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There's no stopping Dario Fo, Nobel laureate and theatre anarchist, writes Sonia Harford, from Genoa.
In the space of half an hour, Dario Fo has been approached by two gushing female fans, dropped a coin into a beggar's hat, and turned water into wine - maybe the last is an exaggeration. But, in Genoa, where he's preparing a new production, this Nobel prize-winning playwright is clearly revered.
At 77, Fo is doing what he likes best: directing a production and causing trouble. Rossini's opera, Il Viaggio a Reims, will open this month, despite threats by right-wing politicians to withdraw funding.
Over lunch between rehearsals, Fo explains why he takes liberties with text, with form and with politicians' feelings.
"They discovered I had rewritten some of Rossini's text, a story about Charles X, the King of France immediately after the French Revolution. He threw out the government, called for new elections, limited the number of voters, made laws for his own benefit."
Fo waits for recognition to dawn on me.
"Yes! Many understood him to be similar to [the Italian Prime Minister] Berlusconi," he declares. "So the politicians said we could not do this opera in Genoa. It was a big struggle. In the end, the city council said to the provincial governors, 'Sorry, the program is set, tickets have been sold. We cannot stop the production."'
The altercation is typical Fo. In the past 50 years, he and his wife, the actor Franca Rame, have faced frequent censorship and harassment from politicians and police.
Plays such as Accidental Death of an Anarchist drew directly on the events of the tumultuous 1970s, when Italy was riven by ideological conflict, culminating in bomb attacks and kidnappings.
Fo and Rame were prevented from entering the US and banned from Italy's national radio and television for 15 years. The old man shakes his head when asked if and when the censorship stopped: "Sempre piu," he says. Always more.
Directing his plays squarely at the general public, Fo and his ensembles performed in prisons, universities, factories, parks. The clowning and burlesque always had a didactic edge, attracting violent abuse and assaults by right-wing extremists.
Yet young actors and fringe directors were captivated by the revolutionary zeal of Fo's writing.
Gradually the renegade penetrated the mainstream, and a Fo play has been a staple of theatre company seasons all over the world since Accidental Death, Can't Pay! Won't Pay, and Trumpets and Raspberries. His work has been translated and published in more than 50 countries.
While Fo is probably best-known for original plays, he frequently travels to direct other work - strictly on his own terms. His recent flamboyant production of Il Viaggio a Reims in Helsinki was a sell-out, and is to be restaged in Genoa.
So it is that backstage, during rehearsals, 16 petite, blonde Finnish acrobats, imported for the show, are stretching and tumbling alongside their darker Italian cohorts.
The set is a round temple flanked by neoclassical columns - a pompous scenario all ready to be mocked.
Fo shouts, "In scena, cominciamo" - let's begin - then sits quietly as his assistant, Sebastiano di Bella, mobilises the cast.
Tall, grey-haired and dressed in black, Fo then organises discreetly, without bombast. While acrobats fidget and singers stride about, he stays still.
The opera is funny and fast, a farce set in a French hotel. The singers are comic even without costume - one is large and self-important; there's a prissy contessa; and a bald fusspot with a meagre beard and sticking-out ears.
Two Finns scoot past, joined like a pantomime cow. Under Fo's direction, the physicality of Italy's commedia dell'arte lives on.
No one is even close to his age, and there's a sense he's constantly recharged by working with young colleagues. Despite his association with the 1970s, his young acolytes won't hear of his work becoming dated.
"For any actor to have one of his plays on his CV is really something in Italy," di Bella says.
Kari, one of the Finnish acrobats adds: "He's a legend. Everyone I ask here feels the same. When he got the Nobel Prize, it was a boost for all those he represents."
Surviving an attack by political interests in Genoa, Fo retains his bonhomie in the days before the opera opens. It seems fitting to talk to him in the port city about an older play of his, Johan Padan and the Discovery of America, which opens in Melbourne on Thursday.
The story is set at the time of the Spanish voyages of discovery, led by Christopher Columbus, who was born in Genoa, and is memorialised all over the city. Fo's fictional Johan Padan is an eloquent rogue, one of countless mariners who fled the fires of the Spanish Inquisition bound for the New World. Vulgar, wily and verbose, he falls into the hands of the native Americans, who fatten him up for food, then change their minds when he appears to be a magician with great cosmic powers.
At first glance, a historical play seems at odds with Fo's body of work. Yet, clearly, Johan Padan's burlesque tale of sailors and soldiers, slaves and kings touches on imperialism across time. "Johan Padan deals with history in a contemporary way," says Fo.
Researching the period, he drew on the stories of ordinary seamen, whether Spanish, Portuguese, Italian or German, to create his everyman in Johan Padan.
The role will be played in Melbourne by Mario Pirovano. Remarkably, he will perform the solo two-hour show in English, and in Italian at one performance. Fo, who does not speak English, is full of admiration for Pirovano's translation of the dialect of the text.
"He had a big task. Mario speaks it not as an Italian speaking English, but in the English of the lower class of the time. He knows the slang," says Fo.
The two met 20 years ago, when Fo and Rame were performing in London. Pirovano was working in a travel agency, with no plans to become an actor. He went to see Fo's Mistero Buffo, a character derived from medieval jesters.
"I was stunned, fascinated. I laughed my head off," says Pirovano. "What was amazing was that he was making English people laugh."
Johan Padan and the Discovery of America opens at the Melbourne Festival tonight.
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MCKEE-L ArchivesArchiver > MCKEE > 2003-09 > 1062525969
Subject: [MCKEE] John McKee
Date: 2 Sep 2003 12:06:09 -0600
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Looking for info on a John McKee who married a Mary Boyd Dooley(1803) in 1825 Wayne Co. Indiana. Mary is the daughter of Reuben Dooley and Leah Railsback. Her Dooley's were in Preble Co. OH. John and Mary McKee's son, Reuben Dooley McKee married an Amy Landen in 1853 Parke Co., Indiana. Reuben and Amy then were in Taylor Co., Iowa. Any info on these people would be appreciated.
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College requires students to put in significantly higher levels of effort than they did at high school. And, going to college can be very stressful especially during periods of increased study, such as when assignments and exams are due. When you are at college, the work is often much harder than you are used to, there is more requirement to self-study and the standard for work is much higher. This can lead to college students suffering from high stress levels, or in some cases, even anxiety.
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Jack Nicholson triumphs as the namesake of this rueful gem from director Alexander Payne ('Election'). After the sudden death of his wife, retired insurance man Warren Schmidt saddles up his mammoth Winnebago and heads to Denver, where he hopes to prevent the marriage of his daughter (Hope Davis) to an amiable slug who sells waterbeds (Dermot Mulroney). What makes his odyssey so special is how beautifully ordinary it is. And like so much of ordinary life, there's a good deal of disorder that never entered into Schmidt's calculations.
(Pat Holmes)
Area theaters
Director Phillip Noyce has turned an ugly chapter in Australian history into a film of great beauty and intelligence. The year is 1931, and a government policy decrees that all half-caste children (whose fathers were white and whose mothers were Aborigines) be taken from their homes and trained as servants in detention camps. Based on a true story, the film follows three girls who escape from the camp and make their way home along a 1,500-mile rabbitproof fence. The untrained young actresses have a stunning screen presence, as do the rugged landscapes. (Stephen Blair)
Fox Tower


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Beauty in tragedy
Returning to a classic is always a fresh opportunity for ballet companies and audiences alike.
When Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre revives "Giselle" for the first time since 2004, it will present two principal dancers performing the title role for the first time. Both say they are thrilled to be developing their interpretations under the tutelage of ballet mistress Marianna Tcherkassky, who was "one of the greatest Giselles America has ever produced," according to The New York Times.
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will perform "Giselle" from Friday through Sunday at the Benedum Center, Downtown. Charles Barker will lead the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Orchestra in the score by Adolphe Adam.
The ballet is set in a village in Germany's Rhineland in the Middle Ages. The local prince, Albrecht, disguises himself as a peasant named Loys and flirts with Giselle, the most beautiful young women in the village. Although he's already engaged, they fall for each other. When Giselle's boyfriend, Hilarion, reveals Loys as Albrecht, she's unhinged by the lies of the man she thought was her true love. The first act concludes in a mad scene and her death.
At the start of the second act, Hilarion is mourning Giselle at night in a glade near the village. He is scared off by the Wilis, female spirits who were jilted before their wedding day and rise from their graves at night to seek revenge on men. The Wilis summon Giselle from her grave before disappearing. Albrecht enters looking for her grave. When she appears before him, he begs forgiveness. Giselle's love saves Albrecht from the Wilis.
"We do a traditional version, but much of this has really changed a lot because dance has evolved so much in the last 170 years," says Terrence Orr, the ballet's artistic director. "If we did it the way it was done back then, probably no one today would come to see it. This production is up with the times for our dancers technically. You will see incredible classical dancing with some fantastic acting as our artists portray these roles."
Alexandra Kochis, who will be dancing her first Giselle, didn't see the ballet until her senior year in high school — when she was a student in the professional division of Boston Ballet.
"I was won over immediately, of course, because I have always had amazing fascination for the dramatic side of ballet. For the first time as a student, I wasn't trying to analyze anything because I was swept away by the otherworldliness of the story. Afterward, it was, how did they do that? It kind of opened up to me how really dramatic dancers can be."
To prepare, Kochis did a lot of research, including looking at videos of different dancers performing the role.
"Working with Marianna has been an amazing experience. She has so much experience, she feels she can pull it out of you. I love how, the first day, she said, you can create your own story of why Giselle is the way she is and why they ended up on this day (when the ballet begins) in this way. She wanted me to make Giselle my own."
Christine Schwaner is in love with performing the role of Giselle, too.
"It is one of those classics which could not be more romantic, and if you're a classical ballet dancer, it's always a dream to perform one of those classics," she says
Schwaner also appreciates the opportunity to work on the role with Tcherkassky. But then, Schwaner is an artist who values teachers. Every time she returns to her native Brazil, she visits with and takes a lesson with her teacher Maria Clara.
"It has been a treat, truly, to see (Tcherkassky at rehearsals.) When she shows the position of the arms or of the head, you can tell it never left her," Schwaner says. "She has so much to teach; sometimes, it's overwhelming. She has so much information, it has been great."
Giselle was Tcherkassky's breakout role following a spectacular debut, a role that's been central to her as an artist all her life.
"I was very young, maybe 6, when I saw a film of Galina Ulanova in 'Giselle' and was so taken by the drama of the story. I didn't know that I necessarily wanted to dance, but I knew I wanted to be Giselle," she says. "I remember days looking at books with wonderful pictures of Ulanova and sitting in my bedroom trying to mimic the pictures. I begged my parents to take me to see it."
When Tcherkassky went to the School of American Ballet at 16, she had her eye on joining the American Ballet Theatre because it was the only American company with Giselle in its repertoire. As a member of the company, she worked her way through the roles from the corps de ballet to the Wilis to the peasant girlfriend.
She danced her first Giselle in 1976 with Mikhail Baryshnikov at the Kennedy Center in Washington — on five days' notice.
"It was an unexpected dream debut. Though I hadn't really danced the lead role, I felt like I had been preparing for it my whole life," she says. "Also, to have Baryshnikov believe in me was the greatest sort of validation and support. He was wonderful at my debut and also a couple of months later in New York. At that point, I was a soloist. Then I was promoted to principal."
Rehearsals have been a joyous experience for Tcherkassky.
"It's fun working with the dancers, bring things alive. I realize how much, as a dancer, I enjoy the process in the studio," she says. "With a ballet like 'Giselle,' there's almost no end to what you can bring to it or try to bring to it. Finding Giselle in yourself, you have to really believe in the story."
Mark Kanny is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7877 or mkanny@tribweb.


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Public satisfaction with NHS plummets in 2011
The British public's satisfaction with the way the NHS runs took a nose dive in 2011 – falling from 70 per cent (its highest ever level) to 58 per cent. This was the largest fall in any year since the British Social Attitudes survey began in 1983. If that wasn't enough, what makes this drop even more notable is that it comes after almost continuous annual improvements in satisfaction since 2001 (2004 was the one exception).
These results are mirrored in satisfaction with different NHS services too. Satisfaction with inpatient, outpatient and accident and emergency services all fell in 2011 – by between 5 and 7 percentage points. Even satisfaction with GPs, traditionally very high, fell in 2011 following a fall in 2010 too.
The one service to buck the trend was dentistry with a 5 percentage point rise in 2011, continuing increases in 2009 and 2010.
But despite the good news for dentistry – probably a reflection of increasingly better access to dentists carrying out NHS work – and while one data point doesn't make a trend, the overall picture is disappointing.
Interpreting satisfaction polls can be difficult. Should we, for instance, take the drop in satisfaction as an indication of a drop in the performance of the NHS? Probably not. Waiting times and rates of health care acquired infections – two key performance measures for the public – remained broadly unchanged or, in the case of MRSA and C. difficile, continued to fall over the time the survey fieldwork was carried out (June to November 2011). Despite some well-publicised failures, there is no evidence of deterioration in the quality of care according to patient experience surveys.
However there are other factors which could provide an explanation. For example, we know from analysis of past surveys that there is a link between expressions of satisfaction with the NHS, the political party people identify with, and the party in government. The year 2010 saw a change of government and although satisfaction rose overall, a breakdown of the figures shows this was driven entirely by Conservative and Liberal Democrat supporters' attitudes; satisfaction among Labour supporters was virtually unchanged compared to 2009. However, in 2011, not only did Labour supporters' satisfaction fall dramatically – so too did satisfaction among Conservative and Liberal democrat supporters. This seems to suggest some other factors influencing attitudes towards the NHS, as well as an element of political partisanship.
Newspapers, television and other media are key sources of information for many about the NHS. So what was trending last summer? In England at least, headline news was a very polarised and heated debate about the government's proposed reforms of the health service. Reports of opposition to the reforms were high profile and, regardless of the merits of arguments on both sides, will have no doubt contributed, at a minimum, to a climate of uncertainty in the public's minds about the NHS and its future. Government rhetoric about the relatively poor performance of the NHS compared to other countries and the need to cut bureaucracy (used to support their case for reform) will have also contributed to this.
Apart from media headlines and unease about the possible impact of the government's reforms to one of Britain's best loved institutions, the other notable policy factor that is likely to have filtered through to the public's consciousness is the virtual, real-terms freeze in NHS funding and the associated programme to improve productivity. However, the language associated with this is unlikely to have been reassuring to many: If the NHS says it is making savings, many may well hear the word 'cuts', for example.
Put all these factors together and we start to see a picture emerging: public discontent and worry – not necessarily with the way the NHS is performing now, but with its future – which sees its expression in lower levels of satisfaction.
As for the future, the 2012 British Social Attitudes survey will be in the field this summer with headline satisfaction results available early next year.
Given the controversy about the health reforms will still be fresh in people's minds, as will the industrial action being taken later this month by doctors over pensions, the worry – both for the government and the BMA – must be whether this year's dip in satisfaction with the NHS and GP services is a one-off or a sign of things to come.
See the full results for the British Social Attitudes survey 2011
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My wife was in hospital for 5 months last year, 10 weeks in intensive care. Her treatment and the care was first class. Our local GPs are excellent, however making an appointment to see a particular GP is getting increasingly difficult. I know it is the holiday period, but I have had to wait for a month to see my GP to review whether I can drive again now that I've linked the symptoms to a particular drug. I think that a lot of the negative reporting of the changes to the NHS hasn't helped.
There is an extraordinary comment in the analysis of this report -" other things (including external factors such as media stories and more internal factors such as NHS staff attitudes and behaviour) will impinge on patients' views of their stay in hospital, which will be independent of the actual quality of their care. ". How on earth can staff attitudes and behaviour be considered as independent of actual quality of care? Surely staff attitude and behaviour is the foundation of the quality of care?
Most people's experience of the NHS is good, but there are too many instances of very poor performance particularly for older patients. The results probably reflect the public's nervousness about the massive changes taking place in the NHS and don't understand them. Publicity of the opposition to the changes from doctors and nurses will have influenced the responses. Time will tell if things actually improve.
I agree public confidence in the NHS has fallen due to the cost cutting, (sorry efficiency savings) and complicated reforms being made. We are also hearing many stories from around the country about hospitals struggling due to staff shortages and everyone seems to be saying the same thing, the care was good but they felt the staff were very overstretched and there have been reports of many unfortunate 'incidents.' This is no surprise as many front line posts have been made redundant and in order to save further money management I would think are cutting corners. I fear it can only get worse with staff morale low now and further major changes to be made, this will only be the tip of the iceberg! It is definitely getting more difficult also to make a timely appointment with your own GP.
while surveying public confidence in the nhs I would ask if those in hospital unable to speak out for themselves have been heard ?my treatment at worthing hospital has been first class,however the treatment to my friend (82) who totaly disabled and unable speak for herself was very upsetting she was not given enough drinks and was given food that was not vegetarian her care there (food wise ) was very poor .I believe had I or her daughter not gone into the hospital every meal time to feed her she would have starved through lack of care while bored staff on 12hr shifts watched the clock waiting to go home.
It does not surprise me. PCTs have spent billions, particularly in east London borough but health inequalities remain, and are getting worse. There is hardly any appetite to improve their performance, still wasting money on consultants and short-term temp staff. All PCTs which are now clusters [ELC, ONEL etc] have very top heavy structures with manangers from predominently White backgrounds who don't live in east London. They have hardly make any progress on their equality performance in terms of workforce let alone health inequalities. CCGs will operate in the same fashion so don't hope anything to improve soon- they will show middle finger to diversity and disregard their equality duties altogether!!!
Slightly concerned about the validity of your data.
We do not have a UK NHS service. NHS England and NHS Scotland now bear no resemblance to each other. The public in the rest of the UK are often misled by English based stories on the NHS which bear no relevance to what is happenning outside England. I would suggest that you carry out four seperate studies with larger samples which are analysed individually to get a true picture of what is happenning across the UK.
Hi Joe
A couple of points
1.The survey is not UK, but britain, ie England, Scotland and Wales
2. The public may, as you say be 'misled' by England-based stories....or they may not. I don't know. But i do suspect there is some media 'leakage' as it were between countries. We note this in our report by the way.
3. The survey is not carried out by the King's Fund, but by NatCen social Research who have been doing it since 1983. Sample size was smaller in 2011 for the satisfaction questions than in previous years which meant percentages based on Welsh and scottish respondenets alone would not be particularly robust, hence we combined them in fig 8. increasing the sample would be great - but it costs quite a lot, so we had to make a decision to go with what we were able to afford i'm afraid!
4. Regarding changes in satisfaction between England and Scotland+Wales, our report also suggests that other factors - eg funding squeeze - may have played a part in drop in satisfaction in the latter two countries (as it might also in England of course)
If only the government would trust dedicated NHS workers to do the work that they are trained to do and not spend so much tax payers money on regulation - CQC (useless organisation) now taking on 8500 GP practices from April 2013. They are a bureacratic nightmare which causes organisations to spend zillions on staff and paperwork in order for them to write a report. It really is a sledgehammer to crack a nut. I am sure there are some poorly performing organisations which PCT's will already know about, so why not leave the good ones alone to carry on seeing and caring for patients. This would allow much more money to be spent on patient care which is what all doctors, nurses and NHS staff want.
on a slightly different subject i await a reply from the GMC with regards to a complaint about a Dr Elizabeth Cripps so called assessment during an ATOS Medical that totally flew in the face of previous reports, they initially said they could do nothing i await a further reply
As both a Governor of a Foundation Trust Hospital and the part-owner and Practice Manager of a Dental surgery, I can understand how the attitudes of users of NHS services are influenced by factors other than the overriding one of patient care which remains our guiding light. At the sharp end there is not a lot we can do to improve perceptions of the NHS in general. We are bound by political and economic conditions but still charge ourselves to deliver the best possible service to patients. Our success with that is a more significant measure of the effectiveness of the NHS.
I have recently been an inpatient for major surgery, and feel that while my surgery was technically excellent, what was lacking was any kind of empathy or individual plan of care for the management of my pre-op nerves or my post-operative recovery.
As a nurse of some 28 years experience, I realise that my expectations are likely to be different to the average member of the public, but I also witnessed several real ommissions and risks that went unnoticed or unaddressed by the nursing teams with other patients on the ward with me.
In addition, the nurses disagreed openly with the surgeon and anaesthetists instructions for post operative mobilising and pain relief and my recovery was hampered as a result.
I was wholly disappointed in the quality of the overall experience; summed up by the for me in the fact that, in all the time I was an inpatient, the only person to address me by name and not a bed number was the anaesthetist who came to see me before I went to theatre. I didnt answer the survey, but I would have been someone who would have been saying that overall, my satisfaction with the NHS was undermined by this experience
The patients happiness should always come after their health. the nhs employ qualified nurses to put the patients health before anything else. Its the national health service. Not the national happiness service.
Sam Apex


