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By John Goralski
Sports Writer
Plainville scored twice to take a 4-0 lead in the opening minutes, and that was enough to kick the Lady Knights into another gear. On Tuesday, Dec. 11, the girls shifted into a full court press, and Plainville guards never knew what hit them.
"Plainville's very young, so we wanted to be aggressive and attack their guards to try to get points off transition," said Lady Knight basketball coach Mike Forgione. "That's what we did. The kids worked really, really hard."
Maeghan Chapman forced a jump ball at midcourt. Kaitlin Paterson and Stephanie O'Keefe anchored the press. O'Keefe drained a pair of three pointers to end the first quarter to give the Knights a 17-4 lead.
Plainville didn't score another basket for the next 11:27 and managed just two more baskets in the opening half. The Knights cruised into halftime with a 15-point lead, and the Knights held on for a 43-23 victory.
"With our tough loss on Friday, we wanted to get back in the gym and play well. We wanted to score a few points and keep working hard," said Chapman. "We need a few more games like this, but this is the way that we wanted to start off—with at least two wins."
Danielle Charamut paced the Knights with a game-high 13 points. Chapman and O'Keefe contributed 11 points apiece as Southington put the game out of reach early as the defensive pressure sparked a 22-0 rally.
"We knew that Plainville was young and inexperienced at the guard position, so we just tried to take advantage of that and get some points off transition with our fast break," said Forgione. "We wanted to get points off turnovers and stuff like that. The kids worked hard and hustled. We were working on some things like rotation, trapping, and snaking the next pass."
Chapman said that the defense will be important as the Knights try to build on the early win, but she said that they still need to focus on boxing out and rebounding as the schedule continues to get harder.
"I think we play better when we press," she said. "We're all in good shape, and we can press. That's when we are at our best."
With the win, Southing-ton improved to 2-1 overall. More importantly, the team earned an early break before taking on Newington on Tuesday, Dec. 18.
"We're going to work on our shooting. We're going to keep trying to get better," Forgione said. "We can't take a night off the rest of the way. If we don't play well, we're going to lose. We have to play as a team, and we have to play together as a unit. I think they will."


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subset: commoncrawl


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TORONTO — Before Kensington Market in Toronto became the hip, vintage-shop, urban scene it is today, it was just a small area with a strong identity, which many immigrants, including Jews, called home.
Virtually every immigrant group that came to Toronto before the 1980s first planted their roots in this area, said Rosemary Donegan.
Donegan, a curator who focuses on art in relation to industrialization, was speaking about how Kensington Market and Spadina Avenue have changed over the years, at the inaugural event for the Kensington Market Historical Society, on March 20.
"It's a living street, it's changing all the time," said Donegan, about Spadina Avenue. These new immigrants were actively involved in the city's politics, she said, a reason why the street became known as "red Spadina."
Jewish life flourished on these streets, with Hebrew and Yiddish newspaper stands lining the sidewalk, although in those times they would arrive a day late from other major cities, said Donegan. The streets were filled with greengrocers, synagogues, a Yiddish theatre and kosher butchers. Although those are long gone, you can still see faded Hebrew letters on some of the buildings.
It's estimated that 20,000 to 30,000 Jews lived in this area at one point, but most of the Jewish community had left by the 1950s. Today, only two synagogues remain: the Anshei Minsk Synagogue on St. Andrew Street, an Orthodox shul that still holds daily services, and the Kiever Synagogue on Bellevue Avenue.
"It was a village, an enclosed area," said Jean Cochrane, the author of the book Kensington. "It was a bubble. It was very much a cohesive neighbourhood. They're a strong community, and when they feel threatened, they mobilize."
That's still true today for Kensington Market locals like longtime resident Marion Kane, 66.
"When I moved there in 1978, there were live chickens on the sidewalk. It was mainly food shops, lots of Jewish merchants were still there at that time," said Kane. "Gradually, the Jewish merchants have nearly all gone. The European Quality Meats and Sausages [a butcher shop that had been there for more than five decades] closed last April. The whole feeling of the market has changed."
Kane is a member of the Friends of Kensington Market group, which aims to preserve the market's unique character. They stopped Starbucks from opening last year, and they're currently attempting to thwart Loblaws from opening a supermarket in the neighbourhood.
"A lot of the change is inevitable," said Kane, "but part of it is worrisome. There's a danger of it becoming gentrified, like another Yorkville. We need to preserve Kensington as a haven for small merchants."
Kensington looks vastly different than it did 50 years ago, when it was a place for low-income immigrants. Now, the market is much more upscale, with lots of bars and cafés and many vintage shops, and younger, hip residents, as Kane put it, who want to move in.
There are still some elements of the past that remain, such as the outdoor food market and its reputation for bringing food from every corner of the world on one street. It's these elements and many more that the Kensington Market Historical Society wants to preserve. "There's lot of interest in its history, and that's why we started it," said the society's president, Dennis Reid.
The residents who have been watching the area change hope that the society will still have a market to preserve in 10 years time.
"They're moving with the times, but in the process we don't want to lose everything that makes Kensington special in the name of the almighty dollar," said Kane, "like the outdoor street life, its cosmopolitan nature, the fun and flavour of the place. It would be painful to lose it."


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Two patriotic essay competitions are available to Marion County students.
The Voice of Democracy audio essay completion will feature entries from high school students enrolled in public, private, or home study programs. Students must complete an essay on the theme "Why I'm Optimistic About our Nation's Future," then record their reading to a CD. The recording should be no shorter than 3 minutes and no longer than 5 minutes. The recording should have no extraneous background noise, music, or sound effects. Special consideration will be taken for hearing or speech-impaired students.
Students cannot identify themselves or their school in their speech.
The recording and typed version of the speech, completed application form, and shoulder view photo, should be submitted to the Marion VFW Post 6958 by Nov. 1.
Entry forms are available at the Marion High School counselor's office or at the Marion County Record office. Contact Bill Keith at (620) 381-3590 or Donna Kreutziger at (620) 382-2931 or email@example.com for more information.
Students who win locally will advance to regionals where they will have a chance to advance to state.
The second essay competition, Patriot's Pen, only requires a written essay.
Students sixth through eighth grades can submit essays on the theme "What Patriotism Means to Me."
The essays must be between 300 and 400 words, and will be judged on contestant's knowledge of the theme and use of research.
Winners will receive U.S. savings bonds and can enter by submitting a completed entry form, essay, and shoulder view photo by Nov. 1 at Marion VFW post.
Entry forms can be obtained from the councilor's office. Contact Bill Keith at (620) 381-3590 or Donna Kreutziger at (620) 382-2931 or firstname.lastname@example.com, for more information.


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My current study set up - this way I can see everything that is going on and 'bark' my motherly orders from the centre of the house.
Yesterday it was a lot cooler than the uncomfortably hot, humid days we have been having for oh so long now (why DO I live in Brisbane again?). I flung open all the doors and windows and sat in my breakfast nook, with my books and copious cups of tea, a cooler breeze blowing past me all day. Oh it was so quiet.... I revelled in the solitude, worked hard .. and I almost felt slightly joyous when all my trigonometry started making sense. Now that I know all my triangle stuff and all that Sin, Cos and Tan blah that I loathed so much at school, I can calculate roof heights, rafter lengths, roof pitch, amount of roofing required to cover a roof area, ra,ra. I NOW see how my builder miscalculated our roof pitch, both at the front and back, having to resize windows at his expense. Well that won't happen next time - see what I have been inspired to do from this challenging/learning experience .. lots of positives.... oh the drive to know all about this stuff . It all makes sense now. All this maths stuff works and now means something ...... I am looking at everything through triangle eyes..... life is triangles!... well it is with a roof! Just finishing up 'Vectors' (more triangles - sort of - moving ones?.... but a bit blehh if you ask me) and then my final assessment is done for this subject. Then on to the next one!
Thanks for being so lovely to my boy this week. He cannot believe how loving you all are. "And they don't even know me Mum".
Having the weekend off from the bloggy blog to finish my 'Vectors' so I will see you Monday. Have a great weekend!


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On Independence Day
The most important aspect of America that its people should celebrate on this Independence Day is, well, independence itself.
It sounds obvious, but everywhere one looks around the world today, millions struggle for something every American assumes as a natural birthright, the reason behind the grand observance of July 4: the establishment of a free and independent country beholden to no other.
Think about it. Whether it's Kurds in the Middle East, Darfuris in Africa, Ukrainians in Eastern Europe or — under occupation by an oppressive neighbor — Tibetans in the hinterland of Asia, the yearning for independence remains a powerful engine of history, the stuff of daily headlines.
Of course, independence does not guarantee freedom. Think Cuba. But it is an indispensable precursor. No people can realistically aspire to freedom until they have the means and opportunity to decide their own destiny.
That is what the Founding Fathers fought for. They laid a solid foundation: A stirring Declaration of Independence. A painstakingly crafted, ingenious Constitution that has stood the test of centuries. A form of government that, decades later, Abraham Lincoln called "of the people, by the people and for the people."
The legacy of every American includes exemplary leaders, beginning with the first president, George Washington. They were far from perfect, but they dedicated their lives to the creation of a nation better than any that had come before it in history. They instilled this basic notion in the American character as part of our genetic instruction: Never cease to want something better, and be willing to work for it — and fight for it when necessary. This drive forms part of our national DNA.
In that spirit, we would be remiss to overlook the discouraging atmosphere of our current politics, the feeling of being stuck in an endless cycle of partisan discord that blocks the nation's progress on every front. We cannot be better if we do not do better.
Congress is paralyzed by grid-lock. A president, frustrated by obstructionist tactics and one side's adamant refusal to engage in legislative bargaining, is reduced to near incoherence, admonishing them "to pass a darn bill" rather than do nothing about the nation's crippled immigration system.
The Republican leader of the House, meanwhile, announces that his caucus will sue the president.
Come on. The president may have overstepped his boundaries on occasion, as a Supreme Court decision noted last week regarding his power of appointment, but he is no dictator. If anything, he is slow to act. And when he does, it's because he's filling a vacuum of inactivity created by lawmakers.
Granted, the president is no LBJ when it comes to dealing with recalcitrant legislators.
He could have done better. Yet he has time and again reached out to Republicans, and their answer can best be characterized by the declaration of Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the party's leader in the Senate, who on one notable occasion said his No. 1 goal was to defeat the president.
Such a paltry legislative ambition for someone in such high office. Surely our nation's leaders can want something better. Most Americans do. And surely lawmakers can perform better. Most Americans expect them to.
On this Independence Day, our fondest wish as we blow out 238 candles on the nation's birthday cake, is that our leaders live up to the promise of forming a more perfect union.


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Thu, 02-02-2012
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Page 3
Boulder Weekly is published every Thursday. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher..
Page 3 - 2 comments - 576 views
Page 4
Letters | Valmont's ghosts
I want to thank you for publishing Pamela White's piece regarding SOPA/ PIPA. It's obvious most people don't comprehend that stealing images, books and music affects the artists' ability to earn a living.
Page 4 - no comments - 513 views
Newt Gingrich: the spawn of 'Citizens United'
Justice Kennedy, meet Sheldon Adelson — a product of your cluelessness about how real politics work. For years, this casino baron has spent lavishly on right-wing front groups to advance his personal agenda, including pouring money into Newt Gingrich's campaign.
Page 4 - 4 comments - 450 views
Page 5
Shooters should clean up their act
That's what members of the Rocky Mountain Firearm Club (RMFC) found when they headed up Lefthand Canyon in search of a safe place for target shooting on public land. "When I go to any sort of site up in the mountains where there's shooting, I see all this trash all over the place," says Chris Wu, a founding member of RMFC.
Page 5 - no comments - 542 views
—French President Nicolas Sarkozy, describing a 0.1 percent "Robin Hood" tax on financial transactions that will be introduced later this year to create up to $1.3 billion annually.
Page 5 - no comments - 482 views
Page 6
in case you missed it | SUPER BOWL SIBERIA
Boulder real estate developer Stephen Tebo reportedly laid out more than 160 grand for the privilege of being able to tell people that he owns the very Cadillac hearse that transported President John F. Kennedy's dead body from a Dallas Hospital morgue to Air Force One following the beloved leader's assassination.
Page 6 - 4 comments - 647 views
Page 9
Reverend Friendly, street poet, dies at 76
Lobdell was a fixture around town, and in his later years you could see him shuffling around town, handing out beige business cards with his photo on them, a speech bubble coming out of his mouth with the words, "Laugh and the world laughs with you / cry and you cry alone / so if you're gonna pout stay at home.
Page 9 - no comments - 542 views
Turning the tables
The Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) filed a lawsuit last year against Monsanto Company on behalf of 60 family farmers, seed businesses and organic agricultural organizations. According to PUBPAT's website, the suit was filed "to challenge the chemical giant's patents on genetically modified seed.
Page 9 - no comments - 511 views
Page 10
Valmont cemetery families say city in danger of digging up human remains
For the "no evidence of off-site contamination" argument to be true, we would have to believe that a half-century's worth of windblown contamination was stopped dead in its tracks by chain-link and barbed wire fences. As we found during our investigation, "no evidence" of contamination actually means no testing for contamination.
Page 10 - no comments - 1,304 views
Lawyer: City/county could be liable for cemetery contamination
The Valmont School District No.4 Cemetery Association is being represented by Randall Weiner, the lawyer who in 1999 helped about 300 residents of the Denver suburb Globeville win a settlement in a class-action lawsuit against a smelting plant accused of contaminating the area with lead and other heavy metals.
Page 10 - no comments - 561 views
Page 14
Searching for a CSA
By signing up for a CSA with a particular farm, you pay a set price to receive a variety of produce each week from that farm's harvest.
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Page 16
A few minutes in, Laliberté has poker pro David Benyamine up against a wall. Benyamine is all-in with an extremely weak hand, and Laliberté has a 2:1 chance to win and walk away with $600,000 of Benyamine's money. All he has to do is let the hand play out.
Page 16 - 4 comments - 2,179 views
Page 23
Curiouser about Curious
About 10,000 playwrights live and work in the country, but in the past 10 years, there have been an average of two new plays produced on Broadway each year, according to Jason Loewith, executive director of the National New Play Network.
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Keep it simple
"[Slick's] open to anything and by far the best mechanical player in the band, with the best feel. He's probably the best musician in the band," says bassist Toby Leaman. "We're a different band, and the four of us that have been in the band are all better players, all have a better idea what our roles are and what our strengths are.
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Gesturing across the country
Doug says Smooth Money Gesture was originally the name of a cover band the brothers played in while living in Alaska from 2002 to 2005. When they finally settled in Colorado, the tunes switched to originals, and the band blossomed to six, then five, members.
Page 25 - 3 comments - 561 views
Page 29
Event Calendar | Week of Feb. 2, 2012
Emma Back Trio, Statue of Liberty..
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To have an event considered for the calendar, send information to email@example.com.
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Page 30
Arts | Week of Feb. 2, 2012
Astrid Paustian, Pam Simich and Calvin Whitehall..
Page 30 - 3 comments - 454 views
Page 32
Words | Week of Feb. 2, 2012
Maxwell Boykoff answers the question, "Who speaks for the climate?" at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 8 at the Boulder Book Store..
Page 32 - no comments - 495 views
Page 34
Theater | Week of Feb 2, 2012
The Edge Theater Company, 9797 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood, 303-232-0363. Through Feb. 19..
Page 34 - no comments - 495 views
Page 37
Neeson vs. wolf
We meet Neeson's character, a heartbroken loner named John Ottway, on the verge of suicide and thinking back, obsessively, to the woman who got away.
Page 37 - 3 comments - 1,184 views
Details matter
You can say this for screenwriter Pablo F. Fenjves' story: It stays busy. It starts in the hotel, moves to the ledge and then swoops back into a one-month-earlier flashback, explaining how Nick got there, why he went to prison in the first place and how he managed to turn a furlough for his father's funeral into an opportunity for escape.
Page 37 - 2 comments - 461 views
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reel to reel | Week of Feb 2, 2012
In the 1980s, Victor DeNoble was a research scientist at a major tobacco company, where he was given the task of finding a substitute for nicotine that would not cause heart attacks. He succeeded, but in the process he proved something that the industry had been denying for years: that cigarettes were addictive.
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Page 40
The second sex of sushi chefs
Women's hands are too warm, the argument goes, to handle the ingredients. They'd damage the raw fish. The perfume or makeup or lotion on women's hands would ruin the salmon and tuna. Of course, these are animals that live in some of the filthiest ecosystems this side of the Death Star's trash compactor.
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Nothing bitter about this bar
Drinks range from original award-winning concoctions such as the Gone Fishin', featuring naval-strength rum and ginger liqueur, to old chestnuts like Irish Coffee. However, the attention paid to the drinks doesn't detract from the food.
Page 41 - no comments - 571 views
Page 42
Tidbites | Super pairings for Super Sunday
Black Cat: Farm-Table-Bistro is hosting a "Super Dinner" beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, featuring Italian winemakers who practice biodynamic farming, a method which treats a farm as a single living organism and aims to improve the health of the land and the surrounding ecosystem.
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Shine is a bar and restaurant as well as a performance and gathering space showcasing everything from world music concerts to yoga classes. The menu features healthful offerings ranging from locally sourced, grassfed beef burgers to meatless jackfruit tacos.
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Page 47
Kidding around at Keystone
I taught my wife, a blonde Midwest beauty, to ski when she was 20 — or rather, she allowed me to teach her. We always joke we don't need any marriage counseling after those tear-filled seasons on the blue ice runs of Vermont — no appearances for us on Dr.
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Astrology | Week of Feb 2, 2012
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By the power of lulz, I, while living, have conquered the internets.
I'll bet the Undertaker just hates getting work without his "sport". Something tells me he'll be busy as hell by the end of this.
Excellent work. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
really enjoying this, especially the hints of Dark Tower i'm picking up. Delicious!
you don't like the Dark Tower? Or you just don't want to be derivative?
Quote from: Chelagoras The Boulder on March 28, 2015, 10:37:43 pmyou don't like the Dark Tower? Or you just don't want to be derivative?I love the Dark Tower. I'm just trying to tell my own story.
All I can say is that this was worth coming home for. This is fucking good, Roger.


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Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Chapter Twenty-Six – Be careful of things that go 'bump' in the night
Just as the sun begins to descend, casting an orange glow over the entire Persian Gulf, he coughs nervously and takes out a heart-stopping pale blue box. Leila's eyes grow wide as she spots the simple black logo and the tiny hairs all over her body prickle in trepidation.
In real life, the doorbell rings. And then, like all good things, Leila's wondrous dream comes to an abrupt end.
Cursing silently, she rolls over onto her stomach and covers her head with the pillow, hoping that whoever it is who has stumbled across her doorstep at such an ungodly hour will interpret her silence as her absence. And leave. She forces her eyes closed and desperately tries to make the dream come back and start where it left off.
To her dismay, the doorbell rings again, diminishing every iota of slumber remaining in her system. Leila is a morning person and it usually takes her alarm clock a mere thirty seconds to persuade her to arise. She mumbles an incoherent "I'm coming," (along with a list of other profanities) and then pulls herself out of bed, scowling and muttering as she stretches, her slim body arching like a baby tiger.
I didn't even get to see what kind of ring it was, she laments to herself as she pads over to the front door barefoot, the cold tiles abusing the warm soles of her feet. Her eyes sore from the bright sunlight flooding the entire open-plan living area - courtesy of the gigantic floor-to-ceiling window - she opens the front door, squinting at the little man holding a clipboard.
"Yes?" she scowls, folding her arms over her chest in an attempt to hide the lack of a bra beneath her cotton nightshirt. So this is the munchkin that ruined my dream, she thinks, her frown deepening. She smoothes it out abruptly when she remembers that she spotted her first wrinkle a few days before (first post-Botox that is). And it was (unsurprisingly) on her forehead.
"Leila Saade?" the small Indian man asks with a grin, bemused at Leila's bedraggled appearance. Her hair is sticking up in all directions as it always does first thing in the morning - before she has a chance to smooth it out with her Braun IONTEC hairbrush that is - and her tattered nightshirt is so faded that it barely resembles a colour.
"Yes?" she snaps impatiently. Her eyes fall upon his hands and widen as she comprehends the familiar red and grey Aramex packaging, colours that have recently become synonymous with beauty and luxury.
"Ma'am can you please –"
"Okay!" Leila snatches the biro out of his hand before the poor thing has a chance to complete his sentence and hastily scrawls her name on the form. She is barely able to contain her excitement and grabs the parcel before he can protest. She slams the front door closed without even thanking him, let alone tipping him.
Leaning against the door and listening to the disappointed footsteps of the delivery man on the other side disappear, she holds the package in her hands for a few moments, wondering what it could contain. The last time she went 'shopping' with Moe, she pointed out various things in Dubai Mall's fashion avenue that had taken her fancy, but none of the things she had 'oohed' and 'aahed' over were small enough to fit in parcel of that size.
Although Leila is accustomed to receiving gifts from generous suitors, she still gets a tingling sensation in her stomach every time she is bestowed with a package – whether it comes wrapped in pretty paper, adorned with bows, in its original packaging or, as of late, in a plastic courier packet. In the past she has received designer goodies, jewellery, hampers, experiences and once, a horse. The latter was from an ex, also Lebanese, who was anxious to prove his love to her despite her breaking up with him, changing her number, and threatening to report him to the police for his stalkerish ways. He named the horse Lei-mo – a testimony to her name and his - completely oblivious to what it sounded like it English.
Leila gently shakes the parcel and feels something move inside. Unable to suppress her curiosity for a single second further, she runs over to her slightly dusty kitchen table and plonks herself onto a fragile IKEA chair. The scissors are still lying on the surface from three days ago when she opened a package containing a gloriously luxurious La Perla underwear set in pale pink with a note saying, "when will I get to see you in this?" She grabs them and cuts the parcel open as neatly as possible.
Inside the plastic packet sits a flat box with the stomach-tingling Damas logo glistening in the centre. Shaking with excitement, she opens the box to find a stunning white gold necklace encrusted with what appear to be countless brilliant cut diamonds. Her breath stuck in her throat, she lifts it out of its velvet surroundings and gapes at it in awe before running over to her full length mirror and placing it against her smooth, tanned neck. It sits perfectly on her collarbones as if it were created especially for her and she turns her body to examine it at all angles. The diamonds sparkle in the sunlight and a shiver runs down her spine.
This is it, she thinks to herself as she studies her reflection, knowing how amazing she will look once she wears it with a more appropriate outfit. It's time to give in to his needs.
Leila has had enough experience with generous men to know that it is unlikely to get better than this. A diamond on her finger is almost certainly out of the question so she will make do with a whole load glittering on her neck, while little something back before things turn sour. She is perfectly aware of the fact that every gift comes with a price and only last week she was forced into almost betraying her friend in an attempt to stay on Moe's right side.
The time for her to get out with her gifts while she could, had arrived.
For the first time since she embarked on her precarious relationship with Mohamed, Leila picks up her phone and dials his number. She no longer cares about appearing to be too interested, too eager, too easy. In fact, she would rather control the way their relationship degenerates than allow him to just dispose of her like an empty cigarette carton once he has had his way with her.
"'allo?" he answers, dropping the 'h' in the typical Arabic, guttural way.
"Keefak habibi?" she purrs back, still looking at her reflection and tentatively touching the necklace with her finger tips.
"Do you like it?" Moe says, as more of a statement than a question.
"I love it," she answers with sincerity, beaming. She imagines his chest swelling with pride and for once, allows his ego to inflate as much as it wants.
"It is exquisite," she adds. "Thank you."
"So when can I see you?" he demands impatiently, raising his voice over the sound of traffic.
"Whenever you want," is her coy reply, a small smile playing on her lips. There is a stunned silence as Moe's heart begins to thud. During their entire courtship, Leila has remained stiff, stern and, for want of a better description, positively prudish. There were moments when Moe would wonder if he had imagined their first physical encounter, whether the entire scenario was a figment of his imagination.
"Now?" he suggests quickly, as if he is worried she may take back her promise.
"No, not now. Tonight." Leila affirms, still staring at her reflection. She may be grateful but certainly not so grateful that she is willing to drop everything to go and cater to his whims.
"Come and collect me at 8:00pm. See you later…" With that, Leila hangs up the phone and then gently takes off the necklace and places back inside the box, as carefully as if it were a newborn baby. Turning on the taps in the bathtub, she fills the tub with fragrant bath oils and when the temperature is just right, climbs in and closes her eyes. She was ready to give Moe a night he would never, ever forget.
* * *
Leila is wearing pale pink satin dress so tight and so low that her breasts are almost spilling out of its embrace. She is also wearing her new diamond necklace, although the spectacular creation is struggling to compete with her cleavage. Every single man in the restaurant is aching to catch a glimpse of Leila's bosom as she wriggles past them, until they realise that her rear assets are just as generous as the front. Every woman is shooting her down with death stares, their eyes fixated on her sparkling necklace.
In ode to the occasion, Leila's hair has been professionally blow dried and is sitting in soft, sensuous waves down her bare back and her makeup, courtesy of the MAC counter at Ibn Battuta, is simply smouldering. Everything about her persona – from her silky blonde hair to her tanned golden skin, her slender neck surrounded by a cluster of glittering diamonds and her tiny waist – is screaming for attention, and oozing with sexiness.
Quite naturally, the Emirati man who has the pleasure of escorting walking the sex siren is being tantalised by her in a manner he never anticipated. Not even his highly overactive imagination that was often fuelled by late night television could have conjured up the stirring sensation in his loins, or the lump stuck at the back of his throat, as his heart pounds so furiously that it is almost threatening to spill out of his mouth and into his date's lap.
They are dining at Ewaan at the Palace Hotel in Old Town, and are sitting by the pool. Tiny yellow lights are wrapped around the palm trees and the atmosphere is alive with gentle laughter and the clinking of glasses. The tortured voice of the singer seduces the audience with his own renditions of the renowned Um Kulthoum, while Leila and Mohahmed puff on individual sheeshas and sip fine wine.
Unbeknownst to said singer, he is not the only one on a seduction mission.
From the moment Leila slid into Moe's orange AMG, she has been all over him like a rash, touching his knee, stroking his face, clinging to his arm. Now, at the restaurant, she is staring at him through half-closed eyelids and slowly licks her lips before taking the mouth of the sheesha pipe between them. Moe almost chokes on his Chardonnay and tries to compose himself, wiping his clammy palms on his dark brown candoura. Leila pretends not to notice and inhales deeply, before allowing the smoke to whirl out of her mouth slowly and gracefully.
Although Leila was originally only pretending to be like a cat on heat, the more she pretends, the more real the feelings become, until she too is desperate to get away from the crowd of people and spend some quality 'alone time' with the man who she knows is about to slip through her talons.
She analyses Moe's handsome face as he stares at the singer and realises with a jolt that she will miss him. Over the past few weeks he has become the only constant in life. With the global economic crisis at its peak and the subsequent crash of the real estate sector, Leila's career has taken a gigantic plunge. She has been getting paid late, her commission percentage has been reduced, and she is highly unlikely to receive a bonus.
If her turbulent financial status wasn't bad enough, Leila has also noticed with horror that her body is changing. A fine line here, a wrinkle there, a sun spot, an ache. Although hours of Yogilates has kept her muscles supple and flexible, she just doesn't move with the same agility she did a decade ago, her face just doesn't hold the same youthful glow, and no amount of gym, microdermabrasions or sneaky visits to clinics in Jumeirah can prevent time from taking its natural course.
Then there is her love life. Turbulent, exciting, promising, painful. Uncertain.
And now, with Moe soon to exit the scene, she will be left alone. All over again.
Leila wonders when that defining moment in her life was, the moment when she traded her naivety for cynicism, when her innocence was stripped away from her, when she realised that there was no such thing as a 'happily ever after'. She wonders if she should pin all the blame on Fahd who taught her that no man wanted an imperfect woman and no Arab man would marry a 'loose' girl. Or maybe she should blame Michael – the American who falsely made her believe that fairy tales did exist.
Michael had escaped Leila's thoughts for a very long time. She liked to tell herself that he was just one of her countless conquests, and his memories often became trapped between those of recent lovers. Until she catches a whiff of his spicy cologne, or her gaze accidentally falls upon a pair of startlingly blue eyes, or her ears catch hold of a wry, New York accent. Then the memories slowly come seeping back and she spends the night looking up at the ceiling and remembering his broad smile, the tiny bump in his otherwise perfect nose, his sandy blond hair… and those eyes. Those bright blue, sparkling eyes that she would disappear within whenever she would gaze into them.
They met in Leila's second week in Dubai and for the naïve twenty-something Lebanese girl, it was a dream come true. Not only was he intelligent, attentive and respectful, but he was also American. And not the kind of American she had encountered whilst studying in Ohio either, but a native New Yorker who drawled, dropped his r's and wore Italian shoes. The fact that he was ten years her senior made him all the more appealing.
Although Leila had youth on her side, she was certainly lacking in the looks department and it wasn't long before the sweet Michael dropped a few hints about his fascination with blondes during a post-movie dinner. Mortified, the brunette hastily booked herself into her local salon and emerged three hours later with a gorgeous yellow mane.
As the weeks progressed, Michael's dissatisfaction with his girlfriend continued to grow. Fuelled by their lack of physical contact and her commitment towards maintaining her virginity, Michael expressed his frustration through degrading Leila whenever possible. He commented on her acne-prone skin, persuaded her to see a dermatologist, made subtle remarks about her B-cups and laughed at her very Middle Eastern nose. He even made fun of her accent that was tinged with Arabic and French. The more he 'joked', the more Leila withdrew into her shell. Her confidence deteriorated with every comment and she was desperate to do something right.
Then, two months into their relationship, came the inevitable day when he invited her for 'dinner' at his apartment. She happily agreed, stunned that a man was willing to cook for a woman, completely oblivious to his ulterior motive. Or perhaps she knew, but was hoping he would prove her wrong.
The putrid stench of his alcoholic breath on her face, the wildness in his eyes, the aggression of his touch, plagued her at every moment for weeks after. How could she have understood the situation so wrong? How could she have expected a man to respect her monogamous choice?
You fucking tease. You've been fucking using me and expecting nothing back? You fucking ugly bitch.
His voice continued ringing in her ears long after she had managed to extract herself from him after kneeing him in the groin, long after she had stumbled to the lobby of his apartment, her dress torn and her arms bruised. And long after the bruises faded away.
For months after that night, Leila would sit in the shower with her knees drawn to her chest, her entire body shaking as tears rolled down her cheeks, trying to wash away the invisible imprints Michael had left behind. She would scrub away the memory of his forceful hands pushing her against the wall, his unwavering grip on her sore, bruised wrists, his clumsy lips all over her neck.
And all the while, deep down, she believed it to be her fault.
When she gave herself to Fahd, a year later, her mind wandered back to Michael and her refusal to give herself to him. Sometimes, during her darker moments, she wished she had.
The Michael incident, coupled with Fahd's betrayal, taught Leila an invaluable lesson or ten: virginity had no value to absolutely anyone – least of all herself – with the exception of her future husband on their wedding night. And that was if he happened to be Arab. With simple surgical procedures readily available for women wanting to repair their hymens in order to dupe their unsuspecting husbands, even that wasn't a big deal anymore.
Leila realised that her body was her own, what she did with it was her business, and what was more important was the illusion she portrayed of herself. For it was the illusion that was something she had 100 per cent control over.
"Shall we go?" Moe's tentative question, coupled with the longing in his dark eyes, is a welcome distraction from Leila's painful memories, and she nods. When the bill is settled, Moe stands up and for the first time in their relationship, offers her his arm. Leila feels another stab in her heart. Would this be the last time? She accepts it graciously and stands up. There is the same look on every man and woman's face as they watch the tiger and tigress glide away: envy.
* * *
Leila gently extracts herself from Moe's embrace, his gentle snores assuring her of the depth of his slumber. As she lifts one heavy arm, he stirs, and she stiffens, her heart beating quickly. The last thing she wants is him waking up and pretending that he still wants her there after finally achieving his goal. She would rather his last memory of her to be beautiful, strong and sexy – not weak, cowardly and ashamed.
She smiles as she recollects the look on his face when he unzipped her dress and let it fall to the floor. His eyes moved up and down her body, savouring every inch of it and lingered on the pale pink lingerie that he had bought her for just a moment, before taking it off and leaving her in nothing but the diamond necklace.
Then, it was non-stop for almost two hours. Three times in one night was quite an achievement for Leila, who usually got bored after just one. But the pent up tension from weeks of dating had developed a hunger in her that had to be satiated and finally, exhausted, they both collapsed onto the bed. Moe immediately fell asleep, while Leila played over the details in her mind. At least it was a night neither of them would ever forget.
She finally manages to sneak out of bed and looks around the room for some clues as to who Moe actually is. She still cannot believe that he has actually brought her home instead of taking her to a fancy hotel, and she relishes the opportunity to snoop around.
Mohamed's bedroom is the stereotypical bachelor pad, and needs just a mirrored ceiling to complete the look. The walls are a plain grey, all the furniture is black and all the accessories are chrome. The bed is possibly bigger than any of the beds Leila has ever slept in and a gigantic zebra print rug sits at its foot. On the wall opposite is a 60-inch plasma screen and below it is a water feature that is more annoying than soothing. Leila cannot comprehend how Moe can manage to sleep with that incessant racket. There are no photos on the nightstands and no pictures on the walls. Nothing to divulge who the real Mohamed is.
Treading carefully, Leila gathers all her clothes, tiptoes across the room and opens the bathroom door, hoping it doesn't creak. Thankfully it glides open with ease and she locks the door firmly behind her.
The bathroom is just as sleek as the bedroom with stark black and white tiles and a huge shower. There is a corner tub which Leila assumes is a Jacuzzi and she wishes she could fill it up and just soak there for a while. It is a definite upgrade from her own little bathroom in Discovery Gardens and she sighs audibly, wishing she had been blessed with better fortune.
Hoping to learn something new about the man who is soon to become her 'ex', Leila peeks inside the medicine cabinet but is disappointed to find that all it contains is toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, shaving lotion and aftershave.
She closes the cabinet and stares at her reflection. The girl staring back at her looks tired and weary. Makeup is smeared all across her face and her hair has lost its grace. Tearing her eyes away from her pitiful appearance, she sits down and opens up her gigantic handbag, glad that she didn't use the new Chanel. As beautiful as it is, it wouldn't have been able to hold a pair of leggings, a long t-shirt, deodorant, a hair brush, ballet pumps, face wipes, moisturizer and her wallet. Not to mention her perfume, makeup bag and keys.
Leila gets to work with the face wipes and cleans off every scrap of makeup before rinsing her face quickly and moisturizing it. She moves quickly and diligently, afraid that if she stops moving, the void that Moe had temporary filled will resurface, leaving a dull ache in its place.
So, she focuses on completely the task at hand as soon as possible so that she can go home and forget that Moe ever existed. She runs the hairbrush through her hair and pulls it into a ponytail before putting her bra back on, climbing into her new outfit and slipping her feet into her rubber soled pumps. Spraying on some deodorant and perfume, she squashes her beautiful pink dress and lingerie set into the bag, places the necklace back into its box and then zips it up.
Khalas. Time to say goodbye.
Exiting the bathroom as quietly as she entered, Leila takes one last look at Moe's peaceful expression and turns away before tears begin to form in her eyes.
Stop being such a wimp, she thinks as she forces herself to open the bedroom door and step out into the deserted upstairs hallway. She is glad she had enough sense to bring rubber soled shoes that will reduce the chances of her making enough noise to wake him (or God forbid, someone else) up. All the doors in the hallway are closed and although Leila is dying to peek into some of the rooms, she controls herself in case there are any other people living there, despite Moe promising that no one else was at home.
Walking down the magnificent marble stairs and absorbing the crystal chandeliers and intricate stained glass window, Leila wonders if she has made a terrible mistake by approaching her relationship with Moe as nothing more than a little fun on the side. Had she put up the innocent act a little longer, had she packaged herself as the perfect wife, perhaps he would have wanted her enough to marry her? She stops at the foot of the stairs and looks around her at the beautiful artwork and ornate marble with wonder. Imagine if she could wake up to such splendour every morning.
Don't be stupid. You met him in a club. You gave him a you-know-what the same night. You were nothing more than a bit of meat for him. You ruined it before it even began.
Her limbs aching from the indoor sports and her heart heavier than ever, Leila tells herself that she made the most of her situation. She had a 50,000 dirham diamond necklace in her handbag and was obviously better off than she was when she met him. Straightening her back and holding her head up high, Leila decides to just go home and enjoy the memories she had created instead of skulking around the villa wondering about what might have been.
The front door is heavy and creaks as she pulls it open. Wincing, she steps out into the cool, desert night and closes it behind her. Inhaling deeply and enjoying the fresh scent of the mysterious desert plants all across the driveway, she looks back at the enormous villa and smiles. This will be one interesting story to tell her daughters one day.
A roar fills the garden and Leila jumps, almost dropping her handbag. She spins around and then squints as a bright light shines on her face. Like a deer caught in headlights, she freezes, wincing at the intensity of the spotlight and wondering if there is a guard with a gun about to shoot her down.
The lights turn off and so does the deafening roar, leaving Leila in complete darkness and silence once again, and she blinks rapidly, trying to adjust her vision, her ears still ringing. The hair on her arms begin to prickle and as her eyes adjust to the moonlight, she realises that the lights did, indeed, belong to a car. And not just any car, but what appears to be a Ferrari.
Staring at the familiar car but still not registering where she has seen it before, she tries to see who is at the driver's seat, the tinted windscreen preventing her from doing so. Perhaps it is Moe's parents back early from their vacation. It is too late to hide behind a palm tree, and all she can do now is walk away as gracefully as possible. How she hates walks of shame.
Feeling more than a little awkward, she quickly begins shuffling towards the gate, but as she passes the Ferrari, she realises with a shock that it is pink. Stopping in her tracks, she stares at it again, not caring that it could potentially be Moe's father. Something just doesn't feel right. A million thoughts begin racing through Leila's confused mind and through the dark tints, she eventually makes out the silhouette of a woman. Still disoriented, before she can control herself, she raps on the window. There can't be only one pink Ferrari in the whole of Dubai…but then, she has never seen more than one before.
Anger begins to boil within, and Leila raps on the window again, this time with her fist not her knuckles. It can't be her, she desperately tells herself, panic racing through her system. When there is no answer, she tries the door and it swings open, revealing exactly who she was afraid she would find.
Her face red with fury, her mouth dry and her eyes wide with shock, Leila clenches her fists and forces herself not to react until she knows precisely what is happening.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" she manages to hiss as Lady Luxe, the woman she once described as her friend, stares back at her, with eyes full of guilt.
38 comments:
awesome chapter!! didn't like leila very much from previous chapters but i actually pity her now...
- February 17, 2010 at 6:37 PM
- Saara said...
Great Chapter! Cant wait to see what happens with this. Keep up the excellent work!
- February 17, 2010 at 6:50 PM
awesome. she thinks lady luxe is g/f number two? :D
- February 17, 2010 at 9:17 PM
- Liz said...
Wow!! Love, love, loved this chapter!! Awesome ending. The fireworks are about to begin . . . can't wait till the next installment.
- February 17, 2010 at 9:20 PM
Fiiiirrrsssttt :D!! <3
- February 17, 2010 at 10:54 PM
wooooow loveeee this chapter its my favourite :D action packed for sure!!! wonder if leila will decide to blackmail lady luxe or worse moe ?:D
- February 17, 2010 at 11:32 PM
Woah!!!! Can't wait to hear what Lady Luxe says.
Btw, is a candoura a thobe?
- February 17, 2010 at 11:40 PM
- F6ooM 7saM said...
- February 18, 2010 at 12:24 AM
- angie nader said...
ohhhh wow!
this was such a good chapter, cant wait to read whats next!
- February 18, 2010 at 3:09 AM
- Faith said...
Oooo leaving us hanging AGAIN :P
Going great so far. Please do leave us hanging for too long!
- February 18, 2010 at 3:15 AM
Absolutely FANTASTIC!!!!
- February 18, 2010 at 2:35 PM
- She's Reaching said...
He brought her to his HOUSE!! I wonder what he was thinking? Can't wait to read the next one. I kinda wish he would fall in love with her though. :(
- February 18, 2010 at 6:46 PM
Drinking chardonnay - a muslim, in public?
and it's "peek" not "peak"! ;.)
- February 18, 2010 at 7:59 PM
- Jaz said...
It's getting exciting! It's like all the last chapters have had a cliff hanger, it's been reaching a climax - Huda deciding she will somehow get revenge, Lady Luxe & Co. caught by someone, now Leila caught by Lady Luxe. I cant wait to see the result of all this!
- February 19, 2010 at 2:33 AM
- Hijabis On Ranting Tour. said...
i want them to fall in love because i want layla to become rich and her and lady luxe to kill eachother :P, haha cant wait 4 the next chapt
nice one :)
- February 19, 2010 at 3:18 AM
- Ghost Writer said...
Hey everyone,
Thank you all for your comments and for having patience with me while I take forever to write.
Anon: yes, many Muslims do drink in public in Dubai although technically it's against the law.
- February 19, 2010 at 12:57 PM
- Muslim_Rose said...
You know what,I still don't feel sorry for her.Do pity her tho.Gosh bring back Mr D GW,its getting intense...We need some laughter:)
- February 20, 2010 at 3:31 AM
- Aalia said...
Hmmm... I wonder if Moe likes-likes Leila? BTW the sentence that read, He named the horse Lei-mo – a testimony to her name and his - completely oblivious to what it sounded like it English.
totally made me LOL X-D
- February 20, 2010 at 10:12 PM
You did it again Ghost Writer. Fantastic chapter. Leila is my fave character; I really feel for her.
- February 21, 2010 at 6:42 AM
real good... you have us back asking for more.. i cant wait to read what happens next.
- February 21, 2010 at 1:53 PM
- FingerPrint said...
All I can say is WOW
And how could you leave us hanging like this? Oh, I need to know what happens with them!! :O
- February 26, 2010 at 7:45 PM
- BaptizedLucifer said...
i just finished reading all the chapters in a day! can't wait for the next ones. these characters have grown on me - and i hae it when a story ends - i miss the charaters for a while after that - because they seemed so real.
- February 28, 2010 at 9:12 PM
how old is leila anyway? you're always talking about how she feels really old and basically feels like a failure at life because her 28 year old younger sister was getting married and she wasn't. is she like 30? Cause that's not **that** old.
- March 1, 2010 at 3:25 AM
- Texan in UAE said...
Please write a book... This is getting good!!!
- March 2, 2010 at 8:05 AM
- Madeeha said...
Haha, wow great chapter! ;D
- March 4, 2010 at 10:06 AM
- MaryooM said...
Great stuff .. when's your next chapter due ?!! and are you posting as you're writing ..or you already have this novel written ?
- March 8, 2010 at 4:40 PM
- Ghost Writer said...
Anon: In Arab society, Leila (who is 32) is considered old, hence her desperation.
Maryoom - I wish I had the whole thing written! I post as I write and I write when I manage to salvage tiny slivers of time here and there.
- March 8, 2010 at 4:47 PM
- Ashi said...
I have spent the last 6 hours reading every single chapter. You are an amazing writer!!!!
- March 9, 2010 at 2:05 AM
Eeeeeeee that ws amazing!! Please update asap
- March 13, 2010 at 2:34 PM
I have been checking your blog every now and then for updates, and there arent any yet! I understand that it takes some time to write such a wonderful story, but your fans are desperately waiting for chapter 27! Pronto? please?
Fantastic work! keep it up! :)
- March 16, 2010 at 10:03 AM
I've been following ur blog for some time, at the moment this is my fav story but at times, my eyes hurt and back from sitting and reading, I know some may say move the laptop to the bed but thats besides the point, do u have a printable version where I can just print it all out and read it?
other than that, AMAZING. u have raw talent mashAllah and being an Arab I can relate!!!! God Bless x
- March 21, 2010 at 8:01 PM
i need my fix.......... write please!!!!
- March 23, 2010 at 6:38 PM
Ghost Writer,
I just have to say.. mashala you've captivated an audience with your writing!
truly addictive!
I'm seriously in a state of withdrawal, you can't just keep us hanging like this.......
Is this the end? or is there more to come?
- March 25, 2010 at 9:02 AM
Can't wait for more. yala besoor3aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa lol
Just loved every bit of it. please write again soon =D
- March 29, 2010 at 7:27 PM
hi, just discovered ur blog today and read all 26 chapters in one day! waiting for the rest, hope they come soooon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- March 30, 2010 at 4:52 AM
amazing amazing amazing =D
check out the blog
- March 10, 2011 at 5:25 PM
- Offers in Dubai said...
Very nice chapter! I also love the ending! "Walang Katulad" in Filipino!
- December 16, 2012 at 9:38 AM
How can we contact you regarding a book signing at an event?
- February 4, 2013 at 12:58 PM


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This web site is the home of WLIO and WOHL Television Engineering in Lima, OH.
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March 17, 2003MARCH 17, 2003 — As he considers another run for the White House, Former Colorado Senator and two-time presidential candidate Gary Hart came to The Anderson School at UCLA recently to "test the waters" and share his views on politics, the economy, health care, taxes and a possible war with Iraq before an audience of 350 in Korn Convocation Hall. The event was hosted by the Los Angeles Chapter of Anderson Alumni and sponsored by The Economist Intelligence Unit, a division of The Economist.
Mr. Hart discussed the need for the United States to create a new security — beyond protecting its freedom from aggression to "restore the values of the republic, the civic virtues." He proposed creating a "set of organizing principles forming an economic framework meant to provide a theme for economic security in this new century."
role of corporate employer in the community 300K
He described this new security in terms of creating a public legacy that secures the livelihoods and communities of Americans and "leaves our children with a healthy planet and a healthy economy." Mr. Hart noted that in its current state, the country "is on course to do neither."
Since retiring from the United States Senate in 1987, Mr. Hart has been extensively involved in international law and business, as a strategic advisor to major U.S. corporations, and as an author and lecturer. Mr. Hart is senior counsel with Coudert Brothers, a multinational law firm. He was co-chair of the U.S. Commission on National Security for the 21st Century. The Commission, which performed the most comprehensive review of national security since 1947, predicted the terrorist attacks on America, and proposed a sweeping overhaul of U.S. national security structures and policies for the post-Cold War new century and the age of terrorism.
After his speech, Mr. Hart participated in a panel discussion in which he matched wits and traded points of view with Professor Edward Leamer, director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast, and Merli Baroudi, director of country risk services for a unit of The Economist magazine. The group discussed a variety of issues including waging war with Iraq, improving public education, and privatizing the Social Security Administration.
Ms. Baroudi noted that for all its greatness, the United States is sorely lacking in providing adequate health care for all citizens, yet "consumes 14 percent of gross domestic product on health care — more than most developed countries." Hart admitted that that in all of his years in public life, health care is the one issue for which all politicians have had trouble finding a solution.
Regarding the economy, Ms. Baroudi noted "Americans cannot feel secure until the rest of the planet is secure in its economy." She also noted that those involved in politics have a "vested interest" in one thing or another, and she questioned Hart as to why during his comments he "did not talk about how campaigns are financed and how it distorts economic decision-making" in Washington.
Dr. Leamer chimed into that discussion as well, asking Mr. Hart, "Who gets access?" Dr. Leamer suggested that there "needs to be some mechanism for controlling access" to America's legislators.
Agreeing with both of his fellow panelists, Mr. Hart said, "putting special interests ahead of the public good is massively corrupting government in this country."
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The issue of economic security, the focus of Mr. Hart's talk, came into play significantly during the panel session. Mr. Hart proposed a number of initiatives designed to provide a plan for "securing America through savings and investment," including:
- Providing a $1,000 tax-free government account for every child born in America
- Making every American eligible for a government account that would be matched up to $1,000 by the government
- Doubling the Earned Income Tax Credit to a maximum of $8,000
- Enabling families to deduct health care costs as they do home mortgages
Of his plan, Mr. Hart said, "this is an investment in Americans and the future of our children."
national consumption tax 300K
In looking at the costs of his initiatives, the panelists all agreed that it would be difficult to support and pay for all of these initiatives.
Dr. Leamer, in particular, discussed a paradox he calls "the politics of abundance versus the reality of scarcity," noting that state and federal governments are trying to finance spending through tax cuts — without making cuts in programs or raising taxes. Mr. Hart acknowledged with this dilemma, saying, "being able to afford it all is a fallacy."
politics of abundance versus the reality of scarcity 300K


text:
How to Use
This Reading
Inquiry Question
Reading: The Significance of Black Metropolis
Instructions for educators:
Divide the class into nine groups and have each group read the first paragraph and answer the corresponding questions. Next assign each group one to two paragraphs from numbers 2 through 10 and have them answer the appropriate questions for the paragraph(s) they have read. Ask students to come up with an identifying title for their paragraph(s). Then have all students read paragraphs 11 and 12 and answer those questions as well. Finally, have the whole class discuss how each individual paragraph contributes to an overall understanding of the place and its importance. Ask them to consider how this example could be used as a model for investigating other places and deciding whether those places are historic.
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraphs 3 and 4
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 10
Paragraphs 11 and 12


text:
Some of these look pretty interesting. ANYONE ???????
Thread: Slumberhouse
Just saw that this line is a new addition at Indiescents.com. Wondering if anyone has tried them -- they're based in Portland, Or. and I think a couple of the descriptions (Jeke and Grev) look appealing. I guess that's the idea though.
Christian Dior VetiverPatou Pour HommeChristian Dior Leather OudOrmonde Jayne Ormonde ManSerge Lutens Chene
Some of these look pretty interesting. ANYONE ???????
I just blind bought a 30ml extrait de parfum of Vikt (notes include agarwood, styrax and laurel) and a bunch of samples including
I'll get back to you guys as soon as I'll have a better idea on how they smell...
Last edited by alfarom; 23rd November 2011 at 09:29 AM.
Today I tried Vikt and what a suprise! Vikt has an incredibly bone-dry structure but it smells rich and satisfying. It opens with a bizarre laurel/agarwood (sort of) metallic accord that smells something like "liquorice wheels" and burnt sugar with a remarkable balsamic effect. Intense, dark and bold. Incense make its appearance and perfectly blends with agarwood assuring a warm and confortable drydown that's not very far from Montale's darkest ouds (but finally without rose).
Extremely modern and bizarre, yet quite intriguing.
Looking forward to your thoughts! on this line!
Mur and Verg sound intriguing, too.
Thanks for the info and update !
Hi guys, today I tested Grev and after the good surprise I had with Vikt I got a bit disappointed.
Slumberhouse classifies this as a "post-modern version of an elegant masculine cologne" and, for some aspects, this description is quite fitting.
A strong and intense concoction of spices (mainly cloves) and herbs with a remarkable balsamic effect. Grev opens with cloves galore and fir. Other spices and herbs make their appearance after a while leading the fragrance to the "Tiger Balm" territory. Extremely balsamic and sort of medicinal. Nice and long lasting but not my type of fragrance.
While it's not similar at all to Vikt, they share the same "medicinal" vibe. I initally thought it was due to the presence of oud in Vikt and to the cloves/balms in Grev, but I started to suspect it's a sort of brand's signature....let's see what will happen with the other samples...keep you posted
Last edited by alfarom; 26th August 2011 at 09:10 AM.
Today I approached Jeke but, after beeing impressed by Vikt and almost disappointed from Grev, it seems that the surprises are almost over.
Part Profumum Arso, part Idole De Lubin, Part Bois D'Ombrie. Jeke opens with a strong smoky tobacco note and evolves pretty quickly into a boozy-leather fragrance where leather is definitely lived in but not particularly original. Woody undertones and patchouli add some more edges to this bold and extremely dark composition.
Everything is surrounded by a bizarre allure I classify as burnt sugar with a medicinal/balsamic/resinous vibe. I already detected this specific effect in both Vikt and Grev and I'm starting to seriously consider that it may be the Slumberhouse's signature.
Overall Jeke has quite a few interesting apsects but to me it is still somehow crude. So many ideas but none of them as been properly developed giving an overall effect of something incomplete. While Jeke is surely less minimalistic than Vikt I still prefer the latter. I believe the house signature is too prominent, and in this context turns the fragrance to be unbalanced and sort of heavy. Nice but I'l wait for Jeke 1.5 hoping they'll fix some bugs.
Thanks for the updates.
Concerning Vikt; How does it compare to notable niche in terms of sillage and longevity? It sounds Montale-ish and I'm curious about it's hang time on the skin.
I am sampling Vikt and really loving it. The initial camphorous blast is quite jarring and lasts for a while, but then slowly morphs into a very, very dry blend of oud and leather. Sillage and longevity are well above average.
I find it strange, but quite intoxicating and compelling. I will sample some more before determining if it is FBW - but signs look good.
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Have any of you tried Lanz or Flou? Both are way, WAY off the balsamic/oud/caramelized sugar tone vibe of the others. Lanz is extremely floral and my amateur nose can't seem to decipher much else. Gorgeous scent, and I like floral scents but I'd rather smell Lanz on a lady. As for Flou, this one is intriguing. There's something Earthy underneath the floral notes (which I presume is supposed to be grape meat and leaves). Maybe it's aquatic, or soil? Or both, I don't know yet.
The only scent that I shun right off the bat is V no.1. The way it slammed my sinuses reminded me of when I was in Navy boot camp where tear gas canisters were lit off inside a closed room and we all had to take off our gas masks. Not an sensation that I wanted to remember, but V no.1 somehow did it. It's odd to me that it's touted as the scent for the female clientele, when Lanz and Flou blow it away. I'm sure others will love it, but not me.
I still have to get to know Jeke, Rume, Ore, Grev and Vikt.
Double Post
I picked up Ore and Meil and was also generously gifted a few samples by the proprietor.
Ore is exceptional, one of the few gourmands i really enjoy, it's long lasting and doesn't have a strong metallic bite that's been discussed here. Meil, is one of the 3ml perfume oils which reminds me distinctly of the Private Collection Taberome, a tobacco with a heafty dose of honey.
Disclaimer, although i live in portland and my name is josh, i have no affiliation with slumberhouse
Last edited by joshmpdx; 24th September 2011 at 02:49 PM.
Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring.
-Oscar Wilde
You're right. As I said in a previous comment it doesn't smell Montale-ish (Vikt) as the oud note is much less harsh, let's say more rounded.Im quite a fan of the Montale line and although there is an Oud note (in at least one!) I wouldn't put them in the same family unless we're talking about fun & unique juice.
I finally go to test ORE and wow, this is pretty good...
Overall it striked me as a sort of "balsamic chocolate" (but not like an "After Eight" LOL). Ore opens dry and rough with a desweetened cacao note. Dark woods remarks their presence right away while a boozy accord concours in adding some warmness during the middle phase and the drydown. The typical balsamic effect already experienced in other compositions of the house (Jeke, Vikt, Grev) is toned down but still pretty remarkable and, IMO, works as a sort of signature.
This bizarre concoction between edible and inedible elements makes of Ore one of the most original takes on the gourmandic theme. Intense but barely sweet, mysterious, dark and dangerously sexy. Good longevity and projection. Very nice.
^ Great run down! I agree completely.
Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring.
-Oscar Wilde
I have been looking at the Slumberhouse website for a while now and emiled them a few days ago asking if their fragrances were available to test locally. (I live in Portland, the same city as Slumberhouse.) I got a really nice reply basically saying that they had not yet found a retailer in Portland that matched their criteria to sell their fragrances. They offered a sample pack to me if I would send my address. Nice.
I also got a separate email with a link to their blog ( http://slumber33.tumblr.com/ ) where they are offering their new perfume oils at extrait strength, and for today only, October 15th, their 15ml oils are half price. So I blind bought their Vikt oil.
I hope this is a good one but for $30 I don't think I can go too wrong. Wonder if any of you have experience with Slumberhouse Vikt, or others by this niche house.
Just a note, I have no connection to Slumberhouse.
1. Epic Man by Amouage (33 wears)
2. Leather Oud by Christian Dior (31 wears)
3. M7 by Yves Saint Laurent (27 wears)
4. Oud Imperial (black) by Perris Monte Carlo (22 wears)
5. Russian Tea Ritual by Masque (20 wears)
6. Fate Man by Amouage (19 wears)
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
check this out...
I've had the same incredibly courteous and enthusiastic exchanges with the guys at Slumberhouse. I haven't bought a full bottle of anything, yet. I've sampled most of their scents and I like a few of them, but I'm still trying to determine which will be my first FB. I'm really looking forward to their next batch of Miel, though, a honey/leather/tobacco perfume oil.
Yes, they are really nice at Slumberhouse. The next morning after placing my order I got a message that said they wanted to make sure I liked the oil and if I didn't they would send me another different product. He stated that they wanted to make sure every person that supported them by ordering a bottle was completely happy. Not sure if this is because I told them I lived in Portland or whether they treat everyone like that. Most excellent service and I could not be happier with both their communication and their concern for their clients. Hope the perfume oil is equally as satisfying.
1. Epic Man by Amouage (33 wears)
2. Leather Oud by Christian Dior (31 wears)
3. M7 by Yves Saint Laurent (27 wears)
4. Oud Imperial (black) by Perris Monte Carlo (22 wears)
5. Russian Tea Ritual by Masque (20 wears)
6. Fate Man by Amouage (19 wears)
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
I blind bought their Vikt oil as well. Looking forward to trying it, as well as some of the others as new batches come out.
Got my package from Slumberhouse today and my Vikt Oil, on just a sniff out of the bottle, smells really nice. Such a small niche manufacturer that the lettering on the bottle is hand lettered. Got three samples all placed in a small cotton bag and the 30ml of Vikt oil came in a nice velvet bag. He sent a hand written note on really nice expensive paper and wanted to make sure I liked the scent and if I did not to please let him know. This may be the smallest niche house I know of and they are in my city. Very professional and caring for their customers. Just wanted to let you know I got this and I am very excited to try their fragrances.
1. Epic Man by Amouage (33 wears)
2. Leather Oud by Christian Dior (31 wears)
3. M7 by Yves Saint Laurent (27 wears)
4. Oud Imperial (black) by Perris Monte Carlo (22 wears)
5. Russian Tea Ritual by Masque (20 wears)
6. Fate Man by Amouage (19 wears)
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
Let us know how you like it. Vikt is the one from this small house that has my interest.
I'll just show up, where is this place?
Well, I could not stand it and I dabbed a tiny bit of the Vikt to my wrist and then touched my wrists together. This is an oil and it is very thick! It is still wet on my wrist. First impression after a few minutes. Sort of sweet, maybe a bit metallic and medicinal. Rather "dark" and suitable for cold weather I would think. Does not scream masculinity or femininity, so it has to be considered unisex by me. Like I said, I used a tiny amount and the silage on this oil seems moderate but it seems to be getting better. So far I love this scent, sort of strange but beautiful at the same time. The note that came with this said " it uses a very nice agarwood that gives it a very rounded & well finished scent". I have no real idea what is in this; the Slumberhouse website simply says Balsam, metallic oils, smoky black agarwood and bronze resins. Fragrantica says agarwood, styrax and bayleaf. I am not nearly the expert at picking out notes as many long time members so I can only really give an impression. So far my impression is that I am impressed. The scent seems to be growing the longer I wear it. I will give a more thourough review at some later time but I would say that if you are interested, get some samples. I believe this is their first oil but I could be wrong...
Here is the link to Slumberhouse. (Hope this is OK to post.) Check the link to their blog at the top of the page to see information about the new line of oils.
Note: Om their blog it states that it takes about 10 days to ship and that was indeed the case for me. Don't be too impatient.
1. Epic Man by Amouage (33 wears)
2. Leather Oud by Christian Dior (31 wears)
3. M7 by Yves Saint Laurent (27 wears)
4. Oud Imperial (black) by Perris Monte Carlo (22 wears)
5. Russian Tea Ritual by Masque (20 wears)
6. Fate Man by Amouage (19 wears)
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
I rarely blind buy, but I just ordered me some Ore.


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By Louise Hagedorn Mattingly, Guest Columnist
When I think about growing up on the farm in Perry County, many happy thoughts come to mind. Many things were learned from both parents. My mother was a teacher, my father, a farmer. I learned at an early age the desire for learning and the love of nature. These are wonderful gifts.
My father would announce the return of birds in the spring and flowering plants and trees. "If you enjoy nature, you will never be lonely," he taught me.
I left home at an early age to study nursing, encouraged by both parents. I have lived in the city ever since, married a man from the city and raised my family there.
The children all spent time on the farm, love going back and learned priceless gardening skills from the family members on the farm.
When we return each September for a reunion at the lake, one thing is a must: go down the creek road and check on the old sycamore, a huge old tree standing on a slough area where my father and brothers planted late corn and sold it in town.
My two sisters and I own the land where the tree stands with outstretched limbs, home to many creatures and birds. It's a treasure that has withstood time, storms and floods.
A watercolor painting of the tree hangs in our home today, a reminder of my youth on the farm. The wonderful memories, including blooming bluebells and spring on the banks, always take me back to the old sycamore.
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FRC attacks "bigoted bloggers" ; media have ignored the FRC's own history of bigotry
On February 7, the lobbying arm of the Family Research Council (FRC), Family Research Council Action, released an email statement promoting accusations by Catholic League president William Donohue against John Edwards' presidential campaign. Edwards has come under pressure from Donohue to fire campaign bloggers Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan for the allegedly "vulgar anti-Catholic history" of statements they made on their personal blogs. Family Research Council Action wrote:
Presidential hopeful and former senator John Edwards has given new meaning to faith outreach with his latest hires. The newest members of the Edwards team have a long -- and unfortunately vulgar -- anti-Catholic history. As recent as last December, Amanda Marcotte, Edwards' new Blogmaster, and Melissa McEwan, the Netroots Coordinator, posted scathing personal blogs, littered with profanity and barbs about the Pope too obscene to reprint. Here are some of the tamer examples: To social conservatives, who McEwan calls the "wingnut Christofascist base," she writes, "What don't you lousy [expletive] understand about keeping your noses out of our britches, our bed and our families?" Marcotte writes, "The Pope's gotta tell women who give birth to stillborns that their babies are cast into Satan's maw. . . . The Catholic Church is not about to let something like compassion for girls get in the way of using the state as an instrument to force women to bear more tithing Catholics." The pages and pages of filthy name-calling include comparisons to Christ that would make even the most hardened secularist blush. This should alarm a man running for President, particularly one who told NBC's Tim Russert last Sunday that he "grew up in a Southern Baptist church [and] was baptized in a Southern Baptist church," and who claims that religion is "just part of who [he is]." At least two Catholic groups, Fidelis and the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, have called on Edwards to fire the bigoted bloggers. Action by the Edwards campaign may be imminent.
The FRC has routinely used the media as its platform to project accusations of bigotry against Democrats, and the group has frequently benefited from the media's general failure to report the FRC's own troubling history of racial bigotry and anti-Catholicism. On April 14, 2005, for example, the FRC organized Justice Sunday, a nationally telecast rally for controversial federal judiciary nominees of President Bush's whose confirmation votes were filibustered by Senate Democrats. The New York Times reported the FRC's allegations of anti-religious discrimination by Democrats without noting the FRC's own history of bigotry:
WASHINGTON, April 14 - As the Senate heads toward a showdown over the rules governing judicial confirmations, Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, has agreed to join a handful of prominent Christian conservatives in a telecast portraying Democrats as "against people of faith" for blocking President Bush's nominees.
Fliers for the telecast, organized by the Family Research Council and scheduled to originate at a Kentucky megachurch the evening of April 24, call the day "Justice Sunday" and depict a young man holding a Bible in one hand and a gavel in the other. The flier does not name participants, but under the heading "the filibuster against people of faith," it reads: "The filibuster was once abused to protect racial bias, and it is now being used against people of faith."
As Media Matters for America has documented, FRC president Tony Perkins has used his own radio show, Washington Watch Weekly, to level accusations of bigotry against Democrats. On his April 18, 2005, radio broadcast, with retired judge Charles W. Pickering by his side, Perkins claimed the Democratic filibuster against Bush's federal judiciary nominees was motivated by anti-religious discrimination. Perkins stated, "It's almost as if there's a radical minority in the U.S. Senate that's saying this [to Bush's judicial picks]: 'You have to choose between your faith and public service.' "
Most recently, the FRC amplified the accusations of Donohue against McEwan and Marcotte, whom they dubbed "the bigoted bloggers."
But FRC board member Albert Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has made several public anti-Catholic statements. During a March 22, 2000, appearance on CNN's Larry King Live, for example, Mohler asserted, "As an evangelical, I believe the Roman church is a false church and it teaches a false gospel. I believe the pope himself holds a false and unbiblical office."
Continuing on his anti-Catholic theme, Mohler wrote in a September 16, 2006, entry on his personal blog, "[T]he office [the pope] holds is an unbiblical institution based in a monarchial ministry that is incompatible with the New Testament's vision of the church. Furthermore, he claims also to be a head of state -- a situation that adds untold layers of additional confusion."
Further, Perkins has repeatedly associated with racist groups and individuals, including former Ku Klux Klan Imperial Wizard David Duke and the white supremacist Council of Conservative Citizens.
According to a July 30, 2005, report in The Vancouver Sun citing articles by The Nation (by Media Matters Research Fellow Max Blumenthal) and the Southern Poverty Law Center, while he served as the campaign manager for Republican senatorial candidate Louis E. "Woody" Jenkins in 1996, Perkins paid Duke $82,500 for his phone banking list, then attempted to cover up the transaction, a misdeed that resulted in a $3,000 fine from the Federal Election Council.
Five years later, in 2001, Perkins spoke before the Louisiana chapter of the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC). The Southern Poverty Law Center has dubbed the CCC a hate group. The CCC declares in its statement of principles:
We also oppose all efforts to mix the races of mankind, to promote non-white races over the European-American people through so-called "affirmative action" and similar measures, to destroy or denigrate the European-American heritage, including the heritage of the Southern people, and to force the integration of the races.
In response to questions by The Vancouver Sun about his connection to an organization identified as a hate group, Perkins acknowledged his speech before the CCC but claimed he could not recall what he said. On the topic of his illegal payment to Duke, Perkins claimed he was unaware of Duke's history of bigotry prior to the payment.
The Vancouver Sun wrote:
The Nation, a left-wing magazine, reported in April that Perkins, while campaign manager for Louis E. (Woody) Jenkins's campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1996, was involved in the $82,500 US purchase of a mailing list from former Ku Klux Klansman David Duke.
The magazine also reported that Perkins, while a Louisiana state congressman, spoke in 2001 to the white supremacist Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC).
Perkins said he was invited by a constituent to speak to the group, and said he wasn't aware of its history.
"Never spoke to them again. That was over a decade ago," Perkins told The Sun, suggesting the speech happened in 1996, not 2001.
The Southern Poverty Law Centre, which keeps track of politicians close to the CCC, forwarded The Sun a March-April 2001 copy of Citizens Informer, the newsletter put out by the CCC, which included the following notice:
"The Louisiana CofCC met at the Mandarin Seafood in Baton Rouge May 19 to hear State Representative Tony Perkins discuss the current legislative session. At that meeting a recruitment project was developed."
When informed of the item by The Sun, FRC spokesman J.P. Duffy does not dispute the assertion that the event happened in 2001, not 1996, but added that Perkins "cannot remember speaking at the event, as he speaks to hundreds of groups each year." Duffy added that Perkins opposes racial discrimination and offered the names and phone numbers of two black pastors who support him.
Heidi Beirich, speaking for the SPLC, said it is "hard to imagine" Perkins wasn't aware of his audience's background.
"The group's white supremacist views graced the front pages of every major American newspaper in 1998/1999, when it was found that (former Senate Republican leader) Trent Lott had been cavorting with them," she wrote to The Sun in an e-mail.
"Worse, the head of the Republican National Committee at that time specifically told his members to get out of the CCC and stay away from it. Perkins was either out to lunch or he ignored that advice."
In his interview with The Sun. Perkins was also asked about The Nation's reference to his role as manager of Jenkins's campaign.
Jenkins, after a telephone discussion with Duke, agreed to purchase a phone bank owned by Duke for $82,500, according to a signed agreement on facts in a 2002 settlement with the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC). Perkins then signed a contract with a Duke-linked company called Impact Mail.
Perkins, asked by The Sun if he knew about the notorious bigot's involvement in Jenkins's 1996 campaign, replied: "Not when the contract was signed."
Jenkins, according to the FEC statement obtained by The Sun, ordered Perkins to cancel the contract after some members of the public on Impact's call list complained that Duke's name was appearing on call display. Impact was paid through a third party in order to "conceal" the Duke link, the FEC agreement stated in announcing a $3,000 fine against the Jenkins campaign.
Perkins has indicated he was kept in the dark by the candidate -- "it was a different kind of campaign. Woody actually ran it," he told one interviewer.
But his office hasn't responded to questions from The Sun about Perkins's role in an attempted cover-up that led to the FEC fine on the grounds that he "knowingly and willfully filed false disclosure reports."
Instead, FRC provided a written statement from Jenkins to the Baton Rouge Advocate in 2002 that denounced the newspaper for raising the Perkins-Duke link during Perkins's failed attempt to win a U.S. Senate seat that year.
Jenkins said he didn't believe he or Perkins, did anything wrong and he only signed the FEC statement of facts because he didn't want to spend thousands of dollars in legal fees fighting the case.
The FRC later provided a formal statement which stated: "Mr. Perkins profoundly opposes the racial views of Mr. Duke and was profoundly grieved to learn that Duke was in any way associated with a company that had done work for the 1996 campaign."
Despite extensive reporting on Perkins' connections to Duke and the CCC by The Vancouver Sun, The Nation, and the Southern Poverty Law Center, the U.S. media have generally failed to note Perkins' history. This omission occurred while Perkins emerged as a major national spokesman for the Christian right, using his platform as a regular pundit on CNN and Fox News, and in The Washington Post and The New York Times to attack opponents for their "anti-Christian" attitudes.
A Nexis survey of articles from major American newspapers and transcripts from major television outlets shows that since Perkins became president of the FRC, only three newspapers, The Cleveland Plain Dealer [6/20/05], The San Diego Union-Tribune [5/12/05], and the Boston Herald [10/16/06], noted Perkins' illegal payment to Duke. Only the Boston Herald reported Perkins' speech before the CCC.


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Batman: Arkham City Director Says Game is 'Single-Player Only'
"So it may not be the fashionable choice, it might not get us an extra tick on the box, but we are convinced, and we hope that gamers will agree when they get to play the finished game, that we have made the right decision," he said.
Rumors of a multiplayer element have been persistent for Arkham City, some claiming that a Robin or Nightwing may be involved, others pointing to the inclusion of on-again, off-again love interest Catwoman. She was brought in as a story element, says Hill, to create an "interesting dilemma" for both characters.
Responding to complaints of the game being over-packed with villains, Hill said, "we are choosing characters who we think have an interesting story to tell and who can challenge Batman in an original and exciting way. So it's true, there are more villains. A lot more villains." Hill promises a few more villain reveals coming soon.
As for what makes Arkham City stand apart from its predecessor, Hill pointed out that most of the feedback on Arkham Asylum was positive, which challenged the team to improve the sequel without a clear message from fans. "So we decided to focus on delivering one main promise: I want to be The Batman in Gotham."


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Last year at FGS in Knoxville I learned my lesson - never skip the Opening Session. And this year's Opening Session did not disappoint. It started out with the Charleston Police Pipes and Drums marching into the auditorium to "Scotland the Brave." They performed several pieces and were followed by the Knights of Columbus as honor guard for the flag and a lovely young student from a local school who sang the National Anthem as beautifully as I've ever heard it sung. Several awards were given and there were a couple of drawings (paid NGS Conference in Cincinnati, a week at a hotel in Salt Lake City, and a genealogy tour in Salt Lake City).
Charleston Police Pipes and Drums
Oh, yeah, the "big news," which my more technologically with-it fellow genealogy bloggers have already tweeted, is that NGS 2013 will be in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The first opening session speaker was David Ferriero, Chief Archivist of the United States; he was followed by Buzzy Jackson, author of Shaking the Family Tree. Some bullets from Ferriero's presentation were:
- There were 5000 attendees at NARA's genealogy fair this year.
- He outlined the complete reorganization along the lines of a Five Year Plan that NARA is in the process of carrying out, which has been dictated by several circumstances: the need to adapt to new technology and new tools, to reach out to the public through social media (NARA has 11 blogs, 29 Facebook pages, a YouTube site, and is on Flickr, Twitter, and Foursquare, and has created an Online Public Portal for public access to digitized records), and to improve employee satisfaction in an agency that used to be known as one of the worst to work for in the US Government.
- There are a number of initiatives for a customer-based organization, such as a Research Customer Support Unit, a new unit for developing online content, etc.
When Ferriero opened the floor for questions, most of them had to do with the launch of the 1940 census. "Has it been indexed?" - "Sort of." "Do you have the server capacity?" - "Yes; after all, I have a lot of experience in launching websites without testing server capacity" (referring the the crash of the New York Public Library system within three hours of launching due to unanticipated demand).
Buzzy Jackson proved to be a wonderful speaker, with much that the audience could identify with. She refers to herself as an "accidental genealogist" who knows what it's like to start from zero. She was full of praise for the people in the Boulder Genealogical Society who helped her get started and for the Jackson cousin who provided her with so much information on the family - and who, it turned out, was in the audience - the two had met in person for the first time today. (Have to interject here that I just received an e-mail from a distant cousin last night who has read my blog and learned that we will be going to Greenville after Charleston - she lives sort of on the way and we are going to try and meet up.) Buzzy had many fascinating anecdotes and I do not want to blab them all, but I just have to mention one remark that cracked me up and that we can definitely identify with - describing her visit to a remote, neglected graveyard:
"And then we saw the Welcome sign for genealogists: 'No Trespassing.'"
As we all left at the end of the session and headed toward the Exhibit Hall, we were serenaded by a Gullah choir who were quite amazing. Among other songs, they sang "Give Me That Old-Time Religion" and "Amazing Grace." We were absolutely entranced, and many sang along and clapped in rhythm.
Gullah Choir
Possibly the main highlight of FGS Knoxville was meeting my fellow genealogy bloggers and getting to hang out with them some. That has been even more applicable here in Charleston. I was able to reconnect with Linda McCauley of Documenting the Details, Kimberley Powell of About.com, and Paula Stuart Warren of Paula's Genealogical Eclectica, and also met Ginger Smith of Genealogy by Ginger, Jennifer Woods of Climbing My Family Tree, Liz Tapley-Matthews of My Tapley Tree, Cheryl Cayemberg of Have You Seen My Roots?, and Audrey Collins from The Family Recorder. (Oh, and I managed to get too involved in talking and missed meeting Dick Eastman of Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter.) It has been delightful sharing experiences with these people, and on top of that there were many excellent conversations with people at the booths and other people I met there. One of my favorite experiences was finally meeting DearMyrtle, who is truly one of the great ladies of genealogy and blogging.
Presentations: Today I attended "Finding Fathers: Bridging the Generation Gap" by Elizabeth Shown Mills and "When Sources Don't Agree, Then What?" by Thomas W. Jones. Expectations were high; both delivered; what else can you say?
Goodies: So far, so good - meaning, I haven't totally lost control and so far have bought only four books. I did look at the Flip-Pal and I picked up a brochure and order form, but at the price (and considering how much we have spent already), I may still wait until Christmas to get one. One really neat freebie for conference attendees is a card with a code with which we can access Archives.com free for a year. I hope to put it to good use and to blog about what I am able to find on the site.


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