A Centenary Shared explores public attitudes to the Centenary of the First World War and the commemoration activities that have taken place so far. Are people still interested? What have they learned? And what does the war of 1914-18 mean to Britain in 2016?
Building on the baselines established in 2013's Do mention the war: Will 1914 matter in 2014? and in 2014 after the Centenary commemorations began this report, authored by British Future in partnership with the BBC, Imperial War Museum, Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, finds an enduring public appetite for the Centenary and remembering the First World War.
At this halfway point in the Centenary commemorations, the report shows a public that remains engaged with the Centenary, wants to learn more and which feels that the tone of the commemorations so far has been about right. And despite public disagreements in the lead-up to the Centenary about its meaning and how it should be marked, we find that most people can agree on what they feel the Centenary should be about: a chance to learn, to remember and to focus on reconciliation with former enemies.


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898 F. 2d 553 - Fleming v. County of Kane State of Illinois R
898 F2d 553 Fleming v. County of Kane State of Illinois R
30 Fed. R. Evid. Serv. 65
Robert G. FLEMING, Plaintiff-Appellee,
COUNTY OF KANE, STATE OF ILLINOIS, and Nabi R. Fakroddin,
Defendants-Appellants.
Argued Feb. 7, 1989.
Gerald J. Brooks, Steven B. Adams, Fawell, James & Brooks, Naperville, Ill., for plaintiff-appellee.
David R. Akemann, Office of the State's Atty. of Kane County, Geneva, Ill., Gerard B. Gallagher, Peter A. Bauer, Mark C. Amador, Patricia J. Stiles, David L. Joslyn, Gallagher & Joslyn, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., Robert F. Casey, Casey & Krippner, Geneva, Ill., for defendants-appellants.
Before FLAUM, RIPPLE, and KANNE, Circuit Judges.
KANNE, Circuit Judge.
In the Sec. 1983 action underlying this appeal, Robert G. Fleming (hereinafter "Fleming" or "plaintiff"), alleged that defendants, Kane County and its Highway Superintendent, Nabi R. Fakroddin, harassed and ultimately dismissed him from his position with the Kane County Highway Department in violation of his first and fourteenth amendment rights. Fleming maintained that he was terminated in retaliation for his vocal criticism of the bid-letting procedures surrounding a road construction contract. After a jury trial, the district court entered a judgment in favor of Fleming. Defendants filed post-trial motions praying for: (1) a judgment notwithstanding the verdict, or alternatively, for a new trial; or (2) for a remittitur of damages if their motions for a JNOV or new trial were denied. The district court issued an order denying defendants' post-trial motions, except to the extent of granting defendants a new trial on the damages issue if Fleming did not accept a remittitur in the damage award in the amount of $80,000. 686 F.Supp. 1264. Fleming accepted the remittitur and a final judgment was entered in favor of Fleming in the amount of $157,574.19.1 Fleming was subsequently awarded attorney's fees under the Civil Rights Attorney's Fees Awards Act of 1976, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1988, in the amount of $205,176.19. Defendants appeal from these final decisions.
FACTUAL SUMMARY
Robert G. Fleming served as the Assistant Superintendent of Highways for Kane County from 1968 until his termination by Nabi Fakroddin on June 7, 1984. From 1969 until March 1, 1984, William Carter served as Superintendent of Highways for Kane County and, by virtue of that position, was Fleming's immediate supervisor. Carter unexpectedly resigned this position prior to the end of his term. Upon Carter's formal resignation on March 1, 1984, Nabi Fakroddin commenced his tenure as Superintendent of Highways. After a series of disciplinary measures ostensibly imposed pursuant to a "progressive discipline" scheme, Mr. Fakroddin terminated Mr. Fleming on June 7, 1984.
At trial, Fleming alleged that his termination was in retaliation for his vocal criticism of Kane County's construction of an overpass over the East-West Tollway at Orchard Road ("the Orchard Road project"). Specifically, Fleming questioned the integrity of the bid-letting procedures surrounding that contract.2 Fleming's responsibility on the Orchard Road project, as it had been on other similar projects, was to review the submissions for the project and approve the monthly pay estimates. Because the project file failed to document the changed location of the borrow pit or any reduction in the contract price to offset the savings which resulted from that relocation, he refused to approve the monthly pay estimates for that project.
Fleming's discontent with the letting of the Orchard Road project manifested itself over the ensuing months in the form of various communications with county and state officials. Fleming contacted the Kane County State's Attorney's Office, the Illinois Attorney General's Office, the FBI, the Kane County Clerk, and the ten contractors who had bid on the Orchard Road project and been rejected. Each of these communications conveyed the perception that a "cover up" of the alleged impropriety of this project's letting procedures was being undertaken by the various Kane County officials involved.3 Fleming alleged at trial that it was in retaliation for these "whistle-blowing" activities that he was terminated.
Contrary to Fleming's allegations in his first amendment claim, defendants maintained that Fleming's termination was a result of his poor work performance and insubordination. Evidence in support of both contentions was presented at trial. Specifically, defendants pointed to various instances in which Fleming allegedly failed to adequately perform tasks which he was assigned by Mr. Fakroddin. Moreover, defendants presented testimony from Mr. Fakroddin and other employees regarding instances in which Fleming had allegedly directed obscene gestures and verbal insults at Mr. Fakroddin and others in the department.
In returning its verdict in favor of Fleming, the jury determined otherwise. Specifically, the jury found that Mr. Fleming was terminated because of his "whistle-blowing" activities with respect to the Orchard Road project. Moreover, the jury found that defendants would not have terminated Fleming had it not been for his vocal criticism of the procedures surrounding the Orchard Road project.
Defendants raise four separate issues in this appeal. First, defendants argue that the district court abused its discretion in excluding from trial defendants' proffered evidence regarding the apparent propriety of the procedures surrounding the Orchard Road project. Second, defendants argue that the district court erred in denying their motions for a JNOV, or alternatively, for a new trial. Third, defendants argue that the damages awarded were against the manifest weight of the evidence. Finally, defendants argue that the court's award of attorney's fees under Sec. 1988 was excessive.
Exclusion of Orchard Road Evidence
The extent to which the jury was exposed to evidence regarding the alleged improprieties surrounding the award of the Orchard Road project underlies the primary issue presented for review in this appeal. This evidence was generally excluded from trial pursuant to the district court's rulings on various pre-trial motions as well as evidentiary objections at trial. The manner in which these motions were pursued is as follows.
On September 10, 1987, Fleming filed a motion to exclude the testimony of defendants' expert Howard Schwark, a former Superintendent of Highways for Kankakee County. Defendants had indicated that they would call Schwark to testify that there was no impropriety in the procedures surrounding the letting of the Orchard Road project. This motion was granted by the district court on September 18, 1987. In granting this motion, the district judge reiterated the stance which he would adopt toward this type of evidence throughout the trial--i.e., that, for the purposes of Fleming's first amendment claim, it did not matter whether his criticisms of the Orchard Road project were in fact justified. In excluding both plaintiff's and defendants' evidence on the actual merits of the Orchard Road project, the district judge was attempting to prevent the parties from engaging in a "mini-trial" on that subject. During the course of this same hearing, however, the trial court ruled that Fleming would be permitted to introduce limited evidence regarding the Orchard Road project as "background" to explain his reasons for vocally criticizing the project.
Thereafter, defendants filed a Motion in Limine or, Alternatively, Defendants' Motion to Reconsider, and Offer of Proof Regarding the Orchard Road Project. Defendants sought to preclude Fleming from presenting any evidence beyond a general statement to the effect that he disputed the procedures surrounding the Orchard Road project. Defendants' concern was that Fleming would present "just enough evidence" to raise an unrebutted inference that there was corruption on the part of the County officials and, in so doing, prejudice the jury. In the alternative, defendants requested the court to reconsider its order granting plaintiff's motion in limine on Howard Schwark's testimony. Finally, defendants made an Offer of Proof in which they offered evidence which, if allowed at trial, would have shown that: (1) the local and main Illinois Department of Transportation offices reviewed and approved of the change of the borrow pit site; (2) the change of site was entirely legal and proper; (3) the decision to change the site was made after reviewing other less efficient options; and, (4) the option chosen saved the County up to $400,000 and completed the project ahead of schedule. These motions were orally denied by the court during a status hearing on October 1, 1987.
During the course of the trial, Fleming was permitted to introduce as "background" evidence certain of his perceptions regarding the Orchard Road project. Specifically, Fleming was permitted to read his "Collusion or Gross Stupidity" letter into evidence. In addition, plaintiff questioned other witnesses in his case-in-chief in a relatively neutral manner regarding their awareness of the Orchard Road project.4 At all times during the presentation of the evidence where an instruction to the jury was warranted, however, the court carefully reiterated to the jury the fact that the propriety or impropriety of the procedures surrounding the Orchard Road project were not an issue in this case. Moreover, the jury was admonished that it should not interpret defendants' silence on this issue as an admission that there was in fact some type of corruption involved. The substance of these instructions was presented to the jury one final time in the court's final instructions prior to jury deliberations. The jury was not unaware of its obligation in this regard.
The practical result of the court's resolution of these evidentiary pre-trial motions and objections, according to defendants, was a one-sided, selective presentation at trial of the circumstances surrounding the Orchard Road project which went beyond mere "background" and unfairly prejudiced defendants in their presentation of the case. Specifically, defendants argue that the impact of these rulings was to ensure that the jury would infer wrongdoing on the part of the County and, accordingly, rule in favor of Fleming on his first amendment claim.
Our review of the trial court's rulings with regard to the admissibility of this evidence is governed by the "abuse of discretion" standard set forth in Sherrod v. Berry, 856 F.2d 802, 804 (7th Cir.1988) (en banc); United States v. Garver, 809 F.2d 1291, 1297 (7th Cir.1987). Guided by the deference we are obligated to afford the district judge's evidentiary determination in this regard, we affirm the exclusion of defendants' proffered testimony.
The district judge's motivation, both in his rulings on the parties' pre-trial motions and in his evidentiary rulings and jury instructions during the course of the trial, was to preclude the parties from engaging in a "mini-trial" on the propriety or impropriety of the procedures surrounding the Orchard Road project. He firmly maintained, and both parties concede, that the extent to which Fleming's allegations were true or false did not affect his right under the first amendment to raise those concerns. Thus, the district court's evidentiary rulings were an attempt to focus the jury's attention on that issue which it was obligated to decide--i.e., whether Fleming's termination was motivated by his first amendment activity or whether it was motivated by other constitutionally legitimate considerations.
