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Summer Movie Stuff
So the Summer is half over and the usual bunch crap has been dumped out for the movie going public to sit through because hey, it's hot outside. And like the rest of you I've sat through my share of dross. For no purpose other than to vent my spleen ( I have to vent it occasionally or it explodes and makes a big mess) here are my utterly valueless thoughts on what I've seen so far this summer...By the way, these are just Chock a Block with spoilers, so if you still want to see any of these and you dont wanna know, stop reading now...Seriously...Right now
X Men : The Last Stand- So Bryan Singer makes the first 2 X Men movies, and they are generally well-written, and while the action in them is good (particularly in the second) what really makes them work are the way the characters are handled. Yes, they are from a comic book, but Singer never makes them cardboard. They are real people, all with their own issues, flaws, prejudices. They just happen to have these powers which, for the most part only add to their problems. They make them different, and we all know how well people with differences are tolerated
It's clear where we're going from the first scene in the Original X Men Movie. In the Warsaw Ghetto of World War II, 13 year old Eric Lehnsherr is being separated from his family who are being put on the trains for the concentration camps. As he is being dragged away by Nazi soldiers, he reaches out towards his parents and the fences between them begin to buckle and collapse, and only a rifle butt to young Eric's head keeps them from being destroyed completely...Eric grows up to be Magneto, and he's the VILLAIN of the piece
This scene signaled that this wasn't going to be just another comic book movie (and by the way, most people who use the term comic book dismissively haven't actually read one in the past 3 decades. Some of the best writing I've seen is going on in so-called comic books, courtesy of the likes of Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, Judd Winick, and Kevin Smith...yes, THAT Kevin Smith, about whom more later).
I wish there was something in the 3rd installment of the series that came close to matching that one scene, but alas Bryan Singer apparently took all that good stuff with him when he decided not to carry on with the trilogy and took, what from all reports was an offer he couldn't refuse from Warner Bros. to resuscitate the Superman franchise (whether that proved to be a wise move, gentle readers, we shall see later).
X Men: The Last Stand is at its best during the many action sequences. It's good that it has a lot of them, because when it tries to tell a real story, it falls flat on its ass. And here's where Singer's touch is missing. The established characters seem to be phoning it in as if to say "I only signed on for 3 of these things, and this is the last one", the acting equivalent of a kid watching the clock on the last day of school before Summer. Sir Ian steals the movie yet again, but he doesn't have much in the way of competition this time. Jackman's Wolverine goes through the motions, but the edge is gone. Halle Berry, who apparently demanded her part be expanded or she wasn't going to do the film, needn't have bothered ( Geek Note: I always thought Angela Bassett would have made a much better Storm who, as the name tends to imply, is supposed to have power. Ms. Berry is just pretty, whereas Ms. Bassett would have been a badass) And Famke Janssen as Phoenix (the resurrected Dr. Jean Grey who it turns out , after 2 previous movies where it is never mentioned, has a split personality), who is a fine actress normally, lets the jaundiced makeup and contacts do most of the work for her. James Marsden doesn't get much chance to grow in the character of Cyclops because he gets killed off in the first half hour by the aforementioned Phoenix (probably as punishment for also following Bryan Singer to Metropolis). I missed Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, and resented the substitution of Kelsey Grammer as the Beast (Apparently youre only allowed 2 blue mutants per movie, and since Rebecca Romijn is always one of them...) Anna Paquin as Rogue seems to have decided to get off this train too, although its just as well. They never knew what to do with her character after the first one, anyway.
And since there will no doubt be a mass defection of the principals after this movie (Don't let the "Last Stand" thing fool ya, they've left plenty of wiggle room for sequels, as evidenced by the tag after the closing credits. Have we learned nothing from Friday the 13th movies?) we are introduced to a whole new crop of mutants, bad and good (Remember, Bryan Singer's gone and there are no shades of gray here) Unfortunately they're not given enough to do so you can't tell whether they can carry a movie or not. Again lots of action...little character. You don't know these people because, unlike the first 2 films, these are Action Figures not realized characters. And the film is a lot like those games you played with them as a kid, only with better effects and waaaay more
The Movie does get bonus points, however, for discovering yet another use for CGI. In the opening sequence Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen, in a flashback, visit the Young Jean Grey. The two have had 20 years digitally knocked off of them, without ever having to go near a plastic surgeon. This means, of course, that we'll be seeing Sharon Stone's cooch for another few decades, but I guess you have to take the good with the bad...But we'll leave Basic Instinct 2 for someone with a stronger stomach.
The DaVinci Code: Didn't read the book. Don't really get the controversy. I'm just judging it as a movie, and as a movie...Well...About 20 minutes in, my body had its own review...I fell asleep. During my nap, I apparently missed 3 more murders, but I noticed that our heroes (Audrey Tautou and the Weirdly Haired Tom Hanks) weren't much further ahead from when I was awake, but Ian McKellen was there, and since he wasn't wearing a red cape this time, I felt safe in assuming that I hadn't woke up in the middle of X Men III again. The movie is confusing enough without having missed a good portion of it. Ron Howard and Akiva Goldsman have revived the trick they used in "A Beautiful Mind" of floating text magically rearranging itself into some pattern that is supposed to make sense...It doesnt , but its still a neat effect (and if I were them I wouldn't do it again). And Hanks looks tired in the movie, not exactly the attitude you want in a thriller (and possibly what led to my slumber...Sympathy Sleep). And the surprise ending is no big surprise even if you missed stuff...And the tag after the real climax doesnt make any sense, but there you go. It fits the rest of the movie perfectly in that respect. The pacing is sluggish (also not a big seller in a thriller) and the dialogue has to do a lot of work in getting the plot over and ends up sounding like a series of disconnected lectures. It could use a few more jokes too.
As for the plot points that have everybodys spiritual knickers in a twist, a couple of things:
1) Since when are the Gospels considered "history"?
2) For you to buy into the central conceit of this movie requires leaps of logic, coincidence, and credibility that even Superman couldn't make...Speaking of which...
Superman Returns: In 1932 a couple of bespectacled nerds ( the original comic book geeks) created a Pop Culture Icon, and a fantasy for every kid who ever got picked on for being different. After six years of trying they unwittingly sold the rights to said Icon for 132 bucks (They thought they were selling a story. They didnt realize they were selling the rights to the character as well. They were kids.)
Nearly 70 years later their creation, Superman, is back on the big screen for the 9th time (Yes, I can count. Take the Fleischer Cartoons as a body, and dont forget the 2 Kirk Alyn Serials and that Superman and the Mole Men, George Reeves debut in the role that made/doomed him, was a movie first...Geez... How geek defensive was that? ). Yes, Superman Returns and having seen the movie twice now (IMAX 3D and regular), I'm still not sure how I feel about that.
Here's the thing. I'm in the middle of writing a musical about Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the aforementioned bespectacled nerds, and I've been immersed in research about them, their creation, changes the character went through over the years, the various media versions...So for the past little while I've been totally swamped by the Superman Mythos. Therefore I feel I come to this discussion with some credentials, for lack of a better term.
I've been wrestling over my thoughts about this film for a while now, and they are a mixed bag to say the least. I guess its easiest to break it down into what I liked, and what I didnt like about it. The simplest ways are often the best
Like: The fact that the movie actually, finally, got made after being talked about for nearly 10 years. I'm also glad it wasn't made by Tim Burton, with Nicolas Cage in the lead.
Didn't Like: The almost slavish dedication to the Richard Donner films from the opening credits, to the attitude, to the look (mostly), to the end fly by (at least they didn't do the patented Chris Reeve smile at the camera, but I bet they wanted to). Yes, they were good (I say they in anticipation of the long awaited Richard Donner Cut of Superman II coming in November. To me the existing version has always looked like it was mashed together [the credited director being Richard Lester, who was brought on after Donner was fired, and did a lot of reshooting] with completely different visions of the material. So different, in fact, that you can pretty much go through the movie and tell which director did what scene.) but I think it was a mistake to make it a virtual sequel to Superman II (presumably the Donner Version) and not start over again a la Batman Begins. I know we dont need another version of the origin story, but a new approach wouldn't have been unwelcome.
Liked: That Jack Larson and Noel Neill actually got speaking parts in the movie (albeit small ones) and not just cutesy cameos. They've done their time for Big Blue and they deserved it.
Didn't Like: Kate Bosworth's Lois Lane. She's cute and all, but where was the spark, the fire, the (dare I say it?) spunk? I didn't buy her at all. There was no there, there. And considering it's supposed to be one of the great romances in pop culture, that's kind of a big thing.
Liked: Brandon Routh's Clark Kent. Yes, it was a virtual Chris Reeve impression, but it had its own little tics and foibles. (By the way, much was made about how much he looks like Reeve, which didn't floor me nearly as much as how much he SOUNDS like Reeve.)
Didn't Like: Brandon Routh's Superman. Here's where Routh and Reeve part ways. How do you play an all powerful being who at his core has to be not only human, but humanity at its best (even though hes an alien)? Reeve was confident, but not cocky. Sincere without being a goody two shoes (... he looks at Lois underwear, fer cryin out loud, and probably had before she asked the question...and she's embarrassed, he's not) Superior without being smug. He knows what he is, what he can do, and he's only here to help. You believe him when he says with a completely straight face (and despite the whole double life thing) "I never lie". And, maybe most importantly, Reeve's Superman has a sense of humor. The most you can say about Brandon Routh's take on the Man of Steel is that he's stoic. He takes his job way too seriously, so much so that when he tries to pull off one of the signature lines from the first movie ("I hope this little incident hasn't put you off flying. Statistically its still the safest form of travel") It falls flat. I'm not ragging on the poor guy, though. It's a hard part to get right. Hell, only one actor has been able to pull it off so far. 9-1 are pretty long odds. Also the new suit doesn't help...The rubber/leather wear look is more suitable for fetishism than heroics, and the S is too small.
Liked: Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor. He brought something to the role that no other actor, save John Shea in "Lois and Clark" has. Danger. Gene Hackman was having way too much fun., Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville) has yet to scare me, but Spacey's Luthor is funny, brilliant, and teetering on the brink of insanity. Now if we could just get rid of the lousy sidekicks... (Sorry, Parker).
Didn't Like: The Fact that Lex Luthor is the only Superman villain deemed worthy of screentime. I have one word for the producers of the presumed sequel (although until the domestic grosses hit 200 million, that isn't a given). Brainiac. Take a look at "Superman: The Animated Series". You'll see what I mean.
Liked: The Effects. Absolutely Amazing. This time I believed a man was flying.
Didn't Like: Superman's powers have gotten way out of hand. In his original incarnation Superman could jump over buildings, lift cars, and "nothing less than a bursting shell could pierce his tough skin". I'll accept flight as a substitute for jumping around like a grasshopper. Strength, sure. Near invulnerability, fine. But He Lifts a Freaking Island out of the Ocean and flies it out into Space!! C'mon, guys...I think his powers need a serious ramping down. That's why they've always had trouble finding decent villains with credible threats. And while were on the subject of threats, Can we get together on what Kryptonite actually does or doesn't do to him? It seems to be pretty flexible in terms of how long and how much damage. Hmmm? Can we get a standard here? Please?
Liked: Sam Huntington as Jimmy Olsen, although for the life of me I don't know why.
Didn't Like: Bryan Singer's lack of a personal vision. While I think he is a very talented director with a proven track record, his biggest mistake on this movie was letting another director's previous interpretation dominate. I would rather see Bryan Singer's Superman than Bryan Singer's continuation/vindication of Richard Donner's Superman. That decision comes at the expense of what Singer's great strength as a director is, and that's character. It's not here, particularly with the principals. What's missing in "Superman Returns" is Superman. Unlike Singer's X Men movies, we get no sense of who this guy is, what he thinks, what he wants...except in one moment, where he tries to show Lois how he sees the world...but can't really communicate it because it hasn't been set up properly. Maybe Singer's just tired of superhero movies and wants to go back to neo noir, or something new. But there's a disconnect here that throws the whole movie off kilter, and despite some great moments, the whole doesn't come together.
And don't get me started on the kid...
Art School Confidential : If you saw Ghost World, (and who didn't?... Okay...Never mind) there are a number of scenes where Thora Birch is forced to attend a Summer School art class. Art School Confidential is essentially those scenes expanded into a 90 some odd minute movie. And why not ? Same Writer and Director, right? Well, yeah...except there's nothing new here. It's merely cliché heaped on cliché . The Moral of the story is that most people who call themselves artists are talentless hacks, and most real artists can't get anywhere because of them, and the people who run the art scene wouldn't know real talent if it bit them in the ass. Get it? Got it? Good...Moving right along.
Clerks 2: You get the sense that Kevin Smith really wants to grow up, but he's got this fan base that is totally content with dick and cum jokes. So that's what he gives them. He tried to make a straight movie and was roundly slapped for his troubles. Despite what you may have heard, and apparently more people heard about Jersey Girl than actually saw it, it is a decent movie with a heart. It's just not Clerks. And unless there's a connection to Clerks (i.e. Jay and Silent Bob) the fanboys just dont wanna know. So after getting beaten up for Jersey Girl, and withdrawing from "The Green Hornet", which he was to write and direct (and which I secretly hope he still does) he decided to go back to square one and make Clerks 2
Smith had talked about doing a Clerks 2 for a long time prior to actually doing it but I get the impression that it was always a fallback position. But then he made the mistake of saying that "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" would be the last appearance of everyone's favorite hetero lifemate dope dealers. As Sean Connery could have told him "Never Say Never Again".
This preamble sounds like I'm going to slam the movie, but I actually liked Clerks 2. Yes, it's familiar territory. Yes, the dick and cum jokes are back galore. Yes, Jay and Silent Bob dealing again (although Jay has apparently found Jesus...And he got Mary Magdalene knocked up...Oops...wrong movie). Dante still whines and Randall finds new ways not to work, and yes it's all very funny...but...The 800 pound gorilla in the room is "Arent we a little old for this shit? Isn't it about time we grew up? Don't you want more than this?" And Smith is not only asking himself these questions, he's asking his audience too.
I just hope he gets the right answer...
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Posted by Michael at 7:33 AM
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|Wikipedia map: Douglas County
Rural police departments also are more closely monitoring social media, Forhetz writes. Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase told Forhetz, "Most of the time we know who we are dealing with before we go, which is a good thing... It's definitely in the back of all of our minds. ... There has been a drastic turn toward law enforcement. Just waking up and turning on the TV every morning would keep us from becoming complacent. It seems like something is happening every night." (Read more)

