text:
From the Institute of Infectious Diseases (Drs Tumbarello and Trecarichi), the Department of Intensive Care and Anesthesiology (Drs De Pascale, De Martino, Bello, and Maviglia and Prof Antonelli), and the Institute of Microbiology (Prof Spanu), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Correspondence to: Mario Tumbarello, MD, Istituto Malattie Infettive, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Roma, Italy; e-mail: email@example.com
Funding/Support: This study was partially supported by a grant from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Linea D1 2012.
Reproduction of this article is prohibited without written permission from the American College of Chest Physicians. See online for more details.
The increasing frequency of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by colistin-only susceptible (COS) gram-negative bacteria (GNB) is of great concern. Adjunctive aerosolized (AS) colistin can reportedly increase alveolar levels of the drug without increasing systemic toxicity. Good clinical results have been obtained in patients with cystic fibrosis, but conflicting data have been reported in patients with VAP.
We conducted a retrospective, 1:1 matched case-control study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of AS plus IV colistin vs IV colistin alone in 208 patients in the ICU with VAP caused by COS Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Compared with the IV colistin cohort, the AS-IV colistin cohort had a higher clinical cure rate (69.2% vs 54.8%, P = .03) and required fewer days of mechanical ventilation after VAP onset (8 days vs 12 days, P = .001). In the 166 patients with posttreatment cultures, eradication of the causative organism was also more common in the AS-IV colistin group (63.4% vs 50%, P = .08). No between-cohort differences were observed in all-cause ICU mortality, length of ICU stay after VAP onset, or rates of acute kidney injury (AKI) during colistin therapy. Independent predictors of clinical cure were trauma-related ICU admission (P = .01) and combined AS-IV colistin therapy (P = .009). Higher mean Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (P = .002) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (P = .05) scores, septic shock (P < .001), and AKI onset during colistin treatment (P = .04) were independently associated with clinical failure.
Our results suggest that AS colistin might be a beneficial adjunct to IV colistin in the management of VAP caused by COS GNB.
Despite active preventive efforts,1,2 ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) remains the most frequent infectious complication of intensive care, affecting 10% to 20% of patients receiving mechanical ventilation (MV).3 Reported mortality rates vary from 10% to > 70%, depending on the underlying conditions and the pathogenicity of the infecting organisms.4‐11 Recent years have witnessed a steady increase in the proportion of VAP cases caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria (GNB)—Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae in particular. The polymyxins are one of the few drug classes that are still active against these organisms.12,13 Widely abandoned in the 1980s because of toxicity issues, they have been recalled into active service as a last-resort treatment of MDR GNB infections.12,14 The best-known polymyxin, colistin (colistimethate sodium), displays good activity against carbapenem-resistant strains of A baumannii, P aeruginosa, and K pneumoniae,15 but its polycationic/hydrophilic structure limits its penetration of lung tissue, and its efficacy in VAP remains controversial.16,17
Nebulization has been proposed to achieve bactericidal concentrations of antimicrobials (especially colistin and aminoglycosides) at the alveolar level in patients with MDR GNB VAP.18 Inhaled antimicrobial aerosols produce high drug levels in the lungs without increasing the risks of systemic toxicity and the emergence of MDR gut microflora.19 The efficacy of this approach has been demonstrated in cystic fibrosis,20 but its value in the treatment of GNB VAP is less certain. The studies that have explored the possibility are generally quite small, and they have produced conflicting results.21‐28 We analyzed a large homogeneous cohort of patients with VAP caused by colistin-only susceptible (COS) A baumannii, P aeruginosa, or K pneumoniae to assess the efficacy and safety of aerosolized (AS) and IV colistin therapy compared with IV colistin alone.
A retrospective matched-cohort analysis was conducted in the 18-bed general ICU of a 1,400-bed teaching hospital in Rome, Italy. The protocol was approved by the Catholic University's Ethics Committee (approval number: P/237/CE/2012). Informed patient consent was not required given the study's retrospective, observational nature. Data were collected via manual review of hospital charts and computerized interrogation of the ICU and Microbiology Laboratory databases.
Eligibility criteria were as follows: (1) age ≥ 18 years; (2) ICU admission between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2012; (3) VAP with onset after ≥ 48 h of MV and associated with a new persistent infiltrate on chest radiograph, fever > 38°C with no other identified cause, a WBC count of < 4,000 or > 12,000 cells/μL, and purulent tracheal secretions29; (4) quantitative BAL fluid cultures growing a single COS strain of A baumannii, P aeruginosa, or K pneumoniae; and (5) IV colistin therapy lasting ≥ 72 h.
Patients who also received AS colistin (AS-IV colistin group) were matched (1:1) with those treated with IV colistin alone (IV colistin group). Matching was based on age (within 10 years) and illness severity as defined by Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II at ICU admission (within 5 points) and by Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores (within 2 points) the day IV colistin was started.30,31 When multiple control candidates met the core matching criteria, the choice was based on ICU admission dates. Investigators were blinded to case outcomes during matching.
Respiratory specimens for culture were obtained blindly with telescopic catheters (Combicath; Prodimed) or, in 23 cases, with bronchoscopic guidance. Respiratory specimens were quantitatively cultured on blood, chocolate, and MacConkey agars. Diagnostic quantitative culture threshold was 104 colony forming units/mL. Blood cultures (three or more sets per patient) were inoculated into Lytic/10 Anaerobic/F and Plus Aerobic/F bottles and incubated in the Bactec 9240 system (Becton, Dickinson and Company).
Isolates were identified with the Vitek 2 system (bioMérieux, Inc) (2005-June 2009) or matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Bruker Corporation) (July 2009-2012). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined with the Vitek 2 (β-lactam inhibitor combinations, oxyimino-cephalosporins, carbapenems, aztreonam, quinolones, aminoglycosides), the E-test (bioMérieux, Inc) with cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton agar (colistin), or Sensititre broth microdilution (Thermo Fisher Scientific) (tigecycline). Colistin MICs for Enterobacteriaceae isolates were classified using European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing breakpoints (susceptible, MIC ≤ 2 mg/L; resistant, MIC > 2 mg/L).32 US Food and Drug Administration breakpoints were used for tigecycline MICs (susceptible ≤ 2 mg/L; resistant, ≥ 8 mg/L).33 Other MICs were interpreted according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute breakpoints.34 Isolates classified as COS displayed full susceptibility to colistin and nonsusceptibility to all other antimicrobials tested.
IV colistimethate sodium was administered every 8 to 12 h at daily per-kilogram doses of approximately 100,000 International Units (a dose of 75,000 International Units in patients with creatinine clearance rates < 50 mL/min and those on continuous renal replacement therapy). When administered, AS colistin (colistimethate sodium) therapy was always started with IV colistin and discontinued when the latter was stopped. It was administered three times a day via jet or ultrasonic nebulizers (total daily dose, 3 million International Units).
VAP onset coincided with the collection date of the index BAL culture. The following intervals (number of days) were recorded: time at risk (from ICU admission to pneumonia onset), length of ICU stay (ICU-LOS) (total, from ICU admission to ICU discharge or death, and post-VAP, from pneumonia onset to ICU discharge or death), and duration of MV before and after pneumonia onset. Septic shock was defined according to American College of Chest Physicians/Society of Critical Care Medicine Consensus Conference Committee criteria.35 AKI was defined as a greater than twofold increase in serum creatinine or a ≥ 50% decrease in the glomerular filtration rate or oliguria (output < 0.5 mL/kg/h) for ≥ 12 h.36
The primary outcome was clinical cure, defined as the resolution of all signs and symptoms of pneumonia and improvement or lack of progression of all chest radiograph abnormalities when colistin was discontinued. To determine whether these criteria were met, data were reviewed independently by two infectious disease specialists (G. D. P. and E. M. T.), who were blinded to patients' group origin. When judgments were discordant (about 3% of patients), the reviewers reassessed the data and reached a consensus decision. Secondary outcomes were: (1) all-cause ICU mortality, (2) microbiologic cure (disappearance of the infecting bacterium from posttreatment respiratory samples), (3) post-VAP MV duration, (4) post-VAP ICU-LOS, and (5) rates of AKI onset during colistin therapy.
Continuous variables were expressed as medians (interquartile ranges) and differences analyzed with Student t test or the Mann-Whitney U test (for normally and nonnormally distributed variables, respectively). Group percentages were calculated for categorical variables and differences assessed with the χ2 or the two-tailed Fisher exact test. ORs and 95% CIs were calculated to evaluate the strength of associations. Variables associated with the primary outcome in univariate analysis (P ≤ .2) were included in a logistic regression model and a backward stepwise approach used to identify independent predictors of clinical cure. Variables with P values ≤ .05 were retained in the final model. Two-tailed P values < .05 were considered significant. All analyses were performed using the Intercooled Stata program, version 11 (StatCorp LP).
During the 8-year study period, 5,812 adults were admitted to the ICU, and > 95% received MV. Two hundred eighty-eight of the patients receiving MV (5%) developed monomicrobial VAP caused by COS GNB and were treated with IV colistin. Forty-two percent (n = 121) of these also received AS colistin, and 104 met all the criteria for enrollment in the AS-IV colistin cohort. Their characteristics and those of the age-, SAPS II-, and SOFA score-matched cohort treated with IV colistin alone are shown in Table 1. Most patients in both cohorts were in the ICU for medical reasons. There were no significant between-cohort differences in comorbidity rates, presenting features of VAP, initial inadequate antibiotic therapy, or the dose or duration of IV colistin therapy. The AS-IV colistin cohort had a significantly higher proportion of men and of A baumannii infections and a significantly lower proportion of K pneumoniae infections. AS colistin use increased over time, but the proportion of patients in the two cohorts was constant over the years (Fig 1).
Data are presented as No. (%) unless otherwise stated. AKI = acute kidney injury; AS-IV = aerosolized plus IV; CPIS = Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score; CRRT = continuous renal replacement therapy; IQR = interquartile range; IU = International Units; MV = mechanical ventilation; SAPS = Simplified Acute Physiology Score; SOFA = Sequential Organ Failure Assessment; VAP = ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Cohorts were matched 1:1 according to age, SAPS II, and SOFA scores; if more than one match was possible, the decision was based on admission dates.
Defined as neutropenia (neutrophils count < 500/μL), steroid therapy for at least 10 d, chemotherapy during the last 30 d, or therapy with immunosuppressive drugs.
Onset after at least 96 h of MV.
Data available for 166 patients only: 82 AS-IV colistin and 84 IV colistin.
As shown in Table 1, the two cohorts were not significantly different in terms of AKI incidence rates, total or post-VAP ICU-LOS, or all-cause ICU mortality. Clinical cures were significantly more common among patients treated with AS-IV colistin (69.2% vs 54.8% of those in the IV cohort, P = .03) (Table 1). In 42 cases, bacteriologic outcomes were not documented, but analysis of the remaining 166 patients revealed a microbiologic cure rate in the AS-IV colistin cohort of 52 of 82 (63.4%) vs 42 of 84 (50%) in the IV cohort (P = .08). The most striking difference involved the median duration of post-VAP MV, which was shorter in the AS-IV colistin cohort (8 vs 12 days in the IV cohort, P = .001) (Fig 2, Table 1).
As shown in Table 2, univariate analysis of 208 patients revealed significant association between clinical cures and male sex, younger age, trauma-related ICU admissions, longer ICU-LOSs, and AS-IV colistin treatment regimens. Patients in the clinical failure subgroup had higher mean SAPS II and SOFA scores and higher rates of bacteremia and septic shock at VAP onset. This subgroup was also characterized by higher rates of medical ICU admissions; patients admitted with cancer, diabetes, chronic renal failure, and/or immunosuppression; and patients on hemodialysis at VAP onset. These patients were also more likely to have K pneumoniae VAP and to develop AKI during colistin therapy. In logistic regression analysis (Table 3), trauma-related admissions (P = .01) and AS-IV colistin therapy (P = .009) were independent predictors of clinical cures, whereas higher mean SAPS II (P = .002) and SOFA (P = .05) scores, septic shock at VAP onset (P < .001), and AKI onset during colistin therapy (P = .04) were associated with treatment failure.
Data are presented as No. (%) unless otherwise stated. See Table 1 legend for expansion of abbreviations.
See Table 1 legend for expansion of abbreviations.
This large, retrospective, matched-cohort study of patients with VAP caused by COS GNB showed that AS-IV colistin therapy can significantly shorten the duration of MV after pneumonia onset and increase clinical cure rates, as compared with IV colistin monotherapy alone. Indeed, adjunctive AS colistin was an independent predictor of clinical cure. However, the significance of its favorable impact on microbiologic cure rates was only borderline, and it had no appreciable effects on all-cause ICU mortality or ICU LOS.
The significantly reduced duration of post-VAP MV in the AS-IV colistin cohort is a novel finding, which deserves further investigation. Smaller studies that have compared post-VAP MV times found no significant differences between patients treated with AS-IV colistin and those receiving IV colistin alone.23,37 In our population, the reduced MV time did not translate into shorter post-VAP ICU stays (probably more dependent on factors other than the VAP), but it is consistent with the higher clinical cure rate documented in our AS-IV colistin cohort.
Adjunctive AS colistin significantly improved the clinical outcomes of VAP in four previous studies, all relatively small. Three found higher clinical response rates when IV antimicrobial regimens were supplemented with AS colistin in patients with VAP caused by MDR GNB24,25,38; however, very few isolates in these studies were COS, so the IV regimens usually included colistin plus other drugs displaying in vitro activity against the organism. The fourth study (more similar to our own) retrospectively analyzed 121 patients with VAP due to MDR A baumannii, P aeruginosa, or K pneumoniae, but a higher percentage of the isolates were COS (56%), and > 80% of the IV regimens consisted of colistin alone. As in our population, cure rates were higher in the 78 patients who also received AS colistin, but the adjunctive therapy had no significant effect on all-cause hospital or ICU mortality.37 The fact that adjunctive AS colistin improves cure rates without affecting survival supports the view that VAP has less impact on overall ICU mortality than previously believed and that survival may be more closely associated with other factors (eg, age, comorbidities, illness severity at ICU admission, coexisting infections).10 In the randomized trial conducted by Rattanaumpawan et al,39 AS-IV colistin also failed to improve overall and VAP-attributable mortality rates at 28 days but had no effect on clinical cure rates (51% vs 53.1% in control subjects). As in other studies, fewer than one-third of the GNB isolates analyzed by this group were COS. Furthermore, as the authors themselves admit, their sample (roughly one-half the size of our own) was too small to detect improvements in cure rates of < 25%.39 The VAP cases examined by Kofteridis et al23 were, like our own, all caused by COS A baumannii, P aeruginosa, or K pneumoniae. Again, adjunctive AS colistin had no significant effects on crude or VAP-attributable mortality. Its failure to significantly improve clinical or bacteriological outcomes is clearly related to power limitations. Indeed, the AS-IV colistin group in this study (even smaller than that analyzed by Rattanaumpawan et al39) presented an appreciably higher rate of clinical cures (54% vs 32.5% in the IV group), which fell just short of significance (P = .05).23,39
Unlike these investigators,23 Rattanaumpawan et al39 found a significant association between adjunctive AS colistin and microbiologic cure rates (60.9% vs 38.2%, P = 0.03). Even higher rates (83%) have been reported by others,24 and in one study AS colistin was the sole independent predictor of microbiologic eradication.28 These findings are not incompatible with ours: the microbiologic cure rate in our AS-IV colistin cohort was also higher than that of the IV control subjects, but the difference was not significant (possibly because this variable was assessable in only 80% of our population).
Correlation between colistin therapy and AKI onset is very difficult to assess in a retrospective study. However, the overall rate of AKI onset during colistin therapy in our population (23.5%) is consistent with previous reports,22 as is the lack of significant difference between the rates of the IV and AS-IV colistin groups.23,38 Other limitations of our study must also be considered, including its retrospective single-center nature and the moderate overrepresentation in our population of VAP cases caused by A baumannii. Finally, the AS colistin was administered in approximately 60% of the cases via conventional ventilator jet nebulizers, which offer no control over particle size, so the amount of the drug delivered to the lungs cannot be accurately estimated.40
To our knowledge, this is the second matched-cohort study involving direct comparison of AS-IV colistin and IV colistin regimens for treating VAP caused by COS GNB. Our findings tend to conflict with those of two earlier studies,23,38 both conducted in populations substantially smaller than (and in one case microbiologically different from) our own. Our data indicate that in critically ill patients with VAP caused by COS GNB, AS-IV colistin (as compared with IV colistin alone) can significantly improve clinical cure rates and reduce the need for MV without increasing the risk of AKI. As the frequency of VAP caused by MDR GNB continues to rise, colistin will be playing an increasingly critical role in the ICU. Optimizing its use to enhance efficacy without increasing adverse renal effects is an important goal. Given the conflicting data published thus far, large (multicenter), randomized controlled trials are urgently needed to further clarify the benefits and risks of adjunctive AS colistin in patients with pulmonary infections caused by COS GNB.
Author contributions: Dr Tumbarello takes responsibility for the content of the manuscript, including the data and analysis.
Dr Tumbarello: contributed to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; drafted the submitted article or revised it critically for important intellectual content; and provided final approval of the version to be published.
Dr De Pascale: contributed to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data and drafted the submitted article or revised it critically for important intellectual content.
Dr Trecarichi: contributed to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data and drafted the submitted article or revised it critically for important intellectual content.
Dr De Martino: contributed to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data and critically revised the submitted article.
Dr Bello: contributed to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data and critically revised the submitted article.
Dr Maviglia: contributed to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data and critically revised the submitted article.
Prof Spanu: contributed to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data and critically revised the submitted article.
Prof Antonelli: contributed to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; drafted the submitted article or revised it critically for important intellectual content; and provided final approval of the version to be published.
Financial/nonfinancial disclosures: The authors have reported to CHEST that no potential conflicts of interest exist with any companies/organizations whose products or services may be discussed in this article.
Role of sponsors: The sponsor had no role in the design of the study, the collection and analysis of the data, or the preparation of the manuscript.
acute kidney injury
colistin-only susceptible
gram-negative bacteria
length of ICU stay
minimum inhibitory concentration
mechanical ventilation
Simplified Acute Physiology Score
Sequential Organ Failure Assessment
ventilator-associated pneumonia
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text:
Full Version:
'Looks Like We Got Ourselves a Reader...'
The BUST Lounge
Media Whores
Feb 25 2007, 09:36 AM
Great - thanks for the info and advice. I think I'll call our local shelter and see if they want any books. If not, I'll take them down to the library and cross my fingers.
Feb 26 2007, 12:21 PM
Anyone here read
The Fortress of Solitude
? I'm about 40 pages into it and loving it, even though it's not my usual diet of genre fiction. Really, really well written.
anna k
Feb 26 2007, 01:42 PM
I read Ava Gardner's biography
Love is Nothing
. It started out well (tomboyish Southern girl grows into extraordinary beauty and finds herself being made into a Hollywood star), but as the story went on I found Ava less interesting. I don't think of drinking/having sex/partying being "wild," it's pretty normal, yet Ava was called a "wild spirit" over and over. She was beautiful, but so were tons of other girls, she didn't seem to have enough behind just being beautiful and good at sex. She just seemed like a good-time gal whose beauty was her ticket everywhere. I thought she got scarier-looking as she reached her thirties, to be honest.
Feb 26 2007, 02:10 PM
Pushy author here:
So I made a trailer for my book, because the paperback's coming out next week -- here it is:
Feb 26 2007, 03:44 PM
cool - thanks girlbomb
Feb 26 2007, 04:36 PM
I am been a bit busy so I just finished
White Teeth
yesterday. I was a little disappointed by the ending it felt like everything was wrapped up and condensed a too fast. I felt like the last couple of pages gould have been at least ten instead of two. But all and in all good book.
A friend gave me a copy of [/i]the fuck up[i], so I think that's my next read.
girlbomb, very cool. I am definately going to pick up a copy. I usually wait for everything to come out in paperback, I am poor.
Feb 26 2007, 07:41 PM
Wow! Congratulations, girlbomb! The video is a pretty cool way of amping your book. Were you in on the process of making it?
Feb 27 2007, 02:25 PM
Thank you, nice peoples. I appreciate the support a whole, whole lot.
And yeah, tommynomad, I helped cast and produce the thing, and that's my voice in the VO. I flattered myself by choosing an extra cute actress to play me.
Mar 1 2007, 11:19 AM
Well - I did it. I donated all those books - about 100. I thought it would be painful parting with my books but it was actually pretty easy! And looking at my bookshelves at home, you'd hardly notice any were gone. I hope lots of people get some good use out of them.
On another note, I got an email announcement letting me know the newest issue of
Girlistic Magazine
is online. I checked it out and they have some pretty good book reviews! They also have an interview with the founder of Manic D Press. So y'all might want to check it out. (It's free and online.) Also, the whole issue looks really good - it's about feminism and technology.
anna k
Mar 1 2007, 01:11 PM
I liked Girlistic a lot, thanks for posting the new issue, femmespeak.
Mar 1 2007, 01:38 PM
No prob anna k! Glad there's a fellow fan on here!
Mar 2 2007, 11:53 AM
Just bought
. So far, it's great; she writes like I speak. Of course, our drummer likes to call me "Lorelei Gilmore on Crack", so that may not be a compliment.
Anyhow, even if you can't skate, the stories are told well, and her narrative style makes you feel like you've known her all your life.
Mar 2 2007, 12:36 PM
am loving read Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath's right now
Mar 2 2007, 05:42 PM
bustygirl ,
sounds good.
I don't know why, but I've always sort of had an interest in the roller-derby thing, tho I can hardly skate and am terrified of such violence.
let us know how it is?
I am
my book club... mostly bc I found another one!!
I got an email about another group and the book sounds fantastic.....
Dance of the Dissident's Daughter
bye Sue Monk Kidd (Mermaid Chair author).
has anyone else read this yet?
I am really psyched bc I have a great interest but not much knowledge of women's spirtuality and how it meshes w/ modern religion and "church." I hope this is not a super churchy bunch of women... but from the except of the book, I don't think they will be, to have chosen this.
how do I extricate myself from the old book club? I feel guilty bc I know they need the #'s or they will disband.
as to my Reading Around the World I could- not- do- Iraq (obvious reasons perhaps, to be revisited another time?) but I hit India again and went on to England.
Mar 2 2007, 07:23 PM
oh, freck, good for you! i haven't read "dance of the dissident's daughter" but i loved "secret life of bees", which is also by sue monk kidd.
Mar 3 2007, 06:40 AM
Freckle, can you do both clubs? Or were you already looking for a reason to get out of the first one...?
Mar 3 2007, 07:07 AM
Oh Freckle, I have no advice for you except maybe just tell them that it isn't working out for you and you want to go in a different direction? Just because people like to read doesn't mean they like to read the same books (this is like a duh moment I'm having because I need more coffee)... I don't know why they'd take it personally. Try not to feel guilty. Maybe your leaving will prompt them to find a couple of new members?
The Secret Life of Bees
is another one sitting around at home waiting to be read.
Busty, I love your new picture! ::wolf whistles::
Girlbomb, that was a cool video. I might have to read your book again to celebrate its paperback release.
I finally finished
The Best of Everything
. I'm glad I stuck it out; I read the first 50 pages and put the book down for a long time and forgot about it. Glad I read the remaining 400 pages! It's not high literature and it's not going to become my favorite book I've read in 2007 (not that the two always go hand-in-hand, duh), but it was a decent enough read. I'd recommend it.
I read
and because I slogged through it and wasn't impressed or touched by it, I've decided to
Running with Scissors
. I know so many of you have good things to say about it, and so does the person who loaned me the book, but I'm just not going to read it. Go ahead and throw tomatoes at me, but I'm just not in a memoir mood (with the exception of GB).
Mar 3 2007, 11:16 AM
I wasn't digging the choices of the club, after the first book. (
memoirs of a geisha
). the 2nd book,
her truest pleasure
(or something like that) I had a hard time following due to time-context's and the 3rd book ( I missed the 2nd meeting bc my cat's broken leg) is
their eyes were watching God
, I couldn't get thru the movie and so am coping out, albeit Joyfully, w/ this new (more established) club to try.
I think what makes me feel bad is that the library had tried to have a club last year but no one came, and this new club's group is tiny, like 5 people. it makes sense that you woudn't want it so huge that there would be anonymity among the members maybe either. I don't know, but if this new group doesn't work, I may just accept that it's not to be.
I remember when
running with scissors
came out and remember thinking '
this is a complicated book that I think I'd have to be at a certain place in my life to read intelligently
if that makes any sense?
Mar 6 2007, 08:28 AM
Today is Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 80th birthday; to celebrate I may read some of his short stories or one of his shorter works, such as
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
. I love GGM and own most of his back catalogue although I haven't yet read them all; he is definitely on my list of top FIVE writers.
anna k
Mar 6 2007, 01:40 PM
Saul Bellow's
Seize the Day
is boring so far. The main character is a dud and nothing else is grabbing me. I'm reading it for school and can't find anything interesting about it.
For fun I'm reading Peter Bogdanovich's
Who the Hell's In It
, about his relationships with famous actors, mostly deceased now. It's very entertaining. I also read
, about epic movie flops like
Battlefield Earth
, etc., with detailed chapters about the making of the films and why they bombed so hard.
Mar 7 2007, 09:28 AM
QUOTE(anna k @ Mar 6 2007, 07:57 PM)
I also read
, about epic movie flops like
Battlefield Earth
, etc., with detailed chapters about the making of the films and why they bombed so hard.
Fiasco is so fun!! I read that last fall...
Mar 7 2007, 10:07 AM
Freckle, I liked
Their Eyes Were Watching God
but you're so right to leave the club if it's not working for you. It is supposed to be at least partly for fun after all. Hope the new one is a better fit.
Has anyone read AS Byatt? I've read some Margaret Drabble and like her in bursts but tried to read Byatt's
Still Life
and sheesh... I really took against it. It just describes (very well, in fairness) a 1950s English intelligentsia that just repulses me, and I'm all for insider depictions of British highbrows most of the time. Maybe I'm just lazy.
I also seem to have suddenly gone off thrillers as being too formulaic. Once again I find myself casting about for something new...
/unfocused whining
Mar 7 2007, 12:11 PM
BunnyB, I wish I knew GGM's bday was yesterday...I'd have picked a book up for an hour in his honour. Drats!
Currently reading Sophie's Choice. I don't know why I always pick up these dense but good books...takes me months to finish.
Mar 7 2007, 12:19 PM
QUOTE(sybarite @ Mar 7 2007, 04:24 PM)
Has anyone read AS Byatt? I've read some Margaret Drabble and like her in bursts but tried to read Byatt's
Still Life
and sheesh... I really took against it. It just describes (very well, in fairness) a 1950s English intelligentsia that just repulses me, and I'm all for insider depictions of British highbrows most of the time. Maybe I'm just lazy.
I read Possession, which really left me cold. I haven't read any Drabble--what would you recommend? I also gave Iris Murdoch a try (The Severed Head) but, again, eh.
Mar 8 2007, 09:10 AM
QUOTE(cinegirl @ Mar 7 2007, 01:36 PM)
I read Possession, which really left me cold. I haven't read any Drabble--what would you recommend? I also gave Iris Murdoch a try (The Severed Head) but, again, eh.
It took two tries, but I finally read
and I ended up loving it: intellectuals being overly intellectual who discover they're also painfully shy people and it's okay to connect emotionally. And it gets to be quite a good mystery. I was on pins and needles by the end, and could barely put it down till I finished it.
My first go at Byatt was a story collection,
The Dijn in the Nightengale's Eye.
It was lovely. You may enjoy that one. I'm reading her
Matisse Stories
right now. Stuffy women who crack and explode seem to be her speciality. That's okay by me.
I haven't read Drabble or Murdoch, but they are on the eternal list.
Mar 8 2007, 11:11 AM
This is probably reductive but I find Drabble and Byatt very similar; understandable, as they're sisters, but also in that they write about the same milieu, from what I can tell. I've read
The Millstone
The Radiant Way
The Garrick Year
. They're each kind of dark although
The Millstone
The Garrick Year
are much slighter.
The Radiant Way
is one of a trilogy describing social history in Britain as seen through the eyes of 3 women characters. It is engrossing; I got really into it but maybe that's because I was briefly in the UK of the 80s she eventually depicts, so I had some references.
The Millstone
The Garrick Year
are quite dated but that made them more interesting, for me anyway. Essentially I found all three totally absorbing at the time but for some reason I can't get into anything else by her; maybe my moment for her has passed, or something. I can see your point freckle about certain books resonating more at certain points in your life.
Mar 8 2007, 01:41 PM
Hello Readers,
I never get to post in here as much as I would like. I never get to READ as much as I would like!
But I had to post because I'm about 2/3 of the way through
Fall on Your Knees
, and while I initially felt the same way Mando did about it (dark, depressing, sort of hated all the characters) - last night I suddenly couldn't put it down. I stayed up reading until 1:30, which is super late for me considering my son wakes me up every day at 5:30. I can't wait to see how it ends, but I'm a little worried that it might wrap up too quickly. Did any of you find this was the case? And Mando, have you finished it yet? What did you think?
Re: Gabriel Garcia Marquez - I recently got about 1/3 of the way through
100 Years of Solitude
and found I had to move on. I'm disappointed, really, because I LOVED
Love in the Time of Cholera
. With 100YOS, though, I was charmed in the beginning, but as it wore on I felt like the story jumped around way too much without fleshing out the events enough. I dunno. Maybe I'll try it again later.
Cinegirl? I'm too lazy to scroll back at the moment and find out...were you the bringer of this delicious evil called Bookmooch into our lives?? I love it love it love it. I'm so happy to be trading books I never cared about for books I really want! I got William Goldman's abridgement of S. Morgenstern's
The Princess Bride
, and I'm now waiting to receive
Watership Down
Daughter of Fortune
by Isabel Allende. Yay!
Mar 8 2007, 04:54 PM
QUOTE(sesame @ Mar 8 2007, 07:58 PM)
Cinegirl? I'm too lazy to scroll back at the moment and find out...were you the bringer of this delicious evil called Bookmooch into our lives?? I love it love it love it. I'm so happy to be trading books I never cared about for books I really want! I got William Goldman's abridgement of S. Morgenstern's
The Princess Bride
, and I'm now waiting to receive
Watership Down
Daughter of Fortune
by Isabel Allende. Yay!
it was me... spreading the bookmooch love all over the place. are you one of my bustie friends? if not, i'm cinegirl over there, too--
Mar 8 2007, 06:30 PM
this post could also double as a "you know you're a bustie when"...
... you started reading Fall on Your Knees (i love it so far, btw... i think it has to do with the initmacy that comes with completely omniscient storytelling)
... you're on bookmooch! (got FoYK in great conditon from that site, btw, and a funny thing was, i sent a book to someone on the opposite coast who used to work where i do, and we chitty chatted over regular email for a while)
sesame, i'm on there to... what's your handle there?
Mar 9 2007, 06:30 AM
I'm greenie on Bookmooch. My inventory isn't too big yet, but I've got boxes of books on my back porch just waiting to be listed. You two will be my first friends! (crazyoldcatlady, what's your handle?)
Mar 9 2007, 07:20 AM
Ohmygoodness. I might have to get in on this Bookmooch evil deliciousness. Cinegirl, I love/hate you.
Mar 9 2007, 08:45 AM
I just mooched Who Stole Feminism? from donut whore, who I know is a bustie but now I can't remember which one
Sesame/greenie--just sent you a friend request.
Crazyoldcatlady--I'm pretty sure we're friends but I can't remember what your Bookmooch name is.
Raisingirl--join us!!
If any busties mooch from me, I'll give you a second book for free--just pick another from my inventory & tell me which it is.
Yay bookmooch busties!
Mar 9 2007, 11:56 AM
Thanks cinegirl!
Raisin...dooooooooooo iiiiiiit!!!!
Mar 9 2007, 06:54 PM
yeah raisin, all the cool kids are doing it
sesame, i send you a friend request.
and cine, we are 'mooch friends, "anouk"
Mar 9 2007, 08:15 PM
*pops in*
cinegirl, that would be moi!
i'll try and get it out on monday. i'd do it tomorrow, but i work during post office hours. ugh.
damn, i'm gone for two weeks and it turns into a bookmooch revolution! yeah. i already have about 10 books sitting in my room just begging to be read! i'm amazed how my inventory got wiped out so quickly. i'd add more, but most of my books are back home in tx!
Mar 11 2007, 07:21 PM
i wish i could do bookmooch, but i'm way too lazy about getting to the post office. which is tres silly, since i pass it twice a day. le sigh.
highly recommended recent reads:
the preservationist
by david maine. the first is the story of noah and the ark, and the second is about adam and eve and cain and abel, both written with a modern voice. very imaginative & entertaining. and this from someone who doesn't get into biblical anything.
with smooches to mia busties chat and car for turning me onto them!
sesame, yes, i finished
. don't worry, it doesn't wrap up too quickly. it wraps up pretty amazingly actually. but i still was not enamored, sad to say. finally found the one other person in the universe who didn't like it either, so now i don't feel so isolated.
really disappointed with the ending of
the cell
, which completely reminded me of
the stand
, but in a superficially inferior way. god only knows why i just ordered
lisey's story
. i'm a sucker for an easy read these days.
Mar 11 2007, 07:43 PM
I finished reading
yesterday. On the whole, I liked the book. Like others, though, I kinda felt that he dropped the ball towards the end. Spoilers:
After Cal wrote that note & ran away, I expected that there would be a lot more time dedicated to how she felt during that transition into "becoming" male & how it felt to identify herself as male. It's such a momentous, complicated thing, yet it barely got any time at all. For instance, Cal casually mentions that his Adam's Apple appears ... and that's about it. Not much refelction at all. Also, I wish the author hadn't sequestered Desdemona away for 10 years. I missed her. But I still really enjoyed it.
Now I'm reading
A Walk To Remember
. Don't look at me like that! Everyone's allowed to read something fluffy from time to time.
Mar 11 2007, 08:48 PM
mando, if i didn't have a post office in the same building i work in, i wouldn't be doing bookmooch; it's hard to get to a real post office during their work hours.
does anyone remember the name of the book that girlbomb guiltypleasure raved a while back? it had a popsicle on the cover...
Mar 11 2007, 11:50 PM
Roseviolet, I loved
! It's one of those books that came to me in exactly the right time and place in my life. It was one of the best I read last year.
I've just finished
In the Skin of a Lion
Calamity and other stories
, and am almost finished with
. Still working through
Only Revolutions
- has anyone else battled that one? It's beautiful, but takes time to read; you have to turn it upside down and back and forth and I have to reread every page. I guess I haven't found the rhythm yet. Perhaps
House of Leaves
is more accessible?
In the Skin of a Lion
was fantastic. A lot of people who loved
The English Patient
don't realize there was a prequel! I highly recommend it.
Mar 12 2007, 04:36 AM
I'm still meh about
mando, it's uncanny but I picked up
in a bookstore a few days ago and read the synopsis; the cool cover attracted my eye (may be different here) so must give it a go.
Going through a Gabriel Garcia Marquez phase and since last week (his 80th birthday) I've read
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Memoirs of My Melancholy Whores
(poignant) and now reading
Of Love and Other Demons
(so far haunting).
rose, I also started
The Wee Free Men
and enjoying Tiffany as a female protagonist and borrowed the boy's
Good Omens
Mar 12 2007, 06:55 AM
Bunny, I have to commend you for being able to read so much (for pleasure, I presume?!) AND be in school at the same time. When I was in college, I was only able to do that during semester breaks.
I'm not commenting on the Book Mooch, which I suppose is a comment in and of itself.
RV, I felt the same way about the ending of
, but I still liked the book overall. I've been meaning to reread
Virgin Suicides
, but haven't gotten around to it. One of these years!
Catlady, you could just go to GB's profile and click on "view all posts" or whatever the option is, and scroll through her messages that way.
Currently reading
. It's like
, but updated. I used to like Coupland. Now? I'm not so sure. It's just making me hate computer culture even more (even though it is full of le Snark). But I'll still read the entire book just so I can be sure of my uncertainty (and the book's a biggie, too).
Mar 12 2007, 10:09 AM
raisin, I would love to accept your commendation but I'm not currently in school (I graduated from my Master's in Nov and not returning until Aug) hence the devouring of books whilst I can. During term-time I still read a lot but it's less than I would like so taking advantage of the time and opportunity I currently have.
I've been meaning to re-read
The Virgin Suicides
Mar 12 2007, 11:53 AM
Oh, see, here I was thinking you were continuing straight on to the Ph.D. part! Sorry. It must be good to have some breathing room, though (and this is coming from someone who should have stayed in academia to study English Lit further)...
Mar 14 2007, 07:12 AM
Brother Ray
(finally) over the weekend. I love his music and respect his will to overcome his handicap but I have to question his decision to fly airplanes.
The Crying of Lot 49
, my first attempt at Pynchon. Good - no, great - read. Aware of his reputation I was maybe a little concerned that I might not get it. I did, as it turns out, as much as you can. Left me wanting to read more of his writing.
The Conquest of Happiness
by Bertrand Russell, my favorite thought leader at the moment. It's about happiness, why some people have it and others don't. I think I have it.
Mar 14 2007, 10:55 AM
Catlady, I recommended Jami Attenberg's INSTANT LOVE. Good stuff.
Other recent reads: FAME JUNKIES (fun, if you're interested in celebrity culture, and simultaneously loathe yourself for being interested in it); THE EMPEROR'S CHILDREN (about three 30something friends in NYC -- mostly very good, kind of Jonathan Franzen-ian, but with a lame ending); TRANSPARENT (great -- about a woman who volunteers with transgendered teens and winds up adopting one); HIM HER HIM AGAIN THE END OF HIM (about a neurotic woman in love with a narcissist -- funny, but should have been better, definitely wait for the paperback).
Also, GIRLBOMB just came out in paperback. Coming to Target April 1!
Mar 14 2007, 11:31 AM
Wow. Just finished the book that
Children of Men
(the movie) was based on, called (surprisingly enough)
The Children of Men
, by P.D. James. I love her writing anyway, and I was surprised to learn that the movie was based on her writing -- she's so strongly associated with the mystery genre, particularly the Inspector Dalgleish series. VERY different from the movie - for those who have seen it, the book is much lower-key, much more emphasis on the Warden of England (Theo's cousin), and Theo himself is a 50 year old academic rather than a somewhat younger civil servant. Really moving writing anyway.
Mar 18 2007, 12:15 AM
what does everyone think of anne tyler? she's my guilty pleasure. sometimes i think she's amazing, and sometimes i have a hidden suspicion that she might be the intellectual's danielle steele or something.
Mar 19 2007, 04:11 AM
Jasper Fforde has a new Thursday next book out in July! Its title is
First Amongst Sequels
Mar 19 2007, 09:24 AM
I just finished Jane Smiley's
Ten Days in the Hills
and hated it. I could see there was clever satire in there, but all the characters and their monologues were so. damn. tedious.
Vesica, I agree with you about
Children of Men
. I found it kind of quietly heartbreaking. A weird generic departure for James, I thought.
Mar 20 2007, 06:37 AM
Congrats on the pb, girlbomb!
Put me in the
fan club. One measure of fiction I use is how many times I need to consult a dictionary, and Eugenides got me half a dozen times--well done!
Just wrapped up the audiobook version of
, which is still the best male-authored SF I've ever read. Next up for my commute:
The Taming of the Shrew
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Poulsbo City Council
In the Aug. 18 primary, the voters of Poulsbo will be asked to trim the candidate field for Poulsbo City Council Position 7 from three to two. The Herald sent out questionnaires to each candidate and asked they keep their answers to each question at 200 words. These have not been edited for grammar or spelling.
Kimberlee Crowder
What is your previous experience in public service?
I have proudly served as Poulsbo's City Councilmember since 2006. Prior to being elected to council, I was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission. I currently serve on the Community Service Committee, the Public Safety and Legal Committee and the Economic Development Committee and I have chaired each of them. I also represent the city in different liason assignments for these committees.
What sets you apart from the other candidates?
My 10 years experience as a small business owner in Poulsbo gives me a unique insight into the challenges facing our local business community. That's why I believe, unlike some, that the Economic Development Committee can assist small businesses in ways the Chamber of Commerce cannot. That's why I believe, unlike some, that "big box" retailers are not the answer for Poulsbo.
I hear from my community through so many venues, as a business owner, as a city councilmember, as a waitress two nights a week, that I feel I am closely connected to the people of Poulsbo. Therefore, it is very important to me that the people of Poulsbo be heard by our City Council. That is why I fought to give our citizens a vote on where they wanted City Hall built.
What sets me apart is that Poulsbo, to me, is more than just a place to build another big box retailer or to thrust up another housing complex. Poulsbo is the place I intend to call home for many years to come.
What is your plan for retaining/attracting businesses in Poulsbo?
Taking care of the needs of our existing businesses should be our top priority.
I was successful in creating an Economic Development Committee so that the city can assist our local businesses in ways the Chamber of Commerce cannot, such as creating tax incentives, changing zoning or creating L.I.D.'s such as the one that enabled the King Olaf Parking lot.
I am still working on a simple loop transit plan that would link Poulsbo's business hubs. This would help to alleviate the parking problems downtown and relieve traffic congestion as well as provide a means for tourists to enjoy our city's amenities. Finding solutions to the parking problem at Anderson Parkway is critical to our success downtown.
The coalition I helped form this year between all of our hotel/motel tax recipients is a great example of how the city worked with local businesses to help them get more for their money by combining advertising. These types of partnerships are what we'll need to get us throught these tough economic times.
Please re-elect me so that I can continue to bring fresh ideas of how the city council can help our local business community to suceed.
Tom Foley
What is your previous experience in public service?
I've recently come to a point in my life where I can provide more public service, especially the kind I'm seeking.
Years ago, while on active military service, I was a reserve police officer in Bremerton and again in Middletown, Rode Island.
This past year I've been an active participant at all of the Poulsbo city council meetings and I attended many individual committee meetings. By doing so, I have gained a strong understanding of the issues facing the city as well as the operation of the city government.
What sets you apart from the other candidates?
Foremost, I haven't spent the last four to eight years on the council. I would be a fresh member with over thirty five years of experienced leadership and management skills. I can make sound decisions the first time.
I will spend much of my free time at public work sites, riding along with emergency service personnel, working alongside the budget and administration personnel, just to gain a better understanding of how things are done at the actual core service level in the city.
What is your plan for retaining/attracting businesses in Poulsbo?
First we need to actively seek out small business personnel. We need an active recruitment campaign targeting the local business schools, small business trade publications and trade shows. We need to broadcast our progressive community, potential revenue for the businesses, and cost savings for doing business here in Poulsbo rather then anywhere else in the county.
We need to explore greater incentives in providing advertising for all businesses, possible reduced business license fees for new businesses. I would like to see city supported sale days with entertainment. I'm ready to explore more and get moving on it.
Jim Henry
What is your previous experience in public service?
Two terms on the Poulsbo City Council (from 2000 through 2007).
Poulsbo City Planning Commission from 1991 to 2000, and again beginning in 2009.
Served on the Executive Council of the Puget Sound Regional Council, as alternate for County Commissioner Chris Endresen.
Served on the Transportation Policy Board for Puget Sound Regional Council.
Served on the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Committee.
Served as City of Poulsbo liaison with Poulsbo Port Commission during my time on City Council.
I was the first City Councilman to serve as liaison to the Suquamish Tribal Council, and I continue my relationship with the Suquamish as an Honorary Elder.
What sets you apart from the other candidates?
I served my country in uniform for 31 years in the US Navy. Following that service, I spent another 14 years as a civilian employee of the Navy Department. In the latter capacity, I traveled worldwide on special assignments, including confidential assignments made directly by the President of the United States. I am proud to carry on the tradition of service begun by my great-grandfather, who fought in the Civil War.
My experience and leadership in local government, totaling almost 18 years, far exceeds the experience base of either of my opponents.
I actively and successfully participated with earlier City Councils in economic development projects, including College Market Place, home of Wal Mart and Olympic College.
What is your plan for retaining/attracting businesses in Poulsbo?
The recent decision by a major beer distributor to relocate to Poulsbo from a nearby city, in my opinion directly relates to the fact that our previous City Councils have fought against imposition of a Business and Occupation Tax. I strongly opposed the B&O tax while on the City Council. Should I be elected again, I will continue to fight for a favorable taxing climate for new and expanding businesses. I have taken a leadership role in transportation infrastructure and will continue to do so if elected. Improved infrastructure is essential to business growth in our community.
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January 15, 2013 Updated Jan 15, 2013 at 12:57 PM EDT
A strange story from Florida has a happy ending.
According to a report from TBO.com, a Florida man had his French bulldog stolen from him at gunpoint in his front yard last Friday morning. The dog and its owner were reunited a day later after a citizen found the dog less than a mile from where it was taken, according to the TBO.com report.
Read the TBO.com report HERE.
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text:
Postal carrier
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 3:45 PM
Inappropriate photo? Alert us.
Postal carrier Paul Klassen, 57, grabs another bunch of mail from his truck while delivering mail in the Roosevelt Park neighborhood on Thursday, December 8, 2011. Klassen, of Norton Shores, has worked for the United States Postal Service for 31 years. He walks 18 thousand steps in one day delivering mail. Chronicle photo by Kendra Stanley-Mills (photo available for sale, please call 231-725-6368)
Related articles
- Season of uncertainty: Local workers worry about future of postal service December 22, 2011, 6:00 AM


text:
Returning after the half-season hiatus, Ghost Hunters picked up where they left off with the emergency call from Steve Gonsalves to Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson in Hawaii asking the duo to return to Rhode Island to cover a case of a 4-year-old girl that is being frightened in her home.
Jason and Grant head home to Rhode Island where Steve greets them in the TAPS office where he says he has scheduled an investigation for that evening with that alternate investigator tagging along, KJ McCormick. Jason and Grant then fire up the computers and begin a teleconference reveal with the client, the Pacific Aviation Museum, back at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Sitting on the other end is Amy Bruni and David Tango with the client; surprisingly they were each allowed to speak a little while Jason and Grant conducted the reveal, which is really huge considering they aren't even included in the opening credits for the show anymore.
They begin as usual telling about the cleverly debunked segments. Kramer, the moving mannequin was accused of being 'loosely jointed' and therefore apt to move on his own volition. They then proceed with playing this really odd grunting noise. We are told that it's a voice although no one can tell what it is supposed to be saying. Next up is a whispered 'yes,' finally we get into the good stuff. In what were perhaps the clearest EVPs I've heard on any paranormal show to date, the team plays 2 recordings for the client. The first saying "Let's get these doors open." followed by a clanging noise and then a second EVP of "Hey, come weld this wing." Both recordings were astonishingly clear and Jason and Grant tell the client that building was empty at the time.
Moving on to video results from the Pearl Harbor investigation we are shown a video clip of a glowing object up on the catwalk where Amy had seen something moving. While there is definitely something moving on the video it is really grainy and frankly could easily have been a pigeon, a bat or a seagull flying in through any of the many broken windows throughout the hanger. Grant announces that something really weird is going on at the museum.
Once the video conference is over with Jason and Grant turn their attention back to the Woonsocket, Rhode Island case of the Reid family residence. Once again it was great to see the Ghost Hunters team take on a non-museum-in-need-of-an-attendance-boost case.
Because the rest of the Ghost Hunters team is still back in Hawaii this investigation will be down to just 4 investigators, Jason, Grant, Steve and KJ. Greeted by the homeowner, Nancey Reid, we begin the tour and are told about the 4-year-old refusing to stay in the kitchen because of the older man, the 19-year-old nephew who won't go in the basement because of the moving shadow, the 'bad living room' with the feeling of someone staring at you from the stairs, the nephew's room where he woke up with a scratch on his arm, banging noises from the attic and the husband who woke up feeling like he was being attacked.
Rigging up the old purple and yellow house with cameras, the team goes lights out in what looks like absolutely freezing weather. KJ and Steven head in first to the dining room area where Steve begins his usual half-yelling half-loud-talking to the entities to show themselves. Once again though, Steve shows us that he hasn't missed a step in the tech department by setting up a geophone which measures vibrations on the staircase. The equipment does light up slightly a couple of times but nothing significant.
Soon Jason and Grant head in and take a seat in the 'bad living room' area. Waving the K2 meter around they find that there is a high EMF reading from the 'chair of discomfort' as the team calls it. After a discussion about the Feng shui of the room being totally off because of the stair case being seen with the corner of your eye they begin to conduct a question and answer session with the K2 meter as well as Jason hearing voices coming from the 'good living room' along with footsteps. Taking their K2 meter they head up to the nephew's room and eventually the attic where they find high EMFs being caused by electrical junction boxes in the attic over 3 of the corners of the nephew's room. Oddly, although they heard voices while in the 'bad living room' they are now apparently blaming the sounds on high EMFs.
Switching over to Steve we see that he is now setting up an ion generator and in a conversation we hear him wonder if the high EMFs are effecting the family or if maybe the entities are taking advantage of the high EMFs and using them to gain energy and feeding off of them. Steven then continues yelling at the entities while one of three meters shows a change in the magnetic field.
Jason and Grant eventually find their way to the basement with their K2 meter and find the copper pipes are all charged and being used as a ground for the homes electrical system and voila, we have the season's first instance of the use of the term 'fear cage.' Awesome. In a bit of deduction though, they figure out that the copper pipes do run under only those rooms that the little girl, Hannah, says she feels uncomfortable in.
In the analysis really not much was captured in the way of solid evidence. We had a couple recordings of what was described as a girl's giggle, a weird noise at the bottom of the stairs that honestly could be anything and a recording of what they say is voices but frankly, to me it sounded like my ringtone from 1998.
In a really high-tech move, the Ghost Hunters pull out the hand-drawn schematic of the Reid's home and using not one, but two different colors of highlighter, they colored in the rooms that had high EMFs and those rooms that Hannah felt uncomfortable in. Amazingly the blue rooms and the green rooms both matched! Recommending that the family calls in an electrician to re-ground the homes system they tell the owner that they are only a phone call away.
As Jason and Grant drive away from the reveal they both agree that the Steve made a good call to have them come home from Hawaii to 'start the process' with the family.
All and all this was a decent way to re-start the new season with the Ghost Hunters. The reveal of the evidence captured at Pearl Harbor was, once again, spectacular and then the new investigation of the residence, while it didn't really capture much in the way of evidence gets my props for being an old-school residential investigation. So, two thumbs up for this 'Urgent!' episode, one for the great EVPs captured and one for the residential case-- I won't even give them static about the use of an exclamation point in the title. Although I really should!


text:
SUMMERSIDE – The Western School Board's enrolment dropped again this year, preliminary numbers show, with all but four schools showing a decrease in student population.
Enrolment numbers as of Sept. 30 have been released, but the board emphasized that the figures have yet to be deemed official by the Department of Education.
Total enrolment in Prince County is 6,498, down from 6,634 in September 2011.
Enrolment decreased at every school in the district but four: Summerside's Greenfield Elementary and Three Oaks Senior High, along with O'Leary Elementary and Kinkora's Somerset Elementary.
Early numbers for the region's high schools recorded TOSH with 847 students, up nine from last year, and a decrease of 19 at Westisle Composite, which has 629.
Kensington Intermediate Senior High recorded 20 fewer students than last year with 382. Kinkora Regional High had dropped from 174 to 161 as of Sept. 30.
Greenfield Elementary in Summerside saw the largest increase of all western district schools. As of the end of September, 393 students were enrolled there compared to 350 one year prior, an increase of 43 students.
Summerside's Elm Street Elementary had the biggest decline in enrolment, down 23 students to 405.
Summerside Intermediate continues to be the county's most populous non-high school with a student body of 523.
Meanwhile, the Eastern School District's numbers also declined slightly in September with 13,241 students enrolled, compared to 13,343 in the same month last year.
Full-time teaching positions in the western district also dropped from 524.76 in 2011-2012, to 507.95 this year.
"There have been very few new hires to teaching positions," superintendent Jane McMillan noted in a report tabled at a Sept. 19 board meeting. "In both school boards, all probationary and permanent teachers have been placed, although some are temporary assignments."
As of September 13 of this year, there were 292 active substitute teachers, most of whom were certified, a higher number than usual.
The Western School Board by the numbers
Following are unofficial student enrolment figures for some schools in Prince County as of Sept. 30, including change from last year's numbers:
Elm Street Elementary
2011-2012: 438
2012-2013: 405
Change: -23
M.E. Callaghan
Alberton Elementary
Greenfield Elementary
O'Leary Elementary
Somerset Elementary
Source: Western School Board


text:
By Lena Mitchell/NEMS Daily Journal
BOONEVILLE – The federal court in Aberdeen issued a judgment Wednesday in favor of the Booneville School District in a lawsuit brought by former special education teacher Kathy Anderson Lamb.
Lamb filed the lawsuit saying that her free speech rights were violated and also that she was fired because of her age.
U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock ruled in favor of the school district based on courtroom and deposition testimony, as well as the content of several e-mails.
With regard to the free speech allegation, Lamb said that she was fired primarily because of the stance she took against using corporal punishment on an autistic child.
Courtroom testimony offered by the school principal, special education director and district superintendent, however, was that Lamb displayed unprofessional behavior by "yelling and condemning" another teacher in front of a classroom of students.
This incident, they testified, followed another incident in which Lamb violated school policy and the two incidents together resulted in the nonrenewal of her contract.
Aycock wrote in her ruling that Lamb's speech in her job as a teacher was not protected speech, as opposed to if she had been speaking as a private individual.
With regard to the age discrimination complaint, Aycock wrote that when the school district hired Lamb five months before her contract was not renewed, she was already in the class of workers over 40 who are protected by age discrimination laws. Therefore it was not reasonable to assume the district would have hired someone in the age-protected group then fired the same employee based on age.
Contact Lena Mitchell at (662) 287-9822 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
|Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute
Victoria Mallison
Too often we as teachers get so involved in teaching subject matter that we overlook the needs of the student. The basic need of the middle school youngster is to be long, to feel a part of the world he or she lives in.
We can make them feel more a part of our world by showing an understanding and appreciation for the things they believe to be important such as music, television, sex, and even violence and drugs. We may not be able to comfortably address all of these issues, but we may be able to meet them on their level by addressing at least one of the areas.
After we have found a common ground maybe we can really teach our students something. We may not teach everything we dreamed of , nor may we be able to teach the way we dreamed of teaching, but we will be teaching. Isnĺt teaching what we want to do ? We must be gluttons for punishment.
It requires some creativity to keep the attention of any middle school student for more than ten consecutive minutes. The S.E.M. youth like most middle school ô younginsö do have more important things on their minds (ie., sex, drugs, and television). At least they are more important to them.
We as teachers must continuously seek new ways to entice our students to listen what we have to say about reading, writing, and arithmetic. The objectives of this unit are as follows:
Many public schools have moved away from poetry in recent years. There is much emphasis on prose yet little on poetry. In past years poetry was given more consideration in the classrooms. Students recited poems after spending days memorizing stanzas. Today a few poems are thrown in between pages of prose in reading textbooks, with a reference here and there to similes and metaphors, and little else.
- 1. to enhance the reading curriculum
- 2. to improve reading and writing skills
- 3. to teach the appreciation of poetry
- 4. to serve as a basis for affective education
The ability to speak and write effectively are important assets. A knowledge of poetry can help to acquire these much needed skills, a feeling for poetry influences both writing and speaking. It gives one the desire to put words together descriptively and effectively.
The unit will be implemented at the beginning of October and is expected to be completed by Christmas break. I will use the unit two days a week for two consecutive 45 minute periods to enhance the regular curriculum. The unit will be composed of three sections:
Each section will be preceded by related vocabulary. This is necessary because many of the students are reading at about a third grade reading level. I will begin the unit by spending two weeks listening to lyrics to popular music such as Rap (which is very popular with todayĺs youth), Pop, and Gospel.
- 1. Listening to and reading lyrics to Rap, pop, and Gospel music.
- 2. Reading poetry and using some poems as a basis for affective education.
- 3. Writing poetry.
My reason for introducing poetry by listening to lyrics to songs is simply to say to the students, ôhey, you already have an interest in poetry. I now want to expand your knowledge of the subject.ö The students already enjoy reading rap lyrics to a musical beat; hopefully they will transfer this interest to developing a poem of their own and recite it before their classmates.
ôFreshö Rap personalities are constantly changing but I intend to use the lyrics of Slick Rick. He is popular with the students right now. Cool Moe Dee, and The Fat Boys are other Rap personalities. I will not include them in my unit unless they are suggested by the students. A Teenage Love by Slick Rick will be the song I will use to open my unit. The second Rap song will be chosen by the class. Next, we will review the lyrics to a Pop tune by Stevie Wonder, Village Ghetto Land. Lastly, during this section, we will listen to and discuss the lyrics of a Lift Every Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson. The focus of the first section will be to bring to the students, attention to the effect the music has on the lyrics. There will also be some emphasis on the message of the lyrics. I might ask the students if the message changed after hearing the lyrics with the music. Reading the lyrics to a song should give the student an appreciation for how writing begins. Whether one is writing a poem, a story, or a song they each begin with a single thought.
The next section is poetry reading, I will chose poems which are on or about the third grade reading level. There are usually various reading levels in a special education classroom, but the third grade level is comprehended by most students in the middle school. A list of vocabulary words will be reviewed before reading the poems. The list of words will be made up of vocabulary found in the poems to be read during this section.
Here is a list of the poems I will use in this section:
|Adams, P. Franklin
|The Rich Man
|Aldis, Dorothy
|Angelou, Maya
|No Loser, No Weeper
|Woman Work
|On Aging
|Benet, Rosemary
|Nancy Hanks
|Benet, Rosemary and
|Abragam Lincoln
|Burgess, Gelett
|I Wish My Room Had A Floor
|Frost, Robert
|Stopping by Woods on a
|Snowy Evening
|Hughes, Langston
|Mother to Son
|I, Too
|My People
|Hughes, Langston
|Kid in The Park
|Gone Boy
|Mama and Daughter
|Ballad of The Landlord
|Freedomĺs Plow
|James, Emmanuel A.
|A Small Discovery
|Mckuen, Rod
|Me and The Cat
|Miller, Mary Britton
|Prelutsky, Jack
|The Hippopotamus
There is another aspect of this section, it is the use of some poems to discuss feelings. As you may already know the S.E.M. student usually meets with a social worker or psychologist for approximately half an hour per week. This time is used to discuss alternative ways of dealing with their feelings. The S.E.M. child usually handles frustration, anger, or unhappiness by acting out behaviors like fighting, throwing things, and yelling. Poets address feelings in their work. For instance, in Harlem Langston Hughes talks about the frustration of not realizing a dream. I plan to use this poem and others like it to guide my students into talking about their aspiration, goals, dealing with failure, and obstacles. By using poetry the students can feel free to talk about emotions without owning the emotion.
Out of all the poets I have read Langston Hughesĺ poems depict the situations most identified with by urban youth. Hughes discusses parent/child relationships, drug abuse, religion, loneliness, and many other aspects of city life.
The last section, which I believe will be the most fun, will involve writing poetry. We will spend 4 or 5 weeks on this section. My techniques for teaching poetry have been influenced by Kenneth Kochĺs book Wishes, Lies, And Dreams. I will begin this section by asking students to write a collaborative poem. The next poem will be written individually. They will be asked to write about a particular idea. Kenneth Koch called the idea a ôpoetry ideaö. According to Koch ôA poetry idea should be easy to understand , it should be immediately interesting, and it should bring something new in the childrenĺs poem; this could be new subject matter, new sense of awareness, new experience of language or poetic form.ö The first poem my students will write individually will be a comparison poem. The students must put a comparison and a sound in every line. Another type of poem the class will write is called a dream poem. I will emphasize that dreams are sometimes hard to make sense of and so their poems do not have to make sense either. The class will be given the opportunity to read their poems aloud one by one. Each student will be(I have about eight students) required to make some constructive comment. There will be time for revisions. The class will be given 2 weeks to write a poem using a ôpoetry ideaö of their choice. The idea can be one that the students creates. By the end of this section the students should have completed at least 3 poems.
Materials A copy of the poem My People by Langston Hughes for each student.
Procedure The teacher will pass out copies of poem to the class, will ask for a volunteer to read the poem aloud, then read the poem herself to the class, and finally will lead the class into discussion of the poem.
Teacher will include some of the following questions in the discussion:
- 1. Do you like the poem?
- 2. What is the poem about?
- 3. Why does the writer compare his people to the night?
- 4. What other comparisons does the author make?
- 5. How does this poem make you feel about his people?
- 6. What is self-esteem?
- 7. Do you think the writer likes himself?
- 8. Do you think that how a person feels about his people affects how he feels about himself?
- 9. If people have poor images of themselves will they set high goals for themselves?
- 10.How would a low self-esteem affect what you do in life?
Objective Students will be able to change the pitch of their voice, stress particular words, and pause after particular words to alter the meaning of a sentence.
Materials a copy of worksheet for each student (teacher made) ;
Procedure The teacher will pass out worksheet to each student, and put students into groups of two. The students will take turns reading the given sentence. The sentence must be read in 3 ways:
The students will achieve this by changing the pitch of their voice. After this particular exercise the teacher will ask a student from each group to give a demonstration of what they did in the group.
- 1. to make a statement
- 2. to ask a question
- 3. show strong feeling
In the next exercise the students will look at a list of sentences. Teacher will instruct the students to stress the underlined word in each sentence, to give the sentence a different meaning.
In the third exercise the teacher will instruct students to read the next sentences and pause at each / mark to give meaning to each sentence. The student must explain the meaning of the sentence they just read. Students should take turns with their partner.
In the last exercise, the teacher will instruct students to read the given sentences in four different ways.
Objective Students will be able to write one sentence using the words I wish
Materials paper, pencils, blackboard, chalk
Procedure The teacher will inform students that the class will write a poem together and that each child is to contribute one line. The line must contain the words I wish and a color. The teacher will write a model sentence on the board, and will circulate the room to be sure each student understands the task. The teacher will collect papers and write the sentences on the blackboard in poetry form. Then, the teacher will read poem aloud to class, and discussion will follow.
Objective Students will be able to recognize Rap as a form of poetry.
Materials Copies of the lyrics to A Teenage Love by Slick Rick, cassette player, cassette recording entitled Mona Lisa by Slick Rick and, copies of the poem Blum by Dorothy Aldis.
Procedure A copy of the lyrics to A Teenage Love and the poem Blum will be handed out to each member of the class. The cassette recording will be played, then the teacher will read the lyrics aloud with emphasis on the rhyming words, next, the teacher will read the poem, then the teacher will ask the students to read the first two stanzas of both hand outs silently. The students will be asked the following questions:
Worksheet (corresponds to lesson plan #2)
- 1. What does the poem and the lyrics to the song have in common?
- 2. What does rhyme do for the poem?
- 3. Do the first and second stanzas have the same rhythm? Finally, the teacher will ask students to substitute two new words for the two words that rhyme in the first stanza (the new words should not rhyme). Does the poem have the same beat? Try this with the lyrics to the song? Teacher will continue with more discussion of rhyme and meter, citing more examples.
* Work with a classmate. Take turns reading the sentence below. Change the pitch of your voice to read this sentence in these three ways:
Tyshon plays baseball.
Read each of these sentences in 4 different ways. Ask your partner to tell which of the feelings below you are trying to show.
- 1. Make a statement
- 2. ask a question
- 3. show strong feeling
- * Stress the underlined words to give meaning to these sentences. Then explain the meaning of each sentence to your partner.
- 4. Thereĺs a huge dog.
- 5. Thereĺs a huge dog.
- 6. Heĺs crept into my basement.
- 7. Heĺs crept into my basement.
- 8. Did you see him?
- 9. Did you see him?
- 10. Where is he going?
- 11. Where is he going?
- * Pause at each / mark to give meaning to each sentence. Explain the meaning of the sentence you read. Take turns with your partner.
- 12. Mary said/ he is here.
- 13. Mary/ said he is here.
- 14. Marquis/ is the best player here.
- 15. Marquis is the best/ player here.
- 16. Jamie/ your friend is going.
- 17. Jamie your friend/ is going.
Here is a list of other Rap personalities whose music I listened to while researching for this unit:
- 18. Mikeĺs going away.
- 19. Lasonda is coming tomorrow.
- 20. Is this really yours?
- 21. What should I say?
- L.L. Cool J.
- Kwame
- Big Daddy Kane
- Heavv D. and the Boys
- Salt and Pepper
- Roxanne
- The Real Roxanne
- D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
- Ice-T.
- Rob Base and D.J. Easy Rock
- Erik B. and Rakim
An anthology of modern poems by negro americans.
Adoff, Arnold, All The Colors Of The Race. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1982.
Adoff. Arnold, Sports Pages. New York: J.B. Lippincott, 1986.
Illustrations by Steve Kuzma.
Adoff, Arnold, Outside Inside Poems. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1981.
Baron, Virginia Olsen, ed., Here I Am! New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1969.
An anthology of poems written by young people in some of Americaĺs minority groups.
Bennett , Jill, Days Are Where We Live and other poems. New York: Lothrop, Lee, & Shepard Books, 1981.
Ciardi, John, The Man Who Sang The Sillies. New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1961.
Eastwick, Ivy O. Cherry Stones! Garden Swings! New York: Abingdon Press, 1962.
Feeling, Tom, Grimes, Nikki, Something On My Mind. New York: The Dial Press, 1978.
Feeling, Tom, Greenfield, Eloise, DayDreamers. New York: The Dial Press, 1981.
Fisher, Aileen, In The Woods In The Meadow In The Sky. New York: Charles Scribnerĺs Sons, 1965.
Fisher, Aileen, Skip Around The Year. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1972.
Fleming, Alice, Hosannah The Home Run! Poems about Sports, Boston: Little, Brown & Co. 1972.
Frost, Robert, Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening. Ill. by Susan Jeffers, New York: E.P. Dutton, 1978.
Giovanni, Nikki, Spin A Soft Black Song. New York: Hill and Wang, 1971.
Greenfield, Eloise, Honey I Love. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1972.
Hubbell, Patricia, Catch Me A Wind. New York: Antheneum, 1972.
Hughes, Langston, Donĺt You Turn Back. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1969. Poems by Langston Hughes selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins.
Larrick, Nancy, I heard A Scream In The Street. New York: M.Evans and Company, Inc., 1970. Poems by young people in the city.
McCord, David, All Small. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1986.
Prelutsky, Jack, Read-Aloud Rhymes for the very young. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Inc., 1986.
Updike, John, A Childĺs Calendar. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1965.
Wesley-Smith, Peter, The Ombley Gombley . First American Edition, New York: Antheneum , 1971.
Angelou, Maya, Maya Angelou Poems. Revised edition, New York: Banton Books, 1973.
Angelou, Maya, Shaker. Why Donĺt You Sing. New York: 1983.
Angelou, Maya, And Still I Rise. New York: Random House, 1978.
Angelou, Maya, Now Sheba Sings The Song, New York: Dial Books, 1987.
Bontemps, Arna, ed. American Negro Poetry. New York: Hill and Wang, 1974.
Cole, William, ed. Humorous Poetry for Children. Ohio: World Publishing Co., 1955.
Eller, William, Gordon, Edward J., Welch, Betty Yvonne, Introduction to Literature. Revised edition, Massachusetts: Ginn and Company, 1975.
Ginn and Company, Language 6 , Revised edition, Massachusetts: Ginn and Company, 1983.
Hughes, Langston, Selected Poems. Revised edition, New York: Vintage, 1974.
Koch, Kenneth and Farrell, Kate, Sleeping on the Wing. New York: Vintage, 1981.
Koch, Kenneth, Wishes , Lies, and Dreams. New York: Harper and Row, 1970.
Mckuen, Rod, Listen to the Warm. Revised edition, New York: Random House, 1983.
Schores, Robert, Elements of Poetry, New York: Oxford Press, 1969.
Contents of 1989 Volume II | Directory of Volumes | Index | Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute


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Spinning my wheels just isnt fun anymore
On Saturday afternoon the sun shined brightly through the blinds of my basement recreation room. Using the sun as my guide, I knew the conditions were perfect for a bike ride. I put on my biking shorts, filled up my waterbottle and headed back downstairs. In a stroke of inspiration, I popped Waynes Word into the DVD player, got on my bike and away I went. Downstairs. In my basement. Watching an early-90s classic. On my bike. My bike trainer, just to clarify.
You see, Im a weather wimp. I have a difficult time motivating myself to ride on days when theres traces of frost on the road.
I grew up in the sunny, warm, dry climate that is the San Joaquin Valley in California. I was weather-spoiled as a child, growing up in an area that only received nine inches of rainfall a year. I shivered and ran for the hot chocolate in 60 degrees. Im not kidding.
On the other hand, my most prized possession is a mid-grade, built-for-comfort road bike. A Raleigh Cadent, to be exact. My Raleigh cannot be ignored.
See my dilemma?
In the spirit of insanity, I signed up for the Sunriver, Ore., Pacific Crest half-ironman triathlon in June. Emphasis on the half. So biking is both a necessity and a recreational activity at this point. I only do triathlons for the T-shirts, the medallions and the goodie bags. Im not motivated by times, which explains my times. Im really slow, but I always finish. Im that C-average student, sitting in the middle of the classroom, asking if something is going to be on the test before writing it down.
Ive done four sprint distance triathlons and an olympic distance duathlon. The duathlon was a disappointment, as there were no goodie bags what were the organizers thinking on that one? And, as a sidenote, I had a stress fracture in my left foot. Yes, I finished anyway. My time was a-w-f-u-l, but my medallion was the same as the first-place finisher. So was my T-shirt. So there.
About six weeks after the du-disaster, winter starting kicking in. Ive been locked in my basement since the beginning of November, watching my DVDs and cooing at my American bulldog, Jenny. She sits at my side, her head cocked like the RCA dog, watching my wheel spin round and round while I stay perfectly still.
Im literally itching to get back out on the road. When I heard about the Chilly Hilly, my interest was piqued. The event, now in its 34th year, christens the Northwest bicycling season.
Its this Saturday. The course takes riders around Bainbridge Island.
I checked out the Chilly Hilly Web site on Sunday afternoon with the full intention of registering. Were it not for the frightening graph showing all the peaks and valleys on the course, Id be registered already. Well, that and if I had a 65-degree guarantee.
Then again, theres only so many miles a person can ride without moving an inch before they crack. Baby, Im there.
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WATCH: Texas Judge Announces Re-election Bid, Dumps Republican Party
Dear GOP: Judge Carlo Key isn't here for your shenanigans. In a 2:40 takedown with enough shade to make a drag queen smile, Key deftly announces his re-election bid while announcing that he will not be doing so on the Republican party ballot.
Calling out the "pettiness and bigotry" of the party interspersed with news clips of the usual hateful suspects, he concludes with the final smackdown, stating that he cannot be a member of a party in which "hate speech elevates candidates for higher office, instead of disqualifying them."
Key is making a bold move appealing to better judgement instead of pandering to far-right crazies, especially in a blood red state like Texas. Hopefully the attention from the video can actually help a progressive candidate for once, instead of forcefeeding us yet another right-wing blowhard.
How is the word progressive applied to a judge? That is a way to describe someone running for the legislature. A progressive judge to me is someone who ignores constitutional rights like the 2nd amendment, while making up rights like RoeVWade. The progressive accuses then NRA of making up rights, while the same progressive makes up abortion rights. At least the NRA can find something in the constitution that resembles what they are arguing, the progressive cannot.
Is this somehow connected to us, or is this just another dull "I Hate Republicans" article? Come on, it can't be THAT slow of a news day.
A judge with an agenda is a judge to be feared.
WHAT A STATEMENT!! I'm so very proud that he is from my home town of San Antonio, TX. YOU GO CARLO!!!
I'm not sure why judges should be associated with a particular political party. They should be "free" of partisanship and focussed on the law, the Constitution, etc.
And, as an FYI, there are many elected Democrats across the country that don't support marriage equality.
Just 5 years ago Obama and Clinton repeatedly denounced the idea of marriage equality. They were still stuck on the "traditional definition" as it pertains to marriage. How politically convenient that they (many Democrats in DC) should all evolve at the same time on this topic, essentially tripping over themselves to support equality. It is too bad that these LAWYERS didn't recognize LEGAL equality prior to when it was politically convenient for them to do so. Obviously, their evolving was ultimately a good thing. But, come on… it was politics and social acceptance that caused this rapid change in views.
In my (liberal) state there are still many Democrats that don't support marriage equality. So, progress is still lacking in many Democratic circles, not just Republican ones.
The man's got guts! And REALLY nice ojos!
@BJ McFrisky: A judge with a slavish, dogmatic devotion to the Constitution is a judge to be feared. I hate to tell you, every judge has an agenda. Even Roberts's nonsense about umpiring – that's an agenda that subscribes to a very narrow, specific conception of the Constitution. Judges are people and they are subject to the same biases, prejudices, and fears that you and I are. I laugh at your judicial bogeyman that has gained so much traction in conservative circles. I fear the legislator far more than the average judge – our political branches have been bought and paid for and are not meaningfully accountable to the people.
@brent: Progressivism is easily found in our Constitution – although "progressivism" as I understand it is synonymous equality. I'm not sure how you're defining it. The 14th Amendment and the Preamble demand equality pretty plainly to me. Roe may have been on shaky formal ground, but there is no question to me that bodily autonomy is central to any free society – why is that so scary to you? Why do you fear the loss of your guns more than the loss of your dignity?
The bigger question is why any free society, let alone one based on the idea of separation of powers, would see fit to elect judges in their courts of record.
There is nothing worse than the self-hating homocons on Queerty. Idiots & losers, all of you. Thank God for this judge and thank God that the GOP is going the way of the dinosaurs, thanks largely to demographics. Even in Texas, the Latinos, who are already a majority right now by the way, will at some point soon start to vote in proportion to their numbers and end the Republican Party, in Texas and throughout the South. Since that party is already toxic everywhere else, it'll be good effin' riddance to the party of psychos and in-breds!
@jwrappaport: Queerty needs a thumbs up/down voting system for comments and you deserve a million thumbs up!
@jwrappaport: I agree wholeheartedly. Popularly elected judges are the death of justice.
Yeah, we know Republicans fucking suck. But so do Democrats who are as much to blame for the upcoming food stamp cuts, continued criminalization of marijuana users, NDAA, defense of Monsanto, defense of the continued lie-based wars, etc…
As much as LGBT media wants to ignore this: Gallup: In U.S., Perceived Need for Third Party Reaches New High
I'll do it for you bjohn!!!!
Good for him, I hope he wins. The GOP is the most backward, hateful and destructive organization in America today. This party and their aging bigot base can't die soon enough!
@tjr101: Hallelujah and amen!
Bravo! Bravo! BRAAAAAAVVVVVVOOOOOO!


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Maybe the coolest bird my wife and I encountered this weekend was a Caspian Tern doing fly-bys of Horseshoe Pond. It folded its wings and dive-bombed the water time and again in a hunt for surface-feeding fish before finally flying off with the day's catch.
We didn't get photos or videos, but it wasn't unlike watching this fellow:


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How 15 Tech Tycoons Spend Their Fortunes
APIf you'd founded a tech company worth billions of dollars, what would you do with your cash?
That's a high-class problem faced by the moguls on this list.
Naturally, many of them buy expensive things, like cars, houses, planes—even islands.
But even if you're Larry Ellison, with a seemingly endless appetite for that stuff, there comes a time when you want to do more.
Maybe it's solving the world's problems, or just indulging in a geeky fantasy.
Take a look at how these millionaires and billionaires spend their time and money → »
Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions.
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