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Suggested Residential Uses for RedevelopmentPosted by 43rd Ward Alderman Vi Daley at 2:54 PM
- rental units
- owner occupied units
- senior housing
- nursing/retirement home
- workforce housing (affordable housing)
- community shelter
21 comments:
Community shelter has been added.
CMH Planning said...
We already have affordable housing at Lincoln Park: Atrium Village Apartments and the new Clybourn Condos. There is also a mixed-income housing development in Old Town at Division and Clybourn.
As a homeowner and voter, I strongly oppose low-income housing AND shelter in my backyard – the site of the Children's Memorial Hospital. Any efforts for these two uses need the support of the precincts directly affected by this addition.
Vi, you are opening yourself up for a hotly contested re-election if you put low-income housing/shelter in this location. You will have many single-issue voters coming out in support of an opponent.
I highly doubt low-income housing would ever be approved at this location. This is the center of Lincoln Park and a stone's throw from DePaul University. I can't imagine too many parents wanting their kids living in dorms a 1/2 block from subsidized housing. This use would hurt the school. In addition, we have to think of a use that will help the local storefronts replace the business they will lose when Children's closes. Low income housing would certainly cause many of these high end store fronts to close their doors for good.
The perfect use for this site is a high end boutique hotel with commercial and housing mixed in. The hotel will bring needed business to the store fronts currently dependant on Children's employees. The additional housing will also support current business in the area.
What worries me about this project is the current state of the economy and the difficulties any developer will have financing this project. The easy solution would be for a developer to look to federally funded projects such as public housing, schools, or senior centers. We residents will have to work diligently to ensure this does not happen.
As a resident of Kemper Place, immediately east of the hospital, we would like to insure that the Orchard frontage be confined to low rise residential(not to exceed three floors). Further we would not want substantial traffic,cars or trucks,created by the redevelopment on Orchard. The character of this part of the project should blend and complement the adjoining area.
As a homeowner in the area, there are three things we definitely don't need:
- Another shelter or low-income housing
- A giant condo tower
- More McMansions
What would be nice would be:
- Rowhomes for middleclass residents being forced out of the neighborhood by McMansions and the requisite prices
- A replacement for the Barnes & Noble on Diversey that is being replaced by yet another inappropriately large grocery store development
- An Alderman who LISTENS to her consituents (not her donors) and doesn't ruin this golden opportunity for Lincoln Park
No community shelter or affordable housing. There is lot of affordable housing within few miles of this location. Please do not destroy this area. I agree with comments that if affordable housing is proposed then there will be lot of opposition as well as Vi probably loosing his seat.
I like the idea of boutique hotel with open green space.
No community shelter or subsidized housing, please! This is likely the largest redevelopment opportunity in the middle of Lincoln Park, and needs careful planning. A nice hotel with some residential units will serve the neighborhood, the university, and add some more housing units.
I also second (or 3rd or 4th) the lack of leadership from Vi Daley. Try to represent the interests of the people that elect you.
No affordable housing or community shelter. I agree with the previous posts that Vi Daley should pay attention to the residents and not take them for granted. Clark street is in shambles with so many closed stores. Vi should not adhere to donor demands like she did by agreeing to Latin school take over of open Lincoln park area for soccer field. Thanks to active residents who were able to reverse some part of it.
Community housing would destory the center of Lincoln Park and DePaul Univesity for that matter. How many parents want their children to be housed 1 block from a bunch of low income housing projects?
Wake up Vi Daley!
As for the comments: why would parents want their college students to be housed close to low-income housing?
Why would I (a 27 year resident of the neighborhood) want to live close to the college students? My fear is that DePaul will buy the property and we will more college students living in our neighborhood. More drunks tearing up our property, more residents that don't care about the neighborhood since they are just here for school and will move on.
And thank you, Vi, for opening the process to everyone.
Let's put politics aside folks and come up with a plan!
DePaul has already stated they are not interested in the property. Also, DePaul has been in the neighborhood longer than any of the current residents. Their presence has helped to create the neighborhood that Lincoln Park is today.
Vi - Put money aside and think of what is best for the neighborhood. Lincoln Park is a special neighborhood with a lot of character. Please do not destroy it. I really don't want to have to move to Naperville.
Residential uses must include options that benefit the residents of the neighborhood, increase the tax base and improve the safety and security of the neighborhood. Crime and violent crime has become a significant factor in Lincoln Park, you cannot invite more crime into this neighborhhood. Children must be able to walk the streets to their schools. Shelters and such will drive the families out of this area.
Affordable/low-income housing would be a welcome addition to the neighborhood. There is a shortage of this kind of housing and as the economy crumbles, the need will be greater. Lincoln Park is already a v bland and homogenous rich neighborhood, we needn't be paranoid about those who have less living nearby.
Lets not threaten or berate Vi Daley in our comments please. I don't always support her (and have even voted against her), but we should maintain a civil tone in our debates.
As a homeowner and voter, I strongly oppose low-income housing or shelter a block from my house.
A boutique hotel is the best way to enhance the neighborhood.
Affordable/low income housing would NOT be a welcome addition to this area. Low income housing was the reason everyone fled the city to the suberbs back in the 80's.
Don"t make the same mistake again. I think Naperville is a little short on low-income housing... out it there!
How about a "town square" type of thing similar to Lincoln Square where there are mixed uses - including a boutique hotel, unique high-end stores, ice skating rink/pool or activity center for kids, a new grade school (since all ours are so good that they are overloaded with applicants) a center stage/platform for live outdoor performances, and a tiny bit of residential housing mixed in?
Daniel said...
As a resident of this area, we need options that benefit the neighborhood for those who already live there, there are plenty areas of low-income housing in the city and bringing that to this location would destroy the great character of this great neighborhood. I support low-rise housing (i.e. townhouses, rowhouses, single family,etc.) and possibly a boutique hotel or small grade school for those from the area. NO TO SHELTERS OR LOW INCOME ON THIS SITE!!!


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There's less than one week left in NaNo and I have to say...I don't know if I can do it. Last week I KNEW I couldn't. This week I'm on the fence. I'm giving myself some credit. I think I can (repeat that three times), but there are times when it just feels like I'm pressing the buttons and random words and messy sentences are showing up.
Sometimes that's what you have to do in order to get through the infamous 'block'. What I've learned this year from NaNo that I didn't during NaNo's past is I can push my limits. The past two years I set easier goals. Rather than the whole 50k I decided to go for 30k. Before I didn't think it would ever be possible for me to get past that number. This year I felt different, stronger (writer strong), and I did get past the 30k hump. I'm proud of myself for achieving that goal, it's pretty impressive for a slow writer like myself, but I'm going to keep going.
You never know how strong you are until you've pushed yourself harder than you ever thought possible. As a writer we have to constantly evolve in order to get better at what we're doing, and a part of my evolution includes writing at a faster rate. I'm not sure what's going to happen next month (especially with my brain, it might be a puddle of jumbled words), but I do know right now I have a choice. I can either choose to be happy achieving a new goal, or I can choose to go even further and achieve one I didn't think I'd ever be able to. What are you guys going to choose?
Monday, November 25, 2013
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
What's Up Wednesday
What I'm Reading:
Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross, a historical fiction that takes place in Paris during the late 1800s. It's fascinating. The descriptions transport you to the Parisian streets and the bustle of Aristocratic life. The premise is original and I'm curious as to whether it's true or not. The only issue I have is with the MC Maude. She's a bit...boring? There's no pep in her step, no spunk. I'm hoping she grows a personality as the book progresses. Either way I'm enjoying myself.
What I'm Writing:
17,000+ words into NaNo! Way ahead of where I was last year. I've gotten to the good, meaty stuff and it's helping quite a bit in the inspiration department.
What Inspires Me Right Now:
Pandora. I have it on the majority of the day and it makes writing and cleaning go by much faster. Right now I'm obsessed with the Lorde channel. LOVE her stuff and the other artists that it plays. I've discovered a few new bands to fall in love with.
What Else I've Been Up To:
Surviving. Life can get a bit overwhelming, stressful, exhausting at times and right now I'm just trying to get through a patch where it seems to be everything at once. Writing is helping, so is reading. Oh well, c'est la vie!
What have you been up to?
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
What's Up Wednesday
What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what's up, put on by Jamie Morrow and Erin Funk. If you'd like to join click on the links above!
What I'm Reading:
The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour. I'm halfway through and I have to say I'm really enjoying it. Not totally in love, but it's a great, well written story. I'm curious to find out why Bev changed her mind about traveling the world with Colby and how things will end (or begin) for Colby. One thing I do love is reading about the obscure towns they visit on their tour, and the characters they meet in passing that have a more significant impact on them than people they've known their whole lives. I also finished Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas yesterday and really liked that as well (not love, yet again). It's a great fantasy, which I needed after a string of contemporaries (nothing against contemporaries, i love them, but I need to switch it up every now and then). I have to say I enjoyed the sequel more than Throne of Glass, not only was the writing stronger, but the plot twists had my head spinning.
What I'm Writing:
NaNoWriMo! I'm just over 8,000 words in. I'm kind of not feeling the story right now. There are scenes I can't wait to get to, but I have to figure out the beginning first, and the writing is really 'meh', even for a first draft. I'm not giving up, though, because I'm really excited about the stuff that's going to come up, I just have to start it with a bang as well. I guess that's what revisions are for.
What Inspires Me Right Now:
NaNoWriMo. I love knowing I"m not the only one trying to get words on paper (or computers) especially SO MANY of them in such a short amount of time. Makes me feel less crazy and more motivated.
What Else I've Been Up To:
Reading. I have so many great books from the library right now and trying to read and NaNo together is near impossible. Not to mention taking care of a family and house. But I love all those things (minus housework) so I make sure to find time to fit everything in. I don't always succeed, but when I do, man does it feel good.
What Have You Been Up To?
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|Eudora Peterson
She really enjoys fashion! She loves her own personal style. I saw her in the front of Baker Center and I loved how she mixed animal print with stripes. Eudora's necklace is killer too!
|Michelle! You better watch out! Faye has you beat with her fashion!
|Amrit Saini
He's not just my boyfriend, but he also has great fashion sense. Who would have thought we both won best dressed in high school? His favorite places to shop include Express and Banana Republic.


