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I have never been a political man. In fact, I don't give a shit whose in what office at what time so long as I can get beef short ribs and veal bones delivered in time to finish the three-day preparations that lead to each weekend. If someone were to get in the way of that happening perhaps I might take a stand for or against said person. Until that happens, fuck em! I think their all a bunch of bullshit artists and we would be well served to shake out the whole system and re-boot. Hmm…I guess that may have been a bit of a political statement in and of itself. Well, truth be told, I have no fear of displaying my contrast in opinion and warped sense of fair play, political or not. Hell, I'm the asshole that orders three double cheeseburgers with Mayo, a large order of fries and diet Coke. If that's not contrast I don't know what is. This little intro is an attempt to lull you into a state of open-mindedness before I open the can of hotbed debate I intend to discuss. The topics of which I speak are that of fevered and passionate opinion. I, for one have one of those opinions. In fact, I go as far as to have two opinions on the same dangerously polarizing debates. The subjects I am referring to are illegal labor and use of the English language
I hear a collective gasp as I utter the mere words. Good! This needs to come out. I will not continue to ignore the elephant in the room as we all turn our heads the other way. I have been in my business and operating at a very high level for twenty-five years. During that time, I've seen a virtual parade of co-workers, bosses, underlings etc pass by as I made my descent to my current perch in an industry in which I consider myself somewhat accomplished. As I look back over the years, I can see vividly many of the people I encountered. I can also see the extreme diversity of the fabric of which the restaurant industry is woven. Black, white, Latino, Asian you name it, we got it. This is not a racist industry to say the least. We do however, have an amazing ability to turn our heads, in an almost Linda Blair-like, 360 degree pivot. Especially when it comes to the subject at hand. "How dare you"? you ask, how can we not? Is my only response. As an industry we employ nearly 15 million people with an estimated 600 billion in gross revenue. Those are staggering numbers relating to an industry built on the backs of cast-offs, disregarded ex-whoever's and soon-to-be actors, musicians, lawyers etc…How else would we be expected to fill the countless positions that need filling in order to feed everyone if not by turning our heads to certain less than helpful and all together useless hiring guidelines?
If we, as an industry, adhered to all of these guidelines set forth by our oh-so-concerned and well-meaning governmental officials… guess what? You would be enjoying a lovely meal on dirty plates in a filthy restaurant with disgusting bathrooms and kitchens served to you by… well, NOBODY! There is not a chance in hell that we would be able to pull of this minor miracle without the employment of an illegal workforce. I have made great efforts over the years to hire ANYONE willing to work provided they were able to perform the tasks at hand. I also made numerous attempts to hire only those that were actual citizens or legal residents of the United States. These attempts amounted to, much like my countless failed relationships, nothing more than frustration, disappointment and sorrow. My industry does not, by our own admission, have the highest entry-level pay scale. In our defense we also have one of the thinnest profit margins known to man. This is not an exaggeration nor is it a complaint. I make a very good living doing what I do and it is no more difficult or taxing on me then on any other hard-working person that strives for success. That being said, the challenges are many and the bulk of them rest in the staffing process.
You may or may not have noticed that there are precious few advertisements for schools actively recruiting students to learn the treasured art of dish washing. Or, for that matter, line cooking or table busing. There is no shortage however, of ads in the media that inspire one to become a CHEF. So what does this mean you ask. It means that we are a top-heavy industry filled with too many generals and not enough soldiers! Have you ever tried to lead a group of know- it-alls in one direction? It's like a bunch of monkeys trying to gently hump a football. This is what it's like trying to govern a group of people in a restaurant that all have years of experience in various operations that have as many differences as they do similarities. That is to say, there are as many bullshit culinary and hospitality management schools out there as there are assholes to run them and they are filled with as many liabilities to my staff as they are assets. If I had to rely on these balloon-headed goofballs to run my business I would put a gun in my mouth. This leaves me with precious few options in regards to staffing. What about seniors and part-time students you ask. Well, my grandmother is 85 my father is 66 and my cousin is 17. I love and respect them all but I promise you, they are not going to be the savior of this industry. This is not a part-time, kinda, sorta type of gig. If you work with me you do just that, you WORK! I don't have the time nor the inclination to deal with bullshit requests for nights or weekends off for prom, cigar tastings or surgical procedures so that leaves Gram, Pops and Cuz out of the running for future employment.
This leaves me with a distinct and very willing segment of society from which to harness my work force. This segment is made up of every ethnicity and education level known. However, for the purposes of this blog and in an attempt to be a true reflection of my experiences thus far, I will be writing about a specific ethnicity. If I were in New York it would be people from Peru, Cuba and Brazil but we are not in New York we are in Chicago. Therefore, the people to whom I am referring are of Mexican descent. I will state for the record, that I have no racial bias of any kind. I don't give a damn if you're black, white, brown, purple or green. If you can do the work you can have the job. But if you say you can do the work and can't… look out! I will flush you out, likely in the middle of dinner service, relieve you of your duties, remove your still beating heart and send you on your way home with a hole in your chest and a large bite mark on your ass. That's just the way it is, I do not apologize for it nor do I have any remorse because this is how you are able to have a consistently excellent meal and experience in my restaurant on every single visit. Trust me, it's better to not know all the details about how that sausage is made, simply thank me and push on….. You're welcome.
Now then, let it be said that I do not hire busboys and dishwashers to remain as such. I hire on the basis that I expect these new additions to grow and mature and eventually become more keystone staff members such as cooks and waiters. I believe very strongly in promoting from within. It is much more effective to elevate the status and position of an already existing employee then to embark upon a needle in a haystack search for America's next top waiter. By following such practices, I often times find myself face to face with a newly formed, albeit fledgling, ego. This is clearly a monster of my own creation so I have nobody to blame but myself. Sometimes I move too quickly and if the person in question has the IQ of the average man or woman but the emotional maturity of my 4-year-old niece…well you get the picture. Such was the case with my dear friend Hector.
Hector worked with my brother and I at Le Francais so I knew he had the chops to make it with me here in Winnetka. When one of the waiters heard through the Mexican Mafia that Hector was a free agent, I snatched him up. He hit the ground running three years ago and we were very pleased with his performance. Until…que the Dragnet music, I decided to move Hector into a back waiter position from his current position as busboy. In retrospect I see this was a mistake but you can't get wet unless you jump in the water so, caution to the wind, I proceed as planned. It did not take long for Hector to become a complete jagoff toward both me and the rest of the staff. This happened incrementally but consistently over a period of months but it was easy to detect and needed constant adjusting. If not, this type of thing grows like a cancer and must be removed completely so as not to infect the rest of the team. Fast forward six months to a week ago Friday.
We are all humming along like a well-oiled machine preparing for a sold out evening that I was certain would yield great revenues and a dining room filled with the contentment of both staff and guests. This assumption was a slight misjudgment on my part as I was about to pull the string that would unravel the fucking sweater of my evening. It's 6:30 and the house is full, kitchen is busy and stressed but pumping each course out nicely as they most often do. The dining room is limping a bit as the same amount of pressure applied evenly to kitchen staff and wait staff has a dramatically different result. To illustrate, most dining room staffs are a bunch of fucking whiney bitches and they often times cry out as if being stretched on the rack when they have only experienced a skinned knee. Buncha slack jaw sissies! Actually, the team I have in the dining room at Restaurant Michael is, I will say without a moment's hesitation, the finest I have ever had as a group in one restaurant. These people make a great living, work hard and effectively and rarely miss a beat. They are well led by Dan my Maitre d' and sprinkled throughout with just the right amount of youth, experience, energy and charm. Quite a combo and it makes us a formidable adversary for any restaurant in Chicago I'm proud to say. And then there was the Hector situation.
I am at the pass between the hot line and the waiters as I often am in the beginning of a busy evening. This allows Miguel, my Chef de cuisine, the ability to shore up any weakness in preparedness on each station before coming to relieve me of my expediting duties before I say or do something that will in short order, derail the service and send us off onto a rocky road. Miguel will quickly right the ship but not before blood is spilled do to the less then delicate insensitivity of the namesake of the restaurant, Me. I have been asking, no begging, for the dining room and kitchen to communicate with each other and more importantly with me in English for about the past six months. I know this will make everyone on the staff a little uncomfortable but I also know that if they work on it, they will become better employees and will be of better service to my guests.
Now mind you, I'm not asking for a dissertation or a fucking verbal thesis on the beauty and virtue of the English language. A few choice, key phrases and sentences will do, especially to start. I couldn't even get that. It began to piss me off a few months ago and I discussed it with Dan and with a few other key staffers able to converse fluidly in both Spanish and English. A skill by the way, I do not myself, have. However, this is, and I say this knowing full well how much of a trigger statement it is, AMERICA! I have a prominently Latino Staff and the ones that make the most money and are most comfortable at work speak English. I did not make this rule. I am also not about to add to my list of responsibilities in running this business, the need to learn fluent Spanish. I learned long ago that I do not have the capacity to do so. Why the fuck would I put that on my plate as well? I have, over the years, become quite well versed in the art of "Spanglish" the adopted Spanish/English hybrid language of the kitchen. I am able to direct traffic on each station, recognize when I'm being called a fat fuck in multiple dialects and when someone is speaking poorly of my Mother in one of the various popular slang, God bless their hearts. I am also able to sling back the same good-natured (and vulgar) insults and banter but I am in no way able to converse with a persons Latino Grandma without sending her away offended and in tears. On this fine Friday it all came to a head.
Hector walks into the kitchen with another bus person behind him and they are speaking casually to each other in Spanish about a table and its needs in the dining room. I hear this and a vein pops out of my forehead as I spin around and in a disturbingly calm voice ask "I thought I asked you guys to speak English in this restaurant while we are in service" Hector responds abruptly to my statement with one of his own. I will paraphrase here since I cannot be sure of each word since, at that point, my ears began to bleed from the pressure of holding in the rage that was about to be unleashed. It was something to this effect as was later confirmed by Miguel. "This is my language and it is the one I will use!" Well I'll be dipped in shit! The gloves are now clearly off so I dive in.
"FUCK YOU! YOU DICK! (again, I paraphrase) I ASKED THAT WE SPEAK ENGLISH IN THIS RESTAURANT DURING SERVICE AND THAT'S THE WAY IT'S GOING TO BE! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE AND TAKE EVERYONE THAT AGREES WITH YOUR IGNORANT ASS WITH YOU. THIS IS NOT SOME FILTHY LITTLE BAR IN DURANGO ASSHOLE.
Granted, my delivery may be perceived as less than sensitive perhaps even, dare I say, a bit harsh. I love everyone on my staff a great deal and would (and have) done anything that I could to help them. Including, but not limited to, finding them an attorney, lending money, a place to live,(often times in my home), gifts for their children for special occasions, paid time off for family events and holidays… the list goes on. I do these things as much for myself as for them. It makes me happy to help and I feel good about myself when I have the chance to do so. If you ask for the shirt off my back I will happily give it to you along with any money in the pockets. If you attempt to take the shirt off my back I will stab you. That is the way it is. It's a philosophy that may not be delicate and politically correct but it has served me well over the years and I will continue on as such.
Suffice it to say that Hector walked out in a huff in the middle of service that night taking another weak-minded bus person with him. I'm sure the whole time thinking "this will really fuck him, that fat prick" (in Spanish of course) In reality, he and the other idiot that walked out blindly with him were replaced in about twelve hours. This is after I was encouraged to call him and apologize for my insensitivity to his misunderstood plight. (Please insert hysterical laughter here….) I have this to say, when I have traveled to other countries, which I've done many times, I was expected to at the very least, attempt to communicate in that countries native tongue. I did so, poorly might I add, but I tried. I then came home and spoke the language with which I was raised. I am not, in any way, implying that I am smarter or more clever than anyone else, I just know that there are certain, non-negotiable truths in any society. The most basic of those truths is that if you refuse to even attempt to communicate in the language of the land then you will be judged and challenged on a regular basis by those that do. That's it. There is no more to say on this point. It cannot be argued, it is fact. I am not saying it's right or wrong, it simply is what it is.
To be honest, I will miss Hector. He was a decent kid and he had a pretty good way about him. I do however, feel a great sense of relief since his departure. The rest of the dining room has picked up the slack and have begun to train the new additions to the staff as I have requested, in English. I actually love the Spanish language, I find it romantic and filled with rhythm and an almost song like quality. I think I will begin to speak it on a regular basis when, that is, I move to fucking Mexico!


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World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku Raiden Championships 12 was a mixed martial arts event promoted by World Victory Road. It took place on March 7th, 2010. This event will be broadcast via a 5-day tape delay in North America on HDNet.
Wilson Reis was rumored to be on the card, however he did not compete at this event.
At this event, Lightweight Champion Mizuto Hirota announced that he was vacating his title due to injuries he suffered in his last bout at Dynamite!! 2009 against DREAM Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki.
Jorge Santiago def. Mamed Khalidov via unanimous decision
Akihiro Gono def. Diego Gonzalez via unanimous decision
Maximo Blanco def. Chang Hyun Kim via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:10
Marlon Sandro def. Tomonari Kanomata via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 0:09
Yoshihiro Nakao def. Henry "Sentoryu" Miller via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:27
Yuji Hoshino def. Nick Denis via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 0:47
Leonardo Santos def. Kiuma Kunioku via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:06
Shigeki Osawa def. Kyung Ho Kang via unanimous decision

subset: commoncrawl


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Your best Option when Working with Natural Gas
Gas hot water heaters use natural gas or propane to supply the energy required to meet your household's hot water needs. This type of heater, which typically produces hot water more efficiently than a unit powered by electricity, is common in homes throughout Southern California and the rest of the country. Over time, your gas-powered hot water heater can develop serious problems that call for a speedy repair or (in extreme cases) a complete replacement. When your gas hot water heater malfunctions, call the experts at Orange Coast Plumbing. With training and experience gained through four decades of service to Orange County and Los Angeles County, we'll pinpoint the problem affecting your unit and quickly restore the convenience of abundant hot water in your household.
Conventional Storage Gas Water Heaters
There are two main types of gas hot water heaters: conventional storage heaters and tankless heaters. A conventional storage hot water heater is designed to heat up a supply of water and store that water at temperature in a reservoir tank. A small unit may hold no more than 20 gallons of hot water at a time, while the largest available household units can hold as much as 80 gallons in reserve. The heaters in most homes have a capacity of 30 to 50 gallons.
When you turn on the hot water taps in a house equipped with a conventional storage heater, the water you need flows from the top of the reservoir into your plumbing lines. By design, this type of heater keeps the same amount of water in its reserve tank at all times. In order to compensate for the volume of water drawn into your plumbing, the heater pulls in an equal amount of cold water from a line that extends from the top of the unit to the bottom of the tank. This water is brought up to the desired temperature when the heater's thermostat detects its presence and sends fuel to the burner, which starts the ignition process.
There is one potentially major drawback with conventional storage gas water heaters: energy wastage. Some of this wastage occurs when heated water sits inside a reservoir tank between periods of use and gradually undergoes a temperature drop. To make up for this heat loss, the burner must activate and use additional fuel to bring the water back up to temperature. Older storage heaters can also lose about 20 percent of all the heat they generate through their vertically mounted flues, which carry away the dangerous combustion gases produced by burning natural gas or propane. The wasted heat simply rises up through the flue and vents directly outdoors.
The water heater industry has come up with two popular solutions to the inefficiency of older, gas-powered conventional storage designs: power vent tanks and condensing tanks. In a power vent heater, a fan actively pulls combustion gases out of the unit's burner assembly and channels those gases outside through a small-diameter, horizontal vent pipe. This arrangement effectively gets rid of combustion byproducts while reducing the amount of lost heat. Some power vent systems, known as sealed combustion heaters, also help decrease your overall energy usage by relying on outside air to vent combustion gases instead of the conditioned air circulating inside your home.
In a conventional storage gas water heater with a condensing tank, an electrically powered fan pushes a mixture of natural gas or propane and air into sealed combustion chamber. When the fuel burns inside this chamber, the resulting gases pass through something called a secondary heat exchanger instead of passing directly into a flue. This exchanger draws off most of the heat that would have been lost in a traditional water heater, and uses that heat to increase the temperature of the water stored in the reservoir tank. A well-designed and well-maintained condensing storage heater can cut the energy wastage associated with a traditional storage heater from roughly 60 percent of the total fuel use all the way down to just 4 percent.
Tankless Gas Hot Water Heaters
As their name indicates, tankless gas water heaters don't have reservoir tanks. In fact, they don't store hot water at all. When you turn on the hot water taps in a house equipped with this type of heater, cold water enters the unit through a connected supply line. In response to this incoming water, a component called a flow sensor activates the heater's natural gas- or propane-powered burner, which in turn activates a heat exchanger. This exchanger transfers the heat from the burning process to the cold water and brings the water up to the temperature set at the thermostat. Next, the heated water travels out of the unit and into your plumbing lines. Every time you need hot water, this process begins again.
Unlike a system based around a conventional storage heater, which can produce significant delays in hot water output if your household needs ever exceed the amount of water stored in its reservoir, a system based around a tankless water heater never makes you wait for hot water while a tank fills up. Still, a tankless water heater does have a maximum flow rate (usually somewhere in the range of five gallons per minute, although some units have much higher flow capabilities). In addition, a faucet located across the house from your tankless water heater will typically not receive hot water as quickly as a faucet located just a few feet from the heater. As a rule, gas tankless water heaters can maintain a higher flow rate than electric tankless water heaters.
Tankless heaters cost substantially more money to install than storage water heaters. However, they have become popular for a number of reasons. First, they require less energy to run and typically contribute to a significant reduction in monthly utility costs. You can also install a tankless unit in a space much smaller than that required to install a storage unit. Additional important advantages include a longer average lifespan than storage water heaters and longer product warranties, as well as the ability to avoid contributing as much waste to your local landfill when your water heater inevitably reaches the end of its useful lifespan.
Maintaining a Gas Hot Water Heater
You can significantly extend the working life of your gas hot water heater by establishing and following a regular maintenance schedule. For a conventional storage unit, crucial steps in an effective maintenance routine include checking for leaks, inspecting the relief valve (responsible for preventing tank overpressurization), making sure that the heater is receiving an adequate flow of air, and partially draining the tank in order to eliminate any sediment accumulations. A tank filled with lots of sediment may need to be completely drained or flushed. Some experts recommend performing these tasks once every year, while others recommend a shorter six-month timespan between checkups.
The chief maintenance issue for a tankless gas water heater is the accumulation of mineral deposits on its heat exchanger. Over time, deposit buildup can make the exchanger in your unit lose much of its operating efficiency. In turn, a drop in efficiency will inevitably cut into the energy savings that often serve as the main reason for choosing a tankless heater over a conventional storage heater.
It can be tricky to establish a maintenance routine that keeps mineral deposit accumulations in your tankless gas heater under control. That's because the rate of mineral buildup on a heat exchanger can vary greatly along with the hardness (i.e., mineral content) of the water supply in your area. In areas with very hard water, problems can develop quickly enough to justify an annual inspection and exchanger cleaning. However, in areas with very soft water, you might not need to address this issue more often than every few years.
Whether your gas-powered hot water heater is a conventional storage or tankless model, the experts at Orange Coast Plumbing can help you develop a maintenance routine that keeps your unit in good functional condition throughout the year. And after working with you to create an appropriate routine, we can also complete each scheduled maintenance task to an exacting standard of care. That way, you'll never have to worry about performing any of the work yourself.
Signs That Your Gas Hot Water Heater Needs a Repair
Conventional storage gas water heaters can develop a broad range of problems that decrease their efficiency, make it harder for them to deliver adequate amounts of hot water or even make them active safety hazards in your home. Relatively common issues include inadequate hot water production, a burner that won't produce a flame for combustion, a burner with an excessively high flame, leaking from the temperature/pressure relief valve, and unusually slow refilling between periods of usage. Additional problems you may experience include strange odors associated with the combustion process, the production of excessively hot water, soot buildup and a pilot light that's too small, too big or won't stay lit during heater operation.
Like conventional storage units, tankless gas water heaters typically display telltale symptoms when they develop problems that may call for some sort of repair. Common issues you may encounter over time include a complete lack of hot water production, excessively low-temperature water, water that's too hot for safe use, and fluctuating water temperatures that alternate between hot and cold. Additional frequently encountered issues include a burner that fails to ignite, a burner that makes excessive amounts of noise during operation and unusually low water pressure. Some units are equipped with digital readouts that produce a series of error codes when problems arise.
Diagnosis and Repair
Whether you have a conventional storage unit or a tankless unit, all of the issues most likely to affect your gas hot water heater have multiple possible causes. For example, inadequate hot water production in a conventional storage heater may stem from such diverse problems as sediment accumulations in the tank, dirty burner apertures or improperly configured pipe connections. In a tankless heater, potential underlying causes of sub-temperature water include insufficient pressure in your gas supply lines, sediment accumulations on the heat exchanger and debris accumulation in the flue. A leaking relief valve on a conventional storage unit may be the result of issues such as an excessive buildup of water pressure or sediment accumulations. Potential causes of burner ignition problems on a tankless unit include an improperly installed flue/venting system and a damaged gas control valve.
Even if your system is designed to produce error codes, only a highly trained plumbing professional can properly assess the condition of your malfunctioning heater. At Orange Coast Plumbing, we rely exclusively on our staff of licensed, certified and insured plumbing experts, all of whom receive factory training in the latest heater technologies and repair techniques. When your gas-powered unit goes down, we'll send one of these seasoned specialists to your home at your earliest convenience. After inspecting the unit and determining the underlying cause of the problem, our technician will devise a cost-sensitive repair plan aimed at restoring your vital hot water supply as soon as possible. Once you approve this plan, we'll implement the repair with high-quality parts specifically designed for the make and model of your conventional storage or tankless heater.
Heater Replacement
Some heaters have problems that are simply too severe to remedy with a repair. Unfortunately, in such a situation, the only viable option is heater replacement. You may also want to consider replacing your heater if your current unit requires frequent, expensive repairs. The experts at Orange Coast Plumbing can help you determine if a replacement makes more sense than a repair. We can also perform fresh system installations for your new or remodeled home.
Count on Orange Coast Plumbing
Orange Coast Plumbing first opened for business way back in 1977. Since that time, we've been fully committed to providing communities throughout Southern California with the very best in comprehensive plumbing services. The core of our rock-solid reputation is a time-tested combination of traditional plumbing expertise and a constant exploration of the latest technological advances in our field. We round out this expertise with exemplary customer service, 24-hour availability for all emergencies, Better Business Bureau accreditation and a commitment to getting the job done at a price you can afford.


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Directorate of Small Savings, Assam.
Last Date: 16/11/2015.
Directorate of Small Savings Assam invited applications in prescribed Standard form of application from intending eligible candidates for filling up following posts.
Name of Post: Peon (Grade-IV)
No of Post: 02 Nos. (UR)
Educational Qualification: Class VIII passed.
Pay scale: PB, Rs. 4560/ + Grade Pay of Rs. 1500/ per month + other allowances as admissible under Rules.
Age: 18 to 38 years of age as on 01012015. The upper age limit is relaxable by 5 years for SC/ST candidates, i.e. up to 43 years In case of Government servant, the maximum age limit is relaxable up to 45 years inclusive of age concession.
How to apply: Interested and eligible candidates may apply in prescribed Standard form of application along with self attested Copies of all documents (Age proof Certificate & valid Employment Exchange Registration Card) + 3 copies of recent passport size photo duly signed by the candidate + 1 self addressed prestamped (Rs.5/) envelope of 18cm*27cm (approx) should reached the following given address within time "Directorate of Small Savings, Kar Bhawan Complex, 5th floor, Ganeshguri, Guwahati-781006".


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She bends to the keyboard, playing a composition of her own called "The Sweetest Love." He accompanies, barely contained in the role. The cascade of her curls. The speed of his fingers. The way she casts an eye at him and he at her and the music turns, pauses, continues. Perfect time, Chris says, and no percussion. I gave up Pics and Paragraphs awhile back, moving on with the idea that these little pieces should become something else – poems, a book, a springboard. Maybe. The world kept changing. Donald Trump. Leaving my job. A legislative season spent wincing at the news. There is so much to think about, so much that needs writing. But then tonight, the room more empty than full, the music so alive. (What happened there would never happen the same way again.) I missed this small undertaking, this attempt to give word and image to the unexpected and the daily.
Author: vivegriffith
White Truck
This is Texas, after all. My friend, a screenwriter, once wrote a scene in which a character in a small Texas town can't figure out which white truck is his, trying door after door. Around the table in Hollywood, the producers didn't get the joke. And now it's too late for that joke, all the truck drivers pressing their automatic locks, the beeping and flashing leading the way. Today it was almost too late for me too, a white truck gunning it past my shoulder as I crossed South Congress. So close the strangers behind me gasped aloud. So close I reared back and adrenaline flushed my body. White truck, my life is still worth more than your rush. White truck, if you'd taken it slowly you'd have seen, further up the road, a house where the artists made all the eyes doubled.
January 12, 2016
The Peace of Other People's Homes
Watching a friend's cat, I let myself in, find the pans hung in their same places, the lights of the wi-fi still twinkling. There is something in the smooth surfaces of someone else's table, the soft fluff of someone else's cat with her petite head nudging my hand. Her neediness is not the neediness of my own pets, this mail not my mail to be sorted and dealt with. Nothing new gets added to my lists between these walls. I could sit all night reading a magazine in the brown chair, cat brushing again past my legs. Then later, at another house, a pile of shredded manchego waits, a wooden spoon we take turns using to stir the risotto. The sausage a gift from a friend I don't know, have no need to thank. I could take a week off just to sort through my home, its piles, its unclipped price tags. But in other people's homes, nothing is left undone. Over time the rice plumps perfectly. And if the lock sticks as I'm leaving, I don't mind. Just jiggle it closed and move on.
December 28, 2015
Wrapping Up 2015
When I went to bed last night it was 75 degrees out. When I woke this morning it was 48, windows downstairs fogged to opaque. The day changes as the year does, dramatically, when you aren't looking. I ate kale on New Year's Day in a Belgian cafe in Greenwich Village. I ate Italian sausage at our dining room table last night, broccoli rabe with a ton of garlic, windows open to the breeze. Luna made a seamless run from window sill to Andrew's lap. And 2015 leans toward its close. Practice. Reverence. Play. I began there. Two hundred pages later we dance to Vince Guaraldi while waiting for dinner guests. I weep to "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" in church on Christmas morning. Someone shit in the stairwell we took from the parking lot. Everything happening imperfectly. But 2015, it was a good year, in its grace and its improbabilities. Coyotes howled to sirens behind the fence. Cosmos bloomed at Christmas in the yard. I stood on a roll of white paper for a photo. You can't predict. You can only pay attention. And most this year I did. I did.
December 27, 2015
How Far Away Is Spain?
It is the distance of diesel fumes sharp on the nose in the morning, the distance of grela growing on tall stalks beside houses. Spain, Spain is an espresso cup stacked and waiting, milk in square boxes. For days we walked in Galicia where the corn was harvested, only the darkest, sweetest grapes still waiting on the vine. Mist and eucalyptus and the tapping of my sticks on the road. This is a different Spain than the one that gave us gorgonzola and apple croquettes on a bustling square in Madrid. Old women in smocks stood with shovels in hand, dogs didn't raise their heads when we passed. So many chickens. If I could I would return to the small bar where they made us a fresh tortilla and a table of Spandex-clad cyclists stepped away to reveal leaning men at the counter sipping coffee. I'd walk again down the giant hill past white goats, away from the hotel where they served us greens from a can. Dawn breaking, a bakery a half hour away already stacking their plates with pound cake and chocolate donuts. How much sugar can a morning contain? How much sweetness? Spain is green olives, toasted bread spread with tomato. It is Roman Road XIX winding us through pine trees and over fast rivers. How rounded the stones. Vermouth on tap. Another dinner at an empty restaurant while the locals wait, wait. It is a shuttered afternoon that opens onto evening clatter, so many people talking on benches, such a long way from this quiet couch in the morning.
October 20, 2015
Whichever way you come, it's a long way to Santiago. Hills and high roads and all the varieties of water running beside the path. Sheep and goats and horses and ponies, a burro, a black pig, chickens and chickens and chickens. Dogs who don't care. Dogs who do. Cobblestone and roman road and highway and driveway and asphalt and dirt path and back roads rutted with mud and pine matted forest floor. Wherever home is, it is far away, the concerns of the day more primary — food and feet, rain, the next yellow arrow and the next. A year after my first Camino I walked with my love, surprised to find us tromping the last kilometers past business women and school kids in the Santiago afternoon, then reuniting with those we'd met on the plaza. We all stared up at the cathedral, still partly shrouded in scaffolding, but waiting here all along.
October 14, 2015
Padron to Santiago
When Walking
There is a rhythm that comes — not in the first steps or maybe in the first days — pole foot foot pole foot foot – a rhythm that is the sound of your own body moving itself through your own life. You can only go forward. Pine needles under your shoes, shadow of trees. Asphalt and fast cars and glimpses of wild mint in the ditch. Pathway empty and waiting. There is a line between figuring it out and following the arrows where they point you. Pole foot foot pole foot foot. Catch a glimpse of what's ahead. Keep going.
October 12, 2015
Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis


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text: We were delighted to hear about Nikesh's latest venture with agent Julia Kingsford, The Good Literary Agency which is an agency aimed at representing writers from groups under represented in the publishing industry. We found The Guardian Books Podcast's episode on the reasons behind the agency illuminating. You can listen to it below:


text:
My friend Blake and I recently moved into a newly renovated house together, a little two story in the city of Pittsburgh with a pale brick front and a sort of Moorish inspired kitchen and exposed red brick on the inside. We have a habit of moving to the same city independently every few years for jobs or women or great parties and then living together when we find out that other people don't like us, me probably because I like to mess up the refrigerator magnets, and Blake because his name makes him sound like he's always on his way to or from some sort of gala or yacht show, the stuck up prick.
My first thought when we moved in was, "I wonder if this house is haunted?" I don't believe in ghosts or the paranormal or Tony Robbins, but you know with these old city houses that have been around since the early 20th century, you've got to assume that someone kicked the bucket there at some point. Probably in some really horrific way, like typhoid or acid reflux or something. I'm no ghost expert, but I do believe angry dead people are a key ingredient to hauntings.
Strange little things started to happen. Blake said he fell asleep on the couch one night and heard people talking in the basement. "Fuck that," I said. "I think it was just a dream," he said. Or at least I think he said that because I had already left to go hide from the ghost in another room of the house where the ghost lived. Actually, he probably said something about a Sotheby's auction he had to get to, the bougie trust-fund sack of shit.
One day I closed the dishwasher to start a cycle, left the kitchen, and came back a few minutes later to find that the door of the dishwasher was wide open. "Odd," I pretended to think calmly as I had already concluded that this was the work of a demon. I closed the dishwasher and re-started the cycle and then rummaged around through my closet for the crucifix I hoped I'd had the foresight to buy on a drunken whim at some point in the past, but no such luck. Drinking doesn't pay I realized, sipping my drink.
The paranormal events all came to a head in the very early morning a few weeks ago. I was suffering through a bout of insomnia; my eyes were just beginning to close at about 3 AM when I heard a resounding, deafening crash come from my off-suite bathroom on the second floor – where both of our bedrooms are – that woke me up instantaneously. I'm proud to say that I barely even peed myself. Technically, you could make the argument that if any pee comes out in your pants or underwear, then you've peed yourself, but I think that in our colloquial lexicon a significant volume of urine is required to count as "pissing yourself" or the bed or an airplane or wherever you're at when you let loose.
My survival instincts kicked in, adrenaline surged, and I used that boost of strength and awareness to push myself into the depths of my memory foam mattress and pull up my blanket around my face like I was about to tie a bandanna. My first thought, of course, was that this was the ghost. A second thought, barely perceptible, was that this was a home invasion, which I quickly ruled out because the second story windows are almost inaccessible and the staircase leading up to the second floor creaks with even a light touch. I thought, if this IS a cat burglar after jewels or something, then yeah, take my lotion and embroidered hand towels, man. You've earned it.
As I'm sure you'll agree, deciding that the noise was, in fact, of paranormal origin was the MOST rational thing for me to believe in that moment. After the clatter, with my senses still heightened, I listened intently for any further sounds, but none came. I assumed – again by deductive reasoning – that the ghost was waiting for me to open the door to check out the noise, and after I had removed the impenetrable barrier that stood between us, the ghost would probably rough me up pretty good. So like any coolly reasonable person, I didn't take the bait, and instead tried to telepathically will the spirit to go murder my friend instead. For a good twenty minutes I stayed up listening for other signs of activity and muttering "get Blake", but hearing nothing I finally drifted off to sleep and denied the ghost a meal of my soul.
The next day I discovered that the apocalyptic noise from my bathroom earlier that morning was thanks to a poorly installed tension shower curtain rod that in its calamitous descent had also swept off a number of hygiene products from my shelf. Why the ghost took issue with my shower curtain rod and decided to pull it down I don't think I'll ever know, but I do hope it can find peace.
Later in the day, Blake asked me if I'd heard the noise in the middle of the night and asked what it was, and then told me that his instinctual reaction upon hearing it was to turn up the television volume in his room, cover himself in a blanket, and pretend he didn't hear anything at all. I was appalled at his cowardice, but should have come to expect that kind of behavior from such an elitist, entitled, and narcissistic boat-shoe wearing dick.
If anyone needs a roommate, let me know.


text:
Fantastic, thanks. One more minor question: what is 'bit-return' and
-----Original Message-----
From: James Edward Gray II [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 3:11 PM
To: ruby-talk ML
Subject: Re: Thousands of words on Ruby
On Sep 7, 2006, at 2:11 PM, Molitor, Stephen L wrote:
What do you do for 'rename method' in TextMate? I'm aware of the
search and replace in file feature but I was wondering if there was
something better.
First, let me admit this is the point I have the least ideal solution
for and I am interested in a Ruby Refactoring library I can wrap in
TextMate commands. Remember though, knowing everything about a Ruby
script is all but impossible until runtime. Given that, such a library
would likely function off of heuristics, and that's about as accurate
I use TextMate's Find in Project with a hand rolled regular expression.
For your example of a method call I might try something
Find: (\.|^[ \t]*)method_name\b
Replace: $1new_name
I can sometimes refine that a little depending on my knowledge of the
project at hand. I always do a Find first, reality-check the matches,
then Replace All. I find this works a very high percentage of the time,
though I do make mistakes, of course.
Here are my solutions to the other points:
There should be a background parser running all the time so that
you always know if you have syntax errors and can jump to them with
one click; it is so totally a waste of time for me to save, then try
to run, a file that the computer is in a position to know won't work.
I built a TextMate command scoped to Ruby source with a key equivalent
of apple-S that takes the document as input and asks TM to save the
current document when triggered. (This essentially overrides Save in
Ruby files, performs the Save, and allows me to hook in additional
I feed the document to `ruby -c`. If it checks out, I display a Syntax
OK tool tip (default output for this command). If errors are found, I
use the exit_codes.rb support library that ships with TextMate to switch
the output to HTML and display hyperlinked-back-to- the-source error
This command is an example in my upcoming book:
I shouldn't have to type the names of well-known methods, like
File.new or (anything).each, or type in closing parentheses or the
keyword end, or fill in more than a couple of characters of
begin/rescue/ensure structures; it is never correct for a human to hit
keys when a computer, in principle, could provide the input.
One word: snippets.
TextMate ships with all the snippets I have written for Ruby and then
I should never have to scroll much; IDEs go to a lot of trouble
to make it trivial to jump from wherever to the source for the method
being called, or its docs, or the next compile error or breakpoint, or
variable declaration, or whatever. Scrolling back and forth in a
source-code file is just stupid.
Apple-T to zoom to the needed file, shift-apple-T to zoom to the needed
method. Once you get use to how it matches names you can go anywhere in
an instant:
1. apple-T
2. bit-return (takes me to test/functional/beta_invite_test.rb)
3. shift-apple-T
4. teir-return (takes me to test_email_is_required)
Unit testing should be part of the infrastructure. To create a
test, or run a test, or look at test results, you shouldn't have to
hit more than one keystroke.
Apple-R to run a test file, or shift-apple-R to run just the current
test. Use zentest to auto-generate the tests (you can wrap that in
a TextMate command with about three lines of Ruby, if you like).
Hope this helps.
James Edward Gray II


text:
A structural tower explodes into chaotic dispersement of triangular shapes across a checkered landscape. Or, something like that. Now that the dust has settled, it's safe once again to visit my gallery at Redbubble to see this design on a potpourri of interesting gift and apparel items. So, check it out!
Hope to see you soon!


text:
Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce is on the move… we've come a long way in the past several years, and again accelerated our forward motion since December when we hired our new Executive Director, Tony LoPiccolo.
With Tony's leadership, along with the guidance of the best Board of Directors I've served along side in my 30 years with this Chamber, we've implemented several new programs designed to enhance the value we give our members, and to to help grow their business, which is what our goal and mission is as Chamber of Commerce.Some of the programs we have implemented, including but not limited to, are:
Membership Development (working more closely with members and
connecting business to other businesses who can benefit from each
Knowledge is Power (monthly business to business workshops)
ChamberMaster (providing guidance on how to best utilize this fantastic
program to showcase their business and/or provide Hot Deals)
Committee Development (grew most all our committees with members
who have been excited to get involved)
Home Business Survey (sent surveys to home based businesses to see
how the Chamber and City may better assist in growing their business)
Job Fair / Business Expo (off the charts this year - over 20 people actually
applied for employment on site, and set up interviews with those
businesses who participated)
We have several more programs and events that have been quite successful this year, and we are building on those successes to better serve our members and business community.
I thank the Board of Directors, Ambassadors, Committee Chairs and Members of those committees for their commitment of time. I love their energy, and their input. What an asset and they are VOLUNTEERS who willingly give of their time, talent and treasure.
As the Chair, I am proud and honored to work closely with these individuals. But wait there's more… I am equally proud to work with such stellar staff comprised of Tony LoPiccolo and Desiree Cassady. Tony has brought in over 72 new members since he was hired in December, along with our Operations Manager, Des.
The two of them have organized our office, records, put policies and procedures in place, created partnerships with a lot of outside organizations, and are connecting businesses with other businesses, and individuals creating long lasting relationships. Des is extremely talented with her event planning skills, she makes it all appear seamless and with a smile. We are very fortunate to have them as part of the team… just get out of their way as they have people to see and places to go.
Next, along with many other projects the Chamber has planned in the near future, we (Chamber, Directors, and volunteers, in partnership with the city) will be organizing an on site visit day to the businesses - another way to reach out to see what the Chamber and City can do to assist those businesses in our community.
Yes, the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce is on the move… so come along, get on the train, and let's work together for the betterment of our members and business community - you may even have a lot of fun!
Vicki Carpenter


text:
Mariah Carey, Rich Homie Quan and Hit-Boy on the same track? Unexpected, to say the least. Mimi tapped the Atlanta rapper and Cali-based producer to craft her latest single "Thirsty," which sounds like a blend of classic Mariah-pop, with a 'lil something for the clubs.
And no, Mariah isn't the one in desperate need of a drink. "You're thirsty for a dream/ Leaving me drowning/ Boy, there ain't no S.O.S." she sings on the track.
Rich Homie Quan's contribution debuted on the radio, but for now the stream below only includes Mariah's vocals. (Listen to Rich Homie Quan's feature here).
"Thirsty" is expected to appear on her upcoming album Me. I am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse, which drops on May 27. Additional features on the project include Nas, Wale, Miguel and Trey Songz.
"The album itself was always most important because I wanted to make sure that it was a journey that was representative of who I am and what I've been through over the past three years," Carey recently told MTV News about the upcoming LP.


text:
Betterbrella's arrive damaged.
I bought 2 Betterbrellas from last weeks presentation. The sunflower arrived Tues by UPS. I noticed the end of the square shipping "tube" was bent at a funny angle. I removed the umbrella and tried to open it….it stuck, then flew up….and saw the center post was cracked. When closing it, the post broke about 6″ above the handle…and it cut my hand. The yellow one arrived today by USPS. Again, the shipping tube was bent. I removed it and opened the umbrella….which also stuck then opened….and the center post was bent over to the side. I called HSN customer service on both. The first one I returned on Wed. and the other one is going back tomorrow. Few are available but I would not accept an exchange.
Either this shipping "tube" is not sturdy enough or neither is the Betterbella.
So disappointed in this item. HSN needs to look into a proper shipping method for this item. 2 for 2 is BAD……..Not happy.
Sorry this happened. 😞
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Posted in Clearance, Special & Coupons
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2 Participants


text:
November 2019
Judge Grants Bond to Father of Four
Attorney Sara Ramey and Law Student Camilla Morrison successfully convinced an Immigration Judge to give a Guatemalan father another chance at a bond hearing (the law only allows for one hearing except in exceptional circumstances). At this second hearing the judge agreed to grant a $6000 bond and our client is now back with his children, wife, mother, and brothers in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.
October 2019
Cuban Political Dissident Achieves Reversal of Negative Credible Fear Interview with USCIS
Pro bono attorney Tony Ortega successfully wrote a Request for Reconsideration to USCIS for a Cuban detainee whose negative Credible Fear Interview results were affirmed by the Immigration Judge, despite his well-founded fear of political persecution for opposing the communist regime. With the Migrant Center's help, including the presentation of evidence that his wife's similar case was approved by an Immigration Judge, USCIS decided to reverse the negative results it had previously issued and give him a chance to fight for protection in the U.S. along side his wife, as well as request release from detention so that he can be reunified with his wife (who was separated from him at the border and held in detention in Aurora Colorado).
September 2019
Judge Convinced to Give Venezuelan Asylum Seeker a Chance
With the assistance of pro bono attorney Tony Ortega, we were able to help a Venezuelan asylum seeker convince the judge to reverse his negative interview results and give him a chance in court for protection. The Migrant Center team has been traveling to the South Texas Detention Complex and assisting detained immigrants all month, including by helping them prepare to present their cases to an Immigration Judge. Besides merits hearing prep, we also do asylum interview "review" prep. Most asylum seekers must pass a Credible Fear Interview or Reasonable Fear Interview, respectively, before they have the right to present their case to a judge (read here for our analysis of this process). When an asylum seeker does not pass the interview we help them prepare to speak with the judge about why they believe they should still have a chance to receive protection in the U.S. During our preparation for this judicial review we explain the process and their rights, discuss tips for testifying and avoiding interpretation problems, conduct a practice session to familiarize them with court questioning, and review the law with them.
August 2019
Honduran Mother Gets Case Reopened
The Migrant Center helped Eliza, a mother of four from Honduras, reopen her case with the Immigration Court after the court ordered her deported without proper notice of her hearing date. She will now have a chance to seek protection. The Migrant Center has prepare asylum applications with her and her children, as well as a detailed English declaration about their persecution in Honduras.
June 2019
Nicaraguan Wins Appeal
The Migrant Center helped Amilcar, a political opponent of the Nicaraguan dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega, win his appeal at the Board of Immigration Appeals. Due to poor preparation issues outside of his control, very little evidence was initially submitted to the Immigration Judge. He now has another opportunity to present his political persecution case to the Immigration Judge.
April 2019
Congolese Woman Wins Asylum
The Migrant Center helped a woman fleeing political persecution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo win asylum. We researched and compiled human rights reports for her on her political party and conducted an in-person practice testimony session. She wrote us a letter thanking us and everyone who has supported our work: "Glory to God I won my asylum case. That God bless you infinitely today, tomorrow and always and protect your colleagues, your work, your family." This work wouldn't be possible without the generous support of individuals in the community like you.
Refugees get Appropriately Screened
The Migrant Center helped one Honduran man convince an Immigration Judge to vacate USCIS' negative Credible Fear Interview determination and in another case the Migrant Center convinced ICE to schedule a Honduran man for a Reasonable Fear Interview after he had been in detention for over six months without being screened, thus giving both men a chance at fighting for protection here in the U.S. They both now have a chance to file asylum applications in Immigration Court.
March 2019
Three Asylum Wins
The Migrant Center helped three detained refugees receive protection in the U.S. In the first case, we helped a political opponent of Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega prepare for testifying at his final court hearing.
In the second case, we assisted a young father from Honduras fleeing police persecution for refusing to participate in their illegal arms trafficking scheme by helping him fill out his asylum application and write a declaration in English, researching and compiling human rights evidence, assisting him with personal documents – including a psychiatrist evaluation and English translations, and helping him prepare for his final court hearing. We would like to thank everyone who gave so generously of their time to help on this case, including Raiya Al-Nsour, Patricia Walthan, Joy Choi, and Daniela Montufar.
In the third case, we helped a Honduran man who had been raped after suffering years of harassment and discrimination for his perceived sexual identity to prepare his asylum application, compile country condition reports, and get ready to testify before the Immigration Judge. He was aided by pro bonopsychiatrist Joy Choi.
February 2019
Two Imminent Deportations Stopped
Thanks to Kaitlin and the team at Hogan, several hours after the deportation officer called us to say that Josefina would be deported to Honduras the next day, they successfully got a temporary stay from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. When ICE found out about the stay the next morning Josefina was already on a flight back to Honduras. ICE flew her back to the U.S. later the same day.
The day before the Migrant Center succeeded in getting USCIS to change its negative asylum interview decision in Jose's case and give him a chance at fighting his case before an Immigration Judge.
January 2019
Asylee Released
After a six-month fight to get Syed, a Yemeni asylee, released from detention, he is finely free. Our client was granted asylum in June 2018 but ICE refused to release him while they appealed the decision, even though there were no "exceptional concerns" in the case (the standard ICE is supposed to use to continue detaining someone who has been granted protection in the U.S.). With the help of a team of pro bono lawyers ICE lost their appeal in November 2018. However, ICE still refused to release Syed, stating that they needed to wait until the judge received his updated fingerprints (which ICE had already taken and knew were clear) and reissued the asylum decision. Simultaneously, another asylee client of ours in the exact same situation, but with a different ICE officer, was released. At the end of December 2018 the judge reissued the decision but despite the ICE attorney's assurances that Syed would then be released, he was still locked up eight days later. We filed an emergency motion and he was finally released the next day.
$1,500 Bond Granted to Dreamer
The Migrant Center helped a Dreamer receive the lowest bond possible from an Immigration Judge after ICE refused to release her due to a pending drug paraphernalia possession arrest. She had let her DACA lapse due to fear-mongering in the community since Trump's election and lack of economic resources to pay for the process. She is now back with her friends and family.
Pro Bono Win Asylum for Two Refugees at the Board of Immigration Appeals
We are thrilled to report two asylum wins this month. In the first case, Mohamed, a young man from Somalia was granted asylum after spending close to two years in detention with pro bono help of Professor David Gottlieb from Wake Forest and the CLINIC program. The Migrant Center prepared a detailed declaration and evidence packet for Mohamed. The attorney wrote that the Migrant Center's work was "very helpful in supporting [the] argument on appeal… we cite the I-589 repeatedly, that the country conditions evidence is used to establish the minority status of [his] tribe and the conflict with the [majority tribe], and that Respondent's declaration concerning his flight was central to our ability to argue that the IJ's claim that Respondent spent a month in Somalia after his incarceration (and therefore could have safely remained) was not supported in the record." On remand, DHS tried to deny Mohamed asylum due to his PTSD. The Migrant Center connected the attorney with psychologist Gary Whiting and together they were able to convince the judge that he should be granted asylum. Mohamed is now out of detention after spending 1 1/2 years locked up.
In the second case, Tesfaye, a young man from Eritrea fleeing government torture for expressing his political opinion, pro bono Neil Cohen represented him before the Immigration Judge where he won protection under the Convention Against Torture and continued his case before the BIA where he won asylum, giving him the opportunity to apply for a green card and eventually citizenship.
December 2018
Four People Granted Release from Detention
We won bonds for two clients: A young man from Honduras fleeing police persecution was granted a $2,500 bond by ICE. In another case, a young woman from Honduras (who wrote about her journey to the U.S. in our last newsletter here) was granted a bond by the Immigration Judge over DHS' objection because the judge understood that the young woman only presented a fake birth certificate as a result of the smuggler telling her that she needed to pretend to be a minor to get protection.
Separately, we got an Eritrean client released on an Order of Supervision. He had been granted Withholding of Removal by an Immigration Judge but ICE was continuing to detain him in an effort to remove him to Sudan, where he had lived undocumented for many years and had been persecuted for religious reasons. He is now happily living at an immigration shelter.
Lastly, we assisted an asylum seeker successfully pass their credible fear interview, after which ICE granted him a $1,500 bond, the lowest amount possible. He released and home for the holidays.
November 2018
Congratulations and Thank You to Our Pro Bonos
Pro bono lawyers from DLA Piper successfully defended a Yemeni man who was granted asylum in May but forced to remain in detention another six months while the government sought to take away his asylum. Special thanks to Katie Jahnke, Michael Massiatte, and John Lloyde, as well as the CLINIC team for all their work.
DLA Piper pro bono lawyers won an appeal for a Sudanese Darfur genocide survivor. The government was trying to reverse the Immigration Judge's decision but, with the help of DLA Piper, the asylee was able to keep his protection. He spent over a year in detention fighting his case and has now been released. Special thanks to Emily Johnson, Laura Sixkiller, and Sarah Stanton, as well as the CLINIC team.
The Migrant Center works on the ground to identify strong cases and connect asylum seekers with the legal representation they need to succeed. We provide on the ground support to the pro bono lawyers we work with as needed.
Separately, we would like to give a shout out to the Cuny Law School Immigration Clinic who accepted the case of a former Bengali client granted asylum by the Immigration Judge but then whose his green card application was delayed by USCIS for over two years without clear reason. They successfully litigating a federal mandamus request and he received his green card approval just before Thanksgiving. Thank you for making this possible!
October 2018
Luz is Released
Luz was finally released and reunited with her son in New York. Luz underwent months of family separation and medical hardship before she contacted the Migrant Center and we were able to connect her with an independent doctor, community advocates, and a low bono lawyer. We extend our profound thanks to Julia, Kate, Dionne, Ruby and everyone else who helped Luz for all their tireless work on this case. Not only does it take boots on the ground visiting asylum seekers in detention. It truly takes a community.
September 2018
Protection Granted to Eritrean Man
Mr. M., a persecuted Pentacostal Christian, was granted protection by the Immigration Judge. The Eritrean government only allows for four religions to practices openly so Mr. M and his family participated in an underground, secret church. When the Eritrean government found out about the church they broke into a service and beat and arrested its members. Mr. M, a teenager at the time, was hospitalized. The Migrant Center assisted him in preparing his declaration in English, taking photos of his injuries (permission must be obtained from ICE to bring a camera into the facility), gave him information on gathering evidence, and prepared him for his final hearing.
August 2018
Guatemalan Teacher Wins Asylum
The Migrant Center won asylum for a Guatemalan teacher and activist who was persecuted for standing up to the corrupt practices of politicians in his community. He will now be able to petition for his wife and three children who, once reunited, will live with him in San Antonio.
Darfuri Genocide Survivor Wins UN Protection
The Migrant Center won protection under the United Nations Convention Against Torture for a survivor of the Sudanese government's genocide against Darfuris, escaping Janjaweed attack on his village that killed his father and separated him from his mother and all of his siblings but one. When his remaining sibling became politically active, our client was detained and tortured by the government for information. DHS is appealing and refusing to release him from detention even though they previous said he could leave on payment of a 7,500 bond [which he does not have].
Father Reunited with Children
A father of two young children and long-term resident of south Texas was release on bond with the help of the Migrant Center. He can now continue his case from outside detention while being with his family.
July 2018
Father from El Salvador Released and Reunited with Son
We successfully obtained the release of a father and minor son who had been forcibly separated by immigration and held in different facilities, overcoming the fact that our client had three prior deportations by successfully arguing that, in passing his protection interview and proving that he has a significant possibility of winning his case, he has shown that he is not a flight risk. They are now reunited and living with family in Maryland.
Honduran Mom and Three Minor Children Released and Reunited
Our client Luz was released from detention and reunited with her three minor children, who were being held separately in an unaccompanied minors shelter in San Antonio. "I'm still trying to absorb everything," she told us, as she showed us her immigration paperwork telling her that she needs to report back to ICE in one week. "Thank you so much for all your support," she added, while we watched her children ran around the Catholic Charities reception center getting clothes and toys with smiles on their faces. Her and her three minor children were separated and detained by immigration for over two months.
Eritrean Man Wins Protection under the UN Convention Against Torture
Pro Bono attorney Neil Cohen worked with the Migrant Center team to win protection for an Eritrean man who fled indefinite military servitude and torture for speaking out against the government's policies. He was tied up in an infamous stress position for over 15 hours as a public message to others who might consider defying the regime. He was later thrown in prison and forced to engage in hard labor for two years.
June 2018
Yemeni Man Wins Asylum
Yemeni man wins asylum after the Migrant Center helps him prepare for court. Court preparation includes explaining trial rights and procedure, discussing how to effectively communicate when working with an interpreter to present testimony, practicing sample questions, and reviewing legal requirements.
May 2018
Asylum Office Reverses Negative Interview Results
After the Migrant Center presented new evidence and legal argument to the Asylum Office, they agreed to change their decision and give our Cuban client a chance to present her political opinion asylum case to a judge. The Immigration Judge had already signed off on the initial negative credible fear interview results and she was scheduled for imminent deportation.
Judge Grants Bond to Austin Man
The Immigration Judge granted bond to our client, a long-time Austin resident from Honduras who was suffering severe stomach pain and anxiety in detention. He has now been able to reunite with his family and will be able to pursue his asylum case from outside detention.
NTA Issued in Split Family Case
A Guatemalan father of three girls who was forcibly separated from them by CPB was recently issued a Notice To Appear placing him in removal proceedings after the Migrant Center reached out to the Asylum Office about the due process problems involved in keeping the family separated. As a result, he can now pursue an asylum case and seek his release from detention to be with his daughters.
Transgender Woman Wins Protection
The Migrant Center helped a transgender woman from Honduras win protection in the U.S. In addition to facing years of discrimination and harassment, she was recently targeted by the gangs for forced conversion / punishing by rape. Thank you to those who supported her case.
April 2018
Wimberley Mom Released
The Migrant Center represented Maria Garcia, a mom of two, who was granted a bond by the Immigration Judge, allowing her to return to her family and friends in Wimberley. We would like to thank all those in the community who supported her and her family during the difficult five weeks she spent in detention, including Mano Amiga, Wimberley Indivisible, and Dream Activist.
Guatemalan Man Reunified with Family
The Migrant Center obtained a parole bond for a Guatemalan man who was forcibly separated from his wife and young child by immigration. He has now reunited with them in Maryland.
Asylum Seeking Mother Granted Bond
The Migrant Center represented a Honduran mother of a 2-year-old child in obtaining a bond from the Immigration Judge. She is now able to join her child and her mother and siblings in the United States while she pursues her asylum case.
March 2018
Congolese Man Wins Asylum
The Migrant Center helped a man from the Democratic Republic of the Congo win asylum. He was brutally tortured by the government for supporting an opposition political party. He attended an evidence prep workshop and a court prep workshop. We were also able to find him a pro bono translator who helped put his documents in English for the court.
February 2018
Ethiopian Man Wins Asylum
The Migrant Center won asylum for an Ethiopian man who was tortured by his government based on false accusations of involvement with an independence rebel group solely because of his ethnicity and family relationship. The Migrant Center won his case after four years of litigation before the Board of Immigration Appeals and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. We would like to thank all our partners in this case, including ProBAR, RAICES, NIJC, and the law firm of Gibson Dunn. In the words of the asylum seeker, "Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. I'm really happy."
Wimberley Man Released
The Migrant Center obtained a 1,500 bond, the lowest amount possible, for a Wimberley community member, husband and father of three children, and grandfather of a 2 ½ year old U.S. citizen. We would like to thank the community for all their support, including the team at Mano Amiga, Dream Activist, and Wimberley Indivisible.
January 2018
Father of Five Avoids Deportation
The Migrant Center for Human Rights helped a father of five get taken out of Expedited Removal, a legal process that would have seen him quickly deported to Mexico, based on his over 10 years living in the United States and clean criminal record. He now has the right to speak with an Immigration Judge and request Cancellation of Removal, giving him a chance at a green card. He has one US citizen child, a legal permanent resident child, and several children who have DACA. He was also granted a bond and has now returned home and is living with his family while he pursues his case.
December 2017
The Migrant Center for Human Rights helps two men – one from Gambia and one from the Democratic Republic of the Congo – win asylum pro se. They won their cases after attending evidence and court prep workshops hosted by the Migrant Center, receiving human rights evidence packets to support their cases, and meeting one-on-one with a Migrant Center lawyer to prepare for their final court hearing. In the words of one of the men, ''thank you for everything''.
November 2017
The Migrant Center for Human Rights obtained release for an asylum seeker who was forcibly separated from his wife. Although his wife remains detained at Hutto, he has been able to visit her with the help of the staff at Casa Marianella, an immigrant shelter in Austin where he is staying.
October 2017
The Migrant Center for Human Rights obtained release for an asylum seeker with medical concerns, who fainted twice while in detention, always felt dizzy, and often had to walk with his hand along the wall or sit down to steady himself. Other detainees would see him shake and offer to carry his food tray. On Monday October 25th he arrived at his family's home in New Jersey.
September 2017
The Migrant Center for Human Rights convinced an Immigration Judge to reconsider his denial of asylum, thereby vacating his deportation order and reopening removal proceedings. Amadou (name changed to protect client confidentiality) fled political and ethnic persecution at the hands of the Guinean government.
July 2017
The Migrant Center for Human Rights, in collaboration with RAICES, won asylum for a Guatemalan woman and her children. Maria (name changed to protect client confidentiality) and her children fled more than 12 years of domestic violence after the Guatemalan police and court system repetitively failed to protect her and her children.


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Sorry we've been a MIA this week. We'll be back to regular broadcasting next week, celebrating Laura's birthday and gearing up for Serena's road trip! Stay tuned!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Good Luck Megamillion lotto players (aka everyone in the country). Found here.
To all the Croc lovers out there…. Lolcats is watching you…
Ha. Found here.
Cute. Wit & Delight
YES. Found here.
This isn't new BUT it's still hilarious!


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First off, welcome to the Morgan River Ranch, sited in the beautiful western foothills of the Coast Range in the tiny town (if it could really be called that) of Bellfountain, Oregon, between Corvallis to the north and Eugene to the south. If you're just joining this blog, the original for the past year was on Yahoo 360, but since Yahoo is dumping that site in a few weeks, I moved to a much more user friendly site here at Blogspot. For those of you rejoining us here, welcome to the new home of the Ranch Blog!
Yep, finally got 'er moved today and started. Well, okay, didn't get 'er moved, the archives I saved didn't translate to the new blog at all, so I just went into continuation mode. The old blog is still over at Yahoo on the new site for viewing, but it is just too hard to use, especially for picture uploading, so I won't be publishing to it at all, but you can go over and view it for past posts.
Let's jump right in. First shot is of the early summer garden, right after we finally got the RV moved into the old red barn. That story's comin' up, complete with tons of pix from start to finish. Right now, I'm harvesting the last of the 'Cheddar' cauliflower and still harvesting lots of 'Coronado Crown' broccoli along with the continuing harvests of the sugar snap peas, snow peas, small onions and strawberries. I've been freezing the peas for stir fry on the nights I don't actually stir fry 'em right from the garden. Nothing like a great Tony round steak with fresh from the garden snow and snap peas and button broccoli pieces for an all-ranch feast! For those who don't know, Tony was our buttheaded white faced Hereford X steer shown here, taking on Cricket the Aussie pup. Totally grassfed and organically raised, he filled the chest freezer to the brim a year ago. If you're on the fence about grassfed, unconfined beef, let me tell ya. You will not get the same healthy, great tasting beef from grainfed, confined feedlot beef as you will from grassfed and finished, unconfined beef. Grassfed and finished beef has much lower bad cholesterol and also has cancer-fighting properties, plus the steers get to roam around, building muscle while they do so, in a low-stress environment that means calmer, healthier steers. All of which translate into awesome, beefy tasting, tender beef on your plate. And the saying "Meet the Meat You Eat" gives you the opportunity to see where your steer has lived and in what kind of conditions. To give you an idea, I would dearly love to come back in another life as one of my cows!
And yes, the past few days have seen us roasting up here, not necessarily a rare occurance this time of year, but still - not so enjoyable in the mid-afternoon when the temps climb above the 80 degree mark. Our normal average this time of year is 79; we're not quite 20 degrees above it, but close enough to be uncomfortable. Luckily, we got the RV into its new digs before the BBQ began, otherwise, it would have been a miserable job that Alex and Dale had. We spent part of the holiday with our pals Janet and Steve at a BBQ under their old walnut trees, quite nice, actually. So long as you didn't get out from under those trees, anyway. Janet keeps that area of lawn nicely watered and green all summer long. For us, we allow our lawns to go dormant in the summer; the only watering they get is from the sky, which means by mid-July, they're pretty well done for the year. They are already browning up in spots, but by the end of October, depending on the rains, they're back again. I do make an exception - the area under the ancient maple and black walnut trees where the swing is gets watered all summer and this year, I finally got my lawn tractor sprinkler! I love this thing; set up a course with your hose, set the front tracking wheels over the hose and let 'er rip. When it gets to the end, there is a stopper you push in the ground that trips the shutoff lever on the back and turns it off automatically. It's very cool, and relieves me of the responsibility of remembering to move the stationary sprinkler, which I usually forget to do.
Anyway, the Oregon Country Fair is coming up next weekend, kind of a 'Woodstock West', very free-spirited, with more tye-dye per square foot than a Jimi Hendrix poster. We're planning to go on Friday just to see what it's all about. There are all kinds of hippie sort of free spirit types at this fair, including folk who don't think the human body should be covered up with fabric. Very eclectic and reputed to be a whole lot of fun for us old hippies. Dale's not one of those; he's a true to the core redneck who happened to marry a hippie, but he does want to go and see what it's all about, just for fun. Then, on Sunday, we have the firefighter's benefit sporting clays shoot just up the road that we're going to go to and embarrass ourselves, all in the name of raising money for our local firefighters/EMT's.
In the meantime, it's kinda warm up here and a good day for giving the dogs their yearly bath - they'll dry quick today. So, enjoy and hope to see ya back again!
Dusty and the Zoo


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Laundry Room Plumbing
Utility Sink Plumbing & Washing Machine Hook-Up
Have you purchased a new washing machine that requires a new hook-up or has a utility sink that isn't properly draining? Then Griffith Plumbing can help! Laundry room plumbing requires skilled plumbing techniques to avoid the water backups that can occur. Most homeowners become overwhelmed when the laundry room is flooded from improper plumbing or hook-ups. There is no need to despair… Griffith Plumbing will ensure your pipes and connections are secure and well maintained allowing the water to flow effortlessly, taking all your cares away with it.
Contact us today for a free estimate. We'd love to help you with your laundry room plumbing repair, installation, or replacement!


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Northbound U.S. Highway 67 at Polk has been closed Friday afternoon due to a fatal crash, Dallas police say.
The crash is believed to involve a pedestrian, but police have not yet confirmed that information or released further details.
On Twitter, Dallas police said Northbound Interstate 35E is also impacted at Illinois Avenue and advised drivers to seek alternate routes into the city.
At this time police have not said when they expect the roadway to reopen.


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The European Lung Foundation (ELF) provides the patient voice in the activities of the European Respiratory Society (ERS). ERS is a medical society that produces guidelines, funds and publishes research, runs courses and holds conferences for health professionals working in lung health and disease. People with lung conditions can get involved via ELF to ensure the patients' voice is heard in ERS activities.
If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact email@example.com.
European Patient Ambassador Programme (EPAP)
Would you like to use your experiences to improve healthcare?
EPAP is a free online learning resource developed to help patients and carers gain the knowledge and confidence to get involved in lots of different areas of patient involvement. The learning modules cover:
- Finding information
- Advocacy
- Guidelines
- Research
- Health policy
- Media activities
- Participating in healthcare conferences
Visit the EPAP website for more information and to register.
ERS Task Forces
Put patients' views at the heart of healthcare by helping develop new guidelines and statements on important lung health topics.
You can input into all stages of ERS guidelines by:
- Helping identify which topics should be addressed
- Answering surveys to understand patient experiences
- Reviewing ERS documents and helping make versions for patients and the public
To find out more about guidelines we are involved in go to Task forces.
ERS Congress
Help health professionals improve their awareness of the patient experience by speaking at the world's largest lung conference.
Having input from patients and carers at healthcare conferences can change the way professionals think about the impact of lung conditions on daily living. Each year we identify sessions that patients could be involved by:
- Presenting patient experiences during scientific talks
- Taking part in discussion groups with professionals to tell them what matters
If you are interested in speaking at the ERS Congress please register for the European Patient Ambassador Programme (EPAP) and join our community of patient ambassadors. Opportunities for involvement will be posted on the EPAP LinkedIn group.
ERS Courses
Help professionals understand the realities of living with your condition.
The ERS runs face-to-face and online courses for health professionals on lots of different topics. You could:
- Take part in courses to teach professionals about living with a condition
- Present and answer questions about your experiences
- Provide case studies for courses
- Help with demonstrations so professionals can improve their practical skills
If you are interested, email firstname.lastname@example.com to find out if there are any upcoming opportunities.
ELF patient priorities project
Help design patient-led information and guidance for healthcare professionals and patients.
Patient Priorities is an initiative in which patients advise on the development of guidance to address the needs of patients and inform healthcare professionals on areas where European level patient-centred information is lacking.
The Patient Priorities projects are:
- Lung cancer
- Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM)
- Bronchiectasis
- Children with interstitial lung disease (ChILD)
- Sarcoidosis


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I hope everyone had a wonderful spirit led week. Overall, mine was great.
I contacted the person in charge of the Easter Egg hunt and have not heard back. I made up samples for approval. I have not heard a word. So, it appears that they are not interested. That is ok.
I need to get to weaving. I plan on making a couple of 'garden banners' and embroider on them. That way the design will show on both sides. I will use the same color in the bobbin as the top thread. I have some nice flower designs to put on them. They will be unique.
My back, is still healing. I was able to get outside and weed some gardens. It sure helps the house look nicer. Now to get to the other 3 gardens, not including the huge vegetable garden. Hubby tills that.
That is about it for this week.
May you have a Spirit Led week,
Views: 41
I am mending, thank you all. I am just super careful not to stress it. I was able to attend my prayer bible study this morning. I was not up to going to church on Sunday. So I am healing. Just taking it in baby steps.
Sounds like you are continuing to mend. Hope you're back to 100% soon!
I agree, Carol. Their loss. Glad you are feeling some better.
I agree, but I am just letting it go. It is nothing to stress over. I can do 2 or 3 a day, so if she comes up a few days before and wants 15, I will just tell her that I can't do it. I needed at least a weeks notice. The egg hunt is the day before Easter. They call it Eggstock Glow in the Dark Eggs. It is done in the dark. I just thought I would do something for the little ones that can't hunt and eat that candy.
Oh well, their loss.
That is really inconsiderate of the person in charge of the Easter egg hunt to not get back with you. Even if she is not interested, common courtesy dictates that she let you know!
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Ann Douglass, The Feminization of American Culture (1977)
The Feminization of American Culture examines how American religion transformed in the nineteenth-century from New England Calvinism to Protestant sentimentalism. Douglas argues that American religion was feminized by sentimentalism. This feminization was detrimental to American culture because it did not aid in the progress of America or promote feminism.
Douglas traces the emergence of sentimental Protestantism to the decline of Calvinism and disestablishment. Ministers experienced disestablishment as states stopped supporting official religions. Evangelicalism rose to popularity and supported less-well trained and less theologically focused clergy. Calvinist ministers experienced a decline in their social, economic, and religious statuses. At the same time, women experienced disestablishment as production and labor were increasingly moved from the home to the marketplace. Women lost control of their homes, families, and American culture. They experiences a loss of social status. They attempted "to gain power through the exploitation of the feminine identity as the society defined it" (8). Ministers in turn gave into this female audience to gain support and authority.
The printing press united these ministers and women in their efforts to gain power. They shared a "preoccupation with the lighter productions of the press; they wrote poetry, fiction, memoirs, sermons, and magazines pieces" (8). Through the press ministers and women wished to exert their influence, which they claimed as a religious force, on society. But this influence was haphazard, according to Douglas, because they "confused theology with religiosity, religiosity with literature, and literature with self-justification" (9). Douglas admits that their intentions were not bad: "Under the sanctions of sentimentalism, lady and clergyman were able to cross the cruel lines laid down by sexual stereotyping in ways that were clearly historically important and undoubtedly personally fulfilling" (10). Nevertheless, the effects were bad. "Nineteenth-century American women were oppressed, and damaged; inevitably the influence they exerted in turn on society was not altogether beneficial" (11).
The influence of sentimentalism and feminization were detrimental to American culture, religion, and history. According to Douglas, "The tragedy of nineteenth-century northeastern society is not the demise of Calvinist patriarchal structures, but rather the failure of a viable, sexually diversified culture to replace them" (13). Sentimentalism also created a feminine form of religion that was not concerned with feminism, education, or theology. "'Feminization' inevitably guaranteed, not simply the loss of the fines values contained in Calvinism, but the continuation of male hegemony in different guises" (13). It also created a static holding pattern. "The triumph of the 'feminizing,' sentimental forces that would generate mass culture redefined and perhaps limited the possibilities for change in American society" (13). The feminization of American culture was too sentimental, too emotional, non-theological, anti-intellectual, and anti-feminist. Douglas could not overcome her infatuation with male dominated forms of Calvinism to give women a chance to speak in nineteenth-century American culture.
The Feminization of American Culture, despite some historians' continued criticisms, remains central to the narrative of religion in American history. This narrative continues to perpetuate the feminization of American religion. To be sure, most historians do not accept the negative aspect of this feminization. However, they do still accept Douglas's idea that feminization of American religion segregated men and women into separate spheres. Douglas argued that women were "by and large in the home…" Historians, like Colleen McDannell, have worked to rescue the private, or domestic, sphere from Douglas's indictments of its failures and hypocrisies. McDannell argues that the private sphere wielded positive and considerable influence in the nineteenth-century on the family through material displays of religion.
Douglas's argument continues to impact how scholars of women's history narrate the emergence of feminism in America. Douglas suggested that Sarah J. Hale was a complacent, anti-feminist:
"Nothing is more distressing to the feminist historian than the atmosphere of flushtide self-congratualtion that pervades the work of a woman like Sarah Hale; it is understandable, but nonetheless painful that, to groups whose potentialities are largely suppressed, any enlarged exercise of faculty seems, and probably is, at least in the short range an almost unmitigated good, whenever inner conflicts it creates, whatever limitations or long-term consequences it carries. It is pointless to condemn the anticipatory complacency of women like Hale as to condescend to members of ethnic or racial minority groups who 'waste' their money today on big cars and fancy clothes. The self-conscious if devious sense of social mobility felt by Hale and others was natural, yet it was delusive. Inevitably the uneasy alliance of ministers and women depended on their mutual entanglement in intricate and unperceived forms of dishonesty."
Douglas threw Hale and other Christian feminists, like Catherin Beecher, under the bus. Their work did not matter. It was dishonest and it was not progressive. Their work was not feminist work. Nina Baym tried to rescue Hale from Douglas's attack. In "Onward Christian Women," Baym argues that Hale was a Christian feminist who supported women's rights and women's history in Christian terms. Nevertheless, historians continue to read Hale, Beecher, and other nineteenth-century women who supported similar notions as backwards, complacent, anti-feminists. Douglas's work, although it promoted feminism, has greatly harmed women's history in America. Historians are slowly recuperating from Douglas's attacks on nineteenth-century women and their work for women and women's rights.
Despite Douglas's attack on nineteenth-century women, her work is important for women's history. Douglas recognized that women were a prime consumer audience and prime produces in nineteenth-century America. Douglas suggested that most women were "By and large in the home." But, Douglas did not separate women completely into the private, domestic sphere. Women were produces of American print culture. In fact, women led the clergy into the popular press. While Douglas condemned the content of these women's writings, her insights are significant. Woman wrote for and shaped nineteenth-century print culture. Women were integral to the "public sphere." Historians have not taken Douglas's insights to their logical conclusion: women controlled American culture through print. Douglas also suggests that women controlled the marketplace as consumers. "In certain ways, middle-class women were freed as well as enfeebled by the shift in their economic status; they were to have greater, if more questionable, powers as consumers than that had enjoyed as producers [in the home]…they were women advocating the womanly, even if in aggressive ways…the home could sanction rather than limit traditionally undomestic activities" (78). Douglas recognizes the links between gender, the home, and the marketplace like no other historian has.
Douglas's work is also important because it recognizes the importance of women in death and mourning in nineteenth-century America. However, like the women and ministers who support these practices, death and mourning were insincere forms of sentimentalism and feminization. Douglas argues that ministers and women "inflated the importance of dying and the dead by every possible means" (201). Like women's other endeavors, these were negative. The proliferation of literature about death and dying did not reflect any increase in actual deaths. Neither did it reflect Americans' concerns about death and the afterlife. Rather, it reflected women and ministers' power struggles. "If the insignificant [the dead] could be proved to be significant, if the dead could live, ministers and women could establish a new balance of power in the free-for-all, intensely competitive democracy of American culture" (202). Women and minister feminized death and mourning to gain power in American culture.
The Feminization of American Culture is important for what is can tell us about women in American religion and history. Women were producers and consumers in the home and burgeoning marketplace. This comes out most clearly in the epilogue: "The forces of feminization were significant enough—they had tapped the increasingly formidable processes of industrialization, commercialization, and mass culture deeply enough—so that any opposition, even waged by a Harvard graduate like T.R., had to be conducted on their own terms" (328). Women were the arbiters of religion, culture, and the marketplace. Historians have not taken these claims seriously as they have examined women's history in America. Ironically enough, Douglas's work may help historians recognize the importance of women in American history. It may help scholars overcome their dependence on the separate spheres.


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Our 8-week spring semester of ukulele classes has been suspended. When we resume live classes, you'll be able to register here by locating the class you'd like to take in a grid below and then clicking on the Register button to the right of it. Until then, private ukulele classes through Zoom or FaceTime are available. Contact email@example.com for more information.
Tuition information for each session can be found here. Note: If you have not taken a Uke U. class before, please be sure to read the class description here before registering your child.
Registration is first come, first served. We will acknowledge your class request and payment on receipt of registration. We will confirm your class once we reach minimum enrollment (4 children for Uke U. and Uke Too and 4 teens and/or adults for Ukulele Party). Acknowledgment and confirmation will be made by e-mail.