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Have y'all seen the movie Orange County? Well, if not, it's about a boy (Colin Hanks) who wants to get into Stanford and the hijinks that ensue when his high school guidance counselor (Lily Tomlin) sends another boy's transcript instead of his with his application. She's just the worst, but the movie is just the BEST and you should watch it because it also has John Lithgow in it, who is brilliance and the lady who used to host the Biggest Loser show but got fired because she was too fat or something is the drunk mom and I love her…and Jack Black. It's a fun little movie. Go queue it up in your Netflix.
Okay, so I told you that to tell you this. My high school guidance counselor was only slightly better than the one in Orange County.
There were 42 people in our graduating class and some of us were pretty smart cookies. Well, book smart anyway. Or we thought we were smart anyway…I know I did. I think I thought I was miss super smarty pants know it all. I did well in school. Not nearly as well as I could have done, but I was too busy concentrating on my boyfriend and how to get him to be my husband by doing his laundry and cleaning his trailer house and being at his beck and call just in case he wanted me around to really apply myself too much in high school.
I was, however, pretty smart, and at one point in time, before the boyfriend who I was trying to make a husband, I really, really wanted to go to college. I wanted to go away to college and have a dorm room and take things that would let me grow up to be something…though at the moment, I couldn't tell you exactly what I wanted to take or what I wanted to be. My default answer is probably "teacher," but it might have been "doctor," but it wasn't nurse…of that I'm sure.
Anyway, this one time I went to a UIL competition at this big faincy junior college down the road in Weatherford and while I was waiting for my Ready Writing event or my Spelling event (always in love with the words, I was) I remember walking around the solarium or "the commons" and picking up pamphlets and a course catalog and thinking to myself
and I remember that we got back to Glen Rose and I walked into the house and told my mom my big plans about going to A BIG FAINCY JUNIOR COLLEGE, expecting encouragement, or something resembling it…
instead, she turned sort of grey. and got mad.
I wouldn't understand either of those things until much, much later in my life, when one of my children asked for something so completely out of the realm of possible for me to make happen that the only option in my mind was to be irritated that they'd even ask for something so preposterous in the first place…the nerve really, of asking for a new mustang for your 16th birthday…well, that was seriously preposterous, but she was serious when she asked and I was seriously not even remotely able to make that happen and I did get seriously irritated that she'd even ask…
anyway, the point is that I might as well have asked for a new mustang with a big red bow as to ask my poor mom, and I mean that literally, we were po po, to figure out a way for me to go away to faincy junior college…and hey, how about make me an astronaut and fly me to the moon while you're at it.
not possible…and then we fast forward to senior year
Ms. McCarty, who always reeked of cigarette smoke, which didn't really bother me much because my mother smoked like a freight train and I probably always smelled like the smokestack, called me into the office when it came to that time of this little girl's life to have someone ask the big question.
Christine, she said, what are you going to do after high school?
Now, by that time I had the boyfriend who I was trying to get to be my husband and had pretty much let go of the whole college dream since we were poor and I was working at Linda's Other Place flipping burgers and figured at best I'd just go to work at the nuclear power plant after high school and told her so…but I still sort of hoped for the college thing to work out.
But instead of telling me about how to do scholarships or student loans or student aid or whatever, she just pretty much agreed that as far as college funding, I was screwed, so good luck with that whole getting married thing…because really, by that time, mother had made it pretty clear that that was probably my best option and hey, the trailer had TWO BATHROOMS AND CENTRAL AIR UNITS, so I guess I was fine by that time with the whole letting go the dream thing.
After the boyfriend actually did become the husband, my friend Dana told me of this crazy thing she was doing…GOING TO COLLEGE over in Cleburne at Hill Junior College AND WHY DIDN'T I GO WITH HER AND WE COULD GO TOGETHER AND GO TO COLLEGE?!?!?!?!? wouldn't it be fun!!!!
She was already married also and was also 18 years old, so us two old married gals rode over to Cleburne and signed ourselves up for some college classes.
Two things happened that first semester at Hill:
1. I found out a really, really loved college.
2. I found out being 18 and married in college is weird.
At any rate, I did really well, met some super people, forged some really awesome relationships with my professors…
and got pregnant.
I finished the semester after Casey was born, but then took a break til she was 2-ish, then went back, then got pregnant with Reagan, then realized pretty quick that I wasn't going to be one of those folks who could successfully balance kids and home so decided to just make it a long break.
After all, my next move at that point was to transfer to UNT because they were the only college around at the time that offered a degree in Counseling and at that point, strangely enough, I wanted to be a high school guidance counselor, but when I pitched the idea to the then husband…the only thing he said was "well, how're you gonna do that and have dinner ready when I get home."
So, yeah…I'd hit the wall in my college career.
fast forward fast forward fast forward >> >> >> >>
For the past several years, I'd started really thinking about going back to school. But whenever I would think about it, the thought of starting all over was just so daunting, plus I figured it would cut into our party time here at the fun fun Casa, so I didn't think about it toooooooooo hard.
But when the party party stopped in 2008 and my body and brain finally recovered from the party party party time, I started thinking about it more seriously. It had started to become painfully clear that my industry was going south quick and I needed to figure out something, ANYTHING else to do…
but what.
I KNOW, I'd proclaim, I WILL BE AN ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY TECHNICIAN.
but I never made it past looking at the degree plan.
I KNOW, I'd proclaim, I WILL BE A COURT REPORTER.
but I never made it past looking at the degree plan.
so, i was searching searching searching for that something…
Then…one sunday I got to teach sunday school with Mrs. Lanman, a retired 40-year educator, and I noticed she was watching me…it probably would have made me uncomfortable, but I was too busy trying to get Caroline to RAWWWWR like a lion.
Later that afternoon she sent me this facebook message:
I am so glad I got to be with you in SS yesterday. You are so great with those little ones…I think you need to consider a career in education. Be a teacher's aide and work on getting a teaching certificate while working. The college in Keene has an adult program that you can pursue while working. Think about it!!
And I swear, y'all, it was like the clouds parted and the sun shone through and there was the answer to my question.
Anyway, after that moment of clarity, everything fell directly into place. I found out all my old, old, old coursework was transferrable, I had some funding since I'd thought ahead enough to do a FAFSA for myself, and it was as if finally the plan was coming together.
I might be the oldest first year teacher ever, but by golly, a teacher I will be.
I am only lacking a lab science, Biology II, a computer science, and a fine arts class to be "core complete" and ready to transfer to a 4-year uni to finish up my Bachelor's, so this semester I am knocking out the Biology II and BCIS or computer science.
After looking at that Biology II syllabus and lab book and study guide, I don't know what I was thinking…


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|My Flat Stanley will travel to Japan!
It was a great morning! We made and colored some Flat Stanleys and mailed them to Yokohama in Japan. Our friends told us they have made little people like themselves: Kyoko, Nanami, Hiroko and Marina. They will send them by e-mail to the U.S., England and to us...
Thank you Stu and Yuko Farnsworth, it's so interesting to learn about your traditions and culture through our Flat Friends.
Stanley's life continues to be exciting!

subset: commoncrawl


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Well I forgot my camera for Party on the Porch. I do have a photo on my camera phone, which is at the moment not talking to my laptop. Technology failing me, I took this one from Karin's blog.
We had lots of fun playing games from 7Pm until Melisa finally let us in. If you see Melisa, be sure to ask her about making up rules to games in the middle of playing them...she is very good at this LOL!!! We also received little goodie bags and won prizes including some little patterns and chances to win a big bundle of fabric. Then the shopping began. I did pick up a couple of items.
. The new Quilt Sampler magazine, a jelly roll of Barbara Brackman's new line called "Arnold's Attic" and a couple of charm packs for more Schnibbling. There's my little goodie bag in the back.
Afterward, Sarah (no blog but needs one!), Cindi, Karin, and I went to Bruster's Ice Cream. Cindi, Karin, and I went all out on hot fudge sundaes with chocolate raspberry truffle ice cream (my favorite flavor!) . Sarah had a black cherry waffle cone (Sarah also has the incriminating photographs maybe it's a good thing she doesn't have a blog.....). Us party animals were out past 10PM on a Friday! Hope everyone has recovered... Friends, quilt shop shopping, and ice cream--what a great way to spend a Friday evening!
The rest of the weekend has gone by too quickly. I've worked on Double Delight in between doing some chores and having to go buy a new refrigerator today...More about that later...
I'll leave you with Morpheus doing some paw modeling.
And showing the last vintage collar wear.
He's so handsome!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Party on the Porch: Post Game Show
Labels: Moda fabric, Sweet Home
5 comments:
- Karin said...
He is such a handsome boy. Sorry about yet another appliance. Friday was so much fun. Sue could not believe I was out later than she was. So sad the weekend is over.
- August 29, 2010 at 7:32 PM
- Susan said...
The Party on the Porch and shopping afterwards was so much fun! We're probably going to have to buy a new frig when we move to TN, so if you pick up any good tips, please pass them along.
- August 29, 2010 at 11:05 PM
- Brenda said...
Sounds like you had a geat time. Sorry I missed it.
- August 30, 2010 at 9:50 AM
- Becky said...
So glad you were able to attend Party on the Porch. Looks like a wonderful evening. Hated to miss it :)
- August 30, 2010 at 4:44 PM
- Simone de Klerk said...
Yes, Morpheus, your really are very handsome!
- August 31, 2010 at 10:13 AM
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Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The Genealogical Society of North Orange County
Counting Down to the 1940 Census
On April 2, 2012, the National Archives will release the 1940 census to the public. While digital images will be available, there will be no name index when the census is first released. In this presentation, you will learn about the questions asked in 1940, as well as how to find your ancestors before an every-name index is available.
Denise Spurlock, a former educator at the post-secondary level, has more than 20 years of experience in family research. She holds a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University's Center for Professional Education and is a member of numerous genealogical organizations, including the Southern California Genealogical Society, Utah Genealogical Association, National Genealogical Society, New England Historic Genealogical Society, and Association of Professional Genealogists. Ms Spurlock also is the newsletter editor for the Southern California Chapter of the APG and writes three genealogy blogs: Denise's Life in the Past Lane (pastlane.blogspot.com), Reflecting on Genealogy (reflectingongenealogy.blogspot.com), and The SoCalGenie (socalgenie.blogspot.com).
6:15 p.m.: H.E.L.P. Discussion Group
7 p.m.: A brief business meeting
7:15 p.m.: The program
At the end: Refreshments and conversation
Yorba Linda Community Center
4501 Casa Loma Avenue (at Imperial Highway)
Yorba Linda
For additional information, please call GSNOCC at 714-996-9511 or visit our web site at


