Darryl Hunt: WorSharks, Traverse Capture Game Five 3-1 To Take A 3-2 Series Lead

The Worcester Sharks scored three first period goals and withstood a late charge to defeat the Hartford Wolf Pack 3-1 Thursday night at the XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Hartford, Connecticut in front of an announced crowd of 1,857. Worcester now leads the best of seven series three games to two, with game six coming Saturday night at the DCU Center in Worcester.
The WorSharks were hoping to carry the momentum of Wednesday night's five goal third period outburst while Hartford was looking to take advantage of some home cooking as neither team had won in the other's building during the series. It was Worcester that would get what they wanted.
Roy Sommer's choice to play defenseman Mike Moore at forward and winger Riley Armstrong at the point on the power play finally paid dividends when a Moore screen prevented Hartford goaltender Matt Zaba from seeing Patrick Traverse's laser from the point. Traverse's blast beat Zaba over the right shoulder for the 1-0 lead at 5:56 of the first. Armstrong and Dan DaSilva had the assists on the power play tally.
Worcester would take a 2-0 lead at 7:15 of the first period when Traverse intercepted a Hartford clearing attempt at the blueline and blasted it on net. The puck hit T.J. Fox on the way by and deflected past Zaba. The goal was originally credited to Traverse, but was changed during the first intermission. While not credited with an assist, Brad Staubitz played a big role in the goal by throwing a huge hit on Wolf Pack defenseman Michael Sauer as Sauer tried to make the clearing play.
The WorSharks would grab another power play tally while skating with a two man advantage. Hartford was looking to skate out of the zone on a two on none breakaway after intercepting a Logan Couture pass across the zone, but Traverse just got the tip of his stick on the puck to turn the play around to a four on one advantage for Worcester. Traverse never took his eyes off Zaba, and beat him cleanly for the unassisted tally at 13:50 of the first.
The teams would play a very physical game for the rest of the contest resulting in several power play chances for both squads. Hartford's lone goal would come after Worcester had killed off just under 90 seconds of five on three play when WorSharks netminder Thomas Greiss couldn't control a bouncing puck that found the back of the net. The goal was credited to Dane Byers, but video replay seems to show it was Artem Anisimov's bad angle shot that broke by Greiss. And in a worse job of scoring, Anisimov didn't even receive an assist on play.
GAME NOTES
Worcester went with the same line-up and lines as the previous two games. Worcester had different players filling on on the fourth line after Bobby Sanguinetti leveled Fox with a huge open ice hit with about seven minutes to go in the second period. Fox did not return.
Frazer McLaren got into his first fight of the post season when he and Dane Byers dropped them at 7:20 of the first period. Both landed some huge shots, but McLaren got the nod when when one of his lefts knocked Byers off balance before they both fell to the ice.
The three stars of the game were:
1. Traverse (2g,a)
2. Greiss (27 saves)
3. Fox (gwg)
BOXSCORE
WOR 3 0 0 - 3
HFD 0 0 1 - 1
1st Period
Scoring: 1, Worcester, Traverse 1 (Armstrong, DaSilva), 5:56 (pp). 2, Worcester, Fox 2 (Traverse), 7:15. 3, Worcester, Traverse 2 (unassisted) 13:50 (pp)
Penalties: McBride Hfd (interference), 3:11; Sauer Hfd (interference), 5:37; McLaren Wor (fighting), 7:20; Byers Hfd (fighting), 7:20; Couture Wor (hooking), 8:35; Cavanagh Wor (hooking), 9:54; Moore Wor (roughing), 11:11; Dupont Hfd (roughing), 11:11; Potter Hfd (tripping), 12:49; Byers Hfd (roughing), 13:40; Weise Hfd (charging), 18:48; Vesce Wor (tripping), 19:46.
2nd Period
No Scoring
Penalties: Staubitz Wor (roughing), 3:19; Sauer Hfd (tripping), 17:48.
3rd Period
Scoring: 4, Hartford, Byers 2 (Potter, Sanguinetti), 13:33 (pp)
Penalties: Zalewski Wor (tripping), 11:15; Moore Wor (delay of game), 11:49.
Shots on Goal
Worcester 13-10-3-26
Hartford 4-9-15-28.
Power-play opportunities: Worcester 2 of 6; Hartford 1 of 6.
Goalies
Worcester, Greiss 3-2-0 (28 shots-27 saves)
Hartford, Zaba 2-3-0 (26 shots-23 saves).
A-1,857. Referees: Terry Koharski (10). Linesmen: Paul Simeon (66), Chris Low (88).

My Experience Installing Windows 7RC

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my project last weekend was in upgrading my laptop from Windows 7 Public Beta to Windows 7 Release Candidate. (Win7RC is being made available to the general public starting today, but it was released through MSDN and TechNet last week.) I thought I’d write a few words on my experience.
Overall, the process was mostly uneventful. The public beta was surprisingly stable, with only a couple of bugs at the “minor annoyance” level:
The wallpaper shuffler under 7 Beta would occasionally hang.
The icons on the task bar were too widely spaced, and differentiating between “pinned” and minimized apps took getting used to. (Not a bug per sé, but an annoyance.)
The Nvidia video driver used by my laptop under Windows 7 was prone to crashing.
Other programs and drivers required installing under Vista-compatible mode.
The first two items in that bullet list have been addressed. The video driver seems more stable, but still at risk of crashes. And the program/other driver compatibility headaches still exist, as they are probably due to restrictions in the installers for those apps/drivers.
Other than the build number changing, in the branding on the desktop, and the visual fixes…to be honest, it’s very hard to tell a difference between 7 Beta and 7RC.
There were a few things that did annoy me with the process…although they are more gripes about the state of personal computing (and the burdens borne by playing with beta software) than issues with Windows 7 itself:
I did a system wipe/complete reinstall when upgrading. The little bit of early grumbling I saw of 7RC seems to have come from folks who may have attempted an upgrade. The reinstall path is a hassle, but it avoids issues caused by post-upgrade messes and conflicts.
While the Windows 7 installation was quick, reinstalling all my software took forever (in particular, the 1.2 gig required to bring Office 07 up-to-date). I remember back in the day, reinstalling software could be as simple as just restoring from backup. It would be nice if the software-reinstall part of the process could be streamlined. At least, the hassle provides a great excuse to lose programs I don’t actually need installed.
Having learned from my experience with rsync in January, moving from Vista to 7 Beta, I used Microsoft’s Easy Transfer utility to move personal files to/from an external drive for the wipe/reinstall. It really was easy, if a bit slow. For most users it probably would Just Work. I did, however, run into a couple of annoyances:
.lnk files (shortcuts) weren’t brought over, but I could recreate them manually
Taskbar-pinned icons migrated as undeletable white icons; I had to re-pin the apps (after reinstalling) and then un-pin if I wanted to get rid of them.
Customizations to the shortcut bar in Office ’07 apps were lost, and had to be recreated.
Office 07 custom themes weren’t migrated; I had to recover those style files from a backup of …AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Quick Styles
My Outlook macros weren’t migrated. I was had to scrounge a copy of VbaProject.OTM from a backup of …AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook to regain my GTD customizations.
I’m glad I remembered another couple of lessons from past experience: exporting firewall profiles and scheduled tasks, and importing them post-reinstall was quick, and saved me quite a bit of tweak-work.
Outlook 07, Windows 7RC, and AVG don’t currently play well together. Microsoft seems to have made a minor modification to how Windows and antivirus software talk to one another, causing Windows to not be able to verify AVG’s status. As a security measure, Outlook 07 locks down programmatic access…which can be a headache. (I haven’t been able to use “Send to Email Recipient” from Office apps since the reinstall.) Hopefully, that will be addressed by a future update to AVG.
I’m a little concerned about the warning I got when bringing iTunes back, about how I had authorized my account on a third computer…and that the maximum number of authorizations was 5. Considering that I’ve only used iTunes on this one machine (which I’ve wiped/reinstalled/upgraded twice), I’m left to wonder if Steve Jobs is seeking to discourage PC users from being responsible in discincenting major system cleanups. I’ll have at least one more reinstall (when Win 7 is officially released), and someday I will move to a new computer. I wonder what sort of bribe I’ll have to give to Apple to permit me to keep the few apps and songs I’ve bought.
Despite those gripes, I’ve been pleased with my Windows 7 experience. It’s more stable than any prior version of Windows I’ve worked with before (knock wood), and it’s aesthetically pleasing (which is important when you spend all day at a computer). 7RC also feels a little snappier than 7Beta, but that could be a fringe benefit of wiping 5 months of crap off the hard drive and starting over.

See Yourself in Mercendes-Benz GLK

Mercedes-Benz Canada recently launched their microsite in support of the Canadian Introduction of their all new GLK, a mid size premium SUV.
The microsite was inspired by the innovative design of the bold new GLK. The site offers a lot of technical and product insights, features that essential for prospective buyers. Once you enter the site, an introduction will ask you "Where Do You See Yourself?” by clicking this unique personality profiler will help visitors to create an image of their own GLK experience and at the end you can download your GLK personality image as your desktop wallpaper. The site also features an interactive gallery full of all new GLK high-quality images and videos.
The key objective of the site was perfectly executed, the interactive capability really send the messages straight to prospective buyers, creating an emotional connection to GLK. With the boxy and edgy style of GLK make the black theme concept reflect its target demography.
The site also offer a social share buttons, like facebook, digg, delicious and a link that you can use to share the site to your circle of friends. A free sign up for e-updates also included.
If you think you are ready for a test drive, a “book a test drive” link is also available and if the price is your concern why not check “build and price” link and start your GLK experience and see yourself driving your own Mercedes GLK Here.

Enhancing Conditional Routing in Rails

routing infrastructure supports the concept of conditional routes: preconditions that must be satisfied before a particular route will trigger. Rails 2.1 supports one built-in condition, HTTP method checking, which is of some use but rather limited. What I needed was to be able to limit certain routes to only trigger when a particular host-name was used to access the application. I thought Id have to write messy additional logic until a little comment tucked away in ActionController::Routing::RouteSet and ActionController::Routing::Routing caught my eye. Here I briefly show you how to leverage this functionality for your own purposes. The Goal  Conditional Routes in routes.rb Lets work backwards and see the result I was aiming for. I wanted to expand the existing capabilities of the routing engine and be able to restrict routes to specific hosts. The conditional routing option works by adding a parameter to your route specifications. Here are some examples: map.with_options(:controller => 'feeds', :conditions => {:hosts => MY_HOSTS}) do feed feed.feeds_articles '/feeds/articles', :action => 'articles' feed.feeds_podcast '/feeds/podcast', :action => 'podcast' end or map.resources :podcasts, :conditions => {:hosts => MY_HOSTS}, :member => {:show_notes => :get, :transcript => :get}, :collection => {:admin => :get} do podcast podcast.resources :comments, :member => {:report_as_ham => :get, :report_as_spam => :get} end or even map.connect ':controller/:action/:id', :conditions => {:hosts => MY_HOSTS} In Rails 2.1, however, no such option :hosts exists, only an option to check the HTTP method via :method. The Implementation I havent really ever needed to use the conditional routing support before, and didnt really think about it due to it only supporting the HTTP method check. For that reason, I originally thought Id have to write my own logic, either patching existing Routing routines (nearly right!) or by writing new stuff that could get messy (bad idea). During a last scan through the code for the keyword conditions, I saw this comment: # Plugins may override this method to add other conditions, like checks on # host, subdomain, and so forth. Note that changes here only affect route # recognition, not generation. Good, a place to start afterall! The solution is elegant as it only requires overriding two simple routines. You can do this in your own app by writing code that gets loaded at startup. Here is one implementation in its entirety: require 'action_controller' module ActionController module Routing class RouteSet def extract_request_environment(request) { :method => request.method, :host => request.host } end end class Route def recognition_conditions result = ["(match = #{Regexp.new(recognition_pattern).inspect}.match(path))"] result << "conditions[:method] === env[:method]" if conditions[:method] result << "conditions[:hosts].include?(env[:host])" if conditions[:hosts] result end end end end My code is very simplistic and tuned for my needs, but gives you an example of where to patch in. Here, I simply supply a list of host names I care about, and check the incoming host against that list. Use extract_request_environment to parse out and store any data you will want to use in your conditional checks. This data will be available in the env hash later on. recognition_conditions generates an Array of String objects that contain the Ruby code that will be used to build dynamic conditional test methods when the routing engine compiles the routes data in routes.rb. I drop the source file into my projects pre-existing lib/plugins/action_controller_extensions/lib directory as action_controller_extensions.rb and include an init.rb loader stub in my lib/plugins/action_controller_extensions directory: require 'action_controller_extensions' My app deals with loading up such plugins at startup. You may have a different set-up. You can get the same effect by putting a require for the main source file in your startup code. It would be great to see other generally useful conditionals contributed by the community.

The Obligatory Easter Egg Post

Gary LemasterFirst, I'd like to wish a Happy Easter to all of my readers who celebrate it. I thought a fancy egg post would be most appropriate today, and a real expert at this sort of thing is egg shell artist, Gary Lemaster. (I thought my friend, Tracy Broback's children might especially enjoy this one.)Gary LeMaster is the artist who creates these incredible carvings.Gary writes:"Almost everyone asks me what the eggs are made of, thinking that no one in their right mind would attempt to carve a real eggshell. They see that they are "egg-shaped" but assume that they are either ceramic or plastic. Despite that, they are - in fact - real eggshells, constructed primarily of calcium carbonate and produced in their original form by real geese, ostrich, rhea, emu, turkeys, chickens, etc." "First, I empty and clean each egg. After the egg has dried, I use a lead pencil to sketch the details of my artwork directly on the shell. I then cut away appropriate sections of the design or engrave the surface of the shell (or both), using a variety of diamond and carbide cutting tools. My tool of choice is a dental handpiece powered by an air compressor which generates over 400,000 rpm's for the burs to do their job.""Once the egg has been fully worked, I use my hands and an abrasive cleanser to remove any remaining pencil marks. The egg is then submerged in two bleach baths to disintegrate any membrane residue from the inside surface. Finally, the egg is signed and sealed with three or four coats of lacquer. It is then placed on a stand inside a glass dome to preserve and enhance its beauty. Each egg is, of course, signed anddated by the artist and comes with a signed and dated certificate of authenticity stating the title of the egg and avowing that each egg is made by hand."Gary has a web site called, "The Eggshell Sculptor" Click HERE to see more of his beautiful work.

CitiField may become a hunk of junk

From the NY Post: The Mets are striking out with Wall Street's bond investors after the credit rating of team's new home Citi Field got slammed with a threat of being downgraded to junk status.Moody's Investors Service said yesterday it might trash Citi Field's ratings on $613 million it borrowed in 2006 through bonds to erect the stadium, which opened last month.The problem isn't the team's under-performance this season or a shortage of loyal fans. Moody's says the monkey wrench is that the backup insurance guaranteeing that the bonds would be repaid could be on the skids due to the recession.The backup guarantees were provided by Ambac Assurance Corp., which itself has fallen on hard times and got downgraded itself -- leaving all its paper similarly tainted in Moody's view.

Squawkback: What Are Your Tips for Buying Used Cars?

It has been a while since Ive posted a Squawkback reader question. Id love to hear your tips, gotchas, and tricks when shopping for and buying used cars. Ever since my better halfs 2005 Subaru Impreza was in a crazy accident and declared a total write-off by the insurance company, weve been in the market to replace our wheels. The challenge is, I have no idea how to buy a used car. Weve looked for used cars online, used cars by owner, and checked out various used car dealers. Im stumped. Im not loving the wheelin and dealin games and I want to avoid buying an expensive lemon. So if youve got some ideas on how to save money on a quality used car Id love to hear from you. What are your tips, tricks, and gotchas for buying used cars? Pre-order Squawkfoxs book 397 Ways To Save Money from Amazon.ca! Top Squawks 50 Ways to Save $1,000 a Year How to Write a Resume (series) How I paid off my $17,000 debt in six months How To Buy Life Insurance Without Getting Screwed Free Printable Workout Log Download your free eBook: Frugal Food  Fitness

China's Xinjiang hit by violence

Three people have been killed and more than 20 injured in violence in the city of Urumqi in China's restive Xinjiang region, state media says.

China babies 'sold for adoption'

Dozens of baby girls in southern China have reportedly been taken from parents who broke family-planning laws, and then sold for adoption overseas.

brighton

Saturday, 1 November, was world vegan day, and Daiku and I got to celebrate it in style by meeting up with a bunch of awesome people in perhaps England's most vegan city: Brighton! People came from as far afield as London and even the Netherlands for this day. We shopped for vegan shoes at Vegetarian Shoes, saw the sites, went antiquing, and I even got to see an original Banksy! But above all, we ate.First, the Brighton kids took us out-of-towners to Infinity market, one of the biggest and best health food stores I've ever seen. I stocked up on nutritional yeast (I didn't know I'd miss it so much!) and other essentials. The best part was their bakery had fresh-baked scones (pictured above) and Chelsea buns. This was my first time getting to taste these British delicacies and they were so good!Here's Jojo holding up... vegan haggis! I just had to get it (it gets its own post, coming soon!)Next, we headed to The George, a vegan and vegetarian pub! How cool is that- this was the first time I got to go to a pub and order anything other than chips. But first, I passed out some American vegan goodies- oreos, sour patch kids, and tings!Ok, if you were at a restaurant and their special for the day was the Elvis burger- a veggie burger with cheese, peanut butter and banana- wouldn't you order it? Most of us did! And you know what? It was actually really good!Daiku ordered the mushroom and ale pie, which turned out to be huge- and very satisfying.Next, we headed over to Infinity Café, for hot drinks. I thought, since I'd already had an Elvis burger, not to mention a scone AND a chelsea bun, that I was full, but then this fudgey chocolate cake caught my eye. Who can say no to vegan dessert? Not me! Our party also tried their almond cake and some other delicacies- all very well prepared and extremely tasty.Even though it was a blistery and rainy day, we all had so much fun! To see other photos from this meet-up, take a look at my Brighton flickr set.

"Audi--Like My Belly Button?" Life with Four Kids and an Audi R8

Sometimes its good to be me. For instance, Audi wanted me to blog about its super, duper R8 sports car, so this kind person showed up at my house and handed me the keys to one. Holy kaw! Pinch me: am I awake? This produced a stunning upgrade in my automotive image from a Toyota Sienna. R8 Coupe quattro MT6 specs: 420 horsepower, all-wheel drive (quattro), 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds. Sticker price: $126,850 as delivered to me. (The Sienna is the car on the left in case you dont know what a Sienna looks like.) The coolest part of the design is that you can see the engine under glass. Close up of the brakes. Listen to a demonstration of its ABS system here. This will give you an idea of how low the low-profile tires are. I love the back-up camera systemnot that you have to buy a $125,000 car to get one. Its a family car too! After my daughter rode in it for fifteen minutes, this conversation took place: Daughter: So is this a Honda? Me: No, this isnt a Honda. Its an Audi. Daughter: Audi? Like my belly button? Me: No, thats outie. This is an Owdee as in the union of Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer. This is the only way to carry hockey sticks. Because they sure wont fit in the trunk. There is ample space to carry a 13-inch Macbook, though. This is the only thing I didnt like about the interior: the gas and trunk release switches are somewhat hidden. Sure, honey, eat your ice cream cone in Audis car. Driving an R8 gives a whole new meaning to picking up some fast food. You never have to worry about crushing the front spoiler if you drive a Sienna to the fast-food place. I had to let Mike Boich drive it. After all, he gave me my first job at Apple. The DellAquilas loved it it too. Will Mayall, my partner at Alltop. By the way, we do have Audi.alltop for those of you who want to follow all the news and blogs about Audi. Sachin Agarwal, co-founder of Posterous. Now hell tell you that I am truly a value-add investor! Craig Hosoda, sound and video expert. had a spin in it too. We tried to attach a digital recorder to capture the sound of the exhaust, but it didnt work because of the vibration. But you can hear what sitting inside the car sounds like here Good news, bad news. After a mere week, my buddy came to take away the R8, but he left me a Q7 diesel. Bye, bye R8! With four kids, its not something that I could use, but the day-to-day drivability of this exotic car was truly impressive. Couple the distinctive nature of its design (its far less pretentious than a Ferrari, not nearly as common as a 911, and not soul-less like Japanese sports cars) and its all-wheel drive, and Audi has a winner in my book. My buddies at FixmyPhoto cleaned up these pictures for me. Whenever I do a blog post like this one, I send them the photos and they work their magic on them—saving me hours. If you'd like to give the service a try, click here and get a $5.00 discount coupon.

Everything you need to know about swine flu

If you suspect you have the swine flu, or if you have recently traveled to Mexico or had contact with someone who has been diagnosed with it, definitely do not panic. Most of the cases of the flu are no different than the common flu contacted on a daily basis.According to the Mayo Clinic, the swine flu (more commonly referred to as h1n1 influenza virus) is contacted from infected pigs, and infects the cells lining your nose, throat and lungs. The virus enters your body when you inhale contaminated droplets or transfer live virus from a contaminated surface to your eyes, nose or mouth on your hand.Note the virus is not airborn. It can only be contacted if you breath in actual air droplets from a contaminated person, such as when a contaminated person sneezes.It is for this reason why a simple mask can protect one from getting the virus when exposed to a contaminated person; that and good hand washing.The following are the symptoms of the swine flu to watch out for as recorded by the the Mayo Clinic. They usually occur 3-5 days after contact with the virus is made:Fever Cough Sore throat Body aches Headache Chills Fatigue Diarrhea Vomiting The Mayo Clinic reports that you should: "See your doctor immediately if you develop flu symptoms, such as fever, cough and body aches, and you have recently traveled to an area where H1N1 swine flu has been reported. Be sure to let your doctor know when and where you traveled. Doctors have rapid tests to identify the flu virus, but there is no rapid test to differentiate swine influenza A H1N1 from other influenza A subtypes."Click here for more steps to help decrease your chances or your family from contacting the virus.The key here is to see your doctor. You do not need to panic and inundate already busy emergency rooms. I think that is one of the main concerns of the government is a panic will ensue, and ERs will be inundated and overwhelmed.So, don't panic. Call your doctor if you think you have the flu and have comfort knowing most cases are generally mild and no more potent than the normal flu people get on a yearly bases.Technically speaking, there is no treatment for the disease other than to treat the symptoms. For example, if vomiting causes diarrhea, re hydration methods may be indicated. If you have asthma, or other chronic lung disease, your doctor may prescribe additional anti-inflammatory medicines such as oral prednisone.There two antiviral drugs on the market the swine flu appears to be sensitive to, which may reduce symptoms and duration of the flu. They are called Tamiflu and Relenza. When the government declared a state of emergency yesterday, they basically made back up supplies of these drugs available to all areas in need.However, most experts contend that if you suspect you have the flu you need to let your doctor know ASAP because Tamiflu and Relenza are most effective if given within the 1st 48 hours.The key here is not to panic. Even if a pandemic is declared at some point (as of yet is has not), it is important to know that most cases of swine flu are mild and will pass without any long term complications.The most important thing you can do is know that the swine flu can be obtained from person to person contact, or by touching surfaces containing the virus. So, the Center for Disease Control recommends the following to Prevent yourself from getting the Swine flu:"First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick." There, that's all you need to know about the swine flu. Don't panic, but be vigilant and wash your hands often, which is something you should do all the time anyway.For the latest updates on swine flu and flu symptoms, click here.

Of cow parts and dog parts

Body part puzzler of the day: why is it cruel to dock cows' tails, but kind to cut out the reproductive organs of young puppies?I'm talking about the mandatory surgical removal of a puppy's reproductive organs — and you better get it done by six months, sez California's SB 250, because the minute your pup is six months old the existence of his reproductive organs will transform your irresponsible self into a for-reals dog breeder who must pay the state higher licensing fees on account of all the unplanned-for and unwanted puppies you'll be dropping off at the pound, you heartless witch, you. [Apologies for posting the SB 250 link: it's mainly a mashup of AB 1634 materials brought to you, once again, by Judie "if you have an intact animal, you're part of the problem" Mancuso.]I'm wondering about the irony of it all because I'm not convinced dairy cows need their tails more than a Rottie mix, say, needs his balls. Cows use their tails to swat flies, which is certainly important. A Rottie needs his [or her] reproductive organs until he [or she] is at least a year old, to ward off a greatly-increased risk of bone cancer. Very, very important. [Don't take my word for it: read the PubMed link.]I'm wondering because over in enlightened Scandinavia, Norway's Welfare of Animals Act prohibits the spay/neuter of dogs "unless it is necessary from a medical point of view." Sweden's Animal Protection Act concurs: it's unethical to spay/neuter without medical cause.So what's up with animal welfare in the US? How is it that being a "responsible" pet owner here in California might soon involve mandatory surgery on your pet rather than, you know, actual responsibility? What kind of state mandates removal of your dog's reproductive parts - then turns around and punishes people for cutting tails off cows?"The ASPCA does not support local laws that mandate the sterilization of all cats and dogs."I would love to ask State Senator Dean Florez about all this, since he opposes the docking of cow tails and is the author of SB 250 -- the "Pet Responsibility Act" -- but the senator is a very busy man. Seriously, a state senator has so many things on his plate that he needs aides and lobbyists to help him examine all of the issues in depth, or "in depth." Jennifer Fearing, a lobbyist for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) [...] and her boss, HSUS president Wayne Pacelle, sat down with Florez in December to talk strategy."Twenty years of attempting to pass modest reforms on animal welfare have gotten us nowhere," Fearing said. "Does it really have to be this way? We posed that question to Senator Florez as someone who had really supported Prop. 2."Senator Florez reads Michael Pollan and comes to his position as chair of the Senate Food and Ag Committee with a farmworker's perspective, and I think that's great. Such a perspective is badly needed.But Senator Florez may not know that the HSUS leadership opposes animal agriculture. I suspect that when the ag industry reps worry about Florez, it's because they understand the HSUS goals and ideology better than he does.And I'm not sure Senator Florez knows what it means to dog owners when HSUS CEO Pacelle tells author Ted Kerasote, "I don’t want to see another dog or cat born." When dog owners protest bills like Florez' SB 250, we are protesting, among other things, the involvement of lobbyists like Pacelle in decisions that should be left to individual dog owners and their veterinarians.I'm opposed to the docking of cows' tails. I think it's terrific that Senator Florez has authored a bill to phase out the use of non-therapeutic antibiotics in animals meant for human consumption. I, too, read Michael Pollan. And as the granddaughter of Mexican migrant workers, I'm glad that Florez [who, like my dad, grew up picking crops] has a voice in California's ag policy.I also love dogs. I adopt dogs and train dogs and read about dogs and spend lots of money on dog care. I wish there were some way I could sit down with Senator Florez and explain why the AVMA, the CVMA, the ASPCA, No-Kill leader Nathan Winograd [pdf link] and countless other groups and individuals - responsible, caring, educated groups and individuals - are so opposed to mandatory spay/neuter.Because no matter what Judy Mancuso and Wayne Pacelle say, MSN doesn't work. It hasn't worked anywhere, and it doesn't help animals. All the spin in the world won't change that.Oh, and did I ever tell you about the Aussie that I pulled from the pound up in Hanford? She was wormy and her coat was falling out and no one wanted her, but she was quite wonderful and now she lives a fine life with a nice man in San Diego and by the way, she'd been spayed before she wound up at the pound. Perhaps by the same "responsible" owners who never came looking for her, if such a thing can be believed.Then again, I'm just a border collie & pit bull person who favors late spay/neuter and shudders at the thought of politicians telling me what medical procedures must be performed on my dogs, so what do I know.Now living the life of Riley - thank you for your help, SoCal Aussie Rescue!Link to AVMA position statement on dog and cat population control. Excerpt:The AVMA does not support regulations or legislation mandating spay/neuter of privately owned, non-shelter dogs and cats. Although spaying and neutering helps control dog and cat populations, mandatory approaches may contribute to pet owners avoiding licensing, rabies vaccination and veterinary care for their pets, and may have other unintended consequences.Link to ASPCA position statement on mandatory spay/neuter laws. Excerpt:To the knowledge of the ASPCA, the only method of population control that has demonstrated long-term efficacy in significantly reducing the number of animals entering animal shelters is the voluntary sterilization of owned pets (Clancy & Rowan 2003; FIREPAW, 2004; Secovich, 2003). There is also evidence that sterilizing very specific, at-risk sub-populations of companion animals such as feral cats and animals in shelters can also contribute to reductions in overpopulation (Zawistowski et al., 1998; Clancy & Rowan 2003; Levy et al., 2003; Lord et al., 2006; Natoli et al., 2006). In contrast, the ASPCA is not aware of any credible evidence demonstrating a statistically significant enhancement in the reduction of shelter intake or euthanasia as a result of the implementation of a mandatory spay/neuter law.

Shopping street

Mali update!

Hi. Lisa just talked on skype with Pastor Youssouf back in Mali.He has good news about the literacy camp ministry this year.(Literacy camp is held in dry season so unoccupiedillagers/farmers can take a concentrated time to advance in studies.)Last year, we had a small turnout for camp. (or so I thought). We had about 8 guys who came for literacy camp in Kadiolo. I asked Youssouf about it, kind of disappointed. He said, "Oh, you don't know... We have 23 in the village this year, and our other pastor is teaching." So we had actually grown the size of our literacy camp by splitting it up between teachers.This pic is of Pastor Youssouf, and two of our village pastors. (All of our pastors including Youssouf accepted Christ through the literacy program. )So yesterday, in talking about the literacy ministry, Pastor Youssouf reports to Lisa that we had about 16 in Kadiolo, and about 23 students in the village.Praise God!!Also, of the 16 in Kadiolo, 3 were m-lim women who came to learn! That is exciting! So Lisa suggested that after the short camp period was over, they could join the women already meeting at our house. We are excited that God is continuing to move, even in our absense.This pic is some of the women involved in literacy that these new women would join.Continue to pray that these ministries make an impact for Christ.Thanks for stopping byTom & Lisa

Fraud suspect shot by police www.privateofficer.com

Chicago IL May 10 2009 abc7.com A shooting occurred on Chicago's Magnificent Mile during a busy Saturday afternoon shopping day.Police say a woman was shot in the stomach after she struggled with an officer for his gun.Officers approached the woman after employees at a store thought she was trying to use a stolen credit card.The incident began at the Louis Vuitton store in the 900 block of North Michigan Avenue. The woman was shot outside on nearby Walton Place.Louis Vuitton employees suspected their customer was trying to buy a pricey purse using stolen credit cards and identification. Store security called police. That's when the woman is said to have fled to a getaway car idling around the corner. A pair of police officers confronted her there."There was a struggle where she eventually made it to a vehicle. She made it to the vehicle, at which point a shot was fired," said Chicago police department Cmdr. Eric Washington."A young woman, there was a car. Both doors were open. She was on the ground. The first thought was the worst, but then I could see her breathing," said witness Mike Marshall."Screaming and moaning. You couldn't understand what she was saying, but she was conscious. She lifted her head a couple of times. She was laying on her stomach," witness Andrea Cole said.Officers swarmed an area unaccustomed to gunfire. That's when a man, believed to be the woman's accomplice, ran off trying to blend in to the crowd of Mag Mile shoppers." [A]ll of a sudden, undercover cops came out of nowhere, grabbed him and threw him up against one of those posts, and then quickly got him in their car," said Cole.Police were interviewing the male accomplice Saturday evening. They would not comment on the woman's condition other that to say that she was hospitalized.The two officers who responded to the scene initially sustained minor injuries and were also hospitalized Saturday evening for observation.Follow Us On Twitter/privateofficerJoin Us At MySpace/privateofficernewsJoin The National Association of Private Officerswww.privateofficer.com

Council of Faiths & the fire bombing

A statement has been made by the Council of Faiths in Luton over the recent fire bombing of the Islamic centre in Bury Park Luton.They say, quote: 'So during this difficult and challenging time we strongly urge forces of moderation to remain strongly committed in searching for a sustainable peaceful and harmonious co-existence.If the police arrested the Islamic militant group that is headed up by Sayful Islam, or gave them ASBOS from entering Luton town centre where people's families and children do their shopping on a daily basis then the community would find some sort of harmony in the aftermath of the hate that is aimed at them from the militant part of the local Islamic religion.Until then it is everybody elses fault by the Islamic militants fault who have been the ones to provoke someone into action.For every action there is a reaction so people should not forget that Bury Park took centre stage on the morning of 7/7 when they blew up our country and killed 52 people and injured over 700, or during the biggest anti-terror operation at that time 'Operation Crevice' where the bomb maker from Bury Park was wanting to try and obtain a dirty bomb from the Russian mafia, or more recently the disruption of our returning troops to the town.If the police and local government listened to the concerns of the community and acted, then these types of events would not take place. Instead the community is ignored, and vilified as right wing extremists and fascists if they object to militant Islam in their midst, by those same people whose responsibility it is to uphold and protect the local society in which we live.Do anything, but just do not upset the Islamic community seems to be the order of the day, even at the expense of those of us living in the wider community.You try living around the Luton, Dunstable & Bedford area which is a known Al Qaeda stronghold in Great Britain.The streets are awash with Afghani heroin and Al Qaeda terrorists!!!Not a very nice environment to be bringing up our next generation in is it?Whats life like on street level?L&D Express: Council of Faiths 'shock' at arson attackLuton Council of Faiths has released a statement regarding the arson attack on the Islamic Centre.The building in Bury Park Road was severely damaged by the fire, which began at around 12.10am on Tuesday (May 5).No one was hurt during the attack but the blaze is believed to have gutted much of the building and the police are investigating.The statement said: 'We, the Luton Council of Faiths , a voluntary body of the Luton’s different faiths and cultures, are deeply shocked by the attack on the Islamic Centre in Bury Park area of Luton.'We note with regret and extreme sadness that the extremist views and actions across ethnic and religious backgrounds are affecting people of Luton negatively.'The sanctity of places of worship is an internationally accepted responsibility and as a faiths council we are extremely distressed at the way in which the Islamic Centre has been attacked as much as we were distressed when earlier the Quaker Centre called Friends Meeting House in Luton was broken into.'So during this difficult and challenging time we strongly urge forces of moderation to remain strongly committed in searching for a sustainable peaceful and harmonious co-existence.'We pledge our strong resolve to continue playing an active role in improving understanding and respect amongst the many religious and culturally diverse communities in the town.'Through this statement we wish to convey a message of unity and solidarity against all forms of extremism, and as people of faith express our firm determination and strong commitment to combat extremism in all its forms'.

Errol Flynn In the 30's

THIS DAY IN HISOTRY4/24/1934 HCN BANDIT LOOTS HOME OF FILM ACTRESS' KIN Forcing Mrs. Margaret Grow, elderly, a housekeeper, to act as a guide, a bandit looted the Santa Monica home of Mr. and Mrs. Fred J. Finch, parents of Gloria Stuart, film actress, of $2,000 worth of jewelry, police reported today. The robber last night entered the residence at 731 San Vicente Blvd., through a window and, pointing a gun at the housekeeper, ordered her to show him about the premises. Various rooms were ransacked. The actress' parents returned home shortly after the intruder had fled.4/24/1934 HCN Elizabeth Yeaman A portion of the enormous production schedule planned by Warners will be made in England. This company has made an outright purchase of the Teddington studio near London. And during the coming year Warners will produce at least 30 pictures at this studio, about half of which will be released in this country. This company is not new to the English production field, since Warners have been leasing the Teddington studio for some time, and Irving Asher from Hollywood has been over there supervising production. Whether there will be an interchange of English and Hollywood talent is a matter to be decided in the future. However, Asher has announced plans to make some pictures with former Hollywood stars. Laura LaPlante will be the star of two Warner English productions. Hoot Gibson will go to England to make an English western picture for this company, and Reginald Denny is listed for another film. Denny is still in Hollywood and at the moment is keeping busy at Radio Pictures. Warners first started producing in England to increase the quota of their Hollywood pictures for showing over there. The English quota laws are strict regarding importation of films. Pictures may be produced over there for less than the cost of a good story here, hence all English film ventures are profitable. Warners plan to overhaul the Teddington studio, constructing some new buildings and installing modern equipment. .... Spy stories are one of the most thrilling forms of mystery tales, and MGM apparently feels that this type of story is pretty important, since Clark Gable has been announced as the star of Blonde Countess, a spy story by Major Herbert O. Yardley, who organized and was former head of the American Black Chamber. In short, the author is an expert on deciphering codes. Since Gable is to be the star, the title will be changed, probably to give the picture a more masculine note. However, that title certainly suggests Jean Harlow for the feminine lead, and in the event that she should be selected to play with Gable, they might keep that title. Jean has never portrayed a spy decoy, but I should think she could. .... Radio Pictures is now carrying on negotiations in London for the purchase of film rights to the first two volumes of Galsworthy's "Forsyte Saga." The property is wanted as a starring vehicle for Irene Dunne, and if purchased it will bring a large sum of money. All of which means that Miss Dunne is receiving more attention and exploitation than has fallen to her lot in several years. And now it is time that I straightened out a bad slip which appeared in this column some days ago. In announcing MGM's plans to star Helen Hayes in Vanessa, I proceeded to elaborate hurriedly and said that Vanessa was the fourth book in the series of the "Forsyte Saga!" Vanessa was written by Hugh Walpole and is the fourth book in the series of the Heries family. I knew it all the time, only when you watch the clock creeping up as the deadline approaches, you're liable to jumble the names of your own father and mother. .... Just Out of College is the title of a story by Robert Lee Johnson which Warners have bought for the screen. As the title would suggest this story deals with the problems confronting college students who seek jobs after graduation. It's really a wonder somebody hasn't thought of dramatizing this very common problem before. There are four boys in this story, which means that there will be good roles for four juvenile actors in the picture. .... And speaking of juveniles, six have been signed by MGM for the roles of Elizabeth Barrett's six brothers in The Barretts of Wimpole Street, starring Norma Shearer and Fredric March. They are Vernon Browning, Neville Clark, Matthew Smith, Robert Carlton, Allan Conrad and Peter Hobbes. Young Hobbes is the son of Halliwell Hobbes, well known film character actor. In selecting the boys to portray the six brothers, MGM endeavored to choose those who might be regarded as bearing a family resemblance. .... Francis Lederer, who officiated at the opening of the Tingel-Tangel Theater some weeks ago, is to serve in similar capacity at the opening of Joan Crawford's little private theater in about two weeks. Joan's new theater, being built in her back yard, is not a film theater, but a miniature legitimate theater with a seating capacity of 36. Lederer will dedicate the theater when it is opened to Joan's friends, and he might even perform in a play to be produced there. Lederer, since closing his engagement in "Autumn Crocus" in San Francisco, has been busy moving into a new home near Girard. And his chief aide in the moving was Steffi Duna, the little star at the Tingel-Tangel who now has a film contract. Whether Lederer denies a serious romance with Miss Duna or not, the fact remains that he appears to be rather deeply interested in her. When both first came to Hollywood they used to sneak into a nearby corner drugstore for tete-a-tete luncheons! .... Albert George, who digs ditches at MGM between singing assignments, will discard his pick and shovel during the next few weeks and take a singing role in The Merry Widow with Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald.Errol Flynn In the 30'sABBREVIATIONSDMN – Dallas Morning NewsDN – Daily News (Los Angeles)FD – Film DailyEHE – Los Angeles Evening Herald ExpressHCN – Hollywood Citizen NewsIDN – Los Angeles Illustrated Daily NewsLAX – Los Angeles ExaminerMPH – Motion Picture HeraldSFC – San Francisco Chronicle7/1/1930 HDC Several thousand "extras" will be used in the filming of Raphael Sabatini's stirring sea-story, Captain Blood, by First National, and we are happy to pass on this good word to Hollywood "extras" who may have been just pining to "do a sea picture." An entire fleet of pirate craft is being assembled now, with careful attention paid to authenticity of detail in the matter of build and rigging of historic pirate vessels. Practically all the scenes, we understand, will be made on shipboard. Resolved to not cheat the public, director Frank Lloyd is insisting on making many of the exterior scenes in the South Seas, the locale of the story, and will sail with a small windjammer fleet for those romantic latitudes as soon as the studio sequences are completed. James Rennie, already popular in The Girl of the Golden West and The Bad Man, will play the title role, assuming that role as soon as he finishes his present work with Richard Barthelmess in Adios. Captain Blood is to be a tremendous undertaking.8/1/1934 HCN Elizabeth Yeaman There's a possibility that Paul Muni may be the star of Captain Blood when that picture is re-made by Warners.11/21/1934 LAX Louella O. Parsons A test sent from London worked wonders for Errol Flynn, British matinee idol. Irving Asher, in charge of Warner Brothers' European productions, sent a test of Flynn to Jack Warner, who promptly cabled Irving to sign the tall, dark and virile Irishman. Mr. Flynn is coming here the first of the year and—girls—according to J.L. he is something to see, romantic, handsome and has a background. The boy has had adventures, it seems, and is a soldier of fortune.11/22/1934 HCN Elizabeth Yeaman Errol Flynn, Irish actor who is said to be a London matinee idol, arrives in Hollywood next Sunday, to start on his Warner contract. Flynn has had an extraordinary career, according to all accounts. He is said to have been a gold miner in New Guinea, a pearl diver in the South Seas, and manager of a copra plantation in Borneo!11/29/1934 HCN Elizabeth Yeaman Ever since Errol Flynn, Irish actor, arrived at Warners' two months before he was expected, studio employees who have met him have been lavish in their enthusiasm over the screen possibilities of this newcomer. He is a rugged type, I am told, resembling Charles Bickford a little, only a young man. He is said to be a matinee idol on the English stage, and Warners evidently gave him an important contract, since he has been assigned to be one of the leading roles opposite Kay Francis in A Present From Margate. Ian Hunter, another British player recently placed under contract by Warners has been cast for the other male lead in the picture.11/30/1934 EHE Jimmy Starr Irving Asher, Warners' London laddie in charge of the foreign studio, played "Columbus" and discovered a handsome Irish chap by the name of Errol Flynn. The young newcomer proved himself in Murder at Monte Carlo. Asher figured Flynn had a better chance in Hollywood, and sent him to Jack Warner, who took a quick look at the English-made movie, snapped a contract under Flynn's nose and gave him one of the featured leads with Kay Francis in A Present From Margate, her next film following the current Living on Velvet. Mr. Flynn, it seems has made quite an impression--and good leading men are scarce, you know. 12/1/1934 HCN Behold Them Minus Hokum by Peter Pry Errol Flynn, newly arrived Irish actor, will have to call out the police reserves for protection when the local gals discover that he is independently wealthy and doesn't need to act for a living. Flynn has lots of that appeal too, and is a husky specimen. He hewed a fortune out of a gold mine in New Guinea, he represented Ireland as a boxer in the Olympic Games in 1928, he has braved cannibals, is 25 and has never been married! He has only been acting for two years. And he refused the role of Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream because he didn't want to start his film career by playing the king of the fairies.12/3/1934 EHE Harrison Carroll Actors making their debut in Hollywood usually proceed cautiously. Not so, Errol Flynn, the 25-year-old Irishman signed by Warner Brothers. In the biography charge, which all newcomers are asked to fill out, Flynn gave some answers, that made the boys' eyes pop. For one thing, he listed actors as his pet aversion. And there were some hotter ones but we can't go into them. Flynn is 6 feet 2, weights 180 pounds and his hands are calloused. He is a descendant of Fletcher Christian, of the crew of the famous British ship, the Bounty. he once was a pearl fisherman and he made a good stake for himself prospecting for gold in the heart of New Guinea. In 1928, he represented Ireland in the boxing events of the Olympic Games. And his description of Douglas Fairbanks Jr. will get a chuckle out of Hollywood. Young Doug, he says, has developed an Oxford accent so thick that it is hard for even English people to understand him.12/7/1934 HCN Elizabeth Yeaman When Irish Errol Flynn decided he didn't want to make his screen debut as Oberon, king of the fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Warners tentatively selected Donald Woods for the Part...Now Victor Jory, under contract to Columbia, has been selected for the role of Oberon.12/22/1934 LAX I Cover Hollywood The MGMers should be that happy to know, that Errol Flynn whom they have talent scouts looking for in England and Australia, to say nothing of New Zealand, is right here in the Hollywoods at the moment. Because they saw him in an English version of Mutiny on the Bounty, they now want him for their own version of the same picture, so seeing as how the Gent is actually under contract to Warner Brothers they will have to do some borrowing if they really want him. Mr. Flynn for your edification, is the Gent who was Ireland's contribution as a boxer to our recent Olympic Games.1/11/1935 HCN Elizabeth Yeaman Warners are lining up an all Irish cast for their comedy, The Irish In Us. Phil Regan, Irish singer-actor, is the latest edition to a cast which also lists Jimmy Cagney, Pat O'Brien and Frank McHugh. All those are as good Irish names as you can find. By some strange coincidence, the Irish seem to do well at Warners. On the list of contract writers you will find eighteen rather important names. So there are many more bonafide Irish available for the cast of The Irish In Us if they are needed. Those who might fill the hereditary requirements for the picture are Ruby Keeler, Joan Blondell, Aline McMahon (she's half Irish), George Brent, Hobart Cavanaugh, Henry O'Neill, Genevieve Tobin, Glenda Farrell, Allen Jenkins, William Gargan, Ruth Donnelly, Maxine Doyle, Barton MacLane and Errol Flynn. The later comes from Ireland.1/29/1935 LAX I Cover Hollywood By Lloyd Pantages Errol Flynn is not only a good looker, but a swell actor, so keep your eyes open for this gentleman.2/5/1935 EHE Elizabeth Yeaman Despite the fact that Errol Flynn is an extremely handsome young Irishman and fairly bursting with personality. Warners have cast him as a murderer for his film debut here. He will be the villain in The Case of the Curious Bride, in which Warren Williams has the lead of the sleuthing attorney and Margaret Lindsay and Donald Woods will carry the love interest. Flynn was signed to a contract by Warners last fall and came at once to Hollywood although his contract did not call for his services until the first of the year.2/11/1935 HCN Film Flam with Sidney Skolsky Lili Damita is now Trocaderomancing with Errol Flynn, a new Irish actor under contract to Warners. It's sizzling. 2/14/1935 LAX Louella O. Parsons A little sad for Douglas Fairbanks that Edward Small is making plans to produce Robin Hood with Robert Donat in the leading role. With all respect to the jumping gallant of yesterday, Donat should make the Fairbanks Robin Hood seem like an amateur performance. And Robin Hood was Fairbanks' best picture and made at a time when he was tops in the industry. Donate, whose one picture, The Count of Monte Cristo, gave him an almost unprecedented popularity, is under contract to Warner Brothers. But Edward Small, who brought him to this country, has the right under Donat's arrangement with Warner Brothers, to make one or more pictures with him for United Artists release. And Donat, who has great charm, should be a happy choice for the adventurous Robin Hood.2/22/1935 EHE Jimmy Starr Margaret Lindsay's heavily bandaged wrist, a badly wrenched shoulder and several black and blue marks are all the cause of an overly-enthusiastic newcomer to the screen, handsome Errol Flynn, Irish actor, brought here from England by Warner Brothers. When Mr. Flynn was cast for a small role in The Case of the Curious Bride, his first scene was with Miss Lindsay. He was to grab her and fake a terrific struggle. Mr. Flynn, ex-gold miner of New Guinea, pearl-fishman of the South Seas and boxer in the Olympic Games of 128, suddenly became much too realistic in his handling of the fair heroine. Director Michael Curtiz, enjoying the excitement of the splendid struggle, was too engrossed in getting genuine action in his picture to stop the rough treatment of his star. At the finish of the scene, however, Maggie was rushed to the studio hospital, where she was treated for severe bruises and her sprained wrist. It is needless to say that Mr. Flynn has been warned to curb his "realism" in the future.2/23/1935 HCN Behold Them Minus Hokum By Peter Pry Errol Flynn, the he-man Irish actor under contract to Warners who previously was an Olympic Games boxer, does not entirely realize his strength. For a scene in The Case of the Curious Bride he was told to grab Margaret Lindsay by the wrist and throw her across the room. He did as he was told. Margaret landed 12 feet away. Her hand and arm began to swell with alarming speed. First aid arrived and the swelling members were taped up. But director Michael Curtiz said it was a wonderful scene.3/26/1935 HCN Elizabeth Yeaman Errol Flynn, the husky Irish actor at Warners, gets his second film assignment. He will be seen as a pirate with Robert Donat in Captain Blood. He is the first member of the supporting cast selected. Now it is uncertain if Jean Muir will have the feminine lead.4/2/1935 HCN Elizabeth Yeaman Warners are making expensive preparations for their next big picture, Captain Blood, in which Robert Donat will be starred. At one time Jean Muir was announced for the feminine lead, but now four other actresses besides Jean are being tested for this role. Warners are cloaking the tests with great secrecy, but by snooping I managed to discover that Joan Bennett and Loretta Young are two of the actresses also taking tests for Captain Blood. Donat will not return to Hollywood from England for a week or so, and the picture is scheduled to get started about April 23. Michael Curtiz will be the director. 4/3/1935 HCN Elizabeth Yeaman Yesterday I reported that five actresses were being tested for the feminine lead in Captain Blood at Warners', but I managed to dig up only the names of Jean Muir, Joan Bennett and Loretta Young among those taking tests. Today a fourth name can be added to that list. Bette Davis is receiving elaborate tests, and from all I can gather she has the inside track for the part. Warners are impressed with her acting ability, now that she has convinced them of her ability to portray cheap little tramps with vigor. The role in Captain Blood is that of a gentlewoman and is highly romantic. Bette wants the part to prove her versatility by changing over to this type of role, so don't be surprised if she gets the assignment opposite Robert Donat. Captain Blood will give screen credit to 40 actors! And 20 of its roles are described as outstanding. Among others given tests by Michael Curtiz are Tom Moore, a one-time great favorite who is being tested for the role of a pirate, and Frank McGlynn Sr. The studio is building four ships for the picture at the isthmus at Catalina, and an elaborate pirate dock is being constructed on the lake at the Burbank Studio. Five months of research have been devoted to the picture, which will be one of the big productions of the coming season.4/8/1935 EHE Jimmy Starr Errol Flynn, the new RAVE on the Warner lot, is slated for an important role in Captain Blood, starring Robert Donat.4/17/1935 EHE Harrison Carroll Lily Damita and Errol Flynn are still going places together.4/20/1935 EHE Sally Frank Moore It's Easter in Hollywood and naturally a time for celebration. And our Hollywood socialites are planning any number of gay Easter parties tomorrow. One of the smartest, undoubtedly will be, the buffet supper which the beautiful Dolores Del Rio and her husband, Cedric Gibbons, are giving tomorrow evening at their Santa Monica home. For Dolores and Cedric are among filmdom's most noted hosts and hostesses. In the afternoon, a few friends are coming over early to play tennis. Dolores, who is one of the film colony's best players, joining them in the game. In the evening, this group will be augmented by an imposing list of filmdom's elite, Dolores receiving her guests in a gorgeous pair of blue hostess pajamas. Included in the group of those bidden to the party are Messrs. and Mmes. Robert Montgomery, Irving Thalberg (Norma Shearer), Merian Cooper (Dorothy Jordan), Joel McCrea (Frances Dee), David Selznick Fredric March, Donald Ogden Stewart, Philip Barry and Wells Root. The Countess di Frasso, Gloria Swanson, Jean Harlow, Ann Alvarado, Virginia Bruce, Lili Damita, Betty Hill, Katherine DeMille, Maureen O'Sullivan, Gwili Andre and Jack L. Warner, Herbert Marshall, William Powell, Bert Taylor, Roland Brown, King Vidor, John Farrow, Gene Markey, Whitney de Rham, Willis Goldbeck, Dr. Carl Volmoeller and Errol Flynn.4/22/1935 LAX I Cover Hollywood By Lloyd Pantages Plus Errol Flynn, her steady feller of the moment, Lily Damita has developed a sparkling interest in Man Mountain Dean—of all people. Every time he gives forth in a local wrestling match, Lil can be found hanging over the canvas at ringside...6/3/1935 LAX Reine Davies In colorful and picturesque costumes of all ages and climes, Hollywood's film elite frolicked last night at another of the Countess di Frasso's famous parties in her fashionable Beverly Hills home. She was hostess to more than 150 noted actors and actresses at a farewell given in honor of her brother, Bertram E. Taylor, who is returning to New York after visiting here several months. It also took the form of her own "going away" party. Countess di Frasso will leave Hollywood within the next two weeks for Rome. COSTUME PARTY Invitations to the glittering affair asked guests to wear costumes depicting other persons they admired. And the guests made full use of the privilege, appearing in colorful attire ranging from a "Charlie Chaplin" to the steel armor of Sir Galahad. Guests bid to the countess' party included Mr. and Mrs. Richard Barthelmess, Mr. and Mrs. Wells Root, Mr. and Mrs. Allen Campbell, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wanger, Dr. and Mrs. Harry Martin, Mr. and Mrs. David Selznick, Mr. and Mrs. Cedric Gibbons, Mr. and Mrs. Raoul Walsh. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Montgomery, Mr. and Mrs. Sonny Chalif, Mr. and Mrs. Fredric March, Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo Cortez, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Mankiewicz, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Boyer, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Lasky, Mr. and Mrs. Clive Brook, Mr. and Mrs. George Fitzmaurice, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Farrell. Mr. and Mrs. Joel McCrea, Mr. and Mrs. Louis D. Lighton, Mr. and Mrs. Clark Gable, Mr. and Mrs. Gene Markey, Mr. and Mrs. Billy Wilkerson, Mr. and Mrs. Henry King, Mr. and Mrs. Townsend Netcher, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Astaire, Mr. and Mrs. Zeppo Marx, Mr. and Mrs. Mervyn LeRoy, Mr. and Mrs. Myron Selznick, Mr. and Mrs. Warner Baxter, Mr. and Mrs. Tay Garnett, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Capra. Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Roberts, Mr. and Mrs. William Hawks, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Hawks, Mr. and Mrs. Irving Thalberg, William Rhinelander Stewart, Harry Crocker, Eddie Kane. Norman Foster, David Niven, Buddy Rogers, Charles Chaplin, Fritz Lang, Gilbert Roland, Erral Flynn, Winfield Sheehan, Walter Van Pelt, George Cukor, William Haines, Ronald Colman, Roland Brown, Al Kaufman, Ernst Lubitsch, Louis B. Mayer, King Vidor, John Gilbert. Edmund Lowe, Lloyd Pantages, Randolph Scott, Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, Mike Bartlett, Lewis Milestone, Marc Connelly, Laurence Stallings, George Oppenheimer, Robert Benchley, George Raft, Ivan Lebedeff, Clifton Webb, Lawrence Grey, William Powell, Franchot Tone, Jack Oakie. Arch Selwyn, Leland Hayward, Brian Aherne, Robert Marshall, Nathan Burkan, Arthur Stebbins, Harpo Marx. Misses Sally Blane, Merle Oberon, Paulette Goddard, Constance Bennett, Lili Damita, Elizabeth Allen, Loretta Young, Virginia Bruce, Ella Williams, Virginia Pine, Wera Engels, Jeanette MacDonald, Regina Carewe, Joan Crawford, Frances Marion, Constance Collier, Ruth Chatterton, Claudette Colbert, Gloria Swanson.6/8/1935 LAX I Cover Hollywood By Lloyd Pantages Errol Flynn, Warner's about-to-be Irish screen sensation (if they ever give him a good role) has been done up in bolamania for the last couple of days testing for John Beal's role in The Last Days of Pompei. The reason for Mr. B's withdrawal publicly is that he's supposed to be ill, but actually he doesn't like the ray RKO keeps slipping him second leads.6/9/1935 HCN ELIZABETH YEAMAN Two young Irish actors are fast becoming rivals out at Warners. They are Errol Flynn and Patric Knowles, the latter imported to play Flynn's brother in The Charge of the Light Brigade. Knowles and Flynn look enough alike to be brothers, and both as slim, young, handsome and dreamy in type. 6/11/1935 LAX IRISH DAVIS CUP PLANNED BY ERROL FLYNN Ireland is to have a Davis Cup team of its own, to function as a unit separately from the British team, if Errol Flynn is able to fulfill his present ambition. The athletic Warner Brothers featured player from Belfast, Ireland, is today the third ranking player in the motion picture colony. Frank Shields, who was the ranking net star of the United States prior to his becoming a screen actor, is first, and Paul de Ricou, also under contract to Warner Brothers is rated as No. 7 in France, is second. If Flynn continues to show the improvement he has since coming to Hollywood it is highly possible that he will be the No. 1 man in the motion picture settlement before the end of the present season. These three players have been splitting sets at the Los Angeles Tennis Club for the past three months, with Frank Shields being just a shade better than De Ricou and Flynn. Flynn has long cherished a desire to see Ireland stand on its own feet in the Davis Cup matches and believes that there is sufficient material there at the present time to organize into a unit that would give a good account of itself in the interzone play. Robert Montgomery was the leading tennis player in motion picture circles for several years and gave an excellent account of himself in exhibition matches in New York with the professionals Vincent Richards, Francis T. Hunter and Teddy Roericka. Flynn recently completed work for Warner Brothers in the picture Not on Your Life, with Guy Kibbee, Warren William and Claire Dodd.6/13/1935 HCN ELIZABETH YEAMAN Apropos of The Three Musketeers, and the quest for a dashing D'Artagnan, Warners are looking for a Captain Blood to replace Robert Donat in the picture of that title. Captain Blood was Irish and had all the emotional verve typical of the Irish, so Warners have decided to test George Brent for this role. Errol Flynn, another Irishman under contract to Warners, probably would be tested also if he had been established with the film public, but since his name is unknown outside of Hollywood, he will not qualify. Dwight Franklin, a great authority on pirates, who has been working on technical aspects of Captain Blood, feels that Brent should qualify for the role. *** It is possible that Leslie Howard will be the star of The Charge of the 600, which Warners are going to produce as a big special during the coming year. The story, written by Abe Jacoby, was suggested by the Tennyson poem, "Charge of the Light Brigade." Action will center around the Crimean War and Florence Nightingale will be one of the principal characters.6/17/1935 HCN FILM FLAM WITH SIDNEY SKOLSKY Lili Damita and Errol Flynn have made plans to elope to Yuma this week.6/19/1935 EHE LILY DAMITA, ERROL FLYNN FLYING TO YUMA TO WED It took a handsome Irish actor, Errol Flynn, to lead the elusive Lily Damita, vivacious French film actress to the altar. At least the couple took off at a Los Angeles airport in a black and yellow "monoplane of romance" and headed in the general direction of Yuma, Ariz., with the announcement that they would be married at a civil ceremony there. "I've been engaged four times, but this is my first marriage," the actress said. "But our honeymoon will have to wait. Errol has to take some film tests and so do I." The plane was piloted by Ted Brown. Bud Ernst, friend of the couple, who had planned to take Lyda Roberti to Yuma also for a double wedding, accompanied them, although his fiancé had to stay behind. An unromantic studio called her to work and sent her out on location.6/19/1935 LAX LILI DAMITA WILL WED ERROL FLYNN By Louella O. Parsons A fast plane will carry Lili Damita, well known French star, and Errol Flynn, Irish actor, to Yuma this morning. Miss Damita, according to one of her oldest friends, has chosen this Gretna Green of so many Hollywood players for her marriage to the handsome and attractive Flynn. Lili, who was first brought to this country by Samuel Goldwyn for pictures, has perhaps been rumored engaged more often than any other actress. Lili, who is petite and pretty, never denied any of these rumors because she felt it was no one's business and because she is clever enough to know that publicity of this kind never hurts an actress. Usually these engagements were said to be to some rich New Yorker or to titled Englishmen, but for six months Lili has concentrated on Flynn, whose background and adventurous experiences both as an actor and globe-trotter are thrilling. Flynn came here from England and is under contract to Warners Brothers. A direct descendent of Fletcher Christian of Mutiny on the Bounty fame, Flynn played the part on the London stage and had great success there. Warners are planning to give him an equal opportunity in America. His first picture will be Don't Bet on Blondes. He has traveled extensively and while in the South Seats was engaged in the pearl fishing business. Miss Damita and her bride-groom are expected to return to Hollywood after the knot is tied by Yuma's marrying Judge Freeman.6/19/1935 LAX I Cover Hollywood By Lloyd Pantages Cary Grant is being tested for the lead in Captain Blood at Warners. If he gets it, it will be the second time he has been loaned from his home lot, Paramount, since his advent into the cinema. His only other loan was to Twentieth Century for Born to be Bad. Incidentally, Captain Blood was originally slated for Robert Donat until the English courts decided that his contract with Warners was invalid and that he should remain in England with another company.6/21/1935 EHE Harrison Carroll Honeymooners Lily Damita and Errol Flynn showed up at the Trocadero only a few hours after their marriage in Yuma and got a royal reception from the stay-up-laters. 6/22/1935 LAX Louella O. Parsons Lili Damita and Errol Flynn entertaining twelve of their intimates at a wedding dinner.6/22/1935 LAX Hollywood Parade By Reine Davies Last Sunday at the Del Rio and Gibbons home in Santa Monica Canyon was a symphony of pleasures. Tennis and swimming whiled away the afternoon, evening brought refreshing cocktails in the garden pavilion, and dinner was served on the terrace, with a big yellow moon providing the only light, while the muted strains of Spanish music came through the open windows from the Capehart in the house. Having gone down in defeat on every previous occasion when the same tennis foursome had played, Dolores and Whitney de Rham were over the moon about having reversed the usual order of things in scoring for the first time against Fay Wray and Cedric during the afternoon. Other guests included Hollywood's newest newlyweds, Lili Damita and Errol Flynn, Virginia Bruce, Sandra and Gary Cooper, the David Selznicks, King Vidor and Matt Moore.6/24/1935 HCN Film Flam With Sidney Skolsky Lily Damita has told intimates that the reason she got married is that she wants a baby (Flynn).6/24/1935 LAX Hollywood Parade By Reine Davies Lili Damita and Errol Flynn's honeymoon house atop Lookout Mountain was the "location" for high revelry last Thursday night, when they entertained at a formal dinner, not only to celebrate their marriage on the previous day, but Errol's birthday as well. The vivacious Lili had the attractive home abounding with valley lilies, white roses and gardenias, and the party was high-spotted when the butler, with befitting fanfare, brought on a huge wedding cake, followed by another for Errol. Those who wished the Frenchy Lili and her Irish husband great happiness were Dolores Del Rio and Cedric Gibbons, the Countess de Maigret, Peggy Fears, George Cukor, Al Kaufman, Lloyd Pantages, Rene Hubert, and those hospitable romancers, Lyda Roberti and Bud Ernst. To carry on the celebrating, Al Kaufman later took the entire party to the Miramar Hotel, where they greeted "Colonel" Gus Arnheim, and danced to his very danceable music.6/24/1935 HCN ELIZABETH YEAMAN Beginning this week, director Michael Curtiz will dedicate his time to making tests for the roles in Captain Blood. There are 40 speaking parts to be cast for this pretentious picture. So far Leo White is the only member of the cast who has been definitely set. White is a veteran comedian of the screen. Back in 1915 he used to team with Wallace Beery in comedies. White is under term contract to Warners, and right now is on loan to MGM. George Brent, Errol Flynn and Cary Grant have been given tests for the title role of Captain Blood, but no casting decision has been made as yet. If Brent is chosen for the part, then it is probable that Jean Muir will have the feminine role opposite him since the studio favors this romantic team. However, there's still a possibility that Bette Davis will get the much coveted role. They tell me that Errol Flynn's test for Captain Blood was amazingly good, but there is no chance of the new bridegroom getting the role because he is unknown to the film public. However, the merit of that test may expedite his casting in some smaller roles. Flynn came to Warners before Christmas of last year, with a term contract. So far the studio has not made up its mind what to do with him.6/25/1935 LAX Louella O. Parsons Lili Damita and her bridegroom, Errol Flynn, who have been much entertained since they flew to Yuma, are being given a dinner by Dolores Del Rio Wednesday.6/26/1935 LAX Louella O. Parsons Keep your eye on Errol Flynn, the publicity he received when he married Lili Damita didn't do him any harm and Warners are now getting ready to give him a break.6/26/1935 HCN Tests for Captain Blood will be no make-shift. So anxious is director Michael Curtiz to have everything right for his selection of the cast, that he has persuaded the studio to construct realistic sets for various scenes in the script from which tests will be made. One of the sets constructed for testing purposes only, is a South Sea island locale. Robert Barrat is being tested for the important role of the French pirate. And Errol Flynn is again being given more elaborate tests for the title role.6/27/1935 LAX I Cover Hollywood By Lloyd Pantages Errol Flynn, Lili Damita's new husband and a personality to no end himself, is the most serious contender for the role opposite Katharine Hepburn in Sylvia Scarlet. If he gets this role (which we all hope he does) his future on the screen is in the bag.6/28/1935 EHE Harrison Carroll Lili Damita's new groom, Errol Flynn, is versatile to no end. In addition to acting for Warner pictures (he has a good chance for the lead in Captain Blood) the young Irishman is writing a book about his experiences in the interior of New Guinea. Seems he once went there on commission of the British government to promote peace between the tribes of aborigines. And, while there, was lucky enough to make a gold strike and have a river named after him. All in addition, of course, to his prowess as an athlete. Flynn was the amateur boxing heavyweight boxing champion of Ireland and competed in the 1928 Olympic Games. And he's an ace at tennis, too, which is Hollywood's favorite game.

The power of saving

We all have to pay bills, and most of us just want to work some extra hours online to earn extra cash on hands. Would you use what you earn from online to buy other stuffs, or you have to pay bills? If you can, would you consider saving that money for future emergency purpose? For me, I definitely would save that money in bank, and not going to spend it unless I desperately need it. Every penny counts, and saving bit by bit, you can get a lot in the near future. If you can do the math, cosnider doing so.

DO YOU THINK OBAMA MIGHT NOT BE WHAT HE SAYS HE IS?

By Dr. Laurie Roth May 8, 2009 “I am a Christian, never a Muslim.” It’s incredible to me as I revisit the emotional and spiritual seduction so many millions had when Obama was running for office. So many were sick of globalist Bush, the Iraq war and Republicans in general. We found ourselves with a handsome, young, rock star black guy who was vividly democrat and liberal competing against the usual Rhino type conservative who was older and was proud of being a compromiser and frankly a globalist, McCain. I had a little hope when they brought in Sarah Palin, a real woman, wife, mom and servant to the people of Alaska who could speak. However, they quickly and stupidly pulled her back and like McCain they tried to moderate her. Bad and fatal move to the campaign interviews and debates! Like so many others in conservative talk radio and journals, I studied Obama’s voting record and associations pitting them against his articulate and entertaining speeches staring at the prompters. I was stunned that so many, though obviously sick of the Iraq struggle and mad at Bush would think that this empty shirt, Obama could actually bring the change America needed! NO, I won’t call him an empty shirt because he has nasty things in all his pockets. “Empty” at least reflects ignorance that would be bad but more understandable. Just the facts please Is Obama the sincere Christian so many believe he is? He told the G 20 folks in his last big overseas series of meetings that WE WERE NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION. He gladly bowed low to the King of Saudi Arabia, something a U.S. President has never done. He broke a long-standing tradition when the White House demanded that the symbol of Jesus Christ be covered up before his speech at Georgetown University on April 24th. This was unprecedented by and American President. Most recently, former President Bush and Laura Bush spoke at the same podium and never asked for the symbol of Jesus Christ to be covered up. Obviously, someone has a little issue with Jesus……….hmm. Now we have him refusing to even attend the National Day of Prayer gathering on May 11th, 2009. What is President Obama’s goal in leadership? Obama wants and plans for the U.S. to submit to international leadership and the UN. It doesn’t take a great IQ to see the over reach of Obama and this administration trying to force our country into submission with the International community and UN. He is supportive and so are many liberal members of this congress, of the U.N. Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It sounds at first glimpse innocent until you study what they want to do. It would render the rights of all parents to raise their children, impotent. There could be no more love pats, or swats, don’t be thinking about forcing little Suzie to church. If she was distressed about going to church one Sunday and told a school counselor it would be a violation of the rights of your child to make her go. Foster care and authorities might just show up at your door. Don’t mess with the rights of your child with the Internet either….. on and on. For that matter, with Barney Frank’s Hate Crimes bill, protecting pedophiles and over 500 different sexual absurdities, crimes and much deviance, don’t be thinking you can bonk a pedophile over the head if he is attacking your young daughter. You could be committing a felony and hate crime and he could be committing a misdemeanor. Isn’t that precious? We have also seen Obama and his administration pushing FOCA, the freedom of Choice Act which would force all Doctors, hospitals, Christian/Catholic or not and all states (even if laws were on the books against abortion) to give abortions on demand. Maybe that is why one of the many things listed in the Homeland Security Report, the day before the April 15th Tea Parties as a potential domestic terror danger were people who believed in state and federal sovereignty. We have seen Obama and his administration recently pressuring and allegedly threatening many lenders who didn’t want to sell Chrysler. They were threatened with ruination if they didn’t cooperate and sell. GM will even be more complicated and horrific as they fall apart and the Government swoops in to control them. We have already heard of and I have spoken and written about in previous articles, the many banks who did not want the bail out money. They were all pressured to take at least 5 billion each or none would get it. I talked directly with two high up banking contacts that were straight up and verified that. Then when the banks tried to pay it back as soon as possible congress would not take the funds back. The only thing you can figure with this ridiculous scenario is that Obama and this administration want total control of the banking industry, auto industry, if he has his way, parental rights. The control attempts and plans continue on. We will see a strong push for forced gun registration and manipulated environmental controls and taxation. You know, the huge worldwide, global warming melt down that doesn’t really exist? What can one assume from the first 100 days in this administration? Obama is NOT a Christian. Obama is NOT a Capitalist but a totally dedicated socialist/Marxist. Obama is in love with being popular to the world but hates the US and its sovereignty. Obama has little or no loyalty at all to our best allie in the Middle East, Israel. Obama believes in big Government control in all areas of our lives. This is not my vision for America; I hope to God it isn’t yours. Organize and plan LARGER Tea Parties July 4th. Work very hard to find and back REAL leaders to run in each of your states and get behind them in an assertive way. Let’s regain the House in the mid term elections and work on getting back the Senate. Finally, let’s vote this nightmare out of office after 4 years and start to repair the damage! NewsWithViews.com

You dont want anyone near you when your sleeping?

I was married before and during that i really dont want my husband or anyone in my bed when im sleeping. I am not really comfortable when im sharing bed with anyone. I dont know, but all i want is many pillows and myself in the bed. But of course since i am married i have to endure my husband presence in my bed.
What about you, do you like someone in your bed or do you feel sometimes that you really want to be alone while sleeping?

Buddy Guy at：2009-05-12 22:43:32 Click: 0 Buddy Guy - Jammin' Blues Electric and Acoustic - 2003 - BMG Special ProductsThe legendary Louisiana Blue

Buddy Guy - Jammin' Blues Electric and Acoustic - 2003 - BMG Special ProductsThe legendary Louisiana Bluesman, Buddy Guy's songs have been covered by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jack Bruce, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Led Zeppelin, and countless others. Buddy made a huge impression on the young Jimi Hendrix. Many of the blues artists on this blog have been influenced by Buddy Guy, and many of the great blue and blues rock artists include Buddy's songs on their albums. Ironically, Buddy Guy has been inclined to cover other artists songs, and the album here is a great example of that. Bill Dahl from allmusic made the comment, - "A Buddy Guy concert can sometimes be a frustrating experience. He'll be in the middle of something downright hair-raising, only to break it off abruptly in midsong, or he'll ignore his own massive songbook in order to offer imitations of Clapton, Vaughan, and Hendrix". Here's an important quote from Wikipedia concerning Buddy Guy, - [ Buddy Guy has been called the bridge between the blues and rock and roll. He is one of the historic links between Chicago electric blues pioneers Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf and popular musicians like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page as well as later revivalists like Stevie Ray Vaughan. This was what Stevie Ray Vaughan meant when he said, "Without Buddy Guy, there would be no Stevie Ray Vaughan." Even Guitarist magazine observed: Without Buddy Guy, the blues, not to mention rock as we know it, might be a heckuva lot less interesting today. Take the blues out of contemporary rock music—or pop, jazz and funk for that matter—and what you have left is a wholly spineless affair. A tasteless stew. Makes you shudder to think about it... ] Many of you will already have the tracks on this live compilation album,as they have all appeared on various other albums. However, it's still a thrill to listen to all these classic tracks in one collection from this legendary Blues king. If you're not too familiar with the great man's music, listen to his "Damn Right, I've Got the Blues" or his "Stone Crazy" albums. Magical stuff !TRACKS / COMPOSERS1 I've Got My Eyes on You - Dixon, Guy 4:112 Talk to Me Baby - James 3:553 First Time I Met the Blues - Montgomery 6:504 Let Me Love You Baby - Dixon 5:395 My Time After Awhile - Badger, Feinberg, Geddins 7:406 I've Been There - Guy 8:397 That's All Right - Rogers 3:378 Hoochie Coochie Man - Dixon 5:349 Key to the Highway - Broonzy, Segar 4:3010 Hoodoo Man Blues - Wells, Williamson 6:33BIOHe's Chicago's blues king today, ruling his domain just as his idol and mentor Muddy Waters did before him. Yet there was a time, and not all that long ago either, when Buddy Guy couldn't even negotiate a decent record deal. Times sure have changed for the better — Guy's first three albums for Silvertone in the '90s all earned Grammys. Eric Clapton unabashedly calls Buddy Guy his favorite blues axeman, and so do a great many adoring fans worldwide. High-energy guitar histrionics and boundless on-stage energy have always been Guy trademarks, along with a tortured vocal style that's nearly as distinctive as his incendiary rapid-fire fretwork. He's come a long way from his beginnings on the 1950s Baton Rouge blues scene — at his first gigs with bandleader "Big Poppa" John Tilley, the young guitarist had to chug a stomach-jolting concoction of Dr. Tichenor's antiseptic and wine to ward off an advanced case of stage fright. But by the time he joined harpist Raful Neal's band, Guy had conquered his nervousness. Guy journeyed to Chicago in 1957, ready to take the town by storm. But times were tough initially, until he turned up the juice as a showman (much as another of his early idols, Guitar Slim, had back home). It didn't take long after that for the new kid in town to establish himself. He hung with the city's blues elite: Freddy King, Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, and Magic Sam, who introduced Buddy Guy to Cobra Records boss Eli Toscano. Two searing 1958 singles for Cobra's Artistic subsidiary were the result: "This Is the End" and "Try to Quit You Baby" exhibited more than a trace of B.B. King influence, while "You Sure Can't Do" was an unabashed homage to Guitar Slim. Willie Dixon produced the sides. When Cobra folded, Guy wisely followed Rush over to Chess. With the issue of his first Chess single in 1960, Guy was no longer aurally indebted to anybody. "First Time I Met the Blues" and its follow-up, "Broken Hearted Blues," were fiery, tortured slow blues brilliantly

Wedding photo

Jap

Five years ago today…

…I wrote this: “At 4 AM, Dad gently woke me up and held my hand as we walked down the hall and as we approached Mom he said, “If you’re very quiet, you can hear how peaceful death is.” Just before dawn on Easter Sunday, as the half-moon rose over the horizon, Mom drifted peacefully and quietly from this life. Her breaths were like a tiny, delicate little bird’s: very shallow, very regular, and very soft, with a faint rhythmic “click” to each breath. She looked totally relaxed. But she didn’t look like my mother. Mom had taken leave two days before. That was so obvious to me as we helped “usher” Mom’s body across as she’d asked. Over the period of an hour, she drifted so sweetly and peacefully away, surrounded by her family, and within the glimmer of a Bavarian candle. After she died, Dad went outside and picked a dogwood flower and placed it on Mom. He commented to me that dogwood flowers only stay light for a short time. He was right: in a matter of minutes, dark spots appeared on the tip of each flower. Then we all sat with her. No one cried. It was simply too serene and beautiful, too “holy” even, to cry. Michael and Dad even took a few pictures. Mom looked beautiful in her white lace gown, under the white lace sheet, graced by the dogwood flower on Easter morning as the sun rose. About two hours after Mom died, a Funeral Alternative couple came to get her. A husband/wife team, they gently told us what would happen. State law requires gloves and a plastic sheet and that she be covered and encased. Previously, I’d thought I couldn’t stay for such a thing, but I would have never considered leaving at that point. They handed me the dogwood while they wrapped her and placed her on the gurney. Then they “zipped her in,” forgetting to replace the flower – which I wanted with her. So I found my way to her, unwrapping her, and placed the flower on her chest. Then I gave her a kiss and said, “Schlafy, schlafy (my family’s “sleep tight”) one last time.” Flowers and wine for Mom.

Star picture taken on street

Alligator Gar

Today's texts

At 5:00, I received the following text from Philani, our dear friend, in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe:Hi, friends. How do you do? Back to us, all is not so well.Things are out of hand. We've spent two days without food. The foodfrom the money (name of person/group of people) sent has run out. Shopsare now legalized to sell rands (South African currency; South Africa shares aborder with Zimbabwe) but our salaries are in local currency. It'sharder than it's been; the government of unity is still on hold. Peopleare dying from hunger and cholera. Our city hasn't suffered much fromcholera though. We are limited to 100 000 000 Zimbabwe dollars per weekwhich is 20 Rands yet mealie meal (flour which is used to make breakfast, lunchand supper) costs 280 Rands a 50kg bag. Pray God keeps us through thesetimes. Please greet all. Thank them for the lives they'vekept. GOD BLESS! PHILANI & FAMILYWe responded:Hi, Philani and all those you love who are near you. I was justwriting you a text when I got yours. Thanks for writing. We havebeen thinking of you this Christmas season - we have heard of thousands ofpeople in Zimbabwe who are sick with cholera and/or starving from hunger.We thank God that to this point you are well. We want to send US$200tonight - how much do you need? We will get money from family and friendsif we need to. Please text to tell us how much you need.In less urgent news, we thank God we now have a picture of you, yourfamily and parts of your house. A friend in Canada mailed us the picturesI took when I stayed at your house in 2003. I will try to send copies ofthem to you in the mail - they might be happy memories for you and yourfamily. We also sent you a picture of our family in the mail this morning- pictures are less expensive than a text out here.We thank God you found a way to text to tell of your need - we donot want you to go without food. I will text again with a confirmationnumber.We pray God continues to give you strength. WendyPhilani's response:Thank you so much for you to think about us. I've been afraid to SMSyou. You've carried a lot of our burden. More than any onecould. I as an individual accept you afford. Let us not be a burdenbut a month needs 400 US$. This 200 you wanted to send goes a longway. We are guaranteed of survival through food rationing. GODBLESS! PHILANIOur latest response:Thank you for your honesty. We can send $200 and we can askfamily and friends to help us. We just sent $200. The MTCN (MoneyTransfer Control Number) is XXXXXX. We pray this eases your situation alittle bit. We thank God for every opportunity we have to help you.Wendy, Korey and Gabriel -------------------------I almost forgot to mention - if you want to research the Zimbabwe situation, please do. It's incredible. Hospitals are shut down. Police are looting banks. Cholera is an epidemic. Starvation. Very, very ugly situation. And if you want to join some of our other friends in helping Philani and his family, just let us know. We'll be thrilled to help you send money without us or to send your money for you if you prefer. Whatever your spirit says you can do joyfully, please do it. Thanks.

Guilin is rich of summer fruit

At this time of summer,Guilin is rich of pineapple,banana,sugarcane and coconut.

Yummy! ~ ~!

Nintendogs in Art & Design and a podcast!

The Consolarium’s approach to the use of games is somewhat exemplified by the Nintendogs project we carried out last year. Nintendogs is a game that was made for commercial sale and one that is very much for entertainment. Look a little closer though and you can see how powerful this game/learning environment is and with a little bit of imagination and a big bit of belief that it is appropriate to use this you can do tremendous things with it. I met a probationer teacher during my time at Fraserburgh PS called Jo Barcus Buchan. A P.2 teacher, Jo recently graduated and was lucky enough to get a chance to try out the Nintendogs project with her class. She replicated a lot of what has been established as a good practice with this resource. Have a look at some of the photos . She has though extended the learning that may be achieved through the context of Nintendogs by moving into the world of art & design and to engage her P.2 children in dialogue about artists craft and what paintings make you feel or think. She introduced four paintings about dogs to her class and these were observed and discussed. These observation’s and discussions were then taken into the children’s own work where they had to think about what choices they were making in the creation of their pieces of art based on what they had seen. Have a listen to the latest Consolarium podcast to hear our more detailed discussion, some perspective from the children and the view of the Headteacher. Thanks go out to all Fraserburgh South Park PS for allowing us to come and see and record the excellent work that is happening up there. Well done to you all.

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HAPPY MAY DAY, HOME EXCHANGE COMRADES!

Today is May Day, but you wouldn't know it here in the United States. We are very scared of commies, so we eliminated May Day and made the first Monday in September Labor Day instead. Home exchangers, however, have a lot in common with early union organizers.The union movement was founded by people who were not powerful or wealthy, but who found that banding together gave them strength. Love 'em or hate 'em, unions are responsible for our modern weekend break from work.The home exchange community is part of the same sort of collective empowerment movement that led to unions. As individuals we have no choice but to accept the expensive and sub-par travel experience imparted by a hotel stay. But as a home exchange community we can use our resources to help our community members enjoy greater travel opportunities.Union members have a responsibility to their co-workers not to cross a picket line and undermine the bargaining power of other workers. Home exchangers must also consider the greater good. If we leave a swap home in less than pristine condition, or fail to 'fess up after damaging our swap partners' property we damage the home exchange community as a whole. We have a responsibility to others to ensure our swap partners have a great experience exchanging with us. That way, they stay part of the home exchange world and introduce others to it, as opposed to scaring away new members with horror stories.Home exchange isn't just a great way to travel, it is, or should be, an ethical responsibility. If this concept has resonates with you, give home exchange a try.SUBSCRIBE NOWYou can subscribe to this blog to receive each day's post. Just enter your email below :Enter your EmailPowered by FeedBlitz