text:
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text:
Take me in your arms
by Gillie McPherson
I wasn't looking for anything
There was nothing I wanted to hide
When one gentle stranger who did not intend
Swerved my steadfast spirit aside.
I was ready to fall for the feel of it all
I thought that you'd reach out for me.
So willing to dance with my heart on my sleeve
I've already started to deeam
Take me in your arms
Tell me slowly
Now you are here tonight
Love me only
Make me sure of you
Feel so tender and warm
Keep me near to you
All night long.
Please don't leave me alone tonight
Devoted to what you're doing to me
With no one to case my feelings and say
Slip away , forget what you see.
If only you'd tear up this passion I feel
Tear up the words I'm ready to say
But you're somewhere way beyond
Won't you be but a second away.
And take me in your arms etc. .
Gillie McPherson You Tube
Atelier Voix : 06 73 91 43 76
Cet adresse mail est protégé contre les spambots. Vous avez d'activer le javascript pour la visualiser. gmail.com

subset: commoncrawl


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The following was written as a bulletin insert for St. John Greek Orthodox Church in Tampa, FL.
Father M looked me straight in the eye and said, "If you want to be a Christian, if you want to be Orthodox, then you have to love your neighbor."
I felt pretty embarrassed. At the time I was emerging from a life that had been half-agnostic, half-Protestant, and completely full of myself. Orthodoxy I had discovered full in the face half a year earlier while studying abroad in Russia. I wandered into a cathedral at the Paschal Liturgy and knew I'd found something special. But Orthodoxy, while compelling, was little more than a thrill ride. I basked in the glorious music, marveled at the saints, was swept up in the incense and bells, and crossed myself with gusto. It was all so wonderful! It felt so spiritual!
Something deeper was happening. When I came back to Florida and settled into a local parish I started hearing and understanding the words of Vespers, Matins and Liturgy in English. Those psalms and theologically thick hymns began cracking my tough heart and proud mind. The witness of the Church and her saints throughout history was more than I could take in. The community of the faithful taught me what it meant to be the Church. But it was still mostly my own little head-trip.
During winter vacation between 2002 and 2003, I visited my parents in Kenya, East Africa, where I had grown up in a Protestant Evangelical missionary household. While in Nairobi one day, I happened upon an Orthodox church and walked in asking to speak with a priest.
Father M was busy that day. His parish also ran a hospital and there were patients waiting for him. The bishop was in town that day. And it was almost Christmas. Still, he took the time to sit with me in the temple. I asked him intellectual questions about Church history; there were canonical issues about ancient Christianity in Africa that I wanted resolved. I was using the Faith as a mind-game and I hoped the priest would indulge my curiosity. Father humored me for a while before excusing himself, as the bishop needed his assistance. As we said farewell, he looked me straight in the eye and reminded me what the Orthodox Christian life was really about.
That moment certainly made me feel ashamed. Father M had brushed aside all my spiritual feelings and intellectual games with a sharp reminder that we are saved not by our ideas or our feelings, but by our neighbors. If we love God truly, then we love those around us and work out our salvation in service to them.
It was a short-lived shame, and it was a truth that I began to understand more fully during a year of volunteer service in Los Angeles. That experience, in which the endless needs of the poor were overwhelmed by the boundless grace of the Holy Spirit, was filled with a joy that made my calling clear: a life of full-time Christian service. Now, God is fulfilling that call by placing me as a long-term missionary with the Orthodox Church in East Africa.
This is what Orthodoxy means to me. Not that each of us ought to have my job description or be any sort of ecclesiastical employee—God forbid! But it means that in all we do our orientation is towards Christ in service to others. In every Liturgy we pray that the gifts God has given us be returned to Him "on behalf of all and for all" the whole world. And when that's the direction we're pointed, great things will come.