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Reviewed by Jackson M. (age 10)
Bud, Not Buddy illustration will appear here.
Bud's mama dies and he doesn't know who his father is, which leaves him stranded in an orphanage, but that doesn't stop him from finding his pa. Bud's main skill of knowledge is realizing when "enough is enough," and that really helps him on his "quest". He travels all the way from his hometown, Flint, Michigan, to Grand Rapids just to find his father, or at least sort of. I really think families should stick together, no matter what happens. Bud probably felt this way too, because his family was split up and stayed apart for a long time!
Some parts of the book were a little cheesy and boring, like when Bud was at the orphanage, but overall the book was fantastic! One of my favorite parts was when the cops showed up at the railroad where a train was heading west. Many people, including Bud, couldn't make it on the train. My favorite character in Bud, Not Buddy was, well, Bud Caldwell! He kind of reminds me of me. He's always thinking. No matter how old or what gender you are, I strongly recommend reading this book!


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Saturday, March 26, 2011
I'm still unpacking my last boxes from moving before the holidays. Most of the boxes have been full of those miscellaneous things that probably should have been tossed or donated like hair curlers and accessories to the toaster oven (which is why I have been procrastinating unpacking them.) Except, just when I have reconciled myself to an uninteresting afternoon of moving crap around I find over 7 FEET OF RAW CANVAS!!!!!!! I must have hoarded it away several years ago and forgot. This is like finding gold. Okay, maybe more like finding a $20. It still makes me happy because I started building a 7ft canvas frame the other day only to find I had no canvas left. Just scraps. I've put myself on a vicious art supply budget (of $0, because I already blew my budget on many many tubes of pricey paint like cadmiums and cerulean) so I thought there was no hope of getting to start this massive painting before summer. And now I will get to start it. Provided I don't run out of oil priming ground first. Or oil paints. Or time.
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Thursday, November 29, 2012
Quiet Night, Aloha Night
Arthur Lyman's "Merry Christmas (Mele Kalikimaka)," from 1959, is a solid choice. Some tracks aren't quite as Exotica-infused as you'd expect, but others seem a perfect hybrid of Hawaii and the holidays. But you can never go too far wrong with Lyman at the helm. His take on "Winter Wonderland," may, in fact, be the best example of Christmas Exotica ever created. This album has also been re-released on CD as "With A Christmas Vibe," (with a fetching wahine on the cover,) but some find the re-editing on that version a little off-putting. I'd suggest sticking with versions of the album featuring the green (shown above) or silver "Christmas present" covers, which are essentially the original album without significant tinkering.
Christmas In Hawaii by country music legend turned Hawaiian steel guitar revivalist Jerry Bird. (Some of you may already know Byrd from his take on the theme to "Adventures in Paradise.") This is fine instrumental background music, featuring holiday standards tasetefully rendered in ukulele, steel guitar, etc., along with a smattering of songs specifically written to evoke Christmas in the islands. I'm told this is a 2003 release, but it's pretty timeless.
Two specific tracks essential for your Tiki Christmas mix can be found on Christmas Cocktails, Part 2, which is part of the now-classic Ultra-Lounge series of compilations from Capitol Records. (Yes, the series was revived recently in the form of new digital downloads, but the new incarnation doesn't measure up.) Notably, Christmas Cocktails, Part 2 features "Christmas Island" by Bob Atcher and the Dinning Sisters (kitschy, but fun), and "Exotic Night," which was Martin Denny's take on the traditional "Greensleeves"/"What Child Is This?" -- complete with his usual orchestration style and semi-exotic instrumentation, but happily without his usual bird calls. It's not one of Denny's best, but it's probably mandatory for any self-respecting list of tiki-fied Christmas songs.
We Four Kings," by the Blue Hawaiians (from their album Christmas on the Big Island) is a successful mashup of the carol "We Three Kings" with the Pyramids' instrumental surf-rock classic, "Penetration." In a similar retro surf rock vein is King of Hawaii's take on "Greensleeves" (from the album Mele Kalikimaka). Normally I'm not a big fan of mixing surf rock with tracks from the likes of Arthur Lyman and Martin Denny -- But I think these are two exceptions that work pretty well. But maybe that's just the eggnog talking.
And finally, what would a pseudo-Hawaiian-style Christmas be without Bing Crosby's classic version of "Mele Kalikimaka," from his Merry Christmas (now renamed White Christmas) album? Der Bingle has been making people dream about spending the holidays in paradise since 1945!
By the way, I'll probably be at the International Tiki Marketplace event at Don the Beachcombers' in Huntington Beach, California this Sunday, Dec. 2nd. It will run from 11am to 4pm, and there will be live entertainment and over 30 vendors of all things tiki. If you see me, stop me and say hello.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Arthur K. Snyder (1932-2012)
"We are saddened to bring such news, but this morning Arthur Snyder passed away in his sleep at 79 years old. He was a United States Marine, a USC Law Graduate, a politician, a restauranteur, but most importantly, a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. He will leave a legacy for ages to come but what he left in everyone's hearts will last a lifetime. Burial information will be posted soon. We will be holding a celebration of his life this Saturday at Don the Beachcomber in the Longboard Room from 3pm - 8pm. For more information please email email@example.com. We ask that during this time of grieving you do not try to contact the family or staff at Don the Beachcomber. More information will be posted shortly."Sad and shocking news, indeed. Art was a significant and charming personality in the recent chapters of the tiki revival. He and his wife, Delia, have done amazing things in a very short time with the former Sam's Seafood, somehow restoring and preserving one of the last palaces of tiki (Sam's) while simultaneously creating a whole new one (Don's) at the same location.
|Art with Holden Westland of Tiki Farm last June at Don's.
A few months ago, Art took me on a personal tour of Don's, including the legendary basement, which features a mysterious tunnel leading toward the lagoons behind the property. Art said the basement was haunted, and asked that I be respectful and not too noisy. He also asked that I NOT take photographs, which was a far more difficult assignment. In any case, it was an interesting look at what was undoubtedly a smuggling tunnel back when brothers Sam and George Arvenitis owned the place. (No connection to Prohibition, however, since nothing was built on the property until the 1940s.) Anyway, Art was interested that I was a historian and that I'd already done a bunch of research on Sam's. I, in turn, was very grateful for the tour and information he shared with me.
|Art with members of the O.C. Historical Society's board, planning a luau over mai tais.
Art's funeral will be held Wed., Nov. 14, 9am, at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forest Lawn Dr., Los Angeles. (Drive to Old North Church once inside the cemetery.) Reception following interment at the Hall of Liberty. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that you consider making a donation in Art's name to: Solheim Lutheran Home in Los Angeles.
Mahalo for being a great host, Art, and for all you've done to keep tiki alive and well. A lot of people are very grateful.
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The Walking Dead: A Recap of Seasons 1-3
"The Walking Dead" returns Sunday night on AMC — and just in time, too. With "Breaking Bad" gone, it's been a desperate two weeks in America, with many turning to reading books about TV shows. Sure, we still have "Homeland" and "Boardwalk Empire," but those are on channels you have to pay for. Plus, hardly anyone shoots a crossbow on those shows. Not so with "The Walking Dead." Crossbow action out the wazoo.
"The Walking Dead" has it all. It has bad guys with eye patches and good girl ninjas. It has the living fighting the undead — and each other. It has bad guys who do good things for bad reasons and good guys who do bad things for good reasons. It has people who do nothing at all and make you wonder if "The Walking Dead" is an elaborate allegory for modern office life.
So, T-Dog, what would you say you do here?
"The Walking Dead" grabs you from the opening theme song, which is the music that cable news will play when the world ends. You're slammed in the face with modern dystopia, and you're like: Maybe the preppers are right. Maybe I need a 300-pound supply of beef jerky and my own milk cow JUST IN CASE. What am I doing with my life? I'll be useless during the zombie apocalypse. I need to live less like the guys on "The Big Bang Theory" more like those guys on "Duck Dynasty." I should at the very least learn how to tie some useful knots or something.
But then I remember it's just a TV show. There are no zombies. "The Walking Dead" is something conjured from the minds of Frank Darabont, Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard. It's a good show. Its three seasons have had their ups and downs, but that's OK because…massive crossbow action. If you need a refresher, here is what has happened so far. (Share on Facebook )
Season 1
Small-town Georgia sheriff Rick Grimes awakens from a coma after being wounded in the line of duty only to discover that the world has become infested with zombies, AKA "walkers." The way you can tell someone is a walker is that their skin is gray, and they don't have their noses buried in a cell phone. You become a walker when another walker bites you or your blood mixes with a walker's. You stay a walker until someone chops your head off or your brain is inflicted with enough blunt-force trauma.
Rick sets out to look for his young son, Carl, and his wife Lori, who started seeing Rick's best friend and fellow cop Shane sometime during Rick's ambulance ride to the hospital. Rick and Lori had hit a rough patch in their marriage, and Lori took advantage of the fact that your husband will not object to you dating his best friend if he is in a coma.
Rick eventually meets up with Carl, Lori and Shane on the road, and you can practically hear a Jerry Springer audience going, "Ohhhhhhhh!!!!" Awkward.
But Lori gets back with Rick, which disappoints Shane, as if Lori was going to tell her husband, "I'm with Shane now, even though you're still recovering from being shot for being a hero and the world is ending. I'm sure you'll meet someone nice whose arm hasn't been chewed off."
Rick, Carl, Lori and Shane are part of a camp that eventually includes Glenn, a spunky Asian, Andrea, who is annoying, Amy, her sister, Merle, an ex-con redneck stereotype, his little brother Daryl, who is awesome and has a crossbow, Jim, who likes digging holes, T-Dog, who is a guy, Jacqui, who does chores, Morales, who is Hispanic, Carol, who is a mom, Sophia, her daughter, and Dale, who's like an older version of the dad from "Family Ties."
The first season of "The Walking Dead," which is terrific, revolves around two major stories.
While in Atlanta, Rick and the gang put Merle in time-out by handcuffing him to the top of an office building. T-Dog, who is black, loses the keys, and you know what grand dragon wannabe Merle is thinking: "Oh, that's just like a black guy." Rick and company leave Merle on top of the building, flee Atlanta and head back to camp.
Daryl returns from hunting and is told his brother is chained to the top of a building in a city swarming with walkers. Oops. Some of the dudes from the gang go back to Atlanta, which it should be noted still has awful traffic problems even after the apocalypse. Rick retrieves some guns, but all they find on top of the building is an arm and a bloody hacksaw. Merle's fate is unknown, and his brother Daryl and Daryl's awesome crossbow aren't happy.
Back at the camp there is a zombie attack, and Andrea is forced to kill her sister Amy, who has been bitten. This is sad, and it's the last time you'll like Andrea for a while. Rick and the gang arrive and drive back the attack.
The group decides to head to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Shane doesn't like the idea and pulls a gun on Rick, but Shane comes to his senses and doesn't shoot Rick for trying to save everyone.
At the CDC the gang meets up with Dr. Jenner, who says he has no contact with the outside world, no hope for a cure and precious little power left in the building. Other than that, he's great. No. Wait. He's super-depressed. And he's the world's only hope. D'oh!
In any case, this is not the news the gang wanted to hear. They all take hot showers and eat real food and get drunk, and Shane confesses his love to Lori. We learn Shane went back to rescue Rick, but failed, so maybe he's not the scum we think he is.
Dr. Jenner decides there is no hope left in the world and initiates a self-destruct sequence at the CDC that will kill him and everyone in the building. Then he has a change of heart and lets the gang go. Jenner lets Rick know a secret during a "Lost in Translation" moment, and the secret is not revealed until the following season. Jacqui stays behind and is blown up in the CDC with Jenner. The gang caravans away without hope or anyone to do the chores.
Season 2
Carl is shot in the woods, on accident, by a man who lives in a nearby farmhouse. The man, Otis, leads Rick, Carl and Shane back to the farm. Rick carries Carl for miles in one of the great Rick scenes in the show's history. You can't help but like the guy, even if everything he does gets people killed.
The farm is in good shape, has plenty of food and is run by an old veterinarian named Hershel. (Pro tip: A "veterinarian" in Armageddon times is also known as a "surgeon.") Hershel has a 20-something daughter named Maggie, the proverbial farmer's daughter.
I'm not going to lie — the first 2/3 of this season was a letdown. So let's blast through it:
- Shane sacrifices Otis's life while getting medical supplies for Carl, who just barely pulls through. At this point if your character is in a scene with Shane there is a 15 percent chance you you will die.
- The group loses its little girl, Sophia, when a herd of walkers ambles through their camp. Daryl and his crossbow search for her. Daryl becomes the most interesting character on the show, even though he seems like the kind of guy who at some point in his life was personally offended by a mechanical talking wall fish.
- An injured Daryl takes down a slew of walkers and makes himself a crazy zombie ear necklace. Daryl pretty much saves this season. Women love devil-may-care bad-asses who try to save little girls, and men want to be them.
- Glenn and Maggie, the farmer's daughter, get it on while foraging for supplies in a convenience store, as a weary nation thanks the show's writers for pulling the romantic storyline away from Lori and Rick.
- Lori discovers she's pregnant, of course. She thinks about killing the baby, which is possibly mankind's only hope, but doesn't.
- Andrea, who has spent all season asking for a gun, finally gets one and mistakenly shoots Daryl with it. The crossbow is unharmed.
- Glenn discovers Hershel's barn is full of walkers. Hershel thinks walkers are still people because some of those walkers are his family. The gang suddenly realizes it has allied itself with the Quaker Oats guy.
- Andrea gets good at killing walkers, and Shane rewards her with sex.
- Carl spots a walker stuck in the mud and throws rocks at it but doesn't tell anyone. The walker eventually bites Dale and Daryl has to mercy-kill him, which stinks because what did Dale, that cranky old hippie, ever do to anyone?
Okay, now to the good stuff. Shane opens the barn against Rick and Hershel's wishes and leads the charge to kill all of the walkers. The final walker to emerge is Sophia, Carol's little girl who was lost at the start of the season whom Daryl risked his life to find. Rick finishes her off because…leadership.
In town, Rick, Hershel and Glenn go for a drink and they meet up with some random bad guys. Rick kills a few of them, and they take a guy named Randall hostage. Randall seems nice enough, but Shane convinces the others that Randall must die because he can lead the others in his bad guy group to the farm. Odds that you will die if you are in a scene with Shane are now 55 percent.
Shane kills Randall, but he tells everyone Randall escaped. The gang sets off to look for Randall, and they find that Randall has not been bitten but is a walker. They don't know why.
Rick and Shane meet up in a clearing, and Rick knows Shane is going to kill him. The Shane-will-kill-your character odds are now 100 percent. Ricks hands over his gun, but he gets the drop on Shane and stabs him in the chest with a knife. Finally, Dr. Jenner's big secret from the CDC is revealed: humans turn into walkers after they die even if they're not bitten. Everyone is infected. A zombie Shane comes for Rick. Carl, who just happens to be there, shoots zombie Shane. Like father like son. They have both been shot, and they have both killed Shane.
A group of walkers overruns the farmhouse, and the group flees with Hershel and Maggie. Andrea is rescued by a hooded figure wielding a katana sword, and you're like, "Where the hell has that awesomeness been all season?"
On the road, Rick tells the group, "If you're staying, this isn't a democracy anymore." No one objects, the Tea Party having long ago been chewed up by walkers.
In the final shot of the season, the camera pulls back, and you can see that the group is about to stumble upon a large, ugly, foreboding structure surrounded by menacing fences, which is either an American high school or a prison.
Season 3
Like so many television shows that faded during their sophomore seasons, "The Walking Dead" comes back strong.
Rick and company waste all of the walkers in the prison and make it their home. (You can tell it's a prison and not a high school because it's supplied with edible food.)
The ninja with the katana blade is Michonne, who keeps two limbless, toothless walkers on chains with her to keep other walkers away. She's amazingly badass. Andrea falls ill, and Michonne spends the winter keeping her alive.
Oh, and guess who's back? It's Merle, that old racist so-and-so. Only instead of an arm he now has a bayonet for a hand. In simpler times one imagines he might have ironically festooned his stump with an artisan cheese knife, but "The Walking Dead" takes place at a desperate hour.
Merle takes Michonne and Andrea to a walled-in town called Woodbury, a quaint, little burgh that looks like the kind of place parents who drive Range Rovers take their kids for ice cream. In Woodbury, Andrea tells Merle that Daryl and his crossbow are still alive.
And that's when we meet the Governor, Woodbury's leader. What's he like? He's an SEC football coach with machine guns. Andrea, who specializes in making terrible decisions, accepts the Governor's invitation to stay. Michonne, who displays the kind of skepticism one expects from someone who can wield a katana blade, doesn't trust the Governor and wants to leave.
We quickly learn that even though the people of the town are essentially decent, the Governor is a bad man. He kills outsiders indiscriminately, and he keeps live walker heads in aquarium tanks in his home, which is exactly the kind of thing Deadspin might report about Nick Saban someday.
Meanwhile at the prison, there is a walker attack, Lori goes into labor, and Maggie must cut the baby out of her belly. The baby is fine, but Lori dies while giving birth and Carl has to shoot his own mother before she turns into a walker, too. Unless the gang eventually meets up with a gang of roving psychologists, Carl's adulthood is screwed.
T-Dog dies in a heroic sacrifice to save Carol, which is nice of him.
Rick collapses when he hears his wife is dead and that he has another kid to take care of and no health insurance. He then goes nuts and journeys deep into the prison to slaughter as many walkers as he can, including Lori's killer. He starts to crack up, imagining telephone calls from Lori and seeing her ghost. She's even annoying in death. The Governor, meanwhile, has an undead daughter named Penny whom he keeps in a secret cell in his home.
Back in Woodbury, Michonne slays a bunch of captured walkers, which ticks off the Governor, so she leaves. Andrea stays (some friend she is). Michonne was the only reason Andrea was still a live, and two seconds later she was all, "Later, girl."
Merle tries to catch Michonne, fails, and wastes his own guys. Glenn and Maggie, who only exist to run into town and get supplies, are kidnapped by Merle and taken to Woodbury when they run into town to get baby supplies. Michonne brings the baby supplies to the prison, introduces herself and explains what happened to Glenn and Maggie.
Merle tortures Glenn to find out where the rest of the group is holed up. Glenn, who is coming into his own as a badass, fights off a walker and refuses to talk. However, the Governor threatens Glenn's life in front of Maggie, and Maggie gives up the prison's location.
Rick, Daryl, Michonne and Oscar (there's a guy named Oscar) sneak into Woodbury to rescue Glenn and Maggie, which they do. Oscar is killed (bye, Oscar) and Daryl is separated from the group.
The governor tries to make Merle and Daryl fight to the death for the town's amusement, but they escape, and Merle allies himself with the prison group. Everyone in the prison, is like, "Greeeeeeaaaat."
Michonne gets all "Revenge of the Ninja" and sneaks into the Governor's apartment, finds his undead daughter Penny and kills her. The Governor walks in, they brawl, and it's tremendous, because these are the show's most evil and most good characters locked in mortal combat. The walker head aquariums are shattered (you can almost smell the stank) and Michonne stabs the Governor in the eye with a shard of glass. His life is saved when Andrea shows up and threatens to shoot Michonne because Andrea ruins everything.
Now it's war.
The timing couldn't be worse for the prison group. Their numbers are down, and Rick is still hallucinating. The Governor ambushes the prison with a group of walkers, and the gang just barely survives.
In Woodbury, the Governor drafts every citizen aged 13 and older to fight at the prison. Andrea finally has a good idea – a truce – but it is too late. She missed her chance to prevent this when she stopped Michonne from killing the Governor.
Andrea makes for the prison to warn the others of the coming attack. Then she goes back to the Governor, and they have sex, because the dating scene in Zombie America is only slightly worse than modern Los Angeles. She has a chance to kill the Governor in his sleep – her second chance to kill him – and decides against it. Ugh.
Rick and the Governor meet in an abandoned feed store to negotiate. It goes about as well as a sit-down between President Obama and Rep. Boehner. The Governor says he won't attack the prison if Rick hands over Michonne.
So, a still-nutty Rick asks Merle to kidnap Michonne. Merle does, but Michonne convinces Merle to let her go, and Merle is redeemed (a little). Merle is killed by the Governor, and Daryl kills Merle later when Merle is a zombie. But not with the crossbow. With a knife. Giant letdown.
Knowing they are probably about to die, Glenn overcomes the male fear of commitment and asks Maggie to marry him. She accepts.
All of which leads to the big finale:
Rick decides not to sacrifice Michonne, so war is inevitable.
The Governor leaves Andrea bound in a torture chamber with a dying man who will soon become a walker.
The Governor and his soldiers storm the prison, but it's empty. They descend into the tombs and are chased outside, where Glenn and Maggie open fire on them. Not as invested in killing strangers as their boss, the Governor's soldiers bail.
To be honest, it's not that great of a final battle, but it was realistic. Nice people from a nice town who think their leader does right by them will only follow him so far until they realize they're just pawns in his cruel game.
Back in the torture chamber, Andrea cuts herself free with a pair of pliers that were conveniently left at her feet.
Carl shoots a defenseless boy during the battle, and Rick gives him a talking-to, but it's clear there's a lot of Shane in Carl. Sooooo, good luck with teenage Carl, Rick.
On the way back to Woodbury, the Governor yells at his crew for retreating. When they won't go back to fight, he opens fire and kills all of them. He then drives off with his two main henchmen, who appear to be freaked out by the Governor, Martinez and Shumpert.
Andrea was bitten by the walker, and with Michonne by her side, she kills herself. If there is any justice in "The Walking Dead" world, she and Lori spend eternity on the same cloud.
Rick brings the rest of the Woodbury survivors back to the prison because he is magnanimous in victory, and the showat desperately needs more characters for Season 4.
Joe Donatelli is a journalist and the author of "Full Griswold: Stories from a Honeymoon in Italy."


