text: Main Content New Features List of new features on the Michigan Legislature website. March 26, 2020 Linking to bills within the .htm version of calendars has been restored. March 22, 2019 Find Legislative Employees in the Legislative Directory February 15, 2017 The House and Senate 2017 Official Journals are now available and can be found on the Journals Page. February 22, 2018 Legislative documents previously not available from sessions prior to 1997 are now provided through a joint project with the Michigan Legislative Service Bureau and the Library of Michigan. Search for these documents through the Bills and/or Public Act pages. January 3, 2018 Substitute bills not linked in the bill history can be requested from the Library of Michigan through the Request a Substitute for a Bill page. March 9th, 2017 .iCalendar files are now available for every meeting on the Committee Meetings Page. These files make it easy to add Legislative Meetings to your calendar. July 15th, 2016 The Michigan Manual document collection has expanded to include the legislative information as far back as 1973. June 1, 2016 We're proud to present an expanded collection of Michigan Manuals. The document collection for this select group (pre 1999 Michigan Manuals) includes the pages pertinent to the Legislative Branch and currently goes back as far as 1987. January 5, 2016 An Excel spreadsheet of Bills for the current session is now available on the Bills page December, 2015 The first in a series of 60 second video tutorials can now be seen on the Home page. You'll find these short clips near the topic of interest. March 23, 2015 An archive of Committee Documents is now accumulating on an annual basis. Look for the links under the 'Committee Document Archive' section on the publications page April 29, 2014 Search the Michigan Manual across sessions back to 1999. An archive of the Michigan Public Acts is now accumulating every month, to capture the laws before they change and will be available to the public. March 7, 2014 Some substitutes coming out of committees will now be available linked within the history of a bill. April 4, 2013 Eastern Michigan University, Lake Superior State University, Northern Michigan University, Oakland University and Wayne State University were added to the 'Colors of Michigan' theme page. March 1, 2013 Logged in users who utilize the Notification System may be happy to know that there is now a printable report on the current status of the bills that you are watching. It can be found by selecting "Notify" from the logged in user menu, and choosing the "Status of Current Bills for this user" function, found under the "Notification Functions" on the lower portion of the "Notify" page. February 28, 2013 The Committee Meetings Page now offers 3 ways to see meetings. You can view them in a list, in a calendar by the week, or within the Committees on the Committee Page. February 7, 2013 Searching by category is now available on the Home page. This is a convenient option when you want to find bills of a certain category, even when that word, such as the word 'weapon', is not found within the body of the bill, but is in the description.As always, home page searching defaults the the current session. Remember to look at the Bills page when seeking a bill from a prior session. Sept 25, 2012 The House and Senate 2011 Official Journals are now available and can be found on the Journals Page. Sept 5, 2012 2011-2012 Michigan Manual online version is available on the Publications page. Feb 29, 2012 Tool tips have been added to the Main Menu, which is the menu on left side of website. Now a person can get a general idea of the content of a menu item by pointing to the link without having to go to the page. Feb 1, 2012 New Video! Michigan's Capitol: A Landmark Restoration 29:32 Jan 26, 2012 See a sample of the new Bill Watch Summary report. This is a feature available to registered users. Use it to keep track of action that has happened on bills you are watching. Find this new report on the Notify page, which is a menu item that is available on the top menu bar after logging in. Then look under the "Notification Functions' for 'Bill Watch Summary'. Jan 10, 2012 Updated Glossary to make it easier to use. Added the description of the bills to the 'Most Recent Activity' report. Changed the 'Search Bills by Category' page by replacing long drop down controls with a radio button that allows easy viewing of all categories. Also added the total number of bills by category to this screen. Added the LOCAL GOVERNMENT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT to the 'Requested Repealed Acts' page. Nov 23, 2011 The House and Senate 2010 Official Journals are now available and can be found on the Journals Page. October 5th, 2011 New Committees page. Watch for further developments to this page too! August 23rd, 2011 New Legislators page. June 2, 2011 Date input is easier now because of the new calendar contols. May 16, 2011 The time of each meeting has been included in the list of Committee Meetings. May 8, 2011 Check out the new bill summary page! April 13, 2011 Great news! History actions on bills that reference amendments and substitutes will now be linked to these documents while they are the current version of the bill. When that document is replaced with a different version it will no longer be linked. 12/03/2010 When tracking legislation by the NEW notification type of district you can enjoy long term notifications that won't expire when a new session starts! Find out more about the legislative notification service by watching our NEW video tutorial on the subject! 10/07/2010 The 2010-2011 General Appropriation Bills Enacted Publication is now available on the Publications Page. 08/16/2010 House and Senate 2009 Official Journals are available on the Journals Page. 03/23/2010 Another new video about tracking the Committee Meeting rss feed is now available! 03/18/2010 Meeting RSS feed! 02/12/2010 Follow recent bill activity on Twitter! 02/05/2010 Two new videos explaining rss feeds can be found on the Legislative RSS Publication page too! RSS feeds are now available for legislative activity starting with the 2009-2010 session. Find the rss icon on the top of each bill and click on it to see the feed and copy the url into your favorite rss feed reader. See Senate Bill 1 or 2009 for an example. 08/19/2009 Executive Orders can now be searched by year for key words. 02/19/2009 Committee Bill Records from PRIOR SESSIONS are now being made available on the site. Find this new feature at the bottom of the Committee Bill Records page. 10/23/2008 Notify! now includes Enrolled Bills. Find out more about Notify! and other free services provided by the Legislative Internet Technology Team in cooperation with the Michigan Legislative Council, the Michigan House of Representatives, and the Michigan Senate. 07/17/2008 2007-2008 Michigan Manual online version is available on the Publications page. 05/14/2008 See your ten most recently viewed items listed at the bottom left, under the main menu. 04/17/2008 Select a color from the color picker to customize your visit. When logged in as a registered user your selection will be saved in your profile for the next time you log in. 03/15/2008 If a bill succeeded in creating a Public Act, and that Public Act is currently in the Michigan Compiled Law, the bill status page for that bill now links to that portion of the law. Find this feature next to the Public Act number at the top of the bill status page. 03/07/2008 Now you can search for specific actions that have been taken on bills! 02/26/2008 Bill history items can now be sorted by date. Once you decide on a sort order the site will remember that order for the remainder of your visit. 01/16/2008 Repealed laws that have been frequently requested by website users are now being made available on the site. Find this new feature under the Laws section of the side menu. 12/05/2007 Daily Introduced, Passed By Chamber, and Enrolled page has been expanded to include full bill descriptions. 08/15/2007 The Bill Status (also called bill summary) and most supporting documents (Analysis, Calendars, Journals) as far back as 1995 are now available on the Michigan Legislative Website. It is no longer necessary to go to a seperate Archive Site to access these documents. Look for all page specific menu items, such as the printable version, the short link, "add to print basket" and "add to filing cabinet", at the top of each page. Prior to this new change, some of these page specific menu items were at the bottom of the pages they served. 07/19/2007 House Official Journal for 2006 is now available on the Journals page. Senate Official Journal for 2006 is now available on the Journals page. 06/19/2007 Three new layout tools have been added for registered users. View and manage your Personal Email Notifications, Filing Cabinet, and Print Basket on every page using these new layout controls. Find out more. 04/30/2007 New Survey! Please tell us what video overviews of the website you would like us to create for you. Full Text Search Syntax Updates While mostly maintaining backward compatibility with our previous full text search syntax, we now support Google's basic syntax standards, with which most users have grown accustomed. Examples: landlord tenant = all docs containing both words landlord -tenant = all docs containing the first word but not the second landlord "tenant relationships" = all docs containing the word and the exact phrase landlord -"tenant relationships" = all docs containing the word but not the exact phrase "Legislative Activity" and "How do I..." added to the home page, providing quick access to items of interest. The Legislature number has also been added to the site. "Adjourned Until" item added to the top of the website. New 2007 Legislative Telephone Book available. See the publications page for an order form. 03/28/2007 Video overview "Overview of the Committee Bill Record Search Page" is available on the Help page. 02/02/2007 It is now possible to be automatically notified of changes to sections of law. This is an addition to the many other options already available. Learn more about the Notification System, which is a free service provided by Michigan Legislative Council, the Michigan House of Representatives, and the Michigan Senate. A "Printable Version" button has been added to the Committee Bill Records page. Use this printer icon at the top of the page. Hint: This report looks best when printed in landscape mode. A Citizen's Guide To State Government / First Glance has replaced the prior version of this document on the Publications page. The 2006 Michigan Taxpayer's Guide has been updated with the 2007 Michigan Taxpayer's Guide on the Publications page. 01/25/2007 The last history action for bills and resolutions is now included in the nightly notification reports that are sent to registered users who are utilizing this feature. 01/03/2007 The Committee Bill Records Page has been updated! Choose from or combine a number of criteria to search and sort on, including sponsor, committee, and whether or not there is a meeting or status associated with the record. When Committee Bill Records begin to arrive on the website for the 2007 session, you will see this new feature by first selecting a Committee Bill Record from the list of Standing Committees. 11/15/2006 Michigan Public and Local Acts for the years 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 have been added to the Publications page. 11/6/2006 House Official Journal for 2005 is now available on the Journals page. Senate Official Journal for 2005 is now available on the Journals page. Status pages for resolutions from 2005 forward now display introduced version documents (for the House) and the adopted version documents (for both the House and Senate). For resolutions prior to 2005, please continue to refer to the journal linked in each resolution's history. 7/28/2006 2005-2006 Michigan Manual online version is available on the Publications page. 7/27/2006 Video overview "Overview of the Bills Page" is available on the Help page. Registered users can now easily check the status of their email address by visiting the Notify page (only available when logged in) and viewing the status message next to the email address. If your notification emails have been bouncing back to us, the status will indicate INACTIVE; to see the reasons why, click the Bounced Email Status link under the Notification Functions section of the Notify page. 6/20/2006 Video overview "Searching for Bills from the Home Page" is available on the Help page. 6/12/2006 Added "Initiatives" to menu. 5/23/2006 Short, safe-to-paste links are now provided for most pages within the site. If you need to copy and paste a URL into an email or instant message, click the link icon next to the page header and follow the instructions given. 4/7/2006 An "Add Checked Items to Notification" button has been added to the registered user Filing Cabinet page, making it simple to sign up for email notification of updates to items in your filing cabinet. Contents of the Filing Cabinet are now automatically alphabetized. Also, new formatting and default values make this feature easier to use and understand. Find out more about the filing cabinet, or find out more about notification. The most recent history item has been added to the result list of bill searches, so it is no longer necessary to open each bill to determine the last activity on the item. The Daily Introduced, Engrossed and Enrolled Bills page now returns the first several characters of the description of each bill, so it is no longer necessary to open each bill to determine the nature of the bill. An RSS 2.0 XML file has been provided on the Bills page for syndication of bill updates. An option to receive plain text notification emails (as opposed to Html emails) has been added to the Notify page. Note that you can only access the Notify page when logged in with your registered username and password. The ability to search Committee Bill Records by key word has been added to the Advanced Legislative Search page. 3/27/2006 Search result limitations have been removed. History items on the bill status pages now link committee names (as in "referred to committee on...") to their Committee Bill Records. When a link on the site has been "visited" it will change to a slightly different color to help with site navigation. Registered users now have the option of being notified when bills they are watching have analysis files submitted to the site. The Search Introduced, Engrossed, and Enrolled Bills page can now be queried using a date range or a specific date. This essentially provides a "Currently Enrolled Bills" report, among other things. A "Printable Version" of most pages in the site can be accessed by clicking on the new printer icon at the top of the page. An MCL document outline, or "index", is available, and can be seen as an index icon at the top of MCL pages. Bill searches by category and by detailed category can take multiple categories. The result of a search using multiple categories/detailed categories will be only those bills that belong to all of the selected categories/detailed categories.


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Leadership & Staff
About Michael
Before being named as RPB's chief executive officer in 2019, Michael was its executive director since 2015, leading "the best team one could ever hope for." Michael has overseen the addition of a number of new programs and features, including: self-directed funds, the Reform Jewish Values Stock Fund, and daily fund valuation; a new, full-scale branding and communications program; and the redesign and launch of new online portals for employers and participants.
The Reform Movement has been Michael's professional home since 2005, during which time he held executive positions with Union for Reform Judaism and Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York City. Prior to 2005, Michael worked in the for-profit sector in finance and management consulting at firms that include Ernst & Young and Arthur Andersen. He holds an MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business and a BS from the University at Albany. He lives in the New York area with his wonderful wife and two incredible daughters.
When Michael retires…
He plans for his days to be filled with reading, traveling, hiking, volunteering, and playing golf with his grandkids who would live nearby.
About Robert
Robert is a trusted and respected partner to our participants and employers as he oversees all aspects of our relationship management.
Robert began his career as an attorney in Philadelphia before moving to New York City. Before joining RPB in 2016, he spent 16 years in the financial services industry managing investor relations and fundraising for global private equity firms. Robert has a BS in economics from Allegheny College and JD from Temple Law School.
When Robert retires...
He hopes to spend time on the golf course, in the workshop, and at the opera. (He's an award-winning baritone who performed professionally for 7 years.)
Office Manager and Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer
646.884.9887 email@example.com
About Maria
Maria manages RPB's day-to-day office administration needs. In addition to working directly with our Board members and coordinating meetings and travel schedules, she also helps coordinate our Retirement Planning Seminars.
Before joining RPB in 2015, Maria worked with the URJ for 22 years in a variety of roles, including as a MUM Analyst for the Maintenance of Union Membership Department, Administrator of the Greater New York Council and in Facilities Management. She lives in the Bronx with her husband, and has three beautiful children.
When Maria retires...
She'll move to her motherland, Puerto Rico, and focus on her gardening.
About Chase
Chase acts as a valued resource to our employer partners, providing timely and accurate responses to their questions and concerns. Chase is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. After graduating from Louisiana State University with a BA in theatre performance, he worked as an actor before moving to New York City and joining RPB in 2017. When Chase retires... He'd like to own a house on a beach and a vacation home in New Orleans. He also plans to continue working intermittently as an actor and to travel extensively. |
About Nicole
Nicole is originally from London, England. She grew up in Brooklyn, NY and graduated from SUNY Cortland with Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies and Minor in Women's Studies.
When Nicole retires...
She'd like to live near the beach and travel to exotic places starting with a Mediterranean cruise! She would also like to work at/own a local winery wherever she's living.
About Bob
Bob Koppel is RPB's Executive Director Emeritus. He served as RPB's first Executive Director for 20 years, from March 1995 through February 2015.
Prior to his appointment as RPB's Executive Director, Bob was the Chief Financial Officer of the Union for Reform Judaism for ten years, from February 1985 through February 1995. As part of that responsibility, Bob represented the URJ on the RPB. He was a member of the RPB Executive Committee and chaired the RPB Management Committee.
He also represented RPB as a member of the Church Alliance Steering Committee, Church Benefits Association Board and was the Chairman of the Church Benefits Association Planning Committee, leading its annual conference in 2014.
Bob is also a former president of Temple Emanu-El of Westfield, New Jersey, where he and his wife Barbara continue as active members. Bob and Barbara's daughter, Rabbi Elisa Koppel, is the Director of Lifelong Learning at Congregation Beth Emeth in Wilmington, Delaware.
In his retirement…
Bob is enjoying his status as Emeritus, which has allowed him the opportunity to spend time in his home town of Boston as a part-time resident. Among his other volunteer activities, he joined the board of Imagine, A Center for Coping with Loss located in New Jersey. Imagine offers peer grief support services to children ages 3 to 18 and young adults ages 18 to 30. He currently serves as treasurer of the organization.
About Alyce
Alyce oversees all of RPB's day-to-day operations. While she wears many hats, some of her primary responsibilities include: monitoring and rebalancing the portfolios; managing RPB's fund manager, custodial bank, and record keeper relations; managing the pension fund and operational cash flows; financial accounting and reporting; and processing pension contributions, distributions, insurance offerings, and claims.
Before joining RPB in 2015, Alyce spent six years working as the CFO of two Jewish nonprofits in New York City—first at the Riverdale YW-YMHA, and then at the Congregation B'nai Jeshurun. Prior to joining the nonprofit world, she spent 18 years working in financial services at major firms, including Credit Suisse, J.P. Morgan, and PWC. Alyce holds an MBA from the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and a BS in economics, finance and accounting from The Wharton School. She and her husband live in the New York area.
When Alyce retires...
She plans to travel extensively. (Seeing the Trans-Canada highway by motorcycle and road tripping from Cairo to Cape Town are already at the top of her list.) She and her husband, Michael, would also like to keep a home base near to their grown children, Peter and Leah.
About Stephanie
Stephanie is responsible for RPB's participant and employer communications and educational programs. She has led the development of a dynamic new branding and communications program to better serve our plan participants and their employers.
Before joining RPB in 2016, Stephanie was the Director of Marketing at B'nai Jeshurun. Prior to that, she worked extensively in marketing and communications for many financial services firms, including UBS, Charles Schwab, and JPMorgan Chase. Stephanie is an adjunct professor at Adelphi University, where she teaches undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in marketing and business. She holds an MBA and Financial Planning certification from Adelphi University, a Non-Profit Management and Communications Certification from CUNY Graduate Center, and a BA in Russian language and literature from the University of Maryland.
When Stephanie retires…
She'll be teaching, traveling, taking long hikes, making art, and spending time with family and friends.
About Vanessa
Vanessa is responsible for working closely with the CFO to assist in the day-to-day operations of the accounting department. After studying finance at Baruch College, Vanessa worked as a professional backup dancer and toured nationally for two years with a freestyle music recording artist. When she was ready to hang up her dancing shoes, Vanessa worked as an accounting assistant at Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank for six years and at Rabobank for six years before joining RPB in 1999. She lives with her husband, two sons, and pet dog. When Vanessa retires... She would like to work with children, especially those who are underprivileged or have special education needs. |
About Lois
Lois processes payments for our retirement and insurance plans and assists with other accounting processing. Before joining RPB in 2005, Lois worked for the Union for Reform Judaism as a bookkeeper and accountant. She is currently pursuing a BA in forensic accounting at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Lois is a native New Yorker, and is blessed with two fabulous children and an amazing family. When Lois retires... She's planning to travel to all seven continents. While she's checking out the most exotic regions on the planet, she'll also fit in as much quality family time as possible. |
About Dan
Dan helps create our marketing and strategic communications. As our in-house writer, he clearly communicates complex topics to our participants and employer partners via our website, email campaigns, and more. Before joining RPB in 2017, Dan was a reporter in New York and New Jersey covering local government, education, labor, and other issues. He holds an MA with a concentration in urban reporting from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and a BA in journalism and American studies from Rutgers University, New Jersey. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife and daughter. When Dan retires... You'll likely find him biking up and down the East Coast. |
Interested in what RPB has to offer?
We're here to help you determine if you're eligible to join RPB's retirement plan.

subset: commoncrawl


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Broadway Buzz: Watch Laura Osnes, Santino Fontana & More Share the Enchanting Secrets of Broadway's Cinderella
January 11th, 2013 | By Broadway.com Staff
One of the most beloved fairytales of all time is coming to Broadway with a new twist. Playwright Douglas Carter Beane has given Cinderella a modern-day makeover with all the classic tunes by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein still intact. Laura Osnes stars as Cinderella with Broadway favorites Santino Fontana as Prince Topher and Tony winner Victoria Clark as Fairy Godmother Marie. Check out the video of this tuneful cast below as they give a musical preview to the show, which begins performances on January 25 at the Broadway Theatre.


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Have any comments or questions about the site? Post them here. Please read the announcement first.
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Order threads in...
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STAR MLS Statistics for August 2014!
South Tahoe Association of REALTORS Multiple Listing Service Statistics.
August 2014:
Each month, the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS® compiles real estate sales and active listing statistics for its members and the public. These reports may be viewed on screen, printed or saved to your computer. Please scroll down and click on the links below to view the following reports:
Single Family Market Analysis by Area


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-Ben Nye Corrector Pencil in Light
Here's how to win:
- Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
- Follow this blog
- Leave a comment telling me why you'd like to win.
- I will select a winner at random and announce it on Wednesday's post
I will not be posting on Monday because I have it off :) Good luck and have a great weekend!
FTC Disclosure: This product was provided by the company for review. I have not been paid to write this review and am not affiliated with this company. These are my honest thoughts.


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LYON, France – At the request of Iraqi authorities, INTERPOL has published a Red Notice for Iraq's Vice-President, Tariq Al-Hashemi, on suspicion of guiding and financing terrorist attacks in the country.
The Red Notice for Al-Hashemi represents a regional and international alert to all of INTERPOL's 190 member countries to seek their help in locating and arresting him, following the issue of a national arrest warrant by Iraq's Judicial Investigative Authority as part of an investigation in which security forces seized bombing materials and arrested individuals.
The publication of the INTERPOL Red Notice for Tariq Al-Hashemi will see INTERPOL's Fugitive Investigative Support unit and the Command and Coordination Centre at its General Secretariat headquarters closely liaise with its National Central Bureaus in the region and worldwide to pool and update all relevant intelligence.
"The INTERPOL Red Notice against Tariq Al-Hashemi will significantly restrict his ability to travel and cross international borders. It is a powerful tool that will help authorities around the world locate and arrest him," said INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble.
"This case also clearly demonstrates the commitment of Iraqi authorities to work with the world police community via INTERPOL to apprehend individuals facing serious charges," added the Head of INTERPOL.
Containing identification details and judicial information about a wanted person, a Red Notice is circulated to police in all of INTERPOL's member countries and seeks the apprehension of a wanted person with a view to their extradition.
A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant. Many of INTERPOL's member countries however, consider a Red Notice a valid request for provisional arrest, especially if they are linked to the requesting country via a bilateral extradition treaty. In cases where arrests are made based on a Red Notice, these are made by national police officials in INTERPOL member countries.
INTERPOL cannot demand that any member country arrest the subject of a Red Notice, and an individual wanted for arrest should be considered innocent until proven guilty.


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Class Central Tips
This course forms part of a specialisation from the University of London designed to help you develop and build the essential business, academic, and cultural skills necessary to succeed in international business, or in further study.
If completed successfully, your certificate from this specialisation can also be used as part of the application process for the University of London Global MBA programme, particularly for early career applicants. If you would like more information about the Global MBA, please visit https://mba.london.ac.uk/.
This course is endorsed by CMI


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Crossville Motorcycle Accident Injury Attorneys
Motorcycle accidents are often devastating resulting in long term impacts. Severe injuries and fatalities are common during this type of accidents due to the unique form and physics involved when riding a motorcycle.
Riding a motorcycle along with cars and other heavier vehicles on the road poses higher risks to the rider. Frequently, negligence and ignorance on the part of the car driver can result in serious injuries. Damages and losses can extend beyond the physical suffering of the rider. Medical bills are only the beginning of the concerns that the victim will have to deal with. Loss of wages, damages to property, and emotional pain are very real possibilities. Not to mention the complicated legal battle to get the compensation needed for recovery.
Alabama Personal Injury Lawyers can help his clients find affordable medical care for their injuries if needed.
At Alabama Personal Injury Lawyers, we get you the compensation you are rightfully owed, whether from a driver, insurance company, corporation, or even a government entity. We work hard to get the maximum payout for your motorcycle injury claims.
Call the Crossville Personal Injury Attorneys of Alabama Personal Injury Lawyers at (205) 407-1695 for a Free Consultation!
Serious Attorneys for Serious Injuries
Serious injuries sustained during a motorcycle accident can lead to long term medical issues. It is necessary that you are aware of all your injuries and report them accordingly to a medical professional for immediate and proper treatment. Moreover, this is the first step in protecting you for the upcoming legal battle as your medical and accident records will be significant in filing your claims.
Because you are more exposed to risks and dangers when riding a motorcycle, you are more likely to suffer from severe and long-lasting injuries. Without seatbelts, airbags, and even doors, you are more vulnerable to forces around you including other drivers. Some of the potential injuries that you may suffer are:
- Back and Neck Injuries including whiplash
- Head Injuries from concussions to fractures
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Bone Injuries
- Spinal Cord Injuries including possible paralysis
- Severed limbs or amputation
- Connective Tissue Damage
- Internal Bleeding, Organ Damage, or other Internal Injuries
- Emotional & Mental Trauma
Beyond physical, emotional, and mental suffering, victims of motorcycle accidents are facing potential life long issues such as limited employment possibilities, significant loss of wages, and property damages. Alabama Personal Injury Lawyers is passionate about helping you get back on your feet as soon as possible. We want to make your recovery as stress-free as possible by providing legal support that you will need to get the fair compensation that you deserve.
Accidents Resulting From Negligence
Motorcycle crashes can result in serious injuries that affect both the victims and their families. Even those not directly involved in the accident can experience mental and emotional trauma due to the negligence of individuals, agencies, or corporations. The sooner you can start your recovery, the sooner you can get your life back.
Many things can happen on the road which can cause motorcycle accidents. Our legal experts will carefully examine various details to determine what happened and who was at-fault according to the local, state, and federal motorcycle laws.
Common causes of motorcycle wrecks involving negligent behavior include:
- Tailgating the motorcycle
- Failure to yield right of way
- Intimidating the motorcycle rider with aggressive driving
- Passing too closely with a biker
If you are injured due to any of these behaviors, you may qualify for compensation through the personal injury accident claim process, including:
- Medical Expenses (past and future)
- Property Damages
- Lost Wages including impact on future employment
- Permanent Scarring and disfigurement
- Familial loss of consortium for wrongful death or serious injury
- Emotional pain, suffering, and mental trauma
- Punitive damages if malicious conduct was determined
The motorcycle accident attorneys at Alabama Personal Injury Lawyers represent your interests against individuals, corporations, or other entities. We aggressively fight for fair and equitable compensation for your injury or loss. Let a qualified Crossville bike accident attorney relieve the stress of this complex legal matter. We handle the hard stuff, while you focus on recovery, healing, and getting your life back to normal.
The dedicated team of lawyers at Alabama Personal Injury Lawyers will represent you and protect your interests against any individuals, corporations, and other entities. We fight for fair and equitable compensation for your loss and injury. Let a competent and experienced Crossville, AL bike accident attorney help you in your recovery. We will handle the hard stuff while you focus on healing and getting back on your feet.
Let's Talk Now- Free Consultation
Now is the time to seek the support of a competent Crossville automobile accident injury attorney! Our experienced legal experts are here to help you get your life back by fighting aggressively for your interests. We will help you focus on your recovery by supporting the legal battle that will get you the fair compensation that you deserve.
Alabama Personal Injury Lawyers is the Alabama automobile accident injury law firm that will finally put your mind at ease. We are ready to fight any individuals, corporations, companies, and even government bodies to get the compensation that you deserve. You cannot afford to wait.
Call Alabama Personal Injury Lawyers today at (205) 407-1695 your Free Consultation with a Motorcycle Accident Injury Attorney!


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Five Ways to Use a Small Urban Backyard
City dwellers often rely on botanical gardens and city parks for their outdoor fix, but many may have a perfectly green garden space in the back yard. Of course, the small backyard area may be covered with concrete or overrun with weeds and worse. That doesn't mean there is no hope.
You can never magically expand a small space into a lush suburban garden escape, but there are good ways to use minuscule urban backyards. Here are five of the best.
1. Vegetable patch
The idea of a vegetable farm may conjure up visions of huge rural acres, but plenty of food can be grown in a very small square footage. Companies such as Minifarmbox specialize in products for tiny vegetable gardens, downtown and otherwise. The company suggests an ambitious city dweller can grow 80 heads of lettuce, 70 pounds of tomatoes, 50 pounds of beets and more in a four-foot-by-four-foot raised garden bed.
Of course, it takes some planning and strategy to optimize a non-rural vegetable garden. Ideally, most vegetables want six to eight hours of full sun, so you may need a raised bed on wheels to help chase the sun. Also use a good rich planting mix and fertilize regularly, particularly if using raised beds, where you have no access to the natural nutrients in the soil. And focus on dwarf varieties. Miniature eggplants, tomatoes and more are packed with plenty of flavor you can't find at the supermarket.
2. Wildlife habitat
The National Wildlife Federation will register certified wildlife habitats as small as apartment balconies. In the dense concrete jungles of cities, it is particularly important to ensure safe places for birds and other wildlife. The NWF has four requirements for its certified wildlife habitats:
• You must provide food for wildlife, which can be as simple as a hanging feeder or a few native plants.
• You must supply water for wildlife, which may include birdbaths or small puddling areas for butterflies.
• You must create cover for wildlife, such as birdhouses or even dead trees.
• You must have a place for wildlife to raise their young, which can include a nesting box, mature trees, caterpillar host plants or a planting of dense shrubs.
3. Dining room
For an episode of HGTV's "Landscape Smart," one couple hosted their wedding in their long-neglected back yard. The centerpiece of the project (and the stage for their ceremony) was a circular flagstone patio, created by a contractor in Oakland, CA.
It may seem counterintuitive to pave over an existing yard, but a nice flagstone patio, plus plants and furniture equals an outdoor dining room for the warm months.
Of course, city thieves will prey on anything not nailed to the ground, so scour local garage sales, freebies and thrift stores for cheap outdoor furniture.
A paved space may still have landscaping of sorts. Put all your plants in containers, and you can move them around to chase the sun or accommodate groups of various sizes. If you use large containers, consider putting empty plastic bottles or other filler in the bottom of the containers to keep them from getting prohibitively heavy.
4. Meditation or relaxation area
Can anybody meditate among the honks, shouts and bustle of the city? With a dense relaxation garden, the answer is yes. The smells and sights of shrubs and flowers are naturally relaxing and healing. A metropolitan meditation garden just needs to be more compact, dense and vertical than most.
Moreover, beekeepers say their hobby is fairly meditative, and (careful) backyard hives are generating quite a buzz. Beekeeping also can help bring back an insect that seems to be mysteriously dying off.
5. Playground
If you can secure your yard, let the kids run free in a private playground. Everything is built up vertically in the city, and playgrounds are no exception. Most kids naturally want to climb, so the sandbox can be under the swings, which can be under the monkey bars, which can be under the fort.
A quick daily hose-down of all the toys and equipment will pay off in the long run. The alternative is periodic scrubbing of grime and soot, or accepting that the children will "look like the chimney sweeps from Mary Poppins," as one New York blogger noted when she became disillusioned with her Manhattan condo playground.
As noted above, there are some unique challenges and additional work involved when establishing and using an urban back yard, but you may be surprised by how much use and joy you can get from a small space.
Steve Graham wrote this article for Networx.com.
Updated September 3, 2018.
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Grief and Grieving
Topic Overview
What is grief?
Grief is a natural response to the loss of someone or something very important to you. The loss may cause sadness and may cause you to think of very little else besides the loss. The words sorrow and heartache are often used to describe feelings of grief.
Anticipatory grief is grief that strikes in advance of an impending loss. You may feel anticipatory grief for a loved one who is sick and dying. Anticipatory grief helps us prepare for loss.
What is grieving?
Grieving is the process of emotional and life adjustment you go through after a loss. Grieving after a loved one's death is also known as bereavement.
Grieving is a personal experience. Depending on who you are and the nature of your loss, your process of grieving will be different from another person's experience. There is no "normal and expected" period of time for grieving.
What are common symptoms of grief and grieving?
A wide range of feelings and symptoms are common during grieving. While you are feeling shock, numbness, sadness, anger, guilt, anxiety, or fear, you may also find moments of relief, peace, or happiness. And although grieving is not simply sadness, "the blues," or depression, you may become depressed or overly anxious during the grieving process.
The stress of grief and grieving can take a physical toll on your body. Sleeplessness is common, as is a weakened immune system over time. If you have a chronic illness, grieving can make your condition worse.
How is grieving treated?
Social support, good self-care, and the passage of time are usually the best medicine for grieving. But if you find that your grief is making it difficult to function for more than a week or two, contact a grief counselor or bereavement support group for help.
If you have trouble functioning for longer than a couple of weeks because of depression or anxiety, talk to your doctor. Treatment with medicines or counseling can help speed your recovery.
Health Tools
Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.
Grief and grieving are the natural response to a major loss, such as the death of a loved one. Loss can cause feelings of grief, sometimes when you least expect it.
You may find that old feelings of grief from past loss can be triggered by current experiences or anniversaries of that loss. This is normal.
Anticipatory grief is grief that happens in advance of an impending loss. You may feel anticipatory grief because a loved one is sick and dying. Anticipatory grief helps us prepare for loss.
Your experience of grief is likely to be different from another person's. Similarly, you will probably grieve somewhat differently each time you experience a significant loss. Your reaction to loss is influenced by the relationship you had with the lost person and by your general coping style, personality, and life experiences. How you express grief is influenced in part by the cultural, religious, and social rules of your community.
Grief is expressed physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
- Physical expressions of grief often include crying and sighing, headaches, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, weakness, fatigue, feelings of heaviness, aches, pains, and other stress-related ailments.
- Emotional expressions of grief include feelings of sadness and yearning. But feelings of worry, anxiety, frustration, anger, or guilt are also normal.
- Social expressions of grief may include feeling detached from others, isolating yourself from social contact, and behaving in ways that are not normal for you.
- Spiritual expressions of grief may include questioning the reason for your loss, the purpose of pain and suffering, the purpose of life, and the meaning of death. After a death, your grieving process is influenced by how you view death.
Grief can cause prolonged and serious symptoms, including depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and actions, physical illness, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Intense grief can bring on unusual experiences. After a death, you may have vivid dreams about your loved one, develop his or her behaviors or mannerisms, or see or hear your loved one. If you feel fearful or stressed by any of these experiences, talk to your doctor and a mental health professional or clergy person experienced in grief counseling.
Age and emotional development influence the way a person grieves a death.
- Children younger than age 7 usually perceive death as separation. They may feel abandoned and scared. And they may fear being alone or leaving people they love. Grieving young children may not want to sleep alone at night, or they may refuse to go to day care or school. Children under age 7 usually are not able to verbally express their feelings. Instead, they tend to act out their feelings through behaviors, such as having trouble following directions, having temper tantrums, or role-playing their lives in pretend play. Children younger than age 2 may refuse to talk. And they may be generally irritable. Children between the ages of 2 and 5 may develop eating, sleeping, or toileting and bed-wetting problems.
- Children between the ages of 7 and 12 often perceive death as a threat to their personal safety. They tend to fear that they will die also and may try to protect themselves from death. While some grieving children want to stay close to someone they think can protect them, others withdraw. Some children try to be very brave or behave extremely well. Others behave terribly. A grieving child may have problems concentrating on schoolwork, following directions, and doing daily tasks. Children in this age group need to be reassured that they are not responsible for the death they are grieving.
- Teens perceive death much like adults do. But they may express their feelings in dramatic or unexpected ways. For example, they may join a religious group that defines death in a way that calms their feelings. They may try to defy death by participating in dangerous activities, such as reckless driving, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, taking illegal drugs, or having unprotected sex. Like adults, preteens and teens can have suicidal thoughts when grieving. Warning signs of suicide in children and teens may include preoccupation with death or suicide or giving away belongings.
What Happens
Grieving a significant loss takes time. Depending on the circumstances of your loss, grieving can take weeks to years. Grieving helps you gradually adjust to a new chapter of your life.
Becoming aware of a loss
Full awareness of a major loss can happen suddenly or over a few days or weeks. While an expected loss (such as a death after a long illness) can take a short time to absorb, a sudden or tragic loss can take more time. Similarly, it can take time to grasp the reality of a loss that doesn't affect your daily routine, such as a death in a distant city.
During this time, you may feel numb and seem distracted. You may search or yearn for your lost loved one. Funerals and other rituals and events during this time may help you accept the reality of your loss.
Feeling and expressing grief
Your way of feeling and expressing grief is unique to you and the nature of your loss. You may find that you feel irritable and restless, are quieter than usual, or need to be distant from or close to others. Or you may find that you aren't the same person you were before the loss. Don't be surprised if you experience conflicting feelings while grieving. For example, it's normal to feel despair about a death or a job loss yet also feel relief.
The grieving process does not happen in a step-by-step or orderly fashion. Grieving tends to be unpredictable, with sad thoughts and feelings coming and going, like a roller-coaster ride. After the early days of grieving, you may sense a lifting of numbness and sadness and experience a few days without tears. Then, for no apparent reason, the intense grief may strike again.
While grieving may make you want to isolate yourself from others and hold it all in, it's important that you find some way of expressing your grief. Use whatever mode of expression works for you. Talking, writing, creating art or music, or being physically active are all ways of expressing grief.
Spirituality often is part of the grieving process. You may find yourself looking for or questioning the higher purpose of a loss. While you may gain comfort from your religious or spiritual beliefs, you might also be moved to doubt your beliefs in the face of traumatic or senseless loss.
Grieving problems. In this complex and busy world, it can be hard to fully grieve a loss. It is possible to have unresolved grief or complications associated with grieving, particularly if you:
- Had several major losses in a short period of time.
- Lost someone very important in your life. You may feel that you will never get over the loss of someone special.
- Experienced the unexpected or violent death of a loved one, such as the death of a child or a death caused by an accident, a homicide, or a suicide.
- Have special life circumstances that act as obstacles to grieving, such as having to return to work too soon after a death.
- Have a history of depression or anxiety.
Adjusting to a loss
It can take years to go through a grieving process. Feelings of grief may return during holidays, birthdays, and other special events.
With loss, your sense of self and security is disrupted. It may help to develop or strengthen connections with other people, places, or activities. These new parts of your life are not meant to replace what you have lost. Instead, they serve to support you.
Treatment Overview
Grief itself is a natural response that doesn't require medical treatment. But sometimes people need help getting through the grieving process.
Initial grief
- Medicine. During the initial days of grief, anxiety or sleeplessness can make it difficult to function. If you suffer more than a few days of severe agitation, talk to your doctor about whether a short-term prescription sedative medicine can help you. (Doctors disagree about the usefulness of medicines for people who are grieving. Some doctors believe that giving medicines for anxiety or sleep may interfere with the ability to grieve.)
- Counseling. If you find that obstacles to grieving are making it difficult to function after a loss, talk to a grief counselor, attend a bereavement support group, or both. Counseling and support groups can also help you work through unresolved grief from a past loss.
Chronic grief and complications
If you or someone you know exhibits suicidal behavior (such as thinking you cannot stop yourself from harming or killing yourself), call 911 or other emergency services immediately.
If you find that a major loss has caused complications, such as depression, prolonged anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or severe and prolonged grief, see your doctor and a grief counselor for treatment.
If you have a chronic medical condition that has been made worse by the emotional and physical stress of grief, see your doctor immediately.
When to Call a Doctor
If you or someone you know develops complications of grief, such as disturbing or suicidal thoughts, depression, or anxiety, get help.
Call 911 or other emergency services if:
- You think you cannot stop yourself from harming or killing yourself.
- You hear voices that frighten you, especially if the voices tell you to hurt yourself or other people.
- Someone who is grieving tries to harm himself or herself or someone else.
- Someone who is grieving threatens to hurt someone else or makes threats of suicide.
Call a doctor if:
- You feel hopeless and detached for more than a couple of weeks.
- You cannot stop yourself from thinking about death or suicide.
- You have a sudden change in your behavior that concerns you, such as drinking more alcohol than you normally do.
- You have been grieving longer than you think is good for you.
- Someone you know has symptoms of depression. These symptoms include feeling sad and losing interest in most daily activities.
Who to see
Counseling is best done by a mental health professional with experience in grief counseling, such as a:
- Clinical social worker.
- Psychologist.
- Licensed professional counselor.
- Psychiatrist, who can prescribe medicine to control symptoms. Some psychiatrists also offer counseling.
Health professionals who can help you if you are having medical or mental health problems requiring medicine include:
Home Treatment
Coping with grief
Home treatment plays an important role in working through the grieving process. Talking about the loss, sharing cares and concerns, and getting support from others are very important components of healthy grieving.
If you are caring for a dying loved one, it is important to take good care of yourself also. When you know that a loss is approaching, especially if you are able to participate in the care of a loved one who is dying, you may be better able to recognize and deal with your feelings of grief. It is important that you get caregiver support to help you care for your loved one as well as to help you prepare for your loss.
If you have just had a major loss in your life, it is important to:
- Get enough rest and sleep. During sleep, your mind makes sense of what is happening in your life. Not getting enough rest and sleep can lead to physical illness and exhaustion. Try activities to help you relax, such as meditation or guided imagery.
- Eat nourishing foods. Resist the urge not to eat or to eat only those foods that comfort you. If you have trouble eating alone, ask another person to join you for a snack or meal. If you do not have an appetite, eat frequent small meals and snacks. Consider taking a multivitamin daily.
- Exercise. If nothing else, take a walk. Brisk walking and other forms of exercise, such as yoga or tai chi and qi gong, can help release some of your pent-up emotions.
- Comfort yourself. Allow yourself the opportunity to be comforted by familiar surroundings and personal items that you value. Special items, such as photos or a loved one's favorite shirt, may also give you comfort. Treat yourself to something you enjoy, such as a massage.
- Try to stay involved. Staying involved in activities that include your support network, such as work, church, or community activities, may help you as you grieve.
To help you work through the grieving process, make sure to:
- Surround yourself with loved ones. You may feel lonely and separate from other people when you are grieving. You may think that no one else can understand the depth of your feelings. Surrounding yourself with loved ones and talking about your feelings and concerns may help you feel more connected with other people and less lonely.
- Get involved. Take part in the activities that occur as a result of the loss, such as making funeral arrangements.
- Avoid quick fixes. Resist the urge to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or take nonprescription medicines (such as sleeping aids). When you are under emotional stress, these may only add to your unpleasant feelings and experiences and may mask your emotions and prevent you from normal, necessary grieving.
- Ask for help. During times of emotional distress it is important to allow other people to take over some of your responsibilities. Other people often feel the need to show you how much they care about you.
Helping others cope with grief
There are many ways that family members and other people close to a person who is grieving can give help and support. The best way to help a grieving person often depends on how well the person was prepared for the loss, the person's perception of death, and his or her personality and coping style. The person's age and stage of emotional development are also important to think about when you are helping a person who is grieving.
If someone you know is grieving:
- Encourage the person to grieve at his or her own pace. The grieving process does not happen in a step-by-step or orderly fashion. There will be good days and bad days. Do not try to "fix" the person's grief. Provide support and be willing to listen.
- Be sensitive to the effect of your words. But don't ignore the person who is grieving just because you aren't sure what to say. Check in regularly during the first year and beyond, especially on important days, including the anniversary of the death, holidays, and birthdays.
- Recognize that this person's life has changed forever. Encourage the person to participate in activities that involve and build his or her support network.
- Respect the person's personal beliefs. Listen to his or her feelings without making judgments. Do not try to change the person's beliefs or feelings.
Helping young children who are grieving can be challenging for adult caregivers. The best way to help a child varies according to age and emotional development.
Teens may need special consideration and care when they are grieving. Many times it is hard to know how to approach and help a teen in these circumstances.
Older adults may not express grief in the same way as other adults. Older adults are more likely to become physically ill after a major loss. They may already have a chronic physical illness or other conditions that interfere with their ability to grieve or that become worse when they are grieving. Also, older adults may be likely to develop complications associated with grieving. Older adults may be more likely than other people to experience several losses in a short period of time.
Other Works Consulted
- American Psychiatric Association (2013). Conditions for further study. In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed., pp. 783–806. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
- Fiorelli R (2011). Grief and bereavement in children. In BM Kinzbrunner, JS Policzer, eds., End-of-Life Care, pp. 635–665. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Gardner SL, Dickey LA (2011). Grief and perinatal loss. In SL Gardner et al., eds., Merenstein and Gardner's Handbook of Neonatal Intensive Care, 7th ed., pp. 898–937. St. Louis: Mosby.
- McGolderick M, Walsh F (2011). Death, loss, and the family life cycle. In M McGoldrick et al., eds., The Expanded Family Life Cycle: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives, 4th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
- Newman BM, Newman PR (2012). Understanding death, dying, and bereavement. In Development Through Life: A Psychosocial Approach, 11th ed., pp. 601–623. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
- Zisook S, et al. (2009). Death, dying, and bereavement. In BJ Sadock, VA Sadock, eds., Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, 9th ed., vol. 2, pp. 2378-2407. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Current as of: April 1, 2019
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Anne C. Poinier MD – Internal Medicine & John Pope MD – Pediatrics & Adam Husney MD – Family Medicine & Kathleen Romito MD – Family Medicine & Jean S. Kutner MD, MSPH – Geriatric Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Medicine
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.


text:
Then, the singer, Wayne Coyne, appears in a bubble:
Next, more naked people start to emerge from the Hairy Vagina Ball:
(I suppose The Flaming Lips did have to spend some money on construction of the Hairy Vagina Ball, though even that can be done inexpensively--especially if you send a production assistant out into the cast to collect pubic hair clippings and then apply them to the Vagina Ball with a gluestick. I also regret not having been present to witness the moment when the director raised the bullhorn to his lips and asked the crowd, "OK, who wants to get inside the Hairy Vagina Ball?")
At this point, the "song" begins, though it's mostly just the suggestion of a song, since like the bubble in which Wayne Coyne is housed it never really gets more than a few feet off the ground. Here's what Coyne looks like as he disinterestedly intones the lyrics:
Eventually, the crowd starts passing the bubble around like a giant beach ball:
Finally, they stuff a naked Wayne Coyne into the Hairy Vagina Ball:
Despite my total lack of enthusiasm for The Flaming Lips's music, I have to admit that this is a formidable artistic accomplishment, since they've somehow managed to make even naked people passing into and out of a Hairy Vagina Ball seem hopelessly pedestrian and indeed barely worth watching. I suppose this is because their music is about as exciting as a big bucket of old bongwater, the spilling of which can dampen even the most animated and festive proceedings. I suppose also this is why "Do You Realize??" is now the Official Rock Song of Oklahoma. (Incidentally, I'm currently working on a rock song about burritos which I plan to send to Governor Schwarzenegger for consideration.)
Then, his Swobo Sanchez plows into a car and he dies, at which point someone comes out of the car and steals his bag:
Who has stolen the bag, and what's in it? Will Castle be able to solve the mystery? Will he team up with House or Shaq or someone else named after a dwelling? Will there be a spin-off called "Hovel?" To find out, you'll either have to watch the show, or else just listen to The Flaming Lips, which will make you forget all about the show since it induces all the apathy of smoking the Wednesday weed but without any of that pesky "insight." ("Entertainment value" is truly a useless by-product.)
Speaking of stuffing things into other things, yet another reader has informed me that in Copenhagen (which is like Portland if it were twice as bike-friendly and four times as dour) they're so advanced when it comes to cycling that they've transcended the problem of regular bike parking and have moved on to cargo bike parking:
Yes, in Copenhagen they're building cargo bike parking while in New York City people will still tell you to "Get on the sidewalk." This is like how, during the Middle Ages, China flourished culturally while Europe was busy inventing new ways to kill people for saying the Earth revolved around the Sun. Frankly, I find reading about bike-friendly cities like Portland and Copenhagen and their ingenious little solutions highly irritating. It's like getting an excited voicemail from your friend who says, "Guess what? I finally figured out where to put all this money!" Yes, people in Copenhagen are so enlightened that, according to the post, only 2% of them are bothered by their own smugness:
Interestingly, only 2% of Copenhagen cyclists find cargo bikes irritating.
I realize I have a fairly parochial view when it comes to the use of certain words, but nonetheless I maintain that the act of carting crap around in a wagon does not qualify as "culture"--even if you do it while talking on a cellphone and wearing designer clothes. In a sense, the word "culture" is sort of like a human spleen. When healthy, it's useful and important. However, once it becomes diseased, you're better off having it removed, since you can still live without it. The word "culture" became diseased when everyone started attaching it to everything from bicycles to video games. If "culture" were completely eradicated from the English language, we'd miss it, but we'd still be able to function. "European culture" would simply be "European" or "Europe." "Danish cargo bike culture" would simply be "Danish cargo bikes." "Ancient cultures" would just be "ancient peoples." Other organs will take over for the spleen, and other words will take over for "culture." At this point, we're on the cusp of someone actually referring to "culture culture," at which point it will be too late. (Though I suppose this might be somewhat acceptable if you're referring to a primitive rainforest tribe that worships yogurt.)
This is especially frustrating since there's a perfectly serviceable dirt path right next to the bike lane:
I was tempted to yell "Giddyup!" and thwack it on the rump as I passed, but the only thing that stopped me was that I didn't want to injure the horse. (In retrospect, I now realize I could have done that to the woman in the mustard pants instead.) It could be though that she thinks she's entitled to ride her horse in the bike lane. Maybe she's on her way to Mongolian cyclocross practice.


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text:
- Fonds
- 1785-1865
The South Carolina collection consists of two parts: Part 1: the Papers of James Henry Hammond, and Part 2, Miscellaneous Collections of Personal and Family Papers. James Henry Hammond (1807-1864) was a statesman and plantation owner in South Carolina. He served in the United States House of Representatives and Senate, and was Governor of South Carolina from from 1840 to 1842. The papers reflect his role as both statesman and planter, including records pertaining to agriculture, education, family life, the practice of law, politics and slave management.The Miscellaneous collections of Personal and Family papers includes: Samuel Porcher Gaillard Plantation journals; John Forsythe Talbert Plantation journals; a Caleb Coker Plantation book; James Trezevant Plantation diary and records; Glover family papers;a James Talbert Ouzts Plantation book; a David Milling Plantation book; John Ogilvie Medical Account books; a diary from Natalie DeLage Sumter; the papers of Mary Hart Means; Thomas family diaries; the papers of James Ritchie Sparkman; the John Stapleton papers; Thomas Cassells Law papers; John McPherson DeSaussure papers; Lewis Malone Ayer papers; the Read-Lance family papers; the Heyward family papers; John Ewing Colhoun papers; the Miller-Furman-Dabbs family papers; and the Hammond-Bryan-Cumming family papers.
University Publications of America


text:
Let's talk, for a moment, about childcare.
It's a topic that I've meant to discuss for a while, and certainly I addressed it a little bit in my book, but as a family with two parents who work long variable hours outside of the home full-time, our childcare issues fall into a specific subset. That is to say, without putting too fine a point on it, that we are utterly, utterly dependent on full-time, reliable childcare in order to function day-to-day. Neither Joe nor I work part-time or any kind of variable/abbreviated hours. We both work in the OR, which means we invariably leave home before sunrise, before the kids wake up. We both take overnight call on a rotating basis. This is not to be self-congratulatory or masochistic, and does not make us better or worse parents (though I'm sure there are those that would argue each side), it's just the life we lead and we've found a solution that works best for us.
However, before I get into the specifics of childcare, let me say first that none of this could work without an equal, fully-invested partner in parenting. Joe and I had Cal early on in our medical residencies. We were both at a critical point in our training, and both of us had responsibilities to our jobs and our patients that were equivalent and inarguably important. So we've always, always, always viewed the division on parenting responsibility 50-50. There were some minor variances here and there (for example: more difficult rotations month-to-month, the fact that Joe never got post-call days off but occasionally would get to leave for work later than I did, etc.) but on the whole, from the moment we first became parents, it's been right down the line. We make sure one of us is always home every single night--if we need to, we'll trade call or make pre-emptive schedule requests to ensure that this is the case. If I'm going to be home late, Joe tries to get out earlier. If Joe has a journal article that he's getting ready to submit, I watch the kids. We both have demanding jobs but this obviously doesn't make parenthood itself any less so, therefore when it comes to childcare, we've always been of the philosophy that "if you can't do it, I'll try to do it" and vice versa.
However, the fact is that both of us work all day on most days, and as such, we need to have a childcare solution to cover those working hours. What we have, and what we have always had, is a full-time nanny. I know this is a bad word for some people, and I can almost hear the squelching sound from the pile of shit that I am stepping in by telling you that I choose to practice medicine full-time and employ a nanny, but there it is. We pay someone to watch our kids during the day so that we can go to work.
In residency, it was unavoidable. We were in New York at the time, but having family members take care of the baby was not an option (both of my parents are also physicians that work full-time, and besides, they did not want nor should they have felt obligated to drop their practices in order to take care of their grandchild--they worked full time even while raising their own kids, after all; and Joe's parents, while both retired, live in Ohio). We also had the kinds of jobs that were not amenable to a daycare-type solution. I know that some dual-resident families make daycare work for them, but like I mentioned before, Joe and I both have OR-based specialties, and as such, we were both expected to be at work well before most daycare centers opened--and yes, this includes the hospital-based daycare at Columbia. So we hired someone to come to our house, take care of the baby, and stay with him until one of us got home in the evenings.
As I've undoubtedly pointed out many times in the past for those in similar situations, finding a nanny, particularly as a medical trainee, is not simple. First of all is the matter of the hours--it is difficult to say the least to find someone willing to show up at 5:45 every single morning, and for most nannies it's a dealbreaker. The variability of the hours is also a problem--you have to understand that most nannies in New York (and certainly elsewhere) can find much more agreeable hours in basically in basically any other household. A third issue is, obviously, the cost. Childcare to this day is our number one largest household expense, but that's probably as it should be. There was a period of time (before we finished residency) where our nanny was getting paid more than either Joe or I was for working at the hospital. But this is the solution that has worked best for us--the only tenable solution really--and over the past six years, we've always had a full-time nanny. Our current nanny has been with us for the past three and a half years, since we first moved to Atlanta. She loves the kids, and they love her. She's family.
Even now, that both of our kids are in school (Mack goes to preschool all day, three days a week), we still employ our nanny full-time, because Joe and I leave for work too early to drop off, and for the most part work too late to pick up from school. And there are all the school holidays that are not hospital holidays. Presidents Day and MLK Day and Teacher Planning Day (SO MANY DAYS FOR PLANNING) that we need someone to stay with the kids, to say nothing for the unexpected off days--snow days, ice days, sick days. I know in the eyes of many Joe and I must be monsters for not taking off days from work when the kids are home sick from school, and who knows, maybe we are, especially since we are leaving our sick kids in order to go take care of sick strangers. But the fact of it is that school aged kids get minor stay-home-from-school illnesses, like, all the time, and as long as I assess that they are OK--and by that I mean able to take and keep down fluids, making good urine, not stuporous--I make them chicken noodle soup the night before and stock up on juice and Motrin and keep in touch with our nanny throughout the day. And then in the evenings, either Joe or I gets home--occasionally even both of us--and we'll take it from there.
In many ways, our childcare model is much like the practice of medicine. It's about continuity of care. The way our household works, no one can be with the kids all the time, around the clock every single day--but we have a team, and we have a system, and we make sure that handoffs are careful and that the time each of us does spend with the children is of the highest quality. One could argue that abbreviating the work schedule of one or both parents might be better for our kids (oh, who am I kidding--no one ever thinks that of Joe, mostly people ask me, "So, do you think you'll eventually go part time?") and I think that, for each individual household, that can be difficult to say. But I choose--choose--to work full-time. I don't speak for anyone else, I'm certainly not telling anyone else what to do, but this is what works best for our family.
I'll tell you something that I've noticed in particular. Whenever the discussion comes up about work-life balance and the choices that we (mostly women) make, the discussion essentially gets boiled down an issue of financial burden versus parental responsibility, and it invariably seems that the sentiment is that if parents (mothers) have the option to work part-time or opt out of working outside the home, they should, for the good of the children. That choosing to work outside the home full-time is either born of financial necessity ("we can't afford to get by on less than two full incomes") or selfishness, abdicating the responsibility of caring for ones own children in favor of escaping the drudgery of the homestead and having more disposable income for your minks and Rolexes and Lego Star Wars sets or what have you. To this, I would like to present a third viewpoint. The fact of it is: I like working. Not because I feel indebted to the medical machine, not because I have to, I just like what I do. I like being a doctor, I like practicing anesthesia. I trained for almost a decade to take care of patients, I want to do it more than part-time, and I want to do it well. This does not mean that doctors who work part-time (men or women) don't like medicine, or are worse/lesser doctors, or cheating the system. It also does not mean those who choose to spend the working day apart from their children care any less about the well-being or upbringing of those children. I can only speak for myself, but I honestly enjoy my responsibilities outside the home too, and my choice is to work full-time.
Are there weeks that I spend a little too much time at work and miss my kids? Certainly. Are there weeks that I wish I had an extra day or two outside of the hospital to just catch up with them, with myself, with anything? No doubt. Are there things that I miss for work that I wish I didn't have to--performances, class parties, sports days? Oh lord, almost every month. But no one said adulthood was easy, and parenthood is almost certainly less so. One thing it is about is adaptation and compromise, and finding your niche in balancing parenthood and career, perhaps in some cases deciding to choose one over the other entirely. And I feel fortunate in many respects to be in a profession fulfilling enough that the decision of how I want to divide my time between work and home is, indeed, a difficult one.
Thanks to the commenter in the last entry for bringing up the topic, and reminding me that it's one I've long wanted to talk about. There are lots of niches, lots of solutions, we found the one that, for now, works best for us. What about you? Other working parents, what's your niche, and what adaptations and compromises have you found that work best for you? (Everyone be nice please.)
Oh, and here's one for you, pregnancy enthusiasts/perverts. Me and Thing 3 at 15 weeks. Unlike with Cal, I didn't take many expanding midsection pictures the last time around (until it got, like, crazy), but this time I am acutely aware that this is almost certainly the last time I will go through this particular fascinating biological process so I'm trying to savor it in all its bloaty, body-snatcher-y glory. I took this picture inside my closet but cropped out the edges because no one needs to see that many pairs of scrubs and long sleeved T-shirts, NO ONE.
(If you work with me, I apologize--please try to unsee these pictures by the time we run into each other in OR or in the doctor's lounge while pretend not to be fighting over who gets to the coffee machine first.)


text:
Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor
This film offers many surprises; being a non-narrative documentary does, at times, leave viewers lost in the scenery. Sweetgrass tells the story of sheep farmers in Montana. Don't laugh, because there is something compelling about this film. Life is hard, and thinking about the retail of wool, you can see why the daily grind is so labour-intensive.
There isn't any dialogue until nearly 18 minutes into the film, creating an unsettling effect; you start to wonder if this film is only visual. However, once the "characters" are introduced, and the story starts to unfold, the film becomes much more enjoyable.
Two ranch hands are charged with bringing 5000+ sheep into the mountains of Montana to graze for three months on public land. The work is hard; they don't get much sleep and have to contend with bears. As the ranch hands start to speak, you hear the desperation in their voices, and the struggle within; all the while this is juxtaposed with some of the world's most beautiful scenery.
This film beautifully illustrates a lifestyle that has faded, and in many ways that is sad.
Shirley Stevenson