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|I once wrote a book of verse all about the Vietnam War–a book I hope to get published again someday soon. Well, a few poems therein were and are slightly controversial, like this selection herewith. But no matter what side of any political or philosophical issue you may be on my poem herewith, it was written for those who were the parents of a son. Anyway, a little controversy is good now and then. It thwarts boredom, inflexibility, narrowmindedness and of course the ever-worrisome problem of complacency. 🙂
Have a great non-complacent Tuesday!
Patrick The Poet
They stole him from me to send him off to war,
And there he stayed to fight and die till it was done.
It's bad when governments steal sons from you,
And he was my son.
They said this war had to be fought
And that it was for a just and noble cause.
So, since I was patriotic and voted for them,
I stood by their laws.
But it always seems to be the young who go
And against whom the scales of death are swung.
It's bad when governments send young men off to die,
And my son was young.
For what matters to them of a million deaths
When war is the tender of life they promote?
You can be sure when their reelection comes up,
They won't get my vote!
For the enemy is now my chosen leader,
The enemy called peace that all governments abhor!
And you can be sure they won't get any more of my sons,
Till they end all war.
Oh, they may think they can get away with murder
And do any damn thing they feel must be done,
But they won't take what I love away from me again,
And I loved my son.
31 Jul 2012 1 Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: ballads, bloggers, bloggings, blogs, controversy, military veterans, Patrick P. Stafford, poems, poetry, poets, sons, verse, Vietnam War, war
27 Jul 2012 1 Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: ballads, bloggers, bloggings, blogs, cosmic meanings, hope, love, Patrick P. Stafford, poems, poetry, poets, the unvierse, verses
I think if ever I had a conversation with the universe on the topic of love that it might be like this poem I wrote here. I don't know if the universal would really listen to me, but I know exactly what I would say to it. And ask of it. And the answer I would hope to receive.
You know who you are who has been granted the gift of love,
With the long life to relish it for as long as you live.
And because it is magnificent and heaven-sent,
It's essential that you scream it to the heavens above!
And show the universe the thankfulness you have to give
That comes in the soft smile of an humble acknowledgement.
Then to that infinite happiness that has come your way,
Bid gratitude to love and truth and to a poet's art!
At the closing of each night and at the dawn of each day:
"The loveliest place I'll ever know is inside your heart."
You know who you are who now enjoys that ultimate gift,
Though it be a short life to cherish for but a short while.
In the off-chance it escapes you before you fear it should,
Savor each moment, and pray pain is brief and death is swift,
And you will never forget the shape of your lover's smile!
Nor the taste and feel of everything that was sweet and good.
Then to the light inescapable…bid a fond adieu,
While facing the unthinkable–what life and death impart!–
And scream to the universe just before it becomes true:
"The loneliness place I'll ever know is outside your heart."
THIS by RS
24 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: ballads, beauty, bloggers, bloggings, blogs, Patrick P. Stafford, poetry, pop music, pop singer, rod stewart, songs, this
Rod Stewart seems to be eternal. Raspy voice and all, a lot of people seem to either love him or hate him. I used to dislike him until I became convinced he was sincere and he meant every word he sang. Which means: he is a genuine singer and passionately means what he sings. And sing it with passion and conviction he does.
The song "THIS" is one of my two favorites by Rod, and I think it personifies that passion and conviction which his raspy voice can only sing best. Love him or hate him, remember it's about the song. And the beauty of the song. I do believe "This" has a lot of that!
LINK TO THIS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVCg5CY0Rto
20 Jul 2012 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: ballads, beauty, bloggers, bloggings, blogs, fidelity, Liane Beale, love, loyalty, Patrick P. Stafford, poems, poetry, poets, verses
A great film classic with Errol Flynn inspired me somewhat in the writing of this poem. Mostly though, I was inspired by the woman for whom I wrote it, as she was the best person I ever knew and ever spent my life with. So I dedicate this poem to all the lucky men in the world who have or ever had a perfect soul mate to bless their lives…as I once did in a gracious life now, unfortunately, forever gone from me.
Yet love so sweet and true had become our guiding star


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Meet Our Staff
Bryan M. Soulie, PT
Bryan is a 1992 graduate of LSU Medical Center's Health Sciences Center. Bryan began his professional career at Tulane University Medical Center, specializing in orthopedic rehabilitation. He then spent six years as the clinical director for the largest new Orleans based outpatient Physical Therapy provider. He is a nationally certified Clinical Instructor for LSU, University of South Alabama, and University of St. Augustine. For more than 20 years, Bryan has worked with professional athletes, consulted with large industrial corporations, and has been a lecturer for active-duty Military Medical Support Personnel. Bryan is a member of American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and Louisiana Physical Therapy Association (LPTA), and is licensed in both Louisiana and Mississippi.
Jeanie M. Dufrene, PT
Jeanie is a 2002 graduate of Southeaster Louisiana University receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology/Athletic Training. She completed her Master in Physical Therapy as LSU Medical Center's health Sciences Center in 2004. Jeanie is currently a member of APTA and LPTA, and is a nationally certified Athletic Trainer. Jeanie's practice has an emphasis on women's health issues and geriatric orthopedic joint replacements.
Patrick Hennessey, PT, DPT
Patrick was born and raised in Metairie, LA and graduated from Brother Martin High School in 2009. He went on to receive his Bachelor's Degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Human Movement Science at Louisiana State University in 2013. He was accepted in physical therapy school at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans and where he graduated in 2016. Patrick is heavily interested in Orthopedics and Sports Rehabilitation for athletes of all ages. He is dry needling certified through the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy. He performs athletic training for local middle school and high school sporting events including football, baseball, basketball, track, and more. Patrick is also an active member of the LPTA and APTA.
Michael "Mike" Hoh, PT, DPT
Michael is a 2013 graduate of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA where he received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree. After starting his professional career in PA, Mike recently moved to New Orleans to join the River Region Rehab team .While Mike enjoys treating patients of all ages, his passion lies in working with athletes for orthopedic and sports rehabilitation. Mike is an active member of the APTA.
Emma Granger, PT, DPT
Emma is a 2011 graduate of Louisiana State University receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition Science/Dietetics. Emma completed her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree at University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in 2014. Since then Emma has been an active member of APTA and LPTA. Emma has practiced as an outpatient Physical Therapist in a variety of settings with a heavy emphasis on the hands-on evaluation. Emma has completed her first Level 1 course for Dry Needling to become certified in Dry Needling.
Linda P. Sider, PTA
Linda is a 2006 graduate of Delgado Community College in New Orleans receiving her Associate of Allied health in Physical Therapy Assistant. She is an active member of APTA and LPTA. Linda is also a Certified Senior Strength Training Specialist.
Ryan Lagarde, PTA
Ryan is a 2009 graduate of Delgado Community College in New Orleans receiving his Associate of Allied Health degree in Physical Therapy Assistant. He is an active member of APTA and LPTA.
Robin Boudreaux, PTA
Robin is a 2013 graduate of Delgado Community College in New Orleans receiving her Associate of Allied Health in Physical Therapy Assistant. She is an active member of APTA.
Matthew Bolfa, PTA
Matthew is a 2017 graduate from Delgado Community College, receiving his Associates of Applied Science degree in Physical Therapist Assistant. Matthew is very active in the community and works closely with the local schools in St. Charles Parish. Matthew shows a special interest in orthopedic and sports rehab as well as industrial medicine. Matthew is also certified in Myofascial Cupping and Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization. Matthew is currently licensed in Louisiana and is an active member of APTA and LPTA.
Wendolynn Allen, PTA
Wendolynn is a 2013 graduate of Delgado Community College in New Orleans receiving her Associate of Allied Health in Physical Therapy assistant. She is a former Thrower on the University of Texas Track & Field Team where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Wendolynn is also a Certified Manual Lymphatic Drainage and Complete Decongestive Therapist, Certified Personal Trainer, Nationally Registered EMT, and Kinesio Tape Practitioner. She has worked with athletes and non-athletes of all ages and is very passionate about teaching patients and clients total body wellness physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Wendolynn is an active member of the APTA and LPTA.

subset: commoncrawl


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Trip Ideas
Fall Fun
In search of the right pumpkin patch, corn maze or place for fall entertainment? Search no more! Our list of local corn mazes is sure to keep you busy this Fall season.
El Paso's Corn Maze
Enjoy the Big Corn Maze with 22 interactive game stations! A game sheet with pencil/crayon included with your admission. Venture through a Renewable Energy adventure as you navigate the maze! For the smaller ones in the group, Crazy Eddie's Kiddie Maze is just the right size or catch a ride from Pumpkin Station to pick your own pumpkin from Patsy's Pumpkin Patch! Duck races, cow train, pedal carts, slippery slides, tire pyramid, face-painting booth and food and drinks from their delicious Truck Wagons! Maze is open Saturdays and Sundays; Sept. 24-Nov. 6.
La Union Maze
The La Union Maze provides visitors with 13 acres of fun to wander in! Take advantage of this unique outdoor family fun activity as you journey through the field of this incredible crop. Pumpkin patch, wagon rides, flower maze, cow train, kids zip line, and the pallet-haunted maze. Maze is open Friday-Sun; Sept. 21-Nov. 6.
Mesilla Valley Corn Maze
Be prepared to get lost in the Mesilla Valley's 5-acre Giant Corn maze. Pick a pumpkin, take a hayride, or enjoy many of their numerous other activities! Mesilla Valley Maze is a great place for all ages. Duck races, hamster wheels, giant slides, gem mining, pedal carts and so much more. Stop by Katie's Country Store for delicious food and gift items including jams and preserves, pecans, local honey, toasted pecan syrup, candy, apple butter, t-shirts, toys, and more. Maze is open Saturdays and Sundays; Oct. 1-30.


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You will, in the process of completing your personal details when registering to have access to this information service, be asked to indicate your consent or otherwise to Forexmax Limited by writing, telephoning, faxing or e-mailing you to give you information about products and services which may be of interest to you. If you indicate your consent at this time you may at any time thereafter advise us in writing or by email that you no longer wish to be contacted about such products and services.
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The Trix is three-wheeled cycling for young people, taken to the next level. Its intuitive riding style boasts extremely smooth handling. The brakes, like all components, are state of the art, and due to its low center of gravity, the stability is in a league of its own. Be it for therapy and building muscle tone, or gaining independence to go out riding with friends, the Trix is as awesome to ride as it looks. The bold yellow frame with aero spoke covers tend to be a big hit whilst out and about, but other colours are available with Hase's special colour program.
All technical features have been carefully chosen by Hase, from the pedals with toe clips and straps to prevent the rider's feet from slipping out, to the brake levers featuring shorter reach for riders with smaller hands. But that doesn't mean any less braking strength, the disc brakes offer excellent stopping power and precise modulation, even for those with poor hand strength.
The Hase Trix is in many cases the perfect follow-on bike from many of our Quest 88 Therapy trikes, or from the Hase Trets, and is quite possibly the last trike you'll ever need. With a growth range from 4'1" to 6'3" (1.25-1.90), the extendable front boom and quick-adjust chain tensioning system allows easy length adjustment, so the bike grows as you do, and with multiple gearing, pedal and control options, the Trix can be tailored to support your individual requirements to keep you at your best when out cycling.
As with many Hase products, the Trix can also be changed with relative ease to become the coolest trailer out there, where you can still put plenty of power in to help the lead rider with the journey, but give over the controls of steering to the bike in front. If specified, this can also include Hase's drift braking system, to actuate the brakes softly whenever the trike may start to overtake the lead bike, enabling the Trix to keep the control so you don't have to. This is ideal for families wanting to go for longer rides on roads, to arrive at a location where it's safe for steering to be given back to the rider to then explore.
Each Hase bike has an extensive range of options and accessories and therefore it is not possible for us to list a definitive price, however prices range from £2,975 to £5,145 according to specification. Prices shown exclude VAT although in many cases an exemption may apply. As a Hase Rehab Specialist, Quest 88 staff are trained to assess your needs and invite you to our Inclusive Cycling Hub for an assessment and test ride.
The Cycling Hub, based in Shrewsbury's Park provides an opportunity for people of different ages and abilities to engage with cycling for the first time, or for the first time in a long time. Whether you are a family looking for tandem, a child's therapy tricycle or a seasoned cyclist requiring more support or electrical assistance, we have a range of cycles, tricycles and tandems for everyone.
We are rehab specialists for Hase and ICE and can provide test-rides for a wide range of handcycles, recumbent 3-wheelers and tandems.
The Cycling Hub provides expert advice and solutions for anyone who is recovering from injury or illness, whether this involves limb-loss, balance impairment or stamina. Quest 88 are specilaists in one-off solutions to address any issues with braking, steering or gear selection, from shoulder steer bikes to knee operated braking.
Why not call us and see what you can do! Our number is 01743 363512 or email email@example.com.


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Chapter 1: Starting School Laboratories
A science laboratory is any place where students learn science with their hands. It might be a room, or just a box. The goal is to develop a space that facilitates hands-on learning.
1.1 Benefits of a School Laboratory
There are many benefits of having a laboratory:
- Students learn more and better science
- Students get more excited about science class
- Students have to go to the lab for class, thus eliminating those too lazy to walk over
- Practical exams are easier than the alternative-to-practical exams
- Everyone thinks practicals are important, and that science without practicals is silly.
1.2 Challenges of a School Laboratory
There are some challenges with having a laboratory:
- They are places where people can get hurt This is true. Please see the sections on Classroom Management and Laboratory Safety to mitigate this risk.
- Many teachers do not know how to use a laboratory Then use the lab to teach them how to use it, thus spreading skills.
- Laboratories are far too expensive for poor schools to build and stock This is simply incorrect. Any room will work for a lab, and any school can afford the materials required to stock it. The rest of this book is dedicated to this point.
So you want to build a laboratory?
1.3 Step one: Location
A permanent location is obviously preferable. If your school has an extra classroom, great. The only requirements of a potential room are that it be well ventilated (have windows that either open or lack glass altogether) and be secure: bars in the windows, a sturdy door, and a lock. If you plan to put fancy equipment in your lab, remember that hack saw blades are cheap and that the latch through which many pad locks pass can be cut quickly regardless of the lock it holds. But if you are just starting, there will probably not be any fancy equipment; a simple lock is enough to keep overly excited students from conducting unsupervised experiments. If there is no extra space at all, the lab can live in a few buckets and be deployed in a classroom during class time. "There is no lab room," is no excuse for not having a lab.
1.4 Step two: Funding
Yes, some is required. But the amount is surprisingly little – in most countries a single month of a teacher's salary is enough to furnish a basic laboratory. Almost every school can find the amount required to get started, and if not the community certainly can. A single cow in most countries would pay for a basic laboratory many times over. A cow is valuable. So is science education.
We encourage you to resist the temptation to ask people outside of the school community or school system to pay for the lab. There is simply no need to encourage that sort of dependence; this can be done locally, and it should be.


text: Join SDL Today If you have any questions, you may send them to us in the message box below and we will get back to as soon as possible. Name Please type your full name. Surname Please type your full name. Contact Number Invalid Input E-mail Invalid email address. Who introduced you to SDL? Invalid Input In which area do you live? Invalid Input Which plan suits your needs best? Funeral PlanSupporter PlanPower PlanHealth PlanWellness PlanPropWealthMercuryInvalid Input Are you interested in the Business Opportunity connected to your plan? YesNoInvalid Input Message Invalid Input Antispam Invalid Input


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"I couldn't be more pleased that Hollis returns in prose from Pro Se Productions," Phillips said. "Readers are in for some hardboiled thrills as we put the redoubtable private eye through his paces -- from a ritual killing, the hunt for long-hidden swag, attack dogs in the dark, to the machinations of crooked politicians…tough guys and tougher women."
Gary Phillips has penned short stories for Moonstone's Kolchak: The Night Stalker Casebook, the Avenger Chronicles, the Green Hornet Casefiles and The Spider: Extreme Prejudice anthologies. His most current novel is Warlord of Willow Ridge. He also has out the eBook novella, The Essex Man: 10 Seconds to Death, a homage to '70s era paperback vigilantes. Additionally he is one of the editors for Pro Se's BLACK PULP volume, and any and all follow ups to that collection. In addition to editing and contributing to Hollis, P.I. for Pro Se, he also has for the press stories upcoming in Asian Pulp and Black Pulp II. He recently wrote the graphic novel Big Water, about the fight by a municipality to save its water from privatization; has a steamy story not for kids in 50 Shades of a Fedora; and is editor and contributor to the upcoming Day of the Destroyers, a collection of linked stories wherein Jimmie Flint, Secret Agent X-11 battles to stop internal forces out to overthrow the presidency of FDR during the Great Depression.
New York Times bestseller Juliet Blackwell (the Witchcraft Mystery series), acclaimed up-and-coming crime writer Aaron Philip Clark (A Healthy Fear of Man) new pulp luminaries Derrick Ferguson (Four Bullets for Dillon) and Pulp Ark award winner Bobby Nash join Phillips in penning these new gritty tales. Five stories feature Nate Hollis with a sixth featuring his sometimes ally, bounty hunter Irma Deuce. The streets are mean, but they don't hold a stick of dynamite to Gary Phillips' Hollis, P.I.
"PI Nate Hollis," says T. Jefferson Parker, author of The Famous and the Dead, "originally sprang from the rich imagination of LA-based writer Gary Phillips, but he's so real and tactile he could climb off the page and buy you a bourbon. Now, four other authors are getting a piece of Nate, too, and this latest collection of Nate stories is wonderful. This is contemporary noir at its best, offering all the familiar pleasures of the genre, but giving them a modern makeover. Yes, this is a violent world that Nate inhabits, but he steers a true and moral course through the layers of deception, skullduggery and sometimes worse that make these stories such high-density entertainment. Nate's a great character and these stories do him justice and more. "
Gary Phillips' Hollis P.I., features evocative and action packed cover art and logo design by Jeffrey Hayes. With print formatting by Percival Constantine, the collection is available from Amazon and Pro Se's own store for $12.00. This modern mystery collection is also available as an eBook for the Kindle http://tinyurl.com/nje4y36 and in most formats from Smashwords for only $2.99.
For more information on this title, interviews with the author, or digital copies for review, contact Morgan McKay, Pro Se's Director of Corporate Operations, at firstname.lastname@example.com.
To learn more about Pro Se Productions, go to www.prose-press.com. Like Pro Se on Face book at www.facebook.com/ProSeProductions.


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Resident James Barbatos has written letter to the selectmen regarding ongoing issues with Pandolf & Perkins quarry. Barbatos and a group of residents have brought several concerns about noise and dust from operations of P&P before the selectmen.
The noise from the asphalt dryer has been "remediated" through efforts by P&P to contain it, said Barbatos, and the quarry has been attempting to control the dust better through a sprinkler system. However, the noise from the rock crusher is "worse than ever." They begin crushing operations at or earlier than 5 a.m. We have to get up and shut our windows so we can sleep. The noise continues unabated until 3:50 or p.m.," said Barbatos.
He suggested the company encase the crushers within a sound proof building, and lower the number of blasts performed each day. He said the neighbors are contemplating a number of options including picketing the quarry, holding a sit-down demonstration and blocking the entrance, boycotting the businesses that do business with P&P, asking the DPW board not to purchase asphalt from the quarry, and/or filing for tax abatements in January "based on the fact that all of our homes have decreased in value and salability because of this noise."
The selectmen are meeting with Pandolf & Perkins on November 28, and promised they would address the residents' concerns again at that point. "We are not going away," said Barbatos.
In other news from the October 31 selectmen's meeting:
• Al Futterman, Land Programs & Outreach Director at the Nashua River Watershed Association, gave a presentation to the board and residents. Futterman spoke about the goals of the NRWA, which are to identify water sources in the area, present information on those sources, and identify the property owners who have high quality water sources on their parcels. "These are the end results" of the study the NRWA has been conducting," said Futterman.
The NRWA is working to produce maps that prioritize properties in Sterling and other towns and cities regarding surface and ground water supplies and protection. They have created and run a GIS model to identify the highest priority parcels that contain the best water quality. Holden, Hubbardston, Leominster, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, West Boylston and Westminster are the other eight towns and cities included in the GIS.
The project's results can be used by the towns and cities to identify areas they may want to protect, restore or manage, create an open space plan for, or simply communicate with residents about, according to the NWRA.
Two more public hearings will be held to present the NWRA's findings: November 29 at the Princeton Town Hall Annex and December 6 at the Holden Town Hall.
• In response to a resident's inquiry, Town Administrator Terri Ackerman explained why $25,000 was set aside for the painting of the sills and window panes of the Butterick Building. Ackerman said the $25,000 was approved at the 2005 annual town meeting, and was for "refinishing, repairing and cleaning the outside trim and windows." Ackerman said that Peter Watson, the painter who was awarded the contract, reported that the work will require only two coats of paint and no rotting was found on the sills. "If we find something, we have extra money in here," she added. The leftover money, if there is any, will be turned over to the general fund at the annual town meeting in May. Watson will also be painting the hallways in the building.
• The selectmen reviewed the agenda for the all boards meeting scheduled for November 7. The meeting will cover the results of the recent special town meeting, the FY08 Goals and Action Plan (including Building Use and Maintenance, Land Use Planning and Operations), and budget and finance issues such as the budget process and timeline for FY09. At least one representative from each board and committee in town is expected to attend. The meeting will be held at the Chocksett Middle School Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.
• Selectmen are hoping to re-form the inactive Insurance Advisory Committee. Anyone interested should submit an application to the selectmen by November 14. According to Mass General Laws, one member has to be a retiree, and the other six have to be employees of the town. Former selectman Robert Cutler, Fire Chief David Hurlbut and Sterling Municipal Light Department Manager John Kilgo are currently members of the committee. The committee will address employee insurance questions and needs.
• Information is being gathered for the new town Web site that is being planned. Contact information, biographies of department heads and selectmen, members of departments, boards, committees and their mission statements are among the data being compiled. The Web site is scheduled to be up and running by April 2008. The site will also address Frequently Asked Questions, post forms and documents, and provide a town calendar that will list all meetings.
• Selectmen appointed Michael Pineo and James French to the new Forestry Committee. Three more members will be appointed.
• Building Needs and Utilization Committee member Michael Forance addressed the selectmen regarding the committee's concerns with the Sterling Municipal Light Department. According to Forance, the SMLD is refusing to cooperate with the committee and their attempts to gather maintenance information on all townowned buildings. Selectman Richard Sheppard, who is also a member of the light board, reminded Forance that the SMLD is a separate entity in town, and has been for a while. "We maintain those buildings far better than any building is maintained in the town of Sterling because we have the funds to be able to do that, and we see absolutely no reason to turn these [buildings] over to a committee or anybody else," said Sheppard. Forance said the BNUC just wanted some information on how they are able to maintain the buildings so well, and selectmen Paul Sushchyk and Donlin Murray agreed that the SMLD should cooperate with the committee. "If you do have input on how the town can do things, then you should share that knowledge," said Murray.


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It's only been a day since Donald Trump was elected the new POTUS but there's already been mass riots, protests and backlash against him.Here's why Hillary Clinton wore purple for her concession speech
On top of that, thousands of people are taking to Twitter to express their dissatisfaction at the result.
By defiantly blacking out their profile picture.
Many people have changed their profile photo to a black square in order to protest against the election results using the hashtag #Twitterblackout.
Even Katy Perry joined the protest.
Others joined the protest, sharing the hashtags #NotMyPresident and #ImStillWithHer to declare their continued support for Hillary Clinton.
Trump's shock victory in the election on Tuesday night has angered many due to his openly racist and sexist rhetoric throughout his campaign.
People are citing his 'racist' and 'misogynistic' attitudes as evidence as to why they cannot support his presidency.
One Twitter said they were 'ashamed' to even call him their president, writing yesterday: 'Hate won. Racism won. Homophobia won. Islamophobia won. Xenophobia won. Misogyny won.
MORE: How newspapers around the world reacted to Donald Trump's election win
'Donald Trump is #NotMyPresident and I am ashamed.'
What is perhaps most upsetting and shocking for Clinton supporters though, is that Hillary Clinton actually got more votes than Donald Trump but because of the electoral system, he won the presidency.
She is the fifth US presidential candidate in history to finish ahead of her rival in the popular vote, but went on to lose the election overall.
MORE: Nigel Farage 'joked' that Trump would grope Theresa May
MORE: Here's how the world reacted to the news that Donald Trump is the next US president


text: Hi, I'm trying to use Cory1492's ETool 3.13 to backup my save for Mario Kart (U) and use it with EZ4. I put the ETool3.gba on my mini-SD and ETool3.sav on my saver folder on mini-SD, then I loaded it in NDS mode on my DS. I selected backup EEPROM to SRAM and it said completed. Then I restarted my DS to let EZ4 write the SRAM into ETool3.sav. But when I tried to decompress ETool3.sav on my computer using the included ETxtract.exe, it gives me error message and I'm forced to close the program when it's at "Deflate buffer overflow.". Can anyone help me?


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Dir. Ciarán Foy
A New Appreciation
By Greg Klymkiw
Single Dad With Agoraphobia. Crime. Poverty. Infection. CITADEL
Context is Everything: Big Screen Pictures on a Big Screen
I first saw Citadel, Ciarán Foy's contemporary masterpiece of horror, during the 2012 edition of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival (TADFF), one of the most genial celebrations of genre cinema in the world. Blood geysers copiously from the screens at TADFF as both audiences and programmers take deliciously perverse delight in as much carnage wrought by filmmakers as is humanly possible.
But, it's not always about the blood.
Every year, without fail, I discover one or two gems that scare the faecal matter out of me because they tap into quiet, creepy, subtle and intelligently rendered fears that haunt all of us. And though there will be blood in such pictures, it's meted out sparingly. Like, for example, Citadel.
TADFF prides itself on presenting genre films designed for BIG-SCREEN THEATRICAL VIEWING, but due to the rather idiotic vagaries of an ever-changing landscape of big-box theatrical exhibition, far too many worthy movies are forced to bypass being exhibited the way movies are ultimately meant to be seen. Citadel , of course, demands a big screen. Thanks to festivals like TADFF, this is - however briefly - possible.
TADFF, like many good festivals, endeavours to present filmmakers in front of each film to introduce it and then to engage in a post-show Q and A. Mr. Foy had been tripping the festival light fantastic for quite some time and when TADFF rolled around, he was in the midst of writing his next feature film. Understandably, but alas, he was not available to attend.
This was fine by me. I was pretty fucking shagged out from several days in a row of feasting my eyes on all manner of carnage and was in just the perfect mood to sit quietly in the cinema and see what I assumed would be another splatter-fest, but sans the usual raucous, celebratory shenanigans pervading screenings where filmmakers were in attendance.
I sunk deeply into my front row seat.
The lights dimmed.
My virginal plunge into Citadel began.
The word "trinity" is derived from the Latin noun "trinitas" which is interpreted by Jesus-Believers as "three are one", though what it means literally is the number "three" (or "triad"). The Greek equivalent also means the number "three", or more literally, a set or grouping of three. In most Christian religions (save for some of the more fruit-cake offshoots - well, in fairness, those that are marginally nuttier than Catholicism), the trinity is recognized as The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit (or my preference as a Ukrainian Eastern Rite Catholic - The Holy Ghost - YEAH!). And yes, indeed, when you see us wing-nutted Catholics (practising or lapsed) crossing ourselves, it is indeed our tribute to God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Ghost which is the collective essence of what we're honouring with our pagan ritual.
For me, trinity is a word I'm fond of using to describe elements of storytelling. An example of this comes from the idea that doing things in threes (or higher "odd" numbers) gives your story more bang for the buck. Got a running gag? Great. When a movie presents it twice or four times, it's usually not as effective as when it's rendered three (or five, or seven, or - God forbid - nine) times. Three, however, is a decent enough rule of thumb when crafting a story. A four-act story just doesn't seem to cut it. Tell it in three-acts (properly, mind you), then you're usually on-track.
Of course, trinity can also be played out as a symbolic and/or subtextual storytelling tool. However, it won't work if the storytelling overall is falling flat on its face. Using subtext under such circumstances becomes ham-fisted and pretentious - drawing us completely out of what narrative might remain. This, is never a problem in Citadel. Within both visual and narrative contexts, Foy's extraordinary tale is ultimately rooted deeply in the notion of "trinity", but on a subtextual level it's a visually powerful approach to cinematic storytelling - especially given the harrowing narrative he spins.
Because Foy builds "trinity" into both his narrative and visual design, it provides ample opportunities to tell the story with as many evocative qualities as possible. What separates the men from the boys, the women from the girls, the filmmakers with vision from the filmmakers who are little more than camera jockeys (the latter term applied to by-the-numbers TV drama directors), is the ability to dazzle us visually, but in a manner wherein the imagery doesn't overtake the narrative, but compliments it.
This works two-fold. First of all, it allows (and/or forces) the filmmaker with vision to integrate what I like to refer to (if you will), the visual subtext into the opening of the film - to establish the mise-en-scène, to provide gripping and visually arresting images to draw us into the narrative and to propel us ever-further into the events of the opening - to keep us guessing so we want more story information to answer our questions as to where the story is going and ultimately, to build an opening sequence that is going to knock us on our collective asses. Secondly, the integration of said visual subtext throughout the film shapes and hones the progression of dramatic sequences (and individual scenes) so that we get a series of almost epiphanous dollops of narrative zingers. These work to propel us even further towards the climax of the film and in so doing, provide exponential gains in terms of visceral responses to the narrative. This ultimately provides a climactic sequence that builds on the elements of the opening and delivers something that not only knocks us on our duffs, but slams us repeatedly with the force of a baseball bat every single time we attempt to get up. In Quentin Tarantino's honour, one could demurely refer to this storytelling technique as the "Bear Jew Triple-Ass Turnbuckle Trinity". But, let's not.
From the very beginning of his film, Foy bombards us with sets of three items of note within the images that are used to tell the story. And they are powerful images that build the narrative cinematically to always draw us forward. Given that Citadel is a horror film rooted in the theme of fear, images of trinity are especially salient. Our main character Tommy (Aneurin Barnard) witnesses (not just once, but twice), people he loves being snatched away from him. This set of tragedies manifests itself within Tommy as deep crippling agoraphobia and unless he's able to face his fear (a fear, I'd argue that is a fear of fear itself), he'll suffer a sickening third and maybe deadliest tragedy of all.
One of the first exposures to trinity is the "citadel" itself, a bleakly decrepit housing project with a centre tower as its bulwark and two smaller buildings flanking either side and set further back. Drably coloured grey cement, set against murky blueish-grey skies, it's a formidable and chilling image to dive into at the film's beginning. It stands like some crumbling urban architectural representation of Cavalry during Christ's crucifixion.
|Bad Shit goes on in the projects - CITADEL
(Oh, and before you think I'm extolling some foul "God Squad" picture aimed to reel in Christian viewers, you'll see soon enough that Citadel is the complete antithesis to that horrendous genre.)
Now, once inside the Citadel, we're introduced to Apartment 111.
|1+1+1=3 Trinity in the projects - CITADEL
Some activity on the other side of the door causes the middle number to become unhinged and flop down. Surely this can't be a good sign.
|When Trinity is unhinged, we know shit's gonna happen - CITADEL
When the door opens, we're introduced to a young couple who are preparing to leave the condemned housing project for a new life. And indeed, Foy reveals a literal new life - a child is clearly growing within the woman's belly. One can see immediately how such opening moments in the hands of a mere camera jockey could be rendered in a dull, by the numbers manner to give establishing information ONLY in a race to get to something suspensefully titillating. Such images would be a by-rote series of pure informational shots. Foy, however, delivers sheer, unadulterated suspense from the very beginning and places us firmly in a world that gets increasingly tossed on its noggin as the film progresses. All is rooted in character, narrative and theme. It also reveals a distinctive voice off the bat.
With his cinematographer Tim Fleming, production designer and art director Tom Sayer and Andy Thomson respectively, Foy serves up a sumptuous (and dramatically apt) look for the film, betraying its low budget nature so that the film's cost is not even a point to consider whilst watching it. This is not to say the "look" is picture-postcard in any way, shape or form. The look is instead one of unremitting bleakness, but it is rendered so expertly and artistically, that shot after shot reminds me of the constant refrain in W.B. Yeats' great poem "Easter, 1916" wherein he refers to the notion that "a terrible beauty is born." And so it is with the masterful look and direction of Citadel.
Too many contemporary films capture bleak imagery with slap-dash sloppiness, but Foy and his team deliver one clearly intentional shot after another that create an indelible and stunningly dichotomous "terrible beauty" that infuses the heart and soul of this film.
Note the lighting, design and composition of this shot as Tommy anxiously tries to get back to his pregnant wife in a grindingly slow elevator. Even though we've been given nothing overt to fear, everything leading up to and including this shot has been slowly keeping us on edge and with the camera rooted claustrophobically close (but not TOO close) and set effectively in what came to be Howard Hawks' almost-trademark eye-level positioning, we're plunged into Tommy's anxiety with the skill one would expect of a master team of filmmakers.
Have I mentioned yet how fucking extraordinary this film is?
|Elevators in the projects are slow... and scary - CITADEL
With one salient exception (which, I'll not give away), Foy makes the wise decision to always stay in the sphere of his main character Tommy. Every shot is either WITH Tommy, from his POV or from an angle/perspective he'd be able to have a view of/from. Given that we're dealing with a film about fear and specifically, a horror film where an even bigger challenge than the "monster(s)" is overcoming agoraphobia, this is a perfect approach.
Some might argue it is an OBVIOUS approach as if "obvious" is a dirty word, but for my money it's only a verboten epithet if and when it's the only way to describe that which is mediocre and/or barely (or maddeningly) competent. I'm much happier when a filmmaker "idiot proofs" the work so the audience is not lost for too long without their questions and/or need for information being addressed - either directly, or indirectly with an even more delicious tidbit of information.
In creating a film narrative, the worst thing one can do is force the audience to ask questions which are not answered - especially when those questions are nagging at an audience to the point where they're pulled out of the story and subsequently miss out on even more story beats because the filmmaker was too stupid (and/or pretentious) to pinch a loaf or two that forces their viewers to be ruminating rather than paying attention. Where Foy takes leaps and bounds beyond most young filmmakers (and many old ones who should know better) is how he maintains his proximity to Tommy while also keeping to the subtext of trinity.
For example, once Tommy's elevator reaches the right floor, Foy serves up an incredibly simple, effective and chilling shot from Tommy's POV through the broken elevator doors. There's a creepy inevitability to the contents of the shot, yet you're still jangled into filling your drawers with some manner of unmentionable viscous-like matter.
In the following frame-capture, however, is the subtle use of trinity. On one side of the window is Tommy and on the other is his wife and unborn child. Sorry to sound like an egghead here, but bear with me, as this point has more to do with intelligent, personal filmmaking than anything artsy-fartsy. Masters, like Hitchcock or Spielberg or Friedkin, et al will either be consciously and/or instinctively be choosing to utilize visual motifs that tie into both the narrative and psychology of their films.
Here, the chain of trinity between Father, Mother and Child is broken by an elevator door that's mechanically broken. It's not JUST the sudden terror of Tommy struggling to re-connect this chain and restore balance by rescuing (or at least giving it the old college try), but that what he sees are three hooded figures - another form of trinity in the middleground - that have an upper hand, threatening those he loves (and by extension, himself). Finally, there's the trinity employed within the composition itself - the doors in the foreground, the hooded figures in the middle and Tommy's wife further back.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is what the best filmmakers do.
|A door that won't open. Three hooded figures. A Woman alone. CITADEL
In the next two frame-captures we see Tommy in the bus shelter preparing to enter the bitter, cold, cruel world outside with the traditional manifestation of Trinity - he crosses himself.
In the Name of the Father, the Son and The Holy Ghost.
Great horror films in the western world often knew well enough to employ any number of Judeo-Christian images and rituals in an attempt to ward off evil. With increasing secularity in the world, contemporary horror films oft-abandon religion in both the passive form (as protection) and as purely aggressive weaponry (crosses thrust forward like swords against minions of the Devil or, in fact, the Devil himself). To the latter, none who see it, never, ever forget the image of trapping a vampire in the shadow of a windmill that projects the image of the crucifix upon the ground in Terence Fisher's extraordinary Brides of Dracula. Tommy's use of Old World Christian values here is a perfect element to weave into the narrative.
Lord (as He were) knows, William Friedkin's The Exorcist, the greatest horror film of all time is replete with mega-crucifix action. Not only that, it shares a wonderful thing with Citadel that all great horror films swap saliva over. In The Exorcist, Demon Pazuzu's shenanigans (which included grotesque head-spinning, crucifix-as-dildo-masturbatory-action and green pea vomit expulsion), were preceded by an hour of screen time devoted to the creepy and increasingly painful poking and prodding of the possessed 12-year-old girl by esteemed members of the medical profession. (God Bless the 70s - all the doctors smoke IN the fucking hospital, no less.) As realized by director William Friedkin, the cold and clinical approach to healing by inflicting the extremes of scientific exploration turn out to be equally harrowing as the grotesqueries of the Devil. Foy also plunges us into Tommy's illness with a similar realism. A wise move, indeed.
And with respect to the crucifix in The Exorcist, it's used by priests Max Von Sydow and Jason Miller to wear the Devil's minion down (Max believes, Miller less so). The cross ultimately turns out to be powerless and it's a Christ-like (Christ, the MAN) sacrifice on Jason Miller's part when he demands to be taken by the demon and then commits suicide to destroy the evil. Miller musters his strength of character and humanity to fight the evil. Tommy's faith in God gets him by (just barely), but when push comes to shove he digs a lot deeper than adherence to New Testament fairy tales to survive.
Though it's partially a matter of interpretation, there are, I think, enough visual signs to suggest that Tommy had most probably eschewed any deep adherence to Christian values long ago, but that his use of them now comes out of a sense of desperation - a kind of unconscious placebo effect or, if you will, a perverse Pavlovian Dog instinct to use the Holy Trinity to temper fear in hopes that it will ward off danger.
Mind and body are finally more powerful allies than faith in the Holy Trinity.
Notice above the sheet of paper affixed to the bus shelter behind Tommy - a tried and true storytelling prop, but one that's often shoehorned in with a bludgeon to get information across or worse, especially in low budget affairs, so poorly designed that instead of assisting the narrative, the audience is taken out of the story. Timing is also important when using such props as a narrative tool.
Turning your attention to the frame-capture below you'll see a punch-in on the same sheet of paper, a notice for a missing child. This shot comes at a perfect point in Tommy's story. His wife has given birth, but remains in a coma and not only is Tommy faced with being a single Dad, his agoraphobia increases a thousand-fold. After all, he has a baby to raise and protect in this dystopian world.
... and children, you see, are going missing in the projects.
Desperate disenfranchised parents are posting such notices where they can. This is not only an effective "milk-carton-like" piece of story information, but note again, the "terrible beauty" of the composition of the shot and how exquisitely designed everything within the frame is - from the Missing Child notice to the smoky, smudged and scratched window of the bus shelter that, through the glass, reveals a somewhat misshapen landscape - bleak and despair ridden.
This is no world for humanity, let alone children.
|In the projects, who can afford cartons of milk, anyway? CITADEL
Another superb approach to visual storytelling is on view within the frame-capture below. First of all, there's the big picture as it's one of the very few wide shots in the film to deliver a magnificent snapshot of where Tommy and his baby live. This, very ironically, is where he and his wife were on the verge of moving before the tragic events in the film's opening. The condemned three-tower housing project looming over everything, the row of natty ground floor low-income townhouses and the huge sign in the right foreground that extols the grand design of the local government are not only powerful pieces of story information, but add to the visual design of claustrophobia by creating an environment that feels like it's closing in and practically crushing poor Tommy.
Dwarfed by the oppressive forces of squalor and fear, hunched over (as is his wont) while pushing the baby carriage forward, he passes by an abandoned vehicle. Foy and his team deliver a magnificently composed shot that's both aesthetically pleasing in terms of the "terrible beauty", but also provide a superb sense of spatial geography. (AFTER you see the film on DVD or Blu-Ray, be sure to take a look at the Making-of supplement. This will give you a better idea of how brilliant Foy and his team of collaborators were in their clever design of these and other visual elements in the film.)
The second important element of this shot is to draw your attention to the importance of always knowing in advance what your visual beats are as a director. Knowing what they must be involves delivering prose in the script that paints pictures with words, designing storyboards to ensure that you as a director can piece every needed story-beat together and finally, in so doing, ensure there will be enough footage that will provide an editor with elements needed to breathe life into the film during the post-production process. Throughout the film, Foy and company deliver one maximum impact shot after another, thus allowing editors Tony Kearns and Jake Roberts to weave the magic they do throughout the film - delivering on creepy, elongated suspense that sometimes makes you feel you're being dragged over a bed of hot coals in ultra-slow-motion (yes, for me, this IS a compliment - think Don't Look Now or The Innocents) and when needed (and in blessed moderation) the kind of shock cuts that send you up and out of your seat as if some John Holmes-sized dildo unexpectedly rammed up your asshole (most definitely a compliment - of the highest order).
Hell, go ahead and marry the shot above with the shot below - we go from creepy to mega-creepy. As Tommy moves forward with trepidation, the view of him from within the twisted metal hulk gives a sense of the eyes on him AND MOST IMPORTANTLY HIS BABY!!! As mentioned above, we're always in Tommy's sphere, but often when we're not in his point of view, there's always a profound, creepy sense of eyes upon him - not only when he is alone, but even in seemingly benign moments, the camera oppressively shoves itself towards him and voyeuristically encroaches upon his space - whether it be a specific character's POV or not - all eyes, real and imagined, are on Tommy.
He is, after all, an agoraphobe.
One of the most lovely touches in the narrative, is the introduction of the character Marie (the stunning and truly great actress Wunmi Mosaku), a kind-hearted nurse who offers support to Tommy in the same hospital his wife vegetates within.
When a genre film can be rooted in reality, it stands a good shot at immortality. When audiences can see aspects of their own lives (a la the aforementioned opening hour of The Exorcist), they respond more strongly to the material. In Citadel, it's the strong elements of humanity that contribute to scaring the fuck out of people.
Marie is an especially crucial character on a number of fronts, but for me, one of the most moving things to come from her is the observation that Tommy needs to express his love for the baby by communicating with it as if the child was, in fact, a person (which, obviously, it is). At the best of times, men often don't have natural communication proclivities when it comes to babies. Speaking for myself, I had to be reminded by virtually everyone I knew that instead of referring to my infant by her name, I kept referring to her as "the child". Ah well, chalk that up to my being infused with barbaric Cossack DNA.
Tommy is not, however, experiencing the best of times. (An understatement if there ever was one.) Marie's careful, gentle observations and prompting are exactly what spins a perfect narrative turn in the story. For the first time, Tommy holds his child and communicates to it with love and humanity, not fear. The frame below captures a sequence that is designed to both move you, but to also add a new layer to Tommy's character that assists him with moving forward - especially since the most horrible events occur soon after.
Let me again stress - Horrible Events.
|Note to Hollywood and casting agents the world over: The camera loves Wunmi Mosaku (above right) and she is an extraordinary actress. Someone please make this lady from CITADEL a star.
The screen capture below allows for added discussion on the issue of faith in God. Pictured in the foreground is a distressed Tommy. Way in the background are hordes of bloodthirsty feral kids and in the centre is The Good Father (a sterling performance from the great James Cosmo). The Father is the unlikeliest man of the cloth; he'll go through the motions of reading over the graves of those who are being decimated by crime and rampant infection within the projects, he charitably rescues a young orphan from the citadel and he'll wear his clerical collar when it's necessary for those who believe. His belief system, however, has been shattered. He is hell-bent on destroying the evil residing in the projects - even if it means killing them in cold blood. In the scene below, he's agreed to help Tommy out, but warns him that faith in the rubbish that is Christ won't go as far as faith in oneself.
|As bloodthirsty feral children begin streaming from the CITADEL, Tommy is cautioned by the Good Father that faith in God is rubbish. He'll need faith in himself to overcome a greater evil than what lurks in the shadows, his fear.
The two back-to-back images below represent the opening frame and closing frame of an exquisitely lit and perfectly composed push-in on Tommy's face. It's simple, yet so effective and most of all, enshrouded in the darkness and shadows of the place he fears most. Like the Lewton pictures (a huge influence upon the best of the best, like Friedkin, Scorsese, etc. and the art of cinema itself) this an example of how Citadel takes us from one manner of fear to another. Throughout most of the picture, Tommy deals with his fears by surrounding himself in the light of day and/or the interior light of his home. The film's final third has Tommy plunged almost completely into darkness - the final bastion to conquer both the pervasive and very real object of terror. And given the final frame below, you can bet your entire stake that the very next frame will be the sweetest of sweet spots chosen by the film's editors to jolt you with the reality of what Tommy witnesses. (And a shot that probably demands you wear a pair of Depends when you see the film.)
|Any guesses what the next shot will be? CITADEL
Citadel is indeed an important film on many artistic levels outlined above (and in other writings by myself and others). However, its primary importance is that within the context of genre (which has the power to reach huge audiences and young ones), the movie seriously (and, all importantly - entertainingly) addresses, head-on, the horror facing many of us.
While many begin their lives in a state of disenfranchisement and seldom escape, others have never known the meaning of the word until the rug was pulled from under them due to the increase in downsizing, the insidious magnetic pull of consumerism, the equally spurious lustre of debt and last, but not least, the lack of political will that's been mostly bought off by corporate interests that use government as its puppet to increase profits at the expense of everyone but themselves. Even those few politicians who might have genuinely made a difference were assassinated and in this day and age, unless the powers-that-be want to send a statement using public assassination, kill our best and brightest leaders with secret and nefariously-inflicted "infections".
Then, there is the culling.
The richest, most powerful men in the word clearly want to siphon as much wealth and power as they can, but even now, they are engaged in advocating and downright supporting massive forced sterilization (sometimes right up front and others more subtle, like the new x-ray technology at any number of security checkpoints) in addition to outright murder (spurious "wars" against terror, getting government to approve deadly products like aspartame, fluoride and ANYTHING ingested from sources like Monsanto, Dole and other corporate food entities).
Ted Turner (and he's sadly not alone - yes, YOU Bill Gates and all the rest of this foul ilk) has stated (and defended and reiterated) the following sentiment:
"Right now there are just way too many people on the planet. A total world population of 250-300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels would be ideal."
Citadel is set in a dystopian world, but there's little that's futuristic about it. The movie feels like it's set "ten seconds into the future" (to coin a tagline from City of Dark, a Bruno Lazaro Pacheco film I produced). One gets the sense that the housing projects Foy's film is set in are but the tip of the iceberg in the larger world of the film. The streets are deserted - not because it's a low-budget movie and not because the majority of the populace in the film are too scared to be on the streets - but because there is an "infection".
A culling.
"Infections" (Ebola, AIDS, SARS, the list goes on and on) are here and now. They kill people. We can fool ourselves into believing they're "natural", but to cull such wide swaths of humanity is a multi-pronged approach.
The results of the 'infection" in Citadel are devastating. It kills adults and children alike, but the latter are often susceptible to living - in a living hell - blind (except to fear), bloodthirsty, savage and feral. If there's a cure, nobody is chomping at the bit to find it.
Though (as pictured below), trinity, however briefly, seems restored to Tommy, accompanied as he is by the young rescued feral kid and baby. What awaits them is a light at the end of the tunnel, but getting there might well prove deadly. And even if they do reach the light, what will they be facing?
It's a bit like life as it is now, and seemingly forever in this age of suffering and collapse. Agoraphobia is a very real and debilitating sickness, but I can't help think that it works within the film as a larger metaphor to expose the potential of a mass agoraphobic reaction to the beleaguering attacks upon those who are described by George Bailey (James Stewart) in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life as all those in this world "who do most of the working and paying and living and dying" in it.
Yes, Citadel is ultimately a film infused with humanity and it seems appropriate that the movie reminds me of George Bailey's full speech to the corporate pig Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) during a point when Bailey's levels of courage are at their highest and before, like Tommy, when they crash to their lowest point and an angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) shows up, much like the Good Father in Citadel, to infuse him with the power he needs to fight his greatest and most debilitating fears:
Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about... they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well in my book, my father died a much richer man than you'll ever be!
Ciaran Foy has made a great film. Those who see Citadel will also be much richer for doing so.
|Trinity, now restored. Will it survive the light at the end of the tunnel that is CITADEL
Please read my interview with writer-director Ciaran Foy in Virginie Selavy's ultra-cool UK Film Magazine "Electric Sheep - a deviant view of cinema". And whatever you do, buy this movie, study it and cherish it. You'll be getting a ground-floor glimpse into the work of a director who we'll be hearing from for years to come. In the USA, Citadel is distributed by New Video Group, in Canada by Mongrel Media and in the UK by the Revolver Entertainment Group.


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Barn Door Headboard Furniture
Barn door headboard – Hanging barn doors on rolling tracks to create a sliding door can be a modern, attractive solution to split two environments. But do not limit your enjoyment of this rustic salvaged feature to your intended purpose. Make furniture with barn doors that capitalizes on its degraded attractiveness and large surface area. Headboards, farm-style dining tables and coffee tables look great when a barn door is the star of the design. Meanwhile, doing a headboard with extra lighting does not require advanced electrical or construction skills.
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It does not allow a space between the bed and the barn doors or they seem to float precariously. Wall mounts fixtures on the barn door headboard to add lighting to the headboard. Install antique wall sconces on a weather-bitten child door. Hang the door the barn above or behind the bed with fixtures. These for securely supporting heavy objects on the wall (three screws for hardwoods, bolts for cement, plaster wall mounting for plaster). Mount the sconces to the door barn after sconces' package instructions. Pair of stormy gray child doors with light sconces smoky. Or stained silver or vibrant red barn doors with orange stained glass. Use sconces as task lighting.
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Archive for the 'zuers' Tag
mid-March in Lech
Mostly unintended.
I didn't bring my equipment, as I planned on staying in Frankfurt, but upon reading the forecast, I bought a train ticket, sucked up the steep prices in Lech, and took a 9.5 hour trip down to the Arlberg.
My rental setup was on this year's equipment, with a colorful and well-maintained Burton Custom 158, and a smelly pair of Ozone boots. The boots were not really suited for my riding style, though, they were comfortable, but too soft and didn't really agree with my feet. The bindings, Burton Missions, were the toe-cap type, which I've never used before, and they were just okay. Somehow a lot of snow piled up around the toe area, at least more so than my normal bindings. The board, though, was great, the right length and flex compared to my current 161 tank.
I met up with my buddy Michael, who made it up from Feldkirch to ride a couple hours Monday afternoon with me, and then had to leave to go to Innsbruck. Too bad it was so short, but hopefully next year!
I caught what is probably going to be the last big snowfall of the season. After snowing around 15 – 20 cm the first day, It dumped nearly 60 cm overnight Monday into Tuesday, mostly starting around 5 AM, and by the time I was up on the slopes, it was deep and mostly untracked. A German lady I rode up with summed it up nicely, as she simply looked at me and said, " WOW", which translates in any language. So began a day of above the knee powder, where you feel the snow gently pushing against your clothing, and get the occasional elusive face shot. The visibility, as expected for a place above treeline, was quite bad.
The sun came out the next day, which made for more powder runs, and it stayed good until the early afternoon, when the rapidly rising temperatures turned things into mashed potatoes. But I also took a few of the off-piste runs, but still had to stay cautious given that I was riding alone and it's all too easy to lose your way around here or otherwise end up in trouble. This place is sweet on a day like this, but it's better to ride with a buddy, or better yet, a local who knows his way around.
The downsides to the place: there are several areas of traverses that are difficult on a snowboard. Somehow, even when I point it, I still can't manage enough speed, so inevitably I end up walking. And as I pointed out, the powder days are amazing, but the visibility can be terrible.
And as for the town, it exudes luxury and money, and is probably the most prestigious resort in the Alps, along with St. Moritz. The food and accommodation will break your budget, but it's an undeniably gorgeous location to blow your cash. I stuck to the less expensive options, i.e. pasta and pizza, stayed in a reasonably priced pension a short walk uphill from the church, in the Anger part of town. And I avoided the whole apres-ski scene, which is a unique, cheesy only-in-Europe experience.
One last word about the trip back: late leaving Langen, late leaving Bregenz, late leaving Lindau, broken down train in Stuttgart. Five transfers, blech.
Weekend in the Arlberg
First trip here this season, after I took the plunge on the steep train fare and took the 7-hour journey to meet up with my buddy Michael in Lech. I'd love to go more often, but I just live too far away. After relaxing in the evening, and still staying up way past my bedtime (1 AM), I managed to get some sleep, never enough, though. It had been a roller-coaster week at work, and I had not been riding in three weeks.
Here we go, this is what happens when it puked a bunch of snow during the week, and when you put an old guy with a bunch of early 20-somethings. You get a powder day on steroids, in a clockwise loop from Lech to Zuers and back. And plenty of that indecipherable Vorarlberg dialect.
9:30 AM, off to the races, and the first of many extended powder runs. It's this undulating terrain with numerous gullies, cliffs of different sizes, and all sorts of natural terrain features. So off we went, taking the usual set of chairlifts and surface lifts to get to Zuers, and then gradually back to Lech. They knew the way, I just did my best to follow them around.
2 PM, time for a quick lunch with a view. And a brief check of our transceivers for safety's sake.
4 PM, a long-ish hike out of bounds, that hour when you start to feel the temperature falling, and when the light on the mountain starts to take a slight pinkish glow. What a view, what a day.
The flat spots, however, really got me. Despite pointing it, I found that I had to skate or unstrap to get going, so I probably irritated everyone. To all of them, danke fuer deine Geduld, thanks for your patience, and sorry!
I've been to the Arlberg several times now, but I think this trip took the cake with regards to quality. The sun came out for just one day, the temperatures still stayed below freezing, and hooking up with a bunch of locals, they knew where to go.
Now it was harder to get up early the next morning, crawl out of bed, and pull on the clothes and my still-damp, slimy boots. I had a long journey back to the flatlands of Germany after riding, and I decided on another loop of Lech / Zuers, albeit this time it was a solo mission, and abbreviated.
I revisited some spots from the day before, some of which had become suncrusted and choppy, but ended it on a happy solo run to the Lech tunnel. And then it was a breathless set of bus and train connections, a postbus to Langen and on to Feldkirch, a six minute connection, a standing-room only train to Lindau, another six minute connection, a delayed train to Ulm, a two minute dash to the bullet train, and a growling stomach from not eating quite enough over the past couple of days.
A few lessons I picked up out of this:
I'm old and out of shape. My abilities are headed south, but I can still do a mean powder turn. Safety first. Still among the best days of the year so far.


text: Michael Ballard 21 Report post Posted February 6, 2017 A while back I put together a post on my website on the Jackrabbit Trail alignment of US 60 through the Badlands west of Beaumont, California. I thought this would be a good place to put a link for other interested parties. http://socalregion.com/jackrabbit-trail-november-14-2013/ The post covers a bit of the history, routing, and has photos of the roadway. I took a small portion of this again a couple weeks ago and it hasn't changed much, despite the heavy rains we have been having. It is still marked as "Road Closed" and isn't signed from Gilman Springs Road anymore, but it is indeed a through road. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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HPI Savage XL Review – RC Monster Truck
From: HPI Racing
Direct Link: HPI Racing Savage XL
When I opened the box to find my shiny new HPI Savage XL, I was like a kid on Christmas morning! I just wanted to shred everything that was in the way, grab the truck, and go outside and play!
Over the last week or so, I have posted several articles to help cover my Savage XL experiences. From un-boxing to it's first Day at the Track. I have taken a bunch of pictures, and I will post them towards the bottom, if they don't all make it during the review.
This truck is a true monster! It's bigger then just about anything you can buy off the shelf right now, and it's not just all rim and tire. After getting it out of the box, checking the manual for anything I should be made aware of, it was time to start the break-in process.
It comes with the new Roto-Start 2 comes with a longer shaft and a built in circuit breaker to keep you from damaging anything if you flood the engine. This is must have technology, anyone who is still using pull starts just like the blisters and suffering. I charged the 5-cell battery pack which comes with the vehicle (nice!) and was ready to go.
I was extremely pleased with the way the vehicle started up quickly and had little problems getting through the first few tanks of fuel. After several more break in tanks out in the parking lot, it was time to head over to the track. Remember, just because you bash, does not mean you can't support your local track!
Walking with this truck got all sorts of attention. It wasn't long before a group of people were huddled around the pit table, comparing it to other trucks and asking all sorts of questions. After talking to everyone about the short experiences I had with the truck so far, it was time to watch it fly!
Feeling the truck on the pit table, I was worried that it might be a little springy, and was unsure how it was going to handle out there. I'm happy to report it passes our flight test with flying colors! Once I was used to the trucks handling and the track layout, I was having no problems getting around the track and landing some big jumps.
The huge motor in the Savage XL has so much torque, it was easy and fast to correct any problems mid flight. We were still working on dialing in the engine, and noticed that 2nd gear was a little late in the shift point. I was a little unsure when I found out that only the third gear shift point could be adjusted from outside the vehicle, and I was going to have to take out the transmission to adjust 2nd gear.
Amazingly enough, this huge vehicle is easy to work on! It only took 3 screws, a few minutes and the transmission was out and ready to tweak. You need to remove a few gears to get to the adjusting fastener, but I had it apart, tweaked and back in the vehicle in under 15 min. Not a bad time for the first time it was removed. Ask me how many hours I worked on my first t-maxx transmission upgrade! For a basher who does not need 2nd gear to be absolutely perfect, this isn't a big deal, but if you are a racer, you will probably be inside this trans a few times to get it all right.
A few days later, it was off to a local bash. There was more head turning, lots of questions, and lots of very happy people. Once dialed, this giant truck could wheelie on command! I was again surprised by the torque in this thing. I could of used a wheelie bar because I ended up on my lid a lot just racing in the parking lot. Our top speed was in the low 40mph range which is great for a truck this size. I'm pretty confident that with a little more tweaking of the trans and dials, mid 40's will be no problem, and I'm only running 20% nitro!
The trucks huge tires made it easy to run around the grass field at a good speed and the acceleration was everything I could of asked for as I hit the huge ramps at the bash. Again the massive torque made it easy to adjust in the air, and it sailed smoothly.
Like most bash events, as time goes on, the air gets bigger and the driving gets braver. I hit the ramps hard and had more then my share of bad spills along the way. After several tanks of gas, I was averaging about 12 minutes of run time per tank of fuel. I think this is pretty good for the size of that thirsty engine!
Finally, after many spills and thrills, the plastic end that connects to a ball joint on the back of the truck gave out. It didn't even break, just stretched! Nothing a few zip ties couldn't help fix.
So lets break it down and see what we have.
The Good: Huge truck, strong motor, wheelies on command, good speed, and the durability you can expect from a HPI Savage! Roto-Start 2, BIG wheels, easy to start and get running, 5cell hump pack, steel gears!
The Not so good: What is the deal with the plastic swing arms that keep the rods in that hold the a-arms in place? After my 2nd run with the truck one rod was backed out more then half way. I zipped tied the things together in the front and back to fix the problem. Easier Access to the Roto Start. Trying to start with the body on caused some wear and tear on the rear of the body. AM Radio? Really?
Would of Liked: Threaded shocks, a larger gas tank (there is room enough in the back of this thing for some luggage and a nice stereo system!), and a fail safe. All things I would of liked to see for a truck of this caliber at this price. These things are not deal breakers, just items that would of been nice.
If you have a RC Monster truck in your future, this IS the truck! It's everything you could ask for in a basher vehicle! A ton of people that I have shown the truck to in the last week have told me they are now going out to get one! You don't want to be 'that guy', the one without the Savage XL at the bash!
As with all our stuff, if you see me at a bash or at the track, feel free to stop by, say hi and check out the stuff! I'll give ya some stickers, and even let ya try stuff! (maybe… if you ask nice)
SUMMARY Time To Bash – 8.0/10 – Charge batteries, break-in, and go. Workability – 9.5/10 – This truck is EASY to work on, and shares some easy to get parts with the Savage. Car Show Rating – 8.5/10 – Bigger IS Better! Could use a little bling Bash-A-Bility – 9/10 – I made some very hard landings and tumbles and was never out of commission for long. Big Squid Rating – 9.0/10 – Tentacles.. RC Monster Trucking is going to make a good come back with a truck like this! Truggies are so 2006! 🙂
Time To Bash – 8.0/10 – Charge batteries, break-in, and go.
Workability – 9.5/10 – This truck is EASY to work on, and shares some easy to get parts with the Savage.
Car Show Rating – 8.5/10 – Bigger IS Better! Could use a little bling
Bash-A-Bility – 9/10 – I made some very hard landings and tumbles and was never out of commission for long.
Big Squid Rating – 9.0/10 – Tentacles.. RC Monster Trucking is going to make a good come back with a truck like this! Truggies are so 2006! 🙂


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The Tigermart on Mercury Boulevard was robbed late last week, but at this point it does not appears as if a suspect has been apprehended.
According to the store clerk, a man entered the store wearing a scarf, a black suede jacket, sweatpants and house shoes and attempted to buy beer. During the attempt to buy the cold beverages, the clerk told police the subject's credit card was declined. The culprit left and returned a short time later demanding money. At first, the worker told the suspect he did not have any cash. Seconds later, the worker opened the register and handed him what little money was in the cash drawer. The man left with about 60-bucks and did not return.
Police were called after the hold up and detectives took over the investigation.


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Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Friday, January 05, 2007
Ramchal and Mayor LaGuardia: Related?
Another famous Luzzatto that I am familiar with is the famous Italian-Jew Rabbis Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (RAMCHAL), known for his works on Jewish religious thought and Kabballa; Mesilat Yesharim and Derech Hashem notably. In fact it turns out that the Luzzatto lineage happens to have many notable Jewish figures, including Italy's second Jewish prime minister Luigi Luzzatti.
Of course the question still begs itself, is mayor LaGuardia a member of the famed Luzzatto lineage and a relative of the famed RAMCHAL and other Luzzatto's? At this point I have yet to see any internet proof that there is any connection other than a shared last name, but yet the this find does open seem to be quite interesting.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Boycott this!
Its a free world, you dont have to like jews, but for those like you who dont like them, I might suggest that you boycott certain Jewish products like the Wasserman Test for syphilis, Digitalis discovered by Dr. Muslin, Insulin discovered by Dr. Minofsky, Chloralhydrate for convulsions discovered by Dr. Lisfreich, the Schick test for diphtheria, discovered by Dr. Zelman Waxman, the Polio pill by Dr. Albert Sabin, and the Polio Vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk. Good Boycott!
Humanitarian consistency requires that all bigots like you accept syphilis, heart disease, diabetes, convulsions, diphtheria, infantile paralysis, and tuberculosis as a matter of principle.
You want to be mad, be mad; but I'm telling you now, you aint gonna feel good!
Mr. Jew
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Israel: where winters at
i think its my warm personality :P (yeah that was very corny)
Sunday, December 24, 2006
merry christmas l'kulam
if you ask me some kids parents made it this whole present shindig to get him to shut up, and welll he told his friends and before long you have all these kids telling each other that santa brings presents down the chimmney for all the good boys and girls on chrismas. I guess those kids grew up to become good goyeshe maideles and menschen and passed on the story, thus the santa mesora was born!
Of course this all begs the question, how does santa know which houses are christian and which aren't. Well its in the mezzuza stupid! See its possible that a christian fellow arrives home way too late on erev christmas to get that tree, let alone decorate it. In this situation it would be totally unfair to mr. Gentile's kids if santa didnt stop by because of some missing tree, well to everything thing theres a solution. See santa's got special mezuzza-adar, which alarms him which houses not to take a dive by. The special homing becon un rudulfs nose alerts him to the Jewish houses and thus he doesnt make a mistake by hitting those homes.
and that ladies and gentleman is my christmas torah, happy holidays!
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Zman Cheruteinu (post-finals)
Anyways im free now to do a lot, which of course amounts to next to nothing...ok that just a jew complaining. In truth im sure my tzedek mission in new orleans will amount to something, and if nothing perhaps ill knock a few points off my olam haba debt, ok or add some more karma points towards nirvana, call it what you wish.
as my favorite bravehearted anti-semite once said, FREEDOM!
Monday, December 18, 2006
Finals (!@#$%)
The worst part is that I've just realized that i have a problem. i cant study! Ill sit down to go through my bio book or some other useless waste of dead trees and then realize I just cant absorb any of the information, stare at the page, and eventually get up and talk to myself on this blog. how freaking sad. the worst part of it is that I've gotta do this routine non-stop until thursday.
And yeah even worse, hannuka harry hasnt shown up with anything yet. Tonights the fourth night (i think) and some crazy bearded guy has yet to slide down my chimmney, although on second thought maybe thats not such a good idea.
Anyways good luck with finals (yeah as if this computer screen has finals) and merry chrismuka
Friday, December 15, 2006
channuka song
Put on your yarmulke
Here comes chanukah
So much funukah
To celebrate chanukah
Chanukah is the festival of lights
Instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights
When you feel like the only kid in town without a christmas bush
Heres a list of people who are jewish just like you and me
David lee roth lights the menorah
So do james caan, kirk douglas, and the late dinah shore-ah
Guess who eats together at the carnegie deli
Bowser from sha na na and arthur fonzerelli
Paul newmans half jewish, goldie hawns half too
Put them together, what a fine lookin jew
You dont need deck the halls or jingle bell rock
cause you can spin a dreidel with captain kirk and mr. spock- both jewish
Put on your shtreimel-ka
Its time for chanukah
The owner of the seattle supersonicahs
Celebrates chanukah
O.j. simpson, not a jew
But guess who is? hall of famer rod carew- he converted
We got ann landers and her sister dear abby
Harrison fords a quarter jewish- not too shabby
Some people think that noam chomsky is
Well hes not, but guess who is
All three stooges
So many jews are in showbiz
Tom cruise isnt, but I heard his agent is
Tell your friend veronica
Its time to celebrate chanukah
I hope I get a harmonicah
Oh this lovely, lovely chanukah
So drink your gin and tonicah
And smoke your marijuanikah
If you really, really wannakah
Have a happy, happy, happy, happy chanukah
Happy chanukah
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Friday, December 01, 2006
Gotta Love Those Friday Morning Phone Calls
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
I have done many crazy things in my lifetime, things that I am amazed actually happened when I look back at them. I beat some natives of Naples, Italy in their own card game on the island of Capri using hand gestures to comunicate. I ate some traiftastic ant eggs I found under a rock once. I nearly burned down a chuch by spilling a large amount of lit incence on the carpet. A priest almost died after I accidentally gave him bleach instead of water to drink. I have had many strange experiences, but none of them have been as meaningful as this one was. The concept itself sounds crazy. On the day be for Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, you traditionally buy a live chicken and say a prayer while you swing it over your head (most Jews don't do it this way anymore). Basically the chicken becomes your proxy and dies instead of you. It is your replacement and through its death you are somehow allowed to live on. I know, I know it sounds like another religion we've all heard of, but bear with me. The proceeds from the chicken sale go to charity and the chickens themselves are given to poor families. Nothing goes to waste and, in fact, a great number of people are helped. Is it helpful, relevant or worth doing from the atonement perspective though? Furthermore, since most people perform Kaporos with money, why the heck should you do it with an actual chicken!
I was suspicious the first time I heard about it. Why is this relevant to my atonement? It sounded like something that happened on a desert island or in a hut in South America, not a tradition of the Isrealite people! My curiosity, as always, got the better of me and I agreed to try it, and to help the Chabad rabbi bring the chickens to other student. That is how I ended up in a van with 21 squalking, defacating, vomiting atonements. After parking illegally, violating several people's leases by bringing livestock into buildings and dodging pecks we were back in Crown Heights to have the chickens shechted (slaughtered in a kosher way) and to do our own kaporos.
I picked my chichen and took him over to a bench so we could have a chat. Morty (that's what I named him) was rather unhappy to be doing this, but I explained that he was doing a very good thing and that it was quite an honor. I launched into a whole diatribe about how animals used to leap to be used as sacrifices at the Bais Hamigdash but I don't think Morty was interested. So I thanked him from the bottom of my heart and started the prayer. It really was meaningful for me. This fiesty, annoyed, uncooperative chicken was just like me. Neither of us were always so pleased to be doing what we needed to be doing, but in the end I wake up early to say Shema before shkia and he met with a shochets knife. He died so that a poor family could eat and so that I could learn a lesson about who I was and what I was meant to be doing. Morty made me promise to live up to my responsibility. It was like the end of Saving Private Ryan where Tom Hank's character says to Ryan "...earn...this." It was an incredibly powerful experience and I am so glad I did it. I really feel the responsibility, and the chicken crap is still on my shoes.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Catch-22, What Do You Do?
Monday, September 04, 2006
lashon hara
i think working in this very religious community has in some ways, rubbed off on me. don't worry, i'm not getting brain-washed, but i have been definatly more aware about certain things. for instance, lashon hara. now, i'm the type of person who has no problem saying what i think. i think if you have something to say, good or bad, you should definatly say it to someone's face, correct? but definatly not go heind someone's back. which is why i was annoyed to find out that a girl in hillel, who i am not friends with in the slightest, haven't seen or talked to in months, was going around spreading rumors about me. not that they were good rumors. she was going around saying i "dropped out of school," and then laughing about it. i don't understand what was so amusing, especially since it ws a completely fabricated story.
i thought about telling her that unlike her, who has her rich parents to support her, i've been on my own since i was 16, and i pay for everything myself, including, school, my cell phone bill, health insurance, food, rent, etc. since i got screwed over in terms of financal aid (and no it did not make me feel any better to learn i was one of many who have had that happen to them), i just could not afford to go this semester. don't get me wrong, i do not resent the fact that i have to pay for things on my own at all. it has taught me how to be independent, and i do not hold anything against the people who's parents DO pay for things for them. glad they have it. but i do have something against JAPs who make up rumors, and then laugh at people who actually have to work for things.
but i decided telling her this was worthless. partly because there is no way for her to comprehend it. but mostly because i don't want her pity at all.
in the torah, there is a story of miriam speaking lashon hara, and getting "afflicted" with a skin disease, which our sages have determined was probably leprosy. fortunatly for this JAP, leprosy is non exsistant in the US. however, in the religious community, lashon hara is thought to be a sign of a poor upbringing, something as little as lashon hara can majorly hurt your chances of getting a good shidduch, or even any shidduch. while i don't think the JAP is going to be shidduch dating, ever, and while i don't agree with what most of this religious world has to say about things, in this case, they are pretty right now the money. unfortunatly for this girl, she has no manners, and is a case of poor upbringing, and i feel sorry for her, and everyone else who comes in contact with her.
as for me, i'm working very hard to not be the kind of person she is, and not speak lashon hara.
on a side note, the fact that i haven't seen or spoken to her in months and she finds the need to talk about me... i guess i should be flattered that she dedicates so much of her waking life thinking about me. especially since, with the excption of this, i haven't given her a second thought.
*for the pictures pleae ask randy or alison to post them.
**my argentinian blood has cooled some (but not that much), but the pavement beating shall be held off on until furth notice... or until randy gets t-shirts made.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Baruchim Habaim
God Speed
Friday, July 28, 2006
I Need to Clean Out My Room NOW!!!!!!
HELP!!! I need to clean out my room! Correction, I need to redo my entire room! I had to get rid of a dresser, a four drawer cabinet, one book shelf, and a small size cabinet. They fell apart, literally. They belonged to my oldest sister. As far as I am concerned, she has had them for at least 15 years, maybe longer. So, in a way, its not surprising that thay fell apart. (For the longest time I wanted to change them, but she woudn't let me. Don't ask me why. )
For the past few months I have been cleaning out my room and closet. Not only do I need to clean out my space, I need to take inventory of all my pink stuff. Yes, all of it. ( I'm considering doing a seperate inventory list for all the Hello Kitty items) I have no clue when I'm going to be finished. I'm trying to get my room back to order by Labor Day. So far I've been doing okay.
As someone who likes to look on the bright side of things, I'm taking this as an opportunity to redecorate my entire room. Problem, I have less than two weeks to do this. I figure if the good people of Taking Over: Home Edition can make an entire house in a week, I can accomplish my task in 2-3 weeks.
Guys, its horrible. My room looks like it got blown by a hurricane. I have a huge pile of clothes on my bed. Half a dozen plastic bins stuffed to the rim are in the hallway. My books and magazines are stacked in piles. What really get to me is that half of my skincare and makeup products are currently MIA. Oh, in case if you're wondering, I've been sleeping on the living room couch. No, the couch is not pink.
(I apologize If I seem totally flustered and jumping from one thought to another. I'm just really fustrated right now.)
I've been going by Target, The Container Store, and Bed, Bath, and Beyond so much lately that the employees greet me the minute they see me. The sight of me slinging huge shopping bags on my back along with holding one on the left and one on the right is hilarious. Memebers of the local firehouse were impressed. Thank God for back to school sales. If not, I wouldn't be able to get everthing I needed at such good prices.
The Container Store website is really cool. There is a back to college link that has a variety of decorative choices for rooms.
As you can tell from the three images from the top I narrowed it down to three choices. I was wondering what y'all think. Please let me know.


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When I saw that Princess Nokia was releasing a mixtape I was excited. I'm a fan of her spirit, her being and how she carries herself in the midst of the rap game. She doesn't carry the typical "female rapper" persona and it reflects in her music, specially A Girl Cried Red. Here, she shows a softer side, but still packs a punch. Princess Nokia dives in deep to rock influences as she sits at a fast food joint in a striped long-sleeve with metal bracelets on. She calls it "alternative." It's a touch of emo blended in with hip hop, she describes to The Fader. "It's real alternative music," says Nokia. The project sits at eight singles full sing-songy raps on mellow rock influenced beats giving us a breath of fresh air from what's currently offered in today's rap. Tell us what you think in the comments!
A Girl Cried Red
A Girl Cried Red, an album by Princess Nokia on Spotify