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I'm a big advocate of metacognition and behavior mod - knowing *how* I learn and finding ways (and repeating them) to work around the difficulties my ADD contributes to my life. I've discovered many strategies that help me through any given day or any given challenge from potty training one of the Vikings to taking a college class.
So, I've been reading a new-to-me book called "Odd One Out: The Maverick's Guide to Adult ADD" by Jennifer Koretsky and she has some more ideas I might be trying soon...
ADD-ers often have trouble falling and staying asleep. So, they don't always sleep well and, as a result, often have difficulty getting up in the morning. Koretsky suggests using a multi-sensory idea that I really like.
"Instead of relying on your alarm clock alone, try engaging your senses. Leave the curtains open before bed so the sun comes in during the morning. Set a stereo in another room to go off when you need to get up. Set up an air freshener or aromatherapy diffuser to turn on around the same time. Don't just try to wake up your body, wake up your mind by activating your senses." (pg 67)Another thing I struggle with is sitting still through meetings and classes. I went to a seminar recently where the speakers provided all sorts of pipe cleaners, stress balls, and the like to play with and manipulate during the day. I LOVED it! For some ADD-ers, if their bodies are engaged with something, it's easier for their minds to pay attention. The author had some other ideas as well.
Not only "get physical" for better focus, but also get visual. "Some ADDers find that visual stimulation allowed them to pay better attention. This may mean focusing on visual cues, like colors or written words." Koretsky went on to describe a client who was having trouble staying awake in a lecture class. By bringing colorful pictures and drawing with her to class, she found that simple being able to stae at the colors while listening tot he lecture activated her brain enough not to get bored and doze off.
And, don't forget the auditory. For me, I explain to people that ADD has "broken" the filters in my ears. It seems I can hear everything exactly the same volume from what's going in front of me to the person three rows back to the sounds coming from a distance hallway. And, it's hard to stay intent on just what's going on in front of me.
As a result, I'm often completely overwhelmed by crowd noise. This is my most frequent challenge on a regular basis - especially with small children. Repetitive, high pitched noise are *completely* my kryptonite! LOL After a long, busy day with the Vikings, silence is my best friend! However, for other ADD-ers who are auditory learners, they find that adding music or other background noise helps them concentrate.
Finally, many ADD-ers deal with impulsiveness as a symptom and/or they are also hyperactive and have trouble sitting still. Koretsky suggests several ways for an ADD-er to express themselves.
1. Move it: for example, use a vigorous workout to relieve your stress or take a leisurely walk to clear your head.
2. Write it: Koretsky highly recommends journaling for ADD management. It's a great way to process your thoughts, feelings, and frustrations.
3. Speak it: This one is my favorite. You ask any of my friends (particularly DaHubby LOL) how I best process things and it's through talking it out. Verbal processing helps me "clear the air" between my ears, organize my thoughts, and often reach a decision or solution on my own.
Finally, I love what the author says about communicating your differences to others. Her suggestion? Frame it with "I work best when...."
I may get feedback or criticism from people who don't "get" how my ADD affects me but Kortesky says "...don't apologize, don't justify, and don't try to change simply because someone else doesn't understand you." ADD-ers just need to say things like "I pay attention best when I can fidget" or "I actually read better when I have some background noise."
This book has given me some really solid strategies that will help me deal as well as help me to help others better understand what it is like to live inside my brain for a day! LOL


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Saturday, November 7, 2009
Movin', Movin', Movin', Keep That Husband Movin'
So, yesterday I packed up every last item in the kitchen and moved it into the new house. There is nothing to eat in this old house and nothing to eat it with or cook it with. I figure that will get old fast and should speed things along nicely. Oh, and just as an additional precaution, tomorrow I'm sending all of the toilet paper except one roll to the new house. I figure he should be ready to load up our clothes in about two days, depending on the amount of fiber he eats this weekend.
8 comments:
- Gin said...
Oh I LOVE this!! You are a example to all of us women out there! Ha, ha!
- November 7, 2009 at 6:04 PM
- janjanmom said...
NEVER underestimate the power of woman.
- November 7, 2009 at 10:32 PM
- J.G. said...
Sounds like you are learning why moving across town is way more difficult than moving across country: no deadline.
Maybe dinner is your deadline? Good thinking!
- November 8, 2009 at 5:58 AM
- oreneta said...
My big question....where is the BAchair? Would that not motivate?????
- November 8, 2009 at 6:02 AM
- Janis said...
Try moving the T.V....now that is motivation that works for all husbands. Good move on the kitchen stuff..that should bring the slacker out in the open. Have fun n get lots of rest...
- November 8, 2009 at 7:10 AM
- The Church Lady said...
LOL! It's great that you are able to break up the move and not have to do it all at once.
- November 8, 2009 at 11:54 AM
- Mia said...
He will be ready in about "two weeks"!
Your post made me laugh out loud and today I needed that thanks! :)
- November 8, 2009 at 2:43 PM
- janjanmom said...
You out of Toilet paper yet?
- November 10, 2009 at 1:01 AM

subset: commoncrawl


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Clerks/Chasing Amy Kevin Smith
Weight: 1.2 lbs
Method of Disposal: Donating
I have never been one of those huge Kevin Smith fans. I generally cannot get into his movies or, unfortunately, almost any comedy. I have really appreciated and respected many things he has done in his life, as far as standing up for minorities. I can also appreciate some of the things people tell me his movies do to promote a better world, though I do not experience any feelings of revolution or inspiration when I am watching them. I first saw Chasing Amy because my 8th grade girlfriend said it was her favorite movie and that I would love it. I am very confident now that the only reason why was because we were two girls in "love," having sex, and dealing with the repercussions of everyone knowing it and Amy was bisexual. She may still love it and relate, but I never liked it and just watched it to see some representation in the media. This book was purchased at a Books for Less sometime after that.
I recently read Susie Bright's autobiography, Big Sex Little Death, and she mentions that this movie was inspired by her and that gave me a little bit more respect. It was a strange thought. Bright is so much more intriguing and intricate than Amy, of course she is a real person too. In case you were unsure, I do recommend her autobiography. It is amazing that she has been able to do so much in her life, and it is a good story too.


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All of our stanchions were re-welded. I know a guy, who knows a welder. So, after a days work getting the damn things screwed back into the deck, and the new shiny lifelines on, we're ready to sail! All we need is wind, and the forecast calls for about 2-4 knots today. Looks like more project work. At least the rain stopped.
|Decided against the plastic jacket on the lines. Perfect fit.


