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Featuring 336 Adoptee-Recommended Titles!
Adoptees
Female Adoptees
Male Adoptees
Baby Scoop Era
Adoption General
Search/Reunion
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Non-adoption Themed
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Books About Same-Race Domestic U.S. Adoptions
Adopted: An Adoptee's Memoir of Healing Love
by David C. Alves
Adopted touches on the issues nearly every child or adult adoptee must face on the way to maturity, wholeness, and redemption. Along the way my personal narrative provides valuable insights to
Adopted Like Me: Chosen to Search for Truth, Identity, and a Birthmother
by Michael C. Watson
As a child, Michael Watson asked, "Who is my mother?" The following twenty years he asked, "Who am I?" While narrating his quest to find the missing link to his
Adopted Out: A Memoir of Closed Adoption and Blackness
by S.M. Ezeff
While searching for her birth family, S.M. Ezeff discovered there was a shortage of African American adoptees speaking out and came to realize that agency-based adoption is still taboo within
by Laura Dennis
Caught in a paranoid delusion that she's a bionic spy responsible for 9/11, adoptee Laura Dennis must fight her perfectionist, self-destructive tendencies to regain her sanity. Adoptee Author: Laura Dennis Publication
Adoptee: A Childhood of Torment
by Joseph M. Sabol
The true story of an adopted child, abused, beaten, taunted, and humiliated. This book reveals a very different side of the Catholic Ursuline Order of Sisters and of one of
Adoption Reunion in the Social Media Age
Edited by Laura Dennis
This anthology gives voice to the wide experiences of adoptees and those who love them; examining the emotional, psychological and logistical effects of adoption reunion. Primarily adult adoptee voices, we
Adoptionland: From Orphans to Activists
Edited by Janine Myung Ja, Michael Allen Potter, and Allen L. Vance
This anthology begins with personal accounts and then shifts to a bird's eye view on adoption from domestic, intercountry and transracial adoptees who are now adoptee rights activists. Along with
After the Truth: A Memoir
by Paige Adams Strickland
What do you do when you are an adopted adult, trying to balance biological and adoptive families in addition to your own home life? How could being adopted have an
Akin to the Truth: A Memoir of Adoption and Identity
In Akin to the Truth: A Memoir of Adoption and Identity, Paige tells stories from the perspective of a child and adolescent, growing up with a closely guarded secret. Through
Almost Home: A Memoir
by Hilary Harper
While snooping in a closet as an adolescent, Hilary Harper discovers a secret: her parents are not her parents. Documents reveal her mother to be a vague, distant relative who
An Adoptee Lexicon
by Karen Pickell
Lyrical and informative, An Adoptee Lexicon is a glossary of adoption terminology from the viewpoint of an adult adoptee. Contemplating religion, politics, science, and human rights, Karen Pickell, who was born and
Assembling Self
by Karen Belanger
Born and adopted in 1959, at the age of two weeks, Karen had an inherent yearning her whole life to find more out about her biological background. Plagued by what
Await Your Reply
by Dan Chaon
The lives of three strangers interconnect in unforeseen ways–and with unexpected consequences. Longing to get on with his life, Miles Cheshire nevertheless can't stop searching for his troubled twin brother, Hayden,
The Baby Thief: The Untold Story of Georgia Tann, the Baby Seller Who Corrupted Adoption
by Barbara Bisantz Raymond
The story, first told by Barbara Raymond in a magazine article that inspired a 60 Minutes feature, was shocking. Georgia Tann, nationally lauded for arranging adoptions out of her children's
Bastards: A Memoir
by Mary Anna King
In the early 1980s, Mary Hall is a little girl growing up in poverty in Camden, New Jersey, with her older brother Jacob and parents who, in her words, were
Becoming Patrick: A Memoir
by Patrick McMahon
When Pat McMahon risks the love of the mother who raised him by seeking out the mother who gave him away, he transforms from a mild-mannered engineer into a frenetic
Belief Is Its Own Kind of Truth, Maybe
by Lori Jakiela
Belief Is Its Own Kind of Truth, Maybe is a book about mapping lives--the lives we are born with and the lives we are allowed to make for ourselves. Belief
Beneath a Tall Tree
by Jean Strauss
Bestselling author Jean Strauss's memoir about her quest to unearth her past is an incredibly funny and touching journey that redefines the meaning of family and celebrates the universal connections
Between, Georgia
by Joshilyn Jackson
A fictional story about a woman caught between two feuding families -- her adoptive and birth families -- in the small town of Between, Georgia. Author: Joshilyn Jackson Publication Year: 2006 Adoptee
Birthright: The Guide to Search and Reunion for Adoptees, Birthparents, and Adoptive Parents
by Jean A. S. Strauss
What happens when an adoptee decides to locate a birthparent or a birthparent wants to find a child given up long ago? How does one search for people whose names
Black Steel Magnolias in the Hour of Chaos Theory
by James Cagney
The poems in Black Steel Magnolias in the Hour of Chaos Theory interrogate identity, family, loneliness, and the expectations of masculinity. Using dreams, blues, and a chorus of voices, this
Blackbird: A Childhood Lost and Found
by Jennifer Lauck
An account of the author's childhood, including the deaths of her adoptive parents and Lauck's discovery that she is adopted, told from her point of view as a child experiencing
Bonded at Birth: An Adoptee's Search for Her Roots
by Gloria Oren
Bonded at Birth: An Adoptee's Search for Her Roots is a story of loss, survival, determination, and persistence. It covers one state, three countries, and two continents. It covers sixteen
The Bridge to Take When Things Get Serious
Her 70-year-old, cancer-stricken mother kills snakes with a broom. Her best friend believes in psychics and the Virgin Mary. Her new neighbor steals her CDs and her aunt sneaks cheese
The Collected Plays of Edward Albee: 1958-1965
by Edward Albee
Brings readers up to date with one of the most varied and brilliant periods in the career of a true American master playwright, including his most influential and iconoclastic plays
Dear Wonderful You: Letters to Adopted & Fostered Youth
Edited by Diane René Christian and Mei-Mei Akwai Ellerman, PhD
A powerful book filled with thoughtful and inspiring letters. This anthology was written by a global community of adult adoptees and adults who were fostered. Each letter was penned to
The Declassified Adoptee: Essays of an Adoption Activist
by Amanda H.L. Transue-Woolston; edited by Julie Stromberg
Throughout this book, readers bear witness to key moments in the unfolding of an adoptee from a quiet, contemplative young woman to an outspoken advocate for the rights of adoptees
Everything Is Possible: Finding the Faith and Courage to Follow Your Dreams
by Jen Bricker with Sheryl Berk
Jen Bricker was born without legs. Shocked and uncertain they could care for her, her biological parents gave her up for adoption. In her loving adoptive home, there was just
Everything You Ever Wanted: A Memoir
by Jillian Lauren
In her younger years, Jillian Lauren was a college dropout, a drug addict, and an international concubine in the Prince of Brunei's harem, an experience she immortalized in in her bestselling memoir,
A Family Apart: Sleuthing the Mysteries of Abandonment, Adoption and DNA
by Craig A. Steffen
A Family Apart: Sleuthing the Mysteries of Abandonment, Adoption and DNA is a fascinating ride into the methodical quest of an orphan to uncover the truth about his origins. Even
Family Medical History: Unknown/Adopted
by Nancy Kacirek Feldman and Rebecca Crofoot
Knowing where you came from often determines who you are. At the age of forty-five, Nancy Feldman knew how her doctor appointment would go. They would ask her about her
The Fifth and Final Name: Memoir of an American Churchill
by Rhonda Noonan
In a family memoir that reads like a detective novel, Rhonda Noonan recounts her thirty-year quest to find the truth of her own background--and what she uncovered will surprise readers
Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA
by Richard Hill
Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA is the highly suspenseful account of an adoptee trying to reclaim the biological family denied him by sealed birth records.
Finding Joi: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Love
by Joi R. Fisher
We all have a right to know about our birthright. Finding Joi: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Love centers around one woman's plight to connect the dots to
Fixing the Fates: An Adoptee's Story of Truth and Lies
by Diane Dewey
The secrets, lies, and layers of deception about Diane Dewey's origins were meant for her protection―but eventually, they imploded. Living with her family in suburban Philadelphia, Diane had grown up
Flip the Script: Adult Adoptee Anthology
Edited by Diane René Christian, Amanda H.L. Transue-Woolston, and Rosita González
Flip the Script: Adult Adoptee Anthology is a dynamic artistic exploration of adoptee expression and experience. This anthology offers readers a diverse compilation of literature and artistry from a global
Found and Lost: An Adoption, An Agency and A Search for Self
by Suzette J. Brownstein
Growing up with a secret is never easy. While mine seems innocuous now, it caused me a lot of pain in 1978. As an adoptee from the closed system where
The Foundling: The True Story of a Kidnapping, a Family Secret, and My Search for the Real Me
by Paul Joseph Fronczak and Alex Tresniowski
The Foundling tells the incredible and inspiring true story of Paul Fronczak, a man who recently discovered via a DNA test that he was not who he thought he was—and set
Fumbling Toward Divinity: The Adoption Scriptures
by Craig Hickman
Craig Hickman had had enough of the secrets and cover-ups and lies and was determined to solve the mystery of his roots. An estimated 7 million Americans are adopted. Depending
A Ghost at Heart's Edge: Stories and Poems of Adoption
Edited by Susan Ito and Tina Cervin
Sixty short stories and poems reveal the sometimes heartbreaking, often affirming tales of adoption. Written from the point of view of birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees, this unique anthology
The Girl in the Mirror: A Novel in Poems and Journal Entries
by Meg Kearney
An adopted teen's search for her birth mother is overshadowed by a wrenching loss, dramatically told through her poems and journals. Lizzie McLane, the adopted poet-heroine of the widely acclaimed The
A Girl Named Connie
by Carol Perkins with Connie Wilson
In 1946, being adopted was a social curse and a lifelong sentence. I was born that year, but not to prosperous business owners, Bill and Cloteel Wilson as I had
by Susan Beale
Ted, a car-tyre salesman in 1960s suburban New England, is a dreamer who craves admiration. His wife, Abigail, longs for a life of the mind. Single-girl Penny just wants to
The Goodbye Baby: A Diary about Adoption
by Elaine Pinkerton
Anyone who was adopted or who has adopted a child will find The Goodbye Baby a comforting and inspiring read. It takes one on a journey through the thorny issues
Hey, Kiddo
by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
In kindergarten, Jarrett Krosoczka's teacher asks him to draw his family, with a mommy and a daddy. But Jarrett's family is much more complicated than that. His mom is an
Home by Now
The characters of Meg Kearney's gritty second poetry collection travel the shadows and edges of modern life. Searching for home and knowing that, once found, home might dissolve without warning,
Hunting Shadows: An Adoptee's Journey
by Dan Sandifer
"Today class, we are going to talk a little about genetics" With these words, Hunter begins a journey to reveal what it means to be adopted. As he sets out
I Almost Fell Off the Top of the Empire State Building: A True Story of Trauma and Survival
by Joe Soll with Susan Hawvermale
From lying on a New Jersey highway with cars speeding by his head in both directions, to being shot in the head by a manic sniper and almost falling to
I Knew You by Name: The Search for My Lost Mother
by Peggy Barnes
Peggy Barnes' recently unsealed birth certificate arrived just after she buried the woman who raised her. She discovered her entire life had been a lie. She was born at The
Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited
by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein
Elyse Schein had always known she was adopted, but it wasn't until her mid-thirties while living in Paris that she searched for her biological mother. What she found instead was
Ithaka: A Daughter's Memoir of Being Found
by Sarah Saffian
Adopted as an infant twenty-three years before, living happily in New York, Sarah had been "found" by her biological parents despite her reluctance to embrace them. In this searing, lyrical memoir,
It's Not About You: Understanding Adoptee Search, Reunion, and Open Adoption
Edited by Brooke Randolph, MA, NCC, LMHC
The title of this book can be both inflammatory and comforting; different people need to read it different ways. The reality is that the desire for information has nothing to
Jack & Emma's Adoptee Journey
by Pam Kroskie
Jack & Emma's Adoptee Journey is a children's book that will help open the lines of communication between the adoptive parent and the adoptee. The book will also help the
The Last Invisible Continent: Essays on Adoption and Identity
by Michael Allen Potter
These twelve essays span nearly twenty years of research and activism that chronicle one man's search for his family. Together, they explore the concept of personal identity from the perspective
by Amelia Banis
Being adopted is one thing. Being adopted and navigating the complexities of having unexpected relationships with both biological parents is something quite different. Having two sets of parents can be
A Legitimate Life: A Forbidden Journey of Self-Discovery
by Melinda A. Warshaw
Adopted into an affluent and aristocratic family, Melinda A. Warshaw had everything a little girl could want—the best clothes, the best toys, horse riding lessons, anything else her heart desired.
Letters to My Birthmother: An Adoptee's Diary of Her Search for Her Identity
by Amy E. Dean
A memoir in unsent letters written by an adoptee and former foster child. Adoptee Author: Amy E. Dean Publication Year: 1991 Adoptee Reviews: Other Reviews: Publishers Weekly
The Lies That Bind: An Adoptee's Journey Through Rejection, Redirection, DNA, and Discovery
by Laureen Pittman
Born in a California women's prison in 1963, Laureen Pittman was relinquished for adoption. As a child, Laureen was conditioned to believe that being adopted didn't matter. So, it didn't
Lost and Found: A Memoir of Mothers
by Kate St. Vincent Vogl
She swore she would never let her birthmother into her life, but then her mom died of ovarian cancer and her birthmother found her through the obituary. Hard to argue
Lost Daughters: Writing Adoption from a Place of Empowerment & Peace
Edited by Amanda H.L. Transue-Woolston, Julie Stromberg, Karen Pickell, and Jennifer Anastasi
A collection of writings by the authors of the Lost Daughters blog. The Lost Daughters mission is to bring readers the perspectives and narratives of adopted women, and to highlight their
A Man and His Mother: An Adopted Son's Search
by Tim Green
From Tim's life as a gangly youngster to competing in the grueling National Football League to having children of his own, this is an impassioned exploration of the special relationship
Miss New York Has Everything
Her aunt was a nun who popped pills and did time in Narcotics Anonymous. Her father grew up during the Depression, believed he'd be the next Frank Sinatra, and ended
The Mistress's Daughter
by A. M. Homes
The acclaimed writer A. M. Homes was given up for adoption before she was born. Her biological mother was a twenty-two-year-old single woman who was having an affair with a
by Christina Crawford
Memoir and exposé written by Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of actress Joan Crawford. In the book, Christina Crawford claims that she was a victim of child abuse during her
The Mouse Room
by Susan Ito
Susan Ito is a struggling college student, a young adult on the cusp of parental independence, when she meets her birth mother for the first time. Instead of launching into
My Life: The Journey Of An Adoptee
by Jim Armstrong
My Life is an autobiography of my life as an adopted child. Adoption can be an emotional roller coaster for many adopted children. In this book i have provided my life
by Joanne E. Sayre
What if you found out that you were adopted and everything you thought you knew about your family, your security, was shattered? My Secret is about my 40 year quest
The Mysteries of Eva Miller Revealed
by Eva D. Miller
Former American Idol contestant Eva Miller takes you on an inspiring journey of both tragedy and triumph. Through her courage and faith Eva set out on a mission to unravel
Odyssey of a Belief: An Adoptee's Journal
by Joe Wh. Zychik
Odyssey of a Belief is a compelling chronicle about triumph over seemingly hopeless circumstances. The author spent the first six years of his life in eight different homes and two foster
Out of the Birdcage: Memoirs of an Adoptee
by JH Dunn
Based on a true story of an adoptee's search for identity and purpose. Never quite feeling like she fit in, struggling in relationships, and getting in trouble, until she learns
Paper and Spit: Family Found—How DNA and Genealogy Revealed My First Parents' Identity
by Don Anderson
Like many adoptees, Don Anderson wanted to know where he came from. But would he be setting himself up for disappointment by searching? Would he discover parents who were not
Parallel Universes: The Story of Rebirth
by David B. Bohl
In this poignant and powerful memoir, David B. Bohl reveals the inner turmoil and broad spectrum of warring emotions shame, anger, triumph, shyness, pride he experienced growing up as a relinquished boy.
Parenting As Adoptees
Edited by Adam Chau and Kevin Ost-Vollmers
Through fourteen chapters, the authors of Parenting As Adoptees give readers a glimpse into a pivotal phase in life that touches the experiences of many domestic and international adoptees--that of
Perpetual Child: Dismantling the Stereotype
Edited by Diane René Christian and Amanda H.L. Transue-Woolston
A collection of stories, poems, and essays aimed at confronting the "perpetual child" stereotype faced by adult adoptees. The pieces contained within this anthology implore readers to look deeply into
Puzzles, Pieces and Choices: A memoir of my struggle for understanding and closure
by R. J. Redmond
Every family has secrets, but I never dreamed my position within ours was the subject of the biggest secret of all. As with any truth untold, there were clues along
Requitements
by Rosemary Starace
Poems and an essay. Adoptee Author: Rosemary Starace Publication Year: 2015 (revised edition; originally published 2010) Adoptee Reviews: Other Reviews: Via Negativa Revised 2015 edition available from publisher Elephant Tree House.
Restored: Pursuing Wholeness When a Relationship Is Broken
by Deanna Doss Shrodes
Have your hopes been dashed into pieces when you tried to make a relationship work and the other person didn't respond as you wished? Have you asked someone to forgive
Reunited: An Investigative Genealogist Unlocks Some of Life's Greatest Family Mysteries
by Pamela Slaton (with Samantha Marshall)
In this poignant and heartwarming narrative, renowned genealogist Pamela Slaton tells the most striking stories from her incredibly successful career of reconnecting adoptees with long-lost birth parents. After a traumatic
Santa Fe Blogger: Life After Adoption Recovery
Santa Fe Blogger traces an adoptee's journey to wholeness and authenticity. One blog post at a time, author and blogger Elaine Pinkerton comes to grips with the lack of a
Saving Grace: A Story of Adoption
by L.B. Johnson
It started with a piece of paper--a birth certificate, sent to the author's parents long after her birth. There is much history in that piece of paper. For she was
Scoop Baby: . . . It Is Time
by H.T. Sawyer
They said her baby died… Baby Scoop Era: Once upon a time, unwed mothers were trained to care for their babies, largely by Christian women. In the 1940's, however, maternity
Searching for Mom: A Memoir
by Sara Easterly (with Linda Easterly)
Searching for Mom is a "disarmingly honest" mother-daughter story. Sara Easterly spent a lifetime looking for the perfect mother. As an adoptee she had difficulties attaching to her mother, struggled with
Searching for the Castle: Backtrail of an Adoption
by Barbara Leigh Ohrstrom
Like cowboys turning in the saddle to look at where they came from, Searching for the Castle documents the backtrail of author Barbara Leigh Ohrstrom's adoption. It begins with her
The Secret of Me: A Novel in Poems
The acclaimed story of an adopted teenager's quest to find her place among family, friends, and the wider world. Fourteen-year old Lizzie, as well as her older brother and sister,
Shadows of a Dark-Alley Adoptee: An Adoptee's Search for Self
by Wendy Barkett
A book of thoughts and poems from an adoptee who attempts to find the truth which is masked by lies. Her lonely travels through a world that feels dark. At
She Named You Donna
by Julie Kerton
It's a January morning in 1976; Julie rips the hospital bracelet from her wrist and throws it across the room. As it lands, she doesn't know that the sound will
by Carlynne Hershberger
The story of adoption is seldom told from the natural mother's point of view. Eleven full color paintings with narrative poetry tell a story of loss, longing, power, powerlessness, surrender,
Some Girls: My Life in a Harem
At eighteen, Jillian Lauren was an NYU theater school dropout with a tip about an upcoming audition. The "casting director" told her that a rich businessman in Singapore would pay
Somebody Else's Daughter
by Elizabeth Brundage
In the idyllic Berkshires, at the prestigious Pioneer School, there are dark secrets that threaten to come to light. Willa Golding, a student, has been brought up by her adoptive
The Sound of Hope: A True Story of an Adoptee's Quest for Her Origins
by Anne Bauer
Anne Bauer, an adoptee, cannot pretend that she had another life and another family before being adopted. Much of Anne's childhood was spent wondering about her other mother. She desperately
Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Children Won't Save Black America
by Stacey Patton
Why do so many African Americans have such a special attachment to whupping children? Studies show that nearly 80 percent of black parents see spanking, popping, pinching, and beating as
Spot the Terrorist!
Lori Jakiela's Spot the Terrorist! takes the reader on flights through the ordinary-turned-extraordinary, where the everyday experiences of a flight attendant become something much stranger and wilder. Adoptee Author: Lori Jakiela
Swabbed & Found: An Adopted Man's DNA Journey to Discover his Family Tree
by Frank Billingsley
As Houston's beloved KPRC weatherman for more than 20 years, Frank Billingsley seems like a relative to many people. His optimistic presence comes into their homes and reassures that even
The Syrian Jewelry Box: A Daughter's Journey for Truth
by Carina Sue Burns
Carina Rourke is a young American growing up in blissful innocence in the Middle East until at age fifteen she is captivated by an obsessive desire to search inside of her
Taking Down the Wall
by Christine Murphy
To find a solution, a person must first admit there is a problem. Taking Down the Wall is a chronicle of one woman's journey to the painful and reluctant admission
The Tangled Red Thread
by Elle Cuardaigh
Born into the social experiment of closed adoption in the early 1960s, Noelle was taken home directly from the hospital at the age of three days. Her early life in
Ten Ways Not To Commit Suicide: A Memoir
by Darryl McDaniels with Darrell Dawsey
As one third of the legendary rap group Run D.M.C., Darryl "DMC" McDaniels—aka Legendary MC, The Devastating Mic Controller, and the King of Rock—had it all: talent, money, fame, prestige.
Thank God I Was Adopted 'Cause DNA Is No Joke!
by Pekitta Tynes with Janice Young
Abandoned in a shot house and left without a birth certificate, I was an UNKNOWN. I lived in foster care and later adopted into a wonderful family. After 35-years of
That Mean Old Yesterday: A Memoir
An astonishing coming-of-age memoir by a young woman who survived the foster care system to become an award-winning journalist. On a rainy night in November 1999, a shoeless Stacey Patton,
The Search for Anna Fisher
by Florence Fisher
The document lay in the bottom of the bureau drawer. Written in longhand was a name: Anna Fisher. "Who is Anna Fisher?" seven-year-old Florence asked her mother. The woman yanked
They Chose Me: An Adoption Story
by Denise Lynnette Defoe
Raw and informative, They Chose Me: An Adoption Story shares the gripping story of Denise Defoe who was relinquished for adoption at birth. Adopted at the age of two by
Three Little Words: A Memoir
by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
An inspiring true story of the tumultuous nine years Ashley Rhodes-Courter spent in the foster care system, and how she triumphed over painful memories and real-life horrors to ultimately find
Three More Words
Ashley Rhodes-Courter spent a harrowing nine years of her life in fourteen different foster homes. Her memoir, Three Little Words, captivated audiences everywhere and went on to become a New
Toxic Mom Toolkit: Discovering a Happy Life Despite Toxic Parenting
by Rayne Wolfe
Toxic Mom Toolkit takes on super toxic mothers with humor, kindness, and practical tools to help readers build a peaceful and happy life. The book includes Wolfe's memoir of growing
The Truth So Far: A Detective's Journey To Reunite with Her Birth Family
by Jennifer Dyan Ghoston
How do you use a document like the amended birth certificate given to an adoptee as a legal representation of the entire truth? In this memoir, Jennifer Dyan Ghoston examines
A Twenty Year Journey: An Adoptee's Search for Answers
by Cathryn B. Stanley
Secrets, sacrifice, lies, love, abandonment, acceptance, grief, joy, regret, jubilation, and fortitude are nestled within the pages of A Twenty-Year Journey. Join me as I share the twists and turns
Twice Born: Memoirs of an Adopted Daughter (reissue)
by Betty Jean Lifton
In this significant and lasting account, Betty Jean Lifton, acclaimed author of several books on the psychology of the adopted, tells her own story of growing up at a time
Two Peas In A Separated Pod: A True Story of Adoption
by Jeannie Lachman and Carole Sanguedolce
Take a journey with two women on the road to discoveries and realizations. Jeannie and Carole write about their lives growing up. Each is unaware of the other. Jeannie is
Undercover Debutante: The Search for My Birth Parents and a Bald Husband
by Charlotte Laws
Forthcoming August 2019. Available for preorder. Dr. Charlotte Laws, the most well-known unknown, is a TV star, best-selling author, and world-renowned advocate for women, animals, and the LGBTQ community. NBC
An Unkindness of Ravens
In An Unkindness of Ravens, Meg Kearney's poems weave voices of estrangement and redemption: mothers, daughters, lovers of gin and dead things. In the middle poems, the protagonist confronts "Raven":
If anyone understands the phrase "tough luck," it's Harrison. As a foster kid in a cruel home, he knows his dream of one day playing in the NFL is a
Walk Away (Kindle Single)
by Michele Leavitt
Walk Away is the unflinching and inspiring story of how author Michele Leavitt lived through the violence of her adolescence, how that violence haunted her through her escape to college
Waving Backwards
by V.L. Brunskill
Imagine not knowing who you are, until you find yourself in a statue 800 miles from home. Join intensely passionate and fiercely independent New York college student Lara Bonavito on
A Wealth of Family: An Adopted Son's International Quest for Heritage, Reunion, and Enrichment
by Thomas Brooks
Brooks grew up as the only child of a struggling single mother in inner-city Pittsburgh. He was battling racial stereotypes at school and searching for a place among his peers.
When You Never Said Goodbye: An Adoptee's Search for Her Birth Mother: A Novel in Poems and Journal Entries
A student at NYU in Greenwich Village, Liz McLane is pursuing her dream of becoming a poet and, at the same time, determined to find her birth mother, no matter
Who Am I Really: An Adoptee Memoir
by Damon Davis
"Who Am I Really?" is a question many adoptees ask when they realize they have another family of genetic relation. Damon L. Davis shares his journey through life as an
Worthy To Be Found chronicles the joys and obstacles of a Christian adoptee relinquished at birth in the 1960s American South. Deanna was called by God from a young age. Driven
You Belong to Us
by Molly McCaffrey
On April 5, 1970, Molly McCaffrey was born in a Catholic hospital and given up for adoption when she was six weeks old. Nearly thirty years later, she met her
You Don't Know How Lucky You Are: An Adoptee's Journey Through The American Adoption Experience
by Rudy Owens
Nearly 50 years after he was relinquished for adoption, Rudy Owens learned how fortunate life can be. In 2014 in San Diego, Owens met his biological half-sister for the first
You Don't Look Adopted
by Anne Heffron
Adoption can be wonderful and tricky. There is love of the parents, love of the child, but there can also be problems. The adopted child often wonders Who am I?
You Remind Me of Me
You Remind Me of Me begins with a series of separate incidents: In 1977, a little boy is savagely attacked by his mother's pet Doberman; in 1997 another little boy
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Tag: homeowners
Greenovation: Low-Flow Toilets
Rudy Wilfong, on the left, distributes Coroma toilets. Matt Grocoff, right, is with Greenovation TV. (Photo by Thore Bergman)
Matt and Lester tested the flushing capabilities of several low-flow toilets by using potatoes, tennis balls, and rubber duckies. (Photo by Thore Bergman)
A vision in green. An 8-gallon tank toilet from the 1950s in avocado. (Photo courtesy of Greenovation TV)
The Environmental Protection Agency has
a new water saving program called Water
Sense. It's similar to the Energy Star label
for electronics. To get the Water Sense
program's endorsement, toilets must use less
water. But, people have been complaining
about the old style low-flow toilets since they
were first required in the mid-1990s. Lester
Graham reports on what's changed since then:
https://environmentreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/feature_graham_091609.mp3
The problem with those old low-flow toilets is the companies didn't really re-design them – they just made the tank smaller. Some of them just didn't do the job.
Hugh Maquire has one in his home. He's had a bad experience with his.
Maquire: "I had to flush my low-flow toilet six or seven times. What is that saving you?"
Graham: " Doesn't save you much water that way does it?"
Maquire Doesn't save you much water at all. Plus it's annoying. It's embarrassing, 'cause everybody's hearing you flush the toilet six or seven times, wondering what the heck's going on in there."
So, we asked Matt Grocoff with Greenovation TV to set up a demonstration for us. Behind the Bgreen Retail Store in Ann Arbor, Michigan three different models of these new Water Sense low flow toilets are set up on five-gallon buckets so we can see what gets flushed… and what comes out.
Grocoff: "I always joke there were three things that set back the environmental movement: there was the original low-flow shower head, the original low-flush toilet and Jimmy Carter's sweater. 'Cause what that said to everybody was 'You're going to pay more for it; it was going to be less comfortable and you were going to have to sacrifice and it wasn't going to perform as well.' And with these new generations of redesigned toilets, you're getting a higher quality product than even the existing one-point-six gallon or even a three gallon per flush toilet"
Graham: "Let's see it."
These toilets all have dual flush capabilities. A full flush is 1.28 gallons. A half flush – just 0.8. To prove how well they work, he's just using the point-eight gallon flush. Matt's got tennis balls, potatoes, and little rubber duckies.
Grocoff: "We got three duckies." (flush sound)
Graham: " Well, that seemed to work. No duckies. What'd you think of that, Hugh?"
Maquire: "I felt sorry for that ducky, but it was a great demonstration."
And, again, that was the half-flush at 0.8 gallons, half of what the old low-flow standard was. Matt upped the ante.
Grocoff: "Two tennis balls and two potatoes. This is going to be the real challenge." (flush sound)
Then more potatoes.
(flush)
And more duckies.
Now, Matt's demonstration is hardly scientific, but of the three brands we tested – a Kohler, a Toto and a Coroma – it appeared to me the Coroma worked best, at flushing duckies and potatoes anyway.
Rudy Wilfong is a dealer for Coroma. The toilet is made in Australia. He says Australia has had one-gallon-per-flush restrictions for 30 years, so they've designed them to work.
Wilfong: "And they don't plug. They flush better than the 1.6 gallon toilets with half the water."
And compared to the old low-flow toilets, you can expect to save about 1,000 gallons, per person, per year. They do cost more, but the pay back compared to a regular low-flow is about 2 to 2.5 years. If you've got one of those three-gallon-per-flush models, or even an old 6 gallon model, your payback will be a lot faster.
Graham: "Alright, Matt, I'm going to give you one more chance to impress me. What have you got here?"
Grocoff: "Alright. So, here we've got a full t-shirt. (flush) Very nice."
Maquire: "Hey, Matt. I had a black t-shirt. Do you see it anywhere?" (laugh)
Graham: "Well, this was pretty impressive. Where can I get some more information about this?"
Grocoff: "Of course, you can go to Greenovation-dot-TV and you can see a video and some photographs of some of these toilets."
Graham: " Alright. Matt Grocoff of Greenovation-dot-TV. Thanks very much."
Grocoff: "Alright. Thanks, Lester."
For The Environment Report, I'm Lester Graham.
Greenovation TV
Info on Water Sense from the EPA
Author Lester GrahamPosted on September 16, 2009 Categories Features, GreenovationTags bathroom, bathrooms, bill, bills, cost, costs, flow, flows, flush, flushed, flushing, greenovation, grocoff, home, homeowner, homeowners, homes, house, houses, money, power, save, saved, saves, saving, savings, tank, tanks, toilet, toilets, utilities, utility, water, waters
The Future of McMansions (Part Two)
The study found that differences in architectural style stuck out most, but after that, height. (Photo source: Brendel at Wikimedia Commons)
There are some ugly terms used
to describe big, grandiose homes.
Critics call them "Garage Mahals,"
"starter castles," or "McMansions."
These insults are flung around
in towns where people worry big
houses are sapping the character
out of neighborhoods full of smaller,
older homes. Shawn Allee
met a researcher who hopes to tamp
down the heated rhetoric:
https://environmentreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/feature_allee_082109.mp3
Jack Nasar studies city planning at Ohio State University.
He got interested in the term "McMansion" because it was used in his own neighorhood in Columbus.
"A realestate agent was befriending older people so that when they died she'd be able to get their properties, tear down the house, and then build a much larger house. I started to wonder whether this was happening elsewhere."
Nasar says teardowns, and the insults used to describe them, are common in many towns. And some local governments are restricting how big these homes get or even what they look like.
Nasar says, with governments stepping in to the debate, there's more at stake than just name-calling.
"You're talking about controlling what goes on on somebody's private property. So, you would want to have good evidence to use as a basis for that decision."
Nasar recently studied just what it takes for a house to get big enough or different enough for people to say, "yuck" or hurl an insult like "McMansion." Nasar and a research partner created computer models of streets with rows of houses.
For each test, they made most houses normal, but changed up something about one of them – stuff like the architectural style, the height, or maybe distance between the house and the street. Then, they showed these models to people.
"We had them rate these streets in terms of compatibility, we had them rate them in terms of visual quality or preference."
Differences in architectural style stuck out most, but after that, height.
"The effect started to be most noticeable when the in-fill house was twice as large as the stuff around it. So, in terms of regulations, it suggests maybe a community could get by saying, 'you could do a tear-down replacement that's twice as big as what's around it,' but you wouldn't let it get any larger than that."
This is a controversial finding.
Some communities keep height range much lower than "twice as big" figure and sometimes they restrict width, too – something Nasar found doesn't matter so much.
I thought I'd bounce some of his findings off someone involved in the teardown issue.
"This also was a demolition of a small home."
Catherine Czerniak drives me around Lake Forest, a Chicago suburb. She's the community development director, and she gets the praise or blame about how teardowns get done.
Czerniak says Nasar's findings make sense, especially the idea that style matters most.
"We often say height and size aren't necessarily the key roles -it's how the design is done."
But for Czerniak, there's a hot-button issue Nasar did not measure.
Lake Forest has lots of tree-lined streets and people like how the trees obscure the houses.
"And really, the landscaping really defines the character of the community. Even the estates on the east side, were not there to shout from the street, here I am, look at me."
To make the point she drives past a mix of old homes and replacements.
I can hardly tell which is which.
"As we go down the street, take note that even though there are some big homes back here, you still feel you're in a country lane."
Czerniak says Nasar's research might quiet down some debates but people will always fight over specific details. After all, Nasar's test subjects gave quick judgements on computer models.
She says, in the real world, critics spend years nit-picking every little thing they hate about a teardown replacement home and whether it's going to ruin their neighborhood.
For The Environment Report, I'm Shawn Allee.
More on the study
Info from the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Part One of this series
Author Shawn AlleePosted on August 21, 2009 Categories FeaturesTags building, builds, built, construction, down, downs, estate, families, family, home, homeowner, homeowners, homes, house, houses, housing, land, lands, mansion, mansions, mcmansion, mcmansions, neighbor, neighborhood, neighborhoods, neighbors, properties, property, real, subdivision, subdivisions, suburb, suburbs, tear, teardown, teardowns, waste, wasted
The Future of McMansions (Part One)
Brian Hickey runs Teardowns.com, a real-estate marketplace for teardown properties. Some communities complain that the teardown market encourages the growth of so-called 'McMansion' replacement homes that are seen as too large and out-of-place for their neighborhoods. (Photo by Shawn Allee)
Your home may be your castle,
but, for some people, too many
homes are as big and grand as
castles. Critics call these homes
'McMansions,' and they complain
they've ruined neighborhoods
filled with older, smaller houses.
The McMansion fad fizzled during
the real-estate bust. Shawn Allee looks at whether it could
I head to a Chicago suburb called Hinsdale to understand the hub-ub about McMansions. Over the past twenty years, one in three Hinsdale homes got torn down to make room for mostly bigger ones.
Brian Hickey drives me past one-story brick and wood houses.
Then there's a huge one, with stucco and Spanish tile.
Hickey: "This is an example of something where someone would go, this is more Florida-like."
Allee: "It looks like it walked off the set of Miami Vice or something like that."
Hickey: "Yeah."
Bigger, mis-matched homes sprouted up in Hinsdale during the real-estate boom, and for some, Brian Hickey's partly to blame.
He runs tear-downs dot com. Hickey finds and sells homes to tear down, and maybe replace with McMansions … or 'replacement homes' as he calls them.
Anyway, during the housing bubble, teardowns increased … and so did complaints.
Allee: "Some of the arguments I've heard against the teardown phenomenon is that we're basically tossing perfectly good houses into landfills."
Hickey: "See, that's not accurate. To take some of these homes and bring it up to what people in this community would expect in terms of housing amenities, it doesn't make sense to renovate when you can build new for less."
The big-home trend faded recently, but if the soft real-estate market improves, you gotta wonder: will people build big again, or will they keep smaller, older homes?
Hickey thinks old homes might lose.
Hickey: "At some point a buyer simply won't pay that price to live there."
Allee: "In that one story …"
Hickey: "In that one story, two-bedroom, small kitchen – that the land will be where the value is."
Some real-estate pros say Hickey's right: people want big, and they'll build what they want, where they want.
Others say, the game has changed.
Local governments in Dallas, Denver, and other cities are starting to regulate teardowns, like Hinsdale did.
(sound of a printer)
Robert McGinnis prints me 60 pages of Hinsdale's zoning codes.
"Hot off the press, it's still warm."
McGinnis runs Hinsdale's building commission. He says the code got up to sixty pages partly because of teardown complaints.
McGinnis: "Pollution issues, the loss of sunlight in some cases."
Allee: "Loss of sunlight? What do you mean by that?"
McGinnis: "Some of these houses are so tall they end up physically blocking out some of the sunlight."
McGinnis says it's hard to stop teardowns – you can just delay or improve them.
"I would like to think, at some point, Joe Q. Public says, 'I'd really like to live in Hinsdale, but I can't afford to heat and cool a McMansion,' so they're going to look at building a smaller home."
But McGinnis says this could be wishful thinking.
So, I thought I'd ask some Hinsdale homeowners about the small-home idea.
Just outside McGinnis' office, I find Greta Filmanaviciute. She's stuffing official demolition signs into her car.
Filmanaviciute: "I was getting permits. We're going to tear down old house and building the new house."
Allee: "Are you guys looking at a house that's bigger than what you have now?"
Filmanaviciute: "No, actually, we are sizing down, but that's because we're a three-person family and I don't want to have a huge house and then we have high utility bills. This is perfection for us, actually."
Filmanaviciute says preservationists might not like that she's tearing down her place, but her neighbors are glad she's keeping things modest.
She says she'd be proud to start a small-home trend.
Colorado on teardown regulations
Brian Hickey's company
Greenovation: Whole House Fan
Matthew Grocoff says a whole house fan gives the same comfort as you would have with an air conditioning system. (Photo courtesy of Greenovation TV)
Energy efficiency is on the mind
of a lot of homeowners. They're
starting to question everything
about their homes, even the need
for air conditioning. Lester
Graham met with some homeowners
and an energy-efficiency expert
to talk about a different approach
to cooling a house:
For some people, air-conditioning just feels a little unnatural. I mean, it's a refrigerated room, right?
There are older ways of cooling a house that are cheaper and use a lot less electricity.
Matthew Grocoff is with Greenovation TV. His website suggests all kinds of ways to make homes more green.
We met at a house in a tree-lined neighborhood of century-old homes in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
(sounds of house and stairs)
He wanted to show me an idea that's like throwing open the windows and pulling in a cool summer breeze.
It's called a whole house fan.
Grocoff: "We're at the home of Jacinta Beehner and Thore Bergman. Thore actually installed this fan himself. It cost about $250 – about $9500 less than the quote that they got to install an air conditioning system in their house. And, this summer, they have not had to turn on their window units at all."
Now Thore is not a carpenter. He's a university researcher who studies monkey vocalizations. But, he decided he'd try to install the big fan in his ceiling on his own.
Bergman: "It was fairly easy. It took a couple hours. The tricky thing was – we have an older house that had layers of plaster and wood in the ceiling. So, cutting through that to make the hole took a little more work that it might in some houses. But it wasn't too bad."
Beehner: "I have to admit, I didn't really believe that maybe he could install it himself. And yet, he did a great job. And I am the biggest fan of the whole house fan."
Grocoff: "So, you've got the Beehner-Bergman fan club here. And this is interesting, because the goal, for most homeowners, is to get the house to a comfortable 72 degree temperature. And, it's kind of strange that when it's 65 degrees outside, and it's 80 degrees inside your house, that we're turning on an air conditioning unit when the air outside is actually colder than the air conditioning unit."
(sound of fan turning on)
Bergman: "One drawback is the noise. Which, we've gotten used to. We kind of like it for sleeping – it blocks some of the street noise. We're standing right underneath it, and it's kind of hard to talk."
Beehner: "But, we also have a baby. So the whole house fan serves as white noise, which really helps us move around upstairs while he's asleep."
Grocoff: "Those people who are not looking for that white noise sound, like Jacinta and Thore are for their baby, they're going to be able to get something that's quieter, more efficient, more insulated, that's going to be virtually silent, at the higher price points."
There have been some surprises along the way.
Jacinta says, you have to keep in mind – anything in the night air will be drawn into the house.
Beehner: "One night, we actually did turn it on, and within about one minute, our entire house was filled with the smell of skunk.
Grocoff: "So, if you've got really good, deep skunk smell, you know the fan is working. Another possible drawback is, with the air, you're bringing in any kind of dust, pollen, anything else like that."
But, Grocoff says, overall, this big sorta-box fan in the ceiling really pulls the hot air out of the house and pulls the cool air from outdoors into the house.
Now, these fans don't work everywhere.
If you live in an extremely humid area, or a region where it never really cools down at night or in the morning, it might not be a good fit.
But for areas that enjoy cooler mornings and evenings in the summer, Grocoff says this is a good alternative.
Grocoff: "With a whole house attic fan, you're going to get the same comfort as you would with an air conditioning system. But, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, the cost for running an air conditioning system is 20 cents to 30 cents every hour that you have that turned on. For a whole house attic fan, you're talking about a penny to a nickel an hour."
There are all kinds of designs besides the big box fan types.
You can go to a home improvement store, your heating and cooling installer, or do some research online at greenovation.TV or just type in whole house fan in Google. You'll find plenty of places wanting to sell you there version of a newly popular old idea.
How to install a whole house fan
Author Lester GrahamPosted on August 13, 2009 Categories Features, GreenovationTags airs, blow, breeze, central, comfort, conditioner, conditioners, cool, cooled, cooling, cools, cost, costs, fans, flow, flows, heat, heating, home, homeowner, homeowners, homes, house, household, households, houses, summer, system, systems, temperature, temperatures, weather, whole, wind, windy
Legislation to Make More Efficient Homes
The bill would require new homes to immediately be 30% more energy efficient. (Photo courtesy of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
This session of Congress has pledged to take on
the issue of climate change. A bill in the Senate
is already awaiting action. But the House has
already passed the sweeping Clean Energy And
Security Act. One piece of that bill could change
the way homes are built in this country. In short,
they'd use a lot less energy. Tamara Keith has more:
https://environmentreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/feature_keith_080309.mp3
The bill would require a re-write of building codes. New homes would immediately have to be 30% more energy efficient. And the requirements would keep getting tougher from there.
The idea is controversial. But for Alex Dean, building efficiently is just the way he does business.
"It's building to a higher standard. And we really enjoy building fine projects for people who want it done right."
Dean is the CEO of the Alexander Group, a home design, build and renovation firm in Maryland. He's showing me around a green remodel.
(sound of key in door)
"This is the entry from the garage into the new addition."
Dean and his team are putting an addition on a home in an upscale Washington, DC suburb.
He's designed every detail with an eye to energy efficiency, starting with the insulation. He used a spray foam. It costs about twice as much as the insulation required by current building codes.
"You know, it's worth it, and in the overall scheme of building the house, it's not that much money."
On this hot humid day, you can feel the difference the fancy insulation makes.
Keith: "It's cooler than it is outside.
Dean: "Yeah, yeah."
Keith: "And there's no AC running in here right now."
Dean: "No, not at all. And this building is directly in the sun. But that's how effective this is. This is keeping some of the coolness from last night when it was in the 60s."
That means he can install smaller heating and air conditioning units that use less energy.
The windows are double paned. The lights, all compact fluorescents or super efficient LEDs.
It's projects like this one that make Bill Fay confident home builders will be able to handle greener building codes. Fay is the executive director of the Building Energy Efficient Codes Network.
"We know it's achievable. And we know it's achievable using affordable technologies. It's just now a matter to have the resolve to do it."
Past efforts at greening the building codes met with stiff opposition from home builders and failed to make it through congress.
Koteri Callahan is president of the Alliance to Save Energy and she says the stakes are high. Buildings are huge energy wasters.
"Every house and every office building that goes in the ground today is going to be around for decades and decades and in some cases centuries."
But these days, the ground isn't being broken on very many homes. The industry is in a serious slump.
Bill Kilmer is the head of advocacy for the National Association of Home Builders and he doesn't want members of congress to forget about the industry's struggles.
"Consumers certainly in the last year are stepping back and said, 'what can we afford.' And so we're trying to take a mainstream, if you will, that says, 'people want this.' How can we get to that point, and how can we get there reasonably, and take afford-ability into account."
Kilmer says the building industry is taking environmental issues seriously, and recently created a voluntary green building certification program.
But, he says the House bill moves too far too fast. He says builders would like until 2012 to meet the 30% efficiency goal.
"You really don't have the equipment or the materials that are ready and ramped up to make the adjustments in the marketplace to bring those things to bear, without a tremendous cost burden that'll be added on to the production of the housing and that obviously is going to be passed on to someone, and that'll be the consumer."
This question of affordability is a big one. And it seems like everyone has a statistic to make their point.
For The Environment Report, I'm Tamara Keith.
The Clean Energy And Security Act of 2009
A related article from Reuters
Author Tamara KeithPosted on August 3, 2009 Categories FeaturesTags bills, build, builder, builders, building, buildings, builds, built, construct, constructed, construction, cost, efficiency, efficient, energy, federal, government, home, homeowner, homeowners, homes, house, houses, laws, legislation, money, political, politics, price, senate, utilities, utility
Whose Grass Is Really Greener?
Molly Aubuchon and Stefan Meyer survey their lawn. (Photo by Julie Grant)
There are some dead spots in the yard, but they don't want to use chemicals. (Photo by Julie Grant)
They like to keep the yard natural and free from chemicals. (Photo by Julie Grant)
Many Americans love full, lush
lawns. Fertilizers and herbicides
might help. But there's concern
about water pollution from lawn
chemicals. Julie Grant reports
that some experts say you can use
them, just don't over-use them:
https://environmentreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/feature_grant_072709.mp3
Molly Aubuchon and her husband Stefan Meyer aren't sure
what they're going to do. Their two little kids are running
around the yard. Stefan wants a lawn of thick, soft grass for
them to play on. But that's not what he's got.
Stefan: "As you can see, there's no grass here.
I don't know what some of this stuff is. Some kind of moss.
I think even the moss died, so now we have dead moss
that's like yellow and brown."
Molly: "It's not attractive dead."
Stefan: "No. I just think, when I'm out here cutting my grass,
I'm like, man, if I lived across the street, I'd be like, 'hey look,
they're cutting absolutely nothing again. They're just running
that lawn mower over bare spots.'"
They see their neighbors, with those thick, green lawns,
spreading chemicals a few times a year. Molly and Stefan
don't want to do that.
Molly: "Well, the fact that I've got kids running around here
all day. And the fact that it seeps into the water supply and
the rivers, that's a concern to me."
There are lots of people who are concerned about lawn
pollution. Lawns have gotten a bad wrap in some places –
because of the fertilizers and other chemicals people use on
them. In much of Canada, lawn chemicals have actually
been banned.
Lou DiGeranimo is General Manager of Water in Toronto.
He says lawn chemicals were damaging the water quality.
"People were over-fertilizing, they were using commercial
pesticides. That chemical ended up in the rivers and ended
up in the lake. We passed a bylaw that prohibited that."
But some experts say the chemical bans in Canada are
extreme.
David Gardner is professor of turf grass at the Ohio State
University. He doesn't think banning lawn chemical will do
anything to improve the environment.
"Based on the work that I have seen, based on the research
that has been conducted, I believe that if there is a unilateral
ban on the use of pesticides it will make absolutely no
impact on our environmental footprint."
Gardner says compared to
other sources of pollution, like cars and over-use of
chemicals on farms, the impact of lawn care is miniscule.
Still, Gardner says people like Molly and Stefan can keep
nice lawns – without using a lot of chemicals.
He says you've got to cut the grass and water regularly.
He also recommends fertilizing lightly in the spring and more
heavily in the fall.
That's what Gardner does at his house – and he uses only 6
to 8 ounces of herbicide a year.
"Putting it another way, if I were to go to a store and buy one
of those gallon jugs of ready-made herbicide, that would be
enough to last me for about 16 years."
Gardner says the herbicide will hit its expiration date before
he has a chance to use it all.
But Molly and Stefan just aren't sold. They don't want to use
lawn chemicals just to appease the neighbors.
Stefan: "I just want to feel good about the way my yard
looks for my own satisfaction. I would like to cultivate some
grass that looks good, you know, with my hands."
Besides, Stefan says, they don't have the worst looking lawn
on the street and they'd just rather not add unnecessary
chemicals into the environment.
Stefan: "We don't have the worst lawn on the street. Our
street is not that long. It's only four blocks, five blocks long –
there's a house down there and their yard looks worse than
ours."
For The Environment Report, I'm Julie Grant.
About the bans in Canada
Corn gluten meal as a natural lawn treatment
Author Julie GrantPosted on July 27, 2009 Categories FeaturesTags brown, chemical, chemicals, dead, grass, grasses, green, greener, herbicide, herbicides, home, homeowner, homeowners, homes, house, houses, landscape, landscaping, lawn, lawns, pollute, polluted, pollutes, pollution, runoff, safe, safety, spray, sprayed, spraying, sprays, water, waters, yard, yards
Predicting Wildfires in a Warmer World
This wildfire ignited along Idaho Highway 55 and was started by people. Scientists say as the climate warms, fires like this one will become common place in many parts of the world. (Photo by Sadie Babits)
Moments after this fire started, flames raced through dried sage brush and grasses on an Idaho hillside. This fire burned close to homes and was quickly put out. (Photo by Sadie Babits)
Wildfire burn so intense they often create their own weather system. Here, this towering column of "clouds" is actually smoke seen from an Idaho ski resort. (Photo by Sadie Babits)
Multiple wildfires merged into one massive blaze in Idaho's central mountains. Hundreds of people were forced to evacuate their homes. (Photo by Sadie Babits)
This bank of clouds is really a bank of smoke created by a massive wildfire in Idaho. Climate change is expected to increase wildfires in the Western U.S. while decreasing the chance of fire in other regions. (Photo by Sadie Babits)
A helicopter uses a water bucket to scoop up river water to put out a wildfire burning through Idaho forest land. (Photo by Sadie Babits)
Climate change has already brought
warmer temperatures, rising sea
levels and melting glaciers. Now,
researchers believe global warming
will cause major shifts in wildfire
patterns around the world. As Sadie
Babits reports, scientists hope to
predict where future wildfires will
light up:
https://environmentreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/feature_babits_061509.mp3
Trying to predict where wildfires are likely to start decades from now, is
kind of like getting a full body scan.
(sound of medical scanner)
Except instead of a medical scanner, scientists scanned the earth using
satellite data, climate models and the history of present day wildfires to
map out global wildfire patterns.
"The impacts of climate change on wildfires are expected to be widespread
Katherine Hayhoe is a climate scientist at Texas Tech University. She's part
of a group of scientists that has for the first time, tried to project where fire
hotspots will crop up around the world. She says they found that climate
change will affect wildfire patterns.
Hotter temperatures and rain and snow coming at different times in the
year or perhaps not at all, will mean forests and grasslands will dry out
quicker – becoming tinder boxes for fire.
In the next 30 years, scientists believe that the Western U.S. will continue
to see catastrophic fires like the recent blaze in Santa Barbara, which
destroyed 80 homes.
In the next 60 years, they predict wildfires will increase in the Corn Belt and
spread into the East Coast.
Hayhoe says having an idea of how wildfire patterns will shift will help
communities better prepare.
"We can never eliminate the risk of climate change entirely but by making
wise choices and planning strategically we can minimize those risks."
Some communities are already taking steps to prevent wildfire. The city of
Bend, Oregon was one of the first in the country to launch a public
education campaign to get homeowners to fire proof their homes. The
program, called FireFree, started more than a decade ago, after a massive
wildfire burned nineteen homes and scorched thousands of acres.
"It was something that scarred our community."
Gary Marshall is the deputy chief of Bend's Fire Department.
"We have this history of people wanting to live outside the urban area and
live out in rural areas, where they can see the deer and be out in the trees
and live that lifestyle that most Americans who move out to the West want
to be a part of that."
Bend lies in what's known as wildfire alley. Every year there are dozens of
fires that crop up either from lightning strikes or from people. The flames
are fed by dried out grasses and forests so dense you can't see through
them. Add homes to the mix and you have a recipe for disaster not just
here but throughout the West.
But Marshall says the Fire Free program is working.
(sound of a truck driving on a dirt road)
County forester Joe Stutler and Gary Marshall drive me through
neighborhoods outside Bend. We stop first at an upscale suburb called
Coldera Springs. Everyone here has volunteered to fire proof their new
But just down the road, there's a much older suburb and a lot of trees that
have been thinned out.
Sadie: "You can't see through the trees it's so dense."
Joe: "You can't walk through."
Gary: "And a firefighter won't go in there. You'd write that off. So if you
don't take care of it, the fire will."
That's a picture that climate scientist Katherine Hayhoe hopes to avoid.
She says having a long term view of where wildfires might pop up could
help communities to start now and follow Bend's lead.
It took Bend years to get most of the homeowners here to take
responsibility, and give their homes a fighting change to survive a
devastating blaze.
For The Environment Report, I'm Sadie Babits.
A related article on the report
A map of current wildfire activity around the world
The National Interagency Fire Center
Author Sadie BabitsPosted on June 15, 2009 Categories FeaturesTags burn, burned, burning, climate, dryer, fire, fires, flame, flames, heat, home, homeowner, homeowners, homes, hotter, hottest, house, houses, people, population, spread, spreading, temperature, temperatures, warm, warmer, warmest, wild, wildfire, wildfires
Tax Incentives Put Solar Within Reach
Eric Lindstrom, Vice President of Cannon Design, stands next to the building's 140 new solar panels (Photo by Joyce Kryszak)
Joan Bozer at the American Solar Energy Society Conference, next to pictures of her home's solar system (Photo by Joyce Kryszak)
Neal Lurie, with the Solar Society, says tax incentives are creating demand and that's driving down the cost of solar systems (Photo by Joyce Kryszak)
Buying a solar system for your home still is not as simple or inexpensive as say picking up a new water heater. But solar energy advocates argue that the systems are affordable and obtainable for just about everyone – right now. Joyce Kryszak checked out that claim:
https://environmentreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/feature_kryszak_060809.mp3
You might say that sunlight is a trade mark for Cannon Design. The Western New York based firm designs some of the most solar friendly buildings in the world. But only now is Cannon using the sun for its own building.
Eric Lindstrom is Vice President of the company. He says it's what their environmentally savvy clients expect.
"You know there's a huge P.R. factor here that we can bring our clients in and say, you know, this is what we're recommending to you, but we've done it ourselves and it works. That we didn't just read it in a magazine somewhere and say this is what you should be doing."
Lindstrom takes us up on the roof of the company's building to have a look at the new system.
Up here we find solar panels. 140 of them. They're stretched out from edge to edge, soaking up the rays.
Lindstrom says they generate about 5% of the energy the building needs. But he says even at that small percentage the company will recoup the roughly $17,000 investment in about three years.
The system's total price tag is actually about $170,000. But Cannon Design got corporate tax credits and incentives that covered roughly 90%. After the pay-back period, Linstrom says the company will actually pocket money.
Back in the building they can watch the savings add up on the inverter meters inside. That got Lindstrom thinking. He got a bid on a system for his home. He's decided against it for now because the payback would take about eight years. You see, businesses get more tax breaks than homeowners.
But some people say the payback time can be less. And sometimes it just doesn't' matter to them.
Joan Bozer was at the American Solar Energy Society Conference held in Buffalo, New York. Bozer was showing off pictures of her home's $30,000 solar system. It cost her half that after incentives. The payback will take a while—about eight years. But Bozer says that's okay.
"Because it doesn't make any difference to me if it's five years or ten years what the payback period is. I want the solar panels, like people in their house they put on the roof they want, or they put on what they want and this is what we want – solar panels on the roof. That's how we want to do it."
But as green-minded as she is, Bozer admits that federal and state incentives gave her the final push.
While everybody can take advantage of recent federal tax credits, state incentives vary. Some are generous, and some offer homeowners nothing. Some local governments are offering low-interest loans on top of the federal and state incentives.
Neal Lurie is with the Solar Society. Lurie says incentives are creating demand and that's driving down the cost of solar systems.
He says systems cost about 30% less than last year.
Lurie says with lower prices and tax incentives, some homeowners can have solar without much – or no – money out of pocket.
But how soon will solar catch on with the masses? Lurie predicts in less than six years.
"We'll see solar technology a low-cost provider of electricity, even lower priced than fossil fuels without incentives. I think that when that happens we're going to see it go from being something that people are looking at and starting to do to something that is truly common-place, much more than people may actually expect today."
Others think solar will really take off in just three years. Solar installers are already gearing up. Some say they'll double their workforce by the end of this year.
For The Environment Report – I'm Joyce Kryszak.
Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency
Info on federal tax credits from Energy Star
Author Joyce KryszakPosted on June 8, 2009 Categories FeaturesTags affordable, break, breaks, business, businesses, cheap, cheaper, cost, costs, credit, credits, electricity, energy, expense, expenses, expensive, home, homeowner, homeowners, homes, house, houses, money, power, price, prices, roof, roofs, solar, solars, system, systems, taxes
Stopping Septic Seepage
Dan Jacin stands by his newly landscaped sewage tanks (Photo by Julie Grant)
There's no longer sewage in the water draining off Jacin's property (Photo by Julie Grant)
Water from Jacin's property drains to a nearby stream - and eventually into the drinking water source (Photo by Julie Grant)
There's an underground threat to water that's making it harder to clean up for drinking. Julie Grant reports – it all
depends on where you live and whether the people who live nearby are maintaining their septic systems:
https://environmentreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/feature_grant2_051109.mp3
More than one of every four homes uses its own septic
That means it's not hooked up to a city sewer line. When a
toilet is flushed, the water doesn't go to a central treatment
plant. Instead, it drains into a septic system buried in the
yard. It's supposed to decompose using a natural process to
clean it up before going back to the environment.
The problem is – those septics don't get enough attention.
When they fail, as about one-in-five does, that untreated
toilet water winds up in rivers, lakes and wells. In a lot of
places, that untreated sewage drains into our sources of
drinking water.
"Well obviously, there's potential health risks, that's the
number one."
Nate McConoughey is the sewage program manager with
the Board of Health in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. He spends
a lot of his time inspecting home septics to see if they're
"We don't want these pathogens getting out into the
environment and getting into the creeks and streams and
rivers that people come in contact with."
Or get their drinking water from.
Even though he's trying to protect water quality,
McConoughey is not a popular guy with homeowners.
"Nobody really wants to see you come out and take a look at
their system. Because most people with 40-plus year old
systems realize that they're probably not working as good as
they should."
It's McConoughey's job – and the other inspectors he works
with – to tell people when their system is leaking sewage,
and when it's time to put in a new system.
"We've all seen people with different reactions. Whether it
be crying or very irate."
People get so upset because replacing a septic system
costs big bucks.
Just ask Dan Jacin. Last summer he had to dig up his front
lawn and put in a new set of sewage treatment tanks.
"Oh yeah, it tears up your yard for a year and hits your wallet
pretty hard."
But Jacin says he didn't have a choice. His 43-year old
system was backing up atrocious-smelling sewage into his
basement.
"I wanted relief from sewage coming into my house, because
that's just not a fun deal at all."
Jacin also had sewage burping up in his yard.
If a septic is working right, sewage drains from the house
into a tank. And it's slowly sent from the tank into an
underground absorption area – where it filters through the
soil.
But Jacin's septic wasn't working anymore. The sewage
was draining off his property into a nearby stream.
(sound of a stream)
This stream runs into the Cuyahoga River, which runs into
Lake Erie – a major source of drinking water. Jacin felt
badly about causing that pollution.
But he felt even worse about paying for his new septic
system. It cost more than $20,000!
"And just fortunately I had enough money to replace it at the
time. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have the
money. Who's going to give you a loan to replace your
septic tank?"
Now Jacin's lawn has grown back, he's landscaped to hide
the treatment tanks. And he's glad he's no longer polluting
the waterways.
But he still isn't happy about spending all that money.
Inspector Nate McConoughey understands. But he says
there are low-interest loans available for new septics – and
they've got to be maintained – so the water is clean for
drinking and other uses.
Info on septic systems from the EPA
A news article on septic pollution
Author Julie GrantPosted on May 11, 2009 Categories FeaturesTags drain, drainage, drink, drinking, ground, home, homeowner, homeowners, homes, house, houses, lawn, lawns, leak, leaky, pollute, pollution, replace, replaced, river, rivers, sewage, spill, system, systems, tank, tanks, under, underground, waste, water, waters, yard, yards
Heat Leak Detecting Raygun
The light beam changes to blue when it hits a spot of colder temperature (Photo courtesy of Black & Decker)
Soon, you'll be able to buy
a sort of raygun to detect heating
leaks in your home. Jessi Ziegler reports on a Thermal Leak
Detector:
https://environmentreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/spot_ziegler_122208.mp3
This tool looks like a little toy raygun, and it shines beams of light
that read the temperature around your house.
Scott Pollard is the Senior Product Manager at Black and
Decker, which makes the tool. He says it's really easy to use.
"Shine it on the wall, it starts off with a green light, and as they
move it from their wall to their window, or door, or around pipes,
or floor, or ceiling, the color will change to red if it hits a hot spot,
or blue if it hits a cold spot."
And, if you think you the little leaks don't really matter, well,
Pollard's research shows that if you add up all the little cracks
and leaks in a typical home, it equals a hole the size of a
basketball.
The EPA says that homeowners can save 20% on their heating
and cooling costs if they seal air leaks and insulate their houses.
For The Environment Report, this is Jessi Ziegler.
More on the Thermal Leak Detector
A related article from Yahoo! Green
Author Jessi ZieglerPosted on December 22, 2008 Categories News SpotsTags cold, cooling, crack, cracks, draft, heating, home, homeowner, homeowners, homes, hot, house, houses, housing, insulate, insulated, insulation, leak, leaks, temperature, winter

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Your Account Manager is your single point of contact for taking advantage of all the services 12 Stones Staffing & Consulting provides. He or she can help you define the specification for a staffing requirement. This may include a process of outlining required skills versus preferred skills; taking into account the availability and pricing of the skill set you seek; and whether the need is for permanent placement or contract consulting engagements.
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At 12 Stones Staffing & Consulting, we offer skilled technology talent that delivers the professional expertise you need, when you need it — from short-term and long-term contract assignments to contract-to-hire and direct-hire placements. We are uniquely structured to recruit, screen, deploy and manage a workforce anywhere in the United States. We offer professionals for every level of your organization, from entry-level to executive.
The client is responsible for managing the contract consultant's work on a day-to-day basis. The 12 Stones Staffing & Consulting Account Manager and/or Recruiter stays in touch with both the client and the consultant throughout the engagement to ensure that goals and objectives are being met. It is very important to keep your 12 Stones Staffing & Consulting Account Manager informed of any issues or concerns as they occur. Your Account Manager will also appreciate you sharing any positive feedback about the consultant.
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So, you have decided despite the cons to have your wedding in Greece. What can you expect? How do you go about arranging such an event? What details do you have to attend to? What are the Dos and Don'ts for a typical Greek island wedding? In this installment of "My Dream Wedding: A La Greque," we will probe into the fine details of your dream wedding in Greece by talking to a bride who accomplished it and get some notable advice from a notable wedding planner from the island of Santorini.
When Christina Fountoulakis, attorney and compliance officer for Deutche Bank, met the man of her dreams, George, a NYPD police lieutenant, she faced the big dilemma: although the closest of her nuclear family lived in New York, her extended clan as well as her husband's lived in Crete. After doing a price comparison, she decided her wedding would be more authentic if it were held in Chania. When she was married ten years ago, Chania was not known as a wedding destination and had only two banquet halls, two photographers, and a single-list menu. But since that time, as many foreigners and Greeks alike have found favor with the island, its wedding infrastructure has expanded. In fact, when Christina's younger sister got married in Crete three years ago, she had more options and wedding establishments had cropped up catering to more American-style weddings. Crete, after all is one of the largest islands in Greece, and has plenty of 5-star hotels and an A-list of superb caterers and florists.
A brilliant alternative to the traditional wedding cake: Iced Chocolate lollipops for guests and a miniature Bride & Groom at the Belvedere Mykonos. Photo by George Pahountis.
For her ceremony, Christina combined the best of both worlds: she kept the American tradition of having a bridesmaids, mother/son and father/daughter dances, garter and bouquet tossing, and the koumbaro speech. However, she was able to incorporate Cretan customs such as having all single girls dress the bride and have them sign the bottom of the bride's shoe. Before the bridal party left for the church (in cars not by foot as is the tradition as the church was too far), the groom's family continued the Chaniotiko tradition of the gun-fire salute. Men dressed in black pointed their rifles into the sky for a ear-piercing sound off. After the religious ceremony in a quaint Greek Orthodox Church, the wedding party, which included family members from the US and from Crete, celebrated in the banquet hall Metoxi. The hall, a castle-style open-air establishment outside the city center on a hill overlooking the sea and the hills, proved to be the fairy tale castle for a princess wedding. Because they were farther from the city center, they did not have noise or time restrictions. The religious ceremony started later in the day at approximately 7 pm and the reception started at around 10pm and lasted until the early dawn. This relaxed, later start spared guests the early morning hustle of getting ready for the wedding. Additionally, the reception took place for the most part al fresco the entire time, and not just for the cocktail hour.
Even though destination weddings have become the norm in Greece in the recent years, with more establishments complying to customer's expectations for American standards such as sign-in table for guests, course menus at halls with fine linens and American-style waiter service, Christina still cautions brides that "although many items may be offered similar to the US, it is still a new 'industry' for them." She makes the point that service is not as refined as in the US and the selections are not as extensive. "All brides should understand that they can't have a true NY wedding there, and they must be comfortable with compromise. If they try to make all the details fit, they will ruin their day," Christina advises. She also makes the suggestion that couples visit the venue a year or six months before booking. "Do not trust online photos for any venue as they vary greatly. Budget for last minute items that may not be included as they would in the US ( for example, wine, open bar etc.)" she cautions.
Christina's wedding turned out to be a blessing. She enjoyed a longer-lasting event. "Weddings in NY are very structured and are for a limited time (5 hour reception). In Crete we were able to have a church on a beach and a reception that lasted until 5 am. Also, it is less structured – no formalized courses and reasons to be seated which interrupt the flow of events." In addition, the built-in advantage of having a wedding in Greece is that instead of paying extra for a honeymoon, you are there. In her case, a two-week honeymoon in Spain cost next to nothing. Christina's wedding also proved a memorable experience for her out-of-country guests. A Greece wedding provided wonderful summer plans for her New York friends who were able to experience the culture from the inside-out as parts of her family and not just tourists. She did not regret her choice of having an island Greek wedding and encourages couples to tie the knot there given the glitches.
Christina and George organized their wedding themselves, which necessitated a trip to Greece the year prior and coming to Crete a month prior to iron out the details. They could have saved money and stress by hiring a wedding planner. In fact, one of the biggest pieces of advice most brides give in order to pull off a successful destination wedding in Greece is to hire a wedding planner. This makes sense especially if you are a foreign bride and are unfamiliar with the language, the logistics, and the locale. Even as a Greek bride, it makes sense to hire a planner just to do away with all the little devils in the details that might come up (and given the bureaucracy, the lack of sticking to deadlines, even after agreements have been made, and the Greek general "devil may care" attitude in certain places, the little devils pop up all the time). The relief that comes with knowing an expert and a native with interpersonal clout (social currency is of primary importance in a closely-knit society such as a village on a remote island in the Cyclades and counts more than actual currency) has the grand show under control allows an already tense bride the peace of mind to enjoy her special day even more.
Stella Chanioti, of the exclusive wedding planning group, Stella and Moscha, pioneered the concept of having your wedding on one of the most breath-taking, romantic islands in all of Greece, Santorini. Santorini, with its white-washed stone homes overlooking the steep cliffs to the port, its unforgettable sunsets, and its dramatic panoramas dipping into the Caldera, (the active volcano directly across the harbor), has been the top destination for getting hitched for both foreigners and Greeks alike. Their story begins with their mother, Evangelia, who settled in Santorini and started one of the first wedding planner boutiques in all of Greece. Two daughters and two decades later, Stella and Moscha are not just planners but dream-makers. Both sisters lived in the UK and completed advanced degrees in business studies there. Both had high-strung careers in marketing and event planning, and they would have continued until just around the same time, both sisters felt the call of Santorini—the blue skies and warm sun—and their calling to do what they loved most—wedding design and planning. Since returning to their native island, they have headed the family business with new drive and creative flair. Their sense of style—the combination of traditional Cycladic aesthetic (smooth forms, clean lines, simplicity, love of sky blue and dazzling white) with European finesse and attention to detail—has set them apart in the industry. They won the Wedding Experts Industry Award this year. Having organized over 300 weddings in their career, Stella and Moscha are more like the fairy godmothers in Cinderella whose magic and artistry create a living fairy tale for years to come.
What reasons would you give a couple, especially a Greek American couple, for getting married on the Greek islands?
The unique environment and landscapes. The great light for photos, clear skies and the relaxed atmosphere but also with the option for formal weddings. An island wedding also provides a good ratio of rate to quality services. We also have unique venues.
What are the major obstacles and how would you suggest overcoming them?
On the smaller islands there is not a lot of choice for some vendor services such as a design oriented florist. Don't expect florists in a tiny island to provide you with formal proposals and pdf's with photos/designs. Don't get disappointed: send specific photos/brief to your florist or wedding planner and ask them to reproduce just what is on the photo.
Can you tell me a story of a particularly memorable wedding in Santorini?
All weddings are memorable, every couple is unique for us and there is always a nice story behind every couple and family. If I had to choose one it would be the story of an English family who booked our services 4 years ago knowing that the bride was battling with cancer and may not be able to have children. Six months later they called to postpone the wedding, letting us know that she was in fact pregnant and the doctors were supporting her every step of the way. They eventually did make it to Santorini with their one year old daughter and the entire family to celebrate what was one of the most emotional /spiritual weddings we have ever organized. We were truly blessed to be part of this couple's special day and for being there to make their dream come true–to get married on a Greek Island.
What advice would you give brides to be about having an island wedding? How long in advance should they plan for it? How do you make it possible for more family from abroad to attend the ceremony?
They should research well in advance of the wedding date. When international travel is involved, guests should be made aware/ receive save the dates at least 9-12 months in advance. The couple should provide an information pack with facts about the island, where to go, what to see, where to stay, where to eat and useful numbers such as hospitals, taxis etc. The Greek islands are directly accessible by most main European airports so it's easy for a family to fly from London, Paris, Athens, Munich, Manchester, Milan, Oslo, Rome and others.
What makes a wedding in Santorini the traditional Greek way different from a wedding that is typical in the United States?
For one, the guests get to experience customs and local traditions that are very different to what you would do back in the States. This makes it more interesting and the more you involve the guests the better it is. So having Bridesmaids distribute rice and petals at the end of the ceremony to shower the newlyweds, offer Soumada (sweet/sour almond juice) at the end of the ceremony, have the Bridal bed prepared by local girls in traditional gear whilst singing local island songs to wish the couple prosperity and fertility, the mother-in-law welcoming the newlyweds into the wedding reception by offering them honey and almonds. Also in the islands you usually walk from the church to the wedding reception venue adding to the small village/island feel. Guests find these customs really wonderful.
I wouldn't say there is an island etiquette. You can be barefoot on the beach but we have also had beach weddings where we set up platforms for the bride and groom. So the bride could walk in high heels. We do suggest to brides to have a second pair of comfy shoes with them always however.


text:
landsurveyor66 in Uncategorized May 1, 2016 May 1, 2016 358 Words
A Thought on Prince
PRINCE COMPLETELY ECLIPSED everyone who tried to do the things he did. He even traveled back in time to outdo his forebears. (These feats may have been enabled by the fact that he was a god, a point I will come to in a moment.) To get straight to his eminence, though, Prince out-funked Sly Stone. He out-strutted Mick Jagger. He out-freaked Rick James, and he may have out-worked James Brown, perhaps one of the reasons we are mourning him so soon. In addition to his flash, Prince also wrote deeply affecting poetic songs about love, regret, and longing. I, for one, am inclined to believe Sinead O'Connor was telling the truth when she said the tear she cried at the end of the video for "Nothing Compares 2 U" was real.
I am not qualified to comment on all of Prince's talents, but I feel I can pay proper homage to him at the altar of guitar playing. Anyone who has ever tried to play a guitar must watch and listen to his inhuman performance at the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, when he joined Tom Petty and some other classic rockers for a rendition of George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." A tuneful but mopey song in its original version, "My Guitar" utterly transforms when Prince joins the band after the third chorus and erupts into a three-minute long guitar solo that achieves exit velocity sometime around minute one and then proceeds to changes guitar history. At the end of it, the only thing a mortal guitarist can do is stand at the edge of the blast radius of What Just Happened, vacant, unmanned and stupefied, wondering if anyone will ever dare pick up a guitar again. In that moment one could credibly fear that Prometheus stole more than fire from the gods, that he took their terrible divinity itself, that it might loose itself on the world from time to time. Indeed Socrates thought the divine lightof the gods sometimes shown forth from mortals. You may have another explanation for Prince's perfection that day, but I will never believe it.
By Any Other Name?
New Atheism, Old Atheism, My Atheism


the No Fun bar brings comedy to its high ceiling and low stage.
Hosted by Nick Walker (Bridgetown Comedy Festival) and Jon Washington (Bridgetown, Bumbershoot), POOL HOUSE is a monthly show presenting the most vibrant, vibiest comedy to hit Hawthorne Boulevard between 15th and 17th aves.
Witness the best and strangest comedians in Portland.
Standup is only the grains part of this food pyramid. Pool House will feature short films, experimental comedy, characters, and special guests.