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By Mawuse Ziegbe
The holiday season is always a sickening deluge of parties, stiff "holiday cheer" (which I temper with stiff drinks) and a glut of obligations. In a year of highs (getting my own column, fluffing an increasingly enviable Afro) and lows (finally ending that relationship, trying not to strangle yokels at the day job) I needed the festive distractions of the silly season more than ever. I spent Thanksgiving in the ER grappling with my mother's decaying health taking breaks only to try to coax her into retiring and to bitch about the lack of beer in the hospital gift shop. At dinner, I looked after my mother during one of those large family gatherings attended by old African aunties and uncles who think "my writing career in New York" is a euphemism for "hooking on Hunts Point." I returned to New York only to field calls from relatives who dropped clumsy hints ("why don't you move back to Boston and take of your mother?") about how I should handle the situation. Hello stress-related acne.
Managing her health crisis from another state, doctors regarded me like a crackpot with reverse-Munchausen syndrome. After rattling off a list of concerns M.D.s would respond "well she looks just dandy! We sent her off with some Halls and a smile. To do any conclusive tests we'll need her consent and $20,000 for a new vending machine in the break room. Where are you calling from again?" Doctors would announce to colleagues that I was her daughter from New York as if I wasn't interested in her well-being but instead looking for the right moment to steal her wallet. Between witnessing my ever-fabulous mother (we used to get mistaken for sisters until, well, I moved away) fade into a shadow of her former self and dealing with residents who act like they got their book-learnin' from the Fisher Price School of My First Malpractice Suit, I needed some cot-damn holiday cheer.
The only fete I could drag myself to was the Okayplayer and Frank 151 bash at B.B. Kings. The lineup was like The Roots Present Everyone They've Ever Met – EVER. Melle Mel milled about in a white suit that can only be described as "pimpalicious." After a tepid set by Tanya Morgan featuring 88 Keys and a jazzy appearance from Alice Smith, Res and Talib Kweli satisfied fans with "Get By" and "We Got The Beat." When The Roots began rocking the frenetic thump of "You Got Me," we knew it was time for an extra special female guest. Out came Estelle with a completely uncalled-for bowl cut. Despite the "Family Ties" hair, she delivered a dubby version of the classic Roots joint and segued into her dubby single, "Come Over."
After The Roots performed Fela Kuti's "Beasts Of No Nation," Bilal, looking and sounding like the bastard love child of Melvin Van Peebles and Prince, howled his way through an epic rendition "Soul Sista." Q-Tip performed "Manwomanboogie," "Gettin' Up" and a few gnarly freestyle bars. Pharoahe Monch and Black Thought joined in and then, smooth as pie, Q-Tip swapped drumming duties with ?uestlove. So then, it's 'Tip on drums, Thought on the mic and my jaw on the floor. I left around 2 AM with the plucky tones of The Roots' "Next Movement" as my traveling music.
I dread it every year but in 2008, I learned that the holidays can always be worse. So bless The Roots, a band that has given me countless memories that don't involve congested shopping malls and tense family moments. Bless the friends who have been able to slip in a festive distraction here and there. And bless my ma, whose wallet I hope to make off with come Christmas morn.


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Joined IHG® Rewards Club at a Hotel?
Joining is easy and free
Earn points at over 4,700 hotels
Redeem points for free rooms and more
Contact your local IHG® Rewards Club Customer Care to source your PIN and to update your profile with your email address. When you receive your PIN you can also update your email address via www.ihg.com/updateemail.
Reward Nights
When redeeming points for a Reward Night, you may only book one room at a time.
Once you complete your Reward Night reservation you will be given the option to duplicate this reservation.
* Requires affiliation in the respective organization.
** Best Available Rate Search does not include affiliation rates.
To book more than 9 rooms for one stay or request a quote, please use our Easy Meetings tool, call 1-800-MEETING (in United States, Mexico and Canada) or contact a Global Sales Office.
Convenient location off I-94 near businesses and attractions, Cereal City's full-service hotel offers premium accommodations, making it the perfect place for your next stay in Central Michigan.
FireKeepers Casino, Binder Park Zoo, Full Blast Water Park and the beautiful Leila Arboretum..
Major corporations located near our hotel include
Kellogg's World Headquarters, Denso, Magna Cosma, Post Cereals, Duncan Aviation and Fort Custer Industrial Park..
Our accommodations offer premium amenities, including heated, indoor pool, Fitness Center, arcade and full-service restaurant, open for breakfast and dinner. We invite you to experience all the Holiday Inn Battle Creek Hotel has to offer.
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The Torchbearer Award is given to hotels that have achieved the highest level of excellence in all aspects of operations - from quality to customer satisfaction. Created to honor the best of the best as measured by our guests, this award is presented to hotels that raise the bar even further. These outstanding hotels "carry our torch", and represent the highest achievement in quality and service.
IHG® Rewards Club Excellence Award
Service above and beyond the call of duty is a matter of pride to the IHG® Rewards Club family of brands. The IHG® Rewards Club Excellence Award is significant because the award recognizes hotels that are consistently delivering benefits and recognition to our top customers - IHG® Rewards Club members.

subset: commoncrawl


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Please rate the following general attributes of your stay.
(We realize this is a comprehensive survey and appreciate the extra attention involved in answering the various sections, however, you welcome to skip any sections that do not apply to your stay or that you don't want to address. All answers and energy customers place into our survey is deeply appreciate and we promise to read each and every one!)


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Red Howler Monkey
The boat ride back to the lodge after a trip to the community medicinal plant garden is as peaceful as it is beautiful. Green jungle flanks each side of the smooth, coffee-brown Tambopata River. A snow-white Great Egret stalks the shoreline and a pair of Red and Green Macaws screech as they fly high overhead. It's a sunny afternoon and cicadas lazily drone from the Peruvian jungle. Just as the boat rounds a bend, the guide suddenly yells out, "Red Howler Monkeys"!
Pointing to the top of a tree on the left, the guests can make out what appear to be several reddish, round objects in its crown. As they get closer, one of the objects starts clambering along a branch and the air is filled with an odd, roaring, windy sound. The monkeys are chewing on leaves and don't seem to pay any attention to the people watching them through binoculars. As the boat moves on, the guide says, "Red Howlers are vegetarians. We often see them along this part of the river. Maybe we will see another troop on our way in to the lodge."
Red Howler Monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) are one of several primate species that make their home in the forests of Tambopata. Not as active as other monkeys, they tend to sit up in a favorite tree and feast on the surrounding leaves for long periods of time. This monkey occurs at all of the Amazonian eco-lodges run by Rainforest Expeditions and is frequently sighted by guests during their Peruvian jungle tour.
Some more facts about Red Howler Monkeys:
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Valmont Park news Update
Submitted by Kris Thompson on
Today local Cyclocross Enthusiast Greg Keller posted some good news on the project along with a proposed layout of the park! One interesting quote
The project is now top priority and being examined for implementation as early as next year.
Thanks Greg for the Post!!


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Rated 4.8 out of 5 by 41 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5 by MiaC Finally got my hands on this Unicorn! I have been waiting forever to get my hands on one of these. Never in stock either on line or at my local store. I stopped at my local World Market and figured I ask. To my surprise it was in stock! Snatched this bad boy on the spot. It's everything I had expected it to be. I can relate to the frustration of having to chase this forever. Knowing that it is in such high demand they should be ordering these in large quantities. Anyway, it was worth the wait. Perfect for my studio. October 26, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by LindsayB Beautiful Desk at a Great Price We love our new drafting desk. Even at full price this is a great deal - but I was able to purchase this on sale, even better! After purchasing and loving our World Market recycled rubberwood office desk, we knew we'd love the quality of this drafting desk were not disappointed. The desk was easy to put together and will be a focal point in our home for years and years. This piece is more decorative than functional at this point but we would use it either way. It would have been nicer to be able to purchase this in-store to avoid the nearly $50 shipping charge, but that is our only complaint. August 19, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by allthingsbritish Fantastic Desk This desk was just as expected. Great quality for the cost. Very happy with my purchase. August 19, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by orangeblossom Gorgeous Desk! I bought this desk for my brother who is an illustrator. He did NOT like it because the top of the desk does have some texture to it. Since he works with a brush pen the texture of the desk would disrupt his line work. I however, do pencil work on very thick paper so the texture is not a problem for me. So...I kept the desk for myself. LOL. I love this desk. It's gorgeous! It's a greyish brown color like the pictures. Very easy to assemble. I did need help to hold up pieces when assembling. Works wonderfully. Overall this desk is a gorgeous functional piece and I love it. :D August 5, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by DanW Quality product This product was easy to assemble and has a great style. Glad I purchased it. August 5, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by bluesky2day Classy style I needed a drawing table that would look cool along with furniture in the living room of my apartment. Had actually purchased another one, but it was too much metallic and had a plastic table top. ( I am donating that to my grandson) This desk is large--lots of room to spread out, and I like the way the table-top adjusts to tilt it. It is tall though--I have a bar stool with a back to sit on when I use the table. I had a minor problem getting one of the pegs to go in when assembling it, but it doesn't appear to affect the sturdiness. Overall, I am very happy with this desk and love the kind of old-world look. July 18, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by miko love it I ve been looking for something like this for a long time. was considering the restoration hardware drafting desks but when I saw one in their outlet I was disappointed because somehow it didnt look like in its catalog at all. then I bought this one. it looks great in my painting/crafting area. adds a bit steam punk feel to my decor. Love it! May 22, 2015
Rated 5 out of 5 by Mickie2008 Looks even better in my office! The tone was a little on the green side at the store, it must have been the lighting; it's actually more of a coffee color. Once I got it home it was easy to put together, took 20 or so minutes. It looks amazing and I'm so impressed with the quality! I also purchase the Hudson Counter Stool and the clip on lamp. I'm still in the process of revamping my work space but it looks 100% better already! It's easy to change from a flat position (for working and sewing) to slanted for drawing and painting and seems secure in any position. I'm impressed :) March 1, 2015
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June 8, 2013
Career Stat PDFs: Farris | Cunningham | Bill
TUCSON, Ariz. - A trio of pitchers for the University of Arizona baseball team were selected on the final day of the 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft to push the school's total to six draftees over the three-day, 40-round event.
Junior right-hander James Farris was called with the first pick of the 15th round and 437th overall by the Houston Astros. Senior righty Nick Cunningham was selected by the Baltimore Orioles with the 609th overall pick in the 20th round, and senior lefty Augey Bill also went to the Orioles in the 39th round with the 1,179th overall selection.
A native of Gilbert, Ariz., Farris has been a starting pitcher in the weekend rotation over the last two seasons. Farris has appeared in 34 games and made 32 career starts for the Wildcats, posting a 12-8 record and a 4.22 earned run average. He has 147 strikeouts and only 46 walks in 206.2 innings pitched.
A native of Indianapolis, Ind., Cunningham appeared in 66 games and threw 96.0 innings while serving a variety of roles in his four-year career. Cunningham went 4-4 with six saves and a 5.16 earned run average. He racked up 80 strikeouts against 43 strikeouts mostly as a reliever, but did make three starts.
A native of Danville, Calif., Bill turned in a strong senior season for the Wildcats in which he set career highs for appearances, innings pitched and strikeouts. The Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention selection posted a 4-1 record with two saves and a team-best 1.98 earned run average in 27.1 innings pitched. He appeared in 48 career games and made one start for the Wildcats, totaling a 5-2 record and three saves over 48.1 innings.
Saturday's selections follow three Wildcats being chosen by clubs on Friday.
The first to have his name called was third baseman Brandon Dixon, who was picked in the third round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Outfielder Johnny Field was drafted as a second baseman by the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth round, and right-handed pitcher Konner Wade went to the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round.
The 2012 national championship club has produced 11 total draft picks over the last two seasons. Alex Mejia (4th round, St. Louis Cardinals), Robert Refsnyder (5th, New York Yankees), Kurt Heyer (6th, St. Louis Cardinals, Seth Mejias-Brean (8th, Cincinnati Reds) and Joey Rickard(9th, Tampa Bay Rays) each departed after their junior seasons last summer.
DRAFT NOTES: All-time, 226 Arizona baseball players have been drafted, including 87 in the last 15 seasons ... Of those 226 selections, 60 have been taken in the first five rounds ... A total of 58 players have been drafted since Andy Lopez was named the coach prior to the 2002 season (11 have reached the big leagues) ... The Wildcats have had 19 players drafted over the last three drafts ... Eleven Wildcats have been selected in the first 10 rounds over the last three drafts ... Arizona has had at least one pick in 16-conseuvtive drafts with 1997 being the last year a Wildcat was not selected.


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Time Management Tips
· Create semester schedule. Include due dates, test dates, and other important events.
· Use your semester schedule as a basis to create an hour-based weekly schedule.
· Schedule fixed blocks of time first.
· Schedule time for daily activities:
- Eating
- Sleeping
- Exercising
· Plan for a minimum of 2 hours of study time for every hour in class.
· Schedule time for fun.
· Allow for flexibility in your schedule.
· Use a daily TO DO list to accomplish goals and prioritize tasks.
· Learn to say NO.
Managing Study Time
· Spend 15 – 20 minutes a day per class reviewing notes and clarifying points.
· Avoid marathon study sessions.
- Schedule 2 hour study sessions
- Take a 10 minute break every hour
- Avoid studying similar subjects together
· Set specific study goals for each session.
· Study during your best time of day.
· Use a regular study area.
· Study in the library.
· Try to study during daylight hours.
Info from: UI Tutoring and Academic Assistance Programs
Source: Becoming a Master Student, by David Ellis. 1997


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Representing the Juvenile Criminal Defendant: Navigating the Juvenile Justice System
OBJECTION! Making and Responding to Objections
Attorney Fee Awards and Sanctions
The Automobile Accident Case: Taking Your Case to Trial
Computer Forensics for Lawyers
Effective Use of Interrogatories, Document Requests, and Requests for Admission
What's New at the Virginia Supreme Court? An Overview of Recent Civil Decisions 2016


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ZF-3492: Old info in docs
There's some outdated info in the docs regarding checks Zend_Loader has performed in the past.
This sentence for example is incorrect ' This method throws Zend_Exception on failure, for example if the specified file does not exist.' ( http://framework.zend.com/manual/en/… ). People trying to reproduce code get in trouble by this kind of (imho minor) mistakes.
Freeaqingme As reported by:
Resolved in trunk in r12771.


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Complement your Coralife BioCube 14 or 29 aquarium with a matching custom-styled contemporary aquarium stand. Made from high-density fiberboard, the BioCube Stand provides plenty of support for heavy reef setups. Store your aquarium essentials cleanly away inside this stand's roomy storage area. Loaded with premium features including triple-coated, water resistant finish and predrilled holes for convenient routing of electrical cords. Sturdy feet elevate the BioCube stand for ventilation and reduce the risk of damaging carpet or hardwood surfaces. Charcoal gray. Easy assembly required.
Single-door BioCube 14 Stand (approx. 15-3/8" wide x 15-3/4" deep x 28-3/4" high) fits Oceanic BioCube 14 aquariums. Double door BioCube 29 Stand (approx. 21 1/4 deep " x 20-1/2" wide x 28-3/4" high) fits Oceanic BioCube 29 aquariums.
Please click on "More Information" for BioCube Stand setup instructions.


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Policy Options: Increase Resources for Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs
Get soft drink or other snack taxes earmarked for health campaigns and programs; if your state doesn't have such a tax, try to get one passed.
Find out your state's policy on soft drink and snack food taxes — list from the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Strengthen National and State Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Programs.


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As spring break and warm weather are rapidly approaching, it is time to take a close look in the mirror. Has winter and stress begun to show on your face? Are wrinkles beginning to ghost around your eyes and forehead? Are you ready to show off some radiant skin during your spring break getaway, or are you getting ready for a special event like a wedding?
Never fear — Bellevue Plastic Surgery knows just what to do.
At our office, Dr. Bryan McIntosh has a skincare brand that he loves to recommend to clients. ZO skincare, designed by Dr. Zein Obagi, redefines skin care to not only treat skin disease and blemishes, but also to create and maintain healthy, vibrant skin. This philosophy has led to a large array of products that nourish and replenish the skin, supporting daily skin health and protection from environmental irritants.
ZO skincare is for every age and every patient, with a variety of products and results-oriented therapies that are tailored to each patients specific needs. These clinically proven products offer stronger, smoother, firmer skin that is evenly toned and fully hydrated. It's no wonder that plastic surgeons and doctors recommend ZO – and it's no wonder that this is the brand that so many of our Bellevue patients request.
If you're already a ZO fan, now is the time to purchase. If you're new to the brand, it's time to try it out!
Our aesthetic skin rejuvenation treatments are tailored to perfectly treat and soothe your skin. When you come in for your initial complimentary consultation, we talk about the products you use and like, and identify what might be troublesome for your skin in your current skincare regimen.
After your initial consultation, you get to start the fun! We offer a wide range of facials that will suit every age, every skin type, and any event. From a quick and effective Express Facial, to the Level 3 Anti-Aging Program, we design the treatments around you — and what your skin needs to be vibrant and healthy.
Many of our facials and skin treatment program utilize the products from ZO Skincare. We may recommend some particular products for you to take home to continue the amazing effects of the facial — and with our March special, remember that both the facial and the skincare products will be 20% off!
Here's a peek a couple of our most loved facials:
This facial is for mature skin that needs to stem off signs of aging, such as fine lines, uneven skin tone, and loss of elasticity. With an exfoliation process and the use of concentrated growth factors, retinol, and specialized enzymes, we can repair and heal moderate skin damage at the cellular level.
Going somewhere and want to look fabulous? The express facial is your perfect solution! This treatment brightens and renews your skin, while thoroughly cleansing it as well. It is a great solution for acne-prone skin. Pamper yourself with exfoliation, masques, creams, and a beautifully radiant face so that you can enjoy spring break with confidence.
You need that extra special sparkle? Our signature treatment is what you need to tighten and tone your skin while diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This facial will also help to lighten dark spots, tighten pores, and improves the health and resilience of your skin. Microdermabrasion is included in the treatment, along with ultrasonic infusion so that your skin is truly dazzling — and, more importantly, healthy. To learn more about your health this spring visit Bellevue Cosmetic Surgeon.