text:
The Iranian Protest Literature
Bejan Baran, PhD
Keeping my words with the boatmen, amidst the storm,
Beyond my own life, I have to pass through the storm.
In the dark nights, my rendezvous with my love-
Is to set fire in the mountains.
Song: Kiss Me
Date: Summer 1953
Lyrics: Dr H. Reghabi 1931-1988
Singer: H. Golnaraghi 1921-1993
Composer: M. Vafadar 1912-1978
The epigram is a sample of an everlasting song of commitment in the Iranian culture. After the 1953 Summer Coup, the political persecution followed. Similar coups patterned thereafter in Guatemala, Indonesia, Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Pakistan, South Viet Nam, and Chile. The above song was a lament, a farewell, to the loved ones imprisoned and facing firing squads after the Coup. Following half a century, the song sublimated into the Iranian collective cultural psyche; hummed in every urban quarter and played in national radio stations. This stanza alludes to the 5 elements of struggle in a coded message using poetic metaphors. Mountains stand for the people, love for the party, fire for awareness, covenant/ rendezvous for commitment, and storm for the State's violence. The party is committed to human rights for the enlightened people amidst the State's repression.
What is certain about the protest literature is that the literary work of the writer lasts longer than the repressive apparatus. It is in line with Sartre's littérature engagée, to argue that apolitical authors ignore the moral and conscience in their writing and forget the state violence against committed authors. McCarthyism is much more violent in the repressive countries – such as Spain of 1936-75, Greece of 1967-75, Argentina with 6 coup d'états of 1930, 1943, 1955, 1962, 1966 and 1976, and Chile of 1973-1988.
In 1973 Chilean coup d'état, a news cameraman was shot by Pinochet's stooges. His camera's field of view was in circular scan, due to his falling and twisting as the camera was rolling on the track. The camera was taken by a comrade; the film was published around the world. In the film, the death of a newsman was recorded in the circular motion of the frames; then the pause/ stop on a point in the sky. It became a documentary to record the reporter's death on the spot; so after his death it exposed the crime of the coup d'état.
The Noble in literature mostly goes to committed writers who are deeply engaged in changing the world status quo, both through their writing and activism. Boris Pasternak of Russia and Herta Muller of Romania are among the Noble Committee's selections. Ravi Vyas explains committed literature further:
Sartre in his Speech in 1945 said: Writers do not see the danger from the State's brutality towards moral and political concerns in the literary works. He used the terms literature of commitment or engaged, in Arabic Adabiate Eltezaam and Aladab Olmoltazem for an activist writer with a social conscience. In Sartre's death, the Paris Press headline was: France lost its conscience. Sartre meant literature, vis-à-vis reality, should not be sleeping pills or sedatives. Also, the critiques in comfort should not be unaware of the danger of state violence against the committed literature; for censorship is the first step in the coarse stairs descending to the dark dungeons and torture chambers of the state.
But "commitment" did mean at least one thing: That literature should not be a sedative, a feel-good pill or a sub-division of the entertainment industry. It should be an irritant that would provoke men to change the world in which they lived and in so doing change themselves. By adopting this role the writer would ensure that the content of his/ her work would avoid sterile dogmatism; it would be addressed to the potentially free reader and by doing so, the writer would also be freeing himself. The process is dialectical and reciprocal. Also, it meant that there would be no room for ambiguity, for what could be called the "music of chance."
The danger of committed literature is that it will fall into a thesis novel, what the French call Roman a these -- a story with an axe to grind; rather than a novel of ideas Roman D'idees -- which is a genuine exploration of ideas in the context of narrative. http://www.thejohnfox.com/bookfox/committed-literature/
Literature is a verbal category of works in the culture of a society that is for communication with readers under the state's visa for its publication. Since literature has a close link with progressive forces in society, its form is synchronized with the development phases of the growing social strata. The commitment means truth, humanity, and social fairness. The most famous writers/poets are in the camp of committed literature: Ferdowsi, Khayyam, Hafez, Molana, Dostoevsky, Shaw, Dickens, Lorca, Neruda, Twain, Heine, Shelley, Eco, Marquez, Shamlu, Yushij, Forugh. Simin.
Protest literature is part of committed literature to fight against oppression in society. Literature of commitment is universal; it is present in the history of all nations. It is as old as history itself, some 4,000 years. Literature of commitment is part of people's struggle in the face of the government and in the direction of historical development for the defense of truth and fairness. It also facilitates social democratization; ultimately accelerates the society toward democracy.
Protest is patriotism. Contrary to the ruling clique who is the purveyor of the status quo, protest is for the sake of social development. In the 20th century other movements gained praise: internationalism, cosmopolitism, Marxism, Islamism, nationalism, chauvinism, patriotism. Protest could be progressive for the sake of further social development. It could be reactionary for the return to the past; tradition of fundamentalism of the right- the looking back to the golden age which is idealized into an iron rule of total order authority.
Protest literature plants hope in society. It proves word is important; pen triumphs over clubs. It encourages the writer to fight using the pen and participate in the struggle. Protest literature is the fastest means to promote the public demands following the law. With the advent of mass media in the second half of the 20th century and the virtual social networks in the first decade of the 21st century, one could see, read, hear daily. The news in any locality is transmitted to the world via satellite and the internet.
In every revolution, the masses rally for the progressive slogans. After victory, the egalitarian slogans are pushed into the mud by the leadership under their intolerant culture of the past. The human love of Jesus ended up with dark ages of inquisition, liberte- egalite- fraternite of the Great French Revolution led to the beheading by guillotine of the opposition factions to the power. Bread, housing, work for all in the October Revolution ended in the Gulags and purges. Fundamentally the conservatives fear power rotation and despise periodic election. They prefer ruling for life, or even hereditary in their family. Example: North Korea, Cuba, Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Emirates. Commitment can be affirmative in defense of exploitation, freedom, truth, independence, and progress or could be negative anti-reaction, anti-dictatorship, against colonialism and foreign invasion.
In the first group in Iran, Pervin Etessamy in sympathy with the oppressed, Bahar for freedom, Eshqy for independence, put their pens at the service of the nation. In the second group, Farokhy Yazdy exposed reactionaries; Seyfe Forqany lamented the Mongol's invasion of Iran, Lahuty attacked the reactionaries in words. Dehkhoda spent his life in a relentless fight against the Dark Age of the dictatorship. He at times was a poet/ writer, other times an activist.
The presence of social conscience in an individual, according to his gift and rank in society makes him have an "honorable doubt" about the government, using Emerson's euphemism. Zoroaster's teaching is about good "thoughts, words, deeds" of a human. They arise doubts in the conscience which lead to protesting activism. The beginning examples in the first millennium BC are fleeing Zoroaster to a more safe area for his gospel of Gathas for social reforms, the banishment of Tao, and conviction of Socrates to take deadly drink – has repeated throughout history and keeps repeating over and over to this day. Writers are part of society which has the gift to express. They use their gift in the service of telling the truth for the return of the rights of the oppressed. Giordano Bruno in Italy was an example of bravery in telling the truth and Rosa Luxemburg in Germany advocated for the rights of the oppressed.
As the reformists on the streets rise for the social rights of the oppressed, writers too write for the rights of the persecuted in a society; they also participate in social activism. Some extraordinary examples of activism are Sartre and Russell in the 60s with their anti-war march in Europe. Dr. Arany, Lahuty in the past century, in protesting against colonialism and oppression in Iran, they contributed with the pen and the blood. It led them to prison, exile, death, torture, and execution.
Therefore, commitment in all people including writers is in various degrees. Also, the interests of the individuals in social and political positions have to be considered. So, the committed writers have their counterparts in the protest activists; Nima, the committed poet, had his brother Ladbon who had to be banished in the North because of social justice ideology; he later vanished by the Soviet security forces. Keyvan, Ruzbeh, Vartan, Dr Fatemy, Qandchi, Dr A'zami, the murdered couple Foruhar in their home, they are martyrs of the struggle – they are all from the same substance; each chose the means for their fight against darkness.
In the middle ages, some writers like Hallaj, Sohrevardy, Attar- sometimes reached martyrdom either as a Zandiq/ Heretic or a patriot. Molana, Khayyam had to leave their birthplace for years; because of the local fanatics, Molana wrote in exile: Hear the reed; it is played/ It complains about separation. Therefore, the committed literature is universal; it is suppressed by the rulers. Censor is one of the modern means to restrict the spread of protest.
In the last 100 years in Iran, an alleged political activist in the preliminary investigation has no legal defense. Therefore the independence of judiciary power from executive power is superfluous. Sometimes based on the forced confession extracted by the investigative team with torture and threat and a promise of leniency in the punishment, the team denies the leniency promised. The prosecutor and the court ask for the execution of the accused anyway. The court convicts the accused for a summary execution. In this process of treating the prisoner, the integrity of the accused and the honor of the conscience of the detective get questioned, violated.
In every nation's constitution the alleged guilt of expression, is lighter than activism; therefore the protest writers are more immune than the activists in the society. In the 1960s, the committed poet Farakhzad for the equality of women's rights to men and Shamlu for the integrity of human dignity- fought against the reactionary forces. Dr Saedy, Behrangy, Dr Rahimy, Dr Hezarkhany, Prof Aryanpur, N Pakdaman, Homa Nategh taught implicitly the rights of citizenry. On the streets Dr. Khanaly for teachers' rights, Jazany along with 8 other political prisoners were murdered. In the summer of 1988, 4000 young political prisoners were executed in the jails. The poetry of commitment for the progressive works and thoughts in society becomes an opposition to the government. Here, the government is not just the official; it includes the powerful people with repressive and reactionary ideas. Farokhzad's entanglement was more with the patriarchal elites rather than with the SAVAK, contrary to Soltanpur. But both possessed social courage to fight their opponents.
The apex/peak of protest literature in Iran was the start of the Writers Guild in 1968. Poet such as Golsorkhy, Soltanpur, Sirjany, Mokhtary, Puyandeh; they put their lives on the line and got slain. Sometimes, the protest leads the poet to become a member of a progressive political party: Sartre, Picasso, Theodorakis, Brecht, Montaigne in the West. In Iran Lahuty wrote the lyrics of the Internationale March, and Soltanpur wrote the Jahan / World. It is a part of World's Poets Essayists, and Novelists (PEN). The Guild has been a bastion/fort of the defense of Freedom. It has added more martyrs to the list of people for freedom. Its exiled wing is active in the EU.
In the summer of 1996, by the invitation of the Armenian Writers Association, 21 Iranian writers, poets, essayists took a bus to go to the neighboring country. Up in the Caucasian mountains at night, the driver, who was at the service of the Security, tried to crash the bus into a horrific valley. The bus got stuck on a bolder underneath; the front wheels were in the air, the rear stuck to the rock. The passengers woke up, eventually they were saved from a certain death. Among them were Kushan, Sarekuhy, Behnud, Manadanypur, Sepanlu, and 16 other literarians. Some of them later on were murdered; others left the country. Over 150 activists, poets, and writers abroad and inside were on the death row by the Ministry of Security and butchered. In the 1990s with courageous expose by Ganji and Baqy, and the fair legal defense by Dr. Zarafshan, the society woke up. Ganjy's books were sold in 200,000 per print. This tremendous appeal to the book buyers was unprecedented in the last 100 years in Iran.
There are exemplary samples of commitment in the literature. One of the persistent protesting literarian is Dr. Baraheny. He fought against tyranny for 50 years with his activism, writings, and teachings. In universities, he taught the literature of protest and commitment. As a member of the Writers Guild in Iran, USA, Canada, Dr Baraheny amplified the voice of oppressed for the ears of the intellectuals in the World; still he is active in this sphere. With his literary criticism book, titled The Gold In Cupper, he brought modern, objective and non-judgmental critique to Iranian literature. Thus teaching the book at the universities, it institutionalized modern literary criticism. He petitions, protests letters, signing against 100 years of tyranny in Iran in the world forums and media, amplifies the voice of struggle by women, ethnic, workers, and fighters.
Prof Kadkany is another example of an Iranian scholar who with his humanitarian outlook critiqued the dictatorship. He used his artistic sensibility to teach humanitarian outlook to the new generation of university students. Among a few Iranian expatriates and exiles abroad, the majority and almost all the intellectuals are against the status quo in Iran. Dr. Bahman Nirumand whose best seller book in the 1960s in Germany exposed the new colonialism backing the comprador regime of Iran. Professors like Ahmad Ashraf, Karimi Hakkak, Kh. Shakeri, Yarvand Abrahamian, M. Darvishpur, Cyrus Bina, Vahabzadeh in various western Universities rose up to the defense of the truth and the oppressed. They devote their pens and take action to protest the human rights violations in Iran.
Most poets are from the middle class; in their educational process and in the presence of their social conscience they see the prevalent poverty and injustice, and devote their writing to expose the blatant human rights violations. Sometimes, under the pressure of the oppressing state, sickness of old age, financial distress- some of them go through a change of heart, to side with or disregard the state repression. Examples are Tavalloli, Kushabady, Karo. Only in the next round they regretted the change of heart; and ask for the people's forgiveness. Sometimes due to unawareness and lack of conscience they serve the state, like Dr Shafa, Dr Khanlary, Moayery, Naderpur. But in the next phase of their life cycle, in defense of alleviating oppression, they write against the oppressive regime like Naderpur or get silent, as Karo. There are times they switch sides and serve the oppressive regime such as Lashai, Nahavandy, Nikkhah, Lajevardi, Shariatmadari.
The protest literature exists in all 193 UN member countries. However, this type of literature in the US has more appeal in the world, both in content and tradition. In the last 200 years in the US, the protest literature has mirrored the hardship for: poor emigrants, slaves, forced migration of the native Indian, the struggle for women, universal women suffrage, the striking workers, pressure on the minorities, lynching of young blacks, the big depression of 1930s captured by Steinbeck in the Grapes of Wrath, the hypocrisy of the conservatives in the works of Mark Twain, civil rights movement in the 1960s, the second feminism, protest against war in Indo-China, the rights of Latinos, homosexuals, expose of the state intrusion in the privacy of the citizens, the uninsured poor, homelessness, crimes due to poverty and hunger, protest against the Persian Gulf War.
Protest literature goes back to Jefferson's era in the Declaration of Independence in the 18th century in opposition to the plundering British colonialism. In 1846, Thoreau was jailed for his civil disobedience in not paying the poll tax. The tax was to restrict the right of the poor in national voting. His friend, Emerson, went to visit him in the jail; behind the bar, asked what are you doing in here? Thoreau answered, what are you doing out there?! The protest literature is the demarcation line between two types of literature in a country. Emerson wrote on one side, "An honorable doubt which repeats itself." On the other side, art with a social impact of activist artists. Therefore, protest literature against the status quo, for diminishing social oppression, is related to a trait in an individual's personality, related to honor and fairness.
A committed poet's conscience is awakened. Brecht in a 1942 letter wrote, "love of truth and fury against injustice" cause banishment and exile. In his research on the chronology of exile in history, he found some Chinese poets in the 8th and 9th centuries in exile, like Lao-tsu, Te Ching, and Tao from the 6th century BC. Saadi spent 30 years away from his birth place; Nasser Khosro was banished too. In Greece, Euripid, Rome Ovid, Iran's Mani, Mazdak were on the run or hiding away from the autocrats.
In any language, only a few poets ascend to the cultural conscience of the people. In Persian, they are Molana and Saadi. But in the history of a language spoken by the people, there are hundreds of thousands of poets. What is the secret of longevity of the committed poets that distinguishes them from the marginal poets?
In every age in culture, there is a main stream and there are marginal, eddy currents. The literarians on the margin sometimes come up with novelties which get absorbed into the main stream.
Commitment in literature is universal, from Einstein to Mandlestam in exile by the Soviets, Mahmud Dervish of Palestine and Zhaleh Esfahani is a long scroll in history and spreads across the world. In Iran: Khaqany with the verse on Madaen Terrace/ Ctesiphon, to Obeid. They have their brethren and sisters in other social arenas: Babak, Jangali, Pessian, Shushtari, Bozorgnia, Dr. Mossadegh, Dr. Qasemlu, Mokhtari, Neda, Taraneh, Sohrab.
The committed literature existed all along the contemporary, the classic, modern eras in Akhavan, Azarm, Dr Khoyee, Reza Maqsudy, and Monir Tah. Poets like M Huleh, Reza Farmand, M. Sahar; artists like M Satrapy, Moslem Mansury, Alamehzadeh with their underground movies can be added to the list.
Dr Bejan Baran
July 8,2014
Summer of 1953 Coup d'états: Foreign agents, a part of the military forces, and the Palace staged against the Nationalist government of Mossadeq. It followed by arrests, execution of many patriots, including Dr Fatemy, Col Ruzbeh, and Vartan.
American Revolution 1775-1783.
Great French Revolution 1778-1799.
October Revolution 1917.
Gulag -the main Soviet forced labor camp systems of Stalin, from the 1930s until the 1950s.
Gatha- 17 hymns believed to have been composed by Zoroaster.
Chile Coup of 1973 military against Dr Allende's government.
Writers Guild of Iran started 1968 against censor.
SAVAK Ministry of Security formed 1957 to spy on the people and culture.
The Internationale anthem of 1864 by Eugene Pottier attending the First International Congress.
Join Iran Roundtable


