text:
Coleg Gwent Migrates to Viglen Storage Platform
Coleg Gwent, in Southeast Wales, is the largest Further Education College in Wales, consisting of six campus sites as well as two satellite IT centres. Its mission is to become the most successful college in the UK. One of Britain's newer colleges, Coleg Gwent, formerly Gwent Tertiary College, was founded in 1992 and has seen a steady rise in both students and staff since then. Currently the institution has more than 35,000 students and approximately 1,500 staff.
Technical Background
The campus sites of Coleg Gwent are all linked by a wide-area network (WAN), with predominantly 100MB connections between sites. Originally the network operating system was based on Novell Netware, using a third party email product on servers with internal disks. Although very happy with Novell and even though the IT staff considered using Novell Groupwise as the backend email system, Coleg Gwent made the decision to standardise on Outlook as their client email system.
Proposed Solution
The Viglen Storage Group (VSG), who had already been advising Coleg Gwent for several years, tendered for and won the bid because of their recognised and proven ability to deliver solutions that met the college's needs, without overspending their budget. VSG originally proposed DataCore's SANsymphony product but soon realised that SANsymphony provided far more than Coleg Gwent initially needed. After consultation VSG finally proposed DataCore's SANmelody solution, which met all of Coleg Gwent's technical requirements as well as their budgetary constraints.
VSG decided upon SANmelody because Coleg Gwent needed to replicate between two different storage platforms and DataCore have the best products for this.
Carl Gleeson,
VSG Account Manager
Implementing the Solution
The SANmelody solution provides Coleg Gwent with the ability to replicate data from the HDS storage on the main Pontypool site across to the InforTrend storage on the Usk site. SANmelody's use of commodity-priced memory has provided performance enhancements through its use of buffer/queuing using the cache. Pontypool hosts the main data with high availability provided via two synchronously mirrored storage servers, and Usk provides the DR site with asynchronous mirroring across the WAN.
Looking to the Future
The implementation of DataCore software is one element of the IT Strategic plans for Coleg Gwent. The College has plans to widen the availability for Remote Access to College systems through VPN's (Virtual Private Networks), Portal services and wireless technology. The college is also implementing an archiving system to provide appropriate storage media dependant on the age and usage of data files.
Viglen Storage Group has been a valued partner to Coleg Gwent for a number of years now. Our relationship has been built around our understanding and awareness of the constraints and challenges Wales largest Further Education College possesses. We won the Prometheus project tender based on our capability to deploy a unique and complex storage infrastructure project over a number of key stages, whilst minimising disruption. I am pleased to confirm that Viglen has met the colleges key performance indicators in a number of areas, particularly that of data retrieval performance. We look forward to supporting the college over the months and years to come, ensuring this capital investment in fully maximised.
Bordan Tkachuk,
Chief Executive Officer, Viglen


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Wendell Barnhouse is a nationally-known and respected columnist who has spent over 20 years covering collegiate athletics. He has reported from 25 Final Fours and more than three dozen bowl games and has written about the Big 12 and its schools since the conference's beginning. Barnhouse will be updating the Big 12 Insider on happenings and behind-the-scenes information about the conference.
Being cynical about Big Time College Sports takes little effort. But particularly during the holiday season, the positive effects that can be derived from Big Time College Sports should also be recognized. The opportunity to be a student-athlete can be life altering.
Here's a great story by Austin Meek of the Topeka Capital-Journal writing about Kansas redshirt freshman forward Jamari Traylor, who should also be commended for opening up and telling his story of surviving a tough upbringing on the South Side of Chicago.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays from Your Humble Correspondent.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Prayers for Oldfart
Our good friend and excellent physician Oldfart was in an accident and is in the ICU. Please say a prayer for him even if you don't believe that stuff... consider it a favor for me and Oldfart. I think he would very much appreciate some get well notes/comments here too. He's a tough old cuss and a fine human. Get well Oldfart.
36 comments:
Get well Oldfart! I definitely believe that prayers/good thoughts/good whatever help. I will spare you the dumb mushy story about my cancer and all the people thinking of me, but I know that it is what made me so strong through it all. I will keep you in my thoughts and hope my thoughts will keep you strong too!ReplyDelete
Oh no! On the way, 911. Take care, OldFart and get back on the mend real soon.ReplyDelete
Get well soon, OF!ReplyDelete
- boredmedstudent1:42 PM, August 05, 2008
Get well soon Oldfart, will say my prayers for you.ReplyDelete
OF you're in my prayers. Hope you're out of ICU quickly.ReplyDelete
GET WELL SOON, OLD FART. WE NEED YOUR WISDOM HERE.ReplyDelete
Oldfart: I'm going to pray for you and your family daily until 911 tells us to stop. I'll also make hospital administrator sacrifices daily to speed your recovery. We love you, get well soon!ReplyDelete
Oh wait, my Mom is a hospital admin. I'll sacrifice EMTALA & JACHO policy makers.ReplyDelete
Devorrah, I think my Nurse Manager would do nice as a human sacrifice.ReplyDelete
I am so sorry to hear of your accident. Get well soon. ANd I hope you are not intubated. THat has to suck.
- Anonymous6:31 PM, August 05, 2008
Old Fart I hope you get well soon. May my brothers in the ICU take great care of you.ReplyDelete
So 911 will you give us updates as to how he's doing?ReplyDelete
- stacyb8:51 PM, August 05, 2008
Get well, Oldfart! (From a long-time lurker who LOVES reading your stuff) Can't wait for your triumphant return to the blogosphere! Will keep you in my thoughts!ReplyDelete
Get Well, be strong. Prayers for your healing from us. We're waiting for you to post again to tell us what's up.ReplyDelete
Pinky: Cool! Try to talk her into going quietly to the volcano. 911: please let us know how he's doing.ReplyDelete
dear readers,ReplyDelete
i wish i could say things are better tonight but oldfart is having some heart rhythm problems. i don't know much more and am trying not to be a pest on the phone. hopefully good news for you all in morning. out for the night.
Hey OldFart,ReplyDelete
Speedy recovery,dude! Hospitals are only fun places to work, not a patient;)
- Anonymous10:23 PM, August 05, 2008
Get well soon OLDFART, we want to see your blog up and running. Take careReplyDelete
Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.ReplyDelete
wishing you a speedy and full recovery oldfart ...ReplyDelete
Godspeed, my man! Hope to have ya back, dude.ReplyDelete
Hang in there oldfart! Get better fast!ReplyDelete
Oldfart, while I am not a regular commenter, I am a regular reader and although I don't always agree, I always appreciate your wit, your cynicism, and your humor. I wish you a speedy recovery and look forward to your next post.ReplyDelete
what the duck is this???!!!!ReplyDelete
Dang it, Farty, all you had to do is ASK for a vacation. Seriously, my heart and prayers are with you and your family.ReplyDelete
911, many thanks for keeping us up to date.
get well soon...we are praying.ReplyDelete
Prayer lifted for the dear one from someone not in the medical field. Tina Steele Lindsey, blogger tinasteelelindsey.blogspot.comReplyDelete
(prayer is powerful)
It is true that Doctors make the worst patients?ReplyDelete
- Anonymous1:50 PM, August 06, 2008
Prayers for Oldfart.ReplyDelete
Get well soon Oldfart.ReplyDelete
Any news this morning/afternoon? If anyone goes to see him, please give him a big hug from me! I will continue thinking good thoughts.ReplyDelete
Get well!ReplyDelete
Best wishes to Oldfart for a speedy recovery. Hope you'll be back to participate in the snarkfest soon.ReplyDelete
Keep us posted, 911!
I am so sorry to hear this! I'll do what I can, which is pray. I'll leave the medicine up to you all to work on, since I can't do that.ReplyDelete
Get well soon, OF!
Holy crap.. My best wishes with him. I hope he gets well soon..ReplyDelete
Get better soon Oldfart. Prayers and good thoughts from your friends in manch vegas!ReplyDelete


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Thursday, November 8, 2007
Busting Myths While Busting Out of Your Pants
OK, this concludes our English lesson for today. Join us tomorrow when we explore the fun and exciting world of alliteration!
So, I was watching Mythbusters with my family this evening. My older kids love this show. Although I find the show entertaining, it scares the snot out of me that one of my kids will try to imitate one of their experiments. I just know I'll walk into my son's room some afternoon and see him with a scale model of the Hindenberg on fire, or a rocket made from a scuba tank, or a pig's stomach filled with Coke and Pop Rocks, just waiting to explode.
So, I'm watching the show tonight and they're testing a myth about shrinking jeans. The myth was that if you put on a pair of tight jeans and sit in a tub of hot water for six hours, your jeans will shrink so much that they'll cut off your circulation and you could either lose a limb or develop a blood clot.
I have to admit that I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the results of this experiment as I was still stuck on the WHY? of the whole thing. As in - why on earth would anyone want to purposefully shrink their jeans?! I can't think of a single reason. Jeans shrink enough in the dryer, thankyouverymuch. I actually think it's a bad thing when you have to lie flat on your back on your bed, suck in your abdomen until your stomach actually hits your spine, exhale, use a pair of pliers to grab the zipper and pull with all your strength. If you succeed in getting the pants fastened, you then have to find a way to get up off the bed. I've found a crane works well.
OK, so your pants are fastened and you're standing upright. Now you have to learn to walk like Frankenstein because you can't bend your legs and God forbid you breathe or eat anything while wearing your tight pants of death. The extra food in your stomach could cause your jeans to stretch just a millimeter too far resulting in a dangerous situation. If the button holding your pants up should pop off, it could ricochet at speeds over 100 mph and seriously injure an unsuspecting passerby. These things have been known to poke out eyes.
Anyway, my point is - if you think your jeans just aren't tight enough, you
1. have obviously not had six kids
2. have not eaten enough of your kids' Halloween candy
3. may be a super model
4. are testing out a Mythbusters theory, or lastly
5. you're this guy...
T-shirts, and pillows, and bracelets, oh my!
Posted by Dawn at 10:35 PM
98 comments:
- Bear Bits said...
You have described to a T being a teen in the seventies! And when all was done we had to put the giant comb in our back pocket!
Oh the painful memories......:)
- November 9, 2007 at 12:39 AM
Lol Dawn my kids love shows like that too. My older son loves the 'bottle of diet coke and mentoes' eruption so much he did it at school!!!
Great pic of Fred lol he really is 'too sexy for that shirt'.
Thanks for keeping us smiling
- November 9, 2007 at 12:51 AM
- Kristin said...
You're awesome, I was laughing so hard I was crying and all 3 of my boys came out and go "Mom what's wrong" Do you know hard it is to explain you are laughing at something you are reading at the computer? My 14.5 year old goes, 'really mom laughing at the computer, how lame!' and walked off. ROFL
Thanks for the laughs.
- November 9, 2007 at 12:59 AM
A palindrome can be a sentence, as well as a word.
Also, why would people write to you to ask? Don't they know how to use GOOGLE?!
- November 9, 2007 at 1:05 AM
- Rick said...
I liked the episode where they resurfaced a sunken boat with a gazillion ping pong balls. Now THAT was a show with a lot a practical information - IF you were ever on a sinking ship that happened to be carrying a giant cargo of ping pong balls. It could happen.
- November 9, 2007 at 1:16 AM
- Tiffiny said...
Oh, I love/hate that show too! I was thrilled to know that if I could dive at least 4 feet into water while someone is shooting at me with a high-powered rifle, the water will slow the bullet's trajectory and not kill me. (I sincerely hope to never need this information).
I'm also slightly worried my kids will try attaching rockets to the swing in an attempt to make the swing complete a 360 degree arc.
As always, thanks for the laughs!
- November 9, 2007 at 1:24 AM
- baseballmom said...
I watched one where they had a fake kid on a swing and were trying to get the swing to do a complete circle over the bar. I sometimes stop and watch it for a minute when I'm flipping to the food network or something!
- November 9, 2007 at 1:39 AM
- Karen & Co. said...
I do a little dance to get into my jeans, since the problem isn't the stomach so much as it is the thighs. My husband finds it quite entertaining. Then again, when his pants get to tight, he just goes out and buys new ones.
- November 9, 2007 at 1:50 AM
Alrighty, and this is why I admire/cannot ever be you...because, I would have sent the Palindrome enquirers to a how-to site for "Getting your GED after your College Degree" or, at the very least an on-line ESL course.
Oh well, as they said on my 2nd grade report card, "Someday Stacey will have patience with others who are not as quick as she." Keep praying!
- November 9, 2007 at 2:16 AM
- Cams said...
For a great creative use of palindromes, take a look at Weird Al's parody of Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues video. It's really cool.
- November 9, 2007 at 2:21 AM
Mythbusters can be a good show to watch - this article was from one of Australia's major news papers today
See - the kid learnt something from Mythbusters :D
- November 9, 2007 at 3:38 AM
- River said...
Why anyone would choose torture over comfort is completely beyond me.
- November 9, 2007 at 3:58 AM
- Kim said...
Isn't that how we all put on our jordache jeans in the 80's? I know I did. :) Except we used a coathanger to pull up the zipper. Ugh.
- November 9, 2007 at 5:58 AM
Dawn, my kids love Mythbusters too. Also the Dirty Jobs show, and others on the Discovery Channel. I actually am enjoying watching more "grown up" shows with them instead of the usual cartoons or Disney shows.
I remember squeezing into my Jordache Jeans in the early 80's....I can't believe my mother let me out of the house in those disgustingly skin tight things....gross! I seriously remember wishing the pants were tighter....I was super skinny back then and I am sure I looked like chicken legs in those jeans.....freaky!
- November 9, 2007 at 6:48 AM
- Daina said...
OK. I really love this blog!!!Do you think they'll show a way to stretch jeans for the next mythbusters show?
- November 9, 2007 at 6:51 AM
What no homophones? Really, you're slipping on the parts of speech.
I love Mythbusters but fear one day my kids will imitate it. Would be great material for my blog, however.
Do we get bonus points if we know the group you are referring to in the pic (Right Said Fred)?
- November 9, 2007 at 7:02 AM
If the button holding your pants up should pop off, it could ricochet at speeds over 100 mph and seriously injure an unsuspecting passerby. These things have been known to poke out eyes.
I know someone like this and it's a huge fear to be in her presence for just that reason....oh the damage that popping button could do :(
Love your blog Dawn, read it with my coffee in the early am when the house is still peaceful. I would love to see more q & a from you. I have so many! Thank you!
- November 9, 2007 at 7:06 AM
- Brandi said...
I was watching the same episode with my kids. If you care to know, there was a doctor who said it was entirely possible to produce a blod clot and die from jeans that are too tight, but the Mythbusters' experiments did not show those results.
- November 9, 2007 at 7:08 AM
- suburbancorrespondent said...
Yeah, my jeans seem to shrink plenty without my sitting in a tub of hot water. At least, I think they're shrinking. Or I'm expanding - but that's okay, because the whole universe is expanding, the way I understand it.
- November 9, 2007 at 7:14 AM
- Michelle said...
Want a real blast from the past? Check out this blog:
A look at the 70's
- November 9, 2007 at 7:14 AM
- The Hotfessional said...
Funny, the argument with the sixteen year old (boy) this morning was all about the fact that he hated his jeans because they were too tight around his thighs.
Too tight? I could grab hold of a leg of those jeans and pull 4 extra inches of cloth away.
"But they're touching me."
I guess even only children have to figure out some way to use that phrase.
- November 9, 2007 at 7:27 AM
I look forward to exploring the fun and exciting world of alliteration, that could be quite interesting. It has been my goal to write a paper or book only using alliteration.
- November 9, 2007 at 7:44 AM
I ran across this product while looking at Waterless Car Wash.
I have no affiliation with it, so I am not making anything off it.
With 4 Grandchildren, it looks interesting.
Love your website.
- November 9, 2007 at 7:49 AM
- ~*~ Jennifer ~*~ said...
I flee from tight pants, due to muffin tops! Akkk... run, run, run!!!
- November 9, 2007 at 7:49 AM
- Lisa said...
Sadly I remember the days of trying to squeeze my fat ass (which I know realize wasn't really all that fat at the time, but has certainly grown over the years) into the tightest pair of jeans I could find. The hardest thing to learn was how to sit down once they were on without splitting them open. And how to breath. lol
- November 9, 2007 at 7:55 AM
- Katharine said...
I'm too sexy for that picture.
- November 9, 2007 at 8:05 AM
I'll bet they busted that myth! There are times when I've wondered about it myself, though, when my jeans shrank after I washed them. It surely isn't that I've grown! ;)
Love the Photoshopped pics of your boys, but I don't think I'll ever be the same after looking at that last pic. Omigosh, what were they thinking?!
- November 9, 2007 at 8:17 AM
- Heather said...
My son came over and laughed himself silly - he LOVES Mythbusters - and if we ever finish the remodel on the the house he wants to do his room over into a Mythbusters room. ANd yes he has his own Buster!
- November 9, 2007 at 8:29 AM
- sleeping mommy said...
You have effectively scared the snot out of me. My boys watch that show with my husband sometimes. They aren't old enough to be able to try some of the stuff yet but its just a matter of a few more years until the oldest is.
I'm scared.
And your proficiency with paint is impressive. You boys look amazingly like Jamie and Adam! It's kind of creepy.
- November 9, 2007 at 8:31 AM
- Karen said...
Okay, first THAT GUY is just scary.
You don't need 6 kid to make jeans tight. It happened with my first. I keep saying that if my stretch marks grew together I wouldn't have this belly anymore.
- November 9, 2007 at 8:34 AM
- Melissa said...
LOL! I watch that show just for giggles. I have never seen to grown men so happy to blow things up.
As for the tight jeans, don't get me started!!
- November 9, 2007 at 8:43 AM
- Lucille said...
I LOVE that show almost as much as DIRTY JOBS! Have you seen that one? The host is a riot!
I might be to "young" to remember shrinking jeans but I do remember FADE AND WASH. I think that was the name. Do you remember buying perfectly good dark jeans and then putting them in the wash to make them all old looking? Ha, ha.
Thanks for the chuckle and a few memories of things we did in the 70's. Beats what kids are doing today - eh?
Have a great weekend,
- November 9, 2007 at 8:44 AM
- Heather Is Cooler Than Hollywood said...
LOL!!! My mom said my aunt used to keep a spray bottle in her bedroom to wet her jeans just enough that she could zip them up with pliers. I just cannot believe dressing like that... I know real fashion is pain, but that is just plain masochistic!!!
I don't like MythBusters. Those guys are kind of lame. I am more of a Dirty Jobs fan.
- November 9, 2007 at 8:55 AM
- AZMom said...
Oh my gosh I laughed sooo hard reading this!! I remember lying on my bed in high school to zip my pants...gosh darnit!
And I love Myth Busters but I have to agree on the why question for the shrinking jeans?!? Huh?
- November 9, 2007 at 8:55 AM
- Theresa said...
I remember doing that! Of course, I only weighed 108 pounds and thought I was "fat" too. I graduated in 1973, so I was teen in the 70's too! LOL! Now I hardly ever even buy a pair of pants with a zipper and that 108 is a distant memory.
- November 9, 2007 at 8:57 AM
- Chris and Penny said...
my favorite palindrome is: go hang a salami, i'm a lasagna hog!
- November 9, 2007 at 8:57 AM
- Andrea said...
Your boys could totally be stand-ins for that show!! They look just like them. I love the black hat!! And when I was in college we loved our jeans tight!! Then we tried to ride horses with those extremly tight jeans. I used to use a hanger to help me zip up my jeans. Now I resort to pajama pants!! They are a lot easier!!!
- November 9, 2007 at 9:01 AM
- Jen said...
What's sad is that those two crazy guys probably get paid more than both our husbands combined to test out those "need to know if this could actually happen" experiments!
- November 9, 2007 at 9:03 AM
- Sjogren's Mom said...
That's such a good question - WHY would anyone shrink their jeans on purpose? I know when I've put on a few pounds because I have to do that whole suck in your gut thing after the jeans come out of the dryer. Of course, then I don't want to wear them as I fear I'll wind up with what my sister has affectionately called "muffin top" - where the flab on the top spills over the top of the too-tight pants creating the muffin top (and no, not the kind Seinfeld popularized!).
- November 9, 2007 at 9:03 AM
another palindrome is "Go hang a salami,I'm a lasagna hog!" gohangasalamiimalasagnahog
- November 9, 2007 at 9:24 AM
- utmomof5 said...
That show is a big hit at our house too!! Mt olders boys love it! I got a little worried one day though when my son asked where he could buy a pig's stomach!? He wanted to do the mentos and diet coke thing his science project!! Yah, I don't thinks so. Just what I need the possibility of an exploding pigs stomach in my kitchen!!
- November 9, 2007 at 9:55 AM
- Eva said...
Your boys make the perfect Adam and Jamie-ahhhhhhhh I love the digi-drawn facial hair and glasses! Seriously funny stuff here. FYI, in lieu of fireworks this past 4th of July, my 9 yr old went through 15 2-liter bottles of diet coke and a massive bag of mint Mentos. I was sure we'd be kicked out of the Kroger parking lot where he was enjoying his Patriotic carbonated blast atop a sewer grate. Thanks for being you, Eva (www.freshandvintage.typepad.com)
- November 9, 2007 at 10:17 AM
Hey Dawn,
I too have watched "Mythbusters" with my husband and 5 kids (3 of which are boys). I must say, in my husband's words, "Boys just like fire or anything that can explode, blow up, or something cool like that." We got a good laugh when my 9 year old son, Joshua, announced, "Me....Make... FIRE" when he was able to keep a stick burning while lounging at our campfire. My husband was soo proud.
My kids' absolute favorite Mythbusters: testing the myth if beans makes one pass gas more than other foods. AHH.... a whole show devoted to the "art of the fart" as my kids call it! Just hearing the sound effects created to document the number of times that gas was passed was hilarious.
-Lisa (San Antonio, Texas)
- November 9, 2007 at 10:21 AM
Well I am relieved that my 13 yr. old son is not the only one watching Myth Busters. I have said that if he spent as much time on school as he does watching Myth Busters he would have straight A's. I keep hoping that he will learn something on that show and will come up with some great invention and make millions. Or at the very least not hurt anyone trying to duplicate something he saw.
- November 9, 2007 at 10:27 AM
- SeeItMyWay said...
I've been lurking since your ebay auction posted.
My first comment is..
"I'm a lasagna hog - go hang a salami"
it's a palendrome. palandrome? My favourite, by far - figure I'd throw it in while you are still on the topic :)
- November 9, 2007 at 10:29 AM
- FNP Student said...
I can so relate to the jeans. My sister and I have been discussing starting to wear our jeans now, a little each day, at home (in case we pass out) to stretch them so they are comfortable enough to wear at Thanksgiving!
- November 9, 2007 at 10:37 AM
- justmylife said...
I remember that bed trick, now I just wear sweats, easy on and easy off!!!
- November 9, 2007 at 10:41 AM
- Tory said...
Undeniably Nerdy! Exceedingly Cool!
I was snarfling at how funny your description of getting those jeans on were!!... My Mom actually told me the lay down and suck in your tummy trick when I was a teen (she did so in the 50's apparently).. I am looking forward to when the ultra-low slung are OUT so that when so many people in the supermarket for instance, bend over to get something I don't inadvertently get to see the place where their sun doesn't shine!! Ewwww!
Going away for the weekend to an actual campsite! No internet!!
Plausibly yours,
Tory in Orlando
- November 9, 2007 at 10:48 AM
oh no!! alot of people seem to think that marie lee has alot of time on her hands to type out that ridiculously long palindrome. or that she is just ridiculously bored. (she did NOT invent the said palindrome) yeah she cudda posted a link, but seriously, how many pple actually click on links. i know i dont. i like to be spoon fed. so, i CUT and PASTED the palindrome. for u! yeah i took me a while to scroll the mouse to highlight it but hey, whats a few seconds. yay for effiecient and not ridiculously boring marie lee. goooooooo google! peas. whirrled peas indeed.
- November 9, 2007 at 11:17 AM
Dawn - I really enjoy reading your blog. Thanks for sharing!
Since you have so many readers, when I had a problem with an on-line product and the company's lack of customer service, I figured this was a great place to have my consumer warning read. To ALL - DO NOT, DO NOT buy the Gobblin Mosquito Eater from Davros Developments. The website makes is sound really great, but it doesn't work AT ALL. I sent the part back for a refund and there has been NO RESPONSE for the $170 they owe me - after many, many emails and phone calls.
So, now my mission is to give them all the bad advertising I can. DON'T get sucked in like I did. (no pun intended). DON'T buy the Gobblin. Thanks for reading.
- November 9, 2007 at 11:33 AM
- Kirsten said...
Palindromes rock! I had a phone number that (minus the area code) was a palindrome -- and both my brother and myself graduated high school in palindromic years (1991 and 2002).
- November 9, 2007 at 1:12 PM
I know that pain...I'm currently using a shoe horn to get into my jeans!
- November 9, 2007 at 1:12 PM
Aaaah, Jordache jeans. I was one of 5 kids and the only way I got those in junior high was to find them irregular at Marshalls. Now they sell them at Wal-Mart! Who'd a thunk?
Deb in OPKS
- November 9, 2007 at 1:33 PM
I guess I'm the first to wonder if the myth was really busted- do jeans keep on shrinking? I'd actually love to find out how to either add half a size to a pair of jeans or lose half a size from a pair. I gave up my old clothing size after Baby2, but I'm between sizes now. So there really are people out there who could use this! And not supermodel bodies either!
- November 9, 2007 at 2:03 PM
Jeans in a dryer? I haven't put my jeans in a dryer since my daughter was born and she'll be 37 next month, LOL!! Still buy them with zippers though!!
- November 9, 2007 at 2:08 PM
- JenLo said...
I coulda told them that jeans shrink...They don't even need the hot water to make it happen. Donuts work too.
- November 9, 2007 at 2:09 PM
- Becky said...
ROFL, Dawn, as usual. The images conjured up by the pig bladder with pop rocks and coke, and the Hindenberg experiments all as a result of that TV Show were hilarious...and yes, a good reason to be wary with boys in the house, LOL!
As for pulling up jeans with pliers, I grew up in Washington State, and did this with my "Seattle Blues" jeans...except that I eventually found the need to employ the use of a ruler to hold my stomach down so it didn't get caught in the zipper, lol. That was the 1970's-80's version of the corset, I suppose. The girls of today have tried to do this as well, except that low rise jeans don't have as much staying power, and everything spills over the low rise waist in the form of an unattractive spare tire or love handles. Not pretty.
- November 9, 2007 at 2:41 PM
- Lizzy in the Burbs said...
Ah, jeans...the bane of my existance! If there is enough room in the trunk, they gap at the waist,..if they fit in the waist, they are way too tight in the trunk and I walk like I have a tree branch stuck,.. (you know)! Thank goodness for yoga pants! Another show on Discovery that my kids watch is Bear Grylls (sp?), he is seriously hard core, I think I'd have to just die rather than drink my own urine or bite the head off of a live fish and eat it. Yucky! Give me death!
- November 9, 2007 at 3:26 PM
You don't remember those shrink-to-fit jeans from jr high / high school days? I think you're only a few years older than I am. But it's true - no one really wants to see that unless you have the body of a supermodel!
- November 9, 2007 at 3:33 PM
My brother tried to do one of the myths. It didn't work... But, he had alot of fun! It's the myth that you get an empty 2 liter drink bottle, and put a little bit of water in it. You then fix this little air pump to the lid, and pump in air. When you take the pump off of the top, the bottle shoots into the air, spraying you with water. Be careful though, if you put too much air in it, then it will shoot up on it's own. My brother loved to tape an action figure McDonald's thingy to it, and let it fly. It's a good summer day activity.
p.s. The Mythbuster episode was nothing like that at all. They put gallon bottles on their backs and parachuted themselves over water. But they didn't try it, because the dummy they did it with got all beat up.
- November 9, 2007 at 3:47 PM
Long time reader, first time writer. My father and I (english teacher for 37 years) are big palindrome fans. My two favorites...
Lonely Tylenol
Im alas a salami
I know this isn't earth shattering content but thought I would share. I anxiously await your alliteration lesson. If you are taking requests I love a good oxymoron too.
Thanks for your wit and candor.
- November 9, 2007 at 3:50 PM
- Ginger's Garden said...
What a great article! That made me laugh!
Irena aka soapbuddy
- November 9, 2007 at 3:51 PM
Long time reader, first time writer. My father and I love palindromes. Me because I am easily amused (mmm bendy straw) and my dad because he was an english teacher of 37 years. My two favorites include:
Lonely Tylenol
Im alas a salami
I tried posting this thing three times... let's see if this time takes.
I await the lesson on alliteration.
- November 9, 2007 at 3:52 PM
- Jade said...
I was watching that one too and all I could figure was that it was an older myth--not from this decade I hope...
- November 9, 2007 at 4:39 PM
- Nalventures said...
I love that you have a 'jeans' label for this post. I often search for things about jeans.
I LOVE the pictures. I almost fell off the couch when I saw them.
- November 9, 2007 at 5:05 PM
- Janet said...
Nurse, I spy gypsies, run!
I avoided the whole tight jeans thing because I attended a school from 1972 until 1980 that did not allow girls to wear pants. I do agree with the comments about the low rise jeans though. Those in combination with the "belly" shirts, look good on no one I've ever seen.
- November 9, 2007 at 5:26 PM
- Patty said...
Oh what memories, shrink to fit jeans that we rolled at the bottom with the cuffs turned in to make them even tighter.
Now days of course the kids want them bigger and baggier or they are not happy. Especially not unless the jeans are not falling off and hanging down around their knees.
- November 9, 2007 at 6:20 PM
- Robin said...
What was the conclusion...can you REALLY shrink your jeans while in a tub of hot water? My guess is NO but I could be wrong!
- November 9, 2007 at 7:34 PM
- Matchbox Mom said...
Soooo confused why anyone would lay in a bathtub for 6 hours to see if their jeans shrink...
And I like your one word...thankyouverymuch...LOL
I use that word ALL THE TIME!!
You're too cute, and i'm glad i'm not the only one who's needed a crane to get off of the bed.
- November 9, 2007 at 7:40 PM
Even when I was skinny enough to to rival the likes of 'Twiggy.' I never had the desire to squeeze my then 'tiny hiney' into tight jeans.
I'm pretty sure the 'baggy' style of clothing wss started my moi. (look at that, I'm bilingual)
I'm like the woman who's son was complaining the clothes were touching him. I like to feel air circulating around me.
Now, if I were today, still the size of Twiggy, I might have a different mind set.
Korkie ... still enjoying Dawn one day at a time .....
- November 9, 2007 at 7:41 PM
- Amber H said...
Oh, My! You are too funny!! Thanks for the laughs. We love Mythbusters here too and I am always telling my kids that they will never try any of the things they watch!!!
- November 9, 2007 at 7:55 PM
- Valarie said...
Wait, jeans aren't supposed to cut off your circulation??
- November 9, 2007 at 7:57 PM
Love your blog!! At my high school in the 80's it was Calvin Kleins. Remember the "Nobody comes between me and my Calvins"-- Yeah, they were soooooo tight you couldn't fit anything else in there! Also you always had to take a friend to the bathroom with you to help you get the zipper back up 'cause you couldn't exactly lay down on the floor in a public restroom.
Keep the laughs coming, this is how I de-stress after work every day!
- November 9, 2007 at 9:44 PM
- Keeley said...
Hahahaha! Who IS that guy?
ROFL I remember doing that with jeans! Now I'd just rather be comfortable and relax. =D
- November 9, 2007 at 9:58 PM
- JenniferJoan said...
Hey, I absolutely LOVE reading your posts! Girls without humor need not apply for motherhood, am I right? By the way, I think one of your children may have snuck (snuck??)into my living room and did this to my Christmas tree...
I'm sure you know this by now, but you're not alone : )
PS - Maybe I'll give up on jeans altogether and just go for the dreaded denim jumper.
- November 9, 2007 at 10:55 PM
Oh those were the days, sitting in class wondering if you were going to pass out because the jeans get so much tighter when you sit down.
Right now I would love to find a pair of jeans that fit high enough on my waist to hold in whats left of my abdomen after four pregnancies with four very large babies. I'm so tired of going to the store only to find the low waisted jeans. I would rather keep my stretch marks to myself, thank you.
- November 9, 2007 at 11:21 PM
- jugglingpaynes said...
As fun as it was to lay down to zip up jeans as a teen, today's kids have the added problem of jeans being low riders. Shrink those jeans and you'll look like a muffin fresh from the oven.
I wonder, after the Mythbusters sat in hot water for 6 hours, did the jeans turn their legs blue?
- November 9, 2007 at 11:37 PM
- Jan Scholl said...
If you did the tub thing with the never worn jeans=you will also be a direct relative to a smurf. Jeans bleed blue. As do unwashed dark socks.
- November 10, 2007 at 12:23 AM
- bigwhitehat said...
Why? Because they are running out of material. That is why!
- November 10, 2007 at 12:53 AM
- Dr. Bob said...
We love Mythbusters!
When my son was three, he insisted on having Converse sneakers like Jamie. We still snuggle together and watch the show. I also have fears of coming into a scene of destruction to hear the explanation that he saw it on Mythbusters. Sometimes we have the "this is a television show and they have lots of people to keep them safe and remember, they said to never try this at home" talk -- but I am not convinced that it is going in ...
- November 10, 2007 at 9:30 AM
- My Semblance of Sanity said...
My oldest two LOVE MYTHBUSTERS! And, yes, I have also worried that my ingenious gifted children will decide to try a version of their own!
I just keep my fingers crossed and my eyes peeled!!
Ugh- tight jeans!! Now, because they are all so flippin' LOW CUT (with a whole 1/2 long zipper) if they are too tight I feel like I am literally ERUPTING over my waist band! SICK!
:)eewwww what a visual, huh?
- November 10, 2007 at 9:49 AM
My comment is not about your most recent post but just your blog in general. I love your blog! I am a mother of 3 young boys who I love and adore but am now 50% grey at the age of 35. You are helping me to relax and see the humor in things versus being so frustrated. With 3 boys ages 3, 5, & 6 my bathrooms require many wipedowns a down and honestly probably a full cleaning (which they don't get). I'm trying to learn to laugh at it when they completely destroy everything after I just got it clean and the fact that the laundry is NEVER ending. The 3 year old may need up to 4 outfits a day. He may pee on them or if he so much as spills water on himself he takes them off (they're wet, I want it off, & etc.) Reading your blogs make me realize my kids are not total misfits they are simply "kids" and this is life so accept it and learn to appreicate their quirks. Maybe my hair will stop turning grey. Thank you sharing your life. I can't wait for your book!
- November 10, 2007 at 10:10 AM
Mom, and Wow are also palindromes. My favorite palindrome is "Go hang a salami I'm a lasagna hog".
- November 10, 2007 at 1:23 PM
- DomesticGDS said...
I have to say, that my late teens and early 20s I used to go to country bars and that meant the tightest jeans possible. It began with buying a size 3 pair of Wranglers, but I was a size 6. Then I put them in the dryer. My pants were so tight for so many years my mother says she is still amazed that my children were born 3 dimensional.
And don't break bad on Fred, it's hard to "be so sexy it hurts". : D
- November 10, 2007 at 3:37 PM
- Brenda said...
My life is pretty serious much of the time as I have two children with special needs. I always love coming here for a smile. Thanks. And I bet your hubby thinks your tight jeans look just fine.
- November 10, 2007 at 3:40 PM
You continue to crack me up. Thanks!
- November 10, 2007 at 4:44 PM
- nutralady2001 said...
I spent most of the '80's either pregnant or breastfeeding so that was a lost decade for me as far as fashion went. I do remember though a friend of mine lying on the floor and using a coat hanger to do up the zipper on her jeans
- November 10, 2007 at 5:10 PM
My favorite palindrome is my Grand-daughter, HANNAH.
Blue jeans and pliars back in the 70's, I wonder how many fathers wondered what happened to their pliars.
I haven't watched that show yet but you all are tempting me.
Hugs to the lady with the children with the special needs and to you Dawn for being so funny and sharing your life with all of us.
- November 10, 2007 at 7:29 PM
I just had to ask, is aibohphobia a real phobia?
- November 10, 2007 at 8:38 PM
- Debi said...
I saw that Myth Buster too and it brought back lots of blue-legged memories. I use to sit in a tub with jeans on to fade them, not to shrink them. However, I never laid out in the sun afterwards which I guess was a good thing, because I'm kind of attached to my legs.
I love the pictures of the boys! They look so suave & derriere...UH...debonair.
- November 10, 2007 at 8:39 PM
- Nat said...
lmbo hilairous!! love the pics and xanax. the ultimate palindrome
- November 10, 2007 at 9:27 PM
- roseys madhouse said...
I dread wearing jeans these days.I bought some thai fisherman pants http://www.tehpants.com.au/ they are the most comfortable pants ever. I now own three pair and need to get more.
- November 11, 2007 at 1:53 AM
- Keeley said...
And then, of course, there's always the song "Bob" by Weird Al, written entirely in palindromes. Here's the youtube URL:
Or simply search up "weird al bob" and it'll come up.
Enjoy. =)
Ma is as selfless as I am.
May a moody baby doom a yam?
Was it a car or a cat I saw?
- November 11, 2007 at 8:43 AM
- Dianne said...
My boys and I love MythuBusters, Dirty Jobs, and Doctor Who. :-)
I live in fear of the things my boys might think of--and then I contemplate buyig "The Dangerous Book for Boys" and chemistry sets. And I think we just might try the Diet Coke and Mentos thing this weekend if it isn't too cold outside.
- November 12, 2007 at 11:29 AM
LOL--or even had four kids! Just speaking for a friend, of course. (Bursts out laughing! Oops, did I just hear a seam rip?!)
- November 12, 2007 at 4:44 PM
- melech said...
Dawn: Until I actually saw you hard at work at home(on that World News report): cooking,cleaning,refereeing and etc.,I really had no appreciation for the many things which you actually do every day. I wish you every success,and can't wait until your books are ready for sale. I just don't know where you find the energy!
- November 13, 2007 at 6:00 AM
- ComfyDenim said...
I could see how you could get stuck on the Why? of it all...
WHY Would you sit in hot water for 6 hours?? Maybe it's not the jeans that shrink - but your skin that inflames??
And how do they keep the water hot for six hours?? (Reminds me of the bugs bunny cartoon when he's in the stew pot eating carrots watching the cook....)
As if my clothes don't make me feel like a sausage already...*LOL*
- November 13, 2007 at 8:38 AM
- DeeAnne said...
I think this comes from an urban myth about how to kill someone and not get caught.
There were two hot water ones, the jeans and a wet leather belt.
- November 15, 2007 at 3:53 PM


text:
Mike North's Top 20 Sports Figures: In a video series commemorating his 20th anniversary in sports broadcasting, North is offering his view of the Top 20 sports figures in Chicago. Today -- #19, Dick Allen, slugging first baseman for the White Sox of the 1970s. Watch North explain why and then leave a comment agreeing or disagreeing, or making your case for someone you think belongs on his list.
• North and longtime broadcast partner Dan Jiggetts will host "The Monsters 20th Anniversary Event" at 6:30 p.m. March 8 at Arlington Park. Buffet tickets are $50 and can be purchased at www.arlingtonpark.com


text:
Arne Duncan | Talking Management
Mayor Richard Daley appointed Mr. Duncan CEO of the nation'sthird-largest school system in 2001. The Hyde Park native and Harvard College graduate oversees 600 schools that serve over 400,000 students, and a budget of more than $5 billion.
More from Talking Management
John Edwardson | Talking Management
Chairman and CEO, CDW Corp.
A longtime airline executive, John Edwardson became CEO of computer reseller CDW Corp. in 2001. Since then, the company's revenue has more than doubled -- to $8.1 billion last year.
Arthur Velasquez | Talking Management
Chairman and CEO, Azteca Foods
Arthur R. Velasquez founded Azteca Foods in 1969. In 1984, he sold it--and in 1989, he bought it back. Along the way, Mr. Velasquez learned a lot about pursuing his dreams, managing growth and giving back to his community.
David Coolidge | Talking Management
Vice Chairman, William Blair & Co.
As the titans of Wall Street founder, Chicago's William Blair & Co. rolls steadily along. Blair's Vice-chairman E. David Coolidge III knows the firm's secrets--he's been working there for 39 years.
Ted Phillips | Talking Management
CEO, Chicago Bears
Ted Phillips is the first Chicago Bears CEO from outside the Halas family. In nine years, he has overseen a host of changes to the storied franchise--and led the team back to the championship. The Bears' 2007 Super Bowl run was its first appearance there since 1986.
In an interview with Crain's, Mr. Phillips discusses the challenge of being an accountant in a football organization. He's learned how to delegate to his coach and general manager, although Mr. Phillips says he never tells head coach Lovie Smith who to play on Sunday, or GM Jerry Angelo who to draft. However, he does ask a lot of questions.
Mr. Phillips also talks about how he rides out the inevitable losing seasons. That's where continuity of leadership comes in, he says.
Christopher Gardner | Talking Management
President and CEO, Gardner Rich
Christopher Gardner's story is known from the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness," but the film left off before Mr. Gardner came to Chicago, where he built his own business--and wrote the memoir that would become a Hollywood hit.
Richard Melman | Talking Management
Founder and Chairman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc.
Richard Melman went into the restaurant business because he didn't know what else to do. During a brief stint as a salesman for Fuller Brush Co., Mr. Melman learned that he didn't like having doors slammed in his face. Instead of asking people for something, he thought he'd try doing something for them. That led him to open a restaurant--R. J. Grunt's in Lincoln Park--in 1971. Today he presides over Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises Inc., a dining empire of 75 restaurants in six states.
Ken Williams | Talking Management
Senior Vice President and General Manager, Chicago White Sox
Ken Williams batted just .218 in his Major League Baseball career, but as a big-league general manager, Mr. Williams presided over one of the greatest hits in Chicago sports history: the White Sox 2005 World Series Championship. The feat marked the city's first World Series crown in 88 years, but it came relatively early in Mr. Williams' career as a manager--he moved from the field to the front office in 1991 and had only been a general manager for five years.
Rocky Wirtz | Talking Management
Chairman, Chicago Blackhawks
In the eight months since he succeeded his father as chairman of the Chicago Blackhawks and president of Wirtz Corp., Rocky Wirtz has taken giant strides toward reviving the city's once-proud hockey tradition.
Thomas J. Wilson | Talking Management
President and CEO, Allstate Corp.
Running an insurance company is about more than reading actuarial tables. Thomas J. Wilson knows it's a people business. As he begins his second year at the helm of Northbrook-based Allstate, he shares his thoughts on leadership.
Gordon Segal | Talking Management
Co-founder and CEO, Crate & Barrel
Gordon Segal and his wife, Carol, opened the first Crate & Barrel store in Old Town in 1962. Since then, Mr. Segal has built the housewares business into one of the world's most prominent retail chains.The wild success of Crate & Barrel, which had 2007 sales of $1.4 billion from 160 stores in the U.S., makes Mr. Segal one of the great Chicago entrepreneurial stories of the last half-century.
Charlie Trotter | Talking Management
Chef and CEO, Charlie Trotter's
"The only problem with instant gratification is that it takes too long," is a mantra of Chicago chef Charlie Trotter. Mr. Trotter is CEO and chef of the eponymous Lincoln Park restaurant he founded and which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.
Renetta McCann | Talking Management
CEO, Starcom MediaVest Group
In nearly 30 years in Chicago advertising, Renetta McCann has risen to the top of the local business scene as CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group. She's also become a major player on the civic scene, leading the city YWCA's $6.5-million "Aspire. Believe. Thrive" fundraising campaign.
Bill Mason | Talking Management
General Director, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Bill Mason has been a part of the Lyric Opera of Chicago from its inception -- in 1954, the year the opera house opened, he sang in its children's chorus. And while he hasn't performed there as an adult, Mr. Mason has worked at the Lyric for more than 30 years. Today, he oversees one of the country's leading fine-arts institutions, with more than 32,000 subscribers. Along the way, he's learned to balance artistic ambition with business acumen --- and to get the most out of the divas in his employ.
Joe Mansueto | Talking Management
President and CEO, Morningstar, Inc.
Joe Mansueto belongs in the elite pantheon of Chicago entrepreneurs. He founded Morningstar Inc. in his Lincoln Park apartment 23 years
ago with a simple idea: give investors a simple, clear way to rate and compare the performance of mutual funds. Today, Mr. Mansueto presides over a publicly traded, global company with $315 million in annual sales and 1,500 employees.
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William Brodsky is chairman and CEO of the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the world's largest market for buying and selling options. A veteran of the American Stock Exchange and the Chicago Mercantile
Exchange, Mr. Brodsky came to the CBOE in 1997. Since then, he's led the exchange through one of the most turbulent, transformative periods in its history.
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President and Managing Partner, Harry Caray's Restaurant Group
Ten years after the death of broadcaster Harry Caray, and 100 years after the Cubs last World Series crown, Grant DePorter's restaurant chain, built around those iconic Chicago names, is growing strong.
Arne Duncan | Talking Management
CEO, Chicago Public Schools
Mayor Richard Daley appointed Mr. Duncan CEO of the nation's
third-largest school system in 2001. The Hyde Park native and Harvard
College graduate oversees 600 schools that serve over 400,000 students,
and a budget of more than $5 billion.
Hear him talk about:
-Growing up as the only white kid on the playground basketball courts of
the South and West Side
-Building a strong leadership team - and then getting out of their way
-Management lessons learned at the free-throw line
Ellen Alberding | Talking Management
President, Joyce Foundation
Ms. Alberding was named president of the Joyce Foundation in 2002. She oversees a $1 billion portfolio and $50 million in annual grants, focusing on the environment, education and other policy goals mainly in the midwest.
Greg Case | Talking Management
President and CEO, Aon Corporation
Mr. Case was named president and CEO of Aon in 2005, after 17 years as a management consultant at McKinsey & Co. He manages 43,000 employees in the insurance brokerage's operations spanning 120 countries.
Dipak Jain | Talking Management
Dean, Northwestern's Kellogg School
Mr. Jain was named Dean in 2001 after 15 years at Kellogg. The school has 1,300 MBA candidates, 157 faculty and 50,000 alumni around the world.
Page 1 of 2 | OLDER


text:
Fern Bernice Ruth was born April 21, 1924, in Dunsmuir, Calif. She reposed peacefully April 29, 2013.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, May 6, 2013 at Eagle Point National Cemetery.
Memorial contributions can be sent to the Assisted Living Project for her granddaughter's care: c/o Crystal Dunniway, P.O. Box 443, Mt. Hermon, CA 95041


text:
Monday, March 10, 2008
Too Tired to Party
Tonight I went out with my sister to Stir Crazy. Yum! I had mai tais and stir fry shrimp. Actually, no, I had ONE mai tai and stir fry shrimp. Why only one? Because I would've fallen asleep in my bok choy had I had any more. How sad. My sister and I get a night out and we were both sitting there yawning. We did a little shopping and then decided it was time to go home. Yes, we're quite the life of the party.
Now to start working on the second round of edits on my book...
67 comments:
Awww! That is so sweet! Your hubby is so creative!
- March 10, 2008 at 11:27 PM
Happy Birthday Dawn! By the way, how many balloons did you have to pop before you found your present?
- March 11, 2008 at 12:04 AM
- Heidi said...
Wow--your husband is so sweet and creative!! What a wonderful birthday surprise. :):) I'm glad it was a good one for you!
- March 11, 2008 at 12:05 AM
- Kristi said...
What a great present your hubby got you =) Glad you had a nice birthday.
- March 11, 2008 at 12:31 AM
- Crazy Mama said...
Good going Joe! That is thinking ahead and doing well. Happy Belated Birthday Dawn!
- March 11, 2008 at 12:36 AM
- Shelley said...
Hi Dawn,
I'm a mom of 6 also, and I'm about to turn 30 on the 18th. I'm actually quite excited because I figure that I can finally be seen as an "adult" by the other "adults" in my life. Just how many babies do I have to pop out before I'm a grownup. My hubby says it would help if I stopped wearing a pony tail, but I can't seem to give it up. Any suggestions? Should I switch to sunglasses? Do they keep the hair out of the saute pan? My blog is http://momof6-lifeintheday.blogspot.com
- March 11, 2008 at 12:47 AM
Happy Birthday Dawn! Sounds like you had a good time. Kudos to your hubby for such a wicked birthday surprise! I'd pass out if my husband did anything like that for me - it would be so out of character, lol!!
- March 11, 2008 at 1:50 AM
- TONYA said...
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Sounds like you had a fabulous one. Tell your husband I'm very very impressed he did a great job with your gift, now if he could possibly send a hint to mine that I'd love a new pair of diamond earings that would be just fab :) Loved the photos.
- March 11, 2008 at 1:51 AM
- Jenny said...
Sounds like me when I go out! I love what your husband did, he is good for the next few years!
- March 11, 2008 at 5:59 AM
- SuburbanCorrespondent said...
The closest my husband has gotten to preplanning is when he does actually order something on the Internet, the day of or the day before - and then he prints off the page the item is featured on and wraps that to give me on my birthday to tide me over until the actual present arrives.
I'll take what I can get.
- March 11, 2008 at 6:34 AM
I'm happy you had a night out. I totally understand your disappointment in not living up to the "party animal" reputation of yester-year! (Does it suck that your birthday is close to Daylight Savings?) I had a second wind in my mid-40's. You will, too!
Kudos to Joe! For one birthday, I received a necklace inside the prize package of a box of Cracker Jacks. That was 30-some years ago! I think you may have a keeper!
Your kids just keep getting more adorable with every picture. And, if your new driver's license is any indication, you're not doing too bad yourself!
God Bless,
- March 11, 2008 at 6:40 AM
- Me, Myself and I said...
OMG.... Dawn that is sooooo sweet the way Joe did that! And I am so glad to thear the kids are finally getting back to normal (whatever normal is right?) Well I don't normally do this... but I'm going to put in a little plug here... Take a look at my blog and see what I was doing over the weekend... Boy was it fun!! Thanks again for all the heart warming stories and laughs... you are great!!!!
- March 11, 2008 at 6:44 AM
- AKB said...
Have a great Day!
- March 11, 2008 at 6:59 AM
- The Miles Family said...
Diamond Earrings! Way to go Joe!!
Happy Birthday!
- March 11, 2008 at 7:10 AM
- Cathy said...
Happy Birthday Dawn! Yep, Joe's a keeper. You know, it's funny 364 days a year they can drive you crazy but then they go and do something really sweet and you can over look the rest. Tell him we are impressed.
Cathy in Olathe, KS
- March 11, 2008 at 7:28 AM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Ok, I know I'm a little late, but better late than never, right? Your husbands idea was fantastic, I wonder if my husband can take a hint if I send him a link to you blog?
Hugs from the Olsson family
- March 11, 2008 at 7:33 AM
- Brenda said...
Sounds like a yummy fun birthday! Your husband was so thoughtful!
- March 11, 2008 at 7:48 AM
- Erica said...
How sweet of your husband! Mine would NEVER think of something like that. :o) And that tiramisu? Holy! That looks AMAZING! Who made it or where did you buy it? I would die for a piece of that. I've tried making it once, and it didn't turn out quite so well. And you can't even get all the ingredients where I live. You have to drive an hour. Anyway...Happy Birthday!
- March 11, 2008 at 8:22 AM
- Sherry said...
What a neat birthday. Just curious, is Joe just naturally becoming more thoughtful and creative or do you think the pressure of knowing the world will learn about it on your blog has helped him to delve deeper into his creative and thoughtful self? :)
- March 11, 2008 at 8:34 AM
- Vivian M said...
Happy birthday! Hubby did good :o)
- March 11, 2008 at 8:36 AM
- Jewel said...
The balloon idea was sweet and creative. Happy belated birthday.
- March 11, 2008 at 8:50 AM
- Wendy Pederson said...
Diamond earrings AND Birthday Tequila? That's a home run in my book!
- March 11, 2008 at 9:02 AM
- Raising Country Kids said...
Does the editing irritate you, or do you enjoy making changes to your writing? As a writer, it drives me crazy to have someone tell me to fix something or change my work, so I don't think I could ever do a book.
- March 11, 2008 at 9:16 AM
- A Whole Lot of Nothing / Angie said...
- March 11, 2008 at 9:17 AM
- Angel... said...
Wow.. this is so coool, I must say your hubby is very creating.. and coool
You are lucky
- March 11, 2008 at 9:22 AM
Out here in Utah, there is one dance a year at the high schools where the girl asks the guy in as unique a way as possible (they never did anything like that in my high school in AZ). I have thought about the balloon idea but fill each one with confetti, with the "invitation" in one. The guy would then have to pop them all (spreading confetti everywhere) to get to the invitation. I absolutely LOVE the thought of Joe doing the same thing for you, other than the confetti of course.
- March 11, 2008 at 9:54 AM
- Jenn @ Juggling Life said...
It seems all the more special when it's not something they always do.
My not-a-party-guy-in-the-least husband threw me a surprise party for my 40th. As you said, good for the next 10 years!
Happy Bday!
- March 11, 2008 at 9:58 AM
- TheHMC said...
How awesome of your hubby to do that.. minus the balloon noises of course. I don't get excited over jewelry, myself, but the idea that he thought of something to do for you all on his own is definitely something to get thrilled about lol.
Happy late birthday!
- March 11, 2008 at 10:13 AM
- mandolin said...
Happy Birthday :D I think I'm going to have to pass that balloon idea along to my dad this year
- March 11, 2008 at 10:20 AM
- BoufMom9 said...
Now see, you had me at Margaritas! Who needs the diamonds??? LOL
- March 11, 2008 at 10:24 AM
- Becky said...
Happy Birthday, Dawn!
And what a great gift! That was very sweet and thoughtful of your man.
And I'm with you and your sister on the whole yawning thing. Sometimes nothing sounds better than just checking yourself into a hotel for a good night's sleep. Well, except maybe a vacation to the Bahamas or something.
- March 11, 2008 at 10:31 AM
- Michelle said...
Dawn, say what you want about Joe, but I think he just earned a pass for the next time he paints the insides of the closets instead of the tasks that needed to be done. The ballons are so cool! And the diamond earrings aren't too shabby either!
Now if I could just get my husband to start reading your blog, too....
- March 11, 2008 at 10:46 AM
- Lisa M said...
Happy Birthday! And how sweet to wrap your gift in a balloon! Yeah, he's good for at least another 10 years!!
- March 11, 2008 at 10:56 AM
- Rick said...
Joe! You great big romantic you! And your handy with a tool!?! That such a rare combination. Dawn had better treat you right and keep you around. Now where can I get 50 balloons for my wife's next birthday?
- March 11, 2008 at 11:12 AM
Happy Birthday Dawn!! I am so glad you had such a nice birthday. What a great present and so thoughtful. Stir Crazy is DELICIOUS.
Btw, I graduated from Fremd. I am really interested in seeing the video of you from Writer's Week. I had no idea you'd be there otherwise I would have come to see you. I live 5 min away. ;) Anyway, I cant wait to see the video!
- March 11, 2008 at 11:15 AM
- Debbie Yost said...
Hi Dawn,
That is very clever! I think Joe's a keeper. Happy belated birthday.
- March 11, 2008 at 11:25 AM
- Pat said...
I'm so impressed with the tiramisu presentation. I've only seen tiramisu in trifle dishes!
- March 11, 2008 at 11:55 AM
aww how sweet is that? thats definitely a good suprise!!! Happy Birthday!!!
- March 11, 2008 at 12:31 PM
- My Semblance of Sanity said...
I have the ballon-o-phobia, too!!! Wonders never cease!
I would have let out a little squeal (and that's probably not all! haha) with each POP!
VERY creative!!!!!!!
- March 11, 2008 at 1:31 PM
Girl, you totally deserve those earrings!! Just don't let your kiddos near them!!!!
- March 11, 2008 at 1:56 PM
- Misty Chandler-Watts said...
Happy Birthday Dawn, I must give many props to your man, I was impressed. How old are you, just wondering how many more b days I have b 4 my husband gets creative? The dinner with your sis reminded me of that episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, when he and his wife go out to a nice dinner and have absolutely nothing to talk about except the dinner bread. LOL, life is hard!
- March 11, 2008 at 2:00 PM
- Lisa said...
Dawn, I LOVE your blog! Your real-life stories are so fun to read. I thought I would share a funny story with you about my 6-year-old son:
So, Cameron and I were at dinner with my Grandma last night.
Whenever we go out to eat, Cameron always visits the restroom at least twice, sometimes more often. He's done this ever since he was potty trained, so since the age of 2 or 3.
So, last night, out of the blue….Cameron says "When I get married, I am going to get married in the bathroom." I almost choked on my pasta when I heard that. Trying to maintain straight face, I asked "well, who are you going to marry?" And he said he didn't know. My Grandma then commented, "Well, I won't be coming to a wedding in no stinky bathroom." That made Cameron laugh. So then, we asked him, "well, what if the person you marry doesn't want to get married in the bathroom?" And Cameron's response? "Why wouldn't she?"
My boy sure loves his bathrooms…..and boy, do I have some great blackmail for when he gets older! Hehehehe…
- March 11, 2008 at 2:05 PM
- sama said...
i am SO impressed!
the most creative thing my husband gave me was a wing mirror.
i don't drive!
he is my ex husband now.....
- March 11, 2008 at 2:06 PM
- Mystii said...
Happy Birthday Dawn! Your hubby was sweet (and creative)! I hope you have a wonderful year :)
Oh, btw, I read your SSO - I shop at Meijer too. What a great place! Food, clothes and hardware all in one place LOL.
- March 11, 2008 at 2:35 PM
Happy Birthday, Dawn!
That is awesome that your husband ACTUALLY planned something so sweet for you. You deserve it!
Was the giant smiley face cake created by your kids? Very sweet and it looks yummy.
~Lisa, San Antonio, Texas
- March 11, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Joe MUST read your blog...he knew that regular earrings jump out of your ears so that they can avoid going to the DMV. Obviously, you need the expensive, screw-back kind that can be forced to put up with mundane Mommy errands! No more embarassing naked earlobe moments documented for four years in a license photo!
Seriously, what a great gift idea. You totally deserve it.
- March 11, 2008 at 3:29 PM
Hi Dawn, Happy AfterBirth Day! That was so cool and clever what your husband did! I bet he is reading these comments and patting his back huh? Looking at your cake I bet we All are wishing for a bite. Where are the candles? I bet you could find enough leftovers in the house. Or is it a fire hazzard in your area? LOL Kidding, Kristine in Michigan.
- March 11, 2008 at 4:23 PM
Hi Again Dawn, My husband gave me a 1 carot diamond bracelet for our 1st wedding anniversary. I was out with the girls one night and it fell off my wrist on the dance floor!!!Someone snatched it! Insurance would only cover 500.00 of it. I was soooo sad! I now never wear my good jewlery out because of that. I hope who ever found it realizes it was worth 3 Grand! Kristine in Michigan.
- March 11, 2008 at 4:34 PM
Am I the only one who thought...omg...what if he (or you) had accidentally let go?!?
Happy Birthday!
- March 11, 2008 at 4:53 PM
Did he get you all BLACK balloons? Or does the lighting in the picture just make them look black? Either way, awesome gift and presentation! I'm glad you had a happy birthday.
- March 11, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Sorry (giggling), but this scenario just popped (forgive the pun) into my AD/HD head...
JOE, thinking to himself: "Can't WAIT for Dawn to find the diamond R*I*N*G and earrings I've hidden in these helium ballooooons...WHOA!!!!! OH NOOOOOOOO!"
As the lone balloon drifts higher aloft Chicago's famed winds, Joe ponders both choices looming before him...TRUTH/I'm an IDIOT vs. DECEPTION/I'm a HERO. It was one of the easiest-made decisions of his life!
GREAT presentation/gift, REALLY! 10ATTA BOYS for JOE!!!!!!
Nancy Binky
- March 11, 2008 at 6:13 PM
- Kelli said...
Happy Happy Birthday to you. Happy Happy Birthday to you. good thing you cant hear me sing, it doesnt sound very good. But I do wish you a great happy day. Great husband. he knew you would blog it, so he had to do good. hehe. See you trained him right. take care
- March 11, 2008 at 6:13 PM
Okay, chalk another one up to men's and women's minds working oh-so-differently...
After reading your post and commenting earlier, I was planning on showing my husband what a great birthday present you got from YOUR very thoughtful and creative husband. Unbeknownst to me, he came in to the office on his own while I was giving the kids a bath and was looking at your slide show. I saw him and thought, "Finally! He's doing his own research on how to be more like Joe! All that talking about Dawn has finally worked!" After looking at the pictures and having read the comments (mostly from women) about your fabulous birthday gift, he looks at me, stright-faced, and asks, "What would have happened if he had accidentally let go of those balloons he was holding OUTSIDE? And why has no one mentioned that yet?" Honestly, I just heard diamonds and that potential disaster never occurred to me.
Great. Now I'll never get earrings in balloons! (...although he did change the tp yesterday...)
- March 11, 2008 at 6:32 PM
Ok, so watching that slideshow I felt all panicky seeing your hubby standing there with those balloons knowing that DIAMOND EARRINGS were inside one of them!! What if his grip had slipped and woosh... away they went?
(What is wrong with me?)
Anyhow, happy birthday!!
- March 11, 2008 at 6:47 PM
I couldn't pop the balloons. I can't stand balloons. I would have to take a pair of sissors and carefully cut them at the knot.
- March 11, 2008 at 6:59 PM
- mommeeof9 said...
I'm allergic to flowers and peanute and break out from even good jewelry. I got a 2006 15 passenger van for mother's day / my birthday last year...
Of course, I'll be driving this gas guzzling monster for the next 15 years. :)
- March 11, 2008 at 7:32 PM
- Elisabeth said...
Happy Birthday!!
So ... how did he get the box into the balloon?
- March 11, 2008 at 8:26 PM
- Sue said...
Looks and sounds like you had a great birthday!What a clever little hubby Joe is! Glad you were able to have your birthday margarita, perhaps that bottle will last the week?!
- March 11, 2008 at 8:51 PM
- Dawn said...
Happy bday! I'm turning 37 next month. Never thought that I would be THIS OLD. Did you?
- March 11, 2008 at 8:59 PM
- Mom Of 3 said...
Happy Birthday! What a great present. Can you have him call my husband and expain how to buy a gift for your wife? LOL
- March 11, 2008 at 9:15 PM
- nomi said...
WOW! That's a great and super sweet thing that your hubby did!! Happy belated birthday!
- March 11, 2008 at 9:26 PM
- Beth said...
Happy Birthday!
I saw Joe's picture holding the balloons and thought, "Holy crap, what if he had let go of the balloons by mistake"
Up, Up and AWAY, there goes your diamond earings!
Glad he held on tight!
Hope you have a wonderful upcoming year!
- March 11, 2008 at 9:57 PM
Oh, now I get why they were black--to conceal what was (or wasn't) inside! It only took me a day to figure that out!
- March 12, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Can you please tell me how to see your older posts???
- March 12, 2008 at 11:16 AM
- AlaneM said...
Happy birthday to you!!!
I'm gonna have to tell my hubby about that one, great idea Joe!!
- March 12, 2008 at 11:23 AM
- Kathy said...
That is so sweet! I'm impressed. Glad you had a night out, even if it wasn't much, it was a break.
- March 14, 2008 at 2:22 PM
- my minivan is faster than yours said...
Happy Birthday! My husband and I are going out tomorrow night for our anniversary. We'll sadly be home by 9. I know. Sad. So very sad :)
- March 14, 2008 at 11:25 PM


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BG Layout artists, or the persons who will help me design the main scenes and setups will have to be able to draw a variety of types of forms, and use some basic principles of design and composition to make the scenes compose well with the characters.
The BGs should provide an instantly readable organic environment for characters to play out their stories.
Hopefully some of these qualities below will help you see what I am aiming for:
Each of these trees has an interesting overall form. Even the foliage is contained in a form; it's not a mess of random leaves.
When you go outside, squint your eyes when looking at trees. Try to see the form of the tree, rather than getting lost and confused in the details of leaves, bark and branches.
Each kind of tree has its own unique plan, and each member of each kind of tree has its own unique variation on the same overall plan.
And, they also have to have variety in the shapes, details, textures, arrangement of forms.
Lots of negative shapes!
Composition. The biggest forms in the picture have to make the overall statement instantly. A viewer shouldn't be distracted by a lot of cluttered details and an absence of negative shapes.
What details there are should be much smaller than the bigger forms they help describe. They wrap around the bigger shapes- going in the same directions. Not in a strictly 100% mathematical way. there should be very slight organic imperfections, but not so much that they destroy the forms they are part of.
The bricks, windows etc. on the walls below are not drawn with a ruler; there are no 100% parallel lines. Edges have slight curves. Not all the shapes mirror each other.
The details are not evenly spaced apart.
The background is composed to make the character read easily in his environment.
This is the kind of thoughtful control I would like in the layouts of my cartoons. No haphazard wonky flat modern look.
Stylish but planned.
A car is more organic than a house, but still has an overall form, and again: the details wrap around the form. They don't go off in their own directions.
The door follows the form of the side of the car, the lines on the seats follow the shape of the seats, etc.
The details are less important.
The details follow the same perspective and physics as the larger forms.
Not all areas of detail are filled equally. There are sparse areas or completely empty areas.
This is so important. If the details get too large, or stick out of the silhouettes of the larger forms, they make it harder to see an overall form.
If the details were too large, or didn't flow around the root, or stuck out of the silhouette of the root more, you wouldn't feel or see the root so clearly.
There are sparser areas of detail on the root-between the areas of moss, for example.
I don't need anything this detailed in my cartoons, but the principles are what I am after.
The big picture should be solid, interesting and instantly readable as what it is - and not get in the way of the characters..


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Some red states like Louisiana and Texas have emerged as leaders in a new movement: to divert offenders from prisons and into drug treatment, work release and other incarceration alternatives.
By most counts, Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the country. In recent years, sentencing reformers in the capital, Baton Rouge, have loosened some mandatory minimum sentences and have made parole slightly easier for offenders to get.
But as reformers in Louisiana push for change, they're also running into stiffening resistance — especially from local prosecutors.
It's all happening as the number of Americans behind bars has started to decline. There are multiple reasons for that, including crime rates that have been dropping since the 1990s, as well as the impact of the Supreme Court's 2011 requirement that tough-on-crime California reduce its prison population.
And there's another factor: a growing bipartisan consensus for sentencing reform. Local politicians are getting political cover for those efforts from conservative groups like Right on Crime.
"It is a growing consensus on the right that this is the direction we want to be going," says Kevin Kane, of the libertarian-leaning Pelican Institute for Public Policy in Louisiana. "Most people will point to, 'Well, it's saving money, and that's all conservatives care about.' But I think it goes beyond that."
Kane says libertarians are interested in limiting the government's power to lock people away, while the religious right likes the idea of giving people a shot at redemption — especially when it comes to nonviolent drug offenders.
Still, not everyone is embracing these ideas. In some places, there's been considerable pushback — especially when the idea of eliminating prison time for drug offenders arises.
Pushback In Louisiana
In Lafayette, La., the sheriff's department has reinvented its approach to drug offenders. Marie Collins, a counselor by trade, runs the department's treatment programs. She estimates at least 80 percent of the people in the parish jail got there because of substance abuse.
"The concept of, 'Let's lock them up and throw away the key,' does nothing for society and does nothing for us, because you haven't taught them anything," she says.
So there's counseling offered inside this jail. The sheriff's staff is also constantly scanning the jail's population for nonviolent inmates it can release early into the appropriate programs on the outside.
One option is the Acadiana Recovery Center right next door, a treatment program run by Collins and the sheriff's department — though the staffers play down their connection to law enforcement. In fact, you can seek treatment there even if you've never been arrested.
"If we can be proactive and provide the treatment before they get to jail, it'll actually cost us less money," Collins says.
Arguments like that are making headway at the state level. But reformers in Baton Rouge are also experiencing pushback. By most counts, the state has the highest incarceration rate in the country, and there's a traditional preference for long sentences.
The state's prison population is also hard for lawmakers to ignore. Under guard and dressed in gray jumpsuits marked "offender," inmates work at the capitol building, emptying wastebaskets and serving food in the cafeteria.
Liz Mangham, a lobbyist, has represented the conservative sentencing reformers in Baton Rouge. While they've made progress, she says they appeared to cross a red line this spring with a bill to step down Louisiana's stiff penalties for possession of marijuana.
Under current law, possession is a felony on the second offense. A third may get you as much as 20 years in prison. Mangham recalls the scene when the bill came up for a crucial hearing.
"The Judiciary Committee room was full. The anteroom across the hall, which is twice the size, was full, and the halls were full ... of [district attorneys] and sheriffs coming down to oppose the bill," she says.
The bill died on the spot. In Louisiana and other parts of the South, district attorneys and sheriffs — who Mangham calls "the courthouse crowd" — have a lot of political clout at the state level. She says it's understandable why most sheriffs opposed the bill, because they house state prisoners in parish jails and every prisoner represents a payment from the state.
"So when you're making money to warehouse prisoners, why on earth would you be in favor of sentencing reform?" Mangham says.
But the district attorneys' opposition is more complex — and interesting. And it's emblematic of a growing conflict that's taking place nationally between sentencing reformers and prosecutors.
The Issue: Leverage
The vast majority of criminal cases in America are resolved through plea bargains. Defendants plead guilty out of fear of getting a worse sentence if they don't. Plea bargains jumped above 90 percent in the 1980s and '90s, in part because a wave of harsh new sentences for drug offenses strengthened prosecutors' hands when bargaining with defendants.
"For a DA to have the ability to dangle over someone's head 10, 20 years in jail, that provides them with tremendous leverage to pretty much get whatever they want," says Louisiana State Sen. J.P. Morrell, a Democrat from New Orleans and former public defender.
Morrell was one of the sponsors of the marijuana sentencing reform bill that failed in Baton Rouge. He says one of the benefits of that reform would have been a reduction in the power of prosecutors to, as Louisiana courthouse slang puts it, "bitch" a defendant. A reference to Louisiana's habitual offender law, it refers to a DA threatening to use past convictions — often for marijuana possession — to multiply the length of a defendant's potential sentence.
But what Morrell sees as a problem, prosecutors regard as a necessary tool. That's because many states are now considering similar reductions to mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, and Congress is considering a similar move for federal drug charges.
Prosecutors insist they use the threat of harsh sentences responsibly but say it's a tool they can't do without. Last fall, at a hearing in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, the then-executive director of the National District Attorneys Association, Scott Burns, warned against rolling back drug sentences.
"Why now? With crime at record lows, why are we looking at sweeping changes?" Burns said. He endorsed "smart on crime" reforms such as drug courts, but he cautioned against depriving prosecutors of "one of our most effective sticks."
John de Rosier, the district attorney of Calcasieu Parish, La., says "we have people all the time that we know have been involved in robberies, rapes and murders. We haven't been able to prove our cases, but we're in court with them for second-offense possession of marijuana. What do you think we're going to do?"
That's commonly referred to as "prosecutorial discretion," and it's an argument that alarms sentencing reformers like Morrell.
"That level of discretion ought to be terrifying to people," Morrell says. "If you cannot convict someone of a murder, of a robbery, whatever, the fact that you have a disproportionate backup charge to convict them anyway kind of defeats the purpose of due process."
The pushback against sentencing reform also comes from a fear that liberalizing drug laws too much could cost lives. Even as Morrell was trying to reduce sentences for marijuana this spring, the Louisiana Legislature was contemplating increasing real sentences for heroin possession. Like other parts of the country, Louisiana has been experiencing a surge in heroin deaths.
"People are being found dead with the needle still in their arm," says Rep. Joseph Lopinto, a Republican from Metairie, La. He sponsored the bill that would require prison time even for a first offense.
"[In] a perfect world, I would like everybody that's on heroin right now to go get treated," Lopinto says. "But most of the time when that 'come to Jesus' moment happens, it's because of law enforcement."
Even Collins, the Lafayette Sheriff's Department counselor, admits prison has its uses.
"I do see putting them in jail and expecting them to get better 'because we said so' is ridiculous," she says. "However, if you put them in a treatment program and utilize [prison] as a motivational tool, it is very effective."
The Scales Of Justice
Still, if a prosecutor is going to threaten drug users with jail time, that threat has to be credible — someone has to be the example. And in Louisiana, those examples can seem extreme.
Nobody knows this better than Lisa Ladd, whose 27-year-old son, Corey, is now serving a 20-year sentence for his conviction for third-offense marijuana possession. He was arrested with a half-ounce. Ladd seems dumbfounded by what's happened to Corey.
"He broke the law; he does deserve some sort of punishment," she says. "But 20 years? The scales of justice are just so way off balance. They really are."
Now she's raising her imprisoned son's infant daughter. As she talks about it, she breaks down.
"I just lost a son," she says, and after a moment it becomes clear that she's not talking about Corey. Another son, who was 23, died of a drug overdose. Ladd just got the paperwork from the coroner. It looks like it was a mix of heroin and pills.
Ladd's younger son did not have the same kind of legal troubles Corey did. Instead of jail, he went for treatment in Florida. But it didn't take, and now he's the one who's dead.
Would he still be alive if he'd had that "come to Jesus moment" with law enforcement, as Lopinto puts it? It's that kind of question that's dogging the states as they try to figure out the best way to deal with their still-crowded prisons.
This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne.
And I'm Steve Inskeep. The push for prison reform is running into resistance. America's prison population is starting to decline thanks to big changes in how criminals are sentenced, especially for nonviolent drug charges.
MONTAGNE: Conservative states, including Texas, are leading the way in sending offenders to treatment programs and other alternatives that keep them out of jail. But that movement has its opponents. We heard about some of them yesterday on All Things Considered.
INSKEEP: This morning we're going to hear more from local prosecutors. NPR's Martin Kaste takes us to a courthouse in Louisiana to hear why many prosecutors do not want to lose their options for sending drug users to prison.
MARTIN KASTE, BYLINE: The American criminal justice system looks nothing like what you see on TV. To see the real thing in action, hang out on the courthouse steps and catch out to a guy like this.
JOHN LINDNER: I'm John Lindner. I'm the chief public defender and we're at the St. Tammany Parish Justice Center.
KASTE: St. Tammany Parish - it's across the lake from New Orleans and it's sometimes called St. Slammany. Lindner's heard that nickname probably too many times.
LINDNER: First of all, it's embarrassing. But what's behind it is that for years, the conviction rate was very, very high in the parish.
KASTE: Part of the issue has been a demoralized and underfunded public defender's office. Lindner's relatively new on the job and he's try to change things, but that's easier said than done. Take the case of this defendant, shuffling into court in her prison stripes and chains. She's elderly and toothless and she was arrested months ago for shoplifting at a Walmart. She's been in jail ever since awaiting trial, not that there's going to be a trial. What there is, is negotiations. Away from the courtroom, John Lindner explains her situation.
LINDNER: When she was arrested on the theft charge, she was already on probation for possession of half a Xanax. A new conviction can cause her previous probation to be revoked, which means she would go to jail for the original sentence.
KASTE: In other words, this woman could get five years - not so much for the shoplifting, but because of an old drug charge. That half a Xanax puts her lawyer in the position of a supplicant. While his client sits waiting in an empty courtroom, Lindner shuttles between the back rooms, pleading with the probation officer and the prosecutor to help him finesse the situation.
LINDNER: You know, you saw her. She's an elderly lady. She doesn't have any, you know, resources. I mean, I'm trying to avoid her going to prison.
KASTE: And this is how most criminal cases are resolved in America - not with trials but with negotiations between lawyers. That's been true since the 19th century. But in the 1980s and '90s, the plea bargain rate jumped above 90 percent. The increase was driven by the rise of mandatory minimum sentences, mainly for drugs. Louisiana State Senator J.P. Morrell says those drug sentences have given prosecutors an edge.
J.P. MORRELL: For a D.A. to have the ability to dangle over someone's head 10, 20 years in jail - that provides them with tremendous leverage to pretty much get whatever they want.
KASTE: Morrell is also a former public defender. He says there's a slang in his state for the way prosecutors wield this power - when a D.A. threatens to use your past drug convictions to multiply your potential sentence, people say you've been bitched. It's a reference to Louisiana's habitual offender law.
MORRELL: The whole reason why this exists is to get the easy plea.
KASTE: But this kind of prosecutorial leverage is under threat. There's a bipartisan movement to reduce prison crowding by decreasing penalties for drug possession. States like Texas and Mississippi have already gone down this route. And Morel is trying to reduce sentences now for pot in Louisiana. Even Congress is considering sentencing reform and prosecutors are worried. This was the director of the National District Attorney Association - Scott Burns - at a Senate hearing last fall.
SCOTT BURNS: Why now? With crime record lows, why are we looking at sweeping changes, why now? When we're getting even smarter on crime with programs like drug court as carrots - why would we take away one of our most effective sticks?
KASTE: Prosecutors always insist that they use this leverage responsibly. John de Rosier is the district attorney of Calcasieu Parish. He and other DAs have fought the attempts to reduce sentences for pot in Louisiana. He says those laws allow him to put away serious criminals.
JOHN DE ROSIER: We have people all the time that we know have been involved in robberies, rapes and murders. We haven't been able to prove our cases, but we're in court with them for second offense possession of marijuana - what you think are going to do?
KASTE: That's commonly referred to as prosecutorial discretion. And it's an argument that drives drug sentencing reformers like Senator Morrell crazy.
MORRELL: If you're telling me that a DA has the discretion that someone can be picked up for marijuana 50 times, and on the 50th time get a first offense - and another person can get picked up for three times and on the third time be in jail for 20 years - that level of discretion should be terrifying to people.
KASTE: But other people are happy to leave prosecutors this option, especially in places that are plagued with high crime. As more states consider reducing sentences for drug possession or decriminalizing marijuana, the debate can't help but take into account what those changes will do to the balance of power at the local courthouse. Martin Kaste, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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In honor of Black Fridays, Cyber Mondays and all of the fantastic sales days in between, we're sharing our holiday shopping infographic, highlighting the latest stats in online gift buying. And remember: Just because you feel safe shopping online, doesn't mean you are safe.
Read further to find out how to shop safely online, so you and your family stay protected.
Happy shopping!
And for your convenience, we've captured the links from the infographic above and added them below. Click away to a safer holiday-shopping season and an entire year:


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Salon Hair Care
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