text:
MENOMONIE, Wis. (PRESS RELEASE - UW-STOUT) -- If it had happened on Friday the 13th, maybe it wouldn't have turned out quite as well.
As it was, Thursday, Sept. 13, ended up being the luckiest day in the young life of University of Wisconsin-Stout student Ryan Child.
It almost was his last day.
Ryan had gone to his classes that day as usual, but at about 1 p.m. and again at 3 p.m. his heart began racing out of control, as it had done a couple of times last summer. When his heartbeat returned to normal he felt like he had "run a marathon," he said.
The episodes were unsettling, but he kept on with his day. The 18-year-old freshman from Lake Geneva, in southeastern Wisconsin, felt better by the time he went to dinner with friends at Merle M. Price Commons on campus.
Then it was off to an event he definitely didn't want to miss — the Stout University Foundation Scholarship Award Ceremony in the Memorial Student Center. He received $3,750 in three scholarships from the Wisconsin Restaurant Association. The annual event was attended by about 500 people, including many students who were honored.
At 6:07 p.m. he had his picture taken at the event with David Winger, a fellow freshman and friend from Lake Geneva Badger High School, and two other students who received WRA scholarships. Dressed in a jeans and a plaid shirt, Ryan was smiling and looked healthy.
Ryan loves culinary arts and plans to pursue a career in the food and beverage industry. He is majoring in hotel, restaurant and tourism management.
After the ceremony Ryan and Winger headed across Third Street E. toward their rooms in South Hall.
Ryan never made it.
About halfway to South Hall, at 8:40 p.m., Ryan suddenly felt weak and his legs gave way. He muttered "Oh … I'm going down" and collapsed face down on the sidewalk and grass between the Curran, Kranzusch, Tustison and Oetting housing complex and South Hall. He was in cardiac arrest. His heart had stopped.
At that very moment, when his day and life took a turn for the worse, when he was minutes from dying, everything quickly began to head in the right direction for Ryan.
Thanks to quick thinking by Winger, help from an unidentified student and trained personnel from the University Police Department, Menomonie Fire Rescue and two hospitals, Ryan beat the odds of surviving cardiac arrest.
He was resuscitated and, after several days in the hospital, is doing well.
A little good fortune didn't hurt either. "The stars aligned just perfectly that day," said Officer Lisa Pederson, of UW-Stout, who helped save Ryan.
Saving Ryan
Here is a chronological narration of what happened that night:
8:41:04 p.m. — When Ryan passed out, Winger quickly dialed 911 on his cell phone.
Then, he looked around the campus mall. He was in a flat area between several residence halls.
To his surprise, he spotted two UW-Stout police officers about 100 yards away. He told another student passing by to run and ask for help; Winger then motioned and yelled for help once the officers saw him.
Pederson and her second shift partner, Officer Jason Spetz, happened to be coming out of South Hall. They aren't usually together while on duty but, as luck would have it, drove to South Hall together that evening for an appointment.
8:43:08 p.m. — Spetz, not knowing what had happened to Ryan but not taking any chances because he knew the importance of time in situations like these, immediately radioed the Dunn County E911 Center. He used the Menomonie Police Department frequency on his radio.
He and Pederson began to run toward Ryan and Winger.
8:45:12 p.m. — The ambulance was about six blocks away at the Fire Department station on Main Street W. Winger's call to 911 still was being processed, but after Spetz's call paramedics were on the move, their siren blaring as they headed down Broadway Street toward South Hall.
When Pederson and Spetz reached Child and turned him over, they quickly realized the seriousness of the situation, especially after Winger mentioned that Child had complained about his heart that day. Pederson teaches CPR and Spetz used to teach CPR as a member of the fire department.
They saw that Child wasn't breathing and didn't have a pulse. He was in what is called agonal respiration, or gasping. "He was not getting air. He was taking his last breaths," Pederson said.
Spetz radioed again to paramedics to update them that the situation was life-and-death, and so they would know what equipment they would need when they arrived.
Acting as a team, Pederson did chest compressions while Spetz held Ryan's airway open.
8:46:38 p.m. — After the first set of compressions, the ambulance arrived on the campus mall and fire department emergency medical technicians shocked Ryan with a defibrillator.
Pederson then did another set of compressions and Ryan was shocked a second time.
"I kept saying, 'Come on, Ryan, you can do this,' " Pederson recalled saying.
Suddenly, after the second shock, Ryan began breathing.
In about five minutes, the clock that had begun ticking toward the end of Ryan's life miraculously had been reset.
8:57:54 p.m. — The ambulance left the scene. Ryan was taken to Mayo Clinic Health System in Menomonie and later flown in the Mayo One helicopter to Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire.
Lisa Pederson had the tough task of calling Ryan's parents, Ursula and Rob Child, to tell them what had happened to their son and that he was in the hospital but not out of danger. The Childs immediately drove from Lake Geneva to Eau Claire. Their daughter, Alexia, drove from UW-Oshkosh where she is a student.
A short time after Ryan was taken away, Pederson was called by Menomonie Fire Department Battalion Chief Dennis Klass telling her she should come to the hospital in Menomonie. She feared the worst.
"We know these things don't always turn out well. When I got there, Denny said, 'Lisa, he's sitting up and talking,' " Pederson said.
Ryan recalls moments of consciousness over the next few hours, being in the ambulance and in the helicopter. He had no sense of what he had gone through until waking up at the hospital in Eau Claire with several people around him. He remembers being told that he was going to be OK and that his family was on the way.
Treatment and recovery
When Ryan reached Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Dr. Vien Le, a cardiologist, at first was surprised to see how good Ryan looked in the emergency room. "I would not have thought he suffered a cardiac arrest," Le said.
"That was a testament to how good the first response team was. Unfortunately, most patients who suffer cardiac arrest out of the hospital do not survive. I think Ryan was lucky that he was with a friend and that the first responder team arrived promptly," Le said.
Le first ordered an electrocardiogram of Ryan's heart, and it was abnormal. Then, he quickly ordered an echocardiogram, which is "invaluable in terms of giving prompt information about the heart function and structure," Le said.
Le discovered that Ryan has a genetic abnormality called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or an inappropriate thickening in the muscle of the heart that hinders blood flow. Last summer at home, after his previous abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias, Ryan also had undergone an echocardiogram but without definitive findings.
In a normal heart, the left ventricle should be about 1 centimeter thick. Ryan's left ventricle is 1.8 to 1.9 centimeters thick. "That's considered to be severe," Le said.
It's the type of heart condition that, undetected, has been attributed to killing many young athletes. "Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common cause of sudden death in young people, preadolescent and adolescent children," Le said.
Ryan played baseball in high school but hadn't planned to try out for any athletic teams at UW-Stout.
Ryan's sister, Alexia, is an eight-time all-American and four-time national champion in the hammer throw at UW-Oshkosh. The night she arrived at the hospital in Eau Claire, she and her mother — there's a history of heart problems in Ursula's family — underwent an ultrasound test by Le to see if they have the same condition as Ryan; they don't.
On Monday, Sept. 17, Ryan had surgery at the hospital. A combination pacemaker-defibrillator was implanted under his skin in his upper left chest. Two wires from the device are threaded through veins into his heart.
He will have a pacemaker-defibrillator the rest of his life. It will regulate his heartbeat if it gets too low and shock him if it gets too high. "Any patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who survives cardiac arrest needs a defibrillator. That's the only therapy that's been proven to prevent death and improve chances of survival," Le said.
Le isn't worried about Ryan's future. "Ryan will do just fine. He has a lot to offer. Most of these patients have a good outcome," Le said.
Ryan has been told to avoid heavy lifting and contact sports and must take a blood thinner the rest of his life but otherwise can be active and raise his heart rate without worrying about another potential fatal attack, he said.
Because of his health setback, Ryan has withdrawn from UW-Stout for the rest of the semester. He plans to take online and other courses from home in the spring and return to UW-Stout in fall 2013.
A couple of days after his implant surgery, Ryan was discharged and returned to campus — still weak from the surgery and his rib cage sore from the CPR. He and his mother gathered up his belongings.
He also walked slowly to the spot on campus where he fell. There, he met with Winger, Pederson and Spetz. They recounted the events of the night they helped save Ryan.
This time Ryan was upright and talking. "It's enough for me today just seeing you here," Pederson said.
Ryan and his mom thanked the rescue team. "You did a wonderful job. We're very blessed," Ursula said. "Will his life get back to normal? Absolutely."
Ryan still is getting used to the new normal in his life, but he's not complaining.
"Was I lucky? Oh yea," Ryan said. "My doctor kept saying, 'If you were by yourself that night, you wouldn't be here right now.' "


text:
Thursday, May 31, 2007
1 hour, 50 minutes
That's how long it took Roy Halladay to beat Mark Buehrle 2-0 tonight for his 100th career win. Which means the good folks at Sportsnet Connected are freaking right now.
Halladay (7 IP, 7 Ks, 0 BBs) not only went to the mound tonight without his appendix, but he also traded in his rugged beard for a A.J. Burnett Signature Model Junior Goatee.
Doc also threw a cutter that Our Pal Sal Fasano helped fix, which begs the question: when Gregg Zaun comes back next week, do they send Fasano to Syracuse, or do they leave Jason Phillips at the curb?
Bonus Coverage: Yes Network - the State Broadcaster of the Evil Empire - has posted a postgame interview with A-Rod after last night's douchetacular display. They don't allow the videos to be embedded (EVIL!), but you can catch the Rodriguez in all his douchey glory right here.
Maybe he was preoccupied with thoughts of muscular, she-male types.
8 comments:
- Darren Priest said...
A-rod, I never thought it would happen, but I have sympathy for you. If you yelled to break up a play, good! If you fucked Danielle from the Upper Brass...um, good! Give your wife like 75 million and live like the god you are. Can I be your personal assistant/leavings scooper?
- May 31, 2007 at 10:19 PM
- sager said...
I stayed home to watch Mark Buehrle pitch from the stretch, so I'm disappointed.
- May 31, 2007 at 11:14 PM
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text:
Art has a flashback to the 1980's as he talks about the super party animal Spuds MacKenzie.
New website is live – if you are using an rss reader to download this podcast, please resubscribe.
Karen is now the Arvada Budget Living Examiner
Geocaching 101-trackables
New website – Travelbug Rescue
Groundspeak download terms of service
Wyoming tourism Blog – Adventures in Geocaching
Secret Society Enjoys South Florida Geocaching Has Rabid Fans
Article on letterboxing from West Lynn tidings (Oregon)
Geocaching in Space -followup
Florida geocaching League – from Florida Geocaching Association
GPS based game called Terra touching
Feedback on show #26 -LORAN-C
Official Groundspeak CITO weekend 4/24 & 4/25 – sponsored by Magellan
Centennial State Geocaching by Mrs Beasley Omnimedia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.centennialstategeocaching.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.centennialstategeocaching.com.
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text:
On June 1, 2001, the Associated Press issued its first report of the heinous suicide bombing at a Tel Aviv disco that killed 20 young Israelis. The AP headline declared:
This one is so hard to believe that you have to read it twice. As initial reports from the scene showed scores of Jewish casualties, AP incredibly downplayed this bestial act as an "explosion," and focused on the suffering -- not of the innocent teens -- but of the evil bomber.
One can only imagine what distortion ran through the mind of the AP editor who wrote this headline -- and then sent it out over the AP wire to 8,500 newspapers around the world.
A few days earlier, the Associated Press pulled another one. May 29 was a difficult day in Israel. Three Israeli civilians were murdered by Palestinian gunmen in two separate attacks on roads near their homes. Elsewhere, two Palestinians attacked an Israeli army post in Gaza. One of the men was a suicide bomber who blew up before he reached his targets. The other was shot and killed as he threw grenades at the Israeli post. A third Palestinian, reportedly a bodyguard for a wanted Palestinian terrorist, was killed near Jericho.
It was also a difficult day for honest reporting, as the AP's Mark Lavie filed this story:
"In violence Tuesday threatening to overshadow attempts to arrange a cease-fire, three Jewish settlers, including an American immigrant, were killed in drive-by shootings and two Palestinians died from Israeli fire. Another Palestinian was killed when he blew himself up at an Israeli checkpoint in the Gaza Strip."
In the interim, a reader complained to Associated Press that the labeling of the Israelis as "settlers" gave legitimacy to their murders, and that the drive-by shooters were never identified as Palestinians.
The next day, Mark Lavie filed a new story, identifying the murderers as Palestinians, and deleting the cynical reference to the murdered Israelis as settlers:
"Two Israeli women killed in a Palestinian drive-by shooting in the West Bank were buried Wednesday."
If you believe the AP reporting represents bias, send your complaints to:
To the Editor:
On June 1, AP's first report of the heinous suicide bombing at a Tel Aviv disco carried the headline: "Explosion Kills Bomber in Tel Aviv."
Initial reports from the scene showed scores of Jewish casualties. So why did AP downplay this bestial act as an "explosion," and focus on the suffering -- not of innocent teens -- but of the evil bomber?
I trust by now you have fired whoever wrote this horrendous headline.


text: Kevin started with the city of Pullman in June 2004 as Deputy Public Works Director. He was appointed Public Works Director in January 2013. Prior work experience includes thirteen years of consulting engineering experience and three years with a water district in San Diego County. He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from San Diego State University and a master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Idaho, including coursework at Washington State University. He is a registered professional engineer in the states of Washington and Idaho.


text:
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Servings and Times
Cups of Fruits and Vegetables Per Person: 1.0
Ingredients and Preparation
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly coat a 9-inch round cake pan with vegetable cooking spray. Coat bottom and sides with 2 teaspoons of cocoa.
- Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.
- Combine milk and remaining ½ cup cocoa in a small saucepan. Whisk over medium heat for 5 minutes until mixture thickens.
- Remove from heat and whisk in melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Whisk cocoa mixture into dry ingredients until blended.
- Beat egg whites in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until foamy. Gradually beat in remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar.
- Gradually increase speed to medium-high, and beat to stiff peaks. Gently fold one-third of egg whites into chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Then fold in remaining whites just until smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes.
- Invert cake onto a plate. Invert again onto wire rack and cool completely.
- Split cake into two layers. Remove top layer. Place bottom layer on serving plate.
- Spread jam over bottom layer; place top layer over jam, cut side down.
- Garnish with ½ cup fresh raspberries per serving.
- Sift with confectioners' sugar over top.


text:
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Based largely around the propulsive action of the Battle of Hogwarts, and lending just enough time to nostalgia without getting bogged down in history, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 may be the best Potter film yet, and in some ways even improves on the book. By the time it gathers all the main players back at the familiar castle the film is nonstop adventure, and while the movies will always lack some of the nuance and sparkle of J.K. Rowling's writing, the sterling action sequences and gorgeous cinematography nearly make up for it. With just enough punches of emotion and humor to make it a Harry Potter film, Deathly Hallows Part 2 is a well-paced and appropriately grand finale to this enormous franchise.
The action kicks off exactly where we left it, Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes, finally getting to really show off here) stealing the all-powerful Elder Wand from Dumbledore's tomb while Harry, Ron and Hermione take refuge at Bill Weasley's seaside cottage. Their subsequent adventures over at the goblin-run Gringotts bank is one last holdover from the more episodic previous film, entertaining (especially Helena Bonham Carter's appearance as Hermione in disguise as Bellatrix Lestrange) but not moving the action forward all that much. Harry is still on a mission to find Horcruxes, the objects in which Voldemort has hidden pieces of his soul and which must be destroyed before he can take on the task of defeating the dark wizard himself. Lucky for us he realizes the remaining two are at Hogwarts, and soon he, Hermione and Ron are sneaking into the castle and bringing the battle back home.
All the familiar faces are there, from Harry's old flame Cho Chang (Katie Leung) to Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) to the imperious Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith), who's now the heroic face of Hogwarts and gets several great moments to prove it. As Harry seeks out the remaining Horcruxes and Voldemort, with his army of Death Eaters, descends upon the castle to stop him, a controlled chaos emerges; huge spiders, werewolves and giants are only among the beasts that lay waste to Hogwarts, while stone soldiers and many wizards fight to protect it. Director David Yates controls it all remarkably well, cross-cutting the many subplots with fierce fighting scenes, and even more impressively the 3D never makes the action murky, even though most of these scenes take place at night. It's still debatable that the Harry Potter world needed to be viewed in the third dimension, but at least it doesn't actively detract from it.
Though Deathly Hallows Part 2 is as true to the novel as most of the others, it makes some key changes that tighten up the narrative and give some characters bigger moments, including a scene where Harry confronts Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) in the Great Hall and a beefier version of Neville (Matthew Lewis) emerging as a hero. When Ron and Hermione revisit the Chamber of Secrets to retrieve a basilisk fang and finally share a climactic kiss, we actually see it this time, and even Snape's complicated flashback late in the movie is filmed efficiently and beautifully so that it feels essential. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, after being merely serviceable in the previous efforts, steps up significantly in some of the hugely emotional later scenes, and the easy rapport between him, Emma Watson as Hermione and Rupert Grint as Ron gives the film both moments of humor and great significance amid the clanging action.
Snape's flashback is the only moment where old footage from the earlier films is actually used, but their legacy is everywhere, from the occasional recurrence of the familiar tinkling "Hedwig's Theme" to a brief glimpse of Emma Thompson as Professor Trelawney to even the familiar sight of a bunch of Hogwarts kids in uniform cheering in delight. Yates and his marvelous production team weave into Hogwarts the physical tokens of childhood that, by waging war inside their school, Harry and company are leaving for good. It's a bittersweet undertone in a movie that's already packed with violence, heartbreak and regret, but one moviegoers can easily identify with as they say goodbye to the decade-long series. Deathly Hallows Part 2 isn't just a proper sendoff, but maybe the best argument for adapting these books to film in the first place.


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Indie Spotlight is a series at Gaming Nexus that explores the origin and development of unique and innovative games designed and produced by independent developers. Each article includes a developer interview that focuses on examining the concept and design processes involved with each project. Indie Spotlight strives to showcase new and upcoming games that range from a variety of genres and development studios across the world.
As an Community Strategist, Eric Doty lives the video game industry from sun up to sun down. In his spare spare time he has created a comic book with a machine gun wielding corgi and he's now working on his own video game, Troubadour. I had the chance recently to have Eric answer some questions about his game and here are his answers.
What is Troubadour about? How did you come up with the name?
Troubadour is about accepting the responsibilities of adulthood and getting past our reliance of unnecessary distractions. These distractions often help us cope with the natural stressors of life, but we need to learn how to enjoy them in moderation. If we don't then we risk having our problems spiral out of control. The game, which is more of an interactive graphic novel, takes you through what I would consider a moment of enlightenment for the lead character. There is a heavy focus on music, provided by LA musician Dallas "Deezign" Stoeckel, that comes through some of the graphical elements in the game. The name Troubadour is taken from the spiritual/mental guide that walks you through this experience. The idea of clearing your head and figuring out your personal goals, whether short term or long term, is something Zak Alexander and I both can relate to.
How long was the concept for Troubadour been floating around in your head? Which concepts took you the longest to sort out?
Troubadour was originally meant as an action game when I first started working out the ideas after publishing Steamfunk, an all-ages comic book pilot issue, with Luke McKay. Then I realized that A) making a FPS is way too big of a project for a small inexperienced team and B) the story had some really interesting elements that, if boiled down, would work great for an experience similar to Benjamin Rivers' game Home. We've been working on it on and off over the past 8 or 9 months under the name Cicatriz Entertainment.
Could you tell us about Lucy and who she is as a character? What were the inspirations behind Lucy?
Her name is Lucy, but she goes by Lu. Much like my comic Steamfunk, many of the characters are named after musicians or songs, so Lucy is named after B.B. King's famous Gibson, Lucille. Lu is a regular 20-something that has spent way too much of her life interacting with the world through illuminated screens. I think that's the one thing that most people who interact with Troubadour will relate with. A bit of irony considering that they'll be playing it on a computer.
Who would you consider to be the target audience for the game? Do you know how you are going to distribute the game yet?
I wish the target audience was everyone, but I understand that a slower paced experience like this isn't going to resonate with someone who only plays shooters. Maybe Troubadour will be their first time interacting with a game like this. We were pleasantly surprised at how many people at PAX understood what we are trying to build and were willing to sit through our rough demo. If you enjoy slower, atmospheric games like Home or Kentucky Route Zero then I would hope you'd check out Troubadour. It will be available on PC and Mac, but we haven't locked on specific distribution channels yet. We're interested in having it on mobile/tablet, but there are some touch-friendly elements that I'd want to add first to make the platform compliment the experience better.
What are the biggest influences on the game from a cultural and gaming perspective?
A lot of inspiration came from outside games like the shows Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, and comics by Brian Wood (Local, Demo) and Jeff Lemire (The Underwater Welder). There's something alluring about characters that experience strange paranormal events that serve as metaphors for real life problems.
Could you describe the art style of Troubador? Did you experiment with any other art styles?
Zak has a background in graphic design and fine art, so I'm very thankful to be working with him on this. There are different styles throughout the game that we'll talk about later, so it's tough to nail it down to one description. We definitely looked at old Sierra adventure games and Sword & Sworcery before starting development, so I think you'll notice little influences here and there from those titles.
What tools you are using to create Troubadour? What's the one thing that you know now that you wish you had known when you started?
We're building it in YoYo Games' GameMaker Studio. It seemed like the easiest to learn how to use and build quickly in a 2D space. I wish I had known earlier that GameMaker did not support the ability to play videos within your project. There were some ideas I was working around that included live action video and that had to get scrapped due to there being zero support for it. It was frustrating at the time, but the unexpected limitation allowed Zak and I to work on some creative solutions.
Have you gotten any advice from other game designers? What's the best piece of advice you've gotten so far?
There was one piece of advice that I received before we started that really stuck with me. Everyone has cool ideas and no one is going to build your game for you. Those that know how to execute on ideas are already working on their own game. Either you do nothing or you take steps to become one of those people.
Do you have any advice for anyone who is trying to build their own games? What skills should someone have before starting a project?
I'm going to paraphrase Richard Hofmeier (Cart Life) and say that it's never been easier to make your own game. There are so many tools out there that require little to no code experience that you just have to put your heart into it and make it through those first few hours of tutorials. Start by building ugly clones of your favorite 8-bit era games and after one or two you'll start to see how things come together and how game elements interact with each other. It's not as hard as you think it is. The hardest step is the first blah blah blah. To be fair, we haven't shipped a game yet, but we're getting there.
Also, go read Anna Anthopy's book Rise of the Videogame Zinesters.
What things would have to happen for you to consider Troubadour a success?
We ship it and get to work on our second project as a team.
Can you give us any idea of what that second project is? Is it related to Troubadour or something completely different?
We're trying not to think about it too much for obvious reasons, but there's a long list of ideas I'd love to build that just won't work for our current game. We'll just have to see where we are in six months.
Any aspirations of getting this on a next generation console?
Nah. We're building a pretty niche game on some very specific tools. We're just happy to have it anywhere for people to play. Would I like to eventually build a game that my friends can play on Xbox One? Definitely. There's a lot of veteran developers already building amazing things in that space, so Zak and I are just taking it slow and using this as a learning experience.
Do you have an idea of when the game is going to be released?
If this was my full time job we could probably have it done in a couple months. That would be amazing, but I have a day job that is fun and challenging in its own ways. Zak and I are looking to release Troubadour in late Summer 2014 at the latest. That seems like a long time to build this sort of experience, but it's our first game and we want to make sure we put something out that we're proud of and a hopefully a little unexpected.
Is there anything we missed that you think is important?
Thanks for chatting with us. You can follow us on Twitter at and watch for more info at cicatriz.net.
We'd like to thank Eric for taking the time to answer our questions.
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Summer At Its Most Readable
Bay Weekly's 2010 Summer Book Guide
By Bay Weekly staff
Ahhhh, summer. The season synonymous with vacation: that hard-earned leisure time when we finally give ourselves permission to retreat and, for a short respite, do nothing. Or, at least, do very little.
Wherever your retreat — a sandy beach, a cool blue pool, fresh pine-scented mountains or as far as your backyard hammock in the shade of the big old oak tree — it's better with a good book.
Bay Weekly's 2010 Summer Book Guide helps you pick the right book. To start you in the right direction, we've updated the Dewey Decimal System with 10 highly readable categories.
Add locale of choice, and perhaps a tall, cool beverage and settle in for a nice long read. Enjoy. Call it summer.
–Ariel Martinez Brumbaugh
I. Anything-But-Boring Biographies
True stories in the hands of a good storyteller outdo fiction.
-Woodswoman series ~ 1991-2003
In not one but four books, gutsy Anne LaBastille tells her story of her life on 20 acres in the Adirondack Mountains. In Woodswoman, LaBastille meets her husband, divorces, finds her own place in the woods and, with a few helping hands, constructs a log home where she builds a new life. The next three books — Beyond Black Bear Lake, Woodswoman III and Woodswoman IV — follow LaBastille's efforts to protect and preserve the wild Adirondack National Park and her lifestyle.
–Margaret Tearman
-The Tender Bar ~ 2005
J.R. Moehringer was abandoned by his father before birth. The boy knows him only as The Voice on the radio and seeks male nurturing from his bartender uncle and the regulars at the corner tavern. At "a place where everybody knows your name," he learns about baseball and politics, history and sex. As he listens to the jokes and anecdotes, he learns to appreciate words and storytelling.
–Marilyn Recknor
Garlic and Sapphires, the Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise ~ 2006
-New York Times food critic Ruth Reichl makes wonderful fun of her hilarious ploys to remain anonymous at the restaurants she reviews. Descriptions of meals are sumptuous, but most enjoyable are the insights she gains into herself as she takes on different disguises and personalities.
–Dotty Holcomb Doherty
Another Day in the Frontal Lobe ~ 2007
Let's hope brain surgeon Katrina S. Firlik is as good at operating as she is at writing, for she's written an immensely readable book with touches of black humor, delving into the heads of her patients, literally and figuratively.
–Dotty Holcomb Doherty
-Shakespeare: The World as Stage ~ 2007
Think you know Shakespeare? He was a man of many masks. With infectious humor, author Bill Bryson looks behind the masks and beyond the plays to explore what we really know about the Cal Ripken Jr. of English literature.
–Ariel Martinez Brumbaugh
II. Colonel Mustard-in-the-Kitchen-with-a-Candlestick Classic Mysteries
Summer loves the suspense of the search for whodunit. We suggest a pair of classics from that great year for mysteries, 1934: an animal-detective pairing; an historic mystery; and a bestseller with its own slightly mysterious legend.
-Murder on the Orient Express ~ 1934
In one of the best-selling mystery novels of all time, Agatha Christie transforms the Orient Express into a sealed chamber of suspicion, terror and guilt for all unfortunate passengers. On the train ride home from a case, detective Hercule Poirot hears several strange bumps in the night and wakes to discover that Mr. Ratchett has been stabbed. His investigation reveals many clues, some that appear to have been planted. The intrepid Poirot deciphers the clues and interviews the suspects to track down the killer.
–Ariel Martinez Brumbaugh
-The Thin Man ~ 1934
Ah, the good old days of mystery novels, when who's pouring was as important as whodunit. Baltimore boy Dashiell Hammett's last mystery novel, The Thin Man, flaunts mysteries and martinis in the age of Prohibition. The novel follows newly rich retired detective Nick Charles, who gave up the badge for a dame, Nora, his heiress wife. In between drinking binges, Nick is drawn into a missing person search for inventor and industrialist Clyde Wynant. Though the 1930s, Thin Man films captured the bond between Nick and Nora, only Hammett can convey their acid-tongued wit as they drain their glasses and search for clues.
–Diana Beechener
-The Cat-Who x books ~ 1967-2007
Lillian Jackson Braun has made a series of the partnership of amateur detective James Qwilleran and his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, who make solving mysteries their mission. With Koko's sixth sense and Qwill's investigative skills, sharpened through years as a top journalist, the bad guys go into hiding. Wile away a few pleasant hours with any book in this series.
–Ariel Martinez Brumbaugh
-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ~ 2004-2008
Disgraced Swedish journalist Mikael Blomkvist is summoned by a curious offer from one of Sweden's former top CEOs, Hendrik Vanger, who wants him to investigate the disappearance of his great niece Harriet 40 years ago. Accepting reluctantly, Blomkvist unwittingly entangles himself in the family's tortured history, partners with the tattooed savant of the title and finds his way back to his own quest.
If you like this one, you'll have two more to look forward to as journalist-author Stieg Larsson finished three — and delivered them to his publisher as a package — before he was felled by a heart attack in mid-life.
–Katie Dodd
-People of the Book ~ 2008
Geraldine Brooks' Hanna, a book restorer, finds clues hidden in the pages of an ancient Haggadah linking it to its beginnings and its protectors. Travel from this century's wars to 15th century Spain as she unlocks the mysteries surrounding its survival, then back to the present where she faces the challenges of love and loyalty while uncovering a conspiracy of forgery.
–Dotty Holcomb Doherty
III. Documentaries Can Read Like Novels
True stories told with a novelist's craft and cunning include books for lovers of nature, adventure and the behavior of humans and societies.
-Thousand Mile Summer ~ 1964
California, long infamous for its love affair with the automobile, revealed its natural side to backpacker-author Colin Fletcher when, in 1958, he set out on foot from Yuma on the Arizona border and walked north for 1,000 miles and six months, all the way to the Oregon border. Fletcher recounts the wilderness, the wildlife and the wild people he encountered on his walk in a narrative that remains timeless.
–Margaret Tearman
-The Earth Is Enough ~ 1996
"When my friend Norwell, who was just 13, found a grenade in a clear, cool stream deep in an Okinawan jungle valley and pulled the pin, my journey began." Author Harry Middleton, an Army brat, spent his early years moving among army bases until Norwell's untimely death sent young Harry to live in relative safety with his grandfather Emerson, Uncle Albert and the "lunatic Elias Wonder" deep in the Ozark mountains. Middleton's story is how three old men taught the young man about life and fishing.
–Margaret Tearman
-The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference ~ 2000
Malcolm Gladwell's examination of how small ideas become fads, trends and complusions is fascinating. -His examples range from the revival of a dying brand of shoes to decreased violence in New York City, from the rise of an obscure politician to a sudden spate of suicides in Micronesia. He compares trends to epidemics, identifying the kinds of people who infect us with ideas and describing how they do it.
–Marilyn Recknor
-Zoro's Field ~ 2006
After years of wandering North America and Europe, Thomas Rain Crowe returns to his southern roots to spend four years living off the grid in a cabin in the southern Appalachians. There he grows his own food and barters for everything else, bonding with fellow mountain dwellers over homemade honey and brew.
–Margaret Tearman
-Winter World ~ 2009
Button up your overcoat and join University of Vermont professor Bernd Heinrich on a tramp through the northern New England winter woods where he reveals the secrets of cold-weather survivors, from birds to bears to the tiniest insects.
–Dotty Holcomb Doherty
IV. End-of-the-World Dramas
You'll stay up all night reading books that take you to the brink of disaster or to a post-apocalyptic world. Think you're Bear Grylls? These novels will help you study up on survival techniques — even humor.
-On the Beach ~ 1957
Want a powerful book? Nevil Shute's terrifying novel may be the reason we're still alive to write and read books. The engineer-novelist described how the nuclear exchange of World War III in the northern hemisphere created a deadly cloud of radiation that traveled inexorably downwind, extinguishing life in its path. Read and you feel it coming, letting go hope by hope, through your identification with the last people to go, the English Shute's beloved Australians all the way down under in Melbourne. On the Beach might give you nightmares, which was the great storyteller's intent in this cautionary novel.
–Sandra Olivetti Martin
-The Stand ~ 1978
Forget the made-for-TV mini-series. Stephen King's book is oh-so-much better. In a modern-day tale of good versus evil, the survivors of a deadly Superflu — caused by a crack in a bio-weapon test tube — find each other and eventually split into two groups. Guided by dreams and other unseen forces, the good head for Boulder, Colorado, while the not-so-nice end up in Las Vegas. The plot is clichéd, but the characters are compelling, and you will likely find yourself rooting for the guys in white hats — and for the return of electricity.
–Margaret Tearman
-The Hitchikers' Guide to the Galaxy ~ 1979
In Douglas Adams' blackly humorous Guide, Arthur Dent escapes planet Earth just as it is demolished by aliens, to make way for a hyperspace bypass. Adrift with his alien friend Ford Prefect, Arthur must learn how to navigate the galaxy as the newest intergalactic hitchhiker.
Along the way, Arthur is tortured by the reading of Vogon poetry — the third worst poetry in the world — meets the bubble-headed president of the Galaxy and learns the importance of traveling with a towel.
He must remember not to panic, and that the answer to the ultimate question in life is 42. Now if he only knew what the question was x
–Diana Beechener
-The Road ~ 2006
In post-apocalyptic America, a father and son travel across the barren landscape in search of the coast. With only a pistol and some scavenged food, they face all the dangers of the road, including roving hostiles. All they have are the love of each other and the hope that something better awaits them. Cormac McCarthy tells his novel in appropriately stark and simple language.
–Ariel Martinez Brumbaugh
-World War Z ~ 2006
After the dust and blood had settled, writer Max Brooks (son of movie-maker Mel Brooks) sought to record and understand the Zombie War by conducting interviews with the key players. His oral history of the war contains perspectives from x
Okay, obviously there hasn't been a great zombie war — yet. But it is a credit to Brooks' novel that you'll have trouble remembering that. His interviews create perfect portraits of incompetent governments trying to cover up the outbreak; greedy cooperate syndicates attempting to profit from the plague; battle-hardened soldiers trying to expel their bloody memories; officials deciding to sacrifice thousands to save millions; and a glut of other survivors speaking on the battle for humanity.
As an alternative to turning the pages, download or rent the audio book, which unfolds like a brilliant radio drama from the 1930s. Brooks plays himself as he conducts interviews with characters voiced to perfection by Alan Alda, Carl Reiner, Jürgen Prochnow, Rob Reiner, Eamonn Walker, John Turturro and Mark Hamill. With a cast like that, the zombie apocalypse is great entertainment.
–Diana Beechener
V. Historical Struggles
Four novels and one chronicle invite you to walk in the shoes of characters forced to conquer history.
-April 1865: The Month that Saved America ~ 2001
America's Civil War continues to inspire books. In a new twist, Chevy Chase author Jay Winik focuses on a single pivotal month, April of 1865.
After four years of stalemate, the early months of 1865 marked the beginning of the end of what is still the nation's bloodiest war. With the coming of spring, the bloodbath intensified in a final fit as Sherman blazed south in his devastating march to the sea while Grant pummeled and drove Lee's forces eastward to their eventual surrender at Appomattox.
Through victory and defeat, Winik draws forth the humanity of the combatants, most notably in Grant's generous terms of surrender and Lee's decision to end the bloodshed rather than taking to the hills and launching a guerrilla war. Days later, with the assassination of President Lincoln, peace nearly unraveled, but by then most had lost their thirst for more blood, and the painful process of healing and rebuilding the Union began.
–J. Alex Knoll
-Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society ~ 2008
In the wake of World War II, London journalist Juliet Ashton begins a correspondence and a book after reading a letter from a man on the island of Guernsey. She's so intrigued that she visits this once German-occupied island where she finds more than she imagined. Entirely written in letters, Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Borrows' novel is a reading treasure.
–Dotty Holcomb Doherty
Little Bee ~ 2008
Chris Cleave's is a tale of horror, loss and redemption told in the voices of two women who meet in two very different circumstances but whose lives are forever entwined. Once you read it, do not give away any details. Every reader deserves the full unfolding of this powerful story.
–Dotty Holcomb Doherty
-The Help ~ 2009
Kathryn Stockett sets her novel of triumph over segregation in 1962 Mississippi, where 22-year-old Skeeter returns after graduation. As she struggles to fit in with a society she's outgrown, she befriends two black maids, Minnie and Aibileen, who together gather stories that push the boundaries of their world.
–Ariel Martinez Brumbaugh
-The Postmistress ~ 2010
London-based radio announcer Frankie Bard is determined to bring the real story of the Blitz and the plight of the Jews to her fellow Americans. Among them in the Cape Cod town of Franklin are Iris James, the new middle-aged postmistress, and Emma, the doctor's new wife. As Emma's duty-bound husband heads overseas, her life is about to become interwoven with the lives of these two other women. Sarah Blake writes poetically and masterfully in this novel.
–Dotty Holcomb Doherty
VI. Poolside Page-Turners
You work hard all year, and you deserve a vacation. To entertain you at the beach, the pool or between naps in the hammock, we season our list with history, exotic destinations and an oddity that will have your neighbors wondering.
-Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers ~ 2003
Did you know that a human head, served to medical students for study, is about the size of a roasted chicken? The history of human cadavers may not seem like poolside reading, but journalist-author Mary Roach makes her subject fascinating, edifying, even hilarious.
One of the book's pleasures is how horrified the author can be at her own subject matter. As she barrels through history, taking you from the early days of science — and body snatching — to how the dead help doctors and scientists in modern studies, Roach discusses how her research unnerved her. "Eye caps were invented by a mortician to help dead people keep their eyes shut. There have been times this morning when I wished that someone had outfitted me with a pair of eye caps," she writes of her time at the University of Tennessee's infamous body farm. To keep her composure — and to keep you from skipping ahead — she takes a break from decomposition studies to tell you about the happy squirrels that scamper at the farm. After the break, it's back to the bodies.
–Diana Beechener
-The Janissary Tree ~ 2006
Join Yashim, eunuch and private investigator for Turkish Sultan Mahmut II. The gruesome deaths of promising young officers could be the work of the secret society of defeated Janissaries, double-dealing court officials or even the commander of the imperial Ottoman Army. Add the murder of a harem girl the night of the theft of the jewels of the sultan's mother, who is also Yashim's confidant. Novelist Jason Goodwin's Byzantine plot mimics Istanbul's back streets as he brings the guilty to grim justice.
–Sandra Lee Anderson
-The Book of Air and Shadows ~ 2008
Jake Mishkin is an intellectual property lawyer who discovers, in the pages of an old book, a letter written in 1642 by an English soldier named Richard Bracegirdle. The letter reveals that Bracegirdle had been assigned to spy on a gentleman named Wm. Shakespeare and, through the course of his espionage, had managed to hide a Shakespeare manuscript. Now every shady character in the world wants that Bracegirdle letter as a means to the manuscript. Novelist Michael Gruber has crafted two stories — taking place simultaneously in the 21st and 17th centuries — to keep you riveted.
–Dick Wilson
-Best Friends Forever ~ 2009
Jennifer Weiner, author of In her Shoes, offers another classy chick-lit book in Best Friends Forever. Addie — once a compulsive eater, now a slender greeting card painter — must weigh her loyalties when childhood friend Val, who betrayed her in high school, appears with the news that she's just killed a sleazy classmate.
–Dotty Holcomb Doherty
-A Reliable Wife ~ 2009
Ralph Truitt waits at the train station for the woman who answered his advertisement for "a reliable wife." When Catherine Land is beautiful rather than plain, he feels deceived. "This begins in a lie," he tells her tersely. He has no idea how right he is; Catherine plans to marry Truitt, poison him and become a wealthy widow. Emotions seem as frozen as the snowy Wisconsin winter, but beneath the surface of Robert Goolrick's novel, the characters burn with greed, guilt and lust.
–Marilyn Recknor
VII. Romance: The Fun's in the Chase
There's no fooling you. You know how these books end — and sometimes it's not happily ever after. But like the sometimes star-crossed lovers, you can't resist the journey.
-Framley Parsonage ~ 1860
Not all love stories must be bodice rippers, but the best ones have lovers overcoming adversity. In the fourth of Anthony Trollope's Chronicles of Barsetshire novels, obscure parson's sister Lucy Robarts catches the eye of Lord Lufton. He tracks her like a hunter, including chasing her around a few pieces of furniture to steal a kiss. But Lucy Robarts isn't a typical Victorian girl, and she won't settle for a typical romance. Instead of leaping at the chance to advance her station, she insists that Lord Lufton live up to her standards. She won't even think of marrying him until he gets his snobbish mother Lady Lufton to ask for her hand. With the gauntlet laid by Lucy, the game begins.
–Diana Beechener
Cowboys Are My Weakness ~ 1992
In this collection of short stories, Pam Houston introduces us to smart women who go looking for love — and sometimes find it — with men they probably should have avoided. Houston's writing is edgy, smart and touching — as are her heroines.
–Margaret Tearman
-Under the Tuscan Sun ~ 1996
Best recipe for the divorce blues: Find a new love and together buy a Tuscan villa in need of some tender loving care. Spend many Mediterranean summers in the house together — gardening, cooking and slowly (this is Italy, after all) becoming part of the community. With the help of the local Italian artisans, learn the skill of tiling, painting and plastering to make that villa glow. In between the hard work, whip up delicious, authentic Mediterranean meals to fill your empty stomach. And of course, do it all while falling deeply in amore.
This is just what Frances Mayes did, and it's our luck she wrote about it — those moments of bliss in the bright warm Tuscan sun, the regular visits to the local gastronomia while sparing few details of a tagliere di formaggi shared at the corner tratorria.
She even throws in her favorite recipes for those of us stranded on another shore. It is no wonder the Tuscany villa rental and sales business exploded in the months following the release of this charming story of love of a place and love for a man.
–Margaret Tearman
Water for Elephants ~ 2006
When Jacob Jankowski runs away from vet school, he finds work as a veterinarian with The Benzini Brothers' Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Novelist Sarah Gruen tangles the innocent in adversity as circus owner Uncle Al and animal trainer August abuse both the animals and August's beautiful wife Marlena, with whom Jacob falls in love.
–Ariel Martinez Brumbaugh
-La's Orchestra Saves the World ~ 2009
Perhaps La's Orchestra is a romance; perhaps it isn't. You'll have to read it to decide for yourself.
In a rare-for-him book that will have no sequel, Alexander McCall Smith (of No. One Ladies' Detective Agency fame) distills sweetness from the very domestic life of a woman who always does her best, though life does not do its best for her or for her world. You first glimpse her through the eyes of others, and they give a value to her life it takes you pages to understand. Most of the short novel presents her on her own undemanding terms, leaving you wondering how she can possibly save the world — and whether she will dare save herself from the victimization of circumstances. The story stretches from pre-World War II England through the Cold War, and the latter gets a new look because it's not seen through the American eye.
Clues are subtle; save them carefully.
–Sandra Olivetti Martin
VIII. Strange Societies
The what-if category has limitless possibilities. Look here to glimpse worlds you'll be glad exist only in the imagination.
-1984 ~ 1948
Englishman George Orwell wrote the classic tale of hopeless rebellion against a totalitarian government. Citizens are kept under the eye of Big Brother, with telescreens and thought police. A lone government worker, Winston, is in quiet disagreement until he meets Julia, who gives him hope for another way of life. But Big Brother is watching. Complex characters and a twisting plot keep your brain working.
–Ariel Martinez Brumbaugh
-Bring the Jubilee ~ 1953
What would America look like today if the South had won the Civil War? In Ward Moore's novel Bring the Jubilee, we find a brave new world where slavery still exists and the agrarian backwardness of the South rules supreme in a deeply divided police state. The story is told through the troubled eyes of Hodge Backmaker, who lives in a strange New York City where the tallest building is 10 stories and the cobblestone streets are still gas-lit.
–Steve Carr
-Watership Down ~ 1972
So compelling is British civil servant Richard Adams' strange society of capable rabbits that Watership Down has achieved cult status. After you read the story of their heroic journey to perpetuate their endangered culture — including its language, mythology and poetry — you can continue the trip in a role-playing game. In case you wondered, Watership Down is not a space ship but the name of Adams' hometown.
–Ariel Martinez Brumbaugh
-The Hotel New Hampshire ~ 1981
John Irving, the author of The World According to Garp and Cider House Rules, offers many novels of strange family dynamics and odd plot twists. Here, Win and Mary and their five children turn an old girl's school into a hotel that becomes a dramatic setting for the family's strange goings-on, including the death and repeated resurrection through taxidermy of Sorrow, the family dog; the rape of daughter Franny by the high school football team; and the daily interaction with the family's circus bear, State o' Maine.
–Ariel Martinez Brumbaugh
Spies of the Balkan ~ 2010
Alan Furst specializes in the particular, oppressive strangeness -Adolph Hitler unleashed on Europe between 1938 and 1945. Country by country, the painstaking researcher and elegant storyteller introduces you to the way Hitler's onslaught devastated nations you might have trouble putting on the map — both historically and geographically. You'll keep turning back to the map each novel includes. This one, his 11th and newest, takes you to Greece, where the war is delivered not by Hitler but by his envious ally Mussolini — though you can bet Hitler doesn't let himself be one-upped.
Characters carry the ordeal into your heart. Costa Zannis, like all Furst's protagonists, has better things to do, including lovemaking, than resistance, but his principles — and a beautiful woman — draw him in.
–Sandra Olivetti Martin
IX. Terrible True Stories
You think you've got it bad? Your life will look better after you read these books.
-Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets ~ 1991
Homicide isn't just a body. It isn't a thrilling car chase and locking away the bad guy. Homicide, for detectives in Baltimore, is hours of paperwork, lying witnesses and procedural tedium. To survive the homicide unit, detectives must persist, thriving on coffee, cigarettes and a pitch-black sense of humor. Baltimore Sun veteran reporter David Simon spent 1988 following homicide squads thru the streets of Charm City. What Simon captures — and made into a terrific read and television series in 1993 — is a group of real men and women who handle horrific violence and liars as part of their daily grind.
–Diana Beechener
-The Year of Magical Thinking ~ 2005
Joan Didion's daughter is on life-support, stricken with septic shock. While she and her husband struggle to cope, he suffers a fatal heart attack. In the following 12 months, Didion must learn to live without her husband, and, in a heartbreaking turn of events, without her daughter. This is a brittle story without a truly happy ending. But life goes on.
–Margaret Tearman
True Story ~ 2005
Michael Finkel's book begins with yet another admission of journalistic fraud, but it soon develops into a tale of stolen identity, crime and a psychological study — or two. Sound a bit heavy for a summer read? Heat and humidity needn't mean brain death, after all, and the 300-some pages go fast. And it's all true. Or so the reader is told.
–Lane Page
-The Glass Castle ~ 2005
Rex Walls, a dreamer who drinks his paycheck away, and his wife Rose Mary, a would-be painter who disdains work and housework, raise their four children almost as an afterthought. The family does the "skedaddle" to avoid creditors, the children go hungry or rummage through garbage cans, living conditions are squalid. Yet author Jeannette Walls and her siblings learn to fend for themselves and become successful despite their dysfunctional parents in this sad, funny and poignant memoir.
–Marilyn Recknor
-The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher ~ 2008
In the summer of 1860, Victorian England was rocked by a shocking murder case. The body of a three-year-old boy was found in an outdoor privy, his throat slit and his chest stabbed. After a week of local law enforcement bungling the case and burning key pieces of evidence, Detective Jonathan Whicher is sent to salvage the case and apprehend the murderer. Kate Summerscale's detailed recreation of Whicher's investigation pieces together case files, written accounts and newspaper stories into an involving and layered mystery.
–Diana Beechener
X. Way Better than the Movie
Why settle for pale substitutes? Make this your summer to read the classics.
-Pride and Prejudice ~ 1813
All right, so this tale of true love tried and tested by class barriers and assumptions is pretty much English 101. Still, you may be one of the many who's seen one of the movies but not read the book.
Don't make this mistake. Both the 1940 and 2005 film adaptations of Jane Austen's most revered work bungled the story horribly.
Instead of a feisty, impetuous woman, Lizzy in film is reduced to a simpering idiot or a pouting waif who roams the fields in a nightgown. Much better to read the story and fall in love with Lizzy as she doggedly fights her mortifying mother for a modicum of freedom. Swoon for the real Mr. Darcy, whose pompous exterior belies a wounded and sensitive soul. When it comes to this tale of true love, only the book will do.
–Diana Beechener
-The Count of Monte Cristo ~ 1844
In two dozen tries in many languages, neither film nor television has been able to reach the heights of Alexandre Dumas' classic novel, the story of young sailor Edmund Dantes, who is duped by his longtime friend and falsely imprisoned. But 14 years of imprisonment leave a lot of time to plan how to get back at all who wronged him. Discovering a large sum of money on an island doesn't hurt. Nether does genius story telling.
–Ariel Martinez Brumbaugh
-Jurassic Park ~ 1990
As a doctor, Michael Crichton had a knack for science. As a writer, Crichton had a knack for stringing scientific theories together so that even the most ridiculous idea seemed possible. So is the case in his novel Jurassic Park, a book that convinced all the children of my generation that you too could make a dinosaur if you saved up enough amber-encrusted mosquitoes.
Jurassic Park builds on the plot of Frankenstein. Eccentric billionaire John Hammond decides to build not one monster but a whole amusement park's worth. When he showcases the park to scientists, paleontologists and his grandchildren, he realizes that it isn't nice to fool Mother Nature.
The film adaptation does a great job with the visuals. Dinosaurs look real (or did in a pre-Avatar world), the park is vast and mysterious. But it skimps on mystery and emotion. The book also has a critical element the movie missed — a palpable sense of danger. Without the benevolent hand of Steven Spielberg and no deus-ex-Tyrannosaurus, these characters must kill car-sized beasts to survive.
Pick up the book to find out what it really takes to survive at Jurassic Park.
–Diana Beechener
-The Bonfires of the Vanities ~ 1987
Sherman McCoy has conquered Wall Street. The Master of the Universe wallows in the spoils of his success, living high and mighty in a luxury apartment with his wife, enjoying the company of the requisite mistress on the side. McCoy is untouched by the racial tensions simmering just miles south in another part of town, where the chasm between the haves and the have-nots grows deeper — until a wrong turn pulls the expensive rug out from under his feet and his life of privilege begins to unravel. McCoy and his Park Avenue persona provoke a feeding frenzy in the Bronx's gritty criminal justice system and for the bottom feeders scrounging for prey.
Documentarian Tom Wolfe's first novel, Bonfire is a darkly humorous satirical look at the excess and greed of the late 20th century. It was a best seller when released in 1987. The 1990 film version, directed by Brian De Palma and starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis and Melanie Griffith, was nominated for five Razzie awards: Worst Picture, Worst Actress, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Supporting Actress.
–Margaret Tearman
-Atonement ~ 2001
Forget the awful movie and pick up the book. Novelist Ian McEwan endows bossy 12-year-old Briony as an aspiring writer with a vivid imagination. She misinterprets something she sees, intercepts and reads an obscene note intended for her sister Cecilia and accuses an innocent man of a crime, causing his arrest and imprisonment. As Briony grows up, she realizes that her meddling and confusion have ruined the lives of her sister and the man she loves, and she attempts to atone.
–Marilyn Recknor
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1973 Bristol 32' shoal-draft sloop – Gas Atomic 4, well equipped, dinghy. Needs TLC. Great retirement project. $5,000 obo. 410-394-6658.
Commercial fishing guide license for sale. $2,500. Call Bob: 301-855-7279 or cell 240-210-4484.
Caregivers Needed! If you have a caring heart we want to talk with you! Seeking high quality, reliable, outgoing individuals. Flexible schedules. ComForCare Home Care: 443-906-6283.
1992 Mercedes Benz, 4-door, white exterior, tan leather interior, sunroof, garage-kept, very good condition. Gas engine, 80,000 miles. $3,500. Call Bobby: 240-477-2158.
Furnished apartment, Chesapeake Beach. Laundy, private entrance, walk to beach, Marina. Utilities, cable, wifi included. Month to month $1,500. 202-359-9832.
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Windows and doors repaired, replaced, restored. Consultations. Established 1965. www.windowmasteruniversal.com or 410-867-1199.
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: Need help with a Federal EEO Case? Can't afford an attorney? Professional, affordable help is here. I am a Federally Certified EEO Counselor/Employment Law Specialist. I have helped numerous current and former Federal Employees navigate the EEO system. Call Clark Browne, 301-982-0979 or 240-832-7544,
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The AL400ULXR from Altronix is a UL Listed Power Supply/ Chargers that converts a 115VAC/60Hz input into one Class 2 Rated 12VDC or 24VDC power limited output. The AL400ULXR comes with red enclosure.
- Filtered and electronically regulated output
- Short circuit and thermal overload protection
- Built-in charger for sealed lead acid or gel type batteries
- Automatic switch over to stand-by battery when AC fails (zero voltage drop)
- Low battery supervision
- Battery presence supervision
- AC input and DC output LED indicators


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We focus on a number of topic areas identified by state health policy leaders as important to population health.
Keep up with news and updates from the Milbank Memorial Fund. Get the latest from thought leaders, including Christopher F. Koller, president of the Fund.
We publish The Milbank Quarterly, as well as reports, issues briefs, and case studies on topics important to population health.
The Center for Evidence-based Policy at Oregon Health & Science University is a national leader in evidence-based decision making and policy design.
The Milbank Memorial Fund is an endowed operating foundation that publishes The Milbank Quarterly, commissions projects, and convenes state health policy decision makers on issues they identify as important to population health.
June 1941 (Volume 19)
June 1941 | G. F. McCleary
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Author(s): G. F. McCleary
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Volume 19, Issue 2 (pages 105–120) Published in 1941
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Miami Digs: Versace Mansion bidding to start at $25 MillionPosted by Michael Yablonicky in Uncategorized | July 25, 2013
Poolside at the former Versace mansion, dressed to the nines in the midday swelter, Coldwell Banker luxury superbroker Jill Eber was touting the 54-foot mosaic and gold-inlaid swimming spot Tuesday as part of a media extravaganza to spotlight the famed South Beach property before it is auctioned in bankruptcy proceedings Sept. 17.
"There is nothing more iconic than Casa Casuarina," said Eber, of The Jills Team at Coldwell Banker, which is co-marketing the 10-bedroom, 11-bath oceanfront manse with Fisher Auction Co. of Pompano Beach. "What more do you want?"
Ceiling frescoes and statues galore decorate the spectacularly ornate property at 1116 Ocean Drive, which includes a 23,000-square-foot, three-story mansion — plus observatory — on a 19,000-square-foot lot. Each suite is decorated in a fantasy theme with lavish fabrics, tiles, and ceramics.
Italian designer Gianni Versace was shot to death on the steps of the estate in 1997, and tourists still flock to the scene with cameras in tow. Versace bought the property in 1992 when it was a rundown apartment complex and, according to Coldwell Banker, invested more than $33 million in expanding and upgrading the place.
The Mediterranean-style mansion, dubbed Casa Casuarina, was built in 1930, echoing the style of the Alcazar de Colon in Santo Domingo.
The current owner, Peter Loftin, put the Casa Casuarina LLC, the company that owns the property, in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings on July 1 in a bid to stave off creditors' efforts to appoint a receiver. The parties soon afterward agreed to the auction.
Loftin bought the property for $19 million in September 2000 from the Versace estate. Until May, the property was leased by the Villa by Barton G, which operated a boutique hotel and restaurant on the site.
Lamar P. Fisher, president and CEO of the auction company, said plans call for spending $50,000 in a marketing campaign to promote the property worldwide. But already, he said, a handful of "nationally known figures and international buyers, including from Russia and South America," have made serious inquiries.
On Tuesday, The Today Show aired a recorded interview with Eber and Fisher at the mansion. CNBC, Fox News, Reuters, The Associated Press, Bloomberg, and Agence France-Presse turned out for a media tour.
Bidders at the auction are required to ante up $3 million and to show the wherewithal to pay at least $40 million. The debt holder, VM South Beach LLC, has put in a stalking-horse bid of $25 million itself, setting a minimum for other bidders. The sale will include the property fully furnished.
VM South Beach LLC, which acquired the mortgage on the property in December 2011 from a German bank, WestLB, has reason to want the property: It is affiliated with the Nakash family of New York, which controls Jordache Enterprises and has an interest in the Victor Hotel next door to Casa Casuarina.
Fisher said he has worked with The Jills Team, headed by Eber and Jill Hertzberg, in another high-profile auction: The November 2011 sale of the Star Island mansion of Claudio Osorio, a flashy international executive who pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering in March.
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Intermittent Mail Sack: Must Remember to Write 2013 Edition
Hi all, Jonathan here again with the latest edition of the Intermittent Mail Sack. We've had some great questions over the last few weeks so I've got a lot of material to cover. This sack, we answer questions on: Issues upgrading DFSR hub servers to Windows Server 2012 AD FS Sign-out behavior Dynamic Access Control… Read more


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It's 4-H Carnival time tomorrow night in Sheridan County. Jerrica Lind is the 4-H and Youth Development Educator for Sheridan County. She describes the purpose of this annual non-fair event for 4-H clubs.
Lind says there are currently eleven 4-H clubs in Sheridan County. The clubs focus on a wide variety of interests.
At the carnival, she says, money will be raised in different ways. Of course there is a nominal cost for all the food that will be available. Tickets will be sold in a fashion similar to that of Chuck E. Cheese for the games.
And each 4-H club has put together gift baskets valued between $50 - $100 to be handed out in a drawing. One ticket is $2 or a book of ten tickets can be purchased for $19. Club members are out selling those in advance, and they will also be sold at the carnival. You need not be present to win.
And Lind says that not only is the carnival a great fundraiser for the organization in Sheridan County, but also...
The annual 4-H Carnival runs from 3 – 7 pm tomorrow night at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall.


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Judge: No new trial for NH man in nursing student death in Alfred, Maine
ALFRED, Maine (AP) � A judge has rejected a request for a new trial for a man who's serving a 38-year prison sentence for strangling his former fiancee in her Maine home and burying her body in northern New Hampshire.
The lawyer for Jason Twardus of Rochester, N.H., contended prosecutors delayed interviews with an alternate suspect until after the trial. The man, who was the victim's landlord, died last year.
The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/WxkQ5e ) says Judge G. Arthur Brennan rejected the request on Thursday in York County Superior Court. It was the second time Twardus had requested a new trial.
Nursing student Kelly Gorham was living in Alfred, Maine, when she disappeared in August 2007. Her body was found a month later. Prosecutors said Twardus was upset over their broken engagement.


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Annual Manual rocks!
As a sometime contributor and avid reader of the Hook, I'm strongly compelled to sing the praise of your most recent Annual Manual [August 5, 2004].
Other local rags have attempted it, but none have come close to giving the real lowdown.
Additionally as a local minor-league litterateur, I found the writing clever, witty, and refreshingly unpretentious such that I've stocked up on additional copies for folks who'll be visiting the area soon.
Cheers for a job well done!
J. Argus Huber


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Question about IR
Posted 07 September 2007 - 11:10 AM
Posted 07 September 2007 - 11:22 PM
I have a sony mini dv with super night shot. I know it says that you shouldn't use it in bright light or it could damage it but if I'm on an investigation and people are using white light flashlights is that enough to hurt it?
Now I don't know for sure. Not an expert on things but I don't think flashlights could harm it. I mean maybe repeated exposure to really really bright light might. I don't think though other flashlights should harm it. I've been on many investigations with others with white light and mine is still fine. Hey also I have a sony mini dv as well. The super nightshot is great compared to other "regular" night shot. But you might want to look into an extender. Sony makes a great one. I got mine off ebay a while ago. If you just do a search for Sony IR extender. Hope that helps.
Posted 08 September 2007 - 08:10 AM
Posted 08 September 2007 - 09:39 AM
Posted 08 September 2007 - 12:45 PM
I have a HC38 I dont think the extender fits it...
Jason...I agree with the other two here...regular flashlights won't hurt it, but a red filter maintains the IR integrity and normal light could produce false positives.
Posted 08 September 2007 - 01:03 PM
Posted 09 September 2007 - 07:08 AM
I have a HC38 I dont think the extender fits it...
Jason...I agree with the other two here...regular flashlights won't hurt it, but a red filter maintains the IR integrity and normal light could produce false positives.
The extender should fit any model. The arm it comes with screws into the threads at the bottom which you would normal screw a tripod into. Thats the good thing about the extender.
Posted 11 September 2007 - 12:19 PM
Published Author and Paranormal Archaeologist
Posted 01 October 2007 - 03:23 PM
Very well put Richard. Couldn't of said it better myself! Dave
Quite frankly, I would not consider shining any white light directly at the IR sensor on your camcorder. However, when it comes to still photography, since most current digital cameras utilize an auto-focus beam. I would avoid, if at all possible, other's from flashing their camera directly into yours at close range, this would also be inclusive of camcorders. A good reason to call "flash" when you're about to take a picture while others are photographing.
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Advanced Search Click Here
The Mobil-Safe range of vehicle safes come in various shapes and sizes. Ideal for storing high value items from small cameras, satnavs, small laptops etc.. The range includes safes that can be wall mounted in a vehicle to you or your customer's specification. They also offer a range that fits underneath the vehicles seat boxes to be hidden from view for extra security.
Dimensions:L35.5cm x W18cm x D38cmAccess Door: made for 15" laptopWeight: 16kg
Mounting:Safe mounts between vehicle floor and seat base using existing mounting points. Single hole in base of safe for optional fixing through vehicle floor


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Sept. 10, 2005
Karen Robichaud, a Lipscomb alumni, is taking on the responsibility this year of coaching the track and cross-country team for both men and women. She is very excited about her team this year and has very high expectations. She has had much experience in this field, being awarded Most Valuable Runner at Lipscomb University in 1995, 1996, and 1997. Not only did she have respect from her team but also from her classmates. She was named Miss Lipscomb while she attended college here. Coach Robichaud talked with Babbler sports writer Birtt Kuertz earlier this week.
Babbler: Who are your "key runners" this year? :
Robichaud: "Weldon Ehlert, Zach Yanis, Ruth Mick, and Suzanne Worden."
Babbler: Have you seen any improvements so far this year? :
Robichaud: "Yes, freshmen Paige Griffin and Clint Carter have been working really hard and have improved their endurance."
Babbler:Are you looking forward to bigger support from the student body this year? :
Robichaud: "Yes, actually Sewell has already contacted me about a cook-out at the season opener next Friday that they are wanting to host for us."
Babbler:What is your biggest meet this year? :
Robichaud: " Definitely the Atlantic-Sun conference."
Babbler:Who are your biggest rivals? :
Robichaud: "Belmont is always a rival. There is also Campbell, Tennessee Tech, and Evansville."
Babbler:When and where is your next meet? :
Robichaud: "It will be Friday, September 2 at Percy Warner park. The girls start at 5:30 and the boys start at 6:00."
Babbler:How many people are on the team this year? :
Robichaud: " Eight guys and eight girls. I am always looking for new runners so if anyone is interested please contact me."


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BNI High Flyers is a professional networking group for ambitious individuals and businesses who want to build worthwhile and profitable relationships.
The High Flyers Group meet every Thursday at 6:45am at Tompkins on Swan, Alfred Cove, Perth.
Our success has been built on welcoming visitors who get the opportunity to meet 30 plus individual businesses and share their own business's benefits and goals with the group. Visitors are very welcome.
Every member and visitor will have the opportunity during the meeting to speak briefly about: WHO they are, WHAT they do, HOW they add value to their clients and WHO they would like to be referred to. They will also benefit by collecting 25 business cards as well as passing out their own business cards (bring at least 30 cards) to the group.
BNI is not just the most successful networking organisation in Perth South – it's the most successful organisation of its kind in the world! Our group meets every week, so we're confident we have at least one major new business referral waiting for you right now. So, what are you waiting for?
Registration for the event covers the cost of breakfast and venue hire.


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Saturday, July 27th
Make a special wish on this holiday, celebrated at Hillwood in partnership with the Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C.
Sunday, July 28th
Celebrate Hillwood's bountiful gardens with this floral design workshop.
Celebrate Hillwood's bountiful gardens with this floral design workshop.
Tuesday, July 30th
Get an intimate look at Hillwood's gardens with the experts!
Wednesday, July 31st
Get an intimate look at the intricately manicured yet "naturally wild" Japanese-style garden with the experts!
Enjoy summer evenings at Hillwood, complete with dinner at the new Merriweather Café and documentary films that dig deep in the world of America's most fascinating photojournalists.
Thursday, August 15th
Members are invited to spend a summer evening at Hillwood to enjoy dinner at Merriweather Café and specialty programming highlighting astronomy and the gardens.
Sunday, September 8th
Connect with other LGBT families in Hillwood's urban oasis at this family celebration!
Thursday, September 12th
Hunt for dragons, make a hero's cape, and explore a fantastical world of adventure.
Sunday, September 15th
This fall, enjoy the crisp weather and soak in the beauty of yoga and art with CorePower Yoga at HIllwood!


text: Tax Reform: Before and After Full Size Version Share | Have A Question About This Topic? Name Email Address Question Thank you! Oops! Related Contents The Facts About Income Tax Millions faithfully file their 1040 forms each April. But some things about federal income taxes may surprise you. Donating Art: Taxation Abstraction The tax rules that govern donating art are complex and confusing. Take a closer look. Tax Management Strategies Learn more about taxes, tax-favored investing, and tax strategies.


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One of the most obvious technical diversification of recent years has been to develop projects, components and turbines for offshore wind. Now an increasing trend appears to be emerging to combine the business of wind power with solar, hydroelectric, biomass or other power sources.
Diversification as a business strategy is nothing new. Companies with a broader technological footprint say they have been better able to withstand the economic and regulatory bumps that have hit the wind industry in the past few years and cite the benefits a multi-technology strategy has brought. As wind-energy companies are reaching a turning point in their own development cycle, more are finding that technical diversification is becoming a practical solution.
"With diversification you have more levelised earnings, which is what investors and shareholders are looking for," says Bruce Hamilton, a director in consultancy Navigant's energy practice. "You can diversify both in terms of product line and geographically, and by balancing newer products against older ones."
Niche players may decide to remain in one technology, but bigger companies with long-term ambitions in a market may need to explore different technologies in order to meet growth goals, says Jean-Francois Petit, development director at French developer and operator Eole-RES. Eole-RES, a subsidiary of UK renewables group RES, has its roots in onshore wind, with 427MW of installed capacity in France. It also has a small amount of solar photovoltaic capacity. The company considers itself a pure renewable-energy player, but has been eyeing other technologies within that framework.
Through a joint venture with Iberdrola in which Eole-RES owns a 30% stake, the company is developing a 500MW offshore wind project within France's San Brieuc development zone. "More recently, we have begun to work on tidal projects, and we are also looking at biomass, biogas and storage. We are looking in many directions but we will not develop these technologies unless the market is there," says Petit.
The technologies that make a good business case may change over time as technology evolves and costs come down, notes Petit. "Tidal power today is not attractive, mainly because of the cost, but ten years ago PV (solar photovoltaics) was very expensive." As it looks to diversify, Eole-RES is not planning to abandon onshore wind. "If you talk about an attractive technology today, it is onshore wind, which will be at grid parity shortly in a number of markets."
Enel Green Power, the renewable arm of Italian utility Enel, sees a combination of geographical and technological diversification as key to maximising growth opportunities and minimising production risks.
"We will continue to diversify our assets, both geographically and technologically," EGP chief executive Francesco Starace (now CEO of Enel Group) told investors at the presentation of the group's 2014-2018 business plan. "Our business model has proved to be a resilient one, improving our resistance to adverse conditions."
While it is continuing to invest in onshore wind - the largest share of its capacity and production - EGP also has a well-balanced presence in other renewable assets (see charts, below). The company now has about 5.1GW in wind; more than 2.6GW in hydroelectric power; 800MW in geothermal and 300MW from other technologies such as solar photovoltaics and biomass. Its production portfolio is also well divided. Of its nearly 29.5TWh of power generation, 12.2TWh comes from wind, more than 10.9TWh from hydro and around 5.6TWh from geothermal. The company only targets new countries where it sees potential for at least two renewable sources.
Balancing act
A diversified power production portfolio helps to limit volatility. "Diversification not only reduces risk of variation of yearly output," says Rafael Gonzales, head of operations and maintenance for EGP, "but it also reduces deviations from forecasts at a daily and hourly level, hence supporting balancing services and helping avoid unbalancing penalties." A diversified portfolio allows adjustment between output variations that occur between day and night - for example, in the absence of storage capabilities, solar power is a daytime power source - and variations driven by weather conditions.
Some of EGP's peers have also been pursuing diversification strategies. Spanish wind giant Iberdrola, German utilities RWE and E.on and France's EDF are among those who have looked to offshore wind for growth, although RWE's decision earlier this year to scale back its offshore ambitions is just one indication that this is not always an easy path to follow. These firms are also developing solar, biomass and other renewables to complement traditional power portfolios.
An increasing number of companies are also looking at energy storage. While this may not yet be economically viable, it is being eyed in places where the penetration of wind and other intermittent renewable sources is relatively high. In some cases, a push towards storage — which may take the form of batteries, pump storage, or other solutions — is being led by regulators.
Last year, for example, the California Public Utilities Commission set a combined target of 1.325GW of energy storage capacity for state utilities Pacific Gas & Electric, Edison and SDG&E by end-2024. The motivation is to avoid or defer the installation of additional traditional fossil-fuel plants and better provide for the integration of wind and other renewable source.
Regulators are also likely to continue to influence diversification decisions in other ways. Just as feed-in-tariffs may assign different tariffs depending on the renewable power source, renewable portfolio standards (RPS) in some US states, such as Maryland, come with so-called "carve-outs" mandating that a certain amount of capacity must come from offshore wind and solar.
Diversification may be a matter of survival. While turbine suppliers such as GE and Siemens - as part of much larger industrial conglomerates - have a natural hedge against sector-specific woes, smaller manufacturers have in some cases had to rethink strategy. One example is provided by wind-tower producer Trinity Structural Towers, which shifted excess wind-tower manufacturing capacity into the production of rail cars for the transport of crude oil. With markets going up and down, it has made even more sense for these companies to be diverse, says Navigant senior consultant Jesse Broehl.
One way to implement technological diversification is through the use of more than one power source at the same site. "Hybridisation is one key element to increase availability and mitigate intermittency by combining generation technologies of different profiles, such as baseload geothermal and peak solar, in only one production site, leveraging on existing infrastructures such as substations and grid connections," says Rafael Gonzales, head of operations and maintenance at Enel Green Power.
While its hybrid power initiatives — which include the world's first hybrid geothermalsolar PV project at the Stillwater site in Nevada along with small-scale project in Chile involving a mini-wind turbine generator, photovoltaic power and a co-generation system for producing both electricity and hot water — are at an early stage, EGP says they are key to its strategy. "We are planning to carry on along this path to maximise the benefits of hybrid generation," says Gonzales.
EDF Renewable Energy lays claim to what it calls one of the largest wind/solar hybrid projects. Its 140MW Pacific Wind and 143MW Catalina solar project in California, completed in 2012 and 2013 respectively, were developed and contracted independently. But their geographic proximity allows the plants to share infrastructure and maximise use of the transmission lines. This also helps prevent major power fluctuations in an area known for sunny days and windy nights.


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The Facts About Income Tax
Millions faithfully file their 1040 forms each April. But some things about federal income taxes may surprise you.
Tax Reform: Before and After
What did the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act change? Here's a quick snapshot.
Tax Management Strategies
Learn more about taxes, tax-favored investing, and tax strategies.


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Clinton dramas: Here we go again
Tabloid headlines. Personal dramas. Organizational disarray. Score-settling between rival factions documented in news accounts like a soap opera.
Does this have a familiar ring?
Story Continued Below
No one — or mostly no one — truly believes the swirl of headlines surrounding Bill and Hillary Clinton in the summer of 2013 should lead to a grand conclusion about whether another iteration of a Clinton campaign can be run effectively, free of the internecine warfare and incessant drama that marked her 2008 bid.
But if Clinton and her supporters were hoping to allay those doubts well ahead of a possible 2016 run, the past few months have not been helpful.
( PHOTOS: Who's talking about Hillary 2016?)
Clinton supporters would point out, fairly, that much of what has happened to them this summer — the steady stream of unseemly stories about Anthony Weiner's continued virtual liaisons, his wife and Clinton confidante Huma Abedin's very public decision to stand by him, and reports of mismanagement at the Clinton Foundation — has been beyond their control.
But it has all still renewed the question that hangs over Hillary Clinton: Has she learned from the mistakes of the past, and can she finally break some recurring cycles in her public life? Can she manage a functional, and focused, national campaign?
That probably can't be fully answered unless and until Hillary Clinton clarifies whether she plans to run for president. Only then, when she assembles a new team and makes clear whether she is bringing on new blood amid the old Clinton hands, will it become clear what the latest iteration of a Clinton campaign looks like.
Unwanted coverage of the Clinton Foundation and the years leading up to Hillary Clinton's arrival at its office has converged with the messiness of the Weiner-Abedin story. There has also been an element to some of the details in both storylines — people taking sides in a semipublic way in media accounts — that left some recalling the airing of dirty laundry after her 2008 campaign.
( PHOTOS: How close are Huma Abedin and Hillary Clinton?)
Her supporters say it's not the Clintons' fault that the husband of one of the former secretary of state's closest aides had more private baggage dumped in the middle of his mayoral campaign. And the Clintons were only trying to fix the internal problems at the family foundation detailed in a New York Times piece last week that highlighted questions about lax oversight and conflicts of interest, those same backers argue. The story described budgetary concerns and Bill Clinton's own determination two years ago that things were "a mess" organizationally.
They also insist that the Clinton operation is stronger and leaner throughout than before. And the foundation has had some of the growing pains one would anticipate from what Clinton officials have called a "start-up."
The consensus among Clinton allies whose support dates back decades is some version of this: Bill Clinton and his wife have done enough good work to mitigate the periodic bouts of negativity from their world.
( PHOTOS: Bill Clinton's life and career)
But the coverage of late has been a reminder to Democratic operatives, Clinton donors and even their allies of years past.
Asked his take on the latest round of headlines involving the Clintons over the past month, former Bill Clinton adviser James Carville said, "Thus it was, thus it is and thus it shall be."
"It's always gonna be," he added. "And if anybody thinks that it's gonna change, they're crazy."
Yet he added that the global charitable work Bill Clinton has done, combined with his wife's tenure at the State Department, are positives that often go overlooked.
( PHOTOS: The Clinton-Obama relationship)
"I think the Clinton-haters come out of the woodwork," he said. "And if anybody thinks that's not gonna happen they're crazy. And I think if we've learned anything through all of this you deal with it is as it is and things turn out pretty good. Yes, it's a little bit, 'Oh God. We went through that [in the 1990s]. If the Clintons come back we're just gonna have the viciousness and the anger of the '90s. … [without anyone named Clinton] we'll get a fresh start.'
"Well that really worked out well, didn't it?"


text: Our applause and gratitude goes to all the teams who took part in Round 1 of the Thought For Food Challenge! They have worked so tirelessly over the past several months to develop their breakthrough ideas on how to feed 9+ billion people. Our Judges have convened and selected the following 10 finalist teams.