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Monday, April 22, 2013
It seems that New York City is skipping spring this year. With one or two exceptions, it's been very chilly here. I have a feeling we will go straight from chilly to sweltering, without pausing at "pleasant." On the bright side, the cold weather has given me a chance to wear some winter clothes/accessories that I neglected during the actual winter.
For dinner with friends on Saturday, I got out the peculiar, suede Prada boots that I bought last year.
I wasn't very satisfied with the way I wore them in 2012. I decided a more streamlined look would help.
What Wendy Wore
Dress: Versace (pre-2005)
Boots: Prada (2012)
Purse: Louis Vuitton (2001)
Lipstick: YSL Rouge Volupte in Rose Culte
Pose: Strange
I think that ensemble is better than my last effort, but I'm open to other suggestions. Interestingly, MrB didn't realize I was wearing boots until I said something about them. He thought I was wearing shoes and leg warmers. Nice to know he's the kind of guy who is unfazed by leg warmers.
I've added this to Not Dead Yet Style's Visible Monday blog post. Head on over to Not Dead Yet Style to see what other blogging wimmins are wearing these days.
21 Responses to "What Wendy Wore: The Crazy-Leg Boots Again"
I love those boots, or shoes and leg warmers, on you. I am impressed with any man unfazed by leg warmers. Mr B wins the prize. You look delish as a dozen of donuts (my anti-spam word for this comment)and now I'm hungry.
These are fabularse, as my Brit blogger friends say. Thanks for sharing them over at Visible Monday!
You know I love those boots! I'm glad you "kept the faith" and gave them another shot. Gigi's expression is too much! LOL
These are cool! Have you tried the boots over skinny blue jeans? I think the trick might be to not match the boot "leg" color to your actual legs.
I'd be snickering to myself the whole time I had those boots on, which is exactly how getting dressed ought to be. Thumbs up on the purse, dress, and pose too. Also, "Legwarmers!" needs to be a random exclamation along the lines of "Oh, my stars!" or "Well, I never!" Thanks for the inspo, Mr. B!
Crazy but fun!
A-MAZ-ING boots! They do kind of look like legwarmers, but with very sexy shoes. If you wear them with jeans, be sure to post that!
Amazing look, darling WB!
Love those boots!
Yes; like the sleek look!
What a great look. No, really! I've seen these boots before but never worn so well. Such danger of kitch so gracefully managed straight into complete cool.
I don't comment often here, but I do read often. Love you sense of humor so wonderfully integrated into you really enviable style.
I'm a fan, but a quiet one.
Such fun boots
Those boots are stone cold killa!
Ooo, if I could wear heels, I would love a pair of crazy-leg boots like that. They really need a simple outfit like the black dress in order to shine – nice styling! Yeah, if a guy is not fazed by legwarmers you know he's a keeper.
That's cool that MrB is cool with legwarmers. What would happen if he liked fanny packs? LOL. I love those boots and I love the svelt line you've created. I would even consider wearing red-and-white-striped tights with this and maybe a slightly shorter dress to accent those awesome gams and boots even more.


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A vehicle crash Friday morning on Interstate 205 sent one person to the hospital with a cut to the head.
The crash was reported just before 8 a.m. on the northbound freeway north of Northeast 18th Street, according to Washington State Patrol dispatchers.
Sjenna L. Mackey of Vancouver, 22, was driving a 2007 Ford Focus when she lost consciousness due to a medical condition. The Ford veered off the roadway in the median, and rolled several times.
A passenger, Terrace White, 21, of Vancouver, was taken to a hospital for examination.
Mackey was to be cited for second-degree negligent driving, according to a WSP news release.

subset: commoncrawl


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His initial goal is to facilitate all 13,000 nursing homes in the nation with iPod Shuffles. (See story titled 'Alive Inside' gets an emotional response at Sundance), and to do that, he is accepting donations of used iPods on his website, www.musicandmemory.org .
"We believe everyone should have access to music regardless of their cognizant or physical condition," Cohen said. "Just because a person is old and unable to work a device such as a CD player, he or she should have access to their music."
The Jewish Family Services that has offices in Salt Lake City and Park City is the first Utah-based organization to partner with Cohen to collect iPod Shuffles for in-state nursing homes and private residences of patients who suffer from Alzheimer's and dementia.
The nonprofit is a nondenominational social services organization that helps provide anyone of any faith through counseling, community education and care management for seniors, said executive director Ellen Silver.
"We're one of the few organizations that help keep their older loved ones at home," Silver said.
The partnership stemmed from an NPR broadcast about Music & Memory heard by Clara McClane, director of professional services at the Jewish Family Services.
"I was driving home from work at the beginning of last year and was thinking about what our next project would be, and I heard this story," said McClane. "If you work with older adults and any of the vulnerable populations and love music, it goes right to heart."
McClane brought the concept to her team at the Jewish Family Services, which included executive director Ellen Silver.
"We are always looking for new ways to continue our mission," Silver said. "[Music & Memory] is one of those great programs that we could use to do that."
Most of the work Cohen does is on long-term facilities, so the Jewish Family Services will bring the program into private homes.
"This will be another tool in the caregivers' tool boxes to help them," she said. "Dan has showed us how to clean the iPods up so we can re-use them."
In addition to iPod Shuffles, Jewish Family Services will accept iTunes gift cards and money to buy more Shuffles.
"We are also planning to host some donation drives in the coming months so instead of throwing away their old devices, people can give them to us, and they will be graciously accepted," Silver said.
Jewish Family Services will also need volunteers to help clean up the shuffles and load them with music.
"Once we do an assessment with the family and get a playlist, we'll need people to build them onto the equipment and keep them updated," Silver said.
"We want to take advantage of the power of music to help people reconnect with themselves who may no longer recognize their own family members or even speak," Cohen said. "The iPod Shuffle is an easy tool to use for this simple task that has a profound result."
Donations can be made at the Jewish Family Services Park City office at 650 Round Valley Rd. at Quinn's Junction or the Salt Lake office at 1111. E. Brickyard Rd., Suite 218.
For more information, call 435-640-6697, 801-746-4334 or visit www.jfsutah.org.


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It is easy to become immersed in the world of animal advocacy and rescue...to surround oneself in the day-to-day ups and all-too-often downs of animals at risk, and animals in need.
Unfortunately, with that immersion, especially in the "world of Facebook," comes a lack of understanding of those people who are not deep within the same world.
There is a huge portion of the population who pays no attention to "death row" dogs. There are thousands of people who either choose not to keep a pet, or who have always had a dog (or cat) but they have never rescued or adopted.
Though it may seem unheard of, there are many people who still believe that shelters are indeed, shelters. There are people who think that most dogs (and cats) at those shelters actually find homes.
There are many people who may be aware that dogs are sometimes killed at "shelters," but they believe that all puppies and/or other young, healthy dogs are exempt from ever facing death because of a lack of a good home.
There are people who would never think of taking a stray dog to be scanned for a microchip because they are simply unaware that microchips exist - for many people, an identification tag on a dog's collar is the only logical way to find a lost dog's owner.
There is a large number of people who choose not to learn about the problem of homeless pets because it "hurts too much" to know. There are thousands of people who never want to read about stories of animal cruelty for the exact same reason.
It may seem hard to believe, but there truly are thousands of people who never consider any of the aforementioned topics.
Of note - this editorial was inspired by a recent conversation with a friend who falls into the category of people who believed that shelters are always shelters and that all homeless pets find somewhere to go. When I told her that is not the case, she asked me to write about it, with the hopes that more people like her would be made aware.


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Last Sunday, my husband went on a business trip on Sunday morning. By late Monday he called me complaining of illness, by very late Tuesday he arrived home just in time to fall in bed (alone), and by 9:30am on Wednesday a flu test had confirmed he had influenza.
Now, if there's anything that triggers us it's germs. I wouldn't say were are phobic, per se (well, maybe M is...), but we definitely seem to be more concerned than the average bear about illness. We make wellness and immunity a priority, giving our kids high quality vitamins and supplements, and do our best to limit their exposure to really germ-laden places (i.e. no Chuck-E-Cheese, Gymboree, or Monkey Joes for us in the Winter). And, since we've had our second child, we've decided not to travel by air as a family in the flu season either. We wash our hands a ton and overall just try to be careful about our exposure. It doesn't limit our activities too much, as we continue to enjoy the things we really like to do, like going indoor rock-climbing, going out to eat occasionally, and spending time with friends.
In any case, you could say that the past five or six weeks has been stressful. I've been parenting mostly on my own since Jan. 2nd. Work has really geared up for me, with a new parenting group starting, a transition in staffing in the area I supervise, and an official launch of the website I've been working with a team on for several years about to take place. Also? I've had some difficult stuff go on in my personal life with a couple of different friends that has left me a little sensitive and hurt. But, the weird thing is that I feel great. The boys and I are into a routine. Thankfully, while our babysitters were both really ill before Christmas, we've been able to have adequate childcare so far in 2013. We had a terrific weather weekend in Atlanta and I spent tons of time outdoors, playing in the sandbox, on the trampoline, and teaching L1 how to play kickball.
I guess what I am saying is that it seems that when I feel and do my best is directly correlated to having a lot going on and to being in what would typically be labeled as fairly intense situations. Trust me, I'm not wishing for bad things or stress to descend upon me permanently, I mean everyone has their breaking point. However, I am wondering if I tend to be a person who thrives with that extra bit of adrenaline. It does make a bit of logical sense to me, seeing as to how my entire childhood could have been labeled as "under duress". I don't remember a single day lacking an intense feeling of stress, much of which was not irrational or everyday stress, but rather stress related to my safety and to the well-being of others. Perhaps my body's defense mechanism was to modify itself to function optimally under those conditions? It does seem that in adulthood I have chosen much healthier situations and that I am able to relax and certainly have not felt as if I am under constant duress for a very long time. But, perhaps, deep in the vault within my brain, that super-girl lies in wait to conquer all and flood me with productivity and positivity when things get tough. In any case, I am grateful.
How about you? Do you find that you do well under intense, occasional stress or does everyday life tend to be when you are at your best?