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By Anirudh Regidi / 12 Jan 2017 , 19:09
Opera Neon is an alternative, experimental browser from Opera that wants to give us a glimpse into the future of computing.
It's the design of Opera Neon that instantly catches your attention. While opening a traditional browser like Google Chrome or even regular Opera feels like you've opened an app, Opera Neon feels like a new interface for interacting with your computer. The only comparison that springs to mind is switching to, say, Unity Desktop after spending years in Gnome Desktop.
It feels like a desktop.
The whole UI is all bubbles. Speed dial is replaced with a handful of bubbles, each one representing a web page. New tabs show up as bubbles on the side of the browser and visual elements like progress bars are also bubbles.
Neon's UI feels great. It's visually pleasing and very distinct, especially after you come from the utilitarian efficiency of Chrome. I like the fact that browser tabs pop on the side rather than on top, it's actually a more convenient place to put them, and in-browser split-screen modes, pop-out video playback and other such features are all nice to use.
My favourite feature is the snap-to-gallery feature. You tap the snap button on the browser, drag a box around whatever it is you want to capture and voila! A snapshot of the area you selected is automatically dumped in an easy-to-access tab. Better still, the image will also link to the source site, so a snapshot of a YouTube video will link to that YouTube video, for example.
I noticed that Neon took my desktop wallpaper as the browser background, this, and the overall design, add to the effect that you're using a new desktop UI than something that is just a browser.
The large icons also mean that the UI is touch-friendly, so there's no need to switch between desktop and tablet mode on devices like 2-in-1s.
All things considered, Neon is a great demo of what a browser can be.
It's not as powerful as something like Chrome or Vivaldi (no extensions, tab and file management issues, etc.), but it's a very pleasant, refreshing browser that I can see myself using while I laze about on the couch.
You can download Opera Neon here. Let us know what you think in the comments section below!


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At launch the site featured dozens of datasets from around 20 Federal agencies ready to be used by the public, commercial and NGO sectors in mash-up applications and services.
The public is also able to suggest additional information to be made available through the site.
I am an extremely big fan of making public sector data available online (where there are no security issues), particularly when the data is readily available for online reuse through APIs, XML, RSS, KML/KMZ and similar machine-readable formats.
A speech by the US Federal CIO, Vivek Kundra launched the site and made the purpose extremely clear in the video below. Kundra expects more than 240,000 datasets to eventually be available online, per the post at Governing People by George Fahey, Data.gov opens.
The post also comments that,
The first applications built on this data has already arrived (see FBI Fugitive Concentration).
This demonstrates how quickly the public can make good use of public information when it is made public.


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University of Maine visit
On Friday, I drove four hours north through the snow-covered pine forests of Maine to visit the U of Maine campus. Maine reminds me a lot of West Virginia, except with more moose and lobster. Thanks to Seth Tyler and the entire group at the BioMedia Lab at U of Maine for being such great hosts.
I say this a lot, but one of the best things about the invitations to share the OCW story is that I get to see so many just really cool things going on at other schools around the world. In addition to churning out truly elegant web sites for U of Maine (the School of Biology and Ecology site is Exhibit A), Seth's group has created a really outstanding LMS called Synapse. I've used my share of LMSs and Synapse easily has the cleanest interface I've ever seen, plus a few administrative features I really wish I'd had available when I was teaching.
Synapse was born when a faculty member came to the BioMedia Lab unsatisfied with existing LMSs and asked to have a custom teaching site built. It's been created and run by four people on part time effort. The whole thing has me thinking again about the impending doom I see for LMSs, which I've talked about before, although in a new way. In addition to Web 2.0 tools and IP practices causing LMSs to atrophy into student information management tools, it also seems increasingly possible that small groups of educators may be able to easily roll their own LMS to suit their particular needs. In other words, instead of thousands working on Moodle, you may get emerging clusters of five to ten with nearly identical needs creating an LMS that serves unique local conditions.
It's unclear even if will be necessary to share code from other open source LMSs to do this, or if borrowing concepts is enough and coding can be done from the ground up. This scenario begins to approximate many of the characteristics of open educational content–where there is not a one-size-fits-almost-all need like with big open source software successes like LINUX and Firefox, but rather lots of individual local needs. A situation where the concept is more important than the actual code. To say the least, I'm intrigued.


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I've spent today doing my favorite things: dancing, painting, writing and flirting.
One man in particular sparked my interest on a dating app: "I am a Dom looking for a serious relationship with a Sub."
Of course I swiped. I'm always ready to learn something new.
Then he asked the question: "What are your no's?"
I have an entire list of desires and qualities, but where do my boundaries lie?
How can I continue loving myself even if I disappoint others?
I was stumped. I thought I was so open to trying and exploring, and in that moment I realized that I need to set boundaries in and out of a relationship.
I'm really good at saying no to myself. What are my no's to other people?
After a deep meditation and a run along the Hudson, I came up with a pretty solid list:
I say no to:
Potential. I can either be with the person you show me today, or not.
Settling. There's no reason I cannot have a glamorous life and relationship.
Shame. It's a dangerous weapon. I've worked hard to be myself.
Comfort. Comfort doesn't help me grow.
Expectations. I promise to be present and see what happens in each moment.
Not being chosen. Ask me on a date. Call me on the phone. Put in the effort and I will worship you. But no more devotion without me being chosen as well.
The Dom is not my type, but his direct questions had me thinking of my "no's". Then I realized he meant sexually. See? I don't follow directions well. Maybe not the best Sub.


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Hello Sunshine
Featured Card - Peekaboo Peach
Whisper White CS - 4 1/4 x 11, 4 x 5 1/4
Peekaboo Peach CS - 4 1/4 x 5 1/2
Watercolor Paper - 3 3/4 x 5 (or big enough to fit flower die)
This card uses Pear Pizzazz for the card base.
This card uses Watermelon Wonder for the card
base and to color in the heart outline.
Hey All!! Today's project is this sweet, but simple card I created using the Sunshine Wishes Framelits Dies and Sunshine Sayings stamp set. These two sets can also be purchased as a bundle!! I had SO much fun putting this card together, I created two more using the other dies in the set. Not to mention, it takes little time to create! Both the stamp and die set are featured in the Annual SU! catalog.
To create the shapes, I used Watercolor paper along with an Aqua brush and ink that coordinates with the cardstock base that I chose. What I LOVE about this technique is that, depending on the amount of water/ink that you use, you end up with a different look for each die. You can have a softer look if you use more water on your brush. You can also deepen the color by going back over it with more ink.
Please note that the color is a bit off in my video. The Peekaboo Peach looks more yellow than peach. BUT try as I might, I just couldn't get an exact match.
Want to print out the dimensions and photo of this project? Click the "supply list" at the bottom of supplies used for a printable/downloadable PDF. Don't forget, if you place an order that is less than $150, to use February's Hostess Code J4Z9S6CS. I send out thank you gifts at the end of each month to those who order from me!!
Congrats to Cassandra Bennett for winning the Hedgehog Love card and Enamel Shapes!!
Congrats to Cassandra Bennett for winning the Hedgehog Love card and Enamel Shapes!!
Stampin' Up! Supplies Used:
Thanks SO much for stopping by!!
Hope this has inspired you to give this technique a try!!
Happy Stampin' Up!


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Results 1 to 1 of 1
08-18-2009, 12:50 PM #1Newbie
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
- Posts
- 5
Fantasy Focus 2009 right here @ 24x7
Just wanted to let you FF enthusiasts know that we've just finished our FF Preview and it includes depths charts by team for each position, fantasy insight and our rankings for each position. All rankings are post on an Excel Spreadsheet and ready for you to print to help guide you in your fantasy drafts.
You can check it out here: FANTASY FOCUS
We will be more active on this forum in 2009 as we engage in friendly debate as well as encourage your feedback on the information that you believe is most useful to set your weekly lineups.


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Architecture design refers to the actual design and layout of spaces. Architecture encompasses many different elements including construction, design, and the manipulation of light as it relates to shadow. Throughout history, architects have found ways to create functional and practical spaces using any materials that were available.
Source : 1 . http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1554-2769
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architectural_design
3. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-architecture-design.htm


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Back to School Night & Open House Book your sitters, as this is an adult-only event.SEPTEMBER 29 7:00 P.M. EURYTHMY HALLFor the first time ever, our classrooms will be open for Back-to-School Night. Visit your own children's classrooms, or check-out some other grades. A chance to meet teachers and even a few high school students. Dessert provided by the Parent Association.7:00 - ARRIVAL7:00 - 7:40 - OPEN HOUSE & TREATS 7:45 - 8:30 - COMMUNITY GATHERING
Picture Day
Many of you may have found yourself walking to the beat of drumming, on the first few days of school. It was not your imagination! It was the 8th grade, being led by Uriko Sensei in a special lesson of Taiko Drumming. The students played rhythmically and in unison during a Taiko Concert for the 8th grade parents. We all enjoyed it a lot. Thank you Uriko Sensei!


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Loïck Peyron to join Jean-Pierre Dick as partner for the Barcelona World Race
[Source: Barcelona World Race] Jean-Pierre Dick has just unveiled his co-skipper for the Barcelona World Race. This will be no less than Loïck Peyron, one of the most successful and experienced ocean yachtsmen in the world.
Loïck Peyron will be taking part in the Barcelona World Race 2010/11, forming a duo with Jean-Pierre Dick, the brilliant winner of the last edition of the competition. This is not the first time the French skippers join forces: they won the Transat Jacques Vabre together in 2005 with Virbac-Paprec 1 and they designed and built a pair of twin yachts (Paprec Virbac 2 and Gitana Eighty). Now it's time for them to launch their longest and most demanding adventure yet: the double-handed, non-stop race around the world.
Both skippers will be on the starting line on 31st December, onboard Paprec-Virbac 3, the brand-new IMOCA Open 60 that Jean-Pierre Dick recently unveiled to the public in Auckland, NZ. With this yacht the sailors will be defending the Frenchman's title from the first edition of the Barcelona World Race, shared with Damian Foxall. Both yachtsmen are part of the elite of world sailing, and they know one and other very well, and so will form one of the most powerful and difficult to beat teams in the competition.
Jean-Pierre Dick and Loïck Peyron on Virbac 3. Auckland, 26 May 2010. Photo copyright Virbac
Jean-Pierre Dick said: "It's a pleasure to welcome Loïck on board. This is exactly what I had hoped for: to sail with a well-rounded and independent skipper, someone incredibly competent with whom I can have a constant interaction. A double-handed team works well when there's mutual confidence, in that you have to perform 100% delegation when it comes to handing the reins over to the other skipper when your watch finishes. Loïck and I share a similar view of sailing. We realised that with our victory in the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2005 and with the building of twin highly competitive racing yachts in 2007 (the old Paprec-Virbac 2 and Gitana Eighty): the first won the Barcelona World Race 2007 and the latter won the Transat 2008.
What do I like about Loïck? His energy in doing things, his ideas on how to make the boat go even faster. He never stops. He's always doing something. He's extraordinary at getting a prototype ready and each time he brings an enormous value to the table. I also like his friendly and jovial personality. In a circumnavigation it is of vital importance to have somebody you get on with beside you, someone who you can talk to, share ideas with ,about the boat, the sea or life in general".
Loïck Peyron said: "A voyage of discovery...I love it! I've never done a double-handed circumnavigation of the globe before. That's one of the reasons I didn't stop to think when Jean-Pierre proposed we go out for a sail in tandem. This time the course is somewhat longer! I know that the skipper, the team and the boat are up to the challenge. I was able to see that yet again in Auckland, just a few days ago, with the launch of Paprec-Virbac 3. It's funny that when we won the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2005, Jean-Pierre had already won it two years previously. Now we are heading out on a circumnavigation that he won two years ago... that's something!
What do I like about Jean-Pierre? Jean-Pierre opens up new horizons in the world of ocean sailing. He is the first French sailor to have contacted the Farr studio and the first to have had a boat built in New Zealand. His way of doing things caught my attention. Jean-Pierre has a very structured professional approach to things, but at the same time he can appear to be miles away. That's just an appearance, because his mind is always active and his brain never switches off. He also knows how to surround himself with good people in every field. In a race he won't give an inch, We are different in many ways, but we complement one and other well. We also get on really well, and I think that's our strong point".
Virbac 3 rollover test. Auckland, 19 May 2010. Video copyright Virbac
Labels: Barcelona World Race, Jean-Pierre Dick, Loïck Peyron


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From HomeDepot blog
If there's one room in the house you really have to keep orderly, it might be your home office. Whatever area you've designated as a home office is where school projects are kept and important documents are stored, not to mention magazines, recipes, and little notes. It's essential to keep your home office in working [...]
more »


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Source: Flatmattersonline
URL of the article: http://www.flatmattersonline.com/yohei-ucchie-uchino-signs-for-red-bull
Photo credit: Yohei Uchino.
News broke earlier today on Instagram that Yohei "Ucchie" Uchino just signed for Red Bull. Personally I'm very surprised it has taken this long for him to get on the team! Congrats Ucchie, well deserved!
More from the same site:


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Here's a look at some of the things we did during our stay in Portland. We've visited this city several times before so I am always on the hunt for new places to explore, this time was no exception.
South East of Portland lies the community of Milwaukie, home of Bob's Red Mill, world famous makers of whole grain products. They give factory tours on weekdays, free samples included, and just down the road is their store and cafe where you can buy every single product they make, even in bulk form. Their story is fascinating, they've faced many challenges during the past 40 years, but their commitment to quality has made them the outstanding brand they are today.
Also, if you like Dave's Killer Bread as much as we do, Dave's uses Bob's Red Mill products in their breads and took over Bob's old factory space right across the street from Bob's store and cafe. Dave's has a retail store there too, so you can stock up on their fabulous bread as well!
|Bob traveled Europe looking for old grinding stones, we are posed next to the first stone mill.
|Bob's Red Mill Store and Cafe.
We visited the small but lovely Leach Botanical Garden. John and Lilla Leach traveled the world in the 1930's collecting botanical specimens and ultimately left their estate to the City of Portland. A few trails wind through the beautiful gardens, creating a peaceful oasis in the city.
|Pretty trails crisscross Leach Botanical Garden.
Vancouver, WA sits just across the Columbia River from Portland, OR. Oregon boasts no sales tax and Washington no state income tax; as you can imagine people take advantage of this situation so there is a lot of commuting between the two cities.
I discovered a unique urban trail in Vancouver, the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail. This paved path winds 8 miles through the city, sometimes in dense, lush, green forest, sometimes through meadows with ancient apple trees, sometimes making convoluted turns across city streets to connect to the next section. We biked the whole trail using this excellent guide to navigate the quirky transitions along the way.
|Lush greenery surrounds you through large swaths of the trail.
|The forest opens up to pretty meadows.
|This was the noisy part, crossing over interstate 5.
|Glimpsed through the trees, an egret shimmers on a cotton covered slough.
I mentioned Forest Park at the top of the post. This 5,000+ acre urban forest contains about 70 miles of trails, right in the heart of Portland. During this stay we hiked the Linnton Loop hike in the North half of the park.
|Many of the trails through Forest Park look like this.
A chance meeting on a trail in Eastern Oregon tipped us off to a new (to us) brewery, Burnside Brewing Company. Our fellow hiker recommended the Sweet Heat, an apricot wheat ale with scotch bonnet peppers! The bartender told us that beer changes all the time due to the heat of each batch of peppers, and though tasty, we decided it was just too spicy to drink a whole pint...so we had an excellent IPA and some delicious fried pickles instead.
|Those cornmeal fried pickles were yummy! Good beer too!
One day we hiked in Whipple Creek Park, a small forested beauty of a park just North of Vancouver. I always feel like I am in a fairyland as we walk through these lush forests, practically dripping with green, mossy goodness!
|Old grist mill being engulfed by the green.
For our last hike in the area we headed to Camas, WA, a cute little town on the East edge of Vancouver. The Lacamas Creek hike is an in-town, city park hike that feels like it's out in the woods; winding up and down gentle slopes through gorgeous green forest along creeks and lakes. The trail was fairly busy on this beautiful summer Sunday, but not overly so; I imagine on weekdays it's a very peaceful place to be.
|A lovely, slow section of Lacamas Creek
|Tiny, burbling Washougal Creek.
We've thrown in visits with old friends who live in this wonderful city and coincidentally happened to stay at the same park as fellow full time RVer and blogger Suzanne of Take To The Highway fame. We've had near misses with Suzanne for months, so it was great to finally make a connection. We hit it off instantly and enjoyed a couple of evenings together, dinner at home one night and an excursion to a fun tiki bar, Hale Pele, and a pub with live music, Laurelthirst, another night. Very much looking forward to our paths crossing again, perhaps even later this summer.
|Fun drinks and atmosphere at Hale Pele with Portland Bob and Suzanne.
One thing we discovered, it's not so great spending the 4th of July in a metropolitan area where fireworks are legal! Fireworks are fully legal in Washington and some are legal in Oregon and on the 4th we experienced many, many HOURS of constant booms, bangs and pops by the thousands. Even the air had a pervasive scent of combustible material...the thought of the environmental impact was disturbing. Next year we'll try to be in a less populated area...
There aren't many RV park options around Portland, we stayed at Columbia River RV Park. This is a big park, everyone is lined up in neat rows with about 12 feet between rigs, it's very clean, good 4G Verizon signal, sometimes okay park wifi, the location is very convenient, there is airplane noise from nearby PDX, and the weekly rate is very good at $168. This place works well if you are visiting Portland.
|Sunset over Columbia River RV Park.
Tomorrow we head into Washington for a long stretch, almost two months. First stop, Castle Rock, gateway to Mt St Helens.


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Earlier this week, I found this blogpost , "The Forgotten Thank You" by Nicholas Provenzano. It made me realize all that my students have done for me.
These past years, my days have been filled with a lot of personal worries. When I mention worries of my sister's eyesight or struggling health, they listen. You could hear a pin drop. I'm so thankful that they care. It makes all the difference in the world to me.
Some of my students share some of the funniest stories. Some of the stories are told in front of the classroom, full of animation and giggles. Not all students have the guts to draw in an audience, and when I come across a giggle or two within their journals or writing. I smile. Most of these stories are about snowmobiles or the evil of twerking.
Not all students share everything with me, but sometimes, they really spill their guts out. Kids go through a lot. That's all I have to say about that.
I could think of many times they make me smile and bring real meaning to my life. I'm so lucky to have one of the hardest jobs in the world.


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Plus a review of two beauty pageants, one with dogs, really. Of course a dog wrote the review, yes she did.
The other has female human lovelies vying for Miss Universe.
Yes she fell down yet Miss USA STILL came in number five!
With pics of them all that you'll find nowhere else on the Internet.
Pic of the Day
|Quote of the Day
| Web Site Worth the Visit
The Blue Angels
Here's a site posted about the navy's famous Blue Angels, posted by a former Blue Angel. The opening pics of planes flying by the World Trade Center will take your breath away.
Ants have six legs. Each leg has three joints.
Ants can lift 20 times their own body weight.
The average life expectancy of an ant is 45-60 days.
Red ants (found in the western United States) steal larvae of other ants to keep as slaves. The slave ants build homes for and feed the red ants, who cannot do anything but fight.
The jaws open and shut sideways like a pair of scissors. Adult ants cannot chew and swallow solid food. Instead they swallow the juice which they squeeze from pieces of food. They throw away the dry part that is left over.
The common Black Ants and Wood Ants have no sting, but they can squirt a spray of formic acid. Some birds put ants in their feathers because the ants squirt formic acid which gets rid of the parasites.
Miss Universe 2007
Heh. Donald Trump, aka "The Donald", can find publicity without even searching all that much. For if he isn't fighting very publicly with Rosie O'Donnell then his Miss USA is partying whilst high on cocaine and requires his forgiveness. Now we have Miss USA 2007 falling all over the place on national television and in front of a very unfriendly Mexican audience.
Before looking at the pics below, let me state right now, just exactly HOW it all happened. Because I've seen so many accounts about this incident, many, if not most, really WRONG.
Beyond Miss USA's treatment by the friendly Mexicans who all want to live with us illegally, this beauty contest was very ordinary with very ordinary beautiful women with very little brains. That's the crux of my review.
Miss USA was booed the very first time she was announced. This was during the "parade of nations" when the lovely ladies were introduced while wearing their country's costume. Miss USA was attired as some sort of rock and roller Elvis type, complete with big guitar.
The boos were not all that loud but I heard them plainly. I knew early on that the contest was being held in Mexico and my first thought when I heard the boos was that the catcalls were expressions of the recent bad feelings caused by all the talk about immigration due to the U.S. Senate activity on the matter. By the way, this year's Miss Universe contest featured so much crap about the host nation, Mexico, that it could also have been called a travel documentary. But make no mistake, there were folks in that audience booing Miss USA and they were likely Mexicans and my second thought as I listened was..."well this is going to make Americans really like them"...as regards the Mexicans, of course. I mean, they were booing our candidate! Us stupid peons who think that people should not just enter our country willy-nilly because they've never been able to craft a vibrant democracy their own sorry and corrupt selves were definitely going to be calmed by the sound of that same bunch of big-hatted ruffians booing our candidate.
Understand here that the booing began BEFORE Miss USA fell down. You can believe all the lies by pundits and such who weren't watching the thing as it happened or you can believe The Wise I who watched it all and even mentally wrote this post as I watched.
Finally it was time for the 10 finalists to walk in their evening gowns. THIS was when Miss USA fell down.
Even as I watched with my disbelieving eyes, Miss USA fell flat on her butt but she made such a graceful and amazing recovery that I almost thought I was seeing things. My mind raced with thoughts. I concentrated but could not ever remember another time when a contestant fell down like that during a beauty pageant. Ice skaters fall down. Dancers might fall down. Parade majorettes might drop their batons. All Miss USA was doing was walking down a damn runway for God's sake. A wild thought ran through my mind that The Donald might have to check THIS Miss USA for signs of drug use.
After the fall I thought for sure the woman would not make the top five. I mean, go with me here, this is a contest about poise and posture and when you fall down, SPLAT, well that throws out that poise and posture thing. But damn if Miss USA STILL didn't make the top five and never mind the mindless Mexican booing, this American thought that giving her entry into the top five was damn dumb.
Then, when the top five were given a question that they always answer stupidly, Miss USA was called for her question. THIS is when the booing and catcalls were loudest and most obvious.
Understand that when the first boos filled the air, I was angry. Miss USA did nothing to deserve it besides being Miss USA. The boos that followed her fall and subsequent entry into the top five did not anger me. In fact, I thought they were deserved. Come on...the woman FELL DOWN! I mean, what's the few jobs a beauty contestant has to do? Walk around in a bathing suit? Walk around in a native costume? Walk around in a gown? Here Miss USA failed the basic test of WALKING AROUND!
Sure I know that everyone slips once in a while, we all have, we've all been embarrassed. Yes my heart goes out to Rachel Smith. But she shouldn't hadda oughta been in the TOP FIVE because, read my lips....SHE FELL DOWN! If that doesn't eliminate you than what the hell....?
Thus as I've already written, I don't especially like the Mexicans. I don't much blame them for this righteous indignation.
Anyway, below some pics for yon reader's pleasure.
The Late May 2007 Gardens
The gardens are lovely here in Serendipity Shore in this year of our Lord 2007. There are some disappointments. A cherished Coreopsis bloomed wonderfully last year but was nowhere to be seen whilst other plantings were busy returning for the 2007 season. Some critter or another chewed up my climbing rose, separating the plant's base from its roots. Just damn.
Still and so, I remember four years ago when there were no gardens here on Serendipity Shore. For that was when husband and I moved here to the swamps of Delaware. Now various gardens and containers decorate the lot and disappointments aside, I'm very pleased with the results so far.
Jo-Ann On the 2007 Crufts Dog Show
I don't know much about Crufts except its some place in England. The British sure love their dogs; I even see their Queen walking all about with a dog or two under her arm. I also know that Animal Planet features the Crufts dog show every year and every year I watch it.
So this year I decided to do a review of the dog show but I'm going one better. For my DOG, Jo-Ann, agreed to provide some insightful commentary about the dog show. No, Jo-Ann can't type but she CAN dictate her thoughts to me. Below, Jo-Ann's commentary and below this, some wonderful pics of all things canine from the 2007 Crufts dog show.
Greetings. Yes I am Jo-Ann, also known as "Lady Love" as so dubbed by my mistress. When my mistress asked me to provide my commentary on that stupid dog show she loves to watch I jumped and panted for the chance. I do, much like my mistress, have an opinion.
First, yon human ladies and gems, some of those creatures featured on those dog shows my mistress adores shouldn't oughta even be called dogs.
Understand that myself is a fine Belgian Malinois and if there was ever a canine whose picture should be under the word "DOG" in the dictionary it should be myself or, if desperate, another member of my breed. For I do what dogs do and I look like a dog. Duh.
Until recently I had a co-dog that was a dacshund and while I loved Cleetus in that matter of dogs sharing a home, come on, that silly little thing shouldn't have been allowed to be called a dog what with those tiny little legs that are more suited to a rat than a dog.
But I digress and my mistress is telling me to move on.
Well the Crufts show did feature a Belgian Malinois but forgive me, THAT example of my breed was also pitiful. Better than the dacshund mind you, but skinny as all get out. It makes me wonder if they aren't starving those dogs like the humans do when they are in beauty contests.
My mistress is nudging me now and telling me that it is I...who is too fat. Heh. Surely my mistress jests. I am in fine girlish form thank you, nothing like that skin and bones Malinois at Crufts.
So beyond my own breed example, goodness I've seen alleged dogs on that show that should be classified as lions or something else. Definitely not DOGS. HAVE THEY NO PRIDE?
Come on...what the hell is that Puli thing with all those dreadlocks? This so-called dog is better classified as a rap dancer.
And a Portuguese Water Dog? The thing has the tail of a lion!
How about those French poodles prancing around the ring in that silly haircut? And some of those little long-haired things without eyes I am convinced are really little motor toys operated by remote control by someone in the stands.
Okay, my mistress is shutting me down. Well, she asked for my comments....
To all owners of Portuguese Water Dogs or French Poodles, I apologize. But it was the DOG making those disparaging comments. And she's got great big teeth. Complain to her.
More TV Reviews HERE
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Transitional Shelter Assistance benefits help the displaced
Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA) benefits, which provide short-term lodging assistance for evacuees who are impacted by a declared disaster, are available to Jefferson, Hardin, and Orange county residents whose homes were damaged by Tropical Storm/Hurricane Harvey. TSA benefits, sponsored by FEMA, are not a guarantee of hotel room availability, though, FEMA media liaison Ken Higginbotham told The Examiner.
Although FEMA has tentative agreements to house disaster survivors in need of assistance, hotel owners may choose to discontinue housing evacuees at their own discretion as the provision supplied by the hotelier is "strictly on a voluntary basis," Higginbotham said, before adding, "These hotels don't have to accept this program at all."
The federal government will still honor TSA benefit claims, however, even if a claimant needs to move to multiple locations. If a claimant receiving TSA benefits needs to change locations, FEMA will cover the cost of the new room provided from an approved vendor as per the TSA benefits awarded.
"Unfortunately, the occupants are at the will and pleasure of the hotel," Higginbotham said.
A list of FEMA-approved hotels can be found at online at disasterassistance.gov or through the FEMA help line at (800) 621-FEMA (3362).


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A New York federal judge has granted final approval to Apple Inc.'s $450 million settlement with consumers over claims it conspired with publishers to raise e-book prices. The settlement includes a $30 million award as fees for the plaintiffs' lawyers. Judge Denise Cote approved the settlement during a hearing in Manhattan court. Under the settlement, consumers will receive $400 million, state authorities which assisted in the handling of the case will get $20 million, and class counsel at Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP and Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC will together receive $30 million in fees.
The settlement contains an unusual provision that allows Apple to pay $50 million to consumers and $10 million each to the states and class counsel if Judge Cote's 2013 decision finding Apple liable is vacated and remanded on appeal or reversed and remanded with instructions for reconsideration or a new trial. Interestingly, if the decision is simply reversed, Apple will pay nothing. Judge Cote called the $400 million consumer payment an "excellent recovery," adding that the "enforcement of our antitrust laws is vitally important to the vibrancy of our economy."
The suit, pursued by the U.S. Department of Justice and 33 states, alleged Apple's distribution deals in 2010 with five top publishers — Simon & Schuster Inc., Penguin Group USA, Macmillan Publishers USA, Hachette Book Group Inc. and HarperCollins Publishers LLC — raised the prices for digital books from $9.99 to as much as $14.99, costing consumers hundreds of millions of dollars. Only Apple went to trial. Each of the publishers settled its claim. A nonjury bench trial featured testimony from leaders in the U.S. publishing industry and top executives at Apple, Amazon and fellow e-book rivals Barnes & Noble Inc. and Google Inc.
In July 2013, Judge Cote ruled that Apple had "played a central role in facilitating and executing" the conspiracy. The company has since appealed that decision to the Second Circuit. According to a Nov. 14 motion, seeking Judge Cote's final approval for the $450 million deal, a claims administrator and e-book retailers have sent emails or postcards to almost 23 million addresses of people eligible to receive compensation. The settlement had won preliminary approval on Aug. 1.
Source: Law360.com
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It's always the weekends, and never the weekdays, that I find myself wide awake at seven in the morning, and no matter how much I try (counting sheep, reading medical texts, self hypnosis...) I can never get back to sleep. Why doesn't this ever happen to me during the week when I actually need to get up?!
So after rolling around for about an hour, I decided to get up and make breakfast.
Breakfast used to be a luxury for me last year, when I had to leave the house at 7am to get to hospital on time. I maximised sleep, which meant I sacrificed everything else... This year, lectures start a lot later, and it's a lot less travelling time for me, so I've gotten back into the routine of grabbing a bite (brioche roll and gulp of water) before leaving the house.
I thought I'd something have a bit more substantial though today.
Banana smoothie is a brilliant Saturday morning drink - to replace all the potassium you've lost due to excessive alcohol intake the previous night, hehe! - and effortless as well.
Just put milk, bananas and some (optional) honey into a blender and whizz it up - Banana smoothie in seconds!
Eggs are my favourite breakfast food. I think I could have eggs for breakfast every single day for the rest of my life and never get sick of them. (Not actually gonna try that though, 'cause if I do get sick of them, I wouldn't know what to do...) There's just so many ways to cook them!
I like my eggs super-runny so eggs and soldiers are great. Fun-sized pieces of toast that you can pick up with your fingers and then dip into runny gooey liquid gold!
My favourite way to make soft-boiled eggs is to boil for a minute, and then to leave it in the pan for a further 5 minutes. Then I run them under a cold water tap so they're easier to handle, and to stop the cooking process so the eggs stay nice and runny.
Egg cups are what I need. Small ramekins like these will hold the egg, but you've gotta keep a hold on it while you dip in the soldiers, otherwise it'll just roll and roll and roll...
Sometimes I just crack the egg into the ramekin as you would do if it was raw! If it's runny enough, it will just slide out as a raw egg would. It doesn't quite look as appetising, but it tastes just as good, and works perfectly as well.
I'm surprised how quick this breakfast took to make, it might just be worth it to get up that 15 minutes earlier each day to enjoy some eggs, soldiers and a banana smoothie!


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Credited only to Kimmo Pohjonen's name, Kluster is actually a duo project with sampler artist Samuli Kosminen. Following the release of this album, the pair would start performing under that moniker. The title – and direction – of this album also contributed the "K" in KTU, Pohjonen and Kosminen's subsequent collaboration with King Crimson's Trey Gunn and Pat Masteloto. Kluster (the album) sees Pohjonen extrapolating on the more beat-driven aspects of his debut recording Kielo. The more Scandinavian folk elements are out, the rockier side gets more room to shine, and experimentation pervades every corner of the album. Every sound heard was produced either by Pohjonen's accordion or voice. The accordionist is already prone to use digital effects to loop and manipulate his own playing. In addition, Kosminen plays accordion and vocal samples taken from Pohjonen. If Pohjonen strikes the body of his instruments a few times, Kosminen picks up on it and quickly produces a rock-like beat. Elsewhere, the samples are turned into abstract electro-acoustic pieces. Through it all, Pohjonen's unique form of songwriting prevails: rock, even progressive rock riffs on accordion paired with an unshakeable folk feel. Tracks like "Ohimo," "Keko," and "Voima" are full-fledged prog rock tunes – you can actually hear how Gunn could fit in his Warr guitar licks. It's no surprise that KTU performed these songs live. If on Kielo accordion and technology blended together to produce timeless music, things are different on Kluster. The instrument itself becomes more of a source than the center of attention. There is still plenty of virtuosic playing, but it is often hidden deep into the thick arrangements. Accordion enthusiasts should start with Kielo. Prog rock fans who want more after hearing KTU's music should proceed here.» (AMG)
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Forman Trial: The People Rest; Now It's the Defense's Turn
Former RPD officer, Robert Forman testifies and denies involvement in two incidents and said the third was consensual. More information to come.
The Trial of Former RPD Officer Robert Forman
Day 10
Riverside Police Department Sgt. Julian Hutzler testified further on the stand as part of the ongoing criminal trial involving former police officer, Robert Forman who has been charged with three felonies and one misdemeanor. The prosecution was heading into the home stretch while presenting its own case and after it rested, then Forman's attorney would put on the defense.
The focus of his testimony involved written records of CAD reports, the downloading of digital audio recordings and cell phone records tying Forman with the third victim who had testified last week.
Hutzler said that the Computer Aided Dispatch reports detailed information about officers who were sent out to respond to either an initiated contact or a call for service. Or as Hutzler testified, any activity by the police department that goes through the communications dispatch. He explained the abbreviated codes and designations that were included both in the CAD reports as well as the listings provided of the history of recording downloads generated from Forman's belt recorder.
One of the incidents included in the list of downloaded recordings was the February 15, 2008 incident that was referred to on that list as a civil problem and involved an altercation between the third victim and an African-American man over money that she had allegedly stolen from him with Forman's assistance, according to her testimony. The location of the incident had been Mission Inn and Eucalyptus Street. According to the CAD report, Forman had been the primary responding officers and at some point a call for backup had been issued and other officers including Felix Medina, Richard Glover, William Zackowski and his trainee, Danny Suerez responded.
Hutzler also testified about the database known as CLETS and said that the third victim's name had been "run" on Feb. 20. The CLETS provides different screens containing information on the individual in various areas including DMV records, restraining orders, violent crimes and other criminal offenses. When Prosecutor Elan Zekster placed it on the Elmo, presiding Judge John Molloy called the lawyers into chambers. Faux pas, maybe but it showed the jury how seriously the confidentiality of these records is supposed to be taken.
CLETS information is considered confidential and access to it is very limited, including by law enforcement officers. The CLETS information on the third victim was withheld from the jury during further testimony by Hutzler.
Forman had run the CLETS on Feb. 20, 2008 at 3:52 a.m. according to departmental records presented in court. Also warrants were written for phone records for the third victim and for Forman's cell phone. The phone records showed one phone call made from the third victim's cell phone to Forman and then multiple phone calls made by him to her cell phone as well as a land line where she was staying. The phone calls to the land line phone were blocked by *67 according to the phone account records whereas the phone calls to the victim's cell phone were not blocked in this way. What was the reason for that, because the victim hadn't given him her land line phone number? If this is true, how did he obtain it? And why does it appear that he started calling her on her land line at around the same time or not long after he accessed her CLETS file?
Ever file a complaint and wonder where those hang up phone calls come from especially those with interesting sound effects like oh, dispatch noise? Well, most of the time it's perhaps coincidence or telemarketing calls but it's interesting how testimony in an instance like this can make one wonder. What happened in this case? Did he ever speak to her and if so about what? Or did he simply call her repeatedly in an attempt to keep tabs on her and hang up after a period of time? In my case, the phone calls did cease after the investigating sergeant was notified about them. But was this person even aware that he was trying to call her? If she wasn't communicating with him (and so far beyond the first call, it doesn't seem like she called him back from either number), then she might have had no idea that he was calling her.
Information written in a notebook taken from Forman's workplace locker showed the victim's cell phone number but no land line number. How he got the information on this phone number is not clear.
The phone calls appeared to have started on Feb. 20, at about 3:47 a.m. on the same morning as the CLETS report was generated. They continued onward into March 6, 24 and 28 on both phone numbers linked to the third victim. Phone calls were apparently made to the victim's phone number on days that Forman wasn't working.
Hutzler also testified about the process of downloading recordings from the officers' department issued digital audio recordings into the mainframe database of the police department as well as the documentation created on the downloads done by each police officer. Documents of Forman's own history of downloading recordings (or not) were displayed while Hutzler testified. He spoke about whether or not the recordings themselves could be erased and whether or not that removed all trace of their existence from the memory of the recording device. The answer is yes to the first, no to the second as it turned out.
"You can erase it off the media disk but you can't reset the clock," Hutzler said.
What that means is that even if the officer believes he or she might be erasing a recording off of their media disk inside their recorder, that it leaves a trace behind that it existed and individual recordings are tied with specific numbers that allow employees to differentiate between which recording belongs with which incident.
In February 2008, about five recordings were erased earlier that month which was shown by the sequence of file numbers being interrupted and some of the numbers were missing. Later in the month, about 24 file numbers were missing, showing that those recordings had been erased.
In April, there weren't any files downloaded, meaning that there was not a single recording downloaded during that entire month. However, when May's list of files are shown, the sequencing numbers have skipped about 20 head, meaning that there were at least that many recordings made during the month of April but that they were never downloaded. Whether they were erased or simply were never downloaded from the media disk isn't clear. But they are so far, unaccounted for, bringing the total to at least 50 recordings that are missing. But then there's also recordings missing according to the download report.
About three recordings were missing in early May as well including one from May 7 between 1-1:30 a.m. and recordings on May 8, 2008 as well.
Departmental policy requires that field officers are required to turn on their belt recorders any time they initiate a contact with the public. In addition, any officers who are responding even as backup to an officer who initiated that contact are required by policy to activate their recorders as well. Yet during the month of April 2008 when Forman wasn't downloading any recordings the entire month, there were at least a half dozen or so "traffic" stops which are pretext stops which are initiated by patrol officers. When the policy was mandated under the stipulated judgment through the State Attorney General's office, the target of this policy were specifically pedestrian and vehicle pretext stops in part because there were allegations raised by the State that the department was violating state law when conducting its pretext stops.
The prosecution played the second audio recording of the incident involving Forman, the third victim and several other backup officers involving the incident where an unnamed African-American man was upset at the victim for allegedly taking his money without performing a sexual act. Even though all five officers were required to activate their digital recorders, only two of them did. What's heard on it is that the only thing that can be done is to take a report. But ultimately, the call was cleared as a "civil problem" as listed on the Forman's CAD activity sheet and no report was ever taken of it.
Forman's defense attorney, Mark Johnson argued that Forman wasn't the only officer who didn't comply with the department's audio recording policy as evidenced by the failure of several officers in the incident involving Forman and the third victim to follow that same policy.
Officer Richard Glover testified next. He had been employed with the department for about four years and 10 months and had worked with Forman during 2008 on the graveyard shift. On Feb. 15, 2008, he had responded to a call for backup to Eucalyptus and Mission. In this case, the call for backup was issued by the primary officer at the scene, Forman. Glover said that when he had arrived, he had seen a White or Hispanic woman and a Black man of medium build. He heard from Forman a brief description of the incident including that Forman had been talking with the Black man who Glover said, was a bit upset. Did he remember what happened?
"Not real clear," Glover testified, "I remember bits and pieces of it."
Under cross-examination, Glover said that Forman didn't appear to be hiding his activities and that he didn't see the woman doing so either. She appeared to be connected with the Black man. He testified that he had received training in drug use recognition and that he didn't believe that Forman appeared to be under the influence of drugs. If that had been the case, he said he would have been obligated to report it to a supervisor.
He hadn't tested either Forman or the woman for drug intoxication and he didn't remember ever seeing any money.
The prosecution soon rested its case and the jury was sent on an hour long recess while Johnson submitted a motion to dismiss all the charges against Forman. He argued that the petty theft charge should result in an acquittal because the victim was at best an accomplice to the crime and thus could serve through testimony as sufficient evidence unless there was independent evidence. He argued that the sexual battery charge involving the third victim should be dismissed because she was free to leave when she wished and made the same argument with the second victim.
Zekster argued that the petty theft charge was evidenced independently by the fact that Forman said he would take a report but never did as well as the fact that he was present at the scene and the money was never recovered. Concerning the three felony charges, Zekster told the court that Johnson forgot that Forman was a police officer and his authority constituted the sense that the women wouldn't feel free to leave.
Molloy told the attorneys that he would take the petty theft case under submission but that ample evidence had been shown during the trial to leave the decisions on Forman's fate on the three felony charges up to the jury. His argument was based on the testimony by two victims that Forman had driven them in his squad car for a period of time before the alleged assaults under the color of authority or sexual battery and stopped at unfamiliar locations.
And with that decision, after the break the defense began to present its own case. It began by calling Sgt. Paul De Jong to the witness stand.
De Jong has been a law enforcement officer with several different agencies including the Riverside Police Department for a period lasting about 27 years. He was hired by the Riverside Police Department in 1997, promoted to detective in early 2000 and then to sergeant. He worked in field operations for a period of time before being transferred to the family violence center downtown where he supervises the domestic violence unit.
On April 18, 2008, he said he responded to the home invasion robbery call in downtown but it took him a while to get there because he was far away from the location. By the time he arrived, there were officers along with Sgt. Ruddy already on the scene and they had surrounded and contained the scene. He had contact with more than one woman at the residence, including the first victim and at some point went inside the apartment where he remained for about 15-20 minutes. The entire time he was there, the victim was seated on a couch or a chair in the living room and he had no recollection of exactly what her demeanor had been as he didn't pay much attention to her. When asked if he said she would be arrested, De Jong did have some memory of that.
"I don't believe I ever told her she was going to jail," De Jong said.
De Jong said that he had talked to Forman and when asked if he had been trained in drug use recognition, he said that he had been. He didn't see that Forman was high but said he wasn't looking for signs.
"I never noticed that," De Jong said.
He said that the woman had been viewed as a possible victim at least initially.
Under cross-examination, De Jong was shown a picture of the victim and didn't recognize her. Nor did he remember very many details of the police incident that he had responded to involving her apartment. He said that he had told investigators during an interview that it was his belief that the victim had been arrested.
De Jong said that he had left before all the officers had left and that Forman who had been in charge of the investigation of the incident had remained there after he had departed. His officers on his shift were experienced and he trusted them to do their jobs. When asked about how he would have handled the situation with the syringes that were found in a bag in the victim's closet, he said that they would have been taken as evidence unless there was a legitimate reason to use them. He said that he wouldn't have left them or the spoon with residue on it found right next to the bag (which he said could be evidence of the use of heroin or other drugs).
"Yes, it should have been collected," De Jong said.
Would he have left the syringes with an individual on felony probation? I wouldn't, he testified. He did say that the woman was made aware of things she could be arrested for by someone. When asked again if he thought she had been arrested, he answered.
"That's what I thought, yes," De Jong said.
Would the drug paraphernalia found have been enough, he was asked.
"If I were the investigating officer, it would have been enough for me," De Jong said.
He was asked why when he reviewed the report the next day, he hadn't gone back and said that the victim should have been arrested. He said that he would have addressed the issue with the reporting officer. But later said he had to face a high quantity of reports each shift that he worked.
The defense is actually in the process of eliciting direct testimony from its second witness, a police officer and former trainee of Forman's but already there's the sense that Forman's own witnesses are not exactly working for him or even testifying for him. The sergeant testified that he would have arrested a woman that Forman did not and the trainee testified that he was a strict taskmaster when it came to including details in reports, which simply draws more attention to the times when Forman wasn't quite so...meticulous.
Trial testimony continues today in a trial that possibly might reach the jury for deliberations by sometime Thursday, even though the courtroom is on Wednesday.
Rumors in one area of the city have a certain police officer moved out of that neighborhood because of an investigation involving an officer he worked with. Whether that's true or wishful thinking on the part of the area's residents, isn't clear. Seriously, if the rumor mill is true, that's the least of his problems in terms of his behavior. Properly supervising an officer can go a long way, though. Is that the case here?
The majority of the Riverside Police Department's officers are hard-working and conscientious and risk their lives on occasion as law enforcement can be like flying a jet airliner. Hours of work, filling out lots of paper, lots of interpersonal communication and following procedures interspersed by periods of excitement or fear and anticipation of when those moments take place. Which makes it harder when one of them goes "rogue" as some call it and it seems that inadequacies or deliberate actions to subvert the department's accountability mechanisms aid and abet them in misconduct. That's why it's difficult to blame it all on "bad apples". There's been a lot of discussions about these so-called "apples" including two RPD officers arrested in the past year on criminal allegations and about any other officer who might be skirting proper behavior. Believe it or not, communities, neighborhoods and precincts do know the difference between good officers and those not so good. Names of both come up in nearly every neighborhood in this city.
One way to encourage good policing would be to recognize it officially when it takes place by restoring the "public safety officer of the month" award at city council meetings. One caveat, just don't give it to an officer who was suspended on misconduct committed not long before receiving this award as happened several years ago. And if Chief Russ Leach, the department or city wants a list of officers who do good work with communities to protect and serve them, there's plenty of people in the city to provide them with lists to draw from.
A new bicycle path in Riverside?
More information into the corruption probe involving San Jacinto's politicians and players.
(excerpt, Press Enterprise)
"We've already got indications that the people that we've interviewed have already been coached and spoken to by some of our suspects in the case," said Kim Robinson, a district attorney's investigator, to Riverside County Superior Court Judge Helios Hernandez, according to transcripts of an Aug. 19 closed-door meeting.
At the same meeting, Elaina Bentley, chief deputy district attorney with the special prosecutions unit, expressed concern that investigators might lose "documentary evidence that could be destroyed if the individuals knew they were going to be targeted for potential investigation."
The Press-Enterprise sought release last summer of five search warrants issued in April. They covered the office and home of San Jacinto Councilman Jim Ayres and the homes of two businessmen, all indicted earlier this month in the case, and the home of a bookkeeping business owner who was interviewed in the case, according to court records.
Inside Riverside writes about the trail of Supervisor to be John Benoit's campaign funds.
The city of San Jacinto asks to postpone a key annexation hearing.
[Police, Fire and a Hazardous Materials Team appeared at City Hall in Riverside, closing down the portion near the utilities payment center and the women's restroom after a suspicious item was discovered containing white powder by a city employee. It was collected and sent off to be analzyed at some scientific laboratory.]
Labels: corruption 101, judicial watch, Making the grade