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By Abu-Jahlil Astrid Chacha for Milwaukee Community Journal
The Chief Executive Officer of "Agence Française de Devélopement" , the French Agency for Development Mr Remi Rioux declared in December 6TH , 2016 that his agency, joined to the "La Caisse française des dêpots", another financial institution in France will invest in 2017 until 500 millions of Euros into emerging African countries to help them create more development infrastructures in the fields of telecommunications, renewable energy, transport, clean water, new technologies, waste treatment, education and health.
For the first time these two financial institutions are uniting, as current to give France government a stronger and efficient office to finance the new international challenges humanity is facing " Demographic and social transition, energy and ecological transition, territorial, digital, political and citizen", as said Mr Rioux . Mr Pierre Réné Lem added "we want also to be very involved in applying the Paris climate agreement".
Since seventy five years and across seventy countries on the planet, the French Agency for Development ( In French Agence Française de Development ) has been acting consistantly in supporting many development projects in the fields of agriculture, environment, health, education, job training, water, crisis and conflicts, climate, energy, transports… AFD has office in forty countries in Africa and has a long and particular experience of solidarity in interaction with African countries.
In other side, The United Nations Climate Green Fund has been founded in May 2015 in order to be the most important office to give financial help specifically to African countries to solve their problems caused by climate change such us farming production rate decreasing, scientific researches, change of rain season … Three african regions had been provided funds and are still supported, Malawi, Senegal and Eastern Africa.
The Climate Green Fund could raise $168 millions and directed half to Africa. The countries members of the fund are raising $10 billions until 2018. Richest countries at the 2009 Copenhague climate conference promised that from 2020, they would raise each year $100 billions to solve problems generated by climate change in Africa.
Before leaving the White House office, Barack Obama has provided $500 millions to the Climate Green Fund.
Senegal located in Western Africa could benefit $7 millions suffering from the salinization of its lands turn into strangely salted which is a serious threat for millions of people living by farming and for a economic system based on peanuts farming trade.
Malawi located in Southeastern Africa is one of the poorest country on the planet. It could benefit $12 millions. Malawi regularly comes down under lot of natural disasters, many storms, floods, droughts which horribly destroys the farming production and oblige exodus of farmers, families and workers, 2 millions of people.
Sudan, located in the northeastern Africa is a very large country with great agriculture
Possibilities but the rain does not fall enough, the seasons dramatically changed.
The Climate Conferences called COP 21, COP 22 were about to create solutions. But Madame Fatima Denton who is the coordinator of African Center for climate policy argued in an interview to "Jeune Afrique Magazine" before the COP 21 conference that all these funds are not sufficient. She complained about general opinion thinking only in reducing the effects of climate change. She apologized for adaptation techniques.
Ghana in western Africa and The Kingdom of Morocco in the northern white Africa are preparing their proposals to the Climate Green Fund.
"Germanwatch" is a platform trying to call ordinary citizens to take part in the debate and the actions to encourage governments. ENDA Energie, a french company accepted partnership with "Germanwatch" in Senegal and french speaking african countries.
PACJA in Kenya, AESVT in Morocco; ABANTU in Ghana; CISONECC in Malawi; the CARE offices in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi are also partners. The general coordination is ruled by Germanwatch and CARE Allemagne-Luxembourg (CARE DL).
In May 2017 in Abidjan, capital of western Africa country Côte d'Ivoire, Germanwatch
hold a conference to make the point with his partners and take new decisions to
Regulate the damages of climate change.


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Jinx (Character)
from Mr. Mom (1983)
Please see the IMDb GetSatisfaction Character announcement for details.
FilmographyEdit Credits
- Mr. Mom (1983) Played by Jeffrey Tambor
... aka "Perfect Daddy" - Philippines (English title)
Additional Details
Fun Stuff
Jinx: [talking about the lay-off] Your not exactly walking out of here empty handed, You got your pension and I'll give you this months gas money.
Larry: There's only one more thing I want.
Jinx: What?
Larry: Disability!
Jinx: [Jinx goes to window and tries to open it and jump out but is grabbed by Jack]
Jinx: Hey keep that sense of humor buddy, its critical.
[Larry rushes at him and attempts to strangle him]
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subset: commoncrawl


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Do Democrats Know Nothing About Ted Kennedy's Past, Or Are They Just Funny?
Filed Under Politics | 4 Comments
Today's the big day. Massachusetts voters are about to decide who will replace Ted Kennedy in the Senate, and Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, is obviously another Democrat who either has a dramatic lack of knowledge in the field of political history or a tremendous flair for comedy:
"Why would you hand the keys to the car back to the same guys whose policies drove the economy into the ditch and then walked away from the scene of the accident?†Van Hollen said. "For the Republicans to say vote for us and bring back the guys who got us into this mess in the first place, I don't think it's a winner.â€
Hopefully I can stop laughing long enough to pay attention to the election results this afternoon. Will Coakley sink or swim? Will Brown be able to bridge the gap? We'll find out soon.
(h/t Althouse)
4 Responses to "Do Democrats Know Nothing About Ted Kennedy's Past, Or Are They Just Funny?"
Jay_C on
January 19th, 2010 3:02 pm
Hilarious! They just dont know when to "chap-a-quit-it" do they Sorry, I know, bad joke, but I couldn't resist.
Mike_S on
January 19th, 2010 4:37 pm
No, the Dems are a bad joke; yours is fine.
Nanny on
January 19th, 2010 5:14 pm
How they can even mention car and Kennedy in the same breath is beyond me.
Doug Schexnayder on
January 21st, 2010 12:29 am
Kennedy held this seat for so long, that people forgot how he originally got it. Ted Kennedy was appointed to it after the "Boston machine" changed the law to protect the seat originally won by JFK through nefarious means. Later, Teddy's first real elections were won by sympathy votes cast for his name on behalf of his assinated brothers — Then his own plane crash. By now he was a 2 1/2 term Senator, always hard to beat those.
The corruption of the Boston machine plus his name kept him in power in spite of scandals that would have put other Senators into retirement (or prison for manslaughter or rape). Instead of being condemned for his drunken behavior, he was praised by the national press – 24/7 advertising every day of the year. The Democrats still don't realize that Kennedy didn't represent the real people of Massachusetts. Kennedy was imposed and given a coronation. Now the people are taking THEIR seat back. Kerry is next to go.
Posted By: Gary | January 19, 2010 at 04:33 PM
How about "lose one for Mary Jo"? Ted Kennedy was a useless, drunken, cheating (both academically and in his marriage), vicious, philandering boor. Also a pathetic excuse for a "public servant". He was not worthy to hold any of his brother's jock straps, even the two assassinated ones who were not so great themselves. I sincerely hope the people of MA purge themselves of the nasty Kennedy legacy once and for all. We need no "royalty".
BY BEAVERCLEAVER on 01/19/2010 at 17:16
Don't worry. Teddy's legacy of drunken arogance lives on through Patrick, the idiot princeling.We can only hope that the pompous windbag Kerry is next to go.
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By Christian Davenport
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Craig Lewis had been gone so long that when he walked into the front office of Fluvanna County High School, the secretary gave him a quizzical look.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
She studied him with a blank expression for a moment, and then, suddenly, her eyes widened with recognition.
"You're back!" she said, smiling broadly.
"I am," Lewis said, his close-cropped hair still at Army standard.
He managed a smile, though it felt strange to be back in this squat brick building again. He'd grown up in this rural community outside of Charlottesville and, what now seemed like eons ago, had graduated from Fluvanna in 1997 before later being hired to teach and coach baseball at his alma mater. But it had been more than two years since he'd been a regular presence in these hallways. More than two years since Lewis, a lieutenant in the Virginia Army National Guard, had been ordered to flight school and then to Iraq as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. Now he was home and finally ready to see his old boss, Fluvanna principal James Barlow.
"Is he available?" Lewis asked the secretary.
"Let me check," she replied.
Lewis -- accompanied by a reporter chronicling his return to civilian life -- shuffled his feet nervously. Given the way he'd left here, it wasn't going to be easy asking for his job back.
When the Army National Guard had decided to send Lewis to flight school back in 2005, he initially thought he'd be able to finish the school year at Fluvanna before heading to Fort Rucker in Alabama. But, suddenly, the schedule had changed. The commander of the Guard's 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment had told Lewis to report to Fort Rucker within a week.
Lewis, floored, had begged for permission to finish the school year first. Otherwise he'd be leaving Barlow and his students in the lurch. But he was given no choice. This was what being in the National Guard was all about: One day you were a citizen, the next a soldier.
"I've got some bad news," Lewis had been forced to tell his principal on a Monday morning in January 2005. "They moved up my flight school date . . . My last day is going to be Wednesday."
Barlow, Lewis remembered, had been incredulous.
"This Wednesday?" he'd asked. "As in two days from now? You've got to be kidding."
Now it was May 2007, and Lewis was a newly minted veteran of America's long conflict in Iraq. He and the other 350 members of his battalion had been back in Virginia for almost three months, and many were still trying to piece together the civilian lives that had been interrupted by the war. Some were contending with divorce; others were struggling to reconnect with their children. Lewis was grappling with another problem all too common for returning members of the National Guard: finding work.
Lewis knew he should have come in to see Barlow as soon as he had returned from Iraq. But he hadn't been ready to start teaching right away, and, in truth, he wasn't even sure he wanted to anymore. After the rigors of flying a helicopter in combat, teaching didn't seem ambitious enough. But he needed a job, and he didn't know what else to do. Plus, as he'd been told again and again, he was entitled to have his old job back. Federal law requires that employers hold jobs for deploying reservists, even if they've been gone for as long as five years, though employers aren't always eager to comply.
The principal of Fluvanna High was a gruff, no-nonsense man who had spent years as a public school administrator and teacher. On his desk sat a prop, an urn positioned so that the troublemakers who got sent to his office had a clear view of its thick, bold lettering: "Ashes of Problem Students."
Welcoming Lewis into his office, Barlow was warm but businesslike. And as Lewis explained his circumstances -- "I'm now home and would like to teach again" -- Barlow listened intently but with a professional detachment, his face devoid of emotion.
Later he would say that he was surprised to see Lewis, whom he hadn't heard from in so long and whom he had assumed had moved on. If Lewis was serious about coming back, why hadn't he been better about staying in touch, or even made an appointment instead of just popping by unannounced? Still, Barlow was the one who had hired Lewis, and, he said: "I wanted to look out for him. He did a good job here."
Lewis, now 29, had been teaching special education before he'd left for flight school. But he told Barlow that he would prefer to teach physical education when he came back.
"I'd love to help you," the principal said. "But I don't have any openings." One of the physical education teachers might retire after this year, he told Lewis, and that would create a slot. "I'll keep an eye out," he said. "But I can't promise anything." Plus, he added, seemingly unaware of the scope of the law protecting reservists' jobs, Lewis had been gone for more than a year, so the school wasn't obligated to take him back.
For a split second, Lewis's brow started to form a menacing crease. I just spent a year getting shot at in Iraq, and you're not even going to hold my job for me? But he stifled the impulse to argue with the principal and softened his expression into a get-along smile. Best, he decided, to get this resolved amicably. His deployment had already caused enough problems.
"If anything does come open," Lewis said, shaking Barlow's hand and thanking him for his time, "please let me know."
Lewis reminded himself that it was only May; there was still plenty of time before the school year started again in August. And he was sure the law was on his side, should it come to that. As he went into the hallway, one of his former students spotted him and came running toward him.
"Mr. Lewis!" she said. "Mr. Lewis! You're back!"
Yes, he was back. He wasn't sure if he belonged here anymore, yet there was still so much familiar about this place and its end-of-the-school-year rhythms: Friday night baseball games, prom, final exams, graduation. Every year it all unfolded with such reassuring repetition.
His former student disappeared to her next class, and Lewis, now nothing more than a visitor, walked out into the afternoon sun, wondering what to do next.
The nearly 500,000 members of the country's National Guard -- who report to state governors for domestic emergencies and to presidents during war -- work in almost every civilian occupation imaginable. They are teachers and truckers, police officers and paramedics, lawyers and line cooks, machinists and mental health professionals. In the past, their part-time role in powering America's military didn't always garner much notice or respect. That changed dramatically after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
If the Guard was once considered little more than a loosely trained bunch of second stringers on call to fill sandbags during floods, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq completely redefined what it means to be a citizen-soldier. Never before had tens of thousands of Guard members been plucked from civilian life, sent overseas to combat and then thrust back into society. Many repeated this jarring process -- disrupting families and stressing civilian careers -- two or even three times.
The repeated deployments have transformed the Guard into a frontline force that is expected to perform every bit as well -- and nearly as frequently -- as its active-duty counterparts. At one point in 2005, the Guard made up half of the Army's combat force in Iraq.
Unlike the ranks of the active-duty Army, who return to large bases and are surrounded by fellow soldiers grappling with life after war, citizen-soldiers are cast back to civilian life almost immediately after their tours are up. Many struggle to resume their old lives and reintegrate into a society that has never been so divorced from its military and so unaffected by the wars it is fighting. And some have problems getting their old jobs back.
Shortly after 9/11, when the Guard started being called for federal duty in numbers not seen since World War II, employers sent their reservists off to war with flags waving. When there were problems, it was largely because employers were simply not aware of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), which protects reservists' jobs at businesses large and small.
But since 2005, the number of calls to the Defense Department office that handles service members' employment problems has more than doubled, from 5,300 to 13,000 last year. Officials attribute much of the growth to the fact that more soldiers are aware of the office -- and of their rights. But the number of unresolved cases, which can be forwarded to the Department of Labor or in some cases end up in private litigation, also has grown, reaching a high of 765 last year.
That's why business has been booming for Mathew Tully, an attorney with offices in New York and Washington who specializes in reemployment cases and has represented dozens of Guard members and reservists who have had to fight to win their old jobs back.
"After 9/11, the issue was a lack of knowledge," Tully said. "Now what we're seeing -- and we're getting record high numbers of USERRA cases -- is employers saying: 'Yeah, we understand the law. But this is your third deployment, and you're obviously picking the military over us.'" Earlier this year, a U.S. District Court judge awarded Michael Serricchio, a Massachusetts Air Force reservist, a judgment that could reach as high as $1.5 million. Serricchio claimed that Wachovia Securities refused to give him back his job as a financial adviser after he returned from more than two years of active duty. The verdict, believed to be the highest penalty ever awarded in a reemployment case, should serve "as a wake-up call to companies that there are laws to protect returning reservists, and that they need to follow them," Serricchio said.
But Tully believes the problem has become more severe since the economy started tanking last fall. With employers of every size shedding jobs, many have lost patience with the disruptions that repeated deployments have imposed on them. Some have had to scramble to find temporary replacements, often on very short notice. And for small employers, it is especially burdensome to hold a job open indefinitely.
The void Lewis's sudden departure left in Fluvanna's teaching ranks was filled by a substitute qualified to teach special education. Still, as Barlow would later observe, "it's always difficult when you lose the regular teacher."
That's especially true when that teacher gives a mere three days' notice before reporting to flight school.
The Army chooses its pilots carefully. To make sure Craig Lewis was fit for flying, doctors poked him like a lab rat. They tested his eyesight and depth perception. They dilated his pupils and shined lights into his eyes until he felt as if he were in a sci-fi movie. They gave him an EKG to make sure his heart was healthy, drew his blood, tested his urine, checked his reflexes, asked him about how much he drank, and threatened him with a $100,000 fine and jail time if they discovered he was lying.
He had joined the Guard in 2002 during his senior year at Bridgewater College, where he majored in sports and health education and played fullback for the college's football team. Though Lewis could bench-press 425 pounds, his father wasn't sure he was cut out for the military. But Lewis, caught up in the post-9/11 patriotic fervor, had been eager to serve. And eager to learn to fly, which he saw as an elite job that would earn him instant prestige and respect.
"We've got an aviation unit right here in Virginia that flies Black Hawks," the National Guard recruiter had told him when he'd asked about flight school. In 2005, after three years of putting on a uniform one weekend a month and waiting for a spot to open up at Fort Rucker, Lewis was finally on the verge of fulfilling his ambitions. Before arriving at flight school, Lewis had flown in an airplane only twice -- once to basic training in Oklahoma, the other to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. One thing became clear to him almost immediately: Unlike some of his classmates, he was not a natural pilot.
"I was totally overwhelmed," he says. But what he lacked in natural talent or instinct, he compensated for with hard work, studying his flight manuals every second he wasn't in class or with his flight instructor. He fell asleep at his desk with his books open more times than he could count, then rose at 5:30 a.m. to read some more.
In class, Lewis's round-the-clock studying paid off, and he earned a 96 average. But when it was time to fly, he froze, infuriating his otherwise soft-spoken instructor.
"What the [expletive] are you doing? Are you an idiot?" his instructor would scream at a decibel level that rivaled the whirl of the helicopter blades. "How many times have we gone over this?"
The instructor would get them in the air, let Lewis take over the controls, and within a few seconds the helicopter would start jerking wildly. Inevitably, the aircraft would tilt to a perilous angle, the instructor would grab the controls -- "I got it," he'd huff -- and effortlessly right the aircraft. "Look at how easy this is," he'd say.
To Lewis it seemed impossible. There were three sets of controls that had to be used in harmony. Mess one up, and the others would go completely out of whack. Flying a $6 million Black Hawk was a little like juggling, but with both arms and both feet. What surprised Lewis was how delicate he had to be with the controls. Anything more than a feather-light touch could send the aircraft reeling.
For Lewis, the hardest part wasn't getting the chopper to move; it was getting it to hover, a skill every pilot had to master to pass the first test, known as a check ride. No matter how hard he tried and no matter how loud his instructor yelled, he couldn't get that mass of metal to sit still in the air.
Lewis's first check ride was coming up, and he knew there was no way he'd be able to pass. He was right. He quickly lost control of the chopper and was failed on the spot. "You're letting the aircraft fly you," his flight commander admonished.
Lewis thought for sure he was going to get booted from the school. Every other member of the class but one had passed his or her check ride. But as the commander reviewed Lewis's file and saw his stellar classroom grades, he decided to give Lewis some extra time, with a warning: "You have no business here if you can't control this aircraft."
Slowly, Lewis improved, passing his second check ride. He passed the next test, too -- a short, solo loop around the airfield. But because of his early troubles, he was the last in the class to complete it. And he knew what that meant: He'd be hazed.
A few days later, Lewis was greeted by the instructors with a flight suit a couple of sizes too small that had been spray-painted orange and black. They made him wear swimming goggles and a child's pair of purple water wings. Then they presented him with a bike that had been outfitted to look like a helicopter -- rotor blades, a rear tail, even landing skids -- that he had to ride around the base's courtyard while the rest of the class pelted him with water balloons and soaked him with a fire hose.
He was too relieved at the prospect of making it through flight school to be humiliated. Instead, he made his rounds on the bike, trying not to get knocked over by the fire hose spray as his fellow students cheered him on.
The curious whistle in the distance was getting closer fast. But Lewis was so new to Iraq that he didn't even look up from the transmission filter he had been inspecting. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that his instructor pilot was diving to the ground.
"GET DOWN!" his instructor screamed.
The mortar hit a few hundred yards away with a titanic boom that shook the ground and kicked up a huge dust plume. Shrapnel and debris came bouncing past Lewis, who finally hit the deck.
Afterward, Chief Warrant Officer-3 Shane Leipertz was astounded. What kind of soldier doesn't know to hit the deck when there's incoming fire? "Lesson number one: When you hear that whistling sound, you get down," Leipertz groused.
Leipertz hadn't ordered up the mortar attack, but he was almost glad it had hit so close. He wanted Lewis rattled. Pilots had to get used to flying scared, with bullets whizzing by, an engine out, fuel leaking, smoke billowing from the engine, an incapacitated co-pilot unable to help. One or all of those scenarios were a distinct possibility in Iraq, and his job was to make sure Lewis could handle every one.
Lewis had been in Iraq a week and still considered it crazy that the Army was going to let him fly combat missions. His evolution from citizen to soldier, from high school teacher to wartime pilot had been so quick, so jarring, that part of him couldn't believe it had really happened.
Within weeks of graduating from flight school in the spring of 2006, he'd been ordered to Iraq to meet up with his unit, which had been sent to al Asad Air Base while he was still at Fort Rucker. Shortly before shipping out, Lewis stopped by Fluvanna High to say goodbye to his colleagues and students, who wished him well. He didn't see Barlow, but left him a message letting him know that he was being deployed to Iraq. He never heard back.
His strained relationship with his principal was a source of concern, but Lewis didn't have time to dwell on it. To prepare for Iraq, the 2-224th had spent two months in the Arizona desert. Lewis had missed out on that and had yet to fly a mission that was not under the supervision of an instructor. He'd never flown with door gunners or in a desert environment, where the blinding clouds of sand kicked up by the helicopter's blades can wreak havoc for even the most experienced pilots.
He fretted about his inexperience. How could he be ready for this? But Leipertz, who was charged with getting Lewis ready to fly in Iraq, was privately pleased with the way he was handling the stress of the training exercises. There was an unflappable persistence in him that Leipertz admired. Even when Lewis made mistakes, which he often did, he seemed determined to learn from them.
"I am pushing him hard, and he seems to be responding well," Leipertz noted in his journal. "I let him fly quite a bit, and he did well. The temperature was [120 degrees Fahrenheit]. The aircraft was struggling, and so were we."
Lewis grew more confident with each training flight. But when he learned that his first real mission would be to Ramadi and Fallujah, he again thought his commanders were out of their minds. Did they have to start him out in two of Iraq's most dangerous places?
"There's a guy getting out of a truck. Looks like he's got an AK. He's shooting at us."
The crew chief's voice was steady and unexcited, Lewis recalled. For a split second, the content of what he had said didn't even register with Lewis. Then it hit him: Someone is shooting at us. Keep the aircraft level, Lewis thought. Don't panic.
For his first flight, he'd been assigned a new senior pilot, someone he'd never flown with before. And the other pilot was just sitting there silently, as if everything was okay. "What was that?" the senior pilot asked. Three or four seconds had passed, but to Lewis it had felt like forever.
"We're taking fire," the crew chief said again, almost nonchalantly. How can he be so calm? Lewis thought.
