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Team Associated Factory Team Fluid Carrier
Team Associated
Note: Manufacturer does not allow using discount coupons
|Low Price:
This item earns up to 35 VIP Reward Points Learn More
This is the Team Associated Factory Team Fluid Carrier. The Factory Team Fluid Carrier will hold 16 of your favorite fluid bottles in a handy, easy to transport bag. The zipper enclosure keeps the contents inside secure, while the top flap's inner pocket adds extra storage, and the fabric handle makes carrying comfortable. Inner dividers can be removed to store alternate items, if desired. The prestigious Factory Team logo on the top sets this carrier bag in a league of its own. Measures 8.5" x 8.25" x 4.62".
This product was added to our catalog on July 8, 2015.
Luc Manseau
Verified Owner
Tuesday, Sep 5 2017 (10 months ago)
Team Associated Factory Team Fluid Carrier
Great for keeping oils organized. A definite must.)
Verified Owner
Sunday, Jan 10 2016 (about 2 years ago)
Team Associated Factory Team Fluid Carrier
this is a very nice fluid storage bag, a must have for any r/c racer! keeps your shock oils, diff grease etc in a well organized case. easy to assemble, zip closed case with a cool team associated logo on top and a carry handle.)


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I've been reading thru a few of the threads on here and i notice how a lot of people tend to say their replacement BBQ igniters are "dead" or "broken".
I have 3 combustion cannons that use these BBQ igniters and not one has ever 'died' (one did break once, but it was the metal clip and i even managed to fix that).
I was just wondering how they 'die'?
Obviously they break, otherwise they wouldnt sell "REPLACEMENT BBQ IGNITERS" at home depot, but i'm asking how.[/i]
Registered users: Alexa [Bot], Bing [Bot], Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot]

subset: commoncrawl


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MUNICH – Bradley Dredge of Wales had two eagles in a round for the first time in his 14-year professional career to earn a one-shot lead at the midpoint of the BMW International Open.
He shot a 5-under 67 in Friday's second round, picking up four shots at the sixth and 11th holes at the Golfclub Munchen Eichenreid.
Dredge moved to 13 under for the tournament to pull ahead of Spain's Pablo Larrazabal, who shot a 6-under 66 earlier in the day.
Spain's Ignacio Garrido and Scotland's Peter Whiteford were tied for third at 11 under.
Ernie Els missed the cut when he couldn't make a 15-foot eagle putt on the last green.
Of the three current and former Ryder Cup captains in the field, Nick Faldo missed the cut after a second-round 74 left him at 6 over though Germany's Bernhard Langer will play at the weekend after he shot 69 to reach 5 under.
There were doubts however whether this year's European captain Colin Montgomerie would play the final two rounds despite shooting a 68 to reach 6 under.
The Scot had played two rounds at the Glolfclub Munchen Eichenreid with a torn calf muscle in his left leg which caused him to limp badly and seek treatment at the end of his round.
"The timing could not be worse," Montgomerie said. "I shot a great 62 recently at Sunningdale to get a place in the (British) Open at St. Andrews and now this has happened with three weeks to go.
"I don't know what I did to get the tear, but I am having to take painkillers. Maybe it was just old age. I was 47 recently and it's been a shambles since then."


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The Franchise Owner's most trusted news source
LOS ANGELES – At the October American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, aptly themed Franchising: Your Backstage Pass, Peter Silverman and Jim Goniea presented the behind-the-scenes legal cases affecting franchising and distribution in 2012.
Although there were no blockbuster cases this year, attorney Silverman of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick gave Blue MauMau a summary of key legal developments for franchisees. The ABA period extends from September 2011 through August 2012, and the cases are Silverman's view alone.
The trend in antitrust could best be summarized as FAIL. While antitrust law once gave franchisees and distributors strong litigation rights, the industry and the law have evolved to the point that antitrust claims rarely succeed now in litigation. This year continued that trend.
For example, in Johnson Brothers Liquor v. Bacardi, two major liquor manufacturers, Bacardi and Brown Forman, formed a marketing partnership to align national distribution. Part of their plan resulted in both manufacturers terminating their long-time distributor, Johnson Brothers, and jointly selecting a new distributor to distribute all their brands in Johnson's territories. The new distributor ended up controlling nearly 100% of the market in the affected territories for rum and whisky, which were Bacardi's and Brown-Forman's signature products, as the new distributor was already carrying rum and whisky made by Bacardi and Brown-Forman's competitors.
Johnson filed suit, claiming that the manufacturers' conduct constituted a concerted refusal to deal in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. The Court disagreed, finding that consumers wouldn't be hurt by the alignment. Bacardi and Brown-Forman couldn't raise prices as a monopolist would because the new distributor could turn to its other brands for price competition. Since consumers weren't hurt, the terminated distributor didn't have a claim under the antitrust laws.
One area of law that showed promise for franchisees was RICO, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Initially aimed at organized crime, RICO's application has been broadened to a legal claim against any group that, over an extended period of time, has committed a pattern of fraud that violates federal laws. The courts don't like turning garden-variety fraud claims into RICO violations, and so place a number of hurdles to stating a claim under RICO.
A distributor jumped those hurdles in Jay Automotive Group v. American Suzuki Motor. There the dealer claimed that over a four-year period, its manufacturer, Suzuki, conspired with favored dealerships to defraud him into renewing his dealership and spending $1.5 million to build a new facility.
Jay brought suit, alleging, among other things, that Suzuki and cooperating dealers violated RICO. Suzuki moved to dismiss the case for failure to state a claim. The Court denied the motion. Assuming that the facts in the complaint were true (the test for a motion to dismiss at the start of a case), the Court found that the Complaint properly pleaded that Suzuki and its dealers were a functioning enterprise that defrauded the dealer over a four-year period in violation of the federal mail and wire fraud statutes (meaning they carried out the fraud using telephones, mail, and e-mail).
In another case, Massey v. Moe's Southwest Grill, franchisees presented evidence that from 2001-2004, Moe's president had an interest in an affiliate company receiving rebates on purchases by Moe's franchisees, but Moe's failed to disclose that in its UFOC (now called an FDD, or a franchise disclosure document). Applying Georgia law (most states have their own RICO statutes), the Court found that the franchisees presented enough evidence to allow their case to proceed to trial. The Court held that a genuine issue of material fact existed on Moe's, its affiliate, and its President, acting together as an enterprise, violated the Georgia statute of theft by deception, which requires intentional fraud.
There have been other favorable RICO cases as well, but I question how practical the theory is for franchisees. Bringing a RICO claim requires extensive investigation and pleading, and almost guarantees expensive motion practice to dismiss and for summary judgment. Also, RICO has far more elements to prove at trial than common law fraud. Any win will likely face appeal on a number of difficult issues. The question is how many franchisees and distributors will have the resources to fight that battle, especially since common law fraud is cheaper to plead and prove, and far less likely to be challenged on appeal.
Another area where franchisees scored some wins was in bankruptcy because bankruptcy courts are equity courts that aim to protect creditors, even if it requires overriding provisions in a franchise agreement.
For example, in In re Chicago Investments, the bankruptcy court allowed the franchisee to transfer units to a new franchisee over the franchisor's objections. That was the only way to fund the franchisee's reorganization plan and satisfy all the creditors. And in In re Stone Resources, the franchisor failed to get the automatic stay in bankruptcy lifted to force the terminated franchisee from competing against the franchisor in violation of the franchise agreement.
While Chapter 11 bankruptcy (reorganization) does offer franchisees some protections, franchisees shouldn't look at filing bankruptcy as a trump card. A bankruptcy is very expensive to file and litigate. And unless the franchisee has strong resources and a viable plan to reorganize, all bankruptcy does is buy a bit of time before the franchisee's demise.
Lost Profits
Franchisees regularly underestimate the franchisor's power to recover lost future profits after terminating the franchise agreement. But the general rule is emerging that if the franchisee caused the termination by closing down or refusing to pay royalties (or similar default), the franchisee may need to pay lost future profits as damages to franchisors
One example is Hardee's Food Systems v. Hallbeck, where the franchisees began to lose money and closed their restaurant with approximately fifteen months left on the term of its agreement. Hardee's then terminated the agreement, and filed suit to collect the expected future royalty payments it would have collected for the remaining fifteen months of the agreement. The franchisees contended that Hardee's had actually terminated the franchise agreement, and that Hardee's was at fault for the termination because its racy advertising had led to the franchisee's losing money.
In a pretrial ruling, the court found, as a general matter, that franchisors are entitled to future profits as would any commercial party to a contract that promises future action. Thus Hardees could bring to trial its claim for lost future profits.
Integration clauses
Another area that franchisees regularly underestimate is the power of the clause in almost every franchise agreement saying that the franchisee is relying only on the written agreement, and not on anything the franchisee learned before signing the contract other than what is in the FDD. In litigation, franchisors raise this clause, known as an integration clause, when franchisees claim that that the franchisor misled them into signing the agreement. As a general rule, courts enforce integration clauses and prevent the franchisee from raising pre-contract misrepresentations.
Some states have narrow exceptions. Franchisees need to key in to these if they want to bring misrepresentation claims. For example, in Next Generation Group v. Sylvan Learning Centers, the franchisees claimed that the franchisor induced them to enter into the franchise agreement by promising to transfer them two other profitable existing units. When the franchisor failed to transfer the other two units to them, the franchisees sued for fraud and misrepresentation. The franchise agreement contained an integration clause that negated what was outside the agreement, and the franchisor moved to dismiss.
In a pretrial ruling applying an exception in Maryland law, the Court found that the integration clause bars fraud claims as a matter of law only if the integration clause specifically refers to the representation on which the franchisee allegedly relied. Here the clause did not specifically refer to that representation, and the Court allowed the claim to proceed.
In another case, franchisor Cousin Subs System v. Better Subs Development, the franchisee claimed the franchisor induced it to sign franchise and development agreements by providing it with false financial forecasts. The franchise and development agreements had integration clauses, and the franchisee had also responded to disclosure questionnaires that it wasn't relying on financial performance representations to make its decision for a franchise. Based on the integration clause and disclosure representations, the franchisor moved for summary judgment.
Applying an exception under Wisconsin law, the Court granted summary judgment on the negligent misrepresentation claim because an integration clause bar such claims as a matter of law. For intentional fraud, though, integration clauses are not enforceable in Wisconsin. Thus the case could proceed to trial on the intentional fraud claim.
Franchisor as employer
Another area showing a trend was cases where individuals or governments sued franchisors for being liable as implied-at-law employers of the franchisee's employees. These claims may seem like quite a reach, but franchisors have some vulnerability because they do impose restrictions on how franchisees should operate. Last year, though, courts showed a strong trend of rejecting these claims.
In Aleksick v. 7-Eleven, the Court found that, for purposes of California's Unfair Compensation Law, 7-Eleven didn't become the employer of its franchisees' employees simply because the franchisees used 7-Eleven's payroll system. Likewise, in Doctors' Associates. v. Uninsured Employers' Fund, the Court found that, for purposes of Kentucky's workers compensation law, Doctor's Associates (Subway) was not the employer of its franchisees employees as it did not control them.
And on a similar issue, Juarez v. Jani-King of California, found that, for purposes of California's Labor Code, franchisees in a janitorial franchise could not be deemed the franchisor's employees because Jani-King didn't exercise "control [of the manner and means of service] beyond that necessary to protect and maintain its interest in its trademark, trade name, and good will."
In arbitration, two issues stood out. The first is whether franchisee associations can bring lawsuits in court against the franchisor if the association's members have arbitration clauses in their franchise agreements. Last year, two courts came out differently on the issue. In NIACCF v. Cold Stone Creamery, a Florida federal court stayed a case brought by an association related to rebate disclosure so that the issue could be addressed in individual arbitrations. But in EA Independent Franchise Association v. Edible Arrangements, a Connecticut federal court allowed the association's multi-pronged court claims proceed though the Court also allowed Edible Arrangements to proceed on individual arbitrations at the same time.
The second issue is whether franchisees or distributors can bring class actions in arbitration if the arbitration clause in the franchise agreement is silent on the issue. The Supreme Court addressed this issue in Stolt-Nielsen v. AnimalFeeds, finding that the silent arbitration clause in that case did not authorize class arbitration. The Federal Courts of Appeals, though, have differed in their reading of Stolt. Presumably to remedy this confusion, the Supreme Court accepted an appeal in Oxford Health Plans LLC v. John Ivan Sutter MD, where the Third Circuit upheld an arbitrator's decision to allow a class action arbitration to proceed even though the arbitration clause was silent on the issue.
Closing words to the wise
Attorney Silverman stated in his concluding remarks that the summary presented is a short discussion of some of the key trends in franchise and distribution law. "It's hard to muster any general conclusion other than to encourage all franchisors and franchisees to hire lawyers knowledgeable and skilled in this area as it is complex and ever-changing," the Ohio attorney asserted.
Related Articles:
Public Profile
Janet Sparks is the former publisher of the Continental Franchise Review, an industry newsletter that covered the franchise community for over 30 years. She has also been a columnist for a leading franchise magazine for the past 13 years. Today she is an independent journalist who engages in investigative reporting, tackling complex issues that impact the franchise industry.
Janet can be reached at email@example.com or at 303-799-7398.