subset: commoncrawl


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I've been thinking over the past couple of days while I've been in the car listening to baseball games or watching them on TV, who are the great players, right now, who will be Hall of Famers in 15-20 years? Some names are obvious and come to mind quickly like Albert Pujols, Ken Griffey Jr., or Johan Santana, but there are some other players who are in the twilight of their career or who are just blossoming who are worth watching and who may someday be among the greatest of all time. I don't necessarily want to talk about the "no-doubters" here, I want to shed light on some of the overlooked or those who may surprise you with their stats. As my guide, I'll use Baseball-Reference's Hall of Fame Calculator and player comparison tool. Today's feature is: Todd Helton.
According to Baseball Reference, Helton is one of the those players who are borderline Hall of Fame material and he makes a perfect candidate for what I'm trying to do here. 5 years ago, Helton was fantasy baseball gold. He hit for average, he hit for power and he was dependable. Over the past few years, he has gotten hurt some and he has started to show his age (he'll be 36 this year). Some people have started to forget just how offensively awesome Helton was though:
1672 Career Games (so far)
Lifetime .328 hitter
He'll pass 2,000 hits this year
1,121 career RBI
310 career HRs
.427 Career OBP
1,146 career Runs
.996 Career Fielding %
3-time Gold Glove Winner
4-time Silver Slugger
Batted .372 in 2000
Now, he's not going to blow you away in any of those categories, but if you look as his body of work as a whole, you get the picture of a consistent player who has, somewhat quietly, put together a way-above-average career. Just looking at the numbers, Baseball-Reference compares Helton to the likes of Johnny Mize, Chuck Klein, Hank Greenberg, and Joe DiMaggio, all Hall-of-famers themselves. I think ultimately, Helton's recent decline back into baseball obscurity may hurt his chances at the Hall of Fame, but he is nevertheless a player who is still playing right now who has the credentials to make it. Just look at the form...


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A listserve post this week from inside the EPA indicates that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is trying to encourage software developers to use its data to make useful applications about the environment and human health.
The U.S is farther ahead than Canada on open government and open data. South of the border, the Open Government Initiative encourages federal agencies to make data more accessible so it can be used in innovative and helpful ways. EPA makes a lot of its original data more accessible via this site, but many software developers who create innovative open-access applications for the public out of public data don't even know it exists. They also don't know that agencies encourage this kind of activity.
Other agencies, like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have made their data available and done a great job of building awareness about their data (see the Community Health Data Initiative and the Health Data Community). The U.S. Department of Agriculture sponsored a challenge called Apps for Healthy Kids that encouraged developers to make apps to keep kids healthy.
The Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. wants ideas for how they can better reach software developers and the people who would use these applications.
North of the border we need to be pressuring Canadian government to open up more of our data to the citizens who pay for it, and to better use our tax dollars by connecting with altruistic open data developers who are ready and willing to create applications for the public good.


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15,000 page views, marks a pretty neat milestone for this funky little blog called Floatfisher. I am pretty excited that enough of you folks find it entertaining enough to sign-in and check it out. Thank You. It keeps my humor alive and Ms. Floatfisher shaking her head at me. I guess, she will always do that though! I love to row, I love to snap a few photo's and hell, I even like to catch a couple of fish. But most of all it is the one of kind folks you meet along the banks, on the boat ramp, hell even the ones Ms. Floatfisher meets in the bars, that makes the sport and us true athelete's. I could be you next Olympian.
Well I am starting to tear up, I should go.


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Are you familiar with the 'interrobang'? Merriam-Webster defines 'interrobang' as:
a punctuation mark ‽ designed for use especially at the end of an exclamatory rhetorical question
Though seldom used, it was designed to replaced the combined use of a question mark and exclamation point, like in the following sentence:
She said what?! (see Interrobang)
To test your knowledge of lesser-known punctuation marks, try Mental Floss' "$#@!: The Punctuation Quiz".
To read more about punctuation and grammar, try:
- Eats, Shoots & Leaves, by Lynne Truss
- The Bare Essentials Plus, by Sarah Norton et. al. (this was assigned to me in an English composition class, and I found it to be very helpful)


