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This exhibit celebrates the DBG Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration students and their artworks. Over 65 images will be on display, including the certificate recipients from this year as well as works by students who are beginners. What a treat to see their work too!
An annual exhibit, this year it has traveled to the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology Gallery, to allow new viewers a chance to see what the botanical art fuss is all about. DU students and educators will have the pleasure of seeing the artworks during October, with the images providing a nice reminder of summer's fading lushness. Please RSVP to email@example.com by October 5th if you plan to attend.
Alyson B. Stanfield addresses RMSBA members, discusing her methods for getting into successfull self-promotion, a skill all artists need to master to get their art seen and sold
Alyson is a professional art business coach who books speaking engagements nationwide, and is very familiar with the issues of artists and the different levels of technical knowledge of the art community. Alyson cheerfully shared her successes and failures with blogs, websites, Twitter, and other self-promotion strategies.
We discussed exposure via websites and blogs, principles of no-excuse self-promotion, balance of technology vs. older methods of communication, and where to begin when starting from scratch.Her book was very well received by our members, as she as updated and modified the text to keep up with the dynamic business world.
You can learn more about Alyson at her website: http://www.artbizcoach.com/. A huge round of thanks to Julie Terry for arranging this successful and informative meeting.
Rustle, Ornamental Grass, colored pencil, by Susan Rubin
There's also your opportunity to exhibit your art online in the first online gallery for RMSBA, "Remembering Summer." All the info you need to enter is listed in the last entry just below this one. Time is of the essence. Please send your enries by Monday!
Acorn and Maple Leaf, Fall Fire, watercolor on paper, by Libby Kyer
Take a drive and head for the hills. This weekend, the aspen should be at peak color. Rumor has it there are orange and red leaves in profusion in the well-watered mountain valleys. If you have time, enjoy painting and share the results with us on this blog!
Say "Thank you!" to Denver area city gardens workers. The parkways, parks, event centers and other available growing spots have been lovingly tended and are in their last moments as eye candy and visual relief for the car bound commuter, biking enthusiast, walking citizen, jogging enthusiast and anyone else who has passed them. My favorite garden in Denver is Alamo Placita Park on Speer. Find your favorite, and if there's a gardener there, give them the appropriate hug wave, kiss-noise and hearty thanks. You know they deserve it!
Estelle deRidder, graphite on paper, Pinus redutis
Color studies, pressing plant parts, researching species information can all be done at a more leisurely pace while summer winds down, autumn heats up in color and complexity. Collect seeds, seed casings, seed pods, dry grasses, yucca pods, cones and other enticing detritus in your area. Take care of your art needs! You deserve it!
Pseudolsugo menziesii, watercolor on paper, by Julie Sprinkle
Send us your pictures! You may notice we have some repeat names in the artists responsible for the images on our blog. That's because they have sent me pictures. If yours haven't been displayed yet, send them now! And if you have had work on the blog already, we still want to see what you're doing now!Color .jpgs at about 150 dpi are perfect. Please be sure to send your name, the media used in your artwork, and the substrate - paper, film, etc. Also, you may send a comment about the image, telling us why the species is special to you. Send them to me at firstname.lastname@example.com. It's only your blogspot when you participate! Can't wait to see what's coming in.
After the Frost, graphite and colored pencil on film, by Dorothy DePaulo


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It would be funny if it weren't so predictable. I've been predicting a Cardinals-Red Sox World Series for a while now, and whaddaya know? I was absolutely correct. The 2005 Chicago White Sox will remain the last non-media favorite to win the World Series for yet another year.
My streak of the team I root for in the World Series losing is going to continue as well, since I'm rooting for both teams to lose. Technically, if I could decide who wins, I'd pick the Red Sox because they've won it less recently, but I still loathe them, so that wouldn't really count as a victory. Rooting against someone less is not the same as rooting for someone.
I quit following the NBA and the NFL because I felt that they were essentially media-favorite oligopolies. I tend to hate media favorite teams, since they get shoved down your throat more than others, and I don't like feeling as though someone's telling me who I'm supposed to support. Even a lot of casual fans buy into it, and decide that certain teams aren't interesting because "they have no history," or they just aren't glamorous enough for them.
I mean, look at the NBA. Which teams ever win championships? Heat (a city with famous beaches that's attractive to stars), Lakers (the NBA's glamor team), Celtics (the team with the hallowed history), Bulls (big city Chicago), Spurs (the perfect team to counter the league's "bad boy" reputation), Pistons (big market for blacks, the same demographic that dominates the league). Maybe once in a while some big-market oddballs like the Rockets and Mavericks overcome the odds, but it's pretty predictable otherwise. I'd venture to say that the 76ers and Knicks would also be members of the NBA's oligopoly circle, and the league wouldn't have a problem with either of those teams winning a title. Maybe the Clippers and Nets too, if they had the right players. Bottom line is, after I realized that new and interesting teams pretty much never won, I decided to stop following the NBA, and I've never regretted it.
What about the NFL? Once again, it's very oligopolistic. I once decided there were five teams I hated: the Patriots (the model franchise that does everything right), Steelers (the standard-bearers of old-school football), Giants (New York, baby!), Cowboys (America's Team!) and Packers (the team with the hallowed history). There were also some teams I had a second-tier hatred for, namely the 49ers (the team that used to be the NFL's model of perfection) and the Jets (I still hate New York, although the Jets are more like the NFL's biggest pity party). Basically, they were the teams the media were most likely to love, and
with that love usually came previous success that they didn't need more of. Somehow, like magic, one of those teams won the Super Bowl nearly every year.
OK, OK, I know you're going to dispute that, and rightly so. What about the Ravens last year? Or the Saints in 2009? Or the Colts in 2006? Or the Buccaneers, Rams, Broncos...yes, yes. I get it. Really, I feel like the oligopoly is a recent development. After the Patriots won their second, that's when it really began. I was happy for the Colts when they won it, but because I was rooting for the Bears, it was hard to enjoy it too much. The Saints and Ravens won it after I stopped following the NFL (due to loss of interest rather than conscious choice), and in between, some of the teams I loathe won it. Maybe we could say that every three years or so the NFL ends up with a decent champion, but I don't like the game enough to endure those two years in between.
But there was always baseball. Baseball wasn't like those other sports. The big dogs could spend a ton of money and get all the hype, but in the postseason it was anybody's game. If you liked underdogs, baseball gave you a chance!
At least, that's how it used to be. As I outlined here, there's now a media-favorite oligopoly in baseball too, perhaps as a punishment for me getting to see the White Sox win it (hey, it coincides with it, who knows?). Which teams are members of the oligopoly? Allow me to list them:
Yankees (baseball's "hallowed history" team)
Red Sox (another obvious one)
Cardinals (the media looooooooves to talk about what a model organization they are)
Phillies (the City of Brotherly Love is right in the shadow of New York)
Giants (they have a history in New York, and a rivalry with another member of the oligopoly...)
Dodgers (the glamor team)
Braves (I'm not totally sure of this one, but I'm pretty sure they're a member)
Mets (New York gives instant marketability)
The Cubs are also a media favorite, but I'm starting to wonder if for narrative purposes, they'll ever be able to win the World Series. The story of the Cubs' inability to win the World Series has become such a big part of baseball lore that it's almost hard to imagine baseball without it.
So am I saying that any team outside of this select group will never win the World Series? Well...I like to be optimistic and hope that this whole oligopoly thing is just a period baseball is going through, and that it will end soon. Like next year soon. Until it does though, I'm going to be skeptical of any team outside this group's chances. It's just my way of cushioning the blow of disappointment. Eight years of this crap has taken its toll on me.
Monday, October 21, 2013
The Oligopoly Continues
Posted by Ian at 1:59 AM
Labels: Just My Opinion, oligopoly
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subset: commoncrawl


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As most of you should know by now, I work in a game store (Beyond the Board in Dublin Ohio, come visit!). One of my favorite aspects of the store is the demo wall of games.
In this spot will eventually be a picture of said wall…once I remember to take one >_>
Almost any time we are open, people can just stop in, grab a game off the wall, and play. Our library has recently blown past the 250 game mark. This is both good and bad. It's good because people there's a wide variety of things for groups to choose from. It's bad because it's hard to keep up and know how to play all those games. So our Monday game group decided to do nothing but pick games off the wall that none of us had ever played.


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So i set out to make some (kinda barely) Mardi Gras themed cupcakes for the usual drunken debauchery at the Evan's house.
Used the same chocolate cake recipe as last time, except i used better cocoa powder this time. Yummy Ghirardelli! I could taste the difference. You can find the recipe here.
And I used pretty gold liners. Because there is no such thing as Mardi Gras liners.
The frosting was the same as this frosting (except with the measurements halved!!!) And in case you havent noticed, i really prefer cream cheese frosting. I hate buttercream.
I used the same technique for the strawberry sauce. I cooked one carton, separated the 1/4 cup for the frosting and used the rest for the strawberry filling. I got the recipe from Wilton. But they used frozen strawberries so i had to make up my own recipe using the fresh ones i has just cooked.
So i mixed together:
1/4 cup of strawberry sauce
1 cup of water
2 table spoons of corn starch
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons of lemon
And heated them for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. It looks gross. It does. I won't lie. Once it was cooled, i added the rest of the strawberry sauce that was left over from the carton and stirred it in. YES IT LOOKS GROSS. I already said it did. But it tasted good!
I threw in the resulting 2 cups or so into a ziplock and used a piping tip to fill the cupcakes. This time around though, i made 5-6 holes in each one to get as much in as possible. It took too long, and only worked okay. I need a cupcake corer. Bad. It's on my to buy list! (Or on your list of things to buy me...)
I dyed the frosting purple, which means everyone thought they were raspberry. They weren't!
I think the most exciting part about this batch was that i finally got to use the stickers that Katie bought me for Christmas. Instead of a cupcake carrier i might have gone out and bought an actual box. =x haha. (I kinda want to buy some pink boxes to have on hand, actually...) I don't think anyone noticed it on the box once it was opened, but i did. I knew it was there!
I will admit though, i have gotten reallllllllllly lazy with the decorating in the last year. Mainly because i've been too busy concentrating on baking from scratch that the aesthetics have become secondary. Maybe once i have a handle on the standard flavors, i'll get back into it. But for now i will be lame and go back to my standard cop out of using chocolate on top of everything.


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Overcoming abuse
Overcoming the effects of physical and psychological abuse is not an easy task. First one has to stop running away from facing what has really happened. Also one has to stop fighting the wrong battles against other people on whom we take out or anger. But even more important, we must muster the courage to look inside and acknowledge the pain and damage caused by the abuse. This process may sound very rational, and in fact we need our rational mind to control the process (if available with the help and encouragement of others), but we will face suppressed emotions that may burst forth like a high pressure fountain. Initially when the dam bursts it may be totally overwhelming and things may be turned upside down but eventually the waters of our emotions will subside and become more manageable. Once we have come to acknowledge what has been done to us, and have relived the injustice and pain of it all, we may also get to the point where we look at our own complicity and wonder "why did I allow my abuse to go on for such a long time?" or "what is wrong with me that I allowed this abuse to happen to me?". This question is certainly inevitable if the abuse took place within the context of adult relationships. This may have been in a family setting, in a community, at the workplace or even in a religious setting. We may attempt to answer this question superficially by pointing at feelings of insecurity, lack of self-respect, our inability to set boundaries, ignorance, confusion, denial and so on. However, if we do so we may do ourselves a further injustice by not giving ourselves the credit we deserve. Most of us do not stay in abusive situations because we are too insecure, or too ignorant or too much in denial to see it. Neither do we stay because we are too proud to admit that we are being abused. In fact most adults who are in abusive situations know that this is so and yet they consciously decide to stay. The reason we decide to stay in abusive situations is not our inability to acknowledge the evil we face, but it is actually the good we recognise in the abuser. We see beyond the mask of aggression and abuse and recognise that there is a lonely, weak and hurting person hidden inside. We hear the silent cry for help and our instinct tells us that the abuser actually needs us. And we are partially right: The abuser does need help! But the help the abuser needs can never be given by the abused! In fact we are not helping them or ourselves in this manner. By continuing to allow the abuse we facilitate them going from bad to worse while we are getting hurt in the process. Our problem may not be so much that we are too weak, but that we have had too much confidence in our ability to be strong, and that by enduring the abuse we could somehow bring about the needed transformation in the abuser. By the end of the day we must boldly acknowledge our limitations but we must also give credit where credit is due and affirm our good intentions even if they were exploited and used against us. Our willingness to help, and our desire to see the abuser healed was honourable and good, we were just not the right person to help them. It is now important we keep a safe distance and leave the abuser's therapy to another professional who is not as emotionally involved and consequently not as easily manipulated and abused.


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Ruffled Roses BOM
part 4
Oh yes, I am behind, that is for sure.
I am still working on part 3 or Marches borders
for my Ruffled Roses quilt.
Things got off track back in Feb and here it is
June and I am still working on March, but alas I AM still working on it.
For March we are to add the swagged border.
Wow, alot of work but I am nearly done, and ready to move
onto the next task or Aprils border.
Here is a picture of how how the quilt should look
of course with our own fabrics
Some of the details........
these are the corner blocks, sewing down the applique.
I really love it when a mistake turns out to be a better way
of doing something. I started sewing the applique down
backwards, well the stitching that holds it down that is.
Turns out I liked it better so continued to do it wrong
the picture shows it
wrong er now what is right.
All 4 corner blocks, can you see which one is wrong (that used to be right)?
One of the swag borders
And now attached to the quilt. All of the flowers are being hand
stitched down with a blanket stitch just like the center was done.
The whole quilt top so far. I am loving it, was a little scared of the
strip, but an really glad I chose to go with it.
That stripped fabric is one of those that I use alot in different projects.
Stay tuned for Aprils work.
I am hooking up to Pink Saturday
so come on over to How Sweet the Sound
so many sweet pinks to see.
Thank you Beverly for hosting Pink Saturday for 3 whole years now.
May God Bless and Keep you
please leave me a note, I love to hear from you.


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The images on this blog are from my work at Ransom House Studio. Some of the images are of models, but others are of everyday men who use my intimate portfolio service and have given me permission to post their image. The men on this blog vary in age and size but they all have one thing in common, masculine sensuality. That is what I am trying to display for you enjoyment. All images posted are the copyrighted property of Ransom House Studio. email@example.com.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Art of Ed
Every once in a while I am contacted by a model that awakens the creativity of my photographic vision. This is the case with Ed Barron the feature model of this posting. I had seen some of Ed's prior work and knew that he was an active figure model for several art schools. Figure models are use to modeling nude but some have a reservation about nude sensual modeling. I knew that Ed had seen my work, so I pleasantly accepted his offer and the results was more than I could ask for.
The Leap of Faith
Searching for the Slope
At the beginning of a photo session , at least for mine, there is usually an adjustment period of getting a feel for the energy of the model and the model getting a feel for my vision. Though my style is masculine sensuality, or male sensuality, I do tailor each of my session to the person in front of the camera. I do this whether its a model or a private client. Doing this gives me a connection to the person and it shows in the results.
1) Red for Bedtime
2) More than a Tease
3) Exploding Passion
Ed and I shot two sessions. We did the series with the red robe and red underwear against a black background ( my favorite) and that led to what I call the red passion series we did with the large red drape. The second session lasted for about 5 hours and none of the time was wasted.
1) Sophisticated Passion
2) The Dance
3) Red Roman Passion
4) Passion's Red Flash
Red Passion " The Twist"
Red Passion in Black and White.
Sensuality and the Bust of Pla
This image was made on the first day of shooting. The bust is by Tampa artist Pla, and the sensuality was a surprise to both of us. When I shoot a session I try to create a sensuous atmosphere. Sometimes it works better than others. This was one of those times.
Completing the Arch
This image was produced during our first session. The difficulty and beauty of the pose speaks for itself, which is why I tried to keep the setting as simple as possible. We shot this position several times during the two days with different backgrounds. This is my favorite because of the feeling of purity that it projects.
Evening Anticipation (above)
1) Black Abstract
2) Red Passion in Black and White
3) Touch by the Rays
4) Quiet Repose
1) A Gentleman's Cane
2) Halfway
3) Remembrance of Prior Time
The setting in the the images above was to portray a evening alone thinking about the pleasure of being with the someone who was not there. Ed was the first person I shot in that setting. I have shot a couple of more sessions with both models and private client in this setting, but Ed owns it.
1) The Completed Arch on Black
2) Stand of a Man
3) Above the Art
4) Natural Feel
But still in the long run what Ed brought out in me was portraying the beauty of the natural male body. The body of a man that works out at the gym 5 times a week is easy to appreciate and should be appreciated. Ed has a natural build that brings with it an innate beauty through form and pose.
Angles of Direction (above)
1) Flight of Ed
2)Untouchable Passion
3) The Introduction
As the second day progressed through different color backgrounds and settings the desire to see Ed in natural light took over. The results were the same. Spectacular. The natural light brought out a more sensual nature in ED and I must say I was both impressed and pleased.
An Uplifting Smile
Rising Urge
I must say that working with Ed was both a growing experience and a wonderful experience. Since our first two sessions I worked with Ed on a duo shoot with Rick Conrad ( see prior posting) and the results were beautiful. I look forward to working with both of them again. Ed is great to work with and if you need a figure model to shoot as a solo or you would like Ed to pose with you at the studio, you will never regret hiring his services.
Joseph Ransom
The model in the ad above , Fernando, will be the feature of my next posting. Remember whether you are a model or someone who wants some intimate photos get in touch with me. You wont regret it.
Posted by BAGman at 5:10 AM
1 comment:
- Edward said...
wonderful sessions with Ed Barron; a strong body that exudes sensuality
- March 27, 2012 at 2:45 PM
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When buying a car, think beyond the purchase price. To understand a car's real cost, take into account how much you'll be spending on it over five years.
(MONEY Magazine) -- When buying a car, think beyond the purchase price. To understand a car's real cost, take into account how much you'll be spending on it over time.
For example, a new Honda CR-V EX and Kia Sorento LX both cost about $25,000, but the numbers look very different after five years of ownership.
Depreciation: Use the comparison tool at Intellichoice.com to get an estimate for what you'll pay now versus what the car will be worth by the time you trade it in.
"Look carefully at how well the car holds its value, especially if you're taking out a long loan," says Kris de la Cuesta of Intellichoice.
Value lost after 5 years: Honda CR-V: $13,143; Kia Sorento: $16,590.
Insurance: Your driving history, repair costs, and how likely the car is to be stolen factor into the wide-ranging prices for insurance.
Call your insurance agent and get quotes for the vehicles you have in mind.
5-year cost (for a driver who is under 65 with 15 years' experience and no accidents): Honda CR-V: $5,935; Kia Sorento: $7,040.
Fuel: Miles per gallon isn't the only number that counts. A car with a high MPG that runs on pricier diesel or premium gasoline may wind up costing you far more over the course of the year.
You can check the annual fuel costs for any car at fueleconomy.gov.
5-year cost (both cars use regular gas): Honda CR-V: $10,714; Kia Sorento: $11,581.
Maintenance and repairs: This is where simple maintenance plans and cheaper service regimens pay off. In this case, Honda's shorter warranty is more than offset by the Kia's more frequently scheduled service and bigger, more expensive tires.
5-year cost: Honda CR-V: $1,683; Kia Sorento: $2,025.
Total costs (after 5 years, excluding depreciation): Honda: $18,332; Kia: $20,646.
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|What we want Apple to unveil at WWDC
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|Your car is a giant computer - and it can be hacked


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We've done a few of these birthday dinners for Matt at Sumo Sushi. One year it was closed on the day we chose to go and ended up somewhere else, but this is his favorite place. The owner knows him and gives us fairly special treatment when we come. It's very good food and judging by the constant flow of people, a popular place.
So here's Matt (far left), a couple weeks from being 22, with some of his old friends (a couple of them he's known since elementary school) celebrating.
In less than a month he's off to Iraq - I'm glad I can help him create good memories to hold on to while he's there.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
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This week is convention prep. Yep, its that time again. I'm heading off to a new one, however, and I'm as nervous as a thanksgiving turkey on Nov. 20.
I'll report in afterwards as usual, but in the meantime I have a guest post up at The Steam Room, where a few other Romance authors and myself have weighed in on Love and Romance.
We'll be hosting a guest author here on Nov. 22, and I think you'll find its something outside of the usual box here.
Other than that, I'm going to try to get off a new episode of Slug Opera before I go on Friday, but no guarantees. There are things to pack, etc etc. I'll do my best.
thanks and I'll see you on the other side of the con!


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Home > Breed Guide > Cocker Spaniel
Other Names : American Cocker Spaniel
Cocker Spaniel Height : 14 -15 in.
Cocker Spaniel Weight : 24 -28 lbs.
Cocker Spaniel Colors : Buff, Chocolate, Black, Roan, any combination with White
Country of Origin: United States
Coat: Hair is smooth and medium length. It should never be curly.
Character: This dog is intelligent, cheerful, lively and affectionate.
Temperament: Cocker Spaniels get along well with children, other dogs, and any household pets.
Care: Cocker Spaniels must be brushed and combed thoroughly on a regular basis. The ears should be cleaned frequently. This breed should be taken to a dog grooming professional two to four times a year to have excessive hair plucked by hand.
Training: Training must be consistent but not overly firm, as the dog is quite willing to learn.
Activity: Three walks a day are sufficient. However, this breed needs to run freely in the countryside on occasion. Most of them love to swim.
Cocker Spaniel Description : One of the world's most popular family pets, Cocker Spaniels are built with sturdy, compact bodies with a cleanly chiseled and refined head. Overall the breed appears well balanced and of ideal size. The American Cocker Spaniels have a much thicker coat and elegant trousers as contrasted to their cousins the English Cocker Spaniel. They are excellent bird and small-game hunters as well as great companions and wonderful with children.
Wow! Puppies At Your Next Party
Our Staff will come to your party and bring a small collection of adorable puppies, any combination of breeds. Your kids can play with our puppies for up to one hour. We provide clean up and transportation services. More Info Can be found here.
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I only met Richard Twiss once, at the 2011 Wild Goose Festival, but he was the genuine article. Heard an interview or two over the years as well. I only wish I knew a Lakota Sioux blessing to offer… but then, that might be inauthentic coming from me, anyway. I've burned some sage, and that will have to be enough. Fare forward, Richard.
Many of us are grieving the loss of good friend and co-worker for the kingdom Richard Twiss. I am sure that many of you have already heard he died this morning from a massive heart attack. Richard and his wife Katherine, open the eyes of many of us to the challenges faced by indigenous peoples im many countries, especially that of Native Americans here in the U.S. He will be greatly missed. The quote below was posted on Facebook this morning.
The Passing of Richard Leo Twiss, Taoyate Obnajin "He Stands with his People"
As of Saturday, February 9, 2013 Richard Leo Twiss, Lakota, co-founder and President of Wiconi International, passed into the eternal kingdom of the Creator as he took up the journey of life on the other side, to be with the Lord whom he loved and served so diligently on this side of life.
Richard walked…
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A little bit of this and a little bit of that. And, of course, a lot of Boston Terrier.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
"I Never Met A Man I Didn't Like"
15 comments:
- Mr. Tennis said...
I look forward to going back to see a polo match!
- August 4, 2013 at 9:44 PM
- Mr. Tennis said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- August 4, 2013 at 9:45 PM
- Mullin Avenue Workshop said...
What a lovely place - thanks for this interesting tour, Ann.
He sounds like an interesting person, and although was undoubtedly very prosperous, seems to have valued family, and simplicity.
My mom loved Will Rogers as a child,I can recall her telling me about him.
It's great to hear the Maven is doing very well!!
- August 4, 2013 at 10:02 PM
- Erika Christine said...
It's gorgeous, do you think they would let me live there??
- August 4, 2013 at 11:04 PM
- Chatty Crone said...
I never would have guessed in a million years but it was fascinating.
- August 4, 2013 at 11:59 PM
- Corn in my Coffee-Pot said...
Ok...well, the whole time I was reading, I was thinking of Roy Rogers.
Then we got to the air plane crash and I knew I was wrong.
I got half of it right. Missed it by THAT much!
looks like a beautiful place to visit.
- August 5, 2013 at 12:03 AM
- Mr. Connor said...
Yes ~ Will Rogers, who else could it be. Look at his "quotes" ~ THEY still apply today ! Don't know about the nut. Bad bad day when he and Wiley Post crashed the plane . Can I go ? ~ Can I go ? Can I go ? ~ love to see it .
- August 5, 2013 at 9:47 AM
I really enjoyed these pics. I have no idea what kind of tree that is!
- August 5, 2013 at 12:19 PM
- Olive said...
I never guess these things but Joe would have got it. Lovely house.
- August 5, 2013 at 7:05 PM
- Edilma Weissmueller said...
I did get the mystery person, may have had something to do with my age? A great human being.
Wendy must feel good about getting back to work feeling better. I do not recognize the seed.
Would love to visit the place.
- August 5, 2013 at 10:10 PM
- Mullin Avenue Workshop said...
I thought about my Mom enjoying Will Rogers and it didn't quite fit, partly due to her age, (born 1937), and also as he seems like a very good person, might not likely have appealed to young girls. I checked on google, and it was Roy Rogers, his horse Trigger, and Dale Evans his lovely wife she liked to watch. I remember watching him too in reruns.
I viewed the photos here again, and do love his house, it looks like a family home.
It is so sad how he died.
- August 6, 2013 at 1:35 PM
- Debby@Just Breathe said...
I really enjoyed this post. You did such a great job with the history and hints. I didn't guess it. I had John Wayne on my mind but I knew a few of those hints didn't fit him. I think we may have to take a ride over there one day. Debby
- August 6, 2013 at 4:29 PM
- Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams said...
I'm so glad she is doing well, and that everything has worked out fine after the surgery.
Will Rogers...hmmm I had no idea.
- August 7, 2013 at 11:38 AM
- ~Lavender Dreamer~ said...
What an amazing life and neat post my friend! I had no idea...some of it sounded familiar but I had forgotten so much about this man. Sweet hugs!
- August 8, 2013 at 4:56 PM
- Mildred said...
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this again. I see that I posted under Blackberry Lane at the time...3 houses ago!!! lol
Fascinating info. I hope Orlando Grandma is having a wonderful visit.
- December 29, 2016 at 4:19 PM


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Chicago Heights police have appealed to the public for any information leading to the identity of a newborn baby boy found dead last Sunday in a garbage dump in the south suburb.
The child`s body was discovered in a trash heap in the Fritz-Mar landfill at 28th Street and East End Avenue.
Authorities said they are hampered in their investigation because refuse is hauled to the landfill from Chicago and several suburbs. Police asked that anyone with information notify Chicago Heights detectives at 754-2121.


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In a press conference, members of the U.S. Capitol Black Police Association announced they intended to file a classwide request for counseling with the Office of Compliance, which will "initiate a process that will in all likelihood lead to yet another discrimination complaint" filed against Capitol Police, according to association member and Capitol Police Lt. Frank Adams.EDIT: I just read the Wikipedia page on this agency and it noted that there had been a shooting at the Capitol in 1998 where the Capitol Police had lost two of their officers. One of those fallen officers, Jacob Chestnut, just so happened to be Black. He was said to be the first Black to lie in honor at the Capitol.
Cited as reasons for the action are reprisals, hostile work environment and discrimination committed against black employees by the Capitol Police, the Capitol Police Board and the senior employment counsel for both, Frederick Herrera.
"The United States Capitol Police Department continues to project a model culture of discrimination as reflected in a 'modern day version of a 19th Century Southern Plantation in law enforcement,'" Adams said.
The U.S. Capitol Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In 2001, current and former black Capitol Police officers and employees filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court, citing discrimination by the Capitol Police Board. Blackmon-Malloy v. U.S. Capitol Police Board has yet to be resolved, but the number of plaintiffs has been whittled down in the intervening years due to deaths or plaintiff settlements.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Black Capitol Police staff complain about discrimination
The Hill via Instapundit:


