text:
I am fast-forwarding
past the reruns ése
and riding the big wave
called future.
Luis Alfaro,
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Orphan of Aztlan
April 2, 2003, dawns cold and clear as Luis Aguilar pulls out the small, neatly folded pile of new clothes, mailed by his wife three weeks ago, to be worn today when he walks out of prison for what he prays feverishly will be the last time. American bombs are still falling in Baghdad as 31-year-old Luis boards the big, gray correctional bus just outside the California Institution for Men at Chino, a sprawling, 62-year-old complex located in the shadow of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Luis was supposed to get out March 31, but the day came and went without his name being called. When he asked a guard to find out what might be wrong, the guard shrugged. Are you sure you didnt get in trouble? Luis was very sure, he said. The next day, when he inquired further, a Chino staff member would say only, Theres a problem. The problem turned out to be an INS hold. It seemed that, although Luis was born at the L.A. CountyUSC Medical Center, the state of California had him listed as a resident alien and had scheduled him for deportation. Its always something, Luis says.
Luis wife, Francis, then 30, had planned to meet him at the gate to bring him home. But it took another two days to resolve the mix-up, so Luis decided not to call her. Picking him up would have meant taking time off work, not to mention dragging all the kids up to the prison, which Luis never thought was a good idea.
Between them, Francis and Luis have five children, ranging from Elijah, the baby, who will be 2 at the end of February, to Estephanie, a slender, pretty 13-year-old who has recently discovered boys. More accurately, the couple has six children between them, since Luis also has a 9-year-old daughter who right now lives with her mother. Luis and Francis would like eventually to get full custody of the girl. But this could only happen down the road, and only if everything goes right. Everything meaning if Luis can find a job and get on his feet financially and, of course, if he can really manage to stay out for good this time.
On first bounce, it sounds ridiculous to suggest that Luis and Francis Aguilar and their family immediate and extended embody any kind of typical Los Angeles household. Both are former gang members. Both grew up in poor and extravagantly dysfunctional families. Luis, now 32, has been to prison three times for a total of eight and a half years, the first time a seven-year jolt for assault with a deadly weapon. In combination, theyve managed to bring into the world more children than most people consider sensible.
On the other hand, gangs and poverty plus their attendant wounds to the psyche are a fact of an increasing number of L.A. lives. And since the California prison population has levitated to nearly seven times what it was 20 years ago, with no abatement in sight, this means that, in the next decade, more than a million and a quarter of those inmates will, like Luis, come out and attempt to start over, towing behind them like a dirty kite tail all the difficulties that a prison past engenders. If present trends hold, at least 500,000 of those parolees will land in Los Angeles, which is already home to the largest parole population in the country.
So, viewed from a different angle, perhaps Luis and Francis are emblematic of another, newer L.A., its story writ complex, fierce and turbulent. Moreover, since much of the future of the nation seems to be scripted here at the multicultural, celluloid-haunted rim of the Pacific, where the eras hoariest social problems exist on a scale and at an intensity found nowhere else in the United States, maybe Francis and Luis also represent the emerging, prototypical American family to whose lives attention must be paid if the rest of us wish to understand the brave new world unfurling now before us.
With this in mind, the Weekly asked me to find and follow for a years time a family like that of Luis and Francis Aguilar. I should choose, my editors said, people whose trajectory would ordinarily fly beneath the radar of the rest of L.A.s citizenry. Certainly Francis and Luis fit that mold. If we notice them at all, we often mistake them for our burden, an absurd concept, since in truth, they are our hope. Looked at apart from their liabilities, Luis and Francis are bright, attractive, likable people, each possessing a variety of talents and what appears to be an appreciable determination to succeed. Thus, if this couple and their kids can make it, it bodes well for everybody. If not . . . well . . . we wont go there just yet. Theirs is, after all, a story that is only beginning to unfold.
Uneasy calm: Luis and Francis
face a world of surprises.
At 10 a.m., after he is processed out of Chino, Luis is given $200 gate money to get him started. As he makes his final exit, prisoners in a nearby yard yell out the usual salutations: Stay out, man. This aint the place. By 11 a.m., the lumbering, fog-colored bus, known as the gray goose, has dropped Luis and 14 others at the nearest Metrolink, where he tries unsuccessfully to get change to buy the necessary ticket to Union Station. Finally, he gives up and stuffs a $10 bill into the ticket machine, although it means losing five of it. Hours later, he reaches downtown L.A., then boards the blue No. 68 bus that lets him out at César Chávez Avenue, a block from Francis, the kids and home.
During the next few days Luis is too spooked to leave the house much. I felt really paranoid, he says later. I kept thinking the police might try to get me and send me back. His concern was not without foundation. When Luis was first paroled in December of 2000 after having served his original seven-year sentence, he had every intention of staying out for good. But in the two-plus years since, hes been back to prison twice on parole violations, neither of which involved the commission of a crime. The two additional terms one for nine months, the second and most recent, another 10 months were for gang association, meaning the police had spotted Luis with someone who was currently or once used to be a gang member, categories that cover the majority of the people Luis knows, including Francis.
In this matter, Luis matches an unfortunate California norm. In 2002, of the 136,000 felons on parole, 85,500 returned to prison (far and away the highest recidivism rate in the nation). Even more incredibly, at least four out of five of those returning state guests went back, not for new crimes, but for technical violations of their parole. Like Luis.
Eventually, he does venture out since he needs to find a job bringing him up against still more dispiriting statistics. Nationally, 65 percent of all employers say straight out they wont hire somebody with a record. (A similar percentage of landlords state they wont rent to a parolee.) Of the other 35 percent who profess to be willing, most simply put guys like Luis at the bottom of any given list. Yet, he thinks he might have a leg up on the employment issue. The other times Luis was out, he worked for a company that does cleaning and maintenance for the McDonalds playground structures. The owner professed to like Luis work and said thered be a position waiting for him on his release. But when the owner doesnt return calls, Luis decides things must have changed. He spends several more weeks filling out applications, none of which elicit a reply.
No income and no job leave Luis feeling high-strung and jittery, plagued in his lowest moments by the dread that hell slip back into earning money the old way. His state of mind isnt helped by some unsettling new encounters with the police. It seems that in the months before Luis release, several officers from Hollenbeck Division had taken to cruising by at 5 in the morning and shining the light from the patrol car into Francis bedroom window. Other times, late at night, theyd park for extended times across the street from the house and simply watch. One officer was the most persistent. Furious, Francis began documenting his visits with a video camera, then drove to Hollenbeck and filed a complaint. When the cop didnt back off, she filed a second complaint, then a third.
Now that Luis is out, matters have, if anything, escalated. This one officer keeps saying, Tell your wife to get those complaints off me, says Luis. I know where to go to if she keeps on pushing the issue. But if you solve my problem, maybe I can solve yours. He shakes his head. It makes you feel like nothing will ever work, that even if you do good it wont matter. Luis feels sure the police still have him listed as a shot caller for the Tiny Boys. And, the truth is, I used to have that kind of influence, he says. Thats not my life anymore. But they dont believe it. They still see me as a bad person. A conversation with several Hollenbeck officers suggests that Luis view of the cops perception is dead-bang accurate.
After one more week with no progress on the employment front, Luis decides to try another strategy. Francis works as a receptionist for Homeboy Industries, the gang-intervention program run by Father Greg Boyle. Luis knows Boyle from past years, but hasnt wanted to ask him for help. Yet now he feels he is running out of options. I really need a job, he tells the priest. Any job. I need to be busy. Otherwise I feel too . . . I dont know. . . desperate.
Having nothing else to offer Luis, Boyle tells him he can come in and answer phones. The job is little more than make-work, but it pays off when a new city-funded training program comes across Boyles desk, and he suggests that Luis go downtown for the interview. Five other guys go too, but Luis is the one who gets the callback. The deal is, he will go to Arizona for two weeks of training in underground construction, which should eventually lead to a job. There is only one slight hitch: The conditions of Luis parole restrict him from traveling more than 50 miles from L.A. Screw it, he thinks, and decides to chance it.
Your parole officer is supposed to help you out, he says. But in my life, Ive never seen anybody be helped by their P.O. They just give you the $200, throw you out on the street, and say good luck. Its like survival of the fittest. So I choose survival. Im going.
When Luis returns from Arizona, no job is immediately in the offing. But by the end of May, a position opens up on a crew thats putting in a new sewage system in South L.A. at Exposition Boulevard and Arlington Avenue. After a week on the job, Luis frame of mind has done a 180. Now Luis leaves the house at 5 in the morning, sweats like a perro all day, and he loves it, Francis says. Now he comes home tired and happy.
Growing up in L.A.: "Bola" and Elijah
head around the block; Estephanie
at home; snack time for Elijah.
The new job has also had a salutary effect on the marriage, which had grown strained during the months at Homeboy. Wishing to use the momentum, Francis talks Luis into setting aside one night as a sort of date night. The rest of the time were with the kids. But Saturday is for just Luis and me, she says, suddenly lapsing into Oprah-speak. I tell him thats what you have to do to work on a good relationship.
In June, a new wrinkle appears when Francis slips up on her birth control and gets pregnant, the baby due February 22. Rather than being horrified, she seems delighted. The doctor already told me Im having a daughter, she says. Ive never gotten to buy all those pretty, girlie things for a baby before. When asked about Estephanie, her 13-year-old daughter, Francis flashes a small, grim smile. I wasnt really there for her until she was 5, she says. Thats when I started to wake up. Before that, I was a stupid teenager, out in the street, not a mother. Estephanies had it the hardest of everybody.
When Luis is asked about the pregnancy, he appears to be measurably less enthusiastic. I think well work it out, he says, but his tone suggests he might have wished for another outcome.
Although its hard to see an upside to adding yet another kid to this still precarious family, its clear that, now at least, Francis has a real knack for the nuts and bolts of parenthood. She likes taking all the boys every other Saturday to their favorite $4-a-cut barber shop on César Chávez, likes holding family meetings on her and Luis big bed during which she encourages each kid to speak out about their problems, likes taking Estephanie to drill-team practice, likes the weirdly peaceful meditation after everyones asleep of sorting out a hundred pairs of clean socks, which is what the number comes to when she does everybodys laundry on alternate Saturdays.
Not surprisingly, Francis nurturing urges extend to adults as well. She cooks regularly for a small herd of neighborhood strays who appear to have no other family to speak of, and does errands for the 80-something-year-old, blind Holocaust survivor who lives around the corner. And, of course, she nurtures Luis. I need her, he says. She calms me down. I might be out there being stupid if it werent for Francis.
The fact that Francis exudes maternal warmth like a form of light is ironic since she received so little of it as a child. The youngest of 14 kids fathered by three men who managed to absent themselves (the first committed suicide), Francis was an oops baby conceived when her 42-year-old mother believed she was already in menopause. Soon following Francis birth, her mother developed arteriosclerotic Parkinsonism. Unlike regular Parkinsons, this atypical form rarely produces tremors. Instead, the diseases most common feature is dementia caused by damage to brain vessels due to multiple small strokes. During Francis childhood, her mother descended gradually into Parkinsons dementia. By the time Francis was 8, even routine errands with her mother were problematic. Wed be at the store and my momd talk to people who werent there, she says. When Francis was 14, the mothers condition deteriorated to the point that she was institutionalized. (She died seven years later, when Francis was 21.) After that, an older sister tried briefly to raise the girl, who was by now wild and disaffected. One night the sisters boyfriend crept uninvited into Francis bedroom. The next morning, she packed her belongings and took to the streets, staying first with one friend then another. At 16, Francis got pregnant, moved in with her boyfriend, and left her family for good. .
The boyfriend, whose name was George, was good-looking, charming and a gang member with a tendency to hit women. What he did have to recommend him was a warm and accepting mother, a Salvadoran woman named Maria who came to the U.S. without papers, spoke no English, and supported her four kids by cleaning houses for rich gringas in Pacific Palisades for a gross take-home of $110 a week.
Francis loved Maria, who taught her to cook and provided her with her first real family. As a result, she put up with Georges cyclical brutality. She had Estephanie by him when she was 17, followed by two more babies in quick succession. She left only when the hitting got so bad she worried for her own and her kids safety. After that there was another guy, and another baby. And then, finally, there was Luis.
Francis and Luis first got together just before Christmas of 1999 when, two weeks after he was initially released from prison, a friend brought him over to Francis house for a party. At first, she wasnt even remotely interested. We were from the same gang, so I knew him from back in the day, she says. And I hated him. He was such an a-hole. Everyone was scared of him back then.
Francis was startled to find she liked the post-incarceration Luis a lot. Its like he was a different person, she says. He was so polite, and so, I dont know . . . nice. Still, she regarded him as little more than a fling at first, and refused to let him meet her kids. I never let them see guys I went out with, she says. My kids come first, everybody knows that about me.
Francis had been dating a police officer when she started up with Luis, and one night the cop cruised by when Luis was there. Claiming he was merely being protective, the cop called his rivals name in on radio, and found he was on parole. You know, I could bust you for even being here, he told Luis, meaning he could report him for gang association, since Francis was a homegirl who lived smack in the middle of Tiny Boys territory. Luis didnt blink. I guess my life is in your hands, he said. But you got to know that, whatever happens, Im not going to stop seeing Francis.
Living in L.A.: Another mile, another worry
For the most part, Francis and Luis balance each other well. Francis is the familys magnetic center, the locus around whom everyone else circles for bearing. Luis is the source of ambition and focus. He has long-term goals, says Francis. And hes serious about them. Hes not just blowing smoke. Like when we first got together, he said if we were still together at the end of a year, wed get married, and then wed buy a house. And then he went out and did both of those things, just like he said.
Indeed, in January of 2002, after theyd been together 12 months, Luis told her it was time to set the date. He suggested February 7, his own birthday, So Ill never forget our anniversary, he joked. But before the ceremony could take place, Luis got arrested on that first parole violation. At his insistence, they got married anyway. Francis went on her own to the small wedding chapel in Inglewood, then brought papers to Luis for his signature when she was next allowed a visit. The marriage certificate officially states Luis and Francis were married, as promised, on February 7, though they were nowhere near each other at the time.
A year later, Luis achieved his second goal of buying a house through a peculiar stroke of luck. It seems Luis twin brother, Carlos, was serving time at Pelican Bay on a robbery conviction and was shot by a guard while handcuffed after one of the infamous so-called gladiator fights, staged battles between inmates that caused a spate of prison scandals in the mid- to late-90s after several inmates died. A lawyer got hold of the case and talked Carlos into suing for damages. They won $25,000, which Carlos split with the attorney. Carlos had never had any money in his life, and decided he had no need of it now, so he offered his half to Luis. Do something good with it, he said.
Luis and Francis found a two-story, Eastlake-style Victorian house just south of César Chávez. Built in 1896, it was not in the greatest shape. Its gingerbread wood façade had been covered in stucco, and it had been turned into a duplex in the 70s. Then, in a more recent incarnation, it had morphed into a meth lab. I guess there was a little guesthouse in the back of the property that exploded, says Francis. But the lot was big, and the house itself seemed structurally sound. Furthermore, although it was priced at $220,000, the bank was willing to take a minuscule 1 percent down of $2,200. That meant an onerous monthly mortgage payment of $2,131. But if they rented out the bottom for a thousand, that left only $1,131 to cover on their own, a number Luis figured he would manage, now that he was out and working again. When he was arrested on the second parole violation a few months later, Francis was frantic, afraid that without Luis shed lose the house. He told her not to worry, that she could use what cash remained of the original $12,500 to cover the mortgage for the 10 months he was away.
As is often true with couples, Luis and Francis tend to worry about different things. According to Francis, Luis main bugaboo is money. Like when the doctor tells him he needs Claritin for his allergies, he wont buy it because its $6 for five capsules, she says. And when his construction crew is given days off for Christmas, hes freaked at the work stoppage, sure its somehow a precursor of financial disaster. Luis was so poor for so long, she says. Hes always afraid were going to lose everything and itll be like that again. Francis also grew up poor. But not like Luis, she says.
Luis was born on February 7, 1972, and named for his father, Luis Aguilar Sr., whom he never met (although hes tried recently to track him down through the Internet). His mother, Maria del Refugio, was a farm girl from Zacatecas, Mexico, who came north without papers at age 20, found work in a bakery, then became pregnant by one of the bakers who turned out to have a wife and family back in Guadalajara. After Luis and his twin brother were born, his mother moved to a since-demolished West L.A. motel named Cozy Courts that rented rooms by the week, and tried to make ends meet by doing housecleaning, making up the gap with public assistance.
As a child, Luis was a quiet, studious boy who wore oversized glasses and got straight As, in part because he was very bright but also because he liked the order of school. Then, at age 9, his world tilted in an ill-fated direction when his mother hooked up with a new man who turned out to be both a hard drinker and a woman beater. After the stepfather, whose name was Pedro Lopez, killed a local gang member in the course of a feud, then fled to Mexico ahead of a murder warrant, Luis mother packed up the twins and followed a week later.
For most of the next two years, the family lived in small towns in the state of Durango, Mexico, where his mother and stepfather earned subsistence wages picking chiles and apples. Although the Mexican constitution forbids children under the age of 14 to work, enforcement is practically nonexistent, and at the time when Luis was there in the early 80s, somewhere between 8 million and 11 million kids were employed illegally. Soon Luis and Carlos were among them working as pickers alongside the adults. When the apple season ended, Pedro took the boys to pick wild oregano in the mountains and to scrounge extra money by killing rattlesnakes to sell to the curanderos. School was a thing of the past.
Being poor in L.A. is soul-grinding, but being poor in Mexico is worse, so in 1983, the family returned to California despite the legal risks. Luis and his brother, now 11, re-entered 24th Street Elementary School in fifth grade. By that time they were so behind academically that Carlos lost all interest. But several teachers recognized Luis intelligence and urged him to try to catch up. Yet while Luis grades improved, his formerly shy persona acquired a new patina of anger. He hated feeling helpless when Pedro hit his mother, hated having thrift-shop shoes while other kids wore Nikes, hated being teased and called a TJ wetback by boys whose parents were no less Mexican than his, hated being beaten up on his way home, hated that he had no friends, hated everything about school except the actual classwork, which, for the furious, lonely boy, again provided an island of calm and pleasure.
Midway through middle school, Luis started hanging with a tagger crew called the Tiny Boys, after he noticed that, while he walked with them, the teasing stopped cold. When the Tiny Boys turned from taggers to full-fledged gangsters, Luis drifted into a double life: smart student and swim-team member by day, street hoodlum by night. The split became most extreme during his senior year at Manual Arts High, where Luis was on the honor roll, the football team and the academic decathlon team (after he personally persuaded a teacher to start one). Then one night in the spring of 1990, some enemy homeboys shouted insults and waved a gun at him. When Luis failed to back down, one homeboy fired a single bullet into Luis chest, collapsing his lung and nearly killing him. When he got out of the hospital, Luis the good student was replaced by Luis the full-time gangster bent on revenge. He soon gained a reputation as a hard ass who would walk straight into, not away from, gunfire, which quickly moved him up the gang hierarchy to the position of shot caller. Its like I forgot about everything else and had this death wish, he says. His career as a dangerous urban street legend was finally halted in 1994 when he was arrested and sentenced on the assault-with-a-deadly-weapon charge.
Luis says that the shock of prison was what he needed. Id be dead if I hadnt gone, he says. Prison woke me up. I saw how violent and crazy Id been, and that it was up to me to better myself and change. During his years on the inside, he got his high school diploma and began to read everything he could lay his hands on. They used to have college classes at the prison where I was, and a lot of those textbooks were still roaming around, he says. I read so much, I couldnt sleep at night, just thinking, about my life, about everything.
When Luis was released, even Father Boyle, who is in the business of helping gangsters start over, says the difference was uncommonly dramatic. I remembered him as a real jerk years ago when he was out
on the street, he says. Really the worst. But when he came out, something fundamental had changed in him. All his kindness and gentleness and intelligence was right there on the surface. It was one of those truly remarkable transformations you always hope for.
The ritual: Elijah faces at the barber.
While Luis worries about money, Francis worries that Luis past will one day reappear as a malign wraith and destroy their future. Luis worries about that too. Thats why hes always more comfortable when were outside of East L.A., Francis says. When were at places like the Universal CityWalk which we like a lot or the Long Beach Aquarium with the kids, at those times Luis is a whole different person, all happy and outgoing. But in East L.A. hes tense because he never knows when hes going to run into people he knew from back in the day. Well be walking and suddenly hell say, Oh, shit. I knew him from prison, or I knew him from this or that neighborhood. Luis qualms are serious enough that he always circles the house twice before pulling his car into the driveway, just to be on the safe side. Its so he can see if theres anybody there, you know, waiting.
Along with threats from the past there is still the matter of the police, whose ongoing attention continues to unnerve Francis. For example, just after Labor Day a neighbor called her at work, saying that a slew of black-and-whites were at her house with a guy from Building and Safety checking to see if she had someone living in the garage. (She didnt.) Francis raced home sobbing hysterically. They act like were criminals, she says. It doesnt matter how good were doing. Were criminals in their eyes forever.
As summer turns to fall, the cop scrutiny seems to temporarily slow, but Luis starts having unexplained allergy attacks to the point that he breaks out in gigantic hives at the beginning of November. Then, just before Thanksgiving, the hives are joined by stomach cramps, followed by a shortness of breath so intense he feels like somebody is pressing an anvil into his chest. Francis tells Estephanie to watch the kids and races Luis to White Memorial Hospital three blocks away. By the time he hits the ER, he cant swallow, and when a nurse takes his pulse, her mood goes from casual to urgent. In short order, Luis is on a steroid IV drip while two doctors, one of them a cardiologist, check his vitals. If you didnt bring him, he could have died of a heart attack, an ER doc tells Francis. The hospital never determines the cause of the allergic reaction, so after a few hours of treatment, Luis is sent home. He stays in bed most of the weekend, weak as a kitten, fretting about whether or not his new medical insurance will cover the hospital bills. By Monday, he is back at work. I cant afford to have any more subtracted from my paycheck, he says.
In early December, a generally blue mood descends upon the family when the flu hits two of the kids, causing Francis to miss more days of work. Then, just a week before Christmas, a good omen arrives in an unexpected guise. The incident occurs just after 9 p.m. when Francis is in the kitchen cooking, and the downstairs neighbors call up to warn her that a police van is parked in front of the house, and some uniformed officers are headed for the front door. Francis flies down the stairs prepared for a confrontation. Can I help you? she says tersely as she swings open the door. Hi, says the main cop, who introduces himself as Senior Lead Officer John Pedroza. You might recognize me. Im the one you always call a motherfucker except that Pedroza says effer rather than the actual offending term. How many kids do you have?
Five, Francis replies cautiously, suspecting some sort of trap. Why?
Pedroza tells Francis he figured her kids had only seen the negative side of the police. I want them to see theres a positive side too, he says, and asks the childrens ages. Francis rattles off the numbers, then gapes as the officers trot back to the van and return with five age-appropriate gifts, one for each of the kids. As the presents are being distributed, four black-and-whites screech to a stop near the van. In a blur of motion, 16 officers disgorge themselves, clearly expecting trouble. Pedroza rushes over to explain that, no, nothing is wrong, hes merely playing Santa. The officers are slack-jawed. To them?! one officer sputters.
This isnt about us or them, retorts Pedroza. Its about their kids. Hey, Santas supposed to be blind to hate, he adds when the cops look unconvinced.
For the next few days, Francis and Luis also remain doubtful. Only after a week passes with no further police visits do they decide to accept Pedrozas gesture as what it was stated to be: an act of kindness.
The night before Christmas, when the family and extended family meaning teams of in-laws exchange their own gifts, a tentative sense of hopefulness begins to permeate the household. Luis and Francis did most of their shopping the day after Thanksgiving, arriving at the Crenshaw Plaza Mall at 6 a.m. to pick up ultra-bargain loss leaders from the newly opened, three-story Wal-Mart. After that, Francis made several more trips to the swap meet to round out their gift list. This is the first time that Luis has been out for Christmas in almost 10 years, says Francis. By out she means out of prison. So he wanted to get something for everybody.
Luis has even agreed to pull some money out of savings to take the family to a hotel for a couple of nights over the New Years Eve weekend, at which time, he says, they should all set new goals and make new resolutions. I already know most of mine, he says, ticking them off quickly. I want to get off parole, which should happen in July. Then in a year I want us to move out of East L.A. to somewhere safer. After that, were going to save to buy an apartment building. Those are the big goals. That and staying, you know . . . free.
The slings and arrows of normal life sometimes daunt the strongest of us. Yet for a family still as close to the edge as the Aguilars, routine problems tend to metastasize quickly, despite best intentions.
All goes well as Francis, Luis and the kids arrive at their hotel for their three-day getaway late on the night of December 30. When she beds everyone down, Francis notices Elijah, whos not quite 2, seems overly tired. At 4 the next morning, she wakes up to find him spiking a high fever that neither Motrin nor the cool baths she administers over the next hour seem to lower. Eventually mother and child doze, Elijah curled up on her chest, marsupial-like.
But at 5:30 a.m., Elijah jerks awake in a febrile seizure, his limbs twitching violently, his eyes rolled back into his skull. Francis screams at Luis to call 911, her alarm jacked up exponentially by the fact that the family still may or may not have health coverage. We were supposed to be covered a month ago, she says, so Im off Medi-Cal. But Luis company has never sent us the insurance cards.
After a two-hour emergency-room visit, Elijah is temporarily improved. The family drives home on New Years Day, losing a paid night at the hotel.
Over the next 48 hours, Francis controls Elijahs fever with cold baths and larger doses of Motrin, as the ER doctor had instructed.
Then late Saturday night, the child starts wheezing. There is talk of taking him to the emergency room. Fearful of more bills, Luis and Francis decide against it. I mean, well find a way to pay whatever we need to pay, she says. But itll wipe us out to nothing.
Below nothing.
At 5 a.m. Sunday, Elijahs breathing is truly labored, but Francis still thinks she can ride it out herself. Ill take him to my doctor Monday. Hell run it through my old Medi-Cal, she says. By 7 a.m., Elijah is panting in little, shallow breaths and Luis panics. Were taking him, he says. It is a fortunate call. At L.A. CountyUSC Medical Center, Elijah is diagnosed with a well-entrenched case of pneumonia. I think all of those baths made him sick, says Luis miserably. They brought his fever down, but he got too cold.
The rest of the week passes in a blur of wires, tubes and antibiotics as Luis and Francis take turns keeping watch at their little boys bedside. Otherwise the nurses just have to tie him down if he cries, Francis says. Nobodys going to strap my baby down. An enormous former homeboy with a street name of Griz takes some of the pressure off by staying at home with the older kids. Then early Monday, Luis returns to work, meaning most of the hospital duty now falls to Francis, who rocks Elijah when he screams and screams, unable to be comforted. After he falls asleep, she eyes the nearby oxygen-saturation monitor, rubbing her babys chest to stimulate his breathing whenever the digital readout falls below 90 percent.
On Sunday, Elijah is well enough to come home. But by this time both parents are so wrung out by stress and exhaustion that they snipe at each other continuously about money, about the often-present coterie of ex-homeboys who Francis feels will draw danger to the household.
Monday evening the tension predictably bleeds to the kids, who act out ferociously, chiefly toward Luis. Theyve always loved Luis, says Francis, pointedly not looking in her husbands direction as she slices slippery white pieces of squid and tosses them into the huge pot of Salvadoran-style ceviche steaming on the gas stove. But lately theyre mad because somewhere in their minds they think hes going to get locked up again.
When Luis hears this, his jaw tightens and he is silent for several long moments. What am I supposed to do? he says. I know theres a gang world and theres a real world. I want us and our kids to live in that normal, real world. I understand we arent there yet. Im still getting out of my hole, still trying to piece my broken life together. He pauses. But heres the thing, Luis says quietly. I really believe Im destined to be normal. Thats what I tell Francis when she gets all crazy. Dont worry. Were destined to be normal. We are. Youll see. Another pause. But were just not there yet.
During most of January, the family takes small but discernible steps in the direction of Luis normalcy. Then a new challenge appears when George the number-two child whom everyone calls by his nickname, Bola starts tagging sidewalks in front of the house and elsewhere in the neighborhood. At the start, neither parent guesses the origin of the TBFK graffiti that has newly bloomed on a distressing number of concrete surfaces. Bola has always been a sweet child, the best with animals of anyone in the family. But as he draws nearer to his 12th birthday on January 17, a bad case of pre-adolescent swagger overtakes him like a virus. He talks back to Luis. One afternoon Francis catches him cutting school, and then Estephanie rats him out for the graffiti. It seems that Bola and a couple of friends have formed their own tagging crew theyve named Tiny But Fearless Kings hence the TBFK.
Determined to short-circuit this nascent trend, Francis grounds her son for the indefinite future and insists that he come straight to Father Boyles office every day after school. A week later she hits on an even better idea. This Saturday, Im making Bola go with the Homeboy Graffiti Crew for a day, she says. They leave at 5 in the morning. (Homeboy Industries has a contract with the city to employ former gang members on graffiti clean-up crews.) When she learns that the virtuous Estephanie has occasionally acted as Bolas lookout, Francis arranges for her to join the cleanup crew too. Luis and I told them, Look. We learned too many things the really hard way. We want to make sure you dont have to go through what weve been through. By Thursday, the 5 a.m. graffiti object lesson is all set. Then on Friday, January 23, everything changes.
The day starts normally enough. Luis leaves for work at 4:30 a.m. Francis gets up with him to lay out his clothes, then goes back to sleep. At 6 a.m., she wakes again to get Estephanie, Bola and Julian off to school. At 7:30 she wakes the two youngest, Frankie and Elijah, the baby. She drops them off at day care before 9, then sweeps in the front door of the Jobs for a Future office shortly thereafter. At 11 a.m., Francis brings Luis some lunch at his job site.
Its been a while since theyve had a date night, so he says he wants to take her to the swap meet that night, just the two of them. He said I could pick out a new crib for the new baby, she says. You know how Luis hates to spend money, but ever since that time we were fighting hes been trying really hard to be nice.
At 4:40 p.m., Francis calls Luis, who tells her hes about to head home. At 5:25 p.m. Francis leaves for home herself, Bola in tow. But as she drives east along First Street, she sees something that causes her to startle. Two police officers pass her in Luis car, a white 1990 Nissan Stanza, going the opposite direction toward Hollenbeck police station. Luis isnt with them.
Trying to control her panic, Francis yanks out her cell phone and dials her downstairs tenant, a woman named Sandra. Look out the window! Whats going on at my house?
Nothing, says Sandra. Francis is not reassured. She tells Sandra to call upstairs to Estephanie. Take Julian and get out of there right now! she says when her daughter comes to the phone. Estephanie starts to protest but Francis cuts her off. I dont know whats going on, she says. Just get out of the house. I think the cops are coming.
Estephanie grabs her 8-year-old brother and does as she is told. Less than three minutes later, the police descend on the Aguilar household in full force. Since Luis is on parole, the house can be legally searched at any time without warning. But this is not a parole search. The cops have a warrant. They also have Luis house keys, but they splinter the back-door frame anyway. According to the search warrant and affidavit, the police are looking for rock cocaine, cocaine and narcotic paraphernalia and any personal property tending to document the sale of rock cocaine . . .
Stressed and freaked: New
problems with the law.
Meanwhile, Francis fetches the two younger boys from day care, then drives to her cousins house a few miles away, where Estephanie and Julian meet her. En route, she calls Luis but gets no answer. She phones Sandra again. The cops are raiding your house right now, says Sandra.
Do they have Luis?
I never saw him, says Sandra.
For the next several hours, Francis is paralyzed by fear and a kind of manic indecision. I dont know what to do, she says. I dont want to go home and expose my kids to all that. I dont know what to do. Throughout the night, she dials her husbands cell phone over and over. But Luis never answers.
Chapter Two, Coming to Terms, will appear next month.


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7:30 am
Peep and the Big Wide World/Pocoyo "Quack Quack/One Duck Too Many" There's only one way to get rid of an obnoxious duck, and that's to build her a new pond - to her exact specifications, of course. Megan Mullally guest-stars as Quack (#2.) Pocoyo: Elly on Ice - Elly finds ice-skating frustrating, but succeeds with encouragement and practice. D
8:00 am
Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! "Seasons - Spring and Summer/Seasons - Fall and Winter" Seasons - Spring and Summer - For Show and Tell at school, Nick and Sally must bring something from their favourite season. But how can they choose which is their favourite? The Cat in the Hat takes them to the magical Garden of Seasons, where they can visit any season they like, any time they like! They meet three young animals and journey with them as they begin to grow up. Sally decides that she has two favourite seasons, and with the pictures taken from the Snaparama camera, she now has a scrapbook of pictures to show why! Seasons - Fall and Winter - It's Nick's turn to choose a favourite season. D
8:30 am
Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps "Angelina's New Home/Angelina's New School" Angelina's New Home - Angelina is not happy about all the changes in her daily routine now that her family has moved to the other side of Chipping Cheddar. Her plan to secretly return to her old school is thwarted after she receives a special gift from her new teacher, Ms. Mimi, giving her confidence and making her excited to embark on her new adventures at Camembert Academy for the Performing Arts. Angelina's New School - Angelina is excited, yet nervous, about her first day of school at Camembert Academy. D
9:00 am
Bob the Builder "Staying Cool" Wendy's Birthday Surprise - Bob and the team have to make the town well safe. But it's also Wendy's birthday - and Bob wants to arrange a surprise party for her. Scoop asks Bob to let him help with both things. D
9:30 am
Franny's Feet "Papa Penguin/Ballroom Bugaboo" Papa Penguin - In the South Pole, Franny meets Emperor Penguins and learns the difference between the Arctic and Antarctica. Ballroom Bugaboo - At a palace in Austria, Franny and her new friends bounce light off a mirror to find a missing ring. D
10:00 am
Wishbone "Homer Sweet Homer" This live-action program follows the exploits of Wishbone the dog and his human friends, Joe, David and Samantha through their adventures in their hometown of Oakdale. Wishbone's everyday experiences trigger his imagination and he finds himself in scenes from classic works of literature. In this episode, the kids refuse to give up when developers come to destroy Jackson Park and their favorite tree. D
10:30 am
Dialogue "Roadtrip Nation" Marcia Franklin talks with the founder of the PBS series Roadtrip Nation about how the program started and its goals, including an outreach tour of Idaho. The series takes young people on a six-week trip to talk with leaders about their paths to success. She also talks with a participant in one of the trips and to a representative of the College Board about its partnership with the program.G
11:00 am
BBC Newsnight NULL
11:30 am
Consuelo Mack WealthTrack "Financial Thought Leaders: Niall Ferguson" Guest: Niall Ferguson, Financial Historian; Author, Civilization: The West and the Rest. This week on Consuelo Mack WealthTrack, "Financial Thought Leader" Niall Ferguson discusses why the centuries long dominance of Western economic and political power is waning and what the United States needs to do prevent it from slipping even more. D
12:00 pm
To The Contrary with Bonnie Erbe "Playing Spies/Wee Little Whale" NULL
12:30 pm
McLaughlin Group NULL
1:00 pm
Painting and Travel with Roger & Sarah Bansemer "Lake Michigan" Roger and Sarah Bansemer visit the Great Lakes. Sarah visits the historic Michigan Maritime Museum while Roger sets up his easel and paints along the shoreline. D
1:30 pm
Sewing with Nancy "Sew Techie Covers, Part 1" Make a personalized cover for your e-tablet or paper tablet. Learn how to sew covers for your electronic devices and paper tablets using templates or commercial patterns. Then embellish them with applique, quilting, techie circles, undercover stitching accents, plus more. D
2:00 pm
Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting "Perky Pinwheels" Marianne and Mary show how to make double prairie points and how to make three-dimensional pinwheels using the prairie points. D
2:30 pm
Hometime "Mailbox & Flower Box" The HOMETIME crew's thoughtful design and careful carpentry tie mailboxes and a flower box to the architectural style of a home. D
3:00 pm
Woodsmith Shop "Through Mortise & Tenon Projects" The Woodsmith editors present a couple of special weekend projects, a classic, Nantucket-style bench and a traditional wall shelf. Both projects feature through mortises and tenon joinery. In this episode, you'll learn the techniques to make this classic woodworking joint, in a unique way. D
3:30 pm
This Old House "Barrington Project, Part 6 of 10" Builder Andy Tiplady uses a less-expensive Brazilian hardwood called garapa for the new deck, and installs it with a hidden fastening system. Carpenter Chris Aguiar uses a jig to cut straight red cedar shingles into a wave pattern designed by the architect, then passes them up to George Duarte for installation at the top of the side gable. Inside, Andy shows master carpenter Norm Abram the progress on the flooring, which is four-inch strip red oak, and the simple details on the interior trim that will let the water views take center stage. D
4:00 pm
Ask This Old House "Tiling A Bathroom Floor; Weatherstripping A Front Door" Contractor Angelo McRae helps a homeowner tile his bathroom floor. Then, general contractor Tom Silva heads to Washington, DC, to help a help a homeowner weatherstrip her front door. D
4:30 pm
Growing a Greener World "Schoolyard Wildlife Habitats (Atlanta, GA)" Learn how one school is using wildlife and outdoor classrooms to engage youngsters in nature and teach environmental issues. And learn how to create a wildlife habitat in your own backyard. D
5:00 pm
Moyers & Company "The Resurrection of Ralph Reed" While Romney, Ryan, Christie, and Rubio get the lion's share of attention during the Republican Convention this week, three one-time college Republicans who are now the party's real power-brokers -- Karl Rove, Ralph Reed, and Grover Norquist -- are busy doing what they do best: leveraging their political, religious, and financial resources to back pro-corporate, anti-government objectives at the core of the conservative agenda. The true surprise at the Tampa convention is Ralph Reed's resurrection. When the former head of the Christian Coalition was discovered to have raked in millions of dollars from the super lobbyist -- and eventually convicted felon -- Jack Abramoff, Reed wound up in political purgatory. D
6:00 pm
William and Mary Kate has to wait for her university results because of a postal strike. Billy-Two-Hats, a postman, hand-delivers her letter but it is not the news she has been waiting for.G
7:00 pm
Outdoor Idaho "Idaho's Centennial Trail" From the Nevada border all the way to the Canadian border, the state's Centennial Trail winds through every kind of terrain Idaho has to offer and passes by many of the state's scenic highlights. We'll meet the duo who helped create the trail and journey along the route with several who are following in their footsteps, including a young couple who tried to make the entire trek on foot in only a few months.G
8:00 pm
Royal Memories: Prince Charles' Tribute to the Queen Prince Charles shares memories and recalls events from Queen Elizabeth's public and private life, adding his own commentary and insights in this tribute for the Diamond Jubilee celebration of her 60-year reign. The memories are illustrated by family photographs and home movies, many of them shot by the queen and previously unavailable to the public.G
9:00 pm
Masterpiece Mystery! "Inspector Lewis, Series IV: The Gift of Promise" Andrea De Ritter, founder of an organization that supports gifted children, is murdered after making a presentation to Zoe Suskin, a gifted Oxford student. Earlier that night Andrea resists the advances of another student, who is also killed, and she sends a book by a former spy mistress with a cryptic note to Zoe's father. Lewis follows the tangled threads of lovers and spies to Belfast of the 1980s to find answers for the killings.G
10:30 pm
New Tricks "Lottery Curse" A tabloid editor asks UCOS to help him prove that a celebrity murdered her drunken husband 40 years ago. The stakes are high, as the suspect is about to be made a Dame of the British Empire. Will the detectives find evidence of a murder - or only of jealous accusations?G
11:30 pm
Equitrekking Adventures "Botswana: Okavango Delta and Makgadikgadi Pans" Host Darley Newman leads a horseback journey through the delta wilderness area and the lunar-like Makgadikgadi Pans, meeting wildlife and people of the Southern African nation.G

subset: commoncrawl


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|Episode Description
|Wednesday, Feb 6, 2013 - 1:00 AM
"Beneath The Sea"
Ocean explorer Robert Ballard shows Alan Alda new technologies and research techniques that are revealing undersea secrets. Alda visits Ballard's Institute for Exploration, tests out the interiors of exploration vessels and takes a virtual underwater trip through a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV). G
|More on PLUS (MT)
|No upcoming shows in database
|Previous on PLUS (MT)
|No Past shows in database


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May 27, 2009
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Senior Katy Freeman and several other UC Santa Barbara swimmers competed at the Janet Evans Invitational over the weekend at the William Wollet Aquatics Center in Irvine, Calif. Freeman took first place in both the 100-meter breaststroke and 200-meter breaststroke at the meet while competing with the newly formed Santa Barbara Aquatics Club.
On Friday in the 100 breast, Freeman posted a time of 1:08.84 in the finals beating out Olympian Rebecca Soni by .43 seconds. She now ranks second in the United States in the event and 30th in the world.
Freeman kept things rolling on Saturday when she concluded the meet with another first-place finish, touching the wall in 2:26.75 in the 200 breast. The win was another upset as she once again beat out Soni, the current world record holder in the event. In the 200 breast, Freeman is currently ranked first in the U.S. and 26th in the world.
Anne Marie May also had a top-eight finish, taking seventh in the 50 free with a mark of 26.69. In the men's 50 freestyle, Gaucho alum and Olympian Jason Lezak took first with a time of 21.90.
Lezak concluded the meet with the top time in the 100 free as well, clocking in at 47.80, just .29 seconds slower than Michael Phelps' American record in the event.
Four other Gauchos made event finals at the meet. Brittany Borowitz took seventh in the 400 individual medley (5:03.15), Chris Wiggin took sixth in the 100 fly (55.84), Naomi Javanifard took seventh in the 100 fly (1:02.38) and Travis Jepson took sixth in the 200 breast (2:22.28).
- UCSBgauchos.com -


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This quaint half-acre historic site was purchased in 1975 by the Parks Commission and developed by the Bellevue community as a bi-centennial project. This kiln, one of the first limestone kilns in the County, was used for burning limestone in the preparation of cement in the late l9th century.
Directions to Dyer Kiln Park


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Speed Product Development
The rapid pace of technological change and the need to develop and manufacture new products more cost effectively are having a tremendous impact on today's lean industrial workforce, beginning with those who are practitioners of design engineering.
Whether we're talking medical devices, processing equipment, marine applications, or some other type of consumer or industrial product or system, the story is similar. Corporate leaders globally are making greater demands on product development teams. They are pressing design engineers to think more creatively and challenging them to search hard to find the means to shorten the product development cycle and also reduce overall product development costs.
Such directives suggest the need to significantly reduce the time that design engineers devote to researching and selecting vendor-supplied components, including dc electric motors, pumps, valves, switches, relays, and sensors. Still, even as design engineers seek to address these cost-cutting issues, they must remain true to achieving the primary goal—development of high-quality products and systems that work to satisfy the needs of customers by offering "real-world" solutions through innovative advances in product design. In addressing the long list of dc motors and various other components that will be called upon to give substance to computer-aided designs, product developers may likely find that contrary to the familiar refrain heard from the classic Rolling Stones' song, time is "not" on their side. This is especially true when there are fewer people on the product development team.
In any event, it can take a considerable amount of time for design engineers to first determine an optimal set of specifications for a particular needed component, and then identify a readily available part that fits or most closely matches the combination of specifications. While design engineers are thoroughly versed in the possible applications of such components as fractional horsepower dc electric motors and related items such as switches, relays, and sensors, they cannot possibly be expected to be fully acquainted with every design feature and key specification of every individual component that is destined to become part of their finished product or system.
One motor company offers more than 500 part numbers for 12-24 V fractional horsepower dc electric motors, including sealed and nonsealed dc motors with or without gear units, as well as dc motors equipped with blowers, water pressure pumps, or water-circulation pumps. And that's just one company.
What about the specifications that must be considered when choosing dc motors for diverse consumer, medical, and industrial applications? They typically include nominal volts, nominal watts, nominal power, nominal current, maximum current, nominal speed, nominal torque, breakaway torque, reduction, direction of rotation, type of duty, degree of protection, and weight.
Matching dc motor specifications to the product application adds complexity. Other aspects of the dc motor and integration into the overall product design must be addressed, such as shaft size, shaft speed, mountings, torque capacity, electrical connectors, and operating voltage. Ultimately, the motor may also need to be supplied with some precise modifications for it to sufficiently meet the product design requirements.
Choosing dc electric motors and other components for a new or redesigned application can be a complex, time-consuming puzzle. Design engineers often explore the websites of parts suppliers for answers on types of dc motors, switches, relays, and other related parts that can be accessed through enhanced online search tools, providing other important information that can be helpful to a parts research. Explanations are available on parameters, characteristic curves, operating modes, and other aspects of dc motors, including applications such as medical and rehabilitation applications, building systems, drive units, and industrial applications. In some instances, browsing websites of parts suppliers is enough to identify project components. Other times, the fastest, most efficient, most cost-effective method of choosing complex components may be to take advantage of the specialized engineering and consulting services major parts suppliers provide.
The best time to turn to suppliers for assistance with parts selection is toward the beginning of the product development project. By knowing and understanding well in advance how components are to be used, where they may be installed within the finished product or system, and the results they are expected to deliver as part of the total design package, the parts supplier's engineering consultants can offer timely advice to make informed purchasing decisions.
Supplier advice can lead to a modified product design for better-than-planned-for results. For example, some years ago a manufacturer's consulting-engineering team worked closely with a Brazilian company that produces linear actuators used for raising and lowering dental chairs. Previously the manufacturer used ac motors to power the actuators.
Using supplier recommendations, the company switched to the 24-V dc electric motor for an actuator redesign project. The motor delivers 45 Nm of torque at 45 rpm. Advantages for the dental chair application include less noise compared to models powered by ac motors or hydraulic systems. That's a good selling point for the actuator manufacturer and the dental chair makers, and a major user-friendly benefit for the dental practices using the redesigned automated dental chairs.
The dc motors require less maintenance than ac motor- or hydraulic-powered units, since they use no oil or other aggressive chemicals that regularly need to be changed. Less maintenance reduces costs for the end user.
By taking advantage of the motor manufacturer's engineering and consulting expertise early in the redesign project, the actuator manufacturer's product development team remained true to design goals, while using the motor manufacturer to help with parts selection and lower R&D costs.
Design engineering teams don't have time to solve complex component selection puzzles on their own. Lean design engineering departments and tight R&D budgets benefit from a knowledgeable, strategic-minded, cost-cutting guide to clarify ambiguities of component selection. That cost-cutting guide is the parts supplier.
Bosch technologies for motion control
Bosch i-Business Group offers more than 500 part numbers for 12-24 V fractional horsepower Bosch dc electric motors. They include sealed and nonsealed dc motors, with or without gear units, as well as dc motors equipped with blowers, water pressure pumps, or water-circulation pumps. The Bosch i-Business website, www.bosch-ibusiness.com, has a detailed catalog of Bosch dc motors, switches, relays, and other related parts that can be easily accessed through its proprietary online search tool. It also provides other important information that can be helpful to parts research. For example, there are explanations regarding the parameters, characteristic curves, operating modes, and other aspects of the dc motors described in the Bosch catalog. The website shows some applications for which Bosch dc motors are suitable, including medical and rehabilitation applications, building systems, drive units, and industrial applications. Based on Bosch recommendations, the company switched to the 24-V Bosch "CEP" dc electric motor for an actuator redesign project. Bosch Model F006.WM0.310 delivers 45 Nm of torque at 45 rpm.
In 2011, Bosch is celebrating its 125th anniversary and the 150th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Robert Bosch.
– Kenn Langosch is sales manager, Bosch i-Business Group, Robert Bosch LLC, Broadview, Ill.


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The GetPurchaseHistory will cause locking on the AX DB if the temp DB is heavily used.
Changed the way to get the purchase history data to avoid making temp DB overloaded.
More information
Note This is a "FAST PUBLISH" article created directly from within the Microsoft support organization. The information contained here in is provided as-is in response to emerging issues. As a result of the speed in making it available, the materials may include typographical errors and may be revised at any time without notice. See Terms of Use for other considerations.


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Are you nervous about your pending interview? Here are a few preparation tips that might help put you at ease.
Quite simply, being prepared will reduce the levels of anxiety that you might feel about the whole process, and the stress of interview itself. Being prepared will improve your interview chances no end, and don't forget, its quite OK to say you are feeling nervous if you are. Also, don't forget, the interviewer may be nervous too!
Last updated on: 28/09/2012 18:07:05
PharmiWeb.com is Europe's leading industry-sponsored portal for the Pharmaceutical sector, providing the latest jobs, news, features and events listings.
The information provided on PharmiWeb.com is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her physician.


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Amanda Peet grew up in New York with her older sister and their parents; Charles, a lawyer; and Penny, a social worker. She made an unconventional stage debut at the age of three, when she jumped onto the stage during a play.
Yet, despite this early start, she later studied acting more as a hobby than anything else. She studied history at Columbia University, where a drama professor convinced her to audition for acting teacher Uta Hagen, with whom she later went on to study for a four-year period.
During this time, she participated in the off-Broadway revival of Clifford Odets's "Awake and Sing." She supported herself during the audition phase of her career by working as a waitress and with the residual checks she received from a Skittles candy commercial. Perseverance and hard work paid off, and, in 1995, she was cast in a guest-starring role on the hit series "Law & Order" (1990).
Her feature film debut came in 1995 with the movie Animal Room (1995). For a while afterward, Amanda continued to find steady work but also found herself appearing in a depressingly large number of indie films that were never picked up for distribution.
She did, however, meet her boyfriend Brian Van Holt on the set of indie movie Whipped (2000). Her turn as the ditzy hit-woman with the heart of gold in the hit comedy The Whole Nine Yards (2000), opposite Bruce Willis, took her from supporting role status to leading lady.
That same year she was voted one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by "People" Magazine and continues to be challenged by the roles that come her way. Next year she'll be seen in the tentpole disaster movie 2012, but meanwhile the actress stars opposite Mark Ruffalo in What Doesn't Kill You, about two childhood friends from South Boston turn to crime as a way to get by, ultimately causing a strain in their personal lives and their friendship. Peet talked to Paul Fischer in this exclusive interview.
Question: What was the attraction of this movie for you? I guess it's tough to find female characters that are sort of interesting in this kind of male milieu.
Peet: Yeah. I thought it was a great portrayal, though. I thought I didn't feel like it was just one long-suffering wife scene after enough. Like, I felt like it was varied, and I was so excited to work with Mark Ruffalo and Ethan. And so it was a no-brainer for me.
Question: How different are those guys' acting styles? I mean, do they work very differently?
Peet: No. They work similarity. They're both really just unbelievably enthusiastic, and unjaded. And they're both really dedicated, and really fun.
Question: Where do you find the truth in a character like this? I mean, where do you go to find the truth of the reality of a character, of a woman like this?
Peet: I just don't really think too much about it, except to just think about Mark. And I just tried to play it off of Mark, and be in the room with him. And that's it!
Question: This almost seems very reminiscent of movies of the '70s. Did you look at any other films as kind of a reference point for you? Or are you a fan of this style of film?
Peet: I am. And no, I didn't look at any other films, except to look at accents. But otherwise, I didn't. No.
Question: I've been talking to you for years, but what are the continual challenges for you to find women to play that really interest you?
Peet: I think it's really hard out there. And, you know, if you're not Julia Roberts or Nicole Kidman, it's really difficult to get something that's dynamic and/or funny, or that is an interesting stretch. You know? So, I think there's more in TV. And so that's one way to go. And I think otherwise, you just need an incredible amount of patience.
Question: Do you try to be as selective as you can?
Peet: I do, but I believe I may not have as many choices as some people I'd imagine. I mean, people who are ahead of me on the hierarchy probably know what I have, that's – there aren't that much to choose from. So I try to be selective, and obviously having a husband and a daughter makes it much easier, because it's easy. There's a huge incentive now to walk away from something.
Question: What are your future plans at this point, and how are you able to balance this frenetic world of motherhood with a professional career?
Peet: Well, I think that I try really hard to not feel too guilty. And I try to remember that it's better for me to give her a model of striving for a career. But it's not easy. And, you know, as she gets older, it's only gonna get harder. So I feel like now is sort of the time, while she's kind of not mobile, and she's not in school yet, and she's not super-attached to anybody else yet, other than her father and myself. And her nanny.
Question: What are you doing next, do you know, Amanda?
Peet: I don't know. There are a couple things I'm kind of circling. But they're not really fully alive yet, so I'm not quite sure. I'm certainly going to take a good long break after 2012 opens, August 20th.
Question: Do you want to return to the stage?
Peet: I do, actually and now, of course, it's been so long that – again, that I feel like I'm gonna be nervous all over again. You know, my goal in complete would be to do, like, three plays in a row. And then I feel like, finally, I would just – I think previews and opening night would be, like, a breeze. I mean, " Here we are again. Here come the critics," and I wouldn't even care. That's my fantasy, anyway.
Question: Do you have a thick skin when it comes to critics?
Peet: WellThe theater review that I got was just horrible. So – so I learned that lesson, luckily, very early on. But, you know, you find out that your reviews are scathing reviews even if you don't actually read them, because people look at you with such sort of sympathy and awkwardness the next day. I mean, you really figure it out quickly.


text:
A world leader in international student placement services
and a proud co-owner of IELTS
Kaplan International Colleges
— KIC has ten years of experience in international — Higher Education, and has helped over 32,000 students progress to UK universities since 2006. — 8 UK study centres in partnership with — 13 prestigious universities, of which four are members of the Russell Group, and seven are ranked top 50 in the UK. — Industry-leading, personalised service to agents and students, including an admissions decision within 48 hours. — Courses combine academic skills, English language and subject-specific modules to give complete preparation for a UK university degree. — Guaranteed entry to university for all students who pass at the required level, with 1,700+ degrees to choose from. — High-quality accommodation guaranteed for all students who apply on time.
الحرم الجامعي الرئيسي:
عدد الطلاب:
الطلاب الدوليون:
نظرة عامة
Kaplan International Colleges (KIC) works in partnership with leading UK universities to prepare international students for degree study. Our UK-based teaching centres offer entry to 13 prestigious universities, and our on-campus model allows students to fully integrate into university life while preparing for their degree. Our courses equip students with the academic skills, key subject knowledge and English language ability needed to succeed at university in the UK.
We offer university preparation courses at three levels to suit students' academic qualifications:
Foundation Certificate: for entry to the first year of a UK undergraduate degree (second year in Scotland). The following subjects are available:
- Accounting and Finance
- Art and Design
- Business and Management
- Computing
- Engineering
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Journalism, Media and Communications
- Law
- Oil and Gas
- Science
- Social Sciences
International Year One: an accelerated route directly to the second year of a bachelor's degree in England. Choose from the following subjects:
- Business
- Computing
- Engineering
- Hospitality and Tourism
Pre-Masters: preparation for a Masters degree in the UK. Pre-Masters subjects include:
- Accounting and Finance
- Art and Design
- Business and Management
- Computing
- Engineering
- Gallery, Museum and Heritage Management
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Journalism, Media and Communications
- Law
- Psychology and Public Health
- Science
- Social Sciences
English Language courses
For students who qualify academically for direct entry to university, but who just need to improve their English language skills, KIC has a special English for University for Study course. We also offer extra English language and academic skills preparation as part of the Foundation Certificate, International Year One and Pre-Masters courses for students who need it.
Fees and Finance
Course fees vary depending on your centre, level, subject and length of study. Accommodation costs also vary depending on location and the type of housing you choose. For specific prices, please visit the tuition fees section of the KIC website: www.kic.org.uk/pathways/tuition-fees/
Employability and Careers
KIC's pathways into a wide variety of degrees offer students many exciting career options. On graduation, students receive support and guidance from a strong alumni network, ensuring that graduates are engaged in relevant work or research as soon as possible after completing their degree. All of KIC's partner universities have strong links with top employers, and organise careers fairs attended by leading companies, where students can meet face-to-face with representatives in their preferred industry.


text:
ORONO – Four days after the bus ride that became their nightmare, the able-bodied members of the University of Maine's women's basketball team finally played a game. They lost, 86-63, to rival New Hampshire.
They embraced each other afterward at center court, a few smiling through their tears. A recording of Kelly Clarkson's "What Doesn't Kill You, Makes You Stronger" came over the sound system in the old Memorial Gym.
The young players who had faced their own mortality when their chartered bus careened off Interstate 95 in Massaschusetts on Tuesday night had requested this particular song.
"I'm surprised we were able to get this far," said Richard Barron, the second-year head coach who tried to assist stricken bus driver Jeff Hamlin after he slumped over the steering wheel. "If you had seen this team on the side of the highway (after the crash) with 17 ambulances lined up and helicopters overhead, you would have said our season was over."
(Hamlin, 55, was in stable condition Saturday night at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.)
Barron didn't want to play Saturday's game. Only one player suffered a season-ending injury in the crash. Freshman Milica Mitrovic (Belgrade, Serbia) had a bright lime-green cast encasing her broken wrist. It was covered in signatures.
Barron worried about the bruised and broken emotions that bandages and casts can't fix or hide. Everyone who was on the bus was going through their own euphoria of being alive and a certain sadness or fear when their minds flashed back to those terrible moments when a speeding bus was out of control.
As late as Friday, whether the team should play the next game or not play was still being discussed. Players met with counselors and met with themselves. For a long time, they weren't in agreement.
Maine's record is now 4-24 and 3-12 in America East Conference play. It's one of the youngest NCAA Division I teams in the country. Why not count their blessings and call it a season?
"We didn't want the season to end with (the crash)," said freshman Liz Wood (Catlett, Va.). "I'm glad we played. I didn't think about (the crash) for the whole game."
They had only practiced for two hours over the past seven days. They weren't sleeping well. They were exhausted physically and emotionally and still sore from being tossed around the bus after it went airborne as it crossed the median, from the southbound lanes to northbound. How did it not hit another vehicle? How did the bus remain upright?
"For some of us, playing the game was a coping method," said sophomore Courtney Anderson (Turner). "But not all of us have hit that moment yet when you feel lucky to be alive."
While Friday's emotional discussions took place, the University of New Hampshire waited to hear if it had an opponent to play. Its administration and team were sympathetic to Maine's needs. Not that New Hampshire coaches and players treated the game any differently when it began.
"We're human beings," said Associate Head Coach Mike Roux. "I'm sure it was horrific for them. In the end, it's a basketball game. In the end, we're teachers and educators."
Meaning, games are played to be won while acknowledging it's part of the bigger picture.
"Our first trips up and down the court felt great," said junior Ashleigh Roberts (Wilmington, Del.). "Then it was like we hit a wall."
An emotional and physical wall. New Hampshire played aggressively. Maine players will discover new bruises Sunday morning.
Maine suited eight players for the game and six played. The other two sat on the bench. "Coach's decision," said Barron, who rotated the sixth player into the game to give everyone a few minutes to catch their breath.
The team had been hurt by injuries before the crash. Three players — senior Corinne Wellington (Rochester, N.Y.), sophomore Danielle Walczak (Lee, N.H.) and freshman Anna Heise (Halle, Germany) — were on crutches when they boarded the Cyr Bus Line coach for the four-hour trip to Boston for a game with Boston University the next day. Junior Ali Nalivaika (Worcester, Mass.) was still rehabbing bad knees.
The four suffered again in the crash. Samantha Wheeler, whose playing career was cut short by concussions and is now the team's Director of Basketball Operations, was unable to attend Saturday's game.
Still unresolved is whether Maine will participate in the America East Conference tournament next week in Albany. Some of Barron's healthy players aren't ready to get back on a bus for the seven-hour trip to Albany, N.Y., site of the first-round games.
Barron played six Saturday. Would he have that many again, or fewer? He doesn't know.
The state of Maine gasped when the news flickered across televisions or appeared on social media late Tuesday. The crash was an experience shared by college athletes everywhere and even the public. Who hasn't taken the bus ride to Logan Airport or Boston's South Station over that same stretch of Interstate?
By Saturday, it seemed to be old news. The announced crowd of 1,204, which counts season ticket holders, was actually closer to fewer than 500. Media coverage was no more than usual.
It was Senior Day. Rachele Burns (Gorham) and Amber Smith (Ipswich, Mass.) assisted the team this season as student managers/coaches. Their playing careers were ended by injury. They were on the bus, too.
Wellington walked slowly to center court on her crutches, a sad smile on her face. She was escorted by a husband and wife who are members of Friends of Maine Women's Basketball. Wellington's family was the community around her at Maine.
Coaches spend time and money searching for bonding experiences. A group whitewater rafting trip. An Outward Bound session. The Maine women's basketball team bonded in a much different way Tuesday night, although the price may be steep.
Whatever happens next, Barron will make decisions based on what's good for the individual. What's good for the team will come later.
"A lot of (deciding to play Saturday) was selfless thinking of each other. They did it for the seniors. It was therapeutic. At last, it was a move forward in some way."
Steve Solloway can be contacted at 791-6412 or at:
Twitter: Steve Solloway
Business Breakfast Forum: Retail innovations
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Biddeford man pleads guilty to sex trafficking a minor
Local & State
Maine will recieve $1.4 million in hip implant settlement
Maine regulators consider extending window for CMP bill disputes
In men's draw, No. 30 Pouille advances to semifinals


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Joined: 06 Jul 2012
Posts: 9
Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:31 pm
Post subject:
Using a longboard for visiting places not accessible otherwise is a great idea. I did it in the Southern Lakes in Argentina (Patagonia) long time ago and it was a fantastic experience. i did not carry camping gear though. You need a longboard with a daggerboard and plenty of flotation volume. The more voume the more you can carry. And you want the daggerboard so you can go easy upwind. Mistral Equipe or similar is the board you want for this.
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Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:01 pm
Post subject:
GURGLETROUSERS, what type paddle do you stow on your longboard and how and where is it attached? Do you have a picture?
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Joined: 02 Apr 2006
Posts: 32
Location: San Francisco
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 2:41 am
Post subject:
Here is an expedition windsurfer that reportedly can be sailed, supped
and carry some caping gear.
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Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 2:53 am
Post subject:
That's pretty cool, I'm curious about how to attach a paddle to my windsup.
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Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Posts: 2215
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 5:18 am
Post subject:
Beagle - The principle is simple but the fixing can cause problems. The paddles have to be secure and unable to clatter about on deck, or break free, yet easily and quickly detachable for use.
Most longboards have some fixing point at the front. On the Bamba for example, there is a bracket. I fasten a rope to that bracket, and tie the other end to the front of the mast track. Since there was no anchor point there it was necessary to drill a couple of holes in the alloy flats and fasten a short rope loop to which the other rope can be tied. (You can't fasten it to the U.J. unless you leave it fixed in that position - which is what I do on the Kona.)
I use a standard STRONG kayak paddle split in the middle (you can split an alloy shafted paddle yourself and nake a firm fixing method with a spot of D.I.Y.) so that the two halves can be laid on top of each other. I fasten rubber loops to the rope, motor bike innertube loop padded with neoprene to slide the paddle blades into (to front of board) and smaller padded loops to slide over the shaft ends. The paddles are then easily and quickly able to be whipped out and joined together for use, with nothing to have to undo. (They can also be split and easily slipped back in again.)
There are two problems. 1) stopping them bouncing about and clattering on the deck, which is why neoprene padding and a tight rope fixing are necessary. 2) Making sure the rubbers grip them firmly enough to stop them breaking free if the board is feeling lively. It's just a matter of trial and error to get the balance right.
The longest I ever had to paddle was just over 3 hours. (That sounds bad, but it's not . since I'm a kayaker.) I 'd plodded out to a Scottish island in a light breeze which just died the moment I got there. In such a case you can either de-rig and sit on everything while paddling back, or, as I did, hope some breeze will return and leave the sail rigged. In that case you simply drop the boom over the back of the board (usually over the back footstraps) sit in front of the mast track facing the back of the board and paddle it fin first with your legs beneath the sail, balancing it all with your feet. (To stop the rig sliding off the board into the water.) Unfortunately, the was a smooth long swell, and everytime the board dropped down, the confounded rig wafted up into the air with me frantically balancing it on my feet to lower it back over the board. (A bit of a pain, and considerable bad language, for over 3 hours and 10 bloody miles. And the breeze DIDN'T return!!!)
Sorry I can't post a photo. I've no idea how these computer thingies do such things, and my little grey cells can't cope with all this modern technology. -But give me a paddle, a sail, or a bike, and I'll show 'em!!
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Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 9189
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 3:32 pm
Post subject:
G.T., while you've got some years on me, I'm still an old fart that is a bit challenged doing many things with a computer. What I normally do when transmitting photos is use E-Mail. I have a Mac Powerbook with the standard iPhoto application, and iPhoto has an E-Mail selection as part of the basic program. I find that it's very intuitive and easy to do.
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Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 881
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 6:24 pm
Post subject:
Too long a thread? Ever try reading a book?
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Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Posts: 2215
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 7:00 pm
Post subject:
Thanks S.C. It boils down to antagonism towards electronic gadgetry and jiggery pokery, which our generation didn't grow up with. I don't really want to get any further into computers, if you see what I mean. The big outdoors and an ability to react with it is the real 'cathedral'.
Out on bike today, over the moors, and had one of those magical moments at sunset, on stopping to just soak up the atmosphere. Silent, deserted, wide open expanse of moor with a dark red sky, and a thin cold chill blowing in one ear, and out the other. The beauty of it was saddening in that you just can't hold it, or keep it with you, but such moments do more for the human spirit than any electronic rubbish could ever do.
I feel sorry for many kids today who are slaves to computer make believe when they should be out climbing trees, building makeshift rafts, and generally getting into scrapes exploring and DOING things.
Sorry to get carried away, but it's something I feel strongly about.
Last edited by GURGLETROUSERS on Wed Nov 14, 2012 7:14 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 9189
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 7:13 pm
Post subject:
No worries G.T., I'm with you all the way. Experience the moment, especially outside where the most interesting things happen. You've definitely got the spirit!
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Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120
Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 3:47 am
Post subject:
GT, I definitely hate computers, particularly the byzantine design of accessing the controls, and yes, it's sickening what's becoming of young people these days. Riding my old mt bike a lot these days, looking to get a full suspension 29er soon! Also gonna get my road bike sent back from Wisconsin, didn't think I would be able to ride a road bike here on Kauai but turns out there are some good spots to ride after all. it's a 1976 Raleigh competition G.S.
I'm thinking of getting a 10M sail for my windsup and venturing out past the entrance to Hanalei bay, there's wind out there, I was out there on a downwind SUP run and I can see it from the bluff.
The only people who venture out are some beach cats and sailboats in the summer. If I have a breakdown or the wind dies I'm a long way from land and the current and or wind will carry me not really in the direction I want to go.
What do you think about a 3 piece SUP paddle? with the rig broken down and piled on the board am I better off standing and paddling or sitting with a kayak paddle?
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Welbeck Avenue, Burbage, Hinckley, LE10
Open Monday 12.30pm-5.30pm and Thursday to Sunday 10.00am-5.30pm
Distances are straight line measurements from centre of postcode
About David Wilson Homes
David Wilson Homes is not just a housing developer, we're a company that builds homes. At every stage of the process; from designing and planning to the final finishing touches, we keep in mind the emotional and practical priorities of the people who will be living in our properties.
This customer-centric approach has been at the root of our success for over forty years. We began in a small village in Leicester and today are recognised as one of the country's leading house builders, operating in thirteen regions, from Scotland to Wales and down to the South East of England. All our regions are supported by an extensive customer service team to guide buyers through what, in most cases, is the biggest financial commitment they will ever make.
As part of the Wilson Bowden Group, we established our reputation through the building of large executive properties but today our uncompromising pursuit of excellence extends into a wider portfolio of homes including apartments and townhouses.
At the heart of our company lies the Wilson Way, an attitude which demands all our people, whether they be land buyers, site managers or marketing staff, deliver their very best at all stages of the business. We believe detail is everything and consequently our team takes time to source materials of the highest standard to fashion homes of unparalleled quality.
The David Wilson Difference
David Wilson Homes offers buyers a 2 year warranty, covering almost everything we fit as standard meaning therell be no unexpected bills for the first 2 years. Our 2 year warranty is in addition to the 10 year NHBC warranty offered as standard.
Another reason for choosing a David Wilson home is the top quality customer service which we provide to all of our customers. We have been awarded the House Builder Federations 5 star status for the last four years, meaning that over 90% of our customers would recommend us.
We can help get you moving
Whether you are a first time buyer, moving up or downsizing, we have a range of schemes available to help get you moving to your dream David Wilson home today. Something to sell? Cut out the agents fees and the hassle of selling your current property with our 100% Part Exchange scheme. Taking your first step on to the property ladder? Ask us how you could own your own home with a much smaller deposit with FirstBuy. Our Sales Advisors and Independent Financial Advisors are on hand to help answer any of your questions.
Disclaimer: The information displayed about this development and property within it comprises a property advertisement. Rightmove.co.uk makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the advertisement or any linked or associated information, and Rightmove has no control over the content. This property advertisement does not constitute property particulars. The information is provided and maintained by David Wilson Homes. Please contact the selling agent or developer directly to obtain any information which may be available under the terms of The Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 or the Home Report if in relation to a residential property in Scotland.


text:
32 wrote:O.G. Broe wrote:That's how bad he wanted to get off the bench as a Role Player
Oh, I got it. Little spam to increase the rating.
Haha, JayPat did the same thing to avoid being a "rookie".
What're you talking about, I never spammed. However, I didn't like being a role player cause Dunleavy was a role player. But no spam.


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0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
How in Mor's good nameone hundred fifty four postsNo Rachel Weisz picSelam
I hope all continues to go well for you, Friul! Keep us posted as to your progress! God's blessings to you!
Well, I finally got a response from them, and I got in , but I will have to take some extra math courses this year.Thank you all for your prayers! Now I just have to hope and pray there are enough openings in some of the classes I now need to take.
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Many such journey journals were kept and many books have been published about them. There are also journals written by soldiers, scientists and explorers. I'm sure you are all familiar with the Captain's Logs of Star Trek.
Here I'm sharing my journey journal from the trip to Washington. Every year I keep a Moleskine sketch journal. This year I did it a bit differently and tried to write a note whenever I stopped for a bit. I also add art, fliers, receipts and photos. This year's got really fat:
I realize some people don't like misshapen books but I love them.
Before I left I stamped a few pages. I also added some pockets in various spots. The map is a photocopy from my atlas with the route I took to Washington in purple and the route I took home in blue. I'm still trying to decide which one I like better.
This was day two of the trip. I stayed the night in Panguitch, Utah and stopped at the Young Living farm in Mona, Utah. Fun little notes and my mileage.
When Jessica and I went to Olympia we passed by Mount Rainier. It is so beautiful.
A trip to town to get haircuts for the boys and a quiet Fourth of July are both noted.
Stickers and gel pens add color and interest.
Stickers and gel pens add color and interest.
Do you keep special journals for your trips?
Memoir Prompts:
Are there any journals, diaries or letters from your ancestors?
Do you remember your first haircut? Or a child's or grandchild's?
Did you mother ever give you a home permanent?
Do you know of any legends or stories about the history of the town you grew up in?
What religions did your ancestors follow? How did it affect their lives?
Do you carry a good luck charm or talisman?
Were your parents superstitious?


text:
I didn't become seriously interested in my family's roots until I was about 50 years old. I took a writing course at Radford University in Summer, 1990. Our instructor, a Native American Cherokee named MaryLou, advised up to write about our own experiences. "Write about where you are and where you came from", she said. So, in the Spring of 1992, I took off from my job (more later) and traveled to Cambria and Clearfield Counties in Pennsylvania. Some of my elderly aunts were still living and I asked them a lot of questions about where they came from. Unfortunately, one of my aunts who I was closest to had died the previous year. During the summer, I visited my mother and daughter in the Washington, DC, area. I took the subway downtown and spent several days at the National Archives. I was emotionally moved when I first saw the hand-written enumeration of my great grandmother and her son (my grandfather) in early census reports. Eventually, I saw the passenger manifest of the S.S. Werra which arrived at Castle Gardens, on the shores of NY Harbor, in 1884, carrying the mother and her six children of my ancestral Kramp family.
At the end of that year, I wrote a family history and sketchy genealogy and bound it into a book which I named "Die Kohlengraber". The words mean coal miner in German, for indeed, most of my ancestors were coal miners. The German occupational moniker was recorded in the marriage entry of my grandparents in the parish records of a German Lutheran Church in Houtzdale, PA. I sent about 25 copies of the book to my cousins at Xmas time in 1992.
However, I was bitten by the genealogy bug, and my research and writing didn't stop with the self-publication of the Kohlengraber. The Internet was becoming available to the general public. American Online had 15 million members in the mid-1990s. I posted my genealogy on my own web site courtesy of Rootsweb.com
I bought a computer genealogy program called Ancestral Quest. Once the vital statistics for my ancestors, including the all important biographical notes, were entered to the computer program, a click of the mouse created a book of our Family's genealogy.
Now, once every few years, I choose each of my end-of-the-line ancestors and create Descendant Charts- called Modified Register Reports by the National Genealogical Society. Thus, for example, I have Reports on the Descendants of Frederick Hohnke, Johann Kramp, and Thomas Russell, as seen in the attached photo.
Though I mailed about 25 copies of my first genealogical book almost 15 years ago, I doubt if too many recipients sat down or even sit down today and actually read the book. I do, of course. And I am very pleased- and that's good enough.
But just in case my own descendants- my two daughters and five grand children- ever want to know where they came from, I hope they will find one of my books or two or three. Incidentally, I keep the most recent printouts in antique wooden book boxes, one box for my father's branch and one for my mother's branch.


text:
Platinum miners strike in South Africa
RUSTENBURG, South Africa (AP) — Tens of thousands of platinum miners in South Africa went on strike Thursday, demanding higher wages in a protest that is disrupting one of the country's major industries.
Protesters from the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union sang and danced outside one mine shaft in Rustenburg, the center of major platinum operations. Some wore hard hats, and one donned a zebra mask.
Union president Joseph Mathunjwa addressed thousands of cheering workers at the Lonmin mine at Marikana, and told them the demand for a minimum monthly wage of 12,500 rand ($1,200), was less than what mine bosses spend on their pets.
He said he met with a mine executive Sunday and told him: "Please go home and make some calculation. How much do you spend per month for your dog? And then come back and we'll talk."
Mathunjwa chose to address strikers at the mine where police shot and killed several dozen miners during labor unrest in 2012 — shootings reminiscent of apartheid-era state brutality that shocked the nation. An inquiry into the shootings is still under way.
There were no reports of violence as the strike began. South African officials have appealed for dialogue and say they will act decisively to enforce the law.
South Africa is the world's leading producer of the metal, which is used in medical, electronic and other industries.
Union representative Stephen Dijo acknowledged reports that the South African economy will suffer if the strike is protracted, but said many workers who go underground struggle to pay for basic needs.
One mining company, Impala Platinum, has offered to increase the minimum wage for underground workers from about $800 to $1,000 over a three-year period. It said the amount excludes benefits including medical aid and overtime payments.
The company said its offer is fair in a tough environment of rising costs and depressed global markets.
Anglo American Platinum reported low worker turnout at several mines and said production would be affected. It welcomed a government offer to help mediate talks.
"Striking is not a constructive solution if we are to return the company to a sustainable financial footing and secure existing jobs," company CEO Chris Griffith said in a statement.


text: Hi again guys. Today i am doing again an installation of a SUSE 12.1 server (minimal install) And I am about to put this server as a production server. Following again falkos guide at .. http://www.howtoforge.com/virtualization-with-kvm-on-an-opensuse-11.4-server which is basically the same i am stuck at the point where i need to create the dummy0 interface and be able to use it from startup (boot) time. Please help me out here i am stuck here. Thanks Ed I tried with modprobe but can't seem to get it to work.


text:
Susan M. Campbell 8/30/2007 11:53:55 AMSo dramatic...very nice. Patriotic too...LOL.
Nice work Jim. #726565
Jim Zuckerman 8/30/2007 1:27:39 PMThank you, Susan. I appreciate your comment.
jim #4724885
Lynn Haack 9/9/2007 8:33:00 AMWOW...this is amazing! I live in the "land of Oz" (Ozaukee county)so this patriotic/tornado image really strikes home (no pun intended...lol)
Jim Zuckerman 9/9/2007 1:26:08 PMThanks a lot, Lynn. I had a lot of fun making it -- but it was definitely a challenge making all the clouds work.
Jim #4768703
Karolyn J. Seeley 9/13/2007 8:57:53 AMAnother amazing and stunning image ! #4786315
Jim Zuckerman 9/13/2007 9:07:25 AMThank you, Karolyn. For a variation of this image where I used the same funnel, see the home page photo on my website right now: jimzuckerman.com.
Jim #4786352
Symona R. Wood 4/20/2008 12:21:49 PMStunning capture!!!! #5811633
Jim Zuckerman 4/20/2008 1:34:11 PMThanks very much, Symona.
Sarah Baker 6/10/2008 6:10:45 PMamazing! #6044926
Jim Zuckerman 6/10/2008 8:26:55 PMThank you again, Sarah. This took several hours to do.
Jim #6045479
Sherry Poole 7/18/2008 7:00:15 PMDamn you're good!!!! All of your images have such fantastic color, contrast and lighting. I think I have a brain block when it comes to lighting. You have a new fan in me, Jim!
~Sherry #6196456
Jim Zuckerman 7/18/2008 7:16:41 PMHi Sherry,
Thank you kindly for your compliments. I'm especially proud of this image because it was done over a 3 day period where I kept studying the funnel and trying to make it look as real as possible. The horizontal streaks inside the funnel are clouds that I stretched and then made them semi-transparent with opacity.
Jim #6196495
Kristy A. Keene 7/30/2008 1:56:22 AMHow Impressive and Creative! #6248126
Sharon 8/5/2009 3:54:13 AMExcellent work! #7818121
Jim Zuckerman 8/5/2009 6:42:12 AMThank you again. I spent about two days on this, trying to get it right.
Tornado and lightning threatening barn
Uploaded on 7/27/2007 1:07:49 PM
Copyright for this gallery photo belongs solely to Jim Zuckerman. Images may not be copied, downloaded, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the photographer.
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