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Fall 2006
GOV 335M • Theoretical Foundations of Modern Politics-W
Unique | Days | Time | Location | Instructor |
39705 |
TTh |
Pangle, L |
Course Description
Contains a substantial writing component and fulfills part of the basic education requirement in writing. Course number may be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
This course examines the philosophical origins of modern politics and culture by looking at the works of several authors whose writings played decisive roles in the rise and development of "modernity". In our study of Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Nietzsche, we will consider how modern political thought broke with ancient republicanism and the medieval Christian tradition to offer new goals and principles to guide political life. We will consider the differing views of these authors on issues such as the aims and limits of politics, the role of morality in the harsh world of political necessity, the proper place of religion and reason in political life, and the nature and basis of justice, freedom, and equality. Throughout the course, we will reflect on the impact that the revolutionary doctrines of modern political philosophy have had on the political world in which we live.
Grading Policy
Grades will be based on three short essays, a final exam, and class participation.
Machiavelli, The Prince (Chicago, ISBN 0226500381) Hobbes, Leviathan (Hackett, ISBN 0872201775) Locke, Second Treatise of Government (Hackett, ISBN 0915144867) Locke, A Letter Concerning Toleration (Hackett, ISBN 091514560X) Rousseau, The First and Second Discourses (St. Martin's, ISBN 0312694407) Nietzsche, On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life (Hackett, ISBN 0915144948) Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil (Vintage, ISBN 0679724656)


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Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton at the CMAs 2013
Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert Take Home Matching CMAs
Miranda Lambert and husband Blake Shelton stepped out together for the CMAs in Nashville on Wednesday night. Miranda, who showed off a slightly slimmer physique in her fitted blue gown, stayed close to Blake as they made their way down the red carpet. The couple, who was collectively up for 10 awards tonight, and took home the male and female vocalist of the year trophies. Even though they'll have matching statues to display at home, Miranda herself hit the stage with another male country singer during the show. She performed with Keith Urban in his first-ever duet, and recently told Rolling Stone that she felt "pretty honored" to be involved in such a milestone.
Also on hand for the event were Nashville stars Connie Britton and Sam Palladio as well as Pretty Little Liars actress Lucy Hale, who is gearing up for the release of her debut country album in January. Industry fixture Sheryl Crow walked the red carpet in a sleek black dress, and Faith Hill was in attendance to support her crooner hubby, Tim McGraw — the two even shared a sweet moment while posing for photos as Faith adjusted Tim's shirt for the cameras.
Sheryl Crow
Faith Hill
- Eli Manning's wife, Abby, gives birth to a baby girl — Us Weekly
- Kim Kardashian has really mastered one kind of selfie — HuffPost Celebrity
- Who is Rachel McAdams's mystery dinner date? — Lainey Gossip
- Iggy Azalea backtracks after a social media rant — Dlisted
- Rihanna strips down for a sexy spread — ET
- Why Reese Witherspoon dressed up as a guy — JustJared
- Hilary Duff is one hot mom — Hollywood Tuna
- Eddie Murphy shares exciting SNL news — Pink Is the New Blog
- Why Suge Knight is under arrest — The Superficial

subset: commoncrawl


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Counting sheep not just for dreamers
At Home in Nature -
Sunday May 22, 2011 - By Mary
Denver is on the verge of allowing you to raise a four legged friend not named fido. Raising sheep can be very profitable, whether you are raising them for wool, meat, milk, or to sell lambs. The best way to maximize profits is to...


