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Modest good news for college students: An annual survey predicts employers will increase hiring of new four-year college graduates about 5 percent in the coming year. Demand for graduates with associate degrees is expected to increase more sharply — by about 30 percent — compared to last year's survey, while MBA hiring appears headed for an unexpected decline.
The 42nd annual survey out Thursday from Michigan State University's College Employment Research Institute collects responses on hiring plans from more than 2,000 U.S. employers. It paints a mixed picture reflecting an improving economy but also uncertainty over whether Congress and the White House will carry the country off the fiscal cliff in January, potentially sending the economy back into recession.
The hiring numbers are certainly better than for students who graduated at the depths of the recession, but overall indicate less aggressive hiring than the last couple of years, which survey director Phil Gardner attributed to the political situation as well as weakness in sectors like defense. The survey was conducted before President Barack Obama won a second term.
"Everybody just stopped making decisions to see how this election was going to play out," Gardner said. "A lot of people are sitting on the fence."
For four-year college graduates, the report finds employers are looking most actively for business-related majors, but demand is also strong for "all majors," an indication that many employers want critical thinking skills that can be developed in many different courses of study. Demand for engineering, accounting and computer science majors appears somewhat softer than in previous years.
As for those with MBAs, or master's level business degrees, Gardner said it appears companies are more willing to fill jobs with bachelor's-only recipients, who command less salary. That's unfortunate for a glut of MBA students still coming up through the system.
"The top-school MBA grads aren't going to have a problem," Gardner said. "It's all these kids without a lot of professional experience that aren't at the top-tier programs that will probably struggle to find work that is an 'MBA job.'"
Alex Mitchell, a Michigan State journalism student scheduled to graduate in December, said he and his fellow students have long since reconciled themselves to a tough slog getting their first jobs. A string of internships and other pre-professional experiences in college is essential, and some students, he said, will have to settle for internships even after they graduate.
Personally, he's realized journalism jobs will be hard to land and is looking for work in public relations. He's optimistic, but with 15 applications out, he is still looking for his first interview. He'd hoped to settle in Michigan or next-door Ohio to be near family but realizes he may have to broaden his horizons.
"I may have to reach out across some different states or maybe elsewhere around the country to get that initial position before I get back," he said. As for the market, "there's just a lot of people who've been out there a little bit longer, out of school longer, and have more experience than myself."
While higher degrees generally translate into higher earnings, there are wide variations across fields of study and careers, and students have to factor debt into the equation if they need to borrow for tuition. According to Georgetown University researchers, roughly 30 percent of associate degree recipients earn more than people with bachelor's degrees. Those with mere certificates in engineering earn roughly 20 percent more than the average generic bachelor's degree recipient.
A recent study by The Project on Student Debt found that two-thirds of the college class of 2011 nationally finished school with loan debt, and those who borrowed owed on average $26,600, up about 5 percent from the class before. Still, most experts insist that while a bachelor's degree doesn't necessarily pay off with a first job, it eventually more than does so, in hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional lifetime earnings.
A major part of that is simply staying employed: For those 25 and older with a college degree, the unemployment rate is now just 3.8 percent. For those with some college or an associate degree, it's 6.9 percent, and for those with just a high school diploma it's 8.4 percent.

subset: commoncrawl


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Plenty of us got our fill of green-colored food on St. Patrick's Day. (Green beer, anyone?) But for some people, associating taste with color is more than just a once-a-year experience.
These people have synesthesia — a neurological condition in which stimulation of one sense (e.g., taste) produces experiences in a totally different sense (e.g., sight). According to researcher Sean Day, approximately one in 27 people has some form of synesthesia.
We've covered this phenomenon in the past. And I'm a synesthete myself — I see letters and numbers in color, and associate sounds with shapes and textures. But only a very few people — maybe only 1 percent of synesthetes — have sensory crossovers that affect their relationship with food and drink.
Jaime Smith is one of those people. He's a sommelier by trade, and he has a rare gift: He smells in colors and shapes.
For Smith, who lives in Las Vegas, a white wine like Nosiola has a "beautiful aquamarine, flowy, kind of wavy color to it." Other smells also elicit three-dimensional textures and colors on what he describes as a "projector" in his mind's eye.
This "added dimension," Smith says, enhances his ability to appraise and analyze wines. "I feel that I have an advantage over a lot of people, particularly in a field where you're judged on how good of a smeller you are," he says.
Atlanta-based pastry chef Taria Camerino also has synesthesia. But for her, synesthesia is more than just an advantage — it's a necessity.
Camerino experiences the world through taste. She tastes music, colors, shapes and even people's emotions. She says she has a hard time remembering what things look or sound like, but she can immediately identify objects based on their synesthetic flavors.
"I don't know what a box looks like unless it's in front of me. I don't know what the color green looks like. But I know what green tastes like," she says.
I don't know what the color green looks like. But I know what green tastes like.
In addition to working as a pastry chef, Camerino is often asked by clients to make dishes that mimic her synesthetic experiences. She creates "flavor profiles" of things like satisfaction and discontent. She takes inspiration from music to put together nine-course tastings featuring dishes like moss-flavored cotton candy and oyster ceviche.
"I move through the world this way all the time," she explains. "If I want someone to understand it, I have to create a dish out of it. I have to make it palatable."
A synesthete himself, Sean Day is president of the American Synesthesia Association and has been tracking research on this condition for more than three decades. (He runs a popular international mailing list on the topic.)
Summarizing the state of current research, Day says the brains of synesthetes do appear to be anatomically different (although he cautions that scientists have only studied a few types of synesthesia so far). In particular, it seems that the neural connections between different sensory parts of the brain are more myelinated in people with synesthesia. Myelin is a fatty sheath that surrounds neurons and enables neural signals to travel more quickly.
"Because the myelination is different, the interaction between certain parts of the brain is different," explains Day. This allows parts of the brain that are responsible for different senses to communicate when they normally wouldn't.
Hypermyelination could explain why synesthetic experiences seem so real for people like British IT consultant James Wannerton, who is also the president of the UK Synaesthesia Association.
Wannerton has a particularly intrusive form of synesthesia, in which sounds, words and colors all have taste and texture. "It's like having an eyedropper of taste sort of dripped on your tongue constantly, just one after another after another," he explains. "It's a full mouth feel. It's exactly like I'm eating something."
Even Wannerton's brain gets fooled. "I wouldn't know what a hunger pang is because I don't get hungry," he says. "My brain [is] constantly pumping acid into my stomach to dissolve food that isn't there."
Synesthesia affects his social life, too. Eating out, for example, is a nightmare: "Different voices, the ambient atmosphere in the restaurant, it all makes a difference to my experience," says Wannerton. "You serve me food on a blue plate — it just totally messes up the eating sensation."
And some people's names aren't very pleasant, either. "If I don't like somebody's name ... I won't like them very much," he explains unabashedly.
My name, Audrey, for example, tastes strongly of tinned tomatoes. "If I actually had to speak with you every day, I'd try and shorten [your name] somehow," Wannerton tells me.
But even though his synesthesia can be quite disruptive at times (it's "absolutely ludicrous," he admits), at the end of the day, Wannerton still enjoys it.
And most synesthetes would agree, including sommelier Jaime Smith. "My synthie thing is the added bonus for me," he says. "[It's] the joy and sometimes the fun of it all."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Pregnancy & Newborn Health
Find your care
If you are a new patient seeking prenatal care, please call 310-794-7274. If you are an established patient and need to reach labor and delivery, call 310-825-9111 for Westwood or 424-259-9250 for Santa Monica.
More than 4 million babies will be born in the U.S. this year alone. Now more than ever, mothers-to-be have access to current information, advanced technologies, and skilled medical personnel to help them plan for a healthy pregnancy and childbirth.
If you are planning to become pregnant, you can do many things to help reduce risks to both you and your baby, as proper health before deciding to become pregnant is almost as important as maintaining a healthy body during pregnancy.
If you are already expecting, you can do many things to help minimize pregnancy and delivery complications -- while also helping to provide the healthiest environment for the developing fetus, and ultimately to ensure the health of your newborn.
By following a healthy lifestyle, including a well-balanced diet and regular exercise, avoiding certain harmful substances and potentially dangerous activities or situations, and by finding a qualified caregiver to manage your pregnancy, labor, and delivery, you will be taking the appropriate steps toward the delivery of a healthy baby.
UCLA Health OBGYN & UCLA BirthPlace: Pregnancy Education
We are pleased to provide you with education for every stage of your pregnancy.


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Mickey Rooney leaves legacy of talent
Published 12:00 am Monday, April 7, 2014
LOS ANGELES (AP) Mickey Rooney's approach to life was simple: "Let's put on a show!" He spent nine decades doing it, on the big screen, on television, on stage and in his extravagant personal life.
A superstar in his youth, Rooney was Hollywood's top box-office draw in the late 1930s to early 1940s. He epitomized the "show" part of show business, even if the business end sometimes failed him amid money troubles and a seesaw of career tailspins and revivals.
Pint-sized, precocious, impish, irrepressible perhaps hardy is the most-suitable adjective for Rooney, a perennial comeback artist whose early blockbuster success as the vexing but wholesome Andy Hardy and as Judy Garland's musical comrade in arms was bookended 70 years later with roles in "Night at the Museum" and "The Muppets."
Rooney died Sunday at age 93 surrounded by family at his North Hollywood home, police said. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office said Rooney died a natural death.
There were no further details immediately available on the cause of death, but Rooney did attend Vanity Fair's Oscar party last month, where he posed for photos with other veteran stars and seemed fine. He was also shooting a movie at the time of his death, "The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde," with Margaret O'Brien.
