Six months after hiring former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani's consulting firm, Purdue Pharma settled a Florida state investigation that had threatened to expose early illegal marketing of its blockbuster drug OxyContin, company and state records show.
The November 2002 deal was a coup for the drugmaker, which at the time faced growing criticism about overdose deaths and addiction linked to the painkiller. Purdue agreed to pay the state $2 million to help fund a computer database to track narcotics prescriptions and up to $150,000 to sponsor five one-day conferences to educate law enforcement about drug abuse.
In exchange, Florida's then-attorney general, Robert Butterworth, dropped his marketing investigation, which had uncovered initial evidence that Purdue misled doctors and the public about OxyContin's safety, state records show.
Today, as Giuliani makes frequent headlines as President Donald Trump's personal lawyer in the Russia investigation, the settlement his firm helped secure in Florida is drawing new scrutiny — and mixed opinions.
"This was a missed opportunity," David Moyé, a former director of economic crimes and health care fraud for the Florida Attorney General's Office, said of the settlement. "They let them [Purdue] off the hook," said Moyé, now a lawyer in Tallahassee.
Butterworth agreed to drop any claims "arising out of the sale and marketing" of OxyContin up to Nov. 1, 2002. That happened even though Purdue never paid for the database because state lawmakers balked at supporting it.
Now a lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, Butterworth said he regretted that more wasn't done early on to halt improper marketing of opioids.
"I wish that law enforcement would have taken them out 20 years ago. It is absolutely insane that so many people die each year [from opioids]," he said.
The Florida AG's marketing investigation remains noteworthy because some of the evidence it unearthed could play a role in an avalanche of lawsuits that now blame Purdue and other opioid makers for fueling the nation's addiction epidemic.
More than 1,500 of these suits, mostly filed by state and local governments against opioid manufacturers and distributors, seek compensation for the costs of treating addiction.
"We allege the [opioid epidemic] is a consequence of this kind of [marketing] conduct," said Paul Hanly, co-counsel for a group of lawsuits consolidated in federal court in Cleveland. Addiction treatment costs have "hemorrhaged" over the past 10 years and cost billions of dollars, he said. The drug companies and distributors have denied responsibility in court filings.
Trump earlier this year declared the opioid epidemic a "national emergency," and suggested last month that the federal government also sue drug companies.
Giuliani launched his consulting firm, Giuliani Partners LLC, in early 2002. For years, detractors have argued that the ex-mayor traded on the respect and celebrity gained by his leadership after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to help Purdue duck responsibility for misdeeds.
On Aug. 24, two Democratic senators asked the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration to investigate Giuliani's role in a 2007 criminal case against Purdue in Virginia, which accused the company of making false claims about OxyContin's safety. The request follows a New York Times article that alleged Giuliani's influence led prosecutors to ease off charges that could have crippled the company.
The 2002 Florida investigation, by taking aim directly at Purdue's aggressive sales tactics, had posed a significant threat to the company. Released late in 1995, OxyContin topped $1 billion in annual sales by 2002.
The investigation picked up steam in July 2002, less than two months after Purdue announced hiring Giuliani Partners to help it "combat prescription drug abuse and diversion." The firm's duties included building support for electronic prescription monitoring plans and developing education programs for law enforcement — the two pillars of the settlement in Florida.
As a sign of its willingness to cooperate with the state, Purdue agreed to turn over its confidential OxyContin marketing plans from 1996 through 2002. Kaiser Health News obtained these reports from the Florida AG and published them in June, with the remaining materials cited here.
Giuliani Partners founding member Daniel Connolly spoke on Purdue's behalf at a July 23, 2002, meeting with the Florida AG staff, notes of the meeting obtained from the Florida AG's office show. Connolly had no comment.
So did Miami attorney Jon Sale, a law school pal of Giuliani's who remains a close friend. Sale said in a recent interview that Giuliani "most likely" had asked him to represent Purdue in the legal negotiations.
"Everybody thought it was a wonderful idea," Sale said in a recent interview.
Former Florida assistant attorney general Dave Aronberg, who worked on the investigation but left before its settlement, agreed.
Aronberg blamed some Republican lawmakers, who saw the database as a threat to patient privacy, for torpedoing the deal. The settlement released Purdue from paying most of the $2 million if legislators did not approve additional funding for the database within two years.
Aronberg said the legislation, which eventually passed more than two years later in 2009, could have saved many lives had the database been set up earlier. Most states now have the computerized systems, though some doubt their effectiveness in curbing opioid overdose deaths and other abuse.
The 2002 settlement, and the political skirmishes over the databank, put the brakes on the AG's investigation of potentially illegal sales promotions. For instance, an AG's office investigator interviewed a former Purdue sales manager, who said company executives had directed its sales force to advise doctors that OxyContin was not addictive, according to notes of the interview. Though Purdue gave the state a list of the names and contact information for more than 100 of its sales agents, the same records indicate that the sales manager appears to be the only one interviewed.
Records from the AG's office show that Purdue also turned over marketing materials that downplayed the risks of addiction from the drug, including a brochure that advised patients, "Fear should not stand in the way of relief of your pain." Other records included the names of all employees who had helped write product warnings for OxyContin and Purdue's guidelines for paying commissions to its sales force.
Former fraud director Moyé said that the revelations in these records and other evidence, such as Medicaid billing data that showed some doctors were recklessly prescribing of OxyContin should have prompted Florida officials to demand tougher enforcement, including a hefty fine, and an agreement to cease marketing violations in the future.
"We could have cleaned this up," Moyé said.
But Hanly, the lawyer now suing opioid makers, noted that the marketing records were later used by the Justice Department in securing Purdue's criminal convictions in 2007. "It's not like they didn't have any consequences," he said.
Giuliani Partners was not the only high-profile hire at Purdue. It also retained Eric Holder, a former assistant attorney general under President Bill Clinton who went on to serve as attorney general in the Obama administration. In 2004, Holder helped negotiate a $10 million settlement of a lawsuit filed by the West Virginia attorney general, who accused Purdue of deceptive marketing. Holder's role also has drawn criticism.
Friedman and two other Purdue executives pleaded guilty to criminal charges of "misbranding" OxyContin in the 2007 Virginia case.
Broward County is about to get more money for programs helping people fight their opioid addictions.
The federal government set aside nearly $1 billion to fight the opioid crisis nationwide this year. Florida is set to receive $49.3 million from those funds, of which an estimated $7-10 million is going to Broward County.
County officials don't know yet exactly how much they will get.
Four inmates sit silently in the library of the Franklin County House of Correction one summer morning. But these men aren't here to read books.


A Zulu name for a settlement in the heart of a region ruled by Zulu kings for centuries, Empangeni was named for the Mpange trees which lined the banks of the Mpangeni stream running through the valley in which the town is located. Initially a mission station for the Norwegian Missionary Society in 1851, Empangeni now serves as the commercial, industrial and communications centre for a large sugar cane and timber industry. Easily accessed via the N2 highway, Empangeni lies 170 kilometres north of Durban and 30 kilometres inland from the Port of Richards Bay on KwaZulu-Natal's North Coast.
The two hundred and ninety five hectare Enseleni Nature Reserve, whose name is isiZulu for 'lair of the badger' is situated 14 kilometres north east of Empangeni. The reserve consists mainly of coastal grasslands and forest, with the Nseleni river running through it. For bird watching enthusiasts the reserve boasts a variety of rare species which include African finfoot, purple crested lourie, Pels fishing owl, white-eared barbet and three species of elusive nightjars, Mozambique, fiery necked and European. Enseleni Nature Reserve is also home to an interesting array of wildlife which includes giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, impala, reedbuck, waterbuck, bushbuck, bushpig, red, blue and grey duiker, hippopotamus, crocodile, large spotted genet and bushbaby. The reserve has two trails running through it, the seven kilometer long Nkonkoni trail and the Mvubu trail which takes one over a shorter distance of two kilometeres. Both of these trails provide visitors with magnificent scenery and excellent opportunities for viewing the wildlife of the reserve.
Popular among visitors to the area is the Empangeni Art and Crafts Centre located in the Empangeni CBD, where one can view and purchase a variety of arts and crafts made by the local communities. The centre also hosts exciting street theatre, enthralling Zulu storytelling and lively jazz sessions. Nearby, Jabulani Crafts offers an excellent variety of Zulu curios and artifacts, ideal for gifts and souvenirs made by physically handicapped persons.
Empangeni Art & Cultural Museum located in Turnbull Street is housed in an old building which was built by local sugar farmers in 1916. The hall was originally used for various meetings, weddings, church services, as a library and later as a gym before being decided upon that the building be used as a museum. The hall was once used as a movie theatre and patrons would make bookings by placing a stone on their seat. The museum has permanent displays of traditional Zulu heritage art, and the developments of the local sugar farming industry, not to mention a large collection of oil paintings and regular temporary exhibits of local art. Highlights of the museum include old photographs of early sugar farms and displays of traditional Zulu clothing and crafts.
For keen golfers, there is the Empangeni Country Club with its 18 hole Golf Course which was established in the early 1900's.
The club also offers tennis, golf, bowls, squash and conference facilities. Enjoying all the usual amenities expected of a centre this size and with the added attraction of South Africa's largest port close by, visitors can indulge in a range of other outdoor activities which include spear fishing, skydiving and speedboat racing.


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text:
Burrell, Utley homers save Phillies
PHILADELPHIA — Pat Burrell, Chase Utley and the Philadelphia Phillies had more than enough power to offset Manny Ramirez in the NL championship series opener.
Utley and Burrell homered off tiring Derek Lowe in the sixth inning to back a strong performance by Cole Hamels, and the Phillies were a winner in their return to the NLCS, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 Thursday night.
"It feels great, but you can"t get too caught up in this," Burrell said. "We"ve got a lot of work to do."
Ramirez put the Dodgers ahead with a long RBI double in the first, just missing a two-run homer. But the Phillies" big bats answered in the sixth, when Burrell hit a go-ahead solo homer after Utley"s two-run drive tied it.
Game 2 is Friday in Philadelphia, with Phillies right-hander Brett Myers facing Dodgers righty Chad Billingsley.
A lower back injury nearly sidelined Burrell in the first round against Milwaukee, and he almost got benched after going 0-for-8 in the first three games. But manager Charlie Manuel kept Burrell in the lineup, and Burrell responded with two homers and four RBIs in the clinching win over the Brewers.
Hamels settled down after the first and wound up allowing two runs and six hits, striking out eight.
"I think the guy just geared it up a notch," Burrell said.
Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless eighth, and Brad Lidge finished with a perfect ninth for his third save of the postseason. Lidge is 44-for-44 in save chances this year.
Lowe cruised through the first five innings, allowing just four singles. But the right-hander with the hard sinker couldn"t make it out of the sixth.
The speedy Shane Victorino reached second base leading off on shortstop Rafael Furcal"s throwing error. Utley ripped the next pitch into the seats in right-center for his first postseason homer in 29 at-bats, tying it at 2.
"It was up, but it wasn"t that bad a pitch," Utley said.
One out later, Burrell lined a 3-1 pitch into the left-field stands for a 3-2 lead, sending the sellout crowd of 45,839 into frenzy.
"It was definitely intense out there," Utley said. "It gave us that little extra Adrenalin."
While Burrell circled the bases, Lowe looked up at the fireworks going off beyond the swinging replica Liberty Bell that hangs beyond the outfield stands and waited for manager Joe Torre to walk to the mound.
Burrell high-fived teammates and got a curtain call from long-suffering fans, who waited 15 years to see the Phillies return to the NLCS.
"Utley is a pretty good hitter," Torre said. "I don"t think the error had anything to do with what happened after that."
Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the first off Hamels, who tossed eight shutout innings against Milwaukee in Game 1 of the division series.
Andre Ethier hit a one-out double. With first base open, Manuel chose to let Hamels pitch to Ramirez. The slugger made them pay, hitting an RBI double high off the 19-foot wall just left of straightaway center.
"I guess that"s the furthest ball that anyone can hit and not be out of the yard," Hamels said.
Ramirez, whose 68 postseason RBIs are second only to Bernie Williams" 80, was 2-for-4. When Ramirez came to the plate as the tying run with one out in the eighth, Manuel jogged out to chat with Madson in a rare strategy session with nobody on base. Whatever he said, it worked. Ramirez lined out to third base.
"I wanted to make sure we knew how to pitch him," Manuel said.
Blake DeWitt"s sacrifice fly in the fourth made it 2-0. Matt Kemp led off the inning with a looping ground-rule double down the right-field line. Kemp advanced to third on Casey Blake"s grounder to shortstop and scored on DeWitt"s fly to center.
Lowe"s sinker was so sharp early on that he even got Jayson Werth to ground into his third double-play in 786 plate appearances since joining the Phillies last year.
Lowe was 6-1 with a 1.27 ERA in his last 10 regular-season starts, including an 0.59 ERA in September. He beat Chicago in the opener of the division series as the Dodgers swept the heavily favored Cubs to reach the NLCS for the first time since winning the World Series in 1988.
Right from the start, fans waved their white-and-red "Fightin" Phils" towels and screamed "Beat LA," a chant first made popular by Boston fans as the Philadelphia 76ers were finishing off the Celtics to advance to the 1983 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. The 76ers went on to beat the Lakers. It"s the last championship this title-starved city has celebrated.
Since then, the Phillies have lost twice in the World Series (1983 and "93), and the city"s other three major pro teams are 0-5 in the finals of their respective sports.
The Phillies played their first NLCS game since clinching the pennant in Game 6 against Atlanta at old Veterans Stadium on Oct. 13, 1993. They"re seeking their second World Series title (first was in 1980) in the franchise"s 126-year history.
Burrell is in the final season of a $50 million, six-year contract and it"s uncertain whether the Phillies will bring him back. The way he"s swinging now, he won"t have a hard time finding a home.
Notes: It"s the fourth time in 31 years that the Dodgers and Phillies meet in the NLCS. The Dodgers beat the Phillies in 1977 and 1978. The Phillies won in "83. … Dodgers 3B coach Larry Bowa, who managed the Phillies and played shortstop for the 1980 championship team, received a nice ovation in pregame introductions.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This Mortal Coil - It'll End In Tears. Vinyl LP, CD. Bleep.
Reissue of This Mortal Coil's important debut LP here. Originally released in 1984, It'll End In Tears acted as both an advert for 4AD Records and an announcement that the young imprint was here to stay. Under the guidance of 4AD boss Ivo Watts-Russell a cast of label favourites created an album of Gothic dream pop that paved the way for the success of figures like David Lynch. Looking back now, It'll End In Tears' credits read like a 'who's-who' of the '80's underground - Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Colourbox and Howard Devoto are just some of the artists to appear.


Tessa joined AIM in 2018 from RBC Global Asset Management, where she worked in client relations for their subsidiary, BlueBay Asset Management. Prior to BlueBay, she worked at Mercer Investment Consulting on their manager research team, where she evaluated and conducted due diligence on fixed income and real estate investment managers. Tessa is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.


text:
Let me introduce
Let me introduce: Grouplove
This is "Let me introduce" – the show where I present you a different artist every week. Today's show is about Grouplove: Formed in 2009, Grouplove is an indie pop band from Los Angeles, California. The band has released 3 full-length albums, with their latest album Big Mess from 2016.
All the Singles, Ladies
swim against the bøp
J-Bøp
Mix 42 and show 55! New music this week from The Japanese House, and introducing La Bouqet. Playlist of other music played can be found below. Follow the social type stuff: All the Singles, Ladies – Twitter | Facebook | tumblr | Instagram | Soundcloud | Other Podcasts KPSU – Twitter | Facebook | tumblr | Instagram| Other KPSU Shows
Grouplove @ The Roseland Theater 10.13.16
On October 13, Grouplove performed to a sold out show at Portland's Roseland Theater with support from MUNA and Dilly Dally. If you weren't able to get tickets, you missed one of the best shows I have been to this year. Grouplove will be back at Portland's Crystal Ballroom with support from Wild Ones for 94.7's […]


In the spirit of Old McDonald and onomatopoeia sound effects.
Jez Alborough's usual cast of animals characters are trying to hitch a ride on a tractor driven by Sheep. Farmer Dougal hears the all noise and jumps out of bed to see what is going on. All he sees is his tractor sitting in place and animals grazing quietly, nearby. After he returns to bed, the animals are ready to ride again. The story reminded me of Duck on a Bike by David Shannon -- animals and vehicles. As a read aloud, there are animal sounds to make. The illustrations are in Alborough's comic style. I will say that the toothy grin of the sheep is a little unnerving.
Farm yard animals quack, baa, cluck, maa, squeek, meow and woof. As the pages turn, the animals seem to be cheerfully jumbled up together. It is not until the last two page spread that their goal is revealed. Krilanovich paints with lovely texture and pattens. Her chickens are especially beautiful. The book plays with the Duck Duck Goose game chant, adding in animal sounds.
Dancing is just plain fun for everyone. Dancing ladybugs go Tippity! Tippity!, elephants go Stompity! Stompity!, ducks' feet go Slappity! Slappity! and so on, with insects and lizards and animals of all sizes dancing up a storm. Nice rhythm and rhyme swing the text. It would make an excellent storytime read-aloud with lots of opportunities for audience participation. Marc Brown's collage illustrations pop with color and texture. The simple shapes might inspire some young artists. I am putting this one in my "have book, will travel" librarian's bag.
Teens and other readers of Young Adult Literature will have the opportunity to listen to bestselling titles and required reading classics this summer. Each week from June 23 - August 17, 2011, SYNC will offer two free audiobook downloads.
The audiobook pairings will include a popular YA title and a classic that connects with the YA title's theme and is likely to show up on a student's summer reading lists. For example, Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, the first book in a popular series with strong allusions to Romeo & Juliet, will be paired with Shakespeare's classic.
the fresh Potter material – to be unveiled later this year - already stretches to 18,000 words about the novels' characters, places and objects, with more to come. From Professor McGonagall's love for a Muggle as a young woman, to how the Dursleys met (Petunia was working in an office); from new information about Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff houses, to details about wand wood, Rowling's writing will be just one part of the richly interactive, free Pottermore.com website, which is intended to bring the Harry Potter storylines to interactive life for readers.
The CIP in this books shows the LC subject heading as "Berchtold zu Sonnenburg, Maria Anna Mozart, Reichsfrelin von, 1751-1829" aka Maria Anna Mozart, Wolfgang's sister. Rusch uses the piano sonata form, which she describes before the story begins, to frame her story as Maria played them frequently. Billed as Wonders of Nature! and Child Geniuses!, Maria and her younger brother, Wolfgang performed together across Europe. The two spoke French and Italian and had rich imaginations. A composer and prodigy in her own right, Maria noted down Wolfgang's compositions for him, before he could write. When their father chose to focus on Wolfgang as a solo performer, Maria was left behind at home, a move that devastated her. The siblings remained close though even after Maria's marriage and many of Wolfgang's compositions were dedicated to his sister.
Artists, Johnson and Francher use a collage of woven fabrics, rich brocades and embroidered satins, to bring the story to life. The textiles act as a canvas for the paintings and give them richness and depth. The paint is laid on thickly in places rendering a three dimensional feel to the figures. The pianos are layered with images of original hand written sheet music from the Mozart family collection. I would love to see the original artwork for this book.
A brief but complete bibliography includes books, letters and documents and personal interviews. An "encore" summary of Maria Anna Mozart's life fills out details of her story. This book is beautifully executed in every way.
My inner school librarian is putting this book on my "must purchase" list. The book is a happy tribute to every child who ever filled a box, sack, pail, or gym sock with a rock collection.
The ABC style book is wholly original and an imaginative delight. Each page focuses on a rock in the shape of a letter of the alphabet.
A rock shaped like a lower case "e" illustrates "elephant" along with a rock that looks just like the head of an elephant, with an upraised trunk. The two page spread for "o is for Ouch!" depicts a donut shaped "'o" rock with ouch depicted by a smooth oval stone "face" pitted with holes and grooves that look just like a face, grimacing.
I know I exclaimed or laughed out loud at some of the whimsical selections. McGuirk's interpretation of these amorphous shapes is a wonder because we see them too! Her rocks are identified as fossiliferous sandstone and the geologic process that forms this kind of sedimentary rock is also described. McGuirk began collecting these rocks on Florida beaches although she specifies that the letter "X" is from Maine.
This book has wide classroom applications from art teachers to science teachers. It would perfectly pair with Byrd Baylor's classic Everybody needs a Rock .
School gardens are often started but tend to languish despite the best of intentions of teachers, students and parents. This book might encourage a community to try again.
The children at the Pepper Lane Elementary are inspired by a visit from Miss Marigold, the garden lady to start a garden at their school. They work together with help from adults. Even Mr. Barkley, the school's cranky neighbor, lends his gardening expertise. Building a garden is hard work. Ground must be cleared and prepared then seeds are planted and watered. It takes patience to wait for vegetables to grow and flowers to bloom but their efforts are rewarded and celebrated at the end. Suggestions for starting a school garden are shared.
Pig lives on an apple farm. His owner feeds him every kind of apple delicacy but Pig is tired of apples and longs for the vegetables growing in a nearby garden. When Pig manages to get into the garden he is in heaven. He discovers a passion for squash. When Mrs. Pippins discovers him in the garden, she secures him in his muddy pig pen and he cannot escape. He prepares the ground in his pen for planting and "passes" the seeds from the squash he ate. He patiently waits and before long has his own squash garden. Thursman follows the story with two pages of organic gardening tips. Illustrator, Ward's apple trees are filled with apples and text from apple recipes. Pig's method for planting his seeds is very...organic--to be sure. THAT will get the kids attention!
Our Shadow Garden by Cherie Foster Golburn, art by the children of the Children's Cancer Hospital at M.D.Anderson Cancer Center. Bright Sky Press, 2011.
The Children's Art Project at M.D.Anderson Cancer Center funds programs for children who are cancer patients at the center. The project has long been known for its Christmas cards but has also branched out to beautiful stationary and gift items as well as cards for other holidays. This book is a compilation of artwork by forty-seven of those patients.
When a child's grandmother becomes ill with cancer, she cannot work in her garden any more. Told in the first person, the child and "Poppa" work to revamp Nana's garden. The two of them create a shadow garden that can be enjoyed in the evening. Soft lights are hung in the trees and flowers that bloom in the cool of the evening are added to the beds. The flowers' fragrances waft through the air. Animals that only come out in the evening visit the garden. A well placed bench provides a spot to rest and to listen. The creation of the garden gives the child and Poppa a focus and way to contribute to their loved one's recovery.
A glossary of plant and garden terms (like diurnal and germinate) is included along with a list of gardening websites. Information on planning a shadow garden appear in sidebars on the pages along with specific information about shadow garden plants. Traditions of planting by the phases of the moon are explained also. Golburn is a certified Texas Master Gardener and is knowledgeable about her subject. Gardens have a healing power. More than just a "gift" book, the content is useful to gardeners and families who are dealing with cancer.
When I mentioned there was a children's book about Hendrix to the teacher dressed like Jimi Hendrix for our "dress like a rock star" day at school a few weeks ago, everyone within earshot was stunned.
The story of Hendrix's death has overshadowed his music. When one of the children asked the teacher if he was dressed as Michael Jackson, I wondered if any children at the school had even heard of Hendrix.
Golio tells Hendrix's story with poetic language and imagery.
Blue was the whoosh of cool water splashing over rocks.
Green, the rustle of a thousand leaves.
Did Jimmy really see the world in this way or is this poetic license? This feels researched and informed thanks to the extensive list of research sources, the discography of music and videos, and website list included at the end.
Golio imparts a great deal of information about Hendrix's life without resorting to a dry narration of facts. We understand there is no mother in the boy's life through the descriptions of his relationship with his father.
Jimmy was fascinated with all kinds of sound and his imagination saw colors in the noises and rhythms of the city and nature. The boy was also an artist, often sketching and painting. A self-taught guitarist, his music took off in a whole new direction when he acquired an electric guitar and discovered how amps and guitar strings could be used to create a unique sounds.
The author addresses Hendrix's death honestly and in a straight forward manner in the author's note. He focuses on substance abuse and addiction as a disease that people can recover from with help. He draws on his own years as a counselor in the discussion and points to several websites that help families and children understand the issue and find assistance. His comments would be a comfort and useful to young people who are facing similar problems themselves or in their family.
Before There Was Mozart: The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome, Schwartz & Wade, 2011.
Joseph Boulogne was born in the West Indies in 1745. His mother was a slave on his white father's plantation. Cherished by his parents, he was educated and taught music from an early age. Joseph was extremely gifted, excelling at everything he tried.
When his father returned to France, Joseph and his mother accompanied him. Joseph was thrust into a world that did not accept him as a person of color. His talent was unmistakable though and he earned a place in the king's court as soloist, conductor and composer, even inspiring a young Mozart with his genius. He was also a master swordsman, a fact that intrigued the elementary music classes where we shared this book..
James Ransome drenches the paintings with sunlight and tropical color in Joseph's early island years. Later in France, the richness of the French court glows on the pages.
The Ransomes provide a wonderful opportunity here to learn of a less well known musician and his contributions to the world of classical music.
Well, despite a foul illness, (that is receding somewhat as I write) I was able to read a few books and listen to part of another. I also spent time reading blogs of other participants and writing some quick reviews. I have more hours left in my 48 hour block but have to be at work early tomorrow to start closing down the library for the school year. Yawn.
I am so fond of these relatively short but utterly readable little books Paulsen has been writing recently. They are full of humor and story that resonates with readers 4th grade and up. With page counts between 100-120 pages, they are not intimidating to readers who eye a book for its thickness or thinness.
Kevin knows the difference between telling the truth and telling a lie. He just finds that lies are easier on everyone. He has rules for telling lies but even his experience and talent cannot keep him from becoming hopelessly entangled in the multiple threads he is working. There is trouble on his home front too when his father's business travel begins to interfere with their family's life. He realizes his duplicity may have hurt his parent's relationship too.
Kevin realizes the value of truth telling in a poignant moment with the little boy he babysits. He comes clean with a clear-eyed maturity that is a wondrous thing to behold. As he writes letters of apology to all the people he has lied to and accepts the consequences that befall him, life gets better.
"It's like he has a gift, " Henry said to Riley as they flipped on their flashlights and made their way down the tunnel toward Reed's voice. "No matter where we go or what we do, he's like a compass pointing north when it comes to locating smelly goo."
"Extraordinary," Riley agreed. "You work so hard to come up with adventures and somehow it always come down to Reed in a pile of poop."
Time reading: 1 hour, 120 pages.
Terrific story of a family moving to upstate New York in the middle of winter to start an ice cream parlor. Tess is in seventh grade and her little brother, Noah, is eight years old. He is also deaf. Their dad is out of the picture. Their ma is a dreamer and hard to stop when she gets an idea in her head. She also suffers from what she calls Shooting Stars. Tess learns the condition has another name, bipolar disorder. Their new home is in a senior community which at first seems bizarre but turns out to be a blessing as the community takes the children into their hearts as surrogate grandparents. Ma works nonstop, dreaming up new flavors of ice cream and renovating the space that will become their store. Through her efforts, the downtown business district begins to dust itself off and shine. Tess begins to make friends and things are looking up on the eve of the store's grand opening when the Shooting Stars return and Ma crashes into despair and depression. It is up to Tess and her friends and new family from the senior community to make the business a success.
Full of admiration for Kent's storytelling.
Calli Gold does not DO anything. She does not skate competitively like her sister or play sports like her brother. She is content to be the sedate middle child. She has patience and empathy for others. She notices things that fly by the notice of her parents as they rush their children from one activity to another. Her family's over-scheduled and hectic life is hard on everyone. Still her father thinks Calli has just not discovered her talent or passion yet and needs an activity of her own.
But, when Calli becomes involved in a student peer support group at school, her family can barely find the time to attend her group's Friendship Fair.
Calli is an endearing character with a serene inner strength. This reader applauded when she finally called out her parents about their misplaced priorities. I really enjoyed this family story, nice parents (though they need a head slap) a nice brother, bratty drama queen older sister for some tension and conflict.
Good for all of us to reflect on what really is important and how we spend our family time.
Time reading: 1.5 hours, 208 pages.
I have participated in the 48 Hour Book Challenge every year since MotherReader (@ http://www.motherreader.com/) began it. I was planning to read along this year too, but alas, a foul virus or SOMETHING has gotten a firm hold on my respiratory system and I am doing more coughing and napping than reading. I've spent a year of dodging, evading, bobbing and weaving, ducking, retreating, and hiding from the various germs that coat the surfaces of library books and public schools. I was successful until the reading reward FIELD TRIP.
Alas, there is no out-running the recycled air and germ smeared, virus encrusted surfaces of a bouncing/sliding emporium.
Still, I plan to attempt some reading because, over the past years, I have read some of my favorite books during this annual weekend challenge. I've participated on airplanes, during high school graduation ceremonies, and sometimes, from the comfort of my easy chair. I hope I can accomplish 48 minutes.
I am grateful to MR and to her dedication to this splendid event.


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Oh, that is amazing! I would loooove some of your tropical fruit glut, but alas, we just aren't living in the tropics!
We are able to still grown lettuces here through summer (though we have to watch them) and have some lovely lettuces for salads this week. I'm also picking tomatoes and zucchinis each day now and always have basil to go with them. We had our first corn of the year this week and have been picking capsicums (though they are just about to go crazy now and the chillis aren't ready yet). Our fruit trees are mostly still young, but we picked a box of ripe nectarines this morning and have several more boxes that will be ready to pick over the next couple of weeks. My beetroot are beautiful and we have carrots too. Green beans haven't done that well this year, though I have a few and I picked plenty of beans for drying last week. I tried a number of new things this year and sadly they haven't been very successful – not sure whether to blame the weather or the plants or the soil…..
Your harvest is jujst beatiful – thanks for sharing!
What a marvelous harvest Linda, cant quite match that but here in C Qld even after 900mm of rain last month I have eggfruit, capsicum, chilli, Thai Pink tomatoes, basil, last of the carrots the rain has tended to rot them, a few mangoes & the acerolla is full of flowers, shalots, garlic & turmeric, ginger does not seem to have sprouted this year. A few long beans & your new seed already sprouted so I should have time for a crop. Now trying to get lettuce & asian greens started but they need to stay under shade cloth untill the really hot weather has gone.
Hi Tracey, I envy your nectarines! Too many fruit flies here for nectarines. Otherwise though, you're harvesting a similar range.
Hi Joyfulhomemaker, this is all harvested this morning, but it's a big harvest. I stripped off most of the last of the pomegranates because I was scared the cockatoos would get them. And the olives in jars in the back are a one-off- we picked 9 big jars full this morning but that's it for the year. And the jackfruit is one of only three this year. Generally I pick every day for that day, and do a big pick on the weekend. But we've been getting a basket like this of mangoes most days and a bowl like this of tomatoes, and the chooks are getting sick of tromboncino. My strawberries are finished now, and I've given up on plums, which is a pity. So much you can do with a good lot of plums!
Wonder why Jane? They do tend to throw male flowers first, and only female flowers when conditions are good. So perhaps it's just stress?
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw your wonderful harvest. Here in the UK we are going through the 'hungry gap' where there isn't a lot to find in the veg garden – a few leeks, the odd cabbage, parsnips. Even in the summer we couldn't get such a variety as you have. I am green with envy.
How wonderful! We have snow here!
Hi Elaine, I do realise how very lucky I am!
I am amazed by what you can grow in your area! You seem able to grow tropical fruit like mangoes, bananas and jackfruit, but then also stone fruit. I have been fascinated by your trombochino, but if they wilted at the sign of heat then I guess they wont grow here in the tropics. Very little in our garden at the moment – Winged beans, sweet potatoes, and then the perrenials like ginger and turmeric.
Africanaussie, we can't really grow stonefruits – seedling peaches with tough skins is about all, and even they get fruit fly stung. Our climate is subtropical, but my site is high enough to be pretty nearly frost free everywhere, and certainly with enough microclimates I can guarantee to be frost free, so that gives me a lot of options. The tromboncino don't mind the heat, but they didn't like the water stress of the heat wave. The vines survived fine, but they dropped fruit. If I could keep enough water up to them, they probably would cope. But that was extreme – several days in a row well into the 40's.
What a wonderful haul! I am looking with envy at your pomegranates. I will be putting a few plants in when it gets cooler and when I have a Wallaby-proof fence. Do you have suggestions on variety? And do you know if you can raise them from seed taken from a fruit?
Hi Louise, we got ours from Daley's, our local nursery, and I think they are Azerbaijani variety. The wallabies have left them alone, and we have wallabies! I haven't tried to raise from seed, but I can't see why it wouldn't be possible.
Wow. Your fruit makes my mouth water. Oh how I wish I could grow some of those more tropical fruits. But we have great stone fruit and apples I guess to make up for it a little bit.
Apples….mmmm….so many wonderful heritage varieties. Yes, there are swings and roundabouts. But I do realise how lucky I am to live in a place with a year round growing season, and able to grow mangoes and paw paws and custard apples and macadamias.


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Award for Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning
Applications for the 8th SUMP Award are now closed.
The 8th SUMP Award focuses on safe walking and cycling, which ties into this year's EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK theme. The award focuses on the integration of safe active mobility in sustainable urban mobility planning. This covers the development and promotion of walking and cycling as urban transport modes and the improvement of safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Read our manual to find out more about the concept of safe walking and cycling.
What is the SUMP Award?
The European Commission's award for sustainable urban mobility planning was launched in 2012. The aim of the award is to encourage the adoption of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) by local authorities across Europe and to reward outstanding achievements in each year's thematic priority area.
The SUMP Award is separate to the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award, but remains complementary. The EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award is given to municipalities for their outstanding activities during EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK on 16-22 September, whereas the SUMP Award recognises local and regional authorities for excellence in sustainable urban mobility planning.
Winner of the 7th SUMP Award
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
Winner, 7th Award for Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning
Greater Manchester has set ambitious multimodality goals, which it intends to reach using a wide-range of integrated and combined mobility options. The jury was particularly impressed by Greater Manchester's use of smart, new technologies to increase the share of journeys made using sustainable modes of transport. As part of its mobility planning approach, Manchester considers each part of the city individually, according to its size, location and function. Measures are then adapted to the needs of the area.
Finalists:
Basel (Switzerland)
To view the video made for Basel, click here.
To view the video made for Dresden, click here.
6th SUMP Award Winner: Turda, Romania
The Romanian city of Turda was presented with the 6th SUMP Award for its clear planning vision, robust financing strategy, and measurable targets. The jury noted the replicability of the strategy and its potential to inspire other similarly-sized cities.
To find out more about Turda's award-winning sustainable urban mobility planning, read the press release.
Greater Manchester (United Kingdom)
To view the video made for Greater Manchester, click here.
To view the video made for Milan, click here.
5th SUMP Award winner: Brussels, Belgium
The Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP) Award 2016, which focused on urban freight, was presented to Brussels for its work on making freight deliveries more sustainable. The Belgian capital stood out thanks to its innovative logistics schemes. Budapest (Hungary) and Stockholm (Sweden) were also nominated for the prestigious award. Read more in the official press release or in this Eltis case study.
To view the video made for Budapest, click here.
Stockholm (Sweden)
To view the video made for Stockholm, click here.
4th SUMP Award winner: Malmö, Sweden
The Swedish city of Malmö won the 4th Award on Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning for its impressive intermodal transport solutions with a people-friendly focus and its excellence in linking transport planning with the overall urban planning process, while taking into account accessibility for different social groups.
Utrecht (Netherlands)
Read more about each of the finalists here or watch a video introducing each finalist here.
3rd SUMP Award winner: Bremen, Germany
Bremen was awarded the 3rd SUMP Award due to its ambitious efforts to learn lessons, strengthen success stories and avoid failures in its transport planning activities. In addition to excellent planning and the early provision of tools for monitoring and evaluation, Bremen (Germany) closely co-operated with local stakeholders and with peer cities and networks during the evaluation process of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) adopted in 2014. Read more about the city's efforts in this Eltis case study.
Ghent (Belgium)
To view the video made for Ghent, click here.
Special Prize of the Jury:
Thessaloniki (Greece)
Read a case study on Thessaloniki here.
2nd SUMP Award winner: Rivas Vaciamadrid (Spain)
As a growing city in the neighbourhood of the Spanish capital, Rivas Vaciamadrid adopted in 2010 a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) to face both the dramatic increase of population in the town and to connect with Madrid. The municipality paid particular attention to social, environmental and economic aspects of mobility and obtained the 2013 European SUMP Award as a reward. Read more about the city's efforts in this Eltis case study.
Strasbourg (France)
To view the video made for Strasbourg, click here.
Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain)
To view the video made for Vitoria-Gasteiz, click here.
1st SUMP Award winner: Aberdeen, UK
Aberdeen's SUMP is the result of an open and inclusive process that encompassed public workshops as well as a strong social media presence in order to elicit a wide range of views. The jury of the European Commission's first SUMP Award commended this "outstanding participatory approach involving stakeholders and citizens" and honoured Aberdeen with SUMP Award: "Its successful use of social media demonstrates the Council's ambition for innovation and connecting to citizens. Good response rates from citizens prove the appropriate application of the chosen tools."
Read more about the city's efforts in this Eltis case study.
Ljutomer (Slovenia)
To view the video made for Ljutomer, click here.
Tolouse (France)
To view the video made for Tolouse, click here.