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Last night, Cassadee Pope was crowned "The Voice" winner. The young popstar, who decided to go slightly country, beat out Terry McDermott and Nicholas David for a coveted record deal. Did she deserve to win the finals and will she continue to work with Blake Shelton, post the Voice? Here's the latest update on Cassadee Pope. Plus, The Voice rumors and predictions for next season.
Cassadee Pope, who hails from Florida is a down to earth indie rock chick. Born under the zodiac sign of Virgo, she has enjoyed moderate music success in the past, fronting the pop punk band, Hey Monday.
In 2011, Cassadee's band decided to take a break from touring, which led her to audition for The Voice. Somehow, our loveable Gemini judge, Blake Shelton, convinced her to join his team and the rest is musical history.
When it comes to music, no doubt, Cassadee Pope has a distinct sound. She's the girl who can make you shed a tear, with her emotional rendtion of each song she sings and its heartfelt lyrics. When it comes to recording a studio album, what are Cassadee's plans for the future?
"If you were to take Taylor Swift, make it edgier with a just a little hint of country and make the lyrics a little more mature, that would be the direction I'd like to take," Pope told Billboard.
In addition, she's invited Blake Shelton to help her in the studio, with his magic country dust to sprinkle across the album. He said, "I would pay her to be on her record. I wish I could scientifically describe what it is about her, but I can't explain it – she's just one of those people destined to be a star." Gotta love Blake, he's definitely taken on a big brother/mentor role with our Virgo girl.
For Cassadee Pope, she's not afraid to open her heart and share with her fans how she's feeling. Outspoken about her estranged relationship with her father, she proudly told the Voice fans that she reconnected with her dad because of the show. Together, they are going to take baby steps to bridge the communication gap and be a family once again.
For Cassadee Pope's mom, sister, and boyfriend…they are her biggest fans. They've all moved to California to support her singing career and her new solo album, which Astrochicks predicts will be a smash hit. Of course, this will only happen if she allows Blake Shelton to guide her and even possibly produce her. As a team, Cassadee and Blake have an undeniable chemistry that will be a hit making machine.
For Terry McDermott and Nicholas David, we so hope they get record deals as well. So talented, Astrochicks loved loved love this season of the Voice. We can't wait to check out the new judges, Usher and Shakira. I'm sure it will be just as fun. Stay tuned.


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If you�re a real student of the history of this country and do not adhere to the fairytale and justification historian�s accounts of our country, then the whispers may becoming a little louder to you. This is not a call to arms but only a prediction of what may become reality.
From all of the 50 states petitions for successions have been filed, this is not a novelty act but rather frustration from informed caring citizens. They doubt ever being able to return the federal government back to what was envisioned by the founding fathers. These people are standing up to a federal government that has assumed powers not delegated by the states. A lot of the states to their credit are also taking a stand and refusing to enforce some of the recent federal laws that they deem unconstitutional, in essence nullifying them.
The nullification doctrine was believed in by two of the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison also ascribed to by John C. Calhoun. Recently the South Carolina house passed a bill nullifying the national health care law and now it goes to their senate. Most of the states, to their credit, have refused to set up any exchanges.
Over two thirds of the states are refusing to enforce new federal gun laws, some going as far as to nullify the laws. This is two divisions of the people, here is another; Same-sex marriage is now recognized in 12 states and the ones that are advocating same-sex marriage want the federal government to legalize it thus nullifying the state laws that prohibit it in the 30 plus states that passed laws against it.
Being an advocate of state rights but strongly opposed to same-sex marriage, I recognize that states have the right to make such laws. I support the states that have laws prohibiting it and their right to if necessary nullify any federal law that challenges this.
Same-sex marriage and abortion has started the divide, the push apart will come when the federal government forces national health care and gun control on us. There will be 21 Democratic senators up for reelection in 2014, none of them are bragging about the health care law they helped to pass as they know that more people are now informed of the disastrous effect it will have on them and the companies they work for. Maybe they have learned what a lot of people are now coming to believe and that is best said by a line from the old Star trek TV series. This line was delivered by Leonard Nimoy as the Mr. Spock character. It is not logical but often true; �the having is seldom as rewarding as the wanting.�
Any free people in order to remain free must always retain the right to shake off an oppressive government. The lines have been drawn and the federal government knows this. Maybe this is their reason for more attempts to limit our access to guns and restricting magazine capacity.
Will �We the people� of the states have the resolve to keep our freedoms? Will we stand up against an out of control federal government that uses intimidation and coercion (i.e. seizing phone records of its citizens without due process of the law, harassing organizations that speak out against the government and refusing to enforce emigration laws, etc.),to keep us subjugated to their will and denying us our freedoms?
Note of interest: 11 of the 12 states that now recognize same-sex marriage were of the union of 1861. All the confederate states of 1861 have laws prohibiting it. Also all the states of the former Confederacy, minus one, are refusing to set up national health care exchanges. Of all the states pushing back on enforcing new federal gun laws, the former confederate states are among them, (apparently we are more divided now then we were in 1861-65). Are the whispers becoming more audible now?
Petty is a resident of Gastonia.

subset: commoncrawl


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Translation Disclaimer
Strawbale Visitor and Nature Center To get back into the Marina Experience web pages click hereOpen to the public -Tuesday -Saturday 9-59-1:00 Tues- Fri -Classroom programs may keep us in the other building so if you call first, we can be sure to help you.The City of Berkeley's Shorebird Park Nature Center is the first municipal strawbale building in the United States. It has a solar hot water radiant system to provide heating year-round in the cool marina climate, and a solar photovoltaic electrical system to power the aquariums, computers, lighting and other equipment. Our Straw Bale building is the Nature/Visitors Center and Office. Here you'll find a 50 gallon salt tank, a 30 gallon fresh water tank and displays on Marine mammals and birds.The building itself is a display on green building. The Visitors' Center provides information to visitors concerning all areas of recreation and marine conservation and education. We do group tours which include watching a video on the process of building this building.Our phone number is 510- 981-6720,and the fax is 510 981-6725Schools and/ or teachers who would like more information should contact the center's program coordinator Anthony DeCicco. This is also the office for the Adventure Playground, and we do the Shoreline cleanups year round. We need volunteers for our Bay Interpretive training program to help with our education programs during the school year.
The classroom is where we hold workshops, trainings and teach classes. It now has a 200 gallon salt water aquarium which displays creatures that live in the San Francisco Bay. and fresh water ecosystem with a 200 gal. fresh water native lake fish tank.Mid-week, the classroom holds the school group presentations, teacher workshops, and Summer Marine Biology Classes
With the donation of the Skystream 3.7 wind system from Southwest Windpower, Green Classroom building is powered by wind from San Francisco Bay. This wind turbine is the first municipally-owned wind turbine in the nation.
Building Heating
- Solar Hot Water Heating System
Solar heating can reduce and sometimes eliminate the use of energy from sources that pollute the environment. See the informational sheet titled "Shorebird Park Nature Center Solar Hot Water System."
Building Cooling
- Natural Ventilation System
On a warm day buildings are often hotter inside than the air outside. Natural ventilation is a method of circulating cool air through a building. Cool air is pulled into a room via low louvers. As this air warms, it rises, and is eventually released through high placed windows
- Rainwater Harvesting System
Rainwater harvesting is the collection of rainwater for use during the dry season. This system reduces the environmental impact caused by the collection and distribution of domestic water. See the informational sheet titled "Shorebird Park Nature Center Rainwater Harvesting System".
Concrete Mix
- Fly Ash
Fly ash is generally captured from the chimneys of coal-fired power plants. The reuse of fly ash helps to reduce landfill waste. It can be reused to replace up to 30% by mass of Portland cement—the binding material in a concrete mix. Additionally, fly ash increases the strength, durability and chemical resistance of the concrete.
Window Glazing
- Low E2
- 1" Insulated glass
Solar control glass, also called Low E2, is a good glass for hot days because, in addition to improving the insulating ability of windows, it also limits solar heat gain by blocking passage of infrared and some ultraviolet rays. When compared to tinted window coatings, solar control glass allows a higher level of visible light to pass through a window with less solar heat gain reduction.
Window Frames
- Thermally Broken
Aluminum window frames are more durable in the harsh ocean environment, but metal is a very poor insulator. A thermal break is a concealed band of insulating, high-density plastic that separates the outer metal frame from the inner metal frame. Thermal breaks can significantly reduce the transfer of hot and cold temperatures between the interior and exterior of the window.
Carpet[Patcraft "Homeroom II"]
- Eco Solution Q Premium Branded Fiber
- Ecoworx Backing
Eco Solution Q Premium Branded Fiber with 25% Recycled Content
Ecoworx Backing is 100% PVC free.
Eco Solution Q fiber and EcoWorx backing are among the first Cradle to Cradle products in the world. Here's how it works: We use Raw Materials are used to make a product. That product gets purchased and used. After it has served its useful life, that product gets broken down into raw materials again and used to make the very same kind of products.
Linoleum[Armstrong Marmorette]- Low-Emitting Resilient Flooring- Recycled Content 10% or 20%- Rapidly Renewable Resource
Linoleum is a floor covering made from renewable materials such as solidified linseed oil (linoxyn), pine rosin, ground cork dust, wood flour, and mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate, and is most commonly backed with burlap or canvas.
Tackboard[Chatfield-Clarke]- Woven with 100% Polyolefin
Woven with 100% Polyolefin, a nonallergenic material that will not mildew, rot, or support the growth of bacteria.
Suspended Acoustic Ceiling
Recycled Content
- Suspended System Minimum 25%- Panels: Low-Emitting- Panels: 79-85% Total Recycled Content
Cabinets[David M. Bertino Manufacturing, Inc.]
- Veneer Core Plywood: Certified as Sustainably Harvested by Organizations Accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) principles:
- Prohibit conversion of forests or any other natural habitat
- Prohibit the use of hazardous chemicals
- Identification and appropriate management of areas that need special protection (e.g. cultural or sacred sites, habitats of endangered animals or plants)
Metal Roof[Magna-Loc Panel]
- ENERGY STAR Partnership
Magna-Loc Panel meets Energy Star Requirements for emissivity and reflectivity.
ENERGY STAR partnership offers a proven energy management strategy that helps in measuring current energy performance, setting goals, tracking savings, and rewarding improvements.
Lighting - Indoors[Finelite]
- Occupancy sensor
- Automatic Daylighting Control Certified by Energy Commission
The major "sustainable" benefit from daylighting is from associated energy savings. Occupancy sensors turn off the lights when no one is using the room. Automatic daylighting controls adjust the light level in response to daylight levels. Such lighting control measures have been shown to result in savings of as much as 75% of lighting energy.
Lighting - Outdoor[Kenall]
- Full Cutoff
- Light Pollution Reduction
Full cutoff fixtures are those that illuminate mostly downward, thus reducing light pollution. Light pollution is light spilling beyond where it is needed. Decreasing light pollution increases access to the night sky while also improving nighttime visibility and lessening the disturbance to nocturnal creatures.
Fiber Cement Siding[JamesHardie "HardiPlank Lap Siding"]- Non-Asbestos Material
HardiePlank lap siding is a non-asbestos material offering low maintenance and an unmatched resistance to weather damage in wet and humid climates.
- Low VOC
Low - VOC and No-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints are less harmful to human and environmental health than other paints because they contain fewer groundwater-polluting and ozone-depleting contaminants.
- Native Plants
- Mulch from and Tree Clippings
- Cardboard Sheet Mulch
- Drip Irrigation
- Native plants provide suitable habitat for native species of butterflies, birds, and other wildlife.- Mulch keeps moisture in the ground longer and reduces the intrusion of unwanted plants. Shredded tree clippings are a good local source of mulch.- Sheet mulching is a way to remove unwanted plants without the use of herbicides. Rolls of cardboard sheet mulch are laid on the ground to control the growth of unwanted plants by eliminating the plant's access to air and light.- Drip irrigation is an irrigation method which saves water by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters. In native landscaping it is usually used temporarily, just until the plants become established and can survive on the latent moisture in the ground and the rain and fog.
Construction Method
- Modular Construction
- Factory Built Off-site
Modular construction provides an alternative to building at the site. This method can reduce cost and make green buildings more affordable.
Building materials are used more efficiently in a factory setting, reducing waste.
We are short staffed so cannot man each building full time. If you'd like a tour, please call so we can accommodate you.


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Recently, I asked my favorite Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe a serious question: "What would you like to be for Halloween this year?".
After considering various options, such as Doughnut Upside-Down Cake, Tarte Tatin, and various other options for the inverted dessert, we decided to go with something festive: Candy Corn Upside-Down Cake.
It was simple enough to do: just substitute candy corn for the pineapple requested in the original recipe. But what happened when I baked it up was a surprise: the brown sugar and butter topping fused with the melted candy corn to form some sort of unholy, monstrous Halloween caramel-sugar topping, which dripped back into the cake when inverted. The result? The entire buttery cake tasted like it had been basted in candy corn. And if you're a candy corn lover, that might just be a beautiful thing.
Even Unicorn agrees!
Candy Corn Upside Down Cake
9 servings
- 1/3 cup (about 5 tablespoons) butter, plus 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened and divided
- 2/3 cup (about 6 ounces) packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups candy corn
- 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (about 7 ounces) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk (whole or 2 percent)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the butter in a 9-inch square baking pan, and set it in the oven until melted (it is fine to do this as the oven preheats). Remove the pan from the oven and gently tilt so that the butter coats the entire bottom of the pan. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the butter. Sprinkle candy corn evenly on top.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, mixing until incorporated. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, in 2 to 3 additions, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl with each addition. Beat on low speed until fully incorporated. Pour the batter into the pan, taking care not to dislodge the carefully planted candy corn.
- Set a cookie tray under the cake in the oven, in case the candy bubbles or drips. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
- Immediately place a heatproof serving plate upside down over the pan; in one swift, sure motion, flip the plate and pan over so that the cake is now on the plate. Leave the pan in place for several minutes so the gooey mixture can drip down over the cake. After the dripping is done, lift off the pan. Serve still slightly warm. Store, loosely covered, at room temperature.


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Obama to talk health care at Clinton forum
As he does every year, President Obama will attend predecessor Bill Clinton's annual forum while in New York City next week for his United Nations speech.
This time, however, Obama's visit to the Clinton Global Initiative has a specific purpose.
Obama will make remarks about his health care law, a week before new marketplace exchanges open and amid efforts by congressional Republicans to defend the law.
The president and ex-president Clinton "will engage in a conversation about the benefits and future of health care reform in America and access to quality health care around the globe," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.
Obama is scheduled to attend the Clinton Global Initiative on Tuesday.
The event takes place "one week before the health insurance marketplaces open for business and Americans who do not currently have insurance will be able to sign up for affordable quality health plans that meet their needs," Carney said.
It is also a follow-up of sorts to a health care speech that Clinton delivered earlier this month.
All of this activity is part of what Carney called "a ramped-up public education effort to reach Americans who want to sign up for new affordable options in the health insurance marketplaces from October through March."


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If you find video clips we can link to, or if any of these links are broken, email Chris Tess at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Professional Groups
Almost Recess from DC has a promo video to introduce you to the group
Basix has a promo video and a video of Sommersang.
Boyz Nite Out has a promo video (Quicktime, 14.6 MB).
BR6 has a short documentary and a music video of "Girl from Ipanema".
Cadence has a live concert clip of an intermission song on the right side of the page under "Other Goodies".
Chapter 6 has video clips on their web page. Just roll over "For Fans" and click on "Videos". Shibboleth Pictures also has a clip of their version of "What a Wonderful World".
Charming Hostess sings at the Oakland store Change Makers.
Chicago A Cappella has a promotional video (RealPlayer, 3:32) and a music video (RealPlayer, 3:40) of Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor". (If it gives you a page of code, download the link as a file and open it with RealPlayer.) .
The Coats have a video promo (in Windows Media Player / Quicktime, 10.8 MB).
Coco's Lunch has a number of videos on their website.
Dalcantro has a few video clips.
Duwende sang in a 1-800-OK-CABLE commercial (Quicktime, mp4 or mov), which began airing January 2005.
Here's a live clip of "Free Your Mind".
Eclipse has a promo video and videos of them at the 2002 Olympics and in concert.
The Essentials sing in the CBS movie "A Holiday Romance", starring Naomi Judd, Andy Griffith and Gerald McRaney. High speed / Dial-up (Windows Media Player). They also have a promo video. High speed / Dial-up
The Euphorics sing their pitch for you in their promo video (Quicktime, 1.5 MB).
Firedrill! sings "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" at Remington's in downtown Boston on 2/3/07, and sings "If I Ain't Got You" at the 2007 Boston Harmony Sweepstakes.
Five O'Clock Shadow has video clips of them on VH1, on Monday Night Football, and at an NBA playoff.
Four Shadow performed on NBC's "Today" show (Quicktime, 6.9 MB) in 2000.
Fourth Avenue has a promo video.
The Gas House Gang has a few video clips.
Gospeller sings in this video.
The Groove Barbers perform as The Astelins in a commercial for Astelin nasal spray.
The Heebee-Jeebees sing at a Calgary Flames rally.
The House Jacks sing "What's For Real" (Quicktime, 5.3 MB) off-mike at a workshop at SoJam 2004.
Jerry Lawson & Talk of the Town sing on Noggin, a children's show.
Justin Guarini sings "Sing" to the Georgia State Assembly.
The Kinsey Sicks have several video clips.
The Magnets have a few video clips and sing "This Love" and "Crazy Love" on GMTV.
Montezuma's Revenge have a video promo - large / small (FLV Player (flash)).
Moosebutter has a promo video.
Naturally 7 has a video of their live performance of "Another You" in Berlin in 2003, optimized for modem, ISDN, and DSL (Windows Media Player). They also sang on a Paris subway "In the Air Tonight".
The Nylons' music video of "Good Enough" (large 11.5 MB / small 6 MB; Quicktime) and their live performance on the Mike Bullard show (large 10.7 MB / small 5.6 MB; Quicktime). They also sing "One Fine Day" playing janitors.
Rag Fair sings at Disney, and in a hotel.
The Real Group sings "We're Five", "Walking Down the Street", "Telephone Talking", and joins ABBA's Frida on "Dancing Queen".
"Substitute For Life" (1999) is a video in soap-opera style.
Here's a video diary of their 2001 trip to Taiwan, including "Commonly Unique".
"Lift Me Up" at Dalhalla (2001).
A medley of Swedish Christmas songs performed at Rondo, Gothenburg, Sweden (2001?).
A video diary of their 2002 trip to Korea, including meeting the composer of a song they sang in a Korean movie, and singing it with Korean singer Lee-Moon Se.
Return 2 Zero has a video sample of their live show in the Gallery section.
Riltons Vanner has a video of "O Boy".
Rock4 has a couple of video clips; just point to Media, then Videos, then Killer Queen or Paranoid Android.
Rockapella sings "Dance With Me" and another song.
Ron Feingold, an a cappella comedian, has a video promo.
Similar Jones has a clip of "Flesh and Blood" in the lower left corner of their main page.
Skritch has several live video clips on their website.
The SoCal VoCals, whose alums competed on The Sing-Off as the SoCals
Take 6 is featured on a half hour spotlight interview with lots of live singing on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. They were also on an episode of Praise the Lord - 56k, 100k, 300k.
Here are videos of them singing "The Star-Spangled Banner", "Spread Love", and a live clip of "David and Goliath".
Here's Take 6 and Nneenna Freelon singing "Straighten Up and Fly Right" at the Grammies.
Three Men and a Tenor have a promo video from their PBS special. Just click on The Fun Zone, then click on the clip in the lower right corner.
Toxic Audio played a free concert at the gates of Central Park to kick off Citibank's Thank's-A-Million Sweepstakes. They also have a promo, a video from the Drama Desk Awards, and another promo for the Luxor in Las Vegas.
TVXQ (aka DBSK) has a video of "My Little Princess".
VeryEight has a montage from their Christmas DVD.
Vocal Six has a live compilation video.
VoCollision sings "Go Down Moses" and "Sukiyaki".
Voice Trek has a couple of promo videos.
Westlife has clips of them singing a cappella.
Collegiate Groups
The Academical Village People (AVP) from U of Virginia have clips of In Da Pub (music video parody of In Da Club) and Making Plaid (making of their 2003 album) on their media page.
Acquire A Cappella from UC Santa Cruz cover's the Lonely Island's "I'm On A Boat".
Against the Current from Boston College sings "This is Your Life".
The California Golden Overtones sing "The House That Jack Built" at the UC Men's Octet Spring Show.
Capital Green A Cappella from Michigan State University sings "Let's Get It Started" at Acappalooza 2005.
The Clefhangers from Columbia University have a page of video clips.
The Crosbys of Binghamton University have video clips of TV newscasts about their ICCA win.
The Deltones from the University of Delaware have video clips marked by an asterisk (*).
Effusion from McGill University have video clips near the bottom of their AV page.
An ICCA competition is featured at the beginning of an episode of Inside Rutgers, Season 3, Episode 11, from 11/16/04 (near the bottom of the page).
The Jumpmen from UCLA sing a medley from Super Mario Bros..
The M&Cs from Mount Holyoke College sing at a concert for the 2005 Alumnae Council Weekend.
Mass Transit from New York University has clips from their ICCA Semifinal performance on March 13, 2004, of "Crazy In Love " (Quicktime mp4, 3.3 MB), "Clocks" (4 MB), and "Cry Me a River " (4.7 MB).
They also have clips from SCAMFest, November 5, 2004, of "Such Great Heights" (3.3 MB), "Parachute" (3.9 MB), "Roses" (4.1 MB), "Debra" (4 M B), and "I'm Super" (4.5 MB). (If it gives you a page of code, download the link as a file and open it with Quicktime.)
MIT Resonance sings "Mr. Brightside".
The Pikers of Washington University in St. Louis have a mockumentary Behind the Music (Quicktime, 28 MB), used for their annual Jammin'Toast invitational concert.
Redefined of the University of Wisconsin has a music video of Pompeii and sang a Nintendo medley that has gotten a lot of attention on the web.
The SoCal VoCals from the University of Southern California have some video clips on their website.
Vox Jazz, Harvard Glee Club Lite, and Collegium Musicum are featured in Harvard's ARTS FIRST Celebration page.
The Wheaton College Gentlemen Callers made an intermission video of the seven deadly sins.
The Williams College Springstreeters give you a humorous video on A Cappella Rehabilitation.
The Xtension Chords from the University of Illinois have promotional videos: The Compact Disc (Windows Media Player, large / small); and XTV (Windows Media Player, large / small).
High School Groups
5-Alone from the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter High School has video clips of their live performance at the International Association for Jazz Education in New York City on January 11, 2006.
Sojam 2005 has a promotional video (Quicktime) for their weekend of seminars and concerts.
The 2004 Vermont A Cappella Summit and the 2004 ICCA Northeast/Central Canada Semifinals are highlighted in a local news report (RealPlayer) from WCAX in Vermont. (If it gives you a page of code, download the link as a file and open it with RealPlayer.)
Beatboxing/Vocal Percussion
An a cappella choir is created for a Honda Civic ad in the UK. After the initial video, click on "Watch" in the upper left corner and watch the video or the making of video.
Beatboxer Entertainment has several beatboxing videos on Google Video.
Wes Carroll of the House Jacks and All About Buford and Dave Baumgartner of Almost Recess show off their vocal percussion at SoJam 2004. (Quicktime, 10.9 MB)
Wes Carroll has a VP sequencer that you can program on his website.
Peter Huang, originally for Singapore, is now in Taiwan and appeared on TV there (using the Thumper on his throat).
Kenny Muhammad has a promo video.
Kid Beyond (Andrew Chaikin) has several video clips of VP and looping, and he appears on VH1's Supergroup.
Kid Lucky and Beat Boxer Entertainment organized a hip hop jam on the E train in New York, featuring beatboxers, scatters, emcees, and spoken work artists. Video can be found at Art of Urban Propaganda and Beatboxer Entertainment.
He is also in a Skype commercial.
Maru of KAT-TUN and a member of Rag Fair beatbox on Japanese TV and Koki joins them.
TikTak's Beatboxing Resource has several beatboxing videos. Just check for the files with the .mov extension.
Ac-Rock lets you mix their voices on "Silhouettes".
baSix sings if you click on their heads.
Bobby McFerrin lets you break down the parts for "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and "Just Enough".
Jack Black sings in a commercial for the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards.
A parrot does vocal percussion.
Shut Up and Sing, is an indie film that tells the story of former collegiate singers - here's a clip.
The Singing Horses - click on the horse to make him sing.
Content Linked to by CASA
All sites linked to by CASA are developed by people and organizations over which CASA exercises no control ("3rd party sites"). CASA cannot and does not screen the 3rd party sites before including them as links. These 3rd party sites may contain materials that some people find objectionable, inappropriate, offensive, defaming, libelous or infringing of copyright or trademark. CASA assumes no responsibility for the content of any 3rd party site and expressly disclaims any responsibility for 3rd party site content.
CASA respects copyright and other intellectual property. If you believe a link contains infringing or otherwise legally problematic material please contact Chris Tess at firstname.lastname@example.com .


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Low prices
Fly to Dublin from Czech Republic during October 2019 for as little as CZK 1,809*.
Popular topics
* Basic fare, unless indicated otherwise – checked luggage is subject to surcharges. Price per leg and person. Limited seating capacity.
From just CZK 1,809*
Book your flight from Czech Republic to Dublin in October 2019 here. Select your desired date in October 2019 and view all the airports in Czech Republic you can fly to Dublin from on that day.
The best price for flying from Czech Republic to Dublin (DUB) in October 2019 is just CZK 1,809*.


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How to Adopt a Dog from a Shelter
An animal shelter is a great place to go if you want to adopt a dog, but you can't just waltz into most shelters and waltz out with a new puppy — they have rules about adoption. Animal shelters need certain information from you, and you're wise to get some insight into the shelter, too.
Questions to ask the folks at the shelter include
Do you have the dogs spayed or neutered, or do you require that adopters spay or neuter them? If so, do you offer a voucher to have the procedure done locally at a discount?
What information and supplies do you provide with an adopted dog?
What information and paperwork do you require from prospective adopters?
What are your adoption fees? Are there other costs involved?
Do you embed microchip identification in the animals? How much does this cost?
Do you have other requirements an adoptive owner must meet?
If you receive agreeable answers to these questions, ask the shelter for a list of everything you need and everything you're required to do, before you come back to adopt you new doggie.
To seal the deal, you fill out an adoption form that asks you many questions, and you may have to provide some paperwork to turn in along with the adoption application. Although every shelter does things a little differently, a typical adoption process usually involves the following:
Filling out an application form that includes basic information about you, your living situation, other people and pets in your household, and where you plan to keep your new dog.
Showing proof that you own your home or that your landlord gives permission to having a dog move in.
Proving that you're not a student. Some shelters won't let students adopt pets because they're notoriously prone to leaving the pets behind after graduation.
Agreeing to take certain steps in the future, including:
Having your dog checked regularly by a veterinarian.
Having a microchip implanted for identification and so that our dog can be tracked if lost.
Having your dog spayed or neutered.
In many cases, you must sign a contract agreeing to certain terms. Some shelters require a deposit that you get back when you show proof that you've met the terms of the agreement. Some shelters take care of these services before releasing the dog for adoption, and the costs are fully or partially covered by your adoption fee — which obviously is higher in that case.
Agreeing either verbally or in writing to take proper care of the dog by providing good nutrition and veterinary care and by having her adequately vaccinated, as required by law and as recommended by a vet.
Verifying either verbally or in writing that the dog is for you and not a gift for someone else and that you intend her to be your pet and not your guard dog or breeding stock.
After you fill out all the paperwork, collect your copies, pack up any supplies and other information that come with your pet, you can take your new friend home!
Come prepared to transport your animal home safely. Dogs need to be in kennels that can be secured inside a vehicle or strapped safely into a pet seatbelt, both of which you can purchase at the pet store or online.


