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According to the BBC, so it must be true, a Moscow Court has ordered that videos of Pussy Riot doing their 'Punk Prayer' in Moscow's main cathedral should be removed from the internet or blocked. So, Mr Judge here's what I think of your ruling:
According to the BBC, so it must be true, a Moscow Court has ordered that videos of Pussy Riot doing their 'Punk Prayer' in Moscow's main cathedral should be removed from the internet or blocked. So, Mr Judge here's what I think of your ruling:
It is hardly hot news but last Tuesday there was the inaugural meeting of the Strasbourg English Speaking Union. By the kind invite of the Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg it took place at the 18th century town hall.
The first presentation was from our host, Nawel Rafik-Elmrini whose official title is 2ème Adjointe – Relations internationales et européennes, coopération décentralisée for the municipal council, who talked about the building, Strasbourg and relations between the UK and the city. The room was the place where the Council of Europe had its inaugural meeting. After her speech Ms Rafik-Elmrini stayed on whilst we listened to the next speech.
Next up was John Darcy, Advisor to the President of the European Court of Human Rights. He started off by talking about the history of the European Convention on Human Rights which was then followed by the creation of the Court and then over time it was set up and started before the accession of various countries to the court. We hard about the way the Court had developed and the way the understanding and interpretation of the convention had developed, as a living breathing document.
He then talked about the almost 150,000 cases before the court which are added to with about another 50 to 60,000 every year. A lot of these are not cases which are relevant to the Court or have not completed all stages in the judicial process in their own country and are deemed inadmissible.
Mr Darcy, there was the inevitable reference to the name, then went on to talk about reform of the Court. Following judgements by the Court on votes for people in UK prisons and recently on Abu Qatada there has been pressure in the UK for reform of the Court or for the UK to withdraw from it all together. Following the visit of the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron MP, to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which I reported on here, as part of the UK Chairmanship of the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe. He then spoke about what was then the upcoming Brighton Conference on reform of the Court. My understanding is it was outlined that as a result of the views of the other members of the Court it was unlikely there would be much of anything that would change as a result of the conference. Measures to streamline the judgement process to speed up decisions, and make sure that the Court does not make decisions that should properly be taken in countries, had been put in place anyway and were working.
So, it seems to me, that Dave's attempt to attack the Court to satisfy his barking anti-European backbenchers resulted in him making a fool of himself in front of the Parliamentary Assembly followed by a lot of hot air with little, if any, achievement of change to the Court and the way it works.
After a short outline on the way the Strasbourg ESU would work we were given an apero courtesy of the people of Strasbourg and then we headed off, it being the birthday of JTO and I was taking her out for something to eat.
Between November 2011 and May 2012 the UK is the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers at the Council of Europe. Not the European Union, which is also run by a committee of ministers confusingly called the Council of the European Union, but the Council of Europe (CoE) the body promoting and protecting Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law throughout its 47 countries. The CoE is probably best known for overseeing the work of the European Court of Human Rights(EHCR). The Minister for Europe, David Lidington, announced the UK government's priorities for its chairmanship of the CoE's Committee of Ministers in a written statement:
"The overarching theme of our Chairmanship will be the protection and promotion of human rights. The Government has repeatedly made it clear that human rights are central to its foreign policy. We aim to be an example of a society that upholds human rights and democracy, and we are committed to strengthening the rules based international system."
Here is a list of the items which have happened during the Chairmanship and, as you can see here the UK Foreign Office even has a logo for the period. (above)
There is also a programme of 30 cultural activities has organised by the Communauté urbaine de Strasbourg (The council for the municipality of Strasbourg) in the period under the heading 'Sooo British' with a brochure highlighting them all, available by clicking on this link [PDF, 971 KB, new window] A friend who was at the offices of the council this week to renew his parking permit said that the building was plastered with posters promoting it. I have to declare an interest at this point as the theatre group, TAGORA, of which I am a member are putting on "Oh What A Lovely War" in April which has ben included as part of the programme. (It was actually at a rehearsal last night I was told about the posters at the local council offices.)
The political oversight of the CoE is provided by the Parliamentary Assembly, where members of parliament, representing their home parliament, from the 47 countries meet four times a year in Strasbourg to elect judges to the court, receive reports on the activity of the CoE and to receive reports on matters affecting democracy, human rights and the rule of law in member countries. The first meeting for 2012 takes place next week and it is going to be addressed by both the UK Minister for Europe and the Prime Minister.(here is the agenda for the meeting.)
The Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society at University College London has put the image below from the cartoon, Jesus and Mo, on their facebook page to advertise a weekly pub social. The students union at the University has asked them to remove it as it is offensive. Thankfully the Society has refused and started a campaign against this censorship including a petition here. The petition states:
"In response to complaints from a number of students, the University College London Union has insisted that the UCLU Atheist, Secularist & Humanist Society remove the following image from a Facebook event advertising a pub social. It has done so on the grounds that it may cause offence to Muslim students.
This is a gross infringement on its representatives' right to freedom of expression taken by members of the first secular university in England. All people are free to be offended by any image they view. This does not give them the right to impose their beliefs on others by censoring such images.
We the undersigned urge the University College London Union to immediately halt their attempts to censor the UCLU Atheist, Secularist & Humanist Society and uphold its members' right to freedom of expression."
I have already signed the petition and would urge anyone reading this to do the same. The Rationalist Association cover the matter here.
I have followed the Jesus and Mo cartoon for a number of years and have enjoyed the witty way it raises issues relating to belief systems and religions whilst suggesting the world would be better if we just got on more with each other and not looking at what divides us. Having the main prophets of the two main religions concerned disputing with a barmaid whilst drinking down a pub is, I think part of the charm and wit of the comic strips. Like this blogger I am surprised they have not drawn the ire of those who would ban and censor before.
One of the Islamic societies at the university has issued a statement:
Once a particular act is deemed to be offensive to another, it is only good manners to refrain from, at the very least, repeating that act. In this particular case, when at first the cartoon was uploaded, it could have been mistaken as unintentional offense. When certain Muslims voiced their offense over the issue, for any civil, well-mannered individual or group of individuals, it should then be a question as to the feelings of others and the cartoons should then have been removed.
I could like other bloggers list a number of things I find offensive about Islamic practice, like the treatment of women, gay men etc and undoubtedly once I have asked the perpetrators of those practices to stop they will. Hmmm, didn't think so. Shows what a weak argument they have. Alternatively I could just follow the response of the fantastic Butterflies and Wheels blog, "Bollocks."
Showing the power of Jesus and Mo here is an another response to the Islamic association:
On a different note, another artist I discovered by seeing her live at my local music venue (5 minutes walk from my door.) was Anna Calvi. I had avoided looking into her music as it had been the subject of so much hype but I am glad that last Autumn I went to see her. The show was spectacular and I didn't think three largely static people could give such a powerful show. If she is playing near you go and see her. I've also bought the album and play it frequently. She was responsible for dragging me into the 21st century as I bought it as a download; I had bought individual tracks during the last couple of years but it was the first full album I bought that way. I don't know what it was about last year but most of the things I liked were by women, often very percussion focused. Anyway, enjoy:
After my post about Václav Havel here yesterday I got the following message this morning from a friend who was formerly a member of the Riga chapter but is now working in Prague:
He was the single best person I've ever met. Walked behind the funeral cortege earlier. Extraordinary. A very peculiar mix of emotions. And some very funny anecdotes.
As you can see in the picture (hat-tip AFP, Robert Michael), here in a commentless piece for the BBC and here in the Daily Telegraph thousands of people joined Stephen to walk behind the coffin and pay their respects.
On Monday I contacted the Czech Representation to the Council of Europe here in Strasbourg to see if they were going to have a book of condolence in memory of the former President. They emailed me back the next day with details of the place and times it was available for signing. This morning I went to the Representation which is at the top of a building on a crossroad, pictured. As I made my way up to the top I passed a number of SAMU staff who I discovered were going into a flat below the Representation.
When I got to the representation the door was opened by a woman and I was shown by a man into a darkened room with the curtains drawn. Near the middle of the room, set at a 45 degrees angle, was a table with a book on it and a pen on an open page, the book of condolence. There was another table more in the corner, closer to the closed curtain windows, which had on it a photo of Václav Havel, some candles and a vase containing some white flowers. I sat down and composed my self then picked up my fountain pen. I read the previous entry from the Representation of Azerbaijan before turning to the next blank page and started to write something based upon Anthem by Leonard Cohen, particularly the lines;
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.
Whilst writing my piece the bell went. I finished, got up and walked over to the table with the candles on it for a moment of pause before turning and waiting at the door to let the next person in. I was then seen out by the two members of staff and went down the stairs again. At the bottom the SAMU were getting two people out of the lift, one on a wheeled stretcher and the other in a wheelchair heading towards two ambulances on the pavement with their lights flashing. I got on the bus and went home still thinking about the gloomy room and the man I had gone there to commemorate.
UPDATE: L'Alsace reports that racist tags, swastikas and the signs of the SS, were found on the walls of a football club-house and a house under construction for a Turkish origin French person at Riedseltz in Wissembourg. Yesterday morning two 18 year old young men were arrested by the Wissembourg Police and are being held in custody whilst the Police pursue their enquiries.
As there is a report of another swastika being daubed on a house lived in by two families of Turkish origin in Hoenheim, after the story I reported ealier this week when two houses lived in by people of Turkish and Franco-Turkish origin were set on fire and also daubed with swastikas, the people of Strasbourg are being urged to stand up against racism at 18:00 at the Place de la Republique.
Today I received a message from the Parti Socialiste saying that racist, anti-semitic and hate acts have multiplied in the region, particularly in Strasbourg. It then goes on to outline the events in Hoenheim and calls for all PS activists to join the demonstration caled by the League of Human Rights and congregate in the Place de la Republique on Wednesday ay 18:00. I hope as many people who read this as possible join us to say they will not accept this hate in our city.
Rassemblement contre la haine – mercredi 2 février à 18 heures : Place de la République
Appel à la mobilisation
Depuis plus d'un an, des actes à caractère raciste, antisémite ou haineux se multiplient dans notre Région, et notamment dans l'agglomération strasbourgeoise. A chaque occasion, le Parti Socialiste a condamné ces actes et s'est joint aux initiatives visant à les dénoncer.
Dans la nuit de jeudi à vendredi dernier, deux incendies criminels se sont déclarés aux 5 et 6 rue de Mundolsheim à Hoenheim. Les inscriptions laissées sur les murs ne laissent aucun doute quant aux motivations des auteurs. Le mode opératoire aurait pu tuer. Comme relevé dans la presse, les familles habitant ces maisons n'ont échappé que de justesse au feu déclenché par des poubelles incendiées placées devant leurs portes d'entrée.
Un rassemblement ne résoudra pas dans l'instant les problèmes posés par l'extrême-droite en Alsace, mais le Parti Socialiste ne peut se taire face à cette manifestation de haine. Tou-te-s les militant-e-s sont appelé-e-s à se joindre au rassemblement proposé par la Ligue des Droits de l'Homme :
Place de la République à Strasbourg,
mercredi 2 février à 18 heures
As well as preparing some work for next week today, as yesterday, has been spent following via the BBC but also Sky, Al Jazeera, i-tele and even Iranian Government mouthpiece Press TV, the uprising in Egypt. After the success of the people of Tunisia(wiki) in riding themselves of their corrupt dictatorial regime it is now the turn of the people of Egypt to take to the streets to fight for democracy, human rights and the rule of law. I cannot think of anything I can do from here, my Safe European Home, but people of Egypt I stand with you in solidarity.
Here's a piece from someone imprisoned and tortured by Mubarak's security talking about his experience but also suggesting some secular leaders who should be part of the country's future and here are some inspiring pictures of people putting their life on the line for democracy, human rights and the rule of law. It's old and hoary but nevertheless, enjoy:
Oh well, I seem to end the year on a series of pontificating stories and here's another one.
I believe myself to be on the left. My views have changed from when I also believed myself to be on the left twenty or thirty years ago. I hope so, otherwise what's the point in living, having experiences and learning? Previously I shared the knee-jerk anti-Americanism that is too prevalent on the left. A readiness to quickly condemn America for failing to hold to the high standards it sets itself, often condemning America for things other nations didn't even set out to do. Coming to an understanding of the centrality of human rights, democracy and the Rule of Law for anyone calling themself a Democratic Socialist has helped me grow away from that knee-jerk anti-Americanism of my youth. There are two things I want to celebrate and America has been central to the good news in both cases.
First, a little late I'll grant you, I want to celebrate the vote in the Senate last week to end 'don't ask, don't tell'.(wiki) The law will be signed by President Obama today and he'll be joined at the signing by one of the nurses, Major Margaret Witt (pictured) whose sacking under the earlier legislation played a part in the change in the law. Of course there are now lots of questions about how this change in the law will be implemented, for example;
will gay troops have their own showers and accommodation? Will same-sex partners get military health benefits? What happens to a military chaplain who says he can't minister to someone who is gay?
but there's time to work through the issues. We see another centre-left government introducing a significant step-forward for human rights, as a previous Labour administration was able to introduce civil partnership rights, change the age of consent and roll back homophobic legislation from the 1980's. The important thing is the changes in the UK and America only happened because the left was in government, you can't change much from opposition.
The second three cheers for the US took place at the United Nations, where the US campaigned to reinstate sexual orientation as a category of vulnerable people for unjustified killing. A number of Middle East, Asian and African countries had succeeded in the UN HUman Rights Committee in removing from the resolution a reference to killings for reasons of sexual orientation, which was included along with killings for racial, national, ethnic, religious, or linguistic reasons, and killings of refugees, indigenous people, and other groups. It is reported the US succeeded in persuading some countries including South Africa, Rwanda and Albania who hadn't voted on the earlier motion to vote in support this time and with the new motion passing the UN General Assembly by 122 votes to 0 with 59 abstentions it was a good result.
The US Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice (pictured above) said, "Laws that criminalize gay relationships don't just violate human rights, they hinder social cohesion, economic development, and public health," whilst a spokesperson for President Obama said, "Protecting gays and lesbians from state-sponsored discrimination is not a special right, it is a human right."
General progress and improvement does not mean there are not worrying things happening at the same time. For example the refusal of the defeated candidate in Côte d'Ivoire(wiki) to accept their defeat and have himself sworn in as President, risking restarting the civil war which the elections were meant to see an end to. The UN has demanded an end to provocations and human rights violations. Whilst not in the same league I was also going to point to the high cost of onions in India but the government has done something about it.
I don't know why a White Christmas should be so good. The snow we've had so far this month hasn't been a bringer of much joy, or engenderer of much Christmas feeling here. The forecasts predict a 60% chance of precipitation with temperatures between -2 and -9 so it's no surprise they are forecasting snow for the morning on 25th December. Anyway as the next part of the campaign to try to engender the Christmas spirit in me here's Bing with a medley of videos and films for possibly his most famous song:
Václev Havel is a hero to me. Before 1989 he was a human beacon shining for human rights in the then Czeckoslovakia. After the fall of the wall he did the practical politics of being president of the country. 'To the Castle and back' is one of my favourite books about practical politics, setting out a wonderfully human politics but also showing that even the president of a country is frustrated about achieving nitty-gritty little things, yet he achieved a massive amount. Being a signatory of Charter 77 (wiki) which called for human rights for the Czech people, many of which the constitution of the country and the Helsinki Accords,(wiki) which the country had signed, already guaranteed. This inspired Charter 08 in China, one of whose signatories, Mr Liu Xiabao, has been serving an 11 year prison sentence for signing the Charter since 2009. This week he received the Nobel Peace Prize. Among those who nominated him for the prize was, you're probably ahead of me here, a Mr Václav Havel. I'd like to thank the Normster for pointing me to the Democracy Digest blog which published an English translation of the letter written by Václav Havel to Mr Liu Xiabao in which he confirmed there is a 'moral minimum'of rights and values shared by all nations and civilizations. (Picture on the left is of Václav Havel trying to deliver a petition in support of Liu Xiabao to the Chinese Embassy in Prague.) I totally agree with him on this, the proponents of moral relativism are so wrong. There are universal rights of which Human Rights are amongst the most important. But then I would say that living in the capital of human rights, the home of the European Court of Human Rights. The letter from Václav Havel is:
Dear Liu Xiaobo
I am one of the thousands and possibly millions of people who rejoice that you have received this year's Nobel Peace Prize. It is always encouraging when one sees that respect for human rights and freedoms does not capitulate in the face of power and might, and does not make concessions to practical political and economic interests, as if often the case. You are not the only hero of the day – those who awarded you the prize are also heroes. And this award is not only comfort for you, it is a good deed for all, because it tells the whole word that it is still possible to serve the truth and such service can receive public recognition and thus be proposed to others as a source of inspiration. In other words, there is still hope.
Among other things I am profoundly convinced that if international interest in your fate is maintained, your government will relent and release you, and then, successively, all other Chinese political prisoners. After all, it too must think in practical terms and realise that it is not in its interest to have the sort of reputation acquired by persecuting such people as you.
Like probably all the signatories of the Czechoslovak Charter 77, I am naturally touched that our campaign provided inspiration for the Chinese Charter 08. I am touched not only because it recalls our own efforts of many years ago but because it is confirmation of something I have long believed, namely, that fundamental human rights and freedoms are universal values that are shared in their basic outlines by all nations and civilisations in today's world. I have had the opportunity to meet dissidents from many different countries and been surprised how similar their ideals, experiences and concerns are. And even the repertoire of persecutory skills of the authoritarian governments in their countries was strikingly similar and was totally unrelated to whether the governments in question went under a right-wing or a left-wing banner. There simply exists a sort of moral minimum that is common to the entire world and thanks to which people from countries as different and far apart as the Czech Republic and China can strive for the same values and sympathise each other, thereby creating the basis for true – not simply feigned – friendship.
It is not clear when your efforts will achieve concrete successes. They need not be immediate. For the time being only partial and indirect successes might be apparent. But sooner or later the status quo in your country will change, partly because in the long term the market economy is fundamentally incompatible with authoritarian government.
You should not be perturbed by uncertainty about whether or when the struggle for human rights will bring concrete results. This was our experience: we sought to do good things because they were good and not to take into account the times or what might be gained. That approach has many advantages: not just the fact that it eliminates the possibility of disappointment, but also that is lends authenticity to the efforts in question. Being guided by tactical considerations does not win anyone over but instead tends to encourage further tactical manoeuvres. From reading your Charter 08 I am convinced that you are aware of all that.
In all events you should also be prepared for the alternative of early success. Although I am rather suspicious of those who are too prepared for history, it is necessary to be prepared to a certain extent. That is our experience. It would be splendid if you managed to draw lessons from the various blunders and confusion that our countries experienced after the fall of the Communist regime, and steer clear of them.
I send you my heartfelt greetings, dear Liu Xiaobo. I congratulate you on the Nobel Peace Prize and I wish you health and good cheer, if possible.
Yours sincerely,
Václav Havel
UPDATE: I have now finished reading 'Life' by Keith Richards and greatly enjoyed it too. Towards the end he talks about Václav Havel and I thought it worth repeating here:
"At the end of the Steel Wheels tour we liberated Prague, or so it felt. One in Stalin's eye. We played a concert there soon after the revolution that ended the communist regime. "Tanks Roll Out, Stones Roll In" was the headline. It was a great coup by Václav Havel, the politican who had taken Czeckoslovakia through the bloodless coup only months earlier, a brliiant move. Tanks were going out, and now we're going to have the Stones. We were glad to be part of it. Havel is perhaps the only head of state who has made, or would imagine making, a speech about the role rock music played in political events leading to a revolution in the Eastern Bloc of Europe. He is the one politican I am proud to have met. Lovely guy. He had a huge brass telescope in the palace, once he was president, and it was focused on the prison cell where he did six years. "And every day I look through there to try and figure things out." We lit the state palace for him. They couldn't afford to do it, so we asked Patrick Woodroffe, our lighting guru, to relight the huge castle. Patrick set him up, Taj Mahal'd him. We gave Václav this little white remote control with a tongue on it. He walked around like a kid, pushing buttons and going whoa! It's not often you get to hang with presidents like that and say, Jesus, I like the cat."
The picture accompanying this post comes from this piece on Radio Prague which I listened to occasionally when it was more likely to be a broadcast about tractor production – I did really hear one about that – than about the visit of 'decadent western musicians'!


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I bought two skeins of variegated Loops & Thread yarn a while ago and they just sat in my stash until I saw this cute Warming Collar pattern on Crafty Begonia's blog.
Loops & Threads Silky Soft Worsted 100% acrylic yarn is one of my favorite yarns. It's so soft and easy to work. This one is called "Asian Jade" - color 06909. Today I decided to start crocheting the warming collar - hopefully it will be easy to adjust the size on this collar if it needs to be larger.
It's another relaxing day down here in Florida. We sat outside this morning in our lawn chairs and after a light lunch we rode up to the store. We also made reservations for three special events this week - one at Magic kingdom Tuesday, another at Epcot on Thursday and the last one here at Ft. Wilderness next Saturday. I'll post about them as they occur.
We saw our first turkeys today strolling through the camp loop. Do you think it is possible they knew Thanksgiving was last week and to keep out of sight? I didn't get a good photo of them to show you.
I promised Hubby to fix him another home cooked spaghetti supper tonight. The last one was so good. I better get going cuz I'm getting hungry.

subset: commoncrawl


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Children's Hospital of Wisconsin wins Lab of the Year
Laboratory services might not be something you think about much during a hospital stay or visit, but they are a crucial part of having a successful experience. And at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, you get the very best. And that's … Continue reading →


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In a world where places are famous for being famous, Georgia stands in sharp contrast. Despite its rich and ancient culture, a combination of distance, geography, and politics have kept it closed off to visitors for much of its history. Visiting is still not a walk in the park, despite heavy investment in tourism over the past decade, but for a country smaller than the state of Maine, Georgia is home to an astonishing variety of mostly unspoiled landscapes. Even more astonishing is how the people have complemented the landscape with old churches, watchtowers, and castles in places like Svaneti, Ateni, and Davit Gareja.
- Hiking through Nature Georgia's history and geography has largely protected its remarkable natural environment from exploitation and pollution, making places like Tusheti National Park as unspoiled as they come on the planet.
- Playing Indiana Jones Although often in a ruined or semi-ruined state, Georgia's mountaintop and cliff-side castles, monasteries, and towers contain more than a trilogy's worth of mystery and mysticism.
- Eat and Drink, from Nose to Tail Between European and Middle Eastern influences, Georgian cuisine draws from both, especially in Khinkali dumplings stuffed with spiced meat. Whatever the choice, pair it with a bottle of Georgia's justly famous wines.
- Discovering the Centuries in Tbilisi Although still somewhat rough around the edges, Georgia's capital displays a unique array of architecture in its old town that reads like a résumé of its history.
- Meeting Georgians Few travelers return from Georgia without singing the praises of the hospitality. With few valuable natural resources like gas and oil, locals generally embrace guests and consider them a gift from God.


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Fast read: How we behave
Corporate governance
The Board of Directors as a whole is collectively accountable to the Company's share owners for good corporate governance and is committed to achieving compliance with the principles of corporate governance set out in the Combined Code.
Our goal is to comply with relevant laws, regulations, and guidelines such as the Combined Code, the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002, the NASDAQ rules and where practicable, with the guidelines issued by institutional investors and their representative bodies.
WPP operates a system of internal control, which is maintained and reviewed in accordance with the Combined Code and the guidance in the Turnbull Report as well as the relevant provisions of the Securities Exchange Act 1934 and related SEC rules as they currently apply to the Company. In the opinion of the Board, the Company has complied throughout the year with the Combined Code, the Turnbull Report and also with the relevant provisions of the Securities Exchange Act 1934 and SEC rules.
Corporate responsibility
WPP's Corporate Responsibility Committee, which is chaired by Paul Richardson, advises on policy, monitors emerging issues and co-ordinates communication among Group companies.
WPP's five most significant corporate responsibility issues are:
- The social and environmental impact of our work for clients.
- The impact of our work, including marketing ethics, compliance with marketing standards, protection of consumer privacy, social and cause-related marketing.
- Employment, including diversity and equal opportunities, business ethics, employee development, remuneration, communication and health and safety. In 2007, WPP invested £38.6 million in training and wellbeing across the Group.
- Social investment, including pro bono work, donations to charity and employee volunteering. In 2007, our total social investment was worth £16.3 million, equivalent to 0.3% of revenue (2% of reported profit before tax). This includes £12.8 million in pro bono work (based on the fees the benefiting organisations would have paid for our work) and £3.5 million in donations.
- Climate change, including the emissions from energy used in our offices and during business travel.
Full details of our governance policies and practices, and our corporate responsibility activities, can be found in How we behave.


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A team of gunmen burst into an Elk Grove jewelry store Friday evening, making off with cash and merchandise.
As many as six masked and armed men stormed Kenny G and Co. Fine Jewelers in the Laguna Pavilions shopping center at Laguna Boulevard and Bruceville Road about 6 p.m., forcing employees and customers to the ground, said Elk Grove police Det. Josh Magdaleno. Three employees and two customers were in the store at the time, Magdaleno said.
No one was hurt in the incident, which happened in a shopping center packed with holiday shoppers at the end of the work day.
Magdaleno said the men loaded into a dark-colored vehicle and sped north. Crime scene investigators continued to work into the night at the store and on the street seeking clues to the armed robbery.
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If only in my dreams! I spent all year in anticipation of the coming holidays…. dreaming of turkey dinners (complete with Grammy's signature stuffing), and an overly decorated house full of festive cheer and toes warming by an open fire. You know, just a typical girl, guilty of romanticizing the H-E-double-hockeysticks out of something so that nothing less can satisfy. I told myself – and pretty much everyone else – that I would GO ALL OUT trying to make up for last year, but then reality hit me over the head like a lead pipe.
WHO REPLACES THE PLUMBING AND MOVES IN WITH THEIR PARENTS OVER THE HOLIDAYS!? Oh wait… THAT'S US! As if spending last year's Thanksgiving/Christmas in the hospital wasn't reason enough to put it off and stay home, we thought it would be a good idea to have another season of abnormal. To be fair, the unfortunate situations we've found ourselves in over the last several months have not been by choice… they're more-so forced upon us and we just have to roll with the punches. If you've seen the old slapstick comedy "Mouse Hunt" with Christopher Walken, you know what I mean when I say we were one rodent away from losing the entire house in one fell swoop (except for, instead of mice we had RATS, and we didn't need the help of a gushing hose to collapse the colonial. It would've come down allllll on its own, in a heaping a pile of smelly sewage)! But why did this have to happen now? The holidays passed us by like we were standing still, then left us with no place to bang in the New Year. Oh well. It's getting done, and one day we'll be happy we did it.
Just to make sure you really, and I mean REALLY, grasp the brutal reality that was our "home for Christmas", I welcome you on a little tour of my colonial reMODel, in all its guts/glory…
Now do you understand why we're not living at home!? I'm hardly exaggerating when I say the house has been d e s t r o y e d ! Not only is it dangerous for Ezekiel with all the holes in the walls/floors, but the putrid fumes coming from the pipes can NOT be good for my Jelly Belly Bean either (Don't worry, I've been wearing gloves and gas masks when I come over here to work – it's always better to be safe than sorry)! By January 13, the water should be running, the tub & toilet should be installed, the holes in the walls will be patched/primed/painted, and the thick layer of demo dust that's settled on every single surface should be professionally cleaned; meaning we COULD move in with the ability to maintain hygiene and hydration, without the risk of rats finding their way in through open plumbing-passageways. THAT REMINDS ME! I still have to introduce you to Melvin <:3)~
^^ inside the bathroom walls ^^
Sorry Melvin, I wish our goodbyes could have been more humane… but then again, I won't miss seeing your red-beady-eyes in my home-sweet-home. I am impressed however, with your admirable abilities to stow away food from the kitchen (Ratatouille, anyone!?), and I hope you enjoyed your stay here at my colonial reMODel while it lasted 😉
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Weight loss surgery--more specifically referred to as bariatric surgery and gastric bypass surgery --has been the big buzz word in treating morbidly obese adults for several years now. But can it help--or would it harm--severely overweight teens?
Although one of these popular procedures, gastric banding -- or "lap banding," as it is commonly known-- has been an accepted practice in controlling weight in obese adults since 2001, the Food and Drug Administration has been reluctant to approve it for the treatment of childhood obesity.
However, as the number of obese children continues to climb, the agency has initiated a tightly controlled study in which three hospitals, New York University Medical Center, New York-Presbyterians' Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, and the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, have been selected to perform clinical trials to examine the safety and efficacy of gastric banding surgery on adolescents.
NYU, which won FDA approval to conduct research back in 2005, has published its findings in the January 2007 issue of the Journal of Pediatric Surgery. Their study, which according to its authors is the first to evaluate lap band surgery in patients this young, consisted of 53 morbidly obese teenagers ranging in age from 13 to 17.
A morbidly obese individual is described as someone who has a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher and is approximately 100 pounds overweight. All of the study participants had at least a five-year history of obesity, and many had conditions found in obese adults, like diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.
The researchers found that the teens lost an average of 50 percent of their weight a year after their surgery without experiencing complications requiring readmission to the hospital. There were some minor complications. The bands in two of the patients slipped, two patients developed hiatal hernias , and the wound in one of the patients became infected. All of these conditions were corrected through outpatient treatments. In addition, there were a few patients who experienced mild hair loss and iron deficiency. They were given nutritional counseling and vitamin supplements.
New York-Presbyterians' Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital began its clinical trials in 2006. Their trial is designed for teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 who have a five-year history of obesity and a BMI of 40 or higher or greater than the 95th weight-for-height percentile. Teens with a BMI of 35 or higher, who have comorbidities like diabetes or hypertension, are also eligible.
The program's initial phase is comprised of a comprehensive assessment that includes:
-- A medical history
-- A physical exam
-- Extensive blood testing
-- Bone age and bone density studies
-- Evaluation by nutritionists and psychiatrists
-- Stress exercise testing
Patients are then placed on a strict program of diet, exercise, and behavior controls. An integrated team including pediatricians, pediatric endocrinologists, pediatric gastroenterologists, pulmonologists, exercise physiologists, bariatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, and pediatric nurse practitioners oversee this multidisciplinary care. Only if patients fail to lose 20 percent of their excess weight after six months are they then considered for surgery.
In a press release issued by University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center in February 2005, the hospital outlined its program: "In the current trial, 50 patients ages 14 to 17 will be enrolled in a five-year study to look at weight loss and the long-term medical effects of weight loss after the LAP-BAND procedure.
In addition to surgery, patients will receive nutrition and psychological counseling. They will also be involved in a physical activity and behavior management program. The surgery is available for teens with a body mass index of at least 35 and one or more obesity related conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, or musculoskeletal, gynecological or psychological problems. It is also available for teens with a body mass index of greater than 40 with no other health problems. Patients must have a history of obesity for at least five years, including failed attempts at diet and medical management of their obesity."
All three of these trials have a common goal: to find a workable cure for obesity in children. However, in spite of the fact that lap banding shows promise, each facility is proceeding with caution. All of the programs include a thorough initial screening process and follow up after the procedure to ensure that surgery isn't viewed as a quick fix solution to a problem as complex as morbid obesity.
source FoxNews


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Dean Takahashi has a roundup of analyst reactions to the E3 gaming conference, but the most startling is:
Rick Sherlund, an analyst at Goldman Sachs, wrote this morning that he raised his unit shipment estimates for the Xbox 360 and for revenues in the 2007 fiscal year which ends June 30, 2007. Among his big statements is, "We believe Xbox may outsell Sony's PS 3 outside of Japan. We have also model an assumed $100 price cut on Xbox 360 by E3 next year to further drive market share." Sherlund says he believes Microsoft could become profitable in the current calendar year on the Xbox 360 business. That commentary is more positive on Microsoft than any other analyst so far.
After Sony's dismal E3 performance ([1], [2]), I'll believe anything. There's more in this Bloomberg report.


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Author Archives: amy@smalltowntelevision
Cougar Town Promo
In case you hadn't heard the news, Cougar Town returns Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 8:30 p.m. to ABC. So have Valentine's Day dinner early (or at home…or not at all) and watch this great show instead!
Here's the official promo to whet your appetite.
You shouldn't judge a show by its (horrible) title – or, how Cougar Town gained two new fans
I'll admit it – I was one of those people who were turned off of Cougar Town because of its name. I've been a fan of Bill Lawrence's since his Spin City days, but with Cougar Town I only had watched a few episodes here and there, never regularly.
Then I started hearing more about it – first it was with ABC keeping it off the fall schedule, then it was with them reducing its episode order, and then finally still not setting a mid-season return date. This was not necessarily good publicity, but it did make me intrigued and curious about this show. I knew Community's Abed loved it, so why couldn't I too?
Cougar Town boss Lawrence wanted to keep the series top of mind for viewers, and provide a thank you to those who waited patiently for its return. He announced a series of non-ABC sanctioned fan-appreciation events to be held across the country paid for by him and with each event featuring at least one cast member and one writer.
Events were scheduled for cities where cast members and writers were likely to be over the holidays, and one even took place near my hometown in Louisville, Kentucky (cast member Josh Hopkins is from Lexington). Since I didn't travel to Kentucky for the holidays this year, my only chance to attend was here in Los Angeles, and luckily enough I did get invited to the Jan. 12 event held where the show is filmed, at the Culver Studios.
Wow, what an experience. It was more than I ever could have expected – the cast (minus one) and writers were there, and Bill Lawrence wandered around the crowd introducing himself and letting everyone know they could ask him anything.
If I had to give a quick synopsis of the event, it would be this: free booze, penny can, open access, never-ending smile. (And I won penny can three times…but kept getting scolded because I forgot to actually say it when I did).
As we played penny can I asked how he got started in Hollywood. His answer – came here at 21, started painting houses during the day and writing whenever he could. Again during the Q&A when someone asked about his writing process he gave the advice to write every day even if you thought it was going nowhere. Basically, he said there are those who say they write and there are those that actually write. You have to be in the latter category. So simple, yet also a needed kick in the butt for me to follow that.
The cast (minus Busy Phillips who was preparing for the Golden Globes) was there mingling with fans too, and Lawrence kept telling those of us talking to him to talk to them too, to not be intimidated. It wasn't that I was scared to talk to the likes of Brian Van Holt, Dan Byrd, Josh Hopkins and others, and I did much later, but I was in the presence of a comedy writing icon and I didn't want to leave that.
Next there was a question & answer session followed by cast-led tours of the sets & studio. During the q&a session there was a lot of talk about Cougar Town's longevity once it returns, and though there has been understandable frustration at not being on before now this season, there is confidence that the show will continue on for many more seasons after this one. They also talked about the title, and though Lawrence apologized for being the one to come up with it, they said that it was not changing and they were just going to embrace how awful it was.
We then moved on to the tour, and we were split up into groups of about 10 – 15 each and led around by a cast member. Our tour guide, Brian Van Holt (Travis), led us first straight to the bar where he did rum shots with those who were in the front with him. In addition to being personable and knowledgable, he also dropped a $20 into the bar tip jar and told us we were covered.
Top 10 Characters of 2011
2011 has been a great year for small town television. There are shows that positively showcase small town life (Friday Night Lights, The Middle, Parks & Recreation), and there are those that accurately showcase different aspects of small town life (Justified). Not only that, but these shows represent good, quality television that people are watching and enjoying. Many have ended up in various television bloggers' top 10 lists of 2011 shows, including the above-mentioned Friday Night Lights, Parks & Recreation, and Justified.
So I've decided to do a different list, that of the television characters that make these shows so great. This way I get to cheat and include the shows I enjoy multiple times.
In keeping with the blog theme, all of these characters are on small town shows (or small town-ish shows). But, if I were to include all great TV characters from 2011 there's not many spots that would be replaced here…and my 1, 2 and 3 would certainly remain the same. Since Albuquerque, New Mexico is a big city you won't find Walter White or Gus Fring here, but enjoy some Raylan and Boyd instead.
10. Burt Chance on Raising Hope
"Good news, I'm not a Jehovah's Witness. Bad news, I'm a sex offender." – Burt Chance
I somehow missed the Raising Hope season 1 bandwagon, but when I saw it show up on Netflix Instant with the description "man raises baby after one-night stand with a serial killer" I decided to give it a shot. I think my husband and I mainlined those first 22 episodes over a weekend time period and immediately signed up for season 2 on our DVR. The performance I most enjoy, besides baby Hope, is Garret Dillahunt as the dad/granddad who managed to knock up his own girlfriend (now wife Virginia) as a teenager and thus becomes a grandfather when his son does the same at age 23. Burt Chance is a family man with a hard work ethic, who just happened to also be a sex offender for said impregnation offense but is definitely NOT a Jehovah's Witness come to convert you. Check out his Bro-Gurt coming soon to the Natesville Howdy Market.
9. Santana Lopez on Glee
"The only straight I am is straight-up bitch." – Santana Lopez
I don't love Glee, and oftentimes I don't even like Glee. But as much as I fault the show for its myriad of problems (both character-based and ridiculous plot-based), I do quite enjoy the character of Santana Lopez, played by Naya Rivera. While the character of Kurt has been more open with his sexuality, this season Glee focused on Santana coming to terms with and opening up about hers. The episode where her sexuality was to be revealed by a pizza chain owner's television ad because of something Finn said in school was great (if not a convoluted way to get there). Then the episode that was supposed to show Santana actually coming out to the people in her life fell flat; her parents were okay with it but we didn't see that because it happened off screen, and her grandmother was thrown in as someone new to at first be like "oh, how cute, look at the little old lady," and then immediately twist the knife and reveal that abuelita is a homophobe who thinks Santana should keep her sexuality to herself. But even though all that muck, Santana was still a character whose outcome I cared about, and who is one of the bright spots on an uneven show.
8. Becky Sproles on Friday Night Lights
Luke, I want to start over, XO Becky
Becky is a character I greatly disliked at first. I didn't like her pageants, I didn't like her relationship with Tim, and I didn't like the way she presented herself. She was this whiny little girl with a huge crush on Tim Riggins, for seemingly no other reason than he paid attention to her. When Luke was crushing on her, she was distant with him. Then, she got pregnant and that's when I started to see the heart underneath the pageant exterior. For me Becky shot from unlikeable to FNL MVP almost immediately. I had long thought Becky's unyielding focus on Tim was selfish, and yet I saw her abortion as completely selfless. Becky had always been reminded by her own mother what a mistake she was, and she didn't want to go down that same path with a child she was not ready to care for. One of the many things I loved about FNL was its realistic presentation of teenagers, and the growth Becky exhibited from season 4 to season 5 was both realistic and poignant. Becky Sproles FTW.
7. Dr. Tara Knowles on Sons of Anarchy
"He's mine." – Tara Knowles
There were only two possible paths for Tara in season 4 of Sons of Anarchy – keep the good doctor on the straight and narrow and written right off of the show, or become the Queen of SAMCRO. Maggie Siff does an amazing job portraying Tara and seeing her darker side will only bring good things to this character in season 5. Her performance alone in the two-part season finale ranged from sadness and grief at what she is losing (Oregon), to manipulation for what she would not lose (Jax), to assassin helper ("and this is how you do it."), to her final transformation as Gemma 2.0, leaving lots to look forward to from this character in 2012.
6. Dillon, Texas on Friday Night Lights
Throughout Friday Night Lights' five season run, supporting characters came and went, but Dillon was a constant, and was as important to the series as any character, large or small, was. I was immediately drawn to this show, and to Dillon, for its stunning realism and accurate portrayal of a small town. The producers didn't try and recreate small town Texas in big city California, but instead the cast, crew and producers spent five years of their life living in and around Austin, Texas where the show was filmed on location. This added depth to the show made me love Dillon even more, because the terrain was real and true to the fictional place where the show took place. So much of my attraction to this show was personal, and indeed I did see a lot of my own small town in Dillon (though mine was much, much smaller); one of the two restaurants was an ice cream shop that could have been a stand-in for the Alamo Freeze, sports was a huge back-drop to the town, and the economical struggles of the residents mirrored very much as in Dillon. I will miss the show FNL, and I will miss the characters, but anytime I get home sick I can put in one of my DVDs (or find it on Netflix Instant) and be taken back via Dillon.
5. Leslie Knope on Parks &Recreation
"The only thing I'm guilty of is loving Pawnee." – Leslie Knope
What can one say about the most highly caffeinated (or other upper-stimulated) character on television? Leslie is the workaholic Deputy Director of the Pawnee, Indiana's Parks Department. Leslie is charming and tenacious, if not at times mildly irritating. And I'm not much of a 'shipper for any TV show, but her relationship with Ben has unfolded beautifully in a way that works for each of those characters. Leslie is one of my favorite female characters on television because she doesn't apologize for who she is, and she owns up to her flaws, as we saw when she had her ethics trial and began to see that what she had done maybe did cross some lines. She wanted to make amends not to help her campaign, but because that is who Leslie Knope is.
4. Sue Heck on The Middle
"Sue Heck does not give up." – Sue Heck
Sue Heck above Leslie Knope? Let's go with this logic…in my imaginary high school I believe Leslie Knope was once just like Sue Heck. Which came first, the teen with the drive and desire to be a part of everything but without the social skills to do it, or the adult with the same drive and desire who has turned social awkwardness into a winning formula?
I love Sue, and not just because I identify with her from my own high school time. Sue is a character for whom nothing goes right, but who never sees that as wrong. Eden Sher plays this character out of the realm of caricature and into a real teenager who wants all that she does and doesn't understand what is holding her back. She even only has a birthday once every four years (she was born leap day, Feb. 29, 1996). Sue is the epitome of optimism both on this show and on television in general, and her desire to be a part of something without compromising who she is is not needy but rather refreshing.
Sue's drive and passion lead to hilarious and heartwarming encounters with her friends (or friend, Carly) and her family. And whenever Sue's around, there's always a chance of a Reverend Tim Tom sighting!
3. Raylan Givens & Boyd Crowder on Justified
"I was wondering if back when we were digging coal together that you had an inkling of the man that I might someday become." – Boyd Crowder
"You mean just 40 and still single?" – Raylan Givens
I could have included these two separately, as they are both quality and stand-out characters in their own right, but it's when Raylan and Boyd are together that they soar.
Rayland is the law man and Boyd is the criminal, but wow are there ever times when the lines between these two cross something fierce. Boyd was supposed to die in the pilot episode but was saved that fate because there was so much rich story between him and Raylan to tell. Who saved Raylan from Dickie's bat in the season 2 ender? Boyd. Who assisted Raylan in the season 1 ender shoot-out? Boyd. Who uttered this line in that same episode to Raylan: "No, Raylan, I'm gonna bet my life on you being the only friend I have left in this world." Boyd. And who are the two characters prominently featured together in the season 3 Justified promos? Yes, Raylan and Boyd.
Here are the last 90 seconds of season 1, featuring the beautiful song "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive," sung here by Brad Paisley.
And who will be turned into FX on January 17 as the new season premieres? This gal. I suggest you do the same.
2. Coach Taylor and Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights
"It's my turn, babe. I have loved you and you have loved me and we have compromised, both of us, for your job. And now it's time to talk about doing that for my job." – Tami Taylor
And the Emmy goes to…Kyle Chandler. That's one of my favorite TV lines from 2011, due to the much deserved and long-overdue recognition for one of the most realistic performances and characters to grace our television screens. If only Connie Britton had gotten the same recognition (because it certainly isn't coming for American Horror Story).
Much like Raylan and Boyd, you can't have Coach without Mrs. Coach. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton portrayed for five seasons the most realistic television marriage ever. Yes, ever. They supported each other, they challenged each other, and in the end they chose each other over Dillon Panther football. Now that's love, right?
1. Mags Bennett on Justified
"It was in the glass; it wasn't in the jar." – Mags Bennett
Mags, you had me at the above-referenced line. In fact, that line was my pick for top TV line of 2011, just as you are my pick for top TV character (small town or not). You were such a force to be reckoned with on Justified's season 2, and your season ender was how Sons of Anarchy should have done theirs. Margo Martindale's Emmy win for Best Supporting Actress was as delightful as Kyle Chandler winning his, and I would watch the shit out of a show featuring only the Bennett clan's back story. Or, you know how The Muppets had Muppet Babies? I would watch Bennett Babies all day long. Someone, quick, make that show happen!
Mags, all you wanted was to be a good mama, but your boys never quite let you live up to that potential with all their shenanigans. As if loosing Cooter wasn't enough, when you realized Doyle was the second of your sons to die in about as many days, your heartbreak in realizing that only Dickie remained was palpable. I strongly suspect we'll be seeing more of Jeremy Davies' Dickie in the new year, but I will miss you, Mags, and your special brand of apple pie.
Redneck Television – A look at stereotypes (or at least the perception of stereotypes)
I heard a preview for a story on NPR this morning whose subject immediately caught my attention – stereotypes of Southern "rednecks" on television. Yes, I thought, redneck stereotypes are wrong and now NPR sees it too. Complete validation.
Then I heard the story.
Reporter Eric Deggans does a fine job of saying what is wrong with the presentation of rednecks on television, specifically reality television. In theory, I agree with the premise of the story – stereotypes of the South and of southern people as uneducated, toothless, bigoted, country bumpkins are very unfortunate indeed. Frankly the whole genre of reality television is one unfortunate stereotype after another, but the southern ones are especially grating for they are almost taken as fact, rather than as caricature.
However, in some of the titles discussed the only thing that appears to present these people as uneducated is the fact that they have a job Mr. Deggans has never heard of and they have a southern accent.
Hillbilly Handfishing presents "noodling," which is a type of fishing I would never do, just as I would never do the dangerous Bering Sea fishing presented on Deadliest Catch. But it is just that – a different way of fishing other than sitting on a boat waiting for a catch. My dad watches this show, and from the brief glimpses of it I got when visiting my parents' house this summer, the guys who actually lead these "noodling" trips are pretty smart. Fishing is nothing if not an art, and putting your arm in some unknown crevice to get a catfish takes that art to a whole other level. I don't make an effort to watch this show, but I don't think the people on it need stereotype protection anymore than anyone else on a reality show does.
Another show Mr. Deggans used in his examples of "awful" southern stereotypes is Rocket City Rednecks, a show literally about rocket scientists and/or others who have many advanced degrees who just also happen to have a southern accent. Here's a clip of them using moonshine to launch a rocket.
Things you will notice in this clip:
- Southern accent – yes
- Moonshine – yes
- Rural area – yes
- Intelligence – yes
- Uneducated country bumpkins – no
But what does Mr. Deggans say about them? "Even when these guys have Ph.D.s in aerospace engineering, the show makes them sound like extras in a Hee Haw skit." (aka their regular accent which does not appear to be played up at all but apparently even makes rocket scientists dumb).
As with all reality television shows, these people signed up to be on these shows and thus have a say (or at least have an opportunity with their actions) to affect how they are perceived. I have to wonder how the Rocket City Rednecks feel they are portrayed.
But then Mr. Deggan's argument changes to not being so much against redneck stereotypes as he is just against rednecks in general. I was especially irritated by this line:
"These shows give you a South with no people of color, and they weirdly lack contact with sophisticated southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas; I guess it's tough to play the bumpkin card when you're looking at skyscrapers and a booming technology corridor."
What I took from this is only "sophisticated southern cities" are worth talking about when you feature the South, because rural areas do not have booming technology corridors or skyscrapers. I believe there are already several shows about "sophisticated" Dallas – let's see there is Most Eligible: Dallas, and also The A-List: Dallas, don't forget Big Rich Texas, and of course Dallas Divas and Daughters, oh and one more Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team. Now granted all I know of any of these shows is what I see on the clip show The Soup but I don't think any of them feature booming technology corridors. The skyscrapers, though, probably do make an appearance.
Now, I know I'm taking too much out on NPR and Mr. Deggans here. Overall I'm thrilled that a major "cultural" media outlet would give time to such a story. In a time when we have shifted away from un-politically correct ethnic/race/religion/gender stereotypes, regional stereotypes, and in particular the Southern backwoods bumpkin stereotype is one of the few that remain culturally acceptable. But what could have been a frank discussion about southern media stereotypes instead turned out to be an effort to divert your attention elsewhere – "hey why don't you leave those country folk alone and come look at our nice cities," – thus, validating the stereotypes that they initially were saying are bad.
Oh, and a real thing of beauty – NPR placed this story on their website and allowed people to comment on it, but it took almost all day for them to realize that the reason so many comments were being blocked was because they had listed "redneck" as a bad word in their blockage dictionary.
I am a huge supporter of NPR and this won't change that at all, but I think they really missed a great opportunity here and clearly it ruffled my feathers. I don't buy into the NPR left-leaning bashing and I think they are the most balanced of any coverage you're likely to find anywhere, but even the most ardent NPR supporter can have a real "wtf?" moment with one of their stories.
To recap, here's why I did not care for this story: southern accent = stupid; cities/industry = sophistication; rural areas = bumpkin.
Let me leave you with Mr. Deegan's closing line: "Despite reality TV's tendency to stupefy everything it touches, perhaps it's time for these programs to actually get real and give us a vision of Southern culture that reaches beyond the fun-loving redneck."
This is the stuff stereotypes are made of folks, and NPR bought right into it today.
Should I stay or should I go?
Many times, when small towns are presented on television, it is with the caveat of the characters that we may live here now, but we either ended up here due to circumstances beyond our control or we're getting out as soon as something better comes along. Many shows are based around the idea that main characters in small town shows don't like living in their towns. These characters are either put in the town in a Doc Hollywood sort of way (and why are they always doctors?) or are teenagers who have big dreams that don't include staying in their one-horse town and working at the local school/tire shop/Alamo Freeze/strip club, or are adults who stayed for one reason or another still harboring the dreams of their teenage years.
Let's look at some examples:
Doc Hollywood small screen style –
"I will under no condition, NO condition, spend the best years of my life in the worst place on Earth!" – Dr. Joel Fleischman, Northern Exposure
the characters: Dr. Joel Fleischman on Northern Exposure; Dr. Zoe Hart on Hart of Dixie
the story: big city doctor ends up being sent to small town against their will; meets and interacts with colorful local characters; usually ends up with a love interest in the town; against their better judgment falls in love with the town and the town them; eventually gets called away and has to make the tough choice to stay or go
why this works: a set-up like this really allows the town to shine through, because you the viewer are experiencing it at the same time the main character is. Even though the main character may not enjoy everything they are seeing, it is effective world-building that would take longer in a show where the town is already established. And since these shows usually send doctors in as the fish-out-of-water, you get to meet, along with the main character, most of the town folk and their various ailments as well. Nothing says hello like treating a Native American medicine man who's trying to be seen on the sly.
what's wrong with this formula: many times when setting up a main character in a situation like this, they are made to be so unlikable at first that it's hard to turn them around. How much of a dick did Dr. Fleischman act like when he first got to Cicely (see above quote)? Sure, the supporting characters were great, but the lead character needed time to fit in with the world-building that had been so well done. The other problem with this formula is skirting not going too far into stereotypes of either the fish or the water. Northern Exposure hit a fine balance of introducing Dr. Fleischman and his idiosyncrasies, and doing the same with Cicely. On Hart of Dixie, I've seen it struggle to do the same, to not go too far down the "oh my gosh this is the South isn't it all so cute" angle and the "who is this lady from New York City and who does she think she is" angle.
I'm a teenager get me out of here –
the characters: Rachel & Kurt on Glee
the story: teenager growing up in small town can't wait until they're an adult and can go out and explore the world all on their old. There is so much to see and do and none of it is in their crappy little town. Oh my gosh, just look at the world, they're going to conquer it ALL!
why this works: this is a typical teenage reaction no matter where you are living – small town or big city. It is more often seen as a teen in a small town because the teens in the big city already know what else is out there, and they may be more hardened about conquering it. But small town teens carry a lot of enthusiasm with them, and it's one of the things I've enjoyed watching with the Rachel & Kurt New York City dreams on Glee. I have a lot of issues with that show, but I think they are pretty realistic in presenting these two kids who in their own town/school have always been praised, and now they are faced with the reality that they have to work harder and smarter to reach their goals. But that also leads me to what's wrong with this formula…
what's wrong with this formula: if the kid leaves, and they're not getting a spin-off, you've just lost a character on your TV show (but if it's a teenager, maybe that's not such a bad thing). The biggest issue I have with this formula is that there are entire shows dedicated to what happens when one of these kids gets to the big city, and most of them work well on their own. Exploring what a teenager hopes and dreams is one thing, but you still have to move the story forward, and the only way to see a teenage dream through on a small town show and keep your cast in tact is to have something big, bad and/or horrible happen to them in the big city, and they come running back to the small town. In doing so you've destroyed everything your characters have been building toward.
I'm not going anywhere else, so I might as well stay
the characters: Finn on Glee; Tim Riggins and Luke Cafferty on Friday Night Lights
the story: usually these are also teenagers, but can be adults too. Nevertheless, they once had dreams, great dreams, but circumstances got in their way. They don't necessarily hate their small town, but they thought about getting out, maybe just for a little while before coming back to town to settle down and start a family.
why this works: because it is real…these teenagers may not have had quite the zeal of the "I'm a teenager get me out of here" kids, but they were able to see past the town lines and out into something different. They were also able to see, either through experience or circumstance, that things aren't that bad inside their town either. When Friday Night Lights ended with Tim Riggins finally building on his land, we weren't sad for Tim, but rather celebrated his growth and accomplishments and what staying in Dillon meant for him, and for Dillon. On the flip side, with both the Finn storyline on Glee and Luke Cafferty's on FNL, their circumstances were more tragic. It appears that Finn is not good enough for a college football scholarship, and Luke was beset by injury and recruiters going after his best friend instead of him. While the Finn storyline has not fully played out, for Luke he made the best decision for himself and the family he hopes to build with Becky.
what's wrong with this formula: honestly, not much. I'd say this is one of the most real situations to be faced in the real world, and if it can be well done on television it's giving a voice to anyone who has experienced it. I'd say for a small town show the only slippery slope this can get into is antagonism toward the town, but that is almost necessary to add layers to the town characters.
Hey I like it here, why would I leave?
the characters: Becky Sproles on Friday Night Lights; Maggie O'Connell on Northern Exposure
the story: these are usually the general townspeople, but can occasionally be other characters who we come to know and love and who love their town. They're happy there and they don't plan on leaving (maybe they did at one point but not anymore).
why this works: I use the character of Becky Sproles as an example here to show how a teenager can be beautifully written and acted and not fall into one of the other categories. Becky didn't have big city dreams, but that didn't mean she had no dreams, or that she had no depth as a character. Becky is a character who should not have felt at home in Dillon; she had more unconventional living arrangements than anyone else on the show, but within them she created a community that was about more than what to do after Dillon, it was about how to take your dreams and build them in Dillon. Same thing with Maggie on Northern Exposure, certain circumstances brought her to Cicely and once she was there she wasn't leaving. Again, this character did not lack depth, but was able to balance out Dr. Fleischman who wanted to get away as quickly as possible.
what's wrong with this formula: there could be a tendency to write caricatures instead of characters here, but often that is not the case. Much like the previous category, these characters can be a strong presence on a television show and one that balance out other characters.
What do you think of small town shows and how they portray the idea of staying or leaving? Full confession, when I was a teenager I was a classic "I'm a teenager, get me out of here" and probably would have been just as annoying as Rachel and Kurt, but hey, at least I wasn't on television!
From Dillon to Pawnee to Camden County – four types of small towns on television
There are different types of small towns, both in the world and on television. Just like it's not accurate for me to compare my very small 1,000 people town to a somewhat bigger, but still small in the grand scheme of things other town, I've come up with some different ways television presents small towns.
- The tried and true this is a real small town feel / small town as a central character – here I have to place the most accurate representation of a small town ever, Friday Night Lights, first and foremost. I fell in love with Friday Night Lights from the pilot because it really captured everything that is and that represents a small town. You're going to hear me talk about FNL a LOT, and that's not a bad thing. If you're not familiar with it, get thee to Netflix immediately; the entire series is available on instant streaming. But other shows fit this category too – the other one that comes to mind is Northern Exposure. In this category are shows where the small town is just as central a character to the action as the human characters are. A Friday Night Lights not in Dillon? Well, they didn't dare go there until the series finale and even now that there's talk of a movie of the TV series based on a movie based on a book, the action is most likely to take place in Dillon again. And Cicely, Alaska? Well it was just as important to the story as DJ Chris and Dr. Joel Fleischman. There's just no KBHR 570 AM without Cicely. These are the shows that get it right. I've gone back and forth whether to put Harlan in Justified in category one or category two, and dare I say Mayberry, North Carolina and The Andy Griffith Show also deserves a spot in this category.
- The pretty close to a small town feel / small town as a secondary character – I also call this the "yes I'm set in a small town and yes my town is important but I'm maybe not 100% authentic" feel – sorry, Parks & Recreation, but I'm putting Pawnee here. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Parks & Rec but it's not because I look at Pawnee and go "yeah, that's totally what would happen, people quit their jobs and try and build entertainment empires every day", it's for its central characters and storylines. But, Pawnee remains an important character all its own, just not as much so as say Dillon or Cicely. In this category are shows where the small town is still a character (versus a backdrop) but more in a supporting role than a co-starring role. Let's also list Charming, Calif. in Sons of Anarchy and Stuckeyville, Ohio in Ed here too.
- The "maybe I'm not really sure where you take place but you've built or have a small town-like community" feel / small town as a backdrop and not a character – Greg Garcia has got this one down – I mentioned in my first post that although the viewer is not really sure where Raising Hope takes place, chances are it's an outlying area of a big city, probably somewhere outside of Los Angeles. But, the characters have built their own small town within the show and it really functions as a backdrop to the action around them. Part of me really wishes that the action in Raising Hope is in Camden County, the setting for another Greg Garcia show My Name is Earl. In this category are shows where the small town remains important, but it functions as a backdrop and not a character. The rural Vermont town housing the Stratford Inn on Newhart is another great example here. I don't think they ever told us what the town was, but it was an important backdrop nonetheless because it created a sense of community on the show. I'd also say Roseanne goes here; Langford, Ill. was important, but it wasn't a central character, it was a place where the Connors lived.
- The "yeah I take place in a small town but I could really take place anywhere" feel / small town as an afterthought – I feel this category is especially reserved for soap operas. Genoa City, Wisconsin; Pine Valley and Port Charles, Pennsylvania; Llanview, New York, they all function as places for people to be all sleeping around and up in each other's business and stuff…oh wait, that's a lot of peoples' stereotype of a small town, so maybe it does make sense these shows take place there. I am most familiar with Genoa City, having been a faithful teenage viewer of The Young and the Restless, and as a general rule they did cover off that when something requiring extra services or whatnot needed to be done, they went to Chicago to do it. But Genoa City wasn't a character, nor was it really even a backdrop, it was just a name of a town that could have been anywhere or featured anything.
What do you think of the four types of small towns presented on television? Are there any that are missing? Any shows/towns in the wrong category? There are further ways to look at each of these categories, but this is meant to be a broad stroke to capture the different types and start the conversation. Now hit me up in the comments and let's discuss!
Getting Started – Small Town Love
I grew up in a small town. That's probably obvious from the title and focus of the blog, but I wanted to outright state it as I have a very real and personal connection to how small towns are portrayed in the media. I live outside of Los Angeles now, but my roots are and always will be in my still-no-stoplight hometown.
Growing up in Kentucky, we were a mixture of Midwest and Southern values & cultures, and this has also shaped how I see these portrayals on television and in other media. I hate the word "hillbilly" and I usually cringe at the way people south of the Mason/Dixon line are portrayed on television. There are a lot of examples of this being done wrong, and some great examples of it done right. Let's have a conversation here about each of them.
I'm a voracious consumer of television and other media, and I read many television blogs which are extremely well done and which I will not try to replicate here. When I first started thinking of this blog, I wanted to call it Blue Collar TV to focus more on the portrayal of blue collar workers & working families, which I don't often see done on other television blogs. But then I found out that Blue Collar TV is the name of a Jeff Foxworthy television show. Since I see him as one of the reasons for the poor representation of blue collar, Southern, and small town life on television, I went in a different direction. I considered focusing on economic realities presented in television, but very few shows present a true economic reality and the ones that do usually fall into the small town / blue collar / working family categories as well. A snide hello to you, larger-than-life apartments, unrealistic disposable income, and Brooklyn backyards with horses (I'm looking at you on this one, 2 Broke Girls). And a shout-out Roseanne season 1, episode 2 for the great bill-swapping technique more relevant today than maybe even when it was written. There will be posts about this topic, but I broadened the focus of the blog.
For the purposes of the blog, I've had to expand my definition of a small town to include what I would have felt were "big" cities growing up, but it's all a matter of perspective. My town was a small farming community of 1,000 people in Kentucky. To childhood me, Pawnee, Ind. would have been a "big" city. I see now that clearly it is not. But a small town can also be a close-knit community in a big city. Take Raising Hope – we don't actually know where it takes place, but my guess is one of the valley communities surrounding Los Angeles. But the show has a small town feel, and explores working families, so we'll talk about it here.
So here's what this blog is…
A conversation about television shows with a focus on small town life, working families or blue collar workers, and/or close-knit communities that function as a small town. I mentioned the South earlier; sometimes these shows will take place in the South, sometimes they won't. I brought it up because it's where my perspective comes from, but there are plenty of small towns elsewhere.
Discussions on what is done right and what is done wrong in television's portrayal of these topics.
Discussions on small town portrayals in past and present shows and what we should be looking for in future shows.
What this blog is not…
An episode-by-episode recap of shows – there are plenty of sites that get this right, and you'll find a few of them in the links here. Not to say that an episodic review will never occur, but it won't be the norm.
What shows will be discussed?
There are small towns or small town-like communities depicted in television comedies, dramas, animated shows, movies, reality shows, soap operas, and the news/newsmagazines. I want to talk about the ones that do it well (Friday Night Lights being number one), the ones that come close but aren't quite there yet, and phenomenon related to small town depictions on the small screen (for example, why a small town contestant is more likely to win American Idol than a big city one).
Here's some of the shows I'm interested in starting out with. Please comment and let me know your thoughts, or what you'd like to see added. Just a note, the blog is starting out with one writer, so the shows I'm listing are ones I've watched and are familiar with the characters and landscape (thus, no Gilmore Girls…yet). But I hope to be adding guest writers or even a permanent co-writer in the near future, so if your favorite small town show is not listed right now, it doesn't mean it will be ignored.
Comedy: The Middle, Raising Hope, Parks & Recreation, Roseanne, Grace Under Fire, My Name is Earl, Northern Exposure, Ed, Newhart
Drama: Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Friday Night Lights, Picket Fences
Okay, that's enough to get us started. Please comment and let me know your thoughts, and if you like what you've read spread the word about the blog. I have lots of ideas and lots of excitement about getting this going and I want to hear from you. Are you from a small town too? Do you prefer small town or big city television (or do you even care)? What do you think about small town depictions on television? What stereotypes do you see that show runners and writers need to let go? What things are they missing and what are they getting right? Let's talk in the comments section!


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Baseline Household Survey Results: Xai Xai District, Mozambique
AccessibilityOpen Access
MetadataShow full item record
Dixon R. 2013. Baseline Household Survey Results: Xai Xai District, Mozambique. Copenhagen, Denmark: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).
Permanent link to cite or share this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/65083
External link to download this item: https://ccafs.cgiar.org/resources/baseline-surveys
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) carried out household baseline survey in two sites in Mozambique in 2012/2013. This report presents the main results of the analysis of the survey carried out in November 2012 in seven villages, with 140 households, in Xai Xai District, a National Agricultural Research Institute (IIAM) priority site, located in Gaza Province, in the Limpopo river basin, Mozambique. The survey was carried out using the standardised CCAFS household baseline tool. Within the Xai Xai district the site a 10 x 10 km block was selected. A complete and up-to-date list of villages within the block was made. A random sample of seven villages was taken from all those villages in each block. A complete list of households within each selected village was generated. 20 households were selected at random from the list within each village. The CCAFS questionnaire was then used on a total sample of 140 respondents.


text: Roy Blackmer is a great potter that many of you BHC potters never get to know because he often comes late at night. Roy's coffee cups are great. They are light, pleasing to eye and lip and they have great handles. I hope you enjoy this video and if you have any questions about making mugs post them here and either Roy, Joanne or I will get back to you. If you have some tips of your own on making mugs, feel free to post them as well. We all learn from each other!


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The RaceAbout 02 is a "honest" product: it is solely a sports car designed to yield great driving-pleasure; in traffic as well as on the race track. For that same reason the very appearance of the car conveys pure functionality, but also the strong feelings evoked by the driving experience. The unforgiving functionality of the technical dimension, aerodynamics, and the comfort of the driver are all that matters, everything else has been sacrificed. The design conveys the designers strong passion and pride in his work.
The RaceAbout 02 -sports car was engineered and designed utilising 3D CAD-technology. A complete virtual model of the car was available before the actual manufacturing process was launched.
The technical design, construction and testing: Helsinki Polytechnic, STADIA. The design of the body and the interior: University of Art and Design Helsinki - UIAH.


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Coaster® Fine Furniture doesn't need to be introduced. With 8 general warehouses around US, this is one of the biggest furniture wholesalers in market, both East Coast and West Coast, which instantly means good pricing, quality, availability and very wide choice of everything that can be connected to furniture niche. We are proudly working with New Jersey Coaster Wholesale warehouse.


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Episodes: 22
Seasons: 2 (technically 1.5)
Original Run: September 8, 1973–October 12, 1974
Let's look at this from the point of view of the era in which it was aired. It was 1973, Star Trek had been out of production for a good four years, but was doing very strongly syndication. Roddenberry and the team thought they could tell some more stories, but this time, in order to do them without the constraints of makeup and effects budgets, they would make an animated series. One small step to get the Trekkies excited before any talk of a movie could be had. So, what happened?
By the time the 70's rolled around, America had already been introduced to the Flintstones and the Jetsons and Johnny Quest and all those classic cartoons. A Star Trek cartoon seemed like a good fit for the Saturday morning crowd, which consisted not only of children off school, but also adults off work. The new adventures of the USS Enterprise was sure to capture their interest since they'd been watching reruns for the past four years. And the stories written for the series were just as they should have been. They had the feel of classic Trek, but upped the ante in the visual department with complicated aliens and exotic locations.
But when it came to pacing the animation, it just fell flat. It was a common practice to reuse shots in animated shows of the day to save time and money, but Star Trek seemed to do a little more of it and some of the awkward pauses and camera angles just made watching what should have been a great story more of a drag. Watching the Enterprise orbit over a planet, for example, should be a glorious visual, intriguing from all angles, but instead it was mired in waiting for the cell to get across the screen. Kirk seemed to be hyper-ready for his close up in awkward angles that allowed animators to skip out on moving his lips. And the slightest action was accentuated as characters leaped from their positions to help another, making for stilted sequences.
It's a shame that the animation wasn't better. A lot of these stories would have been so engaging had the format not taken us out of it. Unfortunately, no amount of story could have survived the animator's brush this time. No matter, though, for it is but a mere pit stop on our way to the glories of the Original Series Movies! First stop, Star Trek: The Motion Picture!


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You've probably heard your fair share of stain-removal old wives' tales, and they may have let you down. That's why we're getting into the nitty-gritty details about the timing, substance and science of stain removal.
There are a few things to remember. First of all, the earlier you catch a stain, the better. If you're out and about (and the item isn't dry-clean only), pretreat the affected area with something like Spray 'n Wash's Stain Stick, Shout wipes or a Tide pen. (If none of these are available, you can at least wet the stain to keep it from setting as completely. An ice cube from your drink is the perfect way to wet the spot. Careful to just dab — don't rub the stain into the fibers of your clothes.) Then wash the item as soon as you get home.
Secondly, after washing an item with a stain, check your wet laundry before drying it to make sure the stain is gone (the heat from the drying process will often make the stain permanent). If the mark is still visible, pretreat as before or try another stain treatment process and wash again.
More: How to Clean Your Jewelry so It Sparkles Even Longer
Here's how to get every type of stain out.
1. Dye stains
Fresh dye stains are the easiest to remove but very hard to get out once they've set in. If possible, right when the stain happens, run it under cold water and then wash it in the hottest possible setting for the fabric. Dye stains are naturally occurring vegetable dyes found in many plants and acidic foods. If you can't get the stain out yourself, try the dry cleaner. These same cleaning methods should work for coffee, tea and ink stains — which are also dye stains.
2. Protein stains
Organic in nature, protein stains include things like vomit, sweat and blood. Treat them with alkaline stain removal solutions, which will digest the proteins. Enzyme presoak products can break down protein and help dissolve fats. Most detergents contain enzymes and can be used to clean protein stains.
3. Combination stains
Combination stains are stains from things like sauces (barbecue sauce, ketchup, hot sauce), makeup (lipstick, foundation, eye shadow) and crayons. They are a combination of the other types of stains. First, rinse off any excess from the stain with cold water. Gently rub a detergent into the stain. Rinse out the detergent, apply a stain stick and launder.
4. Ice cream and other dairy product stains
Dairy stains are protein stains because they are organic in nature (i.e., from an animal). Fresh stains should be soaked and agitated in cold water before washing. If the stain has dried, scrape or brush off any crusted matter. Soak for up to several hours in cold water with a detergent or an enzyme presoak (which breaks down protein-based stains like egg, grass and blood so your detergent can work more effectively). Launder in warm water. If the stain remains, soak an additional 30 minutes and rewash. If a colored stain remains, launder with a bleach safe for the fabric.
5. Fruit and fruit juice stains
Fruit stains are a dye stain. Launder with detergent in the hottest water safe for the fabric. Do not use soap (bar, flake or detergents containing natural soap) since soap-based products could make the stain permanent. Soak tough stains for 30 minutes in 1 quart of warm water and 1 teaspoon of enzyme presoak product. Removal of old or set stains may require washing with bleach that is safe for that particular fabric. If all the sugars are not removed, a brown stain will appear when the cloth is heated in the dryer or is ironed as the sugar is caramelized. This effect is great for crème brûlée… not so wonderful for your favorite white blouse.
6. Grass stains
Grass stains are also a dye stain — a combination of protein and other organic matter mixed with chlorophyll, xanthophylls and carotenoids. For stubborn stains like grass, soak in a solution of cool water and a laundry product containing enzymes, like Shout Advanced Ultra Gel Brush, for at least 30 minutes (or several hours for aged stains). Don't use hot water, as it will coagulate the protein and make the stain more difficult to remove. If stains remain, soak an additional 30 minutes, then rewash. (Follow product instructions, and note that some laundry detergents already contain enzymes.) After soaking, launder in warm water as usual.
7. Mud stains: Mud stains are a protein stain. Let mud stains dry. Brush to remove the soil. Soak in a solution of 1 quart of warm water, 1 teaspoon of liquid dish detergent and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar for 15 minutes. Rinse with water. Let stand for several minutes. If the stain persists, sponge it with rubbing alcohol, then rinse with clear water and wash. You may also soak the stain for 30 minutes in an enzyme presoak, and you can add chlorine bleach to the load of laundry if the label says it's safe for the fabric.
8. Barbecue sauce stains and other tomato-based sauce stains
Barbecue sauce is a combination stain. Soak in cool water, 1/2 teaspoon of liquid hand dishwashing detergent and 1 tablespoon of vinegar for 30 minutes. Rinse. If the stain remains, pretreat the area with a prewash stain remover, liquid laundry detergent or a paste of powdered detergent and water. Then wash in warm water. Air-dry. If the stain remains, soak it in an enzyme product for at least an hour up to overnight. Some detergents contain enzymes. Launder in warm water. Do not use hot water or hot air-drying or iron the garment until the stain is gone, as heat will set it.
9. Coffee stains
A coffee stain is a dye stain, but the cream or milk in the coffee is a protein. Therefore, you will want to treat the stain as both if you like a little cream in your morning cup of joe. If the stain is fresh, immediately rinse with cold water. If you are at home (or once at home), remove the clothing and add laundry detergent directly to the stain and rub the cloth together with cold water. Soak in the water for 30 minutes, rubbing the cloth together every five to 10 minutes. Next, wash clothing on the hottest setting. Ensure the stain is out of the clothing prior to placing in the dryer. If the stain has not been removed, try repeating the steps. For older stains, apply white vinegar directly to the stain and mix with cold water. Rub stain with a sponge until removed. You may also use baking soda as an alternative solution, applying with a wet cloth to scrub away the stain.
Next Up: Removing stains from whites
A version of this article was originally published in May 2008.


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Uniting Couples to Strengthen Families
As I was explaining to my husband that I was trying to write a blog post about kissing in marriage, he threw his arms open and offered enthusiastically, "And you want to practice?" "No," I answered, "But I admire your optimism and thanks for giving me my opening sentence."
For most couples, kissing is a natural part of relationship development, particularly as they move toward higher levels of commitment. Researchers confirm that kissing can be a strong reinforcer for mate assessment and attachment. In other words, if you think you like someone and the kissing goes well, commitment is likely to increase, while the reverse is true for couples who just aren't "feeling it." As people form attachments, prolonged kissing behavior generally increases in romantic relationships.
However, I've noticed that really great make-out sessions diminish over time for lots of married couples. Even couples who maintain frequency in sexual relations…
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