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Last minute
The tournament price is still undetermined.
#VolleyROOFED – Tournament
Sunday, April 30, 2017
@ 1pm – 8pm
IDB Los Rosales
Address: Avenida de los Rosales 133, Madrid
Cercanías: Villaverde Bajo (C3, C4)
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/7dMETQjkEXU2
Further details
We'll get together to play a #VolleyROOFED tournament at IDB Los Rosales, Madrid, Spain
The tournament price is still undetermined.
How to get there
To get there from Cercanías Villaverde Bajo train station (C3, C4) exit at Gran Vía de Villaverde street. Across the street there are some escalators. Take the escalators down to calle Eduardo Maristany. At the bottom of the escalators you will see a red coloured bar at the corner. The bar is at the corner of calle Eduardo Maristany with calle Vicente Carballal. Walk 10m down calle Vicente Carballal to where there is a CaixaBank branch. At the CaixaBank branch turn right on calle Miguel Solas. Walk 600m along calle Miguel Solas till you get to the end of the street at a big roundabout. The roundabout is at Avenida de los Rosales. Turn right on Avenida de los Rosales. Walk another 100m along Avenida de los Rosales and the cultural center will be on your left.
(total walk 10 minutes)
The roofed volley court is behind the cultural center.
To get there from Centro Cultural Los Rosales, walk past the cultural center and a bus stop shelter and turn left into a paved path with a barrier. Walk 20m along the paved path and the volley court entrance door will be at the fence in front of you. (total walk 1 minute)
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From InterAksyon (Jun 23): Gabriela's Brosas wants rape threats by soldiers in Marawi probed
Evacuating from the fighting in Marawi City. Base image from Reuters. Inset shows Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas.
Partylist lawmakers want reports of women being threatened with rape by the military if they don't leave Marawi City, which is wracked by armed conflict, investigated.
"I have personally heard the stories of women who sought refuge in evacuation centers in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur after government troops threatened to rape them, as encouraged by no less than President Duterte in his public remarks," Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas said.
"These are alarming accounts, which prove that the martial law and the President's rape remarks have actually emboldened the military to dangle rape threats against women in Marawi City. We fear that there are actual victims of rape and we encourage them to speak out and seek justice," she added.
The entire island of Mindanao has been under martial law for a month now, since Duterte's declaration on May 23 following an attack by the Maute group in Marawi City. Thousands of families have evacuated to makeshift centers outside the city following the fighting.
Brosas visited the evacuation centers as a member of the National Interfaith Humanitarian Mission conducted last June 14-15. The group was denied entry to Marawi City by the military.
"On top of its rights violations with the nonstop aerial bombardment of Marawi, the military is using rape threats as tool of war, coercion and harassment against women. Any sign of safety is elusive for the women particularly in Marawi City with armed men still on the loose and with soldiers eager to rape them," she said.
Brosas, together with partylist Reps. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna, Emmi de Jesus of Gabriela, Antonio Tinio and France Castro of ACT Teachers, Ariel Casilao of Anakpawis and Sarah Elago of Kabataan earlier filed House Resolution No. 1085 seeking an inquiry by the House committee on human rights on the plight of displaced civilians in Marawi City and to look into the alleged rights violations committed by the military.
Brosas was also among the petitioners urging the Supreme Court to nullify Duterte's martial law declaration in Mindanao.
The resolution sought to look into alleged "abuses and excesses of the military" under the state of martial law.
Friday, June 23, 2017
Gabriela's Brosas wants rape threats by soldiers in Marawi probed
1 comment:
This is Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) political front group disinformation/propaganda designed to undermine support for President Duterte, the Philippine military, and implementation of Martial Law in Mindanao.ReplyDelete
The individuals filing House Resolution No. 1085 are all CPP activists and the organizations they represent are CPP affiliated party-list political parties.
Gabriela, Bayan Muna, ACT Teachers, Anakpawis and Kabataan are all CPP political fronts and members of the Makabayan Coalition of CPP-associated political parties.
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subset: commoncrawl


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MIAMI—DeMarre Carroll, wandering around in embroidered Givenchy flipflops rather than a big old walking boot, proved his sore left ankle isn't too seriously injured.
While not ready to pronounce himself fit to play when the Toronto Raptors face the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, Carroll was buoyed by the progress he made after suffering the injury Saturday night in Milwaukee.
"I'm taking it day by day but I can walk on it, so that's a positive," he said. "(Of) course it's swollen but, at the same time, I think I got a very high pain tolerance so I think I should be good."
Carroll did not take part in Toronto's workout at the American Airlines Center on Monday, getting treatment from members of the team's medical staff. Coach Dwane Casey wasn't venturing a guess on when Carroll might play.
"I don't know how he is," the coach said. "I still have to talk to the trainers as far as how he is feeling and what he can do."
RAPTORS REUNION: The Raptors ran into an old friend here on Sunday.
Jared Sullinger is in town, hoping to catch on with the Heat, and got together with his old teammates during an off-day on Sunday. Sullinger was waived by the Phoenix Suns after they obtained him from Toronto at the NBA trade deadline. The Heat would have to create a roster spot to sign him this year but he would be eligible to play in the playoffs, if they decide to sign him.
"I am happy for him," DeMarre Carroll said. "I guess, with Pat Riley, anyone who doesn't succeed in Toronto they just come here . . . Hopefully he can come in here and make the team and do kind of what James Johnson did."
CAMP DAYS: Call it whatever you want but two days of relatively intense practice is a boon to Casey.
"This is a mini-training camp for us," the coach said Monday. "I hate to use those words because the players' association will go crazy with that, but it is.
"It gives us an opportunity to slow things down and make sure guys understand exactly what we are trying to do. A lot of times in the past seven games we have had to do things on the fly and now we can slow it down even more with a couple of good practice days — and long practices, but good practices for our new guys."


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I have an idea for Obama. He talks about energy independence, but uses his regulatory arm to block us from actually getting any access to oil. A GAO study presented last week informs us that there is a huge amount of shale under Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming, but you can bet the EPA will prevent any drilling.
Enter a UN report recommending that the US "give back" land to Native Americans. Yes, the report concerned the Black Hills area, but there were Indian tribes in Wyoming and Colorado, I'm sure, that can find some grievance with the US government. Why don't we give this land to them, and then they can drill the oil for us? I think in the Rochambeau of liberalism, Indians are the rock to environmentalist's scissors.
Indians can expand from the gambling biz to become oil barons. Yes, if you happen to live in the area and get kicked out of your home by the US government, that would stink. But at least the rest of us could get cheaper gas.
Maybe I shouldn't haven't published this post. I am jesting, but some braintrust in the Obama adminsitration might actually think it a good idea.


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If you are a rock music fan, and a fan of FREE music, you are going to love this! Go here to grab 9 FREE Songs from RockStar and iTunes, for 2010 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival Tour digital sampler, featuring Mayhem artists Rob Zombie, Lamb of God, Five Finger Death Punch, Hatebreed, Winds of Plague, 3 Inches of Blood, In This Moment, Norma Jean and Atreyu
I have a thing for FREE Music this week, huh? Oh, well I will take it!


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Dove Men Face Wash
Arko Shaving Stick
Jayaruh #132
Travel Tech T3 w/EJ Ebony handle
Personna Super (24)
CWR, Asma Alum Block
T.N. Dickinson's WH
FD Old Spice AS
The Arko Shaving Stick face-lathered well with my Jayaruh #132 silvertip badger brush. Two passes and touch ups with the Gillette Travel Tech T3 w/EJ Ebony handle and a Personna Super blade (24) gave me a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse and alum block, I finished off with T.N. Dickinson's WH and then Family Dollar Old Spice After Shave. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...


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Leslie A. Pal
Public policy analysis; public management reform; international organization
|613-520-2600 x 2554
|5132 Richcraft Hall
Chancellor's Professor
BA, Joint Honours in Political Science and Sociology (Mount Allison University, Canada)
MA in Political Science (Queen's University, Canada)
PhD in Political Science (Queen's University, Canada)
Leslie's research uniquely engages public administration and public policy from both a rich theoretical as well as practical perspective. Currently he is working on global public policy networks around public sector reform, focusing specifically on the role of international organizations.
The focus of my work has always been on public policy, but it is no longer possible to think of domestic policy arenas as distinct from international ones. Policy issues now get processed and implemented in complex ways that certainly continue to engage governments and states, but now include international organizations, transnational NGOs and civil society, think tanks, foundation, consultants, and even academic communities. How these networks operate (or don't), and how they contribute to global governance (or don't) is a central issue in trying to understand contemporary governance. My current research is exploring the nature of policy advice to governments, and how that advice cycles through global networks. The best example is climate change policy – the advice that the Canadian government gets on this issue is filtered through international organizations like the UN and the OECD, and a host of global knowledge networks. I'm trying to understand the patterns and dynamics behind these global policy advisory networks, and how governments can improve the way in which they access and process this advice.
Selected Publications
Public Policy Transfer: Micro-Dynamics and Macro-Effects. (co-edited with M. Hadjiisky and C. Walker) (Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 2017).
Policy-Making in a Transformative State: The Case of Qatar. (co-edited with M.E. Tok and L. Alkhater) (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016).
"Teaching public policy: Global convergence of difference?" (with I.D. Clark) Policy and Society, 35 (2016): 283-297.
"The MPA/MPP in the Anglo-democracies: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States." (with I.D. Clark) Policy and Society, 35 (2016): 299-313.
Beyond Policy Analysis: Public Issue Management in Turbulent Times (5th ed.). (Toronto: Nelson Education, 2014).
Frontiers of Governance: The OECD and Global Public Management Reform. (Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012)
Funded Research
"Global Policy Advisory Systems: Patterns, Trajectories, and Impacts." Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Standard Grant, $184,000. 2017-2021
"Public Sector Reform and Best Practices: A Comparative Analysis." (with Ian D. Clark, University of Toronto). Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Standard Grant, $176,000. 2012-2016
"Modernizing Government: Global Policy Networks." Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Standard Grant, $88, 615. 2007-2011
Recent Teaching
Policy Analysis: The Practical Art of Change (MA)
Modern Challenges to Governance (MA)
Globalizing Public Management (MA)
Foundations of Public Policy (PhD)
Recent Supervisions
Alexandre Couture-Gagnon, Supervision of Ph.D. Dissertation (Completed, 2013)
Christian Bordeleau, Supervision of Ph.D. Dissertation (Completed, 2013)
Farzan Jiwani, Supervision of Ph.D. Dissertation (Completed, 2013)
Johanu Botha, Supervision of Ph.D. Dissertation (Ongoing)
Kassem El-Saddik, Supervision of Ph.D. Dissertation (Ongoing)
Madina Junussova, Supervision of Ph.D. Dissertation (Ongoing)
Ismoil Khujamkulov, Supervision of Ph.D. Dissertation (Ongoing)
Recent Editorships and Academic Offices
Executive Editor, Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, 2016 – present
Member, Editorial Board, Policy & Society, 2015 – present
Elected Member, College of the International Public Policy Association, 2017-2020
Member (currently, and first chair), Accreditation Board, Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration


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Sunday, 4 January 2009
Book Review: A Mother's Road to Kandahar
Once I sell a few books of my own, I intend to invest in it.
It is about the difference between supporting the soldiers, and their families, and deploring the war on terror.
Support the troops but not the mission.
In a July 16, 2007 article in The Toronto Star bemoans the losses that families face.
Our beautiful men and women suffer horribly from PTSD. There is much denial. The young men and women who serve believe that they are doing good things, and they are, but there seems to me not to be much hope of enacting real change. It is so sad. I read Christie Blatchford's book, Fifteen Days, and it broke my heart. The soldiers truly believe in their work and the cause for which they fight - but they will not change the conditions, the history, the ongoing civil war that threatens these people without much loss of not only life and limb but mental health.
I have great doubts about this mission. I only hope that the powers-that-be are making the right decisions. I fear not. I fear for the well-being of our soldier's and their families.
2 comments:
As a mother, it's a daily struggle. My son is a Canadian Infantry soldier. We found out over Christmas when he was at home with us that he will begin his pre-deployment training this spring/summer. When he goes to Afghanistan he will be on the front lines, fighting "out of the wire" as the military calls it. These books are heart wrenching to read but they help me to have discussions with my son, hear different opinions and learn a lot of army lingo. We are so proud of our son, the training is brutal. We support him but have doubts regarding the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan. He has matured and learned so much but that still will not prepare him for what's ahead. Nor I for that matter.These books let other Canadians know the stress and sacrifice our soldiers and thier families are experiencing.
- 15 January 2009 at 20:04
- Jenn Jilks said...
My heart goes out to you. Thank you for speaking out. You should be proud of him. I am sure he is proud of you, too, for YOUR bravery. Hold your head up high.
- 15 January 2009 at 22:09


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For those Scouts going to SkyZone tonight, please be aware that our times got a little mixed up. Here are the revised times:
6:45pm - Meet at SkyZone, NOT the food court. We will be jumping first, then eating. We will still have dinner at the food court, but we need to do SkyZone first. We apologize for any inconvenience this change may cause.
8:45pm - This is the revised pickup time for the Scouts. Please plan to pickup your Scout at the Food Court inside the mall at 8:45pm.


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Earlier last year I had a friend whom I showed a piece that I had been working on and was having trouble with second guessing myself as usual, so I asked for her opinion on it. She give me pointers that I realized that I had but did not put in with the piece, they somehow managed to hide in my story folder.
That then gave me the boost I needed in that moment to go ahead and distribute to the group I was helping with samples of writings, that they were going to act out in their class. My friend then gave me something that she had, it was a poem and from that I wrote a short story of just over 2000 words in 90 minutes.
She was amazed not only be how easy I made that look, but also by the knowledge I had about the place that she based her poem on. We both became each other's inspirations, and she started taking her love of writing poems up again. She had stopped for some time because of a friend she thought was a good person and a mentor, took off with her work and publish it without her permission, under his name and took all the credit for it.
My friend never saw anything from her hard work and the guy, so that made her not to trust any person with her work. I consider myself lucky to have come across this lady and we shared those words, sadly she moved to another part of Gauteng and we have not kept in touch about writing. My bad I am that horrible with keeping up with people that only phone you back if you phone them first.
Relationships are like investments, you both need to keep putting equal time in, in order for it to grow and give you both good returns. I have a very short concentration on anything that I don't get a return value on. I am that bad, this include family members that always expect my out stretched hand to reach theirs which is by the way always in their pockets.
But I am grateful to have been given that chance to be an inspiration to one person in my life and that inspired me to push myself even more. She got back into writing poems before she moved and the one that she showed me, was all about her husband and how his name is a big deal and not just a name.
I was again so proud that from forcing my sister to come with me to Abantu book festival last year December, where she got to attend poetry sessions and two were by Lebo Mashile, in the first she was the host and the second on Sunday she performed, and from that my sister wrote poems once more. Something that I last saw when we still shared a bedroom in our teens. The so called poem I wrote for her after we talked and she told me how EMPTY she felt because of the momentary circumstances she was in at the time.
That was very first attempted at poetry and when she finally read it, all she could say was it was so empty and loved it, and I was more happy seeing her wearing her big smile once again. Not only was it all about those that were close to me but I got a long distance mentor that I came across on Facebook, and discovered she was also on WordPress, and we kind of share similar things. LadyLebz is my virtual mentor and her posts really inspire me to keep doing what I am doing and to the best of my abilities, I am learning the journalism side of writing from her and I own thanks to her. She did tell me that I too do inspire her in the way I am able to just put it out there like I do.
It is such little gestures that keeps me going, how do you keep going in your world?


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Our grandson has a fantastic way of telling a story - he just begins and then talks and talks and talks. His story evolves and takes surprising turns. It can make me laugh and make me say "Matthew! Ewwww!" [He's four and a half.] But he can let his consciousness stream along with nary a blip on the radar.
I thought for today's post I'd give it a try. Have to post every day all month long as part of BlogHer's blogging challenge and - it's not that I'm not wordy - but writing when the muse is asleep is hard. So. Let's put a toe in the stream...
Yesterday went to the grocery store and in the isle where the seasonal items are was a bitty greenhouse. It is very inexpensive [cheap?] but you can stand up inside, has on each side two shelves. It's covered with a heavy plastic that has that netting embedded inside and a zippered front so you can close the 'door.' I'd been wanting a little greenhouse for quite awhile to grow seedlings for spring planting and maybe trying my hand at orchids. This little structure ought to do the job.
Began my job of lifestyle change this morning. Last post I said I'd be meeting my daughter at the gym this morning...and I did! A Gold Star for my chart. Tomorrow is a bike ride with the mister. Speaking of bicycles, I'm old enough to remember the days of no helmuts. I'm of 2 minds about this: yes, safety is important, so I wear a helmut. However, I remember the freedom of riding my bike and having the breeze blow through my hair and past my face. I loved that. After my crash of last summer, though, I won't neglect wearing it.
Seatbelts. There's another safety-vs-annoying thing. Yes, I always wear my seatbelt when in a vehicle; but again, I remember the days as a youngster when there weren't any. And don't get me started on the booster seats kidlets have to sit in now.
I think I want to spend the rest of this day finishing up a mosaic. I'm really liking this one. It's titled, "The Grove Mandala Mosaic" and should be ready for photographing later next week.
Ah! Ever wanted to try your hand at mosaic but were too afraid to try? Here's a little experiment. The example at right is one I did using what I had on hand. It's only 3 1/2" x 2 1/2", using some left over tiny ceramic tiles I had and a bit of grout. Here's what you'll need [if you don't have mosaic supplies you can get some basic supplies at Michael's or any good craft store]:
- tesserae - you can use anything from bits of glass to beads to buttons; or buy a bag of tiles at the craft store
- support - a small square or rectangle of wood...any scrap will do
- glue - for this experiment any white glue will do; for my professional work I use Weldbond
- grout - you can get a small amount from the craft store; it is like cement that fills between the tiles
Here's what to do:
- On your wood support draw a sketch. Doesn't matter what you want to do, just put some kind of simple design.
- Before glueing, lay out your tiles on your sketch so you can see where you want to put which colors and shapes.
- Glue down your tesserae one-by-one.
- Let the glue dry...a couple of days is good.
- Mix up a small amount of grout [consistency of peanut butter]. Smooth it over your mosaic with a damp square of folded paper towel. What you want to do is to have the grout fill all the spaces between the tiles. Then clean off the surface.
- Let the grout dry. Another couple days.
You're done! Basically that's all there is to doing a mosaic. You add your own creativity, imagination and skills.
Talking about mosaicing really has me itching to get glue all over my fingers, so time to take my toe out of the consciousness stream. Tomorrow: Afraid to Paint? Here's some help.


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Cocktail Tour of Philly with Tequila Herradura
Rob Wright
April 17th, 2017
Enjoy your EXCLUSIVE PASS to Great Philly hot spots featuring Time Out Philadelphia's Cocktail Tour sponsored by Tequila Herradura!
This Sunday April 23, 2017, 2PM – 7PM EDT
Choose to start your cocktail adventure at either of our two starting bars:
1: 2nd Story Brewing in Old City // 117 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
2: Distrito in University City // 3945 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
You will be provided with an OFFICIAL TOUR MAP to guide your group from bar to bar. Grab a friend, or the whole crew for a fun afternoon exploring the best of Philly with Time Out and Tequila Herradura!
Participating bars:
2nd Story Brewing*
Baby Blues BBQ
City Tap House
Dim Sum House
Wahoo's Fish Tacos
Lucha Cartel
National Mechanics
New Deck Tavern
*Check-in locations
Your ticket gets you:
** One complimentary cocktail (Pays for your Ticket) from your starting bar (either 2nd Story Brewing or Distrito)
** $6 discounted Tequila Herradura cocktails at each participating bar
*On purchase I accept Time Out's terms of use, including opt-in to emails from Time Out.
*Must be 21+ to attend, with valid ID.
*All sales are final and nonrefundable. You will not be able to change your session after purchasing.
*Please drink responsibly. Alc. 40% by vol. Tequila imported by brown-forman, Louisville, KY. © 2016


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Thanks for taking the time to stop by, I appreciate everyone who visits. God Bless,
I found your blog through Operation Write Home. Great organization!!!
I love your cards on your blog. Great cards!!!
great cards. I especially like the ladies dancing.
Love the American Gothic cows! Great coloring job and I like the neutral color scheme you choose for the overall design. Nice work!
Oh my stars! This one turned out great but I kinda have a soft spot for cows!!! Tooooooo cute!!!!
Fantastic card! Those cows are so cute and I love the flower. Great work =)
What a fun card, Jeanine! I like how you did it all in black and white to match the cows. That is a great image, and that flower is such a great touch!
Great card. Love the cows. I am trying to learn to color with copics and each time I can look at something someone else has colored helps me. TFS your talent.
This is a darling pic. I love cows, maybe because I remind myself of one. They are quite cute when you look upon them...great coloring as always...maybe my friend Sandy has another one to send my way!
The black and white theme with the cows is great! =)
love your black and white colour scheme!


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PHOENIX — Cinco de Mayo is coming up, and you may not see something familiar with your beers and margaritas this year.
That's because heavy rains in parts of Mexico have led to a lime shortage that has driven up the wholesale price of limes to $100 for a 40-pound crate.
Some bars and restaurants in California are running so low on limes that they're offering 25-cent drinks to customers who bring in bags filled with them.
There's been no shortage at Larry's Cocktails in Phoenix. The popular neighborhood watering hole near Cave Creek and Beardsley roads has been getting regular shipment, though it has seen a change in the quality.
"They're just dry. There's not a shortage, they're just dry," said bartender Jim Smith. He said that the problem isn't big enough for the bar to complain to its supplier.
Smith said that his bar goes through a lot of limes to please customers who want them.
"There's a few drinks, margaritas or something, but that's about it," he said, though he later admitted that he isn't a lime fan. "I figure that if you've got to put lime in the drink, it's not worth drinking."
Smith said the bar will serve lemons with the drinks if they run out of limes.
Customer Mark Anderson said he doesn't care if the bar runs out of limes. But if it runs out of Coronas, that's another story.


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Yesterday morning I woke up in my tent, thinking I wanted a bed, that my nice 4 inch foam mattress on the ground just wasn't enough. So I went up to Susana'a and did reservations, thinking about finding a bed somewhere. On my walk home I noticed an old guy was hauling stuff out from behind Patti's place (orange house across the road from Concha's). And there was my bed. I got it for a few pesos, partly because it is kind of old and the wood was kind of crummy. And missing a couple of bedboards. Then I walked on the Chico's restaurant. I was having a Coke there and resting my foot with the broken toe, and telling the owners/waiters, cooks etc about my "new" bed. Chicha (the owner) asked me where the bed was, and then said something to one of the waiters. He hopped up and headed out to the parking lot. Then he turned and sayid, "come on, we are going to get your bed!!!". So we went up and got the bed and took it to my beach camp. When Esperanza saw the bed and the missing boards, she disappeared somewhere and came back with three boards that fit perfectly. Boards made out of wood are precious here, and very expensive, so I was very lucky.
So now I have my smaller tent as a bedroom with a real bed, and all my stuff and my desk in the bigger tent. The smaller tent has a better view. This morning I watched it get light lying on my bed looking out the screened tent window. The waves were huge!!! Every solstice they get big for a day, and I guess this was the day. Beautiful big, crashing waves.
There are three kid Christmas parties here this year, plus the nightly posada. Yesterday afternoon the county-level officials came down to Chacala to give the town an reward for being cleanest town in the certain category, or maybe it was third place. But, in any case, the award seemed to be $1000USD and a regular sized pickup for collecting local trash. There were also four wooden life guard towers standing there, at the party, but I don't know who brought them or where they came from. I think there has been food and pinatas before I wandered by, and there were large rubber balls, big bags of candy and a yoghurt drink for every child.
Today is the party the EBACH (scholarship kids) but on for the little kids, and then this afternoon the people that made a house out of the restaurant next to Las Brisas (from San Diego) are having a party. I think they are some kind of evangelical Christians, and I have the idea the party is related to that, but hopefully I misunderstood about that. Las Brisas is having a $15USD dinner on Christmas Eve and Casa Pacifica is having a potluck on Christmas Day early evening.
Being a very Grinchy person, I plan to have a quiet day on the beach, drawing, reading, and writing. We'll see.
The nightly Christmas posada, which goes to a different house or business very night, is still going on. Last night the kids sang going to Coco's, and seemed to be having a great time.
The circus is in town. Not the gypsy circus, but a bigger one with a big tent. I am not expecting to get any sleep til after midnight. They are parked in the field out behind the beach near Esperanza's. Last time they were here they has a big parade, plus the loudest loudspeaker you ever heard going around town on the truck all day, advertising the circus.
This is the Friday before Christmas, and so far there are not alot of Mexican campers here, which seems kind of unusual to all the shopkeepers, etc. They are thinking maybe people will are arriving today for the whole next week. Who knows. Three police have made the street a one way loop thru town, hoping to avoid giant traffic jams (two buses and a small pickup can cause alot of traffic problems on a 12 foot wide road.
Anyway. I am still loving the beach, especially with a bed. There are lots of very nice visitors here, including alot from Vancouver Island, for some reason.
Friday, December 23, 2005
Chacala and Christmas
Posted by Andee at 12:49 PM
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I thought that today I would discuss the plans we have for our garden, this year. Our square-foot garden plan calls for each of our six family members to have their own 4' x 4' garden plot. The layout will be as follows:
Each box will be approximately twelve feet in length, separated into three approximately-four-foot sections. The beauty of working with plants is that we aren't all that concerned with precision. We will put a parent in each middle section, with a child on either side. That way, if someone needs help, we're right there. Also, it will help to prevent quarrelling. Of course, you can never completely prevent it, but we do what we can to maintain harmony in the home. By making each section four feet square, you never have to reach farther than two feet to get to any part of your garden. Thus, you avoid compacting and disturbing the soil unnecessarily, thus helping it to remain aerated and healthy. I found a great resource for anyone looking to start a garden of your own, even a small one. The website is Garden Girl TV.com, by Patti Moreno. In particular she has a video explaining how to build a raised-bed garden. I also like the fact that she also raises small livestock and rotates the raised beds between using them for vegetables and using them for animals. This allows the soil to be continually fertilized (she still composts, though) and tilled. Talk about using nature to fullest! She has many other great tips on gardening and related topics. I highly recommend you check out her website!
The Soil
I've been refreshing myself on Mel Bartholomew's techniques for Square Foot Gardening. Previously, here's what my mind understood: You mix equal parts of Compost, Peat Moss, and Vermiculite to make the soil. I didn't even know what the peat moss and vermiculite were for, but I was trying to follow instructions. Unfortunately, my efforts were a dismal failure, because I FAILED TO READ FULLY! There are quite a few details that I just plain missed. For example, it wasn't until years later that I learned the peat moss and vermiculite are not for nutrition or fertilization, but for water retention. Also, I when I mixed my soil, I just did my best to mix it all up and then dump it evenly in my frame. I had read that with SFG, you don't have to water as much. What I failed to read was that you DO have to water a lot at the very first, in order to saturate the vermiculite and peat moss!
Another important detail I missed was about the compost. When I read "equal parts" of the three ingredients, I went down to the store, and bought some of each and mixed them up, in roughly equal amounts. What I failed to pay attention to was the fact that one single type of compost is not sufficient. Mel advocates mixing compost from at least five different sources, including mushrooms, animal manures (from animals that do not have meat diets), and other sources. So, needless to say, this year will be a bit different.
The Seeds
We sat down as a family a few weeks ago to decide what we wanted to plant this year. Each of us picked at least one thing in particular to grow in our own section. My second daughter, Faith, decided she wants to grow pumpkins. Why? She'll only have one plant to take care of. Yeah, we'll just have to see about that. I mean she's going to have sixteen square feet to work with. Pumpkins are typically thought of as sprawling plants, but they can actually be grown as a climbing plant, just like any other vine. You just need a frame that is strong enough to handle the heavy fruit. Here is a great video I found that discusses this, as well as some other great ideas. The best part (in my opinion) of the two videos that I have linked in this post is that they both show people growing very successful gardens in urban areas, with small amounts of space to work with. Also, while they use brand new materials that they have purchased at their local hardware store, you do not have to buy everything new. Many things you see can be made with substitute, scrap materials that you find. Use your imagination, but remember to match what you're building to the size of the plant you will be growing on it. Also, if you use wood, be absolutely sure that you follow their counsel NOT to use treated wood. Treated wood will leach chemicals into your soil and by extension your vegetables. Untreated wood does not have this problem.
Ok, I kind of got away from seeds, there. Sorry about the digression, but I think it's okay. Another aspect of gardening that I want to work with is companion planting. This is an aspect I have read and heard a lot about, and I have talked with people who have used it. I don't know enough about it to comment at this time, but I will be spending some time educating myself. The one thing I do know is that my carrots and radishes will be planted together, mostly because my wife says so, LOL. So the plants we have decided on are:
· Tomatoes (just can't have a garden without these babies! Sam will be growing these)
· Pumpkins (mostly for Faith)
· Watermelons (Alexandria)
· Carrots (Me)
· Radishes (Also me, although Heather is the one who insists on them)
· Eggplants (Billy, although we may decide not to do these)
· Corn
· Green Beans
· Peas
· Spinach
· Cucumbers
· Onions
We may choose some others, but that's the list we have so far.
One Final Note
Well, that about wraps it up for this post. If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them. I may not be a complete newbie at gardening, but I still have a lot to learn. Any help, advice, personal stories, etc. are most welcome. Thanks for reading!


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Excerpted from the Decleration of Independence:
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…
…We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
These words, and others, have formed the foundation of our nation since July 4, 1776. For 231 years our democracy has existed and played a role in events around the world, based on the beliefs and principles put forth in the Declaration of Independence. During this time, our nation has seen highs and lows. While in comparison to the nations and cultures of Europe and Asia, our history is very limited today the United States is recognized on the global stage as a "superpower" both economically, and militarily.
Today our nation is embroiled in a conflict that has raged hot and cold throughout the ages. From a time before our nation existed, to today the conflict has existed. In 1787, our young nation was vying for it's economic life. Establishing trade routes throughout the world, without being able to provide military protection to the trade fleet. During the course of these events, America ran afoul of the Caliphates of the Ottoman Empire and had our first taste of Islam, and many of the tenants set forth in Koran. In areas of the world today our troops are engaged with an enemy that has embraced the more extreme tenants set forth by the Koran. This is the same enemy that tried to strangle our nation in the 1780's through piracy, and kidnapping.
Today, while we find ourselves facing an old enemy we also find ourselves in a more dangerous world. The enemy that is 21rst century Islamic radicalism hides within the cultures around the world, they are hard to target and even harder to conduct a dialog with. With the notable exception of Iran, they do not have the structure or face of a national government. Our foe has tools, tactics, and weapons (NBC) that did not exist in the 18th century and they bring them to bear on not only US interests but on the interests or other nations as well.
Our nation of 2007 is embroiled in a great debate. Should we withdraw from our conflict with radical Islam and essentially withdraw from being a superpower and the world stage? Or do we continue to embrace the principles laid forth in the Declaration of Independence? The principles that have set forth the greatness of the people of the United States throughout history? Our history, and our culture is one that has been that of tolerance, and acceptance to a point. Throughout the time as a nation, I believe, that we have diluted much of that history and become allowed our tolerance and acceptance levels to push the bounds of reasonableness. As a result, the current debates that we see over immigration and foreign policy (as examples) receive much more credibility than they are due.
We are a nation of laws. There should be no debate on whether to, or how to enforce those laws. The priority is enforcement of the current laws. If those laws are no longer viable in the context of today's society then the law maybe changed. All of these mechanics are laid out in the Constitution.
We are a nation founded on the principles laid forth in the Declaration of Independence. By extension of those principles, we believe that the principles extend to all of mankind. We have not historically actively sought out armed conflicts that would extend those rights to the citizens of other nations.
Today is the 231rst anniversary of the Independence of the United States of America. During the course of the day, take a few minutes to reflect on the reason that we celebrate today. Take a few more minutes to think about those times that we have had to engage in armed conflict to support the principles on which this nation was founded. Find it in yourself to embrace those principles.
If you need another kind of reminder… read this post
Enjoy your holiday celebrations, be safe.
Semper Fi!
I know my readership is light right now but feel free to discuss this topic amongst yourselves.
Filed under: Holidays |


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Today I wanted to share one of the greetings we use during morning meeting! It's called the Rhythm Stick Greeting. We made our sticks on Music Smart day during the first week of school.
We used 3/4 inch PVC pipe (cut to 8, 10, or 12 inch sections with a PVC pipe cutter) and colored electrical tape to create our sticks.
We use them at least once a week during morning meeting or as a brain break activity. Students enjoy creating rhythms and leading the class in pattern making. Download the greeting chant and begin enjoying this activity with your kids! It's simple fun that lasts all year!


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October 9, 2009
We Canoe
I took this photo of myself when we were out canoeing and was lucky to get Kevin in there too. I had no idea!
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One of our many canoes
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My Hubby Kevin
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New work in progress
really do love the snowy landscape of winter. I hope to blog more often since winter seems more concussive to computer world. Happy Fall you all!
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NIGER Delta Avengers , NDA, website, www.nigerdeltavengers.com through which the militant group prolifically promoted its attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta, especially in the last one month has been brought down.
The domain registered through Godaddy has not been available since last night.
When News360 Info contacted a professional on website design and hosting, he simply said the site seems to have been shut down by Godaddy the domain name registrar or the hosting company based on complains received.
The problem on the site launched, February 3, was noticed at about 10.00 p.m. It was not, however, certain if the militant group shut down on its own knowing that security agencies were conducting checks on it.
Other channels of communication by the group particularly its Twitter handle, @NDAvengers which had over 1000 followers in less than a week and its Facebook page, ND avengers are still on as at 9:35a.m on Sunday. The group has not made any statement on the new development.


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Give us a call to get our secret deals 1-800-468-3578
Property Location
Located in Otsego, Holiday Inn Minneapolis NW-Elk River is within a 15-minute drive of Albertville Premium Outlets and Cedar Creek Golf Course. This family-friendly hotel is 28.5 mi (45.9 km) from Target Field and 28.8 mi (46.3 km) from Target Center.
Make yourself at home in one of the 125 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. Wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary, and flat-screen televisions with cable programming provide entertainment. Conveniences include desks and complimentary newspapers, as well as phones with free local calls.
Take advantage of recreational opportunities offered, including a complimentary water park, an indoor pool, and a lazy river. Additional amenities at this hotel include complimentary wireless Internet access, an arcade/game room, and gift shops/newsstands.
Enjoy American cuisine at Mississippi Valley Grill, a restaurant which features a bar, or stay in and take advantage of the room service (during limited hours). Cooked-to-order breakfasts are available daily from 6 AM to 11 AM for a fee.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include complimentary wired Internet access, a business center, and complimentary newspapers in the lobby. Planning an event in Otsego? This hotel has 5000 square feet (465 square meters) of space consisting of conference space and meeting rooms. Free self parking is available onsite.


text: On this Sunday, August 10 edition of The Alex Jones Show, Alex joins Infowars Nightly News host David Knight to break down Obama's ISIS bombing hoax. David covers the 40th anniversary of Richard Nixon's resignation and how since that time the powers of the executive have grown in the wake of consecutive presidents violating the Constitution and expanding the reach of the imperial presidency. David also gets into the festering border crisis as tens of thousands of illegals continue to pour into the country and erode the sovereignty of the nation. Other topics include the worrisome growth of Ebola and corruption at the highest levels of government as Sen. Mitch McConnell portrays himself as a friend of coal while his wife supports the anti-coal campaign.


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In 1941 a nonprofit was created for morale and recreation for our soldiers. This private organization soon began a tradition of entertainment that attracted the iconic stars from back home that populated the big screen during this era. One of the most renowned icons to entertain the troops was Bob Hope and in 1996 the U.S. Congress considered this iconic legend as an honorary veteran of the U.S. armed forces. Bob Hope was a legend that truly believed in supporting our troops especially during times of war. In 1990 Bob Hope gave the gift of himself to our American servicepeople with a final Christmas show during Operation Desert Shield. His support even extended to all royalties being signed over to the United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) from his book, The Last Christmas Show. Today the final curtain may have been drawn for Bob Hope, yet his memory and his influence is still alive today - especially in the heart of a once local girl from Salem, MA Darlene Louf.
As a little girl Darlene shared many things with her grandmother. Perhaps, the most influential time was when the two of them hunkered down to watch the Bob Hope specials on television. A small girl, who already had the voice of an angel often she sang with her grandmother. Darlene recalled one very specific memory from that time, "Oh I must have been about 8 years old and I remember saying to my grandma I'm going to sing for the troops someday just like Bob Hope!" When Darlene was asked why she wanted to entertain and support the troops she told her grandmother that it was the happiness that Bob Hope was giving through music and through himself - a piece of home that he always gave to our armed servicepeople; a true inspiration for a young child to witness.
It is a part of Darlene still today as she honors both her grandfather and her aunt that served as well as all the troops in anyway that she can. Believing that anyone that either has served or that still serves us and our country, Darlene advocates to let troops always know they are not forgotten nor are their families forgotten either. Working with an organization called Guard Support(http://www.guardsupport.org/) that is located in Beverly, MA as well as maintaining her own Facebook page called Voices for the Troops she is someone who sings locally for those who give so much for our freedom because through music it is a way of giving back and making others smile.
Making people smile and giving back is a gift that is within all of us. Though, it is your choice on whether you choose to keep this precious gift for yourself or to share this precious gift with others. Darlene Louf chooses to share like the USO still shares today providing a variety of programs and services to U.S. military personnel and their families. Bob Hope's legend still lives on as our nation's love and support will forever live on for our troops. Our prayers and our blessings always to those who have sacrificed and to those who do continue to sacrifice for us all.
Voices For our Troops on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.151985294837306.23277.151737034862132&type=1#!/pages/Voices-for-the-Troops/151737034862132


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Professional Mowing
This service includes mowing, edging, and a thorough cleanup blowing, as well as small tree and bush trimming. Scheduling basic, proper care of your lawn not only gives you a beautiful yard to enjoy, but also keeps it healthy, robust, and averse from accepting the growth of weeds. We keep our blades sharp to avoid damaging your grass, and also vary cutting direction per visit for a professional look as well as to avoid the development of ruts in the soil.


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Listen to the Show!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
RAPPER "FEMI" LIVE ON NBR MONDAY, JULY 30th 9pm
Femi is an upcoming Rapper street tough and musically talented. Femi's ability to tell a story in hip hop terms has propelled her on to the "Watch List" of new and promising female rap artist. A former model, this Sexy and Leggy Diva at 5'11 has a natural ability to draw attention whenever she enters a room or hits the stage. the sound of her voice echos pure Hip-Hop. Follow
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March 29, 2007
Nero returns...
March 26, 2007
Sako's Nightmare
1700 Palisade Blvd., Dupont, WA
3-26-07-Today, I've been thinking about a chapter I wrote in A Three-Turtle Summer. Ya'll remember it's just fiction, except for the parts that are true...
8. Sako's Nightmare
I'm having trouble getting the indents to stick, so I've added some color so you'll know where the next paragraph starts...
Even though Sako's kitchen door was open, she didn't hear the goings on at Grace's. She was busy getting her two boys bathed and put to bed. In better times, when a young woman had more choices, people might have questioned the wisdom of a young girl marrying a man who already had two children, especially when one of them was bedridden. But Sako looked at her charges as a sacred trust—victims of a war they had no part in. How strange that they were caught in the vice of a decision made by a president hundreds of miles away.
When President Roosevelt signed executive order #9066, it destroyed lives far beyond those it was meant to affect. The net that Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, General John De Witt, and others threw out over the land caught not only Japanese, Germans, and Italians who were considered to be potential threats to national security, but others who were not even on the subversive list. It was like a salmon net cast out over deep waters that caught a hundred other unwanted species of fish in its seine.
This time, the net brought in a whole array of victims: American wives of immigrants who had their citizenship stripped away by the Cable Act of 1916: old women who had lost sons when the Arizona went down and then were forced to move to internment camps. German and Italian men who were separated from their families and scattered in camps all over the country, and children, like Sergeant Hill's, whose mother died from fear, even though she wasn't meant to be caught in the net at all.
De Witt.
Sako always looked through the paper when Sergeant Hill wasn't around, so he wouldn't see her bite her lip and twist her hair tightly around her finger as she skimmed every news story for their names. She looked for numbers too. Numbers like 9066 and 1916. Any number that could mean future trouble for her or her family. She didn't believe for a minute that it could never happen again.
Elizabeth Hill, Sergeant Hill's first wife, had become paralyzed with fear when she read about the internments on the front page of her hometown newspaper. She had an Italian grandmother on one side of her family and a German grandfather on the other. Although they'd held citizenship papers for years, Elizabeth became obsessed with the fear that they would be rounded up and stripped of their citizenship. She even feared for herself.
She worried so much about being labeled an enemy alien that she began to drink. Next came Elizabeth's nightmares, Sergeant Hill had told Sako. Night after night, she dreamed about government men who took her away in the middle of the night, never to see her boys again. Over and over in her dreams, she awoke to men in dark suits with their hats pulled low over their foreheads who dragged her out of her home by her foot, her nightgown trailing behind her. One G-man always had her Philco radio tucked underneath his arm, and said it was proof that she was a spy.
Sergeant Hill tried to reassure her that she was safe, and that the stories she heard about government men who broke down doors in the middle of the night and took away men and their short-wave radios were largely exaggerated. It wouldn't happen to her; all of her relatives had been citizens for years.
One night, government men broke into the house across the street, and the Italian man who'd lived there with his family for years was hauled off. Weeks later, his family got a letter postmarked Ft. Missoula, where an internment camp for Italians had been set up.
Elizabeth was on the edge. After she saw in the headlines that more citizens had been rounded up, the weeks and weeks of no sleep and too much booze drove Elizabeth to leave her boys and drive her car off a cliff. Soon after that, Sergeant Hill was ordered to report to a new assignment in Arizona. The assignment turned out to be the Japanese internment camp at Poston.
For the Army, the tenderhearted sergeant was the worst person they could have sent to Poston. For the captives, he was a blessing. During his assignment, he adopted several Japanese families, one of them Sako's. He made each one as comfortable as possible and earned a place in their hearts forever.
Just before the camp closed in 1946, he and Sako knew they were in love and were married in front of the whole camp. Sergeant Hill, a small man of thirty-six years with dark hair and thick eyeglasses, wore his uniform. Sako had a real wedding gown sewn from white satin with seed pearls around the neck, a purchase made from one of the Sear's catalogs that the interned community shared. In fact, her trousseau and the clothes for the entire wedding party came from the mail order catalog. It was the only way the internees could shop.
And now, each night, as Sako tucked the two boys into bed, she would say a prayer for Elizabeth, Sergeant Hill, and the two boys she guarded with her life. On her way out of their room, she always put her hands together and made a tiny bow in front of the little gold frame that held Elizabeth's picture that hung on the wall near the light switch. "Your children are safe for the night," she would whisper, "may God give you peace."
In the hottest part of the day, when the women sat behind their makeshift quarters in the only available shade in the neighborhood, Sako could count at least three other women who must have felt Elizabeth's fear: two German women, and one Italian, but none of them ever mentioned Executive Order #9066, or the Cable Act of 1916. It was a secret shame that made them feel helpless. Made them feel like second class citizens.
Besides, who knew who could be trusted? Best not to talk about it. It was easier for Sako to talk about what had happened with someone who hadn't been there. Someone who didn't come to the conversation with a head full of memories and a heart full of sadness. Maybe someone who had her own problems, like Grace.
Not that the subject often came up. But one time, when Sako sat in the shade with the other women, one of the newer, uppity wives managed to get Sako riled up.
"Where were you when the atom bombs hit, Sako?" she asked.
"I was in Poston," Sako answered.
"Is that near Hiroshima?" the young woman asked.
"Poston was an internment camp in Arizona. Our government invited a bunch of us to stay there during the war. Where were you, Palm Springs?"
"Oh," the young wife stammered, still confused, "I thought you were Japanese."
"I'm as American as you are," Sako snapped, "Maybe more. I'm American enough to have seen the dirty side of freedom—American enough to have seen my mother lose her home, her heart, and maybe her soul." Sako became more and more upset and let all of her anger and hurt out. "American enough to have seen my father lose the straightness in his back when he saw our government put his wife and children behind barbed wire." Tears ran down Sako's face, but she couldn't stop, she had to go on, "American enough to have seen jealous white farmers walk away with our land. American enough to have seen strangers come into our home, paw through our personal possessions, and take everything we had worked for." Sako stopped to breathe and then spat out one final sentence, "Oh, don't you dare treat me as if I don't belong here."
The woman ran home, but Sako stayed in the shade and drank her iced tea as if she'd just made a toast to newlyweds. The rest of the women, especially the German and Italian ones who had war horror stories of their own, were quiet. Sako spoke for all of them and had said what they had been unable to say. She thought she could see a grin peeking around the edge of their lips even though their eyes were tearing up.
"Good for you, Sako. You got her told!" a woman finally said after she caught her breath.
Unlike some of the other Japanese who were interned, Sako was smart enough to grasp the wider picture. She didn't have to go to college to know the history of fear, jealousy, and hate. From her network of fellow former internees scattered around the country, she had learned all she needed to know about how Italian fishermen had their boats confiscated in California without any payment or apologies. She'd also read about the Japanese-Peruvian fishermen, who were snatched off the coast of Peru and, after the war, dumped unceremoniously in Japan, a country that hadn't been theirs for generations.
Fortunately, because she was young and in love, Sako was usually more positive about her circumstances than older past internees. Besides, what was done, was done.
Her problems now were the heat in her quarters, the red dust, the snakes, the scorpions—and that creepy black widow spider that was weaving a web in the corner of her back porch, right above her mop bucket.
March 24, 2007
How much more?
Quote du jour:
"A patriot loves his country all the time, and his government when it deserves it." Mark Twain, courtesy of Keith Olbermann, MSNBC Countdown
March 18, 2007
"Yesterday, you really ticked me off..."
3-18-07-Finally! A new photo. It's not much, but it's the only thing blooming in my yard right now. I never got around to pruning my hydrangeas last summer. Maybe I could go out and spray the dry blooms blue.
On my CD player-Tony Bennett's Duets- I dunno. Lately I've had a craving for music with lyrics that I can understand. Movies with plots. Books with characters. They seem to be few and far between.
On my bed table-Nothing! I've misplaced my new copy of Voncille Shipley's Left For Dead. I had set aside today to read it as a reward for editing Custer all week. I have gone nuts trying to look under the bed, bed table, couch, coffee table, etc. and it isn't easy from a wheelchair. I really hate it when I drop things! Whatever it is always rolls out of reach. Ha!
Quote du jour:
"I love you more today than yesterday…yesterday you really ticked me off…" catalog humor (unknown)
March 12, 2007
"I don't want to be dead..."
So, why, you may ask, is the book funny? I don't know…except that maybe it's because he's gone and I'm still here! Brown as a finalist in the 2004 Oklahoma Book Awards).
My next book- Custer and His Naked Ladies, is all fiction, except for the endearing personalities of my mother and aunts. This is because after I grew up, my real life became very dull (even though wonderful!). I didn't think the reader could bear the boring truth. So, for the last book in the Turtle Trilogy, I gave Glory a hunky Indian, a fabulous night on a buffalo rug, and surprises that I don't want to give away. Don't miss it! It's a hoot!
Spring-With the first day of spring coming up next week, it seemed appropriate to make sure I was ready for warmer weather. In other words, did my swimsuit still fit? The question used to be a lot more complex.
In my teens, the question was: can I get out of the store with it after Mom sees it?
In college, it was: do I really need a forty dollar swimsuit to go rafting down the Wenatchee River with an ice chest full of beer tied to a rubber raft?
As a young Army wife, it was: can I wear this suit in a pool full of young recruits without a tee shirt over it?
Ah, those were the days. Yes. The swimsuit still fits. That part was simple. But where the heck is my snorkel?
Reality-Today, I feel guilty about writing about something as frivolous as a swimsuit. I keep having a vision of our forefathers daring to rebel against England. What did they have that we don't have? Why aren't we marching on Washington? When did we become so law-abiding (read: afraid)? And, if we are going to tolerate this president who makes the Wizard of Oz look like a genius, what's to become of us? How much more trouble can this guy get us into in the months he has left? One shudders to consider the possibilities!
On my bed table-a stack of unopened boxes (I've been out of town), including Voncille Shipley's first mystery, Left For Dead. Can't wait to open it!
On my TV- Pullllleeese! If it weren't for the cable history and science shows, I'd only be watching Keith Olbermann. ABC, CBS, and NBC seem to be in a race to see how low they can go…and I predict a tie.
On my DVD machine-Crossroads, Images of the Colville Valley, 1800-1850. It features journals, artwork, and music from the period of contact in the Inland Northwest. Get your copy at MAC (the Museum of Art and Culture) in Spokane.
March 01, 2007
God doesn't put labels on heads
Britney Spears-I guess Britney Spears has started a new, bald trend among some of her admirers. I won't be one of them. It takes a lot of confidence to shave a head that hasn't been seen since birth and believe you'll feel good about what you see when the hair hits the floor. I'm old enough to know better. God only made a few perfect heads and he didn't label them. With my luck, my head looks like a cauliflower underneath all my blond (with lots of help) hair. I wonder if Britney has noticed that she doesn't look so good either? I can just hear her little wheels turn: "I know! I'll get a big tattoo and cover it up…" Can't someone help that poor girl before we lose her like we did Anna Nicole Smith? She's just a kid…
Quote du jour:
Harry Zimm: "I once asked this literary agent what writing paid the best, and he said, 'Ransom notes.'" Get Shorty


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February 1, 2006
VERNAL ALSTON, PETITIONERv.PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF PROBATION AND PAROLE, ET AL., RESPONDENTS
The opinion of the court was delivered by: Christopher C. Conner United States District Judge
Presently before the court is a petition for writ of habeas corpus (Doc. 1) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. For the reasons that follow, the petition will be denied.
I. Statement of Facts
In 1985, following convictions for robbery, petitioner Vernal Alston ("Alston"), was sentenced by a Pennsylvania state court to a period of incarceration of ten to twenty-two years, with a minimum expiration date of September 14, 1994, and a maximum expiration date of September 14, 2006. (Doc. 23-2, p. 2). He was paroled from the sentence on September 14, 1994. (Id. at p. 6).
In September 1997, while on parole, Alston was charged in federal court with distributing crack cocaine. (Doc. 23-2, p. 9). On October 30, 1997, following a plea of guilty to the federal charges, he was released on a personal recognizance bond pending sentencing on the federal charges. (Id.) However, he was immediately arrested and taken into custody pursuant to a Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole ("Board") warrant to commit and detain him based upon technical parole violations and new federal criminal charges. (Doc. 23-2, p. 12). Within days, the Board held a parole revocation hearing, and in February 1998, Alston was notified that he was recommitted to a state correctional institution to serve three months as a technical parole violator and nine months as a convicted parole violator. (Doc. 23-3, p. 9). He was also informed that he had thirty days to appeal the Board's decision.
Inexplicably, Alston did not file an appeal challenging the Board's decision to revoke his parole and the detainer until June 2001.*fn1 (Docs. 23-3, p. 9, 23-4, p. 9). The appeal was dismissed as untimely. (Doc. 23-4, p. 9). In July 2003, Alston submitted a second administrative appeal, which was also summarily dismissed as untimely. (Doc. 23-4, p. 16).
In August 2003, he filed a petition for review in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania seeking to challenge, in the Commonwealth Court's original jurisdiction, an order he failed to timely appeal. Because original jurisdiction may not be used to revive lapsed appeal rights, the petition was dismissed . (Doc. 23-5, p. 18). Alston then filed a petition for allowance of appeal in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on September 19, 2003. (Doc. 23-5, p. 20). The petition was denied on August 30, 2004. (Doc. 23-5, p. 36).
The Board issued a decision on August 15, 2005, reaffirming the earlier decision to commit Alston as a technical and convicted parole violator and setting forth his maximum release date as July 23, 2015. (Doc. 41-2, p. 13). Alston was notified of his right to appeal the decision. No appeal was filed.
The instant petition and supporting memorandum of law were filed on October 8, 2004. (Docs. 1, 2). Alston is "challenging constitutional rights violations and the legality of continued state custody." (Doc. 2, p. 5). He seeks an order directing the Board to withdraw its detainer and to recalculate his maximum release date.
II. Discussion
A habeas corpus petition pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 is the proper mechanism for a state prisoner to challenge the "fact or duration" of his confinement. Preiser v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 475, 498-499 (1973). Therefore, Alston's claim that his due process rights have been violated in the context of parole revocation, such that his sentence has been lengthened, is an appropriate subject for review in the context of the instant habeas corpus petition.
However, Alston also argues that the Board's actions constituted constitutional rights violations, such as cruel and unusual punishment. These claims do not "challenge the very fact or duration of the confinement itself." Leamer v. Fauver, 288 F.3d 532 (3d Cir. 2002). Therefore, they are inappropriately raised in a habeas corpus petition. Constitutional claims that challenge the conditions of a prisoner's confinement may be brought pursuant to § 1983 of Title 42 in the first instance. See Nelson v. Campbell, 541 U.S. 637, 643 (2004); see also Preiser, 411 U.S. at 498-499. Therefore, these claims will be dismissed.
Habeas corpus relief cannot be granted unless all available state remedies have been exhausted, or there is an absence of available state corrective process, or circumstances exist that render such process ineffective to protect the rights of the applicant. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b)(1); see also Preiser, 411 U.S. at 491-92 (1973) (exhaustion is required for challenges to the actions of a state administrative body). The exhaustion requirement is grounded on principles of comity in order to ensure that state courts have the initial opportunity to review federal constitutional challenges to state convictions. Werts v. Vaughn, 228 F.3d 178, 192 (3d Cir. 2000).
A state prisoner exhausts state remedies by giving the "state courts one full opportunity to resolve any constitutional issues by invoking one complete round of the State's established appellate review process." O'Sullivan v. Boerckel, 526 U.S. 838, 844-45 (1999). Respect for the state court system requires that the petitioner demonstrate that the claims in question have been "fairly presented to the state courts." Castille v. Peoples, 489 U.S. 346, 351 (1989). Fair presentation also ...
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Read this tip to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Veggie Kids and other Vegetarian topics.
Get this book! Ruby Roth's "That's Why We Don't Eat Animals" (North Atlantic Books, May 2009) is quickly gaining acclaim and recognition. On it's Amazon page you can find comments and reviews from the likes of Jane Goodall, Alicia Silverstone, and PETA (plus a 5-star rating).
The 48-page hardcover is geared to 9-12 year olds. It tells the story of animals in their natural habitat versus animals in factory farms. The illustrations are powerful and moving. Mary Martin of Animal Person Blog brings up this criticism though, "It would seem to me that, especially when it comes to children, a consistent message of respect and justice, emphasizing it's not okay to eat animals because it's not okay to eat animals, factory farmed or not, would have been a better angle." The book makes factory farming the antagonist--rather than simply killing animals.
Despite this take, the book is a welcome addition to the vegetarian and vegan landscape. On the book's website wedonteatanimals.com, you can check out some of the great illustrations. The site states, "The boldest step yet in children's literature, this heartfelt, informative book offers a key resource to inspire parents and children to talk about a timely, increasingly important subject."
Thank you Ruby Roth and North Atlantic Publishing!
|Guru Spotlight
|Sheri Ann Richerson


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Shane Reed was the winner of the monthly draw in the DB Export NZ Fishing Competiton. Shane's snapper was drawn from all anglers who entered an eligible fish during the month and wins a a Patio Bistro BBQ & Innovation Vacuum packer. Up for grabs in the January Draw is a fantatstic prize pack from our mates at Shimano. A Shimano Saragosa 10,000 reel, Shimano Anarchy spin 150-300g rod, Shimano padded gimbal belt, Platinum cap, Vortex sunglasses. Approx retail value $1,000.
Register here now - thanks to DB Export, It's FREE
The DB Export NZ Fishing Competition is a measure contest and is now in it's fourth season with some great catches on the leaderboards. Fish are judged by length rather than weight and all you need to do is photograph your catch on one of our official measures, then upload the photos to the competition website from your computer, table or mobile.
Each season runs from April 1st to March 31st of the following year - check out the species Champion Angler and monthly prizes for this season here. To be in our monthly draw all you need to do is enter one eligible catch on an approved measure during the month. Easy As!
Catch and release or keep - it's YOUR choice!
This competition is environmentally friendly - you can release your trophy fish if you want to. You only need to take a photo on an official NZ Fishing Competition measure and upload it to gain recognition of your angling expertise. You can also take your catch home to share with friends and family. Your fish, your choice, unlike many other fishing competitions where the fish has to die in the pursuit of prizes or other recognition.
The longest fish in each species features at the top of our leader-boards which recognises the best catches around the country. The contest is for fish caught using a rod and reel only, but saltwater species can be taken from boat, jetski, kayak, or from the beach or rocks. For trout, fishing can also be from land or boat. Eligible species are detailed in the competition rules section here.
This competition is all about bragging rights but YES, there's $40,000 in prizes of Bradley Smokers and Shimano fishing tackle to be won as well. Most of the prizes are drawn so it's better to be lucky than good!
Anglers can fish anywhere, any time so long as the entries are in one of the categories we recognise. You can register and enter after you have caught a fish and we encourage people who are fishing on charters to enter as well. The annual Leaderboards will keep you up with the play and our permanent Hall of Fame will be an enduring record of those great trophy fish and the people who caught them!
Register here now - thanks to DB Export, It's FREE.
07 January 2017
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Trollope: Hinton doing well
By Steve Bramley
Last Updated: 01/01/70 1:00am
Bristol Rovers defender Craig Hinton is making great strides in his return from a groin injury.
Bristol Rovers defender Craig Hinton is making great strides in his return from a groin injury.
The 29-year-old resumed training earlier this month after missing the end of last season with the torn abductor muscle.
Rovers boss Paul Trollope says Hinton's progress will be closely monitored before deciding if he is ready to return to first-team action.
"Whilst not doing everything yet, Craig is stepping up his training. But we have to assess him as we go and see how he is after the next fortnight," Trollope told the club's official website.
"We have a few young lads who can play in the central defensive role who have come from the college but who may not yet be ready to make the step up to first-team football.
"So if Craig is not available by the first game and needs a few more weeks, that is possibly an area we will look at."


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The caisson is generally a sunken panel set into the otherwise largely flat ceiling. It is often layered and richly decorated. Common shapes include square, octagon, hexagon, circle, and a combination of these.
The ''caisson'' is a general name for any sunken panel placed in the ceiling. In the case of East Asian architecture, however, the caisson is characterised by highly developed conventions as to its structure and placement.
These are the following:
The caisson is a sunken panel placed in the centre of the ceiling. It is raised above the level of the ceiling through the use the ''dougong'' structure, which, through interlocking structural members, as beams were not used, creates successive levels of diminishing size. Beams may also be used to create a hexagonal or octagonal caisson surrounded by a square border. These beams, and the ''dougong'' members, are usually visible, and richly carved and often painted with deities.
The centre of the caisson is decorated with a large ''bas-relief'' carving or painting. Common themes include "two s chasing the pearl. Caissons in the throne rooms of the Forbidden City feature a large, writhing dragon, from whose mouth issue a chandelier-like structure called the Yellow Emperor Mirror, a series of metal balls which are said to be able to show reflections of evil spirits.
Caissons were originally used to support s. Therefore they are a relatively recent structure in the Chinese architectural history. However, they became increasingly intricate and formalised, and were in later periods a standard item of interior decoration in formal buildings.
Use in other structures
The caisson has been found in tombs of the Han Dynasty dating the use of this architectural feature back at least 2,000 years. Besides subterranean structure, the oldest existent caisson in an above-ground structure is the one located above the 16 m tall statue of Guanyin in the Guanyin Pavilion of Dule Monastery, Jixian, Hebei province, built in the year 984 during the Liao Dynasty. Without the use of interior columns, this ceiling is held up by a hidden second floor four-sided frame with a hexagonal ceiling frame on the third floor.
As the caisson became increasingly standard in formal architecture in ancient China, similar structures also appeared in grottos, such as in Dunhuang. These sunken panels in the ceiling of grottos would be carved to imitate the ''dougong''-based structure in wooden buildings.
Cultural significance
Caissons where highly decorative and used only for the most richly decorated structures. They had no specific cultural significance, since in structure they are equal to cupolas and domes constructed around the world. However the rich oramentation often conveyed cultural significance in the themes chosen.


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Goodyear firefighters battling cancer, insurance companies
GOODYEAR, Ariz. (KSAZ) - Despite studies that show a link between firefighting and cancer, two members of the Goodyear Fire Department report that the process to get insurance coverage is set up for them to fail.
"It feels like [the insurance company is] just trying to prove that I did it to myself," Goodyear firefighter Gilbert Aguirre told FOX 10. "Like it's something I did, or my family did. That's what's frustrating."
After 16 years in the field, Aguirre was the first firefighter in the fairly-new Goodyear Fire Department to be diagnosed with cancer in June of 2015. Almost immediately after he began battling Leukemia, CopperPoint Insurance denied his workman's compensation claim over what Aguirre said was a lack of evidence that proves he got cancer on the job.
"I've earned this," Aguirre said. "I'm not asking for a hand out, I earned it. It feels like a slap in the face."
Workman's compensation benefits are given to employees who get sick or injured on the job. If approved, insurance companies must provide wage replacement and medical benefits as regulated by the Industrial Commission of Arizona.
"My medication is $12,000 a month for the rest of my life," Aguirre said. "I don't know of many people that can afford $12,000 a month."
Aguirre believes he is owed these benefits after three major studies have shown firefighters have a greater risk of a cancer diagnosis compared to the general public. When certain materials burn, especially synthetics, they release carcinogens that may not show their effects until years later, according to researchers.
"I'm not a scientist," Aguirre's friend and fellow Goodyear firefighter Austin Peck told FOX 10. "But you know that burning couches are bad for you and you hear about it in the academy. You learn about how to protect yourself from it, but you never think it's going to affect you."
Peck became the second Goodyear firefighter to get a cancer diagnosis, just months after Aguirre. His cancer, a rare sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma, comes with an 18 percent chance of survival.
"I internally exploded to be honest," he said. "I freaked out. I mean, I have people that rely on me."
Although Peck told FOX 10 his doctor believes his cancer is work-related, CopperPoint denied his coverage as well. However, that was what Peck was expecting. The type of cancer he has is not included in Arizona's laws about workman's compensation.
In 2001, Arizona joined 33 states in creating a presumptive cancer law meant to make workman's compensation benefits easier for first responders to obtain.
The details vary state-by-state. In Arizona, eight cancers are presumed work-related if a firefighter has been on the job for at least five years, passed the physical exam upon entry into the service, and can prove they have been on calls where carcinogens have been present.
Those cancers are bladder, colon, rectal, brain, lymphoma, adenocarcinoma, and mesothelioma and Aguirre's leukemia.
"Perfect world would be like OK, you meet all those criteria, your cancer is on the presumptive cancer list, it's approved," Aguirre said. "But, that's not what happens."
Despite meeting all of the requirements, Aguirre said CopperPoint Insurance needed more evidence he was exposed to known carcinogens.
The Industrial Commission told FOX 10 the burden of proof lies on the firefighter, meaning the cancer patient is responsible for providing the proper materials to make their case.
Aguirre said while undergoing chemotherapy, he spent hours at his station printing out thousands of documents that detail every call he's ever been on. He and his lawyers have used the documents as evidence against CopperPoint in hearings conducted by the Industrial Commission.
With Aguirre's help, Peck has gone through the same process.
"You hear all the stories," Peck said. "I talk to other firefighters who have cancer and have dealt with workman's comp. They have to appeal it a few times and just keep going through the process and it's not a short process. It takes a while."
Neither Peck nor Aguirre have seen a conclusion after more than a year.
FOX 10 reached out to CopperPoint and heard back from VP of Corporate Communications and Governing Board Services, Judy Schumacher. She sent us this written statement, adding she cannot comment on specific cases:
CopperPoint provides workers compensation insurance benefits for work-related illnesses and injuries. Depending on the circumstances the insurance benefits may involve medical care and/or compensation for lost wages. In order to determine if the injury or illness is work-related we carefully evaluate each claim [workers' compensation benefits] on its individual merits. Should there be disagreements as to whether an injury or illness is work-related the Industrial Commission of Arizona provides an administrative process for purposes of resolving the matter. CopperPoint is committed to making this process as expeditious as possible.
"Frustrating is not a word I would use," Stephen Gilman with the Union of Professional Firefighters of Arizona told FOX 10. "It's tenfold of frustrating."
Gilman, a Goodyear firefighter himself, said Aguirre and Peck's situations are not unusual.
"Most of the members throughout the state are finding it very difficult to prove, even if it's a presumptive cancer, that it's being caused by the job," he said.
Because CopperPoint has the right to look further into any case it gets, Gilman does not have a solution to what he believes is the immediate problem. However, he is hoping new legislation may expand the possibility of coverage to more firefighters in the future.
"We're seeing huge amounts of testicular cancer in our members, 102 percent (greater risk) according to some studies," he said. "Throat cancer, stomach cancer, kidney cancer…none of these are covered currently. That's something we'd like to see integrated in this new legislation."
If passed, the legislation would add 12 cancers to the presumptive list: Multiple Myloma, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Prostate, Testicular, Skin, Malignant Melanoma, Stomach, Buccal/Pharynx, Esophagus, Large Intestine, Kidney and Lung.
Until then, the Goodyear Fire Department has implemented new guidelines for its firefighters to reduce their risk. Other agencies across the Valley are doing the same.
For now, Aguirre and Peck are still waiting for a conclusion to their legal battles while also recuperating from their fights against cancer.
"My main goal is recovery," Peck said. "I lost over 30 pounds. I'm trying to gain weight, get energy and get back to work."
Peck is on light-duty with the Goodyear Fire Department and finds out if he is in remission at the end of November.
Aguirre has thankfully passed that hurdle and is now back to fighting fires after hearing he was cancer-free.
"My friends that I have here, my family that I have here, the things that we go through together, the people we get to help…There's nothing better," Aguirre said with tears in his eyes. "I wouldn't change it. Yeah, I got cancer from it, but I still wouldn't change it. That's why I'm back."


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Thursday, 5 June 2008
Muddy Waters paint job - progress
My boat is coming along nicely now, the prep. work is almost complete at last. She has been sanded and smoothed, and is almost ready for primer now.
1 comment:
- Nathan said...
Oooh looking good...
Nice to see you're working hard also ;)
- 5 June 2008 at 17:14
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When I see pictures of any place I've lived, there are fond memories attached to each of those places. There are hard memories, tough times attached too, but I seem to only recall the good times. And naturally it leaves me longing for it a bit. I experienced it when I moved away from east Texas. Golly I longed for that place. It's been 2 1/2 years since I moved away from there, and while I occasionally miss it, I've realized with time, that I miss the people, the experiences, the things that only existed in that season. I've come to terms that I don't get those things back, and I'm glad I lived life to the fullest while I was there.
When I lived in Canada, newly married at the ripe age of 21, plucked from all things familiar, I did not live life to the fullest. I complained, I hated the cold, whined about the snow, talked often about missing my home church in Texas, missed my family. But when I look at pictures now, see familiar people, Canadian family, and sweet friendships that were made in that 9 months, my heart deeply longs to go back. I see what I missed out on while I spent so much time complaining. And I guess I wish I could have a second chance. And I wonder how life would have turned out had we not moved back to Texas.
I sense that there is more regret, more longing, when we don't live life to the fullest. Either when we don't see the blessings in a certain season, or when our hearts are guarded - it holds us back from all that God has for us.
I cannot change the past and my mistakes. Maybe one day we will get the chance to live in Canada again, who knows. But I want the lesson learned from all of this to stick - no matter where I am, live life! We miss out on so much when we choose to complain rather than let God reveal the beauty and the blessing of where we are at. That includes right now, living in Texas, wondering what the future holds, trusting God with our desires and dreams, knowing that He really does have the absolute BEST in mind.


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Went to Dan's place tonight and fell in love with Charlie.
Charlie was quite the turn on... gnawing at my big toes, my thumbs and the rest of my fingers.
But she's waaaay too young for me - having only been born several weeks ago.
And not to mention the fact that she's a bitch, but she's my bitch... even though she's living at Dan & Melissa's place.
If there's one thing that makes me go all googoo it's little staffie pups.
I love em to bits.
(Just be sure no one tells Jon and his staffie Foxy... she might get jealous.)
6 days ago


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Earlier, in another friendly match, Vietnam beat Uzbekistan 4-1.
Vietnam is in Group B with Japan, Chinese Taipei, Tajikistan and Indonesia in the championship. There are 16 other teams competing in three different groups. The group winners and runners-up from each group will qualify for the knockout stage - the quarterfinals.
Vietnam will face Tajikistan in their first match on May 17. Subsequently, they will face Indonesia (May 18), Chinese Taipei (May 19) and Japan (May 20).
Source: VNA
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Today's retirement adventure I could really do without. I threw my back out of place yesterday after we finished shooting part of the Movie. I was changing in the bathroom and stepped into my pants and there it went. Kerplunk! I made it home all right but in the night I got up to use the restroom and it went kerplunk again and I fell into the sink. I have a lovely black eye. I certainly hope it is better before Sunday when we finish shooting the movie.
The movie shoot went well. We worked from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Long day for me and it just got worse and worse.
We started at the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine. They loaned us the facility for the morning. I got into my hospital gown and crawled up onto the gurney. It was hard as a brick and the back started its move into discomfort. We did quite a few run throughs and then started the camera and sound. I moaned and groaned and I was complimented on how miserable I acted. (Little did they know?)
We broke down the equipment and went to lunch at Jimmy Johns. I know I swore I would never eat there and I never will again. Cold sandwich and it wasn't even that good. I ran Elenita and her mom, Kimberley, home to fetch their vehicle. Then we drove to the director's home where we would continue the shoot.
We did a shoot outside of my coming home from the nursing home. It was such a glorious day.
I got into my robe and gown and slippers and we began the shoot. We did a couple of hallway scenes where I sat in the wheelchair. Then we did a couple of scenes in the bedroom. I had to be helped into the wheelchair and on the first try I almost slipped and the back kicked into discomfort.
We picked up and packed equipment and then took a photo of the cast and crew. I made my way home squirming the whole way. The back was definitely out of whack.
I didn't eat much dinner but had a couple of stiff drinks and went to bed. I had to get up and I just can't believe I fell. It hurt like a banshee.
Got up this morning to go work at the front gate but I started crying and I tried lying on the floor to get my back cracked back into shape. It did not work. I texted my co-worker and told her I couldn't make it and she said she would go. Bless her heart. Then my other co-worker called me and I couldn't stop myself from crying. She wanted to do something to help me and I almost asked her to come down and walk on my back.
As I sit here typing I have an ice pack on and a couple of pain pills in my system. I am going to try the lying on the floor again and see if it helps.
I will keep you informed about the movie. It is so exciting!


text: Meet my Wild Boys! These adorable fellas both went to preschool with my own daughters at St. Alban's in Davidson and I have had the pleasure of photographing their family for about 4 years or so now. I always have a blast with them! Yesterday was no exception AND I got to meet the newest addition to the family. Their new fur baby brother Georgie. He was so soft and cuddly. Thanks for another super fun session! You rock S family! XOXO!


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Monday, March 08, 2010
design or dumb luck
I recently had a student tell me that she knew she couldn't get away with bullshitting in my class. I took this as a compliment. She then wrote her final paper using the Harry Potter story as her guiding metaphor and comparing me to Albus Dumbledore. Despite what that may sound like, she was well within the parameters of the assignment and did a really great job on first draft (all I've seen so far), so I took this as an even greater compliment. Then, last night I was told by my lovely friend, who also happens to be a poetry editor, that she'd recently received a note from a writer submitting poems for consideration and in it this writer said that she really loved the magazine and especially the poem "How To Live With It" written by yours truly. That was a pretty sweet compliment to receive. Small moments such as these make me think that perhaps, whether by design or dumb luck, I am on the right track.
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text: Went to the Volcom house a few days after the Billabong Pipeline Masters event. Dean Morrison was hanging out. As you can see, the waves are all mushed out with the Kona winds, It was about 4 feet and for the pros, it was time to take out their quads and fishes. I would be out there with a 6'3 - 6'5 at least!


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Despite a little rain during the morning, the event went great last week with over 100 runners participating in the hustle! We really appreciate all of the runners, volunteers, and activity fair participants that came out on sunday to support Wisconsin Schools. Here is some post-race information and some links that you may find useful.
If you were unable to make our event, and would still like to get your race-day T-shirt, you can pick them up at ZuZu Cafe, located at 1336 Drake St., Madison WI, 53715 at the following times:
Saturday December 7th, from 1-4 pm
Sunday December 8th, from 1-4 pm


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Bangkok is the more fascinating city that I've ever seen. Completely free, hazardous, crowd.
A hell for the saints. Provocative, Asian, typically tropical.The air is dense and is tightened as the ways of Chinatown.
You can cover her on foot, on a ferry along the river, with a train or in so many difference ways to lose the cognition of the time and the desire to return to your home. If you have a home. I'm saying, a true home, inside you. Otherwise Bangkok kidanpp you always. How can I tell you if you've never seen her, lived her. She scratch you with all her spines, and she takes your breath away with all her mysteries and her sleepless nights.
Chaotic, she isn't so different from India and you know why? Because when you leave her you keep thinking on her. You see her in the middle of the roads, everywhere.
A city planned tracing the stars, the city of the angels, tells a legend. Her inhabitants are the lords of the waters. You dip in her until to find you in places where nobody understand your language or any other. Not even your gestures.
Bangkok is covered by wandering souls and every building is a house of the spirit. BANGKOK, I love you. See you soon. Olivia.