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It probably happens to most drivers.
Heading home after an overtime shift and the eyelids flutter. Up all night with a sick baby and you rest your eyes for just a moment on the way to dropping off the kids at school. Drowsy drivers often make it safely to their destination, but for some, the consequences are devastating.
"To this day I still hear my boys crying out, yelling for Daddy, when they were told the news," says Jackie Califano, the widow of a New York police officer killed when a suspected drowsy driver plowed into his parked cruiser in 2011. "The pain we experienced is beyond description and continues to be."
More than 11,000 deaths were attributed to drowsy driving from 2000 to 2010, according to federal statistics. And experts say it's a problem that can't easily be solved by new laws because proving sleepiness behind the wheel is difficult, if not impossible.
Authorities can easily determine how much alcohol is in a driver's blood, or whether someone has used illegal drugs, or even if someone has been texting while driving.
But quantifying drowsy driving is not an exact science, prosecutors say, and laws banning commercial truck and motor coach operators from driving more than 14 hours a day and requiring 10 hours between shifts are flawed because they often rely on the drivers to report those hours themselves.
In a drowsy driving case late last year, a tour bus driver was acquitted of manslaughter and negligent homicide in a 2011 Bronx crash that killed 15 people. A jury rejected prosecutors' arguments that Ophadell Williams was so sleep-deprived from working another job that it affected his reflexes as much as if he was intoxicated.
That verdict influenced a Long Island prosecutor's decision this year to drop negligent homicide charges against the truck driver involved in a fatal crash that killed Califano's husband. Ultimately, the truck driver pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor reckless driving charge and paid a $500 fine.
"If you are going to try and make fatigue – sleepiness – a criminal legal issue in a motor vehicle accident, you have a lot, lot more to prove," said Patrick Bruno, who defended Williams in the bus crash case.
Maureen McCormick, who heads the Nassau County vehicular crimes bureau, explained that to obtain a conviction in the police officer's death, she would have had to prove "serious blameworthiness," "moral blameworthiness" or "dangerous speeding," a standard she said is impossible to meet.
"Drowsy driving is something that generally has happened to everyone," McCormick said. "The question is what do we do as a society when that feeling starts to come?"
When McCormick read a statement at the truck driver's sentencing on behalf of Officer Michael Califano's widow, veteran police officers and journalists wiped away tears.
"Michael, Christopher and Andrew now have to grow up without him," McCormick said as Jackie Califano sat in the front row of the courtroom, hugging her sons, 16, 13 and 8. "No more doing homework with his help. No more sports with him. No more family vacations. No more horsing around with dad. No dad for Father/Son Night at school. No dad at home to turn to when they need advice."
New Jersey is the only state that has successfully passed legislation addressing drowsy driving, according to Dan Brown, an Atlanta attorney and member of the National Sleep Foundation board of directors. But he noted that "Maggie's Law" doesn't fully solve the problem because prosecutors must show that a driver had been awake for 24 consecutive hours to prove possible recklessness, which is often a difficult proposition.
New Jersey court officials didn't have statistics available on the number of arrests or successful prosecutions since the law was enacted in 2003.
Massachusetts state Sen. Richard Moore said he considered legislation after a constituent's son was killed in a 2002 drowsy driving crash. But, Moore said, "It's not as easy as drunken driving; there's not a good deal of research." Instead, Massachusetts is including early warning tips in driving manuals, and there is an effort to add rumble strips that warn drivers when they are drifting off the road when state highways are resurfaced, he said.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says while sleep is the best cure, drinking two cups of coffee, followed by a 15-to-20-minute nap, can refresh some drivers for a short period of time. Things like turning up the radio volume, singing loudly, chewing gum or eating, and getting out of the car and running around are not effective.
"There's not a way to legislate against sleepiness," said Bruce Hamilton, manager of research and communications at the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which instead focuses on public education campaigns and issuing brochures advising on the dangers.
Last summer, drivers in Tennessee's four largest cities saw message boards imploring them to not drive while drowsy, along with a running tally of highway fatalities in that state.
Mark Rosekind, a National Transportation Safety Board member who formerly directed a sleep research center at Stanford University, says it's a pervasive problem that requires a culture change to fix.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study this year that found 4 percent of U.S. adults nodded off or fell asleep at least once while driving in the previous month.
"For some reason people in our culture think it's OK to lose sleep and get behind the wheel," Rosekind said. "It's just as bad as drinking and driving. As far as public awareness, drowsy driving is in the dark ages compared to that, but it's just as dangerous.
"The issue has been around for a while and we need to get the word out. Clearly it has not penetrated our culture."
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The Gold Report: Doug, you have a new book out called "Totally Incorrect: Conversations with Doug Casey." In one of those incorrect conversations with Louis James you said, "It's not the U.S. economy that's facing a fiscal cliff, it's the U.S. government. People equate government with the economy. They are entirely two different things. The only way to revitalize the U.S. economy is through both vast reductions in taxes and vast reductions in government spending. Instead, these idiots are arguing over how much to raise taxes and how little they can cut spending." Now that we have avoided parts of the fiscal cliff and delayed addressing other parts, what are your observations?
Doug Casey: Nothing has changed. I am amazed to read about what is called a trillion-dollar platinum plan to get around Congress having to raise the debt ceiling. It's actually quite comical that some people are talking about it as a solution; it's Three Stooges economics. My only question is: Why not make it a $10 trillion coin? That would solve the problem for several years, and release the government from even the fictional restraints on spending it now has. Actually, let's do $100 trillion; why deal in half measures? It's all a ridiculous charade at this point, the precisely scripted Kabuki theater between the left and right wings of the Demopublican Party. The ending of the ridiculous drama is totally predictable.
"The most practical thing the average person can do is have a significant position in precious metals."
The point is that the government is spending more than $1 trillion a year more than it is taking in. And that's using cash accounting, which is improper. If the government used accrual accounting, which takes into account future obligations, mandates and liabilities, the number is more like $3â4 trillion.
Already the Chinese and the Japanese really don't want to buy any more Treasuries to finance the deficit. So the Federal Reserve is buying most of it, and crediting the accounts of the U.S. government with the money it creates. Maybe it should ask the Chinese if it would like the Trillion Dollar coin? At least it would have a cute collectible. The Chinese should insist on a 10-ounce-size coin, so it doesn't get lost too easily.
But, all kidding aside, the Fed may as well issue a $1 trillion coin. As the economy really goes off a cliff over the next couple of years, government outlays will almost necessarily go up and tax revenue will absolutely decline as the economy slows down.
TGR: You often make a distinction between the government and the country, and the economy. But if the government and the economy are two different things and the government is the one facing the fiscal cliff, why should the economy go downhill as well?
DC: Because the government is such a massive actor in the economy today. Whenever a massive economic actor is bankrupt, there will be repercussions. There are around 2.7 million people directly employed by the federal government, by all the hundreds of agencies, bureaus, commissions and what not; thatâs been fairly stable for a long time. They say there are around 22 million employed by all levels of government, and that's actually been droppingânon-Federal governments can't borrow any more, and they can't print money. A few have declared bankruptcy.
But those numbers don't include things like the Post Office and Amtrak. They don't include 1.5 million active duty troops. And all branches of government have increasingly gone to using outside contractors, as the military famously does.
"In years to come, when governments have blown up their currencies, gold and silver will be reinstituted as money."
Some 25 million people, more or less, employed by government is one thing. That's a lot. But, of course, many are doing things that would otherwise be done privately. The real problem is so many major corporations have the state as their major customerâmilitary and aerospace contractors, construction firms, computer outfitsâeverything you can imagine. Having your major customer bankrupt is a big problem.
But there's much more. The U.S. government has 50 million people dependent on food stamps, 7 million on disability and scores of millions more on Medicaid, Medicare and other programs.
In my ideal world, government would exist for two reasons: as a police force to protect the citizens and as a court system to allow citizens to adjudicate disputes. The economy is far too important to be left to the government and the kind of people who are drawn to work in it.
The fiscal cliff and the bankruptcy of the government are important because so many people depend on the government for their livelihoods. Most major corporations are customers of the U.S. government. It's said fully 37% of Americans derive their income from the government. That is a gigantic distortion that has been put into the economy over many decades and it has to be unwound.
TGR: Can it be unwound slowly over many decades or do we have to go over a cliff?
DC: It could be unwound slowly over many decades, but that would require a complete change in the way the American people think. Right now, the people who run for president or for Congress, for state legislature seats and even local offices, actually think that government is a magic cornucopia.
This problem will not be solved unless that attitude changes, and I do not see how that will happen at this point. In fact, there's every reason to believe it's going to get worse.
TGR: Some European countries have implemented severe austerity programs. Will that help Europe turn around or are these programs just a slow, painful edging toward the same cliff?
DC: Europe is in much worse shape than the U.S. Socialism is totally ingrained in the psyche of the average European. The European idea of austerity is cutting back some government programs around the edges, making a few cosmetic changes. Maybe an occasional headline upbraiding a particularly egregious example of corruption. It's all public relations and generalities. But the idea of pulling the plant out by its roots is totally anathema. That's because they really believe socialism, welfarism and all kinds of state intervention is morally correct. Most Europeans actually want a stronger state, all paid for with money stolen from a diminishing pool of productive taxpayers.
"I would not be afraid to have most of my financial assets in precious metals."
Most Europeans believe the state owes them a living and that the rich should be eaten to finance that. That attitude will not be changed without real tumult. There is no impetus for gradual change or reversal in Europe.
TGR: In the conversation entitled "On 2013," you say 2013 will be ugly, but merely a warm-up for 2014. Yet the economic trends appear to be positive: the end of quantitative easing by year-end, increased domestic oil and gas production resulting in inexpensive energy for decades to come, more manufacturing jobs and less unemployment. Is this slow-growing economic recovery masking the effects of the deficit and unfunded liabilities, thus allowing politicians to kick the can further down the road? Why do you think 2013 and 2014 will be so bad?
DC: Most of the information that people get about what is going on comes from the popular press and, at this point, the popular press is almost the fifth branch of governmentâafter all the agencies, which have become the fourth branch of government.
As for things improving, yes, things seem better because we're not actually in the middle of chaos. Well, actually we are, but only because it's the eye of the hurricane. Those trillions of currency units that have been and still are being created make people feel more prosperous than would otherwise be the case.
I have no trust in the unemployment figure. If it were still calculated as it was before 1980, unemployment would be between 13% and 19% today. I have no more confidence in the inflation figures issued by the U.S. government than I have in the inflation figures published by the Argentinean government.
It is in the government's interest to keep those reported numbers as low as possible, in part because payments on things like Social Security are adjusted to inflation. In addition, people in government think the economy depends more on psychology than reality, and no one wants to set off a panic. I suggest people panic now, and beat the last minute rush. (laughs)