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Vegan No Flour Peanut Butter Cookies1 cup Peanut Butter
1 cup Sugar ( should be granular)
1 Egg replacer - so this could be the actual 'Egg replacer' that you can buy, flax seeds, or chia seeds. Whatever you normally use for your egg replacement.
You can add chocolate chips if you want, I added 1/4 cup.
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees, mix everything together and bake for 10 - 12 mins. This makes roughly 24 small cookies.


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The Moose salutes the junior Senator from the Land of Lincoln.
The Moose knew that Barack Obama was going to be a star the first time he heard him speak early in '04. That view was strongly reinforced by his superb performance at the Democratic Convention. Contemplate his expression of faith-based optimism from the speech,
"In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation; the belief in things not seen; the belief that there are better days ahead."
Of course, then, it was far too soon to make any long term predictions because he had never served in Federal office. However, he has proven in his brief Senate tenure that all of the Moose's expectations about Obama have been realized. He is thoughtful, measured and has magnificent political instincts.
Evidence of his savvy was demonstrated in his response to Chairman Dean's remarks characterizing the Republican Party. Obama commented,
"As somebody who is a Christian myself, I don't like it when people use religion to divide, whether that is Republican or Democrat," Obama said. "I think in terms of his role as party spokesman, [Dean] probably needs to be a little more careful and I suspect that is a message he is going to be getting from a number of us," Obama explained. "We are at a time in our country's history that inclusive language is better than exclusive language," he added.
The tone of those comments was similar to that of his Democratic convention address. Obama has a Bill Clinton-like ability to synthesize an appreciation of the cultural sensitivities of religious Americans with a progressive narrative. That is no accident. Both Clinton and Obama were deeply influenced by the civil rights movement which was rooted in a progressive faith tradition.
The conventional wisdom is that 2008 is too soon for Obama to serve on a national ticket. Maybe, the conventional wisdom is wrong.
In the meantime - paging Doctor Dean - please call Senator Obama for a consult ASAP. --


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Merry Christmas from all the staff at Cultivating Community.
This year's gift is from the Lennox St Community Garden in Richmond and features a selection of the gardener's favourite recipes in English, Chinese and Vietnamese. It was produced as part of the ABC Open Garden Scheme and was accompanied by a DVD, Chapters of which can be viewed on by visiting our channel on You Tube http://au.youtube.com/user/CultivatingCommunity
If you are in Melbourne over the Festive period and have a tree that's heaving with fruit please come along to Yarra Neighbourhood Orchard swap meet on Saturday the 3rd January from 10am to 1pm on the bike path opposite the Fitzroy pool. We are expecting a massive variety of produce and what could be better than swapping locally produced goodies!
Next year will see our weekly community fruit and vegetable market refocus on to local and seasonal produce. The markets take place every Thursday from the second week of January and have the cheapest produce this side of the Vic Market.
10:30-11:30 Harmsworth St Hall Collingwood
1:30-2:30 Base of 125 Napier St Fitzroy
Lastly our community garden in Napier St Fitzroy is taking part in the ABC Open Garden Scheme the weekend of 21/22 February. There will be tours, cooking demos, the launch of a DVD showing the history of the estate and interviews with gardeners and much much more. Opening times are 10am to 4pm – hope to see you there.
I wish you all a fantastic Christmas and I hope that all your harvests are bountiful in 2009!
Ben Neil
Chief Executive Officer
Cultivating Community
P.O. Box 8 Abbotsford
Victoria 3067
Office: 03 9415 6580
Fax: 03 9415 6507
Mobile: 0404 255 317


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New Jersey Flute Choir Day: Mar. 18, 2018
The Annual New Jersey Flute Choir Day is open to Elementary, Junior High, High School, College students, and adults who play the flute and would like to take part in playing ensemble works scored for piccolo, C flute, alto and bass flutes, and the contra bass flute. All applicants are accepted for participation in the program and are placed in classes according to age and playing experience. Lunch is included.


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Teachers' summers
I can't recall the last time an article ran in your newspaper that was pro-teacher. I saw the article "Summer quiet, but not restful" (Chicagoland Health & Family, Aug. 10), an article on how hard principals work.
Teachers' summers
I can't recall the last time an article ran in your newspaper that was pro-teacher. I saw the article "Summer quiet, but not restful" (Chicagoland Health & Family, Aug. 10), an article on how hard principals work.
Are you kidding me?
You honestly think that principals are the only ones who work during the summer? Do you think curriculum just magically appears on a teacher's desk the first day of school?
Contrary to what you want your readers to believe, teachers do not work only 10 months a year or from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Teachers work during the summer, too, and they work for free.
How about interviewing some teachers on their summer work? I really wish you would promote the value of teachers.
— Linda Polak, Glenview
Easy money
As a fan of public transportation and one who would rather see it expand than contract, I am typically not adverse to moderate fare hikes. However, Metra is one public transit body that does not deserve a fare hike because it currently does not collect anywhere near the actual number of fares its riders utilize.
I take the Metra to and from Naperville, and frequently the train conductors will not visit entire cars during a trip. Perhaps the most flagrant example of this was a typical all-stops train that went express over the Memorial Day weekend because it was packed to capacity. Yet not one fare was collected from a car that had people standing in all the aisles. I wish I could say this was a rare occurrence, but, alas, it is not.
Metra needs to utilize systems in place on numerous other rail networks, while integrating fare payment with the other regional mass transit systems. Let's not lose easy money while trying to make it up with higher fares.
— Brian Larson, Naperville
Failing schools
As a South Side resident and community leader, I've seen again and again how failing schools hurt our children and our communities. Too many children in our neighborhoods struggle to read and write at grade level and nearly half of them fail to graduate. Our school system is leaving our children behind.
I attended a recent budget hearing with other South Side parents to talk about what we can do to make our schools better. We spoke about lengthening the school day and year so our children have more time to focus on learning. We also talked about the need for more accountability at every level of our school system. South Side communities can no longer afford to accept bad teachers and worse results.
As parents we are always prepared to sacrifice for the good of our children. Let's end the tiresome blame game between teachers and Chicago Public Schools. For too long our school system has put the interests of adults before those of children.
— Sandra Patterson, vice chair, Schmid Elementary LSC, president, Cottage Grove Heights Community Coalition, Chicago
Commuting expenses
I know that tollway users will be unhappy about any sort of toll increase, but consider that public transit users have had to deal with numerous fare increases since tolls were last hiked in 1983. Why should the government subsidize roads in favor of transit? If anything, it should be mass transit that's cheap and driving that's expensive.
— Benjamin Recchie, Chicago
Taxing hypocrisy
Mayor Rahm Emanuel learned the rules of politics well. He studied at the knee of the master-taxer, Barack Obama. While berating other politicians for nickel-and-diming the populace, he allows the Chicago Public Schools to put through the biggest real estate tax increase allowed.
Why? Because district officials have cut their spending. No matter that we have fewer kids in school than before. The CPS should have started cutting spending 20 years ago.
The mayor hates bureaucracies and pledges not to raise taxes in tough times, but it's OK for his new school chief to do so (when about half our students graduate)?
Why doesn't the mayor see the disconnect? How do you spell "hypocrite"?
— John J. Considine, Chicago
Helping Africa
The last few weeks should be shocking to every American. This great land of ours needs to re-evaluate our collective moral compass.
We watched our elected officials struggle to find a common ground on what truly was a simple issue: Can we continue to afford to live beyond our means? The answer was simple, but those individuals we voted into office couldn't answer the question with the clarity and focus our electorate demanded.
There was no Republican right or wrong nor a Democratic right or wrong to the issue that our partisan proxies struggled with. Despite this, what resulted was a true debacle, and there is no other word to describe what occurred. Everyone got it wrong in the end.
And now, with each of us watching our 401(k)s move like our child's yo-yo, we are left to face what can only be considered a striking apathy by our government and all of us to what is happening in Africa.


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The Southern Chill, Part 1
Report by Anya Zaryova
(2 March 2012; 600 XP; 2000 gp [500 gp per person])
A rather large number of refugees had been finding their way into Mist Veil over the past few days, trying to escape the unnaturally cold weather to the south. The locals did what they could to accomodate these new arrivals, but it was clear to Costable Dunham that a better long-term solution was necessary. He gathered a group of volunteers to accompany him and his men to investigate the goings-on down south. Tristan Swansong, Rogarth Deepwell, Celeste Ravensdale, and I opted to join.
As we moved south, the weather did indeed seem unnaturally cold for this time of the year. Along the way we were ambushed by a small group of kobolds, but quickly they were quickly dealth with. With the help of some of the refugee halflings, we managed to find the town, which was now empty. We decided to spend the night in the town and continue our investigation in the morning.
After waking, we set out into the forrest, which seemed to have a definite, yet not entirely identifiable, magical aura to it. We encountered another group of kobolds, and suffered only minor injuries. Deeper in the forrest we came upon a mysterious box with a magical aura. The box was surrounded by frozen kobolds. Investigation of the box showed that upon opening, those viewing the contents would become entranced and unable to act. We buried the box beneath a tree until so we could figure out a more permanant solution. At ths point, we decided to rest again for the night.
Rogarth set up some bear traps along the perimeter of our camp, in case more kobolds tried to find us in the night. They did, but the traps did thier job and the night passed without much incident.