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From the response we got for our older posts about ratio free private trackers, it's apparent that such sites are hugely popular among readers. With SceneRTorrents and Seedit shutting down, the past few weeks hasn't been good for no ratio sites. However today we are going to talk about a brand new ratio free private BitTorrent tracker – Scenelive. Scenelive is a general/0day tracker that is only about a week old. Good news is that you won't have to beg for invites to join this site - at least not now. Why? They are having their first ever open signup and have enabled free public registrations for a limited time.
For a tracker that's only a week old, Scenelive has shown some impressive growth. They already track over 500 torrents and have a user base of 600+ members which includes 14 uploaders. As for the content, majority of the currently indexed torrents comprise of scene releases. There aren't many packs around – however they do have a separate category titled 'Packs' which may be an indication that more Scenelive exclusive packs are going to be added to the tracker in the coming days. Following are some of the torrent categories you may find at Scenelive:
IMHO scenelive has a great interface – the left panel + top toolbar layout doesn't have many gizmos but it's easier to navigate and is not cluttered at all.
Coming back to the ratio-free aspect of this tracker, there are some minimum seed time requirements that still apply although a global ratio is not calculated:
Welcome to SceneLive, we are a No Ratio tracker but that doesn´t mean you don´t have do seed please seed your torrent for: 60 hours or 1:1 (upload=download)..
1 Hit&run = 1 Warn
3 warns = Ban
Hope you enjoy your stade here
And the following is quoted from Scenelive's rules section:
Seed at least a 1:1 ratio, or at least try. If it is impossible for you to seed 1:1, then you must seed at least 60 hours within 10 days after completion of the torrent. It is not necessary to follow those hours!
I don't understand what they mean by 'It is not necessary to follow those hours!" but the idea is pretty clear – being ratio free is not your ticket to conduct hit and runs.
As we said above Scenelive is currently open for new registrations. If you are looking for a new ratio free private tracker and a growing community, check this site out.
Site Name: Scenelive (http://www.scenelive.org)
Signup URL: http://www.scenelive.org/live/signup.php


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Twisted Metal:
System: Playstation 2
Publisher: Sony CEA
Developer: Incog
Released: 2001
Genre: Shooter/Racing
Capabilities: Multi-Tap Compatible, Dual Shock 2 Analog & Feedback Compatible, Memory Card Compatible
Review Written: July 15, 2001
The Game
The Twisted Metal series is a car combat game where you shoot up other cars using machine guns and other various weapons to blow up your opponent. Twisted Metal makes its debut on the PS2 after four outings the first Playstation. The first two Twisted Metal games by SCEA were proclaimed one of the best of its kind. However, things changed right away when 989 Studios were handed over the game to make the 3rd and 4th editions, which were quickly pronounced the worst of the whole car shoot-em-up genre, and with TM3 and four stinking up the court the past three years, other series like Vigilante 8 have got the spotlight. This game is now back with SCEA, and will it be better than the last two games? Lets get onto the review and find out.
The Story
You actually have some really good FMVs showcasing the game storyline. Each character has their different type of voice over, but their story is all the same. They were all living in the insane asylum, and a guy by the name of Calypso offer them the chance to live a new life and start off with a clean record if they win a contest he wants them to enter. These FMVs do show various shots of blood, and plenty of swearing, hence the M rating for the game.
Oh my, these are a billion times better than what they were on the old PSX. The cars and the arenas and environments you duel on just look plain out spectacular. Everything is well polished off, and detailed down to the last notch. The riverbanks, bridges, skyscrapers, and everything else look very similar to what they look like in real life, albeit a little more run down. Twisted Metal has sported some of the most unique car designs, and theyre very easy to distinguish. Like the Darkside vehicle is a big truck, and our favorite maniac clown, Sweet Tooth, is back driving the Ice Cream Truck. The action does get really wild on screen, and even when lots of cars are on screen at once, all firing weapons at each other, there is only just a tad of slowdown, and it isnt even all that noticeable.
The game starts off with the opening rift from the theme song from the Stir of Echoes movie, and I thought they were going to play that whole song, but they didnt, and it was really a good song. As a matter of fact, unlike Twisted Metal 3 and 4, this one doesnt feature actual licensed music in the game. And you think they would have no problems fitting it on the game because this is a DVD Rom game. Instead, the developers at Incog made there own tunes for the game, and while they arent all that bad, youll be wishing forever that you could hear the licensed music again. Other than the music, all the sound effects are pretty much your standard stuff. Machine gun firing, explosions and all other effects sound like they should and I have no problems with them.
Game play
The default control set up seemed a bit awkward at first to me, but I got use to it after a few rounds. The L1 and R1 buttons cycle through your power weapon, L2 fires your power weapon, and R2 fires your machine gun. Now to accelerate you need to press square, and in all honesty I do not know why they made it for square to accelerate, and not X, like in most other Playstation racing games. It just completely through me off, and made me think I was never going to get use to it, but I managed to. To play the game itself is really easy, its pure car combat, but in all honesty the game is harder than heck, even on the normal difficulty level. It took me several tries just to beat the first couple of levels. I love all the weapons you can use on your opponents, which you pick up on the arenas by driving over colored icons. You got regular missiles, homing missiles, ricochets, environment specials (lightning, air raids, etc.), gas cans, among others. Each of the drivers also has there own specials they can use.
The game has a few modes of play. First, there is the story mode, which are only eight levels. The more times you beat story mode, the more vehicles, arenas, and movies you unlock to be used. The next mode is an endurance mode where you keep on facing an endless amount of cars, and try to destroy as many as you can before you perish. Theres also the standard practice match up where you can just pick an arena and vehicle and pick up to how many opponents you want to go against. In multi player there is a 2-player co-op mode where the two of you go through the eight levels. Then theres the Last Man Standing mode where its just the two of you, and you can make it best of 3, 5, and so on. And finally you can just have up to four players, and all of you can go at it in the Death match mode.
Replay Value
Well, there is a couple of extra modes for your pleasure here like, you can view as many of the movies you accessed in the story mode so far. And, get this, you can even view the credits and see the names of all the people who made this game. The story mode will take a little while for you to beat, and youd want to beat it with everyone so you can unlock all the movies, arenas, and vehicles. And once you get all that stuff done, you can always play against your friends in multi player for hours on end.
In Brief
+: Everything looks awesome, I love the new Mature make over for the game, up to four players can play
-: No licensed music like the previous games, the computer is really hard, occasional slowdown here or there
The Final Ratings Rundown
Graphics: 9.2
Sound: 4.5
Game play: 8.8
Replay Value: 9.0
Overall: 7.8
Rounded to fit GameFAQs Score: 8
I am very happy that this game is fun to play again. Never before, have the car combat games been this fun to play. If any of you have loved the first two Twisted Metal games to death, and have been dying to play something just like it, make sure to go buy this game right now. But I can smell a sequel popping up in the not so distant future, so Im going to be waiting for that one.
Back to Gruel's GameFAQs Reviews Page


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Transcribed below is the recent interview of Tim Sebastian with PM Goh. Very select extracts have appeared in the Singaporean press, so I have decided to make it available here so that you can read the less glowing parts of the interview.
If the Singaporean education system has made you so dependent on being spoon-fed you can watch a video stream of the interview below the transcript.
The Hardtalk interview should be a beacon to all Singaporean journalists. Surely you remember the passion and excitement of a real political interview.
Why did you become a journalist in the first place? Don't tell me you thought it would be a secure profession with a regular and dependable salary.
Click here to watch the full interview


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(CNSNews.com) – House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) would not say on Thursday whether he intends to permit or not permit funding for Obamacare in whatever legislation the House enacts to keep the government funded past Sept. 30.
The federal fiscal year ends on Sept. 30 and begins on Oct. 1. The continuing resolution under which the federal government is currently being funded expires on Sept. 30. Any money spent after that date by the administration must first be approved in a law passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the president.
If the Republican majority House includes language in the bills to fund the government past Sept. 30 that prohibits the administration from using any money to implement Obamacare, the administration will not be able to implement Obamacare.


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Longtime Garden Design readers know I've been following Stephen Block of Inner Gardens in Los Angeles since 2001. First he introduced me—and our readers—to vintage American terra cotta, then French roadside pottery and his original Multiples collection. Inner Gardens was a top pick for our "favorite garden shops" feature in 2003. We've entertained readers, designers and friends at his original showroom on Jefferson, and his newer showroom on Melrose. And last year, I drove around Los Angeles with Stephen and his two staff landscape architects as they showed me the work that represents the latest phase of their evolution: design services.
Tomorrow night is the opening party for Stephen's new location in Santa Monica. Garden Design is sponsoring the event, and I hope you'll be there, too. The showroom will stock everything from chic Nala Beads to Peace Signs to Statuesque Poodles, cowhide chairs plus a vast array of chic mid-century modern garden furniture, antiques and stylish faux bois planters. Inner Gardens will bring Westsiders an array of well-styled decorative items for indoor and outdoor living.
You are invited:
THURSDAY EVENING, January 21, 2010; 6-8 p.m.
R.S.V.P. by calling 310-838-8378
Inner Gardens
1324 Montana Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90404


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Many years ago, in an adult Sunday school class, the teacher (astonishingly, female – No, wait…it wasn't that it was astonishing that she was female, it was astonishing to me that as a female she said this)…anyway, she stated: "Men are from Mars, women are from Venus."
As a single, volatile feminist (at the time – okay, I'm still volatile), I got highly offended, and spent the rest of the lesson glaring at her.
But I've come to realize the truth of that cliché'd statement. Men ARE from Mars. Mars was considered the God of War in ancient mythology. Roman military men revered him second only to Jupiter in importance in military affairs. And women…well, women are most definitely from Venus. Venus was the Goddess of Love (HA!), but in truth she was pampered, spoiled, temperamental, unfaithful and fickle.
I've noticed that when men find themselves in conflict they often resolve it physically. They beat the crap out of each other, drag themselves up out of the mud, exchange sheepish looks, shake hands and become best friends. (On a global scale, war is a bit like that…but without the sheepish, hand-shaking part.)
Women…ah, women on the other hand do NOT end up being best friends. Mostly because, at the beginning of the conflict, they WERE friends and then, at the end, they're…um…NOT. Women fight dirty. (In an emotional sense, not in a rolling around in the mud sense.) And they hold grudges…FOREVER. Shake hands?? More like pull hair and gouge eyes…well, perhaps emotionally, rather than a physically. (Okay, sometimes physically.)
Up until last summer I was friends with a group of women, and we'd gotten along pretty well (with a few potholes and exit ramps along the way). But things got ugly, stuff happened, and people got deleted from whatever website/email list/bookmarks they'd been on. (And, in all fairness, there was blame on MANY sides…mine included.) But we'd all returned to our corners, nursed our wounds…and moved on. Or so I thought. But over the holidays I received (out of the blue) a copy of an email that had been part of the whole, nasty mess. The strange thing is that I'd received it from someone I'd never met and who was never part of our group. (Although she was friends with someone involved.) She sent it via MySpace, and then in what she probably thought was the height of cleverness, but which I prefer to term "cowardice," she immediately blocked me. So I was not able to reply, or find out where she'd gotten it (I'd a pretty good idea), or why she was sending it, and what on earth was going on.
It was the cyber-equivalent of a drive-by shooting. Swift, anonymous and calculated to cause carnage.
It did.
Hopefully I've learned my lesson – that discretion is the better part of valor, and in the future I have resolved to ignore the ignoble, focus on the future, and continue to move on, increasing the deletions mentioned above. A somewhat battered survivor of Ghastly Girlish Guerilla Warfare.
In all those Beauty Pageants (oh, excuse me – Scholarship Programs), you hear the eternal wishes and hopes for World Peace. I have increasing doubts that this will ever happen…not because of US-Russian relations, not because of Chinese aggression, not because of continuing Mid-East conflicts.
No we shall never achieve World Peace, as long as half of its inhabitants wear underwires.
Discounts Available with Car Insurance Quotes
4 years ago