He was nominated for four Academy Awards over a four-decade span and received two special Oscars for film achievements, won an Emmy for his TV movie "Bill" and had a Tony nomination for his Broadway smash "Sugar Babies."
"I loved working with Mickey on `Sugar Babies.' He was very professional, his stories were priceless and I love them all … each and every one. We laughed all the time," Carol Channing said.
A small man physically, Rooney was prodigious in talent, scope, ambition and appetite. He sang and danced, played roles both serious and silly, wrote memoirs, a novel, movie scripts and plays and married eight times, siring 11 children.
His first marriage to the glamorous, and taller, Ava Gardner lasted only a year. But a fond recollection from Rooney years later "I'm 5 feet 3, but I was 6 feet 4 when I married Ava" summed up the man's passion and capacity for life.
Rooney began as a toddler in his parents' vaudeville act in the 1920s. He was barely six when he first appeared on screen, playing a midget in the 1926 silent comedy short "Not to Be Trusted," and he was still at it more than 80 years later, working incessantly as he racked up about 250 screen credits in a career unrivaled for length and variety.
"I always say, `Don't retire inspire,"' Rooney said in an interview with The Associated Press in March 2008. "There's a lot to be done."
This from a man who did more than just about anyone in Hollywood and outlasted pretty much everyone from old Hollywood.
Rooney was among the last survivors of the studio era, which his career predated, most notably with the lead in a series of "Mickey McGuire" kid comedy shorts from the late 1920s to early `30s that were meant to rival Hal Roach's "Our Gang" flicks.
After signing with MGM in 1934, Rooney landed his first big role playing Clark Gable's character as a boy in "Manhattan Melodrama." A year later, still only in his mid-teens, Rooney was doing Shakespeare, playing an exuberant Puck in Max Reinhardt's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which also featured James Cagney and Olivia de Havilland.
Rooney soon was earning $300 a week with featured roles in such films as "Riff Raff," "Little Lord Fauntleroy," "Captains Courageous" and "The Devil Is a Sissy."
Then came Andy Hardy in the 1937 comedy "A Family Affair," a role he would reprise in 15 more feature films over the next two decades. Centered on a kindly small-town judge (Lionel Barrymore) who delivers character-building homilies to troublesome son Andy, it was pure corn, but it turned out to be golden corn for MGM, becoming a runaway success with audiences.
"I knew `A Family Affair' was a B picture, but that didn't stop me from putting my all in it," Rooney recalled.
Studio boss Louis B. Mayer saw "A Family Affair" as a template for a series of movies about a model American home. Cast changes followed, most notably with Lewis Stone replacing Barrymore in the sequels, but Rooney stayed on, his role built up until he became the focus of the films, which included "The Courtship of Andy Hardy," "Andy Hardy's Double Life" and "Love Finds Andy Hardy," the latter featuring fellow child star Garland.
He played a delinquent humbled by Spencer Tracy as Father Flanagan in 1938's "Boys Town" and Mark Twain's timeless scamp in 1939's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
Rooney's peppy, all-American charm was never better matched than when he appeared opposite Garland in such films as "Babes on Broadway" and "Strike up the Band," musicals built around that "Let's put on a show" theme.
One of them, 1939's "Babes in Arms," earned Rooney a best-actor Oscar nomination, a year after he received a special Oscar shared with Deanna Durbin for "bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth, and as juvenile players setting a high standard of ability and achievement."
He earned another best-actor nomination for 1943's "The Human Comedy," adapted from William Saroyan's sentimental tale about small-town life during World War II. The performance was among Rooney's finest.
"Mickey Rooney, to me, is the closest thing to a genius I ever worked with," "Human Comedy" director Clarence Brown once said.
Brown also directed Rooney and Elizabeth Taylor in 1944's horse-racing hit "National Velvet," but by then, Rooney was becoming a cautionary tale for early fame. He earned a reputation for drunken escapades and quickie romances and was unlucky in both money and love. In 1942 he married for the first time, to Gardner, the statuesque MGM beauty. He was 21, she was 19.
They divorced a year later. Rooney joined the Army, spending most of his World War II service entertaining troops.
When he returned to Hollywood, disillusionment awaited him. His savings had been stolen by a manager and his career was in a nose dive. He made two films at MGM, then his contract was dropped.
"I began to realize how few friends everyone has," he wrote in one of autobiographies. "All those Hollywood friends I had in 1938, 1939, 1940 and 1941, when I was the toast of the world, weren't friends at all."
His movie career never regained its prewar eminence. "The Bold and the Brave," 1956 World War II drama, brought him an Oscar nomination as best supporting actor. But mostly, he played second leads in such films as "Off Limits" with Bob Hope, "The Bridges at Toko-Ri" with William Holden, and "Requiem for a Heavyweight" with Anthony Quinn.
In the early 1960s, he had a wild turn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" as Audrey Hepburn's bucktoothed Japanese neighbor, and he was among the fortune seekers in the all-star comedy "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World."
Rooney's starring roles came in low-budget films such as "Drive a Crooked Road," "The Atomic Kid," "Platinum High School," "The Twinkle in God's Eye" and "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini."
But no one ever could count Rooney out. He earned a fourth Oscar nomination, as supporting actor, for 1979's "Black Stallion," the same year he starred with Ann Miller in the Broadway revue "Sugar Babies," which brought him a Tony nomination and millions of dollars during his years with the show.
"I've been coming back like a rubber ball for years," Rooney wisecracked at the time.
In 1981 came his Emmy-winning performance as a disturbed man in "Bill." He found success with voice roles for animated films such as "The Fox and the Hound," "The Care Bears Movie" and the blockbuster "Finding Nemo."
"He was undoubtedly the most talented actor that ever lived. There was nothing he couldn't do. Singing, dancing, performing … all with great expertise," Margaret O'Brien said. "I was currently doing a film with him, "The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr Hyde." I simply can't believe it. He seemed fine through the filming and was as great as ever."
Over the years, Rooney also made hundreds of appearances on TV talk and game shows, dramas and variety programs. He starred in three short-lived series: "The Mickey Rooney Show" (1954); "Mickey" (1964); and "One of the Boys" (1982). A co-star from "One of the Boys," Dana Carvey, later parodied Rooney on "Saturday Night Live," mocking him as a hopeless egomaniac who couldn't stop boasting he once was "the number one star … IN THE WO-O-ORLD!"
A lifelong storyteller, Rooney wrote two memoirs: "i.e., an Autobiography" published in 1965, and "Life Is Too Short," 1991. He also produced a novel about a child movie star, "The Search for Sonny Skies," in 1994.
In the autobiographies, Rooney gave two versions of his debut in show business. First he told of being 1 and climbing into the orchestra pit of the burlesque theater where his parents were appearing. He sat on a kettle drum and pretended to be playing his whistle, vastly amusing the audience.
The second autobiography told a different story: He was hiding under the scenery when he sneezed. Dragged out by an actor, the toddler was ordered to play his harmonica. He did, and the crowd loved it.
Whatever the introduction, Joe Yule Jr., born in 1920, was the star of his parents' act by the age of 2, singing "Sweet Rosie O'Grady" in a tiny tuxedo. His father was a baggy-pants comic, Joe Yule, his mother a dancer, Nell Carter. Yule was a boozing Scotsman with a wandering eye, and the couple soon parted.
While his mother danced in the chorus, young Joe was wowing audiences with his heartfelt rendition of "Pal o' My Cradle Days." During a tour to California, the boy made his film debut in 1926's "Not to Be Trusted."
The Mickey McGuire short comedies that followed gave him a new stage name, later appended, at his mother's suggestion, to the last name Rooney, after vaudeville dancer Pat Rooney.
After splitting with Gardner, Rooney married Betty Jane Rase, Miss Birmingham of 1944, whom he had met during military training in Alabama. They had two sons and divorced after four years. (Their son Timothy died in September 2006 at age 59 after a battle with a muscle disease called dermatomyositis.)
His third and fourth marriages were to actress Martha Vickers (one son) and model Elaine Mahnken.
The fifth Mrs. Rooney, model Barbara Thomason, gave birth to four children. While the couple were estranged in 1966, she was found shot to death in her Brentwood home; beside her was the body of her alleged lover, a Yugoslavian actor. It was an apparent murder and suicide.
A year later, Rooney began a three-month marriage to Margaret Lane. She was followed by a secretary, Caroline Hockett another divorce after five years and one daughter.
In 1978, Rooney, 57, married for the eighth and apparently last time. His bride was singer Janice Darlene Chamberlain, 39. Their marriage lasted longer than the first seven combined.
After a lifetime of carrying on, he became a devoted Christian and member of the Church of Religious Science. He settled in suburban Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles west of Los Angeles. In 2011, Rooney was in the news again when he testified before Congress about abuse of the elderly, alleging that he was left powerless by a family member who took and misused his money.
"I felt trapped, scared, used and frustrated," Rooney told a special Senate committee considering legislation to curb abuses of senior citizens. "But above all, when a man feels helpless, it's terrible."
That year Rooney took his stepson Christopher Aber and others to court on allegations that they tricked him into thinking he was on the brink of poverty while defrauding him out of millions and bullying him into continuing to work. At the time, Aber declined comment on the suit except to say, "this lawsuit is not from Mickey Rooney it's from his conservators who are stealing from him." The New York Times reported that the suit was settled last year.
Biographical material in this story was written by former AP reporter David Germain and late AP reporter Bob Thomas. National Writer Hillel Italie in New York contributed to this report.


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Skift Take
Global hotel chains like Starwood and Marriott are looking to small boutique and design hotels for inspiration. They then make it their own by designing a space that fits the need of their often more diverse guest set.
Hotels want you to stay a while — in their lobbies.
Long treated as dead spaces that hotel guests raced through on the way to the elevator, lobbies are being transformed into places to work, surf the Web or meet friends for a drink.
Large, traditional hotels are spending billions in renovations to try to mimic the style and financial success of luxury and boutique hotels, which have always drawn free-spending crowds to their lobbies. Walls are being torn down to make lobbies feel less confined. Communal tables are popping up. Wine lists are being upgraded. And quiet nooks are being carved out that give business travelers space to work but still be near the action.
Companies like Marriott, Starwood and Hyatt are betting that more vibrant lobbies will leave guests — especially younger ones — with a better feeling about their stay, even if their room is bland. Hotel owners say the investments are beginning to pay off, not just in alcohol sales, but in their ability to charge higher room rates.
"People want to go where people are," says Michael Slosser, managing director of operations for Destination Hotels and Resorts, a group of 40 hotels in the U.S. "They want to go to be seen, to relax and to people watch."
The changes are meant to attract travelers like Michael Coscetta, a 31-year-old consultant from Wantagh, N.Y., who spends about 90 nights a year on the road.
"Working in a hotel room feels claustrophobic," says Coscetta, who instead takes his laptop and heads to the lobby or a nearby coffee shop.
Steve Carvell, associate dean for academic affairs at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, says younger guests "very much want that sense of not feeling alone, even though they are."
U.S. hotels are forecast to spend $5.6 billion on capital improvements this year, up 10 percent from 2012 and more than double the $2.7 billion spent in 2010, according to a study by Bjorn Hanson, dean of New York University's hospitality school. The bulk of that money pays for new beds, showers and other room improvements. But Hanson says a "proportionally record amount" of money is going to reconfiguring lobbies.
Marriott International, Inc. is freshening up lobbies in its namesake brand with "Great Rooms" that feature free Wi-Fi, comfortable seats and menus stocked with small dishes and local craft beers. The concept was first tested in 2007 and is expected to be in 70 percent of the 550 Marriott hotels worldwide by the end of the year.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. — the company behind trendy W Hotels — launched a $4 billion lobby revitalization of its Sheraton brand in 2009. Nearly half of the 427 Sheratons worldwide now have lobbies with communal areas, modern rugs, improved lighting and flat-screen TVs at the bar.
Additionally, Sheraton has tried to inject a bit of pizazz to all its lobbies by adding upscale wine lists, each rated by Wine Spectator magazine.
Having better wines gives waitresses "something more to talk about than 'Can I take your drink and where are you from?'" says Rick Ueno, general manager of the Sheraton Chicago.
It also gives the hotel more revenue. In the first six months of this year, the hotel bar sold 18,000 glasses of wine. That's 24 percent more than the same period last year. At $14 a glass, that adds up to $50,000 more in revenue.
Nearby, the Hyatt Regency Chicago spent $168 million to spruce up its lobby, adding clusters of chairs and couches, a grab-and-go marketplace and a restaurant that flows into rest of the lobby. Similar renovations have taken place at Hyatts in New York, Atlanta and San Francisco.
Robert Mandelbaum, director of research information services at consulting firm PKF Hospitality Research, says the changes are "very much guest driven."
"It isn't fun being one of 20 business people sitting by yourself in a hotel restaurant reading a magazine, eating the $19.95 steak special," Mandelbaum says.
While overall hotel food and beverage revenue has fallen 27 percent in the last five years, sales in hotel bars have grown 5 percent, according to Mandelbaum.
Grand old luxury hotels, like New York's Plaza and Chicago's Drake, have long relied on their public spaces to help distinguish themselves.
But as national hotel chains developed in the 1960s, designs became standardized and bland. Guests no longer selected hotels by the looks of the lobby but on the brand's reputation.
A brief lobby renaissance kicked off in 1967 with the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. The hotel's 22-story atrium and rooftop revolving restaurant made it a tourist destination. Similar hotels soon popped up in San Francisco, Houston, Detroit and Los Angeles. But the oil crises of 1973 and 1979 made heating and cooling giant atriums impractical.
Increased use of wheeled suitcases reduced the need for bellmen and the space they occupied. The lobby became a place to swipe a credit card, get a room key and leave. By the 1980s, they resembled bunkers, with low ceilings and few windows.
"The industry really failed by letting the lobbies get hollow," says Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson.
Then in 1984, Ian Schrager and his business partner Steve Rubell — the men behind the famed 1970s nightclub Studio 54 — opened the Morgans Hotel in New York. The rooms were tiny. But its stylized lobby redefined the industry.
Robert Mapplethorpe photographs were commissioned for the walls. Nightclub music blared. When it first opened, locals waited behind red velvet ropes to enter.
"The lobby established the pricing of the hotel," says NYU's Hanson.
It would take more than a decade for chains to catch on. Then, in 1998, Starwood opened the W New York. The lobby became the "living room." Forget food. The emphasis was on drinks with higher profit margins. Guests clamored at the bar to buy $14 cosmopolitans and sour apple martinis.
Other hotel chains eventually followed with their own boutique brands, including Hyatt's Andaz and InterContinental's Indigo. Marriott partnered with Schrager to launch its own "lifestyle" brand. But traditional convention, airport and city center hotels were largely ignored until now.
Revamping lobbies is a delicate balancing act: attract younger road warriors but don't turn away baby boomers with loud, thumping music.
Sheraton's first lobby modernization came in 2006 when it partnered with Microsoft to provide free computers. Soon it was selling Starbucks to lingering guests.
"As people spent more time in the lobby, they were more willing to purchase food and beverages," says Hoyt Harper, the senior vice president in charge of Sheraton.
Nearly 15.1 million — or half of — Sheraton guests use the computers each year. Just 5.8 million use the gym.
Pushing through costly renovations isn't easy. Most chain hotels are owned by smaller companies that must meet the larger brand's standards in exchange for using the Sheraton, Marriott or Hyatt name. Some need convincing to understand the benefits of spending millions on a lobby revamp.
For proof that the investment works, look no further than Destination Hotels and the $26 million renovation of its seaside L'Auberge Del Mar resort in Southern California. Its new living room-style lobby features large doors that open out to the ocean, allowing the breeze to flow through. A fireplace warms guests on cold days as they enjoy $25 charcuterie plates and $12 hibiscus margaritas.
Prior to the renovation, the hotel sold $450,000 worth of food and drinks in its lobby each year. Today, it sells more than double that.
"If they are comfortable in the space and surrounded by others, they will stay and spend more money," says Destination's Slosser. "They become not concerned about the price. They're much more interested in staying there and enjoying their life."
Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at @GlobeTrotScott.
Copyright (2013) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Tags: hyatt, marriott, starwood
Photo credit: In this July 3, 2013, photo, guests socialize in the newly-redesigned bar area during "social hour" at a Sheraton hotel in Seattle. Elaine Thompson / AP Photo


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Marmot Γάντια Ορειβασίας Women's On-Piste Glove
MA-18200Άμεσα διαθέσιμο
Marmot Membrain™ lamination utilizes advance technology that balances the best in performance of breathability, waterproofness, and water repellency with excellent durability. With a minimum of 10, 000mm / 10,000mm performance it's guaranteed to keep you dry and comfortable in the worst of weather.
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Waterproofness: 10,000 mm minimum JIS-L 1092
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Hohenstein RET: 6 to 8
Technology: 2 layer Hydrophilic PU Lamination
DriClime® mesh is a bi-component denier gradient dimensional knit made of two different denier yarns. Using extremely fine deniers this knit is extremely light with superior wicking performance.
The larger outer yarns are a special filament yarn with an open capillary structure, which pulls the moisture away from the skin to the backside of the mesh where it spreads to increase evaporation. The dimensional structure of the knit combined with the smaller denier yarns on the backside of the mesh increase the surface area allowing for greater moisture holding capacity.
This technology increases the interior comfort of the garment by enabling the wearer to feel less clammy and more comfortable over a wide range of temperatures and conditions. The mesh prevents condensation from collecting on the skin no matter what the level of activity due to its 3 dimensional structure. The dimensional knit structure also helps by spreading the moisture over a larger surface area maximizing the efficiency of the evaporate process. This technology solves the problem of condensation and internal comfort that even the most breathable of fabrics have problems with during high intensity activities.
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From jackets and pants to gloves and sleeping bags, Marmot's Thermal R™ insulation is our ultra-warm synthetic solution for cold weather activities.
Thermal R™ is Marmot's proprietary family of polyester insulations specifically engineered to meet various cold weather needs.
The unique combination of multi-channel and hollow fibers is designed to provide maximum warmth while reducing the adverse effects of perspiration, condensation and humidity. The fine multi-channeled fiber transports away moisture while the hollow fibers provide excellent loft with minimum weight.
Thermal R™ insulation is resilient, has excellent warmth to weight, and is highly durable.


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Jobless Americans are paying millions in unnecessary fees to collect unemployment benefits because of state policies encouraging them to get the money through bank-issued payment cards, according to a new report from a consumer group.
People are using the fee-heavy cards instead of getting their payments deposited directly to their bank accounts. That's because states issue bank cards automatically, require complicated paperwork or phone calls to set up direct deposit and fail to explain the card fees, according to a report issued Tuesday by the National Consumer Law Center, a nonprofit group that seeks to protect low-income Americans from unfair financial-services products. An early copy of the report was obtained by The Associated Press.
Until the past decade, states distributed unemployment compensation by mailing out paper checks. Some also allowed direct deposit. The system worked well for people who had bank accounts and could deposit the check without paying a fee.
It also cost states millions of dollars each year to print and mail the checks.
Banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co., U.S. Bancorp and Bank of America Corp. seized on government payments as a business opportunity. They pitched card programs to states as a win-win: States would save millions in overhead costs because the cards would be issued for free. And people without bank accounts would avoid the big fees charged by storefront check cashers.
However, most of the people being hit with fees already have bank accounts. The bank-state partnerships effectively shifted the cost of distributing payments from governments to individuals. The money needed to cover those costs is deducted from people's unemployment benefits in the form of fees.
Consumer advocates like NCLC are focused on ensuring access to the direct-deposit option so that people can avoid the card fees.
The trouble, the new report says, is that many states make it difficult for people to sign up for direct deposit. The rate of people using direct deposit ranges from a national high of 82 percent in Minnesota to a low of 16 percent in Arizona, the report says.
Minnesota offers direct deposit to people when they apply for benefits, and allows them to change their payment method online or over the phone, the report says.
In Arizona, by contrast, people are automatically enrolled in the card program. After they receive the card, they must find a paper form, fill it out, and submit it by mail. There is no way to change payment methods online or over the phone.
"The difference in direct-deposit rates among states seems primarily due to how hard or easy the state makes it for workers to choose direct deposit," the report says.
In five states — California, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland and Nevada — unemployed people aren't offered direct deposit at all. The report says that setup is illegal under a federal law that bars states from requiring benefits recipients to open an account at a particular bank.
The federal government recommended in 2009 that people with bank accounts receive payments via direct deposit. Nearly four years later, the report says, "there is no excuse for any state not to be offering direct deposit as the first choice for payment of unemployment benefits."
Banks make more money when more people use the cards. In the past, some of their deals with states prevented states from offering direct deposit, or required states to promote the card program as a first option.
To cover the cost of issuing cards and running the programs, banks charge a plethora of fees, including charges for balance inquiries, phone calls to customer support, leaving an account inactive for a period of months, or making a purchase using a personal identification number.
Many states have eliminated some fees and improved consumer protections in the two years since NCLC published its first comprehensive review of state unemployment payments. Banks no longer charge overdraft fees, which skimmed up to $20 from the benefits of card users whose spending exceeded the balance on the card.
Pennsylvania was singled out for praise in the report. Residents of that state will save $5.2 million in card fees each year because the state switched to a lower-fee card.
In part because of the recent improvements, the report says, prepaid cards often are the best option for people who don't have bank accounts. Those people would often pay even bigger fees to storefront check cashing services.
"A well-designed prepaid card is safer, cheaper and more convenient than paying to cash a paper check," said Lauren Saunders, one of the report's authors, in a prepared statement. But she said "it is no substitute for direct deposit to an account of your own choosing."
Daniel Wagner can be reached at www.twitter.com/wagnerreports
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright 2013 Capitol Hill Blue


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When Sony recently announced details on the upcoming release of the PlayStation 4, it prompted a new round of hand-wringing about the future of console gaming.
Sales of games on the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 have dropped precipitously in recent years as mobile gaming — on smartphones and tablets — has become more popular. Advance word is that the PS4 will integrate certain mobile and social media functions, and some are speculating whether this is the end for standalone, full-featured console systems.
But lo! Next week a familiar champion returns to fight the good fight for old-school console gaming. The lovely and lethal Ms. Lara Croft is back in Tomb Raider, an ambitious update to the venerable franchise and a kind of rearguard action for that traditional, sit-on-the-couch, lose-track-of-time style of gaming.
In stores Tuesday for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, the new Tomb Raider really is a terrific game. It's a genuine reboot, with an origin story designed to reinvent Lara Croft as a modern hero, and a hybrid style of game play that mashes up the best elements of several genres. I suspect it will be making all the Top 10 lists at the end of the year.
In the spirit of gaming circa 1998, I spent a recent weekend tearing through an advance copy of the new Tomb Raider.Bear in mind that 1998 was two kids and a mortgage ago for me — I'm really no longer in shape for this stuff. But I like to think I played the game the way it should be played: obsessively, late at night, overcaffeinated, thumbs aching ....
The story: Lara Croft is a young assistant researcher on her first expedition. Shipwrecked on a mysterious and menacing island, she must fend off hostile natives — wolves, cultists, mercenary soldiers — while piecing together the usual archaeological mysteries.
The designers have clearly put an emphasis on characterization and story this time around. Lara is no longer the cool, competent killer of previous games; she's a scared college kid in way over her head. (In fact, she gets sick after her first violent encounter.) Clever choices with the camera work and cut scenes encourage you to identify closely with young Lara. When she's scared, you're scared. And when she's angry — well, look out.
This is the sort of immersive gaming that casual Web-based and mobile gaming just can't manage. Thanks to high-end graphic and sound design, big-budget console games like Tomb Raidercan be quite cinematic. They can work like movies. When attention is paid to classical narrative virtues — story, character, atmosphere — the gaming just gets better.
In terms of game play mechanics, Tomb Raider takes an appealing mix-and-match approach. The franchise's trademark exploration and platforming sequences are juiced up with cover-based combat shooting, survival and foraging, and even limited crafting options. Salvage enough parts from around the island to add a scope to your gun. Or a silencer. Or a grenade launcher.
The game's gorgeous, highly detailed imagery makes for some thrilling sequences. When Lara is dangling with one hand from the railing of a mountaintop temple, you can peer all the way down to that rocky ravine below. When the undead samurai attack, you can see the corrosion in their ancient armor.
Pay particular attention to the game's musical score. Composer Jason Graves actually invented entirely new musical instruments for this project, and the game is scored like a relentless suspense movie.
If you skip the optional challenges on each level, you can race through the main storyline in 15-20 hours. Double back later and you'll get twice that in side quests and secret tombs. The game also adds new online multiplayer options.
On the down side, the game's island milieu isn't particularly compelling. It's also curiously similar to a certain blockbuster television showof recent vintage. And Lara's character arc from frightened teen to one-woman army is rather abrupt.
Still, Tomb Raider is a very fun, very generous title perfectly suited to the strengths of traditional console gaming. Lara Croft has long since transcended the video game world to become a pop culture icon, and it's good to have her back on the side of old-school gaming righteousness.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Mr. President, tomorrow we are going to have an opportunity to vote on S. 2124, and I am pleased to learn that it looks as if there is going to be overwhelming support in the Senate for the passage of S. 2124. This is the legislation that helps Ukraine in dealing with the invasion by Russia.
Russia's illegal actions of using its military to overtake Crimea, a part of Ukraine, violate numerous international obligations that Russia has committed to.
I have the honor of chairing the U.S. Helsinki Commission. The Helsinki Accords were entered into in 1975. Russia was one of the leading forces for forming the OSCE.
Russia's taking over of Crimea violates its commitments it made under the Helsinki Final Act. It violates the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which was signed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Russia, that guaranteed basically Ukraine's integrity of its land. It violates the 1997 Ukraine-Russia bilateral treaty. It violates the U.N. Charter. The list goes on and on and on.
So I believe it is absolutely essential that we have a strong voice in standing with the people of Ukraine. There was absolutely no justification whatsoever for Russia's action. There was no threat to any of the ethnic communities in Ukraine. All the rights of the people were being protected. The country was in transition from a corrupt government to a government that respected the rights of its citizens. If there was any provocation whatsoever of any unrest, it was caused by Russia's presence in Ukraine.
We got reports from the chief rabbi in Kyiv that Russia was staging anti-Semitic provocations in Crimea, and the list goes on and on as to what Russia was doing in order to try to give some justification for its actions.
Russia's thinly veiled land grab, cloaked in the cloth of self-determination, must not go unchallenged. Here is what I think is critically important: This is a dangerous precedent. We saw Russia use a similar action in Georgia, and now in Crimea in Ukraine. There are other territorial issues involved around the world. If this goes unchecked, if we do not speak with a unified voice, it just encourages more irresponsible action by Russia in other countries.
We know that we have concerns about the South China Sea. We know we have concerns about Moldova. There are many other areas where Russia could be involved in its border areas.
So all of these issues are matters for us to speak with a strong unified voice. S. 2124 does that. It does it in two principal ways. First, it imposes the sanctions against those responsible for
Russia's invasion into Crimea, Ukraine. It provides sanctions so that these individuals are not permitted to come to the United States. There are economic sanctions in regard to the use of our banking system. These are similar sanctions to what are now being imposed by our European allies.
We need to isolate Russia. As we all know, the G8, which included Russia, is now a G7 without Russia. Russia needs to know that there will be sanctions imposed, and they will be stronger sanctions unless they stop this aggressive action.
In addition, the legislation provides economic assistance to the new Government of Ukraine. Just 2 weeks ago the Prime Minister of Ukraine was here and met with Members of the Senate. I tell you, it was inspirational to listen to his vision for Ukraine as a democratic, independent state, with full integration into Europe. That is important. He is preparing for a May 25 election for the Presidency of Ukraine.
These are all very, very positive steps. But if Ukraine does not have the economic foothold to be able to develop the type of economy and strength in their country, it will be difficult for Ukraine to be maintained as a viable independent state.
Here is where the United States and our European allies, and I hope the global community, come together, as we have in this legislation, to provide economic help on a restructured economic plan for Ukraine that will help them move forward in a very constructive way.
Mr. President, I must tell you I am disappointed, though, that the reforms of the IMF will be eliminated from this legislation. I think that is regrettable. We are entering into a plan for Ukraine that very much depends upon the IMF's–the International Monetary Fund's–plan to make sure that the moneys we are spending, Europe is spending, and other countries are loaning and providing to Ukraine are based upon a sound economic plan that will work. That is why the IMF is there. And they will be there. But the United States needs to be a full participant in the IMF. We are out of compliance, and here is another opportunity lost for us to be in full compliance with the IMF. I am disappointed about that.
But as I said as I took the floor, we must speak with one voice–the Obama administration; the House, the Senate; the Congress–as we stand with the people of Ukraine for their integrity, for their independence, and for the adherence to international principles, which Russia has clearly violated.


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When last we heard about Intel's Itanium server CPUs, it sounded like Intel was planning a slow, controlled slide into obsolescence for the processors and their accompanying architecture. Kittson, an Itanium revision due in 2015 or so, would be socket-compatible with the company's more popular Xeon CPUs, removing the need for (and, crucially, the R&D costs of) Itanium-specific motherboards and chipsets. Now, Intel appears to be backing down from even those modest plans—PC World has just noticed an Intel posting from late January, saying that Kittson would remain socket-compatible with the current Itanium 9300 and 9500 CPUs.
Sticking a new processor in an older motherboard can still yield speed improvements, but you'll miss out on new, chipset-dependent advancements—support for faster RAM, newer RAM standards (like the upcoming DDR4), and new versions of PCI Express, SATA, and USB, among other thngs. Intel's decision to keep future Itanium revisions on today's chipsets will make it easier to upgrade existing systems, but it won't do much to sell new ones. Intel will also keep Kittson CPUs on its 32nm manufacturing process rather than moving to the more energy efficient 22nm process it uses for its Ivy Bridge CPUs, reflecting a further reluctance to continue investing in the architecture. By the time Kittson ships, this process will be even further behind the curve than it is now.
While Intel told PC World that using the same motherboard and chipsets for Itanium and Xeon "will be evaluated for future implementation opportunities," this is just the latest sign that Itanium is on Intel's back burner—Microsoft's server software no longer supports the architecture and a lawsuit from HP is the only thing keeping Oracle's database software for Itanium alive. Intel introduced the Itanium chips in 2001 as a way for servers to move to 64-bit operating systems that could handle more than 4GB of RAM while also fighting off competing RISC architectures, but the Itanium instruction set didn't maintain backward-compatibility with existing x86 software. In 2003, AMD introduced its first Opteron server CPUs, which implemented 64-bit instructions while maintaining 32-bit compatibility; Intel eventually licensed these instructions for use in its own chips, and Itanium has been in a long, slow decline ever since.


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This post is longer and a lot looser than most of mine which tend to be long and loose anyway but I've just been thinking through a lot of stuff and so it's time to set some of it down.
In the wake of the deep sigh of relief all of us have taken over the long-overdue departure of Dan Marvin, I've gotten all introspective and have considered the charge that atheists often are faced with: that we're just plain mean sonsabitches who are all too quick to respond to believers with anger, invective and name calling.
Take the whole history with Dan over the past few months. I called him stupid, uneducated, hypocritical, dishonest, and a lying little turd. I probably called him a few less pleasant things too. Other people in the comments called him even worse. It cannot feel good to hear yourself being called these things. It can only being demeaning and hurtful. From the anonymity of the keyboard, it's easy to forget that the person you're attacking is a human being with feelings.
What kind of guy do I think Dan Marvin is in person? I imagine he's a devoted and loving husband and father, a hard-working man who devotes 100% of himself to providing for his family and being a good citizen in his community. I can also tell from his writings that he really believes what he says he believes, even if, as was shown here by such fine commenters as Stephen and Tracie, he doesn't fully understand, or think through all of the implications of, what he claims to believe. I think he came here because he's genuinely possessed of a belief that there's a place called hell where we're all going to go to be tortured forever because we don't believe as he does. I think his beliefs are so thoroughly branded into his map of the world that no matter how much we tried to explain, "Look, here's why we don't believe what you do, and here's what we need to see from you if you think we should," his responses went along the lines of "But...but...don't you understand, you're going to hell!" There's just a fundamental difference in the way people like him and people like us process information in our minds, and that leads, particularly in extreme cases like Dan's, to an insurmountable communication gap.
So, yeah. On the one hand, I'm willing to admit that that kind of communication gap can lead to atheists losing our temper with what we see as pure stupidity.
But as I said way back when, believers who find atheists brusque and insulting need however hard it may be for them to try walking in our shoes.
Truth to tell, when I called Dan a particular nasty name, it was because he'd done something to earn it. Dan's own comments speak to his behavior well enough. If he cut-and-pasted some moronic creationist canards, I called him an idiot, because that's the sort of thing only an idiot would do. When he projected his own behavior onto us, I'd call him a hypocrite. When he tried to refute us by making bizarre straw men out of our arguments, I'd hit him again. And again. Now, that's just me. Life is not always meant to be easy, and some lessons need to be learned the hard way. There's a time when the gloves have to come off. There's a place for the Simon Cowell approach to criticism. And I'm okay with giving it. Some commenters here got even angrier with Dan. Others like Tracie were nearly heroic, in the patient way she calmly knocked down everything Dan threw at her, without the slightest hint that even one of her feathers had been ruffled.
It helps to know when being a two-fisted atheist is the right approach, and when it's not. When I started my four-year run on the AE TV show, I was first cohost to the redoubtable Jeff Dee. Jeff is brilliant at arguing on his feet, and almost always went for the jugular. Oftimes this was needed. The flipside was that it could, on occasion, backfire. For years, we had a creationist troll named Steve (some of you remember him, I'm sure) who'd call every week with whatever bit of YEC bullshit he'd dredged up. From the fake Paluxy riverbed "man tracks" on down, there was no argument so lame and discredited he wouldn't call with it. He was also a deeply dishonest scumbag who wouldn't address our rebuttals. He engaged in the kind of drive-by, hit-and-run pseudo-arguing in which, every time we'd refute his latest claim, he'd just call the next week and, without even acknowledging that we'd addressed his points, simply go off on a new round of drivel as if the previous week's conversation had never occurred.
But one thing became clear to me very quickly. Not only was Steve stupid, disingenuous, and ill-educated; he wasn't even serious. At first, yes, it was evident he really thought he could take us on with his arguments. But soon it was obvious he'd changed his tack, and he was calling every week because he knew how easy it was to make Jeff lose his temper. Many Christians realize they can't actually take down an atheist on the facts, and so they resort to emotional manipulation. Get the atheist angry, and they can claim a phony moral "victory." The argument is, at this point, no longer about what is or isn't true. It's about a "humble" Christian trying to witness to a poor unsaved soul, and getting hate and anger in reply. Instant martyr; just add water.
After Jeff left the show and I shifted my plump cheeks into the host's chair, Steve kept calling...for a bit. Then he just quit. Because I'd pegged him. I knew his schtick. I would just reply to his claims, without getting pissed off. I guess I wasn't as much fun.
Still, "pissed off" is something I get at times, all on my own. And I know other atheists sympathize. There really is no understating the level of frustration that is felt when one lives without religion in a religion-addicted world. Atheists, generally speaking, are just normal folks trying to get by and do the best they can like anyone else. Our only difference is that we have dispensed with the need for irrational beliefs in the supernatural, which we think most people maintain simply because the culture in which they were raised requires it as a behavioral norm. This view, I think, is borne out by recent findings that while most Americans profess religious belief, few actually know anything about what they claim to believe.
Thus many Americans profess belief simply because everyone else does, and not to do so would mean you're weird. On the flip side of that extreme are the Dan Marvins of the faith, who denounce those people as "false converts" while at the same time offering nothing but smoke and mirrors and nonsense in defense of their own, presumably "truer" belief.
In the midst of all this swirling supernaturalist confusion is the atheist, attempting to live a rational, humanist existence among millions of people who literally seem to be living in another world. And because we don't buy into the God delusion, we're vilified by people who know nothing of us, of atheism, or even of their own theism, and who think of themselves as paragons of virtue.
So to anyone who thinks atheists are mean people, I say, have you listened to Michael Newdow's answering machine tapes? (He's made them available, and even recorded a funny song around some of them.) Have you read the death threats and hate mail that Sam Harris gets? Have you read the vile diatribes by the Baptist minister on Possummomma's blog? How is someone like her supposed to live a normal, peaceful life when some lunatic, self-anointed "man of God" takes to stalking her children to save their souls? Atheists are "angry," you say? What parent, atheist or not, wouldn't get angry about that?
So while I think it behooves atheists to always do our best to choose the high ground of reason over the low road of irrational emotionalism, we are only human after all. Anger is an entirely justified response to being on the receiving end of prejudice and stupidity, especially when it is perpetrated by ignorant hypocrites who are convinced they're on the side of righteousness. Before you tell me that atheists are mean people full of anger and hate, consider what brings it on, and that many believers are in need of some serious adjustments to their own moral compasses.


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Monday, March 23, 2009
Pulp Fantasy Library: Imaro
Though originally billed as "The Epic Novel of a Black Tarzan," which led to the delay in its publication because of a lawsuit by the estate of Edgar Rice Burroughs, I think it's the writings of Robert E. Howard that cast the longest shadows over Imaro. Saunders's Nyumbani is a close cousin of REH's Hyborian Age, being a fantastical Africa that draws equally from history and myth to create an imaginary world that artfully mimics the depth and texture of reality. Reading through Imaro, one is immediately struck by the opportunities pulp fantasy has lost over the years by not turning its gaze more readily upon non-European settings for its inspirations. It would be a gross over-simplification to call Imaro a "black Conan" as some have done, not least because Imaro's motivations and ultimate destiny are far more inward-directed than are those of the Cimmerian. Nevertheless, it's hard not to compare him to Howard's creation, as Imaro is one of the few swords-and-sorcery characters to match -- and perhaps exceed -- the complexity of his barbarian predecessor.
Indeed, Saunders excels at writing characters who feel like people rather than caricatures and it's here, I think, where Imaro shines brightest and offers the most strident critique of the genre of which it's a part. Saunders isn't content to paint with broad strokes, particularly when it comes to entire peoples and societies. Nyumbani is not only beautifully drawn, but diverse and variegated. Its inhabitants are similarly diverse and well realized, in stark contrast to the more stylized approach favored by many other pulp fantasy tales. Reading Imaro, one is often subtly reminded of just how often even writers as talented as Howard relied upon stereotypes to do the heavy lifting in their characterization. And because the reminders are subtle, one never feels as if Imaro was written solely to criticize or make a point. The novel isn't a parody or a satire of the genre but rather an unapologetic illustration of its under-used potential, not to mention a celebration of its primal appeal.
If it sounds like I'm gushing over Imaro, it's because I am. I never read this novel or its sequels back in the day and I doubt I would have appreciated them even if I had. Having filled in this gap in my pulp fantasy education, I can't help but imagine many "what if?" scenarios in which Saunders's stories had become more widely read and influential. Had this occurred, it's possible that swords-and-sorcery might have renewed itself, remaining vital and energetic until the present day. Fortunately, the novel and its sequels have been reprinted and are available once again. Likewise, Saunders has written another novel set in Nyumbani, about the warrior-woman Dossouye, and is working on two more novels in the saga of Imaro. If you've never had the opportunity to do so before, there's no better time to delve into the adventures of Imaro than right now.
34 comments:
- AnonymousMarch 23, 2009 at 12:37 AM
I've been meaning to get these. Thanks for the reminder, James.
I just ordered the first two Imaro books for the grand total of a mere $11.84. Unfortunately, the third Imaro book costs $40+. Imaro and Imaro II are spectacular examples of the lost civilization/pulp fiction/barbarian warrior type story that D&D was based on...very overlooked! The books interested me so much in my youth, I became engrossed in African history and tales of expeditions to Africa (Mungo Park, for one). I had a lot of fun digging up some long out of print books at the local college library. Also, I ran a jungle-based D&D campaign years later based on a lot of the plot points of the series. I agree that if these books were better known (or had been in print the last 20 years) who knows what directions the game might have gone (perhaps a Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms campaign setting on the Dark Continent?)
A couple of other things, if you like Imaro do yourself a favor and search out a lot of the uncollected Imaro tales, there are many! (His origin tale is actually in Dragon magazine of all places, although I can't remember the issue). Also, I truly hope someday Mr. Saunders finishes his tale because Imaro III is a huge disappointment, as it does not finish the story started in the first two books, and ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. 20 years later and I'm still waiting for a resolution!Hmmmm...I don't know.
These are tales about a black warrior in a pulp Africa written by a black author who's knee-deep into black and African movements.
And his Dossouye character was made to order by a feminist author and editor who wanted to put togheter an anthology of "tales about warrior women in a field dominated by muscular men".
This just sends alarm bells ringing in my head. I am very weary about reading fantasy books where the author has an agenda.Edsan:
"These are tales about a black warrior in a pulp Africa written by a black author who's knee-deep into black and African movements"
I'd have thought that might well make for a better pulp fantasy than sappy one-worldism or maybe James Clavell style writing about an alien culture; I think the 'internal aspect' on the protagonist is important, like REH with his Scots-Irish barbarian. :)
Of course if the character is always massacring filthy white devils to save the black maiden I'd expect that would get old fast for those of us of the paler persuasion.Edsan:
What's wrong with a black author writing pulp tales set in Africa? Sounds like a nice corrective to the racially backwards stuff in Howard and Lovecraft.
Reimagining sword and sorcery pulp in a way that's true to its roots while correcting for the simplistic racial thinking is an agenda that I can get behind! :)I'd have to agree that I don't find them particularly political. To the extent that they've got any "black identity" in them, it's just that there are no white characters. This bothers me no more than it does to see something set in a faux-medieval Europe with no black people.
The characterization of Imaro as a "jungle hero" is stupid enough that it actually explains WHY Saunders might have felt the need to make a point of having black lead characters (hint: Imaro's tribe is clearly based on the Maasai--I've actually been to the part of Africa where they live and it's pretty much jungle-free).
Anyhow, my understanding is that Saunders is taking advantage of print-on-demand to actually get the series finished and published. I think that's a good thing.This just sends alarm bells ringing in my head. I am very weary about reading fantasy books where the author has an agenda.
I think it'd be unfair to say there's an explicit agenda in the books beyond telling some remarkable swords-and-sorcery stories that draw on African rather than European myths and history. That won't be to everyone's tastes and there's no shame in that, but, speaking as someone who's very sensitive to and disdainful of the overt politicization of literature, you won't find much of it in the Imaro novels.I can't speak for Dossouye. Haven't snatched it up yet.
Nor I, but I plan to read it once I have finished the Imaro novels. My suspicion is that it's about as "political" as the Imaro books, which is to say not very much at all, unless one takes the fact that the protagonist is a black woman to be a political statement, which perhaps it is, but not one that I find bothersome. As I said, I'm not someone who has much liking for using literature as an explicit soapbox and I don't see Saunders as being in that mold, even if his books do widen one's perspective about African history and legend and the possibilities they hold for telling great fantasy stories.Of course if the character is always massacring filthy white devils to save the black maiden I'd expect that would get old fast for those of us of the paler persuasion.
Not to worry. Imaro's world is almost wholly a fantastical pre-colonial Africa. Saunders's genius, I think, is being able to present this world as rich and varied, with its own indigenous heroes and villains. Leaving aside the ancient Atlanteans (or Mizungus, as they're called in the books), there really aren't any white people in the books, in much the same way as there aren't any black people in most European-style vanilla fantasy.Reimagining sword and sorcery pulp in a way that's true to its roots while correcting for the simplistic racial thinking is an agenda that I can get behind! :)
Indeed and, as I noted in the original post, Saunders is a subtle writer and knowledgeable about the genre. He's not a hater of swords-and-sorcery by any means and he understands it well enough to be able to present it through another lens without either making it a parody of itself or undermining the qualities that drew us to it in the first place.The characterization of Imaro as a "jungle hero" is stupid enough that it actually explains WHY Saunders might have felt the need to make a point of having black lead characters (hint: Imaro's tribe is clearly based on the Maasai--I've actually been to the part of Africa where they live and it's pretty much jungle-free).
I think that's exactly right. These books are a much needed corrective to popular misconceptions and stereotypes about Africa and Africans, but they're also, first and foremost, really well told stories with complex characters and situations. Those kinds of stories are rare enough in any genre, let alone pulp fantasy. Add in the fact that they're not just rehashes of Epic Hero on an Epic Quest in Generic Fantasy World #937 and you've got something remarkable in your hands here.For what it's worth, I think Imaro II (The Quest for Cush) is even better than Imaro I.
Those interested might want to know that Saunders revised the first two Imaro novels heavily for their edition in Night Shade books (which is now being supplemented by the "Soul & Sword" editions through Lulu.com). So the DAW volumes won't be exactly the same as the newer ones.On the topic on of pulp and politics, even the authors of classic era had sociopolitical agendas of one sort or another, albeit generally not too strident (with the exception of HPL from time to time).
Leigh Brackett's later Skaith novel The Ginger Star makes her disdain for hippies *hilariously* plain, for example."Reimagining sword and sorcery pulp in a way that's true to its roots while correcting for the simplistic racial thinking is an agenda that I can get behind!"
Agreed! While I know that we need to keep in mind that writers like Howard and Lovecraft were products of their times and so on, it's just plain *nice* sometimes to indulge in some quality pulp fiction in which nobody is described as "apelike."Will, there are lots of man-apes and ape-men in the Conan stories, but that's nothing to do with 'race' - certainly REH doesn't call black characters apelike! The Cimmerians themselves were 'regressed into apelike savagery' not that long ago, per the backstory (which also has white-furred arctic apemen), and Hyborean man-apes seem if anything more common in northerly climes. Howard's point concerned how close Man in general was to his ape origins, how thin the line between man and ape. I don't recall anything about whites being less apelike than blacks.
The books sound interesting, may give them a look after I've read Jirel of Joiry."Will, there are lots of man-apes and ape-men in the Conan stories, but that's nothing to do with 'race' - certainly REH doesn't call black characters apelike!"
Uh, actually he does. In "Red Shadows" for sure. I'm pretty sure in "The Moon of Skulls", too.
And these are just a couple Solomon Kane stories I've read this week.I haven't read these since they first came out. Your post has made me decide that it's time to hunt through my boxes of old books and find my old DAW editions and reread them.
For those worried about agendas, the only agenda I remember the author having is "tell a good story in a different setting."Has anyone read the version of Imaro with "The Slaves of the Giant-Kings?" I read on wikipedia that this has been excised from the current version because of parallels to the events in Rwanda of 1994. That disappoints me-- there are some things about that conflict that perhaps can only be said in fiction. The fact that the story was written some 10+ years before the events that they seem to resemble, would seem to make any conclusions all the more powerful.
Anyway, I'm really glad to know about these books! The only time in my life when I didn't have anything to do with D&D was when I lived in East Africa-- it seemed redundant-- so it's really exciting to see these two interests of mine intersecting.Max:
"@ Brian: Mr Saunders wrote about his reasons for this decision here."
Interesting moral dilemma - author writes fiction where fictionalised group A massacres group B, and this is approved of by the authorial voice, only for real-world group A to massacre group B on a much larger scale. I guess early 20th century pulp fiction authors who wrote about international cabals of sinister Jews, against whom their hero battles, may have felt similarly when they heard of the Nazi Holocaust.I was referring exclusively to the Conan stories, since I haven't read Solomon Kane.
Heve you read the unedited Howard stories, or are you familiar with conan through the Lancer publications edited by de Camp and Carter? The Lancer books tend to downplay and edit out the worst of Howard's racism.I've read most of the REH originals, in the 'Fantasy Masterworks' series. I've come across lots of man-apes, and the story where Conan treacherously massacres allied blacks to get hold of the captive white girl, but nothing about blacks being apelike.
From what I could see REH's worldview was a cyclical one where man arises from the apes, founds civilisations, becomes degenerate, and regresses to apelike state before the cycle begins again.Wow, I couldn't disagree more with the assessment you give of the Imaro books and Saunders. I read them (after the fact) from the new Nightshade reprints, and I barely got through them, honestly. I thought his agenda was rather ham-handed, Imaro was a flat, unlikeable, cardboard character (yes, even compared to Conan) and the entire series felt like a cheap excuse for Saunders to show off the fact that he'd done some research on anthropology in Africa. The stories themselves were always second-place to showcasing the setting. Some of them read more like mini-ethnologues rather than fantasy stories.
I mean, they weren't terrible per se, but I found more and more as I read them that the fact that they never sold very well was readily apparent from the quality of the writing, not from mishandling of the text by the publisher, as hinted in the introduction.I disagree strongly with Joshua on his assessment of the books, though it's important to realize that Joshua comes from a conservative Mormon background while I'm nonreligious, so we have pretty different viewpoints.
I disagree with the "ethnologue" comment in particular - the cultures are just fleshed out enough for the reader to accept them as believable.
One of the things I liked the most about this book was the dimensionality of the secondary characters, as well as the importance of human groups. Most fantasy protagonists are loners, but Imaro is a much more believable loner because his story relies so much on the relationships between different human tribes.


text:
It's the same every autumn. Pears sit quietly in the wings while apples take center stage.
It's no wonder. Think about it. Do kids crave candied pears every Halloween? Do moms pack pear sauce in their kids' lunch boxes? Can something be as "all-American as pear pie"?
Pears are good. Some pears, such as Seckel pears – diminutive, super sweet fruits – are surprisingly good. Overall though, they just don't get the respect of apples.
When it comes to baking, however, pears blossom into something special. In fact, I have made this cardamom coffee cake with pecan streusel twice – once with apples and once with pears. You can tell which one I preferred.
Given their mild flavor, pears work beautifully with cardamom, a enticingly fragrant spice. Though a relative of ginger, cardamom has a unique flavor that is difficult to describe. It is intensely aromatic yet not overwhelming in flavor. It has notes of ginger, clove, and citrus, which is why it works so well when paired with fall fruits.
So, go ahead and give pears a little limelight.
Pear and Cardamom Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup chopped pecans
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup diced, peeled, firm but ripe pears, such as yellow bartlett or bosc
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter or coat with cooking spray an 8 inch square pan.
To make the streusel, in a small bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, cardamom and pecans and toss until well combined. Pour melted butter evenly over mixture, and using your fingers quickly toss and pinch the mixture until little pebbly pieces form. Refrigerate while making the cake.
Peel and dice pears and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.
In another large bowl, using an electric hand mixer cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat at medium speed until light. Reduce speed to low and add the buttermilk. Beat until well blended. Add the dry ingredients; beat until just incorporated and the flour is dissolved. The batter will be thick and creamy. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the diced pears until well blended.
Pour the batter into the pan and gently shake it to even it out. Sprinkle the pecan streusel evenly over the top of the cake and press lightly with your hands.
Bake for 35 - 45 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool at room temperature.
Unmold the cake, and place on a rack. Allow to set for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Susan Russo is a free lance food writer in San Diego, California. She publishes stories, recipes, and photos on her cooking blog, <Food Blogga and is a regular contributor to NPR's <Kitchen Window. She is also the author of two upcoming books that will be published in the fall of 2010.


text:
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Thursday, February 18, 2010
Better Late than Never....Very Valentine Giveaway
In the meantime, I want to talk about the first book in the Valentine series -- VERY VALENTINE. (You will understand why when you get to the bottom of this post!) Needless to say, I read this book last year the minute it came out and pretty much adored it! I just love these books, and I can't recommend them enough if you are a fan of Adriana's or you enjoy women's fiction.
If you'd like to learn more about the book, you can read my review here. Or, you can listen to a BlogTalk Radio show with Ms. Trigiani that took place last March. She discusses VERY VALENTINE as well as some other things. Ms. Trigiani is just so full of energy and larger than life, and it really comes through in this show.
Thanks to the fine folks at TLC Book Tours and Harper Collins, I have three copies of VERY VALENTINE to giveaway! (I probably should have timed this contest with Valentine's Day, but I guess better late than never, right?) This new paperback edition even includes recipes -- how cool is that? It also includes a sneak peak at the new novel BRAVA, VALENTINE. I highly recommend reading VERY VALENTINE before BRAVA, VALENTINE so this giveaway is a great way to get started on this terrific series!
I am so excited to be doing this contest because I want to share my love of Adriana and her books with everyone! To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment with a valid email address telling me the name of your favorite Adriana Trigiani book. If you haven't read one yet, shame on you! Just kidding!!! Just tell me what one appeals to you! This contest will be open until Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. ET, and I will notify the winners the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only -- no p.o. boxes please! Good Luck!
One of my favorite memories of BEA 2009!!! I swear I'm one of her biggest fans!!!!
56 comments:
- Jennifer said...
I do love giveaways, especially from fabulous authors! I think my favourite was Lucia, Lucia.
Thank you for hosting this contest and I adore the picture!
knittingmomof3 (AT) gmail (DOT) com - February 18, 2010 at 9:36 AM
- Michelle said...
I've not yet read any of her books (I know, I should be beaten with a stick!), but my family book club is reading "Very Valentine" later this year.
This giveaway would be perfect for me! :)
michellemsherman(at)gmail(dot)com - February 18, 2010 at 9:40 AM
- traveler said...
Thanks for this wonderful giveaway. I enjoyed Very Valentine and would appreciate reading Brava Valentine greatly. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
- February 18, 2010 at 11:08 AM
- donnas said...
I have not read one yet. But espcially after this great post about them I would love to start. I would want to start with the first though - Very Valentine.
bacchus76 at myself dot com - February 18, 2010 at 11:43 AM
- Darlene said...
No need to enter me Julie. Just popping in to say I have this posted at Win a Book for you.
- February 18, 2010 at 11:43 AM
- The Book Chick said...
I actually haven't read any of her books yet (yes, I know, shame on me!) but I saw Brava, Valentine in the store yesterday and almost bought it. It looks great! Please enter me into this giveaway!
jonitathebookchick(at)gmail(dot)com - February 18, 2010 at 11:54 AM
- Margie said...
Looks like a fun book. I haven't read any from this author, and I'm always on the lookout for a good read.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com - February 18, 2010 at 11:54 AM
- Beth F said...
Super photo!!!! Please don't enter me, since I have both books already. Just wanted to encourage people to read the novels!
- February 18, 2010 at 12:08 PM
- Sandy Jay said...
I haven't read any of these books yet, but I'd love to start with Very Valentine. It sounds good.
forwhlz at gmail dot com - February 18, 2010 at 12:29 PM
- Stacie said...
I haven't read any of them either, but I am seeing them everywhere, so I think I need to jump on board! How about getting me the book to start? :) Thanks for the giveaway, Julie!
- February 18, 2010 at 12:41 PM
- Sandy Nawrot said...
Don't put that stick away, because I haven't read anything of this author either. But the love is flowing freely these days for these books, and I feel left out. Plus I love recipes. Please enter me! rnawrot at cfl dot rr com
- February 18, 2010 at 12:43 PM
- Mary (Bookfan) said...
I've read all her books and LOVE them. I was lucky enough to get a review copy of her latest and have to say it's my favorite (Brava Valentine). Adriana Trigiani makes me happy to be a reader!
meah56 AT gmail DOT com - February 18, 2010 at 12:57 PM
- scottsgal said...
I'd like to read very valentine - wow I can't believe I've never read her stuff
msboatgal at aol.com - February 18, 2010 at 1:13 PM
- holdenj said...
Although I love the Big Stone Gap books as a whole, I think I like Lucia, Lucia best as an individual novel! Thanks for the chance to win!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com - February 18, 2010 at 1:24 PM
- Unknown said...
Please enter me, I picked up a copy of Brava to review but was hoping I could get away with skipping the first book instead of trying to read both before the end of the month. Rats! Although I do normally prefer reading things in order.
forest_rose (at) yahoo - February 18, 2010 at 2:57 PM
- Unknown said...
BTW this is my first try of Trigiani but the review list from HC piqued my interest with this book. Maybe I'll win and be able to start from the beginning after all.
- February 18, 2010 at 2:58 PM
- Karen said...
I haven't read any. In fact, I've never heard of her. I'm sorry!
- February 18, 2010 at 3:10 PM
- Julie said...
My excuse...too many authors too little time. I'd love to read her though. It seems the blogs I frequent love her. I would love to read Very Valentine.
firstname.lastname@example.com - February 18, 2010 at 3:17 PM
- Amy said...
Wow! I loved the Big Stone Gap series with all my heart!
- February 18, 2010 at 3:45 PM
- Hull.Margaret said...
I think I have read several of her books, and I think I remember reading Very Valentine last year. However since I have senior moments, I'm not sure. I tried to look at it, but it is checked out (I work in a Library). Anyway, I would love to win a copy of this book.
Penny - February 18, 2010 at 4:42 PM
I loved The Queen of the Big Time and hope to read more of her books really soon like this new series!
firstname.lastname@example.com - February 18, 2010 at 6:20 PM
- TopWinger said...
I haven't read one of her books but I would love to be able too..
firstname.lastname@example.com - February 18, 2010 at 7:20 PM
- Amused said...
I am remiss and haven't read any of her books yet but would love to read "Very Valentine" and would love to enter this contest! Thanks for hosting!
firstname.lastname@example.com - February 18, 2010 at 7:55 PM
- Shonda said...
I haven't read any of her books. Actually I just discovered her last year! Very Valentine is what interests me at the moment. I fell in love with the cover and since then have heard nothing but great reviews about this book and the author. Thanks for the giveaway!
email@example.com - February 18, 2010 at 8:12 PM
- Emily said...
I love Big Stone Gap! I would love to win Very Valentine, it has been on my TBR list forever!!!
emily DOT wittenberg @gmail.com
THANKS for the giveaway! - February 18, 2010 at 9:24 PM
- Mystica said...
Thank you for this. Better late than never so thank you for the romantic giveaway.
mystica123athotmaildotcom - February 18, 2010 at 9:39 PM
- Jolee said...
Have not tried her work, but sounds like it's about time! Would love to start with Very Valentine. Thanks. email@example.com
- February 18, 2010 at 10:18 PM
- Michelle said...
What timing! My co-worker, with whom I just spent four days on a business trip, was reading Very Valentine on the plane today, and we actually discussed how much she loves it. I unfortunately have not had the pleasure of reading anything by Adriana Trigiani but would love the opportunity to do so!
jmchshannon (at) gmail (dot) com - February 18, 2010 at 10:50 PM
- Katie said...
I haven't read any of her books, but Very Valentine sounds like a fun read.
katiecrews111(at)gmail(dot)com - February 18, 2010 at 10:56 PM
- Amy said...
I read the big stone gap novels and loved them! was ready to hop on a plane to italy afterward!!
- February 19, 2010 at 12:02 AM
- diesel39 said...
Hi! I am new here, just started reading this blog approx. a month ago and have read 3 books from your reveiws and loved everyone of them! Love your site!
I have never read any of her books yet but always willing to make room on the shelf for one more!
Donna - February 19, 2010 at 7:09 AM
- Unknown said...
Very Valentine is on my list of must reads. Your enthusiasm for this book and for others is infectious.
I've read a lot of the books you've recommended and applauded. Thank you from an avid reader. - February 19, 2010 at 8:33 AM
- Unknown said...
I have not read any of her books but would be very interested in reading Very Valentine. I enjoy reading books very much. Thank you for your consideration.
email@example.com - February 19, 2010 at 8:47 AM
- Linda said...
I haven't read any books by this author, but since I enjoy books in series, or with sequels, Very Valentine sounds perfect for me. Thanks for the giveaway.
lcbrower40(at)gmail(dot)com - February 19, 2010 at 9:32 AM
- Michele said...
I don't need to enter the contest but just wanted to say that Adriana is one of my favorite authors too. I just posted a little bit about her visit to Columbus, Ohio on Wed. I was there. :-)
- February 19, 2010 at 12:34 PM
- Unknown said...
I love YA - so my favorite is Viola in Reel Life.
Thanks for the chance at the giveaway:
librarianapril at gmail dot com - February 19, 2010 at 12:57 PM
- Benita said...
I've not yet read work written by this author, but after your review, I know I must. Thanks for the possibility.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com - February 19, 2010 at 1:07 PM
- Nely said...
The only book I've read so far by Adriana is Viola in Reel Life and I absolutely loved it. I just received Brava Valentine for review but I would love to read the first in the series beforehand - so please, enter me in the giveaway.
bookwormygirl[at]gmail[dot]com - February 19, 2010 at 2:46 PM
- Sandee61 said...
I'm an email subscriber. I read and enjoyed Adriana's book, "Big Stone Gap" and would love to be entered in your giveaway for Very, Very Valentine". Thank you!
Muzzley56[at]aol[dot]com - February 19, 2010 at 4:22 PM
- Charleydog said...
Please enter my name in the giveaway for the book. I have not read any books by this author but "Very Valentine" sounds great. Thanks!
pboylecharley AT hotmail DOT com - February 19, 2010 at 7:56 PM
- Natalie W said...
I have 2 of her books on my shelf waiting to be read! I've read so many awesome reviews of her books.
I'd love to enter
nataliew2(at)gmail(dot)com - February 19, 2010 at 8:21 PM
- Bcteagirl said...
I am ashamed to say that I have not read any of her work yet! I have had a look at her author space on the Harper website, and Viola in Reel Life sounds like a great read :)
Thank you for introducing me to this author!
teagirl1 at telus dot net - February 19, 2010 at 9:47 PM
- Readingmama said...
My favorite book was LUCIA! LUCIA!.
I was planning to meet this author
at Thurber House in Columbus, Ohio, on Feb 17. But we were buried under 14 inches of snow and had a level 2 snow emergency. I did not think authorities would accept my excuse for being on the roads was meeting with one of my favorite uthors. - February 20, 2010 at 4:10 PM
- Tina said...
I'm ashamed...haven't yet had the opportunity to read any of these but they all look fabulous, so enter me please.
tbranco at hughes dot net - February 20, 2010 at 4:54 PM
Very Valentine :) *Thanks* for the giveaway!
theluckyladybug[at]gmail[dot]com - February 20, 2010 at 5:04 PM
- Jenn P said...
I have to be honest I haven't read any Adriana Trigiani's books yet. I would love to read the first one - Very Valentine to jump on the band wagon. Thanks for the chance to win.
email@example.com - February 22, 2010 at 11:01 AM
- Tina said...
This is a great giveaway! I love Adriana Trigiani's book! Please enter me in the contest!
tinamgrizzle (at) gmail (dot) com - February 23, 2010 at 8:51 AM
- Kristin said...
I am reading Very Valentine right now. I got it from the library and am now wishing I had bought it...it is such a great book and definitely one I want for my book collection. I am excited to read more of Adriana Trigiani's books.
Please enter me in your contest. Thanks! - February 23, 2010 at 9:31 AM
- enyl said...
I'm fairly new to the romantic comedy/chic lit genre,I have yet to read this author,but would very much like to.
enyl(at)inbox(dot)com - February 24, 2010 at 12:50 AM
- Anita Yancey said...
I haven't read one of her books yet. But Home to Big Stone Gap really appeals to me. Also this books sounds like a great read. Please enter me. Thanks!
ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net - February 24, 2010 at 12:07 PM
- Nancye said...
I have never read any of her books. I would like to read "Viola in Reel Life" I am a follower.
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net - February 25, 2010 at 2:46 PM
- Melanie said...
I love all her books, but I think my favorite is my signed copy of Lucia, Lucia. I can't wait to read the new Valentine book.
- February 26, 2010 at 7:24 AM
- Gerbera Daisy Diaries said...
Do I dare admit I've never read ANY of her books?? My Mom has and loves her. I'm highly interested based on your GLOWING recommendations!!
Would love to be entered so I can read for myself!
firstname.lastname@example.com - February 26, 2010 at 8:32 AM
- Jenny Girl said...
Don't slap me, but I'm another one who has not read her books! I know, I know, what is wrong with me? So please enter me so I can start reading :)
Thanks for the contest Julie!
jennygirl73(AT)gmail(DOT)com - February 26, 2010 at 9:52 AM
- Unknown said...
I am ashamed to admit that I haven't read an Adriana Trigiani book yet, although her books are on my TBR list. The Valentine books really appeal to me. I really like the name and the summaries I've read. Please enter me in your giveaway!
Aimala127 AT gmail DOT com - February 26, 2010 at 5:13 PM
I have never read anything by Adriana Trigiani and your review of Brava, Valentine is making me add her to my list (at the top!). Sounds like books I would really get engulfed in.
- February 27, 2010 at 9:11 AM


text:
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Fabric Care: Wash at 30
Information: Sold in 50 cm increments
Oekotex 100 certified.
We take great care to provide the most accurate pictures of our items. Due to the nature of digital photography and monitor colour displays, we cannot guarantee that every device will accurately depict the colour of our merchandise. Depending on your device and settings, the colour may be slightly off. Please contact us if you have any questions.
To ensure your fabric stays looking good we recommend the following laundry care:
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text:
WASHINGTON – The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) today announced the following hearing:
Democracy in Albania: the Pace of Progress
Monday, May 6, 2013
3:00 p.m.
Capitol Visitor Center, Senate Room 210-212
Prior to 1991, Albania was ruled by one of the communist world's most repressive regimes and was the only country in Europe refusing to participate in the Helsinki process. In the two decades since, the country made enormous strides to become a democratic state where human rights are respected and to become an active participant in European affairs, including as a member of the NATO Alliance since 2009.
Despite this progress, Albania continues to struggle in building its democratic institutions and practices, including respect for the rule of law. As Albania prepares for parliamentary elections in June, this hearing hopes to assess the degree to which progress has begun to fall short of expectations at home and abroad, and what can be done to accelerate the pace of further reforms related to good governance.
The following witnesses are scheduled to testify:
Philip T. Reeker, Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Gilbert Galanxhi, Ambassador of Albania to the United States of America
Elez Biberaj, Director, Eurasia Division, Voice of America
Besa Shahini, Senior Analyst, European Stability Initiative
This event is open to the public. Room SVC 210-212 is located on the Senate side of the Capitol Visitor Center, the main entrance to the U.S. Capitol. You may enter on the north side, below the East Plaza of the Capitol between Constitution and Independence Avenues (across the street from the Supreme Court). The closest metro stop is Capitol South (orange or blue line).
Please allow adequate time to clear through the security check. On the lower level, visitors will need to show a picture ID at the Senate appointment desk before proceeding to the Senate rooms.
Map of the Capitol:
Map of the Visitor Center: