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Disclaimer: Characters belong to Stan Berkowitz. No copyright infringement intended.
Author's Note: My i Houston Knights /i stories are not new. This is the first time, however, that I will be able to archive all of my stories (over different fandoms) in one place. I'd still love feedback. So drop me a line and tell me what you think!
I Go First
Really, Lundy, I can't understand why you're dragging me to Gilley's again. Once was enough." Joey LaFiamma complained as they strolled down the sidewalk.
"LaFiamma, we need to get you some culture," Levon Lundy replied.
"Culture?!" LaFiamma asked, incredulously. "You call a cowboy, honky tonk bar, culture?"
"Texan culture," Lundy elaborated. "You're seriously missin' out on an important part of your Texas education."
"I'm sure I am," LaFiamma looked dubious, shrugging leather-clad shoulders.
"'Sides, it's our anniversary." Lundy continued walking even as his partner stopped short.
"What are you playing at, Lundy?" Joey rushed to catch up. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Lundy stopped and turned toward the dark-haired man. With infinite patience, his Texas drawl becoming more pronounced, he spoke as if to a dim-witted child. "LaFiamma, you've been in Houston a year. And while you haven't seen fit to change your ways..." Lundy looked from his partner's expensive Italian loafers to his silk shirt and leather jacket. "I've got to do my duty as a Texan and celebrate."
"Celebrate, huh?" Joey looked skeptical. "Right."
"Hey," Lundy said, "We Southerners are known for our hospitality."
"Uh-huh," There was a smile in Joey's voice. "You Texans...any excuse to have a party."
Lundy hooked his thumbs in his pockets and leaned against a telephone poll. "We don't need an excuse."
LaFiamma nodded, knowingly. "Just remember what happened the last time we were at Gilley's. If it occurs again, you're paying for my dry cleaning."
Lundy grinned, remembering their fist fight in the first few days of their acquaintance. "That's what you think, LaFiamma."
Shaking his head, Joey began walking again. "At least the walk was a good idea."
Lundy snorted as he fell in step beside his partner. "We didn't have much choice. Charlie Daniels is performin' tonight as a favor to Mickey. We're lucky we parked as close as we did."
LaFiamma nodded. "Who's Charlie Daniels?"
The native Texan rolled his eyes. "Boy, LaFiamma, you sure had a deprived upbringin'. Looks like I'm gonna have to fix that."
There was a pause. Then both broke into laughter. The cutting sarcasm of the early days of their partnership was still very much a part of them. Underlying the biting words, though, was affection. A fact they would both deny. Antagonism toward each other was part of their reputation. Only those close to them knew the truth--that there was a deep abiding friendship based on mutual respect.
The two Houston police officers continued to walk quietly. Gilley's was still a block away and neither was in much of a hurry. They were content in each other's company and were loathe to have the silence broken.
Of course, as it was in times like these--peaceful, tranquil--their quiet didn't last long.
Lundy stopped suddenly and grabbed LaFiamma's arm. Despite their short association, they had become so in tuned with each other no explanations were needed. Each understood the other well and it saved time.
LaFiamma followed Lundy's gaze across the street Scanning the area, he took note of the shops. The small shopping center included an ATM, Claire's Ice Cream Parlor, The Boutique, Diamond Jim's, and a local post office. Frowning, Joey wondered what his partner had seen which had suddenly made him so tense. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary to him.
"The jewelry store!" Lundy muttered harshly, reading his partner's mind.
Joey swung his gaze back to Diamond Jim's and watched it closely. Eyesight straining through the darkness, he still couldn't detect anything wrong. Silently, he shuffled forward. Peering intently at the jewelry store, he was finally rewarded with what Lundy had seen.
The beam of a flashlight bounced off of the glass door and display units on either side of the entrance...from the inside. It continued in another wide arc before disappearing once again.
Eyes widening, Joey turned to stare at his partner. "Never a dull moment in Houston is there?"
Lundy snorted and rolled his eyes. "You've been here long enough to know we don't know the meanin' of the word dull." He indicated the store. "Let's move in."
LaFiamma held back. "Just a second, Lundy. Let's plan our attack."
Lundy considered him for a moment. "Fine. Let's not take too long, though. I have a hunch it's Dalton and McGillicuddy."
"Dalton and McGillicuddy?" Joey asked sharply. "They were last spotted in San Antonio."
Lundy nodded. "Yeah, they were responsible for the rash of jewelry heists down there. One of my snitches told me there was a rumor they were headed here."
Joey stared at him. "And you're just telling me about this now?"
"I was gonna tell you, LaFiamma." Lundy pulled his gun from his holster. "Just hadn't gotten around to it is all."
The Italian gave an irritated sigh, but made no comment. "Think we should call for backup?"
"No time," Lundy replied tersely. "We gotta take 'em down now."
"All right," LaFiamma pulled out his two guns. "I'll take the front. You take the back."
"No," Lundy disagreed. "Old Jim Rolston didn't believe in back doors. Said it was too much temptation for crooks. He only had a fire exit installed to meet the fire codes of the city. If the thieves go that way, they risk setting off the fire alarm and drawing attention to themselves. We both take the front." He took a few steps in the direction of the store.
LaFiamma grasped his arm and in a tone which left no room for argument, he hissed. "I go through the doors first."
Levon sighed, knowing it was useless to say anything, but his standard, "Be my guest." He knew Joey still carried a lot of guilt for the death of his previous partner who was killed in Chicago. In fact, the incident had been the catalyst which had sent LaFiamma to Houston for his own protection. Lundy allowed himself a moment to ponder his partner's obsession with going through doors first. 'One of these days,' he thought. 'I'm gonna have to put a stop to this. Joey can't go on blamin' himself forever. I won't allow it.'
Resolving to talk to Joey at the first opportunity, Lundy turned to the problem they currently faced. He followed LaFiamma to the front of the store. Crouching low before the front door, they glanced at each other. The lock had been picked and from the signs of it, the burglary alarm had been disabled. Upon closer observation, they noticed two people in the store and from the looks of it, they were pros. It appeared as if their Dalton/McGillicuddy theory was true. The two detectives only needed to arrest them in order to prove it.
In wordless communication, they eased up until they were standing. Taking up position on either side of the door, guns ready, they tensed in readiness. Lundy nodded at his partner.
As LaFiamma slowly reached for the door handle, something caught Lundy's eye. With horrifying clarity, he realized they had been spotted. One of the thieves in the store had pulled a gun and was aiming it at the front door...straight at his partner.
No thought, no hesitation slowed Lundy's movements. Concern for Joey's safety was paramount and his next actions were instinctive. Giving a startled cry, the Texan tackled LaFiamma as the gun from within the store went off.
Joey fell against the glass display on the edge of the doorway. He didn't hear the shattering glass or feel the broken pieces cutting into his back. He was too busy cursing. "Damn it, Lundy, get off a me. They're getting away!" LaFiamma shoved ineffectually at his partner. "Lundy!" He tried again, his voice suddenly full of panic. His friend wasn't responding and he was a dead weight, pinning Joey down.
The two thieves temporarily forgotten, Joey ran hands across Lundy's back, looking for signs of injury. "Shit!" He cursed again as he touched Lundy's shoulder and felt blood.
Lundy began to moan.
"Levon," Joey's voice was urgent. "Come on, help me out here. Don't do this to me. Please." He slid down with his partner's body clasped to him, ignoring the slight pain in his lower back as a piece of glass cut through his jacket and dug tenaciously into his skin. "Levon," he whispered, his voice thick. "I--please--I need for you to open your eyes. Talk to me. Please be okay."
The wail of an alarm finally penetrated Joey's desperate pleas and he realized the two men must have left through the fire exit. Sighing, he felt a moment's relief, knowing backup would be arriving soon and they could get an ambulance for Lundy.
Until that time, though, LaFiamma would look after him. Cradling Lundy to his chest, Joey could feel the painfully slow thudding of his partner's heart. It tore at him to know that it was his fault. He should have gone first, it should have been him. Closing his eyes at the phantom pain of a past death made real all over again by the too still body he held in his arms, Joey slipped his hand under Lundy's jacket and pressed it against the bloody wound.
LaFiamma was still in the same position minutes later when help finally arrived.
An hour later, Lundy was still in surgery and LaFiamma was pacing the waiting room. Occasionally, he would stop and gaze out the sole window at the Houston skyline as if pondering on the origin of the universe...and his place in it.
The only other occupant of the room watched him. "Joey," Lieutenant Joanne Beaumont said softly. "Why don't you sit down?"
LaFiamma spun around and stared at her. "I don't wanna sit down, Lieutenant. I want that doctor to hurry up and tell me what's going on!"
The lieutenant tried again. "Levon's going to be all right. He's tough. You just have to let the doctors do their job."
"That's the standard line, isn't it?" LaFiamma began pacing again. "It seems like every bad cop show on television uses that line at one time or another." He paused, looking down at his blood soaked shirt. It was Lundy's blood staining him, permanently etching the memory of the horrifying evening in his mind. "Well, Lieutenant, it doesn't work that way. Levon shouldn't even be in there." In sudden despair, he leaned against the wall and stared upward as if expecting someone to reach down and assuage his guilt.
Joanne looked at her detective in concern. She had noticed the brief pain which had fluttered across the handsome face, knowing Joey hadn't even realized it. "Is your back bothering you? Did you get a doctor to look at it?" She had been briefed by the uniforms and detectives who had responded to the robbery alarm. And as she had waited with Joey, Joanne had managed to get a somewhat abbreviated story out of her detective.
LaFiamma flashed her a look of irritation. "Yeah, just a few cuts. No big deal." He began tapping his foot. "Where the hell is that doctor?"
"Joey," Joanne began. "You aren't doing Lundy any good by losing control."
"That's right," LaFiamma interrupted her. "I didn't do any good. I lost control and Lundy ended up with a bullet in his back." He ran a hand through his hair in agitation. "You weren't there, Lieutenant. There was so much blood." He tried to keep the anguish out of his voice. "If only he'd listened--" He turned away. "I always go through the doors first."
"That's enough, Sergeant." Lt. Beaumont snapped, hoping her authoritative tone would penetrate LaFiamma's guilt-ridden fog. "You were both doing your job. You can't blame yourself."
