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30 April 2007
Juniper Fest
There was even cotton candy. More readings need cotton candy.
The Juniper Festival is not something I was aware of before we visited, but it's a great event, and next year if I'm in the area, I hope to attend more of the readings and panel discussions, because Amherst is fun town and the mix of writers and readers is eclectic. (And Amherst Books is a marvelous bookstore!)
Lucy Corin particularly grabbed my attention with her reading from Everyday Psychokillers: A History for Girls, a novel I now hope to read very soon. (Yes, I know I say that about a lot of books. And I mean it. I'm full of hope. Especially after being in Amherst, the hometown of Emily Dickinson, who knew that hope is a thing with feathers. Which means it flies around and squawks a lot.)
Among the poets, Timothy Donnelly was, I thought, a standout. He read with a nervous energy that gave his poems a vibrancy some others lacked. (Or so it seemed to me. But I'm slowly coming to realize that I don't like most poetry readings. Or fiction readings, for that matter. I'm too attached to the page, to the shape of words as visual objects -- a strange fact, since I have almost no visual imagination. I tend to lose track of stories when I hear them read, and so fix on the author's voice or tone, their rhythm, their tics. I liked hearing "Home of The" because the story works well in Alan's speaking voice, and I liked both Lucy Corin and Timothy Donnelly because their reading styles were lively and seemed appropriate to what they read. I've often gone to readings by writers whose work I admire and have ended up deeply disappointed, even disillusioned, because how they read seemed to remove all the life and music and marvels from their words. Conversely, I've encountered writers whose work I don't really like very much on the page, but whose reading style is so engaging I would happily listen to them for hours -- I am as grateful to them as I am to great actors in plays whose scripts I don't care for, because a reading is a kind of performance, and in performance what matters most is what is present, not the architecture bringing the present into existence [that is for a different sort of consideration].)
Paul Fattaruso was at the festival, but I didn't get a chance to meet him, which was a shame, because I like his first novel, Travel in the Mouth of the Wolf, quite a bit.
Some of the most fun we had was not at the festival, though, but rather involved just sitting around, eating fine barbecued food prepared by Theo and Holly, talking about various and sundry things, searching in vain for a goth-pop song from the '80s Kelly was trying to identify, touring the magnificent Black homestead, and making a film about Alan DeNiro. Yes, a film. (Be grateful that I declined the role of the naked person running around in the background. That role has yet to be cast. For details, contact Gavin.)
And now for a quick couple of recommendations that have nothing to do with anything in particular: If you like literature in translation, don't miss the Reading the World festival. Also, if you like weird and whimsical wonders, be sure to check out Gionale Nuovo's post about Xul Solar before you end your internet peregrinations for the day.
27 April 2007
Sometimes in April
First, it's important to note that none of the flaws of Sometimes in April carry through the entire 140 minutes of the movie. Most of the major actors have at least a few moments of sensitive, subtle acting, and Idris Elba, Pamela Nomvete, Carole Karemera in particular all seemed to navigate between the moments of awkward writing and the re-enactment of horrific events with more grace than not, and sometimes with sublime poignancy. The most embarrassing scenes are ones involving bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. -- Debra Winger is simply awful as Prudence Bushnell , and the other actors are worse, like animatronic commediadell'arte caricatures.
Sometimes in April tells the story of two Hutu brothers, one of whom, Augustin (Elba), is a soldier married to a Tutsi woman (Karemera); the other, Honoré (Oris Erhuero), is a radio commentator famous for his incendiary, anti-Tutsi remarks. The story moves back and forth between 2004, when Augustin is trying to move on with his life and Honoré is in prison, and 1994, when Augustin's family is destroyed by the genocidaires. Interwoven into this central narrative strand is the story of Martine (Nomvete), a teacher who lives through the atrocities and eventually becomes Augustin's companion, and scenes of Bushnell trying to convince somebody -- anybody! -- in Washington that the killings in Rwanda were worth doing something to stop.
One of the greatest virtues of Sometimes in April is that is manages to convey so much without being either more incoherent or more didactic than it is. Over and over again, this is a movie that portrays complex events and ideas through imagery and characters. Sometimes it stumbles, certainly, but the task Peck has set for himself, his actors, and his crew is one that is nearly impossible -- an honest and accurate portrayal of the Rwandan genocide through a fictional story for a general, and probably uninformed, audience. There are scenes of brutality and scenes of beauty, and Peck pays particular interest to characters' faces: their expressions, their dignity, their eyes. Hotel Rwanda is a more structurally satisfying film mostly because it doesn't try to do nearly as much as Sometimes in April; I don't mean that as criticism of the former so much as praise for the ambition and, indeed, accomplishment of the latter.
Peck is an admirable director and writer in that he seems determined to tell African stories from an African point of view. His Lumumba is a thoughtful portrait of Patrice Lumumba, the first (and ill-fated) prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Sometimes in April is a more epic movie, less focused on one person, and with much more material to synthesize.
Hotel Rwanda is notable not the least for being a major feature that doesn't overly concern itself with white people, which makes it a rare sort of movie, because usually films -- the ones financed by Hollywood, certainly -- don't get off the ground unless they show some whites expressing their basic goodness or discovering their inner morality (usually accompanied by an at-least-quasi-magical negro or secular African saint).* Hotel Rwanda, though, was mostly filmed in South Africa, while Sometimes in April was actually filmed in Rwanda, and many of the actors and much of the crew were Rwandan.
Sometimes in April should -- and does -- stand on its own, but I compare it here to the better-known Hotel Rwanda, not because I think either movie owes anything to the other, but because the comparison seems to reveal strengths, weaknesses, and differences of both films. Sometimes in April is more explicitly critical of the U.S., and it makes no criticism of the Tutsis or Paul Kagame (who denounced Hotel Rwanda) -- thus, the political implications of the two movies are different, despite their shared subject matter and setting. Sometimes in April is, very much, a political film (though not only that); Hotel Rwanda seems to me to be more of a celebration of its protagonist and his triumph, an ultimately uplifting story in amidst one of the most horrific moments of the horror-filled 20th Century, and political only to the extent that no story about the Rwandan genocide can avoid being suffused with politics. Sometimes in April is not uplifting; it is infuriating, devastating, and immensely sad, even as its characters try to learn, in the end, how to move on with their lives. The difference is the difference between, for instance, Schindler's List and either The Pianist or Fateless (although I think Hotel Rwanda is better than Schindler's List [about which I agree with Zizek] and Sometimes in April doesn't have the same strong writing, acting, and filmmaking as The Pianist and Fateless).
All of which is just a very long and tangential way of saying: Sometimes in April, though not perfect, is a film very much worth seeing, and one that deserves a large audience.
*An exception: Catch a Fire, though somewhat disappointing in its execution, at least focused more on the complexities of its black protagonist than the moral education of its primary white character, played by Tim Robbins. But Catch a Fire seems to have been a mostly European production, and although it was distributed by Universal in the U.S., overall it appears to have been a financial failure, which is unfortunate -- not only because it's a whole lot better than most of the top grossers of 2006, but because its financial failure just gives movie executives an excuse to ignore films about Africans in Africa.
Delany: The Movie
26 April 2007
Back in the Saddle
In the past two weeks, I've traveled up and down the east coast looking for work, carrying a sign reading: Will Teach for Food. The process continues (and my anxiety grows), but I'm closer to having a couple of prospects now than I was a few weeks ago. It's very strange to think that three months from now I will be living and working somewhere entirely different, somewhere that I don't yet know, but it's also exciting.
I haven't quite known how to get back to writing here, because I've been so scattered psychologically and geographically recently that I have few coherent thoughts. But what's a blog for if not for incoherent thoughts, eh?
And what else is a blog for if not shameless self-promotion -- thus, my first incoherent thoughts are about new books that contain my occasional bits of fiction, such as The Flash, an anthology of very short stories edited by Peter Wild and published by Social Disease in the U.K. Proceeds from the book benefit Amnesty International. The Flash includes not only stories by immensely famous writers such as myself, but also stories by unknown writers such as Jonathan Lethem, Rick Moody, Aimee Bender, Jeff VanderMeer, Sara Gran, Clare Dudman, Jeffrey Ford, Paul Di Filippo, Shelley Jackson, Laird Hunt, Daniel Wallace, and other up-and-comers.
Arriving next week to a bookstore near you (I hope) is John Klima's anthology Logorrhea, which includes twenty-one stories based on words from the National Spelling Bee. My story, "The Last Elegy", takes up where the word elegiacal left off. I just got a copy of the book, and though I haven't had a chance to read any of the stories in full yet, I have read the first paragraphs of most of them, and I like every one of them better than my own, so I recommend the book enthusiastically.
Enough about me. Here's a book you should buy: Dark Reflections, the new novel by Samuel R. Delany. I haven't read it yet, but will very soon. It's not science fiction or fantasy, but rather the story of a black gay poet in New York City's Lower East Side over the past fifty years or so. Edmund White gave it a great blurb ("one of the most honest books I've ever read about the martyrdom of the writer in the contemporary world"), and Publisher's Weekly said, "Delany transforms poetry's status as the most ignored field of American letters into a devastating and beautifully written study of the loneliness and despair that so often accompany the life of the mind in America." I haven't looked forward to reading a book this much in a long time.
And over at the LitBlog Co-op, it's Sacco and Vanzetti Must Die Week. I really admired how carefully the book was written and imagined, but it's just one of those books that I couldn't develop any passion for, one of those books that I'm entirely the wrong reader for its particular sort of construction, so I don't really have anything to contribute to the discussion, but I definitely recommend people take a look and see if it's their kind of thing, because what it does, it does well.
I have piles -- PILES! -- of books waiting to be read and reviewed here, there, and everywhere. I won't get to even a quarter of the ones I want to, never mind the ones that have just sprouted in the corner of my apartment like kudzu or kipple. I'm hoping to get some new and old guest reviewers writing stuff here, picking up my slack, but until then I'll probably do a post or two about books that particularly seem to stand out from the pack amongst the many making my shelves bow and the floors groan, and I'll try a couple of give-aways, too. Soon, soon....
17 April 2007
Moments of Silence
My thoughts are also with the family and friends of Jamie Bishop and all the victims at Virginia Tech -- I don't know the Bishops, but have friends who do, and it makes the awful loss there even more immediate for me.
Words fail.
16 April 2007
LBC Sez, "Read Whilst Skinny Dipping!"
During Skinny-Dipping week at the LBC, we will be discussing the book as a whole, individual stories, and other topics, and I am frantically searching for the pictures of Alan in a bikini that I have stashed away somewhere...
BAF's Literary Lions
In my copious free time, I hope eventually to start chronicling the awards and accomplishments of all of our BAF contributors at the blog, but for now little blips of congratulations are going to have to suffice. So congratulations to Tony, Kevin, and Chris -- and may you all win!
Mr. Waggish on Mr. Bolaño
14 April 2007
Bolaño, Mi Amor
A copy of the latest book of Bolaño's to appear in the U.S., The Savage Detectives, is, I hear, on its way to me, and I am preparing to put all the other books in my life aside so that I can spend some quality time with it and it alone. After the short assignations that are Bolaño's other books in English, The Savage Detectives will (I hope, I expect, I dream) allow a longer-term relationship.
What is the nature of this passion of mine? Any love is difficult to explain fully, to analyze or dissect, but I have some idea of what it is about Bolaño's writing that makes it so attractive to me. His diction (in Chris Andrews's translations, at least) is disarmingly colloquial, creating a poetic effect that heightens ordinary speech and expression without churning it into lyrical goo. This is, to be honest, my favorite sort of style, but one I am wary of, because most of the time it is used by writers who don't know what else to do. Bolaño's stories drift around, often as monologues -- and since I was once an aspiring playwright, I have a weakness for monologues. I am happiest when hearing characters talk. His characters talk, and they talk about each other talking, and their talk is the substance of their stories.
But this is not all that attracts me -- such writing might be enough to spark a crush, but it is not, on its own, enough to fuel a passion. I am also enraptured by Bolaño's mix of the odd and the ordinary, the easy movement he makes between the logic of modernity and the logic of dreams, the willingness he has to indulge in goofiness and absurdity, and the general refusal in all of his work (that I have read) to turn terror and evil into simple melodrama. And I adore his allusions -- no literary geek like me could fail to fall in love with all the names dropped through the pages like confetti from The Reader's Encyclopedia. No-one with a sweet tooth for metafiction could fail to be charmed by the twists and turns of Bolaño's fictive realities, their palimpsests and funhouse mirrors, their chuckles and winks.
I do not suffer passionate love for the critic James Wood, whose spleen sometimes bursts with ridiculous generalities about What Fiction Should Do And Be, but when he writes in praise of a writer (as Carrie just said, too) he's at his best, and able to isolate many of the elements that make a particular piece of writing work. Thus, I was pleased to see he likes Bolaño, whom he calls a "wonderfully strange Chilean imaginer, at once a grounded realist and a lyricist of the speculative" and so has named my love in exactly the words I would have used, had I been less love-struck and more concise. He quotes a sentence from By Night in Chile and then follows it with a marvelous array of insights -- the sentence is about a pigeon-killing falcon named Ta Gueule:
Here Wood starts from one of the other things that inevitably makes my heart go pitter-pat, the wonder of long sentences, and continues on to show just what is so marvelous about this particular one. I'm also glad he writes about this because it brings out just how skilled Bolaño was, a fact that is sometimes easy to forget when we don't read with all the care we should, when we miss the complexity of his structures and think they're lackadaisical. That's where the art lies: in the indirection.
"Ta Gueule appeared again like a lightning bolt, or the abstract idea of a lightning bolt, and stooped on the huge flocks of starlings coming out of the west like swarms of flies, darkening the sky with their erratic fluttering, and after a few minutes the fluttering of the starlings was bloodied, scattered and bloodied, and afternoon on the outskirts of Avignon took on a deep red hue, like the color of sunsets seen from an airplane, or the color of dawns, when the passenger is woken gently by the engines whistling in his ears and lifts up the little blind and sees the horizon marked with a red line, like the planet's femoral artery, or the planet's aorta, gradually swelling, and I saw that swelling blood vessel in the sky over Avignon, the blood-stained flight of the starlings, Ta Guele splashing color like an Abstract Expressionist painter."
Much of the most successfully daring postwar fiction has been by writers committed to the long dramatic sentence (Bohumil Hrabal, Thomas Bernhard, W. G. Sebald, José Saramago). Bolaño is in their company: the quotation here is broken off of a phrase that takes about a page in the book. The musical control is impeccable, and one is struck by Bolaño's ability to nudge on his long, light, ethereal sentence -- impossibly, like someone punting a leaf -- image by image: the falcon, the red hue, the sunset, the dawn, the dawn seen from a plane, the femoral artery, the blood vessel, the abstract painter. It could so easily be too much, and somehow isn't, the flight of fancy anchored by precision and a just-suppressed comedy. (In Spain, amusingly, the falcons are too old or docile for killing, and the priests have none of the dangerous elegance of their French or Italian counterparts.) Likewise, this fantasia about falcons in every European city might have been thuddingly allegorical or irritatingly whimsical, and isn't. It is comically plausible, and concretely evoked; the surrealism lies in the systematic elaboration of the image. The Catholic Church is likened to a bird of prey, murderous and blood-red in its second capital, Avignon, and we are free to link this, without coercion, to the Chilean situation and the ethical somnolence of Father Urrutia.
When it comes to literary loves, I like to share, and so here, for those of you who may not have fallen under Bolaño's particular spell yet (or who have and seek more, more, more), are a few links...
- Bolaño's story "Gómez Palacio"
- Bolaño's story "Dance Card"
- Bolaño's advice on writing short stories (PDF)
- A profile of Bolaño from the San Francisco Bay Guardian
- A memoir of Bolaño and friends from The Nation
- "Poor Poets: Roque Dalton and Roberto Bolaño"
- Overview of Bolaño's work by Wendy Lesser at Threepenny Review
- "Borges, Bolaño and the Return of the Epic" by Aura Estrada
- Review of The Savage Detectives in BookForum
- Biography and review of The Savage Detectives at The New Yorker
- Official Bolaño Spanish-language site
- Wikipedia entry
12 April 2007
For me, a love of Vonnegut began with Cat's Cradle, then was reignited, more permanently, a few years later with Hocus Pocus. Both books blew my brain apart and reconfigured it. Opened up entire worlds of possibility. Lately, it's been Mother Night. I've used it again and again in classes, and it (along with J.M. Coetzee's very different Disgrace) is one of my two favorite novels to teach. It gets students talking. It contains immense depths beneath its apparently matter-of-fact surface. It is profoundly unsettling. And (unlike Disgrace) it's got a lot of funny bits.
One of my students said, "Mr. Cheney, you seem really upset about this." I said I was, but not in a mournful way, not in the way you are for a life cut short, but rather in a more selfish way -- the way that comes from knowing you now live in a world that this person, whose consciousness was so important to your own, does not live in. I'm glad to have lived in a world that Vonnegut shared for a time, but sad to soldier on without him.
For links to Vonnegut on the web, Ed Champion's got a great list.
It's impressive how admired Vonnegut is by so many people of different tastes and ideologies. All over the internet today, writers and bloggers are noting Vonnegut's death, saying a few words of remembrance, paying some honor to him, confessing tears. Here's a list of a few of the people I've seen mentioning the man and his life: Laila Lalami, Chris Barzak, Maud Newton, Clifford Garstang, Levi Asher, Dan Green, Deb Biancotti, Steven Beattie, Matthew Tiffany, Jodee Stanley, Christopher Rowe, Sonya Taaffe, Alex Irvine, Gwenda Bond, Ben Peek, Scott Eric Kaufman, and many, many more.
For some last words from here, how about the end of the introduction to Mother Night:
There's another clear moral to this tale, now that I think about it: When you're dead you're dead.
And yet another moral occurs to me now: Make love when you can. It's good for you.
10 April 2007
Interfictions Available Now!
I just noticed that Interfictions, edited by Delia Sherman and Theodora Goss, and containing my story "A Map of the Everywhere" (as well as a bunch of others that are actually worth reading), is now in stock at Amazon, Powells, Barnes & Noble, and -- for those of you outside the U.S. -- The Book Depository (free worldwide [mostly] shipping).
I haven't had a chance to read much in the book yet, but what I have read is marvelous, and the breadth and diversity of the authors is a particular strength of the anthology. And the cover. Love the cover.
08 April 2007
Easter Sunday PKD-in-the-Wild Sighting
Bibiano's investigations in the United States were not, however, limited to the world of board games. I heard from a friend (though I don't know if the story is true) that Bibiano contacted a member of the Philip K. Dick Society in Glen Ellen, California, who was, for want of a better expression, a collector of literary curiosities. Apparently Bibiano entered into correspondence with this individual, who specialized in "secret messages in literature, painting, theatre, and cinema," and told him the story of Carlos Wieder. ... He had a wide range of friends: detectives, activists fighting for the rights of minority groups, feminists marooned in west coast motels, directors and producers who would never get a film off the ground and led lives as reckless and solitary as his own. The members of the Philip K. Dick Society, enthusiastic but discreet people as a rule, regarded him as a madman, but harmless and basically a good guy, as well as being a genuine expert on the works of Dick.
07 April 2007
The Davis/Lethem Letters
06 April 2007
No Comfort Here
That's another thing that's been on my mind lately: consolatory art. What these days, in the speculative fiction field at least, is being called comfort fiction (at least sometimes, I think, by some people who see consolation and comfort as one and the same thing). I think the rise of the comfort fiction brigades has done some damage in its crusade to rid the world of fantasies that lie to us about the nature of living in various ways (and not good lies, not ones that are really truly helpful to us, so I sympathize with what they're saying about those in that way). But I do think that to a certain extent there's been a sort of confusion made at times of two different sorts of writing that are separate things altogether, for me at least. One of these I think of as wish fulfillment stories, which are the ones that lie about the nature of our lives perhaps. The other I think of as consolatory stories: stories that can console while still telling the truth. I think that's possible. To tell the truth and still find consolation in something. Not comfort, but consolation, something to go on, to feed and keep the spirit while we're here for a little longer. Not to insulate us from the horrors of living here, but to stoke our fires and keep us going on despite the wolves howling at the door.After reading this, I tried to think about why I didn't want to accept the terminology Chris uses here, much as I like his attempt to expand beyond simplistic ideas of "we must write about the nastiest of the nastiness of the world so that our readers suffer no illusions, bwahahahahahahaaaaa!" For one thing, I think the comfort/discomfort dichotomy is a false one -- good writing is too complex to fit into any such simple category (similarly, "transgressive fiction") and good readers are too sophisticated to let texts do only one thing for them. Then I remembered something John Gardner wrote in On Becoming a Novelist about "the Pollyanna mask" (sunny hand-me-down language, "the cranked-up zombie emotion of a writer who feels nothing in his daily life or nothing he trusts enough to find his own words for") and then what he said about a paragaph from something by Harlan Ellison:
This is not the Pollyanna style favored by hack writers of the twenties and thirties but the hack-writer style that superseded it, disPollyanna. Sunny optimism, with its fondness for italics, gives way to an ill-founded cynicism, also supported by italics. ... Sentence fragments become common (a standard means of falsely heightening the emotion of what one says), and commas disappear ... in rhetorical imitation of William Faulkner, who was also on thin ice. (Dropping commas is all right except if one's purpose is to increase the rush of the sentence and thus suggest emotion not justified by what is being said.) ... Crude jokes and images, slang phrases borrowed from foreign languages, are all stock in disPollyanna fiction -- in an attempt to shock prudes. No one is shocked, of course, though a few may misread their annoyance as shock. One is annoyed because the whole thing is phony, an imitation of things too often imitated before. The problem with such writers, it ought to be mentioned, is not that they are worse people than those who wrote in Pollyanna. They are almost exactly the same people: idealists, people who simple-mindedly long for goodness, justice, and sanity; the difference is one of style. ...I much prefer Gardner's terminology to that of comfort vs. discomfort, because what it points out is simplistic thinking and failure of craft in particular ways. The people who condemn (or praise) "comfort fiction" are complaining not only of particular failures of craft, but also of what they see as failures of ideology and metaphysics. They imagine an audience and they expend much energy disdaining it, because to them these people (if they exist, which I'm not certain of) are sheep following a shepherd who drugs them with lies and illusions. "Read your silly Harry Potter," they say, "and wallow in your ignorance while I dig into the marrow of life with my chosen text of superior reality-smashing in-yer-face this-is-how-it-isness." (Yes, I find the sanctimoniousness of such a position far more repulsive than the uncritical acceptance of unexceptional writing.)
Both Pollyanna and disPollyanna limit the writer in the same ways, leading him to miss and simplify experience, and cutting him off from all but fellow believers.
The problem for me is that most disPollyanna books just can't accomplish what they seem to desire. For a work of fiction to change your view of the world, it's got to be either less fiction than propaganda-cum-journalism (think The Jungle) or a work of subtlety and breadth that connects, in some personal way, to who you are at a particular time. The latter is likely to be a marvelous piece of art, but it's also unlikely to be anything that could be prescribed, because what is both necessary and uncontrollable is the relationship between the reader and the text, and readers use texts in immensely varied ways. Unless you're a masochist, you're unlikely to finish reading something you find annoying or disturbing, and so the effect of such fiction is merely to confirm a view of the world you already hold. You could call it comfortable anti-comfort.
It is because I work from the assumption that the greatest art is unpredictable in its effect that I am wary of using the terms "comfort" or "consolation" with regard to the best fiction. Not because there aren't books and stories and poems and plays that I find comforting or consoling, but because I don't think whatever comforting/consoling properties a text possesses are universal or even inherent in the text itself. It's unlikely that what works for me will also work for lots of other people, or that what works for me in particular circumstances will work in other circumstances. Thus, once a writer sets out to be comforting and consoling, they've already failed and will probably produce treacle. Similarly, when a writer sets out to be all clear-eyed about the hideous awfulness of the world and wake readers up to the drab wretchedness of their empty, wasteful lives, they're likely to produce something that is more rant than art, more self-satisfied than satisfying.
I think Gardner was smart to focus on language, because though great writing possesses something ineffable that can triumph over some failures of language (or else how would great books survive bad translations?), to start writing from a position that almost surely guarantees you will fill your pages with familiar, sentimental, overwrought phrases that represent the world through simplistic and received ideas ... well, to start writing from such a position seems self-defeating to me and a failure of ambition.
We live in a time when far more pages are written than any one person could read in ten lifetimes, and the only justification for adding to those pages that I can think of is to add something that strives for an honesty and clarity of language and structure, something that is neither comforting nor discomforting by design, but is, instead, a tool for thinking and feeling more powerfully about the fact that we are alive in a world more complex than any of our philosophies.
John Gardner makes a big claim for art that is neither Pollyanna nor disPollyanna, and though it courts its own sort of sanctimony, I think it is a claim worth considering:
A young writer firmly hooked on bad science fiction, or the worst of the hard-boiled detective school, or tell-it-like-it-is so-called serious fiction, fashionably interpreting all experience as crap, may get published, if he works hard, but the odds are that he'll never be an artist. That may not bother him much. Hack writers are sometimes quite successful, even admired. But so far as I can see, they are of slight value to humanity.
05 April 2007
Words Without Borders: Africa
Words Without Borders will be hosting a discussion on April 27 at the PEN American Center in New York on the topic, "Every Day in Africa":
Americans' exposure to Africa is mostly through press coverage focused on current events, with a bias toward the sensational and tragic. This discussion will offer a glimpse into the richness of the literary voices from Africa: these writers will talk about their work, the traditions they draw on, their styles and literary choices, and their tremendously diverse accomplishments.I won't be able to get down to NY to see it, much as I would like to, but if anybody out there would like to go and then write about it here, please let me know. (The PEN Center is pretty good about putting audio online, so let's hope they do so with this event.)
I've been meaning to write more about literature(s) from Africa here, but life has gotten in the way, and so really I've been meaning to write about all sorts of different things and haven't had the time for any of it. Soon, though, I expect to have at least something to say about Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga, a novel I'm using in one of my classes this term.
03 April 2007
Oh, the Humanity!
...earlier this month, Starbucks chairperson Howard Schultz, who is on the list of the world's richest people, told Fortune magazine that "Starbucks is the quintessential people-based business ... Everything we do is about humanity."
02 April 2007
Out There
- A version of the introduction by Jeff & Ann VanderMeer for Best American Fantasy
- I recently interviewed Nick Mamatas about his new novel, Under My Roof. Here's a piece of it:
MC What is it about nuclear weaponry that appeals to Daniel, do you think? So many contemporary stories of apocalypse involve biological weapons or environmental catastrophes that the threat of nuclear destruction feels almost like a hearkening back to the Cold War. Would anthrax in the garden gnome have had the same effect?
NM Pfft! The fault isn't in the atom, it's in the popular imagination. Anthrax is the WMD of wusses and wimps. People who work around livestock can contract it and keep on working. You can be vaccinated against weaponized anthrax. The Sverdlovsk disaster in 1979, when a Soviet plant accidentally released weaponized anthrax into the air, barely killed 100 people. The book would have been three pages long had there been only an anthrax deterrent. Same thing with chemical weapons. Just wait for the wind to change if one goes off, then march in. The only real city-destroyers remain nukes.
- Scott McLemee on independent bookstores and Borders's restructuring: "One provision of the new strategic plan is a call for 'increasing effectiveness of merchandise presentation.' The press release does not give details, but somehow it bring to mind an image of life-size animatronic displays of Ann Coulter and Al Gore waving copies of their books."
- John Joseph Adams interviews Rick Bowes about his Nebula-nominated novel From the Files of the Time Rangers.
- At the blog of the National Book Critics Circle: A conversation with Julie Phillips.
- New issues have been posted of Lone Star Stories and Farrago's Wainscot.
- Levi Asher offers a dissent on Cormac McCarthy's The Road. (Nope, I haven't read it yet, though I hope to sometime between now and a time that is not now. I do like to see well-considered, thoughtful, articulate dissent about books that mostly receive praise, though, because I think such discussion is healthy and gets us all thinking more carefully about what we read and how we value it.)
- Some stories from Africa that I've read: A discussion at the BBC of the question, "Is Angola Africa's new hope?" Five African Union peacekeepers have been killed in the Darfur region of Sudan. After four days of fierce battles, Mogadishu is, for the moment, somewhat calm, though thousands of people are fleeing. The government of Liberia and the International Rescue Committee are trying to get 15,000 child laborers back in school. The BBC collects bloggers' reactions to events in Zimbabwe. At one of those blogs, Kubatana.net, Natasha Msonza compares similarities between Zimbabwe and Zambia's histories.
01 April 2007
Delany Novel Includes "Scrotum"
"Children could encounter this book, read that word, and be scarred for life," Kershaw said. "It is our duty, indeed our moral responsibility as educators, to make sure that children are protected. If a child brought a copy of Hogg to you and said they didn't understand this word and wanted you to explain it, what would you say? Not everyone is ready for that sort of conversation."
Mr. Delany could not be reached for comment, but the renowned scholar K. Leslie Steiner told us by email: "It could, indeed, be possible that readers of Hogg will not know what the word 'scrotum' means, and this could certainly affect some of their understanding of the novel. There are quite a few other words in the book that I expect are familiar to them, though, even if they do not want to admit it, and so their ability to comprehend the majority of the novel will not be impaired. In fact, now that I think about it, I don't even remember if the word 'scrotum' is used anywhere in the book. Is it? Certainly, the signified of that particular signifier is present (or, rather, other signifiers for it are present), comprehended, and manipulated by a textual representation of a young boy, but frankly I don't ever remember the word 'scrotum' appearing in the text."
A representative of the American Library Association said the organization is not in favor of banning books, and that open discussion is an important American value, though of course individual libraries are free to determine the contents of their collections. Mr. Kershaw said the ALA has a long history of hating our freedoms, and that he intends to make his case to the American public once he has finished writing up a platform for his candidacy as president of the Science Fiction Writers of America.
Insect Souls
If a mosquito has a soul, it is mostly evil. So I don't have too many qualms about putting a mosquito out of its misery. I'm a little more respectful of ants.


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|MLB Career Stats
|Round Rock
|Round Rock
|23rd in AL
|25th in AL
|25th in AL
|14th in AL
|22nd in NL
|23rd in NL
|November 6, 2015
|C John Buck elected free agency.
|March 26, 2015
|C John Buck retired.
|January 31, 2015
|C John Buck assigned to Gwinnett Braves.
|January 25, 2015
|Atlanta Braves signed free agent C John Buck to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
|October 10, 2014
|C John Buck elected free agency.
|October 7, 2014
|Los Angeles Angels designated C John Buck for assignment.
|October 2, 2014
|Los Angeles Angels reassigned C John Buck to the minor leagues.
|September 2, 2014
|Los Angeles Angels selected the contract of C John Buck from Salt Lake Bees.
|July 21, 2014
|Los Angeles Angels signed free agent C John Buck to a minor league contract.
|July 21, 2014
|C John Buck assigned to Salt Lake Bees.
|July 15, 2014
|Seattle Mariners released C John Buck.
|July 7, 2014
|Seattle Mariners designated C John Buck for assignment.
|January 16, 2014
|Seattle Mariners signed free agent C John Buck.
|August 28, 2013
|Pittsburgh Pirates activated C John Buck.
|August 27, 2013
|New York Mets traded C John Buck and RF Marlon Byrd to Pittsburgh Pirates for 2B Dilson Herrera.
|August 20, 2013
|John Buck roster status changed by New York Mets.
|August 17, 2013
|New York Mets placed C John Buck on the paternity list.
|December 17, 2012
|New York Mets traded C Josh Thole, C Mike Nickeas and RHP R.A. Dickey to Toronto Blue Jays for C John Buck, RHP Noah Syndergaard, C Travis d'Arnaud and OF Wuilmer Becerra.
|November 19, 2012
|Miami Marlins traded 2B Emilio Bonifacio, C John Buck, LHP Mark Buehrle, RHP Josh Johnson and SS Jose Reyes to Toronto Blue Jays for RHP Henderson Alvarez, SS Yunel Escobar, SS Adeiny Hechavarria, C Jeff Mathis, RHP Anthony DeSclafani, CF Jake Marisnick and LHP Justin Nicolino.
|November 17, 2010
|Florida Marlins signed free agent John Buck.
|November 7, 2010
|C John Buck elected free agency.
|August 20, 2010
|Toronto Blue Jays activated C John Buck from the 15-day disabled list.
|August 17, 2010
|sent C John Buck on a rehab assignment to New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
|August 5, 2010
|Toronto Blue Jays placed C John Buck on the 15-day disabled list. Lacerated right thumb.
|December 16, 2009
|Toronto Blue Jays signed free agent C John Buck.
|December 13, 2009
|C John Buck elected free agency.
|July 6, 2009
|Kansas City Royals activated C John Buck from the 15-day disabled list.
|June 25, 2009
|Kansas City Royals sent C John Buck on a rehab assignment to Omaha Royals.
|May 31, 2009
|Kansas City Royals placed C John Buck on the 15-day disabled list. Slight herination in lower back
Jonathan Richard (John) Buck attended Taylorsville High School (Utah) with current teammate Brandon Lyon, and won a state championship there...In 2007 and 2008, he was nominated by his teammates as Kansas City's representative for the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award...Prior to the 2011 season, he was part of the Marlins' envoy that visited troops in Southwest Asia and Germany...After the 2011 season, he was voted the Charlie Hough "Good Guy Award" by the South Florida Chapter of the BBWAA...Started his own company, Tools of Ignorance (TOI) in 2013...His company sells sports products that he personally uses at www.toigear.com.2013
Combined to bat .222 (87x392) with 15 home runs and 62 RBI in 110 games with New York (NL) and Pittsburgh. Acquired by Pittsburgh on Aug. 27 along with outfielder Marlon Byrd in exchange for Dilson Herrera (inf) and Vic Black (rhp). Led the National League with 25 RBI and tied for 2nd with 9 home runs in the month of April…tied a Mets April club record with 9 home runs. Hit .298 (31x104) with runners in scoring position…was 4-for-9 (.444) with a grand slam with the bases loaded. Hit 5th career grand slam April 12 at Minnesota (off Pedro Hernandez). Ranked 7th among NL catchers with a 4.00 catcher's ERA. Appeared in G#4 of the NLDS as a defensive replacement2012 Twenty eight of his 66 hits went for extra bases (15 doubles, a triple and 12 home runs)...Has the third-most home runs as a catcher (48) over the last three years (2010-2012)...Brian McCann is first with 63 and Matt Wieters is second with 53...After hitting .168 (41-244) through July 31 (77 games), he hit .253 (25-99) the final 29 games with four home runs and 15 RBI...Hit .333 (19-57) with eight doubles, two home runs and eight RBI in 17 August games...On August 20 at Arizona, he tied a career high with four hits (4-5) with three runs scored and a home run...Finished fourth in the NL among catchers with 49 walks...In addition to the four-hit game, he had nine games with two hits...Hit home runs in consecutive games twice during the season: May 7 and May 8 at Houston and September 18 at Atlanta and September 22 at the Mets...Knocked in three runs twice during the year, June 24 vs. Toronto and September 22 at New York (NL). 2011 Tied Charles Johnson (2001) and Ivan Rodriguez (2003) for second-most home runs as a catcher in Franchise history. Fell three short of Johnson's Club record of 19, set in 1997...Earned Charlie Hough "Good Guy" Award from South Florida Chapter of BBWAA...Hit two of Marlins' National League-leading seven grand slams. Was only player on Club with more than one grand slam, and became 11th player in team history (11th time) to hit two grand slams in a season. Team record is three, by Bobby Bonilla (1997), Jeff Conine (2004), Hanley Ramirez (2009) and Cody Ross (2009)...Tied for third among NL catchers with Geovany Soto and Rod Barajas in home runs, trailing Brian McCann (23) and Miguel Montero (18)...Hit 100th career home run (10th of the season) on July 9 vs. Houston...Was fifth among Major League catchers in walks (52)...Started 129 games and reached base safely in 102. Finished season tied with Matt Wieters for fourth in Majors in games started at catcher, behind Miguel Montero (131), Yadier Molina (131) and Alex Avila (130)...On July 24 vs. Mets, registered first pinch-hit double and RBI of career in eighth inning, good for fourth of his six game-winning RBI on year...Became fourth player in Franchise history with a grand slam on Opening Day, and third to do it at home. Hanley Ramirez (2009 vs. Washington), Juan Encarnacion (2005 vs. Atlanta) and Preston Wilson (2002 at Montreal) are others to accomplish feat...Was second player in Marlins' history to hit a grand slam in first game with team, joining Jeremy Hermida, who did so on August 31, 2005 vs. St. Louis, in first ML at-bat (Elias Sports Bureau). 2010 In his seventh Major League season and first with Toronto, batted a career-best .281 (115x409) in 118 games, which ranked third among AL catchers and named to first All-Star team ... Set career-highs in runs, hits (115), double (25), home runs, RBI, batting average and on base percentage (.314) ... Tied for the Major League-lead among catchers with 20 homeruns, and ranked third among AL catchers in RBI (66), extra base hits (45), runs (53) and slugging percentage (.489) ... Had the second-best caught stealing percentage in the American League (min. 100 games), throwing out 24% of base runners attempting to steal. 2009 Appeared in the fewest games of his career in his sixth season with the Royals, serving as a part-time catcher... Left the game on May 30 and had his first stint on the D.L. in his career from May 31 to July 6 (32 games) with a herniated disc and low back spasms... Hit .347 (17-for-49) with runners in scoring position... RBI GUY: Drove in 36 runs in just 186 at bats, posting a RBI every 5.17 at bats, the highest ratio on the club and the 12th-highest in the American League among players with at least 150 at bats... THREE BAGERS: Posted 4 triples on the season after collecting just three total entering 2009...His four triples as a catcher were the most by a Royals backstop since Darrell Porter had a club-record 8 in 1979... After batting just .211 (19-for-90) with four doubles and three home runs in 30 games prior to the All-Star break, rebounded to hit .281 (27-for-96) with 8 doubles and five home runs in 29 games following the break... Hit .340 (16-for-47) in 13 games over September/October... SALAMI: Had a career night on April 14 vs. Cleveland, connecting for a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, and equaling his career high with five RBI (also September 13, 2004 vs. NYY)... The grand slam was his second career (August 13, 2004 at Oakland)... Was his fifth career two-homer game, most in Royals history among catchers... A DAY TO REMEMBER: Went 3-for-3 on April 30 vs. Toronto with a double, two triples, a sac fly and five RBI... The five RBI equaled his career high (third time, second in 2009)... The two triples were a career high and tied a club record (27th time, last by Mark Teahen on June 14, 2007 vs. St. Louis)... He was the second catcher in Royals history to record two triples in a game (Darrell Porter, June 4, 1978 vs. Chicago) and the first catcher in baseball since Jason Kendall on July 1, 2000 (PIT @ PHI)... Buck became the first catcher in MLB to have a two-triple, five-RBI game since Haywood Sullivan on April 25, 1961 for the KC A's vs. Minnesota... Was returned from his rehab assignment and activated from the 15-day D.L. on July 6... Appeared in seven games at Omaha (AAA), hitting .259 (7-for-27) with a double, two homers and four RBI...Caught five times and DH'd twice... Recorded his 100th career double on August 29 in Seattle. 2008 Made his fourth career Opening Day roster as the Royals starting catcher...saw a severe drop off in power numbers, hitting 9 home runs after recording a career-best 18 in 2007...appeared in 109 games, his lowest total since his rookie season of 2004...Set career highs in runs scored (48), doubles (23) and walks (38)...Saved his best hitting in the clutch, collecting a .274 (29-for-106) average with runners in scoring position...Threw out just seven of 65 attempted baserunners, for a caught-stealing pct. of 10.8...Posted his best month in May, hitting .300 (18-for-60) with 6 doubles in 17 games...hit 5 home runs and drove in 14 in July, posting a .524 slugging pct...The Royals won 10 straight of his starts from June 12-27...Missed the May 16-18 trip to Florida to remain in Kansas City for the early birth of his twin boys, Brody and Cooper...was placed on bereavement leave and reinstated on May 19 in Boston...He celebrated his 28th birthday in style July 7 at Tampa Bay, hitting the game-winning 3-run home run in the 10th inning in a 7-4 Royals win. 2007 Made his 3rd career Opening Day roster and posted his best power season of his career, blasting 18 home runs in 347 at bats...hit .222, his lowest average in any of his 4 Major League seasons...Set new career highs in runs scored (41), home runs (18), walks (36), strikeouts (92), on-base pct. (.308) and slugging pct. (.429)...fell 2 homers shy of tying the Royals record for homers by a catcher (20 by Porter in 1979 and Macfarlane in 1993)...Royals pitchers posted a 4.40 ERA while he was catching, the sixth-best mark among A.L. catchers...13 of his 18 home runs were solo shots and 10 of the 18 came with no outs...6 of his 18 bombs gave the Royals the lead and 1 tied a game...His 18 home runs ranked tied for fi fth in the Majors among catchers...Hit .244 (40-for-164) with 12 homers on the road and .202 (37-for-183) with 6 homers at Kauffman...Hit .245 (47-for-192) with 15 home runs prior to the All-Star break and .194 (30-for-155) with 3 home runs following the break...Went 2-for-4 with a solo home run off Boston's Hideki Okajima on Opening Day...Hit 10 home runs through his 1st 40 games, the fastest Royal catcher to reach double-digit home runs (Macfarlane, 10 in 42 games in 1993)...Hit a 2-run home run in the ninth inning on May 14 in Oakland to give the Royals a 2-1 win...Posted his 3rd career multi-homer game on June 4 at Tampa Bay...Recorded his 4th career mutli-homer game and second of the season on June 16 vs. Florida...Smashed his career-best 13th home run in his 48th game of the season on June 18 at St. Louis...Hit his 50th career home run on July 6 against Tampa's Gary Glover...Set a Royals record for home runs by a catcher at the All-Star break, smashing 15 longballs...Hit 16 home runs through his first 63 games and just 2 in his final 50 games of the season. 2006 Posted nearly identical numbers from his 2005 season, hitting .245 (91-371) with 21 doubles, 11 homers and 50 RBI in 114 games...by comparison hit .242 (97-401) with 21 doubles, 12 homers and 47 RBI in 2005 in 118 games...Caught 930.1 innings with Royals pitchers posting a 5.70 ERA in those games... allowed 33 stolen bases on 46 attempts (71.7 percent) and was charged with 6 errors and 5 passed balls...Ended the season by posting his best month offensively in Sept., batting .300 (15-50) in 15 games...also enjoyed a solid September in 2005 when he hit .312 (24-77)...Got off to a slow start as he hit just .193 (11-for-57) through his 1st 23 games, dating to May 7...bounced back to hit .257 (18-for-70) in May...Hit in a season-high 6 straight games from June 14-23, going 11-for-19 (.579)...hit in 8 of 9 games from June 14-28 and batted .467 (14-30) during that stretch...Homered in back-to-back games May 8-9 against Cleveland...on May 9, went 3-for-3 with a season-high 4 RBI...Batted .366 (15-41) with 4 home runs and 11 runs in 12 Interleague games... only 2 other catchers posted a higher batting average during Interleague play (Joe Mauer, MIN, .492 and Kenji Johjima, SEA, .446)...Ranked 9th among American League hitters with his .366 average in Interleague play...was 1 of 3 Royals to rank among the top 10 in A.L. hitters against National League opponents (David DeJesus, 3rd, .436 and Emil Brown, 8th, .407)...Recorded his 2nd career 2-home run game on Sept. 23 vs. Detroit...Batted in 4 different spots in the Royals lineup, including 47 games in the 9th spot (.216, 30-139)...had his best success when batting 6th in the order, hitting .297 (11- 37) in 9 games...also hit in the 8th spot (37 games) and 7th spot (21 games)...Led the Royals to an 9-2 record when driving in 2 or more runs...KC was 7-3 when he homered. 2005 Made the Opening Day roster for the 1st time in his career...hit .242 in 118 games for KC, recording 21 doubles, 12 homers and 47 RBI...Played 117 games behind the plate, 9th-most in club history...his 117 games as catcher were the most since Bob Boone caught 129 games in 1989...Recorded the finest defensive season by any catcher in club history, setting a club record with a .996 fi elding percentage, committing just 3 errors in 699 total chances and edging out Brent Mayne's .995 percentage in 1995 (3 errors in 583 chances)...his 699 total chances were 7th-most by a catcher in club history...Hit .310 (36-116) vs. left-handed pitchers and just .214 (61-285) vs. righthanders... recorded 10 of his 12 home runs off right-handed pitchers...hit 9 of his 12 home runs away from Kauffman Stadium...Rebounded from a .190 (12-63) average in August by hitting .321 (26-81) with 7 doubles, 4 home runs and 15 RBI the remainder of the season...also hit .277 (18-65) in June after combining to hit .206 (26-126) in April and May...Hit .340 (17-50) in 14 games against Detroit and .378 (17-45) against Minnesota, but hit just .227 (10-44) against Cleveland and .196 (10-51) against Chicago (AL)...prior to this season, Buck was 0-for-24 in his career against the Twins...Broke an 0-for-20 streak with a single in the 6th inning on April 14 vs. Seattle...Tied his career high with 4 hits at Minnesota on April 21...went 4-for-5 with a solo homer and broke an 0-for-24 slump to begin his career vs. the Twins... previously recorded 4 hits on Sept. 13, 2004 vs. New York (AL)...the RBI was his 1st in his last 20 games dating back to 2004...Snapped an 0-for-16 streak with a single May 9 at Toronto...Had an RBI in 5 straight games for the 1st time, May 12-18 (7 total RBI)...Reached base in 7 consecutive plate appearances (5 hits, 2 walks) from June 10-11 at Arizona before popping out in the 9th inning on June 11...Legged out the 1st triple of his career on July 22 vs. Toronto...Snapped a 28-game homerless streak on Aug. 5 vs. Oakland...Hit in 17 of his fi nal 19 starts of the season, going .356 (26-for-73) with 4 home runs and 15 RBI...raised his average from .216 to .242 during that stretch. 2004 Was acquired from the Houston Astros on June 24 along with RHP Octavio Dotel and cash considerations in exchange for OF Carlos Beltran...Dotel and the cash were then traded to the Oakland Athletics for RHP Mike Wood and 3B Mark Teahen...Hit just .149 (11-74) with 1 double, 1 home run and 1 RBI in his 1st 24 Major League games, before rebounding to hit .277 (45-164) with 8 doubles, 11 home runs and 29 RBI the remainder of the season (47 games)...Led the Royals in home runs (12) and slugging percentage (.463) after the All-Star Break and ranked 4th in RBI with 30...Went 0-for-3 with a strikeout as the starting catcher in his Major League debut on June 25 vs. St. Louis...Recorded his 1st Major League hit off Baltimore's Sidney Ponson on June 29 in the 3rd inning...also hit his 1st Major League home run off Ponson on July 19...Hit his 1st Major League grand slam on Aug. 13 at Oakland off Jairo Garcia in the 8th inning...Hit a 2-run, game-winning home run in the 8th inning of KC's 3-2 win over Seattle on Aug. 18...Broke Sal Fasano's Royals record for homers by a rookie catcher by hitting his 7th home run of the season at Seattle on Aug. 29...Had a career high 4 hits and 5 RBI vs. New York on Sept. 13...Named to the Pacifi c Coast League All-Star team. 2003 Spent the season at Triple A New Orleans where he batted .255 (70-for-274) in 78 games behind the plate...placed on the Disabled List from June 17-Aug. 22 with a broken novicular bone in his right hand...listed as the No. 3 prospect in the Astros organization by Baseball America....named by Pacific Coast League managers in Baseball America as the Best Defensive Catcher...named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team, but did play due to injury...played winter league baseball for Licey in the Dominican Republic. 2002 Played in the 2002 MLB Futures All-Star Game as part of All-Star Week at Miller Park in Milwaukee...named to the Double A, Texas League mid-season, and Texas League postseason All-Star teams. 2001 Spent the 2001 season at Class A Lexington and was named a South Atlantic League All-Star...selected as the SAL Player of the Week from July 20-26 after hitting .400 (8-20) with 5 homers and 13 RBI...Drove in a career-high 7 runs on July 21, 2001 in a 15-14 Lexington win over Charleston, W.V...Went 2-for-4 with a 3-run home run and 4 RBI in game 2 of the SAL Championship Series to help Lexington to a 9-4 victory and the SAL title. 2000 Named Southern League Pitcher of the Year in 2000 while only making 16 starts. Named a Second Team Minor League All-Star and No. 9 Prospect in SL by Baseball America. Named to midseason and postseason SL All-Star teams, as well as Double-A All-Star team. Earned win at Futures Game at Turner Field as part of All-Star Weekend. 1999 Earned Midwest League Pitcher of the Week from August 1-7, 1999.

subset: commoncrawl


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Giraffe Hat for Baby
Downloadable pattern
Downloadable pattern
I'm not sure there is anything cuter than an animal hat! Ok, maybe a baby wearing one! You don't have to make yours in yellow and orange! Brown and cream would be cute too! Or, any two colors in the rainbow! A two tone in cream would be perfect for the modern mom who likes a neutral!
Perfect on any little munchkin or toddler noggin!
Great photo prop for boys or girls!
Soft acrylic yarn will make it easy to machine wash, gentle cycle, tumble dry low or lay flat to dry.
This is an advanced beginner or better pattern. You will need to know the knit stitch, knit 2 stitches together, make one, joining another color yarn, knitting in the round on double pointed needles.
Color photos included! All my patterns give options for yarns available in your local Hobby Lobby, Michael's or Wal Mart! You can certainly use your yummy stash for any of my designs and I am always available for help!


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Prime candidates for BC
Prime candidates for BC
Head coach AL Golden has spent two seasons at the University of Miami trying to pull the program from the rubble of an NCAA investigation.
Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco has molded the top-ranked Notre Dame defense.
Head coach Darrell Hazell has Kent State University in the MAC title game with an outside shot at earning a BCS bowl berth.
Mark Whipple, now a quarterbacks coach for the Browns, won a Division 1-AA national title with the University of Massachusetts in 1998.


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- What's New
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About The NutriLiving Blog
NutriLiving is dedicated to keeping you up-to-date on current health news and nutrition facts. Whether it's our own registered dietitians writing blog posts about healthy eating, or content from renowned authors and physicians like Mark Hyman, we have all of the best nutrition information in one place, just for you. Check out what's new, filter through popular topics, or use our search bar to find blog posts on anti-inflammatory recipes, weight loss diets, healthy breakfast ideas, smoothie cleanses, proper diets for healthy kids, which foods are right for you, and much more!


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Nemo, underwater drone, Aquarobotman, Los Angeles, California, USA
11th July 2018, 12:46
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Dhaka, Bangladesh – Any golfer would know the help that a golf push cart can give when they go out onto the green. With 18 holes to cover, golfers can conveniently reach out to their golf carts and get the ball, club, or equipment they would need. In tournaments, they do come in handy with some hiring caddies to push them wherever they go. There is, however, a risk, particularly when it comes to its upkeep.
The PGA Tour, for example, hardly sees caddies pushing golf carts. The reason here is seen as redundancy, meaning caddies would inadvertently end up as aides for golfers when they need to move from one hole to another. The downside is that players would have to pay them for that service and pray that their equipment is handled with utmost care. Caddies can be nice to have, but if the golfers are not used to having someone follow them around the golf course, having a caddie to carry the equipment can also be a bit disconcerting. From there, one can see how this may serve as a distraction and result in poor scores with a mental handicap in tow.
Motorized golf trolleys are the perfect alternative for regular golfers. These electric push carts allow the golfer the freedom of walking the course – a tradition that many avid sportsman still favor-without the necessity of hiring a caddie or lugging their own clubs from hole to hole. Players are able to then conserve their energy and concentration for the game at hand, rather than on carting around their clubs. Electric push carts are designed to alleviate the effort of carrying clubs and equipment across an eighteen hole course, while also removing the need to find and hire an attentive caddie. Read this complete guide for additional information on why motorized golf caddies are the preferred choice for professional and avid golfers alike.
"The length of a game of golf is dependant, to some extent, on the speed and agility of the golfer," says one spokesperson for Best Golf Cart Reviews, a website designed to outline the latest golfing equipment options for players of all types. "It is time consuming to lug your equipment from one hole to the next and can cause additional strain. Hiring a caddie means trusting your equipment and score keeping to someone else, and renting a golf cart can take much of the traditional feel from the golfing experience. We aim to provide golfers with a comprehensive list of the best golfing equipment on the market today, including motorized golf carts. Those interested in viewing reviews for these and other equipment-such as golf balls and clubs, can visit our site to learn more."
Speaking of spending long hours playing golf, all that depends on how good and mobile one is. Moving from one tee to another is time-consuming so having a golf push cart helps a bit in speeding up the game. Caddies are tasked to keep in step with the player/s, not to mention making sure that their stuff is organized and ready when a golfer asks for them. On the other hand, electric golf push carts can be set to run at a select speed, enabling them to keep up with the pace of the user so that clubs and equipment are always easily on hand when the golfer is ready.
Picking a golf push cart will depend on a lot of factors and one of the best ways is to talk to the pros. Bestgolfcartreviews.com houses a lot of reviews and recommendations of various golf equipment over at their official site, https://www.bestgolfcartsreviews.com/. Queries can be made via email at firstname.lastname@example.com or give them a call at 01715181122. Epark IT is located at House-205 Road-02, Mirpur DOHS, Dhaka.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/WKEWbgByoIY
Media Contact
Company Name: Epark IT
Contact Person: Mejba Uddin Biplob
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: 01715181122
Address:House-205 Road-02
City: Mirpur DOHS
State: Dhaka
Country: Bangladesh
Website: bestgolfcartsreviews.com/


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Police: Apparent overdose death at Vibes
A man in his 20s died Friday of an apparent drug overdose at the Gathering of the Vibes, bringing back a tragic cloud that has twice shadowed the Bridgeport music festival in previous years.
City police have not released the identity of the man, who was found unresponsive at the festival's campgrounds as day two of the longstanding rock fest got into full swing.
City police spokesman William Kaempffer said the man was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The death is under investigation but police believe it to be the result of "an apparent drug overdose," Kaempffer said.
City police were in the festival campgrounds speaking to patrons in the area of Main Beach, where Barnum Dyke meets Soundview Drive. Witnesses reported seeing an ambulance leave that area as well.
Kaempffer said the individual's name was being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
His eyes welling with tears, Vibes owner Ken Hays said his "heart goes out to his family and friends."
"It's with great sadness that earlier today we lost a member of the Gathering of the Vibes community," he said.
"Although at this point we don't know all of the specifics, what I do know is that life is short. Every morning when we wake up, we should hug those closest to us and express our love for them because tomorrow never knows."
The apparent overdose on Friday marked the third such death since 2009 at Vibes, a festival that largely draws its appeal from the reincarnation of the music and culture of the hippie era.
In the early morning hours of July 26, 2009, Jay Caliro, 29, of East Meadow, N.Y., was found dead. His death was later attributed to an accidental overdose, marking the first fatality in the history of the festival.
The following year, 23-year-old Elizabeth Meryl Miller, of Memphis, Tenn., was found having a seizure inside the campground and a Bridgeport police officer revived her.
She was transported to St. Vincent's Medical Center, where she died two days later. An autopsy later determined her death resulted from "multiple drug toxicity."
Festival organizers brought in a greater city police presence in the wake of the 2009 Vibes, which brought the event under law enforcement scrutiny due to the prevalence of nitrous oxide at the festival that year and questions about how confiscated narcotics were handled by security.
The FBI investigated the availability of the substance after more than 100 confiscated canisters of nitrous oxide went missing. Vibes organizer Hays told the Connecticut Post in 2010 that the festival had provided documents to investigators.
The city also instituted an ordinance banning nitrous oxide, which is commonly known as "laughing gas" and is typically sold inside balloons.
While drug use is something of an accepted part of the festival for participants, the death on Friday brought a lurking danger to light.
"It's weird that it happened like that," said Nelson Hearn, adding that he was about 100 feet from the overdose when it occurred. "People, especially some of these young kids, don't know moderation."
Hearn, who came from New Jersey for the "laid back" Vibes, said while drugs are present at the festival they need not dominate one's experience.
"It's one of those things you have to live with," he said. "The drugs are there but if you choose not to notice it it's not there."
Staff writers Scott Gargan and Sean Spillane contributed to this report.
email@example.com, @domalleyctpost, 203-330-6230


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text: If you do not already know, E15 is a mixture of 85% gasoline and 15% ethanol. Ethanol can be produced from common crops such as potatoes and corn. Unlike petroleum and coal, corn is very efficient because it is farmed and is widely grown. Since ethanol comes from a renewable energy source, it is cheaper than gasoline alone. The automotive industry is slowing changing and carmakers are well aware of that by producing "flex-fuel" cars that can safely run on blends up to 85% ethanol. In October 2010, the EPA granted a waiver that allowed cars with the model year (my) of 2007 and newer to use E15. (epa.gov) Then in January 21, 2012, the EPA said that light duty vehicles and passengers cars with my2001 and newer can safely use E15 as well. The use of ethanol is increasing and we can expect to see price wars between gasoline and ethanol companies as soon as summer starts (hybridcars.com). This competition will help stimulate the economy and protect the environment at the same time.


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Equipped with high-performance pickups and boasting a surprisingly affordable price tag!
Built on the Deluxe Series platform, this Squier Strat features a rosewood fingerboard, Duncan Designed"¢ HR-101 pickups, large headstock, black plastic parts, parchment pickguard, modern two-point tremolo and five-way switching. This is a traditional Fender® with a modern feel. The Deluxe Hot Rails Strat guitar offers high-output in a single-coil-size pickup with Duncan Designed"¢ versions of Seymour Duncan's Hot Rails humbucking pickups. Incredible sustain with a fat, full sound, yet still responsive to the individual player's touch! Includes a modern two-point tremolo, large headstock design and parchment pickguard.
Whether you're into heavy rock, classic, nu-metal, or something all your own, the Deluxe Hot Rails Strat has all the versatility and vibe you need!
Check the drop-down menu to the right to select colors and/or other options.
- Body: Basswood
- Neck: Maple, C-Shape,
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- Fingerboard: Rosewood, 9.5" Radius (241 mm)
- No. of Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo
- Pickups: 3 Duncan Designed"¢ HR-101 Hot Rails Pickups
- Controls: Master Volume,
- Tone 1. (Neck Pickup),
- Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)
- Pickup Switching: 5-Position Blade:
- Position 1. Bridge Pickup
- Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup
- Position 3. Middle Pickup
- Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup
- Position 5. Neck Pickup
- Bridge: Synchronous Twin-Pivot Tremolo
- Machine Heads: Standard Die-Cast Tuners
- Hardware: Chrome
- Pickguard: 3-Ply Parchment
- Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm)
- Width at Nut: 1.650" (42 mm)
- Unique Features: Large '60s Style Headstock,
- Gold and Black Squier Logo,
- Engraved Neckplate,
- Black Plastic Parts,
- Dot Position Inlays


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MARIANNA � University of South Florida researchers began exhuming human remains of more than 50 students at the former Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna on Saturday morning.
MARIANNA � University of South Florida researchers began exhuming human remains of more than 50 students at the former Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna on Saturday morning.
It�s the first of several excavations USF researchers have planned this year at the shuttered reform school, where over several decades, dozens of students were allegedly beaten, tortured, and sexually abused, according to some former students, who also said they believe other students were killed at the boys school, which was once the largest of its kind in the country.
Forensic anthropologist Erin Kimmerle, lead researcher in the project, said she hopes to have four to six graves fully excavated by Tuesday. Researchers had already determined Saturday that some of the remains were wrapped and buried in coffins. They believe the coffins were constructed in the carpentry shop on the Dozier School campus.
Researchers will use the remains to construct a biological profile that includes the age, sex and ancestry of the deceased.
�It�s everything about you that we can tell from your biology, and that gives us a picture of who the person was,� she said.
From there, researchers will cross-reference a list of Dozier students, then compare DNA samples to confirm the identity. Unidentified remains will be reburied on the Dozier School campus with a casket and marker.
Skeletonized remains will be examined for fractures and other damage to determine if violence had taken place. But whether those conclusions can be made depends on the preservation of individual remains, Kimmerle said.
Researchers believe the burial site contains the bodies of black Dozier School students, and suspect another campus burial for white students exists. The school was segregated until 1968. Kimmerle said Saturday that researchers likely won�t be able to confirm a separate burial site for white students until sometime this winter.
Several former Dozier School students and their relatives stopped by the campus Saturday morning to speak with reporters and USF officials. They described being beaten at a white concrete shed on campus known as The White House, where students were allegedly taken to be physically punished. School officials� primary tool in the punishments, many former students have said, was a leather strap with a wooden handle. Johnny Lee Gaddy, 67, said Saturday he was beaten with the strap until he was �bleeding like a hog.� Other former students have said they were whipped until they passed out.
�They had no heart for children, no compassion for children,� Gaddy said.
Gaddy was sent to the reform school in the 1960s for truancy, as was 68-year-old Richard Huntly. Huntly said Saturday that he, too, was regularly beaten for behavior ranging from fighting to disobedience. Other beatings, he said, seemed to occur at random.
�I was just scared to death during that time,� Huntly said.
Huntly and Gaddy were with a group of former Dozier School students who believe they should receive financial restitution for their years of physical labor at the school, which was owned and operated by the state. The school �made slaves out of us,� Huntly said. He and other students regularly cut timber and sugar cane, and operated tractors. During one instance of such outdoor labor, Huntly�s toe was severed in an accident.
Another former Dozier school student, 67-year-old Roger Kiser, stood outside the school�s razor-wire fence on Saturday and said he�s become �a little numb� to his experience at the school.
�I�ll never forget being beaten at The White House,� he said.
Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet voted earlier this month to allow USF to exhume the bodies. The project has received $190,000 in funding from the state and a $423,528 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. Researchers have one year to exhume, identify and rebury human remains, as well as locate additional burials at the school.


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Friday , January 12, 2018 - 12:06 PM3 comments
ROY — The Roy and Ogden police departments are searching for three suspects allegedly involved in a "gang-related" shooting that occurred in Roy around 1:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 12.
Roy Police Sgt. Matthew Gwynn said dispatchers received several calls about multiple shots fired at a home near the 5000 South block of 2800 West. No injuries were reported.
"We received reports of a vehicle leaving the area — a silver SUV," Gwynn said. "An officer located that vehicle while en route to the scene and attempted to stop the vehicle, and the vehicle fled. The officer was unable to maintain sight of the vehicle, and when he lost the vehicle, he terminated the pursuit."
> Police investigate death of man in Davis jail's booking area
The department then issued an attempt to locate notification with the vehicle's description. Roy Police also asked Ogden Police Department officers to respond to the vehicle owner's address.
"I don't know where they found the vehicle, but they found the vehicle and someone ran from them on foot," Gwynn said. "We have a person we believe is the suspect, but we haven't positively identified anybody yet."
Gwynn said police are unsure who the other two suspects are at this time.
"Our witnesses are being uncooperative," Gwynn said. "They are afraid of retaliation."
> Layton police release details, ID of 3 suspects after Tuesday's standoff
While investigating, Roy officers found 22 casings of 9 mm bullets at the home where the shooting occurred.
Gwynn said the investigation is ongoing.
Contact audience engagement reporter Casie Forbes at firstname.lastname@example.com or follow her on Twitter, @CasieAForbes, or on Facebook, Facebook.com/CasieAForbes. Call her at 801-625-4227.
Sign up for e-mail news updates.


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Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Book-Matched Live-Edge Walnut Slab Table -- 10'L x 40"W
For Additional Details Visit: Book-Matched Live-Edge Walnut Slab Table -- 10'L x 40"W
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CLARKFunctionalArt designs and builds custom one-of-a-kind works of art including slab tables, tree trunk tables, and Nakashima inspired tables. Ancient and contemporary home furnishings are created from solid exotic woods including Teak, Makha, Rosewood, Acacia, and Ebony. The wood is inlay with re-enforcing butterfly joinery of brass, stainless steel, and other exotic woods to enhance beauty and strength. Master-craftsman detail and finish brings out brilliance and fire of the wood.


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The Jaguars vs Steelers match is up for 1:00 PM EST later today. It will be happening at the Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. How...
No. 1 seed, Arizona Wildcats (26-7, 14-4 Conf) is set to take on No. 2 seed USC Trojans (23-10, 12-6 Conf) in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game on Saturday night. The whistle blows...
Marshall vs WKU Live Stream: How to Watch Online
SD State vs New Mexico Live Stream: Team News, TV Info
Providence vs Villanova Live Stream: Team News, TV Info
Giro d'Italia test
Brown vs Harvard Live Stream: Watch College Basketball Online
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Gaylord Man Wins Case Against State Baiting Ban
A Northern Michigan judge has made an important ruling that affects the Michigan Baiting Ban. Yesterday an Otsego County judge dismissed the case against a Gaylord man, who the DNRE ticketed when deer ate from his bird feeders. Now that ruling could have an impact on similar cases around the state. The ruling applies only to a particular part of the baiting ban — and that is for recreational feeding of deer. That statute has even changed since this case began, but the defense attorney says the same arguments that won this case are still valid. It all started with Ken Borton's backyard webcam, or the Snowman Cam as it's called. People all over the world look at it online (www.snowmancam.com) to check weather conditions and watch birds feed. Eventually the DNRE learned that deer occasionally stop and eat the bird seed from the ground. They say Borton was illegally feeding deer. But a judge has now thrown out the case, saying the law is too vague. The prosecuting attorney on the case did not return calls we made to him today. He does have the right to appeal the ruling. The DNRE says they are still reviewing the opinion and have no comment at this time. Erika Waddell and photojournalist Justin DePrekel have the story.


text: Patriots receiver Brandon Lloyd and linebacker Bobby Carpenter (who was recently cut by the team) watched the Celtics' season-opening loss to the Heat Tuesday night while dining at Towne Stove and Spirits. . . . Celts owner Wyc Grousbeck, Peter Meade, Bob Beal, and Mass. Eye and Ear CEO John Fernandez gathered in Mission Hill Wednesday to celebrate the opening of the hospital's new surgical and outpatient center. . . . Sox slugger David Ortiz and his family bowled a few strings at Kings Dedham the other night. . . . Fidelity's Peter Lynch and his wife, Carolyn, were honored for their multimillion-dollar contributions to the Posse Foundation, a college access and youth leadership development program. . . . Bruins forward Milan Lucic and pregnant wife Brittany were strolling hand-in-hand down Newbury Street Wednesday.


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BURLINGTON, N.C. – In their second game of the Conference Carolinas Baseball Tournament, third seeded King University jumped on third seed Coker College early, and didn't look back. The Tornado turned three double plays behind the complete game performance by Alex Gonzalez on the mound in the 7-2 victory to stay in the winner's bracket.
It didn't take King (30-18) long to light up the scoreboard as the second batter of the game, Steven Todoschuk crushed a one-out home run over the centerfield fence that measures at 405 feet. Tyler Gaby extended the lead to 2-0 with a home run to lead off the third inning before the Tornado offense exploded.
Todoschuk restarted the rally with a walk and Garrett Cook put two runners on with two outs when he reached on an infield single. After Carl Roberts walked to load the bases, and Geoff Cieslewitz was hit with the first pitch he saw to push in another run and bring Jose Sola to the plate. Sola ripped the 2-2 offering over the leftfield fence for his first home run of the season, a grand slam, to give the Tornado the 7-0 advantage.
Coker (30-14) got on the board in the bottom of the inning as Keith Wolf rolled a one-out single through the left side that scored Frank Suarez. However, Gonzalez got a fly out and strikeout to end the inning and keep King in the lead.
That was the only blemish on Gonzalez's line until ninth when Coker pushed across another run and had the bases loaded. However, the junior got a groundout on his 145th pitch to give the Tornado the 7-2 win and keep King in the winner's bracket. Gonzalez struck out five while scattering seven hits in second complete game of the season.
Defensively behind Gonzalez, the Tornado turned three double plays, coming in the second, fourth and fifth innings. Cook paced the Tornado offense going 3-for-4 while Gaby, Todoschuk and Sola all recording two hits apiece. Sola tallied a game-high four runs batted in with his first home run of the season.
King will face No. 1 seed, and nationally top-ranked Mount Olive College in the winner's bracket of the Conference Carolinas Tournament tomorrow. First pitch from Burlington, N.C. is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. The winner will advance to Sunday's championship game while the loser will have to play later in the day.


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Okay so word is this. Conditions right now are tough not a lot of snow most of what they had melted. However the storm warning I posted above is only getting better and there is a good chance the area will get dumped on thurs/fri/saturday.
Everything is still moving forward and we will keep looking at the conditions. The Face book group will update conditions daily.
There is also some crazy talk of kiting on the water at pt judith.


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Cornich El Nile, Ramelt Beaulac
Olympic Building, 5th floor
Road 18, Sarayat El Maadi
22, Kamal El-Din Hussein St
Administration Building
Raya Offices (land No. 133)
47 Office Building
1st Floor, Red-Con Building
Raya View in Smart Village
3rd & 4th Floors, Green Tower
Plot 31 El Sheikh Zayed
Find out more about our locations in Cairo.
Call us now on: 096 1188 6795
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Bavaro Hair Spa
1322 South Milwaukee Ave
Libertyville, IL 60048
(847) 362-6262
Mon: Closed
Tue: 10:00AM - 5:00PM
Wed - Thu: 10:00AM - 8:00PM
Fri: 10:00AM - 5:00PM
Sat: 8:00AM - 3:00PM
Sun: Closed
- Blow dry - styling
- Braids
- Bridal Styling Services
- Color Correction
- Eye Brow Design
- Eyebrow Tinting
- Eyebrow Waxing
- Facial Waxing
- Hair Color
- Hair Treatment
- Haircut - Children's Cut
- Haircut - Men's Cut
- Haircut - Women's Cut
- Highlights
- Keratin Straightening Treatment
- Makeup
- Men's Services
- Perm
- Permanent Waves
- Relaxing
- Styling - Styles
- Styling - Updos
- Waxing
- Wigs
- English
- Italian
- American Express
- Cash
- Check
- Debit
- Discover
- Mastercard
- Visa
Gino Bavaro
Certifications & Memberships
5 stars CASSANDRA G Featured review
Have been a client of this excellent salon for over 30 years!!! I have never been disappointed with the cut, color or any other service they provide! I love, love, love this place!
5 stars Lewis S Customer since 2018
A great haircut and lovely color.
They are very attentive and listen to your ideas while offering help and practical advice.
A very pleasurable experience and a brand new look, much complimented by family and friends.
5 stars William Bill G Customer since 2016
I have been coming to Bavaro's for some time. Nick has been cutting my hair. This last visit I asked him for a minor adjustment in one area. I thought it would involve a couple of snips but when he was done he told me what he had done. It was amazing. Not only did he understand exactly what I was requesting but he accomplished with artistry and something that will last. It is probably is something that no-one except me (and him) would notice but it typifies the quality of work that happens consistently at. Bavaro's.
Everyone on the staff there is always friendly and cordial. You can't help but to look forward to your appointment there.
5 stars Peggy C Customer since 2018
loved it!
5 stars PEGGY B Customer since 2015
Excellent cut,color,and shape. Always a wonderful experience . M<any thanks Gino.
5 stars William Bill G Customer since 2016
Extremely great experience. Not only professional but also warm and friendly. This not only nick but the rest of the staff. But most importantly is the compliments that I have gotten on my hair styling.
Super job.
Bill Gronke
5 stars KATHY A Customer since 2015
I cannot say enough wonderful things about Maria! I have really fine hair that has absolutely no body, yet she is able to work her magic and bring a lot of style and life to my hair. I receive so many compliments from others and am thrilled myself with my "new do". There is always hot coffee and cookies at the ready. Also, the friendliest staff I've ever encountered
5 stars MICKIE K Customer since 2014
Bavaro hair is like being home. You feel welcome and taken care of.
Gino is a gentleman, the staff are great, Maria has been cutting my hair for 30+ years and I can't imagine going anywhere else
Thank you
5 stars JUDY Y Customer since 2014
I Love my haircut! And the cushion color is awesome!! Maria is The Best!
1 stars Anonymous Verified customer
The experience was nice but they up sell you and never mention the astronomical prices. Over $500 for hair services is ridiculous. I'll be taking my business elsewhere.
5 stars William Bill G Customer since 2016
First class. Another great experience. Professional courteous staff. Most importantly a great haircut. Thank you again Nick
Also in Libertyville
Companion Animal Hospital Vernon Hills
I visited Companion Animal Hospital with my dogs yesterday and we had a wonderful experience. The staff is so kind, and knowledgeable. They made us feel like we were the most important patients of the day and went to great lengths to make us feel welcome. And, most importantly, they provided excellent veterinary care and discussed in detail each dogs specific health scenario and all of the options and possible avenues for treatment. I am so happy that I was referred to Companion AH. I look forward to a long relationship with them.Read More …
Libertyville Vision Center
David W. Honey, DMD
Care Animal Hospital of Libertyville
Affinity Integrated Healthcare
The Werk Shop
Berry Tire & Auto
Northern Illinois Cat Clinic


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Hospital Forced To Provide EMR Data Access By Court
Anne Zieger is a healthcare journalist who has written about the industry for 30 years. Her work has appeared in all of the leading healthcare industry publications, and she's served as editor in chief of several healthcare B2B sites.
A New Hampshire hospital has been forced by the state's Superior Court to provide public health officials with access to its EMR so they can further investigate a major hepatitis C outbreak.
Exeter Hospital had been ordered by the state's Division of Public Health Services to release patient records, but had challenged the order, arguing that it would be violating state and federal law if it provided free access to EMR records.
The issue dates back to July, when a lab technician formerly employed by the hospital was arrested in connection of a hep C outbreak affecting more than 30 patients. The lab tech, who has hep C, allegedly stole fentanyl-filled syringes from the hospital, injected the fentanyl, then refilled the dirty syringes with another substance.
The hospital sought guidance from the courts in an effort to learn just how much access it would have to provide without running afoul of HIPAA and state privacy laws. (If I were running Exeter Hospital I certainly would have done the same thing; otherwise, one would think it'd be wide-open liable to suits by patients who objected to the data sharing.)
Now, it seems, the hospital is satisfied that patients involved in the outbreak are adequately protected. From its official statement on the matter:
The Court pointed out that the State needs to follow very specific, CDC-sanctioned protocols in collecting data from Exeter Hospital's electronic medical record system and can only obtain the minimum amount of information necessary to complete its investigation. The Court has also emphasized that the information collected by the State cannot be re-published which helps to protect the privacy of patients.
For both the patients' and Exeter's sake, let's hope that the public health authorities involved handle such explosive data with extreme care. A data breach at this point would not only have devastating consequences — particularly if the hepatitis C sufferers' names were made public — it would also plunge all involved into a legal nightmare. For their sake, I'm hoping for the best.


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Ever get one of those text messages from the guy or girl you're crushing on, and it drives you crazy trying to figure it out? Of course you have.
In the interest of promoting a greater dating dialogue, RedEye asked two singles to help out each other—and the dating public at large. Dana Moran and Stephen Markley swapped nine text messages they've received from the opposite sex and volunteered to translate the subtext of the other person's texts on behalf of his or her gender.


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Download here: Episode 37 - Slithering Creatures
In this episode we'll be speaking about snake robots slithering through pipes, disaster areas and even your body. We first speak with expert Howie Choset from Carnegie Mellon University about the big-picture concerning these reptile-like machines. We then turn to Erik Kyrkjebø from SINTEF Applied Cybernetic in Norway for an in depth coverage of their pipe inspection snake robots.
Howie Choset
Howie Choset is an associate professor and the director of the BioRobotics Lab at Carnegie Mellon University where his research in path planning, motion planning and estimation have been used to control a range of snake-inspired robots. Choset tells us how snake robots can slither, slide, squeeze or climb into places that people, or even other types of robots can't reach. He explains the basics of snake robot design and the mechanical challenges faced by robots that have so many degrees of freedom. He also talks about the multitude of different gaits a snake robot can use and how they are particularly suited for search and rescue, industrial inspection and even minimally-invasive surgery.
Erik Kyrkjebø
Erik Kyrkjebø is Senior Researcher at the Applied Cybernetic departement at SINTEF in Norway which is the largest independent research organization in Scandinavia. SINTEF is focused on bridging the gap between academia and industry through very down to earth projects.
From the multi-robot coordination he studied during his PhD at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, he's now gone to multi-link snake robots. The resulting PiKo robot developed at SINTEF is intended for pipe inspection tasks and can move up and down vertical pipes and negotiate corners.
Kyrkjebø discusses the specific technical details and challenges regarding the autonomy and locomotion of his slithering machines including batteries, wet environments, sensors and control. He also presents another snake robot developed at SINTEF that can fight fire. This Anna Konda is propelled using water and at the same can use the water to calm the flames.
So, will we soon be seeing snake robots climb into our bathroom?


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[caption id="attachment_3046" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="'Restrepo' film directors Sebastian Junger (left) and Tim Hetherington (right) at the Restrepo outpost in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan. Junger and Hetherington jointly directed, filmed and produced the movie 'Restrepo' from June 2007 to January 2010. Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, Kunar Province. 2007. (Photograph © Tim Hetherington)"][/caption]
In the DC area this weekend? Then we hope you'll check out RESTREPO, a film from Vanity Fair correspondents Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington being shown at AFI's SilverDocs festival this Friday at 5:00pm and Sunday at 7:00pm. Junger will be joined by Major Daniel Kearney at Friday's screening; on Sunday Major Kearney will be joined by Sgt. Misha Pemble-Belkin. Click here to purchase tickets!
RESTREPO is a feature-length documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, "Restrepo," named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. This is an entirely experiential film: the cameras never leave the valley; there are no interviews with generals or diplomats. The only goal is to make viewers feel as if they have just been through a 94-minute deployment. This is war, full stop. The conclusions are up to you.
The directors have this to say about their experience: "The war in Afghanistan has become highly politicized, but soldiers rarely take part in that discussion. Our intention was to capture the experience of combat, boredom and fear through the eyes of the soldiers themselves. Their lives were our lives: we did not sit down with their families, we did not interview Afghans, we did not explore geopolitical debates. Soldiers are living and fighting and dying at remote outposts in Afghanistan in conditions that few Americans back home can imagine. Their experiences are important to understand, regardless of one's political beliefs. Beliefs can be a way to avoid looking at reality. This is reality."
Please join us at SilverDocs on Friday or Sunday and keep an eye on this blog for upcoming news on this powerful documentary!
Their journey is everyone's responsibility. From the moment they enlist, through their assignments and deployments, and as they transition back to their communities, they can rely on your support.


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Sunday, August 26, 2012, 1:05 P.M.
Comerica Park
2100 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48201
BBI members and volunteers had group seating in two sections:
> Kaline's Corner for $36 per ticket ($18 is a donation).
> Lower Baseline Box Seats for $54 ($16 is a donation).
NOTE: Sunday is Kids Day at Comerica Park.
Children 14 & under received an insulated lunch bag, free rides on the Carousel, and had a chance to run bases on the field after the game.


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On Tuesday night we had our first membership event: a lecture with the High Line's planting designer, Piet Oudolf. You may have seen Piet's beautiful work in the gardens at Battery Park City, Millennium Park in Chicago, or at other sites elsewhere around the world.
Piet discussed his theory of planting design, which he describes as "inspired by nature". He then took us through the planting design plan for the High Line. The planting beds will vary based on the landscape design; some areas will be planted to feel more like a meadow, some a prairie, some woodland, and so on. This variation is based on the different microclimates that developed naturally on the High Line after trains stopped running on it. Piet also uses perennials that require less maintenance, and will look good throughout all four seasons.
'Brown is also a color': Planting Design Piet Oudolf Accepts Death
Another one of Piet's presentations is on our Web site.
Photos from Tuesday's presentation are after the jump.


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A Message from the Dean of the College
Avis E. Hinkson
Greetings and a warm welcome as you begin the 2017-2018 academic year. Our website describes the many student services the College has to offer. Each of these services is staffed by individuals who are available to work with you, hear your views, and address your concerns. As this is a partnership, it is your responsibility to avail yourself of the many resources we provide. We look forward to getting to know you better and supporting you in your developmental process and successes.
I am a proud Barnard alumna whose life was changed in dramatic and positive ways by this College. It is my hope that your experience at Barnard will be equally as fulfilling. May your year be filled with academic and personal discoveries, much happiness, and the feeling of accomplishment that results from achieving more than even you thought possible.
Meeting and working with Barnard students is a delight for me. Your interests, concerns, questions and good humor will provide the foundation for a great conversation. So, I invite you to drop by my office, make an appointment to meet with me by calling 212-854-3075, or email me at email@example.com.
Have a productive and fun year!
Avis E. Hinkson'84