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Music Maker - I spotted Stephen Biebel in the West Village, walking his dog Sumo, or the other way around. My first impressions (also known as snap judgements) were that his look was timeless and that he was genuine. I discovered later that he's a music artist and shouldn't have been surprised that his music sounded timeless, too. The songs I sampled felt like cinematic scores that might play during pivotal moments of the movie, or that feel good moment as the camera lifts over the cityscape and the credits start to roll.
Stephen comprises half the band 2 Hearts and Chemicals, with an unusual spin. He's NYC based, but his bandmate Eli Lhymn lives in LA, but somehow these childhood friends have managed to make it work. I was curious about Stephen's style and sound and you can catch more in our Q & A after the jump.
Q: First, I must know more about your attentive dog (seen here).
My dog's name is Sumo, he's a Japanese breed called Shiba Inu, and he was definitely the chubbiest pup of his litter. Thus, the name.
Q: How would you describe your style?
Honestly, I don't really think about it. I just dress how I'm comfortable. My style has to be considered easy going, casual, and comfortable… but that's about it.
Q: What were you wearing when I spotted you?
It just so happens that the denim shirt, jacket, and shoes are all Billy Reid. Honestly, I didn't plan that. Sumo was demanding a walk down by the piers, so I threw on everything I had draped over the chair. All Billy Reid, including the shoes.
Q: What inspired the bandana?
The inspiration for the bandana was really just finding a good way to keep my hair out of my face. I naturally trend a bit towards 1970′s style, so the bandanas fit right in. Also, they are 2 for $5 on St. Mark's.
Q: When you visit your bandmate Eli in LA, where do you guys like to hang?
I was there in early February to play 2 shows, one at The Satellite and one at The Airliner. Our rehearsal time is limited, so we mostly just hung out at our rehearsal space, and the venues that we were playing at. I know, it's not too exciting.
Q: Where do you prefer to hear live music in NYC/LA (or anywhere really)?
I really like the Williamsburg scene, so I'll hang at Glasslands, Cameo, and the like. But really, just anywhere where my friends are playing.
Q: Aside from your music, what's the last song you sang in the shower?
That's a good question. I really love singing in the shower, because it provides the perfect monotone background that allows for unadulterated melodic freedom. I think the last song that I sang in the shower that I didn't write was Mykonos, by Fleet Foxes.
Q: Do you have a favorite song of your own?
With 2 Hearts and Chemicals, I think my favorite song is Paradise Lost. It was the first song we wrote together under this moniker, and I feel that it's very unique. To me, a very, very special and personal song.
[Editor's Note: Some great finds, lyrics, and even free downloads, via their bandcamp page]
Related Post: See both Stephen and Eli in Kevin Bronson's story on BuzzBands.LA


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Celebrate the Military Child Giveaway – Sponsored by babychix™
Ceramic Keepsake Diapers by babychix are the hip and trendy baby shower gift that is popping up everywhere. As everyone knows Celebrate the Military Child Board Members are heading to the Ultimately Plush Show where the hippest and trendiest baby items that are on the top of a new mom's wish list will be showcased. Even Ultimately Plush wasn't aware of this trend yet. So, remember you heard it first here. 😉
These ceramic keepsake diapers are sure to grab the attention of the mom-to-be and everyone at the event. They are available in three sizes, they can be customized with any message you like, or cute phrases such as "muah" or "hands off, mine" or the name of your baby or the baby of honor at the celebration you're throwing. You can pick your color or a logo and create your very own custom gift to take with you to a baby shower.
babychix sells a number of really amazing and fantastic items that you can include in your gift. The below babychix® babyopoly™ blanket we've seen our very own personal favorite Real Housewife Bethenny, holding her precious little girl in.
The amazing products don't stop there either. She sells Mommy Belly Butter, Baby Oil, Diaper Covers, Tees, Beanies and Onesies, Towel Hoodies and her baby bath products which are phenomenal are to die for and so affordable.
babychix founder, Rochelle Drumm, is on the board of Celebrate the Military Child and she donates a percentage of all the camouflage ceramic diapers sells (they can be customized too) back to Celebrate the Military Child to assist more military children. We of course love the fact that at the heart of every babychix product is h.o.p.e. It stands for happiness, opportunity, peace, and education. These four messages combine to form the very existence of babychix, you're supporting kids everywhere including our military children. Ceramic keepsake diapers start at $8.50.
One (1) lucky Celebrate the Military Child reader will receive their very own customized ceramic 9" Chubbers Diaper from babychix with the name of your child or the child you want to win the ceramic diaper for stuffed full of wonderful baby products. (SRP: $200.00+)
How do you enter? Well, that's up to you. There is one mandatory and then there are additional entries and chances to win. How much do you want to win is this question. 😉
How to Enter:
Leave a comment below telling us what you want to see at babychix online store.
For Additional Entries or chances to win (you may do one or all of the following but only once per person):
Like babychix on Facebook and tell them that Celebrate the Military Child or CtheMC for short sent you and leave a comment on their wall saying why you love the Ceramic Diapers! Then leave an additional comment here once you've done so. (counts for TWO additional entries)
Like Celebrate the Military Child and tell us who you want to win the Ceramic Diaper Keepsake for. (Counts for TWO additional entries)
Share this giveaway on Facebook and then leave an individual comment here once you have done so. (counts for TWO additional entries)
Follow babychix on Twitter @babychix_ and leave an individual comment here once you've done so and send them an @ message saying @CtheMilChild sent you. (counts for ONE additional entry)
Follow Celebrate the Military Child on Twitter @cthemilchild and leave an individual comment here once you've done so (counts as ONE additional entry.)
Tweet this message: "I entered the @CtheMilChild @BabyChix_ Customized Ceramic Diaper Giveaway." Then leave a comment stating you've done so with the link to the tweet. (counts for ONE additional entry.)
Contest ends midnight Pacific Standard Time on 9/5/2011! Celebrate Labor Day and thank our Soldiers!
Winner(s) will be selected at random
Gifts provided by babychix and CtheMC Board Members (eligible only in the USA. We will also ship to APO addresses. CtheMC Board Members are not eligible to enter.)
CtheMC Wants You to Enter Sophie the Giraffe Photo Contest
This year Sophie will be turning 50, and we need your help to celebrate this wonderful occasion. Help us celebrate by submitting a photo of Sophie in a place of interest that represents your city (e.g. beach, harbor, mountains, ranch, etc…) Read below on how to enter
How to Enter the Sophie Giraffe Photo Contest
To Enter:
Send an email to Sophie's Email along with your submitted photograph as an attachment (not to exceed 5 megabytes) in accordance with the instructions below.
Include the following information in your email:
1. Name
2. Address
3. Telephone number
4. Date of birth
5. Description of the photo submitted, including (1) a description of the photo (must be taken by a monument, place of interest of your town, city or State you reside), (2) location of photo, (3) date of photo, (4) other descriptive information, (5) a brief paragraph (50 words or less) of how Sophie Giraffe made a difference in your home or life.
Below is a link to a template for submitting an entry
Contest Template
Who May Enter:
No purchase necessary. Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States, age 18 or over. Employees of Calisson INC and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling, and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) or persons living in the same households of such employees, whether or not related, are not eligible. Contest is void where prohibited
Entry Limit:
There is a limit of one entry (1) per person per household.
Entry Deadline:
All entries must be submitted and received by 5:00 P.M U.S Pacific Standard Time on September 5, 2011.
Entered photographs must fit within the following categories:
• Must include Sophie the giraffe
• Photo must be taken in the State and City you reside
• Be taken at a monument, or place of interest that represents your Town/City.
Photograph Requirements:
Format: Photographs must be in digital format. Only online entries will be eligible. No print or film submissions will be accepted for entry into this contest. The photograph need not be taken with a digital camera; scans of negatives, transparencies, or photographic prints are acceptable. All digital files must be 5 megabytes or smaller, must be in JPEG or .jpg format, and must be a t least 1,600 pixels wide (if a horizontal image) or 1,600 pixels tall (if a vertical image)
Acceptable Changes:
Minor burning, dodging and/or color correction is acceptable. Hand tinting is acceptable, as is cropping. Fish-eye lenses are acceptable. High dynamic range images (HDR) and stitched panoramas are acceptable only if the combined parts are all made around the same time. When photographing the work of others, it must be as an object in its environment and not a full-frame close-up of another person's art.
The photograph, in its entirety, must be a single work of original material taken by the Contest entrant. By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges, and warrants that the submitted photograph is an original work created solely by the entrant, that the photograph does not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim, or interest in the photograph.
The photograph must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of the Sponsor, contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content.
The photograph, in its entirety, must be a single work of original material taken by the Contest entrant. By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges, and warrants that the submitted photograph is an original work created solely by the entrant, that the photograph does not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim, or interest in the photograph
The photograph must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of the Sponsor, contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content.
The Entries will be judged in accordance with the judging criteria, as defined in the Rules.
Click on Official Rules below to see complete requirements
CtheMC partners with Bratt Decor and Jack & Jill Interiors To Give Away A $10K Nursery Makeover!
Celebrate the Military Child has partnered with Jack and Jill Interiors and Bratt Decor for an amazing once in a lifetime opportunity for one military expecting family. They want to give a $10K Designer Nursery to a military family to say THANK YOU for their service to our country! We're merely helping them spread the word to military families. Mary Bauer of Bratt Decor and Sherri Blum of Jack and Jill Interiors love and support our troops (we ♥ ♥ ♥ them too), and believe the freedom we all experience is because of the brave sacrifice of the few. This Memorial Day the talented duo are teaming up to give away a $10k nursery makeover to a deserving service man or woman. Bratt Decor has been making the finest children's furnishings since 1995 and have a huge Hollywood following including: Jennifer Lopez, Sean Combs, Marcia Cross, Heidi Klum and Jewel. Sherri Blum of Jack & Jill Interiors has been designing nurseries since 1998 and has her own line of luxury children's wall art and rugs enjoyed by celebrities such as Angela Kinsey, Jodie Sweetin, Tori Spelling and more. Sherri was recently feature on The Cake Boss where she created a magical safari themed nursery for Lisa and Buddy Valastro. To Enter or nominate someone, simply create a Youtube video and tell us the story of why you deserve a star studded nursery makeover. Upload your link on the companies' Facebook pages: www.facebook.com/brattdecorfan www.facebook.com/jackandjillinteriors The lucky winner will be chosen and announced on July 4, 2011 If you have questions please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com and if we don't have the answer, we will find it for you!!!


