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IN the liner notes to the 1966 album "Freak Out!" by the Mothers of Invention, you can find the following things: annotations on the 14 songs, describing them variously as "very greasy," "trivial nonsense" and "what freaks sound like when you turn them loose in a recording studio"; an advertisement for a map that promises to reveal the "Freak-Out Hot Spots" of Los Angeles; and a hat-tipping list of 180 influences, musical and otherwise, that includes Slim Harpo, James Joyce and Charles Ives.
You can also find a boxed credit, standing apart and alone, that says, "All selections arranged, orchestrated and conducted by Frank Zappa."
The confidence in that credit along with a photo of the composer himself in sunglasses wielding an upside-down drumstick like a conductor's baton signaled the self-possession that would guide Zappa, then just 25, through the 60-plus albums of his singular career.
Forty years on from that debut, a band led by Zappa's son Dweezil and featuring several of his former associates is seeking to illuminate the rigorous ambition and musical iconoclasm of his work. The Zappa Plays Zappa tour, which arrives at the Beacon Theater in New York on Monday after an extensive European leg, is the first memorial effort by his family since Zappa died of cancer in 1993.
"My overall goal in doing this is to present Frank's music to a newer audience," Dweezil Zappa, 36, said in a phone interview from the Los Angeles area last month, the day before heading out for the tour. "I think his music for one reason or another kind of skipped some generations that didn't get a chance to discover it."
He has recruited a roster of guests that includes the guitarist Steve Vai, the drummer Terry Bozzio and the singer-saxophonist Napoleon Murphy Brock, all of whom recorded and toured with his father in the 1970's and 80's. The tour has been a long time in the making. "It took me close to two years to get some of the stuff I wanted to get together," Mr. Zappa said.
Mr. Brock, speaking by telephone from Manchester, England, two weeks into the tour, said he remembered first meeting Dweezil as a small boy. "It's quite phenomenal that I would be able to be here with the son as I was here with the father," said Mr. Brock, whom Zappa discovered in 1972 fronting a dance band in Hawaii. "We're representing the authenticity of these songs."
As a cultural figure, Frank Zappa is in the odd position of being both relatively well known and artistically obscure. His name and face with its trademark handlebar mustache and goatee remain familiar to millions of people who would be hard pressed to name many songs beyond novelty hits like "Valley Girl" (which featured Dweezil's sister Moon Unit) and "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow."
That is what Dweezil Zappa and his mother, Gail, hope to remedy with a tour that they envision as an annual event. "Hopefully people will understand that this music is alive and well," Gail Zappa said by phone, "and it's going to be around for a long, long time."
Even in the freewheeling era that formed him, Zappa was an odd man out an abstemious aesthete who turned his withering satire on the counterculture as readily as he attacked the deadening conformity of public schools, government and social institutions in general. His lyrics could be absurdist or tender, scatological or philosophical, and they were joined to knotty melodies full of hairpin time changes and subject to gleeful mixing-board manipulation. He was also a political activist of a determinedly centrist stripe, calling himself a moderate Democrat and a conservative, arguing passionately for freedom of speech (most famously in Senate hearings on obscenity in music in 1985) and exhorting his fans to vote.
The set list for the tour includes some of his most adventurous and challenging pieces, like "Inca Roads" and the notoriously difficult "Black Page," which Zappa originally wrote as a drum solo for Mr. Bozzio (the name comes from the density of notes that covered the sheet music). Dweezil Zappa said he was especially drawn to the albums he remembers from his childhood in Southern California, from the era after his father dissolved the Mothers of Invention.
"He was blending rock and jazz and classical in the middle 70's in a way that nobody else was," he said.
Although the tour is at least touching on Zappa's earlier work songs like "Hungry Freaks, Daddy" (the first track on "Freak Out!") and "Let's Make the Water Turn Black" from "We're Only in It for the Money," Zappa's sardonic response to "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" it is heavily weighted toward the middle of his career, the period that defines Zappa for many of his fans. (There is no "Valley Girl," but casual fans will at least be able to find "Yellow Snow" and "Montana" in the mix.) Response to the European shows in online forums has been largely positive. On the Zappa-centric blog Kill Ugly Radio, one fan wrote of the May 19 show in Stockholm: "This was my first chance to experience the music of FZ live in concert. And what a concert. Sitting there on the fourth row from the stage, I found myself with BIG smile on my face, laughing out loud at times."
Gail Zappa said feedback on the family's Web site (zappa.com) had been similarly warm. "It's all age ranges," she said. "The older guys say, 'Oh, I saw Frank seven times, and now I'm taking my 14-year-old son who's a musician,' or 'my 7-year-old daughter who loves 'Freak Out!' "
Zappa's own children Moon, Dweezil, their younger brother Ahmet and their younger sister Diva were involved with their father's music in various ways from young ages. (Given Zappa's relentless recording and touring, it may have been the only way to bond with him; Moon has said she suggested the idea for "Valley Girl" via a note slipped under the door of his recording studio.) All four shared writing or performing credits on Zappa songs from the 70's and 80's. Frank also produced Dweezil's first album, "Havin' a Bad Day," in 1986, and released it on his Barking Pumpkin label.
The Zappa siblings have gone on to an assortment of show business projects. Dweezil has recorded another half-dozen albums, sometimes with Ahmet providing vocals, and has been host of shows on MTV and the Food Network. Ahmet, who married the actress Selma Blair in 2004, is currently working on a book, his mother said. Moon has acted on television and in films. Diva has also had small television and movie roles, and released a single with Dweezil in 1999 that featured Tipper Gore on drums. (Ms. Gore, wife of the former vice president, was a target of Zappa's ire during her decency campaigns in the 80's. But she subsequently became a friend of Gail Zappa, who supported Al Gore for president in 2000.)
But Frank Zappa's work has remained central to the family. Both Dweezil and his mother come across as fiercely custodial of that legacy, fighting against copyright infringements and advocating for the music to be played as it was written. "My job essentially is to protect the intent of the composer and the integrity of the work," said Gail Zappa, 61, who had been married to Frank for 26 years when he died.
Dweezil Zappa said that despite his years of experience on the guitar he started learning when he was 12 playing and arranging his father's music was a significant challenge. For one section of "The Black Page," he had to "completely change my technical style of picking to accommodate what was needed to play this accurately."
"That was probably a two- or three-month process of intensive playing and studying," he said.
Zappa's stature among a cult of musicians and scholars has continued to grow since his death. His works have been recorded by companies including the German chamber orchestra Ensemble Modern and the French woodwind quintet Le Concert Impromptu. Last fall, the Oregon Percussion Ensemble presented a double bill of pieces by Zappa and one of his idols, the French composer Edgard Varèse. He is especially well regarded in Europe: the former Czech leader Vaclav Havel has long proclaimed him an influence and a group of artists in Vilnius, Lithuania, erected a statue in his honor in 1995.
Andy Hollinden, a lecturer who teaches a course on Zappa at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, called him "my favorite writer of melodies ever." Zappa, he said in a phone interview, "is different from everybody else in my opinion, in that he was a composer who wrote for electronic instruments in the rock 'n' roll era."
Zappa has attracted other disciples tribute bands like Project/Object in New Jersey and Bogus Pomp in Florida somewhat to his family's dismay.
"People get upset with me sometimes when I say I've never heard Frank's music played correctly," Dweezil Zappa said. "If there were people out there playing it correctly, with the right spirit, with the right notes, I'd be the first one to get excited."
But Ed Palermo, a New York saxophonist who has been performing big-band arrangements of Zappa's music since 1994 (most recently at the Iridium in Manhattan), said Zappa was subject to inevitable recontextualization.
"I believe Zappa deserves to be known down through history as a musician of the caliber of Gershwin and Duke Ellington," said Mr. Palermo, who has just released an album of his Zappa arrangements called "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance."
"I know the Zappas are very protective, and it's admirable," he continued. "But I think they're looking at it from a classical point of view. I do what jazz musicians do, in reinterpreting the music."
Gail Zappa is not completely dismissive of anyone's efforts to burrow into her husband's work. "I think that people should attempt it, and somebody will get it right someday," she said. "But because they're not operating under the baton of Frank, or even Dweezil, you can only take it so far."
Mr. Brock, the singer and saxophonist, said that the only thing missing from the tour was the restless, irrepressible presence of Zappa himself.
"I think Frank would be smiling and dancing and playing and laughing," he said. "And making up some new lines for us to play."


