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Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) teamed up with K3 Construction Group to sponsor a Thanksgiving Card Challenge among the schools participating in the GRACE Art program (formerly known as the Art in the Schools). This is the seventh year that K3 has sponsored this program to select artwork that will be featured on their annual Thanksgiving card, and the sixth year that schools participating in GRACE Art program have been invited to participate.\
Twenty nine students from seven elementary schools, including: Academy of Christian Education, Dranesville Elementary, Forestville Elementary, Green Hedges School, Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic School, Terraset Elementary, and Westbriar Elementary, submitted entries for this year's Challenge. The school art teachers selected a maximum of five entries from their school to be entered in the challenge. All submissions were reviewed by a committee of K3 employees, GRACE employees and GRACE Board of Directors to select the most imaginative interpretation of the Thanksgiving theme.
On Thursday, Nov. 15, an awards reception was held at GRACE to announce the winner and acknowledge all of the participants. First place was awarded to Patrick Nappi, a second grader at Westbriar Elementary. Patrick's artwork is featured on the K3 Thanksgiving card and will be mailed to over 1,300 of the area's leading businesses and associations. In addition, he received a gift card, and 100 cards for him to send to friends and families. In addition, Westbriar Elementary received $250.
Second place was awarded to Estelle Kim, a sixth grader at Dranesville Elementary. Third place was awarded to Jenna Vigneault, a sixth grader at Dranesville Elementary. All participants were recognized and received a certificate of participation and ribbon.
Kathy McCormick, principal and vice president of Business Development for K3 Construction Group, presented a check for $1,000 to Jeanne Loveland, education director of Greater Reston Arts Center.


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Olympus rolls out new FE-series ultracompacts
Olympus has expanded its popular, cost-conscious FE line today with the addition of the super-slim Olympus FE-360 and the 5x zoom FE-370.
The lead off hitter in this interesting ultracompact duo is the 8.0 megapixel FE-360. Sporting a 3x zoom, the FE-360 measures a mere 0.7 inches thick.
Stylish and slim, the FE-360 is available in five colors and features a total of 20 shooting modes – including three underwater options designed for use with the FE-360's optional underwater housing.
The step-up Olympus FE-370 features a host of features traditionally associated with high-end ultracompacts. Building on the same 8.0 megapixel sensor seen in the FE-360, the FE-370 provides an expanded field of view with a 5x lens covering 36-180mm.
Dual Image Stabilization provides both digital and sensor-shift stabilization for clear photos in low light. A 2.7-inch high-resolution LCD with backlight boost handles composition, and image processing is courtesy of Olympus's TruePic III chip.
The FE-370 brings an all new Intelligent Auto Mode to the table as well, which "selects the appropriate shooting mode automatically based on where the camera is aimed, and optimizes the settings accordingly."
The FE-370 is also the latest ultracompact to offer smile-focused shooting options: a Smile Mode only fires the shutter when subjects are smiling, and Expression Edit is Olympus's take on an in-camera post-processing tool for retouching smiles onto the faces of surly subjects.
Other in-camera processing options on the FE-370 include an Exposure Fix tool, red-eye correction, and basic editing controls for cropping and resizing images.
Both models feature In-Camera Help Guides, which provide tutorials on general shooting and features operation to help shooters familiarize themselves with the new FE cameras.
Likewise, Olympus has expanded the range of memory types that both new FE cameras will support: in addition to Olympus/Fuji's proprietary xD-Picture Card format, the FE-360 and FE-370 come with an adapter that allows shooters to use microSD cards as well.
Arguably the most impressive spec of both new models is the price. The FE-360 should sell for just under $150, with the feature-rich FE-370 hitting stores under the $200 mark. According to our contacts at Olympus, look for both cameras to make their way to retailers before the end of August.
Olympus FE-360/FE-370 Specifications:
|8.0 megapixel, 1/2.35″ CCD
|3x (36-108mm) zoom, f/3.1-5.9 (FE-360); 5x (36-180mm) zoom, f/3.5-5.6 (FE-370)
|2.5″, 154K-pixel LCD with two-step brightness adjustment (FE-360); 2.7″, 230K-pixel LCD with two-step brightness adjustment (FE-370)
|Shutter Speed
|4-1/2000 seconds
|Shooting Modes
|Auto, Program, Digital Image Stabilization, Scene, Movie
|Scene Presets
|Portrait, Landscape, Night Portrait, Night Scene, Sport, Indoor, Candle, Self-Portrait, Sunset, Fireworks, Behind Glass, Cuisine, Documents, Auction, Underwater Wide 1 (FE-360), Underwater Wide 2 (FE-360), Underwater Macro (FE-360), Smile Shot (FE-370)
|White Balance Settings
|Auto, Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Fluorescent 3
|Metering Modes
|Digital ESP, Face Detection AE
|Focus Modes
|iESP Auto, Face Detection AF, Spot AF (FE-370)
|Drive Modes
|Not Specified
|Flash Modes
|Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Fill, Off
|Self Timer Settings
12 Seconds, Off
|Memory Formats
|xD-Picture Card (microSD with include adapter)
|Internal Memory
|File Formats
|Max. Image Size
|Max. Video Size
|640×480, 30 fps
|Zoom During Video
|Not Specified
|Lithium-ion rechargeable
|USB 2.0, AV output
|Additional Features
|Face Detection, Digital Image Stabilization, Optical Image Stabilization (FE-370), Perfect Shot Preview, Expression Edit, Smile Shot, TruePic III processor, In-Camera Help Guides

subset: commoncrawl


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Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
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I believe parts of the US have bout a 6 minute delay.
KEN!!!!!!And thanks Texaslady I was guessing.
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text: This morning we created over 40 unique decorations and achievements. You can view them in the decorations tab of the corporation when online in Eve. BRRC will soon be posting a list for your review and instructions on how to claim your decorations once you have completed each task. Some of them are completely awesome, I look forward to seeing you guys knock them out! - Joe


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George Michael – Baseball Historian – RIP
The prominent television sportscaster, perhaps the last "up-and-coming" Top 40 disc jockey at the height of the genre, and onetime NHL announcer, George Michael, passed away this morning in Washington after a two-year fight with leukemia. He was 70 years old.
6 Comments
Another sad passing of another fascinating person….
I remember seeing the "Sports Machine" once in a while, but I had no idea that George Michael was a baseball researcher and historian. It's interesting that he consulted you for help with those photos that he was having trouble identifying. Okay, maybe "interesting" isn't the right word. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say "flattering", since he respected your knowledge enough to seek your input.
I especially feel for Mr. Michael's family right now. The death of a loved one is always very, very difficult. But when it falls on a holiday – especially Christmas or Christmas Eve, when society expects you to be cheerful – that adds another degree of difficulty to it. It's hard enough just going through the first Thanksgiving, Christmas, or whatever, after a loved one dies, without such a holiday being the anniversary of the death.
Which segues into my wish that your family can find comfort during this, the first Christmas/New Year's holiday season since your mother passed away earlier this year. I've lost loved ones in years past, and know how hard it can be when people say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays", while the weight of such a loss is on one's shoulders. So I wish you, and the rest of us who are in similar situations, a peaceful holiday season, instead.
As one who watched George Michael here in the D.C. area for lo, those 28 years he was on the air for Channel 4…that's WRC-TV, for the rest of MLBlogs World…it truly feels as though a death in the family has happened.
Because that's EXACTLY what George was…a member of the family. Of course, that didn't stop ESPN from ripping him off (witness "Pardon the Interruption", "Around the Horn"…hell, even "The Sports Reporters")…all taken from "Redskins Report". Ask around.
Having vented, thank you for this piece, Keith. Trust me, my MLBlog will mention you immensely.
Nasty Nats Live Here (and Everywhere)
I've thought for a day or so about what to say, but finally concluded that unpaka pretty much said it all (and rather eloquently I might add). So I'll just say this – Keith, I hope you and your family have a peaceful Christmas, and that you are able to find some happiness. One other thing – even though some people give you grief, always know that there are many of us out here who really do care about you, and appreciate what you bring to the table. Stay warm and well, and hugs to you and your father.
Thanks Keith for yet another baseball story about someone I didn't know. I guess you could say this has been the common theme of your baseball blog since you began this site. Just when we think we know all we will ever need to know about baseball and its history, we realize there is so much more to this game and those who loved it.
The story about sending you the photos to look over is indeed very flattering. It reminded me of a night many years ago playing Red Sox trivia. It was myself and my brother-in-law vs my brother and another brother-in-law, two guys who could quote just about any statistic of any Red Sox player/team from the beginning of time. They were the go-to guys in the neighborhood on all things baseball. My brother-in-law, who was on my team, unbeknownst to me, made a bet with my father and some others that he and I would win the game, which we did. Only "my teammate" never answered one single question. I alone answered all the questions, yet I never received a dime from the bet. lol. But I was thrilled to have beaten "the experts". It's especially nice since I was the only female in the game. But unlike you, I probably have forgotten much of what I knew back then. But I do my best to re-educate myself. Especially during spring training. That's when my history of baseball reading begins anew. It's almost NFL playoff time, so I am sitting here in the quiet middle of the night reading a wonderful book about Johnny Unitas.
Thanks once again for sharing these stories with us. They touch me in a way I can't really describe nor understand. All I know is I love reading them.
"Mr. (Connie) Mack, I'm here. (to complete the $100,000 infield)." Home Run Baker
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Awesome blog you have here but I was wondering if
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the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.


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- Release Date of film : 2000-01-20
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Fact: at 4'5", Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage is actually closer to Wolverine's height than Hugh Jackman is. Brandon Bird's latest pop culture portrait (appropriately titled "Reboot") casts the Emmy-winner as the beer-swilling, claw-wielding mutant. Maybe Bird is on to something.[jump]
Of course, we would never want to pull Dinklage away from his Game of Thrones gig, and Jackman's musical theater background may be a better fit for the often silly Wolverine movies, but Dinklage could lend some real gravitas to the role.
Reboot [Brandon Bird via Popped Culture]


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Are you interested in working with government, business, and energy efficiency program administrators to help increase the efficient use of energy in buildings and homes and reduce our carbon footprint? Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) seeks the best and the brightest candidates to fill these positions in our dynamic organization.
NEEP is a regional nonprofit organization founded in 1996. Our mission is to promote the efficient use of energy in homes, buildings and industry in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States. Our work results in regionally coordinated programs and policies that increase the use of energy efficient products, services and practices. This helps achieve a cleaner environment and a more reliable and affordable energy system.
NEEP is a leader in the regional and national energy efficiency movement by bringing together thought leaders in government, business, and the non-profit world to promote the power of collaboration in moving forward the energy efficiency agenda.
Please see our listed postings below. When responding, email a resume along with a thoughtful cover letter stating where you saw this posting and outlining your interest in NEEP's mission.
Full Time Positions
Make a difference, join the NEEP team and contribute your talents to a mission that matters. Be part of an organization working to help save energy and create a stronger economy, a cleaner environment, and a more reliable energy system. When there are career opportunities at NEEP, they are posted in PDF form, below.
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NEEP seeks qualified candidates passionate about our mission and interested in contributing to a mission-driven, creative, enjoyable, and stimulating workplace. Intern positions are available during semester terms or the summer. The groups seeking interns include: Public Policy Outreach and Analysis, High Performance Buildings, Efficient Products, the Regional Evaluation, Measurement and Verification Forum and the Financial & Administrative Team. Please read more about the various NEEP initiative and departments on our website.
Reliable transportation is recommended as public transport is limited. Some field travel may also be possible to enhance the learning experience. NEEP is based in Lexington, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston and Cambridge. To apply please email a resume, along with a cover letter stating where you saw this posting and outlining your interest in NEEP's mission, to firstname.lastname@example.com. Be sure to list your name and the department of most interest in your subject line. No phone calls please. NEEP is an active member of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Internship Program sponsored by MassCEC.
Available Intern Positions
NEEP is an equal opportunity employer and seeks qualified applicants without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation.


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P.S.: I am SO in love with yall's smilies right now, you know that? :
Thanks. So far I'm spending every minute of my internet time here. Grin
I feel so small here... a lot of you have already been published or are waiting to be published.
What genre is your YA novel? I write YA too.
I know what you mean about spending every minute here ... it's terrible. I'm trying very hard to stay away and do some writing but I'm worried I might miss something! There is so much to learn and this really is a great place to learn. I've been here a little while and I still can't believe how friendly and helpful everyone here is.Don't worry I'm small with you! I've never been published and this is really my first serious attempt at writing more than a first paragraph. I have so many brilliant first paragraphs you wouldn't believe it ... sadly, I seem to lose all interest after that. But procrastination is an artform and I feel I am working it to perfection ..... hmmmm lurking around these boards day and night is not helping my procrastination any :
Supernatural/Fantasy. So far, it's up to 10,000 something words. That's more than I've ever written in my life!
Wow! Congrats! That's an accomplishment then! :D If you ever need someone to read it, let me know. I like that type of genre. I write fantasy too. I have supernatural ideas, but haven't gotten to those stories yet though. hehe
Okay! :D Can't wait! Happy typing!! I am being bad and writing fanfiction instead of my next novel... : I should really get back to work, but I am quite obsessed with this fandom right now. Anyway, keep writing! You will get there. I know it! 5-10 pages a day is wonderful!!
Hah-ha. Yes, fanfiction is very addicting. Which type do you write?
lol Glad I am not the only one. Right now I am writing a Peter Pan/Wendy fic. But I have ones going for Ghost Rider, The Mummy, and Dead Like Me.
Yet another newbie here. I joined a little while ago but haven't taken the time to post yet.I'm a male teenager from Washington. Writing is only a hobbie for me, but maybe I'll try submiting something once I better understand how things work. Until then, this forum should be useful.
...as it happens, we are off to Thailand next week. Never been to Colorado, though!
It's amazing how many YA authors there are on these boards; when someone suggested I come here I was so afraid it would be all children's stuff (nothing wrong with that but not what my aim is)!! I'm trying to do some short stories as well as a fantasy YA, and I think it's going to be an awesome board! Thanks for having me. :Sarah
Hi...I'm Judy Mammay and new here today, although I have been writing for a few years. When I retired from teaching, I knew I needed something else to do, so decided to write books for kids. I live in Florida...a transplanted New Englander. Am looking forward to getting to know people here.I write a little of everything...have had a couple of articles published in a magazine, I have an easy reader out and an MG about to come out, and I also write in verse...the rhyming kind.
hahah...yeah I thought the same thing. I was like: Children's writer....CHILDREN?!?
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Congratulations to "semicrunchymomma," who wins the Estelle headband from Guavaloo for her little girl! Thanks to all who liked & shared!
This darling girl turned 4 this summer, & she told me back in JANUARY (she plans ahead like her mama) that she wanted a "baking party, with cupcakes & pizzas & chef hats." What fun!
I had a field day with my cricut's cupcake font for the "happy birthday" banner & these fun chandelier hangings my husband suggested:
I also used the cricut to freezer-paper stencil custom "Chef [name]" aprons for each of the kids. Kid-sized apron & chef hat sets were around $5 each from Chefskin on Amazon. I kept the party small–8 kids total–to keep cost & chaos to a minimum.
This fun garland was just cupcake papers of different sizes & colors randomly threaded onto embroidery thread with an embroidery needle!
While we waited for everyone to arrive, the chefs colored their very own restaurant menus…
…drawn by the very talented Sister Alison Bowe, a missionary currently serving in our ward! (I enlarged them to 11×17 for the kids.)
As the menus said, once the kids were all there & dressed as chefs, they got to make pizzas. Our local Grimaldi's donated the dough, & "Chef Dad" tossed it pizzeria-style before the kids "decorated" them, in the birthday girl's words.
Then they made fruit, yogurt, & granola parfaits. So that not ALL of the party food was junk.
Finally, the part everyone was waiting for: decorating cookies & cupcakes! With like 6 different colors of frosting & more than a dozen kinds of sprinkles, what could go wrong?
Turns out, not a whole lot. Luckily all of the parents stuck around to help out, which minimized the mess, & the kids took their decorating very seriously!
The birthday girl loved that she got to decorate her own birthday cupcake!
(I used this beet red velvet cupcake recipe. Had to counteract all that sugar somehow, right? See what a conscientious party host I am?)
Each kid got to decorate 4 cookies & 2 cupcakes. They ate 1 of each at the party, & the rest went home in these cute treat boxes from Michael's, finished with baker's twine & a darling tag.
What a fun time we all had! Special thanks to Ursula Borrack for capturing such sweet photos of this sweet party!
Shared at Tater Tots & Jello


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Best definition
Low class Conservative supporter . Often poorly presented in public and generally doesnt have a great mannerism .
that trailer trash dude in the pick-up truck is what You call a MULLETHEAD Conservative supporter .
Mullethead: define #2
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Someone who has a mullet that is above average or to the extreme. Sezomg.
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person who is known for their mullet
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Whoa, fire up your Fire, zoom off with your Xoom, Xyboard your... something something. Flipboard is finally available for every single Android tablet.
Of course, the reader app has been around for Android smartphones since the summer. But the latest release is a version of Flipboard that's optimised for a number of different screen sizes and aspect ratios. That means you can see more sections as tiles and story excerpts are larger. So whichever Android flavour you're using, you'll have a much better experience. And that's exactly the point of reading on a tablet anyway.
Image credit: Flipboard


text: Can't let go of that aging 35mm SLR accustomed to a strict film-only diet? Nikon seems to be toying with the idea of feeding its older models digits instead, judging by a Japanese patent application published last week. It was filed just last year and shows a digital back designed to be swapped out easily, complete with a screw adjustment to fine-tune the all-important focal distance. The patent was scoped by prolific Japanese blogger Egami, who pointed out that a different design would be required for each of Nikon's film SLR models, which all have different backs -- but an actual product coming to market seems quite a stretch anyway, at this point. Such devices are commonplace on medium format cameras though, and Leica even offered one for its R8 and R9 35mm SLR cameras as recently as 2007. Still, a pure digital version of our classic F2? Yes please.


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New products introduced over the last week include DoubleLine's Income Solutions Fund.
In addition, First Trust Advisors announced a new actively managed ETF.
Here are the latest developments of interest to advisors:
1) DoubleLine Announces New Income Solutions Fund
DoubleLine Capital announced that its new closed-end bond fund, the Income Solutions Fund (DSL), has completed an initial public offering of common shares listed on the NYSE. DSL, which is organized as a nondiversified, closed-end management investment company, has as its primary objective to seek high current income; its secondary objective is to seek capital appreciation. It will seek to achieve its objectives by investing in a portfolio of investments selected for their potential to provide high current income, growth of capital or both. Jeffrey Gundlach, CEO and CIO of DoubleLine, Luz Padilla and Bonnie Baha have primary responsibility for the day-to-day portfolio management of DSL.
DoubleLine expects that DSL will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in debt securities and other income-producing investments anywhere in the world, including emerging markets. It may invest in mortgage-backed securities of any kind and may invest without limit in securities rated below investment grade (high-yield securities or junk bonds). It also intends, subject to favorable market conditions, to add leverage to its portfolio by using reverse repurchase agreements, dollar roll transactions and/or borrowings, such as through loans or lines of credit from banks or other credit facilities.
2) First Trust to Launch First Trust Senior Loan Fund
First Trust Advisors announced that it would launch a new actively managed ETF on May 2, the First Trust Senior Loan Fund (FTSL). William Housey, senior vice president and senior portfolio manager, and Scott Fries, SVP and portfolio manager, serve as portfolio managers to FTSL.
FTSL seeks to generate high current income and preserve capital by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of first-lien senior floating rate bank loans (senior loans). Under normal market conditions, at least 80% of FTSL's net assets will be invested in senior loans made to businesses operating in North America. Up to 20% of its net assets may be allocated to non-senior loan debt securities, equity securities and warrants. FTSL attempts to outperform the S&P/LSTA U.S. Leveraged Loan 100 Index and the Markit iBoxx USD Leveraged Loan Index.
Read the April 22 Portfolio Products Roundup on AdvisorOne.


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What The Right Wing Media Won't Tell You About The Subpoenaed Fast And Furious Documents
During the May 16 edition of America's Newsroom, Fox News "straight news" anchor Martha MacCallum and Fox News contributor and The Daily Caller editor Tucker Carlson echoed complaints from the Republican chaired House Oversight Committee about the documents the Justice Department has released responding to their subpoena of files related to the failed Fast and Furious operation:
TUCKER CARLSON, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well there were 22 questions in the last subpoena. 13 of them remain unanswered. The Justice Department hasn't forwarded documents that the House Oversight Committee has requested. And by the way some of those questions, that's the majority of questions, remain unanswered, some of them pertain directly to Attorney General Eric Holder. The Justice Department's position appears to be we can investigate this internally and so we don't need to comply with Congress. I think this is a collision course. Remember this subpoena was issued in October. It's been more than six months now and they have refused to comply. And they have not invoked executive privilege by the way. So it's not even clear on what grounds they are refusing to comply. I don't think there is any question, at least at this point, that there is going to be a contempt citation.
MARTHA MACCALLUM, HOST: Well we'll see. And it feels like stalling and feet dragging to a great extent on the part of the Department of Justice.
CARLSON: Right.
MACCALLUM: Because they are saying they can't fire anybody, they are doing their own investigation. That is going to take quite some time, most likely until after the election is over and that until they finish that investigation--snicker snicker--and until that investigation is over they feel it wouldn't be right to come out and talk about who they think knew more than they say they knew or exactly when Eric Holder became aware of this program that saw a law enforcement agent killed.
Carlson's comments echo the reporting of his employee, Daily Caller reporter Matthew Boyle, who has written numerous articles about Fast and Furious over the past few months. His pieces almost invariably include the line, "Holder has failed to comply with Issa's Oct. 12, 2011, subpoena," or some variation thereof and often include the claim that DOJ has been nonresponsive to 13 of the subpoena's 22 questions.
These reports minimize the fact that DOJ has released extensive and detailed information about what documents the agency has released to Issa. According to DOJ, responsive documents to 16 of the 22 questions contained in Issa's subpoena have been turned over to the House Oversight Committee or been made available for viewing by Oversight Committee staff. DOJ has stated that no responsive information exists to one of the questions. Additionally, DOJ has stated it does possess documents responsive to the five remaining questions in the subpoena and additional documents responsive to the other categories, but that it is unable to release this material because it is either relevant to ongoing criminal investigations or prosecutions or is deliberative and therefore protected by executive privilege.
But Fox News and The Daily Caller would rather regurgitate Republican talking points than admit that there are two sides to this story.
The laziness of reporting on this topic is further evidenced by the numerous Fox network appearances made by Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) and his lieutenants Representatives Trey Gowdy (R-SC) and Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) over the past month. Many of these appearances have featured talking points nearly indistinguishable from those used by MacCallum, Carlson, and Boyle.
GOWDY: I think after a year, that's enough time. You wouldn't get a year to comply with a subpoena. I wouldn't get a year to comply with a jury summons. [Lou Dobbs Tonight, 5/15/2012]
ISSA: Clearly the Attorney General is failing to comply with the subpoena. He has said he is not going to comply with the subpoena. One of the frustrating parts of this is, the part he won't comply with the most is who is responsible for a Fast and Furious which he says is deeply flawed and yet nobody at [the Department of] Justice has been fired. [On the Record With Greta Van Susteren, 5/14/2012]
CHAFFETZ: Only handful of times in the history of the House have we had to go so far as to actually hold somebody in contempt of Congress. But a subpoena that was issued in October of 2011 has been totally ignored. There are 22 categories of documents that we're looking for. Twelve of those categories we've received zero documents. It's a very serious step. [On the Record With Greta Van Susteren, 4/30/2012]
The DOJ has strongly rebutted criticism of its delivery of documents pursuant to Issa's subpoena.
Deputy Attorney General James Cole wrote to Issa on May 15 in order to outline what he called the "extraordinary" effort of DOJ to comply with Issa's subpoena. The letter noted that a team of DOJ attorneys reviewed over 140,000 documents while searching for material responsive to Issa's subpoena. Cole wrote that DOJ complied with Issa's subpoena and has turned over all required documents:
The Committee's concerns about the Department's response to the October 11 subpoena appear predicated on a misunderstanding both of the extraordinary lengths to which the Department has gone to respond to the Committee's requests, and of the threat that disclosures of sensitive law enforcement information would pose to open criminal investigations and prosecutions. Furthermore, we believe that the core questions posed by the Committee about Operation Fast and Furious have been answered.
Because the Committee's review of this matter is focused on open criminal investigations and prosecutions, the Department is required to balance the Committee's oversight interests against the Department's need to maintain the absolute independence and integrity of its ongoing and sensitive law enforcement activities. Accordingly, the Department has provided the Committee with documents and information showing how the inappropriate tactics in Fast and Furious, Wide Receiver and other operations under review came to be employed while, at the same time, preserving the confidentiality of core law enforcement documents relating to ongoing matters. Although the Committee has expressed concern about the length of time it has taken the Department to respond to the Committee's October 11, 2011 subpoena, its oversight of open criminal investigations and prosecutions has required the Department to undertake painstaking reviews of documents so we could be confident that we were addressing the Committee's legitimate concerns while, at the same time, not compromising our ability to hold accountable those who violate our laws.
The Committee has also raised questions about the lack of documents produced by the Department reflecting the participation of senior Department officials in devising the inappropriate tactics used in Fast and Furious. Far from reflecting a "cover-up," as some have claimed, the lack of documents makes clear that these tactics had their origin in the field in Arizona and not among Department leaders in Washington. This reality was expressly recognized in the Memorandum ( "Memorandum" ) recently issued by the Committee as a companion to the Committee's Draft Resolution of Contempt ( "Draft Resolution" ). Memorandum at 4. It therefore is not surprising that the documents sought by the Committee do not exist. [Pages 1-2]
In the memorandum that accompanied the House Oversight Committee's draft contempt citation, Issa claimed that DOJ "has not produced any responsive documents for 12 of the 22 categories. The Department has not completely fulfilled any of the 10 categories for which documents have been produced." This assertion is disputed by Cole's letter which provides detailed information about the extent to which DOJ has provided the subpoenaed documents to Issa.
To date, we have provided the Committee over 7,600 pages of documents from both ATF and the Department as part of 47 separate productions. We have provided documents to the Committee at least twice every month since late last year as part of the Department's ongoing efforts to comply with the Committee's subpoenas and other requests for information.
The assertion in the Draft Resolution (p. 14) that the Department has provided documents only for 10 of the 22 subpoena items is incorrect. In fact, the Department has produced or made available for review documents responsive to 16 of the 22 subpoena items. As to 13 of these items, we delivered the documents to the Committee or made them available for staff review (subpoena items 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20, and 21). We provided access to documents responsive to three additional items (subpoena items 15, 17, and 18) in the course of briefings on sensitive law enforcement matters on October 5, 2011 and on subsequent occasions, as referenced in Section IV(C) below. We have not located any documents responsive to a 17th item (subpoena item 3). The documents responsive to the five remaining items (subpoena items 8, 9, 16, 19, and 22), as well as additional documents responsive to the other 16 items of the October 11 subpoena, pertain to sensitive law enforcement activities, including ongoing criminal investigations and prosecutions that raise significant concerns for the Department, as discussed in Section III(A) below, or are materials generated by Department officials in the course of responding to congressional investigations or media inquiries about this matter that are generally not appropriate for disclosure, as discussed in Section III(B) below. [Page 4]
Section III(A) of Cole's letter stated that material related to ongoing criminal investigations or prosecutions is often barred from being released by law or court order and noted that "the Department's long-standing policy across Administrations is to decline congressional requests for non-public information relating to pending law enforcement matters in order to protect the independence and integrity of those efforts." Cole also noted, "These opinions set forth the official legal positions of Administrations that span both political parties in their dealings with Congress. It is very significant, in our view, that there is no instance in which Congress has held an Attorney General in contempt based on a failure to provide materials relating to ongoing criminal investigations and prosecutions."
Section III(B) of Cole's letter contains DOJ's assertion of executive privilege as a valid reason for not turning over documents that are deliberative in nature. He states, "Administrations of both parties consistently have recognized that materials generated by Executive Branch officials in the course of responding to congressional investigations are general not appropriate for disclosure to the congressional committee conducting the oversight. Congressional demands for such information implicate heightened Executive Branch confidentiality interests and 'significant separation of powers concerns' by threatening to compromise the Executive Branch's ability to respond independently and effectively to congressional investigations."
The ways in which DOJ has attempted to comply with Issa's document requests can be broken down in the following fashion:
|Subpoena Category Number
|Type(s) Of Document Requested
|DOJ Response To Request
|1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20, 21
|Communications between individuals involved in Fast and Furious and individuals employed by DOJ including Holder; Communications between DOJ officials and the White House referring to Fast and Furious; Communications referring to instances where ATF allowed guns to walk and then failed to recover the weapons; Documents related to instances where ATF ended surveillance on weapons that were later recovered in Mexico; Documents relating to the murder of ICE Agent Jaime Zapata, All communications to or from Special Agent-in-Charge of ATF's Phoenix Field Division William Newell over two time periods; Communications between Holder and other high level DOJ officials concerning Fast and Furious; Communications between employees of Arizona's Office of the U.S. Attorney and ATF officials; Communications between Dennis Burke, former U.S. Attorney and other employees of the Arizona Office of the U.S. Attorney; Communications between former Ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual and certain DOJ officials; Communications between Pascual and DOJ officials based in Mexico City; Meeting material from the Attorney General's Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys between March 1, 2009 and July 31, 2011 that refer to Fast and Furious; Weekly reports for Holder from any Criminal Division, ATF, DEA, FBI or National Drug Intelligence Center employee between November 1, 2009 and September 30, 2011.
|Documents either delivered to the House Oversight Committee or made available for staff review.
|15, 17, 18
|Interview summaries relating to targets, suspects, defendants, or their associates, bosses, or financiers in the Fast and Furious investigation; Investigative reports related to individuals described to the Committee by DOJ as Target Number 1 and Target Number 2; DEA documents relating to Manuel Fabian Celis-Acosta.
|Documents provided to the House Oversight Committee by DOJ during sensitive law enforcement briefings.
|Communications between DOJ and the Executive Office of the President concerning an interview of the president conducted by Jorge Ramos of Univision.
|DOJ has not located documents for this category.
|8, 9, 16, 19, 22
|All Reports of Investigation (ROI) related to Fast and Furious or ATF Case Number 785115-10-0004; Communications between certain officials referring to ROIs identified in subpoena item 8; Investigative reports prepared by FBI or DEA relating to Fast and Furious; Communications between Arizona FBI employees and the FBI Laboratory concerning the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry; Surveillance tapes recorded inside the Lone Wolf Trading Co. store on certain dates.
|DOJ has not released these documents because they relate to ongoing criminal investigations or are deliberative in nature.
Clearly whether DOJ has complied with Issa's subpoena is an issue of genuine dispute. Because of the partisan realities that surround congressional contempt proceedings which allow the majority party to essentially act as both prosecutor and judge, Fox News and The Daily Caller should have exercised more diligence to avoid treating the political positions of the Republican Party as facts suitable for reporting.


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Danville, VA
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4170 South Boston HwyRinggold, VA 24586434-799-8721
2049 Highway 9 WestLongs, SC 29568843-756-2222
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LocationGreer, SC
198 Bob Ledford Dr.
Greer, SC 29651
New 2020 Forest River RV Sabre 36BHQ
Forest River Sabre 36BHQ fifth wheel highlights:
- Bunkhouse
- Loft
- Free Standing Dinette
- Kitchen Island
- Exterior Refrigerator
- MORRyde Quad Steps
Just imagine you and your spouse traveling the countryside in comfort and luxury with an extra room to be utilized as a second living area, a private bunkhouse, or even as an office. There is plenty of sleeping space and storage in this second room with a trundle bed, jack knife sofa and bunk bed, plus in the loft area above. You will love your own master bedroom with a large wardrobe including the option to add a washer and dryer, and the full bathroom's walk-in shower including a glass enclosure. Entertaining is easy and convenient thanks to the two slides, the kitchen island including a residential farm sink, the residential size LED TV with a remote controlled fireplace below, and all the furniture. Now all your imaginations are coming true. Own this model today!
Each Sabre fifth wheel by Forest River offers luxurious living areas, residential kitchen amenities, four seasons of traveling, and lots of storage so you can stay awhile. From the Colossal Camper residential, french door refrigerator with dual freezer drawers, the seamless countertops and the ambient up lighting above the crown molding in the main living area for a stylish look, to the Cinemax seating with cup holders, heat, massage and back-lighting for the perfect movie night, to the industry leading, campsite-view, panoramic slide windows allowing you to enjoy the outdoors in comfort, you will love any model you choose.
What a Great Team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I want to take this time to Thank the staff at Bob Ledford's RV and Motor Home for all that they do for the customer's From the Service Department and Parts Department. But not to leave out the Sales Staff! Every person I have had the pleasure to meet and talk with has been GREAT!! I have told my Friends and family about the dealership of Bob Ledford's to give them a try! I also have a special thanks - Michael from Rutherfordton, NC
Stock# 9869
Interior Color: Graphite
|42 ft
|Ext Width
|8 ft
|Ext Height
|12 ft 7 in
|Interior Color
|Hitch Weight
|2095 lbs
|Dry Weight
|11943 lbs
|Cargo Weight
|2472 lbs
|Fresh Water Capacity
|49 gals
|Grey Water Capacity
|70 gals
|Black Water Capacity
|35 gals
|Furnace BTU
|35000 btu
|Number Of Bunks
|Available Beds
|Queen, Trundle
|Refrigerator Type
|Residential French Door w/Dual Freezer Drawers
|Cooktop Burners
|Number of Awnings
|LP Tank Capacity
|20 lbs
|Water Heater Capacity
|10 gal
|Water Heater Type
|Gas/Electric DSI
|13500 btu
|TV Info
|LR Residential Size LED
|Awning Info
|16' Adjustable Power with LED Lighting
|Washer/Dryer Available
|Number of LP Tanks
|Shower Type
|Shower w/Seat
|Electrical Service
|50 amp
In 1996, Forest River founder Peter Liegl had a vision. He foresaw an RV company dedicated to helping people experience the joy of the outdoors by building better recreational vehicles. Today, we have grown to become one of the largest RV manufacturers in North America, producing class A and C motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheels, toy haulers, camping trailers and destination trailers. From the new family just starting out in the world of RVing to the experienced full-timer, we offer something for everyone.
Forest River RV is a division of Forest River, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company, which produces recreational vehicles, pontoons, park models, buses, cargo trailers and commercial trucks. The diversity of Forest River, Inc., enables us to approach the RV industry with a unique perspective, incorporating lessons learned at each one of our divisions. Operating with openness across a wide range of products is what makes us stand apart from the competition. At Forest River, Inc., quality and dependability are a necessity in everything we make.


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Trade shows offer a unique opportunity to see what is happening in your industry. You get the chance to play with new gadgets, make connections and talk about what you have going on. Trade shows are not open to everyone, however. You need to know how to get into the hottest trade shows of 2013 to ensure you are there.
Getting Registered
To attend a trade show you have to be registered to do so. It is critical that you get registered as soon as possible to ensure a spot, a plane ticket if you need one and a hotel room close to where the show is being held. You need to be sure that you will attend before committing because many trade shows, such as SXSW, will not refund the registration fees.
If you remain undecided until the last minute, some shows that still have space will allow you to walk in during the show and get registered. This is not nearly as beneficial as planning far in advance though.
Go for a Speaking Gig
Those that attend the shows solely to speak almost always get out of paying an attendance fee. You will be able to talk and give some promotion to what you have to offer, as well as connect with those that could possibly help you out in the future. If you want to attend a trade show purely to network and get your name out there, speaking may be a great option for you.
Now, trade shows will not just let anyone walk in and speak. You will have to work on your speech well in advance, get it to the show organizers and wait for their verdict. To give yourself the best shot of getting a speaking spot you need to get a client that you can include in your presentation and do not focus solely on your company. This speech must be original, educational and something that people will remember.
Getting Your Ducks in a Row
You have to make sure that the stuff the show organizers need is in their hands as soon as possible. Forgetting a piece of paperwork could result in you not being able to attend. When you speak to the event coordinators, take a detailed list of everything they say that you will need. Keep this list with you and bring it to the show. You also want to jot down the names and contact information for everyone you speak too. People make mistakes, but you do not want to get burned by someone else's mistake.
Choose the Right Event
If you are a foodie, then the American Food Fair is where you want to be. If you love film and music, SXSW is the coveted trade show. To get the best opportunities to network, you have to be at the right show. Throughout the year there are often many different shows for the same industry. For example, there are car trade shows everywhere throughout the year. You need to do your research do determine which one is best for you to attend and not all trade shows are created equal. Once you figure out the right show, do research on places to stay, how to get registered and what you can expect once you are there.
About the Author: Thomas has been writing about trade show topics online for companies like nimloktradeshowdisplays.com for the past 10 years. When not writing or attending shows, he can be found at home with his family or out at the gym practicing his boxing.


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News from the world of Maths
The London Underground turns 150 today! It's probably the most famous rail network in the world and much of that fame is due to the iconic London Underground map. But what makes this map so special?
Without doubt the biggest event in physics and maths this year was the discovery of the Higgs boson. Relive the excitement and understand what it's all about with these Plus articles.
Merry Christmas!
Travelling Salesman is an unusual movie: despite almost every character being a mathematician there's not a mad person in sight. Moreover, the plot centres on one of the greatest unsolved problems in mathematics, does P = NP? Last month we were lucky enough to host the UK premiere of this movie ...
Quick, quick, before the world ends get your head around Schrödinger's equation. A possible consequence of the interpretation is the idea that the universe is constantly splitting into many parallel branches. So while one copy of you might witness a spectacular end to the world today, another can rest assured that it will survive.
On the 23rd of June this year Alan Turing would have celebrated his 100th birthday. During his short and tragic life he revolutionised the scientific world and so 2012 was declared Turing Year. We're sad to see that an official pardon for his 1952 conviction for homosexuality, which was then illegal, still hasn't been granted. But that hasn't stopped us from celebrating his life and scientific achievements.
Space is three-dimensional ... or is it? When we spoke to theoretical physicist David Berman in October this year we found out that in fact, we are all used to living in a curved, multidimensional universe. And a mathematical argument might just explain how those higher dimensions are hidden from view.
Want to stop your brain from rusting this Christmas? Then visit our sister project NRICH, which received a major make-over this year and now has a beautiful new website. NRICH is aimed at students and teachers of maths of all ages and backgrounds. It offers challenging and engaging activities that develop mathematical thinking and problem-solving skills and show rich mathematics in meaningful contexts.


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The Luke Poncho is a good deal, he has gone for a bit more loose. Comes with a green saber eh!
I just noticed something else too, there is something in the hand of the figure pictured.
It almost looks like he's holding a broken branch, dark on the outside and lighter brown at the tip. Guess it's just the way the colors of the poncho is coming through the hand.
I won this auction a few days ago and it arrived today. All of the figures are minimum C-8.5 and all of the accessories are original, no repros...! Not bad for $60!!!
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By now this video and ones like it have been seen by literally millions of people.
I graduated from UC Davis in 2000. I loved attending UC Davis and I try to take my kids there at least once a year to see the beautiful campus. I was a proud Aggie alumni until this weekend.
Then something happened: police Lieutenant John Pike sprayed a group of students with pepper spray for sitting on the quad.
I have very little to say about that other than that I am now deeply disappointed and ashamed of UC Davis. The school's reputation is internationally sullied. And all of us graduates now have to think about that.
There has been a petition to get Chancellor Linda Katehi to resign, and for her role in these actions she should be held responsible.
But rather than focusing on Katehi, I think we need to examine and punish the officers involved in this raid themselves. Pike needs to be fired and sent to court for assault. The officers who directly assisted him and the police chief who ordered the attack should face the same charges as well.
The officers who stood by and watched and did nothing to protect the students should also face disciplinary action. Their job is to protect the UC Davis community and they grossly failed in their job. They should at least face penalization such as loss of pay.
Not only the leaders but also the officers directly involved MUST be punished for their actions. They should be made an example of so that others in their position will learn not to act in the same way.
So far the Occupy protests have elicited a widespread egregious police response, but never has it been so clear who was at fault and needs to be punished. If these officers remain unpunished, then it will give police everywhere the green light to abuse the rest of us as they see fit. And then we will no longer live in America, but in a police state.
And how we can help protect UC Davis and restore its good name: by demanding that this injustice be fully corrected. How? For starters, through a boycott.
UC Davis calls me every year to ask for money. I have now sent them an email informing them that they will get nothing from me until these officers are fired.
You can do the same. Here is the UC Davis Development Office's email:
And their website for further contact information.
Please contact them to politely voice your concern. If they want to use our dollars to brutalize students, then they won't get any from me.
This is the text of the letter that I sent, subject line: BOYCOTT UC DAVIS
Dear UC Davis Office of University Development,
I am a UC Davis alumni and I love the school.
But I want to inform you that I will not contribute any money nor recommend any student to attend UC Davis until the police officers involved in Friday's pepper-spraying assault upon students are fired. I am further recommending all of my friends to do the same, and asking for them to ask all of their friends to do the same, and so on.
If UC Davis wants donations or a good name that we can recommend to future students, these officers must be removed as soon as possible. Until that time I will not provide any form of material assistance that could enable such actions, nor recommend any student to attend UC Davis and perhaps be subject to such hostile police behavior.
I do want to support UC Davis. And right now, because of this serious and internationally disgraceful police behavior, I think boycotting the school in order to promote positive change is the best support I can give.
I hope that this situation can be resolved quickly so that UC Davis can have its good name restored as soon as possible.
Thank you,
Brian Green
Class of 2000, Genetics
Feel free to use this text for your email and/or adjust it as you see fit. Please tell others to contact the UC Davis Development office as well.
Tell UC Davis its wallet is about to get thinner, until these "public safety officers" are brought to justice.


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by Grant Moser
When Chestnut Hill therapist Joanne Fleischer was growing up, gay issues were hidden in our culture. She didn't know anyone who was gay, it wasn't part of the conversation when it came to sexuality, and she went along with everyone else in being straight. "When other girls were having crushes on boys, I went along that route. Being gay wasn't something that presented itself to me," she explained.
However, in 1978 she found herself attracted to another woman. The problem was that she was married with two children and living in the suburbs. She had a three-month affair with the woman.
After trying couples and individual therapy, Fleischer and her husband separated in 1979. She still wasn't sure how to define her sexual orientation at that point, but knew she had to be on her own to explore.
"The discovery of attraction to women takes time before you can figure out what the meaning of it is. It doesn't directly take you into believing you are gay or lesbian," Fleischer said. "Women have different ways of coming into this realization. I hadn't been very tuned in to my own attractions. I knew I had experienced something that was different and life-changing. I felt that was what relationships should really feel like."
After the divorce, Fleischer, who requested that her age not be mentioned, attended the Bryn Mawr School of Social Work to become a therapist. She had always been interested in psychology, but while she had been married Fleischer had worked with women doing problem pregnancy counseling. She loved counseling and helping people make decisions. She graduated in 1981 and started a private practice.
She had a fairly general practice at first, but she did have a number of lesbians come to her for counseling. She worked a few days downtown and a few days in Mt. Airy. In 1988 she realized there were no services or help groups in the city for lesbians, and she decided to change that.
Fleischer began advertising for general coming-out groups, and then one specifically for married women who were coming out. The married women group filled up every single time. It seemed to her the most needed, and she began to move her efforts in that direction.
"I knew as a once-married woman that the search for help would be covert, hidden. They would not go to gay media because they didn't identify as gay and didn't know anything about the gay community. They would likely look for a periodical that was liberal-leaning with 'new age' type ads," she explained.
She advertised in a local magazine that carried ads for yoga, meditation and alternative healing. Her ad was the first ad for a gay or lesbian group in the magazine. She advertised in a feminist paper. Soon she expanded to straight local papers, including the Chestnut Hill Local. When the Internet exploded, Fleischer started a website (lavendervisions.com) with an "Ask Joanne" message board.
The message board was where she communicated with women from around the world. She knew what the isolation of being a married woman confronting the possibility of being lesbian was like and wanted to provide a place where women could talk and meet other women like themselves. Today the message board is almost self-sustaining, with women writing back and forth and supporting each other.
Even though our culture today is more accepting of a gay lifestyle, there is still a lot of emotional upheaval that married women who come out must endure. The strongest emotion is often guilt. They often believe their personal happiness is pitted against the happiness of their family.
"It's terribly upsetting. They've established a life, they have people they love in their lives, and then they have this new piece of information that makes it almost impossible to continue their lives the way they had begun. Having lived a life and identified as a straight person and then suddenly question that identity…They are pushed to coming to accept a part of themselves they've denied."
For many married women, it is difficult to decide what to do after they have a same-sex experience, even if it's just an attraction. According to Fleischer, there is a wide range of reactions. However, the majority either try and recommit to the marriage or come out fully and divorce.
Most women initially do not want to break up their marriages. "In the beginning of this exploration, it doesn't feel like it's an option. Divorce is not something anyone looks at with fondness. I think what happens is people feel very stuck, myself included. The reality of facing the break-up and what it meant to my kids kept me trying to figure out what my options were. The bottom line for me was that I came to the conclusion that I couldn't get this particular kind of love experience from my marriage."
Just as in any divorce, the effect on the children must be taken into account, says Fleischer. Whether it's to avoid homophobic reactions or because they have feelings of shame, children react differently when around friends. Fleischer's two children kept her sexuality hidden from their friends until after they had left for college. A lot of this shame and hiding comes from the way our culture views homosexuality.
Fleischer and her partner of 31 years co-parented her daughters with her ex-husband, became grandparents of four children and shared a happy life together until early 2011, when her partner passed away.
"I don't think our society has yet reached a point where people consider gays and lesbians fully 'normal.' It's getting better," said Joanne, "but I think as soon as one of the parents becomes identified as 'other,' one that is still made fun of in our culture, there's a certain kind of shame that gets attached to what's happened. We all fall into some idea of what a lesbian is or a gay man is. It takes on this total identity for the person, which is ridiculous. I slept with a woman, but in my mind I have an idea of what a lesbian is, and that's not me."
It is these issues and many more that she addressed on her Ask Joanne message board for over a decade before the idea of organizing all that information occurred to her. The first edition of her book, "Living Two Lives: Married to a Man and in Love with a Woman," came out in 2005, and a second edition was released in November, 2012.
She wrote the book to provide a guide for married women facing issues concerning their sexual orientation. It answers questions they have, offers ways to manage the stress they are experiencing, and provides stories from other women who have gone through the same situation. Fleischer still maintains her general practice in Chestnut Hill, but a large part consists of people calling her from all regions of the country for consultations.
For Fleischer, the most important thing any woman confronting her sexuality can do is have compassion for herself. "I think that the world can be hard on people who are responsible for breaking up a marriage, and the women themselves feel a terrible sense of guilt and sadness about that and have a hard time forgiving themselves. I used to stress patience, which is important, but I think helping them find ways to be more compassionate towards themselves is really important."
Fleischer will be reading from her book on Saturday, Jan. 19 at Giovanni's Room, 345 South 12th St. in Center City (www.giovannisroom.com). For more information about Fleischer, visit www.lavendervisions.com.


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2008 Election, Barack Dunham, Barack Hussein Obama, Barack Obama, Barry Dunham, Barry Soetoro, capitalism, Chicago Tribune, Columbia University, Currency and Currencies, D.c. press club, Electoral College, Electors, Finance, fraud, Free Speech, gold, Harvard Law School, hawaii, id theft, Indonesia, Indonesian Citizenship, Investing, investments, Joe Biden, John McCain, Latest News, legal documents, Markets, name change, natural born citizen, Oath of Allegiance of the President of the United State, Occidental College, Phillip Berg, Politics, poser, Presidential Election, Sarah Palin, socialism, Stocks, Today, treason, u.s. constitution, U.S. Dollar, Uncategorized, voter fraud, we the people foundation
Mr. Obama: Don't Miss Today's Chicago Tribune!
Source: We The People Foundation
MY OBAMA WATCH CENRAL – Jschulmansr
Full-Page Citizenship Challenge To Run Twice,
December 1st and 3rd
D.C. National Press Club Event: Dec 8th
An Open Letter to Barack Obama:
Are You A Natural Born Citizen of The United States?
Are You Legally Eligible To Hold The Office Of The President?
Our full-page Open Letter to Mr. Obama will be published in the Chicago Tribune on both Monday, December 1, 2008 and Wednesday, December 3, 2008. It will appear in the main news section. Click here to view a copy of the final ad.
Chicago is Mr. Obama's hometown. His transition team is operating out of the Kluczynski Federal Building in downtown Chicago. He is known to be a regular reader of the Tribune, Chicago's principal newspaper, with a daily circulation of over a half-million readers.
The Open Letter to Mr. Obama is a formal Petition for a Redress (Remedy) for the alleged violation of the "natural born citizen" clause of the Constitution of the United States of America.
A First Amendment Petition to any official of the Government for Redress of a violation of the Constitution is substantially different from the garden-variety political petitions frequently received by government officials. This Petition demands it be given the highest priority for an expedited review and official Response by Mr. Obama.
As a formal "Notice of a Constitutional Violation," the Petition naturally includes the People's inherent Right to an official Response. As a time-sensitive, election related Petition involving the Office of the President, failure to Respond as requested would constitute an egregious breach of the public trust and confirm the certainty of a Constitutional crisis.
For the D.C. press conference the WTP Foundation has reserved the Edward R. Murrow Room at the National Press Club from 1-4 pm on Monday, December 8, 2008. We are hopeful that C-SPAN may cover what could be a pivotal, historic event.
The Petition for Redress/Open Letter to Mr. Obama is also expected to have a significant impact on the deliberations of the Electoral College as it proceeds toward selection of the U.S. President as provided for by the Constitution.
Many, many thanks to the many individuals who donated the money needed to cover the costs of publishing the Open Letter and conducting the Washington press conference.
We are now in the process of selecting the forensic scientists who would travel to Hawaii to examine Mr. Obama's original birth certificate (assuming he responds to the Petition for Redress by directing the Hawaiian officials to provide access to the birth certificate). The budget for this task is currently estimated at $20,000. We need to raise the money quickly. Unfortunately, we are starting from zero and we have but one week before the scientists would need to be in Hawaii.
Click Here For Copy of Ad – Or See Below:
An Open Letter to Barack Obama:
Are You A Natural Born Citizen of The United States?
Are You Legally Eligible To Hold The Office Of The President?
2458 Ridge Road Queensbury, NY 12804
December 1, 2008
Mr. Barack Obama
Barack Obama Transition Office
Kluczynski Federal Building
230 So. Dearborn St.
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Dear Mr. Obama:
Representing thousands of responsible American citizens who have also taken an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States of America,
I am duty bound to call on you to remedy an apparent violation of the Constitution.
Compelling evidence supports the claim that you are barred from holding the Office of President by the "natural born citizen" clause of the U.S. Constitution. For instance:
You have posted on the Internet an unsigned, forged and thoroughly discredited, computer-generated birth form created in 2007, a form that lacks vital information found on any original, hand signed Certificate of Live Birth, such as hospital address, signature of attending physician and age of mother.
Hawaii Dept of Health will not confirm your assertion that you were born in Hawaii.
Legal affidavits state you were born in Kenya
Your grandmother is recorded on tape saying she attended your birth in Kenya.
U.S. Law in effect in 1961 denied U.S. citizenship to any child born in Kenya if the father was Kenyan and the mother was not yet 19 years of age.
In 1965, your mother legally relinquished whatever Kenyan or U.S. citizenship she and you had by marrying an Indonesian and becoming a naturalized Indonesian citizen.
You have repeatedly refused to provide evidence of your eligibility when challenged to do so in a number of recent lawsuits. Instead, you have been successful in having judges declare that they are powerless to order you to prove your eligibility to assume the Office of President.
Incredibly, the judge in Hawaii actually said it would be an invasion of your privacy for him to order access to your original birth certificate in order to prove your eligibility to hold the Office of President.
Before you can legitimately exercise any of the powers of the President you must meet all the criteria for eligibility established by the Constitution. You are under a moral, legal, and fiduciary duty to proffer such evidence.
Should you assume the office as anyone but a bona fide natural born citizen of the United States who has not relinquished that citizenship, you would be inviting a national crisis that would undermine the domestic peace and stability of the Nation. For example:
You would always be viewed by many Americans as a poseur – a usurper .
As a usurper , you would be unable to take the required "Oath or Affirmation" on January 20 without committing the crime of perjury or false swearing, for being ineligible you cannot faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States.
You would be entitled to no allegiance, obedience or support from the People.
The Armed Forces would be under no legal obligation to remain obedient to you.
No civilian in the Executive Branch would be required to obey any of your proclamations, Executive Orders or directives, as such orders would be legally void.
Your appointments of Judges to the Supreme Court would be void.
Congress would not be able to pass any needed legislation because it would not be able to acquire the signature of a bona fide President.
Congress would be unable to remove you, a usurper , from the Office of the President on Impeachment, inviting certain political chaos including a potential for armed conflicts within the General Government or among the States and the People to effect the removal of such a usurper .
In consideration of the escalating constitutional crisis brought on by the total lack of evidence needed to conclusively establish your eligibility, I am compelled to serve you with this First Amendment Petition for a Redress of this violation of the Constitution. With all due respect, I ask that you immediately direct the appropriate Hawaiian officials to allow access to the vault copy of your birth certificate by our forensic scientists on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 5, 6 and 7, 2008.
In addition, I ask that you deliver the following documentary evidence to the National Press Club in Washington DC by 10 am on December 8, 2008, marked for my attention:
A certified copy of your original, signed "vault" birth certificate.
Certified copies of your reissued and sealed birth certificates in the names Barack Hussein Obama, Barry Soetoro, Barry Obama, Barack Dunham and Barry Dunham.
A certified copy of your Certification of Citizenship.
A certified copy of your Oath of Allegiance taken upon age of maturity.
Certified copies of your admission forms for Occidental College, Columbia University and Harvard Law School.
Certified copies of any legal documents changing your name.
Each member of the Electoral College, who is committed to casting a vote on December 15, 2008, has a constitutional duty to make certain you are a natural-born citizen. As of today, there is no evidence in the public record (nor have you provided any) that defeats the claim that you are
barred by law from assuming the Office of President because you fail the Constitution's eligibility requirements.
All state Electors are now on Notice that unless you provide documentary evidence before December 15, that conclusively establishes your eligibility, they cannot cast a vote for you without committing treason to the Constitution.
"In a government of laws, the existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously. Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. "Olmstead v. U.S., 277 U.S. 438"
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this urgent matter.
Robert L. Schulz


text:
Editor's Note: Do not try this at home. Do not be an idiot like Keith Sharon, the writer of this story. Do not willfully respond to Internet scammers who say they're from the Ivory Coast, or wherever, and have millions of dollars you can claim if you send personal and banking information. Do not make up strange untruths about yourself (especially when you are a 50-year-old, happily married, father of three with shoulders that have never been favorably compared to Adonis) and exchange emails with these scammers. Do not have fun on the Internet by making contact with people you don't know, especially when they just might be lying about the truckload of money that is now sitting in a bank and will be stolen by their evil uncles unless you act RIGHT NOW!
I met her in my email Inbox.
Her name is Lorena Benzel. She is from the city of Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. (I love places that need "the" in front of their name to sound right, like "the" Ohio State University.) From the start, she called me her "beloved." I don't think I have ever been called "beloved" by anyone. I like to think she will use an extra syllable if she ever whispers it to my face. "Belove-VED." You don't just throw around words like that unless you mean what you're saying.
She first contacted me via email at 4:38 a.m. on Oct. 1. Lorena, 52, explained that she is the widow of Fredrick Benzel of Switzerland and, before he died, Fredrick bequeathed "2.8 million US dollars" to her. She is searching for a "Godly person" to help her claim the money before her evil in-laws who are mad because she was never able to bear Fredrick a child.
I immediately thought: I am that person.
Now, I didn't just fall off the turnip truck (next time you see a turnip truck, send me an email) so I did a Google search for "Lorena Benzel." I don't want to go into business with just any Abidjanian widow without checking her out first.
It turns out that my beloved Lorena, along with suffering from advanced breast cancer, must also suffer from multiple personality disorder because she's got a few different web personas.
On one website, she is a 22-year-old teacher whose father was an African businessman in Ivory Coast. She is separated from her husband and she is "bisexual," but she needs "a good man in her life." On another website, my beloved Lorena, 22, is a 5-foot-3 student who lists her eating habits as "eggetarian." She speaks Oriya, an Indian language spoken mainly in Orissa, India.
Still another website says Lorena was born Feb. 20, making her a Pisces. She is 4-foot-8 with a "broad" build. She works in an accounting office and lists her eye color as "black."
Who wouldn't want to help this poor, confused, multidimensional woman?
Of course, if you're going to help one widow who is sitting on millions of U.S. dollars and wants to give some of her inheritance to you, why not try to help all the widows who have sent me unsolicited emails.
Here are the actual (excerpted) letters I received from Lorena and others and my responses:
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I am Mrs. Lorena Benzel, a 52 yrs. old widow to late Mr. Fredrick Benzel, from Switzerland. I am now a new Christian convert, suffering from long time cancer of the breast, and from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that I might not live up to 3 months, according to my doctors …
My late husband was very wealthy and after his death, I inherited all his business and wealth. My late husband family intentions to allow me die in this condition because I do not have a child, that what pushed me to source for a Godly person abroad who will make this claim of 2.8 Million dollars which we deposited in a security firm here in the Bank …
Your sister in Christ
Mrs. Lorena Benzel,
Dearest Lorena,
It is with great grief that I return your letter, and I hope it finds you before your final three months on this good earth. Your condition appears to be serious, my beloved. May your conversion of religion help shield you from pain.
I am Keith, from the sun-stroked region of Orange County. It is not like the television shows! I have been blessed to be on this earth for 29 years. I am of sound mind and my body is strong from years of working with my hands in the rocks and soil of God's land. My wife, Mrs. Filamina, was an agent for the president and she found 7.2 million in US dollars in a previously undiscovered room in the great White House.
Alas, my wife has left me and taken the four sons she bore me to live out their days in Aruba. The great wealth she found has followed her across the sea and away from me. I am left alone in Orange County, a common laborer with no love of which to speak.
So it is with great interest, my beloved Lorena, that I received your missive. It is so fortunate that you are looking for someone to claim your husband's booty of 2.8 million dollars while I find my self in need of just such monetary assistance. We are a match made in Heaven!
Please tell me, dear Lorena, what personal information you require from me, so we can claim what is rightfully yours and turn it into what is rightfully mine.
Yours in prayer,
My name is Zinab Hassan … If you follow everything I have said in my letter both of us will be happy for the rest of our life.
I am from Libya and my husband is one of the late Gaddafi sons driver. It was my husband who took Gaddafi family to Niger and Algeria when they ran from Libya. But he came back to Libya and died when their convoy was hit by NATO bomb. But he told me something very important when he was alive. He told me how he took some money from Gaddafi son and kept it in a secret place.
He said the money is 8.6 million US dollars and all kept in a big suitcase kept in a secret hide out. And also 67 kilos of gold which he kept somewhere else …
Madam Zinab
Madam Z,
May I call you Madam Z? Madam Z is so mysterious, secretive. And I am all about keeping secrets. When you tell me something, it is locked in a secret vault that only you and I can access with a secret key. In other words, your secret about the 8.6 million in US dollars and the 67 kilos of gold that your husband stole from the late son of Moammar Gadhafi, the money you hid in the big suitcase just before you fled Libya, the money and gold that you and your six children (I hope the one who speaks English is not a big talker because we have a phrase in America, "Loose lips sink secret money exchange plans.") will share with me as soon as you determine the level of my adherence to secrets, YOUR secret is safe with me.
I am Keith, a 25-year-old pilot with access to a plane that can take me to both countries in which the money and gold are hidden. My wife, Mrs. Penelope, works for the United States government and has been assigned to an outpost in the snowy region of Siberia. I am lonely since the departure of my wife. If I was able to share the money and gold with you, I would be also able to bring my wife home and restore my marriage.
Please let me know where I should send my social security number, my driver's license number and all of my Internet passwords, so I can help you access the m and g. See how I did not use the words "money" or "gold" right there? Instead I will refer to our secret arrangement as "m and g."
Master Keith
Good day,
I am Kadi Tagro, the only Surviving child of late Interior Minister Mr. Desire Tagro. My father was a highly reputable politician and business magnate who operated internationally during his days on a gold business and politics. It is sad to say that he passed away mysteriously in the recent crisis in Ivory Coast …
When my father was alive, he deposited, $32.7 million US dollars with a bank here in Ivory Coast …
The management of the bank also advised me to look for a trusted foreign partner …
I request that you stand as my uncle in effecting the transfer of the fund to your on my behalf or any account you will nominate for investment under your care. Mean while I will give you 20% of the total funds for your acceptance to help me.
Best Regards
Kadi Tagro
I read your letter in horror. Your life does not deserve such suffering since the death of your father and your inheritance of the 32.7 million US dollars that your dastardly uncle is trying to steal. I would be honored to stand in as your uncle and go to the bank to help you acquire the 32.7 million US dollars — of which you would so generously give me 20 percent or 5.67 million US dollars if my hasty math is correct.
Although standing in as your uncle may present some difficulties. I am Keith, a 23-year-old professional athlete by trade. My shoulders have been compared to Adonis, and my rippling abdomen is legendary in my region of Orange County. I stand 6-foot-5 with a distinct Nordic jawline and blond, flowing locks. Perhaps, my wife, Mrs. Adeline, who, herself, is a stunning blonde, may stand in for you when the money is claimed.
My wife is an athletic performer of somersaults in the traveling company of a show not unlike Cirque du Soleil and therefore completely trustworthy. My plan is thus: Mrs. Adeline poses as you, the suffering daughter of the deceased and wealthy Ivory Coastian government official, while I pose as your Uncle Euclid, the strapping visitor from the North who has arrived to release his niece from such suffering.
Let me restate how much empathy I have for your plight since the death of your father. It appears that several others are claiming, falsely of course, to be your father's only daughter in need of a stand-in uncle. How you must despise these charlatans who would steal your money. I found email addresses for Mellissa, Alice, Jesy, Juliana, Joyce, Jessica, Natasha, Gladis, Tina, Christine, Juliet, Anita, Rose and Vanessa all claiming to need assistance in the Ivory Coast to claim their 32.7 million in US dollars.
Please tell me where I can send my social security number to prove I am your partner/uncle in this worthwhile endeavor.
In the name of your father,
Dear Friend,
Permit me to introduce myself to you. I am Miss Nancy Amed, 19 years of age the only child and daughter of late Mr. Amed Ibrehim, from Ivory Coast…
My late father Mr. Amed Ibrehim, was a businessman before he was assassinated he died on 9th of October 2011. Some months after the death of my father, two of my uncles conspired against me and sold my father's properties to a Chinese businessman all because I am a girl.
A week ago, I opened my father's briefcase and saw some documents which my late father used and deposited money in a Bank here in Ivory Coast with my name as the next of kin …
I have chosen to contact you and would like you to take me as your own blood and help me. I will like to disclose much to you if you can help me to relocate to your country because my uncle has threatened to kill me. The amount of the money is (7.5 Million euro only) and I have confirmed it from the bank …
Thanks and God bless you.
Miss Nancy Amed
Dear Nancy,
What a terrible coincidence. I have been in contact with my new friend Kadi Tagro whose father was also assassinated and whose uncle has threatened to take her life and inheritance. Her inheritance, however, was 32.7 million US dollars as opposed to your inheritance 7.5 million in Euros. I'm not going to get out my calculator, but I have to admit that I responded to her letter in a more timely fashion than I am responding to yours.
Still, who am I to turn down the chance to meet and receive money from such a sympathetic figure as yourself? I am Keith, a 27-year-old novelist of some renown, with my last book "Let Go of My Leg" — the story of a boy and his dog — being purchased by a film company for director John Waters. My wife, Mrs. Zelda, is a literature professor/cellular telephone saleswoman. As an aside, if you are interested in a monthly bundled package, she is the woman to see.
As you can see, I am highly educated, and I am interested in helping you come to America so you can continue your studies.
I would certainly like to adopt you and help you move to America (where you can live in my estate with my six children, who, frankly, I am growing tired of) before returning to the Ivory Coast where we can claim your inheritance and both become immediately more happy.
I have contacted an adoption agency and submitted your name, so please let me know where I can send my social security number so we can complete the process.
Your new father,
Dear Keith,
Thanks for taking your time to write me back. You said you are 27 years and with 6 kids. How is this possible? Well I need the followings from you so that I will send to you my pass port and the copies of the documents of this money including the contact of the bank where my late father deposited this money before his is death.
Send me the followings. Your full name and your office and home address Telephone number Copy of your pass port or id card
Thanks for your kindness,
Ms Nancy
Ms Nancy,
Please let me explain to you about my children — Mark, Lark, Stark, Park, Hark and Horatio (Horatio was the first, before I decided to end all my descendant's names with "ark" as a tribute to the biblical Noah). My lovely wife, Mrs. Zelda, professor of literature and seller of cell phones, began pumping out children at the age of 17. The cause of this cannot be attributed to anything other than my virility. While I may be a novelist, I have the handsome swagger and rugged countenance of a television detective (in a dramatic show where the wardrobing expenses are significant, not some one-off comedy sketch or reality series).
My name is Keith Sharon and my telephone number is 714-796-7898. Please call me at your earliest convenience so we can begin the process in which I adopt you and you give me 20 percent of the 7.5 million Euros that your late father had deposited in a bank in the Ivory Coast.
Alas, my writing schedule (A book per week, rain or shine!) has kept me from traveling internationally, so I do not have a passport. Also, I chose long ago in life that I would not have a car, preferring, of course, to stay fit — appearance is everything in America, as you will soon learn — by running to my appointments. I don't not have a driver's license that I can send you.
I hope these inconveniences do not hinder your ability to give me my portion of the 7.5 million in Euros, a transaction, I pray, that you will soon complete.
Your new father,
Hello my dearest
I want to thank you for taking your time to respond to my mail. I will forward to you the followings documents to you which I am believing that you will be satisfied as to enable us trust ourselves and move forward toward this transaction.
You will pay all the expenses because I don't have enough cash with me.
Needy love,
Nancy Amed
Dearest Needy Love,
About the cash for expenses … being the father of six has taken its toll on my ability to actually use the word "cash" comfortably. I was hoping to quickly become more cash-comfortable after receiving the 7.5 million in Euros from your father's estate. So let's agree to not start throwing around the "cash" concept until after we do the deal, dearest Nancy.
My wife, Mrs. Zelda, was recently injured while somersaulting through a ring of fire making it difficult for her to work at the carnival. And you can't sell a lot of cellphone packages in a full body cast. Even household chores are difficult for her, especially vacuuming. I watch her as she tries to vacuum, toppling over every few minutes. It is very sad.
Anyhoo, when I agreed to adopt you, I guess I didn't realize "cash" would be part of the equation. I hope this doesn't hinder the part of our relationship in which you give me my share of the 7.5 million in Euros.
Yours in hope,
My Dearest one,
Thanks for your response to my mail. I appreciate your sincere prayers to me. My dear, my only dream is to see my wish and that of my late husband come to accomplishment now that I am alive. So my beloved, I want to believe that you will never betray this confidence.
This fund is designated for humanitarian, cancer victims, Christian widows, orphanages with special emphasis. This must be disbursed with every appropriation, accountability and prudence to the glory of God.
Please, I will want you to send me your full name and address, including your direct phone number so that I will give it to my lawyer to prepare an affidavit of oath in your favor that will officially and legally approved you as the new beneficiary to this fund, so that even if I am no more, your claim to the fund will not be in doubt.
Mrs. Lorena Benzel
You are truly an inspiration to all the other diseased ex-wives of Ivory Coastian government officials with millions of dollars tucked away in bank accounts that only you and I can access together. I will never betray your confidence, my dear, as I am merely a common laborer in Orange County and confidence is something men like me, men whose hands touch the earth, SHALL NOT BETRAY.
I am a little concerned, however, (just a smidge) about the length of your list of places where the 2.8 million in US dollars should go once it is in my possession. Are you sure about giving all 2.8 million in US dollars to cancer victims, Christian widows and orphanages? I mean orphanages (really?) are so last century, don't you think? I am certain that when you meet me, you will find me equally deserving.
What I failed to mention in my other correspondence — I am sorry, my beloved — is that I was raised in an orphanage, of a sort. Miss Jennie's House of Cats — terrible and suggestive name, I know — was my home for the first eight years of my life. It was a brutal existence. Scratches, sleep deprivation due to the late-night mewing of my bedmates, and our only fun was Sunday nights when we received Fancy Feast Marinated Morsels in one large dish. I had to push and shove for every morsel I could consume.
I know your time on this earth, oh frail one, is running out. Please contact me quickly while you still have the strength to sign over the money to me.
Yours in purity,
My dearest sister Keith,
I thank God this day for your kind response to my mail. Your complete assurance that you will utilize this fund as I have stipulated was also be a morale booster to my dying soul.
Thank you also for the details which you sent to me. I have sent it to my lawyer for him to prepare the affidavit of claim in your favor which will make you the rightful beneficiary of this fund.
Your sister
Mrs. Lorena Benzel
My beloved Lorena,
Your condition is apparently worse than I have dreamed, my dear. I fear either your eyesight or your powers of reading comprehension have suffered a debilitating blow. My poor Lorena, I am not your sister. I am Keith, the masculine, 29-year-old laborer from Orange County. If only you could see my thick mustache or get a whiff of my natural manly musk, you would then be convinced that my interest in your quest is not sisterly. I am your manly BROTHER in arms, Oh Lorena.
Also, about the 2.8 million in US dollars that, through your benevolence, will be signed over to my account … I didn't exactly agree that it should be distributed among charities. Did you not comprehend my travails growing up in an orphanage for cats? I, dearest Lorena, am the charity for whom you should be most generous.
My wife, the heartless Mrs. Filamina, has taken my four children — Lance, Vance, Askance and Joey — to Aruba, leaving me with a BMW that has outlived THE FACTORY WARRANTY and a house that is need of repair to the library wing! I cannot emphasize to you, my crumpet, how much your former husband's booty means to me.
I am not your sister,
And then, suddenly, the emails from my beloved stopped. Lorena Benzel and her linguistic flair were gone (I received her last email on Oct. 5 at 12:20 a.m.) and so were my other corresponding Ivory Coasters and my Libyan widow, ripped away from me like the last, unread pages of a romantic manuscript in an evil wind.
Oh how I long for them. Oh how I wonder how I will ever be able to return to writing without purpled prose dripping from my words.
Oh that this too, too solid flesh would melt.
OK. That's enough.
Apparently, my fantastic letters were so annoying that the underwear-clad dudes in Akron or Islamabad or Irvine, pretending to be Lorena and Nancy and Kadi and Zinab, grew weary of my prose. But I hold no grudges. If any of you impostors are reading this story, I have a message for you:
My father, the industrial magnate Mr. Jonas Terwinkle of Belgium was recently assassinated by rebels. And as his only son, I am heir to 45.9 million in US dollars. Please send me your social security numbers and all Internet passwords so I can rout the money to you.
Your secrecy would be greatly appreciated, my beloveds.