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" Author: Marian Keyes / Format: Paperback / Date of publication: 02 August 2012 / Genre: Modern & Contemporary Fiction / Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd / Title: Angels / ISBN 13: 9780241958421 / ISBN 10: 0241958421 / Alternative EAN: 9780718144661 "
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After a really good "rootle" through my bookcase I was ashamed to find a selection of books lent to me by my sister.....two years ago, yes I have started reading them so she can have them back!
One of those books is subject of this review!
The book in question is - "Angels by Marian Keyes".
Maggie Walsh has always been considered (by her Mum and Dad anyway) as the good girl of the family, compared to her three other sisters this is not a difficult task!
She married her first boyfriend from school, and is in a good job, with savings (an important thing for her Dad, sounds like mine!), and in general has what her family consider as a good life, a fact that her Irish mother will boast to anyone that will listen!
So when Maggie realises that her relationship and marriage with Garv may well be at an and, she surprises everyone by just upping and leaving, eventually finding herself staying with her friend Emily, a script writer living in LA.
LA is a very different place to live than Ireland, and soon the partying catches up with Maggie, is this really the end for her and Garv, and has Garv really found someone else?
This is an a amazing book, and I still can't understand how it has sat on my bookcase for so long without being read!
Maggie is a fantastic character to read about, the book at the start makes Maggie sound like a real flake, not really appreciating what she has at home, but more sounding like someone who has lost their way through their marriage, actually this is so well written that many long married couples (myself included) ill recognise many traits of how a married couple can end up being with each other, the sitting together in front of the telly at night barely speaking due to exhaustion struck a particular chord!
As the book progresses you do start to feel an empathy with Maggie, from her madcap families antics and constant put down of her (when asked what food each sister would be Maggie was distraught to think that her sisters thought so little of her, describing her as "room temperature plain yogurt!), through to her absolute conviction of Garv's infidelity.
Once in the setting of LA, you see Maggie's character change into a trying to be a party animal, after convincing herself she is in fact a bad girl stuck in a good girls body, small pieces of Maggie's previous life start to come out (as part of daydream sections in the story), and once read you actually understand why Maggie and Garv had got where they did in their relationship, but also, maybe start to see a little light at the end of the tunnel for them.
There are some fantastic support characters in this book, at home (Ireland) there is Maggie's family, which are a real eccentric bunch of people, but (if you look closely at the dynamics) is pretty much like many peoples family!
The support cast in LA again is fantastic, with Emily being of Irish descent, the rest of her friends are from America, I loved reading about the self obsessed and vain people, all who have an over flatted sense of themselves, with the extremes they go to daily for their appearance and careers making me feel exhausted just reading about them!
This really was a great book to read, and even though it was what I would deem as "chick lit", was still deep enough emotionally for me to really start rallying along for the two main characters towards the end, absorbing me enough into the storyline (from the first page too!) enough to make me finish the book in two days, good for me, though my husband was getting annoyed with me carrying the book around with me!
Price wise this is available from www.amazon.co.uk for £4.99, though my sister was lucky enough to get this free in a magazine!
This was a really good read, that held all the emotion of a true love story, but with just as much humour too, recommended!
Thanks for reading x
I always enjoy reading a Marian Keyes book. They nearly always (with the exception of Under the Duvet which I didn't enjoy) follow the same formula, and engross me as the reader, into the lives of the characters in the tale.
They are very Irish, and wrap me up in the strong Irish family warmth, which reminds me of my large family and I find this helps me relate to her stories. Huge 'feel good factor', even if the stories deal with some difficult subject matters, as it is always done very sensitively.
Angels was Marian's 7th novel, coming after Watermelon; Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married; Rachel's Holiday; Last Chance Saloon; Sushi for Beginners, and the afore mentioned, Under the Duvet (short stories).
Maggie Walsh is our heroine. She is a woman who likes to control her life, and has always been 'very well behaved'. Or so everyone thinks. Maggie tries to tell her family that she isn't that well behaved, and hates the tag, but nevertheless, she is always considered Well Behaved. That is, until her husband who thinks he is laughing about a shared joke they both have, suddenly realises that it wasn't Maggie who shared the joke, but his girlfriend. Maggie is devastated, and leaves her home to return to the nest. The family are in disbelief. How could this happen to Maggie of all people.
Maggie, rather than enjoying the warmth of the bosom of her family, escapes to her friends in Los Angeles, hence the name for the book.
It is in LA that Maggie starts to have the opportunity to explore who she really is. Is she really that well behaved daughter that everyone can rely upon? Did she ever really know her husband, Garv? Did she ever really get over her first love, Shay Delaney? Marian Keyes has a knack of writing from the heart, and this transfers to the different characters, although more so in her more recent novels than this one. We do really get to the heart of Maggie Walsh, and why she has made the choices in her life that she has.
My only gripe, is that I didn't really get to know all the characters as well as I wanted to. They weren't explored and I sometimes found myself thinking, ie, who's Mike? when he had been in the story for the most part. This was only with the 'also rans' and not the main characters, but I do like to visualise everyone who is in the room, and I found that I couldn't. Having read subsequent Keyes' books, she has improved in this over time.
Marian Keyes has a sense of humour, and this is evident through her novels. They have you in tears, but there is always a lot of laughter and female jokes, some of which make you laugh while cringing, too!
She also has the knack of weaving her prologue through the course of her books, so that while the story unfolds, you are relating it to the past, and have Ureka moments of 'so THATS why!'. I have never guessed the end of her stories for that very reason, as I have not had the benefit of knowing what went before. Very clever.
So a bit about our author. She is from a strong Irish family, born in 1963 i Limmerick. Her family moved to various parts of Ireland, and she then spent time in London. She now lives back in Ireland with hubby, Tony. Although she always engaged in telling stories, she didn't start writing until 1993, after she had studied Law and Accountancy. She is now considered one of Irelands greatest novelists.
She has her own website, simply mariankeyes.com with various interactive bits and pieces on there, such as voting for your favourite novel etc.
I bought my copy of this book, (hardback, running to 478 pages) from a local library who was selling old books. It is a very brown paged book, despite only being published in 2002. Been through many hands, I would think, and will soon be passing on its way to the charity shop!
I heartily recommend having a read of this, either new or used, as it is an excellent page turner.
Reading a Marian Keyes novel is akin to veging on the sofa watching Dirty Dancing and eating Hagen Days ice cream out of the tub with a spoon. Before you realise it the tub is empty or in this case the book is over and yet the movies is only half way through. Angels is very much like this, theres a whole lot of story left to be told but you've run out of pages.
I don't recall having read a Marian Keyes novel before but this one was like curling up with a best friend. Within the first chapter you felt familiar with the characters, they were all variations of the sort of people you bump into in every day life.
The book focuses on Maggie and her mid-life crisis as she discovers her husband has been unfaithful and turns her world upside down. Temporarily Maggie moves back to her childhood home before jetting off to Los Angeles, the city of angels, to spend a month with her best friend Emily an aspiring Hollywood screenwriter.
Maggie seems to lurch from disaster to disaster with a lot of sex along the way and a fair amount of lesbian snogs thrown in for good measure. She undergoes the transformation of the newly single and literally chops that man right out of her hair.
Surprisingly I rather enjoyed this. Theres no complicated plot to follow, no unexpected twists just a schmaltzy feel good story with a syrup sweet happy ending. Its well written, mildly funny in places in a been there, done that kind of way. Mostly its just a very light hearted look at the stresses and strains that people endure when a relationship ends.
I had recently read my first book from Marian Keyes (Sushi for Beginners) and I had enjoyed it so much that I had to read some more. Therefore, thanks to a local friendly freecycler, I found myself reading 'Angels' also by the said author. This is also a very enjoyable book although I have to admit that it did take me a while to get into it.
The central character is Maggie and the story is told from her perspective. She is one of five sisters and has always been the 'good girl'. She is the one out of all her sisters with a safe marriage and a good job. However, all of this changes within a matter of days when she discovers that her husband, Garv, has been seeing someone else and she is also sacked. Feeling very cast adrift and at odds at what to do with her life, she ends up back at her parents' house moping around. This looks like being her long term prospect until her friend Emily, a struggling scriptwriter, invites Maggie to spend a few weeks with her in Los Angeles.
Finding herself in a strange country amongst a whole host of colourful characters, Maggie decides that she has no choice but to let her hair down - which she does! She throws caution to the wind and starts to thoroughly enjoy herself - that is until she falls for Troy and also discovers that an old flame is in the area. As time goes on she starts to wonder who she really is and what she really wants out of life. The question is though - will she get her happy ending? To find out you will just have to read the book!
The more I think about it, the more I realise how much I enjoyed this book. It has a lovely relaxed style and has a good balance between humour and pathos. There are lots of very funny moments particularly as this is set against the phoney backdrop of Hollywood. There are some great descriptions of all these 'movie folk' who really are all stereotypes of each other.