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Taking Care in Winter Weather
The onset of winter does not signal the end of exercise and outdoors activities. There's plenty of skiing and snowboarding available in the Northeast, the American Rockies, across Canada, and even ...View Article
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| How to Choose Your Chiropractor
|In moderate and more heavily populated areas there is usually an abundance of choices for every profession. Physicians of all specialties, optometrists, accountants, business consultants, and attorneys occupy all available office space in professional buildings. How to choose the one who's right for you?
The best approach, of course, is to request a personal recommendation from a family member or friend. The professional person recommended is then known to be a skilled practitioner. With a personal recommendation, you have real-world information - you know the specialist is skilled and competent - you're not flying blind.
When meeting a new professional, the rubber meets the road when you get together face-to-face. You should be treated respectfully and your time should be valued. The office itself should be pleasant and comfortable. The office staff should be professional and help you to be at ease in a new environment.
And most importantly, your chiropractor should answer all your questions. When you're with the chiropractor who's right for you, as with any other professional, you'll have the experience that you're in the right place.


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Something you don't expect to find in a AAA video game release is metacommentary on game marketing, game development, and the overall business of making and distributing games. Never the less, this is precisely what I encountered when digging through the obscure extra files that can be turned up in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.
Like previous games in the series, Black Flag's main gameplay is ostensibly a simulation, the product of a person using a device called an Animus to unlock ancestral memory locked up inside DNA. Again, you can choose to exit the Animus program and explore your modern-day surroundings. Essentially, the game itself is a dream inside a dream, but you can choose to wake up and explore the dreamer's "real world".
Unlike previous games in the series, in which the person using the Animus was a single recurring character called Desmond Miles, who was being forced to explore his own ancestors' memories by decoding his own DNA, Black Flag has a silent first-person protagonist, never addressed by name, and in fact never even defined as male or female.
Over the course of the game, you get the chance to explore your luxurious ultramodern office space, and occasionally you can hack into a workmate's unattended computer and steal their files.
What you find is a diverse mishmash of internal corporate communication, early drafts of advertising campaigns, market research reports, archival audio recordings, and more. The thing that really surprised me as I sifted through all of this was that Abstergo, the game's fictional corporation that is merely a front for the power hungry Templars, is actually Ubisoft, the publisher of the Assassin's Creed series.
It starts off with some subtle gags, discussing previous Assassin's Creed game heroes and their marketability (and, in most cases, rejecting them as too dark and negative, too hard to market) but also touches on the challenges inherent in trying to push out a new game for a franchise every single year, just like Ubisoft does with Assassin's Creed, not to mention the puritanical distaste for anything sexual in a game, despite its copious violence and swearing.
Several files even touch on how difficult it is to make a successful commercial product with a female protagonist, a non-caucasian protagonist, or (god forbid) both: a woman of colour. In one recorded interview, a male subject reliving the memories of a black woman living in the 18th century talks about how difficult it was feeling different from everybody else, and how disempowering it feels to have everybody regarding you negatively. While they don't actually use the word "privilege", it's the closest I have ever seen a mainstream game come to discussing the concept.
This is a beautiful example of meta content in a game - specifically, game content that is not about the story or the gameplay of one particular game, but is a metacommentary on the entire medium of video games.
I have written before about how I see the emergence of metacommentary as a sign that a medium is maturing. We've seen it in cinema, for example, with artistically-minded films that explore the very medium of film; essentially, films that are about films.
In the same way, the past five or so years have given us several excellent examples of video games that are about video games. The keystone for this kind of commentary is Bioshock, with its jaw-dropping twist revolving around the use of the phrase "Would you kindly...?"
Bioshock was the first big budget mainstream game to start asking big questions about the entire medium of video games. Do we actually have free will in a game? Just because they are interactive and give us choices, do we actually have the freedom to make meaningful decisions that truly shape our own path? If all of our choices lead us down one or more pre-determined pathways, then do we really have any freedom at all?
Several other games have followed, with the latest, and one of the best, being the new independent game The Stanley Project. A Screen Play reader has already reviewed The Stanley Parable here on Screen Play, after a fashion - it is a very difficult game to talk about without spoiling it.
In very broad strokes, it presents the very simple story of a man named Stanley, who works a very boring job in a very boring office, until one day he realises that his computer is no longer working, and then finds that his office is deserted and all of his coworkers have vanished.
Similarly to the excellent Bastion, The Stanley Parable has an omnipresent narrator, except that this narrator tells you what is about to happen, rather than describing what you have already done. Things start to get really interesting when your own actions contradict the already stated narration, and then... but I've already said too much.
Like most landmark artistic games, there is bound to be substantial argument as to whether The Stanley Parable is a game at all. It has no combat and little in the way of puzzles; really, it's a Choose Your Own Adventure book, except instead of turning pages in a book, you're choosing where to walk and what to do within the game world.
It's an incredibly funny game, with the narrator doing a stellar job of delivering an extremely witty script. I would go so far as to call it the funniest game since Portal, and in fact it pays homage to Portal, both in the sense that it's a silent protagonist versus a disembodied voice, and also more directly.
More than the humour, though, The Stanley Parable is notable for the way it discusses free will and choice in video games, and asks us to ponder just how meaningful they could possibly be. Are we just pushing pre-set buttons in order to achieve a pre-designed goal? Is playing a game little more than a boring data entry job, spiced up with graphics and sound?
When playing a game, we are usually only asking questions like "What do I need to do next?" and "How do I overcome this obstacle or beat this enemy?" and "How do I win?" These are valid questions, and answering them can be a lot of fun, but it can be refreshing sometimes to ask bigger questions.
- James "DexX" Dominguez
Screen Play is on Twitter: @jamesjdominguez


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It only takes a minute to get started. Fill out our simple sign up form and login to the website.
This step is elective but will drastically raise your chances of having members look at your profile. Write a little something about yourself, your pasttimes and upload some good photographs of yourself.
Use our website's state-of-the-art search to find members who fulfill your requirements. Or just look through listings and find daters that you find interesting.
Identified someone who takes your fancy? Send them a message or just a wink and see what develops from there. With a little luck you'll be on your way to a lifetime of happiness.
It only takes a few minutes


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Come to the AgainstCuts.org Teach-In & Townhall (also sponsored by the global studies club here at BCC) to get information and resources, voice questions & ideas, and organize with others to build resistance where you are. We must all become organizers if we're going to create the fightback we need.
WHEN: Saturday, October 29th
10am – 3pm (see schedule below)
WHERE: Berkeley City College Auditorium
2050 Center Street (at Shattuck) near Downtown Berkeley BART
10:00 AM — 12:30 PM: Registration, coffee –Atrium
Presentation – Budget cuts when the money is there
Presentation: What Can we do? How can we fight back?
12:45-1:30 PM Lunch in the Atrium
1:45 – 3:00 PM Workshops
for more info email: email@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com
Filed under: Miscellaneous


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Browse By Person: Yeates, Helen
|Up a level
Group by: Item Type | Date
Jump to: Journal Article | Creative Work
Number of items: 8.
Journal Article
Yeates, Helen L. (2013) Do look now : re-imagining and re-purposing audiovisual creative practice. Ejournalist : a refereed media journal, 13(1), pp. 69-84.
Yeates, Helen L., McVeigh, Kathryn Margaret, & Van Hemert, Tess (2011) From ethnocentrism to transculturalism : a film studies pedagogical journey. Cultural Studies Review, 17(2), pp. 71-99.
Yeates, Helen L. & Carson, Susan J. (2009) Bend and stretch : pedagogical callisthenics in creative practice honours. Text : Journal of Writing and Writing Courses, 6(October Special Issue Number 6), pp. 1-13.
Yeates, Helen L. (2009) Embedded engagements : the challenge of creative practice research to the humanities. The International Journal of the Humanities, 7(1), pp. 139-147.
Yeates, Helen (2001) Ageing Masculinity in NYPD Blue: A Spectacle of Incontinence, Impotence, and Mortality. Canadian Review of American Studies, pp. 47-56.
Yeates, Helen L. (1998) A shameful spectacle. Peace Review: A journal of Social Justice, 10(4), pp. 553-557.
Yeates, Helen L. (1995) The league of men : masculinity, the media and rugby league football. Media Information Australia, 75, pp. 35-45.
Creative Work
Yeates, Helen L. (2010) Shattered dreams : a community project. [Film/Video]


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I love the dining scene here in Toronto and try a new restaurant at least once a week.
I love nature, especially water bodies like lakes, ocean, waterfalls and rivers.
I love sports! Baseball, Cricket, Hockey, Football & basketball.
My heart might be on the left, but it's always right!
Shucking oysters.
Telling stories & jokes.
Pulling pranks.
Planning travel itineraries.
Developing fool proof strategies.
Movies - The Other Guys, Fahrenheit 911, Step Brothers, Shawshank Redemption, Old School, The Last Samurai, Talladega Nights, The Darjeeling Limited, Any Marx Brothers movie, etc etc
Music - Rammstein, Wu Tang Clan, Cypress Hill, Rage Against The Machine, Coldplay, Radiohead, Busta Rhymes, Classical, Jazz, lot of unpopular genres like Ethno Techno, World Folk, Chillout & Lounge.
Money to travel
My Suits
If you want someone to make you laugh anytime, anywhere.
If you're looking for a new friend or a relationship.
If you have a tattoo of a barcode scanner.


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"Game changer" is a term you hear often when people talk about how technology has changed their industry.
Initially your site does not have any content, and that is where the fun begins. Use the thin black administration menu across the top of the page to accomplish many of the tasks needed to get your site up and running in no time.
Select Content -> Add from the administration menu (remember that little black bar at the top of the page?) to get started. You can create a variety of content, but to start out you may want to create a few simple Articles or import items from an RSS Feed
Select Configuration from the administration menu to change various configuration options and settings on your site.
Select People -> Users from the administration menu to add new users or change user roles and permissions (please note tabs on the far right).
Select Help from the administration menu to learn more about what you can do with your site.
Don't forget to look for more resources and documentation at the OpenPublish website.


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Its three famous letters may have changed the laptop world, but Asus isn't just shovelling its Eee profits under the bed for safekeeping. Luckily for us, it's set its sights on revolutionising the desktop with a new all-in-one touchscreen machine.
Of course, we've seen similar computers before, most notably HP's TouchSmart range. But nothing quite like the Eee Top. Sure, its processing power is rudimentary – you can't play 3D games or watch HD movies – and there's no DVD drive. But its purpose is simple: it's a web surfer, word processor and, at a push, a basic photo editor. And it's very, very cheap.
Hey, good looking
There's more to it than that, though. Asus is one of several companies that have been making computers for Sony and Apple for years, so it's no surprise that the design and build quality are excellent.
No other sub-£400 PC is this well put together: it's solid, slim and there's no garish frippery to clutter up the facade. It's also near silent running.
Round the back a single loop in the adjustable stand keeps the cables tidy, and while a wireless keyboard and mouse would have been the perfect cable free complement, that was probably impossible to include at this price.
As it is, the bundled keyboard is small but elegant: it looks like it was pulled straight from a MacBook. The mouse is cheap and nasty, but with finger guided precision pointing, you're not going to need that anyway.
The small screen
Price no doubt played an important role in choice of screen size too, and at just over 15 inches it's not quite big enough for serious use.
The touch screen is more than a novelty, though. A quick tap through the day's headlines on Stuff.tv makes it clear that this is the shape of things to come. It's basically an iPhone for the desktop and, although there's no multitouch zooming, you can grab and scroll pages with a single finger easily enough.
If there's a criticism, it's that the Motorola handwriting recognition software is slow. It's as accurate as Microsoft's Tablet tool, but each letter takes a couple of seconds to register, and the delete gesture is just random.
Fortunately, an on-screen QWERTY pop-up makes the keyboard redundant for entering URLs, although you'll want to keep something physical plugged in for serious writing tasks.
Thoughtful front end
The Eee Top runs Windows XP well enough, but with the twist that there's a perfect replica of the Xandros interface from the netbooks overlaid on top. Some may find the look a bit childlike, but the large friendly icons are perfect for stabbing at.
You wouldn't throw away a high-powered Alienware gaming rig for an Eee Top. But if it's a toss up between this or a cheap desktop from Tesco as a second PC or for a tiny flat, there really is no comparison.


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Going Bovineby Libba Bray
Can Cameron find what he's looking for?
All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It's not a lot to ask. But that's before he's given some bad news: he's sick and he's going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of/i>
- Overview
- Editorial Reviews
- Product Details
- Related Subjects
- Read an Excerpt
- Videos
- What People Are Saying
- Meet the author
Can Cameron find what he's looking for?
All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It's not a lot to ask. But that's before he's given some bad news: he's sick and he's going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he's willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.
Editorial Reviews
The New York Times
"An unforgettable, nearly indefinable fantasy adventure."
Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, August 3, 2009:
"Bray's surreal humor may surprise fans."
Product Details
- 9780385733977
- Publisher:
- Random House Children's Books
- Publication date:
- 09/22/2009
- Pages:
- 496
- Product dimensions:
- 5.84(w) x 8.58(h) x 1.53(d)
- Lexile:
- HL680L (what's this?)
- Age Range:
- 14 - 17 Years
Read an Excerpt
In Which I Introduce Myself
The best day of my life happened when I was five and almost died at Disney World.
I'm sixteen now, so you can imagine that's left me with quite a few days of major suckage.
Like Career Day? Really? Do we need to devote an entire six hours out of the high school year to having "life counselors" tell you all the jobs you could potentially blow at? Is there a reason for dodgeball? Pep rallies? Rad soda commercials featuring Parker Day's smug, fake-tanned face? I ask you.
But back to the best day of my life, Disney, and my near-death experience.
I know what you're thinking: WTF? Who dies at Disney World? It's full of spinning teacups and magical princesses and big-assed chipmunks walking around waving like it's absolutely normal for jumbo-sized stuffed animals to come to life and pose for photo ops. Like, seriously.
I don't remember a whole lot about it. Like I said, I was five. I do remember that it was hot. Surreal hot. The kind of hot that makes people shell out their life savings for a bottle of water without even bitching about it. Even the stuffed animals started looking less like smiling, playful woodland creatures and more like furry POWs on a forced march through Toonland. That's how we ended up on the subterranean It's a Small World ride and how I nearly bit it at the place where America goes for fun.
I don't know if you've ever experienced the Small World ride. If so, you can skip this next part. Honestly, you won't hurt my feelings, and I won't tell the other people reading this what an asshole you are the minute you go into the other room.
Where was I?
Oh, right—so much we share, time aware, small world. After all.
So. Small World ride, brief sum-up: Long-ass wait in incredibly slow-moving line. Then you're put into this floating barge and set adrift on a river that winds through a smiling underworld of animatronic kids from every country on the planet singing along in their various native tongues to the extremely catchy, upbeat song.
Did I mention it's about a ten-minute ride?
Of the same song?
In English, Spanish, Swahili, and Japanese?
I'm not going to lie to you; I loved it. Dude, I said to myself, this is the shit. Or something like that in five-year-old speak. I want to live in this new Utopia of singing children of all nations. With luck, the Mexican kids will let me wear their que festivo sombreros. And the smiling Swedes will welcome me into their happy Nordic hoedown. Välkommen, y'all. I will ride the pink fuzzy camel in some vaguely defined Middle Eastern country (but the one with pink fuzzy camels) and shake a leg with the can-can dancers in Gay Paree.
Guten Tag.
I was with the three people who were my world—Mom, Dad, my twin sister, Jenna—and for one crazy moment, we were all laughing and smiling and sharing the same experience, and it was good. Maybe it was too good. Because I started to get scared.
I don't know exactly how I made the connection, but right around Iceland, apparently, I got the idea that this was the after-life. Sure, I had heatstroke and had eaten enough sugar to induce coma, but really, it makes sense in a weird way. It's dark. It's creepy. And suddenly, everybody's getting along a little too well, singing the same song. Or maybe it had to do with my mom. She used to teach English classics, heavy on the mythology, at the university B.C. (Before Children) and liked to pepper her bedtime stories with occasional bits about Valhalla or Ovid or the River Styx leading to the underworld and other cheery sweet-dreams matter. We're a fun crew. You should see us on holidays.
Whatever it was, I was convinced that this ride was where you went to die. I would be separated from my family forever and end up in some part of the underworld where smiling kid robots in boater hats sang nonstop in Portuguese. I had to keep that from happening. And then—O Happy Day! Salvation! Right behind the Eskimo igloo (this was before they were the more politically correct but slightly naughty-sounding Inuits), I saw this little door.
"Mommy, where does that door go to?" I asked.
"I don't know, honey."
We were headed for certain death on the River Styx. But somehow I knew that if I could just get to that little door, everything would be okay. I could stop the ride and save us all. That was pretty much it for me. My five-year-old freak-out meter totally tripped. I slipped free of the seat and splashed into the fishy-smelling water, away from the doe-eyed, pinafored girl puppet singing, "En värld full av skratt, en värld av tårar" (Swedish, I'm told, for "It's a world of laughter, a world of tears").
The thing is, I didn't know how to swim yet. But apparently, I was pretty good at sinking. You know that warning about how kids can drown in very little water? Quite true if the kid panics and forgets to close his mouth. You can imagine my surprise when the water hit my lungs and I did not immediately start singing, "There's so much that we share."
The last thing I remember before I started to lose consciousness was my mom screaming to stop the ride while crushing Jenna to her chest in case she got the urge to jump too. Above me, lights and sound blended into a wavy distortion, everything muted like a carnival heard from a mile away. And then I had the weirdest thought: They're stopping the ride. I got them to stop the ride.
I don't remember a whole lot after that, just fuzzy memories filled in by other people's memories. The story goes that my dad dove in and pulled me out, dropping me right beside the igloo, and administered CPR. Official Disney cast members scampered out along the narrow edge of EskimoSoontoBeInuit-land, yammering into their walkie-talkies that the situation was under control. Slack-jawed tourists snapped pictures. An official Disney ambulance came and whisked me away to an ER, where I was pronounced pukey but okay. We went back to the park for free—I guess they were afraid we'd sue—and I got to go on the rides as much as I wanted without waiting in line at all because everybody was just so glad I was alive. It was the best vacation we ever took. Of course, I think it was also the last vacation we ever took.
It was Mom who tried to get the answers out of me later, once Jenna had fallen asleep and Dad was nursing his nerves with a vodka tonic, courtesy of the hotel's minibar. I was sitting in the bathtub with the nonskid flower appliqués on the bottom. It had taken two shampoos to get the flotsam and jetsam of a small world out of my hair.
"Cameron," she asked, pulling me onto her lap for a vigorous towel-drying. "Why did you jump into the water, honey? Did the ride scare you?"
I didn't know how to answer her, so I just nodded. All the adrenaline I'd felt earlier seemed to pool in my limbs, weighing me down.
"Oh, honey, you know it's not real, don't you? It's just a ride."
"Just a ride," I repeated, and felt it sink in deep.
The thing is, before they pulled me out, everything had seemed made of magic. Like I really believed in this crazy dream. But the minute I came to on the hard, glittery, spray-painted, fake snow and saw that marionette boy pulling the same plastic fish out of the hole again and again, I realized it was all a big fake. The realest thing I'd ever experienced was that moment under the water when I almost died.
And in a way, I've been dying ever since.
What People are Saying About This
"An unforgettable, nearly indefinable fantasy adventure."
Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, August 3, 2009:
"Bray's surreal humor may surprise fans."
Meet the Author
Libba Bray is the author of the New York Times bestselling Gemma Doyle Trilogy. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at www.libbabray.com.
Customer Reviews
Average Review:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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Wow, the book got a prize! I'm not surprised; it is possibly the most random, hilarious story I have ever read. If you're looking for something pretty much completely random and pointless that you will never quit laughing at/about or quoting, then look no further than "Going Bovine": you will not be disappointed! I think that it's best for geeky types: there are a number of references to the science of parallel dimensions, supercolliders, and my hero, Stephen Hawking. :D Not hard to grasp, though. Just really, really funny.
As a person who is constantly reading, it's a little easy to slip into that stream, the mainstream of books that are all sort of the same. And I'm not just talking about vampire romances, but more like those recommended feel-good books of the summer and the year's best fantasy novels. It was in the middle of my search for something different, something truly good, that I found Going Bovine. The first thing that got me was, yes, the cow with the gnome tucked under one hoof on the cover. I mean, seriously. That is pretty cool. Also, the author, Libba Bray, according to the 'about the author' on the back tab has a life dream of getting better at the drums on Rockband. I felt we immediately bonded even before page 1. Honestly, I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started, just that this kid got Mad Cow Disease and apparently drove across the nation. When I began reading it surprised me how deep the thoughts were running through this teenager's mind, and I instantly was hooked on the language and what this narrator had to tell me. It is set in the perfect small Texas town, with this perfect, quirky 16-year-old Cameron to guide us through the problems of his high-school life. He himself, is a cheesy-music loving, pot-smoking, sarcastic loser with the popular, pretty sister he has to deal with in his same grade. But everything changes when he begins to go through spasms in the middle of class and experiences sudden hallucinations of human-destroying fire giants. The doctors tell his family Cameron has been diagnosed with the human form of Mad Cow Disease, the disease that makes cows go... well, mad. And unfortunately, it does the same to humans. It gets worse and worse with many more mirages in his mind- feathers left for him with messages on them, strange websites telling of a cosmic tear in the universe... Cameron eventually blacks out after a particularly bad episode and is taken to the hospital. This is where the book gets very interesting. It is written in first-person, no doubt the best way to personally escort us into Cameron's mind, but Cameron has lost grasp on what is truly real. Though he's in the hospital for the whole time, within his mind, he is traveling cross-country, searching for a cure with a dwarf named Gonzo and a talking invincible yard gnome with the wisdom of Dulcie to guide the way, a winged punk angel with quite a thing for sugary foods. Cameron learns what's truly important, why living is living, and why death is a part of it along the way of this semi-epic, hilarious tale of space-knights, famous jazz-horns and of course, Disney World. This book had me involved the whole time, following the maybe-real journey into Cameron's mind, and loving it all the while. Definitely one of my favorite books of all time, and that's saying a lot. I recommend this to readers, non-readers, people who like cows, or are part of a happiness-cult that supports perfect bowling. (Yes, that last one is a part from the book.) Going Bovine, a truly excellent novel worth checking out and reading at least six times. So go follow Cameron in this book, and let's hope you become insane along the way.
First off, I know one ought not to judge a book by the cover, but how could I not be interested in a book called Going Bovine with a standing cow holding a garden gnome? Also, I would say that the story is not entirely what I expected it to be, but considering the description, a story like this could be just about anything. Seriously though, punk rock angel with pink wings, blobby fire demon things that destroy stuff, and a bad guy that takes the form of a knight with a space helmet. How can you not be surprised every few pages? All that said, it was far more like an epic story such as The Odyssey or The Aeneid than I would have thought it to be. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Bray didn't attempt to mirror something of epic legend through each of the scenarios throughout book. It does start out a bit slow, but once you get past the first 150 pages or so, it really picks up. Cameron is also not necessarily the character you would root for because of his lethargic outlook on life, but since he narrates it, you grow to love his sardonic inner dialogue. I actually laughed out loud a few times. I recommend this book to lovers of eccentric fantasies with a heavy helping of satire. -Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.com
I laughed out loud reading the acknowledgements so I knew I was in for a good ride. Libba Bray has her finger on the pulse of the American teenager, in fact, I was continually amazed how she was able to get inside the head of the modern teenage male. The book is clever, witty, edgy, emotional and so imaginative! The characters are very current, comical and accurate but refrain from being simple stereotypes. The story is a wild fantasy and topic not often explored in teen lit. Libba Bray has found a way to allow us all to experience what is important at 17 by putting her main character in a life & death situation. I still find myself thinking about the ending. The book had been compared to my favorite book CATCHER IN THE RYE so I picked it up to preview it before giving it to my 13yr old daughter. After reading it, I think she needs to wait t o read it until she is closer to 16. Not just because of language and sexual content, but because I don't think the book will be anything but "sensational" until she can actually relate to the characters emotionally. I recommend this book for teens in high school and especially their parents so they can get inside their teen's head and remember how we saw the world when we were young.
I saw this book in my schools library numerous times but never read it, until one day I decided to give it a try. Reading Going Bovine was one of the best choices i have ever made. Through out the entire story I was laughing uncontrolably and then sobbing like there was no tommorow. Going Bovine makes you realize how fragile and short life really is and that you need to do those things you have always wanted to do, that you need to take that chance because you never know what could happen. This is now my favourite book and I reccomend it to everyone.
I love this book it was written thoughtfully and says things some autors are hesitant to say (like the matter of male/female attraction)
Cameron Smith was born below average, and his all-too-perfect twin sister Jenna got all the luck. Seriously. When Cameron is diagnosed with Mad Cow disease, his whole life grinds to a halt. No more smoking weed in the fourth floor men's bathroom, no more working long hours at the Buddha Burger, and no more dealing with a despondent father. After being moved to the hospital, an angel appears to him. The angel asks a very real question- do you want to die in here having done nothing with your life? Cameron is scared, so he decides that he wants to live a real life in the few weeks he has left. Now that he is ready to go, he decides to bring his new friend from school. His new friend is a death-obsessed video gaming dwarf nicknamed Gonzo. As Cameron and Gonzo go on their journey to save the world from dark energy, as the angel Dulcie told them, they meet strange people and do strange things. This story is full of randomness and laughter. The funny parts still hold meaning, and the deeper theme of living life is always shown. My favorite things about the book was the total randomness and cleverness shown in the book. With evil Wizards, fire giants, Norse gods, party houses, and a punk-rock angel, this story never failed to keep you guessing. The ending was particularly fantastic, but you'll have to read it to find that out now won't you? I recommend this book for anyone who can follow a crazy story and has the maturity to handle a more adult-like book. I give this book five stars because of the fantastic randomness of this book. Read it, and you won't regret it. Plus, you get lots of "why does your book have a cow carrying a lawn gnome on the front"s which are always interesting... So read the book and it will be one of the greatest stories you will ever read.
Wow. Just wow. This book... read it. Pay no attention whatsoever to the bad comments on this book, for they are the most ill deserved reveiws in history. This book is definitely one of the greatest books I've ever read, and that's really saying something considering the sheer amount I read. I read the first half of this book while on a cruise, and had to leave the book aboard as it belonged to the ship's library. Needless to say I had to track this book down the minute I hit solid land. The charachters, the plot, the absolute maniac absurdity of this book, just.......WOW? I definitely reccomend this book to anyone who can read, and a few that can't. AND THE PLOT TWIST OMG
I am a person who never reads. Ever. I had to pick up this book for summer reading and i was literally glued to it. For a girl who rarely reads, i think ive finally enjoyed reading because of this book. I feel like i was transported through time to a different world and i could clearly see every character and every scene. This has never happened to me. Although i may have to reread the last chapter for clarification, i am so glad i read this book. Hats off to thr author.
Absolutely stunning.
The best, most random, heartful, odd, energetic, funny, emotional (in it's own ways), and creative teen read EVER WRITTEN! I recomend for ages 13 and up. This novel was just. Plain. Awesome.
This is the best book i have ever read . I wish that more books were like it.
Libba Bray absolutely flabbergasts me. I had read all of the Gemma Doyle books and could hardly believe someone who wrote something like that could write something so hilarious. I laughed and I cried and found it amazing how she could mention something in the beginning of the book, only to have it be a key point much later in the novel.
Though i agree that there is so much swearing and definately something anyone under 15 or maybe 14 shouldnt read, it was really funny and amazing. the ending was really sad and i sort of wish it was happier, but i think it just makes it so much more memorable. :) loved it.
Laughed from beginning to end
It's not a surprise that I loved this book, given what a fan of Libba Bray's writing I am. But I was a bit surprised at the emotional impact this tale packed. It's hard to describe: part coming-of-age, part social satire, part straight fiction, but all humor and cheek. The premise is that the main character, a teenage guy who is sarcastic and a bit of a loner, has a rare brain disease. His journey is amazing, but Bray always gives us hints: is he on an actual quest? Or is this the brain damage altering his perception of reality? Or is he even still alive, and dreaming this? I won't deny it- I cried during this book. I also put it down and thought about the big-picture questions a few times. I also stayed up way too late, many nights in a row, in order to read "just one more chapter". The character voices are so unique and individual, and I absolutely love the attitudes they have. They're not spot-on to my memory of the teenager experience, but these characters are people I would want to hang out with right now. And of course, there's plenty of humor and satire. This is definitely a new favorite. I highly recommend it for everyone, across the board.
Really interesting,funny, unique, and original
Cameron Smith was an apathetic, wallflower kind of kid in high school. He was a slacker, who was uninterested in college and smoked pot in the bathroom during school. He also has a perfect, perky sister that makes him look even worse by comparison. That is, until his uncontrollable movements and hallucinations are diagnosed as Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases, AKA mad cow disease. This disease is a prion (mutated protein) that pretty much pokes holes in the brain. It's incurable and fatal. He is spurred by a cute punk rock angel named Dulcie to go on a quest to save the world (and find a cure to his disease) along with a hypochondriac dwarf named Gonzo and a Norse god turned lawn gnome named Balder. Along the way, Cameron battles evil with a legendary jazz musician in New Orleans, narrowly escapes from a crazy happiness cult, helps a group of scientists with an experiment, and goes to Disney World. Libba Bray has created a crazy and unique retelling of Don Quixote. I actually didn't realize it was based on a specific novel until I read other reviews of it. I saw it as more of a modern version of the hero journey in mythology as illustrated by Joseph Campbell. Although the book is almost 500 pages long, I was completely sucked in and wanted to read it in one sitting. All of the characters were striking, original, and complete. Cameron was initially not a very likable character. He was rude to his friends and family and was just generally selfish. From the initial diagnosis to the end of the novel, he undergoes a transformation with every person he meets and every crazy situation he encounters. He slowly turns into a true hero. He gains appreciation for music and develops close relationships with the people around him. The things he revered in his old life are revealed to be shallow and meaningless in the new one. The journey was largely an internal one for Cameron. It can even be debated if the journey actually happened at all or if it was just the product of a deteriorating mind. This isn't a typical teen novel. It's one of the most unique books I have ever read in the young adult genre. I really respect the author that writes teen characters that curse and have sex because real teenagers (and people in general) curse and have sex. It's a part of life and pretending it doesn't exist or that's not how real people act does more harm than good in the lives of teenagers. I really enjoyed this novel. It was funny, tragic, and disturbing at times. I had so much fun the wild ride with Cameron and his friends. My only complaint was that the ending took a little bit away from my enjoyment of the novel. I felt it could have been more ambiguous in the end and a little less off the wall. Other than that it was awesome. I would recommend this book to pretty much anybody.
I've read a lot of funny & weird books (Hiaasen, Christopher Moore,etc.), but this was different....only word that seems to fit. As it starts we are introduced to Cameron, a rebellious teenage boy, who is no stranger to getting into trouble. However, Cameron starts doing things he didn't mean to do, like dropping things. He thinks nothing of it and neither does anyone who knows him, because he is usually such and ornery kid. Soon, he has an episode which may be an hallucination or some kind of a seizure, which sends him to the hospital for tests. It is discoverd that he has mad cow disease (big bummer and fatal). What follows is the story of his stay in the hospital and his quest to find a cure and save the world....maybe. Whether it's an hallucination or real, it's a funny, poingnant, sweet, philosophical epic. He is joined on his quest by a gaming dwarf, a garden gnome, and an angel.
While it may not have been exactly the best book ever, I truly dug the tone it presented. It was exactly how I felt at the time and I couldn't have asked for a better book to read. I definitely recommend it. Read it; trust me you'll like it.
i loved this book! i read all 480 pages in two days! it was a bit confusing at times but it eventually explains everything! there is a lot of language used in this book...but that's fine with me i guess...i kind of just ignored it. and the ending is really shocking! kinda...my point is i reccomend it!
THIS IS NOT A CLUE:im gonna wait until 9 other people get here , if you are readng this it means that you are either one of the top ten or you are a 11 and under and you got here right before i posted the top ten list ( you' ll find out when i post the list), i told you to post something with a name / thing you want me to call you so i could post a list of the top ten people with names so you could know. I WILL POST THE NEXT CLUE UNDER THE LIST OF THE TOP TEN PEOPLE! PS . Great job you got this far!!!!!!
This is one of my favorite books. I loved reading it. I recommend this book to everyone.
The story of a teenage boy dealing with a fatal disease is a funny and insightful examination of what it means to be alive. I laughed through most of the book and cried over the last few pages. I plan to read it again this winter.


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February 19, 2015
In the previous episode of UG Showdown, we got to witness one of the most massive clashes of the entire tournament, as Brian May edged out Jimmy Page based on votes of around 45,000 users.
The next pair, the final one in the quarterfinals stage, is already upon us - it's John Frusciante vs. Eric Clapton.
In the left corner, the man behind RHCP guitar magic and the fella who defeated Mike McCready and Kirk Hammett on his way to the current stage. He had also worked with various musical titans such as Mars Volta and Johnny Cash, and was recently voted third greatest guitarist ever to wield a Stratocaster by the UG community.
In the right corner, we have Mr. Slowhand himself. He hardly had much trouble in besting Steve Vai and Tom Morello in the previous rounds, and it remains to be seen if John can deliver enough force to stop a true god.
You can vote now, the poll is below.
Important note - unlike Wednesday Question, UG Showdown results are tailored exclusively according to votes in the poll. While we most definitely encourage discussion in the comment section as a crucial way of getting everyone's opinion heard and all the factors detailed, we must point out that the comments have no actual impact on the final result, so please cast your votes in the poll.
The voting ends on February 21 at 11:59 PM EST. The next pair will be here on February 23. And may the finest axe-wielder win!
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February 17, 2016 10 Comments
October 19, 2015
October 16, 2015
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I am already spayed, housetrained, purebred, up to date with shots, good with kids, good with dogs, and good with cats.
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The Pop Five is a series of reader-created top five lists. Today's contribution comes from Gail D. (IamSneezy):
Recently, I have had the unfortunate occurrence to have to visit a series of dentists, orthodontists and oral surgeons. I was feeling bad until my husband reminded me that I'm not the only one with a "fear" of going to the dentist and that sometimes -- just sometimes -- a trip to the dentist can create hilarity.
Below are my Top 5 Moments in Dental Comedy:
5. Happy Days, Season 8, Episode 10, "It Only Hurts When I Smile": By this time in the series, he's jumped his motorcycle over 14 barrels and waterskied over a shark (should I say, "jumped the shark"?), but in this episode, Fonzie's greatest nemesis is a fear of losing his "cool." Fonzie says he believes that his teeth are what make him cool, like Samson's hair made him strong. After much persuasion, Mrs. C convinces him to go to Richie's old dentist ... a pediatric dentist. Much hilarity ensues as Fonzie colors in the waiting room and does connect-the-dots. He also hires the "Sons of Death" gang members to make sure the dentist doesn't hurt him.
4. The Brady Bunch, Season 1, Episode 20, "Brace Yourself": Marcia gets braces. World ends. OK, the world doesn't end, but by the way Marcia acts, you'd think that it did. The episode has the typical "Mr. Brady" speeches about how "Marcia's the same on the inside," and "Don't mention the braces." Of course, by trying not to mention the braces, they mention them more. To top it off, Alan breaks up with her. Oh, the horrors, but of course, by the end Marcia realizes it's no big deal, and everyone goes about their Happy Brady Lives. (Note: As someone who had braces and is getting ready for braces as an adult, or "Braces: The Teeth-quel" as I think of it, I found it funnier now than I did the first time.)
3. The Cosby Show, Season 2, Episode 16, "The Dentist": Rudy's friend Peter is afraid of going to the dentist. The clip starts about two minutes before they convince him to go, if Rudy goes along. The dentist is played by the wonderfully funny Danny Kaye. This was Kaye's last performance before his death. As can be expected, Peter is afraid and refuses to open his mouth, but with gentle coaxing by Dr. Burns, he learns it's OK to go to the dentist. I always wished my dentist had been like Dr. Burns, rather than Nurse Ratched. (The follow-up house call in Part 3 is an awesome bit of comedy between Cosby and Kaye, so look for it.)
2. Bill Cosby, "Himself": I hesitated putting Cosby on the list twice, but this stand-up comedy is different from The Cosby Show and it is so absolutely hilarious that you can't argue that it doesn't deserve inclusion. While watching this clip, I laughed so hard I actually had tears running down my face. Cosby begins by saying, "Dentists tell you not to pick your teeth with any sharp metal objects. Then you sit in their chair and the first thing they grab is an IRON HOOK!" He goes on to describe the "hilarity" of getting a tooth drilled and filled and it's so funny I dare you not to laugh.
1. Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, The Carol Burnett Show, "The Dentist Skit": This may be the funniest three minutes of comedy, hands down. Even if you're not old enough to remember The Carol Burnett Show and the greatness that was a Conway/Korman skit, you'll laugh like crazy at this. Korman goes to the dentist in obvious pain; Conway is a novice dentist who's reading a book to get instructions on how to fix the poisoned tooth. Without giving too much away, let's just say there's a mishap with Novocaine. Korman is trying not to laugh so hard it's a wonder his head doesn't explode.
Send your Pop Five lists to email@example.com with your city and screen name. Look for them on the blog!
Whitney has been writing about pop culture for USA TODAY since 1999, when Pop Candy began as a weekly column. Her interests include music festivals, mustaches, Lost, comic books and Andy Warhol. She lives in New York City. More about Whitney | E-mail Whitney