Defendants argue, however, that this fact by itself does not dispositively address the relevance for which this evidence was submitted. Specifically, defendants maintain that this evidence should have been admitted as probative of Mr. Fakroddin's motivation in firing Mr. Fleming. As hypothesized by the defendants, in the absence of any corruption on the part of the County in letting the Orchard Road project, Mr. Fakroddin could have no motivation to terminate Fleming for this "whistle-blowing" activity.
Addressing the balance that must be struck under Federal Rule of Evidence 403 between the probativeness and prejudicial impact of proffered evidence, we stated, " 'the relevant inquiry is whether any unfair prejudice from the evidence substantially outweighs its probative value.' " Cook v. Hoppin, 783 F.2d 684, 689 (7th Cir.1986) (quoting United States v. Hattaway, 740 F.2d 1419, 1425 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1028, 105 S.Ct. 448, 83 L.Ed.2d 373 (1984)). We do not question defendants' assertion that this evidence regarding the propriety of the Orchard Road project, although not directly probative of Mr. Fakroddin's motivation in terminating Fleming, may have been at least tangentially relevant. Our review of the transcript, however, persuades us that any potential relevance which this evidence may have had was substantially outweighed by the potential unfair prejudice which it could have had on the jury's perception of Fleming's right to exercise his first amendment right to speak out. This was precisely the concern of the district judge in excluding this evidence. In this regard, we have noted, "[t]he trial court's balancing of probative value and unfair prejudice is highly discretionary and its decision on admissibility will be accorded 'great deference.' " West v. Love, 776 F.2d 170, 174 (7th Cir.1985) (quoting United States v. Medina, 755 F.2d 1269, 1274 (7th Cir.1985)). Based on our review of the transcript of the proceedings below and the deference which we owe the district court's balancing of this difficult issue, we conclude that it was not an abuse of discretion to exclude this evidence from trial.
Motion for JNOV or, Alternatively, a New Trial.
Defendants maintain that the evidence adduced at trial did not support the verdict in favor of Fleming under the Supreme Court's decision in Mt. Healthy City School Dist. Bd. of Educ. v. Doyle, 429 U.S. 274, 97 S.Ct. 568, 50 L.Ed.2d 471 (1977). Under Mt. Healthy, once Fleming had shown that his conduct was constitutionally protected and that it was a "motivating factor" in defendants' decision to terminate him, the burden shifted to defendants to show that they would have terminated Mr. Fleming even in the absence of his "whistle-blowing" activity. Id. at 287, 97 S.Ct. at 576; Nekolny v. Painter, 653 F.2d 1164, 1167 (7th Cir.1981), cert. denied, 455 U.S. 1021, 102 S.Ct. 1719, 72 L.Ed.2d 139 (1982). Pointing to certain derogatory statements directed by Fleming toward Mr. Fakroddin,5 defendants argue that they have met their burden with regard to the second prong of the Mt. Healthy test. Specifically, defendants argue that in light of these statements, a reasonable juror could not have found that Fleming would not have been discharged even absent his protected speech.
Our review of the trial court's denial of defendants' motions for a JNOV and a new trial requires us to apply two separate standards. With respect to defendants' motion for a JNOV, we have stated:
we must determine de novo 'whether the evidence presented, combined with all reasonable inferences permissibly drawn therefrom, is sufficient to support the verdict when viewed in a light most favorable to the party against whom the motion is directed.'
Cygnar v. City of Chicago, 865 F.2d 827, 834 (7th Cir.1989) (quoting Tice v. Lampert Yards, Inc., 761 F.2d 1210, 1213 (7th Cir.1985)); see also Collins v. State of Illinois, 830 F.2d 692, 697 (7th Cir.1987). Elaborating on our function in this regard we have noted, "[t]his court will not reweigh or reevaluate the evidence--that task is reserved to the jury as factfinder." Siddiqi v. Leak, 880 F.2d 904, 908 (7th Cir.1989).
Our review of the record in this case leads us to affirm the district court's denial of defendants' motion for a JNOV. While we generally agree with the district court's assessment that Fleming's behavior was "reprehensible", we do believe that the record provides substantial evidence in support of Fleming's claim that he was discharged in retaliation for his "whistle-blowing" activity and that his reprehensible behavior would not have otherwise motivated his termination. As in Collins, "[a]lthough the jury might have been entitled to decide otherwise, the jury was entitled to find retaliation because we believe there was substantial evidence of retaliation. It was certainly more than a scintilla." 830 F.2d at 705. Accordingly, we affirm the district court's denial of defendants' motion for a JNOV.
The district court's denial of defendants' motion for a new trial demands a somewhat more exacting standard of review. Under this court's decision in Cygnar:
[t]he test to be applied in determining whether a motion for a new trial should be granted is whether 'the verdict is against the weight of the evidence, that the damages were excessive, or that, for other reasons, the trial was not fair to the party moving.'
865 F.2d at 835 (quoting General Foam Fabricators v. Tenneco Chemicals, Inc., 695 F.2d 281, 288 (7th Cir.1982)). Defendants point to each of these factors in support of their motion for a new trial.
Although the evidence presented at trial provided substantial support for both parties' contentions, and although the jury's initial award for emotional distress was determined by the district court to be excessive, we do not believe that these facts warrant our reversal of the district court's denial of defendants' motion for a new trial. As we stated in Cygnar:
'[b]ecause the authority to grant a new trial ... is confided almost entirely to the exercise of discretion on the part of the trial court, ... the grant or denial of a motion for a new trial is not subject to review by this court, except upon exceptional circumstances showing a clear abuse of discretion.'
865 F.2d at 835 (quoting General Foam, 695 F.2d at 288). At trial, a substantial amount of evidence was presented in support of both parties' contentions. As is evident by the jury's ultimate determination, that which was presented by Mr. Fleming was perceived as the more credible.6 Based on this fact, and the proper allocation of the roles between the judge and jury in determining the facts, we do not find a "clear abuse of discretion" in the denial of defendants' motion for a new trial and, accordingly, affirm.
Fleming's final damage award, in the amount of $157,574.19, was comprised of the following elements: $65,516.90 for back pay; $21,767.09 for future lost income; $30,290.20 for lost income from investment earnings; and $40,000 (reduced from $120,000) for emotional distress. Defendants' challenge to the propriety of this damage award raises two arguments. First, defendants argue that the award for "loss of wages"--i.e., the $87,283.99 representing the awards for back pay and future lost income--is against the manifest weight of the evidence. Second, defendants argue that the award of $40,000 for emotional distress, even after the remittitur of $80,000, is "grossly excessive." In reviewing the claim for "loss of wages," we note that we are bound by the district court's determination as to the appropriate amount of damages unless that determination is clearly erroneous. Donnelly v. Yellow Freight System, Inc., 874 F.2d 402, 411 (7th Cir.), cert. granted in part, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 363, 107 L.Ed.2d 349 (1989).
The substantive law regarding the recovery of lost wages in the employment discrimination context was addressed by this court in Hanna v. American Motors Corp., 724 F.2d 1300 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 467 U.S. 1241, 104 S.Ct. 3512, 82 L.Ed.2d 821 (1984). Under that standard, an employee who seeks lost wages for the period of discrimination has the initial burden of establishing the amount of damages. Once the amount sustained as damages has been established, the burden shifts to the employer to prove, as an affirmative defense, that the employee failed to mitigate those damages. Id. at 1306-07. In order to prove a failure on the part of the employee to mitigate, the employer must show that:
(1) the plaintiff failed to exercise reasonable diligence to mitigate his damages, and
(2) there was a reasonable likelihood that the plaintiff might have found comparable work by exercising reasonable diligence.
Id. at 1307 (emphasis in original); see also United States v. City of Chicago, 853 F.2d 572, 578 (7th Cir.1988). Defendants' arguments with respect to this portion of the damage award focus on the "mitigation" issue.
Defendants argue that the evidence which was presented on their behalf at trial established that Fleming had not sufficiently mitigated his damages. Specifically, defendants point out that during the five year period from the time he was fired in 1984 until he reached the age of 65 in 1989, Fleming contacted only two headhunters: Argonne High Tech in early 1985, and P & I Consulting sometime in 1986. Citing Hunter v. Allis-Chalmers Corp., Engine Div., 797 F.2d 1417 (7th Cir.1986), defendants argue that this showing of "job-hunting effort" cannot serve as sufficient mitigation.7 Moreover, defendants point out that Fleming turned down "two or three" jobs offered by P & I Consulting. According to Fleming's testimony, one job involved the construction of the "deep tunnel" in Chicago--a project which he testified to "knowing absolutely nothing about." The second, although not explicitly described, was located at O'Hare International Airport. Fleming apparently turned this job down because it would entail a lot of driving, and it didn't appeal to him.
Fleming responds that his situation is more analogous to that presented in Orzel v. City of Wauwatosa Fire Dept., 697 F.2d 743 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 992, 104 S.Ct. 484, 78 L.Ed.2d 680 (1983). In Orzel, a 55-year-old plaintiff who had been involuntarily retired secured one part-time job and applied for a separate full-time job during a two-year period, in addition to placing his name on file with the Wisconsin Job Service. We held that, under the circumstances presented, he had not breached his duty to exercise "reasonable diligence" in mitigating his damages.
It is by now well-established that the principle of mitigation of damages requires an injured party, at the risk of having his damage award reduced, to take reasonable steps to minimize the harm done. See Allis-Chalmers, 797 F.2d at 1427; Farnsworth, Contracts Secs. 12.12 and .13. Fleming's diligence in attempting to secure other employment does not amount to that which we consider "reasonable." Fleming's efforts to secure a new job--e.g., his efforts in contacting two head-hunting firms--occurred within the first two years of his termination. Thereafter, the record indicates that Fleming's only activity in this regard was to turn down two or three jobs which he had been offered. It would be a stretch of this court's precedent to conclude that this activity constitutes "reasonable diligence." As we stated in Allis-Chalmers, "[y]ou cannot just leave the labor force after being wrongfully discharged, in the hope of someday being made whole by a judgment at law." 797 F.2d at 1428. In light of the less than vigorous nature of Fleming's attempt to secure other employment, and in view of our prior case law on this subject, we conclude that the district court's award of back pay for the entire five-year period prior to Fleming's date of retirement was clearly erroneous. Accordingly, we reduce Fleming's award for loss of future wages to an amount which compensates him for the period covering only the three years immediately following his termination. This period appears to be the span of time during which Fleming's efforts to secure new employment could be described as "reasonable." Cf. Allis-Chalmers, 797 F.2d at 1428. This portion of the damages award is remanded for computation in line with this opinion.
As compensation for emotional distress, the jury awarded Fleming $120,000. Pursuant to defendants' post-trial motion for a JNOV or, alternatively, a new trial, the district court gave Fleming the option of accepting a remittitur from that award in the amount of $80,000, or a new trial on the damages issue. Fleming accepted the remittitur. In this portion of their challenge to the damage award, defendants maintain that the award for emotional distress, even as reduced to $40,000, is "grossly excessive."
The standard for reviewing the dollar amount of this type of jury award has recently undergone some change. Under our traditional standard, only in those circumstances where the jury damage award is " 'monstrously excessive,' a product of passion and prejudice, or if there is no rational connection between it and the evidence, may the trial court disturb it." Cygnar, 865 F.2d at 847. As an additional consideration, however, we have further noted that we must examine compatibility among such awards--i.e., whether the award is out of line with other awards in similar cases. See Id. at 848; In re Innovative Constr. Systems, 793 F.2d 875, 887 n. 11 (7th Cir.1986); Joan W. v. City of Chicago, 771 F.2d 1020, 1023 (7th Cir.1985). Finally, the district court in this case granted defendants' motion for a new trial on this issue with the option for Mr. Fleming to accept a remittitur in the amount of $80,000. Under this factual scenario, "a somewhat more exacting standard of appellate review should apply." Cygnar, 865 F.2d at 848. Our review of the record in this case, together with our review of amounts awarded in other similar cases, persuades us that the final award of $40,000 is not "grossly excessive" and does fall within the range of reasonable damage awards under these circumstances.
The record in this case does show a rational connection between the evidence and the damage award. During the course of the trial, the jury heard evidence describing Fleming's humiliation at being subjected to defendants' adopted course of "progressive discipline." Specifically, Fleming testified to his embarrassment and humiliation at being reprimanded in front of his fellow employees, some of whom he had worked with for many years. Moreover, he testified to certain depression he suffered during the period in question, as well as to serious headaches and sleeplessness. Finally, this testimony as to his physical and emotional condition was supported by testimony from his wife and a fellow department employee. The testimony of Dr. Thomas A. O'Shea, Fleming's personal physician, indicates that the job stress which Fleming experienced during this period may have resulted in an aggravation of his physical condition. Dr. O'Shea, however, declined to comment specifically on his emotional condition. In light of all this evidence, we cannot conclude that the award of $40,000 was unsupported by the evidence. Compare Nekolny v. Painter, 653 F.2d 1164 (7th Cir.1981).
Thus, the propriety of this damage award hinges on the compatibility of this award to awards which have been given in other similar cases. With regard to this aspect of our review:
[t]he trial court's superior position in regard to a particular jury award does not help achieve roughly uniform damages awards in cases involving very similar facts. Therefore, traditional notions of deference do not carry as much weight and an appellate court may properly exercise more control over the size of damage awards in such cases.
In re Innovative Constr. Systems, 793 F.2d at 887 n. 11. Even with this added degree of discretion, however, we conclude that this award is not incompatible with that range which has been awarded in other similar cases. In Webb v. City of Chester, 813 F.2d 824 (7th Cir.1987), we examined a variety of cases, both from this circuit and others, in which plaintiffs who had been fired pursued their legal remedies under Secs. 1981 or 1983.8 Our review of those cases led us to the conclusion that damage awards in this context have ranged from $500 to over $50,000. Mr. Fleming was awarded $40,000 for emotional distress. Although this award falls within the upper limits of that range, we do not conclude that it is out of line with other cases in similar contexts. See, e.g., Ramsey v. American Air Filter Co., Inc., 772 F.2d 1303, 1313 (7th Cir.1985) ($35,000 was determined to be outermost award that could be supported by the record in Sec. 1981 race discrimination case). Accordingly, we affirm the district judge's award of $40,000.
On December 1, 1987, attorneys for Mr. Fleming filed their Motion for Costs Including Attorney's Fees under Sec. 1988 for a "lodestar amount" of $232,403.75. In a Memorandum Opinion and Order dated April 12, 1988, the district court ruled that plaintiff was entitled to attorney's fees under Sec. 1988, but did not rule on the exact amount to be awarded. Rather, the court's discussion was limited to preliminary findings. As to the "hourly rates" that could appropriately be assessed for each attorney's time, the court indicated that neither "historical billing rates" nor pure "current billing rates" could properly serve as a fair measure of "reasonable attorneys fees" under Sec. 1988. The district court's concern was to compensate plaintiff's attorneys for the delay they had experienced in collecting their fees. With this concern in mind, the court concluded that: (1) the actual regular billing rates for each of Fleming's lawyers at the respective times the services were rendered would serve as the reasonable prevailing rates for those lawyers; and (2) adjustment to those rates would take the form of adding interest at the prime rate from a date 30 days after the end of the month in which the services were rendered. With regard to the number of hours claimed by plaintiff's counsel, the court indicated that defendants' objections were well-founded and urged counsel to independently resolve their discrepancies over this amount.
After counsel had failed to independently resolve their disputes over the fee issue, plaintiff submitted a Supplement to Motion for Costs Including Attorneys Fees in which the amount prayed for was reduced to $205,176.80. This reduction was the result of a number of factors. First, plaintiff's counsel made adjustments to the hourly rates. The newly proposed rates reflected the attorneys' actual billing rates at the respective times at which each particular service was rendered. Plaintiff's counsel also made significant reductions in the "time spent" attempting to accommodate defendants' objections to their original submissions.9 In their Response to Plaintiff's Supplement, defendants renewed their objections to the number of hours claimed, contested plaintiff's use of the "adjusted hourly rates," and objected to the award of any interest on the unpaid attorney's fees. After a hearing in which each of these issues was discussed, the court, without further explanation, entered a Minute Order on June 23, 1988, allowing $205,176.80 to plaintiff as attorney's fees and costs. Defendants appeal from this final order.
Defendants arguments with respect to the award of attorney's fees are threefold. Initially, defendants argue that plaintiff's attorneys waived their right to receive interest on the fees award in that they did not include this amount in their original fee petition. Defendants present, and we have been able to find, no authority in support of this proposition. Second, defendants argue that the award of attorney's fees was excessive. Finally, defendants point to the one-page Minute Order of June 23, 1988, and argue that the district court's lack of explanation as to why plaintiff's calculation of the fees amount was chosen over that of defendants necessitates a remand on this issue for an explanation.
We address defendants' third argument first. In Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424, 437, 103 S.Ct. 1933, 1941, 76 L.Ed.2d 40 (1983), the Court stated that a district court must provide "a concise but clear explanation of its reasons for the fee award." See also Lenard v. Argento, 808 F.2d 1242, 1247 (7th Cir.1987) (substantial fees awards cannot be supported by a one-page opinion that announces only conclusions rather than providing reasons for those conclusions). The district court's final order of June 23rd awarding $205,706.80 provides no explanation. It is true, as plaintiff points out, that the April 12th Memorandum Opinion and Order provides a lengthy discussion by the district judge regarding his initial thoughts on the fees issue. It does not, however, provide a clear and concise explanation as to why plaintiff's calculations were adopted over those of defendants. Indeed, the content of this Order indicates that the court, at least initially, found some of defendants' objections to have merit, particularly those concerning the disputed number of hours claimed by plaintiff's counsel. Based on the confusion which is described in footnote 9, supra, it is also apparent that defendants did not intend to withdraw those objections as the district judge had assumed. Thus, to the extent the final award of attorney's fees mirrors that which was prayed for in Plaintiff's Supplement (as it does here), it is necessary for the district judge to provide an explanation as to why he chose plaintiff's calculations as to the appropriate fee over those of defendants.10 Accordingly, we remand for this purpose.
In remanding this issue to the district court, we think it appropriate to provide guidance as to defendants' contentions in their second argument. Initially, defendants argue that the award of interest should not be at the prime rate, but rather at some lower rate. Second, defendants argue that any interest awarded should only run from June 24, 1988, the date the judgment awarding interest was rendered. We will address each of these contentions in turn.
A. Award of Interest at the Prime Rate
As a result of the fee arrangement under which plaintiff's attorneys obligated themselves to work, they have yet to receive a portion of their attorney's fees.11 Although Fleming agreed to pay his attorneys on an hourly basis, his attorneys assumed a certain "risk of loss" by agreeing to represent him at a rate lower than their usual billing rate. By virtue of this arrangement, plaintiff's attorneys placed themselves in a position similar to that occupied by attorneys who accept representation on a contingency basis. It is apparent from the district court's Memorandum Opinion and Order of April 12th, however, that the addition of interest to the lodestar amount was not an attempt to compensate plaintiff's attorneys for the limited "risk of loss" which they assumed in this representation. Rather, the district judge's concern was to compensate plaintiff's attorneys for the delay they have experienced in collecting their full fees--i.e., to compensate them for inflation and the time value of money.
This court, as well as others, has recognized that when attorneys experience a delay in receiving their fees, the fee award should compensate them for inflation. Ohio-Sealy Mattress Mfg. Co. v. Sealy, Inc., 776 F.2d 646, 660 (7th Cir.1985). More specifically, this court has recognized that "a district court may compensate for delay by a computation of interest, a percentage allowance for inflation, or a similar allowance in choosing a 'so-called multiplier.' " Id. at 663; see also Chrapliwy v. Uniroyal, Inc., 670 F.2d 760, 764 n. 6 (7th Cir.1982), cert. denied, 461 U.S. 956, 103 S.Ct. 2428, 77 L.Ed.2d 1315 (1983). Finally, we have recognized that "[t]he determination of what constitutes reasonable attorneys' fees lies in the sound discretion of the district court, and we will disturb the district court award only for an abuse of that discretion." Ohio-Sealy, 776 F.2d at 650; see also Illinois v. Sangamo Construction Co., 657 F.2d 855, 862 (7th Cir.1981).