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Check out JustJared.com's exclusive premiere of Hey Monday's "Candles" video!
The track is off the second EP of the same name from the band, which includes Cassadee Pope, Mike Gentile, Alex Lipshaw, and Patrick McKenzie.
"Candles" will also be featured in the March 15 episode of Glee. Glee: The Music, Volume 5 is available in stores NOW!
WHAT DO YOU THINK of Hey Monday's "Candles" video?
Hey Monday – Candles


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Richard Flender of East Hampton and Manhattan died on Oct. 26 in Southampton. He was 82.
Mr. Flender was born to Ernst Flender and the former Emily Gallagher on Oct. 5, 1929, in Manhattan. He attended the Buckley School, followed by Milton Academy, and then graduated from Yale University in 1952. Mr. Flender was a first lieutenant in the Air Force from 1952 to 1954. He later attended the University of Virginia, where he earned a J.D. in 1957.
Mr. Flender practiced law for a short time, and then became a banker with J.P. Morgan, where he worked for 35 years.
Mr. Flender and the former Norma Fast were married in Manhattan on June 3, 1960, and "shared more than 50 years of happiness," his family said.
Mr. Flender was a member of the Maidstone Club, the Century Club, and the Metropolitan Opera Club. He also served on several boards of different charitable organizations. A dedicated skier, golfer, traveler, Rangers fan, and chocolate lover, his family wrote that, "He will be dearly missed for his humor, joie de vivre, certain flair, and lovely manner."
He was "loved and respected by all who knew him, and in the truest sense, he was simply a delight," his family said.
Mr. Flender is survived by his wife and two siblings, John O. Flender and Elizabeth (Cindy) Webber. He is also survived by his son, Charles Flender of Wading River, and daughter, Sylvia Scott Flender, of Miami, as well as four grandchildren and four nieces and nephews.
A memorial will be held tomorrow at 1 p.m. at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in East Hampton, with a reception to follow. The family has suggested donations to the Virgil Thomson Foundation, 254 West 31st Street, 15th Floor, New York 10001.


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WOODSTOCK – The Family Alliance Center for Adult Care will facilitate a group on social skills and self-esteem on the fourth Wednesday of every month from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Recovery Outreach Center, 101 Jefferson St., Woodstock.
"Family Alliance is one of several agencies providing the structured programming offered at the [Recovery Outreach Center]," said Maria Morrill, community support specialist of Family Alliance. "The participants of the [Recovery Outreach Center] programs chose the topic of social skills and self-esteem because it appeals to individuals at any stage of their mental health recovery program."
The remainder of Recovery Outreach Center programming is intended to be a less-structured environment for games, creativity and education.
There is no cost for the group, and no sign-ups are needed. For information, contact Morrill at 815-338-3590 or email her at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Home > News & Events > Wayland Press Release Archives > 2004 News Releases > May 2004 > Postmodern thought is here to stay
Postmodern thought is here to stay
PLAINVIEW - Modernism. Postmodernism. Somewhere in between. Most people may not know which category best describes their thought process. Some people don't care. Others feel that postmodernism is generational or just a fad and will soon pass.
Is it?
According to Wayland Baptist University Director of Church Services Micheal Summers, postmodern thought is here to stay.
Summers, who also teaches classes and serves as an intentional interim, offers seminars on postmodern thought and its effect on the church. He says much of what you see and hear is a reaction to postmodernism with a pro/con attitude - an attitude that we need to move away from.
"The reality is that it is here and it is not going away," Summers said. "It bothers me when I see a lot of writers dealing with postmodernism as just another fad or generational youth thing. It's not. It is a world view concept some philosophers believe will last 2,000-5,000 years, if not longer.
"The tab in human history is modernity, not postmodernism."
While an in-depth explanation of postmodern thought takes hours . "That's why I offer seminars," Summers says . it can be summed up by looking at a brick wall.
"Postmodernism is really looking at the structures that modernity built and saying that the bricks are not what matter," Summers said. "It's the mortar. The mortar allows you to place the bricks however you want to place them."
In short, "postmoderns" focus more on building relationships and connections -- an ideal that directly affects how the church as an organization relates to the church as the body of Christ.
Summers, along with other pastors, scholars and theologians, predicts the 21 st century will see a return to the apostolic model of the church in which Christians focus on making disciples instead of converts.
"The church rolls are full of converts that we see in the pew week after week," Summers said. "To the postmodern mind, that is invalid. If it is something you believe with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit, then you have to demonstrate it through your life."
It's not enough for a postmodern thinker to read the bible or listen to a sermon and take what is said or read as absolute. Instead, the postmodern mind will only accept it if it is demonstrated.
"These younger generations who have been raised with all of this multiple input and diversity see non-Christian world religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam that are much more committed and demonstrate their faith daily in a visible way," Summers said. "They look at the Christianity that they grew up with and see nothing but people telling them not to do something then turning around and doing it.
"There is no huge difference in our divorce rates between those who claim to be churched and those who don't . in our teenage alcohol rates . in our teen pregnancy rates. We are not seeing a distinction of the lifestyle of those who profess to be Christians from those who don't.
"For the postmodern, that has invalidated the authenticity of the gospel."
Dr. Fred Meeks, chairperson of the Division of Religion and Philosophy who has been teaching at Wayland for nearly 20 years, said this type of thinking is also influencing the classroom.
"What we are finding, rather than talking about authorities and standards, people are far more concerned about personality issues," Meeks said. "They want to know how you feel about things. Sometimes, for students, where authority comes from is the person making these comments. Is he an authentic person? Is he perceived to be an authentic person?"
Meeks said the key to reaching these students is to open up personally, revealing your own weaknesses and thoughts.
"Coming across as a know-it-all with all the answers can cause problems," Meeks said. "But if you say, 'Look. This is my position and here is why I think this way. I respect your right to disagree.' It appears that students are more open to this mindset."
One trend making its way through churches now is the church growth movement, part of which focuses on building church numbers through various methods designed to appeal to those who are un-churched.
Chris Seay, pastor of Ecclesia church in Houston, has designed a worship service that allows people to participate in many ways, including painting images during the service or producing visual messages through video.
Seay has built his church by appealing to the "un-churched" with methods they understand.
"What I suggest is an honest conversation, engaging the culture that we live in and that will lead us ultimately in a search to find the truth," Seay said.
Summers says while some people may think of various church-growth models as falling into the postmodern category, many of them really don't fit postmodern thinking.
"Postmodernism doesn't define church growth by numbers or statistics," Summers said. "The church growth movement is purpose driven. It says you have a purpose and it can give you the steps: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
"Postmodernism is passion driven and there is only one step: Walk with God."
In his book Postmodern Pilgrims, Leonard Sweet describes the postmodern church with the acrostic EPIC: Experiential, Participatory, Image-driven and Connected. Postmodern thinkers use experiences, participation and images to build connections.
Summers said postmoderns use images as symbols. "What postmoderns are looking for is a symbolic image that means something."
He demonstrates this by using Playdough as an illustration of being clay in God's hands.
"If we allow ourselves to be in His hands, He can mold us and use us," Summers said.
With a bible full of references to being clay and being molded, Summers said it is an easy concept for a postmodern thinker to grasp. A postmodern sees the Playdough and knows that it is always malleable and changeable just as a postmodern Christian sees his relationship with God as ever-changing.
"They can understand it. They have to be willing for God to remake them and reform them for another task in their life," Summers said.
As it relates to the church, postmoderns are going to seek out a form or style of worship that best shapes their relationship with God. However, Dr. Meeks points out there are pitfalls to certain "cafeteria style - you offer something for everybody" forms of worship.
"The biggest criticism we have of user-friendly churches that do anything to get you to come is that they leave out the key things that Jesus required of all of his disciples - commitment and sacrifice," Meeks said.
Seay agrees, saying there are trends to offer bible studies that are "divorced from the church," offering worship apart from accountability.
"It's really a strange thing to get together with people and study scripture and read it and not have any sense of structure and accountability," Seay said. "That scares the heck out of me."
Seay said this approach becomes a "hyper-individualistic pursuit of faith."
"People are really saying it is just about getting my needs met and that is what much of the church-growth movement is founded on. They are saying faith is an inward journey of having our 'needs' met," Seay said, explaining that people need to realize many of their felt-needs aren't needs at all, but "wants."
"Our only real needs are to love God and love our neighbor, and these are outward things," Seay said.
Dr. Meeks says it is a challenge to maintain the integrity of basic theology while accommodating the changing environment.
"How do we find a way in this postmodern world to say to them, 'You want a meaningful relationship?'" Meeks asks. "What better place to offer that than a church built on the model of Koinonia with genuine fellowship!"


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When hundreds of victims of sexual abuse agreed in 2007 to settle their claims against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles for $660 million, they did so with the understanding that confidential church files that contained the full story of what officials knew, and when they knew it, would become public.
That agreement, however, is at risk of being undermined. A court-appointed referee has ruled that the names of church leaders who are not accused of abusing children should be redacted from the files before those documents are publicly released early next year. Why? The referee argues that including the names of such high-ranking clerics, including Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, would only cause further embarrassment to an institution that has already enacted reforms to prevent future abuses.
Fortunately, the referee's ruling is not final. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Emilie H. Elias has the last word in the matter. Next month she will hear objections to the referee's redactions and decide whether the names of vicars, bishops and other priests who handled reports of abuse should be released or be blacked out. The church files are believed to contain internal memos, Vatican correspondence and medical records. (Full disclosure: The Times' lawyers have filed a motion urging the court to ignore the referee's proposed redactions on the grounds that the public has a right to know who was aware of abuse allegations and how they responded.)


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Sugar and Spice and Drinking is Nice Birthday Party - I will be hosting a spicy, sweet birthday party. There will be spicy cocktails, burn your mouth food and a candy bar. And it all takes place at Panty Droppers of course. Can't wait to celebrate with all of my amazing friends.
Coed Passion Party - My friend Yolande is hosting a coed Passion Party this weekend. Who knows what treasures I will come away with. I'll definitely fill you in after the party. I just hope the boys behave.
Renee and Mike's Bun in the Oven - My besties, Renee and Mike, are about to pop out another little one! I'm crossing my fingers for a girl, but they get mad when I say that. I just want to dress a girl; it's so much more fun. Girls are more cuddly too.
I'm excited about two other things, but in fear of cursing them, I'm holding off on sharing. In due time I will come clean.


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Haiti: Sexual violence against women, including domestic sexual violence; in particular, prevalence within and outside of camps for the internally displaced; criminal prosecutions (2011-May 2012)
|Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
|Publication Date
|8 June 2012
|Citation / Document Symbol
|Related Document(s)
|Haïti : information sur la violence sexuelle à l'égard des femmes, y compris la violence sexuelle conjugale; la fréquence de ces actes à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur des camps pour personnes déplacées; les poursuites pénales (2011-mai 2012)
|Cite as
|Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Haiti: Sexual violence against women, including domestic sexual violence; in particular, prevalence within and outside of camps for the internally displaced; criminal prosecutions (2011-May 2012), 8 June 2012, HTI104085.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4feaceb62.html [accessed 23 January 2019]
|This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Sources indicate that accurate data on the rates of sexual violence in Haiti is difficult or impossible to obtain (CNN 26 Apr. 2012; Nolan Spring 2011, 98). Clancy Nolan, the author of an article on sexual violence published in the World Policy Journal's spring 2011 issue stated that the government of Haiti's database of sexual assaults had not been used since the January 2010 earthquake (ibid., 97). Similarly, in an August 2011 report on women's and girl's health in Haiti, Human Rights Watch wrote that there had been "no systematic case management or data collection specific to gender-based violence" since the earthquake, and that a partial understanding of the prevalence of sexual violence is obtained from small-scale studies and data collected by organizations providing services to victims (August 2011, 53).
Sources published in 2011 and 2012 report on rising levels of sexual violence against women (UN 11 Jan. 2012; AI 6 Jan. 2011; Small Arms Survey 2011, 241; The Guardian 30 Nov. 2011; US 24 May 2012, 24). However, one source suggests that rates have not been rising (La Presse 7 Jan. 2012), while another states that the available data is inconclusive (Human Rights Watch August 2011, 53).
In November 2011, the National Association Combating Violence Against Women (Concertation nationale contre les violences faites aux femmes, Concertation nationale), a network of Haitian NGOs and government departments, as well as international development agencies, published statistics on violence against women between July 2009 and June 2011, based on the records of four member NGOs (25 Nov. 2011, 1). The Concertation nationale reported 672 incidents of sexual violence against women during this period, 90 percent of which involved rape (Concertation nationale 25 Nov. 2011, 5). The report also indicated that 21 percent of the reported rapes were gang rapes (ibid.). Solidarité Fanm Ayisyèn (SOFA), a women's rights organization with 21 branches across the departments of Grande-Anse, Sud-Est, Ouest, and Artibonite, recorded 246 medically-certified cases of rape between July 2010 and October 2011, including 35 cases of gang rape (Dec. 2011, 1, 3, 11-12). In an interview with the Paris-based online news source Youphil.com (n.d.), a member of the Commission of Women Victims for Victims (Komisyon Fanm Viktim pou Viktim, KOFAVIV), a women's non-profit organization serving and run by rape survivors (KOFAVIV n.d.), stated that her organization receives an average of five rape victims a day (Youphil.com 13 Jan. 2012).
Forty-three percent of the sexual assaults recorded by the Concertation nationale were against women and girls under the age of 20, although victims ranged from one to eighty-four years of age (25 Nov. 2011, 4-5). Sixty-two percent of the rapes recorded by SOFA were committed against girls between the ages of three and seventeen (Dec. 2011, 3, 12). A UN news article reports that, according to KOFAVIV, 65 percent of rape victims are minors and there has been an increase in the number of rapes of children and babies since the earthquake (6 Oct. 2011). Similarly, a Haiti-based paediatrician interviewed by the Guardian indicated "sexual violence is increasingly directed against children" (21 Nov. 2011).
Of the 246 rapes recorded by SOFA, 16 percent were perpetrated by a partner or former partner, 14 percent by a family member, and 69 percent by non-family civilians who may or may not have been known by the victims (Dec. 2011, 11, 14). Eighty-six percent of the sexual assaults recorded by the Concertation nationale were committed against single (unattached) women (25 Nov. 2011, 5).
A 2012 joint publication by the international women's rights NGO MADRE, three American law schools, and KOFAVIV, on the sexual exploitation of displaced women in Port-au-Prince, reports that "most [post-earthquake] aid distribution has stopped and very few jobs are available" (2012, 13). Citing representatives of Zafè Fanm Pou Yon Lòt Ayiti (ZAFALA), a Haitian women's organization, the report explains that "since aid distribution has ceased, men do not have resources to wield power over women, so some men who previously exchanged goods or services for sex, now use weapons and other means to force women to have sex" (MADRE et al. 2012, 15).
2. Situation in IDP Camps
2.1 Camp Conditions
According to statistics published by the UN, as of October 2011 there were almost 1,000 "makeshift" camps in Haiti and approximately 600,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) (UN 6 Oct. 2011). Numerous sources note that the lack of security within IDP camps has increased women's vulnerability to sexual violence (La Presse 7 Jan. 2012; USIP 7 Jan. 2011, 2; UN 11 Jan. 2012; CHRGJ 2012, xvii; Human Rights Watch Aug. 2011, 52-53). Sources cite various factors contributing to unsafe conditions, including:
- isolated bathrooms or showers (IPS 12 Mar. 2012; USIP 7 Jan. 2011; Nolan Spring 2011, 98);
- insufficient or nonexistent outdoor lighting (IPS 12 Mar. 2012; USIP 7 Jan. 2011; Human Rights Watch Aug. 2011, 53; The Guardian 21 Nov. 2011);
- insecure housing (Human Rights Watch Aug. 2011, 53; The Guardian 21 Nov. 2011; US 24 May 2012, 24); and
- limited access to food and water (CHRGJ 2012, xviii; CNN 26 Apr. 2012).
2.2 Security Services and Law Enforcement
A representative of KOFAVIV was quoted in a March 2012 interview as saying that there had been no "concrete plans or activities" implemented by the government to combat sexual violence in the camps where her organization works, and that there had not been "much change" in camp conditions since the earthquake (IPS 12 Mar. 2012). The US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011 states that, in Jean Marie Vincent camp, which houses approximately 40,000 IDPs, incidents of rape were reported regularly with "little or no follow-up from law enforcement authorities" (24 May 2012, 16-17).
In January 2012, a UN article indicated that the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) had increased its patrols in IDP camps in response to the prevalence of sexual assault, for a total of 8,800 peacekeepers and 3,581 police officers (11 Jan. 2012). The special representative of the UN Secretary-General in Haiti has also reportedly stated that approximately 1,500 patrols are conducted per week in IDP camps (The Guardian 30 Nov. 2011). However, a representative of Amnesty International, interviewed by the Guardian, states that the UN does "a small amount of patrolling around Port-au-Prince" but "very little monitoring" of camps and "very little [for the protection of women] given the extent of the problem" (21 Nov. 2011). Similarly, another source reports that MINUSTAH "rarely" conducts patrols, and police officers of the Haitian National Police (Police nationale d'Haïti, PNH) remain on the perimeter of camps because they do not have the resources to effectively maintain a presence within the camps (Nolan Spring 2011, 98). The US Department of State's 2011 report also states that the UN and PNH police patrol only the perimeter of Jean Marie Vincent camp, typically only during the daytime (24 May 2012, 16).
UN sources indicate that the UN police have a gender unit that addresses sexual violence in IDP camps (The Guardian 30 Nov. 2011; UN 11 Jan. 2012). A UN news article reports that there are 20 police officers in the gender unit, including 15 female officers (ibid.). UN sources also state that the UN has installed lighting in some areas to improve night-time safety in camps (ibid.; The Guardian 30 Nov. 2011). In the 2011 World Policy Journal article, Nolan reported that at least 125 lamps had been installed by the UN over the course of the preceding year (Spring 2011, 100). The same article noted, however, that electricity in Haiti is "unreliable" and that camps must have fuel for generators in order to power electric lights overnight (Nolan Spring 2011, 100).
3. Situation Outside of Camps
In an article published by the Guardian in November 2011, a UN representative states that there has been an increase in the number of rapes and sexual assaults outside of IDP camps (30 Nov. 2011). The US Department of State reports that rape is a "particular problem" in the "urban slums" across Haiti (24 May 2012, 24).
In May 2011, two women's organizations in Haiti reportedly criticized media coverage of sexual violence for overlooking the situation in "popular" zones [low-income neighbourhoods with high population density (Igarapé Institute Mar. 2012, 9 note 10)], shanty towns, and rural areas, where women and girls are as vulnerable to rape as they are in IDP camps (HPN 10 May 2011). The Youphil.com article suggests that the lack of privacy in living arrangements is comparable in shanty towns and in IDP camps (13 Jan. 2012).
Surveys on urban crime in Haiti published by the Igarapé Institute, a "progressive social cooperation agency committed to effective and accountable community security, safety and development" (n.d.), found that, in January 2012, residents of popular zones were 27 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than residents of wealthier, less densely populated areas (Mar. 2012, 5). The same study noted an increase in sexual assault in Jacmel and Les Cayes in February 2012 during the "karnaval" festival (Igarapé Mar. 2012, 6).
4. Prosecution of Sexual Violence
According to Amnesty International's 2011 report on human rights in Haiti, "impunity for [sexual violence] remained a source of concern as very few cases were investigated or prosecuted" (2011). An official in the Haitian Women's Ministry, quoted in Nolan's 2011 World Policy Journal article, stated that 95 percent of rape cases are not resolved (Spring 2011, 96). The KOFAVIV representative interviewed by Inter Press Service in March 2012 stated that her organization had brought approximately 200 gender-based violence cases to the justice system between 2010 and 2012, of which 5 cases were waiting for a ruling (12 Mar. 2012). She indicated that this is a sign of progress, even though the number of cases is low compared to the number of victims that have come forward (IPS 12 Mar. 2012). In April 2012, an article published on CNN.com reported that, according to UNHCR statistics, there had not been any convictions for rape in the two years since the earthquake (26 Apr. 2012). However, the US Department of State reports that there were 54 men convicted of rape in 2010 and 2011, who were sentenced with forced labour terms ranging from 8 months to 15 years (24 May 2012, 24).
Sources indicate that medical certificates confirming rape are a barrier to accessing justice (Wired.com 31 Mar. 2011; SOFA Dec. 2011, 20; MADRE et al. 2012, 17). The joint publication by MADRE et al. states that Haitian law does not technically require a medical certificate to prosecute rape but that justice officials consider it to be a prerequisite and will not proceed without one, even if there are witnesses to the rape (ibid.). Sources indicate that medical certificates are not available in all parts of the country (Wired.com 31 Mar. 2011; SOFA Dec. 2011, 20). SOFA's 2011 report on sexual violence also notes that medical certificates do not follow a common format across the country, which leads some judges to reject certain certificates as evidence (ibid.). Further, an article on sexual assault published by Wired.com indicates that certificates must be issued within 72 hours of the sexual assault to be legally admissible, but can take days to obtain (31 Mar. 2011).
5. Sexual Violence Hotline
In September 2011, a sexual violence hotline in Port-au-Prince was launched by KOFAVIV and Digital Democracy (Digital Democracy 21 May 2012; PR Newswire 22 Sept. 2011), a New York-based non-profit organization supporting the promotion of human rights through the use of technology (ibid.). Responding to the lack of a 911 emergency response system in Haiti, the hotline allows victims of sexual violence to make free calls to the number "572" for emergency support (ibid.; defend.ht 26 Oct. 2011). It also collects data on sexual violence (ibid.; PR Newswire 22 Sept. 2011). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Haiti Program Manager at Digital Democracy explained that callers from Port-au-Prince are referred to KOFAVIV, which then assists victims in accessing medical care at state-run and NGO facilities and in obtaining medical certificates "on time," provides psychosocial and legal support, and accompanies victims to police precincts to file reports (Digital Democracy 22 May 2012). The Program Manager also said that the hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and, as of May 2012, had received over 900 calls, approximately 70 percent of which were related to sexual violence (ibid. 21 May 2012). Promotional activities for the hotline have been run in 24 camps around Port-au-Prince and through the media and other channels; however, the Program Manager indicated that these activities had not been in operation long enough to assess the level of awareness of the service among the general population (ibid.).
For more information on violence against women and other recourse and services available to victims of sexual violence in Haiti, please see Response to Information Request HTI103716 of 16 June 2011.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Amnesty International (AI). 6 January 2011. Haiti: Aftershocks: Women Speak Out Against Sexual Violence in Haiti's Camps.
_____. 2011. "Haiti." Amnesty International Report 2011: The State of the World's Human Rights.
Center for Human Rights and Global Justice (CHRGJ), New York University School of Law. 2012. 'Yon Je Louvri': Reducing Vulnerability to Sexual Violence in Haiti's IDP Camps.
CNN. 26 April 2012. Allie Torgan. "Seeking Justice for Haiti's Rape Victims."
Concertation nationale contre les violences faites aux femmes. 25 November 2011. "Violences spécifiques faites aux femmes."
defend.ht. 26 October 2011. "New #572 Hotline for Victims of Sexual Assault in Haiti."
Digital Democracy. 22 May 2012. Correspondence from the Haiti Program Manager to the Research Directorate.
_____. 21 May 2012. Correspondence from the Haiti Program Manager to the Research Directorate.
The Guardian [London]. 30 November 2011. Mariano Fernández. "It's Wrong to Claim that the UN Doesn't Tackle Sexual Violence in Haiti."
_____. 21 November 2011. Angela Robson. "A Search for Sanctuary."
Haiti Press Network (HPN). 10 May 2011. "Haïti : le viol n'est pas une maladie, endémique encore moins."
Human Rights Watch. August 2011. 'Nobody Remembers Us': Failure to Protect Women's and Girls' Right to Health and Security in Post-Earthquake Haiti.
Igarapé Institute. March 2012. Athena R. Kolbe and Robert Muggah. Haiti's Urban Crime Wave? Results from Monthly Household Surveys.
_____. N.d. "Igarapé."
Inter Press Service (IPS). 12 March 2012. Rousbeh Legatis. "UN: Group Founded by Rape Survivors Lifts Up Haitian Women."
MADRE, City University of New York School of Law, University of California Hastings College of the Law, New York University School of Law, and KOFAVIV. 2012. Struggling to Survive: Sexual Exploitation of Displaced Women and Girls in Port au Prince, Haiti.
La Presse [Montreal]. 7 January 2012. Étienne Côté-Paluck. "Quatre mythes sur Haïti déboulonnés."
Nolan, Clancy. Spring 2011. "Haiti, Violated." World Policy Journal. Vol. 28, No. 1. [Accessed 24 May 2012]
PR Newswire. 22 September 2011. "Only Emergency Response System Dedicated to Rape and Sexual Violence in Haiti Launches."
Small Arms Survey. 2011. "Securing the State: Haiti Before and After the Earthquake." Small Arms Survey 2011.
Solidarité Fanm Ayisyèn (SOFA). December 2011. Rapport - Bilan XI. Des cas de violence accueillis et accompagnés dans les centres d'accueil de la SOFA. Année 2010-2011.
United Nations (UN). 11 January 2012. "Violence Against Women: Prevention, Protection and Empowerment in Haiti."
_____. 6 October 2011. UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). "Haitian Group Offers Safe House for Rape Survivors."
United States (US). 24 May 2012. Department of State. "Haiti." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011.
United States Institute of Peace (USIP). 7 January 2011. Brooke Stedman. "Security After the Quake? Addressing Violence and Rape in Haiti." Peace Brief No. 73.
Wired.com. 31 March 2011. Arikia Millikan. "Using Tech to Document Haiti's Rape Epidemic."
Youphil.com. 13 January 2012. "Haïti : 'après mon viol, la police n'a pas voulu de ma plainte.'"
_____. N.d. "Qui sommes-nous?"
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: Attempts to contact representatives of KOFAVIV, Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, and MINUSTAH were unsuccessful.
Internet sites, including: Canada.com; Digital Democracy; ecoi.net; Haïti Liberté; Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti; International Organisation for Migration; The Nation; Le Nouvelliste; Organisation internationale de la francophonie; Organization of American States; TrustLaw; United Nations — Human Rights Committee, Integrated Regional Information Networks, Secretary General's Database on Violence Against Women, Security Council, UN Women; US Agency for International Development (USAID); Voice of America.


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Park ConstructionAdd to Lightbox Download
© 2011 StartPoint Media, Inc. Construction of the park and restuarant at the Blvd of the Allies and Wood Street. Summer 2011...Anthony Conderato, a bricklayer for the Massaros Corporation, said that this project is very important for bricklayers. "If this project weren't going I probably still be working because I am willing to do things others wont do like working heights and working out on a swing."
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248 members2184 Comments 18 Likes
Started this discussion. Last reply by Rich Goss May 4, 2012. 1 Reply 0 Likes
Lodi California news, the day after the National Day of Prayer on May 3rd. Local church groups gather at a Veteran's memorial between City and Carnegie hall to pray for the country, persecuted…Continue
Started this discussion. Last reply by Jedi Wanderer May 17, 2012. 7 Replies 0 Likes
A few of us began discussing this as a tangent in the "out of the closet" forum. I thought it fitting that since it's gained so much attention that it should get it's own topic. I'll post the last…Continue
Sarah Elizabeth Tygert has not received any gifts yet
Hey there. Sorry I left that interesting discussion hanging. I got caught up in real life :) It's Spring time, the birds are migrating, it's the ultimate nature show going on outside right now, and it cannot be missed. :)
You're welcome. I just noticed your cat. You might like Atheist Ailurophiles. Good luck, Sarah.
Welcome, Sarah! Glad you could join us. :D
Please consider joining a group to meet people and talk about anything that's on your mind, Hang With Friends.
You might also like Recovering from Religion, Real Talk for New Atheists, Former Christians, Women Atheists, Female Atheists, and possibly Feminist Atheists and Atheist Singles. After you've searched for stuff that interests you in "Groups" above and in the "Forums", don't forget to look at recent activity which hides along the right margin of the page all the way at the bottom.
Thanks bunches, it's nice here in St. Louis as well today! =) I'll try to have a good one, believe me!
Welcome aboard! =) Hope you're doing well today...
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There's a thread on the BioWare Social Network started by someone who had to create a new account to post there, because his original account is still enduring a 72-hour suspension for what was deemed an inappropriate forum post (he says he agrees he deserved the forum suspension for posting "Have you sold your souls to the EA devil?"). In a surprising turn, he says that besides keeping him from being able to post to the forums, the temporary ban is preventing him from activating his copy of Dragon Age II, which, as noted on Kotaku (thanks nin), is especially odd, since this is a single-player game. There was a similar story in 2008 that resulted in EA explicitly denying that forum offenders were being banned from games, but this thread concludes with a moderator explaining that under certain circumstances, an EA forum ban can indeed prevent access to your games:
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Brazilian GP 2008
Friday Team Quotes
Felipe Massa (2nd, 1:12.353): "It might only be Friday, but it's important to get off to a good start on such an important weekend. We found a good set-up for the car, which seemed to be well balanced in both sessions. The track here offers a lot of grip and so, even with today's low temperatures, that was not a problem, especially given the tyres we have available to us here. My aim? To be in front of everyone, both tomorrow and on Sunday. Then we can do the maths when it's over. Racing at home, with the crowd on your side is a great motivation for me: it's a fantastic feeling, but difficult to put it into words."
Kimi Raikkonen (4th, 1:12.600): "It was a generally positive day for us, although it is still only Friday, which means it's too early to draw any definite conclusions. We worked through our usual programme and tried various settings on the car. The only difficulty was linked to the weather, with the rain coming down occasionally. My aim? To do my own race and help the team reach its objectives and I know what I have to do for that to happen. It will be a tough race on Sunday and you never know what could happen: we have to be prepared for every eventuality."
Stefano Domenicali, Team Principal: "I would say we can be satisfied with the work carried out today. It was important to get off on the right foot on the weekend that will decide the outcome of both world titles. First impressions seem positive, even allowing for the fact that an accurate assessment of the results of Friday practice involves several unknown factors. Furthermore, the weather, with some occasional drizzle, added a additional variable. Now we will concentrate on being as well prepared as possible for the rest of the weekend."
Luca Baldisserri, Head of Trackside Operations: "We have started this final round of the season in positive fashion. We got through our programme with both drivers, with no particular problems, which is always important. The F2008 seems to be competitive, both on the first timed lap and over a distance, on both types of tyre that Bridgestone has brought here. The only complication was the rain which, falling intermittently, sometimes complicated our work on track. Now we must prepare scrupulously and with great attention for qualifying and the race. The weather forecast is very uncertain, so we need to be ready to tackle changeable conditions, with all the unknowns that involves."
BMW Sauber
Robert Kubica (12th, 1:12.971): "This was a usual Friday and we finished our scheduled programme. We did some basic set-up work and evaluated the different tyre compounds. At the end of both the sessions there was drizzle in some of the corners. However, the few drops did not really influence the grip. We shall now analyse the data we collected today."
Nick Heidfeld (13th, 1:13.038): "After being really unhappy with the balance of the car in the first session, we improved it for the afternoon, but I still find the car difficult to drive. Because of the weather the programme was a little bit different to normal, but we have enough information to work on further improvements. The track isn't as good as it was after it was freshly resurfaced last year, but it is still far better than it used to be! I would say it is on the same level as other Grand Prix circuits."
Willy Rampf, Technical Director: "It was a normal first practice day. Although the light rain started at exactly the moment we did the tyre comparison, despite this we collected enough data for us now to be able to analyse. We presume the weather could give us some surprises throughout the whole weekend."
Fernando Alonso (1st, 1:12.296): "The day has gone well. We have been able to complete our programme without any problems and we have recorded lots of interesting data. We still need to work hard to improve the car in time for tomorrow, but I'm pleased with my day."
Nelson Piquet (7th, 1:12.703): "I did lots of laps today, which was what I wanted as I needed to find the limits of the circuit. The initial information we have is interesting, but the track was very slippery today and so I think I can still find some more speed and I can still improve the setup of the car with my engineers. But on the whole the result from this first day of practice is encouraging."
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering: "It was a typical Friday for us. We covered lots of laps and have been able to complete our usual programme, which included set-up work and tyre evaluation. The data looks encouraging, although the general balance of the car is not yet where we would like it to be."
Denis Chevrier, Engine Operations Manager: "We achieved our objective for today, which was to run as much as possible and to complete our technical programme. It's difficult to understand the pecking order from today's sessions, but we are satisfied with the work we've done and we're in a good position heading into the qualifying session tomorrow, which will determine the rest of our weekend."
Nico Rosberg (8th, 1:12.761): "I think we've shown ourselves to be a little bit more competitive here than we have at other tracks. That doesn't necessarily mean we'll be further up the grid tomorrow, but we might be a little bit closer. We carried out some productive set-up work today which has given us some interesting results. In terms of tyres, it's pretty clear which way we'll go, which is positive as well. The direction we'll go with other variables like rear wing level will depend on the weather forecast and the likelihood of rain."
Kazuki Nakajima (10th, 1:12.886): "Today went quite well. We made some good progress on the set-up of the car, which is positive, but we still need to find some more performance as we have to improve before qualifying tomorrow."
Sam Michael, Technical Director: "A fairly standard day for us during which we worked through our scheduled tyre tests and set-up work for the race. There was a bit of light rain in the afternoon session which affected the long runs but only for ten minutes or so. We'll now spend the evening preparing for tomorrow's qualifying."
Red Bull-Renault
Mark Webber (5th, 1:12.650): "We had a pretty productive day. I was happy with the car quite early on in the session as we got the balance right, which is always a good start. Getting on top of the tyres is not easy and we had quite changeable conditions, but overall that was a good start to the weekend."
David Coulthard (11th, 1:12.896): "There were changeable conditions out there. It was spitting with rain in the second session, so we took the decision to run a fresh set of tyres early on, just in case it rained towards the end. We haven't achieved the ultimate lap time, but I think we made progress during the day to stabilise the car."
Jarno Trulli (3rd, 1:12.435): "I was ill with the flu yesterday so I took the time to rest in order to help me recover. Today I have been feeling better and I was able to drive with no problems. We had a good Friday session in general, going through the set-up work and looking at tyre choice for the race. We worked on balancing the car and we had some success. We still have some areas to improve but in general I'm happy and we have shown a good level of competitiveness so far. It's only Friday and ideally we would like higher track temperatures but all in all this has been a good day."
Timo Glock (14th, 1:13.041): "It was a pretty difficult day for me. This is one of the races I did for Jordan in 2004 so I have experience of this track. That was a tricky race for me but the track surface is not as bumpy this year. Still, the car felt a bit strange so it's hard to understand where we are at the moment. We will have to analyse the data and see what we can do to make it right for tomorrow. Hopefully we can find a good direction, otherwise I will hope for rain! Whatever the weather, we should aim to make the points again as we did in China."
Dieter Gass, Chief Race Engineer: "We can be pleased with today's two sessions, which were trouble-free from a technical perspective. We smoothly ran through our programme and gained a clear picture over what we will do for the rest of the weekend with the tyres. We still have some work to do on the car balance, especially for Timo, who is struggling mainly with the braking. So that's something we have to look into overnight to give him a better balance for tomorrow. But overall this is a good start to the weekend and we are looking forward to a strong performance in the final race of the season."
Toro Rosso-Ferrari
Sebastian Vettel (6th, 1:12.687): "Free practice was mainly dry, but conditions were tricky in the drizzle: you would see the drops on your visor and wouldn't know how far you could go. We made a big step, improving the car from the morning to the afternoon. I think here it will be quite tricky to get the tyres working well over a long run and you could see several people struggling with that. Towards the end, you could see the grooved tyres become slick tyres, so maybe we're already getting ready for 2009!"
Sebastien Bourdais (17th, 1:13.273): "I know this track from having raced here in F3000 in '01 and '02 and it's less bumpy now, although it still seems to have quite a slippery surface, especially when we had a bit of rain. Those conditions made it a bit difficult to evaluate how the car was reacting and how the track was evolving and therefore it was tricky to assess whether any performance gains came from changes on the car or on the track surface. Generally, it's been a decent day, even if I didn't get the balance right on the Option tyre. Most of the day me and Seb were fairly evenly matched until the big gap came when I made a mistake on one quick lap at the last corner. But we have plenty of data to analyse to prepare ourselves for the race."
Rubens Barrichello (16th, 1:13.221): "It's a real pleasure for me to be racing at Interlagos this weekend, especially in front of the Brazilian fans and my family. We had two straightforward practice sessions with no real issues today however, as we expected, the car is lacking performance. We will do our best to maximise the data that we were able to achieve today but it will be a big ask to progress into Q2 tomorrow."
Jenson Button (18th, 1:13.341): "It's been a busy day and the conditions have provided some challenges with light rain in both sessions. Our main focus was trying to get the option tyres to work. Everyone seems to be having a problem with graining on the options so we tried various things to improve their performance over one lap and the long runs. I had an electrical problem this morning which cost me some time and set-up work, however with the information that we gathered this afternoon, we have plenty of data to help us move forward before tomorrow."
Steve Clark, Head of Race & Test Engineering: "It has been quite cold today, along with intermittent bouts of light rain, so the weather has certainly impacted upon the programme. The level of grip has been variable and the track did not evolve through the day as we would usually expect. The tyres were also graining and this combination of factors means we have to be very careful analysing the changes we have made to the car during the two sessions. The forecast is for hotter conditions on Sunday and that is likely to improve the performance of the tyres."
Force India-Ferrari
Adrian Sutil (19th, 1:13.428): "We didn't have any problems today so we could get through our schedule as planned. I was quite happy with my performance and we can see how the tyres are working now. The soft ones seem to be better compared to the medium tyre at the moment. We'll study the data and work on it for tomorrow."
Giancarlo Fisichella (20th, 1:13.691): "The whole day we struggled with the grip, when it was dry or wetter. We seem to have problems in particular with graining, even after a couple of laps. My speed on the straight is also relatively low, which means we aren't able to take advantage of the long straight. At the moment we don't know why or what the problem is but we have another practice tomorrow before qualifying so we'll try and get it better for that."
Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "A normal first day with no real mechanical issues on either car. Both drivers were able to run through their programmes of set up and evaluating the tyres. On the longer runs we had a lot of graining on the tyres and understeer, but overall a productive day to set us up for the weekend."
Lewis Hamilton (9th, 1:12.827): "Our car was blindingly quick this morning despite the cold weather, which made the track feel quite slippery. This afternoon we focused on our race pace - but we were interrupted by the threat of rain and the changeable wind direction. I flat-spotted my tyres on a couple of runs, but I'm positive that the changes we've made will put us in a good position for tomorrow."
Heikki Kovalainen (15th, 1:13.213): "A decent Friday practice session and we now have a good understanding of tyre performance following our comparison work and evaluation. We were fine-tuning the balance of the car all the time and the outcome makes me happy, although this isn't reflected in the fastest lap times. So we've found a good baseline to work on for the rest of the weekend."
Ron Dennis, Team Principal: "Today was a slightly tricky day for many of the teams - with graining, particularly of the option tyre, a particular problem with the less-than-optimal track temperatures caused by the inclement weather conditions. In fact, we suspect that some teams may have dropped their fuel loads in an effort to nullify that problem, but we didn't. Instead we adhered to a disciplined programme, all the while assessing our raceable options. We made steady progress with our understanding of the available downforce levels, tyre choices and brake materials, and we feel confident that the lessons we learned today will pay dividends on Sunday."
Norbert Haug, Mercedes Motorsport Director: "This (was) certainly not one of the better 2008 Friday's rankings for McLaren Mercedes. But I doubt whether today's order represents Sunday's competitive situation. We had a conservative approach to the afternoon session to simulate extremes that can take place during the race on Sunday. But of course we still have to optimise both cars. I am confident we can qualify tomorrow in positions that enable us to score the necessary points on Sunday."


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No, this isn't a cottage on some back lane in Cotswold. It's an Arts and Crafts house in Woodland Heights, one of Houston's older neighborhoods. This charming house is owned by Melanie Millar, an artist whose work is highly acclaimed. Of course an artist would live in such a unique and wonderful house! Although Melanie is from New Jersey, she went to school at the University of Texas and received a MFA from The University of North Texas at Denton. Her work is in private and corporate collections, as well as in the collection of the Museum of Fine Art, Houston. Below are a few of my favorite works from her latest series: "Line of Beauty."
Some of Melanie's beautiful images are seen on her blog, www.melaniemillar.blogspot.com
Her current work shown on her blog is taken from her series of work entitled "Line of Beauty." She writes: "In an essay written in 1753, The Analysis of Beauty, William Hogarthsought to identify the qualities that determine the perception of beauty in a work of art or architecture. He reduced this complex question down to one component: the S curve or arabesque which he called the Line of Beauty. The "line of beauty" in my work comes from ornamental iron work. Certainly Hogarth over simplified the question. I think our cultural/visual wiring programs us to associate these ornamental motifs with pleasure and beauty, which is how I hope these works are perceived."
She Can't Hear You, oil on canvas, 30"x28"
archival digital print with mixed media on paper, 40"x30"
Recently, Melanie's house was featured on the Woodland Heights Home Tour. The house was built in 1915 – and for Houston, that's ancient! Even in Woodland Heights, this is one of the oldest houses. The homebuilder lived here, so he incorporated many builder upgrades. It's the dining room windows that really catch your eye – wood mullioned windows, original to the house – they are simply gorgeous. The house is small – just 1100 sq. ft, 2 bedrooms and 1 bath – and it has barely been touched through the years.
The dining room window, including its hardware, is original to the house, and is the focal point of the façade. In Houston where most of houses are from the second half of the 1900s, older houses are so special. Melanie moved in this house in 2000. She had first seen it in 1986 and fell in love at first sight. It was up for sale in 1987 but she had just purchased another house nearby. Her friend bought the house instead. When her friend put it up for sale in 2000, Melanie finally made the move and bought her dream house.
The décor is a study in contrast – everything is either light or dark, black or white.
In the living room, the fireplace, window seats and bookshelves are all original. The art work above the mantle is by Melanie Millar. The floors in the living and dining room are oak, a builder's upgrade. The rest of the house has pine floors. Melanie has furnished her house with pieces scavenged in her neighborhood, including Stardust Antiques on 11th street and other shops on 19th Street. If you aren't familiar with the area, The Heights has great shopping. White slipcovers cover the matching love seats.
I love that center table.
And looking towards the back wall. I love all the dark, black antiques – they really stand out against all the white of the walls and the slipcovers. Melanie says that the only fine antique in the house is the Philadelphia Queen Anne corner chair which is a family piece.
Of course this diptych on paper is by the homeowner, Melanie Millar.
Close up of the center table.
And looking towards the front porch.
The dining room with the set of windows that first attracted the homeowner. The windows and the hardware are original to the house and they have been painted shut in order to minimize damage. This really is so English looking – not Texan at all!
The large pine dining table also serves as a library table.
Along one wall is a long console.
Melanie is currently working a project, photographing nests – transferring the photo image to light sensitive printing plates to produce etching.
Though there is no picture of the kitchen, the cabinets are from a 1950's renovation and everything else was updated. The kitchen shares the same paneling as the breakfast nook which is original to the house. The bench, though, was added during the 50s renovation. The light fixture came from Balinska's, a shop once located on 19th street.
The custom table top is from Installations on 22th Street. The art work along the back wall is Melanie's. And, that is a metal blackboard.
The Powder Room/guest bathroom/master bathroom – all in one. This room was completely updated. The lavatory is a reproduction of an Italian piece from the early 20th century, all the fixtures are an unusual silver plate. The art work on the upper right is an engraving by Melanie's great grandfather documenting the placement of the capstone on the Washington Monument. It is dated 1865 – what a story must be behind it!!!! Hiding behind the door is a study done by the owner's grandfather in architecture school, dated 1914. It's obvious where she gets her talent from. The skirt is a dark blue and white, further examples of the strong contrasts found throughout. Notice the darling doorknob and notice the beautiful marble marble.
The master bedroom is the fulfillment of the owner's vision. She designed and hand printed all the bed fabrics!!! Amazing! The two bedrooms on the back of the house look out at the courtyard. Before, there were windows here, but recently Melanie removed those and added French doors and a wood deck, along with a stone terrace. Now the outdoors and indoors are visually connected and feel as one room.
Another look at the owner's designed linens.
Next to the bed is this charming chair from Watkins Culver which sits underneath art work by Melanie.
I love the pillows!
Melanie's favorite possession is this chest from New Hampshire, dating from the 1700s. It is black painted pine, made to look like mahogany. The patina is incredible.
The best part – is the carving "Keep Out" probably done by J.A., a temperamental teenaged boy. Imagine how much trouble he got in for carving up his chest!
A close up of her hand screened designs.
And, a close up of her greyhound in her wicker bed with ticking mattress. Here you can see the blue and white curtains close up.
The second bedroom/office/TV room also leads off the deck through the new French doors out to the courtyard. Behind the courtyard is the house's garage. Here in the Heights and the Woodland Heights, most of the garages face back alleyways – lucky!!!!! These pillows were also designed and hand screened by Melanie.
Melanie notes that the architectural historian who looked at the house for eligibility for the tour was surprised to find original built in bedroom closets in a house this old. He said it was very usual for such a modest house built in 1915 to have built in closets. Melanie says the closets are too cluttered to show here! I can truly relate to that.
The back courtyard with the French door leading out from the guest room.
And the wood deck and French door leading out from the master bedroom. Almost everything in the courtyard blooms white, except for the Cecile Bruner roses.
And there was even room for a fountain which was added when the doors and patio were installed. Melanie says that the entire feel of the house has changed since the courtyard was opened up to the house!
I hope you have enjoyed this wee bit of England in Texas!! Be sure to visit Melanie Millar's web site to view all her art work. www.melaniemillar.blogspot.com
And a huge thank you to Melanie for inviting us into her charming house!!!
The Skirted Roundtable has a new recording up that has been generating some email discussion. It's all about blogging and product pitches. Judging by the emails, not everyone agrees with us on this one, but it is what it is. Can't take it back now. We do have two nationally known interior designers in the can for the next two weeks! And we have a huge surprise interview coming up – someone that no one thought we would ever get, considering…well…..I'll tell you more about it when the time comes!
Be sure to listen. Go here: www.skirtedroundtable.blogspot.com
And finally, today, I want to introduce a new sponsor on Cote de Texas: Greige.
As they say, "We are here to bring you beautiful products and inspiration to help you create an environment that is a reflection of you."
This week, Greige is now offering a 10% discount for Cote de Texas readers.
To access their web page, go to
To get your 10% discount, enter the code: Cote10


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Opinion: President Jeb Bush?
Political Diary editor Jason Riley on whether former Florida Governor Jeb Bush will run for President in 2016. Photo credit: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... who comes to our country because they couldn't come legally ... they come to our country because ... their their families ... you know all of the dead who love their children ... was worried that their children didn't have to go to ... indeed in one to make sure their family was intact in the cross the border is in no other means to work ... to be able provide for their family ... yes they broke the law ... but it's not a felony ... this kind of oh it's it's a it's a it's a it's an act of love it's an active commitment your family ... that was what Florida Governor Jeb Bush stepping out on some international stage ... in a widely discussed interview ... on Fox news in recent days ... what does it all mean and why is he making the statements about political diary editor and Fox News contributor Jason Riley ... Jason that what these comments at all and might make them now as he ... scaly run for president ... I think I'd be seriously considering it and more so than he was the last cycle when people try to recruit and that ... he seemed reluctant and now it seems much more open ... to the idea I think in in Jeb Bush who basically have Chris Christie without the bridge scandal ... you have an establishment Republican ... moderate able to raise a ton of money in the morning Chris Christie any user record and ... in terms of her profile in terms of his profile he can appeal to independents ... but he's got this problem with the party's base and I think you see him trying to get that out there that read some of the issues and be very upfront with that one is immigration reform another of these common core national education small let let's start with immigration is see staking out at the middle ground that ... and taking a leadership role in encouraging I think he realizes I and I think he's right to realize this is that the GOP as a demographic problem it's not that ... Republicans are ... coming out the vote is that there aren't enough Republicans out there he sees Latino swing voters he comes from an ethnically diverse family himself ... and in so I think he's doing the right thing in saying this is something a party at your place in just a political calculation or does he really believes ... in open border she said I think he does believe that that that Democrats will still have high school and are assets ... to the U S in a chair that ... and I think more Republicans ought to of of green with them on that and and will see is a very capable ... politician maybe he will bring bring people on what I think he is trying to unite the party around ... that mean ... I know you ... have strong views about Common Core ... these are national standards to which came out and defended the end ... I had to interpret this I'm I think is overly enthusiastic about about Common Core ... um I just don't see the evidence that national standards will live student achievement ... I don't think proponents are presented that evidence and until they do on the onthe to be skeptical ... what what this package of Bush he mentioned that his role as governor operandi does have a very impressive record ... on education particular so I think a lot of Republicans will give them the benefit of the doubt even though there is this disagreement over coming or if he runs will marker Rubio run ... of the national ISM is not aam but will say ... little diary editor Jason Riley thank you so much ... for joining us ...


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I am always honored when a bride and groom trust me completely with the vision and design of their wedding - I do some of my best work with the freedom to create. Not that I don't ask oodles of questions and do my best to make sure I understand my bride and groom completely before taking off and creating!
I not only became really good friends with Lili & Kieran but I also think we created some of the most amazing hand-crafted details we've ever done. The panels of stained glass were hand drawn and hand painted to look like stained glass. The hand crafted floating lanterns. Strung orchids. Embroidered napkins designed specifically for Lili & Kieran with unique graphic design. Hand painted glass table markers. Hand painted maracas, fans ... the list goes on and on! :) Enjoy!


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Sunday, 6 February 2011
The unstoppable crisp
That's an extra 208 million bags of those crunchy slivers of fried potato we're all mysteriously addicted to. Can you go anywhere without that raucous crunching sound from someone's favourite snack hovering in the background?
Nobody can really explain why we're such suckers for something so insubstantial and so unhealthy, and so absurdly expensive for what it is (raw ingredient - a potato or two with some seasoning).
Is it that fabulous crunching sound as we demolish a crisp? Is it those weird and wonderful artificial flavours? Is it just the secret thrill of eating something especially noisy and ostentatious? Whatever the reason, we're hooked on them.
Supposedly* we owe this uncontrollable addiction to a hotel diner in Saratoga Springs, New York State, in 1853 who complained that his fried potatoes were too thick and too soggy. Chef George Crum responded by slicing the potatoes as thin as he could. The diner was so enthusiastic about the result that they became a regular menu item, "Saratoga Chips". And the rest, as they say, is history - and big business.
Now crisps are the UK's third most popular snack after fresh fruit and chocolate. We just can't get enough of those curly wafers of fried spud.
But I have a shameful confession to make. I'm not a great crisp devotee. Actually I prefer hula hoops. Or Bombay Mix. So I'd better not set foot in Saratoga Springs. An angry mob might just chase me out of town.
* So it says in Wikipedia.
28 comments:
- Scarlet Blue said...
God, I love crisps and can easily demolish a family, bumper, super-sized bag within seconds... and don't get me started on fish finger and crisp sandwiches.
Kettles crisps are organic and handcut - so I reckon they must be okay.
- 6 February 2011 at 13:22
- Liz said...
Pringles, they're the killer. I swear they have an addictive ingredient.
- 6 February 2011 at 14:25
Scarlet - A pity I can't try fish finger and crisp sandwiches, being a vegetarian and all. Kettle Crisps still contain salt and sugar so the diet experts wouldn't be happy....
Liz - You never know. Maybe they contain alcohol instead of vinegar.
- 6 February 2011 at 14:35
- Grannymar said...
I have been known to crunch on the odd bag of crisps. I usually have a bag in the pantry - to crumble and scatter over a mashed potato roof on Shephard's pie!
- 6 February 2011 at 14:37
- Scarlet Blue said...
Yeah, I knew that really! But crisps are one of my two major vices and I don't allow myself into a bag too often.
- 6 February 2011 at 14:40
Grannymar - Crumbled over Shepherd's pie, that's a clever idea. Though in my case it would have to be Greengrocer's Pie. Now there's a concept to conjure with....
- 6 February 2011 at 14:42
Scarlet - I understand the Vice Squad will soon be clamping down on crisp-eaters, after years of leniency. I think they're due in your area on Tuesday.
- 6 February 2011 at 14:44
- Grannymar said...
'Greengrocer's Pie' sounds interesting. Fancy doing a guest post on it some Food Monday?
- 6 February 2011 at 17:37
- Baino said...
Not a crisp lover myself but I do miss Marks and Spencer's Cheese and Onion. I didn't know that about the invention of the crisp. Filed in the memory banks for the next trivia night.
- 6 February 2011 at 19:12
Grannymar - Well, since I just made it up on the spur of the moment, I have no idea what it might contain! I'll have to have a think!
Baino - The story of how the crisp was invented is fascinating - if it's true, that is. Now you can bore all your friends by asking them what originated in Saratoga Springs.
- 6 February 2011 at 20:07
- Wisewebwoman said...
I've been known to import a whole box of Taytoes. Cheese and Onion. Of course.
- 6 February 2011 at 22:39
- heartinsanfrancisco said...
I don't love potato chips all that much, but Flip does. Whenever he goes to the store with me, he sneaks them into the shopping cart like a 4-year old. He can even flush them out at Whole Foods. I like potatoes, just not anything greasy.
- 7 February 2011 at 00:28
- secret agent woman said...
What are hula hoops and Bombay mix?
Not a giant fan of potato chips, although I'll certainly eat them if they are around. I do love corn chips though and in fact we're making nachos tonight. Mmmm.
(ha ha - word verification is krumb)
- 7 February 2011 at 00:52
W3 - You wicked woman you. The Vice Squad will catch up with you as well.
Heart - I like the way Flip sneaks them into the shopping cart. Just like kids picking up chocolate bars.
Secret Agent - Hula Hoops are ring-shaped crisps with extra crunchiness. Bombay Mix is a mixture of chickpea flour noodles, lentils, peanuts, chickpeas, corn, and flaked rice. Yum!
- 7 February 2011 at 07:51
- nursemyra said...
I can't remember when I last had a bag of crisps. But chocolate.... that's another matter....
- 7 February 2011 at 08:10
- rummuser said...
....why we're such suckers for something so insubstantial and so unhealthy, and so absurdly expensive for what it is.
It is precisely for those reasons Nick!
I prefer pop corn though!
- 7 February 2011 at 13:52
Myra - Me too. I can't go for long without my chocolate fix.
Ramana - You perverse person you. I shudder to think what other dietary horrors you're addicted to. Can't stand popcorn myself.
Forgot to mention re Bombay Mix - it's also extremely crunchy!
- 7 February 2011 at 16:40
- Eryl said...
My sister is addicted to crisp, but I can't stand things that stick to my teeth and hate overpowering artificial flavours, so haven't eaten any for years. I like the odd bombay mix lentil though, and those strange fluted sticks that always taste a bit stale.
- 7 February 2011 at 18:34
Eryl - I don't like things sticking to my teeth either. Fluted sticks? What fluted sticks might those be?
- 7 February 2011 at 20:32
- tattytiara said...
I was always indifferent to them myself, until this last year. Now I eat them every single day. It's not pretty if I run out, either.
I don't know what the hell is wrong with me. Are potatoes a member of the opiate family?
- 8 February 2011 at 03:34
Tattytiara - Rumour has it that crisp manufacturers are lacing the crisps with traces of pure cocaine.
- 8 February 2011 at 06:56
- kylie said...
i adore chips but i dont keep any in the house because once i start i'll never stop!!
- 8 February 2011 at 07:28
- Murr Brewster said...
It's no mystery. Fat + salt. What's not to love? I demolished a whole bag yesterday because I needed to know if the ones at the bottom of the bag were as good as the ones on top. In the name of science.
- 8 February 2011 at 08:36
Kylie - There's definitely some addictive ingredient in crisps....
Murr - These scientific experiments are absolutely essential. I apply the same consistency test to bars of chocolate. To get a reliable result, at least 20 chocolate bars have to be tested.
- 8 February 2011 at 18:09
- Roses said...
For me, it's jars of green olives. No such thing as just one olive.
Closely followed by anchovies and sun dried tomatoes. Yummy.
Crisps, yummy, but not worth obsessing over.
Each to their own, I say. Especially if there's more olives for me.
- 8 February 2011 at 18:31
Roses - I don't often have olives, but when I do there's no stopping me. I can demolish an entire bowlful at lightning speed. Sun dried tomatoes are delicious too.
- 8 February 2011 at 19:09
- Suburbia said...
I'm not a crisp addict either but my kids are. I try to limit their intake but they are too ingenious for me sometimes!!
- 8 February 2011 at 22:37
Suburbia - Children's ingenuity knows no bounds when they're determined to get something!
- 9 February 2011 at 07:45


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|2008-10-06, 03:11
|Link #201
Who am I?
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Babuyan Islands
Haven't played the game but had read the manga. The end is also the same w/ Tomoya _____. I think is sucks cause mainly clannad is about family story and both Nagisa's and Tomoyo's after story ends w/out having a family/love one etc....lol. Oh well.
|2008-10-23, 13:32
|Link #204
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Poland!
I need help :(
Hi there!
This is my first post in this forum and I hope that this isn't my last one.
My English is really bad, so please forgive me :P
Ok, I want to tell that Tomoyo After is looking really nice but... I don't know how to put into a game translate I found for example this:
And I dont wanna what I must do with that. I opened my notepad and paste all this text and I have done SEEN0628.TXT but my game don't wanna start I'm sory if this topic is bad for this type of questions, but I hope that someone will help me!
|2008-10-23, 19:33
|Link #207
Knowledge is the solution
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: St. Louis, MO
Age: 34
It wasn't the most informative answer but what he says is correct. There are tools out there (intended for programmers) that would help you transforming this text file into a format readable by the game engine. However if you have little experience with such things, you should either use the scripts as a read along help, or wait for an official patch.
|2008-10-24, 02:01
|Link #208
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Poland!
Waah, it is really hard to do SEEN.txt
Okeey, but I don't give up ^^
So, I downloaded rldev-1.40 ( this is good? :P ) and I have:
When I opened a file for example INSTALL I have txt file...
What now...?
I don't have any experience.... official patch won't come quick :P
|2009-02-14, 09:41
|Link #209
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Malaysia/Australia
So.. just out of curiousity... is the translated SEEN file released? I'm kinda desperate to play this game in english subtitles. I know the translation is not completed yet but, I reckon there may be an incomplete SEEN.txt translation out there somewhere?
If there's such a file... can anyone PM me the link to download it? Or probably just post the link here.
Many thanks! And sorry for the troubles caused <3
|2009-02-14, 10:44
|Link #211
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Malaysia/Australia
Lol.. unfortunately I don't know much about japanese. That's why I can't really play without the english translation. >_< I sure do hope that the completed SEEN.txt translation is coming out real soon.
Any estimated time of when it will be released?
|2009-03-20, 10:32
|Link #218
IT Support
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Somewhere...
Age: 30
|Thread Tools


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|System: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
|Dev: Techland
|Pub: Deep Silver
|Release: November 30, 2010
|Players: 1 (local) 2-11 (online)
|Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p
|for lyrics and mild violence
Unfortunately, the poor AI ties into the second issue, which is the ultra-repetitiveness of the game. Soaring at top speed atop what looks like the Grand Canyon is fun for twenty minutes, but after while, even discovering new pathways seems uninteresting. If the game would have been harder, or relied on more than the same few obstacle elements to add some variety to the gameplay, this wouldn't have been such an issue. To their credit, they do try to add some variety with an "Off-Road" mode that allows you to make your own custom races with custom crash, boost, and track settings, but the weak AI keeps this mode from being really interesting, as the parameters don't matter too much when you are pounding the competition over and over again.
Production-wise, Nail'd has fairly good standing. The different tracks, in addition to being ridiculously large, also feature a different number of landscapes, which are all rendered with loving detail. However, one of the biggest problems with the visuals is that they rely a little too much on stock animations during collisions. One of the most exciting facets of arcade-style races is crashing, and that's one area that Nail'd gets totally wrong. No matter how you bump into something, or what it is, the crash animations are the same. Though it is a little bit comical to see your onscreen avatar blasting out of their seat the same way after crashing into a tree and a train, the humor effect wears off quickly and the effect becomes tedious and annoying.
Sound in the game also is pretty good, and the game's soundtrack features some decent (albeit generic) rock music by a number of somewhat-notable artists, including Queens of the Stone Age. The automotive sounds, however, are not of good quality, and the ATV rev sound is repeated way too many times and becomes agitating to listen to almost instantly.
Nail'd is a fairly good game if you only want to kill a few hours. The incredibly fantastical approach it takes to ATV racing is certainly interesting, and makes for a stupendous amount of fun for a short time. However, the game's lack of challenging AI, as well its more repetitive aspects, make it a game that you'll probably only want to pick up once it hits the rental queue or the bargain bin.
Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Freelance Writer
Game Features:


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Wild To Be Without Parise For Weeks
The Minnesota Wild will be without star forward Zach Parise for at least 2-3 weeks as he recovers from a bruised foot suffered in Monday's loss to St. Louis.
Parise injured the foot in the first period of the game Monday, tried to play through it, but was forced to leave the game after the second period. He leads Minnesota with 22 points through 25 games.
The Wild are back in action Wednesday night when they host the Phoenix Coyotes at Xcel Energy Center (6:30 pm, 1390 The Fan).


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Welcome to 4 Corners Whitewater
Join the "whitewater specialist" for family friendly or high adventure raft trips in Durango, CO. The Lower Animas River runs through the heart of Durango which allows for a fun, safe and convenient trip suitable for the entire family. For you adrenaline seekers out there, join us for an adventure of a life time on our action packed Upper Animas river trip. Enjoy deep discounts when you combine a Durango ATV tour, zipline tour, or a train tour with your raft trip. Our specialty is hand-crafted and well-orchestrated itineraries, expert leadership and a personal connection to each river we run. If your trip is taking you beyond Durango, don't miss the opportunity to get on the San Miguel River near Telluride or the San Juan River in Bluff, UT. From beginner to expert, let the whitewater specialists take you and your family down the river during your stay in Southwest Colorado—rafting in Durango doesn't get better than this.
View our Colorado whitewater rafting trips and packages below!


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Welcome to U19 World Lacrosse Foundation
The U19 World Lacrosse Foundation is the legacy of the 2008 Under 19 Men's World Lacrosse Championships that were held in Coquitlam, British Columbia July 3rd – 12th, 2008. As a result of this very successful event, the Foundation has been established to support initiatives aimed at promoting the development of youth field lacrosse in the province of British Columbia.
The Foundation will provide financial assistance for the ongoing development of youth field lacrosse programs in the Province of BC as well as the ongoing development of BC field lacrosse athletes to allow them to compete at higher levels.
Assistance is available to any athlete 19 years of age or younger, related team or program sanctioned by the BC Lacrosse Association.
In the spring of each calendar year, the Board of Directors of the Foundation will consider applications received from teams and individual athletes to award grants for the general development of field lacrosse in the Province of BC and to provide assistance to high performance field lacrosse athletes.
General development assistance includes startup assistance for new clubs and volunteer development at the club level as well as field lacrosse programs that generate participation at the grassroots level for men's and women's youth field lacrosse.
The Foundation will also provide assistance for club field lacrosse team expenses, Provincial field lacrosse team expenses and to individual athletes competing on Canadian National field lacrosse teams.
Applications must be received by the Foundation on or before May 31st of each calendar year to be considered by the Board of Directions who will determine the assistance that will be provided by way of a grant in July of each calendar year.


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Camping Inspired Decor
As summer comes to a close I'm finding myself longing for a few more long summer nights spent under the stars. With these camping inspired finds I can relive a bit of the adventure while keeping warm indoors during the chilly days ahead.
1. S'mores Kit with house-made graham crackers and marshmallows, $18 from Whimsy and Spice on Etsy
2. Good Luck Horse Shoe, $10 from CatBird NYC
3. Sunrise Forest by Kevin Russ, $16 from Society6
4. UO Lux Leather Butterfly Chair, $219 from Urban Outfitters
5. Ruffian Pillow, $99 from Camp Provisions
6. Tree Stump Side Table, $199 from West Elm
7. J. Capps and Sons Tribute #3, $228.00 from Pendleton
8. Rucksack Canvas Backpack, $47 from Amazon
9. Dreamlight, $30 from Urban Outfitters
10. Leather Flask, $43 from JCrew
(Images: as linked above)


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March 11, 2011 – The earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan this morning continue to cause damage throughout the world, including severe wave action in Hawaii and on the West Coast of the United States. This disaster reminds us once again that events can change in any part of the world at a moment's notice. In addition to enormous personal tragedy to contend with, Japan will have to initiate major infrastructure re-development efforts along the coastal and inland areas washed out by massive waves of water. I just watched a Weather Channel report from the West Coast of the United States, and the reporter was speaking while standing in front of a major break wall constructed of rip rap. There is almost no disaster in which aggregates are not part of the solution, either through the use of stone products, or emergency manpower. I have seen aggregates producers time and time again step in to assist with heavy equipment and know-how after a disaster. Let's hope and pray that the industry's expertise is not needed here this time around, and there is no repeat of the kind of devastation that was caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Earthquake and Tsunami
- Details
- Written by Mark Kuhar