text:
Baseball blues
Posted: July 14, 2011 | Author: pinkunderbelly | Filed under: baseball | Tags: All Stars, custom cowboy boots, First Colony Little League, Pearland Little League, Sugar Land Town Square, the Heights, West University Little League | 3 Comments
I'm not trying to keep ya hanging about the outcome of the game last night; I haven't been home much today. It was not a good night for the Raiders. I wish I had better news to report, but the 13-3 thrashing by Pearland Maroon was b-a-d bad. The boys in red were off in just about every possible way, but the concession stand at West U has 25-cent snowcones, so at least Macy was happy.
Tonight it's do or die for the boys in red. We face the All Star team from the Heights, and plan to bring our game faces.
Meanwhile, check out this guy in his spiffy white cowboy boots.
I spied him the other day at Town Square and spent a good little while wondering who he was meeting and where he was going in those oh-so-fine kicks. It also made me think about my own pair of super-fine cowboy boots, and how much I'd love to wear my boots every single day if not for my blasted plantar fasciitis and my aching feet. Sigh.
Those black & white cowhair boots and I go way back. I bought them at a kitschy little shop on South Congress in Austin in the early days of my editorial career. I paid cash for them from my hard-earned paycheck, and I loved them dearly. Still do.
I love how there's just enough white to set off the glossy black hide. Or hair. Or fur. Or whatever it is. Don't tell PETA, but I love the hide/hair/fur. I'm as nutsy-kookoo for animals as always, but that poor cow was doomed anyway, so that fact that his/her hide/hair/fur ended up on a pair of boots is a part of life. If I thought for one second that that cow had a shot at living a long, bucolic life eating grass into his/her old age somewhere in the great state of Texas, I'd say thanks but no thanks on the boots. But we all know the cows around here are destined to end up on someone's grill or smoker; this is Texas after all. Funny how I wouldn't think of eating that cow, but wearing it doesn't bother me one bit.
Oh well. Thinking about boots is a nice distraction from last night's agony of defeat.
baseball lineage
Posted: July 13, 2011 | Author: pinkunderbelly | Filed under: baseball | Tags: baseball superstitions, First Colony Little League, infield dirt, mohawks, pedicures | 4 Comments
I mentioned in a previous post that Payton got his baseball skills from my dad, and then I remembered that my dad made Payton a scrapbook for his 8th birthday of his (Dad's) athletic memories. It's pretty cool. My dad is a good writer, and he has an amazing memory. He remembers things like the score of a particular game in 1956, and all the names of his teammates from high school. It may be a few years more before my kids appreciate the heritage that my dad has presented them, in the form of his narrative, photos and press clippings, but it will be there, when they're ready.
P's baseball lineage is the real deal. I wish we had home movies of my dad playing baseball, because I'm guessing his body language and motions looked a lot like Payton's. In fact, there are certain ways in which Payton stands or walks that really remind me of my dad.
In the cover page of the scrapbook, my dad wrote a letter to Payton in which he said, "I cannot begin to tell you how much fun, excitement, pleasure and enjoyment I had as an athlete. Also, I met many new people who have remained my friends all my life. I know how much you love playing, and I hope you continue to play and that when you conclude playing, that you have as many fond memories as I still have today."
And my favorite part of the cover letter is the P.S.:
"Remember to always be nice to your Mom. You will never have another person in your life who will care for you and love you as much as she does."
And that's the truth.
My favorite article in the scrapbook is the one entitled "Hard-Hitting Katapodis Adapts to 'Bad Luck' Breaks." There's no date on the article, but it was his junior year so it was in the late 1950s. The article starts by saying "The Aggies better watch out. At least that's the prophecy given after hearing Golden Hurricane baseballers such as right fielder Leon Katapodis say, 'I'd give anything I've got to beat the Aggies.'"
Now I know where Payton gets his trash-talking skills, too.
The article goes on to say "Probably wielding one of the heaviest bats as he has in other games this season will be Katapodis, who pounded out three singles and two doubles in eight tries agaist Northeastern State Saturday." Sounds a lot like my son.
How about this for continuity among generations: " 'Kat' as he is generally called has a long baseball history just as most other Hurricane diamond-men. After spending three years in the pee wee league and one in junior play, he graduated to Legion ball. Both his legion teams ended up in the state finals."
Assuming Payton's team emerges victorious from the sectionals tournament that begins tonight, he too will get going to the state finals.
We're ready, but not assuming anything. We're superstitious, like most baseball folks. The boys on the team each collected a sample of dirt from our home field last night, scooping the dirt into baggies, empty water bottles, and even an empty Altoids tin. They'll sprinkle the home-field dirt on the field where they play tonight, bringing a bit of local mojo to the game.
Several boys on the team got mohawks after clenching the District championship, and several of the moms got baseball-inspired pedicures. I'm not generally a fan of publishing photos of toes, as most of them are pretty weird looking, but you gotta see this:
Here's hoping that the treasured lineage, home-field dirt, good-luck haircuts, and spiffy toes combine to create an air of victory for the First Colony Red Raiders tonight.
Life is so uncertain
Posted: July 12, 2011 | Author: pinkunderbelly | Filed under: breast cancer, tennis | Tags: adjuvant therapy, artificially induced menopause, estrogen, hot flashes, Lupron injection, Lyle Lovett, oncologist visit, oncology, oophorectomy, tamoxifen, tennis, the Wizard of Oz | 6 Comments
Lyle Lovett said it best:
Lyle P
"Look,
I understand too little too late
I realize there are things you say and do
You can never take back
But what would you be if you didn't even try
You have to try
So after a lot of thought
I'd like to reconsider
If it's not too late
Make it a cheeseburger."
I don't eat cheeseburgers, or any burgers, but I love Lyle Lovett, and his clever and playful lyrics have been running through my head all day as I contemplated my latest visit to my cutie-pie oncologist. Last time I saw him, we discussed whether I need yet another surgery, to remove my ovaries. See, those little suckers pump out estrogen, and estrogen happens to be fuel for the type I cancer I had. So the theory is this: cut off the fuel, starve the cancer and ensure it has nothing with which to reconvene. Since I wasn't physically well enough to undergo the oophorectomy because of the post-mastectomy infection, we put that surgery on hold, but in the meantime I began getting a shot of Lupron once every 3 months. Lupron essentially does the same thing as removing the ovaries, which is to shut off the supply of estrogen.
I thought the plan was set: continue the Lupron shots until I was deemed well enough to undergo the oophorectomy, which would likely be in the fall of this year. Get the kids back to school, recover from the August 17th reconstruction revision, and get rid of the ovaries. I like having a plan. I like sticking with a plan. I'm not a fan of changing the plan.
Today, Dr Cutie Pie said he didn't think I needed to keep getting the Lupron. I've been getting the injections for nearly a year now, so even though I was scheduled to get one today and was planning on getting one today, he thought I was done. The plan had changed.
Granted, I had complained to him about the major side-effects of Lupron: hot flashes and sweating like a pig in heat. It's summertime in Houston. Not just regular old hot-as-Hell summertime in Houston, either, but record heat and record drought summertime. I can tell you with 100 percent certainty that hot flashes and Houston summertime are a wretched combination.
Do I think the hot flashes and sweating like a pig in heat are sound enough reasons to discontinue the current path of hormonal suppression? No. I haven't murdered anyone (yet). Dr CP said there's really not that much difference between hormonal suppression from Tamoxifen alone and suppression supplemented even further with Lupron. A year of Lupron injections seemed to be enough, in his opinion. The daily Tamoxifen will go on, though.
Disclaimer: I did not beg, whine, or persuade him to make that decision. Not like I did last summer with Dr S when trying to sway him to release me from yet another hospitalization or disconnect me from the dreaded wound vacuum, Sucky. I did not employ any such tactic with Dr CP today. He came up with the idea to cease & desist all on his own.
He also said maybe that oophorectomy isn't necessary, either. While I'm completely in favor of eschewing yet another surgery, my gut instinct tells me to rip those ovaries out (gently, though, and with lots & lots of morphine).
Life is so uncertain. What's the right choice? How does one make such a decision? Stop the Lupron or not? Pursue the oophorectomy or count my blessings that I won't need another surgery? Where's the Great and Powerful Oz to tell me what to do?
That's the problem with cancer. One of the many problems. Big-ass decisions need to be made; life-and-death decisions. And while there's research aplenty and resources available, there's no clear answer. I like clear answers. And unchanged plans. Neither of which prevails in one's "cancer journey."
Nonetheless, we moseyed along through the rest of the check-up with the usual and quite popular assertions from Dr CP that my cancer is not coming back. I like that part. He says this at every visit, and I really like hearing it. He told me that my reconstructed chest looks fantastic, and I really like hearing that (even though I think he's shining me on, because there is definitely some tweaking and fine-tuning that needs to be done). I still like that he says it, though, even if he's shining me on.
We chitty-chatted about his new baby, my tennis game, and other pleasantries. He said he's started playing tennis and is thinking about taking some lessons. When he told me he plays once a week, I told him he'll never get better that way; it's not often enough. He got all puffed up and said it's enough for him because there's such a thing as talent.
Oh. Well.
In the immortal words of Steve Martin, "Well, excuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!"
He even strutted down the hallway a bit, then turned to say something about how he'll be ready in about 6 months to kick my butt on the tennis court. I said, maybe in about 60 years.
How on Earth do I manage to find such cocky doctors?????
We parted ways, him to daydream about beating me in tennis while I headed to the infusion room to get my port flushed. For the last time. Ever.
Yipee! That makes me very, very happy. I'll get my port removed next month, when Dr S does my reconstruction revision. Can't wait to bid adieu to that little guy (the port, not Dr S).
But while in the infusion room, I started to second-guess the decision to stop taking the Lupron shots. It didn't feel right to me. The instant-gratification-girl inside me said, "Hell, yes, let's forego the shot — that sucker hurts and leaves me bruised for weeks." But the more-measured-approach-taking girl inside me said something doesn't seem right with this decision. What's the harm in continuing the Lupron therapy (besides the obvious, 20-gauge needle harm, that is, and the hot flashes and sweating like a pig in heat harm)?
Dr CP walked by a few minutes later, as I was discussing the pro's and con's with my patient advocate extraordinaire, Amy Hoover, and we grabbed him to say I'm not sure about the Lupron decision. He listened intently as we reviewed the pro's and con's and said there's no harm in getting the shot. So I got the shot. Still not sure if it's the right choice. No idea if it's the right decision. My gut says yes, and my gut usually is right. However, the fact that it took 3–count 'em–3 tries to get the shot makes me wonder. The needle went in, but the Lupron wouldn't go. Ow! 3 needle sticks with a 20-gauge needle could easily make a girl question her decision to question her decision. But, as Lyle Lovett says, "Life is so uncertain."
No autographs, please
Posted: July 11, 2011 | Author: pinkunderbelly | Filed under: baseball, breast cancer, infection | Tags: baseball, breast cancer, cancer battle, First Colony Little League, hospital, infection, infectious disease, IV antibiotics, Little League All Stars, mastectomy, post-mastectomy, psychological effects of cancer, recovery, summer camp, Vancomycin | 4 Comments
Today is a very good day, for 3 reasons, maybe more. #1: Macy started two weeks of Fine Arts camp, which she loves (and I'm rather fond of having a few hours to myself while she's off doing fun projects that someone else cleans up, and by "someone else" I mean anyone but me). While she hasn't gotten quite this messy in a while, she's definitely still got it in 'er.
#2: I did push-ups at the gym this morning. It's been a long time since I've been able to do them, and there's a bit of pride on the line since I was working out with my 12-year-old son. I wasn't about to let him see me doing "girlie" push-ups with bent knees, so I tried the real thing, and while it didn't feel great, I did it. Pre-cancer, pre-mastectomy, and pre-infection, I used to be able to do 50 push-ups like it was nothing, and while I'm not there yet, I'm getting closer.
#3: The article for which Payton and I were interviewed was published in our community newspaper. Corey the reporter was nice, and I think he's a good writer. He has covered the district All Star games for all the ages, and he's made the games come alive in his stories. P really enjoyed being interviewed; I like the drama of the article, especially the part in which I'm portrayed as "fighting for my life" (cue the dramatic music here).
It's a good reminder to be careful what you say, too, because I joked with Corey about P having gotten his mad baseball skills from my side of the family. While it's true–my dad's baseball career started with PeeWee ball in 1948 and ended with him playing for the University of Tulsa–I was being smart-aleky, and Corey not only took it seriously but also included that in the article! I certainly don't want to sound like one of "those" baseball moms. I think my kid is a good player who happens to have some natural athletic ability and a body built for taking some hard knocks. However, I'm under no illusion that he's going to play ball for a living when he grows up, and his *$#& most definitely stinks.
While I can take or leave the publicity, reading the latest article did make me realize that a whole lot has changed since this time last year. And most of that change has been good. Really good.
This time last year, Payton's All Star team was preparing for the sectional tournament, which they totally dominated, BTW. But I was fighting another battle against that damned nosocomial infection and was back in the hospital. Again. So after P's team swept the sectional tourney, they were preparing to go to the State Championship in the lovely Tyler, TX. I remember thinking on that Monday, the day I was admitted to the hospital–again–that we'd get the infection under control, pump in some more vancomycin and I'd be on my way to Tyler.
Yes, I was that delusional.
Instead of the scenario playing out the way I'd envisioned, it went something like this: I was admitted on a Monday and didn't get out until Thursday. An area that started as a red, streaky site on the mastectomied right chest wall had to be opened up, drained, excised, and packed with gauze. Repeatedly. The packing part was particularly brutal. See, there was a bunch of fluid inside my chest wall from the infection. Dr S cut a track–sans anesthesia, I recall–to open and elongate the drain hole, to let the fluid out. Once the track was there, though, it had to be packed with gauze to soak up all the nasty fluid. It wasn't a quick process, because the hole and the track were small but had to be completely filled with gauze, for maximum soaking. Thus, a lot of shoving in an already sore, infected, and aggravated area was required. As was a lot of xanax. At one point, after Dr S shoved the gauze into the open wound, my blood pressure was 212/65. That's a little high for me.
I survived 4 days of intense wound-packing and hard-core IV antibiotics. But just barely. I missed the entire State Championship experience, then put my kids on a plane for summer vacation, that I didn't get to attend. I did manage to stay out of the hospital for 2 and a half weeks, but had IV antibiotics at home and a home health care nurse packing that wound. I was hoping to have turned a corner after all that (and more than once wondered what it would take to finally kick that infection) but was back in the hospital again the week before school started.
It was not a good summer, to say the least. This one has been much, much better. While the bar wasn't exactly set very high after last summer, this one is pretty sweet.
R.I.P, Betty Ford
Posted: July 9, 2011 | Author: pinkunderbelly | Filed under: breast cancer | Tags: Betty Ford, Betty Ford Center, breast cancer, cancer battle, cancer diagnosis, Elizabeth Edwards, Equal Rights Amendment, Gerald Ford, JFK assassination, Martha Graham Company, moms with cancer, psychological effects of cancer, radical mastectomy, Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, survivor, young children and cancer | 8 Comments
Betty Ford died yesterday at age 93. I'm so glad it wasn't the breast cancer that killed her. As a young(ish) cancer-chick myself, it's depressing as all get-out, not to mention terrifying, to learn of other women's death from the disease we share. When this damned BC menace claimed Elizabeth Edwards, I was saddened and more than a little sick to my stomach at the stark realization that this disease does kill, young or old, healthy or not. The fact that this dreaded disease claims some 40,000 women a year brings into sharp focus the loss of maternal love that comes with each BC casualty. Knowing how much I miss my own sweet mama, the idea of the motherless Edwards children weighed heavily on my heart for weeks after her death.
I was a kid when Betty Ford was in the White House, so I don't have much of a reference point for her. I do recall a grade-school chant of "Ford, Ford, he's our man; Carter belongs in the garbage can" during Ford's bid for re-election, but like the other kids on the playground, I chanted that with virtually no knowledge of politics. I'm sure I knew that Richard Nixon had been president, but was much too busy riding my bike and playing cul-de-sac games to realize that Gerald Ford became president in August of 1974, taking the place of a disgraced Richard Nixon. Now I know that Ford had been vice president less than a year before being "called up"; he'd been chosen to succeed Spiro Agnew, who also left office in disgrace amidst accusations of tax evasion.
I'm sure I didn't realize that Betty Ford went from a "regular person" to wife of a Congress member fast. Really fast. She married Gerald Ford a month before he was elected to Congress; in fact, he was late to their wedding because he was campaigning up to the last minute. When JFK was president, the Fords became friends with the Kennedys and attended several parties at the White House. When JFK was assassinated in 1963, Betty Ford lingered at the burial and was the last woman at the gravesite. Two years later, Ford was elected minority leader of the House, and was away from home a lot. That's when her heavy drinking began, and it continued for more than a decade before her family intervened. After she conquered her addiction to alcohol and pain pills, she founded the Betty Ford Center, which opened in October 1982. Since then, some 27,000 people have been treated there, including celebs like Elizabeth Taylor, Mary Tyler Moore, and Mickey Mantle.
I didn't think much about Betty Ford once I was an adult, either, since her time in the spotlight had more or less passed and she endeavored to live as a private citizen. She apparently shunned the spotlight yet was returned to it in December 2006 when the country entered a 6-day mourning period upon the death of President Ford.
Even then, I didn't think much about her, until I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
See, Betty Ford was a member of the pink ribbon sisterhood, and she blazed a trail that has significantly benefited subsequent generations of women. Women like me.
I was 6 years old when Mrs Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer in her right breast. She learned the bad news on September 26, 1974, according to the First Ladies' biographies website. Two days later, she underwent a radical mastectomy. She'd been the First Lady for a matter of weeks when she was diagnosed. She faced the situation with the candor for which she'd become known: she announced her diagnosis and surgery publicly and even invited the media into her hospital room and posed for photos. Here she is, reading a get-well card signed by Congress.
I have no idea if she realized how much of a trailblazer she was. It's probably just how she was, and to her, being outspoken and honest about her "cancer journey" is "just what you do." I can relate to that. I hope Mrs Ford realized the impact she had on breast cancer awareness, which is safe to say was nonexistent in the early 1970s. I think she must have, based on this quote: "Before I was ever out of the hospital, there were, on television, women checking in to have mammograms," Ford said at the Gerald Ford Museum in May 2001. "It was kind of like, if the first lady can have breast cancer, anyone can have breast cancer."
Mrs Ford underwent two years of chemo, and in the fall of 1976 her doctors declared her cancer-free. Someone once asked her if she felt sorry for herself after losing her breasts. I absolutely adore her reply:
"No! Oh no — heavens no. I've heard women say they would rather lose their right arm, and I can't even imagine it. It's so stupid."
She believed that women facing breast cancer should "go as quickly as possible and [get the surgery] done. Once it's done, put it behind you and go on with your life."
It's safe to say that Mrs Ford paved the way for countless women–including yours truly– who were diagnosed after her. She removed the stigma from cancer, and breast cancer in particular. Before she piped up, there was no breast cancer awareness, no public discussion, and certainly no pink-ribbon culture. Barbara Brenner, former executive director at Breast Cancer Action said that Ford "showed people that you can live with cancer, that it's not a death sentence." The Komen organization has similar respect for Mrs Ford. Their official statement says "Betty Ford opened the door for millions of women when she candidly acknowledged her breast cancer diagnosis at a time when we didn't talk about this disease and untold numbers of women suffered in silence. She showed the world that breast cancer could be faced with courage, with humor and with great dignity."
It's also safe to say that Mrs Ford would likely be quite pleased with the advances that have been made in breast cancer treatment. Ironically, in the same year she was diagnosed, Tamoxifen was showing itself to be a wonder drug in decreasing breast cancer recurrence. Now it's become a household name in the BC community, and it's a daily part of my life.
I think I would have really liked Betty Ford. Not just because we're both members of the dreaded pink ribbon club, either. Because she was smart, sassy, outspoken, and real. She was a survivor, in every sense of the word. She was beloved as First Lady, and used her role as a platform to educate the American public on controversial subjects such as abortion, marijuana use, and the Equal Rights Amendment. She made it clear that she and President Ford would share a bed in the White House (something not previously publicized, apparently), and when someone asked her about sleeping with the president, she said "I do–every chance I get."
She was perhaps unconventional as First Lady, and I like how she shook things up a bit. I love this story about her, told by White House photographer David Kennerly. On her last day as First Lady, Betty Ford walked by the empty Cabinet Room and told Kennerly, "You know, I've always wanted to dance on the cabinet room table." Kennerly said, "Well, nobody's around." Opportunity knocked, and the plucky First Lady took advantage.
Kennerly says she took off her shoes, hopped up there, and struck a pose. "She's a tiny woman, really, in very good shape. Very graceful, as a former dancer with the Martha Graham company. She got up there."
Speculating on why Mrs Ford would be compelled to dance on the table, formally set with notepads and ashtrays (yes, ashtrays!), Kennerly realized that very few women have had a seat at that table. "I bet you could count them on one hand at that point, and knowing her support for the Equal Rights Amendment"—she endorsed it—"she was tap-dancing in the middle of this male bastion. She was storming the walls of the gray suits and gray-haired eminences."
"It was a wonderful and whimsical ending," Betty Ford wrote, "to that magical time I spent as first lady."
R.I.P, Betty Ford.
Posted: July 6, 2011 | Author: pinkunderbelly | Filed under: breast cancer | Tags: A Charlie Brown Christmas, anemia, aquaphobia, cancer battle, claustrophobia, Ferrex, getting back to normal after cancer, Hoshizaka ice maker, ice chewing, iron supplement, Lucy Van Pelt, mycobacterium, pagophagia, pica, post-mastectomy, psychological effects of cancer, Sonic ice, South Padre Island, Tervis tumbler, vegetarians, vegetarians and anemia, young women with breast cancer | 8 Comments
Pagophagia sounds like one of those words Lucy spouted off in A Charlie Brown Christmas. You remember the scene, in which Charlie Brown pays a call to Lucy's psychiatric booth (The Doctor Is Way In), and she confronts him about his prospective phobias. "Perhaps you have hycangeophobia; the fear of responsibility. Or maybe ailurophobia — the fear of cats. Or climocophobia — the fear of staircases. Or thalassophobia — the fear of the ocean."
I remember those long, complicated names for the phobias because I played Lucy in my 5th grade production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. I remember the blue pinafore dress that was my costume, and I remember that it was kinda hard to pronounce and memorize the long words that marked the phobias from which Charlie Brown might well have suffered. Little did I know that as an adult, I myself would suffer from claustrophobia and aquaphobia. How ironic.
So the first time I heard the word agophagia I figured it must be a phobia. Nope, it's a disorder. And I have it.
Agophagia is a form of the disorder pica, in which a person craves and is driven to ingest non-nutritious substances, usually because of a vitamin or mineral deficiency. People with pica tend to eat all kinds of weird things, from paint to dirt to chalk, and it can get really weird with people trying to eat things like batteries and feces. Gross. I must be pretty mild on the agophagia spectrum, because the idea of eating any of those things is not just weird but disgusting.
No, for me the agophagia manifests in a powerful addiction to ice.
Yes, that's right, ice.
Not even ice that's surrounded by a good cocktail, either, but ice. Just plain ice.
I am addicted to ice.
Hello, my name is Nancy and I'm an ice-a-holic. I'm an agophagiac.
I didn't think much of it at first, but just chomped away happily at the ice that was left in the bottom of my water glass, or the cubes that collected once my iced tea was gone. Sonic ice left me positively swooning, but I didn't realize I had a problem until I was going through the drive-thru just for a cup of ice. Route 44 size, please. Feeling a bit self-conscious about my addiction, I did a little research and learned I am not alone. Sonic ice has a Facebook page with more than 218,000 fans.
Excessive ice chewing is a symptom of an iron deficiency. Guess what I have? Yep, an iron deficiency. I am definitely anemic. I've been on a prescription iron supplement, but once I started feeling so puny from the long-term antibiotic I had to take, I stopped taking the iron pills. Not a good idea.
My cutie-pie oncologist likes to blame my iron deficiency on the fact that I don't eat meat, but the fact of the matter is that it's yet another fallout from the nasty-ass infection I contracted after my bilateral mastectomy. I was vegetarian long before cancer dive-bombed my house, and never had a problem with anemia. Once the mycobacterium set up shop, though, the anemia gained a foothold, and the ice obsession began for real. That dadgum myco caused a whole lot of problems, of which the anemia was the least of my worries. Once diagnosed with that wretched, wily infection, one of the many sites I consulted for research stopped me dead in my tracks with this: "Disease typically chronic, progressive; rare spontaneous resolution has been reported."
Guess that means my ice-chewing obsession would be around a while.
Like most addicts, I was the last one to notice that I had a problem. My girlfriends would giggle at me when my input on where to go to lunch after tennis revolved exclusively on which places had the best ice. Yes, I have them categorized much as my dear friend Amy Hoover knows which places serve the best iced tea. Some places use the same filter for the flavored and unflavored tea, ya know.
We have an ice machine outside, in the outdoor kitchen. It makes these groovy mushroom-shaped ice cubes that I adore. Not as much as Sonic ice, of course, but they're pretty darn good. In the height of my addiction, I would consume 3 or 4 rounds of a 24-oz Tervis tumbler full of ice. Sometimes I wondered if the chomp-chomp-chomping sound was disruptive to those around me. Most times, though, I chomp-chomp-chomped away anyway, blissful in my puffy little cloud of addiction.
I'm not one bit ashamed to admit that I've been known to dig through the Hoshizaka to find the choicest bits of ice. Some cubes are more delectable than others; it's a fact. And those are the very cubes most desirable to an ice-chomping addict.
However, I did start to suspect I had a problem when the only thing I wanted to pack for a long evening at the baseball field in 98-degree heat was ice. No water, just ice. And when the only thing I purchased at the baseball field concession stands was ice. Again, no water, just ice.
The pivotal moment in my addiction came a couple of weeks ago, when I was on my girls' trip with my Duke friends. When it came time for the beverage service on the plane en route to the beach, I requested ice. No water, just ice. And more than one cup, please. Once at the beach, I realized the ice-cube trays in the freezer of our condo would not suffice, so I had to run out and get a cup of ice. Every day. I got smart and ordered 2 cups so I could put one in the condo's freezer (alongside the worthless ice) for later. Each night at dinner, I asked for a to-go cup of ice. In the past I've been known to request a to-go cup, but I can assure you it wasn't just ice. These were unchartered waters I had entered.
After becoming seriously worried that I was going to crack my teeth on all the ice I was consuming, I decided it was time to start taking that prescription iron supplement again. Within days, my ice obsession had waned. Weird.
While I still covet really good ice and will still pick through my ice machine for the best cubes, I'm not driven to chomp cup after cup of it. In fact, I realized this week that I'd gone 2 whole days without chomping any ice. Today while watching Macy's tennis lesson, I got a cup of iced tea (extra ice, natch) and actually left most of the ice in the cup.
I'd like to think that my waning obsession with ice is a harbinger of my return to normal life, after a protracted cancer battle. I've had my share of complications on this "cancer journey," and the idea of things turning around for real is pretty sweet. I relish the thought of being able to put that "cancer journey" on ice and getting on with my life.
Red Sox + Houston = happy girl
Posted: July 5, 2011 | Author: pinkunderbelly | Filed under: baseball, breast cancer | Tags: All Stars, Astros, Fourth of July, interleague play, Jacoby Ellsbury, Josh Beckett, Minute Maid Park, Red Sox | 3 Comments
ballparks.com
I know, I know, I'm behind in my blogging. I've been busy. No idea what's keeping me so busy, but suspect it has something to do with drinking Malibu black in the Cremers' pool; time seems suspended there. Must be something in the water. (I'm all about full disclosure here.) The Sox were in town this past weekend, and we went to see them; the fact that I'm just now getting around to posting about it is wrong, just wrong.
Minute Maid Park is a gorgeous ballpark, if I do say so myself, and I hope the Sox enjoyed their visit as much as we did. The retractable roof is pretty cool, and the glassed-in views of downtown Houston show off our fine city in all its corporate splendor.
The outfield wall is capped off with a train full of giant orange blobs. I'm not the only person who wondered why in the world there was a train-load of pumpkins at the ballpark only to realize that, duh! they're oranges. Minute Maid Park. Get it? If an Astros player hits a home run, the train chug-chugs along the length of the outfield wall. Suffice to say that train has been pretty dormant lately.
The picture below shows you what the stadium looks like with the roof open. There are little tiny motors that turn as the giant walls of glass slowly, slowly slide apart before your very eyes. At first the movement is so slight as to be nearly undetectable. But before long, the chink between the seams of the walls becomes wider.
The trainload full of oranges. Betcha I could make a lot of mimosas with them.
Before the game, we did something I've always wanted to do, and now that we've done it, I feel like a true Houstonian. We ate at Mama Ninfa's–the original one on Navigation, very close to the stadium. Ninfa's is a Houston institution, with franchises all over the city, but the one on Navigation is where it all started. She's credited with creating the beef fajita, which is now a mainstay in most Mexican restaurants.
I can't vouch for the beef, but can safely say that the michelada was delicious. There's a section on the drinks menu devoted to micheladas, with the opportunity to choose which beer will be mixed with the addictive array of spices. There are 15 choices. I have no idea what the spicy salt was on the rim of the glass, but my lips burned for 2 days after consuming every last crystal.
The seafood cocktail was out of this world. Gulf shrimp and sea scallops tossed with avocado chunks and a spicy, lemony cocktail sauce. Yum.
As tempting as it was to get a 2nd michelada, it was time to scoot on over to the ballpark. Ninfa's offers a shuttle from the restaurant to the park, and we happily jumped on. The passenger van was perfectly pleasant for the short hop on the way to the game; coming home, with at least 40 people crammed into that same van, was a different story. Wooshegaga, that's a claustrophobic's worst nightmare: tight quarters, hordes of people and Houston traffic. Yikes.
It was all worth it, though, to see my favorite team and my favorite player. Ells wasn't in the line-up for the Friday night game because of the flu he picked up from Josh Beckett. He rallied with the help of some IV fluids, though, and sparkled in center field and dazzled as the lead-off hitter. Here he is, at his first at-bat. I know, the pictures are terrible. I finally got a new camera, since the iPhone camera leaves much to be desired, and forgot to take it to the game. Sheesh.
Nobody covers center field quite like Ells.
He's in the middle, with his hat off for better close-ups. One of the Boston papers ran a headline today that says "Ellsbury displays All-Star form" and I think it refers to his play, but could just as easily refer to his form.
He got his 500th hit today, and was selected for his first All Star game on Sunday. All that, plus a mention on this blog? He's in tall cotton.
Now all he needs is a mohawk, like the All Star player who lives at my house:
...and after
Posted: July 2, 2011 | Author: pinkunderbelly | Filed under: baseball | Tags: All Stars, First Colony Little League, State Championship, yourhoustonnews.com | 3 Comments
Here's the link to the latest newspaper article in which Super P was interviewed. I'm so glad the sports editor didn't include Payton's answer to his question about the best thing about going to the State Championship last summer: "The hotel was pretty nice."
The much-anticipated results of last night's game
Posted: July 1, 2011 | Author: pinkunderbelly | Filed under: baseball, breast cancer | Tags: All Stars, baseball, breast cancer, cancer battle, First Colony Little League, kids and cancer, Little League, moms with cancer, post-mastectomy, psychological effects of cancer, West University Little League | 4 Comments
It was do-or-die for the mighty First Colony Red Raiders last night, and the cause of my nervous stomach all day yesterday. I would love to keep everyone in suspense about the outcome, and bury it at the bottom of a long, blabbedy-blab post, but that would be mean, and while I'm not above being mean, I do believe in the great karma wheel and want it to spin my way.
So, without further ado….RAIDERS WIN!!!
The stands were packed, the tension was high, and the mighty Raiders were pumped. Lots of non-Raider First Colony families turned out to support the boys in red. That's one of the great things about our league (besides our utter dominance thus far in the All Star tournament, with the American League 9, 10, and 11-year-old teams winning district); we support each other. We hear comments from teams we pummel into the ground about our league having a "A" team and a "B" team, but it's just not true. Nothing but sour grapes. Our league is divided into an American and a National league based on geography, pure & simple. Where a player lives in relation to the dividing line determines whether he (or she) is on an American or National team. No gerrymandering at FCLL.
And now, back to the game…
We had our starting pitcher on the mound, fresh after a day of rest and reset pitch count. The West U team did not. We faced the same pitcher who started for the boys in green on Monday, in which we delivered a 7-4 victory.
Our starting line-up remained unchanged: Max, Cody, Payton, Mark–ready to slug it out. Then comes Gus, Kyle, Camden, Taylor, and Carl. Cooper and Anthony are ready to assist at a moment's notice. The bats were hot and the Raiders took an early 5-0 lead. No sloppy errors last night, as our boys delivered some first-class fielding and shut the West U team down seamlessly.
Final score: 12-2 in a run-rule (for the uninitiated, in this tournament, it's considered a run-rule if one team leads by 10 runs after the 4th inning. What it means is the other team can't catch up, so the game ends early. It's rather demoralizing for the team who is behind, and exhilarating for the team with the big lead).
Celebration abounded as the Raiders and their parents whooped with joy at the victory. If the baseball gods had not smiled upon us, we'd be done with All Stars for the summer, and a certain gamer at my house would be in a foul mood for the rest of the summer. All Star families pretty much plan our summers around the idea of going all the way in the tournament, which means daily practice from the first week of June to the State Championship at the end of July. I am so very glad I don't have the entire month of July to fill. It will be baseball, baseball, and more baseball — just the way we like it.
Apologies for the crummy photo quality — the iPhone is a wonderful device, but even with all the improvements the camera still doesn't handle motion well. You get the gist, though, even with less-than-stellar pics.
Payton receiving his district pin from the league pooh-bah (in the black shorts).
Close-up of the district pin, which is quite an honor to wear. And a mighty fine profile, if I do say so myself!
Getting congrats from the West U team and coaches (who were very nice throughout, by the way, and that's not always the case with opposing teams. A couple of their players cried in the field when they realized their run to State was ending, but the parents and coaches were quite civil).
The ceremonial dousing of the coach with the water cooler. Craig is a very good sport.
One of my favorite family shots — with a victorious boy under the scoreboard (which I cropped out because the glare off the board was heinous).
Payton being interviewed by a local sports reporter. And yes, of course I will link to the story when it comes out. See this, though, for a previous game's story.
Proudly displaying the district banner, which will be on display at our home field, hopefully surrounded by that of the sectional tournament and finally, the State Championship!


Recently, I awoke to read the news that my local MP for Altrincham and Sale West, Graham Brady, is to receive a knighthood: Brady is the politician who had attended the local boys' grammar school, graduating from Durham University to return and represent the area of Trafford by staunchly advocating the same, selective education that he had received. There is not only a gulf between Parliament and constituent representation but a chasm across our entire area which has been defined by it: an underlying, omnipresent and ugly feeling of alterity that has haunted generations of parents and their children for decades. It is the feeling that has convinced brilliant minds that they are failures, and it is the feeling that I, amongst my parents, friends and masses of others, have continued to relentlessly battle against daily.
There is no language which can protect a child from the fact that their qualities, abilities and efforts have not been successfully evidenced within a few booklets of questions. To prove the truth in this, I turn to the evidence that I know best: my own.
It was 2007: I vividly remember being ten years old, in Year 6, and standing in my primary school's IT suite by the printer. It was a bright, white and long room with no natural sunlight, but it must have been the morning. Two friends in my class came up to me, excitedly asking for the outcome of my grammar school entrance exam results. To this day, the pit of heartache and embarrassment that radiated across my stomach and cheeks resonates so clearly with me. The girls expressed their sadness when I had to admit to them that I hadn't passed and wouldn't be joining them in the next journey of their lives. I can't remember much after that painful moment's worth of memory, but I probably remained my upbeat self to congratulate them for their success. Deep inside I would never really be the same.
I spent the Summer between primary and secondary school filled with dread, embarrassment and shame, which are emotions that a child should never have to feel so profoundly. Even the etymology of the word 'grammar' resonated with me at the time: those children in attendance were the intelligent and studious, and I would not have the same opportunities to learn as them. It was us and them. I had convinced myself that I was going to the 'failure' school away from my friends, in another catchment area which housed my last choice of school, and I felt that my life was over before I knew it. The gossip which had pervaded the classroom for months between the exam results and our final day of school had provided a platform of perpetuating self-doubt: I strongly believed that I had something to prove and that I had already begun life behind everyone else.
No child should feel the need to take their blazer off when they are walking around the next town after school, but I did. The purpose of education is to foster feelings of pride, belonging and hope, but these opportunities and memories are snatched from many children who live under the selective regime. This is by no fault of my secondary school, and at the age of twenty I could not be prouder to have attended there: my school taught me how to think independently, learn ambitiously and most importantly, to recognise that everyone is valuable in the classroom and beyond. And yet, the ugly, invisible barricade was cemented under my feet, and for the next five years I treated my education as an extrinsic activity to escape.
My breach in the barrier arrived in 2013 when my hard work had paid off and I had gained places to most of the local grammar schools for sixth form. I arrived at my chosen school and I rapidly developed, falling back in love with learning again. My teachers saw signs of potential in me and convinced me to consider applying to Cambridge University, a place which in the cartography of my life I would never have dared to map, let alone pursue. However, it would be idealistic to say that the consequences of failing the selective system had been suspended for me: I had significantly lower GCSE results which affected my eligibility on certain Higher Education access trips, was consistently assumed to have taken exams from 'easier exam boards' and my A-level target grades were comparatively low. I had arrived at a school brimming with opportunities which I quickly realised my old school never had: we had few school productions and sports teams, no official music lessons or exams and were given no choice of language to study, to name a few. The paradox is that comprehensive schools provide a home for the rich variety of individuals that form the tapestry of our area and country, and to not have such varied opportunities in recognition of this is a monumental injustice.
To reach my dream of reading English at Cambridge, I had to become one who benefitted from the grammar school as opposed to being broken by it: my secondary school could not offer an English Literature A-Level course for me to study and I had to move on. Again, my intention is not to blame the schools themselves but rather the government which dictates the existence of a needlessly brutal, damaging system, whilst widening the chasm by severing comprehensive school funding.
A comprehensive education opens both doors and minds: it produces the well-rounded and compassionate individuals that the world so desperately needs. After starting at Cambridge in 2015, I will graduate this year with a pride of my background that I will take with me for the rest of my life, and I can truly say that I have channelled my experiences into passion and success. However, I have always wanted to dynamically use my success to help cultivate the same for others as opposed to dwelling in it, which I now realise is the result of my education's ability to teach the fundamental truth that everyone has something to offer in life. I am both determined and excited to see more comprehensively educated students achieve what they are so capable of, but more progress and pressure is urgently necessary if we are to ensure that all students are aspiring towards what they deserve.
However, a decade has passed and sadly nothing has changed: my little sister is now another victim of another cycle of school admissions, who is already suffering after a year of preparation for a morning's worth of exams. Unlike myself, I vow to ensure that her own self-worth transcends beyond the badge of her blazer, which she and every child should be able to wear with true pride.


Blu Ripples is currently running an Australia Day Promotion of Facebook; valid only for 26th Jan 2018.
Check out the details at Blu Ripples Career Counselling and Consulting Services Facebook Page.
I am currently revamping my Career Counselling and Consulting Services and am interested to find out what the members of my local community need and want in terms of Career Counselling, Consulting and Resume Writing Services.
I would really appreciate your input so I can revamp and/or design services that are meaningful to you.
Please click on Career Counselling Survey – Medowie and Port Stephens Residents and complete the 10 questions (mostly multiple choice), it should only take you 5 minutes; all feedback is valued and appreciated.
P.S. You may notice another Career Counselling survey on my website this website is for the larger NSW community whereas asks for specific feedback relating to our community.


Vintage 1952 Jaguar Roadster went from a neglected body on a chassis to a concourse-level driver and has a fascinating story to tell.
We came across the story of Victor Garlin and his 1952 XK120 Jaguar Roadster in a Mercury News profile. Garlin is an 82-year-old retired university professor in Berkeley, California. He is also a lifelong Jaguar man after purchasing his first, an XK150, in 1967.
Tragically, around Christmas time in 1999, after reaching financial rock bottom Hewitt did take his own life. A year later, Garland received a call from the garage that stored the Jaguar. Hewitt had left them a note telling them to contact Garlin if they didn't hear from him. Garlin then contacted Hewitt's sister and purchased the car on the basis he would restore the Jaguar as Hewitt had intended.
With help from his wife Garlin has done a spectacular job. He's taken the sadly neglected XK120 and turned it into a world-class car again. They managed to rescue matching number parts from the house that Hewitt had lived in, then spent the next ten years sourcing original Jaguar parts. They assembled a lot of it themselves, but brought professional help in as needed. The cherry on that particular cake is the gorgeous original Jaguar Bronze paint.
After completing the project, Garland's XK120 has won the Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance twice. It was also the feature car at a Biscotti and Cars event last year. Garlin estimates around $60,000 have gone into the XK120 restoration. It may be worth over double that now, but we're not sure you can truly put a price on a car with that kind of story. Let alone an XK120 that has had so much love poured into it.


Sony today showed off the Xperia XZ smartphone, a high-end follow-up to the Xperia X series devices from earlier this year. For the XZ, Sony said it concentrated on improving the camera and video camera performance, as well as further refining its design language. The XZ features what Sony calls the "loop" design, which relies on a seamless polycarbonate frame, glass display, and metal back plate. The screen measures 5.2 inches with includes 1080p full HD resolution and Gorilla Glass 4. The XZ is powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor with Adreno 510 GPU, 3 GB of RAM, and 32 GB of storage. The main camera has a 23-megapixel Exmor RS sensor with a variety of technologies added to help the phone take better pictures. It uses triple image-sensing and predictive hybrid autofocus to capture sharp images. It relies on electronic image stabilization and delivers 5x digital zoom. The video camera's SteadyShot feature measures 5-axises of movement and captures 4K video. The 13-megapixel selfie camera has an aperture of f/2.0 and a wide-angle 22mm lens. Other specs include CAT9 LTE; 2,900mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 and Qnovo adaptive charging; high-resolution stereo audio capture and playback; and IP68 certification for protection against water and dust. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow and will come in forest blue, black, and platinum. The Sony Xperia XZ will be sold to U.S. consumers unlocked beginning October 23. Pricing was not disclosed.
Sony today discussed pricing and availability details for the Xperia XZ and Xperia X Compact (pictured) smartphones. The XZ will cost $700 and it goes on sale via Amazon and other online retailers October 2.
Sony today said it has begin distributing the Android 7 Nougat operating system to its Xperia XZ and Xperia X Performance smartphones. The platform includes multi-window support, longer battery life, more messaging options, manual camera controls, and a revised home screen experience that includes Google Now.


text:
Catholic Hollywood star Patricia Heaton slams US bishops' handling of McCarrick sex-abuse scandal
'We want all those who perpetrated and covered up sexual abuse OUT,' she said.
Fri Aug 3, 2018 - 11:49 am EST
Follow Lisa
August 3, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – Pro-life actress and Hollywood celebrity Patricia Heaton sharply criticized a statement from USCCB President Cardinal Daniel DiNardo regarding disgraced former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick on Twitter early Thursday morning, saying the Bishops' had their shot at addressing the sexual abuse scandal and blew it.
Cardinal DiNardo, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, released a statement on Wednesday in which he expressed "anger, sadness, and shame" for the "grievous moral failure within the Church" regarding Archbishop Theodore McCarrick's sex-abuse accusations.
"Dear Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, The laity does not care how much shame you feel," Heaton, who is Catholic, said. "We want all those who perpetrated and covered up sexual abuse OUT. Also, victims of abuse should not 'come forward' but go directly to the police. You had your chance to help; you failed," she added.
Dear Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo,
The laity does not care how much shame you feel; we want all those who perpetrated and covered up sexual abuse OUT.
Also, victims of abuse should not "come forward " but go directly to the police. You had your chance to help; you failed. https://t.co/6TlKcrgJyW
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) August 2, 2018
Also criticizing DiNardo for expressing how the McCarrick accusations have affected the Bishops, the Christian actress told him the Catholic laity wants sexual abusers in the Church and those who covered for them removed from office.
Heaton has been an honorary chair of Feminists for Life of America and has been continually vocal in her support of the pro-life cause for years.
Her tweet captured the anger and frustration felt by many among the Catholic laity toward Church hierarchy since the McCarrick accusations surfaced for the enabling and covering for sexual predators among their ranks.
The news broke June 20 that McCarrick had been removed from public ministry for credible and substantiated allegations of abuse of a minor. He will face a canonical trial.
Since then additional accounts of McCarrick's alleged abuse have surfaced – along with reports that McCarrick's abuse was widely known for years but neither addressed by Church leadership nor allowed to be reported in the mainstream media.
Also since then, various U.S. Church prelates have insisted publicly they did not know about the alleged abuse perpetrated by McCarrick on young boys, seminarians, and priests.
Pope Francis accepted McCarrick's resignation from the College of Cardinals July 28.
DiNardo released his statement August 1. He acknowledged that the Church is suffering from a crisis of sexual morality, saying that a "spiritual conversion" from bishops was needed. He did not acknowledge, however, the prominent role homosexuality is playing in the Church's sexual morality crisis.
clergy sexual abuse, daniel dinardo, patricia heaton, sex abuse, theodore mccarrick, usccb
Catholic Hollywood star Patricia Heaton slams US bishops' handling of… Catholic Hollywood star Patricia Heaton slams US bishops' handling of McCarrick sex-abuse scandal News By Lisa Bourne

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Alfa Romeo 155 has a recognized reputation to be able to endure high mileage with great reliability.
For example one Alfa 155 Q4 in the Netherlands has covered 248.540 km and a another 155 Q4 206.706 km.
On 24 December, 2009 an Alfa 155 TD was offered for sale in the Netherlands after it had completed 538.800 kilometers (334,795 miles). The car was a Series MY95; car registration 25-08-1995. See photo.
To celebrate this great achievement "Alfa 155 Club" launched the Alfa Romeo 155 High Mileage Club.
Only vehicles still moving qualify.
To enroll your Alfa 155 in this Club, contact us. You will only need to register your car and its mileage. Convert miles to kilometers here.
1. Archivio storico dell'Alfa 155: Registro olandese Alfa 155 Q4 v100812; 12 August, 2010.
2. Marktplaats.nl, advertisement no. 306957068: Alfa Romeo 155 2.0 Turbo Diesel NIEUWE APK (bj 1995); 24 December 2009 16:25.
2. Marktplaza.nl, advertisement no. 10016914: Alfa Romeo 155 2.0 Turbo Diesel NIEUWE APK (bj 1995); 24 December 2009.
3. Archivio storico dell'Alfa 155; Het Nederlandse Alfa 155 Register v100904; 4 September, 2010.
4. Archivio storico dell'Alfa 155; Storia dell'Alfa 155, Statistiche, Chilometraggio; 4 September, 2010.


text:
Share this Story: Glavin: Canadians have no reason to be smug about race
Glavin: Canadians have no reason to be smug about race
The conditions that torment Aboriginal Canadians to this day are no less a disgrace than the dead-end impoundments so many African-Americans find themselves within today.
A group of First Nations adults and youth finish a spiritual journey from Attawapiskat First Nation to Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, February 24, 2014. The twenty-five Indigenous walkers traveled 1700km with concerns about broken treaties, land and water protection, and, human rights issues. Photo by Sean Kilpatrick /THE CANADIAN PRESS
"How long will justice be crucified, and truth bear it? I come to say to you this afternoon: however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, because truth crushed to earth will rise again. How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever."
– Martin Luther King's speech from the steps of the state legislature, Montgomery, Alabama, March 25, 1965.
Glavin: Canadians have no reason to be smug about race Back to video
If there is one lesson that Canadians might take from the marches and the riots that have spread from Ferguson, Missouri to more than 170 cities and resulted in more than 400 arrests across the United States this week, it's that we have nothing to learn from Americans about how to deal with the subject of race.
We might even go so far as to claim that Americans could learn a thing or two from us, at least if they ever decide to do something about their notoriously low standard for justification in the resort to deadly force. That low bar is what more or less forced the Ferguson grand jury to reject indictments against Officer Darren Wilson, the white cop who shot and killed Michael Brown, a young unarmed African-American, last August.
But Canadians will only make themselves look silly by taking things much farther. Race in America is entangled in deeply partisan fractures and grotesquely polarized contradictions.
The president is himself an African-American who was swept into office on a wave of euphoria that welled up around his eloquent pledges to heal those same wounds. Even now, nine times out of 10, the killer of an African-American man is another African-American man. Even the University of California at Berkeley, once the great coliseum of civil rights and free speech, is now a censorious star chamber for "micro-aggression" and privilege-checking.
Canadians have long boasted that this country was born in 1867 without the "original sin" of slavery. We've prided ourselves on being unblemished by the thing that disfigured the American republic of 1776. The wickedness that persisted in Jim Crow laws a full century after the bloody civil war of the 1860s was pulled down only by the great civil rights movement that Martin Luther King led to the steps of the Alabama legislature in Montgomery that day in 1965.
But Canada harbours its own disgraceful legacy. Down through the decades, scores of federal and provincial laws isolated, dispossessed and ghettoized one racial or ethnic minority after another. Asians weren't allowed to vote in Canada until the late 1940s; federally-registered Indians had to wait until 1960.
There are many heartening, role-model exceptions that are routinely cited, but they only prove the rule: the conditions that torment Aboriginal Canadians to this day are no less a disgrace than the dead-end impoundments so many African-Americans find themselves within today. Aboriginal Canadians and African-Americans suffer from a nearly identical suite of maladies: high rates of cancer, of heart disease, mental illness, suicide, spousal abuse, drug addiction, alcoholism, fetal alcohol syndrome and tuberculosis.
The median income of African-American men is about $31,000. Among white American men it's $42,000. In Canada, the median annual income for Aboriginal people living off-reserve is $22,500 (among those living on Indian reserves it's $14,000); the average annual income for Canadian wage workers in general is about $48,000.
The unemployment rate among working-age Aboriginal people in Canada is 13 per cent – more than twice the general jobless rate among working-age Canadians. This is every bit as wide a gap as between African-American men and white American men.
Comparing welfare rates makes Canada look far worse. Slightly more than 10 per cent of African-Americans are on welfare, but in Canada, roughly a third of Aboriginal people are on welfare or some other form of income assistance.
Canada looks worse again when we look inside the prisons. African-Americans make up only about 12 per cent of the U.S. population, but 40 per cent of the U.S. prison population is African-American. A mere four per cent of Canadians are Aboriginal, but more than 23 per cent of the inmate population in federal institutions are Aboriginal people – an incarceration rate 10 times higher than among non-Aboriginal people.
Things are going downhill, too. Over the past decade, the Aboriginal population in federal prisons has grown by more than 50 per cent. In Western Canada, two-thirds of the inmates in federal and provincial institutions are Aboriginal people.
About 28 per cent of African-Americans are stuck with something less than a high school education – half again higher than the rate among white people. In Canada, about 29 per cent of Aboriginal people have less than a high-school education, compared to 12 per cent of non-Aboriginal people.
While a third of African-American children entering high school will drop out – twice the rate of white kids – current drop-out rates indicate that more than half of Canada's Aboriginal kids probably won't finish high school. That's a drop-out rate roughly six times higher than among non-Aboriginal kids.
On reserves, 74 per cent of schools are so dilapidated they lack such basic amenities as drinking water. More than half the schools function without a library, a gymnasium, a science laboratory, or a kitchen. Of Canada's nearly 1.5 million Aboriginal people, about half are under 15 years of age.
"How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice," Martin Luther King proclaimed all those years ago.
African-Americans might be forgiven for every once in a while losing patience with how long it's taking that arc to fully bend towards them. For Canada's young Aboriginal people, it's not clear that the arc of the moral universe is even bending in their direction at all.
Terry Glavin is an author and journalist.


SAUK RAPIDS, Minn. — April 15, 2019 — Tickets are now on sale for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series return to Granite City Speedway in Sauk Rapids, Minn., on Saturday, June 8 and can be purchased online at https://slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by calling SLS Promotions at 815-344-2023.
Kasey Kahne, who retired from NASCAR competition, following the 2018 season, will be in action with the Outlaws on June 8, which will mark his Granite City Speedway debut.
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series last visited Granite City Speedway in 2017, with 10-time and defending series champion Donny Schatz picking up the win. Shane Stewart was victorious at the three-eights-mile in 2016, while Schatz won the inaugural event for the Outlaws at Granite City Speedway in 2015.
Another strong roster of drivers is on the road, battling Schatz and Stewart this season. Brad Sweet, who has one win thus far in 2019, currently leads the standings by two points over Schatz as he chases his first Outlaws title. Daryn Pittman, who has already won twice this season, is third in points, just six markers out of the lead. Carson Macedo, the leading contender for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award, who won earlier this year, sits fourth in points, with Logan Schuchart, who already has two wins this season, rounding out the top-five.
David Gravel, who is in his first season aboard the No. 41 for Jason Johnson Racing, and already has two wins this season, is sixth in points. Shane Stewart currently rides seventh, with Ian Madsen, who has one win this year, in eighth. Sheldon Haudenschild holds down the ninth spot, with Kraig Kinser rounding out the current top-10.
Also back on the road this season are Pennsylvania natives Brent Marks and Jacob Allen as well as veteran driver Jason Sides.
Tickets for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series return to Granite City Speedway in Minnesota on Saturday, June 8 can be purchased online at https://slspromotions.ticketforce.com or by calling SLS Promotions at 815-344-2023.


A perfect example of comfort, made in Belgium. Knitted in Belgium in super-soft cotton. A real feelgood jumper!A versatile jumper that can be worn with the V-cut neckline on the front or back. Also available in a stripy or white version. Looks fabulous with the Flower Power trousers.


If you say website content, blog posts, guest posts, YouTube videos, etc, you're talking about a mix of on-site and off-site content. It's great if you know the difference between the two. But is one more important than the other?
Let's take a closer look at site content (both on- and off-) so you can decide where to focus your efforts on.
Imagine if visitors come to your website and all they see are blank pages. On-site content refers to everything you have on your website – text, pictures, videos, blog posts, etc.
These serve as the foundation for your site. Without on-site content, there'll be nothing for search engine bots to crawl and index, meaning you can't do any SEO.
If you just launched your website, you have to focus on on-site content before you can think about an off-site content strategy.
Now, if you already have content on your website, does that mean you're set when it comes to SEO?
Not quite. Attractive content is a must for your website to start ranking. But there are other factors such as links, mobile-friendliness, and so on to consider.
Plus, you have to keep in mind that on-page or on-site SEO isn't a one-time thing. Just because you have some blog posts on your website and a couple of videos there doesn't mean you don't have to worry about SEO anymore.
You need to keep optimizing your website and you also can't forget about your offsite SEO strategy.
Off-site content is everything you produce for external websites. These include social media posts, press releases, guest posts, articles, interviews, etc.
You need off-site content for off-page SEO. You need it to build links, which in turn builds your domain authority.
Now, the more domain authority you have, the more visible your site will be in organic searches. This will also boost referral traffic to your site.
Another way off-site content helps your business is by establishing you as an authority in your industry. If people read your guest posts and value the insights you share, they'll see you as not just another person with something to sell.
They know that you know what you're talking about. And the more you do this, the more you'll become a respected voice in the community. This will, of course, give you a bigger chance to engage with a much wider audience.
Producing content on a regular basis requires time and effort. If you're working with limited resources, it can be tough creating content for your blog and for outreach purposes.
That's why if you're just starting out, it's best to focus most of your efforts on on-site content. When you have more resources, you can work on off-site campaigns.
But remember, once you reach this point, you can't ignore one to focus on the other. You have to keep producing content for your website or blog, and you have to look for outreach opportunities to build your brand. Keep experimenting until you find the best way to nurture your on-site and off-site content strategies.
Need More Advice on SEO and Content Marketing?
Now that you know more about site content, we hope you're motivated to learn more. Check out the best content distribution channels for your content strategy, as well as the top SEO trends of 2019.


There's little debate that professional learning is a critical component of any initiative. In fact, our 2017 Global State of Digital Learning Survey showed that providing teachers with relevant and effective PD was the top priority of admins.
That's why we put together this guide, 7 Characteristics of Effective Professional Learning And What They Mean in Practice.
Fill out the form on this page to get the guide.


Apply For Your Fort Worth Title Loan Right Now!
What's holding you back from applying? There is no obligation when you apply. You get an absolutely free quote on your car's value and then you can decide if it is worth your time and effort to pursue the loan. This no risk application allows you to make the most informed decision about your financial situation.
Isn't it better to know what you can get instead of wondering about it?
The benefit of using an alternative lender to finance your loan is avoiding all the extra paperwork and hoops you are asked to jump through in order to even be considered for the loan. You could spend hours filling out forms only to discover you've been denied for your loan.
When you apply for a car title loan using our site or by calling us, you will know instantly, after a few moments of effort filling ou the application, whether you are eligible for the car title loan or not.


The Futura 2L Compact & Portable Dehumidifier is an excellent mini dehumidifier for those with mould or damp problems but who don't need the power of a full size dehumidifier.
As expected this Futura mini dehumidifier rates very well on Amazon at 4.8 / 5 stars. We have previously reviewed a Futura air purifier and were pleasantly surprised by its quality and features.
The Futura 2L mini dehumidifier is suitable for many applications including within the home, office kitchens, attics, loft conversions, caravans and any other mildly damp areas.
Important: You will probably compare the Futura mini dehumidifier to the AirPro and Dihl mini dehumidifiers. Please be aware that the Futura 2 litres mini dehumidifier is an automated dehumidifier which features a timer. The AirPro and Dihl units are manual units which do not feature a timer system.
The Futura compact dehumidfier is therefore a vastly superior dehumidifier than the AirPro or Dihl mini dehumidifiers.
The Futura 2 litre mini dehumidifier is a great little dehumidifier which even boasts a timer system amongst its features. Here is a listing of the main features which will be expanded on below.
The Futura 2 Litres Mini Dehumidifier extracts 600ml of water per 24 hours. This is 100ml more than other mini dehumidifiers such as the AirPro and Dihl mini dehumidifiers.
Note that the AirPro and Dihl dehumidifiers are the same unit but with different branding. These two mini dehumidifiers also don't feature a timer system which the Futura 2L mini dehumidifier does.
Due to space-saving technology Futura is able to fit a 2 litre water tank into their mini dehumidifier. A 2 litre water tank is standard for a full size domestic dehumidifier. Fitting such a large water tank into a mini dehumidifier means that you only have to empty the water tank around every four days or so.
The timer settings show just how much better technologically Futura is than its competitors. You can leave this unit on while you go to work or to bed and it will turn off automatically. It goes without saying that this is a very handy feature for winter mornings when there is condensation on the windows.
The timer options include 6, 8 and 12 hour settings.
The Futura 2L Compact Dehumidifier uses only 90 watts of power in its operation. Although this is higher than the touted 60 watts used by the AirPro and Dihl compact dehumidifiers we think that the extra extraction rate is worth it. We also think that the Futura Compact dehumidifier is better quality than the AirPro and Dihl models so the extra running expense (less than 5p per kilowatt used) is worth it.
This pre-set feature is an amazing piece of technology for a mini dehumidifier. basically how it works is that you can pre-set the humidistat and when the relative humidity in the room falls below 55% the unit will turn off. When the relative humidity rises to above 60% the dehumidifier will turn on again and work to bring the relative humidity back down to 55%.
This type of technology is usually found on top of the range full size dehumidifiers. As you can see using this features will save you quite a lot in operating costs over the medium and longer terms.
The other operating option, apart from the automatic pre-set mode, is the manual humidity mode in which you just change the settings manually.
Most dehumidifiers on the market today are manual type dehumidifiers where the operator has to change the settings themselves. We are surprised, but delighted, to find the auto pre-set mode on this Futura dehumidifier as this feature saves money over the medium term and longer.
An important safety feature of all dehumidifiers is that the unit turns off automatically once the water tank is full. The dehumidifier will only operate again when the water tank has been emptied.
You will know when the water tank is full as a warning light will light up on the control panel.
The control panel is a soft touch panel which is very easy to understand and operate.
As can be seen in the image on the left the control panel consists of the 'on'/'off' button, the 'auto pre-set' or 'manual mode' option button and the timer button. Very simple.
The Futura 2 L mini dehumidifier comes with a 12 month guarantee which you can register easily on the Futura website.
The company states "We guarantee that all of our products are excellent quality and are sold exactly as described. However, in the unlikely event that your purchase has a fault or defect, you could be covered by our guarantee".
At ByeMould we urge anyone buying electrical appliances to register their warranty or guarantee. In many cases extended warranties are available and purchasers should consider this option as well.
We are very impressed by the Futura 2L mini dehumidifier and think of it as a cross between a mini dehumidifier and a full size dehumidifier with its 600ml daily extraction and massive 2l water tank.
There is no doubt that our favourite feature is the automatic pre-set humidistat as this feature will save you in operating costs.
We are also impressed that this Futura dehumidifier features a timer system with 3 timer options.
If you are looking for a mini dehumidifier that you can store away easily then you must check out the Future 2L compact dehumidifier.
Here is our Futura 2L Compact Mini Dehumidifier Video which summarises the above points. Feel free to share the video to those that might be interested in it.


text:
What's Happening: October 1 – October 13
September 30, 2014 by Kari Jo Freudigmann
Academic Integrity Days
Energy Awareness Month
First Block Class End
Italian American Heritage Month
LGBT History Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
Second Block Classes Begin
CLUE: Is It or Isn't It?
Mock Academic Intregrity Hearing
Real Life Consequences of Ethical Decisions
Chinese Cultural Differences
Trivia Competition
Crossing the Ethical Boundary: Insights from a Fraud Investigator
What Would the World Look Like without Academic Integrity?
Discovery Center "Free Day"
Building Energy Competition
Hour Without Power
Campus Sustainability Day
Do One Thing Instagram Competition
Hermés Quartet | String Quartet
Decorate Downtown
Window Painting / Spirit Banner / Chalk-n-Rock
Can We Build It
Miscast Cabaret
21st Annual AIDS Walk
National Coming Out Day and GLO Center Anniversary Open House
Ally Week
Movie: The Goonies
After Hours: Capture the Flag
Rock n' Bowl
University Community Band Concert
Food Assistance for Students
Meals a Million
Stomp Out Hunger
W Soccer
M Soccer
Buffalo River Backpacking Trip
Climbing Expedition at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch
River Canoe Trip
SHARP Sessions
Intramural Registration
48th annual Ski Trip
CPR and First Aid Certification
See below for individual event information.
Energy Awareness Month is a campus-wide effort to raise awareness about energy consumption and challenge faculty, staff and students to reduce their energy usage.
October 9 – October 10
Classes will not be held on October 9 and 10. Offices will be open.
First Block Classes End
First Block classes end today.
Final exams for first block classes will be held during the last scheduled class.
Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15-October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988 on the approval of Public Law 100-402. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also Columbus Day or Dia de la Raza, which is October 12, falls withing this 30 day period.
Every year the U.S. president signs an executive order designating the month of October as National Italian American Heritage Month. Coinciding with the festivities surrounding Columbus Day, the proclamation is recognition of the many achievements, contributions, and successes of Americans of Italian descent as well as Italians in America.
LGBT History Month is a month-long annual observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. It is observed during October in the United States, to include National Coming Out Day on October 11. LGBT History Month originated in the United States and was first celebrated in 1994. It was founded by Missouri high school history teacher Rodney Wilson. Spectrum and Advocates, MSU's LGBT and Ally Alliances, along with the Office of Multicultural Programs provide a month-long series of events on campus to commemorate LGBT History Month. These include dances, panels, film screenings, fundraisers, discussions, art displays, and an annual talent show.
Please see below for individual event information.
In 1988, Congress designated each October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The Office of Disability Employment Policy has the lead in planning NDEAM activities and materials to increase the public's awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities. Various programs carried out throughout the month also highlight the specific employment barriers that still need to be addressed and removed. This effort to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment actually began in 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." In 1962, the word "physically" was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities.
Second Block classes begin today.
See Academic Calendar for drop, withdrawal, and refund deadlines.
Wednesday, October 1 at 10:10am, PSU Ballroom
In this interactive, fun session, participants will discover that academic integrity is no game. Help each other determine who committed the academic integrity offense.
Mock Academic Integrity Hearing
Thursday, October 2 at 11am, PSU Ballroom
Thursday, October 2 at 2pm, PSU Ballroom
Participate in a mock hearing and help the panel determine if a violation has occurred.
Wednesday, October 1 at 1:25pm, PSU Ballroom
A recent federal parolee will share his story of how his life changed forever as a result of poor ethical decisions he made professionally.
Wednesday, October 1 at 4pm, PSU Ballroom
A realistic discussion – in Chinese – of cultural differences experienced by Chinese students attending MSU.
Thursday, October 2 at 12:30pm, PSU Ballroom
Free food and great prizes! Come individually, or sign up a team before October 1 by contacting AcademicIntegrityCouncil@MissouriState.edu.
Thursday, October 2 at 4pm, Glass Hall 108
The Academic Integrity Council and the College of Business bring Angela R. Morelock to the MSU community to share insights from a fraud investigator.
Thursday, October 2 at 5:30pm, PSU Ballroom
Video and/or print contest winner presentation. Top entry will receive an iPad mini donated by PCnet. Runners up will receive gift cards donated by Commerce Bank, MSU Bookstore, and Walmart.
Wednesday, October 1 at 9am, Discovery Center
Discovery Center has utilized the plans of The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit of Green Revolution and developed Springfield's own exhibit with recycled and re-purposed materials. Unlike most traveling exhibits, Green Revolution isn't packed in a crate and doesn't travel by truck, so it has virtually no carbon footprint.
September 29 – October 19, Springfield Campus
All buildings on campus will compete to see who can conserve the most energy. The buildings with the largest reduction in energy usage will receive banners to be displayed until the next energy competition.
September 29 – October 19 at 5pm-6pm, Springfield Campus
We challenge you to consume zero energy – turn off lights and power down your devices. Can you go an hour without power?
September 29 – October 3 at 11am-1pm, Blair Shannon
October 13 – 17 at 11am-1pm, Garst
October 20 – 24 at 11am-1pm, Kentwood
October 22 at 11am-1pm, PSU NE Lobby
Join your fellow bears, commit to Do One Thing to reduce your energy usage. Follow @MSUSustain on Instagram to learn how to enter #MSUEnergyMonster
Over $500 in prizes, including: Osprey Backpacks from Dynamic Earth; 5 Hot Yoga Classes at Sumits Yoga; $10 gift card to Mudhouse; Free Jimmy Johns Subs; $25 gift card to MaMa Jeans Natural Market; $10 gift card to Grad School; 1 Reusable Cup Membership. Enter by October 31st. Winners will be notified on November 3rd.
Wednesday, October 8 at 7:30pm, Juanita K. Hammons Hall
Violinists Omer Bouchez and Elise Liu, violist Yung-Hsin Chang, and cellist Anthony Kondo won the 2012 Young Concert Artists International Auditions. The Paris-based ensemble currently holds the Helen F. Whitaker Chamber Music Chair of YCA. Student rush tickets available for $10 one hour prior to the performance with a valid student ID.
Ticket are $20 for onstage seating at the Missouri State Tix box offices.
Find out more about Homecoming by looking at our Guest Blog.
Sunday, October 12 at 12pm, Downtown Springfield
Each participating student organization will be partnered with a downtown Springfield establishment. It will be the responsibility of your organization to reflect the spirit and pride of Missouri State Homecoming with exciting and appropriate decorations. Each organization is to remember that they are representing Missouri State University and should reflect their school pride in their decorations.
Sunday, October 12 at 2pm, PSU North Mall
Decoration of Plaster Student Union as part of Homecoming competition
Monday, October 13 at 2pm, Trottier Plaza
In conjunction with the University Public Affairs mission, Can We Build It is a way to show off your organization's talent and support a local charity. All food will be donated to Ozarks Food Harvest.
Wednesday, October 1 at 6:30pm, PSU Theatre
The students of Missouri State University's theatre, dance and music programs will present Miscast Art 2014: Fun Laughs and Good Times at the PSU Theater, Wednesday October 1, 2014, 6:30pm. Admission is free to the public.
This cabaret, conceived by Darryl Kent Clark, Assistant Professor, Dance, is one of many events at the university that will recognize GLBTQA History and Heritage Month. The cabaret is made of moments from a variety of the best known plays and musicals of the 20th century with a special and unique TWIST!
Thursday, October 2 at 6pm, PSU North Mall
Celebrate the start of LGBT History Awareness with your LGBTQ friends and family! Be sure to swing by and mingle with Spectrum, Advocates, Lambda Alliance, and the LGBT Resource Center.
Saturday, October 4 at 9am, Phelps Grove Park
Bring your families, friends, pets, and walking shoes to help raise funds for AIDS awareness in Southwest Missouri.
National Coming Out Day and GLO Anniversary Open House
Saturday, October 11 at 10am, GLO Center
Celebrate the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of the Ozarks (GLO) anniversary with Spectrum, Advocates, and Lambda Alliance on the National Coming Out Day
Monday, October 13 – Friday, October 17, Springfield Campus
A whole week where we can engage in a national dialogue about how everyone in and out of school can work to become better allies to the LGBTQ community.
Find out more about SAC films, concerts, and comedy by looking at our SAC Events Blog.
SAC Movie: The Goonies
Wednesday, October 1 at 9pm, PSU Theatre
Sunday, October 5 at 9pm, PSU Theatre
Free movie in the PSU Theatre. Check out SAC Events Blog for more information.
Thursday, October 2 at 9pm, Trottier Plaza Bear Head
This will be a campus wide game of capture the flag among students. Two teams will battle for victory in the darkness. Teams will be decided on site; come with friends or come alone and leave with friends.
Friday, October 3 at 7:30pm, PSU Level 1 Game Center
Free bowling, table tennis and billiards in Level One Game Center.
Monday, October 6 at 7:30pm, Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts
The University Community Band will present a free concert on Monday, October 6 at 7:30pm in Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.
For more opportunities, subscribe to the Community Opportunities Newsletter.
Students, if you are going hungry, or just need something to get you through to next pay check, 3 Springfield food pantries can assist you. Visit the Food Assistance page for more information.
November 14-16, Springfield Exposition Center
Friends Against Hunger is hosting the Meals A Million Pack-A-Thon! Every half hour, 100 volunteers will start packaging food. In past years, MSU Bears have filled thousands spots to help package meals.
Register you and your organization to volunteer: MealsAMillion
Contact: Karen Wood, 417-773-1639, director@fahunger.org
October 1-24, Springfield Community
Join Missouri State, Drury, OTC, Evangel and SBU in making a difference both locally and globally through the all collegiate shoe drive.
Donating just one pair of shoes directly helps feed the hungry both in the U.S. and internationally, provides footwear goods for local vendors in developing countries, helps build water purification systems for villages in Kenya and Haiti, as well as impacts educational and healthcare needs.
Shoes will be collected at sites across campus from October 1-24th. The final "shoe-in" will occur on October 24 at 1-4pm at Country Girls Espresso, 2671 E Sunshine St, located next to Schweitzer United Methodist Church!
For a review of events that have already happened, please visit our Athletics Blog Page.
Friday, October 3, Field Hockey vs. Kent State, Allison North
Friday, October 3, W Soccer vs. Indiana State, 7pm, Allison South
Friday, October 3, Volleyball vs. Drake University, 7pm, Hammons Student Center
Saturday, October 4, Football vs. Youngstown State, 2pm, Plaster Stadium
Saturday, October 4, M Soccer vs. Drake University, 7pm, Allison South
Saturday, October 4, Volleyball vs. Northern Iowa, 7pm, Hammons Student Center
Sunday, October 5, Field Hockey vs. Davidson, 11am, Allison North
Tuesday, October 7, M Soccer vs. Oral Roberts, 7pm, Allison South
Friday, October 10, Volleyball vs. Wichita State, 7pm, Hammons Student Center
Saturday, October 11, W Soccer vs. Evansville, 7pm, Allison South
Looking for an interesting way to explore the Ozarks? Look no further than Outdoor Adventure's Buffalo River Backpacking Trip! The trip will start on October 18th at 9AM and return on October 19th at 5PM. Register by October 13th for this $35 trip that includes everything but food.
Interested in a Climbing Expedition? Outdoor Adventures is headed to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch! This overnight climbing trip will be held from October 4th-5th and cost only $70 for everything but food! For more information check out the Outdoor Adventures page of our website or call the welcome desk at 417-836-5334.
So many trips so little time! Outdoor Adventures is also planning a Current River Canoe Trip on October 9th-10th for only $60! Canoe 15 miles of this scenic river with OA. Sign up now so you don't miss the mandatory pre-trip meeting on October 6th.
SHARP Sessions are set! Register online for this free self-defense course for females. There will be three sessions you can choose from. All held from 6:30-9PM in the FRC, studio A:
Session 2: October 20-21, Register by October 17
Session 3: November 17-18, Register by November 14
We're already planning your winter break! The 48th annual Ski Trip is scheduled to Steamboat Springs, CO during December 13-20. Learn more about this awesome opportunity at http://www.missouristate.edu/recreation/OutdoorAdventures/140219.htm
American Red Cross CPR and First Aid Certification. Register online or in person at the FRC. Registration deadline is 2 days before each class. Limited seats are available. CPR/AED and First Aid are held in the Aquatics Classroom. CPR is $55 and First Aid is $40.
CPR/AED Session 2: October 8 from 1:30pm-5:00pm
First Aid Session 2: October 8 from 5:00pm-6:30pm
CPR/AED Session 3: November 15 from 8:30am-12:00pm
First Aid Session 3: November 15 from 12:30pm-2:00pm
This certification does not fulfill the requirement for MSU nursing students.
Power Yoga dates are set for this fall! Here is a list of all your Power Yoga options:
Session 2: Tuesdays, 12:10-12:50PM, 10/21-11/11, Register by 10/17
Session 2: Thursdays, 12:10-12:50PM, 10/23-11/20, Register by 10/17
Open to faculty and staff, eligible for non-credit fee waiver, $35 for members, $45 for non-members.
Personal Training is offered at the FRC! Reach all of your goals this year with help from one of our certified personal trainers. For more information visit our website: http://www.missouristate.edu/recreation/Wellness/AssessmentsAndTraining.htm
Massage Therapy is offered at the Foster Recreation Center. Check our website for more information on times, prices, and how to sign up: http://www.missouristate.edu/recreation/Wellness/Massages.htm.


text:
Wyatt Crosher Reviews
Movie & TV Show Reviews | Quick. In-depth. Out of 10.
"Annabelle: Creation" is Surprisingly Scary
Posted on August 14, 2017 by Wyatt Crosher
"Annabelle: Creation" is directed by David F. Sandberg and stars Talitha Bateman, Lulu Wilson, and Anthony LaPaglia. The film is the prequel to 2014's "Annabelle" and is about a group of orphans who move into a family's home, and while everything seems great on the surface, troubles begin to surface after one of the girls discovers a creepy doll hidden away in the house.
To be quite honest, I had very little hopes for this movie coming in. For starters, the previous "Annabelle" film was absolutely terrible and offered almost nothing in the scares aside from one cool scene. The trailers for this movie also really added nothing, as they looked totally generic and gave me no more hope, so aside from my hope in the director, as I liked Sandberg's "Lights Out" from last year quite a bit, I came in hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.
What "Annabelle: Creation" has over its predecessor is scares, as this is an infinitely more terrifying film than the dud from three years ago. In fact, "Creation" is one of the scarier movies I've seen in recent memory, as David Sandberg brings more of his directorial flair that he promised last year into this film. Many of the tricks Sandberg nailed down with lighting and slick edits come to life even further in this film, and it makes for agonizing suspense that had me curled up in my seat on numerous occasions.
The acting from pretty much the entire cast is solid, as Talitha Bateman and Lulu Wilson really shine as the two lead girls. Young actors are always a gamble, but Bateman and Wilson really pay off, as both of them are excellent at bringing the horror to life, while also showing some great chemistry between them. Stephanie Sigman and Anthony LaPaglia are also good, as this movie is able to get strong performances where most horror movies would not.
Another area in which "Annabelle: Creation" improves dramatically over its predecessor is with its use of the doll itself. This doll is an absolute fright fest in the "Conjuring" movies, but in its' solo film, it basically stood as a placeholder for other scares that were meant to frighten the audience. Here, it is quite the contrary, as Sandberg expertly uses this doll to bring constant terror to every scene. The way this doll is used in the background of scenes, as well as very smart edits to maintain eye contact with the doll is truly scary, and it makes for a consistently tense experience.
As with all horror movies, there are a few characters that often do stupid things at the absolute wrong times. Characters open doors that they shouldn't, stay and fight when they should just run for the hills, and ignore clear signs of problems instead of instantly calling the police. These are common issues for many films in this genre, and "Creation" is no exception.
This is also a flaw that comes with many horror films, but one that has really plagued the "Conjuring" franchise hard, and that is its use of horror clichés. A disabled girl, orphans, an old isolated house, a soul trapped in a doll, this movie is stuffed to the brim with tropes I have seen millions and millions of times before. While the "Conjuring" movies rely on some of these for effects, this whole movie is old clichés, but still, Sandberg uses these to make something that feels truly scary, so I can't punish the movie too hard on its overuse on recycled material.
"Annabelle: Creation" is a much better movie than it should be, and I think that is almost entirely due to the director that is at the helm of it. David F. Sandberg uses his abilities with lighting and tension to create a truly scary movie from start to finish. Sure, there are clichés everywhere, and some of the CGI that is used could have been improved, but overall, I was thoroughly satisfied with "Annabelle: Creation," as it makes this growing horror franchise three for four, with hopefully more from this series to come.
Get tickets and showtimes for "Annabelle: Creation" here
What did you think of "Annabelle: Creation"? Comment below with your thoughts.
Posted in Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Uncategorized
"The Dark Tower" is Entertaining but Rushed
"Logan Lucky": Fun, but Flawed
Categories Select Category Action (94) Adventure (70) Animation (21) Biography (10) Comedy (74) Crime (28) Dark Comedy (11) documentary (3) Drama (111) Fantasy (28) Horror (31) Indie (6) Kids Movie (23) Lists of 2016 (13) Lists of 2017 (18) Lists of 2018 (7) Lists of 2019 (4) Lists of the Decade (2) Movie News (2) Movie Reviews (270) Music (40) Musical (7) Mystery (19) Oscar Nominated (18) Podcast (5) Reviews (3) Romance (22) Sci-fi (62) Sports (4) Summer 2016 (13) Think Piece (1) Thriller (49) TV Show Reviews (8) Uncategorized (281)
Colin Gay
Josh Herron
Nick Earl
Quinn Villarreal
Ryan Flynn
Teresa Cardenas
Wyatt Crosher
Give us a Like on Facebook!


Woods & Waters Taxidermy has been serving the Wisconsin community since 1986. Our 28 years of experience and commitment to excellence have earned us the reputation as the best taxidermist in the area.
We are trading gloves for deer hides.
A great mount starts proper field care.
Taking the mystery out of caring for your trophies.
Providing you with courteous and professional service of the highest quality.
We trade deer hides for gloves. Work gloves, fleece, and fine leather gloves are available.
Browse our expansive photo gallery and get ideas for your trophy.
We are located in between Juneau and Hustiford, Wisconsin on Highway 60.
Give us a call or send a message, we are at the shop most days.