As far as oil is concerned, I believe in the peak oil theory, which basically says that the cheap, easy light sweet crude has all been found. Crude is extremely hard to find. At the same time I believe technology will solve all energy problemsâoil is a very simple compound made out of hydrogen and carbon, essentially. Technology allows us to create almost anything so there's no reason why we'd ever run out of oil. Fracking and horizontal drilling will make lots of hydrocarbons available. The question is at what price?
TGR: But why 2013?
DC: In 2007, we started into the leading edge of a financial hurricane. In 2010 through 2012, governments around the world printed trillions of new currency. That did not solve the financial problems of the banks, brokers, hedge funds or large corporationsâmuch the way giving a million dollars to a wino will temporarily solve a lot of his problemsâbut at some point those dollars, which are currently sequestered, will start coming into circulation. That will result in huge price rises, of everything.
You can't solve problems just by printing pieces of paper. You become prosperous by producing more than you consume, and by saving the difference. However, the U.S., Western Europe and many other parts of the world consume more than they produce. They have been living on borrowed money and mortgaging our future with debt. That holds true for governments and for individuals.
TGR: That leads me to another conversation in the book, called "The Morality of Money." In that conversation, you argue that accumulating wealth is an important social as well as personal good. You say, "The good to the individuals of accumulating wealth is obvious, but the social good often goes unrecognized. Put simply, progress requires capital. Major new undertakings, from hydropower dams to spaceships, require huge amounts of capital. You need the wealth to accumulate in private hands to pay for these things. If the world is going to improve, we need huge pools of capital, intelligently invested."
You said earlier that the goal of government should be to provide police and to adjudicate disputes. But if world improvement requires huge amounts of capital, who is better placed to make those intelligent investments: self-serving wealthy individuals or self-serving governments?
DC: Let me say something many people will consider shocking: I do not believe government entities should exist at all, or are even necessary. Government is based on force and coercion. Essentially, the power of government comes out of the barrel of a gun, as Mao Zedong noted. I do not think that is the proper way for a civilized society to function. By its nature, government never has and never will be a producer. It is a consumer. It acquires income by theft.
I am an anarchist. Contrary to popular opinion, anarchy has nothing to do with a guy dressed in black holding a little round bomb with a lit fuse. Anarchy is a system of self-rule; you do not have someone telling you what to do and not do.
TGR: But if civilization needs huge amounts of capital to progress, can we expect the wealthy to employ their capital wisely and for the social good?
DC: You cannot expect anybody to do anything, but the fact that the wealthy have a lot of money shows they are good at making moneyâwhich is to say, creating and conserving wealth. Governments aren't noted for productionâtheir history is largely one of wars, persecutions, confiscations and general repression. And the people who are attracted to government are problematical for that reason.
Most rich people, for example Warren Buffett today and Sam Walton a generation ago, are not interested in consumption. They are more interested in creating more capital. It is better to trust the people who are creating more capital than to trust those in government who do things for political, not economic reasons.
TGR: In the "On 2013" conversation, you talk about the bond market, saying, "We are approaching the absolute peak of the bond bubble. Interest rates in the developed economies around the world are two percent, one percent or even negative. This is fueling a bond bubble of truly catastrophic proportions. When it bursts, it will be an order of magnitude worse than the tech stock crash of 2001 or the real estate crash of 2008."
DC: This is another reason why I think 2013 and 2014 will be so turbulent. At this point, it appears interest rates are at an all-time low. Bonds are in a bubble. And low rates encourage people to borrowânot save. But saving is absolutely criticalâand as much as possibleâbecause it's proof that an individual, or a society, is producing more than it's consuming. When interest rates start going back up, the face value of the bonds will collapse. A lot of individuals and a lot of governments cannot crack their monthly interest nut at low interest rates. How will they cope with high interest rates?
This bond bubble will be much more serious than the stock market bubble, especially because absolutely everyone is buying all kinds of complete junk today that offers a 2% yield. This will be much more serious than the tech stock or real estate crashes. The money markets are much bigger.
I pity those who are reaching for yield now. Instead of risk-free return, they're getting return-free risk.
TGR: Do you see ancillary economies crashing along with the bond market, or do you agree with the notion that rising interest rates will prompt governments to print more money, creating hyperinflation?
DC: A catastrophic deflation is always a possibilityâand it's better than the alternative, a catastrophic inflation. Either way, a depression is inevitableâwe're in it now, actually. I think at this point the authorities will go with creating lots more money.
The government gets revenue three ways. The first is by confiscating the wealth of citizens through taxes. There are hundreds of different taxes and they all are quite high right now. The second way is by borrowing. Governments are incredibly overindebted and uncreditworthy now and those debts will never be repaid. The third way is by printing money.
They will continue to print money because, number one, it is now the only way out. Number two, the politicians masquerading as economists actually think printing is a good way to stimulate the economy.
TGR: Will that create a bond crash or hyperinflation, or are they one and the same thing?
DC: Perhaps both in sequence. The thing to remember here is that bonds are a triple threat to your capital: interest rate risk, inflation risk and the risk of default. Anyone who holds old bonds today is holding an asset that is reward-free risk. The risks have never ever been greater in the bond market and the returns have never been lower. We are at the peak of one of the biggest bubbles in history.
TGR: If we are at the peak, what is the best way to preserve wealth and ride out the next two or three years?
DC: Agriculture and arable land have become quite popular recently. I like them. But I am not crazy about investing in grains and soybeans because they are very political commodities and the price of agricultural real estate has gone up hugely to reflect higher grain prices. There are no bargains anywhere in the world.
I am a big fan of cattle because cattle herds are at generational lows today. They have been in liquidation because it has been an unprofitable business for years. For most people, however, cattle are not a practical investment.
The most practical thing the average person can do is have a significant position in precious metals. They should own the metal. In years to come, when governments have blown up their currencies, gold and silver will be reinstituted as money.
TGR: How large a portion of one's portfolio should be in precious metals?
DC: Apart from my house, my business and expensive consumer goods, I would not be afraid to have most of my financial assets in precious metals.
I am not very interested in the stock market today. The bond market, as I said, is a fantastic short-sell at this point. Real estate is certainly a lot cheaper than it was, but it floats on a sea of debt. That's not good. It's also the easiest thing for governments to tax.
Now people ask what about owning cash? The dollar is an unsecured asset of a bankrupt government, and it will be a hot potato in the years to come. For cash you definitely want to own precious metalsâeven at current prices. The other thing to look for is speculations in the marketplace. As inflation heats up, and markets become more chaotic in the years to come, people will be forced to speculate. It's a pity, really. . .
TGR: And what would those be?
DC: Speculation is capitalizing on politically caused distortions in the marketplace. In effect it's betting against the government. It is not gambling in the market.
The best speculation, the most beat-up market, right now is mining exploration companies, junior resource stocks. There are several thousand of them trading around the world. Most are not "investments," most are "burning matches," but relative to the price of the metals, they are close to the lowest levels in history. We have not had a truly good bull market for them in years so they are an excellent place to put a portion of your capital with potentially large returns.
TGR: To what extent do investors need to be selective in that category?
DC: There is an old saying in the mining stock business: When the wind blows, even the turkeys will fly. That is true. When the public gets the bit in its teeth and gold and silver are running, all kinds of junk will be promoted. A lot of money will be spent on promotion instead of exploration work out in the field.
TGR: If the bond bubble bursts this year or next, should investors wait for that before buying into the gold and silver junior mining stocks? Might they not be at even lower prices once the bubble busts?
DC: That is a real possibility. If you want to speculate and ride the futures market, sell long-term bonds short. That will offer a bit of a hedge.
You have to get the timing right in the market, of course. In the past, decent companies have sold for half of their cash in the bank and you end up with all of their properties for free, along with half the cash in the bank.
There is no telling how cheap the market can get. Anything can happen with these little stocks, but I think now is the time to start accumulating quality issues.
TGR: Both "Totally Incorrect" and the earlier "Conversations with Casey" are thought-provoking and entertaining. What motivated you to have these conversations and publish them?
DC: No one in the mass media and no politician today is willing to say that the king does not have any clothes on. That is why I am doing this. I say a lot of things I suspect you do not hear among friends at cocktail parties.
TGR: True. Cocktail party chatter tends to be about weather, sports, maybe entertainment, but nobody talks about government or religion. Why is that?
DC: I blame the educational system in part. In the last century, people learned Latin and Greek and read the classics. The object was to see what people thousands of years ago thought and said, and to be able to comment on whether they were correct and how those thoughts might apply today. Education today is sound bites. Nobody reads a classical book in school anymore; only PC stuff that has been passed by a school board. They have a half an hour of geography where they're lectured by some teacher who probably has not traveled outside his or her home country, maybe never out of the state or province. Education has been transformed into political indoctrination in many ways.
TGR: Will greater access to the Internet, where you can Google just about anything and delve into specific topics and areas, change people's appetite for more meaningful conversations?
DC: The Internet is the best thing since the invention of moveable type. Rather than misallocating years of time and huge amounts of money to go off to college where they will just chase the opposite sex and drink, and where the quality of the professors is uncertain and the courses are in subjects that will clutter up their mindsâgender studies, political science, English and the likeâpeople who really want to can get an education from the Internet.
The fact that you cannot believe everything on the Internet is equally true for what you read in books or newspapers.
TGR: That is a perfect example of why the book is called "Totally Incorrect." Thank you for this conversation.
Click here to learn more about Doug Casey's new book, "Totally Incorrect."
Doug Casey, chairman of Casey Research LLC, is the international investor personified. He's spent substantial time in more than 175 different countries so far in his lifetime, residing in 12 of them. And Casey literally wrote the book on crisis investing. In fact, he's done it twice. After "The International Man: The Complete Guidebook to the World's Last Frontiers" in 1976, he came out with "Crisis Investing: Opportunities and Profits in the Coming Great Depression" in 1979. His sequel to this groundbreaking book, which anticipated the collapse of the savings-and-loan industry and rewarded readers who followed his recommendations with spectacular returns, came in 1993, with "Crisis Investing for the Rest of the Nineties." In between, Casey's "Strategic Investing: How to Profit from the Coming Inflationary Depression" broke records for the largest advance ever paid for a financial book.
Casey has appeared on NBC News, CNN and National Public Radio. He's been a guest of David Letterman, Larry King, Merv Griffin, Charlie Rose, Phil Donahue, Regis Philbin and Maury Povich. He's been featured in periodicals such as Time, Forbes, People, US, Barron's and the Washington Postânot to mention countless articles he's written for his own websites, publications and subscribers. Casey Research currently produces 11 publications on a variety of investment sectors and maintains two websites.
Want to read more Gold Report interviews like this? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, and you'll learn when new articles have been published. To see a list of recent interviews with industry analysts and commentators, visit our Interviews page.
From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned and may make purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise.

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The Animal Control Park Ranger Unit consists of one certified corporal supervisor and eight rangers, which fall under the direction of the Support Services Division sergeant and lieutenant. Park Rangers are entrusted with providing community animal welfare services, investigations, and enforcement for the City of Farmington and its citizenry. The unit also provides enforcement, safety checks, and park services for the 73 public parks located within the city limits.
The unit is outfitted with the most efficient, safest, and appropriate equipment one would expect of a unit of its size and volume of calls for service. Members of the ACPRU have received many hours of comprehensive specialized training within law enforcement, to include: report writing, computer operation, verbal judo, defensive tactics, interview and note-taking, and crime scene photography, just to name a few. This training has afforded them the ability to advance in their best practices, skills, and customer service. The unit has been placed under a higher level of expectations and accountability through monthly inspections, advanced specialized training, work performance evaluation, and overall product content. All members of the unit are outfitted with body worn camera systems, which raise the evidentiary value of their investigations, general customer service and overall accountability of their work product.


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The runway at Tacoma Narrows Airport in Gig Harbor reopened June 16 following a 45-day rehabilitation. Crews reduced the width of the runway, added new signage, and repaved the runway, among other improvements.
The runway will be closed from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. through the night of June 19. It will be resume its normal 24-hour, seven-day-a week operation at 6 a.m. June 20. Work continues on Taxiway A2, which is expected to reopen this week. A section of Taxiway A will also be closed until Taxiway A2 reopens.
"We know pilots will enjoy the renovated runway," said Deb Wallace, Pierce County Public Works and Utilities airport and ferry administrator. "The runway surface was showing its age with visible cracks, so the overhaul is a marked improvement. It is important that we keep our airport in good shape so it can be used effectively for years to come. And by investing in a narrower runway, our long-term maintenance costs will be reduced."
The runway will be open for about 30 days to allow the asphalt to cure. The airport will then be closed from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. for 10 working days so crews can groove the runway and apply the final markings to the runway and connector taxiways. This work is expected to begin in mid-to-late July.
Project highlightsThe runway's width was reduced from 150 feet to the Federal Aviation Administration's standard of 100 feet for airports of this type. The runway length remains at 5,002 feet.
Similarly, the taxiways were reduced to 50 feet, down from a varied width of 75 to 120 feet. Cracks were sealed and repaired, and four inches of asphalt overlay created a new surface. The runway is now crowned at the center for improved drainage. Additional project highlights include a new drainage system along the runway and connector taxiways, new runway markings and signage, and improved lighting.
While the runway was closed for the work, Taxiway A was converted to a temporary runway. The airport was open from 5:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. during the work.
The runway has not been repaved since it was built more than 50 years ago.
The rehabilitation will cost approximately $5.7 million, including $5.2 million in FAA grants, a $326,000 Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) grant, $135,236 in Washington State Department of Transportation Aviation grants, and $95,160 in county airport funds. The project was eligible for the DOE grant due to the drainage improvements that were made to enhance water quality.
WHPacific designed the project, and is managing it with oversight from Pierce County Public Works and Utilities. Tucci and Sons, Inc. is the general contractor.
Additional information is available at www.piercecountywa.org/tacomanarrows.
MEDIA CONTACTS:Deb Wallace, Public Works and Utilities airport and ferry administrator(360) 909-8198[email protected]
Warren Hendrickson, Public Works and Utilities aviation and ferry planner(253) 798-2428[email protected]
Pierce County wants to hear from you. Please select one of the following to talk to elected officials and staff, or to report problems in our community.


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Can protein powders help you lose weight? Can they help you build muscle? And does it matter which kind you buy?
The short answer to all these questions is, "Yes."
But before I talk about protein powders, I need to explain why the heck protein is so important to begin with.
Protein: The Crucial Macronutrient
The word protein comes from the Greek and means "of prime importance." Without protein, your body starts breaking down precious muscle tissue, literally "eating" itself. Protein helps make enzymes, hormones, antibodies and about a zillion other things your body requires to function optimally.
So, you want to make sure that every meal and snack contains optimal protein.
But all proteins—and all protein powders—are not created equal. Vegetarians and vegans, take note: plant-based proteins overall have an inferior amino acid profile compared with animal proteins. That's not necessarily a bad thing; it just means you'll want to include plenty of higher-protein plant foods like quinoa and legumes at every meal.
Meat eaters, you're not off the hook. You can really screw up a high-protein diet by using crappy deli meats and ballpark franks. Sure, they're high in protein—but they're also filled with other stuff that can be health robbing like sodium, artificial fillers and antibiotics. Skip the processed meats and consume clean protein sources like free-range chicken (and their eggs), wild-caught fish, and grass-fed lamb and beef.
One more thing, meat eaters: when I say higher-protein diet, I don't mean all-protein diet. I don't want you just noshing on grilled chicken breasts all day. I also want you to incorporate plenty of alkalinizing veggies, low-glycemic fruits, healthy carbs like quinoa and sweet potatoes, and nuts and seeds.
Now, let's get to the powders.
1. WHEY PROTEIN and Weight Management
Whey protein is hands down my favorite form of protein powder. In protein quality and bioavailability scores, it consistently gets high marks. Not only that, but studies suggest whey can help you lose weight and gain muscle, and it provides powerful support for your immune system.
In one study, subjects consumed a liquid meal containing equal amounts of either casein (milk protein) or whey protein. Then, 90 minutes later, they were let loose in a buffet and told to eat anything they wanted. Those who consumed the whey protein ate significantly fewer calories. So whey protein powder may well be a great tool in the battle to control appetite naturally.
Drinking whey protein is one of the best methods for coaxing the body into making more glutathione, arguably the most important antioxidant in the body. Unfortunately, glutathione is very badly absorbed when you ingest it orally. To get a healthy dose of glutathione, you need to provide the body with the amino acid "building blocks" it uses to produce it. Enter whey protein. Whey protein—because of its particular amino acid profile—has been shown to be one of the best ways ramp up glutathione production. For that reason alone, whey's a great immune system supporter.
As consumers continue to look for alternatives to traditional proteins, pea protein is becoming more and more popular. One selling point of pea protein is that it seems to support healthy blood pressure levels. Research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed that consuming a pea protein supplement for three weeks was associated with a 6 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure. Note: avoid pea protein if you have gout, since it contains purines, which can aggravate the condition.
Yep, it's actually made from the same plant that produces marijuana, but you won't get a buzz from eating hemp protein. (Sorry!) Well-known for its nutty, rich flavor, hemp protein has all eight essential amino acids (and in greater quantities than egg whites, tofu or cow's milk) (3). It's also extremely digestible and has a very favorable ratio of omega-6 to omega-3.
For me, the big selling point of hemp protein is its high fiber content. Hemp can be a fiber heavyweight (typically 5-14 grams per serving!). But hemp powder is typically lower in protein than, say, whey protein. And although I personally like it, some people find "gritty."
Soy—the poster child for all things "healthy"—is in fact, quite controversial in the health community. Detractors point to the presence of enzyme inhibitors (which block the action of enzymes needed for digestion), haemagglutinin (a clot-promoting substance), phytic acid (which can block the uptake of essential minerals) and the fact that 99% of our soy is genetically modified. Supporters point to the presence of phytoestrogens, phenolic acid (antioxidant), isoflavones and compounds that lower cholesterol. My opinion: I think the dangers of soy have been somewhat exaggerated, but so have the health benefits. Small amounts of soy protein should pose no danger for most people, but I wouldn't make soy my only protein shake.
The main selling point of brown rice protein is that it is not made from dairy or animal products. It's hypoallergenic and is suitable for anyone wanting to avoid dairy, soy or gluten. Rice protein is not a complete protein, due to insufficient levels of the amino acids threonine and lysine, though these are sometimes added to rice protein products to correct the imbalance. The protein in rice is digested more slowly than whey or egg protein, if this is a concern for you. Two of my favorite rice protein-based formulas are Jarrow Formulas Brown Rice Protein Concentrate, which is made using a process that does not involve the use of chemical solvents, and Sunwarrior's Warrior Blend Raw Protein, which has the distinction of being one of the few protein shakes endorsed by the raw foods crowd.
Sacha inchi is one of the most exciting new sources of plant-based protein I've come across, though it's hardly new. It's been used medicinally by the indigenous people of the Peruvian Amazon for literally thousands of years. The seeds of the sacha inchi plant are very high in omega-3's. A few combo products—such as Vega One—use sacha inchi as one of their protein sources. Look for a lot more sacha inchi products to appear soon.
Several manufacturers of high-quality plant-based protein powders use a mix of protein sources for their complementary qualities. One manufacturer of vegetarian protein powders, Vega, uses a mix of pea protein, hemp seed protein, sacha inchi and brown rice protein (plus some chlorella, just for good measure) to get a complete protein blend. Vega One's Nutritional Shakes also contain over six grams of omega-3 fatty acids (from flax and chia seeds), as well as quite a number of additional vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and probiotics. WF
Jonny Bowden, "the Nutrition Myth Buster"™ is a board-certified nutritionist and the best-selling author of The Great Cholesterol Myth and 13 other books. Visit him at www.jonnybowden.com.
NOTE: The statements presented in this column should not be considered medical advice or a way to diagnose or treat any disease or illness. Dietary supplements do not treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always seek the advice of a medical professional before altering your daily dietary regimen. The opinions presented here are those of the writer. WholeFoods Magazine does not endorse any specific company, brand or product.
Posted Aug. 18, 2014


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"So the Games have managed to achieve what even Hitler failed to accomplish with the Blitz: the total evacuation of London's working population. Well, not quite total. There are plenty of poor devils who are still trying to scratch a living in the wasteland of empty restaurants, shops and streets. The trouble is that the the usual customers – the great mass of people who normally commute into central London every day – have been terrorised into staying away by a hugely successful Transport for London promotional campaign."
Janet Daley, in the Daily Telegraph.
She writes about how so many Londoners have fled the country. I am one of them. More than 7 months ago, dreading what I feared might be the impact of the Games, I booked two weeks' holiday in southwestern France, staying in the lovely small town of Marseillan, in the Languedoc region (nearest big city is Montpellier). I am actually doing some work down here although I have handed most responsibility to a colleague. My wife and I are having a great time – the weather is glorious without being raspingly hot; the food is amazing and good value; the locals are very pleasant; and last but not least, there is a most gratifying lack of Brits to remind me of home. I do check in on the internet occasionally, but although this might strike some as unsporting, I just haven't got the "Olympic bug" at all. Yes, I thought parts of the opening ceremony were fun (glad to see Brunel honoured as the great Victorian civil engineer he was), and thought the James Bond routine was hilarious, and was not even all that annoyed about the National Health Service propaganda. (I thought the bit about the Industrial Revolution was actually not bad – all that celebration of carbon emissions and molten steel! But I am just not all that enthused. The greatest sporting festival this year has come and gone (the European football championships), and the Tour de France was also a gloriously unexpected highlight of the year. And as Brian says, there was also the cricket. Always the cricket.
By the way, Bradley Wiggins, winner of the Tour, cycled past where I am now staying, and the locals worship the guy. He has become a bit of a cult in France. They like his character, guts and behaviour.
My blogging output is going to be light for the next 10 days. You see, they sell cheap but excellent red wine here by the litre.


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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- The emotional video shows Baby Charlotte, or Charly as she's affectionately known, go from fussing, to a smile, to almost crying as she hears her mother's voice for the first time.
The moment, possible thanks to Charly's cochlear implants, has been viewed more than 12 million times on YouTube.
"I could see in her eyes and her face that she was really, really happy," Christy Keane told WTKR.
When Charly was born, she failed her first hearing test. Christy, who was formerly a NICU nurse, didn't think anything of it. She chalked it up to fluid in the ears. But four days and more failed tests later, Christy and her husband learned Charly was born profoundly deaf.
"I cried, I didn't understand and I didn't know what life was going to look like," said Christy.
But that attitude quickly changed after doing some research. Christy decided she would do whatever it took to improve Charly's future.
"We're choosing to do cochlear implants for her and we're doing total communication, so we're learning to sign and she's going to hopefully develop beautiful spoken language as well with those resources," said Christy.
However, that decision was met with some criticism online since Christy openly shares Charly's journey on Instagram. But Christy knew in her heart she was making the right decision for Charly and encourages other parents to do what they think is right, regardless of what the critics say.
"She is deaf, even with the cochlear implants. That doesn't cure deafness. As soon as she takes off the external device, she's deaf and always going to be. I just want to make sure she has all the resources to feel comfortable talking and communicating with people in any situation," said Christy.
Sharing Charly's journey with others has also been tremendously positive, Christy said.
"It's special she's touching so many people. She's meant to be who she is, just the way she is," Christy said with a smile.
Christy has become a hearing loss advocate and posts plenty of videos and photos of her two daughters to her Instagram account, which has more than 80,000 followers.
"Other people reach out to me and say how she's changed their lives or made their day or they just found out their kiddo is going deaf or is deaf and seeing her journey has made them feel more positive about the experience and cope with it," said Christy, who embraces every message and loves being part of a deaf culture that's still new to her. "It feels like a huge responsibility, but I love it. And I hope any parent who finds themselves in that position comes to me."
Locally, Christy said she couldn't have gotten this far and remained this positive without a great support system. The Virginia Hearing Aid Loan Bank donated Charly's current hearing aids and once Charly gets her cochlear implants, she'll give them back. CHKD has helped Christy set up speech therapy for Charly and that's where her implant surgery will be performed. All of this is inspiring Christy to do even more for the community.
Christy will be hosting a story time session for both deaf and hearing children at Hooray, a children's entertainment center in Virginia Beach May 2 at 10:00 a.m. She hopes parents will bring out their children, deaf or hearing, and see the two aren't very different at all.


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Copyright | (c) Jan Vornberger 2009 |
License | BSD3-style (see LICENSE) |
Maintainer | firstname.lastname@example.com |
Stability | unstable |
Portability | not portable |
Safe Haskell | Safe-Inferred |
Language | Haskell2010 |
This module contains two hooks for the PositionStore (see XMonad.Util.PositionStore) - a ManageHook and an EventHook.
The ManageHook can be used to fill the PositionStore with position and size information about new windows. The advantage of using this hook is, that the information is recorded independent of the currently active layout. So the floating shape of the window can later be restored even if it was opened in a tiled layout initially.
For windows, that do not request a particular position, a random position will be assigned. This prevents windows from piling up exactly on top of each other.
The EventHook makes sure that windows are deleted from the PositionStore when they are closed.
You can use this module with the following in your xmonad.hs
import XMonad.Hooks.PositionStoreHooks
and adding positionStoreManageHook
to your ManageHook
as well
as positionStoreEventHook
to your event hooks. To be accurate
about window sizes, the module needs to know if any decoration is in effect.
This is specified with the first argument: Supply Nothing
for no decoration,
otherwise use 'Just def' or similar to inform the module about the
decoration theme used.
myManageHook = positionStoreManageHook Nothing <> manageHook def myHandleEventHook = positionStoreEventHook main = xmonad def { manageHook = myManageHook , handleEventHook = myHandleEventHook }


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A vacation or vacation is a depart of absence from an everyday occupation, or a particular journey or journey, usually for the aim of recreation or tourism People typically take a vacation throughout specific vacation observances, or for particular festivals or celebrations. Get hyped about this awesome world and its countless travel potentialities. You often use a determiner or a possessive in front of vacation or holidays. The hotel has direct entry to the seashore, a casino and golf accessible. At we make looking for that good hotel easy and you may even take a look at the shopper evaluations. Take your children on a magical journey to the home of the mouse with our so-reasonably priced Walt Disney World resort vacations.
You may receive free e-mail information updates each time a new story is published. The standard American phrase for a longer period of time spent away from work … Read the rest


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It was November and the thick Indian air wrapped my face like a wool blanket. My first whiff of Mumbai transported me to Kingston, Jamaica, where the familiar smell of roasting peanuts and burning charcoal beckoned home. Meeting India was like encountering an estranged sister. And as my sistren and I walked this land where fuchsia, mango, teal and nutmeg colors oozed from mountaintops and mainland, we found sisters trapped in the dark.
I traveled to India in the guise of wanting to research the history of Indian fashion and its impact on global style trends. But, corny as it sounds, I was soul searching. The end of a quasi-Goth, Alanis Morissette circa Jagged Little Pill era saw the birth of a faux-Indian goddess (me) grappling with her early 20s. Blame my roommate, who played A Little Princess one lazy, dateless Friday night and completely changed my life.
I was working at the original Honey magazine, arriving to work draped in heavily embroidered fabrics that bled with color, texture and a history I knew nothing about. That season, Fashion Week was an ode to paisley prints, dramatic embroidery and backless choli tops. As I watched models (none Indian) traipse up and down the catwalk, I felt like the White guy who rocks dreds, smokes weed and wears a dingy Marley T-shirt but doesn't give a damn about the Rastafarian movement and its place in Jamaica's identity.
So I went to South India. My sistren and I were generously received by the Indian tourism board, who took us to Kancheepuram, a city renowned for its silk weaving. We also visited the centuries old, sky-tickling temples that inspired many of the patterns often seen on Indian sarees.
We were greeted warmly by the people and enjoyed interacting with them. My editor was adamant that we photograph dark-skinned Indian women for our story, and as a dark-skinned woman, I embraced the mission. But it wasn't as romantic as I imagined. The dark women walked with hung heads so heavy, they seemed half-decapitated, their dignity strung up by silky ropes of obsidian hair. I knew Black women personally who would've done anything for hair like theirs, and I knew White women who crisped themselves in the Miami heat, longing for a tone they weren't naturally born to have.
But in this lush land of color, it appeared that black was untouchable. Before I went to India, I heard the "untouchable" rumors, but hoped they weren't true. I questioned our lovely lighter-skinned tour guide, Muhamida, about the social status of India's dark-skinned women and the "untouchables" phrase, but she struggled with refuting or confirming them.
One of the women was bald, having given her hair as a sacrifice to Lord Shiva. I explained that where we came from, she was beautiful; but even though she agreed to take the photo, she wasn't moved.
What did she think of me? Here I was—dark with big, unseamed hair, strutting through her streets wearing elaborate Hindu attire mocking the mystical swag of her birthright. Did I disgust her? Did I remind of her of Kali, the Hindu goddess of death?
Kali is the only Black Indian goddess, and her identity is controversial. She's defined as a deity associated with violence, sexuality and death, but several writings describe her as a divine mother and destroyer of egos. Kali is celibate, and she enables spirit to conquer flesh. But when you look at Kali, you see her dark blue or black skin, long, black tongue, nude body, skirt of dismembered arms, and garland of severed heads. (In India, I was told they were babies' heads).
Why does the only dark-skinned goddess appear so dreadful? When I looked through the lens at these women's joyless faces, I saw an old schoolmate we'll call Jerry (she had a jheri curl in the 1980s). If you weren't "the honey with the light eyes," sometimes Jerry treated you like Kali with the dark tongue.
Jerry grieved over her dark skin and longed for a light man to balance her. Why didn't I grieve for my clove-colored skin? Being an artist has enabled me to live in many shades, but in India, I was an untouchable. I wanted so much to convince these women of their beauty, but I knew history had claimed them like Jerry. And so I stood with my Kali sisters in this colorfully dark space in time as my sistren squeezed the shutter.
Dinkinish O'Connor is an award-winning writer whose food sojourns have taken her everywhere from the shantytown bistros of Kingston to the gnarly vineyards of Bordeaux. She's written for Wine Spectator, Condé Nast Traveler, The Miami Herald and other publications. To see what's happening in Dinkinish's sumptuous little world, check out "Gourmet Squatter," her blog that explores how to sip high on a low budget.


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Planned Giving
Planned giving helps you maximize the tax benefits of your charitable giving while allowing you to provide a gift that you may not have thought possible. There are many ways to provide a contribution to the Botanical Gardens, but all planned gifts have one benefit in common – they encourage thoughtful financial planning and help people make a lasting investment at the Botanical Gardens.
Bequests are the simplest way to leave a gift to the Botanical Gardens. A bequest can be an unrestricted gift that will allow us to apply the gift where the need is greatest. A bequest can also be designated for a specific purpose. If you are considering a restricted bequest, please contact us for an opportunity to discuss your ideas before you finalize your gift.
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is a member of Leave a Legacy Western New York, a program of The Western New York Planned Giving Consortium. Please visit Leave a Legacy Western New York to learn more about how you can become a partner in sustaining the Botanical Gardens for generations to come.
If you have wish to designate the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens in your will or trust, please contact our Development Department at
716.827.1584 ext. 216 or email@example.com


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When President Barack Obama meets Pope Francis in the Vatican in March, both men will speak a common economic language rooted in similar views about poverty and income inequality, giving prominence to an issue that the U.S. president wants to be a central theme of his second term.
"It becomes very difficult for conservatives to attack President Obama for being divisive, when the world's greatest figure for unity is saying pretty much the same thing."
In the complicated relationship between the Obama administration and the Catholic Church, the White House sees the popular new pontiff and his emphasis on the plight of the poor as a form of moral validation of the president's economic agenda. When Obama delivered a major address on the economy last month, he cited the growth of inequality across the developed world and made sure to note that "the pope himself spoke about this at eloquent length."
The White House and the Vatican announced Tuesday that Obama will meet with the pope on March 27 during a four-day European trip that includes a nuclear security summit in the Netherlands and a U.S.-European Union summit in Brussels. The meeting is the first between the president and Pope Francis.
Obama had an audience with the previous pope, Benedict XVI, in July 2009. At the time, the Vatican underscored the deep disagreement between them on abortion. Benedict gave the president a copy of a Vatican document on bioethics that asserted the church's opposition to using embryos for stem cell research, cloning and in-vitro fertilization. Obama supports stem cell research.
Francis has made it clear that Catholic positions on homosexuality, same-sex marriage and abortion haven't changed.
"But in his view those issues which create conflict need to be deemphasized a bit," said John C. Green, a political scientist who specializes in religion and politics at the University of Akron.
The pope created a stir in November when he decried trickle-down theories that assert that economic growth can result in greater justice and inclusiveness as unproven. "The excluded are still waiting," he wrote.
Paul Begala, a former top aide to President Bill Clinton, said Obama can only benefit from Francis' emphasis on economic disparities.
"It becomes very difficult for conservatives to attack President Obama for being divisive, when the world's greatest figure for unity is saying pretty much the same thing," Begala said.
Still, Francis' attention to poverty has also captured the attention of Republicans, among them Rep. Paul Ryan, a devout Catholic and Mitt Romney's running mate in 2012. Other Republicans, such as Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rand Paul of Kentucky have also staked out prominent anti-poverty positions.
The economic theme will be a centerpiece of Obama's State of the Union address next week. But his specific policies — a higher minimum wage, universal pre-school and ending loopholes for the wealthy — face difficulty in Congress in an election year.
"American Catholics as a whole don't tend to take specific policy guidance from the pope, whether it's Pope Benedict or Pope Francis," Green said. "But what the pope can do is to get them thinking about particular issues and thinking about them in distinctly Catholic ways. That kind of rethinking could very well be an advantage to President Obama."
The issue of health care has highlighted other disagreements between the administration and the Catholic Church. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has been a high-profile critic of a provision in Obama's health care law that requires employers to provide insurance coverage that includes birth control.
Churches and other houses of worship are exempt from the control requirement, but affiliated institutions that serve the general public are not. That includes charitable organizations, universities and hospitals, and critics say that violates religious liberty. The issue is now before the Supreme Court.
Based on reporting by the Associated Press.
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WASHINGTON – The State Department is telling dependents of its employees working in the U.S. Embassy in Bamako, Mali, to leave.
In a travel warning issued Friday, the department also advises Americans against all travel to the west African nation because of fighting and Islamic militant activity in the north and central regions.
The State Department warns of attacks and kidnappings of westerners. The department also warns of food shortages, the loss of government control in some areas and the presence of militants linked to al-Qaida.
France has launched air strikes and sent troops to its former colony in attempt to regain control of the regions that have fallen to the militants.


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On Monday's "Dancing With the Stars: All-Stars," Bristol Palin burst into tears and stormed out on her partner Mark Ballas during a rehearsal session -- but Anderson Cooper calls the single mom's moment of weakness brilliant TV.
"Anyone who is on a reality show knows that to get attention, you have to have a have a wardrobe malfunction, throw up, have a breakdown -- have a storyline. Bristol Palin is a genius because last night she developed a storyline that made her very sympathetic," Cooper said on Tuesday's "Anderson Live" of the 21-year-old, who tearfully argued that Ballas did not support her as much as he did previous partners Shawn Johnson and Sabrina Bryan. ("You are not even there," Palin complained, before storming out of the rehearsal space. "You didn't turn up to rehearsal! I feel like you want to go home.")
PHOTOS: Meet Bristol Palin's 'DWTS' competition
Following her televised meltdown, Palin danced the paso doble with Ballas and earned 22.5/30 points -- their highest score yet.
As Palin celebrates her Monday night accomplishment on the dance floor, Cooper suggests that the Alaska-bred mother to Tripp, 3, reconsider documenting her life for reality TV cameras.
VIDEO: Anderson Cooper slams Star Jones
"I am thinking of starting a job fair for people . . . who just need to get jobs, [like] Lindsay Lohan, Bristol Palin. I think they just need to get jobs, stop being on TV!" mused the talk show host of Palin and troubled actress Lohan, 26.
VIDEO: Lindsay's Liz & Dick costar says she's Liz Taylor reincarnated
Bristol's mother, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, supported her oldest daughter at Monday's taping just hours after a suspicious package addressed to Bristol arrived at the "DWTS" set and prompted a police investigation. Later, Sarah took to her Facebook page to applaud Bristol's grace under added pressure.
PHOTOS: Incredible DWTS contestant makeovers
"Do the haters really think this will stop Bristol and Mark and the show's producers from keepin' on keepin' on? Silly critics -- after all these years of goofy antics like this we find these efforts are actually quite motivating!" Sarah Palin wrote. "Bristol's not letting this get her down."
Do you agree with Cooper that Palin and Lohan need real jobs? Tell us on Facebook.
Related content:


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A tow truck operator was arrested after leading police on a chase while drunk and intentionally ramming an unoccupied Connecticut State Police cruiser on I-95 in Greenwich early Saturday morning, police said.
According to Trooper First Class Kelly Grant, police in White Plains, New York, notified Troop G that they were in pursuit of a Bob's Towing truck on I-95 Northbound.
Police in White Plains, New York, stated that the truck was responsible for a possible hit and run accident involving a pedestrian.
Troopers positioned themselves on I-95 Northbound at exit 8 with stop sticks. The truck did not strike the sticks and continued on I-95 Northbound.
The driver of the truck, Jheison Callecastro, 21, exited the highway at exit 14, then reentered I-95 Southbound.
Troopers set up more stop sticks at exit 8 southbound, which deflated one tire. Callecastro continued driving and encountered more stop sticks at exit 4, which again deflated a tire.
With the two front tires deflated, Callecastro encountered two unoccupied state police cruisers in the median at exit 3. Callecastro intentionally swerved into the state police cruiser stopped in the median.
Both the cruiser and the tow truck sustained heavy damage. The tow truck became fully engulfed in flames.
Callecastro was taken into custody and charged with multiple crimes including criminal attempt/assault on a police officer, assault with a motor vehicle, criminal mischief, engaging in a pursuit, reckless driving and DWI for alcohol.


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It's true that you are the product of your own thoughts and decisions. Whatever you decide on daily basis, whatever you do in your routine life is directly or indirectly linked to your future. That means you are making the foundation of your destiny with your decision and actions in your routine life. So by looking at the bigger picture, it is right to conclude that decision making is critically important for your success and achievements of lifetime goals.
Given below is the list of insightful factors which you need to considerer while making decisions.
1. Consider the short term and long term consequences: Whether the decision is materialistic or a sensitive family matter. You have to consider short terms and long terms benefits.
2. Cost Vs quality if applicable. If you intend to purchase something, consider cost, quality, warranty perspectives. Usually cheep products have less life and bad quality but is not the case always. To cope up with this, define your budget and then carefully analyze all the options which are falling within your budget.
3. Need Vs wants analysis: Are you purchasing for pleasure or it is your long term need. Remember this is a difference between pleasure and happiness. Sometimes pleasure dost not last long so you don't want to spend a lot for the sake of short time pleasure. If you are in Need of something then consider point-1 and point-2.
4. Consider emotions: This is quite sensitive aspect. You have to put yourself in everyone's shoes to understand his/her emotions. You don't want to hurt someone with your decision, instead you want to keep your stake holders emotionally satisfied. Emotional Intelligence is an art; learn it by reading on internet. To understand people you have to have true sense of judging people
5. Consider Win-Win: A balanced approach in which everyone gains is always recommended.
6. Consider all options: Don't stop your brain on one idea or approach. Think about more options. Seek advice from others on different possible solutions of the given situation/problem. to the problems which need decisions.
7. Ask for criticism: If possible ask for criticism before implementing the decision. Although it's never too late to ask for criticism even after your decision. Feedback always helps in your future.
8. Learn to differentiate between Urgent and Important tasks. Read my article Urgent and Important.
9. Closely observe others: Think about what your friend/colleague/acquaintance did under a specific condition. A wise man always learns from the mistakes of others.
Good decisions require good analytical skills. Read some tips here to improve your analytical skills.


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First International Training Programme for Risk Management starts this autumn in Kyoto, under the leadership of Dr. Kanefusa Masuda, ICOMOS Member, Professor at Ritsumeikan University, Japan
An International Training Course on Risk Management of Cultural Heritage will be held (22 October - 3 November 2006) in Kyoto, Japan, under the coordination of the Research Center for Disaster Mitigation of Cultural Heritage of Ritsumeikan University (Rits-DMUCH), with the scientific cooperation of UNESCO World Heritage Centre, ICCROM and ICOMOS.
This course is a follow-up action to the recommendations adopted at the Special Thematic Session on Risk Management for Cultural Heritage held at UN-WCDR (World Conference on Disaster Reduction) in January 2005 in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. Among these recommendations was the need for the academic community to develop scientific research, education and training programs incorporating cultural heritage in both its tangible and intangible manifestations, into risk management and disaster recovery. The importance of strengthening knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of disaster prevention at WH properties was reiterated also by the World Heritage Committee at its 30th session (Vilnius, Lithuania, July 2006).
Furthermore, the "Declaration", adopted at the International Disaster Reduction Conference (IDRC) of Davos (August 2006) confirmed that 'concern for heritage, both tangible and intangible, should be incorporated into disaster risk reduction strategies and plans, which are strengthened through attention to cultural attributes and traditional knowledge'.
In line with the above-mentioned policies, Rits-DMUCH will organize a two-week intensive training program for cultural heritage risk management, inviting cultural heritage experts together with disaster risk management experts from different countries. This course will provide lectures, presentations, site visits and most importantly collaborative formulation of integrated risk management plan for participants' own heritage sites.
During the first year, 8 experts from 4 Asian countries will be invited. In the following years, it is planned to extend the course to 2 months for 10 experts from 5 countries. The course will be open to all Asian or Pacific countries which have World Cultural Heritage sites and which need to formulate risk management plans for these sites. It is hoped that this programme will be continued for a minimum of 5 years, possibly up to 10 years, as Japan is a unique country where many traces of past disasters are to be found such as earthquakes, fires, typhoons, floods and tsunamis.


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October 7, 2016 – With the November 8 General Election only a few weeks away, the City of Midland would like to remind citizens of regulations regarding election sign placement.
• Election signs may be placed on private property only.• Signs may not be placed in the public right-of-way (the area between the sidewalk and curb, and all roadways), or on City property, such as parks, City-owned lots, and other property.• Election signs on residential property may be a maximum total size of 32 square feet with a maximum height of five feet.• Permits are not required for election signs.• Before placing any signs on private property other than your own, you must get the property owner's permission.• At intersection corners, signs must be placed no closer than 20 feet from the sign to the sidewalk's edge to avoid visual obstruction. If there is no sidewalk at an intersection corner, signs must be placed at least 35 feet from the curb.• Political signs must be removed by Tuesday, November 22 or 14 days after the election.
Signs in violation of Article 8 of the City's zoning ordinance will be removed.
A civil infraction citation may be issued for any violations of the above requirements. First offenses result in a $50 fine; the second offense would be a $250 fine; and the third and subsequent offenses would cost $500 for each day that signs are in violation of the City ordinance.
For more information, contact the City Building Department at 989-837-3383.


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Jesus vs. the "Jesus Tablet" – a side by side comparison of our Savior vs. the Apple iPad
Last week, Apple began shipping the much hyped iPad, the sexy-looking, wafer-thin tabloid computer that Steve Jobs himself has called "the most important thing" he has ever done. While some detractors scoff that it's nothing more than a larger version of the popular iPod Touch handheld device, the overwhelming sentiment of most people who have seen it is along the lines of "If I promise you my first born, will you let me leap to the front of the line?" Before the device was even on store shelves, Apple had already received a quarter million pre-orders. Some analysts forecast they could sell 5 million units in the first year, making it the most successful new product launch in history.
The evangelical fervor is bordering on hysteria. Some techno geeks who have never had a date in their lives are already calling it the greatest invention since Gutenberg printed the first Bible some 600 years ago. Others are simply calling it the Jesus Tablet, because of the almost mystic, spiritual aura surrounding this seeming "holy grail" of computer gadgetry. If that's not enough of a Biblical connection, why is it that the Bible even has an entire book named after Apple's founder, the Book of Jobs? At the risk of comparing apples to oracles, this leads me to ask the obvious theological-technological question: Which is better, Jesus or the new "Jesus Tablet", the iPad?


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Dear Esther has reached profitability. It took 5 hours, 30 minutes.
Dear Esther was released on Steam yesterday, February 14th. In under 24 hours, the game has sold over 16,000 copies, and Indie Fund's investment was recouped after just 5.5 hours. Those are great first-day sales for any game, independent or otherwise. Because the Indie Fund loan is already covered, Dear Esther is now profitable.
To be honest, we are a little surprised by how many people bought Dear Esther so quickly. We were expecting the game to have a niche appeal. In fact the situation is quite different; all day it was the top-selling game on Steam:
So, released among games about killing, reckoning, crusading, killing and really old scrolls (containing really old magic... for killing), the meditative beauty of Dear Esther has been recognized. Congratulations to the team behind the game, and thank you to everyone out there who bought the game or told a friend about it.
Indie Fund has a commitment to openness with financials, so here are the relevant details.
We have been in contact with Dan Pinchbeck of thechineseroom since March 2010. The original Dear Esther had already been produced, back in 2008, in the form of an inconvenient-to-install Steam mod that could be downloaded for free. The mod got many peoples' attention at the time. Dan's first proposal to us was to fund an ambitous game that would be a spiritual sequel to Dear Esther. At about the same time, he told us about Robert Briscoe's popup: true side-project to rebuild the Dear Esther mod with higher-end graphics.
We talked with Dan on and off about the potential new game for about a year. Due to various interactions with the bureaucracies surrounding universities and government funding sources, it had been uncertain how we could fund the new game. Meanwhile, though, Rob's rebuild of Dear Esther had become a full project of its own. In April 2011, Dan switched gears and came to us to fund the completion of the Dear Esther rebuild, asking for £30K. We deliberated; even though the original Dear Esther was highly regarded among the art game community, we weren't sure if people would buy it. Here's an excerpt from an email we sent Dan in May 2011:
One thing we are thinking as we play the demo is that the Steam audience may not be the right one for the game. We don't think it's a bad idea to release on Steam, but we don't know how well the game will do there (our thoughts so far are, "maybe the game will break even, maybe it won't, but it won't make a decent margin of money".) Us as the fund are not really concerned about making much money, but what we hope is that the developers get a big audience and make enough that they are set for a while. So our hope would be that you make enough that you can self-fund [the bigger game] (or else get less outside funding for it than you would otherwise, or else at least have Esther sales that serve as a demonstration that this format can work well, so that people can invest in the next game with confidence). What we are thinking is that PSN may actually be the best audience for the game, since PSN has a tradition of doing arty stuff, and so it might be good to launch on both PSN and PC simultaneously.
We appear to have been very wrong about all this. We are happy to have been wrong. One month after Dan's proposal, we voted to fund Dear Esther. Since the budget was relatively small and the team needed a large chunk of the money right away, we sent them the entire investment, $55k (USD), in one lump sum. As discussed in the Q.U.B.E. write-up, we liked the way this eliminates most of the hassle that comes with monthly-milestone kinds of situations. Dan and associates had a very solid track record, so we did not worry about the game getting finished. From the point we funded it, the Dear Esther remake was on autopilot as far as Indie Fund was concerned. We'd ask Dan for one-paragraph status updates every couple of months, offer a small suggestion here and there, and let them continue with their work. Finally, the game was finished, on budget. The result is in your hands today! Congratulations once again to Dan, Rob, Jessica, and everyone else who contributed to the game. It's great to see a game like to see Dear Esther doing well and we hope this means the next game will be much easier to make!


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From left to right, in the back seat of my Auntie Joy's car with Auntie Kathryn, and my mom in the middle. The shortest one ALWAYS gets the hump for their feet. That's the rule.
"We're going to be late!" She said. "We can't be late - everyone will be there by 10am."
It's okay, mama - we'll get there. We are on our way. It only STARTS at 10am, and not everyone will be there just waiting for you to walk in the door at 10am!
We were on our way to Caribou Coffee, a chosen destination for the 2017 reunion of the Bloomington Rink Rats - a group of roller skating kids who banded together in the 1950s for Friday and Saturday nights of safe fun, skating competition (all in good sport!) and exercise - but most of all, life-long friendship building.
I'm sure at 15 years old (some younger, some older) they weren't aware of how much their friendships would mean to them over the coming decades, and I as a daughter had no real clue about how deep these devotions to each other ran, but I was soon to find out.
But first - some YARD SALES! It's a Mach-Girls tradition any time we are together. Oh, the laugher and fun and thrill of the hunt.
"Look! There's a sign! Let's stop!"
"Anyone catch the address?" (Car full of the Mach 5 pulling a "U-ey" and doubling back to find out)
"Got it!" And off we went.
Evidently the Rink Rats can wait if there is a yard sale to stop at. "Just 5 minutes -- we'll make it a quick one!" (Yeah, right!)


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On Wednesday, April 17 at 9 p.m. ET, "The Perfect Schedule '13" selects the best 17 games for the year ahead.
Hosted by Andrew Siciliano and Amber Theoharis, and featuring analysts Warren Sapp, Darren Sharper, Willie McGinest, Heath Evans, Brian Billick and Daniel Jeremiah, the hour-long "The Perfect Schedule '13" examines who the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens should open the 2013 season against, as well as the best homecoming games, playoff rematches and quarterback matchups.
Additionally, Mark Kriegel examines Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker facing his former team, the New England Patriots.
Broncos linebacker Von Miller and Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith appear in-studio on "The Perfect Schedule '13" to provide their thoughts and opinions on their teams' schedules.


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U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon's ruling in a case challenging the National Security Agency's bulk collection of phone records sets up what's likely to be a contentious legal battle to impose limits on government surveillance in the U.S.
Leon, a judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, on Monday held that the NSA's warrantless collection of phone records on millions of Americans might be unconstitutional.
In a bluntly worded 68-page decision, Leon ruled that the plaintiffs in the case had a strong legal basis for challenging the constitutionality of the government's data collection efforts. Based on information presented to the court, the plaintiffs had demonstrated "a substantial likelihood of success on the merits of their Fourth Amendment claim," Leon noted.
The ruling is the first one to directly address the legality of the NSA's phone records collection since Edward Snowden first began leaking details of its activities to the media in June.
Lawmakers who back the NSA program and those who want to end it are already squaring off over what it means.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), who has joined other lawmakers to sponsor a bill to end the NSA program, applauded the ruling. "Americans deserve an open and transparent debate about the constitutionality, efficacy, and appropriateness of the government's dragnet collection programs," he said in a statement Monday.
But Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has sponsored a bill that seeks to codify many of the NSA activities into law. She expressed reservations over Leon's opinion, and noted that it ran counter to the opinions of 15 separate federal judges who authorized the program while acting as judges for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC).
FISC was set up to oversee the program.
Leon's opinion also differs from a ruling by a federal judge in California last month in a case involving four people charged with providing material support to Somali terrorists. In that case, Judge Jeffrey Miller of the Southern District of California held that the information collected under the calls records program by the NSA and provided to the FBI could be used as evidence against them.
"Clearly, we have competing decisions from those of at least three different courts (the FISA Court, the D.C. District Court and the Southern District of California)," Feinstein said in a statement. "Only the Supreme Court can resolve the question on the constitutionality of the NSA's program."
Rights advocacy groups were quick to hail the Monday decision as a significant victory for those seeking limits on the surveillance activities carried out by the government under the aegis of counter-terrorism.
"A federal court has now concluded that the program does, in fact, violate the Fourth Amendment," said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "While we anticipate that the government will appeal the decision, this could be the beginning of the end for the NSA's sweeping and controversial domestic data collection practices."
Leon's often-scathing language in describing the NSA's Bulk Telephony Metadata Program was seen as particularly encouraging by many opposed to the surveillance practices.
In a blog post, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) highlighted several examples of Leon's unequivocal criticism of the NSA program. The advocacy group expressed particular satisfaction over Leon's decision to address a crucial 1979 Supreme Court ruling (Smith v. Maryland) that has often been cited by the government as a legal basis for the call records collection. In that ruling, the Supreme Court held that phone subscribers should have no legitimate expectation of privacy over metadata records acquired by the government directly from service providers.
In his opinion, Leon held that technological advances since that 1979 ruling made the issues in the current case a "far cry" from those considered 34 years ago.
"We are very happy the court could understand and appreciate that technology has evolved to such a degree, that Smith v. Maryland doesn't control," said Hanni Fakhoury, a staff attorney with EFF. "That understanding of Smith goes beyond just the NSA context, and implicates other forms of electronic surveillance, such as collection of cell site records and Internet metadata."
Jaikumar Vijayan covers data security and privacy issues, financial services security and e-voting for Computerworld. Follow Jaikumar on Twitter at @jaivijayan or subscribe to Jaikumar's RSS feed. His e-mail address is email@example.com.
See more by Jaikumar Vijayan on Computerworld.com.
Read more about privacy in Computerworld's Privacy Topic Center.


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Uncovering the Mystery of a Major Threat to Wheat
Uncovering the Mystery of a Major Threat to Wheat Posted: Tuesday, June 8, 2010 8:02 pm Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have solved a longstanding mystery as to why a pathogen that threatens the world's wheat supply can be so adaptable, diverse and virulent. It is because the fungus that causes the wheat disease called stripe rust may use sexual recombination to adapt to resistant varieties of wheat. ARS plant pathologist Yue Jin and his colleagues Les Szabo and Marty Carson at the agency's Cereal Disease Laboratory at St. Paul, Minn., have shown for the first time that stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis, is capable of sexually reproducing on the leaves of an alternate host called barberry, a common ornamental. The fungus also goes through asexual mutation. But sexual recombination offers an advantage because it promotes rapid reshuffling of virulence gene combinations and produces a genetic mix more likely to pass along traits that improve the chances for survival. Barberry (Berberis spp) is already controlled in areas where wheat is threatened by stem rust, caused by another fungal pathogen. But the work by the ARS team is expected to lead to better control of barberry in areas like the Pacific Northwest, where cool temperatures during most of the wheat growing season make stripe rust a particular threat. The researchers suspended wheat straw infected with the stripe rust pathogen over barberry plants and found that fungal spores from the wheat infected the barberry. They also took infected barberry leaves, treated them to promote the release of spores, and exposed them to wheat. Tests confirmed that the wheat plants were infected within about 10 days. The researchers began the study last year after finding infected leaves on barberry plants at two sites on the University of Minnesota campus. They initially thought the symptoms were a sign that the stem rust pathogen had overcome the resistance commonly found in U.S. varieties of barberry. Instead, they found barberry serving as a sexual or "alternate" host for stripe rust. When the overwintering spores of the stripe rust fungus germinate in the spring, they produce spores that reach barberry leaves, forming structures on the top of the leaves that allow mating between races or strains of the fungus. Spores resulting from this mating can, in turn, infect wheat. The results were recently published in Phytopathology. ARS is the principal intramural scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The research supports the USDA priorities of promoting international food security. Posted 6.8.10 |


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Good Day to Die Hard, A
Personally (and I've written about this at length), I enjoyed Live Free or Die Hard. Despite the PG-13 rating that kept the film from matching the original's intensity and edginess, Len Wiseman and screenwriter Mark Bomback (and Bruce Willis, now a guardian of the series) worked hard to keep the aforementioned plot elements, tone, and character of McClane intact. Many complain that McClane has transformed into invincible superman, but what made the character special was his emotional vulnerability (even if physical vulnerability made the action more compelling). The idea of John as an average guy goes away when extraordinary things happen to him more than once, and there's honestly no expectation that McClane is actually going to die. With regards to the rating, any good character is more than surface elements like language and cigarettes (or hair), and McClane is no exception: never a volunteer but motivated by the need to act, acts on instinct and not strategy, dislikes authority, has a wry sense of humor, and struggles to get along with members of his own family. Live Free is slick entertainment, but it's good slick entertainment that understands the franchise it's a part of.
Sadly, the same cannot be said of A Good Day to Die Hard, the fifth in what Willis reportedly envisions to be a six-film franchise. Having worked things out with his daughter Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), McClane's newest goal is to deal with his son, Jack (Jai Courtney). John's just discovered that Jack is being held in a Russian prison, so he flies to foreign soil to try and find out what happened. Many of the same character elements that define McClane are present, but 20th Century Fox's go-to hack director John Moore seems dead-set on ruining the formula. Through obnoxious shaky cam, sloppy editing, and aggressively insipid direction of a mediocre screenplay, Moore proves himself unable to stick even the tiniest moment, rendering all of those series' trademarks painfully perfunctory and entirely tone-deaf. Moore's work here is so bad it prevents the movie from even being an anonymous 21st century popcorn diversion.
Moore shares a couple of traits in common with Wiseman: he loves the traditional teal and orange palette of modern action movies (boring), and he has some interest in practical effects (good). Unfortunately, the impressive effort by Moore's stunt team on a massive car chase near the beginning of the film is completely ruined by his inability to hold a shot, either steady or for long enough, for the audience to understand who's where and doing what. Actually, the movie's atrocious cutting starts before the chase does: instead of establishing any sort of motivation for McClane to join the fracas, he starts screaming at people (including himself), steals a car, and starts chasing the villains, without any actual knowledge of what's going on or why. Cavalier destruction can be fun if the tone is right (screenwriter Skip Woods also wrote the highly-entertaining A-Team movie), but McClane comes off more like the ultimate ugly American, causing millions of dollars in damage to innocent civilians' property mere minutes after he gets off the plane, not to mention his bizarre yelling makes it seem like he's lost his mind (it might be a good day to diagnose dementia).
Things do not improve from there. Similar to the "Unrated" version of its predecessor, A Good Day to Die Hard refuses to commit to the violence or language. Some CG arterial spray and the occasional f-bomb (many added in post-production) aside, this R-rated outing manages feels more neutered than even the PG-13 previous film, which at least offered brutality in line with, say, Casino Royale or the Bourne franchise. Excepting a single death ripped from not only Die Hard but another Bruce Willis action-comedy, there's no impact to any of the violence on display, whether it's villainous Russians, or McClane himself. At least in the last film, Willis played McClane with a nice weariness, uncertainty, and occasional exhaustion; this time he survives two rollover accidents in the first twenty minutes without as much as a pause before hopping out of the wreckage. McClane's sense of humor is arguably the most successful returning element, but even that's slim pickings. A conversation with a singing cabbie (Pasha D. Lychnikoff) generates some Die Hard vibes, but McClane is funniest when he's got something strong to play off of, and in most of A Good Day, McClane is playing to himself. In a desperate attempt to beef things up, Moore offers his weirdest touch: he and his sound editors have created what equates to a McClane soundboard during action sequences, consisting of "Jack!", "Jesus!", "I'm on vacation!" (which, it should be said, he is not), and a line from the fourth film ("Is that your best shot?"), all peppered in without rhyme or reason. McClane's catchphrase (heard in full) is wasted on an attempt to find a casual twist on tradition.
Willis has been notoriously sleepy-eyed in many of his 21st century movies, but he actually seems upbeat here, ready for action. Moore responds by giving his character a minimal amount of dialogue and even screen time, favoring Jack over John. Of course, this does Courtney no favors; he's okay but has no role to play other than "a guy who hates his father," and the two can't build chemistry without any foundation. The villains (there are three) are even blander than Timothy Olyphant's hacker from the previous film, with at least two suffering from having been written to echo Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber. Moore slams the final nails in the coffin with dirt-dull compositions that both detract from the action and are frequently boring (notice how often there's nothing in the frame besides the characters and a distant wall), and his handling of the sentimental material is even worse. By the time the movie's sappy final freeze frame settles into place, there's no doubting A Good Day to Die Hard is the series' worst entry, a victim of a bankrupt culture and the product of someone who saw too many movies as a child.
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David Lynch & James Signorelli
Review by Rumsey Taylor
Posted on 14 July 2010
Source DivX video
Categories David Lynch's 1990s
For a millennium, the space for the hotel room existed, undefined. Mankind captured it, gave it shape, and passed through. And sometimes, in passing through, they found themselves brushing up against the secret names of truth.
Prefaced with the above narration, the eponymous location of David Lynch & Mark Frost's fourth (and final) television series, Hotel Room, would be room number 603 in New York's Railroad Hotel. The entire series is a mere three episodes, each an average of thirty minutes long, and based solely in room 603 and its adjoining hallway. Yet in spite of such abbreviation, Hotel Room comprises a narrative span of unexpected depth: each episode is set in a different year (1969, 1992, and 1936, respectively) and in its definitively brief run varies liberally between comedy, romance, and pathos.
Lynch directed two of the series' episodes - neatly bookending the second, helmed by James Signorelli (an otherwise go-to director for Saturday Night Live) - and they are noteworthy as his first collaborations with author Barry Gifford. Lynch had adapted Gifford's Wild at Heart three years prior, and the two would collaborate on Lost Highway four years hence. Of these joint efforts, their Hotel Room episodes are the most succinct and least outlandish. Lynch, it seems, is orbiting around Gifford in these instances, and vice-versa: the surrealism is restrained in a manner that resembles Hemingway minimalism (much of the action in each episode is extrapolated in dialogue), and Gifford's pulp fiction is isolated to a single room, foregoing any propensity for road trip or rampage.
The opener, "Tricks," features Lynch regular Harry Dean Stanton assuming his trademark character type, a sort of drifter prone to being down on his luck. He arrives with a prostitute, nervously tests the responsiveness of the mattress, walks in and out of the bathroom in a single motion, and promptly stipulates bourbon ("No, not whiskey!â€) from room service. Stanton's an actor whose face - relaying such experienced regret - is integral in establishing the spectrum of his characters, a physical trait he ballasts in subdued dialogical exchanges and considered bursts of emotion. His luck, or lack thereof, is retained by the episode's end, but it is only at this moment that the viewer fathoms the extent of his desperation.
The second episode, "Getting Rid of Bobby," is both the darkest and most comedic of the three. It centers on a volatile couple, played by Deborah Kara Unger (three years prior to her stalwart turn in Crash) and Griffin Dunne. Each seems to have some conception of how to handle the other: Dunne delivers his imperative to break up with considered indifference; Unger, dissatisfied with this expected but nonetheless sudden confrontation, reciprocates in whacking his head with a brass fire poker.
Lynch and Gifford are reinstated in the final and effectively strongest episode of the series, "Blackout." (This episode is notably fifteen minutes longer than the preceding two.) It occurs in near total darkness, save for lamps that illuminate the characters' faces in closeup and occasional flashes of lightning. Room 603 has welcomed another couple, this time a young one: she is apparently blind, and suffering from an acute fever; he is responsibly attendant, holding her hand calmly, looking unremittingly into her face even though she does not see him. The male is portrayed by Crispin Glover, who, like Stanton, is at home in a David Lynch production, but the standout here is Alicia Witt. She lends the circumstances a certain gothicism—her eyes, open wide and jerking suddenly in some direction toward an unseen spook, render her a beguiling gargoyle. This couple, we learn, are already enduring a tragedy that occurred in the years past, and we sense that they are on the verge of another.
Hotel Room remains slight in Lynch's career, given how pronounced endorsements for his feature work tend to be, but it demonstrates how well he works within constraints. And furthermore, it has really no lulls whatsoever; if anything, it's too condensed and too concentrated, and absent of any of Lynch's signature concoctions of imagery. But if this is placed at or near the bottom of Lynch's total body of work, then it more than suffices in demonstrating just how strong the sum of all of it is.
Industrial Symphony No. 1
1990On the Air
1992Hotel Room
1993Premonitions Following an Evil Deed
1995Lost Highway
1997We don't do comments anymore, but you may contact us here or find us on Twitter or Facebook.