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To Attract Business, Food Photography Duo Builds Dream Kitchen for Food Stylists
When food photographers Andrew Burkle and David Hagen formed a partnership last year and began planning their 6,000 square-foot studio space in Cleveland, they asked food stylists for ideas and input about how to build the kitchens. Burkle, whom we recently interviewed about his transition from assistant to professional photographer, explained that when food clients are planning ad campaigns, they often hire food stylists first, and then ask those stylists for recommendations for photographers. "We want to make the stylists happy," Burkle says. "If they're happy, they can be the best sales force in the world."
We followed up to ask Burkle: What did stylists request? And what did you incorporate in your studio design based on their input? Here's an edited version of Burkle's email response:
We only shoot food, so we wanted our kitchen to be the focal point [of our studio]. We wanted to present it like a lit theater stage as soon as you enter the studio. We wanted it to look great, work great, and be comfortable and efficient for all stylists. While planning the kitchen we interviewed [about a dozen stylists] on the phone or in person. We just asked, "What is your ideal work kitchen?" and "What works well, and what makes your job difficult?"
[They requested] a lot of counter space, a bright, very well lit work area, large sinks (multiple if possible), enough floor space to be able to move around with multiple people in the kitchen, two refrigerators and two freezers, and lots of pantry and cabinet space. Other small things were more electrical outlets to plug in small appliances, close proximity to the sets, and a separate prep area hidden from clients.
[The work space] is basically two kitchens. Each side has its own 4' x 10' island, double oven, 5 burner cooktop and hood, dishwasher, large farm sink, and pull down (retractable) extension outlets from the ceiling. The [tops of the] two kitchen islands are made of restored bowling lane [flooring]. Both islands are on casters [so the space arrangement is flexible]. We designed the islands for stylists' legs to fit underneath, while optimizing storage space for pots, pans and utensils in custom-made cabinets and drawers. I guess many stylist work at studios where the work stations don't have leg room [so] they have to side-saddle the table and it creates an awkward work position.
The floor of the kitchen is different from the polished concrete of the rest of the studio. We put a high density foam down and then covered it with wood paneling to give it a ballet floor feel. Food stylists are on their feet the whole day, so the floor is easy on their feet and back.
Behind the back wall of the kitchen, hidden from the view of clients, is a pantry, and a prep room. The hidden pantry is a precaution in case we are shooting for one client, but we are also stocked with a competitor's product (it happens). The "contraband" will be out of sight. The prep area has a desk, and stylists often use it as an office. If they need to take a call or send an email, they can [do so] and not have to be seen by clients.
The kitchen has been a big hit. After every shoot we try to ask what is working well, and if there is anything that we can fix to make it better. We ask if there are any appliances, dishware, or utensils that they wished they could have had. We want to keep improving.
So far, food stylist really like working here. We really want to do everything we can to keep it that way.
From Assistant to Pro: Andrew Burkle, Food Photographer
Studio Tour: Jody Dole's Dream Studio (for PDN subscribers)


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Today on Interviewing the Indies, we sat down with Laura VanArendonk Baugh, author of several books including the Kitsune Tales series and a dog training manual. Her most recent release, Con Job, is a cozy mystery also suitable for YA readers. It's a geeky read full of nerdy humor.
Jacob just wanted to have a good time with his friend Samantha and fellow geeks at the fan convention. But when dead bodies start turning up, Jacob has to start a little early on his hoped-for detective career. After all, the police are out of their depth in a world where nearly everyone wears a costume or uses an alias. But Jacob has a secret of his own, and it looks like someone is bent on revealing him to the entire con. If Jacob's history comes out, his police career will end before it begins, even if he can find the killer. And if he can't, more fans will die.
What's your favorite geeky reference that you make in Con Job? Why?
A lot of references go by in the background, a fun catch for those in the know but not disruptive to anyone not familiar with that particular field of geekery. I'm a cosplayer, so one of my favorites is a really cool costume from a CLUTCH design, seen a few times through the story.
CLAMP is a legendary Japanese art group (samples here), producing many manga and art books. They're known for a distinctive elongated style and over-the-top and detailed designs, and a lot of talented cosplayers choose CLAMP designs to challenge themselves and show off their work. While there are plenty of real-world references in Con Job, like Star Wars and Sherlock, there are others which are more allusions, and CLUTCH is the CLAMP of the book's world.
If Jacob could meet one of his idols, who would he meet and why?
He gets to! Jacob brings his mint condition, first edition copy of How to Die in Five Easy Steps to be signed by Greg Hammer at the con. There's not time in the book to explore why Jacob is a fan, but it's really just the same enthusiasm that brings most people to fan conventions: an appreciation for story, art, character, concept, possibility. Fan conventions are ultimately just about rooting for things you enjoy with other people who enjoy them. Jacob lucks out and is assigned to be Hammer's security during his autograph session. Too bad there are corpses and other distractions to interfere....
Samantha is aiming for a voice career, so she'd probably want to meet Rob Paulsen, Mark Hamill, or Simon Jones. (Okay, I'm the one who wants to meet Simon Jones. He's one of my favorite narrators.)
What's interesting to me is it sounds like you have two mysteries going on inside your story: who is the killer and what is Jacob's history. What was the most difficult part of interweaving those two plots?
Actually, they worked together surprisingly well. Jacob's problem seems his own, while obviously murders at the con are of concern to everyone. But of course things are rarely that simple, and ultimately they do collide, threatening Jacob's longed-for law enforcement career.
Con Job was a very different genre for me, as I usually write fantasy or historical which is much more character-driven, while the mystery genre really requires that the focus stays pretty tightly on the mystery itself. Jacob's fear of exposure made it easier for me, I think, because that felt more familiar!
What's been the best part about being an independent author?
I'm a control freak, and being an indie lets me set my own deadlines and make my own decisions. For example, I got to pick my cover artist (Kristie Good, an indie comic artist who knows the con circuit well and was able to give me awesome front and back art). Being able to talk through options with her and get perfectly customized characters was great fun.
I also get to write my own stories. Traditional markets are less willing to take risks or deviate from known formulas, but I can be more flexible because all the risks are my own. Most books in the cozy/humor genre feature female protagonists and more romance than Con Job offers, but I felt that Jacob's story was worth telling, and Jacob and Samantha have a great friendship even if it's not anything "more." I really value my critique partners' opinions, of course, but I appreciate not having to adhere to a market formula or shoehorn in an extra romantic scene.
What else do you have planned for the future? Any other books on the horizon?
I usually have several projects running at once. I'm experimenting with serializing a work in progress right now: Smoke and Peers is a sequel to a popular short gaslamp fantasy Smoke and Fears, and you can read it for free at Wattpad. Please check it out and leave me a comment!
I have short stories in four traditionally-published anthologies in 2014, which is pretty cool. One of my personal favorites, "And Only the Eyes of Children," is a rockin' urban fantasy and I'd love to follow those characters through another few adventures. I've also started writing another serial, a high fantasy adventure featuring a farm boy with a magic amulet which doesn't really work and a sorceress who dropped out of magic because it was easier to rob people for a living. Oh, and something about the end of the empire and a sexy antagonist. It's nowhere near ready to launch yet, but I'm writing….
But there are novels in progress, too. I'm kicking around ideas for the sequel to Kitsune-Mochi, and I hope to finish revising Shard & Shield soon. It's an epic fantasy, huge and powerful and very personal with the characters.
Thanks so much for stopping by and chatting with us, Laura! You can check out Con Job for kindle, nook, or purchase the paperback. Her other work is also available on amazon and smashwords.


