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Magnum Workshops in Forte di Bard
by Mark Power
Sep 21 - Sep 22 2013
Forte di Bard
Bard Valle D'Aosta
Magnum Photos is pleased to announce the first Magnum workshops in Bard, Aosta Valley, Italy, as part of the new Magnum Contact Sheets exhibition, which will be presented at the Forte di Bard from June 21st to November 10th before touring worldwide.
Magnum Contact Sheets exhibition
Magnum Contact Sheets will dive into the prolific archive of Magnum to illustrate the importance of the contact sheet as the main source of reference for the agency's editors. The exhibit will display approximately 70 contact sheets accompanied by their respective final images. The presentation will feature the works of pioneers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Eve Arnold, Rene Burri, Philippe Halsman and Elliott Erwitt, as well as modern greats, including Jim Goldberg, Alec Soth, Paolo Pellegrin and Trent Parke.
The Magnum Workshops at the Forte di Bard
The Forte di Bard and surrounding area, located 60km from Turin, has become an impressive cultural hub of the Western Alps. The fortified complex, built in the 19th century by the House of Savoy on a rocky prominence above the city of Bard, has been completely restored as the Museum of the Alps, and features multiple exhibitions, galleries, and works by many internationally renowned artists.
The two workshops will provide selected students with a rigorous two-day practical photography course, led by Magnum veterans Mark Power and Jérôme Sessini. For budding photographers, it is a tremendous opportunity to become engrossed into the world of Magnum Photos.
The workshops are designed for students with an established understanding of photographic practice. Each Magnum photographer will lead his group through an intensive program of reviews, group critiques, mentoring, editing sessions and the opportunity to learn amongst peers.
Participants will spend the sessions alongside their selected photographer, improving their own visual language and skillset, while learning the expertise required to compete in a changing marketplace. Additionally, the workshop will be accompanied by a guided visit to the Magnum Contact Sheets exhibition with the Magnum photographers. Overall, these workshops will help every student discover his or her own photographic identity, within the intimate and beautiful confines of the Forte di Bard.
The workshops will accept 15 students each, and will take place from September 21st to 22nd 2013.
Forte di Bard,
11020 Bard Valle D'Aosta,
http://www.fortedibard.it/
Workshop participants should show a good level of photographic aptitude. Candidates will be expected to arrive comfortable with their equipment and with a portfolio of 20 images maximum. Photographers will be subject to online applications.
Deadline for application: September 15th, 2013.
Tuition fees
The tuition for the Magnum Workshop is 450€. The fees include two meals and one night for a single person in a shared room at the Hotel Stendhal – village Bard – Piazza del Municipio. Participants can upgrade to a single room for an additional EUR 15. This does not include photo developing, post-production and travel*.
*A list of travel facilities will be provided for successful applicants.
Magnum Photos reserves the right to change or alter the program advertised.
- If a participant decides to cancel for whatever reason, it must be confirmed in writing:
. Magnum Photos will reimburse all the registration costs except for €100 administrative fee, if the participant informs Magnum Photos of cancellation at least 3 weeks before the first day of the workshop. Beyond this time limit, Magnum Photos will charge the following:
. 50% of the cost if cancelled between 6 and 20 days before the workshop commences.
. 100% of the cost if cancelled less than 5 days before the workshop commences.
. All workshops that are commenced but not completed through the fault of either the contractor/or participant need to be paid in full.
- Magnum Photos is not responsible for reimbursement of travel expenses in case a workshop is cancelled. We recommend that you buy refundable air tickets and/or travel insurance.
Click here to apply
The first deadline for acceptance is September 15th, and qualified applicants will be selected through a combination of the merit of their work and their personal statement, and the order of their application's receipt. All applications received after September 15th will be reviewed, space permitting.
For queries please contact: Elsa Bizet
The photographers
Jérôme Sessini
Jérôme Sessini built a passion for photography after discovering documentary photography through books shown by a friend, a photographer. He initiates his own practice, shooting people, landscapes and daily lives of those around his native Eastern France (with Diane Arbus, Lee Friedlander, Mark Cohen, in mind).
In 1998, Sessini arrived in Paris, where Gamma photo agency gave him the opportunity to cover the ongoing conflict in Kosovo, despite not having studied photojournalism.
Since, he has covered numerous international current events, such as: Palestine, Iraq (from 2003 to 2008), Aristide's fall in Haiti (2004), the conquest of Mogadishu by the Islamic militias, and the war in Lebanon (2006).
Sessini's work is internationally renowned, and prestigious newspapers and magazines such as Newsweek, Stern, Paris-Match, Le Monde, and the Wall Street Journal publish him.
His photography has been exhibited at the Visa Photo Festival in Perpignan, the Rencontres d'Arles, the Bibliothèque nationale François-Mitterrand, and the French Ministry of Culture.
In 2008, he started the project, "So Far From God, Too Close From the U.S.," in which he explores the drug cartels war in Mexico. This ongoing project has already been awarded with the F-Award and a Getty Grant.
From this direct confrontation with violence, Sessini has recognized a pattern that lies at the heart of his work, and says, "Ordinary fellows are always those losing, either it being in Iraq, Mexico or France."
Evolving within an uncertain balance of cynical realism and straight anger, Sessini is careful with the "rightness" of his photographic work. He rejects idealism and otherworldliness, which do not take in account some pieces of reality.
Mark Power
British, b. 1959
As a child, Mark Power discovered his father's homemade enlarger in the family attic—a contraption consisting of an upturned flowerpot, a domestic light bulb and a simple camera lens.
His interest in photography probably began at this pivotal moment, although he later chose to study painting and drawing instead. He 'became a photographer' (somewhat accidentally) in 1983, and worked in the editorial and charity markets for nearly ten years b before he began teaching in 1992 (Power is currently the Professor of Photography at the University of Brighton).
This move coincided with a shift towards long-term, self-initiated projects, which now sit comfortably alongside a number of large-scale commissions in the industrial sector.
Power's work has been seen in numerous solo and group exhibitions across the world and is in several public and private collections. He has published six books: 'The Shipping Forecast' (1996), 'Superstructure' (2000), 'The Treasury Project' (2002), '26 Different Endings' (2007), 'The Sound of Two Songs' (2010) and 'Mass' (2013). Mark Power joined Magnum Photos in 2002.
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Mark Power's portfolio
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Districts Experiment With 'Weighted' Funding
Student numbers, needs drive dollars
Before this school year, creating a budget for schools in the Boston school district would regularly expose a tangle of competing interests.
The district had multiple ways of funding its schools. Some schools were allocated staff members based on student counts; other schools, which had been granted some budget autonomy, were given a pot of money based on enrollment. In tough budget years, cuts were made across the board—except in some schools, which couldn't operate with those reductions and ended up having money restored. Years of such adjustments created wide funding disparities among schools.
But in 2011, the 57,000-student district made a shift to a more uniform way of funding schools based on the numbers and types of students they served, with extra money, or "weights," given for students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, enrolled in special education, learning English, or academically off track, among other factors. Instead of being forced to hire a certain number of staff members with that money, principals got flexibility in how to spend those funds.
The district uses several factors to determine how much money should be added to the base rate of educating a student. These added amounts of money, or "weights," mean that some students make a dramatically different impact on a school's bottom line than others.
Under Boston's system, a low-income English-language learner in 6th grade—student A in this example—would generate fewer funding dollars than a 4th grader with autism, or student B.
Shifting Resources
In moving to a "weighted student-funding formula," Boston joins other districts, such as Baltimore, Denver, Rochester, N.Y., and New York City, that believe this method better serves student needs and creates more transparency and fairness in district finances. And in a time of tight budgets, some also say this funding method creates a process where cuts can be managed around an individual school's needs, instead of coming by decree from the central office.
"The benefit is you have a single way of allocating resources across the district regardless of the type of school you're in," said John McDonough, Boston's chief financial officer. That leads to a significantly more rational way of responding to budget concerns, he said.
For example, Boston, facing a $63 million shortfall in fiscal 2012 out of an $829.5 million general fund budget, would have needed all schools to cut about 7.4 percent from their budgets as a part of closing the gap, said Seth Racine, the district's deputy chief financial officer.
But reallocating resources through weighted student funding meant that about 45,000 students were in schools that ended up making smaller cuts or even gaining in funding, despite the overall budget shortfall. Other schools in Boston experienced real decreases in funding or saw their budgets remain the same this school year, based on enrollment and the makeup of their student bodies.
Weighted student funding came to the United States in the mid-1970s from the Edmonton school system in the Canadian province of Alberta. The formula goes hand-in-hand with decentralized decision-making: Schools are given money based on student enrollment, but to operate effectively, principals must also have the power to make staffing changes as they see fit.
Over the years, the concept has received support from education policy leaders on both the left and the right. In 2006, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a Washington-based research and advocacy group, published an advocacy document called "Fund the Child: Tackling Inequity and Antiquity in School Finance," which found supporters among Democratic and Republican lawmakers. The document argued that weighted student funding shifted dollars to the students who need them most, and also gave charter schools a chance to get a larger chunk of education funds. ("Call for 'Weighted' Student Funding Gets Bipartisan Stamp of Approval," July 13, 2006.)
Marguerite Roza, a senior scholar focusing on education finance at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, affiliated with the University of Washington Bothell, said she believes current fiscal pressures are sparking some renewed interest in weighted student funding. School principals presumably have a better idea of their own needs than the central office staff, she said, so superintendents may think "if we attach flexibility to a cut, the decision can be made to fit the context of the individual school."
Weighted student funding can also help promote nonstandard staffing models that are growing in popularity, Ms. Roza said, offering as an example the Rocketship Education model. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based charter management organization combines online learning with small-group instruction. Standard funding formulas that provide a teacher for a certain number of students don't allow for that kind of flexibility, she said.
Link to Achievement?
Weighted student funding is not just a way for districts to fund schools. Gov. Jerry Brown of California, a Democrat, proposed earlier this year using a weighted student-funding formula to change how the state distributes money to its school systems. The state now has dozens of categorical funding streams that require districts to spend money for specific purposes; the weighted formula would do away with some of that complexity and give schools a base amount, plus additional dollars based on enrollment numbers for low-income students and English-language learners.
But weighted student-funding formulas are no answer to boosting student achievement, despite the formulas' appeal to both liberals and conservatives in the education field, said Eric A. Hanushek, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, at Stanford University. Mr. Hanushek, who wrote a March 28 Commentary on weighted student funding for Education Week, said in the essay that the formula method operates under an optimistic assumption that transparency in funding is connected to student growth.
In actuality, Mr. Hanushek said, principals are constrained by collective bargaining agreements and state, federal, and local regulations. "Maybe they can hire another remedial-reading teacher instead of an art teacher," he said in an interview. "But the flexibility school principals have is pretty marginal." And the formulas aren't connected to drivers of student performance, he argued. In his commentary, he said that it would be better for states and districts to use a funding mechanism that explicitly gives financial rewards for achievement.
Some of the earliest adopters of weighted student funding have backed away from the funding mechanism in favor of other methods of allocating dollars to schools. The 47,000-student Seattle district made a change after operating under the weighted funding system from 1997 to 2007, said Duggan Harman, the district's assistant superintendent for business and finance. Though Seattle is often used as a "poster child" for people who don't like weighted student funding, Mr. Harman said the system could work well in some districts as long as resources are adequate.
Flexibility 'Illusion'
But in Seattle, "the way we implemented it was more onerous on schools than it needed to be," Mr. Harman said. "It gives an illusion of flexibility" when in reality, only about 10 percent of the money that a school received could really be spent at the principal's discretion, he said. The rest of the money was devoted to mandates based on union agreements and local and state regulations.
For the past four years, Seattle has used a model that distributes teachers and administrators based on the number of students a school has. There is still some weighting, where extra money is distributed to high-poverty schools, but it is not as extensive as under the old formula. The district is considering ways to create more flexibility with administrative staffing, so that schools might be able to choose to spend less money in that area and more money for instructional purposes, Mr. Harman said.
But other school districts plan to continue with their work on weighted student funding. Los Angeles launched a pilot of weighted funding in some of its schools in 2009-10, with plans to implement the policy districtwide by the 2012-13 school year. Baltimore, which just finished its fourth year of implementation, has seen several positive changes from the shift, said Matthew Hornbeck, a principal at Hampstead Hill Academy, a pre-K-8 grade school serving 650 students.
Mr. Hornbeck said he was able to use the flexibility offered by weighted student funding to provide assistant teachers for his kindergarten and 1st grade classes, which he would not have been able to do otherwise. He also said that he can use his dollars to "shop" for the best providers for extracurricular programs for his students. Under the old system, those extracurricular providers received a block of money from the central office and had little incentive to "sell" their programs to schools.
Benefits Seen
The funding formula, which Baltimore calls "fair student funding," also encourages principals to find more students for their schools, because more students mean more money, Mr. Hornbeck said. More than 900 school-age students have returned to school to earn their high school diplomas since the formula has been in place, he noted.
"In addition to the altruistic goal, it has a financial benefit for those schools that get those kids back," Mr. Hornbeck said.
Weighted student funding does create "winners" and "losers": schools that see more or less funding under the system than they had in previous years. And the formula can present challenges to small schools, whose enrollments may dip so low that operating a school is not feasible. In those cases, districts may have to use a base allocation in addition to the weighted formula.
Boston, in creating its formula, has had to work around all of those issues. To cope with the issue of winner and loser schools, it created a system it calls "soft landings," where schools that would otherwise face major cuts would not lose all that money at once. To address the needs of schools with high concentrations of students in poverty, the system provides extra dollars to schools that have more low-income students than the district's average. And all schools are given a foundation amount of $200,000.
These adjustments are in addition to a complex series of weights that are still under discussion: Boston is working on how to properly weight for students in special education, some of whom need more supports than others, and students in alternative education, who may be receiving a mix of services provided through the district and through community-based agencies.
Despite those challenges of implementation, Mr. McDonough, Boston's chief financial officer, said the system is pleased with the work.
"Our experience is that there's general consensus and uniformity that it's the right thing to do," Mr. McDonough said.
Vol. 31, Issue 35, Page 12Published in Print: June 13, 2012, as Districts Experiment With 'Weighted' School Funding
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- What does personalized or personal learning mean to you?
- How do you see teachers' and learners' roles changing?
- How does a school or district know they are Ready to Transform learning?
- What is Assessment AS Learning?
- Can personalization help close the achievement gap?
- Where are the conversations, models, and examples of personalizing learning?
These questions were part of an interview from Patricia Gomes, a reporter from Porvir in Brazil who wrote an article August 12, 2012 about the chart and resulted in an article and infographic in Portuguese. It is very exciting to see your work in Portuguese and see the value of an infographic that describes in a visual way the three approaches to teaching and learning. Here's our interpretation for you:


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Anger follows police shooting in St. Louis suburb
FERGUSON, Mo. -- A teenager was killed Saturday after police opened fire here, sparking outrage among some community residents.
The shooting occurred around noon Saturday at the Canfield Green Apartment complex. Ferguson police confirmed it was one of their officers who opened fire.
Family members identified the shooting victim as 18-year-old Michael Brown. Desiree Harris, who says Brown is her grandson, says she found his body in the middle of the street minutes after he was expected to arrive at her home in suburban St. Louis neighborhood.
Officer Brian Schellman, spokesman for the St. Louis County Police Department, said "a couple hundred" people came out of area apartment buildings after an officer with the Ferguson Police Department shot and killed the teen. Schellman did not say what prompted the shooting.
Schellman said some people yelled threats toward the police, and officers said they thought they heard gunshots from the crowd. According to The Associated Press, some in the crowd yelled "kill the police."
There were no reports of additional injuries, Schellman said.
After the crowd gathered, police at the scene called for about 60 other police units to respond to the area in Ferguson, which is a city of about 21,000 residents located a few miles north of downtown St. Louis. He said the crowd was under control by about 5 p.m. and several of the additional officers had left the area.
The St. Louis County NAACP said it has launched an investigation and asked the FBI to intervene.
St. Louis County Police are now handling the investigation.
Contributing: The Associated Press


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- Fonds
- 1879-1972 (predominant 1928-1967)
Fonds consists of 3 accessions:
B1973-0012: Consists of microfilm copies (35mm) of Robert Gill's scrapbooks, including program notes, press clippings, and photographs relating to theatre productions in Canada and the United States, particularly at Hart House Theatre and Pittsburgh Playhouse. The accession is described in Series 5. (10 reels, 1929-1967)
B1977-0046: This accession consists of various materials donated by the family of Robert Stanton Gill following his death. It largely chronicles his career as theatre director of Hart House Theatre as well as his involvement in other theatre houses in the United States and Canada. The accession is comprised of four series (1-4). (11 boxes, 1879-1967)
B1995-0028: Two notebooks belonging to Robert Gill, Director of Hart House Theatre, containing notes on 1) lecture notes (1966-1967) and course outlines for a class (1971-1972) and notes on actors; 2) notes on University of British Columbia Opera (1959), Hart House Theatre Summer School (1963?, 1964), course outlines for lectures (1955-1965, 1962-1963), and other notes. This accession is described in Series 6
Gill, Robert Stanton


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Healthpoint, DFB to pay up to $48M in drug case
Healthpoint Ltd. and DFB Pharmaceuticals will pay up to $48 million to settle allegations that Healthpoint marketed a prescription skin ointment without approval from federal regulators.
The Justice Department said Healthpoint caused false claims for reimbursement to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid for Xenaderm, which is used for treating nursing home patients' bed sores. Fort Worth, Texas-based Healthpoint is one of DFB's operating companies.
The government alleged that Healthpoint's business strategy was to market new prescription drugs modeled after products that were available before October 1962 in order to avoid the time, effort and expense of obtaining approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Products containing Xenaderm's principal active ingredient were on the market before 1962, but the FDA determined the ingredient was less-than-effective for its intended use.


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SA Journal of Radiology
On-line version ISSN 2078-6778
Print version ISSN 1027-202X
S. Afr. J. radiol. (Online) vol.19 n.1 Johannesburg 2015
Post-treatment surveillance abdominopelvic computed tomography in children with Wilms tumour: Is it worth the risk?
Jacobus H. OttoI; Jacques Janse van RensburgI; David K. StonesII
IDepartment of Clinical Imaging Sciences, University of the Free State, South Africa
IIPaediatric Haematology and Oncology, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of the Free State, South Africa
BACKGROUND: Wilms tumour is a comparatively common paediatric malignancy with a relatively good prognosis. Routine post-treatment surveillance at our institution currently includes regular abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) over a two-year period for the early detection of disease recurrence. The rationale is that early salvage therapy may improve overall patient survival, and thus justifies the exposure to potentially harmful ionising radiation
OBJECTIVE: To critically evaluate the routine use of post-treatment abdominopelvic CT by determining the detection rate of disease recurrence and associated clinical outcomes.
METHODS: Sixty-four patients in remission following initial treatment for Wilms tumour were included in this retrospective study. Variables obtained from patient records included gender, age, histological grading and tumour stage at presentation, number of abdominopelvic CT scans, site(s) of relapse, method of recurrence detection and confirmation, time to recurrence and clinical outcome.
RESULTS: The patients received a total of 334 surveillance abdominopelvic CT scans. Nine (14%) patients developed disease recurrence during the follow-up period. In three cases, the initial detection method was abdominopelvic CT. All three of these patients subsequently died despite salvage therapy (22 months median survival). Five false-positive diagnoses of recurrence occurred, with two being made on abdominopelvic CT.
CONCLUSION: Routine post-treatment abdominopelvic CT showed a low detection rate of disease recurrence in children treated for Wilms tumour, while subjecting patients to a large radiation burden. The recommendation is that current practice be changed in line with the ultrasound-based Société Internationale d'Oncologie Pédiatrique (SIOP) imaging guidelines.
Wilms tumour (nephroblastoma) is the second most common intra-abdominal tumour presenting during childhood, with approximately 80% of cases diagnosed before the age of 5 years.1 Advances in treatment have greatly improved the prognosis for children with this condition. Where survival rates were once less than 30%, they are currently quoted at 90%, making it one of the success stories of modern medicine.2
Nephroblastomas metastasise predominantly to the lungs (58%) and liver (29%), and only rarely to other sites such as the skeleton, mediastinum and brain. Most relapses (90%) occur within 4 years of diagnosis.3 The practice of post-treatment surveillance imaging is aimed at the early detection of tumour recurrence, thereby enabling early salvage therapy. Long-term survival following salvage therapy has reportedly increased from below 30% in the mid-1980s, to the current range of 50% - 60%.4
Recommendations for post-treatment surveillance imaging of patients with Wilms tumour that are currently in use include the guidelines proposed by the American COG (Childhood Oncology Group) (Table 1) and European Société Internationale d'Oncologie Pédiatrique (International Society of Paediatric Oncology) (SIOP) (Table 2). These imaging recommendations were originally created for research purposes, but are often used to guide the clinical use of imaging studies. As far as could be determined, no other standardised guidelines have been published.1
The Universitas Academic Hospital Paediatric Oncology Unit in Bloemfontein, South Africa, follows the SIOP guidelines to stage and manage patients who have been diagnosed with Wilms tumour. The imaging protocol for off-treatment surveillance is, however, largely based on the COG guidelines. Routine surveillance abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) scans are performed at three-month intervals during the first year and six-monthly in the second year of post-treatment follow-up. Concurrent radiographs or CT of the chest are performed to screen for pulmonary metastases.
According to the COG guidelines, patients with high-risk Wilms tumours may receive up to 8 abdominopelvic CT scans during the post-treatment follow-up period.1 The estimated cumulative effective dose to an individual patient from all the ionising diagnostic radiological investigations performed at diagnosis, while on treatment, and during the follow-up period - according to the COG trials - amounts to 152.8 mSv,5 which is the equivalent of approximately 7500 chest radiographs.7
The possible long-term adverse effects of low-dose radiation associated with radiological investigations are increasingly being put under the spotlight, with the most worrisome risk being that of radiation-induced cancer.8 The paediatric population is particularly susceptible to the harmful effects of ionising radiation owing to the increased radiosensitivity of their rapidly dividing cells, in particular thyroid, breast and gonadal tissue. Children also have a longer lifetime during which radiation-related cancers have time to develop.7
Compared with an adult, a dose of radiation results in a ten-fold increase in neoplastic potential in a growing child.9The estimated lifetime risk of radiation-induced fatal cancer in children who have had a CT scan is 1 in 1000.10 There is also an incremental increase in cancer risk for each additional CT scan.11 Paediatric oncology patients are often exposed to a large number of serial and frequently high-dose examinations, resulting in a considerable cumulative radiation exposure.
To justify the risk, albeit small, of radiation-induced malignancy owing to exposure from a radiological surveillance programme, two conditions have to be met. Firstly, disease recurrence has to be accurately detected before it becomes clinically apparent; and secondly, earlier detection of relapse should lead to improved overall survival.5
The aim of the present study was to critically evaluate the use of abdominopelvic CT scans in the post-treatment surveillance programme of children with Wilms tumour, with the purpose of effective minimisation of exposure to ionising radiation and optimal utilisation of limited resources. Our objectives were, firstly, to determine the radiological, and specifically abdominopelvic CT, detection rate of tumour recurrence during the routine surveillance programme in children who have successfully completed their treatment for nephroblastoma; and secondly, to determine the value of a positive radiological finding of recurrent disease by describing the clinical outcomes in these children.
A retrospective descriptive study was undertaken after obtaining approval from the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State. Patients who had been treated for Wilms tumour and followed up at the Paediatric Oncology Unit at Universitas Academic Hospital between January 2000 and December 2012 were included. Further inclusion criteria included a clinical and radiological diagnosis of complete disease remission at the completion of treatment, as well as completion of the two-year period of routine off-treatment imaging surveillance. Patients who had residual or progressive disease at the end of treatment, absconded from treatment or follow-up, or had died owing to comorbidities or other causes during the follow-up period, were excluded from the study population.
The variables collected from paper and electronic patient records included age at diagnosis, gender, initial tumour staging and histological grading, and the total number of abdominopelvic CT scans, including the number of surveillance scans. In the event of disease relapse during follow-up, the time between treatment completion and relapse, the anatomical site(s) of relapse, initial method of relapse detection and the method of confirming or refuting the diagnosis of relapse, were recorded. The last known clinical outcome for each patient was also established.
A total of 126 patients were treated for Wilms tumour during the period under investigation. Of these, 22 patients were lost to follow-up and 9 absconded. A further 31 patients were excluded owing to progressive or residual disease after completing the standard treatment protocol.
Of the 64 patients included in the study population, there were slightly more girls (n = 35) than boys (n = 29). The median age at diagnosis was 3 years (range 0.6 to 11 years). The majority of patients (61%, n 64) had SIOP stage I disease. Data on histological tumour grading was lacking in 42% (27/64) of patients, especially in those diagnosed before 2005. Of those with known histological grading, 81% (30/37) had grade 2 or intermediate-grade tumour histology.
The patients included in the study population received a total of 479 abdominopelvic CT scans (mean of 7.5 per patient) during the process of disease staging, treatment monitoring and surveillance. A total of 334 surveillance abdominopelvic CT scans were done, with a mean of 5.2 scans per patient.
Nine patients (14% of the study population) had confirmed disease relapse during the follow-up period. The characteristics of these patients are set out in Table 3. The median time interval between completion of treatment and the diagnosis of relapse was 6 months (range 3-12 months). The most common anatomical site of relapse was the lungs (56%, n = 9), followed by local recurrence and liver metastases, both occurring in one-third of cases of relapse. No disease recurrence was found in the pelvis. One patient presented clinically with skeletal metastasis during the follow-up period.
Of the 9 confirmed cases of relapse, 3 were initially detected by surveillance abdominopelvic CT (Figure 1). A further 3 were detected by plain chest radiography, 1 by chest CT, and 2 presented with clinical symptoms of relapse.
The clinical outcomes in the patients who presented with relapse following disease remission were very discouraging. Eight of the 9 patients responded poorly to salvage therapy and died. The median duration of survival following the diagnosis of disease recurrence was 18 months (range 7-27 months). The only patient who could be successfully salvaged presented with lung metastases detected initially by chest radiograph.
In 5 patients diagnosed with disease relapse during the period of imaging surveillance, it was found not to be the case on subsequent biopsy or clinical and radiological follow-up. Of these false-positive cases, 2 were diagnosed on abdominopelvic CT, 2 on chest CT and 1 on a chest radiograph (Figures 2-3).
Our rate of detecting disease recurrence with routine surveillance abdominopelvic CT was one recurrence for every 111 scans performed, which is similar to that found in a study by Howell et al.,12 where routine CT detected one recurrence for every 129 scans performed in the follow-up of children with solid tumours. In their study, only 30% of the total recurrences were detected by routine investigations, with the majority presenting symptomatically between routine clinic appointments. This finding led the investigators to question the usefulness of frequent routine follow-up investigation in paediatric oncology.12 In contrast, the majority of relapses in our study were detected by imaging investigations, which may be attributed to differences between the natural history of Wilms tumour and the other solid tumours included in the study by Howell et al.,12 the different frequency of routine follow-up investigations, and the relatively small patient populations of both studies.
A few studies have evaluated the outcomes of the detection of disease relapse by routine surveillance imaging following completion of therapy for paediatric cancers. Most indicate little or no improvement in salvage rates between relapses detected by imaging or clinically.13 The salvage rates were equally dismal in relapses detected clinically or by imaging in our study. All 3 of our patients with disease recurrence detected by abdominopelvic CT, developed progressive disease and died regardless of salvage therapy, with a median survival of 22 months (range 21-26 months).
The ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principle advocates the reduction of radiation exposure through the optimisation of scanning parameters, the elimination of unnecessary examinations and the use of alternative non-ionising imaging modalities. Ways of decreasing the radiation exposure of a CT scan include optimising scan settings according to patient size and limiting the area of the body being scanned. Studies by Kaste et al.14 and Kan et al. 2found no benefit from including the pelvis in routine surveillance CT of patients with Wilms tumour. Omitting pelvic CT saves an average of 30% to 45% of the effective dose of abdominopelvic CT.14 No pelvic recurrences were observed in our study population, further supporting these findings.
The elimination of unnecessary investigations and the use of alternative non-ionising imaging modalities constitute the most effective ways of reducing radiation exposure. The use of ultrasound in the initial diagnosis of Wilms tumour is well established. Renal ultrasonography is also considered the optimal screening modality for the detection of Wilms tumour in at-risk individuals.15 There are to our knowledge, however, no studies that compare the diagnostic performance of abdominal ultrasound with abdominopelvic CT in routine off-treatment surveillance. Daw et al.16investigated abdominal relapse in Wilms tumour and found that all cases of recurrence were detected by ultrasound obtained at the time of relapse. Their results suggest that regular sonographic surveillance for three years after completion of treatment is likely to detect most abdominal recurrences,16 making it an attractive alternative to abdominopelvic CT.
The cost-effectiveness of routine follow-up investigations should also be taken into consideration, especially within the context of resource constraints. Guadagnolo et al.17 analysed the cost-effectiveness of CT in the routine follow-up of patients with Hodgkin's disease, comparing it with non-CT modalities. Their study also took into account the decrement in quality-adjusted life expectancy owing to false-positive CT results. It was found that annual follow-up CT is associated with minimal survival benefit. For advanced stage patients, annual CT for 5 years was associated with a small quality-adjusted survival gain over non-CT follow-up, but at an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $US9 million per quality-adjusted life year gained.17 The poor outcomes of patients with recurrence detected by abdominopelvic CT in our study, as well as the morbidity and anxiety associated with false-positive results, suggest an unfavourable cost-benefit ratio for the use of this modality in the routine post-treatment surveillance of Wilms tumour.
To promote a more rational approach to follow-up imaging in children with cancer, it is important to understand the motivation of the different role players. The good treatment response of certain childhood cancers, including Wilms tumour, leads to optimistic attempts to achieve permanent control at any price. The difference in attitude of paediatric oncologists, compared with adult oncologists, also leads to a more aggressive approach to post-treatment surveillance.18 Ultimately, it remains the responsibility of the radiologist to ensure that any request for an imaging investigation is justified and that exposure to ionising radiation be kept as low as reasonably achievable.
Although it may be argued that the parents or the patients themselves derive reassurance from negative routine follow-up investigations, these may also lead to unnecessary anxiety, practical inconvenience and physical discomfort related to preparation for CT scans and intravenous contrast administration.
Limitations of the study
The study was limited by the relatively small study population. A large number of patients were excluded owing to poor treatment response associated with advanced disease at presentation, or were lost to follow-up. These circumstances compare poorly with the 90% remission rates reported in developed countries, and can most likely be attributed locally to poor socioeconomic conditions, low levels of education and a sub-optimally functioning primary healthcare system.
Our study set out to critically evaluate the routine use of abdominopelvic CT in the post-treatment surveillance of patients with Wilms tumour. We found that in the past 12 years, routine abdominopelvic CT detected only 3 cases of disease recurrence. Unfortunately, none of these patients survived much longer than 2 years following the diagnosis of disease recurrence, despite salvage therapy. At the same time, patients who did not go on to develop disease recurrence were subjected to a significant radiation burden, with the associated risk of radiation-induced cancer later in life.
In view of the findings, we propose the use of the SIOP surveillance imaging recommendations, using ultrasound in preference to CT for abdominal surveillance. This will lead to a significant reduction in radiation exposure and cost, without jeopardising patient outcomes.
Our findings highlight the need for improved and ongoing collaboration between paediatric oncologists and radiologists to re-assess current practices and devise optimised imaging strategies that take the risks associated with potentially avoidable exposure to ionising radiation, as well as the impact on limited resources, into account.
The authors thank Mr Cornel van Rooyen, Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, for his contribution to the study design and statistical analysis of the data; and Dr Daleen Struwig, medical writer, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, for technical and editorial preparation of the manuscript.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships which may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.
Authors' contributions
J.J.v.R. (University of the Free State) was the study leader; J.H.O. (University of the Free State) was responsible for originating the research question, the study design, data collection and writing of the research article; and D.K.S. (University of the Free State) made conceptual contributions, assisted with the process of data collection and critically evaluated the intellectual content of the final written manuscript.
1. Davidoff AM. Wilms' tumour. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2009;21:357-364. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MOP.0b013e32832b323a [ Links ]
2. Kan JH, Hwang M, Lowas SR, Hernanz-Schulman M. Impact of pelvic CT on staging, surveillance, and survival of pediatric patients with Wilms tumour and hepatoblastoma. Am J Roentgenol. 2011;196:W515-W518. http://dx.doi.org/10.2214/AJR.10.5179 [ Links ]
3. Brisse HJ, Smets AM, Kaste SC, Owens CM. Imaging in unilateral Wilms tumour. Pediatr Radiol. 2008;38:18-29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00247-007-0677-9 [ Links ]
4. Metzger ML, Dome JS. Current therapy for Wilms tumour. Oncologist. 2005;10:815-826. http://dx.doi.org/10.1634/theoncologist.10-10-815 [ Links ]
5. McHugh K, Roebuck DJ. Pediatric oncology surveillance imaging: Two recommendations. Abandon CT scanning, and randomize to imaging or solely clinical follow-up. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2014;61:3-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pbc.24757 [ Links ]
6. International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP). Nephroblastoma Clinical Trial and Study SIOP 2001. c2007 [cited 30 January 2015]. Available from: http://web.visu.uni-saarland.de/rtsg/fileadmin/templates/logistix/files/SIOP_Interim_Statistical_Report.pdf [ Links ]
7. Brody AS, Frush DP, Huda W, Brent RL, American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Radiology. Radiation risk to children from computed tomography. Pediatrics. 2007;120:677-682. http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2007-1910 [ Links ]
8. Voss SD, Reaman GH, Kaste SC, Slovis TL. The ALARA concept in pediatric oncology. Pediatr Radiol. 2009;39:1142-1146. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00247-009-1404-5 [ Links ]
9. Shah NB, Platt SL. ALARA: Is there cause for alarm? Reducing radiation risks from computed tomography scanning in children. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2008;20:243-247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MOP.0b013e3282ffafd2 [ Links ]
10. Brenner D, Elliston C, Hall E, Berdon W. Estimated risks of radiation-induced fatal cancer from pediatric CT. Am J Roentgenol. 2001;176:289-296. http://dx.doi.org/10.2214/ajr.176.2.1760289 [ Links ]
11. Mathews JD, Forsythe AV, Brady ZB, et al. Cancer risk in 680000 people exposed to computed tomography scans in childhood or adolescence: Data linkage study of 11 million Australians. BMJ. 2013;346:f2360. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f2360 [ Links ]
12. Howell L, Mensah A, Brennan B, Makin G. Detection of recurrence in childhood solid tumours. Cancer. 2005;103:1274-1279. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cncr.20896 [ Links ]
13. Kaste SC. Oncological imaging: Tumour surveillance in children. Pediatr Radiol. 2011;41(Suppl 2):505-508.http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00247-011-2108-1 [ Links ]
14. Kaste SC, Brady SL, Yee B, et al. Is routine pelvic surveillance imaging necessary in patients with Wilms tumour? Cancer. 2013;119:182-188. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cncr.27687 [ Links ]
15. Scott RH, Walker L, Olsen ØE, et al. Surveillance for Wilms tumour in at-risk individuals: Pragmatic recommendations for best practice. Arch Dis Child. 2006;91:995-999.http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/adc.2006.101295 [ Links ]
16. Daw NC, Kauffman WM, Bodner SM, Pratt CB, Hoffer FA. Patterns of abdominal relapse and role of sonography in Wilms tumour. Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2002;19:107-115. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08880010252825696 [ Links ]
17. Guadagnolo BA, Punglia RS, Kuntz KM, Mauch PM, Ng AK. Cost-effectiveness analysis of computerized tomography in the routine follow-up of patients after primary treatment for Hodgkin's disease. J Clin Oncol. 2006;24:4116-4122. http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2006.07.0409 [ Links ]
18. Kagan AR, Steckel RJ. Diagnostic imaging in the surveillance of treated children with cancer. Med Pediatr Oncol. 1993;21:323-326. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mpo.2950210503 [ Links ]
Jacobus Otto
4 Kipling Street, Dan Pienaar
Bloemfontein 9301
South Africa
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Received: 02 Feb. 2015
Accepted: 15 May 2015
Published: 05 Aug. 2015


text:
I'm not sure yet if I should use the wire for full guidance or only as a lawn edge detector and let the mower move randomly within the lawn. I would lay the wire on top secured with big staples and let the grass grow over it.
Thanks cr0sh. What a great idea! I'll check into it. I looked into it. Seems that the tracer sensor needs to be within a few mm of the wire. I need a sensor distance up to about a meter. =(Thanks anyway!
Well done I have a friendly robotics lawn mower that I would like to hack with your approach. My lawn mower starts to spin the wheels when it tries to go up a hill steeper than 15 degrees...It would be nice to detect slippage of wheels and change direction when this is detected. Does your yard have many hills? Maybe the weight/wheel chair wheels don't have this issue


text:
Although you probably didn't even know I had gone.
Well, It's true. We've been gone. A BIG! thank you to meh , my Blog-sitter.
The Mister and I took the kids on a trip to Northern Arizona and the Grand Canyon. We left early on Monday and returned last night.
It was a blast. No Phones. No Computer. No Make-up (Oh! I did miss my mascara, I won't lie). No working out (except for those daily hikes).
There was laughter, campfires, mishaps, smores, camp food (chips EVERY! DAY!), there were wild animals, amazing weather (no snow!!!!), and lots of funny stories. Next week I will give recaps of the five days we spent together.
Of course vacation is now over as we jump back into real-life this morning cleaning up our camp stuff and doing laundry between the soccer games and running errands.
Again, a big thanks to meh for blog-sitting. And to The Parents for dog-sitting (note to self: don't forget to pick up Kona today), and to Lenny, the Amazing house-sitting Beta fish, who not only stayed all by himself keeping guard of the house all week, but lived to tell us all about it. (How many times can I use the word "all" in one sentance?)
OK, I gotta go get my chores done so that I can sit down and catch up with all y'alls blogs and emails!
La Vida Dulce!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
I'm Back!!!
Posted by Unknown at 9:47 AM 2 comments Links to this post
Friday, September 28, 2007
Friday Fun
I love those moments in parenting when something happens and all of a sudden your kids think you are really cool.
That happened two Fridays ago.
A couple years ago I wrote this post about the Friday song.
I have continued to sing that song over the years, especially to the kids as I walk into their rooms to wake them up on Friday mornings. Usually when I walk in the room The Boy looks at me with a bit of, I like that you do this, but I am going to act a bit like I don't.
The Girl likes it too, but being less of a morning person usually just covers her head with her quilt.
What I didn't know was that the radio station here still plays that song on Fridays! Normally in the morning I will put on a music CD because it gets the kids movin' and helps them get ready for school with a bit more hitch in their get-a-long, if you know what I mean. Last Friday around 7:15 I switched on the radio. I was getting lunches together when the Friday Song began to play.
The kids came running into the kitchen with wide eyes and crazy jumping, saying "That radio is playing YOUR Friday song!!!! How did they know YOUR Friday song?"
Posted by Unknown at 9:00 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Throw Back Thursday
So here is my first installment of Throwback Thursday.
Check out the 80's permed hair and, yes, somebody wrote "Where's the Beef?" as a caption because that was the catchiest phrase on TV at the time.
Go ahead and laugh. I am laughing with you!
Posted by Unknown at 10:00 AM 1 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Soccer Girl
I was a ballerina girl myself. As a matter of fact I have taught ballet on and off since I graduated from high school.
At the end of the summer I asked The Girl if she wanted to do Ballet or Tap this semester. She looked at me and said "Soccer!"
So she's playing soccer, and loving it.
Posted by Unknown at 8:00 AM 2 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Happy Double Digits
Dear Sweet Boy,
It is amazing to me that you celebrate a decade of living today. You came into the world a 9 and a half pound contented bundle and you are just as sweet today.
I have a thousand and one things I could tell you today, but I do want you to know this: Your Dad and I are so very proud of you.
This weekend we saw that your adorable younger (boy) cousins got the hair cut, just like yours and that made me feel so happy. Not because I think your hair is the best part about you (although it's very nice), but because I know that you know they look up to you, and you know respect is earned.
At your birthday party this weekend it was fun to see you hang out with your friends and cousins, and your little sister (and grandparents and aunts and uncles) and see you engage each of them with love and affection.
I had a moment at your party when I wanted to weep because it became very clear that you are growing up. After the presents were all opened and you had read the last card, I was just about to prompt you to say "Thanks You" to all who were watching you open the gifts, but you did it on your own. You just proudly looked up and said, "Thanks for coming everybody".
Sweetheart, I thank God for you everyday and am so grateful that you are my son.
Happy 10th birthday!
Posted by Unknown at 8:00 AM 1 comments Links to this post
Monday, September 24, 2007
Saturday Sunrise on a Monday Morning
I talked The Girl into going with me to watch the sunrise after I posted on Saturday! It was amazing!
Happy Monday!
Posted by Unknown at 8:00 AM 2 comments Links to this post
Labels: Sunrise
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Crazy Thoughts on an Early Saturday Morning
I really wanted today to be a Sleep-In Saturday. But my body is so programmed to be up at a certain time in the morning that I think it's stuck. Or maybe it's that I am getting old.
This morning I woke up at 4:41, told myself it was Saturday, the only day of the week that I try not to get up before the crack of dawn, and tried to fall back asleep. It didn't work. I found myself composing a blog entry in my head on the tragedy of waking up early on a Saturday.
Every morning my alarm is set to wake me up at precisely 5:03 am. Why 5:03? Well, it started many years ago when I wanted to get up early but five in the morning seemed such an ungodly hour, but that's when I needed to be up if I wanted to have sometime for myself. Somehow 5:00 o'clock seemed a little too close to 4:59, which would mean that I was getting up when it was still four in the morning, so three minutes into the five o'clock hour seemed more agreeable to me.
Hey, we all have our quirks.
In the last few weeks I have been waking up before the alarm at almost the exact same time every morning: 4:44. I could jump out of bed and get a start in the day but usually, I lay in bed like a dog in a "down-stay" until the alarm goes off. The automatic timer on the coffee pot won't have my coffee ready until 5am. If I get out of bed an earlier it won't be ready, and that is no fun.
This morning, I wake up and it's still dark. I look at the clock.
Its 4:41am.
Oh rats! It's Saturday, roll over and go to sleep.
Bad idea. My bladder is about to explode, which means I have to get out of bed and walk across the room to the bathroom. The chances of falling asleep after getting out bed are pretty slim. How long can I hold it? Hmmm, what time is it again? Don't open both eyes when you look at the clock, if both eyes aren't open maybe the body won't think it's awake. No, if you get up it's over, if you sleep on your back you might not have to get up for at least another hour.
4:43am -
Go back to sleep. Go BACK to sleep! I'm not going to be able to concentrate on sleep if my bladder is full, maybe if go quickly to the bathroom, don't open your eyes and try not to think too much, then get back into bed close your eyes and go back to sleep.
4:44 am -
OK! all is good. Go back to sleep...
4:46 am -
If I get up I could blog since I didn't have time to write yesterday...I wonder if my coffee is ready?
4:48 -
This is ridiculous. Get up and get going!
And here I am. Now it is 5:43 and I have downed my first cup of coffee and I am ready for seconds.
Who knew that almost a decade ago when getting up early, (something I had to MAKE myself do) would become a problem of the opposite issue. Now, I have find a way to be able to sleep in one morning of the week!
Actually, I think I will take my (2nd) cup of coffee and my camera outside and get some pictures of the sunrise. In the mornings when I am running while the sun comes up I always feel sad that I don't have my camera. That alone is worth waking up early!
Happy Weekend!
(An early morning) La Vida Dulce!
Posted by Unknown at 7:58 AM 3 comments Links to this post
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Baking Dream
Y'all, I have so much to do today and all I want to do is bake.
I checked out Martha Stewarts, Baking Handbook, again, from the library. I am sure that the librarians think I am the biggest goon, checking and re-checking this book out. I need to just go buy this thing.
Today I have a ton of errands to run and things to do to prepare for the next few weeks. But all I can think about is how this morning, when I woke up, it was 69 degrees outside.
Friends, fall is coming to the desert. It's a beautiful thing. When fall happens I want to be making ginger bread and pumpkin loaf cake and and trying some new recipes. Oh yeah, and my coffee consumption goes up exponentially. It's all good!
I was thinking about the pumpkin patch and sweatshirts and Cookie, the blue heating blanket. I was thinking about spiced apples in puff pastry....and I don't even enjoy cooked fruit.
One of my goals for the fall break is to learn to make pastry dough. I have never tried this because I have felt a bit intimidated by it. But I think I can handle it, and now that it isn't 110 degrees outside ( although it will still get to 91 today) I think it is cool enough to try.
I have been reading up on pastry dough, not just in Martha's book, but in a few other cookbooks I have checked out lately. Speaking of, I just love this cook book, it reads like a novel, with stories about where and when she first used a recipe and other great stories of her being a chef. It's as fun to read as it is a great resource for recipes! I plan to check it out again soon. But I digress...
So instead of enjoying this fall time dream I am going to go to the gym, then to Costco; get the oil changed in the car; run to the book store to find a book The Boy put on his Birthday Wish List; run to the department store to buy new undershirts for The Mister; try to find out where I can get a Piñata for The Boy's birthday party on Sunday, and then try to get home to shower before I get the kids from school. At some point, I need to finish the breakfast dishes, make my bed, start a load of towels in the washer, make dinner, and get the kids to soccer practice.
But in my daydreams I will be in my kitchen whipping up a batch of Cranberry Pecan Rye Bread (pg 298), or Maple Walnut cupcakes (pg 164), or Spice Sandwich Cookies (pg 105) or..... or..... or.....
Is fall coming to you yet? And what are you dreaming about?
Posted by Unknown at 10:29 AM 4 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Random poll September- What's for Dinner?
I love cookbooks.
Several years ago my mom gave me some cookbooks that had been taking up space on her book shelf. One of them was Meta Given's Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking (1969). It's the updated one. The original being copyrighted in 1947.
This is where my favorite biscuit recipe is found. And my favorite flapjacks and waffle recipe. And...and...and...
Anyway, I have used this cook book so much over the years (mostly for baking) that the spine is cracked and the pages are yellow. When you open it a light dusting of flour falls on the counter top.
What I love more than the recipes is the inscription to my Mom & Dad from my great aunt Gertrude:
I wish for you, youThis past weekend I pulled out the floury book because I had promised June Cutoff Cash my biscuit recipe. I found myself reading the introduction and first chapter of this old cook book. Amazingly, the info on calories and food choice don't differ much from what people are telling us today. It seems Ms. Givens was as smart as she was gifted in cooking. Sixty years later lean proteins, veggies, fruits and whole grains are still the recommended way to balance our diets.
will be as happy as
you were on your wedding days always
Aunt Gertrude
What I found interesting is that there is a whole chapter on the importance of feeding your family that I feel is lost in our "make it quick and convenient" culture we live in today. After the Table of Contents, and other reference helps she opens her book with the:
Meal Planners Creed:
The health of my family is in my care; therefore-
I will spare no effort in planning meals containing the right kinds of food in the right
Spending the food dollar to get the most for it is my job; therefore -
I will choose foods from a wide variety, variously priced to save money without sacrificing health.
My family's enjoyment of food is my responsibility; - therefore
I will increase thier pleasure by preparing a variety of dishes attractive in color and form and pleasing in flavor and texture.
My family's health, security, and pleasure depend on my skill planning meals; therefore-
I will treat my job with the respect due it.
I loved reading this because sometimes the monotony of the evening meal gets in the way of my ability to see what a huge job I have in teaching my children how to fuel their bodies. It is a responsibility, but also a privilege! Sometimes I treat it like the "ill-tempered" fry cook from Mels Diner. Do you remember him?
I was inspired by Meta's encouragement to take cooking seriously! So my question for tonight (and tomorrow for you East-Coasties), whether you cook for a family of 10 or a family of 2:
What are you making for dinner?
If it's reservations, that's OK! Sometimes, we need that too! Tell me where you went (or ordered in)! Also, I will post my biscuit recipe in the comments for everyone!
La Vida Dulce
Posted by Unknown at 6:44 PM 7 comments Links to this post
Labels: Random Poll
Monday, September 17, 2007
Times a Tickin', Tickin' Away!
Where has September gone? How can it already be half over?
The Blog may be a bit slow these next few weeks. This is the last week of school before the kids are on a fall break until mid October. This week I am preparing for The Boy's birthday and getting ready to have them home with me, which I love. I thought I would take a some time to drink my smoothie-lunch and type away at ya.
If you get a chance you should mosey on over to Biding My Time and wish meh a happy birthday. He latest post is all about shoes, which is why we are friends! meh, Happy Birthday my friend. I wish I could come over and make you a big 'ole home made chocolate cake and sit right down and eat it with you!
Last week was teacher conferences for both the kids. I just love where the kids are going to school right now. As a side note, If you are a teacher out there in blogger-land, I appreciate you! You're job is not an easy one!
Here is one thing that is so weird about teacher conferences for me. I always feel weepy during them. Now, I don't get all blubbery and do the ugly cry or anything, as a matter of fact the teachers probably don't even know I feel this way, but I have to hold my emotions in a lot while they are talking about my kids. Both teachers had nice things to say about my kids. They also gave areas where both kids could work harder (because we will never lack areas in our lives where we can improve) which I appreciate and respect. Both The Girl and The Boy are doing well in school so I can't figure out where the emotions come from. In the past I thought perhaps it was nervousness, but this time I wasn't at all nervous. I have been working in the classrooms for a couple of months and I feel really comfortable with both teachers. Anyway, are any of you Mom's out there the same way? Or am I just the weirdest bird on the planet?
OK, time is a tickin'. This always happens to me. I think that the kids will start school and I will have all this time to do "stuff" and the next thing you know September is half way over and then it's Thanksgiving...and Christmas...and the New Year!!! AUUGHHH!!!
All right, lunch is over, have a Happy Monday!
Posted by Unknown at 3:16 PM 3 comments Links to this post
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Fourth Grade Science and Second Grade Singer
The Boy is learning about water systems in in science (his favorite subject) right now. For the last 48 hours this has been my life:
~While boiling water...
Mom! Do you know what is happening right now? The heat is causing all those water molecules to bounce around. Do you know what happens then the molecules form steam.
~When drinking iced tea...
Mom! Do you see that? Do you know what that is? The ice in your cup is causing condensation on the outside of you cup!
~When filling the dog bowl...
Mom! How much do you think Kona drinks? How much do you think is lost from evaporation?
The Girl is driving everyone crazy because I found a CD I had that was a seasonal sampler of some Broadway shows that a received several years ago (I LOVE musical theater!). I was listening to it and their are several songs from Annie.
The Girl asked if she could borrow and then proceeded to listen, for almost two, to those three songs from Annie, over and over, and over, again. Which makes me have an idea of what my parents went through when I was a kid. Because I did the same exact thing.
Of course, The Boy, when he heard the phrase, "Bet your bottom dollar there be sun." He replied, "Not if those clouds carry precipitation!"
Last night, in my sleep, I was singing "Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya! Tomorrow! Your only a...DAYYYYYYYY.. AAAAAA....WAAYYYYYYYYY!!!"
Posted by Unknown at 10:57 AM 3 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Today has been full, but reflective.
Today was the first day of Ladies Bible Study at our new church. I was nervous. This is one of the hard parts of the "moving" routine: walking into a group a women, who all know each other, and try to be friendly; try to act normal, as if I just walk into groups of strangers everyday.
I was cringing as I walked to the church door because I have been involved in enough ladies bible studies to know that we are going to play mixer games and do weird stuff like "interview the person next to you and then tell the group about this person".
Several years ago, while I was leading the worship team for Ladies Bible study in Texas I became overwhelmed with anxiety over performing. It came out of nowhere and it hasn't gone away. People are often surprised that I have nervousness. But I always do. When I go somewhere new, when I sing in front of people, when I speak in front of people. The older I get, the worse the nerves get. It is very ridiculous, but for the moment it's the way it is.
So I get to the bible study and all is going fairly well. We are doing a Beth Moore bible study on the book of Daniel.
Here's the thing: it was this very bible study that I started with my Carolina Girls at the first of this year. I came to the first meeting, watched the video, said good bye, and we moved. So all these sweet memories of that night came flooding into my heart and mind and suddenly I am homesick, but not just for my NC girls, but for my Texas girls too (several who don't even live in TX anymore).
It was hard to walk into that room of 150 women and not know anybody. It was difficult as I saw these gals laughing with one another, talking about each others kids, and loving on each other and not be "one of the girls."
When I left the church, everyone was still hanging out and talking. I slipped out quietly, no one even knew I had gone. As I drove out of the parking lot I longed to call one of my friends, but with each name that went through my head I decided it was best to be quiet. To sit in the quiet. To feel sorry for myself, for just a minute. 60 seconds, not one second more.
There is no time for self pity here, there are Suddenly's happening all around me. Circumstances that are far more staggering than mine.
Of course it's September 11th, and today I couldn't help but think of that morning six years ago when suddenly the world didn't feel so safe anymore. It's those Suddenly's in life that are hard.
Yesterday I was reading a blog that I periodically frequent, written by a brave and courageous woman, wife and mother who is fighting brain cancer. She has links to other women who share in her struggles. One of them died yesterday and although I never knew her, never commented on her blog, I feel heavy hearted about her young husband and toddler son who will carry heartache in the days to come. Been praying for him all day today because it's the only way I can deal with the Suddenly's. Even the Suddenly's of people I will never meet.
Suddenly, walking into a room full of strangers, a room full of potential friends seems like the best thing that could have happened today.
Posted by Unknown at 10:24 PM 6 comments Links to this post
Monday, September 10, 2007
Weekend in Pictures
Lenny got a new bowl while his other was being cleaned.
He doesn't like this bowl.
So he got his cookie-jar condominium back.
Uno with The Mister.
The Girl won 6 games in a row.
Which is why I don't play very often.
It's very hard to win.
Posted by Unknown at 11:21 AM 2 comments Links to this post
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Seven Mile Motivation
Still training for the big 10 miler on October 21. Today was a long run day. A seven-mile-long run day. What motivates me? Today, two things:
1. Passage Isaiah 40:31:
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Happy Sunday!
Posted by Unknown at 11:04 PM 3 comments Links to this post
Friday, September 07, 2007
Just so you know...
Three times now I have started a post.
Three times I have scrapped it. This happened yesterday too.
Let me tell you what has happened.
I started this blog two years ago with friendship in mind.
A few months ago I realized that there is this whole blogging community out there that I never knew existed. Actually I knew there was a crafters blogging community, but I was a lurker. I loved going to a few of the more popular sites and seeing what they were making. I come from a line of people who make things with their hands, so it interests me. But this other communtiy of bloggers are all women, in my 30ish age bracket (although some are older) and most of them have one thing in common...
All of a sudden, after two years of blogging I began to realize that most bloggers are writers. Good writers. There are women who want to be writers. Like real live, want to write a book writers; write about things that effect other peoples lives and make them think kind of writers. I'm talking about people who are actually pursuing writing.
I'm not one of those.
I started keeping a journal in 4th grade. It wasn't that I really thought I liked writing as much as I liked the idea of a diary. A pretty book, filled with pretty blank pages that I could fill with my dreams and deep secrets. And maybe lock with a key.
I still journal most every morning. It takes me about a year or so to get through a new journal and I love finishing them. Not because I feel excited about penning out my thoughts, but because then I get to shop for a new beautiful journal! It's a love affair with pretty paper more than anything else. I have about five more pages in my journal right now....this morning I found myself writing in bigger handwriting just trying to be finished. The new journal is just ready and waiting to be used!
Writing has always helped me. I have gotten through a lot of rough spots through journaling. It's something I hope I will always have the ability to do. It's not something I have ever shared.
This is the crux of my problem.
Writing for me has always just happened, but in the process has at times been deeply personal. Between the pages of the beautiful covers I could write my ugly thoughts, my personal failures, my deep wounds, my heartfelt joys, my fears, and an volumes and volumes of prayer. Probably not something I would put on this blog for just anyone to read.
The Blog started as a place where I wanted to connect with my friends who were suddenly unavailable for everyday face time. A place where my family who lived on the other side of the country to get updated.
Things in the bloggin' part of my brain were fine until I realized that I was a small fresh water fish in the ocean of the scary internet, and all of a sudden I feel pressure. Self imposed pressure, because really, nothing has changed. Yet I find myself freaking out over the key board as to whether or not things are boring here at the blog.
What if people stop reading if I don't post everyday? Should I post more than once a day like some of the bloggers out there? How can I get more readers? How come I got 20readers a day last week, but this week only 15? Maybe people know I am not a writer? Maybe they think I think I'm a writer because I have a blog? How in the world could you be a blogger and not realize that under every blog there is a budding writer?
I'm making myself crazy.
It's not as bad as I am making it sound. I am not thinking about the blog 24/7. I only think about it every time I sit with a pen in my hand or keyboard under my fingertips. Write something good! Write something deep! Write about something that will make people laugh! These thoughts are impeding my ability to write, both on the blog and in my personal writing. As if now I must change the world through the power of La Vida!
However, I do enjoy reading about the thought life of those who are writers...which is why I frequent the Girls Write Out blog. It fascinates me to see a small glimpse of what they are thinking and doing while in the process of writing.
I also enjoy getting to meet new people through this blogging community. If you've been lurking I'd love to get to know ya!
But for the record: I'm not a writer, I just play one on the blog.
Now that that's been said I hope next week will bring a little more room for creativity. It might not always be deep, it might not always be funny, it might not always make sense, it certainly won't always be interesting, but it will always be me.
Since this blog was started with friends in mind, and I have picked up (and reacquainted!) a few friends in the process, I just wanted you to know.
Happy Friday!
La Vida Dulce!
Posted by Unknown at 6:10 PM 6 comments Links to this post
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Let's Lunch!
I am grateful for health care. I know I say that after every appointment, but it's true. Unfortunately not everybody has good health care so I am thankful for it.
I am also thankful that, FINALLY!, after over a year, I have been referred to an allergist to find out why I am having chronic hives. Hopefully I am not allergic to chocolate or coffee, cuz I ain't given that up.
OK, so I am sitting hear typing, and eating, and I have to tell you that if you were in my home right now, eating the lunch pictured above, I would take the Wasa Crackers off your plate and throw them in the trash. Holy Moses! These things are terrible! It looks, and tastes, just like cardboard. I was trying to find a whole wheat cracker without trans-fats and I stumbled on these in the store. The package makes them sound and look so tasty. That was some false advertising.
Next time I will just make homemade biscuits, like I learned to make in NC...They may not be as healthy but, for heaven sake, life is too short to eat cardboard. Of course, maybe, if you put something on them, like a nice brie cheese, slightly melted, with apricot preserves, then perhaps they would be a little more palatable! Anything tastes good with warm brie cheese. MMMmmmm.....
When i visited the Doctor today I was kind of surprised by the number of really old people there. Like for a moment I thought I might be in the wrong office. "No," they said, "you're in the right place. Thanks for being early for your appointment."
I could've been there late. Although I arrived 15 minutes early to fill out the required paperwork, I STILL wasn't called back to a room until 40 minutes past my scheduled time. This drives me insane. I know, it's a short drive. But I just hate to sit in a waiting room full of hacking individuals who are obviously sicker than dogs. I just imagine the germs floating all over the place, just waiting to pounce on me and get me sick! OK, now you know what I nut I really am. Well, more of a germ phobe than a nut. (Quick sip of Passion ice tea.)
All right. I actually had a completely different post planned for today. But I have received two phone calls during this working lunch and now I have to go get those sweet kids of mine from school.
I know that most of you reading this are on a completely different time zone than I am, but whenever, and wherever, you read this, know that I loved having lunch with you! It was fun.
Let's do it again soon.
I'll bring the
Posted by Unknown at 4:14 PM 4 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Happiness is....(Kellie's list)
Happiness is....
...black, patent leather, soccer cleats. Her first pair.
...a very new, very shiny, very deep, stainless kitchen sink.
...a man who will willingly, without complaint, spent an entire Saturday installing sink, including re-doing the plumbing!
...finding Mt. Dew in a new yummy flavor for The Mister.
...being healthy.
...and strong.
...reading in the middle of the afternoon.
...rain, without fear of tornado's! Or falling tree's.
...fresh bread.
...with butter and jam.
...hugging my man during the "meet and greet" at church first, before shaking hands with any body else.
...when the older couple behind us laughs and teases us. But when shake our hands they tell us they are happy to see it.
...sitting extra close in the pew. Even when nobody is sitting next to us.
...the feeling in the air at 5:45 yesterday morning.
...autumn is coming.
...watching the sunrise while running.
...stopping in the middle of that run to chat with a friend on her own early morning run.
...eating breakfast with the family every morning.
...eating dinner together too.
...peanut m&m's added to freshly popped popcorn. (plain for Blue Skies)
...eating them with My Girls.
...in Texas.
...or NC
...or AZ
...or the blogging world.
...year round school. (In two weeks we get a break all ready!)
...a boy, soon to celebrate a decade of living.
...a girl, who still loves hair bows.
Happiness is...being grateful for all these things...and so very much more.
La Vida Dulce!
Posted by Unknown at 5:10 PM 4 comments Links to this post
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Happiness is....
Have you ever seen the musical You're a Good Man Charlie Brown? It's one of my favorites. Do you remember this song?
Happiness is finding a pencil.
Sleeping in moon light.
Telling the time.
Happiness is learning to whistle.
Tying your shoe
For the very first time.
Happiness is playing the drum
In your own school band.
And happiness is walking hand in hand.
Happiness is two kinds of ice cream.
Knowing a secret.
Climbing a tree.
Happiness is five different crayons.
Catching a firefly.
Setting him free.
And happiness is being alone every now and then.
And happiness is coming home again.
Happiness is morning and evening,
Daytime and nighttime too.
For happiness is anyone and anything at all
That's loved by you.
Happiness is having a sister.
Sharing a sandwich.
Getting along.
Happiness is singing together
When day is through,
And happiness is those who sing with you.
Happiness is morning and evening,
Daytime and nighttime too.
For happiness is anyone and anything at all
That's loved by you.
In Fourth grade we sang this in the school choir. Sometimes, when I have moments of gratitude this song just pops in my head.
What I love about this song is that often it is the simple things in life that bring joy. In a world that says we must have what our heart desires, and have it now, I love this song that celebrates the "stuff" in life that can be overlooked and is so very important!
Tomorrow I will post my own list. Tell me, what makes you happy? If you want to post a list for yourself on your blog, go for it! Just let me know in the comments where I can find your list!
La Vida Dulce
Posted by Unknown at 9:45 AM 3 comments Links to this post
Monday, September 03, 2007
Lenny Makes Six
Proudly Announces
The Addition to The Family
the Beta Fish
So Lenny now lives in my cookie jar.
The Girl spent most of yesterday afternoon checking on, singing to, and talking about Lenny. She loves Lenny's first portrait (above) because she says he is smiling and puffing up his fins, which, according to The Girl, means he is happy. And, "Mom! Lenny is happy, because he makes his face look just like a sea otter when he is happy!"
How do we know that Lenny is a boy? Because The Pet Shop Lady said so. She checked I guess.
Of course on the ride home The Boy began to wish that he had bought a Beta too. This is when The Girl said he would only need to buy the fish as she would share Lenny's accessories, with the exception of the bowl, which The Boy would have to buy himself, because Beta's are particular about their living arrangements. This is what she said:
Boy Beta with Boy Beta = Fight to the death.
Girl Beta with Girl Beta = Fight to the death.
Boy Beta with Girl Beta; Nothing.
The boy just annoys the girl.
Lenny came with a fifteen day guarantee. I am not sure how I feel about this. Is this a good thing or does this tell you something? Like, Don't get too attached.
The Mister and I laughed a little bit on the way home from the pet shop because the Pet Shop Lady said with "proper care" Lenny could live for up to four years! I hope Lenny lives a good long life. I just hope that 3-4 years from now we aren't making arrangements to get Lenny to a new duty station.
When the Girl woke up this morning, she checked Lenny out first. No Kisses good morning. No asking for milk. No hurry to eat. She asked Lenny how he slept.
And He smiled at her. Which I guess is Beta-ese for, "Slept great. Although my new digs smell slightly of chocolate chip cookies."
Posted by Unknown at 9:30 AM 5 comments Links to this post


text:
The Candidates Chances in South Carolina
-- The year 1976 was the last time South Carolina voted Democrat in the presidential election. Still, Democrats in the Palmetto state have been energized on the road to 2008, with a record number of votes cast in South Carolina's Democratic primary in late January.
During the primaries, Republican candidate for president John McCain won the state's Republican contest with 33 percent of the vote over former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who clinched 30 percent of the vote.
Democratic pick Barack Obama won South Carolina's Democratic primary with 55 percent of the vote.
The presidential hopefuls now compete for eight electoral votes in the traditionally Red Palmetto state.
Check back to see when ABC News heads to South Carolina and see how the race is shaping up for McCain and Obama.


text: Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC® BAA-1706™) Click here to learn about our Enhanced Authentication Initiative Strain Designations: AIS 2007023 [6179] / Type Strain: no / Biosafety Level: 2 General Information Characteristics Culture Method History Documentation Print Email Share Share this product Facebook Twitter Google+ Permits and Restrictions View Permits Verified By Whole-genome Sequencing Strain Designations AIS 2007023 [6179] Application Modified Hodge Test (HMT) negative control designation Biosafety Level 2 Biosafety classification is based on U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines, it is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that their facilities comply with biosafety regulations for their own country. Product Format freeze-dried Storage Conditions Frozen: -80°C or colderFreeze-Dried: 2°C to 8°CLive Culture: See Propagation Section Preceptrol® no Type Strain no Comments blaKPC negative by PCRThis item is not ideal for individual antibiotic resistance testing. For a culture with a consistent detailed antibiotic pattern, we recommend ordering the Klebsiella pneumoniae QC strains listed in the CLSI manual. Medium ATCC® Medium 18: Trypticase Soy Agar/Broth Growth Conditions Temperature: 37°CAtmosphere: Aerobic Name of Depositor JB Patel References Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Disk Susceptibility Tests; Approved Standard - 9th Edition. Wayne, PA. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute; CLSI M2-A9. Methods for Dilution Antimicrobial Susceptibility Tests for Bacteria that Grow Aerobically; Approved Standard - 7th Edition. Wayne, PA. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute; CLSI M7-A8. Anderson KF, et al. Evaluation of methods to identify the Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase in Enterobacteriaceae. J. Clin. Microbiol. 45(8): 2723-2725, 2007. PubMed: 17581941 Yigit H, et al. Novel carbapenem-hydrolyzing beta-lactamase, KPC-1, from a carbapenem-resistant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 45(4): 1151-1161, 2001. PubMed: 11257029 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Guidance for Control of Infections with Carbapenem-Resistant or Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in Acute Care Facilities. MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 58(10): 256-260, 2009. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention K. pneumoniae Overview and Lab Testing. Available from: CDC Infection Control in Healthcare Permits These permits may be required for shipping this product: Customers located in the state of Hawaii will need to contact the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to determine if an Import Permit is required. A copy of the permit or documentation that a permit is not required must be sent to ATCC in advance of shipment. Basic Documentation Product Sheet Certificate of Analysis SDS FAQs Accessing genome sequencing dataDate Updated: 9/30/2019 Criteria for reference quality genomesDate Updated: 9/30/2019


text:
Good Morning
This is my first posting.
How to run a video in the same scene in full screen and when you pressed the "done" button (default Ipad2) closed this video back to the same scene?
This video would run only when pressed any button on the scene.
Thank you


text:
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Jamal Crawford scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Utah Jazz 107-96 on Sunday night for their 17th consecutive victory, becoming the third team in NBA history to record a perfect month.
The Clippers went 16-0 in December to join the 1995-95 San Antonio Spurs and 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers as the only teams to go undefeated in a month. Their franchise-record winning streak is the longest in the NBA since Boston won 19 in a row four years ago.
Caron Butler led the Clippers with 29 points, making all six of his 3-pointers. Chris Paul added 19 points and nine assists to help them maintain the league's best record at 25-6.
Al Jefferson scored 30 points — one off his season high — to lead Utah, which lost for the third time during the Clippers' streak.
Gordon Hayward added 16 points as the Jazz lost their third in a row and seventh in the last nine games.
DALLAS (AP) — Tony Parker had 21 points and nine assists, Manu Ginobili made several key baskets among his 20 points and San Antonio handed Dallas its sixth straight loss.
Dirk Nowitzki had eight points on 3-of-9 shooting a week after making a surprise return in a 38-point loss to the Spurs in San Antonio.
The Spurs led all the way, with Tim Duncan helping a 20-6 start by hitting several jump shots. He finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
Darren Collison scored 18 points to lead the Mavericks, whose losing streak is their longest since January of their championship season in 2010-11.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Isaiah Thomas scored 27 points and made one of Sacramento's two four-point plays in the second half as the Kings handed Boston its third consecutive lopsided loss on a California road swing.
John Salmons added 23 points off the bench, Jason Thompson scored 20 and DeMarcus Cousins had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double for the Kings, who ended the calendar year by winning their sixth home game out of the last seven.
The Celtics are going in the other direction after handily beating Brooklyn on Christmas Day. They followed that win with a trip to California to face the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State and Sacramento and got outscored by 69 points in losing all three.
Paul Pierce and Jason Terry both scored 20 points for Boston.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Tayshaun Prince made two free throws with 10.9 seconds left to give Detroit a victory over Milwaukee after the Pistons blew a 14-point lead.
Prince scored 20 points, and Greg Monroe added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Detroit, which had five players in double figures. Charlie Villanueva and Brandon Knight added 11 points apiece, and Jason Maxiell scored 10.
Monta Ellis had 30 points and nine assists, and Erson Ilyasova scored 24 for the Bucks.
Both teams were coming off wins over the defending NBA champion Miami Heat.


text: The Zyxel P-793H v3 is a G.SHDSL gateway with high flexibility to support either ATM mode or EFM mode to provide high-speed LAN-to-LAN connections and Internet access for small businesses or branch offices through G.SHDSL connection over copper lines. The device supports the latest SHDSL. bis technology with higher symmetric upstream and downstream data rates of up to 30.6 Mbps. The Rate Negotiating feature allows P-793H v3 to adjust data rates automatically according to the quality of wire connections. The Quality of Service feature ensures smooth net connections for inbound and outbound data with minimal traffic congestion. The P-793H v3 also supports IPSec VPN for users to create secure data communication between two sites. The rich Firewall security features such as SPI, DoS attack prevention and URL Content Filtering are also integrated to provide users with unparalleled access protection.


text:
The 13th annual fall Joshua Tree Music Festival had a fine four-day run.
Located at the Joshua Tree Lake Campground, the festival features some local regulars, like Gene Evaro Jr. and the Desert Rhythm Project. New this year was a solo appearance by Jesika Von Rabbit, who previously appeared with Gram Rabbit, which is on hiatus.
Beyond the locals: Festival-goers are treated to bands from all over the world—and every year, I wonder if I am in a musical bubble, since most of the bands are completely new to me. Perhaps Barnett English, the founder of the festival, is just better at keeping up with the best new music in the world. I suspect the latter is true, and I'm grateful for the musical education Mr. English provides me twice a year.
I was able to catch most of Gene Evaro Jr.'s show on Thursday; he had fans swooning … or was it Piper Robinson, the bass player, who had fans mesmerized? Evaro always delivers an incredible performance, and it is only a matter of time before he receives wider acclaim. He played a favorite, "Hold Onto Nothing," a song he wrote after quitting his old day job.
Raul Del Moral was up next on the Boogaloo Stage, bringing his soulful tunes to a receptive audience. The night was a mish-mash, with Afrolicious joining Mustafa Akbar, and then Raul Del Moral returned later, creating a medley of slamming soul funk. Songs about rising up and living in the moment were the theme of the night … possibly a deliberation on our times.
Friday brought Evanoff to the Indian Cove Stage, pounding the best of electronic dance music supported by real musicians. This band would fit well at a pool party in Palm Springs, with groovy joy and melodic beats.
Monophonics was jubilant. Lead singer Kelly Finnigan asked, "Joshua Tree, are you feeling great? Are you feeling magnificent?" The response: a cheer from fans.
Matador! Soul Sounds vocalist Adryon De Leon announced, "We are the real fucking deal," making sure the attendees knew she was not part of a cover band. No, she's part of a badass band with a badass sound.
Jesika Von Rabbit came to Joshua Tree Festival for the first time with her new band. She greeted familiar faces: "Hi JT Fest!" A recorded backing track blurted, "Today we see our phones every two minutes. Did the world change?" As I notice many millies staring at their phones as Jesika Von Rabbit started her set with the acoustic "Devil's Playground," a Gram Rabbit song—tipping her rabbit ears to her first appearance at this festival many years ago. The audience went crazy and danced away during her impeccable 75-minute set.
At one point, Jesika said, "I love the rabbit ears, the Royal Order of Rabbits." It was evocative nod to the happy cult that has followed Von Rabbit through the years in various reincarnations. I spied Travis Cline, a member of the original Gram Rabbit band, working in production at the festival and watching his old band mate. "Olde October Moon," another song from her old band, was perfect for the season. Another old band mate, Brandon Henderson handled the lighting and projection duties that conveyed a psychedelic vibe.
Beyond the music, at the Joshua Tree Music Festival, you are surrounded by art everywhere you walk. Lali Whisper is an incredible artist who works with mirrors; she previously contributed a piece in May. As a backdrop to the natural mirror of the small pond at the campground, she assembled mirrors that were unmarked and pristine. She left felt markers so festival-goers could write their feelings and thoughts.
Sunday's stand out was the Kolars. I have seen the Kolars several times, since the duo performs in the desert on a regular basis, but it was a treat to see a 90-minute set, which pushed Lauren Brown to her limits as she tap-danced on a kick drum while providing half of the sound. Rob Kolar is the other half of this big-sound band that would be home at a rockabilly festival or a desert generator party.
As the show ended, Brown limped over to the merch table in front of the Copper Mountain stage to greet fans. What a trooper.
With another festival in the can, you really must come to the next festival in May. You'll experience the best music in the world you have never heard of. This is a rare festival which has 60- to 90-minute sets, allowing the listener to appreciate deeper cuts.
- Adina Mills Adina Mills
- Adryon De Leon Adryon De Leon
- Amanda Wild Flowers Amanda Wild Flowers
- Artist and Journal Artist and Journal
- Balloon Balloon
- Bryanna Evaro Bryanna Evaro
- Dana Larson Dana Larson
- EVeryman EVeryman
- EVeryman Sings EVeryman Sings
- Evanoff Evanoff
- Tie Dye Tie Dye
- Colorful Wear Colorful Wear
- Fatoumata Diawara Fatoumata Diawara
- A Flowered Fan A Flowered Fan
- Gene Evaro Jr. Gene Evaro Jr.
- Fans of Gene Fans of Gene
- Fans of the Fest Fans of the Fest
- Jesika Von Rabbit Jesika Von Rabbit
- Fans of Jesika Fans of Jesika
- Jupiter and Okwess Jupiter and Okwess
- Kolars Kolars
- Lali Whisper Mirrors Lali Whisper Mirrors
- Matador! Soul Sounds Matador! Soul Sounds
- Monophonics Monophonics
- Chilling Chilling
- Furry Fans Furry Fans
- Piper Robinson Piper Robinson
- Raul Del Moral Raul Del Moral
- Raul Del Moral Congo Player Raul Del Moral Congo Player
- Sammy Morris, JVR Dancer Sammy Morris, JVR Dancer
- Ms. Morris Ms. Morris
- Shirley Pearl Shirley Pearl
- Tee Marie and Michael Sinner Tee Marie and Michael Sinner
- The Egg The Egg
- The Kolars The Kolars
- Trapeze Trapeze


text:
A nuclear holocaust has caused a new ice age and all but wiped out humanity... and the survivors kill time with pointless murder games. Robert Altman's Quintet has two of the greatest movie concepts in history jammed together, in a quintessentially 1970s blend of apocalypse and wacky death game. No wonder Paul Newman is excited! It's like stumbling into Rollerball, Death Race 2000, Jericho and the Sci Fi Channel's Ice all rolled into one. (And check out the proto-Bartertown sets, complete with weird slogans.) Sadly, the seemingly innocent game of Quintet hides a dark secret, as you'll see after the jump.
The dark secret of Quintet is that it's sort of a crappy game. Here Newman is, having lost his entire family to the postapocalyptic Rottweilers and stab-happy Quintet players, and he's finally killed his last opponent in the game. And it only now occurs to him to find out what the prize is. Which is, basically, bragging rights. You get to hang around the crappy parlor with the guy in the zany felt hat and talk about all the people you scragged. I would at least want a sticker, or maybe a slice of blueberry pie. With whipped cream.


text:
According to Politico, Sarah Palin held a fundraiser in West Allis, Wisconsin last night and attempted to convince thousands of supporters that legislators with pro-choice views might have "the mindset" that leads them to deny insurance coverage for the elderly.
You see, in Palin's eyes, anyone who supports a woman's right to choose apparently might have "the mind-set" that allows them to pull the plug on Grandma or force women to terminate pregnancies if the baby is not, in Palin's words "normal or perfect." It is, of course, another attempt on Palin's behalf to scare the shit out of people with her "death panel" nonsense, and her attempt to step it up a notch by tying in her stance on abortion rights (or, rather, lack thereof) just makes things more repulsive. "In order to save government money, government health care has to be rationed," Palin told the crowd, "[so] than this elderly person that perhaps could be seen as costing taxpayers to pay for a non-productive life? Do you think our elderly will be first in line for limited health care?"
Palin also took the time to drop this laughable statement: "It is so bogus that society is sending a message right now and has been for probably the last 40 years that a woman isn't strong enough or smart enough to be able to pursue an education, a career and her rights and still let her baby live." You know what else is bogus? That Sarah Palin continues to position herself as a savior of women's rights when her entire platform essentially rests on taking them away.


text:
Manos Theatre
14 E. Main Street,
2 people favorited this theater
Built on the site of the Strand Theatre, the Manos Theatre opened in 1949.
Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
Here's a 2007 view of the MANOS: http://www.boxsetgallery.com/stein/index3.html
How much of the theater is left inside? I am in the process of buying and rehabbing the Philippi Grand and if it proves profitable I want to work on reopening other theaters in WV, KY, OH, PA, MD, and VA. There are so many wonderful old theaters with more character than any modern cookie cutter places.
The Boxoffice item Tinseltoes linked to says that the Manos Theatre was designed by architect Victor A. Rigaumont.
Erasmus: You're too late for this one. The Manos Theatre has been purchased by the International Mother's Day Shrine and is already being renovated.
Erasmusinwv2, I am heading up there in July. I will try to check things out for you if you have not already. I am not certain of the Mother's Day Shrine's renovation intent or their budget. I would like to see it restored to as near original condition as possible, but also be a functioning theatre for the area. Have you done any further investigating into this?
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