text:
What Are Veneers? What you need to Know
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If you think that your appearance might be improved after a little dental work, you can speak to your dentist and consult with him or her about getting veneers. Ensure that you provide the information on the method that you would like smile to look afterward.
What happens when you are getting veneers?
First, the dentist will probably develop your veneer to accomplish your primary goal. If your program's to close the space between your front teeth, the veneers will be designed so that they narrow the gap when they're glued.
Next, the dentist will scrub a very thin layer - usually half a millimeter- off the visible layer of your front teeth. Based on the material you prefer, you will be carried out one appointment. If you are using composite resin veneers, the procedure will probably be quick , and it is feasible for the dentist to fit the shells then where there. However if you choose ceramic veneers, a mold will probably be taken of the teeth and you will be delivered to a dental laboratory to make the veneers.
Whatever the case, when the veneers are prepared, they'll be fitted and adjusted for your teeth. At this time, you should give feedback on the color and the fit, because once the veneers are put in place, you will not have the ability to change them. If you supply the go signal, the veneers is going to be cemented in your teeth along with a light beam can be used to harden the cement. - Bowcutt Dental Cedar Park veneers


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Dads are doing most of the vacation planning this year, according to a new (more than a little suspect) survey. Seems to me, the bottom line is that we moms are really good at making those dads think they had a big role in planning the vacation, especially the key parts about choosing the destination and setting the family vacation budget.
This new survey about family vacation planning for 2013, commissioned by Great Wolf Lodge, found that:
- Three-quarters of dads say they would rather spent their vacation time traveling with kids than their buddies (thankfully)
- Half want to take a road trip that is less than five hours away from home and costs less than $300 per day (a pretty typical family vacation budget in my family–at least it was until we had to figure out how to feed hungry teens on that budget).
- Nearly two-thirds say they handle all or most of the family vacation planning and one-quarter say they make the final decision on where the family will go on vacation (sure you do, Honey).
Without diving into the intricacies of this study of 1,000 working dads, I can only say that my husband would not be among those dads who plan the family vacation. And I can't believe he is that much of an anomaly.
During the Family Vacation
As my pal, Paul Eisenberg wrote over at TravelingDad, the key question we should be asking is: How much does Dad do once the family vacation is underway?
As I was telling a friend recently, when we road trip, my husband drives. That's partly because he is happy behind the wheel for hours at a time while I get bored after two.
But it's mostly because, as he will tell you, he does one thing at a time and one thing only. If he's driving, the one thing he is doing is a useful thing–it gets us where we're going. But if that one thing is being a passenger, then there's no one left to tend to the kids' needs, operate the GPS, dig out the right change for the toll booth, or any of the 1,001 other things that might need to be done on a five-hour road trip.
Moms vs. Dads on Family Vacation
Certainly, at least part of the reason for this study is for Great Wolf to be able to promote itself as a family vacation destination within a few hour's drive–right where the bulk of the surveyed dads want to vacation.
We've stayed at a couple of Great Wolf Lodges. The indoor water parks are great, made even better because the one thing hubby does there is chase the kids around the water slides. While I sip a soda in the lounge chair.
So, Great Wolf Lodge, it's OK if you want to promote yourself as a great family vacation destination where dads can have fun too. But there's no need to pretend someone other than mom did most of the work to get the family there.
Who does the family planning in your family? Leave a comment below and then join us for a fun #TMOM Twitter party from 9-10 pm June 10 when we launch a battle of the sexes: Moms vs. Dads on Family Vacation. RSVP for the #TMOM Twitter party to be eligibile to win a Home Depot gift card.


