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Phew! What a ride. I am no web designer and that was perhaps the most horrendous experience in my online life. So a little about the new site. Everything is different; bio, picture, links, and I intend to make more changes throughout the week. This is the first step in my eventual move to a new publishing platform. The goal was a layout softer on the eyes, more user-friendly, and more indicitive of my personality. It's a little wide and views differently depending on the browser, so you may have to scroll horizontally. If this gets annoying, let me know. All feedback welcomed (slow-loading, etc.) Enjoy!
Oh. And happy Memorial Day.
Today marks the national opening of the suprisingly non-controversial movie Soul Plane. If you've even seen 30 seconds of the film preview, it is clear that the folks at MGM took a double dose of plain, old, ignorance when they conjured up this one. You might as well be watching a music video on BET. This movie offends on so many levels, I don't even know where to start. It's hard to even point the finger. Who should we be upset with for perpetuating such stereotypical garbage? I recall a time last year when actor Will Smith was quoted as saying something rather prolific about the film industry, "Hollywood isn't black or white. It's green." My family and I managed to have quite an interesting debate about this statement alone. What is it about the movie industry that fuels such ignorance, complete irreverence, misogyny, and stereotyping?
You often hear people say things like, "Hollywood is racist". Generally this comment is directed towards the fact that people of color are underrepresented in film and television. I've never been in Hollywood so I am in no position to comment on a struggle about which I know nothing. What I do know is that the number of people of color in leading (and edifying) roles has been low in the past. Things have definitely changed since the day black actresses were only relegated to roles as servants or maids. I still say there's more honor in that than some of these roles certain black actresses are taking on these days. I wish I was blogging back when Halle Berry won an Oscar for her "riveting performance" in Monster's Ball because I would've had something to say about that. Hattie McDaniel has one over Halle Berry: she didn't have to take her clothes off to win an Oscar.
Then there are those who claim, "Hollywood isn't racist. It's all about money". I can agree with this more and more as the days go by. However, at what point are we the viewers, the ones buying the tickets, held accountable for what we sow into? Hollywood isn't going to produce something that they don't think people will watch. For this very reason, every major media conglomerate turned down a partnership with Mel Gibson when he was shopping around his little ole' Jesus movie. So when we buy into stereotypical junk, now who's racist, the producers or the viewers? Or both?
Back in 2000, Spike Lee, perhaps one of my least favorite filmmakers, piloted a movie that I thought had the potential to completely rip the covers off the adulterers in bed with the television industry, Bamboozled. The film essentially centered around a television producer who wanted to air a modern-day minstrel show starring a tap dancer (who happens to be a personal friend of mine) and other black actors in black face. As with all things Spike Lee, the film was an attempt to address some racial stereotyping and deeper psychological issues that have been rampant in mass media. Sounds nice right? Too bad the film was crap. Too many mixed messages, too messy of a plot. The film was conceptually brilliant, but over-zealous Spike was his usual confusing self.
The whole idea of the modern-day minstrel show isn't too farfetched. Movies like Soul Plane banter around with trite black/white relations commentary while completely trouncing upon any prior work of reputable black actors to establish integrity and respect in an unforgiving business.
Bill Cosby's words concerning education and priorities couldn't have come at a more opportune time. Much of black culture has managed to perpetuate the notion of "excess" and "ignorance" to a place that is making many uncomfortable. Moreover, the NAACP does stupid things like awarding Queen Latifah an "Image Award" for best female performance in the movie Bringing Down 'Da House, an equally stereotypical embarrassment to common sense.
Younger black actors continue to accept these stereotypical and demeaning roles one would never see someone like Sidney Poiter play. Whether or not the stereotypes are true, at some point or another they become so because we have confused real and fake and many people are simply a product of what they've seen on teleivision. We're so confused, actually think we are "the maid".
Audiences and movie critics laud these performances as though they are great advancements in our cultural history. The trouble is, much of the black community is too brainwashed to recognize they are being made fools on the big screen. So we just keep smiling entertaining. Meanwhile, white people (and all people) will go in droves to see a movie like Soul Plane. They'll laugh at it too because it's funny and it's not too far from the truth. It's a snapshot of a generation who's lost track of priorities and perspective. As far as I'm concerned, D.L. Hughley, Mo'nique, and everyone else who stars in Soul Plane may as well have on blackface because that's what this: a modern day minstrel show.
So we're working on a re-design here at nykola.com headquarters. Our staff is not that big so posting seems to have taken a backseat to html coding, which makes us grumpy. There are oh so many more fruitful and productive things to do in line than code html. so extreme lack of content is due to this very fact. This is unfortunate as there is so much newsworthy material worth blogging about. New site launch is expected Sunday or Monday at the latest. After receiving an email from a reader who said she was going cross-eyed trying to read the little font on a dark background, we figured it was time to do some remodeling. I'm about as tired of looking at the cheesy black girl logo as you are.
In recent news: John Kerry was here in Seattle yesterday campaigning, raising obscene amounts of money, and schmoozing with the people. I generally have commented that I consider myself a fairly good judge of character, and I don't know what it is, but I just can't take Sen. Kerry as genuine. Maybe it's just politics, but every word he speaks seems so entirely calculated as though he were reading from cue cards. BO-RING. Maybe it's just the nature of politics. I don't know how politicians do it. I would probably not be a good candidate for any sort of political office. I'm far too loose-tongued if you know what I mean. Plus, when I don't feel like smiling, I don't smile. Presidential candidates don't seem to have that luxury. Neither do pageant contestants. In fact, there are some striking similarities between the two. But let's not go there.
Also in politics, Al Gore has lost his mind. Perhaps the worship of Gaia has pushed him over the deep end. Was it just me or did it seem like he needed a Hammond B3 organ going on in the background of his speech? (For readers who are unfamiliar with this reference, visit a local pentecostal church for more clarity) In any case, Gore's speech just goes to prove, you can yell anything and people will get excited.
I watched American Idol tonight. I fell off the wagon. Hard. And I'm proud to announce that for the first time ever, I actually voted. I just couldn't let cheerleader girl win. I repent. And trust me, I feel really bad about my self-control. I'm certain this speaks volumes about my character. Oh well, that Fantasia girl is dang good.
Update: Restoring my faith in the hearing of America, Fantasia wins the competition. There is a God. I pray she doesn't do the typical and stray far from her gospel roots in the wake of fame.
I never thought I would say it, but I think I hate Wal-Mart. This weekend, on two occasions, I had to enter the doors of a place I used to love but have now come to detest. Immensely.
No I haven't jumped on the bandwagon of Wal-Mart hatred that has become so trendy lately amongst the anti-establishment and anti-anything-that-makes-money trustafarians. In fact, I get rather irritated by those who mouth off about how much they hate Wal-Mart and use things like "unfair labor practices" and "big business" as a smokescreen for the fact that they really desipse how much money Wal-Mart is making. Well, I am not one of those people.
I actually once enjoyed shopping at Wal-Mart. During my freshman year of college, I probably dropped a good $800+ there on dorm trimmings alone. Wal-Mart is a college student's dream. Always low prices. Always. My distaste for Wal-Mart is soley based on the fact that I feel like I'm responding to a cattle call every time I go there. Wal-Mart is not just a store. It is an experience.
If you're planning on visiting Wal-Mart anytime soon, be certain you pray first. You need to be covered in prayer--lots of intense prayer. For myself, I'd add a little fasting too. Fasting is necessary if you have trouble restraining yourself from telling dense people how stupid they are. Pray for patience. You'll need that right away. Like, before you even go into the store.
Patience comes in handy in the parking lot. Parking is no problem if you don't mind a 25 minute wait for a spot. Call me silly, but I mind. I think I almost had an out of body experience once when this guy in a Toyota Corolla maliciously stole my spot. Is there a nice way to call someone a jerk? Probably best just to say, "God Bless You".
When you do finally find a spot, bring some trail mix, a sherpa, and a compass to find your way to the store. I usually have to trek a good quarter of a mile just to get to from my car to the building, where I am immediately accosted by the annoying people-botherers trying to get me to sign some petition for teacher's rights or register to vote. I usually inform said soliciters that I don't sign any petitions without first reading them and I don't care how good "teacher's rights" sounds, I'm not about to slap my name on some "petition" and have it come out one day when I'm running for president of the NAACP, that I signed a petition to eliminate funding for some afterschool program.
When you enter into the circus they call Wal-Mart, you are promptly greeted by 87 shopping carts missing owners, bitter customer service representatives and a McDonalds. This is a recipe for disaster. The phrases, "Excuse me" and "Pardon me" and "Move your big behind out of the way please" become a huge part of your lexicon. These phrases can be said up to two dozen times as one maneuvers their way through crowds of people bottlenecking at the clearance shelf.
Oh look! A new "Atkins drink" for sale, I notice. What a racket.
Oooh look! There's a commotion over at the "two for $11.99" DVD bin!
Everytime I shop at Wal-Mart I feel less like a human being and more like an animal. This is nothing against Sam Walton or his entire rich and lovely family. I wouldn't mind holding stock in such a company. Although, while I was once a vigilant defender of Wal-Mart, I am becoming more convinced that they are partly responsible for perpetuating the lower-class citizen mentality that decends upon every customer who steps foot in their doors.
I try to fight it. I know I am a person raised with pretty good manners, but after about 10 minutes, I am ready to start pushing and shoving my way into the toilet-paper sale aisle just like everyone else.
