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Putting a tour together that includes three opening acts is a daunting challenge, but one All Time Low has risen to. When the popular Pop Punk band brought its tour to Cincinnati's Bogart's on April 30, all four bands on the bill definitely had their supporters, but the fans seemed to enjoy each of the other acts, as well. Of course everyone was amped to see All Time Low. The group's much anticipated major label debut Dirty Work was pushed back until June, which meant "The Dirty Work Tour" was a rallying call for ATL fans to get pumped for the forthcoming release so they'll save up their allowance money for the big launch date.
In the late '70s, Punk Rock and New Wave were blossoming in New York City. But those genre tags were just a convenient labeling device, a catch-all that didn't take into consideration all of the varied influences artists were bringing with them under that umbrella of Punk or New Wave. Bands would drag things like Rockabilly or Disco into their audio realm and craft their own new sound out of it, with barely any fans blinking an eye, let alone screaming, "That's not Punk!"
Cincinnati trio Animal Circles bring that sort of kitchen-sink approach into their compositions, craftily blending together Surf Rock, Punk, Roots/Folk/Country sounds, Rockabilly and other styles into their own distinctive sonic smoothie. With the access people have to every type of music these days, it's a wonder why every band doesn't have Animal Circles' sense of eclectic wonderment.
The band celebrates the release of its debut album, Eva Lee, Saturday at Northside Tavern. The free show also features Bloomington, Ind., rockers Thee Open Sex and local Black Sabbath tribute, Druid Piss.
Animal Circles' variety and sense of dynamics make Eva Lee a thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. From the full-throttle burner "Brooks and Then Done," with its speeding-out-of-control-train shuffle and rumbling Surf guitar licks (a consistent on the record) to the anxious, Jack-White-goes-to-the-beach vibe of "Squid Attack" to the vintage Country-flavored rocker "Southern Bell," the band keeps your interest, not just with its unique ingredients, but also its strong sense of songwriting and melody.
The "Surfin' Space Cowboy" approach has the potential to get old fast, so it's to AC's great credit that Eva Lee is such a consistently compelling listen. This is no novelty act.
Here is the Eva Lee track "Life on the Bonzai Pipeline."
Visit the band's Facebook page here for more info. Animal Circles' Reverbnation page is here.
I've sprained my neck.* I'm taking Vicodin and Thursday night is the first night of MidPoint Music Festival. When my editor told me my review should be first-person and to "think, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," I snorted at just how closely it might come given my current intake of prescription drugs.
No longer stoked for the experience but realizing it's far too late to get out of going, I texted my friend, Rachel, on Wednesday night. Was she going? Could I tag along with her? The buddy system seemed like a good idea this time around. She immediately told me sure and that she had planned to see Andrew Bird, Best Coast & Dirty Projectors on Thursday.
Thursday evening, I stroll toward Washington Park. There aren't tons of people out at 7:45, but it's still early in the week and early in the night. There are still enough people that it's easy to walk mindlessly at the heels of a group of scarf-donning 20-somethings and end up where I need to be to meet my friends.
I glance around, but I don't try too hard to find Rachel. She's one of those people you hear before you see. Instead, I find a spot near the sound booth between two relatively attractive and seemingly girlfriend-less guys, pull out my phone and begin to send texts and emails.
By 8:10, I'm bitching, though.She knows I'm jacked up on painkillers. If I wander off with some heavily bearded rapist in skinny jeans, thinking he's Rach, it's all her fault. Mostly importantly, I'm absolutely distraught that I shaved my legs yesterday. I've always had this strange idea that if I'm about to get raped, I'll just say, "You don't want me. It's a hot mess down there." I think he'll be disgusted by my lack of feminine upkeep leave me alone. Now I'll never know if that line works! Has anyone already tried it? I'll have to Google it later.
It's 8:20 and I still don't see Rachel. I do, however, see a tall, lanky shadow near the ATMs and he's laughing. It's Dan. I text Rach for confirmation and then head over to find him with a few other people I know. (They have names, too, but they're really irrelevant for tonight.)
We make a few bad jokes and then Andrew Bird starts with zero fanfare. He just launches into his music, people applaud in surprise, and he carries on It's a beautiful view. Andrew Bird has these slowly spinning art-installations that look like plumes of smoke and a very cool rotating double-Vitrolla-like thing. Above the roof of the stage glows the pretty, white flora-inspired window of Music Hall. Last time I went to Music Hall for the Opera, I was probably parked just about where my friends and I currently stood.
He's good. His whistles have me staring at him in expectation. Where are the little animated birds fluttering toward him with ribbons for his hair and water for his face? It's all just so pretty. I'm mesmerized.
Until my foot lands on something hard and round. Is it a sprinkler head? Yes. I know this without having to look at it. And yet, drop my head and try to find the small black circle as it hides out in the grass and my shadow. I don't see it. But I feel it, right under my foot. It finally occurs to me that I should lift my foot and I immediately stumbled into Rachel and Dan, who shrug off my apologies. Figuring out how long I've known Dan requires higher math than I'm capable of, but he's used to my stumbling into him.
The stumbling and bumping calls my attention to the fact that Andrew Bird is playing not only an entirely new song but also he's in an entirely different spot. He's near an upright bass, hovering over an old microphone and making music I love oh-so-much. Still, when it's back to the usual stuff, I'm not the only one feeling the weight of his mellow music.
It's decided that we need caffeine. Fast.
As half our group strides through back alleys and around clusters of people, Rachel tries, to no avail, to tell us that Yelp says Coffee Emporium closes at 8 p.m. She's like one of Andrew Bird's birds, she sounds nice in all the chaos, but she's having a hard time rising above it. In the end, it takes standing in front of Coffee Emporium's darkened doors for Dan and I to admit defeat.
Ira's (Iris? I can never remember) is closed, too.
So, we do what any sensible, caffeine depraved people would do: We send Dan to his apartment to make us some while we go stand on Clay and watch Best Coast through a fence.
No one will ever convince me this isn't the best view for their show. Sure, you can't see their faces. But, you can still pick up on all their energy and hear things perfectly. Mostly, though, you also get to see the rest of the crowd dancing like crazy fools, singing along and having an awesome time. Standing outside that fence, I think I enjoyed the energy far more than I would if I were amidst those flying elbows and twitching hips.
Dan and, our friend, Erik are back.
They brought camp chairs and no coffee.
We utilize the chairs and this awesome see-saw for a hot minute before Dan gets a text about Bluegrass at Mr. Pitiful's and then we're off, again. I'm still not entirely sure what our friends were talking about at this point. They came out giddy over the .5 seconds of music they heard that sounded Bluegrass and Irish. (Despite knowing Dan for at least half my life, I'm still surprised by how absolutely stoked he is about this.) They mentioned a name that I don't see anywhere on Mr. Pitiful's Thursday line-up. However, on Friday we're all meeting up at the Midway at 5p, where they are, apparently, playing again.
Despite multiple pleas of, "Are you sure we shouldn't support our friend?" and "We could at least peak in and say 'Hi,'" we don't make it into Mr. Pitiful's to say reassuring things to Young Heirloom's Chris Rob.** For a brief second I contemplate making a stand. I'll stand like Superman and demand we give this musician-man our dues!
Except they're talking about caffeine, again, and if they go too far, I'll never find them. Even not on my best of days, OTR is like that tricked out maze in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. Except Lord Voldemort is played by a skinny, African American guy who comes up to Dan while we're still on Main Street.
"Hey man, have you ever been tazed?" he asks my friend.
A bright light flashes and I'm terrified for my one-time best friend. What's that disarmament spell? But it's just a watch or a flash light or something and Dan, who I think I've only ever seen mad once (at me, of course), just shakes his head and tell the guy it's not cool, he doesn't even know him.
And then we're just not there anymore. We're in 1215 Wine Bar and Coffee Lab.
But, I don't actually like either of those things. All I've wanted all this time was a pop or a chai. They have chai, though. And they'll ice it! And, you know what else? It doesn't taste like my coveted goodness from Fido, in Nashville, but I think it's better than Starbucks. Holy Shit. This place needs a drive-thru.
I'm talked out of seconds by Rachel, who is bound and determined we make it to The Emery for Dirty Projector. I'm ready to give up the ghost. I just want another chai…or 10. There's a cheese plate that looks good, too. Mm, Cheese. But, I remind myself that I'm supposed to be writing about the music. Also, I have no idea which direction I'd go to get back to my car once I've been properly filled with dairy products.
So, off we go, to the Emery.
It's packed. Thank goodness Cincinnati is filled with some seriously sweet people. A bit of rearranging and the seven of us are in one long row in the balcony. We're only forced to sit and hide yawns for a few minutes before the music starts.
I like Dirty Projectors and their quirky, disjointed Pop Rock. It makes me want to dance. Except no one in the balcony dances. I can see hints of movement and excitement below. But the people around me, the ones near the rafters, are zombie-like. No one moves, except to yawn or to leave. It's hot, too, and I swear on anything that it smells like Skyline up there.
They should have played at Washington Park. Out in the cool air and in the open field, where there aren't seats to lull the tired, drunken masses to sleep. That would have been better for everyone.
When I find myself trying to calculate the likelihood of my death if the balcony collapses, I know it's time to go. It's been a short night, but I'm done. If I stay much longer, I'll fall asleep. Or I'll throw up. I pop a Tums for the trip back to my car and duck out.
Once outside, I'm far less concerned than I should be about the fact that I have only a vague idea how to get to my car.
There is one thing I know for certain, though: I'm stopping for Skyline on the way home and I want extra cheese.
*Who knew that was even possible? Not me.
**That's his name with us, whether he likes it or not.
Cincinnati is loaded with Blues talent. Always has been. Yet it is still a rare and noteworthy occasion when a Cincinnati Blues artist releases an album with primarily original music. Brad Hatfield has long been considered one of the area's premier harmonica slingers. With his new release, Uphill From Anywhere, he also establishes himself as one of Cincy's most distinctive Blues voices — both as a singer and as a songwriter.
Richly produced by Jon Justice, who also shares many of the writing/arranging credits, and featuring Hatfield's father, keyboardist Bernie Hatfield, Uphill From Anywhere is an album that will please lovers of standard Blues fare, as well as those who like their Blues flavored with a little gospel and groove.
The album begins with "Witness to My Misery," a straightforward gut-thumping march, and then moves into "Fit to be the Fool," a shuffle that will certainly please the Blues purists. All signs point to pretty standard Blues fare at this point, albeit it with heartfelt lyrics and sultry amplified harp tone.
But with the Justice-penned "One More Night," we're immediately snapped back to attention with percussive stabs, Hammond organ overtones and honeyed slide guitar reminiscent of the best Warren Haynes-era work from the Allman Brothers. Soulful and inventive chord progressions and equally soulful singing elevate this song a notch or two above the first two tracks.
Indeed, the brightest spots on Uphill From Anywhere are the departures from the 1-4-5 12-bar formula that are the bread and butter for so many Blues bands. "Livin' Out the Lie" has a great Robert-Cray minor-key R&B vibe and "End of Time" has an uplifting Gospel feel, reminding us to not fret too much since "they've been talkin' bout the end since the beginning of time." The song makes you want to take the nearest woman by the hand, pull her close and dance like there's gonna be a whole bunch of tomorrows.
Brad Hatfield has paid more dues than many of us have and for a decade he's been widely respected as one of Cincinnati's greatest Blues harmonica players. But the revelation of this album is how Uphill From Anywhere firmly establishes Hatfield as one of our city's most poignant Blues vocalists. In fact, the second to last track, "Too Good to Give Away," features guest harp work from New Jersey's Dennis Gruenling. Harmonica players are a notoriously competitive and territorial lot, but Hatfield yields the instrumental spotlight and lets his voice tell the story with his husky, agile and often moving growl.
Appropriately, the album's final cut is an a capella version of "John the Revelator." Brad Hatfield's voice takes you to church, or the field, or to the mountaintop, and you believe every word he's saying.
Sample the release below:
You can catch the Brad Hatfield Band in June at Saturday, June 9 at the Colerain Park Amphitheatre from 5-8 p.m., and Friday, June 22 at Geez'l Petes in Covington starting at 8:30 p.m. Visit www.bhatfieldbluesband.com for more on the album and future shows.
Oh Death - Ralph Stanley at the Emery Theater from Stephen Pruitt on Vimeo.• Riding bikes is so much fun with Cassie & David @ Midpoint Music Festival http://instagr.am/p/QL41T7A_y9/
Electronic Rock duo Pop Empire has released its debut full-length, The Devil's Party, available now for free download via The Recording Label Web site. The "all free!" label is the brainchild of Cameron Cochran, formerly of The Sheds and one half of Pop Empire (along with Henry Wilson). PE and labelmates Sacred Spirits (whose Some Stay was The Recording Label's first offering) co-host a joint release/label launch party this Friday at the Southgate House with guests We Are Hex and The Kickaways.
Bellevue-based three-piece Slow Blind Corners kicks up a pleasant, upbeat racket of shambolic, '60s-styled Pop on their debut CD, New Places. The songs follow a pretty simple formula: acoustic guitars, bass and drums provide the backbeat for vocal harmonies, psychedelic-era-Beatles-informed electric riffing and the occasional bubbling synth line, which all run wild on top of the proceedings.
Loudon Wainwright III could very easily have slid into the where-are-they-now realm of celebrity obscurity if he had allowed himself to be swallowed up by the one-hit wonderment of "Dead Skunk" in 1972. Although most people at the time only knew him for that ubiquitous single, Wainwright was confident that he had plenty of other weapons in his songwriting arsenal and set about to define the 40-year Folk/Pop career that has brought him certain measures of acclaim, wealth and notoriety as a songwriter, performer, actor and dysfunctional family man, each role woven inextricably into the fabric of the others (remember when he was Captain Spalding, the singing surgeon on M*A*S*H?). Clearly, the two paths that have intersected most often in Wainwright's life are music and family; his itinerant singer/songwriter's existence has been both a positive and a negative in his numerous attempts at familial stability and his parents, wives and children have been an endless source of grist for his songwriting mill.
Chief among Wainwright's influences has been his often larger-than-life father, whose death at 63 left a gaping hole in his 17-year-old son's life and psyche. A great deal of Wainwright's unresolved love and anger issues concerning his father have been worked out in his songs over the past few decades, but his latest uniformly excellent album finds him looking back at his long timeline after reaching the milestone birthday of 65, a momentous and bittersweet benchmark that inspired the album's title; Older Than My Old Man Now.
Like much of his recent work, Wainwright explores the familiar subjects of family, aging, death and lust on Old Man, which he does with typical candor, humor and reflection. Wainwright opens with the jazzy "The Here & the Now," an annotated but honest account of his 65 years ("I took a wife, we had some kids/I screwed that up and went on the skids"), a history that he continues tracing on the contemplative and mournful "In C." In the eloquent spoken word intro to the title track, Wainwright calls his father his "principal ghost" and then launches into a Delta-flavored vamp that addresses the psychic conundrum of having more calendars under his belt than his dad ("Sixty four is awful old, you know what can happen next/Hey, I'm older than my old man ever was, and I'm trying to keep it in context").
Wainwright's broad range is best typified by the ridiculously funny "I Remember Sex," a parlor piano duet with Barry Humphries' female alter ego Dame Edna Everidge, and the sublimely heartbreaking realizations of "The Days That We Die," where Wainwright expounds, in prose and rhyme, on the reality of getting closer to life's finish line without having fully reconciled with his children for his real and imagined sins. Listening to Wainwright and son Rufus trade soul-searching verses about life and change and forgiveness will bring a tear to the most cynical eye.
Over the course of the past few albums, Wainwright has honed his songwriting style to a fine point and narrowed his focus to very personal issues which he has translated into impossibly universal songs. Older Than My Old Man Now finds him in peak form in that regard, and reinforces the idea that he's probably got plenty more to say on every subject as his finite journey heads inexorably toward the infinite horizon.
When Joan Osborne vaulted into the public consciousness with Relish, her 1995 major label debut, she had already established a loyal fan base that was well aware of her estimable Jazz and Soul skills. With Soul Show in 1991 and the Blue Million Miles EP in 1993, Osborne displayed her smoldering vocal chops and her unerring ability to write to her own strengths as well as inhabit another writer's song (her take on Captain Beefheart's "Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles" was a marvel). Largely a collaboration with producer Rick Chertoff, Hooters frontmen Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman and Beefheart guitarist Gary Lucas, Relish rightly pushed Osborne into Rock/Pop territory and the well-deserved spotlight, but it was only marginally indicative of her loves and influences.
For the past decade and a half, Osborne has made no secret of her musical passions as she's fleshed out her catalog with a string of soulful original albums, covers albums (2002's How Sweet It Is) and blends of the two (2007's excellent Breakfast in Bed).
With her latest, Bring It On Home, Osborne heads directly into the Blues/R&B camp with predictably great results, from the opening swing of Ray Charles' version of "I Don't Need No Doctor" and a blistering spin through "Roll Like a Big Wheel" from obscure Blues shaker Olive Brown to a down and dirty take on James Moore's iconic "Shake Your Hips" (nailed by the Stones on Exile on Main Street) and a shivering R&B tailfeather shake of Clarence Carter's "I'm Qualified."
As usual, Osborne's gift in covering other songwriters' works lies in her innate talent in melding the spirit and intent of the original song with her own singular approach to come up with a version that is both tribute and appropriate reinvention, and Bring It On Home finds Osborne at the peak of her abilities.


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We both play on our agency softball team, the Cactus Pricks. We are terrible, but we definitely have the best jerseys.
Please give us a brief bio of yourselves.
Elliot Nordstrom: Jorge Lamora (JL) is a stereotypical Cuban-American. He was born and raised in Miami, FL. He drinks a lot of coffee. And he's a senior designer at Cactus.
Jorge Lamora: Elliot Nordstrom (EN) is a copywriter at Cactus. In his time here, Elliot has lost a significant amount of hair and gained about ten pounds.
What do you do for inspiration?
EN: Well usually at the start of a new project, we go to breakfast. Something delicious and super unhealthy. It's a great way to start talking about the project objectives and get some ideas on paper. Other times, we'll get out of the office and go grab coffee and a pastry. Usually, for us, inspiration just means getting something to eat.
How many hours do you work each week?
JL: On average, we work somewhere between 45 and 60 hours each week.
How do you relax or unwind?
EN: We both play on our agency softball team, the Cactus Pricks. We are terrible, but we definitely have the best jerseys.
JL: Apart, I like to hang with my wife and kids, watch movies and the occasional wandering hour through Best Buy. I'm a bit of a technology junkie.
EN: And I'm really I try to get outside. I love to play golf and go fly-fishing. I also like to watch stuff on Netflix with my fiancé. Currently it's Battlestar Galactica.
If you weren't working on the internet what would you be doing?
JL: We'd probably work on paper.
What's your favourite part of your job? What's the hardest part of your job? What do you do when you get stuck?
EN: My favorite part of my job is that it's a challenge. I never dread going to work, because I know everyday there will be a new unexpected problem to solve. It's fun and hard and scary. If I get stuck, it's usually toward the end of the day. So I just go home, recharge and attack the problem first thing in the morning.
JL: My favorite thing about my job is that it always changes. We're lucky in that we get to play in various industries for a while then switch to something else. Today, we immerse ourselves in the world of men's mental health, tomorrow hamburgers. And often you don't know what'll be next which can be the hardest part. You're never truly prepared for the next problem but that keeps us on our toes. If I get stuck, I stop and let my mind think about something else for a while. It usually wanders back to the problem all on it's own and often with a fresh take.
What's the longest you've ever stayed up working on a project?
JL: Something like 38 hours. But we try to avoid this because Elliot gets cranky when he doesn't sleep.
If there are any pivotal experiences/decisions you could point to that helped shape your career, what would they be?
EN: I'll never forget the moment when I decided I wanted to be a copywriter. I was a journalism student with no real clue of what I wanted to do. We had to take an Introduction to Advertising class. It was a huge lecture. One day, a CD from a local agency gave a lecture. He brought his dog, he wore shorts and he made pot jokes. He shared all of these funny and poignant ads that were just amazing. I realized I wanted to make those ads. I wanted to tell those pot jokes. I was sold.
What software could you not live without?
JL: All of the Adobe programs. I know it's cliche, but it's true. Also Instagram. And Temple Run.
EN: I use Microsoft Word every day. But I could live without it. It's pretty annoying. I love Spotify and Google Chrome.
Who is your target audience?
For Man Therapy, it was working age men. They account for 4 out of every 5 suicides committed in the U.S. These are guys who don't talk or even think about their mental health. We needed to change that.
What area of web design lacks the most?
JL: I'd say for years it's been typography. But with all the recent advances in web type, we're finally starting to see that issue get addressed in new and exciting ways.
EN: Banners. Nothing is more rare than a great 300x250 banner ad. Most of us creatives have a hard time taking them seriously, but there has got to be a way to make them more exciting, interesting and impactful.
Has winning FWA awards helped you in any way?
EN: Well this is our first one. Can we get back to you on that one?
When dealing with major clients, how difficult is it to meet the needs of such wide target audiences?
EN: I would say it's borderline impossible. Any time we get a brief with a wide (or more commonly multiple) target audience; we try our hardest to get the account team and client to help us narrow our focus. Sure you'd like to reach all of these people, but who is the most important? When we have a very defined target, the work is more compelling. And ironically, it seems to impact a wider audience.
What did your very first site look like? Is it still online?
EN: I made an all flash website for a pop-punk band I was in during high school. I designed and developed it. Needless to say, it sucked. Fortunately for all of us it is no longer on the Internet.
JL: My first site was a flash portfolio site for a friend. It had lots of unnecessary animations and awkward sound effects. It was optimized for an 800x600 screen. Thankfully, she's since re-designed it.
Have you written any books, if not do you plan to?
EN: No, I think I'm more of a screenplay kind of guy.
JL: No, but I'd love to turn Elliot's screenplay into a kickass graphic novel.
Are there things you do OUTSIDE of work to ensure that you are in the right mindset to be creative and/or successful in whatever you are doing?
EN: In Colorado, it's important to enjoy the great outdoors, so I try to do that. I also try to force myself to get 8 hours of sleep. It's easier said than done.
JL: I'm a constant observer. And a sponge. The world around us fascinates me and I feel like as long as I'm in touch with that world and the people in it I'll be able to communicate effectively.
Have you been a part of a campaign that was rooted in digital and THEN reached over into other consumer touchpoints? Did this happen organically or was it a part of the plan from the beginning?
JL: Yes, the Man Therapy campaign started as a simply a website. Because of the concept and the way we created the site, we were able to organically create PSAs and web videos to help drive traffic to the site. Also, because of the subject matter and the initial response to the idea, we were able to find new partners to donate additional media such as billboards and in-bar advertising.
Of all the websites you/your company have produced, which one are you most proud of?
EN: At the moment, it's the Man Therapy website. It's making a difference in people's lives. We've been getting these amazing emails from guys who have been positively affected by the site. In some cases, it seems quite clear that our efforts have helped prevent guys from taking drastic measures. It's an awesome feeling.
Do you think Flash is here to stay?
JL: To be honest, we don't know. Some days it seems like it will be dead in a year. Some days it seems like it will be around forever. For us, it doesn't really matter. Our job is to present our client's story and message in an inspiring way. So as long as it seems like the right tool to tell that story, we'll probably keep using it.
What are your views on design/graphic school. Do you think someone can get into the field without educational experience in a school environment?
JL: I'm a big fan of the design school. I see a huge difference in the books of young designers that went to a traditional school vs. a design school vs. no school. The design schools do such a good job of building solid foundations in typography, composition and communication which let aspiring creatives spend the rest of their development exploring and experimenting with their art. Sure there is an abundance of resources out there if someone wants to pickup the craft but without guidance that could be a long road. Of course, that said, this industry is all about the creative—if you've got the goods to prove your skills then it doesn't matter where you went to school. Luckily the same can't be said for doctors.
How do you keep up with the latest capabilities of Flash or do you rely on other members of you team to do this?
EN: We definitely rely on other members of the Cactus team to keep us up to date on everything web related. Quite often we'll come up with an idea and then lean heavily on others to come up with best way to bring it to life.
What would be your ultimate vehicle to travel in?
EN: My uncle has a vehicle called an "Earth Roamer." On the outside it looks like a camper on steroids. The wheels are like five feet tall. On the inside it has marble counter tops. I think it'd be fun to drive that thing across the country.
JL: My friend has an uncle with a vehicle called an "Earth Roamer"…
How do you keep your finger on the pulse of the latest web trends?
EN: Our Google Reader feeds.
What country excites you the most in terms of innovation?
EN: Probably Japan. Not only are they creating innovative and mind-blowing interactive work, they have pioneered the 'bagel head' fashion statement. If that's not innovative, I don't know what is.
There must be a project that you have always dreamed of doing, what is it?
JL: This will sound like digital blasphemy but I've always wanted to design a paper/printing sample book. Getting to play with all those materials and printing techniques on one piece with a seemingly capless budget has always been a dream. Hopefully paper sticks around long enough for me to check that off the list.
What is the most expensive thing you have bought in the last week?
EN: Gas. I need to start riding my bike more.
JL: A new bottle of Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey. Worth every penny.
It has been a privilege, thanks very much
Thanks! This has been awesome.

subset: commoncrawl


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May 25, 2016
Children at Lamar Elementary have every reason to be proud of themselves.
Students were rewarded Tuesday during a ceremony at the school for participating in the "Lamar Raider Reader" summer reading program.
"We encourage our children to read throughout the summer so they'll have good comprehension skills," said Donna Sprabery. "So when they come back to school, they're ready to learn, and we wanted to reward our children for taking the time out this summer to make that effort."
The Lamar students read a combined total of 281,699 pages this summer.
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Ironside's scene is fun. Eating there? Well ...
The eatery makes a big splash in Little Italy but the food's awash in mediocrity
A wise man I knew used to say "you can't eat atmosphere."
Has that ever been more true than at Ironside Fish & Oyster?
Since it opened in April, Ironside became an instant It restaurant, giving nearby newbie Juniper & Ivy swift competition for the title of buzziest opening of the year.
Ironside had culinary cred (an executive chef with two Michelin stars!) and hipster caché (it's the guys behind Craft & Commerce and Polite Provisions!). The visually exhilarating Paul Basile-designed space drew raves.
Fast forward a couple of months: Walking into Ironside is still like arriving at a party in full swing. The dining room and multiple bar areas in this expansive — and expensive — remodeled ironworks shop crackle with electricity. Loud music is punctuated by the sounds of people laughing and glasses clinking. Massive front doors flipped open to India Street allow the cars and crowds whizzing by to pump up the urban energy even more.
Ironside Fish & Oyster is such a fun place to be.
Too bad it's just not a fun place to eat.
Over the course of three visits, I tasted 28 dishes, repeating a few to make sure I wasn't missing something the first time.
No, it wasn't me.
To be sure, there are things worth recommending at Ironside.
The raw oysters are as fresh and briny as anywhere in San Diego, served with a balanced acidic-sweet mignonette. Chef Jason McLeod (who earned his Michelin stars at Chicago's upscale seafood restaurant RIA), makes good on his somewhat presumptuous goal to "reintroduce … a rich oyster culture" to San Diego.
The Ironside slaw is perfectly dressed and gets an unexpected toothy goodness from crunchy hazelnuts. Santa Barbara spot prawns grilled a la plancha and swathed in anchovy butter are as succulent as any Maine lobster. Whole fish, roasted or grilled, is a safe bet, and reasonably priced around $24.
Service is friendly and attentive. The wine list is well-suited to the cuisine (lots of bubbles to go with those oysters) and the wine-by-glass selection isn't an afterthought (be adventurous and try the chilled Stolpman Central Coast carbonic sangiovese). Naturally for a restaurant by CH Project partners Arsalun Tafazoli and Nathan Stanton, the short, West Coast-centric beer list is carefully chosen, reflecting different beer styles well. The cocktail program — with 50-some concoctions — is deliciously creative.
Bars and mixology are clearly CH Project's comfort zone.
Before it even broke ground, Ironside was billed as the duo of Tafazoli and Stanton's "most ambitious, culinary-focused concept to date." They hired accomplished people with wide-ranging experience. Which makes Ironside's culinary shortcomings all the more inexplicable.
Food temperatures are sometimes off, textures can be off-putting, ingredients billed on the menu don't show up on the plate. Most pervasive is a bland undercurrent running through so many of the preparations. Underseasoning is one thing, but how do you strip ingredients of their essential flavors?
Things you'd expect to be vibrant — roasted king salmon, just-picked tomatoes, bone marrow béarnaise sauce, kale with anchovies, fennel and Parmesan — simply fall flat.
I tried the signature lobster roll twice after a persnickety friend refused to believe me when I described it as dull. "You're right," she admitted after taking a few bites. "But the bread is good."
The Fish & Chips, another house specialty, look impressively big and crispy yet turned out soggy and unpleasantly over-battered, like a whitefish corn dog. Roasted escolar was well-cooked and well-seasoned one night but came out of the kitchen at room temperature, as did the veggies on the plate. Somewhere the timing was off.


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After tonight's engagement, I will accept zero engagements for public speaking except to speak at my granddaughter's wedding.
Celebrated conservative commentator William F. Buckley Jr., in a preface to his last public address.
People think highly of the employees. They think they're professional. They just don't happen to like the product.
Paul Light of the Brookings Institution, which conducted a survey of popular attitudes toward the federal government. Mr. Light referred to a survey that showed taxpayers like individual IRS agents-and other government officials in general-but dislike many of the functions the officials must carry out.
To be a poor child in Cuba may in many instances be better than being a poor child in Miami and I'm not going to condemn their lifestyle so gratuitously.
Newsweek's Eleanor Clift on the public-affairs journalism roundtable show The McLaughlin Group.
Hugh M. Hefner Way
Chicago street's new name after heated debate last week by the city council.
Just because he wants to operate an abortion clinic, that doesn't mean he doesn't have to follow the rules.
Eugene Ware, president of a Pennsylvania condo-owners association where an abortionist is trying to open up a new abortion business. Mr. Ware and his neighbors refuse to give abortionist Stephen Brigham the keys to his property until he ponies up $15,000 in back fees for building repairs and maintenance. Abortionist Brigham will not be able to resolve the dispute until after he finishes his four-month jail sentence for corporate tax evasion.
We're dealing with first-graders here. It's crazy and scary.
Lake Station (Ind.) Police Chief Jim Strine on the discovery that three first-grade girls at the local public school had planned to kill a rival 7-year-old classmate in a wooded area near the school because they were jealous of her. The parent of one girl approached for membership in their "hate club" informed authorities of the plot. The girls were suspended.


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The following is a post from Jonathan Adashek, General Manager of the Communications and Strategy, Sales & Marketing Services Group at Microsoft.
Microsoft welcomed two new stores to our chain this weekend. Chief Executive Officer and Detroit native, Steve Ballmer, welcomed an excited group of customers and partners to the 42nd Microsoft retail store opening at The Somerset Collection in Troy, Mich. Friday. Following the celebration in Troy, Microsoft Corporate Vice President Ron Markezich cut the ribbon to open the 43rd Microsoft retail store at The Fashion Mall at Keystone in Indianapolis, Ind. on Saturday morning – two important markets for Microsoft and two great malls to host our stores.
Thousands of customers and partners joined in the grand opening celebrations, taking part in the raffles for free Xbox and Surface giveaways, playing "Dance Central 3" on Kinect for Xbox 360 and singing along to Kelly Clarkson's smash hit, "Since U Been Gone." As a part of Microsoft's commitment to the local community, nine local organizations in the Detroit and Indianapolis area accepted more than $2.3 million in software and hardware grants. The opening celebrations were capped off with free Clarkson concerts for customers in both cities.
Check out some photos and tweets from the openings below.
Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer, Microsoft store manager, Tim Thewes, and Microsoft's general manager of the Heartland District, John Fikany, celebrate the grand opening of the 42nd Microsoft retail store at The Somerset Collection.
Microsoft retail store associates cheer as customers enter the new store at The Somerset Collection
Fans camp out all night for the Microsoft retail store opening!
Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer, and GM of the Heartland District, John Fikany, present a $500,000 software grant to the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan at the new Microsoft retail store opening at The Somerset Collection.
Customer stake the Bing It On challenge at the Microsoft retail store opening over the weekend.
Fans get ready to battle it out with "Dance Central 3."
Kelly Clarkson plays to an excited fan base in celebration of the Microsoft retail store opening at The Somerset Collection.
A group of Girl Scouts play Dance Central 3 at the opening of the Microsoft retail store at The Fashion Mall at Keystone.
Microsoft Store Manager, Troy Larson, and Microsoft's Corporate Vice President, U.S. Enterprise and Partner Group, Ron Markezich, cut the ribbon to open the 43rd Microsoft retail store at The Fashion Mall at Keystone.
Customers experience the new Microsoft retail store for the first time at The Fashion Mall at Keystone.
Customers awaiting the opening of Microsoft at The Fashion Mall at Keystone.
Kelly Clarkson getting ready for her show to celebrate the newest Microsoft retail store.
Excited fans are ready to see Kelly Clarkson.
Behind the scenes with Kelly!
You might also be interested in:


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… or when your breakfast tastes heavenly buttery !
Inspired by the freshly-baked viennoiserie flavor at almost every street corner in France, I (finally) found the courage to home-make croissants.
Study recipes and fomula, prepare the liquid sourdough, mix ingredients, butter, roll, fold, chill, roll, fold, chill, shape, polish, bake, taste and say « wow » at the end… I adored every part of this unique experience. I consider it an important step for me as a young amateur baker and pastry enthusiast.
If I share it with you, it is because I want to underline the fact that being curious and passionate about something helps you overcome every possible obstacle you would've imagined.
Do not let yourself discouraged by the complex process of laminating a dough at home or the difficulty to provide your croissant optimal rising conditions. Dare and your efforts will be rewarded.
The very well described recipe , formula and techniques available on The Fresh Loaf will convince you that there is no difficulty in homemaking a layered dough. Evocative photos illustrate the process step by step and valuable tips and tricks accompany you through it.
Believe me, the final result deserves all of your investment. This makes an exquisite and gourmet breakfast and an extra-reason to wake up with a big smile !
As it would be selfish to keep it for myself, this post goes to Susan and YeastSpotting, her delicious weekly showcase of yeasted baked goods.


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Pictures - Gifs - Videos
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Nothing Little about Lil Kim's Camel Toe...
Female Rapper Lil Kim has always been known for her many controversial photos which she used as a way to promote her songs, albums and show off her hot body. In this photo we see she still has it in all the right places.
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While Crytek CEO Cervat Yerli expressed disappointment earlier this week concerning the leak of Crysis 2, he still has mad love for the PC gaming scene. Writing on the MyCrysis message boards, Yerli said that his deep disappointment in this week's events have been eclipsed by the kind words and support from the community:
"While we are deeply disappointed by these events, we are all completely overwhelmed by the support we have received from you, our community," said Yerli.
"We can assure you that PC gaming is very important to us and will always be important to Crytek in the future. We are all still focused on delivering a great gaming experience to our true and honest fans," he continued. "I hope you will enjoy Crysis 2 on PC, as we think it is our best PC game yet!"
That "great game experience" is set for release March 22 in the U.S. and on March 25 in Europe.
Source: RPS


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To try and claim your own Mercedes-Benz Car Display, you'll need to simply head over to the promotion's official Facebook fan page and click on "Get Car Display" on the massive image that appears. If this promotion is still active when you click the button, you'll receive the decoration within your game's inventory, and will find that it's worth a population boost of +25, which spans three squares in all four directions.
It's odd that this promotion is labeled for international players only, and it's possible that this limitation could actually come into play at a later date. For now however, it seems like the item is up for grabs for anyone, so you'll want to make sure to claim yours before it's too late.
Have you already claimed your free Mercedes-Benz Car Display in SimCity Social, or did the link actually stop you based on your country? Sound off in the comments!


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College Hockey:Early Departures
Running list of Division I men's players who have left school before graduating, since the end of the 2004-05 season. "Yr." indicates the player's most recent season.
School Player Yr. Status ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Alaska-Fairbanks Ryan Comeau So. Transferred to Alberta Alaska-Fairbanks T.J. Pettersson So. Released from team Boston College Patrick Eaves Jr. Signed with Ottawa Senators Boston University Chris Bourque Fr. Left for Portland (AHL) Bowling Green Jonathan Sigalet So. Signed with Boston Bruins Colorado College Brady Greco Jr. Signed with Tampa Bay Lightning Colorado College Mark Stuart Jr. Signed with Boston Bruins Cornell Shane Hynes Jr. Signed with Anaheim Mighty Ducks Dartmouth Hugh Jessiman Jr. Signed with New York Rangers Denver Brett Skinner Jr. Signed with Vancouver Canucks Maine Jimmy Howard Jr. Signed with Detroit Red Wings Massachusetts John Toffey Jr. Signed with Tampa Bay Lightning Mass.-Lowell Ben Walter Jr. Signed with Boston Bruins Merrimack Jeff Caron So. Left for St. John (QMJHL) Miami Brandon Crawford-West So. Left School Michigan Mike Brown So. Signed with Vancouver Canucks Michigan Alvaro Montoya Jr. Signed with New York Rangers Michigan Jeff Tambellini Jr. Signed with Los Angeles Kings Minnesota-Duluth Jay Rosehill Fr. Signed with Tampa Bay Lightning Nebraska-Omaha Chris Holt So. Signed with New York Rangers North Dakota Brady Murray So. Signed with Rapperswil-Jona (Swedish Elite) North Dakota Matt Greene Jr. Signed with Edmonton Oilers Providence Vince Goulet Fr. Left for personal reasons Western Michigan Vince Bellissimo Jr. Signed with San Antonio (AHL)
Players who have transferred, and will therefore be eligible in Sept. 2006
Name To From ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ray Jean* Bentley Maine Brandon Merkosky Clarkson Air Force J.R. Bria* Mass.-Lowell Colgate Jim Jensen* Minn.-Duluth Ferris State Tom Swatske* Notre Dame Wisconsin John Doherty Quinnipiac New Hampshire Josh Siembida* Quinnipiac North Dakota Ryan Cruthers Robert Morris Army Aaron Clarke** Robert Morris Niagara Dan Kronick* St. Cloud State Minn.-Duluth Tom Goebel Ohio State Michigan State Bobby Goepfert* St. Cloud State Providence John Nogatch Wayne State Lake Superior B.J. Radovich* Wis.-Superior Michigan Tech * -eligible Sept. 05 **-eligible Dec. 05
Coaching Changes
School New Coach Old Coach Reason for Departure ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alaska-Anchorage Dave Shyiak John Hill Left for Minnesota to Assist Canisius Dave Smith Brian Cavanaugh Fired Lake Superior Jim Roque Frank Anzalone Fired Merrimack Mark Dennehy Chris Serino Resigned Northeastern Greg Cronin Bruce Crowder Fired Notre Dame Jeff Jackson Dave Poulin Resigned Providence Tim Army Paul Pooley Left for Notre Dame to Assist St. Cloud State Craig Dahl Resigned D-III Assumption Kevin Zifcak Keith Hughes Retired Brockport James Eccles Brian Dickinson Resigned Buffalo State Nick Carriere Jim Fowler Resigned Castleton State Alex Todd Greg Stone Resigned Framingham State Chris Heaney Chris Googins Resigned Geneseo Jason Lammers Brian Hills RIT Asst. Coach Hamline Scott Bell Chris Brown Resigned Northland Steve Fabiilli Dan Huntley Left to become AD UT-Brownsville Skidmore Neil Sinclair Paul Dion Resigned Utica Gary Heenan Gary Heenan Left and came back Wisc.-Eau Claire Luke Strand Jean LaForest Left for CHL Women Chatham Lainie Wintrup Tara McMillen Resigned Cortland Jen Kroleski Kim Hokanson Resigned Lake Forest Carisa Zaban Susie Bellizzi Resigned Mass.-Boston Maura Crowell Melisa Heitzman Resigned Neumann Phil Bateman Matthew Kennedy Resigned, QU Asst. Coach St. Benedict Neil Andruschak Dave Laliberte Resigned St. Catherine's Brad Marshall Mary Brown Resigned St. Mary's Terry Manor Duncan Ryhorchuk Resigned Williams Neil Sinclair Resigned, New Skidmore Coach
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This is the seventh year of Schools FIRST (Financial Accountability Rating System of Texas), a financial accountability system for Texas school districts developed by the Texas Education Agency in response to Senate Bill 875 of the 76th Texas Legislature in 1999. The primary goal of Schools FIRST is to achieve quality performance in the management of school districts' financial resources, a goal made more significant due to the complexity of accounting associated with Texas' school finance system.
"The Schools FIRST accountability rating ensures that Texas school districts are accountable not only for student learning, but also for achieving these results cost-effectively and efficiently," said Beeville ISD Superintendent Dr. John Hardwick. "The information provided by the Schools FIRST system will guide us in our continued efforts to maximize each taxpayer dollar."
The Schools FIRST accountability rating system assigns one of four financial accountability ratings to Texas school districts, with the highest being "Superior Achievement," followed by "Above-Standard Achievement," "Standard Achievement" and Substandard Achievement." Districts with serious data quality problems may receive the additional rating of "Suspended-Data Quality." Districts that receive the "Substandard Achievement" or "Suspended-Data Quality" ratings under Schools FIRST must file a corrective action plan with the Texas Education Agency.


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Charles Jeremiah (C.J.) Smith becomes an indentured apprentice at sixteen years of age for the world's most preeminent engineering firm Maudslay, Sons and Field of Lambeth, England.
Alonzo F. Smith, one of C.J.'s sons, patents an interactive spelling board for children and organizes the Instructive Toy Co. in Milwaukee, followed by 3 more patents.
A.O. Smith, another of C.J.'s sons, starts the A.O. Smith Company and later hires Reuben Stanley Smith, Alonzo's son and grandson to C.J. Smith.
Stanley files his first patent for an electric hammer. His patent activity continues through 1921.
Patent 1,397,020 issued on November 15, 1921 for "Mechanical Marvel", capable of making 10,000 automobile frames per day; inventor of record–Reuben Stanley Smith.
Stanley moves to Los Angeles, California, after 51 patents are issued.
Stan files a 50-page, 47-claim patent for the Smith meter and a second in 1937. Develops the first meter specifically designed for Butane/Propane, the BU-40.
Smith Precision Products Company supplies the first pump designed specifically for Butane/Propane.
Lawrence Wesley Smith, Stan's son, armed with a degree in engineering from Cal Tech, begins his career with Smith Precision Products Company and proceeds to redesign the company's pump line.
Reuben Stanley Smith passes away after 61 patents are issued between 1909 and 1945.
For a list of Reuben's patents, click here.
For a list of Reuben's articles, click here.
Smith designs a line of pumps for direct transmission drive and expands product line for other liquefied gases. Company relocates from the old Mission Street in South Pasadena to Newbury Park, California.
Walter William Smith, one of Lawrence's sons, begins his career with Smith Precision Products Company, joining his two brothers, Ralph and Warren. Like his father Lawrence, he is also educated in engineering.
Lawrence Wesley Smith retires.
Walter becomes President of Smith Precision Products Company.
Patent for first swivel specifically designed for Propane is filed. First U.L. Listed swivel for LP-GAS.
Patent for hose-end swivel is filed. Product receives award from Design News Magazine as one of twenty "Best Designed Products."
Lawrence Wesley Smith
passes away.
More about Lawrence Wesley Smith click here.
For a list of Lawrence's articles, click here.
Smith Precision Products Company becomes compliant with European Directives and certified to ISO9001.
Ralph Stanley Smith retires.
4th generation Smith family members now employed at Smith Precision Products Company, Russell Smith, Denise Smith, and C.J. Smith.


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Donald Trump's energy adviser is a climate denier urging the candidate to scrap the Clean Power Plan and pursue more dirty energy policies.
This is the first election year with the same number of millennial voters as baby boomers. Here's how lobbyists for young people could change US politics.
Speakout is Truthout's treasure chest for bloggy, quirky, personally reflective, or especially activism-focused pieces. Speakout articles represent the perspectives of their authors, and not those of Truthout.
Sam Cooke, the famous American soul singer, sang a rendition of A Change Gunna Come that reflected much of the uncertainty and optimism of the US Civil Rights movement in the 1960s.
It's been too hard living / but I'm afraid to die
Cause I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will
Why is it that the same conservatives who so desperately want "big government" out of our lives are at the same time so darn eager to have officials involved in our urination? Despite major studies showing that suspicion-less drug testing is not an effective means of identifying or deterring drug use, state and federal officials continue to promote it. That is true of both school-based drug testing and random workplace testing.
In 2011, Florida Governor Rick Scott (a Republican) attempted to require anyone seeking benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to submit a urine sample. No suspicion was required, nor was any previous arrest or conviction for a drug-related offense required. Being poor was the only suspicion needed. Federal courts declared the program unconstitutional, although Scott spent nearly $400,000 fighting the court's decision. And Florida spent $118,140 reimbursing the 3,938 TANF applicants who tested negative for drugs. Only 2.6 percent of people who were tested during the four months that the Florida program was in operation had results positive for drugs—a rate far lower than drug use among the general public. In fact, more than three times lower than the 8.13 percent of Floridians over the age of 12 who are estimated by the federal government to use illegal drugs. Tennessee's program saw only one person out of the 800 who applied for assistance test positive.
In 1968, the Mannington Mine in Farmington WV owned by Consol Coal, caught fire, blew up, and 78 miners were buried, many likely alive.
In 1972, a Consol mine in Blacksville, WV, caught fire and 9 miners were buried (again, likely alive) when Consol sealed the mine off to stop the fire and save the coal.
I remember those well, having been involved in labor struggles as a working Teamster truck-driver back then with friends in the coal fields.
Many are surprised at how quickly Ukrainian society has fallen under the rule of aggressive chauvinistic propaganda and begun to live according to the principles of Orwellian dystopia: "War – is peace! Freedom – is slavery! Democracy – is the limitation of all rights! Freedom of speech – is silence! The victims burned and killed themselves![1]"
But I've realized that that, for some time now, there is nothing surprising about this. If we analyze the recent history of the "left-wing movement" of Ukraine, it is clear that these cynical principles are the very essence of Ukrainian nationalism. They are shared even among those who would not be expected to succumb to the chauvinist hysteria. Why did the "left" liberals go to Maidan? Why did Ukrainian nationalists under the flags of the EU screaming "Pro-Russians to the knives! Death to the enemies!" become, for them, "the people", while the population of the South-East, singing "Arise, great country!"[2] became sovky[3], "cattle" and "Colorado beetles" [4]?
April in Paris
Or autumn in Schenectady,
For falling stars and moonlight
It's the same old smooth routine
No matter how we kneel
Or even if we topple in,
No matter how we rue
Our squandering
I flew into St. Louis on Saturday, August 9, to celebrate the birthdays of my mother and nephew and immediately learned about Mike Brown, a soon-to-be college student who was fatally shot by Ferguson police. As my community and I struggle to make sense of this recent murder, I cannot help but think of the structures of racism and violence in America and how they perpetuate police brutality against Black Americans. Police brutality is a national crisis, but the underlying structural violence - racism, economic injustice and militarism – is a national epidemic.
Disproportionality in police use of force against Black Americans persists and cannot be tolerated. An April 2013 report prepared by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement found that killings of Black Americans by "law enforcement, security guards and stand-your-ground vigilantes" have increased from one every 36 hours, in the first half of 2012, to one every 28 hours by the end of that year. This appalling statistic is rooted in structural racism that systematically excludes persons of color from opportunities and perpetuates negative stereotypes.
Like many cities in the South, New Orleans has a proud history of civil rights leadership—along with an equally grim history of civil rights violations. That history is repeating itself today. The African American community is again facing economic injustice and abuse from law enforcement. But, this time, the immigrant workers who rebuilt New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina are also the targets of brutal civil rights violations. And those same workers are showing extraordinary bravery in fighting to end them.
In November 2013, I was proud to stand alongside immigrant workers and community leaders engaging in peaceful civil disobedience in New Orleans to expose a brutal program of stop and frisk racial profiling-based immigration raids called CARI (Criminal Alien Removal Initiative) which targets Latinos.
1. It's not a rescue mission. The U.S. personnel could be evacuated without the 500-pound bombs. The persecuted minorities could be supplied, moved, or their enemy dissuaded, or all three, without the 500-pound bombs or the hundreds of "advisors" (trained and armed to kill, and never instructed in how to give advice -- Have you ever tried taking urgent advice from 430 people?). The boy who cried rescue mission should not be allowed to get away with it after the documented deception in Libya where a fictional threat to civilians was used to launch an all-out aggressive attack that has left that nation in ruins. Not to mention the false claims about Syrian chemical weapons and the false claim that missiles were the only option left for Syria -- the latter claims being exposed when the former weren't believed, the missiles didn't launch, and less violent but perfectly obvious alternative courses of action were recognized. If the U.S. government were driven by a desire to rescue the innocent, why would it be arming Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain? The U.S. government destroyed the nation of Iraq between 2003 and 2011, with results including the near elimination of various minority groups. If preventing genocide were a dominant U.S. interest, it could have halted its participation in and aggravation of that war at any time, a war in which 97% of the dead were on one side, just as in Gaza this month -- the distinction between war and genocide being one of perspective, not proportions. Or, of course, the U.S. could have left well alone. Ever since President Carter declared that the U.S. would kill for Iraqi oil, each of his successors has believed that course of action justified, and each has made matters significantly worse.
In this essay the author discusses seven divergent political and religious groups. In the second essay the focus is on why and how we should revise Article V, the part of the U.S. Constitution that tells how the constitution can be amended. Then in a third and final essay, the author shares his vision of the ideal U.S. constitution, which shows how 26 changes can be implemented to create the ideal American society and world. The author's proposed constitution is called the Third Constitution of the United States, created after the Articles of Confederation and the current Constitution.
There are many dystopian naysayers in the world who have given up on delimiting or changing the powers-that-be who are leading the world to destruction. But if enough people start sharing and promoting a precisely defined vision, these ideals will become a reality and not a utopian dream. Some of these ideals are already valued by others. The following three essays are an expression of a sustainable worldview that can save the world.
The people fighting back in Ferguson are heroes, who deserve our respect, gratitude, prayers, and acts of solidarity. The people of Ferguson who are fighting back, in many different ways, have forced the country to look into the face of the enduring reality of the Black holocaust that began with the first Africans kidnapped and sold into the slave system.
The choice everyone must make is whether or not we will be Hitler's "Good Germans" who tacitly gave their support to the Nazis and decried the animalistic Jews who fought back in Warsaw? Will we be the Slave Society's "Good Americans" who may have quietly and privately thought slavery was immoral but spit venom decrying the "irrational" and "counter-productive actions" of Nat Turner and slave uprisings from the 1600s-1800s? Will we be the well-intentioned, and often unintentional, defenders of violence who decry those who fight back when they are being assaulted?


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|Amy Brooke
|Amy Brooke has a destiny to meet our dicks up close and personal, so we ablidged and put our dicks all up inside this pigtails and round ass piece. She's a cute little thing with a big ass - there are few things in this world better than watching that ass giggle and bounce while a big cock pounds tha pussy.
|Bella Banxx
|Do you like big round ass school girl Russian teen? I do. Bella Banxx wanted to pass her class so we hooked her up with professor Will Powers. She sucks his massively hard cock, then he bends her over and fuck the shit out of her first one the desk then on the chair - and finally dropped a big load on her pretty face.


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Narendra Modis visit to the Shri Ram College of Commerce turned one end of Delhi University into a protest zone on Wednesday and police used water cannons and lathis to disperse students protesting against the Gujarat Chief Minister.
Waving black flags and shouting anti-Modi slogans, students led by Left-wing organisations assembled near SRCC and tried to get past police barricades on the stretch to the college from Patel Chest Institute. The students clashed with police after they got past the first barricade. Police resorted to a lathicharge and turned on the water cannons to break up the protest.
We were told that some student organisations were planning to hold demonstrations. Barricades were put up to restrain the crowd, DCP (North) Sindhu Pillai said. Water cannons were used only for a minute or so. The crowd broke through first barricade and was trying to break the second one too. We had to take steps to restrain them.
Piyush Raj of the All India Students Association said: We were protesting peacefully when some students tried to climb over the police barricades. I moved to the front to pacify by the crowd. I also told the police that we were trying to keep the protest peaceful. But I was pulled down from the barricade and detained by police.
Sunny Kumar, among the protesters on the street, said: It is a shame that a person under whose leadership the Gujarat riots took place is being allowed to use the legitimacy of academic spaces like Delhi University for his prime ministerial ambitions. Progressive democratic voices in Delhi cannot let this happen, so we are protesting.
But if there were anti-Modi protests outside SRCC, the crowd inside was rooting for the man. Students applauded, cheered Modi each time he paused after making a point. He shook hands and posed for photographs with students. SRCC student Preeti Mohan said Modis speech was inspiring and an eye-opener.
We didnt know details of the kind of work being done in Gujarat. The texts we study are so restrictive. The highlight of his speech was when he demonstrated how the states focus on agriculture can help put the country on the growth track, she said.
Responding to queries on why SRCC invited Modi to a college event, principal P C Jain said: In all honesty, I want to say that we sent out invitations to 11 persons. Narendra Modis office was the first one to reply


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Dr T Turner & PartnersWoodstock SurgeryPark Lane, WoodstockOxfordshire, OX20 1UDTel: 01993 811452
Woodstock, 8 miles north of Oxford on the edge of the Cotswolds, is an historic town adjacent to Blenheim Palace, home of the Duke of Marlborough and birthplace of Winston Churchill.
Woodstock Surgery is a mainly rural practice of 9400 patients of whom over 6000 live outside the town. We cover 34 villages and hamlets. The practice numbers have been stable for over 40 years and there are no foreseeable changes to be expected.
The practice is not dispensing but the local chemist provides a village delivery service to six villages.
We are computerised (EMIS WEB) with registration links to the Thames Valley Primary Care Agency.
Woodstock Practice is committed to giving the best possible care to all our patients.
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There is easy access for wheelchairs and there is a toilet suitable for use by the disabled on the premises. If you require further help please ask at reception.
We regret that parking is very difficult in Woodstock and the small lay-by in the front should be used by disabled patients only.
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|Lady Broncs fall to Hitchcock County, overtake Southwest
|Written by Wauneta Breeze
|Friday, 13 January 2012 23:43
Diane Stamm
The Wauneta Breeze
The Wauneta-Palisade girls' basketball team has faced a tough stretch of road games in the past two weeks. Following losses to Brady, Cambridge and Southern Valley, the Lady Broncos headed to Trenton Friday to take on OWH D1 #2 Hitchcock County squad and returned home to face a quality Southwest Roughrider team.
Entering the game at 11-0, Hitchcock County has been challenged only twice this season. Unfortunately, the Lady Broncos weren't up to the task either, falling 51-27.
Behind 22 total points from Laramey Lewis, HC opened up a 26-9 halftime lead. Tailor Lee and Abbie Fanning each scored two points in the opening frame. Sheyla Christner scored all five of the Lady Broncos second quarter points. Wauneta-Palisade Coach Roger Lauhead said his team had a tough time getting going against the harsh Falcon press.
Christner also hit the team's first basket of the second half. Fanning hit the first of the team's four three pointers in the third quarter. Emma Skelton, Cassidy Rathe and Brianna Einspahr hit three's in the fourth quarter. The Lady Broncos outscored Hitchcock Co. 13-11 to end the game.
Fanning finished with nine points for Wauneta-Palisade. Christner scored seven. The Lady Broncos shot two free throws and made one. Hitchcock Co. was seven-of-12 from the charity stripe.
The Lady Broncos had no time to recover from the loss as fellow RPAC foe Southwest was in town Saturday. Looking to pick up its first win in four games, Wauneta-Palisade went down to the wire to pick up the victory, 48-47.
Brooklyn Nordhausen started off scoring in the contest with two free throws when she was fouled after an offensive rebound on the Lady Broncos' first possession. Southwest went on a nine point run as Wauneta-Palisade was unable to hit a bucket until only three minutes were left in the quarter. Rathe got the Lady Bronco offense rolling again and Fanning added to the total with a steal and layup. Einspahr kept the rally going with a basket to bring the Lady Broncos to within three, 11-8. The Roughriders added a bucket and a free throw, but Christner's basket to end the first quarter kept the Lady Broncos within four, 14-10.
The teams played even for much of the second quarter. After two Einspahr free throws and a basket by Sydnee Harchelroad the game was tied at 14. The teams traded baskets until a free throw by Tailor Lee pulled Wauneta-Palisade ahead 19-18 with less than two minutes in the half. From there the Lady Broncos went on an 8-2 run to finish the half in front 27-20. Fanning notched five points in the scoring burst and Christner added a three point play.
The third quarter was nearly the Lady Broncos' undoing. Southwest opened the half with a 5 point run behind the shooting of Allie McConville. During the stretch Lee picked up her fourth foul. Following a basket by Christner the Roughriders hit four free throws to tie the game at 29. Southwest made 6/8 free throws during its scoring spurt. Southwest pulled ahead briefly, 31-29, but the Lady Broncos used another strong finish to end the quarter. Fanning ran off three points and Rathe grabbed an offensive rebound and scored to keep Wauneta-Palisade ahead by one, 34-33, heading into the final frame.
Lady Bronco fans saw the fourth quarter start with Christner's fourth foul. Southwest couldn't convert the one-and-one opportunity and watched Harchelroad hit a three-pointer at the other end. After the Roughriders hit two free throws Lee pushed the Lady Broncos ahead by five when she grabbed an offensive rebound, hit the bucket and was fouled. Her free throw made it 40-35. Southwest refused to give in and went on a 9-1 run to take the lead, 44-41, with 2:40 left in the game. With fouls mounting, Christner fouled out while Nordhausen, Lee and Skelton each with four, the Lady Broncos stayed within striking distance. Einspahr nailed a three-pointer with 33 seconds left to keep Wauneta-Palisade within one, 47-46. After Southwest missed two free throws Coach Lauhead called a time out with 12.4 seconds left. On the ensuing Lady Bronco possession, Lee scored with 5 seconds left to bring home the win, 48-47.
Fanning and Christner each scored 11 to lead the way for Wauneta-Palisade. Lee and Einspahr added eight and seven, respectively. Harchelroad tallied five points, Rathe totaled four and Nordhausen scored two to round out Lady Bronco scoring. WP made nine of 18 free throws.
Southwest, 7-3, was led by Abby Daffer's 15 points and McConville's 14. The Roughriders shot 28 free throws and made 17.
Now 5-6, the Lady Broncos will try to reach .500 on the season when it hosts Perkins County Friday night. After starting the season 2-5 the Plainsmen have won its last four. "Perkins County has played a lot of quality teams. It will be a challenge for our team," Lauhead said. Saturday the team heads to Oshkosh to take on 2-7 Garden County.
Junior Varsity
In three quarters of action the Lady Bronco JV team defeated Hitchcock Co. 27-17. Einspahr hit two three pointers in the opening period on her way to 14 points in the contest. Harchelroad also made a three pointer and scored nine points. Rathe added four points.
The squad picked up its second win of the week, 33-32, over Southwest. All six players scored in the contest. Einspahr finished in double figures with 10 points. Hannah Nordhausen scored eight points and Leiauna Alberts added seven.
WP: Harchelroad 9; Rathe 4; Einspahr 14.
HC: Brook Hoyt 3; Terra Dutcher 5; Leslie Stehno 4; Hayley Hrncher2; Tayler McKaley 3.
WP: Leiauna Alberts 7; Harchelroad 3; Rathe 4; Hannah Nordhausen 8; Einspahr 10; Nicole Strand.
SW: Shelby Malleck 6; Makayla Brooks 10; Cassa McConville 8; Kenzie May 4; Kim Lord 2; Ashley Ryan 2.
|Last Updated on Friday, 13 January 2012 23:46


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The main gallery features Native Americans, lake resorts, rural schools, Lake Michigan shipwrecks, daily life, and local businesses including the Watervliet Paper Mill. The Nichols-Beverly Barn holds lumbering tools, farm equipment and transportation displays. Highlights include a 1934 Parrett Tractor, a 1924 Dodge, and a fruit grading machine, all used by local fruit farmers. Our Print Shop contains the original newspaper linotype and other printing artifacts from the Watervliet Record. The Carter House (c.1860) tells the story of the museum property and holds events throughout the year. Temporary and traveling exhibits also feature a range of topics in local and national history.
Educational programs compliment our exhibits with engaging and interactive lessons about history. Popular childrens programs include Spring Break activity day, Summer Time Travelers, and holiday-themed crafts. Our Traveling Trunks, Illustrated Presentations, and Walking Tours are adaptable for all ages. Group tours of the museum are always welcome! The museum also hosts regular monthly speakers on a variety of historical topics. Additional special events include exhibit openings, area cemetery tours, and the festive North Berrien Holiday Open House.
The mission of the North Berrien Historical Society is to preserve and distribute information regarding the history of North Berrien County. We wish to promote research, encourage learning, and disseminate knowledge of the areas cultural and architectural legacy.
Founded 1966 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organization
North Berrien Historical Museum, 300 Coloma Ave/ P.O. Box 207, Coloma, MI 49038
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A snake pit, the Staples Center isn't.
Still, playing the Lakers on their home court will present a different challenge for the Thunder. When Oklahoma City's playoff series against Los Angeles opens Sunday, this youthful bunch will discover a level of distraction that is unlike anything else in sports.
Lakers games are where Hollywood types come to see and be seen, so the Thunder has seen the circus during its previous trips. The movie stars. The music moguls. The famous faces.
But what they've seen during the regular season is nothing compared to what the Staples Center is like during the playoffs.
"When they go to L.A., they're going to see more celebrities than they've seen in their previous trips," Yahoo! Sports NBA writer Marc Spears said.
Maybe the players will be able to block that out, but it'd be difficult to believe that they won't be wowed a bit by the whole scene. Jack Nicholson sitting just down the row from the visitors' bench. Justin Timberlake over there. Halle Berry over here. We're wowed by celebrity; impossible to believe that it'd be much different for Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Co.
"It's interesting who's there and how big of a distraction that can be," Spears said.
That doesn't even take into account the distraction that comes with being in Los Angeles. There are trendy restaurants. There are popular clubs. There are places to go and things to do that you won't find anywhere else.
And there are people who will want a piece of the players. Being in the playoffs in Los Angeles, family and friends are bound to flock to SoCal. They'll want to get tickets. They'll want to go to dinner. With Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Kevin Ollie being from the L.A. area, that will add a whole other level of distraction to the equation.
So will the business types who want to get some time with some of these guys. Durant seems a likely target. Hollywood movers and shakers will be asking to meet with him.
Does Kevin want to talk about this movie deal?
Is he interested in discussing this shoe deal?
Again, it's possible that the Thunder will be immune to the hubbub. Perhaps they'll stay in their bubble. Maybe they'll maintain a steely focus. But the challenge will be significant in L.A.
It's not Boston. It's not Utah. It's not Portland. Those arenas are rowdy and intense and a challenge for every visiting team. The Staples Center is none of those things.
"The Laker thing is a different type of distraction," Spears said.
Just because the Staples Center isn't a snake pit doesn't mean visitors are immune from being bitten.


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One State, One Party, One Leader
In the weeks since Hurricane Katrina swamped Mississippi and destroyed New Orleans, the levees around the Bush White House have begun springing leaks of their own. Mike Brown was barely out the door when the legal troubles commenced. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was indicted for illegal diversions of campaign finance money. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist came under SEC investigation for insider
trading in the sale of stock in the country's largest for-profit hospital chain, HCA, which was founded by his father. The name of kingpin GOP lobbyist and fixer Jack Abramoff began to pop up more regularly in press and blog accounts of other percolating congressional scandals. And Patrick Fitzgerald's seemingly stalled grand jury probe of the Valerie Plame/CIA leak roared back onto front pages when Judith Miller got out of jail and testified about her conversations with Cheney chief of staff Scooter Libby. By the time this is published, Karl Rove will have made one last appearance before the Fitzgerald panel.
Just when it seemed that Bush/Rove's fabled control of the news cycle could not be despoiled much further, the president last week touched off an insurrection among conservative ideologues in the Congress and the national GOP by nominating White House counsel Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court. Per the CBS/New York Times poll last week, the public view of GWB has never been harsher:
A growing number of Americans want U.S. troops to leave Iraq as soon as possible, rather than stay the course, and the highest percentage ever thinks the United States should have stayed out of Iraq.... President Bush's overall job approval rating has reached the lowest ever measured in this poll [37 percent], and evaluations of his handling of Iraq, the economy and even his signature issue, terrorism, are also at all-time lows. More Americans than at any time since he took office think he does not share their priorities.
The public's concerns affect their view of the state of the country. Sixty-nine percent of Americans say things in the United States are pretty seriously off on the wrong track--the highest number since CBS News started asking the question in 1983. Today, just 26 percent say things are going in the right direction.
Several moves last week attested to the growing panic inside the West Wing: the "major address on terrorism" that wasn't, the old White House spying case they dusted off, the Homeland Security memo that prompted New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's subway terror warning. But the clearest signal of all may have been the Miers appointment itself. The big three dailies (NYT, LAT, WashPost) had just proclaimed her the "safe" choice of a weakened president when all hell broke loose. Miers was not so safe, it turned out, and the way Dick Cheney was hustled onto the Limbaugh show just hours after its announcement suggested that the White House knew from the start that she would be a problem with the party's ideologues.
Why spend political capital on appointing her when it's already in shorter-than-usual supply? Chances are that Karl Rove misjudged the magnitude of conservative reaction. But practically everyone has overlooked another pressing reason Bush might want to push through Miers at any cost. If you were the ringleader of a cast of boodlers and bunglers that would surely be the envy of the Harding administration, you might want a fervent loyalist who had been at your side through it all on the highest court in the land, too. It isn't a matter of Bush's personal safety from consequences so much as it's a question of safeguarding his party, his friends, and his legacy from maverick prosecutors and sundry other good-government types.
With Bush languishing at approval levels in the high 30s, maybe we can do away with a couple of common shibboleths--first, that he is in any sense a "popular" president, and second, that public views have much impact on the course of governance nowadays. As to public opinion, one of the most eloquent summaries of the Bush years is contained in the graphic below. Produced by the Pollkatz website, it charts Bush's approval ratings from day one. The story it tells is one of steady erosion, punctuated by upticks owing to three factors: the 9/11 attacks, the invasion of Iraq, and the 2004 Democratic presidential campaign.
Yet notice how little difference the popular hostility toward Bush has made in his political successes to date. This is in part testament to the thoroughness and regimentation of the GOP army. They are serious people. They have worked hard to make Washington a one-party town, from the composition of House-Senate conference committees to the coerced staffing of K Street lobbying firms with a new generation of fringe-right true believers. All the same, you cannot explain the ease with which they've had their way strictly by their own mettle. It has required the capitulation of the Democratic Party. It's telling that the only serious political turbulence engendered by Bush's initiatives has arisen from within his own party--from moderates to his left on Social Security and the filibuster fight, and hardliners to his right on the Miers nomination.
At the hour of Bush's greatest vulnerability, there is, as usual, hardly a peep from Democrats. Every party apologist under the sun seems to think the Democrats are craftily letting Bush hang himself while they attend to the problem of refining their "message," a perennial puzzle complicated by many factors, chief among them that they have no message to refine. Ever since the 1984 reelection of Ronald Reagan, the Democrats have sought consciously to position themselves as less extreme, more sensible exemplars of the same values and goals as Republicans. That way lay the serious political money--and, they convinced themselves, the hearts of swing voters. But if "we're like them, only less" has proven repeatedly to be a lousy electoral draw, the party shows no sign of swerving from it. Hillary Clinton, an archetypal cynic and "centrist" who is as divisive in her own way as George W. Bush, is everyone's frontrunner for the 2008 Democratic nomination. The troublesome Howard Dean is effectively silenced. And the party intelligentsia, with the blessing of the Clintons, is still busy admonishing anyone who will listen to stay the course--now is no time to move left! Just last week a fresh screed on the subject was excreted by two old Friends of Bill, Elaine Kamarck and William Galston.
This tune does not change. No matter how badly they get clobbered, it is never time for the Democrats to tilt left on pocketbook issues in the view of party captains and, more important, party funders. The Democrats' money people, like the Republicans', are drawn mostly from the ranks of the less than 1 percent of the population that donates over 80 percent of total campaign contributions. Their differences with each other are slight compared to the differences between the 1-percenters and everyone else. The vast majority of the people whose money picks our political candidates and drives our government are in accord about the shape of the future they want: free trade, modest-to-minimal central government, rollbacks in any spending programs that redistribute income downward, and a continuing decline in the living standards of most Americans as world wage markets equalize. So the Democrats are left to sell themselves on a margin of difference that looks, and usually is, fairly trivial--at least until a genuine radical like Bush rises to power. And when he does, apparently, they are so far out of fighting trim that they fail to wage battles they could win even in the absence of any new ideas, such as the scandals stemming from cronyism and sheer incompetence in Bush's circle.
No matter how evil or ingenious you suppose the Republican brain trust to be, in the end they have our wondrously inert democratic institutions to thank for much of their operating room. It's no great hardship to flout public will and public interest consistently when the watchdogs of the press spend most of their time curled up in your lap, and there is no opposition party to rally foes or pose compelling alternatives. Certainly the Bush gang has exploited this vacuum to hell and back, but they did not create it. The system was broken when they got there, and it will still be broken when they're gone.
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