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Having spent time at political conventions, I can tell you that a speech always sounds different inside the hall than it comes across on TV. Inside, it's easy to get caught up in the fervor, project the partisan cheers onto a nation. But when you're watching in a quiet room with your spouse and your Twitter feed, you view these speeches more skeptically. You approach them with more questions, such as, "Why does Paul Ryan's iPod stop at the letter 'L'?" And "What's that Ann Romney just said about tuna fish?"
That tuna fish question came up during Mrs. Romney's much-heralded Tuesday night address, which, depending how you feel about Condoleezza Rice, might have been the biggest hit in Tampa this week. In her red dress, with her broad smile, Romney showed why she has been such a campaign asset this year: She's sincere and warm and comfortable with crowds, she likes people, she loves her husband.
This column is petty and telling. The fact that they chose to live simply during grad school doesn't make it less real. You've shown your true colors on this one.
Actually, it does make it less real. As someone who came from a comfortable & supportive background, I was always aware I could get help if I needed, and I always knew this was different then those who didn't have that support network. Than the Romney's don't know the difference says a lot about why they think everything is easy for everyone by just trying harder. They have only met rich people like them and don't understand most of the people in this country and what they live through. It leads to bad policy.
I couldn't agree more. I found it revolting the first time I read Ann Romney's account of how she and Mitt just scraped by in those years, living on an inherited stock portfolio. One estimate is that in today's dollars, the stock would've been worth over three hundred thousand dollars; that buys a fair amount of tuna fish. The frightening thing is that I suspect that the Romneys really believe the things they say -- for instance, Mitt Romney advising young people to just "borrow money from your parents" to start a business. I suspect Ann Romney really believes that living on a stock portfolio you got from your parents is what counts as hard times. There's nothing wrong with leaders who have a lot of money, but leaders who have no clue what life is like for the majority of Americans whose lives will be affected by their policies -- that's a problem.
This criticism is weak. The story that Ann told was one that made them look like simple, ordinary people as newlyweds. This is an important point, because the narrative about Mitt suggests that he was born into wealth and has always been rich. Not completely true, as Ann pointed out in her speech. They are normal people, who raised a great family, and are now interested in saving the country. That part of their story needed to be told, even if committed liberals do not buy it. Most Americans were endeared by that speech.
More hate mongering from the Globe. First we are told that the Romneys cannot relate to "regular" people and when they try, they can't be taken seriously. Joanna, it's much easier to sit on your high horse and comment on things. The Romneys are actually out there trying to make a difference. They have helped many more people from all walks of life than you will ever. Success is achieved by taking 100% responsibility for yourself and not blaming others for your failures. If you fail, you try again. I don't agree with Governor Romney on everything, but I do like his direction better than President Obama's. President Obama wants to blame people's problems on others rather than telling people that they have the ability to make their own success. A common theme of the speakers at the RNC was that if someone wants it bad enough, they can make it happen. It was not about waiting for the government to make it all better.
Give me a break EdA. Did you stop to look up the words "hate mongering" before you wrote them, or are you content manipulating and distorting the meaning oflanguage? If it "feels like the truth" then go ahead and say it, right? The Republicans are happy to have you in their camp. The reality is, "wanting it bad enough" has its limitations. I'm so tired of the myopic Horatio Alger fantasies that dominate right wing discourse. "Wanting it bad enough" wasn't even true in the frontier days when western settlers eventually needed federal troops to come defend them from Native neighbors. America has never been an individualistic, free market success story, and good for us for not requiring it to be such.
remember that Mitt Romney did not take a salary as a governor or president of the Olympics , but Pres. Obama & Michelle do not mind spending the taxpayers money to travel around the country for fund raisers & vacations and reimbursing for very little money....
That Air Force One costs $181 thousand dollars per hr, plus security. 210 fund raisers and counting.
Ignorance isn't caused by wealth any more than virtue is caused by poverty. I know many people who have never been rich who are just as clueless as the Romney's. I've also known wealthy people who are as clear eyed and caring about the world as anyone could be. Rich or poor the question is can you see and empathize with things beyond your own reality. That's where the Romney's fall short.
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I don't understand why the Romneys have to pretend like they ever really struggled. All grad students and any one on a similar budget eat canned tuna and make sacrifices. That doesn't make you poor. In a situation like that, you feel it's only temporary. And it was temporary for the Romneys. It's not temporary for a lot of people, even a lot of grad students. The Romneys can't "relate" to the vast majority of people in this country. I don't think they can even relate to someone earning the median wage and is far from truly "poor" but is, indeed, broke. But I don't understand why they have to "relate." As said in the article, why insult our intelligence? We all know you are crazy rich, the jig is up. But that doesn't mean you can't understand how policy can work to help people of lesser means and lay out a plan describing that policy rather than trying to convince everyone that you know what they're going through first hand. And I'm sorry, but if Ann Romney wants to make a speech pertaining to a political campaign, she should have to talk about policy. Personally I am sick of all the soft crap when it comes to political candidates. Outline a policy, show me your resume, show me where you went to school, prove you deserve the job more than the other guy, and I'll hire you. When I go for a job interview, my husband doesn't show up and tell a funny anecdote about eating tuna. Politics is so stupid.
It wasn't even a fact that they were struggling in grad school. Neither worked. They lived off the $ that Romney's father gave them in American Motors stock. Per Bob Thomas's article in the Boston Globe when Mitt was running for Senotor or Governor , they had $42K a year to live on. That was 3 times what my husband and I had at that time. We could have lived large on that ammount. Then Daddy Romney bought them their first home. So stuggled they didn't.
She is a lovely woman, a great mom.grandmother and wife. Poor she never was.
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I'm sure Ann Romney's a good mother and a good wife. I'm sure she's had some struggles in her life. However, true poverty was never one of them. Most grad students don't have the option of selling stock to pay for school. Most have to get loans for school, then work for years to pay them off. Most couples have both people working or the non student working. Ann Romney seems like a lovely woman. But understanding poverty? No, she doesn't get it, and her husband understands even less.
What a pathetic column. We should be on the dole with the government paying everybodys way. Funny, the Kennedys had riches, kids on drugs, killed a person, wreck marriages, ruins women with whom they married, but what the heck they are Kennedys. You want Romney to appologize for making it, or what we used to call the American Dream. I can tell you I will never appologize and I will fight anyone trying to take my money to pay for clueless people on the dole. And as for you Ms Weiss, you represent why this great nation is in the condition it is in.
If Barack Obama gets back in office, WE WILL BE GREECE in 4 years.
What pathetic comments you make. The Kennedys didn't pretend to be people they weren't even with all their money. Who cares if the Romneys have money -- good luck to them. That's why they don't need to pretend to be Middle Class; we all know they're not! The reason why this country is in the "condition" it's in is because George W. Bush put us there with his 8 years of war to make money for the huge defense industry and collateral industries for corporate profits. Republicans = $$War Machine - they don't care about the human lives lost to make their profits. Ms. Weiss can hold her head high! Obama 2012!
Still blaming George Bush, same old story. Start taking you rmeds again and maybe you will see the truth. Those who aspire to the American Dream don't need the government dole. Kennedy and Obama have lied to all you democrats that the way to success is to live off the federal, state and local governments. Guess what, that is the story of Greece, and look at them now.
PS - I see you also follow the Sox and are part of Red Sox Nation, blah blah blah. You live in a fantasy world of lies, both in sports and politics and life.
Superb column. When Mr. Romney ran for the Senate in 1994 Mrs. Romney, when asked about issues in Roxbury, effusively spoke of her understanding of these issues. She then added that she and Mr. Romney had many friends from West Roxbury. That is the depth of her understanding of Boston and she had lived in the area over twenty years at the time. It makes one think how much does she care about issues outside of her bubble.
As usual the liberal bias of the Globe shines through your piece. Funny how none of you will delve into the O'Bama's in the same rightous way.
Like how did they get free rides through school,but of course all that info is sealed. Or how about Michells $350,000.00 job in Chicago that was a job in name only, not filled when he was elected.......and of cfourse arranged by Val Jarrett. You didn't mention in your p[iece that the Rommney's don't have hired cooks and cleaning staff or nannies like the Kennedys did but they are Dems right.
This column is such a reach - what's your point? That she wasn't poor? She never claimed to be poor - only to have not started out rich. You don't have to be poor to have empathy for the poor or to devise policies that can help the poor. You don't have to jump of a building to know that it will hurt when you land. Is your point that you have to have been poor to be an effective President? There are things to criticize Mitt Romney for, but this isn't one of them. You can do better.
Pasta and tuna fish are clear allusions to struggling to get by. Mitt's dad had plenty of money and Mitt attended expensive schools. Nothing wrong with those things, but there's a big difference between pulling oneself up by his bootstraps out of poverty and getting by on savings and stock sales for a little while. Mrs. Romney herself was implicitely claiming that "you have to have been poor" to claim authenticity in America and, in turn, enhance one's claim to the presidency. Snark27, you can do better.
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I did not get the impression Ms. Romney was all that comfortable with that role (presenting themselves as having had financial struggles too). It came across more as an assignment than heartfelt. I would fault 'handlers' for that. Whoever is suggesting to the Romneys that the key to winning the election is to project an image of someone who might live in your own neighborhood is giving them bad advice. He needs to focus on proving his policies are better than his opponents.
I don't understand why people need to be poor. Achievement is something that used to be something we all aspire to. I've never been jealous of those that have more than me, either through inheritance or on their own. By today's standards, achievements and wealth are a bad thing it seems. Would it make this writer happier if Ann Romney was poor? Would her words mean more? Do you people honestly believe that people like the Romneys don't care about others? Really? They've given more to charity than most will ever make. They've given more of themselves than many of us. So please, enough with this class warfare.
I don't want her to be poor. Honestly, I don't want anyone to be poor, but there will be poor people, some because of their own behavior and some for no fault of their own. What I find offensive is for a wealthy woman who has never known privation to suggest that she and the governor ever had to scrimp on meals or nutrition because of limited resources. It is pandering, but more importantly, it insults the intelligence of those who listen to this nonsense. Whether one agrees with the governor and his charming, admirable spouse or not, any suggestion that they had to watch the bottom line when planning their weekly meal plan is just plain offensive. But shockingly, it seems to work just fine for some people.
Joanna, I think you're being a little hard on Ann Romney. In terms of political speeches, which are more often than not full of lies, her imbellishing a bit about her years together with Mitt while he was in grad school is hardly worthy of such scrutiny. Given the perception of Mitt, his handlers were merely trying to have Ann speak to something where there was an element of connection to the common man. I'm no fan of Mitt but I can totally understand why Ann said what she did in support of her husband. She only did what a good wife, especially the wife of a presidential candidate, would do.
You are turning into the Chris Matthews of the Globe!! The same person who gushes over the hypocritical Michelle & her husband. Ann Romney has oversome MS and breast cancer. So I am sure you think those are phony too. Liberal hate speech at its finest. It's amazing that liberals can tell exactly what is in a person's heart. I can tell you are clearly jealous of this magnificent woman and it has tainted any objectivity.
I am correct because I said it. So we are to believe that you are correct. Look no further than the Kerrys or the kennedys than to see see the biggest bunch of phonies and hypocrits. Wont' see that in your column, ever, will we!!
Mitt Romney gave away ALL his inheritence and earned what he now has and when he and Ann were married they lived in that basement apartment not on the trust funds like the Kennedys. He left Michigan to prove on his own to make his own way in life and not to trade on the family name like the Kennedy's do (especially like Joe the third is).
His kindness to people in need is part of his faith and did not flaunt it and I am glad they brought those two families that he helped to the convention, because all the democrats do is portray him as a heartless corporate raider. Like the adv. with the man's wife dying of cancer that he has no feeling (she died 6 yrs after Mitt left Bain and they also had health insurance in the meantime). When someone like Mitt who's wife is a cancer surviver and has MS he certainly understands people with illnesses.
Of course the democrats would love to see everyone dependent on the government because they then can control votes. Mitt Romney believes that individuals should have the right to success and not to be a serf to the unions and democrats.
This is a great column. While there's nothing wrong with getting some help from the parents, or inheriting stock wealth, I have a problem with Mrs. Romney's distortion of that reality. Trying to hide fortunate circumstances plays into the mythic narrative that Republicans want to believe about individualism and hard work - the "we built that" delusion. It just isn't true that any individual can pull himself up by his bootstraps, and it never has been. From the founding, federal intervention built, expanded, and sustained the United States in concert with individual initiative. To play at Horatio Alger by highlighting tuna fish in order to stake some more authentic claim to the presidency reflects the myopia and delusions of the current Republican party. We already had a Gilded Age in the nineteenth century. Do we really want another one now?
Playing poor...like Elizabeth Warren?? The only thing missing in her early ads was an image of a covered wagon trecking out to Oklahoma.
Did Ann Romney really "play poor"? Perhaps she really did *believe* that she and Mitt were poor when they lived in a basement apartment, when she washed floors, etc. Why? Mitt grew up in a wealthy family. Ann Romney probably did, also: they moved in the same social circle (they met at Ann's 16th birthday party, for example). So money was scarcely a concern for them; wealth was like the air they breathed. So when Mitt was in school, and many of the day-to-day circumstances of the Romneys' lives were what the rest of us consider as middle-class, Ann Romney could easily have felt she was *poor*. Remember, during the Republican primary season, her husband offered a ten-*thousand*-dollar bet -- with less concern than I (for one) would have about betting only ten-dollars. The Romneys apparently think wealth is the norm and have little idea of how ordinary -- or truly poor -- people live. It's often said that wealth shouldn't disqualify someone from public office. Okay. Franklin Roosevelt was wealthy -- but thanks in large part to his wife, Eleanor, he was in touch with the lives of "little people." The question for the Romneys is whether they understand -- not intellectually, but in their guts -- what life is like for the 99%, and especially for the poor, near-poor, and precarious middle-classes. I suspect that the Romneys lack such understanding, and that their economic and social policies will not be grounded solidly in reality.
What a horrible example of bias. First of all, she never said she was poor. She simply related, as most adult human beings can relate to, that period of time when you starting out as a young family. The challenges seem bigger and the stuff seems less, when you look back. Looking back on my own circumstances I can't believe how poor we were -- waitressing and work-study jobs -- and we were by no means at the bottom. She is entitled to reminisce, an even romanticize, this period of her life. It's interesting. common and humanizing. It takes a writer truly blinded by bias to fail to grasp that very human aspect of her speech. And of course, as other have well pointed out, Liz Warren has made a big deal out of her growing up in poverty, or rather "holding on to a place in the middle class," a story supported by no evidence and contradicted by everyone that knew her then, but continually repeated as gospel by the Globe. Truly third-rate journalism here.
Absolute GARBAGE from Joanna Weiss (again). Spewing liberal "hate" based on one's party affiliation. Scary that the boston globe even publishes such drivel. As stated by at least one other commenter, she would never write such "they are rich - and are out of touch" about the Kennedy's or Kerry's. Can't wait to see what she might write about Michelle Obama next week.


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March 16th, 2010
By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now
With all the talk about natural cosmetics, organic makeup and getting the chemicals out of personal products, you'd think that finding basic, non-toxic facial foundations would be a simple matter.
You'd be wrong. We took five foundations that claim to be "natural" and free of concerning chemicals and matched them against Skin Deep, the database that rates makeup for toxicity.
The results surprised us. They'll probably surprise you. And they remind us once again that the labels touting "organic" and "natural" ingredients, can be deceiving in body products. A cosmetic can use those labels, and still contain compounds that raise red flags.


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If you are looking for a wide selection of 2012 or 2013 Nissan cars in Baton Rouge, look no further than Royal Nissan. We are committed to your satisfaction and are here to assist you in any way we can. A Royal Nissan sales associate will help you locate the Nissan vehicle that meets your requirements. Choose from all of the latest Nissan models including the Altima, Juke, LEAF, Versa, and Murano. Test drive a Nissan in Baton Rouge by visiting Royal Nissan, located at 9325 Airline Highway. Still having trouble narrowing your choices down? Check out our Louisiana Nissan Reviews.
Browse our current Nissan inventory by using the Power Search tools below.
Royal Nissan is a Baton Rouge Nissan dealer that focuses on establishing long term relationships with our customers. People come to Royal Nissan because they know what to expect from our new and used car dealership. We would like to have the opportunity to earn your business and invite you to experience the Royal Nissan difference for yourself.


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Regulators 2 HP Ports Regulators 4 LP Ports Regulators Adjustable 2nd Stage Regulators Diaphragm Regulators First & Second Stage Set Regulators Oceanic Regulators
This product has a limited warranty of 24 months.
www.oceanicworldwide.com(800) 435-3483
Whats in the box:1st Stage, 2nd Stage and Low Pressure Braided Hose
(based on 8 reviews)
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Terrible, I regret buying
By not happy oceanic
from NSW, Australia
About Me Professional
Comments about Oceanic EOS FDX10 DVT Regulator with Swivel:
Due to the swivel (which doesn't work well at all) you may only use Oceanic replacements - no braided hoses.DVT module in the 1st stage produces a massive screeching noise after servicing. I have been told "you need to let the spring wear in". I have done at least 30 dives with this reg and the problem still occurs. I have also been told that the spring needs to be lubricated to stop the screeching, suggesting that qualified oceanic servicing people don't know what they're doing.
Comment on this review
The best just keeps getting better...
By BigDaddyWing
from Colorado, USA
See all my reviews
This reg delivers everything that the manufacturer says it does and more... The FDX10 1st Stage w/DVT paired with the EOS 2nd Stage is so balanced that you will think you are breathing on the surface even though you are at 100 feet... The dive/pre-dive switch is large and easy to adjust AND it works as designed... You just make sure that you set it to pre-dive before you hit the water and once you're under, roll it to dive and you're done... The breathing effort is controlled by the easily gripped knob and once you have it set to your preference, just leave it there, no need to fiddle with it, unless you want to... As for free flow issues, well, I had to make mine free flow by turning it mouthpiece UP on the surface... I just had to move the venturi switch to pre-dive and the free flow stopped immediately... The DVT feature on the FDX10 helps to keep the "cooties" out and the internal surfaces clean and safe from contamination... Thanks to Oceanic for making a fine, completely adjustable regulator that will serve me in my profession for a good, long time..!
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Best Reg I've ever owned
By Kent
from Colorado
About Me Advanced
The EOS is the best breathing regulator I have ever owned, and I have been diving for about 40 years. Additionally, you can't beat Oceanic's reputation for quality and service.
(0 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
Failed on 2nd dive.
By Bigstrapper256
from Saint Helens, Oregon
About Me Beginner
On my second open water dive the regulator went into free flow when I was demonstrating how to recover your second stage. I tapped it in my palm, and it wouldn't stop. I handed it to my instructor who was right there with me and went to my alternate secondary. He tried moving all of the adjustments and he could not make it stop either. We were at 20 feet, when we surfaced the tank was empty. Regulator was sent back to Dive shop then Oceanic factory. The factory has been very vague, first said they would ship me a different new one, then when I looked at it and compared serial numbers I pointed out to dive shop that it was same regulator. Upon further inquiry with factory we found paper work saying parts had been replaced. I hope that information is true and the regulator is safe to use by me or whoever winds up with it.
(1 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
excellent reg with too short a hose
By spamboli
from Okinawa, JP
this reg is great once you're breathing off it, but there's one big flaw: the hose is only 30" long. its just long enough to use comfortably. it makes for a slightly more streamlined package, but that causes other problems: it's really too short to share with a buddy - that means you shouldn't use it with a combo octo/inflater. that eliminates the streamlining advantage right there. also when you switch from a snorkel to your reg its harder to find (even with a sweep). replacing the hose isn't a option either - the hose and swivel are one unit that has a non-standard male fitting going into the 2nd stage. it you plan to never use a combo octo - it's a 5, otherwise don't bother
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Hurricane Sandy Relief and Train Tragedy Benefit To Be Held in Odessa
By: Marianne Elisak
Updated: December 7, 2012
ODESSA---A benefit for Hurricane Sandy victims and victims of the train tragedy is set to be held at the Zucchi's Restaurant in Odessa on Sunday, December 9th.
Local country singer, Brian Milson is set to perform for the benefit, along with several other artists.
A silent auction will also be held on Sunday.
Proceeds will be donated to the Redhook Volunteers and The You Are Never Alone (YANA) Project.
A portion of the funds collected will also be donated to the family members of the veterans killed in the train tragedy.
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BEIJING, CHINA - MAY 17: China's President Xi Jinping attends a meeting with Greece's Prime Minister Antonis Samaras (not in picture) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, May 17, 2013. Greece is willing to roll out the 'red carpet' according to Samaras if China was willing to invest in the Greek economy. (Photo by Jason Lee-Pool/Getty Images)
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There are certain tools around the internet that have made me a better social media manager for my clients. When people ask me what I use for stuff, it's really funny to see their reaction, like I hold the key to a vault of all the most amazing information in social media. Well I guess [...]
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Meet some of our donors
Giving is one of life's simple pleasures. Our University has been fortunate to have received generous gifts from donors for very special and personal causes. These gifts have provided hope, support, and opportunity to many. We wish to acknowledge all of the donors who have made projects at our University possible. Meet some of our donors and learn more about their causes.
- Donald Livingstone McNair
- Joseph McBride
- Neville Sawyer AM
- Don Barker and Annette Lynch
- David Pitts
- Ampcontrol
- Delta Electricity
Donald Livingstone McNair
Donald Livingstone McNair's grand passion is plants. So much so he has collected more than 12,000 plant samples. He has donated the plants to the University of Newcastle to create a herbarium (A herbarium is a collection of dried plants that are mounted and systematically classified for study and identification).
The University has gratefully accepted this extensive collection and named the herbarium 'The Don McNair Herbarium' in his honour.
Stories - Read more
< A Lifelong Passion for Plants (PDF)
Joseph McBride
Bega cattle farmer Mr McBride was touched by the professional yet caring nursing his wife Pat received in hospital in her final days battling cancer. So much so, that he willingly agreed to his wife's suggestion of creating The Edith and Joseph McBride Scholarship in Nursing.
The $30,000 donation honours his beloved parents Edith and Joseph McBride (Snr), and offers one Central Coast student studying a degree in nursing at the University of Newcastle's Ourimbah Campus $1,000 per year for the three-year duration of their course.
Stories - Read more
< Compassionate nursing inspires donation (PDF)
Neville Sawyer AM
Throughout his successful career in a variety of business and industry operations, Neville Sawyer has been committed to education through TAFE and University. With his particular area of interest in developing education and training programs to increase skills levels in the workforce, Neville established the Neville Sawyer Scholarship in Business and Law in 2007. His aim was to encourage graduates in engineering, science and information technology to undertake postgraduate studies in business and law.
Neville is a very dedicated Novocastrian who has been extremely successful in a variety of business and industry operations. His greatest contribution is to the development of Ampcontrol which, by the time he retired in 2005, had many offices across Australia. Through the establishment of the Neville Sawyer Scholarship in Business and Law, Neville hopes to bridge the gap between theory and practical skills, to help more graduates to develop the qualifications required of leadership roles in business and industry.
Stories - Read more
< Tristan Rayner - 2009 scholarship recipient (PDF)
Don Barker and Annette Lynch
In 2001 Don Barker and Annette Lynch endowed a PhD Scholarship Fund, to support students of outstanding quality in Environmental Studies. In 2006 the Barker family moved the fund to support students undertaking their PhD studies in health in stroke, prostate cancer, melanoma and ageing.
The scholarship was established in honour of the Barker family name in recognition of the family's long association with and service to Newcastle Maritime. Don Barker, who initially followed his father into an electrical career, subsequently became an illumination engineer and finally ran his own handyman business. Don also helped found the Newcastle Family History Society in 1983. According to Don his motivation behind donating to the University is pride in Newcastle and honouring the family name.
Stories - Read more
< Barker Family PhD Fund (PDF, 22KB)
< Jennifer White - 2009 Barker PhD Scholar (PDF 42KB)
David Pitts
Music has been a central part of David Pitt's professional and personal life for many years. For David, this love of music and a desire to support the performing arts in Newcastle were the driving factors in his generous donation of a digital organ to the University.
David's donation of a magnificent Ahlborn-Galanti AG3200 62-stop digital organ to the University now sits proudly in the Great Hall, and also features a 26-channel powered speaker system donated by Friends of Newcastle University.
Stories - Read more
< An organ donor - of the musical variety (PDF)
Ampcontrol is one of Australia's largest privately-owned suppliers of electrical and electronic products to the power, mining and energy markets. It operates 24 sites across Australia and internationally in the UK, South Africa, New Zealand, China and Russia.
In 2004 Ampcontrol invested nearly half a million dollars towards the establishment of a Professorial position of Power Engineering at the University, a study discipline previously unavailable to Engineering students. Power Engineering is a specialist electrical engineering discipline that covers power systems.
Ampcontrol's donation has enabled the University of Newcastle to offer students greater diversity, creating a bridge between the educational institute and Power Engineering.
Stories - Read more
< Ampcontrol - Chair in Power Engineering (PDF)
Delta Electricity
Delta Electricity is a long time supporter of students studying at the University of Newcastle's Central Coast Campus. Delta Electricity funds a total of four scholarships, demonstrating its commitment to supporting higher education. Three scholarships are for undergraduate students and the fourth supports an Indigenous student.
Each of the scholarship offers $2,500 to a student from the Central Coast or Lake Macquarie region.These scholarships provide students with the extra financial support and boost in confidence they need to complete their degrees to the best of their ability.
Stories- Read more
Delta Electricity - long time supporter of the Central Coast (PDF)


text: The race of homicide victims doesn't affect whether police will solve the victim's murder or not, according to a study of one city's police department. Researchers found no evidence that homicide detectives spent less time or effort on cases involving African-American victims, as some police critics have suggested. The high public visibility of murder cases and the fact that homicide detectives are judged entirely on how many cases they solve mean that all murder cases receive similar treatment, said Richard Lundman, co-author of the study and professor of sociology at Ohio State University.


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Alternative TitlesEnglish: Class President is a Maid!; Maid-Sama! Synonyms: Katcho wa Maidsama, Kaichou wa Meido Sama, Toumei na Sekai, A Transparent World Japanese: 会長はメイド様!; 透明の世界 InformationType: Manga
Volumes: Unknown
Chapters: Unknown
Status: Publishing
Published: Dec 2005 to ? Authors:
Fujiwara, Hiro (Story & Art) Serialization:
LaLa StatisticsScore: 8.501 (scored by 17422 users)
Ranked: #1412
Popularity: #19
Members: 32,744
Favorites: 3,429 1 indicates a weighted score
2 based on the top manga page.
My InfoPopular Tagscomedy romance school shoujo |


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Nanotechnology and Chemical Engineering News, Articles, Videos
Welcome to the Chemical Engineering News portal, your source of news, articles, links, and resources about chemical engineering, nanotechnology, and anything science related!
This website has initially started as a blog of a poor chemical engineering student by the name of Paulina (that's me!) and a place for her to keep her resume for those who are searching the web for a Chemical Engineer Portfolio. When Paulina realized that her little blog has reached thousands of readers from over a 100 different countries, she decided to devote more time to covering news from the science world. Due to her education and professional background, the focus remains on Chemical Engineering and Nanotechnology but anything related to laboratories and science if a fair game to be written about!
A Word From The Creator of Chemical Engineering News:
http://chemicalengineeringnews.org/ - Updated: 2013/05/23 by Paulina Szadkowska-Kociszewski at UIC - Department of Chemical Engineering, 810 S Clinton St Chicago, IL 60607
Hello and welcome! I would like to sincerely first thank you for visiting my website!
When I first started the website in May of 2012 I have not dared to dream that it would be of interest to so many people! When I reached the first 2,000 readers I was simply stunned! That, combined with so many kind letters that I have received from my visitors gave me the motivation needed to continue writing! You might imagine that studying for a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering degree does not leave much time for blogging and answering fan-mail but I promise to answer every email I receive and continue writing as often as humanly possible - all thanks to you my kind visitor!
Thank you once again and please feel free to browse the Chemical Engineering News website and say hi using the email form on my contact page!
Sincerely Yours,


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The original deal pioneer keeps on pinching pennies and cracking wise. No, that price isn't a typo. Go to Woot
You don't have to spend a lot to look like you do. Werk it and twerk it with amazing deals on designer watches, handbags and more. Go to Accessories & Watches
The robots are coming! And so are the laptops, the tablets, the phones, the cameras, the TVs... Go to Tech.Woot
High living at low prices with name-brand deals for your pad, crib, nest, or castle - inside and out. Go to Home.Woot
Make it, build it, improve it. But whatever home project you've got in mind, start by saving money on it. Go to Tools & Garden
Sports, fitness, and outdoors deals, because saving money is only one of your passions. Go to Sport.Woot
Deals for moms and dads and anybody else who needs kids' stuff, from toys to baby gear to furniture to clothing. Go to Kids.Woot
Our exclusive graphic tees will make you laugh, will make you cry, will make you look totally hot. Go to Shirt.Woot
Direct from the winery to your thirsty lips: wine deals worth doing a spit-take over. Go to Wine.Woot
Last chance deals for hardcore cheapskates. Catch 'em before they - you guessed it - sell out. Go to Sellout.Woot
371,151 deals (and counting) from around the web, shared and ranked by a community of deal fiends like you. Go to Deals.Woot.
What material are the kites made from and does it include the line? If no line, then how much of what strength is needed?
ShellyA227 wrote:What material are the kites made from and does it include the line? If no line, then how much of what strength is needed?
This catchy video (and product pictures) show this coming with line. Just be careful when you reel your 50 kites back in that you don't tangle up the lines so you can fly them again. Matthew is a lyrical genius.
Product website with different videos on their instruction page: http://www.kite-train.com/ownerscorner.html FAQ's separate page: http://www.kite-train.com/faqs.html or if you only want the videos:
Just this evening at our family reunion on the beach my daughter brought out two of the 50-kite kite-trains that she had bought on an earlier Woot. They were so much fun. Everyone on the beach and even some from the cabins came to see what they were. The kites looked great in the sky. One man put his hands next to mine and pretended to be flying them and had his wife take a picture. I think my husband and I spent the most time with them and we are the grandparents. Don't hesitate to buy they are really great!
whatsamattaU wrote: or if you only want the videos:
Uh, were there kites in those videos?
or if you only want the videos: What if we only want the girl?
Seriously, how easy are these to get aloft and would it be feasible to tie them off and let them fly on their own once they are up there?
So do these seem to fly easier than other kites? We don't live near a beach, so our kite flying is normally a Spring?Fall event when winds are gustier & confined to a field in a park & usually involves a LOT of me running & trying to get it high enough to catch a breeze. If that is how we usually have to do it, I don't see how a system like this where I'd have to keep letting them out slowly would work. NOW if this system would mean no more running & they catch a breeze easier - I'm definitely in for a few. If anyone can give insight I'd be grateful.
I bought this the last time it was on sale from woot. Yesterday was the first time we used it. Very easy to get them in the air but within 10 mins the train that started with 25 kites broke into 5 smaller kite trains. Each of the 5 smaller kite trains flew off into the woods and since I was with a 2 year old there was no way I was going to run to get them back.
fcheung wrote:I bought this the last time it was on sale from woot. Yesterday was the first time we used it. Very easy to get them in the air but within 10 mins the train that started with 25 kites broke into 5 smaller kite trains. Each of the 5 smaller kite trains flew off into the woods and since I was with a 2 year old there was no way I was going to run to get them back.
Thanks for the info. I was about to ask if these were reusable or a one shot deal.
We picked up the 50 rainbow kites last time they were on Woot. Getting them in the air was a 4 person job for us but I could see it being done with 1-2 in the right conditions. These kites are light, thin plastic so they reportedly fly in low wind. We flew them at the beach on the Gulf of Mexico and the wind blowing 10+ mph(while suitable for our other low wind kites) kept the kite train just 10-20ft off the ground so it really did look like a train going parallel with the ground rather than up, up, and away like you would expect a kite to do. I attached a cube kite to the end of the train to give it some lift so, in essence, the kite train became a fancy kite line. It got lots of attention and had everyone's eyes on us for the 10 minutes it took us to get it in the air. About 15 kites didn't make it into the air due to a tangle and several were damaged while flying. Cool product--cheaply made. Not sure if our second attempt at flying them will be as pleasurable or even possible but I have high hopes!
Bought 3 of the 50 kite trains the last time around. Just bought 2 more. They are plastic sails and spars (sticks) with the sails cellophane taped to the spars. The trains are shipped ready to fly...... just like the girl's in the video. They are somewhat delicate... kids will break them..... should be flown by adult. We flew 2 trains in 4 -7 mph winds. They were up for at least 3 hours. In my opinion, 10 mph is too much for these. Launch and retrieve just like the girl in the video and you will be fine. You can't be in a hurry when launching and retrieving. Bring a larger box than the original packing to put the kites in when you are done..... much easier than trying to fit back in the original. Just a piece of general advice from a longtime kite enthusiast. If you are running to get a kite in the air, it is not the right day to fly kites. Wait for a day with better wind and you will have much, much more fun! Warning..... Kite flying can become addictive.
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First there was the 24-year old who was so obsessed with Barbie, she had plastic surgery to create her desired look. Now, there's a new trend: dressing up like a real doll, and it's catching like wildfire in countries like China and Japan. (?!)
As pretty as these girls look, I'm much more of a fan of natural beauty instead of looking like my head is made of plastic. Though their eyes are gorgeous.
Like the look and want to learn how to get it? Check out this how-to video:
Lovelies, what do you think of the real-life doll look? Will you try this or leave it to Barbie?


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Sunshine Jen
Robot Filter
Robot Journal
Tropical Depression
Two Sentence Movie Review
a homemade life
molly wizenberg
Wizenberg is the creator and author of Orangette.com, a dreamy, yummy food blog where I've found such recipe keepers as Scottish scones, nutmeg donut muffins and apple butter. What's great about her book is that it's not an exact repeat of her blog even those recipes and narratives that have already appeared online are tweaked and elaborated upon to make them even fresher. Wizenberg writes with such tenderness about topics like the death of her father (at the end of which I cried and also made Italian Grotto Eggs to console myself) and about meeting her husband through her site that she reminds you how inextricably linked food and feelings are in our lives. I've marked quite a few recipes from the book; tonight I'm making pasta with pesto and zucchini and for my birthday I'm totally whipping up fresh ginger cake with caramelized pears. And eating the whole thing myself. That's the kind of thing that Orangette inspires and approves of.
reviewed by:
lisa may
August 2009 [link]
a big storm knocked it over
laurie colwin
This is the second novel I've read by Colwin and I'm in love with her formula of sweet characters, honest thoughts and simple writing. This book centers on marriage and motherhood and the friendship between Jane Louise and Edie and it contains the single best paragraph about the early weeks of motherhood i've ever read:
"Motherhood is a storm, a seizure: It is like weather. Nights of high wind followed by calm mornings of dense fog or brilliant sunshine that gives way to tropical rain, or blinding snow. Jane Louise and Edie found themselves swept away, cast ashore, washed overboard. It was hard to keep anything straight. The days seemed to congeal like rubber cement, although moments stood out in the clearest, starkest brilliance. You might string these together on a charm bracelet of your memory if you could keep your eyes open long enough to remember anything. Jane Louise had found herself asleep standing up at her kitchen counter, and Edie reported that she had passed out on a park bench."
So brilliant, and with each book I finish by Colwin, I miss her more and more (she died in 1992).
reviewed by:
lisa may
October 2006 [link]
a complicated kindness
miriam toews
Each year there comes that book I want to press on everyone I know. Last year it was A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews.
Nomi Nickel is a teenage Mennonite girl with a sense of humour and observation that brand her an outsider in the rigid Mennonite community she has grown up in.
Imagine the least well-adjusted kid in your school starting a breakaway clique of people whose manifesto includes a ban on the media, dancing, smoking , temperate climates, movies, drinking, rock'n'roll, having sex for fun, swimming, makeup, jewellery, playing pool, going to cities, or staying up past nine o'clock. That was Menno all over. Thanks a lot, Menno."
After both her mother and older sister were kicked out of the church for their independent thinking and spirited lifestyles, Nomi is left in the hands of her hapless, pious father. He adores her, but is too wrapped up in his own grief to stop her downward spiral. To make things worse, he is inexplicably getting rid of the household furniture, piece by piece.
But Nomi as narrator is hilarious, tragic, and hopeful. She describes her first sexual encounter with her boyfriend:
Move with me, he says, to which she replies: To Montreal? In retrospect, she reflects, I think it might have gone better if I hadn't been bald, drunk, depressed and jealous.
When the book ends, it is like a revelation. You realize that the slow accumulation of small stories and details has been woven together into a beautiful, full narrative and you are rooting for Nomi - her punk-ass intolerance for bullshit, her brutal honesty, and her wicked humour.
reviewed by:
September 2006 [link]
recommend 2 thumbs up
a death in belmont
sebastian junger
As a writer of non-fiction, it must be hard to follow up a book like "The Perfect Storm", Sebastian Junger's runaway bestseller-turned Hollywood blockbuster film. However, upon reading "A Death In Belmont," Junger's account of his family's personal connection to The Boston Strangler, one can't help but wonder how he chose to pursue other subjects before writing this book.
The book centers around a muder in the upscale Boston suburb of Belmont, when Junger was a small child – a sexual assault and strangling which to many seemed to fall in line with the numerous similar murders attributed to the elusive Boston Strangler. However, on that day, the victim had called upon a job placement organization to hire a man to help clean her home. That man, an African American by the name of Roy Smith, had of course met the victim, worked in the victim's home, and was subsequently charged and convicted in the murder. Roy Smith has never confessed to the killing, even upon his parole hearing when such an admittance, along with regret, is key to ever being free again.
That same day, Albert DeSalvo, the convicted Boston Strangler, was also in Belmont, working as a carpenter at the Junger home. Although DeSalvo never confessed to this murder, it bears many hallmarks of a classic Strangler murder.
Junger weaves a compelling narrative, alternately following Smith's and DeSalvo's personal histories, the accounts of the murder (as well as the other Boston Strangler murders), the state of race relations at the time, and accounts of both men's lives behind bars. Junger never comes right out and says that Smith was wrongly charged for a murder he didn't commit, but his intent is clearly to place a reasonable doubt in the mind of the reader.
The book is compelling on many levels: as a family memoir, as true crime, as a mystery, and as a meditation on race, class, and justice.
junger has done his homework here, as he includes a wealth of police and court transcripts, interviews with key law enforcement, medical, and correctional facility personnel, as well as interviews with acquaintances of both men, both inside and outside of prison. although the book does not serve to prove Smith's innocence or guilt, it asks the right questions, which in turn serve to underscore the fragility of justice throughout history and especially in present times.
reviewed by:
May 2006 [link]
a fortunate age
joanna smith rakoff
A measure of the likeability of a book, for me, is whether I am anxious to find out what happens to the characters in an obsessive, read-while-making-dinner way and in this case, dinner just did not get made. Starting with six friends, all recent Oberlin grads, together at one of the friends' wedding and ending with the same six friends some ten years later, all very far from where they began, "A Fortunate Age" is richly detailed, nostalgic and wonderfully compelling. Having spent time in NYC in the 90s made the book familiar but it's the characters' thoughts, actions and experiences that really hit home, as they work their way through life getting married, getting divorced, finding careers and finding themselves (or not.) My favorite character is Sadie, a member of the old-moneyed Peregrine family and, to me, the most level-headed. Her mother Rose is an old New York socialite who says things like "That's a whole different pair of gloves" (my new saying as well) and I would love a sequel of sorts just about Sadie and her family if only because the blue-blood aristocracy is so damned interesting.
Comparisons to "The Group" and "The Emperor's Children" don't need to be made (they've been made just about everywhere else) because "A Fortunate Age" definitely holds its own.
reviewed by:
lisa may
May 2009 [link]
recommend 9 thumbs up
a garden of earthly delights
joyce carol oates
I've been a little afraid of reading Joyce Carol Oates, ever since college when I had to dissect "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" front and backwards. There's nothing like a college lit class to turn an entire author's genre into a buzzkill. So, for my first post-college foray into Oates, I choose "Earthly Delights" and was not disappointed. Oates takes a good hard look at society, gender roles and the relationships we form throughout our life in this first novel of the so-called "Wonderland Quartet" (Earthly Delights was published in 1967, followed by "Expensive People" in 1968, "them" in 1969 and "Wonderland" in 1971).
Earthly Delights follows Clara from her birth to her death and how men shape her life (or do they?). From her initial days as a migrant worker's daughter, to her time with Lowry during her teenage years (who dusts her off, helps her get a job and eventually knocks her up) to Revere, a married man who "keeps" her until the death of his wife and then marries her and finally, the fourth force in her life, her son, Swan, we see Clara grow and change and adapt to what life hands her. Beautifully written conversations and lovely descriptions.
reviewed by:
lisa may
August 2007 [link]
a girl named zippy
haven kimmel
another bestseller whiz that i managed to glean over several hundred times until finally packing it in my suitcase for my flight to paree. i practically read the first chapter outloud to craig until he finally said he'd read it after i was done, so i could STOP reading it to him. hrmph.
how could you not laugh at a a mother looking at her new baby's too-close together eyes saying "well, i'll love her anyway"? how funny that for a while, kimmel thought she was adopted and that her real parents were gypsies, all backed up by a convincing story told by her mom? each little vignette is cute and quaint and funny. nothing traumatic happens and it's just a straightforward story of siblings and family and growing up. kimmel now lives in durham, nc. yay!
reviewed by:
lisa may
April 2004 [link]
a homemade life
molly wizenberg
Wizenberg is the creator and author of Orangette.com, a dreamy, yummy food blog where I've found such recipe keepers as Scottish scones, nutmeg donut muffins and apple butter. What's great about her book is that it's not an exact repeat of her blog even those recipes and narratives that have already appeared online are tweaked and elaborated upon to make them even fresher. Wizenberg writes with such tenderness about topics like the death of her father (at the end of which I cried and also made Italian Grotto Eggs to console myself) and about meeting her husband through her site that she reminds you how inextricably linked food and feelings are in our lives. I've marked quite a few recipes from the book; tonight I'm making pasta with pesto and zucchini and for my birthday I'm totally whipping up fresh ginger cake with caramelized pears. And eating the whole thing myself. That's the kind of thing that Orangette inspires and approves of.
reviewed by:
lisa may
August 2009 [link]
a million little pieces
james frey
reviewed by:
December 2005 [link]
recommend 3 thumbs up
a primate's memoir: a neuroscientist's unconventional life among the baboons
robert sapolsky
yahooie! baboons!! the african outback!! i thought this book was tremendous. sapolsky writes about the time he spends observing baboons in east africa. along with intimate, human-like and funny descriptions of the baboons behaviors, he shares tales about his experience among the tribal people in africa. it's an amazing read that made me shush my husband many a time since i was so into it. sapolskyhas a talent for straightforward storytelling that is poignant and funny. fyi - "poignant" was a word used on the book jacket.
reviewed by:
lisa may
March 2003 [link]
a scanner darkly
philip k dick
This is one of Dicks later novels, complete with his requisite themes of identity and reality. Set in the near future (at least the near future for 1977, when this was published) A Scanner Darkly follows the tragic-comic misadventures of a nark named Fred. Fred takes on the identity of small time dealer of a drug called Substance D, Bob Arctor. Things get complicated for Fred when he receives his new assignment: investigate alleged drug dealer Bob Arctor. One of Dicks later novels, and inspired by events and people from his own life, this is a harrowing novel about addiction and identity. It gets off to a slow shaky start but quickly gains momentum and becomes a lot of disorienting fun as the narrative voice becomes very nebulous as the lines between Bob and Fred become more distinct.
reviewed by:
July 2004 [link]
recommend 2 thumbs up
a year in the merde
stephen clarke
A funny little fiction story drawn from Clarke's real-life escapades working and living in France. Marketing guru Paul West moves to France from Britain to help start up a chain of British tea rooms (his fame is from his success in setting up a chain of French cafes in Britain cleverly named "Voulez Vous Cafe Avec Moi" - so funny!) and encounters accents impossible to decode, crazy French manners (or lack of) and French bureacracy (or why co-workers can't be fired). In addition to sleeping with the boss' daughter he uncovers a bit of a scandel as his boss is buying mad-cow diseased beef instead of homegrown French beef for his restaurants. Alls well that ends well, as West finds a girlfriend and gets to open a tea room all his own.
reviewed by:
lisa may
June 2006 [link]
gary shteyngart
In "Absurdistan" we meed Misha Vainberg, who is, yes, vain, and funny, weighs 325 pounds in his vintage Puma tracksuits (he calls himself an "incorrigible fatso") and is the son of the 1,238th richest man in Russia. "Beloved Papa" not only made Misha get circumcised on his way to college in the U.S. (a botched circumcision, as we intimately learn) but upon Misha's return from NYC a few years later it turns out that his Papa had killed a man in Oklahoma and authorities won't let Misha travel back to the U.S. and to his other beloved, a Bronx girl named Rouenna. And so, after the sad assassination of Papa, Misha hefts his portliness to oil-laden country of Absurdistan to secure a Belgian passport and winds up in the midst of a coup/civil war/oil company chaos all while wooing woman (one of which woos while still in Russia, his father's young widow whom he hilariously seduces with lines from a Zagat's guide) and almost never skipping a meal.
If you missed Shteyngart's witty and splendid "The Russian Debutant's Handbook" you cannot miss "Absurdistan" for its humorous storyline and clever characters, made-up rap lyrics and all the fun Shteyngart's pokes at fat people, religion, oil conglomerates and even himself. (One of the people Misha can't stand is a guy he went to college with who is now a professor named "Jerry Shteynfarb". "Shteynfarb" has just written a bestselling book in the U.S. titled "The Russian Arriviste's Hand Job" and is called a Jewish Nabakov by Misha's friends - one gets the sense that Shteygart is rather humoured by his success in the literary circuit.) I found myself savoring every word of the book, wondering how soon is too soon to go back and read it again.
reviewed by:
lisa may
September 2006 [link]
recommend 2 thumbs up
ada blackjack: a true story of survival in the arctic
jennifer niven
Before you begin this incredible story, get out your atlas and look up Wrangel Island. It's practically at the tippy top of the world, above Siberia. Now, imagine it being 1923 and an expedition of four men and one Eskimo woman traveling there to live and scout out the territory. No Patagonia jackets, no L.L. Bean boots, no contact with the real world for a whole year. Actually, make that two years, as the relief ship that is supposed to reach them one summer never makes it. And, as it turns, out, the four men don't make it after one year either. Just Ada Blackjack, who survived on her wits and good sense until finally a relief ship showed up two years after the expedition started. This is an amazing story, especially if you keep reminding yourself that it was in the 1920s! It was probably hard enough traveling from town to town let alone to another continent! The expedition was woefully under provisioned and under prepped for such a trip. There was supposed to be an entire Eskimo community helping to hunt and cook food and the only person they were able to get to come along was Ada, and she was only supposed to sew fur clothing for the men. She ended up learning to hunt, trap and cook and it saved her life. Forget "Into the Wild" - this story is the real deal!
reviewed by:
lisa may
October 2007 [link]
america (the book): a citizen's guide to democracy inaction
jon stewart
This book is everything you'd expect from The Daily Show - sarcastic, crude and hilarious. Set-up in text book format with lots of funny diagrams and history the way it was meant to be told - irrverently and humorously. I can only hope some high school teacher out there tries to sneak it into their curriculum.
reviewed by:
lisa may
January 2005 [link]
recommend 1 thumbs up
amy vanderbilt complete book of etiquette
amy vanderbilt
if you want an amusing afternoon read, pick up this sucker. you will be endlessly amused at topics such as what to expect when a maid unpacked your bags, where to sit people for an 8 person dinner party and how to announce you and your gay companion have adopted a child. it's totally rewritten for the '00s. i think it would be even more amusing to see the original etiquette book from the 50s. what a freakin' hoot, i bet. i imagine that if you were having a fancy 500 person wedding, this might actually help with the planning in terms of what you're "supposed" to do. but for the rest of us, it's just plain interesting.
reviewed by:
lisa may
February 2003 [link]
recommend 1 thumbs up
an almost perfect moment
binnie kirshenbaum
"An Almost Perfect Moment" has it all: mah-jongg playing, gold lamé wearing Jewish mothers; Catholic Italians neighbors bringing over manicotti; homely high school teachers that still live with their parents; unrequited love and a seemingly immaculate conception. What's not too love?
It seems all far-flung but somehow it works in this sassy and nutty story. Valentine Kessler is a 15 going on 16 Jewish girl growing up in Brooklyn who bears an uncanny resemblance to the Virgin Mary (except, being Jewish, she and her family and friends have no idea). She's in love with her plain, boring, 24 year old math teacher and he's in love with her (neither one knows). Set in the 70s, this book addresses all the painful parts of high school - being ostracized, having sex for the first time (or not), being religiously confused and learning about love.
Kirshenbaum's style of writing reminded me a lot of Zadie Smith's "White Teeth" which is to say solid character sketches, lots of lovely details and dark humor. A funky and pleasurable little read. (I also abnormally adore the cover, it's just so cool looking.)
reviewed by:
lisa may
April 2006 [link]
an arsonist's guide to writers' homes in england
brock clarke
Wacky and entertaining is the only way to descibe this novel by the improbably named Brock Clarke. Sam Pulsifer gets out of prison at the ripe old age of 28 after serving ten years for accidentally burning down the Emily Dickinson House - with two people inside. He sets out to make a normal life for himself and almost succeeds until the son of the couple Sam killed shows up and vows to ruin his life as Sam did his. Suddenly, someone is setting fire to writers' homes all over New England, Sam's parents have become drunks and Sam has to make things right. Filled with funny and sad moments - one funny one being that after Sam burns down Emily Dicksinson's house, a disgruntled townie throws his size 12 Birkenstock through his parent's front window (Sam assumes the thrower is saving the other shoe to throw through the window another time) - the book is about confronting your past in order to clarify your future. The ending really takes a wild turn which wasn't all together satisfying but Sam is such an amusing, likable and wonky character, all is forgiven.
reviewed by:
lisa may
February 2008 [link]
an idiot girl's christmas: true tales from the top of the naughty list
laurie notaro
Another great book of essays from Laurie Notaro, this time Christmas-themed and still side-splittingly funny. Notaro is sooooo that koo-koo friend who calls you up to say "I had to go to freakin' Kmart on Christmas Eve to buy tampons and this gang was making fun of me in line" (as written in this book) and when you get off the phone you have to go re-apply your mascara. Also in this book are stories about the time she almost killed her mother by turning up dead (also on Christmas Eve) and a story about her craptastic neighbor Frank's garish holiday decorations.
The only thing ever bad about a Notaro book is that they're too short!
reviewed by:
lisa may
January 2006 [link]
angels & demons
dan brown
I believe this was the pre-quel to Da Vinci Code and it's practically the same formula - high-profile person dead, Robert Langdon, a prominant symbologist, gets called in before the police to decipher the strange ambigram branded onto the victim. Victim has hot & smart daughter and a madcap adventure ensues.
Just like Da Vinci Code, this book explores the true existance of the Illuminati and the struggle between science and God. I love these books because it's mostly non-fiction, so many of the religious conspiracy facts are true. The fiction parts include the poisoning of the Pope (never a good thing) and some really gruesome murders.
There's also some detailed information about the dollar bill actually being full of Illuminati symbols. It's all very creepy and cool. Once again,
has some really neat photos and factoids about both Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons - although he calls them "spoilers" I would almost have preferred seeing some of the images before I read the book.
reviewed by:
lisa may
June 2004 [link]
angus, thongs and full-frontal snogging: confessions of georgia nicolson
louise rennison
A Bridget Jones for the young adult set, this book is funny -if not funnier- than its adult counterpart. Fourteen-year-old Georgia is saddled with a nerdy Mum and Dad, a 3-year-old sister who poos in the corner of Georgia's room, a cat named Angus who terrorizes the neighbor's poodles and a crush on Robbie - sex god du jour. There's THREE follow up books:"On the Bright Side, Now I'm the Girlfriend of a Sex God", "Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas" and "Dancing in My Nuddy Pants". Each book comes with a handy glossary in the back to help decipher british terms like "how's your father" (a penis) or "nuddy pants" (being naked).
reviewed by:
lisa may
December 2003 [link]
recommend 5 thumbs up
animal, vegetable, miracle
barbara kingsolver
Since I was unable to sludged through "The Omnivore's Dilemma" (much to my dismay) I was happy to accept "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" as a consolation prize. I found each and every word of this book to be an inspiration on how to get back to the land, eat healthier and make a difference in our little corners of the world. Kingsolver and her family move from Arizona to Southwest Virginia to a farm her husband owns. They renovate the house and decide on a year-long experiment: sustain themselves by growing their own food and where ever else possible, eat locally (i.e. local dairy and locally raised meat). The result is this beautiful book that is part a garden manual and part social commentary on the state of food consumption today: are we really willing to pay so little for our food so that we think organic is "expensive"? do we realize that eating out-of-season fruits and veggies actually costs more in terms of fossil fuels and environmental change? This book has completely changed the way I think about food. I've been making small changes in my grocery buying and meal planning and I've been making my own bread and granola! I've been buying local! I'm this close to raising my own turkeys and growing tomatoes in the bathtub! Okay, not that close but I look forward to getting my own yard some day and gardening the hell out it. Kingsolver includes lots of delicious recipes and a myriad of links for organizations committed to eating locally such as Slow Food USA. I've ordered my organic and heirloom seed catalogs in preparation to at least grow herbs on my porch come spring. And I'm sooooo making my own mozzarella (visit the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company - you can do it too!) Hallelujah and pass the homemade bread!
reviewed by:
lisa may
November 2007 [link]
another bullshit night in suck city
nick flynn
Nick Flynn reveals a disturbing relationship with his father, something that has haunted him his entire life and shaped him the way a painful absence can shape a child. His technique of punchy, short chapters are a knife slash to the gut, over and over, while his touching insights into the real lives of men and women living homeless on the streets of Boston-including his father-rubs salt in the wounds.
reviewed by:
July 2005 [link]
anywhere but here
mona simpson
This was a good solitude book. I liked it fine - partly/mostly because it had people (much like me) who didn't have a career or any glory but had lots of desire. I'm a bit of an isolationist with a mother, so I did indeed empathize. It was a lonely book.
reviewed by:
September 2000 [link]
recommend 1 thumbs up
apprentice to the flower poet z.
debra weinstein
A truly wacky and original novel, Apprentice to the Flower Poet Z., follows Annabelle, a NYC college student as she works as an assistant (she prefers "apprentice") to a famous and published poet who writes about flowers. Annabelle quickly becomes Z.'s personal assistant doing everything from buying handtowels and groceries to researching, sketching and describing flowers at the botanical gardens for Z.'s new book. Annabelle is a talented writer - can she escape the pull of the crazy, egomaniac Z. and her family?
reviewed by:
lisa may
August 2004 [link]
recommend 2 thumbs up
as always, julia: the letters of julia child and avis devoto
joan reardon
When Julia Child wrote a "fan" letter to the author Bernard DeVoto she couldn't have known that it would lead to not only a life-long friendship with his wife, Avis, but more or less would pave the way for "Mastering the Art of Cooking" through Avis' publishing experience and contacts. Julia and Avis began writing in 1952 while Julia was in France and Avis was living in Cambridge. The 200 letters are not only a thrilling look at two amazing woman but also a great peek into life in France and the US in the 50s and 60s where canned food was the latest rage and dinner parties were held every weekend after the children were in bed. This book made me nostalgic for good old-fashioned letter writing!
reviewed by:
lisa may
March 2011 [link]
assassination vacation
sarah vowell
In this latest and greatest from alternative It-Girl Sarah Vowell, we travel with Vowell to all the best sights related to the assassinations of McKinley, Lincoln and Garfield. What sounds like a potentially boring topic (I'm assuming she leaves out JFK because it would need a whole book of its own) turns out to be funny, brilliant and intellectual. At times, I thought the book was funnier than anything David Sedaris had written. Not only that, but I learned a lot historically as she visits places all over the country - places where the assassins hung out, where they took refuge and where they were imprisoned as well as where the murders took place. The text is peppered with Vowell's own political views (such as her thing for referring to President Bush as "the current president") and her quirky little self (we learn of her phobias which include "water, heights, snakes and 'Children of the Corn'"). This book is making me backtrack to her fiction novels - hopefully I'll be just as charmed.
reviewed by:
lisa may
August 2005 [link]
assisted loving
bob morris
After the death of his mother, writer Bob Morris works to come to terms with her passing and his father's aloofness during her illness. He feels guilty for not spending time with his father now that he's alone but also gets increasingly annoyed with him. And then his father starts trolling the personal ads. Morris decides he can either freak out or help him and thus becomes an accomplice in his father's dating adventures which rival any young stud on the market. With three women for every man in the retirement circles Morris, Sr. runs in, it's quite a scene. And while his father looks for love, Morris himself is searching for a soulmate (and happily seems to find him). This is funny and loving look at parental-child relationships and a sweet tribute to Morris's father as well as his mother. Bonus: The cover had me hooting all the while I was reading it as it shows Morris' father in a teeny, weenie Burberry-plaid Speedo noshing on a sandwich pool-side. Yikes!
reviewed by:
lisa may
December 2008 [link]
autobiography of a fat bride : true tales of a pretend adulthood
laurie notaro
If you missed Notaro's first book "The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Club" then shame on you and you better get this one too. Notaro wrote columns for an Arizona paper and these books are mostly the compilations of those essays. In this book Notaro writes about finally meeting the man of her dreams and wooing him with her one talent: breading and frying chicken cutlets. She shares her madcap adventures of planning a wedding, buying an old home and trying to pretend she's a grown-up. Funny stuff.
reviewed by:
lisa may
July 2004 [link]
recommend 1 thumbs up
autograph man
zadie smith
First let me say that I loved Smith's first book "White Teeth". It's one of those books that I grab off my shelf from time to time and re-read, it's that excellent. Her second book, "Autograph Man" - eh, not so great. I don't even think I finished reading it. But "On Beauty" sees a return to her "White Teeth" roots with the telling of a complex yet moving story about love, racism, politics, gender and growing old all while being funny and gorgeous.
The story follows the Belsey and Kipps families in a wealthy Boston suburb of Wellington and the private college also called Wellington. The families are enemies because both father's are professors with totally different agendas and the story unfolds from there touching upon infidelity, death and forgiveness.
Smith's characters are so rich and well-developed that it's hard not to fall in love with them, flaws and all.
reviewed by:
lisa may
November 2005 [link]
amy bloom
Hokey, I know, to say that I was blown "away" by Bloom's novel "Away", but I really was. I settled in for a good story and emerge three days later for air and food and am still thinking about the book. Set in the early 20s we meet Lillian Leyb, seemingly meek and newly arrived in NYC from Siberia, where her Jewish family parents, husband - had been brutally murdered by Gentiles. Fearing for her toddler daughter's life, she had lowered her out of a window of their home instructing her to head to chicken coop, and never saw her again. Inconsolable and desperate, she makes her way to a cousin in Brooklyn and quickly finds work as a seamstress with a popular theatre in NY, run by a father and son. Soon after, she begins an affair with both father and son when she receives word that her daughter is in fact still alive and still in Siberia. And so she sets off across the states, up to Alaska, with the goal of reaching Siberia to search for her Sophie. Along the way she is helped by the unlikeliest of people a black prostitute named Gumdrop, inmates in a women's prison (where she spends the holidays watching a woman get "Merry Christmas" tattooed above her...ahem) and finally a man on the lam living in the Alaskan frontier. Lillian does a little saving of her own when she comes upon a cabin where a mother has accidentally died and three children await the return of their father from a hunting trip they surely would've perished had she not stepped in.
Lillian is a strong-willed and determined heroine and the ending is bittersweet indeed. Full of the most gorgeous prose, witty moments, and wonderful characters, the book fairly sparkles with gems like this: "...she believes in will. It is so frail and delicate at night that she can't even imagine the next morning, but it is so wide and binding by the middle of the next day that she cannot even remember the terrible night. It is as if she gives birth every day."
reviewed by:
lisa may
September 2008 [link]
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text:
The three color Gum Bichromate over Cyanotype I made today (featuring the lovely ofbovasso)! I posted the video above to explain some of my trial and errors from today because I thought it'd be too long of a post.. though it may also be too long of a video I'm not sure.
Some things I didn't include:


text:
breaking news
Readers Feel...
Rabies Case Confirmed in Abilene City Limits
The City of Abilene's Animal Services division announced that there is a positive case of rabies in a skunk found in South Abilene in the...
Wylie ISD Approves Election Results
Thursday morning in a special board meeting, the Wylie ISD trustees approved the results of the election on Saturday, May 11.
Fire Destroys Church Building, Pastor Thankful No One was Hurt
Firefighters quickly battled the flames that began in the attic of the fellowship hall at Trinity Church of the Nazarene.
Wal-Mart Peeper Arrested
Abilene police have arrested a registered sex offender after a woman accused him of recording video of her 15 year old daughter in Wal-Mart.
Texans' Dueling Attitudes on Guns
Texas provides a looking-glass view of the national picture on the issue of guns -- though with its own Texas flavor, of course.
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