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subset: commoncrawl


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I often wonder how many more of these time clicks I will be allowed to mark off in celebration with family and friends. Tempus Fugit, and I have to remind myself that it doesn't belong to me. It flies like the birds who won't stay put long enough for a good photo shoot. So...Read More
It's part of being a tenor. There are more places to be than the number of me to be there and there is always more to do than time to do it. I am reminded of Economics as taught by my favorite big brained thinkers. They teach that what we desire is most often more than we...Read More
I arrived back home from Torino just in time to see our North Country trees alight with color. Along with putting things in Snow ready order, it also seems good to me to continue delineating the syllabus that Garcia's writings suggest to me. Reading and pondering his writing...Read More
I will be at a concert tonight. It will be populated by some variously talented and variously prepared young singers hoping to make a mark in an art form that is having some growing pains. This concert represents a small milestone in my efforts to do my part to help that art...Read More
I made it to Torino and am hard at work with eight singers and enjoying the company of three auditing onlookers whom I hope will receive something useful from our work. The final concert is coming tomorrow, Saturday 20, 2014 at 6:00 pm, and I think I should explain to everyone...Read More
So let's get down to basics. Is there a problem? Yes. What is the problem? Apparently we are suffering shrinkage of opportunities for singers and musicians to make a living. The arts, as a jobs program, is getting very weak in the knees, and a search for leg braces seems...Read More
Tonight at E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium in Hawkins Hall the Master Class participants with whom I have been working will be giving a concert. It is a free concert that will begin, August 16, 2014, at 7:30 pm. Sorry that our organizers thought to put a price on the tickets and had...Read More
So what should we do next? Tomorrow I start doing a master class here in the North Country, but that is what I am going to do next. The question is really what should be the next step in teaching someone how to sing. Garcia gives us a lot of advice about the difficulties...Read More
Last Tuesday was a big day for me. I discovered what to say about the work ahead of me and I had a wonderful time rummaging through my dustbin of memories because Meg Le Fevre invited me to participate in an interview. She is working for The Northeast Group who publishes a...Read More
Not but a few days ago my wife, Debbie, and I crossed our little lake to visit my favorite mother in law. After various shopping activities, we landed at one of my favorite eateries. The food was superb, plentiful and more than we could manage. While our waiter prepared the...Read More
The Book is open, but only just. I took a stab at updating one of my vanity pages a few days ago and decided to google Matthew Epstein for another innumerable time looking for a link to embed with his name. What I found is a Gold Mine. Tim Page titled his lunch report "The Book...Read More
I've been chewing on a bit of Ha, Ha trivia I received in recent light conversation (Remember, I'm not so young, so "recent" is a relative term given my 63 years of hanging about). I have a friend, well plugged into the World of Opera, who described for me an unbelievable...Read More
Remember the Water Walk in White Christmas? That white ice is still mostly there. We just need a little snow to refresh the attractiveness of that walkable water, and our Frozen North would again look pristine. Some other northerners up here wish for Spring while I pray for...Read More
What a trick question.... Voice is first.
I often wonder how many more of these time clicks I will be allowed to mark off in celebration with family and friends. Tempus Fugit, and I have to remind myself that it doesn't belong to me. It flies like the birds who won't stay put long enough for a good photo shoot. So when Debbie snaps a hawk and I complete another year of life, I count these things as blessings. I hope I will be able to share some of these blessings with you.
Anyway, 2015 is begun and has lifted off for a good flight. I closed 2014 with a pause in the Blog, but with a great Garcia victory. It seems like only a few days ago that I ventured a "Thank you" to Donald V. Paschke in a blog. Since that blog, a few years have passed during which I tracked down the man, pestered him and convinced him to let me republish his books. My fingers are now often dancing all over the editing/formatting work that this project requires. I'll let you know when I get these books ready to go.
Another crusade, that distracted me from blogging, delivered a victory. Debbie and I did our small bit to help elect the youngest woman ever to the United States Congress. We met Elise Stefanik when she first set out to win her election to Congress, and when we had the opportunity we decided to help. The reason we got involved is the same reason I do this blog. Generations change as time flies, and the newest generations must live with the greater portion of the future time carries us into. I believe Elise will be a preserving influence on our Nation.
Putting Garcia's books into the hands of students of moderate means, and electing responsible young people to office are the same exercise. We want to preserve the best of History's achievements. I want the USA and Opera to make it from 2015 to 2100 in good shape and full of joy for those who appreciate freedom and glorious singing.
As you may know, the Bible tells us about salt. I pray to be really salty. I expect Elise to maintain her saltiness. Garcia may be a dead white guy, but his legacy is like:
Saltier than these Portuguese staples would be hard to find.
Thanks again to all who remembered my Birthday. I remember it with thankful gratitude.Read More
It's part of being a tenor. There are more places to be than the number of me to be there and there is always more to do than time to do it. I am reminded of Economics as taught by my favorite big brained thinkers. They teach that what we desire is most often more than we can afford. At this moment I have two places to be and one of me. One tenor equals one location occupied by that tenor. It is a hard truth for a tenor to accept. That's why tenors often used to collect contracts for two Opera productions in the same period. I think things have changed a lot.
It is unlikely that tenors will change between the ears, but lots of them would seem desperate to have enough contracts on their calendars to pay their bills these days.
As usual, I want to stay home but I will ignore that desire and soon go down the airport access tunnel, after turning in my boarding pass, to take my seat on the aircraft that will take me back to Italy. The reason for the trip is almost the same as my visit to Torino. Young singers are what the future of Opera and Classical Singing is made of. My desire to see that future be as bright as the past in which I lived my professional life keeps my studio doors open to students and pushing me out the door of our little house to exit the North Country.
This trip will bring me to Rovereto, Italy. It would be wonderful to find singers who can make conferring the Premio Ferrari a difficult decision because of how good they all are. If you are a Soprano or a Baritone, and you think you have what it takes to help make the future of Classical Music bright, come to Rovereto on the twenty first of this month to make judging the competition difficult, or, if you are really outstanding, you might make it easy.
On top of seeking out talented singers to promote through the Premio Ferrari, I will also be doing my Master Class best to help anyone, Tenors and Mezzo Sopranos included, who want to come to Rovereto for advice. Even if you are among the contestants, I know I have something for you. I always find something in my tool bag for everyone who asks me to help them improve their ability to sway their audience. There are lots of things in my tool kit to help resolve vocal difficulties. I'm ready for anything and everything you bring with you. Please come. Please win.Read More
I arrived back home from Torino just in time to see our North Country trees alight with color. Along with putting things in Snow ready order, it also seems good to me to continue delineating the syllabus that Garcia's writings suggest to me. Reading and pondering his writing leads me to believe in these torturously small steps.
In Torino, a Master Class participant handed me an opportunity to apply these tiny Garcia steps. I used exactly what I described in Lessons 1, 1.001 and 1.002. The lesson material needed to be well packaged for a Master Class participant of long vocal experience. He wanted answers to the nagging question for which many vocal students never find even one answer:
"Why can't I sing as well as so many other singers are able to sing." This particular answer seeker has a vocal instrument worthy of consideration, but his sound was terribly encumbered by many, varied, extreme and extremely contradictory adjustments. He allowed me to suddenly situate him inside Garcia's starting gate. I knew Garcia's principles would work if I could ease this singer into accepting them. He accepted and they worked. His voice began to reorganize and the faulty phonation gave way to a sound production much easier to listen to, even pleasant and promising to become reliable. My hope is that he will have the force of character, attentive ears and good taste to continue the work, and keep improving.
I feel the need to talk about just one more thing before leaving Torino for today. I repeated myself in that Master Class on many things, but I made tatters of the words: "Impose the rhythm of the language of the text on the composer's music!" Composers have the pitch prerogative. Singers, however, can successfully play with the accent and syllable duration to make the composer's vocal line correspond with the language. Language is made up of many components, but the most important characteristics of the words are pitch and rhythm. Even film writers are aware of the importance of pitch in elocution. So when we give that tool to the composer we should be under high motivation to resort to using the equally important tool, rhythm. Tempo Rubato is not evil.
Now I'm ready to return to basics, and add another pitch to the scale. There is no room for any of the deficiencies or defects I discussed in the previous lessons. The singer travels one pitch higher. The result should be that the basic quality of the sound on the lowest pitch remains on all three pitches with only the slightest diminution of weight or some might say heft or darkness or others might call it caliber or warmth or, or, or,,, Yes, these vocal issues are just as invulnerable to my linguistic description as they were to Garcia. Garcia knew what he wanted to hear, as did just about everyone in the "Italian" School back then. One day I hope to include at least one successful example from one of my students, but, until then, we will have to put up with the limitation of language.
As I passed through this .003 lesson stage with my Torino Master Class participant, I was reminded of a difficulty. Singing an ascending three note scale can be a challenge in itself, but singing down the scale can be an even more difficult voyage. It is common to attain victory in ascending the scale, and then to be unable to return to the original sound on the lowest pitch. Remember, the sound quality remains with each higher pitch, but the apparent weight of the sound should become progressively lighter as the voice ascends the scale. Going down the scale successfully will necessitate a reversal of this sonic sliming of the voice. The goal is to have the most beautiful sound on the first pitch which stays just as beautiful if almost imperceptibly slimmer on each higher pitch, and then to find the way back down to that starting pitch displaying all its fulsome glory. A student failing to find that initial fullness of sound at the bottom of the descending scale and not being able to discern any difference for himself or herself, is displaying either a tin ear or total inattention. The hearing system can be trained, and the singer can give more attention to the project. When the student can get this little hurdle behind him/her, we have confirmation that the student's ear is developing the ability to observe his or her own voice as it operates.
It may have been revealed that Garcia himself suffered in his youth from something like the above difficulty when some of the history of his lessons with his father was reported by his biographer:
The monotony of the first portion of this training evidently became very wearisome in time, for Señor Garcia would afterwards recall how one day, after being made to sing an endless variety of ascending scales, his desire for a change became so great that he could not resist bursting out, "Oh dear! mayn't I sing down the scale even once?"
Mackinlay, M. (Malcolm) Sterling (2011-09-07). Garcia the Centenarian And His Times Being a Memoir of Manuel Garcia's Life and Labours for the Advancement of Music and Science (Kindle Locations 365-366). Kindle Edition.
Can you imagine what his daddy might have said?Read More
Recently, I was a happy guest at the Sheraton Malpensa airport. I had an early enough flight to catch to make overnighting there a comfortable alternative to getting up in the wee hours in Torino for the two hour trip to Malpensa. Oh! How I love to travel.
I decided to try the restaurant, and found a wonderful acoustic space. Restaurants are usually really good for intimate conversation which means something like the environment talkative children tend to create when the "Shut up and go to bed!!!" order arrives from parent central. With a blanket and a flashlight an intimate conversatoin acoustic is found and parent central may never know. The space in which Il Canneto Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner is a marvel of friendly warmth…… But not the blanket type.
My fun began when I noticed an entertaining mistake in the wine list which I pointed out to my server. A little while later, during my meal, a young man came to my table to thank me for the proof reading work I had done for him. We struck up a conversation, and with young singers still fresh in my mind, I asked if he had ever thought to have live singing in the restaurant. The answer was no, but he was willing to bring the idea to the attention of the administration. His superior joined our conversation and admitted to being a La Scala subscriber in her student days, but had to give it up when she lost her ability to acquire a student discounted subscription. She also expressed interest in the idea of live singing in her restaurant. They wondered how they would be able to know who was good and who was not. I left my card with them and asked them to please let me help if classical singing was something they decided to fit into their marketing plans. An audience for a young singer is essential. Who cares where you find it?
My favorite futurist sent me more relevant quotable stuff just in time for this blog. While Greg Sandow talked about his "Speaking about Music" communications course he is teaching at Julliard School, he let a big cat out of the bag. The first sentence I quote makes reference to a "that", and here is the full meaning of his "that" in just two words: "self-promotion". He contracts twenty five words in his blog with "that":
Now students know they'll have to do a lot of that on their own, and that they'll have to do it in new, lively, communicative ways. Of course this is tied to the new stress on entrepreneurship in conservatories, Juilliard included. Classical musicians in the future will be much better off if they can create careers on their own, and being able to engage people about what they do is a central part of that.
This is really rich. Mr. Sandow is looking into a future that seems distant but familiar. He sees a future in which highly educated, heavily indebted graduates of his university will be better served by finding work outside the traditional classical music outlets. Does he believe that the future will look like the middle ages when guys with guitars or lutes would sing for change in market cities? Of course those future troubadours will need to take his "Speaking about Music" classes to learn how to use their hand-helds and smartphones to market themselves on Face Book and Twitter. Does he consider that the income level of such pursuits would never be able to pay off the debt to which an un-rich student needs to enslave himself or herself in order to pay Julliard tuition? Maybe Julliard is just looking for a way to stay relevant. In the retail business, I've heard it said that when demand is down Advertise, Advertise, Advertise. I guess someone at Julliard overheard one of those conversations. Business is business, but I thought Julliard was a music school. Anyway, Mr. Sandow sounds bearish on the music business when he blogs.
My eyes are always open for opportunities allowing youngsters to cut their teeth in nontraditional venues. I hope future Julliard grads won't need them to support themselves. Let's get real. Sandow gets it right in one of his later blogs that I already talked about. Grow the audience in those traditional classical music outlets, and professional level performers will meet healthy demand for their services from those healthy institutions of Classical Music. It's frustrating that Sandow doesn't tell us how he thinks this rosy future can be won. What he does tell us is that he and Julliard want their grads to look to non-traditional venues in which to make a living.
Sandow would seem to be anticipating an imminent collapse of demand for their graduates. This would create a supply of talent in the music world that main line presenters could not save from starvation. I guess I would be wrong to even encourage young people to strive for a career in Opera if my outlook were so skeptical. I think Sandow and Julliard are worse than wrong. If they really believe in their "new stress", they are stealing money from students, even from those who have to borrow it.
Sandow does say that the keystone or maybe the corner stone for music's fabulous future is to: "Create performances so powerful — and so much in tune with current culture — that people just about break down our doors to go to them." Now that statement is so packed with stuff that I would have to destroy my 1000 word limit to comment.
I will keep reading Mr. Sandow's blogs, but I wonder if we will ever receive even the smallest snippets of his magic formula that forms the basis of his consultancy to classical music.Read More
Last night was a first for me. I never thought sitting in the audience was going to become harder work than being on the stage. The closing concert was an introduction to a nervous condition at least some parents must experience while attending their children's dance recitals, piano recitals and school plays. There I was trying to sit still while my Master Class students did that singing thing in front of a bunch of Opera loving Italians. A cold sweat would have been better. I got overheated. When I had to wipe my brow dry, I knew I needed to calm down.
Yesterday morning, with all those singers, my work had already finished. They all allowed me to push and shove them toward the best artistic results I could envision for them, and all the twitching in the world that I might do in my seat was not going to help any of them in any way. In fact, I could have made a spectacle of myself already, without intending it. It wasn't until after the program came to the inevitable finish-line that I had the freedom to think back over just how well everyone had done.
There are lots and lots of arguments about what is needed to save the economic viability of the performing arts, and I have my own angle, but what is needed by each and every singer is the approval of an appreciative audience to confirm that the artist's efforts had the intended effect. Who cares that a teacher might be increasing the humidity of the room by sweating every detail? The members of the audience shouldn't, and don't care that the artists are taking great big risks by following the advice of a sweat drenched teacher. They are there to enjoy something that this nation may be justified to claim as their invention. Italy was certainly integral to bringing Opera to maturity, and, back in my day, I assumed that if I could make Italians applaud my singing, I was doing something right..… You know, that singing thing.
Well, the attending Opera lovers affirmed all the singers' efforts including one of the artists in particular. He gathered into his singing almost everything I had thrown at him over the desperately few days we worked together, finished his second aria to receive enthusiastic applause and bravos. He graciously bowed and proceeded to exit the room, but before he could make good his escape, a voice, not mine, was heard from the audience: BIS! For the non-Italian non Opera devotee that means: "Play it again Sam", or let us hear that thing again. The artist hesitated in mid stride and turned his head to look back over his shoulder. I've never seen a happier smile. It was almost as big as mine.
Those moments of triumph are exactly what artists need for inspiration to ever more risk taking in this art form suffering from apathy, mediocrity and let's just play it safe singing. The organic gift cannot be improved, but the gift must be put to the best use possible. When that is done, the gift itself becomes less important. After all, great painters aren't considered great artists because they used the best quality materials. The best performing artists are often not the interpreters in possession of the best instruments. Violinists might have to wait a long time after they are recognized as great artists before they can afford a Stradivarius. Singers can never buy a new instrument.Read More
I will be at a concert tonight. It will be populated by some variously talented and variously prepared young singers hoping to make a mark in an art form that is having some growing pains. This concert represents a small milestone in my efforts to do my part to help that art form grow.
I am always surprised when faced with evidence that life can be really synchronous. I subscribed to Greg Sandow's blogs some time ago, and today I opened his latest blog, http://www.artsjournal.com/sandow/2014/09/what-we-should-do.html, after my first cup of coffee in my little hotel.
It has taken Greg a bit of time to get there, but he is now on my page. Give the audience a reason to return and you will have the best reason to keep your doors open. That is if you have a theater.
If I had more time I would have more to write. I just got back from the last class in this Torino series, and I will have to rush to be on time for this evening's event.
Don't worry, I'll be back.Read More
I made it to Torino and am hard at work with eight singers and enjoying the company of three auditing onlookers whom I hope will receive something useful from our work.
The final concert is coming tomorrow, Saturday 20, 2014 at 6:00 pm, and I think I should explain to everyone what I think it's all about. My name isn't Alfi, but I do have an answer.
When the youngsters, I'm trying to help, face the public we have invited to come to the Circolo della Stampa di Torino to hear our little concert, they will fulfill the spirit and substance of what it's all about: No matter how hard we may work together during this Master Class, in the end, it is what happens in the performance that counts.
I am here to do everything I can to help these young people make that performance as close to perfection as possible. What do I intend to see happen? Well, let me try to explain myself by listing my employers. I know I am not an authorized employee of anyone on my list, but I feel the same responsibility as if I had contracts with all three.
Everyone seeking to be a singer by profession is eligible for employer status. For example, this website is for you, if you are trying to find your way to that small spotlight center stage where you will have to stand and deliver. My being in Torino is part of my effort to walk the walk. After all, this website sure is a lot of talking the talk.
My most important employer is the most creative person I know: My God. Now, I know me saying I believe in God and His creative power may seem to many of you to be an aside. It is, however, central to everything. Singers have voices because God forms them while the singer is in the womb, not because of a chance digestive event during the singer's gestation. Not for any other reason than God's gift. So I am happy to say that I am working for God to see that as many as possible of his gifts of voice to singers receive loving care, and that He may enjoy the product of those gifts as my singing students engage in their creative work. By the way, I also believe that we are creative creatures because God is creative.
Unlike the theaters of the world, I do not forget that "elemental employer", the audience. I believe that without other peoples' ears there is no performance. It is always just a rehearsal, or worse; a hobby. I am working for the people still warming the seats. Singers are remarkably hard to convince of the peculiar relationship an artist has with his fellow human beings. Anyone wishing to be a professional using his or her voice for a creative purpose has to understand that the voice is for communicating and as such a communication must take place, and it must be with an audience. Eventually, we've got to sell a sufficient number of tickets for participating in that communication to justify the professional level fees for services that theatres are finding harder and harder to pay these days. I stand as ambassador from the ticket buying public, and do my best to direct each gifted singer toward an interesting and satisfying conversation with my employer who continues to buy tickets and hopes to be entertained.
The theater directors of the world seem to forget the audience, and I believe the crisis in the performing arts has its majority explanation in that forgetfulness. It is perhaps the largest problem for a singer as well. Forget your audience, and it will forget you….
Oh! Let's not forget all those audience regulars who have decided to stop buying tickets. I have no idea how to get them back into the seats, but I know why many of them decided to stop keeping those seats warm.
Singers who only fear their audience are shoulder to shoulder with the theatres of our day, and together they are the ones who can bring about the future feared by everyone who loves the performing arts.
We sing for an audience because that's what professionals do. You can't leave God out of the equation. He can certainly listen in while we're at it, and, by the way, He can even hear and enjoy the voice of someone who only possesses enough courage to break out in song in the shower. That individual would not be my ideal student no matter how beautiful the voice. I don't argue with God, but a great voice is often just not enough to make it in the professions.Read More
So let's get down to basics. Is there a problem? Yes. What is the problem? Apparently we are suffering shrinkage of opportunities for singers and musicians to make a living. The arts, as a jobs program, is getting very weak in the knees, and a search for leg braces seems to be getting under way.
I think the search for leg braces is destined for failure. Those who are in the know about the problem seem to be trying to figure out how to market "The Arts"… that is, arts organizations' need to deal with funding short falls and diminishing audience attendance. Almost everything I see being discussed in public about the action needed is off point. Arts organizations are being advised to find new ways to dress up the concert hall and design events relevant to an audience which seems willing to spend money, but not on tickets to "The Arts".
Another big problem is a discussion today among deep pocket donors, which is bubbling into public view here and there. It places those who support "The Arts" in a difficult defensive position. I can imagine it would be very hard to argue the survival of "Classical Music" as being as important as alleviating some of the suffering of the starving among us while sipping Champagne in opulent surroundings. I wouldn't think it possible to survive making such a case in many soup kitchen lines that are set up across our own still relatively prosperous country. My opinion on what these 1% ters ought to do with their bank accounts aside, I do believe the problem for the 1%ter is much the same as for the ticket buyer.
If you are selling a product that does not outshine your competition, then your result is going to be less impressive than your competitions'. I have seen some grudging admission that "The Arts" are really part of the entertainment industry, even if turning a profit seems to keep almost everyone else in the industry afloat. I see "The Arts", "The Press" and just about any other form of communication as entertainment when they are not essential to a person's survival. I have a friend that has a police scanner for entertainment. Lawyers may think of scanners as tools, but my friend has a toy. Tracking communication among emergency service personal is serious business, especially if you are going to chase the ambulance your scanner catches being sent out to gather victims of a traffic accident. It's all about billing, about money, about survival.
Life is not "a box of chocolate"
No one can guarantee anyone anything, and the entertainment industry can only offer you opportunity. It can only offer an empty box that you must fill with what you have to offer in order to attract an audience. Artists might like to be able to define the product they are producing in terms of cultural values, but there is only one system of valuation that makes any difference at all. The price someone will pay.
If you are seeking to feed yourself and your family in the entertainment industry, you need to view the crisis, if you believe in it, from the point of view of anyone seeking employment. My first visits to the Guidance Counselors' offices at Peru Central School, most likely during the time I was first getting to know my Renata, were dedicated to searching through employment categories in the catalogues strategically placed in the little waiting room outside the counselors' offices. I trolled those catalogues in order to overcome my ignorance about the job market. I wanted to study something that could be my magic carpet to ride out of the life style to which my extended family had become accustomed.
I didn't find my ultimate choice in those catalogues. I dedicated myself to the art and craft of singing without really knowing how risky a choice it was. I found out, when I applied for unemployment benefits just after leaving my military service with the Navy. I didn't know what to write in one of the blanks on the application form I was filling out. The big book of job titles in that office gave me the approved wording to insert in the appropriate blank on the application form that I successfully filled out. It was: "classical singer". Forget the fact that I was an unemployed "classical singer". I was happy to be classified as one.
Needless to say: I found work and my little magic carpet revved up and carried me to many parts of the world I never dreamed to be able to visit. Oh! And yes. My life style never resembled the comfortable hard-working lower middle class life style of my dad, which now seems to be disappearing. You may not have noticed, but there is a crisis there as well.
Back to the product: be aware that there is only one honest way to make a living. Deliver value for the fee you collect. My dad bought himself his second new truck (I bought his first new one for him.) with money he earned by proving his labor valuable enough to become an employee rather than a jobs program participant. He was long past youth, but still full of energy. He loved the job he landed after the fur farm, where he worked most of his life, died, and his new job funded his life to the end of it. Artists and Arts Management personnel have to prove themselves just like my dad did and just like I did.
People will buy tickets, subscribe to and donate to whatever inspires them. If you want to make a success as a performer, you must entertain. If you want to make a success of an organization that presents the efforts of performers, you have to know what will entertain.
Last week-end I found an example of just the sort of entertainment I believe to be the cure for the "crisis", if you believe there is one.
The Allant Trio at Hill and Hollow.Read More
Tonight at E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium in Hawkins Hall the Master Class participants with whom I have been working will be giving a concert. It is a free concert that will begin, August 16, 2014, at 7:30 pm. Sorry that our organizers thought to put a price on the tickets and had some in the media report this decision. I'm sorry because some of you may think any price too high to pay to hear some young aspiring artists attempt to entertain you. Well, the real reason the tickets are free is because making this a pay to get in event may violate US law. The singers will entertain you enough to make your trip to Hawkins Hall worth every drop of gasoline/diesel or electricity your individual conveyance utilizes to get you there. The trip has been worth it for me. I gladly fill my tank and show up each day to help these youngsters grow toward becoming great artists. I can tell you that these singers are also good enough to make you forget you paid for one or two of the tickets, if the organizers had actually put a price on them.
For those of you who may pause to consider your electric vehicle which you forgot to plug in last night, go out and plug it in now. All you need is enough charge to get to Hawkins Hall. Our little university is almost as up to date as Kansas City. The parking lot adjacent to the hall has an electric vehicle charging station for two where you can acquire enough power to get back home, or even to a nice restaurant like Anthony's after the show. Sorry, I think our event is the only free offering in Plattsburgh tonight, so I wouldn't want anyone to infer that my favorite restaurant is going to team up with us under the FREE label. OH! By the way, if there are more than two music loving, absent-minded electric vehicle owners in my North Country, I will personally see to the transport needs of those who fail to find an open charging station.
It has been a pleasure and an honor to work with these youngsters, and it is going to be fun to share them with my fellow North Country citizens. Please come and applaud, if you are moved to do so, anytime you are moved to do so. I'll be the first to join you, even if the moment we choose to applaud might annoy the strict concert etiquette traditionalist who might also show up.
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So what should we do next? Tomorrow I start doing a master class here in the North Country, but that is what I am going to do next. The question is really what should be the next step in teaching someone how to sing.
Garcia gives us a lot of advice about the difficulties voices will present to teachers. It's up to the teacher to sift through his information in order to follow the correct Garcia suggestion relevant for each individual. We have to discern and understand each problem as it is presented, and I can attest to the fact that every exercise of increased complication will likely uncover a new vocal fault or difficulty. So, now that we have the student singing the best "A" vowel that the student's voice is able to produce, we can begin to complicate things a bit.
Because it was so long ago that Renata made me do all that "old school" exercise work, I don't remember having any trouble doing two consecutive pitches. This may be why I am always surprised at how many students of singing have trouble with this mini hurdle. My advice concerning Garcia's exercises includes challenging the student to bring what he/she has learned in each previous exercise to the next exercise. In this lesson the challenge is very simple. Make those alternating pitches sound as stable as the previous lesson's single pitch. How hard is that?
Given the evidence, it seems to be very difficult indeed. Let's talk about just a few of the little problems that can,,,,, let's be clear, do crop up.
The bump: when moving the voice from one pitch to the other, the student, especially with woodwind instrument experience, will sometimes have the habit to do a little accent with every pitch change. You know how those hollow bits of wood or metal we call woodwinds have holes and keys with pads. Well when you are learning to play one of those things with your fast moving fingers, each hole or key that gets closed at high velocity gives off a sound. Something like that seems to be a necessary accessory for some students when they change pitches. This needs to be taken care of immediately. I have run into this habit that I call "Walking on the notes" in students who have been studying voice for a long time. They seem unable to sing "Legato" at all. Catching this defect early and making sure the bump does not appear when the pitch is changed will go a long way in teaching legato vocalization.
Going straight: just before changing the pitch and for a short period after changing the pitch the vibrato will often disappear. It is a wonder that so many singers today stop their vibrato and don't even know they are doing it. I know that the Baroque crowd seems to believe in making straight sounds as often as possible. I do not. In any event, there is no need to announce the arrival of a pitch change with a straightening of the tone… you know.. stopping the vibrato.
Push-ups: The moment before the pitch change, instead of going straight, some students will begin a small but noticeable crescendo which will continue into the higher pitch, and the return to the lower pitch will have the opposite effect added. This one is less common than the above, but is just as serious and annoying to hear if unchecked early on.
Slurpee's: Slipping and sliding from note to note is something that often shows up with young ones, but be careful about the cure for this fault. I have noticed in some "trained" individuals a habit of stopping the sound between notes. I don't expect anyone to admit to teaching this particular stupidity, but the students who have shown me this maneuver had to have learned it somewhere. In order to cut everyone a break, I am willing to believe it to be a confusion inserted into the mind of the singer by virtue of… sorry…. by mischief lodged in the language used to seek to correct this slimy style of ignorant singing. "Precision" can't be "Perfect".
These are just a few things from my list of faults to watch out for. Garcia's list is shorter than mine, but printing costs were rather high in his day. Come to think of it, the costs of printing are no laughing matter even today.
I had a note just the other day from a reader who wanted to know if I was forgetting about all you who care to read tenor thoughts. You are all well remembered, and maybe I should clue you in.
The world of singing is in a bad way, and that is the reason for this blog and various other activities in which I engage. If anyone has never heard: "Art reflects life and life reflects Art" please ponder this pomposity. Next, I want to tell you that life itself is in a bad way, and I am hard pressed to ignore it. In as much as I am able to engage the trends in society that I recognize as negative movements, I must act with that gift of ability to resist the push that moves singing toward bad and life toward feudal servitude.
Resisting the slavery our social contract seems to be approaching is why I have been a little slow…. please allow my understatement…. to get out a new blog.
Where my mind and body has been investing the greater portion of time and effort has been tax resistance, political action, gardening and home repairs. We have a wonderful garden, a house that our North Country weather keeps pummeling and a local, State and Federal government that sees us little people as an inexhaustible source of revenue. This I resist with the help of others in a website I manage. We have a candidate for United States Congress that my wife, Debbie, and I are supporting and also a candidate for New York State Assembly for whom I put up a website. There are a few family oriented events that we manage to shoe horn into our daily doings as well.
Life is good when full.
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When entering dividends paid via IRIS code 472/** the trial balance shows a profit/loss figure which includes the amount of dividends paid.
When entering dividends paid via IRIS code 472/** the trial balance shows a profit/loss figure which includes the amount of dividends paid.
With less than 30 working days until UK GAAP is dramatically altered, accountants have to get up to speed to prevent being non-compliant or risk failing their clie
The impact of auto enrolment has filtered through to the payroll software market, where it emerged that independent developer 12Pay quietly sold out to IRIS last
During the past month or two, users have been finding their way around version 11.4, the latest edition of the IRIS Accountancy Suite.
Several months after its dramatic acquisition of KashFlow, IRIS has relaunched the cloud bookkeeping application with new capabilities and a responsive interface
We use IRIS software as a payroll bureau.
We are running into problems around the dates given on the weekly payslips.
Just a warning for anyone starting up or thinking about moving software supplier.
The 2013 Software Satisfaction Awards confirmed the continuing shift towards cloud-based accounting applications among smaller businesses, with a near even split between desktop and online.
Does anyone have any experience of using G Books? I am currently using IRIS, and have done for many years, but sadly it now too expensive. I would also be interested in any other suggestions.
www.siftmedia.co.uk - Interactive community publishing
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Lost Alpha SDK Addon 1Oct 16, 2014 SDK 17 comments
Here is the 1st addon package for Lost Alpha SDK v.2.6.
Got a LOST ALPHA Game problem?
Don't post it here or anywhere else on Facebook. Why? The ModDB and FB formats make posts descend to the bottom with each new one and your concerns can easily be lost. Too many pages and posts can make your problems disappear.
Where to go?
The GSC Forums LOST ALPHA section is designed to post Game problems and to provide answers. In addition the format makes it easy to find previous problems posted where you may not have to ask.
For all of you that prefer to download via torrent here is the link: gameupdates.org
After downloading, please help to seed that beast ;)
18 comments by CrommCruac on Dec 17th, 2014
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
from Dezowave
Christmas is knocking on our doors again, chestnuts roasting on open fires and Jack Frost nipping at our nose. Another year has passed by, which brought us many good things and some not so good. At this time of the year we all should celebrate and concentrate on all the good that happened to us in 2014! First of all, thanks to your votes, we are in the TOP100 again on MOTY Awards, there are still 3 days left, and then the finals will begin. We are pretty excited about the results, even though we weren't really advertising it, but a little news post can't hurt. We were the first for at least 4 months in a row, and in the top 5 for almost 6 months this year from April till September, which was amazing. We are really glad for the given support from you and the Moddb Staff! The launch wasn't smooth, Lost Alpha killed the moddb servers due to the heavy visits and downloads, and we even beat Black Mesa in downloads and view counts when Moddb Staff compared the statistics of the 'day of release' of these projects. It was unexpected, and we felt honored. Later things calmed down, and we think we are on a good path now to finish the game. Those who regularly visit our site already know of the changes through patches, etc... so if they -you- think we have earned it, to be in the top 5 again, we will be there! Everything depends on your choice.
And a little status update of the upcoming developers cut. Our programmers updated the audio/sound engine of the game, now you can select all your sound cards from the list, and eax finally works, mainly on sound blaster cards, even the integrated sound chipsets which supports eax 2.0 will benefit from the changes. They also started remaking the weapon upgrade system, this time based more on the system in Call of Pripyat. The game designers are filling the empty parts of the levels with more "life" as well. Currently, we are testing the 2nd edited level of the 10 we plan to change. It's a long sequence, since we need to test run the levels individually, and in story mode as well, to see how the triggers work. When these are finished, we will check the keypoints in the storyline, and try to make the duller parts a bit better without destroying the "jenga tower" :).
Christmas and New Years is coming, with greetings of peace and prosperity, the whole dezowave group wishes the very best for you during this special time. May You enjoy all the best now and throughout the coming year. 2015 will be a cool year, it's not a secret we are working on our next project as well, which will be announced in a few months!
Here is the 1st addon package for Lost Alpha SDK v.2.6.
Here is the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Lost Alpha Software Development Kit (SDK) v.2.6 beta release! It contains the basic editors and tools we used for creating...
Here is the long awaited third patch for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Lost Alpha. Due to the changes in storyline and engine, it's required to start a new game after...
Here is the long awaited second patch for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.:Lost Alpha. Due to the changes in storyline and engine, it's required to start a new game after...
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: LOST ALPHA Patch v1.30013 (3rd of May 2014.) The patch is savegame compatible, so You do not have to start new game for this patch, but...
You do not need STALKER to run LA, Stand alone Release. Download all 4 parts, and use winrar or winzip to unpack them, then run setup.exe and follow the...
There seems to be only one problem I'm having with this game.
It's the same problem I had with COP.
As I play, my frame rate steadily drops until it hits a certain point where it will stay static.
I don't understand why this happens. I've assumed previously that it stems from the amount of loading it does while you're moving from place to place.
Could it be that my game is somehow not unloading files?
Has anyone else had this issue?
Do you know how to solve it?
Update: I've found that switching back to DX9 full dynamic lighting seems to fix said problem. Seems as though DX10 is a POS.
sounds to me like CPU overheating...
I had the same when I installed new fan on my CPU wrongly, It had not propper contact and my cpu started reach temperatures over 90`C ...
My CPU stays around 55-60C.
No idea, but I have the issue, and others are reporting that they do, as well. I lose about half the FPS after roughly 30 minutes of play.
No idea, but I have the issue, and others are reporting that they do, as well. I lose about half the FPS after roughly 30 minutes of play.
Great mods
im gonna try it 1st =)
How does one get to the bandit clothes? I know that it's near a poltergeist-filled hollow, and I've found it, but the corpses, while showing on the minimap, aren't there. I assumed they were underground, behind the gates that weren't far, but there doesn't seem to be a way to open them. Do I go to the barkeep now instead?
bodies are in a dungeon, the entrance is located in the valley next to a small village in the north-west of the map. One of them can be removed suit
Is that the one with the gates next to the two small houses? In that case, those gates aren't opening.
there is a cave nearby. you can find the entrance to her on the bones and corpses
huh. A cave... I'll go look then.
Highest Rated (100 agree) 10/10
It's Lost Alpha. Should it be rated any less?
Apr 25 2014, 7:09pm by este
Lowest Rated (66 agree) 5/10
Full Review Here - Pastebin.com This mod is a great example of what not to do when trying to recreate a game in your own image, due to it being worse than the SoC in almost every way. +Fantastic Map Design +Good Environments +Great Lighting +Textures better than vanilla +Upgrading System =Gunplay unchanged from Vanilla =Weapon textures + Models unchanged from Vanilla -Maps lack things to do in them -Sounds are subpar -Voice acting is bad and immersion breaking -Constant poorly animated…
May 5 2014, 6:12am by STALKERchan
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Promote S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Lost Alpha on your homepage or blog by selecting a button and using the embed code provided (more).


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Hello, i got the Lumia 625 and i have arround 4GB of internal storage. Is there a way to swap the internal card for the external one so that i have more space for apps? Or can i install apps on the external sd card?
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Shure SE425 Earphone
"Shure has definitely outdone themselves with this wonderful product. Never have I experienced more clarity in a pair of IEMs. For someone who listens to alternative rock, pop, and an assorted array of indie music, I say that few IEMs can do better. The amount of detail displayed is extraordinary. Vocals are crystal clear and forward, especially female vocals. However, the bass is lacking a bit..." --Dinerenblanc
Shure Sound Isolating Earphone SE315 Hi-Definition Micro Speaker with Tuned Bass Port (Black)
"Just want to state up front my review rating is an absolute rating, not one based on comparative performance, pricing etc. Having had the Shure SE215s for a while and not enjoying them I thought I would go up the range and try the SE315s. At first I was impressed as the nasty spiky highs and wooly bass seemed to have gone but alas it was not to last. My overall thoughts..." --Krisman
Shure E4c Sound Isolating Earphones
Digital edge technologies used for creating, transferring, and listening to digital music has made the iPod and various other Digital Media Players the most popular portable listening devices around the world. Shure recognized that at the start. Highly demanding and critical listeners have appreciated Shure earphones. Shure's E4c extends that enjoyment even further. The cutting-edge...
Shure SE535-V Earphone
" -- " --i2ehan
Shure SE535-CL Triple High-Definition MicroDriver Earphone with Detachable Cable (Clear)
" >>(first impressions) >>as tyl herstens said - "Ahhh! Someone slipped liquid gold into my ears! The genies at Shure did some real magic here." >>just wonderful ...handsome bass , rich and forward mids , in-offensive treble Impressions after 6..." --ayaflo
Shure Sound Isolating Earphone SE315 Hi-Definition Micro Speaker with Tuned Bass Port (Clear)
"This is a review for the Shure SE315's, first a little about myself I don't consider myself a hard core audiophile like most people on this site. I am 38 years old and I am just your everyday listener who appreciates quality sound. I have been into Hi-Fi audio since I was a teenager mostly full size speakers. What do I consider an audiophile, someone who pulls those ear buds out that..." --acain
Shure SCL4-W White Sound Isolating Earphones Headphones - Shure SCL4W
Shure SCL4-W White Sound Isolating Earphones Headphones - Shure SCL4W
Shure PTH Push To Hear Control for Sound Isolating Earphones
" If you're tired of removing your IEMs to talk to someone, then this product is probably for you, despite its quirks. I wear my SE530s all day at the office and conduct most quick conversations through my PTH. The microphone is surprisingly good, even letting you conduct a conversation when it's pointed backwards. A few background noises like printers, scanners, or a fan pointed straight at it..." --maverickronin
Shure EAHCASE Fine Weave Hard Pouch for Shure Earphones - Black
Zippered case. Compatible with all Shure earphones.
Munitio Call of Duty COD MW3 Special Edition 9mm Earphones With In-Line-Mic MW3 B-MW3-002 Billets
"This is my first review on headfi. I recently joined and although I love headphones and music, I don't have much technical knowledge. I was looking for a good pair of earbuds to use with my cellphone, as well as during workouts etc. This one fit my needs perfectly, had great reviews on amazon and wasn't very expensive. The package includes a carrying pouch, earpieces (S, M, L), earhooks ..." --sonomics


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TwitterfeedMy Tweets
Recent Posts
- Rêve: Dreaming of a Human City
- Cities Without Traffic
- No Vision for East Arapahoe
- Protected Multimodal Intersections
- US-36: For Whom the Road Tolls
- New Walkscore and Location Affordability Tools
- Groningen: The World's Cycling City
- Reject the Annexation of Hogan-Pancost
- Electric Bikes on Boulder's Paths
- Unlocking Home
- Murder Machines
Murder Machines: Why Cars Will Kill 30,000 Americans This Year. A good essay-length look at how social norms regarding streets and safety have changed over the last century, and why our current norms and design guidelines lead very predictably to tends of thousands of preventable deaths each year. Covers a lot of the same territory as Peter D. Norton's excellent book Fighting Traffic, which gives a detailed historical account of the transition, between about 1915 and 1930, from streets being universally accessible public space to being nearly the sole domain of motorized transportation. Ralph Nader effectively spearheaded a campaign for
- Managed Lanes in Colorado
Will Toor and Mike Salisbury at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project have put together a good paper called Managed Lanes in Colorado (it's a PDF) that looks at the policy rationale behind (and a few issues with) creating additional highway capacity in the form of managed lanes with tolling, that also allow high occupancy vehicles and transit to take advantage of the investment, addressing some of the "Lexus Lane" criticism of using tolls in the public right of way (on projects that are still mostly publicly funded). It's not quite as fun to read as my magnum opus from this
- America's Cities Are Still Too Afraid to Make Driving Unappealing - Emily Badger - The Atlantic Cities
It's the relative attractiveness of different modes of transportation that shapes our choices, and American cities are still terrified of making driving less attractive. This really puts a cap on what fraction of trips we can get over to biking, walking and mass transit. Partly because driving is such an ingrained cultural norm (even if it's just as easy to drive as to bike, the default behavior amongst most people will be to drive), and partly because accommodating cars well means degrading the walking, biking and transit amenities. In a place like Boulder where people actually have alternatives to driving
- Granny flats flourish after fee waiver... in Portland
In 2010 Portland, Oregon made it cheap and easy for people to build ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units -- also known as "granny flats", "in-law apartments", "carriage houses", etc -- small secondary dwellings that are on an existing property), and to nobody's surprise, the tiny homes boomed. This kind of housing adds density without changing neighborhood character, lets people live lighter on the land, and helps makes housing affordable both for the renters, and the homeowners who now have a rental income that was impossible before. And they do it all without any public subsidy. Boulder can do this too.
- Hamburg's Car Free Greenway Network
There have been a bunch of links floating around recently about the German city of Hamburg's plans to "go car free" in the next 15-20 years. For example this BBC Future article which references this post on Inhabitat, which then points to Arch Daily which finally links directly to the actual city planning site from Hamburg (auf deutsch of course). Unfortunately, these seem to be just click-bait headlines. As far as I can tell (and I don't read German) the real point of the plan is to create an extensive, connected network of bike and pedestrian greenways that provide easy access
- Murder Machines
Boulder Bikes
Tag Archives: fort collins
Hero Biking to Fort Collins and Back
The Boulder Bike Culture Meetup's first little social intro to bike touring went pretty well I think. Didn't lose anyone, no injuries that I know of, no major mechanical issues, only one flat tire. Tail wind and gorgeous weather on … Continue reading
Posted in journal Tagged bicycle, boulder, fort collins, meetup, photos, touring 3 Comments
Getting a first taste of bicycle touring
I don't even remember how I got the idea in my head that one could go bike touring. I must have heard of other people doing it, but growing up in Sanger, California I certainly didn't know any of them. … Continue reading
A Weekend Bike Tour to Fort Collins
I'm organizing an overnight bike tour from Boulder to Ft. Collins and back the first weekend in April (weather permitting of course, who knows what it will do). If you've got route suggestions or know anyone in Ft. Collins that … Continue reading
Posted in linkstream Tagged bicycle, boulder, communitycycles, fort collins, meetup, touring 1 Comment


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WANTED: billbergia nutans
greenprof(z8 SC)November 25, 2004
this one needs dividing. for scale, it is sitting on two 2x6's. it puts on a reliable display in the fall. it lives in the yard all but the coldest months (in charleston it would come back after mid winters) and i ignore it except to hose it down when i water everything else. two years ago i gave away half of this one and you can see it made up for it. anyone want to trade for a chunk?
kevin b
Here is a link that might be useful:


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Finishes Forepersons – Due to the surge in residential developments in 2014 the competition for experienced high-rise Finishes Forepersons is at unprecedented levels.
Structures Forepersons – In both the residential and commercial sectors the competition for experienced Structures Forepersons continues to pick up.
Project Engineers – With Tier 1 and 2 builders working on ever larger projects, Project Engineers with experience on projects valued over $100 million are currently in very high demand.
Residential Building Supervisors – An increase in demand from buyers of new houses in South-East Queensland and Victoria has created a number of opportunities for Supervisors in those states.
Estimators – Estimators help deliver a cost effective product by quoting and obtaining material at a competitive price. Candidates are in high demand for project roles in the commercial, civil and infrastructure market.
Commercial Contract Administrators – Commercial construction is on the increase, especially in high rise residential buildings, creating demand for experienced Contract Administrators. A significant number of commercial office staff moved from Queensland to New South Wales in 2013 and this has now left the region with a shortage of suitable candidates. Contract Administrators are required for legal paperwork, subcontractor management and building materials procurement to ensure the project remains profitable.
Project Managers – With the population continuing to grow in Western Australia, there has been a huge demand for residential properties ranging from single, double or triple storey dwellings to high rise apartment projects. As a result, Project Managers with experience working on projects valued between $5-10 million are highly sought.
New apartment sales hit a decade high in Australia in 2014 while a swathe of new medium and high-density housing projects were approved in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. This means that the construction boom will continue in 2015, creating jobs for skilled tradespeople and engineers.
The increasing popularity of apartment living is being driven by the squeeze on housing affordability, the changing lifestyles of the baby boomers and generation Y's preference to live close to 'knowledge-worker' jobs at an affordable price. There is also significant demand from foreign investors.
In Queensland the market is buoyant and we are seeing increased investment in
land development for commercial and residential use. The Queensland Government is providing support by offering first home buyer/builder grants as well as easier procedures for development application approvals.
As a result, companies are gearing up for more construction activity this year, with the acquisition of commercial staff such as Project Managers and Commercial Administrators on a permanent basis. There will also be a slight increase in demand for temporary staff on smaller residential projects that will begin early this year.
As larger projects begin we will see an increase in the demand for site staff. There will be a strong emphasis on contract roles for commercial refurbishment work and we expect to see a bigger push for permanent staff at sites with a longer project life.
The public sector market continues to be driven by temporary contracts. Longer contracts are now being offered (6-12 months) in some states, and with more security in the pipeline as projects develop, this trend is set to continue.
In Queensland, candidate shortages are emerging in key areas as the market recovers, with skills and experience gaps dating back to the market downturn still being an issue for employers. The shortages exist in areas where local candidates previously moved interstate for work after Queensland government cuts in 2012.
In South Australia companies are preparing for a better 2015 by hiring more permanent staff. Most work will be done on smaller, predominantly fit-out projects, valued up to $10 million. There remains a shortage of quality Commercial Administrators and Estimators.


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It probably IS the bleach you used.
Clorox that sounds like the bleach i use to wash my white clothes. Hey man, welcome to the site and enjoy your stay.
It probably IS the bleach you used.
Hay Clorox welcome to AO read the rules and make new friends
Well hi and welcome to AO!!!!!! I hope you enjoy it here and make lots of friends plus NICE TO MEET YOU TOO!!!!!!!!!!! Remember to read the rules and have fun!
Oh I can't wait to see your drawings
here and your stories here
(Sine you said you like
writing) I'll be waiting
for them!
Last edited by KuwiRules145; Sep 14, 2007 at 03:07 PM.
「When I'm sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead」


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In 14th season, Brady still fired up for playoffs
The Colts are 6-1, including the playoffs, in games decided by six points or fewer. The Patriots are 8-4 in games decided by seven or fewer.
Brady downplays the meeting with Luck, who has a chance to match Brady's accomplishment of winning a Super Bowl in his second season.
The chance to keep the youngster from upstaging the all-time great doesn't provide extra motivation.
"My motivation is pretty simple," Brady said. "I just try to win. That's what I try to do and try to be part of the reason why we're successful."
For Luck, Brady can serve as an example.
"He has definitely set the standard for success at the quarterback position," Luck said, "the way he handles himself, watching from afar, the competitive nature and basically all the right things he does. Yeah, I guess he is a barometer and he is the standard."
The Patriots practiced indoors Tuesday with the outside temperature in the low teens. Brady said he had a cold.
"A little bit, but I'll live," he said. "Hopefully not on the injury report. I'll try to talk my way out of that one."
Brady wants to be around for it all — the practices, the games, the celebrations. So he's treating this week with his usual intensity.
"I think he's just trying to relay that to everyone else," Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich said. "You do your work now. You put in the time now. You study the tape and you practice hard now, so when the games come you've already done it three times in the week. So you go out there and just play and have fun."
In his 14th NFL season, the enthusiasm of the MVP of the 2002 Super Bowl persists.
"It's incredible to play in this," he said. "These are the moments you dream about, to be in the NFL playoffs and you have a chance with eight other teams to be the last team standing.
"It's why we work hard. It's why every guy puts a lot out there. You sacrifice a lot of things. A lot of people would die to be in our positions. I don't think you take those things for granted."
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org


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Estrangement by daughter. My unusual story.
My precious daughter is 32. I love her with all my heart. She has estranged herself from me to one degree or another the last eighteen years, and finally estranged herself completely the last few years.
My situation is not normal. I was incapable of being the mother I could have been because when she was a year old I was brain injured in a freak car accident. It was at a railroad crossing when the cross bars failed to come down. I stopped in time, but was rear ended by the guy behind me. Burlington Northern hired four attorneys to fight my case. His insurance company used their best attorney to fight my case. I met a paralegal from that insurance company years later and she told me it was a big case they did not want to lose. Their hired gun was the best neuropsychologist in the country.
My daughter knows nothing of my case and little about my injuries. Neither does my family, who have been extremely critical and unsupportive, saying I am fine and have nothing wrong with me. They like to make up their own versions of things. They also talk to my daughter.
A person can get ejected out of a window on impact. I was ejected straight up into the top of my car and hit the roof. This was before seat belt laws went into effect and I was not buckled in. My head, brain, spine and body took the upward impact. It crushed the rear quarter panel of my car so hard the hatchback was sprung open. It nearly broke my neck the same way a diver breaks their neck in shallow water. I am lucky to be alive. It took six months to find doctors to diagnose brain injury. They did nothing to help me. I was in horrible pain and could not think straight for almost thirty years as I slowly regained cognitive functioning. It was like coming out of a coma. But it took a long, long time.
The railroad and insurance company worked together to stall things so long I finally settled out of court for a small amount of money. It was devastating. My daughter has no idea the psychological trauma that put me through. How terrified I was of everything by the time it was all over. I was overly protective of her. To me the world was a frightening and dangerous place.
My injuries affected my personality and I had impaired judgement when I was raising her. I couldn't follow conversations, or remember things. I was distant and couldn't focus on the "now". I wasn't very functional when words did come out. I had to keep asking, "do you understand me?" I lectured her for long periods of time, repeating things over and over again. I was in horrible, horrible pain. I had no recollection of my childhood and couldn't recognize myself in the mirror. I needed help. I was a single mother who desperately needed caregiving and help with my child.
My husband had abandon me and refused to pay child support. I had no college education. It was unbearably hard. I worked with a lot of difficulty on the job. I floated around in a large company, so that was very helpful. But employment was really hard. All I could do is cling to God as I knew him. And that probably offended her too. I was not consistent in anything, including my faith. I remarried again. He was a real a jerk and that marriage soon failed. My poor daughter went through all this.
So when she turned fourteen she found friends to share her unhappiness with. She told me they became her family and she felt no real bond with me. That was crushing.
My family talks to her. They never tell me anything. My mother slipped and said she "suspects" my daughter is offended that I spend 45 minutes explaining things. That was part of my brain injury. I can't recognize facial expressions very well. So I went to a speech therapist who helped me figure out social cues from voice intonation. That is a huge step forward and it is the first help I ever got with my brain injury.
The desire to run to my daughter and explain I am better is overwhelming. I fear she would just ignore me or tell me whe will never talk to me again. I asked my daughter several years ago if she would go to a counselor with me and a neurologist. She said no.
I feel I never had a chance to be a parent. It is like coming out of a coma to find your child hates you. I am trying to put together a new life. I have lost my career and home based business because of the estrangement. I am impoverished and totally crushed. I am devastated every day at how hard I worked to get well, and in the process lost my child. Whom I love with all my heart.
Where is my little girl? I don't know. It's like she died.
I am so very sorry you're going through this. I have a family member who had a TBI. It's a very difficult thing for everyone to go through. I have no advice, but you have my complete sympathy. I hope things get better for you and I hope you have a good TBI support group and a good church group to support you.
Saying it feels like your child has died is NOT an odd thing to say, I understand because estrangement from a daughter feels like a death. The pain and deep, deep intense grief is unspeakable, it feels like a death.
@sunny12345 I wish for you to have peace and healing, our situations are similar in some ways, I have C-PTSD and that has definitely informed my parenting in ways that were not always ideal. I'm so glad that you are improving! I can't imagine being in so much pain and not being able to communicate well for so long, it must have been so hard to parent that way. I would do all you can to help your daughter understand what happened to you. I think the idea of a joint meeting with a counselor and neurologist is a great idea, keep trying! Hang in there, clearly you are a strong woman and I think there is an excellent chance that some day your daughter will see and understand this and come back to you.
My heart goes out to you and your story of such devastation All I know to say is that God hears you as you pray and God helps those who help themselves..Which you certainly continue to do. Do not give up on your daughter Compassion is a solidarity for some and for others, it is only shared alone.. I am so sorry that your family did not see and feel how horrible this accident was for you, together with love. Maybe if you start keeping a journal and write your feelings down then your daughter will come across it, as well as others. And by a better understanding of your words as you write your feelings will be there for her to see. You wrote beautifully in here
Maybe it is worth a try...God Bless you


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Video: High winds cause power outages, big waves in the Northland
High winds brought down trees and limbs, causing power outages Monday across Duluth's east side and the Northland.
East Duluth resident Linda Nervick said her bed "shook and shimmied all night long," the winds keeping her up in her 100-year-old home.
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Fabric Deal for March 27th - [image: Product Image] My Farmhouse Kitchen Fruit Cotton Fabric - Green $9.99 $2.97 Buy Now Online only! Not in stores. [image: Product Image] Simply Chr...
December 4, 2010
How-To: Felt Gingerbread House
Create a felt gingerbread house with the kids during this holiday season. The how to is now available to download.
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December 3, 2010
How-To: Holiday Cocoa Cone Gifts
The Holiday Cocoa Cone makes a great party favor for your holiday party, or stocking stuffer for your loved one on Christmas day!
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December 2, 2010
Coupon: Pre-Baked Gingerbread House Kits
Make your next home decor project an edible one with our Pre-Baked Gingerbread House Kits, now only $8.88 when you print out our December in-store coupon. These are so much fun to make with your kids or during holiday parties with friends.
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A prototype video for a app concept for women safety through networking.
This video was made as an outcome of a group project in 'Women safety in urban India' under "Interaction Design" Course at IDC, IIT Bombay during April 1 to 15th, 2014.
Prof. Sudhir Bhatia
Team Members:
Riken Patel
Prem Lokesh
Kaustubh Limaye
Maharaj MA
Voice by: Keerti Chowdhry
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Star Tracks
The mom-to-be does some last-minute shopping. Plus: Hugh Grant and more
Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
Published: Wednesday Apr 05, 2006 | 11:30 AM EDT
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USA 3' x 5' Nylon Flag Kit
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"Amazing history!"
Mesmerizing history of the British Empire
The context it set for me vastly improved my understanding
Lovely voice, nicely cadenced
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This firm is probably the country's largest producer of chemical and biological protective shelters and equipment for our military and allies. These shelter maker tackles Ebola — and the future.
BDP Excellence in Business Award winner restores hope to people with developmental disabilities while boosting family income in one of the U.S.' poorest regions.
Celebrating 19 small businesses that drive our economy.
Spring at last! Here are 10 tips to clean up your business as you would your home.
Instagram is a powerful tool to build brand awareness and community around your business. Here's how to get started.
Shatto milk is produced in a variety of flavors — chocolate, cotton candy, cookies and cream, banana, root beer, coffee and pumpkin, among others — that change with the seasons.
Government contracting specialist Carolyn Jones helps owner of strategic analysis firm land DLA contract worth up to $3 million.
Agencies join forces to help 100 businesses recover.
An ongoing program with MU Extension helps private companies and public agencies address this impending management vacuum.
Would expanding globally work for your business?
In the past three years, in cooperation with our partners, the BDP has presented educational opportunities in management, marketing, finance, international trade, government contracting and many other topics to more than 36,000 business owners and entrepreneurs.
Shopping locally isn't just good for your business, it's good for the community.
MU Extension's Business Development Program exists to help Missouri's entrepreneurs succeed in private enterprise and to promote Missouri's economic development. It performs this vital service through a network of business counselors located throughout the state.
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This Scarface/"Dick Cheney at the Republican Convention" mash-up reaches such near-genius heights of hilarity that it almost becomes a work of art. (Language very NSFW)
(via Boing Boing)
This Scarface/"Dick Cheney at the Republican Convention" mash-up reaches such near-genius heights of hilarity that it almost becomes a work of art. (Language very NSFW)
(via Boing Boing)
We'd like to take a brief pause from posting pictures of Paris Hilton's assflaps for just a moment so that we might direct your attention towards something that actually matters (like, a lot) – today is the official Day Against DRM. Do you know what DRM stands for? If not, you should, because Digital Rights Management is an issue that will effect every single person who uses digital technology, and if you're reading this, that means you. Right now a few very rich guys in the entertainment industry are trying to control what you are and are not allowed to do with the products you purchase online, be it a mp3 file, a movie, a ringtone or one of the other countless other forms of media that have now become a regular part of our day-to-day lives. They say this technology is to "keep honest people honest" by locking down their music and media in ways that restrict their privacy and freedom. As Boing Boing puts it:
DRM doesn't stop "piracy" — the only people who get DRM infections are people who don't pirate their media. You get DRM by buying your movies, music, games and books through authorized channels — the stuff you download from P2P or buy off of a blanket at a flea-market has already had the DRM cracked off of it.
Taking a page from the Snakes On A Plane playbook, the people over at the Transformers site are trying their best to make sure that their new movie doesn't suck. Or, if it does suck, that it at least sucks because of you.
If you head over to the official Transformers movie site you can enter the Make Prime Speak contest. Fans are urged to create a line of dialogue for Optimus Prime to speak; one winner will have thier line spoken by Prime in the movie. Amazing.
So what do you want to hear Optimus Prime say? "I've had it with all these muthaf**king Transformers on this muthaf**king planet!" "Don't Hassle The Hoff!" "Firecrotch!" The possibilities are endless. What are you going with?
It's been awhile since we've darkened The Hoff's door, so let's take another trip to the Fortress of Hoffitude and find out what our man Davey's been doing, shall we?
We thought you'd enjoy this vintage Tollywood rip-off of Michael Jackson's video for "Thriller" (way scarier!), though we must say – just because he molests children doesn't mean MJ doesn't have Intellectual Property rights!
(via iFilm)
From first hearing about it, to first trying it, to first seeing how much fun it can be, we must confess to you, dear readers, our recent love affair with Cocaine, the energy drink. Since this wonderful product has come into our lives, everything seems to be going great – we've got more energy, we're way more interesting to talk to, and we find the tabloid trashcan we must sift through every day to be far more tolerable. So why are these party-poopers trying to kill our buzz and tell us there's something wrong with all the heart-pumping fun we've been having with Cocaine, the energy drink? Take this square, for example:
"There are only two reasons that you would seek to use this infamous and insidious name to market your so-called energy drink,†said Councilman James Sanders Jr. of Queens, who organized a news conference at City Hall. "Either you are woefully ignorant of the horrors of cocaine addiction, or your god is the dollar bill, and not even human life is more sacred.â€
Just like "The Man" – always trying to ruin a good thing and a great time. I guess "James Sanders Jr." (if that's even his real name) didn't bother to read the tiny disclaimer on DrinkCocaine.com that clearly states, "We don't advocate drug use. What you do with your drink is completely up to you!". Now THAT is what I call a firm stance! If he'd bothered doing a little research before his sanctimonious grandstanding, Councilman Sanders also could have read some handy tips on how to make mixed drinks such as the Liquid Cocaine, the Cocaine Snort and, my personal favorite, the Cocaine/Apple Tini. I'm sipping on one of those delicious concoctions as I type this very sentence. Mmmm hmmm.
There's just something about David Palmer asking Joy Behar this question that proves, once and for all, everything is going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay.
The Salvador Dali painting that is Anna Nicole Smith's life has somehow managed to become even more surreal, with paparazzi photographer turned subject-seducer Larry Birkhead now filing a paternity suit against Smith to determine whether or not he is the father of her newborn child (who ever would have thought a man would be arguing to PROVE he knocked up Anna Nicole?) Birkhead alleges that Smith is addicted to methadone, the same heroin substitute that was partially responsible for the tragic death of her eldest son. Additionally, he accuses Smith of orchestrating an elaborate ruse to find someone (namely her new husband/attorney Howard K. Stern) to publicly claim to be the child's father, an allegation we find dubious if for no reason other than Anna Nicole's inability to orchestrate anything more elaborate than a sandwich. Only time – and justice – will tell whether Mr. Birkhead is a sleazy opportunist, or a loving father desperately trying to save his child from a life of torture and abuse at the hands of a woman who was once the subject of a reality show about being addicted to pills.
As the MLB Playoffs begin this afternoon, we here at BWE would like to offer our congratulations to the New York Yankees and their fans. After having to endure a brutal stretch of nearly 11 straight months without a playoff appearance, the Yankees are finally back where they belong: The Postseason, on FOX!
It wasn't easy. Many doubters didn't think the Yankees would be able to follow in the footsteps of previous playoff-bound Yankee teams– legendary teams from the past, lead by players like Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Chien Ming-Wang and Jason Giambi (pictured indicating the number of drug tests he passed this year, Right). Yet somehow the Yankees were able to find a way to get this season's ragtag group of All-Stars (one at every single position, mind you) to compile 97 victories and yet another Division Title. And they found a way to do it all with a payroll of just $200 million. It must not have been easy.
So congratulations, New York! Waiting 11 long months and having to endure 162 straight games of non-Playoff baseball must not have been easy! Welcome back to the Postseason… on FOX!


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Choose from our best hostels in Byron Bay, Australia
Byron Beach Resort
- 25 Childe Street, Belongli Beach, Byron Bay
- 20th Mar 2015
Nice hostel. Very chill. Away from the town but they have a shuttle. If you want to party stay in town if you want a low key vibe stay here. Overall very good hostel. More
Anonymous (USA) (Male) Novice Nomad
- 19th Mar 2015
nice kitchen. clean bathrooms. far from town. must pay for WiFi. More
Anonymous (USA) (Female) Novice Nomad
Cape Byron YHA
- Cnr Byron & Middleton Sts, Byron Bay, Byron Bay
- 15th Mar 2015
Mini bus when I got there staff and room brilliant More
Anonymous (England) (Male) Avid Traveller
- 9th Mar 2015
Good hostel with free WiFi in communal areas. Mostly young people partying but I'm older More
katehmphrs5549 (Wales) (Female) Avid Traveller
Backpackers Holiday Village
- 116 Jonson St, Byron Bay, Byron Bay
- 12th Mar 2015
Holiday village is totally ok. For me, personally, too much party in the common areas from early evening on (but ends at 10:30pm). And wifi could be 24hrs instead of only the reception hours (till 9pm). More
Anonymous (Germany) (Female) Novice Nomad
- 1st Mar 2015
Holiday village was a very good place to stay, the staff were super friendly and the atmosphere is awesome! More
Anonymous (Finland) (Female) Novice Nomad
Backpackers Inn on the Beach
- 29 Shirley Street, Byron Bay
- 20th Mar 2015
I love this backpackers - nice and close to town and has a great atmosphere. More
- 17th Mar 2015
Great Hostel. Really helpful and pleasant staff. Plenty to do in and around the hostel and it's right on the beach. Love Simon on reception! What a babe! More
Aquarius Backpackers Byron Bay
- 16 Lawson St, Byron Bay
- 19th Mar 2015
Door constantly open, felt very insecure. Woman comes in everyone's room at 9 taking any alcohol or just generally dampening the mood. 10 minute walk from the bars down a street with no street lights. Room was spacious and patio was nice but not worth the money. More
Anonymous (England) (Male) Novice Nomad
- 12th Mar 2015
Great social hostel! Friendly staff More
Arts Factory Lodge
- Skinners Shoot Rd, Byron Bay
- 24th Mar 2015
This hostel is a great place to stay if you want natural surrounds. With teepees and permanent tents by the pond with bushland settings. And activities such bushland tucker walks and plant bracelet making. But just watch your step with the water dragon/lizards and bush turkeys, who roam More
- 18th Mar 2015
Great atmosphere at the hostel. Stayed in the Lakeside Cabin which was great - had its own bathroom and mini kitchen. A lot to do at the hostel with different activities every day. Town is very chilled and about a 10 minute walk from hostel but there is a shuttle every day. There's live More
Byron Bay YHA
- 7 Carlyle Street, Byron Bay NSW 2481, Byron Bay
- 13th Feb 2015
Really nice hostel! Friendly staff, very clean and good position. It's like a resort: pool, stairs, umbrellas, etc... I stayed in a female 9 beds dorm and had no problems. More
Anonymous (Italy) (Female) Novice Nomad
- 27th Dec 2014
Great location chilled out hostel. Facilities are great and staff are helpful. If you are after a relaxing place where most ppl keep to themselves this is the place for you. If you are after a party, event staff, organised club or pub nights then I would recommend you stay elsewhere. More
Nomads Byron Bay
- Lawson Lane, Byron Bay
- 24th Mar 2015
This was a really good hostel to stay in! Really great location and really friendly, helpful staff! The kitchen was a little small with not all the cookers working very well. Other than that this was a great place to stay and I would recommend it to anyone! More
- 23rd Mar 2015
Bathroom wasn't cleaned in 4 days and it was pretty dirty. Some of the staff were unhelpful when trying to sort out problems. Other than that enjoyed my stay More
Anonymous (England) (MALE) Novice Nomad
Cape Byron Lodge
- 78 Bangalow Rd, Nsw, Byron Bay
- 11th Mar 2015
The staff is rude and the driver don´t care about you!! More
Anonymous (Spain) (Female) Novice Nomad
- 11th Mar 2015
After reading good reviews about this hostel I was really disappointed. When we checked in the guy was not friendly, he showed us our room and that's it, whereas other hostels showed us the bathrooms/kitchens etc. and went through the rules. The atmosphere was awkward, and unpleasant due More
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Byron Bay Guide
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Originally Posted by photomc
Sadly, because it was a really good gallery (I bought a Chistopher Burkett 'graph there) the Edward Carter gallery and his several other galleries have ceased to exist. Several years ago, he apparently overextended himself, went bankrupt, and 'fled' to Singapore. The gallery in NYC was great though...the place is missed I'm sure.


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Eternal Wash has more in mind than just cleaning cars. The Gardena based establishment also gives back to the community.
Now through July 2015 the business is raising money for Children's Healthcare issues in Los Angeles, and to assist Mercy Mission Bear Hospital and Adoption Agency in opening the first one and only 5 story Teddy Bear Hospital, slated to help provide teddy bears of cheer to disadvantaged children in need of healthcare; financial assistance for medical operations and home based medical care; family transportation back and forth to hospitals for follow up treatments and an array of other services for the ill child afraid of what tomorrow may bring.
The hospital is also slated to provide an entire floor dedicated to sharing our lives and resources with the elderly. They will be present from 7 a. m. to 7 p. m. to enjoy entertainment, giant screen televisions on all walls, nutritious meals and game time, and a resting place during the day where they can find peace and solace. Nurses and MD'S will be on hand daily, around the clock to provide medication and love!
Read more at EURThisNthat.


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- Yes: "Should the Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered?" [New York Times "Room for Debate"]
- "New police radars can 'see' inside homes" [Gannett]
- "'Shopping cart' patent beaten by Newegg comes back to court, loses again" [Joe Mullin, ArsTechnica]
- "Utah woman can sue herself over fatal car accident, ruling says" [Salt Lake Tribune, Lowering the Bar]
- "Large Product Liability Awards Made Comeback in 2014″ [Margaret Cronin Fisk, Bloomberg]
- New York assembly ex-speaker Silver indicted; charges reduced from five to three [Reuters]
- "Your fruit may be patented." [Dan Lewis, Now I Know]
Posts Tagged 'surveillance'
How common a practice is this?
Feds charge two California private investigators with hiring hackers to obtain information about litigants in civil suits [ABA Journal]
Warrantless police access to hotel records
Time to rethink a traditional law enforcement practice? "In City of Los Angeles v. Patel, which will be argued in the Supreme Court March 3rd, a group of hoteliers have challenged the city's ordinance requiring them to hand over customer data whenever a police officer wants it." The innkeepers prevailed in an en banc Ninth Circuit ruling and the case is now before the high court [Jim Harper, Cato] More: Tim Cushing, TechDirt.
"Body Cameras for All: One Way to Avert Lawsuits"
"Anyone whose situation might later spark legal claims should at least think about wearing a body camera." Among those lately adopting them: "private-sector service workers from security guards and repo men to electricians and real-estate agents." [Christopher Mims, Wall Street Journal]
"U.S. Spies on Millions of Cars"
Per documents released in response to a FOIA request, the federal government maintains a large program using automatic license-plate readers to track vehicles in real time (not just in later investigation) and nationwide (not just near borders). The program "collects data about vehicle movements, including time, direction and location, from high-tech cameras placed strategically on major highways." The resulting photographs are "sometimes" clear enough to identify drivers or passengers. "One email written in 2010 said the primary purpose of the program was asset forfeiture." Although the program is run by the Drug Enforcement Administration, its data is increasingly shared for investigations unrelated to drugs. [Wall Street Journal]
Forfeiture-driven law enforcement is at this point deeply embedded in our practice at both federal and local levels, and the small and ambiguous federal-level reforms announced by AG Holder earlier this month are unlikely to turn that around in themselves.
Conor Friedersdorf comments: "The DEA will obviously continue to lose the War on Drugs. We've traded our freedom to drive around without being tracked for next to nothing. … Unfortunately, leaders in the U.S. law enforcement community feel that they're justified in secretly adopting sweeping new methods with huge civil liberties implications." (cross-posted and expanded at Cato at Liberty). A different view: Jazz Shaw, Hot Air (could be useful in "managing crime," and think of the children: unless we let government monitor our comings and goings, the throwers of little girls into vans will win). And more: They can watch your car, but as Waze flap confirms, don't you dare watch theirs [Liz Sheld]
Update: new emails reveal plans of even wider scope, including a proposal (which DEA says was not acted on) to cooperate with BATF to track license plates of gun show attendees. The Guardian quotes me about the chilling effect systematic surveillance can have on the exercise of rights, and about the impetus for cooperation between Right and Left on reining in law enforcement use of data tracking. Note pp. 10, 27-28 of this NRA amicus brief in an ACLU mass-surveillance case. And earlier on license plate tracking here (Los Angeles FOIA), here and here (Maryland), and here (Radley Balko). And with the rapid development of onboard computer technology, our cars ourselves could soon be reporting our driving habits to the government. But that'd never happen, right? [Steven Greenhut] "Taxing Us To Spy On Us" [Chris Edwards]
Police and prosecution roundup
- "Georgia's Highest Court Limits Power Of Private Probation Industry" [WABE, Augusta Chronicle, earlier here, here, here, and here]
- Federal judge slams as "preposterous" DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) actions in raid on Tampa pharmacy [Tampa Bay Online]
- "At Least 40 Federal Agencies Now Conduct Undercover Operations" [Jesse Walker]
- "'Gotcha' program designed to rake in revenue": "Nassau County Lawmakers Repeal Speed Camera Program" [CBS New York]
- "Creepy": "FBI Agents Pose as Repairmen to Bypass Warrant Process" [Bruce Schneier]
- Somewhere an old guy in his room is wondering about ending it all, and somewhere a fanatic has been made happy [Elizabeth Nolan Brown on launch of Anaheim, Calif. shaming program to post names of sex purchasers online indefinitely]
- Heather Mac Donald: In defense of broken-windows policing [Time]
Santa's surveillance
…the Federal Bureau of Investigation approached Santa Claus to enlist his cooperation in a new surveillance program. FBI agents advised Santa that his extensive knowledge regarding "bad" children, and failure to disclose this information to the government, likely made him guilty of millions of counts of misprision of a felony. But, the agents added, perhaps a deal could be arranged.
Relax, it's not real, it's just Prof. Kyle Graham's annual Christmas card couched in the form of a criminal procedure final exam. (Last year's was a constitutional law final exam).
Should cops wear cameras?
I'm at 1:45 in this report that aired on WOAI (San Antonio), Fox 45 Baltimore, and other Sinclair Broadcasting stations nationwide, with accompanying article. See Nick Gillespie in Time, also linked yesterday; earlier on police cameras here, etc.
P.S. Don't underestimate the data security issues.
August 4 roundup
- Administration tees up massively expensive regulation docket for after election [Sam Batkins, American Action Forum]
- More on FedEx's resistance to fed demands that it snoop in boxes [WSJ Law Blog, earlier]
- Ethics war escalates between Cuomo and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, but is sniping in press suitable role for prosecutor? [New York Post, Ira Stoll]
- "Mom Hires Craigslist Driver for 9-Year-Old Son, Gets Thrown in Jail" [Lenore Skenazy]
- One-way fee shifts, available to prevailing plaintiffs but not defendants: why aren't they more controversial? [New Jersey Lawsuit Reform Watch]
- Water shutoff woes sprang from Detroit's "pay-if-you-want culture" [Nolan Finley, Detroit News]
- "CPSC Still Trying to Crush Small Round Magnet Toys; Last Surviving American Seller Zen Magnets Fights Back" [Brian Doherty]
Texas plans to fingerprint all drivers
A step too far for the surveillance state? And has it even been authorized by Texas law? [Dave Lieber, Dallas Morning News and more via Jon Cassidy, Watchdog.org] More: TechDirt.