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Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Happy Birthday Mom
Today is my mother's birthday and if she were alive to celebrate, we'd be figuring out how to place 93 candles atop her cake. But Min Elkin Shapiro, the skinniest of the Elkin sisters, died in 1981 just shy of her 68th birthday –my exact age as I write this.
I'm certain Mom would not have chosen to succumb to a massive heart attack at 68, but I do know she never wanted to be "old." As you can see from the photographs I've included with this post (captions at the end), my mother remained a beautiful woman throughout her life.
To be honest, she was quite vain about her good looks. Well, with her gorgeous black hair (too thin, though, and later in life she covered it with a snappy wig), startlingly blue eyes, curvy figure, and flirty smile, she had every right.
If you've read my memoir, you know Mom and I had an ouchy relationship. She undoubtedly loved me, but in my mind, I never measured up. I always thought I wasn't pretty enough, thin enough, tall enough to please her. And that my brother, Ron, three years older than I, was her favored child. (Oy, what a needy brat I was back then.)
I often wonder how my mother would critique her daughter today -- with my hair its natural gray, my wardrobe ala the Gap, and my at-home attire sweats and no makeup or bra. For her part, Mom was always fahpitzed (dressed up) – high heels, Max Factor pancake makeup, cornflower blue eyeshadow, and Fire Engine red lipstick. Wait, there's more: mascara that required a dampened brush swiped across a tiny black circle before painting her eyelashes (I watched, open mouthed, silent), plus powdered rouge.
And even in the 1940s, when Mom dished out meals in the drab kitchen of our three-room flat, she wore her Swirl housecoat, 3-inch wedge house slippers, and clip-on earrings. "You never know who you're going to meet," she would tell me whenever I balked at combing my hair or fixing my face before leaving the house.
Mom did live long enough to see my daughters grow up to be teenagers, but she missed their more recent successes. She loved her granddaughters completely, and blamed me for any wardrobe shortcomings. I remember when Faith and Jill were toddlers and I permitted them to dress as they wished and to leave their tresses tussled (a rebellion against my mom's constant primping of me?), she'd say, "That's how you're letting them leave the house?"
Today, as she surely reads their words or catches their performances from her special balcony seat, I can almost hear her asking, "That's how you let them talk?" Ma, there's nothing I can do.
After writing about my own childhood in "The Division Street Princess," I realized I knew very little about my mom's, or her true feelings during her 25-year marriage to my dad. Oh, I wrote what I though she was feeling, but I never asked her what was really in her head during the grocery store's tsouris, my dad's poor health, and their money woes. And, of course, now it's too late. Only two of eight siblings (four girls, four boys) are alive today and sadly, neither is in a shape to provide clues.
Perhaps one day I'll write a novel and imagine what Mom's life was like growing up in her Russian shtetl. Or how she felt crossing the ocean at age 9 for a new life in America. And since it would be fiction, I could create a happier scenario for Min. I'd give her a marvelous romance, successful career, and sunny life. And most importantly, no matter how long she'd be alive, she's never ever look old.
Happy Birthday Mom!
Photo Captions
1. Min and Irv's engagement photo.
2. Their 1932 wedding photo.
3. A 1950s Division Street scene with (left to right) me, Dad, Mom, Cousin Estherly, Aunt Etta holding Cousin David, Aunt Rose with a shy Cousin Jay and Cousin Norman next to his mom.
4. Dad and Mom in the second row above Cousin Bobby, the bar mitzvah boy. Note Mom's off the shoulder dress.
5. My brother, Ron, adorable in this toddler photo.
6. Ron again, age 19, in the Army.
7. Mom with baby Faith.
8. Mom with baby Jill.
9. Mom with her second husband, Joe. Although he was much older than Mom, he outlived her by several years. Despite the smiles, this marriage was unhappy. I think.
10. Mom and me, likely the late 1970s.
Gratitude Corner
To blogger South of the Loop for her Jan. 16 "Meet the Author" post where she gives me a thumbs-up review for my Dec. 2, 2006 Newberry Library appearance.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Odd Jobs
In 1952, at the age of 14, I got a work permit and my first job ironing dresses at a Milwaukee Avenue clothing store. Forty-seven years later, after retiring from my PR career, I signed on for a seasonal job at the Gap on Michigan Avenue. Those two odd jobs – all those many years apart – had one thing in common. I was lousy at both of them.
Wait. That's not exactly true. There were some things I was good at in my Gap days. I arrived on time, absorbed my daily informational meetings, memorized the 10 Principals, dutifully wore Gap merchandise, didn't grumble when it was my turn to fold and re-hang clothes in the fitting room, kept my eye out for sticky-fingered customers, and cheerfully moved from Denim, to Khaki, to Fleece, to Dressy.
But at the end of each day, I could barely shuffle to the subway. After standing or walking the floor for my entire shift, every aged bone in my body complained. By the time I made it home, I would sink to the couch, motion to my husband for a glass of Chardonnay, and wonder what I had gotten myself into.
During my three months on the job I never took home a paycheck, instead spent every discounted dollar on Gap clothing. That's why to this day, you'll still find me in my uniform: black t-shirt, boot leg denims, Steve Madden kids-sized boots. Courtesy of my oddest job.
To learn if others had similar odd job experiences, I asked several friends to share their stories. First up is Jimmy Carrane, co-author of "Improvising Better" and host of Studio 312 on Chicago Public Radio. He's also taught at The Second City, Annoyance and IO-Chicago. Jimmy's next "One Day Improvisation Workshop for Everyday Folks" is Saturday Feb 24th, from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. in Andersonville at 3 Pear Studio at 5219 N. Clark Street. For info, write to email@example.com or call 773-528-0433. Jimmy's story:
"Two things actors desperately need - to be recognized and to make the rent. This job was neither. It was a birthday party for the CEO of The Fruit of Loom Company. The hosts needed four actors to go to his posh Streeterville condo, dressed like The Fruit of The Loom Guys and sing Happy Birthday. I don't remember exactly what piece of fruit I was, but since I was short and fat at the time, I know I was not the Banana or the Grapes. Let's say I was the Apple. I don't want to sound bitter, but the fat guy is always the Apple.
"The condo was in a very fancy building near the Drake Hotel, and in those days I was not taking elevators, because of my claustrophobia, so I walked up the 11 flights of stairs in my Apple costume and tights. When I got to the place, the self-important caterer shoved me into a room with the three other actors as if I was a piece of, well, fruit.
"Two hours later, the caterer let us out and took us to the living room to sing Happy Birthday to the CEO. The room was filled with Chicago royalty. People like Kup, his wife Essie, Neil Hartigan. Celebrities I had only seen on TV or read about in the newspaper. I had never been so close to these kind of powerful people, and at the same time, disguised as a fat Apple, felt so far away."
Tony Brooks has a happier story. Tony (that's him in the middle of his beautiful family) has been a contributing journalist to sports magazines since 2005 and specializes in profiling sports legends in his "Where Are They Now" publications. Here's Tony's contribution:
"In 1981, with a political science degree in hand, I went to work at an Investment Banking firm, and oddly enough, 26 years later, I'm still there. But the real odd job came in 1995 when a mother of one of my Sunday school students asked me to recommend a good high school for her son. I had a few opinions, but told her I would do some in-depth research. To my surprise, I could not find any books on Chicago-area quality high schools. So, with the confidence of having been an Honors English student and a decent writer, I self-published a book called The Ten Best High Schools in the City of Chicago.
"For more than 20 years, I had suppressed my desire to write before finally taking that first major successful step for that perplexed mom. Also, I have always wanted to write about former Chicago star athletes and "where are they now?" stories. Four years ago, when my uncle Lemuel T. Smith Jr. (a former star basketball player at St. Elizabeth) passed away, this passion was ignited and for the last two years, my new on-the-side job has been freelance sports writing. I'm a regular contributing journalist to The Chicago Sports Review and Black Sports The Magazine. In the February edition of the Bear Report Magazine, I will have my first article published about catching up with former Chicago Bears football players. Life is good, and so are Odd Jobs."
Susan Stone is a well-known storyteller, teacher of the art, and a published author who has been honored with many awards. She offers us two looks at her odd jobs:
"A graduate degree in theatre didn't help me get a job. I was 22, living at home and decided to waitress for the first time in my life at a family eatery in Skokie. I schlepped platters of burgers and fries, salads, and corned beef sandwiches in a crowded, noisy, bustling restaurant.
"Every day we'd get a 'bank' to make change and every evening we'd return the bank and keep the remaining money as our tips. But I regularly came home crying because I had no tips, likely giving the wrong change (math not being my strong suit) to my customers. Once, I could've made some real money when I slipped on a wet floor and contemplated suing. Instead, I quit.
"In my current profession, I have a 'biggest nightmare' story that could serve as an odd job. I was hired by the Chicago Botanic Gardens to tell scary stories for Halloween. I put on my best witch duds over layers of sweaters, and was seated on a truck with hay (aka a hay wagon), which was actually a very noisy tractor-type truck. It was a dark, freezing, sleeting October night. I stood on the first car of the flatbed truck with lights glaring in my eyes, blinding me. I held a microphone in my shivering hands and bellowed stories over the grind of the motor to an audience who couldn't see me or the passing garden scenery. I don't think anyone could hear the tales. A nightmare gig for Halloween."
Jill Stewart is president of Stewart Communications, a public relations and marketing communications firm that works with organizations focused on health care, housing, community development and other important issues. Jill's Odd Job story follows:
"Maybe this is a common experience; maybe it was unique, but it sure was memorable. I was 18 and had just finished my freshman year in college. I had been a retail clerk the previous summer and was looking to make more than $1.60 an hour, the current minimum wage.
"For six days (after the five-day training period), I sold encyclopedias in Akron, Ohio. Each day at 2 p.m., we met in downtown Pittsburgh (my hometown) outside the building where we had been trained. We were then driven in a van 113 miles to Akron. At approximately 5 p.m. we were dropped off on a street corner in a residential neighborhood with a sample book and the driver's promise to return at 10:00 p.m.
"For five hours, I pounded the pavement, knocked on doors and when admitted, told my prospects of the wonders of the American People's Encyclopedia by Grolier Publishing, complete with the transparencies and overlays.
"I sold exactly one set of encyclopedias ("only a dime a day"). Qualifying for the payment plan involved having a working telephone number and only one of my prospects made the cut.
"My boyfriend – beside himself about the job's safety – talked me out of continuing.
"The experience played to my entrepreneurial spirit. It played to my ability to sell and persuade, and not surprisingly those traits showed up later in life when I started and ran my own business.
"But times have changed. I don't regret selling encyclopedias. The experience gave me a lot of stories, and insights about myself. But I cannot imagine allowing my own 18-year-old daughter to do the same thing in these very different times."
Gratitude Corner
To Kelvyn Park High School's Career Day for introducing me and "The Division Street Princess" to its students (pictured).
To alumni magazines from the University of Illinois Chicago and its Master of Urban Planning and Policy Program for featuring us in recent publications.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Words to Live By?
At sundown on January 6, in memory of my father's death, I'll light a Yahrzeit candle and let it burn in its special container for 24 hours. Then, as tradition suggests, I'll use the candle lighting ceremony to reflect on Irving Eugene Shapiro's life. I'll recall Dad's easy smile, salesman's charm, and barrel body. But mostly, I'll remember his infamous declaration: If I can't eat, I'd rather die.
Today I wonder – after a lifetime of morning scale readings, measuring spoons, diet books, and weight-loss schemes – is it genetics, my own sloth and appetite, or was it Dad's pesky proverb, that charted my preoccupation with poundage? And are others similarly swayed by pronouncements by loved ones? To learn, I queried a few friends and submit their contributions:
Karen Carpino (pictured below), president of Karen Carpino Design, a Chicago-based firm that provides Interior Design, Home Staging, and Model Home Design, offers this:
"Mon puo fare piu buio della mizzanotte, said my dear Italian aunt, Mary Ungaro. English translation: 'Darker than midnight it cannot get.' Whenever I'd be in a dilemma I could count on Aunt Mary to offer these words. However, over the years I've discovered that sometimes life can certainly shade darker than midnight. And although she's gone for many years, I find her phrase pop to my mind when I'm in a crisis, large or small. You see, I've come to realize this old Italian proverb (and Aunt Mary) have done their job on me. The gift in these words of my ancestors is what I've found most precious in life - hope, always hope."
Jerry Gleicher (pictured left) is a sales representative with On Time Promotions a Morton Grove-based distributor of promotional products that serves clients locally, nationally and internationally.
(Jerry's company produced the jazzy aprons my family wore in this photo shown below that was taken at Women & Children First bookstore.)
Jerry says his dad's words of wisdom actually served him well:
"My father, Paul, always told me, It doesn't matter much what you sell so long as you sell lots of it. Another of his favorite phrases was, If you never had a chance to steal, that doesn't make you an honest man.
"My dad owned a small gas station on the corner of Division and Paulina, and his words and work ethic motivated me throughout my life. 'Be a good husband, father and grandfather,' he said. And I think he'd be proud of me in that aspect of my life.
"Dad's been gone for 30 years and my older children and all of my nieces and nephews still talk about him. He was the first person I knew who could make you think you were the number one person in his life. After his death all of his grandchildren claimed to be his favorite and could prove why.
"I only hope the people in my life will remember me as lovingly as they do my dad."
Robb Packer, (shown in this photo with Joya Fields on his left and Iris Nelson on his right), is the author of "Doors of Redemption: The Forgotten Synagogues of Chicago." He offers this tale:
"When I was a little guy in the 1950's and my family was about to visit friends or relatives, my dad would make sure we had a little something to eat, because you never know. I would always ask my dad, 'what do you mean, you never know?' He wouldn't answer, but would just tell my mom to make something.
"Years later he explained it all by telling us the family legend of the unforgiving meal: Back in the late 1880's, my grandfather was invited for dinner to an uncle's house. This being an unusual occasion and my grandfather and grandmother not having many invitations (they were newly married), they gratefully accepted.
"They prepared for the evening by dressing in their finest Sabbath clothes (the uncle they'd be visiting was very wealthy), and arrived at the appointed time to find everyone sitting around drinking coffee, nibbling on cakes, and smoking cigars. Somehow he got the idea it was for dinner, not just an evening of chatting.
"And ever since that time, until my dad passed away, we never left for an evening at someone else's house without first having a little nosh. Because you never know."
As for Jim Passin, (photographed here as a young lad) president of Jim Passin Productions, a company specializing in Documentary, TV Production, Computer Graphics/Animation, Post-Production, Original Music, and Digital Photography, here's his story:
"It's New Year's day. My wife, her sister (Minga The Dark), and I wait for friends to drop over for the traditional New Year's Day celebration featuring delicious blintzes (made by Minga), applesauce (also delicious, made by my wife, Nancy), and Champagne supplied by our guests. Hopefully that, too, will rest pleasantly in the delicious category.
"I have, this year, only one resolution: to loose weight. One would think I'd have more. I stopped smoking, years ago along with most other fun things, and find that as time passes, I can find fewer and fewer things to give up or that ever needed giving up or changing in the first place. Another resolution might be to stop thinking of myself as perfect. This is hard to do. Those who know me will undoubtedly snicker about now.
"Yet, today is indeed a signal year in the arc of my life. It marks the last day of carefree seasonal gorging. There's my birthday, Thanksgiving, Presidents' Day, Flag Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and anyone else's birthday, anniversary, casual dinner or bar mitzvah I might attend. These are all good and fully certified occasions for gorging. Also, most any other time when food is present. On this account I tend to agree with Elaine's father.
"However, if I still want to be able to look down and see my shoes, among other things, my heart tells me that it is now time to let go of gorging. I used to think that a day without a good gorge isn't worth living. But lately my wife's words have been ringing in my ears, A day without fruit is a day not worth living! She says this often. It is her mantra. Words to live by indeed, by gum! So, I enter the New Year and to those 'words to live by' I might add my own: Never eat anything bigger than your head. This will be my mantra.
Q: Is it still OK to gorge on fruit?
Happy New Year!"
Now that we've heard from my friends, I think it's time to retire my dad's questionable words of wisdom and instead remember the blessings he passed on it me: his love of family, passion for books, lust for life, and exuberance for Chicago and its characters. And when I strike the match and light the wick to honor his memory, that's what I'll hold dear.
Then, I'll head over to Smoque BBQ, our neighborhood's newest restaurant, and order a sliced brisket sandwich with fries on the side. And as I savor each juicy bite, I'll imagine Irv relishing the very same delicacy in the heavenly hereafter. Enjoy, Dad, enjoy.
Gratitude Corner:
To the Chicago Tribune for naming one of the best books of 2006.
To Quill for featuring me on page 165 of their office supply catalog. (Today I am a pencil, stapler, etc.)
To Maryann Mullan for choosing my memoir for her book club's December discussion topic.
A deep bow to all, and to everyone else who made 2006 a year to remember for my book and me.
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A piece in Buenos Aires' leading newspaper today, printed before anyone knew Nestor Kirchner had died, argues that corruption would undo the career of the once and (wanted-to-be) future Argentine president. De mortuis nil nisi bonum (never speak ill of the dead), a Roman aphorism in which I have never believed, now has an entirely new meaning, one that may occur to Nestor's widow, sitting President Cristina Kirchner.
Click here for the whole news analysis (it's in Spanish).


