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Grocery costs have skyrocketed in the past year. Here's how families are coping with inflated prices
Written by Kaitlin Koterbski
The cost of eating at home has increased by 12.2% over the past year. MIXMEDIA/GETTY IMAGES
Grocery prices increased 12.2% in the past year—the largest spike since 1979, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Coupled with the rising costs of just about everything else, families have started making hard choices: 44% of Americans have cut back on their grocery budget in the past three months as a result of inflation and higher prices, according to a new study by Datassential, a food-focused data analytics firm. For families like Kasia Polep's, this means relying on food pantries to feed their families.
"I have found a church that does a weekly food pantry that gives out mainly produce, which helps out a lot," says Polep, a 41-year-old full-time caregiver from Illinois. Polep and her husband care for their four children and her adult brother, who has multiple sclerosis, so their budget was already stretched thin before prices started rising. Inflation has made it even more difficult for them to get by.
But it's not just Polep—nearly all shoppers are feeling the burn: 80% say the increase in the price of groceries is noticeable, according to the study. Over half of those surveyed, 61%, plan to change their shopping habits, with women and baby boomers being most likely to implement new money-saving strategies.
"To cut costs, I haven't been buying things that aren't absolutely necessary," says Debbie Szenda, a 53-year-old day-care owner in Illinois. She has started replacing national name brands with store brands for must-buy items.
Nearly 40% of respondents save money shopping at stores like ALDI, as opposed to pricier national chains. Financial blogger Lauren Greutman is one of them. And she swears by couponing, a tactic over 36% of consumers surveyed by Datassential also implement while shopping.
Polep recently began scouring ads from multiple stores for coupons to get the lowest price available for each product she needs, as all major food groups have increased in price this year, according to government data.
She grocery shops strategically for her family. "When there is a sale on meat, I buy extra and put it in the freezer," says Polep. She's not alone: 23% of survey respondents do the same thing. Some families, including Polep's, are even replacing meat with high-protein vegetarian options to reduce costs.
"We are doing more [meals] without meat, since that's one of the biggest jumps in price," she says. Indeed, poultry costs have increased 17.3% from a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service.
"Basically, there is no more making a list of what we're going to have for meals. It's more on a day-to-day basis of, 'What do we have? What can I make out of what we have?'" says Polep. "Truly it's about one day at a time. If we are here tomorrow, it's a beautiful day."
This article was originally published in Fortune.

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OSU Is at the Big Boy Table, Here's To Hoping It Continues to Trickle Down to Other Sports – Pistols Firing
For years, Oklahoma State football has done more with less.
Whether it be beating Texas with a team primarily built of three-star recruits or not necessarily having a national brand, the Cowboys kept winning under Mike Gundy. On Friday, Oklahoma State got its elbows out and crammed its way into the big boy table of college athletics when it gave Mike Gundy a raise, paying him $7.5 million is 2022.
For some perspective, here is a list of coaches who made less last year than what Gundy will make in 2022, according to USA Today:
Kirby Smart — Georgia
Ryan Day — Ohio State
Chip Kelly — UCLA
Steve Sarkisian — Texas
Scott Frost — Nebraska
Those are the types of schools OSU got in the conversation with. The $7.5 million would've been tied with Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher as the seventh-highest paid coach in the country in 2021. It would've been more believable to think Gundy would be the Big 12's highest-paid coach when Oklahoma and Texas left for the SEC, but even with the Sooners and Longhorns sticking it out in 2022, Gundy's salary still tops that of what coaches in Norman and Austin will be paid.
It'll be somewhat divisive that Gundy is making this much money, sure. Some will say he has earned it by turning OSU into a winning program, by going 149-69 in 17 seasons, by beating Notre Dame in a Fiesta bowl. Others will argue that a coach who has won one conference title in 17 seasons and is 3-14 against his in-state rival shouldn't make that type of cheddar. Whatever side of that argument you fall on, you can't deny that OSU took a step into this realm of committing to being a big time football program with this pay raise.
Other questions will be asked as to whether this money could've been used elsewhere. Well, there's the old saying that you have to spend money to make money — or as Thunder GM Sam Presti once eloquently put it, "Scared money don't make none."
OSU's nonrevenue sports have seen massive upgrades over the past decade. The Michael and Anne Greenwood Tennis Center, Neal Patterson Stadium and O'Brate Stadium have all opened since 2014. It has been incredible. But there is still work to do.
In no particular order, wrestling, softball and track need upgrades.
The all-time winningest program in collegiate athletics, OSU's wrestling team just finished tied for 14th at nationals. The Cowboys are falling behind Big Ten programs in terms of facilities. Iowa, for example, is getting ready to construct a 38,500-square foot training center estimated to cost about $25 million. The OSU wrestling team recently got a $1 million upgrade to its locker room, which is a start, but it's silly to think that will compete with a $25 million wrestling-specific facility.
OSU track runner Taylor Roe won and indoor national championship this month without OSU having an indoor track. OU, Arkansas, Kansas and Kansas State, all in the same area, do have indoor facilities.
Kenny Gajewski has led the Cowgirl softball team to back-to-back Women's College World Series despite having to recruit to a stadium with 452 chairbacks. The Cowgirls did get an upgrade with some new turf and a new outfield fence this season, but it is just a holdover for the main course that Gajewski wants.
Football is the cash cow that can provide for these other programs. It'…….
Source: https://pistolsfiringblog.com/osu-is-at-the-big-boy-table-heres-to-hoping-it-continues-to-trickle-down-to-other-sports/
Kirby Smart — GeorgiaRyan Day — Ohio StateChip Kelly — UCLASteve Sarkisian — TexasScott Frost — Nebraska
Those are the types o…….
Friday's prep highlights: Williams, James each win twice at indoor state meet – News-Gazette.com
Younger athletes get chance to compete at Kearney High School Indoor Invitational – Kearney Hub


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Rachel's Reviews
Rottentomatoes Certified Critic. Reviews of the latest movies especially animation as well as classic reviews, family movie night picks and more
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How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Review
February 20, 2019 February 22, 2019 | Rachel's Reviews
It's no secret that I am not the biggest fan of DreamWorks animation. Particularly their comedies are very hit and miss for me. However, the one consistently great series from the studio is the How to Train Your Dragon films. They are epic in scale but with sweet moments and the animation is always stunning. Now we get the 3rd and last installment entitled How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (breaks continuity with the other 2 that had simple numbers in the title but oh well!). While I did have my issues with the film, it's still a very sweet and lovely way to end the series and most fans will be very pleased with it.
The story of How to Train Your Dragon: the Hidden World starts in Berk where dragons and humans are living peacefully with Toothless being the alpha or intermediary between the two groups. One day they find a new Night Fury (Toothless was supposed to be the only one) but this dragon is white and is a female, which of course is very exciting for Toothless. Unfortunately a dragon hunter named Grimmel is after the dragons and wants to destroy everything in Berk. I won't tell you any more so you aren't spoiled but there is a lot of action, romance, and some sweet moments of friendship.
The strongest parts of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World are in the animation and character moments. There is a particularly stunning sequence when they find the Hidden World and things look like under a fluorescent black light. It's truly breathtaking. While I missed the flying sequences of the first 2 films (Toothless and Hiccup are separated or battling in most the movie), it is still a very beautiful film.
Also we see growth from Hiccup as character as he comes to understand Toothless, Astrid, and even his father better through the course of the movie. A lot of the side characters who we have come to love during the movie including Astrid get nice endings and moments to shine. Some of the comedy with Ruffnut (Kristin Wiig) wasn't my taste but the kids in the theater seemed to enjoy it so I may not be the target audience.
My criticisms of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World may not be an issue for you if you love fantasy adventure and action. Aside from slasher flicks, fantasy action is probably my least favorite. There are a lot of battles and fighting in this movie and I found them to be more than a tad dull. I know other people will enjoy them but I kept nodding off during these sections. You would think with all the flames and warfare it would be exciting but it isn't for me at all. At the very least they were too long and repetitive. I would have much rather had less action and more flying sequences or time in the Hidden World, but that's probably just me.
Other than that I enjoyed How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. It is a beautifully animated ending to our trilogy and one I bet you will find very satisfying if you loved the previous 2 films.
DreamWorks 17: Sinbad Legend of the Seven Seas
October 20, 2017 October 20, 2017 | Rachel's Reviews
The DreamWorks film Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas is one I had heard about but somehow never gotten around to watching. Secretly I was hoping it would turn out to be a hidden gem that I would find very underrated, but I still didn't see it. Well, today I finally watched it and unfortunately it's not a very strong film. It's certainly not the worst of DreamWorks, but I can see why it has been basically forgotten.
Sinbad tells the classic story of the famous pirate but this time he gets mixed up in the schemes of Eris, the Goddess of Discord. The plot then becomes very convoluted. Basically it involves Sinbad, his friend Proteus, Proteus' fiance Marina, a magic book and a variety of other adventures.
The problem is those adventures aren't accompanied by characters I cared much about. Proteus is gone for most of the movie so it mostly relies on Sinbad to carry the film. What can I say about Sinbad but he's no Jack Sparrow…He's completely forgettable. Brad Pitt is fine as his voice but the role is super bland.
Then we have Marina and she was a strange character. At times she would be tough but then other times she was very submissive. She was engaged to someone she didn't love but then storms off with Sinbad at a moments notice. She swings from being a damsel in distress needing rescue to punching Sinbad in the face. She had more personality than Sinbad but it just didn't quite work. I liked some of their romantic comedy-style banter but it felt a little weird given they were both cheating on the friend who had put his life on the line for them to be together. Awkward…
Then we have the villain Eris who is probably the best thing in the movie. Her design is pretty cool and she is well voiced by Michelle Pfeiffer; although, I was a little unclear what her motivations were. I guess she wanted the Book of Peace because it is powerful or something? It was a little vague. Everything with the book was vague and not very satisfying.
The animation in Sinbad also leaves much to be desired. If we remember this is the same year as Finding Nemo it's pretty alarming how bad the ocean and sea life look in this movie. At times the animation reminded me of a Barbie movie which is not good for a major studio film. I wish they had just gone all 2D because the mixture looks awful. For some reason Prince of Egypt and Spirit both hold up in their animation but this looked really bad. It always looked like the characters were floating on top of the backgrounds. Road to El Dorado with its many flaws has way better animation.
The one huge plus I will give Sinbad is the score by Harry Gregson-Williams is terrific. It really helped me get into the action scenes even if I wasn't sure who was fighting or what was going on. It really worked well for the movie.
I am glad I finally checked Sinbad off my bucket list. It does have some positives but not enough that I can recommend it. I would say watch Spirit or Prince of Egypt instead. Those films have better characters, stories and animation.
What do you think of Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas?
(Also I don't think there was any legends or anything about the 7 seas? Did I miss something It should have been called Sinbad: Legend of the Book of Peace)
DreamWorks 16: Flushed Away
Do you ever have those movies that you feel like you should like so you keep going back to hoping that time will do the trick? Flushed Away is such a movie for me. I love Aardman Animation. I love the voice cast and the story although generic would be fine if the execution worked for me. My nieces and sister love it so that makes me want to love it. Sadly I watched it again today and walked away not loving it or even liking it much to be honest. Let me try to explain why.
Flushed Away is about a pampered rat named Roddy. He is the pet of a rich family and one day he is flushed down the toliet by a common sewer rat named Sid. This is the first problem. I hate Sid. He's supposed to be funny but comes across as super annoying instead. Such is the case with many of Flushed Away's characters.
The second problem is Roddy has no motivation as a character. He's flushed down the toilet against his will and then spends the rest of the movie trying to get back home, except for him home isn't family or something like that. It is luxury and fine living. Getting back to the high life doesn't make for a super compelling character.
Once in the sewer he meets a tough talking rat named Rita who is trying retrieve a stolen ruby from an evil toad. She is doing this for her family, which gives her some motivation but in the end it is a buddy road trip movie and nothing more. I expect more inventive storytelling from Aardman Animation.
The villainous Toad has some fun moments but nothing that made me warm up to the movie as a whole. The animation is also very rough in patches with cgi trying to mimic the look of Aardman's stop motion, which is a real shame since I love their stop motion style. There are times when the rendering looks pretty bad. I realize it is way back in 2006 but it is the same year as Cars and Happy Feet- both films with way better animation. The next year would come Ratatouille, which just the Paris cityscapes alone triumph over anything in Flushed Away.
A lot of the enjoyment of this film will come down to whether you find it funny. I did enjoy the singing slugs. They made me laugh and brought some good tunes into the mix. Unfortunately the rest of the jokes either annoys me or lands flat. Like I said, my sister and nieces think it is hilarious so it depends on your sense of humor I suppose.
I like the overall message about family and that even if they drive you crazy those bonds are special and should be treasured. Single life could have been portrayed with a little more nuance but it's a movie for small children so I will give them that one. Most people will feel good with the message of the film.
Sometimes with films we just have to say 'this one isn't for me' and that's the case with Flushed Away. I see why other people enjoy it but it doesn't work for me. I don't enjoy watching it and really have no desire to watch it again. I recommend watching Pirates! or Shaun the Sheep Movie instead
Dreamworks 15: Madagascar Escape 2 Africa
September 25, 2017 October 13, 2017 | Rachel's Reviews
Some who have been following my DreamWorks series may remember I was not a big fan of the original Madagascar film. I thought it was cliched, unfunny with terrible animation particularly in the character design. DreamWorks often improves their franchises on the 2nd film and I was hoping that would be the case with the Madagascar sequel dubbed Escape 2 Africa but sadly it was not to be. I really thought this was a dreadful animated film.
My biggest problem with this movie is I found it rather mean spirited. At least in the first film you had the lemurs and penguins to bring some humor to the festivities but here that comic relief is used very sparingly. Instead we get an opening number where a baby lion is abducted while his father is shot at. Then you have plane crash that's pretty intense and an elderly woman is punched in the face repeatedly. It doesn't sound like a laugh riot to me…
The movie starts showing Alex's birth family and his father teaching him great lessons while his uncle is scheming for power (because we haven't seen that plotline with lions before…). The uncle is voiced by Alec Baldwin and I thought he was awful. He was annoying and a villain we've seen a million times.
The troop end up getting to Africa and meet their respective species where they all have trouble fitting in. Marty the zebra had a funny sequence where he looks like all of his fellow zebras and doesn't feel unique any more but the rest including a romantic storyline between Melman and Gloria did nothing for me.
Escape 2 Africa is one of those comedies for children where they think characters arguing and saying mean things to each other is the same thing as telling jokes. It reminded me of the last Ice Age movie in that regard. It just kept getting more argumentative, annoying and mean spirited as it went along until I could barely stand it.
I also didn't appreciate how we have another movie that treats masculinity as inherently toxic. Alex doesn't want to fight because he was taught to dance and entertain. Eventually he wins everyone over to his side and they accept him, which is great but it's just such a tired lesson at this point. Why not have him train and learn to be a better fighter? This wouldn't just be acceptance but it would be empowering. It would show he could be both the fighter and the dancer, so even better.
The animation also can't save Escape 2 Africa. It looked remarkably cheap for 2008. The voice acting is good and I do like the penguins when they are on screen. I wish we got much more of them.
I know other people enjoy this franchise but it is not for me (at least so far). I really didn't like this film much at all.
Overall Grade- D
DreamWorks 14: Kung fu Panda
September 7, 2017 | Rachel's Reviews
Over the last few years DreamWorks has been able to keep a certain degree of artistic legitimacy by the presence of two of their franchises- Kung fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon. It's kind of like the Shrek and Madagascar films bring in the big money and the KFP and HTTYD franchises keep them respected by the animation community. Well, that all started in 2008 with the release of Kung fu Panda.On the rewatch it's a decent movie, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a lot of problems with this first entry in the series.
Kung fu Panda stars Jack Black as a panda who has grown up idolizing a group of warriors called The Furious Five. One day the groups leader Master Shifu is looking for a new warrior that can help them defeat a snow leopard called Tai Lung. Through various contrivances he meets Po and believes him to be the Dragon Warrior.
The rest of the movie plays out as a typical origin story with training montages and small skirmishes until leading up to the climatic battle.
The biggest strength of this movie is the amazing animation. Particularly in a fight sequence at the end it totally holds up. The fluidity of the fighting and the colors are gorgeous. It really looks like the studied martial arts fighters and were able to recreate their movements as they fight.
It also has a nice message for kids about not judging by appearance only and the immense potential each of us have to do great things. It's a classic dreamers story but it is done well with a lot of heart.
However, I do have some problems that bothered me on this rewatch. At just 92 minutes the film feels much longer and it is very exposition heavy. By about the fourth monologue from Master Shifu about courage and dreaming I was pretty bored.
I could have also used way more of the Furious Five. They are supposed to be these great fighters that Po looks up to but we hardly see any of that. I wish they had gotten rid of some exposition and thrown in more fights and character moments from the entire team not just Shifu and Po.
Also, I've always had a little bit of a problem with the modern humor in this series. Jack Black's vocals take me out of the movie because all I can think about is 'that's Jack Black'. It sounds so American and so modern that it doesn't fit this Ancient Chinese setting. I have the same problem with the humor. It rarely lands and so it is distracting from the more traditional story.
Still, it's not a bad movie. I just didn't love it like I was hoping too. I think this first entry is definitely the weakest of the franchise as both 2 and 3 give us way more fighting and a lot less talking.
Overall Grade- C+
I'll give it smile worthy but it's a mild one.
Dreamworks 13: Shrek the Third
August 24, 2017 | Rachel's Reviews
Let me take you back to 2007 my friends. I was in a tough time of my life, very unhappy in my job and stressed out getting my MBA. I naturally turned to the movies as a break from everything going on, so I thought 'I could use a laugh maybe I will give the latest Shrek movie a shot?'- Shrek the Third to be more precise. So I took my sister and went to see the movie. Boy did I come out even more depressed then when I started! To say I didn't like it would be an understatement. I thought it was awful. I've been dreading watching it for this series but what would I think about it now, all these years later? Unfortunately I still think it's awful. It's unpleasant, mean-spirited, and really boring. Yikes
The biggest problem with Shrek the Third is how played out it feels. The story of Shrek worrying about being a father feels right out of a tired sitcom. Intermixed we have a cliched road trip movie to find Arthur, which feels the same as the previous 2 films, and a villain in Charming that we've seen before so he's not interesting.
They perhaps could have done something fun with the naughty princesses but instead they just fight the entire time making it unfunny and unpleasant.
Watching this film reminded me of Ice Age: Collision Course. Both films seem to think characters insulting each other is a joke. It's not. It just makes you not care about the characters or what is happening to them.
Arthur as a shy character nervous about being king could have worked but instead it feels like Shrek constantly shouting at him and being unpleasant. There is nothing funny or meaningful in his arc.
The attempts at humor don't work because we've either seen them before or they are reaching so hard for a joke it's not funny any more. For example, in an early scene they have Shrek and Fiona in Renaissance era wigs and outfits. This isn't funny because we have never seen anyone wearing these types of clothes in Shrek. Nobody in the audience is wearing them. It is so obviously a 'you're supposed to laugh at this' moment that it isn't funny.
The greatest crime of Shrek the 3rd is they hardly use the best character, Puss N Boots, at all. Donkey doesn't even get many lines. Puss N Boots got the most laughs in the 2nd film so I don't know why they wouldn't use him more in this film? Instead it's just scene after scene of characters shouting at each other. Ugh…
Shrek the 3rd is incredibly boring movie with unpleasant characters and a tired, played out story. It only made a lot of money because people loved the 2nd film. This is definitely one of Dreamworks worst movies and one most Shrek fans wish they could forget.
Dreamworks 12: Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Ware Rabbit
August 12, 2017 August 12, 2017 | Rachel's Reviews
After the horrors of last week's Shark Tale I had to give myself a gift of one of Dreamwork's two Oscar winning films- Wallace and Gromit: the Curse of the Ware Rabbit. This film is made by Aardman Animation in partnership with Dreamworks. I don't think of it as a true Dreamworks film but it is in the canon so I get to review it. 🙂
Wallace and Gromit are two characters created by director Nick Park as characters in a series of British stop motion shorts. Wallace is the stupid but well meaning inventor and Gromit is his genius dog. Most of the shorts are Wallace getting into trouble and Gromit finding a way to get him out of it. They are charming and full of laughs for the entire family.
Now they make their jump to the big screen, and fortunately they do it rather well. In Curse of the Ware Rabbit, Wallace (Peter Sallis) and Gromit are running a business to remove pesky rabbits from the towns gardens. There is great urgency because the rabbits are eating up all the jumbo sized prize gardens of the townsfolk.
One night Wallace sets up an experiment where he creates a Frankenstein Rabbit called the Ware Rabbit who starts terrorizing the neighborhood gardens. This includes Lady Tottington who becomes a love interest for Wallace.
Wallace and Gromit get on the case and all kinds of shenanigans occur.
This film is a complete delight. It's funny, the animation is amazing and there is a nice heart to the relationship between Wallace and Gromit. Wallace may be stupid but they do love each other.
I also love Lady Tottington (Helena Bonham Carter) and the evil Lord Victor Quartermaine (Ralph Fiennes). It's a comedy designed for kids but it has those British moments adults will enjoy also.
My only flaw with the film is occasionally the pacing can sag but then it picks back up again pretty quickly with a slapstick sequence or tender scene. Other than that I am glad it won the Oscar as I think it is Aardman's best stop motion film followed by Shaun the Sheep Movie and Chicken Run. It's definitely in the top 3 Dreamworks films if you include it in your ranking.
Overall Grade- A
Dreamworks 11: Shark Tale
August 1, 2017 August 1, 2017 | Rachel's Reviews
Honestly there is a side of me that just wants to say 'this movie sucks and I hate it' and be done with this review. I really have nothing nice to say about Shark Tale but for the sake of the series I will share with you my thoughts.
So here we go: Shark Tale is not really about a shark at all. It's about a fish named Oscar who is a complete jerk and loser. You might not realize he is a fish because he stands upright and there are no bubbles or other fish-like attributes. All the fishes look more like lizards than fish and I hate that.
Oscar lives in an underwater city called Reef City where the main population is fish puns. We get such great humor as stars named Katie Current and Jessica Shrimpton. They also have a fast food restaurant called Fish King instead of Burger King- which is really kind of confusing when you think about it.
All this would be fine if the story was decent but it totally sucks. Oscar is a selfish creature who is constantly in debt and lying to all around him. Reef City is over-run with organized crime including Oscar's boss Sykes and a group of sharks that are run like an Italian mob family.
One of these sharks is named Lenny (Jack Black) and his big shame is he is a vegetarian- a fact that is too feminine and weak for his crime boss father (Robert Deniro). They make a lot of mafia movie jokes and references. This can be funny like in Zootopia but they fall flat here. I didn't laugh one time.
There is a groan worthy plot where Oscar gets mistaken as a mighty Sharkslayer and there is a media storm. The movie seems like it is trying to say something about media but it ends up feeling very cynical and strange.
There are also 2 female characters that are uncomfortable. Angie (Renee Zellweger) is the girl fish Oscar literally steals from and Lola (Angelina Jolie) is there to be a sexy temptation although why either would be wasting their time on Oscar I have no idea. Oscar is also a compulsive gambler and puts up Angie's grandmother's pearl at the track, which is a trashy thing to do (nice protagonist Dreamworks).
The only characters I remotely like are 2 jellyfish (Ziggy Marley and Doug E Doug) that are total Jamaican stereotypes but at least they are a little bit fun and they are supposed to be standing upright like that, so the animation is more pleasing.
The sentimentality between Lenny and his Dad at the end is completely unearned and tacked on and Oscar is never punished for lying and being a terrible fish.
I hate the animation in Shark Tale. I hate the humor. I hate the character designs. I hate the lack of bubbles and the fact it looks like it could be above the water. I hate the bloated celebrity voice cast. I hate the way the female characters are treated. I hate the lead protagonist Oscar. I hate the co -lead protagonist Lenny. I hate the mafia jokes and storyline. I hate all the puns and the patronizing humor for the adults.
There are a few good hip-hop songs which are fun but that's about it.
I HATE THIS MOVIE!!!
It's awful and is without a doubt one of the worst mainstream animated films of the last 20 years and definitely one of the worst to receive a Best Animated Movie Oscar nomination (For Shame!!).
This movie sucks
Overall Grade- F
DreamWorks 10: Shrek 2
July 20, 2017 July 20, 2017 | Rachel's Reviews
If you have been following this Dreamworks series you probably recall I have the unpopular opinion of disliking the original Shrek movie. It's basically a parody film and once I've heard the jokes they aren't as funny to me on the rewatch. Aside from laughs the movie doesn't have much going for it artistically or character-wise. So, what would I think about the sequel, Shrek 2? I still have some issues but it is a significant step up from the original (as Dreamworks tends to do. Their sequels are oddly often better than originals). Shrek 2 actually tells a creative story and doesn't just make fun of the fairytale genre but subverts it in some clever ways.
To get things started, I probably have a different take on the introduction of the film than most. We get a musical montage that pokes fun at Spider-man, Little Mermaid, From Here to Eternity, Matrix, Lord of the Rings and more. These type of parody jokes where they mimic a scene from another film just aren't funny to me. So, needless to say this movie gets off to a bad start.
However, it pretty quickly starts the story of Fiona taking Shrek to meet her parents who are sovereigns over the land of Far Far Away. I like that the kingdom is basically Hollywood and that Fairy Godmother is like a magical Oprah. These gags are funny because they actually have something to do with the narrative and aren't just mimicking something we know and love for a joke.
Jennifer Saunders does terrific voice work as the Fairy Godmother and she is an entertaining villain- especially because we know the Fairy Godmother as a sweet rescuer in most stories. I particularly like the scene when she first appears to Fioana and sings a manic version of Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo.
The marriage dynamic between Fiona and Shrek is pretty well done. I like the idea of how much should you change to accommodate the person you love? It's an interesting question and they explore it pretty well. I still wish Cameron Diaz was a better voice actor for Fiona but at least her dialogue is better than in the first film.
The other fantastic addition to the cast is Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots. Talk about perfect casting! He is funny. He is sweet. He is a swashbuckling knave. Also because he famously played Zorro it is easy to bring that persona to the role when you hear his voice. It is an example of celebrity voice acting paying off and adding more to the character.
Shrek is pretty unlikable in this movie, spending most of the time sulking and growling, about everything that happens. His saving grace is when he gets turned into a human and has to do some introspection on who he is and what he wants out of life.
The plot-line with Fiona's parents and her father secretly being the Frog Prince feels a little on the nose to me. The voice acting by Julie Andrews and John Cleese is good but all the dialogue about accepting their daughter when she is 'one of them' can be more than a bit heavy handed. However, let's face it the Shrek movies aren't exactly known for their nuance and subtlety.
I also think Donkey feels a bit extraneous to me. He really isn't needed for the story and so they end up working him in awkward ways. It makes the character more annoying than affecting when all he is there for is occasional commentary. It also doesn't help that Puss in Boots is so much better than Donkey as a sidekick.
The pop music soundtrack also feels dated and doesn't fit well with the story.
Overall Shrek 2 mostly works. It introduces 2 great new characters in Fairy Godmother and Puss in Boots. It actually tells a story and tries to give the characters dimension and heart. The animation is definitely a step up from the original and most of the voice acting is solid. I still don't like the parody jokes, an unlikable Shrek and the Frog Prince story-line but the good outweigh the bad and I enjoyed watching it.
Overall Grade- B-
Rachel's Reviews
Blind Spot 49: 'Spartacus'
Thoughts on the Oscar Best Picture Nominees
Current Mini Reviews
My 2020 Blind Spot Picks
Blind Spot 48: 'Tokyo Godfathers'
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Getting (Back) Into Shape!
April 12, 2010 By Chris Fry & filed under All Articles, Defensive Fitness.
General Physical Preparedness The necessity for having a base level of fitness or general physical preparedness should be common sense for any armed citizen. Possessing the ability to run away from danger is often a better plan than engaging and then, if you survive, dealing with the legal and emotional aftermath. Not to mention the…
Knife Stopping Power
March 24, 2010 By Michael Janich & filed under All Articles, Non-Firearm Defensive Tools.
In a previous PDN article, I explained the logic of my Martial Blade Concepts (MBC) system of defensive knife tactics. A key element of that logic was the focus on achieving reliable, predictable "stopping power" with the type of knife you'll typically carry on a daily basis. In this article, I'd like to take a…
The Ten Commandments of Street Survival, Part 2
March 24, 2010 By Tony Blauer & filed under All Articles, Defensive Training Concepts.
Last month, I discussed the first three of my Ten Commandments of Street Survival: Thou Shalt Not Not Train, Thou Shalt Not Defeat Thyself, and Thou Shalt Not Give Up. Let's move on to numbers four through seven. Commandments 4 – 7 of Street Survival 4. Thou Shalt Not Fear Fear 5. Thou Shalt Not…
Improving Your Snub's Sights
March 24, 2010 By Claude Werner & filed under All Articles, Equipment and Accessories, Personal Defense Equipment.
Hard-to-see sights on a snub-nose revolver are a common complaint. One of the main reasons people don't use the sights is because they can't see them. The sighting system has two components, front sight and rear sight. Both can be improved on, in many cases with just a few minutes' work and very little cost.…
Defensive Firearms Priorities: How To Choose a Personal Defense Handgun
March 23, 2010 By Rob Pincus & filed under All Articles, Defensive Issues, Personal Defense.
One of the things I do most frequently as a defensive firearms instructor is give advice on which gun a person should choose to own for personal or home defense. Over the years, I have even made video clips and written several essays and articles on that topic. Appropriately, my opinion on which types of…
The Reasonable Man Doctrine
March 23, 2010 By Marty Hayes JD & filed under All Articles, Defensive Legal Issues.
At first I intended to write about one of the sexier aspects of self-defense as it pertains to the legal arena, perhaps something about the "21-foot" rule (and why it is not a rule at all), or maybe why shooting someone in the back isn't necessarily murder (even though the pinheaded DA thinks it is).…
Human Weapon System, Part 1: Command and Control
February 24, 2010 By Robert Smith & filed under All Articles, Defensive Fitness.
Last month, we introduced the concept of the Human Weapon System and evaluated its assets and weaknesses. Now we'll start to examine the components of the Human Weapon System (HWS) in detail. There is a glut of information regarding thought and integration of action in response to threat situations in the current body of data…
The Revolver: Unappreciated Advantages
January 13, 2010 By Grant Cunningham & filed under All Articles, Handguns, Self Defense Firearms.
HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE THE WHEELGUN I'm sure you've heard it before: someone asks, "Which is better: revolver or autoloader?" Everyone chimes in that revolvers are more reliable and simpler to operate. Over and over again. Yadda yadda yadda. Related PDN Video: Getting Started Shooting a Revolver Those things are generally true, but there…
Leather: Still a Good Idea for Firearms
January 13, 2010 By Andy Langlois & filed under All Articles, Equipment and Accessories, Personal Defense Equipment.
My fellow trainers note that some people eschew leather and have never even owned a holster that was not plastic. These people are missing out on one of the finer parts of firearms carry! While I am biased toward leather for my CCW needs, I do use Kydex for my duty rig. I have also…
Integrating Medical Knowledge Into Combative Wisdom
January 13, 2010 By Robert Smith & filed under All Articles, Defensive Fitness.
"Experience is only good if you learn from it." Humans are a unique biological system. When placed in the context of defending itself, a human characteristically attacks and defends itself based on a complicated series of generational learning and unique anatomy and physiological constructs. In the initial evaluation, a human does not look very threatening…


Ok so you drive into the public parking lot and keep circling around to find an empty spot. Cut, rewind and refresh! So you are back at the parking lot, only this time the ticket stub prints out the exact next available parking with a color-coded block, indicating the precise location for you. How cool is that! You not only save time in finding a spot, you also can find your way back to the car without a hitch. Awesome!
Wet, Pause, Lather, Pause, Rinse, Now You're Clean!
What about the old guy that doesn't wanna know about that?
How does the ticket machine know?
What if the neighbouring cars are parked poorly?
What if the driver decides to park in a different space?
Simple, efficient especially for small car parking areas.
Just like having a reserved parking space.
Maybe integrate a camera at the front entrance to get there license plate so an attendee can ensure they're in the right spot.
Very nice. Andnow you don't need to search for twenty minutes when you get back!
It is a great idea at first glance… However. What happens if someone before you didn't WANT to park in their designated parking spot. There would have to be a way to confirm that the spot is empty.
Like Redmun said: If a theif takes your handbag, not only do they have your car keys, but a map to your car.
Why not just have a scratch coating on the card that you can scratch with your fingernail/pen to indicate where you had parked.
Explanation is needed as to how the ticket machine would know which spots are available. Whatever the technology, it will be expensive to implement, hence, parking lot owners have no reason to implement.
Locating empty spots shouldn't be too difficult to implement. An IR or RF sensor should sufficient for sensing the presence of a vehicle, I'm sure numerous other solutions exist. From there a signal to an MC which can apply some logic to figure out how to sort the spots would work, preferably one where the nearest spot is taken first.
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Authors to watch Discussion of writing style Review of historical fiction Review of new book
Mannered throwaway lines and very bad people – Undermajordomo Minor, by Patrick deWitt
by M. Bijman
Undermajordomo Minor, by Patrick deWitt (Originally published in hardcover, Sept. 15, 2015; reprint edition publisher: Ecco; paperback; published June 21, 2016; 336 pages)
It seems to me that Hollywood film producers keep rehashing the same subjects and plots, which is why I rarely watch mainstream American-made films these days. I am thoroughly bored with sequels, prequels and other "quels" in films, and the same-old-same-old stuff. The same goes for novels. I prefer a fresh voice, an intriguing premise, a new idea and something that switches my imagination on, not off. So when I was deciding which Scotiabank Giller Prize author to read next, I went for Patrick deWitt and his oddly-titled novel Undermajordomo Minor. The novel is a quirky take on a classic setting and plot. So did it make my imagination take flight or did it bore me to tears? Well, I liked it, immediately ("You like me, right now, you like me!", to quote Sally Field) despite my common sense telling me that the plot, the setting, and even the characters are nothing new. You can tick off the list of familiar elements:
✅Doofus of a young servant comes of age
✅Young Lover meets Fair Maiden whom he defends to the death (his own death, amongst others)
✅Creepy old castle with weird servants ("Yeth, Mathter", says Igor, adding more cobwebs and creaks for effect…)
✅Mad Baron who has moments of such lucidity and style he makes "Count Dracula" look like a country bumpkin
✅Nameless European country with vaguely Germanic names and running battles with cannon and swords – could be late 19th century?
✅A decrepit village below the castle, complete with requisite hovels, a square, a fountain and a station with requisite beggar.
✅A quest, a fight to the death, miraculous survival and going home to show up the locals ("Oh, Master Frodo, we are going back to the Shire – as heroes!", says Samwise Gamgee, wiping the blood, sweat and tears from his eyes.)
Familiar elements and similar books
There are many indicators that this novel is about a folkloric quest. Also, it is similar to many novels and films that feature servants, butlers and majordomos in castles filled with possessed, degenerate people. There is the ultimate literary novel about a head butler in a grand country house, The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro (1987). Other famous fictional butlers include "Reginald Jeeves", created by P.G. Wodehouse for his series of humorous books and short stories that were first published in 1915. Strictly speaking Jeeves is a valet – responsible for one person, his master "Bertie Wooster" – not a butler or majordomo, responsible for a team of servants. However, the word "Jeeves" has become a synonym for a butlerish type of person who has a "feudal desire to oblige" and be of service.
Also worth mentioning are "Nestor", the butler of "Captain Haddock" at "Marlinspike Hall" in the Tintin books by Hergé, and "Agador Spartacus", portrayed by Hank Azaria in the 1996 film The Birdcage.
"The Remains of the Day", by Kazuo Ishiguro, about the last days of an upper class family, seen through the eyes of the butler, "Mr. Stevens".
"Nestor" getting busy with the cleaning, with "Captain Haddock" suspiciously watching him. Nestor's been eavesdropping again.
"Agador Spartacus", memorably played by Hank Azaria in the film, "The Birdcage"
"My Man Jeeves", by P.G. Wodehouse, 1919
And yet, it's unconventional and fresh
So, what makes this novel so successful and well-received?
Really interesting characters
Firstly, the character of "Lucien 'Lucy' Minor" – where the title comes from – is fascinating. He is a deluded, egotistic, lying, cowardly, klutzy teenager. He is also unsettlingly direct and plain-spoken. Everyone around him talks in riddles. Lucy just says whatever pops into his head – even it that's a blatant fabrication.
The other characters are also engaging – the very mad "Baron von Aux" for instance. His name "von" means "of" in German, and "aux" means "(at) the" in French, so he is Baron of The. Meaning, he is a Baron of nothing, no particular title – a crumbling castle, a mysterious wife, creepy fellow members of the nobility…and no money whatsoever. But he is also "the most alluring sort of gentleman imaginable". The ancient majordomo to whom Lucy is "under" is called "Olderglough", pronounced "older-gluff". "Gluff" is Scots for a sudden fright, a scare, or a blast of air. Olderglough is indeed scary, and, while courteous, he is also secretive and unpredictable. Lucy meets the beautiful "Klara" who is betrothed to a brutish soldier. Her name means "clear", however, she is anything but, which causes Lucy to contemplate wicked things about the local "Very Large Hole" near the village.
These are the kinds of characters that will produce of a lot of Fan Fiction – they are just too good to be left alone with not even a mention of a…sequel. Darn, yes, I said it, a sequel. This book deserves a sequel and I'll be the first to read it.
Fan art by Joanna Neborsky for her animated teaser to Undermajordomo Minor. (Source: ElectricLiterature.com) Rtrvd.: 2018-12-30)
A great deal of wickedness
Secondly, Lucy – and everyone else – are very bad indeed. They are all bad, bad people – from Lucy, who discovers within himself a penchant for violence, to his friend "Memel" who is an unrepentant con man, to the Baron and his guests who have themselves an orgy worthy of the best of the Marquis de Sade. That orgy scene certainly had me sitting up and wincing. Goodness. It is quite…unforgettable… though I wish it were! It's a lot of fun to read about insidious evil and just blatant murderousness.
Polished, spare writing
Lastly, it is actually a very entertaining, smooth read. I waltzed through it in a few hours, and what makes it so digestible (aside from its overall shortness) is DeWitt's polished, spare writing style. He does not waste words, and what he writes is refined, and, like the character of Lucy, short and direct. Here is a typical piece of dialogue – Lucy meeting the Baroness for the first time:
"'So, this is the infamous letter writer.'
'Am I infamous, ma'am?'
'In that you've been on my mind, yes. May I ask what prompted you to write it?'
'I felt it justified. Are you displeased with me?'
'Shouldn't I be?'
'I suppose you must.'
'It upset me greatly, your letter.'
'I'm sorry, ma'am.'
'I dislike urgency of any kind.'
'Neither am I fond of it. But all was not well here, and as your absence seemed the source of the problem, then I took my small liberty.'
'You call it a small liberty.'
'I do, ma'am.'
'I spilled tea over my dress reading it.'
'He was eating rats, ma'am.'
'What?'
'The Baron was eating rats. All was not well here.'" (pp. 216 – 217)
Ah yes, it takes flair and a bit of mischievousness for an author to just drop the reference to the rats into a formal conversation. It's a throwaway line of the mannered kind, one of many in the book.
This kind of exchange, depicting the butler, majordomo or undermajordomo as stiff-upper-lipped, imperturbable and totally dignified, despite doing very bad things, is typical of many novels about butlers, including P.G. Wodehouse's "Jeeves and Bertie" novels. For example:
"BERTIE: Touch of indigestion, Jeeves?
JEEVES: No, Sir.
BERTIE: Then why is your tummy rumbling?
JEEVES: Pardon me, Sir, the noise to which you allude does not emanate from my interior but from that of that animal that has just joined us.
BERTIE: Animal? What animal?
JEEVES: A bear, Sir. If you will turn your head, you will observe that a bear is standing in your immediate rear inspecting you in a somewhat menacing manner." (P.G. Wodehouse reimagining William Shakespeare's famous scene in The Winter's Tale, Act 3, Scene 3, with Bertie and Jeeves)
In this sense, Undermajordomo Minor is a kind of homage – or nod to – the best of the stories about butlers and majordomos that have gone before.
An oddity you will enjoy
However, what it reminded me of most of all was Victoria by Knut Hamsun, which was originally published in 1898. The setting is similar – a village of late nineteenth-century Europe. The plot revolves around a working class boy (like Lucy) who falls in love with the beautiful daughter of a wealthy landowner (like Klara, who is not of the nobility but is beautiful and out of reach of Lucy), with tragic results. The tone and the setting are similar – almost spartan yet with sudden moments of deep emotionalism. But Victoria is a romantic tragedy, whereas Undermajordomo Minor is often darkly funny and sometimes absurd.
It fits in the established genre of the Historical novel, with elements of fantasy and folklore, but it is most certainly an oddity. DeWitt has an unexpected voice for these times, and a vivid imagination. His 2017 novel, French Exit, was shortlisted for the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize for Literature. He is definitely an author to watch and I'm going to read all of his other novels.
About Patrick deWitt
French Exit, by Patrick deWitt
The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick deWitt
Patrick deWitt was born in British Columbia, Canada, he has also lived in California and Washington, and now resides in Portland, Oregon. There are many interviews with him on the Internet, just go have a look. He has written:
Ablutions: Notes for a Novel (2009, novel)
The Sisters Brothers (2011, novel, short-listed for the Man Booker Prize)
Undermajordomo Minor (2015)
French Exit (2018)
Help Yourself Help Yourself (2007, non-fiction)
Terri (2011, screenplay)
Tagsabsurdism • baron • black humour • butler • Castle • historical fiction • historical novel • Humor • madness • majordomo • Patrick deWitt • Review of historical fiction • review of Undermjordomo Minor by Patrick deWitt • Scotiabank Giller Prize • Undermajordomo Minor review • violence • wickedness
About M. Bijman
Avid reader, longtime writer of book reviews and literary analyses. Interested in literature, creativity and cognition, language and linguistics, musicology, and technology. Occasionally writes poems and bits of music.
marthebijman.wordpress.com


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Xocotl era il dio azteco del fuoco e delle stelle.

Culto
Xocotl aveva per la popolazione Otomi, e successivamente anche per Nahuatl e Aztechi, un'accezione negativa, quasi fosse una divinità diabolica.
In suo onore, era celebrata in agosto la "Grande festa del Morto" (Xocotl vetzi), in cui dei prigionieri venivano arsi vivi in sacrificio al dio.

Voci correlate
 Divinità minori della mitologia azteca
 Mitologia azteca
 Xolotl

Collegamenti esterni

Divinità della morte
Divinità azteche
Divinità amerinde
Divinità del fuoco

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Music Nightlife
FRANKIE MORENO PERFORMS WITH "ELVIS PRESLEY'S HEARTBREAK HOTEL IN CONCERT" AT HARRAH'S LAS VEGAS ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28
September 2, 2019 September 2, 2019 The Editor	1080 ViewsFrankie Moreno, Harrah's Hotel Las Vegas, Harrahs, las vegas, music, sports, vegas, vegas valley
LAS VEGAS (August 29, 2019) – Wednesday evening, celebrated entertainer Frankie Moreno and Lacey Schwimmer were spotted in the audience at "Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel in Concert" at Harrah's Las Vegas. Near the end of the show, Moreno jumped on stage to perform "Jailhouse Rock" with the band. Following the show, Moreno and Schwimmer joined cast members backstage for photos.
"Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel in Concert" is the ultimate Elvis hit-driven story-telling concert experience. Presenting the music and the story of Elvis' meteoric rise to fame all in one night's immersive experience, the show features nearly two dozen Elvis songs that came to define "rock 'n' roll" as we know it today, while four giant LED walls present authentic imagery and scenes from his extraordinary life. "Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel in Concert" is the only Elvis production in Las Vegas authorized by Authentic Brands Group, owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises, LLC.
"Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel in Concert" performs Wednesday through Monday at 8 p.m. with an additional 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday. The show is dark Tuesday. Tickets are on sale now and start at $49. Additional fees may apply. To purchase tickets, visit harrahslasvegas.com, ticketmaster.com or call 702.777.2782. For groups of 10 or more, please call 702.785.5394 or 866.633.0195, or email hello@indigotickets.com.
For more information about "Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel in Concert," please visitHeartBreakHotelConcert.com.
Robbins Lane Entertainment
Robbins Lane Entertainmentis a production company based in Los Angeles that was started by lifelong friends Seth Fass and Scott Prisand. Fass is the owner of East Coast Capital Corp overseeing over $400 million in mortgages annually. A banker by trade, he made his Hollywood producer debut with "F the Prom" before partnering with Prisand to form Robbins Lane Entertainment. Prisand is a Broadway and feature film producer whose Broadway credits include "Rock of Ages," "Legally Blonde," "Bombay Dreams," "BKLYN The Musical," "Inappropriate" and "Heathers: The Musical." He has also produced several feature films including "Rock of Ages," "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," "Hesher," "Sympathy for Delicious," and "Barry Munday."
Harrah's Las Vegas
With more than 2,500 hotel rooms and suites, Harrah's Las Vegas is an affordable, welcoming resort where guests can break away from their daily routine in a playful atmosphere. The newly renovated Valley Tower features 1,600 stylish rooms with warm tones of gray and purple accents, as well as dark wood furnishings. Harrah's Las Vegas features 87,000 square-feet of casino space, a modern Race & Sports Book offering both live gaming and sports betting, and more than 25,000 square-feet of meeting and convention space. Six restaurants encompass everything from Toby Keith's 'I Love This Bar & Grill,' which offers an all-American menu and live music nightly, to the chef-driven Fulton Street Food Hall, to the upscale setting of Ruth's Chris Steak House, a romantic venue with breathtaking views of the Strip. Harrah's outdoor bar, Carnaval Court, brings high energy to the Las Vegas Strip with live music and some of the world's top flair bartenders who juggle and pour to perfection. A wide variety of entertainment options include rock and roll headliners The Righteous Brothers featuring Bill Medley with Bucky Heard, Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel in Concert and the comedy-magic of Mac King. Harrah's Las Vegas is operated by a subsidiary of Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NASDAQ: CZR). For more information, please visit harrahslasvegas.com or the Caesars Entertainment Las Vegas media room. Find Harrah's Las Vegas on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram.
About Authentic Brands Group
Authentic Brands Group (ABG) is a brand development, marketing, and entertainment company, which owns a portfolio of global entertainment and lifestyle brands. Headquartered in New York City, ABG manages, elevates, and builds the long-term value of more than 50 consumer brands and properties by partnering with best-in-class manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. Its brands have a global retail footprint in more than 100,000 points of sale across the luxury, specialty, department store, mid-tier, mass, and e-commerce channels and more than 4,800 branded freestanding stores and shop-in-shops around the world. ABG is committed to transforming brands by delivering compelling product, content, business, and immersive brand experiences. It creates and activates original marketing strategies to drive the success of its brands across all consumer touchpoints, platforms, and emerging media. ABG's portfolio of iconic and world-renowned brands includes Marilyn Monroe®, Mini Marilyn®, Elvis Presley®, Muhammad Ali®, Shaquille O'Neal®, Dr. J®, Greg Norman®, Neil Lane®, Thalia®, Michael Jackson® (managed brand), Nautica®, Aéropostale®, Juicy Couture®, Vince Camuto®, Herve Leger®, Judith Leiber®, Frederick's of Hollywood®, Nine West®, Frye®, Jones New York®, Louise et Cie®, Sole Society®, Enzo Angiolini®, CC Corso Como®, Hickey Freeman®, Hart Schaffner Marx®, Adrienne Vittadini®, Taryn Rose®, Bandolino®, Misook®, 1.STATE®, CeCe®, Chaus®, Spyder®, Tretorn®, Tapout®, Prince®, Airwalk®, Vision Street Wear®, Above The Rim®, Hind®, Thomasville®, Drexel®, and Henredon®. For more information, please visit ABG-NYC.com.
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January 3, 2019 January 3, 2019 The Editor
LAS VEGAS' MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE WEEKEND 2019 CONCERTS ATTRACT MORE THAN 78,500 FANS
Alejandro Fernández coming to MGM Grand Garden Arena Wednesday, September 15, 2021
April 14, 2021 The Editor
Ray Romano and David Spade Announce Additional 2018 Aces of Comedy Dates
June 24, 2018 October 26, 2018 The Editor
Make Your Way to The Mirage for Marlon Wayans' Aces of Comedy Debut Friday, November 15
Comedy Vegas Valley Sports Beat
Fauci Ate The Bat
June 2, 2021 June 2, 2021 Charles Ramos Jr


text:
Ask a Social Worker: How Dangerous Is Cutting for Someone with Hemophilia?
Health and Well Being, Living with a Bleeding Disorder
Understanding the reasons why people self-harm, and what you can do to help. Ask a Social Worker is a monthly column featuring…
The Role of Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBMs)
Pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) are middlemen that create and administer drug formularies on behalf of health insurers, self-insured employers, Medicaid, and other…
Diabetes Risk in Hemophilia vs Unaffected Groups Compared in Retrospective Study
Industry News & Research, Living with a Bleeding Disorder
The hemophilia data for this study was drawn from de-identified medical records from four North American hemophilia treatment centers. The U.S. diabetes…
Bayer Announces Discontinuation of Kogenate® FS
Kogenate® was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1993. Bayer has announced that they are discontinuing the recombinant…
FDA Grants Breakthrough Status to BIVV001
BIVV001 is an investigational recombinant factor VIII therapy (rFVIII) developed for the prevention of bleeding episodes in hemophilia A patients via once…
BioMarin Announces Delay in Application to FDA
Roctavian is Biomarin's investigational hemophilia A gene therapy, which is currently in multiple ongoing clinical trials. BioMarin recently announced that their planned…
Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Charles Drew
GLHF News, Industry News & Research
NHF staff and experts share insights on the remarkable impact of Dr. Charles Drew. Watch Video. June 3 is the birth date…
GLHF Awarded Continued Cooperative Agreement from HRSA for the Northern States Region
GLHF is honored to announce that we have secured another five-year cooperative agreement with the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) to continue…
Bone Health in VWD and Hemophilia Carriers the Focus of Retrospective Study
The study looked at the prevalence and risk factors of osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and bone fractures. The issue of poor bone health represents…
FDA Accepts Priority Review BLA for Hemophilia B Gene Therapy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted CSL Behring's Biologics License Application (BLA) for priority review of etranacogene dezaparvovec, an…
My Biggest Fear Comes True for My Adult Son With Hemophilia
by: Cazandra Campos-MacDonald My biggest fear for my sons, who live with severe hemophilia, is an auto accident. When my oldest son, Julian, began to…
Managing Bleeding Disorders Requires Attention to Mental Health
by: Jennifer Lynne It's easy to spot physical damage, such as swollen joints, nosebleeds, limps, and bruises, when one suffers from a…
Anxiety, Depression Need Better Management in Hemophilia: Survey
Health and Well Being, Industry News & Research, Living with a Bleeding Disorder
by: Lindsey Shapiro Ph.D. Symptoms of pain, anxiety, and depression generally increased with disease severity in people with hemophilia and were also associated with…
New Data Shows Eptacog Beta Safe and Effective in Pediatric Patients
Newly published data from a phase 3 clinical study suggests that the recombinant factor VIIa bypassing agent (BPA) eptacog beta was used…
Meet Dr. Bosula Oluwole
Dr. Oluwole is a recent JML Fellowship recipient. Watch Dr. Oluwole's video, Dedicated to Finding a Cure for Sickle Cell Disease, here….
Pfizer Reports First Quarter 2002 Update of Gene Therapy Trial
Read the original press release here: https://s28.q4cdn.com/781576035/files/doc_financials/2022/q1/Q1-2022-PFE-Earnings-Release.pdf During a recent quarterly stakeholder report, Pfizer announced that in March 2022 the US Food and…
What Older People with Bleeding Disorders Need to Know About Osteoporosis
Compared with other groups, people with hemophilia have a higher risk of the disease. by: Kathryn Anne Stewart Osteoporosis, a disease of…
6 Facts About Women and Hemophilia
Why it often goes misdiagnosed, the most common symptoms, and more. 1. Women with hemophilia are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed Historically hemophilia…
Bleeding Disorders A to Z: How Bleeding Disorders Are Diagnosed
Health and Well Being, Industry News & Research
Here's a rundown of the various blood tests providers use to diagnose hemophilia, vonWillebrand Disease and other bleeding disorders. by: Michael Hickey…
The ACA's "Family Glitch" – What it is and How it Could Impact You
The so-called "family glitch" is one of the persistent deficiencies in the Affordable Care Act. In their end-of-April post, the Hemophilia Federation…
NHLBI Grant Supports Scientific Research to Enhance Hemophilia A Gene Therapies
The new grant will fund basic and translational studies to improve gene therapies for hemophilia A. A group of investigators are embarking…
<...23456...1020...>


text:
Q: Apache and large file uploading I would like to upload quite large files on my site ~100Mb. My question is - is true that at some moment Apache is storing whole file in memory?
I'm using php and memory_limit is set to 128Mb, but I still get:
PHP Fatal error:  Allowed memory size of 134217728 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 95223000 bytes)

UPD
For file uploading I use Valums file uplaoder. Here is a js code of uploader initialization:
var uploader = new qq.FileUploader({
    element: document.getElementById('file_upload_1'),
    action: '/handle/uploadfile',
    debug: true,
    uploadButtonText: "",
    sizeLimit: 256 * 1024 * 1024,
    onSubmit: function(id, fileName){
         ...
    },
    onComplete: function(id, fileName, responseJSON){
     ...
});

The thing is that php action 'handle/uploadfile' is not even called. Error occurred when Apache processes POST request with file before pass it to php script.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Car Photo Gallery - Professional & Affordable Auto Repair Service in Post Falls, ID.
I have a car photo gallery at my photography site. It can be seen at RJR Photography.
The images are of cars from local car shows and interesting cars I see when traveling. All photos are taken by me.
that I have provided for examples of ingenuity in auto repair by the "not-so-professional" variety of individuals.


Availability of Unhealthy Fast Foods Adding to Obesity and Healthcare Crisis.
Day 2 of the 31 Days of Wellness addresses a food to avoid.
I grew up in New York eating bagels. My favorite was sesame with cream cheese and chive. Warm; slightly toasted. Coffee, milk and sugar, to wash it down.
Several years ago I read an article that stated "the bagel" was one of the worst foods you could eat. While I could have though of a dozen other items worse than a bagel (how about a glazed donut, hot dogs, and fried twinkies), the bagel does deserve a few comments. In the spirit of health and wellness, avoiding bagels is a good start.
For your generic bagel, plan on investing about 300 calories (before the butter, jam, or cream cheese), 460 mg sodium, and 59 grams of carbohydrates. Minimal fiber, and no significant vitamin or mineral content. It's an empty meal from a nutritional standpoint. A rare treat of a bagel won't break the preverbal nutrition bank, but a regular dose of these, or similar bread products will kill you.
Panera Bread, a hands down favorite with everyone I talk with, has an expansive breakfast offering. Eating a plane bagel will look healthy compared to one of their breakfast sandwiches. Their sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich on Chibatta bread is deadly, packing in 550 calories, 29 grams of fat, 1040 mg sodium, and 44 grams of carbohydrates.
Keep in mind the American Heart Association recommends between 15-1800 mg of sodium (salt) per day.
The goad for 2013 is to avoid as many refined, man-made products as possible. Start by avoiding all bread and wheat products. The difficult part of all this is that we are surrounded by fast food establishments coast to coast. Make a conscious decision to stay away. Your risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease will be reduced.
Substitute the beloved bagel for fruit and yogurt in the morning, egg whites with veggies, lean meats, or a fruit smoothie.
This is a great educational video from Dan Campolieta, a trainer in Connecticut, who happens to be my nephew. Dan explains his breakfast plan, and why it is important to start the day off with a sold breakfast. This is a point that cannot be underestimated. When not educating on the benefits of exercise and nutrition, Dan is a professional musician.
Editors Note: Every day we are launching the January 2012 collection of daily blog entries for the "31 Days of Wellness", our annual celebration of the New Year, and the opportunity to start anew as we ring in the New Year. Enjoy, visit us daily, and send us your feedback.
This past summer, I submitted a post and podcast on the virtues of eating salad for breakfast. I still stand by what I said then, and continue to recommend this as an alternative to the usual breakfast of toast and cereal. When discussing breakfast options with patients, my mention of salad for breakfast certainly is something they are not expecting to hear. The general understanding is that salad is for lunch and dinner. Period. Looking a bit closer, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Numerous research studies have shown that skipping breakfast actually leads to obesity-especially in young girls. African American teens are hit the worst.
As an alternative, I recommend salad. The breakfast bowl pictured here is a mixture of Dole Classic Coleslaw (a generous fist-full) and a half cup of fresh blueberries (grown in the USA). This mixture was drizzled with a tablespoon (note: half the recommended serving size) of Newman's Own Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing. While rest of my family consumed NY bagels and rolls (we were in NY for Christmas visiting family), I sat content eating my salad.
As always, you need to think outside of the box. Salad can be a nutritious, filling meal for breakfast to get you off to the right start in the morning. Low in carbohydrates, it won't slow you down later in the morning. It is packed with fiber and nutrients. Any fruit would do alongside the cabbage or lettuce you decide to use. Limit the dressing. For added protein, add a few slices of chicken breast or lean beef. Fish (yes fish) can also be added for protein.
Give it a try and I am sure you can incorporate salad into you breakfast diet a few times per week.
A list of Dole salad products are available here.
Newman's Own Lite Dressings are available here.
This past week on Your Health First, I discussed why it's a good idea to think about eating salad for breakfast.


Austin, Nevada is not quite a ghost town. It has a population of 192 (at least it did in 2010.) The town was founded in 1862 after gold and silver was discovered nearby. In order to support the booming population of prospectors, miners, and related entrepreneurs, the International Hotel was dismantled in Virginia City, Nevada, moved 163 miles, and reassembled becoming the first commercial building in Austin in 1863. Today, the International Cafe and Bar serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, has a full bar, and free restrooms.
The International Cafe and Bar is said to be haunted by a ghost called "Tommy" that sometimes appears in the bar area and whose footsteps are sometimes heard upstairs.


When I was little, I read Swiss Family Robinson with my Mom. I began to fantasize about living in a tree house and having ostrich races with family and friends, far away from traditional living.
Books surpassed any joy that a toy could bring.
The first time I read about autumn as being an alternative for the word, fall, I saw trees in a new light. They went from warm, holiday trees to fires of celebration. One word had the power to change my way of thinking.
Like a tattoo on the heart, early reading can impress things on a child that will imbed ideas and inspiration throughout their lifetime.
Author Mukkove Johnson has come up with a wonderful way to teach children how to experience the Easter holiday without letting the things of this world get in the way.
Commercialism is no match for Mukkove.
Mukkove, let me just say that I love your book! You are doing something essential for children by teaching them to see Jesus in common Easter items, such as jelly beans. What gave you the idea?
Thank you Sherry! I'm no t sure where I got the idea. Maybe as a middle school youth leader I picked it up, that's where I first remember using the concept. If you can take an everyday object and tie an impactful message with to it, it will be reinforced on a regular basis. Jesus used the things around him to teach the people who were following him. His parables are full of normal everyday things for the time he was living. I don't think he really intended it to be any harder for us to teach those around us. For me that is mainly my children.
After you wrote this and your earlier book, Christmas is about Jesus, do you find yourself finding Jesus in common day-to-day items?
I think it's sort of the way I already saw things. God shows himself in many things, teaches me through everyday things all the time, well when I'm paying attention anyway. For the books it was a combination of things I easily saw Jesus in and then things I saw around the holiday so I thought of a way it could remind us of Jesus.
You live in Alaska where there is so much uncongested land – do you find it easier to connect with the Lord where man has made fewer impressions on creation?
Do you have any more books in the works?
I have many ideas for books. I think the next I'll pursue publishing will be another devotional, more interactive on the children's part. There will be places to draw or write. My idea is to take them through a routine to learn to spend time with God on their own.
Do your own kids inspire you with book ideas?
Very much so, Sherry. I want to write things that are useful to them. My kids have some stories they have made up, seen in dreams, even some ways they have seen God's truth in everyday things. I want to turn those into books, or parts of books, also.
Give us your heart – why should our readers get your book?
I see my books as tools to give families a starting place to teach their children what they believe. They help to build a common vocabulary, a common starting place, and hopefully the habit of communication. It's important for our children to evaluate ideas that are presented to them, especially by our culture. I hope that by showing ways things can remind us of Jesus they will see they don't always have to buy the message they are given. God can use all things for our good, even commercialized holidays if we look at it from the right perspective.
Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Sherry. Thank you to everyone who read along.
Leave a comment and be back here on Friday when I will announce the winner!
I LOVEEEEE how the author reflects on a word (autumn) that changed her perspective in what fall meant! Reading her interview puts into words so many thoughts that I as a Christian mother struggle with. "How do I introduce God's meaning into our very commercial driven life?" I definatly look for ways to integrate God's love into my daughters daily life so I look forward to more books by this author! Thanks Sherry!
I LOVE how Mukkove tells us how the word autumn changed her perspective of the word fall. It's so true how as young children the power of words through reading helps shape us into the adults we become! Mukkove writes about things that as a Christian mother of 2 daughters I find myself struggling with everyday. "How do I integrate God and his meaning into our everyday very commercialized lives?". I look forward to Mukkove's work that ties God's love into everyday things in a way that children can understand! Thanks Sherry!
Thank you for reading! Sherry shared her perspective change on autumn and it is a great example of influencing how our children interpret the world around them.
Congratulations Mommybakerbowmaker! You won! I will be in touch with you soon.


text:
EHN [of California]
Larkspur, California, 94977-0074
A 501 (c) (3) non profit agency.
Death by Perfume?
-- by A. Marsh with apologies to A. Conan Doyle
"What do you make of it, Watson?"
The body sprawled next to a toppled chair on the floor of a dingy solicitor's office not far from our lodgings at 221 B Baker Street. Sadly, it was a handsome young solicitor's clerk who lay at our feet, one hand clutching at his cravat, the other holding a crumpled page. I knelt amidst the strewn papers of what appeared to be a singularly lengthy legal snarl and conducted my examination.
"There are no external signs of violence, Holmes." I rose from the floor. "The body is still warm. He seems to have been stricken quite suddenly, perhaps even in the last half hour. From his expression and the position of his limbs, I say he appears to have died gasping for breath...."
"Bravo, Watson! And what say you to this?" Holmes retrieved a small brown vial which had rolled under the desk. I glanced at the label.
"Arsenicum? I couldn't say. That is scarcely my medical specialty." As you very well know, I might have added. As a wounded former Army surgeon I'd had no occasion to add a study of homeopathy to my professional repertoire.
"Arsenicum, Watson, is commonly prescribed for those poor unfortunates who are quite literally in danger of breathing their last."
"So you would venture a diagnosis of status asthmaticus?" I asked.
"Quite so," Holmes was triumphant. "And do you notice nothing else?"
"Why, nothing at all." Aside from the corpse, and the disorder of the papers and chair, I could detect nothing unusual about the room.
"Breathe, Watson. Inhale. Do you not find the air laden with alcohol vapors and curiously heavy with scents of rose and musk? You may wish to inspect a little tract I have recently composed on the chemical composition of common perfumes and their devastating effect upon the human body."
From the beginning of our acquaintance, Holmes had exhibited a profound knowledge of chemistry, which, along with his keen powers of observation, often served him well during the course of an investigation.
He continued, "I have no doubt that our young clerk's final moments were spent with a woman, a woman with more money than taste. An overly fashionable person, as heavy-handed in her use of finery, as she is in her application of scent. No subtleties, Watson, no subtlety at all."
Now he crouched beside the body and deftly extracted the foolscap document held so tightly between the dead man's stiffening fingers. He handed it to me with that imperious gesture I'd come to know so well.
"Do me the favor of reading it aloud. And please, omit nothing."
Holmes went to the window and looked out upon the bustle of Baker Street as I began:
"Dear Friend,
"Pure air is one of the requisites of good health and yet today many people work and suffer in an atmosphere which rivals that of 19th century London. Formaldehyde fumes from carpets, ammonia and chlorine from cleaning products, ink fumes from copy machines..."
I paused. "What the devil are copy machines, Holmes?"
"Merely a mechanical contrivance of the twentieth century. It is of no matter. Pray continue."
"...even the solvents in ordinary perfumes and cosmetics combine to form an atmospheric 'chemical soup,' which, through repeated exposure, may ultimately endanger the health and safety of numerous employees.
"People may react to office pollution with a variety of symptoms, including an increase in colds and sinus congestion, fatigue, headaches, confusion, rashes, watery or irritated eyes, depression and even seizures. These symptoms may be temporary and acute, or they may become chronic and debilitating. But for those who suffer from a medical condition known as asthma, exposure to common chemicals can prove fatal.
"Asthma is a literal struggle for breath. A wide variety of triggers are known to cause inflammation and swelling of the bronchial tubes, often within seconds of exposure. Every asthma attack has the potential to suffocate. And in this country, the death rate from asthma is climbing.
"Perfume is a well-known asthmatic trigger. Those who suffer from asthma or experience other symptoms of chemical sensitivity cannot afford to underestimate the dangers of perfume exposure. And yet daily exposure is virtually a given for any working adult.
Often, the only option for many of these otherwise able-bodied workers is to give up their jobs and other activities in order to avoid all possible opportunities for exposure. Hardworking and talented people must retreat from the work force years before their time. Clearly, employers and employees alike must be educated. The use of perfume and fragrant cosmetics in all but the most intimate settings must begin to be as carefully considered as the act of smoking is today..."
"Enough!" Holmes motioned for me to cease.
"Come, Watson, there is nothing more to be done for this poor wretch. Inspector Lestrade will soon arrive. Indeed, I have already sent for him. We go," he said, snatching another paper from the floor, "to bring to bay this ... this careless creature, who has poisoned the very air with her habits of vanity!"
In the long course of our association, never have I seen Holmes so afflicted.
"To think," he murmured, "that this poor devil must have expired during the commonplace execution of his clerical duties, and in the very manner spoken of in this letter!"
He shook his head. "Death by perfume, indeed."
©Amy Marsh, 1997
Environmental Health Network (EHN) [of California]
www.ehnca.org
See EHN's FDA Petition, Docket Number 99P-1340/CP 1
Includes analyses of six fragrances and a summary of one
http://ehnca.org/www/FDApetition/bkgrinfo.htm
Write to the Food and Drug Administration
about your adverse reactions to fragrances:
fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
The United States Access Board
Board Adopts Policy to Promote Fragrance-Free Environments
http://www.access-board.gov/news/fragrance.htm
Adopted on July 26, 2000, by the U.S. Access Board
ACCESS BOARD MEETING POLICY
http://www.access-board.gov/news/fragrance-policy.htm
Return to top of page.
Return to The New Reactor index
http://ehnca.org/www/newreact/nrindex.htm
Return to JAN (Job Accommodation Network)
Accommodation Ideas for those suffering fragrance sensitivity
http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/media/fragrance.html
EHN's home page (http://www.ehnca.org)
6/24/98 - rev: 3/11/00


text:
package io.druid.indexer.hadoop;

import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.type.TypeReference;
import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
import io.druid.indexer.HadoopDruidIndexerConfig;
import org.apache.hadoop.io.Writable;
import org.apache.hadoop.mapreduce.InputSplit;

import javax.validation.constraints.NotNull;
import java.io.DataInput;
import java.io.DataOutput;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.List;

public class DatasourceInputSplit extends InputSplit implements Writable
{
  private List<WindowedDataSegment> segments = null;

  //required for deserialization
  public DatasourceInputSplit()
  {
  }

  public DatasourceInputSplit(@NotNull List<WindowedDataSegment> segments)
  {
    Preconditions.checkArgument(segments != null && segments.size() > 0, "no segments");
    this.segments = segments;
  }

  @Override
  public long getLength() throws IOException, InterruptedException
  {
    long size = 0;
    for (WindowedDataSegment segment : segments) {
      size += segment.getSegment().getSize();
    }
    return size;
  }

  @Override
  public String[] getLocations() throws IOException, InterruptedException
  {
    return new String[]{};
  }

  public List<WindowedDataSegment> getSegments()
  {
    return segments;
  }

  @Override
  public void write(DataOutput out) throws IOException
  {
    out.writeUTF(HadoopDruidIndexerConfig.JSON_MAPPER.writeValueAsString(segments));
  }

  @Override
  public void readFields(DataInput in) throws IOException
  {
    segments = HadoopDruidIndexerConfig.JSON_MAPPER.readValue(
        in.readUTF(),
        new TypeReference<List<WindowedDataSegment>>()
        {
        }
    );
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


From Gardiner, with rabies: Who left a sick bat at a Maine lab's doorstep?
UPDATE: No sooner did I hit publish on this post than Maine CDC alerted me that the person just came forward. The individual — who heard from a school nurse where he/she works that health officials were on the case — found the bat in the garden and handled it appropriately. The person was not exposed to rabies.
A mysterious bat associated with a shadowy identity has landed in Maine.
Nope, not that one. No Batman and Robin here — more like Batman and Rabies.
Health officials are looking for someone who dropped off a bat for rabies testing at the state Health and Environmental Testing Lab in Augusta between Friday, May 8 and Monday, May 11. The bat was bagged up inside a container dropped off at the lab's front door, according to Maine CDC.
The bat delivery was accompanied by a note that read simply, "from Gardiner." Pithy, but short on a few facts, the agency explained in its latest public health update.
As it turns out, the bat tested positive for rabies. While chances are low that this person or a pet were exposed to the virus, Maine CDC wants to locate the individual to be on the safe side. Public health officials are cautious like that.
Anyone dropping off animals to the lab for rabies testing must fill out a submission form — available at the lab and online — so officials can assess any exposures, report results and ensure prompt medical care, the update states.
Rabies is fatal when left untreated, but the disease is preventable after a bite or scratch from an infected animal, before symptoms appear. The treatment is a combination of a rabies vaccine and immune globulin shots.
People start showing symptoms on average from one to three months after an exposure, but the timeframe can vary from days to years, according to Maine CDC.
Last year, 43 animals that exposed a person or another animal tested positive for rabies at the state lab. So far this year, nine animals have tested positive for the virus — five raccoons, two skunks and two bats (including the one in question, which presumably used its powers for good before its untimely infection).


What is your Go To Song?
Yesterday, I was practicing something new and just got plain frustrated because it did not sound good. It made me second guess if I should keep trying to play violin. I got myself together and decided to play something I know sounds pretty decent on my violin. That song was Amazing Grace. I find this to be my Go-To-Song when my practicing is not going as well or as fast as I would like.
Do you have a Go-To-Song if so, what's the name of it?
I don't have such an "intentional" go-to song - but what I suffer from ( because I am not sight-reading - come on Bill - get it sorted ) is when playing a tune by ear - particularly one I haven't played before - is suddenly lapsing into something totally different - probably because there's a phrase in the music that "belongs" or "is common to" something else. The horrific thing is that it just needs to be a sequence of half a dozen notes - the key, the tempo, the rhythm can be completely different from what I'm trying to play - and suddenly I'm playing "Molly Malone" or "Whiskey in the Jar" or "When Johnny comes marching home", etc etc etc (none of which I have ever practiced or intentionally played). Somewhat scary, and if it didn't make me laugh, I would cry !
.... no, do not let such thoughts enter your head !
suddenly lapsing into something totally different - probably because there's a phrase in the music that "belongs" or "is common to" something else.
@Fiddlestix informs that he does that too.
It happens to me occasionally. More common for me is to start playing a tune without thinking of what the tune is. Then I have to keep playing and listening before I can say what the tune is.
Oh oh, let's be aware that this is kind of a hijacking of the thread, and promise to return to the original question.
Never underestimate the benefit of scales practice !
"Mary Hamilton" or "Red is the Rose". Maybe "Blow the Candles Out" if I want something slow, or "Whisky You're the Devil" if I want something fast. So basically, old folk songs that I've done countless times on assorted instruments are what I resort to as "Go To" when I've been tussling with something a bit tricky and I'm not 100% happy with how it has been going or if I'm showing a visitor what my violin sounds like or (rare occassions) I'm trying an instrument in a shop.
When I first started it was Will The Circle Be Unbroken and I'll Fly Away, then Simple Gifts. My violin has always sounded best on the lower three strings. As I memorized whatever Suzuki tune I was working on they became my go to tunes.
Now though it is anything I have memorized. Which is really awesome. When I played the flute in high school I could never memorize music. Now I am actually thinking in tones/sounds and not the written note!!
I think my violin sounds best with bluegrass tunes. I wonder if some violins just sound better playing one type of music over another?
I usually play a small tune I made myself. I know the notes, but whether the notes I think I am playing are the actual notes are another thing. I was told when I first started playing my C# was a D. You know by some one who can tell the note from the noise being made, madness I know. Especially with me playing.
But I like playing Perpetual Motion from the Suzuki books, because I like the intro and need to practice playing with my little finger.
As for playing something else entirely when playing one piece, does a dozen wrong notes in a row count?
My go-to is scales. Gets me moving and I can hear the mood for that day without the distraction of notes.
Next, I ramble on in some minor key to get a better feel for the day. (My teacher once said I was a minor player and now I know what she meant. I can play (something) minor all day.
Dee, I totally hear what you're saying!
I'm still working on the Thaxted project, it's getting better but some days it just doesn't! So I usually use my memorised tunes ... Ave Maria, Over the Rainbow, slow stuff like that to get me back in the mood.
If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right.
I start out with Ashokan Farewell, Lover's Waltz, Midnight on the Water, Scotland the Brave, Turkey in the Straw, and then whatever I'm currently working on.
Mine Eyes have Seen The Glory, at the moment. Also Red River Valley.


Lawtons were instructed to deal with a case where things had not gone to plan at the Magistrates Court. Our client, an equity partner and solicitor at top city law firm had been caught speeding doing 82 on the M1 when there was a temporary 50mph speed limit.
He was originally unrepresented when he appeared before the Magistrates Court, where he attended and was given a fine but also disqualified from driving for 40 days. The consequences of this disqualification were particularly bad for our client and his family of 4 children, all of whom were adversely affected by the disqualification. Realising that he needed expert assistance, he immediately instructed Lawtons to deal with the Appeal to Luton Crown Court.
From our specialist Crown Court team, Alex Britton acted for our client at Luton Crown Court where he was successful in his appeal against his driving disqualification. At the Hearing on 17th May, Alex was able to persuade the Court that the Sentence imposed was excessive, the Appeal was allowed and the disqualification was reduced to 6 penalty points.
If you are facing disqualification in the Magistrates Court or need expert advice on any road traffic offence, please contact our team of expert lawyers who can discuss what may be required and provide a bespoke estimate of costs involved in ensuring that the best result is achieved. We are credible experts in the fields that we specialise in, we just don't talk about results we achieve them too.