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Dear developers, sorry for disturbing you, but while compiling LAPACK-3.4.2 from source I occasionally discovered several mistakes in README. It would be great if you correct them. Here we are: *line 42:* LAPACK INSTALLATION: - LAPACK can be installed with make. Configuration _haev_ to be set in the make.inc file. A make.inc.example for a Linux _mahcine_ running GNU compilers is given in the main directory. Best regards, Roman -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.eecs.utk.edu/mailman/private/lapack/attachments/20130206/2bbdb970/attachment.html
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Aron McCoy is determined that he will never fall into another woman's trap. He has spent his life taking care of the ranch and his brothers. Thinking that he will provide a stable home life for his siblings, he marries a money- grubbing woman who has eyes for everyone but him. So he has learned his lesson. The only thing a woman is good for is sex.. . . until Libby comes along.
Libby Fontaine is trying to cram a lifetime of living into a few short months. She is in remission from leukemia and for the first time, she has a glimmer of hope for a normal life. Her dream of living on a ranch is brought to reality when a friend of the family offers her an opportunity to work at Tebow ranch for the summer as housekeeper and cook. This will be more than a job to Libby, for she will get the chance to be around the man that she has been in love with for most of her life.
When Aron lays eyes on Libby it is instantaneous lust - he wants her with every fiber of his being. But Libby confesses her innocence and Aron backs off - he has nothing to offer a girl who deserves white lace and promises. Then Aron catches Libby pleasuring herself in the stock tank and hears her cry out his name - and the heat is on.
Win an ecopy of Cowboy Heat by Sable Hunter!
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1.) Follow the Happily Ever After Review BLOG
2.) Leave your Name AND Email in the Comment Section
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Originally posted by JackBauer
I see a problem with this. (well other than it's a tax, which is inherently bad) It gives the government the green light to massively expand itself into every corner of the globe. The whole reason the government has a "budget" (well did have.. ha ha.) is so that they live within their means. If they know they can take from the people whenever they want to complete their goal, not only will they constantly take year after year, but there will be no restraint on their size.
Giving the government more money to sustain its huge size or possibly make it bigger is the biggest mistake one could make.
Originally posted by bjax9er
why is taxing the only answer to democrat failures?
Originally posted by FyreByrd
Originally posted by JackBauer
And just why are taxes 'inherently' bad?
inherent |inˈhi(ə)rənt; -ˈher-|
existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute : any form of mountaineering has its inherent dangers | the symbolism inherent in all folk tale
Whatever you may think of FDR - his public works projects put people to work and stimulated the ecomony. It gave people hope and THE PEOPLE some of our greatest accomplishments.
edit on 23-3-2013 by FyreByrd because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by Kali74
reply to post by neo96
People do need to open their eyes fiat currency.
If it's fiat then why complain about taxing it? Especially a tiny 1% tax.
Originally posted by xstealth
Who cares how much he is worth? The problem is double taxation, it's criminal on the government's part.
An estate worth over 5 million doesn't mean someone is rich, maybe they have a 10,000 acre farm and generate a modest living off the livestock and land. Regardless, rich or not, it should not be taxed again since the income to buy it was taxed in the first place.


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let's get real.
photo by Victoria Milko.Let's get real (and thank you for letting me do so) - yesterday's launch of Panda Head Magazine: Issue 6 has me feeling a little like a Middle School SCIENCE FAIR winner (if Middle School Science Fairs were judged on the sheer spectacle of the experiments your ultra-talented classmates had a go at; also, if Erik Loften had a hand in TRI-FOLD DISPLAY BOARD design then Middle School Science Fairs might be one of the most aesthetically pleasing places on earth, no?). It should come as no surprise then, that the rest of the week is devoted to all things THIS ISSUE.
While a ton of space has been devoted to our "Spanish Steps" chapter already, let it be known that Panda Mag's Kate Greene spent weeks on her VISION for the Treasury Vintage-filled spread, and that Victoria Milko knocked it out of the park when it came time to shoot. And a little backstory on the text featured within the chapter: they're excerpts from a novel by writer Marie Beatriz Gauthiez - who, it just so happens, was also our model.
photographs: Victoria Milko; styling: Kate Greene
text excerpts by Marie Beatriz Gauthiez
hair: Cortney Peguese; makeup: Lauren Gildner
design: Erik Loften
featuring Marie Beatriz Gauthiez
and pieces from Treasury Vintage


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Product dimensions: 9.5 x 28.4 x 8.43cm


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Thursday, May 12, 2011
Winner of the Diva Doctrine
I have sent her an email and I am awaiting her response. Thanks to all who entered. If you really want to read the book, here is a link to purchase it.
3 comments:
Congrats to the winner!ReplyDelete
I hope you don't mind me posting this here, Lisa, but I thought I let those who didn't win know that they also still have a chance at my blog which is also part of the blog tour!
Hey there, Lisa!ReplyDelete
I'm so glad I came across this. I have not received an email from you with the winner's address! My bet is that you send it to patriciadavis.com and my address is email@example.com Notice the "V" in between? No one ever does and there's a lot of my mail that gets lost in cyberspace. I've even thought of purchasing the URL just so I could forward that mail to my real address, but the guy who owns it wants way too much $ for it, and it's the principle of the thing, you know? (There's me with my "principles" again! LOL)
Can you please resend with the winner's addy and I will send the book on to her? Many thanks for hosting this contest. I hope Virginia enjoys the book!
Warm regards,
Patricia V. Davis
I sent it to Cedar Fort, it must have been lost along the way. I will send it to you immediately.ReplyDelete
thanks for catching this.


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Just having fun flying
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Today I come bearing a dose of Vitamin A for you all. And a very fun and colorful dose too! This illustration not only has the usual carrot colors - orange, purple, red and yellow but some blues, pinks and mauves as well.
We have been eating lots of carrots (and drinking freshly squeezed carrot juice) since Bunny Bee came home. She like the organic carrots with the greens still attached and we prefer the ones without the top. If our vision improves then we will know the myth is true!
Carrots, available for purchase here.


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It has been about three weeks since I have had a "coke" and I gotta say, it has been rough. I don't care what people say, it is not true that after a couple of weeks the craving goes away because it doesn't. I guess for the "regular" person it might, but for those of us who use it as a substitute for other things, like snacks, it is a bit more important. I have been swilling down the water and Crystal Light, but it is SO not my beloved Diet Coke. I am not sure what health benefits I am reaping by giving it up, but I can tell you I am probably saving 30.00 a week or so, if you count in the stuff I ahve to get the kids whenever we would stop for a coke.
Surely there is some benefit to losing the soda.....if you know of any, let me know.


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Italian Priest shot
Fr. Piero Arolari was shot on his bicycle on his way to a parish in Northern Bangladesh. Witnesses attested that the three shooters approached the Priest from behind using a motorbike to approach him as he pedaled his bicycle before shooting at the priest. The assailants fled after the attack.
Fr Piero Arolari, 57, suffered bullet wounds to his head but he is out of danger, said Zillur Rahman, a doctor treating him at the hospital.
Tempers have been high in the region since the attack, as this is not the first attack, there have been couples of attacks in Bangladesh lately and the People no longer feel safe. Most of the subsequent attacks have been claimed by the Islamic extremist. But so far no one has claimed responsibility for the shooting of Fr. Piero Arolari
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Snoop Lion (left) tries to "reincarnate" himself with reggae.
REINCARNATED (Andy Capper). 96 minutes. Opens Friday (March 15) at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema. For venues and times, see listings. Rating: NNNN
Snoop Dogg trades in the gin and juice for pure Jamaican cess in Reincarnated, a documentary touting the former gangster rapper's foray into reggae.
Baptized Snoop Lion by Bunny Wailer himself, the born-again Rastafarian travels through Kingston in between recording sessions to visit Bob Marley's old digs, neighbourhoods and music schools, all while discussing what he wants to achieve with his new album.
The smell of a publicity tour is as potent as that of the reefer smoke on display, making it hard to believe Snoop's "reincarnation" is anything but a marketing gimmick. He admits as much in interviews, but over the course of the film his message becomes more heartfelt and endearing.
Even if you don't buy him as a reggae artist (the music might not convince you, despite Diplo's beats), you can't help but be won over by Snoop's search for a new identity. Unlike his contemporaries, he didn't become a business mogul like Dre and Jay-Z or a casualty like 2Pac and Biggie.
The 40-year-old family man laments his own rap sheet, which includes being a member of the Crips, a pimp and a player at the centre of hip-hop's deadliest period. No amount of guest spots on Katy Perry songs can wipe that slate clean.
With a legacy forever haunted by Death Row, Snoop is looking to reggae for something positive to leave behind. That's a worthwhile journey, even if it looks like it's sponsored by Adidas.


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Contacting the Treating Physician
June 15, 2016
In most ERISA LTD claims, the insurance company will hire a physician, usually an employee of the insurance company, to review the medical records and give an opinion on the claimant's functional limitations. Said physicians are often called "reviewing physicians." Generally, the insurance company's reviewing physician will try to contact the claimant's treating physician(s).
In Shaw v. AT&T Umbrella Benefit Plan No. 1, 795 F.3d 538 (6th Cir. 2015), the Court made specific note of the fact that the Plan failed "to make a reasonable effort to speak with" the claimant's treating physicians. In Shaw, the reviewing physicians attempted to contact the claimant's treating providers; however, the treating providers were only permitted 24 hours to return the phone call. The Court noted: "the cursory manner in which the Plan attempted to contact Shaw's treating physicians is evidence that the Plan's decision was not 'the result of a deliberate, principled reasoning process.'"


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Total Price: US$ 992
Discount –USD 182, you just pay USD 810 for 2 pax
Day 1: Arrival (D)
Pick up at the airport with your name on signboard then drive to the hotel for luggage store.
Freshen up at the hotel at the hotel before catch the night train to Sapa
Dinner at Purple Cherry Restaurant
Overnight on train to Sapa (Soft-sleeper train, 4 people in a cabin), you will be escorted to the station for check in by hotel staff
Day 2: Sapa arrival Laocai – Sapa – Laochai – Tavan Village (B-L-D)
Trekking is a healthy, adventurous and eco-friendly way to explore, our goal is to offer you a wide variety of destinations with itineraries to suit all fitness levels.
Picked up at Lao Cai Station early in the morning by our bus. Arrive at Sapa round 7:00 AM; Breakfast. Start at 09h30am. A 2km-trekking down to Lao Chai village, through terraced rice fields to Ta Van village of the Dzay minority people. Lunch at a local family, it gives you a worth chance for you to learn about the local house architecture which is full of their daily life styles and exclusive custom. Enjoy the landscapes…on the way. Get back to Sapa by jeep or motorbike.
Overnight at hotel in Sapa
Day 3: Cat Cat & Sin Chai (B.L.D)
A walk down to the South-west of Sapa (around 4 km) to visit Cat Cat village of the Black H'mong. Relax at the food of the stunning waterfall and the vestige of a hydroelectric power station that was constructed by the French during the colonial time in Vietnam. Enjoy picnic lunch by the side of the river, and then next 6 km to Sin Chai, the village located at the foot of Fansipan Mountain, "the roof of Vietnam and Indochina". From here you can enjoy huge stunning landscapes before climbing up on the way a jeep to return to Sapa
Bus to Lao Cai Station
Overnight on train to Hanoi.
Arrive at Hanoi train station in early morning; catch a taxi to the hotel yourself
Day 4: Hanoi Free (B)
After Sapa trip, we would like to spend a whole day for you to refresh and discover Hanoi as well as shopping. This day is free and easy
Overnight at Rising Dragon Grand Hotel
Day 5: Arrival Hanoi – Halong Bay (B-L-D)
Buffet Breakfast will be served at our restaurant from 6:30 to 9:30 for summer time, from 7:00 to 10:00 Am for winter time
Pick up at 8:00am for Halong bay, scenic three-hour drive from Hanoi to Halong bay.
12:00 Check in at Bhaya Café, Halong city. Embark on Bhaya Classic for welcome drink followed by a cruise briefing
13:00 Savor a delicious Vietnamese lunch as Bhaya Classic heads to Bai Tu Long Bay passing the towns of Hon Gai and Cam Pha, Oan Lagoon, Mat Quy (Monster Head) and Am Tich (Teapot) Islets and Vung Vieng fishing village.
15:30 Visit the fishing village by local rowing boat (1 hour) then return to the vessel for free time at your leisure or join one of the following optional activities: Kayak into the floating village or swim near the Bhaya.
Optional onboard activities: Sunbathing, traditional massage, etc.
17:00 Bhaya Classic Cruises through the Bay to its overnight anchorage near Ho Dong Tien then Vietnamese cooking demonstration on the sundeck
19:30 Sumptuous set-menu seafood dinner onboard
21:00 Take in the movie on the Lounge Deck or retire to your cabin.
Overnight onboard Bhaya Classic.
Day 6: Halong bay – Hanoi (B,L)
6:15 Am Start your day with Tai Chi on the Sundeck while complimentary tea and coffee are served.
7:00 Bhaya Classic weighs anchor to cruise through the Bay passing beautiful spots like Trong (Drum), Trinh Nu (Virgin) and Me Cung Caves, Coc Ngoi (Toad) Islet, etc.
8:00 Am Explore Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave
9:30 AM return to Bhaya Classic, buffet brunch is served on board. The vessel cruise leisurely back to harbor.
11:00 AM Disembark at Bhaya Café, Halong City. Return to Hanoi
15:00 PM Arrival at Hanoi, drop off at the hotel. End of the trip to Halong bay
Overnight at Rising Dragon Grand Hotel
Day 7: Departure
Free until pick up to the airport


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4 out of 7 scientists prefer Chewbacca's crossbow
meanwhile, behind the facade of this innocent looking doghouse...
copyright 2002-2011 ultrablognetic
copyright 2002-2011 ultrablognetic
Friday, November 03, 2006
In other news, man, deal or no deal, that shit sucked me in! that lady really worked it, I must say, got over 300 g's, and only a dollar in the case, wellie well, and the office was a grand champion, that show just never disappoints, and I think the current season is the best, but shit, who am I? tv malone? Nah, fuck that.
But sadly I have not much else to say, oh yeah, the other three w's. work out. Well, I finished what I was supposed to do yesterday on that front, minus the running, but who can blame me with this weather & the pali being closed, and, um, oh yeah, well, I did, uh a quarter of the day's routine? The resistance routine, the cardio officially starts tomorrow, I promise, just like celine dion promised that old bald guy that she would, uh, love him forever or some shit like that.
The other 2 w's are (w)rite, which I'm doing write (har har) now, even though this doesn't count, but in honor of the late great William styron I'm disregarding that and telling myself that every word pounded out onto the keyboard and into the screen and into the negasphere counts, so, um, yup, good job alfredo sauce. The last & final (sigh) W is walk the dog, which sadly I just feel is not going to happen tonite, but I promised betty that a double walk would commence in the morrow, and the cool thing is she's a dog & can neither understand me nor call me on my shit even if she does so I win. Yup, I win. I'm the winner. The champ. And, uh, I, um, won. Aloha.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Time in its bitter pill extrav seems to be pulling like the tide that the prince wanted whut to wack, so I gots to blab blabs atcha and drink tab cola. Nah, I don't. well, the clips lost last nite. I'll say no more, leave it for the grand reopening of the other joint which'll prolly nevuh happen. Let's see, what's some deep thought shit I could spit? About ka-zar and shazam and allie mcbeal all meeting in a dimly lit underground (literally) bar with dollar bills thumbtacked to the ceiling? Nah, it's all too vague, no one would believe it, or, even worse, be the slightest bit interested. Civil war, the comic, not the actual historical event, continues to amuse me, despite the obvious hackitude and crapiness of it, although the art in the main rag is pretty good. Fuck, I'm sorry, the two people that like clips and comics are even pissed off, prolly even more so than you, the reader, the person who, shit, I know, but I don't know, you know, or you don't. it's really, just, it's really just, it's really unjust.
did anybody rock the cane style mic like wink martindale? methinks not, but meknowst (knownst?) that anything is possible, but goldang that's a hard look to master, i mean, there's foohs in boe ties and rasberry berets having better times of fashion fo paws than whats wit if your hand is a solid foot from your mouth and your blabblin about hold that tiger or whammy no whammy. serially.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006


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Colehill girls play in Croke Park Congratulations and best of luck to the Colehill NS girl's football team who have been selected to play in an exhibition game during half time at the Leinster championship game on Sunday next in Croke Park between Longford and Dublin. This will be a great experience for the girls to play in the GAA headquarters and in front of what is expected to be a near full house for this championship clash. Hopefully all involved will enjoy this special day out.
Wedding Bells Congratulations to Brendan Cahill, Colehill and Mary Cronin from Co Kerry who celebrated their wedding on Friday last. The wedding ceremony which took place in the Sacred Heart Church, Carrickedmond was attended by a large gathering of the happy couple's family and friends. The ceremony was performed by Fr Charlie Healy PP Carrickedmond. The bride who looked beautiful on the day was assisted by her chief bridesmaid, Breda Cronin and bridesmaids Hazel Southern and Yvonne Daly. The groom had as his best man Paul Moran and groomsmen for the occasion were his brothers Mick and Pat Cahill. Page boy was Oisin Cronin. Following the wedding ceremony the wedding party and friends made their way to the Park Hotel, Mullingar where a lovely meal and a wonderful night of dancing was enjoyed by all. We all join and wish Brendan and Mary many happy years of married life together.
GAA Fundraiser Carrickedmond GAA club are appealing for support from all in the parish to help cover the cost of drainage to the local GAA pitch which is ongoing at present. When complete the pitch will be available and playable all year round for everyone from children up to adult age. This is a large project been undertaking by the club and it is hoped that everyone will give their backing and help with costs and expenses to work been carried out. Committee members will be calling to all households in the parish during the coming week asking for help with the cost of the project or if you would like to make a donation to this project. If you would like more information please contact the club mobile number at 0858515392 or any club committee member.
Scholarship The Student Scholarship, sponsored by Ballymahon & District Credit Union is operational again this year. It is open to all Leaving Cert students attending the Vocational and Mercy Secondary Schools in Ballymahon. The student must be completing a FÁS Apprenticeship, full-time Certificate, Diploma or Degree course at any university, IT or approved third level college. All students who wish to enter the draw must be member of the Credit Union before close of business next weekend. The recipient of the Scholarship will receive €1,000 per annum for a maximum of three years. For more information contact the Credit Union Office in Ballymahon.
First Holy Communion Congratulations to the 2015 First Holy Communion class form Colehill NS who received their First Holy Communion at a lovely ceremony performed by Fr Healy PP in Carrickedmond church on Saturday last. A large crowd attended this special occasion and each boy and girl looked lovely on the day. Following the ceremony a party was laid on in St Sinneachs Hall Carrickedmond for the communion class and their families, where refreshments fun and lots of pictures were the order of the afternoon. The following is the communion class of 2015: Paddy Burke, Sarah McCormack, Matthew McCormack, Kyle Birmingham, Dervla Breslin, Eimear Dempsey, Patrick Egan and Luke Hartshorn.
Best of Luck To Longford senior county team who play Dublin in the Leinster championship on Sunday next in Croke Park Dublin. Special word of good luck to Barry and Garreth from the local club and to team captain Dermot Brady who lives in the parish.
Schools Green Flag Award Congratulations to Colehill NS who have been awarded the International Schools Green Flag award. This award is presented by An Taisce every year. The Green-Schools is a themed programme with schools initially focusing on the theme of Litter & Waste, and working through the seven steps for this theme and applying for the Green Flag. Once successful, the school moves onto the Energy theme, and then onto the Water theme, with a new theme introduced after each successful renewal. This links very well with the renewal of the award every two years. This year Colehill NS focused on the Energy theme. The presentation took place yesterday Tuesday in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Athlone where the local schools were represented by the Green Flag committee members Lauren McGuire, Emma McGuire, Eve Hilliard, Osion Lane, Kerry McNamara, Madison Newman, Adain O'Shea, Cormac Egan, Shannon Luke Dalton, Hannah O'Shea, Gavin White, Paddy Burke, Luke Hartshorn and their teacher Mrs Edel Coyle. Well done all.
Training Course The Longford VTOS programme is now recruiting. It offers full time business and computer training free of charge. To qualify you must be over 21 and in receipt of a social welfare payment. If you are interested contact Maeve Madden, VTOS Co-ordinator at 087 2050589.
Happy Birthday To Packie Campbell, Abbeyshrule who celebrated a special birthday on Saturday last. Packie celebrated with family and friends with a great session of traditional music in the Rustic-Inn Abbeyshrule where a great night was had by all. Many more happy birthdays Packie.
Novena There will be a novena in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Carrickedmond church beginning on Thursday, 4th June and ending on Friday, 12th June. Mass will be celebrated each evening at 8pm except Saturday the 6th June where mass will be celebrated at 10am in Carrickedmond and also at 7pm in Abbeyshrule.
Cul Camp Please note that this year's GAA Cul Camp normally held in Carrickedmond GAA pitch will be held in Legan GAA pitch due to ongoing work at Carrickedmond GAA pitch. This year's camp will run from the 27th July to the 31st July.
Community Games
Please note that due to the Longford v Dublin championship game been on Sunday next the 31st May the county community games final which was also planned for this date in Ballymahon has been postponed due to the fact that children and parents may be making the journey to Dublin to cheer on the county team. The county finals have been refixed for Sunday the 14th June same venue. The local parish community games track events took place recently in Forgney GAA pitch. Thanks to the Forgney club for the kind use of their facilities on the day. The following are results from the various events.
U6 Race: 1st Callum Cooke, 2nd Eadaoin Mulvey, 3rd Aaron McCormack.
U8 60mts Boys: 1st Cormac Mulvey, 2nd Darragh Mulligan, 3rd Diarmuid Breslin. U8 60mts Girls: 1st Laura McCormack, 2nd Abbie McCabe, 3rd Emily Egan. U8 80mts Boys: 1st Cormac Mulvey, 2nd Darragh Mulligan, 3rd Diarmuid Breslin. U8 80mts Girls: 1st Laura McCormack, 2nd Emily Egan.
U10 100mts Boys: 1st Matthew McCormack, 2nd Brian Mulvey, 3rd Lee McCabe. U10 100mts Girls: 1st Sarah McCormack, 2nd Eimear Dempsey, 3rd Ava Breslin. U10 200mts Boys: 1st Matthew McCormack, 2nd Brian Mulvey, 3rd Ben McCormack. U10 200mts Girls: 1st Sarah McCormack, 2nd Eimear Dempsey, 3rd Ava Breslin. U12 100mts Boys: 1st John McCormack, 2nd Liam Egan, 3rd Christian Cooke. U12 100mts Girls: 1st Caoimhe Mulvey, 2nd Caoimhe McCormack, 3rd Leah Shannon. U12 600mts Boys: 1st John McCormack, 2nd Pauric Dempsey, 3rd Christian Cooke. U12 600mts Girls: 1st Caoimhe McCormack, 2nd Caoimhe Mulvey, 3rd Leah Shannon. U14 100mts Girls: 1st Ciara Mulligan, 2nd Lauren McGuire, 3rd Grace Esler.
U14 800mts Girls: 1st Aoife McCormack, 2nd Lauren McGuire, 3rd Kate Breslin. U16 100mts Boys: 1st Sean Byrne. U16 100mts Girls: 1st Ellen Shannon. The following were winners at the Carrickedmond Community Games field events held recently. U12 Ball Throw Boys: 1. Christian Cooke, 2. Liam Donohue, 3. Daniel Egan. U12 Ball Throw Girls: 1. Leah Shannon, 2. Siobhan Egan, 3. Juliette Byrne. U12 Long Puck Boys: 1. Gary Murtagh, 2. Pauric Dempsey, 3. Daniel Egan/Conor Mulvey. U12 Long Puck Girls: 1. Grace Esler, 2. Kate Breslin, 3. Juliette Byrne. U14 Shot Putt Boys: 1. James McCormack, 2. Tony Flynn. U14 Shot Putt Girls: 1. Grace Esler, 2. Kate Breslin/Juliete Byrne. Congratulations to all.


text: The reference for Myriel is Father Myriel from Les Miserables. Father Myriel was the Priest who Val Jean robbed from and helped Val Jean start his road to change. I choose this name reference since this character is the one to take John in and took care of him after his daughter Hazel found him. Im looking for less familiar names for my alien characters. I gave him the design on his scientist outfit as a reference to a Priests robe.


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July 27, 2011
Mom Blogging 101
So take everything I have to say with a grain of salt.
Q: I want to start a blog. Any advice?
A: This depends on the kind of you want. If you are writing for just your friends and family, then do whatever you want! If you aim for a larger readership, then I would think about specializing.
A lot of mom blogs out there remind me of crock pots, and not necessairily in a bad way: their content is made up of a bunch of different things (personal stories, recipes, photography tips, craft tutorials, product reviews, etc.). Some of these blogs are really, really successful, but many struggle, I think, because they try to do too much. I admire bloggers who can do it all, but I am a one trick pony. People don't come to my blog to see pretty pictures, to find out about the latest fashions, or to find a new recipe (at least I sure hope not). I have strong feelings about Casey Anthony, the national debt crisis, and Duke basketball, but no one comes to my blog to read about them. People come I hope/I think to read a funny story about a kid that is mine, but could be theirs. And that's it. Almost every time I wander outside of my genre, bad things happen.
Q: I'm worried that if I specialize, I'll run out of things to say.
A: If I wrote a craft/cooking/home decorating/party planning/photography blog, I would be able to produce exactly 1 entry worth reading. Maybe less, if the topic is home decorating. I admire all of these talents, but unfortunately, don't have any of them. Other than write, there isn't much that I can do. Or like to do for that matter. In short, embrace what you are good at and run with it. When you accept the fact that you don't have to be everything to everyone, blogging doesn't seem so scary.
Q: How do you find time to blog?
A: We don't have cable.
Q: How much money do you make blogging?
A: This might be the #1 question that I am asked. Some people ask out of sheer curiosity, but most ask because they want to know if writing a mom blog can take the place of a part-time job.
Maybe I'm way off, but I sort of feel like blogging is to our generation what Tupperware parties and vitamin supplements were to our mothers'. In all these ventures, the financial success of few give the mistaken impression that quick and easy money is available to all. If you want to start a blog, then absolutely go for it! Just don't quit your day job. I haven't :)
Q: Do you ever run out of material?
A: Sometimes there's a slow day. But since I write funny stories about my kids, the best way to ensure a steady stream of content is to spent lots and lots of time with them. :)
Q: How do you attract readers to your blog?
A: My blog readership grew almost exclusively through word-of-mouth advertising (muchas gracias to all of you who have told your girlfriend/mother/sister about my blog and/or forwarded a link). I know that people are way into Facebook and Twitter and Kirtsy but I'm still easing my way into the 21st century.
You guys are the bestest.
24 comments
- Jill said...
What an informative post. I love reading your blog. It always cracks me up!
- July 27, 2011
- The Bus Driver said...
kids are an endless source of writing. :D
- July 27, 2011
- Julie said...
Sage advice!
Also, I don't even have kids but I still read your blog all the time :)
If you love writing, I strongly urge you to check out this guy (but only if you don't mind a bit, ok, A LOT of profanity). His blog is super funny and has some crazy-good advice for writers.
- July 28, 2011
- Mal said...
What's Kirsty?
- July 28, 2011
- Mom of 12 said...
Thanks for the info! My biggest fear about blogging is that I will burn out/run out of things to say. That never seems to be a problem for you and I for one am extremely happy about that! I look for your blog every night so that I can giggle on my way up to bed.
- July 28, 2011
- mom24orsinis said...
I agree with you about the focusing...I have a few blogs (yours at the top of that list) that I read daily, and they are ALL focused on a topic...the one's I follow that are not focused, I find I don't really read as often because, like you, I"m pretty simple: I like to laugh (The Meanest Mom blog) and I love to bake (How Sweet is the BEST blog that combines serious laughter with unbeliveable baked goods...must check it out...)
So, all your advice was great, but I just have to back you up on the focused bit! Thanks Jana!!
- July 28, 2011
- BeckyB.West said...
I LOVE your blog! You make me feel like my 'mommy craziness' normal, and that's exactly what I need! Thanks for blogging!
- July 28, 2011
- Christine said...
Ha ha...I have a "mom" blog thats the crockpot, friends and family variety. Not a lot of readers but it's more for me and the grandparents that are across the country. My reward is printing it out at the end of the year and having a photo journal but I've got comments from people that they enjoy it too even though it's really geared for myself.
I come hear for a laugh for sure and always enjoy it. (My 15 year old son always has to check in on what's new too ;)
- July 28, 2011
- Catherine Dabels said...
Speaking of facebook, I friended you like a hundred years ago. Nothing. I'm starting to take it personally.
Kidding. Sort of......
- July 28, 2011
- Mrs G said...
I alwasy worry that I run out of things to say. Luckily, mines is 95% about the kids with my running and other randomness that happens daily.
- July 28, 2011
- Renee said...
I just blog about whatever is on my mind on that particular day at that particular time. Sometimes it's deep sentimental stuff and sometimes it's about The Baby.
I love reading your blog. I found you through An Irish Italian Blessing. I have so many moments at home where I find myself calling myself a mean mommy and think of you. :)
- July 28, 2011
- Mike said...
Jana -- Not all your readers are of the female gender.
- July 28, 2011
- Beth Hatch said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- July 28, 2011
- Beth Hatch said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- July 28, 2011
- Beth Hatch said...
Beth Hatch said...
Actually, word of mouth is your greatest advertiser. You are one of my top three mom bloggers and I featured you in this month's issue of my library's magazine...
- July 28, 2011
- Miranda said...
Oh keep writing girl...you are a dose of laughter everyday for me.
- July 28, 2011
- Chrissy Jo said...
I have introduced you to soooo many people, and I can't even remember how I found you. Thanks for giving me a good chuckle almost every day. :-)
- July 28, 2011
I heard about your blog on the news in Greensboro, NC...been a faithful reader since! I also must say I love to read the comments when I have time too...you have some witty comment-ers. LOL
- July 28, 2011
- Nicki said...
You got 3600+ followers by word of mouth? I am doing something wrong because I am stuck at 68!
- July 29, 2011
Thanks for the tips! I often wonder how to find readers. Some days I have over 100 (which makes me proud, since I just started) but most days is a big 0.
Feedback appreciated!
- July 29, 2011
- WhisperingWriter said...
Great post.
I'm amazed you don't have cable. I'd go nuts without it.
- July 29, 2011
- Melanie said...
I have two blogs. One is my "mommy" blog. The other is...well, it's hard to explain. I write about my emotional and spiritual well being. My struggles with OCD, depression, self-esteem, life, liberty...the pursuit of happiness. That kinda thing.
Love your advise. Love your blog.
- July 30, 2011
- Liz said...
i have enjoyed reading through your blog! As a firt time mom to be, i am in search of parenting and mommyhood tips and tricks, and your blog has made it not seem such a scary thing!
Keep up the good work!
- July 31, 2011
- Tara said...
I just came across this and since I just started blogging, I found this incredibly helpful. I mostly blog because it gives me a way to vent and since I am in transition from a working mom to a SAHM, I thought it would give me something to do and hopefully keep me connected to other people. Thanks for answering those questions... many were ones I had not thought of yet, but I am sure would have thought of in the future.
- August 01, 2011


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I'm sitting up in bed at 2:30 on a Monday morning wondering how I became so lucky. In front of me is my gorgeous husband and my beautiful baby girl both sleeping peacefully.
A week ago Saturday our lives changed in ways I only dreamt about. Our daughter L came into our lives so perfectly I couldn't have planned it any better. Since then our days and nights are filled with dirty diaper changes, feedings, doctors appointments, eating whenever we can fit it in and late night shift changes.
I'm proud of the mother I'm striving to be and in awe of the father my husband inately is. Of course parenthood isn't without its challenges. For one, breastfeeding hasn't come easy for her or I. We're up to nursing every 3-4 hours as long as she stays awake. But nights like tonight we're back to every 2 hours. Sometimes it feels like we put her in a clean diaper only to be pooped on again within minutes. And then there's the long nights (even though there's only been 8 of them) that the crying for no apparent reason can go on for what feels like eternity.
But at the end of the day, this beautiful little Bean who stole our hearts is more than worth it. I've never been so instantly in love in all my life and am falling more in love with my husband every day she's alive. If ever there was a role in life for me, this was it. 💗
Dominican Dreamer
Three. You might have been three years old today. We planned and wished and prayed and worked hard for you, but you couldn't stay. You were gone before we...


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I've applied the same techniques to the gorgeous Delicate Butterfly to help
tie it in with the Twiggy Branch piece.
I've used 3 different 2crafty chipboard pieces for this one....Cartia's Swirl at the bottom of my photo, a Damask piece on the top of my cluster & a Tiny Kathleen's frame that I've cut in 2 pieces & placed side by side at the top of my layout.
I have painted all 3 pieces in brown acrylic paint...and then dabbed some gesso here & there with my finger. I've also added a few pearls onto the Cartia's Swirl.
where I've just added some old book paper to the back of each piece.


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Friday, June 22, 2012
Bad Beer Friday
Roscoe's Hop House Pale Ale
I was wrong. This is just bad. Bitter in a bad way, not the pleasing IPA hoppy piney bitter, but a more medicinal bitter on the backend. The initial flavors are weak mass market beer. Like Pearl or Black Label. It pours a strong "I ate asparagus" yellow with no head and no lacing.
What makes me mad is that Southern Tier Brewery is in that area, and is possibly one of the best brew houses in the US. Southern Tier does not have nationwide distribution, but this crap does.
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Just on my way back from the gym ' honest, Lonard said. Im not playing the pro-am till the afternoon, so thought Id better get serious about a workout.
Lonard has won the Australian PGA title at Coolum three times in the last six years ' sharing the championship with Australian countryman Jarrod Moseley in 2002 when darkness ended a playoff, in 2004 and again last year ' all of them on the par-72 Hyatt Regency resort course on Queensland states Sunshine Coast.
Why he plays so well here is a mystery to him ' considering his lack of preparation.
Its just a pretty relaxed sort of atmosphere, Lonard said. Its a great place to stay and I usually have a few friends hanging around. I probably do everything wrong ' I barely go to the gym, I eat pizza, drink beer and dont really think much about golf. Maybe I should do that all year.
The 41-year-old Lonards only win on the PGA Tour came at the 2005 MCI Heritage, and his best finish this year was second at the Zurich Classic at New Orleans. Last year, a final-round 65 gave Lonard the win at Coolum, his ninth in Australia.
Lonard and a field that includes American John Daly, South African Tim Clark, Robert Allenby and last weeks Australian Masters champion Rod Pampling will find a vastly different course when play begins Thursday. Recent heavy rainfall has left the greens slower than usual, fairways with less run and the creeks full.
With the rain weve had and the washouts, on 4, 5, 7, 8, there is water right to the edge, Pampling said. You can be as aggressive as you like with this course, but be prepared to drop shots if you dont hit the fairways.
Allenby nearly joined his compatriot Adam Scott ' who withdrew Monday because of a surfing-related right knee injury ' on the sidelines this week. Allenby, who was in contention at the Masters at Huntingdale last week until a late double-bogey, considered staying at home with his ailing mother, Sylvia, who has stopped all treatment for lung and kidney cancer.
I didnt think I was ready, mentally and emotionally, to play this week, Allenby said Wednesday. But I spoke to my mom on Tuesday morning and she said: Id love you to win the tournament, but if you dont, dont worry about it.
Its a pretty tough time for all of us. Were a close family, Im the youngest of four and weve never had to go through this before. We know whats going to happen
Daly is making his first appearance at Coolum since 2002, when he threw his putter and ball into the pond on the 18th hole after his second round. He was later disqualified for not signing his scorecard.
The 42-year-old Daly missed the cut at last weeks Australian Masters but had a final-round 62 at the Hong Kong Open and tied for 17th the week before. Hes also playing next weeks Australian Open at Royal Sydney.
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Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Recognize the Master who is One, not only in the holy ones, but in the wise, in the foolish, in the saint and in the sinner.
See ye the light, the torch of Truth
so you may learn from the young and old, educated and uneducated, rich and poor.
Posted by FutureKnocks
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Colorado Gropps
Monday, November 26, 2012
Train Around the Tree
We put dad's little train around the Christmas tree and the boys had a blast playing with it.
Even the big boy still loves to play trains.
Trains are so fun!
Posted by
Julie Gropp
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Decorating the Tree
We decorated the Christmas tree this weekend. It was so fun decorating our new house for the Holiday season.
We collect ornaments on our trips, and this is one of my favorites: the Lion King on Broadway in NYC.
An ornament from this year: Superman for the ride at Six Flags.
Here are the boys in front of the finished tree. We got a new star this year because the other one went out. What a great picture! Love these guys.
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Julie Gropp
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Sunday, November 25, 2012
Thanksgiving 2012
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. We had the Derrick's and Gropp's over for the afternoon.
The men fried a turkey in our dirt of a yard (that way they don't burn down the house).
Collin helped.
I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade while cooking some of the meal.
The boys had fun with their cousins. Cole was brushing Emma's hair with a kitchen brush ( a clean one).
Dinner Preparations:
Kyle made his mother's rolls.
Meme's rolls.
Deviled eggs.
Apple pie.
Reindeer food.
We had lots of yummy food. We watched football and played games. It was a great day!
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Julie Gropp
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Monday, November 19, 2012
Cousins come to visit!
This weekend Christi and her family came to visit us on their way to California for Thanksgiving. The kids had so much fun playing with each other. They played outside alot, but then they came in and played Nintendo DS together.
Christi fixing Cassie's hair.
One girl with 5 boys seems tough, but she loved it.
Here is the whole group this morning, right before they left. We would love it if they lived closer. The boys just love playing with cousins.
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Julie Gropp
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Ticket to Ride
My boys love this game, so I took the opportunity to take some pictures of them playing "Ticket to ride" this weekend.
Board games are the best!
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Julie Gropp
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Monday, November 12, 2012
Photography Class
I know it has been quiet on here since Halloween. We did go trick or treating in our old neighborhood, but I wasn't feeling well so I didn't bring my camera.
I have been taking a photography class @ www.clickinmoms.com
called Shooting 201: Beyond the Basics.
So although I haven't posted anything in 2 weeks, I am still taking pictures. Here are some random pictures around the house for the past couple of weeks.
Cole and Landon goofing off.
Landon posing for me on the sleeping bags.
Kaleb with our cat Sam in his face giving him love.
Kaleb watching tv.
The snow on the Ute Mountain behind our house.
The same mountain at sunset. I love the lensflare.
And here are some from the class so far:
Cole full sun.
Cole full sun again.
Landon in the evening with some rim light.
Landon in the golden hour (an hour before sunset).
Landon silhouette.
From the outside looking in.
I have one more week left to go on my class and I am really enjoying it.
I will post more next week.
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Julie Gropp
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Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Poverty and Stress
3 comments:
- Chad said...
Larry, I also saw this article in the Economist. Christi and I both went through a program at Mass General on healthy attitudes for dealling with illness and stress, and part of the course was learning the physiology of stress. It's astounding what happens to our brains. And when I think how difficult it has been for - living in relatively comfortable circumstances - to deal with the effects of stress...it only highlights the kinds of physical and social burdens the poor are carrying.
I'm wondering, too, do you know of any efforts to teach urban poor communities to meditate? Building a daily meditation practice was part of MGH's *medical* solution to the negative effects of stress. I'm kind of curious if that aspect of the science has made any inroads into urban communities.
- Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 10:27:00 AM CDT
- Larry James said...
chad, thanks for this. I have known of a couple of efforts here in inner city East Dallas to teach meditation and Yoga. . .primarily in response to the large Buddhist population from SE Asia--especially a decade or more ago. Another movement that seems to be spreading is community gardening. The notion of embracing the discipline of meditation in the noisy, noisy world of our city is a fine one.
- Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 10:50:00 AM CDT
- Steve said...
In a laboratory setting, the test results are striking. BUT when you also factor in that a child in an inner city school is dealing daily with the stresses that induced the reduced brain functions, the idea of an even playing field is even further from reality.
I wonder how many of the "Lazy" poor might be actually evidencing a very reasonable response to generations of failure/stress/failure/stress. When trying their hardest, these kids get outperformed. Why try?
Pass the crack pipe, man...this is depressing me!
- Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 6:44:00 PM CDT


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Today I am sharing a coffee themed window card. It combines layers of cream, kraft, brown, and black with design from dies and an embossing folder.
The Water Ring was stamped with Tea Dye Distress Ink on cream cardstock. This was used in the background of the card window and also for the sentiment.
The sentiment, A Latte, was stamped with Walnut Stain Distress Ink, and layered on brown cardstock. Small coffee themed dies were cut from the brown cs and added to the window and card front, along with some sequins.
This is a great card to give to any of your coffee loving friends.
E. Marie


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I assumed it was more of a long-term project, but his performance in the scrum against Ulster was extremely positive. And his selection for the Summer Tour seems to indicate that Schmidt and Feek think he has enormous potential (as well as being at a high enough level already to tour). It's good for Leinster because it suggests that Furlong, Bent and Porter will be enough quality and strength-in-depth next season
I wonder how much he'll actually play? Japan have a pretty good scrum


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How to Record Winds
John Muir recorded wind using the available technology --pen and paper.
In this sound recording he captures a winter storm in the Sierra Nevada Mountains:
I drifted on through the midst of this passionate music and motion, across many a glen, from ridge to ridge; often halting in the lee of a rock for shelter or to gaze and listen. Even when the grand anthem had swelled to its highest pitch, I could distinctly hear the varying tones of individual trees—spruce, and fir, and pine, and leafless oak. . . . Each was expressing itself in its own way—singing its own song, and making its own peculiar textures. . . . The profound bass of the naked branches and boles booming like waterfalls; the quick, tense vibrations of the pine-needles, now rising to a shrill, whistling hiss, now falling to a silky murmur; the rustling of laurel groves in the dells, and the keen metallic click of leaf on leaf—all this was heard in easy analysis when the attention was calmly bent.
Wind is one of the primal sounds of nature. Whenever we see a blade of grass bend, or a leaf turn, or pine boughs sway, we know that wind is present. While storms make it into headlines less dramatic winds facilitate richer, subtler and more compelling listening experiences.
Perhaps you know about wind's evil side? An annoying rumble called "wind distortion" scars almost every recording unless a windscreen is used. Commercial windscreens reduce the likelihood of wind distortion but do a poor job of recording wind sounds. Commercial windscreens are best suited for non-wind subjects. As a result sfx libraries use wind recordings from artificial sources such as wind machines and wires.
If you want to record true wind sounds I recommend that you use a DIY windscreen and study the plant leaves carefully.
My DIY windscreen is a 5 foot tripod (fully extended) with the center column inverted and the microphones hung below. The entire setup is then covered with a layer of either mosquito netting, foam or both. While this looks like and embarrassing costume no one is there to see you. The large enclosed area between the microphone and the windscreen preserves fidelity and does a remarkable job of imaging.
DIY windscreen tips:
Seal off the central column of the tripod so that it is not an open tube because this will create a flutelike sound when wind passes over it. A piece of foam will do and can easily be removed, too.
Enclose the setup with a pyramid-shaped cover of ½" reticulated foam. Reticulated foam can be purchased relatively inexpensively from foam shops.
For very light breezes you can use mosquito netting instead of reticulated foam. If using camouflage netting this can also be used over the foam cover to help conceal it from wildlife.
Bring tent pegs to keep the covering taut and the noisy insects out.
Once you find a windy remote location with minimal noise pollution, relax and gaze loosely at the setting around you. Take your time. Wind is a powerful force that carves away rocks, creates cooler temperatures, and causes dehydration--in short, wind has a hand in shaping to some degree almost everything around you.
It's time to let go of outcome. Listen--notice how each species of plant makes its own sound. Now imagine that all of this is inside a huge wind tunnel that is used to test products for aerodynamics. The flags are leaves. Some leaves are moving rapidly and some leaves barely move at all. Those calm places are where you want to record. Trust me, they are there. Keep looking.
Record one place and move on to another--experience the full range of opportunities. Just hear what you hear and feel what you feel. That's all you need to know, trust your instincts and record.
Read also How to Record Thunder and Rain
All Copyrights Reserved by Quiet Planet LLC


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Toad Hollow Vineyards
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Bacon - Toad Hollow's Official Meat
Who doesn't love bacon?
"Mouth-watering," "aromatically seductive," "versatile" . . . these could very well be descriptors for our 2016 Monterey County Pinot Noir. Yet while those descriptions do fit our Pinot, we're referring here to bacon!
Who doesn't love bacon? Not only is bacon the favorite food of Toad Hollow's Frankie Williams, but because of its crunchy and sizzling charm, it is now one of the most popular meats in the world. This high-calorie cured meat hasn't always been so beloved. Its popularity plummeted in the 1980s, when studies showed the possibility that charred meats could be carcinogenic. But with the invention of bacon as a partner to burgers in the 1990s and consequently a ubiquitous showing in the restaurant industry, bacon has become wildly popular.
Bacon and a close relative, pancetta, appear in everything from pastas to brittles. Bacon might be smothered in dark chocolate or wrapped around less interesting cuts of meat and fish to add much-needed flavor. What would a spinach salad be without bacon? You can buy bandages that look exactly like a bacon strip in tourist gift shops and wrap your hands around a faux-bacon cell phone cover.
Here at the Hollow we swoon and get weak in the knees at the thought of a BLT with thick slices of multigrain bread and fresh-off-the-vine, juicy, Sonoma-grown tomatoes. A glass of our Monterey Pinot is a part of bacon perfection when paired with the smoky flavors and aromatics of a BLT.
There is a lot more to bacon than its ability to seduce your head off the pillow in the morning. These bacon fun facts come from the culinary website FriendsEat.com:
Each year more than 1.7 billion pounds of bacon are consumed in restaurants.
A 250-pound pig yields about 23 pounds of bacon.
Bacon and eggs are eaten together 71 percent of the time.
And the weirdest fact: There is a bust of actor Kevin Bacon made out of bacon and bacon bits!
Hmmm, I wonder what it would taste like with avocado?


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Associated Press
Local governments would have a tougher time taking residents' property for economic development under a bill approved by the Illinois Senate.
The measure, approved 44-2, would apply a higher standard for local governments to exercise eminent domain to clear the way for private development projects. The bill now goes to the House.
Officials from local governments throughout the state opposed the bill, claiming it would hamstring efforts to improve their communities through redevelopment.
But supporters said the measure strengthens property-owner protections weakened by a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that expanded local governments' eminent domain powers.
"The way it is now, the property owner is clearly at a disadvantage," said Sen. Susan Garrett, D-Lake Forest, the bill's main sponsor. "This levels the playing field."
The measure would require local government to prove that a property is "blighted" before it can take it for private development. Officials also would be required to have detailed redevelopment or renewal plans in place before they condemn property.
The bill wouldn't affect local governments' power to declare eminent domain for public projects such as roads and reservoirs.
Roger Huebner, general counsel for the Illinois Municipal League, said the legislation could dampen developers' interest in revitalization projects by complicating the redevelopment process.
"What the bill does is increase the value of what a local government has to pay to get rid of blight," Huebner said.
The U.S. Constitution says governments cannot take private property for public use without "just compensation." But for decades, the court has been expanding the definition of public use, allowing cities to employ eminent domain to eliminate rundown properties.
In June, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that New London, Conn., had the authority to take homes for a private development project. But in its ruling, the court noted that states are free to ban that practice.
Since then, five states have passed eminent domain laws in response to the ruling and as many as 40 more are considering legislation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
News-Democrat: www.belleville.com


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First off I got back to Muay Thai tonight after my ten days of self-imposed exercise embargo while the wrist and toe properly healed. Glad to say I don't seem to have picked up any new injuries and although the wrist is twinging a little I think it'll be fine. On Thursday nights the class is run by a fella called Gordon who fills in while Alex takes his class up at Meggetland. This is another Good Thing because Gordon likes to blast out Soulfly and similar music during his classes, unlike Alex's predilection for chart pop and associated crimes against music. Brazilian tribal metal was designed to fight to, it's just a natural fit 🙂
Next Good Thing on our list is running-related. I picked up my new shoes the other day and gave them a proper test run last night, just a quick blast around Arthur's Seat to make sure they were a proper fit and to see how badly my fitness had dropped since the toe fracture. It was a bonus night on both counts, the shoes fit as though I'm not wearing any at all and I made it round the course in a decent time, hampered only by strong winds on the uphill section and a stitch halfway round. I'm aiming for 8k tomorrow and 10k on Sunday so fingers crossed the half marathon may still be on!
Moving on, we reach something I didn't think I'd ever be happy about again – money. I've managed to save enough cash for the trip to Thailand and it's all safely in a savings account now so I can't spend it. On top of that my dad is sending me some money which was ostensibly for the trip but which will now be put towards Good Thing #4, more of which shortly. To complete the cash trifecta I'm meeting my mum tomorrow lunchtime to pick up a mysterious and as yet undisclosed sum of money. Apparently when my great aunt May died some time back she left some money to my gran, who then decided to pass it on to my mum and her three siblings. My mum, in turn, decided to share some with my brother and I so I'm picking up my third-hand share of the inheritance. Intrigued, will keep you posted on what transpires tomorrow, along with a bit of info on great aunt May since she was a truly awesome person.
Final Good Thing before I fall asleep. On the 19th of June I, along with Gaz, Jon, Doc and Stevie, will be setting sail (metaphorically) to Austria for the Nova Rock festival, specifically to see the newly reformed Faith No More, one of my all time favourite bands. As an added bonus they'll be performing alongside the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Placebo, Gogol Bordello, Mastodon and The Living End. This Good Thing (at least festival tickets and flights) is already as good as paid for thank to my old man, all that remains is to squirrel away some beer and sausage money. Bring the carnage!
For now though I'm exhausted. Long day of work, first time back at Muay Thai, almost asleep. Time to go read Transmetropolitan, watch an episode of The Wire and crash out.
Hope y'all have sweet dreams about Good Things.


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- 1 pkg sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 sweet onion sliced thin
- 1 green pepper sliced thin
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef consomme
- 1 cup water
- 1 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- 4 hoagie rolls, split lengthwise
- Saute onions for 10 minutes in a small amount of butter or olive oil. Then add in mushrooms and green pepper for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Heat beef consomme and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat to make a rich beef broth. Place the roast beef in the broth and warm for 3 minutes.
- Slice hoagie rolls and place face up under the broiler until lightly toasted.
- Arrange the meat and veggies on the hoagie rolls and top each roll with 2 slices of provolone.
- Turn the temperature down or lower rack and broil sandwiches just until the cheese just begins to melt. Serve the sandwiches with small bowls of the warm broth for dipping. Serves 4.


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Last week I e-mailed a story about the Juan family. We had another similar experience this week.
We have been teaching a guy named Gerardo for a couple months. He's from Guatemala and speaks ZERO English and a little Spanish--he speaks a local Lamanite dialect called Chu. When we first found him he was absolutely the golden investigator. Every time he read the Book of Mormon he cried and his prayers were more sincere than you can even imagine. He's about as humble and kind as it gets. Since day one, he asked us to pray for him to find a better job so that he could support his parents and siblings in Guatemala. We promised him that as he came out to church and committed for baptism, the Lord would bless him with better work. The first time he came out to church, his boss gave him three more days of work, more than double his original two days. He then accepted the commitment to be baptized and confirmed. His boss gave him another day and he started getting double shifts at work. He came out to church again the week he was to be baptized. He was ready for baptism. As we taught each lesson and commandment he expressed his feelings that every thing we taught him was true. He has never drunk alcohol, smoked a cigarette, done any sort of drugs, or drunk tea. He did drink coffee in the morning every once in a while, but only when he had the money to buy it because that's what everyone else did. When we taught him the Word of Wisdom he immediately stopped drinking coffee. When we taught him the law of tithing he said "Wow, I've finally found a way to repay God for all the things He has given me." When we taught the law of chastity he said, "In my country, we would never dream of even dating without specific permission from the woman's father. One of my life's goals is to be baptized in the Church, find a woman strong in the Church and marry her in the temple." The week of his baptism arrived. He was to be baptized on Friday and confirmed the following Sunday. Everything was ready. We had the programs made, the branch invited, the member to perform the baptism ready to do so. We went over Thursday evening with the member that Gerardo had chosen to baptize him. He wasn't there. His roomates told us that after we had left the previous day, he had gotten a call for a full-time job in Virginia, but he would have to start Friday morning. He left early Thursday morning and was already in Virginia when we went to visit him in the evening. He had received an answer to much prayer and more faith. We called him Thursday evening and again Friday afternoon. He is getting settled in nicely in Virginia and has already started work there. Although he will not be baptized in this area and into this branch, we are connecting him with the missionaries in Virginia and are confident that he will continue on the path that he has begun towards the gate of baptism. God certainly heard and answered his prayers. Gerardo now has a full-time job and is able to support his family back home in Guatemala. Although the Lord certainly did not answer our prayers in the way we expected or would have liked, he did answer them with a blessing that is better than anything than we could have hoped for here in this area. God works in mysterious ways, on His own time, and in His own way, but He certainly does work!
Elder Raymond
Monday, April 26, 2010
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Depend on Karen to support you throughout your training. She will be by your side as you do what it takes to meet your goals. This means you can reach out to her whenever you need someone to talk to or give you a push. She'll even be available to assist you with finding resources that you can use to complete your development plan.


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Saturday, September 10, 2016
In four weeks time a third line joins the Night Tube. We can already ride the Central and Victoria lines through the early hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings, and from 8th October the Jubilee line joins the fray. Trains will run the entire length of the line between Stanmore and Stratford, making getting home from the O2 or getting to your cleaning job in Neasden that bit easier.
Here's why this will be useful.
Last Jubilee line tube
from GREEN PARK
Friday night 0034 0045 Saturday night 0034 0045
At the moment, if you're not down on the Jubilee line platforms at Green Park soon after half past midnight, it's the nightbus or a taxi home for you.
First Jubilee line tube
from GREEN PARK
Saturday morning 0538 0526 Sunday morning 0737 0727
As for Green Park's first train of the morning, this currently runs around half past five on a Saturday, but as late as half past seven on a Sunday, because first thing Sunday morning has always been the Tube's quietest time.
The Night Tube will be filling in these gaps, that's an extra five hours of service on a Saturday morning and an extra seven hours on a Sunday. Whenever your gig finishes, your clubbing's over or your zero hours contract starts, the Jubilee line will be waiting to take you away.
As on the two existing Night Tube lines there'll be a train along every ten minutes, all of them operated by specially-recruited part-time drivers.
What's more, because the new service is only four weeks away, all the times have now been entered into the TfL Journey Planner, in case you fancy planning your first overnight jaunt in advance. And this means it's possible to interrogate the database and deduce the timetable, which is what I did before the Central and Victoria lines launched in August.
Better still, TfL have already updated their Working Timetables page to show the new timetable that'll be running on the Jubilee line from the end of the month. So here's how the Night Tube will be filling the gap on a Saturday morning, beginning on Saturday 8th October.
Night Tube timetable - Jubilee line (westbound)
Stratford 0015 0025 0035 0045 0055 0105 and
0455 0504 North Greenwich 0022 0032 0042 0052 0102 0112 0502 0512 London Bridge 0031 0041 0051 0101 0111 0121 0511 0520 Green Park 0038 0048 0058 0108 0118 0128 0518 0527 Finchley Road 0048 0058 0108 0118 0128 0138 0528 0537 Wembley Park 0100 0110 0120 0130 0140 0150 0540 0549 Stanmore 0110 0120 0130 0140 0150 0200 0550 0559
Don't worry, the trains will be stopping at every station, I've simply shown a selection of stations to keep this manageable. But there it is in black and white - trains every ten minutes to fill the current overnight gap.
Night Tube timetable - Jubilee line (eastbound)
Stanmore 0024 0034 0044 0054 0104 and
0434 0444 Wembley Park 0031 0037 0044 0054 0104 0114 0444 0454 Finchley Road 0042 0049 0056 0106 0116 0126 0456 0506 Green Park 0052 0058 0106 0116 0126 0136 0506 0516 London Bridge 0059 0105 0113 0123 0133 0143 0513 0523 North Greenwich 0108 0115 0122 0132 0142 0152 0522 0532 Stratford 0117 0123 0130 0140 0150 0200 0530 0540
Eastbound trains take a little while to slip into a pattern, running slightly more frequently as the Night Tube service kicks in. But then it's every ten minutes all the way through to half past five, just like on the westbound.
Looking further ahead, it's known that TfL are keen to have the two remaining Night Tube lines up and running before Christmas, but it's not yet been announced whether the Northern line or Piccadilly line will be next, or whether both will start simultaneously.
We're also going to need several new Night Tube maps - one when the Jubilee line is added, another when the fourth line goes live, and eventually the full map with all five lines as planned. 2016 might just be The Year With The Most Tube Maps Ever, not that you'll necessarily be able to find a paper copy at your local station - thus far the Night Tube map print run appears to have been negligibly small.
I can also now confirm the date of the first weekend engineering works to disrupt the service on a Night Tube line. The Jubilee line will be suspended between Stanmore and Waterloo on Saturday 21st January and Sunday 22nd January, and across the subsequent weekend too. If you were planning an overnighter in Dollis Hill at the end of January 2017, forget it. But no engineering works are planned on any of the five Night Tube lines at any other time over the next six months, so you can start planning your New Year social life with confidence right away.
...or read more in my monthly archives
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The more things change
This is probably not the message Daniel Breen meant to convey in writing about a dust-up involving a colonial-era visit to Boston by a Tunisian ambassador Sidi Soliman Mellimelli and his delegation. Their presence apparently created quite a stir:
When he and his retinue arrived in Boston, the local Republican committee invited the garishly-attired Tunisians to attend its Fourth of July celebration on Copp's Hill. Mellimelli was quite a draw, and gawkers at the feast were so numerous that Eben Eager, the beleaguered tavern-keeper who was supposed to feed everyone, had to come up with twice the amount of plum puddings and meat pies as originally planned. But the Republican committee would not pay him the cost of the extra provisions.Is this the first recorded instance of Republicans ginning up interest in something (like a war, for example) and then not paying for it?
Labels: Republicans