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Forget Voldemort — Harry Potter has a new nemesis to contend with. Unfortunately for Harry, neither magic nor help from Hermione Granger will help him win this legal fight. As a sequel to the pending suits against the British publisher of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, the Estate of Adrian Jacobs recently filed suit against Scholastic, Inc., the U.S. publisher of the Harry Potter books. Jacobs' Estate alleges that the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, infringes on the copyright of Jacobs' 1987 book, The Adventures of Willy the Wizard, in violation of the Copyright Act.
In order to establish a claim of copyright infringement under the Copyright Act, the Supreme Court in Feist Publications v. Rural Telephone Service Co. held that the plaintiff must show: (1) that he is the owner of a copyrighted work; and (2) that the defendant misappropriated protected elements of that work. As the first prong of this test is easily demonstrated, the second prong serves as the source of most copyright litigation. The courts have held that a plaintiff can show that the defendant copied original elements of the copyrighted work by providing direct evidence of such plagiarism, or by demonstrating that the defendant had access to the plaintiff's copyrighted work and produced material that was "substantially similar" to it. In determining whether the defendant's work is "substantially similar" to the plaintiff's copyrighted material, the courts ask whether "an average lay observer would recognize the alleged copy as having been appropriated from the copyrighted work." Even if this test is met, the plaintiff will fail to state a claim for copyright infringement if the appropriation is de minimis.
To support its argument that J.K. Rowling had access to Willy the Wizard while writing and publishing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and that the works are "substantially similar," the complaint outlines a list of suspicious circumstances and parallels in "theme, plot, characters, setting, and total concept and feel." The complaint first sets out its "access" claim by noting that in 1987 and 1994 respectively, Jacobs and Rowling employed literary agent Christopher Little to promote and secure a publisher for their books. Although Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was not written until 2000, three years after the death of Jacobs, the plaintiff asserts that because Little had been given copies of Willy the Wizard in 1987, and remained Rowling's agent in 2000, it was highly likely that Rowling had access to the story while writing the fourth installment in her series.
In order to illustrate the "substantial similarities" between the stories, the complaint points out that each book tells the story of a year-long wizard competition in which both protagonists solve clues and "rescue hostages imprisoned by a community of half-human, half-animal creatures" to become the victor. Among the numerous similarities listed in the complaint is the fact that in Willy the Wizard, Willy rescues the hostages from creatures with "torsos like humans and legs like kangaroos," while in Goblet of Fire, Harry rescues his friends from creatures with "torsos like humans and are otherwise like fish." In both books, Willy and Harry "rely on elves and others who obtain key pieces of information by eavesdropping," and discover vital information on how to complete this task "us[ing] a tool available in a special bathroom."
The suit is seeking an injunction against Scholastic to stop the publishing house from selling any more copies of Goblet of Fire. Additionally, the suit is asking the court to compel Scholastic to destroy all remaining copies of Goblet of Fire that it has in its possession, as well as pay the plaintiff all profits derived from the sale of the book. While Rowling has stated that she has never read Willy the Wizard, the New York district court will nonetheless have to determine whether Rowling did indeed have access to the book while writing Goblet of Fire, and whether the plot parallels rise to the level of being "substantial" enough to warrant a victory for the plaintiff.
— Casey McLaughlin
Tagged with: access • Adrian Jacobs • Adventures of Willy the Wizard • advertising • appropriation • books • career • contracts • copyright • Copyright Act • courts • creative content • entertainment • Feist Publications • financial • Harry Potter • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire • intellectual property • J.K. Rowling • JETLaw • lawsuits • privacy • substantial similarity • Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)
One Response to Harry Potter vs. Willy the Wizard: U.S. Edition
Leo Fromm says:
Adrian Jacobs operated a boiler room operation in the period between 1984 and 1987 gathering in money from the sale of founder sghares in an operation known as Structural Development Group PLC involving Michael Preston of Sterling Publications and John Williams inventor of an asbestos free fire insulation material known as Temec and Temstone.
Adrain Jacobs persuaded all sorts of private individuals to part with their money and needless to say it was lost when the company went into liquidation.
Adrain Jacobs was also involved with the drug dealing Sansom family of Hove, Sussex and the promotion of another boiler room operation trading as urban Fuels PLC.
He was all his life a charletan ripping people off and swindling people. This suit is just the left overs of another scam I am pretty sure. A lot of people lost money because of this double dealing crook. It would be a tragedy if any court awarded anything to this scoundrel or his heirs. He probably stole the ideas from someone else.
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Live Review: John Legend at the Wells Fargo Center
John Legend is a hard working performer. His two-hour concert at the Wells Fargo Center in Santa Rosa last night showed off not only his work ethic, but showcased his velvety voice and storytelling prowess in an intimate setting that was designed to feel like his living room. The only difference being, as the exquisitely dressed singer said during the show, "I don't normally wear a suit in my living room."
He really hammed it up at times for the crowd, who ate up his every word—except the gaff toward the end, when he said, "I mean, this is the Napa Valley, right?" This led to applause, briefly (because he was so charming, everything he said resulted in applause), but soon turned to boos. That's right, Sonomans are so passionate about terrior they booed John Legend for making a minor geographical error. When he corrected his error with an embarrassed smile, "Oh, Sonoma Valley, right?" the applause resumed.
He mostly sat at the Yamaha grand piano, tickling the ivories with a young string quartet on the right of the stage and a guitarist to the left. When he brought the mic downstage and perched on a stool to serenade the crowd, women—and men—started squirming in their seats. Every John Legend song is a recipe for "making little tax breaks," as he says, and though he doesn't guarantee anything at the end of the night, "ya know…" he trails off before a knowing shrug, "you know."
The intimate evening was staged with five loveseats occupied by couples who won tickets through radio promotions, with huge Hollywood movie lights towering above, lighting Legend from the back. Lighting against the back wall changed colors, and was especially useful during "Green Light," one of his best songs of the night. The sound in the newly renovated space was crisp and loud. It felt like a larger space, but we were so close we could see the lack of sweat on Legend's face. (Prince also lacks sweat glands, maybe they went to the same voodoo doctor for their musical talent.)
Women did a lot of the hooting and hollering through the night, but the fellas were cheering especially boisterously after a powerful solo piano cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark." He told a aw-shucks story about performing it on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon at the behest of that show's musical director, the drummer ?uestlove, but never hearing if the Boss liked it or not. Months later, he says, he received a hand-signed letter asking him to play it at an awards gala. "I guess he liked it," Legend said with a smile.
He paced the show perfectly, with some segments featuring three or four songs back to back, and some getting breaks between while he told stories. My favorite was when he met President Obama last year. After getting married to supermodel Christine Teigen earlier in the year, he asked Obama for marriage advice. Michelle chimed in, "How long had you been together before you got married?" He said about five years. "What took you so long?" the President asked, which earned Legend a glare from his new wife. Legend turned to the chuckling crowd, deadpan, and said, "Thanks, President Obama."
Live Review: Los Tigres del Norte at the Wells Fargo Center
Tonight, Los Tigres del Norte played a two-and-a-half hour set in Santa Rosa. If that sounds like a long time, consider that most of their concerts are 3 or 4 hours long; once, in 2009, the band played for seven hours straight.
But the band, who attracted a sellout crowd at the Wells Fargo Center, wisely maximized those two and a half hours. They played all of their biggest hits, projected clips from throughout their career on a giant screen, had the crowd on their feet and, at concert's end, took dozens of photos with excited fans at the edge of the stage while still playing and not missing a note.
Another thing: I'd heard that in concert, Los Tigres del Norte compose their setlists on the spot, dictated by scraps of paper handed to the band by audience members. Each scrap of paper contains a song request, and the band generally gets around to playing nearly all of them.
Sure enough, that was the case tonight at the Wells Fargo Center, where a constant stream of requests were handed to the band members, often in mid-song. I lost count of how many of these requests came flooding to the stage. Between songs, the band members read from the scraps of paper, not only song titles but special dedications, birthday wishes, stories of people's homeland and more. Call it an analog version of live-Tweeting. It definitely connected the crowd.
And then, the songs. "Golpes en el Corazon" brought a giant sing-along before the band even had a chance to start the first verse; the heartbreaking "La Jaula de Oro" caused an eruption at the first three notes on the accordion. "Somos Mas Americanos," "Contraband y Tración," "La Puerta Negra"—they just kept coming and coming. By the end, while the crowd clustered the stage for a veritable love-fest, it was hard to imagine that they wouldn't return to Santa Rosa, sometime, for another marathon set.
Live Review: Weird Al Yankovic at the Wells Fargo Center
Have you ever seen Weird Al? No? Well, let me try to explain. He plays for two hours. He plays about 65 songs. He has about 20 costume changes. He assumes two dozen personas, and shows just as many funny fake interview clips between songs. He's nonstop, and it's nuts, and his crowd is nuts, and then he plays some songs about Yoda and it's all over, and like any good fast-paced comedy show, it's hard to remember what just happened.
Here's what I can reconstruct.
When I walk in to the show, there's a guy who's 6'5″ in sweatpants, a headband and a red "Jews 4 Bacon" T-shirt. This is a good representative example of the typical Weird Al fan who has arrived here tonight to pay their respects to the master. I follow the Jews 4 Bacon guy to my seat, the lights go out, and Weird Al starts a polka medley of the following songs:
Poker Face
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
Day 'n' Nite
Need You Now
So What
I Kissed a Girl
Blame It (on the Alcohol)
Break Your Heart
The medley comes back around to "Poker Face," the song ends, the lights go out, people go nuts. The lights blink back on just in time to see Weird Al bonk his face on the microphone with a huge "WhhHHHAhaOoompPP!," and then recovering by shouting "HELLO SANTA ROSA!!"
There's a joke about a drum solo, and then the video screen shows a interview with Eminem where Eminem keeps saying "You know what I'm sayin'?" and Weird Al keeps losing his patience in increasingly aggravated fashion, and this goes on and on, and the crowd loves it, and then some cheerleaders come out on stage to the opening strains of "Smells Like Nirvana." I'm impressed that Weird Al plays the whole song on guitar left-handed, but then attention to detail is his specialty—surely he knows that Kurt Cobain played left-handed. He also gargles the guitar solo into the microphone with some mystery liquid and throws the red keg cup and its contents out on the crowd, and they go wild.
"TMZ" is a Taylor Swift parody, "Party in the C.I.A." is Miley Cyrus, Jesus, what else? It all goes by so fast, and honestly, some of the best songs are his own, like "Skipper Dan," the sad tale of a failed actor who was once "the next Olivier" but is now working the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland, reciting the same crappy schtick about the wiggling hippo ears 34 times a day. ("I research everything that I do as much as I possibly can before I even start writing," he says in this interview about the song. See, attention to detail!)
Somewhere in there is perhaps the show's highlight: "Wanna B Ur Lovr," with Weird Al in a red-and-black leopard print suit hopping off the stage and grinding up on audience members, like, legs up on the seat, while singing lines like "My love for you's like diarrhea, I just can't hold it in" and something about chewing on your butt, maybe? It's insane. He launches into a food medley, with "Whatever You Like" and "Nothin' on You" and "Eye of the Tiger" and "La Bamba" and "Stand" and I forget what else, and then they all come out dressed like the Doors.
Doing Jim Morrison is hard, but Weird Al nails it, and their bassist is sitting back at the keyboards because the Doors had no bassist (ATTENTION TO DETAIL!) and the song is about Craigslist and the personal ads and annoying complaints people lodge on Craigslist. Weird Al wins a place in the heart of Santa Rosa by addressing a diatribe during the bridge: "An open letter to the snotty barista at Bad Ass Coffee on Mark West Springs Road," and again, attention to detail, place goes nuts, it's totally cool and uncool at the same time, which I guess sums up the whole show, actually.
The hits roll out: "Perform This Way," "eBay," "Canadian Idiot," "White and Nerdy," "Money for Nothing / Beverly Hillbillies," and "Fat," with the famous fat costume, and it's hard to figure out if he's making the fat people in the audience feel better or worse about themselves, but I'm guessing better, because Weird Al is all about making everyone feel better about themselves no matter how weird or quirky or idiosyncratic or different they may be. Even if they're 6'5″ and wearing sweatpants and a headband and a shirt that says "Jews 4 Bacon." Weird Al is there for that man, and that man is not giving up on Weird Al, because like Homer Simpson says: "He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life."
There's an encore, with songs about Star Wars, a.k.a. the Spiritual Advisory Board of the disenfranchised. There's an amazing acapella thing that I can't begin to describe (thank you YouTube, start at 3:40), and the whole thing comes roaring back in with "Yoda," and the accordion is king, and people are swaying in their own ridiculous joy, and UHF is a great movie, and Jessica Simpson is dumb, and no one thought about the state of the world for two hours, and Weird Al yells "Thank you Santa Rosa!" and I believe that he actually cares. And that's what a Weird Al show is like.
Live Review: Lucinda Williams at the Wells Fargo Center
(Note to the Reader: For this installment of City Sound Inertia, we welcome guest reviewer Bob Meline! A finish carpenter by trade, longtime music fan, and secretly, a solid bass player, he's also my dad—and one of the greatest guys I know.)
I'll admit I haven't been a hardcore Lucinda Williams fan. Her alt-country sound has been mildly attractive to me, enough that I own a few of her CDs, had at least listened to all of the others and had actually paid to see her in my own hometown 6 or 7 years ago. My interest was mostly due to a close female friend of mine who has had her share of ups and downs in life, and who for quite a while saw Lucinda's music as the soundtrack to her own difficult journey on the planet. As such, I paid a bit more than average attention to Williams' songwriting, and while some of it was very raw and direct and spot-on, some of it was almost annoying in its simplicity and repetitiveness. Her tendency to slur her vocals and deliver same in the occasional monotone didn't grab me either.
Lucinda's stage presence as a performer can be lacking—even borderline non-existent at times. The one previous time I'd seen her live was at the end of nearly a year of nonstop touring; the stage was about the last place she seemed to want to be that night. She did her best Van Morrison-esque impression, keeping her cowboy hat pulled low over her eyes and barely addressing the audience at all. And yes, alcohol may have been involved. Musically, it was a decent enough show, but not enough to turn me into a dedicated fan.
All that changed last Friday night. I had purchased a couple of tickets the day they went on sale (ninth row and reasonably priced, these days anyway, at $45.00) and had the aforementioned female friend/fan as my date. And even though I hadn't been very impressed in two of Lucinda's recent releases, West and Little Honey, I bought Blessed for a preview of what we'd be hearing. What struck me immediately with the album was the quality of the musicianship. Williams has the stature to have surrounded herself with some pretty good players through the years, but this just felt different somehow. With some real anticipation, I hoped it would translate to the live show.
When the 8 PM show still hadn't started at 8:30 and the natives were getting restless enough to start rhythmically clapping, whistling and calling out Lucinda's name, it was hard to remain upbeat. The house wasn't full, and I tried to embrace the possibility that they were waiting for just a few more bodies to fill just a few more seats. She finally emerged with the three-piece band, mumbled, "Hello everybody," and went straight into "Can't Let Go."
For the next hour and fifty minutes, the four musicians (Lucinda included) were simply brilliant. Props as well to the sound crew—this was one of the most crisp, clear and clean shows I have heard at the Wells Fargo Center in a long time. When you get that kind of sound right out of the gate, you can focus completely on what the performers are giving you. And what they gave to the night, interestingly enough, was more of a rock and roll feel, infusing a different kind of power and energy into the setlist than what I had expected.
Lucinda's drummer, Butch Norton, immediately took charge. He was there. He converted his drums from a percussive device to an actual instrument, seemingly using every piece at every moment. At times, he inspired personal recollections of Animal from The Muppet Show band and the great Keith Moon. And though he was all over his kit, he was in complete control without overshadowing the rest of the band—loud and forceful in accentuating tunes like "Buttercup" and "I Changed The Locks," and effortlessly holding up the quiet, introspective songs like "Born To Be Loved" and "Blessed," both from the new album.
The other half of the rhythm section, David Sutton, was the perfect complement to Norton. While providing most of the backup vocal work, he alternated between a standup bass, a hollow body electric bass and a Fender Precision to provide a melodic bottom end that formed a real connection with Norton's drum work. He ran the gamut from a hard rock sound to intricate fretwork to quiet single-note accentuations. He especially shone on "Get Right With God," the encore's closer.
Lead guitarist Blake Mills was simply amazing. He brought something different to each tune, from screaming, shredding leads to seamless slidework to finger picking staccato to light and buoyant accentuation of Williams' vocals. He elevated music that was already brilliant to the level of stunning—every song would have made a highlight reel. A collection of guitars that I finally stopped counting covered most of the sound spectrum. At just 24, he plays well beyond his years.
Oh yeah, Lucinda. Sure, she still has those awkward-but-endearing moves onstage. And I'm not sure when this practice first started, but she now employs a music stand with a notebook that contains all the words to her songs at the ready, referring to it quite often. (C'mon, how many times prior to this show has she sung "Lake Charles" or "Pineola" or "Drunken Angel"?) But tonight, I'll gladly give her that and whatever else she wants or needs to prop her up. Lucinda was in stellar form vocally. Her voice was strong and clear, she was both forceful and demure, she gave us pain and joy, she made us stop and think, she had us nodding our heads in common experience and deep feeling. She didn't marble-mouth her lyrics, she didn't fall into a lazy growl, she simply sang ever so beautifully in that slightly rough-around-the-edges Louisiana drawl which makes everything that comes out of her mouth so flat-out real. Again, the sound was brilliant, letting the audience easily fuse with the woman who has been included in the short list of the greatest songwriters of all time.
Tonight, for me, it all came together perfectly. No doubt I'm late to the party, but now I get Lucinda Williams. The strength and quality of her backing musicians (interestingly enough, all from California), the power of the real-life stories she crafts lyrically, the quality and emotion in her voice—it all felt so deeply, penetratingly real that it was almost scary someone could do it so well.
Tonight's show was magic. I'm a fan.
—Bob Meline
(Previously by Bob Meline: Bonnie Raitt at Sonoma Jazz +)
Jazz Standards and Style Commanders
I talked with jazz pianist Jason Moran a couple weeks ago for a feature on the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, and I gotta say, the guy's really smart and down-to-earth—and a hell of a piano player. His soon-to-be-released album Ten is easily the best, most natural-sounding album he's made, and he plays Sunday afternoon at Rodney Strong Vineyards with Bill Frisell. I urge you to check it out. How many jazz pianists can you name who are planning to record a duets album with Ghostface, MF Doom and Jay Electronica?
For those who missed out on Esperanza Spalding's sold-out show last night at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, or who can't make it to the Charlie Haden / Ravi Coltrane show tonight, be advised that Craig Handy is playing for free in the Hotel Healdsburg lobby tonight from 9-midnight with "special guests." I've seen Craig Handy both chewed out by Sue Mingus for showing up late to a Mingus Big Band show and suffering behind an irascible Freddie Hubbard, so be nice to the guy, okay?
It's not free, but this year's Festival del Sole features a performance at Daryl Sattui's crazy $30 million, 121,000–sq.-ft. Castello di Amorosa by 16-year-old Canadian singing sensation Nikki Yanofsky. You might have heard of Yanofsky through her involvement with the nutsy-cuckoo "We Are The World"-like re-recording of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" to benefit Haiti, or for singing a laid-back version of the Canadian national anthem for the 2010 Olympics. But you should really just go to her MySpace page, ignore the goofy press photos that look like Blossom, and listen to her insane scat-scattered version of "I Got Rhythm." Damn!
The Wells Fargo Center has announced their upcoming season, including the return of both Wynton Marsalis and Tony Bennett. Marsalis is playing with the full Lincoln Center Orchestra, and you've got time to plan your evening—the show's next February, in 2011! Bennett slips in a little sooner, on September 21, and I've said it before and I'll say it again: at 83, the guy hasn't lost an iota of his voice, talent, or showbiz class. I met him briefly at the then-Luther Burbank Center after a show about ten years ago; he was flanked by Mafia-looking bodyguards and incredibly kind to me, a then-young, googley-eyed fan. Go see him if, and while, you can.
Wells Fargo Center Lobby to Get New Makeover
This Just In: The Lytton Band of Pomo Indians has donated $500,000 to the Wells Fargo Center in order to renovate and remodel the performing arts center's lobby. No, this doesn't mean they're planning on building a casino on the site. It just means that the lobby will be named the Lytton Rancheria Grand Lobby, which for a half million seems like a bargain, don't you think?
On to you, press release:
In addition to seismic upgrades, some highlights of the lobby project include dimmable architectural and theatrical lighting to replace the chandeliers, acoustic and visual improvements to the walls and ceilings, new floor treatments and carpeting, new stainless steel cable railings, first floor men's restroom renovation with improved accessibility and ultra low flow fixtures, and 8 to 12 new plasma televisions to simulcast performances and events from the theater into the lobby and to be used for organizational messaging.
Organizational messaging! The new lobby—artist's rendering above—should be completed by the end of the summer. None of the center's planned shows or events will be disrupted. Work on the new space starts today with the removal of the lobby's large, much-maligned chandeliers. And for that particular bit of sad news, I shed a tear.
Ode to the Chandeliers
Poor, poor chandeliers
I loved you so
Gigantic and wrought-iron
So useful
You oversaw church services
Symphony crowds
You illuminated everything
Red wine in tiny cups
Synthetic fiber in grandpa's toupee
The sea of black clothing when Morrissey played
They claim you are ugly
But you were there when I was 5
And you were there when I was 34
And today they tear you down and take you away
Don't let the bastards win, chandeliers
Only I sense your true inner beauty
Come live at my house
You are as big as my house
But I know we can make it work, chandeliers
What's the Buzz?
Jazz lovers can pick their jaws off the floor with the announcement of the Healdsburg Jazz Festival (June 4–13), which delivers a rich lineup of vibrant jazz talent. Charlie Haden leads a group with Ravi Coltrane and Geri Allen; Jason Moran plays with Bill Frisell; and red-hot sensation Esperanza Spalding returns. Other names include George Cables, Dafnis Prieto, Pete Apfelbaum and more.
This year's Sonoma Jazz+ Festival (May 21–23) features headliners Crosby, Stills & Nash, Earth, Wind & Fire and Elvis Costello & the Sugarcanes. Openers Lizz Wright, Poncho Sanchez and the Neville Brothers also appear. Hope for jazz springs obligatory when Costello will doubtless sing Charles Mingus' "Weird Nightmare." . . . The Kate Wolf Festival (June 25–27) has Ani DiFranco, Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, Greg Brown, Little Feat, David Grisman, the Waifs and many more up at Black Oak Ranch in Laytonville. . . . The Harmony Festival (June 11–13) has confirmed some initial performers, including Steel Pulse, Galactic, Rebelution, Slightly Stoopid, Dweezil Zappa, Jai Uttal, the Jazz Mafia, the Expendables and Fishbone. A "very special headliner" will be announced this week.
While the Santa Rosa Symphony hosts Ute Lemper singing Kurt Weill's Seven Deadly Sins (May 8–10), the Wells Fargo Center bounces back from recent personnel shakeups with John Prine (April 11), David Spade (May 20), the Barenaked Ladies (May 25) and the still-fantastic Smokey Robinson (May 28). The cozy Napa Valley Opera House brings Elvis Costello playing a solo evening (April 8th) as well as jazz guitar legend Pat Metheny (April 25) performing with an ensemble of animatronic instruments controlled by Metheny's guitar. Crazy!
The Sonoma County Blues Festival, long a staple of the Sonoma County Fair, moves to the Earle Baum Center (July 31), which already has headliners Dave Alvin and James McMurtry confirmed for its EarleFest in September. . . . Resurrected local favorites Victims Family play a free in-store to celebrate the re-release of White Bread Blues at the Last Record Store for Record Store Day (April 17). . . . Fret-tapping phenomenon Kaki King plays the Mystic Theatre (May 20) and Joan Jett rides the popularity wave of The Runaways starring Kristen Stewart by playing at the Sonoma-Marin Fair (June 25).
John Prine to play the Wells Fargo Center on April 11
John Prine, the lovable songwriter who deserves every laurel thrown at his feet, is coming back to Santa Rosa to play the Wells Fargo Center on April 11, 2010.
Presale tickets are available now by clicking here, although take note of the strange rules if you pursue this option: "Seats will be assigned at random on the day of the show, and the location of your seats will not be known until tickets are picked up at will call."
For those who want the peace of mind of knowing where they're sitting, tickets to the general public go on sale this Friday, Jan. 29, at noon.
The last time John Prine played in Santa Rosa, it was September 8, 2001. The twin towers still stood, as did the feeling of optimism and confidence in the economy. The venue was still called the Luther Burbank Center. We had the luxury of being able to laugh at his songs then; something tells me those same songs might cause a tinge of sadness now. He played for over two hours that night, just song after brilliant song, ending with an encore of "Paradise" joined onstage by Todd Snider. "Lake Marie" brought the house down, and he made beautiful chestnuts like "Souvenirs," "Sam Stone" and "You Got Gold" sound shiny and new after all these years. I talked to him afterwards; he was all rosy cheeks, in a great mood, and told me the crowd was as great and responsive as any he'd played for. It was a hell of a show.
If you've never seen John Prine, you're missing out on a genuine national treasure. The standing-room deal is $19.50, with tickets going up to $39.50 and $49.50 for seats. It'll sell out easily. For more info., call 707.546.3600 or visit the Wells Fargo Center site.
Live Review: Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes at the Wells Fargo Center
Elvis Costello opened his show at the Wells Fargo Center in Santa Rosa Friday night with an absolutely rollicking version of "Mystery Train," complete with a showbiz ending that had the short, bespectacled leader kicking his heels, pumping his arms and conducting his diesel-engine band to a chugging, smoke-spewing halt.
It was one of the evening's highlights in a lopsided concert that included as many yawn-inducing patches as it did occasional resurrections of the idea that Elvis Costello is one of the universe's most impressive performers.
Even with an all-acoustic band, featuring Jim Lauderdale, Mike Compton and Jerry Douglas, Costello acted the consummate rock star by strutting across the stage, thrusting the neck of his guitar into the air and posturing wildly at the end of his songs. He cracked wise with the crowd, told stories and brushed off requests between songs. He finished his four-song encore with "Alison," left the stage, and indulged the crowd even into the second hour of the show with more songs.
The only problem—and this is kind of a big deal when they take up so much time—was the songs. Elvis Costello has something like 863 songs, and a sustainable percentage of them are so good it hurts. Friday night, he played barely any of them, pulling instead mostly from his dull new album and a bunch of cover material. This was expected, yes—although when Costello's magic lies in providing the unexpected, the evening felt lazy and predictable (especially when contrasted against his powerhouse setlist the first time he appeared at the venue, with Steve Nieve, in 1999).
The night had its moments. Along with "Mystery Train," a downright psychedelic "The Delivery Man" was one of the few treasures that actually showcased the spine-tingling dynamics of the band, complete with distorted fiddle and atmospheric stillness. The accordion pulled slowly, Costello's 4-string guitar buzzed, and the tune wound down like a late-night AM station slowly fading out of range.
"Mystery Dance" and "Blame it on Cain" both rambled with accented minor-blues-thirds the original recordings always hinted at, and a honky-tonk reworking of "Everyday I Write the Book" made more sense that it should. And though a 3/4-time cover of the Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale" and an encore of the Rolling Stones' "Happy" had people literally dancing in the aisles, Elvis Costello ambling through "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down" for the zillionth time had them nearly asleep.
That's the problem with this tour (one of them, at least). Elvis Costello has never been great at singing country music. He's just as unconvincing singing "Americana," and just because he calls together an amazing group of players and whips up some crowd-pleasing stuff like "Friend of the Devil" doesn't mean that he's on his game. He's on someone else's game, and for someone as singularly intelligent and talented as he, it doesn't fit. Sure, he can be proud of writing a terrible song for Johnny Cash, or for hiring the finest dobro player in the universe and not giving him any space to stretch out and be showcased, and that's fine, but why not listen to John Prine or Gillian Welch do the same thing with far more heart and soul? As for his new material, it's not a good sign when Costello's explanations of the songs are infinitely more entertaining than the songs themselves.
And yet just like he knows how to end a tune, Elvis Costello knows how to end a show. He brought the house down with his last encore, recalling the fire and joy of Springsteen's Seeger Sessions tour, and closed the night with "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding."
Shouldn't all shows end with that song? No matter how drab the interim, it forgives all.
Live Review: Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson at the Wells Fargo Center
The rare treat of seeing Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson last night in their first-ever concert together wasn't one easily passed up. Not by the sold-out crowd; not by Ramblin' Jack Elliott, who ambled in with trademark cowboy hat and cane; and not by—brace yourselves, folks—Cher, who sat in the sixth row.
What in the world was Cher doing at a Merle Haggard / Kris Kristofferson show in Santa Rosa? We may never know. What's for sure is that she, along with fans that capped the night with an epic five-minute standing ovation, witnessed two bona fide heroes of country music give a performance at turns tender, humorous, poignant, insightful, and above all, intimate.
Let's just hope Cher wasn't the woman who yelled out for "Me & Bobby McGee" a few songs after Kristofferson had already played it.
The 1,400-capacity Wells Fargo Center has a historic knack for achieving a living room-like atmosphere for acoustic music. They did it with the Landmine Free World concert in 1999 with Steve Earle, John Prine, Emmylou Harris, Patti Griffith and Bruce Cockburn; they did it with the two Elvis Costello / Steve Nieve concerts they've hosted; they did it with the Texas songwriter night in 2005 with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, Guy Clark and Joe Ely; and they did it last night by closing the stage curtain and presenting Haggard and Kristofferson front and center.
When Merle Haggard played at the Center last year, electric, he drew a shitkickin', Copenhagen-dippin', cheap perfume-wearin' crowd. This tour was different. Instead of a parking lot scene with greasy dudes in Suicidal Tendencies T-shirts smoking joints, it welcomed wine tour limousines and sixty-somethings gingerly stepping out of Oldsmobiles. The performance itself suited the new audience: pensive, slow, and mortal.
"If there's a Hall of Fame for heroes in heaven, this man's definitely on his way," said Kristofferson, introducing Haggard after opening the show with "Shipwrecked in the Eighties." Added Haggard, fresh from successful lung cancer surgery: "Between the two of us there's about 150 years of experience here."
Those expecting a "Storytellers"-type show, with Haggard and Kristofferson sitting down with acoustic guitars and swapping tales about the Army (Kristofferson), prison (Haggard), Louisiana oil rigs (Kristofferson) or stealing Buck Owens' wife (Haggard) got something far better: a run-down of the two giants' greatest songs backed by an elegant, semi-acoustic version of Haggard's band, the Strangers. (Turns out Haggard must have won the battle.) As for storytelling, most of the night's commentary got squeezed between lines of the songs themselves.
Kristofferson, during "Nobody Wins": "George Bush and Dick Cheney were singin' this song in the shower together."
Haggard, during "Sing Me Back Home": "This goes out to all the ex-convicts. It's every convict's dream to be an ex-convict."
Kristofferson, during "Best of All Possible Worlds": "Did you know that here in the USA, the land of the free, we got more people behind bars than any other country on the planet? That's right, boy. We're #1."
Haggard, during "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down": "I feel like a stripper without a G-string!"
Yes, the two were very funny together, but also incredibly warm, and wise. It's not uncommon for former hellraisers entering life's twilight, particularly in country music, to embrace a life-lesson empathy. When I spoke with Kristofferson last year, he elaborated: "There is a freedom in accepting the fact that there is a difference at this end of the road," he told me. "I've watched a lot of my friends and heroes, like Johnny Cash and Waylon, I've watched 'em slip and fall. And be gone. And it's gonna happen to all of us. So I think the acceptance of it gives you a freedom to be less critical of yourself when you make mistakes, and to not be so hard on others."
Warmth like that was conveyed on stage last night so often, it sometimes outperformed the fantastic songs. Check the set list below—there were nearly 30 of 'em. The selections played off each other cleverly, as Haggard ran with the torch of Kristofferson's "For the Good Times" and answered, "Are the Good Times Really Over?" Kristofferson pleaded to help him make it through the night; Haggard, up next, just wanted to make it through December.
Yes, it was a considerable union. To see Kristofferson sing backups on Haggard's "Silver Wings" and a reworked verse in "Okie From Muskogee," or to have Haggard play his ranchero-style nylon guitar solos on "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" and "Help Me Make It Through The Night" was truly exciting. By the end, after the two had finished "Why Me Lord," the standing ovation seemed endless. No one could believe it when five minutes later, the house lights came up.
(Afterward, Cher was quickly escorted behind velvet ropes into a tinted-window SUV. Kristofferson obliged a waiting crowd of about 50 with autographs and gracious conversation, and Haggard stayed put on his bus until it rumbled, slowly lurched forward through the parking lot, and breezed into Highway 101 for the next town.)
Photos by Elizabeth Seward.
Set List:
Shipwrecked in the Eighties
Big City
Silver Wings
Me & Bobby McGee
I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink
Folsom Prison Blues
Best of All Possible Worlds
If I Could Only Fly
Mama Tried
Here Comes That Rainbow Again
I Wish I Could Be 30 Again
Rainbow Stew
Help Me Make It Through The Night
If We Make It Through December
Nobody Wins
T.B. Blues
Okie From Muskogee
Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down
Back to Earth
Jody and the Kid
The Silver-Tongued Devil and I
Sing Me Back Home
He's a Pilgrim
Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star
For the Good Times
Are the Good Times Really Over
Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
Today I Started Loving You Again
Why Me Lord


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Kitchen Extension Ideas for Amazing Small Kitchens
Kitchen extension ideas are great references in making small spaced kitchen design becomes welcoming and comforting with its beautiful and functional design. Kitchens can be created into amazing spaces of a house with brilliant ideas when constructing it such as in material, color, design, layout and theme. Beautiful kitchens fulfill attractive ideas in making the kitchen space as a very nice, fascinating and welcoming for all of people who enter while functional kitchens provide comfort when doing kitchen works with practical aspect. If you are planning on to makeover your kitchen, then it is going to be a great problem if you do not have well planned ideas in how to achieve the finest result. It does not need to be complicated and high budgeted since you can create a beautiful and functional kitchen with easy and simple makeover. Especially for small kitchens, you can create a beautiful and functional small kitchen with smart kitchen ideas to apply. Beautiful small kitchen makeovers can be achieved by applying simply but smart ideas to make small kitchen become beautiful in appearance.
Basic small kitchen where space for kitchen works is limited can be made into beautiful and functional by applying smart ideas for small kitchens. Best design ideas for small kitchens create optimal result in making small kitchens to be beautiful and functional at the same time. How to makeover a small kitchen does not need to be complicated and high budgeted since there are many ideas for small kitchen which are significant in creating beautiful and functional small kitchen. Small Open kitchen designs can solve the issue about welcoming and comforting atmosphere since of limited space. Small open kitchen designs 2013 can be applied to create spacious appearance for welcoming and comforting atmosphere. You can unite the kitchen space with other space of house such as living room or dining room. Small open kitchen living room design creates good atmosphere for family gathering spot which allows all of family members to do different things at the same time in one space. Small open kitchen dining room design creates simplicity when you are about to have meal time since it allows you to serve the food as fast as possible to be enjoyed. Small Open kitchen designs are good ideas for small kitchens are essentially required in order to create high quality of kitchens with limited space in beauty and functionality.
Small Open Kitchen Living Room
Small Open Kitchen Dining Room
Kitchen extension ideas are definitely great to apply to create amazing small kitchen design with beautiful and functional style for welcoming and comforting atmosphere.
This post topic: Kitchen Remodel


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Ludwig Classic Maple 6.5x14 Snare Drum
Classic Lugs, P85 strainer
Ludwig's wood snares have remained popular throughout the company's nearly 100-year history, and were the drums that helped establish the fat backbeat and deep grooves of pop and R&B music in the 1970's and 80's.
The Classic Maple 7-ply all-maple shell features the clarity and warmth players have come to expect from maple drums, plus the projection and musicality that has maintained Ludwig's reputation for snare drum innovation and excellence.
This is not a stock photo. The drum you see is the drum you get!


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I am commencing a weekly post entitled:
It begins with one sentence, and slowly a story is written as we all add our own personal words to the story.
It is an absolutely hilarious way to learn new writing skills from others, and find your inspiration!
Please join me in this and I will compile our amazing story and present it each week. It'll be an interesting read. Trust me!
So let's begin!
He caught me by surprise when he said hello-


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For their 10th anniversary, local animation studio Yowza Digital approached us for a website redesign. After meeting with us, they discovered they needed more than just a website for their portfolio; they needed an entire rebrand and restructure.
We broke down a possible branding restructure that was appealing to the heads of the company. We created a parent brand called Switch Entertainment, which branched into two smaller departments: Switch Animation and Switch VFX.
Excellence, creativity, and storytelling. These were the words we wanted associated with the new Switch Entertainment brand. The look of the company would be essential in establishing a powerful identity for the business.
Since both movement and storytelling are at the core of animation and VFX, we knew the brand of the company should be modular, animated and flexible.
We used a dynamic Switch wordmark as the primary symbol for both departments, to help keep the child brands united with the parent brand. But each logo had a little variation on the theme.
The website needed to showcase two very different types of portfolios — animation and VFX. With these goals in mind, we made sure that the back-end structure met the needs of both departments, but we kept the front-end design consistent so that everything looked unified under the Switch Entertainment banner.
Needing to distinguish the departments but still have the user realize Switch Animation and Switch VFX were part of the same parent brand, we made changes to the colours, textures, and themes. Switch Animation's design is fun, youthful, with an overall bright colour palette to reflect their work, while Switch VFX's design has a darker, dynamic and dramatic look.
Another priority for us: introducing and showcasing the people behind the company. We felt that we needed to celebrate the makers, animators, coordinators, compositors, and the co-founders for their amazing work.
Being artists ourselves, we understood the Switch Entertainment's desire (and challenge) to showcase their work at every possible stage, from character design to post-production. We found an elegant, creative and interactive solution to this problem: cards! Users can now click on a project's custom-card to navigate through each phase of content development.
This 2D series chronicles Marco's search as he travels through fantas- tic settings and exotic locales.
With a burning curiosity, a thirst for knowledge and a knack for stumbling into trouble, young Marco Polo sets off on a wild adventure through distant lands and mystical times to find his missing father, who vanished while exploring the Road to the East. Accompanied by his strong, good-natured friend Luigi and the mysterious young princess, Shi La Won, the brash Marco is ready to take on the world... once he finds his missing boots that is. A roller-coaster of comedy and action, young Marco Polo follows the rollicking misadventures of the three friends on their epic journey.
Marco is an energetic ten-year-old with an insatia- ble curiosity and unbridled enthusiasm. Although quick-witted and book-smart, he is also impetuo- us and impatient. Bristling with impulsive excite- ment, he'll barge headlong into situations, leaping before looking, speaking before thinking.
Luigi is a lumbering, gentle-hearted 12-year old with a simple, open nature. His slower, quiet temperament is a contrast to Marco's quicksilver approach to things - which balances them... Although uneducated, Luigi's clear-cut values and level- headedness often finds solutions to their predicaments. He is very strong and skil- led with his hands. Being very superstitious, however, and has several amulets, charms and talismans to ward off danger habits that drive Marco up the wall. Luigi is very sensitive, and has great empathy for others, which endear him to every- one he meets. He considers himself Marco's protector and he would do anything, and go anywhere, for him... except maybe the forest at night...
Shi La Won is eleven years old. Claiming to be a princess, her background is shrouded in mystery - she has secrets. Truth be told, she is a runaway daughter of a Royal Court cook who dares to dream of being something more and she will do or say anything it takes to make that dream come true... including a few white lies now and then.
The coming-of-age story of Cayden Richards. Forced to hit the road after the murder of his parents, Cayden wanders, lost, without purpose...
The family of talented cook, Hassan Kadam, has a life filled with both culinary delights and profound loss. Drifting through Europe after fleeing political violence in India that killed the family restaurant business and their mother, the Kadams arrive in France. Once there, a chance auto accident and the kindness of a young woman, Marguerite, in the village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val inspires Papa Kadam to set up a Indian restaurant there. Unfortunately, this puts the Kadams in direct competition with the snobbish Madame Mallory's acclaimed haute cuisine establishment across the street where Marguerite also works as a sous-chef. The resulting rivalry eventually escalates in personal intensity until it goes too far. In response, there is a bridging of sides initiated by Hassan, Marguerite and Madame Mallory herself, both professional and personal, that encourages an understanding that will change both sides forever.
The new branding of Switch Entertainment and its website launch gave the team new energy, and the company reinvigorated look. Both departments have now been able to showcase their new brand at various festivals, while increasing their exposure in the industry. The branding structure we have built for Switch is also motivating the company to keep expanding and developing.


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Rhinoplasty before and after, frontal
Patient Info
Age: 40 - 49
Gender: Female
Procedure: Rhinoplasty
Procedure Description:
Middle aged white female who fell and broke her nose after an April Fools prank went wrong. Dr. Naderi repaired her nose with a quick Closed Nasal Reduction. Notice the wide flat nose before and the nice narrow bridge after. Results for each patient will vary.Rhinoplasty
* All patients are unique and individual results may vary.
- Shervin Naderi, MD, FACS
- Physician
- View profile page
- 297 Herndon Parkway Suite 101, Herndon, VA, 20170
- 703-481-0002


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Whether you are looking for a great gift for your sweetheart or something to do together on this romantic day, Hiatus has something for everyone this Valentine's Day. Hiatus has created customized Valentine's Day packages including Date Night, Heart + Sole Couples Massage, Lover's Trio and Absolute Hiatus.
Date Night
Indulge your sweetheart in a sultry spa night for two, beginning with a glass of bubbly and a sparkling foot soak for two. A full-body dry brush exfoliation and a drizzle of warm Beautifying Oil give smooth skin and prepare you for ninety minutes of ethereal massage. You'll complete your blissful date night with a warm soy wax hand and foot massage, more bubbly and chocolates, and take-away instructions for home-massage. They will send you on your way with an organic lavender soy wax candle and warming neck wrap so you can recreate the feeling at home.
Two hours: $514 value; $459 Valentine's Day pricing
Heart + Sole Couples Massage
A luxurious seventy-five minute Couples Massage with a sole satisfying hot stone foot massage and love chakra aromatherapy will have you both feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Available the entire month of February.
Seventy-five minutes. $296 value, $279 Valentine's Day pricing
Lover's Trio
Give your sweetie some spa love with a package of the three most beloved Hiatus signature services including the Hiatus Massage, Hiatus Facial, and Mani-Pedi Retreat.
Three and a half hours: $300 value; $239 Valentine's Day pricing
Absolute Hiatus
Is your honey in need of a full-day spa retreat? This spa-lover's package includes a Monthly Retreat (Body Glow and Massage with seasonal ingredients), the gentle yet results-driven Perfecting Facial + Peel, and the award-winning Mani-Pedi Retreat.
Four hours: $434 value; $349 Valentine's Day pricing
February Monthly Retreat – Coffee Date
February's enchanting retreat begins with a luscious head to toe drizzle of melted Cocoa Butter and rich Espresso, followed by an exfoliating coffee bean sugar scrub to restore your skin's natural silkiness. Aromatic steam will rehydrate and soften, filling your senses with the seductive perfume of Clove Bud, Sweet Orange, and Vanilla. After a cleansing Vichy rinse, you'll receive a light embrace of moisturizing body oil. Your experience ends with a delectable Icy Café con Leche cocktail.
All priced at $195, $118+ H-Circle
Hiatus Spa + Retreat was selected for the Inc. 500/5000 list for 2012 and 2013 and was honored as D Magazine's Best Day Spa 2013 and the winner of the ISPA 2013 Innovate Award for their unique membership. Hiatus Spa + Retreat Dallas is located at 5560 W. Lovers Lane, Suite 250.
For more information visit www.hiatusspa.com


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Recreation Center Rentals
The New Baltimore Recreation Center is available for rental when NBPR classes or programs are not already scheduled. Most of the rentals that our department can accommodate occur during the weekend.
Building Rental Rates:
$50 - 2 hour block: Resident Rate & Non-Resident Non-Profit Group
$25 - 2 hour block: Resident Non-Profit Group
$75 - 2 hour block: Non-Resident
*$50 Incidentals Fee is charged for all rentals.
The entire incidentals fee will be refunded 10-14 days after your rental if there are no damages during your rental. A portion or all of the incidentals fee may be held by the Parks & Recreation Department depending on the severity of any damages.
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Rental Capacity: 160 people
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A maximum of 15 minutes will be allowed after your rental period for cleanup. The renter may be subject to a decreased incidentals fee refund if it is necessary for them to exceed this time limit. (Discretion of the Parks & Recreation Director).
Alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the New Baltimore Recreation Center.
Pets are not allowed in the New Baltimore Recreation Center.
Renters are not allowed in any recreation center storage areas or utility closet without the permission of the NBPR staff. Any renter failing to comply with this policy may not be allowed to rent the facility in the future.
Decorations for rentals and parties are allowed; however, the decorations must be cleaned by or taken by the renters at the end of the rental time period. Failure to clean decorations could affect the incidentals fee refund.
Rental Refund Policy


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Honey*Smile Graphic Novels
Genre: Romance
: Stocking Item - Usually Ships Within 24-48
Hours Unless Backordered
You can never get enough of a precious person's smile.
Takizawa is a dissatisfied lawyer who deals with juvenile delinquents. He has a job, money, "playmates," and yet he's still dogged by the feeling that his life just isn't fulfilling.
Then one day a young part-timer invites Takizawa to lunch, and with each meal his heart begins to soften.
|Honey*Smile Graphic Novel


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Why Read Old Books?
Becoming Affluent and Breaking Bad
Another classical downer: with material progress often comes moral regress.
Cranky Hesiod saw that in the fading tough world of early 7th-century Boeotia, as the advent of the city-state led to more claim jumpers, oath breakers, and crooked judges. The idea of the need for a daily struggle to survive to keep moral balance is best explored in the great tetrad of Roman imperial pessimists -- Juvenal, Petronius, Suetonius, and Tacitus. If late republicans like Horace and Livy had hinted that a rich, globalized Roman Mediterranean was destroying the old rural Italian virtue, then the later four chronicled in graphic detail just how -- and how fun it was to squander what others far better for seven centuries had bequeathed. The White House Correspondents' Dinner might as well take place in the House of the Tragic Poet in Pompeii.
It is not just that plenty of slaves, purple dye, marble, forced vomiting, and piped-in water mean that we don't have to rise at dawn to hoe the vineyard and bathe in ice-cold streams and therefore become lazy, corpulent, and decadent. Rather, material progress is usually accompanied by moral regress largely because of the leisure to master a critical consciousness and intellectual gymnastics well apart from the fears of religion: if we can explain, in a sophisticated and convincing manner, why something bankrupt is true, then it surely must be true: Vero possumus! Who is to say that Lindsay Lohan is not more interesting than Gen. Mattis?
Language in the postmodern world becomes more layered -- and fluid -- (compare "overseas contingency operations" for terrorism or "investments" for deficit spending). The sophistic citizen has the leisure and training to third-guess ancient protocols. Without a soul, the good life here is it. Sarcasm, cynicism, skepticism, and nihilism so abound that there must always be a third and fourth meaning. The in-the-know smirk of Jon Stewart or David Letterman and the gobbledygook mush that pours out the mouths of our talking head analysts conspire to make us incapable of saying any of the following: 'The Tsarnaevs are repulsive and evil. Their mother is unhinged. Fire those who let in these repellent people. Something has gone terribly wrong with the FBI." Say that and you are guilty of a thought crime greater than the mayhem committed on the street.
Major Hasan kills 13 and wounds 29, yelling out Allahu Akbar as he shoots. In response, the head of the Army joins the Obama Borg (of Brennan, Clapper, Holder, and Napolitano) to lecture us that the greater tragedy in this "workplace violence" would be the loss of the Army's diversity program. Next thing, the head of NASA might be lecturing us that his foremost aim is reaching out to aggrieved Muslims.
It is not just that Juvenal's Sejanus, Petronius's Trimalchio, Suetonius's Caligula, and Tacitus's Nero are evil, but that they are products of a society in which the more clever it sounds, the more clothes it has, and the larger the house it inhabits, the more amoral it becomes. If Rome did not have a Caligula, it would have had to invent one.
Thus the weird backlash romance that arises for Ovid's Philemon and Baucis with their simple beech wood cups and daily material grind. From Virgil's mythical Arcadia to Poussin's Et in Arcadia ego, there grows always this wish of the metrosexual to give up the world of Justin Bieber, Facebook, and the Upper West Side for something simple and true -- but perceived as gone forever.
How odd that these guys are not even happy when they win what they sought. By hook or crook they win Obamacare and now those who wrote the bill wish themselves and their staffs to be exempt from it, as if ol' Doc' is still around to practice folksy medicine out of his office at home. They want the dwindling rivers to run freely to the Bay deltas to allow mythical salmon to swim to the Sierra, but count on the awful man-caused reservoirs alone to give them the water to waste.
Palo Alto and Menlo Park got everything they ever dreamed up: Obama, diversity, vast cash redistributions, a left-wing governor and legislature, a new race/class/gender school curriculum, unionized state employees, a blue political class, vast riches from a green Silicon Valley ... and what? The young millionaires scramble to get their children into one of the growing number of private academies so they will not have to study the curricula with the "other" and join the poorly prepared students who are the logical ramifications of their own ideology. If they had a drawl, it might be the South's 1965-era academies all over again.
When I see the contemporary CSU campus -- larger than ever, more administrators than at any time in its past, greatest enrollments in history, students on generous subsidies with an array of electronic gadgetry and new Camrys and Accords in the brand-new solar-roofed parking lots -- and I hear of "crippling budget cuts," "shorting the students," and "a campus in crisis," I assume that most of those who graduated in 1960 would find the current curricula a bad joke, and that today's students would flunk most of the classes offered fifty years ago -- iPads and Twitter notwithstanding. If the choice for today's serious student with ear phones is either to text an earth-shattering "I just walked into the Student Center" or to memorize "amo, amas, amat," then it is no mystery where the never-to-be regained minute goes, in this zero-sum game of 24 hours in a vanishing day.


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1. Alan Hansen will have never heard of Bundesliga winner and Borussia Dortmund top scorer Robert Lewandowski …'Luwon…Lewand…Lewansomethin or other has got a good touch for a big man' *Shearer sniggers in background*
2. Clive Tyldsley will pronounce Xavi to be a 'quarterback'
3. Colin Murray will be a bell whiff.
4. Alaistar Mann will refer to Everton defender Phil Jagielka as 'Jajj-jeelka' on the highlights programme.
5. Arry Redknapp will call at least one player a 'triffic laaaaayd'
6. Hansen will try and gain favour with Seedorf by laughing, pointing and shouting something very loudly at him like you would do to a deaf geriatric relative
7. The monumental ball sack Robbie Savage will be controversial for the sake of it.
8. Jamie Carragher will say 'ya know' 46 times in the first weekend of the tournament.
9. Peter Reid will deliver his canned content line of 'you need to keep the ball better at international level' as England slip out of the tournament at the ¼ final stage
10. Alan Shearer will mention how organised the German's are…and (with no African sides in the tournament) Hansen will lament how disorganised sides from eastern Europe are.
11. Alan Hansen will have never heard of Denmark's Ajax dynamo Christian Eriksen
12. Roy Keane will make snide comments about poor players whilst conveniently glossing over the fact that he paid £5m for the worst player in the entire tournament Paul McShane
13. Alan Shearer will be generally confused by whats going on around him and his complete lack of any research and total ignorance of any football outside of the Premier League will be met with laughter by his fellow pundits.
14. Lawro will mince around in the background with his rastapaedic hairdo and barn dance clobber.
15. Dan Walker will be incredibly boring and resort to comments about confectionary before the group stage is over
16. Alan Hansen will mention 'kamikaze' defending at the earliest opportunity. Lee Dixon will nod.
17. Adrian Childs will continue to be an utter candle…but will be outdone by the consistently number one melt Garth Crooks.
18. Arry Redknapp will announce at half time of any England game that Scott Scottie Parker always gives 110% to the cause.
19. Martin Keown will continue to look and sound like he should be commentating on Six Nations Rugby.
20. Alan Hansen will have never heard of Dzagoev.


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A couple of months ago - I headed over bridge for lunch one day to Newport on the Levee and went to Bar Louie. Unfortunately - I didn't love it. But the social media friendly manager reached out to me and wanted me to come back to give it another shot.
Why Should You Go? Last time - I said don't bother. That said, this time was a lot better. I say try it for yourself - especially because tonight (Wednesday) is $1 burgers from 5pm to Close. Hell yeah - it's even better for a buck! If beer is more your speed - they have $1 beer on Tuesday.


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Two environmental groups are suing the Trump administration for extending the red snapper season in federal and state waters within the Gulf of Mexico this year.
The Environmental Defense Fund and Ocean Conservancy filed a lawsuit on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against a U.S. Department of Commerce June decision that allowed recreational anglers to fish for red snapper in federal and state waters for 39 weekend days Friday through Labor Day.
According to the groups, the decision "puts red snapper recovery at risk, jeopardizing fishing businesses and recreational fishing for the species. It also violates several provisions of federal law."
"The way we manage recreational red snapper fishing stinks, and saltwater anglers like me are demanding change," said Robert Jones, Director of Environmental Defense Fund's Gulf of Mexico Oceans Program. "The recovery of the species is an incredible opportunity. I was recently offshore from Galveston and the water is teeming with red snapper. But instead of anglers and recreational fishing businesses reaping the benefits, we are stuck in a downward spiral of failure. This lawsuit is about catalyzing change."
Jones continued, "Year-round state-water seasons combined with minuscule federal seasons suffocate our access to the best offshore fishing grounds. And I sure as heck don't want to return to the days when my dad and I could barely find a red snapper due to decades of overfishing. What we demand is innovative, solutions-oriented reform that harnesses new approaches like Louisiana's LA Creel program, gives us flexible access, and ensures that future generations of Americans can enjoy the thrill of catching red snapper."
The extended season came after the NOAA Fisheries in May approved a recreational season of three days — June 1-3, which fishing enthusiasts decried as being far too short. Alabama lawmakers quickly took action reaching out to federal officials to lengthen the season, which was the shortest ever in the Gulf of Mexico.
After extensive debate on both the Gulf Coast and Capitol Hill, the Department of Commerce approved the extended season.
According to the lawsuit, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and two federal agencies — the National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — were listed as the defendants.


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Department of Religion & Classics
University of Rochester
|This course will examine gravestones and funerary architecture
in Rochester's historic Mt. Hope cemetery. Students will be introduced
to western funeral ritual and practice, with a particular focus on funerary
architecture and cemeteries in the United States, and the place of graves
and graveyards in popular fiction and culture. They will examine the iconography
and epigraphy of gravestones and funerary monuments in terms of their function
of forging symbolic connections among the living and the dead. Case studies
will be drawn from Mt. Hope cemetery, which will further serve to illuminate
both Rochester's history, and American religious belief and practice.
Students in Speaking Stones will also learn how death and burial relate to business and entrepreneurship. On the negative side are those in the funeral industry who have sought to maximize their profits at the expense of the bereaved. Beginning in the early 20th century, a number of cemetery managers began to think seriously on issues of competition and the sale of plots, cremation, and other services. This, in turn, led to regulations by New York and other states against "profiteering from sorrow," and legislation to limit the commercialization of cemeteries. Perhaps the most famous expose of corruption within this industry is Jessica Mitford's The American Way of Death Revisited, which will be read during the course. Yet, in contrast to this negative and often sensational profiteering has been the honest and diligent efforts by many funeral directors and cemetery managers to meet the needs of the families and friends of the deceased while attempting to meet their business goals. Their creative and, sometimes, controversial entrepreneurship is more difficult to objectify than instances of blatant corruption. Therefore, to enhance course readings, relevant professionals will meet with the class to address current trends in cemetery management and funerary practice reflecting an entrepreneurial spirit. In this way, students will be better able to understand the complex and, at times, difficult relationship between entrepreneurship and death.
Course Syllabus
Course Calendar
Electronic Reserve Readings
Field Reports & Essays
Important Links


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A Silicon Valley native, Sheila has an extensive background in real estate, information technology and has worked in senior management as Information Technology Manager and Software Sales Engineer for over 15 years. As former CFO of Catalyst Real Estate, she was a key contributor to enterprise-level sales strategies, technology planning and decision-making. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and also holds several professional licenses and certifications including: Licensed Insurance Agent, Licensed Mortgage Loan Officer, and Licensed Real Estate Professional.
Sheila is the newly elected 2018 President of the Sacramento REALTIST Association. She has also served as Director of Economic Development for the Black Economic Council, 1st and 2nd Vice President for the Sacramento REALTIST Association, and is an active member on several local and National boards which advocate for the underserved.
In the Spring of 2016, Sheila co-authored and published her third book, "O.N.E.: The Modern Blueprint for Successful Women". She is a consummate strategist who sees opportunities for growth and harnesses the commitment necessary to move ideas forward. She is destined to elicit change – in people, in business and in the world.


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Grovy Lane from Max Foxx and Nicky Renard
Music was always my poison. Any time – any state, a good beat can get me back into my groove. Listening to my favorites takes me to my happy place when I need that quick break or when I am in a little pick me up sort of situation.
Nothing like a day with peppy numbers to start my day thumps to push me during my workouts (what ever little I manage to get done), and soft ones in the evening too with my sorbet. Killer though is the combination of lazing on cool Sikkim hills with a mojito, chicken fingers, a good novel and of course my favorite playlist on the loop.
Spotify and Soundcloud have been my pals for long helping me with the arduous task of creating and maintaining my playlists, introducing me to new ones. Nothing like getting access to an awesome playlist from a like minded buddy on Spotify, it takes care of a hell lot of pain in having to compile a good list.
Talking about Spotify, the recent single Grovy Lane from Max Foxx and Nicky Renard caught my eye like no other. It's not the usual number I pick to listen but definitely, it's that kind of music that takes you instantly to another world, with a wacky ride of guitar extravaganza, leaving you spell bound and wanting more.
I loved the bass and the kind of mood it put me in every time I listen – highly energetic; it's quite unique and catchy in its own way.
And if you are anything like me, who constantly looks for new talent and new music to feed your soul, then I must insist you give this a try. This single debut is now available on Spotify and iTunes as well.
For me, it was like I am offered a view into another world just for few moments. There is something very comforting in this highly energetic music and lyrics of this song.
I often find music very mystical and capable of soothing the rattled nerves too. Don't you agree? What's playing on your phone currently?
Connect with MaxNicky for more updates – https://www.facebook.com/maxfoxxandnickyrenard/
Much Love
*Sponsored Post


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So I had a think.
What did I need to get me moving forward again? What did I need to get me out of the rut? The answer came to me whilst I was in the shower.
An Enemy. I needed an enemy.
Now, I know what you are thinking.
Pippa, enemies are bad, you don't need one.
Let me assure you, that I know having an enemy isn't good, but I need one.
I need one so that when I wake up in the morning I don't just put on whatever is least screwed up on the bedroom floor, but that I put on an outfit that makes me look and feel fabulous.
I need one so that when I go out for a run, I don't procrastinate until it is too late for me to go, but that I get out there so that I can be fit and healthy.
I need one so that when I am walking down the street and I think I see them I can walk a little taller, a little more confidently because after all, I am Pippa!
I need one so that I will work harder to be better than them, maybe I'll even learn a new skill just so I can outdo them!
I need one so that I can get out of this rut and get on with being the best me possible.
So. Any volunteers?


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Subscribe To Dragons Vs Unicorns Announced: The Greatest Showdown Of Awesomeness Updates
I've already subscribed
You know how gamers have been begging game developers and publishers for decades that we need an intense, macho, balls-to-walls unicorn game? I mean, something that makes Quentin Tarantino stuff look like child's play and it the kind of content that will make Ron Paul weep. Well, that wish has come true…unicorns will get their chance to shine in the new cross-platform action game, Dragons Vs Unicorns, which is due out for the iOS, Android, PC and Mac.
Developer newcomer Keren Kang, COO of Digital Harmony Games commented in the press release about the romp-stomping, horn blasting, hoof beating action game, saying…
"Dragons vs. Unicorns is the perfect game for our first release because it's got a great art style and offers an exciting gameplay experience for anyone who picks it up," … "Creating a seamless cross-platform connective experience is quite important, and part of that experience is to ensure that there will be a multiplayer game available 24/7. With our cross-platform connective technology, players will always find a game against an iOS, Android, or web opponent."Man, this game just keeps getting better. The only thing that could make it even more awesome is if there is Super Beast Armor 3000 for the Unicorn and if Unicorns can charge up and shoot rainbow colored lasers. Man that would be so awesome.
Anyway, the story follows a great war waged between Dragons and Unicorns, and the tension between the two beasts escalated because Dragons wanted to be the top-end badasses of the world and Unicorns wanted to be the top-end horse queens of the world, and it just wasn't working out and so the Dragons waged war against the rainbow loving, cupcake-eating, sprinkles and sparkles wearing Unicorns, but it wasn't easy.
Players will choose between the battle-hardened Dragons or the glitter adorned Unicorns, duking it out in vicious PvP bouts. There is a single player mode to help hone your skills before going online to whoop butt, real-time dynamic physics, special attacks, super abilities, persistent character growth and a VS Store. Oh yeah, and did I mention that the game is cross-platform enabled? Yeah, so there will never be a shortage of multiplayer competition.
You can learn more about Dragons Vs Unicorns by visiting the Official Digital Harmony Website.
Oh yeah, and before you head back to your boring life and leave this uber-awesome news behind, take a little bit of this awesomeness with you by checking out the Ultimate Robot Unicorn Attack Theme Song below. Awesome.


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O'Neal Awarded Detailed Design of National Gypsum's Mill Expansion
National Gypsum Company, (Charlotte, NC) a leading manufacturer of gypsum wallboard, has awarded the detailed design of the expansion of its Anniston, AL mill to O'Neal, Inc. The expansion will include installing a 590 Machine-Dryed Tons-Per-Day (MDTPD), state-of-the-art, three-ply gypsum linerboard paper machine. The company will invest approximately $115 million in the project. The major process systems consist of new and refurbished equipment and include: filler stock preparation, liner stock preparation, board machine, winding and finished roll handling, white water clarification and broke handling. Start up of the machine is scheduled for 2009. The new three-ply paper fourdrinier machine will use state-of-the-art technology to produce a strong, yet light-weight sheet of paper. With the technology, less fiber is used to produce the sheet and, because of the reduced weight, the company can ship more paper per truck to its wallboard plants. The machine allows for efficient production of 54-inch paper as well as 48-inch paper. National Gypsum operates four paper mills, recycling 100 percent waste paper to produce the facing paper for its gypsum wallboard. The company is one of the largest waste paper recyclers in the nation.Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, National Gypsum has over 40 locations including laboratories; mines and quarries; paper mills; wallboard, interior finishing products, and cement board plants.


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We are proud to offer laser surgery for our patients. Laser procedures allow us to reduce the bleeding and swelling of surgery, making it both safer and less invasive.
We are dedicated to utilizing the highest standard of veterinary technology, and laser surgery is one of the ways in which we stay on the cutting edge of our field.
If you have any questions or concerns about how laser therapy can benefit your pet, please contact us today.


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Laser Cut Jewellery Examples
The possibilities are endless with Laser Cut Jewellery and we are here to help you. We have worked with many designers, artisans and larger businesses to realise their jewellery needs. We have a variety of materials you can use including bamboo, ply, various colours of acrylic, cardboard and more. Please view our materials here. If you have some other materials in mind, you are most welcome to also provide your own.
Please see some examples of work that we have created for various designers. Please enquire within to receive a quote.
Laser cut necklaces for Lois Hazel
Jewellery for Erika
Custom brooches for wedding


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Royal Belum State Park, Perak, Malaysia can be accessed through 4 hrs driving from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia or 3 hrs driving from Penang Island. Visitors require permits to enter the State Park which can be applied 2 weeks prior to arrival. Being 130 million years old, Royal Belum is among the oldest rain forest in the world. It has biodiversity more than any other areas in Malaysia.
Some of the main attraction is Raflesia flowers (species: Azlanii, Cantleyii and Kerrii), Hornbills (10 species), cooling and refreshing waterfalls (Ruok, Kejar, Mes, Semelian, Ko'oi, Belangan, Tiang, Papan, Gen and etc), Salt Licks (estimated at 60 sites altogether), among the accessible site are Sira / Jenut Papan, Sira Rambai, Sira Selantan etc, wildlife (elephant, tiger, gaur, deer, barking deer, mouse deer, snakes, insects, butterflies, fishes, tapir, wild boar, monkeys, squirrels etc).
A common aboriginal or Orang Asli found within Royal Belum is the Jahai Tribe. Locations of their villages are up river in Tiang and Kejar River and remote locations inside the rain forest.
Filed under: Article | Tagged: Eco Adventure, eco tourism, elephant, Hornbill, jungle trekking, linkedIN, orang asli Jahai, raflesia, Rainforest, Royal Belum State Park, tiger, wild animal | Leave a comment »


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Who Are We?
Paradise Pools and Spas is a locally and family owned business that services all of Southern Illinois. Our store, located in Carterville has been in business since 2006. If a customer is not satisfied, we will do everything we can to make it right.
What We Do:
At Paradise Pools and Spas we are revolutionizing the way that Pool and Spa businesses make their customers happy.
Why We Love What We Do
"To be honest, we enjoy working with and talking to each and every person that comes in our door. We are a working family, raising five kids. We know how expensive it is to raise a family and we understand the need to make your dollar go as far as possible. Because of that we offer great products and quality service at a price you can afford. We enjoy getting to know our customers one-on-one, and those relationships are what we build our business around."
Karl is an electrical engineer by trade and Sandy has worked in manufacturing for quality assurance, purchasing and buying for over 17 years.


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Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn
As you've probably guessed by now, I'm trying to read other books about werewolves to see how other writers think of them. This series was recommended to me by a friend. I'm not in love with it, but I thought the story was solid, and I think there's a good chance I'll like it better as I read more.
Kitty, the title character, is a werewolf and a late night radio DJ. During one show, she decides to take calls from people who think they've had supernatural experiences. Her ratings soar, and suddenly the whole country becomes aware of werewolves, vampires, and other supernatural beings. Unfortunately, the alpha wolf in her pack and the local vampire lord aren't too happy about it. Oh, and a rogue werewolf is going around killing people and a werewolf hunter tries to kill her.
In Vaughn's series, werewolfism is like a disease that's transmitted by biting. They can be killed by silver bullets. Vaughn's werewolves can change shape anytime they want, but they have to change shape during the full moon. However, the more time they spend in wolf form, the more they lose touch with their humanity. They also display a lot of canine pack behaviors related to dominance and submission.
It was interesting to read this, since Vaughn's werewolves are very different from mine. It distracted me, but I suppose that's only to be expected, since my werewolves have been living in my head for… well, a good long while now.
Book Source: Free Library of Philadelphia


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Die Cutting
To add unique embellishments to your decoupage, cardmaking and scrapbooking projects, try die-cutting. Die-cutting is the process of creating cut-out shapes using metal dies and paper, card or fabric - like cookie cutters for papercraft! Browse through our range of die-cutting machines and craft dies from your favourite brands, like Gemini, Sue Wilson and Tonic!
10 Items
10 Items


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Contact us
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or queries you may have. We can be contacted by email, by telephone, or in writing at the details below.
By Email
By Mail
Intelligent Retail
42 Bone Lane
By Telephone
Calls to this number will not be charged by Intelligent Retail, however your Phone Company may apply a charge. Please be aware that calls from Mobiles may cost considerably more, please contact your mobile provider for more information
Business Information
Registered Company Name: Intelligent Retail LTD
Registration number: 5191397
Vat Number: 856111635
Office Hours
Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed


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Check out "So You're the Minister's Wife" web site
Link to "A Pastor's Wife's Journey" Facebook
What is gossip? According to the dictionary it is casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.
Have you ever played the gossip game? The first person whispers information into the ear of the next person. Individuals down the line continue to feed the information to each other. By the time it reaches the end and is repeated out loud, it is often distorted with facts either added or deleted from the original statement.
Romans 1:29Romans 1:29
English: American Standard Version (1901) - ASV
29Â being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
WP-Bible plugin chastises gossip: "being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice;they are gossips."
This poem by an unknown author best illustrates gossip:
Nobody's Friend
My name is Gossip.
I have no respect for justice.
I maim without killing.
I break hearts and ruin lives.
I am cunning and malicious and gather strength with age.
The more I am quoted the more I am believed.
My victims are helpless. They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name
and no face.
To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become.
I am nobody's friend.
Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same.
I topple governments and wreck marriages.
I ruin careers and cause sleepless nights, heartaches and indigestion. I make innocent people cry in their pillows.
Even my name hisses.
I am called Gossip.
I make headlines and headaches.
Before you repeat a story, ask yourself:
Is it true?
Is it harmless?
Is it necessary?
If it isn't, don't repeat it.
Before you share gossip, one question to answer is: "How would you feel if the gossip was about you? As stated by an unknown author, "When your feet slips, you can always recover your balance but when you tongue slips you cannot recover your words." We should strive to be better stewards of our words!
Don't gossip!


text: Prashant Poojary, a Bajrangdal activist who was a part of their "cow protection" teams, was murdered in front of his father, who witnessed the attack. 6 assailants on two motorcycles arrived and attacked him with sharp weapons and escaped even as he fell bleeding. His father took him to a hospital, where he later died. […]Read More


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Check out our selection of original e-books below, authored by Charlie Cates and Julie Errington!
Free E-Books:
"Five Simple Steps To Create Lifelong Health Through Exercise" by Team MAS
So often we get bogged down by the many options we have for exercising that we don't know where to begin. Furthermore, there is an abundance of conflicting advice found online, in print, and passed among friends. We hope that this e-book will cut through all of that noise and get to the real nuggets of value that will help you create lifelong health through exercise.
In this e-book, we will be discussing:
- The two ways you MUST be exercising in order to create lifelong health
- Our TOP tips to help you exercise on a consistent basis
- The ONE thing you can do that is not exercise-related to make sure you stay exercising
E-Books For Sale:
"Monster Pushups" by Charlie Cates, M.S.
Are you wanting to drastically increase your pushups in as little as eight weeks? Look no further than "Monster Pushups" by Charlie Cates. With all new pictures and detailed explanations, this how-to guide for increasing your pushups is easy to follow and even easier to see results with.
Download this e-book now for $10.00 and turn your pushups into Monster Pushups.
"What Your Gym Hasn't Taught You" by Julie Errington
In this book, Julie goes through seven of the most common exercise machines that you will find in nearly every gym. She gives you the details necessary to make sure you are using the machines safely and effectively. Overall, this will decrease your risk of injury, reduce the amount of time you spend exercising, and improve the results you are getting in the gym!
Julie will be breaking down each machine into three topics. The first is how to generally set up the machine for your body. The second will be a tip to help reduce risk while using this machine. The last will be a cue on what to think about while using the machine.


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Retail Futures: Browns Fashion heads to Berlin
Nov 13, 2019 | By Alice Gividen
Jan 26, 2015
Struggling UK department store group BHS is up for sale, with its owner Sir Philip Green having received several serious approaches for the high street brand over the past few months.
"It is now the company's plan to explore whether any of these can be brought to a conclusion," a spokeswoman for parent Arcadia said on Sunday.
Part of Green's privately-held Arcadia Group, loss-making BHS has 180 stores and employs 12,000 staff.
South African billionaire Christo Wiese, ABF-owned Primark, supermarkets Aldi and Lidl, and investment groups Hilco and Apollo are all thought to be interested in the retailer.
However, the chain could be broken up in a sale with key sites, including its flagship store on London's Oxford Street, deemed more valuable than the overall business.
Arcadia posted a 3% fall in annual profit in November, partly the result of bigger BHS losses, hurt by write-downs on failing stores.
The most recent results show BHS made a £69.6m pre-tax loss in 2013, with sales dropping 3.5% to £675.7m. That followed a £116m loss in 2012.
Last November, presenting results for family company Taveta Investments, Green said BHS was "in repair" but its turnaround also "remained challenging".
He bought BHS, formerly known as British Home Stores, for £200m in 2000 from the Storehouse conglomerate.
A sale of BHS will allow Green to focus on the international expansion of its star brand Topshop and his other fashion brands, which are performing well.
In 2012, Arcadia sold a minority stake in the fashion chain to US private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners to help fund its expansion in the US.
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