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Perth-based copper miner
Canada's Lundin said it had adopted a "poison pill" defence to "enable strategic alternatives" following Equinox's unsolicited $C4.8 billion ($4.77 billion) takeover bid.
Lundin cancelled its $C8.2 billion nil-premium merger with Toronto-listed base metals miner, Inmet Mining Corporation, on Wednesday leaving Equinox's cash and scrip offer as the only live proposal.
"Equinox notes that ... Lundin conducted a strategy session in September 2010, almost six months ago, during which a number of strategic alternatives were discussed," Equinox said in a statement to the ASX on Thursday. "Equinox does not believe that Lundin's proposed further review process at this point in time can be considered likely to result in a superior proposal to Equinox's offer, which remains the only clear and compelling offer available to Lundin shareholders."
Equinox has offered $C8.10 cash or 1.2903 of its shares and 1¢ cash for every Lundin share, with the cash component of the bid capped at $C2.4 billion.
The offer is scheduled to close on April 14, but can be extended.
The Australian Financial Review


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The Obama administration is in talks with the National Football League to make commercials promoting the new Obamacare law.
Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said this week that the NFL "has been very actively and enthusiastically engaged" in these discussions. Taxpayer dollars would be used to pay for these NFL Obamacare commercials.
Americans for Tax Reform today released a petition that allows taxpayers to voice their opposition to this wasteful spending of their money.
The petition reads:
"As an NFL fan, I am opposed to my tax dollars being used by the NFL to promote Obamacare. I don't watch the NFL to be preached at by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and other politicians. Keep healthcare politics out of the NFL."


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Moving into the large Uno's Pizzeria spot in the 15000 block of Olive Boulevard, chef Charlie Gitto of The Hill fame has opened in Chesterfield. The menu is everything you'd expect: thinly pounded veal, creamy pastas, savory tomato sauces and meaty Bolognese, all in huge portions.
The space has been beautifully remodeled in greys and taupes. A big curved bar area has about 15 stools and several tall tables for lounging (or eating if you don't want to wait for a spot in the busy dining room). Business has been brisk since the opening last month. The two dining rooms are spacious and have large picture windows to the outside.
The appetizer selection is good and includes a few decidedly non-Italian dishes, most notably bagel and lox. We started with Eggplant Parmesan and Fried Calamari & Rock Shrimp, each $8. The eggplant consisted of the traditional breaded slices topped with pomodoro sauce and was quite good. The sauce was tasty and the eggplant fresh and non-greasy.
The calamari dish was enhanced by the addition of fried rock shrimp and fried banana peppers, both of which were liberally sprinkled among the calamari. Tender and lightly breaded, all three were delicious and complemented by an excellent dipping sauce: citrus chipotle mayo. There was a pleasant bite to everything, and the dip was creamy and slightly sweet.
A Caesar salad ($6) was done in the classic style: anchovy paste, garlic and raw egg—no mayo—and was well-tossed and good. House-made croutons toasted in plenty of oil topped it off.
In old world-style Italian restaurants, veal is king, so we sampled Veal Milanese ($25), a chop pounded thin and pan browned with a finish of rosemary oil and lemon. The veal was lightly breaded with fresh crumbs, parmesan and butter—and you could taste that butter in every bite. It fairly melted in our mouths. A plate of sides accompanied the dish: fresh asparagus spears and a red-pepper potato cake, a patty made with mashed potatoes and savory red peppers. It was different and very nice.
Seafood Pasta Suzanne ($18) was a hefty serving of tagliatelle in light cream sauce with premium seafood: a couple of jumbo, tail-on shrimp, fresh clams, bay scallops and langostini. The noodles were delicious, thick and al dente, and the sauce, called 'three-pepper cream,' was heavenly—rich without being over-the-top, and with a pleasant, peppery bite. The sides, too, were impressive: breaded and sautéed cauliflower and sautéed collard greens. It says a lot when a kitchen takes extra care to offer fresh vegetables with their own out-of-the-box preparations.
An order of gnocchi ($16), while in a flavorful sauce, was too mushy for my taste. The potato dumplings came in creamy tomato sauce, but the dish needed some textural interest, like maybe pan-browning the gnocchi first, to give them a little crust.
Porcini-encrusted Sea Bass ($28) was another winner, though. The very large serving came with a wonderful, crisp coating on top and the buttery flavor characteristic of this fish. And our clam flatbread was excellent, anchored by a paper-thin crust. On top were caramelized onions, fresh clams (shucked from the shells), pancetta from the Hill and quality olive oil. It had neither tomato nor gooey cheese (maybe a little parmesan), allowing the clams to shine.
Charlie Gitto's Chesterfield offers a fabulous meal in a lively and friendly environment. Service was knowledgeable, and portions were hefty enough for most diners to have leftovers. If it keeps doing what it's doing, Charlie Gitto's Chesterfield is bound to keep packing 'em in.


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"Couture Cakes by Nika"is located in the Hilton Village area of Newport News,Virginia.br>
We Specialize in custom sculpted and 3D custom cakes for all occasions. Everything is whipped and beat to perfection daily using only the finest Valhrona and Callebaut cocoas, Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, and fresh fruits.br>
No shortcuts here, the proof is in the final product.br>
We are also known for our exclusive Gourmet Cupcakes flavor list, which are available daily for walk ins. Cupcake connoisseurs come from near and far for our gourmet cupcakes. So whether you are looking for a flavor as traditional as our signature moist southern belle the "Red Velvet", or as exotic as our sweet yet spicy "Chipotle Chili Chocolate", we are sure to have a flavor that will tantalize your tastebuds.br>
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Tour Diary! Whoo!
*My friend Susan just sent me a whole bunch of new pictures, so I have significantly added to the Cambridge, Mass. portion of this post.*
So I just went to the East Coast to do a few shows with Andrew Hardin, a voyage my friend Kim dubbed the Tour de Snark. And she was right!
But before I begin, I would like perform a public service and inform you that the Sheraton Logan Airport, in case you plan to go there, is not at Logan Airport. It's about 15 miles away, which during rush hour is about 45 minutes away. A travel tip from me.
However, the restaurant in the hotel does Teppan! So after a long day of travel – me from LA and Andy from Austin – we had a pre-band rehearsal dinner with this guy:
Andy took the picture. All the cool Hipstamatic pictures are his.
Tags: Andrew Hardin, Susan Chien, Tour
This entry was posted on Friday, November 4th, 2011 at 5:36 am
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Hope you all had a sufficiently spooky Halloween! It was plenty ghoulish around here. I amended my Secret Supper idea to become a secret SONGWRITER supper, cooking and singing on a spooky theme. Mr. JB White was my accompanist, and we ate pumpkin soup with eyeball garnish and sang songs by Elvis Costello, Tori Amos, Conor Oberst and more.
It was so much fun!
Here are pictures. Very soon I will have recordings of the event to share too.
Freshly chopped ladyfingers…
Tags: Secret Suppers
This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 1st, 2011 at 10:24 pm
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Call 312-546-6177
or Contact Us
Iowa Hawkeyes v Iowa State Game Watch
Saturday, September 10th, 2016
Watch Iowa Hawkeyes vs Iowa State in Chicago
The Boundary in Wicker Park will be showing all Hawkeye games with sound, every Saturday. Join us!
Saturday September 10th, 2016
vs Iowa State Cyclones
6:30pm Kick Off
Brunch Menu and Bloody Mary bar served from 10am!


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Release Notes: This release fixes a bug in the configure script that prevented it from building on Debian and Fedora Core. It also contains a fix for parsing HTTP POST parameters, implements pruning of unused classloaders, and includes a few other minor new features.
Release Notes: Rhinola is a very thin server-side JavaScript execution framework based on Mozilla Rhino running on top of mod_gcj. It provides functionality to include JavaScript and Java code, providing instant scriptability of any Java library.
Release Notes: This version adds major new features like support for HTTP parameter parsing, advanced HTTP header processing including parsing, and setting of Cookies and Date headers. In combination with GCJ 4.0, mod_gcj should now be ready for deployment of real-world Web applications. Documentation has also been greatly enhanced since the 0.5 release, including guides for building, installing, and configuring mod_gcj as well as writing and deploying mod_gcj handlers.
Release Notes: