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PATE NEWS: So I work on the site daily, but I have to find out that the boys put out a hip-hop record from Craig O'Neill?
ON THE PITCHFORK: Details on the forthcoming Posies album. Plus, Rhino hearts the '90's -- seven CDs worth, in fact. Perfect if you want to hear Duran Duran right before Sugar.
STEVE EARLE and Allison Moorer played the Wychwood Festival in England last week; it's blogged at Crooked Timber.
LIVE 8: Sir Bob Geldof is proving that no idea is too bizzare to promote the event, proposing that boat owners to sail en masse across the English Channel to bring back more marchers for an anti-poverty walk to Edinburgh.
BRITAINS SUPER-RICH ROCK VETS are about to get even richer, as their government proposes extending copyrights to ensure pop songs are protected for almost twice as long as the current 50 years. Of course, the U.S. has already been doing this, so no real surprise.
GEORGE CLINTON MAY BE GETTING RICHER: Last week, a federal judge entered an order to return ownership to Clinton of the masters of four albums he made in the 1970's with Funkadelic: One Nation Under a Groove, Hardcore Jollies, Uncle Jam Wants You and The Electric Spanking of War Babies. At stake are licensing and distribution of the music and millions of dollars in past licensing fees.
CHUCK KLOSTERMAN, whose Spin magazine stuff I've linked before, has a book out now about a seemingly gonzo cross-country road trip that sounds interesting.
FOO FIGHTERS' DAVE GROHL is scathing of couples who have a gaping age gap between them, insisting the difference between generations is not conducive to romance.
WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? Anne Bancroft died of uterine cancer on Monday at 73. Bancroft complained to a 2003 interviewer: "I am quite surprised that with all my work, and some of it is very, very good, that nobody talks about `The Miracle Worker.' We're talking about Mrs. Robinson. I understand the world. ... I'm just a little dismayed that people aren't beyond it yet."
BATMAN BEGINS: Moriarty of Ain't It Cool News would "like to congratulate Warner Bros. and DC for not only making a great BATMAN film, but also for raising the stakes on how adult and affecting a comic book movie can be." However, he later warns: "This movie pushes the outer edge of the PG-13, and I think its just a matter of luck that they got the rating at all..."
ANGELINA JOLIE inadvertently performed a high-flying stunt for Mr. & Mrs. Smith sans underwear. I'm sure the crew thought it was a cunning stunt, which is much easier to write than say.
TOM-KAT UPDATE: At the MTV Movie Awards, the pair hunkered down in a private dressing room in the basement, along with Holmes' p.r. guy, a stylist, a hairdresser, a makeup person and six Scientologists. The next morning, junketing for Batman Begins, the two made out for the press between interviews. (btw, that link also details a near-catfight between Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Simpson) A blogger mocks Maverick at Tom Cruise's Medical Forum. A 'netrepreneur offers a line of Free Katie fashion.
LI-LO: TVGasm is using a lot of "allegedlys" in a story in which a source allegedly close to La Lohan dishes about her "shrinking frail frame" and state of mind.
BRITNEY SPEARS: The Bride of Federline is probably expecting a girl.
MADONNA signs her new kiddie book in Prada and Dolce & Gabbana, demanding not to be touched.
ANOTHER YEARBOOK RECALL: The Central High School yearbook is riddled with sexually suggestive statements, photos in which students flash gang signs and other material that St. Louis Schools Superintendent Creg E. Williams described as racist, sexist and offensive.
SEN. JOHN KERRY finally released more of his military records to the Boston Globe, which claims there are no bombshells in them, though Slate's Mickey Kaus thinks some questions may linger. The Globe notes that Kerry was the candidate more often portrayed in the 2004 presidential campaign as intellectual and complex, but Bush and Kerry had a virtually identical grade average at Yale University. Bush is often inarticulate, so his strategery is often misunderestimated.
THE UNITED NATIONS Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, was interviewed by the perky Katie Couric on the Today show, but everyone missed the lede. Check out the very end of the transcript.
Couric: You literally have the weight of the world on your shoulders.
Annan: I do. But not everybody understands that.
By now, Mr. Annan is undoubtedly dead, crushed under the literal weight of the world. Or perhaps Katie needs to take a referesher course in communications.
A NATION OF SNACKERS has become a nation of stainers. Detergent companies could not be happier.
COLD FUSION just larger than a breadbox? The only thing better would be if it was discovered by Elizabeth Shue, a scientist inexplicably dressed like a Catholic schoolgirl. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
LOST IN THE SUPERMARKET? Virginia Postrel writes on (and argues against) the developing notion of consumer vertigo.
BORDER INSECURITY: Gregory Despres arrived at the U.S.-Canadian border crossing at Calais, Maine, carrying a homemade sword, a hatchet, a knife, brass knuckles and a chain saw stained with what appeared to be blood. U.S. customs agents confiscated the weapons and fingerprinted Despres, then let him in. Two murders followed. But I'm suspicious of this picture. This looks about as real as that action figure taken hostage in Iraq a few months ago.
HOWARD DEAN said in San Francisco this week that Republicans are "a pretty monolithic party. They all behave the same. They all look the same. It's pretty much a white Christian party." Last Thursday, he advised party activists to reach out to evangelicals. This ain't it.
OLD AND NEW MEDIA: When I read that Google has a bigger market valuation than Time Warner, I start suspecting a bubble of some sort. And as big a fan of new media as I am, I raise an eyebrow when newspapers, radio and magazines spend millions to combat the perception they're obsolete. But when I read that Google and Yahoo!, now account for more advertising revenues than do the prime time schedules of the three traditional television networks - ABC, CBS, and NBC - combined, I have to start rethinking my skepticism.
VIACOM BREAKUP? Les Moonves, the co-president of Viacom, thinks the media giant will split into the "CBS Co." and the "MTV Co."
SCHOOL LUNCHES may be a terror target.
CULT OF THE iPod: The iTunes online music store is as popular as most music-swapping networks, according to a study released Tuesday. Not that the record biz will chill out.
DOGS can get a sex-change operation in Russia.
VINNIE THE MINI-HORSE rides shotgun.
IT'S RAINING FROGS in Siberia, but I'm wondering if that song was ever translated into French.
UNGENTLE BEN: The legal protection of the grizzly bear back in 1975 worked, almost too well in some places, as giant brown predators turn up in the backyards of the west, looking for a pic-a-nic basket. Seems like it might be happening in Canada, too.
AND THE COWS STARE UNAMAZED: A small town in Russia overrun with cows roaming its streets is towing them to secure compounds. Mugshots of the impounded cattle are then shown on local television.
FEMALE BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS are taught by their mothers to use marine sponges for protection... while looking for food.
CATGAROOKEY is the name given to the animal, said to be a cross between a cat, kangaroo and monkey, being hunted by cops in Salisbury.
UNDER A BLOOD RED SKY, twenty years later. A look back at a historic gig.
THE WHITE STRIPES' new album gets a 7.3 on the Pitchfork.
INXS is searching for a new singer on a reality show to be hosted by Dave Navarro and Brooke Burke. (what, no Carmen Electra?)
INDIE BANDS are getting buzz from word of blog.
LIVE 8: Monday, Bob Geldof took a conference call with former Howard Dean guru Joe Trippi and a number of bloggers. Ed Morrisey liveblogged the call. Scott Koenig adds a few details. Ann Althouse rounds up the others. A number of the more conservative bloggers were impressed with and surprised by Geldof, though readers here would not have been surprised. Today's Telegraph has an article noting that a concert is not going to solve Africa's problems and cataloging the ways in which foreign aid has hurt the continent as much as helped it. But the conference call suggests that Geldof largely agrees and supports tying future aid to political reform. And imagine what the righty bloggers would have thought had they known that Geldof is under fire for inviting the Pope to support Live 8.
BAY CITY ROLLERS have been getting in trouble with the law.
PODCASTING: Listening to 100 podcasts a day may be a bit much.
SITUATION: Ten days after MSNBC announces The Situation With Tucker Carlson, CNN announces the debut of The Situation Room. Just another example of Pate arriving before its time.
THE BREAKFAST CLUB had a reunion of sorts at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards. But Molly Ringwald wants to do a sequel to Sixteen Candles. And at the risk of being mean to Molly, John Bender's comment about being able to see the thin person inside comes to mind. But she's got an 18 month old child, so maybe that's just baby weight.
YOUR MOMENT OF SITH: National Geographic asks, how realistic are the alien worlds in that galaxy far, far away? Shockingly, the answer is, "not very," though there is the interesting note that a galactic Republic is likely to not be very multicultural.
THE S. S. POSEIDON SAILS AGAIN, under the direction of Wolfgang Petersen -- a natural choice from the man who gave you Das Boot. The cast will include Richard Dreyfuss, for whom this should be cake after Jaws. I guess a bigger boat isn't always the answer. Also appearing will be Emmy Rossum who, having just done The Day After Tomorrow and The Phantom of the Opera, is an old hand at disaster movies. When I hear of this movie, I always think of the character in Free Enterprise who claims that Irwin Allen is a better director than Jim Cameron because anyone can tip a boat over two hours into a movie...
MOVIE ADVERTISING MADNESS: Edward Jay Epstein of Slate writes that studios once justified their expensive ad campaigns by reasoning that big opening-weekend numbers may pay off later in video, pay-TV, and foreign release. But this is less true every day. Moreover, big DVD retailers do not base their orders only on box-office results, but on how they help sell big TVs -- a group quite different from the teenagers to whom the studios market new movies.
RUSSELL CROWE is arrested for throwing a telephone at a hotel employee. Sounds like the Cinderella Man still has some Bud White issues.
BRADGELINA UPDATE: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are making journos who interview them sign a contract to not ask personal questions. Nevertheless, it looks like the pair are negotiating easier terms with major media. Jolie squirmed through personal questions on the Today show Monday. Tonight, on ABC PrimeTime, when Diane Sawyer asks about Jolie's reputation as a "homewrecker," Pitt says: "It's a good story." Woodward and Berstein would call that a non-denial denial.
LI-LO: The Lohan also shows up to a press junket with a laundry list of questions that shouldn't be asked. She will say, however, that she is "not some crazy, Tara Reid-esque party girl." Me-OW!
TOM-KAT UPDATE: Cruise rambles for 60 Minutes Australia. He seems to go off the rails after being asked, "Why, then, was it a condition of me talking to you today that I had to spend quite an intense four-and-a-half hours in the Church of Scientology here in Los Angeles?" Meanwhile, Holmes now has her own Scientologist entourage... or are they monitors?
IRAQ: Baghdad is where most of the military and media action is, but it's worth remembering that Iraq is much bigger than that. Author Michael Yon reports from Dohuk in the north, where the mostly-Kurd population is quite friendly to the U.S. Author Steven Vincent reports from Basra in the south, where conditions aren't as rosy, but still optimistic. Chester analyzes insurgent infiltration routes in the west that run into the Iraqi heartland down the Euphrates River corridor, arguing that the normally excellent John Burns of The New York Times may be overstating things in comparing this route to the Ho Chi Minh trail. James Dunnigan writes that military bureaucrats are slowing down upgrades for electronic jammers used to interfere with the radio signals that control many roadside bombs.
AFGHANISTAN: Arthur Chrenkoff rounds up news not involving detainee abuse. For example, did you know that 1,000 Afghan clerics stripped fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar of his claim to religious authority?
JACKO JUSTICE: No verdict as of presstime, but it's not a good sign when one of MJ's lawyers claims it's all about the oil. Not in Iraq, mind you, but at the Neverland Ranch.
BLAIR VS. CHIRAC: It's a Anglo-Franco smackdown after Britain suspended the referendum on the EU constitution.
LOUISIANA AND TEXAS are sinking into the Gulf of Mexico. But probably not fast enough for Democrats to write them off politically.
DEMOCRACY IN ETHIOPIA: Protesters are being beaten and arrested.
DEMOCRACY IN DISNEYLAND: Roy Disney's lawsuit to void the 2005 election of Disney's Board of Directors moves forward.
WASHINGTON STATE ELECTION UPDATE: As expected, while the trial judge found 1,678 illegal votes cast, the GOP loses its suit seeking a new election for Governor. GOP candidate Dino Rossi will not appeal the decision.
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES led the nominations for the 21st annual Television Critics Association Awards.
BRITNEY SPEARS attended a Federline family gathering. It takes the picture to do it justice.
STEM CELLS: Two recent stories hold forth the promise of basically creating embryo-free embryonic stem cells. Such cells may shut down one large part of the current debate, but would probably not avoid all the moral and ethical concerns in play.
HOW MALE OR FEMALE IS YOUR BRAIN? Take the tests.
ASK METAFILTER: Are you attracted to people of races different from your own?
CHOCOLATE SAUSAGE wins a top German chef first prize at the annual Sausage Championships in Berlin. Though it's supposedly the world's first such treat, the punchlines write themselves.
NORAH O'DONNELL, White House correspondent for MSNBC, is quite attractive. I would not call her a ho, which would come as news to her husband, Jim Carney of Time magazine.
CULT OF THE iPod: Last Wednesday in L.A., someone fraudulently took delivery of 12,000 iPods, valued at over 2.6 million bucks.
THE PLAYBOY MANSION: Not looking or smelling too sexy these days.
EIGHTY YEAR-OLD GRANDMOTHER busted as the alleged madam of a New Jersey prostitution ring.
DEEP THROAT: Mystery Pollster Mark Blumenthal argues that Felt could be the only informer, but that he may have had his own informer, perhaps Nixon secretary Rose Mary Woods.
QURAN DESECRATION: The Quran is being thrown into bonfires in Iran.
GITMO GUARDS get attacked by hardcore detainees. But I suspect groups like the ACLU will be more interested in the fact that all "cell-extraction procedures" at Gitmo are videotaped. I smell a Freedom of Information Act request...
ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS face trial under an anti-terrorism law in New Jersey. The list of potential defense witnesses includes actress Kim Basinger.
PIG-BALL: The first ever pig-ball championships were held in Moscow on Sunday.
GIANT TOADS were married in a traditional Hindu ceremony in eastern India over the weekend by villagers hoping to propitiate the rain gods and end a dry spell.
FORTY DEAD ANIMALS FOUND IN U.K. STABLE, including at least 19 horses, 11 chickens, three dogs and a rabbit.
IS THAT A FISH UNDER YOUR SKIRT, OR.. oh, it is a fish.
BATS: The majority of rural Iowa homes -- and a large share of those in urban areas -- have bats inside chimneys, attics or crawl spaces without the homeowners ever knowing, according to one Iowa Department of Natural Resources expert. "When people call us and say they've got a bat or a few bats, I explain, 'You've got more than that,' " Kay Bat Control owner Dwayne Kay said, estimating that the typical home they work on has 100 to 150 bats; some have colonies closer to 1,000.
Not too many typos today, were there? Things ran quite late early this morning...
SWEET EMOTION: Aerosmith's Steven Tyler received an honorary degree from U Mass on Friday.
IF CLAUDE PATE could cover the Bee Gees' "Nights on Broadway," I suppose I can't fault Billy Corgan too much for covering the oft-covered "To Love Somebody," which Stereogum has for download.
ELVIS COSTELLO: As I linked to a story of EC refusing to refund fans for a concert delayed so that he could watch soccer on TV, it's only fair that I also link to an account that puts the King of America in a better light.
PATTI SMITH talks about the artists who influenced her, wh will also be a focus of the Meltdown festival she is curating this year.
COLDPLAY is "the most insufferable band of the decade," according to Jon Pareles in The New York Times. Frontman Chris Martin is confused about how iPods work and by childbirth. Not very promising from a guy who likes to lecture his audience and just about anyone else who will listen.
THE OMAHA SOUND: Listen, my friends -- the Arizona Republic provides a family tree.
SUMMER MUSIC: Salon is giving away a free iPod for the best summer soundtrack of freely available MP3s.
YO LA TENGO got a nice feature in the Japan Times.
LIVE 8: More headaches for Bob Geldof -- according to The Independent, "anarchist groups that have rioted at previous G8 gatherings are planning similar disruptions in Scotland and plan to hijack Geldof's 'long march to freedom' on 6 July and the Make Poverty History rally on 2 July."
ROD STEWART, having impregnated his fiancee, files for a divorce from Rachel Hunter. No word on who gets custody of Stacy.
TRENT REZNOR won a jury verdict of almost three million bucks against his former manager. Now he will probably discover that it's easier to win a judgment than it is to collect it.
78 RPM MP3s from 1911-26 aplenty at Turtle Services, Ltd.
THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. murder nvestigation has been driven in no small part by an informer who describes himself as a paranoid schizophrenic and has said under oath that that his identification of the alleged gunman was fraudulent. The statements cast grave doubt on the theory that has been featured in Rolling Stone magazine, on MTV and PBS' Frontline, and in books and movies -- that corrupt police officers played a role in the killing and that top LAPD officials covered up their actions.
PODCASTING: Live stuff from Steve Earle and Rilo Kiley is up at Some Depresssion.
TOMMY LEE may be looking for Adriana Lima, but in the meantime, he was spotted kissing seven different women in one night.
BATMAN BEGINS, and so do the advance reviews at Ain't-It-Cool-News. Two raves, in fact. I admit that Christopher Nolan in the director's chair has my hopes up.
YOUR MOMENT OF SITH: Courtesy of MetaFilter, but don't click on the links there if you want to avoid a spoiler.
SHORT TAKES: Filmcritic.com lists its Top 40 "Short Take" Movie Moments -- memorable scenes that are no more than five seconds long. Number 40 is one of my Dad's favorites.
CINDERELLA MAN is getting overwhelmingly good reviews, but placed fourth at the weekend box office. I saw it and enjoyed it. It will suffer by comparison to Seabiscut, but the final fight is gripping and Paul Giamatti is as good as always, albeit in a supporting role here.
IRAQ: The New York Times has a truly interesting chart of statistics for May 2003 (the first full month after the fall of Baghdad), June 2004 (the last month before the Coalition Authority gave way to the interim Iraqi government) and May 2005. Some of the numbers are debatable, but kudos to the NYT for taking a look at the big picture, which can be lost in today's 24/7 news cycle.
IRAQ II: United Nations satellite imagery experts have determined that material that could be used to make biological or chemical weapons and banned long-range missiles has been removed from 109 sites in Iraq. This is doubly disturbing. First, because we may not know where these materials are. Second, because the Iraq Survey Groups found that Saddam's regime had ongoing chemical and biological programs and trained terrorists, which seems kinda threatening, even in the absence of WMD stockpiles.
CATS AND DOGS: Gidget the cat tries to provoke guide dogs for a living.
DOGS: Maya, a 74-pound black Lab, took on India, a 120-pound pit bull who was mauling a sixth-grader. She probably saved the boy's life, as the cops had to fire so many shots to stop the lunging pit bull that the gunpowder set off an overhead smoke detector.
IS AMERICA THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD? Matthew Yglesias, blogging the progressive Take Back America conference, starts a discussion of polling data showing that when you ask if America is "the greatest country in the world" most voters say that it is, but when you ask if Democrats believe that America is the greatest country, most voters say that they do not. Be sure to read the comments also.
SCANDAL ROUND-UP: In Nashville, two-year FBI sting operation examining how state contracts were awarded during former state Gov. Don Sundquist's administration, nicknamed the "Tennessee Waltz" has led to the arrest of several lawmakers. In Ohio's "Coingate," between $10 million and $12 million in rare coins have disappeared a collection in which the state Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) began investing in 1998 as a peculiar form of stock hedge.
WASHINGTON ELECTION UPDATE: Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges is expected to announce his decision on the contest of the Governor's race today.
TOM-KAT UPDATE: Katie Holmes joined Tom Cruise onstage when he picked up a lifetime achievement award at the MTV Movie Awards, which airs June 9th. I'm sure it was a memorable as Lisa-Marie Presley kissing Michael Jackson on some other MTV award show. The War of the Worlds world premiere has been canceled in part because of concerns about providing security for Cruise. Cruise's recent behaviour has been so spectacularly off-the-wall that it has prompted senior executives at Paramount Studios to call crisis meetings and consider cancelling the third instalment of the Mission Impossible series, due to shoot next month. Meanwhile, Brooke Shields, whose use of Paxil to treat her postpartum depression was recently attacked by Cruise, left a pair of tickets to her show Chicago for Cruise and Holmes, "one adult, one child." Meahwhile, Holmes tells Entertainment Tonight that Cruise "cast a spell on me. Katie, you may be new to Scientology, but spell-casting is for Wiccans and Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Holmes is a top candidate to paly Wonder Woman, which would be a mistake, imho. And in the UK, folks worry that Cruise is enticing the Beckhams into Scientology.
PORN DRIVES TECHNOLOGY: Adult movies in the Sony PlayStaion Portable-friendly Universal Media Disc format will be released in Japan this summer. One of the reasons for the failure of Sony's Betamax format was the explosion of VHS adult movies, since this genre was not given production clearance in Sony's Betamax format.
GIRLS GONE WILD creator gone wild enough to be blackmailed. You would think the guy would know the power of embarassing videotape.
NORTH KOREA: The government is sending millions of city dwellers to work on farms each weekend, largely to transplant rice to combat growing food shortages.
SPAIN: Nearly a million people protesting the Socialist government's moves to negotiate with Basque terrorists. Pictures here. Funny how the folks who pulled out of Iraq after the Madrid train bombing are becoming more serious about terror in their own backyard.
AZERBAIJAN: Yet another country has thousands demonstrating for elections, election law reforms and access to state-controlled television.
BRADGELINA UPDATE: Jolie and Pitt were spotted in canoodle delicto on a NYC hotel rooftop Thursday. Meanwhile, Jennifer Aniston has turned to Buddhism to get over her split with Pitt. Sounds to me like she's been spending time with a copy of Seven Years In Tibet.
JESSICA SIMPSON'S ears probably were burning when Philadelphias Q102 radio station aired accusations that she's been busy outside her marriage. The Superficial also has this story, but adds pictures from Simpson's latest video shoot because... well, it is The Superficial...
JESSICA ALBA attended the MTV Movie Awards; Golden Fiddle admires her dress. Well, it would be more accurate to say that he admires its translucency. Photo possibly NSFW.
IN THE FUTURE, everyone will be Hitler for 15 minutes.
IRAQ III: At Friday prayers, a cleric representing one of the ruling Shiite Arab parties, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, called for the Iraqi government to execute Saddam Hussein and his aides as soon as possible, which he said would help deflate the insurgency. I don't know whether that will deflate the ethnic tensions the insurgents are trying to create and exploit.
YOU'RE TOO KIND: Amber Taylor blogs kindness in past love affairs. If you click through to the comments, you can read mine, which was inevitable.
LI-LO: Lindsay Lohan and new pal Nicole Richie are featred at the Gallery of the Absurd. And she's publicly complaining about injuries suffered after a papparazzi got into a car accident with the Lohan while playing cat-and-mouse. Lawsuit to follow, or will LL simply be glad she didn't snap like a toothpick?
DIE(T) LAUGHING: American researchers have found that 10-15 minutes of genuine giggling can burn off the number of calories found in a medium square of chocolate. Lindsay Lohan must never stop laughing.
JUDGE MICHAEL McCONNELL may be President Bush's first nominee to the Supreme Court, if one or more Justices retires at the end of the Court's term (which is usuall the end of June). You can read a profile from the Legal Times in which veteran Supremes scribe Tony Mauro writes,"it's hard for many to decide exactly what McConnell is: conservative, liberal, or a perplexing blend of both."
IRAQ IV: Iraq's new government appealed to the Bush administration to be more assertive on four key political and military issues, including help with drafting the new constitution and bringing Sunnis into the political process. Fortunately, it appears that Sunnis have begun talks with members of the panel writing the country's new constitution.
IRAQ V: Roughly half of the 15,000 items looted from the National Museum of Iraq in 2003 have been recovered, said its director, who thanked American officials for assistance in restoring the building.
LEBANON: As expected, Hizbollah is doing well in the second round of elections, especially as it has allied with its historical arch-foe, the Amal Movement (though both have backed Syria).
BASEBALL BOOKS are featured in the Pittsburg Post-Review and at the blog of Laregehearted Boy, from whom I steal almost daily.
THE NATIONAL SPELLING BEE was dominated by kids of Indian ancestry. What's their secret? In part, it's a craze the Indian-American community; in another part, it's a devotion to rote learning largely abandoned in public schools.
SEN. ROBERT BYRD looks shockingly vulnerable in the latest polling -- he's lucky he has another year to campaign.
SEN. TOM HARKIN calls Christian broadcasters "sort of our home-grown Taliban." Pat Robertson often says stupid and outrageous things, so apparently Tom feels he must sink to that level.
IRAQ VI: In Operation Lightning, Iraqi and U.S. forces are rounding up hundreds of suspected insurgents and have uncovered 50 weapons and ammunition caches and a huge underground insurgent bunker complex west of the capital, containing "numerous types of machine guns, ordnance, including mortars, rockets and artillery rounds, black uniforms, ski masks, compasses, log books, night vision goggles, and fully charged cell phones." Also, an Iraqi believed to be a top terror leader in northern Iraq also was captured by U.S. and Iraqi forces in Mosul.
ZARQAWI DIED on FRIDAY, according to Iraqi Sunni sheikh Ammar Abdel Rahim Nasir. But Zarqawi is one cat with nine lives, so count me extremely skeptical.
DEEP THROAT: W. Mark Felt is almost certainly the Watergate informer, but there's a reason why you won't see him doing TV interviews. John Dean -- yes, the former counsel to President Nixon -- argues at length that the story begins with Felt, but does not end there.
THE DAWN PATROL: The Mudville Gazette rounds up posts from Milbloggers in Iraq and Iraqi bloggers about the small steps forward in Iraq that generally go unreported. Often, the soldiers' version of events differs from the version we see on television.
VIOLATING THE GENEVA CONVENTION: The ACLU is so devoted to exposing any violation of the Geneva Convention by U.S. troops that it has successfully sued for the release of four videos from Abu Ghraib prison and dozens of photographs, arguably in violation of Article 3.1(c) of the Geneva Convention. At least, the International Committee for the Red Cross thought when pictures were published of Saddam Hussein in his underwear.
ACLU II: When not busy forcing the release of photos sure to inflame the Muslim world, the group has been shredding some documents over the repeated objections of its records manager and in conflict with its longstanding policies on the preservation and disposal of records. The debate over the use of shredders is reminiscent of one late last year over the organization's efforts to collect a wide variety of data on its donors, even as it criticizes corporations and government agencies for accumulating personal data as a violation of privacy rights.
GITMO A GULAG? William Schulz, the head of the Amnesty International USA said on Sunday the group doesn't "know for sure" that the military is running a "gulag." Schulz later said, "Clearly this is not an exact or a literal analogy." Natan Sharansky, a former Soviet dissident and political prisoner, argued that Amnesty compromises its work by refusing to differentiate "between democracies where there are sometimes serious violations of human rights and dictatorships where no human rights exist at all." Washington Post columnist (and frequent Bush critic) E.J. Dionne asks, "Why do President Bush's critics make life so easy for him?" The column could be summed up by its conclusion: "Human rights are too important to be lost in bad metaphors." Speaking of bad metaphors, The New York Times now calls for Gitmo to be shut down, asserting that "What Guantánamo exemplifies - harsh, indefinite detention without formal charges or legal recourse - may or may not bring to mind the Soviet Union's sprawling network of Stalinist penal colonies. It certainly has nothing in common with any American notions of justice or the rule of law." The NYT editorial board is usuing the same metaphor used in body of the Amnesty report -- the metaphor of law enforcement. The U.S. tried the law enforcement model of dealing with terrorists for a while. The NYT editors might stroll down to Ground Zero to remind themselves of how well that worked out.
QURAN DESECRATION: A military inquiry found five cases Quran mishandling, of which only three were intentional. Of the major media, it appears that only CNN headlines the fact that the inquiry foun 15 cases where detainees mishandled the Quran, including the attempt to flush it down a toilet. Meanwhile, three GIs face murder charges for the suffocation of an Iraqi general during an interrogation last year. Call me crazy (who doesn't?), but I think that merits more attention from the media than a guard stepping on a Quran.
AMERICANS TRUST THE MILITARY much more than they do the media. The latest Gallup Poll shows 74 percent of Americans have a lot of confidence in the military, but only 28 percent have that much confidence in TV news and newspapers. Oddly enough, a Google News search shows almost no major media coverage of these results.
WARNING: THE BIBLE may be hazardous to your health, according to some British hospital officials. Shouldn't Amnesty International demand an investigation of this treatment of a holy book?
SQUIRRELS INVADE the city of Novosibirsk ("New Siberia") in Russia.
THE SAN FRANCISCO SNAKE had to be imported from the Netherlands.
THE SWARM: Two women were hospitalized Thursday after they were attacked by a swarm of bees in East Bexar County, TX.
OIL-FOR-FOOD SCANDAL: The only U.N. staffer fired for wrongdoing in the affair claims that he acted on orders of higher-ups and is being scapegoated to take the heat off Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other bigwigs. And it appears he has documents to back his claim.
JACK-FM: The supposed iPod-random format has, without notice, replaced the oldies stations in NYC and Chicago.
YOUR FRIDAY TIME-WASTER: The addictive bounce of Poom.
FREE DOUGHNUTS AT KRISPY KREME TODAY to celebrate National Doughnut Day.
THIS WEEKEND, I'm fulfilling requests. If you don't know what I mean, don't sweat it.
THE FAME: The New York Press think piece on this unsigned band manages to namecheck The Raspberries, Cheap Trick, Off Broadway, Artful Dodger, Dwight Twilley and Shoes in the space of two paragraphs. Read, then listen. And maybe change your pants.
JACK WHITE apparently got married in Brazil, though the announcement is suspicious... or maybe just as odd as Jack White. His new bride is model Karen Elson, who appeared in the White Stripes' video for "Blue Orchid."
"I WANNA BE YOUR DOG:" 27 versions, from Iggy & The Stooges to Radio Birdman to Sonic Youth and Wilco.
"DON'T FEAR THE REAPER:" Copy, Right? has eight versions, including takes by The Beautiful South, Apollo 440 and Goo Goo Dolls. Of course, all of them could... well, you know...
ELVIS COSTELLO refused to refund an audience after arriving on stage late because he was watching the Liverpool vs AC Milan Champions League Final. Stereogum leaves a better taste in your mouth with a download of a live version of "Chemistry Class" from 1978.
THE HOLD STEADY talk about the Replacements, Kiss, BTO and The Boss. Metromix notes a great Springsteen-inspired lyric on the band's new album: "Tramps like us, and we like tramps..."
LIVE 8 can't seem to make it's mind up whether it is a concert or an insurrection. Organizer Bob Geldof has called on children to quit school and people to abandon their jobs in order to descend on Edinburgh for the G8 summit, causing local officials to panic and sending co-organizer Midge Ure (Ultravox) into damage control mode. UK press reaction has been mixed, though not predictably so. Geldof has also faced anger from African bands over the predominantly white lineup of artists he has chosen. The Telegraph and the Scotsman have different takes on the agenda of the G8 summit and Live 8. The coverage seems to assume that the concerts will have anti-Bush overtones, though in the past, Geldof has praised the Bush administration as one of Africa's best friends in its fight against hunger and AIDS. Moreover, after a recent meeting, South African President Thabo Mbeki is "absolutely certain that President Bush is committed" to helping Africa on market access and ending agricultural subsidies, a major issue for the G8 and Live 8. The main disagreement will probably be over foreign aid, which President Bush is unlikely to get from Congress absent conditions requiring further democratic reforms in Africa. ALSO: No Rock and Roll Fun blogs the terrifying possibility of a Sting-Madonna duet.
ANASTASIA BARONE remembered the thick padlocked chain around her neck, her husband's steel-toed boot striking her over and over in the face, and then the dizziness that overcame her as she slowly slipped into unconsciousness on the tile floor of her Dix Hills basement. Not to mention the leopards...
S&M SLAVE freed from car trunk in Berlin. After discovering that this was not a kidnapping and deciding the trunk was not safe for the man, officers told him to sit inside the car and sent him and his mistress on their way.
JOURNALIST TARGETED FOR ASSASSINATION with a car bomb in Beirut, Lebanon. Opposition figures were quick to point the finger at Syria's allies, not the United States, so journalists here won't care.
OUR FRIENDS THE SAUDIS: Consultative Council member Mohammad al-Zulfa proposed conducting a study into the feasibility of reversing the ban on women drivers. He now faces phone text messages calling on Allah to freeze his blood and calls to remove him from the council and strip him of his Saudi nationality.
DOGS: Tragedy struck the Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track when a fire early Wednesday killed at least 10 dogs and injured dozens more. Even so, firefighters pulled dogs from their metal crates, carried them out of the concrete building and administered oxygen with masks meant for people. ALSO: Flashback, Sylvia Hauser's rescued Greyhound, is out of the hospital and remains on the mend.
HOW TO BECOME AN EARLY RISER: A window into my world and some of yours.
XXX WEBSITES soon to be masters of their domain.
GET RHYTHM as an infant. They don't call it rocking the cradle for nothing.
GENERATIONAL MOVIES are discussed at Daniel W. Drezner's blog. I think he's confusing the idea of a generational movie with "the Tron effect." There may be overlap, but I do not think they are identical concepts.
SMOOSH, the indie rock duo of sisters Asya, 13, and Chloe, 11, have played SXSW and Sasquatch and get some local pub from the Tacoma News-Tribune.
GANG OF FOUR tore the roof off... somewhere.
THE KILLERS, in a rare moment of modesty, decline the top slot at the Glastonbury festival that became vacant when Kylie Minogue was forced to pull out after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
MUSIC DOWNLOADING GROWS, legally and otherwise.
JEFF TWEEDY, Larry Lessig and others recently did a panel on "Who Owns Culture?" at the New York Public Library. I've mentioned it before, but it's finally available online.
CULT OF THE iPod: The Superior Court of California for San Mateo County has conditionally approved a settlement in a class action suit brought against Apple Computer by consumers who purchased a first-, second-, or third-generation iPod model on or before May 31, 2004, and experienced "battery failure."
EDDIE MONEY on a bad cellphone is pretty amusing.
TOMMY LEE is already done with Tara Reid and has set his sights on model Adriana Lima. I wouldn't bet against him.
HILLARY'S HOLLYWOOD HOEDOWN was infiltrated by Defamer.
DEEP THROAT: Kudos to Edward Jay Epstein for picking W. Mark Felt as DT in July 1974. He also explained how little Woodward and Bernstein had to do with exposing the Watergate conspiracy.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM hurt the ability of the historic system of African-American community groups to register and mobilize black voters, according to the president of the National Urban League and mambers of the Congressional Black Caucus.
TOM-KAT UPDATE: Cruise has reportedly told Katie Holmes to nix her plans to star as Andy Warhol protege Edie Sedgwick in Factory Girl because Edie was on psychotropic drugs and in mental institutions -- both of which are taboo to Scientologists. Katie, that's what happens when you let Tom help you prep for the role.
BRITNEY SPEARS says that she loves being pregnant, because sex is "better than it was before." That's so sweet.
MAJOR RECORD LABELS wise up momentarily and open their vaults to DJs for remixes and mash-ups.
THE FUTURE OF THE CAR: Radar, lasers, wireless radio networks and other embedded tech will enable our cars to sense faraway traffic and stop accidents before they happen. But who will be in the drivers seat? I know Craig O'Neill's answer. Imho, an electric car that is as fast as a Ferrari would be a good place to start.
THE FRENCH REJECTION of the EU Constitution was due in part to bloggers.
GUN TABLE LAMP: I doubt there's a big market for them, which would explain the hefty price tag.
GITMO A GULAG? Amnesty International, not knowing when to stop digging, defended its description of Guantanamo prison as a "gulag" Thursday, even though William F. Schulz, AI USA's director, said earlier that he would expend "no energy" in defending AI Secretary General Irene Khan's use of the word "gulag." Given that Schultz previously served on the board of directors of People for the American Way and Planned Parenthood, as well as contributed the maximum 2,000 bucks to Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign (as did Joe W. "Chip" Pitts III, AI USA's board chairman), his refusal ought to tell AI how this story is playing. Even NPR commentator Peter Klein, who has been researching some family history about Soviet gulags, says that AI is off-base. As I've noted before there are people having serious discussions of the issues raised by Gitmo, but AI's hype is going to drown them out.
GITMO II: As Amnesty's report re-raises the issue of classifying Gitmo detainees as unlawful combatants, I would note that Bill Whittle's latest essay, "Sanctuary," explains why the difference between unlawful combatant and P.O.W. is important, though he does so in language not for the faint of heart. The Pentagon has posted posted quite a bit about the general treatment of detainees and the information gained from them. And it's worth remembering that not every detainee released from Gitmo claims abuse.
NANOTECH: A team from the University of Alberta has created a molecular transistor, which could could revolutionize the field of electronics, providing a leap ahead for everything from computers to batteries to medical equipment.
IT'S NOT HORSE-TRADING: Sweden's state-owned forestry firm has launched a moose stock exchange for would-be hunters.
THINGS THAT DON'T EXIST: A free lunch, a general solution to the quintic polynomial using only a finite formula involving the four arithmetic operations and the extraction of roots, the ability to go back in time to reverse the decision of going back in time, a book called A Connecticut Yankee in Osama bin Laden's Pants... It's a long list.
PORTABLE TOILET EXPLODES: lawsuit to follow.
EVEN BETTER THAN THE REAL THING: Improv Everywhere stages its own rooftop U2 concert.
A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS emerge tonight from the "Where Are They Now?" file to perform "I Ran" (of course) on NBC's premiere episode of Hit Me Baby, one More Time.
YOUR MENTAL SOUNDTRACK starts in childhood and is easily triggered. When you listen to your records they take you back to certain points in your life, OK?
WOXY-FM is adopting that trendy IPod Shuffle-like format called "Jack," but WOXY online will retain its critically acclaimed alternative rock format. Whew!
DUNGEN is touring the U.S. in July, albeit limited to a few cities. The Pitchfork review gave a whopping 9.3 to the band's current release, Ta Det Lugnt. Did I mention that Dungen plays Swedish psych-metal? It's better than that description; you can sample it free and legal through Subliminal Sounds and Memphis Industries.
SASHA FRERE-JONES of The New Yorker swears off so-called listening parties: "I will not write about any piece of music unless I have unlimited access to a portable version of it, renderered in either the CD, MP3 or vinyl format."
KINGS OF CONVENIENCE are offering live downloads, along with a few studio rarities. Doc Loch will note a cover of Harry Nilsson's "Me and My Arrow." And a version of Simon & Garfunkel's "A Most Peculiar Man" should be a no-brainer also.
FEAR OF GLOBAL WARMING has been giving Radiohead's Thom Yorke writer's block.
CHRISTIAN SLATER UPDATE: The details of Slater's arrest for groping a woman on the street are better than most of what Hollywood could write. First, the woman allegedly groped is 52 years old. Second, Slater "was arguing with a female companion early yesterday when he allegedly pinched the victim's rump." Third, as he was arrested he was threatening to sue everyone involved. But the strippers at Scores will vouch for Slater's manners.
THE SEQUEL TO THE ITALIAN JOB will be The Brazilian Job. I predict another hit, if it features Charlize Theron getting waxed.
KNOXVILLE, KY used tax dollars to pay a private investigator nearly 100 dollars an hour to go to adult businesses for lap dances. It was part of an effort to force adult businesses to adhere to stricter regulations and the city says, in essence, it was money well spent.
YAHOO! seems to be making big bucks on chat rooms where men prey on young girls.
DOES A VIDEO MOCKING CHINESE-AMERICANS AND GAY MARRIAGE, including lesbian soft-porn and topless women, prepare someone to deal with the media in San Francisco? The San Francisco 49'ers thought so, but have now learned otherwise.
BRADGELINA UPDATE: Pitt and Jolie, while promoting their new movie, are resisting any personal questions. Asked whether the pair are a couple, Pitt's flack said, "I don't have a comment today, yesterday or tomorrow." ALSO: Ellen DeGeneres and girlfriend Portia de Rossi have bought "The Brad Pitt-Jennifer Aniston House" in Beverly Hills for a cool 20 million.
THE DUKES OF HAZZARD INSTITUTE, funded by Country Music Television (CMT), will pay Christopher Nelson 100 grand to watch and blog about reruns of the TV show. The contract does not include vacation time. "For $100,000 he'd better watch that show every night," said James Hitchcock, CMT's vice president for marketing.
LI-LO: A photographer who hit Lindsay Lohan's car while allegedly following her has been booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
NAZI NUKES? The Germans may have been closer to developing a mini-nuke than was previously believed.
GOV. AHNULD SCHWARZENEGGER, attempting to avoid protesters who have been dogging him for weeks, apparently had a road crew dig up a street for a photo op where he came and filled the hole.
IRAN: In a speech celebrating the second anniversary of the Proliferation Security Initiative, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice disclosed that the U.S. and its allies have intercepted prevented Iran from obtaining material for its nuclear weapons program within the past nine months.
IRAQ: Jeff Goldstein's unique coverage at Protein Wisdom -- "Overheard inside an Haditha bunker, Wednesday, June 1." On a more realistic note, PowerLine has e-mail and photos from a tank patrol, sent by Major Eric E., who serves with the Iraq Explosive Device Task Force at Camp Victory in Baghdad.
TOM-KAT UPDATE: Extra TV reports that Cruise and Holmes are not officially engaged... yet. But Holmes is studying Scientology. Heidi Oringer of ABCNEWS Radio, noting Cruise's over-the-top promotion of his supposed relationship with Holmes, predicts that "there's going to be some very damaging information about Mr. Cruise that will be exposed in the very near future." I wonder what it could be?
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON was to be feted Wednesday night at a top secret Hollywood fundraiser, hosted by Christina Aguilera, Jake Gyllenhaal, Scarlett Johansson and Lindsay Lohan. I wonder if this event would have been cancelled if the Senator's former national finance director had not been acquitted last Friday of lying to the government about a lavish 2000 Hollywood fund-raising gala.
LIST-O-MANIA: Prof. Ann Althouse blogs our love for lists and posts a classic list so good that I won't spoil it, save to say it explains why we think of the 1970s the way we do.
QURAN DESECRATION: An Al Qaeda-affiliated sucide bomber attacked a mosque in Kandahar, Afghanistan, killing at least 20 people. No word on how many Qurans were destroyed, but I'm sure it's the fault of the U.S., somehow.
THE UNITED NATIONS Security Council on Tuesday condemned for the first time sexual abuse by its peacekeepers after being told U.N. members ignored such exploitation for decades, fearing exposure of their own soldiers' wrongdoing. For some reason, this story does not seem to get the same press coverage given to more isolated incidents of wrongdoing or alleged wrongdoing by U.S. troops.
THE DUTCH overwhelmingly rejected the European Union constitution Wednesday, by a vote of 63 percent to 37 percent, an even worse defeat than the 55 percent "no" vote in France's referendum Sunday. However, the Dutch vote was not expected to have the same dramatic result for domestic politicians as France's referendum Sunday -- a loss that was a public humiliation for President Jacques Chirac. Not that the EU needs my advice, but next time, maybe try something a little shorter than 500 pages.
iDOG will listen to music with you, dance with rhythm and compose songs. A stuffed animal will listen to music with you. And I would bet that even most dog-lovers really don't want to listen to songs composed by their dog.
ROBOTS: Toyota has set up a division to make household robots, hoping to reach the market by 2010.
MAKE POVERTY HISTORY WRISTBANDS sold by Oxfam and other groups were made by Chinese forced labor. Oops.
WHOLE FOODS is the next Wal-Mart?
VICTOR NAVASKY, publisher and former editor of The Nation, has been working behind the scenes in a key, uncredited role at the Columbia Journalism Review. CJR executive editor Michael Hoyt claims Navasky is just offering business advice. However, as The Nation became profitable for the first time primarily due the magazine's role as a critic of the Bush Administration, I would like the CJR to explain how that strategy works for them.
EDU-BLOGGING: The latest Carnival of Education is online. ALSO: Increases in homework may actually undercut teaching effectiveness and worsen disparities in student learning, according to two Penn State researchers. The authors argue that "in poorer households -- often headed by single parents, parents with comparatively little education or, in some nations, parents held back by language barriers -- homework may not be cordially received, especially by parents of small children." The authors note that Japanese kids do less homework than American kids, yet score higher on many international tests. Why? It's not class size per se -- classes are much larger in Japan. It may have more to do with instructional methods and culture. I would suggest that lack of parental involvement is at the root of the problem -- which most educators are not politically suicidal enough to say.
JESSICA SIMPSON AND PUFF DADDY are hawking ProActive acne solutions. Puffy is getting paid three million bucks. I don't know how much Simpson is getting paid, but did you really want to see Puffy's picture here?
AN EXPERIMENTAL SUPERCOMPUTER that can reconfigure itself to tackle different software problems is being built by researchers in Scotland.
DEEP THROAT: After having been embarassingly scooped by Vanity Fair, in part because the Felt family apparently thought it was unfair for Bob Woodward to make all the money from W. Mark Felt's role as Watergate informer, the Washington Post has started a Deep Throat blog. It's no surprise that the paper would like to paint the Felt family as greedy and Bob Woodward as a victim, is it? ALSO: As I thought yesterday, there are some holes in the story. Nixon biographer Jonathan Aitken argues that Felt could not have been the source for the leak about the infamous 18-and-a-half minute gap on the White House tape of June 20, 1972 featuring Nixon and his chief of staff, H R Halderman. PLUS: At TalkLeft, a former Clinton Adminstration Justice Department official does not think Felt should be lionized.
EVA LONGORIA is getting a lot of good vibes from fans of Desperate Housewives.
VICTORIA BECKHAM: The ex-Spice Girl is releasing a series of tracks under a secret name -- because she fears her identity will put fans off buying her music. Hey, no one is using "Deep Throat" at the moment...
THE MAN-HUG: A guide for the awkward.
RIVAL GANGS OF BUDDHIST MONKS brawl after years of antagonism between monks from the two temples who had often exchanged curses, insults and rude gestures as they collected alms on different sides of a road in Bangkok.
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Discussion Starter • #1 •
How exactly does the car calculate mileage and Range? I ask because when I fill up it says I have 380 odd miles of Range but, with my straight gas Murano I got over 440 on a fillup. The HLH tank is only 2 gallons smaller. Combined with the electric I'd expect much greater range than that on a fill up. Thanks!


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I blogged a little while ago about answering Crunchy Chicken's call-out to folks to buy nothing for the month of August. I wrote about being slightly worried about it, and having to use the last couple weeks of July to prepare . . .
Well, I didn't do much preparation. I mean, I didn't get my hair cut or buy the blush I've needed for months now, or even buy any nail polish to make my toes look cute now that the flip-flops are out. I've bought next to nothing the last 2 weeks, and now am heading into August with a good track record, but a bit of a want list.
On the top of my want list is a chest freezer. I've been debating (with myself mostly) the purchase for a few months now, but a recent weighted pro-con list tells me that this will be a good thing for us for the coming months. Mostly because it will mean I can cook ahead and stock up on meals so that when tiny baby arrives, we'll have a few "convenience" items stashed away that are cheap, nutritious, and close-at-hand. I'd love to get a bunch of local organic meat, and some organic chickens to freeze for busier times, and put up some chili and spaghetti sauce and even some pizzas. Yep, I've got this freezer filled up already, in my mind. Did I mention I'm probably getting a 3.5 cubic foot model?!
Anyway, this weekend seemed like the perfect weekend to get it. We ended up not going on our trip to Sudbury so I thought, "I know, I'll get the freezer and start my cooking this weekend–perfect!". Except . . . the Buy Nothing Challenge. I KNOW the rules allow for "preserving" tools, and I KNOW we are free to confess our purchasing sins, and I also KNOW it's just a fairly random set of self-imposed rules . . . but still!
I guess the kicker is that we are still paying down debt, and while this is a purchase that will need to come (if it is to come) before the end of September (otherwise, Tiny Baby will be here, and my chance to stock up beforehand will be long past!), we still don't really have the money for it.
So, I have not yet rushed out to buy the freezer. I don't know if I will, or perhaps I'll wait until the cooler days of September, when I'll be home pre-baby for a couple of weeks. The Buy Nothing Challenge has reigned me in.
One other purchase that didn't happen . . . we walked by a yard sale on the way to the park today and there was a GORGEOUS Mikasa set of a serving bowl and platter–pale yellow around the rim, and a seventies-era floral pattern in the middle, with one bright red poppy in the design. Beautiful. And I didn't even ask the price, because it is Buy Nothing month, and do I NEED a serving platter, beautiful though it may be? Nope. I will survive just fine without it.
Anyway, it's still day 1 . . . is it really true that August has 31 days?????


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You better book in for a pedi sharpish
Summer sandals are looking better than ever, so there is no better time to get pedi-ready and snap up some new season styles.
Summer shoe trends
As ever, the summer shoe trends cater for everyone, from the maximalist to the minimalist. The latter will rejoice at the news that the naked sandal is still very much en vogue, with sleek white and black leather and patent styles seen everywhere from The Row and STAUD to Topshop and Zara. The trusted slide is also a big played for SS19.
The bohemian amongst you will also love the natural textures of the shell-embellished shoes seen at Oscar de la Renta, the tassels at Coach or the raffia slides on offer at Dune (an upgrade on last season's Loupe shoe). Check out more from the Oscar de la Renta collection of the Marie Claire Edit.
For the more OTT amongst you, look no further than the sculptural heel shoe, which will give an arty twist to any summer dress. Look to Cult Gaia, Mango, Jacquemus and Neous for some fabulous options.
Flat summer sandals
Flat shoes have never been so in. From raffia slides and logo mules for off-duty to minimal white leather affairs and tropical fruit and animal prints, we're spoiled for choice, whether we are looking to the high street or the designer offering.
There's no need to be boring this season, with perspex, logos and neon all big trends, so don't hold back and look to Balenciaga, Chanel and even TOD's for fun takes on the classics.
Either way, a flat summer shoe goes beautifully with a linen ensemble, whether a button-down dress or a sharp suit.
Summer sandals with heels
Latest Stories
The aforementioned sculptural heel shoe is the treat your feet (and your Instagram) deserve. Look to Cult Gaia for a quite frankly spectacular bamboo heel, and Jacquemus for geometrical wonders. Over at Dior and Chanel, the perspex heel is having a bit of a moment.
And if high heels aren't your thing, don't worry, the kitten heel is very much still de rigueur right now, and is so much more flattering than you'd think.
Scroll down to shop our edit of the best summer sandals to buy now.


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Pak Chong – A Detailed Tour of Filming Locations for Bruce Lee's "The Big Boss"
I spent last weekend travelling around Nakhorn Ratchasima and Saraburi provinces, and made a rather pleasant discovery while staying overnight in Pak Chong.
Pak Chong Town
Pak Chong town is a small town of about 40,000 people, on the western edge of Nakhorn Ratchasima province. It is considered the gateway to the North East of Thailand. The name itself refers to the construction of the railway from Bangkok to the North East, back in the late 1800s/early 1900s. Upon reaching the border with Nakhorn Ratchasima, the mountains of the area required blasting to create a channel for the railway. The Thai word for this channel is "Chong", and Pak Chong marks the gateway for this channel.
Pak Chong was also important given that the old Highway 2 (the old highway from Bangkok to Surin and Sri Saket) passes through Pak Chong. This highway (now renamed as highway 2422) is still the main road that passes through the town, although a newer and larger highway now bypasses the town a few kilometres to the south (that new highway is now labelled as highway 2).
In addition to being a gateway town and railway hub, Pak Chong also received a considerable boost in the 1960s because it was the location for Thailand's dairy and beef industries. In particular, Chok Chai Farms received the contract with the US Government to supply beef and dairy to the US and coalition forces in Thailand and Vietnam during the Vietnam War. In addition, it was around the same time that Khao Yai National Park became declared as Thailand's first UNESCO conservation area, and thereafter becoming a popular place for tourists to visit.
Today, Pak Chong is still a popular gateway town for those heading towards Khao Yai National Park. In addition, the hills around the town have become a popular tourist attraction in themselves as this area has very scenic countryside and now hosts a large collection of resorts. It has also become a popular retirement area for Thai and Westerners alike.
Bruce Lee and the Filming of 'The Big Boss'
Bruce Lee, the legendary martial artist, who redefined the art in so many ways, and who introduced "kung fu" to the West, filmed the first of his five feature films in Thailand, the Big Boss. Note, the Big Boss was released in some countries under the name "Fists of Fury", but don't confuse this film with the 1972 film "Fist of Fury". The Big Boss was filmed primarily within Pak Chong town during July and August of 1971. Bruce and the rest of the crew stayed in Pak Chong town during this period.
For those that aren't familiar with the film, it is about Cheng (Bruce Lee), who is a Chinese who migrates to rural Thailand to work together with other Chinese migrants at an ice factory. While working at the ice factory, Cheng witnesses the ice factory manager being unfair towards the Chinese workers, as well as local gangsters bullying the migrants. Cheng is a skilled fighter, but his mother made him swear not to fight any more, and gave him a jade amulet necklace, to act as a reminder of that oath. Eventually, some of the migrant workers discover that the ice in the factory is being used to smuggle heroine. The workers who make the discovery are killed. Eventually, the other migrants, upset about their missing comrades, refuse to work, and this results in a fight scene at the ice factory, resulting in Cheng's amulet being broken. He then starts taking on all of the gangsters, culminating in a final fight scene at the Big Boss's house.
As a bit of gossip, Bruce was not overly enthusiastic about Pak Chong. As evidenced by letters he wrote to his wife at the time, Bruce didn't cope well with the food, felt that the town was lawless, and lacked development. The film company even had to pay the local prostitutes to encourage them to stay away from film crew, to avoid the crew from being overly distracted. Bruce was also not happy with his accommodation, which he described as being infested with mosquitos and cockroaches (although Bruce had requested that he wanted to stay in the same hotel as the crew). Fortunately for any of you who want to retrace his steps, the town has significantly improved since then.
Filming Locations
For other Bruce Lee films, the filming locations have become major landmarks and tourist attractions. The Big Boss is perhaps the only film in the Bruce Lee stable that is not well documented in this way. I have been to Pak Chong many times over the years (first time was around 1986). However, it was only on this last visit, while carefully studying the surrounding area on Google Maps that I noticed a small notation on the outskirts of town depicting that the local ice factory was a Bruce Lee filming location. After that, I did a lot more research and re-watched the film. I used google street maps and street view to check possible filming locations, before finally uncovering a bunch more, and finally, I hired a taxi for the day and drove around to each location.
I have now put together a map (for your benefit) showing the locations (and likely locations for buildings no longer standing) used in the filming of The Big Boss.
(click the map for a larger image)
The New Wanchai Hotel
The crew of the movie (including Bruce, the director and the producers) all stayed at this hotel. In 1971, the New Wanchai was the main hotel for Pak Chong and its tallest building, but given that Pak Chong did not receive too many foreign visitors, it wasn't really anywhere close to the standard you would expect. This hotel was not only the lodgings for the film crew but was actually featured in the movie. The main dining room was used for the dinner scene that was supposed to be in the Big Boss's house. In addition, for the brothel scene, the footage inside the room (as opposed to outside the brothel or in the corridor) was filmed in one of the New Wanchai guest rooms rather than in the brothel.
Locals in town have informed me that the New Wanchai closed in the 1980s and remained closed for about 15 years before it finally re-opened under new ownership (and considerable renovation) as the Rimtarn Inn. To confuse matters, another hotel has renamed itself now as the "New Wanchai" which is just next door.
The new owner of the Rimtarn does know that the hotel was used in the movie, but I suspect most of its staff do not know this. However, if you want to really retrace Bruce's footsteps, then ask to stay in room 407. The exterior frame of the building is the same, except that it has been touched up, repainted and had some cladding added to it. However, the lobby, dining area and guest rooms have all been refurbished.
The Ice Factory
The Ice Factory is one of the main locations for the movie. This is where Bruce Lee's character worked, where the drugs were discovered and where some of the fight scenes took place. The Ice Factory is documented on Google Maps and the original building used in the movie is still standing. The Ice Factory is still used as an ice factory, and they still make ice in pretty much the same way that they did in 1971. However, the factory has been extended, with a new wing on the left (which is where the ice is frozen). You can see the main original building because it has the large teak floor boards.
The factory is a fully functioning business, and given the way ice is handled, it is a hazardous work site. It is easy enough to view the factory from the side walk or from its parking lot. The interior is largely exposed so you can easily photograph the interior without having to enter. The owner of the factory knows about the ice factory's history and is a nice enough guy that he would provide a tour. However, I suspect that if this became a regular occurrence, he might start to find it irritating. For that reason, I instead ask readers to abstain from requesting tours. You can see everything that you need to from the parking lot.
The Big Boss's House
One of the things that always confused me when I watched The Big Boss, was that the Big Boss's house never appeared to me to be a building that would be used as a house in Thailand. Sure enough, when I finally located the filming location for the house, I found that I was correct. The building is a temple where Buddha statues are located, rather than a house.
The Big Boss's house is actually located on the grounds of Wat Siri Samphan (Wat Samphao Uppatham). Wikipedia states the Big Boss's house was filmed at a mausoleum. However, when conferring with locals, they stated this temple has always been purely for Buddha worship, so I am not sure where the mausoleum information comes from.
Out of all of the filming locations that still remain today, this one is the most intact and any fan of the film will instantly recognise the exact spots where those epic fight scenes took place. The pathways, grass, trees, pond, main building, are all untouched. They are also much in need of maintenance, so feel free to add some coin to the temple donation box.
Bruce Lee's House
The single story wooden house where Bruce Lee's character and the other Chinese immigrant workers resided is a tricky one to locate. Some people suggested it was a couple of bungalows that the film crew rented behind the ice factory. However, each time I watched the footage, the area seemed too built up and must have been just near the Pak Chong train station. I was able to work this out by studying the surrounding skyline in the movie, and then comparing it to the existing skyline near the train station. Some of the taller buildings (and one under construction during filming) still exist today. This is the centre of town, and many of the wooden buildings are gone, replaced with concrete shop houses. The immigrant wooden house is one that I believe has been demolished, but I think I have identified the approximate spot where it used to stand. Many of the neighbouring buildings seen in the film (especially the concrete ones) are likely to still exist.
The Brothel
In the film, there are several scenes involving a brothel, including the one where Bruce makes a visit (he actually wanted this scene written out of the film). The filming location was an actual brothel. However, the brothel eventually burned down (this seems to be a common occurrence for brothels in Thailand). Surprisingly, it wasn't too hard to track down the brothel because the street sign is featured in the film. Even though Pak Chong now has the newer/updated street signs (in English and Thai) on all main intersections, this particular sign (in Thai only) still stands. It is just near the corner of Tesaban Soi 19 and Train Station Road (no English sign, but it is the road parallel with the tracks). This is confirmed by the water tower in the background that is still there today. The sign from the film in transliterated English says "Ket Rot Fai", which means "Train Area". The original brothel used to stand just beside the sign, and in its place today is a series of four concrete, four storey shop houses.
Opening Fight Scene
The opening scene with the female drink vendor and the gang picking on the boy was filmed in two separate locations. The drink vendor is located along the side street that runs beside the Ice Factory. When the fight actually commences (ie the scene with the orange bus in the background), filming has now shifted to just near the train station (on Tesaban Soi 15, just before the intersection with Train Station Rd). The comms antenna for the train station can be seen in the background, as well as the "Ket Rot Fai" sign.
The River Clothes Washing Scene
I assume this was filmed somewhere along the Lam Tha Khong River, which passes by Pak Chong (and passes almost beside the New Wanchai hotel. However, the scenery along the river (and the river itself) has changed a bit over the years. Notwithstanding that, I think it was filmed just behind the Rimtarn Inn (follow side road beside the hotel down to the river), near the bridge (you can see a section in the river where the water cascades over, just like in the movie.
The River Ferry Scene
This is one of the few scenes that was filmed outside of Pak Chong. As you would notice, the river is quite wide. Some people though it was the Chao Phraya river, which runs through Bangkok. However, it was actually filmed at a ferry terminal on the Bang Pakong river in Chonburi province. The next time I pass by that way, I will have a go at identifying exactly which ferry terminal it was (most ferry terminals in that area are really old, so I suspect it will largely be untouched).
Getting to Pak Chong
There are four options for getting from Bangkok to Pak Chong, depending on your budget. The most expensive but easiest, is to either charter a taxi or limo (or Grab Cab etc). Cost will be B2,500 plus.
The normal way to get there is to head to the North-east bus station (Moh Chit Mai), and either get a bus direct to Pak Chong, or get the bus heading to Khorat but tell them you want to get off at Pak Chong. If you do the latter, you will be dropped off at the Tesco Lotus, which is a few kilometres south of the main town and you will then need to either take the songtaew, motorbike taxi or (infrequent) taxi into town. Cost is around B191 per ticket depending on bus company and class.
The third option is to take a mini bus to Pak Chong. You can get mini buses Moh Chit Mai. Cost is around B120.
The fourth, and slowest but most scenic option, is to take the train. You can catch the train from Hualamphong station, and it will drop you off at the Pak Chong train station. Third class tickets are around B34.
Where to Stay
We recommend either the Rimtarn Inn, where Bruce Lee stayed. Prices are around B1,300 per night (and up) depending on season and which room you want. For somewhere a lot nicer, the Pino Hotel is around B1,600 and up. I feel like the Pino is a lot nicer for the price, but the Rimtarn offers the possibility that you may be sleeping in Bruce Lee's old room.
Getting Around Town
Unexpectedly, getting around town and nearby is a major pain if you don't have your own car. There is a public songtaew service going up and down main streets, but the service is kind of sporadic. There is a real lack of normal taxis in town. However, there are "private" taxis, who have a spot near the main road (see the map). You negotiate the fair, and prices are a little steep. For example, from the main town down to Tesco Lotus, they wanted B150. It would have cost less in Bangkok for that distance using a meter. However, I talked to these guys and explained the main Bruce Lee filming locations to them. As such, they should be able to take you to them as a tour (try and negotiate it down to B200 to B300, depending on how much time you want to spend wandering the locations).
The other option to get around quickly, is to just use the local motorbike taxis. Not ideal if you are carrying a lot of luggage though, so try to pack light if you can.
I really enjoyed my last trip to Pak Chong. Realising that one of my childhood ideals had been there before me was really cool, and seeing the sites in the flesh was a special experience. Being able to not only visit the documented sites, but to play detective and discover others on my own was even cooler.
If you have any suggestions or comments relating to this article, then please feel free to contact me. You can either send a message via the form on this site, or else, email to: email@example.com.
Related News
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text: Hi, my name is Lauren Nowicki and here is where I will be updating my reel, resume, and much more! Below is my Chapman News reporting reel featuring clips from anchoring, live shots, stand-ups, and weather from the past two years. I have also included clips from projects I created on AfterEffects and VO'd for my Fall 2016 internship. To see full videos and projects from other courses or jobs, check out my Packages and Projects tab! To learn more about me, click here and to see weekly videos on a variety of topics, head over to Lo Without Limits.


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Ice Cream Social
Although ice cream comes in all flavors, othing makes us think of a summer Ice Cream Party more than Rainbow Sherbet. Who doesn't love the combination of pink, orange and yellow? In ice cream form! It is the trifecta of color and deliciousness! We all scream for ice cream!


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Macclesfield Quiz League - News & Views...
Sponsored by AstraZeneca
Our Sponsors...
Saturday, 25 February 2017
Week 14...
All the latest scores and details regarding the Finals Night are on the News & Views in my previous post.
Please see my post on Wednesday 22 February for the very latest details regarding Matt Rogers.
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News & Views - Week 14 (14/02/2017)
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Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Matt Rogers - Funeral Details
Matt's funeral will be on
Monday 6 March 2017
12 Noon
Holy Trinity Church, Rainow
then afterwards at the Robin Hood
in the village.
Matt's wife Laura would like anyone from the Quiz League who wishes to attend to meet outside their house (see the News and Views for details) no later than 11:45am so that the funeral cortege can be walked to the church. Alternatively, people can go directly to the church if they wish.
Laura would like everyone to then attend at the Robin Hood for food and drink for a fitting send off for Matt.
Please be early and note that there will be a road block in the village from 11:30am. The Robin Hood has allowed the family to use their car park all day and there will be NO parking except for funeral vehicles on Church Lane itself.
The Robin Hood will be open early for tea, coffee etc on the morning of the funeral.
A group of Matt and Laura's friends have taken the burden off the family and are arranging the catering and other things and would appreciate an idea of numbers.
If you do intend to attend the funeral and the Robin Hood afterwards, if you let me or Nick know, we will pass on the numbers etc to everyone organising the day.
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Monday, 20 February 2017
Matt Rogers
As per my email of today, I am sorry to be passing on some unbelievably sad news about one of our colleagues.
I've been informed that
Matt Rogers,
who has played for the
Waters Green Lemmings
this year and the
Robin Hood
at Rainow previously, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday last week, the 17
of February.
I've no more information that I can share with you currently but Nick and Bob from the Waters Green Lemmings team have been given this news and they quite reasonably wanted people to be aware of it before the Cup and Plate games take place tomorrow.
Matt was a regular contributor in recent years to the League, not least through his many witty and incisive comments on Nick's blog, both in his own name and that of Alan a' Dale before that. Matt also provided some very comprehensive data at the end of last season analysing the last 15 years' worth of individual scores across the Leagues, whilst he was also top of the B League Individual table himself in the latest published News and Views.
Although Matt may have only been involved for a few short years in this forum, he most certainly made his mark and he will be remembered kindly by all of us. A local Altrincham news site has printed the below tribute to Matt as well…
I'm sure all our sympathies go to Matt's family and friends at this awful time, primarily of course to Matt's wife Laura and their two children.
Once I have any more information at all that I can pass on, I will do so.
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Morning Drive Podcast: Indiana Dems, black hair shows, Superman
Chicago's top headlines, piped straight to your earbuds.
In today's episode: Indiana Democrats return home, we take a look at the black hair business and The Man of Steel in the Windy City?
It's all the news that's fit to podcast. Click above to listen, click here to subscribe.


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Commencing on Saturday 27th July we will be organising beginner and game improver coaching on Wednesday evenings, Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings. These sessions will run until at least mid September at the following times:-
Wednesdays from 6:30pm to 7:30pm;
Saturdays from 12:45pm to 13:45pm;
Sundays 9.30am to 10.30am;
Each session wil be £5 per hour.
The tennis club is offering a special deal to new members - join the club at a 57% discount (£60) and we will include seven of these groups sessions for free with your membership.
Wednesday and Saturday coaching will be held on the green courts and Sunday morning coaching on the blue courts.
The coaching is available to any full member who is at least 11 years old.
If you are interested please contact Adrian on 07717 223647.
The club reserves the right to cancel any sessions where there are insufficient numbers so please text Adrian if you are intending to come along.


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I have heard many heartwarming stories but this one has to be among the top of the list.
Ruby is an Australian Shepherd. Ruby was about 8 months old puppy – she was about to be put away. Luckily for her – correction — luckily for us – the humans, one lady volunteer at the shelter had not given up on Ruby. That moment had profound impact on the lives of both – Ruby and the volunteer.
Ruby was an active, little puppy that somehow seemed to always get in trouble. She was cute and appealed to every potential human parent that came to adopt a dog in the Rhode Island shelter – her temporary abode.
She would get adopted quickly only find that the owners could not tolerate her antics anymore. She was returned to the shelter not once, not twice but FIVE times. They all thought she was beyond training.
Alas! It was time to put her to sleep. Another 2 hours and Ruby will never wake up again.
Luckily the shelter had a lady volunteer that was an advocate for dogs. It was her life's mission to make the world more friendly by saving the man's best friend – the dogs. She was frantically looking for a home for the poor puppy.
But who would want a puppy that was returned by 5 homes in less than 8 months – an extremely poor track record. Ruby may be cute, but her resume' was far from good. In fact it turned prospects away quickly.
So, the volunteer advocate came up with a bright idea. Ruby needs discipline, she is not fit for most of average pet owners, she is about to go for good and she wants to save her life – why not try a police K9 squad?
She called the Rhode Island Police K9 unit and pitch the possibility of them using Ruby in the police work – what do we have to lose? She laid the facts out – Ruby had some behavioral issues but she was also extremely smart, she said to the chief.
A trained police dog can drain tens of thousands of dollars from the budget depending on the type of training and skill they have.
Watch this amazing dog help Firemen →
Watch Frankie, The Best wedding Ring Bearer →
Watch the California fires Daring Rescue →
It was worth a try – thought the chief and Ruby's life began on a new track.
It so happens that Rhode Island police department had an officer whose dream was to be on a K9 squad – why not pair him with Ruby and let him train her.
One afternoon, Officer O'Neill gets a call from his K9 squad chief Sergeant Matthew Zarrelli, who presents this possibility to the officer and officer O'Neill jumps at it – after all that was his life's dream!
That is how Ruby came to know Officer Daniel O'Neill. He comes home with Ruby and springs a surprise on his pregnant wife and their toddler.
Ruby was the same old Ruby- she didn't know that she had come so close to her being extinct and this was her last chance. Upon entering the house, and the usual dog-human greetings and hugs, while officer O'Neill was still busy with his wife and the toddler, Ruby goes to the living room and leaves a not so pleasant "gift" for the family,
That was a clue for officer O'Neill that Ruby was special – she needed more attention than a normal average run of the mill type puppy.
Ever since that moment, officer O'Neill made sure he had Ruby in his sight all the time – 24×7. He trained her for 4 months – hard work but that paid off in multiple ways.
Dog with Half Spine Can't Stop Being Happy–>
Dog brightens the day for this special toddler–>
Sheep shows gratitude to dog who saved her life–>
He noticed that the pup's behavior changed for the better once she found a stable environment, they developed a great bond, and she was making excellent progress in her training. She was picking up and following commands like a pro – very quickly.
She is very very smart – he found out.
It was not too long before Ruby earned her Police Dog batch for her collar and joined Officer O'Neill as his partner / team mate.
Over the past 7 years Ruby had helped her partner respond to 10 missing person complaints. 3 of these 10 are alive and well today -thanks to Ruby.
One of these 10 cases stands out in Officer O'Neill's mind.
One day he got a "missing person" call from Glocester police department about a missing teenager for the past 36 hours. Officer O'Neill rushed to teenagers' home to meet the teenager's mom Pat Inman and create a "victim profile" for the case.
She told him, hiking was the teenager's favorite thing to do whenever he could and his favorite place to hike.
Officer O'Neill and his partner Ruby headed to the boy's favorite hiking place in the woods. After walking half a mile, officer decided to split from his dog in order to cover the wider area.
He soon saw Ruby bolt down the hill. Officer changed his course and followed Ruby. He saw a body lying on the ground facing down. Ruby was licking the body's face in an effort to comfort him/her.
Officer ran to the body, found a young boy, turned him over. His head was badly lacerated, and his pulse was very faint.
Landfill scavenger to Hollywood star story –>
Anguished Mom Wails For her Injured Puppy–>
Dog With Half a Spine Leaves A Lesson on Living→
Stray Dog Saves An Abandoned Baby →
Officer immediately radioed the unit for help in moving the young boy, gave them his location details including the GPS coordinates.
They got into the woods, so officer O'Neill signaled Ruby to bark. They told officer on the radio that was very helpful and have the dog continue to bark, which he did. The crew took the young man straight to the hospital and Officer O'Neill went to the boy's mother's house to report his findings.
She was extremely grateful when she heard the hopeful news of her boy. Then she asked a very strange question.
She asked the officer "Do you a dog named Ruby?"
The officer was surprised and responded to her query "Yes, of course. Ruby is my partner and Ruby is the one who helped me find your boy."
She broke down upon hearing this – the officer was confused……until she regrouped herself and continued "I was the volunteer at the shelter that called your police department to save Ruby from being put down.
What a lesson. What a difference a simple stable environment can make to a dog's life! It saved the life of a dog and in return the dog has saved 3 lives so far and counting……!


text:
There is a wealth of marine life within easy reach away from Emaho Sekawa. Turtles, abundance of soft corals and exotic fish make any excursion into the deep a voyage of discovery. Fiji's pristine marine evnirenment with its many marine reserves makes Fiji a haven for exploring the underwater life.
Whales & dolphins make freqent visits to the calm Savusavu Bay waters and if you're lucky you can spot them from the deck of your villa.
Our resident divemaster will accompany boat excursions, scuba diving and snorkel trips and share his unique understanding of the marine environment.


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Volunteer and Job Applicants
Last updated 2 March 2020
At Citizens Advice we collect and use your personal information to help solve your problems, improve our services and tackle wider issues in society that affect people's lives.
We only ask for the information we need. We always let you decide what you're comfortable telling us, explain why we need it and treat it as confidential.
When we record and use your personal information we:
At times we might use or share your information without your permission. If we do, we'll always make sure there's a legal basis for it. This could include situations where we have to use or share your information:
We handle and store your personal information in line with the law – including the General Data Protection Regulation.
You can check our National Citizens Advice policy for how we handle most of your personal information.
This page covers how we, as your local charity, handle your information locally in our offices.
We may collect your personal data:
– in person on a registration form, we will ask you to provide written consent at your initial visit and then at intervals thereafter.
– in a web-form on our website when you register your interest in a vacancy, ask us to contact you or you provide feedback, in which case we will ask for your permission before the form is submitted.
– over the telephone if you call us for advice, we will request your permission verbally to record your information on our case management system, Casebook.
– if you have been referred to us by a third party, for example Surrey Heath Borough Council, they may share information with us as long as you have given them your consent.
– if you ask us for a food bag, we will need to record your name, address and contact details plus the number of people in your household since this is a requirement from our supplier Besom.
– if you have been referred or are self-referring to our social prescribing service, we will ask for your consent to record personal information in order to provide you with options to engage with appropriate community groups, activities and other services.
– we may also collect data relating to your personal experience here at Citizens Advice Surrey Heath in the form of a survey if you are happy to participate. We will request your written consent before the survey is processed.
To find out what information we ask for, see our National Citizens Advice privacy policy.
To find out how we use your information, see our National Citizens Advice privacy policy.
We may also use your information in relation to the following services:
– When you give us authority to act on your behalf, for example to help you with a Universal Credit claim, we'll need to share information with that third party.
– We may, with your consent, use your anonymised data for Healthwatch in order for them to identify issues with health and social care.
– If you require assistance from our solicitors, we will ask for your consent to share your information with them so that they can prepare for your appointment.
– If you require help in completing an application form to Frimley Fuel Allotments for assistance we will ask for your consent to speak to this charity about your circumstances if they contact us.
– If you are taking part in social prescribing, your information may be shared with Surrey Heath Borough Council, Surrey Heath Primary Care Network and Surrey Heath GP Federation with whom we deliver the Social Prescribing Service in partnership. Please refer to the Full Privacy Notice for Social Prescribing.
We may store your information securely on our national Casebook system, our internal server or Google Drive.
Social prescribing client information will be stored on Voluntary Support North Surrey's Salesforce system.
Paper files of client paperwork are kept within the office in a secure cabinet locked with a key. This cabinet is only accessible to volunteers and staff within Citizens Advice Surrey Heath.
In general, we retain data for 6 years with the exception of high risk cases where data may be kept for longer. For staff and volunteers, the following retention policy apply:
We store off site backups with our IT support supplier ProjectFive.
When you give us authority to do so, we may share your personal information with our partner organisations. Our partner organisations include but are not limited to:
When you speak to an advisor, we will record your verbal consent in the Casebook system if giving telephone advice or ask you to sign your consent to share information and scan this to the Casebook system.
We may occasionally share client information with funders for reporting purposes although this will either be with your specific consent or the data will be anonymised.
If you have any questions about how your information is collected or used, you can contact our office.
Telephone:01276 417 900 Monday-Thursday 10:00-16:00
You can contact us to:
The national Citizens Advice charity and your local Citizens Advice operate a system called Casebook to keep your personal information safe. This means they're a 'joint data controller' for your personal information that's stored in our Casebook system.
Each local Citizens Advice is an independent charity, and a member of the national Citizens Advice charity. The Citizens Advice membership agreement also requires that the use of your information complies with data protection law.
You can find out more about your data rights on the Information Commissioner's website.
If you have registered with us to be notified of or take part in one of our fundraising events, we will collect personal data that enables us to send you relevant information.
If you have made a donation using the BT MyDonate website, we will collect personal details to enable us to send you a thank you note.
We do not share your information with anyone and review this data annually. You can ask to be removed at any time by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com.
For further information, please refer to our Local Citizens Advice privacy policy.
If you contact us with regards to volunteering or working here, we will collect personal details that are required to proceed with your application.
We may also contact the referees you have provided for a reference and we may do a Criminal Records Bureau Check depending on the position you applied for.
We store data for successful candidates for 6 years after end of employment and for unsuccessful candidates 6 months after the position has been filled.
For further information, please refer to our Local Citizens Advice privacy policy.
If you contacted us via our website, we use Mailchimp to process your data but not for storage.
Please be aware that our Camberley office is now closed for face-to-face appointments until further notice, due to the potential implications of the Coronavirus.
You can still get advice online at www.citizensadvice.org.uk or choose from the following options:
You can email us for advice locally at firstname.lastname@example.com
You can phone 03444 111 444 for general advice – Please select the option to leave a message, provide your contact details and a brief outline of your problem and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
For local advice and support you can also telephone 01276 417900, (Monday to Thursday, 10am to 2pm). PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE A VOICEMAIL AFTER 2PM ON THIS LOCAL NUMBER AS WE ARE NOT ABLE TO ACCESS THESE.
To get help in making an online application to Universal Credit please phone 0800 144 8444
Thank you for your understanding.


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The Pleasures of Afternoon Coffee
So I went through a bout this spring of not drinking coffee. I've never been a heavy coffee drinker, one cup in the morning, every morning. That's not terrible, right? Well, not drinking it certainly was terrible. Horrible headaches everyday for a week that hit right in the middle of my usual afternoon slump. On an ordinary day, the two o'clock hour is hard for me. I lose focus, start drifting, and generally have a minor crisis of motivation. Lack of caffeine added what felt like a ten ton hammer knocking on my brain to that ordinary hiccup in my day.
But here I am, back to my wicked caffeinated ways, drinking a cup every morning. And my drive into work is once again enjoyably contemplative as my brain slowly comes to life. But what I want to talk about now is the afternoon cup. The cup that I'll occasionally reach for when those afternoon lulls hit. And how much better it always tastes when it's summertime and hot in my second floor office and the coffee is iced. Like on a Friday afternoon when things are quiet and warm and the fan pushes the air around sluggishly, not cooling off much. Like today, for instance.
I'm not shy about sharing. I'll freely pull colleagues into the lure of the afternoon jolt. And this afternoon's caffeine produced brilliant results in the form of the following brainstorm: coffee ice cubes. Yup, you got it. Is the genius of this idea apparent to you yet? I bet it is if you've had your afternoon caffeine. No waiting for the coffee to cool before pouring it over ice and no watery coffee those times when you can't wait. Brilliant. I'm giddy with anticipation. Or maybe that's just caffeine.


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Phone: 515-965-9635
Degrees and Certifications:
Mr. Timothy Ward
My name is Timothy Ward. Welcome to my page. I am a teacher, a husband, and a father of two. I began teaching at Ankeny in August 2016 as a special education teacher. I am a graduate of Grand Canyon University. I grew up in New Castle, Indiana. I taught special education in Illinois prior to relocating to Iowa. I enjoy football. I'm a Colts fan and a Broncos fan. I also enjoy theatre and vintage toy collecting. Most of all, I enjoy spending time with my family. I am excited at the opportunity to serve in the Ankeny School District.


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A 4500 year old dolmen in the middle of a housing estate in south Dublin
This Dolmen is located in Ballybrack in south County Dublin dates from approx 2500BC. It granite capstone has beautiful shiny quartz mixed through it. It measures 5 foot X 5 foot and probably weighs approx 12 tonnes. It would have been covered in a cairn of stones of which none survive. It is now located in the middle of a housing estate and is vulnerable to constant graffiti and being used as a fire pit and for the odd BBQ!


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