In light of this precedent, it was clearly not an abuse of discretion on the part of the district court to attempt to compensate plaintiff's attorneys for the delay by applying an interest rate to the lodestar amount.12 Defendants argued in their reply to plaintiff's supplement, and continue to argue in this appeal, however, that the application of the prime rate of interest is excessive. If interest is to be allowed on the unpaid attorney's fees, defendants maintain that a lower rate such as the rate for Treasury Bills or One-Year Certificates of Deposit should be applied.
In light of the broad discretion to be afforded the district court in determining what constitutes a "reasonable attorney's fee," we cannot conclude that the application of interest at the prime rate was an abuse of discretion. Nonetheless, the district court's obligation to provide an explanation as to why it chose the prime rate over those advocated by defendants has not been satisfied in this case. Because of the lack of explanation regarding the rate chosen, our remand in this case includes instructions to address this issue.
B. Date at Which Interest Begins to Accrue
In the Memorandum Opinion and Order of April 12th, the district judge directed that interest should be added to the lodestar figure "from a date 30 days after the end of the month in which the services were rendered" through October 22, 1987, the date on which judgment was entered on the jury's initial verdict as to liability. This application of interest is inappropriate.
As we have noted, "plaintiffs may collect interest on attorney's fees or costs only from the date that the award was entered." Ohio-Sealy, 776 F.2d at 662. Prior to the date the judgment on attorney's fees was entered, plaintiff's attorneys' claim for unpaid attorney's fees was unliquidated and, as such, not entitled to interest. Perkins v. Standard Oil Co. of Cal., 487 F.2d 672, 675 (9th Cir.1973); see also In re Burlington Northern, Inc. Employment Practices Litigation, 810 F.2d 601, 609 (7th Cir.1986), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 821, 108 S.Ct. 82, 98 L.Ed.2d 44 (1987) (under 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1961(a), the statutory presumption is that interest on money judgments "shall be calculated from the date of the entry of the judgment"). In this case, the record clearly indicates that the award of attorney's fees was entered on June 24, 1988. Accordingly, interest will be allowed on the amount awarded as attorney's fees only from June 24, 1988 until the date the judgment is paid.
For the foregoing reasons, we AFFIRM the district court's exclusion of the Orchard Road evidence, we AFFIRM the district court's denial of defendants motions for a JNOV or, alternatively, a new trial, we REMAND the award for "loss of wages" to the district court for computations consistent with this opinion, we AFFIRM the district court's award of damages for emotional distress, and we REMAND the determination of attorney's fees to the district court with instructions.
This final judgment represents: $87,283.99 for lost earnings; $30,290.20 as compensation for Fleming's premature withdrawal from his annuity; and $40,000 for emotional distress, reduced from $120,000 by the $80,000 remittitur
The stipulated facts show that the general contract for the Orchard Road project was let to A.J. Maggio Co. for $1,163,700. One element of this construction package called for the excavation, transportation, and placement of "suitable borrow" material to serve as the foundation for the pavement base. Originally, the borrow material was to be excavated from a site 2.9 miles from the construction site. After the contract was awarded, however, the borrow pit location was changed to a location approximately 1,000 feet from the construction site, resulting in a significant reduction in the haul mileage. The contract for the Orchard Road project was not relet, nor was a reduction made to the contract price to reflect this reduction in haul mileage
One such letter was actually more of a story written by Mr. Fleming entitled "Collusion or Gross Stupidity" (the "Collusion Letter"). As his introduction to this "story," Mr. Fleming states, "[t]his is a story about collusion between a top Kane County Government Official and a Contractor, or is it a story about gross stupidity on the part of the Government Official, you be the judge."
Specifically, Fleming elicited Orchard Road testimony from William Carter, the former Superintendent, as well as Paul Holcomb, Richard Stout, Allen Johnson, and Richard Dencer, co-employees of Fleming at the Highway Department. In none of these instances, however, did the testimony specifically address the actual merits of the Orchard Road project. Finally, Fleming elicited testimony regarding Orchard Road from William Barrett, the State's Attorney assigned to investigate the propriety of the Orchard Road project. The results of Mr. Barrett's Investigative Report--i.e., that there was no wrongdoing in the Orchard Road overpass--were made known to the jury during plaintiff's direct examination of Mr. Barrett. Additionally, the Report itself, although admitted for the limited purpose of showing that an Investigative Report had been undertaken by the State's Attorneys Office, was available to the jury during its deliberations
It is undisputed that Mr. Fleming made the following derogatory statements to Mr. Fakroddin during the relevant period in question:
"You wouldn't make a pimple on an engineer's ass."
"You don't have the guts to fire me."
"This is another instance of you lying to me."
Although we are not in the business of weighing the credibility of the witnesses, our review of the trial transcript permits us to understand the jury's conclusion. Mr. Fakroddin's testimony was filled with inconsistencies and opportunities, not lost by plaintiff's counsel, for substantial impeachment. Thus, while we do not purport to determine the credibility of the witnesses, we can understand the jury's apparent resolution of that issue
In Allis-Chalmers, the plaintiff, Hunter, was initially awarded $134,000 in back pay for the five-year period between the date he was fired and the date of trial. The evidence showed, however, that during this period, Hunter did not work at all for the first three-and-a-half years, and thereafter held four jobs, three of which lasted for no more than six weeks and one of which was seasonal. Additionally, the record showed that Hunter had applied to sixteen employers other than those from whom he accepted positions. Based on this record, and other case law, we concluded that the maximum period of unsuccessful search that Hunter could be allowed was three years. Accordingly, the case was remanded to the district court to recompute the back-pay award
See 813 F.2d at 836 n. 3 and cases cited
therein.
It is unclear whether these reductions in hours appeased defendants' concerns in this regard. In the June 23, 1988 status hearing, the district judge indicated that he believed that the defendants no longer had any objections to the hours as they had been refined. The district judge apparently based this assumption upon the following language found in defendants' response to plaintiff's supplement--"Defendants state that they have no objection to the hours of work reflected in the May 2 and June 3, 1988 statements, attached as Exhibit 'E' to the Plaintiff's Supplement." Defendants argue that this was not a withdrawal of any objections they previously had to the number of hours claimed by plaintiff. Rather, defendants maintain that the impact of this language was simply to provide a written waiver of objections to the hours worked by plaintiff's counsel after their submission of the original Fee Petition. Thus, it appears that there is still a dispute over the number of hours initially claimed
In their response to Plaintiff's Supplement, defendants provided various computations of what might be an appropriate fees award in the event that any or all of their objections were sustained. These figures range from $127,391.25 to $179,383.44. Thus, without the benefit of explanation, the June 23rd Order of the district court obligated defendants to pay between $25,793.36 and $77,785.55 over that which they feel obligated to pay under their own calculations
The fee arrangement in force between Fleming and his attorneys provides, in pertinent part:
The fee basis shall be hourly, with attorney time to be billed at a flat rate of $20.00 per hour, that being one-fourth of the primary attorney's customary billing rate. It is agreed and understood that if I prevail upon my civil rights claim(s), my attorneys will apply to the court for an award of costs including attorney's fees under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1988. Upon receipt of any such award, they will reimburse me therefrom for the amount of fees and costs I shall then have paid to the Firm in connection with this matter ... I understand ... and state that the foregoing arrangement is in consideration of the Firm's undertaking to represent me in same and is intended to provide partial compensation to the Firm for its service during the course of said matter.
In Ohio-Sealy, a case in which the arrangement between the parties called for payment on an hourly basis, we stated, "[t]he interest rate approach is not appropriate here since the plaintiff paid its lawyers on an hourly basis...." 776 F.2d at 663 n. 17. The unique nature of the fee arrangement between Fleming and his lawyers distinguishes this case from Ohio-Sealy, however, in one very important respect. In Ohio-Sealy, the lawyers worked on an hourly basis and, according to the panel authoring that opinion, experienced no delay in receiving their payments. Thus, they were in possession of the money in question and there was no reason to attempt to compensate them for the loss of use of that money. Under the facts of the case at bar, however, plaintiff's attorneys have not received all of their attorney's fees and, as such, it is appropriate to attempt to compensate them for the loss of use of that money

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Swings of Beauty. Amazing how similar they are at the point of contact.
I sent a video clip of Lefty's swing to his coach and got some good feedback. He recommended that Lefty get his belly button facing the pitcher after contact. He also noticed that Lefty's front knee is bent at and following contact which takes away all his power and torque produced by his lower half. He explained the stride leg can go out bent but should straighten as the swing progresses.
To encourage this approach, I printed out pictures of Lefty's two favorite players' swings – Trout and Harper. I was shocked to find the similarity in their swings when placed side by side. I put these photos right over Lefty's bed hoping for visions of raking to fill his dreams.
Lefty working on his swing to be like his favs.


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» Tax » Scotland drops plan to slash air departure tax
Scotland drops plan to slash air departure tax
The Scottish government has made a u-turn on plans to cut the rate of tax on air travel with the introduction of an air departure tax (ADT) in Scotland, which would replace UK wide air passenger duty (APD)
The original proposal would have seen a 50% reduction on the UK rate, but the Scottish government has dropped the plans in response to growing concerns about the impact of climate change.
The policy, which was a key plank of the majority SNP party's last election manifesto, has already been considerably delayed. It was as originally slated to come into effect from 1 April 2018.
As well as halving the rate, the Scottish government said it intended to abolish the tax completely by the end of the parliamentary session in 2021, or 'when resources allow'.
However, in June 2018 the Scottish government said the introduction of the replacement tax would be deferred by a year until the issues raised in relation to the Highlands and Islands exemption had been resolved. This exemption, for air travel by passengers from remote island communities where population levels are sparse but there is heavy reliance on air services, exists within APD.
Last month, Kate Forbes, minister for public finance and digital economy, gave a Parliamentary written answer on the issue in which she said the exemption question, which potentially amounted to an EU state aid issue, still remain unresolved and stated that 'this, taken together with the continued uncertainty around Brexit, means that that we have to defer the introduction ADT beyond April 2020.'
Now finance minister Derek Mackay has made clear ADT will not go ahead in its current form, saying the proposals were 'no longer compatible' with Scotland's climate change targets.
Analysis by the Scottish Green Party suggested halving air duty rates would increase CO2 emissions by 60,000 tonnes, and there were indications that the government was about to face a challenge on the tax in parliament.
The Committee on Climate Change last week recommended that Scotland could achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, with ministers then confirming the new target would be incorporated into the climate change bill, which recently completed stage one in its journey through parliament.
Mackay said: 'All parts of government and society have a contribution to make to meeting this challenge - and reducing ADT is no longer compatible with more ambitious climate targets.'
Roseanna Cunningham, environment and climate change secretary, said: 'Following the First Minister's declaration of a climate emergency last week, and the recommendations from the UK Committee on Climate Change, we have moved quickly to increase Scotland's emissions reduction targets – which will now be the most stringent in the world. We are reviewing a range of policies across government to ensure that we can meet those targets.'
John Cullinane, CIOT tax policy director, said: 'Now that ministers have used today's statement to refocus their policy priorities, the next objective must be to find a solution to the state aid issues preventing the tax from being implemented and on agreeing the detailed rules under which ADT will operate.
'The Scottish government's plans for ADT – regardless of the rates ultimately proposed – have been hampered by a lack of detail over how the tax will operate. Basic questions – such as who will pay what, when they will pay it and who is exempt from the tax –all require answering before the tax is in a position to take off.
'With this information lacking, it has been difficult to say with any certainty what impact the tax would have on the government's objectives of improving connectivity, promoting economic growth and now, meeting its climate change targets. This hampers the ability of MSPs to properly scrutinise the detail behind the legislation.'
TaxPersonal taxPoliticsInsightBusiness


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Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi
Established in 1996, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) is committed to protecting and enhancing air quality, groundwater as well as the biodiversity of our desert and marine ecosystem. By partnering with other government entities, the private sector, NGOs and global environmental agencies, EAD embrace international best practice, innovation and hard work to institute effective policy measures. It seeks to raise environmental awareness, facilitate sustainable development and ensure environmental issues remain one of the top priorities of our national agenda. Since 2008, EAD has been awarded ISO 9001 for Quality, ISO 14001 for Environment, ISO18001 for Health and Safety and ISO 22301 for Business Continuity Management System.
International Fund for Houbara Conversation
The International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) is a non-profit organisation supported by the Government of Abu Dhabi. It is one of the world's largest species conservation projects, overseeing an international network of specialised Houbara breeding centres to support and increase wild populations of the bird in its natural habitats across entire species range. Abu Dhabi's Houbara programme started in the 1970s. The decline in numbers of the birds in the wild was recognised by the UAE's then President, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who initiated a project based on a vision for conservation, underpinned by principles, which remain at the heart of the programme today.
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC)
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) is made up of Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Al Ain Convention Centre, ExCeL London, Capital Gate, Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi Hotel, Aloft Abu Dhabi Hotel, Aloft London ExCeL Hotel, IDEX LLC, Capital Hospitality, and ADNEC Services.
ADNEC supports the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 and Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 through delivering significant direct and indirect impact on the Abu Dhabi economy to help the Emirate achieve its long-term goals of economic growth and diversification. Towards this priority, it provides world class facilities and high-quality venue services for renowned national and international exhibitions and conferences. Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and Al Ain Convention Centre hosted over 500 events and welcomed over 2 million visitors in 2018.
ADNEC also organises the highly successful International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX), the Naval Defence and Maritime Security Exhibition (NAVDEX), Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX), Simulation Exhibition and Conference (SimTEX), Abu Dhabi International Boat Show (ADIBS) and SIAL ME.
Since its inception in 2005, ADNEC has delivered significant direct and indirect impact on the Abu Dhabi economy valued at AED32 billion. In 2018 alone, the company supported the creation of over 20,000 job opportunities in related sectors and helped generate 473,454 guest nights for the hospitality sector in the emirate.
SUSTAINABILITY SPONSORS
A Real Estate Master Developer with a unique vision in mind, Wahat Al Zaweya,a company listed in listed in Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), has walked a distinct path in the field of Real Estate development and marketing.
Taking property development to a higher level, the company has launched anumber of inimitable residential and commercial projects that constituted a strong feeder for property market in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, creating unprecedented investment opportunities for Emiratis.
Inspired by Abu Dhabi Vision 2030, Wahat Al Zaweya has adopted a policy of sustainable economy in its projects that evidently meet environmental safety standards and motivate green activities, such as home gardening.
Sector Sponsor
Barary Ain Al Fayda Development
Development. Barary Ain Al Fayda Development is a real estate development company with the mission to manage the development of Barary Ain Al Fayda project. The project's scope of work consist of development of Barary Ain Al Fayda located in Al Ain. It is located at the foothill of Jebel Hafeet, surrounded by lush vegetation and natural springs, giving it a unique setting and offering a balanced lifestyle through areas dedicated to walking, entertainment, and sports.
Tiger Properties
For more than forty-three years, TIGER has been and we still at the level of challenge & responsibility towards our customers. We traveling with them from success to success, and from excellence to another.
Today, we renew our commitment to continue building, giving and succeeding with our partners and customers, TIGER is proud to be part of the phenomenal growth of UAE in recent decades. We have started as contractors and since then we have become one of the largest companies in the region with more than 200 projects completed including 80 million square feet of built area.
Feature Sponsors
Dhabian Equestrian Club
Dhabian Equistrian Club, offers a wide range of horse riding activities from beginner to advanced lessons, we also offer lessons for kids as young as 3 years of age. So if you are a seasoned rider or just like to ride for fun, DEC have something for you.
Dhabian Equestrian Club has introduced the first purpose built Academy in the UAE where all the lessons are curricullum based. The books are written by the Dhabian Team to provide knowledge in a number of equestrian fields for both children and adults. DEC also offer Desert rides, beach rides, birthday parties, corporate events and much more.
Smart Design LLC is a company built on traditional values and modern thinking that has deservedly become the premier exhibition stand and display building business in the UAE.
Our Goal: is to maximize your exposure and reinforce brand identity by employing cutting edge designs and build with pride to the most exacting standards. birthday parties, corporate events and much more.
Our Values: At Smart Design, we are committed to a set of values prevailing in the business world, we have a clear professional standards.
Customer focused: We aim to exceed the expectations of our external and internal customers.
Results-driven: We take personal responsibility for achieving excellent business results.
Ethical: We are open and honest and meet our commitments with a responsible approach to the environment and our communities.
Creative: We continuously strive for innovative and better ways to deliver our business.
One team: We work together consistently, promoting co-operation and mutual support, to achieve our corporate objectives.
ALMOE
Almoe AV Productions / Rentals, part of the Almoe Group of Companies, is the region's most trusted one-stop shop for Audio Visual solutions & services. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, our 5 divisions offer technical expertise and knowledge which has helped us grow from humble beginnings to now having a presence across the GCC and India.
Bin Hamouda
To be a model dealer in the area through proper, up to standards facilities equipped with an enthusiastic team driven by the voice of customers committed and dedicated to customer enthusiasm.
Development of the GM business objectives and serving our community in our country with integrity and the best values we know.
Mutual Trust
Media Sector Sponsors
Media Sector Sponsor
Pyramedia provides world-class media services across a full spectrum of Media Training, Content Creation, Public Relations, Marketing & Advertising, Events Management, Media Profiling, making us the only company in the region with such a unique and varied range of media services. With an award- winning team from different disciplines, Pyramedia promotes a culture of variation, creativity and skills that add exceptional value to the media experience.


The NW Region of NATS includes Alaska, all of British Columbia, Western Washington, and Western Oregon.
The region is home to seven NATS chapters and over 350 NATS members.
On this site, you can find links to all of the chapters and events being held by the region, and registration for the Northwest Region's round of the NATS National Student Auditions.


Although National Candy Month is coming to a close, we're feeling sweet, not sour. That's because we've taken a trip to the candy shop to find designs certain to sweeten up any room year round. With bright colors and shapes to delight the eyes and taste buds, look no further than this colorful array of our favorite candy-inspired products.
Arne Jacobson's iconic faucet isn't just a bathroom fixture – it's a part of design history. An updated classic with 15 vibrant colors straight out of the jelly bean jar, we can't help but feel elated at the sight of this sweet treat.
What's cheerier than cherries? Designed with Michael Angelo of Wonderland Beauty Parlor, Flavor Paper offers pop art cherry wallpaper set against a variety of colors. In a twist sure to please anyone's sweet tooth, Flavor Paper makes this cherry jubilee even sweeter with a scratch and sniff option. Talk about a design straight out of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory!
Does your mouth water at the sight of rock candy? In the latest addition to their renowned line of Wabi sinks, Stone Forest has managed to channel these delicious and colorful sugar crystals with solid pink onyx. And just like rock candy crystals, this unique material means no two vessels are exactly alike.
Corbett Lighting's delicious Dolcetti chandelier certainly lives up to its name. Dolcetti of course means "sweets" in Italian, but seriously, what could be more sweet than this confection of shells, crystal, art glass and stainless steel? With Italian elegance sweeter than tiramisu, this is the perfect chandelier for channeling your inner child.
When we see the Mr Impossible chair by Kartell and Philippe Starck, we can't help but recall the classic lollipop wrapped in colorful cellophane. Mr Impossible is a treat for the eyes, combining some of the most advanced technologies in plastics manufacturing along with a classic look and a delightful pop of color.


text:
Talk:Wii64/Archive 2
< Talk:Wii64
1 "An error has occurred"
2 loading ROMs from a DVD?
3 Help with loading ROMS in the first place
4 Why re-invent the wheel?
"An error has occurred"
A message saying "An error has occurred" appears when I try to load a ROM from an SD Card. Has anyone else encountered this problem?--FearMe 17:18, 7 June 2008 (CEST)
Not had any problems like that? Have you got the roms loaded in the right folder on the SD card? You need N64ROMS and N64SAVES in the root directory. JD 18:42, 7 June 2008 (CEST)
Yes.--FearMe 18:51, 7 June 2008 (CEST)
Here's an image of the error: [removed] --FearMe 19:22, 7 June 2008 (CEST)
My mistake... As it turns out, it was the format of the ROM that caused the problem... Sorry... --FearMe 18:05, 15 June 2008 (CEST)
I have the Same problem "an error has occured". i put the rom into the folder N64ROMS, and also i've created an empty folder N64SAVES. the ending of the rom-files are .v64. on my pc i can start the roms (with project64), but not with wii64 --Seeyou 01:15, 6 July 2008 (CEST)
Same problem here... I try to go into my SD Card and it says an error occurred. I formatted it into Fat and Fat32, its also not SDHC. I cant access the card from the wii64 at all. I've had no problems like this with any of the other applications or emulators so it has to be wii64. I'll try a DVD and see if it persists.--Yourevilmonkey 18:56, 31 May 2009 (UTC)
How does one load off a DVD, anyway? Help would be appreciated!--Yourevilmonkey 02:33, 1 June 2009 (UTC)
so i had the same problem you must only download loadmii than open there the apps folder than wii64 than the boot dol and it should work if it doesn't work i can#t do something but if it works plz write a mail to domborn@gmx.de ok?? DODO
loading ROMs from a DVD?
Does anyone have any insight on how to do this? The article says the ROMs can be anywhere on the DVD. I've tried both +R and -R and neither are working... Please Help!
This is only for GC the Wii version don't support this option but may be for the next realise - Yod4z GMT+1 12:03
Help with loading ROMS in the first place
ive loaded roms that are listed on your compatibility list. They are not working, the screen stays black and only show the FPS meter on the top left corner. anyone able to help?
Why re-invent the wheel?
Since the Wii is already fully-backwards compatible, why not just use the Wii's built-in N64 emulator? Right now, Wii64 can't even play any games because the frame rate is so low. Wouldn't it be FAR FAR easier to just use the emulator that's already there? VC downloads are just ROM files anyway, so why not go this route? --Sigma 03:47, 2 December 2008 (UTC)
VC downloads are NOT just the rom file, each VC game as its own specific 'emulator' for that rom. Taking out the emulator can't be done. --Bg4545 04:19, 2 December 2008 (UTC)
Not true, Bg4545. The emulator included in a virtual console download can be used with different roms. But that is not an appropriate topic for wiibrew.org. Flark 12:32, 2 December 2008 (UTC)
Well yeah, I know that but each 'emulator' is 'optimized' for one rom. That's why injections don't work perfectly --Bg4545 22:50, 2 December 2008 (UTC)
Retrieved from "https://wiibrew.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Wii64/Archive_2&oldid=91411"


You are visiting the placeholder page for Susan Long. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Susan Long. We created this page automatically in hopes Susan Long would find it. If you are not Susan Long, but are an alumni of Hughesville High School, register on this site for free now.


The SW Experts | How Do You Take Your Conversations Online Into A Real Life Date?
How Do You Take Your Conversations Online Into A Real Life Date?
First off, congratulations are in order. Your profile and effortlessly witty conversation online has landed you an actual date in The Real World. Now what?
Although you've met online, both of you are obviously looking to meet someone who you can have a relationship with offline. This means that however perfect things seem to be going via the Internet, you do need to actually meet the person in real life as soon as possible if you want the relationship to go anywhere. Dragging out your back and forth messages is unrealistic and could give you false hopes about the person you're talking with.
While dinner and a movie is a classic, there's limited opportunity to chat to your date in the dark cinema and it's not great if you realise half way through that you don't like them as much as you'd thought. Instead go for something more creative that shows off who you are, or simply coffee or drinks, which gives you the chance to escape if you want to or extend the date if you're getting on well! Maybe try a brunch date or one of our active date ideas.
It doesn't mean your usual manners should go out the window! Even if you arrive and they look nothing like their pictures, or you don't click AT ALL face to face, do bear in mind that this is still a person with feelings. Stay for one drink and make polite conversation before you bolt.
The more dates you go on, the better you'll become at establishing whether you might want to see more of someone based on your conversation over coffee. Not only that, but you'll become a better date yourself too. You'll be able to build a bank of go-to funny stories to tell and interesting, relevant questions to ask, while knowing to keep the super-personal info out of the conversation.
Keep it simple – if you like them let them know. People appreciate those who are upfront and there's no point faffing with the 'two day delay'. Whether you stay within the dating site to contact them or have exchanged personal contact details by this point, it doesn't really matter. Just a message to say you had fun and you'd like to see them again will do the trick.
Unfortunately, not every date will be a winner. If you've followed up and your date doesn't seem so keen, you've got to learn to let it go. This is another case of practice makes perfect, because although it's always going to hurt a bit, the more this happens the thicker your skin will become. Don't bug them for an explanation if they don't give one, and once they've made up their mind they probably won't change it. There are millions of other people dating online so try not to get hung up on that one who doesn't want to be with you! You're only wasting time that could be spent finding the one who does. Likewise, don't keep someone else hanging if you're not too keen on them yourself. Let them down kindly, and then move swiftly on! Try to remember to keep things light and breezy, and not get too caught up overall.


The groundbreaking Apollo Saxophone Quartet has been at the forefront of the British contemporary music scene for over 26 years. The ensemble has made the largest single contribution to the saxophone quartet repertoire in the UK, commissioning and premiering over 100 works, ranging from quartets to concerti and film scores, as well as numerous creative collaborations with poet, dancers, multimedia and strings.
Established in 1985 at the Royal Northern College of Music, the multi-prizewinning ensemble (Royal OverSeas League, Tunnell Trust, Erasmus Concours Netherlands, Tokyo International Chamber Music Competition winners) quickly established a reputation for excellence and versatility, working across contemporary classical and jazz genres, regularly touring internationally and featuring in live broadcasts on Classic FM, BBC Radio and TV. The group has released six CDs to date (Decca/Argo, Black Box, Quartz), as well as being featured on many other recordings showcasing the work of individual composers (Michael Nyman, Michael Torke, Django Bates, John Casken, Joby Talbot etc.).
The Apollo Saxophone Quartet will release a CD of their latest commissions in 2013, continuing the rich legacy of high quality, original music that this unique, genre leading ensemble has brought into being. 2012 sees a performance at the World Saxophone Congress, with the Quartet & the newly-formed Apollo Saxophone Orchestra (releasing a CD in collaboration with Barbara Thompson), a collaboration with Manchester University Head of Composition Kevin Malone, and a performance at London Jazz Festival.
The Apollo Saxophone Quartet are Selmer Paris Performing Artists.


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Superstition Review Submissions Open
January 19, 2023 January 17, 2023 Superstition Review
Superstition Review
Superstition Review is open to submissions for Issue 31! Our submission window closes January 31st, 2023.
Our magazine is looking for art, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Read our guidelines and submit here.
Editing Process Art, art submissions, Call for Submissions, Creative Writing, Fiction, issue 31, NonFiction, Poetry, poetry submissions, Submissions are open, Submittable, Superstition Review, superstition review issue 31, Superstition Review Submissions, Writing Leave a comment
Issue 30 Launch Party
November 17, 2022 November 16, 2022 Superstition Review
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Biggie's Life After Death, a Guest Post by Brian Huba
October 14, 2022 October 10, 2022 Brian Huba
I was a senior in high school when the Notorious BIG died. Back then, during the height of the East Coast vs. West Coast Rivalry, hip-hop figures felt more like professional wrestlers than young men. They had "stage" names. They had entourages. They operated in a constant state of conflict. Their whole scene was so over the top, it ceased to be real for me. Now it's 25 years later. I'm 42 years old. I teach English at an inner-city high school in Upstate New York. And I'm still trying to process Biggie's violent death, to properly lament all that was lost on that tragic night in 1997.
A few days ago, I saw a Facebook post from a woman I grew up with. It read, "SiriusXM channel 105 is now Notorious BIG radio!!!" Without delay, I punched it up, and suddenly I was 17 again. It was Memorial Day Weekend, which meant everyone was at Lake George, a resort town sixty miles north of Albany, and "Mo Money, Mo Problems" blared from tricked-out cars and Jeeps with no doors that crawled down the crowded strip, Federal agents mad 'cause I'm flagrant/tap my cell and the phone in the basement… Biggie had been dead just two months, and his posthumously-released double-album Life After Death ruled the radio waves. We had no idea who'd shot Biggie. But we understood it was revenge for Tupac Shakur's slaying the previous November. And now that both kingpins were gone, America's Rap War could end.
It might seem strange for a white boy from Upstate New York to feel any kind of connection with Biggie Smalls, whose birthplace of Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn is practically on another planet. But my life began much like his. I was born September 26th, 1979 at Albany Medical Center. My mother was just twenty years old when she had me. I never knew my real father. Me and mom started out with her parents in a part of North Albany that had once been dominated by an Irish-Catholic constituency. But, by the time I arrived, a racial shift was in full swing. I was the only white kid in my kindergarten class. Like Biggie, I suffered from strabismus, a medical condition in which the eyes don't properly align. From this, I developed a crippling inferiority complex. I refused to have my picture taken. I wouldn't make eye contact with people when they spoke to me, often giving the impression that I was hiding something, or lying about something. Then I heard Biggie say, Heartthrob–never/Black and ugly as ever, with all the confidence of a King. And that gave me confidence. That lyric became a mantra. It helped me stop hating myself. Instead of letting my unfortunate eye condition defeat me, I took steps to correct it.
As a teacher, my first classroom was a converted storage area in the school's basement level. The walls were paint-peeled and pockmarked. There was no window. No bookshelves. No books. I was assigned five sections of remedial English, the ones nobody else wanted to work with. My students were mostly black or Hispanic. They had discipline problems. They came from unthinkable living situations. The average literacy was at a second or third grade level. Before I could actually teach them anything English-related, I had to establish some sort of connection. I tried icebreaker games like "This or That" and "Desert Island." Nothing worked. They saw me as just another white-guy teacher in their endless line of white-guy teachers. Then everything changed. One day, in early October, two boys at the back table began to loudly argue, and I wasn't sure what I'd do if they got physical. At some point, one boy said to the other, "You want beef, bring it." Without thinking, I began to rap, What's Beef?/Beef is when you need two Gats to go to sleep/Beef is when your moms ain't safe up in the streets…
"Yo, Huba, you know Big!?"
"Yeah, I know Big."
I still work at that same school. My current classroom is on the top floor. Its windows overlook a courtyard that doubles as the Senior Lounge in warm weather. I've been here for sixteen years. In that time, I've taught all the most-recognizable writers, everyone from William Shakespeare to Stephen King, Maya Angelou to Ernest Hemingway, John Grisham to John Steinbeck, Harper Lee to JD Salinger. And I can tell you with total certainty that the Notorious BIG is a finer wordsmith than all of them. Don't believe me? Google the lyrics to "Everyday Struggle," then ask yourself: who can write this? Who can so masterfully manipulate the English language? I've poured over Biggie's catalog for two decades and it still scrambles my brain. Every line, every lyric: stratospherically brilliant. As an educator, and a published writer, I wouldn't have the first clue how to teach someone to do what Biggie could do. All before the age of 24! I can only come up with two conclusions. 1) He read everything under the sun, fully absorbed every word on every page, then instantly understood how to weaponize it. Or, 2) Biggie Smalls was a God.
Sometimes when I start class by saying, "Okay, guys, here's today's agenda–" I'll silently sing to myself, …Got the suitcase up in the Sentra/Go to Room 112/Tell them Blanco sent ya…
The best hip-hop song of all time is Biggie's aspirational anthem, "Juicy," which begins with the line, Yeah, this album is dedicated to all the teachers that told me I'd never amount to nothin.' This sentiment hits me hard. Presumably, if what Biggie says is true, there's a teacher out there who once upon a time dismissed Christopher Wallace as a lost cause. I've made it my solemn vow to never be that teacher to any student. Public education isn't a one-size-fits-all situation. Talent and potential come in countless forms, and it's my job to detect it, then guide it, then help it grow. A teacher who couldn't see that Christopher Wallace was the Notorious BIG…I cannot imagine a more-appalling indictment against our profession.
25 years later, and the murder of Biggie Smalls remains unsolved. Whoever fired that fatal bullet might still walk among us, knowing he got away with it. Biggie was just 24 when he passed. Today he'd be 50. In 2017, Biggie's mother, Voletta Wallace, said, "He was so young, so talented, and his life was taken far too soon."
While Tupac seemed to thrive on the idea of a bicoastal rap war, I truly believe Biggie didn't want it. When Shakur died, Biggie's estranged wife, Faith Evans, said, "I remember Big calling me and crying. I think it's fair to say he was probably afraid, given everything that was going on at that time and all the hype that was put on this so-called beef that he didn't really have in his heart against anyone. I'm sure for all he thought, he could be next."
Don't get me wrong: Biggie was a rough-and-tough guy. Biggie was a criminal. And he didn't write Walt-Disney songs. Not even close. Yet, when I listened to his lyrics, I always sensed a soul-deep desire for the good life…back of the club/Sippin Moet is where you'll find me…
When Biggie died, the usual slew of conspiracy theories made the rounds. It was staged. He's still out there. Him and Tupac played us all. This sort of thinking was certainly helped along by the fact that the album released shortly after his passing was eerily-titled Life After Death (which followed the also-eerily-titled Ready to Die). The album's cover showed Biggie in a long black coat leaning against a hearse. He wasn't smiling. He wasn't mad. It was what it was. But what sticks with me most about that album is a line in the song "Kick in the Door," Your reign on top was short like leprechauns.
Looking back, such conspiracy theories were a way for us to cope. I recognize that now. The world's greatest rapper was cut down in the prime of his life, and we lacked the sophistication to properly process all that was lost. But he was so much more than just a rapper. He was a son. A husband. A father. Or, as he would put it, My daughter use a potty so she's older now/Educated street knowledge I'ma mold her now. Biggie didn't deserve to die the way he did, when he did.
But maybe, just maybe, this tragic tale has a happy ending. Maybe our crazy conspiracies are actually true, or sort of true. Maybe Biggie Smalls is still out there living his best life after death. Maybe he's lounging on a private beach in a parallel universe. Maybe that fatal bullet missed its mark on March 9th, 1997. Maybe there never was an East Coast vs West Coast Rap War. Maybe It was all a dream.
In one of my English classes, there's a kid named Angel. He's not a traditionally-good student. He frequently blows off assignments. He gets in trouble…a lot. But Angel has a dream. Angel wants to be a world-famous rapper, and he works nonstop at it. He's always busy thumbing lines and lyrics into his iPhone. His "stage" name is "AngelFromNE." He tells us to "Stream AngelFromNE on all platforms." So, one day, I did just that. I streamed AngelFromNE, and listened to a few of his tracks. He's very raw, but there's potential there.
When I saw him again, I said, "Angel, you need to read everything you can get your hands on. All the great ones know words. They use words to tell their story. They find a way to make unrhyming words rhyme. You have to be able to manipulate the language." Then I asked Angel, "You know about Biggie?"
"Not really," he said. "Biggie's before my time."
"Okay," I said. "There's this song I think you should Google."
Guest Posts Biggie Smalls, Brian Huba, Christopher Wallace, English Teacher, English teacher in New York, New York, NonFiction, Rappers, Reading, Teaching writing, Writing Leave a comment
Sandra Cisneros's Woman Without Shame
October 3, 2022 October 10, 2022 Superstition Review
Woman Without Shame (Knopf, 2022) | Sandra Cisneros
Author of House on Mango Street and a dozen other books, Sandra Cisneros has published a collection of poems for the first time in twenty-eight years. Woman Without Shame, published by Knopf, details Cisneros's journey to embracing her identity as a woman and an artist through song, elegies, and declarations. Using both Spanish and English, Cisneros is both blunt and humorous in her collection.
Sandra Cisneros is currently traveling all over the US, and she will be coming to the Poetry Center in Tucson, AZ, November 9-12. Find a complete list of locations here!
Glorious . . . Cisneros candidly ticks through past lives and lovers with an approach that isn't concerned with what people will think. . . . As in her former works, Cisneros masters scene-setting, and story, usually with a humorous angle. . . . Woman Without Shame is brave and beautiful.
Meredith Boe, Chicago Review of Books
Sandra Cisneros has won numerous awards throughout her long career as a writer: the Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award, the Mountains & Plains Booksellers' Award, and others. To learn more about her, visit her website.
These lush, narrative-lyrics are written with a vivid wild girl spirit, filled with unbridled love, angst and joy! This book is a page-turner and should not be missed!
Marilyn Chin, author of Portrait of the Self as Nation
To purchase Woman Without Shame, go here.
Contributor Updates Knopf, Mujer Sin Vergüenza, NonFiction, Poetry, Poetry Collection, sandra cisneros, Woman Without Shame 2 Comments
August 26, 2022 August 26, 2022 Superstition Review
Superstition Review is open to submissions for Issue 30! Our magazine is looking for art, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Read our guidelines and submit here.
Events Art, Creative Writing, Fiction, Issue 30, NonFiction, Poetry, Submissions, Superstition Review, Superstition Review Art Submissions, Superstition Review Issue 30, Superstition Review Poetry Submissions, Writing Leave a comment
Edited by Randon Billings Noble
A Harp in the Stars (University of Nebraska Press 2021) | Randon Billings Noble
Randon Billings Noble has compiled a diverse array of writers for a remarkable collection of lyric essays published by the University of Nebraska Press in October 2021. A Harp in the Stars: An Anthology of Lyric Essays "show lyric essays rely more on intuition than exposition, use image more than narration, and question more than answer." Although no one summary can begin to capture the essence of these essays, one can expect revelation through flash, segmented, braided, and hermit crab forms, plus a section of craft essays. This collection also features a number of past SR contributors including Dinty W. Moore, Lia Purpura, Sarah Einstein, Elissa Washuta, Julie Marie Wade, Eric Tran, Heidi Czerwiec, and Michael Dowdy.
Randon Billings Noble was featured in Issue 11. If you would like to see even more of Noble's work, it is featured on her website and she can also be found on Twitter.
I've been searching for a book like this for over twenty years. Its remarkable dazzle–a sharp, eclectic anthology combined with whip-smart craft essays–carves out a fascinating look into the bright heart of what the lyric essay can be.
Aimee Nezhukumatahil, author of World of Wonders
A Harp in the Stars is available via the publisher, Amazon, or anywhere books are sold.
Contributor Updates Anthology, Braided narrative, craft essays, flash nonfiction, hermit crab form, lyric essay, NonFiction, Randon Billings Noble, segmented form, University of Nebraska Press 1 Comment
Laurie Blauner's Two New Works
Laurie Blauner | Out of Which Came Nothing by Laurie Blauner (Spuyten Duyvil 2021)
Congratulations to Laurie Blauner for releasing a new novel and a book of short stories. Her latest novel is titled Out of Which Came Nothing. Enter a parallel universe with Aaron, a boy wholly dependent on religious cult caretakers in this stunningly lyrical and descriptive world. This novel was published in September 2021 by Spuyten Duyvil and is available now on their website and Amazon.
The sense is almost one of a world somewhere between a fairy tale and a fever dream; a nightmare with ill-defined limits that is both all-encompassing and self-contained. This is not a contradiction by any means. It is a state of being that is as specific as a recurring nightmare we can't let go of, a nightmare that takes over our being and drags us deeply into a well of consciousness where voices in the darkness are threatening to follow us into an uncertain darkness. And we go. Because we have no choice not to.
Laurie Blauner's newest release, I Was One of My Memories, is an essay collection published by PANK magazine since winning its 2020 Nonfiction Book Award. In this book, you will find more of her lyrical prose as she covers topics such as obsession, lies, aging, and what it really means to be human. You can order this book from PANK.
I Was One of My Memories does one of the things that I love most about the thing we call creative nonfiction: it shows us its thinking, its flawed and idiosyncratic and completely delightful thinking. It is a thinking shaped by experience, pleasure, grief, and disappointment, while the diverse forms, the small essays, little animals of the mind, might be read as recursive attempts toward sense making.
J'Lynn Chapman, Contest Judge and author of To Limn / Lying In
I Was One of My Memories by Laurie Blauner (PANK 2021)
You can find Laurie's contribution to Superstition Review in Issue 21, which features one of the essays in I Was One of My Memories under the same title, and Issue 8, which features her poetry. You can also check out these books and more on her website.
Contributor Updates Creative Nonfiction, essay collection, Laurie Blauner, lyrical prose, NonFiction, Spuyten Duyvil Leave a comment
Mirrors and Doors with Patricia Ann McNair
September 1, 2020 August 28, 2020 Superstition Review
An Authors Talk
"Reading to relate is like looking in a mirror; I want to walk through a door."
In this insightful Authors Talk, Patricia Ann McNair delves into the idea — and issue — of readers and writers only finding value in work they can relate to.
Many times she has heard the phrase, "I can't relate," from students and peers in regards to stories. As readers, it can be easy for us to become uncomfortable when confronted with stories that we cannot relate to and we cannot understand, but Patricia argues that it is exactly these stories we need to be reading.
When we read only stories we can understand, we are simply looking in a mirror; but, when we read stories that do not resemble our own, we are shown through an open door into a world we never would have encountered before.
"Write what you don't know…."
Listen to her full Authors Talk below.
Check out Patricia's newest work, Responsible Adults, coming out in December of 2020 (Cornerstone Press).
Learn more about Patricia here.
Authors Talk Fiction, New Perspective, NonFiction, perspective, relatable, Writing 7 Comments
Kristina Moriconi, A Contributor Update
August 8, 2020 August 7, 2020 Superstition Review
In this week's Contributor Update, we are highlighting past contributor Kristina Moriconi and her recently published lyric narrative, In The Cloakroom of Proper Musings. It tells the story "of one woman's joy juxtaposed alongside her need to survive."
We previously featured Kristina's essay "To Make It Make Sense" in Issue 17 of Superstition Review and are very excited for this book debut. In addition to In The Cloakroom of Proper Musings, Kristina has also published a poetry collection, No Such Place, and has been featured in the nonfiction anthology Flash Nonfiction Food.
To see more of Kristina's work, check out her website and Instagram page.
Contributor Updates book release, lyric narrative, NonFiction 1 Comment
Elena Passarello, A Contributor Update
June 27, 2020 June 25, 2020 Superstition Review
Since her essay, "Playing Sick," was featured in Issue 3 of Superstition Review, Elena Passarello has been leaving her unmistakable mark on the literary community.
In 2013, Elena won the gold medal for nonfiction at the Independent Publisher Awards, later receiving the Whiting Award for nonfiction in 2015.
She also published her essay collection, Let Me Clear My Throat in 2012, as well as her book, Animals Strike Curious Poses in 2017 from Sarbande.
Elena continues to write and is currently a professor at Oregon State University.
Want to find out more about Elena? Check out her Twitter.
Contributor Updates Independent Publisher Awards, literary nonfiction, NonFiction, Whiting Award Leave a comment
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Dean Martin Biography
(One of the Most Popular and Enduring American Entertainers of the Mid-20th Century)
Birthday: June 7, 1917 (Gemini)
Born In: Steubenville, Ohio, United States
Dean Martin, born as Dino Paul Crocetti, was an American singer, actor, as well as a comedian counted amongst the most popular entertainers of the 20th century in the United States. He is best remembered for his shows, 'The Dean Martin Show' and 'The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast'. He also teamed up with Jerry Lewis to form a duo called 'Martin and Lewis' that became immensely popular among the audiences. He was a member of the famous 'Rat Pack' (which also had members like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr.) as well. Charming and talented, Martin had also acted in several films in his long career. His filmography includes 'The Young Lions', 'Some Came Running', 'Ocean's 11', 'Sergeants 3', and 'Who's Got the Action?' Apart from acting and performing comedy, Martin was a singer as well and had earned a lot of popularity for his hit singles, such as 'Everybody Loves Somebody', 'You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You', 'Sway', 'Volare', 'That's Amore', 'Ain't That a Kick in the Head?', and 'Memories Are Made of This'. He was known for his pleasant cool personality and many described him as the "King of cool" in the industry.
http://www.legacy.com/news/celebrity-deaths/article/everybody-loves-dean-martin
https://www.last.fm/music/Dean+Martin/+images/44d557bbaaa84c3c98ebe83893c088c6
https://www.uselessdaily.com/movies/dean-martin-trivia-36-interesting-facts-about-the-singer/#.W8cbmXszbIU
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dean_Martin_1958.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dean_Martin_-_publicity.JPG
(Studio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
http://www.christmastvhistory.com/2016/06/dean-martin-show-christmas-1968.html
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/dean-martin/images/31658831/title/young-dino-photo
Actors #220
Comedians #14
Pop Singers #127
Dean Paul Martin
Also Known As: Dino Paul Crocetti
Died At Age: 78
Spouse/Ex-: Jeanne Martin
father: Gaetano Crocetti
mother: Angela Crocetti
siblings: Bill Crocetti
children: Dean Paul Martin
Actors Comedians
Died on: December 25, 1995
place of death: Beverly Hills, California, United States
Ancestry: Italian American, Indian American
Diseases & Disabilities: Lung Cancer
Grouping of People: Smoker
Cause of Death: Respiratory Failure
U.S. State: Ohio
Founder/Co-Founder: Reprise Records
American Celebrities
Pop Singers
Ohio Actors
Gemini Actors
Dean Martin was born in Steubenville, Ohio, on June 7, 1917, to Gaetano Alfonso Crocetti, a barber by profession, and Angela Crocetti. Both his parents were of Italian descent. He had an older brother named William Alfonso Crocetti who died in 1968.
He grew up speaking Italian and could not speak English until he was five years old. He was bullied at his first school, Grant Elementary School in Steubenville, for his broken English. Later, he dropped out of Steubenville High School when he was in the 10th grade because he felt he was smarter than his teachers, a reason that sounded odd to several people around him.
After dropping out of the school, he took up many jobs including those of a blackjack dealer and liquor vendor. He also served as a speakeasy croupier and worked in a steel mill. At the age of 15, he picked up boxing to earn some money; this occupation, however, ended up getting him a broken nose, a scarred lip, and several broken knuckles.
He then moved to New York City. In order to make ends meet, he and his roommate Sonny King, who was also trying to build a career in the show business, used to hold bare-knuckle boxing matches in their apartment. The fights wouldn't end until someone passed out. People paid them for such matches.
Gemini Singers
American Actors
During his early days in New York City when Dean Martin was looking to build his career in the show business and was waiting for an offer from the top production houses from Hollywood, he met Jerry Lewis, another comedian, at the Glass Hat Club. Both were working in shows as comedians and forged a friendship as well as an agreement to work in each other's shows.
They formed their own act and made their debut at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 24, 1946. It did not go well and they were warned by the owner of the show to improve their act. They decided to be more ruthless and added songs, slapstick, and old vaudeville jokes to their performances. The crowd loved the "crazy" act and the duo got a lot of praise for their spontaneous actions and eventually, the act earned them a series of well-paying engagements on the Eastern seaboard and also ran at the New York's Copacabana.
Dean Martin also appeared on several short-films as well as feature films. However, his first major role in a film 'Ten Thousand Bedrooms' in 1957 did not succeed at the box office.
In 1958, he appeared in the movie 'The Young Lions' which became a turning point in Martin's acting career. Within the next decade, he established himself as a film star working in films like 'Some Came Running' alongside the great Frank Sinatra. He also won a Golden Globe nomination for his work in the film 'Who Was That Lady?' and later appeared in popular films like 'Ocean's 11', 'Sergeants 3', and 'Who's Got the Action?'
After working with the great Frank Sinatra, the two became good friends and formed a team that consisted of Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis Jr. besides the two. The men worked for a long time, making films together, and were so popular that they even influenced the political ideologies held by the masses.
Martin launched his own comedy-variety series 'The Dean Martin Show' in 1965 on NBC. The show was a huge hit and Martin was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for 'Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy' in 1966, which he eventually won.
American Singers
Gemini Pop Singers
American Comedians
At the beginning of his career, Dean Martin's partnership with fellow comedian Jerry Lewis was one of the highlights in his career. Together they performed on numerous occasions and even went on to appear in New York's Copacabana. They eventually appeared on television as well in the 'The Ed Sullivan Show'. Their act was praised and loved by the audience and earned them the spotlight they were looking for.
He reached the pinnacle of his career with 'The Dean Martin Show' which he launched on NBC in 1965. The show ran for nine years and consisted of 264 episodes. He portrayed himself as a careless drinker who would flirt with women with cheeky pick up lines. Martin won a Golden Globe Award for 'Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy' in 1966 and also won three more nominations back to back in the next three years.
Martin delivered a lot of hit singles between 1951 and 1968. He witnessed almost 40 of his popular singles featuring on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during that time period. Among those forty tracks, the three which topped the chart were 'That's Amore' in 1953, 'Memories Are Made of This' in 1956 and 'Everybody Loves Somebody' in 1964.
American Pop Singers
American Film & Theater Personalities
Gemini Men
In 1966, Dean Martin won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy for 'The Dean Martin Show.'
He was posthumously honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in February 2009.
Dean Martin was married three times. He wed Elizabeth Anne McDonald on October 2, 1941. The couple had four children together, Craig Martin, Claudia Martin, Gail Martin and Deana Martin. Martin and Elizabeth got divorced in 1949.
In September 1949, he married Jeanne Martin. Martin had three children with her, Dean Paul Martin, Ricci Martin, and Gina Martin. Their marriage lasted for 24 years and came to an end on March 29, 1973 through a divorce. Lastly, Martin married Catherine Hawn on April 25, 1973 and got divorced in February 1976.
A heavy smoker, Martin was diagnosed with lung cancer at the Cedars Sinai Medical Center in September 1993. On December 25, 1995, he died of acute respiratory failure resulting from emphysema at his Beverly Hills home.
Martin has a street named after him in Texas.
He was inducted into the Lou Holtz/Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame in 2001.
His signature hit single 'Everybody Loves Somebody' is written on his tombstone.
He used to drink apple juice and not real alcohol during stage performances.
He had worked in a total of 17 feature films with his friend Jerry Lewis between 1949 and 1956.
Dean Martin Movies
1. The Judy Garland Show (1962)
(Music)
2. Rio Bravo (1959)
(Drama, Action, Western)
3. The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
(Western)
4. Some Came Running (1958)
(Drama, Romance)
5. Movin' with Nancy (1967)
6. The Young Lions (1958)
(War, Action, Drama)
7. Bells Are Ringing (1960)
(Musical, Comedy, Romance)
8. Career (1959)
(Drama)
9. What a Way to Go! (1964)
(Romance, Comedy)
10. Toys in the Attic (1963)
1967 Best TV Star - Male The Dean Martin Show (1965)
2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
Dean Martin Bio As PDF
- Dean Martin Biography
- https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/dean-martin-8977.php
Evan Peters
20th Century | Celebrity Names With Letter D | 20th Century Actors | Actors Names With Letter D | 20th Century Singers | Singers Names With Letter D | 20th Century Comedians | Male Celebrity Names With Letter D | 20th Century Pop Singers | 20th Century American Actors | 20th Century American Singers | 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities | 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities