip to the rants (1)
This video has been submitted as a review of Reynolds Cruisers, Black White Gum
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(1) response to: Reynold Cruisers Shoe Review
i actually might try thoughs out for my next pair. from what ya said they seem awesome. i ll let ya know what i think bout them once i get some.
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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A 2-month-old baby girl has died after an early-morning crash today near Springville that also killed a man and injured several others, according to the Alabama Highway Patrol.
The agency issued an update that included the infant's death along with Carlos Lopez-Cortes, 27, both of Fort Payne, as the crash fatalities. The infant's name was not available.
The crash happened at about 12:50 a.m. five miles north of Springville in St. Clair County on Interstate 59. It remains under investigation.
The injured in the crash included the 28-year-old Fort Payne driver of the 1994 GMC Suburban, two passengers from Crossville, ages 47 and 12, and three others from Fort Payne, ages 8, 6 and 3.


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Location: Newburgh, NY
Member since 12/21/2011
- 1 total post
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Reviews by Donna711
Thrilled with All my Results - Newburgh, NY
I have been going to Dr. Ran Y. Rubinstein for Botox and Juvederm treatments. Previously I had been to two other physicians and had nowhere near the results I have experienced with Dr. Rubinstein. I have learned that in order to be absolutely THRILLED with the result you need to have a doctor... READ MORE


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Michael Bagneris and Danatus King, two candidates challenging Mayor Mitch Landrieu for New Orleans top political job, had trouble paying property taxes years ago, the news site The Lens is reporting.
That story originated with an anonymous delivery of tax documents - some more than 30 years old - regarding properties Bagneris owned with his wife. The Lens dug into King's and Landrieu's tax records independently.
The candidates have long since paid off their debts.
You can read the full story here.


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- Hot Stove: Papelbon among the top available; Sox interested in Sizemore?
- Red Sox interview former third base coach Dale Sveum for open manager position
- UMass QB Kellen Pagel in doubt for Saturday homecoming game vs. Villanova
- High Schools: 2011 fall tournament brackets
- Football: Minnechaug re-takes No. 2 spot in Top 10
When I started these blogs a few of weeks ago, I asked readers to email me anything they thought I should write about. If I thought it was appropriate, I would then attempt to cover the subject.
The question of salary structure in the American Hockey League has come up - how and how much players are paid. Without going into detail about the individual salaries of players, I will explain how compensation is determined.
The minimum salary for an AHL contracted player is $39,000 this season. This is a figure that is negotiated between the AHL and the Players Association. While not many players are paid the minimum, it gives us some parameters to work with. The average AHL salary is probably closer to $85,000 a year. The AHL season is based on 192 days, which determines the daily rate a player is paid.
If a player is on a National Hockey League two-way contract, that means he is making a certain amount of money when he is in the NHL and a certain amount of money when he is in the AHL. Let's use the example of a player who is on the NHL minimum of $525,000 a year and is on an NHL two-way contract that pays him $525,000/$85,000. If you use the pro rata basis that determines how the salary is paid, the player would be paid $442.70 per day when he is in the AHL and a whopping $2,734.37 per day when he is in the NHL. This gives you an idea of how much of an incentive it is for a player to be recalled to the NHL. Even if it is for a short period of time, the difference in money is substantial.
We do have players in our league that are making extremely good money. As we know, most NHL teams sign quality AHL free agents to good contracts. It is not unusual to see some of these players making in excess of $250,000 a year.
We also have guidelines to follow when we recall a player from the East Coast Hockey League or Central Hockey League. The collective bargaining agreement requires that when we recall a player and sign him to a PTO (professional try-out) that the player be paid a minimum of $31,500. However, most players usually make a little more than that, based on their experience and their proven track record of providing quality minutes.
More From The Falcons »
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- The secret to winning the Calder Cup? Strong goaltending and coaching
- Springfield Falcons always looking for a 'diamond in the rough' at tryout camps
- Springfield Falcons have high hopes for a great season
In addition to the money, there is always another incentive for players wanting to be recalled from the ECHL. For a lot of these players it is simply an opportunity to show they can play at a higher level. Look at Rob Hisey, who was buried in the CHL a couple of years ago. We recalled him and he made the best of his opportunity to earn an NHL two-way contract the following year with the Islanders.
Players who play in the ECHL are paid a minimum weekly salary, but they also have their housing paid for. In the AHL, because the salaries are so good, players are responsible for their own housing costs. However, Columbus has to make the decision as to when a player is told to find housing. Often, the NHL team will send a player down, but does not want him to find housing because his stay may be short. In that case the player stays at a hotel and the costs are borne either by the AHL team or the NHL team, depending on the affiliation agreement. In the past we have had players living at the Sheraton Hotel who are making extremely good money and on top of that the NHL team is picking up the hotel tab.
The American Hockey League is the second-best professional hockey League in the world. More than 85 percent of the players currently in the NHL have played in our league. We all should be proud of the fact that there are 30 teams in the American Hockey League and Springfield can boast of having one of those teams.
Bruce Landon is president and general manager of the Springfield Falcons. He can be reached by commenting on this blog or sending him an e-mail at email@example.com. For more information visit the team website.


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It comes as bad news indeed that the world will end Saturday, at least according to an overly moralistic California Baptist minister, and we know how seldom people like that are dead wrong.
There's never a good time to be reduced to cinders — we can only assume we're talking hellfire and concordant damnation — but springtime in Newfoundland seems inordinately cruel and inopportune.
This week the buds broke through on my plum trees, and I was looking forward to seeing how my new apple tree had survived its first winter within leaf-spitting distance of the North Atlantic. I had planned to add a cherry tree to my blossoming orchard this Father's Day, but, alas, none of us will live to see it.
An all-loving God should have the decency to end it all on a blustery February day, rather than in late May. Granted, we could have snow or sun Saturday, but we'll never know, now. No need to pack for either eventuality this Victoria Day long weekend, because it'll likely be over before you hit the overpass to the underworld.
Greatness curtailed
There is so much left undone, and unseen. As a province, we are entering, what, our third or fourth spring as a have province? But rather than being able to enjoy our newfound wealth for a few more years, come Saturday we will discover — as rich people have throughout the ages — that we can't take it with us.
We will never know what great and grand deeds might have been accomplished by Senator-citizen-Senator Fabian Manning.
We won't ever find out what Danny Williams will do next.
Nor, most disappointedly, will we get to pay higher utility rates while subsidizing the power bills of people in Nova Scotia and the U.S. Northeast, and then argue for
the next two generations about whether the Muskrat Falls deal or the Upper Churchill deal was worse.
At dawn Saturday when the sun's rays strike Cabot Tower, it will signal an end to the human experiment. Lord knows, it's too soon — 2,011 years wasn't nearly long enough to see whether good truly would triumph over evil.
Ready for spring
A world-ending apocalypse during a midwinter blizzard would at least have had the benefit of cutting short our misery. But in the midst of spring, Newfoundlanders (and, a few weeks hence, Labradorians) can enjoy the fine God-given life for which the Almighty is so justly famous.
The gardening stores are open and bustling.
I already stocked up, having not paid close attention to the fact the May 21 mayhem was this coming Saturday.
I'm in the midst of pruning the plum orchard. I'm undecided between red or brown brick to fix up my fire pit. I have a stone step to build on our walkway.
I had thought I'd won the battle against the rat — or rats — that began haunting the chicken run a month or so ago. A treat of poison had seemingly taken care of it. But there was a rodent redux this week, when a hole leading to their lair once again appeared smack in the middle of the chicken run.
This time, I'm thinking a bucket of water and the hard end of a shovel is the way to go. No need to worry about accusatory exclamations from the animal-rights crowd, because after Saturday everything and everyone will be dead, anyway.
Which raises a curious question: will there be animal-rights protests in the afterlife? If God slaughters every seal on the planet, the PETA people will surely protest unto eternity.
Just in case Sunday comes and we're all still here, don't throw out this week's flyers. They have great bargains on grass seed this time of year.
Brian Jones is a desk editor at The Telegram. He can be reached by email at email@example.com.


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Shared Learning in Aftermath of China Earthquake07/
UNEP in China: Building Back Better outlines the shared learning from UNEP's work in China to help rebuild lives and landscapes in the aftermath of the 8.0 quake that affected 70 million people, destroyed some 6.5 million homes, and caused 15 million people to be evacuated.
Shanghai, 7 July 2010 - A new publication from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reflects on two years of cooperation with the Chinese Government to address the environmental impacts of the devastating earthquake that struck the Sichuan Province on 12 May 2008.UNEP in China: Building Back Better outlines the shared learning from UNEP's work in China to help rebuild lives and landscapes in the aftermath of the 8.0 quake that affected 70 million people, destroyed some 6.5 million homes, and caused 15 million people to be evacuated. The publication is being released today to coincide with UNEP's "Nature of Cities" exhibition in the UN Pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai. At the request of the Chinese Government, UNEP engaged in the post-disaster recovery effort immediately after the disaster, deploying experts to assess the situation on the ground, advising national and provincial authorities on managing the environmental impacts of the disaster, and providing guidance on the best approaches for "greening" the reconstruction.The UNEP team was able to raise awareness of environmental and ecological considerations within the overall state planning processes for post-earthquake recovery and reconstruction, and to ensure that these considerations were duly included. As the primary environmental actor on the ground, UNEP was also able to bring together the best international experts to share practical knowledge with Chinese civil servants on a wide range of environmental issues linked to disaster recovery and reconstruction, including contamination of water and soil resources, disposal of hazardous healthcare waste, and the management of vast quantities of building rubble.A welcome feature of the post-earthquake intervention in China was that UNEP experts were also able to learn from Chinese best practices. For example, the Government issued clear guidance to communities on what areas could be used for rebuilding and what areas should remained untouched, on the basis of an environmental and disaster risk assessment. This enabled local communities to rapidly deploy their resources, rebuild their homes where possible, while ensuring that reconstruction was not undertaken in environmentally sensitive or disaster-prone areas.This type of knowledge is invaluable and can be applied to other post-disaster situations around the world.UNEP's former China Project Coordinator, Muralee Thummarukudy, will travel to Shanghai on 17-18 July to take part in a series of events on post-earthquake recovery and reconstruction in the UN Pavilion at Expo 2010. UNEP's post-earthquake activities in China were supported with funding from the Government of Norway.


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One Little Alien releases
Testosteronica (Radio Edit)
|Testosteronica (Radio Edit) [3:08]
Micropixie, Single Beige Female/ASCAP; Paul Horton
You don't have to be a woman or in the recording arts to enjoy this banging dubstep track, co-composed with UK-based producer, Grammy-nominee, Paul Horton. This version of Testosteronica is the Radio Edit of a song appearing on Micropixie's second album, "The Good, the Beige & the Ugly," which is the sequel to "Alice in Stevie Wonderland." Also a concept album, "The Good, the Beige & the Ugly," (An Intergalactic Feminist Spy Thriller) is due for release soon.
Sounds So Different
|Sounds So Different [5:59]
Micropixie, Single Beige Female/ASCAP;
Sinead O'Connor, Nettwerk One Music/PRS
Your favourite alien takes "Feel So Different" (from Sinéad O'Connor's classic album "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got") and adds her own twist. You can't help but agree that it Sounds So Different.
Under The Neath
|Under The Neath [5:20]
Micropixie, Single Beige Female/ASCAP
Inspired by their mutual love for Underworld's "Beaucoup Fish", Micropixie joined forces with Audio Pervert to create this rich, multi-textured, multi-layered and predominantly cheeky tune. You won't know whether to dance or ell-oh-ell, but who says you can't do both?!


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Wedding photography throughout Boston and New England.
Next week, I have my first wedding of 2013. So I thought I'd take a moment now to reflect on 2012. Below is justView full post »
Thanks to Style Me Pretty for the feature again – this time, April and Kevin's lovely wedding at theView full post »
More to come from Ruth and Stephane's Cape Cod wedding. . .View full post »
I have been a wedding photographer in Boston since 2004. I've traveled all throughout New England photographing hundreds of weddings, and I'd love to document your event. From barns in Maine, to mountaintops in New Hampshire and Vermont, beaches on Cape Cod, beautiful fields in the Berkshires, and modern spaces in Boston, your day has no limits for me! Get in touch to see how we can work together for your wedding or engagement session.
© 2016 Joyelle West | Email: info(at)jwestwedding.com|ProPhoto5 Design by The Luxe Brand


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Children's Menu
Prawns & Monkfish in Garlic Butter – €6.50 supp.
Homemade Vegetable Soup
Selection of Melon with Sorbet
Homemade Garlic Bread
Main Course
Grilled Corn-fed Chicken Breast
Tagliatelli with Tomato Sauce
Homemade Corn-fed Chicken Goujons
Award Winning McGettigan Butcher Sausages
Grilled Fish of the Day
Prawns & Monkfish in Garlic Butter €6.50 supp.
(all main courses served with potatoes, vegetables, chips or pasta)
Fresh Fruit Salad
Vanilla Ice-Cream with Chocolate Sauce
Chocolate Brownie with Ice CreamJug of Sugar Free Juice
€15.00 3 Courses
Small Baby Plates
Mashed potatoes with soup or gravy €3.00
Plain Pasta €3.00
Castle Murray's Children's Policy
As comfort to all our customers at the hotel and also for the safety of your child, we ask the following:
Children must remain seated in the dining room during lunch & dinner service to avoid any accidents with hot food or beverages. Running is not permitted.
Castle Murray's "Quiet Time" is from 9pm, where we say goodnight to all our little diners & we'll see you again soon.


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Syracuse, NY - A Syracuse man is facing three years in state prison after admitting today he shot another man at the door of the victim's home in November.
Torrance Green, 31, of West Corning Avenue, pleaded guilty before state Supreme Court Justice John Brunetti to a single felony count of second-degree assault in the attack on Willie Hill.
Hill, 36, of West Ostrander Avenue, was shot Nov. 4 when he answered the front door of his home. Authorities said the two men reportedly had been involved in a dispute the previous day.
Assistant District Attorney Kari Armstrong said she did not know what prompted the shooting.
Green is to be sentenced March 11.
Hill already is in state prison. He was sentenced in December to 10 years in prison for the gunpoint robbery of five people at a North Salina Street social club last May. He was out on bail in that case when he was shot by Green.


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Three days before he departs for the Super Bowl, Jacquian Williams was sporting a new accessory. And not a good one.
The Giants linebacker was wearing a walking boot that ran up to his knee on his right leg, for what he termed a "sprain" of his foot. Williams said that while team doctors have assured him that nothing is broken, wearing the boot is more of a precautionary measure.
"Right now, I'm just resting for a couple of days," Williams said today. "But I'll be running on it and just seeing what I can do the next couple of days."
The rookie, who sees time on special teams, said that he couldn't recall exactly when he injured the foot last weekend in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers. He practiced on Wednesday, but was held out the past two days. After today's final practice before the Giants board their flight for Indianapolis on Monday morning, Williams was listed as questionable on the team's injury report.
"It's something that just happened," he said. "The day after, I thought it was just some game soreness, and I asked about it and they decided to give me an MRI. Doctors decided that I should take some rest."
The injury news comes after Williams arguably had the biggest play of the game against the 49ers, when he dislodged the ball from San Francisco return man Kyle Williams' late in the game. But Williams said he will be ready to go a week from Sunday, when the Giants face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.
"I'll be there" Williams said when asked if he would be on the field during the Giants' first full practice on Wednesday. "I'll definitely be there. No doubt. Ain't no turning back. I'll be there."
But any worry about movement covering the New England tight ends with a foot problem?
"I'll be there running fast, 100 percent," Williams said. "There's nothing to worry about. As far as my team, I'll be there."
Much like he did four years ago in Glendale, Ariz., for Super Bowl XLII, coach Tom Coughlin said he plans to break down the team's curfew and rules this morning, before the team leaves for Indianapolis. Four years ago, Coughlin took input from his players into account before laying down the rules, a practice which he will do again.
"I have done that," he said. "But I'll keep that to myself."
Coughlin did say that he feels this group is full of professionals who understand what this trip for the Super Bowl is all about.
"They understand they're going to the biggest sporting event in the world," Coughlin said. "We want to make sure they prepare themselves properly for this great occurrence. We've talked about different aspects of this all week long — the great franchise you represent, to not to do anything to embarrass himself, his family name and the franchise. That's all been stated. But this group is really, really interested to see how good they can be."
Among the players listed on the injury report after today's session, five were questionable: CBs Will Blackmon (knee) and Corey Webster (hamstring), WR Hakeem Nicks (shoulder) and Williams (foot). Center David Baas (abdomen/neck), LB Chase Blackburn (calf), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot), S Tyler Sash (concussion) and DE Osi Umenyiora (ankle/knee) were all listed as probable. Only Sash participated fully in practice.
Brendan Prunty: firstname.lastname@example.com; twitter.com/BrendanPrunty


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Shadow Chase
Author: Seressia Glass
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Pocket (July 27, 2010)
Full Disclosure: Bought
[rating: 2/3]
What its About: Still reeling from her last brush with the shadow, Kira has to also deal with the death of her handler and mentor, Bernie. When she goes back to London to gather his belongings, she's honestly surprised when she finds herself back in the middle of yet another chase.
This chase though, only serves to create more questions for her. Questions that unless she figures out the right answers, might just be her undoing.
What I Thought: Started out slow, and I wasn't sure I was going to finish it. However, I was really surprised when towards the 5th chapter or so I just couldn't put it down. The story brought me to tears a couple of times. Watching Kira get torn apart by these … questions that just never seemed to have answers, really broke my heart.
Kira is a strong female who is unapologetic for who/what she is, and I honestly really like that about her. The whole cast of characters is the same way, very vivid and full of not only flaws but things that make them seem real.
Do I Recommend: Sure, if paranormal anything is your thing. If it's not then I'm pretty sure you won't like it. Also I recommend reading the first book in the series, Shadow Blade, before reading this one, otherwise some things just won't make sense.
Other Books in this Series:
Shadow Blade
Shadow Chase


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Will there be a Vladimir Tod movie?
I thought that title might grab your attention. :)=
Lately, my Minions, I've been bombarded by all sorts of messages, emails, and letters, asking me if and when there will be a movie. The short answer is: maybe someday. The long answer is a bit more complicated.
Money, unfortunately, is what does the talking in business. When the people in charge (henceforth referred to as TPIC) see that a book or series is selling like crazy (like enough to hit bestseller lists), then it makes them open their minds a bit more on whether or not they should purchase the rights and turn a book into a movie. Right now, my sales are fangtastic…but not quite fangtastic enough to hit a bestseller list, not quite good enough to make TPIC really pay me some serious attention.
So what do we do? What can we do?
To be blunt, I need every one of you to do one of two things. Either: A) pre-order TENTH GRADE BLEEDS right now or B) walk into a bookstore the week of July 9, 2009 and buy the book. There's something else you can do: wrangle all of your friends, teachers, neighbors, family, and have them pre-order the book or buy the book in person that first week. If we can boost my numbers enough, we might just be able to make this happen. But if you want it, Minions, you've gotta work for it. And don't worry! Auntie Heather is doing her part too. Together, we can move mountains (and yes, even attract the attention of TPIC).
So, rally together, Minion Horde! We only have four months until TENTH GRADE BLEEDS debuts!


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This time, district must fix alternative schools
One thing can be said for the latest report on the Syracuse school district's programs for troubled students: It is brutally honest, not only about the failure of the programs, but about the failure of countless previous efforts to fix them.
Early on, the report notes that several groups have studied the programs before. It singles out a 2000 evaluation that said the programs were ill-defined and ineffective, with far too many students dropping out and many running into trouble with the law.
"The long-term consequence of continuing on such a course is catastrophic," that 2000 report said.
The new report, released this month, says nothing much has changed since that dire warning. The same issues brought out seven years ago -- lack of funding, lack of parent advocacy, poor perception of the programs and lack of a clear mission -- still exist. And the consequences, as predicted in 2000, are surely catastrophic.
Attendance at Beard School -- for middle-schoolers with behavior problems -- and at the Renaissance Academy at Carnegie -- where ninth- and 10th-graders are sent -- is little more than 50 percent. The dropout rate is far worse: Only 10 percent of students enrolled at Beard in 2001-02 were attending any school three years later.
Why? Steven Gramet, who coordinated the latest report, put it bluntly. "We don't have any alternatives, really. Carnegie and Beard essentially are doing the same things regular schools do. It's not like we're doing some alternative educational methods over there."
That's a shocking admission for a district that has wrung its hands over the failure of its alternative programs for years. Each new superintendent comes in with an agenda to fix the programs, but little seems to get done. The 2000 evaluation was inspired after Stephen Jones became superintendent in 1999 and questioned whether Beard and the Violence Is Not the Answer (VINTA) program should even be allowed to continue.
Now Dan Lowengard is the leader, and the district has discovered anew that its so-called alternative programs are not really alternatives at all.
The latest task force is recommending creation of a new, small middle school that would offer truly non-traditional instruction, including reduced student-teacher ratios and a life skills and careers focus. Some students would be taught in non-school settings, like neighborhood community centers. Computerized remedial programs would help students catch up, renewing their interest in finishing school.
The recommendations seem reasonable, as these types of recommendations often do. The challenge is how to implement them, given that the same problems that faced the district seven years ago -- lack of money, lack of parent advocacy, negative perceptions -- remain in place.
Part of the answer, at least, is for the district's leadership to maintain the will and focus to fix the problem. Without that, the new programs will soon start looking like the old ones, and the ongoing catastrophe will continue.


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"Fiddler on the Roof" is one of my favorite musicals. Like the main character Tevye, a poor Jewish milk man, I have dreamed of being a rich man. I can relate when Tevye sings, "Lord who made the lion and the lamb, you decreed I should be what I am. Would it spoil some vast eternal plan if I were a wealthy man?"
In many parts of the world nearly all Americans would be considered wealthy. By American standards, however, I'm still singing with Tevye.
As a man grows older he begins to evaluate his years. I have come to the conclusion that while I am not a rich man in the sense of Tevye's yearning, I am wealthy in other ways.
Article Photos
Arvid Huisman
For instance, I was blessed to be born into a loving family with Christian parents who taught their kids right from wrong, responsibility and common sense. Money cannot buy that!
God blessed me with a beautiful wife who, I believe, is one of the few women in the world who could stand to live with me for so many years. Some days even she struggles. And I have two great children who I wouldn't trade for anything!
A couple of Saturdays ago I received an e-mail from an acquaintance from my news writing days. Back then he was a teenager who was a high school sports stringer; he called me with his school's sports information. I remembered him as a sharp young guy with a strong work ethic and a great personality. Though I had often wondered whatever had happened to him, it had been nearly 40 years since we last visited.
His e-mail reminded me that I have been blessed with many acquaintances and friends over the years.
After nearly 65 years of living in a number of different communities and having traveled the state extensively, I have met a lot of people. My jobs have all been people-oriented and I have more relatives than you can shake a stick at.
Colleagues tease me about it. My boss tells folks, "Arvid knows everyone in Iowa."
That's an exaggeration, of course, but I acknowledge that I have been blessed with many friends and acquaintances around the state and elsewhere.
I recently helped a friend work at a booth for his company at an Iowa Cubs game. Standing by the booth attempting to draw attention to the product for sale, I saw a lot of friends and acquaintances. Commenting on the success of the evening, my friend's wife said, "We'll be okay as long as Arvid keeps bringing in his friends and acquaintances."
About a decade ago I purchased what I thought were good seats for a show in Branson. My wife warned that it was from these seats the entertainers select folks to come up on stage to make fools of themselves. With great bravado, I declared that no one could make me go on stage if I didn't want to.
Wouldn't you know it? About 45 minutes into the show one of the cast members came down from the stage and asked me join her on stage. My boldness vanished and I followed her like a lamb unto slaughter. I went along with the gags and had fun doing so. After all, we were more than 400 miles from home; no one knew me there.
At the intermission, however, an old friend from Sioux City came down the aisle and "congratulated" me on my performance (of making a fool of myself.) A moment later a woman from our church back home came down to say she couldn't wait to tell the folks at church about my Branson debut.
So, I even had friends in Branson keeping an eye on me.
One of my joys of life is getting acquainted with strangers. You never know which of those strangers will become a good acquaintance and even a friend.
As a man grows older he is wise to take an inventory of his wealth. Whatever I lack in an investment portfolio, I have in family, friends and acquaintances.
My sentiments are nothing new. More than 2,000 years ago the old Greek guy, Euripides, wrote, "It is a good thing to be rich, it is a good thing to be strong, but it is a better thing to be beloved of many friends."


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Robert Tyner is in cracking form at the moment and the Kinsale handler kept his great run going when Instant Impacked landed the feature race at Gowran Park.
Sent off an 8-1 chance for the Aidan Fogarty & Ashgrove Stables Shamrock Handicap Chase in the hands of Philip Enright, the bottom-weight had Followmeuptocarlow to aim at over the last two fences.
The leader is not best known for keeping his head in front and Instant Impacked squeezed through a gap on the rail before staying on best to score by two and a quarter lengths.
A first-time hood seemed to do the trick for Toon River and the 4-1 shot won for the first time in nearly three years in the Brian Hogan & Aidan O`Brien Beginners Chase, with Davy Russell in the plate.
Mary Louise Hallahan`s nine-year-old led for a long way but he was passed by odds-on favourite Abbey Lane and Operating on the turn into the straight before reasserting to score by nine and a half lengths.
The front-running Blow The Doors Off had to work a bit harder than expected to land odds of 8-13 in the Michael Rice And The Kilkenny City & County Vintners Maiden Hurdle, but he picked up for pressure from Mark Walsh to finish three lengths up.
Ann and Alan Potts will be represented by Sizing Europe at his sixth Cheltenham Festival next week, and their colours were carried to an emphatic success by Henry de Bromhead`s Sizing Granite (11-8 favourite) in the Michael Fennelly & Holden Plant Rentals Ltd Maiden Hurdle.
The always prominent Loch Dara (20-1) kept going in gutsy fashion for Declan Queally to hold Davy From Milan by half a length in the Derek Lyng & Sports Injury Surgery Tetratema Cup Hunters Chase.
Willie Mullins looks to have an exciting recruit for the Gigginstown team in expensive purchase Tell Us More (8-11 favourite), who demolished the opposition in the bumper under son Patrick, winning by 12 lengths.
Gowran Park review
Robert Tyner is in cracking form at the moment and the Kinsale handler kept his great run going when Instant Impacked landed the feature race at Gowran Park.


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By DAVID REID
HOLYOKE - The family of city native Gregory J. Cartier, a U.S. Army lieutenant wounded last week while on patrol in Iraq, said this week he is doing all right while being treated for his wounds at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
In a detailed e-mail tonight to The Republican, his sisters Mary Kate Hawkins of Spokane, Wash., and Elizabeth A. Cartier, of Durango, Col., said Gregory Cartier was making progress.
"Though his condition is now stable, Greg sustained moderate wounds and burns to his face and left side," the message said. "We do not know now, but we will have a better idea in the days and weeks ahead, about the severity of the injuries to his eyes. Greg is now awake, and is able to speak. At this time, the extent of Greg's rehabilitation is not known."
Cartier, 24, is the son of city dentist Marcel C. Cartier. He and his daughters flew to the nation's capital last weekend after Gregory Cartier arrived at Walter Reed.
Gregory Cartier was wounded by an roadside explosive device on May 8 while he was on "dismounted patrol," the e-mail stated. He was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division based at Fort Drum, N.Y., where he now resides.
After being treated at a field hospital in Iraq, Gregory Cartier was flown to a U.S. medical facility in Germany and then to Walter Reed, the family said.
"Please keep all of the members of the Cartier family in your thoughts and prayers. The family is asking those that wish to visit Greg to wait until his condition improves.. . .Greg also asks that we pray for the men in his platoon still stationed in Iraq," the family said.
The family asks that cards and letters of encouragement be sent to: 1LT Greg Cartier, Mologne House #431, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Ave., Washington D.C., 20307.
Cartier was a 2001 graduate of Holyoke High School and received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Norwich University, Northfield, Vt. in 2005.
Another area member of the 10th Mountain Division, Sgt. Mark R. Ecker II, 21, of East Longmeadow, lost his feet in a February explosion in Iraq and is also recovering at Walter Reed.
Three other soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division were kidnapped last week after their patrol was ambushed south of Baghdad, triggering a massive search by 4,000 U.S. troops. Four Americans and one Iraqi were killed in the attack.


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Gov. Deval Patrick's threat Thursday that he would veto a $500 million transportation plan proposed by legislative leaders if it gets to his desk is entirely justified. The timid response to the governor's ambitious transportation plan amounts to more kicking of cans down the road, which is what got Massachusetts in its current predicament in the first place.
Inadequate roads and a primitive rail system are a nationwide problem, one that is an embarrassment for the United States on the international stage. That won't change soon given obstructionist tactics by the minority party, but it could change in Massachusetts. The governor's plan attacks transportation problems aggressively, and while no one expects the Legislature to rubber-stamp the plan, a serious response is required. House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Senate President Therese Murray and other Democratic leaders fell well short on Tuesday.
The legislative plan would provide about half of the funding the governor offers, and is not up to the standards of a more realistic compromise plan offered in March by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. The leadership attempts to address the funding problems of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, that Boston-based sinkhole, and fills in some funding cracks elsewhere, but it lacks the funding mechanisms and ambition to make long-term changes. For the Berkshires, that means bridge and road repairs, Chapter 90 funding that is timely and adequate, and major strides in passenger rail service.
There have been five successive years of either cuts or the status quo in the transportation budget -- and it shows. Road and bridge work that is postponed for far too many years becomes increasing expensive to undertake, which provides more excuses for Beacon Hill to do nothing. Governor Patrick is trying to break this vicious circle while bringing the state a little closer to the 21st century in terms of rail service. The Legislature must pitch in, which means going back to the drawing board for a transportation plan.


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Checking out Menards
After a winter of waiting, area residents were out browsing the aisles Tuesday at the new Menards location in Marshall.
March 30, 2011 - By Deb Gau
MARSHALL — The shelves were stocked and waiting, and there was plenty of activity over at the site of the new Menards in Marshall on Tuesday afternoon....
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TOMS RIVER — A southern New Jersey man who fatally shot his girlfriend and tried to make it look like a suicide has been sentenced to life in prison.
Forty-year-old William McMillan of Lakewood also received a 20-year concurrent term on Friday for a weapons offense. He must serve 85 percent of his sentence — nearly 67 years — before becoming eligible for parole.
McMillan, who was convicted in June on murder charges by an Ocean County jury, has maintained his innocence and plans to appeal the verdict. He claims 26-year-old Shakita Crudup — the mother of four young children — was shot accidentally during a struggle for a handgun.
Authorities say that after the shooting occurred, McMillan put the loaded gun in Crudup's hand and fled the home.
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GLOVERSVILLE - After dropping a five-game Foothills Council match to South Glens Falls last week, the Johnstown volleyball team has responded in a positive fashion.
Last Saturday the Lady Bills swept the competition to capture Queensbury's Power of Pink tournament.
Wednesday, Johnstown returned to its winning ways in the Foothills Council as it came from behind in each game to defeat Gloversville 3-0 on game scores of 26-24, 25-23 and 26-24.
Article Photos
Gloversville's Katlyn Pierce (15) drives the ball as Johnstown's Brianne O'Rourke (14) goes up for the block during Wednesday's Foothills Council match at Gloversville High School. (The Leader-Herald/James A. Ellis)
"We knew tonight would not be easy," Johnstown coach Heather McGuire said. "South High lost to them in five games here and we knew they had their big middle [Katlyn Pierce] back. She was out last time we played. It was a tough match because these girls are friends and know each other's tendencies and moves they make."
Gloversville got off to a fast start, setting the Lady Bills back 9-5 on a service run by Christina Pavlovsky. However, after McGuire called for a time out, Johnstown rallied back to tie the game at 15 but could not pull away as the Huskies fought back. With the game score at 24-22, Jenna Putnam recorded a kill that Pierce followed up dropping a Johnstown set that was too close to the net to the floor to tie the game at 24.
Brianne O'Rourke put the Lady Bills back in front with her block on Pierce and Annie Stock hit a solid shot for the kill to take the opening game 26-24.
The Huskies again broke out on top early in game two before Johnstown rallied back to tie the game and take an 11-8 lead on a Zara Hyde's service run..
This time it was Gloversville that fought back to tie the game.
Down 21-15, Gloversville rallied behind a service run from Pierce to close the gap to 22-20 before the Lady Bills earned a side out.
Jerica Holland served Johnstown to a 23-21 advantage before Pavlovsky served the Huskies back to tie the game at 23.
Hyde came through with the big hit for Johnstown to retake the lead 24-23 before a double hit on Alyssa Nellis' serve closed out the Lady Bills' 25-23 game two victory.
Putnam served the Huskies out to an early 3-1 advantage in game three that Pierce built on the help set the Lady Bills back 9-4.
This time it was Madison Smrtic that keyed a Johnstown comeback as she served up six straight points including an ace to the far right corner to give the Lady Bills a 13-12 edge.
Kia Antipuesto tied the match for Gloversville with her ace before Johnstown was able to break out to a 19-15 advantage with the help of Meghan LeDoux service run.
The Lady Bills took the score to 23-19 when Gloversville coach Duane Hicks signaled for a time out.
The Huskies responded with a rally sparked by Chelsey Biasini's service run to put the score at 23-22 in favor of the Lady Bills.
Stock broke Biasini's service run with a solid hit to earn the side out and put the score at 24-22.
The Huskies did not concede the game at Megan McCall pushed the ball into an open spot to finish a six volley run, tying the game at 24.
The Huskies could not put the game away as Stock came through with a strong hit to put Johnstown back in front and finished off the game and match with a kill to the left corner for the 26-24 win.
"Johnstown is scrappy," Hicks said. "We had trouble finding holes. Our serve receive hurt us tonight. We would have a little lead and then we would get three or four against us on serve receive. That has been our Achilles' heel. If we don't do well there we don't get the pass or the kill."
Zara Hyde led Johnstown with 10 kills, 18 assists and seven digs, while Stock had 13 kills and 19 digs. Holland added seven digs and nine assists, while Liz Hayward had 15 digs, Hannah Breda six kills and Nellis contributed three blocks.
"That was not ideal," McGuire said of her team having to rally for each win. "It was a Gloversville-Johnstown game in their house on senior night. It is always tough. But it is getting near the end of October and all the games are tough from here on out."
Looking at the amount of digs the Lady Bills' recorded, Hicks said, "That means we were hitting the ball and we had a lot of digs tonight also. I don't think they are disappointed. The girls know they played well against a very good team. The games were pretty even; we lost by two points in every game."
Putnam led Gloversville with three kills, nine assists and two blocks, while Pierce had six kills and four blocks. Biasini added two kills and six digs, while Alex Bielli contributed three kills.
"This was the first night we have had a full team since maybe our fifth match of the season," Hicks said. "Then we lost Anna Kroup tonight. Now we are back to not full strength for Friday's match against Broadalbin-Perth, which is one we really need everybody healthy for."
The Lady Bills and Huskies have both qualified for sectional play this year.


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Driver, Ciaran and Temple, Paul (2012) The Unbalanced Economy: a policy appraisal. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Full text not available from this repository.
Alternative Location: http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?pid=47...
During the 1980s Britain became one of the world's most market-oriented economies, an approach which resulted in three severe recessions and a deepening degree of inequality. This book argues that a rebalancing of the economy will remain elusive until proactive policies are implemented at the corporate and industrial level.
|Item Type:
|Authored Books
|SOAS Departments & Centres:
|Faculty of Law and Social Sciences > Department of Financial and Management Studies
|Depositing User:
|Ciaran Driver
|Date Deposited:
|31 Oct 2012 14:04
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- The stainless steel handles are riveted for strength and wrapped in non-conducting, soft silicone for safety and ease of use.
- Set includes: 12" and 10" fry pans.
- Abrasion resistant, dishwasher and metal utensil safe.
- Suitable for use with ceramic, electric coil, and gas stovetops.
- Oven safe up to 400 F.
- Imported.
- Limited lifetime warranty.


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Cuyahoga Children's Services workers sacrifice for kids
Friday, November 23, 2012 9:51 AM
Social worker Carley Weber crosses Chester Avenue, toting her lunch and loads of files, this month as she prepares for an afternoon of visits. Social workers, who can juggle 15 or more cases at a time, must visit families at least once a month. (Lisa DeJong, The Plain Dealer)
Related articles
- Children's Services job takes toll on workers, families (gallery) November 26, 2012, 3:33 PM
- Reason to choose social work is often deeply personal (gallery) November 25, 2012, 9:00 PM


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Chiefs Announce 2010 Roster
Opening Day roster for the Peoria Chiefs, barring any injuries in the
final Spring Training game on Sunday. Headlining for the Chiefs this
year are the Cubs #6 prospect Hak-Ju Lee, #7 prospect Logan Watkins, and former fourth round pick Matt Cerda. Jovan Rosa, Jeffry Antigua, Jeff Beliveau, Mario Mercedes and Jose Valdez are the only five returning Chief players from 2009 while Jordan Latham
pitched for the Chiefs in 2008. The initial roster has one remaining
opening with a pitcher expected to be added on Wednesday before the
regular season begins. Full Roster is Here
Overall the 24-man roster includes four 19-year-olds, four
20-year-olds, four 21-year-olds, four 22-year-olds, six 23-year-olds
and two 24-year-olds. Lee is the youngest player having turned 19 in
November while Quezada is the oldest with his 24th birthday in March.
The roster features 13 American born players, six Dominican natives,
two South Koreans, two Venezuelans and one Puerto Rican born player in
Jovan Rosa who now lives in Connecticut.
The Chiefs players and their coaches will arrive in Peoria
Monday night April 5 and will practice at O'Brien Field Tuesday April
6. The Chiefs will host Bradley University Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in an
exhibition game with tickets available at the O'Brien Field Box Office
for $6. The regular season begins Thursday, April 8 at Clinton to start
a nine-game road swing through Iowa and Wisconsin. The Chiefs home
opener is Saturday, April 17 at 1:00 p.m. against the Burlington Bees
and tickets are available at the O'Brien Field Box Office, by calling
1-888-MYTICKET or online.


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In a recent study, more than 2/3 of women said they suffered from lower back pain at some point after the first trimester. Though back pain can get bad enough to require medical intervention, its usually somewhere between a minor and major annoyance. Here are 10 things you can do to prevent and manage the pain at home.
10 Ways to Relieve Pregnancy Back Pain 2 of 12
1: Wear the right shoes
Stiletto fans, were talking to you. High heels throw your back out of alignment as your body tries to balance the additional weight of your belly on stilts. They also increase the risk of falls or near falls, which can strain your back further (and could be dangerous). The healthiest footwear choices during pregnancy are low-heeled and supportive — not optimal for fashion, but best for comfort and safety.
Pregnancy + Heels = Trouble
10 Ways to Relieve Pregnancy Back Pain 3 of 12
2: Try support garments
Back pain is often caused by pressure on the back from the weight of the belly. Support garments can help compensate for that weight by supporting the back muscles. Sometimes an over-belly panel can be enough to make a difference, but there are many strengths of support available, from firm shapewear to more constructed support belts that strap around the waist and lower back.
Pregnancy Spanx: revelation or tool of oppression?
10 Ways to Relieve Pregnancy Back Pain 4 of 12
3: Practice good posture
Adjusting the way you stand and walk can make a huge difference in how your back feels. Generally, you want to stand straight, but avoid thrusting your belly out and forcing the lower back to work harder. Good posture is about engaging your core muscles in the right way. Ask your OB or midwife for advice on how to stand most comfortably or try a session with a physical therapist or personal trainer who works with pregnant clients.
Why dont pregnant women tip over?
10 Ways to Relieve Pregnancy Back Pain 5 of 12
4: Squat, dont bend over
Bending from the waist strains the lower back even when youre not pregnant. Add 15-30 pounds to that equation and youve got the potential for some serious back pain. Squatting allows your legs and butt to bear the brunt of that weight instead. (Youll also get a little lower body workout in the process!)
Pain during pregnancy: 5 ways to relieve lower back symptoms
10 Ways to Relieve Pregnancy Back Pain 6 of 12
5: Stretch out
One of the best stretches for your lower back is the yoga position known as childs pose. But your pregnant belly will get in the way, so try this mamas variation: Kneel on the ground with your knees opened. Lean forward so your head and/or arms are resting on the ground in front of you. Stretch your arms further to open up your back more. Do this move or any back stretch slowly and gently to avoid pulling muscles.
How prenatal yoga changed my life (for a while)
10 Ways to Relieve Pregnancy Back Pain 7 of 12
6: Strengthen your core
The idea that women shouldnt work their abdomens during pregnancy is a myth. No, classic crunches arent a good idea, but pregnancy-safe core strengthening can be helpful for everything from back pain to childbirth to postpartum recovery. To learn which exercises are appropriate for pregnancy, try a prenatal pilates class, DVD or book. You can also look for another pregnancy-specific exercise class and ask the instructor for advice on core exercises you can do at home.
How to work your abs while pregnant?
10 Ways to Relieve Pregnancy Back Pain 8 of 12
7: Exercise regularly
Exercise has been shown to reduce pregnancy back pain as well as stress, which can cause or exacerbate back pain. Prenatal yoga or other prenatal exercise classes can even be tailored to help relieve your back pain. Prenatal classes are popping up everywhere these days, but if you cant find one near you or prefer privacy, you can find DVDs or online versions of prenatal workouts. In addition, non-prenatal exercises like swimming and walking can be equally good for keeping back pain at bay.
Pregnancy exercise benefits: Top reasons to work out while pregnant
10 Ways to Relieve Pregnancy Back Pain 9 of 12
8: Sleep well
Its hard to find a comfortable sleeping position when pregnant, especially one that wont make you wake up aching. Everyones body is different, but generally youll want to align your body and distribute the weight evenly. When sleeping on your side, use a firm pillow between your knees to support that side of your body and keep your spine aligned. Some women also like a pillow under their belly, and you may want to increase the padding on your bed to decrease the pressure on your hips (which can, in turn, affect your back).
Exhausted? 10 tips for better sleep during pregnancy
10 Ways to Relieve Pregnancy Back Pain 10 of 12
9: Get a massage
If youre already suffering from back pain, youve got a built-in excuse for a prenatal massage. Massages can also prevent future back pain because they reduce stress and muscle tension, two big back pain triggers. Some pregnancy massage experts do not recommend tables with belly cut-outs for women with back pain as they can actually strain the lower back. But a good massage therapist should be able to work on your back from a side-lying position while supporting
your belly.
Prenatal massage: 5 reasons why you need one
10 Ways to Relieve Pregnancy Back Pain 11 of 12
10: Consider alternative therapies
Chiropractic care and acupuncture are both safe during pregnancy if the provider is trained and experienced in prenatal work. Many women have found relief with these modalities of care and others outside the model of traditional western medicine. If you find a care model that youd like to try, its a good idea to check it out with your primary prenatal care provider first. This may not be her area of expertise, but its important to keep her in the loop.
Chinese medicine: Would you use it during pregnancy?
10 Ways to Relieve Pregnancy Back Pain 12 of 12


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Pac-10 football writer Ken Goe offered his thoughts this morning on the talk of conference expansion. Read them here.
If the Pac-10 were to expand, Goe notes, commissioner Larry Scott talked of the importance of television markets, cultural and academic fit with the existing conference members and staying consistent with the exisiting set of natural rivalries. There are five those now: Oregon-Oregon State, Washington-Washington State, Cal-Stanford, UCLA-USC, Arizona-Arizona State.
Given those criteria, the natural question is which schools would be worth adding? Vote for two in our poll.


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"Walk of Shame" starts off strongly, with some good laughs provided compliments of Internet videos of some of broadcast journalism's most viral-ready gaffes. You've probably seen many of them before, but they're still funny.
Enjoy them. Because they provide some of the best laughs in writer-director Steve Brill's poorly executed R-rated farce. Here is a sterling example of how a good premise and a good cast aren't worth Ron Burgundy's toupee if they don't have a strong enough script to back them up.
The premise: Fresh off a bad breakup, a straight-arrow Los Angeles news anchor (played by a characteristically sparkling Elizabeth Banks) heads out for a rare night on the town with her boozy girlfriends. After a few rounds of shots, she makes the even more rare decision to engage in a fling with a charming hunk (James Marsden, equally sparkly).
That night of passion, however, gives way to a nightmare of a morning-after, when she finds herself stranded -- still in her heels and barely-there yellow mini-dress -- on the wrong side of town with no car, no ID, no phone, no money and precious little time to get to her dream interview with the network bigwigs.
There's promise in that setup, and Banks gamely plays along, despite being run through a string of hopeless contrivances. Those strained plot points really aren't the problem with Brill's film, however. Actually, they're kind of expected in a farce such as this. They'd even be something approaching excusable if they were at least surrounded by jokes. Alas, they are not.
Even when it's at its best, "Walk of Shame" is rarely more than merely amusing. On the other hand, when it's at its worst, it's nothing short of insulting, thanks to its willingness to engage in the kind of gross stereotyping that treads uncomfortably close to racist territory.
Walk of Shame
Who: With Elizabeth Banks, James Marsden, Gillian Jacobs. Directed by Steve Brill.
Rated: R for language and some sexual content.
Running time: 95 minutes.
When: Opens Friday.
Where: Area theaters.
Grade: D
Sure, the three black drugs dealers encountered by Banks' character one-third of the way through the film turn out to be a downright cuddly trio. Once they put their guns down, they also prove to be the only people in the movie who are willing to actually help her. The fact remains, however, that the only black men in the film with more than three lines in a given scene are armed, drug-culture thugs.
The only black woman with more than a few lines? She's a loud, angry bus driver. The only Asian woman? The cop-bribing operator of a "happy endings" massage parlor.
Now, if you're thinking, "Well, there are people who fit those descriptions," then you've been watching too many movies like "Walk of Shame" -- because the vast, vast majority of people don't fit them at all. And just because "Walk of Shame" is a comedy doesn't mean it gets a free pass in that department.
That Brill and company apparently don't realize that is the real shame of "Walk of Shame."
Mike Scott, New Orleans Times-Picayune


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MSRP: $119.958-44 lbswww.cybex-online.comWith five carrying positions, the 2.GO is one of the most versatile carriers on the market. Carry your child facing in, facing out, on your hip, on your back or in mobility position, where the top of the carrier folds down—great for
MSRP: $39.99 8-36 lbs www.infantino.com The Infantino Sync provides the closeness and comfort of a traditional wrap with the extra security and support of a buckled waistband that distributes weight to your hips. While the Sync has a lot of fabric like most wraps, it's less confusing to put
MSRP: $149.00 60"L x 41"W x 24"H; 10 lbs www.parentlab.com An inventive debut product from ParentLab, journeyBee is an exceptionally lightweight, portable crib that sets up in seconds. The crib pops open when unfolded, an amazing feat that will astound you as much as the first time you
FOR CHILDREN 4-35 LBS. AND UP TO 32-INCHES TALL The Graco Snugride 35 is a solid car seat that accommodates your child up to 35 pounds, stretching its useful life beyond that of most infant carriers. This seat is slightly wider than other models, and the base itself is more bulky, but plush
Know you want to keep baby close, but not sure which carrier is right for you? Here's our take on some of the best on the market. Keeping baby close is a natural desire as both mom and baby wean themselves from three trimesters of very close proximity. For the newborn, baby carriers ease the
MSRP: $79.998-25 lbswww.babybjorn.comFrom a pioneer of soft-structured carriers for almost 40 years, the BabyBjorn Original is THE classic baby carrier. Their basic model, the Original offers comfortable support at an affordable price point. It fits newborns without additional
MSRP: $249.99 44.9"L x 26.8"W x 29.1"H; 15.2 lbs (accessories add 6.6 lbs) www.quicksmartgo.com Quicksmart is known for rethinking how baby gear works, and they've done it gain with their 3 in 1 Play Yard that takes a completely different approach to how it packs up. Rather than having
MSRP: $129.99-139.998-32 lbswww.britaxusa.comA trusted leader known for top-of-the-line car seats and strollers, Britax delivers an easy-touse, comfortable carrier that accommodates newborns through toddlers. A removable infant insert zips into the interior of the pouch to
MSRP: $49.95 8-35 lbs www.babyktan.com Originally created because the founders needed a way to safely carry their special needs children, Baby K'tan provides optimum security and support with a double loop design that straddles the categories of sling, wrap and soft structured
MSRP: $129.95 8-35 lbswww.bellebabycarriers.com While other carriers now come in organic fabrics, Belle led the way with the first organic line. Sporting a chic black-and-white pattern and made from 100% organic cotton with a soft, fuzzy fleece on the inside, this carrier is light on padding


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It might look a lot like Christmas when the GVSU women's soccer team touches down in Denver, Co. this week thanks to a nice dumping of snow a few days ago.
As weird as this sounds, the Lakers are looking forward to getting away from GVSU more than ever to pick up two wins this weekend to keep their championship hopes alive in the NCAA Tournament.
That's because in the past, playing playoff games at home have made this team a bit more complacent and not as hungry. This trip is the perfect thing to happen to this team and the teams out in Denver better take notice.
GVSU will square off against Northern Kentucky in the Midwest Regional Championship match on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
"Lakers Spotlight" host Justin Hoff caught up with head coach Dave DiIanni to talk about this trip out to Denver and gives us a closer look at some of the competition they may face when they get there. Hoff also talks to the "shootout stopper" Chelsea Parise and junior midfielder Kristen Eible to get some thoughts on the team right now with the big trip forthcoming.
If the Lakers win on Friday, they will await the winner of Metro State vs. Colorado School of Mines for an Elite Eight matchup on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. in the Mile High City.
|GVSU and Northern Kentucky will take the field on Friday to decide the Midwest Regional Championship


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In our opinion: There should be blood
When talking to those who, as a matter of their daily lives, donate blood, it's funny how often the idea of avoiding responsibility comes up.
More than once, in reporter Kristin Okinaka's story on Central Kitsap's top donors, those who have given selflessly actually started, as a matter of fact, to get out of doing something.
Most of the time, what they are trying to avoid is school, thus setting them on a lifetime of blood donating.
Of course, it can be said, donating blood is the opposite of avoiding responsibility.
One thing that stands in the way for many who would donate, but don't, is the fear of needles. It's true, giving blood isn't always painless. But despite the temporary, minor discomfort, it is worth it: It could mean the difference between life and death.
There are many ways to contribute.
But unlike other forms of community service, giving blood, truly, is giving of oneself.
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Claude Isbell has not talked much about his World War II service, but the Sand Mountain native and Birmingham resident has not been able to contain his excitement about being honored for it Wednesday.
What had the 87-year-old Isbell excited was a day-long trip he and his son Bob made to Washington, to visit the National World War II Memorial and other sites. "I think it's great," Isbell said shortly before boarding the flight to Washington from BirminghamShuttlesworth International Airport. "I'm really looking forward to it."
"It's just kinda lit up his life," Bob Isbell had said earlier.
The day brought both light and tears to the senior Isbell's eyes. It started with the applause and cheers he and the other vets received from young U.S. service members and others after they arrived at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
"He wanted to stop and shake everybody's hands," Bob Isbell said by phone Wednesday afternoon as the trip was winding down.
Claude Isbell was one of about 100 World War II era vets who made the trip free through Honor Flight Birmingham, one of the nonprofit hubs of the Honor Flight Network, a national program that honors senior vets around the country. The trip was a short but grand gesture of recognition and gratitude for him and his fellow vets, and Bob Isbell said that meant something to his father.
"It's just a matter of 'somebody cares, somebody knows we're alive' -- that's a big deal to him," said Bob Isbell, a Vietnam veteran who made the trip to help his father get around. Like other guardians on the trip, he paid his own way.
At the WWII Memorial, father and son met a famous fellow veteran, former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, and spent some time with U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama.
Claude Isbell spent much of World War II as an antiaircraft gunner and engine mechanic on one of the Army Air Force's high-speed crash boats in the Pacific, patrolling shorelines and picking up downed U.S. fighter pilots in the ocean.
"I think he said they worked from New Guinea . . . to just short of the Japanese mainland isles," Bob Isbell said.
Claude Isbell came back to Alabama with an arm scarred by a sniper whom he killed with a piece of gangplank, and an Australianborn wife named Esma whom he's always called Carol. They also came back with Bob, the first of their three children and their only son, who was born in Sydney.
Esma Isbell, who developed a taste for collards while her husband has kept his distance from her native country's legendary vegemite spread, said he was so keen on making today's trip that he wanted nothing to get in the way.
"When they notified him he was going, he got in his car and drove around to all his friends and told 'em," Bob Isbell said.
To contact or contribute to Honor Flight Birmingham, call 714-3156 or 408-0197 or e-mail email@example.com
E-MAIL: firstname.lastname@example.com