School nurses are public health nurses who will work with 5 - 19 year olds. Their primary aim is to improve the health and wellbeing of this age group, and identifying those who need early help. They can assist in managing interaction between health and education.


text:
Jeanne C. Marsh, PhD
George Herbert Jones Distinguished Service Professor
Jeanne C. Marsh is the George Herbert Jones Distinguished Service Professor in the School of Social Service Administration and the Director of the Center for Health Administration Studies (CHAS) at the University of Chicago. Her fields of special interest include services for women and families, intersection of multiple service systems, the relation of service delivery to treatment outcome, and knowledge utilization in practice and program decision making. Professor Marsh joined the University of Chicago faculty in 1978 and held appointments in both the School of Social Service Administration and the Committee on Public Policy Studies. She has served as Dean of SSA from 1988 to 1998 and from 2005 to 2010. She has also served as Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics, Clare Hall, Cambridge University and Sciences Po, Paris.
Professor Marsh has published broadly on issues of substance abuse, social service provision for women and children, and evaluation of social work interventions. She is co-author of two books: Berlin, S. and Marsh, J.C., Informing Practice Decisions, Columbus, Ohio: MacMillan Publishing, 1993, and Marsh, J.C., Geist, A., and Caplan, N., Rape and the Limits of Law Reform, Boston: Auburn House, 1982, along with numerous articles and chapters. She has been Principal Investigator on a number of studies and is currently Principal Investigator on a NIDA-funded study of gender differences in the impact of substance abuse treatment services. She has received a number of awards and honors, including the NASW Award for Excellence in Social Work Research, service as editor-in-chief of Social Work, the journal of the National Association of Social Workers, and is the President for the Society for Social Work and Research.
Professor Marsh graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Psychology from Michigan State University and received her M.S.W. and Ph.D. in Social Work and Psychology from the University of Michigan.
jeanne_marsh_cv-617_0.pdf
Marsh, J.C., and M. Bunn. In Press. "The role of relationship as an active ingredient in social work practice." In J. Brekke and J. Anastas (Eds.). Social Work Science: Towards a New Identity. New York: Oxford University Press.
Marsh, J.C. MAJOR WORK IN SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH, Thematic Essay 1: Developing Trajectory of Social Work Research and the Profession, Volume 1, 3-9.
Marsh, J.C. MAJOR WORK IN SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH Thematic Essay 2: Purposes and Key Concepts in Social Work Research, Volume 1, pp. 137-141.
Bersamira, C., Lin, Y-A., Park, K., & Marsh, J.C. 2017. Drug use among Asian Americans: Differentiating use by acculturation status and gender. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 79: 76-81. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2017.06.002
Kreisberg, N. and J.C. Marsh. 2015. "Useful knowledge, research, and innovation in social work practice: An international comparison." British Journal of Social Work 46: 599-618.
Marsh, J.C., and M. Reed. 2015. "Social work science and knowledge utilization." Research on Social Work Practice 26(1): 1-9.
Marsh, J.C. 2015. "Major Work in Social Work Research, Thematic Essay 1: Developing Trajectory of Social Work Research and the Profession." In Social Work Research, Shaw, I., M. Hardy, and J.C. Marsh, eds. 1: 3-9. London: SAGE.
Marsh, J.C. 2015. "Major Work in Social Work Research, Thematic Essay 2: Purposes and Key Concepts in Social Work Research." In Social Work Research, Shaw, I., M. Hardy, and J.C. Marsh, eds. 1: 137-141. London: SAGE.
Shaw, I., M. Hardy, and J.C. Marsh, eds. 2015. Social Work Research 1-4. London: SAGE.
Guerrero, Erick, Jeanne C. Marsh, Dingcai Cao, Hee-Choon Shin, and Christina M. Andrews. 2014. "Gender disparities in utilization and outcome of comprehensive substance abuse treatment among racial/ethnic groups." Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 46(5): 584-91.
Marsh, Jeanne C. 2014. "Thinking fast and slow about causality: Response to Palinkas." Research on Social Work Practice 24(5): 548-51.
Andrews, Christina M., Hee-Choon Shin, Jeanne C. Marsh, and Dingcai Cao. 2013. "Client and program characteristics associated with wait time to substance abuse treatment entry." American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 39(1): 61-8.
Guerrero, Erick G., Jeanne C. Marsh, Lei Duan, Christine Oh, Brian Perron, and Benedict Lee. 2013. "Disparities in completion of substance abuse treatment between and within racial and ethnic groups." Health Services Research 48(4): 1-18.
Guerrero, Erick G., Jeanne C. Marsh, Tenie Khachikian, Hortensia Amaro, and William A. Vega. 2013. "Disparities in Latino substance use, service use, and treatment: Implications for culturally and evidence-based interventions under health care reform." Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 133(3): 805-13.
Hardesty, Melissa, Dingcai Cao, Hee-Choon Shin, Christina M. Andrews, and Jeanne C. Marsh. 2012. "Social and health service use and treatment outcomes for sexual minorities in a national sample of substance abuse treatment programs." Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services 24(2): 97-118.
Marsh, Jeanne C. 2012. "Learning by intervening: Examining the intersection of research and practice." In From Task-Centered Social Work to Evidence-Based and Integrative Practice: Reflections on History and Implementation, Tina L. Rzepnicki, Stanley G. McCracken, and Harold E. Briggs, eds. Chicago: Lyceum Books.
Marsh, Jeanne C. 2012. "From fish and bicycles to a science of social work: Response to John Brekke." Research on Social Work Practice 22(5): 465-7.
Marsh, Jeanne C., Beth Angell, Christina M. Andrews, and Ashley Curry. 2012. "Client-provider relationship and treatment outcome: A systematic review of substance abuse, child welfare, and mental health services research." Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research 3(4): 233-67.
Andrews, Christina M., Dingcai Cao, Jeanne C. Marsh, and Hee-Choon Shin. 2011. "The impact of comprehensive services in substance abuse treatment for women with a history of intimate partner violence." Violence Against Women 17(5): 550-67.
Cao, Dingcai, Jeanne C. Marsh, Hee-Choon Shin, and Christina M. Andrews. 2011. "Improving health and social outcomes with targeted services in comprehensive substance abuse treatment." American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 37(4): 250-8.
Marsh, Jeanne C., Brenda D. Smith, and Maria C. Bruni. 2011. "Integrated substance abuse and child welfare services for women: A progress review." Children and Youth Services Review 33(3): 466-72. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2010.06.017.
Shin, Hee-Choon, Jeanne C. Marsh, Dingcai Cao, and Christina M. Andrews. 2011. "Client-provider relationship in comprehensive substance abuse treatment: Differences in residential and non-residential settings." Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 41(4): 335-46.
Marsh, Jeanne C., Hee-Choon Shin, and Dingcai Cao. 2010. "Gender differences in client-provider relationship as active ingredient in substance abuse treatment." Evaluation and Program Planning 33(2): 81-90.
Gredig, Daniel, and Jeanne C. Marsh. 2009. "Improving interventions and practices." In The SAGE Handbook of Social Work Research, Ian F. Shaw, Katherine Briar-Lawson, Joan Orme, and Roy Ruckdeschel, eds. 64-82. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Marsh, Jeanne C., Dingcai Cao, Erick Guerrero, and Hee-Choon Shin. 2009. "Need-service matching in substance abuse treatment: Racial/ethnic differences." Evaluation and Program Planning 32(1): 43-51.
Marsh, Jeanne C., Dingcai Cao, and Hee-Choon Shin. 2009. "Closing the need-service gap: Gender differences in matching services to client needs in comprehensive substance abuse treatment." Social Work Research 33(3): 183-92.
Cao, Dingcai, Jeanne C. Marsh, and Hee-Choon Shin. 2008. "Gender and racial/ethnic disparities in the impact of HIV prevention programming in substance abuse treatment." American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 34(6): 730-40.
McCracken, Stanley G., and Jeanne C. Marsh. 2008. "Practitioner expertise in evidence-based practice decision making." Research on Social Work Practice 18(4): 301-10.
Cha, Theresa, Elizabeth Kuo, and Jeanne C. Marsh. 2006. "Useful knowledge for social work practice." Social Work and Society 4(1).
Mahoney, Colleen A., Malitta Engstrom, and Jeanne C. Marsh. 2006. "Substance use problems in health social work practice." In Handbook of Health Social Work, Sarah Gehlert and T. Arthur Browne, eds. 367-414. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Marsh, Jeanne C., Joseph P. Ryan, Sam Choi, and Mark F. Testa. 2006. "Integrated services for families with multiple problems: Obstacles to family reunification." Children and Youth Services Review 28(9): 1074-87.
Ryan, Joseph P., Jeanne C. Marsh, Mark F. Testa, and Richard Louderman. 2006. "Integrating substance abuse treatment and child welfare services: Findings from the Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) waiver demonstration." Journal of Social Work Research 30(2): 95-107.
Cha, Theresa, Elizabeth Kuo, and Jeanne C.Marsh. 2005. "Knowledge utilization among the readers of SOCIAL WORK." SSA Working Paper #11.
Marsh, Jeanne C., and Dingcai Cao. 2005. "Parents in substance abuse treatment: Implications for child welfare practice." Children and Youth Services Review 27(12): 12591278.
Marsh, Jeanne C., and Brenda D. Smith. 2005. "Commentary–client-service matching in substance abuse treatment for women with children." In The research process in the human services: Behind the scenes, ed. Leslie Alexander and Phyllis Solomon, 151-170. New York: Brooks/Cole.
Marsh, Jeanne C. 2004. "Social service education." In The encyclopedia of Chicago, ed. James R. Grossman, Ann Durkin Keating, and Janice L. Reiff, 761. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Marsh, Jeanne C. 2004. "Theory-driven versus theory-free research in empirical social work practice." In Using evidence in social work practice, ed. Harold E. Briggs and Tina L. Rzpenicki. Chicago: Lyceum.
Marsh, Jeanne C., Dingcai Cao, and Thomas D'Aunno. 2004. "Gender differences in the impact of comprehensive services in substance abuse treatment." Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 27(4): 289-300.
Marsh, Jeanne C. 2003. "Organizational and institutional factors in the development of practice knowledge and practice guidelines in social work." In Developing practice guidelines for social work intervention, ed. Aaron Rosen and Enola K. Proctor, 236-252. New York: Columbia University Press.
Smith, Brenda D., and Jeanne C. Marsh. 2002. "Client-service matching in substance abuse treatment for women with children." Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 22(3): 161-168.
Marsh, Jeanne C. 2000. "Theories of professions: Implications for social work." In Soziale Arbeit: Gesellschaftliche Bedingungen und professionelle Perspektiven, ed. Siegfried Müller, Heinz Sünker, Thomas Olk, and Karin Bollert. Luchterhand: Neuwied-Kriftel.
Marsh, Jeanne C., Thomas D'Aunno, and Brenda D. Smith. 2000. "Increasing access and providing social services to improve drug abuse treatment for women with children." Addiction 95(8): 1237-1247.
Marsh, Jeanne C., and Carol Coohey. 1998. "Reform and restructuring of social services in the U.S.: Evaluation of collaborative, cooperative and integrated services." In Toward more democracy in social services, ed. Gaby Flosser and Hans-Uwe Otto. Berlin: deGruyter.
Smith, Brenda D., Jeanne C. Marsh, and Thomas D'Aunno. 1998. "Child welfare and substance use: Findings from a collaborative services initiative in Illinois." The Source 8(2): 5-7.
Berlin, Sharon, and Jeanne C. Marsh. 1996. "Informationen für Interaktionsbezogene Praxis-entscheidungen." In Qualitätsentwicklung durch Evaluation, ed. Maja Heiner. Freiburg, Breisgau: Lambertus.
Coohey, Carol, and Jeanne C. Marsh. 1995. "Promotion, prevention, and treatment: What are the differences?" Research on Social Work Practice 5(4): 524-538.
jmarsh@uchicago.edu
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Prince's siblings gathered in a Minnesota court on Monday for a probate hearing on Prince's estate, beginning the process of sorting out the singer's estimated $300 million fortune.
At the hearing, which lasted only minutes, Judge Kevin Eide confirmed last week's appointment of Bremer Trust, National Association as the special administrator of Prince's estate, and Bremer Trust said they are still actively looking for a will -- although at this time, none has been discovered. Prince's sister, Tyka Nelson, previously stated in court documents that she does not know of any will in existence.
A source tells ET that lawyers also met for about 40 minutes prior to the hearing in the judge's chambers to hash out some lingering issues, including who will run Paisley Park and Prince's NPG Records label. The possibility of two other potential heirs also came up, our source says.
Aside from Tyka, potential beneficiaries of Prince's fortune include the "Purple Rain" singer's five half-siblings: John Nelson, Norrine Nelson, Sharon Nelson, Omarr Baker, and Alfred Jackson. All were present in court on Monday except for John, who is also the only sibling to not have signed a consent form for Bremer Trust to handle Prince's estate.
Tyka sat on one side of the bench during the hearing, as her half-siblings sat on the other.
Judge Eide said that all of the heirs have agreed to open communication. He also noted that he doesn't know what other claims might be coming, or who else might come forward in the case.
According to Minnesota state law, Prince's estate will be divided among his siblings, since he didn't leave behind a living spouse, children, parents, or grandparents.
Last week, ET sat down exclusively with Prince's half-brother, Alfred, who reminisced about his childhood memories with the late icon.
"I miss my brother, because my brother was everything in the world to me," a clearly emotional Alfred said. "God bless Prince, God bless the world. He's a legend, he really is."
"He was a genius," he added. "Wherever he heard music, he could copy it just like that -- like he had a photographic memory or something."


Earlier this month, Emirates started its daily direct flights to the Norwegian capital, Oslo — which, to me, is one of the world's most serene and naturally exquisite cities.
The gorgeous blue of the sea and canals contrasts beautifully with the lushness of the city and the surrounding hills. This natural beauty enhances the charm of the city's quaint wooden buildings with balconies and flowers pots. Any visitor to the city would agree that while the weather is cold in Oslo, the people are warm and friendly.
Here's what you should not miss during your stay in the city where the Noble Prize for Peace is awarded every year.
Located in the heart of the city, the Nobel Peace Center is a museum that tells the story about the Nobel peace laureates and their groundbreaking work.
Besides enjoying the events, visitors can also walk around the building, which overlooks the sea, to enjoy the modern architecture and the atmosphere. Covered with marble and white granite, the structure has angled exterior surfaces that make it look like it's rising from the sea. Facing the Opera House is a glass monument, which is designed in a way that reflects the sun's rays with its movement.
Nearly half an hour by boat from Oslo, the town helps you relax away from the chaos of city life. The trip on the speedboat was one of the most fascinating I have ever experienced. Each boat carries up to 10 passengers, and everyone is asked to put on a special suit and glasses for the ride. Once we were out in the North Sea, I enjoyed the scenery in the distance — wooden houses of different sizes and colors, vegetation, small sailing boats docked in their designated areas. And, unlike me, if you are lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the seals and eagles too.
Initially, I had taken one of the inner seats but the breathtaking views drew me to the edge of the fast-moving boat, and soon I was taking pictures.
Upon arrival in Drobak, we headed to the Tourist Information Office where I was astonished to see thousands of Christmas cards hung on a wall. We also saw Santa sitting behind a desk. I was told that nearly 20,000 children — most of them know the place, it seems — from around the world send cards to Santa asking for gifts ranging from dolls to pets, and Santa replies to nearly 3,000 of them. The office is located in the southern part of Drobak Harbor and is run by the Municipality of Frogn.
Christmas is not yet over in Drobak. Near the tourist attraction is another shop run by a family that offers handmade Christmas decorations. From small toys and big dolls to witches and colored balls, the shop offered everything I could associate with the festival.
There are also small old restaurants, street cafés and a church you could visit. I returned to Oslo by bus.
It is one of the upscale neighborhoods of Oslo and a popular starting point for hiking and skiing. Visitors can enjoy one of the best views of Oslo from here.
Travelers who follow world politics can visit the two-storey house where the secret Palestinian-Israeli talks were held in the early Nineties. Near the house is the Frognerseteren restaurant, where I had one of the best salmons in Norway.
A few kilometers away is the 60-metre-high Holmenkollen Ski Jump. Visitors are allowed to go to the top by an elevator to take in the spectacular view.
The park has 212 bronze and granite sculptures on display, all of which is the work of Gustav Vigeland, whose own statue stands at the entrance. The life-size statues represent the cycle of life. The carving in stone and casting in bronze were done by a number of talented craftsmen.
The wooden structure of the museum was designed by the famous Italian architect Renzo Piano. It faces the Oslo fjord at the end of the Aker-Brygee-Tjuvholmen pedestrian area.
I was staying at a nearby hotel, The Thief. Many years ago, thieves were punished in this part of the city. Today, it's a popular dining spot.
Norway enjoys an abundant supply of seafood and seasonal agricultural products. Many places, including the hotel I stayed at, offer organic food items such as eggs and vegetables every morning. August and September is the apple season so I ordered fresh apple juice wherever I went.
I fell in love with the city and would not mind another visit.


text:
Entertainment Director of the forced museum amid complaints of harassment
Director of the forced museum amid complaints of harassment
The director of a Pennsylvania museum was forced to quit his job on Monday following accusations about a pattern of misconduct in his former job as a manager at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The director, Joshua Helmer, "is no longer employed at the Erie Museum of Art," the Erie museum board said in a statement. He did not give details on whether Mr. Helmer was fired or asked to resign.
The action against the museum's director, who had been appointed to Erie's post in 2018, followed a New York Times article on Friday that reported that several women had accused Mr. Helmer of moving towards them in the workplace. while he was in Philadelphia. museum and that an intern had filed a similar complaint in Erie.
Two women he dated during his four years in Philadelphia informed him directly about him, an apparent violation of museum policy, and said in interviews that Helmer had warned them not to report him. Two others who said they had relationships with him were not direct subordinates, but he overcame them and told them he could hire, fire and promote whoever he wanted, the women said. Some of them also described Mr. Helmer reprimanding them in view of other employees.
"This is a victory for women," said Gina Ciralli, who dated Mr. Helmer. She said she had left the institution due to her abuse. "Removing Josh from his position of authority creates a safer work environment for everyone in the field. We can all breathe again. "
Helmer, 31, did not respond to requests for comment. In an interview last month, he refused to talk about his behavior or his relationships with women, but said he had always followed the museum's policy.
The Philadelphia Museum did not comment on Monday. Last week he said that Mr. Helmer had been "separated" from his post there in February 2018, but that he could not discuss the reasons for his departure because such matters were confidential.
It was not clear what information the Erie Museum had about Mr. Helmer's mandate in Philadelphia before hiring him. But in a statement Friday, he had defended the thoroughness of his hiring process.
"Before offering Mr. Helmer the position at the Erie Museum of Art, the board, with the help of an employment consultant, performed due diligence, including background checks," the statement said. "No problems were identified during our due diligence."
Shortly after joining Erie's staff, Mr. Helmer sent text messages to a university student who worked there, suggesting that he go home. "Coffee, in my house, I have a cool back cover," he said, according to a screenshot that the woman, Asla Alkhafaji, provided to The New York Times.
After she told him she could only meet in public, Ms. Alkhafaji said that he began to ignore her at work and one day she said: "You are the most useless intern we have."
The museum said it had investigated a complaint by Ms. Alkhafaji and found no reason to discipline Mr. Helmer.
"I hope the board is honest and transparent," said Kelly Armor, a former Erie Art Museum manager who had reported on the treatment Helmer gave Alkhafaji, and who left the museum after confronting Helmer. "They need to rebuild a lot of trust."
The pressure on the museum had increased in recent days. The Times report led to the circulation of an online petition requesting the removal of Mr. Helmer in Erie. "Any benefit this man provides to the art museum pales in comparison to the damage he has done to women," the petition said.
In addition, more than 250 current and former workers at the Philadelphia Museum signed a statement in solidarity with the women who worked there.
Much of the concern focused on whether cultural institutions had done enough to analyze Mr. Helmer's behavior and work history. On Facebook, the University of Maryland Museum Studies Program called the response of the Philadelphia Museum and the research procedures of the Erie Museum "inadequate."
At the Philadelphia Museum, Mr. Helmer was appointed assistant director of interpretation in 2014, just four months after his arrival. Last October, ARTNews appointed him one of the directors of museums under 40 in the country that were shaping their institutions.
Several women interviewed by The Times described Mr. Helmer as building and breaking them down repeatedly. At least three employees who were familiar with these accounts said they reported their concerns to museum managers, as of 2016.
In recent days, another woman, Ashley Scrivener, has come forward to say that she resigned in 2016 from her position in the information technology department at the Philadelphia Museum due to the "toxic work environment" created by Mr. Helmer . She said he had invited her to drink several times.
"During my exit interview with the head of human resources, I told them all about Josh that was bothering me," he recalled. "H.R.'s response was:" My God, that's crazy, I shouldn't say that. "But in reality, he worked there for another two years."
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A new animated light system was approved by the Clark County Commission to be added to the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas.
The plan calls for over 322,000 square feet of lighting to the 640-foot replica.
A video released by Clark County on social media showed an example of what the lightning could look like in the future.


This is a follow-up post to my first day math problem from last year.
I've only posted once in a while over the past few years, but I'm very glad I spent the time last year to write about how my first day math problem went. After re-reading my post from last year, I was able to rapidly load the problem and how it went back into my memory, and I decided to make some of the changes I had written about.
Here's the updated version of the problem, which adds scaffolding and will hopefully keep groups moving along who aren't as comfortable with this type of open-ended exploration.
Feel free to pass along any feedback or take this a step further!


Gangaur festival is a most popular festival, it is so famous specially in Jaipur and udaipur of rajasthan. gangaur is religious festival and it is made for women. everywhere in rajasthan India women place idols of lord iswar and parvati at there home. women and girls do prepare them and then they perform pooja, aarti and other activities to lord and great goddess parvati.
Gangaur is a festival and it can be celebrated for some days at different places, in udaipur it is celebrated for three days and these days are called as hari gangaur, chundari gangore, and gulabi gangaur.
Wooden Gangaur Idol are made and then women took them at main place of city where pooja, goomar and other activities are performed to the idol of gangaur. ladies and girls make delicious food at home and then they serve it to family. all have fun of dance and singing religious songs during gangaur festival in rajasthan. there is a place at udaipur which is known as Gangaur Ghat it is made on the bank of a famous lake of udaipaur. the gangaur sawari or procession is also a main and attractive part of gangaur festivals at udiapur and jaipur of rajasthan.


Turbulent times afoot! Is our fast-changing world changing for the better? Does your past suddenly embody 'the good old days' and you're starting to sound like your grandparents while your kids haven't even started high school yet?! You are not alone on this. It is getting increasingly clear that the deconstruction of our modern Western civilisation has been masterminded from way above, by the nameless, faceless upper echelons of the multi-layered cake that symbolises the intricate hierarchical global governance nerve centre whose scope of influence and decision-making via institutions, institutes and foundations criss-cross regions, nations, continents, faiths and cultures in ways unfathomable by us the commoners. Yet it appears that a warning of things to come had been intimated as far back as 1969.
If you are in your forties like I, you will have enough scope to be able to draw up a rough comparative study between what you remember from your childhood years in terms of societal environment and the way society has turned out to be. Your elders will probably have brought enough food for thought to you through observations of their own. Compared to my early experience of it, I do not recognise the West - and this I say without exaggerating.
I had noticed a shift (although I couldn't formulate it at the time) as far as the early 1980s, when disindustrialisation became prominent, and the textile, steel and coal industries were blitzed out of existence from their production centres. I witnessed it first hand in my French northern textile hometown of Saint-Quentin. And it became increasingly apparent that political figures all the way up to the President had been complicit in the demise and let those production towns down like a bad memory: they saw them as an embarrassment. We were silenced, urged to get used to it sooner rather than later, there was no turning back. And when I say let down, I mean a total collapse of the local economy and high unemployment rates (20%+) as a direct consequence, that shot up almost overnight. The powers-that-be coined a word, a magic word, that would explain it all and reassure us, and most importantly which we could blame for all our misfortunes: 'recession', the new normal.
Oh, the governmental bureaucrats, business analysts, poncey economists, know-it-all journalists - and even your own boss or auntie Céleste after hearing their lecturing speech on the telly - wouldn't leave it at that. They shifted the goalpost. They pointed the finger at the unemployed and the soon-to-bes. Those were the culprits! They were criticised for having been too greedy, for demanding less working hours, better working conditions and higher standards of living. Can you believe that it was ultimately their fault if the factory had to close down altogether or relocate its operations to the Far East?! They had to pay the price and fellow countrymen became divided over the hot topic. And the bureaucrats nailed their despise for the Labour Force further by accusing the French of shunning factory work like it was beneath them. That only foreign, emigrant workforce were willing to work on the assembly lines now. Another fallacy and a sure dividing point that would fracture further the nation.
Rule of Thumb No.1: Divide and conquer.
if you seek to rule, create division and chaos.
During the 'recession', swathes of working- and middle-class took a hit and lost their jobs before they could even save for a rainy day. Those who yesterday (i.e. after WWII) had rebuilt the country up now found themselves in forced redundancy. They became redundant from work and from life. They were forced to exchange their usefulness, their skills, their craft, their trade, their experience, their diligence, their dedication, their pride, for a cheque from the government. Forced to leave their neat little semi-detached whose mortgage they could afford no more for the 'joys' of subsidised housing, stacked up like unwanted goods on shelves. They had become unwanted goods. Now they had to learn to become invisible.
Public-private partnership agencies mushroomed out of the woodwork. Those were supposed to come to the rescue of the unemployed. All they did was skewer the job statistics by shunting them from one category to another, through retraining schemes more akin to a brainwashing session to realign their psyches so they became acceptant of their fate, and live by on governmental aid and be thankful for it. The industrial West was becoming a thing of the past. The skilled guipure operative was urged to retrain as a supermarket shelf stacker. And her husband, formerly a steelworker, to do part-time pizza delivery. That's where the demand was at.
In my life journey, I have come across much wasted talent, countless wasted lives, lives that could have accomplished but whose talents were stunted out of existence or side-tracked. Graduates like I who didn't want to end up on the dole had to export themselves overseas for work and not be choosy. Is this the way for a nation to operate? Waste its homegrown talent away or force it out of its borders?
In the Western society model, strong precepts had prevailed until the 1960s/ 1970s. In France we had a glorious moniker for it: les Trente Glorieuses, three decades of full employment and buoyant economic activity (approx. 1945-1975), boosted by the aftermath of WWII (reconstruction) and the move into the consumer-centric technology-savvy model, a boon!
This was held together by an unshakable moral, socio-economic code of conduct. Back then, our society structure would put strong emphasis upon the Nation State: civil rights and civil duties, undefected pride in one's nation. Patriotism was embraced unconditionally, not derided.
Respect for Law and Order was tantamount to a functioning society, where the State ensured the protection of its people and the people paid their respect through national identity and pride, and served their Nation when national security was threatened (war). Rights and obligations of the people towards their Nation and of the Nation towards its people, a strong economy and buoyant industry sector, with wares manufactured locally/ nationally. All of these concepts, still prevalent in the 1960s, incrementally deliquesced to the point that they have now been turned on their heads.
Family and religion were still strong in the 1960s/ 1970s but the communist, marxist, trotskyist, socialist, atheist, feminist and other activist movements did not help the cause; if anything, they fragilised it. In fact, neither do they unify nor pacify: they instead harbour division and disfunction. Bingo, all that the elites want!
At first glance, it tells you that I live in the countryside, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the maddening crowds, the urban pollution, the sprawling suburbs, and the stress of modern life. It implies a certain quality of life that I am able to enjoy around the rural environment: oodles of space, no crowds, little to no noise, panoramic views, closeness to nature - not to mention low crime figures.
But a rush hour like this comes at a cost.
It means either I live far from the town and city, and still endure long commutes to work - not an enviable option. Or my work is land-based: farming, agricultural - and what should be an a labour of love has turned out to be hardship because this is how the State rewards those who feed the nation: crazy legislation (especially under the EU), heavy taxation, red tape, long unforgiving hours, and low pay - because the food distribution channels have squeezed out your profit margins. That means added pressure on your land for it to yield more (using fertilisers and hybrid GMO-ready seeds) and for your livestock to yield more (demanding more milk from the dairy cows to make up for your losses, expanding your chattel, taking up loans and moving the farm under an industrial model, while pumping your animals full with antibiotics and growth hormones). On your side of the game, there is no winner: your land wears itself out, your livestock wears itself out and you eventually wear yourself out. You'll consider yourself lucky when the State finally catches up with you with a cash lump sum for your farm, rase it down and have a motorway built through it.
With a rush hour like mine, one might assume that I am a stay-at-home mum or I work from home, maybe as a freelancer? Would money be no object? Either because I am financially secure... or I parted ways with the rat race!
Tickle is up for it!
I parted ways with the rat race years ago. A rush hour like mine comes at a cost maybe more to you than it does to me. Firstly I gave up on the lure of the materialistic way of life I used to enjoy. A carefully thought-out and wise decision because those material mirages were taking me nowhere down the road to happiness and fulfillment. In many ways, I feel happier now: no longer a slave to the wage, to the mortgage, to the loans, to the designer apparel.
This doesn't mean I am now living the life of an ascete or I am destitute. It doesn't mean I do not treat myself or my husband, or buy things for the home. It just means I do not follow the whims and craves and fads and trends of the market that influence life all the way to the check-out. This is a lifestyle choice.
It means I do not keep up with the Joneses either. What Joneses? We are the only residents in the hamlet for virtually half the year. What Joneses anyways? We live on a flipping island!
How about feeling deprived? Because no matter how much I sugar-coat it, a rush hour like ours comes at a cost. We live in an old family house where comfort is rustic and certain modcons like gas central heating and a fitted kitchen are lacking. This is the price to pay when you come off the rat race: it depends upon what you can now afford and adjustments inevitably have to be made.
We are cut off from quality services and conveniences that we took for granted back in UK or USA or mainland France. We live in a system that is politicised. And living as virtual hermits is in no way healthy. Humans are naturally gregarious. Birdsong is divine, and silence is golden - but too much of it rusts your spirits away.
A rush hour like ours may be a blessing to stressed-out urbanites seeking refuge from their urban shortcomings but beyond the eye-pleasing scenery, the reclusive life we live sooner or later takes its toll. A change of scenery would be most welcome.
What does your rush hour look like?


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Home / Success Stories / Taking Center Stage: Two Fourth Graders Shine Bright With Wilson Reading System® (WRS)
Taking Center Stage: Two Fourth Graders Shine Bright With Wilson Reading System® (WRS)
In one year, two struggling fourth graders from South Sioux Community Schools in Nebraska became star readers with the help of WRS Certified Teachers and Wilson® Dyslexia Practitioners (W.D.T.) Amanda Pick and Lori Baker.
Juan: Gaining Confidence and Becoming Curious
In September 2021, quiet and observant fourth grader Juan struggled with foundational literacy concepts. Reading aloud was difficult. He attended special education classes where he read at about the second-grade level. Amanda stepped in to help and selected him as her WRS Level I practicum student.
Wilson® Credentialed Trainer (W.C.T.) Jeanne Rutgers observed Amanda and Juan's WRS lessons and quickly saw that Juan, the youngest of eight children in a non-English-speaking home, was a hard worker. Jeanne also noticed he was "ready to bloom" into a strong reader. All he needed was intensive Structured Literacy instruction to boost his skills and confidence.
Amanda happily reported that with repetition and exploration of word structure, Juan's vocabulary skills improved, and he enjoyed learning about words. He proudly told Amanda he was able to figure out a word his classroom teacher used because of its Latin base.
"The way [WRS] is laid out is amazing," Amanda said. "It's like a code, and they're finally teaching you a way to crack it."
By May the following year, teachers noticed that Juan was more confident, making eye contact and speaking in class. He retold stories with detail and ease, using a broader vocabulary. As he built a trusting relationship with Amanda, he began showing curiosity and was asking questions about word structure.
"He wanted to know the science behind the things [WRS] was teaching him," Amanda said. "Getting his thoughts in order and being able to write and know he's writing the words correctly motivated him."
"It was really emotional to watch him grow," Jeanne said. "After [WRS instruction], he was a different kid. He volunteered information and was excited to show what he was learning. He's going to keep up, and he's going to do well with whatever he puts his mind to."
Michael: Persevering Beyond Guessing to Reading
Juan was not the only rising star of the fourth grade in South Sioux. Lori Baker, Amanda's teaching partner, fellow WRS teacher, and Wilson® Dyslexia Practitioner, had the joy of watching another student's reading skills improve.
Michael, a bright and active child, became Lori's WRS Level I practicum student in September. Michael's reading and spelling skills fell between the first- and second- grade level. Like many children with reading difficulties, Michael guessed at words, but he had a strong memory and was capable of learning.
"A lot of kids can get by with memorizing for a long time, then it starts to fall apart because they can't add any more to their memory," Lori explained. "When given the opportunity to learn how words work, why vowels work the way they do, and how all of it goes together, he really seemed to enjoy his learning. It was fun to watch."
In addition to his decoding difficulties, Michael struggled to pay attention in a large group. He needed structured guidance and one-on-one interaction, both hallmarks of WRS. With Lori's diagnostic and individualized instruction, Michael thrived.
"Part of the power of a one-on-one [setting] is the relationship building," Lori said. "We already had a previous relationship, and I think relationships were important to him. He was excited to get to work with me again. He was thrilled to be there."
"He went from being a guesser, which he had been for many years—and that's a hard habit to break—to being able to look through words, notice parts he knew, and figure them out," Lori said. "Wilson has given him the tools to build on the learning he had so he can be successful in his reading and writing."
This past spring, Juan and Michael's test scores showed they now read and spell better than many of their peers. Congratulations to Juan and Michael on their show-stopping progress!


Students from the Harran University Students Association (HÖDER) declare that attendance to the DEM-GENÇ (Confederation of Democratic Youth) congress in Diyarbakir to be carried out tomorrow will be strong, saying that they are ready for revolution and self-governance.
Members of the Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF), which has been leading the "We defended Kobanê together, we will build it together!" campaign, are on their way to the war-torn town of West Kurdistan, Rojava, to help reconstruction. SGDF members will rebuild the museum built by Rıfat Horoz (Karker Kobanê) who fell as a martyr recently.
Young people rose up against the isolation of PKK Abdullah Öcalan in many cities across North Kurdistan and Turkey.
The youth of Kurdistan and Turkey has declared the foundation of the Federation of Democratic Youth Unions' (DEM-GENÇ) at a press statement in the main Kurdissh city of Diyarbakır on Friday.
Fourty more youngs have joined the ranks of YPG and YPJ in Efrin.
33 young fighters have joined the ranks of YPG (People's Defense Units) after completing their military training.
The celebration of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan's birthday at the Parqa Azadiyê ya 4'ê Nîsanê (4 April Freedom Square) in Halfeti district of Urfa held amid a great excitement of hundred thousands of people at the evening hours of Friday.
The second conference of the Kurdish Youth Organisation in Europe, Ciwanen Azad, has started today in the German city of Cologne with a mass participation of youths from all over Europe.
Kurdish youth living in Europe are preparing to hold the second congress of Ciwanên Azad in Cologne on 28 March.
Following the liberation of Kobanê after an epic resistance of 134 days the population of the city is increasing as residents gradually return. Officials say 1,470 families and 2,390 young people have returned to the city.
PKK's defence of Kurdistan lands in Rojava and South Kurdistan against the attacks of ISIS gangs has resulted in a positive influence that made the youth of South Kurdistan turn their faces to the mountains. Sources say that participation of South Kurdistan youths of different ages, classes and professional occupations to the PKK ranks has increased recently.
Martyr Xebat Academy completed another training session that 25 youth attended in Hesekê.
The following article by Arzu Demur appeared in ANF. The call by the Marxist Leninist Communist Party (MLKP) 'to defend the Rojava revolution' has reverberated in Europe as well as in Turkey. Internationalist revolutionaries have begun to travel to the land of the revolution. The goal is to establish an international brigade to defend the revolution in all languages and spread the language of revolution throughout the world.
While celebrations for the liberation of Kobanê after 134 days of battle go on in Kobanê, YPG Commander Mahmut Berxwedan has warned yesterday that the threat to the city has not been entirely removed as the operations against ISIS gangs continue in the villages around the city. The YPG Commander also called on the youth to return to their land and take their part in the operations to liberate the villages and in the re-building of the settlements.
More than 40 combatants of the People's Defense Units (YPG) and the Women's Defense Units (YPJ) were graduated from Şehîd Rojhat Qualification Course on January 22 at Şehîd Sadiq Academy for Military Training.
21 Kurdish and Arab youth in Şêrawa town joined YPG forces with a ceremony orgnized in the town.
Dozens of youth from Dêrik city and Berav and Koçerat regions registered for the 4th self-defense training to be organized soon.
Derwêşê Evdî Academy in Sinjar has been providing military and ideological instruction to the Êzidî people fighting the ranks of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS, Yekîneyên Berxwedana Şengalê) for the future and freedom of their land.
YPG (People's Defense Units) Arab fighter Şevger Himo said that the ranks of the YPG were a place where young people from all over the world who wanted democracy could meet.
An American grandfather has joined the Kurds in the fight against ISIS in Syria after abandoning his idyllic life as a surf instructor in Costa Rica, to wield an AK-47 against the jihadists. In an interview with MailOnline, Dean Parker, who has no previous military experience, said he 'heard God's call' to take up arms after watching a heartbreaking TV report about the plight of the Êzidi people trapped on Mount Sinjar (Shengal) by Islamic State gang fighters.


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Tag Archives: Newfoundland
Walkin' In Memphis
A co-worker once tried to set me up with her pregnant nanny. It wasn't her fault. She didn't know about the baby bump till afterward.
In later years, I was awed and amazed at how much I walked when I was younger. As a child, I walked miles and miles of my hometown, including three paper routes. I had a bicycle, but there were times and places where bikes did not go – or were left unattended – so I walked.
When I got my first job, a hundred miles from home, I owned a little English car, but there was no place to park it, and I couldn't afford to bring it along – so I walked and walked, to get to know my new city. One evening, I walked a young lady a couple of miles home from a restaurant, on a coldly bitter February night. I left at -18 F, and returned an hour later to -23 F. By the time I walked back, I had frozen both my ears solid.
Even 20 years ago, when we visited Charleston, SC, the wife and I walked all over the Old Town, one day, ending by walking from the aquarium, all the way down to Battery Park – about 2 miles – and back, to the car.
After I had worked at the bank for several months, the head teller asked me what I did in the evenings. With no communal rec. room or TV, I stayed in my room. I listened to radio, read, hand-wrote 2 or 3 several-page letters each week, and assembled car models.
That would not do. I should get out and socialize. She had two children under five, and had hired a nanny/housekeeper, so that she could work at the bank. The girl was about my age, and had come from Newfoundland to Ontario for a job. I was given an address, and a time next evening, to present myself.
The walk to or from work, was about a mile and a half. After walking home for supper, I cleaned up and set off. From my domicile, to her house, was a bit over a mile, but as I got near, I realized that there was a slight problem. The street I was on stopped, and continued, further on. The cross-street stretched a long block in both directions, turned in the right direction, for the width of two house-lots, and ran back together, forming a large horizontal O. I could see her house, but it was an extra two blocks…. if I walked all the way around.
The back yard of the home in front of me abutted her back yard. There was no fence at the top of the driveway, which meant no dogs. I quietly walked past the house, and across a couple of inches of snow in the yard, vaulted a four-foot chain-link fence…. and I was there. Going home later, I just reversed the process.
Later visits proved that I wasn't alone. My double set of tracks in the snow were soon joined by several others. Either this was already a well-known shortcut, or I had started something. I never got stopped or yelled at.
On my first visit, I was met at the side door. I was not taken up to the main floor. I don't know what her living room, her husband, or her kids looked like. She led me downstairs, introduced me to the au-pair…. and disappeared. On later visits, I just let myself in.
The basement was completely finished. There was a comfortable den, with stereo and cable television, the nanny's bedroom, a breakfast nook, and probably a laundry room where she spent considerable time and labor.
Used to high school girls who weren't giving away much, if at all, I wasn't too insistent with my expectations – a little slap and tickle, a little grope and grab. Mostly, we just cuddled, watched TV, talked, and got to know each other. With each visit though, the petting sessions were growing a bit more intense. She was a lusty lass.
Finally one evening, she reached over, grabbed a big handful of my crotch, and said, "Oh, you're horny." Until that moment, I hadn't realized how OCD I was about English usage. I knew from the vernacular, that 'horny' meant sexually aroused. I later found that it actually means 'horn-like, hard.' It's mostly a male thing, although engorged nipples and labia must surely count.
I was usually horny when I was with her, but she said it almost like an accusation, so I replied, "Well, you're horny too!" "What's that?? What did you say?" I wasn't about to debate definitions with a Grade 8 Newfy girl. I shut up, and wouldn't answer her.
In an attempt to recapture the mood, she said, "It's okay. You can do whatever you want. I'm already pregnant." Screech! Wait! What??! Apparently she wasn't as busy and lonely as her employer thought she was. I quickly let myself out, vaulted the fence, and never came back.
About three weeks later, the teller asked me if I knew that the girl was pregnant. I admitted that she had told me, the last time I was there, but that I wasn't responsible. I walked away from that trap.
Click here if you'd like to hear Marc Cohn sing that 1990 title song.
Tagged bicycles, car models, English, language, letters, nannies, Newfoundland, paper routes, pregnancy, radio, short cuts, trivia, walking, winter
That Fills The Bill
My recent host and hostess were not interested in money.
I took along a few foreign bills, and odd coinage, to show them. There was some vague interest in the mis-cut American $1 bill, the somewhat rare American $2, and some chuckles over the 'Slick Willy' Bill Clinton $3 fake bill. The lack of interest may have been because he's a soldier who has been posted all over the world, and seen much of these firsthand.
The interest ramped up when I showed the collection to her younger son and his girlfriend. We played a game of, 'You show me yours, and I'll show you mine.' Only partly because his step-father is a soldier, he has amassed a promising collection. Going through my catalogue, we found a British Armed Forces, £1 occupational scrip which Rants might have been interested in.
He kindly offered to let me take any of his bills and coins, because he merely keeps them, not mounts and displays, as I do. He had 16 or more countries' bills. I could have asked for all of it, but restrained myself to three countries that he had duplicates of.
As luck would have it, they're all from the same general area of the world. The Indian 10 Rupee, and the Sri Lankan 20 Rupee, are both paper, and printed about the year 2000. The Singaporean $2 is newer, and made of polymer plastic with all kinds of security features that prevented me from taking a photocopy of it. I did my usual money laundering, and washed and ironed them. Singapore had a hard fold in the center, which even mild heat wouldn't flatten completely out.
Pawing through his coins, suddenly I had British King George V looking up at me from a large coin. I knew it wasn't Canadian. Might it be from England – or Jamaica – or Australia?? Turning it over, I was amazed to find that it was a 1919 Newfoundland Half Dollar.
I explained to him that Newfoundland was the 10th province of Canada, but didn't join
Confederation until 1949. Until then, they had their own coins and bills, minted and printed in England. I have long wanted at least one Newfy coin to add to my collection. Not produced for almost 70 years, I had long ago given up much hope of finding any.
Since he didn't even know what it was, and it plainly meant something to me, he insisted that I take it. A caring mother has obviously raised a kind and generous child. Before I left, BrainRants gave me a quarter-sized United Arab Emirates 1 Rial coin, which he didn't obtain while he was serving in the army, but rather, he found it, going to work on the bus, in cosmopolitan Washington DC.
I have many other foreign bills that I will publish pictures of in a post one day, as soon as I work off the procrastination. Till then, I am always happy to have you visit. Come again, y'hear! 😀
Posted in Road Trips, That's Life
Tagged Army, bills, Canada, coins, England, generosity, good manners, money, Newfoundland, occupation, transit, trivia, Washington
October 26, 2018 by Archon's Den
Because I Wrote About It
Because I wrote about it, because I slipped it into several posts, because I even had a post titled "Oleo Olio", I felt that I should set the record straight, and honor a local almost-hero. The following is a reprint of an article in the Waterloo Region Record about margarine in Canada. It is presented without their knowledge or permission, so, if I suddenly open a Patreon account for bail and lawyers, I hope that you will contribute generously.
THE MAN WHO MADE MARGARINE "SAFE"
Kitchener's William Daum Euler championed butter substitute
Psst! Want to buy some margarine? Seventy years ago, that wasn't a simple question.
As Canadians celebrate the legalization of marijuana this month, they may be forgetting that, just a few generations ago, this country was having a fierce debate about another controlled substance – that's right, margarine.
Banned in Canada between 1886 and 1948, the oil-based butter substitute was once labelled a serious public health risk. Its opponents vilified it, calling the spread a "compound of the most villainous character, which is often poisonous," according to W.H.Heick, who wrote a book on the subject back in 1991.
Many people may remember mixing color packets into their margarine, since Ontario law used to require margarine only be sold in its natural white state. But they may not know it was a tenacious politician from Waterloo Region who led the campaign to finally legalize it after the Second World War.
Margarine has had a complicated history since it was first created by French chemist Hippolyte Mėge-Mouriės in 1868, by churning beef tallow with milk. Dairy producers, concerned about a cheaper, longer-lasting alternative to butter, lobbied hard to have it banned.
For decades, they succeeded, convincing law makers it was unsafe and unhealthy for consumers – and bad for their rural economy. William D. Euler, a Liberal senator and former mayor of Kitchener, had the support of urban organizations like churches, unions and Boards of Trade, as he went to war for margarine.
As part owner of the Kitchener Daily Record, he pushed for editorials supporting the end of the ban. In 1947, he introduced repeal legislation, and was met with fierce resistance from the dairy lobby. He wrote letters to newspapers across Canada, pushing his position. Polls suggested that half the country was behind him – and he leaned on women, veterans, and hospitals for support.
Many Canadians were already using and cooking with margarine, bought on the black market. Often it was smuggled in from the Dominion of Newfoundland, where it was made from whale, seal and fish oil, by the Newfoundland Butter Company.
Newfoundland, which was still a British colony then, was busy churning out bootleg margarine at about half the price of butter. Euler, who became the first chancellor of Waterloo Lutheran University, used legalization of margarine as a key bargaining chip in the negotiations with Newfoundland to enter into Confederation.
In November 1947, he got helped by a butter price increase, from 53 to 66 cents a pound, which only reinforced his campaign for a more affordable alternative. In newspaper pages, town halls, and on Parliament Hill, the debate raged. Senator James Murdoch accused the butter lobby of using "Communist tactics."
"The wishes of 150,000 producers of milk had to give way to the desires of 13 Million consumers," Heick wrote in his book, "A Propensity to Protect Butter – Margarine and the Rise of Urban Culture in Canada." The fight went to the Supreme Court, which struck down the ban, and left the control of margarine to the Provinces. By this point, a poll suggested 68% of Canadians supported legalization – a shift in opinion owed in large part to Euler's public relations campaign.
Ontario didn't repeal its Oleomargarine Act until 1995, which made it illegal for companies to make or sell margarine that was colored yellow. Quebec didn't follow suit until 2008. Margarine finally had equal footing with butter, at least in the eyes of the law. And consumers had a senator from Kitchener to thank for it.
What??! Businessmen would lie, and politicians would support them, for financial gain? Tell me it ain't so! FAKE NEWS! FAKE NEWS! You can butter me up by stopping back again soon. 🙂
Tagged black market, butter, Canada, Confederation, food, health, Kitchener, laws, lies, margarine, marijuana, Newfoundland, Ontario, trivia
A To Z Challenge – Z
Well, we have zigged, and zagged our way to the bottom of the alphabet. It all comes down to Ground Zero, at zero hour, in zero gravity, with zero thought, to write the final composition for the letter
a letter that the Dutch explorers, traders and colonists already present, especially around the area that would become New York City, taught the newly arriving English settlers of America to pronounce as 'zee', a mere 400 years ago. Think 'Zuider Zee.' The rest of the English-speaking world uses the Froggy French pronunciation, 'zed', imposed by the Norman invaders of England, almost a millennium ago.
For all you hockey nuts (and you have to be nuts to regard hockey as anything more than mildly interesting time-wasting), I thought that I would write about Zamboni. That's the ice-resurfacing machine that drives around the skating surface between periods.
Then I thought better of it, and decided to give you a little more local history/geography/commerce. About 15 miles north of where I live, up in Pennsylvania-Dutch, Mennonite territory, is the large town/small city (10,000) of Elmira, Ontario.
Twenty-five years ago, the Schlupp family (doesn't that name sound Mennonite?) reverse-engineered the Zamboni, and began producing Olympia machines at a company called Resurfice. There are various sizes, and gasoline and electric models. They will do what the Zamboni will do, at a better price – and they are Canadian-made.
They've had to fight the 'Kleenex viewpoint', which says that every facial tissue is 'Kleenex', even when it's Puffs, or Royale, but their sales are steady, and increasing, even in the US. Despite the Zamboni brand-name recognition, and allowing for some bragging, Resurfice sells 50% to 70% of machines in North America.
The 'Kleenex viewpoint' is visible in an online court brief, apparently posted by a relative of an idiot complainant trying to sue poor Resurfice.
→ Hanke was the operator of an zamboni
→ Overfilled the gas tank of the machine, releasing vapourized gas which was ignited by an overhead heather
→ The ensuing explosion and fire caused Hanke to be badly burned
→ Hanke sued the zamboni maker for negligence (design defect), arguing that the gas and water tanks were similar in appearance and close together on the machine, making it easy to confuse the two.
English rules of construction insist on the word 'a' before another word beginning with a consonant. It should be 'a Zamboni,' with a capital Z – except, it wasn't a 'Zamboni', it was a Resurfice Olympia. The genius operator pumped water into the gasoline tank in an area with open flame. His genius brother (cousin?) writes, in a court brief, of an 'overhead heather', and repeats the incorrect, uncapitalized 'zamboni' again.
If I have poked fun at places like Newfoundland, or Alabama, I humbly apologise, and acknowledge the existence of local possessors of 'a glorious lack of sophistication.'
I thank all of you who have followed me through the alphabet. I'm trying to decide if it's worthwhile or possible to do it again this/next year. This free-style, pick-and-choose method didn't work out as well as I'd hoped. Perhaps next time I could do a themed version, possibly A to Z wild life, from Ants to Zebras. Wild life could include C for College dorm parties. Or A to Z in musical groups, from AC/DC to ZZ Top. In the meantime, I'm going to take a copy of that 'Survivor' image, and go have (another) nap. I suggest you all do the same. We've all earned some ZZZZZZs. 😀
Posted in Honors Earned, That's Life
Tagged alphabet, challenge, Dutch, Mennonites, Newfoundland, Ontario, Pennsylvania, pronunciation, sophistication, survivor, themes, trivia, Zamboni
I Don't Give A Shit
Mr. Smith was in the hospital for the first time in his life and in traction. He hit the call bell and yelled out loud enough for everybody on the hall to hear. "Hey, Nurse! I gotta shit"
Flustered, she came flying in the room. Mr. Smith! Don't talk like that! You're gonna get everybody on this floor upset. They can hear you all up and down the hall. When you need the bedpan, just hit the call bell and say '#2.″ I'll know what you need and come take care of you."
A few minutes later Mr. Jones was admitted. As soon as he was settled in bed, he realized he had a problem. "Hey, Buddy. I'm about to mess myself up here. How do I get some help?"
Mr. Smith knew the ropes and was glad to help out. "No problem. I know exactly what to do." He got on the call bell and yelled out loud and clear, "Hey, Nurse! Mr. Jones has gotta shit and he ain't got a number yet!"
Why did the lawyer cross the road?
To get to the car accident on the other side.
It's not the hop, skip and jump between twin beds that's tiring.
It's the long drag back.
A group from Chicago spent a weekend gambling in
Las Vegas. One of the men on that trip won $100,000.
He didn't want anyone to know about it, so he
decided not to return with the others, but took
a later plane home — arriving back 3 a.m.
He immediately went out to the backyard of his
house, dug a hole and planted the money in it.
The following morning he walked outside and found
only an empty hole. He noticed footsteps leading
from the hole to the house next door, which was
owned by a deaf-mute. On the same street lived a
professor who understood sign language and was a
friend of the deaf man. Grabbing his pistol, the
enraged man went to awaken the professor and
dragged him to the deaf man's house.
'You tell this guy that if he doesn't give me
back my $100,000 I'm going to kill him!' he
screamed at the professor.
The professor conveyed the message to his friend,
and his friend replied in sign language, 'I hid
it in my backyard, underneath the cherry tree.'
The professor turned to the man with the gun and
said, 'He's not going to tell you. He said he'd rather die first.'
Two Newfies are walking down the street. One of them is carrying a cloth bag. The other one says, "Have you got fish in that bag?" "Yup." "If I can guess how many fish are in that bag, can I have one?" "If you can guess how many fish I got in this here bag, you can have 'em both."
A woman goes to her doctor and says, "Doctor, my husband has developed a penchant for anal sex, so I came to you for advice." Ok, let's see…does it hurt you? Hmm… a little. Do you like it? Hmm… well, yes. Then, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't do it. If you take care about not getting pregnant. Getting pregnant? I didn't know you could get pregnant in that way. Of course you can. Where do you think lawyers come from?
Tagged accident, deaf, doctors, fishing, gambling, hospital, humor, Las Vegas, lawyers, Newfoundland, nurses, sex, sign language, trivia
Storm-Stayed
On my Digging In – Digging Out post about heavy snowfalls, I got a comment from a fellow writer who used to truck produce from the ferry dock, to the other side of Newfoundland, a large island-province off Canada's east coast. It is affectionately known to its residents as 'The Rock.'
He told of a time when he and several other truckers were stranded for three days at a truck stop, when 125 inches (That's 10+ feet!) of snow fell, accompanied by high winds. I admitted that Ontario's weather problems were often puny, compared to Newfoundland's.
My familiarity with all things "Newfie" has been gained both online, and by association with many ex-pats, now working up here, but he apparently felt it was from personal experience. The following is an explanatory email.
If, by your comment, "Ha, you've been, I see." you mean to The Rock, the answer is no. My financial, and the wife's medical, restrictions make that nearly impossible. However, there are almost as many Newfies up here, as there are left down there. I worked for four years in the Hespeler section of Cambridge, ON, where the population is about half Portuguese, and half Newfie. Drive down the street and yell, "Hey Joe (Joao), and all construction stops. Every second Newfie is named Sean or Shawn, and that includes the women.
At my auto-parts plant, there were 2 dozen Newfies for 200 employees, including four from Bell Island. Add my online friends…. and I'd like to add you as one. Would you wish to admit where you're currently parked, so that I can overwork my map program?
At the risk of clogging your email, I have a snowing/driving story I wish to share. In my Location, Location, Location post, I wrote of Kitchener being just far enough from three Great Lakes to miss 'a lot' of snow. Also, it's mildly hilly, cutting the wind and preventing a lot of drifting. Just to our west, it soon becomes flatter, and drifting can be serious. If the Ontario Provincial Police shut down Southern Ontario's main artery, Highway 401, it's almost always just past Kitchener.
A brother-in-law drove for years for Koch Transport. His run was from Kitchener, 70 Km to St Mary's, and back each day. He (and wife) were taking two weeks holidays, and going to Hawaii, flying out on a Saturday morning. On the Friday, he made his run, and got back to Stratford, where he found police blocking the road to Kitchener. They waved him into a strip mall with two other big-rigs, and a half-dozen cars.
He left it running, and climbed down to talk to the others. One of the car drivers asked what he was going to do. He replied, "I'm going to wait until there's an accident, and the cops leave, and then I'm going to move that barricade and make a run for it. I've got to get home. I have a flight out tomorrow." The guy replied, "I'm going on a trip tomorrow too. Can we follow you guys?"
And so, they convoyed out, with the semis breaking trail, and the cars following. With the trucks leading, the driving really wasn't all that bad, and they all soon got back home safely. The next morning, as he was boarding the plane to Hawaii, he ran into Mr. Sedan-Driver again, on the same flight.
Tagged airports, auto parts, Cambridge, Great Lakes, Hawaii, Kitchener, Newfoundland, Ontario, Portuguese, snow, snowblowers, trivia, vacation
February 25, 2015 by Archon's Den
Newfound Friendliness
<- Ted's house!
Monday Feb 16, 2015 was a statutory holiday in Ontario, called Family Day. It's relatively new, but long overdue. Finally, something to get us from Christmas/New Years, through to Easter. On Tuesday the 17th I went to my favorite nearby supermarket to pick up a copy of the Toronto Sun.
Dear Lord, have people forgotten how to shop ahead?? The store was only closed for one day. I almost had to bring my own parking space. Quite often I make 25¢ or 50¢ by neatening up the parking lot, putting away carts with quarters in them. Not that day! No carts in either of the cart corrals, but people lurking near them. No carts in the entryway either, so I grabbed a basket.
Most of the shoppers were white-, or blue-haired. Do they not remember back in the '80s, before we had Sunday opening? Was toilet paper being rationed, or was there a sale on Polident and Depends?
This place was stuffed – just crammed with shoppers. Folks were bumping into each other and edging carts past. It was so full, that people going up the aisles could inhale, while those going down the aisles exhaled.
Besides the paper, I also wanted a small bag of fine sugar, and two dozen eggs. With the help of a little fairy-dust, and my fancy dancing slippers, I circumnavigated the store in less than three minutes, and only got groped once. Then I got around to the checkouts….backed up like an old guy eating cheese. The waits were so long, I hope no-one 'checked out' before they checked out.
I headed for the express lane. It was so busy that they had two of them open. I entered the first line, and was ninth or tenth. The curve of the lines put me beside a lady about my age, third from the front, in line number two. Looking in my basket, she saw only the eggs, and insisted that I get in line in front of her. I mentioned the paper and the sugar. "Go ahead, go ahead!" I don't know what the nine or ten people behind her thought, but I snuggled in quickly, before anyone objected.
Her thoughtful niceness, along with her strong accent, suggested that she was from Newfoundland, Canada's easternmost, island province, and just full of kind, helpful people. When I asked, she confirmed my suspicion. Then I got nosy and asked specifically where she was from. "Stephenville." Newfoundlanders are generally open, friendly people. They don't mind when you ask questions and engage them in casual conversation.
I said, "Oh, I've got a blog-friend from Stephenville." I don't think she quite caught, or grasped, the 'blog-friend' concept, and seemed to think that I'd driven 1700 miles and taken a two-hour ferry ride, to drink 'screech' (high-alcohol, reclaimed rum). The Rock, as it's known, is a bit behind, technologically. They didn't get World-Standard 60 Hz electricity until the late 1950s, and their Internet is a large ball of twine and several empty tin cans.
To give credence to the rumor that "every Newfie knows every other Newfie", she asked who he was. "I might knows 'im." I explained that "he" was Ted White from SightsNBytes, a highly proficient and entertaining writer. "I knows a lotta Whites, but I don't t'ink I knows a Ted White." Ted has explained that, in Newfoundland, or at least in his home town of Stephenville, (Pop. 6193) there are as many, or more, of 'his' Whites, as there are of 'my' Smiths. His family inflated the numbers by changing their French name, LeBlanc, to the English, White.
My Newfie tour-guide, whose married name was Green, went on to tell me that, "D'ere's even a street called Whites Avenue. Fer a coupla blocks, d'ere's nuttin' but Whites, an' d'ey's all related ta each udder." Ted's bunch are not related to that lot, because his group ate croissants and snails, before they sailed west to eat cod tongues and mussels.
This 60ish woman has been in Ontario for 20 years, but hasn't lost that 'Down Home' sound and style of speech, because she spent her formative years, and more, down home on The Rock. I find these speakers a delight to be around, much like the "y'all" Southern speakers. They are the salt of the Earth, possibly because they live surrounded by the salty ocean. They would give the shirt off their back to a perfect stranger, if he needed it – or go next door and borrow one from the neighbor.
I would have loved to have partaken of more of her friendly sociability. Because she put me ahead of herself, and several other shoppers, I was soon through the checkout and free to proceed with my errands. Thanks Mrs. Green! You were a delight. 😀
Tagged Depends, Family Day, holidays, kindness, Newfoundland, newspaper, rum, shopping, Smith, Stephenville, technology, toilet paper, trivia, White
Rocky Birthday
<- (See Ted? Over there!)
The rocky birthday isn't mine. That will occur on the weekend, and you'll be able to hear about it without even turning your computers on. With all my abilities, I couldn't organize an orgasm in a bordello, but, I kinda, sorta, wanna organize a Happy Birthday party for a blog-buddy of mine.
I would like everybody who visits this site, today, Sept. 17th, or even over the next couple of days, to click on http://sightsnbytes.wordpress.com/ and wish my friend Ted a happy birthday. He may need some cheering up, because today he turns 51, and joins me on the wrong side of the half century mark. I wouldn't mind if you mentioned this post.
The rocky reference isn't just about birthday numbers. Ted lives on Newfoundland, our easternmost province. It juts out into the cold North Atlantic, like Canada's ass hanging over the edge of a bed. Its residents lovingly refer to it as "The Rock." Fortunately, Ted lives on the western coast area, where you're slightly less likely to find an iceberg in your back yard bay.
Like many of us, Ted has worked at a variety of jobs, to support himself, and now, a new wife, and a stepson he cherishes, and seems to be making a great father to. He's worked at jobs he liked, but didn't pay great, and he's worked at jobs he was overqualified for, didn't like, and which didn't pay great. He recently published a post about them, and about going back to university as a mature student to better himself.
He's finally obtained a job he likes and which allows him to support the wife and young'un in the style they all deserve. Things are simpler and slower on The Rock. Used to life in urban areas where you can walk to work, he's now dismayed at the prospect of a 45 minute commute.
His retraining was in Information Technology, I T. He has graciously helped me, and others, with problems here on WordPress. The pictures like the map at the top, which I now sprinkle throughout my posts, are there because he told the wife and me how. He explained it to the wife, and, a year later, she finally got it through to me.
Ted and his Rock are a little removed from the usual hustle and bustle of "civilization." The well-written posts on his site are bucolic, and often about life at a slower pace. They limn the fascinating life and times – the friends, and family, and neighbors – of a most interesting writer.
I suggest you visit, and sign up for a rewarding ride. Don't forget to wish him a Happy Birthday! I won't.
Happy Birthday, from the old fart, ARCHON
(I didn't know which you liked more, so I got you a chocolate one.)
Tagged age, birthday, bordello, cake, Canada, employment, family, icebergs, Newfoundland, party, The Rock, trivia, university
Since there's never enough blog awards to go around, one of our number has graciously created yet another one to be shared. Cordelia's Mom felt that there should be a badge to acknowledge visits and comments (to her site), so she produced the Enthusiasm Award. Only posting for about six months, she's obviously more computer-savvy than me. I only things I've created are chaos and confusion.
She and I both use a "That's Life" tag regularly. Whenever I check WordPress to "See what others are writing about," I often find the most recent of her cute posts. If you've still got a bit of free time, and don't mind explaining to the nice officer what you're doing, peering over the blog-fence, click on the link above and possibly be entranced and entertained.
Talk about no good deed going unpunished…. I would occasionally drop in and leave some erudite comments. The next thing I know, she's gone all Fatal Attraction on me and I'm on "A List!" "Also known as – known to police – may be unarmed and dumber than advertised – known associates, Tickle Me Elmo and Bart Simpson."
Her inspiration for this award was a comment she received on an early post, within five minutes of putting it up. I've never had one that quickly. I did get a response within fifteen minutes one night, from one of my semi-regulars. While I am often up (and sometimes posting) at unreasonable hours, he is afflicted with a medical condition similar to the wife's Fibromyalgia. The only reason I got a quick response was because he couldn't sleep. After reading my stuff, he quickly dozed off.
About two years ago, I received the similar Readers Appreciation Award, for making too free with my opinions. Taking inspiration from Cordelia's Mom, I am not notifying any of my victims. Those who show up here, find their name garishly displayed, and wish to partake of a tiny slice of the Fifteen Minutes of Fame – grab a copy, and go Do Unto Others. Those who just took the blue pill and woke up here, are also welcome to indulge – don't say I didn't warn you. It would be nice if you also linked back to her site, and told her what you've done.
Randomly listed, here are a few visitors who still take the time to make this site enjoyable.
BrainRants – Who has moved beyond the event horizon to use his intensive training in PowerPoint, to make the Free World safe.
John Erickson @ Windy City Wonderer – Now that I've bragged about you, come out of hibernation and take a bow.
BenzeKnees – With more ailments than even my wife, she still has time to tell me what she thinks.
Always a Redhead – How can you not respect a woman who loves guns and knives?
Ted @ SightsNBytes – Even busy getting (re)married, he wants me to row out to his Rock, for some cod tongues and screech.
1Jaded1 – Moved to Erickson's Windy City, and is now living in Al Capone's empty vault.
Jim Wheeler – If you want someone to explain what *erudite* means, Jim's your man.
Notes to Ponder – Has to push her comments uphill, all the way from the Left Coast, but still regularly shows up.
White Lady in the Hood – Just a (Very!) honorable mention. She's a bit busy right now for posting or commenting, although, occasionally I feel a nice warm "Like."
Let the niceness begin!
Posted in Comedy, Honors Earned, That's Life
Tagged Al Capone, appreciation, awards, computer, enthusiasm, Fatal Attraction, fibromyalgia, Newfoundland, sharing, The Simpsons, trivia, Wordpress
Seinfeld Re-Run
Being another collection of unrelated thoughts which carom and rattle around inside my vacant skull. Think of this as mental spring-cleaning, which it would be, if this were spring. This is fall. By the time I post this, I will have overnight become 68 years old, and that fact should be obvious.
I recently, righteously, slagged four female Canadian singers. I ran out of space and energy before I could include a fifth. I give you the, famous in her own mind, even when she's out of it, Nelly Furtado. Like the others, Nelly is a decent singer and performer. Unlike Shania Twain, she doesn't have a long history of verbal malaprops. She managed to do it all in one TV interview.
This one occurred just as she was breaking out. She was booked on a meet-the-artist show on MuchMusic, Canada's we-don't-need-no-stinkin'-American MTV, alternative. For a half an hour she unwittingly proved herself to be an up-and-coming Canadian racist. Everything she bragged about herself, was because she was Portuguese, not Portuguese-Canadian, just Portuguese.
She was born in British Columbia. Her first big song, I'm Like a Bird, contains the line, "I'm like a bird. I don't know where my home is." I think it fitting that, the only bird which doesn't know where its home is, is a cuckoo. The same pair of robins flew back from Florida, and nested in my porch for five or six years. Apparently, she also doesn't know where the National Geographic Channel is.
She claimed to be a great song-writer because she was Portuguese. I don't know what that says about Leonard Cohen, Gordon Lightfoot or Buffy Saint-Marie, who have Jewish, English and Cree heritage, respectively. She lauded herself about her high morals because she was Portuguese, and I almost choked. I've watched Portuguese girls coming home from Catholic school on the bus. The only thing sluttier, might be some Romanian girls. The only thing they don't show is restraint.
I'd even forgive the Portuguese references if her parents had been born there, but they weren't. They come from the Azores Islands, which are to Portugal, what Newfoundland is to Canada, only more so. Further out in the ocean, more isolated, more ignored, poorer, less literate, if it weren't for the fact that several airlines use the big island for trans-Atlantic fuelling, they'd be eating jelly-fish and smoking seaweed.
There was another blogger, whose site was also called Archons Den. He was a Filipino who posted on BlogSpot. He was big into electronics, posting about Smartphones, iPods, expensive car stereos and big-screen TVs. He may have gone bankrupt. I haven't seen a new post in almost a year. Archon is also the name given to a yearly science-fiction conference in Kansas City. I believe this year is number 37.
Booksellers like Chapters have a current book for sale, titled "Archon." It's sort of an H E Ellis', Reapers With Issues, crossed with 50 Shades of Grey. A book titled, "The Archon", is a children's story about a trek to seek peace with the Rain Queen. I'm honored, in a vague way, but I think I'll skip them both.
The niece who ate Ex-Lax, but only drank Javex once, went with her parents and siblings for a weekend visit with her other grandparents on their farm. Out of her clothes and into a nightgown, the six-year-old wanted to know what was in the coffee-pot protruding over the edge of the stove. She pulled it down on her left shoulder, and the boiling coffee was held like a sponge by the flannelette nightie. By the time the adults pulled it off the screaming child, she had been burned so badly that she developed a quarter-inch thick mass of scar tissue from the base of her neck to her vaccination mark.
Mr. Automotive Q&A published another duh-mb letter this week. The writer wanted him to help, because he had bought a used car from a dealer. He gave the salesman a cheque, which had been cashed. The day he bought the car, he needed to do some running around, so he got them to let him take the car out. He was to return it, and they were to do a safety on it. When he brought it back, the dealership refused to safety his car, and he wanted the columnist to pressure them into it. That's his story, and it sounds straightforward.
Mr. Q&A did some phoning, and quickly found out that: He left the dealer's lot at about noon on a Friday. He was supposed to return the car before end of workday. Closing time came, no car. Monday came and went, no car! Tuesday came and went, no car!! On Wednesday, the dealer plate and its holder were hanging on the dealer's front door when they opened for business. That was early in April! Now, early in September, he wants them to do all the work necessary to pass a government test, and of course, they demurred.
In Q&A's response, he told the guy that the dealer was willing to do the rear brakes, which should have been fixed five months ago, along with several other minor repairs. They would not replace the windshield which was not cracked when he took possession, nor the right headlight, which was working when he left. Since he drove 3800 kilometers after he left, they would also not replace the alternator or the windshield wipers. They would do the emission testing, but he would have to pay for any parts needed to get the car to pass.
The dealer admitted that they should never have let him off the lot, and should have notified the Ontario Transport Ministry when the car did not return. Mr Q&A, and the rest of us, assume he was driving for five months with illegal licence plates, not registered to the car. Also, since the vehicle was not in his name, he drove for the five months without the legally required insurance. Q&A gave him one week from the date of the column printing to get all this stuff done, because, as a licensed mechanic, he is legally bound to inform the ministry, if he has knowledge of non-compliance.
This all happened in Southwestern Ontario, but I'll bet you drove past a car today, driven by a yahoo like this. Scary as hell, isn't it?
Tagged 50 Shades of Grey, burns, energy, Florida, injury, music, National Geographic, Newfoundland, Portugal, racism, science fiction, singers, space, trivia


Off Wellman Way: Preparedness Seminar Saturday. Are You Car Sick Yet?
Preparedness Seminar Saturday. Are You Car Sick Yet?
Preparedness Seminars are always hard to make people come out and attend. The individuals have to be really interested and sometimes it has to be a disaster that scares them into being interested. Sad, it could be too late. It's a subject we all don't want to think about and all say to ourselves, "That scary stuff won't happen to me." There's the Scarlett O'Hara personality, from the movie "Gone With The Wind," Scarlett always says when there's something important or sad to figure out... she's says, "I'll think about that tomorrow." I've actually done that, when circumstances were overwhelming, like impending childbirth.
I brought for my display tables my 72 hour pack (that is way huge and hard to set-up) We keep buying stuff for it! We found that a dolly with two or three rectangular Rubbermaid boxes are the best to keep the stuff in. I had a big trash can with wheels and took it to a "Preparedness Idea Day" a city preparedness event, and I couldn't get the 72 hour stuff out of the car without help. It rolled and kept turning over to each side and then it took "three men and a boy" to get it back in my pick-up. New packaging was required. It's good to take it out for a trial run. One can never know if the pack is just right and a person can handle your packing job, including your children.
My other display was the children's fun activities, organization (hahahahaha), chore charts from when my kids were little, and some other wonderful things I pulled together with the help of my computer friends.
Marnie was in charge of the event with Sally. Marnie is my daughter. Soooo Steve and I really tried hard to have a lot prepared.
The activity directors got an excellent speaker on fiances! Everyone talked about how great he was.
There was the "Smoke House" playhouse to teach children about fires and fire-safety, and even a window ladder to climb down.
Lots of firetrucks for the kids to climb on and a fire extinguisher training spot for everyone to learn to use a fire extinguisher with real fire. Yikes!
Marnie and Sally had an expert cook at the activity to show us Dutch Oven Cooking and how amazing and easy that can be done with a little bit of knowledge.
in Santa Paula came down to show us all how to make the grow boxes using the "Square-Foot Gardening Method. Steve Colvard has even improved on whole system and it was wonderful to see his boxes and how he makes them. Pam and Steve also brought clippings to show everyone how to grow landscape plants on a budget. I loved that so much! It's amazing how easy it is and we all didn't know how many beautiful plants can be started that way.
My husband did a short presentation on CERT and taking care of you and your family when a small or large disaster happens. Even... when a disaster happens far-away and then we're all needed to take care of those that need us or help if they arrive here. Many people have ways and are able to go and help them. A person just needs to find the right agency to work through.
There are wonderful inexpensive ideas that came from "Daytrippin' Mom" and it's all written by Aracely Worley from Southern California.
My Young Women's President, Lisa Morgan, also prepared a display and had great ideas. She's a foster mother with tons of energy and two little ones at home. (She already raised her huge family) I loved her table!
I found my old book, "You Could Use A Little Help" by Darlene Merill. Actually, I bought two more used books through Amazon for my own grown children and the charts were not included. I got so ripped-off! But...just by chance... I found another blog that had the charts and the book to download. Bless this guy's heart for posting it on his blog. He's a single dad and also had lots of fun things to do with kids that ideas that don't take loads of money & full of memory-making ideas. His blog is great and he's just about 60 miles south of us. The blog is "Musings... no..."Rantings of a Hollywood Newbie." I've already bought the book three times, so I felt it was absolutely okay that I downloaded the charts for my grandchildren.
The charts were a big hit. Everyone that was LDS and went by my table, picked them up and said. I remember these! Some even said, "Did you have a black bean and white bean jar when you were a kid?" Me..."No, I had the beans for my own children." "I just got spanked." My children all say when they are cleaning their house now, the charts they used as kids, always come to mind on how to clean and the order--it really does make it faster and easier to get done. They love the charts!
I also have a book from Dr. Dobson, who did the radio show. Focus on the Family. I think his wife wrote the book with his help and it's huge with tons of ideas for great memories. It's packed with information for grandmothers and grandfathers, too. Yes, I love that.
A big card fell out of the book when I picked it up. It was my homemade "Car Bingo Card" I couldn't afford all the ones at Bennett's School Supply store so I made my own. We didn't have dry erase markers then, I wouldn't use them in the car anyway! We used purple crayons that never seemed to get worn-out. They did wear-out in the car on a hot day and it was not fun to try and remove from the car seat or floor.
It really cracked-me-up to see what I drew for them. Hahahahaha I 'crack myself up' Nevermind.
All my kids love these cards. Bree even was going to ask me to look for them to use on the way out to see us from Arkansas. Okay, Okay...one is road-kill spat, roller skates?, banana bike?, telephone booth, a police badge. (That was okay to look for an officer, because they knew my mom was a police woman with a badge) Oh, and I had a roll-off bin and a trash truck because my husband owned a trash hauling business. Storage containers are everywhere now, but back then it was hard to find them. The Heil Trash Truck rear-loader... doesn't even resemble the trash trucks of today and the VWs....the kids knew the VW, even though I couldn't draw it right. They knew because it was "Beetle Bop" and could hit the person next to you. The card was really a fun find. I tried to discourage the "Beetle Bop Game"...yeah, it leads to black-eyes... Huh Marnie? "Zits" weren't on the bingo card, just horses. Zits were special white horses and you got money for finding a "Zit."
I always thought "Zits" and "Beetles" were important to look for because some kids (and adults) get really car-sick looking down. Actually, one of my greatest fears as a kid was going on a long ride. I ALWAYS got sick! My mom has the same problem so she had empathy for me and we'd stop as I needed and she'd help me, even though it made her sick to be right there. Quote from Time CNN said, "People who do not get seasick, find seasickness uproariously funny. People who do get seasick want to die. Wit is no longer witty, companionship no longer desirable. They want to be alone. Then they want something to hang on to while they go through the misery of turning themselves inside out." It's not in your head and know that it's really misery. I grew to hate 7-up and Pepto-Bismo. I did learn salty lime chips or a real lime and some soda crackers do help me with baby chewable Tylenol. I don't know why that works. Actually, a small amount of Dramamine is okay for me, but I know it can have terrible side-effects...I don't really care when I'm so sick. So watch it. BTW if you do take that medicine the trip is over and a nap will take its place.
I took that Dramamine stuff on a patch when I went deep sea fishing and was so sick anyway! My eyes got really weird. One pupil opened up all the way and the other when to a pin-prick, everyone thought I looked posessed! The captain knew I was in so much misery, he came down to console me and gave me a fishy-smelling trash can. He went on to say that a lady that was on board his boat this month, and had that patch, got so crazy she took off all her clothes "down-below" and came on deck and ran around naked. I asked my husband to tie my hands to the cover post. Finally, it ended and the Captain said, "You made it and hope to see you better next time!" I said, "The next time I come here is when H*%$ freezes over." My newly called missionary son covered his ears.
Daramine, crackers, lime powder candy (who thought of this great invention), Baby chewable Tylenol, and even Pepto Bismo are in MY 72 HOUR and they are always in my purse and in my car.
"Kids don't look down!" "Hey, did you see that??!!" "I think that was "Big Foot" !!!!


I am new to ZK and have recently inherited an abandoned project to continue building and begin supporting. I was able to get the ZK framework setup without any problems on my Windows installation, however I'm having a small issue on my Ubuntu 9.04 VM. I am continuing to get a HTTP Status 500 when I try to pull up http://localhost:8080/zkdemo/userguide/, however http://localhost:8080/zkdemo works okay.
but I'm trying to understand why it's not working when I specify a path. I've looked through as much documentation as I can find, but was unable to find an answer and is hoping someone can help.


NOTE: This page is worked on the back of page 3!
Rnd 6: Work 2 SC into first SC, work 1 SC into next 4 SC. *Work 2 SC into next SC, work 1 SC into next 4 SC. Repeat from * until end (36 SC).
Row 26: CH 1, work 1 SC into next ST, work 1 DC into next ST, work 2 DC into next ST, work 1 DC into next, work 1 SC into next ST.
Row 11: CH 1, work 1 SC into next ST, work 1 DC into next ST, work 2 DC into next ST, work 1 DC into next, work 1 SC into next ST.
SL ST into first ST, work 1 SC into next ST, work 1 HDC into next 3 STS, work 1 DC into next 2 STS, work 2 DC into last ST.
Row 7: CH 1, work 1 SC into each ST until end (9 SC).
SL ST all around hat. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Row 9: CH 1, work 1 SC into next 5 SC. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Row 5: CH 1, work 1 SC into next 5 SC. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Row 3: CH3 (counts as 1 DC), work 1 DC into same ST, work 1 DC into next ST. *Work 2 DC into next ST, work 1 DC into next ST. Repeat from * until end (18 DC) – continue in the round and SL ST all around.
CH 7, work 1 SC into 2nd CH from hook, work 1 SC into next ST, work 1 DC into next ST, work 1 SC into next 4 STS, SL ST into next ST.
Row 11: CH 1, work 1 SC into next 2 STS, *work 1 SC, CH4, 1 TR into next ST, work 1 TR, CH4, SL ST into same ST*, work 1 SC into each ST until 4 STS remain, repeat from * to * once, work 1 SC into last 2 STS.
SL ST all around. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Row 3: SL ST into each ST until end. Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing.
After last row, fasten off and weave in ends.
Row 5: CH 3 (counts as 1 DC), work 1 DC into same ST, work 1 DC into next 3 STS. *Work 2 DC into next ST, work 1 DC into next 3 STS. Repeat from * until end (30 DC) .
With golden brown yarn SL ST all around, fasten off and weave in ends.
Row 11: CH 1, work 1 SC into first ST, work 1 HDC, 1 DC into next ST, CH 3, work 1 DC, 1 HDC into next ST, work 1 SC into last ST.
stitches on the chest and SL ST into the next , fasten off and weave in tails.
Sew chest onto page next to the pirate on the right hand side.