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This week, thousands of costumed do-gooders, displaced Orcs, and spiky-haired anime heroines are laying siege to San Diego's harbor front in the name of all things geek. It's San Diego Comic Con, the largest comic book, science fiction, fantasy, and anything else convention in the world, and it is also the newest target for "Super Size Me" and "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold" documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock.
With a book, "Comic Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope", out now from DK Publishing and a film set to debut this fall, Spurlock dives headfirst into the annual phenomenon that has grown from a place to buy back issues to a multi-million dollar showcase for the next mega-blockbuster franchise.
PopcornBiz chatted with Spurlock to find out what led him to Comic Con, what he dug up while embedded in the world, and how he's paying his geekiness forward.
U.S. & World
PopcornBiz: I guess the first question is: Why Comic Con?
Morgan Spurlock: I am a huge geek and have been ever since I was a kid - big surprise. [laughs] Comic books, genre movies, these were all the things that really shaped me as a kid. I had parents who really loved it and encouraged it as well. I remember I went to my first San Diego Comic Con - which I had never been to, although I had been to ones in New York and LA - two years ago, when I got hired to do the Simpsons 20th anniversary special for Fox. And we went there to shoot and cast for super fans for the special - we were trying to find Simpsons super fans who would talk to us for the special, and I was just overwhelmed [by the convention]. I so drank the Kool-Aid in every possible way. And I said to my producing partner, "This is a movie. This place is a film." Later on that weekend, I met Stan Lee - I just got chills thinking about it - so I went to meet him, to kiss the ring, to thank him, I said, "Mr. Lee, as a kid, you have to know what an influence you had on me, your comic books made it cool for me to want to write and tell stories and I can't begin to thank you enough." And he was like, "Oh my god, Morgan, thank you. Listen, we should make a movie together! We should make a documentary about Comic Con!" Literally at the moment, this movie was born.
PB: It's hard not to get fired up by Stan. Every time he speaks, it sounds like he's narrating the old Spider Man cartoons.
MS: [laughs] Yeah. "Hey, crime stoppers!"
PB: So you grew up on Stan's work, the title of your Comic Con book is a clear "Star Wars" reference - what other properties do you geek out over?
MS: There's so much that I love. I love where graphic novels have gone. I love that they're "graphic novels," they're not "comic books." So now you don't feel like a little kid. "Oh, I'm reading a graphic novel." You feel like a grown-up. There are so many stories that I love. Like "DMZ," I love Brian Wood's stories. I love "Chew," which is another great series. "Potter's Field" by Mark Waid. The genre has grown and gone in so many different directions - "Walking Dead" was fantastic. And what I remind people of is that so much of the stuff that we love as a culture has come from these books, and we tend to forget that. All these huge giant genre movies that are coming out. These TV series on television now. We're mining this incredible field that I feel is still mostly untapped. Even beyond the recognizable superhero genre. There's a lot of great material there. And there are great writers and great storytellers and incredible artists that have helped define a lot of this.
PB: When you started shooting, did you focus on one Con, or did you piece together elements of a few different ones?
MS: The whole goal was to have the whole thing take place in San Diego. That is THE Comic Con. There is nothing else like it. There are 150,000 people there in four days. It represents everything from the popular arts: It's movies, it's comics, it's television, it's video games, it's toys - it's everything. For me, that was the only place where the film was going to take place. It was shot entirely last year during Comic Con. It was shot over a period of, like, a week. We follow 7 different people into Comic Con and see Comic Con through their eyes, through their experiences. And I'm not in one frame of the movie, you don't hear me in one frame of the film. It's great. I love the stories that are in there. It really is about people who I feel represent what the Con is all about. They come from really diverse backgrounds, they come from different parts of the country and the world, and they all speak to the different levels of passion and excitement about all the worlds that are represented by Comic Con.
PB: Have you noticed a landscape change at Comic Con? The feeling this year is that it's going to be more TV-heavy, for example.
MS: You always hear that the studios aren't going to be there, almost every year the studios say that, especially when they don't have any real big genre movies to come and promote - while some may scale back, I think there's still going to be plenty of great surprises there. It is the place to capitalize on that audience, to make an announcement to that audience. It's filled with people who have a tremendous amount of sway and influence on not only the people there but to the millions of people who can't be there. I think that's what the film and the book do a great job of showing, what we all love about Comic Con, and it shows people kind of what they're missing. What I love about the film and the book is that I can give them to my mom and she'll get it. She'll finally be like, "Oh, so that's what goes on there…" Everyone will want to make that trek to Geek Mecca.
PB: Studios always seem to debate if going to the Con is worth it. Past Comic Con darlings like "Tron: Legacy" and "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" failed to make much of an impact at the box office...
MS: Well, they sure do keep coming! [laughs] I think that everybody loves to complain about things. That's what I believe. I really believe that. The studios love to complain about Comic Con, but I think it's fantastic, it's successful, it's influential. For every person who complains there are others who say, "We had a great Comic Con. It was very successful for us. We're glad we were there." It's the nature of the beast. Whenever something becomes successful, there are going to be people who are going to be the naysayers. At the end of the day, it's only growing. The whole talk around "Keep Comic Con in San Diego" was the fact that the convention was starting to out-grow the venue. But it's staying…there's talk of expanding the convention center to accommodate it all.
PB: Did you always have a companion book in mind, or was it a case of having a lot of spill-over material from the documentary?
MS: When we were doing the Simpsons special, we kind of did this sort of "American Idol"-esque casting, having people come in and talk about their love of the Simpsons in front of [creators] Al Jean and Matt Groening. It was fantastic. And as we were sitting there doing that and starting to talk about the movie - because literally I met Stan on the Friday night, I met ["Avengers" director] Joss Whedon the next day and talked to him about the movie, and as we started talking about the film more we thought we should think about a book. Like, imagine if Taschen made your high school geek yearbook dreams come true. So it was part of the conversation early on. Just because to have real beautiful photographs of these costumes and the work people put into them was something we started talking about early.
PB: You talk to a lot of big name people for the book: Bryan Singer, Seth Rogen, Kevin Smith, Guillermo Del Toro…
MS: And they are all in the film, too.
PB: Who surprised you the most?
MS: Kenneth Branagh is amazing. He's probably the last person you'd imagine being at Comic Con. Someone who comes from this world of being so classically trained, someone who represents kind of the inverse of Comic Con - you wouldn't think of comic books as Shakespeare. And that's probably what Branagh's most associated with, the Bard. Our interview with him was so amazing. He's such a brilliant guy, to begin with, very charismatic and he started to break down why Comic Con is important, what does it represent…and he started comparing it to Shakespeare and the Globe Theater and the excitement that was outside of the theater, people selling trinkets trying to get people to come in, drumming up excitement. He said, there was a tremendous amount of pomp and circumstance around all of the performances that were going on there. And he said when he thought of Comic Con, he felt Shakespeare would have been very excited about this place. It was such a good story.
PB: Now, you mentioned that your parents nurtured your geekery - how are you planning on passing it on to the next generation?
MS: I'm taking my four-and-a-half year old to San Diego this year. He's been to New York Comic Con but this is his first San Diego Comic Con, which I am so excited about. So I was showing him the book, and we were looking at the pictures and he was getting all excited. As a father, there's nothing better than having your kid see C-3PO and being like, "It's C-3PO! It's R2-D2!" and you're like, "That's my boy!" [laughs] So we were looking at the book, and he goes, "I can wear a costume!" And I go, "Yes!" He goes, "I can be Batman!" And I said, "Yes, you could." Then he goes, "No! You could be Batman, and I could be Batboy!" and I was like, "Yes we can!" So on Thursday at Comic Con there will be a handlebar mustached Batman walking around with his little Batboy because that's what you have to do as a dad. If you really want to foster the geekiness of your kid, that's what you have to do.
San Diego Comic Con kicks off on July 21st. Morgan Spurlock's book "Comic Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope" is available now. The accompanying documentary will premiere in the fall.


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Wesleyan University Stats, Info and Facts
|Institution Type:
|Private not-for-profit
|Campus Setting:
|New England Small city
|Highest Degree Offered:
|Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
|Level of Institution:
|Four or more years
|School Mascot:
|School Colors:
|Cardinal and black
Around campus, there is a general environment of smart, open-minded individuals who are, by a large margin, happy to be at Wesleyan. The free exchange of ideas is valued greatly…
Wonderful University that allows any student to explore many aspects one would want to seek in a college experience.…
very liberal and cultural courses. tons of stuff to do. students take their work very seriously.…
Wesleyan is all-in-all a great university. It is small enough so that students have the opportunity to really connect with their professors and each other, yet large enough that you…
Wesleyan University is dedicated to providing an education in the liberal arts that is characterized by boldness, rigor, and practical idealism. At Wesleyan, distinguished scholar-teachers work closely with students, taking advantage of fluidity among disciplines to explore the world with a variety of tools. The university seeks to build a diverse, energetic community of students, faculty, and staff who think critically and creatively and who value independence of mind and generosity of spirit.
It is a fun place to be, the people are friendly and contribute to the diversityRead More
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What happens when you travel with food.Tuesday, February 27th, 2007
I know it's been quiet here for a while, but I'm here. First I worked in Gothenburg for a few days, then our internet at home was down for a long time and finally last week I had a really bad stomach flu. I still feel a bit sick, but I'm much better. Due to the flu I havn't cooked nor actually eaten much. But luckily for me and you I have a large back log with photos and recipes which I need to post before I forget the details :-)
When I was in Gothenburg for work I stayed a few days extra just to visit my family. When I travelled back to Stockholm I had an extra suitcase due to all food that my dear mother had packed for me. She made tons of Polish pierogi which now lays in our freezer and which we eat with reverence. My mother also packed some cans of sweetened condensed milk for baking and a lot of other food. After my check-in at the airport, including the extra suitcase of food only, I went to the security check where I had to take of my shoes which caused beeping. After finally getting through the security I suddenly heard my name in the loudspeakers; I was asked to contact the information desk. So I had to go back all the way and I was feeling a bit nervous as I didn't know what was going on. After being shunted back and forth between the airport staff I finally ended up by my suitcase, the one with food which I had checked in. "-We believe that you have paint cans in your suitcase and they are not allowed". I never blush, but I think that I actually did this time when trying to explain that it was milk… I had to unpack my suitcase and show the labels on the milk cans which the staff carefully read. They just laughed and said that it was OK, then I had to run back to the security check, take off my shoes again and then I was finally on my way to the gate. Both me and the milk arrived safely in Stockholm, and the pierogi as well.


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Another night at the dojo and the skin on my feet is sore from practice on hardwood floors.
How do you take good care of your feet, aside from the obvious washing and nail-clipping?
Moderator: Bill Bauknecht
<<My Pinetrees fell apart after a couple months of heavy use.
Hummmngh. Must be all that Uechi toe kicking that does it...
<<More comfortable. The Disciplines "fit" is better then the Pinetree.
DO you mean a wider show box? Or something else?
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On July 18, the "2013 Christmas in July Unveiling" by the W Club featured dolls I do not collect, namely Jem and the Holograms, Poppy and Chip, Teen Poppy and Victoire Roux.
The Jem and the Holograms line debuted three dolls who were known as The Stingers in the cartoon. If I were a fan of this line, I'd consider ordering these three because I think they are the coolest so far. I like their outfits and faces.
The Barefoot in the Park stars Poppy as Corie Bratter and Chip as her husband, Paul.
For those who like the youthful Chip, this one might be a winner. Poppy looks a bit haggard.
The clothes on the prototypes do not have the appearance of quality construction. Chip needs some serious shoulder pads and a better fitting shirt.
The gift set in which only Poppy appears has three ensembles, each of which comes with a coat and none of which I find attractive or necessary to own. But that's my taste. Poppy is pretty. I like the updo.
And then there are the Fashion Teen Poppy dolls. I do not like this doll's face at all. You can pick her up by her lips.
Out of the four new Big Poppy dolls, the following one is wearing a lovely, sophisticated outfit. It comes with a red hatbox-type handbag which is not shown in this photo. If this outfit were available separately, I would buy it for another doll.
The last doll was a Victoire Roux offered as a lottery.
I like the jacket and the hairstyle but the skirt does not lay properly.
What was your reaction? Did you order anything?


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Paul Aiken / Daily Camera
Paul Aiken / Daily Camera
Housing resources for CU-Boulder students
Off-Campus Housing and Neighborhood Relations Office: 303-492-7053 or och.colorado.edu
This office, funded by CU Student Government, provides CU students, faculty and staff with resources for off-campus housing, said spokesman Jeremy Moore. Though the office does not take sides or provide legal counsel for landlord-tenant disputes, they have a part-time attorney who will review leases for free. They also provide an off-campus housing guide, host housing fairs and give students tips for being good neighbors in Boulder, Moore said.
Student Legal Services: 303-492-6813 or cubouldersls.com
Moore said when students need additional legal advice, his office refers them to Student Legal Services. For a small fee ($25 the first visit), students can meet with an attorney for advice and mediation help on rental issues. Student Legal Services also will review leases for $10.
Some University of Colorado students are scrambling to find a place to live after learning that their building, the newly remodeled Oak House at 12th Street and College Avenue, won't be ready until mid-October because of construction delays.
The students signed one-year leases for the renovated building at 1107 12th Street beginning in August, and construction on the 15, four-bedroom units was supposed to be completed in time for the fall semester.
But officials with property manager My Boulder Rental notified tenants last week that "unanticipated challenges" associated with last September's floods caused construction delays that will push back their move-in date until at least Oct. 15.
On Monday afternoon, a handful of construction workers were on site digging, preparing lumber and installing windows.
Brendan Hefter, a senior studying finance who was supposed to live at the Oak House this fall, quickly texted a friend when he found out about the two-month delay.
Luckily, he said, he found a room in the meantime, but his other Oak House roommates haven't been so lucky.
The extra hassle has already put a damper on his senior year, he said.
"It's supposed to be the last year, the best year of college," he said.
What's more frustrating, Hefter said, is that My Boulder Rental property manager Colleen Murphy had emailed all tenants in mid-April to say construction was on schedule.
At the time, she wrote "Everything is going great and we are very excited to have you all move in in August."
Hefter said he feels tricked.
"We were all convinced it would be ready, we were told that," Hefter said by phone from Chicago, where he's interning this summer. "We were deceived more or less."
Murphy declined to comment for this story, but provided the Daily Camera with a letter she said she sent to tenants explaining the situation. Tenants will not pay rent while the building is under construction, she wrote, and future rent payments will be reduced by $600 for each month the property wasn't available.
According to the My Boulder Rental website, rent for each four-bedroom unit starts at $3180, plus an additional $400 flat rate for utilities, not including cable or internet.
Each individual tenant can pay an additional $100 per month for parking.
"(My Boulder Rental) is committed to assisting you with your interim housing needs," she wrote. "We understand that this delay will cause inconvenience in meeting your housing needs."
'Pulling our hair out'
Deborah Clarke has been dealing with housing for her son Chris Miller, also a senior, who is in Europe this summer.
She said the building's history with My Boulder Rental makes the situation even more troubling. It had been home to Sigma Alpha Epsilon, a member of the Boulder Interfraternity Council, before a company registered as 1107 12th LLC purchased the property, according to the Boulder County Assessor's Office.
The company asked the fraternity brothers living in the building to leave in May of 2013, several months before the end of their leases, so that construction could begin on a sparkling set of new apartments called the Oak House.
They moved out, but many were quick to sign new leases for the renovated building because of its close proximity to campus and proposed modern floorplans and amenities.
John Kirkland, the registered agent for 1107 12th LLC according to the Colorado Secretary of State's Office, could not be reached Monday.
Now, the students and parents are trying to decipher Boulder rental laws to see what, if any, penalties they could be facing if they decide to terminate their leases and live elsewhere.
Clarke said her son and his three roommates put down around $7,000 for a security deposit for their unit, and it's unclear if they'll get that back.
Miller found a 90-day lease for corporate housing in Boulder this week, Clarke said, but it comes at a price. Because Miller's summer lease doesn't end until Aug. 16, he's paying double rent for two weeks in August, and if the Oak House is ready before Nov. 6, he'll be paying double rent again later this fall.
Because the corporate housing is furnished, they'll also have to pay to store Miller's furniture for three months, Clarke added.
"We're just pulling our hair out trying to scrounge around," she said.
'Bad taste'
With another son starting at CU this fall, Clarke said she's not looking forward to several more years of difficult landlords and expensive housing options in Boulder, where demand for housing of all kinds is high and supply is low.
Nancy Andersen, mother of senior Jack Karger, also has another son starting at CU this fall.
She said she's so frustrated with the landlord-biased leases in Boulder that she's considering buying a property to rent to her sons.
"We've all been to college and dealt with cities that are based around the college or university there, " Andersen said. "But this is beyond that. It really gives you a bad taste for the city and for the university. How sad is that? It's a great school and it's a great city."
She said she understands that it's a landlord's market in Boulder, but she would've expected property managers to show some "compassion" for their tenants instead of just throwing them "to the wolves."
For her son Karger, who's working two jobs and taking a class this summer, finding a new place to live on such short notice was stressful.
Now, instead of living within walking distance of classes, he'll be driving to campus from his temporary apartment on 29th Street for at least two months.
Then he'll have to deal with moving all over again once the Oak House is ready—not how he envisioned fall semester of his senior year.
"I expected to be living in this brand new apartment," he said. "That was our big thing for senior year. It was going to be right there on The Hill where we always wanted to be. Now I have to deal with a move in the middle of the semester, it's just ridiculous to me. I just don't see how they can really get away with this."
Contact Camera Staff Writer Sarah Kuta at 303-473-1106 or email@example.com


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Stevens Researcher Wins Award from American Chemical Society for Anti-HIV Discovery
Sesha Alluri, a postdoctoral research fellow at Stevens, was recently honored as one of nine national recipients of the prestigious Eli Lilly Travel Award from the American Chemical Society's Women Chemists Committee (WCC). The award, which is sponsored by the WCC and Eli Lilly & Company and based on scientific merit, provides funding for leading female chemists to present the results of their research, with the intention of increasing the participation of women in the chemical sciences.
As an honoree, Alluri shared her research, "Design, Synthesis and X-ray crystallographic analysis of a novel class of HIV-1 protease inhibitors," at the 244th American Chemical Society national meeting in Philadelphia in August. The paper, which was published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry in 2011, describes the discovery of a novel class of HIV-1 protease inhibitors. Based largely on this work, Alluri is a coauthor on a patent used in the treatment was AIDS, which was recently issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
Alluri works closely on research projects with her advisor, A.K. Ganguly, Stevens professor of Chemistry, Chemical Biology and Biomedical Engineering. Their research relates to the design and synthesis of biologically active novel heterocycles in drug development and has resulted in the discovery several classes of novel heterocycles, which serve as important pharmacophores in drug development projects.
"The biological activities associated with these novel compounds are anticancer and anti-HIV," said Alluri. "All these great projects would not have been possible without the invaluable guidance of Professor Ganguly."
As part of the ACS meeting, Alluri also presented her work at a special awardee poster session, was formally recognized at a WCC luncheon, and had tea with ACS CEO Madeleine Jacobs, Canadian Society for Chemistry President Cathleen Cruden, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry Lesley Yellowlees, and members of the WCC committee.
Alluri earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in Chemistry from Stevens and now works in the Ganguly's research lab as a researcher and educator to graduate and undergraduate students.


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U.S. government finally exacts revenge on Iran/Contra whistleblower Cele Castillo
Celerino "Cele" Castillo III, a former DEA agent who played a key role in exposing the U.S. government's role in narco-trafficking as part of the Iran/Contra scandal, is now a discredited man.
At least that is what the office of U.S. Attorney Johnny "House of Death" Sutton in San Antonio, Texas, who is a "dear friend" of President George W. Bush, would like us to believe. The black mark now affixed to Castillo's reputation courtesy of Sutton's office, however, is a thin conceit on the eve of a presidential election that is expected to usher in a sea change in American politics that might well lead to a re-examination of Castillo's revelations — which also were supported and advanced by legendary investigative journalist Gary Webb and a host of congressional inquiries in subsequent years.
"United States Attorney Johnny Sutton announced that in San Antonio yesterday [Oct. 22], 58-year-old former Drug Enforcement Administration agent Celerino "Cele" Castillo, III, of McAllen, Texas, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for his role in dealing firearms without a license," states a press release issued recently by Sutton's office.
In other words, Castillo, a Vietnam veteran (an expert marksman who was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery) will spend the next three years of his life in prison, even though he has no prior criminal record, for the act of selling some firearms (mainly hunting rifles and shotguns at gun shows in South Texas) absent the proper paperwork. The federal judge in San Antonio ordered that Castillo be committed to a medical facility due to his multiple medical problems, including diabetes and heart problems.
"I thought the judge was doing me a favor by sentencing me to a medical facility," Castillo says. "But I recently talked to someone who just got out of one of these medical facilities and he said there isn't a day that goes by where someone inside doesn't die because of a dose of the wrong medication or maybe an overdose of chemo. So maybe it is a death sentence. I can't tell you."
For those who have an aversion to guns and the NRA, it's important to remember that the Second Amendment does protect an individual's right to possess firearms — as much as the First Amendment protects an individual's right to protest the Second Amendment. The government's role, as the law is now constructed, is to regulate that right to "keep and bear arms" — but the regulations it has created are byzantine in nature and subject to many degrees of nuance in interpretation.
For example, the Gun Control Act distinguishes between individuals who sell firearms as a hobby and those who engage in the practice as a business — the latter requiring a license issued by the government.
Here is the wording from that act:
The term "engaged in the business" means … a person who devotes time, attention, and labor to dealing in firearms as a regular course of trade or business with the principal objective of livelihood and profit through the repetitive purchase and resale of firearms, but such term shall not include a person who makes occasional sales, exchanges, or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby, or who sells all or part of his personal collection of firearms. [Emphasis added.]
The definition above is further rarified by a host of complex case law developed at the expense of accused violators over the years. So anyone who is charged with a firearms violation is well advised to find good legal counsel, since the law can easily be twisted to the wrong ends by over-zealous federal agents and prosecutors.
Castillo is honest about his activity in this case, but whether the government actually had the evidence that he crossed the line into committing a crime is a bigger question. And even if Castillo did broach that line, the question of the punishment fitting the crime is now a matter of an appeal filed in the case — though Castillo says he is still trying to find the money and an attorney to handle that appeal.
Here is what Castillo says about the case against him on his Web Site:
Approximately three years ago, I started to attend the Saxet Gun Show by selling my book, "Powderburns." I found the experience overwhelming because it turned out to be great therapy for my PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). To ease my "cutting edge" a bit, I was back to wearing my Vietnam attire for the gun shows.
… As time went on I started to collect Vietnam vintage surplus to sell. But before long, I began to do what most of the vendors were doing at the gun show, selling and buying both used and new guns without a license. Over half of the gun show vendors are still doing what I got charged with. However, I strongly believe that because of my involvement as an "expert witness" and an activist against certain actions of our government, I obviously had become a target.
After all, I had been forewarned by a defense attorney, that an AUSA Federal prosecutor had advised him to instruct me that in some way, shape or form, they were going to target me until they got me. And that they did.
Castillo, while a DEA agent in Central America in the 1980s, during the Reagan/Bush administration, uncovered evidence that the CIA and the White House National Security Council, through San Antonio, Texas, native and national counter-terrorism coordinator Lt. Col. Oliver North and other CIA assets, were carrying out illegal operations at two hangers at Ilopango Airport in El Salvador. Those airport hangars, Castillo contends, served as weapons and narcotics transshipment centers for funding and arming the U.S.-backed Contra counter-insurgency against the government of Nicaragua.
From that moment forward, Castillo became a target of those pulling the strings in that dirty war.
"Cele became a household word inside DEA," says Sandalio Gonzalez, a retired DEA commander who worked in Latin America at the same time Castillo was stationed in the region. "They ruined his reputation over the stuff that happened in El Salvador [Iran/Contra] and he became a target. He took on the Establishment, and it didn't come out so good for him."
Castillo's investigation into the Ilopango operation was eventually torpedoed via CIA interference and he was subjected to a steady stream of retaliatory DEA internal investigations.
Castillo subsequently, after a 12-year career, retired from the DEA, but to this day he has remained an outspoken critic of the hypocrisy of the war on drugs, penning a book about his experiences in DEA, called Powderburns, and appearing on numerous radio and TV shows —most recently in a Showtime series called American Drug War.
And Castillo tells Narco News that he also has caused the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which led the investigation against him in the firearms case, some heartburn in recent months. Castillo says earlier this year he went to City Hall and later to the newspaper in Pharr, Texas, to expose ATF agents who, he claims, were clandestinely filming shows at the Pharr Convention Center and racially profiling Hispanics attending the shows — sometimes showing up at their homes after the shows demanding to see the weapons they purchased legally.
Castillo also claims, as part of his part-time work as a consultant on criminal cases, he had uncovered evidence that two ATF agents "were on the payroll of a Mexican cartel."
"One informant, who actually paid one of these ATF agents in Monterrey, Mexico, told me about their involvement," Castillo asserts. "That informant later got whacked. They [the ATF brass] know who these corrupt agents are, but they don't want to deal with the embarrassment of cleaning the whole mess up."
The Case
Castillo was arrested in early March of this year in San Antonio on the basis of an ATF complaint strewn with allegations unconstrained by evidence and the word of a snitch trying to save his own neck.
The snitch, Jay Lemire, was confronted by ATF agents in February of this year concerning a series of alleged "straw" firearm purchases he made from licensed firearms dealers, according to court pleadings. Under U.S. law, an individual purchasing a firearm from a licensed dealer must fill out a form swearing to the fact that he or she is the true purchaser of the weapon. The purpose of the rule is to prevent "straw" transactions where the purchaser later provides the weapon to a "prohibited person" — such as a convicted felon.
According to the ATF complaint against Lemire, he admitted to making numerous straw purchases and claimed that they were made on behalf of Castillo. Lemire then became a snitch for the ATF in an attempt to ensnare Castillo. The ATF plan of attack included having Lemire make numerous phone calls to Castillo about weapons purchases, which Lemire recorded, and also setting up surveillance on Castillo.
The ATF complaint later filed in court against Castillo, which became the basis for the criminal indictment, attempts to paint Castillo as a major arms trafficker who was acquiring guns from Lemire in order to resell them in Mexico. But it offers no evidence that Castillo ever had contact with anyone from Mexico, what's more sold weapons into Mexico. Castillo also insists that he never sold guns in Mexico or to individuals who trafficked arms in Mexico.
Castillo concedes that he did purchase some guns, primarily hunting rifles or shotguns to be sold or traded at gun shows, from Lemire, whom he trusted and considered a fellow gun enthusiast. However, he claims that Lemire was reselling guns to a number of individuals and that the ATF falsely tried to pin all of Lemire's gun sales on him — some 35 purchases listed in the indictment.
It was on the basis of that evidence, however, that Castillo was arrested and indicted earlier this year and charged with two counts of making illegal straw purchases — and faced a potential 10-year sentence. Initially, Castillo was assigned a court-appointed public defender, who told Castillo that he could not help him, that "they [the government] got you," Castillo recalls.
At that point, Castillo says he put out the word through friends that he needed to find a good attorney. A short time later, Castillo claims attorney Roberto "Eddie" De La Garza of San Antonio, an old college friend, contacted him and offered to represent him. So Castillo, in mid-April of this year, retained De La Garza as his attorney.
"I told him [De La Garza] that I had very little money," Castillo says. "But he charged me very little [to take on the case] but said he wanted $15,000 if the case goes to trial, but that he normally charges $20,000 or $25,000."
The truth was, Castillo says, he didn't even have the $15,000 for the case, should it go to trial. Castillo had purchased weapons from Lemire and there was evidence of that fact, so De La Garza arranged a plea deal in June, which Castillo accepted, expecting a lenient sentence because he says De La Garza insisted the judge was fair and Castillo had a record of exemplary service to his country.
After several delays, a sentencing date was set for Oct. 1 before Judge W. Royal Furgeson Jr. in federal court in San Antonio.
Castillo says he was aware early on that his attorney, De La Garza, had a potential conflict of interest in the case. But De La Garza, he says, assured him he should not worry about it.
De La Garza's son, Andrew, in February 2007 was indicted on weapons charges as the result of an ATF investigation in McAllen, Texas — near the Mexican border. Andrew De La Garza was charged with making a false statement to a firearms dealer in acquisition of a firearm and possessing a firearm with an obliterated ID and was facing a potential 15-year prison stint. That case was playing out in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Castillo's case was being heard in the Western District of Texas — prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for that district, led by Johnny Sutton.
On May 2, 2008, within weeks of De La Garza taking on Castillo's case, a plea deal was reached in the case involving De La Garza's son. The prosecutor in the case agreed to drop one count "at the time of sentencing" and agreed to recommend a decrease in the offense level on the other count — a good deal that promised to substantially reduce the potential prison sentence. But clearly, that deal was still subject to the judge's discretion at the time of sentencing.
After being rescheduled a couple times, the sentencing date in Andrew De La Garza's case was set for Oct. 14, a little less than two weeks after Castillo's Oct. 1 sentencing date, according to the court docket for the case.
Despite the fact that his son's fate was in the hands of the same federal judicial system seeking to punish Castillo, Eddie De La Garza told Narco News that "he did not feel any pressure" as a result of his son's pending case that in anyway affected his handling of Castillo's case.
When Castillo showed up in federal court in San Antonio on Oct. 1 with De La Garza, he was dealt a surprise that, at first, must have seemed to lift the weight of the world from his shoulders. The prosecutor informed Castillo's attorney that the straw gun-purchase charges pending against his client had to be dropped, because, due to case law precedent, they didn't apply in Castillo's case. In other words, Castillo was not guilty of a crime in purchasing firearms from Lemire.
From a motion filed by the U.S. prosecutor to dismiss the indictment against Castillo:
United States v. Polk … precludes an individual being charged with [a crime] where the straw purchaser bought a firearm for an individual who was not a prohibited person [such as a convicted felon]. The defendant [Castillo] … was not a prohibited person.
That's right. Castillo had just spend some seven months in a judicial vice as a result of bogus charges brought by the U.S. Attorney's office in San Antonio.
But there was a catch, of course. Before agreeing to dismiss the bogus charges, the U.S. prosecutor said Castillo would have to plead guilty to two new charges of dealing firearms without a license. Castillo says he was told that if he refused to do so, then Sutton's office would re-indict him on four new counts and he would be arrested again and forced to battle the system with even more serious charges pressed against him — and still no money for the fight.
So, at his attorney's urging, according to Castillo, right there in court, after only being allowed to skim through the new plea deal, he signed off on the new agreement — to charges that involved the same sentencing guidelines as the bogus charges that would be dismissed.
However, Castillo claims De La Garza told him he was confident in the fairness of the judge and that he would likely receive probation, or at worst a year of home confinement. In addition, Castillo alleges the prosecutor told De La Garza, and later the judge, that the plea deal would assure that Castillo would not lose his DEA or other government health and retirement benefits — a promise that Castillo says he has since discovered was as bogus as the initial straw gun-purchase charges brought against him.
"There was evidence of him [Castillo] selling guns," De La Garza says. "And even if that evidence was not substantive, they [the prosecutors] could have proven a conspiracy. If he [Castillo] had not taken that [new] plea, they could have brought in multiple new charges. I would not have pled out if it was not in the best interest of my client."
If that evidence exists, we'll never know now, it seems, since it will never have to be produced in a trial before a jury of Castillo's peers.
And so the deal was struck, and Castillo walked out of court that day facing yet another sentencing date on Oct. 22. Coincidentally, nine days later, on Oct. 10, the sentencing date for De La Garza's son was pushed back, to Dec. 15, the court docket in the case shows.
Mike Levine is a former DEA agent who provided a supportive letter to the judge hearing Castillo's case that praises Castillo's long record of service to the country. Levine, who now works as an expert witness in court cases and has a radio show in New York City, had this to say about De La Garza's apparent conflict of interest in Castillo's case:
In the best of all possible cases, this attorney takes on Cele's [Castillo's] case with a natural reluctance to go to trial against those who held his son's future in their hands. …
Of course one cannot say this is what happened with certainty; however, the fact that this outcome is a reasonable possibility should have been enough to indicate to the court — if the court was aware of this conflict of interest — that Cele needed a different attorney. And under the stewardship of Mr. Sutton, who has already placed himself well above the laws of God and man, this particular arrangement just sucks....
On sentencing day, Oct. 22, the prosecutor took it to Castillo, even bringing before the judge the unproven ATF allegations that Castillo was trafficking arms in Mexico, both Castillo and De La Garza confirm. The judge, despite De La Garza's assurance to Castillo, came down hard on Castillo — sentencing him to 37 months in prison plus two years of probation after release — and, as a result, a loss of his DEA and other government retirement and medical benefits for at least the period of incarceration and possibly forever.
Castillo is now all but broke, wondering how his wife and children will survive while he is locked up, wondering if he will ever see his 84-old mother again outside the walls of a prison, and consigned to a fate that he himself concedes he helped to create by "screwing up."
As a former DEA agent, Castillo understands how the legal system works — or doesn't work. He confesses that he was too trusting; even foolish, though not criminal, in his actions when he knew he was a target of the government; and somewhat reckless in ignoring the gut instinct that all cops have to watch their backs when under attack.
The one telling thing Castillo said was that after years of battling the system, "as we get older, we kind of lose the fight in us."
It seems Castillo was willing to take a hit on this travesty of justice, believing and trusting, by his attorney's word, that he would only get probation and keep his benefits, and avoid a trial he couldn't afford and the great risk of being put away for a long time if he was convicted (railroaded) and the consequence that would have on his family.
Maybe Castillo did technically break the law in that he sold a handful of guns without the proper license, a paperwork crime that should merit a paperwork punishment — not three years of prison. He wanted to believe the system would be fair, even though he should have known better.
Former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean are now each doing 10-plus years in a federal pen for shooting a known drug smuggler in the posterior after he fled from a van packed full of dope — a prosecution courtesy of Johnny Sutton that has been the subject of a congressional hearing.
Sutton's office continues to prosecute people like Castillo (a decorated war veteran with no prior criminal record), destroying lives for political gain, for case stats, even though Sutton himself has been accused of enabling grave transgressions against humanity — such as turning a blind eye to an informant's role in the torture and murders of more than a dozen people in the House of Death in Juarez, Mexico, and then assisting in the subsequent cover-up of the U.S. government's role in the bloodshed.
Castillo should have seen it coming, but he was tired of the struggle, and just wanted to rest, and in that moment, when his guard was down, after he failed to appease the bureaucracy with the proper paperwork, they nailed him to the cross.
"This is the kind of stuff [Castillo's case] that happens in nations ruled by dictatorships," says former DEA commander Gonzalez, who exposed Sutton's role in the House of Death murders and suffered the swift injustice of retaliation from the minions of the Bush Administration as a result — resulting in Gonzalez being denied deserved promotions and leading him to take an early retirement.
"I'm not surprised this happened in Sutton's district," Gonzalez adds. "He and his people did a whole lot of egregious things in the House of Death case, and still they are allowed to go around prosecuting people. It's amazing."
… Remember to vote on Nov. 4 — and stay tuned.
- Bill Conroy's blog
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Lian Li Mini Q (PC-Q09F-R) All Aluminum Mini-ITX Computer PC Case
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go thread plug gauges
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Is there a new planetarium coming to Durango? Or an IMAX theater?
In the 2000 block of West Third Avenue, near the intersection with Montview Parkway, a dome-like structure is rising from the dust.
The semispherical framework, made of heavy steel beams, soon will be the dwelling of Jon and Amanda DAleo. The company behind the project, Formworks Building Inc., specializes in sustainable, earth-sheltered housing that is energy-efficient and nearly impervious to the elements.
Formworks has constructed about 2,000 buildings across the United States and Canada, and by Christmas, the DAleos hope to be living in one of their own.
At present, the skeletal edifice appears more exotic than renderings of the final design suggest. If anything, the blueprints look quite ordinary.
In coming weeks, the dome will disappear. A patchwork of rebar will fortify the space between the larger, curved beams Amanda DAleo says it temporarily will look like a jungle gym and gaps will be plugged with a 4-inch thick shotcrete (concrete shot through a high-velocity hose).
The excavated earth then will be backfilled to cover the dome, and a conventional wooden facade, complete with windows, will be attached to the front. From the street, the finished structure will fit right in alongside its more traditional neighbors.
Unorthodox, eco-friendly architecture runs in the family. Amanda DAleos parents live nearby in a home of similar design. Her father, Dale Pearcey, founded Formworks in 1979 after a decade of international turmoil notably the 1973 oil embargo and 1979 Iranian Revolution had caused fuel prices to skyrocket. In response, Pearcey began designing dwellings with an emphasis on self-sufficiency.
Amanda DAleo said Formworks buildings can slash heating and cooling costs by 90 percent through a process called the thermal flywheel effect. The thick layers of concrete and earth surrounding the dome act as an insulator, neutralizing dramatic temperature fluctuations.
She recalled the story of a Pagosa Springs man who left town on an overseas trip one winter. During his absence, a severe snowstorm left residents scrambling to stay warm. Fearing frozen and burst pipes, the man returned to find his dwelling in pristine shape. The only difference was the indoor temperature: It had fallen from 70 to 67 degrees.
On the opposite end of the weather spectrum, DAleo also spoke of a dome home near Los Angeles that emerged unscathed after a wildfire gutted all 10 of its neighbors.
You want your house to be a safe place, she said. This is safe.
The DAleos purchased the property from La Plata County four years ago. Unable to decide on a use for the awkward parcel, the county subdivided it into five lots and sold them at a silent auction. The DAleos and Pearcey were the sole bidders, offering $10 more than the asking price of $100,000.
Amanda DAleo said underground homes are often misunderstood by the general public. Far from being a damp, gloomy cave, the designs include large windows and a ventilation system to keep air fresh.
People think you open a hatch and go down into a storm cellar. Theyll say, How do you get sunlight to shine through the dirt? I respond, How do you get sunlight to shine through your shingles? It doesnt. We have windows, she said.
Nevertheless, Formworks construction sites have evoked more than a few quizzical looks and wisecracks from passers-by over the years, including some Lord of the Rings comparisons.
We hear lots of (Hobbit hole) comments, she said. Some of our clients have even wanted the round doors out front. But we cant do that here (in the city limits). We have to conform.


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Help us to make this the most complete winners of the best of the Web. Just fill out the info below and we'll be in touch. Thanks!
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I learned that a long walk and calm conversation are an incredible combination if you want to build a bridge.
Local Area
Early Check-In Available
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Accessible Parking On-site
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Learn more about the IHG Green Engage™ system
Welcome to The Crowne Plaza Sacramento hotel. While staying with us, you'll enjoy a variety upscale amenities and perks. Take a swim in the outdoor pool or relax in the whirlpool spa. Dine at our fabulous restaurant; the Arbor Grille. You can even maintain your exercise regimen at our complimentary fitness center or across the street at California Family Fitness at a special guest rate. If you're looking for hotels near Sacramento Airport (SMF), we are just 15 minutes away. For business travelers, we offer easy access to McClellan Business Park and Natomas Business Park. We are also close to several other local companies, such as Hewlett Packard, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Sears and Lowes. For the best hotel Sacramento has to offer, choose Crowne Plaza today!
Bowling within walking distance. Scandia Fun Center nearby with minature golf, batting cages, and much more. Waterparks within 10 minutes.


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There's a great report from Fox 4 KC about Matthew Garr, 11, from Lenexa, Kan.
He contributed $375 in birthday money to his family's sponsored child, Magdalena, in Guatemala. Magdalena is also 11 years old.
What you may not know is that Matthew has done this three years in a row!
We have followed the progress of this remarkable young man in two previous blog posts as he donated money to CFCA from his ninth, tenth and now 11th birthdays.


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Scientific Coordinator, Churchill Northern Studies Centre
Scientists expect to observe the greatest effects of global warming in the Arctic. But what, exactly, will these effects be?
Scientists expect to see the greatest effects of global warming in the Arctic. What, exactly, will these effects be?
LeeAnn Fishback is an environmental geochemist focusing on freshwater lake and pond water chemistry in Arctic and Subarctic regions. She has been the scientific coordinator at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre for the past 10 years.
I grew up on a dairy farm and spent most of my time outside as child. I particularly loved the winter months when I could skate, ski, toboggan, and generally play in the snow. The Arctic always intrigued me as it was winter there even longer, so when I had the chance to do research in the remote north, I was excited to participate. Once I saw the vast expanse of the Arctic, I was hooked on its beauty, solitude, and permanence. I continually find my inspiration to conduct science in the dynamic environment where I live and work each day.
Early in my career, I lived and worked on a glacier with two other scientists in the high Arctic islands of Canada for three months. It was an amazing experience and I learned heaps about living in remote places and being self-sufficient for several months at a time. At that point in the Arctic climate record of the last 50 years, the summer air temperatures were the warmest on record. By the end of July, the entire valley glacier surface we were working on was melting and had turned into an ablation zone (an area where the annual loss in snowfall is more than the gain) for perhaps the first time in many years. Experiencing the impact of a changing climate on the Arctic environment made a significant impression.
LeeAnn Fishback gives a presentation on the research her team has done along the shore of the Hudson Bay in Churchill, Manitoba.
Outside the Churchill Northern Studies Centre.


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Elements Of Style
Brooklyn's Finest
Can we please discuss the amazing home of landscape designer Miranda Brooks and her family in Brooklyn featured on Vogue.com? It looks like they live in upstate New York! But it's in the CITY! How is this possible? And how are they all this cute? This whole thing has ripped a hole in the space time continuum for me. Does not compute.
I know it's hard to notice the floors when there is a HORSE in the room, but they are pretty amazing.
I want to go to there.
I will never tire of wallpaper like this. I hope to someday have a budget that allows it.
Can you even deal with this bathtub? Like, right in the middle of a room?
More cuteness.
Showing how kids art can be amazing when hung gallery style- with frames or without.
This is the roofdeck shed- now a potting shed. I'm serious.
They have bunnies. In Brooklyn. Hipster bunnies.
Oh, and their wedding. Yeeeeeeaaaaahhhhhh.
Love her bohemian look in the first picture? Yeah, me too. Here's a way to get that carefree "I live in Brooklyn" look for yourself:


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Room 709
Site Directions
This site is in the CBD, so street parking is not good. There is a car park at QVB, nearby, for $12-15 after hours. Or $25 all day Saturday.
Public Transport
Get any train or bus in to Town Hall station. Our city campus is a block away.


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text:
The National Enquirer dropped one of its perhaps-truth bombs this week on Kobe Bryant's marriage (here's a summary, since the Enquirer wants you to splurge in the supermarket and didn't put its story online): The tab reports that Bryant had affairs with 105 women during the 10 years he was married to Vanessa. Or at least that's what Vanessa told a friend. (The pair recently divorced.)
Wilt Chamberlain apocrypha aside, 10.5 ladies per year (plus his wife) sounds pretty boffo, especially given Bryant's reputation as a gym rat and, you know, his marriage. So we got to thinking: Compared to his peers, does Kobe Bryant score better on or off the court?
We examined Bryant's 2002-03 season, the second full season after he got married. It was an impressive scoring year for Kobe: he hit 30 points per game for the first time, shot 45 percent from the floor, and averaged seven rebounds. And, since Vanessa says Kobe philandered throughout their marriage, we'll assume he slept with 10.5 women, plus his wife, that year.
The mean points-per-game in the NBA that season was 7.75, with a standard deviation (which measures the variation among data in a given sample) of 6.06. Kobe Bryant's 30.01 points per mark was 3.67 standard deviations better than the mean—excellent, to be sure. But he finished behind Tracy McGrady for the scoring title.
However, according to a study performed that year by the Centers for Disease Control, the average male between 20-24 years old (Kobe turned 24 in August 2002) had 2.2 partners with a standard deviation of .2. So Kobe's 11.5 partners puts him at a tidy 46.5 standard deviations above the mean—meaning he would be among the most elite sex-havers in America, if the Enquirer's word is true.
Vanessa presumably knew she was marrying a resilient competitor, the kind who always wanted to be the best at what he did. Too bad she, like Smush Parker, got trampled underfoot as Kobe chased greatness.
Timothy Burke contributed to this report.


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Tyler Cowen reviews Dugin: http://marginalrevolution.com/margin...der-dugin.html
Tyler Cowen reviews Dugin: http://marginalrevolution.com/margin...der-dugin.html
Wow there's like an entire internet subculture of Tyler Durdens, isn't there?Originally Posted by steveslr February 14, 2017 at 2:17 am
Originally Posted by woops
There's a kind of realignment happening, and a coagulation of new fronts.
Interesting rabbit-hole.
When do we get to punch some of these guys in the face?His later writings compiled by the fascist publisher Urbanomic struck me as vapid and downright offensive to people of color.
The anxious appeal to institutions "to do something" is very characteristic of this style of politics.
Still, I am compelled to agree that there is a definite racism in Land's current work.
Last edited by josef k.; 15-02-2017 at 01:03 PM.
I don't remember his CCRU-era writings (collected in Fanged Noumena) touching on anything that could reasonably be construed as racist. It is a different matter today, though.
hes been openly gleefully racist for years. his brand of racism is easily understood by nerds becasue it is taken from RPGs and fantasy literature. Elves are lightly built, fast on their feet and good at magic. orcs are heavily muscled, brutish and unintelligent etc etc its the first race realist decision you make on character build. incidentely you two (josef/vim) have been thinking along very similar lines. you should put out a pamphlet together.
Oh I dunno, I think he looks like a pretty fun sort of guy.
Originally Posted by woops
http://dhalikias.blogspot.co.uk/2016...ampus.html?m=1Traditionally, university policies regulating student behavior have been closely associated with in loco parentis, or in the place of a parent. The doctrine holds that having taken students away from the homethe natural locucs of moral developmentthe university inherits the ethical responsibilities of the parent....
With this historical perspective in mind, Yales campus turmoil reveals two sets of awkward allies across the last half century of university politics. In articulating a skeptical critique of university power and in denouncing administrators right to uphold norms of conduct, the radicals of the 60s... find themselves the intellectual bedfellows of contemporary campus conservatives. And in demanding that administrators do more to promote a holistic account of student welfare and in calling for clearer moral guidance from the university about how students should responsibly interact with their peers and with society at large, todays student activists use language that would have been intensely familiar to mid-twentieth century conservative defenders of in loco parentis.
Having all but abandoned their radical skepticism toward the controlling power of mass social judgment and the implicit power of entrenched hierarchical elites, todays campus activists are quite explicit in their appeal not to demolish the power of administrators, but to expand it.... Each of the remedies called for at Yale and elsewhere is symptomatic of a new-found faith in university administrators as responsible guardians of social justice and as legitimate moral authorities.
Nowhere is the call for a restoration of in loco parentis more clearly seen than in debates over the proper purpose of the residential college. Student activists have rejected the charge that they are hostile to intellectual freedom and free speech by pointing to the language Yale herself uses in describing the residential college systemlanguage that is itself a relic of an older campus commitment to students moral development.... [T]he colleges central purpose is to nurture and support students as they grow and develop.
Well, it's overt, isn't it? A sizable stretch of that Dark Enlightenment piece was spent constructing a sophisticated defense of John Derbyshire's 'The Talk: Non-black Version'.
This is Stockholm syndrome in action
Where has this money gone?
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/o...s-so-much.htmlInterestingly, increased spending has not been going into the pockets of the typical professor. Salaries of full-time faculty members are, on average, barely higher than they were in 1970. Moreover, while 45 years ago 78 percent of college and university professors were full time, today half of postsecondary faculty members are lower-paid part-time employees, meaning that the average salaries of the people who do the teaching in American higher education are actually quite a bit lower than they were in 1970.
By contrast, a major factor driving increasing costs is the constant expansion of university administration. According to the Department of Education data, administrative positions at colleges and universities grew by 60 percent between 1993 and 2009, which Bloomberg reported was 10 times the rate of growth of tenured faculty positions.
Even more strikingly, an analysis by a professor at California Polytechnic University, Pomona, found that, while the total number of full-time faculty members in the C.S.U. system grew from 11,614 to 12,019 between 1975 and 2008, the total number of administrators grew from 3,800 to 12,183 — a 221 percent increase.
Leftist radical students are demanding increased powers for an administrative class whose salaries are driving them into poverty.
Last edited by josef k.; 15-02-2017 at 02:25 PM.
what on earth are all these additional administrators doing?


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niec to meet you
Let me know if you would like to hit sometime as the weather gets nicer, I'm between a d 3.5 and 4.0 player.
Hey Vika -
hope you are having a great summer. I lost your number, send me a note, we can get together and play a set :) firstname.lastname@example.com
you're Igor's sister ya?? :)
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Dear Mom and Dad: What It's Like to Be A Child with Special Needs
Dear Mom and Dad,
I want you to know what it's like to be me.
My brain runs like a washing machine powered by a Ferrari engine. It runs all the time and it runs fast, churning and tumbling ideas like shirts and pants and socks mixed together.
I can be talking to you and having another conversation running inside my head. I can be in class listening to the teacher, but be fully engaged in a daydream about Legos or hearing a new song on my guitar.
I kind of like all this energy inside my head because I can keep myself entertained in there by myself. But other times I feel scattered and like there's not much order up in my brain. Everything's swirling. That's why I like things to be just so and I why I need to know what we're doing all the time. It's why I end up wearing or eating the same things. New things freak me out a bit because I don't know what to expect, so please don't be mad at me when I'm anxious.
I want to do well in school. But sometimes the ideas in my head are so strong or interesting, and when I follow them even for a few seconds, I fall behind. And once I'm lost in class, sometimes I figure I may as well just keep thinking about these ideas. It's like they call to me to work on them and see them through.
This is hard to explain, but sometimes I feel my body screaming to me to move and like I need contact, to push up against something. It makes me feel better inside. I'll be sitting in class and if I haven't gotten any exercise, I feel like I'm about to explode. But then I know my teacher will get upset if I get up, so I sit there kind of frozen, not sure what to do. I promise I don't get in trouble on purpose.
Okay, I was lying. Sometimes I do get in trouble on purpose. I like to get the reaction from people when I'm bored. It wakes my brain up. And if I'm really bored or my body is screaming at me, I'll get in trouble just so I can get out of class to walk down the hall. It's such a relief. But then I feel bad later and I know everyone is mad at me.
There's something inside me that says if I can just get through childhood, I'm going to make a great adult one day. I'll be a good Dad because I know what it feels like to hurt as a kid and be misunderstood. And I know I don't always do great in school, but I have good ideas and I can work at something really hard when I'm passionate about it. I don't have any fear of the future, it's just the present that isn't much fun.
Okay, I know I say I'm all grown up and everything in some ways, but things hurt me more than you think. I know you guys are trying really hard and I'm difficult, but I kind of know that everyone wishes I were different.. I see the way Grandma and Grandpa treat Adam and Grace different than me. You know the way Dad shakes his head in disapproval, the way Mom groans and all those hushed conversations you have with the teacher, therapist and principal? I know what it means.
That's why I like hanging out with Buster a lot, because he likes me the way I am because I give him lots of attention and take him on walks. And that's why I like to play video games and be alone sometimes. It's like my heart can only take so much and then I have to withdraw a little bit.
I know you get concerned because I stay up late at night and don't sleep much. But I like it when it's quiet. I can hear my thoughts better. And my world is peaceful then.
Mom and Dad, don't worry about me. I may not do great in school or be the most popular kid, but I'm content inside. I like the way my brain works, I like my energy. If everyone would stop trying to fix me, I'd be okay.
Let me focus on the things I love doing. Drawing, building, playing music. Please stop trying to make me be like everyone else. I like who I am. Do you?
Thank you for all you do for me. You think I don't appreciate it, but I do. I know I'm not exactly the way you want me to be or the kid you expected, but I'm going to be good as an adult and you'll be proud of me then.
Your son
Kirk Martin, pictured above, is the Director of Education of Celebrate!Calm, an organization dedicated to helping parents and teachers understand children with special needs inside and out. Contact Kirk at email@example.com or through his web site at www.CelebrateCalm.com.
(Photo below: Kirk Martin holds a toy brain while his son Casey strums his guitar.)
Readers can win a 4-CD set called "Stop Defiance & Disrespect Now" (Retail: $495) which also includes Straight Talk for Dads: 10 Ways to Get the Respect You Want, a CD specially designed for dads. This set was created to help parents eliminate defiance and disrespect, and instead build closer relationship with their child.
To win, tell us the best tactic you use to get your child to be calm enough to learn and comply. Simply write your submission into the comments section of this post but make sure you include your email address in your submission. All your comments will be readily accessible in the "Readers Give Advice" section on the front page of this blog. If you experience technical difficulty or don't want to put in your email address for public viewing, you can email your submission to me at email@example.com and still be eligible to win. Just know that your submission will be highlighted in a future blog post but you can still remain anonymous. Please send your submission by Monday April 27, 2009 11:59 PM. Kirk will read them all and choose the winner. Good luck. I hope we can all help and learn from each other.


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A few hours after President Obama called Arizona's radical immigration bill an "irresponsible" and "misguided" measure that "threatens basic notions of fairness," Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ) signed SB-1070 into law. Brewer claimed that her decision was made with Arizona's best interest in mind and stated earlier this week that she would "do what I believe is the right thing so that everyone is treated fairly." On Fox News, as Brewer signed the bill, former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AK) validated racial profiling concerns related to the implementation of the newly signed law and told host Neil Cavuto that it is going to open the state of Arizona up to a "plethora of lawsuits" that will prove "very, very costly":
Here's the dilemma: it's going to open Arizona up to a plethora of lawsuits. You'll have so many lawsuits that it will be very very costly to the state of Arizona. And here's the real challenge. […] This is a federal problem, the feds ought to be fixing this, they ought to be standing guard at the border, they ought to be enforcing the federal laws. When you have a state that is having to jump in and take on federal laws they don't have the money resources for this, they don't have the personnel for this, and the legal quandary they're going to be in is going to be substantial. […] It's going to be one lawsuit bonanza.
Watch it:
Later in the interview, Huckabee added that "Hispanic Americans have the right to be unhappy about the fact that they might be pulled over." "If I were being pulled over because I looked a certain way, I would be highly offended," stated Huckabee. He also remarked that the "federal government has to do something to stop the hemorrhaging of illegal immigration over the border."
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona has issued warnings that echo the litigation concerns expressed by Huckabee. To begin with, SB-1070 will likely be deemed unconstitutional for allowing the state to regulate immigration — a power which the constitution assigns to the federal government. In the meantime, the new law stipulates that Arizona residents can sue local police if they believe they are not enforcing SB-1070. If SB-1070 ends up exacerbating racial profiling, as many have predicted is likely, it will also open local police agencies up to a slew of lawsuits related to potential civil rights abuses.
While relatively moderate on immigration during his tenure as governor, Huckabee's damning remarks come as a surprise considering his immigration platform veered far to the right during his presidential campaign in 2008. While fighting for the Republican nomination, Huckabee specifically signed an anti-immigrant group's "No-Amnesty Pledge" which made clear that he opposed allowing undocumented immigrants to remain in the U.S. and would not support a path back to the US once they were deported. Throughout his campaign, Huckabee sparred in a tit-for-tat debate with Gov. Mitt Romney over who was toughest on immigration. Nonetheless, action star and Huckabee confidante Chuck Norris did suggest that "Mike would go" for an earned path to legalization for undocumented immigrants.


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Evolution Studios - Black, Long Sleeved, V-neck
Active Basic Brand
92% cotton 8% spandex
To add this product to your wish list you must Login or Register.
Gorgeous silk bird wings for dance.
Colors are burgundy, teal, royal blue, light green, pink and gold.
Truly beautiful on stage.
A post shared by Jillina Carlano (@jillinacarlano) on Sep 30, 2017 at 3:07pm PDT
Super stretchy, one size fits all, rhinestone crop top
92% Nylon 8% Spandex
Turquoise/Teal "BDE" Rhinestone T-shirt
Beautiful deep turquoise color with AB rhinestones
Active Basic Brand
92% Cotton 8% Spandex
T-SHIRTS - Are printed on Active Basic V-neck t-shirs. They have a flattering low V-neckline and an elongated form fitting body. (92% cotton, 8% spandex)
Form fitting black racer-back tank with Evolution down the spine.
Active Basic brand
95% cotton 5% spandex
Super soft, long sleeved, v-neck t-shirt
Featuring EVOLUTION down the spine.
Active USA brand
95% Rayon 5% Spandex
Bellydance Evolution's - Alice in Wonderland "Queen of Hearts" shirt.
Sexy, flowy, off the shoulder 3/4 sleeve shirt.
Color: Red
Material: 95% Rayon - 5% Spandex
Relaxed fit tank top from Bellydance Evolution's Alice in Wonderland show.
Zenana Outfitters Brand
100% cotton


text: Lotus Logo Printed Alloy Wheel Center Cap decals, a set of 4 pcs (four), exactly 2.17inch (5.5cm) in diameter - Standard Color: (1st color) YELLOW round background with (2nd color) DEEP GREEN logo & (3rd color) WHITE lettering graphics inside - Decals have round background - These stickers are precisely printed, laminated glossy surface, two-dimensional & flat - Highly detailed printed graphics made by high quality vinyl material, innovative technology to its ultra-thin thickness of ~0.13mm - Specially laminated design with additional waterproof & UV resistant coating (i.e. more durable, non-decoloring & non-fading) that can last for years outdoor on rims - The Decals are supplied complete with self-adhesive back, just peel and stick !! *Remarks: (1) Available size options are between 1"(2.5cm) to 4"(10.2cm) in diameter ! (2) Specific custom-made Laminated Matt Surface (i.e. non-glossy) is available optionally ! (3) Any special requirements other than our available options, email to us & ask !


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Carerix offers a complete web-based recruitment software package. A system for managing the entire recruitment workflow; the boost for all your operations! The combination of an extensive database and smart technology supports both existing and new forms of recruitment/staffing.
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- Ideal for processing LinkedIn profiles
- Generate candidate files based on profiles found with our CXFinder
Carerix is fully web-based. You don't need to install any software. All you need is a computer (or Mac) with a browser.


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ABBYY strives to empower people with knowledge. We create products and solutions that increase access to information, and drive educational projects and initiatives.
ABBYY supports campus-based start-up projects by sharing our expertise in software development and marketing. ABBYY Labs (Russia) provides a one-year practical course for student/graduate entrepreneur teams and an environment for turning ideas into prototypes – and then products for end-users. Eight such projects are underway this year.
As a leading provider of text recognition technologies, ABBYY has been involved in assistive technology projects in many places including Scotland, the Philippines and the USA. Non-profit organizations employ our products in text-to-Braille and text-to-speech, making content available to blind or low-sighted students, professionals and others.
ABBYY is looking for high school students with a deep interest in programming, robotics and math. We share our knowledge in the form of lectures and practical sessions on engineering design, algorithmic theory, commercial programming, competitive programming and robotics. By emulating real-life software development processes, these "classes" help develop engineering thought processes as well as teamwork skills – and give students experience in project development, whether for apps or robotics.
ABBYY is a valued partner in Russia's leading technical universities, including MIPT, RSUH, HSE, MSU, BMSTU and others. We founded the Department of Image Recognition & Text Processing, and the Computational Linguistics Department. The latter introduced a totally new approach to nurturing specialists for the global IT-market: After graduation, linguists with programming skills and programmers familiar with linguistics are ready to join any IT-company or start their own businesses.
Top universities and libraries leverage ABBYY text recognition technologies to digitize historically and culturally significant text within documents printed in old fonts. Photocopies of fragile-to-scan archives are accurately converted into searchable PDFs and become publicly open or accessible worldwide via the Web.
The ABBYY team has long been a host of, and key contributor to, professional events worldwide. We share our expertise in text recognition, natural language processing, and data capture and knowledge management with experts, students and partners to help create a better future.
ABBYY fosters crowdsourcing activities for creating free online classes at top universities that are available to the Russian-speaking public. Launched by ABBYY Language Services, the Coursera translation incentive offers over 20 courses covering education, cryptography, leadership, public speaking, bioinformatics, natural language processing and more. Partially based on gamification, the project unites students, graduates, professional translators, and experts – and equips them with a free professional Computer Aided Translation (CAT) tool.


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Jasmine Essential Oil (5%), Light Coconut Oil.
Product added!
View basket "Lavender (High Altitude) Essential Oil" has been added to your basket.
Jasmine 5% Blend Essential Oil
10ml – Jasmine has a rich, heady, floral aroma. It is calming and excellent for all skin types. It is also a well known aphrodisiac.
The product is already in the wishlist! Browse Wishlist
SKU: 564914 Category: Natural Remedies & Wellbeing Tags: aromatherapy, blend, essential oil


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1967-2017 50 Years
Consult Inovate Advise Design Develop Survey Report Manage Manufacture Install Inspect Test Commission
50 Years Trading
Safecontractor Accreditation
Aldi, Lidl, Netto, Booths
Major Lidl and Aldi upgrade works.
Generator control projects
Electrical design and control panels for a gold mine project 4000m up the Andes in Chile
Sainsburys Distribution Depot - New Chill Store
Panels supplied for a project in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia
Co-operative Food Distribtuion Depot Chill, Produce and Freezer Stores
45 Years Trading
August 2011
Another positive NICEIC Assessment
July 2011
Our Health & Satey Consultant registered to the new National Register
November 2010
Sucessful ISO9001
October 2010
Renewal of CHAS Accreditation
October 2010
Sucessful OHSAS 18001 Assessment
October 2010
Terms & Conditions Updates
February 2010
CHAS Accreditation
June 2009
Our H&S System registered to BS OHSAS18001.
June 2009
New Website Launched.
May 2009
Thermal Imaging capability now available.
We offer a full emergency lighting service from initial consultation and desing to installation and commissioning.
Conventional and self test options are available, as well as regular maintenance and annual inspections.
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