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Arts & Entertainment 2012
Home Posts Tagged "Arts & Entertainment 2012"
MONOGRAM A PILLOW
A personalized all-level applique project.
1/2 yard pillow fabric
1/2 yard applique fabric
12" x 12" piece of fusible web
12" x 12" piece of fusible interfacing
16" square pillow
Fabric scissors
Embroidery needle
Pen/pencil
Cut one 17" x 17" square and two 12" x 17" rectangles from the fabric that will be used to cover the pillow. In this example, it's the floral print.
Decide which letter to applique onto the pillow — we used the letter 'h' for Her magazine — and then print an image of the letter from a computer the size that you want it to appear on the pillow.
Trace the letter onto the rough side of the fusible webbing (the side with little glue dots) with a pen or pencil.
Press the rough (sticky) side of the fusible webbing onto the wrong/back side of the fabric you want to use for your applique. Cut the letter out of the fusible webbing and fabric. Peel the paper away from the back of the letter to reveal more glue. Place the letter in the center of the 17" x 17" square of pillow fabric. Press in place.
Using an iron, fuse the fusible interfacing onto the wrong/back side of the same 17" x 17" square of pillow fabric. Make sure the fusible interfacing is behind the letter that is fused onto the front of the square. When heat is applied, the fusible webbing and interfacing will act as an iron-on adhesive to glue the two layers of fabric together, and also stiffen the fabric.
Reinforce the applique by sewing it to the pillow fabric. To machine applique, use the zig-zag stitch on a sewing machine to stitch around the edge of the letter. Choose a contrasting color if you like the stitches to show up as a decorative feature. To hand applique, use a blanket stitch and Perle cotton thread to hand-stitch around the letter.
Set the 17" x 17" square of appliqued fabric aside. Working with the two 12" x 17" rectangles, hem only one 17-inch side of each rectangle. To hem the side, fold and press each edge 1/2 inch and then 1 inch. This will completely enclose the raw edge. Sew the hem in place using a 3/4-inch seam allowance. This can be sewn with a sewing machine, or sewn by hand.
Place the appliqued 17" x 17" square of fabric down on the table, pattern-side up. Place one of the rectangles pattern-side down on top of the square, aligning the raw edges on the left. The patterned sides will be together, and the hemmed edge will be near the center of the square.
Place the second rectangle pattern-side down on top of both other pieces, aligning the raw edges on the right. Pin the pieces together. (In the photo, the edge of one rectangle is folded back to show the pieces beneath it.)
Using a 1/2-inch seam allowance, sew around all four sides, either with a sewing machine, or by hand. If you are sewing by machine, pivot at each corner. Trim each corner by cutting off a small triangle of fabric, being careful not to cut through the stitches.
Turn the pillow cover right/pattern-side out. Use a chopstick or the eraser end of a pencil to poke the corners out. This will make them nice and pointy. Place the pillow in the case.
The Cincinnati Rollergirls breed confidence and camaraderie.
For many, roller skating brings back memories of nostalgic Friday afternoons gliding around the rink and couples skating to disco-era tunes — but that's just a little too nice.
There's a breed of women out there who yawn at innocent skating — women who have exchanged the frou-frou ice-cream-social attitude for a helmet and knee pads, readying themselves for strategic combat on wheels.
Women who listen to Black Sabbath anthems instead of Bee Gees singles to inspire them to smash other women to the ground. Ladies who hit hard and love it. These are rollergirls, this is roller derby and they can't see themselves being passionate about any other sport.
The Cincinnati Gardens is home to the Cincinnati Rollergirls: Fish-netted machines on wheels ready to dominate the derby flat track and tear down their opponents like huntresses after their prey. And while the Cincinnati Rollergirls teams may be named the Violent Lambs and the Black Sheep, they're wolves in sheep's clothing.
Imagine being placed in a confined area with a pack of raging women ready to knock you down … on skates. For Erica Nyberg, this became reality when she decided to try out for the Cincinnati team in 2009.
"I was completely unprepared, but I just tried my best," says Nyberg. Dressed in borrowed skates and a bike helmet, she didn't know what to expect. Her nickname became "Wheezy" because of her exercise-induced asthma, but her try-out partner's name was a little more intimidating: "Nasty.
"Nasty! Go out and just hit her!" screamed the coach.
"Yes! Hit me really hard, I want to know if I can do this or not," replied Nyberg.
After being hit by Nasty and flying off the track into the sidelines, Nyberg fell in love with roller derby.
Back in the '60s and '70s, roller derby was synonymous with theatrical, burly women throwing elbows and skating over the top of their fallen opponents. Originally, the sport was seen as entertainment instead of an observation of athleticism. Spectators loved watching the flamboyant and scantily clad ladies speed skate into their opponents. They relished in the skater's crazy pseudonyms such as the famous "Blonde Bomber" of the 1960s San Francisco Bay Bombers and her rival, "Banana Nose."
Most of all, the audience adored seeing skaters crash and drop to the floor.
Today, roller derby has evolved into a strategic sport where women use agility, teamwork and communication to score against their rivals. During the sport's original reign, women skated on a banked track — an inclined track, which sloped toward the center of the arena. In 2001, a group of women in Austin, Texas gave roller derby its rebirth, but changed the game to a flat track.
The Austin revival jump-started the creation of more than 100 teams within the first five years, solely with the help of amateur, all-female players dedicated to the grassroots movement. The Cincinnati Rollergirls joined the movement in 2005, and by 2007 became members of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association.
In only a few years, the varsity team, the Black Sheep, were in the top 10 in the WFTDA North Central Region. And the Black Sheep, along with the junior varsity team, the Violent Lambs, travel across North America from March to September battling teams to try to make the cut to compete in the WFTDA Championships.
The game may look like two 30-minute rounds of skating and bumping, but luckily for new derby fans, the programs come with a rule guide. Lauren Bishop, retired skater and public relations manager for the Cincinnati Rollergirls, is a pro at simplifying the rules.
"You have these girls called 'jammers' who score points by passing the skaters on the opposing team," says Bishop. "The skaters on the opposing team ['blockers'] are trying to knock her down while her own team is trying to help her through."
The rules now have more structure than the sport's barbaric heyday.
"When [roller derby] first started, the athleticism was not nearly what it is today," says Bishop.
Throwing elbows, tripping and back blocking are illegal, but the jammers must still face full contact and the devilish booty and shoulder bumps of the blockers.
Two teams with five skaters each skate in the same direction around the track. Each team is composed of a pivot, three blockers and a jammer. Helmets have symbols depicted on the sides to indicate the player's position. A pivot, who controls the pace and direction of the blockers, wears a stripe on her helmet. The jammer, who scores points by breaking through the opposing team's blockers, wears a star on her helmet. Blockers try to stop the opposing team's jammer from getting through the pack, while simultaneously trying to get their jammer to skate through their opponents' pack of blockers.
Chrystal Roggenkamp, whose derby name is "Truxtal," is enthusiastic about her position as a blocker. "Blockers need to be very strategic," says Roggenkamp. "We essentially choreograph the formations of the pack in order to make holes for our jammer. That often requires us to hit people to get them out of the way, which is a ton of fun."
Despite updates to the sport, a couple of vintage traditions remain true: Derby names are still clever. For some ladies, nicknames have become an alter ego. Liz Taylor Borntrager, a veteran skater from the original Cincinnati team, received her derby name within seconds of meeting the other potential rollergirls.
"I walked in and sat down next to the girl everyone would assume is the quintessential rollergirl in 2006," says Borntrager. "She had Bettie Page hair, jet black with the bangs, full chest tattoos, full sleeve on one arm and tattoos on the other arm."
Meanwhile, Borntrager walked in wearing a sweater set, pearl-colored glasses and her long hair coifed into a bun. "Literally, she looked at me, took out her two front teeth and said, 'What are you doing playing roller derby? You look like a little librarian,'" says Borntrager.
"The Librarian" moniker has stuck with Borntrager ever since. The name sounds docile compared to others on the team such as Eerie Sistable, Garden of Beatin' and Flannery O'Slaughter. Even so, The Librarian remains a legendary skater who has made many rivals "pay their dues."
A derby name often evokes a side of these women they never would have discovered if it weren't for dedicating themselves to this female-dominated sport.
"When I first started, my roller derby persona was just a persona; it wasn't really who I saw myself as," says Borntrager. "Through the years it's grown to be a part of who I am as a person. It's what I do."
While other sports usually require a certain body type that is desired for the "perfect player," roller derby covers the gamut of shapes, sizes and backgrounds. Anyone can find their niche through intense dedication, but as with any contact sport, injuries are bound to happen — no matter how fierce the player.
Experiencing a torn ligament in her knee, as well as a couple of other detriments, Nyberg is familiar with the intensity of the sport. "It's not a matter of if you're going to be injured, it's when you're going to be injured," says Nyberg.
Borntrager's derby career was also briefly stunted by advice from her doctor, who told her to avoid playing contact sports after she suffered an injury.
"I was so crushed," says Borntrager. "I had this picture of myself that I was this 6-foot Amazon woman who was pioneering this sport. I was so gritty and such a rock star. It was in one statement from a doctor, my whole persona and idea of myself was totally crushed."
In the end, perseverance can conquer almost any injury. Borntrager, along with many rollergirls, defeat their injuries and hop back in their skates. "There's the logical side of, 'Why on earth would you do this?' And then there's the side that's like, 'I want to do this until I absolutely can't anymore,'" says Nyberg.
With the amount of dedicated fans growing every season for the Cincinnati Rollergirls, it's easy to fathom Nyberg's sentiment. The largest attendance for a Cincinnati home game was 4,100 fans, and the culture is spreading thanks to pop culture recognition. Actress and director Drew Barrymore brought the women's collision sport to the big screen in Whip It — a movie where a quiet Ellen Page finds her niche and self-esteem through roller derby. After discovering she's as fast as a rocket on wheels, she's dubbed "Babe Ruthless," and her skating mentors encourage her by saying: "Put some skates on. Be your own hero."
Junior roller derby leagues are forming in many cities alongside adult men and women's teams. As of last year, a Cincinnati Junior Rollergirls team has been added with retired rollergirls passing on their skills to children as young as eight years old. As younger girls get involved, talent has more time to grow through the many boot camps and cross-training facilities that are now available. As for the future of roller derby, the sport is in discussion for the 2020 Olympics.
In the meantime, roller derby continues to mold confident women.
"I think it has the potential to inspire women to respect themselves and their bodies," says Borntrager. "They're amazed by what they can accomplish — just the self confidence that I've seen it give so many women."
The confidence spreads with the camaraderie initiated between rollergirls and their skating confidants called "derby wives." Some women may skate for only a few seasons, but they leave the rink with an everlasting bond.
"It wasn't until I found roller derby that I realized that there was a place for me — a place where I could not only be athletic, but where my quirks could be embraced," says Roggenkamp.
The lifestyle experts at HighStreet give advice on how to set the table, set the mood and fully enjoy an evening with family and friends.
What do you do when Martha Stewart is coming to dinner?
It's not a question one has to ask oneself very often — and the immediate response is probably, 'Oh #*$%' — but recently Leah Spurrier and Matt Knotts, co-founders of downtown design studio and store HighStreet, had to ponder just that.
Martha Stewart — the lifestyle and business magnate who revolutionized almost every aspect of how we run our households, from how we fold our bath towels to how freely we throw around the term "sanding sugar" — was recently in Cincinnati on business, and while she was here, she needed to eat. So Spurrier and Knotts offered to host an intimate dinner party for Stewart inside HighStreet.
"What you do when Martha is coming to dinner is what you do when you have an important guest coming to dinner," says Knotts. "It's no different. If you're having your family over for Thanksgiving, you should treat it as seriously as Martha coming to dinner. It's the same thing."
So you start by cleaning and preparing your home or, in this case, your store. You figure out how many people are coming to dinner (12), plan the menu (a gin fizz cocktail followed by a rustic cheese board and a bone-in chicken on fall vegetables entree with an arugula and pine nut salad), set up catering, get floral help, find the perfect mix of servingware, mark lighting levels on your dimmer switches and have an incredibly talented drag queen sew you a giant tablecloth.
Well, maybe not the last part. But with Thanksgiving fast approaching, Spurrier and Knotts, who have passed the art of entertaining test with flying colors, have some expert tips on how to plan a perfect evening.
Prepare To Prepare
Entertaining is not just cooking — it's creating a comprehensive experience for your guests, from the menu to the flow of the evening to the lighting. "I think that one of the big things about entertaining, especially in a sit-down fashion, is really you're romancing people. It is a sort of an enticement, a courtship," says Spurrier. "All of that stimulation, making sure everyone has an experience with the flowers and making sure everybody has a textural experience; the thoughtfulness that goes into it. It does romance people."
And romance takes effort. Give yourself adequate time to craft your menu, find beautiful flowers, buy the right wine, curate the table setting and so on. You don't have to spend a ton of money, just invest some time into planning.
You want your guests — and yourself — to walk away remembering the evening, "if for no particular reason other than it was just a great evening because everything was though about," says Knotts.
Decide On A Mood
Spurrier suggests you ask yourself what you, as the host, are trying to achieve with your evening and how you personally want to feel at the end of the night. "When you're thinking about entertaining, I'd think very carefully about, 'How many do I want to sit down?' and 'What's the shape of the evening?' And if you want to do a sit-down at all," says Spurrier. The tone of the evening is greatly influenced by the amount of guests you invite and where you decide to seat them. Do you want a Downton Abbey affair or something more bohemian?
Keep in mind that smaller groups invite more intimate conversation, larger groups require more space and feel more traditional, and buffet-style dining is more casual. "There's a big difference between eight or 10 people and 12," says Knotts. Today, not everyone has the luxury of space or dishware to accommodate a large number of guests in a formal setting, so decide on a feel for the evening and then how many guests you can invite to accomplish that.
Work Through The Logistics
"There's that part of entertaining that's traditional, particularly for holidays or for events, and figuring out how to master that in your own house is something that a lot of people don't figure out," says Knotts. "The real trick is that you've got to be organized, planned and prepared."
The first thing you have to decide is the flow of the evening. How are your guests arriving? In a group? Individually? What time? Do you want an hour of cocktails and socializing before moving on to dinner? Conceptualize the sequence of events. Write down time details so you have a guide to reference.
You're not an idiot, but having little reminders about what to do when, especially as you start involving yourself in conversation (or wine), can help you feel more confident orchestrating the evening.
"If you sort of start with: This time this happens, then at this time this happens and at this time this happens … so you've thought through every detail, then it's much less stressful," says Knotts.
This is also incredibly helpful for food preparation. If you've ever had a couple pots on the stove at the same time, you can relate. You don't want your entree to finish cooking before you get your appetizers out.
"So for Thanksgiving, it's at 6:15 this goes in the oven, then this, so there's sort of a system," says Knotts. "It's still chaotic when people arrive, but it's not a total frenzy because you can remember, 'Ok. The corn is supposed to go in now.' Particularly as you start having cocktails, you need to look back at that time sheet."
"From an interior design perspective, most people don't have that room anymore that they just have completely devoted to dining," says Spurrier. This is both a good and bad thing. Without an empty dining room just sitting there, your house or apartment becomes more interactive as a whole, but when you want to entertain you end up strapped for space.
"I think there's a lot of ways you can work to make your house a sort of convertible dining room," says Spurrier. "You can have a huge table that really serves as a desk most of the time … but when you decide to entertain it can become something else."
Don't be afraid to move things around to make room for guests. They're just there for the evening, so disrupting how you normally use your space isn't disruptive for them; they don't need to use your kitchen table as a workstation or your recliner as a laundry holder.
"When you entertain, you've got to give yourself permission to move the furniture out completely if you need to and rent if you need to," says Knotts. "In order to make the setting right, you can't look at your space and say, 'Well, I can't put people in here.'"
Set A Beautiful Table
"Our eyes are much more interested in complicated things than simple," says Knotts. Keep this idea in mind when setting your table, especially if you have more guests than matching dishes.
"We really believe in order to achieve a look that is sophisticated you should irreverently mix things," says Spurrier.
When setting the table for 12, as he did for the Martha Stewart dinner, Knotts strived for a complex mixed and matched look. Because he didn't have dozens of matching sets of dishes to mix and match, he sent out a call to friends and family for dinnerware. The response was overwhelming and he ran around town picking up different platters and chargers. Then he did a table setting test run.
"For about three weeks at home, the dining table was this mockup of this charger with this plate with this salad plate … I drew a table diagram and said, 'OK, I have this many of this so I need to spread it around this way so that as you look across the table it makes sense,'" he says. "That's the secret to mix and match," Knotts adds. "Each place setting needs at least one thing in common. Whether it's the charger or the dinner plate."
In this particular situation, Knotts had three patterns of dinner plates, three patterns of salad plates and three patterns of glassware mixed in, but all the chargers were the same. "As you looked across the table, everything felt evenly distributed," says Knotts.
"Another thing about entertaining is using textiles can be very helpful. It puts this really nice canvas under everything," says Spurrier. "If you're going to use very flowerly plates, then you're going to want to maybe use a white cloth. If you have a flowery tablecloth, maybe you want to go with white plates or a powdery blue."
Things to keep in mind when buying dishes:
"When it comes to dishes, you need to be a hoarder. At the end of the day, more is always better," says Knotts. The more choices you have, the better your table can look.
Always keep a set of basic, white dishes. "Food always looks good on white," says Spurrier.
Don't buy in quantities less than eight, so it's OK if you break one or two.
If you don't have a basement to store your dishes, put them on display. Spurrier has a growing collection of '70s dishes stacked on an antique mirrored cart in her dining room, which doubles as decoration.
You can buy dishes at any price point. If you start to collect something, start making regular trips to the Goodwill. If you latch on to white or flowers, just start buying it.
Fresh flowers and candles are imperative when entertaining — just make sure your guests can see each other. Try lining the center of the table with small vases with a single hydrangea in each. This adds color and you can still talk to the person across from you. Same goes with lighting. The lighting, both candle and bulb, should be glowy.
"The ambient light needs to be a little bit higher than the candlelight, obviously," says Knotts, "but I err on the side of more candles. By the time you add all that, you want the light to just fill the rest of the room, but not feel like you're squinting."
Don't Be Afraid To Hire Help
It doesn't mean you think you're too good to cook your own food. Help can be found at all price points for all scenarios and can actually help you enjoy your evening.
"I cannot say enough, honestly, about catering," says Spurrier. "I think a lot of people think they can't afford it, but you'd be surprised what you spend and then cook by yourself and then clean by yourself."
Sit down and honestly evaluate what you're spending, adding in the hassle factor, and give that a dollar amount. Then consider whether you want/should have some kind of help. Hiring help doesn't mean you need to employ a butler for the night and start speaking in a British accent.
"There's lots of different ways to skin a cat," says Spurrier. "You could cook some things yourself. You could do some takeout from a restaurant that has a dish that you really like. You could just buy the entree. You could hire a bartender. … Sometimes people hire some children of a friend just to do some service passing. I've done that."
It Doesn't Have To Be Perfect
You burn the food? Break a glass? It's OK. All the preparation you put in was so you and your guests could enjoy the evening, not for you to have a meltdown if something goes wrong. Prep work is a helpful guideline, but not set in stone. No one will punish you for straying from your schedule. Remind yourself of this, and, like Spurrier says, know what it will take for you to be happy at your party, too.
"Matt's got more grace than I do on this point," says Spurrier. "He sort of cuts himself off from the binds of perfection. He's a very easy host and very natural at it. He's like, 'Hey, this didn't turn out perfect. Let's just sit down and eat.' And he makes a joke and he's vary gracious that way."
Besides, you can always order a pizza or head to a restaurant if things go that badly.
DOG WOMAN
A short story by Sarah A. Strickley.
If they call me the dog woman, so be it. I won't deny the name fits. But, to be a dog woman is not necessarily a shameful thing; shame has very little to do with it. To be an animal is to be free. For proof, look no further than the retriever at the foot of your bed. Does it feel embarrassment? Do your opinions about its lifestyle humiliate it? A dog is no more concerned with what you think of it than I am. Still, you ask for my story and I'll tell it. Since, like an animal, I have no reason to lie, you'll know what I tell you is the simple truth. If I'm the dog woman, this must be my story.
Let me set the scene: Because my husband and I kept upward of 30 dogs on our property, we were disliked and resented. Pariahs. Neighbors wrote letters and made phone calls. Visits from the police were not infrequent. But there's no law against making an honest living breeding animals and we always kept the premises up to code. We had large cages in the grassy part of the yard and a series of kennels beneath the carport. It was a rare occasion when I'd put all of the dogs outside, but sometimes the chorus of whines inside would get to me or I'd need quiet to think; sometimes I wanted to eat a meal in peace.
On this particular evening, all of the kennels and cages were full. I'll admit there was quite a racket. We had a number of new dogs in the mix and they weren't used to the setup, still adjusting to living as one of many. So, in addition to the usual sounds of milling animals, there were also some territorial battles. As always, I was aware of the risk: If I let the fighting go on too long or let it get too loud, there were going to be reprisals. Maybe a bag of feces on the porch, maybe a key run through the paint on the truck. But I was reaching a bit of an impasse with my husband and the dogs felt like static in my brain.
There's a shed in the far back corner of our yard and that's where Paul did most of his drinking. I wouldn't have minded the drinking, I think, if it had happened in a bar, but it wasn't far enough away from the house to seem separate from it. I knew it had to do with me, even if it didn't. We'd been close earlier in our marriage, but he'd aged back into what he was before he courted me and he wasn't a very responsible person then. When we started this endeavor with the dogs, he was the driving force. It was a way to work for ourselves, make a profit doing something we liked, he said. He was diligent about advertising. He put all the dogs on a strict training program and monitored their diets. Then one day he didn't come to dinner.
I always had a meal cooked and on the table at 5 p.m. whether Paul joined me or not. We might cross paths later in the evening, but we could go days without speaking. Eventually, I began to think of him as a ghost of marriage past, haunting the perimeter of our lives. We were at our usual posts when three men who were strangers to us came into the yard. Paul may not have been drunk, but I'm certain he was drinking. If he noticed the men at all, he made nothing of them as they passed the shed. It's possible he mistook them for the pack of high school boys who often cut through our yard — they liked to stir up the dogs with rocks and sticks — but we'll never know for certain. His recollection of the evening is slurred and corrupted by guilt.
The men stood behind a stack of truck caps and surveyed the house. They could see me sitting at the table in my kitchen and reasoned that I was occupied. They kicked over water bowls and flung kibble into the bushes. This created a stir among the dogs, who are as fixed to the rituals of eating as people. Their howls went up in a surge, which resonated with me as a tension in my shoulders and neck. I didn't want to have to put down my fork and go out there again. I didn't want to have to say to Paul, a little help?
At this point, the men were in full view. If I'd endeavored to look out a window, I might have caught them before they could get inside. When they came through the door, I dropped my food out of my mouth and onto the floor. I've thought very often about what the right thing to say at this point would have been, but I was distracted by the notion that the men were only there to see about buying one of the dogs and that Paul had sent them in to deal with me. I had no other way of explaining their presence.
"I'm sorry," I said.
I bent to the floor and picked up the bit of chicken that had fallen and folded it into a paper napkin, which I tucked into my left breast pocket. I don't know why I did that, put the food into my shirt. I was embarrassed of it, I think. But it was probably the wrong thing to do in front of people who have barged into your house. One of them told me I was living like an animal. He lifted the newspaper we kept spread near the door for the untrained dogs with his shoe.
"Look at this shit," he said. "Can you believe these people live this way?"
One of the men told me I was spreading diseases to his children. That's when I knew this was about proving a point.
"I don't know your children," I said, "but I can assure you my dogs have nothing to do with their diseases."
Perhaps I should have said something else, apologized. Perhaps I should have admitted my sins right there: I didn't belong in a nice neighborhood, I wasn't a nice person. The men twisted my arms behind and lifted me. Then I was kneeling and my face was pressed on the floor. They bound me in a stress position the government calls "Worship the Gods." I only know this because one of them told the others what it was called while he was doing it on me. He was proud to know this thing and share it with his friends. People often ask me why I didn't scream for help and I don't know. I'm not sure I understood enough to scream. I did make hurt noises, but it seemed only to aggravate the men further. They told me to quit whining and I obeyed. I remained calm.
One stayed with me in the kitchen while the others took all of the dogs out of the cages and kennels and forced them into two trucks and a van in the front drive. They decided to slice my tires when they realized I might use the truck to retrieve the dogs. The possibility that someone might call the police didn't occur to them — they imagined themselves so fully in the right — and so they made little effort to conceal their crimes or their identities. They all but gave me their names and addresses when they made their final speeches in the kitchen. They told me this had gone on long enough and something had to be done about it. They didn't like hurting me, but it was necessary.
When they drove the dogs into grazing pastures 40 miles away and dumped them, they were executing a plan they'd discussed for more than a year. Whether that discussion was conducted seriously, or it was the kind of talking that happens among young men whose nerves benefit from a little caustic speculation, the fact that they talked about it at all proves premeditation; it means there was plenty of time for someone to speak up and say it was wrong. The first thing the lawyer told me was, "You have them by their balls."
I spent a long time bound on the floor. The amount of time — approximately nine hours — became significant later when they used it to demonstrate my dehumanization at trial. They placed a man in a suit on the floor in "Worship the Gods" and asked everyone to imagine me there like that for an entire American workday. You're having your second coffee and there I am; you're taking a long lunch with friends and there I am; you're filing last month's letters and there I am. Imagine yourself on your commute home, they said. Imagine eating dinner with the wife you love. This woman's still there on the kitchen floor. These were good examples. You wouldn't want to have to imagine me on your floor for very long.
Paul's drinking could last well into the night and by the time he came back into the house, I'd long forgotten him. My arms and legs had gone numb; I'd moved off somewhere in my mind. There was a light blush of color. I know now what that was: me looking through the pale pink curtains in my mother's kitchen and into the yard. I'd gone to this window in my mind and I felt the curtains on my face, the wind moving them up into the room.
Paul assumed I was dead. He called the police and sat on the floor beside me. When the police arrived, he could explain nothing. Why had he been in the shed all night? Why hadn't he heard the commotion? Why hadn't he untied me? He was drunk and that was a part of it. The dogs were always barking — that was the rest. He's never given anyone more than that because he's not a liar. "It was because of the dogs," was all he could say, as though they themselves had done this to me and perhaps, in a sense, they had.
Most of the dogs were collected in a matter of days and sent to the shelter because they'd made their way to nearby houses in numbers that demanded attention. Some of them found new homes by wandering into them, some of them died in the fields and some were hit by cars. One of them made his way back to me. It took him time, but he came. He was a black Labrador with a spotted tongue named Blue.
I think this dog sensed a possibility in me that I wouldn't have detected in myself. He knew I could forgive. Once he was there, it was as though all the events of my life had reshuffled into different categories of significance. I had to re-evaluate everything down to my decision to color my hair. In the end, the trial seemed superfluous. The men would pay for what they'd done to me with the shame that would surely devastate their lives. What wife could love a man who leaves one dog, much less 30, for dead? So I made a rash decision and called off the lawyers.
You can say I'll regret this eventually, that I'll wind up broke or lonely and wish I'd stayed the course. But have you ever known a dog to feel sorry for itself? Have you ever seen a dog express remorse? If I'm the dog woman, this must be my story.
FALL FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
A list of kid-friendly autumn activities.
As a stay-at-home mom, I'm always looking for creative ways to entertain my children. And although I have my own list of secret destinations and things to do in this wonderful city, as I'm sure we all do, us mamas are in this together. So as an act of sisterly solidarity for the benefit of our children (and our sanity), I've compiled a list of my favorite autumn activities, ranging from circus camps to museum tours to holiday floral shows, to entertain everyone in the family.
Has your child ever threatened to run away with the circus? Or has there ever been a day when you wished, just for a second, that he/she actually had the requisite skills to pack up and become an act with the Ringling Bros., if only to get out of your hair? Here's a chance for your kid to learn those skills. The Cincinnati Circus is offering flying trapeze lessons for the whole family. Well, nearly the whole family. For some reason they refuse to strap your newborn onto the trapeze bar and swing her around or allow great-grandpa to dangle from his reconstructed knees, but everyone else is welcome to try for only $45 per person ($20 for college students with an ID). Head to
cincinnaticircus.com for dates, times and more information.
Knowing me, they'd have to call the fire department to rescue me from the trapeze, so I owe it to those men and women in uniform to check out their history. The Fire Museumof Greater Cincinnati is a bit off the beaten path downtown, but is beloved by my son. Here you can wail a siren, slide down a fire pole, see fire trucks and encourage your children to learn a thing or two. Always good. For instance, did you know that in 1853 Cincinnati became the first city to establish an organized fire department? It's true. Check out their website, cincyfiremuseum.com, for more fun facts.
After the noise of the fire siren, you might be looking for some quiet fun — try the Cincinnati Art Museum, which holds events nearly every weekend. Family First Saturday happens the first Saturday of each month and features free demonstrations by storytellers, performers, artists and more. The Family First Saturday on Nov. 3 explores fashion, clothing and costumes through the art museum's textile collection, and includes a performance by The Madcap Puppets — no reservations necessary. The museum also holds events during the week geared toward toddlers and art education, such as the Culture Kids event on Nov. 9, "Food for Thought." This event looks at culinary creations in artwork through a docent-led tour, stories, an art project and a snack. Visit cincinnatiartmuseum.org for a full list of events.
Also, be sure to check out the unique events and fun learning opportunities at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal (cincymuseum.org) and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens (cincinnatizoo.org). Among other family friendly programming, the Museum Center hosts a tri-weekly detective class where museum sleuths are invited to find historical and informational items in a scavenger hunt, and the Cincinnati Zoo hosts family zoo yoga and a frequent Signing Safari class for toddlers, which pairs the act of learning sign language with nature.
Hopefully, this should get you to the holidays, which is when the real fun begins. Well, legitimate fun, beyond that of waiting to get stampeded by a pushy mom in a tracksuit on Black Friday itching to grab Scratch and Sniff Elmo or whatever the "cool" toy is. For example, we've run the Thanksgiving Day Race (thanksgivingdayrace.com) as a family the past few years — kids in a stroller, of course. Not only was this good training to beat that pushy lady to Elmo, but it also allowed me to gorge with impunity later in the day. It's a very well done event and a pretty neat family tradition for us. And this year will be the 103rd annual race.
The following day, on Nov. 23, go down to Fountain Square for the Macy's Light Up the Square event for ice skating, tree lighting and a "surprise" appearance by Santa. (You mean to tell me Santa comes to commercial events at Christmas?)
Of course, you have to head back to the Cincinnati Zoo for the PNC Festival of Lights, Nov. 23-Jan. 1, but also don't miss the Krohn Conservatory. They hold their Holiday Floral Show Nov. 17-Jan. 6 with Santa's Green Workshop almost every Saturday and Sunday in December where kids can create one-of-a-kind ornaments from natural materials. There's also holiday photography, a neat Bonsai/gingerbread house display, a cookie decorating contest and a holiday light show. A full list of their events can be found at cincinnatiparks.com.
By now, I'm sure you are totally sick of spending time with your kids, so have grandma and grandpa further fill their spirits with the Children's Theatre of Cincinnati performance of Santa's Toy Factory while you fill yourself with spirits. The performances run Dec. 7-15 and tell the story of Wendell the elf. I imagine he probably saves Christmas and realizes its true meaning through song and dance. Regardless, I am sure your children will love it. Tickets can be purchased at thechildrenstheatre.com.
THE ART OF HENNA
Use this traditional temporary tattoo as an accessory.
As the vice president and managing director of beauty brands for an international design agency, I am fortunate enough to travel around the world as part of my job, and I find discovering beauty practices from other cultures to be one of the biggest delights of traveling. Perhaps my favorite practice is the Indian ritual of applying mehndi or henna tattoos.
The decorative tattoos are created from a temporary dye paste derived from the henna plant, so there's no pain and no permanency! I got my first while visiting Little India in Singapore several years ago, and every time I go I make a point of having mehndi done — covering a bit more skin each time.
One of the earliest mentions of henna body art can be found in an ancient Mediterranean legend. In the story, women adorn themselves with henna dye as part of a harvest festival as well as a springtime fertility festival. There's also evidence that the fingers and toes of Egyptian Pharaohs were stained with henna prior to their mummification in order to enable recognition in the afterlife. And ancient Greek statuettes have been found with red marks, interpreted as henna body art, on their hands, feet and breasts. But the most frequent association with henna tattooing today is within Eastern wedding culture, specifically in the Indian subcontinent. In a traditional pre-wedding ritual, intricate mehndi patterns are applied to the bride's — and sometimes the groom's — feet and hands for luck.
Over the past 5,000 years, as mehndi has migrated from the henna plant's native zone of Africa, southern Asia and Australasia to the Western hemisphere, its composition and rituals have blended. But mehndi designs can be traced to their different geographic regions: Arabic designs tend to be more floral; African and Native/South American Indian designs tend to be larger geometric patterns; and Indian designs tend to blend delicate, fine lines to create an intricate pattern.
To create henna dye, the leaves of the henna plant are dried, ground and mixed into a paste with an acidic liquid like tea or lemon juice. The paste is then applied to the skin using a plastic cone or a paintbrush and allowed to dry, staining the skin in the process. When you work with a henna tattoo artist, the artist will apply henna to your skin in a pattern of your choosing. But be sure you know where you want your tattoo(s) applied before you go in to have it done. Wear short sleeves if you want your hands and/or wrists done, and shorts and flip-flops if you want your feet and/or ankles done.
Twenty minutes after application, the henna paste will start to dry and crack. At this point, you can apply lemon water with sugar to remoisten it so the dye stays on your skin longer and stains darker. After the paste dries completely (warning: this will take several hours), it will begin to chip. At this point, you can rinse — not scrub — it off. What is left behind is a design that is pale orange in color and gradually darkens as the henna oxidizes over the course of the next 24 to 72 hours. The final result is usually a stunning dark reddish brown color.
Since this is a temporary tattoo, it does have a limited life span (one to three weeks depending on how you care for your skin, how saturated the henna was, etc.). Bathing your skin in olive or coconut oil daily and avoiding any kind of exfoliation (i.e. pat dry your skin — don't rub it with a towel) will prolong the life of your new body art.
As An Accessory
Think of mehndi as a replacement for jewelry. Before you have a holiday event, find a mehndi artist and experiment on a hand or foot to see if you are comfortable with the art. If you like the effect, make your appointment a day or two before your event so the henna has a chance to oxidize to optimize the color.
Last year, I went to a black tie event and had mehndi on my hands, wrists, feet and ankles. Since I was wearing a cocktail dress, the artwork was readily visible. I received more compliments on my "art" than I have on any piece of jewelry that I have ever worn to any event. It was also a great icebreaker. People were curious — they wanted to know where I got it, what the process was, how long it lasted. I'd encourage you to try it. You'll be the talk of your event.
Rachel Goldman is a fantastic local mehndi artist. Call her at 513-673-2899 to make an appointment.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of Libby, Perszyk, Kathman Inc. or any of its affiliates.
Photos by David Rafie
Trends to target for late-fall shopping.
The most prolific style mavens have always been acutely aware of one truth: It's all in the details. This season is no exception. With every fashionista from coast to coast upping their style ante, what separates the routinely fashionable from the true icons has become increasingly esoteric. In an effort to increase your odds of style infamy, here are a few trends to target for your late-fall shopping.
1. Victorian references were all over the runways this season. Think bows and ruffles with a twist, like these sequined cuffs. Edwardian blouse, $48, Couture Couture, OTR, 513-421-8900.
2. Channel your inner Daisy Buchanan with some Art Deco-inspired costume jewelry. Earrings, $12, Couture Couture, OTR, 513-421-8900.
3. Need a chic way to haul your iPad around? Try an envelope clutch. Floyd clutch, $150, Sloane Boutique, OTR, sloaneboutique.com.
4. What's that you say? A practical trend? These bracelets double as hair elastics. Vanessa Mooney bracelets, $15 each, Sloane Boutique, OTR, sloaneboutique.com.
5. Like I always say, "If I must wear flats, may they have much pizazz." Beaded/colorblocked Perry Ellis flats, $16, Atomic Number Ten, OTR, atomic10.com.
6. Pair an uber-glam beaded clutch with simple, casual attire for a look that's comfortable but still fierce. Cleobella clutch, $325, Sloane Boutique, OTR, sloaneboutique.com.
7. A sleek, well-made ankle boot is a must for colder temperatures — an investment that'll literally go the distance. Wolverine 1000 Mile by Samantha Pleet collection boots, $275, Sloane Boutique, OTR, sloaneboutique.com.
8. Want an easy way to stand out from the crowd? Try an artisan-made statement necklace. Modern Tibet necklace, $42, Substance, OTR.
Women Writing for (a) Change helps women find their voice.
Linda Wulff lost more than just her husband Steve in March 2006. When he passed, as she puts it, he took her spirit, joy and hope for the future with him.
"I should have been prepared for what losing him would be like, but I wasn't. I was absolutely devastated," she says.
Diagnosed with stage four terminal cancer and only another two to six months to live, Steve surprised everyone by living another 19 years. But when he passed, Wulff struggled to stifle the numbness. For months, she couldn't leave the couch. She slept in her clothes, avoided the couple's bedroom and showered only when someone came to visit.
But in January 2007, Wulff decided to get up off the couch. She trained for a marathon, took a photography course in New York and signed up with Women Writing for (a) Change (WWfaC).
"I almost felt like I was starving to be heard," Wulff says. "The grief was overwhelming for me, and I felt like our society expected you to be fine in a few months."
Originally founded as a school by Mary Pierce Brosmer, WWfaC empowers women by giving them the opportunity to find their voices and share their stories through writing. During her years as a creative writing teacher in the 1980s and 1990s, Brosmer was often discouraged from teaching works written by women or individuals of color. She dreamt of what a school would look like if she could create it in her own way, and was successful in 1991. Using the technique of writing circles, her 15-student classes provided a safe and comfortable environment for women in prisons, shelters and nursing homes to find their voices and share their stories.
"A circle setup is essentially a circle of chairs without tables in between people," says Diane Debevec, board president and acting executive director of WWfaC. "This setup removes the hierarchy of a traditional classroom, where the teacher is at the 'front' and perceived as 'above' the students. In a circle, everyone is equal."
As a company and foundation that does outreach work, WWfaC now offers four 8-week and 15-week core classes every semester at its headquarters in Silverton. With affiliate locations in Indiana, Colorado, Alabama and Vermont, WWfaC accepts around 20 students for each class, ranging from ages 20 to 90. And even though the name may suggest a women's-only group, the organization offers co-ed classes, as well as a number of other outreach programs for young girls and seniors.
"It encourages us to step into our own authority; to trust our own voices; to trust that what we have to say matters and has value, no matter where we are," Debevec says. "I think that happens for our young girls when they're at the time of life where they're so fragile and they don't feel very confident in themselves. In our classes, they learn to step into their own authority. But it happens for [adult] women, too."
And it happened for Wulff. Married again with a grandchild on the way, Wulff is in the process of writing a book about the emotional roller coaster ride she dealt with during her husband's death.
"Women Writing for (a) Change was incredibly instrumental in getting me going because it was a place that for several years, all I wrote were grief pieces," Wulff says. "It really helped get me through that period of time and it helped me see things. I went from numb and dead to feeling, even though it was painful getting through the emotions."
To Debevec, the relationships the classes foster help the students deal with those emotions.
"When you're in this community of women and you go through 21 years [of classes] together, there's births, deaths, deaths of parents, deaths of children, disease — you see it all. There's so many different experiences and there's so many common experiences, so both of those things begin to resonate with people," she says. "Our classes are led in such a way that every type of writing is honored and acknowledged. It's a real opportunity for people who have really powerful experiences to share them, write about them and listen to each other."
To learn more or register for classes, visit womenwriting.org.
DINNER AND A MOVIE
Colder months mean comfort food and foodie films.
For me, the crisp, autumn air means a few things: Scarves come out of storage, flip-flops get shoved to the back of the closet and the outdoor furniture gets put away (except for the grill — I will be outside grilling even when the snow comes up to my knees).
It also means that more nights than most I feel like staying in, putting on my jammies, lighting a fire and going into hibernation mode. Date night starts to morph from stilettos and reservations into a night with Netflix and whatever I feel like whipping up in the kitchen. Steamy pots of soup, homemade pastas and hearty casseroles replace the salads and quick-fix dishes I threw together when I was anxious to get back outside during the summer. Now, it just feels right to take my time with a glass of wine over a simmering dish or two, and invite a group of friends over to share the goodness.
As for the entertainment portion of the evening, like most people in the food business (and a lot who aren't), my favorite movies are food based — not only does food taste good, it makes for fabulous film fodder. Watch these films for yourself, and see if you can spot the common thread of the importance of enjoying the simpler things in life.
I love this film. The premise is simple: A woman and her daughter move to a small, staid French village to open up a lovely little chocolate shop and proceed to attempt to win over the villagers with their delectable wares. "Why, Ilene," you say, "this should be easy. After all, it's chocolate they're pandering, not poison." Ah, but, life isn't so simple in the movies. It's 1959, and it's Lent. The village is pious and repressed. And the chocolate and the star, the sublime Juliette Binoche as Vianne, are far too sensual and inviting.
Babette's Feast
For those who entertain, or dream of entertaining in the grandest of styles, this is truly the ultimate in food porn. Two devoutly religious spinster sisters in France have passed up lives of love and wealth only to spend their years in their pastor father's home. After he dies, a young woman named Babette shows up at their door requesting to be their cook and housekeeper. One day, Babette wins the lottery and decides to cook a fantastical feast for the sisters and the congregation in appreciation for the sisters having treated her so well. The finest crystal, China and linens are purchased, and sumptuous ingredients are brought in from Paris. At first, everyone had agreed that enjoying such a meal would certainly be a great sin of sensual luxury, but as course after course of lavishly prepared delicacies appear, they are transported both emotionally and physically. As the story progresses from dismal to divine, so do the colors of the film itself. C'est magnifique!
My all-time favorite food movie — and a favorite of my chef friends I polled. Brothers Primo and Secondo are running a failing Italian restaurant in 1950s New Jersey. Primo is a brilliant chef who refuses to compromise his authentic Northern Italian cuisine and pander to the tastes of the Americanized palate. Secondo, the business end of the partnership, takes a more "the customer is always right" kind of attitude in hopes of keeping the restaurant afloat. Drama ensues when a supposed friend offers up a famous jazz artist, who will perform for one "big night," and the brothers prepare for a huge, authentic feast that will gain praise, press and hopefully a vast financial windfall. Gather friends around the table for a "big night" of your own, and whether it's a huge feast à la Babette or platters of authentic Italian comfort food, you're guaranteed a great time. Try this warming, creamy risotto for a starter. Just don't forget the chocolate for dessert.
9 Tbsp. butter, divided
1½ lbs. fresh wild mushrooms, sliced, halved or quartered, depending on size
7 cups chicken stock or broth
¾ cup finely chopped leek (white and pale green parts only)
1¼ cups Arborio rice
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ cup dry white vermouth
¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus additional for serving
Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a heavy, large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a quarter of the mushrooms and sprinkle with salt. Saute mushrooms until they're tender and begin to brown (3 to 4 minutes). Transfer mushrooms to a medium bowl.
Working in 3 more batches, repeat with 6 Tbsp. of butter, remaining mushrooms, salt and pepper. Bring 7 cups of chicken broth to simmer in a medium saucepan; keep warm.
Melt remaining butter with olive oil in a heavy, large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leek, sprinkle with salt and saute until tender (4 to 5 minutes).
Add rice and increase heat to medium. Stir until edges of rice begin to look translucent (3 to 4 minutes). Add white wine and vermouth and stir until liquid is absorbed (about 1 minute).
Add ¾ cup warm chicken broth and stir until almost all broth is absorbed (about 1 minute). Stir in sauteed mushrooms. Continue adding broth by ¾ cup intervals, stirring until almost all broth is absorbed before adding more.
Stir until rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the risotto is creamy (about 10 minutes).
Stir in ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Transfer risotto to serving bowl. Pass additional Parmesan cheese alongside, if desired. Serve immediately. Serves 6 as a starter.
HER CONFESSIONS: NOVEMBER
Readers share their secrets.
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Susan Randall selected a few of her "sense of place" landscapes for this show at Books and Books. These original soft pastel paintings by Susan Randall reflect an artist's sensitivity to the " sense of place " of South Florida, South Carolina, and Cape Cod. In this twenty first century of tweets and social media events, one seeks the quiet and the serenity offered by this retreat to our natural surroundings of outdoor scenes.
A fragility of life and the beauty of nature in these beautiful landscapes are painted with order instead of chaos. It is in these personal and private views of her world and her feelings, that we see the view of a mature artist who chooses to avoid the surrealism and reality shows, and to instead look within and find salvation in nature in these times. She interprets in her paintings the sense of place of each landscape with vivid colors and heightened emotion or in quiet respect.
Susan Randall has a BA. BFA, and a Masters degree in art history, photography, and art education. Archival glycee prints are available from the artist.


Chris Harris and his partner Vanessa Cole are getting ready for the Grand Final of Dancing with the Stars this Sunday night. Last season Vanessa won with Simon Barnett - so Chris is feeling the pressure!
He caught up with The Breakfast Club with Si & Gary ahead of the final dance off.


BizTalk Blitz Atlanta – 2 days of free training.
You don't need to bring anything other than a USB drive to carry away your virtual machine on.
Someone name-dropped "Craig Butler" while I was at the BizTalk meeting. So he may be making it to CTS's class. He is one of only a few Microsoft Certified Architects in the country.
Karl Rissland and Toya Lofton are the Microsoft employee's running it.
Fundamentals of BizTalk Server 2009: BizTalk Server 2009 is an XML-centric integration engine. This presentation will introduce the concepts of messaging, message schemas, how BizTalk receives, routes and sends messages, and how developers code, deploy and administer these constructs via a BizTalk application.
The course is built around a common integration scenario and will be built in pieces over the two day training course. This presentation / whiteboard session will go over the solution and the solution approach.
Previous PostESB ToolKit 2.1 Installation Guide SupplementNext PostESB 2.1 Download is supposedly fixed.


Did you know that you can make a difference in another woman's life merely by offering a listening ear?
Emotional support and a sense of connection during stressful times can spell the difference between despair and empowerment for a divorced woman.
When you volunteer at Sister to Sister, the only tools you'll need are Time and Empathy. No Ph.Ds or initials required. Just the ability to be a good friend and helpful advocate.


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Proud to be a New & Used Car Dealership in Manitoba
When we first opened our doors, we knew that we wanted our customers to feel satisfied when they left our dealership. It's the same commitment and understanding that we would expect to find when we look for a new vehicle. At the end of the day that's the most important aspect of finding the right dealership for you and with no hassle and respect we know that we stand a cut above the competition.
Experience the best Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM service you've ever had at Twin Motors Thompson where we take the time to learn about what you want and offer advice that reflects that understanding. Stop by and meet our fantastic team today and start to build the type of relationship you deserve with a dealership that takes your opinions to heart.
Recently Opened New & Used Car Dealership in Thompson, Manitoba
We have four dealership locations, one in Dauphin, one in Flin Flon, one in The Pas and our newest car dealership in Thompson. Thompson has a rich history and we at Twin Motors could not be more proud to now have another new and used car dealership in Manitoba to meet any vehicle needs in Thompson and the surrounding area.
Please feel free to contact us at any of our locations:
Twin Motors Flin Flon
Located at MB-10 Alt in Flin Flon, Manitoba we can be reached at (204) 687-3686
Twin Motors The Pas
Located at 1637 Gordon Ave in The Pas, Manitoba we can be reached at (204) 623-6401
Twin Motors Dauphin
Located at 1212 Main St S in Dauphin, Manitoba we can be reached at (204) 638-6804
Twin Motors Thompson
Located at 40 Station Rd in Thompson, Manitoba we can be reached at (204) 677-2312

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


but, alas, I chose you instead!
I should have loved me more!
I was way too dense!
and saw what I "wanted" to see.
they are not what they say at all!
I Hope you love yourself more!
This is about me, when I was about the ripe old age of 19ish.
Now looking backwards...I find that I just didn't "think" about whom I had "supposedly loved" and I see a lot of error, , .which is too late for me to change...but, now I can actually see the "errors of my ways" when, for many, many years...I had always thought, that "nothing" was wrong...but, I was mistaken, VERY mistaken!
I now have a great person who LOVES me very much, and I love him...but, I wish that I had been more able to "see " things for what they really were, and to admit them!
SO this is about a person that I mistakenly thought, "loved me", but, I don't think so now...and I will never think that either! He "Fooled me" ..and I say this with care....please watch out for those FOOLS, in this world..because I would rather see people have "REAL LOVE, than NO love at all! Been there, done that!
Appreciate YOU, and everything about YOU, and what you have as YOU....celebrate yourself!


I saw a statistical analysis with formal NFL coach involved that compared the expected success rate of that given pass, and that given run. The conclusion was that the playcall was smart, but the QB should not have thrown the ball when he saw the successful jamming by Browner, and fast approaching Butler. And even if he pulled the trigger, he should have thrown the ball to the other shoulder of the receiver.
That coach said over 100 such pass trials were in the NFL in that season, and none result at interception in that season before that play.
There are a few additional pieces of information though that I think diminish the smartness of the playcall, regardless of what alternatives were available. To me there are two questions - what went wrong and why - and then alternative plays.
1. BB and team saw that this formation in that circumstance was likely the slant route because the Seahawks had run it before just like that. They've talked about this specifically and while the Seahawks couldn't know that there was this hunch by the Pats, the Pats had it. Factor in Browner being a former Hawk and having intimate knowledge of not only what the Hawks do schematically but how to bust up on his former teammates. He was one of the if not most physical CBs in a long spell in the NFL.
refering back to point 1. The Pat's coverage of this play is dictated by the information from tape where the Hawk's personnel itself is immaterial to the coverage of the play. The play worked on the inside WR getting a pick and the outside catching the ball and the Pats knew that and prepared for that.
The Hawks blithely went headlong into a woodchipper with personnel that didn't maximize the chances of making it through the woodchipper. It's part of why I think more credit should be given to BB and the team for that play than blame given to the Hawks for screwing the pooch.
On the other hand, Bevell, the OC for the Hawks routinely did stuff like this (not maximizing his player's talents and opportunities for success) and was seemingly unaware of his patterns and tells and that the Pats had the book on this play in this situation is just another brick in his mediocre wall of shame.
1. The (good) NFL teams, including the Seahawks know the bread and butter plays of the other teams, and the likely countermeasures to their own bread and butter play. This slant was a very typical play call for the Hawks, and every team knew about it, and the Hawks knew about it the Pats knew about it.
Extra point: The Pats defensive setup was not Nickel, it was heavy goal line. It means that they were a little bit soft on defensive back (so every receiver was 1 on 1), but there was extra man in the box (on top of the heavy lineman package) to stop the run.
Given the circumstances of the game state and the Pats not calling a timeout the ability to audible would be a stretch.
Not only that but RW himself was in his 3rd season, likely wasnt going to 'cowboy' an audible and thus had to have the green light to do so and then have the rest of them on the same page.
I see the potential there, for sure, and at this point in RWs career he should have the liberty and framework to audible in a situation like that.
But I will posit that given the culmination of adrenaline, time draining, and being in the most high leverage situation possible, little things were bound to get missed and the execution itself might be under duress. But thats not saying much in specific as those are common things many times over in the NFL.


There will be a National Honor Society meeting today during 2nd lunch and immediately after school in Mrs. Griffith's classroom. All members need to attend one of the meeting times (not both). All fall semester volunteer/service hours must be turned by this time.
The Philosophy Club will meet today after school in room 157. We will be choosing films for movie nights. Philosophy question of the week: Where is the line between insanity and creativity?
Attention FCCLA Members: There will be a mandatory meeting this Thursday immediately after school in room 914, Career Center. The meeting will only last about 20 minutes, so please make plans to attend.
Key Club will meet Thursday during both lunches in the Lecture Hall. Come out to hear about the Winter Party and service opportunities. If you are interested in running for a Key Club Board Position for next year, visit our Google Classroom for the application or stop by room 364 for officer information and application.
There will be a GSA meeting in Ms. Certain's room 208 this Friday.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is a program that originated with Rotary International and has subsequently been specifically designed by Rotary District 6170 for the students in central, western, and southern Arkansas. Camp RYLA encourages leadership in youth by recognizing deserving 10th and 11th grade students. The Conway Morning Rotary Club will sponsor two CHS students to attend an all-expenses-paid camp. Camp RYLA will take place at the 4-H Center in Ferndale (west Little Rock) April 6 through April 9. One of the requirements for students attending Camp RYLA is to attend every day of the camp. Applications are available in the counseling center and must be returned by Friday, January 13th.


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Syria in Revolt
Understanding the Unthinkable War
By Sadik J. Al-Azm in the Boston Review
Burning Syria, Tammam Azam
The people's intifada in Syria, against the military regime and police state of the Assad family, took me by surprise. I was fearful at first that the regime would crush it almost instantly, given its legendary ferocity and repressiveness. Like other Syrian intellectuals, I felt total impotence before this devouring monster, which precluded any thought of an imminent, or even possible, collective "no."
I was surprised by the revolution, but I should not have been. Daily experiences and recurrent observations foretold a crisis that many Syrians tried hard to deny. And deny we did. Let me explain.
After the violent suppression of the Damascus Spring in 2001–2002 and again after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in Beirut in 2005, which led to the humiliating withdrawal of Assad's troops from Lebanon, angst spread throughout Syria. I was working in Damascus, where the trepidation was especially pronounced. The country, it seemed, was teetering on the edge of an abyss.
But life flowed routinely on the surface. Talking about the situation publicly was out of the question. Even hinting at it was dangerous. When someone did speak up, others quickly changed the subject. A conspiracy of silence was the order of the day.
This period marked a palpable deterioration in relations among Syrians. Sectarian lines hardened, undermining long-standing friendships, harmony among colleagues, and the daily interactions of citizens. Even our way of joking changed.
Like many in Damascus, I found myself beginning, almost unconsciously, to weigh every word according to the religious affiliations of passing acquaintances and close friends alike. Social engagements lost spontaneity. Confidence and trust evaporated, and offense was taken more quickly than ever before. An unusual dose of suspicion seeped into the Syrian intelligentsia's traditional solidarity against oppression.
By 2009–2010, it was impossible to go about the day without repeatedly hearing from working people expressions such as, "All it needs is a match to ignite," "It needs a spark to flare up," and "All it needs is a fire-cracker to explode."
More educated Syrians, particularly intellectuals, had their own favorite metaphors. Mine was a pressure cooker, where the heat is mounting and the safety valves have been destroyed. Yasine Haj Saleh, a former political prisoner and the most prominent underground commentator and critic on behalf of the revolution, as well as a fine writer of prison literature, warned that if the people did not quickly find a way of letting their "Syrianness" prevail, the country would be in for the worst. The cartoonist Ali Ferzat said in a 2007 Newsweek interview, "Either reform or le deluge." In 2011 Ferzat was assaulted by regime thugs and left for dead on the side of the road, but he survived.
A prominent colleague and friend in the philosophy department emphasized the inevitability of a civil war because the worst had already happened: the antagonistic Sunni-Alawi divide in Syrian society is a fait accompli, he told me. War was preordained.
Others maintained that one thing could be said for the regime: it alone was holding Syrians back from massacring each other.
Had you asked me what would happen if the tsunami that started in Tunisia reached Syria, I would have answered: the Sunni of Hama would sharpen their knives and pour out into the neighboring Alawi villages to take revenge for the rape and destruction of their city by Assad's storm troopers in 1982.
But sectarian slaughter did not come to pass. Instead, the unthinkable happened: a people's revolution against the regime.
Read more at the Boston Review
Author konigludwigPosted on August 27, 2014 Categories Ethnic discrimination, History, Human rights, Middle East, Psychohistory, SyriaTags alawites, bashar al-assad, Rafiq Hariri, sectarianism, Sunnis, Syrian uprising, Yasine Haj SalehLeave a comment on Syria in Revolt
Arab Nations Strike in Libya, Surprising U.S.
Islamist fighters in the Libya Dawn coalition guarded the main airport in Tripoli, Libya, after its capture on Sunday. Credit Mahmud Turkia/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and ERIC SCHMITTAUG in The New York Times
CAIRO — Twice in the last seven days, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have secretly launched airstrikes against Islamist-allied militias battling for control of Tripoli, Libya, four senior American officials said, in a major escalation of a regional power struggle set off by Arab Spring revolts.
The United States, the officials said, was caught by surprise: Egypt and the Emirates, both close allies and military partners, acted without informing Washington, leaving the Obama administration on the sidelines. Egyptian officials explicitly denied to American diplomats that their military played any role in the operation, the officials said, in what appeared a new blow to already strained relations between Washington and Cairo.
The strikes in Tripoli are another salvo in a power struggle defined by Arab autocrats battling Islamist movements seeking to overturn the old order. Since the military ouster of the Islamist president in Egypt last year, the new government and its backers in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have launched a campaign across the region — in the news media, in politics and diplomacy, and by arming local proxies — to roll back what they see as an existential threat to their authority posed by Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood.
Read more at The New York Times
Author konigludwigPosted on August 26, 2014 August 26, 2014 Categories Africa, Egypt, Foreign affairs, History, Libya, Military history, Top stories, Uncategorized, United Arab Emirates, World NewsTags Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, muslim brotherhoodLeave a comment on Arab Nations Strike in Libya, Surprising U.S.
Shooting Accounts Differ as Holder Schedules Visit to Ferguson
Protesters marched Tuesday in Ferguson, Mo., where the shooting death of a black teenager by a white police officer has spurred 10 days of unrest. Credit Charlie Riedel/Associated Press
By FRANCES ROBLES and MICHAEL S. SCHMIDTAUG in The New York Times
FERGUSON, Mo. — As a county grand jury prepared to hear evidence on Wednesday in the shooting death of a black teenager by a white police officer that touched off 10 days of unrest here, witnesses have given investigators sharply conflicting accounts of the killing.
Some of the accounts seem to agree on how the fatal altercation initially unfolded: with a struggle between the officer, Darren Wilson, and the teenager, Michael Brown. Officer Wilson was inside his patrol car at the time, while Mr. Brown, who was unarmed, was leaning in through an open window.
Many witnesses also agreed on what happened next: Officer Wilson's firearm went off inside the car, Mr. Brown ran away, the officer got out of his car and began firing toward Mr. Brown, and then Mr. Brown stopped, turned around and faced the officer.
But on the crucial moments that followed, the accounts differ sharply, officials say. Some witnesses say that Mr. Brown, 18, moved toward Officer Wilson, possibly in a threatening manner, when the officer shot him dead. But others say that Mr. Brown was not moving and may even have had his hands up when he was killed.
Author konigludwigPosted on August 20, 2014 Categories Americas, History, Top stories, U.S. history, United States, US News, World NewsTags Darren Wilson, Ferguson-Missouri, Michael Brown1 Comment on Shooting Accounts Differ as Holder Schedules Visit to Ferguson
Hong Kong Rally Against Occupy Central Attracts Thousands
Anti-Occupy Central demonstrators carry a Chinese national flag during a march in Hong Kong, on August 17, 2014. Photographer: Lam Yik Fei/Getty Images
By Jill Mao in Bloomberg News
Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong marched to protest threats by activist groups to paralyze the city's financial district if China refuses to allow direct leadership elections, underlining the division in the city.
The Alliance for Peace and Democracy put yesterday's turnout at 193,000 people, compared with the 88,000 estimate by the University of Hong Kong's Public Opinion Programme.
The protest highlighted the divide in Hong Kong over how to pick its new leader in 2017, with the political unrest threatening to erode its status as a global financial center. The Chinese government has insisted on having candidates vetted by a nominating committee, which has met with opposition from lawmakers, students and the activist group Occupy Central with Love and Peace.
"Occupy Central will block the traffic and affect my job and business," Chan Cheung On, 40, a driver for a take-out delivery company, said yesterday at the protest. "Everybody in Hong Kong wants universal suffrage, but some people want to achieve it only through the way they want."
Occupy Central has threatened to organize a 10,000 strong sit-in at the financial district if election methods fail to meet what it deems as international standards. A rally on July 1 for democracy drew 154,000 to 172,000 people, according to estimates by the University of Hong Kong.
Read more at Bloomberg News
Author konigludwigPosted on August 18, 2014 Categories China, Free speech, Hong Kong, Politics, Self-determination, Voting rights, World NewsTags Alliance for Peace and Democracy, civil disobedience, Occupy Central with Love and Peace2 Comments on Hong Kong Rally Against Occupy Central Attracts Thousands
Gov. Rick Perry of Texas Is Indicted on Charge of Abuse of Power
By MANNY FERNANDEZ in The New York Times
Gov. Rick Perry during a speech on Aug. 8 in Fort Worth. Credit Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press
AUSTIN, Tex. — A grand jury indicted Gov. Rick Perry on two felony counts on Friday, charging that he abused his power last year when he tried to pressure the district attorney here, a Democrat, to step down by threatening to cut off state financing to her office.
The indictment left Mr. Perry, a Republican, the first Texas governor in nearly 100 years to face criminal charges and presented a major roadblock to his presidential ambitions at the very time that he had been showing signs of making a comeback.
Grand jurors in Travis County charged Mr. Perry with abusing his official capacity and coercing a public servant, according to Michael McCrum, the special prosecutor assigned to the case.
The long-simmering case has centered on Mr. Perry's veto power as governor. His critics asserted that he used that power as leverage to try to get an elected official — Rosemary Lehmberg, the district attorney in Travis County — to step down after her arrest on a drunken-driving charge last year. Ms. Lehmberg is Austin's top prosecutor and oversees a powerful public corruption unit that investigates state, local and federal officials; its work led to the 2005 indictment of a former Republican congressman, Tom DeLay, on charges of violating campaign finance laws.
Author konigludwigPosted on August 16, 2014 August 23, 2014 Categories Americas, Politics, Top stories, United States, US News, World NewsTags felony charges, Governor Rick Perry, political corruption, Texas2 Comments on Gov. Rick Perry of Texas Is Indicted on Charge of Abuse of Power
ALEC Pushes to Force the US to Amend The Constitution
World News Forum
ALEC is pushing state legislators to call for an amendment to the Constitution, which would require the federal budget to be balanced each year. (Image via Shutterstock)
By Jessica Mason in Truthout
The United States could be on the verge of calling its first constitutional convention since 1787, and the American Legislative Exchange Council, or "ALEC," has been working behind the scenes to make it happen, including through its new lobbying arm, the Jeffersonian Project.
ALEC is urging state legislators to pass state resolutions calling for a constitutional convention in order to pass a federal balanced budget amendment.
The campaign has attracted little media attention, but the pieces of legislation that could trigger a convention are moving forward much more quickly than many have anticipated. Although there are many unanswered legal questions about the constitutional convention strategy — and fears on both the right and left of an out-of-control "runaway…
Author konigludwigPosted on August 12, 2014 April 6, 2015 Categories Economic policy, Economics, History, Politics, Top stories, U.S. history, US NewsTags ALEC, Article V, CPAC, Koch brothers, U.S. ConstitutionLeave a comment on ALEC Pushes to Force the US to Amend The Constitution
Syrian Regime Reneges on Surrender Terms to Homs Citizens; Hundreds of Syrian Civilians Missing
Credit: Syrian Network for Human Rights
As reported by the Syrian Network for Human Rights on Saturday, August 10, 2014, the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has reneged on its promises of amnesty to citizens of the besieged city of Homs, Syria, who voluntarily surrendered themselves to the regime forces under promises of amnesty. Of the 1000 to 1100 persons who surrendered, as estimated by the Syrian human rights monitoring group, 730 are now missing and unaccounted for by the Syrian regime.
Since the beginning of the Syrian uprising, which began as peaceful protests for economic reforms, tens of thousands of Syrians have "disappeared."
Read the full report at The Syrian Network for Human Rights
Author konigludwigPosted on August 11, 2014 Categories Human rights, Middle East, Syria, War crimes, World NewsTags bashar al-assad, Homs-SyriaLeave a comment on Syrian Regime Reneges on Surrender Terms to Homs Citizens; Hundreds of Syrian Civilians Missing
Matthew Barber Reports On the Crisis in Iraq's Kurdistan Region
By Matthew Barber in Syria Comment
The calm is slowly unraveling in Kurdistan, and a growing, pervasive anxiety is beginning to afflict us all.
We know that the fighting between the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the Islamic State jihadis continues to develop and move from place to place, but we're never exactly sure what's happening, where the fighting is occurring, or who has the upper hand. News—both local and international—has proved highly unreliable since this crisis began on Sunday.
"When I visited Shariya on Monday, it looked like this." Photo: Matthew Barber/Syria Comment
By Wednesday, volunteers had registered over 63,000 displaced individuals (more had arrived and not registered). This was just one of several primary destinations for Sinjar's refugees. I was informed by local relief coordinators that the needs of the refugees were beginning to exceed what the KRG and NGOs were able to provide.
But when I returned yesterday, something unbelievable had happened. Shariya was almost a ghost town… as silent as the grave.
Photo: Matthew Barber/Syria Comment
I found a few lingering volunteers and asked, "What happened here?" They replied, "Everyone fled this morning—the refugees as well as the local population of Shariya. Of approximately 80,000 people living here yesterday, only a couple hundred remain."
This unbelievable second exodus is the result of a sense of panic that is washing across the Dohuk governorate. I had begun to sense it on Tuesday, while receiving panicked calls from Yazidis fleeing to Turkey. What initially prompted the stampede was the decision of many Yazidis in villages near Mosul—close to the further limit of Peshmerga-controlled territory—to leave and move northward, anticipating IS attacks in their area. Though IS hadn't broken through Kurdish lines and no Yazidi villages had been infiltrated, fighting was taking place (and continues until now) between the Peshmerga and IS near the Mosul Dam and along the "border" with Mosul, and many Yazidis in those locations became fearful that what had just taken place in Sinjar might transpire in their areas as well.
Witnessing the ethnic cleansing of Sinjar, and sensing that an intentional campaign of extermination was being directed against them, Yazidis no longer felt secure about Peshmerga defensive capabilities and decided not to take any chances.
As waves of people from the southernmost villages began to arrive in villages a little closer to Dohuk (including Shariya), rumors began to circulate that Kurdish defenses had already been breached. I witnessed what verged upon mass hysteria as the local residents of villages near Dohuk decided to flee to Turkey. Those with passports and visas left; others tried to go as far north as possible, if they knew people who would take them in.
Read more at Syria Comment
Author konigludwigPosted on August 9, 2014 Categories Asia, Ethnic discrimination, History, Human rights, Iraq, Military history, Religious persecution, Top stories, War crimes, World NewsTags ISIS, Islamic extremists, Kurdistan, Matthew BarberLeave a comment on Matthew Barber Reports On the Crisis in Iraq's Kurdistan Region
The movement that dare not speak its name in Israel
Vocal opposition to the war in Gaza can be hard to express in Israel, where campaigner Gideon Levy says people 'leave their liberalism' at the 1967 border
Thousands of people gathered in Tel Aviv to protest against attacks on Gaza, 26 July 2014. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty
By Giles Fraser in The Guardian
Gideon Levy doesn't want to meet in a coffee bar in Tel Aviv. He is fed up with being hassled in public and spat at, with people not willing to share the table next to him in restaurants. And now he is fed up with the constant presence of his bodyguards, not least because they too have started giving him a hard time about his political views. So he doesn't go out much any more and we sit in the calm of his living room, a few hundred yards from the Yitzhak Rabin Centre. Rabin's assassination by a rightwing Orthodox Jew in 1995 is itself a sobering reminder of the personal cost of peacemaking in Israel.
In his column in Haaretz, Levy has long since banged the drum for greater Israeli empathy towards the suffering of the Palestinians. He is a well-known commentator on the left, and one of the few prepared to stick his head above the parapet. Consequently, he is no stranger to opposition from the right. But this time it is different. Yariv Levin, coalition chairman of the Likud-Beytenu faction in the Knesset, recently called for him to be put on trial for treason – a crime which, during wartime, is punishable by death.
"It is time we stop regarding despicable phenomena like this with tolerance," Levin said of Levy. Soon after that interview, Eldad Yaniv, a former political adviser to ex-prime minister Ehud Barack, wrote on his Facebook page: "The late Gideon Levy. Get used to it."
Levy's unpardonable crime is vocal opposition to the war and to the bombing of Gaza. According to recent polls, support for the military operation in Gaza among the Jewish Israeli public stands somewhere between 87% (Channel 10 News) and 95% (Israel Democracy Institute). Even those who are secretly against the war are cautious about voicing their opinion openly.
Read more at The Guardian
The next time you hear an American politician refer to Israel as a free and democratic society, please, stop and think. It isn't true.
Author konigludwigPosted on August 7, 2014 August 7, 2014 Categories Ethnic discrimination, Foreign affairs, Free speech, History, Human rights, Israel, Palestine, Politics, Psychohistory, War crimes, World NewsTags anti-war protests, Gaza, Gideon Levy, Haaretz, Hamas, Likud Party6 Comments on The movement that dare not speak its name in Israel
Women Victims of Unmet Western Promises in Islamic Countries
Credit: Photo via Irrationally Bound
By Marianna Karakoulaki
Author konigludwigPosted on August 3, 2014 August 3, 2014 Categories Asia, Female genital mutilation, Human rights, Iraq, Middle East, Opinion/Editorial, Public health, Sexual discrimination, Syria, Torture, Women's rights, World NewsTags Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Mosul-Iraq, sharia law, United Nations, World Health Organization3 Comments on Women Victims of Unmet Western Promises in Islamic Countries


5 Guys Burgers and Fries store or outlet store located in Paducah, Kentucky - Kentucky Oaks Mall location, address: 5101 HINKLEVILLE ROAD, PADUCAH, Kentucky - KY 42001. Find information about hours, locations, online information and users ratings and reviews. Save money on 5 Guys Burgers and Fries and find store or outlet near me.
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text:
The MMWR is embargoed until Thursday, 12 PM EST.
Trends in Tuberculosis ― United States, 1998-2003
Tuberculosis Outbreak in a Community Hospital — District of Columbia, 2002
School-Associated Pertussis Outbreak ― Yavapai County, Arizona, September 2002-February 2003
Evaluation of an Association Between Loratadine and Hypospadias ― United States, 1997-2001
There is no MMWR Telebriefing scheduled for Thursday, March 18, 2004
TB rates continue to fall, but decline is slowing and disparities remain
CDC, National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention
After a decade of falling rates, the rate of decline of active tuberculosis (TB) cases in the country is slowing. New CDC surveillance data for 2003 show that 14,871 persons with active TB disease were reported in the United States, a number comparable to the 15,075 persons with TB recorded in 2002. Overall, the national TB rate was 5.1 cases per 100,000 people in 2003, a slight decline of 1.9 percent in case rate since 2002. This is the smallest one-year decline since 1992, the peak of the 1985-1992 TB resurgence in the United States. Despite the overall decline nationwide, there are significant geographic, racial and ethnic disparities, and cases have actually increased in some parts of the country. TB rates among foreign-born persons remain disproportionately high, at nearly nine times the rate of U.S.-born persons. Among U.S.-born TB patients, non-Hispanic blacks had a case rate almost eight times higher than for non-Hispanic whites.
Patient with TB in a large community hospital exposes health-care workers and patients
Four patients and one health care worker in a large, urban U.S. teaching hospital were diagnosed with TB disease after more than 1,000 patients and hospital staff were exposed to a patient with TB in 2002. The patient's TB disease may have gone undiagnosed during an earlier stay because HIV infection may cause atypical presentations of TB. There is a need for careful diagnosis that considers possible TB-HIV coinfection, especially among patients with HIV who have pulmonary symptoms or unexplained fever and weight loss. One patient with TB disease has potential to come into contact with a large number of patients and staff in a hospital setting, as in this situation. The resulting secondary TB cases among hospitalized patients and hospital staff illustrates that heightened awareness and vigilance is required by health-care workers to promptly identify and treat suspected TB cases.
In adolescents or adults, pertussis should be considered as the cause of cough illness lasting >2 weeks, especially if the coughing is accompanied by a "whoop" sound, or if the person experiences spasms of coughing or vomiting after coughing.
Kris Bisgard, DVM, MPH
Public health authorities in Arizona successfully implemented measures to control an outbreak of pertussis which began in a middle school in Yavapai County and spread to others in the community. Pertussis, or "whooping cough", is a serious bacterial respiratory infection characterized by severe spasms of cough that can last for a few weeks to several months. Infants (aged <1 year) are at greatest risk from pertussis; infants have the highest incidence of the disease and account for the overwhelming majority of pertussis-related hospitalizations, serious complications, and deaths. DTaP vaccine prevents the complications of pertussis and is recommended for all infants. However, vaccine protection against pertussis wanes over time. Among older children and adults whose protection has waned, pertussis can cause a range of symptoms from mild to severe cough. Middle and high school-associated pertussis outbreaks are increasingly recognized and reported. Such outbreaks often result in a large number of cases among adolescents and subsequent spread to the community with cases among infants aged <1 year. This was the situation in the Yavapai County outbreak which began in a middle school in September 2002 and resulted in 485 pertussis cases (113 cases in students). Delay in recognizing pertussis outbreaks in schools occurs because patients do not seek medical care early when they are contagious, the diagnosis of pertussis is not considered, and diagnostic testing can be inaccurate. Health-care providers should consider pertussis in persons of any age with an acute cough illness. Early recognition and treatment can help prevent transmission of pertussis to others; including young infants who are most at risk.
In a large national birth defects study, loratadine, an allergy medication sold under the brand name Claritin, was not associated with hypospadias, a birth defect where the urethral opening is not at the tip of the penis.
Despite the fact that use of both prescription and nonprescription medications during pregnancy is relatively common, there is very little known about the possible effects of most medications on the unborn child. Loratadine, an allergy medication sold under the brand name Claritin, is frequently used by reproductive aged women, and there may be many inadvertent exposures early in pregnancy prior to recognition of the pregnancy. A recent European study suggested a possible association between loratadine and hypospadias, a birth defect where the urethral opening is not at the tip of the penis. Data from CDC's National Birth Defects Prevention Study, a large national birth defect study, was used to examine this possible association. Information on the use of Claritin during pregnancy was analyzed for 563 boys with hypospadias and 1444 boys who did not have a major birth defect. No increased risk was seen, even after adjusting for birth month, maternal age, maternal race/ethnicity and study center. These results may be useful for women and health care providers to reduce the anxiety that may occur following inadvertent exposures to loratadine during pregnancy. However, as with any medication, women should consult their health care provider before any medication use during pregnancy.
This page last reviewed March 18, 2004


Fedena is now available in Italian. This translation is provided by Lucio lamele, system programmer, designer,senior Systems Engineer and network manager at Molise Dati in Molise Region Italy. Lucio talks about Fedena.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself (& your company)?
Lucio: I hold a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Perugia (Italy) and I had graduated in the year, 2004. Presently, I am working with Molise Dati in Molise Region (Italy) as a system programmer, designer,senior Systems Engineer and network manager.
Lucio: Fedena is very nice and has great potential. I think, schools should use open source tools and contribute to the development of the education system.
Q: What improvements you want to see in Fedena?
Lucio: The improvements that I really want to see in Fedena is the ability to create your own CV with personal experiences, developments in the reporting of costs as well as integration with LDAP.
Q:What you think the future of education is going to be?
Lucio: I do not know. For me, the education sector is a new experience.
Q: Anyone helped you with translation?
Lucio: The translation was made by me and my colleague, Valentina Incollingo has helped me with corrections. As you can see, I'm not very good with the English language.


Congratulations to Chaz Dickerson, Berne Union 2019, for selecting Lake Land College, Mattoon, IL, to continue his academic pursuits and play college baseball! Lake Land's team is known as the Lakers and they participate in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference (GRAC), Region 24. Chaz will be accompanied at Lake Land by teammate Tylor Wolfe, Fairfield Union class of 2019. The two will be joining Bradley Wolfe, Fairfield Union class of 2017, on the Laker's baseball team.
Going to college and playing college baseball is a big deal for anyone, and Post 11 is very happy for Chaz. He has certainly worked hard and deserves it!
Chaz played summer ball the last several season with the Fairfield County Bulldogs, coached by Jason Wolfe. Chaz and a couple of other Bulldogs have joined Post 11 for the 2019 season. There are a lot of teams Chaz and his teammates could have joined, and Post 11 is honored they chose us for the upcoming season. They are all great athletes and will be significant contributors.
Below is an interview with Chaz on his decision to go to college and to play baseball. It's a great read. You'll quickly see Chaz's emphasis on hard work, team chemistry, and his strong goal orientation. A young man with Chaz's level of skills doesn't get there without having goals and working hard to accomplish them. Recently he was named to the 2019 All-Central District Football Team, Division VII, and also named Defensive Player of the Year as a linebacker. Chaz is a big, strong athletic young man and we can't wait to see him on the baseball field this summer!
How does it feel to know that you'll be going to college and why? It feels pretty good because I know that I will continue playing the sport I love the most.
What is your favorite thing about the college you chose and why? My favorite thing is that I will be traveling down south to play baseball and get the experience.
Do you know your major yet, and if so, what is it? My major is going to be surveying.
How do you see yourself contributing to your new college baseball team? I hope that I can fill whatever spot they have open and fill it up to their expectation.
What do you know about your new coach? And, how will you go about getting to know him and his staff and what they expect of a new team member? I really like the new coach. He texts me every once and awhile and asks how I'm doing. I haven't met the other coaches but I feel like I will get along with them.
What do think will be the most challenging about college baseball? I think the hardest part will be trying to fit in with the other kids and hoping that the other kids like me.
How does it feel to be facing your final year of school ball? Since this is my last year of school I would like to reach all my goals I set for myself.
Will you approach your final year of school ball and summer ball differently now that you are a committed college baseball player? Since I am committed to a college, I will just go in playing the hardest I can and preparing for college.
What is the biggest thing from your high school baseball carrier that you'll carry forward to your college career? I will try and bring forward my leadership skills and I will set more goals to achieve.
What advice would you give other Post 11 players going through the recruiting process and considering a college baseball career? I would tell them to work hard in the off-season and go to camps so coaches get a good look at you.
What do you think will be the first thing you do when you get to campus? I will probably take a walk thru my schedule and meet all my professors.
Prediction – how many all-nighters do you think you'll pull in your freshman year in college? Uhhh, I will probably say quite a bit.


text:
package com.twu.biblioteca.domain;

import org.junit.Test;

import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;

public class MovieTest {

    @Test
    public void shouldInstantiateAMovie() {
        assertNotNull(new Movie("Matrix", "1999", "The Wachowski Brothers", "9"));
    }

    @Test
    public void shouldReturnTrueOnIsAvaliableMethod() {
        Movie movie = new Movie("Matrix", "1999", "The Wachowski Brothers", "9");

        assertTrue(movie.isAvailable());
    }

    @Test
    public void shouldChangeTheMovieAvailability() {
        Movie movie = new Movie("Matrix", "1999", "The Wachowski Brothers", "9");
        movie.setAvailability(false);

        assertFalse(movie.isAvailable());
    }

    @Test
    public void shouldReturnTheCustomerThatCheckedOutTheMovie() {
        Movie movie = new Movie("Matrix", "1999", "The Wachowski Brothers", "9");
        Customer customer = new Customer("", "", "", "", "");
        movie.setCustomer(customer);

        assertEquals(movie.checkedOutBy(), customer);
    }

    @Test
    public void shouldReturnTheMovieDetails() {
        Movie movie = new Movie("Matrix", "1999", "The Wachowski Brothers", "9");

        assertEquals(movie.getDetailsSeparatedBy(" | ", false), "Matrix | 1999 | The Wachowski Brothers | 9");
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub