text:
Numbers on a calendar are arbitrary. You have to keep track of them so people don't get mad at you for showing up late or missing a flight or a payment, or I suppose there are other important things to you or someone else. The year is marked by moments. Here's to another year of moments (I'm raising a glass of Jameson, if you can't see). The moments that make up a life are nothing special and they are all special.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Numbers on a calendar are arbitrary. You have to keep track of them so people don't get mad at you for showing up late or missing a flight or a payment, or I suppose there are other important things to you or someone else. The year is marked by moments. Here's to another year of moments (I'm raising a glass of Jameson, if you can't see). The moments that make up a life are nothing special and they are all special.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 11:56 PM
Monday, December 28, 2009
arbitrary rating: bowling on tv
Grade: B
I was staying at a hotel near New York City's Times Square last month. I saw James Spader across the street from my hotel and got trampled by crowds attending the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Rockefeller Center. After a near-death tourist experience, there is nothing more relaxing than watching a bowling match from the 1980s on ESPN Classic. I was transfixed by a bowling match that was at least 25 years old. The hair! The mustaches! The Trickle-Down Economics! Here is the problem with bowling on TV: the bowlers are too good. They are robots programmed to throw strikes and spares. There is no drinking or swearing. No having a nervous break down and chucking a ball down the wrong lane. No throwing the ball when the pin setter is down and the guy behind the shoe counter yells and gives you "a warning." Nobody gets a ball stuck on his fingers and whips it at the people behind him like you can do on Wii Bowling. But the good thing is you can't taunt your opponent, or make fun of her for scoring 80 because, god, you guys are mean. I told you on the car ride here, I suck at bowling.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 2:50 PM
Thursday, December 24, 2009
I dare you to watch the whole thing. I TRIPLE-dog-dare you.
[Wegrzyn created a slight breach of etiquette by skipping the triple dare and going right for the throat]
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
van gogh letter sketches
Before Van Gogh was Van Gogh, he was a financially struggling artist defining his philosophy about art and his place as an artist within the business. He was concerned about which paintings would sell and which paintings wouldn't.To Theo from The Hague
September 1882 [262]
"Well, I hope that the small bench, even if not yet saleable, will show you that I have nothing against tackling subjects with something agreeable or pleasant about them, which are thus more likely to find buyers than things with a more sombre sentiment. [...]
Adieu again, a handshake in thought, and believe me, Ever yours, Vincent"
You mustn't, whatever you do, think that I have great expectations regarding the appreciation of my work — I believe one must be satisfied if one gets to the point where one can persuade a few people of the soundness of what one is striving for and is understood by them, without exaggerated praise.Self-affirmations are a familiar refrain for artists. Some days belief in them is empowering and some days it's a clap-if-you-believe-in-fairies plea to a cynical Lost Boy.
And the rest is a matter of, if something comes of it so much the better, but something that one should even think about as little as possible. But still I believe the work has to be seen, precisely because the few friends can settle out from the stream of passers-by. One doesn't have to be guided by what the majority say or do, though.
This collection of Van Gogh letter sketches is captivating as an affirmation of art and life. They illuminate the practical concerns of the artist in both art and business.
And it's fun to pretend you are pen pals with Vincent Van Gogh.
Much more at BibliOdyssey. Link.
Monday, December 21, 2009
katherine dunn lets her faucet drip
A good article on writer Katherine Dunn ("Geek Love"). Link.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
x-mas link dump (part 5)
I enjoy the 24/7 Xmas programming on WLIT, but even I have to change the radio when Christmas Shoes comes on. Okay sometimes I listen just to confirm its horribleness.
Friday, December 18, 2009
x-mas link dump (part 4)
Billy Squire - Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 12:12 PM
x-mas link dump (part 3)
Today is the last day of school before winter break. You pry off your snow-slushy boots that slurp the gold-toe socks half-off your foot, chuck your backpack on the mat next to the door (your Trapper Keeper crushes post Math Class holiday party candy canes into crumbs), and tromp down into your woodpaneled basement to watch X-mas commercials, sitcoms, and specials on your rabbit-eared TV. Will Vinton's Claymation Christmas Special will pop up sooner or later: This is Betamaxmas.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
best YouTube video of 2009?
I don't speak goat, but I think he's yelling to his wife to find his favorite dress pants to wear to a stupid work dinner he doesn't really want to go to anyway. But the open bar is top shelf liquor so where are his pants baaaaaaahhhhh!
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 11:18 PM
x-mas link dump (part 2)
Silver Spoons - The Best Christmas Ever (1982)
There aren't enough sitcom episodes about impoverished families that take residence in well-furnished bear caves on the property of millionaire man-child toy moguls. Watching the whole thing is like challenging yourself to finish the bag of Fun Dip after you've eaten the two lick-a-sticks. Do you dump the rest of the pouch of purple sugar directly into your mouth, or do you use your saliva soaked index finger as God intended? This earnest holiday episode of Silver Spoons fills a crack in the soul of American entertainment with a gooey caulk of Christmas spirit. If there is one lesson I've learned here it is this: being rich solves everything.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 12:05 AM
x-mas link dump (part 1)
A mess of X-mas music of all sizes and shapes on the internets. Explore: http://www.accuradio.com/holidays/
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
perhaps you noticed:
This blog is now http://www.chainsawcalligraphy.com. Links and bookmarks pointed to the original blogspot.com address will continue to function as usual. No need to change anything, not that you would, because I haven't been posting. Actually -- true story -- I owned chainsawcalligraphy.com in 2003-2004. I let it expire. After all, it wasn't free like the bowl of Jolly Ranchers next to the cash register at the dry cleaners. And then somebody else bought the domain. Oh my god: frowny face! Who stole my domain?! I invented Chainsaw Calligraphy. I've been writing under Chainsaw Calligraphy ever since I used it as the title for my weekly humor column in Washington University's newspaper (http://www.studlife.com) in 2001.
The domain was available again. So I reclaimed it. So there.
If this sounds like a renewed investment in the blog, perhaps. I don't know. MAYBE. Twitter has diffused the impulse to post dumb things I used to post here. But here's a stray thought: it would be great to be an astronaut repairing a satelite on a space walk because you get to pee in your work clothes. Most jobs would fire you for that.
I'm also trying to be more professional.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 3:23 PM
Friday, November 06, 2009
Monday, November 02, 2009
man(u) vs. animal
Spurs player Manu Ginobli slaps a bat out of mid-air. Kind of impressive. Then he picks it up and I'm thinking he might want to Wikipedia bats and rabies before picking it up. And also he might not want to pick it up. But go ahead, Manu. You're a man. And you got a game to play.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 11:16 PM
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Kiddieland drags its dirt-smudged Keds into that good night
Farewell, Kiddieland (1929 - 2009)
I love Kiddieland. The Tribune photo gallery makes it look like an abandoned carnival in post-meltdown Chernobyl. Lots of concrete and chain link fencing. Another icon from my fading youth goes to the scrap yard. I sigh over sepia-toned memories filled with sepia-flavored cotton candy. You'll never know the trouble I went through to get the Tilt-A-Whirl car with the best spin, or the heartbreak of losing my Notre Dame baseball cap on The Little Dipper roller coaster. How did I lose a hat on that thing? It only went like 10 MPH. It's been many years since my last visit to Kiddieland. Glorified carnival rides at Kiddieland made way for later adolescent pleasures at Six Flags, pleasures like getting whiplash on the Shockwave roller coaster and throwing up a funnel cake. Melrose Park won't be the same when Kiddieland closes its prison-grade fence forever. It's sad. What will children do next summer?
They'll probably watch TV. There's a lot of good stuff on TV. I'm not too worried.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 5:19 PM
Thursday, August 20, 2009
This Budweiser commercial was filmed on the El in Chicago. It was only aired in Ireland. The commercial is joyful and will make you want to buy Budweiser, even though it tastes like goat pee. The Beatles can sell anything!
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 1:17 AM
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Chicago, 1948
I know I know I know I know I know. "Where have you BEEN?!?"
I been around. (makes vague gesture).
I'll be back. (makes another vague gesture).
I caught a mouse in my kitchen last night, humane-like. I've done it before, so it's not as exciting as last time. Ho hum, yawn. Sure, I enjoy hearing the *thump* of the mouse falling and attaching the *thump* to a "yes! (fist pump) got him! The mouse looked so scared in the trash bin. I felt bad for it. But then I noticed the mouse poo and piss-splash it left on the stove. Screw him. No mercy for those who shit where I cook Ramen. Enjoy your new life dodging drunk kickball teams on the Winnemac Park baseball diamond.
Hey you Chicagophiles! These Traveltalk shorts about 1948 Chicago are too good not to share. Visions of recognizable monuments in an otherwise lost landscape. It seems the very 1940s sounding narrator James A. Fitzpatrick didn't read some of the copy prior to recording it, but that's part of the charm. There was much more Neon on Randolph Street in the 40s. I suppose there was much more urban neon everywhere in days gone by. I like the hushed bzzzzzsssst of a neon sign when there's no other noise around.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 5:19 PM
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
I'm glad I live in a country where accidents like this can happen
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Authorities said a bullet from a gun that was accidentally dropped injured a Tampa woman sitting in a bathroom stall. Police said the bullet hit 53-year-old Janifer Bliss in the lower left leg. She was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. Bliss was sitting on the toilet in a hotel bathroom when a woman in the next stall accidentally let her handgun slip out of her waist holster. The weapon discharged when it hit the ground. Police said the gun belonged to a 56-year-old woman who has a concealed weapons permit. (link)Hotels in Tampa are rough. One minute you're taking a pee/poo, the next minute you're taking one in the leg.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 1:06 PM
Sunday, July 12, 2009
tara buck interview
Here's an interview with actor Tara Buck, discussing her role in my play Ten Cent Night currently playing at The Victory Theatre Center in Burbank, CA: http://www.trueblood-online.com/cast-crew/tara-buck/the-vault-exclusive-true-bloods-tara-buck-in-ten-cent-night.
Tara has a recurring role on HBO's True Blood -- that's why this is on a True Blood fansite. There are no vampires in Ten Cent Night, but by golly, what a great idea for a rewrite. Alan Ball, call me.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 2:40 PM
Oh god, I love Gordon Ramsay. It's hot the way he calls contestants on Hell's Kitchen stupid donkeys. I gave his scrambled egg technique a whirl today. It's a terrific and easy way to make eggs if you like 'em salmonella soupy. I will never whisk my eggs again.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 2:09 PM
Thursday, July 02, 2009
The quick trip to San Diego was good. My 8:10pm flight out of O'Hare suffered a one hour "customer service delay" as the flight waited for 30 junior high school kids making a connection from New York. They finally got on the plane and started swapping seats with each other to sit next to friends, holding up the flight longer. Flight attendant on speaker: "Sit down, please. We WAITED for you. Take your seat NOW." Kids. If they're not on your lawn, they're screwing your air travel.
My first rental car experience went down easy if I don't count the part where I trekked across a long parking lot, only to watch my rental car back out of the parking space and drive away without me. It's almost midnight. I'm alone standing in a rental car parking lot watching the tail lights on my rental car disappear into the night. What just happened? It was like that scene in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles where Steve Martin gets to the rental space and there's nothing there but peel-away tire marks on the pavement ("You can give me a fucking automobile: a fucking Datsun, a fucking Toyota, a fucking Mustang, a fucking Buick! Four fucking wheels and a seat!" youtube it). So I had been assigned the same car as the customer ahead of me. For my inconvenience, I was upgraded to a sporty, blue Toyota Corolla with a trunk. Ohmygod I know, right?
The MOXIE Theatre production of The Butcher of Baraboo was a lot of fun. They served the play up right, and it's not an easy play to get right. Awesome set and design, killer acting, terrific directing. I saw it with a packed Saturday night house. Laughs in all the right places. It was nice to enjoy a production of that play as an audience member. Very satisfying to watch talented people take your script and make it fly. It was therapeutic, I suppose, if you know my history with the play. I enjoyed meeting everybody and hanging out after the show. Always fast friends in the theatre world. Glad I went. I wasn't going to go up until a week before closing weekend. But glad I did.
I just stayed up all night after the show, headed to the airport at 4:30 a.m. for my early-ass flight. I was in the emergency exit row on the airplane, so facing me was the flight attendant in the jump seat for takeoff and landing. As we were landing, a bird flew right by the window, and her eyes got big and she said, "Oh, wow, did you SEE that? That bird went right by the window. I've never seen a bird go right by the window like that. Are there any more out there?" Personally, I prefer my flight attendants to be a little more unflappable.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 3:14 PM
Friday, June 26, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
I didn't see 'the piano lesson' at The Court
(on Gchat with Brian)
Brian: you know what i saw that was amazing was 'the piano lesson' at court
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 2:26 PM
Thursday, June 11, 2009
o, california!
To my dear friends in California:
I know it's been rough. Your state is descending into crippling depression, it routinely gets set on fire, and earthquakes will cause it to drift into the Pacific. What can I do to help? I can offer the gift of theatre! Ooh aah. Two of my plays open on the West Coast very soon. They are funny plays. While you are laughing, you can forget that sharks have developed a taste for human meat as a result of Mexican drug traffickers dumping bodies in the ocean.
The Butcher of Baraboo produced by MOXIE Theatre
San Diego, CA
June 6 - June 28
Ten Cent Night produced by The Victory Theatre Center
Burbank, CA
June 19 - August 2
See, it's not all gloom and doom.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 9:54 AM
Friday, June 05, 2009
revised pixar film rankings
- Toy Story 2
- Wall-E
- Up
- Toy Story
- Monsters Inc
- The Incredibles
- A Bug's Life
- Finding Nemo
- Ratatouille
- Cars*
- The first 10 minutes of Up made me as teary as the Sarah McLachlan musical interlude in Toy Story 2
- Tough call between Wall-E and Up. I err on the side of adorable, sentient robots
- However, I may swap the rankings of Up and Monsters Inc in a few years
- I'm in the minority on my #7 ranking of A Bug's Life
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 6:30 PM
first names are disregarded
A startling declaration in the stacks of the Harold Washington Library. It's not accurate. First names are regarded when multiple authors have the same last name. In your face, Chicago Public Library.
I was there to return an overdue book that I didn't finish and wasn't going to finish. Might as well browse the shelves and pick up another book that will accrue a fine 3+ weeks from now. Thanks always to the circulation desk staff for your belligerent service. I understand that checking out books is a major fucking inconvenience.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 5:11 PM
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
On the timeline of human existence, falling thousands of feet from the sky into the ocean at hundreds of miles per hour is a new way to die. A plane crash would be as exotic to a caveman as being gored by a mastodon would be to me. What's so terrifying about an airplane catastrophe (besides the whole "it could happen to you" part followed by the whole death part) is the amount of time it would take from the airplane breaking apart -- assuming you survive that -- to final impact. Do any physics brains want to do the math? Minutes, right? Holy shit, right? I would be too jacked with fear and adrenaline to do much beyond process the endgame stimuli. I probably wouldn't even unbuckle from my plummeting seat. Would I be conscious at the rapid loss of cabin pressure? I have no idea. The living can only speculate about the journey to death. When these news stories cause anxiety, I find this episode of This American Life comforting: Last Words
(yes, I know, air travel is a million times safer than driving a mile from my apartment blah blah blah)
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 8:54 PM
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
lalala omg wtf haha
Whenever I'm having a bad day, I do two things.
#1) I think about all the words that mean "to spray with shit"
- bescumber
- conskite
- immerd
- ordurous
- sharny
- shitten
Watch this clip a few times. Do not worry if you do not understand it. This is not a litmus test.
Study Guide Questions:
- Why was this filmed and posted on the Internet?
- What is he smoking?
- Why is there shaving cream on his face when he is clearly not at the shaving point of his hygienic ritual?
- At 0:17, our hero discovers the meaning of life. In 10 words or less, please explain the meaning of life.
- No, really, what is he smoking?
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 9:48 PM
Sunday, May 31, 2009
This is almost as good as the literal video version of A-HA's Take on Me.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 2:52 PM
Sunday, May 10, 2009
wendy and lucy
I'll keep this brief. Wendy and Lucy made my soul ache. I have a soft spot for stories about lonely, quiet drifters. Give that lonely drifter a dog that will, no doubt, wind up in trouble, and it kills me. Toss me on the junk heap, 'cause I'll be a wreck by the time the credits roll. The story is simple. Wendy is on the way to Alaska. Her car breaks down in Oregon, she has no money, she loses her only friend, Lucy the dog. Now what? Jesus, yeah, now what?
As a person who likes to travel independently, I had a visceral response to Wendy's story. I've never been in her situation. If I was in serious trouble, I have family I can call. But I could easily imagine myself in Wendy's shoes. The villains in this story are bad luck, bad decisions, and not enough money; the heroes are perseverance and the small kindnesses of strangers.
I've never been a big fan of Michelle Williams before, but her performance as Wendy is just right. It's sad and exhausting and hopeful. What's amazing about Wendy is just how unamazing she is. She's a young woman in a tough spot who is just wants to get her dog back.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
this is why the internet was invented
One of the more weirdly specific, local interest blogs you will find: Rogers Park Cheetos is a photoblog that documents the occurrence of empty Cheeto bags in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago: http://rogersparkcheetos.blogspot.com/
Ever since I found this blog, I've started noticing Cheeto bag litter. It's EVERYWHERE.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 10:27 PM
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Diversey Harbor: final weekend (sad trombone)
It's difficult to fathom how 844 people died within tens of feets (inappropriate English) from the edge of the Chicago River near LaSalle and Wacker; fathom the few fathoms of water it took to drown so many, and the mind flails and flops in the whirling fathoms of bafflement. On a Chicago Ghost Tour way back, I took a photo of this very spot. There were ghosts everywhere.
I'll be done shilling for the play Diversey Harbor after this weekend. We close Sunday May 10. I may hope to have more Diversey Harbor news at a later date, but for now, we'll stuff the stories into our battered steamer trunk, lug it up into the attic, and cover it with a bed sheet to protect it from the years and years of dust.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 6:54 PM
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Saturday, May 02, 2009
There is an entire genre of books about people who give themselves crazy assignments just so they can write a book about doing the crazy thing they wanted to write about (see also: Know It All and Round Ireland With a Fridge). Sometimes these things start as a blog that leads to a book deal, as was the case with Julie & Julia. It's an enjoyable book that my mom recommended, and it's really the kind of book that everybody's mom would recommend. The preview for the movie based on the book based on the blog is also enjoyable. How could a movie with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams and Stanley Tucci not be enjoyable, at the very least? Now is the time to start brainstorming actors who should play me in Chainsaw Calligraphy: The Movie based on the book I haven't written based on the blog I sometimes neglect.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 12:01 PM
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
try try again
Chainsaw Calligraphy wouldn't be Chainsaw Calligraphy without the occasional squirrel post. I guess? Shrug.
It's not that I like squirrels. No, not like. I'm never thrilled when a squirrel tries to break into my apartment. But -- oh -- I don't know -- if I had to choose, gun to my head, I would pick squirrel as my favorite urban animal. Why is there a gun to my head over this? Why am I blindfolded being asked about urban animals, gun to my head? Oh god. I should never have gotten in that van.
I like when a squirrel chases another squirrel up a tree, barber pole style. And then I wonder if the squirrel being chased is in on the fun or, if they were human beings with cell phones, the chased squirrel would be calling 911.
Here is a charming squirrel video.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 6:49 PM
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
coke bomb explosion prank
We all know that Mentos + Diet Coke leads to explosive fizz. Science can be fun. And evil.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 3:15 PM
Friday, April 17, 2009
Diversey Harbor Reloaded
Theatre Seven's production of Diversey Harbor is open.
A review round-up here.
This production is a remount of our 2007 production (an evening that also included Sexual Perversity in Chicago). The original production was performed in the former Rogue Theatre/Red Hen Theatre on Clark Street, south of Foster. That storefront space is no longer a theater. It's an upscale furniture store. It is gutted and airy and full of furniture I cannot afford.
I'm pleased with the production. For me, hearing the play is more potent than seeing any photos taken from my post-collegiate years. I have so few photos anyway. This is the only play I've written that's semi-autobiographical. Very semi. There are a few little details that were never full stories in my own life. Well, getting mugged was a full story, but now I mostly whip that out when I want to brag about how totally bad ass I was to take a gun to the face and not end up dead.
So, yes, on that note.
I hope you can see it.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 5:18 PM
Friday, April 03, 2009
holophonic sound
Grab a good pair of headphones and check out "A Virtual Haircut" on this post. Close your eyes. Whoa.
I wonder if anybody is using holophony in podcasting? Especially for audio drama. It is gimmicky, but with good writing and a grasp on how to use sound in the story, it could be really great.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 9:54 AM
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Choreographed spontaneity at Centraal Station van Antwerpen in Belgium.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 2:25 PM
Monday, March 30, 2009
sandwich clap
There are sandwich shops in the Chicago area, and other areas I imagine, that employ guitar playing (sometimes harmonica wearing) musicians during the busy lunchtime hours. These singers will cover Bob Dylan, Wilco, and a Jack Johnson song.
I am not complaining. This is not a complaint.
Today, I ate a turkey, ham, and roast beef sandwich to a solo guitar cover of Michael Jackson's Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'. It was very good. So was the sandwich. And if you've been in the situation of live musical performance in a non-concert setting, you run into the clapping dilemma. The song ends, and it is very good, and this is the point where the audience claps to express appreciation for the musical talent/entertainment/enjoyment.
But you are trapped. Trapped in a sandwich shop, eating a sandwich. In these sandwich shops, nobody claps. The hands are busy with the sandwich, or mid conversation, or not really caring because they did not come for a musical performance.
Perhaps you are caught in a fit of solipsism and the thought of a musical performance occurring outside the friendly confines of your skull is too much to think about while you eat your sandwich.
Also, there is no tip jar for the musician. So there's not even that. No tip, no applause, no nothin for your fellow man.
I don't lose sleep over this issue, but would like to acknowledge a subtle awkwardness when a song ends and nobody claps. If you feel like clapping, you should clap, even if you are the only one. That sounds like a variation of a famous quote I don't feel like Google searching right now.
A three year old boy gave the musician a potato chip on the way out. I know that sounds adorable, but otherwise, the kid was fucking annoying, and I was happy when he left.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 5:37 PM
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Another video from the makers of "Forest Gump" in One Minute. Kill Bill 1 & 2.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 12:11 PM
Friday, March 20, 2009
r.i.p. space bat
Continuing on the theme of animals I have encountered in or alarmingly near my apartment, did you hear the one about the bat that clung to space shuttle Discovery as it was launched into space a few days ago? From CNN.com:
The animal was last seen clinging on the foam of the external tank of the space shuttle moments before the Discovery launched, officials said. NASA officials had hoped the bat would fly away on its own, but admitted the bat probably died quickly during Discovery's climb into orbit. ... The expert said it appeared to be a free-tailed bat that probably had a broken left wing and an injured right shoulder or wrist.Imagine: it would be like calling in sick to work to sit in bed and rest a sprained ankle. All of a sudden, your bed is launched into fucking outer space. On the bright side, you wouldn't have to go back to work the next day. Or ever.
Here is an earnest tribute to an animal that dared to explore the unknown. A true hero. Never forget.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 6:17 PM
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
When I was a little girl, the illustration on the cover of this book made me nervous.
The kids and that dog were totally screwed.
Shel Silverstein was my earliest introduction to subversive humor. His poems were the bedtime stories of my childhood.
It's much more obvious that Silverstein had no qualms writing children's literature that was less than shiny and happy. Probably the best example is 1964's Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? In it, a boy lists numerous reasons why a priced-to-sell rhino would make a sound investment, including "He can open soda cans for your uncle." and "He is great at imitating a shark." Gradually, however, the lines get a lot less goofy. On one page, the boy describes the rhino as "good for yelling at," which is accompanied by a picture of the abject, tearful pet. Another page suggests the rhino is "great for not letting your mother hit you when you really haven't done anything bad."
Lines such as those are particularly shocking, but they ultimately reflect one of the most innovative aspects of Silverstein's work—a sense of mutual respect and honesty often lacking in children's literature. Silverstein firmly rejected the notion that characters should always ride off into a sunset or that kids should be taught to aspire to an all-rosy-all-the-time life. In fact, one of his greatest impacts on the genre was proving that creating great children's literature doesn't always mean treating your readers like kids. But Silverstein perhaps summed up his philosophy best in "The Land of Happy" from Sidewalk: "There's no one unhappy in Happy / There's laughter and smiles galore. / I have been to the Land of Happy— / What a bore!"
-From Mark Peters' profile on Shel Silverstein at Mental Floss
Monday, March 16, 2009
pencil & paper
There is a good post at Tomorrow Museum about creativity and basic tools:
If your tools chose you, they can also choose to leave you if you can't afford them. But everyone has access to pencil and paper. Everyone can archive their thoughts in the most basic form available.I try to ween myself from laptop dependence. I try. I fail. Try and fail, again, again. I fantasize about pencil and paper. I like to write by hand, but stories catch on my fast typing fingers and not so much in wrist and graphite. Maybe one day I'll get a draft of something on lined paper in a spiral notebook. I have many writing sticks and the raw materials for a fleet of paper airplanes. 'Til then I search for electrical outlets at coffee shops. My eyeballs ache with screen fatigue. Try, fail, try.
Many gold medal runners come from third world countries. Not so many divers, fencers, skiers, or golfers. Why is it, other than the ease of running. No required uniforms, no required equipment. You don't need to ask your friend, (leisure time is a scarcity too in poorer countries.) All you need to run is your own body.
In the west, we get hung up on sneakers for overpronators and iPod-plugin pedometers. In actuality, running is the sport that anyone can do — and do well with natural gift and determination…. Like writing and sketching.
The artist who needs 50 tons of steel for the next project is vulnerable to a choking of his creative talent due to grants denied and such things. The one who can make something powerful with nothing more than paper and pencil knows no matter how hard life gets, he can always create.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 12:44 AM
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
tied houses
I enjoyed a delicious Schlitz Beer at the Gale Street Inn in Jefferson Park on Thursday evening. Schlitz is "The Beer that made Milwaukee Famous" (their slogan) or "If ever a beer tasted like it was brewed in a toilet, this is it." Oh, I like Schlitz. A $3.75 Schlitz is a bit -- cough cough -- much; however, Gale Street Inn pours it into a fancy glass, a fancy glass that makes me feel fancy in turn, so... (shrug)
Drinking that delicious fame-making brew got me thinking of Schlitz Tied Houses. Lakeview bars Schubas and Southport Lanes are examples of well-preserved Tied Houses in Chicago. There is a terrific article about these Tied Houses at Forgotten Chicago (lots of cool pictures!). From the article:
A "tied house" was a type of saloon that originated in England, but gained infamy in pre-prohibition America. An institution that was believed to promote intemperance, tied houses were one of many factors leading to national prohibition in 1919. A number of former tied houses remain in Chicago, long after the practice has been made illegal. Most of the remaining buildings were tied to the Milwaukee-based Schlitz brewery.If you're a Chicago familiar, you'll see former Tied Houses around town.
Ironically, the event which led to tied houses arising in Chicago came from an attempt at reforming liquor sales. In 1884, license fees to operate a saloon in the city were steeply raised in order to squeeze out lower class dives. Instead of going out of business, many saloon owners who could not afford the fee turned to breweries for financial assistance. The brewery would supply all the necessary accouterments to run a saloon. In exchange, the saloon keeper would be compelled to sell only that supporting brewery's beer.
The history of Prohibition is fascinating, and it illuminates some of the current, quiet rumbling about the possibility of legalizing, regulating, and taxing marijuana to help sad-sack budget shortfalls. Of course there have always been pot-smoking, sandal-wearing hippies in California saying happy tabaccy should be legal. Maybe our totally hosed economy will help legalize the dread weed before drunk drivers crash futuristic flying cars into the 23rd floor of a downtown building.
Friday, March 13, 2009
daft punk + snow white = dwarfed punk
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 2:27 PM
Effective May 23, The Art Institute of Chicago will increase adult admission from $12 to $18. Student and senior citizens admission will increase from $7 to $12. Get your twelve buck jollies while you can. This variation of Hopper's Nighthawks will not be on display. True art needs no explanation.
In other price-jacking news, the price of a U.S. first class postage stamp increases by 2 cents on May 11. This news isn't brand new, I'm just a month behind on life. I'm stocked on Forever stamps, but I'm also stocked on Edgar Allen Poe stamps that will soon need a 2 cent Navajo Necklace stamp buddy. Or two 1 cent Tiffany Lamps. Stamps!
Norm Gunderson: They announced it.
Marge Gunderson: They announced it?
Norm Gunderson: Yeah.
Marge Gunderson: So?
Norm Gunderson: Three-cent stamp.
Marge Gunderson: Your mallard?
Norm Gunderson: Yeah.
Marge Gunderson: Oh, that's terrific.
Norm Gunderson: It's just a three-cent stamp.
Marge Gunderson: It's terrific.
Norm Gunderson: Hautman's blue-winged teal got the 29-cent. People don't much use the three-cent.
Marge Gunderson: Oh, for Pete's sake. Of course they do. Whenever they raise the postage, people need the little stamps.
Norm Gunderson: Yeah?
Marge Gunderson: When they're stuck with a bunch of the old ones.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 10:55 AM
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
local interest: this day in chicago bank robbery
A man (allegedly) robbed two banks in one hour this afternoon. The first bank was downtown, a Chase bank at 340 N. State in Marina City. The second bank was 6443 N Sheridan Rd, a Citibank in Rogers Park. There was no mention of a getaway car, so I'm assuming he took the Red Line covered in an exploded bank dye pack. And he got from downtown to Rogers Park in one hour? Google maps says this trip takes 38 minutes, but I would have allowed for an hour to make the trip:
View Larger Map
I don't condone bank robbery. I'm just impressed that he robbed two banks at these two addresses in one hour, that's all.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 6:41 PM
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
the butcher in a book
My play The Butcher of Baraboo appears in a new anthology, New Playwrights: The Best Plays of 2008. It might be on bookstore shelves eventually, or for sale on Amazon.com.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Forest Gump in one minute, in one take
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 11:38 AM
add this to your bucket list: use a coinstar machine
I would give my grocery store Coinstar experience an A-. The minus is because I couldn't trick it into taking Canadian coins, or the ugly, dirty, goober-covered pennies, those reject pennies that a cashier will sometimes give me with my change and it's just awful receiving a vomit penny in change. Makes my hand feel dirty, and by extension, my soul. My filthy, filthy soul.
So maybe you think: well I can go to my bank and take care of that jar of change. Sure. Sure you could. There are worse things you could do with it. Dump it off a highway overpass? Wow, don't do that.
At the bank, would the teller say "Cha-ching!" when he was done sorting and counting your change? No. You will not get that kind of service from a human being who would like to keep his job at the bank.
The Coinstar machine says "Cha-ching!" It doesn't make a "Cha-ching" sound. It is the voice of a dude saying "Cha-ching!" A Coinstar machine is more fun than going to the bank. It's the most fun I've had inserting coins into a machine since the Claw Machine at Bennigan's, and I always walked away disappointed because I couldn't get the claw to pick up the pair of toy handcuffs. You're always going to win at a Coinstar machine!
Downside: if you are going to a Coinstar machine to change your coins into bills, there's a counting fee of 8.9 cents for every dollar; however, there is no counting fee if you turn your change into a gift certificate. I was planning on ordering a few CDs off Amazon.com anyway, and so, what the hey, right? If Amazon.com ain't your bag, you can turn your change into gift certificates for iTunes, Starbucks, and Eddie Bauer. Yes, Eddie Bauer, because there are people in this world who see a jar of coins and say, "FUCK, dawg, you know what I can get with this?! A backpack."
I had this Tupperware container full of change: no quarters though, because, y'know, laundry. Tupperware container, not big, maybe a little bigger than something I'd use for a sandwich if I liked sandwiches filled with pennies, nickels, and dimes. My total haul from that small container was $39.45. I think I was so charmed by my Coinstar experience because it magically turned a heavy Tupperware container of coins that I've been hauling from apartment to apartment over the last four years into Neko Case CDs.
Coins are money, and money is exchanged for goods and services; a patented, self-service kiosk intermediary at the grocery store really isn't that big a deal. On the other hand, I was just as amazed as Brendan Fraser in Encino Man when he sees Pauly Shore use a lighter: flame-age!
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 12:09 AM
Saturday, March 07, 2009
cult of done manifesto
This is a good list to visit if you're having trouble finishing things. Or getting started. Or watching too much Netflix when you should be finishing or starting things. This list was written by a hacker/builder/inventor (cult of done manifesto via boingboing), but it seems to apply to writing or pretty much anything that needs to get done.
1. There are three states of being. Not knowing, action and completion.On #4 - I think it's equally liberating to accept that you don't know what you're doing, so do whatever and trust that you'll learn as you go.
2. Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get it done.
3. There is no editing stage.
4. Pretending you know what you're doing is almost the same as knowing what you are doing, so just accept that you know what you're doing even if you don't and do it.
5. Banish procrastination. If you wait more than a week to get an idea done, abandon it.
6. The point of being done is not to finish but to get other things done.
7. Once you're done you can throw it away.
8. Laugh at perfection. It's boring and keeps you from being done.
9. People without dirty hands are wrong. Doing something makes you right.
10. Failure counts as done. So do mistakes.
11. Destruction is a variant of done.
12. If you have an idea and publish it on the internet, that counts as a ghost of done.
13. Done is the engine of more.
On #12 - another ghost of done is talking about "this great idea you have!" Which is why I can't talk about what I'm working on until it's done.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 12:39 AM
Thursday, March 05, 2009
sleepwalking fail
Amanda: do you read fail blog at all?
(can you tell I'm bored?)
me: I read failblog all the time
Amanda: did you watch the sleepwalking fail today?
me: Ha, yeah
Amanda: I just watched it for the third time
me: I'm going to watch it again now
Amanda: nomar had a similar issue last night. he was sleeping next to me on the couch. he started breathing really fast in his sleep and then flipped over into a standing position and hissed at the air
wish I knew what he had been dreaming about
me: wacky
He twitches a lot in his sleep
Amanda: yes he does
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 6:15 PM
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
what do you want to be when you grow up? dead? that can be arranged if you blow dry your hair in the tub
I stare at this tag while I brush my teeth.
It's attached to the hairdryer I bought from the money I won in a poker game a few years ago. The morning of that game, my old hairdryer sucked some of my hair through the back vent. That painfully stupid thing was followed by a few sparks and a horrible burning hair smell, the end. That night I won second place at a kitchen table Texas Hold 'Em tourney at The Brad's. Pair of pocket Queens put 60 bucks in my pocket, and I bought a new hairdryer at Walgreen's on the walk home.
A few things about this tag:
"UNPLUG IT" makes it a candidate for The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks.
I "unplug it" after every use.
Which means I don't unplug it ever.
The hairdryer in the illustration is Princess Vespa's hairdryer in the movie Spaceballs.
I would like to warn children about death by electric shock and include a bonus lesson: How to tell if a person is being electrocuted by Direct Current or Alternating Current. (teaser: AC involves convulsions).
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 7:30 AM
Monday, March 02, 2009
fantasy baseball
I joined a fantasy baseball league. It's a no money, head-to-head Yahoo public league, so I'm probably playing against a bunch of 14 year old boys. I'm trying to figure out fake baseball. If anybody would like to give me any advice, here is my team, Can of Corn. Other teams in the league include: Boston's Best, Green Bulldogs, and I LOVE HALLE BERRY! If my team looks terrible, it's because Yahoo auto-drafted it. If my team looks amazing, then, why yes, I know how to let auto-draft pick a team. Play ball.
C - Chris Iannetta (Col - C)
1B - James Loney (LAD - 1B)
2B - Brandon Phillips (Cin - 2B)
3B - Evan Longoria (TB - 3B)
SS - José Reyes (NYM - SS)
OF - Jacoby Ellsbury (Bos - OF)
OF - Magglio Ordóñez (Det - OF)
OF - Jermaine Dye (CWS - OF)
Util - Aramis Ramírez (ChC - 3B)
BN - Milton Bradley (ChC - OF)
BN - Adam Lind (Tor - OF)
BN - Jason Giambi (Oak - 1B)
BN - Melvin Mora (Bal - 3B)
- - -pitching - - -
SP - Félix Hernández (Sea - SP)
SP -James Shields (TB - SP)
RP - Carlos Mármol (ChC - RP)
RP - Chris Pérez (StL - RP)
P - Yovani Gallardo (Mil - SP)
P - Scott Baker (Min - SP)
P - Ted Lilly (ChC - SP)
BN - Jair Jurrjens (Atl - SP)
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 3:18 PM
don't you have better things to do, squirrel?
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 12:47 AM
Sunday, March 01, 2009
I hate my job value menu fries
. . . is what I call Wendy's french fries dumped upside down in the bag with the cardboard fry box on top. This is the way your bag is handed to you, but you don't know this until the bottom of the bag bleeds grease. It's okay. I would hate working at Wendy's too.
Chicago people who miss the jazz programming that used to be on 91.5fm WBEZ should see if 90.9 fm WDCB comes in on your radio. They broadcast out of the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL. Where is that? Why, right down the road from the Fermi National Accelerator Lab, of course! Duh. I get the station pretty well on my stereo with the long antenna, though it'll sputter and fizz if I'm walking around my apartment. "Blues Before Sunrise" early Sunday, midnight - 5:00 a.m. is great if you're still up after a rowdy Saturday night. Enjoy it with your favorite sippin' beverage.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 3:00 PM
Friday, February 27, 2009
now I'm going to talk to a squirrel
Hey squirrel, how's it goin'? I like your fur, that looks really great. You tryin' to break into my apartment, squirrel? What's that about? Are you related to the squirrel that jumped out of a garbage can at me at the park? Good luck trying to get through the window screen and then through a pane of glass. I could do it, but I have scissors and hammer. So it was great to meet you. Say 'hi' to your mother for me.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 7:40 PM
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
to the tintinnabulation that so musically wells
I'm no philatelist, but I love the new Edgar Allan Poe stamp. Its sepia tone accented with the red USA 42 and dark blue... ascot? Is that right? What tie is that? It makes me want to write a letter.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 6:50 PM
kid + drugs = you know what
Kid gets teeth cut out of his head. Kid still drugged when Dad takes him home. Dad has video camera. Hilarity ensues. Found this over at BoingBoing, so this kid is going to be all over the internet soon enough. Lucky him.
I had some oral surgery when I was younger. I had a bunch of extra teeth in my skull that were going to cause problems. I know I had some of whatever this kid is on. I don't remember too much, other than my sister making fun of me when I got home because I had to stand over the sink anytime I wanted to drink water.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 6:38 PM
Monday, January 19, 2009
the art of brevity
One Sentence: True stories, told in one sentence
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 3:10 PM
I'm not interested when people acknowledge that "history is being made" the moment that something possibly historic happens. It's like if someone was grilling hamburgers and asked me how well done I'd like my future bowel movement. History and poop happen later.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 2:48 PM
Thursday, January 15, 2009
chicago history + crime = interesting
The Chicago Crime Scenes Project:
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 2:01 PM
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
This video isn't new, but it makes me laugh every time I watch it. Kitten Surprise -or- How To Break Up A Cat Fight.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 8:33 PM
Monday, January 12, 2009
The best advice I can give someone who is moving to Chicago is to hold off on purchasing lawn chairs. You'll find a variety of crappy lawn furniture left in empty, yet shoveled, parking spaces, all of it free for the taking. Funny how a little snow makes people so generous. This person only has one chair to offer and hopes you need a plastic crate, for storing a stack of Rod Stewart LPs or the Beanie Baby collection that is sure to appreciate in value because you didn't cut off the tags. (you didn't cut off the tags, right?)
You have a car, you spend an hour shoveling it out of a mountain courtesy of Mr. Plow, of course you have a sense of entitlement. Somebody moved this office chair out of its parking spot:
You see which chair I'm talking about? See it there? Circled in red, with a -- duh -- arrow pointing at it? The really uncomfortable-looking office chair that deserves to be in a pile of snow, punishment for being a crappy chair. God, I wouldn't even want to take that chair. Looks like something you'd tie a blindfolded hostage to before you rolled them down a concrete stairwell.
Winter parking dibs, ye scourge and scoundrel. Good thing is: it's non-enforceable. Parking enforcement looks the other way if you do it, but sure as shit isn't coming to your rescue if someone parks in your blocked-off spot. Feel free to fling those chairs in a way that won't cause property damage. Established modes will remain established through mindless compliance and misguided empathy. Do not honor the by proxy power of a child's Big Wheel unless there is a child sitting in it.
My car is SO MUCH BIGGER THAN A BIG WHEEL!
Of course I want to be a good neighbor. Sure I do! I acknowledge that you spent an hour shoveling a public street. Well done. Now leave your car there and that space is all yours.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 2:54 PM
people who deserve it
A link from David: http://peoplewhodeserveit.com/
Kinda goes along with people who call dibs on shoveled street parking.
Posted by Marisa Wegrzyn at 2:50 PM


text:
Is NC lawmakers' proposal a threat to judges who won't go along with their agenda?
Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens retired from the bench last week, and as he looked toward that job change, he often talked about "getting his voice back."
At the annual meeting of the North Carolina State Bar just days before his retirement, Stephens gave a taste of some of the things he might speak out about now that he no longer is bound by an obligation to remain impartial on thorny issues that might be argued in his courtroom.
With 33 years behind him as a judge, Stephens, 72, accepted an award from the State Bar with recollections of his mentor James Pou Bailey, the late Wake County judge who was described in his obituary as a "down-to-earth fellow who loved a game of poker with close friends" and a colorful lawyer with wit and integrity.
"One thing Pou Bailey taught me was the importance of a fiercely independent judiciary," Stephens said. "He taught me that justice and fairness can't be compromised, not by any government agency, by any lawyer, by any governor or by any legislator."
With that as his foundation for decades of legal experience, Stephens decided it was time to publicly criticize a recent proposal from some Republican legislative leaders that would make judges in North Carolina run for election every two years. That would abandon the eight-year election cycle for all North Carolina judges, except those in the district courts who are elected every four years.
"I regret that Judge James H. Pou Bailey is not here today to express his thoughts on what he probably would have perceived this legislation to be," Stephens told a roomful of lawyers whom he implored to speak out against the proposal, too. "A deliberate attack on the independence of the judiciary, an act that I suspect he would have seen as an affront to the rule of law, an attempt to compromise the integrity of the separation of powers contemplated by the North Carolina Constitution — and as an act which Judge Bailey would likely have viewed as a threat of punishment and retribution upon an independent judiciary inclined to strike down legislation that is unconstitutional on its face."
Nowhere in America
Critics of the two-year election cycle and a recent decision to do away with judicial primaries in the coming year contend the Republican lawmakers are striking back against a court system that has overturned key pieces of their legislative agenda to move North Carolina to the far political right.
Advocates of the changes push back, saying that for decades Democrats benefited from judicial districts and an election process they designed while their party controlled the branches of government in North Carolina.
Senate Rules Committee Chairman Bill Rabon, a Southport Republican, proposed the move to two-year terms in October while legislators were in a special session to override Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of a bill that did away with primary elections for all judicial candidates next year. The ultimate decision about two-year judicial elections is up to voters, who would have to support an amendment of the state Constitution for the change to take effect.
State lawmakers serve two-year terms, and Rep. David Lewis, the rules chairman in the House, told WUNC radio: "Some would argue that we do have some activist judges, and the thought would be if you're going to act like a legislator, perhaps you should run like one."
Over the past year, lawmakers have made all judicial races partisan, even those for seats on the district courts that typically preside over low-level crimes, custody cases, divorces and traffic tickets. In the recent special session, they did away with primary elections for all judicial races, meaning some races could have numerous candidates seeking a seat and election results that put a judge on the bench with far less than 50 percent of the vote.
Though Stephens is registered as Democrat, some Republican judges have spoken out against lawmakers' plans. Chief Justice Mark Martin, a Republican whose term is set to end in 2022, expressed his opposition to the two-year election cycle proposal.
"Nowhere in America do voters elect their general jurisdiction judges for two-year terms of office," Martin said at the State Bar meeting and in a message that went out to all workers in the judicial system. "This is as it should be. Electing judges for two-year terms would force judges to campaign and raise money constantly, and would disrupt the administration of justice.
"Judicial terms of office are longer than executive and legislative terms of office because judges have a different function," Martin added in the statement that he ran by the Judicial Standards Commission before releasing to make sure he wasn't violating any ethical standards. "Judges are accountable, first and foremost, to the federal and state constitutions and to the law. They apply the law uniformly, and equal justice under law is the ultimate goal of any court system. The people of North Carolina should have a meaningful role in the judicial selection and retention process, just as citizens of states around the country do. But two-year terms are not the answer."
Other ideas being considered by the Republican-led General Assembly are:
▪ New election districts for judges and district attorneys that Democrats say have been designed to get more Republican judges on the bench. Republicans counter that the lines would fix piecemeal tweaks to district lines that have favored Democrats for 60 years.
▪ Asking voters on the May primary ballot about abandoning the election of judges for a selection system. The details of who would select the judges have not been provided, though judges around the state say Senate leader Phil Berger's chief of staff has been floating a proposal that would give legislators a large say in the process.
Senate leader asks for 'thoughtful dialogue'
"I haven't seen a proposal that's legislative picking," Berger's chief of staff, Jim Blaine, told Spectrum News on Oct. 18 during an interview. "I've heard various Democrats say that's what the Republicans want to do, but I certainly have not seen the Republicans float that out. I think the rhetoric is outrunning the reality here, and it's frustrating because you want to have a serious conversation on this."
Blaine went on to outline several proposals such as a 1995 plan that Cooper, a Democrat, supported when he was a state senator that would have given the governor the power to appoint judges, who then would be subject to confirmation by the legislature. Voters would then have a say in whether to keep those judges on the bench through retention elections.
"Another way that I've heard a lot about is a three-part process where you would have some sort of commission that vets the qualifications of potential candidates for judge, and then they funnel them to the legislature, and the legislature maybe narrows that pool of 20 people for each judge slot down to two, three, four or five, and the governor picks from those folks, and the people have a right to reject or accept the governor's choice through an election," Blaine said in the Spectrum interview.
Cooper has described current proposals as "this legislature controlling who the judges are going to be in every district at every level" and has spoken against plans to abandon the election of judges. "I don't think the people of North Carolina want to give up the right to vote for their own local judges and give that power to legislative political party bosses in Raleigh."
Berger has created a Senate Select Committee on Judicial Reform and Redistricting and appointed 10 Republican senators and five Democrats to consider the new judicial districts approved this fall by the House and the possibility of changing to a "merit selection" system.
"After 60 years of haphazard and sometimes contradictory changes to our judicial system, I hope our state can have a thoughtful dialogue on how to modernize, reform and strengthen it in the coming months," Berger said in a statement. "The judiciary touches every North Carolinian, so the conversation needs to include Republicans and Democrats, judges, legislators, district attorneys, clerks of court, executive branch officials, men and women of all races, and, yes, even lawyers."
Significant new complications?
Many judges have supported selection systems, hoping to avoid politics and partisan elections that create costly campaigns and raise questions about whether judges make rulings to keep political bosses happy.
A recent study published by the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University law school looked at selection systems in South Carolina and Virginia, which are the only two states to give legislators the power to appoint judges. They also mentioned Rhode Island, which abandoned such a system in 1994 after scandals were exposed.
The report's authors, Douglas Keith, a lawyer in the center's Democracy Program, and Laila Robbins, a research and program associate at the center, noted several common problems that they found with legislative appointment processes such as cronyism, allegations of nepotism or favoritism, back-room deals made out of public light and legislative standoffs that leave judicial seats vacant for political reasons.
"North Carolina's legislators may hope to shield judges from undue outside influence and conflicts of interest, but the limited evidence that exists suggests that a legislative appointment system is unlikely to alleviate these problems," Keith and Robbins concluded. "In fact, legislative appointments can introduce significant new complications: they can enable favoritism towards legislators and those close to them, breed corruption, produce and suffer from governmental dysfunction, and undermine judicial independence – all while continuing to provide a path for special interests to unduly influence nomination."
Caryn McNeill, president of the N.C. Bar Association, said the lawyers' organization has advocated for a "merit-based" selection system for years, but added "the devil is in the details" of how those systems are designed. The bar association has urged the lawmakers to go slow as they consider changes to the judicial branch. But in October, the association passed a resolution in opposition to one proposal they hope is taken out of the mix.
"Requiring judges and justices to run for office every two years is inconsistent with principles of judicial independence, would erode trust and confidence in our legal system and ... impede the administration of justice in North Carolina," the resolution states.
'We'll shaft you'
Bob Orr, a former state Supreme Court justice who has been an outspoken critic of some of the changes lawmakers have proposed for the courts, said in a recent phone interview he doubts the proposal to make judges stand for election every two years is one that anybody is weighing seriously. Instead, he described it as a prod to push judges toward a selection process that would give lawmakers a large say in who is appointed to the branch of government that determines if their laws are constitutional.
"It would appear that on the face of it, that this two-year proposal is a punitive threat," Orr said. "I think candidly, there's no serious interest in making judges run every two years but the threat of it — the sort of intimation that we can do that — is what concerns me most. That's way over the top. So over the top."
Orr, a Republican who won statewide election to the bench when Democrats rarely lost judicial elections, said reforms and changes might be called for, but he is appalled by the way the legislative leaders have been going about the process.
He said he suspects the two-year election cycle proposal was floated after lawmakers were not getting judges and other North Carolina law organizations to support the new election districts or going along with putting a question to voters about a "merit-selection plan" that does not say how the process would work.
"There's this sense of 'we have all the power, so if we want to shaft you, we'll shaft you,' " Orr said. "The more leverage you can create in the decision-making process, the more favorably you're going to shape the results. ... I appeal to my fellow Republicans: Let's be the party of good government. Let's not be the party of coercive government."
Anne Blythe: 919-836-4948, @AnneBlythe1

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Published at Wednesday, May 01st, 2019 - 13:30:01 PM. Bedroom. By Danton Samson.
Make your bedroom a place you are able to kick back and relax by including a sofa or even only a cozy armchair. Today, bedroom design ideas are available easily online. You're able to also assist her by finding ideas for a fresh design which do not require spending plenty of money.
Your bedroom ought to be every inch a bedroom that is a location for rest and relaxation. It is one room in which you can give your personality full rein, so don't be afraid to try out a scheme that might be a bit much in the living room. Your master bedroom ought to be a complete retreat for your body and mind, so bear that in mind and really consider what style and decor will fit best in your life. In the event the master bedroom is quite spacious, utilize the couch or a curtain to separate unique areas inside the room.
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text:
Mumbai, Sep 15 (IANS) Following concerns raised over damage to old and heritage buildings, the Bombay High Court on Friday stayed tunnelling of the upcoming Mumbai Metro 3 Line for a fortnight in parts of south Mumbai till an expert survey report is completed.
A division bench of Chief Justice Manula Chellur and Justice N.M. Jamdar also directed setting up an expert committee to study the effects of the ongoing tunnelling works on buildings in the Fort area and suggest ways to carry forward the project without damage to existing structures in the vicinity.
The court's directions came in a petition filed by the trustees of J.N. Petit Institute against the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation and others recently.
The petitioners said that on August 25, a heavy, around 100 kg limestone finial adorning a portion of the JNPI's 199-year old heritage structure building fell down in its garden due to the nonstop vibrations emanating from the metro tunnel works on the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ route.
This created apprehensions that the tunnel work could damage the foundations of several old, heritage and iconic buildings in the area, contended their lawyer Fredun DeVitre.
The committee directed by the Bombay High Court would consist of structural engineers from the MMRCL, the JNPI and technical experts from IIT-Bombay.
"The committee will submit its report and suggestions, on the effects of the excavation work on the buildings within two weeks," the court said.
The JNPI includes one of the oldest libraries in Mumbai which was set up in 1856 and houses thousands of rare books.
Post Source: Ians feed


text:
DEFIANCE, Ohio – Earlham men's golfers Garrett Schuler and Nate Mynatt each fired a six-over 76 in Saturday's third round of the 2018 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Golf Championship, to hold onto positions among the top 20 with one round left to play.
Schuler finished the round at 228 (+14) through 54 holes and was tied with Mount St. Joseph's Ethan McCarthy for seventh place on the individual leaderboard.
Mynatt climbed two spots from 13th into a five-way tie for 11th with a three-round total of 231 (+17).
Graham Sherard also edged one spot up the leaderboard from tied for 22nd into a two-way tie for 21st after carding an eight-over 78 on the par 70, 6,500-yard Eagle Rock Golf Club course, site of the tournament's third and fourth rounds. He has a 54-hole score of 235 (+21), and is tied with Hanover's Aaron Wade.
Patrick Wright and Brevin Smith are 34th and 35th respectively on the individual leaderboard after Saturday's third round. Wright shot an 84 for the third consecutive round for a 252 (+38) overall, while Smith carded a 78 – his best round of the tournament by eight strokes – and has a 253 (+39) through three rounds.
As a team, Earlham climbed from sixth to fifth in Saturday's third round, and the Quakers have a 54-hole score of 940 (+84). The Maroon and White are 10 strokes ahead of sixth-place Rose-Hulman (950, +94), and trail fourth-place Franklin College (925, +69) by 15 strokes.
Transylvania widened its lead in the HCAC Men's Golf Championship with a 286 on Saturday, giving the Pioneers a three-round score of 874 (+18). They have a 37-stroke lead over second-place Hanover (911, +55).
Transy's Spencer McKinney continues to lead the field of 46 golfers with a two-under 212 for the tournament, after shooting an even-par 70 on Saturday.
Sunday's fourth and final round of the HCAC Men's Golf Championship begins at 8:00 a.m. at the Eagle Rock Golf Club, with the Quakers teeing off at 8:50 a.m. led by Brevin Smith. Patrick Wright will tee off at 9:00 a.m., followed by Graham Sherard (9:10 a.m.), Nate Mynatt (9:20 a.m.), and Garrett Schuler (9:30 a.m.).
For more information about Earlham men's golf, visit the online home of Earlham College athletics at www.GoEarlham.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Earlham athletics news by following Earlham Quakers on Facebook (Earlham Quakers Athletics), Twitter (@EarlhamQuakers), and Instagram (EarlhamQuakers).


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Excerpts from the Latham Record:
Classically stylish, timelessly American, and featuring excellent craftsmanship, Gracie's, Newton Plaza's adorably preppy boutique, has successfully filled a vacant local niche since its inception five years ago.
Owned by a family of discerning fashionistas, matriarch Grace Conway and daughters Clare Conway and Gracie Clark went into the high-end apparel business for themselves back in 2005, after years of having to leave home in order to scour the outlets of New England and Westchester County to find the styles of clothing they loved.
Grace Conway explains that "while our biggest challenge is staying competitive with larger chains, especially with their lower prices and bargains, we have to offer the unique, quality items that aren't found in those stores. If a customer wants something different, something nobody else will have, they come to us. We are very careful to keep track of what is going to be worn where, so that our customers don't have to worry about someone else showing up at he same event in the same dress."
So, if you've always seen Jackie Onassis as a style icon, you can easily embody a modern vision of Jackie's timeless class and style with a visit to the ladies of Gracie's boutique, where you'll be sure to receive the star treatment that the former First Lady herself would have enjoyed...Gracie's is the answer you've been looking for.
An Interior Tour of Gracies:
Click here to see it full screen!


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"Gone From Daylight"
Shared Experience / Minor Possession – Michael has the vampire ability to submerge himself fully into the experience of another person. Through a simple touch, he can create a mental connection that will put his conscious mind into the mind of his target…giving him access to all five senses, emotions, and even has minor access to many of the hidden thoughts within. While it was once believed that his extra stopped at sharing the experience merely as a non-participating 'witness'…it has been proven that he can also gain some level of control over his host's body as well. Lowering inhibitions, guiding thought processes, and on occasion, even maintaining short bursts of physical control as well. To do this, Michael needs complete focus and intense concentration…closing his eyes and meditating in silence in order to keep the connection strong. However, particularly strong links to a host for any length of time can cause multiple relapses for Michael later on. These lingering connections can come and go at random for days, or even weeks, at a time. These flashbacks can be so closely connected, that even the pain felt by his former host can raise bruises on his own skin. Michael is still learning how to effectively disconnect his extra completely once the link has been broken.
"Jealousy in romance is like salt in food. A little can enhance the savor, but too much can spoil the pleasure and, under certain circumstances, can be life-threatening." -Maya Angelou
Chances are that you won't find Michael running around the lot, having fun or spending time with any of his 'family members' in darkness. To him, he has his boyfriend, Trevor, and that's all he needs. Nothing else. To step outside of that focus could mean losing the one thing that he cherishes above everything else. The one thing that he has spent his whole life searching for.
Michael has only been a part of Bryson's lot for a few short years. In his human life, Michael grew up in a series of orphanages and group homes, moving from place to place, never really being able to put down any roots or have a place to call home. He never knew his real parents, and has no siblings. Because of this, his abandonment issues have created a variety of extreme insecurities in his mind…causing outbursts of anger and jealousy to flare up beyond his control. He's convinced himself that he has almost nothing of real value in his life, so the few things that he does deem important, he is willing to fight tooth and nail to protect. Beyond paranoia, Michael has been known to threaten and even cause harm to the people around him if he thinks his emotional investments are being toyed with. He will not go back to being alone. He'll burn down Heaven and Earth to prevent it…even if it means hurting those closest to him.
Michael was escaping from a local orphanage when Trevor first found him. Michael had been teased, beaten, called names and ridiculed by the other orphans. Lost and alone, it was one final severe beating that caused him to run away and take to the city streets on his own. It was there that Trevor found a needy and disheartened spirit in him, and decided to do what he could to help him out. Partially out of the desire to repair the problems of someone who was going through a similar trauma that Trevor himself had gone through before his crossover. And partially because Michael desperately wanted something to hold on to, and Trevor desperately wanted to be needed by someone else. The relationship between the two was almost instantaneous, and a week later, Michael willingly took Trevor's bite and crossed over into darkness. They bonded so quickly, that while he keeps himself covered up, Michael's still has bruises on his back and stomach from the beating he took before becoming a vampire. A constant reminder of where he came from….and what he has to go back to if Trevor's love were to ever leave him.
Since his inclusion in the lot, Michael has become completely dependent on Trevor's love to make his life even remotely bearable. All of his hopes and dreams rely solely on his boyfriend's attention. Any threat to that delicate balance, no matter how small, has to be challenged and quickly dealt with. It's rare that Michael leaves his side, or even allows him to travel outside of the lot on his own. Gyro's return to the lot, Taryn's lingering presence, and Trevor's new infatuation with Justin, have all become serious issues that he is willing to deal with 'violently' if necessary. As far as he's concerned, the gloves come off when it comes to what is rightfully 'his'.
It was his need to feel loved and special that made his extra what it is. Michael easily becomes envious of the joy and affection of others, often condemning them for 'rubbing his face in it' instead of working to seek love and happiness on his own. He experiences the emotional connections of other people, and tries to recreate that same feeling of companionship with Trevor…but it comes off as forced. Artificial. Something that Trevor has very little need for. While Trevor cares a great deal for his boyfriend, he needs something genuine. Something real that goes beyond mere dependence. Michael's inability to provide real emotion without the fear and anxiety that it will one day abandon and abuse him like everything else in his life…has put a distance between them that they can't ever seem to cross. Is it still 'love'? Or are they simply fulfilling an emotional need to not be alone for one another? It's a question that haunts Michael night after night. He may be scared to search for a definitive answer, as he doubts that it will end up in his favor. So he just stays at his partner's side, hoping to one day matter to him in the way he always hoped he would.
Michael lives in a world that is primarily created in his head. A world where there is always a lurking danger to lose everything that he holds close to heart. A frightening world where he has to fight every moment of the day to keep from being alone. No amount of 'reality' can penetrate it. His mind has trained itself to bend the facts in such a way where his actions are neverwrong. He is always the innocent victim in every situation. Period. Anyone who tries to prove otherwise, no matter what evidence is clearly given to him, is instantly denied….and his imaginary world swells up to protect him once again from the truth. To him, anyone who tries to point out his flaws or faults must be trying to trick or manipulate him into letting his guard down. Making him vulnerable. Making him weak. And despite his sensitivity to his own feelings, he can't allow that to happen. His shields go up, and he sees that as an attack. One that needs to be met with equal resistance and fury.
Michael's major flaw is that he is constantly searching for his own self worth and value outside of himself. Instead of looking inward to repair the damage that has been done to him growing up and making the needed changes to fix his own insecurities…he's made the rest of the world the enemy. He's waiting for someone else toproveto him that he's worth loving. Worth keeping around. Worth spending time with. And yet, it is his own attitudes and behaviors that keep this from ever happening.
Michael only shares a few, VERY small, pieces of himself with the rest of the people around him. And yet, he is surprised and saddened when people claim to know almost nothing about him. He's never offered much of his true feelings or his emotions to anyone else. Instead, he selfishly hordes them all to himself…protecting them from exposure and possible harm. Since Michael's little 'world' is so vivid and clear in his own mind, he's seemingly unaware of the fact that everybody ELSE in the lot is completely shut off from that world. They have no idea what's going through his mind unless he comes right out and tells them what it is….something that he's too afraid to do. And so the cycle continues. Any attempts to get close to Michael are met with either a quick temper or a quick withdrawal. In Michael's world, very few are allowed entrance. And only if they're willing to play by his rules, exclusively. Otherwise, the others could consider themselves lucky to even know his real name. Michael isn't willing to offer them, or anybody else for that matter, much more than that. Emotional connections lead to pain, and Michael's had enough pain to last him a lifetime.
Whether he's willing to share himself with the others or not, he's still a part of the family at Bryson's lot. And they are all willing to treat him as such, even if he offers them nothing back in exchange for a true interest in who he really is deep down inside. Except for Trevor, everyone there gets the cold shoulder. And it only gets colder the closer they try to get to his heart. If only Michael could escape his personal 'fantasy' long enough to see that the way others treat him is more of a reaction to his emotionally closed off behavior rather than the cause of it…he might be able to break the pattern of envy and self loathing. Then he could be openenough to find the love and acceptance that he's been looking for. Until then, he remains locked away…emotionally unavailable…and ultimately looking for someone or something 'else' to blame for his profound loneliness in a reality that he no longer wants to be a part of.


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Sigh! I broke the CMS
3 posts by 2 authors in: Forums > CMS Builder
Last Post: April 8, 2017 (RSS)
By terryally - April 7, 2017
I created two field in the Section Editor initially as Text Boxes and then I changed them to WYSYWYGS.
Now my HTML tags are showing up on the web page. I deleted those sections created new WYSYWYGS and re-entered the data and there is no change.
See attached the screenshot.
How do I mend this broken WYSYWYG?
By Toledoh - April 7, 2017
In your code, you will have those fields something like
<?php echo htmlencode($record['name']) ?>
Just remove the htmlencode and it will work fine.
Tim Forrest
Toledoh Enterprises
By terryally - April 8, 2017
Thank you Tim.
Scrutinising my code again I see that was 'missing' from the on which worked.


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After my relaxing nap, I was already to go and have an amazing experience at Chez Gimmonet. When I arrived, I found out there had been a scheduling mix up and it was going to be a while before Didier Gimmonet would be able to see me. Fortunately the view from the reception/tasting room was pretty great and one of the staff started pulling corks. After tasting through the first few wines, Didier finished his appointment and was able to guide me through the rest of the tasting.
As we tasted we had an exceptional conversation about the Crus of the Cote de Blancs. Gimmonet owns vines in Cuis, Cramant, Chouilly, Oger, and Vertus. We didn't talk much about Vertus because his holding there are small, the others we really dug into, which was very helpful for me.
The tasting began with Didier's philosophy that , "you want to have a clean palate after you take sip. Freshness is the most important quality of champagne." We started with Cuis 1er Brut NV, which embodies this ideal. When Didier joined us we circled back and talked about Cuis, which is rarely discussed, but its Gimmonet's home village and the foundation of many of his wines. Cuis is a premier cru village that is the northernmost village on the slope of the Cotes de Blancs, its partially east facing like the rest of the villages, but also north facing. Cuis is the most acidic cru in the Cote de Blancs, hence its low profile, but Gimmonet looks at this as an asset. He wants freshness in his wine, and if you haven't figured it out yet, freshness is a code word for acid in Champagne. His wines are always bright, fresh, and full of acidity. I often prefer them at the table than as an aperitif. Didier also feels that Cuis helps his wines age. Recently he had done a tasting of his wines of most vintages back to the 1960s, and the best ones were the ones with the highest percentage of Cuis fruit.
Later in the tasting he poured me some of his 1966, disgorged in 1975. The wine was 25% Cramant, 50% Chouilly from the Montaigu parcel, and 25% Cuis. On the nose it showed burnt sugar, graham cracker, umami, lamb fat, walnuts, mint, and obvious loads of complexity. The palate was the surprise though, the wine was light and delicate with minerality backed by almonds, vanilla, and honey. The wine was fantastically fresh and still seemed young. Mind blown. He feels that the wines made in the 1960-80s had less power due to a lack of phenolic ripeness, but they had more freshness than the wines of today. Clearly that freshness helps with long life.
As the tasting continued we came to the other single village wine that Gimmonet makes, the Oger Grand Cru Brut NV. It was interesting to hear Didier's thoughts on this wine, why he makes it, and Oger as a village. Originally the fruit for this wine was added to the Fleuron, but no longer because the wine lost freshness. He feels that Oger adds power to blends but the wine ages more rapidly. Since he wanted to retain freshness in his other wines, he decided to bottle this fruit on its own. I'm glad he did it was fascinating to taste on its own. Oger is always bigger and rounder than its neighbors, and Gimmonet's wine was no exception. A tasty wine, but not my favorite of his line up.
This wine also brought up a lot of conversation about Didier's thoughts on winemaking, blending and aging. He doesn't like taking the best grapes for single parcel/village wines because you're stealing from the blend. He feels that blended wines are better than single village because you get more complexity and the wine is more complete. That being said in great years he's not afraid to make single village in wines. For example, in 2012 there will be the normal Special Club bottling, but there will also be three single cru Special Clubs from Avize, Cramant, and Chouilly. He made these wines because there was enough great fruit to make the blend he wanted, and enough left over to make some special fun wines. Sounds a bit like Krug.
Since we were talking about the crus, we started talking about Chouilly. In hindsight I realize that I didn't really talk about Cramant, which is bummer because I'm sure Didier has plenty of thoughts on it. So Chouilly, Didier is the one that pointed out how big Chouilly is and how far north the vines extend. Most of the vines he owns here on in the sweet spot on the eastern side near Cramant and Oiry. He feels the eastern side of Chouilly is like Cramant, and this is the reason the village has Grand Crus status. He thinks that despite some good parcels in Chouilly and Oger, there's really only three Grand Crus in the Cote de Blancs, Avize, Cramant, and Mesnil-sur-Oger. This was the original designation in Champagne, but in 1982 the rules were changed, and Chouilly, Oger, and Oiry were added as Grand Crus. Certainly influence from large houses helped with this decision, but there is basis for this change considering the caliber of some of the parcels in each village. Essentially, this is the argument against entire villages being classified. In most villages there are great parcels, good parcels, and parcels for generic champagne. Yet, the system only bothers to classify villages rather than get into the nitty gritty of classifying parcels. That being said, the growers know which parcels are great, and the ones that own land in those parcels are happy to tell you about the parcels. The rest are happy to rest on the reputation of the village.
Following the blending conversation Didier gave me his thoughts on the amount of age until maturity of his main crus. As mentioned above, Oger ages rapidly and only takes 5 or 6 years to reach maturity. Chouilly is a bit longer at 8 to 10 years, and Cramant is the longest at 15+ years until the wine is mature. Please note these guidelines are for the wines to reach maturity, where all the elements are in harmony, not the long life the wines will have. Think of it like adolescence, you're done growing by your late teens, but you still have a long life ahead of you.
Our conversation next turned toward vineyard practices and winemaking, which is a bit backwards relative to most of my visits, but that's the way the conversation rolled. He isn't organic, but is sustainable. He doesn't use chemical fertilizer or insecticides but he doesn't rule out some chemicals for use in bad years. The most interesting vineyard practice he discussed was with new plantings. With the new vines he and his staff cut the roots of the vines that are growing horizontally. He trains the vines to send their roots deep into the ground rather than growing outward. Deep roots tap more types of soil, have better access to water, and are generally stronger than those with shallow roots.
In the winery, Didier has plenty of opinions, beyond his thoughts on blending. He believes that growers should show terroir expression in their wines. He likes to harvest his grapes with at least eleven degrees of potential alcohol so there is phenolic ripeness, not just raw acid to later correct with sugar. To accomplish his goal of showing terroir, he only uses stainless steel in the winery. He feels that, "winemakers use oak, but farmers use stainless steel." He thinks that concentration in wine is easy, but retaining freshness and elegance is difficult. At the same time, he doesn't want reductive notes in his wines, so he is walking a fine line in achieving his goals.
At the end of the conversation he told me about his expansion plans and the his winery's annual production and the amount of wine aging in the cellars. It was a staggering amount for a grower. Annually, Gimmonet makes about 250,000 bottles. In the cellars he has about one million bottles aging, with another 185,000 bottles of reserve wines for blending. While I'm certainly not against success and larger wineries, I was a bit shocked to hear these numbers. Often growers are painted as small operations making less than 10,000 bottles annually.
This brings me back to a comparison I've been thinking about with beer. In the beer world there are the major breweries like Anheuser-Busch and Miller, and in Champagne there's Moët, Veuve, and the other big houses. After the large players in Champagne everyone seems to be a grower, whether they make 3000 bottles or 250,000 bottles annually. The differences here are huge in terms of vineyards, facilities, and staff. In the beer world they had to tackle what happens to a micro brewery when it becomes big, but not so big as to be a "big guy". The term craft brewery came about, think Sierra Nevada or Deschutes. These breweries are certainly not Miller sized but they're not tiny operations with one or two guys doing everything. I think Champagne would benefit from a classification like this. Gimmonet would be a craft producer, while Christophe Mignon would be a mirco. I suppose I'm just looking for some fairness or transparency in labeling, but I don't see much changing anytime soon considering the Champagnois are a secretive bunch.
Overall, I thought that Gimonnet's wines are intellectual, direct, and pleasant, much like the man behind them.


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- Study programme "Animal Protection and Quality" in programme of Czech television "Do you want me" (video, 2015, 11 min)
- Summer school (2014, short film,6:23 min)
- Why to study our faculty? (2010, short film, 3:33 min) english subtitles Download now (37 MB)
- Informative film about university (2008, for 90th anniversary of university foundation, 20:30 min)
Informative materials
Internet links
PowerPoint presentation
- About faculty, 2010 (pps)
- Animal Vetex, 2008 – presentation of university and faculty (pps)
- Bats in Euroasia tolerate a disease deadly in North America - an article published in the journal Nature, the family group called Scientific Reports (IF 5.6). The authors are from the Institute of Ecology and diseases of animals, fish and bees: Banďouchová, Kovacova, Brichta (combi PhD student) and Pikula (corresponding author) article in pdf
It was written about us
- 2009 - LNW web Dierenartsen werven Tsjechië - contribution of Dutch society VWA
Journals and logo
- VITA UNIVERSITATIS – magazine about life at university (in czech)
Journals published by faculty FVHE
MASO INTERNATIONAL - Journal of Food Science and Technology (in English)
- set upin 2011
- published 2x per year
- results of research in the field of hygiene and technology of meat
MASO (in Czech)
- professional journal in the field of meat processing
Logo of faculty


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In our last blog we discussed the importance of clearly defining your target markert. This blog will cover how to determine your target market.
To start, first determine why someone would buy your product or service. Why did you create the product or service you did? Once you know this, there are three categories you need to look at: the geographic, demographic and psychographic profile of your target market. Let's look at each one of these separately.
The geographic profile is more easily determined. Where do your current customers live and how far are they willing to travel to buy your product or service? Are there any climate considerations for your product? What cities, regions, states and/or countries will your target market be in? If you are in a regulated industry, where is your company licensed to do business? Bottom line, where is the best place to spend your marketing dollars to attract your primary market customers? For some businesses, with new technology, internet and phone, geography does not have the boundaries it used to have.
Next, let's look at the demographic profile. Things to consider here are different depending on if you are business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C).
If you are a B2C, age, gender, education, income, marital status, ethnic or religious background and family lifecycle (newly married, with or without children, expecting, married 10-20 years, etc.) of your target market may all come into play. For example a local residential house cleaning business would most likely be looking for home owners with a higher household income where husband and wife work full time, are college educated and have children.
If you are B2B the following considerations should be thought about — company size, whether it is an established or start-up business, is your target market B2B or B2C, how many employees does it have, do they sell a specific product or service, where is your own expertise and what companies could you best serve with that expertise? For example, a freelance graphic designer who was employed most of their career in the retail environment would most likely target a B2C company who does not have a graphic designer on staff, perhaps has no marketing department, up to 100 employees and does advertising in print media.
Finally, let's look at the psychographic profile of a customer. Understanding this is most interesting. What things are important to your customer? What are their hobbies and interests, are they active, are they status seekers, what is their lifestyle, are they conservative or liberal, are they sports enthusiasts, are they environmentally conscious, socially responsible, trendy, fashion conscious, fun seeking, family oriented, thrill seekers, the list goes on. For example, a high-end maternity shop would be looking for fashion conscious, trendy women, who want to look good while they are pregnant and don't mind spending money doing so. They still want to be comfortable and are possibly status seekers.
If your target market is other businesses, do they know they need your help, are they open to help, what is their business style, are they innovative, are they conservative, do they belong to trade associations, what is their management style, what other outside services may they use to run their company?
For example, a consultant may be looking for a business owners who know they need help and are willing to pay for good help that will get them results. There target market is willing to learn, has a complimentary management and business style to the consultant.
Now that you have a clear picture painted of who your target market is, you can now analyze your competition. Our next blog will cover competition analysis.


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Flames win streak hits five in fight-filled overtime win over Coyotes
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Calgary Flames are brimming with confidence right now.
Winning their fifth straight game and National Hockey League-leading ninth road victory, the group strutted out of the Gila River Arena with a 2-1 overtime win over the slumping Arizona Coyotes who dropped their sixth straight.
And perhaps nothing said it all like their performance in the extra frame.
It took 1:09 for Dougie Hamilton to net the game-winner, a thing of beauty as he slid around Brendan Perlini and went forehand-to-backhand around Mike Smith.
With a full tank of gas, the six-foot-six defender had hopped on the ice and made a beeline toward the net.
"I basically just jumped on and took a couple hard strides and there was the puck," Hamilton said. "Johnny made a good play. I was hoping he'd make it and sucked a guy to him. I just tried to weave through the net and make a play.
"It happened really quick."
So, seemingly, did this group's turnaround.
Suddenly, they're one of the hottest teams in the NHL. The Flames (15-13-2) return home for a three-game stand at the Scotiabank Saddledome against Winnipeg (Saturday), Tampa (Wednesday) and Columbus (Friday).
"We've got traction now," said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. "We've got to stay consistent. I've said this before, 'You are what you repeatedly do.' We have to continue night-in-and-night-out to play a certain way and it gives us a chance to get points.
"There's no breathing, by any stretch of the imagination. We dug ourselves a hole at the beginning of the season, we're getting out of it now and we have to keep pushing."
For the locals, it was likely a throwback to watch Matthew Tkachuk — the son of legendary Phoenix Coyotes captain Keith — bang, crash and make plays around the net.
But for Keith's boy, the Calgary Flames and the Arizona Coyotes, it's a new era. The 2016-17 NHL is not exactly the same as when his father played.
So, it's almost fitting the game went old school and featured a pile of flying fists. Surprisingly, however, Tkachuk wasn't involved directly.
Oh, he did his thing. With his mouthguard hanging out of his mouth (his trademark look), he drew two penalties, made plays and had multiple scoring chances.
Twice, the 18-year-old tried that are-you-kidding-me-how-did-he-make-that-play-between-the-legs shot on net.
But he left the fisticuffs up to his teammates, who fought three times.
"You don't see that very much anymore," said Flames forward Matt Stajan. "It's a tight-checking game. Guys are working for time and space and trying to finish their body checks. I know they're frustrated over there but we didn't back down. It was nice to see guys engage."
Down 1-0 early on a Max Domi goal, the physical play started in the first period when Lance Bouma, playing his first game back after missing 16 with a shoulder injury, boarded Coyotes star defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson around the eight minute mark.
Former Calgary Hitmen forward Ryan White came to his defence and started pummeling Bouma.
Shortly after, Connor Murphy stood up to Micheal Ferland — which immediately turned out in Ferland's favour as the Flames winger ended up on top of Murphy.
Things died down and Calgary started putting on the pressure. Mark Giordano had a fantastic scoring chance which was stopped by Mike Smith, who stuck his right toe on the puck.
The Flames had 20 seconds of zone time when Smith got his stick jammed in the boards behind the net after trying to battle (yes, battle) Michael Frolik for the puck. They still couldn't score.
Garnet Hathaway gave Domi a shove at the end of the second period and, being the spirited player he is, didn't wait long to get revenge.
In one heckuva tilt, Hathaway bloodied Domi's eye and he departed the game shortly after.
"You look at the fights we had tonight," said Hathaway. "Boomy's fight. He was buzzing around the night. A big hit like that, we'll kill it off. Ferly had a great fight. We just kept rolling.
"Our D had a lot of contact tonight. We built off of it."
Calgary's, dare we say, red-hot power play connected for the fourth straight game Giordano knotted the score 1-1 with 2:15 remaining on a one-timer set-up by Gaudreau. Sean Monahan extended his point streak to six-games.
"When you're feeling good and you have that confidence, you're not pressing," said Stajan. "You're playing hard but you're not cheating the game. We're really getting timely goals and making the right decisions. We're comfortable in these tight games and that's big for us."
Flames 2, Coyotes 1 (OT)
1. Coyotes G Mike Smith — Another busy night for the netminder who kept his club in it when the Flames started to press in the third period and forced overtime.
2. Flames D Mark Giordano — Blasted Calgary's game-tying goal on Arizona netminder Mike Smith.
3. Coyotes LW Max Domi — Played gritty and was rewarded for it. Engaged in a spirited tilt with Flames forward Garnet Hathaway.
Thursday was the second of five games between Calgary and Arizona this season … Heading into Thursday's game, the Flames had captured eight wins away from home and were 9-3-1 in their last 13 games … The Flames recalled blue-liner Tyler Wotherspoon on Thursday and sent Brett Kulak back to the Stockton Heat. Kulak had been a healthy scratch in the last five games so it was important to get him playing again … As for Wotherspoon, he'll serve as a seventh defenceman and was a healthy scratch along with centre Freddie Hamilton. The 23-year-old has played 26 games for the Flames over the last three seasons and has five assists … Calgary scratched RW Kris Versteeg (hip), C Freddie Hamilton, and D Tyler Wotherspoon … With his assist on C Max Domi's game-opening strike, Coyotes captain Shane Doan collected his 554th assist of his NHL career to pass Thomas Steen (553) to become the franchise leader in career assists … Doan is now the fifth player in NHL history to own their entire franchise's records (games played, goals, assists, points, game winning goals, and power-play goals).