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Hello again, ladies and gents! Just thought I'd share a couple new items I've added to my little shop of cuteness. First off, new keychains for you Pokemon fans out there.
And a new pony! Gotta love the derp.
That's all for now, but I have things in the works. They involve anger. And birds. And green pigs. ;3
Until next time,


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Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Open-faced avocado and goat cheese sandwich. Eat and have your spirits lifted.
I've been having what my mom would call a boude week. ('Boude' is a cajun word which means 'to pout.') If you're unfamiliar with the term, it's more than just pouting really: it's when you are in that place where you don't like ANY of your clothes, your temper is super short, and you feel like you can't do anything right, even though in reality, you are super fantastic awesome sauce. I don't know if it's been the weather or what, but I've just felt a little off my game and bleh.
It's cyclical of course because you are in a crummy mood, so you don't feel like doing anything, so then you don't, and then you feel crummy because you didn't do anything. Sometimes I like to refer to this phenomenon as "being a lady" because it doesn't seem to plague men. Oh the bliss of being a dude and not putting unreasonable, emotional, expectations on yourself.
When I'm in that icky blah place, this dish will put a smile on my face. It doesn't fix everything because duh, it's just a sandwich, but it is a step in the right direction.
Open Faced Avocado and Goat Cheese Sandwich
1/2 avocado
1 tbsp goat cheese
1/4 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
hot sauce, to taste
two pieces wheat bread
cherry tomatoes, halved
Mix first five ingredients together: can be done the day before. Top bread slices with avocado mixture and cherry tomatoes. Easier to make if the bread can be toasted, but just as yum regardless.
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Christopher Jon Bjerknes
The jews were the masters of the vast Polish Empire for hundreds of years. They controlled all the commerce and finance of the empire and treated the common Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, etc. as their slaves. They forced liquor on them, stole their wealth and maintained absolute control over them through the nobility.
The Ashkenazi yiddish jews of the Polish-Lithuanian Empire were, by far, the largest concentration of jews in the World at the time. Their ghettoes continued into WW II when Eichmann commented that the jews were already in ghettoes. They maintained their own laws and their own nation as they bled the Slavs and Baltic peoples dry. Even through the 1920's the jews held a strangle hold over Polish politics and maintained their State within a State status.
Jacob Frank and his followers infiltrated the Catholic Church and Polish nobility and monarchy and then divided Poland into three separate balkanized parcels among the three empires of Russia, Austro-Hungary and Prussia, and so ended the once great Polish Empire at the hands of the jews who had exploited it for so long, and so began the invasion of subversive revolutionary Frankist jews into those lands.
In 1492, the crypto-Jewish King Ferdinand of Spain, whose father was a jew, expelled the jews from Spain. Many Spanish jews settled in Salonika and Constantinople. The jews quickly became the power behind the throne of the Turkish Empire.
Jewish father and son Joseph and Moses Hamon were the physicians and advisors of Sultan Sulaiman I. They brought in the jewish banker Joseph Nasi, Duke of Naxos, who not only ruled the Turks from behind the throne, but influenced many leaders of Europe.
The jews had the Ukrainians sandwiched between the Ashkenazi jews of the Polish Empire and the Sephardic jews of the Turkish Empire, and the jews financed and instigated war after war between the Europeans and Turks, and profited immensely from them financially and in quenched blood lust.
The jews again sandwiched the Ukrainians between the German Empire, which the jewish press and politicians had provoked into WW I, and the Russian Empire. The jews created a civil war in the Ukraine and the bolshevik jews eventually took the nation and genocided 11 million of its best, most productive citizens.
Not long after, the Nazi zionists sought to take Poland to give a substantial portion of it back to the jews, in order to recreate their cherished jewish kingdom in Poland in preparation for a takeover of Palestine, with the same messianic fervor that fueled Shabbatai Zevi and Jacob Frank. The Ukraine was again attacked from both sides as the bolshevik socialist empire battled the zionist Nazi socialist empire.
Today, the European Union socialist empire is engaging in a tug of war with bolshevik Putin for control of the Ukraine. So there is nothing new about the jewish two front war on the Ukraine now taking place. And as always before, nothing good will come of it until and unless the Ukrainians gain the sovereignty of their own nation independent of jewish influence.


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Happy Thursday Friends! Today I am so excited to share with you that RunwithJackabee was nominated for The Liebster Award by AlexisNickCreates.
So what is The Liebster Award? It is an award given to bloggers by fellow bloggers. The whole idea is to promote and acknowledge bloggers for their hard work, accomplishments and build a community for bloggers.
Once a blogger is nominated, they are to post 11 Random Facts about themselves, answer the questions given to them by their nominator and ask eleven questions of the bloggers they have nominated for the award. It is a great opportunity to meet other bloggers and get to know a little bit about them.
So here goes!
11 Facts About Me:
- I am the oldest and only child at the same time
- I have two more bone and one less organ than the average person
- I cut my hair maybe 2-3 times a year
- I am left-handed
- I was born in Massachusetts
- I hate cucumbers but love pickles
- I cannot be in the bathroom without the light on - too many nightmares about my bathroom
- I have stepped foot on three of the continents (4th & 5th sometime next year)
- I have an excessive amount of nail polish
- I have a job that has nothing to do with my degree
- I am an obsessive list maker
Questions from Alexis:
1. What is your favorite place that you have traveled to?
This one is hard for me to pick from. Every time I have traveled, I have left a little piece of myself where ever I have went. From a traveling for fun perspective, I think Italy was my favorite with Uruguay a close second. I absolutely loved traveling to Jamaica as well because we went there for our honeymoon. So I would have to say it's hard for me to pick just one.
2. What is your dream career?
Over the past 4 or 5 years, I have had several "dream" careers. At one point, I wanted to be a psychologist and wanted to go back for my masters in psych. A few years back, I wanted to be a part of wedding planning and even interviewed for an internship. Lately, I've been really unsure about what my dream career would be. I could see myself running some sort of business, I just am not sure what type of business it would be.
3. Current favorite artist (musician, designer, painter..)
Right now I am obsessed with Ruth B and her song "Lost Boy". If you have not heard the song, check it out!
4. Do you keep your phone on ringer or vibrate?
At work I keep my phone on vibrate, at home it is on ring. When I am at work, I sit in a cubicle surrounded by other people, so out of respect to them, I keep it on vibrate. When I am at home, I tend to be moving around a lot so I put it on the ring setting so I don't miss any calls or texts.
5. Who is your biggest inspiration?
My biggest inspiration right now is my friend Christina. She is pursuing so many things in her life and it is awesome to be a part of that!
6. Why did you start your blog?
I originally started my blog as a place to track my running and training progress, but life morphed into something else and I ended up talking more about my life than my training.
7. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Mashed potatoes. I love mashed potatoes so much and would be happy to eat them forever.
8. What social media platform is your favorite?
I love Instagram. It is my favorite site to just browse through.
9. What is your ultimate goal for your blog?
The ultimate goal for the blog would be to build a big community. I am loving all of the people I have met through my blog and hope to use my writing to connect people. It is amazing how much influence some of the bloggers out there have and I would love to be able to be an influencer in the world.
10. Do you prefer coffee or tea?
I prefer coffee all the way.
11. Where is your favorite place to find blogging inspiration?
I get most of my inspiration from other bloggers. It is amazing to see some of the skills others have and I love reading about what is happening in their life.
My Nominations
My Questions
1. If you could have any animal (wild or domestic) as a pet, what would you have?
2. What does your blog name mean?
3. Most insane hospital experience (that you are comfortable sharing)?
4, What is your favorite color?
5. What one widget would you recommend to fellow bloggers?
6. Does your name have a story?
7. Are you left-handed or right-handed?
8. What is the craziest color you have dyed your hair (if you have dyed your hair)
9. How did you meet your significant other?
10. What is your dream career?
11. What is your least favorite food?
Thank you so much to Alexis for nominating me for this award. I am so honored that you chose me for this and feel very blessed. Such a fun idea!
I'd love to hear from you!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.


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In Alabama, medical communities such as hospitals have all developed some limited levels of data exchange. Most are linking their internal systems, and in some isolated cases, hospitals are exchanging data with physicians who are part of their system. Currently, there are no systems in the state communicating with other systems outside their own medical community nor are there any functioning RHIOs although at least one is underway.
Since 2007, the Alabama Medicaid Agency has established basic HIE through a Medicaid Transformation Grant. As a result, the state has a web-based system that compiles claims-based information from both Alabama Medicaid and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama as well as certain physician-entered clinical information.
This information is available through an end use application known as Q-Tool or through one directional CCD exchange. The state's current HIT system is a hybrid model with Medicaid data centralized and other data sources pulled in at the time of query. The state wants to move to the next level for statewide HIE by building on the work currently underway.
The Alabama Medicaid Agency on behalf of the Alabama HIE (AHIE) Advisory Commission has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for vendor services and expertise in construction, operation, and support of the AHIE to be available to physicians, hospitals, mental health providers, healthcare organizations, and consumers.
In addition vendors will be required to provide support services to include resource consultations, help in the planning for implementation, be available to speak to stakeholder groups, do further research, and keep the state appraised of national changes.
The overall project plan for the development and operation of the AHIE will follow the ONC approved AHIE Strategic Plan and Operational Plan and the State Medicaid HIT Plan. In addition, the state must complete the planning for adoption of meaningful use criteria.
To be a registered vendor with the state, interested vendors must complete an on-line registration at www.purchasing.alabama.gov. As part of the registration, vendors are required to summit $200 in payment to allow for two years access to view, print, bid, and/or be awarded a solicitation to bid.
The RFP issued October 1, 2010, titled "Alabama Statewide HIE Development and Operation" (RFP Number 2010-HIE 04) is due November 12, 2010 with work to begin February 2011.
Go to www.medicaid.alabama.gov/news/rfps_rfis.aspx to download the RFP. For more information, email Gary D. Parker, AHIE IT project coordinator email@example.com or call (334) 242-3940.


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Last week I used this space to talk about the three-way deal that sent Mike Morse to the Mariners, John Jaso to the Athletics and a pair of pitchers to the Nationals. A quick recap: on paper, the Nationals "won" this trade - they traded a piece they didn't need for a pair with upside; the Mariners may have upgraded talent-wise, but did so in a way that leaves them with an unbalanced roster, unsuited to their current situation; and the A's traded too much for what they got back.
I felt I should add a few more words about the Athletics part in the deal, because it is pretty much the opposite of the Mariners. On paper, giving up AJ Cole and Blake Treinen for John Jaso is too much. However, looking at their roster and organization construction, there is a level of sensibility here. Unlike, Seattle, Oakland is a contender. They won 94 games last year and the American League West. Their Pythagorean record lines up pretty closely with that - they were a 92-win team.
The A's had a very good season with terrible, miserable production from the catcher position. It was simply awful, really. The .262 OBP they got out of the position was the worst in baseball; the .325 SLG was third poorest. Kurt Suzuki, at an Ausmusian .218/.250/.286 was the biggest offender. His OBP had fallen each year since 2008, and he managed to waste 278 plate appearances before being jettisoned to the Nationals (apparently a favored trading partner) in early August. Derek Norris, acquired along with Cole in the Gio Gonzalez deal in the offseason, was called up in June. For what it's worth, he hit better than Suzuki. A .201/.276/.349 line isn't so bad from a 23-year old catcher, but it's tough to take as a contender. Perennial backup George Kottaras acquired at mideason from the Brewers, provided a bit of pop, hitting .212/.280/.471. Still, his defense is considered below average, and he's now 30.
Clearly, catcher was a position the Athletics needed to upgrade if they plan to keep pace with the Angels and Rangers. Enter Jaso, a player so obviously out of the Billy Beane style that it was only surprising he didn't ended an Oakland Athletic earlier. Jaso, who is average at best defensively and had shown little power before 2012, has excellent plate discipline. Jon Maddon hit him leadoff occassionally in 2010, a rarity for a player of so little speed. In over 1000 big league plate appearances, he has a .359 OBP. That's ninety-seven points higher than the Oakland catchers had, as a group, the previous year. He's walked in 13.4% of his career plate appearances. A's catchers in 2012? 6.6%.
The catcher market in 2012 is pretty lean. The market for catchers who can get on base? Almost non-existent. So, despite Jaso's flaws, Beane identified a player who was a pretty significant upgrade for his team. I wrote in the previous column that Jaso wasn't "enough" of an upgrade over George Kottaras. I think I was wrong about that. What is "enough"? If Jaso is only one win better, and the A's beat the Rangers by one game for the wild card spot, is that enough?
Is that one win worth the potential that A.J. Cole presents? A strong argument can be made that yes, he does. Cole is still a high-risk guy. Going beyond TINSTAAPP, Cole was very, very bad in the California League. There may be reasons for that - reasons which I discussed last week. The fact remains that the A's are operating with a low payroll while trying to win in 2013. Giving up on a high-risk like Cole at more for more of a sure think like Jaso, who clearly improves the roster today probably makes Billy Beane cringe, but he's operating with less room for error.
Cole and Treinen for Jaso might not make sense in a vacuum as a straight-up talent swap. But, like the Mariners, the A's are not operating in a vacuum, and their specific set of circumstances make this a sensible move.


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"Desperate Housewives" Hires New "Frasier" Writers
"Frasier" vet Joe Keenan who penned the "Bang" episode of "Desperate Housewives" may be leaving the show at the end of the current third season, but that doesn't mean creator Marc Cherry won't be getting any help from people who honed their writing skills on the classic NBC sitcom.
Hollywood trade press reports "Fraiser" scribes Anne Flett-Giordano and Chuck Ranberg will be joining the ABC hit series when it returns for a fourth season which is expected to premiere on September 23. Cherry is said to be very enthusiastic about the replacements.
This is TELEVISIONISTA
Labels: ABC, Desperate Housewives


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This. Never. Gets. Old.
Rick Monday saves Ol' Glory!
This. Never. Gets. Old.
Rick Monday saves Ol' Glory!
Posted in Good News Stories, Make America Great Again, Military, United States
Tagged cubs, Dodger Stadium, Dodgers, God Bless America, NBL, Rick Monday, Steve Garvey, Tommy Lasorda, US flag
An oldie but goodie. One of the best plays EVER.
Read about Rick Monday saving the U.S. flag here.
The day was April 25, 1976.
The place was the Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles.
The time was the 4th inning.
And the man who saved the flag was Cubs center-fielder Rick Monday….
Robert James "Rick" Monday, Jr., age 67, is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball and is currently a broadcast announcer. From 1966 through 1984, Monday played for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (1966–71), Chicago Cubs (1972–76) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1977–84). In a 19-season career, Monday compiled a .264 batting average with 241 home runs and 775 RBI. He was selected an All-Star in 1968 and 1978.
Monday served in the Marine Corps Reserve as part of his ROTC obligation after leaving Arizona State.
On April 25, 1976, during a game at Dodger Stadium, two protesters, William Thomas and his 11-year-old son, ran into the outfield and tried to set fire to an American flag. Monday dashed over and grabbed the flag to thunderous cheers. He handed the flag to Los Angeles pitcher Doug Rau, and the ballpark police officers arrested the two intruders.
When Monday came to bat in the next half-inning, he got a standing ovation from the crowd and the big message board behind the left-field bleachers in the stadium flashed the message, "RICK MONDAY… YOU MADE A GREAT PLAY…" He later said, "If you're going to burn the flag, don't do it around me. I've been to too many veterans' hospitals and seen too many broken bodies of guys who tried to protect it."
On August 25, 2008, Monday was presented with an American flag flown over Valley Forge National Historical Park in honor of his 1976 rescue. Monday still has the flag he rescued from the protestors; he has been offered up to $1 million to sell it, but has declined all offers.
I wonder if this were to happen today, would there be a quick-thinking patriot like Rick Monday to save the flag?
I hope so, but I doubt it. 😦
H/t FOTM's Wild Bill Alaska
Posted in Culture War, Liberals/Democrats/Left, United States
Tagged Chicago Cubs, Dodgers Stadium, flag burning, patriotism, Rick Monday


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Nearly a hundred years of research has provided us with enough information so that we know retention-in-grade (aka flunking) is not an effective remediation technique. The research consistently shows that, with few exceptions, long-term success of students is not improved using grade retention.
For years educators and pundits have been arguing about which works, retention or social promotion. I have heard teachers support retention because,
- it gives the child another year to grow
- it gives the child a chance to catch up
- social promotion doesn't work
- we have to do something
The first two reasons have been proven to be false. The second two are, indeed, a reason to try something but just because educators can't think of anything (or can't afford anything) other than retention as an alternative to social promotion doesn't mean those are the only two choices.
For too long the argument has focused on two bad approaches to solving the problem of low student achievement and neither of them improve children's learning.
On the other hand we do know what works. We do know how to keep many at-risk children from failing. Unfortunately, we don't want (or can't afford) to invest the money, time or resources to get it done.
What works in school is early and intensive remediation.
It's with this in mind that Glenda Ritz, the Indiana State School Superintendent, has proposed changing the requirement that students who don't pass the third grade reading test, IREAD-3, repeat third grade.
Ritz Pushes For Alternative To Holding Back After I-READ
Indiana's requirement that third-graders pass a reading test before advancing to fourth grade could be short-lived. State School Superintendent Glenda Ritz will ask the State Board of Education next month to make it a last-resort option for schools to hold back third graders who flunk the I-READ test.
…Ritz wants to replace the high-stakes aspect of I-READ with a commitment to test reading throughout the school year.
"We're not going to wait until the end of the school year with a pass/fail test and say now let's remediate," Ritz says. "We're actually going to provide interventions the whole time."
The important aspect of this proposal is not whether retention doesn't work or social promotion doesn't work, it's the commitment to providing interventions for students who are struggling.
Because of the limitations of her job, Ritz can only deal with what's possible under the auspices of the Department of Education. Since out-of-school factors account for a significant part of student achievement, a comprehensive approach to improving achievement must include out of school interventions.
In order to improve achievement of students most at risk — those who live in poverty — we need to look at the research in that area. David C. Berliner, in Poverty and Potential: Out-of-School Factors and School Success, identifies 7 areas which significantly affect the health and learning opportunities of children.
…(1) low birth-weight and non-genetic prenatal influences on children; (2) inadequate medical, dental, and vision care, often a result of inadequate or no medical insurance; (3) food insecurity; (4) environmental pollutants; (5) family relations and family stress; and (6) neighborhood characteristics. These [out-of-school factors] are related to a host of poverty-induced physical, sociological, and psychological problems that children often bring to school, ranging from neurological damage and attention disorders to excessive absenteeism, linguistic underdevelopment, and oppositional behavior.
Also discussed is a seventh OSF, extended learning opportunities, such as pre- school, after school, and summer school programs that can help to mitigate some of the harm caused by the first six factors.
Policies which affect students living in poverty, nearly 25% of America's children, must be in place to help alleviate out of school factors in addition to research based in-school interventions. If we focus on in-school interventions only, no matter how good they are, or how hard we work, the effects will be hindered by the out of school factors listed above.
Efforts to improve educational outcomes in these schools, attempting to drive change through test-based accountability, are thus unlikely to succeed unless accompanied by policies to address the OSFs that negatively affect large numbers of our nations' students. Poverty limits student potential; inputs to schools affect outputs from them.
Therefore, it is recommended that efforts be made to:
- Reduce the rate of low birth weight children among African Americans,
- Reduce drug and alcohol abuse,
- Reduce pollutants in our cites and move people away from toxic sites,
- Provide universal and free medical care for all citizens,
- Insure that no one suffers from food insecurity,
- Reduce the rates of family violence in low-income households,
- Improve mental health services among the poor,
- More equitably distribute low-income housing throughout communities,
- Reduce both the mobility and absenteeism rates of children,
- Provide high-quality preschools for all children, and
- Provide summer programs for the poor to reduce summer losses in their academic achievement.
The current tendency of "reformers" to blame "bad teachers" and "failing schools" is short sighted. The single-minded focus on school based solutions like vouchers and charter schools, ignores the fact that schools can't solve all problems.
- Privatization is not going to change the fact that we have nearly one-fourth of our children living in poverty. It will increase (and already has increased) economic segregation.
- Lowering standards for educators (teachers, principals and superintendents) will not improve student achievement. It will simply weaken the teaching profession and discourage "the best and the brightest" from choosing a career in education.
- Blaming teachers unions and teachers for "bad teachers" doesn't change the fact that children come to school with problems outside the ability of schools to overcome. We don't have a crisis of "bad teachers" in America. We have a systemic societal crisis which has a negative impact on the achievement of our children.
This doesn't mean that schools need to keep teachers who aren't doing their job. It doesn't mean that schools shouldn't improve instructional approaches…and it doesn't mean that we should ignore appropriate evaluations of students, teachers, and administrators.
It does mean, though, that we need to expand the concept of "school reform" to include social, health, and economic reform. Politicians, pundits and policy-makers need to accept their responsibility for the factors which contribute to low school achievement.


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We had this crazy storm last week. They must have been all out of buckets because it was coming down in kegs, and everywhere I went people were swimming through puddles on the ground, although the air was just about wet enough to float in. "Monsoon season," they said, laughing. The wind blew a thick cloud out of the fountain, so the plaza was twice as wet as anywhere else. Everyone's umbrella was getting blown inside out at one certain point, like a wind corridor, just like in the Loop. When I got there, the rain penetrated my jacket, my clothes and my skin, but I just turned to one side and my umbrella was blown the right way out again.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
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When the 2012 Dew Tour Toyota City Championships rolls into San Francisco on Thursday, it will have been more than 12 years since Travis Pastrana scored a 99.00 in the first freestyle motocross event in the X Games. After a near perfect run and launching his bike into the San Francisco Bay, Pastrana and the sport of FMX went on to enjoy years of growth and success.
But we all know the story, when the economy took a turn for the worse, people and the businesses around them had to take a hard look at their spending. Unfortunately for freestyle motocross, that meant fewer Dew Tour events, which meant less coverage for riders, which in turn meant no sponsors. Without paying sponsors and only a few events a year to ride, the sport looked like it was about to be in big trouble. Like the X Games, Dew Tour events were always a date marked on a rider's calendar, not only because the Dew Tour staff and facilities always made for an enjoyable weekend, but also the event's media coverage was top notch and brought the sport into the mainstream where it has always belonged.
To Alli Sports and the Dew Tour's credit, they have fought to keep freestyle motocross a part of the tour in some way, including a best whip competitions the past couple of years and a speed & style event at last year's Salt Lake City stop.
"Alli Sports has always been cool with us FMX guys. We had our problems when it came to making FMX a regular discipline in the series, but that was nobody's fault. It's just so hard to predict wind, weather and to make sure we had the correct spaces at each venue," said Salt Lake City event winner and Dew Tour veteran Mike Mason. "Alli Sports has always tried to include us in one way or another, and that's really cool of them. I really feel this new format and the location is going to make for a really good event for both the riders and Alli Sports!"
The new format Mason is excited about has been dubbed the "FMX Triple Threat" competition. A contest, which features a format created by FMX legend Carey Hart, will take place directly in front of San Francisco's City Hall. The contest will have 10 riders competing against each other in three rounds. Each round will be a different event including no invert, best whip, and rider's choice. The rider with the highest combined score total from all three rounds will become the overall winner of the FMX Dew Cup.
Confirmed riders include Mason, Nate Adams, Kyle Loza, Lance Coury, Blake Williams, Todd Potter, X Games Freestyle gold medalist Taka Higashino and this year's X Games Freestyle bronze medalist Javier Villegas, who is eager to compete in this format.
"I am really excited to be invited to be part of this contest, can't wait to be there and show that besides good tricks, I can also whip a bike around," Villegas said.
It seems that riders are really eating up the "variety" side of the competition and Mason couldn't agree more, "I like the new format, I think it will be something fun for the riders and the fans. It adds a little variety instead of the same standard FMX run. I'm really looking forward to it!" With the sport gaining momentum again and having this, perhaps it wont' be too long before FMX becomes a regular on the Dew Tour once again.
"We're really excited for the FMX event at the Toyota City Championships. FMX has a great history and heritage at the Dew Tour, and we're thrilled to work with Carey Hart to develop the event. The San Francisco City Hall backdrop will provide one of the most spectacular backdrops of any event in the sport," said Chris Prybylo, vice president of events at Alli Sports.
Live streaming coverage of the Dew Tour will be shown online from 4-10 p.m. ET Thursday at allisports.com and TV coverage will air at 11 p.m. Thursday on NBC Sports Network.


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Well, if that thought has crossed your mind, I have to say, you're a beautiful person. I love you already.
I'd love to hear from you, but, before writing to me, I request you to contact me here. I'd like to give you my current address, and maybe get to know you a little bit too! I love surprises, but the last thing I'd want is for you to write to me, but for me to not receive it. That would be a case of total, complete, devastating heartbreak.
And, you wouldn't want that, I'm sure.
Don't know what I'm talking about? Let me give you some context.


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302 South Market St.
San Jose, CA
Cost: less than $30 for two
Redemption, baby!
Il Fornaio was easily the best breakfast we had on our trip. After barely eating the day before we were ecstatic over the prospect of breakfast!
The Hotel Montgomery's desk clerk suggested we breakfast at Il Fornaio which was literally down the street, so we decided to give it a try.
We found it situated inside The Saint Claire, a gorgeous 1920s boutique hotel.
The enormity of the restaurant is not fully conveyed through these two measly photographs. With high ceilings, buttery walls and toast-coloured seating (okay, that may just be my stomach talking) Il Fornaio had a superb ambiance for breakfast and all things edible.
Filone bread stuffed with eggs, sausage, bell peppers, onion, tomatoes and Tabasco topped with cheese (in my case, cheese on the side). With a glass of Arancia (Orange juice) $3.50
The Babelfish translation for this dish is: "TRADITION WITH FILLING PICCANTE" (anyone?)...whatever, it was delicious and it's something I plan on creating myself one of these days!
Two eggs (we chose egg whites only) , any style, grilled potatoes and onions; toasted filone bread.
Yes, "EGGS APPEAL TO" appealed to me very much, thank you Babelfish.
Beautiful china like this was filled with coffee and my usual, Earl Grey tea.
Overall Il Foranio gets huge props for its lovely ambiance, friendly service, great prices and tasty dishes! In fact, we would have gotten some pastries from there too but we'd heard that Bijan Bakery & Cafe boasted an enormous array of delectable treats, so we decided to head over there instead.


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Six Indians, including Ranbaxy's Malvinder and Shivinder Singh, real estate firm Oberoi Constructions' Vikas Oberoi and online gambling entity PartyGaming's founder Anurag Dikshit have made it to the Forbes' list of 15 youngest Asian billionaires.
The other two Indians in the list are Suzlon Energy's Girish Tanti and Indiabulls' Sameer Gehlaut.
Pointing out that Asia is home to the world's fastest growing population of the wealthy, Forbes said India is keeping pace in the money race.
"The country's millionaires jumped 23 per cent last year. The billionaire count soared to 53 from 36 the previous year," the business magazine said.
India, which boasts a competitive demographic advantage of young population, is represented by six people under 40 with a cumulative worth of $8.3 billion in the Forbes' list released on Wednesday.
China has topped the list with eight representations, with a combined net worth of $20 billion.
Among the Indian representatives, the Forbes citation for Malvinder and Shivinder Singh reads that they "control generic drug maker Ranbaxy Laboratories, founded by their grandfather. Malvinder is chief executive of Ranbaxy. Shivinder runs Indian hospital chain Fortis Healthcare, which went public in 2007."
Vikas Oberoi is the second richest young Indian worth $1.7 billion. In 1998 he took control of Oberoi Constructions, started by his father, Ranvir. Morgan Stanley paid $152 million last year for stake in the company.
Anurag Dikshit, with net worth of $1.6 billion, spearheaded the development of technology that helped in the launch of online poker boom. He cofounded PartyGaming, which owns PartyPoker.com, with a college roommate.
PartyPoker stock is off its 2005 high, since US lawmakers cracked down on online gaming, but Dikshit still has plenty of chips, Forbes said.
Worth $1.3 billion, Girish Tanti is co-founder of Suzlon Energy, the world's most valuable wind power company. With 12 per cent holding in Suzlon, he looks after international business and human resources divisions.
Sameer Gehlaut, with a net worth of $1.2 billion, is India's youngest self-made billionaire. He started online brokerage Indiabulls in 1999, a company he still heads.
The list of youngest Asian billionaires is topped by Yang Huiyan of China with a net worth of $7.4 billion. She received a 58 per cent stake in real estate developer Country Garden from its founder, her father, Yeung Kwok Keung. She's now China's richest woman.
Courtesy :- IBN Live


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China Orb, online Chinese to English dictionary with nearly 1 million entries and plenty of excellent examples. The pin yin and pronunciation sound of Chinese wrods are provided. China Orb includes a lot of Chinese professional terms in many industries such as Medicine, Chemistry, Mechanism, Electricity, Computer, Economy, Law, Architecture. If you can not find satisfying translation elsewhere,try China Orb Chinese to English dictionary.
China Orb, online English to Chinese dictionary with more than 1 million entries and plenty of excellent examples. China Orb includes a lot of English professional terms in many industries such as Medicine, Chemistry, Mechanism, Electricity, Computer, Economy, Law, Architecture. If you can not find satisfying translation elsewhere,try China Orb English to Chinese dictionary.
Contact us
Life is beautiful !
Gorgeous Chinese apparel
Worldwide Shipping
但是还有很多省钱的机会和空间 ...
Chinese-English Dictionary
Chinese-English Translation
English-Chinese Dictionary
English-Chinese Translation
English-Chinese Dictionary
as whole dictionary field
at start of dictionary field
at end of dictionary field
Life is wonderful
China Fashion
reserve of taxable capacity
Show more nearby words
Show less nearby words
reserve generator
reserve horse power
reserve horse-power
reserve installation
reserve instruments
reserve level
reserve liabilities
reserve liability
reserve line
reserve loss on diubtful accounts
reserve lubricating oil tank
reserve lubrication oil tank
reserve machine
reserve maintenance period
reserve material
reserve motion
reserve mud tank
reserve naval
reserve navigation light
reserve nutrient
reserve of buoyancy
reserve of damage stability
reserve of holding power
reserve of nutrients
reserve of stability
reserve of taxable capacity
reserve officer
reserve oil bunker
reserve oil tank
reserve operational communication officer
reserve parachute
reserve part
reserve piece
reserve pit
reserve plant
reserve policy
reserve position in the fund
reserve power
reserve power circuit
reserve power station
reserve power supply
reserve powers
reserve preferences
reserve price
reserve protection
reserve protein
reserve pump
reserve radiotelegraph installation
reserve ratio
reserve ration
reserve receiver
reserve of taxable capacity
China Orb © 2009


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54 fabrics, so little time!
I am organizing, petting, and photographing all my new fabrics. I needed to increase my selection in store of marbles, solids & tone on tones in neutral colors, so I just jumped in with both feet!
Oh you busy girl! What fun to be playing in the fabrics! Lucky you!!


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I also finished travelling through Michigan's Upper Peninsula on this last trip, and went up to International Falls and Lake of the Woods, Minnesota, going through all the remaining counties above Minneapolis/St. Paul; and a drive west from a little theater in Landsboro got me the one remaining county in southeastern Minnesota. But I still have 15 counties in that state to go to, and most of the northern half of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
Still, even though I can be pretty sure I'll never actually go to all the counties in the country (I still have about 650 to go, out of about 3,100), I have to admit it feels good to finish another state; especially one so far from home.
As for what I saw on this trip, well, not a whole lot: it was a pretty laid-back trip. My favourite memories are:
(2) watching a distant freighter sail slowly into a stunning sunset behind our rental cabin at Eagle Harbor, also in Michigan;
(3) watching The 39 Steps, a hilarious comedy expertly staged in that small playhouse in Landsboro, Minnesota;
(5) sitting on my friend's front porch, listening to birds sing; there are so many more songbirds in western Wisconsin than in south Texas!
After every trip, I go through a phase where I think I never want to be away from home again. This usually lasts a couple of months, and then I start planning some other trip. The only thing I have planned so far is a trip to Hawaii in August 2013 with the Once-a-Year Bowling League, and a trip across Canada in 2015 for the Women's World Cup. In between, I may go to Alaska. And I keep saying I'm going to go to New Orleans, but I don't know when. Other trips around the country depend largely on finding someone to go along with me. Anyone interested?


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Reading George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman this weekend, I enjoyed several such moments. Flashman purports to be the first installment of the autobiographical writings of a Victorian soldier who happens also to be, in Harry Flashman's own words, "a coward and a scoundrel." Throw in womanizer, imperialist, opportunist, violent brute, misogynist, and casual racist, and you've got Flashman down. George MacDonald Fraser pretends to have been given the papers to edit upon their discovery in a trunk at mid-century; he's been doling them out in novel-length installments since 1969.
Fraser found the germ of Flashman in a passing reference in the Victorian boys' novel Tom Brown's Schooldays; he's mentioned as a bully who, deservedly, is drummed out of Rugby. From that mention, Fraser created a character whom he has now followed through more or less all the great military disasters and blunders of the Victorian era, from the charge of the Light Brigade to Little Big Horn. Throughout, Flashman cheats and lies and wenches his way, never sticking his neck out for anyone except himself; yet time after time, he ends up covered in undeserved glory. Explaining how he retailed a post-battle packet of lies to his superiors, Flashman says
I can say that I told it well—off-hand, but not over-modest; just a blunt soldier reporting to his seniors. It calls for nice judgment, this art of bragging; you must be plain, but not too plain, and you must smile only rarely. Letting them guess more than you say is the kernel of it, and looking uncomfortable when they compliment you.
At times, Flashman's cowardice and lack of ethics can be downright uncomfortable. Fraser is doubtless saying something about the nature of heroism,the lies of hero-worship, and the concept of honor, but overriding such concerns is his desire to tell an exciting story—which he does, thereby somehow salvaging the time he's asking us to spend with this frequently horrid man.
Flashman finds Harry Flashman beginning his military career serving under Lord Cardigan, commander of the 11th Hussars, later to enter history at Balaclava as the Light Brigade. Therein lay the weekend's first convergence: about a year ago, I was given by my friend Maggie (about whose excellent gifts of books an entire post will come later) Cecil Woodham-Smith's The Reason Why, which, though nearly fifty years old, seems still to be regarded as the best account of the catastrophe that was the charge of the Light Brigade. It's utterly engrossing, simultaneously an explanation and a riveting recreation. Lord Cardigan (whose name lives on in the sweaters he wore while awaiting orders on his yacht in the weeks before the charge) I knew from Woodham-Smith to be an arrogant martinet and world-class incompetent; fortunately, Flashman inadvertently manages, through a couple of ill-advised adventures with women, to get detached from the 11th Hussars—though he will eventually return, for he mentions later surviving the slaughter at Balaclava.
For now, he finds himself serving in Afghanistan, which the British had recently invaded in order to prop up a friendly king and thus ensure a buffer between India and Russia. That was the second convergence: New Year's weekend I spent editing my friend Steve's thesis, wherein he applies social movement theory to the International Brigades of the Spanish Civil War and the mujahideen fighting against the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in the 1970s. Reading the novel, I kept thinking back to Steve's thesis and seeing a direct line between the meddling of the British Empire and the meddling of the United States and Russia in more recent times. Flashman sees through it all; one of the benefits of a narrator who is utterly unsentimental and truthful is that he clearly sees all illusions—even those of an empire he's serving—as ultimately self-serving lies. The British position is unjustifiable and untenable, and Flashman's only concern is that he live through the inevitable disaster.
Just as in reality, the British are forced from their station in Kabul in an ignominious retreat that quickly turns into a deadly rout, the horrors of which Fraser conveys as well as anyone I've read. Harried by Afghan raiding parties, the army of 14,000 (some 4,000 soldiers, with the rest families, servants, and Indian and Afghan camp followers) is doomed from the start. Within days, it is utterly destroyed, with but a single man surviving to reach the garrison at Jallalabad. I had a clear image of him riding in, but it took a few hours for me to realize that the image was not my own: it was from a painting by a Lady Butler, The Remains of an Army, which I had seen a year or two ago in A. N. Wilson's The Victorians.
Flashman of course survives as well, though detached from the army in a harrowing battle midway through the march. He survives in large part because he has by chance teamed up with a non-commissioned officer, Sergeant Hudson. In the course of their flight, he begins to think about the relationship of officers and the lower ranks, much along the lines of what I discussed earlier on this blog when writing about Admiral Nelson. Early in the escape, noting Hudson's particular competence, Flashman says
I found myself considering this Sergeant Hudson for the first time, for beyond noticing that he was a steady man I had given him not much notice before. After all, why should one notice one's men very much?
Writing sixty years later, however, about Hudson's questioning of some of the command decisions that led to the ruination of the army, Flashman says
I didn't think much of Hudson's questions about Gandamack and Elphy at the time; if I had done I would have been as much amused as angry, for it was like a foreign language to me then. But I understand it now, although half our modern generals don't. They think their men are a different species still—fortunately a lot of 'em are, but not in the way the generals think.
Knowing what he himself is not—good, brave, ethical, self-sacrificing—Flashman is all the more impressed when he finds those qualities, and so is the reader.
But Flashman learns nothing from Hudson's heroism, except possibly that the wages of heroism are death, and he ends the book unrepentant and covered in the false glory that only an empire can bestow. He's even featured in a cartoon in Punch, which makes for the weekend's final convergence, as Punch's editor for many years was the father of novelist Penelope Fitzgerald, whose review of Barbara Pym first set me to reading Pym, about whom more later this week.
I think this is what paranoids are talking about, only less sinister: if you're looking for pattern, it's there to be found.