Then there is the improper use of the intercom system. OH the improper use of the intercom!
"Kendra, calling Kendra, you need to get to the customer service desk now! This is the third time we've asked you! Get over here right now Kendraaaaaaaaaa!"
The intercom ignorance is onl exacerbated by the seemingly trillions of children that have been separated from a parent.
"Attention Wal-Mart shoppers, there is a 6-year-old boy wearing a read shirt at the customer service desk that can't find his mother. If you are his mother, please come get him"
That is, until you get to the checkout stand--the pinnacle of the Wal-Mart experience. This is where all civility and common decency are completely lost and your true character is put to the test. This is the place that can break a weak-minded individual. This is the place where you must inform "Miss Independent" in the hot pink shirt that she has just cut you in the line. At this point, "Miss Independent" is highly likely to turn around and cuss you out and say things to you even your own mother wouldn't say. Be strong. Don't let her cut you. Once you've staked out your spot in line, you can't rest easy yet.
Chances are, your "brilliant idea" to get into the "10 items or less Express Line" will turn out to be not-so-brilliant when you realize that most people in line have approximately 67 items. Apparently, most folks don't read signs or count. Or even worse, don't read at all.
My end purchase of a whopping $20.19 makes me wonder if it was even worth it. Apparently millions of people think it is. They keep shopping. Maybe it's just Seattle Wal-Marts. Yeah, that must be it.
The work of Bill Cosby in the entertainment industry is deep and wide. We all know that in addition to his work on television and as a comedian, Cosby has long had a legacy for being a proponent of education. I can't think of one time he didn't appear on the Cosby Show sporting the sweatshirt of some obscure college or university. Monday, he shocked even NAACP President Kwesi Mfume with his remarks when he was honored at an event commemorating the anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision,
"Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids - $500 sneakers for what? And won't spend $200 for 'Hooked on Phonics.'"
Somebody better preach on that one. Every major societal problem can be traced back to the family. One can imagine this was not the uplifting message on the plight of black people in education NAACP officials were hoping for. You'll be hard-pressed to find much in the news about his comments, but they are being felt throughout the black community and beyond.
Perhaps what worries me the most is the fact that Cosby, at age 66, is headed into the last quarter of his life and has yet to fully impart all that is within him to this generation. This is not Cosby's fault. This is our fault. Someone as influential as Mr. Cosby can stand before a group like the NAACP and utter those very words and many will not understand or recognize the significance of the fathering spirit. I have said for many years that Bill Cosby has not yet walked into the fullness of the respect he deserves as a man of wisdom and experience. This will be to our detriment if we don't take heed to the words our elders speak. We need to shake off this illegitimate child mentality and start receiving those who are attempt to speak into our lives. I suppose it is more cyclic than we'd like to think. Many in the black community cannot receive Cosby's words as a father because they themselves have never had a father. And thus, that value of impartation is not recognized or appreciated. Well, that needs to change. Quickly. I fear people will rally around Cosby's words for a couple of months and then once the hype dies down, we'll be back to complacency as usual.
One of the areas I've most admired about Mr. Cosby is his commitment to family, but more importantly, his commitment to Fatherhood. In the era where the male household figure is predominately portrayed to be a bumbling bafoon of sorts, Bill Cosby has always made sure that anything he put his name on gave fatherhood its due respect and honor. Bill Cosby is once again adding his television-genius to a new animated series based on his best-selling book, Fatherhood. The cartoon will bear the book's name. Here is the Nickelodeon press release:
Nick at Nite, the home to modern classic TV, will premiere its first original animated series, Fatherhood. Based on legendary comedian Bill Cosby's best-selling book, "Fatherhood," this original series will premiere June, 2004 and be executive produced by Cosby. Each installment of the animated series will be a comedic, yet insightful journey that features the challenges, life lessons and confusions of family life. Blair Underwood will star as the voice of Dr. Bindlebeep -- a high school teacher, loving husband and father of three. Sabrina Le Beauf, who played Sondra, Cliff Huxtable's eldest child on the beloved hit sitcom The Cosby Show, will star as Dr. Bindlebeep's wife.
This series is a far cry from the sarcastic and sac-religious cult-comedy of top-rated shows like The Simpsons and SouthPark. To think that he has centered an entire series around the role of a father is admirable, and rare. Fatherhood premieres on Father's Day, June 20th at 9 pm on Nickelodeon.
To compare Bill Cosby with any of the current top black comedians is just no match. Cosby is on an entirely different level. To compare the work he's done in the television industry with our modern-day sitcoms is like pitting Muhammad Ali in his prime against Regis Philbin. There's just no match. I would label the work Cosby has done "edutainment". In the days when people are putting mindless filth on the airwaves, I have always appreciated Cosby's attempt at something greater than just entertaining people. One of his most recent ventures includes appearing on Philadelphia schools television to encourage kids and parents to form a partnership with homework. I am encouraged that Cosby is speaking out more in his prime. I believe the years we have left with him are numbered and there is a great wealth of insight he has to offer this generation. I pray we take heed and listen.
I have often discussed my lack of appreciation for certain social and political organizations. These are not just any organizations. Some of these are organizations whose life's work is to beat the air about every un-relevant issue under the sun. Others have somehow gone bad over the years. All of them have postured themselves in a position of insane influence on the culture. I present my beginning list of Tools of the 21st Century:
The NAACP
This should not come as a suprise to anyone who's ever graced this website. While the NAACP may have at one point been a worthwhile and worthy organization, they have now reduced themselves to a useless, mindless, and lawsuit happy, pound of opportunistic flesh. This organization is doing absolutely nothing to advance "colored people". Instead, they advance themselves and their own agenda through illegitimate lawsuits, complaints, and public displays of embarrassment. Let's keep in mind, this is an organization whose entire livelihood is determined by lawsuit settlements, donations, and membership dues. Not a good combination if you ask me. As La Shawn Barber so eloquently writes, kill the dinoasaur!
Everytime I hear of this organazation's silly antics, it makes me want to go slap somebody and eat a hamburger. If this organization isn't complaining about fur coats or Halle Berry being a spokeswoman for the animal-testing Revlon company, then they're busy passing out religious tracts (yes, they are a religion) about vegetarianism and veganism to school children. I cannot think of one thing this organization does that is admirable or legitimate. They place animals on the same level as humans and tell kids their mother is wicked because she cooks chicken for dinner. We all have better things to do with our time and bigger fish to fry. Yes, yummy fish. Fish that was killed by humans so that I could enjoy it in my tummy. Fish that is on this very Earth for the purposes of providing nourishment to those who choose to eat it. There's nothing wrong with being a vegetarian, but for the love of all things pure, do not proselytize the children. Every year it seems their agenda teeters on the line of complete pychopathy and their members have become more and more belligerant. If PETA had their way, we'd all be worshipping animals.
Planned Parenthood
Many organizations started out with a good foundation and later morphed into something obsolete. This is not the case for Planned Parenthood. Since its inception, Planned Parenthood has been downright evil. Not only is this the same organization that singlehandedly led the abortion-movement to the disgusting and acceptable "norm" it is in our present society, they also are on a mission to play God to the world through sterilazation in third world countries, offering abortions to teenager girls without parental consent,and handing out condoms to 12-year old boys. Although they would deny it, the roots of Planned Parenthood are racist. Its founder, Margaret Sanger, was on a mission to rid the world of people of color through "family planning". This is an organization that has done obscene amounts of harm to this country and they get lots of money donated to do it. The madness needs to be exposed.
They claim to "give the Earth a voice". Boys and girls, please stop with this silliness. The Earth does not need a voice. The Earth is not a human. Now maybe those who live in Nebarska or other landlocked parts of the country haven't been exposed to enough of GreenPeace to recognize how much they deserve to be on this list. But I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where we spend MILLIONS of dollars saving whales. I watched as most news-worthy events were completely pre-empted so that Northwest news stations could cover the transport of "Keiko the killer whale" back to her home in Greenland. Give me a break! There are people starving in the Sudan and we concern ourselves with silly whales who shouldn't have been in captivity in the first place. Greenpeace has found a unique partnership with unsuspecting college students hungry for a cause. They usually roam about highly populated areas of Seattle and other major cities handing out literature and greeting passerbys with the phrase, "Do you have a moment for Greenpeace?", to which I always reply, "Nope, I sure don't." Their mission statement includes the fact that they use, "non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems, and force solutions for a green and peaceful future". Translated: they block highways, hang from construction cranes, spray paint buildings and cause major back-ups on highway overpasses in protest of companies who cut down trees. Stop wasting my tax dollars and my time.
The American Cancer Society
I might get hated for this but I don't care. ACS is one of the absolute wealthiest non-profit organizations in the world. Millionaires and billionaires sit on their board. Yet, I find something inherently wrong with any organization whose foremost purpose is to research and find a cure for a disease. Donations pour in year after from people who've lost loved ones and corporate sponsors all hoping to do their part in finding a cure for cancer, or at least make life better for those living with it. So what happens when the cure is found (if it hasn't been found already)? Do we disband the organization and file for unemployment? Can you smell the potential conflict of interest? Well I do. I'm all for finding a cure for cancer as I've lost loved ones too. I am also smart enough to recognize that when an organization spends upwards of 60% of their annual fund on overhead costs, new buildings, and luxiourious salaries, something isn't right. Don't think Enron is the only one capable of scandal.
So it's no shocker that Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ is completely decimating the competition. The film currently has the #7 slot on the list of highest-grossing movies of all time right between Lord of the Rings and Jurrasic Park (rather telling, I'd say). Final figures can't even be predicted yet so it's assumed that #7 slot will change. The Passion is set to release to DVD very soon and has only recently opened in many international markets. It's safe to say the "bling" is still rolling in. With the success of The Passion, much conversation has been bouncing around about Hollywood venturing into the area of "faith films". I personally don't think we'll ever see "moral" films rightly portrayed until Hollywood actually becomes moral and there's a lot of work to do there. Righteousness is probably the only thing in the world that can't be faked. Not even expensive sets and fancy make-up artists can help that. However, more recently at the forefront of the "faith film" frenzy is the movie Saved starring young adult-boppers Macaulay Culkin and Mandy Moore. Saved was already in the workds before the public success of Gibson's film, and it's a lower budget film that will most likely make the rounds among the independent and small film festival circuits so there's no point in even comparing the two (although the film does do so by poking fun at the Passion by a play on words on their website). The film is set on the campus of a private Christian high school where teenagers struggling with homosexuality, drugs and sex are a plenty. Is this realistic? Unfortunately-- absolutely, yes. However, the film's resolution is not exactly a positive one. The basic synopsis of the film is a group of "Jesusfreaks" disown their friend who gets pregnant in an attempts to "deprogram" her boyfriend out of homosexuality by having sex with him. Lofty, yes. Does it happen, in some circles, yes. Are they out to prove a point? More than likely yes, and probably a controversial one too. The film is definitley more of a satirical dark comedy, although the filmmakers would argue otherwise.
If the film's website is any indication of the movie itself, than I'd say the media is right if they don't think Christians will appreciate it. (Just click around the website for a minute and you'll see what I mean). Columnists are already predicting that Christians won't see the humor. I'd take it a step further to say not only don't I see it, it's completely irreverent and over-the-top. Interestingly enough, the film's website has a section called "Christian Guide". Yeah, okay, whatever. The filmmakers purport that the movie is intended to spark dialogue around "true faith", the real issues with which Christian teenagers are grappling, and what's "not acceptable" to talk about in the church. Nice goals. Questionable path. Well now wait a minute. Let's surf the production credits for a moment....oh yes, now this is interesting: The film boasts some of the same production team responsible for Being John Malkovich, and what's this...Underworld? Oh yeah, sure that's really a morally sound film. NEXT!
Lewis Schaeffer of the National Review notes that gay audiences "love" the film. Nuff said. If that's not enough to let me know something is horribly askew with this film, I don't know what is. Now maybe some other people brush that kind of stuff under the rug, but in following with my other trends of thought concerning the homosexual agenda, I'd definitely say red flag anything the gay community is behind. Like a huge, gigantic, NEON, red flag with sequins, moving lights, and sirens. It will be interesting to see the outcome of this deflated attempt at social dialogue. They won't be getting my money.
Boxing. I have witnessed quite a few fights in my lifetime. Of course, being that I am young, it's nothing of the illustrious Ali-Frazier era, but more the ear-biting Tyson-Holyfield era. Afterall, my cousin is a pretty famous boxer, so my family's followed it pretty closely through the years. This said, I do not understand the dynamic of two men (and nowadays women) getting in a ring, and beating the crap out of eachother. I say this in the wake of the Antonio Tarver/Roy Jones upset.
Bungee Jumping. A rubberband. A cliff. A person. This is an equation that just doesn't add up for me. You could not pay me millions of dollars to subject my body (the only body I have) to this foolishness.
Curling. No matter how many times I watch this sport, I cannot understand the point. A bunch of men with brooms, wearing bowling shoes, roll a block of granite on some ice while sweeping its path?
I suppose if you break down just about any sport, it seems pretty pointless. Basketball: people running back and forth down a court trying to throw a ball in a basket. Baseball: people hitting a ball into a field with a bat in order to buy time to run around bases. I think the thing that always gets me is how much of a priority we've made sports. Here in Seattle there are schools that have no computers and no textbooks. Yet, we and our tax dollars just got finished building two multi-million dollar statidums (one for baseball and one for football), side-by-side. It is there that millions of Seattle residents spend 33% of the year worshipping at the altar of two losing teams.
I was never taught to see the favor of God as superceding the systems of men
From the time that I gave my life to God when I was 16 years-old, I've always felt different. I knew I was marked, I knew my life was branded forever, I knew I wasn't like the average person. I have often noticed that many Christians do not have the proper perspective on their rights and privileges as sons and co-heirs with Christ. It is interesting that "privilege" in this country is often assumed to be a negative thing. People scoff at those who've had the descriptor "privileged" bestowed on them. I've never quite understood why we've built up such an animosity for the "privileged". I spent most of my entire scholastic career amongst privileged individuals and even they began to despise their own privileged-ness. Most people in the United States of America are of the persuasion that certain people in this country are where they are today because of some nepotism, their race, their gender, their class, their educational background (which is usually dictated by class and race), and many other things. I can't say I disagree with that theory. What I will say is that I believe there is privilege in belonging to God that supercedes all other privileges and some.
Being that I am a black person, I can take this a step further and say that many black Christians have come to have more distrust in corrupt socially-generated systems than they have trust in the almighty God. Collectively as a people, we have turned to the government and other social institutions to meet many of our needs, and then turned around and placed blame on those very same institutions when they weren't doing what we thought they should do. Somehow the favor of God gets left out of all this. Speaking for all races, it seems we have come to be a nation of victims in many respects. We point our fingers in a number of different directions, blaming others for our present condition, or the choices and privileges we were denied. I am often bothered by Christians who spew this mythology of blame and dependence on "hand-outs" to rise to the proverbial top.
Every day I am becoming more aware of the always present reality that being a child of God has more rights, privileges, and responsibilities than anyone could ever imagine or keep track of. Not only do we not have to be subject to many of the corrupt schemes and systems that are holding so many back, we have power over them! We carry on our backs, a knapsack of favor and privilege everywhere we go. This knapsack we have isn't invisible; it's neon yellow, plain for the world to see. The favor of God on a person's life is perhaps the most beautiful thing. This knapsack isn't to be shown off or flaunted. It's to give God the glory and draw others to him.
Having this privilege as a child of God is definitely something we are accountable for. In fact, I think it's a travesty when we don't exercise our influence and keep that knapsack closed. I decided to take some time out to think about all the glorious privileges of God I've experienced in my life. In listing some of these out, I realize these are situations and certainties to which many others cannot lay claim. This is the essence of true privilege.
In unpacking this neon knapsack of God privilege, I have listed conditions of daily experience which I once took for granted. I now know that these are realities I can be certain of every day. I am unsure of why many don't embrace this burden of privilege. Sometimes I think it's easier to just blame others instead of trusting in a God who's so much bigger than our petty situations. There is so much more to say here, but it will be saved for a later time.
**Loosely based on an essay titled "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Peggy McIntosh, an article I've come to disagree with more and more each day.
Why I'm Not a Republican Parts I, II, III, IV
Reflections on the Ill-Read Society
The ROI of a Kid
The Double-Minded Haters
Hip-Hop in Education: Do You Wanna Revolution?
Oh parent Where Art Thou?
Requisite Monthly Rant: the State of the Nation
College Curriculum Gone Wild
Walmart Chronicles
An Open Letter to American Idol
Gonorrhea and the City
Black Informant
Booker Rising
Evangelical Outpost
DC Thornton
Hip-Hop Republican
Ill Doctrine
Jen Lancaster*
Joanne Jacobs
Joel Stockstill
La Shawn Barber
Michelle Malkin
Nerd With Swag
Oliver Willis
The Pioneer Woman
*indicates very strong language
Disclaimer: This is my personal blog. The views expressed on these pages are mine alone and do not represent those of my dog.


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HOME College Arizona Wildcats Gear Arizona Wildcats Ladies Vintage Clothing (9 items) Product ID: 1342689
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Order today, receive no later than Friday, January 2nd. Some limitations apply.
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Reviewed by 1 customer
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Comments about Arizona Wildcats Ladies Streaky Jersey Vintage V-Neck Slim Fit T-Shirt - Cardinal:
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- Fit:
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Special event items are produced by manufacturers only after the outcome of a game or event. These are advanced sale items and will ship immediately after they are received in our warehouse.
Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.

subset: commoncrawl


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Nearly Half of Older Breast Cancer Patients Don't Get Radiation
But multiple guidelines recommend it after mastectomy in advanced cases, researchers note
MONDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- Even though radiation after mastectomy for advanced breast cancer has been proven to save lives and multiple guidelines call for it, nearly half of these patients don't receive it, researchers say.
Between 1999 and 2005, only 55 percent of older high-risk breast cancer patients who should have undergone radiation therapy actually received it, according to the study that appears online June 27 in the journal Cancer.
"When physicians are not guided by published evidence, there is the chance that patient outcomes will suffer or that patients will undergo unnecessary treatments and tests," study co-leader Dr. Shervin Shirvani, of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said in a journal news release.
The M.D. Anderson Cancer Center scientists analyzed data from 38,322 older women with advanced breast cancer who underwent mastectomy (partial or complete removal of one or both breasts) in the United States between 1992 and 2005.
Following the publication of clinical trials that revealed its benefits, the use of radiation after mastectomy increased from 36.5 percent in 1996 to 57.7 percent in 1998, the researchers found. However, no further increase occurred between 1999 and 2005, despite the release of a number of major guidelines endorsing it.
The researchers expressed concern that so many providers appear to be ignoring the evidence-based guidelines.
"Beyond the potential for distress and injury to the individual patient, there is also the strong likelihood that medical resources will be wasted on unproven or ineffective treatments," Shirvani said.
More needs to be done to make sure that helpful findings from clinical trials are widely implemented in patient care, the researchers concluded.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more about surgery for breast cancer.Robert Preidt SOURCE: Cancer, news release, June 27, 2011 Related Articles
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Shaza L. Andersen
President & Chief Executive Officer
Shaza L. Andersen is founder and Chief Executive Officer of WashingtonFirst Bank, headquartered in Reston, Virginia, a wholly owned subsidiary of WashingtonFirst Bankshares, Inc. Ms. Andersen is responsible for the overall strategic direction, growth, and profitable performance of the Bank. Under her leadership, the Bank has grown to over $1 billion in assets, with 16 branches in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC. Prior to starting WashingtonFirst, Ms. Andersen served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Century National Bank until Century was acquired by United Bank.
Ms. Andersen donates her time and talent in the community and serves on the Board of Directors of Amalgamated Casualty Insurance, the Global Good Fund Board of Advisors, the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation Leadership Council, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Leadership Circle and the International Women's Forum of Washington, DC. She previously served on the Treasury Board of Virginia, the Board of Trustees for Youth For Tomorrow, Board of Directors of the Wolf Trap Foundation, the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Greater Washington, was a member of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) and served on the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta where she was Vice Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee and a member of the Housing Committee. Ms. Andersen founded the WashingtonFirst Youth Foundation, a local not-for-profit organization dedicated to enriching the physical, social and mental well-being of children in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area.
Ms. Andersen was named one of American Banker Magazine's Top 25 Women to Watch, Washington Power Player, one of the Washington Business Journal's Power 100 and Women Who Mean Business, a SmartCEO Magazine 2010 and 2011 Top Banker, and honored with an ABC7 WJLA-TV & Toyota Dealers' Tribute to Working Women award.
Ms. Andersen is frequently sought after to provide her opinions and insights regarding banking and capital market matters. She is often quoted in the media, appearing on CNBC and Fox News, and featured in articles such as the Washington Business Journal and Washingtonian Magazine.
Charles Elliott Andrews
MorganFranklin Consulting
Mr. Andrews has served as a director of the Bank and Company since 2012. Mr. Andrews most recently served as President and Chief Operating Officer of RSM McGladrey Inc., a subsidiary of H&R Block, Inc. He also served in various positions at SLM Corporation (Sallie Mae) including President, Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President, and Executive Vice President of Accounting, Corporate Finance and Risk Management. Prior to joining Sallie Mae, Mr. Andrews was at Arthur Andersen for 28 years, including 18 years as a partner in the DC Metro area. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of NVR, Inc. (including as a member of the Audit Committee) and Washington Mutual Investors Fund. He previously served as a Director of Six Flags, Inc. (including as Audit Committee Chair) and U-Store-It (renamed to CubeSmart) where he was also a member of the Audit Committee. Further, Mr. Andrews serves as Director of Junior Achievement and Inova Health Systems Foundation. Mr. Andrews, a Virginia Tech graduate, also serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the R.B. Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech.
Joseph S. Bracewell
Chairman of the Board
Mr. Bracewell is the Chairman of the Boards of Directors of the Bank and the Company. Mr. Bracewell has served as a director of the Bank since 2004 and as a director of the Company since 2009. He is a retired partner and currently Of Counsel to the law firm of Bingham McCutchen LLP, which he joined in 2009 as a result of the combination of Bingham and McKee Nelson LLP, where Mr. Bracewell was previously a partner. Prior to joining McKee Nelson in 2002, Mr. Bracewell served as Chairman, President and CEO of Century Bancshares, Inc. from the bank's inception in 1982 until it was acquired by United Bankshares, Inc. in 2001. He has been actively engaged in the banking business for forty years in both Houston, Texas and Washington, D.C. having served as principal organizer or founding director of six newly-chartered banks, five of which have been profitably sold to regional banks or private investors. Mr. Bracewell is a former Director and Vice Chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, and a former Director of the Independent Community Bankers of America.
George W. Connors, IV
Bank President & Chief Credit Officer
Mr. Connors is the Bank President and Chief Credit Officer of the Bank and has served as a director of the Bank since 2005 and a director of the Company since 2009. He has been in commercial banking for 29 years, serving in executive management positions at Century National Bank and its successor, United Bank, between 1990 and 2004, when he joined the Bank. Mr. Connors is currently on the boards of directors of The Entrepreneurs Institute, United Cerebral Palsy of Washington and Northern Virginia, and the Center for Financial Training. He currently serves on the faculty of the Center for Financial Training, and as President for United Cerebral Palsy, Treasurer for the Falls Church Anglican of Falls Church, Virginia, and Chairman of the Life to Eagle Committee for Boy Scout Troop 106, Arlington, Virginia.
Josephine S. Cooper
Josephine Cooper, LLC
Ms. Cooper has served as a director of the Bank since 2004 and as a director of the Company since 2009. Ms. Cooper is chief executive of Josephine Cooper LLC, a consulting firm providing crisis management, public affairs and communications services to companies, trade associations and individuals. For almost seven years, she served as Group Vice President for Toyota Motor North America, Inc., directing federal and state government affairs, legislative, regulatory and compliance issues. Prior to joining Toyota in 2004, she served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade association for the automobile industry, for five years. Prior to that time, she was Vice President for Regulatory Affairs for the American Forest & Paper Association. She serves on the boards of the Washington Performing Arts Society, the National Capital Region Salvation Army, the Environmental Law Institute, the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and is on the Board of Trustees of Meredith College and is past president of the Business-Government Relations Council.
Jan Naylor Cope
J. Naylor Cope Company
Ms. Cope is the Assistant Rector of St. David's Episcopal Church. From 1994-2006, Ms. cope was Founder and President of the J. Naylor Cope Company in Washington, D.C., a nationally recognized executive recruiting firm. Prior to founding the J. Naylor Cope Company, Ms. Cope served as Deputy Director of Presidential Personnel in the White House for President George H.W. Bush. She is a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, The Decatur House, and the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation in Washington, DC.
The Honorable John H. Dalton
The Financial Services Roundtable
Housing Policy Council
Mr. Dalton has served as a director of the Bank since 2004 and as a director of the Company since 2009. Mr. Dalton has been President of the Housing Policy Council of the Financial Services Roundtable since January 2005. From September 2000 to December 2004 he served as President and Director of IPG Photonics, a fiber optics company. From 1993 to 1998, Mr. Dalton served as Secretary of the Navy. In 1997 he received the International Security Leadership Award from the National Security Caucus. Mr. Dalton serves as the Chairman of the National Advisory Board of Community Renewal International and on the Chapter of the Washington National Cathedral. He also serves on the corporate boards of Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc., and BGC Partners, Inc.
Gary Galleberg
Mr. Galleberg is a private investor based in Naples, Florida. From 1988 to 2004, he was President of Zoran Inc., an internationally known fashion design and manufacturing firm based in New York and Milan. He served as a member of the City of Naples City Council from 2000 to 2004 and as Vice Mayor from 2002 to 2004. Mr. Galleberg is also an attorney admitted to the State of New York Bar.
Kailash C. Goel
Delaware Cornerstone Builders
Dr. Goel is a professional engineer and a Principal of Goel Services, Inc., a contracting company specializing in environmental clean up, demolition and building renovations. Dr. Goel received his Ph.D., in Environmental Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 1968. He also holds a Master's degree in Business Management. He has a professional engineer license issued by the Delaware Association of Professional Engineers in 1968. He is a Diplomat of American Academy of Environmental Engineers. Dr. Goel served as the Director of the First Liberty National Bank from 1992 until its merger with WashingtonFirst in 2006.
Richard D. Horn
General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Mr. Horn is the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for both the Bank and the Company. He has served as a director of the Bank since 2004 and as a director of the Company since 2009. Prior to joining the Bank, Mr. Horn was a partner with the law firm of Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP in Washington, D.C. serving in the firm's commercial litigation and dispute resolution practice. For more than 17 years, Mr. Horn represented clients before federal and state courts, administrative tribunals, and in state and federal agency proceedings in a broad array of business and commercial disputes. Mr. Horn is admitted to practice law in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
John J. Mahoney
Regional Title Incorporated
Mr. Mahoney has served as a director of the Bank since 2006 and as a director of the Company since 2009. Since 1996 Mr. Mahoney has been President of Regional Title Incorporated. Prior to Regional Title, he served as Managing Partner for Transaction Associates (1995-1996), Vice President and Director of Operations for First American Title Insurance Company, Mid-Atlantic Region (1994-1995), and as President of Attorneys Title Corporation (1977-1994). Mr. Mahoney was past president of D.C. Land Title Association and the Capitol Hill Merchants and Professionals Association (CHAMPS). He was also a former Board Member (2001-2007) and Interim Chairman (2003-2004) of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, a Trustee of the Federal City Council (1996-2010), and a Trustee of Providence College in Rhode Island (2002-2010). Currently, Mr. Mahoney serves as a member of the D.C. Bar and a member of the Economics Club of Washington, and a participant on the District of Columbia Office of Revenue Analysis (ORA) Advisory Group.
Juan A. Mencia
Mr. Mencia has served as a director of the Bank since 2005 and as a director of the Company since 2009. Mr. Mencia was the founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Cube Corporation, a nationally recognized facilities management company, from March 1994 to March 2005. The Cube Corporation was recognized as the Fastest Growing Hispanic-Owned Company in the United States in 2000, received the Virginia Vanguard Award for Top Service Company in the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2001 and 2002, and was listed number fifty-one on Hispanic Business Magazine's Hispanic Business 500, a directory of the largest Hispanic-owned companies in 2004. Mr. Mencia sold The Cube Corporation, with over $115 million in annual revenue, in March 2005. He received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Greater Washington Area in 2000 and the Hispanic Business Magazine's National Entrepreneur of the Year in 2001. Currently Mr. Mencia is involved with numerous ventures, start-ups and others. Additionally, Mr. Mencia is an investor partner with Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP) whose mission is to serve the needs of children of low-income families in the Washington Metropolitan region and to demonstrate a unique approach to effective philanthropy.
Larry D. Meyers
Meyers & Associates
Mr. Meyers has served as a director of the Bank since 2004 and as a director of the Company since 2009. Mr. Meyers is the founder and President of Meyers & Associates, a government relations firm established in 1981. The twelve-member firm assists universities, cities, business and agricultural groups in understanding and affecting government policy. The firm is associated with Crosswind Communications, an Austin-based public relations firm with offices in New York, Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles. He also serves as President of Agriculture Development International, Inc., an export and consulting firm providing commodities and technical assistance to developing countries. He is a Deacon and serves as Vice Chairman of the Foundation for the First Baptist Church of Alexandria, Virginia. He also serves as Sponsoring Organization Representative for the Boy Scouts of America and is a member of the Executive Advisory Board for the Office of International Affairs of Texas Tech University, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Texas State Aquarium.
Mark C. Michael
Occasions Caterers, Inc.
Mr. Michael has served as a director of the Bank since 2005 and as a director of the Company since 2009. Mr. Michael is the founder and President of Occasions Caterers Inc., a full-service, off-premise catering firm, located in Washington, D.C. since 1986. He is also founder and President of Protocol Staffing Services LLC, a hospitality staffing service, as well as Menus Catering, Inc. a corporate drop-off catering service. In addition to being on several corporate boards, he is on the President's Council for Higher Achievement Program and he serves as a mentor for the Regional Board for the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. He is a member of the Young Presidents' Organization, Washington, D.C. Chapter, the US Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Washington Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the International Society of Event Specialists.
Madhu K. Mohan, MD
Riverside Medical Group
Dr. Mohan has served as a director of the Bank since the acquisition of First Liberty in 2006 and as a director of the Company since 2009. Dr. Mohan is a practicing endocrinologist and President of the Riverside Medical Group, a large multi-specialty group consisting of 50 health care providers. He is founder and Chairman of First Opinions, a software company in New Delhi, as well as Director of AJPL, a hydroelectric power project in Sikkim, India. He is also Chairman of a private equity fund with interests in healthcare companies in Southeast Asia and Europe. He was previously the Chairman of First Liberty Bancorp, Inc. and First Liberty National Bank prior to its acquisition by the Company. Dr. Mohan has been involved in various community projects and multiple businesses in health care, technology, biotech and real estate.
James P. Muldoon
METCOR, Ltd.
Mr. Muldoon has served as a director of the Bank since 2004 and as a director of the Company since 2009. Mr. Muldoon is the CEO of METCOR, Ltd., Washington, D.C., which identifies, develops and secures federal business for high technology firms and has served in that capacity since 1979. A division of METCOR, Learning Systems International (LSI), offers training materials development, documentation and training delivery services. He has served as Chairman of the U.S. Coast Guard's National Boating Safety Advisory Council since 1998 and is immediate past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Mary's College of Maryland and continues to serve as a board trustee. He is Chairman of the National Maritime Heritage Foundation/DC Sail, the Vice President of the National Sailing Hall of Fame and was President of the United States Sailing Association from 1997 to 2000. In addition, Mr. Muldoon currently serves as a member of numerous project and governance boards related to other charitable and community organizations.
William C. Oldaker
Oldaker Law Group, LLP
Mr. Oldaker has served as a director of the Bank since 2004 and as a director of the Company since 2009. Mr. Oldaker is a founding member and partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Oldaker Law Group, LLP, which was established in 1993. From 1987 to 1993, he was a partner in the Washington office of the law firm of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips. He was a partner at Epstein, Becker, and Green from 1982 to 1987 and is currently a partner of the National Health Advisors, a joint venture of Epstein, Becker, & Green and The Oldaker Group. He previously served as a director of Century National Bank until its acquisition by United Bank. Mr. Oldaker, is a partner in the consulting firm, The National Group, and a member of the board of directors for Neuralstem, Inc., a biopharmaceutical firm. He is a member of the D.C. Bar Association, the Bar Association for the Court of Appeals, D.C., and the Bar of the United States Supreme Court. The Company believes Mr. Oldaker's qualifications to serve as a director include his legal experience and his years of experience as a director of the Company and the Bank.
Randall S. Peyton, MD
Arthritis & Sports Orthopaedics & Physical Therapy
Dr. Peyton has served as a director of the Bank since 2007 and as a director of the Company since 2009. Dr. Peyton has been practicing orthopedics in the Northern Virginia area since 1995. Dr. Peyton is President and CEO of Arthritis & Sports Orthopaedics & Physical Therapy, which he founded in January 1998. Dr. Peyton is an orthopaedic total joint surgeon, focused on the treatment of arthritis, sports injuries, and musculoskeletal problems of the hip, knee and shoulder. He completed his fellowship training in adult reconstruction and total joint replacement surgery at the prestigious Rothman Institute of the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Dr. Peyton has performed thousands of knee and hip replacements. In addition to his work at Arthritis & Sports, Dr. Peyton is a fellow in the American Academy of Orthopaedics Surgeons (AAOS) and belongs to several professional organizations including the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA).
The Honorable Joe R. Reeder
Greenberg Traurig
Mr. Reeder has served as a director of the Bank since 2004 and as a director of the Company since 2009. Mr. Reeder, Mid-Atlantic Region Managing Shareholder for Greenberg Traurig, LLP (1999-2008), also served as Chairman of the Board of the Panama Canal Commission and 14th Undersecretary of the U.S. Army (1993-1997). A member of a number of corporate boards (both domestic and international), Mr. Reeder also serves on a number of civic and charitable boards, including the National Board of Governors of the USO, the Armed Services YMCA, the National Defense Industry Association, where he chairs the corporate Ethics Committee, the Marshall Legacy Institute, the Army Air Force Mutual Aid Association, Our Military Kids, and the International Advisory Board of the Panama Canal Authority. A Trustee Emeritus of the Association of the U.S. Army, Mr. Reeder co-chaired Governor Warner's Base Realignment Commission and was named by Governors Warner and Kaine to the Virginia National Defense Industrial Authority, where he recently was re-elected as Chairman.
William G. Reilly
Champion Title and Settlements, Inc.
Mr. Reilly has served as a director of the Bank since 2004 and as a director of the Company since 2009. Since 1993, Mr. Reilly has been the President of Champion Title, Fairfax, Virginia, a title insurance and real estate settlements company. From 1999 to 2001, he was Vice President in charge of sales for Network Access Solutions, Herndon, Virginia. From 1991 to 1999, Mr. Reilly was National Sales Manager, Government Systems Division, of Executone Information Systems, Oakton, Virginia. He is on the Board of the Melanoma Research Foundation, a member of the Northern Virginia Builders Industry Association, Trump National Country Club, and Our Lady of Hope Church.
Gail R. Steckler
Infrastructure Management Group, Inc.
Ms. Steckler has served as a director of the Bank since 2004 and as a director of the Company since 2009. Ms. Steckler is Treasurer of Infrastructure Management Group, Inc., a global management consulting company. Before joining IMG, Inc. she was a Development Officer for Virginia Properties Associates, Inc., a real estate investment firm. Prior to this, she was a Vice President at ASB Capital Management, an institutional investment advisory firm. She has served as the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the National Presbyterian School, where for several years she chaired the Finance Committee and the Investment Committee. She is a member of the CFA Society of Washington, D.C., and The Board of Visitors of Children's National Medical Center.
General (Ret.) Johnnie E. Wilson
General Wilson has served as a director of the Bank since 2005 and as a director of the Company since 2005. General Wilson, retired 4-star, is currently Chief Executive Officer of JWIL, LLC. He previously served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Dimensions International, Inc. from 1999 to 2007, and later as Vice President of Logistics at Honeywell Technology. General Wilson's distinguished career in the U.S. Army culminated in his position as Commanding General, U.S. Army Material Command. During his career, General Wilson was selected to command the Ordinance Center and School responsible for the training and professional development of soldiers, NCOs and officers every year. He also served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Department of Army, where he was responsible for worldwide logistics. General Wilson currently serves with a number of civic and charitable organizations, including Mission Readiness, an organization formed to fight youth obesity, CAUSE, an organization formed to support United States wounded combat veterans, and the Career Communications Group's Stars & Stripes Committee, where General Wilson serves as the National Chairman.
D. Mark Lowers
Lowers Risk Group
Mr. Lowers was appointed to serve as a director of the Bank and the Company following the acquisition of Alliance Bankshares Corporation in December 2012. Previously, Mr. Lowers had served as a director of Alliance Bankshares Corporation from July 2010 through December 2012. He served on the Compliance Committee of the board of directors of Alliance Bankshares Corporation during 2011 and 2012. He serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Lowers Risk Group, a provider of enterprise-wide risk mitigation and loss prevention, employments screening, and data intelligence services through its three complimentary companies: Lowers & Associates, Proforma Screening Solutions and Wholesale Screening Solutions. He is also President of Lowers & Associates, a firm specializing in risk mitigation and loss prevention firm that provides services to insurance companies, banks, the cash in transit industry and other financial institutions. Mr. Lowers is a certified fraud examiner and has over 25 years of experience administering risk management functions including risk assessments, risk mitigation techniques, audits and compliance programs. Mr. Lowers is actively involved in the Loudoun County, Virginia community and currently serves on the Board of Directors of INOVA Health System. Mr. Lowers served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Loudoun Healthcare, Inc. from 1998 through 2009, and as a director of Loudoun Healthcare, Inc. starting in 1994.
Donald W. Fisher, PhD
American Medical Group Association
Dr. Fisher was appointed to serve as a director of the Bank and the Company following the acquisition of Alliance Bankshares Corporation in December 2012. Previously, Dr. Fisher had served as a director of Alliance Bankshares Corporation since 2009 and was appointed Chairman in February 2011. He has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Medical Group Association, or "AMGA," since October 1980. Dr. Fisher also serves on the Boards of Directors for the American Medical Group Foundation, the Council of Accountable Physician Practices, the American International Health Alliance, and as Chairman of the Board of AMGA's subsidiary Anceta, LLC. Dr. Fisher earned a BS degree from Millsaps College, MS and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, and completed the Group Practice Executive Manager's Institute at the Wharton School of Business. Through over 32 years of experience with AMGA, Dr. Fisher has developed extensive executive management knowledge and leadership skills that provide the board of directors with a unique perspective on corporate governance and corporate strategy.
Jon M. Peterson
The Peterson Companies
Jon M. Peterson has worked in the family's real estate development business, previously known as Hazel/Peterson Companies, since 1986. The Peterson Companies has been a regionally recognized leader in the community development industry, providing 24,000 residential lots, approximately 3 million square feet of retail and approximately over 3.5 million square feet of quality office space. TPC provides management services for its own portfolio of office buildings and retail centers.
Mr. Peterson's role as Senior Vice President of Commercial and Business Development has allowed him to develop close ties to the entire metropolitan real estate community. He has been involved on a day-to-day basis in all aspects of build-to-suit, purchase and acquisition, sale, leasing and financing of commercial properties as well as ground up development of approximately 2.25 million square feet of commercial office product in the Washington Metropolitan area.
His strength and expertise include Class A office leasing and mixed use development from the acquisition of the land to stabilized cash flow.
Mr. Peterson graduated from Middlebury College with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology/Anthropology and English.
Ken Morrissette
Interstate Worldwide Relocation Services
Mr. Morrissette has served as a director of the Bank since 2010 and as a director of the Company since 2010. Mr. Morrissette has served as President and Chief Executive Officer for Interstate Service Group, Inc., and several of its sister companies, from their worldwide headquarters in Springfield, Virginia since 2010. At age 16, Mr. Morrissette began working for the family business, Ace Van & Storage Co., Inc., founded by his father, Arthur E. Morrissette, in 1943. During his career with the family business, Mr. Morrissette has been responsible for management of all of the legal, financial, IT and administrative areas of the worldwide logistics and relocation businesses. Mr. Morrissette has served as officer and board member on various community and transportation industry associated boards, and currently serves on the board of The Salvation Army National Capital Region.
Shaza L. Andersen
President &
Charles Elliott Andrews
Joseph S. Bracewell
Chairman of the Board
George W. Connors, IV
Bank President &
Josephine S. Cooper
Josephine Cooper, LLC
The Honorable
The Financial Services Roundtable
Donald W. Fisher, PhD
American Medical Group Association
Richard D. Horn
General Counsel &
D. Mark Lowers
Lowers Risk Group
John J. Mahoney
Regional Title
Juan A. Mencia
Larry D. Meyers
Meyers & Associates
Mark C. Michael
Occasions Caterers, Inc.
Madhu K. Mohan, MD
Riverside Medical Group
Ken Morrissette
Interstate Worldwide
James P. Muldoon
METCOR, Ltd.
William C. Oldaker
Oldaker Law Group, LLP
Jon M. Peterson
The Peterson Companies
Randall S. Peyton, MD
Arthritis & Sports Orthopaedics
The Honorable
Greenberg Traurig
William G. Reilly
Champion Title & Settlements, Inc.
General (Ret.)


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Do you start your own IVs?
1May 8, '08 by FireStarterRNDo you start IVs where you work? I'm doing a travel contract at a hospital that has IV therapy and most nurses don't start IVs there. I had to start a couple of IVs there other day for other nurses because IV therapy was too busy.
I guess if you work in a place with IV therapy, you just don't start IVs. I'll include a poll with this thread.
Poll: Do you start IVs?
261 Votes
We all start our own IVs
I've never started one
I used to, but not where I work now
We have IV therapy
I am an IV therapist and start PICCs as well
I am from Mars, we don't have veins
0May 8, '08 by elizabellsYep. Our hospital (major Children's regional) has an IV team, but they Don't Do Babies. At night our nurses sometimes get called to the ER or the floor if there's a baby who the nurses there can't get.
0May 8, '08 by nrsang97I start all my own IV's working at the hospital system I am at now. We do have to help each other sometimes, if there is a difficult stick. However I am one that others go to for help. We do have PICC team on days to insert PICCs.
I have also worked where there was IV therapy that also did PICCs, but they were so busy sometimes so I would start my own if I could. We had to be checked off by them to start IV's and hang blood.
I would rather start my own if I can and call them if I need a difficult stick, not for them to do IVs for me all the time.
1May 8, '08 by XB9S GuideI am from Mars and we don't have viens
Actually, it is fairly rare in the UK for nurses to start thier own IV's it is left for the doctors or Nurse practitioners to do. The exceptions are within some specialist units such as EU, ICU CCU
0May 8, '08 by Angie O'Plasty, RNWe do our own. I usually am the IV go-to person on my unit for my shift. I was surprised to learn how many people I work with who don't like to start IVs. Oh well, more for me then!
0May 8, '08 by traumahawk99heck yeah i start my own. when you're hot, you can toss iv's in from across the hallway.. and when you're not..
0May 8, '08 by Devil_DuckieI chose the option "we have IV therapy," because we do have an IV team at the hospital. However, we are required to try twice to establish IV access unless they have a history of being a difficult stick (dialysis patients, for example) and only then are we allowed to call the IV team. This is the protocol on night shift, at least, it is slightly different on days.
The IV team also is merging with our former PICC team and does PICC insertions Monday through Friday, day shift only. They also do the dressing changes on the central lines. So, my "vote" was only partially correct, while we do have an IV therapy team, we also have the opportunity to start IV's as we almost always have an new admission, an IV needing rotating, or a confused patient yanking theirs out! :spin:
0May 8, '08 by kharleyWe have an IV therapy team that is wonderful. Our hospital started the IV therapy team as another step in preventing infection. The fewer times a patient is stuck, the fewer sites for infection to enter the body.
There are a few of the IV therapy team that are dedicated to inserting PICC lines, but they are only there during the day and every other weekend.
Usually there's less than a 15 minute wait for a new site, but occasionally they are back-logged and we might have to wait up to an hour (this is on night shift). They are also responsible for central line cap and dressing changes, PICC line dressing changes, as well as attending all codes.
The only downside (for me personally) is that I graduated 2 years ago and except for about 10 IV starts during school clinicals, I've not had an opportunity to start any IVs to develop any IV skills.


text:
What does SEMEFO stand for?
What does SEMEFO mean? This page is about the various possible meanings of the acronym, abbreviation, shorthand or slang term: SEMEFO.
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SErvicio MEdico FOrense
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It isn't that we weren't brought up correctly. Our mothers did teach us what to do when expecting visitors: arrange the furniture in a welcoming manner, have comfortable seating available, put away your toys and crafts, and, for heaven's sake--dust!
Though we don't appear to have paid attention, we really were listening to Mom all along. Now that the remodeling is done, we are addressing matters of courtesy. We are replacing supplies into de-cluttered storage spaces so that we can locate and replace printing materials quickly; relocating music CDs for more convenient browsing; streamlining the tops of service desks so that you can see library staff more easily--that sort of thing. And about that dusting: it's definitely on our list.
See all Library renovation photos in our Flickr set
On Monday, November 3, our first day of re-opening, we will be offering guided tours of the library every hour on the hour from 10:00am - 6:00pm. We hope that you can join one of these tours and that you'll enjoy the changes and enhancements created with you in mind. Mom would be proud!
Well, renovation is officially complete, and there are only three working days left (including today) before we re-open. What better way to celebrate than with a new dance! We call it the Renovation Wrap-up Scramble. Here we see David Sharp mid-groove.
He'll have to do this dance a few more times if these shelves are to be out of sight by the time we re-open.
Later today, we plan on playing some musical chairs,
but instead of the music stopping and finding yourself without a seat, in our version, as long as the music is playing, chairs will be going back to where they are supposed to be.
And it's not just chairs and shelves that make good dancing partners. We've got a multitude of choices to pick from. There are computer cables, tables, paperwork, desk drawers, books, book carts...oh, the list is long.
Essentially, the next three days will be a matter of just working hard to get the library back into order.
...and we have a few of those in the library right now. These are spaces that are technically finished--sort of. The new checkin area is more or less complete, because the walls are done. However, no work surfaces or carts have been set up. The upstairs public area has classy new paint and floor coverings, but the shelving is incomplete, and the tables that held now-shelved books have yet to be put away. The reference desk is being totally reorganized so looks awful at this point, and functionality is a couple of days away. The new librarians' office appears move-in ready but isn't due to the need for finalizing connectivity needs. And of course all the furniture and all those supplies that aren't in their proper places are currently in, well, improper places.
We're in the home stretch now, anxious to finish projects, move into the last of the new workspaces, and gear up for the library's re-opening a week from now.
See all Library renovation photos in our Flickr set
There is a light at the end of the tunnel, folks!
And we've got the pictures to prove it.
With just 11 days left before that target date of November 3rd, we are beginning to see the fruits of our labor and the labor of the construction workers. Here we see more of the results from the construction side of things because they're easier to show.
There is still a decent amount of stuff to get in order, but things are beginning to take shape. Hooray!
See you soon...
Today saw the children's area beginning to come into its own and looking sharp.
The stairs are now lined with anti-slip rubber material. The side trim is being applied today.
From left to right we see Candy, Rebecca, and David busy developing strategies to more efficiently allocate our staff resources.
All in a day's work!
Hope y'all had a good one.
Compared to the isolated areas of completed flooring, sparkling new paint, and just-put-back-together order, the messy parts of the renovation seem even more regrettable. This may be our most challenging phase, so we just look around and say kindly that the place definitely has potential.
I surveyed some projects still in progress, looking for spots for beauty. Finding visual treats wasn't difficult. In fact, some items look downright artistic when viewed from the proper angle. With apologies to Mondrian, Picasso, Pollock, and a host of other artists, we'll call this collection "Library Motifs":
And if we were exhibiting this pose of an office window removed from the hallway, we'd have to title it "Window to Nowhere".
See all Library renovation photos in our Flickr set
The man in the red plaid shirt is squatting next to the red chair to install the red shelves in the colorful new Teen Room. In other words, now that the carpet has been put down, J.D. can prepare the shelves where the books will be found.
The white electrical socket hangs from the white ceiling in anticipation of its new surroundings. In other words, the old circulation area has been completely stripped and this little guy is all that is left...
for the moment.
Just beyond the blue tape the man in the blue shirt is laying the blue carpet. In other words, carpeting in the children's area is under way! What a colorful day, I say!
Remember the old library circulation counter? It ranged over a sizable portion of first floor and encompassed checkin and checkout processes, along with many, many bookcarts. Now that the new checkin area has been constructed, the counter is downsizing. The rest of us only wish that we could achieve a leaner, trimmer silhouette this quickly.
Speaking of cosmetic changes, the wall surrounding the checkin area should be receiving its surface and paint before long. Before all is said and done, the slots you'll use to return your materials will be framed and finished. Looking through one of them today, you can see not only the rough edges remaining but also a hint of the activity behind the wall.
Only a couple of weeks remain, and we hope you've been watching our progress and are looking forward to seeing the updated and re-purposed library space in November. We promise that the new version of the counter will be standing upright and looking good by then. In the meantime, just keep track of that library card so that it and you will ready for our re-opening!
As the third week of renovation concludes, second floor is largely complete; at least, it's carpeted, painted, and tiled. Projects remaining on the upper floor include finishing the librarians' office and continuing work on the combined Reference and Circulating collection. It's a wonderful concept but not a task that's quickly or easily accomplished.
First floor is another story (no pun intended). Large areas remain to be carpeted, tiled, and painted, after which shelving will be lugged back into place and thousands of books re-shelved.
As the computer training room (far left, above) awaits new carpeting, its furniture and equipment have taken up temporary residence in Meeting Room A (below). We're not certain whether these items are huddling together for comfort or just getting organized, but we'll all be happy when they're restored to their updated quarters and ready to welcome the public again.
Construction over the past 24 hours has produced subtle (but not photogenic) alterations to the building. On the other hand, the camera has caught library staffers in change-producing mode.
Patrons will notice right away that separate Reference and Circulating areas no longer exist. If, for example, you are searching for books with facts and statistics about fast food consumption in the United States, you no longer need to browse for books that can be checked out in the circulating section and books that will have great data that you can photocopy (but not check out) in the Reference section. You will just go to whichever call number you choose--perhaps 614.5 or 394.1--and find both materials that check out and ones that don't shelved together for your convenience. Geeta is shown applying labels to the Reference books, and we see David adjusting shelves to fit the new arrangement. What the photos don't portray is the fact that these scenes will be repeated hundreds of times before the merging project is finished--and that other staffers are working right along with them.
Other behind-the-scenes activities include the ongoing processes of ordering materials and keeping the library in touch with the public. Barbara has just sent in a large order for new fiction books that should arrive in time for the library's re-opening. With most phones still not in working order, Dora uses her trusty walkie-talkie to track down library personnel needed to answer questions from our patrons or from other staff.
And while we're waiting to spy the next before-and-after change, some self-improvements are underway. Pat and Geeta scored 100% on the self-paced Genealogy Tour to learn about the library's genealogy collection. All public services staff will complete the course; next time you need a jump start with your family history project, anyone at the desk will be able to point you in the right direction!
With carpeting finished on the second floor and well underway on the first, it appears at this point that we're on schedule for that November 3rd re-opening. Of course, anything can happen in the next few weeks and we'll know better by the end of next week, but right now it's looking good.
Here's a quick recap of what's been done so far. During the first two weeks of closure, we've carpeted the entire second floor and the meeting rooms in the back on the first floor. The hallway leading to the meeting rooms and the downstairs bathrooms have had new flooring installed. The new check-in area has been constructed on the first floor as well.
The check-in area does still need to be floated, taped, and painted. Carpeting on the first floor started yesterday but should go pretty fast. In fact, carpeting in the teen room is already done as of today. Let's take a peek.
This may look like a rather chaotic Teen Room, but...
just see how nice this corner looks.
Staff in charge of the Teen Room/teen programming have done a fantastic job of picking carpet that really blends these seemingly contrasting colors together in harmony with one another.
Answer: To move up to the second floor for some fresh air! Rocksssanne, the library's ball python mascot, needed temporary relocation so she could avoid noxious fumes. The new epoxy surface for the first floor hallway was applied directly outside her home. Dale Ricklefs, library director, is graciously sharing office space with her reptilian colleague. Dale reports that, even though Rocksssanne is currently shedding her skin and therefore feels a bit more sensitive than usual, she appears to be handling the transitions well.
The same can be said of other library staff. Employees accustomed to spending most of their time assisting the public now log in many hours shelving, shifting, and processing books and other resources. Candy, Chip, David S., and Eric spent hours measuring and analyzing shelving allocations on second floor. They now have a strategy for combining circulating and non-circulating books so that our patrons can more easily find and use all the materials on their chosen topics. As that ambitious project is gearing up, this empty shelving area awaits its new, more effective arrangement.
Well, it's more of a makeshift partition than a door. I suppose a more appropriate question would be...
What's behind makeshift partition number one?
A new car! Just kidding...
A new floor! In fact, I think it's shinier than a new car!
However, there is an old aphorism that states, "When there is gain in one area there is often a loss in another." In the case of flooring here at the library, this seems to be true. Check out the Teen Room.
Creation and destruction are just part and parcel of the way things are right now here at the old Round Rock Public Library, but don't worry too much about the floor above. We'll be creating something new soon enough.
The library under renovation is a bit like the Old West. With offices being uprooted for carpeting and computers a rare commodity, library staffers are homesteadin' office space and stakin' out opportunities to go online and revise records, create reports, or whatever. Like many co-workers, Jane selected her few most precious office possessions to carry with her--in a cardboard box lid instead of a Conestoga wagon. Along the isolated frontier of the newly tiled guest computer area, she set up camp in a spartan but relatively untroubled space.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch (downstairs, actually) Said and some of the helpful construction crew taped up a makeshift partition. The plastic curtain screens the hallway while it's bein' thoroughly scrubbed to prepare it for the new surface. That'll doubtless protect the womenfolk and other frontier types.
And the person responsible for disconnectin', reconnectin', movin', and troubleshootin' all those computers is David Wongwai. He moves so fast and so often that we don't have a photo of him yet. Like the guys from the noble tradition of Old West television heroes, he shows up in the nick of time, does what needs to be done, and dashes off to answer another distress call. Who was that IT man?
Currently, entire offices have been packed away into boxes and piled in the middle of the floor at various points, and large portions of the library are also sectioned off due to carpeting. Thus, today's main challenge is simply navigating on and between floors.
Well, time to return to scanning items back into our system.
Hope your day is nice and sunny!


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ResTech Computer Lab Team
ResTech is now accepting applications for Computer Lab Attendants for Spring 2015.
Click Here to Apply Online
Applications are due by 4:00 PM, October 17, 2014.
Job Description
Residential Technology Computer Lab Attendants provide first level support for users of the Residential Technology Computer Labs and associated areas. This position requires employees to provide excellent customer service to students, faculty, staff, and members of the campus community.
- Assisting lab users with access to files, systems, applications, and printing
- Making sure all equipment is functioning properly, performing minimal troubleshooting, and reporting problems promptly
- Maintaining a clean and orderly environment in which users can work
- Regularly visiting areas for which they are responsible:
- ResTech computer labs
- Northern View Community lab
- Remote Lab Workstations
- Smart Classrooms
- Communicating with ResTech staff (and class instructors in some labs)
- Assisting with other projects as assigned
- Must be a student at NIU enrolled for at least 6 credit hours
- Must have and maintain a cumulative 2.0 Grade point Average
- Must be in good standing with the University Judicial Office
- Must successfully pass an Illinois State security background check
- Commitment to excellent customer service
- Basic knowledge of computers and technology
- Willingness to learn new skills
- Self-directed with excellent time management skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Must work minimum 6 hours per week
Starting Pay Rate
- $8.50 per hour


text:
We are pleased to announce our keynote speaker presentations and plenary discussions. International leaders in stem cell science have been confirmed as speakers and moderators.
International Leaders in Stem Cell Science Announced as Speakers and Moderators!
We are pleased to announce our Keynote presentations and Plenary Discussions! It is time to finalize your travel plans with only four weeks until the 2012 World Stem Cell Summit | December 3-5, 2012 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Together, we will advance our field.
Plenary Keynote
Stem Cells: Battles, Breakthroughs, Myths and Medicines
George Q. Daley, MD, PhD, HHMI/Children's Hospital
Plenary Keynote
Stem-Cell Based Organ Replacement and Cell Therapy
Paolo Macchiarini, MD, PhD, Karolinska Instituet
Plenary Keynote
The Next Mountain to Climb-Shifting the Global Research/Translation Funding Paradigm
Robert Klein, JD, Chair Emeritus of the Governing Board, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Plenary Keynote
The Federal Government's Commitment to Funding High Potential Stem Cell Research
Sonia Skarlatos, PhD, FAHA, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Plenary Keynote
Filling the Unmet Need: How the NIH Center for Regenerative Medicine Advances the Field
Joshua Hunsberger, PhD, NIH Center for Regenerative Medicine
Plenary Discussion
Unproven Stem Cell Therapies and Deceptive Claims: Hidden Dangers to Patients
- Heather Rooke, PhD, International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) – Moderator
- Douglas A. Sipp, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology
- Allan Wu, MD, Morrow Institute
- James Guest MD, PhD, FACS, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Plenary Discussion
How Stem Cells are Transforming Medicine
- George Q. Daley, MD, PhD, HHMI/Children's Hospital - Moderator
- Joshua M. Hare, MD, FACC, FAHA, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
- Curt I. Civin, MD, University of Maryland School of Medicine
- Sally Temple, PhD, Neural Stem Cell Institute
Plenary Discussion
The Mandate to Deliver Cures – Aligning Patient Advocacy, Industry and Science
- Marion "Joe" Riggs, Student Society for Stem Cell Research
- Camillo Ricordi, MD, Diabetes Research Institute
- Bernard Siegel, Genetics Policy Institute
- Alan Fernandez, Genetics Policy Institute
Plenary Discussion
Global and Regional Collaborations: Funding Models to Deliver Success
- Elona Baum, JD, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)
- Dan Gincel, PhD, Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund
- Susan Solomon, New York Stem Cell Foundation
Plenary Discussion
Leading International Institutions and Their Strategies for Advancing Regenerative Medicine
- Rosario Isasi, McGill University – Moderator
- Norio Nakatsuji, D.Sc., Kyoto University iCeMS
- Timothy O'Brien, Regenerative Medicine Institute, Ireland (REMEDI)
The World Stem Cell Summit is your window to the future of medicine. We look forward to seeing you in four weeks, December 3-5, in beautiful West Palm Beach, Florida! If you have not registered yet, register today!


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Optima Health Marks First Year in Richmond and Central Virginia
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Optima Health Marks First Year in Richmond and Central Virginia
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RICHMOND, Va - (Dec. 9, 2005) -
Optima Health, the 330,000 member Virginia-based health plan, marked its first year in Richmond with a December 7th open house attended by brokers, physicians, office managers, hospital executives, business owners and the local president of the Urban League.
"We've been warmly received in the Richmond-area marketplace," says Richard Hogue, regional director of operations for Optima Health. We think Optima products offer a clear alternative to the dominant plans.
Optima's products include a full range of HMO, PPO and POS plans for large and small employer groups, including FourSight, a consumer choice PPO which offers small to medium-sized businesses an entry into health care benefits for their employees. Optima also offers the Medicare Preferred PPO and Optima Family Care, a Medicaid HMO.
As of mid-December, about 80% of Richmond-area physicians now accept Optima plans. Participating hospitals include MCV Hospitals of the VCU Health System and all Bon Secours facilities, including the new St. Francis Hospital in South Richmond, plus Southside Regional Hospital in Petersburg.
"Our network is tighter than some other plans," admits Richard Hogue, "but that helps us hold down costs. Were a not-for-profit plan that offers members more for their money, because in our experience, six out of ten members never need a hospital."
Optima's focus is on keeping well. The plan offers award winning disease management programs such as:
The LifeCoach Diabetes and Partners in Pregnancy programs, both of which have won national peer recognition from the Disease Management Association of America.
Optimas Asthma management program, which won an award from the Environmental Protection Agency for eliminating asthma triggers in patients homes.
Optima offers at-home Congestive Heart Failure management.
Optimas Medical Care Management personnel are Richmond-based and familiar with Richmond-area medical services.
Optima offers more than just health coverage, says Michael M. Dudley, president of OptimaHealth, "We offer health care coordination, which is an added value for our members.
For instance, the Medicare Preferred PPO offers each member a personal service representative to help navigate benefits and answer questions.
Third-party ratings agencies give Optima high marks
Optima is the first health plan in Virginia to achieve and maintain an A+ from the respected Weiss Agency, which rates health plans for consumers based on financial strength, business practices and ability to cover claims.
Optima Health is a seven-year winner of Excellent or highest possible rating from the National Center for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
Optima Family Care, a Medicaid HMO, has received Excellent rating from NCQA for six consecutive years.
Optima Health signs new, expanded employer groups
In its first year in Richmond, Optima Health has grown existing relationships with major employers and will expand in January of 2006 as a health plan option for 6,000 Wal-Mart associates in the Richmond-Petersburg area, plus 6,000 federal employees.
New groups offering Optima include the King and Queen County Schools and Haley Automotive, with 400 employees.
Westward, northward growth anticipated
Optima Health will soon expand into Caroline, Louisa and Hanover counties. Additional plans call for entry into Lynchburg with all products in 2006 and Winchester with Optima Family Care in 2006.
We think we have a winning formula for Virginia, says Optimas Richard Hogue. We offer affordable health plans with a wealth of disease management and prevention programs to keep our members healthy, and we think thats a great value.
Interviews available
To speak with Optima regional director Richard Hogue contact Sentara Healthcare public relations consultant Dale Gauding at (757) 455-7118. Learn more about Optima Health Plans at www.optimahealth.com.
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text: Ladies beige frame bag with padlock detail. Classic style bag by Loud with metal frame at the top to give it structure. Textured leather look with gold fastening and padlock detail. Fastens with a twisting lock. Two seperate compartments inside with zip compartment in the middle and small zip pocket on one side. Gold studs on the bottom of the bag. 100% polyuerathane.


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Edwards Westbrook Twin
10141 Westminster Boulevard,
Garden Grove,
No one has favorited this theater yet
The Westbrook Twin opened on July 3, 1973, with typical 1970's California shopping center architecture with a tile roof and all. It was built right next to the street with only a wide sidewalk and a grassy landscaped area separating it from the traffic. All parking was to the side and the rear.
This cinema attempt could be described as Edwards' sparest venues, perhaps built as a defensive move to keep other chains from encroaching on Edwards' territory. It looked like it was designed and built so it could be converted to stores later, if desired.
With the rise of multiplexes, mostly Edwards, It eventually became an outdated money loser and was showing $1.50 movies when Edwards closed it on October 25, 1990.
The Orange County Register said in May of 1991, that it was to be taken over by two Vietnamese entrepreneurs, who renamed it the Thu Do (Capital) Cinema and will begin to present French, Vietnamese and Chinese films.
The theatre was expected to succeed because of its proximity to Little Saigon, and also that many Vietnamese would not have to drive to Los Angeles' Chinatown for movies.
One of the highlights of the Thu Do Cinema years was when it had one of the first showings of "The Scent of Green Papayas", on January 21, 1994. This was the first Vietnamese film ever submitted for Oscar consideration. Attending the benefit presentation was the Director, Tran Anh Hung, and its star, Tran Nu Yen-Khe.
Sometime around 1996, with Steve Tran still the original owner, it dropped out of the news and listings. It is not known when it closed but the building has been used for various commercial enterprises since then.
Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
The building is being used for offices-doctors, real estate and so on.
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