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UPDATE: Dragon sculpt here.
I've been working on this for a little while, going back to it when ever I get the time. I did a drawing of the side view in my sketchbook and scanned it in and used it as a reference image in 3ds max. I figured I'd take a break from dinosaurs. As always, this will be sculpted and painted in mudbox.


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Given the recent, unusual opportunity to ride both of Eastern Washington's vehicle carrying ferries on the same day, I decided to do this post to capture that experience but more importantly look at the vital services these two ferries provide to their respective communities and delve into a little of their histories.
Lets first address Eastern Washington's two vehicle carrying ferries in order of general usage:
1. The Keller Ferry – vessel name: Martha S.
2. The Gifford / Inchelium Ferry – vessel name: Columbia Princess
Both of the above ferries operate on Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake. There is another private passenger ferry operating on Lake Chelan, Lady of the Lake, but that is not a vehicle carrying ferry and will not be addressed in this article.
We'll start with the smaller of the two ferries: the M/V Columbia Princess a.k.a. the Gifford-Inchelium Ferry operated by The Colville Confederated Tribes. The route across Lake Roosevelt links the areas of Inchelium and Gifford on the eastern side of the reservation. Connecting the Inchelium Highway to State Route 25 across the river. The fare to ride is free. The weight limit is 40 tons. The ferry operates between 7 days per week between 6:30 AM and 10:00 PM. The tribe operates the ferry under a Public Law 93-638 contract. The average daily traffic for cars is 227. One round trip takes approximately 30 minutes.
Initially costing the tribe $28 million, the Gifford / Inchelium Ferry began operation in 1982. Recently the tribe received $940,000 in Ferry Boat Discretionary funds to construct the new dock facility.
While the Columbia Princess ferry does carry transport traffic moving across the Colville Tribal lands and
THE KELLER FERRY (a short history)
The history of the Keller Ferry extends back further in time, predating the creation of Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake. This ferry crosses the Columbia River linking Ferry County and the Colville Indian Reservation on the north bank to Lincoln County on the south. The Columbia River is approximately one and a half miles wide at this point with towering basalt cliffs and rugged scab land forming both shores. The river wasn't always as wide. Construction of the Grand Coulee Dam about 15 miles downstream from the ferry route quadrupled the width of the river when the reservoir was filled in 1942. Prior to that, the ferry crossed a free-flowing Columbia River rather than the slack water Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake as it does today.
One of the signatures of the Pacific Northwest are the intricate ferry/transport systems linking the major areas of the Salish Sea and some of the great cities of the NW. Thus it may come as a surprise to note that Washington States 1st ferry was located in Eastern Washington long before it the cross-sound routes in Western Washington that are familiar to so many. On September 1, 1930, the State of Washington Department of Highways took over control of the Keller Ferry run on the Columbia River, operated by Mr. William Latta, completing a link on what was then known as State Road #4. The State's tenure as a Puget Sound ferry transportation provider did not begin until over 20 years later, with its purchase of the Black Ball Line on June 1, 1951.
The Martha S. is 80 feet in length with a 30 foot beam. The capacity of the vessel is 12 cars with a maximum vehicle size of 75 feet in length with a gross weight of 80,000 lbs. This ferry is powered by two Detroit Diesel 6-71 engines with an approximate combined horsepower of 470. The top travel speed is about 12 miles per hour and the crossing takes about 10 minutes on the water. The Keller Ferry crew consists of eight people. Ferry operators are licensed by the United States Coast Guard after being tested to operate this specific class of vessel.
On the morning of September 9, 1998, the Washington State Ferry, Martha S. made her 50th anniversary crossing of the Columbia River between Lincoln County and Ferry County. The vessel was launched in 1948 and has been in continuous service since.
|The MARTHA S. departing the southern landing point of the Keller Ferry route in Lincoln County, WA.


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Friday, October 06, 2006
Tjarnqvist On Pace For 80 Goal Season!
Odds and sods from someone who was away for a week and likely will be entering rehab soon to dry out after many pints across the pond.
- why dress Brad Winchester and then give him LeGG like numbers; seriously, if your fourth line guys cannot even contribute on the PK, then what's the point? Might as well dress 11 forwards. Either play him or sit him in the PB. Trade him for a 9th round pick. Waive him. This is not Winny hating - I could care less about the guy. Its just if he's not going to play then dress someone who you are comfortable with putting on the ice in some situation
- sounds like the Oilers played a playoff type game last night and this brings up a theory of mine which I bandied about at one point this summer - if the Oilers bring it on the PK, play, well, not a trap, but a responsible defensive game, then the D is going to look a lot better then they are on paper, and this team is going to make some hay - I think this team (including the coaches) learned a lot in the playoffs and if they can apply some of it in the regular season, well, things are going to be fine
- Sykora and Hemsky have some chemistry and Raffi Torres is going to benefit in a huge way, and in his contract year, no less
- surprised that MAP and Peterson were both sent down; Peterson strikes me as being a good guy to keep around as "the odd man out" so to speak and MAP, to me, fits the 4th line role; I understand the Mikhnov decision and JFJ for that matter; it doesn't really matter - I'm sure we will see both guys within a month or so anyhow
- reading a comment in a thread elsewhere about both MAP and Gilbert not seeing a lot of icetime in their debuts in the minors - I haven't really weighed in on the whole Oiler Prospect Diaspora but I really don't like it and I hope it doesn't mean a wasted year for a lot of these kids - I hope they get their shit together on this next year - at least share a team for Chrissake
- if you're ever in England, even if you aren't a soccer fan, if you can get tickets, try and get to a game - what a fun experience it is!
- any win is a good win, as far as I am concerned, but last night sounds like a fine piece of work, especially considering the opposition - lets hope the Oilers can pick up another two points Saturday night
- ok, up at 4am this morning and our daughter, who was terrific while we were away, is now punishing us, up from 11pm until 1am last night, up again at 5:30 - man, I need some sleep; I have no idea if this post even makes any sense
3 comments:
I like this year's AHL arrangement better than sharing a franchise because splitting the minutes leftover by the primary NHL club a dozen ways on a single AHL franchise is not good enough. Our prospects are going to get better access to quality minutes this way, and the chance to see tougher minutes. The burden this year is on the development staff and scouts to compensate for putting the prospects in less-than-ideal situations, which is better than putting it on the prospects. Goalies are still screwed though.
- Black Dog Hates Skunks said...
Well, I've seen both sides of the argument and there's one big problem right there - the goalies.
I understand your point for sure but who ensures Gilbert sees those minutes? Pouliot? Etc.
Plus I like the idea of guys growing up in an Oilers' system. I guess what I am saying is I would prefer that they have their own franchise, if I think about it. That would be the ideal and while it can be argued that you don't need it I'm not convinced.
Agreed, their own affiliate is the best solution of all, but that option is not available this year.
Sharing does not solve the goalie problem, at least not how the Habs "shared" with us last year. No difference at all imo.
Minutes are more important than any of the intangibles to do with the system.
The prospects themselves earn the minutes, like MAP did last season. This year, our guys are not fighting as much with each other in addition to the other NHL teams' prospects.


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Aren't they just so cute? I love that Stacey put this scene together as a big image including the hill on the background. I love not having to build a scene on my own! =)
The lovely Snowy Trio is stamped on Papertrey Ink's Stamper's Select White cardstock, colored with Copic markers then trimmed to size.
The patterned paper is from 'Tis the Season 6x6 Paper Pad by Echo Park and the sentiment is from Winter Wishes Sentiment set. There is still time to save 25% when you purchase the entire Winter Wishes! collection! See the details here, the offer ends November 7th!
That's all for now. For more inspirations using stamps from Purple Onion Designs, please visit Purple Onion Designs Blog! =)
Have a fabulous day and thanks for stopping by!
cardstock: (white, kraft) Papertrey Ink
rubber stamps: Purple Onion Designs
patterned paper: Echo Park
dye ink: (Tuxedo Black) Tsukineko
die: (curve border) Simon Says Stamp
tools: (die-cut machine) Provo Craft, (Corner Chomper) We R Memory Keepers
other: (foam tape) 3M
Copics used:
snowmen: B000, B0000, 0, E08, YR18, YR16, E59, E57, E55
outfits: BV29, BV25, BV23, R37, R27, R17, R14, E29, E27, E25, E23, YG99, YG97, YG95, YG93, E09, E08, R08, R05, BG78, BG75, BG72
book: R37, R27, R17, R14
trees: E59, E57, E55, YG67, YG17, YG25
card size: 5 1/2" x 4"