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Suburban Chicago newspaper The Daily Herald reporter Russell Lissau wrote a hit job on a little old lady, a librarian in a small town, because she opposes redefining marriage to include same-sex couples, polygamy, children, animals, and whatever else Lissau probably embraces. You can read his screed here.
Reading it, I couldn't help but wonder, would he have written the same thing about an anti-marriage librarian? Let's have some fun with this parody of the article that Lissau would NEVER write:
Lake Co. library leader assails
gay traditional marriage
The leader of a Lake County library district board on Tuesday assailed plans to
legalize gayprotect the definition of marriage in Illinois.
PolygamyAbolishing divorce will be next," Bonnie Quirke, the president of the Libertyville-based Cook Memorial Public Library District board, told the Daily Herald. "Is that really what we want? Is that really what they want?"
Quirke's comments came during an interview prompted by posts she'd made on Facebook. In the interview, Quirke said she opposes the effort because it
redefinesrestricts the word "marriage."
"The whole purpose of marriage isn't reproduction, it's love," Quirke said. "Two people of the same sex
can'tcan reproduceturn to adoption and surrogacy."
When asked about other forms of
parenting available to same-sex couples, such as adoption and surrogacy marriage being illegal, such as marrying more than one person, or one's parents, siblings, first cousins, children, developmentally disabled individuals, animals, and inanimate objects, Quirke remained resolute.
"Is that really in the best interest of children, to be raised by
two men or two women one man and one woman?" she said.
Quirke also insisted gay men
don't maintain monogamous relationships.
may be a coupleare no exceptions, the AIDS crisis of the 1980s wasn't caused by rampantly promiscuous gay men engaging in unprotected butt sex, but they're not (monogamous)," she said.
The General Assembly approved legislation that would
allowban gay marriage Tuesday. The plan now heads to Gov. Pat Quinn.
Quirke, of Libertyville, has served on the library board since 2005 and has been its president since 2010. She's also a leader in the
anti pro-abortion movement in Lake County and Illinois.
Quirke said her views on
homosexualityheterosexual marriage haven't affected her ability to serve the library district. She's never tried to keep books on the subject out of the collection, she said.
"I think I've been a very good, strong advocate for the library," she said.
Cook Memorial Public Library District Director Stephen Kershner said he doesn't share Quirke's opinions but defended her right to express them. He isn't concerned her views on gay rights are shaping library policy.
"There are seven elected board members, and policies are made by the majority of the board, not by an individual board member," Kershner said.
Mitchell Locin, a spokesman for the
gay-rightsmarriage defense group Equality IllinoisNational Organization for Marriage, called Quirke "out of touch" with the people of Illinois.
Lissau's article is one of the increasing attacks in a culture war that seeks to intimidate and subjugate anyone who doesn't conform to the dictatorship of relativism.
Start out small, with a little old lady in a small town, then work your way up. When they (ultimately, Catholics, orthodox Jews, and Mohammedans) don't give in, those enemies of the human race must be eliminated, systematically, for the good of society, in the name of freedom and equality.
Three years ago, Chicago archbishop Francis Cardinal George made the following prophetic statement:
"I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church has done so often in human history."
Pray for Mr. Lissau. Pray for Ms. Quirke. Pray for the conversion of sinners, heretics, and non-believers. Pray for yourselves, your priests, bishops and your pontiff, that we will have the courage to embrace persecution, suffering, and martyrdom, whether white or red.


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Author Archives: mfkekoa
The Power of Story in Sustainable Building
Every home has a story. But who gets to tell this story? Is the story documented and, more importantly, how is it told? What was once a tale of four walls and a roof has evolved into a complex system of purposefully integrated components designed to minimize impact and maximize efficiency. The true power of homes' story lies in its ability to successfully transfer knowledge to future residents. Continue reading
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The first of those curious aspects is the title, which is just plain Arkham Manor rather than Batman: Arkham Manor; most comics featuring Batman in any way, shape or form generally put his name and a colon in the title, no matter how small his role in the proceedings may actually be (and, it's worth noting, Batman is the protagonist of this story, so it's not like it'd be a reach to have included his name in the title). This may reflect just how popular and pervasive those video games—Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, Arkham Origins—were. The word "Arkham" is, in and of itself, apparently now seen as enough to sell a comic book as well as the word "Batman" might sell a comic book.
The other curious aspect is the timing. This issue, the first of what is apparently meant to be an ongoing series (although surely this won't be a permanent change to mental health care in Gotham City), includes a little asterisk saying that "The events of this story take place after Batman Eternal #30," which doesn't actually ship until next week. And it's worth noting that the events of this story would seem to take place well after the events of Batman Eternal #30, as it sure seems like quite a bit of time has elapsed between the start of this issue and the events of the still-ongoing Batman Eternal series. Honestly, this seems like a comic book that could have waited until after the weekly it's spinning out of wrapped up...or at least started winding down.
As of the events of this week's issue of Batman Eternal, Arkham Asylum has become the demonic beachhead for an invasion of Earth from hell, its inmates transformed into half-human, half-animal monsters, and the embodiment of the wrath of God himself, The Spectre, is there to deal withe the problem. The opening pages of this issue spoils the results of The Spectre's methods for dealing with the problem, as it shows the Asylum collapsing while a beam of green light shoots up and out of it.
Oh, and Alfred Pennyworth has been committed to the asylum by Dr. Thomas "Hush" Elliot, who had previously mainlined Scarecrow'sfear toxin directly into Alfred's brain, rendering him completely insane with terror. Alfred's daughter, Julia, has been filling in for him in the Batcave. And as for Batman, he's busy trying to save the city from Hush's war-on-all-fronts attack on it.
But in this issue, the Asylum's already gone, Julia's MIA, Alfred is back to normal, Bruce Wayne has apparently somehow lost his fortune (?), he and Alfred have completely moved out of Wayne Manor and de-Batmanned the place, they found an apartment downtown and the city bought the Manor and its grounds and completely refurbished it into a state-of-the-art asylum for the criminally insane. And things in Gotham have calmed down sufficiently enough that Batman can launch himself into a long-term, undercover investigation of a pair of murders. That sounds like weeks, if not months, of activity.
For the most part, one doesn't need to know how writer Gerry Duggan got Batman from Point A (Batman Eternal) to Point B (this comic), although that bit about Bruce Wayne having "lost the family fortune" that gets mentioned in passing sounds like a big enough change in status quo that it bears some more detailing.
Taken on its own, divorced from the events of Batman Eternal—which might take some acceptance from and generosity on the part of the reader, given that the book is essentially a Batman Eternal spin-off—the comic's not a bad one, and is actually a pretty good first issue.
So yeah, Arkham Asylum was destroyed, the city doesn't know what to do with the dangerous lunatics kept there and ultimately the mayor seizes the abandoned Wayne Manor and turns it into "Arkham Manor." That's not sitting all that well for Batman and Alfred as is. But then an inmate gets brutally murdered. And then another inmate gets brutally murdered. So Batman takes the case, getting himself committed to Arkham (So yes, this is essentially the same plot as the "Last Arkham" story arc by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle that opened the Batman: Shadow of The Bat ongoing back in 1992, only here Batman creates a new identity, rather than getting committed as Batman, as he did in the earlier story).
Duggan's plotting is pretty tight, and, as first issue's go, this one does everything it needs to, laying out the premise and dangling its hook, offering a reader enough information to know if this is something they want to read to see what happens next or if they want to quit while they're ahead.
I think there are a few missteps though, beyond the forces which Duggan likely couldn't control (Like what month they decided to put the damn thing on the schedule). The Joe Scarborough parody seemed pointlessly distracting, and the joke on page eight went too far, making Batman seem needlessly cruel to the point of being evil (I know Duggan is just trying to make a joke about Batman beating the hell out of street criminals, but the last two panels push a scene that worked perfectly well into the TOO FAR! territory, and Batman out of character, all for the sake of a joke that's not that funny, and could probably have been saved to use in different context somewhere down t he line; it was a rather Kevin Smith-y moment. UPDATE: See Chris Sims' review for more detail on the scene, discussed in a more efficient and entertaining manner than I discussed it here).
|Seriously—I don't get it.
In this issue, Batman fights rioters and police officers, Batwing fights the possessed Arkhamites, the ghost of Deacon Blackfire does something, Hush does something too, The Joker's Daughter also does something, Corrigan erupts a column of green light and a clue The Riddler left a long time ago is finally deciphered and, despite it's solution serving as the cliffhanger moment at the very end of this issue, it's something very obvious and long-apparent.
The artwork this issue is provided by Simon Coleby, and while most of the individual panels look just fine, I had a very hard time telling just what the hell was going on during some pretty important-seeming junctures.
For example, I couldn't make heads or tails of Batwing's fight scene, which mostly involved him posing while surrounded by coloring effects and randomly, generically mutated monster zombie men; it wasn't until he gave a voice command recalling all of his pieces of armor that I realized he had spent the last few pages shooting bits of his Iron Man-like bat-suit at his opponents.
The last three panels on page four, involving Hush, a vial of blood, a cache of Bat-stuff and the sound effect "BIP"...? No idea. Hush has armed...something. Somewhere.
This issue, written as usual by Jeff Parker and illustrated by Brent Schoonover, features the sort of plot that might have appeared in the Batman comics of the late 1950s or maybe even early 1960s, but never would have made it into the show, given the expense it would take to actualize it for the screen. Egghead hyper-evolves himself to enlarge his brain (and thus his head), giving himself incredible mental powers. With those, he devolves Batman and Robin into cavemen...but "The Cavemen Crusaders" retain their mental faculties, despite their more bestial appearance.
You can probably guess how it all ends, but it's still engaging, despite the lack of suspense or tension.
Unlike Batgirl #35, however, this book gets its new direction from Batman Eternal, which it spins directly out of (It would probably have been possible to launch this as Catwoman #1 in 2011 still, but it would lack the relevance and, I suppose, popularity, of spinning directly out of a book co-masterminded by popular Batman writer Scott Snyder).
It has been revealed over the course of the weekly Batman series that Selina Kyle's mysterious real father was actually former Gotham crime lord Rex "The Lion" Calabrese (Catwoman's dad was The Lion get it?!?!?!) and, in last week's issue, Catwoman finally decided to take her old man's advice and inherit control of organized crime in Gotham City. It doesn't mean that Catwoman's made a heel turn—she's been portrayed as a pretty good bad guy, or a slightly bad good guy since at least the early 90s—as she came to that decision after watching the city tear itself apart when there was no one in control. In the pages of Batman Eternal, Catwoman apparently decided to become the benevolent dictator of the Gotham mob.
As with Arkham Manor, this issue seems to be set quite a few weeks after the most recent relevant events of Batman Eternal, but it's shipping date is more logical (Catwoman decided on this path in last week's issue), and there are no truly out-of-left-field developments like Arkham's mention of Bruce Wayne somehow going broke.
The change in direction, with writer Genevieve Valentine and artist Garry Brown doing the steering, is sharp enough that it's practically a change in drama, from street-level superheroics to a fairly straight crime comic (superhero Batman shows up for one scene, but other than that it's all criminals talking crime stuff). Crime comics set in the world of superheroics are nothing new, of course, and the book does in fact read a lot like something that Greg Rucka or Brian Azzarello might have written, but without any of their familiar and sometimes tiresome writing ticks, familiar after years and years of exposure to their writing. Valentine is a prose fiction writer and critic new to the writing of comics, and I don't see any of the obvious or expected weaknesses one generally finds in the work of new comics writer, particularly ones who come to the medium after working extensively in another written medium. There's an awful lot of narration, but only from the lead character, and it works just fine in this particular book, as it is tightly focused on that lead character, never leaving her for even a panel: It is, essentially, a first-person comic book, as far as the script and plot are concerned.
The book opens and returns to some quotes from Queen Elizabeth (the Cate Blanchett one, not the current one), which strikes me as a very 1990s DC thing, but as styles go, that's not a bad one to evoke at all.
Brown's art is similarly familiar to that of the superhero crime drama, with lee Lughridge giving it a rather subdued Vertigo-esque palette in which each scene only seems to have two or three different colors in it.
All in all, it doesn't look, read or feel like much of anything else DC is publishing right now, and I'm having difficulty matching it to any previous Catwoman runs or stories; given how old the character is and how many comics she's starred in at this point, that in an of itself is also something of an accomplishment.
Finally, the book read a lot longer than it's actual 20-page length. I'd certainly recommend it for anyone interested in checking the character out, or trying a new comic book-comic out this week or month.
As for the story, it seems set in the future, but the very near-ish future. Gotham City seems to be out of it's current horrible predicament—like, it's not all in flames, with ghosts and demons roaming its sewers and riots in the streets, at least—so I assume it takes place after the events of Batman Eternal...or, at least, closer to their conclusion.
Selina Kyle, dressed in the suit you see on the cover, with only her whip left over from her previous costume, has taken control of the Calabrese family, with her inner circle consisting of two very loyal young cousins and a second-in-command that doesn't seem to like or trust her and, in fact, is openly hostile and constantly questioning her. She seems to be the new Falcone-like figure, and is something of a civic-minded gang boss, re-investing in the city.
Meanwhile, Selina is trying to convince an Asian crime family to work with them, Batman doesn't like what Catwoman's up to and expresses his concerns during his eight-panel appearance, Black Mask would like to take over and someone other than Selina is wearing a Catwoman costume.
It seems like a very promising start; I hope it fulfills that promise.
If you're worried about the prospect of an out-of-touch, middle-aged comic book writer spending the length of a coomic book clucking about the faults and foibles of the social media generation, well, I don't blame you; but you need not. This is, after all, still Grant Morrison, and it all works out pretty okay.
The title of the issue refers to the name of a fifth-generation super-team a pair of characters—one of whom is the original Green Arrow's granddaughter—are considering forming, before the book abruptly ends with a group of hacked-into Superman robots attacking a random city street (A sense of place is something unfortunately lacking from the artwork in this issue, and the final splash page seems at odds with the direction the script seemed to be going in).
The comic is, in actuality, more of an extended riff on Bob Haney and Dick Dillin's "Super-Sons" from 1973, with grown-up versions of Batman's biological son Damian Wayne and Superman's adopted son Chris Kent in the roles of Batman Jr. and Superman Jr. Set, as those identities reveal, in the pre-Flashpoint universe that seems to have allowed older generations of heroes to actually age and die.
|I think I'd rather read about these guys then the New 52 Leagues.
In a world where Superman and his generation of heroes pretty much eradicated crime and solved all the world's problems, the greatest threats faced by the new generation of heroes are their own boredom and ennui. Before the late Lex Luthor managed to kill Superman, the Man of Steel was able to program his army of Superman robots to take care of pretty much everything (ala the "Superman: King of the World"/Dominus plotline from the early '00s). So now the heroes worry about things like who is and who isn't invited to parties and, for the World's Finest, the fact that Chris Kent doesn't like the fact that Damian is now dating Alexis Luthor.
That changes when one of the younger, newer heroes commits suicide, and a few characters begin to suspect it has something to do with this supposedly haunted comic book (Morrison features a nice, if weird, homage or reference to his own work, in choosing the character who dies, and the reaction of one of the characters, a fairly perfect echo of his own JLA #5).
Morrison includes some of his now probably to-be-expected commentary on the comics industry, with Offspring saying how he much he prefers Marvel (analogue) comics to DC (analogue) comics, and noting how dumb it is that they're killing off everyone in their Ultimate (analogue) line.
I wasn't quite sure what to make of this scene, although there is delight in the sheer surprise of a character in a DC comic book referring to The Sandman as "The Sandman? Neil Gaiman's Sandman?"...
I have to say I really rather enjoyed this particular installment, perhaps moreso than the previous ones, and I suspect that has a lot to do with the simple fact that this one is set in a world that appears to simply be a future version of the DC Universe I grew up reading, and have spent the most time in and thus have the strongest feelings for.
I suppose it helps, too, that Grant Morrison is writing it, and that the designs on so many of the costumes are so sharp. I don't really like the look of the two new Super-Sons, but Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Aquaman? Yeah, I like those (Also? It's just kinda nice to see a character like Garth again and remember, "Oh yeah, he still exists...just not in version of their fictional universe that DC Comics' line is currently devoted to chronicling).
The art in this issue is provided by Ben Oliver, with Dan Brown assisting with colors. I don't care for his style, which looks a lot like the cover of a Marvel comic from the earlier '00s. The acting is fine, and the panel-to-panel reading experience okay, but, as I've already mentioned, there's no sense of place, thanks to the minimal backgrounds. Batman's apartment in Gotham City, the Nevada dessert, Sasha Norman's Malibu home, a Suicide Slum art gallery, the streets of Metropolis, everything looks the exact same, and its all overly-lit, like an old-fashioned TV that needs its dials adjusted, and colored in the same over-exposed palette.
It was the worst-looking of the Multiversity books so far, but then, the series has some of the best artists who work for DC lined-up to draw them. Overall, it was probably the best script Morrison's produced for the series so far, in that it is actually a complete story all its own (the previous issue, set on the pulp-inspired world, just sort of wandered off, as it was meant to feed into the series' conclusion. I expect this book will too, but Morrison doesn't structure the story around the mega-story of The Multiversity as blatantly here; the plot elements from the previous books are present, but are not the focus).
And I just kind of appreciate the fact that the book was strong enough that I went and checked the indica during a certain point, when Batman combs through a comic book collection of one of the characters, only to discover that the comics' publishing indica say they came from cities that don't exist...on that Earth.
Scour the cover and you'll see such unlikely characters as pre-New 52, J'onn J'onnz, Plastic Man, Jim Balent's Catwoman, and Silver Age Krypto...but don't get too excited; they're likely just random characters cover artist Ryan Sook chose to illustrate the fact that the red stuff in the background is The Bleed between Earths in the Multiverse.
Also, there's a pretty good banana joke occurring in the background of one scene.
The story continues the one from the previous issue, without resolving it yet: Captain America is being sued for his pre-Captain America actions that led to the death of a young man. Is he really guilty? Cap himself seems interested in having the American legal system determine that for him, as he's asked his friend Matt Murdock to take the case and fight as hard as he can to get a guilty verdict, while Jen Walters defends him. That's such a Cap thing to do, isn't it?