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Jul 28, 2008
Torchlight 5k
Saturday night I ran/walked the Torchlight 5k in downtown Seattle, as part of Seattle's tribute to pirates and pirattitude, the Seafair Festival. It was a little humbling to realize that my fitness level does not yet include "whipping out a 3 mile run," but it was fun nonetheless, thanks to my friend Marie. She's trying to work up to running, and I'm trying to get back into it, so we were a perfect match. We did step it up for the final mile to pass the gimpy grandpa (good for him for running though), and finished under 37 minutes. Thanks Marie, next race we'll be running the whole thing!
Family of 5 survives overnight Camp Out
Aaahhh, the Ward Camp Out. Nothing quite like it. If you're not familiar with the concept of the Mormon Ward Camp Out, here is the basic formula: spend hours packing up all your gear, arrive around dinner on Friday night, only to pack up first thing in the morning and clear out by 10. That pretty much leaves you enough time eat your weight in S'mores, not sleep at all, and absorb that campfire smell in every thing you brought so that you have to do laundry for a week. And amazingly, we love it and look forward to it every year.
It was our first attempt at camping with Nate, and he did fantastic. We opted to squeeze everyone into our small 4 man tent, rather than our 4 family tent from Costco that is about the same size as our first apartment but has more rooms. We enjoyed talking with friends and sitting around the campfire, and everyone slept soundly through the night, except me which is pretty much standard fare while camping, so no big surprise there. The next morning we decided to stay after everyone else had left because our kids didn't seem dirty enough, and we thought that hanging out at the river and playing with rocks and mud would remedy that situation. It worked well, and after a while felt sufficiently camped out enough to head home. I think we'll be ready for our next real camping trip, which we also always look forward to: Mt. Rainier over Labor Day weekend. In the meantime, we're still working on that pile of laundry. Oh, and eating the leftover S'mores fixings- yummmmm.
Jul 21, 2008
A day in the life, more or less...
One day last week I set out to document our entire day. I learned 2 things: 1. we are incredibly boring, and 2. the reason we don't have more pictures is because it's very hard to hold a camera when you are constantly cleaning up messes, refereeing fights, changing diapers, and getting food, sippies, etc. It's now been so long that I don't remember much of what else happened that day, but here are some moments I did capture:
No day can begin without Curious George.
No day can begin without Curious George.
Breakfast: actually in bowls with utensils that day, as opposed to the usual dry cereal in a plastic baggie, or even just straight out of the box (and then spread all over the floor).
Nate has been smiling a lot lately. My quest to capture it resulted in this Jabba-the-Hut-like smile.
Going in to Costco. Nate is in the sling, and Sam is not happy about being in the cart. Once we made it inside, they actually did amazingly well. That didn't stop 2 women from staring openly at me and whispering to each other while in line at the food court (what Costco trip is complete without the $1.50 hot dogs and churros?). I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they were amazed by how well behaved my kids were and how calm and collected I looked. Right?
Nate's first video. Sorry- it's sideways.
For staying in their rooms during quiet time, the kids get 10 chocolate chips each. Here is Sam (and the bathroom mirror), post chocolate indulgence. Not pictured: the door, the wall, and the stool, also covered in chocolate. All that from 10 chocolate chips?
Watering the lawn. Mia had just sprayed me (and the camera) with water and did not get a favorable response. Hence, the scowl.
"The Witching Hour"- a video.
Jul 18, 2008
I truly don't get this kid. (How many times am I going to say that over the next 18 years?). Seriously, he took a late nap yesterday and consequently was up until midnight, and then was up bouncing on our bed at 6 this morning. He then refused to take a nap today, and now it is after 9 pm and guess who's still awake? Why don't parents have access to tranquilizers? Oh yeah, it's called Benadryl- I think I'm going to go look for some now...
Jul 16, 2008
A list of things done
I'm a list person. I love to make them; I love to read them. I'll read anything in list form. You could make a list of things in your junk drawer and I'll read every item and think it's fascinating. I have a multitude of lists in various forms and when one list starts getting a little worn and tattered, I'll actually write on it, "make new list." Yes, I'm that much of a dork. Anyway, I was looking at my list to-do list from last week and transferring every single item to this week's list, and getting a little down on myself for not accomplishing much of anything, when I remembered reading some advice recently to focus on what you have done instead of what you haven't done. So I started thinking back to what actually did happen last week, and here is my "list of things done":
- Took all 3 kids on a walk around the neighborhood, and almost made it around 1 complete loop before everyone started complaining and/or crying, including me.
- Started an ambitious program to have a 20 minute "Reading Time" with the kids each day, which involves me trying to convince them that sitting on the couch and looking at books by themselves is "really super fun".
- Had a Family Night lesson on Teamwork ("Our family is a team, and you wouldn't hit your teammate would you Mia and Sam?").
- Paid bills.
- Took the kids to see Charlotte's Webb, as part of the free family film festival. Could not even look at any scene with Charlotte in it as I am deathly afraid of spiders.
- Ran in the sprinklers with the kids.
- Washed, folded, and put away 7 loads of laundry (with Mark's help) .
- Took the kids to story time at the Library.
- Spent 3 hours with the kids at a contaminated beach.
- Went running (aka glorified speed walking) 2 times.
- Went to playgroup at a local park.
- Took all 3 kids shopping at the local fruit stand and Safeway.
- Had 2 cavities filled.
- Took Mia to swim lessons.
- Hired a babysitter and went with Mark to see the movie Juno projected on a building in downtown Seattle. We took Nate and drove the mini-van, and felt decidedly un-hip, but laughed our heads off at the movie.
- Went to my 6 week Dr.'s appointment (I have now nursed a baby while having a pelvic exam at the same time).
- Had lunch with a friend .
- Enjoyed a free concert at a local park with the entire family.
- Did yard work for 4 hours.
- Watched Stuart Little for a family movie night (we recently read the book with Mia).
- Picked and ate hundreds of raspberries in our backyard.
- Went to Target, by myself, in search of a few new t-shirts, which resulted in me buying $80 worth of clothes I didn't have time to try on.
- Put "Return clothes to Target" on my to-do list for this week.
- Dinners made: Quinoa salad, Spaghetti, Terriyaki chicken, Chicken Pita salad, Pasta salad, Turkey Dogs, and Sweet and Sour Meatballs. (No comment on whether the said meals were good or not, just that they were made).
- Played piano.
- Nursed Nate about 35 times, changed at least as many diapers, and bathed the kids 2 times.
- Read bits and pieces of The Potentially Sane Mother's Guide, and was mostly annoyed by the author's seemingly perfect handle on motherhood.
- Read about 80 pages of Born Standing Up, Steve Martin's memoir which Sam happened to bring to me at the library, and being a big Steve Martin fan, decided to check it out (and got "My Little Buttercup" stuck in my head every time I read it.) Favorite quote: (referring to the Hippie Movement) "I didn't yet know it's name but found out later it was called Flower Power, and I was excited to learn that we were now living in the Age of Aquarius, an age when, at least astrologically, the world would be taken over by Macrame."
- Watched Super Nanny, Wife Swap (you know you've watched it too), Wipe Out, I Survived a Japanese Game Show, and Hopkins.
- Checked email and perused other people's blogs...way too much.
- Picked up and put away about a billion random things, swept the floor at least 50 times, cleaned both Mia and Sam's bedrooms, cleaned all the windows, and thought about cleaning out the van (a lot).
- Finally, spent about 4 hours working on this week's calendar and to-do list, most of which won't get done.
Jul 15, 2008
Holy Boatload of Pictures, Batman!
In case you have a couple of hours, here are some pictures I've been meaning to post for a long time. Of course I meant to include detailed stories with each one, but since I haven't yet figured out how to stop time, here is the reader's digest version of all the things I've haven't been able to post about.
Sam- I love this picture. The little string of drool has become a permanent accessory lately, and we have no idea why. I swear this guy weighs about 100 pounds, or at least it feels that way since Nate was born. His 2 new favorite phrases: "Oh, I love that!" (pronounced: oh, I wuv dah!), and "Why?" A recent conversation went like this: Sam, you're poopy again? You're out of control! Why? Because you've pooped 4 times already today. Why? Just lay down, buddy. OK.
Oh yeah- Sam was evaluated for and accepted into our school district's Special Ed Preschool program due to his speech delay. That means in September, he'll be in preschool 4 days a week, riding on the short bus, and it's all free. Way to hook us up with the sweet set-up buddy!
Mia graduated from preschool back in May. She thanked her teachers, her parents, and all the little people who made it possible. "I'm just a girl from Bothell with a dream," she said. Way to go Mia!
Mark + kids + 1 hour car ride + big box of diapers= the latest in interior car decor (all the cool parents are getting it).
About 10 minutes after the cookies...
Sam and his little buddy Zach. Sam is driving them to work, while Zach surfs the net. Apparently, they thought this all up themselves.
From our raspberry bush: our first harvest of the season. Since then we pick, and promptly eat, about 30-40 each day. This makes the endless yard work all worth it.
4th of July parade: Mia and her friend Jenae. The parade people throw candy at the kids and of course Mia thinks this is the best thing ever. I'm sure she thinks that July 4th celebrates the freedom to eat candy.
The boys watching the parade.
Sam at our "little" July 4th get together, which turned into a gathering of 60 or so of our close friends: proof that I'm still way too sleep deprived to make sound decisions or do simple math. It turned out great though- perfect weather, tons of yummy pies, and lots of fun. The only flop was our attempt at homemade root beer, which ended up tasting a lot like Aquafresh, and not so much like root beer. Better luck next year.
Fireworks are permitted here, and apparently everyone takes that as permission to go to the Indian Reservations and buy the illegal kinds too. So around dusk on July 4th our neighborhood, and the entire surrounding area, turns into a fireworks extravaganza, and all we have to do is sit on the front lawn to enjoy the show. And it lasts for hours and hours, and even a few days for some people. It also means that I'm afraid to go anywhere for fear that our house will burn down. Here is a video of Sam's reaction to seeing the fireworks outside. He was pretty alarmed by the whole thing, and I think he's trying to say "Boom, pop!"
Watching the fireworks- as you can see, Sam is less than enthusiastic. Even our sparklers were a little too scary.
This is the end result of a day of Bardsley fun. We woke up one Saturday and had a hankering for that low-tide smell, so 4 hours later it was off to the beach for a guided nature walk with an ambiguously-gendered marine biologist ala SNL. After learning more than we ever thought possible about sea cucumbers and creatures that looked like discarded orange rinds, we ended up at the ferry docks so what did we do? Hopped on the ferry that was just about to leave of course. Once across the Sound, we had just enough time to stand in the super long line at our favorite crepe place and run back to the ferry so we wouldn't get a ticket in our 3 hour parking spot. I kept telling the kids, "isn't this a great family adventure?" so they would think that sitting in a ferry lobby eating cold chocolate banana crepes was the funnest thing in the world. But I tell you those crepes are worth it- even cold! And where did our adventure take us next? To the library to return some videos (man, we know how to live it up), and by the time we got home our kids were adventured out. What a day.
Photo shoot with Nate at 6 weeks old
And that's the latest from Bardsleyland.
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Job Description
Are you seeking a lone term role?
Would you like to earn up to £900 per week?
Then read on...
A small Buckinghamshire based primary school is seeking a full time reception teacher to start from the 1st week of September.
Applicants must:
-have a minimum of one years experience working in EYFS/KS1
-have an excellent understanding of the national curriculum
-be able to work as part of a team effectively
The school is a small two form primary school situated in Buckinghamshire. Its located a short distance from the train station. you will be teaching a mixed ability class of reception children. It is essential you are able to plan engaging and motivating lessons daily.
In return the school is offering an excellent daily rate for the successful candidate as well as additional benefits which will be discussed during the interview stages.
If this sounds like the role for you please apply by sending your CV to firstname.lastname@example.com FAO Zuri Findley
* You must have the legal right to work in the UK
* You must hold QTS or a UK recognised equivalent teaching qualification
* This position is subject to an Enhanced DBS Disclosure, Overseas Police Clearances (if applicable) and professional reference checks
It is A* Star Teachers' policy, as a matter of courtesy, to respond to all applications within three working days. However, due to the volume of applications, we are sometimes unable to respond to each applicant individually. If we have not contacted you within three working days, your application has been unsuccessful and your details have not been retained. Please apply for any other position that you may feel suitable for in the future. A* Star Teachers is a Quality Marked Agency (continuously since 2002) and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.


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Sondhi faces lèse majesté accusation for repeating statements of Red opposition he despises-AFP
July 17, 2012
Thai monarchist tried on royal insult charges
Agence France-Presse: July 11, 2012
A Thai media mogul who founded the royalist Yellow Shirt protest movement appeared in court on Tuesday accused of insulting the revered monarchy by quoting a member of the rival Red Shirts.
Sondhi Limthongkul, one of Thailand's most controversial political figures, faces up to 15 years in prison if found guilty on charges relating to excerpts of a protest speech by Daranee Charnchoengsilapakul that he repeated in 2008.
Daranee — known as Da Torpido — was herself jailed for 15 years under Thailand's strict lese majeste laws for the comments, which she made during political rallies four years ago.
Defence lawyer Suwat Apipak told the court on Tuesday that Sondhi had aimed to highlight Daranee's comments in the hope that police would take legal action against her.
"He did not repeat all the words said by Da," Suwat told the court. Sondhi is expected to testify in August.
The royal family is a highly sensitive topic in politically turbulent Thailand. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is revered as a demi-god by many Thais, has been hospitalised since September 2009.
Observers say prosecutions under lese majeste legislation — which bans criticism of the king, queen, heir or regent — surged following a coup that removed fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Sondhi's Yellow Shirts have proved a powerful force in Thailand's colour coded politics, helping to spur the 2006 coup, which spawned the rise of the pro-Thaksin Reds.
Thailand has seen a series of rival street protests in recent years by the monarchist Yellows, who are backed by the Bangkok-based elite, and the mainly poor and working-class Red Shirts, whose 2010 rallies in the Thai capital ended in a bloody crackdown.
In February, the Criminal Court sentenced Sondhi to 20 years in prison for corporate fraud in a case dating back to the mid-1990s.
At the time, Suwat said the tycoon was appealing the verdict and had been released on bail of 10 million baht ($330,000).


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Yesterday was a very bad day for me. An early morning phone call from my mother conveyed the news that a horse we knew and loved had escaped from her paddock, along with two other horses, been struck by a car and killed. One of the horses survived, but Leah and a young horse did not.
We knew Leah because she belonged to our friends and former barn managers. They moved to California last year and because of Leah's advanced age were not able to take her with them. Transporting horses from one coast to the other is not an easy feat and it produces a lot of stress on the animals. Even the youngest and healthiest of horses come off the trailer at the end of their journey exhausted. As much as our friends loved Leah they knew transporting her clear across the country was not an option. For her sake they worked to find her another home. And they did. A nice back yard barn where she would be loved, cared for and well taken care of.
Leah was happy in her new home. The new owners ended up getting two more horses to keep her company, she had other animals such as goats and llamas to boss around and she was well loved.
We'll never know what caused the three horses to break through their fencing and run into the road. It was early morning, the sun hadn't risen yet and horses don't typically run off in the dark. They are flight animals however and when threatened in some manner their instinct is to run. Which they did with tragic results.
Our hearts are broken. I spent all day yesterday sobbing off and on and had a pain in my heart. The worst part, for me, was that I knew no one had called California to let Leah's human family know what had happened so I made the call. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do but I would not let them find out by word of mouth or by seeing it discussed on one of the equestrian forums.
Leah was a beautiful, sweet mare who brought a lot of joy into all of our lives. She will be sorely missed.


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Monday, July 16, 2012
Bastille Day and striped shirt
6 comments:
OMG you are such a great drawer..with such beautiful style..love these..very impressedReplyDelete
Page, Thank you! It is lovely to hear such nice things. Sometimes all I can see is what I would do differently next time. The thing that has helped me the most with my sketching is being with other sketchers (at USK) and just doing more of it. Hah! the key to everything...ReplyDelete
These thumbnails are super fun. So much energy! You do catch the busy feel of the day, love how you've framed the views in different ways.ReplyDelete
Deb, I especially like how you've put all these people in the setting. You can really tell where we were. I didn't realize it before, but each of your sketches has an umbrella--as does your wonderful cup with the Farmer's Market sketch. This may be your trademark!ReplyDelete
Lovely sketches, all.
Thanks Katura and Vicky. And thanks for the thought about the umbrellas as trademark...all I thought of at the time was how they seemed to be multiplying as I was drawing them!!ReplyDelete
Yes energy! I can just see the paintings evolving from any of these...have a great time with the 'crawl'ReplyDelete


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My wife and I were discussing trivial and practical things, we have few things to plan and life needed some organising. Our daughter remained calm and quiet as we dried her off after a bath and got her dressed for bed. Just as we were talking about what size nappy we should use for her overnight she piped up with an opinion all of her own.
A string of vowels emanated from her mouth that was so well constructed it almost sounded comprehensible. A full sentence of whatever noises she wanted to try and make punctuated the air and my wife and I forgot what we were talking about altogether. She had obviously decided we weren't paying her the attention she wanted from us, and so made her way of joining in with our conversation to let us know what she thought.
It was amazing. It was not the first time she has made more talkative sounds by any means, but it was the timing she delivered it with and how it then became a ten minute conversation with her with no agenda. We enjoyed the pleasure of having a chat. With no actual words to say, she had got her point across incredibly well, and it acted as a great reminder of the wonder it is to bear witness to the development of this counterpart of ours.
She hasn't yet mastered the true art of conversation, and more often than not she will talk over us when we are trying to ask her questions to entice more babbling from her. But this baby of ours speaks, and she has a lot to say.


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Thursday, July 31, 2008
Time to Recycle Another T Shirt...
Smoke If You Got 'Em
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Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Things I Will Never, Ever Do
2. Drive cross-country in an RV for fun
3. Wear an A-Rod jersey
4. This
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Mythbusters: Do cats go crazy for catnip?
I never really believed that catnip made cats act all that crazy. This afternoon, I picked up a little baggie and put some in a sock for Dwayne to play with. Here's his first experience with catnip- I think he liked the flavor better than anything else considering he licked the sock nonstop. Myth: BUSTED.
Free Panty Day at the Office
Victoria is keen to share her secret with me
I've never taken advantage of the "Plus $10 off any bra" offer that comes with each coupon, so it's not like I'm giving them any additional business. Maybe Victoria's Secret is just trying to improve librarian images one bottom at a time?
Monday, July 28, 2008
Orange You Glad I Checked the Box?
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Monday, July 21, 2008
Comcastic Fees- Part II, The Resolution
Comcastic Fees
The call went smoothly until the Customer Care Rep said, "Ok, your new monthly service bill will be $130 and you'll just see a cancellation charge for $1.99 on your next statement."
"You charge $1.99 to cancel a service?"
She told me it was a standard fee and I wasn't going to argue over two bucks; however, from working in a call center I know that people are willing to argue over the smallest points and I'm sure others have given her a much harder time than I have. Comcast's cancellation fee reminds me of the airline (I forget which one) commercial where there's a fee to lean a seat back and open the overhead luggage compartment.
I fear that complaining about fees puts me in the same category as the scary old man who yells at kids for walking across his lawn...
Sunday, July 20, 2008
My $230 Mistake
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Saturday, July 19, 2008
Best Rest Stop of 2002
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Friday, July 18, 2008
Jim Kane Sugar Bowl 5 Miler
I hope this Somerville Road Runner in the foreground finds her photo- she looks great!
Keeping my eyes on prize- the finish line
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Peeing Tom
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Canadians on the Run
Looks like a lot of fun!
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Don't Bug Me!
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Thursday, July 10, 2008
Le Monde de Victor
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Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Montreal or Bust!
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Monday, July 7, 2008
Tales from the Bookstore
After a quick scan, I saw a man standing by himself behind the information desk. His head was buried in a thick 3 ring binder and when I first said, "Excuse me..." to get his attention, he didn't flinch. I get lost in my own thoughts a lot and just figured that this man was as well. It didn't occur to me that he was purposely not responding. So I spoke up, but didn't want to startle him, "Oh, hello. Excuse me..." After a pause, he looked up, met my gaze and coolly stated: "I know it doesn't look like I'm busy, but I am."
I'm often surprised by how people in customer service roles aren't especially skilled at working with the public. Here was a man standing behind a brightly lit and cheerfully labeled information desk, yet completely unwilling to indulge my request for information. He reminded me of a librarian from my town that used to run the youth summer reading programs, and as far as us kids could tell, hated children.
When met with unnecessary rudeness, my reaction is usually to become overwhelmingly polite. I smiled and said, "I'm sorry, but I just wanted to know where the audio books are?" He begrudgingly told me that they were upstairs near the DVDs, and I became lost in thought replaying the conversation in my head while I rode the escalator to the 2nd floor. I realized too late that I was actually mouthing the words "Go f- yourself" and smiling all the while imagining the associate's reaction, when I caught 2 teenage boys laughing and pointing at me. Taking a cue from the Borders associate, I choose not to respond.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Born on the 4th of July
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Lazy man's Wii
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Hot in Herre
5 Cheapskates Beating the Heat in Fort Lauderdale


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Quem se lembra do Simonsen?
Abaixo uma entrevista dada por Mario Henrique Simonsen, para Richard House, um dos editores do livro sobre grandes nomes ligados às finanças internacionais: "THE WAY IT WAS". Pgs 453/463
No presente caso, as declarações de Simonsen jogam muita luz sobre alguns dos problemas brasileiros mais difíceis de serem solucionados: nossa eterna dependência da volatilidade dos mercados internacionais...E que aula de Economia!
Regina Caldas
Editor: Richard House
The way It was: An oral History of Finance: 1967-1987
The Editors of Institutional Investor
William Morrow and Company, Inc. NY
First Edition
The central concept of the Geisel government was, let's invest so we can have import substitution and increase the export capacity at the same time. That was in essence the whole concept. Of course, the strategy that was designed took into account the first oil shock. But in 1974 nobody was predicting a second oil shock. On the contrary, most economists were asking whether OPEC's cartel could be maintained or not. We tried to act on the safe side, although without predicting either the second oil shock or the interest rate escalation of '79 and '80. We had a planned policy to increase the debt and at the same time to have investments that would create additional exports and reduce the demands for imports; so as a result, we would be able to service the debt.
Well, I don't think the strategy worked badly in spite of all the shocks we had afterward. Of course, once the second oil shock became visible and interest rates went to 15 or 20 percent, it was obvious that we needed more short-term adjustments, which were only adopted in 1981. If you look at what's been the change in the balance of payments of Brazil from 1974 to 1984, this was consistent with growth. After 1984 we come to a very clear conclusion that what you find in additional exports and reduced imports is substantial enough to justify the amount of the debt. Let's make some extrapolations: Imagine that Brazil kept the same coefficient as in 1974 -the same imports- gross national product ratio- and that export grow 6 to 8 percent a year. In accordance with that calculation, you find that by 1984 trade deficits would be something around of $20 to $25 billion a year, if the economy had continued in its old-fashioned mode. Of course, nobody would finance such huge trade deficits. This indicates the debt was well used in the sense of reducing imports and expanding exports. That leaves me in a somewhat comfortable position as an administrator.
Looking back –which I don't think is a pleasant exercise- you never do 100 percent of what you want to do; and second, if you could foresee the future, everything would be different. Well, as a basic strategy I think fundamentally what the Geisel government did was the only viable alternative. If you had chosen to adjust the balance of payments without investing or making structural adjustment, you'd simply have prolonged the stagnation. And Brazil would still have the same GNP as in 1973-with a much larger population and perhaps with a $ 20 billion-plus import bill that could not be financed. Basically, the strategy had to be what we did. Of course, if you could move back and foresee in 1977 the second oil shock, it would have been a period of quicker adjustment in the balance of payments. We had improvement in the balance of trade from a $ 4.7 billion deficit in 1974 to a slight surplus in 1977, a few hundred million dollars. It should have been $ 1 billion or $ 2 billion in trade surplus. But nobody had a crystal ball.
In 1973, when I was minister, I made a study that predicted the debt would peak at $ 35 billion. The projections were very realistic until early 1978. Then we had some deviations which escalated the debt to a peak of around $ 40 billion because of bad crops that reduced our 1978 export capacity. But that wouldn't have changed very much the substance of the idea. The substantial changes came from two facts- the second oil shock and interest rates- while at the same time there was not an immediate reaction from the government. I had a number of conferences with bankers in the US and Europe to discuss the way debt dynamics work and things like that , and one concern I always had as finance minister was to explain all the debt projections. Obviously, I told bankers they weren't financing projects but the balance of the payments; I felt this was a point they should have recognized. I think some did, but others didn't. Even the ones who did probably didn't anticipate that we might have the troubles of the second oil shock and interest rate escalation; all that was very hard to detect.
In the '60s and '70s you had a role played by dynamics that was very favourable to international lending in the sense that both GNP and exports grew at rates above international interest rates. When things changed from what I call pleasant to unpleasant debt arithmetic, I was no longer in office; the change occurred in 1981, and I left in 1979. But in any case, I always explained to bankers that there was a possibility of a change from pleasant to unpleasant arithmetic. I think this has been the case with Brazil. And our equation still appears to be solvable even unpleasant arithmetic.
Going back to the period when I was minister, of course we had a plan for structural adjustment. We knew it would take some time to operate; import substitution does not immediately produce export promotion as a result of investment. First we tried to speed up the exchange rate devaluations. That was only part of the problem, for very abrupt change in exchange rates in an indexed economy tends to give you much higher inflation rates. But it's curious to note that at that time the IMF did not recommend exchange rate devaluations for deficit countries , because it was believed that the deficit was an inevitable counterpart of the OPEC surplus. It as believed that if every country tried to correct its trade deficit by devaluation, you'd have a repetition of the competitive devaluations of the '30s. What we did was introduce import controls, encourage export incentives or subsidies and reduce the level of aggregate demand, which was overheated by the beginning of 1974.
We had a lot of discussions at the beginning of the Geisel government. From 1968 to '73, Brazil had been growing at rates above 10 percent a year; and there was an idea that we should continue this. But that would be impossible under the new balance-of-payments constraints, because the growth of this "miracle period" was partly based on low capital-output-ratio investments. But the consensus at that time was that any rate of growth below 7 percent a year would mean a deep recession! I was always labelled a recessionist at that time because I said the economy could not grow at more than 6 or 7 percent. But the planning minister had more ambitious plans in terms of keeping the old growth rates. At the same time, there was the idea that the supply of credit to Brazil was infinitely elastic, that we could go on borrowing indefinitely with no counterpart in terms of projections of future imports and exports. The final decision was, let's keep the country growing at a rate close to 7 percent a year. But let's also make structural adjustments.
In a sense, you could say the key LDC policy decision is always the same crunch between domestic growth and external adjustment. Which comes first? The movie is the same and it always has been. It's true; this movie appears throughout the world. But look, to make external adjustment at the expense of growth means bad policy. For one reason, if you want to reduce the rate of growth because of external adjustment, you need to do that indefinitely. In the case of inflation it's different. A recession to fight inflation, that is only temporary; but to adjust the balance of payments, that's eternal. That's bad economic policy. Sometimes you need to do that to recover reserves, you no other way out. If you can make a smoother adjustment based on structural changes- import substitution plus investment in the export sector- then, of course, it's much better. But you can only do that if you have a bridge of external capital. I think what's needed is a mixed solution.
Whenever you're in government you have two types of appreciation of your behaviour. Those who like you say you're a "fine tuner". Those who don't like you say you're a "stop-go-minister". The difference is a very grave one; it depends very much on the perspectives of who's criticizing you. When I was in office I wasn't completely able to teach Brazilians to live within their means; but still I was able to teach them to borrow to invest, not to borrow to consume. The idea of my being a stop-go-minister applies to every minister; you can even to say Paul Volcker's monetary policy shows he's a stop-go central banker because of his policy changes.
One of the problems of being in government is that you can design a strategy but you must act on a day-by-day basis depending on what happens. An example is how we reacted to the increase on the energy prices. Before the second oil shock there was this idea of introducing fuel-rationing coupons – a good instance of the Brazilian tendency for complicated economic solutions. Actually, the idea was not mine. The coupons just acquired the popular name "Simonettas" in my honour. The idea come from a Brazilian engineer who sent a letter to President Geisel, and the government decided to adopt it. I was never sympathetic to the Simonettas. Perhaps we should have made some increase in gasoline prices. It was discussed in 1977, but what would have been saved in terms of foreign exchange was very small. Don't forget that gas is only 30 percent of all oil consumption, so we would be saving $ 270 million, which are peanuts. Actually, the Simonetta was never implemented, and I had a strong responsibility for its abortion. But it still bears my name; I've still got two of these coupons at home as souvenirs.
Some people now ask me what it was like working for a general. I reply that it all depends on who's the General. Generals are not a uniform product. In the case of Geisel, I liked working with him because he had an extreme interest in everything; he wanted to know every detail. He was very informal in his talks; we could ring him up at midnight to work. He was involved in decisions. As a result of that, once you took a political measure that could be tough, you would be backed absolutely by Geisel, because he knew the reasons and he was convinced they were right. In the case of Figueiredo the situation was different. He was a very liberal man and so on, but he didn't have too much interest in economic affairs. So his initial cabinet was obviously split between those who believed that in 1979 Brazil should make quick adjustment to the second oil crisis plus interest rate escalation and those who wanted to continue expansion at 8 or 10 percent a year. This group said, "Let's solve all our problems and inflation by growth." At that time I resigned, simply because I perceived my ideas were not being accepted by the government.
The president was accepting the ideas of my opponent, Delfim Netto (who succeeded Simonsen as planning minister), and he had a clearly different view than mine. Delfim believed the country could continue to grow fast without making adjustment to the external situation. It's important to say that I think the late 1979 and 1980 policies were actually wrong compared to the needs of the country. But Delfim made a very important change in 1981 when he turned from unorthodox to orthodox economic policies. As a result of domestic expansion, reserves started declining, and with escalation of the debt and the beginning of the international recession, the process went further in 1981. The way Brazil found to keep reserves was to increase short-term borrowing from commercial credit lines and by using the overseas branches of Brazilian banks to borrow on the money markets and to re-lend to Brazil.
This is the point where you can start to attribute blame. But I won't say the basic fault was of the debtor or the lender. It was of the regulators. I think there was a basic mistake and the USA has some responsibility because there was the idea that competitive markets are efficient in every circumstance to solve everything. In the case of balance-of-payments problems, it's more subtle, but the banks at that time were trapped by a fallacy of composition. They believed, "If I have a short-term credit I'm on the safe side of the fence, because I can get out immediately," which is true for each one individually but is collectively wrong. When you have these problems the regulators should intervene. They had never done so until the debt shock. So conventional wisdom about LDC finances changed drastically from 1980 through 1982. In 1980 everyone said the banks would perform a valuable social role by extending credit to nations that needed to import and to finance development and that helped USA exports and so on. After 1982 everyone asked, "Who is responsible for the debt crisis? Those who lent imprudently or borrowers who wasted money?" Actually, both lenders and borrowers made mistakes, but you cannot have a crisis unless you have some systemic flaw.
A very important point that I had the chance of speaking about at the IMF interim committee is that pure commercial bank lending in the international field without the support of strong international financial institutions is a weak system. What one bank likes to supply each country depends on what they think other banks will supply, so you come to the roll-over assumption. The result is, if you don't have a buffer provided by strong international organizations –basically the IMF and World Bank- you tend either to over finance countries or to produce credit short-ages. Just after the first oil shock, debt recycling was almost wholly conducted by commercial banks; it was a good temporary solution. There was no other way; recycling had to come one way or the other, and commercial banks played this role. Now at that time, what naturally should have been suggested was that there was an obvious need for strengthening both the IMF and the World Bank, so they'd both play a major role in the following years, when recycling would continue to be a problem. Given the fact that commercial banks were providing credit to all the world, there was the wrong perception by the regulators that nothing needed to be done.
What I'm also very critical about is IMF conditionality as applied to debtor countries after the debt shock in 1982. Basically, it's a naïve model in terms of economics. It needs a lot of improvements and often leads to bad adjustment policies. Most IMF –supported programs since the debt shock were not able to meet either growth or balance-of-payments adjustment targets, so they're not efficient from this point of view. It's true that the IMF has recently changed; it's softened very substantially its criteria. The Mexican agreement, for example, accepts the operational deficit instead of the nominal deficit as a target variable. I'm not discounting IMF conditionality; I think the IMF has to change its conditionality.
A number of things are needed to have a vision of this problem. First you need to have trade debt links. The issue of the debt cannot be discussed without a resolution of trade, and from this point of view you need much closer cooperation between the IMF and World Bank on one side and GATT on the other. The fact that GATT has its headquarters in Geneva should not be an obstacle to having more discussion about debt and trade. For the debt problem to come to a happy end we should allow debtor nations to increase their exports. In a number of cases you need additional money for these countries to allow them to invest to increase exports and substitutive imports, and so improve their trade balances. This is the spirit of Bretton Woods, and you need to have economic policy coordination to have that. Also, you need to require debtor countries to make a number of adjustments. Nobody is going to lend money to these countries to allow them to increase consumption without investment. Actually, you need a coordinated approach in which you allow debtors to invest and grow according to consistent economic plans, and on the other hand, you need trade negotiations that would allow them to export more.
But there 's another more basic critique that needs to be made of the IMF: bad economics. It's systemic bad economics, because when you speak individually to economists in the fund they all realize that. But if you work for an institution, you have to work according to its rules, and the rules still stick to a model which was inspired by the Bretton Woods tradition. That meant small adjustments in individual countries that had a current account deficit or became illiquid because of excess aggregate demand. That's not necessarily the case of most debtors today.
What I'm saying is pure arithmetic. There are two ways out of the debt. One is to have growth of both GNP and exports in debtor countries. That problem tends to be solved by itself, because once you expand both these two you can borrow additional money, because your basis has been broadened and the need to transfer abroad is not the same. And transfers abroad decline in relation to exports and GNP because of the increase in the denominator. This is the favourable case. The second case is what has happened since 1982- a world with stagnant trade. Assume exports of debtor countries do not increase. If so, new lending to these countries is nothing but disguised interest capitalization, and the debt-export ratios just escalate. This means that you're going to come to an impasse. In practice, it's happening throughout the world. Of course, the great difference you should establish is not whether the form is new loans or simply capitalization. The difference is whether the country's exports are growing or not.
I won't say Brazil's the best of the bunch, the only viable debtor. You have a number. Colombia is one: it's not a large debtor. Venezuela is another; in fact, it's never really been a debtor. It's a net creditor country-except they don't know where the credits are. In Brazil's case, you have clear signs that the debt weighs heavily on one side of the equation. But on the other side you have import substitution and export promotion, so the problem appears to be solvable.
Look at what's happened between 1984 and 1986. Brazil had a unique experience; it was the only large debtor country that was fully servicing the debt without borrowing new money and having very high rates of growth. That came to a sudden end because, simply, last year was dominated by a carnival part of spending with the Cruzado Plan. The beginning of the plan was very promising-it was exactly to eliminate the complications of the Brazilian economy, to have de-in indexation, and as such it was very well conceived in its details. And at the same time, the government announced the fiscal deficit had been reduced virtually to zero. So the Cruzado Plan came with great hopes and great popular support.
The distortions started one month later when it became evident that re- monetization of the economy was too quick and the economy was overheating due to excess of demand. Then there were lots of shortages and development of black markets and the evaporation of both export and reserves. Inflation was duly repressed, and then out it came again with all its force. The lesson of experience is that you should have a blend of both orthodox policies and income policies, that they should be well coupled and well designed to defeat inflation.
If you take a long perspective, the main cause of inflation is the fact that we have a budget deficit that has been financed by expansion of the money supply. And the fact that we have no independent central bank helps to create money supply to finance budgetary deficits. That's an orthodox but a correct long-term perspective on the problem. Now of course, once you try to live with inflation by using widespread indexation-as we did and still do- what you create is self-propelled inflation. That is the reason we have had endemic inflation since the '30s and high rates since the '70s. When I was in office what we tried to do was prevent inflation from escalating, given the fact we were an indexed economy with a number of supply shocks coming from abroad. My successor, Delfim, went through a number of phases in his period. In 1979-80, there was no attempt to reduce inflation, but later he returned to classic instruments. Then in 1983 we needed to make the maxi-devaluation because of the external adjustment at the time of the debt shock. We had to move from virtually no trade surplus to $6 billions. When you have a devaluation in a fully indexed economy , you lift the inflation rate –so it moved up from 100 percent to 200 percent-plus. This was perfectly consistent with the IMF program, which shows the IMF does not understand very much about how indexing works.
If you take the debt problem as a whole, not only Brazil but other nations that did not invest but used debt to increase consumption or to finance exchange rate over valuation-Argentina and Mexico are examples, what you can say is that transferring 4 or 5 percent of GNP is not a very stable solution. Now, if you ask how you solve the transfer problem, I'd agree that sending abroad 4 percent of the GNP is too much. But why is Brazil doing this? Simply because you no longer have direct investment and because you're not exploiting the potential access to both official loans and perhaps additional commercial bank loans.
Since I left government I've been getting a bird's eye view of the economy at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, a semi-official institution where I'm in charge of the graduate school. I'm also an outside member of the board of Citicorp in New York. But Citicorp has never asked me to teach Brazilians; I'm expected to give advice to the bank's top management and to take all the responsibilities of directors, not to tell Brazilians or other people what happens. I have written about the debt situation since the mid-'70s and have always discussed issues with Citicorp.
Both Walter Wriston- with whom I dealt when I was in government´- and John Reed have been very favourable to Brazil. Reed never took this position as a tough-liner now being portrayed in the American Press. I've been discussing these issues with him, and he appears to share my views that the debt problem has to be solved by growth; that's the spirit of the Baker plan. I think it still has to be implemented, but the central idea has been a breakthrough. What Reed insists is that this should be done in terms that are accepted by the markets and not in terms that the markets wouldn't normally accept. I think he's probably right. The top management of Citicorp surely understood right from the start they were financing balance-of-payments problems, not just projects. Did Walter Wriston or John Reed have an idea there was something called sovereign risk separate from commercial risk? I'd say they surely did. The problem, of course, is that in the '70s or early '80s they could not realize the debt crisis was coming. Nobody did.
When you assess country risk, you must have an idea of what the country does with its money, and you must be more involved in long-term considerations than in the short term. Over the short term the country can be in a bad state- as Brazil appears to be now. But if you look ahead , the Brazilian case doesn't seem that hard to resolve.
quarta-feira, agosto 23, 2006
151) Mario Henrique Simonsen: old vintage...
Postado por Paulo Roberto de Almeida às quarta-feira, agosto 23, 2006
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I found some lost and forgotten cards when I was cleaning one of my mystery boxes. In spring 2000 we made a trip to beautiful Budapest and I bought these cute cards from there. Károly Reich's expressive and colorful Slavic style cards are a full of small lovely details. Most of his illustrations picture traditional Hungarian peasant life with folklore elements and animals like foxes, cats, pigs, cows, horses, and birds.
Károly Reich, ( 8 August 1922 – 7 September 1988 ) was a Hungarian artist, best known for his children's book illustrations and for his original draughtsmanship. His illustrations were popular among Hungarian children throughout his 40-year career, during which he illustrated around 500 books.


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We all know major brands spend lots of dinero on Super Bowl TV commercials every year, but don't forget about the Houston stations airing the big game. They put a lot of work into their station image spot that airs in the middle of million dollar ads during the biggest TV ratings extravaganza of the year.
KHOU 11 has been working on its big television spot which will air during Super Bowl 50 this Sudnay, and sent me an advanced copy for your eyes only.
"This latest KHOU Stands for Houston campaign was a labor of love for me and I'm thrilled to be able to share it with Houstonians on Super Bowl Sunday," KHOU 11 Director of Creative Services & Community Marketing Dale Lockett told mikemcguff.com.
In years past, KHOU 11 has produced music campaigns to promote its brand with Houston artists Lyle Lovett and Yolanda Adams. This time they went for emotion.
Lockett reached out to members of the Houston spoken word/slam poetry community for their assistance with this project. The poem you hear during the TV spot was written and voiced by Houstonian Sharon Young aka Rain The Poet. For the big finale, KHOU worked with one of Houston's top mural artists Anat Ronen.
KHOU says the promotional spot celebrates all the things that connect us as Houstonians and that make us proud to call the Bayou City our home!
SportsRadio 610 Makes The Ultimate Super Bowl Commercial
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Just an everyday guy sharing my thoughts on how I see the world, and hoping to inspire myself and others through those thoughts.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Always Celebrate The Small Things In Life.
What's going on people? Welcome to another edition edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! Like I always say in my posts; if you're giving this topic a read right now, I greatly appreciate you taking out the time to stop through. So for the topic this time around, I'm going to be talking about the importance of celebrating the small things in life. I'm also going to be discussing how reaching smaller goals can be helpful towards a bigger cause. This topic isn't anything new or profound, nor is it a topic that we haven't heard countless times before. However, there are always different ways and methods to address a specific subject, so I figured I'd go ahead and give my own personal perspective on this one.
Before we get into this subject, I want to state that the idea of thinking big or small varies from person to person. We're all individuals that have a different view of the world, so what is considered big or small for one person may be different for someone else. Now as I stated earlier in this post, we've been conditioned to think that doing or accomplishing something big is the best indicator of success. Most people equate the word "success" to something big. If you're a music artist and you're able to draw big crowds of fans to your concerts, then you're considered to be a successful artist right? If you're an athlete or sports team that is able to fill up arenas full of people, then you're successful sports franchise right? These two examples that I've given definitely personify success, but lets face it, most of us will never know what it means to be a big-time musician or athlete. Since most of us will never know how success on that large of a scale may feel, we have to define success on our own terms, which means that we have to measure it on a smaller scale.
Uh oh! I said view success on a smaller scale, so that must mean that I'm saying that we shouldn't think big or high aim high right? Wrong! See, many of us go wrong when we compare our success or lack thereof to others. We use what others have accomplished in their own personal lives as a benchmark for ourselves. There's nothing wrong with having a desire to model our own success in the shape of people that are already successful. However, the problem that can develop with this mentality is that we often feel as if we're a failure if we never reach that level of success that we've set as the standard inside of our minds. We've allowed ourselves to think and dream so big that we often overlook the small successes and accomplishments we've already reached. This is where the importance of celebrating the small things in life comes into play.
So what are the small things in life that are worth celebrating? Again, it depends on what you see as big or small for your life. From my own personal perspective, the small things are the things that do not necessarily have a monetary value. How much does it cost to give someone you care about a hug or kiss? How much will it cost you to visit with an old friend that you haven't seen in a long time? How much does it cost to attend someone's graduation? See where I'm going with this? Success doesn't always have to be defined as something big. If you're willing to go out of your way to help someone, or if you strive to have a positive impact on the world as a whole, then you're likely already successful; regardless of how small your accomplishments are compared to others. Even if you don't possess much from a material standpoint, something as small as the things I mentioned are worth you celebrating every now and then. Now lets briefly move onto the second point of view of celebrating the small things in life.
If you're trying to climb the ladder of success in reaching your goals in life, it's importance to celebrate each rung you reach on the ladder towards that goal. No matter how big or small a goal you've set may be, reaching that goal will not be an overnight process. In fact, getting to the top of your individual ladder can be a long and tedious process. This is why it's important that we celebrate every accomplishment we make towards that goal. From my perspective, when we celebrate and reflect upon those small steps towards larger goals, we develop a greater appreciation for those moments of reaching those bigger achievements even more. Additionally, when you accomplish and celebrate smaller things towards a bigger goal, it helps increase your drive and motivation to reach your destination even more. It's equivalent to gaining momentum towards something, which can be a valuable tool for us all.
I believe I've gotten the main points that I wanted to hit on out there, so I'm going to go ahead and bring this to a close. Just remember to be mindful and conscience of every positive thing that life has to offer you whether it's big or small. A celebration doesn't have to be a large, huge party, but rather a brief moment of reflection and appreciation. Remember to think and aim big, but take small strides on your journey. And, with those small strides, celebrate all you've achieved along the way. Well that's it for this edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'. I hope some meaning and understanding was gained from this, and I thank you all who have stopped by again. See you all in the next one! Peace!
©2015 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.
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8 Old Edison Thick Phonograph Records Original
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Neat old double tune Edison thick records with Edison label. Songs not pictured include "Ole Virginny Days" "When I'm Gone You'll Soon Forget" "Aloha Land" "Wait Until The Roses Bloom" and one mystery song that has no label. All eight, one bid. See photos.Please email us with any questions! Payment: Our payment address is: 2CURIOS PO Box 32 Lake Lure , NC 28746 SHIPPING: Please contact us within 2 days after winning the item via email or phone to tell us how you would like your item shipped (Parcel Post, Priority, Express, UPS, FedEx, with added insurance, etc.); just communicate with us and we will be happy to make the arrangements to meet your specific wants and/or needs. This includes wanting your item double-boxed and detailed packing instructions. If t is no shipping information available in the auction's listing – we are unable to package the item ourselves and must send it out to be packaged. This is due to weight, size, and/or extreme fragility. The buyer of the item pays must arrange and pay for these items separate from paying 2Curios. Contact us if you have any questions regarding items of this nature. If we do not hear from you within two days of winning the auction, your item will be shipped using the method stated in the auction's description. If you request specific ... read more


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Demons in the Spring is a collection of 20 short stories by Joe Meno, author of the smash hits The Boy Detective Fails and Hairstyles of the Damned. In these stories, oddly modern moments occur in the most familiar of public places.
"Weird...very weird!"
Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer. Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life - having nothing but his own wits to help him along. Through Balram's eyes, we see India as we've never seen it before: the cockroaches and the call centers, the prostitutes and the worshippers, the water buffalo and, trapped in so many kinds of cages that escape is (almost) impossible, the white tiger.
With a charisma as undeniable as it is unexpected, Balram teaches us that religion doesn't create morality and money doesn't solve every problem.
"Great, informative tale"
In 2005 Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, unveiled a new state-of-the-art, multimillion-dollar cancer center. Determined to understand the whole spectrum of factors that determine what kind of medical care people receive in this country, best-selling author Julie Salamon spent one year tracking the progess of the center and getting to know the characters who make the hospital run.
"listen only if you want to fall asleep!"
In his outrageous memoir, McSweeney's contributor Kennedy chronicles his misadventures at a major record label. Whether he's directing a gangsta rapper's commercial or battling his punk roots to create an ad campaign celebrating the love songs of Phil Collins, Kennedy's in way over his head. And from the looks of those sitting around the boardroom, he's not alone.
"Very enjoyable"
From the moment of its publication in 1961,
Revolutionary Road was hailed as a masterpiece of realistic fiction and as the most evocative portrayal of the opulent desolation of the American suburbs. It's the story of Frank and April Wheeler, a bright, beautiful, and talented couple who have lived on the assumption that greatness is only just around the corner.
"Movie vs Book"