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Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Chasing Stanley by Deirdre Martin
Delilah Gould is a painfully shy dog trainer who meets and falls in love with Jason Mitchell, one of those hunky hockey players that Martin is so fond of writing. Jason hires her to train his Newf, who is himself a supporting character. Along the way, we meet Jason's over-confident twin (also a hockey player), Delilah's gay best friend (didn't we see this in the last book?), both families, and a host of teammates and old couples from past books.
What I liked: I liked that Jason wasn't your typical stuck-up athlete. He seemed very down-to-earth, and very sweet. He did have a few (ok, several) dumb jock moments, but that is to be expected when reading a book about, well... jocks. I loved that he beat the crap out of his teammate for calling Delilah a derogatory name. He stood up for her not just out of principle, but because he honestly couldn't believe what came out of his teammate's mouth.
Martin did try very hard not to make Delilah into your stereotypical Jewish heroine. She wasn't a JAP, but she did have very stereotypical parents. Why can't there just be normal Jewish families out there?
What I didn't like: I practically peed in my pants and keeled over when I read the word "kike" in this book. One of Jason's teammates is an anti-Semite, and called Jason a Kike-lover, as well as spouting every other stereotype in the book. I wonder if Martin realizes that were this a book about African-Americans, she couldn't have gotten away with calling the hero an "N"-lover. Her editor would have drawn the line. To Jews, the "K" word is the same thing. So why is this ok? I almost put the book down right there, but I wanted to see how she resolved the situation.
Sorry to say, Delilah never once stood up for herself with Denny (the teammate). She let Jason do it for her, even when he was rude to her face. It's a difficult situation to be in, but man oh man, she was a doormat. I don't know what else I can say about this, except I'm still utterly floored at the chutzpah displayed by both Martin and Berkley in publishing the racial slur in this book.
Now on to the families. Why are Jewish families so stereotyped? Delilah's family was totally dysfunctional. Her parents were divorced, always yelling at each other. Her mother picked at her, and she was "daddy's little girl". Mom was always concerned with makeup and obsessed with Delilah's weight and appearance. oh, and "Do you have a boyfriend?" Dad is the local TV "Mattress King," complete with the bad toupee and the 20-something girlfriend. Even their names - Mitzi and Sy? Oy. Jason's parents, on the other hand, were loving, normal folks who showed Delilah what a normal functional family should feel like. They embraced her into the family fold, never once seeming to care that their son was dating a girl who would likely raise their grandchildren Jewish. Let me tell you, people, as one who has lived that situation... it matters. (Although Martin did give them laughable names, too, I must admit - Dick and Jane. But she had them acknowledge the silliness of their names right off the bat, of course.) And Jason, of course, was totally thrown by Delilah's family. Freaked out and felt totally sorry for her.
So as I got angrier and angrier about this stereotyping, I began to think about it a bit more. My own hubby felt a bit overwhelmed when he met my family. Jewish families do tend to be a bit... louder?... than other families. And compared to mine, Bob's family is totally laid back and seemingly "normal". So is stereotyping ok? No. Or is it over the top? Yes. I certainly haven't met any Jewish families as crazy freaky as any that I've read about in a romance novel. Yet, I know why she wrote this NY Jewish family the way she did.
I can't give this book a thumbs up. Yet I kept reading. Like watching a train wreck, I had to see what would happen next. Martin's book is no worse than any other book with a Jewish heroine (the K word notwithstanding). I guess I just read it at a time when I was ripe to jump on this topic. Jews are not a freak side show, people (authors, editors, publishers). In fact, they even came first - remember?
So, here's my challenge to all you authors out there. Please... somebody write a book about a H/H who just happen to be Jewish, just like in most novels they happen to not be Jewish. No stereotypes, no loud, obnoxious parents, no dysfunctional Uncle Arthurs or Aunt Selmas. Just normal people falling in love, who go to temple on Friday night instead of church on Sunday morning. Why is that so flipping difficult?
9 comments:
Holy mother of God! I can't BELIEVE they'd publish a book with slurs like that. Holy freaking crap! I am so glad I didn't get past the first chapter because I'd have been PISSED! Lori, seriously, you should write to the author and the publisher and tell them, "Hey, I'm Jewish, and the 'K' word just isn't acceptable." What. The. Fuck?! And honestly, who SAYS things like that anymore? I'm floored. Absolutely stunned.ReplyDelete
Can you send the book back and demand a refund? I think I'd definitely try.
Ummm, Anne? You'd be amazed who says things like that these days. Loads of people. Belive me, I've been called that and worse. And while I can admire Martin for wanting to show how unaccetable that behavior is, I don't think this a romance novel is really the appropriate forum for it. All she managed to do was to perpetuate stereotypes, IMO.ReplyDelete
Um...if you read the N word in a book that was referencing it's use in an attempt to intimidate, not used in conversation, Is that also offensive? Or reality in the low behavior of stupid people?ReplyDelete
Gail, I would really love for this not to become a racial discussion. My point was simply that the "n" word would be unacceptable in a romance for any reason. Therefore, racial slurs aimed at any group should be unacceptable in a romance. Period.ReplyDelete
My bigger beef with the book was the stereotyping. And I believe that I pointed out that I probably read this book on a day I was ripe for this argument. I've heard it about Italians, Latins, AAs, and now I'm throwing Jews into the pot. That's all.
The romance itself didn't do a whole lot for me either, frankly, which is a shame, since I really liked this author whe she debuted.
Lori it sounds like the author leaned on alot of stereotype devices to write this book from your review. Too bad.ReplyDelete
I think I enjoyed her first book but gave up on her after the second. Just couldn't get in to it.ReplyDelete
But you know, iirc, her other books had other stereotypes, didn't they? the girl who burned incense, etc? Methinks she has issue.
I think it's kind of ridiculous that she used the "k" word, even in that context. Horrible.
I hadn't planned on reading this before, but I for sure won't be now.
good rant, btw. I was totally impressed. :P
Hmm, I picked up this book to buy a few weeks ago, wanting to give her a shot but I kept hearing that I wouldn't like her books and I'm glad I didn't buy it because I read one of her stories in an anthology and wasn't impressed, on top of this review, yeah I'm really glad I didn't buy the book...ReplyDelete
...I loved the rant too, Lori good job!
Okay first I hate to admit this, maybe it's a good thing, but I've never heard the "k" word before in my life. But maybe cause I grew up around Puerto Rican's and Italian's more. lol.ReplyDelete
And as for loud obnoxious families? Well hell mine is about ten times worse than your reveiw said this Jewish family is. And I'm 1/2 PR 1/2 Italian. lol. At least you get books, I've yet to see one that wasn't all kinds of ghetto about a Puerto Rican.
I don't mean that it's good that they steriotype. Actually I'm rambling. I think my point is your right. With the Jewish as well as Puerto Rican's.
I understand how you feel.ReplyDelete
I was VERY offended when an author used retard/retarded in a book. I was disgusted, angry, pissed off.


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Tube of choice,I am using Alex Prihoidko,which you can purchase here,do not use unless you have a license to do so.
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But, in what seems to be an increasing number of cases, customers come for the deals and then leave for deals offered by other merchants through Groupon. So the number of "new" customers attracted by cheap prices increases, and the number of loyal customers decreases as shoppers prefer to become "new" again for whomever offers the best. deal.
'Ya think? While I am not above deals, in my quest for cheapness, I am also sick unto death of all the time, energy and attention absorbed by deal-hunting. It's the electronic equivalent of coupon clipping, totally inefficient. I really prefer everyday low prices, like Sams, Walmart and Amazon. Much more sustainable.


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- Lesson Plans
Emily Dickinson and the Power of Punctuation
By Patricia Finn & Dr. Susan KeyGrades 6-8 / Estimated time: 20-25 minutes
Specific recommendation: 7th grade Language Arts
Please view/download the lesson plan via the link in the right column.
- Explain the importance of punctuation in poetry
- Re-write the punctuation in the poem "Dear March, Come In!" to create a different emphasis or tone than the author intended
Common Core Standard:
- RL.7.5 Analyze how a drama's or poem's form or structure contributes to its meaning.
September 21, 2016
Please leave your name as well as your subject area(s) and the grade level(s) that you teach along with your comment.