"Oh yeah, just watch me," Joey muttered under his breath before turning to his superior. "Lieutenant, no matter what happens, from now on, I work alone." He straightened to his full height and gave his boss a look of determination.
Joanne stared at him in shock. "You can't mean that. Look, just wait until Lundy gets better. Things will be clearer then."
Joey shook his head. "Alone." His voice was cold and final.
The lieutenant opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the arrival of the doctor. As Joey began questioning the physician, she had only one thought. 'Lundy, you better hurry up and get well. You're the only one who can talk some sense into your partner because if you don't, he's gone.'
"Lieutenant," Joey spoke, interrupting her thoughts. "Lundy's out of the woods. Looks like it was only a shoulder wound. He's gonna have to stay here for the rest of the night, but he'll be able to go home sometime tomorrow." The tone was full of relief.
Joanne smiled. "See, Joey? I told you he was going to be fine."
LaFiamma's expression closed and he stared stonily at her. "Nothing's changed, Lieutenant. I'm not losing another partner. I work alone."
"It's a little late for that. Don't you think, Sergeant?" Beaumont replied, meeting his expression head on.
Joey scowled. "I'm gonna go see him." He followed the doctor out of the waiting room without a giving Beaumont a backward glance.
She watched them go. "You do that, LaFiamma." The lieutenant said softly. "See what you'll be missing." Grabbing her purse, she decided to give the two detectives some time together. Partners usually needed time alone after an ordeal such as this in order to process what had occurred, and to reassure each other they were both fine. LaFiamma and Lundy needed it the most especially now their partnership had reached a critical stage.
Beaumont left the hospital, thinking of her best team and hoping things would work out.
Joey entered the hospital room quietly. He stood by the door, afraid of moving forward. Taking a deep breath, he allowed his eyes to settle on his sleeping partner.
"I'm sorry, Lundy," Joey whispered, noting the bare chest partially covered with white bandages. "It shouldn't be you there. It should be me."
Sighing, he walked over and pulled a chair close to the hospital bed. The young sergeant sat and watched his partner.
Lundy was still and pale, his face gentled by sleep and painkillers. The natural air of intensity which usually surrounded him was gone. He was way too still.
"You're gonna make it, man," LaFiamma whispered, laying a hand on Lundy's arm. He didn't know when they had gone form being just partners to friends. They still hassled one another and got in each other's faces, but it was the way they communicated best. Joey was going to hate leaving his partner, but he was doing Lundy a favor. 'Is that what you think you're doing?' A little voice taunted inside his head. 'Face it, LaFiamma, you're just chicken. You don't want to lose another partner, another friend.'
He rubbed his forehead, trying to dispel his guilt and maybe shut up the little voice. "I hope you understand, Lundy." The words echoed in the quiet, sterile room. Still, the other occupant did not stir.
Joey laid his head down on the bed, his hand still on Lundy's arm. Somehow, the connection made him feel better. "Please don't fight me on this." Closing his eyes, Joey wondered who he was kidding. Lundy wasn't going to take the break-up of their partnership sitting down. Aw, well, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.
Joey drifted into sleep, not having the willpower to struggle against the large issues he suddenly faced.
The moan issuing from deep in his throat roused him from slumber. Opening his eyes, he blearily glanced around and noticed he was in a hospital room. He took a ragged breath when memory came flooding back. With it, came worry.
Where was Joey? Had he gotten to him in time? It was then Lundy felt the hand on his arm.
The Houston detective moved slowly as not to wake the fiery pain in his shoulder. There was LaFiamma leaning forward uncomfortably, his eyes closed. Lundy watched him for a few moments, grateful Joey was all right. It had been way too close.
"LaFiamma," Lundy spoke softly, his throat hoarse. "Come on, wake up."
The other man shifted in his sleep and mumbled something intelligible.
Lundy shook the hand on his arm and instantly regretted the movement. Hissing in pain, he lay back amongst the pillows and tried to control his breathing. To busy trying to get the throbbing in his shoulder to subside, he was unaware of a pair of sleepy blue eyes staring at him.
"Levon?" LaFiamma asked. "You okay?"
Gritting his teeth, Lundy could barely nod. "I'm fine."
"Damn it, Lundy!" Joey swore. "Cut that out. I know you're hurting, man. You don't have to lie about it."
"Shit, LaFiamma," Lundy ground out. "If you knew how I was feelin', why'd ya ask?" He swallowed as each beat of his heart sent waves of pain throughout his body. "That must have been some bullet. It hurts like a son of a bitch."
Joey abruptly stood and turned away. "I'm gonna go get a doctor."
Despite his debilitating condition, Lundy eyed his partner in suspicion. He knew LaFiamma well enough to know something was wrong. "Don't bother. I been shot before. All they're gonna do is give me some pain medication. I don't need it."
Back still to Lundy, Joey replied, "Maybe you do. I'll be right back." He took two steps toward the door when he was stopped by a command.
"Hold it right there." Lundy was exhausted by this little bit of action. It seemed to take huge amounts of energy to even have a conversation, especially when said conversation was between himself and his stubborn other half. Joey was holding something back from him and he wasn't going to rest until they had cleared the air. "What the hell's wrong?" He asked.
Joey spun around to face his fallen friend. "What's wrong? You have some nerve, Lundy." Anger sparked his blue eyes.
Frowning, Lundy let his gaze travel over the Italian. Blood stained his wrinkled clothes. He swore. "Were you hurt? What the hell happened?" Panic lightly touched his words. Joey was standing and talking. Whatever wound he had suffered couldn't be that bad.
Joey ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "No, man, I didn't get hit. Thanks to you. I'm fine."
Momentary relief flooded through Lundy's system until he remembered his partner's strange behavior. "If you're okay, then what the hell's goin' on? You look like a scared jackrabbit lookin' for a place to hide."
LaFiamma was shaking his head. "I don't know what you mean. I'm okay. It's you who's been shot."
Irritated with his partner, Lundy made a move to get up. An involuntary gasp shot from his lips as he jostled his shoulder.
Eyes narrowing in anger, Joey was by his side before he had time to lie back down. "Damn it, Lundy! You wanna tear those stitches? It took the doctors a couple of hours to get you back for what passes for human. Relax." LaFiamma gently lowered him to the pillows.
"I would relax, LaFiamma, if you'd tell me what's goin' on," Lundy retorted through whitening lips. "I wake up to find my partner asleep on my hospital bed, covered in blood. On top of that, you've been itchin' to get out of here since I woke up. So speak up, boy, what the hell's wrong."
"You really wanna go through this now?" Joey looked down at him.
"So you admit there's something wrong." It was a statement not a question delivered in a smug tone. Lundy had him.
Joey strode angrily to the window and peered out, the early morning sun causing him to squint. He wasn't looking at anything in particular anyway. What he was seeing was his own guilt. It was eating away at him. "It's nothing important," he spoke quietly.
"Nothin' important," Lundy repeated, staring at his friend's back. LaFiamma's body was stiff with tension. "If that's the case, then I guess you won't mind tellin' me what's going on."
LaFiamma turned. "Give it a rest, Lundy. Now's not the time to talk." He tried to keep his tone calm and low. It was an uphill battle. Under the best of circumstances, he was a volatile man. It just wasn't in his nature to be serene when he could be raging at something. Unfortunately, the person he wanted to rage against was lying in a hospital bed, weak and helpless. Well, maybe not helpless. The word just didn't seem to apply to his partner.
Lundy's eyes narrowed, assessing the man before him. If he hadn't been convinced there was something wrong before, he was now. Watching LaFiamma control his temper when he so obviously wanted to rant was almost more painful to watch then taking a bullet in the shoulder. "Talk to me, Joey," he said softly.
LaFiamma's fists clenched and unclenched as they hung loosely by his sides. Arguing with his wounded partner wasn't an option. Lack of a descent night's sleep added to the guilt and worry made him aware he wasn't in full control either. This conversation had to wait. "Listen, Lundy, you need to get some rest. We can talk about this later." He hoped his tone was reasonable.
Lundy gave an exasperated sigh. "It's like pullin' teeth." He muttered to no one in particular.
"Now listen, man--" Joey started.
Eyes widening as he finally understood what his partner wasn't saying, Lundy interrupted. Lord have mercy, LaFiamma, you aren't blamin' yourself for what happened, are you?" The slow flush creeping up Joey's face was the only answer he needed. How could he have not realized this sooner? "Dammit, Joey, if I have to get up from this bed and knock some sense into you--"
"You'll have to answer to me." A new voice threw in.
Both looked toward the door and discovered a doctor standing there.
Joey remembered her as the doctor he had spoken to briefly the night before. She was Lundy's physician. He walked toward and flashed a tired smile. "Hey, Doc."
The tall, red-haired woman raised a brow. "Don't 'hey, doc,' me. Flashing those baby blues won't save you from the lecture I'm about to give you. But first, my patient." She walked over to Lundy. "Good morning, Mr. Lundy. I'm Dr. Gina Santos. I'm the one who stitched you up."
"Terrific job, Doc," Lundy said easily. "When can I go home?"
She frowned at him. "In a couple of hours. Right now, I want you resting. And..." Santos managed to glare at both of them. "The scene I stumbled upon didn't seem conducive to that. May I ask what exactly you two thought you were doing?" Hands on hips, she waited for an answer.
Joey looked sheepish. "Sorry about that, Doc. We weren't talking about anything in particular."
"Yeah," Lundy drawled, directing a glare of his own toward his partner. "And that's what the problem was."
Santos looked from one to the other and sighed. She didn't understand any of the subtext, but she knew they were really close friends and something was wrong. For her patient's sake, the doctor hoped they would solve whatever problem it was.
"We'll talk about it later, Lundy. It can wait." Joey replied. "The doctor's right, you need rest."
"Thank you," Dr. Santos interjected drily. "Now I suggest you leave and let me examine my patient. Why don't you go home and get cleaned up? He'll still be here when you get back." She added. "And then maybe you can take him home."
LaFiamma exchanged looks with Lundy as the doctor took her patient's pulse. "I'll be back in an hour."
"Make it three," Santos said. "He's going to be going back to sleep soon. You wouldn't be doing any good here."
"Yeah, LaFiamma. Why don't you take it easy for awhile and then come back." Lundy agreed, his eyes a steel blue.
The other man shivered slightly. He heard the unspoken words, 'Take it easy because you're gonna need all the strength you can get. This argument isn't over by a long shot.' Nodding, he acknowledged the silent message. "Later, Lundy."
As he left, he could hear the doctor telling Lundy that he shouldn't have moved his injured shoulder too much. LaFiamma felt bad about that. Just another thing to add to the pile of guilt he seemed to be carrying around these days.
"Hey, Joanne," Lundy greeted his first visitor since LaFiamma had left two hours ago. "How're things going?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" His boss smiled as she neared the bed.
Lundy chuckled. "I'm doin' all right. As soon as my partner gets here, I'm free to go."
Beaumont's brow wrinkled. "So he's still willing to talk to you?" She sat down in the chair her other detective had slept in the night before.
"What do mean, Joanne?" Lundy asked, a puzzled look on his face. "Do you know what's goin' on with him? When I tried talkin' to him this morning, he was more skittish than a newborn colt."
The woman nodded. "I'm not surprised. I bet he's wondering how to tell you."
Lundy shifted in his bed to face her more clearly. He was mindful of his shoulder wound. "Lieutenant, why don't you fill me in on exactly what's goin' on? I know he feels guilty over what happened, but we haven't gotten a chance to talk about it yet."
Beaumont ran a critical eye over her wounded officer. Lundy was pale and tired, but his eyes were still sharp. Taking a deep breath, she replied, "Joey does blame himself for getting you shot. Lundy, he's decided to work alone from here on out."
Lundy's reaction was explosive. "What the hell does he think that's gonna accomplish!" His voice rose as he tried to sit up. Oblivious of the pain, he swung his legs over the side of the bed before the lieutenant could stop him. "It makes no sense at all. I need a partner to back me up." He cursed some more as his shoulder screamed out in pain. Clenching his teeth, he waved the woman away as Joanne tried to ease him back down among the pillows. "No time for that now. I've gotta find Joey. Straighten this mess out."
"Sargeant." Beaumont's tone was stern. "He'll be here. You just need to relax until then." She tugged ineffectually at Levon's arm. "Don't make me get the doctor. If you work yourself up into a state, she just might make you stay here another day."
Lundy glared at her. "Listen, Joanne, you don't know LaFiamma. I may have been the one shot, but he's the one who's hurtin'. I've gotta talk to him."
Beaumont's gaze softened. "Look, I do understand. You're just not in the best of shape for this right now. It can wait until you're better."
The weak man leaned back against the pillows, trying not to make anymore sudden movements. He would have to learn to control that if he were going to be able to talk to Joey. "Lieutenant, it can't wait. It's already been too long. I know if I could talk to him, I could get him to understand." His voice was twinged with pain, but the woman could hear determination behind it.
"You'll get a chance," she said softly, placing hand on his arm.
"Get a chance at what?" LaFiamma asked as he entered the hospital room.
"A chance to talk to you," Lundy responded. He was pleased to note Joey had changed clothes and had apparently gotten some rest. The haggard, drawn appearance of this morning was gone. LaFiamma was far from peaceful and serene, but he looked more in control.
Joey crossed his arms and leaned against the wall near Lundy's hospital bed. "What's there to talk about?"
"You know damn well what I wanna talk about," Lundy said between clenched teeth. He spared a glance at their lieutenant. "I know what you're plannin' to do, LaFiamma, but you can just forget about it. I'm not gonna go through the trouble of breakin' in a new partner just because you're scared." He hoped for a reaction to his intended slur and got it.
"I am not scared, Lundy!" Joey practically shouted, standing away from the wall with a snap. He had gained control for all of an hour. Minutes in his partner's presence and he had lost it.
"Of course you are," Lundy said softly. "And that's okay."
LaFiamma stood there unable to respond. He stared passed his partner and his lieutenant, not wanting to see the look of compassion and concern on both their faces. It would be his undoing. He couldn't admit he was scared to lose the best partner--closest friend--he'd ever had. Nor did he want to tell Lundy that it pained him to leave. There was no choice. Joey was bad luck and he knew it. So he set his face in a grim mask, careful not to show what he was truly feeling.
Lundy stared at him for a moment, instinctively knowing what must be going through his partner's head. Turning to his lieutenant, he requested, "Joanne, you mind givin' us a minute?"
Glancing from the man lying in the bed to the other staring into space, she nodded. "I'll be right outside if ya'll need me."
"Thanks," Lundy murmured as she left. He turned to look back at his partner who hadn't moved. "Joey, sit down for a minute." He was meant with grim silence and no movement. With a sigh of exasperation, the Texan sat up. The other was still, tension radiating from him like heat on asphalt. "Look, man, you've been carryin' this around since you left Chicago. It's time we deal with it."
The silence lengthened until finally LaFiamma replied, "There's nothing to deal with, Lundy. I'm going to start working alone and you'll get a new partner." His voice sounded flat, dead. No trace of emotion was evident.
With determination, Levon swung his feet over the edge of the bed and stood. He was going to be leaving soon, might as well get used to maneuvering. "What if I don't want a new partner? Didja think of that?"
LaFiamma shrugged and finally turned to look at his partner. "You need someone to watch your back, Lundy."
"And you don't?" Lundy shot back in irritation. "You were nearly shot and killed in the first week you were here. Or did you conveniently forget that I saved your ass."
Joey flushed. "No, I didn't forget." He shook his head. "Right now, that's not important."
"Are you saying you aren't important, LaFiamma?" Lundy's tone had dipped dangerously low. Eyes narrowing, he watched his partner.
"Dammit, Lundy!" Joey began to pace. "Can't you just leave it alone? That's not what I'm saying."
"Then what are you saying?" Lundy asked, his voice still soft, still full of anger. "Why don't you just spit it out." 'Come on, Joey. Talk to me. Let it all out.'
Joey stopped and faced the other man. "Fine, you asked for it." He took a deep breath. "When I lost my partner in Chicago, it was like...like a piece of me had gone with him. We'd been through so much together--both on and off the job. To know I could have prevented his death made it worse. I vowed to myself that there wouldn't be a next time. I was gonna put the safety of my partner first." He was looking at the floor now, unable to meet his partner's gaze.
Lundy slowly walked forward and placed a hand on the other man's shoulder. Giving it a slight squeeze, he said, "I know how you feel, LaFiamma. Cuz I feel the same way. My partner's life is just as important as my own and I would do anything to protect him."
LaFiamma looked up into blue eyes so much like his own and saw only concern and sympathy. He felt the warmth of friendship creep through him and he visciously shoved it away. It was already too hard to do this. "Then you understand why I have to go solo."
Lundy shook his head. "Actually, I don't. It's all wrong, don't you see that?" He paused, searching for the right words. "You think that if you left, then I wouldn't have to deal with an incompetent cop for a partner who may get me killed."
"For someone who doesn't understand," Joey interrupted drily. "You sure explain it well."
"Quiet and let me finish," Lundy ordered. "There's two problems with that. One, you aren't incompetent. You're one of the best cops on the force. Yeah, you may be a little hotheaded, but we all have our quirks."
Joey rolled his eyes. "What's the second thing?"
"Did you ever stop to think that if you left this partnership, it would leave me more vulnerable? With no one to watch my back, I might as well have a bull's eye painted on my forehead."
"You could always get another partner, Lundy." Joey suggested.
"And that's the biggest problem of all." Lundy sat down on the bed, still looking at his friend. "A partner is someone you can trust. Not only to guard your back, but to support you when the cards are stacked against you. I already have someone who fits those qualifications. I don't want anyone else, I don't need anyone else." He paused. "You're the only one I trust."
Joey swallowed and his eyes were suspiciously wet. "It still doesn't change the fact that you wouldn't have gotten hurt tonight if it weren't for me."
Lundy cocked his head as he considered his friend's words. "How do you figure that?" He asked finally. "If you hadn't been there, I would have gone on my own and still have gotten shot. It just turned out you were there." He pierced his partner with a gaze. "And make no mistake, I made the choice to take the bullet. You didn't force me. No one was at fault, LaFiamma. It happened, now we get over it."
"Just like that." Joey snapped his fingers. He was still angry. "It's not that simple, man. If you hadn't been looking out for me, you wouldn't be here now."
"That's enough, LaFiamma," Lundy responded sternly. "That's what partners do. Look after each other. You wanna make it worse by splittin' us apart so that neither one of us has any back up. Where's the logic in that?"
LaFiamma sighed and let his shoulders slump. He felt suddenly defeated. "There is no logic. It's how I feel. I'm really tired..." The Italian sat down on the bed next to his friend.
Lundy threw an arm around his shoulders. "I know you are, Joey. I know." He paused. "This really isn't about me. It's about Szabo. What happened to him wasn't your fault. You didn't pull the trigger, you didn't kill him. He was doing his job the same as you."
"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" LaFiamma asked bitterly.
"I didn't say it to make you feel better." Lundy corrected. "You lost a good friend and partner and it hurts. Nothing's gonna change that. What I'm telling you is the truth. It's time to move on, partner. He wouldn't want you wastin' your energy over something you couldn't control to begin with."
"It's just...it's not so easy, you know?" LaFiamma ran a hand through his hair.
"I know," Lundy murmured. "We've all lost people we've care about. We just have to do the best we can. And the best way is through friendship."
Joey looked at his partner. "Friendship," he repeated. "I guess you're right."
Lundy patted him on the back. "Of course I am. Have you ever known a Texan to be wrong?" He smiled. "Seriously, Joey, friendship is what it's all about. So don't go tryin' to destroy ours. Got it?"
For the first time that day, LaFiamma smiled. "Got it." He still felt bad about what had happened to both his partners, but he was beginning to understand friendship counted a long way towards defeating the guilt. "Come on, man. Let's get outa here. I hate hospitals."
"That's the best thing you've said all day." Lundy stood up. "Get me my clothes."
"Bossy, aren't you?" LaFiamma moved toward the closet.
"Someone has to keep you in line." Came the dry retort.
"Back to normal," Joey murmured. "Back to normal."
The End.


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Jenny Hart made embroidery cool before anyone dared to try. Her own embroidery works have been internationally exhibited and are included in the collections of many

subset: commoncrawl


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ST. PETERSBURG — The Rays and Red Sox may not have much in common in terms of payrolls, stadiums and tradition.
But as Tampa Bay continues to praise Boston for how it has hung in the wild-card race — trailing the Rays by just 51/2 games — despite being ravaged by injuries, RHP James Shields made an interesting comparison.
Shields said the Red Sox are a little like the Rays' pennant-winning club of two seasons ago.
"They're kind of reminding me of how we won in 2008," Shields said. "We had a lot of injuries. I think every one of our position players at some point was injured that year. They're going through adversity, and the guys they brought up are stepping up and doing a good job. We definitely can't take them lightly."
The Red Sox are playing without former AL MVP Dustin Pedroia, 1B Kevin Youkilis and CF Jacoby Ellsbury. They've also dealt with injuries to RHP Josh Beckett and C Victor Martinez, among others. But they've had backups step up, including CFs Darnell McDonald and Ryan Kalish, who have made huge defensive plays the past two games.
Similarly, in 2008, the Rays made their spectacular and surprising run even with several regulars, including 3B Evan Longoria, 1B Carlos Peña, LF Carl Crawford and SS Jason Bartlett, spending time on the disabled list (as did then-closer Troy Percival).
When Shields was asked about drawing a parallel between this year's Red Sox and a Tampa Bay team that reached the World Series, he smiled.
"Hopefully, not that (far)," Shields said. "But they're hanging in there. They're doing what they need to do to win ball games. They've got a great pitching staff; their bullpen is pretty solid. So we're in for a battle."
IN A GROOVE: Shields enters tonight's start with some confidence, having won his past two outings and gone 5-2 in his past seven.
"I think this is the best I've felt all year long," Shields said. "If I can continue to make progress and keep working and give my team a chance to win, that's always good."
MAKING PROGRESS: RHP Jeff Niemann said he felt good after a "pretty heavy" bullpen session Saturday, saying he tried to iron some things out from his last start, when he gave up a career-high 10 runs. Niemann, who struggled with command in his first start since coming off the DL, said he's physically fine; it was more an issue of mechanics or "feel."
"Everything's fine," Niemann said. "I think the last time it was just a bad day and that happens. I just went out there and addressed the issues and (hope to) get back out there and try again."
FOR STARTERS: RHP Grant Balfour (intercostal strain) had a rough start for Class A Charlotte on Saturday, not even getting out of the first inning. Balfour gave up three runs on three walks and two hits, striking out two for both his outs. … Recently acquired OF Brad Hawpe batted three times as the DH for Charlotte and went 0-for-2 with a walk.
REMATCH TIME: DH Dan Johnson said he enjoyed getting another chance against Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon on Friday night, his first plate appearance against him since hitting the home run in Boston on Sept. 9, 2008. Johnson would have loved to have hit a tying two-run homer, but he settled for a walk.
"It was fun," Johnson said. "He wanted to (strike) me out just as bad as I wanted to get a hit. We found common ground in a walk."
MISCELLANY: Crawford returned to the lineup Saturday after missing a game due to a stomach virus.
MINOR MATTERS: OF Leslie Anderson entered Saturday's game having collected multiple hits in 11 of his 20 games with Triple-A Durham and was batting .354. … LHP Jake McGee continued his stellar relief work for the Bulls, tossing two hitless innings Friday, and has given up no runs in 122/3 innings there.
Joe Smith can be reached at email@example.com.


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Leaving behind a madcap, fishing-obsessed family, Gus decides to strike out on his own, taking refuge in a remote riverbank cabin to pursue his own fly-fishing passion with unrelenting zeal. But instead of finding fishing bliss, Gus becomes increasingly troubled by the degradation of the natural world around him and by the spiritual barrenness of his own life. His desolation drives him on a reluctant quest for self-discovery and meaningultimately fruitful beyond his wildest dreams.
Stylistically adept and ambitious in scope, The River Why is a touching and powerful novel by an important voice in American fiction.
In a new Afterword written for this twentieth-anniversary edition, David James Duncan reflects on the genesis of his book and on the surprising link between fishing and wisdom.
Leaving behind a madcap, fishing-obsessed family, Gus embarks on an extraordinary voyage of self-discovery along his beloved Oregon rivers. What he unexpectedly finds is man's wanton destruction of nature and a burning desire to commit himself to its preservation.
Here then is the funny, sensitive, very special story of one man's search: for meaning, for love, and for a sane way to live...a tale that gives a contemporary voice to the concerns and hopes of all living things on this beautiful, watery planet Earth.
Duncan has read and lectured all over the United States on wilderness, the writing life, the nonmonastic contemplative life, the fly fishing life, and nonreligious literature of faith. His work has appeared in Harper's, Outside, Orion, The Sun, Sierra, Big Sky Journal, Northern Lights, Gray's Sporting Journal, and many other publications. He lives with his family on a Montana trout stream.


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The Providence College Faculty Authors Series promotes the breadth and depth of scholarship undertaken by recently published Providence College faculty members through video interviews coordinated by faculty and staff members from the Office of Academic Affairs and the Phillips Memorial Library+Commons. Partners – Chris Machado and Alyssa Martin, Office of Academic Affairs
This blog provides information and updates about developments in digital publishing and scholarly communication with special attention to scholarship created by the Providence College community.
Roger B. Carmosino (Foreign Language Studies Department) founded Inti: Revista de literatura hispánica in 1974. Since then, Inti has been publishing scholarship and creative writing from and about the Hispanic world. The Inti Archive, available through PC's Digital Commons, provides digitized back issues of Inti.
In collaboration with local scholars, Digital Publishing Services (DPS) created a short documentary film about the Dorr Rebellion, an attempt by Thomas Wilson Dorr to bring voting rights to all men of Rhode Island in 1842. DPS created a web site to host the documentary and provide access to images of a variety of primary sources related to the Rebellion.
Providence College's student newspaper, The Cowl, has been in publication since 1935, with the exception of two years in the 1940's during World War II. Digitization of The Cowl will continue until all issues have been processed and made available through Digital Commons.
The national Army Specialized Training Program served as a way to educate young, academically talented, soldiers (ages 18-21) for leadership roles within the Army during World War II. Providence College's Army Specialized Training Program began in July 1943 and lasted through April 1944. PC's ASTP collection includes video, photographs, correspondence, newspaper coverage, archival materials, and more.
The Whittier collection includes personal correspondence, newspapers, souvenir programs, cabinet cards, sheet music, autographs, and more. The project homepage brings together digital reproductions of select collection material and provides links to information about other Whittier collections. An ongoing video interview series with a faculty expert explores different aspects of Whittier's life and work, highlighting collection materials where appropriate.
In collaboration with the Art Department, the English Department, the Global Studies Department, and the Social Work Department, DPS publishes the work of Providence College student-scholars through Digital Commons. Other departments are welcome and encouraged to participate. Contact DPS for further information.


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Online and UK based End present their take on the Fall Winter 2013 collection from Norse Projects in this lookbook. Focusing on wool, "experimenting with compositions, textures and some fascinating juxtapositions using this incredible material" with crew neck and fairisle sweaters, over-shirts, socks, sweat pants, cardigans and their classic caps adding a sports edge to this cold-weather friendly fabric. Take a look in the gallery.
End Clothing Offer Their Take On Norse Projects Fall 2013
Highsnobiety Style
Highsnobiety Style
What To Read Next


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It's that time of year again when transplants from the Northwest and New England get nostalgic for the autumns they once knew, while the Indian summer still lingers in the distance (le sigh). So what's the perfect shoe for this in-between season? Ankle boots. And to go with the funky weather patterns of late, we decided to pull together seven funky styles.
Step into fall with these dynamic kicks.
1. See by Chloe Suede and Leather Ankle Boot, $415
2. Jack Rogers Pima Wedge Bootie, $278
3. Nine West Icelandic Fringe Bootie, $115.99
4. Miu Miu Studded Peep Toe Bootie, $975
5. Dolce Vita Jyll Strappy Booties, $239
6. B Store Brass Works Bootie, $558
7. Juicy Couture Astor Calf Hair Wedge Bootie, $250
Lily Ko (lily7x7 @gmail.com) studied fashion design and merchandising at Central Saint Martins and the Academy of Art University. In addition to writing for 7x7, Lily is on the creative team at Pottery Barn, and works as a freelance stylist, writer, and designer.


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When students work with Crayola Educational Watercolors, each brilliant color retains its richness without muddying or fading. Pigments stay true from the darkest dark to the palest washes. The natural hair brush delivers a smooth flow of paint every time.
This convenient Classpack includes 24 Sets of 8 Colors (described above), plus 12, 8-ct Oval Pan Refills.
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Dick Blick Art Materials®, Blick®, Blick Studio®, and Artists Pick Blick® are registered trademarks of Dick Blick Holdings Inc.
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WAS this a field of dreams on which a forebear of yours ran or pedalled to glory?
This picture is a little out of our usual territory. This was the opening day of the Ashbrooke Sports Club, in Sunderland, in 1887.
It's celebrating its 125th birthday this summer and it would love to hear from descendants of – what turns out to be numerous – South Tyneside sportsmen, who displayed their prowess there.
Thanks to a hand-written book which has come to light, revealing details of the cyclists and athletes who competed in events between 1893 and 1904, it's known who many of them were.
Says club historian Keith Gregson: "From what is now modern South Tyneside, for example, athletes turned up for the 1893 sports in a handful of colours of local clubs – four from Jarrow, two from Tyne Dock and one each from Whitburn, Westoe and South Shields, including Tyne Dock Harriers."
At that time, nearly all the competitors from what is now the borough were runners.
They included James Anderson, a fish curer from 113 Alfred Street in South Shields.
Also Henry Swainston, a teenage apprentice fitter from Charlotte Street in the town, and a medical student from Princess Street in Jarrow called James McLarney.
Among the athletes in 1893, Keith also found George Taylor, a highly-rated runner in his early 20s.
He was a clerk and the son of a waterman from Corbridge Street in the town. An engineer from Henry Street called Lancelot Lambert entered for the Ashbrooke races on more than one occasion.
Other competitors included engineer's apprentice Robert Spoor and glass worker Adam Goldie – two young lads from Tyne Dock.
The following year there were two athletes from South Shields called John Blenkinsop, one a shoe dealer and the other a blacksmith.
From Ashbrooke Terrace in East Boldon came cyclist Edwin Clarkson, elder brother of rugby player Phil, and from the same street a young runner called John Ladbrook.
"Some of the competitors have been difficult to trace in the 1891 census," Keith says. "It is possible that they were moving about. I would like to find out more about athletes FA Magnan, who gave his address as 55 Hibernian Road, Jarrow, also H Maughan and W Telfer from Albert Road and Wear Street in Jarrow respectively.
"Intriguingly there was also one D Jeffels who gave his address as the Globe Inn, Thrift Street in South Shields"
Keith is keen to hear from anyone who recognises an ancestor as an Ashbrooke competitor. He can be contacted via his web site, www.keithgregson.com


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As murder retrial gets under way, story of a clandestine gay love affair and a young man's tragic death should serve as a cautionary tale
For some people, being "in the closet" is a personal hell. But it often affects others, too.
Take the case of Steven Rios, a married police officer from Columbia, Mo.
According to prosecutors, Officer Rios, when faced with the possibility of having his gay relationship revealed to his wife and family, decided to reach into his closet and pull out a knife — a knife he used to slash the throat of Jesse Valencia, a 23-year-old student attending college at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Officer Rios began the relationship with Valencia in 2004 when he arrested the student for interfering with a police call about a loud party. Rios told the court that their sexual relationship began that very night.
Rios was convicted of the murder three years ago, but an appeals court ordered a retrial, saying the trial court allowed inadmissible hearsay testimony the first time around.
The new trial began Monday, Dec. 1, and Rios faces a mandatory sentence of life without parole if he is convicted. Court officials said they expect the trial to end by Friday, Dec. 5.
The story is a graphic example of how the closet can kill. It should be a wake-up call for every LGBT person that is trying to hide their sexual orientation.
The struggle to keep stories straight and live in the lie takes a great toll not only on the person hiding, but on his family and friends when his true self is revealed.
Everyone has to face coming out of the closet at some point. For some it is a slow process, with a lot of starts and stops. My own journey was like that.
But eventually I accepted my sexuality and embraced it. From that time forward I have never regretted it. The freedom of not having to hide myself was much more preferable than the alternative.
The killer closet usually claims its victims from the inside. Many LGBT people never manage to open that door and eventually die, usually at their own hand.
There are others who manage to live in a strange limbo of a double life, but they are the exception.
I once had a friend who was very closeted. He even sought the camouflage of a wife and children to disguise his real sexuality. I suppose you could consider him bisexual, except that I reserve that term for men and women who are honest and open about their orientation.
His story ended with a messy divorce, a custody battle and children who have very mixed feelings about their father and his dishonesty toward them and their mother.
It isn't pretty, and it happens all the time.
The moral to the story is simple, but for some it will be a bitter pill: Come out!
It is a rite of passage that will free you and help you grow as a fully actualized human being: Come out!
Open the door and step into the light of the 21st Century: Come out!
You have thousands of men and women who will accept you and befriend you in your journey.
Hardy Haberman is a longtime local LGBT activist and a board member for Stonewall Democrats of Dallas. His blog is at http://dungeondiary.blogspot.com.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition December 5, 2008.


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Classic World Wooden Baking Cookie Set
Classic World Wooden Baking Cookie Set...
Everything children need to play pretend kitchens with play food and more. We have an extensive collection of play kitchens and pretend play food that are perfect to inspire imaginative games in play kitchens, from large counter units to pretend play food toys. There are play sets in our charming play kitchens collection to suit all budgets and room sizes, allowing children to become little chefs wherever they are.
Stock up on play food to keep children's kitchens, shops and toy boxes filled with faux food that helps fuel their exciting role play games. There's a little bit of everything in our fun supermarket, with savoury toys and sweet bits of fun to fit any game. This wooden play food looks brilliant at tea parties, barbecues market stalls and anything else their imaginations can dream up.
These are the toys that really excite pre-schoolers. All children adore playing mum or dad so give them their own-play kitchen, pots and pans and lots of play food to get creative with! These are the perfect toys for encouraging role-play and social development.


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Sunday, January 16, 2011
Deciphering the Lexicon of the Job Description
"And the beat goes on…………………………….."
Truth in Advertising:
Has anybody else noticed that job descriptions for positions in the arts all read remarkably the same. Whether the organization is looking for an Executive Director, or someone to head Development or Marketing, or any other open slot, everybody is looking for the exact same (unrealistic) qualities in candidates. It's as though there is one job description that is a universal application for an iphone. Everyone uses a variation of the same description, and, if we're honest, these job descriptions are themselves somewhat dishonest at worst, and at the least very misleading – full of tired, repetitive language that has ceased to have any real world meaning anymore. Everyone is looking for an ideal that very likely doesn't exist.
Here is a typical advertisement:
The successful candidate will be a strong leader with excellent management and interpersonal skills. S/he will have the proven ability to build productive relationships with a broad range of internal and external constituencies, and have the demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with the various segments of the community. S/he will be an experienced supervisor with the ability and willingness to mentor staff and encourage staff development. S/he will foster an atmosphere of teamwork and collaboration among staff and volunteers throughout the organization. S/he will have a strong working knowledge of programs, production, board relations and operations. S/he will have excellent financial management skills and a track record for achieving budget goals. The ideal candidate will be able to implement a strategic plan, and will have experience working as a senior manager. The successful candidate will bring new energy and ideas, and will have the ability to unite all stakeholders in embracing a shared vision for the future of the organization. The successful candidate will be knowledgeable and comfortable with using new technology to enhance presentations, communications, and operations whenever possible to help achieve the organization's mission. Ten plus years of active leadership required. An advanced degree is preferable.
Blah, Blah, Blah - some go on and on. You get the idea.
Salary and benefits commensurate with experience.
Send resume and cover letter to:_________________
What all this mumbo jumbo babble speak says basically is this: We want a smart experienced person to run the organization (department) really well. The successful candidate will (hopefully) have a great resume. Without meaning to sound glib, we want someone who can boil the perfect three minute egg in two minutes.
How refreshing it would be to see a more honest solicitation. Something like this (tongue in cheek):
We prefer not to take a chance on somebody on the way up. We're not really risk takers. So we want somebody who has done it all before and done it really well for some other organization that everybody looks at and marvels at its success against all odds. We'd like someone who shares our unrealistic expectations and can make us look good. Basically we're looking for someone who knows everything and everybody; someone who has raised all kinds of money before and has a huge list of contacts they can hit up on our behalf (it's all pretty much about fundraising here); someone who can raise money in an environment where no one has any money to give; someone with really good foundation and rich people connections - someone who can help us stay afloat (our business model is, to put it charitably - challenged).
We want someone smart enough to help us figure out a cool vision for our future (that one is stumping us); someone who will attract great talent to the staff (though we can't pay the staff very much) and whom the staff (despite working conditions that are hardly ideal) will love and follow anyway (someone who will hopefully get them to perform above their potential, because actually we're understaffed by all reasonable criteria). We want someone who can make various factions of the board (currently somewhat dysfunctional and at each other's throats) work harmoniously together and take on an ever greater workload (or in the alternative someone who will assume the board's workload for them because it's highly unlikely they will do much more than they are doing right now – which isn't that much). We try not to micromanage, but we still do. We're looking for someone who can get the best out of us, but someone enough like us so we are comfortable with them; someone who will push themselves, but not necessarily push us too hard. Did we mention that we want someone who can raise a lot of money?
We want someone who can create a workable and well thought out strategic plan (lord knows we have neither the time nor inclination to do that) and make everyone feel the main components were 'their' ideas. We want someone who can magically double our audience size over time (tomorrow would be good) and develop real stakeholder support (and hopefully explain to us exactly what "stakeholders" are - because we're still fuzzy on that concept). We want someone who understands all the new technologies (we don't) and can apply them for the benefit of the organization (read: make young people interested in us), fix their own computer when it dies, design and maintain a website (or get some smart nerd to do it for free) and it wouldn't hurt if s/he could get a bunch of new computers donated. We want an effective advocate (but it's a given that we don't have the time or resources nor do we want to get involved in any of that political stuff).
We want someone who can speak publicly like Obama and write like Hemmingway. We want someone who is part Mayor Bloomberg, part Spielberg, part Bill Gates and part Oprah (or at least personally knows all those people). Did we mention that we want someone who can raise a lot of money? What we really want is a Saint who will do it all for us - without complaint. Oh, s/he should be willing to work long hours for non market competitive compensation with minimal real benefits – and love it. We want someone with passion after all.
Though we won't say so, we will settle for someone who is willing to take us on, has done it before with some success, has a pretty good reputation, and who everybody here likes personally (and that last one might just be the most important). Before we hire someone, we will likely make them jump through some unnecessary hoops, and we will probably make this process last longer than it need to. Don't call. If you don't hear back from us, we're chasing somebody else. (If we have enough money we have hired a Search Firm to do all this for us. It's a crap shoot we know, but at least we can hope some "pro" can beat the odds for us - and, more importantly, we won't have to deal with it ourselves.)
Now this is, of course, a gross exaggeration on all levels, but there is truth in the contention that our job descriptions as often as not have become meaningless. We can probably all save some time if we just post the opening announcement. Wanted: Executive Director for the XYZ organization. We all know what they are looking for in their 'ideal' candidate.
Have a great week.
Don't Quit
4 comments:
Barry! I must say I'm mildly shocked to read this post from you. I suspect many people read your blog to be challenged and inspired, and this post, while completely true, ignores the fact that unrealistic expectations are absolutely the reason many emerging leaders get executive director jobs. High-functioning EDs at healthy organizations don't leave their current job for this position. The organization you describe (financial challenges, unclear path, disagreement among stakeholders about vision) chooses one of three people: a change agent, a fundraiser, or an emerging leader. The person who already identifies him/herself as a change agent or fundraiser may be happy sticking around for a couple of years and moving on to a bigger organization for a higher salary. The emerging leader will find their first job as executive director to be the ultimate career challenge. But you only have to look in the Bay Area to find amazing success stories: Deborah Cullinan and Jessica Robinson Love are two who spring to mind.ReplyDelete
There is so much talk about professional development … one thing your post makes me realize is that there is no workshop that takes emerging leaders through the process of applying for their first executive director job. Key elements should include: how to assess the financial trends of an organization, how to clarify division of responsibilities between management and board in an employment contract, determining physical plant and hr issues, assessing perception of the organization by key stakeholders. The job description is unlikely to change—but the way we approach it can. And any emerging leader who will be able to succeed as a first time director will face his/her first important test in the interview process ... working with the board and staff to gain a clear picture of priorities and challenges and make an honest case for why they would be a good choice. So what can be done to help them?
Tongue in cheek Lex. Meant to be humor. My point was simply that the wording in job descriptions within the nonprofit arts sector has become so generic that it no longer describes accurately, or bears any real resemblance to, the challenges the prospective hiree will face at the organization that uses this common language, and thus the job descriptions themselves have become somewhat meaningless. Moreover, most job descriptions make no attempt to honestly describe the situation at their organization. Virtually every job description I have seen in the past five years, lists the exact same qualities the ideal candidate will have and, of course makes no mention whatsoever of the organization's shortcomings. I doubt any job description ever will point out the problems the organization really faces, and I understand why, but it would be refreshing. There is really no need for any advertisement to list the qualities they are looking for anymore. It would be simpler just to post the one universal job description of the qualities sought and everyone could simply go to that posting. That frankly doesn't help prospective applicants know anything about the job and whether or not they would be a good fit, and it doesn't really help the organization looking for someone to fill the position to necessarily find the right candidate either. That was my whole and only point.ReplyDelete
I found your article right on. I'm an HR Director in what is largely a blue collar operation. I would be laughed out of the company if I wrote the typical Valley recruiting mark up. However, I have responded to many ads with all of the semantic spinach and had to endure endless interviews. I like your short hand version!ReplyDelete
Hal Anjo
Boulder Creek, CA
Oh, I was being a little tongue in cheek myself when I said I was shocked. I agree with you wholeheartedly. And at the same time, I could list five emerging leaders I know personally who have accepted this "generic" job only to discover some very serious undisclosed challenges that contributed to their leaving a new job within 6 months to 2 years ... by choice or not. It's painful to see that happen and you are right to wish it would change.ReplyDelete


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100 Industrial Drive
A location in Barneveld
Commute to Downtown Middleton
Almost all errands require a car.
About your score
100 Industrial Drive has a Walk Score of 20 out of 100. This location is a Car-Dependent neighborhood so almost all errands require a car.
Nearby parks include Pocket Park, Memorial Park and Quail Ridge Park.
Explore how far you can travel by car, bus, bike and foot from 100 Industrial Drive.


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Twister [1996] (BLU)
Jan De Bont
A mile-wide, 300 miles-per-hour force of total devastation is coming at you! In this adventure swirling with cliff hanging excitement and awesome special effects, Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton play scientists pursuing the most destructive weather front to sweep through mid-America's Tornado Alley in 50 years. By launching electronic sensors into the funnel, the storm chasers hope to obtain data to create an improved warning system. But to do so, they must intercept the twisters' deadly path. The chase is on!
Product Details
- Starring: Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Format: Color, Dolby, Widescreen
- Language: English, French
- Subtitles: English, French
- Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
- Number of Discs: 1
- Rating: PG-13
- Label: Warner Studios
- Release Date: 05/06/2008
- Run Time: 113 minutes
- Catalogue #: 1000027141
Special Features
- Commentary By Director Jan De Bont And Visual Effects Superisor Stefen Fangmeier
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STEVIE MAY said his winning brace in the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final was made more satisfying by the abuse directed at him by the Aberdeen support before and during the game.
The St Johnstone forward scored twice in the second period to cancel out Niall McGinn's first-half opener and send the Perthshire club to the final of the competition for the first time in their 130-year history.
He was targeted by Aberdeen supporters in the League Cup semi-final at Tynecastle in February, which St Johnstone lost 4-0, and was subjected to chants of "Who the **** is Stevie May?" throughout yesterday's encounter at Ibrox.
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However, the 21-year-old enjoyed the last laugh in guiding his local club to an historic meeting with Dundee United on May 17.
"I don't know why the Aberdeen fans have it in for me," he said. "I think they just don't like my hair or something. That would be my guess. It's obviously just banter, but scoring the goals to beat them made it that little bit sweeter. Coming from behind made it a bit sweeter too.
"A lot of people wrote us off before the game and probably even more so when we fell a goal behind at half-time. I think we outplayed them in the second half. They play on the counter, which can be deceiving, but there was only going to be one winner after our first goal.
"I can't quite describe what it means. The fact I'm a local boy and fan makes it even better. It's the first time St Johnstone have been to a Scottish Cup final so it does mean that little bit more."
Meanwhile, team-mate Chris Millar took aim at BBC TV pundit and former Scotland and Chelsea winger Pat Nevin for writing off Tommy Wright's team.
"Macca (Steven MacLean) and I were in the hotel watching Sportscene on Saturday night and Pat Nevin was saying it was a cakewalk, an Aberdeen-Dundee United final, before a ball was kicked," he said. "Football doesn't work like that. I thought it was a wee bit disrespectful. We used that and we said we were going to mention it if we won. It is motivation and, when you win, you want to ram it down people's throats. Write us off at your peril because we're a good side.
"Reaching the final means everything to me and it's been a long time coming. It is the highest point of my career. I've won the Third, Second and First Division and been to semi-finals, but getting to a final is another thing ticked off on my list and we want to win it now.
"This was my fifth semi-final and the first one I'd won. I passed my driving test at the fifth time of asking as well, so it's lucky for me. I never gave up believing."
Millar shared May's view that Aberdeen lost heart following St Johnstone's first goal. "You looked in the eyes of the Aberdeen players and knew they were beaten," said Millar. "They were flat on their feet and no-one was geeing them up."
Niall McGinn, the Aberdeen scorer, rued his team's missed opportunities. "On the day we had better chances," said the Northern Irishman. "We know we should have been more clinical."
The striker was hampered by the glare of the floodlights when he tried to head home a cross in the second half, adding: "It was a great ball in. I was looking at the ball and my eyes caught a bit of the lights."
With one final twist of the knife, May, hero of the hour and a player being watched by a number of clubs south of the border, reflected on being strongly linked with becoming an Aberdeen player last summer after interest from Pittodrie.
"There was something at the start of the season when my loan was coming to an end at Hamilton, but I don't know any of the details or if it was just talk," he said. "I was always going to stay at St Johnstone. I just wanted confirmation that I would be playing and I'm very happy here."


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What today's kids need: a Rambo coloring book
Sometimes in the world of '80s addiction, I'm just at a loss for words. Sylvester Stallone, your Rambo Coloring & Activity Book is going to give me more sleepless nights since the time I googled "Kristy McNichol naked."
Maybe I should blame the Studies in Crap blog from the Kansas City Pitch. But I can't because I love that blog. Give them credit for unearthing this child's salute to fighting Communist aggression in a Missouri antique mall.
The comic book was produced in 1985, right after the Rambo: First Blood Part II hit theaters. Stallone's career was at its apex. Maybe this coloring book was the curse. After this came out, his next movies would be Cobra, Over the Top and Tango & Cash. Yes, there is karma, and this is proof.
In the book are an assortment of nightmare activities for your children, including a color-by-number exercise of field artillery, an follow-the-dots page (which when completed is a portrait of Col. Trautman) and of course, plenty of shirtless illustrations of Rambo.
We hope you bought your kids a lot of the "flesh" colored Crayolas. Go to Studies of Crap to see more photos -- like this one of Rambo with a deer. Because we all remember that scene from the movie, right?


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Are ACOs destined to follow integrated delivery networks' fate?
Accountable care organizations are widely touted as one of the most effective cost-containing measures of the 2010 federal health law.
Yet they have a great deal in common with the integrated delivery networks of the 1990s, leaving some wondering whether the bold experiment might come to the same disappointing end.
"I don't think these things are going to work," says Lawton R. Burns, who wrote a Health Affairs commentary on the topic along with his colleague Mark V. Pauly of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. "ACOs in the end are going to end up costing more money and not necessarily deliver on the quality either."
Both ACOs and the Clinton-era integrated delivery networks aim to create a care continuum by linking hospitals with physicians and other providers, explain Burns and Pauly. They share the goal of lowering spending while also improving the quality of medical care provided and the health of the population in the program — the so-called "triple aim" laid out in an earlier article by Dr. Donald Berwick, a former director of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
"The integrated delivery networks of the 1990s did not deliver on their promises," in part because they lacked information technology and claims data, overpaid providers for their practices and failed to coordinate care for the chronically ill, Burns and Pauly write. This time around, ACOs may benefit from updated information technology systems, new alternative payment methods such as shared savings and bundled payments, and an emphasis on reducing waste in the system. In many cases hospitals are also employing individual doctors, rather than paying top dollar to purchase entire practices.
Yet one by one, they dismiss claims that provider alignment, care coordination, disease management and health information technology are likely to yield significant savings. "The ACO model is comprised of several pillars, and all of them are very shaky," says Burns. The evidence base "just doesn't show much support that ACOs will reduce cost."
It will also be difficult to keep patients from seeking expensive out-of-network care, and the primary care physician shortage may mean there simply aren't enough to take a leading role in the networks. And even if they are, it's unclear "whether primary care providers can accurately identify complex patients in need of coordinated care."
Despite high hopes from the Obama administration and industry alike, "there is still no firm evidence that anyone knows how to achieve the Triple Aim," which was long considered an inevitable "iron triangle" of trade-offs among cost, quality and access, Burns and Pauly conclude. "Recent evidence illustrates one crucial point: Improving quality for some conditions often increases costs."
Burns and Pauly's commentary is one of nine articles on ACOs and patient-centered medical homes in the most recent issue of Health Affairs.
This article was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.


text: The world is all about transformation: making things better. And now we could do even more with the aid of technology. odm's latest collection M Bloc coincides perfectly with the metallic trend of coming seasons. It made ingenious use of IMD, a technology that is rarely employed in watch making at the moment. When applied on the watch case, it gives a metallic look and yet unbelievably lightweight at the same time. The simple four-window digital design has a classic element to it, which transports us back to the golden 70s era, yet at the same time the design is so innovative that it will remain revolutionary and groundbreaking for a long time to come. As an extension from the previous Bloc collection, a little twist gives it completely different feelings bold and modish. Its definitely a must-have for the young urban connoisseurs. Matt case Aluminum ring O.D.M digital module with digital time Calendar Chronograph EL backlight Silicone strapCheck stock and price


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HONOLULU � Arkansas-Pine Bluff's season opener in men's basketball nearly ended with a come-from-behind victory.
HONOLULU � Arkansas-Pine Bluff�s season opener in men�s basketball nearly ended with a come-from-behind victory.
UAPB stormed from a 10-point deficit to draw within 68-66, but clutch free throws helped Houston Baptist hold off the Golden Lions for a 72-68 win Friday night in the opening game of the Rainbow Classic.
Center Terrell Kennedy, in his first game for UAPB after missing all of last season with a hand injury, led the Lions (0-1) with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 2 of 5 from three-point range. Tevin Hammond and Davon Haynes added 14 and 13 points, respectively, in their UAPB debuts, and Lazabian Jackson chipped in 12.
Mitchell Anderson was held to six points on 3-of-8 shooting.
UAPB led 53-52 with 9:53 remaining before Houston Baptist (1-0) went on a 10-1 spurt over the next 4:48. James Harper, who had 11 points off the bench, drained a three-point basket to give the Huskies their largest lead at 68-58.
The Lions scored eight unanswered points in less than a minute on a jumper by Jackson, a pair of Hammond free throws, a Haynes dunk and Jackson layup. Marcel Smith and Marcus Davis each hit two free throws to bump the lead back up to 72-66, and UAPB couldn�t come any closer after Jackson hit another jumper with 13 seconds to go.
UAPB shot 26 of 61 (42.6 percent) for the game, but was cold from the perimeter (4 of 16). The Lions struggled shooting free throws, converting only 12 of 25.
Houston Baptist had a colder shooting night from the field, going 25 for 65 for 38.5 percent, but hit 17 of 25 free throws.
Both teams had 28 points in the paint, while UAPB managed to outscore Houston Baptist off turnovers, 16-14. The Huskies led 30-28 at halftime in a game where the score was tied 11 times and the lead changed 17 times.
Davis scored 22 points and Harper added 11 to lead the Huskies.
UAPB�s next game in the Classic is at 9 p.m. Central Sunday (5 p.m. Hawaii time) against host Hawaii, which played Maryland-Eastern Shore late Friday night. UAPB will close its tournament stay Monday night against UMES.


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MONTEREY >> Just inside the back entrance to Monterey Library sits old-fashioned wooden cabinets with drawers, the kind that libraries always used for their card catalogs in decades past.
Now, though, it stores something quite different — it's the start of something that will grow and give back to the community.
The cabinet contains packets of seeds, free to anyone who wants them. Many are of heirloom vegetables with delightful names, such as Amish Deer Tongue lettuce and Hillbilly tomatoes. A check-out binder next to the cabinet shows that people from all over are visiting the seed library — from Santa Cruz to Big Sur — as well as from Monterey, Seaside and Marina.
The Monterey Seed Library kicked off in February in a modest way, but as the months have rolled along, interest has been picking up speed.
"We'll have more of an official kick-off when the new cabinet arrives," said Francesca Garibaldi, an administrative assistant for Monterey Library who helped start the seed library and now handles its day-to-day management. A new cabinet is being made and donated by Sylvan Design in Sand City.
The idea is simple. People can take seeds from the seed library, and it's anticipated that they will save seed from what they're growing and return it, so that others can enjoy doing the same.
"People don't have to donate or return seeds, but we hope they will," said Garibaldi.
The Monterey project is just one of a bumper crop of community seed libraries that have recently sprouted around the world. According to Rebecca Newburn of the Richmond Grow Seed Lending Library in the east Bay Area, there are now more than 340 seed libraries in 46 states and in 16 other countries. (For a list of other seed libraries in the area, see sidebar.)
Seed libraries have opened in public libraries and community centers; the intent is both to get people growing their own food and also to develop a network of seed savers, who will donate locally adapted varieties and preserve genetic diversity.
Saving seed is nothing new — it's thought that human beings have been doing this since the dawn of agriculture, or for at least 12,000 years. But as the do-it-yourself home gardening movement strengthens, so have new resources for obtaining seeds. The Monterey Seed Library grew out of a collaboration between Garibaldi and Heather Ruth Cunningham, a CSU Monterey Bay student who helped put the library together as her senior capstone project. A $500 grant from the CSUMB Alumni Foundation to Cunningham helped purchase seed stock.
Garibaldi has also obtained seed donations from companies and organizations such as Seed Savers Exchange, the nonprofit dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds, and My Patriot Supply, a California company that sells varieties that are not hybrids or genetically modified.
She is also exploring collaborations with community gardening groups and others, especially schools, and hopes to involve Monterey Bay Master Gardeners and Monterey Peninsula Unified School District.
In addition, Garibaldi is planning to have a demonstration garden on library grounds, and more workshops and lectures at the library that explore the finer points of gardening.
Volunteers have been essential to the development of the seed library, putting seeds in packets, doing data entry and filling the cabinet, and Garibaldi hopes eventually to have a volunteer stationed during library hours to help those who are interested.
The procedure for taking seeds is simple. Those who want to participate need to fill out a form — either online or on paper, available at the seed library table — and when they check out seeds, they sign the check-out form in an adjacent binder.
A brochure on how to save seeds is available, and people are encouraged to bring seeds back after they harvest. It's suggested that newbies start with easy-to-save varieties such as lettuce, beans, peas and tomatoes.
The seed library is accepting seed donations from anyone who wants to give them, although no hybrid or GMO seeds can be accepted.
Garibaldi said that the visibility of the seed library is an important factor in gardeners discovering it, in addition to word of mouth. And once they know it's there, they come back.
"It's bringing new people into the library," she said.


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Thursday Morning Open Thread
I'll be in court today. If BTD comes by, and is going to be on the radio, I hope he'll add the details so everyone can listen.
This is an open thread, all topics welcome.
|< Powerball Winners: AZ and MO | Feds' Latest Insider Trading Indictment >


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Tasos writes the final Darkfall developer journal this year. It seems he changed his style of writing these journals and now answers various questions he has seen on the Darkfall official forums, combined with a few new screenshots. The new screenshots also include first time female pictures: the alfar female and the ork female. There's also a screenshot of a human male with some ugly flowers in the background.
Like I said 2 weeks ago, I think Tasos should really post at least one of these answers on the official forums, the appropriate thread. The reason is obvious.
I also wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year to both Aventurine and anyone reading and using Curse.


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Perfect coin!
This Silver Kookaburra coin features two juvenile kookaburras sitting on a tree branch amid flowers, design by Natasha Muhl. The Ian Rank-Broadley likeness of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the monetary denomination are shown on the obverse. This example has been graded a perfect 70, the highest grade possible, by NGC!
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ROSELAND The mayor and council approved the PBA contract from January 1999 to Dec. 31, 2002 by a vote of 5-0 at the Tuesday, March 20 council meeting. Councilman Wesley Hughes was absent. Effective and retroactive to Jan. 1, 1999, all patrol officers first grade will receive $58,324 annually. As of Jan. 1, 2000, their salary increases to $60,511; Jan. 1, 2001 the amount is $61, 721, July. 1, 2001 $62,956; Jan. 1, 2002 $64,215 and July 1, 2002 $65, 820. Detectives receive the following stipend schedule as of Jan. 1, 1999 $1,537; Jan. 1, 2000 $1,594; Jan. 1, 2001 $1,626; July 1, 2001 $1,658; Jan. 1, 2002 $1,691 and July 1 $1,733.
Probationary patrolmen receive 60 to 65 percent of a patrolman's salary with their salary starting at $33,730. A third grade patrolman (one year) receives 91 percent of a patrolman first grade salary and a second grade (one year) patrolman receives 95 percent.
A public hearing was held on the 2000 municipal budget but the council postponed a final vote pending the review of the application for extraordinary aid from the state.
If the budget is approved as introduced, there will be an increase of $663,818 to $10,772,558 or a 10-tax point increase. Each tax point is worth $26,000. The average home in Roseland is assessed at $60,000 and will see a $60 increase in the municipal portion of their taxes. The owner of property assessed at $100,000 w uld get an increase of $100 in municipal taxes. The tax rate for 2000 was $2.84 per $100 assessed valuation.
The mayor and council are still standing by their statement made at the council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 6, that they will try to reduce the budget to as close to a zero increase as possible.
The mayor and council introduced two ordinances. The first enforces various traffic regulations at Downtowne at Roseland. This includes general parking, handicapped parking and time limit parking.
The second ordinance requires an initial review deposit of $1,000 to be filed prior to the review of any development plans by the professional staff. The initial deposit will be credited toward the review deposit for the development.
A public hearing on both the ordinances will be held on Tuesday, April 24.
Councilman Michael Pacio said stop signs have been installed on Courtland and Park streets. Police are giving out warning tickets but starting next month violators will get the real thing.
"This has been met with positive response from the residents," said Pacio. "Once the paving is done and the speed bumps are back the problem will hopefully be solved."
Borough Administrator Thomas Kaczynski said the next step is going out to bid for the rest of the project. Councilman Richard Leonard noted that due to the additional changes to the project there is now going to be a major transformation of the street and additional funding will be needed.


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a Journal kept by Mr. Robert HAGGETT, Master of the SS. Hiram Perry, on
a Journey from Little Bay to Twillingate and back, in the month of January
last, 1885.
Myself, my son George HAGGETT, James STILES, and William RENDELL, having been sent by the Manager of the Mining Company down to Twillingate, we started from Little Bay with a slide and dogs on the 6th January. We traveled on, first to Halls Bay Head, and from there walked on the ice to Sunday Cove Island, remaining there that night. Next day, 7th of January, traveled to Roberts Arm and down through Pretty Tickle to Dark Island Tickle and reached Julias Tickle next day, all well. On January 9th at Duck Island, we launched a boat and pulled to Leading Tickles. Here I found my brother Joseph, had gone in punt gunning, and he returned soon after with about 45 fine fat ducks.
Leading Tickles on the 12th of January. We went from there to
Exploits in boat, having rather a rough time from Exploits to Western Head
in boat, and stopped there that night. On the 13th left for
Twillingate. Found three of our dogs missing, and learned soon afterwards
the dogs had arrived safely at Little Bay! After a hard travel across to
Bluff Head Cove, we walked over to Twillingate Harbor, hoping to catch
the SS Plover to return home in her, when we received the sad news that
we were too late, as that steamer had just gone around Long Point. In Twillingate
we had to stop a whole week, waiting for a time to leave. Leaving Twillingate
on the 21st. of January, we traveled up Fridays Bay and inside
Trump Island to [Chahen ?] Harbor, from there to Swans Island and from
there to Burn Bay. Weather being very cold and very rough and we couldnt
leave there until the 23rd. of January.
Swan Island, we traveled up Exploits Bay a long distance to a place called
Laurences Hole, against a strong wind and hard frost, all four of us getting
much frost bitten. At this place, being very tired, we looked about for
a winter tilt, when we saw a bank of snow and a stove pipe sticking up
through, with a great smoke coming from it. I said, There we are, this
is the only place we can put up for the night. We went in here and found
an old woman, a Mrs. PERRY. Her crew were all in the woods, sawing. This
old woman was very kind to us and wondered how we could travel in such
burning cold weather, and when she saw how badly we were frost bitten,
the poor old woman burst into tears!
applied some oil and Radways to our faces, and had to run out of the tilt
with the pain, it being so hot inside, by the fire! One of the crew felt
my ears but he would not try to bend it, as he was afraid it might break
off short. That night, the people gathered together and had a prayer meeting,
and it seemed they were all pretty happy, but as for us, we were in too
much pain to join in with them!
we left there next morning, the 24th.and crossed the neck to
Hatchet Cove in New Bay, and from there to Leading Tickles, and put up
there for the night. On the 25th walked up to Thimble Tickles,
thence to Locks Harbor, Seal Bay, then across the neck to Badger Bay and
from there to Julias Tickle, and stopped in the Harbor that night.
From there on the 26th January, we crossed Harrys Cove in Sops Arm, from there to Northern Arm, off Sops Arm, and across another neck through deep snow to Tilleys Cove, up through Sunday Cove Tickle, from there across Halls Bay to Salt Pond, arriving safe to Little Ward's Harbor, and from there to the wharf at Little Bay, all safe and sound but very much fatigued, hungry, tired, and glad.
We passed by many places and people on our journey, but found no sickness, trouble or distress of any kind. All the people in places we passed through, especially those who were passing the winter in the bays, sawing lumber, seemed to enjoy their simple meetings for Prayer in their tilts, better than many who have the opportunity of attending services in their own Churches.


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Wednesday, July 9, 2014 | 9:49 p.m.
A man committed suicide Wednesday night by shooting himself in front of the Silverton parking garage, according to Metro Police.
Officers were dispatched at 7:25 p.m. to the south valley resort, where they found the 30-year-old man on the ground with a gunshot wound, Lt. Barbara Schmidt said.
The man was "apparently upset about something" before the shooting, Schmidt said.
He was taken to University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.


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Periodontal Disease Treatment of a Physically Challenged Population (PDT)
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Many physically handicapped patients at the dental department, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute(TRI) have considerable gingival inflammation and breath odour because of the inability to effectively handle a toothbrush. These patients have considerable periodontal disease. There is a concern that these pathogens may have a detrimental effect on wound healing in other areas of the body.
Hypothesis: Patients attending the dental department at TRI that are treated with the antibiotic-antifungal rinse containing metronidazole and nystatin will show substantial decrease in periodontal disease as measured by bleeding points and pocket depth when compared to the group that continues to use their regular oral hygiene methods (control group).
|Periodontal Disease
|Drug: metronidazole-nystatin oral rinse
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Single (Investigator)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|The Effect of an Antibiotic-antifungal Rinse on Periodontal Disease
- Evidence of healing of periodontal tissues as shown by a reduction of bleeding [ Time Frame: two weeks ]Evidence of healing of periodontal tissues is assessed by measuring bleeding points and periodontal pocket depth using a dental probe.
|Study Start Date:
|November 2013
|Study Completion Date:
|October 2014
|Primary Completion Date:
|September 2014 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Metronidazole-nystatin oral rinse, regular oral hygiene
Week 1: daily brushing with suction brush. Week two: daily brushing with a mixture of metronidazole-nystatin suspension.
|Drug: metronidazole-nystatin oral rinse
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 65 Years (Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
Participants must be between the ages of 18 to 65 years Participants must have at least 6 teeth. Participants must have some indication of gingivitis and periodontal breakdown. -
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients who are taking Warfarin/Coumadin Patients who are allergic to Metronidazole or chlorhexidine. Edentulous patients will be excluded by those who have at least 6 teeth can be a participant
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01718912
|Canada, Ontario
|Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Dental Department
|Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 2A2
|Responsible Party:
|Oravital Inc
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01718912 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
TRI ( Other Identifier: Toronto Rehabilitation Institute )
|Study First Received:
|October 29, 2012
|Last Updated:
|March 29, 2016
|Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
|Plan to Share IPD:
Keywords provided by Oravital Inc:
periodontal disease
bleeding on probing
periodontal pockets
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Periodontal Diseases
Gingival Diseases
Mouth Diseases
Stomatognathic Diseases
Anti-Infective Agents
Antiprotozoal Agents
Antiparasitic Agents
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Antifungal Agents
Membrane Transport Modulators
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


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This increased CPU usage wasn't coming from having to drive the 2560 x 1440 resolution from a composited desktop as when using a 2560 x 1600 Samsung 30-inch LCD display over dual-link DVI there isn't these problems. Disconnecting the USB and Ethernet piggybacking on the display's Thunderbolt connection also didn't alleviate these load issues. The load was dragging down the system's usability, not to mention also causing the CPU to burn through much more power than needed since it wasn't dropping to a lower power state.
When connecting the Retina MacBook Pro to the Thunderbolt Display with Ubuntu Linux, there was the same Thunderbolt load problems again that even the Ivy Bridge system would basically be useless for a Linux desktop with the beautiful but demanding display. This increase load was coming from the kernel -- it appears from within ACPI, but I'm not positive. I've tried different kernel command-line boot options as well as the latest Git code to no avail. When booting either system to OS X instead, the CPU usage while idling at the desktop is zeroed out and there are no problems.
The investigation into the Thunderbolt Linux situation is still ongoing and will be updated accordingly. So the display can work under Linux as well as the connected devices running off Thunderbolt, but the current high CPU usage renders it nearly useless. Another issue will be without any on-screen display or menu controls, backlight adjustments might be a problem under Linux (in OS X they are exposed in software). Due to the Linux problems, plus some Retina MacBook Pro shortcomings when using Ubuntu Linux -- to be detailed in a later Phoronix article -- that system is now having to run Ubuntu Linux atop OS X with VMware virtualization in order to take advantage of all available hardware features without severe limitations. If you don't mind spending $1000 USD on a monitor and are interested in Thunderbolt technology, the Apple Thunderbolt Display is great, but not yet a device I would call Linux friendly and recommend holding off on purchasing the Apple hardware until all issues are worked out. OS X 10.8 vs. Linux benchmarks are also forthcoming.


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But Mimic is superior to most of its cousins, and has been stylishly directed by Guillermo Del Toro, whose visual sense adds a certain texture that makes everything scarier and more effective. show more
In Mimic, director Guillermo Del Toro has created a dark, grotesque world that's hard to look at, and impossible to stop looking at. show more
In fact, the title of this motion picture is quite apt -- Mimic does an excellent job of imitating not only Aliens, but several other science fiction and horror features, including such odd choices as Leviathan and The Thing. The derivative result is, as one might expect, moderately entertaining, but far from groundbreaking in its approach or execution. show more