text: Written and created by Bill Gallagher Executive Produced by Nicola Shindler and Bill Gallagher Produced by Yvonne Francas Directed by Dominic Leclerc PRODUCTION NOTES ***The information contained herein is strictly embargoed from all press use, non commercial publication, or syndication until Monday 5th March 2012*** Introduction ........................................................................................ Page 3 Characters .......................................................................................... Page 5 Rob James-Collier is Joe .................................................................. Page 6 Andrea Lowe is Lucy .......................................................................... Page 9 Alexander Armstrong is Dominic ..................................................... Page 12 Sophie Thompson is Penny .............................................................. Page 15 Gregor Fisher is Will .......................................................................... Page 18 Episode synopses ............................................................................. Page 21 Cast list ............................................................................................... Page 27 Production credits ............................................................................. Page 28 ITV PRESS OFFICE Press contact: Natasha Bayford - 0161 952 6209 / firstname.lastname@example.com Picture contact: Patrick Smith - 0207 157 3044 / email@example.com 2 INTRODUCTION Written by Bill Gallagher (Lark Rise to Candleford, The Prisoner) and produced by Red Production Company (Scott & Bailey, Exile) based in Manchester, Love Life tells the story of Joe (Rob James-Collier) and Lucy's (Andrea Lowe) faltering relationship. Feeling in a good place and as if she's ready to settle down, Lucy mentions she might stop taking the pill which sends commitment-phobic Joe running for the nearest airport to travel the world and scale Mount Everest before he gets tied down. Twelve months later, travel-bedraggled Joe returns from trekking in the Himalayas and having conquered Everest to find Lucy has moved on with her 'love life'. Their eyes meet across a crowded Friday night bar and as they gaze and smile at one another there's an instant connection. They are clearly still very much in love, but a year has passed and so much has happened to both of them. Lucy is now living with her father, Will (Gregor Fisher), after giving up her job working for husband and wife partnership Dominic (Alexander Armstrong) and Penny (Sophie Thompson) at the 'Tile Your Life' bathroom and kitchen store. Life had become complicated with Dominic as Lucy grew closer to him after Joe had gone travelling. Lonely and craving affection, she began an ill-fated affair with Dom, but knew from the first passionate kiss that what she was doing was wrong and would hurt Penny who she'd once counted as a friend. Tearing herself away, Lucy pursues her life away from Joe and Dom until Joe steps back into her world and her 'love life' becomes complicated once more. Will Dominic feel he has to tell his wife Penny - who appears to be going through her own mid-life crisis - of his affair with their former employee and her friend? Relying heavily on family, Penny goes to her Mum Liz (Sorcha Cusack) for life guidance, whilst Joe is now living and working as a scaffolder for his brother Dez (Kieran O'Brien), married to Linda (Lisa Millett) with three children. Each has their own view on how Joe and Lucy should unravel their entangled and problematic romantic lives. Whilst travelling, Joe has also met attractive lumber-jack shirted Alex (Naomi Bentley) who is younger than him and more like him than he cares to admit. He knows all he needs do is click his fingers and Alex would be happy to fall into his arms. But Joe still wants lovely Lucy, the woman he really loves with all her life baggage and complications. Funny, passionate, warm and knotty, this is the tale of how good people come to terms with the trials of love. Produced by Yvonne Francas (Scott & Bailey, A Passionate Woman) and directed by Dominic Leclerc (Mount Pleasant, Skins) Love Life intercuts between present day and flashbacks to the previous twelve months as viewers piece together the jigsaw that is their lives. "It's a painful and heart-wrenching journey, but it's a romantic comedy so there's lots of moments that will make you smile as Joe and Lucy search for harmony and happiness," said Red Production Company's Chief Executive Nicola Shindler, who has executive produced Love Life. "We're delighted to have filmed Love Life in Manchester again for ITV after the success of Scott & Bailey. Love Life is also a relationship based drama, but on this occasion it's a very tangled love life we're aiming to unravel," she added. 3 Love Life has been commissioned for ITV by Director of Drama Commissioning Laura Mackie and controller of Drama Commissioning Sally Haynes. "Love Life is a tender and funny story about grown-ups who refuse to grow up," said Laura. "We're delighted with Bill's scripts as they are warm, romantic and comic as he analyses how good people come to terms with the trials of love. We're delighted to commission Love Life for ITV1 viewers," she added. 4 CHARACTERS JOE (Rob James-Collier) Joe is a thirty something with wanderlust. A year ago he decided to travel the world just one last time, but his girlfriend Lucy (Andrea Lowe) had other ideas. Although Joe wanted them to go together, Lucy felt it was time they finally settled down. They couldn't agree, so Lucy stayed and Joe left alone. Now he's back, to find Lucy is having another man's baby. Jealous and emotionally confused, Joe faces his biggest test yet. Is he finally prepared to grow up, stop running away, and confront his feelings? LUCY (Andrea Lowe) A year ago, Lucy and Joe (Rob James-Collier) were an item. She wanted to settle down – he just wanted them both to go travelling. They loved each other, but it seemed their differences were irreconcilable, so Joe set off on his trip alone. Lucy grew close to her married boss, Dom (Alexander Armstrong), and before long they were seeing each other. They even went to Paris. Unbeknown to Dom, Lucy fell pregnant. Afraid it would destroy his wife Penny (Sophie Thompson), Lucy simply handed in her notice and kept the pregnancy secret. But now Joe has returned from his travels, and Dom has found out about the baby, Lucy is forced to consider how she feels about the two men in her life, and what she wants for the future. DOM (Alexander Armstrong) Dom is married to Penny (Sophie Thompson), and they've been trying to have a child for years. Lonely and feeling unloved because of Penny's obsession with having a baby, Dom had a whirlwind romance with Lucy (Andrea Lowe). What started as a fling developed into something with genuine feelings, but then Lucy suddenly quit her job and disappeared. Dom doesn't know that Lucy is pregnant. Until Joe (Rob James- Collier) tells him. How will Dom react to the news that he is a father? What are his true feelings for Lucy? And what impact will the baby have on his marriage? PENNY (Sophie Thompson) Penny is obsessed with having a baby, but is unwittingly pushing her husband Dom (Alexander Armstrong) away as a result. When she learns Lucy (Andrea Lowe) has had a baby after an affair with Dom, her initial reaction is horror – that her husband could have slept with someone else – but then this develops into a grim determination. Dom has a legitimate claim to that baby. Crazy though it seems, they could finally have a child. Single-minded and without a doubt her own worst enemy, it's going to take something big to bring Penny to her senses. WILL (Gregor Fisher) Lucy's (Andrea Lowe) father, Will, is a walking disaster, and bad luck has a nasty habit of following him around. Which doesn't help his already tempestuous relationship with the bookies. Despite this, he's well-meaning and always wants to do what's best for his daughter. Can he find a way to overcome the mess he's landed himself in, and finally be a father to Lucy? 5 ROB JAMES-COLLIER IS JOE Since Rob began acting in 2005, his career has gone from strength to strength. His on screen debut was in the BBC1 drama Down to Earth alongside Shelley Conn, Ricky Tomlinson and Denise Welch. Following this Rob appeared in Shameless, Perfect Day, Casualty and Dalziel and Pascoe before landing the role of Liam Conner in ITV's longstanding and successful soap Coronation Street, where he appeared in over 300 episodes between 2006 and 2008. In the last two years Rob has been part of the ensemble cast in the critically acclaimed drama series Downton Abbey and is currently filming the third series. Now appearing as one of the lead couples in ITV1's new relationship drama Love Life, Rob gives an insight into the drama's complexities and how his character Joe is different to Thomas in Downton Abbey. Tell us about the character you play. "Joe's just like one of your everyday normal lads. He's a bit of the jack the lad and he's not been one to settle down and commit, whereas everyone around him has. Joe's still going down the pub and living it large. I think everyone's got a couple of lads like him in their group of friends. "Within the drama we learn that Joe had a choice about how he could spend his future. He could either have this really exciting lifestyle, travelling around the world meeting new people and exploring different cultures, or go down the route of what he sees as being trapped and losing his freedom if he stays in a relationship with his girlfriend, Lucy (Andrea Lowe). "Viewers will meet Joe at that very interesting crossroads and it's only when he returns from his worldwide adventures does he realise he made the wrong decision. He's now trying to put things right and the audience will go on that journey with him." Would you say Joe was afraid of commitment? "Joe's a bit of a traveller and a dreamer. The nature of travelling around, moving from one place to another all the time doesn't lend itself to being in a relationship. You do come across these people in life and they're very like that. Everything in life becomes secondary, so how do these people settle down? They have to find someone understanding and someone who will let them do that. Unfortunately there aren't many people out there like that hence the split between Lucy and Joe." 6 Tell us about the story and what viewers can expect. "When the audience meet Joe he's just come back from climbing Mount Everest. He's now staying with his brother Dez (Kieran O'Brien), and wife Linda (Lisa Millett) who are putting him up until he's back on his feet again. As his close family, it's almost expected that they would do this for him, as well as Dez agreeing to give him a job working at his scaffolding company. There are some great scenes between Kieran and me, which shows the brotherly love and banter our characters have. "When Joe meets Lucy in town it's by chance. But I do think he's deliberately gone out in the hope that he'll bump into her. It's an awkward meeting between them and it's obvious they've still got feelings for each other. Lucy's clearly pregnant and in doing the maths it's evident he's not the father. With this comes a real sense of betrayal even though they've not been together for the last year. Lucy also tells Joe that she's now married but it's all not making sense to him - Lucy's not the kind of girl who would be married and pregnant within 11 months. "Not believing what Lucy's said Joe tracks down her dad, Will, played superbly by Gregor Fisher. Between them they piece together the truth and Joe realises that Lucy isn't happily married and she had an affair with her boss, Dominic (Alexander Armstrong). Knowing the truth about Lucy's pregnancy why does Joe decide to help her? "When Joe confronts Lucy about why she lied he sees how distraught and how alone she is. All of his old feelings come back and he really wants to help her. At the same time his machismo is kicking in and saying 'this is another man's baby, what are you doing?', but his heart is telling him that he loves this girl. So Joe does a wonderful thing and supports her. It's not his responsibility but because of his emotions and feelings he goes back to do what a lot of men wouldn't. However, every time it looks like they're going to move forward together something else happens which puts them back to square one. "The story between Joe and Lucy is very much a 'will they or won't they?' It's a very complex story as another couple, Dominic and his wife Penny (Sophie Thompson), are involved. Ultimately it's two couples at different points in their lives and their own relationships which makes it such an interesting dynamic; four people going on different journeys all thrust together by circumstances." "I think Lucy's journey is the most painful; she's become completely isolated and alone, her dad's a compulsive gambler. He's not malicious in any way, he's just a bit hapless. As a consequence they end up losing everything just as she has the baby. Lucy also doesn't want to tell Dominic that he's the father. He's her boss and is married to Penny and she doesn't want to encroach on that as she knows that Penny really wants to have a baby and can't." As the story progresses will the viewer see a different side to Joe? "Joe learns to grow up. Every lad's got to at some stage in their life, it's just he's chosen to do it very late. When Joe is asked to look after the baby he finds, just by random chance, that he loves and thrives on the experience. These feelings come out of nowhere and it's not something he was ever expecting. Only by it being forced upon him does he realise this is what he wants." 7 How does the character Joe differ from Thomas in Downton Abbey? "There's no malice to Joe, he's just a nice guy. I think viewers will like him. What's not to like about him? He's trying to do the best he can under the circumstances. There are not many men out there who would support a woman and another man's child so I think the women are going to love Joe and the men are likely to be saying; 'As if you'd do that, get back on the pull.'" What made you want to be a part of Love Life? "Love Life had all the right ingredients. It's a massive privilege to be playing one of the leading couples in a drama. Andrea Lowe has a great CV. Gregor Fisher is superb. You've then got the amazing talents of Alexander Armstrong, Sophie Thompson, Kieran O'Brien and Sorcha Cusack. "It's a nice small cast and because of that you can take ownership of it. Working on Downton Abbey is amazing but there's an ensemble cast of between 18 and 21 actors. With Love Life there are two couples and a few other key characters so as a smaller unit you've got to take more responsibility and at the same time you can have more ownership of the drama and the direction it's going. "Bill Gallagher's a brilliant writer. Conviction he did for the BBC back in 2004 was superb and he's since done The Prisoner and Larkrise. His writing is so natural and he's so diverse with it. "Red Production Company is one of the reasons why I got into acting and I love their stuff. I remember watching the Second Coming with Christopher Eccleston and Lesley Sharp, it's one of my favourite dramas. "We've a lovely young director, Dominic Leclerc, who is going on his own journey. To be a part of that and be subject to his enthusiasm has been great." 8 ANDREA LOWE IS LUCY Actress Andrea Lowe is more recently known for playing D.S. Annie Cabbot alongside Stephen Tompkinson in the hit ITV1 drama DCI Banks. Leading a very successful television and film career, Andrea has starred in Peter Bowker's acclaimed medical drama Monroe, played the female lead in Route Irish directed by the award winning Ken Loach, worked opposite Marc Warren in Jimmy McGovern's successful BBC1 series Accused, and appeared as Lady Eleanor Luke, a fictional noblewoman who was briefly the mistress of Henry VIII, in The Tudors. In 1993 she had her first film role alongside Samantha Morton in the musical comedy drama The Token King, set in a high school in Nottingham. Her other credits include: Murphy's Law; Rescue Me; Shameless; Love Soup and Where the Heart Is. Now starring in Bill Gallagher's warm, romantic and comic 3 part drama, Andrea talks about her character's very tangled love life and her own experiences of filming the drama whilst in the early stages of pregnancy. Tell us about Lucy and where she is with her life when the audience meet her. "The audience meet Lucy in a really painful situation. Joe (Rob James-Collier), her ex- boyfriend, has just returned from his worldwide travels and bumps into Lucy for the first time in 12 months very unexpectedly. Although it's a really awkward meeting, and Lucy is heavily pregnant, it's clear they still have feelings for each other. "Lucy has buried her head whilst Joe's been away. Although she's always wanted to have a baby it was never her intention to have an affair and fall pregnant. Lucy always believed she and Joe would have a family together until he got cold feet and made the decision to go travelling. We find Lucy in this very difficult situation where all of a sudden she is like 'Oh no – what have I done?' But even though Lucy is in this complex situation she feels so blessed that she is now carrying the baby she has always wanted. "Joe's return opens up Lucy emotions. Although, in her mind there's no chance of any reconciliation because she's about to have another man's baby and she believes they both want different things in life, which is what ultimately led to them splitting up. I think she's suppressed her feelings for Joe whilst he's been away. She's learnt to forget about him and almost pretend that he doesn't exist." 9 "Lucy has been a lovely character to play. She's really uncomplicated even though we find her in a very complex situation. She's really kind and wears her heart on her sleeve. When I read the scripts I felt so sorry for her." Why is Lucy so reluctant to reveal who the father is? "Lucy has made the decision not to reveal who the father is because he's a married man and she wants to protect the relationship he has with his wife. She knows what they did was wrong and rather than ruin their relationship she thinks it's better to just get her head down and get on with it. Eventually both Joe and the baby's father, Dominic (Alexander Armstrong), find out." Following the birth of her baby, Arthur, Joe starts to become more hands on helping Lucy. Why is that? "I think Joe has a lot of mixed emotions. If he had come back from travelling and Lucy wasn't pregnant he may still not have been ready to settle down and have a baby. I think it's a case of wanting what you can't have and realising that he's still very much in love with her. The thought of not being with Lucy does something to Joe and he's thinking 'I don't want her to be with anyone else.'" "Seeing Arthur has perhaps made him realise that there's more to life. Then again maybe he's not reached that point of maturity where he's ready to give up being a bit of a lad." Tell us about the relationship Lucy has with her dad, Will. "Lucy loves her dad, Will (Gregor Fisher), and they have a really lovely relationship. There's a real closeness between them as it's only been the two of them following her mother's death. At times I think he drives her bonkers because he's so unreliable but she's allowed that to slide over the years. "You get the impression that Lucy's probably bailed him out in the past but because of their tight bond she's always been able to forgive him. "There are some words Lucy says to her dad which are very harsh – 'I want a father and look at what I've got.' When we don't expect much of people they don't really let you down but I think this time he has and it's at the most crucial time in her life. I think she's always going to love him. He'll probably be a much better granddad than he is a father." What drew you to the project? "Bill Gallagher is an extremely talented writer and I've seen a lot of his work. At the heart of this story there's real emotion, which is what I really enjoy portraying as an actress. I thought the story was something very different. While being painful and heart wrenching it's also full of love. And as we all know life isn't straight forward, there will always be things that test us. "I think a lot of people will be able to relate to the characters and identify with their circumstances because they are all very genuine and real. I really liked the connections between the characters and I thought it would be a great project to be a part of." 10 How does Lucy compare to the previous characters you've played? "Although I've done comedy drama before people tend to know me for playing very traumatic characters in dark gritty dramas like Donna Armstrong in Jimmy McGovern's Accused. More recently I've been playing D.S. Annie Cabbot in the police drama series DCI Banks so Love Life is a completely different genre for me and I have to say, I love it all and feel really lucky. "Annie and Lucy are very different. Annie is quick-witted, strong and has her guard up. In comparison Lucy is a softer, more vulnerable character who often lets her guard down, but I have to say, it's been nice to deal with babies instead of dead bodies. People seem to think that when you're acting the really emotional scenes in the darker dramas that it's hard but actually sometimes the lighter scripts can be more of a challenge." Did you watch any romantic/relationship-based dramas ahead of filming? "I love romantic comedies and before I started filming Love Life someone lent me the DVD box set of Married Single Other which I thought was brilliant. The characters and their circumstances really draw you in. I've also been watching a lot of Modern Family and I've been really getting into The Killing. I can often get very drawn into quite dark shows as I love that side of human tragedy but now and again I need something lighter. I can happily sit there and watch Bridget Jones and I think you get really talented performances that are sometimes overlooked. It's really important to laugh. There's so much misery around that you need that escapism. "Bill has written such excellent scripts that everything about the character is there already for you. He writes women so well. I think if you try and take inspiration from other places you get yourself into trouble and I just didn't feel like I really needed to." Whilst playing a pregnant character and a new mother on screen Andrea found out that she and her long-term partner, Terry, would be expecting their own baby. "It's a very exciting time for me and Terry and I'm due to have our baby in May. I've had loads of children in my on-screen life. Even when I was playing teenagers I'd have kids or babies, and actually I've given birth on screen twice already! "It's been really nice working with the babies in Love Life as they were so good for me during our scenes. To begin with it was a little strange when I had the fake bump on and people were asking 'Are you broody? Have you got any kids already?' And I was thinking to myself 'I have one in my belly.'" "Thankfully I've not experienced any morning sickness. My initial symptoms were insomnia and craving meat. The insomnia was terrible as I was waking up at 4am but it's since got better. As a vegetarian I don't eat meat so to help with the cravings I've been eating a lot of smokey bacon crisps. Bananas too! Bacon and Bananas have been the two big cravings. I'm not averse to anything so if I feel my body needs something then I'll have it. You just want to be healthy and I am, but I've had days when I feel I want to go back to the food of my childhood and eat egg and chips." When you are not busy filming how do you like to spend your time? "My escapism is going to the gym and I really enjoy running and doing yoga. I adore being outside walking in the countryside and hanging out with Terry and my friends. I'm also a trained reflexologist so I really enjoy making people feel relaxed through their feet." 11 ALEXANDER ARMSTRONG IS DOMINIC Alexander Armstrong studied at Durham School and Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1992 he met Ben Miller when both were part of Cambridge Footlights, and they formed the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller. Since then Alexander has co-starred in four series of Armstrong and Miller between 1997 and 2001 before renewing his partnership with Ben Miller for The Armstrong and Miller Show in 2007. His early work includes: Best of the Worst, Don't Call Me Stupid, the BBC Radio 4 office sitcom Weak at the Top as well as fronting the series of popular TV commercials for Pimm's. Other credits include: Have I Got News for You; Life Begins; Saxondale; Mutual Friends; The Trial of Tony Blair and the voice of Mr Smith in the BBC's The Sarah Jane Adventures. From a career perspective 2009 was also an important year for Alexander as he began presenting the BBC's popular daytime quiz show Pointless, which is currently airing its fifth series. Alexander and Ben Miller also returned for a second series of The Armstrong and Miller Show and went on to win a TV BAFTA for 'Best Comedy Program' in 2010. Following its third series in the same year, Ben and Alexander toured the UK with the Armstrong and Miller live show and released their first book together in October 2010. More recently Alexander has hosted the BBC One Saturday night show Epic Win, presented the BBC One series The Great British Weather, had a starring role as Reg Arwell in the Christmas Day (2011) episode of Doctor Who and came together once again with Ben Miller for the Channel 4 pilot Felix and Murdo. He is now hosting the comedy panel show called Alexander Armstrong's Big Ask on Dave. You're known more for your comedic roles and more recently for the BBC daytime quiz show Pointless. What made you want to be a part of Love Life? "In truth I don't get to do many dramas so I was delighted to be asked to do this. It's such a welcome change for me. I loved being a part of the drama and getting to have a character I can really sink my teeth into. My stock in trade for the last five years has been doing 3-minute sketches or The Armstrong and Miller Show where I play 30 different characters and it's been lovely to focus on one part. "The scripts came from Red Production Company so you know already, before reading them, that it's going to be good. I've been aware of Nicola Shindler ever since she worked on Our Friends in the North. Nicola and the company are known within the industry for being stalwarts. They are uncompromising in terms of their quality and have built up this reputation by making sure everything they do is of a very high standard. 12 "Love Life is brilliant storytelling by Bill Gallagher who has created these delightful and surprising characters. I was absolutely gripped by the story. I read all 3 scripts on the trot from beginning to end and couldn't put them down. It's just a fabulously conceived story and beautifully written. "You also know that if you sign up to work with Red you're going to be acting with some brilliant people and sure enough I was in that great position. I was working with the likes of Sophie Thompson who is an unbelievably good actress and such a dream to work with. Andrea, Sorcha and Rob also. I didn't have nearly enough scenes with Rob but I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with him on set. What a fabulous man he is." How would you describe your character Dominic? "Dominic is a sort of comic character. He finds himself in an extraordinary but believable situation. He's quite posh, he's married to Penny (Sophie Thompson) and together they run a tile shop. Dominic has these very old-fashioned set of values – they're good values and he's a good man. There is something honourable about Dominic despite his infidelity." What has led Dominic to having the affair with Lucy? "He's ended up in this situation largely because his wife, Penny has worked herself into such a fuss over their inability to conceive and have a baby. She's allowed that to take over everything in her life and you can see that she's putting Dominic through the mill. It's very well represented in the script as viewers will know only too well that Penny has been incredibly hard on Dominic. "You then have this extraordinary situation where he's really trying to do the right thing but is torn between two moving plates and he's got to decide which one he's going to jump on. It's because of his values and principles that he's being put through the mincer as well." Does Dominic feel emasculated? "Massively. It's such a sensitive issue which Dominic and Penny haven't really ever discussed. It's Penny who can't conceive and there's this tragic scene within the drama where she starts blaming herself over not being able to have a child. I dare say it must be a terrible presence in the room for every couple that can't conceive." Does Dominic feel guilty about the affair? "I think he's sort of got over it. Lucy (Andrea Lowe) and Dominic went off to Paris for the weekend and that was it. There had obviously been an understanding between them that this wasn't going to be a long-term affair. Lucy quit her job so they've not seen each other since. It's only when Joe (Rob James-Collier) comes to see him at work does he then find out he's the father of Lucy's baby. He had absolutely no idea before that." How does Dominic react to the news he's a father? "It hits him on two levels. On the one level they are, particularly Penny, absolutely desperate to have a child and it's beginning to obsess her to the degree that she can't think about anything else. So much so that she's wandering around maternity shops pretending to have a baby. It's a serious phantom pregnancy. But it also hits him on the level of his honour. He has this ridiculous sense of honour and feels very strongly that he needs to step up, be a father and provide for them. He's probably delighted to have this excuse to now go off and care for them. He's sort of thrilled and horrified by it at the same time." 13 Being such an honourable man does Dominic tell Penny about the baby? "There's a scene where you can see Dominic can't keep it in any longer and Penny's saying to him, 'What's wrong with you?', and he's saying 'No I can't, I'm going to burst, I'm going to go mad, I have to tell you.' And out it all comes. "He's a fool for his honour. It's an admirable trait but he can't deceive as it's not in his nature to. He has to tell Penny. He looks at it as some kind of painful catharsis and thinks maybe this is a welcome trouble because he has to face up to it and do something about his marriage which is in a terrible state. Some tough love from him may have stopped Penny from spiralling into madness. And Dominic hasn't done that, he's not faced up to it, but to a degree Penny hasn't allowed him to confront the situation." Do you think viewers will sympathise with Dominic? "You know Dominic's a decent man but he's pushed very far by circumstance. I would hope some viewers would have some sympathy for him given his situation with Penny. It's an understandable transgression. Penny has slightly pushed him out. You see Dominic trying to snuggle up to his wife in bed but she pushes him away and goes to sleep in another room. He's trying very hard to be a tender husband but is being forced out." Will the audience be able to relate to the characters and their circumstances? "I think the drama has great universal appeal. Even if you've never been in this situation I think it's very easy to relate to it. It's a very accessible dilemma. "There's a kaleidoscopic way in which the story is told. Bill's done this brilliant thing where there's a lot of flash backs but also some flash forwards. It's extremely well done and a lovely crafted script." 14 SOPHIE THOMPSON IS PENNY Sophie Thompson made her television debut at the age of 15 in A Traveller in Time before going on to study at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She has been a film, television and stage actress throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s and her credits include: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1; Gosford Park; Emma; Four Weddings and a Funeral; Dancing at Lughnasa; The Railway Children; Into The Woods and Hamlet. In 2006 Sophie joined the cast of EastEnders as Stella Crawford, Phil Mitchell's lawyer who gradually developed a romantic relationship with him. Stella later became jealous of Phil's relationship with his son Ben and began to emotionally and physically abuse him becoming one of soap's most hated villains. A year later, after Stella's evil ways were exposed on her wedding day, the character committed suicide. Sophie's latest on-screen role in Love Life couldn't be any further away from Stella Crawford as she explains her character's desperation to have a child with husband Dominic. Tell us about your character, Penny, and her relationship with husband Dominic. "Penny and Dominic (Alexander Armstrong) are what some people would describe as a very successful couple. They're both creative individuals and are the owners of a successful business called 'Tile Your Life'. Their success from making and designing tiles has meant they can live in a beautiful home and have a comfortable lifestyle. "Penny and Dominic have a strong relationship and in general things are going well for them. However, they've been trying for a baby for quite some time and very sadly it's the one thing they can't have together because Penny can't conceive. As a consequence their relationship has become quite strained. "The viewer will meet Penny in an extreme mental state; longing for a child that she realises, at this point, she can't really have. As you can imagine Penny is distraught about this. She's trying to keep it together but ultimately she's in an incredibly challenging place." How does Penny react to the news that Dominic has had an affair with their employee and friend Lucy who is now pregnant? "Badly, as anyone would! At this point Penny has hit rock bottom and is incredibly desperate. When she's told about the affair she drives her car off the road, which involved me driving a car off the road, 'cue stunt lady!' But very quickly, after this huge volcano of news, she gathers herself. 15 "That's the thing about Penny she's got a really strong centre. Obviously the fact that Dominic has slept with Lucy (Andrea Lowe) is very painful but she doesn't sit about and spend hours moping. The news almost galvanizes her in a way. It's a bombshell but she doesn't just lie down as it seems to bring out this terrible logic in her. Penny doesn't seem to focus on the affair as much as the outcome, which is the child Lucy has just given birth to, and that's what she now wants them to have." Do you think Penny's obsession with having a baby has driven Dominic to this affair? "Yes. Their love for each other has become so strained. As I understand it, when couples are trying for children their physical relationship can become regimented and the ease of their coupledom is in jeopardy. The strain for Dominic is just too great so he does seek solace elsewhere and you can't blame him for it. "It's nice to be able to look at the human race and not be judgmental and say 'oh that means he's bad'. Sorcha's character Liz, Penny's mother, says a lovely thing to Dominic when she's trying to help him. She admits her own foibles and weaknesses in order to sympathise with his situation and says 'look I understand. We're all just human and we're all struggling through the best we can. Who am I to judge?' It doesn't mean that Liz didn't love Penny's father or that Dominic doesn't love Penny, it's just Dominic's in a place where he needs tenderness and understanding. I think you can completely understand Dominic and his reasons for the affair. You don't think he's a baddie." Having gathered her thoughts about the affair what does Penny do next? "Penny believes the logical decision is to secure custody of the baby. As Dominic is the father it makes sense to her that they should have Arthur. She becomes a sort of emotional extremist and goes into that mode to make sense of the situation. I think people do that when they become so desperate. It's not cruel. It's that blinkered way people get when they are operating in that extreme way. "Penny thinks this will be the best for Lucy, especially when she finds out that she and Arthur have become homeless and have been evicted. She jumps on this information as a way to secure the child." What was it about the script and character that drew you to the role? "Bill Gallagher's writing is fabulous. There's something rather fairytale about the story and I liked that very much. I was interested to play a rather proper "grown up" lady who goes a bit bonkers but within a fairly conventional setting. "The role popped up unexpectedly and that's always thrilling. The drama has some really amazing credentials attached to it and I thought 'I'd really love to be a part of this story and try and interpret this rather wonderful character that Bill has created. "There are not that many characters in the story. It's quite a small cast and an intense little tale. There's also a lovely parallel story, which is the pure love story between the policeman Paul (James Baxter) and Tilly (Jennie Jacques). And then you have the story between the two couples, which is also a love story, but with all of its darkness. "I thought the premise of the story and where it then leads to, for my character especially, was really good to explore in a domestic way. To see people going through that very difficult journey, and the realisation that they can't have the one thing they so desperately want, more than anything else in the world was refreshing. "Getting to work with the lovely cast and be a part of this story was a huge attraction. What's more I get to play Alexander Armstrong's missus and Sorcha Cusack's 16 daughter, which is a complete delight. I also get to work with Gregor Fisher again having played his wife in the remake of The Railway Children and I'm a huge fan of Rob and Andrea's work. "In terms of appealing to viewers I'd say there's definitely something for everyone in Love Life. I think this has a good chance of appealing to a wide range of people as it's got some top ingredients and hopefully we'll cook them up in a really edible way." Did you enjoy filming in Manchester? "Being back in Manchester for me is lovely as I have a real fondness for the city. Manchester is quite a rooted place for me as not only am I married to a Mancunian, he was born in Bury, but I did my first theatre play there, when I was fifteen. It was an Arthur Wing Pinero play called School Mistress. "When I'm back in Manchester I like to go to the theatre. The schedule for Love Life was quite full on so I didn't get a huge amount of down time but when I did I was able to wander up to the Northern Quarter and visit the Christmas markets as we were filming the drama in December. "During filming I stayed at The Midland which is a lovely old hotel in the centre of Manchester. It's steeped in history and inside, displayed on the walls in frames are these really touching artefacts - people's post from many years ago which have been in their care. "There are so many things about the city that correlate with little moments in my life so it's a lovely place to work. It feels like a very creative hub and I love the accent. Gary, one of our drivers, was trying to teach me the mancunian accent as I love just listening to it and tend to get drawn into the rhythm of how people speak. I know I did EastEnders but actually the soap I was addicted to was Coronation Street." With a great fondness for Manchester have you ever played a Mancunian? "No but I'd really love to. I'm desperate to play a right scally so maybe that's it. I've played my fair share of ladies and being well heeled and posh. Even when I did EastEnders I said 'are you sure you want me to be so well to do, can't I be more of a scally?' But no it wasn't to be. I'm still holding out for that role!" What's coming up for you next? "I'm currently on stage at the National Theatre in She Stoops to Conquer which runs until mid April. It's all incredibly exciting as this is my first time at the National and I love it. I'm playing the part of Mrs Hardcastle opposite Steve Pemberton who plays my husband. The wonderful Katherine Kelly is our daughter and we've a fabulous director, Jamie Lloyd." 17 GREGOR FISHER IS WILL Gregor Fisher is best known for his portrayal of his character Rab C. Nesbitt in the sitcom of the same name which first began on the BBC in 1988. Gregor also starred in the TV show Naked Video where the Nesbitt character originated, along with the Baldy Man who obtained a spin-off series and went on to feature in the Hamlet cigar TV campaign. His success in comedy also saw Gregor appear in the sitcoms Foxy Lady, Scotch and Wry, Brotherly Love and Snoddy. With a career spanning over 30 years, Gregor Fisher has also starred in numerous television dramas and films including: The Tales of the Para Handy; Nineteen Eighty- Four; Gormenghest; The Railway Children; The Life and Adventures of Nicolas Nickleby; The Merchant of Venice; Love Actually. In recent years he has starred in the BBC's adaption of Oliver Twist in the role of Mr Bumble, played Grandpa Potts in the theatre production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Jacky Allen in the TV comedy series Empty. In Love Life Gregor takes to the screen as Lucy's hapless dad, Will. Here he talks about his character's faults and how playing the emotional scenes came easily. Tell us about the character you play. "Will is a man with a very, very good heart. I think he's quite a nice man but he's a gambler. He's an addict and like most addicts that seems to clip all the good in him. During the drama we see Will getting himself into a terrible mess as he's spending every available minute in the bookmakers. He's a bit of a lost soul." What is Will's relationship like with his daughter Lucy? "Lucy (Andrea Lowe) lost her mother at a young age so it's very much the two of them against the world. They have a very strong bond. Will does try his best when it comes to being a father to Lucy but he never quite manages to get it right. Instead his gambling seems to rule his life and consequently and sadly her life as well. Lucy then ends up pregnant and he's no help to her whatsoever. Although he does want to help and tries to it sadly all falls apart and he's left feeling desperately guilty and ashamed." Why does Will continue to let his daughter down? "I don't think Will realises he's letting his daughter down. It really doesn't enter his mind until the shit really does hit the fan and he suddenly realises what an arse he's been. This is why he's so determined to redeem himself and rather stupidly goes on to risk everything he then has. All he's then thinking is 'I've got to make everything right, I've got to do this'. 18 During the drama there are some really emotional scenes between Will and Lucy. How easy is it for you as an actor to get in this state of mind? "That's when it comes back to the script and the quality of the writing. I don't find it difficult. That actually sounds a bit baggy as I was brought up in the north of Scotland and you're not supposed to blow your own trumpet but it was easy for me to get into that emotional state of mind. It's only ever difficult to be emotional when you're working with bad material. It's then you really do have to pretend to feel it." Do you think viewers will sympathise with your character? "I never know what viewers are going to think. Some may think 'What an arse', whilst others may think 'Poor soul.' You can never really second guess what people may think or feel but I'd like to hope that they would sympathise with Will. He has a great big heart. He's hapless with his decisions but certainly doesn't mean any harm to anyone." What drew you to the role? "I think this is a splendid piece of storytelling by Bill Gallagher. There are scripts that just aren't right for me but I rather liked this. I think the story has a good heart to it and when I asked myself 'Would I watch this?' I thought, 'Yes I would.'" "I liked the precision of it. It's very precise. The story is like a very good piece of music and I think Bill's scripts are rather like that. The story has humour. It has a bit of angst and drama. When I was reading the scripts I kept turning the pages wanting to know more. Normally I get to about page 12 and lose interest but I felt very differently about Love Life and wanted to be a part of it." After 30 years was it nice to be back and filming in Manchester? "It was a delightful job and yes, it was nice to be back filming in Manchester again. For a couple of days my wife came up to join me. I hadn't been in Manchester for almost 30 years. The last time I was in the city was when I was doing a situation comedy called Foxy Lady with Diane Keen in the early 80's. I don't remember too much about the city then but it seems very modern now. I remember Granada TV, as that's where we used to film the show. I think it was my second or third television series and it was all very exciting and new as it was live before your eyes in front of a studio audience." Have you worked with the cast before? "I'd worked with Sophie Thompson before when we did The Railway Children and she played my wife. It was cracking to see her again. Rob James-Collier is a nice lad and I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. He'll have a great career. Andrea was also lovely to work with, as were the other members of the cast. It was a pretty tight unit as there are only a handful of central characters but everyone was thoroughly pleasant. "Behind the scenes the cameraman, Adam Suschitzky, and the director, Dominic Leclerc, were fantastic to work with too, and Yvonne Francas is a great producer." 19 Do you get recognised a lot? "I do but there's a slight benefit to another character I play (Rab C. Nesbitt) so most people don't approach me because they think I'm going to give them the Glasgow kiss! I don't get any verbal abuse - I don't think anyone's brave enough to verbally abuse me in the street. I'm a pretty mild mannered kind of chap but some of the characters I've played in the past aren't so people think in their wisdom that I'm probably just like that and they tend to avoid me. You sometimes see people having a glance but they normally tend to keep their head down and keep walking!" What do you enjoy doing when you're not busy working? "I like gardening. I'm quite green fingered and enjoy pottering about. I like planting and growing things, mainly flowers. They say that Kent's the garden of England but Lincolnshire is wall to wall vegetables and it's great to have local markets selling fresh produce right on your doorstep. "I'm also a sucker for nature programmes. I've recently been watching Earth Flight, the BBC One documentary narrated by David Tennant. It's fabulous and actually that's what I'd like to do. Voice a nature programme." 20 EPISODE SYNOPSES The following synopses are published in the press pack for forward planning purposes only. Please do not reproduce entirely and do not publish the end of the story. Many thanks. Episode 1 A year ago Joe (Rob James-Collier) decided to travel the world just one last time, but his girlfriend Lucy (Andrea Lowe) had other ideas. She felt it was time they finally settled down, but Joe wasn't ready. Although he'd hoped they could do the trip together, Joe eventually left alone. Now he's back. Joe's brother, Dez (Kieran O'Brien), collects him from the airport and gives Joe a place to stay while he finds his feet. On a night out with Dez and the lads, Joe bumps into Lucy (Andrea Lowe), and they exchange awkward conversation. Awkward because Lucy is quite clearly pregnant and wearing a wedding ring. Doing the maths, Joe knows the baby can't be his. And Lucy's married. Joe is numb with shock. It was twelve months ago when Lucy first toyed with the idea of starting a family but Joe wasn't ready for that sort of commitment. They seemed to want different things from life. But now, seeing Lucy married and pregnant, Joe can finally see what he's thrown away. Determined to find out who the father is, Joe goes to see Will (Gregor Fisher) – Lucy's debt-ridden father – and manages to squeeze the truth out of him. Lucy's not married and the baby's father is nowhere to be seen. Will explains that Lucy jacked in her job as soon as she knew she was pregnant– and that's all Joe needs to hear to know who the father is. Lucy's married boss – Dom (Alexander Armstrong). Dom's personal situation is also complicated. He and his wife Penny are having difficulties conceiving, and have been for some time. Dom has suggested adoption, but Penny desperately wants a child of their own. When Joe confronts Dom for abandoning Lucy and the baby, Dom's reaction is shock. Now Joe realises why Lucy was keeping it quiet. Dom had no idea Lucy was pregnant. Joe doesn't know how to tell Lucy what he's done. He tries, but quickly realises Lucy is wracked with her own guilt and didn't want Penny to ever find out, so he stops himself. Joe knows he's really put his foot in it, but can't say a word. It's an awkward meeting, but all underpinned with a sense of the shared history between Lucy and Joe – what was lost, and what might have been. It's certainly complicated. This complication is thrown into sharp relief by the appearance of Alex, a young, attractive girl Joe met on his travels. After the messy emotional trauma of the last few days, everything about Alex represents simplicity, so when she suggests they go for a drink, Joe's head can't help being turned just a little. Meanwhile, Dom – reeling from Joe's revelation – calls Lucy and tells her that he knows. They meet, and it's awkward. But it helps to hear her side of the story – if she didn't keep quiet, she knew a lot of people could get hurt. Lucy hasn't told a soul. Penny need never know. But then Lucy starts to realise how Dom must have found out. Joe. 21 At home, Dom tries to be normal with Penny. But it's a struggle. He loves her – couldn't bear to hurt her – and Dom has to stop himself from telling Penny his secret. Lucy goes to confront Joe, furious that he told Dom. But as her anger builds, and she shouts at Joe, she feels a sharp pain. And then another one. The contractions start to come more regularly, so Joe gets her in the truck and drives her to hospital. The baby is born… Episode 2 Dom (Alexander Armstrong) makes his way through a caravan park – searching – until he finds the caravan he's looking for. He knocks and the door opens to reveal Lucy (Andrea Lowe) and baby Arthur. Dom doesn't quite know how to tell Lucy the reason for his visit. He bites the bullet and just says it. Penny wants the baby. Two days earlier… At the hospital, Will (Gregor Fisher) helps Lucy pack her things and prepare to head home for the first time with baby Arthur. Joe turns up to help, and the three of them leave together. Although Will seems to be behaving strangely, and it's not just his persistent stomach ulcer. Is Will hiding something? Dom is struggling to keep his secret from Penny (Sophie Thompson), whose behaviour only makes life harder for him as she tries to engineer a romantic weekend away. Penny can see Dom is more distracted than usual, and when he leaves work on a flimsy premise, she decides to follow him. Lucy, Joe, Will and the baby arrive back home at Will's flat, only to find it virtually empty. Will comes clean. The bailiffs have taken everything. Lucy is furious and distraught. Joe offers to take Arthur outside so Will and Lucy can talk. Dom is sitting outside, steeling himself to talk to Lucy, when Joe comes out carrying the baby. It's an awkward meeting and Dom can't take his eyes off the baby. Dom assumes Joe is now back with Lucy, and Joe does nothing to contradict this. Everything is civil, but it's a strange sort of standoff, until Joe asks Dom if he'd like to hold the baby. Standing there with his son is arms, Dom is overwhelmed. He returns the baby to Joe and leaves. In the background we realise Penny has been watching. With Will being evicted, Lucy and Arthur have nowhere to live. It's far from ideal, but Joe tells her his brother Dez has a caravan in a holiday park nearby – maybe Lucy could stay there until they find somewhere better. He'll ask Dez. Penny still knows nothing about Dom's secret. From distance, the meeting between Dom and Joe looked innocent enough – Dom taking the baby in his arms just looked like a man in touch with his emotions, inevitably moved by a newborn baby. For Penny this only serves to convince her that it really is time they became parents – she's now willing to consider adoption, and puts this to Dom. But the more she talks about babies, the harder this gets for Dom until he can bear it no more and he finally cracks. He had an affair with Lucy, and now she's had his baby. A son. Penny goes into shutdown, loses control of the car, and drives through a cemetery fence. As Dom's words sink in, she can only feel a sense of deep betrayal, pain and anger at what he has done. Dom can say nothing that makes it better. 