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Gitmo Detainee's Body Returned to Yemen, New Details on His Death Revealed
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said today that the body of Allal Ab-Aljallil Abd al-Rahman Abd (aka Adnan Farhan Abdul Latif) was repatriated to Yemen. The SOUTHCOM statement did not indicate the date or time the body was returned, nor who received the remains.
On November 26, Jason Leopold at Truthout broke the story that Latif's death would be attributed to suicide. Two days later, Charlie Savage at The New York Times reported that the autopsy would show Latif, who supposedly was found unconscious in his cell on September 8, died from an overdose of psychiatric medication.
Meanwhile, Latif's body languished at a US Air Force base in Germany, supposedly the object of a dispute between the Yemen and U.S. governments over the former receiving both an autopsy and the results of the full U.S. investigation into the death. The autopsy report was sent to Yemen on Nov. 8. Subsequently, the Yemen government said the body was expected to be sent to them any day, but the U.S. government said the hold-up over release was on the Yemen side. Meanwhile, Latif's family in Yemen could get very little information about what was going on.
"Acute Pneumonia"
SOUTHCOM'S statement is the first official announcement about the cause of Latif's death. As terse as it is, it does include somewhat surprising new information.
The medical examiner concluded that the death was a suicide. Mr. Latif died of a self-induced overdose of prescription medication. The medical examiner also concluded that acute pneumonia was a contributing factor in his death.
The revelation that, according to the US military, "acute pneumonia was a contributing factor" to the death raises a host of questions. While pneumonia can develop quite quickly, it is worth noting that Captain Robert T. Durand told Jason Leopold in a statement back on October 8 that Latif had been "medically cleared for transfer to Camp 5" only a few days before his death. (Thanks to Jason for pointing that out to me.) Camp 5 is a high-security block at the Cuba-based prison, and Latif was reportedly in solitary confinement in a disciplinary wing of the facility.
Even if Latif looked well enough for transfer from the Detention Hospital where he had been held, there is a new question as to how his medical condition went unnoticed when the detainee is checked on multiple times a day, and indeed, per hour. It is also the case that the detainee's cell is monitored by 24-hour video surveillance. Jason Leopold and I detailed in an article the other day just how difficult it would have been for Latif to have hoarded medications under such a strict regime.
The symptoms of acute pneumonia, moreover, are usually fairly dramatic — shaking, difficulty breathing, coughing — and one wonders why in the day or so before he died he had not been medically attended for pneumonia. How did that go unrecognized? Latif complained in meetings with his attorney that medical care and withholding of medications from hunger strikers in particular was a way Guantanamo authorities tried to control or break prisoners.
Medical abuse?
Other researchers have also documented serious problems with medical care at Guantanamo. In an April 2011 article for PLoS Medicine, Dr. Vincent Iacopino, senior medical advisor to Physicians for Human Rights, and Dr. Stephen Xenakis, a psychiatrist and retired US Army Brigadier General, wrote:
Medical doctors and mental health personnel assigned to the US Department of Defense neglected and/or concealed medical evidence of intentional harm. The full extent of medical complicity in US torture practices will not be known until there is a thorough, impartial investigation including relevant classified information. We believe that, until such time as such an investigation is undertaken, and those responsible for torture are held accountable, the ethical integrity of medical and other healing professions remains compromised.
The U.S. government has long contended that detainees are treated humanely, and that medical issues are given as much care as that of any U.S. military personnel.
Further information from DoD about the circumstances surrounding the repatriation and the autopsy result has been difficult to obtain, as the voice mailbox at the Public Affairs Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD-PA) is "full."
However, late today, I did receive an email back from an unnamed Duty Officer, Defense Press Office. I had asked SOUTHCOM a number of questions, including what medications Latif supposedly overdosed with; when Latif was diagnosed with pneumonia; why had he been "medically cleared" earlier and by whom; and why the body was finally released and what its disposition would be once in Yemen.
OSD-PA replied, "Jeffrey, the US Southern Command press release represents the extent to which the Department is currently prepared to publicly discuss the matter. Until such time as any future statements by the Department may be made, we refer you to the Yemeni government. Thank you."
Meanwhile, the message machine at the press affairs office at the Yemen Embassy in Washington, D.C. also says it is "full" and can't currently take messages. An email query to the embassy had not been returned at time of publication for this article.
[UPDATE, 12/16/12, 8:00 AM: Yemen embassy spokesperson Mohammed Albasha returned my queries early Sunday morning via Twitter. Asked when the family might be receiving Latif's remains, and whether there were any plans for a second autopsy, Albasha replied, "subject is now between the family and the state[.] not sure what or when the next step will be executed."]
In a brief post at Emptywheel, Marcy Wheeler notes the irony of the SOUTHCOM press release reiterating the statement DoD always makes, viz. "Joint Task Force Guantanamo continues to provide safe, humane, and lawful care and custody of detainees. This mission is being performed professionally, transparently, and humanely by the men and women of Joint Task Force Guantanamo."
You could basically take issue with every modifier SOUTHCOM uses to describe JTF-Gitmo's mission and its treatment of prisoners. Wheeler focuses on the ostensible "transparency":
It took two and a half months to learn Latif committed suicide. We're only now learning he suffered from acute pneumonia. And we still do not officially know how badly his head injury–the one the government claims didn't really exist so they could keep him detained–expressed itself while at Gitmo, much less the drugs he was being given, ostensibly for that and mental health problems.
Let me focus for just a moment of the "safe and humane" claim.
Other Gitmo Deaths in the Light of What Is Known About Latif
Latif's death and the secrecy surrounding it reminds me of the way other deaths at Guantanamo have been treated. Last February, I noted in a Truthout article that the released autopsies of two purported Guantanamo "suicides" had raised real questions about their treatment and the way they died. (Later, the UN Special Rappporteur for Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions announced he was going to look into these cases.)
One detainee, Abdul Rahman Al Amri, was, like Latif, found in his isolation cell at Guantanamo. Al Amri was reportedly discovered with his hands tied behind his back. The autopsy report stated, "Investigation reveals that a razor blade from a razor was used to cut strips from one or more bed sheets and a ligature was fashioned by braiding these strips together."
But as I reported at the time, there were strict rules around the possession of razors by detainees. How had Al Amri gotten a razor, hidden it from the many searches, and assembled the ligature (out of what were supposedly "tear-proof" sheets, by the way) with all the surveillance (including video surveillance in the cell)?
The revelation reported by Jason Leopold and I in a story the other day that Latif written a letter to his attorney David Remes in May 2010 that guards were placing "contraband" article in his cell that could be used for self-harm.
Furthermore, and to make you believe that they want me to die and to kill me; they prevented me from having anything that can help me live normally. They don't give me books, a blanket, soap, medical supplies that I need for my hearing, eye glasses, tooth paste, medical shoes or a neck pillow. Instead they give me contraband items like a spoon to hurt myself with it right after all the pressure they exerted on me as I mentioned in the beginning of this letter. They even gave me a big pair of scissors. It was given to me by the person responsible for camp five. This made me ask for the police.
Could Al Amri have been given a razor while guards looked the other way? Like Latif, Al Amri was a hunger striker and considered a troublemaker.
So was Mohammad Ahmed Abdullah Saleh Al Hanashi, who was found dead in an isolation cell in the psychiatric ward, where surveillance is supposed to be if anything even stricter. Al Hanashi was said to be depressed, and upset that he was not allowed a walker. He supposedly strangled himself to death with the elastic from his underwear — except, as I reported, the kind of underwear in use at Guantanamo at this time did not have elastic bands. Not surprisingly, the actual ligature for the "suicide" was never provided to medical examiners. Naval investigators provided an sample for the autopsy they said was similar to what Al Hanashi used. Where was the original ligature?
Of course, there was also the incredible reporting by Scott Horton at Harper's, which relied on reports by former Guantanamo Army guard Joe Hickman and other guards to show that the official government story about the deaths of three Guantanamo suicides in June 2006 was not coherent. (Investigators at Seton Hall School of Law's Center for Policy and Research also examined critically the government report.)
While I have FOIA requests for the NCIS investigations of both the Al Amri and Al Hanashi deaths, nothing has been released as yet. The Al Hanashi request is nearly a year old now.
On November 28, the ACLU filed FOIA requests for the autopsy reports for the last three prisoners to die at Guantanamo: Latif, along with Awal Gul, and Hajji Nassim (also known as "Inayatullah"). The three died on September 8, 2012, February 2, 2012, and May 18, 2011, respectively. While not much has been written about the latter two cases, there are important lingering questions about these deaths as well. Gul's family did not accept the verdict of death by heart attack, which Nassim's death seemed especially strange, as he supposedly hanged himself outside in the recreation yard, where there are plenty of guards present.
Little bit by little bit we are learning more about the death of Adnan Latif, but there is much more to learn. I hope the release of Adnan Latif's body and its final internment will help bring his family some emotional release. They want to know what happened to their brother and son. They deserve to know. The American people, too, deserve to know what happened as well.
But on one level we already know, whether by his own hand or by his horrendous treatment and the living death assigned him via the Obama policy of indefinite detention, Guantanamo certainly killed Adnan Latif.
The Struggle to Close Guantanamo
Next month, the Guantanamo prison will go into its 11th year of holding so-called "war on terror" prisoners. Since Obama's reelection, human rights groups have started to put pressure on President Obama to hold true to his January 2009 promise to close the prison.
In an Twitter exchange with me last month, Zeke Johnson, Director of Amnesty International USA's Security with Human Rights Campaign, said prisoners like former British resident Shaker Aamer could be transferred out of Guantanamo under the NDAA's section 1028. Johnson said Congress should "withdraw [the] AUMF (incl from NDAA) and 'global war' idea."
Furthermore, Zeke wrote, "all detainees must either be charged with recognizably criminal offenses and prosecuted fairly in civilian court without the death penalty, or released to countries that will respect their human rights. And there must be accoutntability for torture & other abuses (investigation, prosecution and remedy)." Johnson indicated more regarding AI's position could be accessed at their website.
Recently, AI has announced its Write #4Rights campaign. It is asking people to get involved in the case of Guantánamo detainee Hussain Salem Mohammed Almerfedi. Almerfedi, like Latif, a Yemeni cleared for release by both Bush and Obama administrations, has been held for over nine years. Originally, AI meant to highlight Latif as part of their campaign, but that was not to be.
How many more like Latif will die, victimized by a cruel and insane system, by what the assistant commandant of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and School at Ft. Huachuca once called "America's 'Battle Lab' in the war on terror."
Photo from File:ISN 156's Guantanamo detainee assessment.pdf via Wikipedia.


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Alexander The Great
Penguin, 1 sept. 2004 - 576 pages
Tough, resolute, fearless. Alexander was a born warrior and a ruler of passionate ambition who understood the intense adventure of conquest and of the unknown. When he died in 323 B.C.E. at age thirty-two, his vast empire comprised more than two million square miles, spanning from Greece to India. His achievements were unparalleled--he had excelled as leader to his men, founded eighteen new cities, and stamped the face of Greek culture on the ancient East. the myth he created is as potent today as it was in the ancient world.
Robin Lane Fox's superb account searches through the mass of conflicting evidence and legend to focus on Alexander as a man of his own time. Combining historical scholarship and acute psychological insight, it brings this colossal figure vividly to life.
Avis des internautes - Rédiger un commentaire
LibraryThing ReviewAvis d'utilisateur - David.Alfred.Sarkies - LibraryThing
My sister bought me this book for Christmas once since she discovered that I liked the Ancient Greek world, though I must admit that this period is a little later than what I generally am interested ... Consulter l'avis complet
LibraryThing ReviewAvis d'utilisateur - Miro - LibraryThing
I knew something about Alexander the Great before reading this book but it's still full of surprises. Firstly has to be Robin Lane Fox's mass of knowledge (and informed speculation) about such distant ... Consulter l'avis complet
Table des matičres
List of Maps
Droits d'auteur
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subset: commoncrawl


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iCloud Keychain remembers things, so that you don't have to. It auto-fills your information—like your Safari usernames and passwords, credit cards, Wi-Fi passwords, and social log-ins—on any device that you approve.
Get started
To use iCloud Keychain, you need iOS 7.0.3 or later on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, and OS X Mavericks 10.9 or later on your Mac. Learn about availability by country or region.
When you update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to the latest iOS, the setup assistant asks you to set up iCloud Keychain. Instructions vary based on whether you're using two-factor authentication or another type of security, like your email, password, or security questions.
If you're using two-factor authentication
With two-factor authentication, your device is trusted when you sign in with your Apple ID, so in most cases you don't need to re-approve it.
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:
- Tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud. For 10.2 or earlier, tap Settings > iCloud.
- Tap Keychain.
- Slide to turn on iCloud Keychain.
On your Mac:
- Choose Apple () menu > System Preferences > iCloud.
- Select Keychain.
If you're using two-step verification, or email, password, or security questions
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:
- Choose Settings > [your name] > iCloud. For 10.2 or earlier, tap Settings > iCloud.
- Tap Keychain and slide to turn it on.
- Enter your Apple ID, and follow the instructions.
On your Mac:
- Choose Apple () menu > System Preferences > iCloud.
- Enter your Apple ID and password, and follow the instructions.
You can create an iCloud Security Code—six digits, complex alphanumerics, or randomly generated—to authorize additional devices and verify your identity. If you have the SMS-enabled device that you used to set up keychain, you can use that, or you can get help if you forgot your code or can't get the SMS. You can also change your trusted phone number in Settings or System Preferences.
Frequently asked questions
Get answers to some of the most common questions about iCloud Keychain.
What information does iCloud Keychain store?
iCloud Keychain stores credit card numbers and expiration dates—without storing or autofilling the security code—and passwords and usernames, Wi-Fi passwords, Internet accounts, and more. Developers can also update their apps to use keychain, if the app is on a device that uses iOS 7.0.3 or later, or OS X Mavericks 10.9 and later.
Can I view and edit my passwords stored in iCloud Keychain?
Yes. You can access your passwords to websites, Wi-Fi networks, and Internet accounts via the specific application. For example, use Safari to access and edit your Safari passwords.
How does iCloud Keychain protect my information?
iCloud protects your information with end-to-end encryption, which provides the highest level of data security. Your data is protected with a key that's made from information unique to your device, and combined with your device passcode, which only you know. No one else can access or read this data, either in transit or storage. Learn more.
What happens when I turn off iCloud Keychain on a device?
When you turn off iCloud Keychain for a device, you're asked to keep or delete the passwords and credit card information that you saved. If you choose to keep the information, it isn't deleted or updated when you make changes on other devices.
Can I make sure my information isn't backed up in iCloud?
Yes. When you set up iCloud Keychain, skip the step to create an iCloud Security Code. Your keychain data is then stored locally on the device, and updates across only your approved devices. If you don't create an iCloud Security Code, Apple can't help you recover your iCloud Keychain.
Can Apple recover my iCloud Security Code?
No. If you enter your iCloud Security Code incorrectly too many times, you can't use that iCloud Keychain. You can contact Apple Support to verify your identity and try again. After several incorrect attempts, your keychain is removed from Apple's servers, and you need to set it up again.


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Nice work! Enjoy the show!
Link Copied!
Fight for control of Burundi after coup claim
Opening Sequence
Saudi oil production back on line -energy minister
Exit polls show Israel election too close to call
Lewandowski tangles with Judiciary panel Dems
GM faces mounting losses amid labor strike
Iran's Khamenei rejects talks with United States
At least 48 people killed in two Afghanistan attacks
NBCUniversal names streaming service 'Peacock'
WeWork's troubled market debut has been delayed
Drone delivers shark warning to surfer
Closing Sequence


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Randall Horton on the Practicing Artist [1]
P&W–sponsored poet Randall Horton writes about forming relationships with venues. Horton is the recipient of the Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Award, the Bea Gonzalez Poetry Award, and the National Endowment of the Arts [3]Fellowship in Literature. A Cave Canem [4]Fellow and member of Affrilachian Poets, [5] Horton's lastest poetry collection Pitch Dark Anarchy will be published by Northwestern University Press [6] in Spring 2013.
Before the publication of my first poetry collection,The Definition of Place, the idea of performing my writing never crossed my mind. I'd been active in several poetry communities, but it wasn't until the book arrived and I held it in my hands that I realized the promotion of it would be a task to which I was not accustomed. It was the early grant support Poets & Writers gave me to go out and read my work that enabled me to introduce myself to a larger and varied audience—and to nurture relationships—especially on the East Coast, which is where I am based. I think it is important that beginning poets understand that the Readings/Workshops Program [7]at Poets & Writers [8] can help provide these opportunities to writers.
With the help of many friends and poets, including the late Adarro Minton, Lita Hooper, and Fred Joiner, I was given a platform to reach an audience at a range of poetry venues including the Social Justice Center [9] in Albany, the YMCA Downtown Writer's Center [10] in Syracuse, headed by the poet Phil Memmer, The Revolving Door Series [11] in Chicago, hosted by Jennifer Steele, the Southwest Arts Center [12] in Atlanta, as well as the American Poetry Museum [13] in Washington, D.C.
I would like to think all artists pursue their art only to express their passion and creativity, but the reality is it helps to be financially compensated for the work we do. Receiving grants from Poets & Writers makes poets feel worthy, if only in small way, which in turns helps to feed our art. These opportunities also help us reach a larger audience. My advice to beginning poets is to continue to cultivate relationships with venues where you read, and make them aware that funding through Poets & Writers is available, because we all want to feel appreciated, if only for a moment.
Photo: Randall Horton. Photo credit: Rachel Eliza Griffiths
Support for Readings/Workshops in New York City is provided, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts [14], and the Department of Cultural Affairs [15], with additional support from the Louis & Anne Abrons Foundation, the Axe-Houghton Foundation, the A.K. Starr Charitable Trust, and Friends of Poets & Writers [16].


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By Wendell Barnhouse | email@example.com
Big12Sports.com Correspondent
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - One year ago, the Big 12 Conference concluded its annual spring meetings with its future in jeopardy.
The Conference wrapped up its 2011 spring meetings here Friday with an outlook so bright, sunglasses might have to be distributed. After losing Nebraska and Colorado to other conferences, the Big 12 is poised to move forward as a united 10-team league.
"We had very productive meetings and everyone is committed to moving forward," said Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton, the chairman of the Big 12 Board of Directors. "There's no question the collegiality is (present). Maybe smaller numbers, having two fewer members, helps a bit because you get more interaction among the 10 and everybody's just working together real well. It's a good time for the conference."
That was underscored by a number of announcements made by Deaton and Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe.
The most significant news involved a change in revenue sharing. The schools unanimously voted to a more equitable revenue distribution plan. The Big 12 will equally divide 76 percent of its football and basketball television revenue among the 10 schools. Since the league was formed in 1996, 57 percent of the revenue had been split equally.
The remaining 24 percent of television money will be distributed according to several criteria, including number of appearances, quality of competition and willingness to move games to accommodate television.
"The important thing is we're dealing with a lot more revenue, so everybody feels good about the contract and giving us the flexibility and resources to be more competitive," Deaton said. "And there's also the growing recognition that to be a strong conference, we've got to have every member be strong and competitive in an ongoing basis in all sports."
Changing the revenue sharing involved rewriting the conference bylaws. That typically requires unanimous agreement. Interestingly, Nebraska fans often complained about the Big 12's unequal revenue sharing. Beebe said that when it was a Big 12 member, Nebraska officials "were the most adamant" in opposition to changing the bylaw.
"What's happening clearly is we're moving in a steady pace toward a more equal sharing revenue model, which is a good thing for the long-term stability in the conference," Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin told the Dallas Morning News. "Over time, that will be a good thing. Those conferences that have equal revenue sharing just seem to be happier, as far as I can tell."
In mid-April the Big 12 announced that it had agreed to a lucrative 13-year agreement with FOX Sports for the Conference's second tier (cable) television rights. Beebe said Friday that while that agreement doesn't start until the 2012-13 season that Big 12 schools would see "a significant impact" starting immediately.
"FOX agreed to pay a signing bonus and that money will be distributed equally starting with this season," Beebe said.
Deaton said that the issue of revenue distribution hasn't been as contentious as what has been portrayed.
"It wasn't something that divided us, while externally it was viewed as a significant issue," Deaton said. "We're dealing with a lot more revenue and to be a strong conference we have to have all members getting stronger."
As the Conference moves closer to a new era that officially begins July 1, it is gearing up to market itself. During a joint council (presidents, athletic directors, faculty athletic representatives and senior women's administrators) meeting Thursday GSD&M Idea City made an impressive presentation. The advertising agency was hired last August to help create an extensive and aggressive media campaign.
The board of directors voted to fund the GSD&M campaign, which will start being made public at the Big 12 football media days in late July.
Football Tiebreaker Rules Updated
With football doing away with divisions and the 10 teams playing a round-robin schedule, the Big 12 tiebreaking procedures have been modified. In case of a three-way tie (something that happened two of the last three years in the South Division), the first two tiebreakers will be head-to-head and then record against the next highest team in the standings.
If the teams remained tied, the highest-ranked team in the final BCS poll would be the BCS bowl representative, unless two of the teams are ranked within one spot of each other. In that case, the head-to-head would break the tie.
Two Sports Added
Starting with the 2011-12 season, the Big 12 will sponsor and hold championships for rowing and equestrian. Adding the women's sports and making them subject to conference eligibility requirements can help schools comply with Title IX gender equity requirements. Squad limits will be 52 for rowing and 32 for equestrian.
Four conference schools have been sponsoring teams on the club level in each sport. Kansas, Kansas State, Texas and Oklahoma compete in rowing while Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas A&M compete in equestrian.
Beebe On The BCS
The Department of Justice announced this week it will meet with the BCS officials regarding the issue of antitrust. The BCS maintains that the government has more important and better things to do than "insert itself into how college postseason football should be operated."
Beebe agrees with those who don't think the Justice Department is spending its time wisely. "It's good to know that they've chased down all of the people who caused our banking system to have problems," he said.


text:
new forum user here
Im having difficulty connecting my tester with my laptop and printer... i have gone through all the manuals and there doesnt seem to be a trouble shooting guide.
ive connected via the usb to rs232 adapter it comes up as recognized yet every time i try to send data it says time out error can anyone please advise me?
also i have tried to connect via bluetooth but it just says waiting to connect even though the pc recognises the device
thank you in advance


text:
If you own a car, you should know a mechanic.
Sure, car owners can abuse their rides, neglect maintenance and hope things are OK. When cars don't get the attention they need, though, they have a nasty habit of eventually striking back by draining their owners' bank accounts. Cars don't thrive on neglect.
Fluids, brakes, drivetrain components, electronics and engine mechanics are all parts of a precision system that must work in perfect harmony to maintain performance and longevity in a car.
If you wait on maintenance and don't have an established relationship with a good mechanic when your car starts giving you problems, be careful what you say when bringing your vehicle to a shop you've never visited. If you value your money at all, be absolutely sure you don't say anything like this:
"I'm not sure what's wrong, but I hope it doesn't cost me a thousand bucks."
Nope, it won't cost a thousand bucks. But now the shop knows your limit and may roll out a $995 bill.
"Just do what you gotta do to fix the car."
This is an open invitation to take you for all your worth. Instead, tell the mechanic the problem and ask to see a written description of what will be done to fix it and how much it will cost. Otherwise you risk being charged for unnecessary repairs.
"Sure, I'll take the Lifetime Muffler."
I've seen advertisements for these "Lifetime Mufflers" at various repair shops, both national chains and local shops. Be careful, because while the muffler itself may be replaced for free, the pipes and labor surely won't. There have been complaints of Lifetime Mufflers being poor quality and corroding after a year, which of course takes all the pipes with it, because everything has been welded together. You're better off buying high-quality parts, accepting a 90-day warranty and watching the system last 100,000 miles. Don't let any mechanic weld your exhaust pipes together.
"I don't have a clue about cars."
Once again, this seemingly innocent little phrase opens the doors for mechanics looking for ways to perform unneeded work at a high cost.
"Use the cheapest parts you have."
The market is being flooded with cheap, poor-quality parts. Request a name-brand, original-equipment replacement part and ask to see its box. Otherwise you risk paying more than you should for a poor-quality substitute.
Many of the mechanics I know are not trying to scam or deceive their customers. However, if given the chance to make a few extra bucks for performing some quality work, I bet every one of them would do it. Your responsibility, as a consumer, is to know what you're paying for before you pay for it.
Better yet, have a trusted mechanic perform your basic maintenance, so when a major repair comes up, you know a real professional has your back. Need help finding one? Check out the reviews of mechanics in your city at CarGurus.
Have you ever been burned by a mechanic? Do you have one you trust?


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- This event has passed.
7:00 Samba T&D
July 30 @ 7:00 pm – 7:45 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 7:00pm on Tuesday, repeating until July 30, 2019
Event Navigation
This class is for intermediate/advanced dancers. Students who attend the class should have at least two years of dance experience. Class will focus on technique,"drills" and styling in International Style Samba. No partner required. Discount cards are available. Please call us at 919-481-3137 for more information.


text: Those who say England lacks diversity haven't been to South West England. From ancient heritage to vacation resorts, broad beaches to dynamic cities, South West England simultaneously delves you back in time and draws you into the present, lets you unwind and gets your pulse pounding. Rural fields ramble on, meeting stunning cliffs and sandy shores, while medieval towns and modern cities help fill in the places between monuments. Start where it all began: the mysterious, ancient stones of Stonehenge and Avebury. Fast-forward a handful of centuries, and check out the Gothic splendor of the Salisbury Cathedral. The grand terraces and opulent architecture of Bath gives a glimpse into the gentile side of England, while Celtic stronghold Cornwall lends a more down-to-earth view—interlaced with a booming tourist industry. Seaside resort Devon offers a little bit of everything, in that quintessentially South West England way: kitsch and class, medieval architecture and a national park. But it's not all history: once-gritty Bristol is blooming as cultural destination, complete with cutting-edge cuisine and top-notch museums. It's a heady mix of culture and history that birthed one of the world's most noted street artists, Banksy. Come see what influences await you in South West England.


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Mobee Magic Feet Wireless Charging Station Review/
Inductive charging is a fast growing technology which conveniently solves a gearhead's most critical problem in life, low battery syndrome. Today, we'll be taking another look into wireless charging made possible by a Swiss company called Mobee. The name should sound familiar if you're a Mac user. And although Apple has its own respectable rechargeable battery solution using the old fashioned plug n' charge method to keep its line of wireless input devices up to snuff, it has yet to make the leap forwards with wireless inductive charging like HTC, Nokia, Samsung, Motorola and LG have. For a while now, Mobee has been there to fill that void of inductive charging withdrawals with its series of modern wireless inductive chargers.
The latest offering to come out of the land that brought us triangular chocolates, is the Magic Feet. It's Mobee's all-in-one inductive charging station to feature the company's magical Magic Charger and Magic Bar all bundled into one platform of wireless charging goodness, made exclusively for Mac users. How does it all pan out? Find out in our full review after the jump!Read More


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HAYWARD — Behind a 188-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance by Vince Volpatti, the host Vikings (9-3) defeated the Wildcats (8-4) and are headed to their first NCS championship football game in school history.
A familiar foe will be waiting for Valley Christian next week. Tri-County Athletic League-Rock Division rival Salesian upset No. 1 seed Middletown 21-13 and will face the Vikings at Chabot College for the NCS Division V title.
"They know us. We know them. It should be fun," said Valley Christian coach Jim Heal about the matchup with Salesian. When the two teams met in the regular season on Nov. 9, Valley Christian won 21-12 at Salesian.
On Friday at Chabot College, the No. 2 seed Vikings broke open the game in the second quarter against the third-seeded Wildcats.
Valley Christian took a two-touchdown lead on a 30-yard touchdown run by Isaiah Harris with 10:23 remaining in the first half. Ferndale answered back with a 77-yard drive, capped by an 8-yard scoring run by Kyle Chambers to cut the Vikings' lead to 14-6.
But Volpatti gave his team a double-digit lead to stay in the next play from scrimmage. The senior headed left on a run, then cut sharply right and followed his blockers for a 77-yard touchdown.
"I just had a lot of blocking," said Volpatti humbly about the touchdown. His first touchdown was a four-yard run late in the first quarter. He gained 130 of his yards in the first half.
The Vikings also received a four-yard touchdown run by Theman Taylor III with 1:39 remaining in the half, and held a 28-6 halftime advantage. Valley Christian outgained Ferndale 256-62 in the first half and the Vikings rushed for 318 yards in the game. Taylor produced the only score of the second half on a 10-yard run in the third quarter and finished with 58 yards on the ground.
Chambers had a team-high 85 yards rushing for Ferndale.
Division V Semifinal Valley Christian 34, Ferndale 6
Ferndale 0 6 0 0– 6
Valley C. 7 21 6 0– 34
VC — Volpatti 4 run (Marco kick)
VC — Harris 30 run (Marco kick)
F — Chambers 8 run (kick blocked)
VC — Volpatti 77 run (Marco kick)
VC — Taylor 4 run (Marco kick)
VC — Taylor 10 run (kick failed)
Rushing: F — Chambers 18-85, Townsend 4-39, Rocha 7-25, Martin 4-13, Team 2-3, Standley 1-1. Totals 36-166. VC — Volpatti 19-188, Taylor 11-58, Harris 3-35, Schaefer 5-22, Smith 6-14, Haus 2-8, Suski 1-(-4). Totals 47-318. Passing: F — Martin 4-16-0-28, Chambers 0-7-0-0. Totals 4-23-0-28. VC — Taylor 3-8-3-49. Receiving: F — Chambers 3-9, Standley 1-19. Totals 4-28. VC — Borneman 2-25, Woodson 1-24. Totals 3-49. Fumbles/lost: Ferndale 4/1, Valley Christian 2/1. Records: Valley Christian 9-3, Ferndale 8-4.


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When gardeners get together these days, the talk is inevitably of earliness. Ten day, two weeks, a month—depends on what plant you're talking about, but they're all ahead of their time. That will happen when you have ninety-degree temps (occasionally) before summer even officially begins. Not to mention the boost of hot weather we had in the early spring.
This is the first year I have had lilium regales and daylilies opening in June, and my hydrangeas have almost completely colored up, as you can see, above. Containers and hanging baskets have to be watered almost continually, and there's no rain in sight.
Nonetheless, I'll take it. I'll take it over the triple-digits they're having down south. They said this would happen, and it's happening.
Those of us on garden tours are a bit concerned, but it's also a good lesson. You can't depend on flower power alone in a garden. There has to be structure, foliage, texture, elements like water features and sculpture, and some sort of design that holds it all together even when all your lilies are bloomed out (as mine may be by Garden Walk). But most of all, the garden needs to be an attractive and comfortable place for the gardener to hang out. Because it's too hot to garden. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself.


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Posts Tagged 'therapeutic dose'
Good days, Bad days…
I've had a lot of good days lately. My mood has picked up sufficiently that I am feeling almost "normal" at times now and certainly manageable at others. I have actually felt happiness or contentedness, something I wasn't really sure was possible any more. My concentration has been improving and my confidence is growing.
I have started to contemplate the idea that I may finally be heading towards some form of recovery. Maybe, just maybe, we have found the drug that works, despite the problematic side effects.
I have been foolish though in thinking the bad days had passed. I had hoped that I wouldn't feel that bad again, at least any time soon. I really didn't feel good yesterday. I woke up feeling low and felt worse as the morning went on. For the first time in a while I felt seriously suicidal, as opposed to the passing thoughts that had been floating around, but which I could brush off relatively easily. I was having to really fight the urge to just thrown in the towel. I felt anxious and uneasy. I've been struggling with strange dreams and nightmares lately and they were bothering me. Everything just felt wrong somehow. I wanted to crawl back in to bed and hide there. It felt like nothing had changed. I thought I was past all that, but I was wrong.
Things did start to improve again yesterday evening, but I am feeling a little shaky still. I feel like I've been knocked off balance and I'm struggling to right myself.
I am trying to tell myself that this is normal, recovery isn't a smooth process and bad days are to be expected, but it doesn't ease the disappointment. Telling myself this didn't make yesterday any easier.
I hope that things will pick up again, but I am worried that this will set me back. One of the things I struggle most with is the idea that I will never be completely well again and there is always a fear of relapse. A bad day is like a mini relapse and it makes me question if it is all worth it. What is the point in carrying on, if in 6 months, a year, 20 years I end up severely depressed again and try to kill myself? My thinking may be screwed up, but I just wonder if I may as well get it over with.
I had been thinking about going back to work. I do miss it and I've been missing it even more when I've felt okay. I wonder why I am not there. I know I have only just seen Occy Health and I agree that I'm probably not ready to go back just yet, but I was starting to think that I will be able to do it. Even 3 or 4 weeks ago when I was there, I doubted it would ever be possible. A run of good days has made me think it is, but this bad one has put the doubt back. I worry that it would only take a couple of bad days at work and I would be back where I was before.
I'm still really struggling with the future. I panic when I think about what lies ahead. I am scared of therapy. I am scared of going back to work. I am scared that I will relapse. I am scared of commitment in all shapes and forms. I am scared of getting married. I am scared of buying a house. I am scared of getting old.
I am frustrated, because I was meant to be seeing Dr M on Thursday and I got a phone call today to say she has cancelled. I am disappointed, as after yesterday I felt I could really do with seeing her again soon. I wanted to discuss the Reboxetine. I think it is time to increase it to the "therapeutic dose" (4mg b.d.). I hope that those extra 2mgs will be enough to stave off the bad days. I just hope it isn't enough to tip the side effects into not-worth-it territory. She was also going to discuss what we can do to ease the side effects, particularly looking at sleep again – the insomnia is the biggest problem. I quite wanted to know what ideas she had come up with since I'd last seen her.
I now have to wait another 2 weeks. It is going to end up being 6 weeks between appointments by the time I eventually see her and we were aiming for every 2-3 weeks, so that's not so good. It may still be better than the CMHT, but I could have done with seeing her sooner.
I guess I will just have to manage how I am. We will see what happens. I'd like some more good days.


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Fried Chicken and Sushi 179 and 180/
My first taste of Japanese ramen was truly divine! I couldn't believe something so delicious was also so easily affordable. This series of strips really is based on truth. I enjoyed going to a small ramen shop in Shimamoto owned by my student's father. He was a very energetic man that always made me feel welcome. I could literally walk there in three minutes. Dangerous, I know! I didn't go there nearly as often as I should have. For Karl, this is going to be a new hang out spot so expect to see him back at the ramen shop again in the future!


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Severe Winter Weather Upends Holiday Travel Plans
(NEW YORK) -- Snow, wind and rain have disrupted holiday travel plans across the Midwest, South and Northeast over the past two days, prompting reports of 200 severe weather incidents and four tornadoes.
Lashing winds and blowing snow stretched from Nebraska to Michigan overnight, shutting down major highways across the region as drivers struggled to stay on the road. At least 1,000 accidents have been reported, with one north of Des Moines, Iowa, where at least 25 vehicles slammed into each other. There were so many accidents in Iowa that the National Guard was called in to help motorists, including pre-teen Isaac Wilson.
"The U.S. Army came and put us in this really fancy truck, and we got blankets and snacks and drove all the way here," Wilson of Millard, Iowa, told ABC News.
Two tornadoes reportedly touched down in Arkansas, while one was reported in Alabama and another in Florida. The most significant damage was from a tornado in Mobile, Ala., with winds of 86 to 110 mph and a path length of 7 miles.
Severe storms have moved off shore on Friday and the Southeast and the Gulf Coast are expected to dry out.
Up to 20 inches of snow fell in Madison, Wis., while up to 14 inches fell in Iowa. Madison, Dubuque, Iowa, and Des Moines all had daily record snowfall on Thursday. The University of Wisconsin cancelled some final exams.
In Chicago, the rain finally changed to snow, but the precipitation has almost ended, so less than a half an inch of snow has accumulated at O'Hare Airport. Still, there were 600 flight cancellations reported on Thursday, as people struggle with pre-Christmas travel.
Snow is coming to an end in Chicago, and most of the Midwest. A few more inches are still possible for Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
Thirteen states from Iowa to Maine are under winter weather watches, warnings and advisories.
In the Northeast, high-wind warnings have been posted for major cities, from Washington, D.C., to New York and Boston, with some minor damage and power outages possible.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio


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My name is Howard Roberts and I am currently the vice-chairman for the Eminence Fire Board. Recently, Manda Gingrich, a candidate for the Eminence City Council, gave out a political handout, containing false and deceptive information concerning the fire department. I write this letter to inform the residents the truth and as Paul Harvey says, "and now the rest of the story."
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On Monday Israeli commandos boarded one of the civilian passenger ships that was part of the "freedom flotilla" sailing to break Israel's siege on Gaza and opened fire, killing at least nine and injuring many others. My first reaction was, as respected New York Times columnist Nick Kristof tweeted, that "Israel wldn't be that stupid."
The movement that put together this blockade-busting attempt sought to draw attention to the heinous blockade of Gaza that Israel has imposed for four years.
Bloodshed at the hands of the Israeli military could only mean that the story of the flotilla, which had already garnered some media attention, would become a leading news item. As they say in the news industry: If it bleeds, it leads.
Prior to the latest Israeli attack, Israel was already reeling from devastating blows to its international reputation. The three-week war on Gaza during 2008-09, which left some 1,400 dead, mostly civilians, and a number of others maimed, is just one of many recent examples.
To avoid further international disdain, Israel needed to find a peaceful end to the standoff with the flotilla to avoid embarrassment.
This was not merely a confrontation of boats on the high seas, but a public relations battle. On one side, activists sought to expose Israel's collective punishment of Gaza's civilian population. The Israeli side sought to keep the reality of its blockade hidden.
Yet Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman tipped Israel's hand a few days before the assault at sea when he said Israel would be prepared to stop the flotilla "at any cost." We know now what he had in mind.
Today the death toll remains sketchy, and Israeli officials continue to insist that they support the actions of Israeli soldiers and gave fair warning to the boat filled with activists on board. Ridiculously, Israel says that these activists had connections to Al Qaeda.
The fact is that the activists hailed from around the world, representing many faiths and included a Nobel Peace laureate, parliamentarians, and former US diplomats. Now, many of them are needlessly dead. It's clear to me that this was no accident but an intentional massacre on the high seas to send a message to nonviolent activists and the international community.
The message from Israel was simple: We don't care about your laws, rights, civilians, or what you think of us. We care only about maintaining our occupation regime through the use of force – and there is nothing you can do to stop us.
And Israel is the occupier of Gaza. It immediately closed off exit by air and sea (and only recently reopened its border with Gaza on the Strip amid international criticism) and pressures Egypt to keep any land exit via the Sinai Peninsula closed. The international community still recognizes it as the occupier of Gaza.
Israel's message has been repeated year after year through the occupation, the war on Gaza, the consistent colonization of Palestinian territory, and so on.
The proverbial ball is now in the international community's court. The siege on Gaza must end now and the Israeli regime must face the consequences of violating international law. Another independent inquiry is absolutely necessary to spell out in detail what transpired in the Mediterranean.
The problem is that Israel rejects even the finest judge's inquiries, as was the case with Judge Richard Goldstone following the Gaza assault.
In modern times, it seems that oppression cannot end until the oppressor is exposed to the world as having no regard for humanity. Only then does enough international or domestic pressure emerge to make the regime change its ways.
In India, this took the Amritsar massacre in 1919 by British Imperialist troops; in South Africa it took the Sharpeville massacre in 1960; in the United States it took the lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955. In each case, the perpetrators tried to portray the victims as terrorists or criminals, but people of conscience would not have it.
With each drop of civilian blood, the impunity grows.
The emerging question is whether this will be Palestine's moment. It falls on the shoulders of the international community to seize this opportunity. Many such opportunities have passed, like the massacres at Qana in 1996, Sabra and Shatila in the 1980s, Hebron in 1994, Qana again in 2006, Gaza in 2008, and the list goes on.
The activists who set sail for Gaza did their part and now people of conscience around the world and their governments must to do their part. We can choose whether the dead activists will be the last of the civilians killed by the Israeli regime or if they will simply join the list of countless others who died trying to expose the crimes of occupation and siege.
Anything less than an international outcry leading to the end of the siege on Gaza would mean the international community has failed civil society, and the nonviolent activists will have died in vain.
Yousef Munayyer is executive director of The Palestine Center in Washington.


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The startling thing in first seeing the new Mercy Hospital Joplin – the factory built, trucked-in replacement for the building destroyed by last May's tornado – is how attractive and permanent it looks. Joplin has a new hospital as of mid-April, and this one isn't tents or trailers.
The new facility will offer patients all the comforts and most services they would expect from a Mercy hospital. With steel construction that is sturdier than the old St. John's Regional Medical Center, the new Mercy building is a testament to modern technology and overtime workers coming together to build a complete hospital in eight months.
The new facility includes a full-scale emergency department. Surgeons can again conduct complex, open-heart procedures. Mercy doctors can deliver babies again. Patients can rest in rooms with monitoring features, communication capabilities and private bathrooms they'd expect in any hospital. The two-story inpatient wings can accommodate more than 100 patients if demand warrants. A cafeteria, gift shop, pharmacy and chapel complete the picture.
"It's remarkable that we were able to get this topnotch facility up and running within eight months," said Lynn Britton, president and CEO of Mercy. "Early in the recovery, we knew the community would need a true hospital while we build for the future. So we challenged the team to do it. We have our Sisters of Mercy to thank who came to Joplin in the late 1800s and showed us what a bias for action, determination and true grit can accomplish."
Mercy has worked hard to turn this corner. Co-workers and contractors first opened a tent hospital a week after the disaster. They followed months later with a small hospital assembled from components, which look like trailers. The new Mercy Hospital not only houses employees and patients in a handsome and sturdy building, it also unveils some of the improvements coming to a rebuilt Joplin.
The state-of-the-art hospital, for one, has imaging technology that in many cases is newer and more powerful that what was used at St. John's, such as a new CT scanner that captures images with twice the resolution. "Mercy co-workers are motivated by the progress they see," said Drew Alexander, director of the emergency department.
The modular construction behind Mercy Hospital has changed dramatically since it began with trailers decades ago. The hospital's construction began in a California factory, where workers at Walden Structures engineered and assembled large slices of the structure with the same steel, concrete and drywall used in site-built construction. Joplin workers at the same time prepared the property and laid the foundation, with the simultaneous work greatly reducing the build time.
The trick is hauling the huge modules across country. Trucks and a few trains carried the 224 modules, some 60 feet long by 14 feet wide and high, with drivers having to navigate some tight corners on routes that local Mercy planners helped find. Some units arrived more than 80-percent finished, leaving workers to bolt them together and weave across pipes and wires. Exterior and interior finishes transformed the modules into a hospital that's indistinguishable from one conventionally built.
Tornado disaster or no, state and local codes remain stringent for hospital construction. Walden had to build a prototype and accommodate inspectors as it assembled the components. "We hired about 30 percent more workers and put in a lot of overtime to meet the schedule," said Charlie Walden, founder and owner of Walden Structures.
"The resulting structure is actually 30 percent stronger than the requirements for Mercy's old building, and the glass is rated to withstand winds of 200 mph," said John Farnen, Mercy's executive director of planning, design and construction. "This building exceeds code requirements."
The modular technology also enabled construction to squeeze into the site, which is just across the road from the ruined St. John's. Further south, Farnen is also overseeing construction of the next Mercy Hospital Joplin, whose conventional construction is emerging on a 100-acre campus across I-44. The future building will house 600,000 square feet versus a quarter of that in the new Mercy Hospital opening this month, but hospital co-workers already sense a return to normalcy.
Employees have been scattered across, and even outside, the Joplin area as Mercy held to its pledge to keep all 2,200 co-workers on the payroll. "I hear it all the time from co-workers, how we want to come back home, how we all miss each other," said Marilyn Welling, director of medical surgical services at Mercy Hospital Joplin. "There is also a lot of pride — it was amazing that we all were willing to step out of our usual roles and keep Mercy going. And now we have a new hospital that will bring us back together."
Mercy is the eighth largest Catholic health care system in the U.S. and serves more than 3 million people annually. Mercy includes 31 hospitals, more than 200 outpatient facilities, 38,000 co-workers and 1,500 integrated physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. For more about Mercy, visit www.mercy.net.


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Lauren Chapin
{Copyright (C) 2014 Lauren Knows Best. All Rights Reserved}
To The Official
LAUREN CHAPIN Web Site!
As you know, only one really knows best...our dear God. I pay homage to our God who allowed me to act in a show that launched my career and made it possible for me to continue in life, learn and help others find peace and happiness in their own world. Please look around and find out what I've been up to. Then please write to me if you choose. Thank you for coming to this site and finding interest in my life. God bless you all.


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Friday, May 29, 2009
Guest Blogger Andi: Gummi Shocked
As soon as I saw the booty, though, I knew I had to share with my co-workers, shake 'em up a little bit, because that's just how I roll.
Game on.
The Candy Critics:
Andi (aka Unhinged)
Will try any kind of candy that doesn't turn her stomach looking at it (which means no eyeballs, gummi bugs, or chocolate covered crickets)
Has a 5-year-old, routinely eats gummi worms, fish, and Lord knows what else
Not into candy much, but loves cake at night, even though that's the worst time to eat it
She's the Mikey, Mikey, She'll Eat Anything of the group
Has a sweet tooth to rival Willy Wonka and loves Coke
He's from the Philippines and likes a totally different style of sweets
Gets all the sugar she needs from wine, which means she had to be coaxed into eating this stuff
So we had some bushy-tailed participants, some um, okay-ers, and a few only because you're making me-ers. Life is a grand melting pot, huh?
Sour Gummi French Fries
The big hit for everyone. The general consensus was that the candy fries were all lemony, tangy goodness. They were soft and chewy, but didn't stick to your teeth like some kinds of gummi candy. (Plus, the crazy-funny thing about the fries is that we had McDonald's French fries for lunch on the day we tried the candy, so it was like we were fated to love the fries.)
Trolli Brain Surge
The runner up for the great candy experience, Gummi-shaped brains, what more could we want? The brains were supposed to be a two-part candy—you have the right side of the brain and the left side of the brain, and each side was a different flavor. I have to admit that as soon as I saw that, my stomach shrank. However, most of the brain halves fell out of the bag unattached, which is much like me some of the time—only operating with half a brain.
Audrea loved the brains and went back for seconds. "Is it gooey in the middle?" she asked.
"Oh, no. Oy," I replied. But yes, there is liquid inside of them. I tried not to think about it.
Annabelle ate half a brain, loved it and went for another half, then found out it was brain candy. She made a face, cupped her hand over her mouth and made like she was going to vomit. A minute later, she grabbed another handful of brains, so it's probably safe to say these babies are good if the girl had the willies at first, but couldn't stop eating them.
Jane liked the brains, too, but preferred to take them apart and eat them separately. They last longer that way.
I finally caved and ate half a brain, then ended up taking a handful back to my desk. They were good. Maybe eating brains will help boost my intelligence.
e.frutti Gummi Pizza
Look at the cute widdle pizza! I giggled like the girl I am and debated whether or not to eat it because it was just so awful goldurn cute. But then I decided I had to break into it in the spirit of Jeanna's candy science project. When I opened the package, the pizza was already sliced. (Ohmigaw! How friggen cute!)
Gloria had the first piece. She chewed and chewed it (which resulted in me looking at the package again to see if it was gum), finally swallowed it in a gulp and said it was good, but rubbery.
Annabelle said it tasted gummi, Teresa tried to bite one of the little slices in half, but that gummi is some strong stuff, baby, and it wouldn't give. She said it had a weird aftertaste like plastic. She then changed her mind about five minutes later and said it tasted like (and I quote): "Petroleum."
I thought it was chewy and fruity-weird, but it did take forever to swallow. I also thought it came with an oily aftertaste. Jane was the only one who really liked the pizza. Audrea and Ray wouldn't touch the last slice, so Jane got the last piece.
e.frutti Gummi Cola Bottle
This, of course, went to Jane, who was bug-eyed AMAZED that it tasted JUST LIKE COKE. Teresa said those things had been around forever and that yeah, of course it tastes like Coke because they put Coke in it. Apparently they have Dr. Pepper and Root Beer, too.
e.frutti Gummi hamburger
Sadly, the hamburger sprouted legs and escaped. To this day, I have no idea who made off with it, but would guess it falls into the same rubbery category as the pizza.
Note: the e.frutti pizza, hamburger and fries come in what's called the Lunch Bag. Swanky.
Twilight Conversation Hearts
Jeanna, bless her werewolf-preferring heart, sent me a box of the Twilight conversation hearts to try. I was SO EXCITED to see them, too. It was like I was 12-years-old all over again. The thing about the Twilight hearts, though? They don't live up to the hype. I think someone concocted a pastel colored witch's brew of sugar, chalk, and different Chapstick flavors, and decided to call them conversation hearts. The text on the hearts was almost impossible to see (and I combed through the hearts looking specifically for the one that said BITE ME).
The kicker that is supposed to distinguish the Twilight conversation hearts from your regular Valentine hearts is that they are supposed to sparkle like Edward Cullen does. And, um, they didn't. Woe. And oh, Great Googly-Moogly, did they taste AWFUL. The orange color was tolerable, but left a bad taste in my mouth and I was still burping orange a half hour later.
Still . . . I pressed Ray into trying one because his wife is a fan of Twilight and he said (and I quote): "These are horrible." Jane quickly chased a heart down with her Coke, Teresa said, "Ew," and Gloria wrinkled her nose.
The Verdict:
We're all about French fries and brains at the office. Which, when I think of it, is spot-on if you add a couple pots of coffee.
Check out Andi's most excellent blogs, Unhinged and Moonburn
26 comments:
Ah-hah-HAH! I love the layout! And the BRAIN! The brain is just too sexy-cool. Obviously, it's totally MINE.ReplyDelete
Hope I did the blog proud, Jeanna. Thanks for the assignment. It was fun, and I wasn't the only one having it. We were all grinning like idiots.
Good times, good times.
Oh, hey. I also noticed that droplet of blood you have coming from the orange...you're so crazy nuts, but I wouldn't have you ANY other way.ReplyDelete
You beat me telling you your post is up.ReplyDelete
Hey, Andi, your post is up.
I also wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your writing and thank you for the laughs.
Was going to have bats flying through the whole thing, but didn't want to go too crazy nuts.
Mmm, crazy nuts, don't know if I'm hungry or horny.
And I did a little brain salad surgery. I served yours with extra Keanu and a side of Edward.
Whooee and the hits just keep on rollin'.ReplyDelete
Very cool MM, you've got Jimbo and Chrissy ahead of you, so no rush, but do send.
lol--I wasn't sure where I was for a second. The whole Jeanna/Andi combo was weird in one of those "Braaaaains" kind of ways.ReplyDelete
I don't know if I could eat a liquid filled brain look-alike. But the french fries look like fingers. :)
Lemony good fingers, Jodi.ReplyDelete
Are you calling us zombies? I happen to love The Zombies. Whatever happened to The Zombies?
Off to tailgate.
Jeanna--if I weren't a geek too, I wouldn't know what frak meant. I don't sleep. I nap. Sometimes it's a long nap, but--I don't sleep. I've got things to do and places to go :)ReplyDelete
I had a feeling you might know what that meant, but how do you have time to watch TV?ReplyDelete
Well, cats do that, and they're okay, right?
*SQUEEEEEEEEEE* That was my teenage girl scream!!! Yes, I realize I'm a 30-something year old Mom, wife and teacher, but c'mon!!! TWILIGHT candy!?!?!ReplyDelete
How come I've never heard of these?! Which rock have I been living under?
I am in love with Edward Cullen (okay, Rob Pattzzzz too)! So sad when I secretly wish to be Bella.
Andi, awesome guest post!!!
Jeanna, I had no idea you were a werewolf lover?! Little One has a "Team Edward" sticker that I ironed on one of her onesies. Yeah, so sad.
The rock which knows better than to eat candy from Blockbuster, C.ReplyDelete
I think Bella is kind of a twat (hoping Andi doesn't see that).
Hell yes, I'll take the warm fur over the stone cold skin, and they can fix cars. Bet those Quillete boys can throw a mean Frisbee too.
No way, did you take a photo? Have got to see her in that.
Ya know, C., I found one of those "Are You a Vampire or a Werewolf" quizzes, think I'll put it up for you.
I think Jimmy's is pretty funny. Short, but obscene, you know, about what you'd expect.
Oh, I saw it, Jeanna, I saw it. The "Bella is a twat" part.ReplyDelete
In the books, yes, she's a wing-wang. Always so insecure and sure she's utterly plain, klutzy, shy but smart, and able to attract a drop-dead (pun!) vampire? And the name drove me nuts at first, but I have since gotten used to it.
The Bella I write in my fan fiction is a stronger Bella and IMHO, more worthy of Edward.
And where IS that quiz, by the way? I clicked on the link to bring me to it and it said Page Not Found.
lol--I "like" the name Bella. I was going to name my Arabella (yes, I'm a reformed historical regency writer)and call her Bella for short, but my husband liked Layla and we settled on Catherine.ReplyDelete
I rarely watch TV, Jeanna. (except for some reason--Dinner Impossible), but my youngest son has all the Battlestar Galactica episodes and Starbuck is cool. :) I think...I listen to TV more than watch it. It's always going in our house.
I kept switching them out because it was one lame ass quiz after another, so I made one up.ReplyDelete
Thought I could embed it, but of course not, not the way this day went, so link away, UH.
Or Arabella (Carey) as in All My Children... I watch way too much TV, but almost nothing but DVDs from April to September.ReplyDelete
I really got into BG and then someone rented Disc 2 Season 2 and kept it, so I've contented myself with watching Weeds again and it's still not back so now I'm watching Weeds with commentary. One of the actresses said some very insightful stuff about the depth of the writing.
So your kids are smart too, eh.
Yes, she's a good character, a little too pouty now and again, but fun.
and yet they took away gummi ROAD KILL because of peta? jack@$. I mean... anyway, cool, brains. We will have to keep a lookout, our assorted kidlings we know would love them. I still think gummi road kill is MUCH cooler. I made road kill cupcakes one time with oreos for the tires... he he well at least I thought it was awesome!ReplyDelete
I think I would like the sweethearts but my kids would love the gooey brains!ReplyDelete
Yeah, I'd love some Trolli Road Kill right about now, Jill. Although Gummy Fangs have tempted me more than once.ReplyDelete
Oreos for tires, great idea.
Walgreen's should have the Brains.
I don't know if you would like them, Lisa, they sound pretty bad. I'd stay away from the Blockbuster candy aisle as a rule.ReplyDelete
Oh no, you diin't!! LOL! Just kidding. I have to admit that in the first and second (especially the second) books, Bella really annoyed me. You know, the type of fictional character whose neck you wish you could wring if you could? That's how I felt during the whole Edward-Jacob-Edward-Jacob-Edward saga.
I'm going to have to post a pic of my 7 month old daughter wearing her Team Edward onesie for you and Jeanna. Yeah, I ironed on a Team Edward sticker on my 7 month old's onesie. Pretty darn sad, eh? LOL!
Can't wait to see that onesie, C.ReplyDelete
I had to put the series down somewhere toward the middle of the third book, and have to keep remembering how young she is.
Starbuck is much cooler.
Gah! Just left a comment for you on my blog before I saw this!ReplyDelete
I think I'll be headed to the Chocolate Works anon. Want me to pick anything up for you? ;)
Oh no, C. I gained seven pounds since last summer so it's back to fruit and seltzer for me.ReplyDelete