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The Arkansas Senate is considering whether to require voters to show photo identification before they can cast a ballot.
The Senate on Wednesday is expected to take up the voter ID proposal by Republican Sen. Bryan King of Green Forest. Poll workers are currently required to ask for identification, but voters don't have to show it in order to cast a ballot.
King's proposal wouldn't take effect until there's funding in place for the state to provide IDs free of charge to voters who don't drivers licenses. It also would exempt voters who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
Opponents have questioned the cost to the state of the requirement and whether it's aimed at disenfranchising voters.
Location, ST | website.com


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- Rooms/Rates
- Specials/Packages
- Pink Pony
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- Weddings
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- Photos
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Located just beyond Marquette Park, a few steps up from the main street is St. Cloud. This dormitory style housing complex is the home of many island employees. House rules and appropriate group ettiquete is maintained by a live in building managee. Rooms range is size and style. From two-person rooms to eight-person suites, the living arrangements make it easy to live on the Island for a season. Suites have their own bathroom with shower for the residents of the suite.
Keeping the residence clean is the responsibility of the residents. St Cloud does not provide bedding, employees should bring their own sheets, towels and pillow. Specific details will be outlined once hired.
Housing in the St Cloud Dormitory is $70.00 per week.


text: Admission Applicants may apply for admission at any time during the year. Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution and maintained an overall GPA of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale. Applicants must demonstrate the language proficiency necessary for successful graduate coursework. Application Process Applicants must submit: Application and Fee - Completed online application and nonrefundable $25 application fee. (Fee not required for alumni, students seeking readmission or veterans and active military personnel.) Official Transcripts - Submit an official transcript issued to Saint Mary's University from each undergraduate college or university attended, including an official transcript from the institution posting the applicant's completed bachelor's degree. Transcripts must be received from the credit-granting institution in the original sealed envelope. Saint Mary's cannot accept transcripts that have been scanned, faxed, e-mailed, opened, marked, or damaged in any way. Please contact the credit-granting institution directly to order your official transcripts. If you are submitting transcripts from countries other than the U.S., please see the international student section below. Personal Statement - A one-two page personal statement which includes: A brief description of the applicant's background, training, and experience A statement indicating the career goals of the applicant and his or her reasons for seeking admission to the program A description of the area(s) which the applicant considers to be his or her strengths and areas in which the applicant wishes to develop greater strengths and abilities Personal information the applicant wishes to share Letters of Reference - Two letters of recommendation that verify professional and/or volunteer experience and academic ability Résumé - A current résumé listing educational background and work experience Once all materials are submitted the applicant will be contacted by program staff for a possible enrollment interview. Application Documents Personal statement and resume References–The online application will prompt applicants to provide reference names and email addresses. The references will then be contacted via email with instructions on how to electronically submit a letter of recommendation Other application materials can be sent to: Office of Admission, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 2500 Park Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404 email@example.com If you have questions regarding admissions please contact us at (612) 728-5100 or (866) 437-2788. Application Criteria for Students with International Transcripts Additional application information may be required: English language proficiency exam (TOEFL, IELTS, or MELAB accepted) Course-by-course academic credential evaluation through World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators Please see the International Student section for additional information. Transfer Credits A maximum of six semester credits earned prior to matriculation at the university may be accepted in transfer upon the recommendation of the program director and with the approval of the dean as fulfilling program requirements or as electives. Tuition & Fees Tuition and fees can be found here.


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Wednesday, June 16, 2010
FMAP: Not an Insider's Game, Call the Senate Now
These are dangerous times for children and adults with mental illness and their families. The economic recession has already devastated services for persons of all ages with mental illnesses in communities across America. Budget cuts continue threaten basic services and treatments. Good programs and services that work to help people regain their lives are at risk.
This morning, as part of the overall jobs bill now pending in Congress, the U.S. Senate voted down a provision to extend each state's federal Medicaid match rate (known as FMAP) through June 2011.
Without this extension, many states will very likely cut funding for Medicaid, which is the most important source of funding of public mental health services. Millions of Americans rely on this system for their care. They are our co-workers, our neighbors and they are us.
Please help change the Senate's mind. Call your Senators now and ask them to vote to extend "FMAP." As part of the jobs bill (H.R. 4213). All Senate offices can be reached toll-free by calling 877-210-5351 or 877-442-6801 or through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
You can also send emails from here. Ask them not to pull the rug out from under state budgets that have already been deeply cut, thereby hurting people who live with mental illness.
5 comments:
- Whippies said...
I would like to thank NAMI for developing this blog. It is very important for NAMI members to feel connected and heard at the national level. Hopefully, many good ideas and developments can come from these interactions.
I did email my Senator regarding the U.S. Senate voting down a provision to extend each state's federal Medicaid match rate (known as FMAP) through June 2011. This would be devastating for individuals in the mental health community to lose their medicaid benefits. I hope others will send a short quick email or call.
Would you please comment about the following legislation from 2009?
I have recently learned of the "ENHANCED Act" from 2009 which was introduced by U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), George Voinovich (R-Ohio), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and John Kerry (D-Mass.). Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) is also a co-sponsor. This bill establishes 30 national centers of excellence for the treatment of bipolar and depression. The legislation is based on efforts catalyzed by the University of Michigan Depression Center with 15 other leading academic medical centers across the nation. Joining together, these universities created a network of depression centers positioned to take academic research and translate it into practice, standardize diagnoses, treat early and more effectively, and prevent recurrences of depression and bipolar disorders.
I was reviewing a meeting this legislation was discussed and the only mental health organization there to comment regarding it was Mental Health America.
Was NAMI aware of this legislation or did they support it? Other disease states less common than mental health have Medical Centers of Excellence. These centers are greatly needed for research and treatment.
Would NAMI support trying to pass this Act now? I am still in the process of trying to reach these Senators to see where this act is now.
I realize NAMI is a great supporter of research so this Enhance Act would seem appropriate for NAMI's agenda.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing your comments regarding this important and timely issue.
- June 18, 2010 at 11:06 AM
- Whippies said...
I emailed my senator to extend each state's federal Medicaid match rate (known as FMAP) through June 2011. I agree it is important for Medicaid programs to continuie so families with Mental Health needs can continue to get services.
On that same topic of services for mental health, I have recently learned that the bill, called the "ENHANCED Act of 2009" was introduced by U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), George Voinovich (R-Ohio), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and John Kerry (D-Mass.). Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) is also a co-sponsor. This bill establishes 30 national centers of excellence for the treatment of bipolar and depression.
The Act went to US SENATE COmittee on Health Education Labor and Pensions. I can not find where the Act went from there. I have written Senator Kerry.
Does NAMI have any strategies to support this Act and follow it?
This is extremely important Act and we can not allow it to disappear.
NAMI needs to respond to this inquiry. Are there any plans for the NAMI yearly meeting in Washington DC to further this initiative?
- June 19, 2010 at 1:34 PM
- activist5150 said...
I agree 100%. I am certainly directly affected by this non-action. I depend on medicaid and unemployment. What are our senators thinking? Republicans (elitists) need to stop being greedy and start being empathetic. What is our country coming to? Do we collectively have a heart any more? I am not sure.
- June 20, 2010 at 8:58 PM
- Whippies said...
Sorry my first blog was posted twice.
I wanted to add to my first blog that I have learned that the ENHANCED Act is now part of the LAW known as Health Care Reform, but much more needs to be done. Appropriations are needed, so our efforts have not ended.
So how will NAMI support this important legislation? As a member I want to be updated and know how I can best help this cause.
Thank you.
- June 21, 2010 at 3:55 PM
- Contributors: said...
Thanks for the concerned comments. NAMI is very aware of the ENHANCE Act and sent a letter of support on the issue.
- June 21, 2010 at 5:32 PM


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Mustard Pecan BBQ Slaw
Submitted By: Kath Eats Real Food
Serves: Makes 2 heaping servings
2 tablespoons mustard-style BBQ sauce
1teaspoon Country Bob's Spicy Sauce
1 teaspoon Guiden's Zesty mustard
4 cups of shredded green cabbage
Pinch of salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Pour mustard-style BBQ sauce, Country Bob's Spicy Sauce and Gulden's Zesty mustard into the bottom of a bowl.
Add in shredded green cabbage. Then drizzle a few more teaspoons of each on top and mix thoroughly.
Plus a pinch of salt and pepper.
And chopped pecans, toasted in the microwave for 1 minute on high.


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Booth to get mental evaluation
Eric Lee Booth, charged with the murder of Gordon R. Feist of Smart Way Road, Colville, could plead not guilty by reason of insanity after undergoing a mental evalua¬tion at Eastern State Hospital. At Booth's arraignment last Tuesday, his defense attorney, Paul Wasson, requested that his client be taken to Eastern State Hospital for a professional assessment of his mental state. Wasson said that while it was uncertain that Booth, 26, would enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, Wasson still made the request for the evaluation to preserve that option. Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Rasmussen said last Thursday that Booth is known to have cognitive issues. He agreed with Wasson that those issues should be researched before the case proceeds. On Sunday, July 17, a neighbor called 911 to report that an off-road vehicle had struck a utility pole in what was believed at the time to be a traffic accident on Smart Way Road. Medics arrived to find Feist bleeding from two gunshot wounds to the head. He was taken off of life sup¬port at Sacred Heart Medical Center on July 18. Investigators at the scene recovered a .22 magnum Derringer, which was reported stolen on June 28 from an¬other Stevens County residence. Booth claims he had accomplices According to Stevens County Sheriff Kendle Allen, Booth was attempting to burglarize Feist's upscale home when Feist found him. Booth supposedly falsified a story about how his car had run out of gas and he needed help. "Feist recognized the perpetrator because he (Booth) had done work for him before at his home and agreed to help him," said Sheriff Allen. Police found a two-gallon gas can in the back of the wrecked utility terrain vehicle. Investigators suspect that Booth feared that Feist would discover his ruse, so he shot him as they were driving on Smart Way, causing them to crash into the utility pole. Investigators think that Booth fled from the wreckage of the four-wheeler without retrieving the pistol from the scene because a nearby neighbor who heard the crash was coming out of his home to investigate during those late evening hours of July 17. Two accomplices Booth claimed helped him in the attempted robbery, Jesse J. Fellman-Shimmin, 27, and Collette M. Pierce, 40, remain in custody at the Stevens County Jail. Fellman-Shimmin was taken into custody on a hold from the state Department off Corrections and Pierce is in custody on drug charges. The investigation into their possible involvement in Feist's killing remains open. Booth's evaluation at Eastern State is expected to take place some time this week. His next court appearance is tentatively scheduled for August 22.


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Larry Paul Jacobson
Position: DT-DE
Height: 6-6 Weight: 260 lbs.
Born: December 10, 1949 in Sioux Falls, SD
High School: O'Gorman
College: Nebraska (school history) (Jacobson college stats)
Drafted by the New York Giants in the 1st round (24th overall) of the 1972 NFL Draft.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 11 (6880th overall since 1950)
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Though DarkRiver sentinel Mercy is feeling the pressure to mate, she savagely resists when Riley Kincaid, a lieutenant from the SnowDancer pack, tries to possess her. The problem is not simply that he pushes her buttons; the problem is that he's a wolf, she's a cat, and they're both used to being on top.
But when a brilliant changeling researcher is kidnapped from DarkRiver territory, Mercy and Riley must work together to track the young man—before his shadowy captors decide he's no longer useful. Along the way, the two dominants may find that submitting to one another uncovers not just a deadly conspiracy, but a passion so raw that it'll leave them both branded by fire…
Book Six in the Psy/Changeling Series
I've been awaiting the release of 'Branded by Fire' with intense impatience for many reasons. The first and the obvious being that I just wanted more of this author. But an even more important and more intense desire to read this novel began upon the moment that I learned that it would feature two Changelings as the hero and heroine. While I've loved the Changeling/human and Changeling/Psy love matches, I've been aching to see the mating dance between two Changelings. They're wildly intense and highly sexual creatures and beyond that, I love the dynamics of pack life and this pairing would ensure that the novel would be saturated in it.
Riley and Mercy have made annoying one another an additional job requirement to their many responsibilities as pack liaisons. Since the wolves of SnowDancer and the leopards of DarkRiver made a blood pact and became allies, Riley and Mercy were put in charge of interpack communications and to soothe any pack related fur. The problem is that Riley and Mercy don't necessarily play nice with one another. Both are extremely dominant and hold identical positions within the highest ranks of their packs. While Mercy is flamboyant, opinionated, outspoken and daring, Riley is calm, steadfast, quiet and cunning.
As a dominant female and sentinel of the DarkRiver pack, Mercy grudgingly accepts the fact that she may never mate. While the human in her may love with all her heart, her leopard won't be able to stand being tied so strongly to another. This happens occasionally with very dominant and independent females of the pack. But at this moment, Mercy doesn't care if the man's her mate, she just needs release on such a primal level that all other Changelings are picking up on her heat and when "stick-in-the-mud" Riley Kincaid steps out of the trees, Mercy is more than willing to take him on. She could use a bit of violence to cool her need. But when Riley begins tempting Mercy on a highly sexual level during their sparring, it takes her but a moment to dispel any leopard instincts to turn away the enemy wolf.
"Yield." His nose was almost touching hers.
"You wish." She smirked into chocolate-dark eyes. "Come closer."
"So you can bite me?" A flash of teeth. "First you yield. Then I'll come closer."
"Not on your life." If she yielded, she'd be acknowledging his dominance, at least for tonight.
"Then I guess I've have to make you."
"Try it." Smiling, she went for his throat and almost had him, when — using a move that was all sorts of illegal — he flipped her again so her front pressed into the leaf-laden ground, her wrists still locked in his iron grip and pinned above her head. "Cheater."
"So says the woman who tried to kick my balls into my throat," he pointed out, even as he licked the salt off the skin of her neck in a lazy and highly provocative move.
"I'm going to kill you." It was more hiss than sound.
He bit her.
In the soft, sensitive place between neck and shoulder.
She felt her entire body shiver from the inside out at the blatant show of dominance. "Stop it." It came out husky, nothing like the rejection she wanted it to be.
He took his mouth from her. "I've pinned you."
"That's wolf shit. I'm a cat."
"You're still trapped under me." He nuzzled at her throat. "And you smell all hot and wet and ready." His voice was dropping, going wolf on her.
And the heat between her thighs was turning into a pulsing drumbeat. Her stomach twisted in a vicious wave of need. God she was hungry, so sensually hungry. And Riley had taken her, his hold unbreakable. At that moment, the leopard didn't care that he wasn't a cat. It just cared that he was strong, sexy and aroused.
Branded by Fire © Nalini Singh
Not only are Mercy's sensual curves and feline nature a physical draw for Riley, it's also the fact that she's the one person who can break him out of his shell. Not very long ago Riley's sister, Brenna, was kidnapped and horribly abused by a Psy killer. Although Brenna was rescued and now happily mated, he still feels the guilt of her abduction and mind rape. Dreams plague him where Brenna is found dead rather than alive and ever since that horrific time of his life, Riley has closed himself off from others. While his cool demeanor may keep others at bay, it only serves to instigate Mercy's need to crack through his brooding moments of guilt and shame.
It's not long before Riley proves that he's just a tad more dominant than Mercy. And while this knowledge raises Mercy's hackles it also ignites her sexual desperation for the wolf and besides, he makes her cat purr. But when the mating dance blooms, the two must face some serious ramifications to their potential mating. For one, they shift into different animals. How will that affect their offspring if they can even have offspring? And more importantly, how will this affect their packs? Both Riley and Mercy are blood bound to their alphas and neither has the desire to leave their respective packs but if the mating bond is complete, one will undergo the heartbreak of their blood bond snapping apart from their alpha. Because Riley is the more dominant of the two, most likely it will be Mercy that will be forced away from her pack by the mating bond.
In the end, it's the female's decision whether or not to complete the mating bond and this causes the males to be a bit more feral than usual. Given the fact that Mercy holds the same rank within DarkRiver as Riley does in SnowDancer, there will be many times where both must face death. This poses a huge trust issue on Mercy's end for Riley. If his overbearing protective urges come into play, he could very well suffocate Mercy's leopard. Mercy will not drop her position in Pack and it's a real testament of Riley's promises to her when he walks into battle beside his mate.
Throughout all this emotional turmoil, added to the mix is the rise of the Human Alliance. No longer content with being known world round as the weakest link, the humans will not tolerate be looked down upon any longer. When launching a massive strike against the Psy Council members, the Alliance steps on the toes of the DarkRiver and SnowDancer packs thus rising their hackles and their claws. When juveniles from both packs are kidnapped, Riley and Mercy must put aside their mating dance and locate their packmates before its death that they find.
'Branded by Fire' lived up to every impossibly high expectation I set for it. In fact, it obliterated those expectations and rose above them into an entirely new realm of greatness. It's hard to imagine the Psy/Changeling series reaching an ever greater height of amazement but truly, this author continues to pleasantly shock me time and again.
I loved Mercy. It's not often that I fall in love with a heroine, but Mercy embodied traits that sang to my reader heart. She's strong, protective and intelligent and she never hurts anyone who is weaker than her, which is a lot of people. I love that she had courage and although mating to Riley was frightening for her, she trusted her heart. Mercy is a proud leopard but she didn't let that stop her from going to Riley when she's made a mistake and apologizing. Needless to say, Mercy earned my respect as well as my heart.
Riley. What a hero! He had so many shadows in his soul and its Mercy who shines some much needed light into his heart. Sometimes I've felt that in other novels, the heroine was more than the hero deserved, but not in this case. Riley deserved every inch of Mercy's soul. I also loved that although he was more dominant and frightfully protective, he gave Mercy freedom. He may have faltered a few times but in the end, he'd rather revel in the freedom of Mercy's soul than contain it. It showed depth in his love for Mercy that he could fight every dominant instinct and not smother Mercy's leopard. Riley has no wish to break her, he just wants to love her. Definitely a true hero.
The only draw back to this book is that it may not be a suitable start for new readers of the Psy/Changeling series. I even found myself confused at times since it has been a while since I read the book prior to 'Branded by Fire'. This wasn't enough incentive for me to drop the grade but I highly recommend new readers to start at the beginning of the series with 'Slave to Sensation'.


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Honest Americans are Being Lumped Together
with Terrorists, Beware!
Protest Signs Minutes after the bomb went off at the Boston Marathon, while emergency crews and brave Bostonians scrambled to help their neighbors, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said it could be homegrown terrorists to blame.
Soon after, T.V. pundit Chris Matthews goes on air and asks, " would you as an expert be thinking domestic at this point?"
Later, David Axelrod, a former Clinton and Obama advisor, lets out on air, " . I'm sure what was going through the president's mind is we really don't know who did this it was tax day. Was it someone who was pro-you know "
There's no doubt the U.S. has bad guys, we have the largest prison population in the world. The disturbing thing about these veiled statements is that it pushes the "war on terror" at home narrative, which attempts to justify eroding our civil liberties.
Since at least September 2005, the U.S. Department of Justice has publicly asserted that Americans who wish for less tax, a smaller government, or a greater adherence to the Constitution and Bill of Rights may be potential domestic terrorists.
The FBI has a label for it: Sovereign Citizen.
What's more, the "U.S. citizen as potential terrorist" narrative is even taught to military cadets at West Point.
A report written by Dr. Arie Perliger, director of terrorism studies at West Point's Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) reveals these irrational gems. Americans who embrace
Civil activism
Individual freedom
Strong convictions about the Federal government
Caution against corrupt and abusive politicians
Strong individual and constitutional rights are potential terrorists.
Today, more than ever, it's vital to be vigilant of what you do, say, and search for online (and offline). The government at the local, state, and federal levels, plus the mass media all irresponsibly target the wrong people hard-working Americans like you and I.
Yours in Freedom,
Lee Bellinger
Lee Bellinger, Publisher


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This fall, men's suiting returns in a big way. Pinstripes, trousers and stacked lace-ups will amp your power look in a New York second. Former model Patti Hansen (wife of Keith Richards) shows us who really wears the pants this season
First Published Tue, 2012-08-07 11:08
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Derland Paul Moore
Position: DT-NT-DE
Height: 6-4 Weight: 250 lbs.
Born: October 7, 1951 in Malden, MO
High School: Poplar Bluff
College: Oklahoma (school history)
Drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 2nd round (29th overall) of the 1973 NFL Draft.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 49 (1537th overall since 1950)
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1980 Game Log: Regular Season · Playoffs · vs.


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- Location:
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- Party Albums:
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Carly's 21st Birthday (38 photos)
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Carly wanted a fun, colourful dessert table for her 21st as she says she's just a big kid! So, I came up with the idea of a confetti/sprinkles theme and working with the very talented Elise from Sweet Scarlet Designs we came up with a colour palette of purple, hot pink, jade, aqua and orange. Still fun and colourful but no rainbow! The Dessert Table featured lots of yummy goodies by Mel from Paper & String, including white chocolate and sprinkle covered Profiteroles, Mini Chocolate Tarts, Mini Lemon Meringue Tarts, Coconut Rough, Peanut Brittle and White Chocolate Rocky Road. There was also amazing macarons by The Macaron Lady, in Red Velvet, Cherry Ripe and Salted Caramel flavours, as well as a selection of colourful lollies, including personalised M&M's.


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Rated 5 out of 5 by 4 reviewers.
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More Information
- Read more about Brian Berger's stormy tenure with the New Hanover board of commissioners here
- What does Brian Berger do for a living?
- What organization certifies Brian Berger to be a nonprofit executive?
- Follow Brian Berger from his election in late 2010 into his four-year term on the board of commissioners
Related MediaBerger amotion appeal heard in Greensboro
Court weighing fairness of Berger's removal
Published: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 12:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 5:52 p.m.
The fairness of the removal of former New Hanover County commissioner Brian Berger is now the central question before the court.
What's next:
Attorneys for former Commissioner Brian Berger and the county will now have the opportunity to file any additional evidence to support their positions on the amotion hearing's overall fairness. This evidence is due in mid-August. It will then be up to the judge to decide whether or not to hold an additional hearing.
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Attorneys representing the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners and Berger met at N.C. Business Court in Greensboro Tuesday afternoon for a nearly three-hour hearing.
Berger was removed from the county board May 20 following an amotion hearing. The commissioners voted 3-2 to oust him, with Berger and Commissioner Jonathan Barfield voting against the move.
The former commissioner filed an appeal of the decision with the New Hanover County Superior Court in mid-June. The case was later assigned to Special Superior Court Judge James Gale.
Gale on Tuesday was scheduled to decide whether an amotion is a proper way to remove an elected official and whether the rules for the amotion hearing passed by the board allowed for due process. If Gale had ruled that the amotion was valid, he would have had to determine whether the court has the jurisdiction and power to review an appeal.
However, after listening to hour-long opening arguments from John Martin, who represented the county commissioners, and Christopher Anglin, who represented Berger, Gale decided that his decision would solely focus on due process.
"I personally do not believe I have authority to do anything other than remand it to the board (of commissioners) with instructions," Gale said Tuesday afternoon.
Drawing the line
Gale said there are two issues deserving of the most attention to help determine the appropriateness of Berger's removal using the amotion process.
The first issue that should be looked at, Gale said, is where do you "draw the line, if there is one to be drawn, as to what evidence relates to ability to implement duties of office versus one's private life?"
He said the second is, "What does it mean to say you're entitled to a hearing before a fair and impartial board?"
Berger's attorney argued that statements made by some commissioners prior to the hearing suggest they had already made up their mind. He referenced a quote from Commissioner Jonathan Barfield during his argument, where Barfield stated that Berger's removal was a "done deal."
"He (Berger) deserves to have his commission seat back because he was not afforded a fair hearing," Anglin said after the appeal hearing.
Berger did not attend the hearing; instead, he was represented solely by Anglin.
Berger did not respond to multiple requests for comment Tuesday afternoon. Anglin said he advised him not to come because he did not have to give any testimony and it "would have been a waste of gas."
None of the current commissioners attended Tuesday's hearing. The county was represented by county attorneys Wanda Copley and Sharon Huffman, in addition to Martin.
Martin rebutted Anglin's arguments, citing statements that suggested board members during the May 20 amotion hearing had kept an open mind and instances where commissioners said they even hoped to hear evidence that would lead them in a decision not to remove Berger from office.
Gale did not make a determination on whether due process was followed. But he did say that if it is found that due process was not followed, the only authority he has is to send the issue back for a retrial.
Antiquated or not?
While Gale chose not to rule on the overarching questions surrounding the amotion process, the viability of the process still dominated much of Tuesday's hearing.
Anglin argued that the amotion process used to remove Berger is too antiquated to be used and that it is obsolete in its current form.
"The last case to address the process of amotion in North Carolina was used in 1908," he said. "That was 103 years ago."
But Gale called it an "uphill battle to say it wasn't common law at the time."
Martin also used some of his time to debate the age of the law. He said it didn't matter the age of the amotion process nor of the Supreme Court cases that upheld it.
Gale said he was inclined to agree.
"I'll admit I'm struggling to find a basis to choose not to follow Supreme Court decisions even though they're old," he said.
Anglin said it will have to be up to a higher court to determine whether the amotion hearing is a valid way to remove an elected official from office.
"If someone is going to invalidate the amotion process itself, it's going to be the North Carolina Court of Appeals or the North Carolina Supreme Court," he said.
Anglin and Martin will now have the opportunity to file more evidence to support their positions on the fairness of Berger's original amotion hearing. The two sides will have until mid-August to bring forward new points and then an additional week for rebuttals.
It will be up to Gale to decide whether the two sides must meet in court again. However, Martin said it was "unlikely" another hearing will be held solely on due process.
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3:35 p.m. update - Case now focuses on due process
There will be no final ruling on the amotion process today, Gale declared after the court's short recess.
Gale will wait to make his decision on whether or not the amotion process is a viable option for counties and municipalities to remove elected officials.
The hearing will now focus on due process. Gale must determine whether or not Berger was granted due process during New Hanover County's amotion hearing back in May.
3:25 p.m. update - Judge asks for focus on 2 questions
While Tuesday's hearing is meant to determine the viability of the amotion process entirely, Gale said that there are two issues deserving of the most attention to help determine the appropriateness of Berger's removal using the amotion process.
The first issue that should be looked at, Gale said, is where do you "draw the line, if there is one to be drawn, as to what evidence relates to ability to implement duties of office versus one's private life?"
He said the second is, "What does it mean to say you're entitled to a hearing before a fair and impartial board?"
Gale asked the two sides to focus their arguments to help them answer these questions.
3:15 p.m. update - Hearing back in session after short recess
The age of the last known case to address to the address the amotion process in North Carolina has been one of the most discussed topics during the hearing today.
Anglin argued that the amotion process used to remove Berger is obsolete in its current form.
"The last case to address the process of amotion in North Carolina was used in 1908," he said. "That was 103 years ago."
But Gale called it an "uphill battle to say it wasn't common law at the time."
Martin also used his time - both sides were given one hour for initial arguments - to debate the age of the law. He said it didn't matter the age of the amotion process nor of the Supreme Court cases that upheld it.
Gale said he was inclined to agree.
"I'll admit I'm struggling to find a basis to choose not to follow Supreme Court decisions even though they're old," he said. "... I struggle to get there. I then look at the question as to has the law evolved."
The hearing took a brief recess around 3 p.m.
Court is now back in session and Anglin has taken the stand once again to answer Gale's questions.
2:35 p.m. update - Antiquated, yes; but amotion still valid process
John Martin, who is representing the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, took the stand just after 2 p.m.
Martin is both rebutting Anglin's case while presenting his own. His argument and the county's entire stance rests on convincing Gale that the amotion process is a viable option for counties and municipalities to use to remove an elected official.
Anglin had argued previously that the amotion process is too outdated to be usable, but Martin fought back against that assumption. He tried to tell the judge why he thought it hadn't been used in decades and said the timing of these cases didn't matter.
Martin made a similar argument in the board's opposition document filed last week. He states in the document that though the amotion process might be antiquated, "the age of common law rights or case law does not affect their binding nature and precedential value."
2:20 p.m. update - Attorney says Berger's removal a 'done deal'
Tuesday's hearing was designed to deal with the amotion process in the abstract to determine whether or not it is a viable process for counties and municipalities to use.
However, specific examples from Berger's amotion hearing keep popping up.
Anglin referenced a quote from Commissioner Jonathan Barfield during his argument, where Barfield stated that Berger's removal was a "done deal." This example was used in an effort to show the unfairness and potential bias in an amotion hearing conducted at the local level.
Anglin echoed Barfield's sentiments back during the original amotion hearing in May. At that time he told the StarNews Anglin that no evidence existed that could have changed the outcome of the case and compared the hearing to a scene on "Parks and Recreation," an NBC comedy about local government in a fictional Indiana town.
"I feel like no matter how much we would have prepared, the outcome was predetermined," Anglin said. "I don't think any level of preparation could have taken place that would have allowed Mr. Berger a fair hearing where he would have been allowed to stay in office."
John Martin, the Greenville-based lawyer for the county commissioners, is now speaking.
2 p.m. update - Questions over jurisdiction and procedure
An hour into the hearing, and Berger's attorney Christopher Anglin is still speaking.
In his final piece of evidence submitted to the Business Court last Friday, Anglin cited 20 previous court cases to make his arguments. These cases cover a vast time period, ranging from 1883 to 2012.
Anglin is trying to make three overarching arguments according to this document: the amotion process is not a proper way for the board of commissioners to remove and elected official; procedures used during the New Hanover County amotion hearing for Berger violated his rights to due process; and if the amotion is valid, Superior Court has the right to make the final verdict and overturn any county-level removal.
All court cases he is referencing at this time are in an effort to build to those points.
Although New Hanover County is represented at Tuesday's hearing by several attorneys, there are no commissioners or other staff present.
Reached back in Wilmington, Woody White, chairman of the county commissioners, said he didn't think his presence was required for the court hearing.
"Now that it is in the courts, I did not feel it was necessary to attend," he said. "I have other county business to consider."
However, White said he was following the proceedings online.
1:15 p.m. update - Berger's attorney speaking
Former New Hanover County Commissioner Brian Berger's appeal hearing in N.C. Business Court in Greensboro has started, with Christopher Anglin, Berger's Raleigh-based attorney, now speaking.
Special Superior Court Judge James Gale is stopping him often, peppering him with questions.
The appeal hearing today is solely to address issues and details of the amotion process, no reference will be made to whether or not Berger is fit to serve as a county commissioner.
Anglin began the hearing by outlining Berger's issues with the process. This is the same argument outlined in the original appeal.
He alleges that Berger did not receive due process in the hearing and that his fellow commissioners violated the state constitution by removing him.
Gale is also using this time to ask questions of the original documents filed by Anglin and Berger.
To watch the proceedings live, go to WWAY's streaming video feed at www.wwaytv3.com/watch-wway-live
12:45 p.m. update - Berger not in attendance
Ousted New Hanover County Commissioner Brian Berger will not attend today's hearing in Greensboro. Berger will be solely represented by his attorney, Christopher Anglin from Raleigh.
None of the county commissioners are expected to attend the hearing, either. New Hanover County will be represented by county attorneys Wanda Copley and Sharon Huffman.
New Hanover County has raised questions about why Berger is not in attendance, but Anglin said it is not required by the court for clients to be present.
The StarNews has reached out to Berger for comment, but calls and texts were not immediately returned.
The hearing is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
Berger hearing scheduled to be heard this afternoon
Former New Hanover County Commissioner Brian Berger's appeal hearing is scheduled to be heard this afternoon at N.C. Business Court in Greensboro, and the judge's decision could set a new state precedent.
Berger's removal from the board of commissioners on May 20 by a 3-2 vote marked the first time an amotion has been successfully used to remove a North Carolina elected official in nearly a century.
Tuesday's hearing, which will be held before Special Superior Court Judge James Gale, is expected to focus on whether an amotion is a proper and viable way to remove an elected official – not the dueling complaints and motions the county and Berger have filed against each other in recent weeks.
If Gale rules the amotion is not a valid way to remove an elected official, then Berger will likely be immediately reinstated.
Check back with StarNewsOnline.com throughout the afternoon for updates on the court proceedings.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Merton Edward Hanks
Position: DB
Height: 6-2 Weight: 185 lbs.
Born: March 12, 1968 in Dallas, TX
High School: Lake Highlands
College: Iowa (school history)
Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 5th round (122nd overall) of the 1991 NFL Draft.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 59 (981st overall since 1950)
4-time Pro Bowler & 1-time First-Team All-Pro (fine print)


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Whether in classic movies, antique stores, or attics, the sight of battered steamer trunks covered in travel stickers can inspire intense wanderlust. But dragging cumbersome luggage around on an outback safari is a practice best left to centuries past. National Geographic's Kontiki luggage collection captures some of the look and feel of the golden age of travel, but incorporates cutting-edge materials and design to meet the demands of the 21st century. Our 26" Drop-bottom Rolling Duffel packs a host of features in a full-size bag with retro style.
Imported. 26"H x 14"L x 14"W. 7.9 lbs.


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- Senior Manager/Senior Policy Associate
Senior Manager/Senior Policy Associate
The primary purpose of this position is to direct, manage, and continue to develop the Violence Against Women Act Measuring Effectiveness Initiative (VAWAMEI Project) and to serve in a collaborative leadership role for the Justice Policy Program area for the Cutler Institute. The PD has primary responsibility for the administrative management of the VAWA MEI, including budget planning and management of the VAWA MEI grants, VAWA MEI performance management processes, and the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of management systems and operational procedures. The PD is the primary VAWA MEI liaison with Finance, Human Resources and other administrative departments of Muskie and USM regarding administrative matters. Major responsibilities include planning, design, and implementation of VAWAMEI; supervision of project administrative support and management staff. In addition to knowledge of the violence against women issues, this position requires expertise in management, professional development systems, organizational improvement, and shared decision-making on a variety of levels.


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SEATTLE (AP) - Johnathan Loyd scored all 11 of his points in the second half, Damyean Dotson finished with 13 and No. 23 Oregon snapped a two-game road losing streak with a 65-52 win over Washington on Wednesday night.
The Ducks (20-5, 9-3 Pac-12) had dropped three of four, losing their grasp on sole possession of first place in the conference. They regained it for at least for 24 hours, moving a half-game ahead of Arizona and UCLA, who both play on Thursday night.
Oregon played its sixth straight game without Dominic Artis, out with a foot injury. The Ducks continued to stumble offensively without their starting point guard, but their defensive effort was enough to hand Washington its seventh loss in eight games. It was the first time Oregon has swept Washington in the regular season since 1995.
Abdul Gaddy led Washington (13-12, 5-7) with 17 points.
Oregon got a scare it didn't need when Loyd was fouled jumping for pass with 1:36 left. As he came down his left knee buckled and he stayed down on the floor for about a minute before walking very slowly to the Ducks' bench. He eventually walked off the floor at the end of the game on his own with only a slight limp.
The victory gave the Ducks 20 victories for the 14th time in school history. It would have come sooner if Oregon hadn't stumbled with consecutive road losses at Stanford and California, followed by a home loss to Colorado. Oregon got back on track by beating Utah at home last Saturday and then followed up by extending Washington's slide.
Arsalan Kazemi and E.J. Singler both finished with 11 points and Carlos Emory added 10 for the Ducks.
Washington leading scorer C.J. Wilcox continued to struggle. He missed his first six shots and finished 3 of 13 for nine points. Wilcox has been bothered by a foot problem that has limited his practice time. Washington shot just 35 percent and its 52 points tied for the third-fewest in a game during Lorenzo Romar's tenure as coach.
Washington closed to 35-32 in the opening stages of the second half before Oregon went on an 11-2 run. The Ducks scored six straight points, including a pair of baskets by Kazemi. Shawn Kemp Jr.'s follow dunk briefly stemmed the run, but the Ducks scored the next five to take their biggest lead of the game to that point. Oregon stretched the advantage to 44-34 with 13:14 left after Kazemi made one of two free throws. Loyd then stole a lazy inbounds pass by Wilcox and raced the other way for a layup, and the lead was 12 with 12 minutes left.
Washington tried to make another charge with six straight points of its own, but Tony Woods followed Loyd's wild layup attempt with an emphatic dunk just before the shot clock expired to push the lead back to 48-40 with 7:37 left. The teams traded empty possessions and Loyd hit a wide-open 3 for an 11-point lead with 6:47 remaining.
That proved to be enough. Washington trimmed the deficit to seven and had a chance to get closer, but Aziz N'Diaye missed the front end of a one-and-one. Loyd then hit a jumper at the top of the key and Dotson scored on a fast break to push the lead back to 11.
The loss was Washington's largest in conference play and continued a surprising slide after beginning the Pac-12 season 4-0.
- Oregon won its 20th game of the season, the 14th time in school history the Ducks have won 20 games, including all three years under head coach Dana Altman.
- Oregon swept the season series with Washington for the first time since 1995.
- Oregon's win in Seattle is just the second in 12 games in Seattle against Washington in the Lorenzo Romar era.
- Dana Altman moved to 4-4 during his career against the Huskies.
- Johnathan Loyd scored all 11 of his points in the second half.
- E.J. Singler was forced to play the point guard position in the first half after Johnathan Loyd picked up two fouls and backup point guard Willie Moore was whistled for three first half fouls in just three minutes. It was Singler's first appearance at the point this season.
- Carlos Emory and E.J. Singler combined for 18 of the Ducks 33 first-half points.
- The Ducks made 56.5 percent (13-of-23) of their shots in the first half, while the Huskies connected on just 37.9 percent (11-of-29).
- Washington had six first-half offensive rebounds to give the Huskies a 15-14 advantage on the boards at the break.


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Results tagged ' Jim Pohlad '
The Passing of Mr. Pohlad
(First of all, I apologize for using such an unflattering picture of Carl Pohlad in this post, but you will understand why I made the choice in a few moments of reading).
Yesterday, I heard the news that Minnesota Twins owner Carl Pohlad passed away from natural causes (essentially old age). Before I critique his presence as owner of my favorite sports franchise now and forever, I would like to extend my condolences to anyone who knew Mr. Pohlad on a personal level. From what I have gathered about the man over the years, he was very close to his family/friends/Twins staff/players, so I'm sure they are all grieving his loss right now. Also, I cannot personally begrudge a man who served his country during World War II and, if not for a case of Poison Oak, would have hit the beach at Normandy in 1944.
However, in all honesty, I think that the Twins as an organization are better off in the hands of Carl Pohlad's son Jim Pohlad's hands (and have been for the last few years). There are two reasons why I never really could throw my support behind Carlos as an owner:
First, of course, was his stinginess with his money. Although I don't blame Carl for trying to spend with the big boys (Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, etc.), as do you spend your personal earnings at work (?), he was notoriously one of the more penny-pinching owners of the 1980s and 1990s and severely hindered the Twins' chances of contending any earlier than they did. Pohlad took over ownership of the Twins in 1984, and really only had a few great seasons. The Twins lucked out in 1987 and won the World Series, then (when Carl finally signed a few key free agents like Jack Morris and Chili Davis) put together a solid team in 1991 and again captured the title. However, from that point until the new millennium, Carl refused to spend any money on the team and turned it into the laughingstock of the American League. It wasn't until the early portion of the 21st century, when Carl's involvement in the operations of the team (because of his advancing age) started to be turned over to son Jim, that the Twins really began to aggressively pursue a winning tradition. Before that, Carl was just completely unwilling to "open the purse strings" in the slightest.
Secondly, I lost a lot of respect for the business side of Carl Pohlad on three different occasions. Though, on one side of his mouth, Carl said he wanted to keep the Twins in Minnesota, he came dangerously close to selling out to North Carolina businessman Don Beaver in 1997. Then in 2002, Pohlad conspired with baseball commissioner Bud Selig to contract the Twins franchise and receive a large cash payback from MLB. Luckily, the contraction idea was terminated at the eleventh hour and the Twins (ironically) went on to win three consecutive division titles. Finally, just a few years after that, the Twins again came close to leaving Minnesota when they couldn't get a new stadium. Only a Metrodome lease kept the team grounded.
So, though I don't want to begrudge Mr. Pohlad or his family, I don't think he was a very good owner for the Twins when all is said and done. The last mistake I think he made was not transferring official duties to his son, Jim, much earlier. As pictured above, the last few years of his life were spent with his eyes seemingly "pasted" shut and an inability to even stand up. Running a major league baseball team is a young man's work, and Carl held out a bit too long out of pride.
I think that the Minnesota Twins, overall, are in better hands under Carl's son Jim, who has proven himself very shrewd at balancing the financial aspect while also keeping the team competitive.


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Found throughout Greek art and architecture, the "meander" motif, also called the Greek key, is one of the most important symbols in ancient Greece. The unending pattern first appeared in the Geometric period (900-700 B.C.) and historians believe that it symbolized eternity and unity. Others have interpreted that it symbolizes the antagonistic and forever entwined relationship between mortals and the gods. The pattern has continued through the centuries, and can still be seen in neoclassical architecture around the world.
These sterling silver accents are as timeless as the motif itself. Handcrafted in a family-run studio in Greece based on prototypes passed down through generations of gold- and silversmiths.


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ZF-2719: Missing phpdoc for properties/constants
Zend_Search_Lucene_Field: $value, $isStored, $isIndexed, $isTokenized, $isBinary, $storeTermVector
Zend_Search_Lucene_Document: $boost
Zend_Search_Lucene_LockManager: WRITE_LOCK_FILE, READ_LOCK_FILE, OPTIMIZATION_LOCK_FILE
Fixed a part of this issue in SVN r8735. I edit Zend_Search_Lucene_Field and Zend_Search_Lucene_Document. Do you have any idea of docs about Zend_Search_Lucene_LockManager? Can I get from Apache Lucene API Doc?
Resolved in SVN r8952
I'm assuming this fix is merged to the 1.5 release branch for release with 1.5.1. Please update JIRA if this is not the case.
I do not find it ver1.5.1 . Please merge r8735 and r8952 to 1.5 branch


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My two sisters and I are driving to a family reunion when he calls. It's serendipitous. We'd been trading phone messages for two weeks, and now, at the moment he finally catches up with me, we are all three of us in the car.
"This is a theoretical conversation, right?" my physician friend says over the speakerphone. "You are doing research for a novel?"
"Yes," I reply. And my sisters and I nod knowingly to one another. The subject is taboo, fraught with tension. None of us wants to leave fingerprints. We don't want to explore websites, write away for information or hold discussions in a doctor's office. Now, to be extra careful, I am lying to my friend. I'm not researching a novel. I'm gathering information, planning for a disaster that could befall any or all of us.
We three sisters have made a pact, and we are one another's best shot at carrying it out. In our case, blood is thicker than other ties, or at least more committed. Blood will ensure it gets done right.
Sibling relationships come in all forms of function and dysfunction, and in that regard I am extremely lucky. For me, my sisters are my bones, my best friends and confidantes. We have the kind of rapport that enables us to finish one another's sentences and speak in a shorthand that goes back to childhood. I know when one of them is lying or being brave for my benefit, and I can detect the whisper of a hesitation in a tone over the phone. With just a look or a stray expression, we can parse a hidden meaning or savor an inside joke.
But right now we aren't laughing. For the past several years, the three of us have joined forces on our most daunting task yet: navigating our parents' end-of-life issues. As witnesses to our father's advancing Alzheimer's and the weight of that burden on our mother's fragile health, we've put our heads together in endless conversations. We've combined wisdom, divvied up duties. And while watching it all go down before our eyes like a slow-motion car accident, we've decided to formulate our own exit strategy.
Like the witches around the cauldron in Macbeth, my sisters and I plan to accomplish what our other loved ones may ultimately find impossible to do for us. If we are robbed of dignity, comfort and the will to live, we aim to deliver one another from a prolonged and tortured ending. This is a deed that will most likely be too weighty for our children, too clouded by love and nostalgic memories for our husbands. So we have vowed to be there for one another. We just hope we will have the fortitude, the wisdom and the benevolence to see it through.
If existence should someday become unbearable, how can we end our own, or our sister's, suffering? The man on the phone is about to tell us.
As girls and then young women, Nancy, Megan and I spent long, lazy hours on our family's Adirondack dock each summer, dipping our legs into the lake as we talked. We'd huddle over every subject, the way sisters do: boyfriends, crushes, the utter cluelessness of our parents, a friend's little slight, the bigger heartbreaks. Now we talk about our menopausal selves and our husbands' habits; celebrity scandals; and our semi-adult children. We trade stories on how to set limits with our teens, find second careers and deal with empty nests. The topic we return to most often, picking it over like the carcass of a rotisserie chicken, is our elderly mother and father.
Like most families, ours has a lot of skeletons in its genetic closet. Cancer, heart disease, depression. But most frightening by far is that my sisters and I are the fourth generation standing in line to lose our minds. Alzheimer's, dementia, senility . . . whatever the exact diagnosis, the result is the same: the slow ebbing, the agonizing erasure of a human being.
We are all three healthy eaters. We're nonsmokers, not big drinkers. We exercise and wear sunscreen, get regular checkups. We juice and take vitamins and add fiber to our diets. Ironically, the healthier we have lived, the harder it may be to die. We may still be able to do sit-ups in our golden years, but will we be able to string together a sentence? The fate of our family is to watch one another's mental capacities slowly dwindle as we steal life from everyone around us like a collapsing sinkhole.
Years ago, our dad was vocal about what he didn't want. "Don't ever let me go that way," he'd tell us, referring to his mother and mother-in-law, both languishing in nursing homes. "I'll just head behind the garage with a shotgun." It was the dinner-party bravado of a man in the prime of life, imagining there is some expiration date on each of us that beeps when it's time to exit. What he proposed was a Hemingway move, big and loud and messy, and none of us for a second imagined he would pull it off. Nor that we, his daughters, could ever do it for him.
And so today my father is with us, but only in a half-life stage. I can hold his hand and tie his shoes, button his shirt and take him on a walk, but the essence of him, my real father, no longer resides in his beautifully preserved body. Each time I see him, it takes me a moment to re-register his condition. This present reality requires a painful recalibration of my heart, and I approach him with shifting sensations of devotion, horror and profound sadness.
There was a late-'80s movie called Weekend at Bernie's in which two hapless chuckleheads try to pass off their dead employer as a living man. They dress him up, put hats on him, stuff him into cars and restaurant booths. The movie was so stupid, so slapstick, that I remember it still. Yet it corresponds eerily to the way my father is living now. The people at his memory-care unit, as they call the wing at his assisted-living facility, are kind and helpful. There are daily activities like baking and sing-alongs. But this isn't living, that vacant and hollow expression in his eyes, the inability to recognize faces and the loopy, weird arm wave he gives that scares little kids.
It was over the past year, when my father's mental acuity really slipped, that our sister pact crystallized. We'd watched our parents do everything right—preparing living wills and advance directives and moving into a senior-living facility that would care for them until the bitter end. They checked the boxes on the important decisions. Once it came time for us to step up and play a role, however, we began to absorb the challenges of dealing with decreased cognition. It's easier to think about what you'd do with the more clear-cut medical issues: the stroke that leaves a loved one brain-dead; the extreme, gnawing pain of cancer at the end stages. Those situations typically have a certain and hastening end, while the slow diminishment of cognitive disease does not. And my parents had no rip cord, no tacit understanding or agreement that would allow one to help the other should they stray beyond their idea of living.
"I'm not doing it," I told my siblings as we glided around Nancy's kitchen one day, preparing for a family BBQ. "I'm not going down lingering on death row like Dad." We had experienced the standard agonizing stages with my father: taking away his keys, fiddling with the medication, visiting doctors, interviewing aides who could fill the bill. The day we finally took him to the facility's memory-care unit, separating him from our mother, he was so lost, weepy and confused, it was like watching a swan that cannot find its mate. But caring for my father day to day had taken a toll on our mom. The task was too daunting. It was our Sophie's Choice.
"We need a plan," said Megan. "We need to figure out how to exit before it gets too horrible for ourselves and everyone around us. And we're probably the most qualified people to help one another."
"When either of you guys says it's time for you to go, I know you'll mean it," Nancy joked with a raised eyebrow. "What we need to do is get specific. It's so complicated."
"Could you do it?" I asked them. "Could you really help me go through with it?"
We sized one another up with fresh eyes before nodding in unison.
As the car zips across the George Washington Bridge, my doctor friend gets to the heart of the matter, the information I have asked him to provide. We all lean intently toward the speakerphone. "If I were going to take my life, this is what I would do," he says, then proceeds to outline an easy way: Combine sleeping pills and alcohol and slip away painlessly. "Lots of pills but no more than two drinks," he cautions. "You don't want to induce vomiting." The simplicity of this plan and our collective mental picture silences us for a few beats as we search one another's faces. Yes. We can do this.
Nonetheless, this pact of ours is daunting. How do we determine when, exactly, it is time? What tests would we administer to one another? We all three agree that the inability to understand where we are, to feed or toilet ourselves or to be more than a physical shell is a starting point. Butwhat is the tipping point? Perhaps in the face of multiple diminishments and dispiriting setbacks, it will be as simple as the morning I no longer look forward to that first cup of coffee. Even though we've talked through all these benchmarks, can we make that decision for our own sisters? Can we make it for ourselves?
Certainly we recognize that nothing is fail-proof. There is no guarantee that we will actually be able to carry out our desires in the end. What if we change our minds? Survival is a basic human instinct. It's human nature to want to reach for one more day, one more hug or sunset or holiday together around a big table. What if only one of us is left? Who will help her, and how will it feel to know that you have been there for your sisters but neither of them is left to ease your way?
Perhaps, in the end, all our talk and planning will be lost in the sea of good intention. There is a chance we may be separated from one another in later years, on opposite coasts or living with our grown children, plucked out of our sisterly orbit. Maybe we'll each be blessed enough to die peacefully in our sleep, or perhaps a heart attack or physical disease will fell us first. I cannot now help thinking of those ways to die as luxuries.
But two wonderful gifts have grown out of our sister pact. First, we are having the conversation, talking about the end in ways that are healthy, realistic and achievable. This exchange has been so much easier than I expected. Refreshing even, after all the years of not talking honestly with my father about what was happening to him, in an effort to preserve his dignity. Second, and perhaps more important, my sisters and I are more conscious of time passing, of the need to make the effort to congregate, to laugh and dredge up the old stories that keep us connected and devoted.
"If I'm lucky, I've got 20 good years left," I'll say routinely. "That means I'm going to really prioritize how I spend them." This shocks most people, who'll tsk-tsk over such maudlin talk. It's not intended to be self-indulgent. It's a wake-up call, a declaration of how I'm going to spend that time. And while we haven't been vocal with our children about the pact, we've started to broach it with our husbands. They know we are adamant and committed, that how we may choose to die is as important to us as how we want to live.
If in the end I get to dodge the dementia bullet, I will view that blessing as icing on the layer cake of life. I've already been preparing for the worst by teaching myself to slow down, to more often say no to things I don't want to do. I'm better at grabbing that lunch or walk with friends, and I stop at the top of a hike to savor the view and listen to the birdsong. I pay closer attention when my children have something to tell me instead of rushing on to the next thing. The gift of fully understanding that you will die is to come to terms with how you want to live. And if you are lucky enough to have sisters like mine, that only makes the journey sweeter.
Lee Woodruff's latest book, Those We Love Most, is a novel about family secrets.
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