By then, they had already passed well out of range of the machine guns. "No point in returning fire now," the senior pilot said. He alerted ground troops to the insurgent's location and carried on as if nothing had happened.
Only then did Lewis realize that he'd been so focused on his most basic task -- keeping the helicopter in formation -- that it hadn't even occurred to him to give the order to fire. Not that he was authorized to for this mission; as the junior pilot, it wasn't his call. But Lewis couldn't consider the implications of all that now. He had to stick a landing on a site near Ramadi that from a distance appeared tiny.
Lewis followed the lead chopper in and slowly lowered the helicopter to the ground. Because it was a particularly steep landing and dust was swirling, he asked one of the crew chiefs to make sure the landing area was clear. When the crew chief said it was, Lewis set the Black Hawk down softly. But when he looked out the window, he realized that instead of landing square on the pad, the helicopter was straddling the sandbags that formed the perimeter -- the front tire on one side, the rear tires on the other.
"What the hell?" Lewis said to his crew chief. "I thought you said I was good."
"I did," the crew chief fired back. "But you missed it."
One of the pilots from the lead helicopter whipped out a digital camera and snapped a photo, laughing. Within a couple of days, the photo of Lewis's Black Hawk perched half on the landing pad was posted in the flight operations center for all the other pilots to see.
After about a month of flying daytime missions, Leipertz thought Lewis was ready to begin training to fly at night with night vision goggles, which distort depth perception and turn the landscape into a hazy, green blur. There were a lot of pilots who flew flawlessly by day but had to learn to fly all over again at night.
Before the training flight, Leipertz pulled one of the crew chiefs aside and told him that when Leipertz started talking about football, he should flick the switch on the back of Lewis's helmet that would turn off his night vision goggles and render him blind.
For a couple of hours, Leipertz put Lewis through a series of normal flying drills so Lewis could get comfortable with the goggles. Near the end of the session, Leipertz told him to hold a hover at 10 feet off the ground. Then he asked how the Redskins would do next season, and Lewis's world turned black. It was as if he were suddenly locked in a pitch-dark basement closet. He had been trained for this moment and knew the drill. When your night vision goggles lost power, you were supposed to stay steady at the controls and report as calmly as possible that you had "goggle failure."
But Lewis was so flustered that he mangled the announcement. "I'm a failure," he said, panicking.
"What do you mean, you're a failure?" Leipertz teased him. He wasn't going to take over the controls or let the crew chief turn the power back on until Lewis said it correctly. Meanwhile, Lewis was doing his best to keep the Black Hawk from crashing into the ground, and just repeated the gaffe again and again: "I'm a failure. I'm a failure." Leipertz and the crew burst out laughing. Leipertz finally nodded to the crew chief, and just like that, Lewis had sight again.
For the next few days, any time one of the other pilots saw Lewis they'd mimic him with a falsetto: "I'm a failure. I'm a failure." The ribbing bugged him at first, but deep down Lewis knew the truth: While words may have escaped him during the test, his flying skills had not. He'd held that helicopter at hover the whole time he was blind.
Like flying a helicopter, teaching hadn't come naturally to Lewis. It might have been different if he'd landed a position teaching physical education. Instead he'd found himself working with special education students at Fluvanna. He'd struggled that first year. Developing lesson plans for an entire 50-minute class in virtually every subject -- math, history, English -- was no small task. It had taken him the better part of a semester to get used to it. Flying into Baghdad could be horrifying, but nothing was quite as daunting as managing a classroom of 25 high school sophomores on a sunny spring day.
Not that Lewis spent much time thinking about his old job; Iraq was all-consuming. Though it had been impossible to imagine when he'd first arrived, flying into Baghdad or Fallujah had become second nature to him. He was good at it. In just a few months, he had morphed from the new guy who didn't know when to duck from a mortar strike to one of the unit's rising stars.
On occasion, one of his former students would send him a care package, and it would make him think of home and his old job. After he'd mastered managing a classroom, he'd come to enjoy teaching. It was satisfying to have an impact on the lives of young people. That's why he had gone into education -- to really connect with students. But such thoughts were rare and fleeting, and, if he were being honest with himself, difficult. Not just because of the circumstances under which he'd left, but because, as he was slowly realizing, he was no longer Mr. Lewis the schoolteacher. He was Lt. Lewis now.
He'd always just assumed he would return to the classroom after his deployment was over. But Iraq was planting seeds of doubt. Perhaps he should look for a new challenge, something better suited for a combat veteran. Still, it felt good to know that his teaching job would be there waiting for him when he got home.
The lieutenant was brimming with confidence and optimism when he stepped off a plane at Fort Dix, N.J., on a snowy day in February of 2007. He hadn't just survived Iraq; he'd thrived there. Within days of returning to the United States, he learned he was being promoted to company commander, which meant that not only was he in charge of dozens of soldiers but hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of equipment. It was unusual for a lieutenant to be given a company command, but Lewis's performance reviews made it clear that he was considered anything but usual.
"Lt. Lewis is one of the most talented leaders I ever had the pleasure to work with," gushed one. ". . . His potential for promotion and future service is unlimited."
"Lt. Lewis served with such exceptional skill and maturity he was selected above several more senior officers for company command," raved another. ". . . He is intelligent, well studied, patient and demanding."
It wasn't until Lewis's deflating conversation with James Barlow that his post-Iraq sense of accomplishment suffered its first blow. Although his principal had said he would keep Lewis in mind for any job openings, Lewis saw it as a flat-out rejection. And it bothered him, because Fluvanna was supposed to be his safety net, a sure thing.
No worries, Lewis told himself. This was an opportunity: He could look for something else, perhaps in the defense industry, where he could use his military skills, or in corporate America, where he was sure he'd make an excellent manager. (Though he could have sought work as a pilot, he didn't think he wanted to fly helicopters in the civilian world.) He was a college graduate, a pilot, an officer and an Iraq war veteran. It was only a matter of time before he'd be scooped up by some lucrative company.
Once he landed a new job, he wouldn't have to worry about whether Fluvanna High would take him back. Thanks, but no thanks, he'd say when the school finally came to its senses and asked him to return to the classroom. Lewis was so confident about his prospects that he and a friend from high school bought a $260,000 house in the hills of Charlottesville.
Sitting in his new home, he updated his résumé to include his promotion and his experience in Iraq: "Responsible for training and preparing over 60 soldiers for future combat operations . . . Planned and participated in over 50 combat missions while deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom."
First, he sent it out to large corporations -- Sears, Lowe's, Wal-Mart -- hoping to land in one of their management training programs. Then he sent it out to every job board he could think of: monster.com, hotjobs.com, and nonprofits such as hireahero.org, dedicated to helping veterans.
Then, nothing. Days passed, then weeks, and there were no callbacks inviting him in for an interview, not even a single pro forma e-mail saying, Thanks for applying. We'll get back to you shortly. It was as if his résumé had disappeared into a corporate black hole. He expanded his search to defense contractors in Northern Virginia, sending out more résumés that seemed to get lost.
June gave way to July -- the dead of summer -- a slow time for business, he told himself. Lewis tried to stay positive. He had plenty of money saved up from his time in Iraq and would be fine for a while. He just needed to apply himself, scatter a few more résumés out there. But as day after day passed with his calls and e-mails unreturned, he began to feel as if he didn't exist or, worse, didn't matter. In Iraq, people's lives had depended on him, on his ability to perform under some of the most intense pressure a person could imagine. More pressure, he was sure, than he'd ever be under in the civilian world. Which was why he didn't understand why no one was calling him back.
Maybe he needed to broaden his search from management training and the defense industry to, well, everything else. So he sought jobs in medical sales, in management positions for health-care companies, even at the post office. He applied for positions whose titles he didn't fully understand: "media sales consultant" and "customer operations manager."
A friend said his father was looking to hire for a government contracting job, but even with an inside connection, that, too, went nowhere. Friends and fellow soldiers urged him to stay positive, that it would come together. But the whole experience was profoundly demoralizing.
Technically, of course, he wasn't unemployed. He still had the salary he made in the Guard for drilling one weekend a month, and he was also paid for the required time he put in flying in order to stay current -- usually about $1,000 a month. But he felt unemployed. He felt its sting, as his lack of a full-time paycheck drained his bank account. He felt its humiliation, as he watched his roommate, an accountant manager at a financial firm, head off to work each day, while he sat on the couch with his laptop open and the TV on. He felt its embarrassment when he was out at a bar with friends, hoping the cute woman flirting with him wouldn't ask the dreaded question: "So, what do you do?"
Maybe he should just swallow his pride and go back to the principal and again ask for his old job back. Maybe he should simply say he'd take whatever position was open, and perhaps even apologize. But then he'd think about the way the principal said he wasn't obligated to take him back, and the memory would make him fume. The school system ought to be begging him to come back, not the other way around. If he once felt guilty about leaving the school in a bind, now he was angry.
The posting for a youth counselor on a local Internet job board was not ideal. A few months ago, Lewis probably would not have applied because the salary was only $35,000 -- just about what he had made teaching. But it was a job, and he was a shoo-in. Not only had he been a special education teacher, but he had worked as a youth counselor in college.
By now it was late July, and Lewis was getting desperate. He had chewed through $10,000 of his $30,000 in savings. So he sent in his résumé and got a call a few days later asking him to come in for an interview, which he aced. He was sure of it. His interviewers had been impressed with his experience and with his composure and comportment. The job was his. He could feel it. Any day they would call with an offer.
Only they didn't. One day passed, then another, and when Lewis checked the Internet job board again he saw that they were still seeking candidates. How could he not have landed that job? Replaying the interview in his mind, Lewis suddenly remembered being questioned about his Guard service and his time in Iraq. "What's the likelihood of your being deployed again?" one interviewer had asked.
Lewis tried to make it clear that it wouldn't be for a while; he'd just gotten back. But when pressed, he had to admit that he could be called at any moment for a domestic emergency. That's what the Guard was all about.
At the time, he didn't think the answer had hurt him. But looking back on it, he realized that that was the moment the tone of the interview had changed. And it wasn't long after that that his interviewers were thanking him for coming in and saying they would be in touch. He didn't want to believe his Guard membership could be the reason why no one was hiring him. He was proud of his service, and had featured it prominently on his résumé. But maybe that had been a mistake. Maybe serving in the Guard was a hindrance, not an asset -- at least at a time when reservists were being called for two and three overseas tours. When he mentioned his theory to fellow soldiers, a few said they had run into similar problems.
It was known as the "military service penalty" in some veterans circles, and Lewis was starting to believe it really existed. What employer, especially in this economy, would want to hire someone who could be gone one out of every four or five years? It's a subtle form of discrimination that lawyer Mathew Tully and others says happens all the time but is difficult to prove.
In August, about two weeks before the start of the 2007-08 school year, Lewis found a message waiting for him on his voice mail. It was from a school system assistant superintendent: Fluvanna High was offering him his job back. He could return and teach special education.
Lewis listened to the offer, disbelieving and outraged. Now they offer me my job back? he thought. Just a few weeks before the start of school?
Instantly, he knew what his response would be: No, he wouldn't take it. He needed a job desperately, but he wasn't desperate enough to return to a place that had treated him so poorly and was now, in Lewis's view, offering him a position at the last possible minute to cover themselves. (Asked later about Lewis's perceptions, the school system's superintendent, Thomas W.D. Smith, said he was wrong. The job offer had been made in good faith. It was not unusual, Smith said, to fill positions just before school started. The timing of the offer had nothing to do with the lack of notice Lewis had been able to give before his deployment. "We honor his service and wanted to do right by him," Smith said.)
Lewis called the assistant superintendent back. Thanks, but no thanks, he said.
Instead, he continued the job hunt, though it didn't go any better than before. Finally, in December, a friend introduced Lewis to one of her contacts at CACI International, a huge government contractor that has a Charlottesville office. The man seemed genuinely interested in Lewis and thought his Guard experience was an asset. "We should be able to get you in here no problem," he said when they met.
But by January, when Lewis had still heard nothing back, he was no longer in a position not to work. He'd been back home for nearly a year. That month, he took a job where he could salvage some dignity and also be assured that his military service would be a plus. In fact, it was a requirement. The job at the Virginia National Guard's Joint Operations Center at Fort Pickett in Blackstone was the nerve center for the state's citizen-soldier corps. He'd heard about it from a fellow soldier, who told him: "Hey you're struggling. Come on down here and work here until you find something."
Lewis began serving as a glorified 911 dispatcher, ready to alert guardsmen in the event of natural disasters and coordinate with local emergency authorities, if need be. The pay was good, almost $50,000 a year. The problem was that those periods of emergency were few and far between, and instead of feeling vital, he was plain bored most of the time. He read the reports that came in and monitored the weather, but mostly he watched television and surfed the Internet. After Lewis had spent a few months at Fort Pickett, the tedium of the job made him pursue CACI even more vigorously. He e-mailed his résumé directly to the company's recruiter and followed up with a phone call.
He landed an interview for a position as an intelligence analyst that paid about twice what he had made as a schoolteacher. A few weeks later, on a Wednesday in early June, the personnel office called back.
"We just got a new contract we think you'd be good for, and we want to get you in here as soon as possible, say Friday or Monday," the recruiter said. "How does that suit you?"
This was the moment Lewis had been waiting for since he'd gotten home 16 months earlier. A real job offer, and it was exactly the kind of work he wanted, too, not some youth counseling position. But he felt his stomach turn in knots. He couldn't be there by Friday, or the following Monday. He had just been called up to active duty for a three-week tour patrolling the Arizona border. The timing could not have been worse, which is what he tried to explain. Any other time he'd be available on a moment's notice. "Is there any way you could wait until I got back?" he asked.
"Unfortunately, no," said the recruiter, who was gracious, though clearly disappointed. He told Lewis to give him a call when he got back. "Maybe something will open up in the future," he said.
Lewis promised he would call when he returned. He hung up in disbelief, trying to sort through what had just happened. All along, he'd refrained from blaming the Guard for his employment problems. But this missed opportunity was undeniably linked to his service. If he weren't in the Guard, he would be starting his dream job as soon as Friday.
He loved the camaraderie of the 2-224th, flying and being in charge of an entire company of soldiers. He wanted to serve, and he'd known what he was getting into when he'd signed up. But now he wondered if the sacrifice was worth it. If he resigned his commission and focused solely on landing a job in the civilian world, he wouldn't have to answer the "Will you be deployed?" question. He wouldn't have to worry about being called up and having to give just a few days' notice.
How much longer did he have before he could get out? He had to think on it a minute before coming to the disappointing answer: four years.
A few weeks after Lewis's return from Arizona, the CACI recruiter did call again. He had another opening for an intelligence analyst, the same job Lewis had interviewed for before. Could he start Wednesday?
"You better believe it," Lewis said.
On his first day, he woke up early, showered and beat his housemate out the door. Normally, the traffic during his commute to his new office in Charlottesville would have driven him crazy, but not today. He was thrilled to inch along the highway with everyone else on their way to work, and grateful that his new employer didn't seem to have a problem with his Guard service.
Still, he did not mention the rumors that had been floating around the 2-224th for several weeks. In the summer of 2009, the unit's two weeks of annual training were supposedly going to be in the snow-capped mountains of Canada, where the pilots could get used to flying at high altitude.
Which some speculated meant one thing for the battalion: Afghanistan as early as 2010.
Christian Davenport covers the military for The Washington Post. This article is adapted from his book, "As You Were: To War and Back With the Black Hawk Battalion of the Virginia National Guard," which is being published June 1 by John Wiley & Sons Inc. Davenport can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Recent Posts
- Israeli Stage Sets Sail with Provocative 'Ulysses on Bottles'; Vibrant 'God Box' Explores Grief and Faith with Heart, Humor
- Strong Validation for Gay Heroes: "The Misadventures of Spy Matthias" and "Lifers"
- In the Kitchen with Sarah C.
- World Food Trek
- A 'Dream' Kitchen Brings Forth a Dreamy Appetizer
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Author Archives: CambCooks
Israeli Stage Sets Sail with Provocative 'Ulysses on Bottles'; Vibrant 'God Box' Explores Grief and Faith with Heart, Humor
"Ulysses on Bottles," Israeli Stage and Arts/Emerson, Emerson Paramount Center, Boston through April 25. 617-824-8400 or artsemerson.org; more information at israelstage.com. "God Box," Next Rep Black Box Festival, New Repertory Theatre, Arsenal Center for the Arts, Watertown, ended April 19. … Continue reading
Strong Validation for Gay Heroes: "The Misadventures of Spy Matthias" and "Lifers"
The Misadventures of Spy Matthias, Theatre on Fire, Charlestown Working Theatre, through April 4. 617-242-3285 or charlestownworkingtheatre.org Lifers, Happy Medium Theatre and Argos Productions, Boston Playwrights Theatre, through April 5. 617-353-5443 or bostonplaywrightstheatre.org -Jules Becker Gay heroes are finding vibrant … Continue reading
In the Kitchen with Sarah C.
And thus my dinner plate in an unfamiliar city with its rivers and lighted bridges was graced not only with chilled wine and lemon slices but with compassion and sorrow even after the waiter removed my plate with the head … Continue reading
World Food Trek
[Here, a young Vietnamese cook, hired by a famous writer, speaks to himself:] "Quinces are ripe when they are the yellow of canary wings in midflight….But even then quinces remain a fruit, hard and obstinate – useless, GertrudeStein, until they … Continue reading
A 'Dream' Kitchen Brings Forth a Dreamy Appetizer
[Because of] the Vietcong's unsporting habit of cutting the roads, only a pathetic trickle of first-class produce reached the capital, Saigon. Somehow, though, there was always plenty of pho, the restorative anise-scented beef or chicken noodle soup, delivered to your … Continue reading
A Painter's Palette in the Kitchen: Do We Eat with Our Eyes?
We all know one of those extreme eaters, the friend who travels to exotic places and performs the gastronomic equivalent of running with the bulls. These people live for the goat's eye, the snake's heart, the putrefying cheese, the crispy … Continue reading
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What We'll be Serving Up
In the days that followed, the farmers dutifully (and skeptically) planted Napoli carrots and spread the almond dust over the rows….Ferran Adrià may have espresso foam and olive oil capsules, I thought, but he doesn't have carrots pre-infused with almonds. … Continue reading


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GraphicRiver Corporate Multipurpose Flyer Template 8269011
Category: Print Template | Comment: ( 0 )
GraphicRiver Corporate Multipurpose Flyer Template 8269011
Print Template \ Flyers \ Corporate
Flyer \ Design \ Business \ Graphic \ Project \ Template \ Color \ Green
Print Template - Corporate Multipurpose Flyer Template 8269011 by JanySultana @ GraphicRiver
Print Template \ Flyers \ Corporate
Graphics Files Included: Vector EPS, InDesign INDD, AI Illustrator; Layered: Yes; Minimum Adobe CS Version: CS5; Print Dimensions: 8.27x11.69.
Corporate Multipurpose Flyer Template
Ready to use for Corporate Flyer, Multipurpose Flyer, Business Flyer. Ready to use for Multipurpose uses.
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Template Info
- A4 Size : 216×303 mm in with 3mm bleed
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Font Used (Free)
- Lato : http://www.fontsquirrel.com/fonts/lato
For any help regarding this file, please feel free to contact me through my profile page or Email.
If you have a moment, please rate this item, I'll appreciate it very much!
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Corporate Multipurpose Newsletter Template; Corporate Multipurpose Brochure Template.
Keywords: blue green color, business flyer, buy flyer, clean design, company flyer, corporate flyer, design flyer, design template, flyer, flyer artwork, flyer bundle, flyer design, flyer graphic, graphic design, modern flyer, multipurpose flyer, project flyer, project-business flyer, purple color, single sided flyer design, small business, template flyer.


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- English
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"Dynamic switching of hole character and single photon polarization using the quantum confined Stark effect in quantum dot-in-dot structures"
The engineering of the three-dimensional (3D) heterostructure potential in GaAs/AlGaAs pyramidal quantum dot-in-dots (DiDs) provides control over the valence band symmetry and hence on the polarization of the emitted photons. We propose a technique for dynamic switching of hole character and photon polarization in DiDs by means of an applied electric field. The structural parameters required for producing this effect are discussed. Asymmetric DiDs are found to be particularly suitable for obtaining switching with fields smaller than 1 kV cm(-1). The proposed device enables generation of single photons with dynamic control on the photon polarization, with potential applications in quantum information technology.
- doi:10.1088/0957-4484/21/28/285202
- View record in Web of Science
Keywords: Optical-Properties ; Wires ; Heterostructures ; Absorption ; Growth
Record created on 2010-09-03, modified on 2017-05-12


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Posted in Press Releases on 25 May 2014
After a thrilling race to the top of the album charts, Australian's The Jezabels peaked at number two, back home, with their sophomore release 'The Brink', earlier this year. Awarded the Reader's Choice Award by Rolling Stone Magazine for 'The End' as Song of the Year, the band embarked, post album release, on their now customary and relentless touring schedule.
Returning to the UK after their triumphant Shepherds Bush Empire show earlier this year
The Jezabels are pleased to announce
A special and intimate London headline show at new London venue, OSLO,
prior to their Calling Festival show the following night and Glastonbury Festival on the Sunday.
The band will also be playing a full summer schedule of festivals both in the UK and across Europe, including some high profile UK festival dates at the end of June and in July
Fri 27th London, UK Oslo Hackney (Headline)
Sat 28th London, UK Calling Fest, Clapham Common
Sun 29th Glastonbury, UK Glastonbury Festival
Tues 1st Perranporth, UK Watering Hole (Headline)
Weds 2nd Bristol, UK The Louisiana (Headline)
Fri 4th Kent, UK Hop Farm Fest
Sat 5th Utrecht, NL De Beschaving Fest
Sun 6th Rotterdam, NL Metropolis Fest
Weds 9th Lucerne, CH Schuur (Headline)
Thurs 11th Sheffield, UK Plug (Headline)
Mon 14th Dresden, DE Beatpol (Headline)
Tues 15th Erlangen, DE E-Werk (Headline)
Thurs 17th Cologne, DE Gebaude 9 (Headline) (Sold Out)
Fri 18th Karlsruhe, DE Zeltival @ Tollhaus (Headline)
Sat 19th Cuxhaven, DE Deichbrand Fest
Sun 20th Leeuwarden, NL Welcome To The Village Fest


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Navigate one of the most pristine rivers in Iowa. With tricky turns and short high-speed rapids, this kayaking journey is sure to be an adventure. Located just 45 minutes from Decorah, the Yellow River is renown for high bluffs and abundant wildlife. After a three-day paddling trip, participants will land in Yellow River Forest where they will backpack for the remainder of the trip in Iowa's largest expanse of native forest. Hike through upland forests on high bluff tops overlooking the mighty Mississippi River Valley. Backpacking will involve roughly 5 – 10 miles of hiking a day. This group consists of eight new students along with two group leaders. A faculty mentor will assist with portions of this trip.
Cost $275


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Stock Graphic >> Icon - Circle clock icons 297785 by miumiu @ CreativeMarket
File Size: 1.45 MB; Requirements: Adobe CS1+; Layered: Yes; DPI: 72 DPI; Vector: Yes.
Collection of circle clock icons
Vector files included. So, you can scale icons without loosing quality, change colors, mix them together. Perfect for your blog, website, flyers or labels
- 1 EPS8 file with all icons
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You can find more sets of icons in my collections: "Hand drawn icons", "Flat icons", "Outlined icons", "Round icons" and "Circle icons"
- https://creativemarket.com/miumiu/collections/44739/Hand-drawn-icons
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Keywords: clock, icons, pictograms, outline, line, contour, alarm clock, around the clock, deadline, grandfather clock, ring, time, wristwatch, hourglass, vector, bell, seconds, hours, minutes, measurement.


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Year Established:1995
Business Type:Manufacturer, Trading Company
Management Certifiation:
Operational Address:
No.17 Redcollar str., Jimo, Qingdao
Dressy shirt,bespoke shirt,man shirt
Dressy shirt 1. made to measure shirts 2.100% cotton with non-ironing fabric 3. formal wear tuxedos
Qingdao Red Collar Clothing Co., Ltd. is located in Qingdao and is specialized in manufacturing suits and shirts, especially made-to-measure or custom suits and shirts. With an experienced and professional team, we have mainly exported our products to the USA, Europe, Australia, South Africa and other countries and regions all over the world. We aim at producing high quality products and providing competitive delivery and the best services. Our products enjoy a good reputation among our customers. We welcome customers, business associations and friends from all parts of the world to contact us and seek cooperation for mutual benefits.


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Contact Info / Websites
- Breasticle
Recent Movie Reviews
PICONJO's Sorrow
Rated 4.5 / 5 stars
that was pretty damn good
very depressing, if i was more of an emo kid i would hang a picture of it in my room
Super stick!!!
Rated 4 / 5 stars
Pretty Good
It should be made into a game! i liked it, a little short, but still good!
what was the deal with the cursor?


text: So I spent 4 hours going through my clothes today. Giving a ton of stuff to my niece and some stuff to the good will. I didn't realize how much stuff I had back in the closet. Holy crap. I am a legit clothing whore. It is bad. So how often do you guys go through your clothes and actually get rid of stuff? I was shocked when I found stuff I didn't even know I had. That is pretty bad.


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Join Erito! Download full-length 36min 52sec movie now!
Anri is the one true love of my life. She is my sexy wife and she cooks my favorite food. The lovely milf flashed her hairy cunt and let me finger her, while she was cooking me curry udon noodles. When we finished eating, she gave me an awesome blowjob.
- marcus
- : 7min 55sec
- : 12 Dec 2015
- Exclusive video
- : Erito / Erito Av Stars
- : Anri Okita


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|Feeling between two worlds
|I'm a grad student in New York. This is my first snowy winter (and first time living outside of California). All I do is read.
What exists just beyond the window pane and through the wall? Once we pass through the rubble do we find the moon?


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Sandeep Das takes away Grammy for Best world music
"Sing Me Home", an album which has contribution from Indian tabla player Sandeep on Sunday won the Best World Music Album at the 59th Grammy Awards, where British star Adele clinched as many as five trophies.
Das is part of Silk Road Ensemble, a collaborative effort by musician Yo-Yo Ma to bring together performers and composers from more than 20 countries. Their "Sing Me Home" pipped Anoushka Shankar's album "Land Of Gold". The ensemble was also nominated in the Best Music Film for "The Music Of Strangers", but they didn't get the award for it.


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Show Product Variations in Shop Page
I have colors as an attribute, but also as a variation of the product I am trying to sell.
How can I change it where when you arrive to the Shop page you can show all the products colors and variations also?
Right now it will only show 1 product, but I would like all variations of the product to show.
Thanks in advance.
Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)
Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)
- The topic 'Show Product Variations in Shop Page' is closed to new replies.


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On Thursday 4 May the leading creatives outside of the M25 gathered together at the Roses ceremony in Manchester in hope of being adored…and adored they were!
We were joined by the chair of the panel; Trevor Beattie who took the stage towards the end of the show to announce his Chairman's choice and talk about his love for the Roses awards.
He said; "It's great to attend an event where people actually have FUN. Where the dancing starts even before the bloody awards are handed out. Where rival agencies cheer each other's success. Where people travel to the stage by piggy-back. And where they (quite rightly) honor the minds that gave birth to the headline 'BABOON CARPET PIE FLANGE' Where a lad called JOE COLEMAN can transform himself into brand over night. I say hire him immediately. DRUM ROSES nights have always been the stuff of (drinking) legend. If the current state of my head is anything to go by, the Legend continues. If you can remember being there, you probably weren't. Long live The Roses!"
We seen some outstanding talent for 2017, congratulations to all nominees and award winners and thanks for giving us something to celebrate!
Till next year..
Our good friends at dock10 produced this fun opening video for the Roses 2017, check it out and see if you recogise anyone!
Check out our esteemed panel for 2017 here.
Take a look at the highlights from the 2017 Awards!


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First Tutors helps you to find Northumberland study skills tutors in your local area. First Tutors profiles Northumberland study skills teachers offering popular subjects like English, Maths and Chemistry, but also less common subjects such as Psychology. Entrance exams, SATs, GCSEs and A-Levels private study skills tuition are all catered for across Northumberland. Please search for Northumberland local study skills teachers in your area and select which best fits your needs.
First Tutors is the only place to discover the best Northumberland study skills teacher for your needs, whether you are looking for private study skills tuition to boost your child's study skills confidence, your own online study skills education programme or you are seeking adult / casual study skills education.
Our search will order Northumberland study skills tutors in your area by their charges and distance from you. Our subjects include, but are not limited to, English, Maths and Physics from primary level right through to GCSE, A-Level and even degree level tuition.
If you are a Northumberland study skills tutor wishing to offer your home study skills teaching services in Northumberland or anywhere else across the UK, please register with First Tutors or find out more about what we do here.
Towns: Alnwick, Ashington, Bamburgh, Bedlington, Belford, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Blyth, Chathill, Choppington, Corbridge, Cornhill-on-tweed, Cramlington, Haltwhistle, Hexham, Lynmouth, Mindrum, Morpeth, Newbiggin-by-the-sea, Prudhoe, Riding Mill, Seahouses, Stocksfield, Wooler, Wylam


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Results 1 to 2 of 2
09-24-04, 10:09 #1Registered User
- Join Date
- Sep 2004
- Posts
- 1
Unanswered: backend has broken the connection
We have recently upgraded postgres version to 7.4.5 on Redhat Linux 9.0. We are using SOFIA framework, jakarta-tomcat 4.1.27 and pg74.214.jdbc2.jar
After upgrading postgres version we are getting the error "Backend has broken the connection" very frequently. This version solved our problem of storing a large data in a column on type text. But we are not able to use version 7.4.5 because of the backend problem.
If anybody has a solution to this let me know.
Thanks and Regards,
10-06-04, 08:35 #2Registered User
- Join Date
- Sep 2001
- Location
- Vienna
- Posts
- 400
jdbc driver
I think this was an issue about the jdbc driver
there is a version 74.215 out
try this one insteadhttp://www.postgresql.org
--Postgresql is the only kind of thing--


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Van abandoned in Utah connected to July murder of Eden Prairie man
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (KMSP) - Eden Prairie police are trying to determine who killed a 74-year-old man in his home on July 22.
Officers were called to a residence in the 7900 block of South Bay Curve on a welfare check around 3:22 p.m. Upon arrival, they discovered the body of a man matching the description of the homeowner. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner confirmed the victim was the homeowner, 74-year-old Allen Retzer.
An investigation into the incident revealed evidence indicating foul play may have been involved in the death. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner determined the man had injuries consistent with a homicide.
Eden Prairie police later discovered a Chrysler Town and Country minivan belonging to the victim had been abandoned in Draper, Utah and impounded by the Utah State Patrol. Investigators from the police department collected evidence from the vehicle with the help of Utah law enforcement officials and returned it to Minnesota.
On Tuesday, the Eden Prairie Police Department said they are currently pursuing a person of interest in this case. Police believe the incident was not random and there is no threat to the general public.


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Popular South Boston restaurant, Amrheins, receives letter with suspicious powder
The popular South Boston eatery Amrheins received an envelope containing a suspicious powder Wednesday afternoon, fire officials said.
An employee opened the envelope at around 1:30 p.m. in the basement of the restaurant on West Broadway, said Steve MacDonald, spokesman for the Boston Fire Department.
Field tests proved negative and the envelope's contents were sent to a state lab for further testing as a precaution, MacDonald said. No one was hurt and police will be investigating where the envelope came from, he added.
As of 7 p.m. Wednesday, the restaurant was closed and officials did not have immediate knowledge on whether the closure was related to the incident. A spokesman for Amrheins could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.


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Bio & Incident Details
Age: 29
Tour: 7 years
Badge # 2499
Cause: Motorcycle crash
· Leave a Reflection
· Add to My Heroes
· Update this memorial
Officer Dooley was killed in a motorcycle accident while on patrol on Mayson Avenue, NE.
Officer Dooley had served with the agency for 7 years. He was survived by his mother, two brothers, and four sisters.


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Property Information Request
Thank you for your interest in a Morgenson Property. In order to provide you with specific information, it will be necessary for you to complete the form below. The information you provide will be submitted to the Morgenson Realty property manager or leasing agent, who will respond your request within 24 hours.
Please feel free to contact the property manager directly to set an appointment or inquire about pricing and availability.


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childrens clothing in Boerne, TX
Milk And Honey Original101 S Main St Ste A, Boerne, TX map
Cutie Patootie233 S Main St Ste F, Boerne, TX map
KID To KID11703 Huebner Rd Suite102, San Antonio, TX map
My shopping experience was excellent! Jade was great! more
KID To KID1321 N Loop 1604 E Ste 109, San Antonio, TX map
Crib & Kids1309 N Loop 1604 W, San Antonio, TX map
Once Upon A Child16646 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX map
Home Shows2323 Kelso, San Antonio, TX map
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Trusted Protection
DuPont™ Nomex® and other aramid polymers are related to nylon but have aromatic backbones. As a meta-aramid, Nomex cannot align during filament formation and has poorer strength than para-aramids, like Kevlar. But Nomex provides solid flame and heat resistance nonetheless.
Nomex has a wide variety of applications in many industries where heat and flame resistance are important attributes. Used extensively in electrical insulation and aircraft construction, Nomex has provides the right combination of factors to be an excellent candidate for a fiber used in protective fabrics.
Wildland firefighters wear Nomex shirts and trousers for flame and heat protection as do racecar drivers and military pilots. TenCate Protective Fabrics is the world's largest manufacturer of Nomex fabrics and uses more Nomex fiber than any other company on the planet.


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Budget Inn - Gastonia
Select your stay dates to check availability at Budget Inn - Gastonia
Budget Inn - Gastonia
About the Hotel
Property Location
Located in Gastonia, Budget Inn - Gastonia is minutes from Little Theater of Gastonia and close to Rankin Lake Park. This hotel is within close proximity of Catawba Creek Golf Course and Schiele Museum of Natural History.
Make yourself at home in one of the 62 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms have shower/tub combinations and hair dryers. Conveniences include desks, as well as phones with free local calls.
Business, Other Amenities
Free self parking is available onsite.
Hotel Facilities
- 24-hour front desk
- Total number of rooms - 62
- Free WiFi
- Number of floors - 2
- Free self parking
Room Facilities
- Television
- Daily housekeeping
- Cable TV service
- Climate control
- Private bathroom
- Shower/tub combination
- Air conditioning
- Free WiFi
- Free local calls
- Phone
- Microwave
- Refrigerator
- Hair dryer (on request)
- Desk
Hotel Policy
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 15 per night
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.Show all hotel policy Show less hotel policy


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Important facts about outsourced accountant ltd at Hobart Australia plus outsourced accountant articles
BOSS is the best Australian outsourcing service provider that offers full-time or part-time outsourced accountants and bookkeepers . Streamlining procedures for bookkeeping organizations, every BOSS outsourced accountant is an expert in Aussie book keeping requirements, SMSFs, law as well as taxing procedures. Presently, "On tap" outsourced accountants as well as bookkeeper may be a bonus for Australian public practices. Seeking out as well as retaining high-quality outsourced accountant having many years of practical experience has gotten noticeably harder over the last number of years, for instance the stress to pay employees more.
- Preparation of outsourced accountants abroad is not simple business. Once a client makes the decision to hire a part-time or full-time outsourced accountant, Back office shared services has them up and running within just seven days.


text: I bought the 2001 WDW scrapbook in March and now that I'm finally getting to completing it, I realize that I don't have enought pages. I bought the 12 X 12 refill pages from Hobby Lobby but they are too big. Does anyone have any ideas where I can find the ones that fit? Thanks


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If the pre-teen in your life is anything like mine, she lives for FASHION. My 11-year old princess loves to express her individuality through her fashion sense and the only thing as important to her as her high grades is high fashion! With this in mind, I help her bring her own sense of style to the décor of her room. One easy way to do so is this fun DIY project:
All you'll need is a small trash bin, Modge Podge, a glue gun, a medium-small paint brush, scissors, a fashion magazine and lace or ribbon for trim.
- Get your small plastic trash bin. The one we used was $1 at the Dollar Tree.
- Tear out enough fashion images from the magazine to cover the full exterior of the trash bin. Tear. Don't cut if you want to have the cool, rugged edges.
- Cover the exterior of the trash bin with a thin layer of Modge Podge then apply a thin layer to the back of each torn magazine page and press in place in the order you see fit. Once the entire exterior is covered, brush on a thin layer of Mod Podge to seal the collage.
- Let dry for 2 hrs. Once dry, hot glue the ribbon, lace or trim of your choice around the perimeter of the opening.
Mission accomplished! Fancy trash bin for your fancy young lady will be a hit for years to come!
How do you help your young ones express their creativity and individuality in their bedroom's decor? I'd love to know! Please leave comments or tweet me @jypsealeather.


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GraphicRiver Two Sided Old Paper Event Ticket 6655844
Photoshop \ Print Template \ Cards & Invites
Ticket \ Modern \ Photoshop \ Elegant \ Included \ Template \ Dafont \ Layers
Print Template - Two Sided Old Paper Event Ticket 6655844 by Tzochko @ GraphicRiver
Photoshop \ Print Template \ Cards & Invites
Hello, this is TWO SIDED old paper event TICKET template.
- Format (7×2 inches)
- 300 dpi / CMYK (Bleeds 0,25)
- 1 style already included
- Photoshop Source Files
- All Paragraph/Objects and Layers organised and grouped
Strong, Clean Modern Layout
- Included Files.
- 2 Photoshop Files .PSD (in Layers)
- 1 Extensive Help File .PDF
- Fonts Used (only free fonts used).
- Homesteed ( http://www.losttype.com/font/?name=homestead )
- Bebas Neue ( http://www.dafont.com/bebas-neue.font )
- Love leaves ( http://www.dafont.com/loveleaves.font )
- Cambria ( Default font on every computer )
If you like this file please rate and comment it, by doing that you will help and motivate me to create more and more. Thank you!
Layered: Yes; Graphics Files Included: Photoshop PSD; Minimum Adobe CS Version: CS6; Print Dimensions: 6x2.
Retro - Elegant Vip Pass Template; Vintage - Elegant Vip Pass Template; Multipurpose Retro Style Bar Card; Vintage Style Vip Pass Card; Golden style vip pass card; Multipurpose old west style food menu; Vintage Style Gift Voucher.
Keywords: blue, classic, cmyk, color, elegant, elegant ticket, event, invitation, invite, modern, modern ticket, old paper, present, presentation, print, texture, ticket, ticket template, tickets, two sided, wall.


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Freedom Rigid Thumb Spica
AliMed Freedom Rigid Thumb Spica
- Immobilizes CMC and MP thumb joints
- Protects like a cast
Product Overview
AliMed Freedom Rigid Thumb Spica
Freedom Rigid Thumb Spica
The FREEDOM® Rigid Thumb Spica protects the thumb-injured patient suffering from navicular injury, scaphoid injury, acute de Quervain's syndrome, and tendonitis. Positions thumb in opposition while eliminating motion of MP and CMC joints. Rigid Kydex® shell lined with Evazote® foam. Spiral wrap, Velstretch® straps. Adjust shell with a heat gun.
Freedom Rigid Thumb Spica Sizing: Measure width of MP joints from radial aspects of index finger to ulnar aspect of little finger.
- Sm., 2½" - 2¾"
- Med., 2¾" - 3¼"
- Lg., 3¼" - 3¾"
Specify Left or Right Thumb Spica.
Place Your Order Here
AliMed Freedom Rigid Thumb Spica
Freedom Rigid Thumb Spica Reviews Summary
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Freedom Rigid Thumb Spica
Ask the community about this product and get answers. Share your knowledge and advice. Learn More about Q&A.
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Part Number(s): 717 0098 04 01, 717 0098 03 01, 717 0098 04 02, 717 0098 02 01, 717 0098 03 02, 717 0098 02 02
Mfg Part Number(s): 5611/NA/RL, 5611/NA/LS, 5611/NA/RM, 5611/NA/LL, 5611/NA/LM, 5611/NA/RS
Scrip Part Number(s): 717 0098 04 02, 717 0098 02 01, 717 0098 03 02, 717 0098 04 01, 717 0098 03 01, 717 0098 02 02
Because our price on this item is lower than the manufacturer's suggested retail price, the manufacturer does not allow us to show you our price until you place the item in your shopping cart. Retailers like Allegro Medical have the legal right to sell products at prices we set. However, adding the item to your cart allows us to show you our lower price consistent with our promise of always offering you the lowest possible prices on the widest selection of medical supplies, medical equipment and life enhancing products.
Adding this item to your shopping cart won't require you to buy it. However, our prices do change. If you decide to purchase this item now you are guaranteed the price now displayed in your shopping cart. Complete your purchase by clicking on the "checkout" button or simply remove the product from your cart if you decide not to make your purchase at this time.


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I'm a brand and design expert who can make your business look legit, but still feel like you.
You may be launching a small business, a new product or simply need better branded elements for your already growing business. I plan and design the brand elements that get you looking and feeling good about what you sell and do.
My services include: brand + logo design, event print + digital collateral design, posters, reports and nearly all things graphic design. And I made a guide called Get Hired!—a PDF workbook that helps you take the guesswork out of the hiring process for you and your clients.
I've worked with small and large non-profits, solo marketing consultants, project managers, fitness instructors and retail shop owners.
You can read more about me here.
You can contact me here.
Thank you for stopping by. I hope to hear from you soon.


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Speedy Dinners – Grilled Golden Porkchops
This quick, simple recipe really does the trick for a speedy weekday dinner. These beautiful golden chops are ready in a matter of minutes, and, when paired with some quick steamed veggies, cannellini beans, or roasted potatoes, make an undeniably satisfying meal.
We love eating this while relaxing in front of the TV with a good glass of red wine. After all, nothing beats a good home-cooked meal to ease away the stresses of the day.
What you'll need (serves 2):
- 2 porkchops (I like the S*Pure brand found at most HK supermarkets)
- 1 tbls olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbls cajun or steak seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- a squirt of lemon juice (optional)
To get maximum flavour, and to get dinner on the table as soon as humanly possible, I like to pre-marinate the pork chops overnight in a ziploc bag. (If you don't have time, just marinate them quickly on the kitchen counter while you take a shower and they will still taste wonderful)
First, I place the chops between 2 pieces of cling film and pound them slightly with a meat mallet in order to tenderize and allow the marinate to easily penetrate the meat.
Next, place the chops in a ziploc bag and combine all the ingredients listed above. Close the bag (make sure to squeeze the air out) and swish the pork chops around until the marinate fully coats each piece.
Either let that sit in the fridge overnight, or leave it to marinate at room temperature for around 10-15 minutes (maybe take a shower in the meantime?)
Meat should be brought to room temperature (out of the fridge for around 10 minutes) before being grilled so the center and outside cook evenly.
Heat a griddle over medium high heat – make sure the griddle is very hot before putting the chops on. If you can't hold your hand 8cm from the griddle for more than 3 seconds, you're ready to start grilling.
Grill for 4 minutes, then flip and grill for another 4 minutes on the other side. There will be some sizzle so it's best to clap a lid on the pan to avoid any clean-up.
Remove the chops from the griddle and let them rest for a few minutes so all the juices get absorbed back into the meat. I like to serve this either with hearty roasted potatoes, or steamed veggies and cannellini beans. Oh – and a generous dollop of whole grain mustard!
Bon Appetit!


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Roly Stokes - Social Rep (Shoalhaven) 2013/2014
Name: Roly Stokes
Cohort: 2013
Previous University: University of Sydney (B. Mechanical Engineering & B. Sc. Physics)
Hometown: Glenorie, NSW
Yo. I'm Roly. What's cracking?
Warning: Bad medicine analogy approaching.
Welcome to medicine. Where we are all pregnant mothers.
It is our task over the next 10+ years to give birth to the most upstanding of careers: a medical doctor. As in pregnancy, the ever-growing fetus of knowledge we are to cultivate will demand the finest nutrients and energy that we, as mothers, are able to supply. And it is a spectacularly worthwhile cause of which to dedicate so much high performance time and energy. However, IF we allow it, the study fetus will consume all of our energy. The baby will thrive but at the expense of the mother.
It is up to Cheryl and I, as your WUMSS Social Representatives, to ensure that all of us mothers PARTY ON DOWN. That each of us have a damn good excuse to use that high-powered, excellent portfolio, interview savvy, A-type energy and nutrition not just to cultivate some future self, but to actually live in THIS moment. To experience all you can in this spectacularly fulfilling phase of life they call med school. Where we have little responsibility AND the privilege of stupendous amounts of learning. Don't take med school for granted. Milk it for all it is worth. Don't be fooled into thinking that the experience is solely about study.
Wow, that got kinda preachy. Awkward. Sorry about that! Fortunately only a few words left for my bio.
I feel qualified to help you socialize due to my largely irrelevant history of doing stuff, such as:
- Checking out the world
- Built a few solar houses and other stuff
- Made a film
- Designed some medical devices
- Oh yeah, and I've been the social rep wherever there has been a chance to do so…
2014 is going to be a stellar year people! Let's do it!!!!!


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Christy Tillery French: I'd like to introduce our newest Dame, Betty Dravis, author and celebrity interviewer. Welcome to Dames of Dialogue, Betty. Tell us about your latest book.
Betty Dravis: Thanks for asking that question, Christy. There's nothing I like better than talking "books," and my latest book is uppermost in my mind at the moment since it's being released in a few days. It's titled "Dream Reachers" and is a compilation of celebrity stories and interviews by me and my co-author Chase Von. Chase is a poet, author and celebrity interviewer for Student Operated Press.
We decided to join forces and publish behind-the-scenes anecdotes about my back-in the-day interviews with Clint Eastwood, Jane Russell and other living legends AND Chase's interviews with up-and-coming new artists: actors, musicians, artists, photographers, poets, writers, comediennes, etc.
In their own words, Dream Reachers in our book tell of the struggles they went through before reaching the point where they are now "living their dreams." We hope to inspire everyone to dream, dream big and never give up!
Christy Tillery French: Your books "The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley" and "1106 Grand Boulevard" are getting a lot of interest from producers. Any good news along those lines?
Betty Dravis: I almost fainted the first time my "Toonies" was considered for an animated film by one of the biggest producers in Hollywood. It was ultimately rejected for good reasons that had nothing to do with the quality (more to do with their scheduling), and before I could go to my room and cry, another producer, Ben Forkner who has six movies under development, heard about it and requested to see it. Both said it had "great visuals," it was a fun read that they enjoyed very much and they could see it as an animated film…but…!!!
Well, Christy, I'm pleased to report that another prestigious producer has requested both "Toonies" and "Grand," so I'm keeping my hopes high and not giving up…just as the people in "Dream Reachers" advise. The third time's a charm, they say, so I'm sending my "babies" to Hollywood tomorrow. I promise you'll be one of the first to know when I hear anything. Wish me luck…
Christy Tillery French: You have such an interesting background and have met more than a few celebrities. I understand you met them through your writing background. Can you tell us about that, Betty?
Betty Dravis: I see you've done your homework, Christy. I admire that. As for writing, I wrote a few poems in middle school (then called Jr. High) but didn't get serious about writing until encouraged by my journalism instructor at good ol' Hamilton High School in Hamilton, Ohio. And it was just like when I learned t o talk: once you got me started, I couldn't stop. Lol… Then when I moved to California, I worked up from newspaper reporter and feature writer to columnist to editor, finally owning my own newspaper; all that while raising my six children alone. During those years, I won many awards, but always dreamed of writing books. I guess I tired of writing facts and wanted to let my imagination soar, as one can when writing fiction.
Holding fast to that dream, I started writing novels when I retired and have now published three. In addition to "Toonies" and "Grand," there is also "Millennium Babe: The Prophecy." "Babe" was my debut novel, although it was the third I wrote. That's often the way it goes in this crazy, unpredictable business. Lol…
As for my life, it's been not only interesting but also exciting––and continues to be so. I thank God for all the opportunities that came my way and am delighted to have interviewed Clint Eastwood, Jane Russell, Ted Kennedy, Tanya Tucker and many other famous people. Without giving any of the stories in "Dream Reachers" away, I can't tell you how I came to meet and interview them, but I can tell you I was starry-eyed to see those glamorous "movie stars" on the big screen one day and in my life the next! It was unbelievable! Wow! But for the answer to that question, you will have to read "Dream Reachers." My co-author would not forgive me if I leaked any of the stories prematurely. Since "Dream" is due for release in a few days, you and your fans won't have long to wait.
Christy Tillery French: Do you have a specific writing ritual?
Betty Dravis: Since I had so many years of "press deadlines" and "children's catastrophes," I'm conditioned for adaptability. That helps me now, so I am able to write any ol' time of day…morning, noon or night. If my Muse isn't ready, I awaken him or her to do my bidding. Lol…
I actually have two Muses; My favorite is a wild, tattooed "Biker Babe" who rides a pink Harley. She's the one who gives me my darker works, like my Amazon Short V.O. about some New York bankers who have mysterious adventures while on a Caribbean cruise, and my unpublished novel "Dead Women Don't Talk Back." My male muse rides a big, white horse and is a cross between John Wayne and Evangelist Billy Graham; I call him Billy Wayne and he supplies inspiration for my softer, more sentimental, humorous works, like my Amazon Short, "The Search for Bobby McGee." Can't beat those combos, can you, Christy? …Lol
Christy Tillery French: You've published novels of differing genres and your latest book is nonfiction. Which do you prefer to write and why?
Betty Dravis: I prefer to write fiction because, as I said above, I tired of writing nonfiction during my lengthy journalism career. Besides, I'm too lazy to do much research and following my active imagination into other zany, complex worlds is fun, fun, fun. I'm certain that you know what I mean, Christy, since you have created some of the most interesting, feisty female protagonists in literature.
Christy Tillery French: What do you think works best for you in regards to promoting?
Betty Dravis: Promoting! Ugh…not my favorite thing, but I'll try to answer: What works best for me is word of mouth and being active on the Internet. I love FaceBook, GoodReads, Twitter, MySpace and writing reviews for Amazon and Midwest Book Review. Believe it or not, I've made some of my best fans among Amazon reviewers. Each of those sites I mentioned offers something special and unique to me. If you don't mind my saying, Christy, I'm honored that you invited me to join you and the other Dames of Dialogue. I look forward to working with you and the other acclaimed authors."
I also find it productive to introduce myself to local bookstores, newspapers and TV stations; I've had some great book-signings and interviews in those places.
Christy Tillery French: What do you love about writing? What do you hate?
Betty Dravis: Ah-ha, this one is an easy one: I love the actual act of writing which to me means creating, but I abhor the marketing. I even created a self-quote that is often repeated by others (a great compliment to me). I'd like to share it with your fans and readers: " Writing a book is like sliding down a rainbow; marketing it is like trudging through a field of 'chewed' bubblegum on a hot, sticky day."
Christy Tillery French: Are you an "outliner" or "pantser"?
Betty Dravis: I suppose I'm a pantser because I write by "the seat of my pants" and never plan ahead too much. When I write a book, I visualize it in color in my mind…like a movie, and I enjoy the point where my characters take over and become so vibrant they write their own story. (I have on a very few occasions written a mini-outline of a certain scene that pops into my mind, but mostly in fear of forgetting it, especially if I think it has potential.)
Christy Tillery French: What advice would you give other writers?
Betty Dravis: Never give up, no matter how long it takes. I wrote my first novel in 1992-93 and it never got published until 2006. However, in the meantime I wrote two more, the third one got published within months of writing it, the second one six years later with the third one a year after that. And now my fourth one, my first nonfiction and the first I wrote with a co-author, was sold before it was written.
More advice: Hook your reader on the first page, with the first line, if possible; never listen to people who tell you that you're wasting your time following your dream. And most important: make your characters so sympathetic and real that readers will care what happens to them; if no one cares what happens to the main characters, you do not have a salable book.
Christy Tillery French: Of the celebrities you've met, who is your favorite?
Betty Dravis: That's another easy one: Clint Eastwood, and it's not because he was a gorgeous, sexy hunk, as most people think. It's because of all he had accomplished at that time and because he put this "starry-eyed young journalist" so at ease when I interviewed him. He was nice, friendly, down-to-earth––and, yes, a bit flirtatious, which did wonders for my young ego. He also inspired me to stretch to reach my dreams. I consider him my first writing mentor.
Christy Tillery French: You're a "California chick." Tell us about the area you live in.
Betty Dravis: Hahaha… My son Bob calls me "Chicklet" (which I find extremely endearing), so you're not far off, Christy. I now live in the Central Valley of California in a lovely complex of homes with world-class amenities, including indoor and outdoor pools and an indoor jogging/walking trail overlooking a manmade lake; that's how huge the clubhouse is. Wow! The drawback is that I've only been here a few days so am still unpacking boxes. I know I'll use the pool but the other amenities will most likely be put on the backburner as I plant myself in front of this computer, writing. My heart is still back in my beloved Silicon Valley where most of my kids and grands live. I really don't know much about San Joaquin County yet… Hmmm…
Christy Tillery French: Do you have any pets? If so, tell us about them. If not, what's your favorite animal?
Betty Dravis: I don't have an animal of my very own, but my friend has a cat named Tigger that adores me and I have partial care of Tig. He's a big cat that looks like a tiger, and that's all that I know about him, except he loves to be petted. One day I was in the middle of writing a story and Tig kept trying to get my attention. I was so absorbed in typing that I didn't see him. Suddenly he stood on his hind legs and knocked my hand off the keyboard. That shows how hard I was concentrating and how very much he wanted me to pat him behind the ears.
My favorite dogs is a golden retriever, but I also love horses… and giraffes. And Walk Disney's Goofy. Lol…
Christy Tillery French: What's your favorite Southern expression and food?
Betty Dravis: Even though we children were born in Ohio, my mother cooked Southern because she, my father, and ancestors were from Kentucky. I grew up with "shuckie beans" (dried green beans) and cornbread (not the sweet kind they serve at Marie Calendars) and my favorite chicken 'n dumplings. My mouth waters now, thinking of my Mom and Grannie Sue's great cooking skills. Yum…
I noticed that many of the Southern expressions (I Googled it… lol) are the same expressions I grew up with in Ohio: lickety-split; Lordy-Lordy; He's all hat, no cattle; lower than a snake's belly, etc. I find many of those expressions to be spoken by people I know from all states, Christy, so they've become pretty universal. My personal favorite is when a Southerner calls me "Miss Betty."
And with that, I'll sign off for now, Miss Christy. Thanks for inviting me for this interview. I truly appreciate it. If your fans desire more information, please check my website at: http://bettydravisauthor.googlepages.com/ They can also email me at email@example.com/ Bye, y'all.


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Rain with U-Kiss live in Manila
Written by: Danica Haresco
The K-Pop invasion that's been sweeping the Nation reached its' peak last September 11 as Korean boy group U-Kiss and pop superstar Rain electrified the Mall Of Asia open grounds with a thrilling musical showcase of fireworks, unstoppable dance numbers, and sentimental love songs. 20,000 to 30,000 people strong attended the event that kicked off with Asia's Romantic Balladeer Christian Bautista getting his swagger on with the singer's rendition of "Wrong Number" by K-Pop group One Way. The balladeer also sang the classic tune Jose Mari Chan's "Beautiful Girl" and his biggest hit to date, "The Way You Look At Me". In the midst of both numbers the charming singer serenaded two eager girls onstage, with one gal snagging a kiss from the charismatic balladeer.
Kc Montero, who was the host for the night's music festivities, introduced K Pop sensation U-Kiss. Are you ready? U u u u kiss Brave sound brave sound Binggeul baenggeul binggeul baenggeul" shouted the 7-member boy group as they mounted the stage. Deafening screams filled the crowd as U-Kiss sang 4 songs including their hit, the LSS-inducing "Binggeul Binggeul Bingguel". In between song and dance numbers the handsome group of lads gave the audience their own version of "fan service" swaying their hips and mimicking Rain's trademark dance-thrust to the crowd's amusement. A surprise number and breath of musical fresh air was U-Kiss' sole English tune, their own version of Boyz II Men's "End Of The Road".
Then, it was time for some Rain. The Korean Pop Superstar who rose to popularity in the Philippines through the Korean TV drama "Full House" superstar put his shy boy swagger on, gyrating, dancing, and rapping with accompanying sexy back-up dancers amid a huge shower of confetti and fireworks. The Korean performer sang his worldwide hit "It's Coming" as well as "Touch Ya" "How To Avoid The Sun", I Do, "Love Song," "Love Story" "Rainism". Finishing off his set were the cool as ice tunes "Hip Song" and "Instead Of Saying Goodbye". The Korean singer (who is also in the country to shoot a TV drama "The Fugitive to be aired on TV 5) also gave his own brand of "fan service", taking off his shirt to giddy squeals from the audience. At the end of the electrifying 9 numbers, the Korean Popstar bade Manila farewell, descending from the stage on an elevated platform in true Rainism style. It was an amazing end to a night brimming with Asian talent.
"Intensity: Rain And U-Kiss Live In Manila" is brought to you by All Youth Channels. Stay tuned as All Youth Channels brings in only the fiercest talent to the country.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Intensity:Rain and UKiss Live In Manila
Posted by Manila Concerts at 4:35 PM
Labels: Concert Portfolio, Press Release
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