22 Meanwhile Joe is meeting Alex (Naomi Bentley) for a drink. They reminisce about their travels, and Alex says she's going to head off again soon – want to come? Joe tells her his situation is now more complicated. Really complicated. But Alex makes her offer clear. She's not complicated. At all. If you decide you want to come, just pick up the phone. The next day Penny goes to see her mum at the nursing home where she works. She tells her about Dom – what should she do? Liz (Sorcha Cusack) is shocked, but gentle and comforting – reassuring her daughter that she can get through this. But the more they talk, the more Penny's thoughts begin to form into determination. She knows it's mad, but she wants that baby. At Dom's tile shop, a young woman, Tilly (Jennie Jacques), arrives to start her work experience. Not what Dom needs right now, but he tries to be as accommodating as possible under the circumstances. Inside he's in turmoil. And then, as if things could get no worse, a policeman – P.C. Paul (James Baxter) – arrives to question Dom about the incident at the cemetery. Meanwhile, Joe takes Lucy to visit the caravan. It's spacious and pretty, in beautiful surroundings. She loves it. Joe helps her settle in, and it seems they may be reaching a comfortable détente, but when Lucy finds the note Alex wrote to Joe, things change. She realises Joe sees she and Arthur as a "complication" – it's time for Joe to leave. At the police station, Penny and Dom are waiting to be interviewed – Liz sitting between them like a referee. Penny tells Dom she wants the baby. Dom makes clear how ridiculous that sounds. But Penny drives home the point – Dom is the father. Arthur is as much his baby as Lucy's. He has rights. They should at least talk to Lucy. Stung from Lucy's outburst, Joe meets with Alex. It seems things might get intimate, but Joe hates himself for it, and stops things going any further. Alex sees what's going on here – he's still in love with Lucy. It's the middle of the night and it's pouring with rain. Joe goes to the caravan park to check on Lucy – make sure she's OK. All's well, and Joe spends the night on the sofa. When Arthur wakes the next morning, Joe wakes up too. Not wanting to disturb Lucy, who is still sleeping peacefully, Joe takes Arthur out for a walk. Penny and Liz seek legal advice about Arthur. The solicitor stresses that the law favours the birth mother, but certain circumstances may give the father reasonable grounds for a custody claim. Learning that Lucy is currently homeless, the solicitor believes they may have a case and agrees to take it on. Back at the caravan park, Lucy wakes to find Arthur has gone. Mortified, she rushes outside – searching, calling, distraught. Until she finds him with Joe. A rush of emotion, she grabs Arthur – how could Joe be so stupid? He's apologetic, but she's furious. Their row quickly becomes about Dom, and Joe finally asks Lucy outright – did you tell him you loved him? It's clear she did. Joe leaves, and Lucy and Arthur are alone once again in the caravan. A knock at the door. Dom… 23 Episode 3 Joe (Rob James-Collier) and Penny (Sophie Thompson) sit together on some scaffolding. Penny tells Joe she thinks Lucy (Andrea Lowe) and Dom (Alexander Armstrong) are going to run away together. Joe is shocked. One day earlier… Penny is shopping for baby gear, while Liz (Sorcha Cusack) tries to talk some sense into her. She implores her daughter to be reasonable, but her pleas fall on deaf ears. Penny is determined to do everything she can to get the baby. Back home, Dom tells Penny he went to see Lucy to discuss their situation. Penny presses Dom – does he still have feelings for Lucy? It's clear a spark still lingers, but Penny reverts to her default setting – denial. Joe visits Lucy in the caravan, bringing blankets, a heater, supplies. He's being thoughtful and Lucy's grateful. And then Joe drops the news – he's booked a flight to Argentina. He'll be out of her hair soon. Lucy's not quite sure how to take this. She asks Joe if he will look after Arthur tomorrow morning, just for an hour or two. There's something she has to do. Will is evicted from his flat – leaving with just a few belongings in a suitcase. He calls Lucy to try to apologise for his failings as a father, but his phone is low on credit and he gets cut off. Dom visits Liz at the nursing home. He tells her he thinks he might still be in love with Lucy – knows it's a strange thing to talk to his mother-in-law about, but he also knows she's straight-talking and has always been honest with him. True to form, Liz doesn't pull any punches – she's not God, she doesn't always know what's best. Dom needs to work things out for himself. Penny visits Joe at work – tells him she thinks something's still going on between Dom and Lucy. She thinks they're going to run away together. Joe is shocked. Penny leaves and, shortly after, Lucy arrives to drop off Arthur. Joe's going to take care of him for a few hours. Joe tries to press her on where she's going, but she won't be drawn. Joe is increasingly convinced Lucy is in love with Dom. She heads off. Some time later, Alex sees Joe holding baby Arthur. She can now appreciate what he meant when he said things were complicated. But he assures her he's just doing Lucy a favour – it's not that complicated. He's booked his flight – he's going to join Alex on her travels. Will (Gregor Fisher) visits Dom at work to vent his indignation. What kind of man gets a girl pregnant leaves her to fend for herself, then tries to steal her baby? In contrast to Dom's wealth, Lucy's now practically living rough, for heaven's sake. Dom says he's offered to help her financially but she wouldn't accept. Will hatches a plan. Why doesn't Dom give some money to him, and he can give it to Lucy, saying he had a win on the horses? Dom sees there's some sense in this, and agrees to go along with it. Liz goes to see Penny to explain she's not going to tell her what to do any more – she can stand on her own two feet. Penny apologises – it seems to be finally dawning on her that she's made a string of big mistakes. But then Lucy turns up and Penny's anger returns. She accuses Lucy of trying to steal her husband. Lucy tries to explain, but it develops into a huge row, with Lucy accusing Penny of trying to steal her baby. The situation is only exacerbated when a delivery truck arrives with all the baby gear Penny ordered. As Liz tries to separate the two women, a heavy box falls on Liz, breaking her leg. 24 Tilly (Jennie Jacques) returns to Dom's tile shop to resume her work experience, while Dom divvies cash up for Will. Dom calls Lucy to tell her he needs to see her. When he visited her in the caravan, he realized they could be happy together – she, him, Arthur. He has to see her – can they meet? Will takes Dom's money and goes straight to the bookies. He reasons, if he sticks half of it on a horse and wins, he can have even more money for Lucy. If he loses, he can give her what's left and she'll be none the wiser. Joe talks to Dez (Kieran O'Brien) about marriage, kids – settling down. Dez doesn't even need to say much for Joe to realise what he should be doing with Lucy. The thoughts have already formed in his mind. But then his phone rings. Joe rushes into the police station to find Lucy, accused by Penny of assaulting Liz. Joe is staggered. But know he has to say what's been on his mind. In this inauspicious setting he takes Lucy's hand and tells her he wants to marry her. Lucy doesn't know what to say. She doesn't know whether she can trust him. A year ago he said things and then he took them back. How can she be sure he won't do the same again? It's not just her any more – she has Arthur to think of. And then she starts to wonder – is he only saying this now because he thinks she might go off with Dom? Joe admits, of course, that's how he feels, he doesn't want to lose her. But she's hurt by this, flags a taxi and leaves. Joe jumps in his truck and follows her to her destination - a coffee shop. He stops, and watches her go in. At the local hospital, Penny helps her mum towards the exit. Liz now has her leg in plaster. Liz finally gets Penny to see that she's her own worst enemy. She has to sort herself out. Dom meets Lucy in the coffee shop. He tells her how he feels. By almost mystic coincidence, their waitress is Alex, who remarks on baby Arthur and how beautiful he is. It seems the presence of a newborn baby always has a powerful effect on people, but it's not yet clear how this has affected Alex. In the bookies, Will watches his race. But his horse is a nag. He loses. And now he has a dilemma. Does he give Lucy the remaining cash, or chance it all for one big win? For Will, the answer's clear. In the coffee shop, Lucy is explaining to Dom how Joe asked her to marry him. She admits she loves him – she just doesn't know whether to trust him. Lucy manages to get Dom to see that Penny loves him – she just has a funny way of showing it sometimes. It seems they're each finally coming to realise what they really want. They part on good terms, leaving Alex watching Lucy, deciding whether or not to come over. In the bookies, Will's luck has finally changed. His horse comes in. He's won – and won big. Ecstatic, he calls Lucy and tells her he's got nearly five grand for her – rent, food, nappies. His delight at finally being able to provide for his daughter is overwhelming. Outside the tile shop, Liz has finally managed to persuade Penny to call off the lawyers and reconcile with Dom. For the first time in a long time Penny is back on an even keel. She leaves her mum in the car, and goes into the shop, where she finds Tilly manning the fort. Will also arrives, to return Dom's money with thanks. It's an unfortunate meeting of minds – to Will, Penny is the witch who tried to steal his grandson, to Penny, Will is a man who has seemingly been taking money from her husband behind her back. 25 An argument develops, until Will experiences stabbing abdominal pains, and collapses – his stomach ulcer has burst. With Tilly's help, Penny has to bundle Will into her car - with the other invalid, Liz – and drive to hospital at breakneck speed. Outside the coffee shop, Dom is surprised to see Joe approach. But Dom's phone goes – it's Penny, explaining she's on the way to hospital with Lucy's father in a bad way. Dom tells Joe and they know they have to tell Lucy. As they head back to the coffee shop, Joe tells Dom he wants to be with Lucy and be a proper dad to Arthur, but he also knows he has to accept that Dom will be his other dad. All of which depends of course on whether Lucy will have Joe. Joe and Dom enter the coffee shop to find Alex sitting with Lucy. Alex has been telling Lucy she knows Joe won't really go to Argentina. He loves Arthur. And he loves Lucy. This is only just sinking in for Lucy when Joe tells her they need to get to the hospital – Will is seriously ill. Lucy, Dom and Joe arrive at the hospital. Will is OK – Penny's prompt action has saved him. Lucy goes in to see him. Will stirs, wakes, and when he sees Lucy and Arthur his face lights up. He lifts up one hand and gives her what he's holding – the wad of cash. Outside, Dom is apologising to Penny and Penny is apologising to Dom. They're going to be OK. Lucy comes into the waiting room and tells Joe "YES" – she WILL marry him. They kiss. Lucy thanks Penny for saving her dad. Penny apologises to Lucy for the way she's behaved. Lucy tells her that she and Dom will be welcome to spend time with Arthur whenever they want. Dom spots Tilly, and remembers a note P.C. Paul (James Baxter) gave him at the police station – a note for her, with the copper's phone number. Tilly sits on a bench at the police station – dolled up for a date. P.C. Paul approaches – they've arranged to go out for a pizza. At the airport, Dom and Penny arrive with suitcases and adoption brochures. In the countryside, Joe and Lucy walk hand in hand, with Joe carrying Arthur. The world is bright and kind. The above synopses are published in the press pack for forward planning purposes only. Please do not reproduce entirely and do not publish the end of the story. Many thanks. 26 CAST LIST Joe ........................................................................................ Rob James-Collier Lucy ............................................................................................... Andrea Lowe Dominic ............................................................................. Alexander Armstrong Penny .................................................................................... Sophie Thompson Dez ............................................................................................. Kieran O'Brien Linda .................................................................................................. Lisa Millett Alex ..............................................................................................Naomi Bentley Liz ...............................................................................................Sorcha Cusack Will ................................................................................................ Gregor Fisher Paul............................................................................................... James Baxter Tilly ............................................................................................ Jennie Jacques 27 PRODUCTION CREDITS Executive Producers ................................................................... Nicola Shindler ...................................................................................................... Bill Gallagher Producer ................................................................................... Yvonne Francas Writer and Creator ........................................................................ Bill Gallagher Director ..................................................................................... Dominic Leclerc Line Producer................................................................................ Josh Dynevor Casting Director ........................................................................... Sarah Trevis Director of Photography ......................................................... Adam Suschitzky Editor ............................................................................................... Mark Elliott Graphics ................................................................................ Colette Ferguson Script Editor .................................................................................... Richard Fee Script Supervisor........................................................................... Jane Houston Sound Recordist .......................................................................... Chris Atkinson 1st Assistant Director ...................................................................... Helen Ostler 2nd Assistant Director ..................................................... Laura Coggan-Hulmes 3rd Assistant Director ...................................................................... John Turner Art Director .............................................................................Andrea Coathupe Production Designer ............................................................ David Butterworth Costume Designer ................................................................. Emma Rosenthal Costume Supervisor .................................................................. Tabitha Moses Make Up Designer ...................................................................... Jessica Taylor Make Up Supervisor .......................................................... Jodie Fidell-Walker Location Manager ..............................................................................Ian Galley Unit Manager .................................................................................. Jason Allen Production Co-ordinator .......................................................... Louise Adamson Production Secretary .................................................................. Sarah Gledhill 28


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Saintbarca - you find there is continual discussion on the Tour Of Merseyside Facebook pages.
Big thank you to everyone who took part last week. It was a pleasure to be in your company and I'm already looking forward to next year.
Thank you Dave
Great start to the Tour yesterday at Southport. Just a couple of fallers on the 1st leg.
Everyone decamp to Thurstaston this evening for the 2nd leg.
With the six race series over 52 miles looming large on the horizon, anyone got any regrets right now?


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Well we stayed 4night. Since we booked a few months before arrival, it cost us only cca 120€ which is really good price. Upon arrival we paid for the whole stay including the city tax that was 3,5€ per person. Upon checking out we were asked to pay the taxes again so there was either a miscommunication between the staff... More
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Expedia, Despegar.com, Hotels.com, Agoda, Priceline, Travelocity and Odigeo so you can book your La Luna Romana reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.
- Also Known As:
- La Luna Romana Hotel Rome


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New York: There's a cute little duality to the title of Richard Nelson's new play, Frank's Home, the biopic analysis of a crucial moment in the later life of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The title acts both as a contraction (as in, Frank is home!) as well as a possessive (as in, do not forget, this is the house that Frank built).
Playwrights Horizons is currently mounting this show after a stay at Chicago's Goodman Theatre, but perhaps Home could have benefited from further time on the road. This show, a talky, nearly two-hour sermon excusing those who create for their personal flaws, gets tired too quickly and leans too heavily on its cast.
The gifted Peter Weller leads said cast as Wright, who returns to his children, Catherine (Maggie Siff) and Lloyd (Jay Whittaker) in California in 1923, hoping to revive his career. Catherine and Jay seem to have mattered quite little to Wright over the course of his life; he essentially abandoned them when he left their mother, who has only recently granted him a divorce. His woman du jour, Miriam Noel (Mary Beth Fisher), doesn't seem to rate much higher on his scale, nor to Nelson, who casts her aside for the better part of the play. No, the one character who matters most to him is Louis Sullivan (Harris Yulin), his one-time mentor, mourning the death of his lover.
Wright is currently working on building a schoolhouse for Helen Girvin (Holley Fain), an impressionable young teacher, as his daughter and son repeatedly appear and reappear to remind their father of his absence in their lives, with little to define one appearance from another in terms of character or plot development. Nelson's point is clear: Wright was bad with people, and good with buildings.
Then comes the news that perhaps Wright wasn't always that good with his buildings, either, as a Tokyo earthquake has apparently leveled the Imperial Hotel, his most recent triumph. Wright is rocked far more by this news than any accusations his loved ones level in his direction, and Weller must tread through some tiresome monologues questioning his abilities before an obvious resolution comes to absolve him. (Hint: the Imperial Tower survived until 1976). The actor has terrific presence and an even greater vocal delivery, but his defensive thoughts never make for compelling action.
Robert Falls, the great director of such recent revivals as Death of a Salesman and Long Day's Journey Into Night, can guide Home along but Nelson does not provide him with much material to coax the play to life, and it lays dormant. Yulin, a consummate performer, has a nice rapport with Weller, especially in the few scenes featuring just the two of them, and Fisher, Siff, and Whittaker all deliver finely honed performances. If they were to pull out specific scenes for an audition or highlight reel, one could see they are all worthy actors (as is Jeremy Strong as Wright;s lackey), but despite their best efforts, these pieces never form a greater finished puzzle.


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GAMING NEWSPSN Play: Buy 4, Get $10 BackPosted on Tuesday, July 10 @ 14:12:47 Eastern by Nicholas Tan
The PlayStation PLAY has returned once more to brighten our summer with four downloadable titles. PlayStation Plus members will receive a special 20% discount, reducing the normal price of $14.99 to $11.99. In addition, the more PSN Play titles you purchase, the more money you'll receive back as a cash voucher: $3 back for 2 games, $6 back for 3, and $10 for 4. So at most, you'll spend $50 total for all four titles. The annual summer program begins July 24, one week before the first game, The Expendables 2 Videogame, becomes available. All of the following titles will be available for pre-order a week before it hits PSN, and they will be available for play at San Diego Comic-Con: My bets are soundly with Sound Shapes and Papo & Yo. Are there any titles you're planning on playing?
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Final Fantasy Type-0
Collector\'s edition trailer. (1:43) Heroes & Generals
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XBOX One teaser trailer. (0:53) The Awakened Fate Ultimatum
The Awakened Fate Ultimatum trailer. (2:16) Duke Nukem 3D: Hail to the King Collection
Duke Nukem 3D Hail to the King Collection trailer. (0:17)


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London Design Festival 09: designer Nina Tolstrup of Studio Mama explains why she loves Michael Marriott's wingnut jewellery, as part of our series of films for 100% Design and JAM.
Here's some information from 100% Design about the 100% Inspiration project:
100% Design is one of the few international trade fairs that has had a panel since its inception in 1995. The panel have played an integral part in shaping the quality and vision of 100% Design throughout the years and remain a key force in the level of exhibitor quality and visitor experience. As part of celebrating 15 years of 100% design we are dedicating a feature at the show to the 100% Design panel.
This will be a totem to their unique voices and diverse design experiences. Each panel member has selected an 'idea' or an 'object' that captures the spirit of 100% Design for them. The panel member profile and selected pieces will be displayed at 100% Design along with short films where some of them are seen presenting their idea.


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Select () or exclude () categories to narrow your recipe search.
As you select categories, the number of matching recipes will update.
Find exactly what you're looking for with the web's most powerful recipe filtering tool.
Sort by: Date | Rating | Most Helpful
"Great Great Great....everyone loved the chewy texture and the terrific taste. Thank you for such a fantastic recipe."
"This recipe made ALOT of cookies which was great, and everyone liked them...I am giving a 4 due to the fact that the fudge filling was hard to get in all of the cookies before it started to set up. The taste was good, and if you are much more quick than I am this would be an excellent cookie."


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NOTICE: Classes/activities resume Thursday, Jan. 29. Click for details.
A-Z Employment MyRIC Online Services Web Mail
This course focuses on the computer literacy and information requirements of organizations. A variety of software tools will be used to create content, perform problem solving, and present information.3 credit hours
Page last updated: November 22, 2006


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2012 Volvo 670 Gulfport, MS
2015 Chevrolet 3500HD New Hampton, IA
2014 Dodge RAM 1500 PROMASTER Orlando, FL
2007 International 9400i Lake Butler, FL
2009 Freightliner CST120 Des Moines , IA
Trailer for 2015 Dorsey 60 Ton Steel Drop Decks Voorhees, NJ
2011 Freightliner CA11342DC - CASCADIA Healdsburg, CA
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2011 Freightliner CASCADIA Elizabeth (Newark), NJ
Description: CALL TODAY! This fleet maintained 2007 pre emmission Freightliner is front line ready and ready to go to work! It hasbeen professionally detailed and has a current Federal DOTinspection!This truck will not last... | YOU CANNOT MISS THIS ONE!More Information
Didn't find what you were looking for? Click here to request availability from our dealer network.
Kevin Jones has an enthusiastic fascination with the supply chain. As editor of American Trucker, he focuses on the critical role owner-ops and small fleets play in the economy, both local and global. And he plays with big trucks.


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New to ePHOTOzine? Join ePHOTOzine for free!
Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more for free!
Its been a very busy weekend, which has resulted in a backlog of photographs to be processed and circulated. As such, I didnt leave the house for photography today. Instead, I shot the sunrise from the bedroom window so that I could get on with everything.
Nikon D300; Tamron 18-270mm PZD @ 78mm; ISO 200; F/8; 1/500s. VC on.
Tags: Landscape, Sunrise, Tamron
ePHOTOzine, the web's friendliest photography community.
Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more.


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San Francisco: Google has delayed the China release of programs such as Gmail and maps that it makes for smartphones running on Android software.
"At this time, we are postponing the availability of Google mobile applications on Android devices from operators in China," a Google spokesman told AFP.
"Android is an open source mobile platform, so anyone can bring Android-powered devices to market."
Google in January delayed the China release of two mobile telephones based on its Android software but other makers of handsets based on the mobile operating system sell devices in that country.
While Google is putting off release in China of programs it makes for Android phones, applications remain available from third-party developers.
The US Internet giant on Wednesday debunked reports that it had canceled a Beijing portion of a swing through Asia to show software developers its new Nexus One smartphone based on Android.
"The reports are incorrect," the Google spokesperson said. "There was not a Nexus One launch event scheduled in Beijing."
Google is hosting Android Developer Labs in Singapore, Taipei, and Hong Kong in coming weeks, according to the spokesperson.
Google has been in a stand-off with China since declaring in January that it plans to no longer filter Internet results there as required by local law.
The California firm said it is meeting with Chinese officials to figure out if there is a way to operate its google.cn search engine uncensored.
Google said it will shut down the China online search service it launched in 2006 rather than continue to bow to Chinese censors.
The Internet giant is still censoring Web search results in China but that will change in a "reasonably short time from now," Google chief executive Eric Schmidt recently said.
Google has trodden carefully, partly for the sakes of workers in China, since it made public on January 12 a wave of "sophisticated" cyberattacks that originated in that country.


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This is the root of the common Lisp Directory. The whole tree of tags starts here.
If you are new to the Common Lisp Directory, you should probably first have a look at the "By topic" link below or at the "Tags" and "Index" links above.
The items lists (Libraries, documents, events, etc.) are limited to about 20 items randomly taken from the whole lists. Click on the titles or the "View all (n more)" links to see the full lists of items with their descriptions.
The CLD is written in Common Lisp.
By Topic (681 items) Resources for Common Lisp sorted by topic
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grand-prix | IcanCAD | REGEX/CLAWK/LEXER Packages | PLOB! - Persistent Lisp Objects! | Postmodern | Polygonizer | PLOKAMI - Common Lisp PCAP Interface | MT19937 | Lisp hacks | trivial-garbage | Infix | KM: The Knowledge Machine | Blowfish | ACL-COMPAT | Drakma | XMLisp | Salza | JACOL - Java and Common Lisp | usocket | Abstract classes | blitzblog | log5 | cletris | nrw-xmcl | S-XML-RPC | Clouchdb | hyperspec-lookup | c2ffi | Matlisp | de.setf.utility | XI | Petri Net Editor | RFC2388 | YACLHTTPAPI | Clones
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CDR 3: Revisiting CONCATENATE-SEQUENCE | Validating a PGP key without personal contact | Lisp and Web Development | Meme | Common Lisp HyperSpec (TM) | GAMEYLISP | picoLisp and mini picoLisp (German site) | Planet Lisp | Interview with Samantha Kleinberg on CL-GODB, Comm... | Common Lisp Sockets APIs - An analysis and proposa... | Hunchentoot Web Server Installation with SBCL on W... | SBCL on boinkor.net | The Rise and Fall of Lisp at the Jet Propulsion La... | Graphic-Forms Frequently Asked Questions | Extremely Successful Software | Enabling "foreign" callbacks into the LispWorks ID... | ASDF Manual | The Common Lisp Directory Help | Common Lisp B-level course | lisp.no
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Brandon Werner | David Cooper | Alain Picard | Sunil Mishra | Fred Gilham | Mikel Evins | David McClain | Drew McDermott | Luigi Panzeri | Ron Garret | Yurii A. Rashkovskii | Nathan Froyd | Cyrus Harmon | Daniel Lowe | Sandro Pedrazzini | Dario Macchi | Sean E. O'Connor | Daniel G. Bobrow | Christian Queinnec | Asbjørn Bjørnstad | Ora Lassila | Emre Sevinc | Dirk Gerrits | Alan Shields | Vladimir Sedach | Alexander Repenning | Michael Parker | Mark Simpson | Robert Read | Massimo Spataro
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International Lisp Conference 2009 | European Common Lisp Meeting 2008 | International Lisp Conference 2007 | 3rd European Lisp Workshop | LispNYC May 2006 Meeting - Peter Seibel | European Common Lisp Meeting 2006 | LispNYC November 2005 meeting | 2nd European LISP and Scheme Workshop | International Lisp Conference 2005 | European Common Lisp Meeting 2005 | 1st European Lisp and Scheme Workshop | International Lisp Conference 2003 | Japan Lisp User Group Meeting 2000
Scieneer Common Lisp | SBCL | LispWorks | Armed Bear Common Lisp | Sacla | Corman Lisp | GCL | Ufasoft Common Lisp | Generic ANSI Common Lisp | Steel Bank Common Lisp | MCL | OpenMCL | CLForJava | Liquid Common Lisp | ECL | MusCL | Movitz | Golden Common Lisp | Parrot Common Lisp | CMUCL
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Department of Computer Science and Engineering, FE... | HPC Platform | LispNYC | Lisp.se | Algorithme - Information Technology services | Common-Lisp.biz | RavenPack | HyperMeta Inc. | Lisp-it | Consequor Consulting AG | Ravenbrook | Franz Inc. | The Common Lisp Gardeners | Ystok-Systema | The Tech Co-op | bese | Lispworks Ltd. | SISCOG - Sistemas Cognitivos Lta | CRISPYLOGICS | lispvan
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YstokCard - smart card API (PC/SC)(Modified)| YstokGrid(Modified)| CL-Typesetting(Modified)| CL-PDF(Modified)| Jean-Philippe Paradis(Added)| Armed Bear Common Lisp(Annotated)| Allegro Common Lisp(Modified)| CLFSWM - A(nother) Common Lisp FullScreen Window M...(Modified)| Ystok-URI - library for representing, parsing, and...(Added)| Clon, the Command-Line Options Nuker(Modified)| Common Lisp Reasoner(Modified)| ASDlite(Modified)| Ystok-Library(Modified)| Ystok-Local-Time(Modified)| YHTML-Template(Modified)| cl-gdata(Added)| Michael Filonenko(Added)| cl-portaudio(Added)| YstokHTML - collection of HTML generator, parser a...(Added)| Common Lisp User Space File System(Added)| cl-btree(Added)
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Submitted by admin 3329 days 7 hours 30 min ago
Comments added to RSS feeds
Now the commented items are added to the RSS feeds so that it's possible to see what have been commented recently.
Submitted by marc.battyani 3269 days 11 hours 20 min ago
unicode possibilities
It would be nice if cl-user would display unicode input for CJK text. With PCL and On Lisp getting new printings in Japan, it might be beneficial to attract more brain-share from that side of the world. Would this be considered out of cl-user.net's scope?
Submitted by charliemac 2365 days 5 hours 4 min ago
Perhaps it would be interesting to open up a "universities" category (or subcategory of Organization) to list universities that teach lisp?
Submitted by informatimago 2357 days 20 hours 21 min ago
re: unicode possibilities
I have to think about it.
The use of English as the standard language is prefered so that the information is useable by most lispers.
I don't mind some other language content though.
Submitted by marc.battyani 2355 days 7 min ago
Change descriptions may accept invalid characters
Attempting to view the "Last Modified Items" RSS feed in the Google Chrome browser gives the error: "error on line 10 at column 2048: PCDATA invalid Char value 12". Adding the feed in Mozilla Thunderbird: "<feed URL> is not a valid feed."
Submitted by WalterGR 1482 days 7 hours 6 min ago
Repository access
Many sites have a link to view the repository such as:
Source code repository http://common-lisp.net/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/?cvsroot=cl-semantic
however, I can't find any place that describes how to convert that link into something that can be used to actually check out the source code. I'm very suppressed this hasn't been an issue before.
Submitted by blake1024 1116 days 19 hours 47 min ago


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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe has vetoed a bill that would ban most abortions in the state at 20 weeks into a pregnancy.
The Democratic governor said in a statement Tuesday he had concerns about the measure's constitutionality and potential cost.
The bill, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature, is based on the disputed belief that a fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks. It includes exemptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother.
Opponents say it runs afoul of the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized abortion until the point that fetuses can survive outside the womb, usually at 22 to 24 weeks.
Lawmakers can override Mr. Beebe's veto with a simple majority.


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AGA | ADK rolls out aggressive new corporate strategy, "We're on!"
January 19, 2009 12:00 by Aarti Nagraj
Regional management meeting served as platform for launch of "We're on."
Every market is a challenge. Every initiative is a challenge. Every consumer is a challenge. Every product is a challenge. Every brand is a challenge.
AGA | ADK is on.
AGA | ADK, an international communication network, has launched a brand new, aggressive attitude that shows the region and the world that the network has, is and always will be ready to face a challenge, big or small.
"We're On" is the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in the history of this 12-year old international agency network.
This new attitude means that AGA | ADK will readily roll up its sleeves whenever there's a need to assist its clients and brands to tackle any challenge and to aid its staff no matter what. It also means they are always ready to go that extra mile in everything they do.
The best thing about "We're On" is its instant appeal both internally and externally. According to Roger Sahyoun, "We were looking for a shift in attitude, something that would project our never-say-die personality and attitude, something that would make AGA | ADK future-proof. A change that would start internally and have a ripple effect to our suppliers and clients! "We're On" was spot on! It slips off the tongue with ease and, therefore, easily lodges in our brains. Even more so, it captures as briefly as possible the essence of our brand promise."
Besides capturing the corporate philosophy of grit, determination and passion "We're On" sets out to strike an emotional tone as well.
The whole agency is abuzz with a renewed sense of urgency that could be smelt in the air.
"When a client has a challenge, we're there working with him to solve it. When a staff member has an issue, we're right by their side to take care of it. It's a multi-dimensional promise that works on all fronts" echoes Danny Oneissi, Regional Director of AGA | ADK.
According to Edan Aggarao, Regional Creative Director "We're On" speaks to everyone who has ever doubted about AGA | ADK's capabilities, and silences those who wonder whether we are actually up for the challenge."
From an agency's perspective, the line was gold. It summed up AGA | ADK's image concisely and memorably for clients and staff. And it drew lasting admiration from marketing experts.
Getting a first glimpse of the "We're On" promise were the regional directors of AGA | ADK at the recently concluded "High-5", regional management meeting held in Beirut.
Chaired by Roger Sahyoun, AGA | ADK CEO & President, this three-day rendezvous charted an aggressive, extensive and exhaustive growth plan for the international agency network. The agenda was multi-tiered with avenues for network growth topping the chart.
So why High-5? According to Roger, "The next 5 years are the most crucial for network development. After which, there's a possibility of business growth stagnating across the GCC."
Hogging the limelight at the meeting was the announcement of the formation AGA | ADK Holding Group. Under which, companies such as AGA | ADK Advertising & Marketing, Pencell PR & events and E-AGA will complement each other in the various segments of business.
Roger outlined specific growth strategies for every office based on individual market evaluation and behavior. And simultaneously laid out the action plan for new offices that will be opening soon in the region.
AGA | ADK's has set out to strengthen its regional network by enhancing its inter-office networking abilities. And that includes installing video conferencing and the latest communication technology that interconnects all regional offices by extension numbers. This, by the way is the latest technology sweeping the globe. The creation of a common file sharing system will facilitate the exchange of ideas and keep the network abreast of the latest happenings in every office. Creative, account planning, media and client servicing teams will now be able to share their product experience with each other without the hassles.
"Although the investment is quite considerable I assure you that its well worth it as it will streamline the process between offices and will enable Dubai to play its role of Regional HQ to the hilt" comments Roger.
Besides technological investments, the regional management meeting rolled out plans to invest in its people. AGA | ADK believes in people development and part of the staff motivational programs and sessions that have been developed will include flying in professionals from the UK and Singapore.
More on Press Release
'DARK ROAST': Tim Hortons Brewed SOMETHING SPECIAL this weekend at skydive – dubai
Mediaquest Partners with C Squared to Launch Region's First-Ever Festival of Media
Dubai Duty Free 31st Anniversary Weekend Sees Sales Soar to Dhs188.86 million (US$51.74 million) 25% Discount for 72 hours resulted in a massive surge in sales
Dubai Duty Free Donates Dhs 2 Million to Dubai Autism Center
MenaMarketPlace and PubMaticLaunch MENA's (Middle East and North Africa's)First Independent, Global Sell-Side Platform
Customized Holidays: The Next Big Thing in Online Travel by HolidayMe
First ever Dîneren Blanc in the region took place at the beach of The Sofitel The Palm Dubai
"Aafaq" wins the award for the best Finance Provider 2014
Desert Adventures Tourism awarded UAE's Best Inbound Golf Tour Operator 2014 at World Golf Awards
R&M to Participate in FTTH Council MENA Conference Themed 'FTTH, The Rise of Smart Nation'
The First Ferry unveils BPG Group's new Dubai office
Dubai Duty Free named Frontier 'Airport Retailer of the Year'
Aston Martin unveils new Lagonda
Al Tayer Group and Gulf Related sign landmark agreement to bring Macy's and Bloomingdale's to Abu Dhabi
Saving while spending
H.H. Sheikh Saud Al Maktoum dedicates to his H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum 'THE GREEN VALET PARKING©' program
Dubai Duty Free Regains Its No.1 Position in the World
Customer Service Experience Survey Reveals the Most Intelligent Way to Interact with Customers
Bayut.com unveils redesigned website
Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman of Dubai Culture, Extends Patronage to Downtown Design


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Looking for movie tickets? Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing Demented near you.
Institutionalized after a brutal gang-rape, a mental patient (Sallee Elyse) is finally released but later goes over the edge when she confuses several kids in masks for her attackers. The woman tries to avenge her assault. ~ John Bush, Rovi


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Fresh Air
Intimate conversations on contemporary arts and issues. |
Morning Edition
NPR's Morning Edition prepares you for the day ahead with two hours of up-to-the-minute news, background analysis, commentary, and coverage of arts and sports |
Former Fox 2 reporter Alexis Wiley is in studio to explain her choice to join Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan's administration as the director of community engagement. Duggan made the announcement on Jan. 29.
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