Maggie is a great central character and as this is written in the first person, the reader is really able to get inside her head. You do really sense her despair as she struggles to come to terms with her marriage breakup and also as she starts to fall in love with all the wrong people. You also discover experiences from her past which are very sad and we find these out through a series of flashbacks. Much of this sadness comes from two miscarriages which are described quite painfully and, having had two myself, I could really feel for the character especially how she describes that, after the miscarriages, everywhere she looked there were blooming pregnant women or bouncing babies. I don't think I would recommend this book for any woman who has recently gone through a similar experience, although these parts are so well written that the sense of loss of not trivialised at all. What was particularly poignant was the way Maggie's and Garv's relationship fell apart after this with them being unable to talk to each other.
This makes the novel sound heavy which it is certainly not. There is a wonderful assortment of characters who provide much light relief from Maggie's dysfunctional family to all the 'wannabee' actors and actresses who are Emily's friends. If I have one slight criticism, there were perhaps a tad too many minor characters that I had to keep reminding myself who they all were!
Overall, this is a most readable book that will soon have you hooked. I really loved getting involved in Maggie's life and kept wanting to know what happened next. It is about 480 pages long which is probably just the right length.
The book is available on Amazon for £4.66.
Now, I know this book REALLY isn't aimed at me, and I don't know what on earth I was doing reading it, but my wife has a plethora of chick lit floating around the house, and every now and then, curiosity gets the better of me.
This is Marian Keyes' sixth novel, and it's actually very funny. If you're a bloke, reading this, wondering what on earth I'm doing not only reading it, but reviewing it, too, then there is a reason: insight! In a very funny way, it provides a gripping story, with comedy, anger, and a variety of other emotions, as we see Keyes' lead character, maggie, adjusting to life without a husband and on the other side of the Pond in the States!
What it does is, I suppose, appeal to women who go about daily routines, and whisks them off in a literary world to a care-free land where it's all about partying, long nights and late mornings. I suppose the key thing here is that keyes has written a book filled with fantasy. And I have to say, this can occasionally go for men, too! No matter how happy we are in our lives, there is always the appeal of reinventing yourself and what you do.
Maggie's decision to jack in her current life as the 'sensible' one in the family, leaving her unfaithful husband to stay with her friend, Emily, is very well written by Keyes, and actually flows incredibly quickly. The style of writing is very easy to follow, and doesn't require a great deal of concentration. The words seem to flow off the page, and part of this is the appeal you get and the ability to relate, not necessarily to someone in this situation, but to the desire to just up and leave to do something different, to make things that bit mroe interesting.
I'm sure we all think about it, some of us even talk about it, no doubt, but Marian Keyes' Maggie has actually done it. The book is 468 pages long, and really doesn't take long to read at all. It is easy to read quickly - I know my wife skim reads a lot, particularly when she has already read it once. Quite often, she'll take a couple of hours to get through a book. Me, it took just a couple of days.
Angels is readily available in bookshops. Although it retails at £6.99, it is a book I have seen in charity shops as well as online for much cheaper. A recommended read, even if not aimed at me, and I don't think I could read this sort of book too often, but once in a while is pretty enjoyable!
Maggie Walsh is the 'good girl' of the Walsh family - with bunch of wayward sisters, Maggie has always done things the sensible way - so it comes as a shock when her life is turned upside down when she discovers her husband had an affair and she is sacked from her job!
So she flees to LA to take some "downtime" with her best friend Emily who is a struggling scriptwriter out there. This is where the book comes into its own as the craziness of LA and Angelenos are the real stars of this book!
You can honestly believe that the stuff Maggie discovers about LA really goes on as well, which makes it even funnier.
Follow Maggie as she meets sexy bad boy Troy, gets involved with Lara the lesbian, meets anorexic dogs and definitely shakes off her good girl shackles!
One of the funniest parts of the book is when her family comes to visit her in LA (anyone thats familiar with Marian will aslready know the mad Walsh family!).
As with many of her books, there is a sadder side to Angels, when you find out why Maggie's marriage dissolved and what caused her husband to have the affair.
Excellent stuff all round.
now it was a long time ago that I read this book, and to be honest, I had actually forgotten that I'd read it until I read the reviews and remembered the story line!!!! It was then I rememberd it was VERY funny!!
The story follows Maggie Walsh who is fed up of her boring life, she is known as the "sensible" daughter of the Walsh family, but when her husband is found to be having an affair, she quits her job in the legal trade, and runs away to LA to live with her friend Emily.
While in LA Maggie breaks her good girl mould and starts to live her life to the full, going to parties having her hair cut (hillarious part where she has her "bangs" cut slanted!!!), and drives an SUV.
the book leaves you with a very warm and happy feeling at the end, and does have a happy ending for all concerned.
Its not exactly a book we can all relate to, but it is a book which you can read and have a good giggle at, some of the characters are hillarious and the book gives you a better feeling about the "beautiful people" who have such a happy facade in LA, the actors, the rich, the gorgeous....the book scratches the surface of the perfect, and reveals the truth, which is very endearing for someone whose life is the opposite of theirs!!!
The book, like all of Marien Keyes books, is a very easy read, perfect for your suitcase or bedside cabinet. It will have you giggling away like a school girl, and might even bring a tear to your eye!!
Angels is the third story in the Walsh family series, and while many say it's there favourite, is the weakest out of the bunch in my opinion. Saying that, it's still an interesting funny read, but it just doesn't seem to compare to the rest of the series favourably.
The story starts with a typically good girl, Maggie Walsh, having a crisis. Always seen as the 'goodie two shoes' of the family (called a few other choice names throughout the story!), Maggie decides to leave her husband and run away to LA to live with her best friend instead. The story that follows includes lots of highs and lows, as well as the much loved humour that Marion injects into all her stories!
A personal favourite for me is when the Walsh family come to stay, with Mammy Walsh becoming a sort-of cult leader, and Helen becoming a private detective!
The only thing I found with this story is it seems to work backwards-with Marion Keyes normally she seems to show you the problems up front and then let the characters develop, whereas with this story we start with the character and find out more of her problems as the book goes on.
Still a really good read though, and a must-have for any fan.
Marian Keyes is the master (or should that be mistress ?) of chick-lit so - as long as you pick this book up with that in mind, you'll love it.
Browsing along the spines of the books on the shelf in the bookshelf, you'll just come across yet another pale pink book with a vaguely romantic drawing of a girl in a little black dress and, inkeeping with the title, a pair of feathery angel wings drawn on. *Big yawn ! *
I was expecting tales of girls out on the town, with a healthy dose of romance and probably heartbreak on the way, but all finishing up with a happy end, as usual. And thinking about it, you could basically define it as that. But somehow there seems to be a bit more to it this time, there's a slight undercurrent in the story with a bit more to get your teeth into. The romance is there, and the soul-searching, and the girlie laughs (it wouldn't be chicklit if there weren't) but as well as the laugh-out-loud moments when you really identify with the character, there are also some more poignant moments that will surely strike a chord with many of the female readers.
The story revolves around Maggie Walsh, the "nice sensible daughter" of the family, who suddenly finds out that her husband is having an affair and takes off to Los Angeles (hence the title) to stay with a friend while she decides what to do. Her decision to break the mould and be wreckless for a bit leads her to meet a wealth of colourful characters, several of whom she has romantic dalliances with, as she goes out partying and discovering the American lifestyle in Los Angeles ... but when her real life catches up with her (on a direct flight from Ireland), she has to face her demons and decide what to do for the best.
The book is just like Los Angeles, where it is set - on the surface, everything is "shiny, happy people", fun and frolics, nothing is serious and the sun always shines, but scratch away the surface and there is also pain and suffering, depression and heartache and life not always turning out the way you want. Some of the minor characters are hilarious and the dialogue is so realistic and believable, that at times you could imagine being on a girlie night out and listening to your mates telling you all about their latest escapades.
I wouldn't go as far as to say there is any suspense at the end, but you do wonder who she'll end up with (if anyone) and you have a real "awww that was nice" feeling at the end.
Flicking through the pages at the end that advertise Marian Keyes other books, I noticed that Maggie's sister Rachel, who only has a bit part in this story, is the central character in another of Marian Keyes' books, "Rachel's Holiday". I'd heard of this book and always taken the title at face value, assuming it related the usual romantic adventures of a girlie holiday, but from reading the blurb, I see that it actually tells the tale of Rachel going into detox.
And that, I suppose, is why Marian Keyes is so successful - all the classic chick-lit elements are there, you'll get what you expect, but there is also a healthy dose of realism and grittiness along with the romance and humour. It's a great novel for when you fancy something a bit lightweight and gives you a real "feel-good" feeling at the end.
482 pages, £7.99, published by Penguin
First published by Michael Joseph in 2002, published by Penguin books in 2003.
Decided to review this book as it was one of the first I read when I switched from horror stories at the age of 15!! Still a favourite and read often, really do need a new copy as its falling apart!
---About the author---
Marain Keyes is an internationally bestselling author, this book Angels was a Sunday Times number one bestseller soon after its release.
She is published in 19 languages and also brought out a collection of journalistic pieces titles 'Under the Duvet' and since then 'Further under the Duvet'.
Marian Keyes lives with her husband in Dublin.
---The Characters---
Margaret (Maggie) Walsh: The main character, works for a legal firm; good job, good husband, a steady life or so she thinks!
Paul (Garv) Garvan: Maggies husband of 9 years.
Emily: Maggies best friend, a struggling scriptwriter in LA. the kind of great friend everyone needs!
---The plot---
This is a story of self discovery! Maggies own self discovery, after being married for 9 years in a steady job she was happy with her lot, or so she thought! the world suddenly tips upside down (her own doing) and everything changes.
Suddenly without the reliable husband and job, she comes out of her shell to say the least!
She runs off to LA (this is after quitting her job AND marriage) and stays with her best friend Emily. Along the way of self discovery meets a lot of strange and interesting people and does things she never dreamed she would do!
There are a lot of men (and one woman!) you wonder will she.. won't she..? and obviously I'm not gonna spoil it and tell you if she does! you find yourself for routing for certain ones and hoping she'll do the right thing!!
---My opinions---
A really surprising read, more twists than any book i've ever read.
I love the unpredictability of Maggie and you really end up wanting the best for her whatever that may be!
Once you start this book you won't wanna put it down as every page contains a new surprise you totally weren't expecting!
Also by Marian Keyes:
Sushi for beginners
Anybody out there?
Last Chance Saloon
Lucy Sullivan is getting married
Rachels holiday
I managed to get hold of 6 Marian Keyes books, which I have wanted to read for a long time, at a boot fair for £2.00!!
Angels was the first one I read as I liked the sound of the blurb on the back and haven't read the others yet so I wont be able to compare to any others she has written.
More often than not, I tend to read Suspense/thriller/crime/murder sort of novels but I do sometimes like to read a good girlie book in between to make a change and have something lighter and less gory!
About the Author:
Marian Keyes was born in the West of Ireland in 1963, brought up in Dublin and then spent her twenties in London. She left school and went to college to get a law degree. She started writing in 1993 and her first book Watermelon was published in Ireland in 1995.
Her books are an unusual blend of comedy and darkness and cover subjects like depression, addiction and love. Her books are published in 35 countries worldwide and have been translated into several different languages.
About the Book:
Angels by Marian Keyes is definitely a girlie book but it has all the right elements that I like and therefore makes it an enjoyable read. It made me laugh, it made me ALMOST cry, it made me smile, it made me feel compassion and sympathy for the characters and above all, it made me want to continue reading it.
The story begins with 33 Maggie Walsh telling the reader about the minute she realised her marriage was over and predominately it had to do with her husband Garv (real name Paul Garvan) cheating on her with someone Maggie likes to call 'Truffle Woman!'
She thinks it can't get any worse but then she gets fired from her job. She is at a loss and feels like she is in a rut in her life so decides to accept an offer from her best friend Emily to stay with her in her house in LA.
You, as the reader, then follow her on her journey not only to LA but her journey within herself discovering who she is and what she wants. She has a complete change in character by attending fancy parties with her fancy friends, getting pedicures and manicures and eyebrow waxes, which was something she never would have considered back home in Ireland. She drops the good girl image for one night stands, has an encounter of the female kind and lots of alcohol intake.
But has Maggie really changed? Can she ever be a bad girl? & Is it really over for her and Garv? You'll have to read it to see!
As much as I loved the book, there were a few times that I found it slightly boring as there were a couple of chapters where nothing much happened. Also, there were a few flashbacks in the book explaining about her marriage with Garv and where it may have started to go wrong and I wasn't really interested in that - I just wanted to know what was happening with Maggie and her lesbian love affair!! It was important to the book though to have those flashbacks as it did give you an insight into their marriage and that it wasn't all as black and white as it may seem at first.
I thought the ending was a bit of a surprise and think I would have liked it to end a different way but I still thought it was good. As I said before, it's the first thing I've read from Marian's collection but I ca't wait to move on to the other 5 I've got, just don't know which one to read first!!
If you love a good girly book that you can read in the bath or on the beach then I would recommend this book but the fact that it tackles real life issues and not just, 'girl breaks up with boy, goes on holiday, has affair with Italian waiter sort of book' makes it even more memorable and deserving.
As I said, I got mine at a boot fair but you can buy Marian Keyes books in most book shops for around £5.99 but you can get hold of a copy on Amazon from about £1.00 and Ebay from about £2.00 including delivery.
Thanks for reading and have a good day.
I have to admit that this is the first book by Marian Keyes that I have ever read, despite her being popular at the moment as a new author from Ireland and a Sunday Times Number One Bestseller.
I am not one for spending a fortune on books, and often rummage through piles at boot sales and stalls willing to pay a few pence for a novel. Therefore I was pleased to recive this book free with a magazine when waiting for the train.
~The Plot~
Maggie Walsh comes from a large Irish family and is always described as the "sensible" one
- compared to her sisters living a boring and predictable life. Married to Garv Maggie realises that her marriage is going wrong and to get over the disappointment of her husbands infidelity she boards a plane heading to Los Angeles in order to stay with her friend Emily a struggling scriptwriter.
The quiet normality of Ireland is suddenly overshadowed by the world of face lifts, new lingo and fantastically good looking men and women who all appear to be in movies or trying to be. Maggie finds herself attending glitzy parties, having regular beauty treatments, and surrounded by people who dont eat, all the time trying to help her friend pitch her newest script to the various film companies throughout the city.
Maggie realises that her life is in tatters and feels uncomfortable having bumped into her first love Shay Delaney who she thought she had finally got out of her system. Each new person she meets is questioned on their marital status as she tries to find divorcees rather than newly weds so she is more normal. She meets plenty of characters on the way, Lara the lesbian, Troy the gorgeous commitment phobe with whom she has a fling believing this will help to get over her failed marriage and Mike and Charmaine Emilys neighbours who are into readings.
As the book continues Keyes returns us to Ireland to fill parts of the jigsaw which explains how and why things went wrong. We see a much clearer picture of what her marriage was really like.
The book unfortunately is quite predictable but none the less satisfying. There are a few red herrings thrown in to make you question what Maggies outcome will be. I would not say that the plot of this book was great but the observations about life in LA did have me laughing in places and she is very good at describing everyday normal relationships and discussions which couples and friends might have.
Overall the book is a good, light hearted read with useful tips from LA.
All who know her know Maggie Walsh as a dependable, safe and ?good? girl. She has a great husband who just so happens to be her first ever boyfriend and she has a great job, which looks like it could set her up for life. However, if they looked more closely they?d see that not everything is quite as it seems. Maggie and her husband Garv (real name Paul Garvan, but Garv?s his pet name), have been going through quite a few of what most people call ?Set Backs?. In fact to Maggie, that was the understatement of the century. They were barely on speaking terms, sex was definitely out of the question and neither of them seemed to want to talk about anything. So basically life was just plodding along steadily for them, until one day, Maggie finds Garv has been cheating on her with someone she likes to call ?Truffle Woman? (you have to read the book to know why!). Then as if that wasn?t bad enough, she also got fired from her job. That was the main thing that made Maggie realise she really didn?t want to be where she is anymore, in fact, she wanted to swap Ireland for LA where her best friend Emily was. What follows is a complete change in character with fancy parties to attend, attractive people to meet, and lots of time taken in her appearance. Actually, to say Maggie has a change of character is an understatement! She goes quickly from her good girl image to having one-night stands and not just with men either! But has Maggie really changed? What about her husband? Can failed marriages really end as clear-cut as theirs? After all, she was only staying in LA for a month, and then she had to sort her divorce out. *** My opinion of the book *** There were times when I found the book quite boring but I gather this is only due to the fact that I am too impatient. This meant that when the book skipped certain sections, like when a film switches to past and present, I found myself not caring about the past and wanting to know more abo
ut the present. After finishing the book however, I realise it was important to have the book set out like that because it revealed information about how Maggie?s marriage had broken up slowly, rather than telling you everything at the beginning and ruining the plotline. I think the book covered the issue of failed marriages quite well. There was a surprise twist at the end, or at least it was a surprise to me, and that really finished the book for me. Sometimes I?m left wanting more and feeling that the author hasn?t given enough information away but this time the book was finished with excellence. The Epilogue was fantastic. I always love to know what happens to characters when the book has ended and Marian Keyes definitely tied it together well in a couple of pages. I was left happy and enthusiastic about the book whereas if I?d have stopped halfway through I?d have felt disappointed. It really is a book you have to read to the end. I have to say it didn?t get too boring, it still had me wanting to read it to get to the best bits. So don?t be put off by me saying it got a little boring, as I said, I?m just impatient. *** About the Author *** This book is written (obviously) by Marian Keyes. Marian has quite a few bestsellers under her belt including ?Sushi for Beginners?, ?Last Chance Saloon? and ?Watermelon?. Her books are published in nineteen different languages and she has recently put together and published a collection of her journalism called ?Under the Duvet?. For those of you who don?t know Marian was born in the west of Ireland in 1963. She spent her twenties in London and gradually became more and more depressed until her life hit rock bottom and she turned to drink for comfort. After a suicide attempt she managed to get a place in rehab and for her, that was the best thing that could have happened to her. In 1993 she started writing and her first book ?Watermelon? was published in 1995. Now you?
ll find that not many people haven?t heard of her. She has over 5 million copies of her books sold to date worldwide and she shows no sign of stopping yet! In her books she writes about certain issues such as depression, illness and addiction. This makes her stand out from a lot of authors because she actually has been there and doesn?t need to do much research about how the characters would feel under certain situations. She tackles issues which can inspire people when they read how the characters handle the issues. *** My final word *** I really do like this book and it?s the first thing I?ve read from Marian?s collection. I?m definitely going to get myself some of her other books as I think she is a fabulous writer. It just goes to show you can do anything if you put your mind to it, even write a few bestsellers! So if you?re into not just fiction and modern women?s lit, but books that tackle real life issues, get yourself a copy of this book. I guarantee you will not be disappointed! The book costs £6.99 in most book shops but prices will vary depending on where you shop. You can also buy online from places such as Amazon and Ebay. No excuse not to get it now is there (unless of course you?re out of money! lol). Aimee xxx
"I'd always lived a fairly blameless life. Up until the day I left my husband and ran away to Hollywood, I'd hardly ever put a foot wrong". This is the first line from the 6th Marian Keyes novel ?Angels?. If you are a ?Chic-fic? (or ?modern romantic fiction? if you prefer) fan and/or you really enjoy Marian Keyes, this book will have you laughing, crying and cheering from this first line to the last. When you start to read this book you will be drawn into the life of Maggie Walsh, you?ll find out how it all started?what went wrong?and then what went right again. Maggie Walsh is one of five girls in a large Irish family. What I find really interesting and exciting when I start reading a Keyes book is that characters are sometimes linked by the sisters. Keyes first book ?Watermelon? was about Claire, another of her books, ?Rachael?s Holiday? is about (funnily enough) Rachael. This time it is Maggie?s turn. Although our main character is featured in the other two other novels, I must say that you will not lose anything by reading this one first (although I recommend you do read them because they are good!). ?In Watermelon? and ?Rachael?s Holiday?, we got to learn a little about each sister (although, the opinions were generally biased). Maggie was described as the one who never did anything wrong. She got married to her first boyfriend (Paul Garvan), left home and lived a happy life with her husband, never causing her parents or siblings any worry. So, to everyone, it was a big shock when she upped and left for LA. Maggie has suspected Paul of having an affair with a truffle eating woman and instead of trying to work it out, she jumps on a plane to Los Angeles to go stay with her long time friend Emily, has ?romantic liaisons
? with two of Emily?s friends ? Troy (with the big nose and weight obsessed girlfriend) and Lara (the stunning lesbian with huge breast implants), she bumps into her teenage ?first love? who turns out to be a prat and she helps save Emily?s career as Script writer. Amongst all these goings ons, Maggie?s family come over from Ireland to stay for two weeks. This book is funny, immensely moving and ultimately completely uplifting. The Walsh family are as usual fabulous in all their dysfunctional glory. Maggie herself is a typical woman, with typical hopes and dreams and we can all relate to her shock at her broken marriage. Anyone who has ever had their heart broken will cry with her as she comes to terms with what has happened. But unlike some novels set around a separation, never at any time does this book descend into self-pity and depression. Keyes strikes the balance of letting you understand the characters without making them into caricatures. The women in Angels are fighters and they keep going no matter what is thrown at them, sometimes with hilarious consequences. In my opinion, ?Angels? is well written, funny; you can't help but turn the pages and I would definitely say this book was worth a read. Marian Keyes is a fantastic author and is amazing at using creative language but some may say the plot isn?t really anything new. As a big fan of Marian Keyes, I have read all her books. I enjoyed this one and found myself unable to put it down (as with all the others) but I would not say it was my favourite. There is nothing ?lacking? from it ? it?s just that I personally preferred the storyline in a couple of her other books (?Rachael?s Holiday? and ?Last Chance Saloon? to be precise). All in all, Keyes has written another excellent 'chick-fic' novel, and
she may be sticking to a formula but it is one that works. This book will brighten up your darkest of moods and leave you feeling as cheery as anyone could be. Have I anything thing else to say? Yes. Read it. ** ?Angels? is available on hardback and paper back from your usual well-known bookshops or online from Amazon. The retail price is £6.99 for paperback and £16.99 for a hardback copy, but there are many deals around so you probably won?t pay this much. ** ISBN: 0-718-14466-x
Maggie Walsh has always done everything right. Sensibly, by the book. Until the day she leaves her husband and runs away to Hollywood, that is.


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Simulation helps Ariz. police practice driving maneuvers and techniques
By Sean Higgins
COOLIDGE, Ariz. — Members of the Coolidge Police Department were given the opportunity to remediate themselves in evasive driving techniques and procedures without ever hitting the pavement.
The remediation took place March 18 in the parking lot of the police department at 911 S. Arizona Blvd. and was simulated through a virtual driving simulator supplied by Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training board (POST).
The simulator is a valuable tool for officers statewide. It gives rookie and veteran officers alike the opportunity to practice maneuvers and techniques in a safe environment without real hazards. Lifelike scenarios depicting pursuits, evasive driving techniques, and loss of breaks, amongst many more, were included in the training.
Read full story here: Officers had the ability to communicate via radio in scenarios that ran together
- Tags
- Police Training

subset: commoncrawl


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The five members of Walk Off the Earth have a knack for reimagining some of today's most popular songs.
First they tackled Gotye's monster pop/rock hit "Somebody That I Used To Know" using five hands and only one guitar, which has earned them over 143 million views.
Now they're recreating the synth sounds of Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble" with just their mouths.
Going a cappella, the Canadian group masters every one of the song's electronic elements and manages to even throw in a little nod to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."
The band, which released its EP of all original music, R.E.V.O., last year, also enlisted a little help from KRNFX, who offers up a bit of beatboxing to help really get that dubstep feel Tay was going for. In just a few days, the already garnered over 1 million views.
So what do you think? Did Walk Off the Earth get it right, or should they never ever perform this one again? Like, ever?
– Shannon Carlin, CBS Local


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CARSON, Calif. -- The LA Galaxy are through to the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The Galaxy qualified with a scoreless draw with the San Jose Earthquakes that allowed LA to earn their fifth consecutive playoff berth and the franchise's 15th. With the result, LA also help Seattle Sounders FC book a ticket into the postseason while essentially assuring a place for the Colorado Rapids due to their massive goals scored advantage on San Jose.
Currently in third place, the LA Galaxy can finish anywhere between first place in the Western Conference and fifth. If LA earn a win against Seattle at CenturyLink Field, however, they will assure themselves of a top three spot in the West. Draw and they'll need a Colorado loss or draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC to avoid the Knockout Round.
Where will LA finish?
Share your thoughts below.


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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Herald News continues its series of questions and answers from the candidates for the 6th Bristol Representative District seat special election. Questions posed by the newspaper and the unedited responses from the candidates will appear in the Focus section in the weeks leading up to the special election. David Dennis, Carole Fiola, Bradford Kilby and Gerry Potvin are vying for the Democratic nomination in the Aug. 13 primary. Republican David Steinhof, who does not have a primary, will face the winner of the Democratic Primary in the Sept. 10 general election.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Herald News continues its series of questions and answers from the candidates for the 6th Bristol Representative District seat special election. Questions posed by the newspaper and the unedited responses from the candidates will appear in the Focus section in the weeks leading up to the special election. David Dennis, Carole Fiola, Bradford Kilby and Gerry Potvin are vying for the Democratic nomination in the Aug. 13 primary. Republican David Steinhof, who does not have a primary, will face the winner of the Democratic Primary in the Sept. 10 general election.
Q: Concerns about EBT abuse ramped up earlier this year when a state audit made claims that thousands of deceased residents continued to receive benefits. Do you feel the state's current EBT program is effective? Why? if not what type of changes do you feel could strengthen the state's EBT system?
David Dennis
EBT law in Massachusetts exists to help those who are most in need until they can get back on their feet. There is, of course, and unfortunate reality with programs like this; people will try to take advantage of them. While these abusers are very rare, something must be done to put an end to such behavior.
I believe the core philosophy behind the EBT program is to give an individual enough to meet basic needs. The best way to ensure this isn't taken advantage of is to limit the ability to stockpile money on an EBT card. Simply put, if you don't use it you lose it. Picture ID's are also a deterrent!
In an effort to reduce errors in the system, recipients of these benefits should be called for review periodically to qualify for relief. This is the quickest way to ensure something as outrageous as the deceased still collecting benefits does not happen again, and it will allow the state to personalize aide on an individual basis, catering on a much more precise need-based system than the one in place now.
Carole Fiola
I commend Auditor Susan Bump for shedding light on Electronic Benefit Card abuse and forcing discussion of an issue that is in need of reform. The frustration and anger of the citizenry is well placed when taxpayers' money is misspent on programs designed to help the needy and the poor.
There can be no excuse for the Department of Transitional Assistance lack of oversight where millions of public dollars are being paid to more than 1100 dead people and millions more to recipients living in Florida, Virgin Islands, Myrtle Beach, Las Vegas and Hawaii who may be receiving duplicate benefits from other states or not even living in Massachusetts.
In addition to the recently passed legislation requiring photo identification on the EBT Cards, I would propose the following to address these abuses:
(i) Install Inventory Approval Software System software, similar to that used by the IRS pre-tax healthcare FLEX system, to prevent purchases of non-eligible items such as alcohol, tattoos, cigarettes, lottery tickets, jewelry and other ineligible expenditures
(ii) Eliminate the accumulation of excessive cash in an individual EBT account by requiring expenditure of such funds on a monthly basis with no provision for a cash benefit carryover
(iii) Eliminate self declaration for expenses pertaining to rent, day care and utilities and require documented proof of such expenditures. (Currently applicants require no proof of these expenses that affect the amount of benefit they receive) Initiate on-line payments to landlords and vendors.
(iv) Contract with independent fraud investigators to ensure program compliance
(v) Increase income level eligibility for veterans and elderly in need
As your State Representative, I will fight for the rights of those who actually need such assistance and work to streamline the program to ensure greater accountability and eliminate fraud and waste.
Bradford Kilby
Overall, Electronic Benefits Transfer, (EBT), is an effective system for paying for food stamp and cash assistance benefits. It is much more of a secure system than coupons and checks that were previously used. "Trafficking" is a form of fraud when intended benefits are exchanged for cash. This form of fraud should never be tolerated. Fortunately, part of the EBT system involves the U.S.Department Of Agriculture working with the Commonwealth Of Massachusetts in attempting to reduce such fraud. Over the last decade, this partnership has reduced "Trafficking from 4% to 1%. In short, the federal government and the states should continue to crack down on individuals who misuse taxpayer dollars. In Massachusetts, about 900,000 people get these benefits. In many instances these benefits are the first line of defense against hunger. Most of the beneficiaries are the elderly and young children.
The EBT system should be improved by examining staff levels along with the use of updated technology such as interactive voice response and on-line portals so reporting and communication with beneficiaries can be improved.
In terms of the big picture regarding EBT Assistance, increased funding for public educational, community college system, unemployment training, and improved public transportation are vital with the goal of getting individuals employed and off cash assistance.
Gerald Potvin
The state's EBT system is in need of a complete overhaul. As I go around the district, EBT abuse and fraud has been a central issue among voters. There are many who feel, as I do, that we need to make substantial changes to the program to ensure that it is used for its intended purpose; to help those in times of need.
When I was younger, my mother instilled in me that public assistance was there for the needy, not the greedy. In staying consistent with that philosophy, I would propose several changes to the system when elected.
1. Those that are caught committing EBT fraud must face some type of consequence. I'd propose that those committing fraud would either be barred from further assistance from the EBT system until they repay to the state all funds they fraudulently took advantage of. While this may seem extreme, I believe this to be necessary to deter further abuse.
2. All funds dispensed to EBT cards are funds collected from Massachusetts taxpayers. It is only reasonable then to mandate that those funds be used only in Massachusetts.
3. Any balances remaining on EBT cards at the end of every six months should revert back to the state so that others who need assistance can get it. This would ensure proper allocation of limited funds and prevent large scale abuses.
4. Any business that aids in the abuse of EBT funds (i.e. selling restricted items, selling to unauthorized people) will be equally liable for fraud and prohibited from further participation in the program.
EBT assistance is an important state program that has helped so many during difficult times. My proposed changes would help the needy, prosecute the greedy and ensure that those who actually need help during their difficult times get it.
David Steinhof
The state's current EBT system needs a major overhaul and is facing a number of serious issues including those raised by the State Auditor's report. While this report revealed that millions of dollars were being distributed to deceased recipients and duplicate dependents this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as the mismanagement within this agency. Taxpayer dollars are being wasted and it is my belief that welfare benefits should be available, protected and accessible for those who are truly eligible and in need of our assistance. I will advocate for the following changes to ensure the integrity of this taxpayer funded program:
1) We must ensure that the program is being utilized by those who meet the eligibility requirements.
2) We need to have a requirement that Social Security Numbers (SSNs) are cross checked at the point of application, with a minimum of 9 specific state and federal databases and 20 additional optional databases.
3) We need to prohibit the use of numerical identifiers as placeholders for SSNs for periods in excess of 3 months.
4) We need to prohibit out of state EBT card use except in states that border Massachusetts.
5) We need to increase the potential fines and enforce them on retailers who violate EBT regulations, by allowing EBT benefits to be used for the purchase of items such as alcohol, cigarettes and lottery tickets.
6) We must end the use of self-declarations as verification of applicant eligibility.
7) We must phase-in the implementation of an online payment system for rent, utility payments and to pay bills so as to provide the Commonwealth with greater oversight over the use of EBT while ensuring that intended recipients who are incapable of utilizing online access such as seniors and disabled receive all possible assistance.


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Graduating Seniors Display
The Smith Library established the tradition of celebrating and honoring its graduating senior student workers with the Graduating Seniors' Legacy Display. Each graduating senior is invited to choose a book that has had special meaning during their time at Southwestern. These books will be given a commemorative book plate and will be displayed along with their pictures in the Periodicals Room.
The Smith Library values its student workers, and while it is always hard to see them graduate, we are delighted that we have found a way to keep a little part of them and share that gift with others.
Congratulations, graduating seniors!


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Emmy Awards 2014: Watch Billy Crystal's Tribute to Robin Williams
"He made us laugh, hard," said Billy Crystal at the opening of his Emmys tribute to his late friend Robin Williams, who ended his life earlier this month at 63. He took his time telling two anecdotes from his days spent with Williams, attending Mets games and having him over at family functions.
"As genius as he was on stage, he was the greatest friend you could ever imagine," he said. "It's very hard to talk about him in the past because he was in all our lives. Robin Williams … what a concept."
The Emmys concluded the tribute with a touching montage that gave a quick taste of Williams' comedic prowess. Watch the video after the jump.


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Will iPads replace good old fashioned toys? Baby and toddler apps are big in the Apple store, but there's a growing debate on whether they're good for kids or not. A while back, we reported about American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation that children should stay screen-free until they're two years old. Passive television viewing is discouraged during this time period, but experts are still unsure about the effects of iPads or smart tablets on children since it's a fairly new device. But one thing's for certain: Children benefit best from free, unstructured play without electronics.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), psychologists, parents and technology experts participated in a panel discussion in New York last month called, "Baby Brains and Video Games." All of the panel participants believed that there were benefits to children using child-friendly apps on iPads, but that parents should set limits on device use. Or baby will think a magazine is an iPad like in that funny YouTube video!
Do you let your tot play with your iPad or smart tablet? Have you downloaded any kid-friendly apps?


text: Why the automatic assumption that because Wonder Woman didn't do well, neither would supergirl, or because a supergirl movie was produced, it was necessarily the best of all possible supergirl movies? No one wants to blame the writer or producer of the movie if it does poorly, it is always the fault of the character concept because the writers and producers are so conceited in saying no one could write any better than they could. Wonder Woman proves nothing about supergirl, they are different characters. If someone makes a terrible Lord of the Rings movie, is that J.R. Tolkein's fault? I think Supergirl did poorly because it was given a lousy writer and producer, if they give them better screen writers perhaps they would do better. Maybe they don't sell because he can't write a good story with them, some other writer might write a better story. Its a lame excuse to write a lousy novel and then blame your fictional characters for the book being so lousy. I think if you do female characters, you write them for both make and female readers, you don't try to cater to one or the other, you end up losing both. I agree, one should write a good story about them, its the story that sells. If one writes a bad story, and then says no one can write any better and just attributes it to a lousy character because their slutty female pictures won't sell, that is a cop out. Women are nicer to look at, that's for sure, all they need is a good writer, and writers that are not humble enough to conceded that someone might have written a better story than they did blame the character they write about instead, it makes them feel better to say female characters don't sell than to admit they didn't write a good enough story about them.


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SAN JOSE — Ten suspects were arrested in the past week in connection with two separate gang-related killings of young men that occurred about a month apart in the same East San Jose neighborhood, police said.
With the arrests, homicide detectives appear to have solved the city's 15th and 19th homicides of 2012. The overall homicide total reached 37 early Friday with a slaying in North San Jose. The city is on pace to eclipse a 15-year high in killings recorded in 2011, with 21/2 months left in the year.
The first set of arrests was made Oct. 3 in the May 16 death of 18-year-old Ricky Jacques, who was found in the 1000 block of Walnut Woods Drive off Lucretia Avenue with a fatal gunshot wound. A 21-year-old man was beaten in the same attack but survived.
An investigation led police to arrest San Jose residents Adrian Alaniz, 24; Juan Carlos Castillo, 18; Erik Hernandez, 18; Thomas Leyva, 24; Eduardo Magana, 19; Juan Pineda, 20; Ramon Ramirez, 20; and a minor whose identity was not released because he is a juvenile.
Then on Oct. 8, police arrested San Jose residents Jose Gutierrez, 19, and 24-year-old Luis Ramos in connection with the June 12 killing of 17-year-old Leonel Garcia Farias on Owlsey Avenue, about a block from the site of the May homicide.
Officer Albert Morales, a police spokesman, did not release additional details about the investigations that led to the arrests but reiterated that they were fueled by gang motivations. Thirteen of the city's homicides this year have been declared gang-related.
Morales credited tireless work by homicide investigators for solving the cases months after the deaths occurred, along with cooperation with other department divisions such as the Mobile Emergency Response Group and Equipment (MERGE) unit and the Covert Response Unit.
He also lauded residents for coming forward with increasing frequency to offer tips and help detectives identify suspects.
"People are actually coming forward and helping solve some of these cases," Morales said. "They're getting tired of it, too. They're tired of being held captive in their own neighborhoods. These are things we need for the public, and we're getting results."
Last year, a concerted police and community effort helped the city avoid any gang killings during the summer, which is a typical period for surges in violence. There was no repeat in 2012: Since Farias' death, the city has recorded 18 homicides, with at least half a dozen of them considered to have gang elements.
Included in that second-half homicide tally was a streak of eight killings in 13 days in mid-August, one of the bloodiest stretches in the city's history.
"This is the most violent that I've seen it," said Morales, a 15-year veteran. "Then you factor in the young age of the offenders, and victims. You wonder where this is stemming from, but there are a lot of factors that go into why these crimes that are so violent are happening."
Morales theorized that the numbers could be worse if not for advances in trauma medicine, crediting the work of medical staff at Regional Medical Center of San Jose and Valley Medical Center for increasing the rate people are surviving violent attacks in the city, an assessment shared by some of the city's gang-violence experts.
The rising crime rate in the city, particularly with burglaries and other "quality of life" crimes, has spurred constant sparring in City Hall among the City Council, police union, residents and the Police Department over the effects of budget cuts and pension reform efforts that have either led to layoffs or officers leaving for higher pay elsewhere.
Contact Robert Salonga at 408-920-5002. Follow him at Twitter.com/robertsalonga.


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A GA400 Ride Report
There is precious little that I enjoy more than a well-planned ride. Except all the little things that happen along the way that make a total mockery of your plan.
That would be the theme for my ride in this yearÔÇÖs GA400, the second annual running of the BMW Motorcycle Owners of Georgia event, a scavenger hunt through the wilds of north Georgia and sometimes Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee.
The brainchild of the devious Wolfgang Enneker, and this year assisted by the demented Wes McCann, this event is designed to test your planning and navigation skills as you ride your motorcycle in search of Bonus locations and the points they hold. The basic idea is that you have no more than 9 hours and 400 miles to drive yourself nuts trying to find as many of the locations that Wolfgang and Wes have laid out for the ride. All the details can be found at www.GA400.org
After (ahem) winning the inaugural event last year, and totally laying waste to Wolfgangs carefully-laid plans by ground-pounding on my GS through the woods of Tennessee, something that the normally-fastidious Wolfy didnt count on, my plan of attack this year was to go retro and ride my /2 without the benefit of a GPS.
Early morning preparations for a classic day.
Noticing that this yearÔÇÖs event would include a ÔÇ£ClassicÔÇØ group, aimed at attracting people who donÔÇÖt use a GPS, and also noting that the legendary Magellan (Mike Knowles) and his trusty sidekick Buster Moldenhauer would be riding in the GPS group, I elected to wuss-out and not risk inglorious defeat at the hands, or should I say handlebars, of these two fierce competitors.
I had a plan
However, to pad my odds I would plan my route carefully using mapping software and placing turn-by-turn printouts in my tankbag. The rules didnt say anything about using mapping software to figure out the best way to collect bonus points. One of the best things about this event is that the bonus locations are published before the event, so you can spend time planning and poring over maps, which is something that I find very enjoyable.
However, you donÔÇÖt need mapping software to participate in the GA400. And you donÔÇÖt need detailed maps to find the bonus locations, many of which are found on roads that arenÔÇÖt on your everyday gas station maps. Wolfgang and Wes do a killer job of preparing a route book, complete with all the bonus locations, a detailed map of where they are, and a picture of what youÔÇÖre looking for. ItÔÇÖs so easy! Or so I thought.
So did Wolfgang
I am positive that ever since the closing minute of last yearÔÇÖs event, where he was totally baffled how I scored so many points (you should have seen his face!), Wolfgang has been hard at work trying to make sure I couldnÔÇÖt do it again. Well, he done good, because I wasnÔÇÖt able to find a way to pull the same trick twice. Well, in honesty, I didnÔÇÖt try too hard because off-roading with my R69S was out of the question.
Wolfgang (on the right) explains his evil plan to Mark.
Wolfgang did come up with a sneaky trap that suckered me in, though. Called the ÔÇ£Dam Combo,ÔÇØ it was an extra 1,002 points for visiting two dams, Nottley and Hartwell, that create two lakes that many Georgia Mountain Rally-goers see as they enter the state from the north or northeast.
So I built my plan around this bonus, and chose a sprinkling of other locations along the way. By my estimates, I would amass over 18,000 points and according to the mapping software, would take about 12 hours to ride. Given the event has a 9-hour limit, I figured that I could make up the time because the software calculates rest periods and speed limits that, well never mind!
Plugging in my iPOD and pulling on my helmet, I made a leisurely departure from the Simply Southern Restaurant in Freehome (the rally starting point) at about 8:05 am and headed north to the first bonus location. Heading toward the first dam, the temps were a beautiful 60 degrees, so I set the throttle at a nice 60 mph. The /2 just seems to like that speed.
Then, thinking about the eventÔÇÖs time limit, and with The Grateful DeadÔÇÖs ÔÇ£Friend of the DevilÔÇØ playing in my ears, I cranked it up to 70 which is about as fast as the /2 is gonna go. In the words of the song:
Set out runnin' but I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight,
I just might get some sleep tonight.
That was my goal get home before daylight ended. Stopping in Blue Ridge to collect two bonuses, and taking a lovely ride down Loving Road (a new road for me), I arrived at Nottley Dam and bagged the first half of my primary objective. Buster & Magellan pulled up just as I was about to head out, so I told them the answer to the question in the ride book, kick-started the bike and headed onward.
After collecting points at Track Rock Gap and Enotah Baptist Church, I headed south on 17 along those delicious twisties (dang!, I wish my bike had some semblance of brakes) through Helen and noticed that I was experiencing a Grosjean number: 11,111 miles on my R69S odometer. IBMWR Presidents know of what I speak, and I took a picture to commemorate the event.
A Grosjean number on the /2!
Is that a HOG?
The bonus location at the Stovall Mill Covered Bridge, outside of Helen, was the first of many stops in rather public surroundings. (Get Doug Peters to tell you his Commerce story) Given that the /2 is rather unusual, it always gets a bit of attention and the inevitable question: What year is your bike? But at this stop, someone asks me Is that a HOG? Without busting out laughing, I politely explained that the bike is a BMW, to which the usual answer was received: I didnt know BMW made motorcycles! I would have loved to have taken the time to explain the history of the marque, but had to say Yep but I have to go!
The Macon Ace, Doug Peters (left) gets a few Iron Butt tips from Greg Roberts
I would have loved to have told them that the theme of this years GA400 was the History of Georgia or HOG, which made their question even funnier than it was. And I was rather enjoying the locations that Wolfgang and Wes had researched for the ride they are to be commended for their extremely creative thinking.
Onward toward Toccoa, where I got lost. Actually, I knew where I was, I just couldnt find the bonus location, thanks to someone who had taken down an important road sign. And I also made a major mistake I wasted about 45 minutes trying to find the bonus. Man, I was beginning to miss my GPS, which would have had the location programmed in, missing road sign or not.
Collecting the bonus for calling-in, I asked Wolfgang ÔÇ£the Toccoa bonus isnÔÇÖt actually in Toccoa, is it?ÔÇØ He said no, it was just outside of town and gave me a small clue. I was finally able to find the spot, two monuments dedicated to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, wrote down the pertinent information in the ride book, and headed on my way.
At that point, way behind schedule, I thought about pulling the ripcord and bailing on the event. After all, this was a fun run for me but then, the B52s started singing the Deadbeat Club:
ÔÇ£Anyway we can,
We're gonna find something
We'll dance in the garden
In torn sheets in the rainÔÇØ
Weird, I know, but I was going to find that second Dam any way I could and then head back to the finish.
Along the way, I hit the Ty Cobb Museum bonus, the Hart County bonus, and headed to the Hartwell Dam to collect the Two Dam bonus. SUCCESS!
But wait, the next bonus was the Georgia Guidestones and heck, I had come this far, and it was a big bonus, so I just had bag just that one more. Its a compulsion.
The Guidestones are quite bizarre, an ÔÇ£important link to the Occult Hierarchy that dominates the world in which we live.ÔÇØ Or so says a website that describes them. The Guidestones anticipate ÔÇ£The Age of ReasonÔÇØ which also happens to be the title of a book written by Thomas Paine, who said:
ÔÇ£The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is Reason. I have never used any other, and I trust I never shall.ÔÇØ
Well, I decided to listen to reason and started heading back toward Freehome, the Rally start/finish location.
There was only one problem since I was too cheap to buy a real map, I didnt know where I was. One of the main reasons I chose to ride the route I did (there were many options) is that I had never been out in this part of the state before.
OK Freehome is west of here so start following the sun. Well, I had to head south on GA77 just a bit to get to Elberton, just so that I could find a major road heading west. GA72 shows up, I take a flyer and turn right. Its a very nice road that I havent ridden before, and as it turns out, it heads straight to Athens. From there I know the way.
129 north through Gainesville, 369 northwest across Lake Lanier, pass north of Cumming and then a backroad that hits GA20 just east of Freehome. I was only 25 minutes late (I should have listed to the voice of reason before I reached the Age of Reason!) and turned in my pile of receipts, along with the wildcard bonus: a birthday card for Buster.


text:
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and Training
Martial Arts Honor
by Cheryl Matrasko
We in the
western hemisphere abuse the terms "honor" and "honorable". I highly
doubt that most of the martial artists of today really understand what these words really
mean. These terms have been sloppily associated with glorified acts of revenge, revenge for
an embarrassing situation, bruised ego, a wrongful death, etc. The honor of Bushido, has
its root in the word "honesty" or "integrity". Honor is
In addition, one phrase that has been perverted
and misunderstood is: " . . . to save face . . . ". means to seek and
preserve honesty and integrity, no matter how difficult it is ... no matter how much a
compromise of integrity seduces your senses ... no matter what integrity will do to harm
the dishonest ego. This is the "honor" of the true Bushido. Not everyone is
strong enough to wear it. While we may never be perfect, it is the lifelong struggle
towards that perfection that makes one great. This is the challenge and the object of
accomplishment, that is a part of Bushido training martial arts. This is the same level of
character that instructor Isao Takahashi lectured to us over and over again, during my
training over 30 years ago.
Integrity is important and paramount above all.
Good character is admired, because of the difficulty that it takes to maintain. One's true
strength and discipline can be measured by his/her character.
A friend of mine, referred to a mutual
acquaintence as honorable ... and I disagreed. The reason for my difference, was that this
fellow Aikidoist had visited once and was boastful of himself, berated other Aikidoists in
the dojo (including my friend), and placed himself as better than anyone. He did this
openly in front of the students of the dojo. I did promptly disapprove of this visitor's
behavior and made sure my objections were communicated when it was a much more polite time
to do so. By then, the visitor left and returned home to Europe. Later that year, I had
gone to Europe and made a visit to this very same man. Sadly, and to my
disappointment ... his behavior was much the same. The same bravado and self-indulgence.
Much later, when my friend spoke with the former visitor via long-distance, he mentioned
that he
felt this man to be honorable because he was nice and said different things than he had
done when he first visited. However, it is not honorable for someone to initially perform
such behavioral indiscretions and then try to appeal in another false face. This is
dishonest --- this is not honorable.
Honorable means that you must be honest and
truthful with yourself. And there is always something to be learned from the things you
are afraid of or want to avoid. To be honorable we need to face the things we fear and the
things we don't want to see. The most fearful things we don't want to face are those
things we hate in ourselves, be it ... lack of honesty, ego indulgence, brashfulness, etc.
Many of us refuse to acknowledge the existence of these traits in ourselves. These
characteristics --- as bad and as undesirable as they are --- are the human part of our
existence and are best dealt with when you can identify them. For instance, if you know
where an infection is on your hand, it is easier to treat. If the individual chooses to
ignore it --- the sore infects and worsens to the point of killing. It is the act of
"saving face ...", is that means to rectify or maintain honesty within one's
self, no matter the pain and price to pay. It is to face that aspect ... which is not
honorable in yourself. This is what "saving face" is really about.
Perhaps when we truthfully deal with those
frightening things about ourselves , we can better accept those things that truly
compliment our character, without being boastful, self-indulgent or narcissistic. If we
are honest with our own character flaws and make the painstaking
effort to make these flaws into good qualities, we can go freely towards perfection. We
will not need to prove ourselves, force-feed our egos, and make rank chasing a priority
over life long learning in peace.
Facing our dark sides takes courage and what
results is bravery. I knew of a man and a friend of his, that cheated a few elderly
couples of some money. Finding it difficult to live with his crime, he confessed freely
and turned himself in, along with his partner. He did go to jail for a short time, paid
back his victims willingly, and still accepts the fact that he will have a difficult time
finding good employment for a long time. This man committed a dishonest act and on his own
volition chose to return to being "honorable". He could have easily kept his
silence and no one would have found out his identity, but he was strong enough to
"save face" and face his own bad character. I would believe this man to be the
courageous one. He ended up showing his strength of character through the trial, bad
publicity, and financial ruin. His family was proud of his acts of redemption, as they
should be. His actions of courage were not out of fear of his crime being discovered, but
of a genuine wish to be honorable again. While some acts such as killing the enemy in war
are considered courage and bravery, they are more acts of survival --- that place the
soldier in absolute danger and as a result they perform their extreme best, in the worst
of times. In regards to this man, there was no danger in being discovered. He freely gave
up dishonesty, knew
and accepted the penalties, made restitution voluntarily, and fully understood that life
would be difficult for both he and his family. He performed his best in the worst of
times. Some may say this man was a criminal and -- yes, he committed a crime, but it still
required courage to do what he did. He is brave to continue his life living with this
stain. And this stain will fade eventually into nothingness ... with time.
Courage and bravery is oftentimes, not marked
with fanfare and parades. This is only in the old war films. As they say " ... movies
imitate life, but life surely isn't like the movies ...". While dead soldiers will
not hear parades or champagne glasses chime their praises for courage and bravery, neither
will those that are silently courageous and continue to be brave in their vigilant quest
to be "honorable". Perhaps, you really don't need the fanfare and
acknowledgements for these things. It may be that when you are truly honorable --- is when
you discover that you hold something that is more precious than a medal, another empty Dan
rank, or even money. You cannot barter or purchase honor. It comes with hard work, pain,
and extreme effort, It is not to be compromised. True honor makes the soul feel good. It
is nearly private, because honor is a private and earnest endeavor.
Cheryl Matrasko is a Network Analyst for the
department of Networking and Communications at a prominent Chicago hospital. Formerly the
LAN Administrator for
Northwestern University Medical School - Department of OB/GYN, and assistant LAN
Administrator to the previous MIS of the School of Law. Cheryl started Aikido in 1965,
studying under Isao Takahashi as her first instructor. She enjoyed working out under many
well known Aikido instructors during her tenure with Takahashi Sensei and thereafter
following his death in 1971. Cheryl has dedicated time with instructors in Northern
Long-Fist, Seven Stars Praying Mantis, and Daito-Ryu Aikijujitsu. Currently, she is
instructing Aikido at Northwestern University's Chicago Campus and founded Aikido World
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copyrighted by their respected authors and owners.
Permission in writing must be made for any
duplication, display, or reprint.
Aikido Technical Tips
Martial Arts Books and Videos
Michio Hikitsuchi 10th Dan 1978
(C. Matrasko as uke)
© 1978 C. Matrasko
Submitted photos from all over the world.
Please note that the owners of photographs
here have their own respected copyrights.
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text:
New Bolton Center Accepting Emergency Cases
- Aug 27, 2004
- Topics:
The University of Pennsylvania's George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals will accept equine emergency patients, beginning on Monday, Aug. 30. "We have completed the cleaning and refurbishing of additional barns and can now care for emergency cases," said Bruce Rappoport, director of the Widener Hospital.
The hospital reopened on Aug. 2 for outpatients and scheduled elective surgeries. Rappoport said that the food animal barn should be ready by Labor Day; then those patients can be seen and treated again at the facility.
The Widener Hospital, located at New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa., closed May 10 to new patients because of an outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella infection among some of the hospital's patients. Since the closing, the entire hospital complex has been sandblasted, disinfected, and repainted. Dirt barn floors have been removed and a new drainage system and concrete floors have been installed. These floors are covered with a special cushioning material that can be disinfected easily. More than 2,000 cultures were performed on the buildings and the resident animals. It was found that only a limited area of the hospital cultured positive for the organism. None of the resident animals cultured positive.
Additional biosecurity measures have been instituted at the Widener Hospital and on the New Bolton Center campus to protect the animal patients and the staff and faculty. Access to barns and treatment areas is limited, disinfectant footbaths are mandatory when entering each area, and new traffic patterns have been established.
"We hope to be fully operational by Labor Day," said Rappoport. "It has been an incredible effort to get to this point. It would not have been possible without the great dedication and hard work of the staff and faculty here. Everyone pitched in and scrubbed, hosed, and fogged so we could open again. Everyone here is committed to providing the best care for our patients."
New Bolton Center is the large animal campus of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. The telephone number for the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals is 610/444-5800.
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Biosecurity for Horse Farms: Stall Disinfection and Other Management Techniques
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Controlling Ammonia in Horse Stalls
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Diseases Potentially Spread from Horses to Humans Via Bites Reviewed
Stallion Hygiene Key for Improving Frozen Semen
Ireland's EIA Experience: What Did We Learn?
POLL: Checking for Gastric Ulcers


text:
Skeptical Republicans pointed to the burgeoning federal debt and questioned whether expanding Medicaid would address root problems with the health care system.
Medicaid Director Andy Allison, Surgeon General Joe Thompson and Insurance Commissioner Jay Bradford testified Wednesday morning before the Hospital and Medicaid Study Subcommittee of the Legislative Council.
All three said the state would have much to gain by expanding Medicaid to include people earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, as the federal Affordable Health Care Act proposes. Between 200,000 and 250,000 more people would be covered by the federal-state health care program for the poor, the elderly and the disabled under the expansion, they said.
Click here to read the full story from Arkansas News.


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text:
ORANGE – Hundreds of thousands of special-interest dollars have flooded the mayor's race in the proudly small-town City of Orange, fueling a heated fight for a position that pays absolutely nothing and raising a question: Why?
The same question could be asked in cities across Orange County during these last frenzied days of the campaign season. Those glossy political mailers jammed into your mailbox come from the same kinds of groups that are helping to shape this one race in this one city.
Orange (city motto: "A slice of old town charm") is only the sixth-biggest city in Orange County, easily overshadowed by the neighboring heavyweights of Anaheim and Santa Ana. Its next mayor will officially make nothing; tiny Villa Park is the only other Orange County city that currently provides zero compensation for its mayor.
And yet more than a quarter of a million dollars has poured into the Orange mayor's race this year in campaign contributions and outside political expenditures, financial reports show.
"It just makes me sick to my stomach," said Shirley Grindle, a campaign watchdog and resident of Orange who has hammered for years at the money and influence in local politics. "I'm absolutely amazed at the money being spent."
The race in Orange pits two veteran council members against each other.
Jon Dumitru, a fire dispatcher, has won the support of the Republican Party as a tight-government conservative and a champion of property rights. Teresa "Tita" Smith, the director of Catholic Charities of Orange County, has also cast herself as a fiscal conservative but has won the support of the police and fire unions with her focus on public safety.
Mailers and lawn signs
Each had raised close to $60,000 by the time they filed their most recent campaign financial reports in late October. But outside groups have also pumped tens of thousands of extra dollars into the race – mostly in the form of political mailers and lawn signs.
Orange, like many cities, has a strict limit on how much donors can give to a political campaign – in its case, $1,000. But the outside groups are able to get around those limits because they don't give their money directly to the candidate. They spend it how they want; by law, the candidate can't even know what they're up to.
The unions that back Smith, for example, have put out more than $55,000 in mailers featuring her and other council candidates they support. The firefighters' union also spent nearly $13,000 on vote-for-Smith mailers and lawn signs, and a group called the California Taxpayer Advocate put out an attack mailer ripping Dumitru that cost nearly $19,500.
The firefighters, in particular, have reason to pay attention to the race. The city council has talked about cutting costs by eliminating the city's firehouse staffing rules and reducing overtime – a move the union has fought as a threat to public safety.
Capt. Greg Lewin, the president of the Orange City Firefighters Association, said they were looking for a candidate who would "fight to keep Orange staffed as flush as it can be, considering the difficult economic times." Smith said she was happy to have the firefighters' support but added the council has only discussed this in closed session and has not publically announced its stance on firehouse staffing.
Spending is worth it
Dumitru, meanwhile, has benefited from more than $20,000 in mailers paid for by the Republican Party of Orange County. The state-level Republican Party has also kicked in about $12,000 in pro-Dumitru mailers. Records show that it has only gotten involved in a handful of local elections recently – in Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange.
A party spokesman declined to say why the statewide GOP was putting its money behind Dumitru. He has described himself as a full-blooded conservative, and his focus on property rights is in line with the party's endorsement of a bitterly fought measure in Orange. That measure, appearing on the ballot alongside the mayor's race, would clear the way for a large development in the more-rural eastern part of the city.
The high price of the campaign is worth it, Dumitru said, because "it's my hometown. It's where I was born, it's where I live, it's where I'll die." Smith said she wasn't surprised by the amount of money flowing into the campaign and added: "You couldn't pay me enough not to do that job."
The swirl of big money into a local election is nothing unique to Orange. A successful businessman has put hundreds of thousands of dollars into local elections in Fullerton; the Walt Disney Co. has poured more than $300,000 into campaigns in Anaheim. Union groups have contributed $325,000 to defeat a Costa Mesa measure that would abolish a prevailing-wage requirement and require voter approval for pension increases.
"Yes, it is more costly today" to run an election, said Judy Nadler, a senior fellow in government ethics at Santa Clara University. She pointed especially at those glossy political mailers, which can add thousands of dollars in printing and mailing costs for a single run. But, she wondered: "If this sets the bar, then how will future races compete?"
In Orange, even past races would have competed just fine. Current Mayor Carolyn Cavecche said she spent more than $100,000 in her elections in 2006 and 2010; she ran unopposed in 2008.
Asked why someone would spend that kind of money to become mayor of Orange, Cavecche didn't hesitate: "Well, who wouldn't want to be mayor of Orange?"
Contact the writer: 714-704-3777 or firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
OMG: In China, This Language Teacher Has Swag
Jessica Beinecke gets this reaction a lot: She's walking down the street in a Chinese city, and she'll be recognized by one of her 400,000 Weibo followers or even one of the 40 million who have watched her videos. With platinum blonde hair and big blue eyes, the young woman who has taught Americans how to say "twerk" in Mandarin and students in China how to talk about "House of Cards" stands out.
"They'll say, 'Eh? Bai Jie?' And then we'll take a selfie," says the 27-year-old Ohio native who takes learning a language to a whole new level.
Ms. Beinecke, known to her Chinese fans as Bai Jie (白洁), has made a name for herself since 2011 with her bright, funny and short explanations of English slang – including "twerk," "swag," "freaking out," "awesome," and "life hack," as part of a daily Voice of America online video program called OMG Meiyu, or OMG American English.
She says she chose her name in college to sound a bit like her given name. Directly translated, bai means white and jie means "clean" or "pure," she says. Step aside, Justin Bieber.
Apart from her work with OMG Meiyu, Ms. Beinecke also has two new sites she developed herself and launched in January: Crazy Fresh Chinese, which teaches Chinese terms to English speakers, and Bai Jie LaLaLa, which like OMG Meiyu teaches English expressions to Chinese speakers.
Thanks to such work, she's got a Chinese following that can reach a certain level of fanaticism. One of the top Google search terms under her name is "Jessica Beinecke boyfriend." When her male followers ask if they can be her boyfriend, she says, she handles it accordingly: "I just write, in Chinese, the words for 'ha ha,' and put a smiley face and just move on. I say, 'thank you.' It's a compliment."
On the comments section for her Voice of America videos, fans offer English-language tributes such as "Bai Jie is very lovely" and "I love Bai Jie. Hope she was my girlfriend."
This is not your mother's language instructor. Ms. Beinecke is cheerful to a fault, throws in a goofy giggle in the middle of her mini-lessons – which can be as short as 30 seconds – and seems to have an unerring sense of what her followers might want to understand. For Chinese-language students on her Crazy Fresh Chinese site, that includes how to say "House of Cards," the popular U.S. television miniseries that explores the machinations of Washington's power struggles. As part of those lessons, she dressed up as the characters Frank Underwood, Claire Underwood and Zoe Barnes and gave lessons on terms like "Friends make the worst enemies" and "conniving."
And in the 700 OMG Meiyu broadcasts she's made so far, she offers English-language students almost an urban dictionary of the kinds of terms young people use, like "get over it," "wakey wakey," "tough love," fantabulous" and "my bad!"
Young people are tired of lessons that slog through statements like "I have three people in my family" and "we have a dog" and "we live in a house," she says. "It's a little dry. I kind of spice it up and give them something to use. They can say when they go to Starbucks, 'Hey, get me a zhong bei dou na tie – give me a medium soy latte. It's something they can use in the moment. So I think that's what really connects."
She is also developing a following among U.S. high school and college students. "The looks on their faces when they learn there's a word for swag and twerk in Mandarin, they instantly have this new connection to Mandarin and they can more instantly relate to a language that they thought up to that point was foreign to them," she says.
Ms. Beinecke introduces twerking on her Crazy Fresh Chinese site by giggling and announcing: "This is the most important Mandarin lesson you'll ever have in your entire life." She goes on to repeat the words dian tun wu, adding, "It literally means 'electric butt dance.' Oh yeah." And then she dances a bit with her arms in the air.
Recently in Beijing to talk about the 100,000 Strong Foundation, which encourages American students to study in China, she also visited a middle school in Beijing. "This seventh-grade girl came up afterwards and very quietly said, 'Bai Jie, I drew this for you,'" she says. "It was a really pretty cartoon of me and under it in very pretty writing, it said 'Jessica.'"
Another student in Chengdu drew a portrait of her in a hat with big glasses, as an illustration of the word "swag" (fan'er). "It's on my wall in a very narrow hallway," she says. "My boyfriend won't let me hang it out in a prominent place."
She thinks her viewers feel close to her because of the intimacy of her shots: she shoots her videos with a cell phone camera and talks directly to the viewer. "It feels like we're having a one-on-one conversation. And that's on purpose," Ms. Beinecke says.
Her formula seems to be working. She says, "I just think young people have so many similar interests, and for them to have an opportunity to connect in a real way with those with similar interests, is something I hope to provide every day. And to do it in a way that also addresses their attention span."
– Debra Bruno