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Legal Orders & Byelaws
Mersey Gateway Consultations
Bridgewater Junction consultation – July 2013
Consultation on possible modifications
The Mersey Gateway procurement process
Breakdown & Recovery
Mersey Gateway Tolls – Statement by Halton Borough Council
July 13, 2018Mersey Gateway Crossings BoardNews
VEHICLES USING MERSEY GATEWAY BRIDGE ON OR AFTER 19 APRIL 2018
The 2018 Order provides a valid and legal power to charge and enforce charges (which are described here as "tolls") on the Mersey Gateway Bridge from 19 April 2018.
All vehicles using the Mersey Gateway Bridge on or after the 19 April 2018 are required to pay a toll unless exempt or they benefit from the Halton Local User Discount Scheme (LUDS).
VEHICLES WHO USED MERSEY GATEWAY BRIDGE ON OR AFTER 14 OCTOBER 2017 UNTIL 18 APRIL 2018
The Council had in place a valid and legal power to charge and enforce tolls on the Mersey Gateway Bridge from 14 October 2017 to 18 April 2018.
All vehicles that used the Mersey Gateway Bridge on or after the 14 October 2017 were required to pay a toll and liable to enforcement of a toll if no toll was paid, unless exempt or they benefitted from the Halton Local User Discount Scheme (LUDS).
ADJUDICATORS DECISIONS
Adjudication by the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT) cannot and does not, in law, invalidate or remove the powers in place from the 14 October 2017 to toll and enforce tolls on the Mersey Gateway Bridge.
Adjudication is specific to the case being considered, and any decision of an Adjudicator only relates to that particular case.
A decision of TPT does not have general effect and can not remove the validity of the Order or the obligation to pay.
Any suggestion that the Council has no power to charge or enforce tolls or that the Council is acting "illegally" is misleading, inaccurate and wrong in law.
REPAYMENT OF TOLLS OR PENALTIES
For the reasons set out above, Halton Council is under no legal obligation to repay any toll or penalty paid on failing to pay a toll.
Consequently, Halton Council will not be repaying any toll or penalty paid on failing to pay a toll.
New leadership for Mersey Gateway Crossings Board following first successful six-months of operation
June 25, 2018Mersey Gateway Crossings BoardNews
After leading the Mersey Gateway Project through its first successful six months of operation, Chief Executive Paul Fenwick will leave the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board (MGCB) to be replaced by Managing Director, Mike Bennett.
Her Majesty The Queen and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex visit Halton to officially open the Mersey Gateway Bridge
June 15, 2018Mersey Gateway Crossings BoardNews, Uncategorized
Her Majesty The Queen and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex carried out their first ever engagement together, as they visited Halton this week (14 June 2018) to officially open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge.
More details revealed about Royal Visit to Halton
As excitement builds in anticipation of the visit of Her Majesty the Queen and the Duchess of Sussex, Halton Borough Council is revealing more details about the event and how young people will be at the centre of the celebrations.
On the morning of Thursday 14 June, Her Majesty and the Duchess of Sussex will carry out their first engagement together when they visit Halton to officially open the Mersey Gateway Bridge.
Having arrived at Runcorn Station, they will travel to the Catalyst Science and Discovery Museum, where the opening event will take place in full view of the iconic bridge.
Guests will include many of those who have helped to make the bridge a reality including local politicians, partners from across the region, community volunteers, staff from the construction consortium and operating teams.
But front and centre on the day, will be around 600 local primary school children, who have been invited to join in the celebrations. In anticipation of the day, children and teachers have been sharing their thoughts:
Maya Neal, Age 9, from Victoria Road Primary School, Runcorn said: "I am so excited to be able to see the Queen and the Duchess because it is a once in a life time opportunity. I feel very lucky that our school was chosen to take part."
Karl Landrum Headteacher at St Gerard's Catholic Primary and Nursery School from school said: "It is a honour for our children to be able to witness the official opening of the bridge which is only a few minutes away from our school and therefore part of our school community; I wish all of the organisers lots of luck with such an exciting event for Halton."
Amelia, Luke, Grace and Mason, Yr 4 pupils at All Saints Upton said:"We can't believe we are getting the opportunity to see the opening of the Mersey Gateway Bridge. We have loved watching it get built. We have waited our whole lives to see royalty and now get to see the Queen and the Duchess of Susex so soon after seeing her wedding."
One local schoolchild, Savannah Cafferty, whose birthday falls on the the day the Mersey Gateway opened to traffic – will have an extra special role on the day, presenting a posy to one of the royal party, she said: "When I found out I was going to have a special job on the day I asked 'Why me?' I am really happy and excited as the Queen is like a Mother to Britain and she has helped us through trouble. My nan was at the opening of the Silver Jubilee Bridge."
Savannah's proud Head Teacher at Farnworth CE Primary School said: "The opening of the Mersey Gateway Bridge is a special moment in Halton's history and I am thrilled that children from my school will be part of this historic event. The Bridge has made travelling from Widnes to Runcorn and beyond so much easier and it is a spectacular sight in itself. It makes me proud to be a Halton resident knowing that HRH, the Queen and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are marking the opening of this bridge."
In addition, local school children will perform a specially commissioned performance of dance and movement, directed by the locally based, Andrew Curphey Theatre Company. Entitled "Bringing Communities together: Bridges of Halton". The moving piece features 80 children and young people from schools across the borough and tells the story of the many crossings that have existed over the Mersey connecting Widnes and Runcorn through the ages.
On the day, access around Runcorn Station and at the Catalyst Science and Discovery Museum will be restricted. However, members of the public who want to see the Royal party, are advised to go as close as is safely possible to Runcorn Station and Catalyst Science and Discovery Centre. Stewards and the Police will be in both areas for crowd management.
The public is reminded that cyclists and pedestrians are prohibited from the Mersey Gateway Bridge.
Enquiries about the event should be directed to officialopening@halton.gov.uk
Mersey Gateway dashboard shows numbers behind the new bridge
May 29, 2018Mersey Gateway Crossings BoardNews
Newly released figures show that traffic levels across the Mersey Gateway Bridge were higher than expected over the first six months since it opened.
Merseyflow customers, commuters, local residents and other people interested in the Mersey Gateway Bridge can now see key statistics relating to the bridge with the launch of a new customer dashboard.
The dashboard provides a range of graphs and statistics that show detailed information on the number of crossings made, average daily traffic figures, types of vehicles using the bridge, the number of penalty charge notices issued, revenue figures and traffic by registration type.
During the first six months since opening:
more than 10-million journeys were made across the new bridge,
96% of drivers paid for their crossings before the payment deadline
80% of journeys were made in vehicles registered with merseyflow
over 70,000 journeys were made across the bridge most weekdays, which is in excess of projected traffic levels – the exception is a dip around the holiday period in December and January
between 20 and 26% of monthly revenue came from PCNs – All revenue, either from tolls or PCNs, contributes towards payment for the new bridge; it is not retained by the Council or any of its contractors.
The dashboard provides a quick and easy way to view key statistics about the bridge and tolls.
It can be viewed at www.merseyflow.co.uk and www.merseygateway.co.uk/mersey-gateway-statistics-dashboard/ with the initial publication showing figures from the bridge's opening on October 14, 2017 until the end of March 2018.
Moving forward the dashboard will be issued every three months to give an updated picture.
Paul Fenwick, Chief Executive of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board, said: "This is part of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board and merseyflow's commitment to be transparent and to provide everyone who uses the bridge with accurate and reliable data on its operation.
The fact that traffic volumes are slightly higher than we estimated is good news and we're working hard with our colleagues at merseyflow to continue to increase the number of people paying on time so we can minimise the number of PCNs issued to commuters."
Anthony Alicastro, Managing Director of merseyflow said: "The dashboard gives customers an at-a-glance view of how the bridge is performing and shows just how much traffic is using the crossing and benefitting from quicker, easier and more reliable journeys."
"We want bridge users to have this information at their fingertips and we'll publish an updated dashboard every three months with the latest figures."
To find out more about the bridge and to view the customer dashboard visit www.merseyflow.co.uk or www.merseygateway.co.uk
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No one really wants to discuss the fears they associate with aging; the reason I'm choosing a topic most dread is because Chassidus provides powerful tools for not only easing our deepest fears concerning aging, but shows us how we can turn those fears around to create a paradigm shift that will bring inner peace, deep joy and less wrinkles to boot. This does not require a lifetime of learning to understand. I will be explaining this in the simplest of terms, in the terms I myself understand. The method for creating this shift will be to look at Torah sources related to aging, then to look at the root philosophy of chassidus starting with the Baal Shem Tov, and finally, come to our Rebbe, the Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson's views, which are potent for this shift of thought.
Anti-aging marketing subtly suggests we can erase our deepest fears connected with aging, if we just erase those wrinkles. The rich and famous spend thousands on beauty procedures that promise the perpetual glow of youth. At one of the most advanced med spas in the United States, people concerned with aging come in for in-depth consultations on how to turn back the hands of time in a non-invasive manner. I know because have been doing anti-aging consultations at this multi-award winning med spa for many years. Consultations begin with a complexion analysis that measures surface and subsurface skin conditions. People want to restore the youthfulness they feel they've lost. With 40 laser and facial technologies, injectables, and non-surgical facelifts, teamed with naturopathic medicine, this clinic aims to fully integrate the inner and outer self. These treatments come with a hefty price. Those who come are more than happy to pay whatever it costs to buy back that younger version of themselves. Over a decade as a skincare advisor, I've often been asked, "What can I do about these wrinkles?" Let me tell you. The most powerful anti-aging secret I've ever heard have been passed down from generation to generation among the Jewish people.
Women consult with me saying, "My face is aging, my body is aging, and I am aging. Everything is going downhill." Let's question this. Is this true? Can you absolutely know that this thought is true?
What would you be without this thought? Chassidus teaches life is a partnership of body and soul. Each body is chosen and given by God and we have a responsibility to care for our bodies, yet Chassidus teaches that our true being and essence is not our body. The Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya Chapter 2, first opening statement, "The second soul of a Jew is truly a part of G-d above, as it is written, "And He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. And "Thou didst breathe it (the soul) into me. Your soul exists beyond time as it is truly a part of G-d. Your soul is not aging! I've personally noticed that when I begin and end my day soul focused my priorities start to align with what is most important. My thoughts throughout the day become less material, more of what matters. My conversations with others deepen and often I'm told they are very therapeutic as well. This is a result of starting my day this way.
In Likkutei Sichot vol 5, p 93 the Rebbe quotes, "Sara retained the youthful beauty that she had regained before conceiving Isaac until her last days and she died completely righteous untainted by sin…the energy of her soul so totally permeated her body that it, like her soul, became timeless. Her beauty remained unmarred, immune to life's tribulations and the passage of time. The perfection of her physical body was a manifestation of her spiritual perfection." (Rashi Genesis 23:1, Midrash Rabbah, Genesis 23:1) Here we see that not only was Sara's soul timeless, her body actually became timeless too as a result of the righteousness of her life. This is clearly a level beyond! It does teach us that our spirits clearly have an affect on our physical bodies. Which is true, otherwise Botox wouldn't be a billion dollar drug!
Why do we age? The Torah tells us that aging is actually a gift given to us by our Patriarchs. In the Talmud, Bava Metzia, page 87, it says "Until Abraham there was no old age, whoever wished to speak to Abraham would speak to Isaac, and the reverse. Thereupon he prayed, and old age came into existence, as it is written, and Abraham was old and well-stricken in age. Until Jacob there was no illness; then Jacob prayed, and illness came into being." Jacob asked for a sign before dying so that there would be some time to put affairs in order…and so the experience of the weakening of the body was given as a gift and a sign that one must begin to accomplish everything they want to accomplish. The gift of wrinkles is that they remind us of the preciousness of time. We can start to focus more internally with both others and ourselves. We can notice the qualities that we see in others that truly make them beautiful on a soul level, and focus on developing those qualities in ourselves as well. We can reassess our priorities and let go of those things that don't contribute to the causes that mean the most to us. We can allow the beautiful characteristics within us to add to the dignity of our appearance as well. In Likkutei Dibburim, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn recalls "a most generous philanthropist addressed simply as Zalman Cherbiner-Zalman from Cherbin…By the time I knew him he was already some 70 years old, and the dignity of his appearance was indescribable. The lines of his face suggested that here was both an active mind, and a likeable and easygoing kindliness. All in all, he stands as one of the most respected personalities in my album of childhood memories." I just love this description. The dignity of his appearance was indescribable! I want to look like that someday! To me this is such a refreshing perspective in contrast with our upside down youth obsessed society.
Let's travel back in time now to 1698. In an old and humble village in a forgotten corner of Ukraine the father of the Chassidic movement, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, was born. As an orphan, the first part of his life was spent in obscurity and poverty. His mother died when he was a still an infant. At age 7,he heard his father's last words, "Israel my dear, know and remember throughout your life that Almighty G-d is always with you. Remember not to fear anything and anyone except for your Father in heaven. And remember also to love from the very core of your heart and soul every single Jew regardless who or what he may be." These words accompanied and guided him throughout his life. It is recorded that he would wander into fields and forests and recognized there was a G-d from the wonders of creation. No doubt he listened to the whispering sound of tall meadow grasses, took deep breaths of the clean crisp breeze as it blew his hair and felt the sun warm his face. He realized that he lived in a magical reality, one where a tadpole becomes a frog, and an egg becomes a bird. He saw how day after day the very first rays of light dispelled the darkness of night. He was aware of the divine that surrounded him; it was extraordinary, deserving of awe. He observed that seeds, each formed with their own unique contribution, burst forth with the fullness of their divine potential. He marveled how each fruit contained an orchard that could continue to multiply itself. He noticed how the tiniest flowers opened their petals to the light that warms them, joining the buzzing symphony of the birds and bees. Everything was connected. After thinking thoughts like these at some point he would have closed his eyes and fell asleep in the meadow, peacefully cradled in nature's embrace, warmed by the light of the sun, feeling his Father's love. Day by day he grew with a heightened awareness of life's connectedness. He understood the mystery that breathes behind things, his senses were heightened, the presence of the supernatural was accepted, understood, he was in it and part of it. Directed by his father's words, he viewed the purity of intent in the blessings and songs of simple, devoted Jews as absolute holiness. He could see deeply into everyone, to his or her pure inner essence; he treated everyone wit respect and dignity. He came to make G-d more accessible to all. He brought comfort to a suffering nation and a bright light into the darkness. He showed how all people could serve G-d with simplicity, joy and purity of intent having respect for G-d, respect for creatures, and respect for one another. He compared the Torah to water and taught how it is important to keep the mitzvos with warmth and enthusiasm.
As the Baal Shem Tov saw as a boy, we live in a world where we see transformation all around us. Everything around us is in a constant state of growth. We are aware that for an acorn to become an oak tree the acorn has to disintegrate first. We are aware that caterpillars turn into butterflies, and know they shed their skin before the metamorphosis occurs. We know all that sleeps through winter is reborn in spring, and see how trees lose their leaves before they sleep. We are reminded every season of our lives. Yet somehow, as we age, we forget that we are also in the process of a completely marvelous transformation, that we are a piece of G-d, and each one of us has an active part in revealing more G-dliness in this world, we forget that we ourselves are transforming, and with each year, our souls are becoming stronger, more beautiful than before.
The stories of the Baal Shem Tov are sweet to me. I loved that he treated all with dignity, that he honored the hard working people with simple understanding. I identify with them; My limited understanding doesn't limit my connection with the Divine.
On his 80thbirthday, April 1982,he said, "If a person has been given years by G-d, it is an indication that he has further things to achieve. Age cannot be used as an excuse to work less in one's mission of revealing G-dliness in this world-which is associated with revealing humanity and decency of a person. When one is connected above, one does not fall below, he rises ever higher. He certainly gives us the strength to carry out His directives. A person is not alone, for his is connected to G-d, and through G-d,to all people. Everything came into existence by G-d and after that they remain completely dependent on G-d for he gives life to all existence and expects of them to unite and become one with the common purpose of serving Him together as one. In this way, with each passing year, one becomes younger and stronger for he is continuously increasing in good deeds." This is a view of growth; life as a series of increasing gains. It stands in sharp contrast with traditional views.
On a blustery winter afternoon, I joined the newest hospice volunteer team as we met for our first day of training on the second floor of the social service agency. After introducing ourselves, we were each given a pen and 4 different color post it notes. On the first we were instructed to write down 4 passions or interests, on the second we named 4 valued possessions, on the third the names of 4 people, and on the fourth, 4 roles we had played in our lives. The instructor then walked around the circle we sat in and without reading anything we had written, she randomly crossed out some of the words we had thoughtfully put down. She circled once again, doing the same, which triggered tears from some. Then she told us to remove three of the four notes, and we were each left with one…and it was on this note that our discussion of life and aging, comfort, death and dying began. We fear losing the ability to enjoy our interests, the loss of positions and roles, we fear losing our most cherished possessions. Most of all, we fear losing and leaving the people we love. This is how death comes, she said, it is a series of hard losses, and this is what you will be walking into. We were then guided in how to help those on hospice draw up a living will.
I would like to contrast and challenge this traditional view in light of the Rebbe's words. Life can be viewed as a series of losses at the end…or it can see as a series of gains, where our strength and worth increase daily. From our gifts comes a unique contribution, a contribution that leaves a brighter, kinder, warmer world than before we arrived. Our most valuable possessions are the good deeds we have done, which like children, grow, become our legacy, and are our treasures forever. We are not alone, we are connected forever. The Torah secret to never growing old is anchored in the awareness that we are ageless souls working together, harnessing the power of time to create a better world. Towards this goal, the morning and evening soul care routine that follows is one that has been practiced for thousands of years, and it works miraculously, beautifying those who use it from the inside out.
1. Thank God for your timeless soul the moment you wake and before you drift off to sleep; remember your soul is here in this world because you have a unique contribution to make. Like the Baal Shem Tov as a boy full of wonder, fully appreciate and elevate the simplest moments of your day with gratitude. Enter the world beyond time, where the past is gone, let it be, the future is unknown, and this moment is a new creation.
3. "Hamaaseh hu ha'ikur"- the deed is the essence, as the Rebbe said, quoting from Pirkei Avot, chapter 1, Mishna 17."The Torah begins with chesed and ends with chesed." (Rabbi Simlai in Talmud Sotah, page 14 side one.) Move towards the kindest thoughts that result in action. Do one small thing to add light to the world, a peaceful act of kindness, daily. Mishlei Chapter 3, verse17 "Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her pathways are peaceful." Be persistent with this one small practice every day. Remember that just like a seed that contains all that it needs to reach it's full potential, you have all you need as well. Respect all life, bring compassion to creation every day, and help create a world of warmth and light. Proverbs 4:22 says, "For they (mitzvoth) are life to he who finds them, and healing for all his flesh." Talmud Eruvin page 54, side one, says that Torah is an elixir of life. "In the dispensation of mortals, when a man administers a drug to a fellow it may be beneficial to one limb but injurious to another, but with the Holy One, blessed be He, it is not so. He gave a Torah to Israel and it is a drug of life for all his body, as it is said, And healing to all his flesh." Focus on the divine mission that you have been endowed with, to reveal G-dliness in this world, bringing more light, more warmth wherever you are, utilizing whatever gifts you have been given for your unique contribution.
mobilize the transformative beauty of the soul. Thank you!


Today was a bit of a triumph, a laying to rest of old ghosts.
For the first time in my memory, I went for a run (3 miles, if you wish to know details), and actually enjoyed it—all of it.
No doubt it helped that it was a mild spring evening, that I was running around the perimeter of the rather lovely Victoria Park, skirting ponds and a pagoda, ornamental flower beds, the canal with its bright, cheerful rows of narrow boats, expanses of smooth green grass, and passing beneath row upon row of gracious plane trees, alcoves of the old London Bridge (its 1728 incarnation), the whole bathed in slanting rays of that particular golden sunlight peculiar to late evenings and general satisfaction.
But still. I ran, and I enjoyed the stretching, the warm-up, the settling into a rhythm, focusing on my breathing, releasing tension, increasing the spring in my step, the gentle pushing through barriers of fatigue, savouring the breeze on my face and the feeling of steady movement in my limbs, centring thought to one step at a time, and finding the final burst of energy past the Approach Tavern to my own front door.
I can see the Gallic shrug from my sitting room sofa: why is this significant? As a child, I had a particularly spirited PE teacher (now sadly no longer with us) who was, no joke, a former Army drill sergeant. I had childhood asthma, so gym was unfailingly excruciating, with his face often inches from my own, challenging me: 'Is that all you've got, Miss Fredrick?' Usually it was.
Pressing my failure to achieve deep into my quailing consciousness as I vainly attempted to haul my chin up to the pull-up bar, which might as well have been in Antarctica for all the chance I had to reach it. Or puffing and wheezing through the interminable laps round the block of the now-bulldozed Franklin Middle School to clock up another abysmal time for a mile.
I just couldn't win. So slowly, without realising, exercise became associated with public ritual humiliation. Now I'm sure that many other girls in my class probably felt similar; I don't remember asking them, with a teenager's understandable reticence on such topics as could injure my fragile self-image even further. I also found out, many years later, that this same PE teacher was a disappointed minor-league baseball player. Learning about his crushed dreams did lend me more sympathy for him, but it didn't remove the scarring of his mocking voice in my ear.
On one level, the damage wasn't too profound, as a few years later, I joined the school volleyball team, and stayed on it for 5 years. It was a team sport, so the focus wasn't solely on me. And I found that I hated the 'star position'—and the pressure—of being a 'hitter', the front-row player tasked with 'spiking' the ball to complete a play. I far preferred the 'service' positions of back-row and setter. And serving itself? I was either lethal or rubbish, the only pattern my unpredictability from game to game. I wish I could say there is no correlation to my later life.
But when I went to Europe during my junior year of high school, there were no team sports I knew how to play, and when I came back, having got out of the habit, I didn't re-join the team for my senior year. Nor did I play college sports, though they were offered and in some cases quite strong at my university. I play for fun at family reunions and random gatherings, but mostly I keep my competitiveness to the fussball table (where I assure you, I get very heated indeed).
And no, I do NOT go to the gym. For I had developed a lasting antipathy, almost an allergic reaction to gyms, to places where my progress would be visibly measured against another's. A strange position, one might say, for a professional performer. Perhaps executing one 'sport' (for proper singing IS a taxing physical activity) to an Olympian level is enough for me. At any rate, I pass gyms with an internal shudder, quickening my step.
There has been one notable exception. For one season, I joined my parents in solidarity in doing the lead-up programme to the rigorous P90 exercise regime, later switching to the videos of the frighteningly named Insanity series with a friend in London, the two of us jumping and waving our arms about in the mezzanine of the St Barnabas Dalston Mission Hall. Much to my astonishment, I found that I rather enjoyed it. With the aid of a close-up camera shot and a body microphone, the coaches could be encouraging in normal voices, even funny and charming, and I could choose my own level of engagement.
In a true momentary lapse of sanity, I attended precisely one session of a group Insanity fitness class, and it was like being dragged back 25 years, with the teacher yelling out instructions and coming round to each of us, lashing us on to more repetitions, higher, faster, deeper. When I finished, I actually felt physically ill, and absolutely livid: the experience had pressed more internal buttons than a fighter pilot in combat. Never, I vowed through gritted teeth, would I do that again. Ever.
So I'm afraid that all the glossy ads of sweat-gleaming trim girls with kettle bells have no power over my imagination. I would rather go hill-walking for 4 miles, or 8, or 10, getting conversation and great views and proper progression of place and perspective for my pains, go swing dancing for an evening (pure joy), or do yoga.
Or do some singing practice, which, if I'm doing it properly and practicing a big piece, gets my heart rate up to circuit-training levels. It's true. I once went into an audition, having had a 5-minute brisk walk from the tube station and a 5 minute wait, sang the virtuosic 'Martner aller Arten' by Mozart, and came out sweating. And not from nerves. So there you go.
But tonight, tonight, I had fun running, and that is a big deal. I am more a tortoise than a hare, by any standards. My form is probably shocking. I will win no awards for speed or style, and I will probably never run a half-marathon, let alone a marathon. But for the second time in two weeks, I ran 3 miles without walking a step.
And my secret was this: At each new section, I said to myself, 'You don't have to keep going; you can walk. It's okay to stop'. Thus continuing became a continual choice, an exercise of agency in which I could say, 'I know, but I choose to continue'. Knowing I could stop at any point actually gave me more energy to persevere than if I had doggedly set my goal and pursued it come what may.
For an overachiever often crippled by unreasonable self-expectations, it was an epiphany of epic proportions. I was slow and probably sloppy, but I was happy as Larry (in the memorable if inexplicable British phrase), going at my own pace in the evening twilight, finishing what I'd vaguely decided to achieve if possible, bit by bit.
I am in the middle of reading an excellent book by Emily Ley called Grace not Perfection. Perhaps it is rubbing off. Perhaps tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that, I will try working it into other parts of my life, setting attainable goals, silencing the voices of the past with present truths, giving myself permission to slow down and stop if needs be so that I can enjoy the scenery and the experience along the way.
I need new trainers if I'm to keep this up, symbolism if ever I've seen it. I'll let you know how I get on. If you meet me in the park, puffing along slowly with beatific surprise at my continued forward motion, wave, smile indulgently, shake your head, and say, 'Well, you never can tell'.


text:
TCA Winter Press Tour: A&e
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)
CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- The Television Critics Association began its winter press tour this week in which the various broadcast and cable networks talk about their upcoming plans to the nation's top critics and entertainment reporters.
Here's a breakdown of the highlights of A&E's presentation (via press release):
A&E Network(R) Announces Five New Original Movies in Development For Its 2004-2005 Season
Projects Include: Brooke Ellison, Riverman, Forever Barbie, Chessmates (Working Title) and The Last Days Of Pompeii
A&E Network is fast-tracking development of five new original movies, featuring its most diverse slate of genres, titles and talents, it was announced today by Bob DeBitetto, Senior Vice President, Programming, A&E Network.
"A&E is revving up its original production output, with a full year of outstanding original movies about extraordinary individuals," said DeBitetto. "Over the next twelve months, we are asking the top creative talents in the business to tell some of the greatest life stories around."
Among the projects currently in development:
BROOKE ELLISON -- A&E is developing the miraculous true story of Brooke Ellison, a young quadriplegic who, with her mother's help, finishes high school and college and delivers the commencement speech at her Harvard graduation. Christopher Reeve is interested in directing. Based on the best-selling book, Miracles Happen, One Mother, One Daughter, One Journey by Brooke and Jean Ellison, this is an inspiring, life-affirming tale about overcoming adversity and defying the odds. Delia Fine serves as the executive producer for A&E Network and David Craig is the supervising producer. Howard Meltzer, TurtleBack Productions; Howard Braunstein and Michael Jaffe, Jaffe/Braunstein Films; and Christopher Reeve, Cambria Productions are the executive producers. The screenplay is adapted by Camille Thomasson (Luther).
RIVERMAN -- The true story of the Green River serial killer and the profiler who was approached by Ted Bundy to help solve the crime. This is the headline story that inspired Silence of the Lambs and, after 20 years, reached it's conclusion in November of 2003 with the man identified as the murderer confessing to more than 40 murders, making him the worst serial killer in history. Based on the best-selling book, The Riverman: Ted Bundy and I Hunt for the Green River Killer by Robert D. Keppel and William J. Birnes, the adaptation is by Tom Towler and Peter Lance. Delia Fine serves as the executive producer for A&E Network and David Craig is the supervising producer. Hawk Koch (Primal Fear, Frequency, Hostage starring Bruce Willis) and Peter Lance (JAG, The Sentinel, Wiseguy) are the executive producers.
FOREVER BARBIE: THE RUTH HANDLER STORY -- The true story of the woman who created one of the most famous pop icons of all time: Barbie. Ruth Handler, the founder of the Mattel Toy Company, invented the Barbie Doll and, in doing so, changed the way the world views women. Named after her children Barbara and Ken, Handler's creation became one of the most successful products ever created and the object of derision by the feminist movement. Handler was later kicked out of the company she founded, following an accounting scandal and a battle with breast cancer. She then launched her own prosthetic breast company that later sold for over $1 million. FOREVER BARBIE: THE RUTH HANDLER STORY is based on the book by M.G. Lord. Delia Fine serves as the executive producer for A&E Network and David Craig is the supervising producer. The executive producers are City Entertainment, Josh Maurer (And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself, The Pentagon Papers, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge) and Alixandre Witlin. Also producing are Casey Bierer, Mark Geldman and Ron Yanover.
CHESSMATES (Working Title) -- The heartwarming and inspirational true story of a man in a midlife crisis who decides to change his own life, and in the process, changes for the better the lives of the inner-city kids he meets. English teacher David MacEnulty teaches a group of inner-city African American school kids how to play chess, and then takes them into the elitist world of chess competition. Initially, the principal and many of the parents oppose the idea, calling chess a useless white man's game. But MacEnulty's kids not only learn to compete, they ultimately triumph by beating private schools across the entire country. They learn that if they can win at chess, they can win at life. Delia Fine is the A&E Network executive producer and Emilio Nunez is the supervising producer. The script is by Jamal Joseph (Cross the Line) and Diane Nabatoff. Lisa Demberg and David Madden are the executive producers. CHESSMATES (Working Title) is an A&E Network(R)/Fox Television Studios co-production.
THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII -- Gladiators ... gorgeous young lovers ... orgies ... a truly evil villain ... AND the most famous volcano of all! In 79 AD, the luxurious and often corrupt Roman city of Pompeii was frozen for eternity when Mount Vesuvius erupted in a violent volcanic explosion. Based on the classic novel by Edward Bulwer Lytton, THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII is the story of man's insignificance against the forces of nature, as well as testimony for the heroic deeds of mankind. This film will capture the love story, murder mystery, stunning acts of betrayal, and physical courage against the exotic background of the Roman Empire in the 1st Century. With enhanced computer generated visual effects, the explosion of Vesuvius will be a cataclysmic event unlike anything TV audiences have seen before. The adaptation is by Benedict Fitzgerald (Moby Dick, In Cold Blood). Delia Fine serves as the executive producer for A&E Network. The producing team behind A&E's Benedict Arnold and The Magnificent Ambersons includes Norman Stephens (Bang, Bang You're Dead) and Jonas Bauer as producers and Guido de Angelis and Franz Landerer as executive producers. This is a co-production with The DeAngelis Group.
These original A&E Network movies join the previously announced 2004 projects: IKE: THUNDER IN JUNE, starring Tom Selleck as the remarkable General who oversaw D-Day; THE LAST KING, with Rufus Sewell (A KNIGHT'S TALE) as Charles II, the last monarch to truly rule England; SEE ARNOLD RUN, chronicling the unlikely campaign that turned an international action star into the Governor of California; HILLARY'S CHOICE, based on Gail Sheehy's blockbuster book about the controversial former First Lady and current U.S. Senator; and FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS: THE BETTE DAVIS STORY, a film about the life of one of Hollywood's most enduring stars.
A&E Network's Ground-Breaking New Series DEARLY DEPARTED (Working Title) Scheduled To Premiere In Spring Of 2004
Death has never been so lively. Coming to A&E Network this spring is DEARLY DEPARTED, a powerful new series that chronicles the intense and peculiar days and nights of a Southern California family mortuary.
Three beautiful sisters, their quick-tempered father, an exacting boss, an eccentric funeral director known as "Rainman," and an endless stream of corpses make up the core cast of this groundbreaking new reality show. DEARLY DEPARTED throws open the parlor door to the inner workings of a San Diego funeral home. The real story at Poway Bernardo Mortuary is how they compassionately console grieving families shattered by loss, as they love, love and fight as an extended family of their own.
The quirky staff at Poway Bernardo Mortuary is comprised of the dynamic, self-proclaimed drama queen middle sister Shonna Smith, Head Mortician, Senior Funeral Director and the one responsible for bringing the rest of the family into the business. When she's not arguing with her father, Shonna gets the job done, providing the glue that keeps the mortuary running. Shonna's younger sister Emily Vigney is the Office Manager and Funeral Director in training. Emily is so new to the staff that she still weeps at every funeral. Shonna and Emily's eldest sister Melissa Wissmiller drives the hearse, picks up the slack around the office and consoles families. She is also the family peacemaker. Melissa is engaged to Rick Sadler, the workaholic boss who was literally born in a funeral home. Also on staff is Clarence Chuck Wissmiller, the volatile body remover, boxing trainer, who also happens to be father to Shonna, Melissa, and Emily, and soon to be father-in-law to Rick. Apprentice Embalmer John Greeney is a newly adopted member of the Poway staff. John is described by Rick as a "sad sack" because he is perpetually broke and always juggling his family responsibilities with work. Finally there's David Maravee, the employee everyone else loves to hate, whose obsessive-compulsive behavior can rub clients the wrong way. David can often be found talking to himself about everything he has to do, which earned him the nickname "Rainman".
Nancy Dubuc and Robert Sharenow are the executive producers for A&E Network. DEARLY DEPARTED is produced for A&E Network by Hybrid Films. Daniel Elias is the director and executive producer. David Houts is Executive Producer.
A&E Network's Biography(R) Presents a First Quarter of World Premiere Specials
BIOGRAPHY: SIMON COWELL, Thursday, January 15, 8-9PM ET/PT
BIOGRAPHY: CYBILL SHEPHERD, Tuesday, January 27, 8-9pm ET/PT
BIOGRAPHY SPECIAL: THE FONDAS, Sunday, January 25. 8-10PM ET/PT
BIOGRAPHY SPECIAL: LOVE HOLLYWOOD STYLE, Sunday, Feb. 15, 8-10PM ET/PT
BIOGRAPHY SPECIAL: OSCAR(R), Thursday, February 26, 8-10pm ET
They're all here: Oscar's most memorable winners, Hollywood's most passionate lovers, plus Simon Cowell, and Henry and Bridget and Peter and Jane! A&E Network today announces a quarter of World Premieres from the Emmy(R) Award-winning series, BIOGRAPHY(R).
Now known worldwide as the cattiest of judges on the phenom TV series American Idol, Great Britain's Simon Cowell has become one of the most popular real-life characters in the medium. But who is he, and what has he done that gives him the confidence to rave -- or, more often, rip -- potential stars in the making? Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and Ryan Seacrest are interviewed, along with Simon's mother, brothers and girlfriend.
BIOGRAPHY SPECIAL: THE FONDAS, Sunday, January 25, 8-10pm ET/PT
Among Hollywood's most elite acting dynasties, none has generated the respect, the accolades, or the controversy of the Fonda family. The multi-generational saga of its famous members -- Henry, Jane, Peter, and Bridget -- is a combination of American history, Hollywood legend, personal accomplishment and private tragedy. It is a story of unbreakable family bonds, tested by divisions that they share with families around the world. Rare home movies and photos, film clips from their most acclaimed performances, and exclusive interviews with the family, their friends and contemporaries -- including Robert Redford, Jon Voight, Lily Tomlin, Sydney Pollack and many more -- document a century in the lives of Hollywood royalty.
Cybill Shepherd's been a lot of things during her long career: beauty queen, cover girl, movie star, television star, celebrity, singer, feminist and activist, to name a few. But as a woman in Hollywood who's not afraid to speak her mind, she's been nothing if not controversial. Co-stars have had little nice to say about her, while the tabloids have used her as a punching bag. Movie critics have called her a joke, stamping her career DOA on several occasions. But each time Hollywood has written her off, Cybill Shepherd rises from the dead. From "The Last Picture Show" to "Moonlighting" to "Cybill," Cybill Shepherd has made a career out of proving people wrong. A&E takes a look at this iconic star.
Nicole and Tom, Gable and Lombard, Hepburn and Tracy, Taylor and Burton, Mr. and Mrs. Rock Hudson ... These are just some of the Hollywood romances -- real or imagined - that we've heard about over the years. Some are flings, some lasted a lifetime. Will Ben and J-Lo's? How are the real love lives of stars different from the fantasy images Hollywood has created? LOVE HOLLYWOOD STYLE features interviews with celebrities, journalists, gossip columnists and other experts on affairs of the heart to show where fantasy and reality intersect -- and where they separate -- as we explore the history of real-life passion, Hollywood-style.
New interviews with Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, Mel Gibson and many others highlight this two-hour World Premiere BIOGRAPHY SPECIAL of Oscar(R). Produced in cooperation with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the program spans the sweeping history of the most important award in all of show business - from the birth and design of the statue itself to the great Oscar winners of the past - from the glitter of today's red carpet to behind the scenes of the most spectacular star-studded awards show of them all.
Also upcoming on BIOGRAPHY in the first half of 2004:
* BIOGRAPHY: HOWARD DEAN (presidential hopeful)
* BIOGRAPHY: CATWOMAN (featuring interview with Halle Berry)
* BIOGRAPHY: THE ROCK (premiere timed to his upcoming movie)
* BIOGRAPHY: PIERCE BROSNAN (premiere timed to his upcoming movie)
* BIOGRAPHY SPECIAL: OJ REUNION SHOW (on the tenth anniversary, A&E examines the players in the Simpson case)
A&E Announces Full Slate of Original Real-Life Series and Documentary Programming for 2004
Four New Primetime Series, Five New Primetime Specials and Three New Weekend Series in Production
Six New Primetime Series in Development
A&E Network is underway with an aggressive slate of new unscripted, real-life programs and documentaries in development and in various stages of production, it was announced today by Bob DeBitetto, Senior Vice President, Programming.
"A&E Network has long been a leader in creating genre programming. In 2004, we continue that trend by aggressively producing an unprecedented amount of new series and specials that will exemplify the excitement, intrigue, and drama viewers have come to love in our programming," said DeBitetto.
NEW SERIES IN PRODUCTION
DEARLY DEPARTED -- Three beautiful sisters, their quick-tempered father, a bizarre funeral director known as "Rainman," and an endless stream of corpses make up the core cast of this groundbreaking new reality show. DEARLY DEPARTED throws open the parlor door to the inner workings of a San Diego funeral home. The real story at Poway Bernardo Mortuary is not the death that passes through, but rather the family that works, lives, loves and fights there. DEARLY DEPARTED is scheduled to premiere in spring 2004. Nancy Dubuc and Robert Sharenow are the executive producers for A&E Network. DEARLY DEPARTED is produced for A&E Network by Hybrid Films.
THE FIRST 48 -- More like TV drama than a reality show, THE FIRST 48 follows real-life homicide investigators as they race against time to solve their cases. The hour-long program follows detectives of Philadelphia's homicide team as they track a breaking case -- each with a running 48-hour clock. A fast-paced, gritty program that will keep audiences guessing to the end. Nancy Dubuc is Executive Producer and Laura Fleury is Supervising Producer for A&E Network. THE FIRST 48 is produced for A&E Network by Granada Television.
FAMILY FORENSICS -- Have you ever wanted to look in someone's closets or medicine cabinet; poke your nose around and see what makes them tick? In FAMILY FORENSICS, a family vacates their home for two days, while a team of real forensic experts paints a portrait of them through what they find in their home. It's part archeology and part anthropology. The goal is to understand what this family is all about -- the secrets they keep (even from each other) and the life moments they are experiencing. What would be unearthed in your home? Full of drama, human conflict and humor, FAMILY FORENSICS merges two successful A&E(R) genres -- justice and non-fiction entertainment. Nancy Dubuc is Executive Producer and Patrice Andrews is Supervising Producer for A&E Network. FAMILY FORENSICS is produced for A&E Network by Fox Television Studios.
DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER (working title) -- Bounty Hunter Dwayne "Dog" Chapman and his life and business partner, Beth, are rare finds in documentary television -- they're characters that pop. DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER will feature the home and professional life of Dog as he juggles his bounty hunting case load, his volatile relationship with his Beth, and his 12 children (some of whom work in the family business). Dog served time in a Texas penitentiary for his participation in a murder 25 years ago. Upon his release, he vowed to redeem himself and found his calling on the right side of the law. As a bounty hunter, his past inspires him to help the fugitives he hunts down to go straight. Day after day, he and Beth are on an emotional and physical rollercoaster, chasing down fugitives and balancing their unusual family life. Nancy Dubuc is Executive Producer and Robert Sharenow is Supervising Producer for A&E Network. DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER is produced for A&E Network by Hybrid Films.
AMONG THOSE SERIES IN DEVELOPMENT ARE:
INTERVENTIONS -- An emotionally gripping documentary series in which people confront their darkest demons and, hopefully, find a route to redemption.
MR. JUSTICE -- When he's not hanging around with celebrity pals like Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis, Bill Stanton runs his own detective agency. MR. JUSTICE follows Stanton and his dedicated crew of investigators as they tackle real cases.
MINDHUNTER WITH JOHN DOUGLAS -- Delve into the criminal mind with original FBI Profiler -- John Douglas. Considered the 'father' of psychological profiling, Douglas has divulged the inner workings of many of America's most notorious minds -- from Charles Manson to David Berkowitz. MINDHUNTER will relive the cases that made Douglas famous... and the ones that still keep him up at night.
KAPTAIN KNIEVEL -- Whether he's jumping the fountains at Caesar's Palace or seventeen semis with no hands, Robbie Knievel is the personification of a real-life action figure. KAPTAIN KNIEVEL takes an unflinching look at the day-to-day life of the son of Evil Knievel.
LIQUIDATE YOUR LIFE -- Ever dream of getting away from the rat race? Of escaping the daily grind of your 9-5 job? This series will make people's dreams come true ... but at a price! In this series, participants are given the chance to finally explore the path less taken. Each family will experience what this new life will offer, what they can expect, where they will be, what they'll be doing. With their fantasy life within reach, they'll have to decide if they are really ready to give up their current existence ...
THE OTHER MAN -- Coming to A&E Network in March is THE OTHER MAN, an exclusive hour-long documentary and interview with actor Michael Bergin, conducted by famed publisher Judith Regan. In Mr. Bergin's first time speaking to the media, A&E that takes an insider's look at the short and tragic romantic triangle of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and Michael Bergin, based on the soon-to-be released book by Bergin, titled THE OTHER MAN. Nancy Dubuc is the executive producer for A&E Network. THE OTHER MAN is produced for A&E Network by Regan Media.
WASHINGTON WIVES -- These are the intriguing women behind the ambitious men who run the government -- powerful females like: Sally Quinn, the Washington society maven and wife of former Post editor Benjamin Bradlee. Shot at their fabulous East Hampton home where she is seen dropping names and talking about how she's seen power destroy people; DC veteran Hadassah Lieberman, wife of Senator and presidential candidate Joe Lieberman, interviewed on the campaign trail; and Elizabeth Edwards, wife of young Senator and presidential candidate John Edwards. Mrs. Edwards is full of hope, new to the game and not yet battered by the process of the primary. The special follows these women as they take viewers on a revealing journey inside the beltway. Nancy Dubuc is the executive producer for A&E Network. WASHINGTON WIVES is produced for A&E Network by Calamari Productions.
IN HARM'S WAY -- Two-time Academy Award(R) winner Barbara Kopple (Harlan County, USA; Wild Man Blues; The Hamptons) creates yet another powerful documentary, chronicling four female journalists who go into the line of fire during the war in Iraq and other perilous assignments: Janine di Giovanni, The Times of London, who recently moved from Amman, Jordan to Kuwait. From there she links up with the military and follows them on the road to Baghdad; Yola Monakhov, a freelance photojournalist who is documented first in Amman Jordan as she waits for her visa to Iran to be finalized; Ilana Ozernoy, also in Amman, Jordan, planning to collaborate with Yola; and Mary Rogers who is in northern Iraq, covering the story of the Kurds. Along the way, Kopple meets up with a number of other journalists, including CNN reporter Sheila MacVicar, Pulitzer Prize nominee Yunghi Kim, television reporter Ron Haviv, and photojournalists Alexandra Boulat and Corrine Dufka. Nancy Dubuc is the executive producer for A&E Network. IN HARM'S WAY is produced for A&E Network by Cabin Creek Films.
BOOMER NATION -- Where were you on November 22, 1963? This question is the setup for a documentary special that looks at baby boomers and how the lives of this generation have affected America. No generation in history has experienced as much freedom as boomers -- and with this freedom comes the ideals of individualism and self-fulfillment. We'll meet six boomers, and, through their triumphs and struggles, we'll see how their lives have been shaped. Each one coincides with an important political or social shift in the landscape of American culture. Guiding us through the special will be the tale of a soldier, a religious leader, a medical pioneer, a political activist, a television guru, and an advertising maven. Nancy Dubuc is the executive producer for A&E Network. BOOMER NATION is produced for A&E Network by New Wave Entertainment.
MONDO MAGIC WITH BENN & KORN -- With movie star looks and Houdini-esque chops, J.B. Benn and Chris Korn are two of the hottest magicians in the country -- they also happen to be good buddies. MONDO MAGIC is a new special chronicling their amazing adventures as they travel the globe performing their unique brand of street magic. Their travels will take them from Spain to Peru to Kenya. Along the way, they'll swap stories and tricks with other magicians, impress the locals with their magic, and penetrate mysterious cultures. Nancy Dubuc is Executive Producer and Robert Sharenow is Supervising Producer for A&E Network. MONDO MAGIC is produced for A&E Network by Popular Arts.
WEEKEND PROGRAMMING
FIND & DESIGN -- If you love decorating but don't want your house to turn into a Pottery Barn catalog or a Crate & Barrel showroom, then FIND & DESIGN is for you! Real people who have a decorating challenge must redo their space -- using only materials they've acquired from local garage sales and flea markets. Part treasure hunt, part decorating show, FIND & DESIGN will appeal to anyone who loves a challenge, a bargain and innovative decorating ideas. Hosted by Jennifer Convy, who also serves as the resident decorator. Nancy Dubuc is Executive Producer and Robert Sharenow is Supervising Producer for A&E Network. FIND & DESIGN is produced for A&E Network by 44 Blue. FIND & DESIGN joins A&E's successful weekend programming block which includes the series SELL THIS HOUSE and MAKEOVER MAMAS, as well as the recently announced INSIDE THIS OLD HOUSE, a new weekly half-hour magazine series that revisits classic moments from This Old House and updates them with new ideas, information, and techniques, and visits with your favorite homeowners and guest experts; and ASK THIS OLD HOUSE, traveling to backyards and back streets in towns and cities across America, answering the questions of perplexed homeowners everywhere. Both series are produced by This Old House Productions, Inc., and hosted by Kevin O'Connor.
A&E Network Presents a One Hour Documentary Special and Exclusive Interview With Actor Michael Bergin Based on His Upcoming Book
The Other Man
John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette & Me
An Insider's View Into the Love Triangle of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette and Michael Bergin
A&E Network will present a one hour documentary special and exclusive interview with former Baywatch star and Calvin Klein model Michael Bergin, based on his upcoming book, The Other Man. Renowned publisher and talk show host Judith Regan will conduct the exclusive interview with Bergin. The book and the program will chronicle Bergin's long-term relationship with Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. The program will air in March 2004. The announcement was made today by Bob DeBitetto, Senior Vice President, Programming, A&E Network.
The Other Man is a first person account of Bergin's long term relationship with Bessette Kennedy and reveals previously unknown details about the extent of their relationship before and during her marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr. This book and interview marks the first time Bergin speaks publicly in great detail about Bessette Kennedy. The Other Man published by ReganBooks, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, is due to hit bookstores in late March.
Nancy Dubuc serves as executive producer for A&E Network. Rob Sharenow serves as supervising producer.
Rufus Sewell, Rupert Graves and Diana Rigg Star in the A&E Network(R) Original Movie
THE LAST KING
A Four-Hour North American Premiere Airing Sunday March 21 at 8PM/7C
When the dashing Charles II celebrated his 30th birthday by returning from exile and reclaiming his throne, no one knew he would be the final British monarch to wield such power over his countrymen. A&E Network presents the North American Premiere of the A&E/BBC co-production THE LAST KING, starring Rufus Sewell, Rupert Graves and Diana Rigg. The four-hour Original Movie airs Sunday, March 21, 2004 at 8pm/7C.
THE LAST KING is the sweeping story of King Charles II's most turbulent life -- his tumultuous rule, his squabbling family and his numerous romantic indiscretions. Set at the crossroads of British history, just as the monarchy was being swept away by democracy. Charles II was a sensual and romantic man -- one who loved the arts almost as much as he loved women, and a politician who was willing to do nearly anything to keep his power.
Rufus Sewell (A Knight's Tale, "Helen of Troy") stars as Charles II. Rupert Graves ("The Forsythe Saga," The Madness of King George) is the Duke of Buckingham, Charles' trusted friend; Diana Rigg (VICTORIA & ALBERT, "The Avengers") is Queen Henrietta Maria, the King's volatile mother; Martin Freeman ("Ali G Indahouse," "The Office", Love Actually) is Shaftesbury, Charles's political nemesis and former minister; Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Bridget Jones's Diary) is Queen Catherine; Christian Coulson (HORATIO HORNBLOWER, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) is the Duke of Monmouth, the eldest of Charles's illegitimate children; Charlie Creed Miles (Nil by Mouth) is Charles's brother James; Alice Patten is the demur Lady Francis Stewart, who manages to escape Charles's renowned sexual advances; Helen McCrory (The Count of Monte Cristo) is the aristocratic and promiscuous Barbara Villiers; Emma Pierson (Virtual Sexuality) is folk heroine and sex symbol Nell Gwynnel; and Melanie Thierry (The Legend of 1900) is the French spy Louise de Keroualle.
After nearly a decade in exile, Charles II is destitute, weary and virtually hopeless. Even the Duke of Buckingham, his oldest and dearest friend, abandons him to make peace with Oliver Cromwell, the military leader in control of Britain. Charles' hope is all but lost when Cromwell suddenly dies, and Cromwell's son takes his place.
But history takes a surprising turn when General George Monck persuades Parliament to invite Charles back into power. His triumphant ride into London on his 30th birthday is joined by another sweet conquest -- the long -- anticipated seduction of the alluring Barbara Villiers. With the witty and virile Charles siring illegitimate children all over the place, the need for a queen and a legitimate heir becomes paramount. Barbara is sufficiently confident not to feel threatened by the arrival of the future Queen, Catherine of Portugal, whose pious disposition at first is no match for the more worldly and cunning mistress.
Charles' reign is remembered as "Merry Olde England," but in truth, it was an extremely turbulent time politically, including a disastrous war with Holland. During his 25-year rule, England experienced virulent anti- Catholicism, and yet Charles himself secretly converted on his deathbed. The King was in fact a raucous gambler, a libidinous womanizer, the unapologetic father of at least seven illegitimate children, an impassioned lover of the arts, a ruthless political survivor, and the monarch who ultimately ushered in a true and lasting democracy -- whether he favored it or not!
Delia Fine serves as the executive producer for A&E Network(R) on THE LAST KING. It is directed by Joe Wright (Nature Boy) and produced by Kate Harwood (THE LOST WORLD). The teleplay is by Adrian Hodges (THE LOST WORLD, LORNA DOONE, "David Copperfield") and Laura Mackie is the executive producer for the BBC.
Did Tom Quinn Drown? Is Harry Pearce Dead? Can the MI-5 Team Survive?
The Return of A&E Network's Hot Spy Series 'MI-5' Starring Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo and Peter Firth
Principal Photography on the Third Season Begins January 2004
New Season Slated to Air on the A&E Network Late 2004
The life-and-death answers to Season Two's exhilarating cliffhanger will be revealed in Season Three of A&E Network's highly acclaimed spy series MI-5. Did Tom Quinn drown? Before he went into the ocean, did Tom kill his boss Harry Pearce? And, if he is alive, is Tom still on our side? The MI-5 team returns with a third season of high-tech exploits and top-secret subterfuge, it was announced today by Bob DeBitetto, Senior Vice President, Programming, A&E Network.
Ten new one-hour episodes start filming in the UK in January through July 2004 and will premiere in the U.S. on the A&E Network in late 2004.
Representing the first line of defense against terrorism in the free world, MI-5 agents place their lives on the line every day -- week in, week out. To deal with an increasingly complex and dangerous global situation, the agency employs only the brightest and most cunning young operatives, men and women who can execute highly technical manoeuvres, utilizing the latest in modern spy technology. But, in the course of working together, these highly motivated individuals do occasionally bump into each other in the heat of the night. The interpersonal relationships of such highly private people often lead to delicate complications -- but they never forget the perilous assignments they have been hired to carry out.
Returning cast and central characters include: Tom Quinn, the astute young agent whose future is in serious doubt, played by Matthew Macfadyen ("The Reckoning," "Warriors"); the relentlessly clever Zoe Reynolds, played by Keeley Hawes ("Tipping the Velvet," "Othello", "The Caterstreet Hangman"); Danny Hunter, still ambitious and still on the make, played by David Oyelowo ("A Sound of Thunder"); demanding boss Harry Pearce, played by Academy Award-nominee Peter Firth ("Amistad," "Hunt For Red October"), who's been shot by his top agent Tom; Christine Dale from the CIA, played by Megan Dodds ("Ever After," "Love in a Cold Climate"); and intelligence analyst Ruth Evershed, played by Nicola Walker ("Touching Evil," "Four Weddings and a Funeral").
New to the cast is Adam Carter, a former MI-6 operative, played by Rupert Penry-Jones ("The Four Feathers", "Charlotte Gray") who joins forces with MI-5 to thwart international and domestic terrorism.
MI-5 is a Kudos Production for BBC ONE in association with the A&E Network. Delia Fine is the executive producer for A&E Network, Jane Featherstone and Simon Crawford Collins are the executive producers for Kudos, and Gareth Neame is the executive producer for the BBC. David Wolstencroft is the series' creator and Andrew Woodhead is the producer.
Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award Winner Tom Selleck Stars as General Dwight D. Eisenhower in A&E Network's World Premiere Original Two-Hour Movie 'IKE: THUNDER IN JUNE'
Shooting in New Zealand Begins in February
Slated to Air Spring 2004
Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning actor Tom Selleck stars as General Dwight D. Eisenhower in the A&E Network original movie IKE: THUNDER IN JUNE. Shooting will commence in February, 2004 in New Zealand, and the movie will make its World Premiere in Spring 2004, just prior to the 60th anniversary of D-Day (June 6). Robert Harmon (THE CROSSING) will direct based on a script by Lionel Chetwynd. IKE: THUNDER IN JUNE is an A&E Television Networks Production/Lionel Chetwynd Productions/Stephanie Germain Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television.
IKE: THUNDER IN JUNE depicts the tense 90 days leading up to the D-Day invasion and how Dwight Eisenhower, against all odds, brilliantly orchestrated the most important military maneuver in modern history. The film opens in March of 1944, three months prior to D-Day, as General Eisenhower, recently appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, consults with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. As D-Day draws closer, it becomes evident that Eisenhower's power is his greatest burden -- and yet, it is also his undeniable destiny.
Educated at West Point, Ike's uncanny leadership abilities are exemplified throughout the film as he prepares to send legions of young soldiers to take on Hitler's forces, while balancing the powers and tremendous egos of his peers. Beloved and idolized by his soldiers, Eisenhower had much more complex relationships with his fellow leaders, including the imperious American General George S. Patton; the rigid British Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery, who was in charge of the British and Canadian D-Day forces; and the notoriously difficult French President Charles DeGaulle, a man Ike came to greatly admire.
The historical significance of D-Day can hardly be overstated, nor can the ambition of the undertaking. The ferocious encounter was an extraordinarily perilous undertaking, one that would either portend the final defeat of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Forces ... or perhaps, just the opposite. The German troops were powerful and well-trained, and Hitler had created a 3,000 mile "Atlantic Wall," designed to be impenetrable. Along the North of France, the massive steel and concrete structure was designed to protect the Nazi positions, while a massive German counterattack would force the Allied Forces back to the sea. Meanwhile, the beaches themselves were fortified by steel piles, mines and barbed wire.
In D-Day, General Eisenhower oversaw the largest military operation of the war. More than 150,000 soldiers, 5,000 ships and 11,000 airplanes were deployed. On June 6, 1944, carrying as much as 80 pounds of equipment, servicemen departed their ships to head into the water and then attempt to safely travail 200 yards of beach. 4,500 of them died, including 2,500 from the United States.
Television and film star Tom Selleck was born in Detroit, Michigan. A talented collegiate athlete, he hit the big time on the small screen in the 1980s, following a decade of performances in films and on television. Selleck won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Thomas Magnum, the laid back private investigator in CBS's Magnum, PI (1980-88). Other television credits include "Monte Walsh," "The Crossfire Trail," and "Last Stand at Saber Ridge." His feature films include Three Men and a Baby (1987), In and Out (1997), and The Love Letter (1999).
Emmy Award-winner, Delia Fine, serves as the Executive Producer for A&E Network on IKE: THUNDER IN JUNE. Stephanie Germain ("The Pilot's Wife," "The Princess and the Marine") is executive producer and Academy Award-nominee Lionel Chetwynd (P.T. BARNUM, "DC 9/11: Time of Crisis") serves as both executive producer and writer. IKE: THUNDER IN JUNE is an A&E Television Networks Production/Lionel Chetwynd Productions/Stephanie Germain Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television.
A&E Network Announces New Prime Time Series HOUSE OF DREAMS
Sixteen Individuals Compete for the Key to the American Dream
With Host George Wendt
Premiered January 5, 9-10 PM ET/PT
In the great American tradition of the communal barn-raising and homesteading, HOUSE OF DREAMS a new A&E Network prime time reality series, brings together a community of sixteen individuals who will combine forces to plan, design, build, decorate a dream home. Catch is, only one will end up owning it. HOUSE OF DREAMS premiered Monday, January 5, 9-10pm ET/PT. George Wendt, best known to television audiences as Norm Peterson from Cheers, a role earned Wendt six Emmy(R) nominations, hosts HOUSE OF DREAMS.
This is a less a story about the home, and more a tale of the people who have come together to build it. Among the cast, a microcosm of today's America: A Harvard/Yale grad turned professional juggler; a currently homeless/once chart-topping record producer; a lawyer; a single mom; a divorcee; a finance man turned teacher for high risk kids who wants to win the house for one of his students; a retired schoolteacher; a grandpa who nursed his sick wife for 25 years then discovered new love upon her death - with a man; a policeman; a waiter - ranging in age from 26 to 67. Each one with his/her unique motivation, the Dream Builders have set aside their regular lives for two months to vie for a new home built with their own hands. They will not only be working together, but will set up camp together -- a small tent village in the pristine woods of Osceola County, near Orlando, Florida, secluded and far away from the comforts of home. The house itself will reside in Harmony, Florida, near Orlando.
The challenge before the "Dream Builders" is great: hard work and hard living. The pay-off, even greater: pride, accomplishment, and the keys to a new life. Week by week, the field of builders will be narrowed. The question will be answered: Who will become the owner of the house they have all worked so hard to build?
Chicago native George Wendt is best known for his portrayal of Norm Peterson, the beer-loving resident wiseacre at Sam Malone's Boston bar, in the legendary TV series Cheers. Prior to his television fame, Wendt was a member of the legendary comedy troupe Second City. In addition to numerous guest appearances on Saturday Night Live and other television series, Wendt has appeared in a number of feature films, including Fletch, Gung Ho, Spice World, and Outside Providence.
Once Wendt heard the backstories of the "Dream Builders", he was immediately drawn into the drama. HOUSE OF DREAMS is populated by an unusual cast of characters that are anything but your typical reality TV stereotypes. While George had never considered himself to be a fan of reality TV before, the Dream Builders' intelligence, humor, and unique stories won him over immediately.
An avid football fan and political junkie, George anticipated that the high-stakes drama of the Dream Builders' real-life individual struggles would bring out more strategizing, deal-making and maneuvering than any Super Bowl and Primary Season combined.
HOUSE OF DREAMS is sponsored by LendingTree. The A&E Executive Producer is Nancy Dubuc and the A&E Supervising Producer is Rob Sharenow. The series was developed by Granada USA NY for A&E Network. Executive Producer for Granada is Charles Tremayne.
A&E Network Takes to the Skies With Its New Documentary Series AIRLINE
Series Showcases the Thrills and Spills of Life Behind the Scenes of America's Fourth Largest Airline, Southwest
Premiered January 5, 10-11pm ET/PT
Buckle your seatbelts -- it just might be a bumpy flight. A&E Network flies high with an all-new real-life adventure series -- a behind the scenes look at the tension and drama surrounding commercial airline travel. A&E Network is currently in production with Granada on eighteen half-hour episodes of AIRLINE, which premiered Monday, January 5th 10-11pm ET/PT it was announced today by Robert DeBitetto, Senior Vice President, Programming, A&E Network.
AIRLINE is based on the hit U.K. show of the same name which has consistently pulled in strong ratings during its six-year run on Britain's ITV Network.
The A&E Network series focuses on Southwest Airlines, America's fourth largest carrier, which came up with the concept of low cost, no frills travel. The company, which has been in business for 32 years, carries 65 million passengers every year and, in an industry struggling to cope post 9/11, is still making a profit.
Los Angeles International (LAX) is just one of the airports that is featured prominently in AIRLINE. Southwest operates 120 flights a day out of LAX, each carrying an average of 130 passengers -- a combination that is sure to provide plenty of trials and tribulations.
AIRLINE focuses on the highs and lows of passengers who hop on board Southwest flights bound for destinations across the U.S. The program also follows the airline's staff and crew, from the high flying pilots through to the long suffering check in staff and supervisors who are often on the receiving end of angry customers' wrath.
"We're thrilled to have this unprecedented partnership with Southwest Airlines. The many flights of Southwest Airlines offer the perfect vehicle for a multitude of compelling stories. The pilots, flight attendants, airport employees and others interact every day with hurried executives, crying children, weary travellers and heightened security," said DeBitetto. "It's a crazy way of life, and one that is extraordinarily interesting to watch."
"We're delighted to be working with A&E and Southwest Airlines to make AIRLINE in the US. We're particularly pleased that we've been able to draw on a production team made up of both British and American talent to make the series," says Joe Houlihan, Co-Executive Producer, Granada. "AIRLINE has been a phenomenally successful series for ITV and we're sure American viewers will find the thrills and spills of life behind the scenes of this huge airline fascinating."
"This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to showcase the customer service passion and vision of our Southwest employees as they serve our valued customers," said Colleen Barrett, Southwest Airlines' President and COO.
"This is an exciting project that we believe will give an added dimension to our already strong brand in the airline industry."
AIRLINE is produced by Granada for A&E Network. Nancy Dubuc is the executive producer for A&E Network. Joe Houlihan and Charles Tremayne are co-executive producers for Granada. Chris Carey is the producer.
Granada USA New York and Granada Entertainment USA are the US based production divisions of Granada plc. In the last 12 months, Granada has been responsible for an estimated 125 hours of drama, 35 hours of factual, 20 hours of entertainment and six-and-a-half hours of children's programming on U.S. screens.
Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) is the nation's fourth largest carrier with nearly 2,800 daily departures to cities in 30 states. The airline operates a fleet of more than 380 Boeing 737s. The airline's 35,000+ Employees provide Legendary Customer Service to travelers in 58 cities across the United States.
· AIRLINE (A AND E)
· AMERICAN IDOL (ABC)
· AND STARRING PANCHO VILLA AS HIMSELF (HBO)
· BANG, BANG, YOU'RE DEAD (SHOWTIME)
· BENEDICT ARNOLD: A QUESTION OF HONOR (A AND E)
· BROOKE ELLISON STORY, THE (A AND E)
· CROSSFIRE TRAIL (TNT)
· DC 9/11: TIME OF CRISIS (SHOWTIME)
· DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER (A AND E)
· FAMILY FORENSICS (A AND E)
· FAMILY PLOTS (A AND E)
· FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS: THE BETTE DAVIS STORY (A AND E)
· FIRST 48, THE (A AND E)
· FOREVER BARBIE: THE RUTH HANDLER STORY (A AND E)
· HELEN OF TROY (USA)
· HILLARY'S CHOICE (A AND E)
· HORATIO HORNBLOWER: DUTY (A AND E)
· HORATIO HORNBLOWER: LOYALTY (A AND E)
· HORATIO HORNBLOWER: MUTINY (A AND E)
· HOUSE OF DREAMS (A AND E)
· IKE: COUNTDOWN TO D-DAY (A AND E)
· INTERVENTION (A AND E)
· KNIEVEL'S WILD RIDE (A AND E)
· KNIGHTS OF THE SOUTH BRONX (A AND E)
· LAST DAYS OF POMPEII, THE (A AND E)
· LAST KING, THE (A AND E)
· LIQUIDATE YOUR LIFE (CNBC)
· LOST WORLD, THE (A AND E)
· MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS, THE (A AND E)
· MI-5 (BBC AMERICA)
· MINDHUNTER WITH JOHN DOUGLAS (A AND E)
· MONDO MAGIC (A AND E)
· MONTE WALSH (TNT)
· MR. JUSTICE (A AND E)
· PENTAGON PAPERS, THE (FX)
· PILOT'S WIFE, THE (CBS)
· PRINCESS AND THE MARINE, THE (NBC)
· RIVERMAN, THE (A AND E)
· SEE ARNOLD RUN (A AND E)
· VICTORIA & ALBERT (A AND E)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The American Battlefield Protection Project (ABPP) awarded Archaeological & Cultural Solutions, Inc. (ACS) a grant to show what can be learned from battlefields beyond simply protecting "x marks the spot." Case studies are providing important information on actual armaments and troop positions, compared to eyewitness accounts, derived from collaborative collector/archaeologist endeavors. Moreover, dietary animal bones are revealing specific details of the types of meals consumed and sources of food. Finally, battlefields are cemeteries, and the discovery and study of previously unknown graves are uncovering personal details about combatants as well as insuring that the fallen are properly cared for.


Today was meant to be a Dandenongs adventure with Rick and DK, but DK pulled the pin, and I've got to say, I was mostly happy about it. While I know that the over threshold efforts he favours will make me faster, I was still feeling a little used from yesterday, so longer, chattier outputs sounded far nicer.
I tried to convince Rick to swing up some of the random, and not so random alternatives to the Montrose climb, but in the end the main road was quiet enough to allow us to ride two abreast for most of it, and head over the mountain to an adventure.
It turns out that the 4th road exiting The Basin roundabout goes somewhere. There's the one that heads back up the 1 in 20, and the two that you can take to go back to town, but the 4th one, the one shooting off between lush green fields, is worth a look at (shocking when you put it that way eh?). 500m in the tarmac gives way to hard packed dirt that winds its way through the stringy barks, eventually popping out at the turn off to Sky High. There's the occasional corrugation to keep things interesting, and a couple of houses to remind you of civilisation, but mostly it's a peaceful alternative to the hustle and bustle of the 1 in 20.


text:
Primary election 2016 coverage for the deaf
Well, I got my boleta oficial in the mail. Let's see what's on tap for June 7—or June 6 if you're Arnold Schwarzenegger.
President of the United States: Gloria la Riva
Have I mentioned I'm registered Peace and Freedom? I'm registered Peace and Freedom. I take great joy in knowing my vote counts for 1/100,000th of the outcome instead of 1/9,000,000th of it.
Anyway, I voted for La Riva when she ran for governor in 1994 and 1998 (but not for president in 2008, because she wasn't on the ballot in California). Happy that Gray Davis won, but that's not why you vote anyway. That's what sports are for.
Lynn Kahn is also running. She was the first candidate to file, as it turns out. I don't know much about her.
Finally Monica Moorehead is running. All the jokes have been made, and with a Clinton running it's easy to make those jokes again. Go ahead. In any case, Moorehead had always run for president with La Riva as her running mate, but this year it appears that it would be Lamont Lilly.
As far as the races in the other parties go, I'll just say that Barack Obama/Hillary Clinton was much closer at this point of the race eight years ago than Clinton/Bernie Sanders is now. It's not going to matter. Clinton will win it all.
Sanders supporters ought to vote anyway because the more delegates he has, the more influence he can have on the platform, and that's really what you want out of a candidate such as himself.
United States Senator: John Thompson Parker
So this one is funny because California has a dumbass jungle primary, so the two candidates in November will probably be Kamala Harris and Loretta Sanchez. That's something to be proud of anyway.
Something like 34 people are running for this seat, and many bought the right to have a statement in the voter guide. Some of these candidates, who again paid real money to provide a statement, provided blank statements. Some just gave a URL. This is your one chance to make an impression on people who have no idea who you are, and this is what you do? Whatever. Here are some highlights.
Ling Ling Shi didn't submit a photo and is probably using a Senate run to drive traffic to her designed-in-1997 website. She indicates no party preference and is from one of my favorite cities, Rancho Cucamonga.
Massie Munroe is a Democrat and wants you to join her in the fight against "'mind control slavery' by satellite energy technology weapons and social engineering programs that have been in continual development for the past 50 years." She has 664 likes on Facebook, so if you'll like her, I'll like her, too.
President Cristina Grappo is also a Democrat and clearly running for the wrong office. In her own words, "I am mainstream Facebook in social media! My core values drive America!" Well, if that's the case, then she doesn't need my help. Moving on.
Don Grundmann simply shares that he has the much coveted fight-the-power.org domain. But if you go there (some things I just can't link to) you can see he's probably going to support Donald Trump in the general election unless the Constitution Party tells him to do otherwise. My favorite piece of his is the one in which he calls black people "chumps." San Leandro has the weirdest white people I know.
Herbert Peters is a Democrat but refers to himself as an "Andrew Jackson Democrat." Some easy jokes there if you want to do the legwork. I can tell he is old because he uses lowercase L's instead of ones in his numerals (example: ll8 instead of 118). Unfortunately for him, the voter information guide uses a sans serif font.
Karen Roseberry is a Republican. Her website uses the WordPress Twenty Ten theme, which makes me think she ran for the Senate six years ago and is recycling the website.
Jason Hanania, in his statement, simply puts the binary number for 101: 01100101. It's also another way to write the letter E, but I can't explain why.
I saved the best for last.
Mike Beitiks really deserves your vote. His website has a cute domain, and he refers to his platform as "narrow. It's more of a single board, really." Beitiks is your climate change candidate. That's all he cares about because, if we don't solve that, nothing else matters. Pretty legit. He should run for governor in 2018 where he can actually make a difference.
That's enough. Let's move on.
United States Representative, District 19: Zoe Lofgren
I've said this before, but I hate jungle primaries with only two candidates, because it literally doesn't matter who you vote for. You have to make the same decision again in November with the same candidates. It's as meaningless as a preseason NFL game, only your head hurts without getting a concussion. I guess that's more efficient?
State Senator, District 15: Jim Beall
There are four candidates, two each from the two major parties. As an aside, it's really hard to spell out the numbers because at work we always use numerals, but I think it calls too much attention to the numbers in this context.
Beall is the incumbent. In his statement, he talks about things he had done before he became a state senator. Who, exactly, are you going to convert with such a declaration? Do you really think you came up with highways 85 and 87 all by yourself, all during your last term?
Having said that, he does support universal preschool pre-K. (What was wrong with "preschool"?) He also supports raising the minimum wage, although now that it's indexed to inflation in San Jose I don't care so much anymore. (But I should. Rent increases higher than inflation does.)
Nora Campos was termed out of the Assembly so now she is trying to primary Beall. (I'm not going to get into why term limits suck again. The Internet is doing a fine job managing that without me.) I get it. She needs something to do. But maybe wait until Beall's done with his current term?
It's just not appropriate to play the victim card ("special interests … will be opposing me") when you're the one coming in from the outside. Wait your turn.
Chuck Page is from Saratoga. He's not going to represent my interests. Will he represent yours? He has standard fiscal conservative viewpoints, so he's got a shot if that's what you're into. When he talks about the environment he means the job environment.
Anthony Macias didn't submit a statement.
In what is essentially a three-way race, Page should be putting money into Campos's campaign to guarantee himself a second place finish. Then anything can happen.
Member of the State Assembly, District 28: Evan Low
Another race with just two candidates. The voter information pamphlet (not to be confused with the aforementioned voter information guide) has a typo, calling Nicholas Sclavos a family "buisness" manager. As my manager says, typos bite.
City of San Jose, Member, City Council, District 6: Chris Roth
This is a somewhat wide open race, and I've gotten a ton of mailers. There are at least 2 PACs sending me negative stuff, too. Anyway, it's probably the most important thing on the ballot because the electorate is smaller, and it's essentially guaranteeing someone a job for 8 years, after which BART will finally be here, and the A's still won't.
Myron Von Raesfeld has the most interestingly designed yard signs, but I see so few of them. It uses a very wide font, and the letters all run together. I don't know that this is such a good design decision, but it's clearly memorable.
Anyway, Von Raesfeld moved here in the '90s and is playing the "we used to be the safest big city in America" card. It's a little tired, but I wish him well. He is also a former firefighter but doesn't appear to have an endorsement from them, which is odd. Realtors like him.
In what will be a recurring theme, he's a good candidate, but he isn't the best one for me. Recommended if you like outsiders with good intentions.
Erik Fong has been sending me a lot of stuff in the mail, but in a crowded field, it's just not working on me. I can't quite put my finger on it. His yard signs have his name in giant letters, which you can do when your name is short.
Fong is the Kartma guy. Kartma is amazing. I maintain Kartma is so good that it is why the neighboring Peet's closed. I am also a conspiracist.
Recommended if you like pragmatic philanthropists who care about the community.
Ruben Navarro I think has an outside chance of making it to the runoff. He's the only candidate against the Lincoln Avenue Road Diet, a touchy issue for many people. I think he's subtly going after the conservatives, because his signs are very red, white, and blue, and they use a '90s Helvetica-inspired font. He's also active on Nextdoor, which I think most of the other candidates could do a better job with.
His parents are both union, so he's a uniquely San Jose candidate to me. I fear he doesn't have the flexibility to empathize with people who disagree with him, but he's a great candidate for a large swath of District 6. If he doesn't advance to the general, it's only because his campaign has been too grassroots.
Recommended if you don't like the Lincoln Avenue Road Diet and big money candidates.
Dev Davis is the early favorite among the candidates. She has the Chamber of Commerce endorsement as well as a great name. ("Dev" is short for "Devora," a great name in its own right.) I think she peels off a few votes from developers, both web and land, who giggle because they self-identify as devs.
Davis discloses her age (38) and refers to herself as a fiscal conservative, a popular phrase to get votes in San Jose. She is also Chuck Reed's preferred candidate. She's about to earn her dual master's degree and has two adopted children. Her signs are kind of bland.
I'm sure she's a lovely person. Not having been a fan of the past two mayors, I'm not inclined to support her.
Recommended if you're a long-time San Josean.
Helen Chapman has run a great campaign and I think could be the third choice when all is said and done, and that's a shame. Her statement is a little too filled with rhetoric, but she has signs everywhere. I'd like to see her continue to pursue public service because she clearly cares.
Recommended if you like "high energy" candidates.
Norm Kline is probably the other candidate that makes the general. I liked his mailer with the picture of him from when he was in high school. He's the same age as my own father (58), so the resemblance is striking.
The former Apple product manager is a hustler in the best sense of the word, having worked many jobs to get to where he is today. He fits the mold of someone who made it and now wants to give back. I will probably have to vote for him in November. His lawn signs must be boring, because I cannot remember what they look like. I know I haven't seen too many of them.
The Mercury News endorses him, as does the current major, Sam Liccardo. He's also a former mayor of Saratoga.
Recommended if you like self-made people with a great work ethic.
Peter Allen is also 38, and he was the last candidate I had heard of among them. He's a third-generation San Josean, which is increasingly difficult to find these days.
I've seen a fair amount of lawn signs from this guy as well. They remind me of Davis's, but I'm not implying one stole the idea from the other. There are only so many colors and typefaces out there, and there are eight candidates. I do like the vertical rule in his. It shows a steadiness one would expect from a leader.
I see this run as a stepping stone to running again or for some other public service soon. He's got time. He's also chair of the San Jose Arts Commission.
Recommended if you like city culture.
Roth drew the short straw in terms of being listed at the end of the ballot. Having said that, if you're in a long list, you want to be first or last in order to stand out.
Speaking of standing out, Roth lists his occupation on the ballot as "father," but in Spanish it says "padre de familia." For those who watch TV with SAP turned on, you know that that is also what the show "Family Guy" is called. Does this make Roth the voice of Latino millennials? Doubtful, but it could be enough to grab a few extra votes.
Anyway, I like Roth because I like libraries. That was what initially attracted me to his candidacy, and my neighbors have all seen my yard sign of his. (It's a yard sign, incidentally, with the best design and use of color.)
Roth is the chair of the San Jose Library and Early Education Commission. He's also only 35, which means a deep run in this race sets him up for additional public service, and I want someone such as this guy representing me wherever possible. He also has endorsements from Gavin Newsom and Madison Nguyen.
Recommended if you like libraries.
Proposition 50: Yes
We don't always get to vote on the sexiest things. Here we get to decide how suspending legislators works. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, we could change how those rules work.
Today it just takes a majority vote to suspend a lawmaker, and when you consider the partisan atmosphere we have, it isn't hard to railroad a lawmaker when it's not necessarily appropriate.
Proposition 50 will require a two-thirds majority to suspend someone. In addition, the legislator would no longer receive salary or benefits while suspended.
What did it for me was seeing who was for and against it. The president of the League of Women Voters helped author the argument in favor, while term limit supporters provided the rebuttal. In addition, the argument against uses conservative outlet Breitbart as a source. That's a dog whistle if I've ever seen one.
So generically if you're conservative or support term limits you want to vote No on 50. More objectively, if you think trying to get to a two-thirds majority is asking too much then that's another reason to vote No. It's much ado about nothing because legislators hardly ever get suspended anyway.
Measure AA: Yes
This is a fun one. Measures tend to be county by county, but this is one for the entire nine-county Bay Area. It's a 20-year, $12 parcel tax to clean up the bay. If you pay property taxes twice a year, you will pay $6 more for the next 24 times you pay it.
Because of Proposition 13, this requires a two-third majority, and it will probably be close because those assholes in Contra Costa County are not likely to accept such things. We need to get as many votes from San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties as possible.
The libertarians and taxpayer societies are against it, while the League of Conservation Voters is for it. That sounds about right.
The reason you vote No is because you believe the argument about how if it doesn't pass we will just get the money some other way. I would believe that more if Jerry Brown weren't leaving in 2 years.
Another reason to vote No is because you don't want the government to be in charge of cleanup and would rather leave it to free enterprise.
Measure A: Yes
This is the park measure that tends to show up on the ballot every now and then. Right now a certain amount of the taxes property owners pay goes to parks, and the current setup expires in 2021. Measure A will extend this requirement 11 years to 2032. It's kind of how Proposition 98 requires a certain percentage of taxes to go to education.
This is not a tax but rather a requirement of how taxes get divvied up. Voters may get confused and not vote yes for both AA and A, but we'll see.
The only argument against A was provided by a resident of Milpitas, who gives a boilerplate fiscal conservative response about the national debt, inflated bureaucracy, etc. Sometimes an argument can hurt your cause.
The real reason to vote No would be because you don't like limiting control over how funds get spent. If you think our parks are fine and don't need so much money spent on them, then it wouldn't make sense to allocate a minimum amount of money toward them.
Measure B: Yes
I'm confused why this is on the ballot now instead of in November, but whatever. Measure B increases the sales tax rate in San Jose from 8.75% to 9%. The quarter point increase is supposed to help restore police services, although it's going to depend on a committee to achieve such a thing. The tax increase is what's referred to as a "general" tax.
Sales taxes are regressive. But police is important. This is a common yet tricky dilemma.
I can't be convinced that we'll find some other way (parcel tax is my preference) to increase funding for police. The No argument states that the city will prioritize police funding if it has to, and that it doesn't need more money for it to find a way. I disagree.
This is a 15-year increase, although it could always be repealed by ballot measure later. I'm just not going to let this go and then wait for another opportunity to find funding for police.
Measure C: Yes
This measure has generated a lot of controversy on social media. It's enough to make you not vote. But you should, if nothing else because it allows you to be self-righteous later. It's important to have opportunities to be self-righteous!
Anyway, today most of the marijuana dispensaries (collectives, if you will) are located in one area. Besides the potential to increase crime, it also is a logistical nightmare to get people from all over to head to one neighborhood to get their weed. Measure C would relax (ha) the zoning requirements, which would allow dispensaries to be in more parts of the city, making it easier for people to get to them, especially if they don't drive.
The Yes side is funny because the author of the measure has publicly come out and said to vote No, that he's achieved what he needed by getting it on the ballot so never mind. Pretty discouraging.
But then my mailbox is flooded with ridiculous No flyers, all using fear to try to get me to vote No. Apparently there will be dispensaries on every corner if Measure C passes! The children! Won't someone please think of the children?
It will probably work. But it won't work on me. The reason you vote No is because you think things are fine the way they are. I'm more concerned with less traffic (and the worst kind—I don't want people driving when they shouldn't, just to get their prescription).
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