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Long days, heated discussions, and budget negotiations marked the 13th week of the 2016 General Assembly. The Senate was in session three of the five weekdays while the Senate and House leaders used the other two days to work on budget negotiations.
The Senate is working diligently toward a budget compromise ensuring the people of the Commonwealth are not left without a state budget at the end of the session. We do not want to waste taxpayer dollars by calling a special session.
I'm not a treehugger. I don't support PETA, I don't believe in global warming and the only climate change I know to be real is that it gets warmer in the spring and cooler in the fall, just as it has for thousands of years.
At the same time, there's probably nothing that makes me angrier than to see people litter or throw trash out of their vehicles.
As we close in on the final week of the 2016 regular session of the Kentucky General Assembly, the legislature is working day and night to finish conducting the people's business, which includes passing a timely and fiscally responsible budget.
After over two months of anticipation and debate, the Senate finally received the state budget bill from the House, midway through the 11th week of the 2016 Kentucky General Assembly. We think the upcoming budget will reflect those needs for the betterment of the Commonwealth.
As expected, many changes were made to Governor Bevin's budget by the House. Now that we have received their budget, we will comb through the fine details and make our own changes.
This issue of The Spencer Magnet may have been a surprise in your mailbox, or you may have been a loyal subscriber for years. Whatever the case, we thank you for taking the time to read.
Picking up the local paper is really the first step in becoming involved in your community. It's a way to find out what going on, what challenges we face, and what's being accomplished. More importantly, it provides you with information on how you can make a difference.
As you may or may not know, Taylorsville has embarked on formulating a strategic plan for your community. This plan will help the city focus its resources on improvements which will be selected based on resident and business input.
As part of our strategic planning process, we would like to invite you to a Community Listening and Design Session scheduled for Thursday, March 31 at 6 p.m. at the Spencer County Extension Office.
Last year, President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of nearly 100 drug offenders, claiming they were victims of harsh mandatory sentencing laws that locked drug offenders up for long periods of time.
That was followed by the release of some 6,000 drug offenders from federal prison in the fall. The rationale was that those involved in drug offenses were not hardened criminals and they were deemed as non-violent offenders.
Across Kentucky, people are now routinely dying from the abuse of prescription pain pills and heroin. More than 1,000 Kentuckians die every year from drug overdose, according to the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy. That's more than are lost to fatal car crashes. This problem rips families apart and ravages our communities—and the rate of drug abuse is growing.
As a father of a five- and six-year-old, preventing child abuse is personal to me. I'm committed to do everything I can as Attorney General to protect all of Kentucky's children from abuse.
Like me, Kentucky's First Lady Glenna Bevin feels a duty to advocate for the welfare of Kentucky's children. We decided that the best way to help keep our children and your children safe is to better educate professionals and the public on prevention. That's why we teamed up to launch three statewide child sexual abuse training programs.
Not only did Friday mark the end to another busy week in the Kentucky Senate, it also was day 46 of our 60-day legislative session. We are now in the proverbial "fourth quarter" when the House and the Senate must come together to get a victory for the state of Kentucky by passing a responsible budget. After 10 weeks we are still awaiting a key "assist" from our colleagues in the House in the form of a budget bill that has yet to pass the lower chamber.
Frankfort was abuzz this past week, as the spotlight turned to budget negotiations, last minute bill filings, and movement on critical pieces of legislation.
The video footage is dramatic. An anti-Trump protester is shoved as she's being removed from a rally earlier this month in Louisville. A week later, a protestor is punched by a Trump supporter in North Carolina. This past weekend, a Trump rally is cancelled after supporters and protestors clash in Chicago.
The common narrative throughout the media is that Trump supporters are angry, rabid and violent. I'm not sure that's a completely fair assessment.
I received the Spencer Magnet today, and was disappointed not to find an article by Tom Watson. His article is the first thing I look for in each issue.
If you've spent any time on social media, watching the news, or especially the presidential debates over the past few weeks, you realize there is no shortage of anger stirring in our nation today. That's not always a bad thing, as anger channeled into passion can motivate us to work for significant changes.
But political passion often turns to rage and hatred, and we've seen far too much of that this season. What we really need is a chance to cool off.
There has been no shortage of activity in Frankfort this week. The 40th day of the 2016 Legislative Session passed, along with the bill filing deadline. There have been more than 900 bills filed this session yet only one, Senate Bill 4, has been signed into law. While many legislators were hurrying to file bills before the deadline, there was much other activity going on within the Capitol walls.
As the Senate eagerly awaits a budget proposal from the House of Representatives, we are busy passing bills both out of committee and out of the Senate to send to our House colleagues during the eighth week of the 2016 Kentucky General Assembly.
When a new governor is elected, it should be incumbent upon all parties to work together, establish trust and build relationships, especially in a budget session where so much is at stake.
From the beginning, however, we have been operating at a trust deficit.
Matt Bevin promised during his campaign to release his tax returns, but then once elected, refused to release them.
Fast forward to the 2016 legislative session, in which the General Assembly is required to pass a state budget during a 60-day session.
This week in Frankfort, your elected House Republicans worked hard to promote something we all should value; transparency in government. Our caucus attempted to bring the first reading on Senate Bill 45. It would require public disclosure of all retirement benefits for all current and past legislators. SB 45 passed the Senate earlier this session by a margin of 38-0, with all members voting. Unfortunately, the bill did not enjoy the same success in the House and we have not had an opportunity to have discussion on the floor.
This is a question we hear from time to time at the Spencer Magnet. A visitor will pop through the door, a phone will ring, or we'll get an email message inquiring about a rumor or something heard on the street.
Copyright © 2019
The Spencer Magnet is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Spencer County, KY and the surrounding area.


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- or, very unlikely, you might have mistaken us for some other site.


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April - New Beginnings
April has been a glorious month. It begins a new year for me in various ways.
-- April 1 -- The Day of my Birth.
As a child, I shared this day with Brother Maynard Case. While poking my foot gently with his cane, he'd always say, "So how's my little April Fool?" We'd stand together for the "Birthday Song" after Sunday School. It's good to remember.
Now I share my birthday with another good brother in Christ, brother Bruce Haines.
This year, April 1st fell on the Thursday before Conference. Although I enjoy celebrating quietly with my brothers and sisters at church, I must admit that it was fun to just spend the day with my family at home. And it was a joyful day indeed!
Dan and I spent some time outside digging in the dirt and cleaning up around the outside. It was such a beautiful day I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of the forsythia, which was in full bloom for the first time this year, the daffodils and the newly emerging plants - just barely above ground and being very brave to peek out so early - with the chance of cold still a possibility.
Daffodils with their heads bowed in the strong south wind.
A little clean-up needed to drag the dead wood from
around the plants.
The daffodils on the other side of the house - all perky and
upright. No wind to buffet them there.
Chives and sage - just coming back from their long winter's sleep.
Part of my birthday fun was going with the family to the nursery and picking out some new things to add to the flower garden areas around the house. It was so much fun! Rogan seemed to enjoy just wheeling around in his stroller and soaking up the lovely air and looking at the colors.
Alyssum, tabasco peppers, lemon thyme, regular thyme, a rose plant named
"Teddy Bear." How appropriate!
"Teddy Bear." How appropriate!
Very funny -- the lady at the nursery was wanting to know if these plants were going to be cared for, or if we were talking about choosing something here that would have "severe neglect." Ha ha. She looked at me with that knowing look and a raised eyebrow. The term "severe neglect" will now be a permanent part of the Lawrence family "fun vocabulary with special significance" to be used and abused as the situation indicates. :)
In the evening, my dear daughter-in-law fixed a lovely meal with a homemade cherry pie (my favorite) and Jesse grilled.
Fun waiting for dinner.
"The Big Red Barn" by Margaret Wise Brown
Same author as "Goodnight Moon."
I love it - maybe even better than GM . . . maybe.
Dinner Time
Rogan LOVED grilled/smoked mushrooms. I can't believe how many he ate!
Mama, can I have some more, PLEASE?
Plants and a beautiful box containing some very fun scrapbooking supplies, some much needed kitchen utensils and a precious card from Rogan, were the thoughtful and lovely gifts. The fun was to be extended later in the week with a wonderful shopping trip with Cynthia at Joann's. Scrapbooking paper is such a weakness of mine, and she knows it!
Rogan's little hand print. What a perfect card - gift!
So pretty. I love pretty boxes.
I couldn't have had a more wonderful birthday.


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Monday, April 23, 2012
Burning Shadows - Gather, Darkness! (2012)
The American metal scene is one full of gaps, often poorly represented by the countless metalcore bands that inhabit our cities. Burning Shadows, however, is part of the solution, not part of the problem. Combining their love of traditional metal with a melodic sensibility akin to the European power metal community, this four piece from Washington, DC, has more lofty aspirations. Their new album, "Gather, Darkness!" is a science fiction concept album, based on the novel of the same name, written by Fritz Lieber. With a taste for the theatrical and talent for the fantastical, these eleven tracks, divided into four subsections, might make you forget that "core" bands ever existed.
The beautiful orchestration that fills the opening track, "Overture: Hymn To Sathanas," is enchanting, to say the least. The richness of each piece, from strings to horns, makes for an introductory track that gives an extra accent to the album that follows. It flows and sways, moving directly into the first chapter of the story, "A Thousand Lies." Broken down into three pieces, this is the statement. The hammer of percussion comes down immediately on part one, "A New Dark Age," with the thump of a kick and the tingle of the cymbal. The guitars wind and weave themselves in and out of the rhythm section, surgically precise, but not robotic. Vocally, you have something that is more to the folk side of things than you may expect. They become a vessel for the story, as do the riffs themselves, telling an ominous tale.
Rather than give each track a distinct separation, they run together, with "Intra Vires" launching immediately. The classic metal influence, from bands like Judas Priest, shines through here with a more subdued vocal taking over. The instrumental is relentless, with a nonstop wave of double kicks and fills, provided by David Spencer, taking every moment of silence away. As "Onward" begins, you begin to hear the evolution of the chapter, giving a bit of understanding to the structure being used. The guitar work here is exceptional, darting up and down the fretboard with uncanny speed and timing. Even with the absence of vocals, the story doesn't stand still. It's as if each snare hit, every devastation chord advances things in leaps and bounds. Tempo changes and a variety of rhythms keep it fresh, and keep you hanging by a thread. This track stands out above the rest, with the sheer strength of the instrumental alone.
The second chapter, titled "To Ruin & Divide," takes a decidedly different stance, with a much darker feel to the music as a whole. The first part, a two minute intro called "The Witchmark," sets an entirely new arc into motion. A diabolical laugh, reminiscent of one from 2011's 'Human Remains" by Hell, bridges the gap between the former, and "Man From Myth." The guitars are powerful, in both rhythm and lead capacity, complete with some creative chord changes. Again, the drums are, quite literally, driving the track forward. Each flurry of kicks brings the momentum to a higher level, pushing the band, and the listener, to a possibly breaking point. At the midway point, and things take a sharp right turn, you are treated to some powerful, yet wholly atmospheric sections. The addition of light synths may come from nowhere, but it adds a dimension that makes the sound even more cohesive.
With an outro that takes the guitar playing to a new stratosphere, you run head first into "Cast The Down," another short but memorable interlude. Vocalist Tom Davy gives his best performance here, finding the perfect range for his voice. The movement concludes with "Kingdoms Fall," a track that could make the current Dream Theater lineup a little jealous. The writing may be good, but the execution is even better, delivering a punch that would seem impossible from a track that takes a more reserved stand. The story, which has begun to unfold before your eyes, is sandwiched between some great melodic guitar work, and the more progressive instrumental side of the genre. The rhythm section holds it own, carving out a path for solo after solo to fill in. For a track that spans over seven minutes, you are left wanting so much more.
The final stanza, "Breaking The Sanctuary," begins with "Abandonment," a eerie piece. As Davy enters, paired only with an effects laden guitar, the mood has changed drastically. The rest of the band enters, but the explosion has to wait until part two begins. Part one fades with the line "I've exacted vengeance.." and dives into a stomping rock track, "To Assent The Fall." Drum fill after drum fill welcomes you to the body of the track, a rumbling affair that brings back that classic metal aesthetic. The percussion is relentless, battering and beating you from every angle. The harmony formed with each band members singular voice is welcomed, tying all of the numerous pieces together. A blazing solo says goodbye to the previous track and hello to the finale, "The Infamous Dawn." Davy's vocals once again take on a folk inspired feel. Playing as reprise to the opening track, it is one last call, one more shout for fists in the air. Vocal melodies sit atop guitar melodies, building into a mile high wall of sound and fury. A fading keyboard is all that remains, until silence takes over.
The challenge of turning a work of literary fiction into a cohesive, not to mention good, metal album is one that would seem to be second nature. I mean, power metal is almost always tied to themes of fantasy and science fiction. But it is so much more complicated than it would seem on the surface. Burning Shadows take the work of Lieber, and turn it into an extraordinary journey. Regardless of your knowledge of the book itself (I had none prior to listening), you will find yourself immersed in the storytelling abilities. If audio books were more like this, "Gather, Darkness!" would be a sure fire New York Times Best Seller.
Official Site - http://burningshadows.com/
Bandcamp - http://burningshadows.bandcamp.com/
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- Overview
- Location & Map
- Highlights & Reviews
- Amenities
Hotel Scribe Paris
Ideally located between the lavish Opera Garnier and the renowned Place Vendome, the Hotel Scribe is a legendary place to stay in the heart of Paris. With excellence being the hallmark of a Sofitel, this entire hotel has been totally refurbished by the accomplished interior designer, Jacques Grange. The new decor of the hotel and its elegant and prestigious rooms and suites embodies the spirit of luxury Parisian elegance. An historic hotel where 19th century splendour is home to contemporary Parisian style. Enjoy the Cafe Lumiere beneath a magnificent glass roof, the Maison de The with its splendid library and the elegant simplicity of our day spa.
Location & Map
Hotel Address:
- Hotel Scribe Paris
- 1 rue Scribe
- Paris, 75009
- France
Highlights & Reviews
Disabled Access
Reduced mobility facilities.
Fine Dining On Site
CAFE LUMIERE - Bathed in light through a glass roof open to the beautiful hotel courtyard, the Cafe Lumiere pays tribute to the Lumiere brothers who unveiled their invention, the cinema, at the Scribe. Experience true culinary talent in this gourmet cafe. T RUE SCRIBE - With crystal chandeliers, tall columns and a mezzanine library, the Maison de The combines Parisian elegance with memories of Asia. Teas from China, India and Japan, pastries from the Head Patissier at the Scribe plus lunch. Snacks for a chic evening.
High Speed Internet
WiFi wireless Internet access.
Spa Facility
A world of opalescent white, LeSpa Hotel Scribe is an elegant oasis of serenity in the heart of Parisian luxury. Free use of hammams, jacuzzis and fitness centre. Well-being and beauty for women and men. Jewel of the Spa: the Lancome Beauty Institute.
Guest Review Highlights
Very Good
4,581 reviews
by TrustYou™
Le Scribe Paris Opéra by Sofitel
The TrustScore is the standard for reputation, summarizing verified reviews and comments from various sources.Learn more »
39% (1777)
31% (1413)
23% (1048)
7% (319)
Hotel Amenities
- - Business Center
- Meeting Space
- Fine Dining On Site
- Fine Dining Nearby
- Fitness Center
- High Speed Internet
- Pets Allowed
- Spa Facility
Available Activities
- - Biking Touring
- Dining
- Jogging Running
- Shopping
- Theatre & Museums


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I usually don't get stuck with book beginnings (endings are more of a problem for me), because I have a similar approach each time. This may not give me an award for originality, but it does seem to work.
I like to open with dialogue and start the book in the middle of some sort of change for my protagonist. The point where a normal, everyday, boring day turns into something different.
Now endings? They're tougher for me. I usually write several of those and decide which one I like best. That would be easy to do with a beginning, too. It takes off some of the pressure when we realize we can change it.
If you get stuck at the beginning of your book, you could even skip it and write it last.
Opening lines I'm not crazy about
I'll admit to being a pretty picky reader. I think this is because I have such a long list of books to read that I just move to the next title on the list if a book doesn't grab me.
Although opening with setting is fine, I do want the setting to be an important part of the story if the book opens up with it.
Long descriptions on the first page usually make me start skimming.
Too many character names at the very beginning of a book can make me confused, too.
Book openings usually have several goals:
Introducing the protagonist…just getting them onstage so the reader knows whom the story is about.
Posing a question, introducing some conflict, or generally hinting the plot's direction.
Showing the writer's voice.
Interesting opening lines
Looking for some examples of some enticing opening lines? Check out this article from Stylist: "The best 100 opening lines from books."
As a reader, what kinds of book beginning get you hooked? As a writer, are opening lines tough for you?


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4) Books Over 400 Pages - So I just totally shamed myself. Please don't think less of me. Maybe I've been working with teenagers too long. Not that all teenagers are allergic to long books, but a vast majority of the ones I meet complain if a book lasts more than 300 pages. I've noticed lately, though, that I like to get and out pretty quickly in a book. Maybe because 95% of teen books being published are a part of a series. Don't prattle on forever. Entertain me and then be done with it already. (I'm hanging my head embarrassed.)
5) It Was Just A Dream - How dare you! I'm looking at you Life of Pi. I suspended belief for you. I made it through man eating islands and hungry tigers. I stuck with you, and you pull that...that vague, dreamy ending. AHHH! Unfortunately this "turn-off" isn't discovered until the very end, but what a quick way to ruin my day
7) Series Recaps - I mentioned this last week in my Top Ten Best Sequels post...I strongly believe that an author should trust you to know what has happened in previous books. I'm a big girl. I can make the choice to re-read if necessary. Just get on with the story already!
So...not 10. I'm not really that picky. Along with this here list, there are a few things I'm a bit over when it comes to reading. They're mostly paranormal things. I'm looking at YOU vampires and werewolves. I still totally dig me some fairies though:)
So what's on your list?!
Happy reading!


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By Camille Feanny CNN
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- When wild weather decides to blow into town, it's always unstoppable and often unforgiving. But over the last few decades, several high-tech tools have improved man's ability to predict Mother Nature.
"We've been able to improve our warning system. Our records on tornado warnings, hurricane warnings, on flood warnings have been improving," says Conrad Lautenbacher, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"For instance, we're as accurate today on a five-day forecast as we were 15 years ago on a three-day forecast. So that improvement is almost a doubling in the accuracy of forecasting."
In some regions, that reality has translated into lives saved.
The impact of severe storm activity during the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season proved devastating on several Caribbean islands.
In the United States, the four hurricanes that hit Florida killed about 110 people.
Scientists say that without today's warning systems, each one of those storms might have had a more devastating death toll. In comparison, a single Category 4 storm that hit Florida in 1928 killed nearly 2,000 people at a time when the state had a much smaller population living on, or near, the coast.
"Thousands of people have been lost, and [people] continue to be lost today in heavy storms. Yet our numbers are down. So the beneficial change has just been enormous," Lautenbacher said.
A global network of sensors, satellites and other equipment keeps a constant lookout for changes in the skies and the surrounding atmosphere.
High-flying geostationary satellites and low-flying earth-orbiting satellites (or polar orbiters) are equipped with sensors that give scientists a telescopic view of weather patterns as they travel around the planet.
Each type of satellite has a unique function, which works together to ensure effective global observation. While polar orbiters circle the Earth at a close distance and provide high-resolution data, geostationary satellites remain in place above the equator and maintain a wide, continuous view of the planet.
Today, satellites are invaluable forecasting tools -- helping meteorologists spot any rapid changes in weather patterns, and providing the backbone to effective early-warning systems.
For a more down-to-earth analysis, aircraft-mounted sensors and weather balloons monitor atmospheric conditions like air circulation, jet streams and other activity that is typically not detectible by satellites. Modern radar systems, such as Doppler, are used to analyze wind activity, and monitor thunderstorms and tornadoes around the globe, by helping to track the growth, movement and severity of storms.
Out on the ocean, buoys and other equipment measure temperature changes on the sea surface and signal if a developing storm is on the horizon.
But despite the impressive technology, scientists say that the most important innovation in the world of weather is not a high-tech gadget. They say computer modeling is the foundation of modern meteorology, and the primary tool researchers use to generate forecasts.
By pulling data from the various monitoring systems like radars and satellites, and combining it with information about weather patterns and atmospheric conditions, scientists strive to accurately predict long- and short-range climatic changes.
"The advances in modeling has significantly improved, and probably is the most important increment of the advantage we have today that we didn't have 15 years ago. And I anticipate an improvement in our ability to have a great deal more accuracy in the 24- to 48-hour forecasting range," Lautenbacher said.
Experts at NOAA are quick to point out that the future of climate prediction looks bright, as the evolution of how current technologies are applied continues to expand beyond weather prediction.
Their Global Earth Observing System of Systems is a 10-year, multibillion-dollar program that unites more than 60 countries on a single mission to link the world's weather observation systems. The goal is to better understand how all aspects of the global environment relates to each other.
"When you look across the spectrum of benefits that could be gained from Earth-observing data, they are just enormous. Right now, 30 percent of our economy is based on information that we obtain just from today's systems. Imagine how it will be if we are able to gain a comprehensive understanding of how the Earth really works -- system by system -- and how it's connected," Lautenbacher said.
The goal is to collect, combine and analyze land, ocean and atmospheric data from planetary observation and research. The information would then be used to develop better warning systems and other tools that provide a critical defense against impending natural disasters like storms, droughts, tornadoes and tsunamis.
Additional programs also are being proposed that could lead to long-term ecological and economic benefits. Governments and scientists around the world are banking on the premise that with the rapid decline of natural resources, GEOSS could become a major tool in the fight to sustain an exploding global population.
NOAA experts say they have only begun to assess the realm of possibilities of how the information provided by GEOSS can be used.
"It would apply to all sorts of efforts like finding energy, water, improving agricultural productivity, and understanding the connection between health and the environment. [It will give us] an enormous advance in our ability to help save lives, and revolutionize the way we deal with severe weather events today," Lautenbacher said.


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Sunday, January 13, 2013
Open Letter to New York State Elected Officials Regarding Guns
New York already has some of the most restrictive gun laws and handgun licensing in the nation. The problem is that criminals don't follow the law. When I make a gun purchase, it's a 45 minute transaction as soon as I hand over my ID and start filling out paperwork until the sale is actually made at the register. A criminal merely goes to another state or buys an illegal gun on the streets of NYC, D.C., or Baltimore. Your restrictions may hamper me but they do nothing to impede a criminal.
I live in an area where a 911 call results in a 30-45 minute response time. In a matter of seconds, an armed response may be the difference between the arriving police officers taking statements or cordoning off a crime scene. I would prefer to be able to give verbal statements to a responder rather than leave evidence for crime scene investigators because I couldn't defend myself or my family.
I purchased my guns legally using the current system that's in place in NYS. The fact that gun owners exercise their 2nd Amendment rights does NOT make them "extremists". I am insulted by the Governor's labeling of people who believe in exercising their right to bear arms.
Perhaps the Governor and Mayor Bloomberg will give up their well-armed security detail and lead by example for all New York citizens? Perhaps Sen. Schumer will give up his carry permit and handgun for the same reason? I don't think so.
I was born and raised in New York State and have lived here all my life except for the time I spent in Marine Corps service. If New York State insists on trampling my 2nd Amendment rights further, it will be an impetus for me to move my family and my business to another state. I refuse to give up my rights for a false sense of security.
Hat Tip to Max Tollens Jr
Posted by Rescue America at 7:41 AM
Labels: crime-scenes, New-York, second-amendment, stop-gun-control
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Seattle's 15th annual ACT Theatre Young Playwrights Program will feature award-winning new work from Explorer West's Sam McGee. Sam's play "The Dog" will be performed by a professional team of local directors and actors who will bring Sam's play to life in staged readings.
Sam McGee, EW class of 2018, was selected as one of only eight students in Seattle to be both produced and published by ACT Theatre. Sam's play, "The Dog," is about Mop, the dog, who talks to Timmy, a boy. This comedy brings a dramatic voice to a manipulative dog.
"Empowering future artists through theatre and literacy is one of the most important parts of this program; I am so proud of Sam and all our emerging playwright students," said Explorer West's Drama Department Head David Kelly.
Sam's play will be performed on these days:
Friday, March 17 at 7:30pm
Saturday, March 18 at 1:00pm
For tickets and more information:
ACT Theatre Tickets and Information
Sam's play will be performed alongside these other talented young playwrights:
Ribs by Hannah Wang, Lakeside School
A Handful of Dirt by Aidan Fong, Seattle Academy
It's Not Easy by Saree Khamsouk, Franklin High School


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A small memorial with flowers has been placed at the site where a Costa Mesa man was killed after his bicycle hit the curb and he was ejected on a steep curve in Laguna Beach at 11:05 a.m. Sunday.
Mark Leones, 28, was in a group of six to seven cyclists coming down Park Aveune near Thurston Middle School, said Cpl. D. McGill, who investigated the incident for the Laguna Beach Police Department.
"He lost control going downhill, hit the curb and was ejected from the bicycle," McGill said. "He then hit the back of his head and chest."
Two of his fellow riders witnessed the accident.
Leones was transported to Mission Hospital Mission Viejo's trauma center, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy determined he died from blunt force trauma.
Road conditions were not a factor, McGill said. The scenic, steep boulevard is a popular site for cycling and skateboarding. Leones was coming out of a curve when he apparently lost control. No other cyclists or vehicles were involved in the incident.
Twitter: @CindyFrazier1


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|LT on the Ohio River
So what's with the name anyway? "LittleTurtle" does not sound like the name of a fierce warrior and brilliant military strategist. Little Turtle was not a small man either. In fact, he was six feet tall by all accounts. The name, per historical author J.P. Dunn, comes from a literal translation of his Miami name by English interpreters. His name in Miami, Michikinikwa, was the word for the painted terrapin which is a small colorful turtle. The turtle figured prominently in Algonquin symbolism and generally represented the Earth. The English interpreters had no word for this particular type of turtle so they just started referring to him as Little Turtle. You have to admit that Michikinikwa is a bit of a mouthful to say, especially for a bunch of white people who likely didn't finish 8th grade.
|LT on a piano
This boosted morale was short-lived and Little Turtle knew that the odds were against his people as the wave of American settlers increased and direct British support waned. Outright extinction of his people was a real possibility. He grudgingly negotiated peace with the Americans. Some of the other tribes led by the Shawnee Blue Jacket went on to fight and lose at Fallen Timbers against General Wayne. This battle resulted in the confederation of Indians signing the Treaty of Greenville in 1795 which gave most of Ohio to the Americans.
|LT in a painting
Little Turtle became a celebrity with European-Americans in his later years and traveled East where he met Presidents Washington, Jefferson, and Adams. It was his 1808 meeting with Jefferson, an expert in agriculture himself, where he was encouraged to introduce Western farming methods to his people. The famous lithograph of Little Turtle and only known likeness of him is based upon a lost portrait by Gilbert Stuart, at the request of President George Washington. The original was destroyed when the British burned Washington, D.C. in 1814 during the War of 1812.
On the surface, these new developments sounded promising. However, Native Americans could change their religion, way of life and their style of clothing but they could not change their skin color or distinct features and were still Indian savages as far as most Americans were concerned. Little Turtle signed several more land treaties over these years that proved to be unpopular with the Miami and the neutrality of the Miami tribe still did not protect his tribespeople from American attacks. As a result of this his respect within his tribe diminished and in 1809 lost his status as war chief while Miami leadership went to others.
|early 19th-century lithograph of LT
His grave location was neglected and lost to time until a home builder in the early 20th century discovered a bunch of skeletons along with some artifacts. Among the recovered artifacts was the very sword that was presented to Little Turtle by George Washington which is now in a museum.


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The Creative Connection- Day 1
I have squeezed in a few minutes to make a blog post about this event. The day so far, classes, shopping the booths at
and a nice intimate lunch with
Ree Drummond of Pioneer
Woman fame and 500 other people. Each meal is sponsored by a different company. This was the place setting for Ree's luncheon. A wonderful notepad tied with ribbon and a silver fork from CAKE vintage table & home. We each had a mustache on a stick. If you are a follower of The Pioneer Woman you know she calls her husband the Marlboro Man, hence the mustache on a stick. Also we were allowed to east dessert first- (did I tempt you also with the snippet of the yummy red velvet cake sitting in the corner of this pic?)
Here is a pic of Ree with her own Marlboro Man mustache drawn on the pic!
Jo Packman introduced Ree as the key note speaker for the luncheon. Ree spoke and entertained us with her light hearted humor. The luncheon also served Ree's own Asian Chicken Salad. Delicious! As if this was not enough, Jo and Ree set down on "cozy couch like chairs" on the stage and opened the floor for questions. People were tongue tied to stand up and talk. You have got to understand Jo said you could ask anything you want. I could think of a hundred questions but did not stand up either. One by one the questions started pouring out. We talked about everything from the difference between a hefer and a hereford. We talked about
. We talked about Ethel Merman and Brittany Spears. We laughed and I was amazed at the "realness" of Ree.
The afternoon was full of more classes from jewelry making to wool ornaments and more shopping.
I caught up with
Kaari Meng from French General
doing a make it and take it project. (her class was sold out so I didn't do that) My fav
Connie and Mary from Country Threads
are here with a booth full of pumpkins and all kinds of goodies.
I've got to run get ready for dinner with Amy Butler and Mary Jane Butters. I hope to share pictures soon. This is tough work!
Look for the premiere issue (December) of Where Women Cook with the Pioneer Woman on the cover.
Pioneer Woman
the creative connection


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Getting 'Lost': Looking ahead to Sunday's finale
Update: As promised, here's the video shot at last night at our "Lost" Farewell Fest happy hour:
-- 2:52 p.m. ET
In case you missed it, Jen and I sat down this morning for a short live video chat to talk about our expectations for Sunday's big series ender. Watch the archived video below to get our thoughts on everything from what won't be addressed in the finale to which character we'd like to see flattened by a Dharma food drop:
And, since we're talking "Lost," here are a few more items on our radar going into the weekend…
Read Hank Stuever's excellent piece from today's paper about the "Lost" vibe and the show's parallels with, well, the real world over the past six years. Here's a taste:
As it lugubriously ends Sunday night on ABC, "Lost" leaves us more or less where it all began, but also with a spooky idea of the 21st century thus far. It was the perfect show for our frustrated '00s era, in which no one had to answer for anything much -- not for the real estate and Wall Street busts, the levee floods, the bad war intelligence.
Sure, it all began on a beach six years ago. But before the beach came the audition tapes. Jezebel.com has collected 14 of them on one handy page. Best of the bunch: Michael Emerson's fake audition for the part of Hurley.
Speaking of Hurley, read actor Jorge Garcia's heartfelt goodbye to "Lost," posted today in Variety. An excerpt:
During the pilot and the first summer of shooting we bonded quickly as a cast. After all, not unlike the show's premise, we literally found ourselves on an island with one another. We'd go to each other's houses on the weekends and nights when we weren't shooting. When the shows started airing, we would usually gather at the house of whomever the show was going to feature that week to watch and congratulate each other.
All week, we've been collecting your predictions for "Lost's" final scene in our Message in a Bottle feature. Read some of the more interesting (and some laugh out loud funny) theories, then submit your own. The leading theories so far, by the way: 1. In an echo of the pilot's opening scene, we'll end on a close-up of Jack's eye and, 2. In a nod to the season 5 finale, we'll end with two men on a beach (but this time perhaps Jack and Locke rather than Jacob and MIB). One man will turn to the other and say, Do you know how much I want to kill you?"
Speaking of eyeballs, check out this mash-up of "Lost" eyeball footage:
The polls are still open in our "Lost" Superlatives. Vote for your favorite characters for honors in categories ranging from the superficial -- most attractive, cutest couple -- to the incredibly specific -- least trustworthy, worst parent.
A big thanks to everyone who turned out for our "Lost" Farewell Fest happy hour last night in D.C., especially the brave souls who took the time to put together costumes. If you weren't able to attend, we'll be posting video from the event here later this afternoon.
Liz Kelly
| May 21, 2010; 12:40 PM ET
Categories: Lost | Tags: Lost
Save & Share: Previous: UPDATED: 'Lost' revelation: Was Ilana Jacob's daughter?
Next: Celebritology Weekend: Jesse James surfaces on 'Nightline'; Bono undergoes emergency surgery
Not to be a total downer, but the thing I look forward to the most about the Lost finale, is that I won't have to scroll past these giant blog posts about perhaps the most ridiculous TV show I have ever seen. Oh and I did see Sliders (both with Jerry O'Connell AND with his brother who is more forgettable than a shoebox full of Baldwins), so Lost is pretty sad.
Posted by: cbean | May 21, 2010 12:50 PM | Report abuse
Liz & Jen!
Thanks for the great happy hour last night, those costumes were great! (It was also nice to finally meet you guys after reading your Lost opinions for 3 years. I'm going to miss the book club.) (And thanks again for posting the bingo cards--hopefully they'll be useful to people).
Posted by: jade51999 | May 21, 2010 2:34 PM | Report abuse
It was great meeting you, too, Priya! Thanks for coming out and, of course, for reading along for the past few years!
Posted by: Liz Kelly | May 21, 2010 3:50 PM | Report abuse
Looks like a fun event. I love that such a community has around a show that actually had some depth and intelligence. Not just blow this up, kill that, insert plot twist here but a overall respect for the history of the craft. I can't believe it's over, when almost over. I'll be enjoying the finale in grand fashion. Going out to a screening in Brooklyn to with 'Previously On Lost' preforming. They write and play songs recapping episodes. Pretty amazing:
Posted by: Emily1999 | May 21, 2010 5:35 PM | Report abuse
The writers of this show have succeeded in one thing: making sure we will not regret the departure of Lost. Their absolute contempt towards their loyal fan base is astounding. "Well, WE don't know how the wheel works either, so we're just going to have Allison Janney tell you that every question you ask leads only to more questions." And they spoon-feed us answers to trivial minutiae, in the hope that we won't notice that they were just a bunch of empty gasbags filled with hot air when they told us they knew what they were doing. What a disgrace.
LindeFraud and exCuse have promised that they will break their self-imposed "media silence" at ComCon. More likely they will be hiding under their beds for fear of being tarred and feathered. We don't need to hear anything more from them -- the absolute disaster which was once the best show on TV speaks for itself...
Posted by: jerkhoff | May 21, 2010 5:53 PM | Report abuse
Why was Chat Guy Paul kept off camera? He was like some disembodied spirit that you two would look at when he spoke. Weird.
Posted by: CafeBeouf | May 21, 2010 9:18 PM | Report abuse
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Posted by: itkonlyyou70 | May 21, 2010 10:45 PM | Report abuse
Liz and Jen, I love your personalities as expressed through the blog posts. I was surprised to see you be so soft-spoken and chill in the video interview. It reminded me of the old Ana Gasteyer skit on SNL when they were NPR hosts whispering into the mike "that's funny" instead of actually laughing.
Anyway - you ladies rock. Wish I could have come out to meet you on Thursday.
Posted by: Roxie1 | May 22, 2010 8:12 PM | Report abuse
Thanks so much, Jerkhoff.
I totally agree.
Season six was a horrible disgrace!
Posted by: robberdaughter | May 23, 2010 5:16 PM | Report abuse
The comments to this entry are closed.


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E.L. James (author of the Fifty Shades of Grey blight) is publishing a guide for writers, and it's all our fault.
Can we just take a moment to sit down and think, though? Cause I need a breather before I get into this. And maybe a stiff drink. (I said drink, cool it!)
Personally, I feel sick to my stomach and I'm not sure I even recognize reality right now. I look at my face in the mirror, and all I see is this disgusted look of bemusement, and I can't get my eyebrows to stop doing that thing.
Why, Universe? Why MORE Fifty Shades of Grey buzz? Y U DO DIS??
I've been upset for a while, as many of you may know, about everything even tangentially related to Fifty Shades (including, but not limited to, the loss of the phrase "it's all just shades of grey"), but just I can't live in the negative space necessary to be the kind of upset Fifty Shades deserves. I actually have to step away from the topic entirely to de-stress and forget, for a minute, that Fifty Shades of Grey has sold more copies than the entire Harry Potter series, that E.L. James is now considered one of the highest paid authors in the world, and that she's about to publish a guide to help other writers be [sarcasm] as talented and successful as she is[/sarcasm].
My mind is reeling from that last statement.
First I experienced Disbelief. "Oh my god," I said to my little dog, who was fast asleep, and also didn't care, "E.L. James thinks she has valid advice to give. Which, of course she does, because she's the Messiah of Writing, now. Have you not seen her bank money?"
Following the Stages of Grief, I experienced the briefest flare of Anger. "This is going to ruin writing (and therefore, all life,) forever," I thought, with no trace of hyperbole.
Then I skipped on to Acceptance, because ain't no one got time for this, and thought "I have to share this," because suffering is more bearable when shared.
But . . . how?
How do I share this with the people I know? Even if they don't think Fifty Shades is Abuse, they can at least see the objectively terrible prose for what it is. How do I share this without feeding the negativity spiral and have us all chanting Satanic spells in the hopes one of them puts an end to this, the Darkest Timeline?
And then I remembered the only line of thought that allowed me to fall asleep the last time I was so upset by the series; change the conversation.
Instead of calling Time of Death on quality in literature as we know it, we need stop bad literature from winning.
Now, our first instinct in this situation is to be appalled at the very notion that a writer with as little appreciable talent as James could even begin to instruct other writers in the craft. This is considered a native instinct, up there with "fight or flight" and knowing it's only a matter of time before Justin Bieber becomes his own religion.
This serves two purposes: 1) To prove you have a brain, and 2) that it's still working.
Working brain intact, we are right to be appalled by this news, because new, impressionable writers may look at James' success and think "Writing sounded hard when I talked to those masochists typing on finger nubs and drinking way too much coffee. To hell with that noise!", and the next thing you know the stuff the internet was ashamed to show you becomes the next best sellers on all the shelves, because E.L. James is to literature what "reality" is to TV.
At least, that's the fear.
This is, of course, ridiculous, because as long as there are writers with passion, there will be quality in literature. The bigger (and by far, scarier) question lurking within that fear, though, is "After this, will quality writing even matter?"
I say "Yes. But only if you make it matter."
If you want to see quality published, you have to put effort into quality writing. No brainer, right?
But here's a problem. The majority of writers seeking publication face a real uphill battle far beyond applying every trick, tip, and hard-won skill they ever paid a workshop to learn; writers are looking to craft the best, most engaging story they can manage without killing themselves (please), but publishers are looking for something they can sell. If the two happen to coincide, so much the better, but what the writer pours into their craft often isn't what the publisher is looking for when they turn the first page.
And that's all before E.L. James publishes the lazy self-help version of a writer's guide. (It has blank lined pages at the end for writers to "set down their own ideas, or 'inner goddess'", as all good lazy self-help books do, not because fluffing out pages, but because people interested in writing never keep paper or, say, computers around to facilitate "setting down" their ideas, so it's really considerate of James to make sure space is provided for them, and not lazy at all.)
But, it's not like writers have been unaware just how screwed over they are when they plight their troth with an established publisher — those authors who are successful were at least somewhat aware of the flaming hoops they'd be forced to hump in order to see their manuscript polished and shipped to bookshelves across the . . . well, county, probably — country if the publisher thought they could push it.
SPOILER ALERT: Publishers haven't softened over the years.
If anything, they've figured out how to squeeze even more money out of every venture with the least amount of effort or risk on their part. The writer does all the writing, and most of their own marketing, and almost all of their own promotion and public event managing until the publisher feels they're enough of a safe bet to offer more. If the author is really, really good at this, and makes enough money for the publisher, the author might catch some breaks for the future, and even see a cozy profit themselves. I'm not saying they could live comfortably off that profit, but they could celebrate with a reasonably priced meal out on the town, and an off-brand bottle of champagne, if they used a coupon.
And I'm not pulling this out of my ass, either. Search for articles around the internet designed to help writers, and once you get past the craft itself, it's all about how to promote yourself. Building a solid audience before you approach a publisher, for instance, illustrates to the publisher that you have the ability to market yourself (one less thing they have to worry about, then), and increases the odds your book will sell if they publish it. [relevant links attached – find them*] That makes you a safer bet than an unknown author with no following and no internet presence.
Being an author isn't glamorous. Authors like J.K. Rowling are the exceptions to this publishing house sideshow, not the rule, and it's still not without monumental effort that they succeeded. But, her success is the fairytale we tell ourselves when we're wallowing in writer's block and too much mescal. Rowling is the bedtime story we whisper before falling asleep, because picturing ourselves doing a talkshow circuit to give the breathless public insight into the mysteries of our process makes it easier to keep plugging away at the keyboard to just finish the damn manuscript.
I know, I know. All of this sounds really depressing, which is probably because it is really depressing.
That was the conversation. This is why we're changing it.
Until recent years, it was both difficult and not terribly profitable to self publish — even if you did it, it could actually cost you a lot, and you were unlikely to reach much of an audience — but, thanks to glory of the internet, now it's as easy as hitting the upload button and spamming every community you've ever joined until someone reads it. (It's like success . . . .) You could also go through outfits like Smashwords and Amazon, and get yourself free ISBN numbers, or take a more hands-on approach to make physical copies through CreateSpace, and similar, to distribute yourself. (Pros and cons are a completely separate topic. Stop it.) The point is, it's not a choice between printing in your basement, or bending over for the Rod of Publishment, anymore.
We have options; we shouldn't be afraid to use them.
If the publishers don't want to take the risk on good prose, and you're expected to do your own promotion, anyway, why not check out the indie scene?
But there is a second component to all of this; the reading public. If everyone today loved War and Peace, E.L. James would have been sacrificed before Justin Bieber on the day of his birth, and writers would be rewarded for investing the time, effort, patience, and bouts of screaming insanity it takes to do what we do. But we are not fortunate enough to live in that reality.
There is something we can do about it, though: Starve the publishers of the kind of public grateful for a series of books as thematically complex as a holiday dinner at Honey Boo-Boo's. (Logan, shut up.)
The only reason publishers can get away with printing books barely edited to prevent copyright infringement is because people keep buying them. I know you probably don't personally know three-hundred-million people whom you can convince to not buy something, but that shouldn't stop you from talking to those you do know. I mean, it's probably too late for all those grown-ups you know, all approaching thirty for the last twenty years, and watching their bodies slow down to die, but the young people can still be reached. Teach kids to appreciate complexity, critical thinking and facing new challenges, and you're going to have a generation of readers who aren't looking for a book so simplistic in its execution it's actually easier to read by repeatedly slamming it against your head.
I know this isn't a perfect world — not everyone is going to automatically leap for Nietzsche and Dostoyevski (holy butts, I spelled both of those correctly on the first try!)–, but it's only this far gone because we let it happen.
So, here's the conversation: If you don't like the idea of new writers giving in to the inner idiot we all have screaming obscenities at us, keep being better. Stop buying idiot books written by idiots. Discourage others from buying idiot books written by idiots. You know how idiots get published? The idiot public makes it profitable for idiot publishers (same thing?) to support bad prose, because it will sell better than a complex story written well by an author who cares.
Adalind Monroe is a writer from a depressingly sunny part of Southern Oregon, and hasn't eaten since breakfast, so she's really, really hungry now.
*I didn't find them. 😦 I was too hungry. I have failed you.