text:
Thanks guys,
I'll definitely be looking at everything with a fine tooth comb.
One other note; I did have a code on the front panel after trying to
install the LIC:
I did google that code; what I got out of it was either the LIC I was
attempting to install was bad? Or there's a hardware issue, probably
related to the IOP. Just in case, I tried to install from 2 different
tapes; both ended with the same results.
Thanks again,
On 01/25/2014 09:03 PM, DrFranken wrote:
Very good advice. Bent pins are not hard to do and can absolutely cause
the described issues. The 00 serial number, not as likely I wouldn't
think but the slowness and failure absolutely.
- Larry "DrFranken" Bolhuis
On 1/25/2014 11:30 PM, Roberto José Etcheverry Romero wrote:
I remember having a drive whose serial started appearing with leading 00, i
cant remember the exact situation but it reeks of a bent pin in a SCSI
connector. check the cables that plug into the 2748 for bent pins. For all
the diagnostics codes the i have i lost 4 hours during a cage upgrade just
for that reason (bent a scsi pin when plugging it in the dark...)
On Sun, Jan 26, 2014 at 12:37 AM, Clay B Carley <cbc@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi DrFranken,
I do indeed have the sidecar, and all of the disks report similar
errors. I'll double check the connections, however nothing has moved
for months; that doesn't mean much though.
The first port on the RAID card is connected to a cable that's zip-tied
to the rear of the chassis, and the middle port on the RAID card has a
cable that's more or less floating inside.
The tape drive is connected to it's own card ( I don't recall the FC
number ) that lives in the sidecar, so it's on a different controller
altogether than any of the disks or the CD drive.
I'll do some more troubleshooting tomorrow then.
Clay Carley
On 01/25/2014 07:23 PM, DrFranken wrote:
So in the system unit there is a cable from the first port on the RAIDthere
card (Rear port of the card) to the drive cage. Then it goes to the CD
and the tape drive. There needs to be a terminator at the end. I can't
remember if the cable is 'all in one' (that is Card to cage to cd to
tape with terminator) or is multiple pieces. Can you verify that all
connectors are on tight and the terminator is in place?
Also recalling that there is a cable that continues on to a hidden scsi
port on the back of the machine verify that it's not been damaged or
gotten wet or corroded. That also would be bad for the connection.
And yes it could be a bad backplane in that cage.
Do you have a sidecar with 6 more drives in it? If so are the drives
there also super slow and full of errors?
- Larry "DrFranken" Bolhuis
On 1/25/2014 9:48 PM, Clay B Carley wrote:
New battery arrived today, and I installed it in the 2748 card. Card
went back in the system, and well things aren't looking that good.
Something is definitely wrong with the entire DASD subsystem; all of the
individual disks show 00 as the first two of their serial, although none
of their serials actually start with 00. Attempts at initializing
individual disks results in an I/O error. I also attempted to examine
the disk surface, and the read errors add up incredibly quickly before
any percentage complete occurs.
I even attempted to reclaim IOP cache storage; with the same results.
I suppose *all* of the disks could be bad; but that seems unlikely. I
think I've read about the disk cage backplane going out; I'm sure that
could cause some strange issues.
Breaking down the issue, it's got to be one of a few things, right?
RAID controller, cabling, backplane, or disks?
The tape drive still works great, but that's on it's own controller as
it's an external unit.
I guess it's time to find some more replacement parts.
On 01/19/2014 12:34 PM, Clay Carley wrote:
I pulled the card out, and found a Sanyo cordless phone battery in
http://carleynet.net/familypictures/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album70&id=IMG_20140119_090724_260with a second label saying it was an IBM part, with the correct part
number. So, I found a battery on ebay (new) for $25 and free shipping
and ordered it.
I was attempting to read the hex dump, but haven't gotten too far with
that yet.
Viewing the full size pic (it's quite large) makes it easy to see
battery".listed. I'm hoping that something will decode to "failed cache
Now, I do have the old card from the system still, a 2741. Is it worth
throwing that back in until I get the battery for the 2748?
On 01/19/2014 06:11 AM, Clay Carley wrote:
Hi Jack,
Thanks for the reply. I was hoping that these symptoms pointed to a
scrapcache battery; but seeing 27489010 I was kind of freaked out that
something more had failed.
I purchased the card on ebay last February, and the condition was
"seller refurbished"; which could mean that they pulled it from a
batteryheap, cleaned it up, and sold as is. So, who knows how old that
battery.really is.
I guess the next step is to pull the side off and see about a new
a long
On 01/19/2014 03:50 AM, Jack Kingsley wrote:
I am guessing you have a bad cache battery. I had a similar problem
http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/powersys/v3r1m5/index.jsp?topic=%2Fp7eai%2FB6005120.htmtime ago, got a new system, did some work on it, then let it sit for
several months. How old were the batteries that were in it.
On Sat, Jan 18, 2014 at 7:44 PM, Clay Carley <cbc@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
To add to this, upon trying to install the LIC to the last remaining
disk, I get:
a lot
On 01/18/2014 04:34 PM, Clay Carley wrote:
Sadly I've had my 9406-170 off for a few months, as I haven't had
spentof spare time to work with it.
Today I figured I'd finally IPL it and start working with it again.
Unfortunately there seems to be a failure inside the box, and I've
andthe afternoon trying to track it down.
The system is dog slow. I'm attempting to IPL from tape (again),
however itit's still sitting there. Earlier I tried restoring the LIC,
wasn'tcomplained that the 2 disks in the mirror set were missing, and I
doesn'tseeing the proper number of disks after pulling those two. At this
point I have 1 disk in the box, and that didn't seem to help.
First IPL failed with code 27489010, which after looking up,
failure."sound good. "2748 xxxx It may indicate a system bus
Will a dead cache battery cause this incredibly dreadful
that theOr, is it possible that my RAID card is suffering some failure
mailing listsystem hasn't quite recognized yet?--
Thankfully, I have good backups in any case.
Thanks for any tips,
Clay Carley
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text:
Samsung Galaxy Tab vs Apple iPad
posted by Ray S. Nov 12, 2010, 5:51 AM
This is a discussion for a review. To read the whole review, click here
22 Comments
1. remixfa
Posts: 14605; Member since: Dec 19, 2008
typica PA crap. "The price is where the iPad delivers its final punch, as the Galaxy Tab ended up pretty similarly priced, which is downright frustrating for a device that does less." Really? How did the Ipad do in the camera, calling, adobe flash, and video codec compatabilty and wide angle viewing? oh.. it didnt.. it cant.. it doesnt even have the features. so what does the ipad do that the tab cant again? besides have a fat shiney apple logo on it and an extra 6 months or so of App development time? How many apps were made for the ipad when it came out? yea, none. Yet you dont compare that to the Tab, you compare 6-8 months of development time. As always, quite honest and fair when it comes to apple products. And i dont know about most people, but I'd take a browser that lags a little bit but can pull up my school website, than a browser that may be uberduber smooth, but cant. dont see ya getting too much school work done on an ipad.. lol.
posted on Nov 12, 2010, 12:37 PM 3
23. karf unregistered
I have to disagree on you on something: THat NO apps where made for the iPad at launch? Maybe so. BUT lets not forget that the iPad can run almost every single iPod touch and iPhone app there is. So yeah, beat that...
posted on Feb 10, 2011, 9:16 PM 0
2. Misanthropos
Posts: 56; Member since: Aug 03, 2010
if somebody wanted to put an Android device in their pocket, they'd get a phone.
posted on Nov 12, 2010, 2:27 PM 0
6. Thump3rDX17
Posts: 2160; Member since: May 10, 2010
if that's the case then why would somebody want an oversized iPhone?
posted on Nov 13, 2010, 7:14 PM 3
21. reggstar unregistered
A person who wants an OVER SIZED PHONE is A person who doesn't want to pay 3 times for darn internet service. Don't you think it would be smart to have a SIM CARD SPOT in the Tablet for those really Smart people who like to save a buck. By the way who wants to carry a cell phone, laptop, and a Tablet or iPad at the same time?
posted on Jan 05, 2011, 8:13 PM 0
3. Spokeless unregistered
How about, What is the incentive for me to get the Samsung Tab, When i already have a Fascinate or epic.. lol its a whoping 3 inches bigger, which is actually a unique Size. Since the Device is 7 inches it doesn't distinguish how to hold it. When you put the device down you will notice that the qwerty is just to small to do the good ol fasion 2 hand fast type, yes theres swype for the keyboard, but since it bumped up to seven inches swype is not needed concidering its quicker to just type a letter then to drag your finger all the way across the screen (Using the Tab Sideways Atleast). Yes the iphone when put down can be used with your 2 hands typing and also since it is 10 inches it makes me feel better that i just spent 600 dollars on something substantially bigger. Also the Ipad forces you yes to hold it like a note book where you would lean it on your forearm but if you hold the Tab with one hand its quite uncomfortable Maybe just my hand but it was cramping after like 5 minutes. Also the Camera on the Tab is pathetic lol thanks for making a statement Samsung lol both of the Cameras on the Tab doesn't even add up to my 5mp camera on my Fascinate. Lol great little thing but no incentive for me to spend that much money on something remotely the same. Get the Ipad on verizon and get a verizon droid and get the best of both Worlds!
posted on Nov 12, 2010, 7:31 PM 0
4. nibblix unregistered
Adobe flash........ Non issue! Apple will buy Adobe and flash will quietly fade into the history books. I only hope Microsoft and Google aren't to slow to react!!
posted on Nov 12, 2010, 7:40 PM 0
5. mon unregistered
"-There might be a slight advantage to the iPad's viewing angles," The picture clearly shows that the Samsung Galaxy Tab has clearer viewing angles. It's not even close.
posted on Nov 13, 2010, 11:59 AM 0
8. fair and balance unregistered
obviously the person who wrote this article is showing favorable bias toward the apple ipad. Com'on really dude. Very obvious. Both tablets are great products. I have seen both first hand. It really comes down to preference when picking between these two great products. If you like web browsing(flash player) and sharing photos, the samsung tablet would be your pick. If you want something that is not complicated and fairly easy to use pick the apple tablet. The products are both equally priced, so there is no debating in this category. Overall, be a smart consumer when picking between the two. Dont pick a product because of its name or popularity.
posted on Nov 14, 2010, 3:36 PM 1
9. bempey unregistered
The reviewer's Apple bias really showed in what *wasn't* compared. So, memory is filling up, what's the option? On the Samsung, stuff in a uSD card. On the Apple ... well, for another $100 Jobs will sell you a device with $10- more chips in it. I bought an iPad months ago to demo a product at tradeshows. Its barely functional for limited applications like that, but even there it failed. If you leave it for a minute the screen blanks AND it loses its Wifi connection. At my cabin (where there is NO other wireless in range ... which is extremely short on the iPad) it re-connects quickly. At the show, with a dozen signals in range, it took an eternity. Up to 100 seconds to connect, by which time my prospective customer is a booth or 2 down the aisle. Oh, if your hot-spot is NOT an Apple product, but one of your neighbors IS then you're hosed. The iPad will always try connecting to an Apple Wifi router before any other, even if the other is the one that you configured as default. (speaking of which, I've reset the Network settings many times because it completely lacks many of the common configuration items that any "real" computer offers) I've owned the iPad for a half year and its now collecting dust. Its the most annoying piece of tech I've ever used, and has the worst wireless Internet signal reception of any product that I've encountered. And with 25+ years of designing embedded computer products, I've encountered quite a few. PS: Its great for watching YouTube videos. If you want to spend $600 to watch you-tube, have I got a deal for you!
posted on Nov 14, 2010, 11:11 PM 1
10. headon.collision
Posts: 1; Member since: Nov 15, 2010
who ever wrote this review is obviously one-sided to the ipad, cuz no matter what his trying to hide the ipad disadvantages and not fully show the samsung galaxy advantages, and yes size really matter, thats the whole point of buying atablet. am not hating on the ipad or anything, just give other companies achance to show what they have to offer. cuz i`ve known some people who are totally blind folded by this apple fever and are refusing to take alook at any other thing that is not produced by apple. i`ve had several ipods in my past and these products are very sensitive and can`t handle rough treatment as other companies products do. such as sony walkman and creative mp3. same thing applies to notebooks. yes the looks and the features are so appealing but if it can`t handle day by day durability then i rather go look somewhere else.
posted on Nov 15, 2010, 5:48 AM 1
11. blueFox
Posts: 9; Member since: May 29, 2008
The review is obviously biased -- towards the Apple device. You can read it between the lines. Examples: "...the Samsung Galaxy Tab manages to squeeze in a 3.2MP AF camera plus a front-facing one ... features that are sorely missing from the current-generation iPad... We like both of them and we can't say which one is the winner..." "...iOS may be a bit more conventional ... but this hides an obvious advantage ... it's extremely easy to learn and use. If there has to be a tablet that you should just pick up and go, it's definitely the Apple iPad..." "...the Galaxy Tab can play files in all popular formats in up to HD 720p resolution without a hitch, which is great, as it will save you the time that you'll otherwise have to spend converting videos for the iPad. On the other hand, the Apple iPad has the larger screen, which automatically makes the experience more enjoyable..." "...the iPad may lack Flash Player 10.1 support ... If you're intent on exploiting the browser heavily, we'd recommend that you stick with the iPad... If it's only the videos you want, Skyfire 2.0 is well on its way to the Apple tablet and it will easily remedy the situation."
posted on Nov 16, 2010, 3:06 AM 1
12. chris unregistered
this guy is clearly an apple fanboy. Dont base your buying decisions on this guys review.He knows nothing about Android.
posted on Nov 16, 2010, 8:04 PM 1
13. skokie8bali unregistered
I hope that this guy dose not post any more reviews because if he knew anything about apple he would know that they get there ideas from linux and lets not forget when apple finally came out with multitasking for the iphone android had that way way before and as far as the app store who cares about the 300,000 apps if i owned an iphone and i did a few years ago i did not use 299,950 of them. so please stop making apple the overpriced peace of s#$t it really is.
posted on Nov 16, 2010, 10:20 PM 0
16. mcoope37 unregistered
i can't believe the article didn't include the fact that ipad only works with a wifi connection while the galaxy tab can use 3g connections (with a service charge of course). this is a major advantage to the galaxy tab and would be one of the greatest reasons why i would choose it over the ipad. it is good to see these kind of reviews, but please include all the facts and do not include any biases toward a product if you want the readers to take it seriously.
posted on Dec 20, 2010, 2:16 PM 0
17. trongone unregistered
actually mcoope37 i believe both are 3g compatible.
posted on Dec 21, 2010, 12:16 AM 0
22. Jay unregistered
mcoope37: you must be smoking your socks...each variety of the iPad has a 3g option.
posted on Feb 10, 2011, 12:51 AM 0
18. DroidDrools unregistered
Thank you for an un-biased review. Many of these comments are obviously Android fanboys. The iPad is much smoother, doesn't use the slow and buggy Adobe Flash, is much easier to use, much easier to view videos on, has many more apps to use, and isn't full of Android's slow-as-molasses operating system.
posted on Jan 02, 2011, 3:53 PM 0
24. Guest unregistered
Are you kidding me? This author is no critic. He/she is an Apple Fan. The only thing that Apple's product is famous for is because of their app store, and their design. Thats all. Thats all.
posted on Feb 16, 2011, 10:02 AM 0
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text:
So with my wholegrain spelt decided last night to make the well known in this blog pain a l'ancienne. I think we always have make this bread in white versions so a bit of a challenge using an wholemeal flour, and spelt.
So mixed the ingredients last night:
- 380g wholegrain spelt flour
- 300g water (very cold)
- 7g salt
- 4g dried yeast
And I said mixed because as you know you don't knead this bread. All well mix and put it in the fridge until this morning (9 hours). then I left it at room temperature for 2 hours until double the size. With an spatula and loads of flour, tried to make 3 baguettes and oven, 230C for 10 min first with some water/steam and then 25 at 200C. 5 minutes extra with the oven off and the door open.
The result was a bit different as I used to have for a pain a l'ancienne: no big alveolus, breadcrumb a bit more compact, probably due to the type of flour but taste was great. You can definitely feel the 9 hours in the fridge and the flavour of the wholegrain spelt.


text:
James Ellroy
James Ellroy has written a new book. After eight long years and a short story collection or two, Mr. Ellroy has finished his Underworld USA Trilogy with Blood's a Rover, a wild and unpredictable ride through the end of the 1960's and the end of our country's innocence for good.
James Ellroy began his career with such fantastic works in Noir as Brown's Requiem, Because the Night, and Killer on the Road. He hit it big with his LA Quartet: The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, LA Confidential, and White Jazz, all of which were international bestsellers. LA Confidential was made into a classic film starring Russel Crowe and Kevin Spacey.
Fast Forward to the 1990's and the aforementioned Underworld USA trilogy, beginning in 1995 with American Tabloid and continuing in 2001's The Cold Six Thousand and finishing today with Blood's a Rover. The trilogy spans the tumultuous and frenetic times of the 1960's, containing inside the assassination of JFK, the Bay of Pigs fiasco, the war in Vietnam, the dual assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., and the end of the civil rights movement.
Ellroy points the finger at a wild and ecclectic assortment of mafia hitmen, defrocked g-men, and right wing malcontents such as Howard Hughes and J. Edgar Hoover. Ellroy doesn't pull any punches as he holds up such notorious men and deconstructs them down to their basest actions.
I went into the interview a bit scared of such a seemingly dangerous man, expecting to be as deconstructed as his historical characters were. Instead I found a laid back, self assured, and gracious man who is obsessed with the craft of writing. Mr. Ellroy is a man who is as enthusiastic towards his work as his characters are about their work. Nobody writes as well as James Ellroy.
Stephen Conley: Can you take us back to your first book, Brown's Requiem. Where were you at as a person when you were writing this book; and as it was being published?
James Ellroy: 1979, I was 31 years old. I was working as a caddy at Bel Air Country club in Los Angeles. I had recently quit drinking and using drugs. I wanted a girlfriend in the worst way. I combined elements of my real life, growing up at Beverly Blvd and Western Ave in Los Angeles. The caddy experience, I was of course working as a caddy at the time. My obsession with the Club Mecca firebombing, which I turned into the Club Utopia firebombing. And my love of classical music.
Stephen Conley: When did you actually quit your life of crime? Because you're kind of notorious for it.
James Ellroy: It wasn't much of a life of crime. It was drinking and using drugs and breaking into houses to sniff women's undergarments. And it was the LA county jail system. It wasn't prison, it wasn't the big house.
Stephen Conley: Compare how you wrote back then to how you write now.
James Ellroy: I write significantly better, with far greater consciousness, more diligent work habits. I have consciously tried to make myself a better and better writer. I write copiously long outlines that i follow down to both dots on the i's and crosses on the t's. In order to write bigger, more important, and dare i say it; more profound books.
Stephen Conley: In this book Blood's a Rover, you're definitely more refined. When I read The Cold Six Thousand, comparing it to your earlier works, it was a lot more technical and a lot more detailed. Blood's a Rover just came out and you can see a marked improvement as well.
James Ellroy: Well i made a conscious decision with Blood's a Rover to write in a more accessible style and give the book greater emotional depth.
Stephen Conley: I can tell you had fun writing it.
James Ellroy: Yeah there's some laughter in that book. There some good yucks, there's some tremendous love stories and it's a return to the emotional form that perhaps hit its zenith with my novel, The Black Dahlia.
Stephen Conley: I think that's the book you're most famous for. My niece is only 16 and she knows about that book.
James Ellroy: Yeah. I'll take it.
Stephen Conley: What motivates you to write?
James Ellroy: I have to tell the stories. I have to rewrite history to my own specifications. I love providing the personal infrastructure of big public events. In Blood's a Rover's case, for example, you get to go to the Dominican Republic; take voodoo herbs; hang out with Howard Hughes in Las Vegas; make the scene with J. Edgar Hoover in attempting to quash the black militant movement; be part of a daring armored car heist; make love to two great left wing revolutionaries, Joan Klein and Karen Sifakis; have a nervous breakdown as a result of your work in the Martin Luther King assassination; and nobody gets hurt. What a blast! And they pay me.
Stephen Conley: In the first few chapters, there's a couple of mentions of some hippies. I was curious because this is right at the time of the summer of love and Charlie Manson and Woodstock and all that. I was wondering how much of that you tackle in the new book?
James Ellroy: None. I'm not interested in Woodstock, hippies, or the summer of love; summer of love was actually '67. Because I write from the perspective of guys who weren't interested in that shit.
Stephen Conley: I heard you write shorthand, do you still do that?
James Ellroy: No, I take a lot of early notes in shorthand and then i flesh the notes out into the extraordinarily big outlines that i described to you.
Stephen Conley: Have you always done it that way?
James Ellroy: Yes. I've always done it that way.
Stephen Conley: Do you find it's more inspiring?
James Ellroy: I think very very fast. I'm computer illiterate, I don't have a computer. I don't have a cellphone. I don't watch television, go to the movies, or read newspapers. I isolate myself with paper and pen. I have a woman who types for me and when i'm thinking very fast, I can follow my own shorthand notes. Then i flesh it out into the big outlines. Everything is plotted, planned, meticulous, and diligent.
Stephen Conley: It shows in your work, i can really tell.
James Ellroy: Thank you.
Stephen Conley: You also have a very deep insight into your characters and people. I think that's what separates you from other writers as a whole and crime writers. Is this something you've always had or did you develop it?
James Ellroy: I have a very good instinct for human beings and what makes them tick. I'm an excellent judge of character.
Stephen Conley: So you've had it since you can remember?
James Ellroy: I've had a good shit detector in people and the books exposit a moral vision. I have a moralist sense of character.
Stephen Conley: Would you say Blood's a Rover is your best book yet?
James Ellroy: Yes. Blood's a Rover is my ultimate masterpiece.
Stephen Conley: I can tell already, we're introduced to all these different background characters and I know from your other books what we're in for.
James Ellroy: You're digging it, right?
Stephen Conley: Yeah, it's really fun. What would you tell someone who doesn't know who you are and has never read any of your books? Sell Blood's a Rover to them.
James Ellroy: Blood's a Rover is a historical romance. It's a story of big people suffused with big ideas. It's about the necessity of revolution, about political conversion. It's about ideals at war and the extremity of love. And if you want a righteous fuckin' novel, 656 pages, a lot of sex, a lot of violence, a lot of velocity. Some good love shit, some good race shit? This is it, this is your book. It'll make you do the bad buggaloo.
Stephen Conley: What was the hardest part of writing Blood's a Rover? If there's anything really?
James Ellroy: Well the sheer size of the damn thing. It was a lot of time alone in the dark.
Stephen Conley: Was this whole trilogy planned, the Underworld USA Trilogy?
James Ellroy: Not in my mind from the inception, no. It started out with American Tabloid and grew from there.
Stephen Conley: I heard there was a TV deal with Tom Hanks' company to make this into an ongoing series possibly.
James Ellroy: I don't believe it. They've optioned it, that's it. If it happens, they'll tell me. I'm not holding my breath.
Stephen Conley: How does this work? They option you and it's out of your hands?
James Ellroy: They option it, they give you more money to buy it out, they go away. It probably never happens. You get paid.
Stephen Conley: That's good enough, right?
James Ellroy: I'll take it.
Stephen Conley: What about White Jazz? I heard now Nick Nolte is attached instead of George Clooney.
James Ellroy: That's the first I've heard of it. Don't believe it.
Stephen Conley: Have you heard of Joe Carnahan? He was supposed to be directing it.
James Ellroy: I know Joe Carnahan very well. Don't believe that either.
Stephen Conley: Have you seen Smokin' Aces? Did you like that movie?
James Ellroy: No I didn't like that movie. White Jazz is dead. All movie adaptations of my books are dead.
Stephen Conley: That sucks. So then, when did you feel like you arrived as an author?
James Ellroy: With Blood's a Rover.
Stephen Conley: That's what I thought too. It's really big like your other books but much more accessible, much like White Jazz. I've always thought White Jazz was your most accessible book for the mainstream. It's widely considered to be your best novel. I consider it to be your best book but i haven't finished Blood's a Rover yet so i don't know.
James Ellroy: Blood's a Rover is my best novel.
Stephen Conley: If you compared the Underworld USA trilogy to your LA quartet, which one was harder for you to write?
James Ellroy: Well the books are getting harder to write because i'm becoming harder on myself. My work habits are improving. They were stratospherically diligent with the LA quartet, they've become even moreso now. I'm becoming more aware as a human being.
Stephen Conley: So what's next for you? I know you have another memoir coming out.
James Ellroy: The memoir, The Hilliker Curse, which is subtitled "My Pursuit of Women". The first three parts are out in Playboy, part four will be published in November. It'll be an Alfred A. Knopf book next fall.
Stephen Conley: Could you compare it to My Dark Places?
James Ellroy: It's better.
Stephen Conley: Who would you say is your favorite historical character in your books? Who is the most fun to write?
James Ellroy: J Edgar Hoover is great fun to write. My favorite fictional character is a woman you'll meet later on in Blood's a Rover.
Stephen Conley: So which character do you relate to the most, would it be Crutchfield?
James Ellroy: I relate to Crutchfield, Holly, and Tedrow with equal parts pizzazz.
Stephen Conley: You're a pretty fearless writer, I think. You're really honest in your writing. Is there anything that scares you as a person?
James Ellroy: Yeah I don't wanna die. Fuck that shit.
Stephen Conley: Have you ever been questioned or investigated? Because you write a lot of conspirational stuff.
James Ellroy: No, nobody cares.
Stephen Conley: So you don't think you have an FBI file or anything?
James Ellroy: No, nobody cares.
Stephen Conley: Walk us through the perfect day for James Ellroy.
James Ellroy: Well I'm very much in love. Depends on whether I wake up with my girlfriend or not. It goes bad or good from there. Let's just put it that way. Book tour coming up, Blood's a Rover, I'm nothing but happy.
Stephen Conley: Would you ever write a book about today, say 20 years from now?
James Ellroy: I would not write a book about today 20 years from now. Cause I don't read, I don't go to movies, I don't have a computer, I don't have a cellphone, I don't watch TV, I don't read newspapers. I will never write a book about today.
Stephen Conley: It's probably not as interesting as the 60's were. People like to think it is but it's really not.
James Ellroy: Nah.
Also, be sure to check out:
- Blood's A Rover is out on September 22nd. Order it here!
- Read our review of Blood's A Rover here!


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From MeritBadgeDotOrg
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Disko Furniture is at 4411 George Abbott Road
LA GRANGE � A merging of traditional and contemporary is what you will find at a new furniture store off U.S. 70. Disko Furniture opened its doors March 14 with just that sort of blend.
�I felt like there was a need as far as for transitional furniture,� owner Shelby Harrison said.
Harrison, who grew up in Duplin County, has worked as a full-time nurse at Lenoir Memorial Hospital since 2001. But in her spare time, she would find, paint and sell furniture. She started an online business last year.
Her intentions were to open a shop in a farmhouse on her and her husband Jesse�s La Grange property. She named the business after Disko Lane, where the property is situated.
But with the old narrow doorways in the farmhouse and delivery issues, Harrison realized she would have to remodel the house. When she saw the empty building where Dianne�s Curtains recently closed, she decided that would be better suited for her business.
After discovering that home-painted furniture doesn�t hold up as well as manufacturer-painted furniture, Harrison said she chose to sell the latter.
�I like manufactured-painted furniture because of its durability and function,� she said. �� I noticed a lot of the stuff I painted would scratch.�
Besides commercially-painted furniture, the 1,500-square-foot store has distressed furniture, which is made to look old; leather sofas, chairs and ottomans; rugs; and artwork.
More merchandise is coming in, including reclaimed wood furniture. Reclaimed wood is lumber recycled from old buildings.
�Like an old farmhouse table that you see, it�s like that,� Harrison said.
Her mother-in-law, Judy Harrison, works at the store on the days she works at LMH. Plans are to have a grand opening celebration in July, she said.
Harrison resides with her husband, who owns Horizon RV Center, and two sons � Noah, 13, and Nicholas, 10.
Disko Furniture, 4411 George Abbott Road, La Grange, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For information, call 252-556-0505 or 252-286-6596 or visit diskofurniture.com.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.
Do you have a new retail business or one that�s undergone a significant change? The Free Press would like to hear about it. Contact Margaret Fisher at 252-559-1082 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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A multi-vehicle accident is causing delays on the M62 this afternoon (Wednesday).
One lane is closed on the eastbound carriageway between junction 25 at Brighouse and junction 26 at Chain Bar because of a collision between a lorry and two cars.
A black BMW 1 Series, a blue Jaguar estate and a lorry were involved in a collision at around 1pm.
Motorists have been told to expect delays.


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Nephew of legendary LI fisherman rejected as heir
The nephew of a legendary Long Island commercial fisherman who died in a boating accident in May has been rejected as the heir to his uncle's valuable fishing permits because, the state said, he didn't live in his uncle's house.
Norman Stiansen, a commercial fisherman who learned the trade from his uncle, Stian Stiansen, received a letter recently from New York State telling him he cannot inherit the family licenses for striped bass, fluke, crabs, lobster and conch because he does "not share the same domicile" as his uncle.
Stian Stiansen, who fished Long Island waters commercially for most of his 85 years, died after his boat, the Pauline IV, was capsized by a rogue wave in May.
The May 28 Department of Environmental Conservation letter to Stiansen states, "It is unfortunate that the Department cannot approve your request for license reissuance, and we extend our deepest sympathies for your loss."
Stian Stiansen in forms filed with the state DEC in March designated his nephew as heir to his fishing permits. State law allows fishermen to leave their permits to designated family members in the event of their death.
Norman Stiansen lives in Hampton Bays. Stian Stiansen lived in East Quogue.
"It's a shame because this is what Long Island is about, the farming, the fishing the hardworking community," Norman Stiansen said. "You would think they [the DEC] would want to promote that."
A DEC spokeswoman didn't return a message seeking comment.
Norman Stiansen said that while he has his own permits to fish, he was hoping his uncle's could be transferred to his son, Peter Stiansen, who currently fishes with his father.
Norman Stiansen had been left the Pauline IV in his uncle's will, but the boat was destroyed after it capsized.
Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, said if the state had problems with the address of Norman Stiansen, it should have alerted him at the time Stian Stiansen designated his heir.
"Whether intentional or not it does seem like the goal is to decrease the amount of permits," she said. "Why did they wait for Stian to die before they objected to the predesignation form he filled out months ago?"
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It looks like the Davification of Ford's product lineup is still under way. An enterprising focus-owner at the singularly focused focaljet forum caught some slightly blurry camera phone pictures of FoMoCo's new entry-level sedan tooling around Dearborn. No word yet on whether the driver was the same Ford engineer who gave spy photog Chris Doane a run for his money last week — but one thing's for certain — man, this dude's camera phone really sucked.
07-08 focus sedan pics [focaljet]
Loss Leading 101: Ford's FUBAR Focus; Hi, I'm Dave: Ford's New Design Direction [internal]


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Story highlights
- James Carville says the "adults" in GOP are unhappy with the four remaining candidates
- He says they fear that none of them are capable of defeating President Obama
- Carville: If Santorum wins nomination, GOP House, Senate candidates will run for cover
- Carville: The Republicans' only realistic choice is to unite behind Mitt Romney
Memo to the "adults" of the Republican Party:
If you notice that I have changed my current missive to address adults (as opposed to addressing the establishment as I've done in the previous two), this was done to acknowledge Indiana GOP Chairman Eric Holcomb.
Holcomb said recently, "Republicans are fretting the four dancing now can't beat Obama in the fall — so their national talent search continues," adding that the pleas had come from "the adults" in the party.
The truth of the matter is I like the phrase "the adults" much more than "the establishment" because it gives much more insight into the current state of the GOP. Chairman Holcomb clearly meant to differentiate the adults from the many children in the Republican Party.
This caused me to get very nostalgic in thinking back to Thanksgiving dinners at my grandparents' house in the 1950s. In rural South Louisiana, the adults sat in the big dining room with real chairs, silverware, china, crystal and wine. Whereas the children were relegated to sitting on the front porch with folding chairs, card tables, paper plates and Dixie cups. We had our choice between orange pop and Barq's (that's root beer.)
What really used to tick me off -- in fact it was the most scarring event of my childhood -- my Aunt Lilly used to bring Leidenheimer New Orleans french bread for the adults and we kids were forced to eat cruddy Baton Rouge sliced white bread. We were a rowdy bunch but deep down inside we always wondered what it would be like to sit with the adults at the big table.
Herein lies your problem. You've got Karl Rove, Chris Christie, Mitt Romney, George Will, Mitch Daniels, Jeb Bush, and all the rest of 'em in the dining room. Out on the front porch is Sarah Palin, Newt, the Ricks (Santorum and Perry), Michele Bachmann, and Donald Trump.
The adults have been trying to wire this thing up for some time and the children just won't behave on the front porch. You've got Santorum sneaking upstairs checking the medicine cabinet to see who is taking birth control pills.
Let's not forget, just as Thanksgiving dinner was over we all had to get together under the oak tree in the front yard for the family photograph. And this was the '50s, we just did as we were told. But when you guys organize the family photo shoot in Tampa this coming August you are gonna have a hell of a time getting all of the children to line up for the picture.
Sarah is not too happy about the way that you look at her. In fact, she has expressed a willingness to help out in Tampa by indicating her willingness to serve as your party's nominee. And if it is possible for George Will to get any whiter than he is, he will certainly turn to some shade of John McCain.
Then you've got the problem of Newt out at the children's table. He doesn't play well with others. And it is gonna be hard to get him in line for the family photo. Newt is the kind of guy who can't seem to get the proper amount of attention and he's not the "go along to get along" type.
I see from the news that Mitt has sent his super PAC goons to snatch up little Ricky Santorum and take him behind the woodshed for a little "chat." That ought to keep him subdued through Michigan. But that child has built up a lot of resentment over the years and has proven to be quite pesky. My guess is that you could have more trouble ahead with Santorum. He is what my aunt would refer to as a "difficult" child.
Now the kids on the front porch have gotten restless and they are demanding entry into the big dining room. For the longest time you've been able to keep these pesky brats at bay. Every now and then one of them serves as some kind of an irritant -- Pat Buchanan being a notable example. You let him sit at the big table at the convention in Houston in 1992 and he used the wrong fork to say the least.
It strikes me that a lot of these people will want to sit at the big table in Tampa. And like Pat Buchanan (he's still giving you guys fits) they are gonna have bad table manners. Rick Santorum will want to give a speech on the evils of contraception. Newt is going to talk about the Apocalypse. And how are you going to be able to shut up people like Trump, Bachmann, Perry and the rest of them? It's enough to make me feel sorry for you boys.
In the end, you have to get this thing to work out. And Mitt is your only hope because Santorum is going to be part of a seven-state strategy. He can carry Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. That's about it. You know as well as I do that if Santorum is your nominee, you won't have two Senate candidates come to Tampa.
You will have House candidates running away from the national ticket as fast as the devil runs from holy water. The whole thing will break down on you. In other words, you got a mell of a hess going on.
And a well-mannered adult table conversation would never lead to making another guest uncomfortable. It seems that Jeb Bush couldn't help but chastise fellow adult Mitt for his stance on immigration. Y'all are really having some problems. You adults better watch Newt because he could bust in at any time and demand papers for the help.
You're having what I refer to as a Ray Charles/Lester Maddox moment (by that I mean your problem is obvious.) Other than both being from Georgia, what could Lester Maddox and Ray Charles have in common? I'm sure that you recall they once asked the great Mr. Charles what was the worst thing about being blind, he instantly replied, "well you can't see." Lester Maddox once observed the problem with conditions in the Georgia prisons was the quality of the inmates.
Obviously, the problem you adults are having is the quality of the Republicans voting in these primaries and caucuses. They are making y'all as batty as they are.
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An aggressive young Rockford Police Department officer, an amputee with one arm and a complaint of a loud TV.
That recipe cost Rockford taxpayers $205,000. The amputee, now a former Rockford resident, sued in federal court for excessive force after the officer pepper-sprayed him and hauled him off to jail on Jan. 9, 2006, over a ticket for noise.
After years of legal maneuvering, the case was settled in 2012. It proved a costly incident even though neither the city nor the officer ever admitted any wrongdoing. And it was one factor in convincing Rockford Police Chief Chet Epperson of the need for a system to oversee the types and levels of force officers use to make arrests.
Those policies — which officers say make them feel as if they're constantly being second-guessed — are a major reason for the fractured relationship between police administrators and rank-and-file officers.
Officers have bristled under strict practices for monitoring and correcting police behaviors, most put in place since Epperson was named chief in April 2006. The policies include a standardized use-of-force report and a computerized early warning system designed to alert supervisors to potential problems.
The police union says that reasonable oversight is understandable, but that scrutiny of Rockford officers is stifling — and could make officers hesitant on the job.
"It's almost an overbearing micromanagement system, and it's not just on force issues. It's on almost every aspect of the department," said Terry Peterson, a retired police officer and president of the union.
"The idea there has been a blanket misuse of force or lack of oversight is just a crock. What they have done is created an environment now where the guys actually when they should be using force are not using adequate force."
City officials, however, contend that daily headlines from Ferguson, Missouri, where violence and looting erupted after a police officer shot and killed an unarmed teenager, illustrate the importance of police accountability.
And they point out that excessive force complaints have fallen sharply under Epperson's leadership. There were 43 complaints of excessive force in 2006, compared with just 22 in 2013 and none so far in 2014.
Epperson maintains that if he doesn't police the Police Department, someone else will. Other law enforcement agencies have been placed under U.S. Department of Justice monitoring after failing to provide adequate oversight. That includes departments in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Cincinnati and New Orleans, where there were allegations of civil rights violations including the use of force, illegal stops and seizures, and biased policing.
"We have a robust management oversight system that is able to manage the use of force and at the same time is able to provide constitutional policing to the residents of Rockford," Epperson said.
Epperson's tense relationship with the union has been in the spotlight since Peterson and the union asked the Rockford Board of Fire and Police Commissioners to proceed with a hearing on whether to discipline Epperson for undermining officers' authority during an October welfare check at the home of NAACP Rockford President Lloyd Johnston.
Excessive force claimed
Paris Gardner's right arm was amputated in 1981 after he contracted meningitis in college. Because he only had one arm and was confused, he was slow to comply when officer Benjamin Johnson appeared outside his apartment in January 2006, barking at him to get on the ground.
Earlier that evening, Johnson had warned Gardner about a loud noise complaint. Johnson ordered Gardner to put his hands up and get down on the pavement.
The officer would later explain that he didn't want Gardner to get away without receiving a notice to appear in court on the noise complaint. Although a noise complaint is not a jailable offense, Johnson said that Gardner was resisting arrest and jerked away when he took Gardner by the arm.
Gardner told a different story during his deposition in federal court. He said Johnson had charged at him, yelling at him to get on the ground.
"I'm trying to show him, you know, 'Officer, I can't comply with that. I only have one ... .' And before I could finish that sentence, he ran up and grabbed me and sprayed what I assume was Mace or pepper spray or whatever, some kind of chemical, in my eyes," Gardner said.
Johnson applied the spray within inches of Gardner's face and in a crossing pattern. Gardner was slammed to the ground.
"I was just kind of grasping at my face because the pain was unbearable," Gardner said. "I was just shocked, I was horrified, I was scared."
His pleas for treatment of his burning, swelling eyes and shoulder injuries were largely ignored as he was taken to jail.
When the case finally was settled in 2012, it became Rockford's largest excessive force settlement in the past five years.
Then and now
Aside from documenting what happened in a standard police report, Johnson, a young officer in 2006 who remains a Rockford police officer today, was not required to fill out an additional use-of-force report explaining his actions.
No specific requirement existed to inform supervisors he had used force. And there was no standardized system in place for his supervisors and commanders to review his actions with an eye toward discipline or additional training.
It wasn't until Gardner filed an excessive force complaint that the officer was asked about it by internal affairs. He was exonerated. The only feedback he got was from a supervisor who suggested that, in the future, he should park around the block before investigating a noise complaint to avoid giving a suspect the chance to adjust the volume.
Fast-forward to 2014.
If that incident occurred today, the officer would be required to file a supplemental use-of-force report using a computer program called Blue Team. The report is reviewed by supervisors, police tactics and training officers and, if serious enough, commanders.
The program includes a dashboard that alerts supervisors and commanders to the types and frequency of force officers are using, among other police activities.
The dashboard turns from green to red after an officer has been involved in a threshhold number of pursuits, use-of-force incidents, crashes or complaints. That triggers a review but doesn't mean an officer did anything wrong.
For many veteran officers, the heightened supervision has been an adjustment, Assistant Deputy Chief Mike Dalke said.
The system is not intended to be punitive, he said, but to identify problems before they get out of hand and to direct training where needed.
It's also designed to protect officers, Dalke said.
If an officer breaks a hand during a fight with an unruly suspect, he might need more training on options beside punches, such as palm stuns, knee strikes or pain compliance. Or if a suspect resists and sustains an injury, the officer may need additional training in how to avoid inflicting such injuries.
"We have a very comprehensive force management policy and more-so than most organizations," Dalke said. "I know on any given day who is using force and the type of force used. There is a lot of oversight and making sure they are using the right approach."
The reviews occur even when no excessive force complaint is lodged. Sometimes the officer involved receives additional training or mentoring.
Police brass insist the reviews are not intended to second-guess officers, who are trained to make snap decisions regarding the appropriate level of force. They compare the review process to what a football team does after a game.
"What do they do on Monday?" Epperson said. "They look at the game film. They go back, they make the corrections and they make adjustments. We are going to do that as a Police Department."
Oversight or overkill?
Rockford police estimate that force is used in less than 1 percent of all arrests.
The vast majority of times the force used is non-lethal and is not investigated by an outside agency, leaving it to police supervisors and commanders to review. What police brass view as remediation, counseling and training, officers seem to view as punishment and discipline.
Commanders can recall few if any cases in which a use-of-force review resulted in a suspension and none that led to an officer's firing.
Peterson, however, said the reviews are fine when used the way they were intended, but too often seem like a "fishing expedition" in which supervisors look for a reason to discipline an officer.
"We have no problem with oversight when oversight is reasonable," Peterson said. "We would say the oversight and the micromanaging that goes on is overkill and unreasonable."
Survey says
In 2013, Rockford police officers participated in anonymous surveys conducted by the National Police Research Platform, a group of academic researchers studying police agencies across the nation. About 40 percent of the department, 110 officers, participated in the survey.
Among the results: Just 15 percent of officers in Rockford feel the department's disciplinary process is fair. Only 15 percent of officers feel the Rockford Police Department has a "very good" relationship with residents, and 55 percent feel burned out from work two or more times each month.
They do not feel the department rewards those who do a good job.
The survey results offer an opportunity to improve relations between police brass, officers and the public, said Dennis Rosenbaum, professor of criminology, law and justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
"The public wants input, fairness and to be treated well," Rosenbaum said. "Police officers are the same. They want procedural fairness in the way they are disciplined and the way they are supervised. This is an opportunity for an organization bold enough to come forward and be a part of this to exponentially leap ahead of others by listening and being on the cutting edge of management."
Rockford was one of eight police departments in Illinois and 100 law enforcement agencies nationwide chosen to participate in the research project. It's based at UIC but involves researchers from several major universities.
Demand accountability
Having systems in place to manage police officers when it comes to use of force is critical to protecting the rights of residents and for preventing costly legal problems, said Edwin Yohnka, director of communications and public policy for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.
Police commanders need data to identify problems, Yohnka said.
"There are all sort of costs and problems that exist when you allow these things to go on unchecked," Yohnka said. "A more thorough, a more open and more accountable system of responding to complaints of excessive force, police abuse of power in one way or another is something all of us ought to demand and expect from the law enforcement officers who serve us."
Jeff Kolkey: 815-987-1374; firstname.lastname@example.com; @jeffkolkey


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Weekend picks for book lovers
Spend the weekend cracking up with Billy Crystal's book.
What should you read this weekend? USA TODAY's picks for book lovers include a comic essay collection by Billy Crystal, and tasty rock memoirs from Linda Ronstadt and Graham Nash.
Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys? by Billy Crystal; Henry Holt, 272 pp.; non-fiction
Billy Crystal, the comedian, actor, director and nine-time Oscar host, gets a lot of laughs out of the indignities of aging in his new book that's not quite a memoir.
Still Foolin' 'Em links 21 short essays that begin with Crystal's 65th birthday party. A few hours later, his fourth grandchild was born.
As an essayist, Crystal writes mostly standup comedy. He's not above being scatological. Mostly, he's funny, especially on life as a senior citizen:
"At sixty I could do the same things I could do at thirty, if I could only remember what those things were."
USA TODAY says *** out of four. Crystal is "alternately cranky, nostalgic and sentimental."
Who Asked You? by Terry McMillan; Viking, 383 pp; fiction.
The women in Who Asked You? aren't young designer-draped divas (a la Waiting to Exhale), but middle-aged women coming to terms with life's disappointments.
USA TODAY says ***. McMillan "taps provocative veins for book club debates… This book is worth reading."
Simple Dreams by Linda Ronstadt; Simon & Schuster, 202 pp.; non-fiction
The California chanteuse – who just revealed she can no longer sing because of Parkinson's disease – offers a memoir looking back on her sizable role in the late-'60s rock scene.
USA TODAY says ***. "While this bird can no longer sing, on the page she can still fly."
Wild Tales: A Rock & Roll Life by Graham Nash; Crown Archetype, 351 pp.; non-fiction
The founding member of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and The Hollies describes "five decades of music famously filled with harmony and dissonance, sex and drugs (lots and lots of drugs), meaningful activism and pointless, wretched excess."
USA TODAY says ***. "Nash is every bit the rock star…a trip worth taking."
Someone by Alice McDermott; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 232 pp.; fiction
McDermott's novel charts an ordinary life "filled with extraordinary moments" through the story of Marie, beginning with her Irish-Catholic childhood in Brooklyn, into motherhood, old age, illness, and widowhood.
USA TODAY says *** ½. "Filled with subtle insights and abundant empathy and grace."
Contributing reviewers: Bob Minzesheimer, Patty Rhule, Marco della Cava, James Endrst, Carmela Ciuraru


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This page is devoted to the particular event named above. You may use the navigation bar below to see what happend on Saturday 19th of January 2008 in the other countries of the world or to visit the page where the world news related to Israel are gathered.
Canada apologises for listing the US and Israel as countries where prisoners are at risk of being tortured.
Read the full article »
Looking for accommodation in related countries? Consider to visit our comprehensive hotel guides: hotels Canada, hotels Israel, hotels United States.
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text: I an looking at buying a bluetooth communication system to use with my wife when we travel. I read the article from the July edition of Rider and they tested five different products. The best overall seemed to be the SENA SMH10. The other possibility seemed to be the J&M Elite 277. I wondered what the experience/opinion of the fourm is on these sets?