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For the first time ever Fiddler on the Roof arrived onstage at the award-winning Goodspeed Opera in East Haddam, Connecticut to tremendous acclaim from the Opening Night audience and the media. This is not only a top Broadway-quality production in every way, but is possibly the finest – of many outstanding shows - in the theater's 51 years of preserving the great American Musical.
Rob Ruggiero has created an intimate retelling of this "L'Chaim — To Life!" show with his exceptional talent and skills as a director and storyteller. Each member of the cast, under Rob's guiding light, is singularly and collectively superb.
This is an emotionally moving evening in the theater, with exquisite acting, gorgeous vocals, unbelievably stunning and acrobatic choreography and a huge dose of 'heart' that is always real without a hint of forced or contrived sentimentality.
Does a story about Russian villagers and their longing for comfort, freedom, family and love make a great musical? You bet it does. It's about tradition that is present in families and groups of every origin. Everyone will easily identify with and react emotionally to this joyous, life-affirming musical treasure.
The show opened with the dazzling and exuberant song, "Tradition," which brought thunderous applause and cheering from the audience. It set the tone and the pace for the rest of the show. The glorious and melodic music by Jerry Bock and wise and witty lyrics by Sheldon Harnick delight with one memorable and hummable song after another.
The family patriarch, Tevye, played by the luminous Adam Heller, (a star-quality Broadway actor who previously played Pseudelous in Goodspeed's A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum) sings the familiar "If I Were a Rich Man," with a special poignancy. His interpretation of Tevye is uniquely his own. Heller gives an incomparable performance as the exuberant and funny Tevye who is riled by conflicting thoughts and madcap actions in dealing with his family, neighbors and the Czar's functionaries.
The sweet "Sunrise, Sunset," lovely "Matchmaker" and life's anthem "L'Chaim" are all sung with emotional truth and spirit by this cast that perfectly represents a village and a family. The townspeople of Anatevka, where "Tradition" is embraced by most and challenged by the strong-willed young people, go about their lives of determined survival. Local milkman Tevye sees his daughters fall in love during a terrible time – especially for the Jewish people - on the eve of the Russian Revolution, as the Czar is about to evict all Jews from their villages.
The book by Joseph Stein, which is based on Sholem Aleichem stories by special permission of Arnold Perl, is filled with well-crafted dialogue and plotting that gives the actors an opportunity to dig deep to create fully realized characters.
As Tevye's wife, Golde, Lori Wilner, another leading Broadway veteran, keeps us delighted as she lovingly bosses Tevye and their five daughters with resigned angst. In the duet, "Do You Love Me?" she allows us a peek into the woman underneath the long-suffering wife. Cheryl Stern makes her Goodspeed debut as Yente/Grandma Tzeitel. Cheryl leaves little doubt about what kind of a person Yente is – a meddling busybody, who is much less subtle than that other famous matchmaker, Dolly Levi. Miss Stern gets all the laughs that Yenta deserves. She's a nudge who meddles relentlessly and without a bit of vulnerability – survival is her only goal.
David Perlman is an exuberant love-sick Motel the tailor in love with Tevye's daughter, Tzeitel, played by actress Barrie Kreinik. Deliciously golden-voiced and fine actor Elizabeth DeRosa is daughter Hodel. Sister Chava is wonderfully sung by Jen Brissman. Handsome and viral Russian suitor Fyedka is played by Timothy Hassler in his Goodspeed debut. Revolutionary Perchik is created with all the fire of a reactionary by Abdiel Vivancos. Delightful John Payonk, who towers over everyone in the cast, plays the butcher Lazar Wolf with an enormous voice and stage presence to match his size. The littlest daughters are charming Joy Del Valle as Shprintze and Allegra Rosa as Bielke. The entire cast has a chemistry which adds a great measure of believability and action to the show.
Unsure of how to pronounce all these unfamiliar names? All will be revealed when you see the show. (Here's a hint – Motel is not a highway sleep-stop, but is pronounced Mot'l).
It would be a criminal act to exclude the name of any member of the ensemble: their dancing is without flaw (the breathtaking bottle dance is not to be missed), and their voices soar in joyous harmony. Matthew Amira as Avram, Will Burton – a superb dancer, Max Chucker, who's the expert Fiddler and roof-sitter; Michael J. Farina as Mordcha the tavern keeper, and Joy Hermalyn as the giant, ghostly apparition Fruma-Sarah who scares the wits out of Tevye and Golde in the dream sequence. Delightfully droll Jeremy Lawrence plays the almost dim-witted Rabbi, and Darren Matthias is the fierce but reluctantly kind-hearted Russian constable. Other ensemble members include Jeanette Minson, Curtis Schroeger who does a Russian solo dance and Dereck D. Seay. Charles South plays Mendel and Jesse Swimm is Nacham. Eileen Tepper plays Shandel and the swings are Rob Montgomery and Paige Sommerer. Last, but never least, is 12-year-old Grace Dodd, understudy for the part of Bielke.
Every year when we see a show directed by Rob Ruggiero, who is a favorite of Goodspeed audiences for such hits as Carousel, Show Boat, Camelot, 1776 and last season's The Most Happy Fella, we say "This is the best thing that Rob has ever done!" And that has now been going on for years. Parker Esse again joins forces with Ruggiero as choreographer. They previously teamed up for Goodspeed's successful The Most Happy Fella and Carousel.
Scenic Designer Michael Schweikardt has created a minimalist set that perfectly infers the simplicity and bleakness of life in Russia at the turn of the last century – and hasn't actually changed much today from our personal experience in that country. Alejo Vietti's costume design, whose work can now be seen on Broadway in the Tony-nominated Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, keeps the villager's clothes simple, clean and well-worn to further define character. Lighting Design is by John Lasiter, who created last season's The Most Happy Fella. His subtle use of sunrise-sunset lighting perfectly fits the mood of peasant village life. Sound Design is once again expertly created by Jay Hilton, who is also set and lighting supervisor. He's now in his 29th hit season at Goodspeed. Every word can be heard, no lyric is misunderstood. The sound is perfection.
The Music Director for Fiddler on the Roof is master music-maker Michael O'Flaherty, who is in his 23rd season at Goodspeed musicals. What a pit orchestra! It sounds like a major symphony but is usually a handful of musicians who deftly play many instruments to make each production's notes soar. F. Wade Russo is Assistant Music Director, and Dan DeLange, who has created outstanding the orchestrations for numerous Goodspeed productions, is once again on board. It's beautifully honed teamwork that makes this and all productions at Goodspeed Musicals such a joy to see and hear.
The original production of Fiddler opened in 1964 and was nominated for ten Tony Awards, winning nine, including Best musical, score, book, direction and choreography. It was the first musical in Broadway history to surpass 3,000 performances. Fiddler held the record for almost ten years until Grease set a new record.
Michael P. Price, producer of Fiddler on the Roof, and executive director of Goodspeed musicals since 1969, has announced his retirement. He took charge of what was then a summer theater and developed it into a major regional theater with a well-earned national reputation. Nineteen of his shows have transferred to Broadway, including Man of La Mancha and Annie. His productions have won 13 Tony Awards, 33 nominations and two regional Tony Awards for Goodspeed. Mr. Price's theater achievements are, indeed, worth many times his weight in Tony gold.
Fiddler on the Roof runs through September 12, 2014. Curtain times are Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (with select performances at 2:00 p.m.), Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. (with select performances at 6:30 p.m.). As of this writing there has been an added matinee performance on Tuesday, August 26 at 2 p.m. due to increased demand for tickets.
The box office number is 860.873.8668, open seven days a week, or on-line at www.goodspeed.org . For show highlights, special events, directions, free parking areas and more visit online, Facebook, Twitter @goodspeedmusicl and YouTube.
The Goodspeed Opera House, home of Goodspeed Musicals is at 6 Main Street, East Haddam, Connecticut.
By Don Church and Tony Schillaci, Critics On The Aisle
Suggested Links
- Goodspeed's Festival of New Musicals promises tuneful weekend in East Haddam CT
- 'Christmas on the Rocks' glows with sparkling comedic performances
- Shauna Goodgold shines as Nellie Bly – 'Front Page Girl' at SBT in Norwich CT
- 'May the Schwartz be with you' at Goodspeed Musicals' 'Snapshots' in Chester, CT
- Goodspeed's 'Most Happy Fella' is like the song: 'Warm All Over'


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["Hedwig's Theme" plays]
Andrew: Because J.K. Rowling has a surprise for us that has made us gone cuckoo, this is MuggleCast Episode 267 for July 14th, 2013.
[Show music begins]
Andrew: Welcome to MuggleCast Episode 267. This is a special episode. Don't worry, this isn't going to count towards the final two. We decided that we would record a special episode because J.K. Rowling shocked the world on Saturday afternoon when she revealed…
Eric: Aunt Marge is gay.
[Selina laughs]
Andrew: Yes, finally! I've waited for so long.
Eric: [unintelligible]
Selina: Nice.
Andrew: My Pottermore hopes and dreams have come true, and we're here to analyze what it could mean for the future of Aunt Marge. No, J.K. Rowling revealed a new book, The Cuckoo's Calling. But even more shocking, it's been available in bookstores since late April.
[Eric laughs]
Selina: I know. [laughs]
Andrew: She released it under a pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. Take that everyone who doubted my pronunciation. On Hypable, the people, were already… they were like, "I can't wait to see how Andrew pronounces it."
Andrew: I'm like, "Excuse me! Excuse me!"
Selina: I think it's [pronounces as "Gal-bryth"] Galbraith or something. Galbraith? Something Irish.
Andrew: Maybe.
Eric: I would say [pronounces as "Gal-brith"] Galbraith.
Selina: [switches between pronouncing "Gal-brith" and "Gal-bryth"] Galbraith? Galbraith? Galbraith?
Eric: I would not say any of the "eyth" and the "ooth" and the…
Selina: No, I don't know where that's coming from.
Andrew: Well, since this person doesn't exist, neither does a proper pronunciation.
Selina: Fair enough.
Eric: Oh!
Andrew: So everybody can say it how they want.
Micah: Nice!
Eric: Everyone's a winner!
Micah: That was very well done.
Andrew: [laughs] So there's a lot to talk about. Everybody is very excited. It's been an exciting 24 hours as we all kind of learn tidbits about this book. How about… let's talk about initial reactions first. Micah, you had one of my favorite tweets yesterday.
Eric: Yes.
Andrew: What went through your mind? Did you believe it at first?
Micah: Did I believe it?
Andrew: Believe that she actually released a book two and a half months ago and we didn't even know it.
Micah: Sure.
Micah: Why not? I think the reaction you're referring to is that I said, I don't follow J.K. Rowling on Twitter yet I still found out that she released a new book. And…
Selina: I don't follow her either. Isn't it terrible?
Andrew: Oh.
Micah: Yes! Selina!
Selina: [laughs] I know.
Micah: See? There's two hosts for you. But I was just… it's pleasantly surprising that she did this and the book has been out, as you said, since April and nobody really caught onto it until, I guess, this writer at The Sunday Times decided to do a little bit of digging. But what surprises me… and I don't really know the track record for this, but she decided to use this pseudonym which is a male as opposed to doing it as a female, and I just wondered the reasoning behind that. Normally, I would think that your pseudonym would be specific to your gender, but I guess it doesn't have to be.
[Andrew laughs]
Selina: Oh no, it hardly ever is, actually.
Eric: I would think it would be potentially…
Micah: Is it really?
Eric: Yeah. I would think that it would be intentionally misleading.
Andrew: And some people are laughing because she's already gone by a male name before: J.K. Rowling.
Eric: Right.
Andrew: And now she's doing it again. [laughs]
Eric: Right, which is… yeah, because J.K. is the more masculine version. It could be either way.
Micah: Right.
Andrew: Eric and Selina, were either of you shocked? I was shocked.
Eric: Yeah. I mean…
Selina: Well…
Eric: …at first I didn't believe it, and there were people on Twitter I was following… basically it was during my job, I was out at work when I first saw the first tweets, and I read Hypable's article because you had that up lightning speed. And at first I wasn't sure if it was true or if… because who can say, right? If it's really, really true. I don't know if the statement from Jo was there yet, but at first we were just thinking, what if this is a really good marketing campaign by Robert Galbraith and his people who are getting this out there? It just… it felt like it needed more traction.
Micah: Substance?
Eric: And then it… but within 15 minutes, it had that traction. Everybody was saying, "Oh my God. This is it."
Andrew: Yeah.
Eric: And it was just so absurd that she would do this, but at the same time, so…
Andrew: So Jo.
Eric: It was so Jo. It made sense…
Selina: It was just so Jo, guys. [laughs]
Eric: When we later got the statement from her, it made… it was like, oh yeah, that makes sense. But it was rewarding to be able to actually just… I diverted myself. I drove a mile out of my way just to a Barnes and Noble… actually, I didn't drive out of my way. It was at the opposite end of the parking lot I was in, and went to Barnes and Noble and picked up two copies.
Micah: That's a very far drive for you.
Andrew: Yeah. Wow, some fan you are.
Selina: How hard for you.
Eric: It's a pretty big parking lot in Skokie. But anyway, I drove right across the street to Barnes and Noble and got two copies. They were already in stores.
Selina: Why did you get two?
Eric: One for my girlfriend.
Selina: Oh, okay.
Eric: But this is the greatest thing of all, about this reveal, is that the book… that we didn't have to wait for it.
Andrew: Right, right.
Eric: Instant gratification. Especially to ebook readers, ebook reader owners.
Eric: Or anybody with the apps. It's available right now.
Andrew: Yeah, which is so exciting. When I first found… I first found out about it when somebody just at-replied the Hypable Twitter with just a link, no text, just a link. And I saw it was The Telegraph and I was like, "Hmm, that's interesting."
Eric: Usually, that's spam. [laughs]
Andrew: [laughs] Right, right.
Eric: Usually that's like a "Grow your…" you know.
Andrew: Right, but it was going to The Telegraph so I clicked it, and the statement was there from the beginning because, as we'll get into in a minute, The Sunday Times had reached out to J.K. Rowling's people and she decided to issue a statement. So after I wrote up the article and did a couple of things, of course everybody was really excited. I booked it to my local Barnes and Noble, but I couldn't find it and I even went up to somebody at the desk and I said, "Help me find it." They were like, "Yeah, you know, we got four copies in stock. It says we have four copies here." So they helped me look and it just could not be found. And he just turned to me at one point and was just like, "Yeah, I guess we have four copies that are lost." I'm like, "Okay, great, bye."
Selina: Wow.
Andrew: So, I was bummed…
Micah: Or four copies that sold before you got there.
Andrew: Yeah, that's what I was also thinking, but I don't think their computers would reflect that they're in. Anyway, luckily my friends, John and Bre - John who you may know from Leaky - he is closer to a Barnes and Noble down near Santa Monica, so they also booked it over to the bookstore and purchased all four available copies.
[Andrew and Eric laugh]
Selina: Like hoarding J.K. Rowling books. It's crazy.
Andrew: I know. Well, they're…
Micah: You know what I'm thinking, Andrew?
Andrew: What?
Micah: I'm thinking that clerk that you went to put those in reserve for himself and kept them in the back room.
Selina: I bet. And sold them for a hundred dollars.
Eric: I have a story about this. I have a story about this, guys. So my Barnes and Noble that I went to, the one in Skokie, there were four in inventory.
Andrew: See? See?
Eric: Which is weird. I'm sensing a recurring thing here.
Eric: Basically, by the time I got there, it was maybe forty five minutes after the news broke, and I asked the woman. I asked her, "Hey, so Cuckoo's Calling, new crime thriller." She's like, "Okay, it's right over here." She led me right to it and that was because she had just put it on hold for somebody who called in.
Eric: So she put one copy on hold, so she knew exactly where it was but didn't necessarily know anything further, right? So she led me right to it and she picked it up off the shelf and gave it to me and I was like, "Okay. You know that the word on the street is that this is the new J.K. Rowling book." And her eyes went really wide, and she's like, "Really?" And I'm like, "Yes." I didn't say, "Oh yeah, I've heard this thing." I just said, "The Internet says this is what happened."
Eric: So I was like, "So I'll take two."
[Andrew and Micah laugh]
Eric: Because I knew… because my girlfriend didn't have any luck down in the city Barnes and Noble, which is also a university bookstore so they weren't as well stocked. But I grabbed two, meaning there was one left on the shelf, and I started walking the other way after I said, "Okay, I'll take two." I grabbed them and I was walking to the cashier. And the woman said, "Well, maybe I'll take this last copy for myself."
[Everyone laughs]
Andrew: Yeah, I would have.
Selina: See? Don't you think that's so interesting though, and kind of nice, that even now, so many years after Harry Potter and after The Casual Vacancy - which was a lukewarm success at best - you hear new J.K. Rowling book, everybody books it to the bookstore. No pun intended.
Eric: Everybody.
Andrew: Right.
Selina: Everybody.
Andrew: And like Eric…
Selina: And it's like you guys are hoarding the books. That's the thing. It's like you have to have this because it's J.K. Rowling's book, you know?
Andrew: And like Eric pointed out, the thrill yesterday was that it was already… it was immediately available.
Selina: Yeah.
Andrew: So it was like a little treasure hunt going… that's how it felt to me.
Eric: Yeah.
Andrew: I wanted so bad to just go up to it and actually see it sitting there on the shelf. I was bummed that I didn't get that experience like Eric and other people did.
Selina: But you know what? I don't know about you, Andrew, but whenever I heard this, I wasn't surprised at all that she would have released this under a pseudonym because we've sort of been speculating this for a while. But I was a little bit disappointed because this probably means she didn't write Queen of the Tearling. [laughs]
Andrew: [laughs] Right. We spoke about Queen of…
Selina: And I really liked that theory.
Andrew: Yeah. We spoke about that on one of the more recent episodes of MuggleCast and over on Hype. And you know what? I've done some further digging about that, looking up who owns the domain name, and it looks to be an actual person. So…
Eric: Oh, bummer.
Andrew: Yeah, I know.
Selina: But I think it's also just because I kind of feel like, for me, I was hoping… and I didn't think she would, but I was sort of hoping against hope that she would write another fantasy.
Andrew: Mhm.
Selina: So…
Micah: She may still.
Andrew: This is all adding up though now because it's been six years now since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and it's like, what the heck has she been doing?
Eric: I mean, she got a Twitter, it's got two and a half million followers. She doesn't use it…
Selina: She doesn't have tweets.
[Micah laughs]
Eric: She doesn't use it. It's the weirdest thing. It's like she's there but she's not, these past six years. She's been there but she's not. And this is another fruit of that labor that we didn't know existed.
Micah and Selina: Yeah.
Micah: I remember specifically, though… I think I found out once there was enough evidence to support the fact that it was true. So it wasn't one of those things where I was waiting, waiting, waiting to see was it actually legitimate that she had put this book out. But I have not gone out and got the book yet. I'm still waiting. I might try tomorrow at work…
Andrew: Uh oh.
Eric: Uh oh.
Micah: …on lunch hour to go to the Barnes and Noble a couple of blocks away and see if it's available.
Andrew: You're probably too late.
Micah: I'm probably am at this point.
Selina: Get it on ebook like I did!
Eric: You're in a pretty dense…
Micah: I don't like ebooks.
Eric: Oh, ebooks.
Selina: Yeah, I don't either. [laughs]
Micah: I like the actual book itself.
Micah: And that might be weird, but so be it.
Andrew: You know what? I actually… I have switched to only ebooks but the fact that it's a J.K. Rowling book, I want to have a physical copy. It's just nice.
Selina: I just got so scarred by Casual Vacancy. I mean, she sort of…
Selina: It tainted it forever. I'm looking right now at my massive cover of The Casual Vacancy which cost me like three hundred… not three hundred, thirty pounds.
Selina: [laughs] It wasn't that expensive. It's golden and… but I mean… and I'm just thinking, "You know what? That was a waste of money." [laughs]
Eric: I'm staring at the other end of my room where my bookshelf is and there's The Casual Vacancy, sure enough. It's the one signed by J.K.R. Right next to it is the one that's not signed by J.K.R that I paid thirty dollars for.
Eric: And I haven't finished it. They're just both over there and they're bookends on my bookshelf, so… you know, it is a cautionary lesson here, where just because… like on name alone… and this is the weirdest thing about what happened yesterday… maybe that would be a good title for this episode: What happened yesterday.
Eric: But it's the weirdest thing because no matter how or where we were or what we were doing… like I was in the middle of an eleven-hour workday, okay? The last thing on my mind was J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter. But when I started seeing those tweets coming in, about a new J.K. Rowling book, and once it was like, oh my God, this is happening, and it set in, me and everybody else started tweeting, "On our way," "Got to do this," tweeting photos, book-in-hand photos.
Selina: See, yeah...
Eric: …People were like, "I'm in the middle of a monsoon. I'm getting the Harry Potter book."
Eric: So...
Selina: Now, here's your tagline for the show. I mean, the fandom, everyone saw that J.K. Rowling had a new book out. They all went cuckoo! Ha ha ha.
Andrew: Ah, cuckoo for Cuckoo!
Selina: Exactly.
Micah: Or Coco Pops.
Eric: It's just the weirdest... I wanted to tweet, but I didn't want to get shat on by people. Are we suddenly forgetting The Casual Vacancy here, people?
Micah: That's my question, because...
Eric: Like name alone… because it's been months and I still have no interest to pick that book up. I read half of it. I read exactly half of it and stopped and never picked it up again. And are we just forgetting? Are we just like, "Okay, we're going to go get the new J.K. Rowling book..." it's such loyalty to Jo, but at the same time there's absolutely no guarantee whatsoever that we're going to like it. It's, again, a different genre than what we're used to.
Selina: It's just a question of the fact that we had Casual Vacancy, some people loved it but some people didn't. But at the end of the day I think the fandom, the Harry Potter fandom as a whole, are still J.K. Rowling fans. They're fans of the franchise that is J.K. Rowling. And the question is just… I mean, this is going to be the book that I think decides. If people generally love this book, yeah, they're going to pick up whatever she writes next.
Selina: But if this kind of turns up being another Casual Vacancy I don't think that people are going to rush out to stores the next time she releases something.
Eric: It's weird because initial plot summaries, everything that I've read so far about the book makes it seem like Cuckoo's Calling is going to be a really fun crime drama novel, and I wonder why she didn't choose that one for her next book and publish Casual Vacancy under a pseudonym.
Andrew: Yeah, she should have.
Eric: Not that the lesser book has to… I'm not trying to somehow shovel The Casual…
Selina: Not that it wasn't a good book, but it just wasn't…
Eric: It's obviously very personal for Jo, and it was a hell of an undertaking to do it, and it portrays a dark corner of humanity that isn't comfortable. Maybe it was important or good that that book be under her name. But it's just so weird because this… my hopes are way up for this book because it seems to be… again, it's a little political but it's mostly about a detective. And those novels are always so much fun to read. Always.
Andrew: The other thing I like about The Cuckoo's Calling and why I wanted a physical copy is because it's summertime.
Andrew: I mean, the last time we got a new book during the summer from J.K. Rowling was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. And the Harry Potter book releases were always traditionally summer releases, so it kind of harkens back to those Harry Potter release days.
Eric: That reminds me of… Micah, you posted in a Skype chat earlier that today is the six years since Episode 99 in Enlightening in 2007 in Philadelphia - which was the episode before we all got the seventh book - is six years ago today, from when we're recording this.
Andrew: Not just that, but today is the… tomorrow is the two year anniversary of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 hitting theaters.
Eric: Yeah. This is the Harry Potter month.
Eric: This is… and his birthday is in sixteen days or whatever. So you're right, it feels right that it was revealed now. Although, I did want to talk about the fact that it's only been two months. So the secret came out still pretty quickly, I think.
Andrew: Well, yeah. I mean, I guess we can get into that now. So The New York Times spoke to The Sunday Times, who initially uncovered The Cuckoo's Calling connecting it to J.K. Rowling. What happened was one of The Sunday Times's writers had read The Cuckoo's Calling recently and tweeted that she liked the book. And shortly after that, an anonymous person replied to her on Twitter and told her that it was J.K. Rowling who was the real author.
Eric: Unbelievable.
Andrew: So then the editor replied to the Twitter user asking, "How do you know for sure?" and the anonymous person said, "I just know." Then that anonymous person deleted the tweets and deleted his or her Twitter account. So from there, that made The Sunday Times start to dig. They connected the dots between the publisher and the editor of The Casual Vacancy and The Cuckoo's Calling. They're both Little Brown, and it's also the same actual editor, the same person. And that set off a red flag because it was like, why is this person who edited The Casual Vacancy for J.K. Rowling also editing something as irrelevant as a new-coming author, a new author? That part didn't really add up.
Eric: Oh, right. Right.
Andrew: And then they sent the two books plus Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows into linguistic computers and they found, quote, "significant similarities between the three."
[Andrew and Selina laugh]
Eric: These linguistic computers sound really cool.
Eric: They're basically what our eighth grade science teachers threatened us with if we were to plagiarize our science fair experiment.
Eric: They're like, "We can tell your writing! There are databases for this."
Eric: I'm all over it.
Andrew: So then they had all this evidence and they decided to email Rowling's publicist this past Friday night. And their email was… it was a very simple statement. It was:
"I believe that Robert Galbraith is in fact J.K. Rowling, and will you please come back with a straightforward answer?"
Selina: I love that.
Micah: You have to say that in a British accent though, because that sound…
Andrew: [in a terrible British accent] "Will you please come back with a straightforward answer?"
Micah: There you go. It just sounds more authentic that way.
Andrew: And then Saturday morning J.K. Rowling's publicist replied, "Yes, it is her." And then they got that statement from Rowling, and then that was it.
Eric: Wow.
Andrew: So, yeah.
Selina: It's so weird. Such a weird sequence of events. What kind of… who was the person that originally tweeted it? That's what I want to know.
Andrew: Well, okay…
Selina: Is it Ian Rankin being bitter?
Andrew: Well, here's the question: Was this anonymous person on Twitter actually somebody from Little Brown, and Little Brown decided that now they want to let everybody learn about the book? Because…
Eric: I can just imagine like a 4:00AM phone call to J.K. Rowling, where she picks it up, she's like, "Hello?" - wiping the sleep from her eyes - and they're like, "Phase 2, Ms. Rowling, is ready to begin."
Eric: She's like, "Okay, proceed." And then they send that tweet back to that Sunday Times person. You think it's a planned event?
Andrew: Well, I mean…
Selina: I don't know. Operation Cuckoo?
Andrew: They wanted to sell them eventually. They wanted to let everybody know because, I mean, Little Brown is a business. They want book sales.
Andrew: And everybody knows book sales have been struggling. So I think it had to come out at some point. As J.K. Rowling said in her statement, she was hoping it wouldn't be this soon.
Selina: Mhm.
Andrew: I don't know how soon she was planning.
Andrew: But interestingly in the New York Times report, they say that the second print run of the book - which is now underway - will carry a revised author biography which reads, "Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling."
Micah: So it wasn't planned?
Eric: The people who got… well, if it wasn't planned, they're certainly running like heck to… look, it had to be planned to some extent because at the end of the day…
Selina: They probably had a backup plan.
Eric: …it is J.K. Rowling. Yeah, there has to be a button they push…
Eric: …when it hits the fan that allows them to print so many more copies, because essentially the book now is out of print.
Eric: Those of us who got the print run… the first print run that doesn't reveal it to be J.K. Rowling, our books are slightly more special actually.
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Comments about 'Sandy Hook victim's mother: The last morning was filled with 'love, kindness''
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It's a beautiful thing to remember the lovely last moments with a child, as
time goes so quickly by. For the Parkers, this is a wonderful, thought-provoking
image of the stark reality of connecting the past of Emilie getting ready for
school with the present of Madeline and Samantha and their chaotic school
God bless you!
- 10:20 a.m. Oct. 3, 2013
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- Report abuse
This hits a little too close to home. No, my son is not a victim of the Sandy
Hook shooting. However, this is my boys first year of school, and we have a
nother 17 month old boy, and a child in the oven. It can be very chaotic trying
to get him ready and catch the bus on time. However, I too have realized that
things are a lot better and fun, when we just let go allow life to happen. We
can soak it all in and laugh and learn from our inquisitive young ones.
The thought of losing these morning escapades getting my son ready for school, breaks my heart. God bless the Parker family, and all families of child victims everywhere.
- 11:36 a.m. Oct. 3, 2013
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I cannot even begin to imagine the unspeakable grief this family must feel. This story has helped me to be a bit more loving, patient, and kind to my own children every day. I hope I am a better father. Please, God, bless all of us to be a bit more kind; and please bless the Parker family with an added measure of Thy Holy Spirit.
- 12:00 p.m. Oct. 3, 2013
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Thank you for sharing what indeed is a very tender time. I am reminded of the day my son walked out on his family at 17 and a half wanting to be on his own. He is the oldest of 5 and at 15 became very difficult to where we had counselors trying to help him not be defiant. Being LDS, we had help from our Bishop and even Stake President but with no success. He finished his senior year at the same high school but lived with another family. When his younger brother and sister who were 7 and 5 when he left were watching family videos about 6 months after he left, I saw their reaction to him wanting to see him again and I excused myself. I went across the street and cried to my Heavenly Father why won't he come home. The sweetest feeling came over me with the message "you had him them." I realized I needed to celebrate the time he was in our life, which I know you will remember those sweet times and challenging times with your Emily. We're so blessed to have the plan of salvation and eternal life.
- 2:47 p.m. Oct. 3, 2013
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France 2009
Steve Branley
Every year for the last 5 years we've created a photographic diary of our time in France. This year is the first time that we've uploaded to Blurb and so far it looks good........to be continued...........a few weeks later; we're absolutely delighted with the quality of our book and I'm pleased I paid the extra few pounds for the premium paper. Highly recommended publisher.
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iPhone Eye Stephen Branley
Published June 22, 2010
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March 28, 2013 | Vol. 116 -- No. 49
Over 200 attendees gathered Friday evening at Northern Quest Resort and Casino to congratulate recipients at the West Plains Chamber "Best of the West" annual recognition ceremony.
Categories ranging from Non-Profit of the Year to Person of the Year were included in the nomination and voting process resulting in a total of 17 groupings. According to a West Plains Chamber news release, over 180 votes were received from chamber members.
"Our goal tonight is to acknowledge men and women whose contributions to our region's business community, education system, manufacturing and custome...
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text: 2009: Participated in 36 of NIU's 57 games ... Started four games, two in the outfield and one at first base and designated hitter ... A base running specialist, appeared as a pinch runner in 26 contests ... Stole 10 bases and scored 10 runs.2008: Played in 18 games for the Huskies, starting four...Used primarily as a pinch runner...Scored five runs and had two stolen bases.2007: Saw playing time in 23 games as a utility player and made four starts as the designated hitter...Collected six hits and scored eight runs in only 19 at-bats, compiling a .316 batting average...Picked up her first collegiate stolen base against Santa Clara on February 23...Had a productive day in a doubleheader against Valparaiso where she had two hits, one of which was a double, and two RBI.High School: Earned three letters at Bishop McNamara High School in Kankakee, Ill. ... Was named honorable mention All-East Suburban Catholic League her sophomore year.Personal: Daughter of Sandy and Tom Welsh ... Victory Scholar for the 2007-08 academic year ... Huskie Scholar for the 2008-09 and 2006-07 academic years. Major: Business Administration. Birthday: December 3, 1987.


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As You Go…Are You Preaching or Walking?
A reflection from Don Clymer, professor of language and literature at EMU. Originally posted in The Mennonite, November issue. The faces of the flight attendants tensed up as we entered the plane. We were on the last leg of a semester-abroad sojourn through Guatemala and Mexic ...More


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Extended Day Treatment
Sometimes children can attend their own schools, but need therapeutic support after school and during school vacations. This program is designed for such children between the ages of 5 and 12.
The people we serve:
Children between the ages of 5 and 12.
How the program works:
Referrals are coordinated through the Connecticut Department of Children and Families.
Provides an array of therapeutic services to children and adolescents.
Helps children with their homework, as needed.
Provides fun and healthy recreational activities.
Serves children after school and during the day during school vacations.
For more information:
Contact Intake at (860) 832-5527 or by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Lindsay Berryman
Lindsay Berryman is one of the most accomplished divers in University of Arizona history, helping the Wildcat swimming and diving team finished fourth and second, respectively, in the NCAA Championships her junior and senior seasons. She was the Pac-10 Conference Women's Diver of the Year in 1999 and in 2000 was the league champion in the platform event. A five-time All-American, Berryman placed eight in the 10-meter platform at the NCAA Championships in 1999, sixth in the 10-meter in 2000 and capped her career with another eight-place finish on the platform in 2001. She placed fifth on the platform in 2001. She placed fifth in the one-meter event at the NCAAs in 1999 and ninth at the Championships in 2000. The epitome of student-athlete, Lindsay was an Academic All-American all four years of her college career and was 4.0 student her entire time at the University of Arizona. She received a bachelor of science degree in physiology with chemistry and Spanish minors from the UofA in May 2002. Berryman has since gone on to receive her Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from the University of Arizona in 2007.


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i will keep this as simple as possible:
My gfx card if radeon x1800gto. It's a decent card with decent gaming performance in windows.
Right now, ubuntu does not get any newer proprietary drivers from amd and thus the performance of gfx of this card is lower.
If I run a windows virtual machine (for gaming exclusively) inside ubuntu, will I have full performance of my gfx card or will it be limited in performance by the drivers in ubuntu?
For somebody who understand virtual machines and how they communicate with hardware, this should be a str8forward and easy to answer question.


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Jon Stewart: Fair and balanced?
And, funny:
|The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
|Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
|Petty Woman
And, funny:
|The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
|Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
|Petty Woman
Incorrect source, offensive, or found a typo? Email us (please put title in subject bar of email so we'll be able to fix). Or do you want to write for Elephant?
{Waylon H. Lewis Enterprises 2016: Use Rights in perpetuity. Ownership remains with author.}
Your headline: Petty Woman automatically shows your bias as a liberal idiot.
"Liberal idiot." Hm. Fair accusation when you continue to substitute cynical comedians for real news.
We need to get away from presenting real news topics on Elephant solely through pop culture goofs. Perhaps Stewart should be balanced by an equal number of Beck clips. Or commentary from CATO.
The difference between Beck and Stewart is that Beck presents factual material anyone can go research through other sources. He offers a point of view, but focuses more on research and building a logical case. Stewart mentions having Beck on his show, but I wonder if Stewart will agree to focus the discussion on the facts Beck presents? In other words, skip the funny personal attacks and get to the actual essence of the debate. One can avoid the truth all day long with jokes, but how about an actual discussion?
(Surprisingly, when Stewart appears on O'Reilly we see he does have more to offer but apparently he cannot present that side to his core audience. He made an exception when he tweaked Obama when Obama appeared on his show.)
A generation raised on the slant of comedians such as Stewart (who stands like a giant of integrity next to Bill Maher) buys into willful ignorance. A more or less blissful ignorance that tunes out real life and replaces it with sanitized laughs designed to reinforce the false identity of "I'm so smart and elite and hip" that I do not need to deal with facts.
There is still a great need for a Dharma News program that looks with compassion on the ignorance that is ruining our nation. A unique view that lifts up the false views one by one to reveal the truth that can carry us forward into a future of compassion and peace.
Note to Sarah – Da Nile is a river in Egypt.


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If you are associated with Carlyle Care Center , click the Claim Listing button to contact a representative about a free listing with our referral program.
Description of Carlyle Care Center in Spokane, WA
Number of Beds : 138
Carlyle Care Center, located in Spokane, Washington provides the following services: Assisted Living. Carlyle Care Center has an average user review rating of 4 stars. Carlyle Care Center has a very good hospital, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, located nearby, which scored a 86 out of 100 in its most recent Medicare review. The Carlyle Care Center's nearest hospital is 1 miles away. The zipcode (99201) in Washington, where Carlyle Care Center is located, has a below average safety rating based on recent crime statistics. A more detailed description of the types of care for Carlyle Care Center can be found here.
Carlyle Care Center is an assisted living facility. Assisted living facilities are an apartment-style habitat designed to focus on providing assistance with daily living activities. They provide a higher level of service for the elderly which can include preparing meals, housekeeping, medication assistance, laundry, and also do regular check-in's on the residents. Basically, they are designed to bridge the gap between independent living and nursing home facilities. When thinking about how to pay for care, assisted living facilities are generally less expensive than nursing homes, if assisted living is a viable option for your loved one.
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Carnival of souls: special San Diego Comic-Con Day Two edition
* Marvel has acquired the rights to Marvelman (aka Miracleman) from creator Mick Anglo. This British Captain Marvel (aka Shazam) knockoff became a pioneering revisionist-superhero series at the hands of Alan Moore, Mark Buckingham, Neil Gaiman et al, then got lost in legal limbo for decades now, preventing the well-regarded revisionist stuff from ever being reprinted. The individual issues walked away from the Wizard library years ago, so I've never been able to read this, and it was just on the list of five things I'd like to be reprinted I sent to the Comics Reporter for this week's Five for Friday feature. This is a treat. Marvel EIC Joe Quesada talks to my Comic Book Resources overlord Jonah Weiland about the announcement on CBR's motherfucking boat.
* Now here's a heckuva con debut: Drawn & Quarterly is premiering Anders Nilsen's Big Questions #12 at the show. Looks like it's getting even darker.
* My favorite announcement in this Geoff Johns Spotlight panel report isn't Blackest Night: Flash with Scott Kolins, but the fact that Krypto the Super-Dog will be fighting Dek-Starr the Red Landern Cat. RRRRREOW! Johns has a CBR Boat Show interview of his own.
* And speaking of Johns and Blackest Night (this isn't strictly an SDCC link, but just good timing on Curt Purcell's part), Curt Purcell of the Groovy Age of Horror continues his series of posts on the horror-tinged DC event. Here he is on Green Lantern Corps #38 and Green Lantern #43; here he is on Tales of the Corps #1 & 2; and here he is on Blackest Night #1 and Green Lantern #44. Curt is not a regular reader of DC comics, so I think his posts are instructive for several reasons.
First, he rightly points out that the quality of the art in this crossover, specifically that of Doug Mahnke and Ivan Reis, is quite strong (though Reis has looked better in the past, IMHO). To the credit of both DC and Marvel, the current cycle of event comics that kicked off with Infinite Crisis and continued with Civil War, World War Hulk, The Sinestro Corps War, Final Crisis, Secret Invasion, and Blackest Night have all featured talented stylists at the helm, although this leaves them frequently plagued by fill-ins, lateness, or both. (I actually think Blackest Night could end up going without either problem; we'll see.)
Second, he articulates a problem with serialized superhero comics that not even Jim Shooter-style "new-reader friendliness" can overcome, namely that even if a superhero comic uses exposition to provide you with all the information you need to make sense it, it still "presuppose[s] a history of emotional attachment to these characters" to connect with it. And frankly there's no more of a way around that than there would be to make latecomers to The Sopranos instantly connect with the plight of Christopher Moltisanti. It's just the nature of long-form serialized storytelling. The key is to avoid plot points that are simply "Hey look, it's That Guy!" in favor of "Hey, look what that guy is doing!"
Third, I think it's interesting that he started his read of the event with an issue of Green Lantern Corps because it had the tagline "Prelude to Blackest Night" on the cover. The thing is, every issue of Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps has had that tagline on the cover for months--at least two full storyarcs, in Green Lantern's case. As a hardcore superhero comics reader, I knew that this was intended a) to goose sales, and b) to establish a tenuous connection to the upcoming event, and not c) to mean that this was actually a prelude to Blackest Night in the literal sense. But of course an outsider would have no way of knowing that. This was something that never would have occurred to me.
* Back to SDCC news proper, here's something else that never would have occurred to me: the formation of an enormous line to get into the plain-vanilla X-Men comics panel. My first San Diego Comic-Con was 2001, and iirc you could pretty much waltz right into any of the "here's what's coming up in this particular superhero franchise" panel. As Tom Spurgeon notes:
I saw at least a half-dozen lines to a few random panels that ten years ago would have had a hard time putting together 40 people that were dauntingly long this time out. One story that three people told me was that one mainstream comic book writer had a signing so stuffed that security was involved in processing the line.It seems that San Diego is a big con for everything, including comics.
* I don't think any news or new ground is broken in Graeme McMillan's interview with Marvel EIC Joe Quesada for io9, but it's a pretty good encapsulation of how Quesada comes across in every interview I've done with him, and what he values/prioritizes about his job. I find it difficult not to respect him on those grounds. (Via Kevin Melrose.)
* Golly, Rafael Grampa can draw.
* Tom Neely has a con-exclusive minicomic called Self-Indulgence at the show for which he will hand-draw each and every cover. Is "others-indulgent" a word? Because that's what that is.
* Scott Pilgrim videogame coming!
* I was rather smitten with Gerard Way's Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite, so I'm looking forward to plowing through the second volume of the series, Dallas, in time to pick up the freshly-announced third volume, Hotel Oblivion.
* World War Z author Max Brooks is writing a G.I. Joe miniseries for IDW. That's IDW's second good get of the con. I'll check it out.
* The most interesting thing about this O.G. music-blogger roundtable featuring guys like Matthew Perpetua, Sean Michaels, David Gutowski, and Andrew Noz is how few of them read other music blogs. I think if you conducted a similar discussion with comicsblogging godfathers like NeilAlien, Bill Sherman, Dirk Deppey et al, you'd get a very different result.
Comments (1)
Sean, your BLACKEST NIGHT-related linkage is what ultimately built my curiosity up to critical mass, so I have you to thank for provoking me to expand my horizons here (btw--did you catch my reference to CRwM's tongue-in-cheek claim that no horror blogger should be taken seriously who hadn't seen the SAW franchise?--I think you had something to say about that at the time).
Your third point about the "Prelude" tagline is hilarious in retrospect, although to be fair to GLC #38, it actually concludes with the Black Lantern rings dispersing through the cosmos.
Your second point is one I'm actually wrestling with, and will say more about as soon as my thinking on the issue crystallizes further.
Finally, if you're following BLACKEST NIGHT, I hope you'll share your thoughts about it along the way. I can understand not wanting to get embroiled in the whole "Wednesday crowd" thing, but the horror angle seems to put this at a pretty significant intersection of your interests.
Anyway, thanks again for pushing me to try out something new!


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Church Website Content
Did you know that more than seventeen million unchurched American adults visited a church website in the past twelve (12) months? This is according to GreyMatter Research Consulting in a survey published on March 12, 2012.
So what does that mean to you? If you are a church or a church ministry it could be a great ministry outreach. It could increase your reach into your community significantly.
What is the Purpose of a Church?
What is the purpose of a church? To tell the world about Christ, to spread the Gospel to all people (Matthew 28:19-20 et. al.) In the past, the church has used the local newspaper to publish the sermon of the evangelist who spoke last Sunday. Later the newest tech invention, radio, presented a means of spreading the word. Today you have the Inspiration Network with the Christian message presented 24/7.
Since the turn of the century the internet has become the popular place to find information, and the church can use the medium to "spread the Gospel." So back to the question, are you reaching any of those seventeen million? Are you reaching and keeping those of your membership that have access to the internet?
Use the Internet to Propogate the Gospel!
Are you getting traffic from any of those seventeen million? Do you even have a website for your church? Today, if you want to reach the unchurched with the Gospel, the internet can be a great resource.
There is more from the research. There are several areas that the unchurched look for; time of service and location are at the top of the list. This being the case, does your site have those two (2) items featured prominently on the front page?
Next, GreyMatter found that visitors want to know what you offer; Sunday School, Bible Study, College & Career, singles program, etc. So again, is this information easily found on the front page? Is your site easily navigated to find information?
Put your Sermons Online!
Finally, of the top items the unchurched are looking for is audio and/or video streaming. And why not? We go to church for the message as well as the fellowship, so why don't we make the message available to the unchurched as well? Are we not directed to preach to all nations? So does your website have the capability to stream the message? If not, why not?
Some things to think about when considering the Great Commission.


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College Hockey:Seniors Carman, Lucia Point Way for Minnesota in Rout of Wisconsin
MINNEAPOLIS — Seniors Mike Carman and Tony Lucia each scored twice, and Minnesota scored a season-high five power-play goals in a 6-1 victory over No. 3 Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon at Mariucci Arena.
"Some pucks went in," Gophers coach Don Lucia said. "We have gone a month without scoring five power-play goals."
Carman and Tony Lucia made a good last impression on the home crowd at Mariucci.
"It's nice to see Carman get a couple, Tony get a couple," Don Lucia said.
Wisconsin tied the game at 1-1 just over eight minutes into the second period on a beautiful upper-corner one-timer by Michael Davies from just inside the faceoff dot. Derek Stepan fed Davies from behind the net, and it capped off a sequence where the Badgers had controlled play.
"We tied the game. It looked like we were coming on and then from there it just kinda deteriorated," Badgers coach Mike Eaves said.
Fueled by five minor penalties, the Gophers took over for the rest of the second period, tallying three power-play goals in 2 minutes, 35 seconds.
The scoring outburst started when Tony Lucia redirected a pass by Patrick White from the top of the goal mouth past Wisconsin goaltender Brett Bennett at 11:00.
"To be able to put a 6-1 rout is a great way to go out," Tony Lucia said.
The Gophers made it 3-1 on a rebound goal that went directly to Jacob Cepis on the weak side of Bennett's pads. Cade Fairchild took the initial shot from the left side wall. Cepis one-timed the rebound into the open net.
Lucia got his second goal of the game on a 40-foot wrist shot through a screen. Lucia picked the puck off the right wall and skated to the middle, firing a shot through traffic that caught the upper left corner.
Minnesota started the first period fast, tallying six shots before Wisconsin recorded its first.
Midway through the period, the Badgers gained momentum on two power plays but failed to get a puck past goaltender Alex Kangas. The best scoring chance on the Wisconsin power play was a two-on-one rush for Minnesota. Fairchild missed the back-door tap-in pass from Jordan Schroeder.
At 16:01 of the first, Carman scored the first goal of the game on a rebound of a shot from the left blue line by Kevin Wehrs. The rebound fell to the feet of Bennett, and Carman went after the puck in a scrum and got a backhand on it sliding it under Bennett.
"Us seniors wanted to play for each other and play hard," Carman said.
The Gophers tallied twice in the third period on power-play goals by Nick Leddy and Carman.
Wisconsin senior Blake Geoffrion failed to get the one point he needed to capture a piece of this year's WCHA scoring title.
The WCHA playoffs begin next weekend. Wisconsin will host Alaska-Anchorage and Minnesota heads to North Dakota.
The following is a self-policing forum for discussing views on this story. Comments that are derogatory, make personal attacks, are abusive, or contain profanity or racism will be removed at our discretion. USCHO.com is not responsible for comments posted by users. Please report any inappropriate or offensive comments by clicking the "Flag" link next to that comment in order to alert the moderator.
Please also keep "woofing," taunting, and otherwise unsportsmanlike behavior to a minimum. Your posts will more than likely be deleted, and worse yet, you reflect badly on yourself, your favorite team and your conference.


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While on a recent visit to Japan Justin Bieber again landed himself in the middle of international controversy. He stopped off to visit what he thought was a holy shrine only to discover later that it was a Japanese war shrine. Bieber apologized for posing at this highly controversial Japanese site reported MTV on April 23, 2014. Bieber said he thought he was just visiting a beautiful Japanese shrine at the time.
Bieber says while he was in Japan his driver pulled over to a site which looked like a beautiful shrine. He claims he was mislead into thinking this was only a place of prayer. He than posted an Instagram photo posing at this shrine with the caption "Thank you for your blessings". This photo quickly got 660,000 likes before Bieber realized the Yasukuni Shrine honors former military leaders from Japan's imperial army who committed war atrocities in China and other regions in Asia during World War 11. Bieber than deleted the photo.
The Yasukuni Shrine is where 14 class-A Japanese war criminals are buried. Bieber apologized to everyone he offended by visiting the Yasukuni Shrine reports ABC News. This shrine is located in central Tokyo. It enshrines 2.5 million war dead among which are included Japan's 14 convicted war criminals. Japan's wartime aggression is defended by a war museum operated by the shrine.
The Yasukuni Shrine has been a particular source of extreme tension between China and Korea and Japan. During World War 11 the Japanese military invaded China and Korea and tens of millions of Chinese and Koreans were killed. There have also been stories of sex slavery by the Japanese military in Korea. It was suggested that with that photo at the Yasukuni Shrine Bieber alienated millions of Chinese and Korean fans.
It really doesn't appear Bieber meant to offend anyone with this visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. He comes across as a religious person and a peace activist who does not support war atrocities by any nation at any time in history. Bieber appears more in support of the present day peaceful oriented policies of Japan and he appears genuinely interested in the rich cultures of all of the Asian nations.


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BioKnee is a revolutionary treatment for arthritis that has permitted hundreds of people with moderate to severe arthritis to stay active and avoid or delay total knee replacement. BioKnee is an outpatient surgical procedure that replaces the shock absorbing cartilages in your knee by combining the following two unique procedures and techniques.
Stem Cell Paste Graft
Meniscus Transplant
What is a Stem Cell Paste Graft?
What is a Meniscus Transplant?
This innovative surgical technique designed by Dr. Stone that uses your own stem cells by forming a paste with bone marrow and cartilage from your intercondylar notch to regrow your articular cartilage. This is done in a single outpatient procedure.
A meniscus transplant replaces your worn or missing natural shock absorber in the knee using a donor cartilage. Dr. Stone designed a three-tunnel technique to secure the meniscus to the tibial plateau in order to provide shock absorption even in an arthritic knee.


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Create a Summer Fun List
It's that time of the year again - summer is almost here and we all have dreams of long, relaxing days when the kids can kick back and 'just be kids' again! As you begin to get ready for summer, I want to encourage you to create a Summer Fun List!
Types of Summer Fun Lists
Some people call this a 'Bucket List' and others call it their 'Summer Activity Guide'. Whatever you decide to name it is up to you! The main idea is to get a list of activities, books and places to visit all in one place -- and most importantly, get the kids involved in generating ideas on what they hope to do this summer!
You can create many types of lists - we've collected 40+ examples on our Pinterest 'Summer Bucket List' board.
Do what's best for your family -
- Maybe it's a list that's hand-written & stays on the fridge for when the kids are whining "there's nothing to do" :)
- Some families list activity ideas, cut them into strips, place all the strips in a bucket and then choose one out each day.
- Jen at Tatertots & Jello has an amazingly creative idea for your summer fun list (along with printable cards)!
Summer Fun Ideas & Activities
Wondering what to put on your list??!
- National Trust has a wonderful list of 50 Great Outdoor Activities
- Digital Reflections has a list of 100 FREE things to do with your Kids this Summer
- No Time for Flash Cards has put together a link list of more than 100 craft ideas for summer fun
- Check our Pinterest board of "Kids Books Worth Reading" for book lists and recommendations
And Kelly at Little Wonders' Days not only has a very colorful summer bucket list - but also a link to other lists that will help you generate a ton of ideas!
And make sure the list is something you can add to throughout the summer as more ideas come up!
A little planning goes a long way - enjoy!
May 12
I love your list(esp reading in a hammock and antique shopping) and all your suggestions for how to make one. I agree, what ever you call it or how you do it needs to work for your family. I'm so glad you linked up to the party!
May 14
I'm glad to see all those outdoor activities you have planned! My family and I sure love being outside as often as we can, so it looks like we have that in common. I also like how you included a "down day" with no errand - love it! So crucial to just find some time to relax. Looks like you've got tons of summer fun ahead of you.
June 03
I also have a summer bucket list with linky, feel free to drop by and add your post!
Have a Great Summer