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Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord – Revealing the Face of Christ as Gift of Peace
As we follow with the Magi the Christmas Star that lead to the new-born Christ in Bethlehem, we too come to adore, to seek the grace of wisdom and reconciliation and justice for "all the nations" and for those with power to decide for peace and the things that make for peace. We pray for world leaders to make urgent just provision for those caught in war and fleeing from the devastating impacts of war. Pope Francis's Message for the World Day of Peace, 1st January 2018 resonates with the mystery of the Epiphany of the Lord – especially in its call to "the contemplative gaze". It is worth quoting and taking to heart in our prayer, thinking and action, as we move out into this new year in the light of Christ and the hope he brings to all uprooted and suffering people – each one created in the image of the loving God that He reveals and desires us to reveal in the world.
The wisdom of faith fosters a contemplative gaze that recognizes that all of us "belong to one family, migrants and the local populations that welcome them, and all have the same right to enjoy the goods of the earth, whose destination is universal, as the social doctrine of the Church teaches. It is here that solidarity and sharing are founded."[9] These words evoke the biblical image of the new Jerusalem. The book of the prophet Isaiah (chapter 60) and that of Revelation (chapter 21) describe the city with its gates always open to people of every nation, who marvel at it and fill it with riches. Peace is the sovereign that guides it and justice the principle that governs coexistence within it.
We must also turn this contemplative gaze to the cities where we live, "a gaze of faith which sees God dwelling in their houses, in their streets and squares, […] fostering solidarity, fraternity, and the desire for goodness, truth and justice"[10] – in other words, fulfilling the promise of peace.
When we turn that gaze to migrants and refugees, we discover that they do not arrive empty-handed. They bring their courage, skills, energy and aspirations, as well as the treasures of their own cultures; and in this way, they enrich the lives of the nations that receive them. We also come to see the creativity, tenacity and spirit of sacrifice of the countless individuals, families and communities around the world who open their doors and hearts to migrants and refugees, even where resources are scarce…
Four mileposts for action
Offering asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and victims of human trafficking an opportunity to find the peace they seek requires a strategy combining four actions: welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating.[12]
"Welcoming" calls for expanding legal pathways for entry and no longer pushing migrants and displaced people towards countries where they face persecution and violence. It also demands balancing our concerns about national security with concern for fundamental human rights. Scripture reminds us: "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."[13]
"Protecting" has to do with our duty to recognize and defend the inviolable dignity of those who flee real dangers in search of asylum and security, and to prevent their being exploited. I think in particular of women and children who find themselves in situations that expose them to risks and abuses that can even amount to enslavement. God does not discriminate: "The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the orphan and the widow."[14]
"Promoting" entails supporting the integral human development of migrants and refugees. Among many possible means of doing so, I would stress the importance of ensuring access to all levels of education for children and young people. This will enable them not only to cultivate and realize their potential, but also better equip them to encounter others and to foster a spirit of dialogue rather than rejection or confrontation. The Bible teaches that God "loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt."[15]
"Integrating", lastly, means allowing refugees and migrants to participate fully in the life of the society that welcomes them, as part of a process of mutual enrichment and fruitful cooperation in service of the integral human development of the local community. Saint Paul expresses it in these words: "You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people."[16]
From the Vatican, 13 November 2017
Click here for full message for 2018 World Day of Peace from Pope


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Concerning the death of Cory Monteith: Has anyone noticed that the only time people get upset about drug addiction is when a famous person has an OD?
Don't get me wrong my heart breaks for anyone who looses their battle with addiction, but 38,000 people die every year from overdose and most of them go unnoticed except by their famlies.
Now here was a fellow who knew he had a problem, and could have afforded the best treatment money could buy, but I guess his addiction was too powerful. Maybe some day if we keep speaking out our society will realize addiction is a treatable disease, and start providing more places for addicts to recover.
I guess if you have alot of money finding a place is not a problem, but most of us regular folks just can't afford it. So Cory will get alot of print and everyone will say how great a person he was.
In time it will be forgoten and addiction will take a back seat untill the next famous person ODs. In the meantime thousands of young adults will die and go unnoticed except by their families and those of us who understand about the deadly disease of addiction
Phil Lahey

subset: commoncrawl


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Courtesy Lori Shin
Courtesy Lori Shin
For five years, Jay Parks' plot at Kerr Community Gardens was his outlet.
"It was the reason he got up in the morning," said Mitra Brillstein, Parks' mother. "It was what he looked forward to. It was what he planned all year. In the winter, he was excited about getting seeds and starting them in the greenhouse, and in the summer, he only wanted to eat things that came from his garden."
Earlier this spring, Boulder-based nonprofit Growing Gardens told the 39-year-old autistic man from Lafayette that he could no longer work his plot at the community garden located on Boulder County's Harney-Lastoka Open Space near the intersection of Colo. 42 and South Boulder Road.
"This letter serves to inform you that there has been a documented account of theft of an item by an additional gardener in one of your registered plots," Growing Gardens wrote to Brillstein in a letter dated April 18. "This action is a violation of the probation that was instituted on March 27, and in accordance with our conduct rules, results in suspension from the garden."
But the gardener who was the supposed victim of this theft told Growing Gardens and the Daily Camera that nothing was missing from her plot, and she does not believe any theft occurred.
"It looked exactly the same as it had before," said Jean Kelman, who has been at Kerr Community Garden for two years. "Nothing was stolen. I did call the management. I sent them an email. As far as I can tell, it just isn't true."
Brillstein said the accusation of theft was the last in a string of incidents that amounted to harassment of her son. She believes some leaders within Growing Gardens discriminated against her son because of his autism.
"I want them to never cause this kind of pain and discrimination to another person with autism," she said.
Growing Gardens Executive Director Vanessa Keeley declined an interview request due to the "sensitivity" of the topic, but sent the Camera a prepared statement that repeated the theft accusation while defending the organization's commitment to working with people with disabilities.
"Our Community Garden program is made up of a diverse collection of individuals who create the vibrant 'community' in our Community Gardens," Growing Gardens said. "We work hard to ensure that gardeners of all ages and abilities can participate in our programs. Growing Gardens does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion or disability.
"All participants of our Community Garden program are required to uphold the rules and regulations as outlined in the garden rules. Regarding the suspension of Mrs. Brillstein, a theft was witnessed and confirmed, suspension being the resulting consequence as outlined in the garden rules, which are reviewed and signed by each plot owner at the start of each season."
Growing Gardens runs community gardens as well as a youth gardening program, Cultiva, and a horticultural therapy program.
'Nothing was taken from my plot'
According to emails and letters shared with the Camera by Brillstein and her gardening partner Lori Shin, Parks was placed on probation earlier this year because he had a pile of plastic bags full of leaves on his plot, he left debris in the pathways near his plot and his compost bin was too large.
Brillstein said the bags had mulch in them, not leaves. She said Parks gardened at Kerr with no problems for many years until a new volunteer garden leader seemed to go out of her way to find problems with him.
Brillstein said she worked with her son to fix the violations. In some cases, she could not find the rules her son was supposed to follow in the guidelines issued by Growing Gardens.
The theft allegation came in April.
Kelman said she was in the hospital when she received a phone call from a garden leader asking her if she had given anyone permission to go in her plot and take things. There had been a man in her plot, the garden leader said. Surprised, Kelman said that no, she hadn't.
According to the emails provided by Brillstein, that was the confirmation of the theft that led to Parks' suspension, as well as Brillstein's.
Brillstein rented Parks' plot for him and had her own plot nearby, so the suspension applied to her as well.
Growing Gardens' Keeley said she could not comment on the specifics of the dispute.
Kelman said Parks had always seemed like a good companion in the garden. He was quiet, but very knowledgeable and always glad to share tips with her about dealing with pests or helping plants grow, she said.
If she had known that the person in her plot was Parks, she would not have minded if he took something, Kelman said, but as far as she can tell, nothing was taken.
"I don't know all the facts," she said. "But I know that nothing was taken from my plot and I only knew later that Mitra's son was identified as the person. It's very strange. I feel saddened by it."
'He gained respect in that garden'
Brillstein said the incident has caused her son a lot of distress.
"He had socialization and garden friends and people accepted him," she said. "For the first time in his life, he gained respect in that garden, and that was taken from him."
After Brillstein and her supporters staged a protest at Growing Gardens' greenhouse on Hawthorne Avenue and 16th Street in Boulder — something they plan to do again Saturday — a man offered Parks a spot to garden on his own property.
Brillstein said she's grateful for the opportunity, but Parks has still lost the social outlet he had at Kerr Community Garden.
Brillstein said she doesn't want to go back now, but she wants Growing Gardens to look critically at how it treats people with disabilities.
Keeley said Growing Gardens is willing to sit down with Brillstein and discuss the issue, but the organization already is open to all.
"Our Cultiva youth program includes participants on the autism spectrum, some of whom who have gone on to become youth leaders within that program," the prepared statement said. "Growing Gardens also has a horticultural therapy program that serves seniors and people with disabilities."
Contact Camera Staff Writer Erica Meltzer at 303-473-1355, email@example.com or twitter.com/meltzere.


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Our girls LOVED Broccoli Rice Casserole when they were growing up and this recipe sounded delicious using quinoa instead of the traditional rice. They were so yummy that I ate them for breakfast and as a side side for dinner. It would be great to add bits of ham or bacon for a 'grab and go' breakfast dish.
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cups water (or vegetable or chicken broth)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups broccoli florets, finely diced
1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
crushed red pepper (optional) to taste
- In a medium sauce pan, combine quinoa and water (or broth) and cook according to package directions. Let cool.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin tins.
- In a large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, eggs, broccoli, onion, garlic, cheese and paprika.
- Put a heaping tablespoon of quinoa mixture into prepared muffin tins.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes and then gently remove from pan to cool completely.


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Controlling eucalyptus
I am often asked how to keep eucalyptus within bounds. Most species, and certainly those that have a chance of being hardy here (and in the UK) are large trees. Eucalyptus regnans, the Australian (Tasmanian) mountain ash – not to be confused with 'our' mountain ash, (sorbus) – is the world's tallest flowering plant (angiosperm) and possibly the tallest tree in the world, frequently 100m and exceptionally 130m high. Unlike many eucalyptus, it does not produce the characteristic ligotuber, a knobbly swelling at the base, that allows eucalyptus trees to regenerate after bush fires.
This capacity to produce shoots from low down is common to the genus and this means that they respond well to being stooled – or cut down to the base.
Eucalyptus are strange plants in so many ways. They do not form resting buds like most of our native trees and they have both juvenile and adult foliage. To most eyes the juvenile foliage is the most attractive and it is usually rounded, in pairs and silvery blue. When the tree reaches adolescence it starts to produce adult leaves which are alternate and usually sickle-shaped, and often greener. Regular pruning retains the juvenile foliage, no matter how old the plant is, but you lose the beautiful bark.
The most commonly cultivated species is E. gunnii, the cider gum. It is often planted as a shrub but, if not pruned every few years it will quickly become a tree. But fear not, even if it has got out of hand it can be pruned, even with a chain saw, and it will bounce back. The best time to do this is spring. This is so the new growth, which will be lush and vigorous, has time to mature and 'toughen up' before winter cold. Of course you do not have to leave things this long and it is better to hard prune in spring every year or two if you want a bushy shrub with juvenile foliage rather than a tree.


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MSP World 2016 is planned to start on 09 Oct and end on 11 Oct 2016.
The Conference will be located at the The Cosmopolitan Of Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada USA.
MSP World 2016, MSP World Fall Conference 2016 is one of the critical event on Managed Services and Information Technologies aspects.
MSP World 2016 is an annual Conference.
The International Association of Cloud & Manage Service Provider is the association of MSP World 2016.
When you are in Las Vegas for MSP World 2016, look at these three must visit areas and fall in love with the elegance of this city:
The Cosmopolitan Of Las Vegas
Address : 3708 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA
Travel Guide
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For those of you coming to play Myrtle Beach golf soon you'll have your choice from more than 110 championship courses in the area to play. We offer some sweet golf packages that will have you playing Myrtle Beach golf on any of those courses while providing you with top notch accommodations.
There are plenty of other activities in the area for your time off the course. With more than 1,800 restaurants in the area you'll have more than enough places to dine. But when you want to go out and kick up your heels consider the 5th Annual Myrtle Beach Beerfest being held at the House of Blues from 5-9 p.m. on Friday, March 29 and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. on Saturday, March 30.
If you enjoy a good baseball game the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Minor League Baseball team will be playing home games in Myrtle Beach this summer with fireworks following these select games, weather permitting. For April the home games will be April 4-7, 15-17, and 22-28. All games start at 7:05 p.m. and are held at BB&T Coastal Field in the heart of Myrtle Beach.
Also of interest to many people is the Lost at Sea Annual Memorial Ceremony in Murrells Inlet held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 7. The yearly ceremony will be held at Morse Park Landing (next to the Hot Fish Club) on Hwy 17 Business in Murrells Inlet. The Lost at Sea Memorial was erected in 2006 to pay tribute to all those who lost their lives at sea and were never found. The Memorial, located at Morse Park Landing, was established by the family of Johnny Brown, a 38-year old Murrells Inlet commercial fisherman who was lost at sea in 2005. All the people, whose names are etched on the monument, will be remembered at the ceremony.


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Some psychological professionals suggest that we have a plan to organize. And although it seems logical our behavior shows otherwise. For example, you have a basket by the front door to your home to drop your hat and gloves when you return. However, you seem to most often, drop your hat and gloves on the chair instead.
The basket is a great idea, but your behavior suggests that you should perhaps leave the basket on the chair to drop the hat and gloves in, or move the basket to the location of the chair. The location of the basket may look better aesthetically, but not when your hat and gloves always end up a mess on your chair. So move that basket and have yourself a happy day!
Merry Christmas,
Marya P.


text: > So getting the value out of the monad is not a pure function (extract :: > Monad m => m a -> a). I think I stated that, already, in my previous post. > I'd even say that the monadic values alone can be completely meaningless. > They often have a meaning only relative to some environment, thus are > (usually) _effectful_ computations. But we already knew that, didn't we? It may help to remember that, in the mathematical context where monads where born (AKA category theory), a monad is generally defined as a functor with a join and a unit (satisfying some laws that I would have to look up). The unit should be familiar (it's spelled 'return' in haskell), but join may not be. Its type is join :: Monad m => m (m a) -> m a which is a lot like extract, except with one more "monad layer" wrapped around it. IIRC the relevant identity here is: x >>= f === join (fmap f x) and with f specialzed to id: join (fmap id x) === x >>= id join x === x >>= id I'm not sure why (>>=) is taken as basic in Haskell. At any rate, my point is that I think your questions might be better framed in terms of the behavior of 'fmap'. > The real question (the one that bugs me, anyway) is if one can give a > precise meaning to the informal argument that if the definition of bind is > to be non-trivial then its second argument must be applied to some > non-trivial value at one point (but not, of course, in all cases, nor > necessarily only once), and that this implies that the computation > represented by the first argument must somehow be 'run' (in some > environment) in order to produce such a value. -- And, of course, whether > this is actually true in the first place. Would you say that your examples > above are counter-examples to this statement (imprecise as it is, > unfortunately)? > Ben -- Rob Dockins Talk softly and drive a Sherman tank. Laugh hard, it's a long way to the bank. -- TMBG


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Join the neighborhood website…of course. We received the following email from a family moving into one of our neighborhoods: (edited for privacy)
My family and I are moving to Lionsgate at the end of next week from MN. We would like to receive a pin number in order to be able to access all neighborhood events. We would also like to register for the December Luminary Event but we need to have our pin number before we do that. Would you please assist us in getting registered as a member of this community?
I love to hear how our website is making new connections.
This email also points out the good part of requiring a PIN to register. (If you're not familiar with our PIN registration process, you can read all about it on our website.) First, it provides a way of keeping track of people moving in and out of the neighborhood. And it also ensures privacy inside of the neighborhood, which makes residents feel more comfortable with sharing information, whether that be a phone number or a classified posting.


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In the News
Sweet Peet featured on Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart video about Sweet Peet Organic Mulch; The Best Mulch on Earth.
06.26.08 "THE RIGHT MULCH FOR ANY OCCASION" Article by Stephen Orr
Sweet Peet® was the only mulch specially mentioned by brand, while the potential dangers of inferior mulches were pointed out. READ THE ARTICLE
05.20.07 "EXTREME MULCHING" Article by Gerri Hirshey
On May 20, 2007, The New York Times ran an article by Gerri Hirshey titled "Extreme Mulching" wherein she praised the virtues of Sweet Peet® over other types of applications READ THE ARTICLE


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Buy Straight Pool
The body in the ashes of swank Haversham Golf Club sparks Algy Temple's involvement in a death far removed from Carter University's latest skirmish with Providence's mendacious mayor, Sonny Russo. Is the fire related to a proposed casino? Or the site's legacy as sacred ground for a band of swamp dwellers? Or the result of ethnic and class hatreds? And how do the harsh realities of Rhode Island's colonial wars and the '38 Hurricane play into a megalomaniac's assaults and Providence's poisonous politics?
From Providence's East Side, elegant Watch Hill and the glories of northern Italy to the grim reality of South County's swamps, Algy's investigative urge duels with his sense of justice, as he applies his deft pool skills against opponents who play for keeps. With his companion, the beautiful psychologist Nadie Winokur, Algy Temple faces his greatest challenge in a game of Straight Pool.
"We get a fascinating primer here on playing power politics in the capital city." - Bill Rodriguez
". . . it is the mystery itself that shines. This is a cerebral tale, replete with red herrings that lead down varied paths. Does this tale revolve around the obvious suspects? That seems too easy—but maybe not."
- Joan Retsinas, Prime Time Magazine
"What makes the story work, in addition to well-crafted attention to background details, is Partridge's ability to mix a complicated plot line with the understated presentation of everyday events . . . a tense game of pool, a trip up the Italian coast, the give-take of trying to make a relationship between two strong personalities work."
- Barry Fain, East Side Monthly
Read reviews of Straight Pool and other Algy Temple mysteries.


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Hey Girl,
I bet you have a lot of questions. No, I know you have a lot of questions. The overall uncertainty you feel is a given considering where you are in your journey. I know that right now your life is pretty good, stable to say the least. I also know it also feels like it is something that is just outside of your control. You aren't quite in the driver's seat yet, and that is OK. This life is all about using the time we have here to come into the fullness of our being. If that concept scares you, it should. There is no blue print or instruction manual for precisely how that is done. There is a lot of room for failure. Instead of letting that fear of failure paralyze you (as it regularly does), understand that room for failure is just another expression for room for growth. Growth is painful, but if you are lucky the results will be formidable. I know I said there is no instruction manual to this growth business, but here are a few things I've picked up in the past decade or so to help you along:
- Don't listen to the boys. Most of them are ill-informed and overly confident. You can learn something from that though. Most of the people you interact with on a day-to-day basis are just faking it till they make it anyway.
- Practice walking through the world with the confidence of grown white men. If you need good examples of faking it till you make it, look no further.
- Raise your hand more when you are struggling in class. It's OK to not be stellar at every subject. Seek help when you need it.
- Ask your grandmother's more questions. Your family history and lineage are absolutely fascinating. You get so caught up in absorbing and prioritizing the world around you, that you don't spend nearly enough time being curious about the world you are. Your very DNA is volumes of unexplored material.
- In fact, learn to cook more Bajan and Nigerian foods, because when those cravings hit, sis…
- College is going to whoop your ass in more ways than one. Remember that your health is your primary job. This includes your mental health. I know you don't have all of the language to contend with the things you feel yet, but just because you can't name it yet doesn't mean it's not real. Get familiar with the terms "anxiety" and "depression". You will receive no rewards for muscling your way through life, and buying into the expectations for Black women to be super human in their ability to cope will drain you faster than you know. Also, go to the mental health center regularly (see my prior point about seeking help when you need it).
- You feel better when you exercise.
- No romantic relationship is worth your comfort or happiness. Men are like buses. If you stand still in the same place long enough, another one will come along.
- You are an introvert. People drain you. Needing to spend time alone in the quiet is not a character flaw, it is integral to your ability to function like a normal human being in the world. Prioritize quiet alone time. This helps you organize your spirit and your mind. Sometimes this will mean not going out when all of your friends are. Don't worry, you are not missing anything.
- Some friends are in your life for a season. Some friends are in your life for the long haul. Both are important in the shaping of who you are, but those long haul friendships are the buttresses of your life. Invest in them.
- Always take off your make up and tie your hair up before bed. Seriously, do you know how much harder you are making your life right now?
- Be nicer to your parents and call on them more often for advice. There is nothing new under the sun, and they've been around it a few more times than you have. Trust that they know a few things.
- You think your sister is the absolute worst right now (and you might be correct), but that relationship will ultimately mean the world to you. You only can't stand each other at the moment because you are two very similar people who are also polar opposites. You will always have each other's backs.
- Read more books by and about Black women. Learn African history. Learn more Black history. Learn Queer history. Learn about the movements and the cultural traditions that put you where you are today. This world and the educational systems you will matriculate through will not center you or your experiences in any way, and that's not a mistake. The work of de-colonizing your mind begins now. It never ends.
- You don't have to laugh at jokes, or along in situations that make you uncomfortable. You don't even have to be agreeable in all scenarios. Your pain and your anger are just as valid as anyone else's.
- Drink more water.
- "No" is a complete sentence. So is "Go fuck yourself".
- Trust in your capabilities more. Trust yourself.
The next ten years is a wild ride. You are fortunate enough to live a very rich and privileged life. You will travel interesting places, and get to do many enviable things. You join the actual Army (nobody saw that coming)! You will also hit several low points (Donald Trump is president now and I can't even begin to explain that to you here), that will test your resolve and commitment to yourself and the life you've built. Throughout all of those big and small life moments, one thing will consistently prove itself to be true; no one on this earth will take care of you like you can. You are never really alone, but when you feel that you are take comfort in the fact that you've got this. You are someone worth knowing, so get to know yourself. You are also someone worth loving, so fall in love with yourself over and over again. Don't be afraid of change either in circumstance or who you are. Change is as exciting as it is scary. It opens up whole entire new worlds of possibility. Change is blossoming and also decay; all of it is living.
The future is all yours and it's pretty dope. It rests in your own capable hands.


text:
Today's post is about hunger!
Yes, what a great topic to talk about. So, let's talk about when I'm hungry.
When I'm hungry, I turn into one of three things:
1. A self-pitying rock
It's late and I'm tired and I should be sleeping. But my stomach is growling something fierce. Too hungry to sleep, too tired to eat. I lie in bed like a rock, immovable and bemoaning the tragic irony of life.
2. A wilting flower
If I get hungry when I'm outside, I can't lie down like a rock or people will throw stones at me. So I float about weakly in search of food, at risk of blowing away at the slightest breeze.
3. A monster
Sometimes, I turn into a monster when I'm hungry. That is, a variation of cookie monster. Except I don't like nomming cookies as much as barbequed chicken wings and Big Macs. Or pizza. Or chocolate.
What do you turn into when you're hungry?
Not a scary monster, I hope. I know people who get grumpy and irritable when they're hungry.
Okay, I get grumpy and irritable if my meal is significantly delayed and I grow increasingly hungry. For stupid reasons like mad traffic jams. That is really annoying.
Well, let's see what American footballers turn into when they're hungry!
Watch this…
It's funny! Although I had to watch it twice to get it because I didn't know what the theme was the first time.
It gave me such a craving, though.
I started getting hungry when I watched the commercial and then even hungrier when I checked out the Snickers Hungerlings Attack website.
I was at my laptop, it was morning and I was wondering what to eat for breakfast. I was thinking cereal.
I browsed around the website and played the Hungerlings Attack game and then I started getting really hungry for Snickers.
I MSNed Piers, who was at work, and said, "I need Snickers!!"
A few hours later, during lunchtime, he delivered two Snickers bars to me! Such a happy day!
Eating it while playing the Hungerlings Attack game helped me get a good score.
Actually, I don't know whether it's a good score or not. I just think it must be pretty decent because I played 10 or 12 games and feel that I can't do any better anymore.
Go give it a try and see if you can beat my score!
In the game, you're a Hungerling (like a hungry monster) and you won't be sated until you manage to grab and eat 10 Snickers bars.
It doesn't take long to play. Less than half a minute per game. And you could win cool prizes if you get the best score during each contest period!
The contest ends at June 13 so you still have a week to perfect your score. No purchase or anything required so why not give it a go?
Good luck!
Oops. Did I make you hungry, too? =P


text:
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The Scoop About Meal Prep. My Tips and Ideas
Meal Prep is the current hot button topic.
I want to say right at the outset I am aware not everyone might agree with me on all points about my take on meal prep, and that's okay! Many rewarding and fulfilling years in cooking for very large groups (Cooking demos, catering, cookbooks etc.) have given me an unfair advantage on the subject: You are likely getting much more than you may have bargained for because this is my life work! I have taught thousands of grateful students on the subject.
I will start with the most basic meal prep yes/nos
Yes to the first. No to the second. Sorry!
Here is why:
- In the first picture, I see something that I always do and that I find immensely rewarding: a big batch of 2 kinds of soup, divided in decent size containers (say 4-6 servings); loads of dumplings divided in ziplock; schnitzels (maybe?) in ziplock bags; large containers of frozen vegetables. And so on.
- In the second picture, I see 8 containers with exactly the same food.
This last observation begs the question: Are you prepared to eat the meal prep box eight consecutive days? It looks to me like you will have no choice, unless you don't mind seeing all your good work and your good money go to waste. And how much fun could this prospect possibly be?
Devoting your day off to meal prep:
There is no arguing with anyone on their preferred methods of organization. What works for each of us is obviously tried and true. I would not presume to do this. So I will only speak here about my personal experience, in the hope it will inspire you. In our early marriage days, my husband worked endless hours, and catering and cooking demos regularly saw me back home at ungodly hours. If on top of this chaotic schedule, I would have devoted our few days off to peeling, dicing, shredding and whatnot, we would have triggered a junior mutiny. Yes. It was that stressful. My kids (surprise!) clamored to be taken out to the park, to pizza, to ice cream, to the movies. And you know what, that's just what we did: Go to the park. Go to the zoo. Play ball. Eat ice cream. Eat pizza. Watch movies. Drink hot chocolate. It was predictable, it was wonderful, and it was fun, and absolutely necessary for everyone's sanity!
So what are my meal prep solutions?
I have no end of them, you will be very pleased! I absolutely believe in and practice meal prep constantly. I just may have a slightly different definition of it.
Different meal prep for different occasions
Let's take Shabbos. Ours is a very open house, and we have many guests, Gd Bless. A cleaner upper is a godsent at any price. My cleaning lady is used to all my quirks, and is thoroughly familiar with our Jewish occasions and celebrations. She soaks, cleans, peels, shreds etc while I cook and make a bloody mess. That too is par for the course. I cook an absolute storm, she cleans, and puts away. Short Fridays? We cook Thursday. Long Fridays? We cook Friday.
Take epic occasions like long holiday cooking weeks, the ones when we pull out all stops. Let's take the most titanic cooking project: Passover. I wrote an enormous file about this daunting subject, part diary and part bootcamp that you might enjoy someday hunkering down to reading: I call it good naturedly My Passover Kitchen Diaries: The Home Kitchen Trenches I zoom in, down and dirty, on the yearly Passover episode, starting two weeks before Passover, ending a couple days after the end of Passover. This file might be all you need to crack the Passover code like a pro. Cleaning, shopping, meal prep. It's all there. Grueling, yes, but empowering! If you can do Passover you are capable of anything!
No cleaning or prepping help? This happens quite often too.
This doesn't include Passover. Nononono I could not survive without help. There is simply no way.
So, a regular Shabbos. I will ask a kid to wash some dishes, run an errand, make a batch of cookies or soup, set a table, clean up a room. Get the kids involved, each according to their respective age and capacity of course! You will be surprised and delighted at how talented your children are, and how eager they are to contribute to the meal (only not on their day off please!) and be included in the Big Hosting Mitzvah Project. They are tomorrow's cooks and hosts, to be taken seriously!
To prep or not to prep?
People, OK. This is the Parsha that leaves me with the most mixed feelings. And for good reason. I cannot tell you how many times prepped and bag-sealed mushrooms went slimy on me, diced peppers turned to a watery mess, shredded celery root turned dark and metallic, shredded daikon turned stinky. So yes: Some stuff pays to prep and some doesn't. That's the brutal truth. C'est la vie, non?
Now that we've had this little talk, here are just some examples, provided everything is thoroughly dry:
That's right, prevent water damage at all costs!
- Diced turnips, carrots, squash, sweet potatoes etc… All sturdy roots. OK to prep and ziplock seal, even 2-3 days ahead.
- Salad greens: Some are down right treacherous: watercress, endives, mint, basil. They get funky as soon as they hit water. Please don't prep until the day of. Mushrooms: Ditto. Peppers and cucumbers of all persuasion: Ditto.
- But sturdier leaves like kale, swiss chard, even romaine hearts, radishes, etc, as long as it is all thoroughly dry, and wrapped in a clean kitchen towel and placed in ziplock bags, are OK.
- Fresh corn: Ok to scrape off the cobs and seal in a ziplock
- Scallions: OK to slice and seal in a ziplock
- Onions, shallots etc…: Store in tightly sealed glass containers so you don't smell up the fridge.
- Parsley, cilantro, dill etc: Here I have my dear mother to thank for the tip, it never lets me down: cut off and discard the roots, do not wash, wrap in a clean kitchen towel, and store in ziplock bags for a good few days.
- Shredded daikon, celery root and other easily oxidized items: shred, place in a glass jar, cover with water to the top, and refrigerate. Drain completely before using. Will keep really well for a good few days.
- Can I interest you in diced frozen veggies? of course, not for a salad, but for a soup, a kugel a frittata, etc? In my view, this is the absolute best, and the ultimate prep work done for you: zucchini, onions, turnip, chopped leaves, carrots, okra, corn you name it. Likewise, frozen fruit and berries. Nothing comes close to that degree of freshness and preparedness.
Make Big Recipes and FREEZE!
That's my war cry: Don't divide! Multiply! Example: Are you feeding 8 people Friday night? Make a big soup. Leave out half for serving. Freeze the rest in small containers. Don't wait until it becomes old boring leftovers. Freeze it right away, while it is sizzling fresh! Boy you will be happy to find that container of soup, ready when you are! Only please never forget to label and date your goodies before they disappear into the Great Frozen Realm, or you will be stumped by some UFOs (unidentified frozen objects). Same for rice and other grains. Same for schnitzels. Same for meatballs. Same for cookies. Same for bread. And on an on, down the line. What's not to love?
Are you cooking for a loved one?
The above will work beautifully as well. Once you have all your food portioned, sealed, labeled and dated, you will know precisely what you have to offer, and you will get no end of blessings for it from your lucky and grateful recipient!
Same for large leftover portions: Freeze!
Just a few examples here, to get you on your way.
- Don't cook half a cup of rice or quinoa. Cook three cups of grain. You will get a potfull of cooked grain. Divide in ziplock bags and freeze.
- Don't make a dozen cookies. Make four dozen cookies.
- Fry lots of onions, divide in ziplock bags and freeze
- Make lots of dressing and store in the fridge.
Here is a good example. I made dishes from my Mega Thanksgiving menu, then used Thanksgiving leftovers as a complete Shabbos dinner for eight a couple weeks later. How? Easy!
- On Thanksgiving day, while I carved the Thanksgiving turkey, right there and then, I threw the carcasses in a big pot, scraps, drippings and all. Of course you know turkey makes the BEST chicken soup, don't you? That made me a gallon of perfect soup. Freezer.
- On the same day I froze: a pan of roasted vegetables. A pan of wild rice and chestnuts. A pan of sliced turkey with gravy. A jar of chopped liver. A pan of chocolate chip cranberry cookies. Another Dinner Feast piggyback riding on the first, see?
You have guessed it: The freezer is my best friend and my treasure trove.
It is also my best diet tool. The good stuff is not in my face. So the temptation to overindulge is vastly reduced. I will take out two cookies from the freezer and enjoy them without a trace of guilt of procrastination, and no boring tomorrow-I'll-go-on-a-diet speeches. I'll just, you know, eat them. Just like that!
Likewise, I am a huge fan of frozen vegetables and fruits, and my freezer is jam packed with them. That's how I make smoothies, soups, dessert at the drop of a hat! Smoothies? I throw in Levana Meal Replacement Vanilla Bean, Mixed Berry or Cocoa-Coffee. Dessert? Ditto! Soup? I throw in Levana Meal Replacement Garden Vegetable or Mushroom Medley.
Treat leftovers with the utmost respect!
What do I mean by that? Don't even bother saving anything you or a guest have double dipped into: It is dead on arrival.
Instead of loosely covering a few pieces of chicken with foil, tightly seal them in a ziplock bag or in a glass container with snap on seal. Bravo: You have just planted the seed of tomorrow's dinner! So you see that, to me Leftovers are inextricably linked to meal prep.
The idea of Reinventing Meals is indeed very dear to me:
Nobody has immortalized the wonderful mystique born of leftovers more brilliantly and with more wit than Calvin Trillin: "The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found."
It's not just that I hate to see anything go to waste (who wants to sound like a thrifty goodie goodie? Not me!), but much more importantly, because recasting the remains of last night's meal into an entirely revamped and enticing new dish establishes you, the cook, as creative, bold and resourceful. A real makeover artist. As excitingly, you will create a whole different new dish each time, with endless permutations depending on what you have on hand, at practically no cost, no recipe needed whatsoever. Gosh, who wants to eat bits and pieces of lox, or grilled veggies, or chopped liver, or anything, as is, from a previous meal? No wonder they get tossed out so often, as they often look so unappealing. But suppose you wrap them carefully, thoughtfully and respectfully, you got yourself a real showcase! You will be amazed how they are calling out to you to remind you just how many hats they can wear, each one more becoming than the next! If you can recycle in style, then more power to you! By the way, y'all pay attention: This link included in this paragraph is a gigantic recipe file, a fantastic gift from me to you. Here it is again Reinventing Meals. You are most welcome! It expresses my philosophy of recasting a meal better than I can ever say it again: It's all there! My next cookbook, assuming I would ever get into a situation where I can't remember what I was smoking, will definitely be a book about reinventing meals: Think before you chuck! See, I already have the book title! Now that's a start, is it not? With unbelievably enticing pictures of leftover poached salmon come of age as wonderful fish cakes on a bed of mixed greens; stale challah turned to bread pudding; leftover grilled vegetables turned into a delicious soup, tiny bags of leftover corn, mushrooms, spinach, thrown in a skillet with some beaten eggs and born again as beautiful frittata! I think you get my drift!
Levana Meal Replacement is the perfect complement to leftovers:
A little pouch of Levana Meal Replacement will drive both the flavor and the nutritional value of any dish, no matter how modest, through the roof. Here is the leftovers link again, you will be delighted! recasting the remains of last night's meal
Mise En Place is half the battle!
Maybe even more than half the battle! Cut up all your salad greens, and assemble just before serving.
Making pasta? Make your favorite pasta sauce, fill the pot with water, take out the skillet that will heat through the pasta with the sauce
My first cookbook, Levana's Table: Kosher Cooking for Everyone, starts with a big chapter entitled the Hostess's Survival Guide, which reappears on my blog as Party Planning Tips: Have Fun Entertaining!
It's all there: Menu planning, meal prep tips etc.
Last but not least: The Pantry!
The pantry is where all the magic happens. My Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen Cookbook devoted an enormous chapter to pantry items. I am not overstating it, or bragging, when I say that on the strength of my Pantry Chapter alone, you should own my book! Dozens of fantastic recipes that will make you look like a pro each time! And no need to give up your day off either. Making salad dressing? Make a large container! Making pickles? Ditto. And so on, down the line! I guarantee you will look with scorn at all commercial concoctions once you learn what an asset your own pantry is to you and your guests! Yours will leave all of them in the dust, just because, like the great Marvin Gaye said so perfectly, There ain't nothin' like the real thing, baby!
A pantry stocked with your own artisanal condiments, liqueurs, sauces, or dressings will allow you to dress up simple foods at mealtime, minimizing preparation time when you need it most.
Okay. I think I have poured my heart out enough about the subject of meal prep. Your turn! Don't forget to share your creations!


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Wind Down on a Wine Walk
Kick your vacation off on the right foot by joining in on the Flagler Avenue Wine Walk on May 25th, from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. This monthly wine tasting event gathers wine lovers from around the area to discover over 100 wines featured at several locations along Flagler Avenue.
Wine passports are $30 per person and include 20 tasting tickets, a map, and a commemorative glass for you to take home as a souvenir of this fabulous event. Wine lovers will delight in not only the wonderful samples but also in the fun company this walking party has to offer.
While wine passports are available online here, they are also available cash-only on the day of the event, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Make your stay at the Riverview Hotel & Spa that much more memorable by taking part in the Flagler Avenue Wine Walk this May!


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The library provides Information Literacy trainings to user on a weekly basis. Users are provided with hands on skills on the use of internet for learning, basic skills on use of applications such as MS word and MS PowerPoint.
The library provides Free access to (WiFi) network. Please ensure that you are registered Library user. For queries related to the DUCE Library WiFi network, please contact help desk.
The library provides access to various electronic resources such as e-Book, e-Journals and Local content. For more information click here.
The library provides access to Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) For more information click here.


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The theme this week is to write about an ancestor closest to your birthday. I am simultaneously participating in the Genealogy Do-Over. Week #2 of the Do-Over had us "interview" ourselves and then write a biography. I decided to combine the two tasks and write about MYSELF.
WARNING: THIS IS A LONG POST. I won't be offended if you decide not to read it 🙂
I could have written "just the facts, Ma'am" but – that's not my style. If I was going to write about myself, I wanted the reader to learn who I am, what I am about. After all, that's what I aspire to in my family history research. I want to "know" the person and a listing of vital statistics just doesn't cut it.
So – if you have the time – make yourself a cup of tea or coffee…pour yourself a beer or a glass of wine. Sit down and find out who I am.
Oh – and there aren't any pictures – sorry – I figured the post was long enough!!
I was born on February 9, 1955 at 9:01 P.M. at the Yokosuka Naval Base Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan. My father, Alan Edouard SAMUEL was in the Navy and my mother, the former Doris May LICHTENTHAL didn't want to spend two years alone stateside while he completed his tour so she joined him in Japan in January, 1954. Both my parents were just 22 years old when I was born, married less than two years. Our address on the US Naval Base was: 684-B Area X, Yokohama, Japan.
I was named after my mother's childhood friend, Debby Moscowitz. On February 28, 1955, I was named during the Friday night service at Temple Israel in New Rochelle, NY. All four of my grandparents attended the service as well as a close family friend, who was visiting New York from Japan.
I remember nothing about the months I spent in Japan, probably because I was only 9 months old when we returned to the States! Thanks to my parents' penchant for photography and a probable genetic marker for collecting (NOT hoarding!) I have many letters, photos, movies and artifacts to help me recreate what life was like during that time. I recently finished writing a book, Letters Home, based on the letters my mother wrote home to her mother during those years.
Upon our return to the United States in late October, 1955, we moved to 38 Linden Place in New Rochelle, NY. Both sets of my grandparents lived in New Rochelle. They actually lived across the hall from each other in an apartment house at 30 Eastchester Road. (Are you channeling Everybody Loves Raymond? You should be!) My sister, Jeanne was born in New Rochelle, barely 14 months after me.
By October 1956, my father started attending graduate school at Yale University, paid for by his naval service. (Dad always had some kind of grand plan going.) We were living in New Haven at 17 Ward Street which is now a pretty rough area. My sister Katharine was born and we moved to a two-floor duplex in a much nicer part of New Haven – 88 Cooper Place. I have two stories about that residence: 1) My mother told a story about a woman who was taking a shower and leaned too hard on the soap dish. The wall collapsed and she ended up outside, naked. 2) Living in this two-floor duplex with three small children is what prompted my mother to choose a ranch home next.
I remember watching our one-floor ranch home in Hamden being built. We moved into that home in 1959. I lived there until I moved into my own apartment in 1974. My mother lived there until she passed away in December of 2011. It remains in the family today. My sister, Elizabeth (Betsy) was born in 1961 and shortly after that my parents divorced. My mom, faced with raising four little girls aged 7, 6, 4 and 1 was understandably stressed. She broke down crying one day while purchasing tires at the local Firestone. The manager, Al Falcone took pity on her and asked her to coffee. And – as they say – the rest was history. My mom and Al had a son, my brother Dean, in 1964. Our family further expanded on Sundays and holidays when we all got together with Al's children from his first marriage, Sandra, Mark, and Laura. Good times.
I began my formal schooling at the ripe old age of 4 ½, attending Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade at Alice Peck School in Hamden. Some notable moments during those years include throwing up on the Principal's car (I'm still mortified) and the day the kid behind me leaned back and split his head open on the shelf. The kid in front of me was so upset she peed her pants and it ran onto my shoes. Oh, and I guess I learned to read – something I've enjoyed throughout my life.
Hamden was becoming a "bedroom" town to the city of New Haven in those days. As the town grew, a new school was built – Bear Path. I attended there until moving on to Sleeping Giant Junior High for grades 7, 8, and 9. Highlights of my elementary years: getting moved to another 3rdgrade class because the teacher was really mean (she died later that year – hmm), being sent to the principal's office in 4th grade because my handwriting was so bad (pretty sure that couldn't have been the real reason, but that's what I remember), being called "Peanut" by my 5th grade teacher (I was the shortest kid in my class.) I forgive Mrs. Knox though. She instilled a life-long love of writing in me. This was the year I realized exactly how short I was. 10 years old and not quite 48" tall. My paternal grandmother, "Nana", paid for me to get some bone scans to see if I was "normal." Diagnosis? Just doggone short. I thought junior- high would be a better experience. Wrong. My very first day, I was confronted by some "big" kids, who told me, "Hey, kid – Kindergarten's that way." Swell. Later that year I made a real name for myself when, reaching far into the ice cream cooler at lunchtime, I actually fell in! It was 1967 – girls still had to wear dresses to school. Wonderful. I ran for Student Council each and every one of the three years. I lost every time.
Hamden High School. There were two junior highs in town but only one high school. 2400 charming adolescents spanning three grades (10-12). Hamden had just made the news in Timemagazine (Feb. 7, 1969) following a major race riot at the school. But, the girls could now wear pants! Much more comfortable while they were puffing on cigarettes (and some other stuff??) lounging on the front lawn of the school. Not me of course. Waaaaay too afraid to get in trouble. Pretty sure I was the shortest of the 2400, but I did have a couple of close contenders. Nice change. Ran for Student Council. Decided to use my height, or rather, the lack of it, to my benefit. Closed my speech (which I had to give standing next to the podium) by saying, "So….the next time you
bend down to tie your shoe, there I'll be." I won a seat for the next three years. (People still remember this speech 40 years later!)
bend down to tie your shoe, there I'll be." I won a seat for the next three years. (People still remember this speech 40 years later!)
The best part of high school was meeting my friend, Doreen. We are still "besties" to this day. Lots of good (and some odd) memories there. I hung with a very small group of people who frequented a certain teacher's office between classes. I got my first job at Morton's Drug Store as soon as I turned 16. Got fired but I can't remember why. Maybe I wasn't Jewish enough for them. Got my second job at Maxwell's Drug Store in the next plaza. (By the way, Hamden is famous for its Magic Mile, one of the first strip malls in Connecticut. We also had the first McDonald's in CT. My siblings and I were always amazed by the sign that proclaimed "Over ONE MILLION sold!) The manager at Maxwell's was an old friend of my step-dad. Frank actually hired me because I was Jewish and he thought I would work on Sundays, Christmas, and Easter without complaint. But – as I like to say – I'm Italian by osmosis. Once my Italian step- dad entered the scene, holidays became a major food-fest. I did my shifts dutifully though and worked at Maxwell's through college, even getting my friend, Doreen a job there. (She met her husband, John working there, so – you're welcome Dor!)
Academically, I did ok. But back then a "C" average was considered okay. I loved my German teacher, Mrs. Karacsonyi. I took German, beginning in 7th grade all the way through high school because I wanted to know what my grandmother was saying to my mother. (They immigrated to the US from Austria in 1938.) Unfortunately, the dialect you learn in school is not the same as that spoken in Vienna. It did help a bit though. I did pay attention in Biology class. To one thing. Genetics. I learned that if a very short person has a child with a fairly tall person there is a 50 % chance of having an average size child. I met the man would become my husband in 1974. Scott was 6 feet tall. I was 4 feet 10 inches. (So it said on my license. I think I really was 4 '8 ¾" which is what I am now.) We now have two children, Caitlin and Meghan – both of average height. Knowledge is valuable.
I graduated from Hamden High in 1972 and went straight to college. I was 17 ½ years old. I was going to be the "coolest English teacher" ever. Southern Connecticut State College (now Southern Connecticut State University) was basically like attending a giant Hamden High. It was primarily a commuter school at that time. I lived at home because it was too expensive to live on campus. I received a grant to pay the majority of my bills due to our family's large size and small income. The loans I took out were later forgiven because I became a teacher. I supplemented my grant money by continuing my job at Maxwell's. I was making $1.85 an hour. Finally, in 1974 the company agreed to give us a nickel raise. The minimum wage was raised to $1.91 just a few days later. Nice people I worked for.
Somewhere during my sophomore year I decided that English was completely BORING. Totally blindsided by this revelation, I had no idea what to do. I remembered my friend Paula (from that small group in high school) babysitting a hearing impaired boy when we were younger. Special Education was just beginning to be a major field and SCSC was the school for Special Education teachers at the time. So that was that. I would study Special Education and work with students who had mild learning disabilities.
A childhood friend, Renee, introduced me to Scott Holman in October of 1974. By spring of 1975, I had moved into my first apartment at 1074 Dixwell Avenue in Hamden, CT. My roommate was Patty, a childhood friend of Doreen's. The third floor apartment was $150 a month. The only heat was a space heater in the living room and whatever radiated from a "gas on gas" stove in the kitchen. I bought a waterbed to avoid freezing at night. It all seemed like a good idea at the time. Within a few months Patty moved out to live with the guy on the first floor. Solution? Move Scott in! It was perhaps the most radical thing I had ever done. Of course, it was the 70s.
We lived there for some months then moved several blocks south to 40 Whiting Street. Our landlord was an Italian guy who said he didn't speak English. It did appear that was true when we tried to get him to fix the kitchen drainpipe that had frozen because it ran down the outside of the house. He also didn't seem to understand when we expressed our disgust at the fruit flies invading our apartment as a result of his winemaking in the basement. He sure knew how to speak English when asking for the rent though.
I did my first student-teaching in Meriden working with what was then referred to as TMR students (Trainable Mentally Retarded – what a horrible term.) The master teacher was horrific. I spent many days crying as I drove the 20 minutes from school to my job at the drug store. The highlight was evenings at the bar with Scott, coloring the drawings I needed for class the next day.
My second student teaching experience was much better. I worked in two elementary schools in Hamden. Ah… these were the kids I wanted to work with. Sweet kids, with minimal learning disabilities. I graduated from Southern with a B.S. in Special Education in May 1976.
I no longer was working at Maxwell's. The Adams Drug company said they had evidence of employees stealing, took me (alone) in the backroom and threatened to "get the authorities involved." I panicked. I don't like to be in trouble. I signed some crazy paper that said I had taken funds from the company. What a sucker – I never even asked them for evidence. I left and never heard another word from them. Shortly after that I got a job at JC Penney working in the catalog department.
But, I couldn't get a teaching job. There was so much competition. The market was flooded with newly graduated teachers. Out of desperation, I agreed to an interview 3 miles from the Canadian border. My sister Kathy joined me for the road trip. On the way home, it was raining. No, it was pouring. Of course, my wipers stopped working. We "MacGyver'ed" a contraption, tying our shoelaces together and running it from wiper to wiper through the inside of the car. By the time we hit Meriden CT (maybe an hour later) Kathy's hands were blistered from the pulling. It was raining even harder. If the radio in my car had worked, we might have heard the cause was Hurricane Belle. We decided to stop at a hotel. Great idea till we got locked out of the room on the balcony when we went out to check the rain. I still hate Meriden.
I didn't get the job. I was quite distraught, thinking I would never get a "real" job. I remember bawling my eyes out on the bed while Scott consoled me. He's a good guy.
I finally got a job in October 1976 at Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES) as a part-time aide. I worked with adolescents who had severe emotional and learning deficits. In January I went to full-time. I applied for several teaching jobs in the next few years with no success. I believed it was because "they" thought I couldn't do the job because I was so short. (Do you sense a theme here?) I finally earned a te
aching position in 1979, becoming the first "pre-vocational" teacher in the program. I taught basic life skills and simple job tasks. My salary was $9, 975. It seemed like a million bucks to me. (In 2014 I finally got up the nerve to ask my former boss why she passed me over for so many teaching jobs. "Was it because I was short?" She looked shocked and replied that – no – I simply hadn't been "ready.")
aching position in 1979, becoming the first "pre-vocational" teacher in the program. I taught basic life skills and simple job tasks. My salary was $9, 975. It seemed like a million bucks to me. (In 2014 I finally got up the nerve to ask my former boss why she passed me over for so many teaching jobs. "Was it because I was short?" She looked shocked and replied that – no – I simply hadn't been "ready.")
Scott and I took several "breaks" in our relationship. He moved out and I moved to 205 Norton Street in New Haven. Directly across the street were the "Moonies", members of the Unification Church, a "cult" religion headed by Sun Myung Moon. I had a perfect foil for their frequent proselytizing. I just told them I was a Bahá'í. They would take their leave before I could launch into my "spiel."
Years before, my friend Renee and I attempted to be part of the youth group at the local reformed temple. Not my crowd. Our friend Patty had developed a crush on this guy who was a Bahá'í so she and I thought we'd check it out. Loved it. The Bahá'ís basically believe that God sends a divine messenger for each generation. Bahá'u'lláh was the messenger for our time. Well, technically for the 19th century. The religion has its roots in Iran. There was no church and lots of music. Also – no drugs, no alcohol and no pre-marital sex. I drank my fair share but it wasn't that important to me. (The drinking age was 18 then.) I really didn't want to do drugs – too scared to get in trouble. So, this was perfect. It was the 70s after all. There was a lot of pressure to partake. "Sorry, it's against my religion." But then I met Scott. Hmm. Did I mention I met him in a bar? The Sleigh House Restaurant in Hamden. So, after we moved in together the Bahá'í thing kind of waned. I do miss it though. I really connected with much of what the religion offered. Patty and I even visited the Bahá'í Temple in Willmette, Illinois and went to a National Bahá'í Conference in Oklahoma City. Saw Cher and met Seals and Crofts. Someone must have blabbed about my living arrangements because I remember getting a letter asking me to send back my membership card (I think that's what it was called) if I insisted on continuing to cohabit with Scott. I sent it back. I didn't want to get into trouble.
At some point, Scott moved back in with me in New Haven. After three engagements, (one he can't remember because he was drunk and one we both broke) we married on May 28, 1983. His father, the Reverend William Winchester Holman married us at the Yale Divinity School Chapel. My father, by then on his third marriage, had come down from Toronto, Ontario with his wife Valerie, their three adopted children, Rodi, Kristen, and Marion. Fraser,Valerie's son from her first marriage and my father's second wife, Debbie and their daughter (my half-sister) Alexandra didn't attend. I guess that would have been too weird? I now had 12 people I considered to be siblings. To my father's credit, he was completely accepting of the fact I wanted my stepfather, "Alfie" to walk me down the aisle. Dad had his issues, but he could be a class act.
In 1985, our first daughter, Caitlin was born. I was, to put it mildly, a nervous mother. This auto-biography is already too long so I'll spare the readers the excruciating details of my incompetence as a new mother. The important thing is, she survived. I went back to work when Caitlin was 4 months old.
Scott and I bought our first (and probably our only) home in February, 1986. The sales price was $81,000. Almost 30 years later, the mortgage on 472 Woodin Street in Hamden is $125,000. How did that happen?
I had started working on my Master's degree in 1979. In the fall of 1986, I finally earned my M.S. in Learning Disabilities from Southern. I had a 4.0 average.
Our second child, Meghan, was born in 1989. There were at least 5 other children born to ACES staff that year. The mother of one little boy was struggling with new motherhood and the stress of our difficult jobs. Carolyn and I decided we needed to do something, just for ourselves. We formed TBT Crafts (Two Broke Teachers) and for the next few years, enjoyed selling personalized art cartoons through home parties and craft shows. We even made some money!
I stayed at ACES for a total of 23 years. The majority of my career there was spent working with high-school students who had a variety of serious emotional, behavioral, and learning issues. These were the students who "could not be taught" in their local schools. The "sending" school districts would pay upwards of $20,000 – $40,000 to send a student to ACES for just one year. While at ACES, I developed the first yearbook, a school library, and a variety of different courses. I made wonderful friends. Three in particular are still close to me today.
It was a great place to work, but quite draining. By 1999, our girls were 14 and 10. Like they say, "Bigger kids – bigger problems." Not that the kids had big problems, but I was just so tired at the end of each work day I couldn't fully attend to helping them with homework, getting dinner cooked and on the table, managing their schedules and all the other daily minutia of motherhood. I was tired. And stressed.
Then an opportunity presented itself. At a meeting for one of my students, the director mentioned they might be looking for a teacher. She ran a small, alternative high school program for special education students. In Hamden. Five minutes from our house. It sounded like ACES the way it was when I started in 1976, not the huge program it had morphed into. I took the job in September 2000. Good call.
Working at STEPS (Secondary Teen Educational Programs and Services) was great. It was March 2001 before I got sworn at. That had been a daily, if not hourly, experience at ACES. How refreshing. I was so lucky to have such a wonderful opportunity.
I was even able to spend more time on my hobby, dollhouse miniatures. For many years, my mother and I shared the love of dollhouse miniatures. We participated in local craft shows, selling accessories she made, under the name D'Orette Creations, in honor of the company her parents had run in the late 1940s. By 2000, I owned at least four dollhouses and a plethora of furniture and accessories spanning several design eras. As I mentioned earlier, we were NOT hoarders. I was waiting till I could retire and spend time with all my "stuff."
For the next several years, I worked at STEPS, enjoying happy hours and even a cruise with my new co-workers, who had quickly become like family. I get bored quickly which is why I think working in a small setting fits me so well. I was able to teach in my own way, creating new courses and activities without having to explain (or defend) my style to the "administration." Until that one day when the Superintendent of
Schools passed through my classroom. She was in the room no more than 6 seconds, but it was long enough for her to view and then complain about the sign hanging over my desk: "Sarcasm – Just one more service I offer." I had to take it down.
Schools passed through my classroom. She was in the room no more than 6 seconds, but it was long enough for her to view and then complain about the sign hanging over my desk: "Sarcasm – Just one more service I offer." I had to take it down.
In 2004 my step-father died. I had always spent a good deal of time with my mom, but as her health began failing, my responsibilities to her increased.
My father passed away in 2008. We had never been particularly close but he had made a real effort in the year before he died to make amends for some of his transgressions. I'm glad for that, as I am now closer to my Canadian siblings.
Eventually I picked up a part-time job teaching two nights at the Adult High School in Hamden. I figured it would serve me well later on, perhaps as a way to make some extra money in retirement. (Like my father, I also had a "grand plan") I also had developed an online program at HCLC (STEPS changed its name to Hamden Collaborative Learning Center when the program moved and merged with REACH, a similar program for middle-school students.)
In 2010, I co-wrote and published a book with Linda Gant, whom I met online after purchasing some pieces from her web-store. The Complete Reference Guide to Ideal's 1964 and 1965 Petite Princess and Princess Patti Dollhouse Furnituredetailed the history and information about the first "real" dollhouse furniture I ever owned. We quickly sold out of the 250 copies we had printed and are planning a revised edition for release in 2015.
On December 2, 2011 my mother died. She had fought valiantly for several years to overcome major health problems. I miss her terribly. Writing the book about her life in Japan was very therapeutic for me. I felt like I got to know my mother on another level. Reading her letters, I could imagine she was still here.
The last few years have been amazing. Our daughter Caitlin married Matthew Hardy on July 12, 2012. They had a son, Jack Winchester on May 13, 2014. Caitlin had been living in Colorado since 2003. Jack's arrival made the distance seem even wider.
I realized that I had accrued enough years teaching (35) to take retirement at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. So I did. I spent the summer of 2014 helping Caitlin adjust to motherhood and attending the International Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. Genealogy has become another passion for me. I started my quest just before my father passed away, attempting to prove we had Irish heritage. No luck there yet. (Now you know why our kids are named Caitlin and Meghan). Sharing our family history is a way for me to honor all those who have passed on and keep them alive in my mind.
On October 11, 2014 our daughter Meghan married Andrew Jefts. They purchased my mother's home and live 6 ½ minutes from us in the house I grew up in.
I am continuing to work part-time at Hamden Adult Ed as well as a few hours at HCLC, facilitating the online program I began a few years earlier. My "grand plan" has worked out extraordinarily well.


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Cooperative functions of manganese and thiol redox system against oxidative stress in human spermatozoa
Amrit Kaur Bansal1, Anand Ravinder Jit Kaur2
1 Department of Animal Reproduction, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab University, Chandigarh, India2 Department of Zoology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab University, Chandigarh, India
Correspondence Address:Amrit Kaur BansalDepartment of Animal Reproduction, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana IndiaSource of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: NoneCheck7DOI: 10.4103/0974-1208.57227
Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
Aims: In this study, the effects of 0.1 mM Mn 2+ on thiol components (total thiols [TSH], glutathione reduced [GSH], glutathione oxidized [GSSG] and redox ratio [GSH/ GSSG]) have been determined in human spermatozoa. Settings and Design: The subjects of the study were healthy males having more than 75% motility and 80 x 10 6 sperms/mL. Materials and Methods: Fresh semen was suspended in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (pH 7.2) and this suspension was divided into eight equal fractions. All fractions, control (containing PBS) and experimental (treated/untreated with [ferrous ascorbate, FeAA - 200 FeSO 4 μM, 1000 μM ascorbic acid, nicotine (0.5 mM) and FeAA + nicotine], supplemented/unsupplemented with Mn 2+ [0.1 mM]), were incubated for 2 h at 378C. These fractions were assessed for determining the thiol components. Statistical Analysis: The data were statistically analyzed by Students " t" test. Results and Conclusions: Ferrous ascorbate, nicotine and ferrous ascorbate + nicotine induced oxidative stress and decreased GSH and redox ratio (GSH/GSSG ratio) but increased the TSH and GSSG levels. Mn 2+ supplementation improved TSH, GSH and redox ratio (GSH/GSSG) but decreased the GSSG level under normal and oxidative stress conditions. Thiol groups serve as defense mechanisms of sperm cells to fight against oxidative stress induced by stress inducers such as ferrous ascorbate, nicotine and their combination (ferrous ascorbate + nicotine). In addition, Mn 2+ supplementation maintains the thiol level by reducing oxidative stress.
Keywords: Human sperm, Mn 2+, thiols
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What If I Don't Know What I Want? (The Blank Vision Board Blues)
Something weird happened to me recently. When I was in L.A., Shauna started asking me about vision boards. She had heard about how effective they could be, and was keen to give it a shot. When I asked her what she'd want on her vision board, she immediately rattled off a very specific list. I was psyched for her, and as we talked, I could see her future blossoming in my mind's eye.
I love vision boards and I'm always up to make them, but there was just one problem: I couldn't think of a single thing I wanted. Nothing really lit me up. I just felt kind of empty; tapped out.
This feeling followed me around California, to Nevada (where we had a debaucherous and wonderful few days), and even home to New York City. I returned to an empty house — my husband has been racing motorcycles in Florida — and spent the majority of the week in bed. I was exhausted and demotivated. I slept 12 hours a night more than once. I accidentally fell asleep in the middle of the day. I didn't want to update my blog. I just wanted to lie around and do nothing.
I was filled with conflicting emotions. On one hand, it was thrilling to not have to do anything. (This has been the first time in over a year that I've legitimately had nothing urgent on my to-do list.) But on the other, I felt immense guilt and pressure. My blog, my book, my other projects were all waiting… And I was excited about them! But I just couldn't muster up the enthusiasm.
After a period sitting on the couch staring into space, I Googled Danielle LaPorte to see if she'd ever written anything about how it's okay to take a break. Sadly, I couldn't find anything. Next, I Googled "is it okay for me to take a break?" like I was asking the internet for permission.
An hour or two later, I looked at Instagram… And I got the sign I had been looking for.
REST IS PRODUCTIVE : THE SAVASANA OF CREATIVITY + WORK At the end of a big project, you will be pulled with equal force in three directions: CLEANING UP. You've been in the creative bubble. Your auto-responder was set to "don't bug me," your door mat said "Unwelcome." Now your inbox is encrusted with emails like barnacles on an ocean-liner. There are many things that legitimately need tending to, people you care about are waiting, and you genuinely want to move into responsive mode. But you also really need… STILLNESS. Your mind has been burning for so longing that needs the cooling effect of suspension and ambling. A nap. Reading a book unrelated to your line of work. Unscheduled time. Listening, receiving. NEWNESS. Part of you is raring to get going on the next Big Thing. You're wired to make stuff. It's what you do. If I was more chemically imbalanced, I would have started my new book the day after I submitted my last book, (it crossed my mind. The next tome is burning a hole in my heart.) But I knew it was Savasana time. Prone on the floor with your eyes closed, it's easy to fall asleep in Savasana. Some yoga instructors discourage this because it's not about escaping per se, it's about integration. I used to consider it nap time. But now I listen, and I hear so much more. And I re-enter the world more energized. The same approach applies to work. I used to wrap a project, crash hard, and then zip into the next thing. Now…I sit with both the discomfort and the enthusiasm. I stay awake and look at where I've been and how it relates – or doesn't – to where I want to go. We rest to integrate the benefits of the work that we have done. CLEAN UP without rushing, without panic or guilt, and with respect for the patience you've been shown. BE STILL in the ways that your body and mind crave. LET THE NEWNESS ROOT. Allow yourself to be sensationally excited…without acting on it…yet. When you rest, you have space for all of it. And when you rise to meet the future, you will be very, very ready.
That's when it dawned on me: I needed to take a fucking break! Since January 2014, I've launched 365 days of Radical Self Love Letters, The Blogcademy Home School, Radical Self Love Bible School, Blogcademy Online, and Radical Self Love Bootcamp. This is in addition to editing and finishing my first book, blogging around three times a week, flying around the world to teach The Blogcademy, and holding Radical Self Love Salons in NYC and London.
It's no wonder I'm exhausted. Just looking at that list makes me want to take a big nap (yeah, another one)! It's an enormous amount of content, marketing and customer service to juggle.
It's so obvious: after you create something, you need to recover. As wonderful as it is to make new things and put them out into the world, you can't do it 24/7… Because your creative energy is a finite resource.
The reason I can't think of what I want — and the reason my vision board would be blank right now — is because I'm so burned out and tired. I haven't taken any breaks. I have been, as they say, "burning the candle at both ends."
Yesterday, I asked Google if it was okay for me to take a break. I mean, if you have to go to Google to get permission for something, stop! The answer is simply yes. You are clearly exhausted (and slightly delusional). Just allow yourself to do what you want to do. You are in charge!
Let me say that another way. If you're looking for a permission slip that says it's alright for you to step away, THIS IS IT. Nothing good will come from pushing through, forcing yourself onwards, and gritting your teeth. You need space to figure out your next moves. Your imagination needs traffic cones placed around it so your thoughts can percolate.
If you're feeling so overwhelmed that you don't know what you'd put on your vision board, this is a sign that you need to back off and relax. Make yourself some space. Ideas will start to flow back in when the time is right. (Trust that. There are always more ideas.)
Close your laptop and go for a walk. Sit in the sunshine and close your eyes. Go and see a movie with one of your favourite people. Play with your dog. Buy some plants. Do whatever it is you have to do in this moment to recalibrate your soul. (You already know what you really need.)
I needed to take a rest and let things sink in. That's what I've been doing this week, and what I'm going to continue doing for as long as I need it.
Being creative and doing your work — especially when it's meaningful and fulfilling — is fantastic, but it shouldn't be your entire life. Go do something else!
Take a load off, mama.
With love,
Images by Nick Thomm, Danielle LaPorte and Jen Gotch.
Want more like this? Try In Praise Of Calling It Quits: What To Do When You're Burned Out, & How To Get Your Spark Back.


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For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Tom Coughlin CONTACT Andy Marken
Coughlin Associates Marken Communications
(408) 978-8184 (408) 986-0100
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San Jose, CA, April 4, 2017—David Frederick from Quantum will be a keynote speaker at the 2017 Creative Storage Conference (SM) (CS 2017). Dave joins Lucas Wilson from SuperSphereVR as a keynote speaker. The conference will be May 24, 2017 in Culver City, CA. Submissions for presentations as well as sponsorships and exhibits are available.
You can register for this premier event at http://www.creativestorage.org/2017Register.htm. The registration deadline is May 22, 2017.
David Frederick from Quantum will give a keynote talk titled: Top Five Considerations for 4K Storage Deployments: "Number 4 will shock you!" Following is the talk abstract:
As facilities roll out 4K-capable shared storage systems for their workflows, they may quickly discover that there's more to sizing a storage system for 4K than just adding up drive performance. Quantum will share the methodology and results of its recent comprehensive lab tests, which included six uncompressed and compressed formats and three drive types, including flash, across six different array configurations and three different client platforms. The findings highlight some of the misconceptions about storage performance for 4K workflows and video post-production storage in general. Quantum will provide valuable information that will save media companies both time and money in implementing 4K video storage infrastructure for their facilities.
Dave Frederick is the Senior Director of Media and Entertainment for Quantum Corp. For the last 30 years, Dave has focused on leveraging technology to improve media production and delivery. Since joining Quantum in 2014, he has been working to bring the benefits of multi-tiered, high-performance shared storage to use cases ranging from entertainment, corporate video, imaging, video surveillance and more. Dave's approach: Infrastructure is important, but it must never come between the user and their applications.
The Eleveth Annual Creative Storage Conference (SM) (CS 2017) will be held Wednesday May 24, 2017 at the DoubleTree Hotel West Los Angeles in Culver City, CA (www.creativestorage.org). This event brings together digital storage providers, equipment and software manufacturers and professional media and entertainment end users to explore the conference theme of "The Next Act of Storage: Digital Storage Makes Art Happen." At CS 2017 you can find out the latest developments in digital storage for media and entertainment, find out how other media professionals meet their digital storage needs and network with industry professionals.
This one-day conference and exhibits brings together the vendors, end users, researchers and visionaries that will meet growing demand for digital storage for content capture, editing, archiving and content distribution.
In addition to the sessions there will also be four keynote talks during the conference and perhaps a sponsored reception in the evening. The preliminary agenda for the Creative Storage ConferenceSM is at: http://www.creativestorage.org/2017Agenda.htm.
Google is a Diamond Sponsor. Aspera and Quantum are Platinum Sponsor. Microsoft and NetApp are Bronze Sponsors. Exhibitors include Active Storage, Axle Video, Backblaze, Caringo, CineSys Oceana (DDP Americas), Cloudian, Kingston Technology, mLogic, SGL, StorageDNA and Xendata. Media and Organization Sponsors include the AMIA, Bright Blue Innovations Intl., Broadcast Beat, Colonial Purchasing, Coughlin Associates, DCIA, Digital Cinema Society, Digital Production Buzz, Drive Trust Alliance, Entertainment Technology Center (USC), Entertainment Storage Alliance, Flash Memory Summit, HDDFA, Home Toys/AVSystems, LACPUG, Los Angeles Post Production Group, M&E Tech, MESS, Parks Associates, Popnetmedia, Post Magazine, PostPerspective, Postproduction.com, ProductionHub.com, RDC, Sound and Picture Magazine, SMPTE, SNIA, The Broadcast Bridge, Trusted Computing Group and The Shindler Perspective.
Some sponsorships and exhibits opportunities are still available for the 2017 Creative Storage Conference (SM). Several levels of conference, web site and event sponsorship are available as well as a table-top exhibits. Information on the sponsorship and exhibit opportunities are available at http://www.creativestorage.org/2017Exhibitors.htm.
For additional information on the conference call 408-202-5098 or email email@example.com.
The Creative
Storage Conference (SM) is put on by the Entertainment Storage Alliance (www.entertainmentstorage.org) and Coughlin Associates (www.tomcoughlin.com).


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Unlikely For Chargers To Put Franchise Tag on Vincent Jackson in 2012
Here we go with AJ Smith running the team again. AJ likes to play hard ball with his free agents and one of our top free agents this offseason will be Vincent Jackson. We franchise tagged him last season and there are "sources" that say that we are unlikely to franchise him this next season:
sources said this week that it is unlikely the team would place the franchise tag on Jackson again in 2012. – Kevin Acee
So, we either will be looking to lock him up to a long-term deal or he will walk to another team (Let's just pretend the Saints sign him because they already have Drew Brees and Darren Sproles). How much MORE angry at the franchise would you be if we let VJ walk in free agency?
I am scared to see what happens with this whole situation. Vincent Jackson was one of the few offensive weapons that was able to tough it out through injuries for the whole season. He was bothered by little nicks here and there, but he was still in the game making plays. He is a game changer and has big play ability. It would be nice to know that he will be a Charger for another 4 or 5 years.
Will we be able to make that happen? Only time will tell.


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NEW YORK – Starting next month, Off Broadway's Signature Theatre Company will mark the 80th birthday of preeminent South African dramatist Athol Fugard with a mini-season of his work. This first Broadway staging of The Road to Mecca is a prelude to that celebration. Watching beloved theater veteran Rosemary Harris in a major role is a reward in itself. But a compelling case is made for this wordy 1984 drama about individual and artistic freedom only deep into its second act.
Directed with trudging reverence by Gordon Edelstein for Roundabout Theatre Company, the production unfolds on a detailed set by Michael Yeargan, depicting the Karoo desert home of outsider artist Miss Helen (Harris) as an artsy-crafty domain of color and light. Caressed by Peter Kaczorowski's supple lighting, its walls are alive with flecks of glitter and shimmering washes of reds and blues, and its shelves groan with esoteric knickknacks. This is a place of self-exile that amplifies Fugard's reflective thoughts on both the sanctuary and isolation of creative endeavor.
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Responding to a distraught letter in which the widowed Miss Helen shared her feelings of despair, Elsa Barlow (Carla Gugino) makes an unannounced visit. A fiercely opinionated Cape Town English teacher whose own fulfillment has been cramped by professional, cultural and romantic disillusionment, Elsa has long admired the older Afrikaner woman as a resilient free spirit. Tired and irritable after the 12-hour drive and unsettled by her encounter with an African woman and her baby facing an 80-mile journey on foot, Elsa makes for prickly company.
STORY: THR Critic David Rooney's Top 10 Theater Productions of 2011
The protracted first act is built out of speech upon speech from the two women as they skirt around the central conflicts without fully articulating them. Much of this burden falls on Gugino (Entourage). Mesmerizing in previous New York stage work, she strains here to find some human warmth beneath the overbearing character's deluge of verbiage.
Fugard writes impeccably honed dialogue; it's just that there's so much of it, and his reams of exposition are far from seamless. Without a director capable of accessing the lightness and delicacy in his dense thickets of words, his plays can veer into windy speechifying. There's also a tendency here for the playwright to belabor his metaphors, making the 2½-hour drama repetitious, often dull and stylistically dated. This is at heart an intimate play that seems needlessly stretched, swimming in a too-large theater.
While The Road to Mecca, set in 1974, is one of Fugard's less outwardly political plays, his work invariably echoes the struggle of a nation to overcome generations of social inequity and rigid Afrikaner traditionalism. That theme emerges in the fears of Miss Helen (inspired by the artist Helen Martins) as she weighs her own growing frailty against pressure from the conservative villagers to relinquish her eccentric hermitage and enter a church-run retirement home.
In their strict notion of order, nonconformist Miss Helen is viewed as a pariah. Rather then meekly continuing to attend Sunday services like a respectable widow, she abandoned the church when her husband died 15 years earlier and began dedicating herself to building an elaborate sculpture garden. That unseen menagerie of owls, mermaids, camels and wise men, all pointing toward Helen's vision of Mecca, spreads whispers of idolatry through the village.
Representing that puritanical faction, local minister Marius Byleveld (Jim Dale) shows up at the close of act one to exert his passive-aggressive powers of persuasion on Miss Helen. The battle of wills between Elsa and Marius for the old woman's future appears inevitable, but the minister's motives are revealed to be more complex than they initially seem. Playing a man ruled by propriety, Dale is quietly affecting, his meddlesome purpose at odds with his compassion and his deeper feelings for Helen.
However, the fireworks come not from the expected clash on Helen's behalf, but from her gradual summoning of the strength to speak for herself. Harris is compelling throughout, bringing a stoicism and alertness that deftly counter the physical evidence of enfeebled old age. But it's only when she fires up into a rapturous aria that describes her bereavement, her loss of faith and her discovery of art as a liberation that the meandering play fully reveals itself.
Venue: American Airlines Theatre, New York (runs through March 4)
Cast: Rosemary Harris, Carla Gugino, Jim Dale
Director: Gordon Edelstein
Playwright: Athol Fugard
Set designer: Michael Yeargan
Costume designer: Susan Hilferty
Lighting designer: Peter Kaczorowski
Music/sound designer: John Gromada
Presented by Roundabout Theatre Company, by special arrangement with Signature Theatre Company
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Liam Neeson has admitted that filming The A-Team helped him come to terms with his wife's sudden death.
Neeson, who was married to actress Natasha Richardson, said that he found shooting action scenes for the big-screen version of the '80s television show "therapeutic". Richardson passed away in March 2009 after suffering a brain haemorrhage caused by a fall.
According to the News of the World, the actor, who plays John 'Hannibal' Smith in the film, said: "I'm scared when I wake up in the morning - just what the day is going to entail. But these guys in the A-Team know no fear.
"It's like they are not scared of anything and that's an amazing quality, I think. I'd love to have that quality in real life.
He added: "It was just a joy to come on set in the mornings and be with these kids - these guys. It's given me a whole new lease of life at the age of 58.
"It was great to sweat every day and learn these fights. I found it very therapeutic."
Neeson also revealed that he wasn't a fan of the original television series, but was convinced to take on the film by the quality of the script.
"Bradley [Cooper], [Quinton] Rampage [Johnson] and those guys were ten or 11 years old and it was iconic for them," he said. "But for me, even though it was very popular in Ireland, it wasn't my cup of tea.
"[But the script] was wonderful. It wasn't as campy as the old A-Team... but it was rooted in reality in real trouble spots around the world.
"And when I met Joe Carnahan, the director, I loved his energy. And it was a no-brainer."
The A-Team is currently in US cinemas and is released in the UK on July 30.