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Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Meditation and Poetics - 43 (Reznikoff 13)
[Charles Reznikoff, aged 81, in New York City, 1975 - Photograph by Abraham Ravett]
[St Marks Poetry Project, NYC, 1970 flyer-announcement for Charles Reznikoff reading - designed by George Schneeman]
AG: Okay, so those were his (Charles Reznikoff's) short things. I'll finish with some of his longer matters from Volume 1 of his Collected Poems, because I think I mentioned them to you… - (66) - "If there is a scheme.." - [did I read this before here? no?] - "If there is a scheme/ perhaps this too is in the scheme/as when a subway car turns on a switch" - [that's the thing I forgot, when it "turns on a switch"] - "the wheels screeching against the rails/and the lights go out/but are on again in a moment" - [I wonder which was better, his poem or mine - okay..] - "the lights go out/but are on again in a moment", but it's ""If there is a scheme/ perhaps this too is in the scheme" - [That's kind of an interesting suggestion as far as the mind's concerned, if you examine mind]
I wanted to read a couple of the longer story poems. I don't think I read any of them here. We read the one about the knock? the aunt and the man?
Student(s): Yeah
AG: So that was from an earlier set. And now (from about page 44 on) ..Yeah, well this is kind of a weird one - "The Burden" (page 51)
Student: In Collected Poems, Volume 1?
AG: Volume 1, yeah - "(29) The shop on which he worked was on the tenth floor. After six o'clock/ he heard the neighbouring shops closing, the windows and the shutters/closed./At last there was only a light here and there/These, too, were gone. He was alone./He went to the stairs./Suppose he leaned over the railing./ What was to hold him back from plunging down the stairwell?/ Upon the railway platform, a low railing was fencing off a drop to/the street - a man could step over./When the train came to the bridge and the housetop sank and/sank, his heart began to pound and he caught his breath:/he had but to throw himself through the open window or walk to/the train platform, no one would suspect, and jerk back the little gate./He would have to ride so to and from work. His home was on the/ third floor, the shop on the tenth. He would have to pass windows and the stairwell always."
And the next one - "(30) - "In high school she liked Latin and the balances of algebra" - [have I read this here?]
Student(s): No
AG: No? - "In high school she liked Latin and the balances of algebra" - [ I like that, actually - a very elegant thing for a working-class girl - she liked "the balances of algebra" - very intelligent mind - it penetrates both ways (it's an intellectual's conception, at the same time, it's something that might come to the lower middle classes - "she liked.. the balances of algebra"] - "Her mother had died years before and her father had married again/The new wife was solicitous for her husband. "A workingman -/ has he the means for this education of a girl?"/They took her out of school and got her a job as a bookkeeper/ A student at one of the universities who she had met at high school/began to call/She herself had been reading but evenings are too short;besides/ her reading was haphazard/They talked of books that he knew and what was good in his lectures./Her stepmother and father said, "It will be years before he'll finish his/studies and make a living. When he'll be ready to marry, you'll be too/old. He's wasting your time."/It was useless talking to her, but they spoke to him and he stopped/ calling/ A salesman, professionally good-humored, introduced himself to/ her father. A good match they all said. Besides home was uncomfortable/with a nagging stepmother."
On page 54 (this is like a complete novel at this point):
"He was afraid to go through the grocery store where his father was/still talking to customers. He went through the tenement hallway/ intothe room where they ate and slept, in back of the store./His little brothers and sisters were asleep along the big bed. He took/ the book which he had bought at the pushcart, to read just a page/ or twomore by the dimmed gaslight./ His father stood over him and punched his head twice,/whispering in Yiddish, "Where have you been all day, you louse/that feeds on me? I needed you to deliver orders."/In the dawn he carried milk and rolls to the doors of customers./At seven/ he was in his chum's room. "I'll stay here with you till I get a job"/ He worked for a printer. When he was twenty-one he set up a press in/ a basement.It was harder to pay off than he thought./He fell behind in his installments. If they took the press away he would have to work for someone else all over again/Rosh Hashanah he went to his father's house. They had beenspeaking to each other again for years./Once a friend had turned a poem of his into Hebrew. It was printed ina Hebrew magazine. He showed it to his father and his father showed it/ around to the neighbors/ After dinner his father said, "Business has been good, thank God. I have saved over a thousand dollars this year. How have you/ been doing?"/ "Well", "But I hear you need money that you're trying to borrow some?" "Yes". His father paused/"I hope you get it." - [that's where they ended up]
Then the next. I don't think.. do these need any commentary? Hardly
Student: Is this autobiographical, in the third person?
AG: I don't think they are autobiographical at all. I think he's just observed these things among his friends and neighbors. He heard people talking. It's like in Mind Breaths, I have a poem that's built on these, actually. It's something that.. I just listened to my father and this is what he said - [Allen reads from the poem, "Don't Grow Old" - "Wasted arms, feeble knees,/ eighty years old, hair thin and white,/cheek bonier than I'd remembered,/ head bowed on his neck, eyes opened now and then he listened/I read my father Wordsworth's/Intimations of Immortality Ode/"Trailing clouds of glory do we come/from God who is our home"/ "That's beautiful", he said."but it's not true. When I was a boy…" - [and then he continues, it's just like (Reznikoff) - I was totally under the influence of Reznikoff at this point - and then my father continued] - "When I was a boy we had/ a house on Boyd Street, Newark/The backyard was a big empty lot full of bushes/and whole grass.I always wondered/what was behind those trees./When I grew older, I walked around the block.." - [I thought that was so funny, "When I grew older" - like, another year! From four to five, he finally got around to walk around the block (but it seemed like that when you're a kid)] - "When I grew older, I walked around the block/and found out what was back there, it was/ a glue factory."
In other words, it's somebody talking. He heard his grandmother (or) his aunt talking, or a businessman, talking about this business.
This Rabbi went away and somebody signed something for his house and then someone got cheated and, twenty years later, the son, who was a lawyer, came back and told him that he'd been cheated and wanted to make it up, but he was dead already. It's a typical story. Stories like that you hear in the family all the time, whether Irish or Jewish, or Swedish, or German, or honky or black, there are these stories. It's all totally family - heimisch, or homely. And I'm sure everyone has these stories. And they're told always in the same way - like great gaps of time are covered - "There was this boy and he had a limp. Well, when he grew up, he had a candy store". And it's like epic poetry (because that's what epic poetry is composed of) - the essential details, as it would be remembered, for everybody to understand, not something high faultin' and flighty, but just the essential details of life recollected perfectly in order, but just the essential details. So, "There was this guy who has a club foot and, when he was fifty, he wanted to get married" (it starts with the child - a club foot at grammar school)
Here's a complete fast shot (on page 55) - "(33) Passing the shop after school, he would look up at the sign and go on,/glad that his own life had to do with books/Now at night when he saw the grey in his parents' hair \and heard their\talk of that day's worries and the next:/lack of orders, if orders, lack of workers, if workers, lack of goods,/if there were workers and goods, lack of orders again,/for the tenth time he said, "I'm going in with you: there's more money in business."/His father answered, "Since when do you care about money? You don't know what kind of life you're going into - but you've always had your own way."/ He went out selling in the morning, he read the Arrival of Buyers in The Times; he packed half a dozen samples in a box and went/ from office to office./ Others like himself, sometimes a crowd, were waiting to thrust their cards through a partition opening.." - [That's really horrifying. I've been in that situation, you know, in a big city, trying to compete with a million other people for the same job] - "Others like himself, sometimes a crowd, were waiting to thrust their cards/ through a partition opening./ When he ate, vexations were forgotten for a while. A quarter past eleven/ was time to go down the steps to Holz's lunch/ counter./He would mount one of the stools/The food, steaming, fragrant, just brought outfrom the kitchen would be dumped into the trays of the steam-table./Hamburger steak, mashed potatoes, onions and gravy, or a knackwurst? and sauerkraut; after that, a pudding with a square of butter sliding from the top and red fruit juice dripping over the saucer./ He was growing fat." - [that's the end - "He was growing fat" - It's like a novel because you can see a life of such anxiety the only relief is the eating time, so he begins piling the eating in, but that means a life of unrelieved dread, or what he's talking about, (is) actually, a brilliant piece of karmic detection work..]
So the last one I'll read today is on page 59 (a very brief one, because we're over time) - "(40) - As he read, his mother sat down beside him. "Read me a little"/"You wouldn't understand, Ma", "What do you care? Read me a little./When I was a girl I wanted to study so much, but who could?" - [The phrasing is so perfect - "When I was a girl I wanted to study so much, but who could?"…(It's so) correct that it makes you cry. You know it's true, one way or another. It's totally real. The art has approached reality in so beautiful a way, and his attention is so exact, and his intelligence is there, and so humble. He's not trying to impress anybody, he's trying to be real. So..] - ""When I was a girl I wanted to study so much, but who could?/My father used to cry when I talked to him about it,/but he cried because he couldn't afford to educate the boys - even"/ As he read, she listened gravely, then went back to her ironing/The gaslight shone on her round, ruddy face and the white cotton sheets/ that she spread and ironed;/from the shelf the alarm-clock ticked and ticked rapidly." - [So, a moment of pure silence, pure awareness, pure silence, pure sympathy, complete empathy, sympathy, compassion, fullness, awareness, (a) complete universe. And the "clock ticked and ticked rapidly"]
Okay, I might want to do some more of these because they're so good! - Yeah, one last, I'll do it - It's only five lines. It applies to what I want to do next time - "(46) When the club met in her home, embarrassed, she asked them not to begin: /her father wanted to speak to them./The members whispered to each other, "Who is her father?"/"I thank you, young men and women," he said, "for the honor of your/ visit. I suppose you would like to hear some of my poems"./ And he began to chant."
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text:
On Friday, as I was driving back from picking up my daughter Mo, I was yet again cut off in traffic by some dick in an expensive car who thought he should have the right of way when clearly the rules of the road would have said otherwise. That's him in the photo. Douchey mofo driving a frickin Range Rover yammering away on his Bluetooth totally ignoring my honk of "OMG dude, I was here first!" as he pushed across 3 lanes to jump the rest of us who were already there. It got me thinking.... usually when I have been almost hit, cut off, swerved in, or generally screwed over by another driver, it has been someone in an expensive car. Why is this, I wonder? Do they have so much money they don't give a shit? Do they think their fancy car automatically gives them the right to be a dick to the rest of us who baby afford such luxury? Is it that they think that since they can afford such a fine automobile, the rest of us peasants in mini vans and gas sipping sedans have to bow down to their superiority?? I don't get it. What I do know is dickweed up there refused to look back and if my kid hadn't been in the car with me I might have gotten out & had a "conversation" with him about his rude driving.
I gotta get my knee fixed so I can go back to derby. My pent up anger needs an outlet!!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Fancy Cars & the Asshats Who Drive Them.
1 comment:
- Poppy said...
Please, for your own health and wellbeing, don't ever move to NYC. You would spend every waking moment being angry about being cut off. It even happens when you're *walking* here.
- February 26, 2012 at 12:18 AM
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December 14th
An ever increasing existence, an expansive energy fills me up. I accept my blessings from The Almighty, Infinite One.
Sit, relax and envision this phenomenal unfolding for you. Picture it clearly, see it in full detail. Do you see it expanding all around you? The Creative Energy is at work in all of creation, especially your life. See it growing rapidly and completely. You are being flooded with goodness and mercy, the grace of God is acting on your behalf. It is readying everything in and on your path. The Blessings are growing, they are magnified! Do you see it yet?
Hold the vision of Expansive Energy fully operating in your life and affairs. What does it look like for you? More love and peace; more harmony and cooperation; more money substance and freedom? What? Only you can make this decision for yourself. The Energy is eagerly waiting for you to say what it is that you desire. Once you have decided, The Energy goes to work for you, giving you precisely what you have declared.
Now witness the unfolding of your highest good. You deserve it and more. Life is abundant in every aspect. My life is prosperous. Expansive Energy is everywhere evenly distributed. And it is unlimited. I gather my gifts with gratitude.
Be Thankful for the manifestations. Give Thanks at all times and in all ways. Just say it, Thanks God. That feels wonderful and opens the floodgates for more to come into your life. Thanks God for this incredible Expansive Energy that is circulating all around, in and through me. Thanks Creator for the absolute manifestations of Your Good.
I am a part of and recipient of God's Expansive Energy.


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Lexington firefighters are trying to determine what caused a house fire early Wednesday morning on Addie Street.
Fire crews were called to the house, just off Fifth Street, about 5 a.m.
Several people apparently were living in the house, and all escaped safely, firefighters said.
There was relatively minor smoke and water damage, firefighters said.
Initial indications are that the blaze started in a crawl space, but the cause remains unknown, firefighters said.
The Red Cross is arranging shelter for residents from the house.


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Thursday, January 11, 2007
Dog's Breakfast
Inspired by those overplayed "you might be a redneck if..." jokes and all this fuss over the $210 million in severance for deposed Home Depot (HD) CEO Robert Nardelli, we will embark on a tour of the company's last proxy statement. Jeff Foxworthy, please forgive us.
You might be the kind of company that gives its booted CEO a 210-million dollar severance package if:
Ken Langone, former board buddy of the NYSE's Dick Grasso, is your lead director.
You've given your compensation committee an exalted name like "Leadership Development and Compensation Committee."
You used not one, but two compensation consultants.
Of your four most highly paid officers after the CEO, only one is involved in actual operations and the other three are the CFO, the general counsel and the head of HR. (In a real business no one wants to sit with these guys in the cafeteria, but since your priority is obviously to keep a big and complicated compensation machine running smoothly, come to think of it dweebs with glasses are pretty cool. You even let the CFO and the general counsel use your private jet despite knowing they'd probably invite their lame lawyer and accountant friends to fly with them.)
Your compensation committee includes Countrywide Financial's Angelo Mozilo,the tenth highest paid CEO this year according to Forbes ($69 million).
Your last proxy statement included eight shareholder proposals, half of which mention excessive compensation, and you were too stubborn to give in on a single one of them, not even the majority voting proposal. For God's sake, even Marty Lipton is telling clients it's time to cave on that one.
You made huge loans to your CEO, forgave them, and then paid his tax bill when the IRS later treated those loans as compensation.
You paid above-market interest on everyone's deferred compensation because, well, why not?
The Executive Compensation Table in your last proxy statement contained twenty-two footnotes.
Your SERP (which stands for Unfunded Excess Gimme Retirement Plan for Already Wealthy Executives) has a cute name like "FutureBuilder Restoration Plan."
Your executive employment contracts set a floor on bonuses.
You like your head of HR so much that when you asked him to move, you lent him 3 million dollars and later forgave the interest.
One of your directors is former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom ("what color is my alert?") Ridge. (We're not sure why you invited him to join the board, but please tell us it wasn't because he's said to have a hearing problem.)
In explaining why you absolutely must pay your CEO so much, you used the word "vision."
Here's our favorite redneck joke: "You might be a redneck if your front porch collapses and more than six dogs are killed." No, we can't tell you why we like it. And yes, we love dogs.
at 12:17 PM
Labels: Overcompensating, Perk Walk


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Updating Your HP, Canon and Lexmark Printer Drivers For Windows 98
For all the marketing strategies Microsoft is making to promote the latest version of its operating system, Windows Vista, there are just some people who would not budge. These people would rather continue using the old versions of the system, and there are even some out there who are still using Windows 98.
Windows 98 is still good to use, despite the technology upgrades we have seen since it was first launched ten years ago. It earned its popularity for being a stable operating system, preferred even over its successor, the Windows Millennium Edition. Nonetheless, for some of the new printers these days to be able to run on the Windows 98 system, the appropriate printer drivers are needed.
If you are still running your computer on Windows 98 but are using new printer models released by HP, Canon or Lexmark Printer, how do you find these appropriate printer drivers?
• Go to the official website of the printer. The first source that you should go to in order to find the printer drivers that you would need in order to use your printer on a Windows 98 system is the official website of the company that manufactured the printer.
• Find the driver on the Microsoft website. Microsoft officially cut its support for the Windows 98 operating system in 2006, but it may still be possible to find appropriate device drivers there if you comb their website thoroughly. You can try to find the printer driver that you need there even if the Windows 98 support is officially over.
• Try popular downloads websites. If the printer driver that you need is not available at the official website of the printer manufacturer or from Microsoft, your next best bets are popular, named and reputable websites. Examples of these websites are download.com, a website under the banner of the CNet network, and pcworld.com.
These websites have downloads pages for utilities and drivers for various gadgets, including printer drivers. You can browse through the lists on these pages, or you can use their built-in search boxes.
• Search Google. If the three previous steps fail to yield the printer driver that you need for you to be able to run your new printer on your Windows 98 system, your last resort could be to search Google. There are many websites out there that have device drivers for various gadgets, including printer drivers and including obsolete drivers.
A word of caution on downloading from these obscure websites, however: before you download anything from these websites, make sure that your anti-virus software is updated. If possible, check out online forums for the veracity of the source website first. There are some source websites that are careless and unreliable in that they allow the downloading of malware and adware along with the printer driver that you need for your Windows 98 system.
This Article is written by John C. Arkin from PrintCountry.com, the contributor of printer ink cartridges. More information on the subject is at printerinkcartridges.printcountry.com, and related resources can be found at HP Ink Cartridges.


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Amy Hurley and her husband, John, were among the victims caught in a web of deceit by Jack Piersee, owner of the now-defunct Piersee Piano and Organ consignment store in Lee's Summit.
The Hurley family entered into a consignment deal with Piersee in 2012 to sell the couple's black Yamaha baby grand piano. After the piano sold, the family expected a check from Piersee for $5,000.
The check never came, which prompted the Hurley family to seek answers from the Missouri attorney general's office.
Last November, Attorney General Chris Koster filed felony charges against Piersee in Jackson County Circuit Court related to the Hurley case and several others.
Piersee pleaded guilty Aug. 7 to 11 felony counts — two counts of felony stealing and nine counts of felony deception and unlawful merchandising practices — and faces more than 60 years in prison if he fails to make full restitution to his victims within the next five years.
After pleading guilty, Piersee made a $10,000 payment on Aug. 11, the first restitution payment toward the $82,178 he owes to former customers. He has also agreed to pay any new victims that come forward to the Missouri attorney general's office.
Hurley, of Lee's Summit, said she and her husband are satisfied with the plea agreement.
"Jack Piersee has one chance to compensate his victims and clear his name," Hurley said after news of the plea became public. "Hopefully, he can meet these terms and pay us victims back for our stolen property."
Attempts to reach Piersee and his attorney were unsuccessful.
Piersee operated two piano and organ businesses in Lee's Summit, through which he entered into consignment agreements with customers, offering to sell their instruments for a sales commission.
Piersee closed both locations in the fall of 2012 without notice and with approximately 70 instruments remaining in his possession.
After receiving complaints from customers, Koster's office found numerous instances of Piersee selling instruments on consignment and keeping the sale proceeds for himself. Searches of his business properties found pianos and organs without accompanying records identifying their owners.
"This defendant lied to his customers, and then closed his doors after pocketing thousands of dollars of their money, never intending to reimburse them," Koster said in a statement announcing the plea agreement. "We intend to closely monitor the progress Mr. Piersee makes toward paying full restitution to his victims."
According to Koster, in exchange for pleading guilty to the felony charges, Piersee will be on probation for five years, will serve six days of shock time in jail, and can never operate another piano or organ consignment business in the state. He must pay the rest of the $82,178 he owes former customers — in monthly installments starting in September — by the end of his five-year probation period.


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Friendship Album block, page 8
I really liked the way Marie Henry laid out this block -- it just made sense to my brain! -- so I just followed her instructions. The only thing I would change would be to cut those background squares just a leeetle bit bigger and trim down -- you can see in my photo that they're just a little too small towards the bottom. Luckily, my layout will hide any problems like that!
This and That block, page 9
In retrospect, I should have made my own little paper piecing templates for the centers. It would have been pretty easy to make a paper piecing template for these, and then they would have been perfect. I sometimes forget on tiny piecing that I really like to paper-piece it, because then you don't have to worry as much about accuracy -- it's already done for you!
Rose Spray block, page 60
I was thrilled to get this block -- I requested it! It's so, so old-fashioned, but I think that's what makes it so perfect for updating. Unfortunately, we had a really tough week last week (a tragedy in our neighborhood), so I didn't get this one completed. I will revise this post when I've finished it, but for now I'd like to tell you what I did that worked -- and what didn't work -- for me.
I got my pretty flower fabric last week, and I was so happy to use it for my center on the rose block! But the more I thought about it, the more I decided I would have to use it for the buds instead -- I really wanted something with a little more punch in the center. So I'll be using the flower fabric for the buds, and that pretty blue fabric (from Fig Tree's Avalon line) for the center.
For the center flower background (the coral dot) I will be using a starch-and-freezer-paper method. First, I adhered three pieces of freezer paper together, then traced my image, adhered it to my fabric (the shiny side just sticks when you iron it), then cut around it leaving about 1/4". Then I sprayed starch all around the edges and ironed it around the cut edges of the freezer paper. It worked great! And will make appliqueing it quite easy. I did the center flower (the blue with flowers) the same way, but left the edges fanned out so you can see -- I cut around the inside curves, but left the outside curves mostly alone. Of course, this is such a small piece, it looks as though most of it is cut, but I promise it's not!
For the leaves, the starch-and-freezer-paper method worked great, but I'm going to have to use another method for the calyxes (the little bit of stem that is under the rosebuds) -- they're giving me kind of a hard time! I tried to baste them, like you would for EPP hexies, but that didn't work very well at all. I think at this point I'll probably try using a needle turn method where I mark on the top of the fabric, then finger press all along the marked line, and cut my corners as needed as I go.
For the stems, I knew they would be straight lines, but I prepared a bias binding as direction in Marie Henry's book. It was, to be frank, a disaster. I couldn't get the seam allowance small enough to work without showing, so I scrapped that piece and tried a method I learned in a Craftsy class. I cut on the bias, then used my hera marker to score a line on which I ironed. It worked so much better! I think I might be just a touch bigger than 3/16", but it looks EXACTLY as I'd hoped.
I'm not sure this block is actually going to be as "modern" as I thought it would be, but it's still going to be so pretty I can't be sorry!
UPDATED 02/09/15: The "finished" block is blogged {here}


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This blog seeks to gather publicly available links to consultation responses to the Crossrail 2 consultation of late 2015. Because of the sheer scale of the scheme, this will focus on Merton & Wandsworth, with just a few others. Those links below are simply those I've been able to find. No political or opinion bias is intended. If a response is missing, please add a comment.
- Stephen Hammond MP - Conservative MP for Wimbledon
- Merton Council - Cross-party response
- David Dean - Conservative councillor for Dundonald
- Love Wimbledon BID - Wimbledon business group
- Merton Chamber of Commerce
- Wandle valley Forum
- Merton Lib Dems
- Trinity ward councillors - Conservative
- Hillside ward councillors - Conservative
- Wimbledon Society - Civic society, (part 1)
- Jane Ellison MP Conservative MP for Battersea
- Sadiq Khan MP - Labour MP for Tooting
- Wandsworth Council - Conservative
- Rachael Stokes - Labour councillor for Earlsfield, with response from Network Rail
- James Berry MP - Conservative MP for Kingston and Surbiton
- Kingston Council - Conservative
- Kingston Lib Dems
Other locations:
- Greg Hands MP Conservative MP for Chelsea and Fulham
- Kensington & Chelsea Council - Conservative
- Lambeth Council - Labour
- Chelsea Society
- Streatham Action - Cross party action group
- Lambeth Lib Dems
- Epsom & Ewell Council
- Camden Council - Labour
- London Assembly Lib Dems
My response as an individual blogger was based on the Swirl-Max plan. I also argued for:
- a second "destination" station in Central London, preferably linked to Green Park
- passive provision for four platforms at Victoria (for Crossrail 3 or 4)
- passive provision for four platforms at Clapham Junction (for Crossrail 3 or 4)
- a station at Stoke Newington
- Alexandra Palace and Turnpike Lane, not Wood Green
I hope this data will prove useful to someone! However, it is very incomplete as there must be responses from many other organizations. If you know of a response from an organization or politician, use the comments to tell us!


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Dear Reader, I am passing on this e-mail, because Green Energy is in its infancy and needs our support;
Wind power companies are laying off thousands of workers across America — and that means less clean, renewable, American wind power for our homes and our communities.
And it's all because House leaders refuse to renew a simple tax credit that enjoys rare bipartisan support.
Tell John Boehner: Stop listening to ExxonMobil, the Koch brothers, and the coal industry and renew the American Wind Power Tax Credit.
This should be a no-brainer. Instead, it's turning into an American tragedy. Thanks to the Wind Power Tax Credit, wind power is an American success story. It has grown 20-fold since 2000, providing 75,000 jobs and generating as much energy as 44 coal plants… enough to power 13 million homes. If we can keep it up, that will mean even less dependence on fossil fuels, less global warming pollution, less mountaintop removal, and less fracking and tens of thousands more jobs over the next 4 years.
Yet the tax credit is due to expire on Dec. 31. So far, House leaders have refused to act. Talk about "regulatory uncertainty" ...wind power companies have let go thousands of workers in past few months because of the uncertainty about the future of the tax credits. 37,000 jobs are expected to be lost if the tax credit expires at the end of the year.
That's why we've launched an emergency campaign to send at least 37,000 signatures to House Speaker John Boehner by Nov. 7. Will you add your name to the list of people demanding Congressional action on wind power?
Who wants to renew the credit, aside from you, me and the rest of the environmental community? The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Farm Bureau, the U.S. Steelworkers, the National Governors' Association, along with the Democratic Congressional leadership and President Obama. But also Republicans like Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback. In fact, 81% of our wind power is being generated in districts represented by Republicans in Congress.
Who wants to let the tax credit expire? Big Oil and the fossil fuel industry. What's their argument? Get this: they don't want to see "Big Wind" enjoy an unlevel playing field. This, from the very established coal, oil and gas industries that, over time, have received nearly 10 times more per year in federal subsidies than renewable energy sources.
It's insulting to our intelligence. It's wrong for the country. And it's wrong for our environment. But unless we push House leaders to act, Big Oil's nonsense will win the day, thousands of Americans will be out of a job, and we'll see less wind and more pollution.
Take action to make sure this American success story doesn't end here.Margie Alt
Executive Director


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I just got back from an extended visit with the in-laws in New Hampshire. One of the greatest things about the New England seacoast in the summer is the lobster roll. It's a bunch of lobster meat mixed with mayo and served on a buttered, toasted hot dog bun. It's bliss.
And it's usually cheap. During recent visits, we've gotten lobster rolls for usually around six or seven bucks apiece, maybe around ten dollars in the nicer restaurants. Not this time. Apparently, the lobster industry had a rough spring, and lobster rolls are now going for around $20 each in many restaurants. It's just not right.


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Bonane has plenty to offer so why not check out the websites below and plan your day out here:
The following websites are great resource for anyone interested in Ireland's antiquities, history and culture. The links do not represent every site of worth, but each can take you on a journey through their pages.
For information about other Bed & Breakfast Accommodation in Bonane, click on the link below:


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When Nurses Talk, Washington Listens
(be sure to click on the hyperlinks!)
Summary: Wednesday, Oct 17th is the date for "Nurses CAN"
In case you haven't figured out, nurses have a lot at stake in the election. In my opinion and that of experts, to repeal Obamacare will be a disaster for nurses; and also, the GOP is presently waging a War on Women that is painfully real. The War on Women extends to women's health, child health, equal pay for equal work, and the like.
Here is your personal invitation from Karen Daley, RN, the President of the American Nurses Association. FYI, Karen Daley is a personal friend of mine dating back to the days when I was President of Maine's Nurses and she was President of Massachusetts Nurses. At the national meetings of A.N.A., the states were seated alphabetically and so we got to know each other. Ms. Daley is an E.R. nurses who "came up through the trenches" as the saying goes – lots of bedside nursing experience.


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Sunday, May 23, 2010
Cupcake Mania!
Cupcake /ˈkʌpˌkeɪk/ Show Spelled[kuhp-keyk]
a small cake, the size of an individual portion, baked in a cup-shaped mold.
Who doesn't love cupcakes? They are perfect! Just enough cake and frosting, to give your sweet tooth satisfaction. And, the possibilities for cupcakes are endless.
My kids love them, which is why we probably bake them about once a month. I am going to start a new segment on The Squeaky Grocery Cart, called CUPCAKE MANIA! It will feature new recipes that we come across, ideas for decorating, and just cupcake fun!
In this first CUPCAKE MANIA post, I am going to share some pictures of cupcakes we made in the past!
These are supposed to be R2-D2 cupcakes, you can kind of see it! I had some extra "helpers" so they turned out a little sketchy, but you get the idea.
These are some Halloween themed cupcakes I entered in the county fair.
Posted by LeAnn at 6:45 AM
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Article by Wendy McCance
There is no other way to put it except to say that this weekend sucks! I have been dealing with a flare-up from fibromyalgia which has gone on for about two weeks now. To say I am frustrated is an understatement. Today is St. Paddy's Day and yet I am at home in bed with my pj's on typing on a laptop instead of out having a good time. I am currently drowning my sorrows in a bowl of ice cream as I type away.
Long ago I accepted my fate. I was going to live my life as fully as possible and try to ignore the rest. I wasn't going to let this disease run me. About 80% of the time I am okay with the hand I have been dealt. I make adjustments where needed and forget about what I can't control.
It's when I am feeling particularly ambitious and I have a flare up that I want to scream at the world or at the very least punch a wall. Have you ever had the flu and couldn't seem to shake it? After a week of feeling miserable you were over it and began getting annoyed? You felt, enough is enough and you couldn't put your life on hold anymore, you needed to get back to your responsibilities. But you couldn't push your self fully. You would wake up in the mornings hopeful for a day where you are finally feeling better and would realize, shit, here we go again, another day of feeling crappy. Welcome to my life. This is my day everyday. When I finally have to give in I am at the point where I can't stay awake, my body hurts so much I have tears in my eyes and my concentration is gone. I am completely depleted.
I woke up this morning feeling awful, gave myself a pity party for about an hour and now I am making concessions by sitting in bed in my pj's but refusing to give up on my day. I have work to do and it is going to get done, even if it means I absorb a bowl of ice cream and take a nap later on.
Here's the takeaway from reading a post about a person whining about their heath issues. If you feel healthy, you have the world at your fingertips. There is absolutely nothing stopping you from taking on the world. You can accomplish anything and everything you set your mind to. I envy you and wish I had realized how much more I could have done before I got sick. I never understood or even pondered how lucky I was when I was healthy. I took my good fortune for granted. I never pushed myself the way I should have back in the day.
To you I say, you only get one life. No more excuses. Make those wishes and dreams a reality instead of sitting around finding dumb reasons why you can't pursue something.
Done with my ranting now and it's back to work for me. Happy St. Patrick's Day!! Hope you make the most of the day set in front of you.


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Each year, Lee University proudly hosts some of the world's most exceptional artists and musicians in its Presidential Concert Series. Information regarding each artist featured in the Presidential Concert Series is listed below. Simply click anywhere in the gray boxes to expand and display the information.
Quartetto GelatoThursday, September 7, 2017Pangle Hall
Lee University will welcome Quartetto Gelato to Pangle Hall for the opening performance of Lee's 26th annual Presidential Concert Series on Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m.
With a performance repertoire that spans the globe including classical masterworks, operatic arias, the sizzling energy of tangos, and gypsy and folk songs, the quartet's theatrical stage presence and relaxed humor have captivated audiences and critics worldwide for the past 25 years.
Quartetto Gelato has been described as "an amazing ensemble that achieves the nearly impossible: they play salon music with real style and classical music with real precision." Early in its career, the group won the coveted title of NPR Performance Today's Debut Artist of the Year and was later named Best Classical Ensemble at Canada's 2010 INDIE awards.
The group's film, "Quartetto Gelato: A Concert in Wine Country," is seen regularly on PBS. The quartet's eight CDs have sold over 150,000 units to date and have been featured on the Hollywood soundtrack "Only You." Quartetto Gelato's music can be heard on radio stations in over 20 countries.
Charlie AlbrightTuesday October 3, 2017SQR
In October, the Presidential Concert Series will continue with a performance by Charlie Albright, a pianist known for his unique improvisational ability. Returning to Lee for a second concert, Albright is hailed by Washington Post as "among the most gifted musicians of his generation" with a "dazzling natural keyboard affinity."
Lee SymphonyMonday, November 20, 2017CCR
The Lee Symphony will present "A Beatles Tribute" in November, conducted by Maestro Robert Bernhardt, artist-in-residence at Lee. The concert will honor the 50th anniversary of the release of the Beatles album "Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band."
Accordion Virtuosi of RussiaTuesday, February 13, 2018Pangle Hall
Also returning to the university to perform for the concert series will be Accordion Virtuosi of Russia in February 2018. Throughout its history, this ensemble has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the world, with repertoire ranging from folk music to arrangements of rock songs.
Get Ticket Now
Young People's ChorusFriday April 13, 2018Pangle Hall
The series will conclude in April with a concert by the Young People's Chorus of New York City, a multi-cultural youth chorus internationally renowned for its superb virtuosity and brilliant showmanship. Founded in 1988, the choir is directed by Francisco J. Núñez and assisted by Elizabeth McKinney Núñez, a Lee alumna.
Imani WindsThursday, October 25, 2018Pangle Hall
Schumann QuartetMonday, February 4, 2019Pangle Hall


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Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Profits from Poverty
With all noble intentions, CKP argues that this mass should be viewed not as victims or a burden, but as value-driven consumers, whose life can be made better, if large corporations design and focus their offerings to them, change their life-styles, and even help them with micro-credits to enable them to consume the goodies of life.
There are three biases which jar me, and which actually permeate the whole contemporary management literature:
1. that masses are primarily consumers, and not producers. Thus, their life becomes better, if they get to consume more, and not if they produce more. Compare Lijjat and, say, any biscuit manufacturer which targets the rural market - both focus on BOP, but with very different concepts of "making life better."
2. how much profit you make is more important than how you make that profit. CKP, like most management theorists, does not differentiate profits generated from, for example, selling more cigarretes/coke/candies, from those generated from selling milk/medicines/education.... I mean, a more profitable Playboy or mafia does not really make them more value-adding than maybe less profitable Amul, does it?
3. wealth-creation is same as making profits. Somehow, in management literature and theories, the concept of wealth has got reduced to just money. Rest - e.g., the community or the environment - have just become resources which need to be "exploited"...
but, well... some companies, even with their profit-motives, would end up, more by default than by design, creating wealth for people they serve. Two examples which come to mind are ITC e-Choupal, which not only is a channel for sales, but also for procurement of farmers' produce and for disseminating information; and Reliance Infocomm, which targetted the BOP profitably, but has also enabled people in that segment to be more productive...
Monday, August 23, 2004
The Two Paradigms: The Child Soldier & Army Soldier
Today, while reading this news-item in Telegraph, this idea of "the clash of paradigms" became more visible:
Struggling to lift a Kalashnikov, a 12-year-old with the Mahdi army militia said he could do anything in battle except fly a helicopter.
"Last night I fired a rocket-propelled grenade against a tank," he said. "The Americans are weak. They fight for money and status and squeal like pigs when they die.
"But we will kill the unbelievers because faith is the most powerful weapon."
The boy called himself Moqtada, styled after the rebel cleric whose ranks he joined a month ago having travelled to Najaf from the Shia slum of Sadr City in Baghdad. He said that he hopes for a glorious death.
Compare this belief-driven warrier to those who opt for a career as a soldier. If one reads monetary benefits, educational facilties, healthcare and timeoff, which The GoArmy.com site describes to attract "job applicants", it becomes so easy to understand the two different worlds - each with its own motivations, expectations, understanding of what the war is all about, etc. - from which the two sides of Iraq-War III are coming from (I used the term "Iraq-War III" because the last one got over a year back!)
One can also see parallels in the two "worlds" in which warring parties (e.g., Windows vs. Linux; World Economic Forum vs. the grass-root movements, etc.) live...
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Yeh Mera India!
There was a change, though - Deve Gowda hailed from Karnataka, and did not know or understood Hindi – and so, his Hindi speech had to be written in his native Kannada script… and was telecasted across the nation to an audience, more than 60% of whom also did not understand Hindi!!!
Yeh Mera India! ….
…where else in the world – but in India -can this happen?!!… the Chief Executive of a nation makes an address in a language which he does not understand, and to a people who also do not know that language!!!… (the 1961 census reported 1549 "mother tongues"!!!)
In my mind, that fascinating, but much neglected, event in the 49th year of the history of India is also the metaphor of what India is:
…its diversity weaved into a unity, a myth which became (is becoming?) a reality… the belief in a 'concept' of India which perhaps exists (and is taking roots) only in the minds of its people, a contradiction which is internally consistent… a belief, which is simultaneously ridiculous and sincere.
… Or the only oxymoron encapsulated in a single word – India!!
It seems so easy to say now that "India" became independent on August 15th, 1947… almost a trite statement in any history book.
But it always seemed a miracle, actually…. that we have something called "India"…
India is perhaps the only country in the world, where we have 18 scheduled "official" languages (and some 2,200 dialects) – and yet not one single language which everyone shares and can use to converse with others….
So how does this nation exist as an entity, when its members can't even understand each other's language?…
(And just to mention the obvious: though English is often touted as the cosmopolitan uniting language, but even then… as one of the largest English-speaking countries in the world, barely 30mn – or 3% - of Indian population can really speak, write and read English… in rest of the India, English is Hinglish: roadside dhabas who put up sign-boards announcing "Snakes served here", or liquor shops where "Child Bear" is available, etc…. that's how you can find "snacks" to have with your "chilled beer"!! )
Almost – or perhaps more than – a hundred years back, when Gopal Krishna Gokhle and Justice Ranade described India as a "Nation-in-Making", I guess this is what must have been in their mind… that India is a process, a state of mind, and not an entity…
It is so easy to talk about "India" now – and know what one is referring to – but back in 1947, it must have been a faith-based shot in the mystical dark….
In 1957 – 10 years after "India" became "independent" - a research team from Jamia Milia did a survey across 4 north-central states of India, covering 150 villages. The findings:
If a common message, understanding, language, communication network, etc., is what is needed to unite and create a common identity as a nation, this is what we had around that time in mid-50s:
And yet, now, we do have a "Bharat", which people know about and understand (even if it is not the same as the "India" which "shines")…. At least we know what we are talking about….
…which is a miracle of sorts!
There were other miracles as well in the journey of this "Nation-in-Making":
etc. etc….
… and yet, now we have an "India" to talk about…
… and to be proud of:
etc. etc….
It has been a long journey, and we have come a long way…
…and yet India still remains a "Nation-In-Making"… a contradiction in its own way..
… as India enters its 58th year as an "independent" sovereign nation (hopefully, we will mentally retire from being a colonial country in a year), one realizes that we all live in our own "India"… that there are many Indias - each different, and yet connected – and open to assimilate these differences and contradictions…
…perhaps that is what makes it such a fascinating place…
well, …Yeh Mera India!! – this is my India:
or try:
A Very Happy Independence Day to You!