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Yes, it's true that there is now more horse power on the property, though not full size for sure.
Yes, it is a scooter, and ever since seeing Larry Crown, I have wanted one.
Of course in a perfect world where money is not an issue, I would of looked at a Vespa. But alas, this is not a perfect world and I got this little 2010 150cc Flyscooter Rio for a very small price, compared to a Vespa.
My new scooter Daisy, has 121 miles on it. Ken test drove it, and said all seems well and it was just peppy enough. It came with a helmet, a trunk, a windshield and even has a cover...which in this wet state, is not a bad idea, though we will keep it garaged.
My horses could care less, the dogs just wanted to smell it to decipher more about any recent dogs that have claimed it...and my grand kids are thrilled!
I have signed up for the State Motorcycle training program, to get my license endorsed, and of course teach me to ride it as well! I figure if my sister can have a Harley, I can have a Scooter!
I think that it will be fun on back road rides, and will avoid highways, even though it can go on them.
We do have a trailer that we can use to take it to the sunny side of the state, to play as well. I think scooter'ing in Leavenworth would be fun!
My grown kids think I have lost my mind... but wait til they are my age...they may be riding scooters too!
Anyone out there have one, and how do you like it?
Your blogger friend,


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For those of you who don't know our story, Jason and I met in college at Texas State, fell madly in love and decided to move in together just after graduation. Yep, we graduated on the same day, which was absolutely amazing! The day you graduate from college is a grand day in and of itself, but to have the person you love the most, right there with you the entire time, going through the same feelings of accomplishment, relief and happiness is just beyond words. The fact that our families were there to share the special day with us and meet for the first time was the frosting on the cupcake. I could seriously dedicate an entire post to that day, but that's not what I wanted to write about today.
Back to the point of this post --> So, after graduation, I made the 3 mile move, with all of my belongings, to Jason's tiny two-room 450 sq. ft apartment where we remained from December of 2010 through the end of May 2011 before making the executive decision to move 28 miles north to the spectacular city of Austin. After deliberating between apartment complexes and a few pro/con lists, we chose our current complex in Southwest Austin. We originally moved into a 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit around 1,000 sq. ft, but at the end of our 15-month lease in August 2012, we received horrible news that if we wanted to stay in our current unit, our monthly rent would be increasing by about $200/month. Not something we were giddy about, to say the least. We weighed our options and decided that it would be smarter to stay in the same complex and just switch to a smaller, more affordable unit that way our hefty deposits would transfer and we wouldn't have to pay them all over again somewhere else. So we moved to a 1 bedroom, 1 bath with a similar floor plan as the 2/2, just minus the extra bed and bath. We've been fairly happy with this complex, aside from a few hiccups here and there, but we have come to the conclusion that we're both just sick and tired of apartments. Between next-door neighbors constantly slamming their doors and the unorganized, impervious management team, we're just ready for the next step which, for us, is a rental home.
We've already been casually looking online at rental homes in the area to get a feel for our options come the end of September when we'll start actively looking for a place with a realtor. We would really like to stay on the South side of the city because we've been really happy with the area, and it's only a 10-15 minute commute to work for both of us.
Thanks to House Hunters, and basically everything else on HGTV, I have been keeping a mental list of things I am hoping for in our rental home. I know it's not permanent, because we will be looking to purchase and actually own a house in the not-so-distant future. (We are choosing to just rent for now because our current occupations and financial situations will most likely be changing within the next couple of years). I realize I am not going to be absolutely in love with every aspect of the house, and I will not be able to make any major changes, but here are a few things I am wishing for:
1. Hard floors. This is very important to me. Every apartment Jason and I have lived in together has had primarily carpet floors, and when you have three pets, two of which vomit frequently, you get disgusted after scrubbing mess after mess out of the carpet and then having to look at reddish-orange stains all over the floor for the foreseeable future. I CANNOT deal with carpet again - at least in the main living areas of the house. It's fine in the bedroom; although, I would prefer hard floors throughout. My first choice is obviously authentic, hard wood flooring, but even fake, laminate wood would be fine with me in a rental. My second choice is stained concrete, and my third is tile.
2. Laundry room. An actual, WALK-IN laundry ROOM, not a closet. We have so much crap piled up in our small laundry closet, and our stackable washer/dryer doesn't even completely fit. We can't close the doors! It doesn't necessarily look bad, but it would be nice to have a actual little room for all of that junk, out of sight and away from the main living area.
3. A backyard. This is something I don't Jason or myself will waiver on. Our poor dog Fozzie hasn't had a real backyard in the longest time. She is eleven years old and starting to show her age. She absolutely adores being outside. When we lived in San Marcos, we would let her out onto the balcony, and she would just sit and stare, mesmerized by everything going on out there for hours. I really want her to be able to enjoy that outside time again.
4. A fairly large kitchen with lots of counter space. Jason and I both love to cook, and we like to be able to spread out our ingredients and cookware and feel comfortable in the cooking process. We also have some large appliances and other items that we like to keep on the countertops - the Keurig, the regular coffee maker, the K-cup carousel, a couple of fruit/veggie bowls, the Crockpot and the toaster.
6. Garage. This definitely isn't at the top of my list, but I know Jason wants one, and it will be good for some extra storage. It'll also be nice during these hot Texas summers when I'm climbing into my black-interior car in the middle of the afternoon.
These are the main draws for me in finding a suitable rental home when it comes time to move in early November. I would be happy to hear your thoughts on the process because this is all fairly new to me. Is there anything else I should be picky about when house hunting? Do you think I'm being too picky and should be more open?


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eBeanstalk is not just your average toy site. eBeanstalk takes the time to Select the best toys, books & games to help children grow and learn and brings them together in one spot for parents like us.
I can't lie I love to spoil the kids with toys but there are plenty of toys that are educational as well as fun. Why not make the most out of playtime? ebeanstalk also offers some great choices when looking for baby gifts.
Ebeanstalk is an amazing site I came across while searching for Kids Toys. So when I was asked about some possible product testing I of course jumped at the opportunity.
As a Mother with children who range in ages is nice to find a place where I can find not only Baby toys, but toddler toys and Kids toys as well. And all categorized into the appropriate age brackets so I can quickly navigate by which child I am shopping for.
I was sent this great game Pick a Paint great for children ages 8 and up. This game is among the many great educational games and learning toys ebeanstalk has to offer.
Pick A Paint comes with 20 symbol cards and 28 color cards in red, yellow, blue, green, orange, pink, and purple.
The Object:
After shuffling the symbol cards you place them randomly in a 4 by 5 grid on the floor or table. The color cards are also shuffled and dealt 3 to a player and the rest placed in a draw pile. The youngest player going first, paints the symbol card with the number one with a color in their hand. The next player does the same by proceeding to paint the numbers, in order. The trick being not to repeat a color in any horizontal or vertical row. A player must put one of the cards in their hand down before picking up a new one even if that means they must repeat a color.
The starting player turns over their card in the number one spot, the next player turns over their number to card, and so on. Until a mistake is made by color being repeated. If a mistake is found, the player who made the mistake gets a penalty point. The player with the least penalty points wins!
Buy It: Pick A Paint can be purchased on the ebeanstalk site for only 9.95 and provides children with educational fun.
This was not a paid post and honest opinions were used. Products in this review were provided to me free of cost by manufacturer or Pr agency for review only and in no way influence my opinion. My opinions however are mine and yours may differ. Full disclosure always located in nav bar .


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MEXICO CITY — The Zona Rosa, or Pink Zone, is an enclave of European influence and sophistication in the heart of bustling Mexico City. The area`s continental ambience is suggested by street names: Londres, Genova, Hamburgo, Florencia and others. Many of these charming avenues are for pedestrians only, and they`re lined with some of the capital`s best hotels and restaurants, plus delightful shops and boutiques offering an impressive variety of Mexican and foreign-made goods. Visitors to Mexico City find the Zona Rosa irresistible.
The shopping is superb. Best buys include clothing, handicrafts, leather goods and jewelry. It`s a good idea to shop around before buying. Quality and prices vary greatly from store to store and it`s always disappointing to turn a corner and see a somewhat better version of something you`ve just purchased --at half the price. But with continued devaluation of the peso, Mexico is one place in the world where prices for buyers with American dollars will


text: January 4, 2012BYU started today. After we had prayer and Brad was on his way out, I yelled, "Wait!" Of course I needed a picture of his first day of school. You have to remember this was about 7 am and he was already smiling! Brad is teaching 2 Missionary Preparation classes and 4 Book of Mormon classes. He's a busy boy!


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red hots wreath form ribbon (festive 4th of July colors) hot glue gun Dimensional Magic (Or spray polyurethane) coordinating We then began to assemble our wreaths. We started by wrapping our wreaths in red ribbon. (The wider the better, takes less time!) Then we glued our red hots on the wreath form starting with the top and then working our way around the side, middle and back. Next coat the wreath with your Dimensional Magic or polyurethane. If you brush on either, only do it once or the color may come off the red hots (One used a spray, and it worked the best, I highly reccomend this option)As the wreath dries you can get to work on your rocket, or stars. I went with stars only because I need something flat on my door, limited width. Finally, take your two coordinating ribbons and loop them through the middle of the wreath. Hot glue them together in the back. Then stand back and admire your work!
And here is the final product, I LOVE how it turned out and am just feeding my wreath fetish. How many is too many wreaths????


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Cruzeiro Hotel Accommodation
Search 10 hotels in Cruzeiro
Collect 10 nights, get 1 reward night
And look out for Secret Prices on selected hotels
Where to stay in Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro overviewIf you're looking for a new favorite getaway, look no further than Cruzeiro. You can take in the local culture of Cruzeiro at Major Novaes History and Teaching Museum and Capitolio Municipal Theater. While you're in town, don't miss out on other sights including Rotunda Cultural Center.
Where to stay in CruzeiroA city welcoming to all, Cruzeiro has a variety of hotels and other lodging options. We have 14 hotels with room prices starting at 24 USD per night, some with discounts of up to 10%.
How to get to CruzeiroFly in to Resende (REZ), 34 mi (54.8 km) from downtown Cruzeiro.
What to see around CruzeiroHighlights of the area include:
- • Major Novaes History and Teaching Museum
- • Capitolio Municipal Theater
- • Rotunda Cultural Center
When to visit CruzeiroDo you want to know the ideal time of year to visit? Here's a list of the seasonal weather norms to help with trip planning:
Seasonal temperature averages
- • January-March: 81°F day, 62°F night
- • April-June: 81°F day, 51°F night
- • July-September: 80°F day, 51°F night
- • October-December: 80°F day, 60°F night
- • January-March: 22.13 inches
- • April-June: 9.41 inches
- • July-September: 7.28 inches
- • October-December: 22.68 inches


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Saturday, November 19, 2011
Every year Thanksgiving rolls around giving us the opportunity to reflect on the
blessings enriching our lives.
You all know I adore my daughter. She has not had an easy life, thanks to my ex-husband's
family doctor who decided to dabble in obstertics on Fridays.
My mother-in-law, a harridan I am CERTAIN the weather agencies named Hurricane Irene after and her son, my ex, browbeat me during those two years in Erie, to let Dr. Let Me Deliver Your Medical Care ONLY On
Fridays, treat me, even when I came came down with pneumonia on MONDAY, during my pregnancy with Kat.
I am in awe of my beloved daughter. She deals with the residual devastation with such equinimity, compassion, ear-to-ear smiles, and a heart bigger than the entire width and girth of the Universe.
I don't know how other mothers and daughters relate to each other, but there isn't a day that I don't thank My Creator, for Kat.
Lea Schizas...
Publisher extraordinaire...I hope all of us
lucky enough to now be part of this
miracle you and
Litsa Kamateros work so very hard for, know what
angels you both are. You gave Kat and I the bridge to come out of our seclusion and experience the wonders and wonderful people Muse draws together.
Thank you both. I don't know if we'll ever be able to adequately describe and define all that the two of you have done for ALL Musers...but especially us.
Kat was honored to step up and take the extra duty of the reviews from you, to leave you able to concentrate on other things for the betterment of all that is Muse.
Many think Kat got her position out of some sort of favortism. But we know it came about only because Kat asked if there was anything we could do to help lessen your burden.
Since then she has worked hard to not let you down. Even through the horrible aftermaths of her
more violent seizures, she's worked hard to send off the reviewes, but also to court new review sites willing to accept the genré's Muse offers. I hope you know if there is anything else we can do to aide you, we're only
a heartbeat away.
Litsa...you guided me during the aftermath of a seizure Kat had that nearly
drove me to my knees and back into seculsion.
She'd been filing her nails at the onset of the seizure, and stabbed herself repeatedly in the chest with that file. As a mother, seeing that thing sticking out of her chest when the seizure abated,
turned my world upside down.
YOU helped me find the resources to further protect her against that ever happening again.
Thank You My Cherished Friend.
Stephanie and Matt...how do you thank people with
hearts as huge as yours? When the governor took away my yearly ability to pay for the seizure-proofing of our home, and replacing old, warn out equipment, you two stepped up, but went beyond just that. You gave me the
peace of mind only those we trust as family can.
Family does not always need to carry the same
DNA. Sometimes family shares similar pathways that lead them to each other. Kat and I thank the
Universe for leading us to you two.
Brad...you gave me your
brotherly love, but you also gave me back my brother's name. I was not close with Don at the end...mostly because we were in
hiding...the family was safer not knowing where we were...but it hurt thinking the brother I'd grown up with became the greedy, short-cutting demon I'd been told he'd become.
You gave me back my assurance in my beliefs in who Don was...but you've done so much more.
Thank You My Brother. You hold a place firmly embedded
inside my heart.
Kevin H. I don't see you online much any more and
I miss you. I hope all is well with you, and you know you ALSO hold a piece of my heart. Happy Thanksgiving to you Kevin and your beautiful wife.
Karen and Todd...
I do not know what I have ever done in my life to have deserved the vastness of your love and attention.
We are so far below your league, yet you, like Matt and Stephanie made it possible for me to upgrade the safe area in our apartment for Kat. I will never be able to thank you enough for helping me take care of Kat.
My Angel-Girl, you fill my heart and soul with riches one cannot place a price tag upon. I wish I deserved it, but from the bottom of my heart I say...
Thank You.
Gail...what a whirlwind of love and spirit you are.
For a very long time I hankered for sisters, girlfriends. Most women from my past wanted nothing to do with me because
I was a size four and to my confused regret, seemed to capture the eyes of their mates. I assure you, I did NOT want that.
Recently one of the male drivers for my medical transport told me
men are going to always look my way.
(I got good legs, but I'm looonnngg in the tooth!)
He said I move like someone much younger...(odd that with nerve damage down the right leg, and two knees that scream when I use them.) But Gail, you and
Tanja created linsladies to honor the close
sisterhood that's developed between us.
With you and Tanja,
our Matlese Falconess, Kat and I have sisters so staunchly in our corner, a certain top male romance icon's ears should have burned down to cinders for daring to diss Kat not that long ago.
Glenn...my dearest friend and mentor..I don't give my love and trust easily, especially to men, but you, my Dear Man,
captured my heart the first time I read
THE LAST DAY only to have my ADMIRATION, not love...I don't think it's possible to love you more than I have from the beginning...with
I was asked why I love it that you
POKE me all the time on FaceBook, and I responded without second thought..."I love it because at that moment, this incredible man I so deeply admire, is thinking about 'ME!' despite his busy, busy life."
What's NOT to love?
Every POKE is like a hug, Glenn, and brings tears to my eyes. You have given me more than I can ever begin to
thank you for.
N.J....Kat's mentor. I would cherish you alone for the joy you give Kat. She beams like a radiant
nova every time she speaks of you. Her love for you is deep and abiding. That alone would make you one of my champions, but you extended, like Glenn, your affection to include me, just as Glenn extended his to include Kat.
How in this vast crazy world did we get so lucky?
You two are who we hope to grow up to be, but until then, your
love and affection is a miracle we never expected to find and do not take for granted.
Claire...family comes into our world from places we do not expect.
I miss you so much. And Love you deeply. I'm still here, Sweetie, and always will be.
Karen and Hugh...you left us too soon, but are not gone. You live on in those you touched who wish they had one more moment to grab onto the
sparkling joy you brought us all the moments we were blessed to have you in our lives. Rest well my friends and know you will never be forgotten.
JJ...you're still in my heart, memories, and my soul. Time nor cancer will ever change that.
Chris, Nancy, Greta, Carrie, Queen of the Dragons our very own
Tir, Elle, Heather, Graheme,
Oh So Sexy Jim, Jerry, KayDee, Chrystalla, Christine, Madeleine, Sue, Amy, Wendy, Michelle, Laurann, Honoria, KS, Kaye, Mike and Cynthia, Barbara B & E, Suzannah, Emmy, Rose O., Ginger, Rosalie, Penny, Roseanne, Killarney, Audrey, Eric, Kyla, Sam, Mari, Brooklyn, Abigail, Sydney, Alicia, Gabe, Parker, Claire, Winnie, Bette, Dee and John, Zeddig and Steve...and the list goes on are our Thanksgiving gifts today, yesterday, and all the tomorrows to come.
Love You All...and from the bottom of our hearts,
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When Kelly stepped to the par-3 fourth hole, he was two shots behind Els, who looked like his smooth-swinging, Big Easy persona the first two rounds. But Kelly stunningly caught his playing partner with a 4-iron shot that hit the green, bounced to the flag stick and dropped in.
And Kelly wasn't done.
Kelly finished with a 67 and, at 13 under, stood a stroke ahead of Els (71), who drained a 35-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, and Kevin Na (66).
Masters winner Zach Johnson kept up his inspired play after his emotional, draining triumph at Augusta National. His 66 left him four shots back along with Stephen Ames (64), Vaughn Taylor (67), Sean O'Hair (69) and Stephen Leaney (70).
Els seemed ready to end his nearly three-year PGA TOUR victory drought and cap a lengthy comeback since knee surgery in 2005. He made only one bogey the first 36 holes, his two 65s leaving him a shot off the tournament's halfway scoring mark.
But Els was off target from the start Saturday. He drove right into some trees on the first hole, then struck a tree with his next shot. His third landed in a bunker and Els ended with a double-bogey 6. He steadied himself two holes later with a birdie that pushed him two shots in front of Kelly -- and set up Kelly's dramatic ace.
After the tee shot went in, Els high-fived Kelly, who raised both arms in celebration. When Kelly pulled the ball from the cup, he gestured to throw it into the gallery before abruptly stopping and shaking his head 'No,' a big smile on his face.
'Not many times things go the way you plan them,' Kelly said. 'That went in the way I planned it.'
It was the 12th ace at the Verizon Heritage, which has been played on Harbour Town Golf Links since 1969.
Kelly's three-shot margin disappeared with a pair of bogeys on the 13th and 15th holes. But he regained the lead when Els had more tree problems, this time on the 16th. Els drove behind the large tree on the right side of the fairway. His approach struck the branches and landed about 50 yards away, leading to a bogey.
Johnson continued to show he wasn't out of game after his big victory and three days of celebrations and celebrity meetings. He shot a 66 -- improving by two strokes for third straight round -- and had a chance to become the first Masters winner to follow with victory here since Bernhard Langer in 1985.
Johnson didn't spend much time practicing since gaining the green jacket. After all, there were TV appearances like David Letterman to make and dignitaries like presidential candidate Barack Obama to meet. So Johnson called on last week's momentum to keep him going here. 'I still feel the good vibes from last week,' he said.
Ames' 64 was his best round of the year, surpassing a 67 last month in the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. ... Threatening weather led organizers to move back Sunday's tee times to 11 a.m. with groups of three going off the first and 10th tees. ... Overheard along the third hole, a spectator from the Northeast talking of Sunday's impending storm: 'Enjoy the snow. Make sure you plow my driveway.' Harbour Town was expecting severe thunderstorms forecast for overnight and early Sunday morning.
Related Links:


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My total Webanswers earnings for the month are approaching $10 which is alot less than I expected but I guess I abandoned the site for well over a year and it takes a while to get your presence and earnings back again.If you still ask and answer questions for Webanswers please share your experiences below.
Monday, 13 April 2015
Webanswers earnings April 2015
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- 22 April 2015 at 21:48


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Moral fears about drink have often exercised British newspapers, something that soon became apparent when I began compiling material for Double Measures: The Guardian Book of Drinking. From concerns in the 1860s about drunken children, the dangers of absinthe, the very act of drinking itself during WW1 to current debates about 24-hour licensing, the paper has not been afraid to warn of the dangers of drinking alcohol. That said, the editorial lectures are leavened by plenty of celebratory pieces about all things grape and grain.
Many of the articles were accompanied by cartoons. As Drawing Drunks, a new exhibition at the Cartoon Museum demonstrates, artists and cartoonists have long played out the dilemmas over drink in the country's press. The Today Programme recently reported on the exhibition and a number of cartoons can be seen here (unfortunately the museum's site is a little out of date). One of the most famous is William Hogarth's Gin Lane.
Read Martin Rowson's piece about the love-hate relationship between editors and cartoonists here.


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It breaks my heart to see the shame that people with a mental illness seem to always carry. It's always there is some shape or form, like a dark cloud hovering over one's head. We are all children of God, made in his image; that must make each one of us special. Loved ones seem to carry the same shame. People with mental illness were created with the genes to have it, just as gender and race are determined by our genes; just as those born with the gene for diabetes or a weak heart, there is no fault here.
I am a Christian that lives with chronic, disabling, invisible illness. My path has changed, but God is leading the way and my light in the darkness. Won't you join me as I navigate new territory? As a family member of someone with a mental illness and someone currently experiencing multiple chronic illnesses, we have invited God into the deeper parts of ourselves.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
For Everyone
When it feels like you're at the end, it's a new beginning.
Christ will carry you and get you through.
I aim for not being at the end, before I submit to Christ
And lay my burdens at the cross.
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Corrie's Audrey Roberts to suffer heart attack
- Bang Showbiz
- 17 April 2012
'Coronation Street's Audrey Roberts will collapse with a heart attack in front of her horrified family after a row with grandson David Platt
'Coronation Street's Audrey Roberts will collapse with a heart attack in front of her horrified family.
The soap hairdresser - played by Sue Nicholls, 68 - will be struck down during Monday's (23.04.12) episode and taken to hospital after a row with her bad boy grandson David Platt over the ownership of her salon.
Sue and the 'Coronation Street' team worked closely with the British Heart Foundation to accurately portray the scenes.
Sue said: "The foundation put me in touch with some ladies who had suffered similar attacks. Many women will identify with Audrey's lifestyle - she works long hours, has little exercise and enjoys a tipple. It could happen to anyone of us, not just middle-aged men."
David and Audrey have been at war over who owns the hair salon, with David getting his grandmother arrested last week when she tried to remove his new sign.
Audrey in turn hit David with a court injunction in order to get her business back but the stress of the situation will land her in hospital.
A terrified David dials 999 and his wife Kylie (Paula Lane) and Audrey's daughter Gail (Helen Worth) all rush with the crimper to hospital.


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Handedness of door locksThis is the 'handedness' of the lock. Rather than left or right, it's defined as clockwise or counter-clockwise. The seemingly-correct 'handedness' for my locks -- from the inside -- is clockwise to lock, counter-clockwise to unlock. But the handle's twist-latch turns counter-clockwise to lock. I set out to reverse this. And failed.
What I learned about lock handednessI found some locksmith discussion web-sites where other people had asked about this. There was a lot of confused replies as most people thought the original poster was an idiot who couldn't figure-out how to remove and reverse the inside/outside orientation. Eventually I learned the following:
- Some commercial locks are designed to have their handedness reversed but most residential locks are not.
- When you flip a deadbolt from left-open to right-open, the handedness reverses too since the door-open action is the lock. But when you reverse the direction on a handle the door-open mechanism reverses but not the internal locking mechanism.
- Kwikset handles are all designed with a clockwise unlock. So in order for their handles and deadbolts to have the same handedness you need to use them on left-handed doors.
- Schlage handles are the opposite, they're designed with a counter-clockwise unlock. So their handles and deadbolts only match when used on right-handed doors.
I went to Home Depot and inspected the lockset displays. I also asked the employees in that department but they were unaware of this issue. They said people usually just accepted the mismatched handedness. Maybe now they'll ask customers which way their doors open and use that as a means of recommending one brand over another:


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I'm sitting here, in my electric-blanket-heated bed, with a belly almost too full of mojito cupcake, and it occurs to me that life is good. I passed my exams [whoop!], my favourite season is in full swing, and my only problems are too much cake and too little time.
My past two weeks have been spent doing absolutely nothing, I'm very happy to say, lots of afternoon teas and country walks and knitting scarves and getting to know my family's two new puppies. Museums and cinema trips and a very belated Christmas present of a Bon Iver gig.
Tomorrow I start back at university, and while I'm not exactly thrilled about the upcoming week of lectures, there's some part of me that relishes these fresh starts. New topics, unopened notebooks, fresh pages, old faces, you know the drill. Early starts, however, are going to be the death of me.
I've been a bit naughty with my new music - downloaded the new Feist, Ryan Adams, Blind Pilot and Laura Marling albums, but I've yet to give them a sit down-headphones on listen. Here's a couple of tunes anyway:
Mates Of State - Desire
Aunt Martha - Sodom, South Georgia [Iron & Wine cover]
Radical Face - Always Gold