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Reading Resilient Women
By Farah Heron
tagged : farah heron, the chai factor, resilience, strong female characters
The Chai Factor, Farah Heron's debut novel, is a fun and entertaining romantic comedy, but underneath the surface is a story of struggle, strength, and resilience. In this recommended reading list, she shares titles whose resilient heroines helped to inspire her own.
The Chai Factor is a romantic comedy following Amira Khan, a 30-year-old engineering grad student who comes home to finish her thesis in her grandmother’s house, only to find that her grandmother has rented the basement to a barbershop quartet. As one does, apparently. Hijinks and arguments about noise levels in the basement are inevitable, but what Amira doesn’t expect is to fall in love with the plaid-wearing baritone who is not what she initially assumed him to be.
But although laughs and swoony romance are front and centre in this book, it covers some pretty heavy topics like Islamaphobia, homophobia, workplace sexism, and living up to familial expectations. And at its core, it’s about a woman of colour’s resilience in a world that is not designed to be easy for her.
I’m primarily a romance writer and reader, but books from other genres about strong, resilient women finding ways to thrive amid the harsh realities of the world are huge inspirations for me. Here are some of my favourite examples written by Canadian authors: two older classics that shaped my literary preferences, and five newer books.
The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence
I first read this book when I was 16 years old, and to this day it is one of my all-time favourite books. It started my lifelong fascination with rivers, my love of the Kawarthas region of Ontario, and most of all, it was the start of my dream of being a writer myself, just like the protagonist, Morag Gunn. A Scottish-Canadian from the prairies, Morag is orphaned during the great depression and grows up very poor. Morag’s fierce strength and strong-willed personality pulls her from her painful beginnings to a life as a successful novelist.
In Search of April Raintree, by Beatrice Culleton
This is another book that I read at a young age, and it managed to stay with me for a long time. It follows two Metis sisters who are left in the custody of the state in Manitoba. The stark differences in how their lives unfold and the perseverance that emerges in April as she finds her place in in a difficult world make this an essential read for Canadian women.
Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune, by Roselle Lim
This was one of my favourite books this year. I loved Natalie and her gentle strength as she coped with the loss of her mother and the struggle of returning to her home in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Roselle writes like she is painting a masterpiece, and the lush descriptions of food and culture complemented Natalie’s resiliency and determination to succeed in her goal of reopening her grandmother’s restaurant.
The Woo-Woo: How I Survived Ice Hockey, Drug Raids, Demons, and My Crazy Chinese Family, by Lindsay Wong
This courageous, darkly funny, and wrenching memoir discusses mental health in a Chinese immigrant family, a topic that isn’t often talked about in these communities.
A Girl Like That, by Tanaz Bhathena
Tanaz weaves together a story with multiple points of view that examines toxic masculinity and gender violence in an expat community in modern Saudi Arabia. The character of Zarin is absolutely fascinating. Firm and headstrong, she doesn’t care what others think about her, and she is so relatable and sympathetic. Although a difficult read, this chilling book is an essential YA book by a talented author.
The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali, by Sabina Khan
Another YA book, this follows the story of a Bengali teenager who is hiding her same-sex relationship from her parents. The abuse and mistreatment she is subjected to when discovered can be difficult to read, but where this book shines is in its portrayal of a strong, resilient teenager who is able to find support when and where she needs it.
That Time I Loved You, by Carrianne Leung
I didn’t realize how much this book affected me until I couldn’t get it out of my head long after finishing it. A series of stories about the residents of a 1970s Scarborough neighbourhood who are struggling to make sense of a series of suicides in the neighbourhood, the book primarily follows a young Chinese-Canadian girl, June, and her circle of friends. June struggles through normal childhood angst and the desperation to fit in, all against the backdrop of a diverse suburban community reeling with tragedy.
About The Chai Factor:
Thirty-year-old engineer Amira Khan has set one rule for herself: no dating until her grad-school thesis is done. Nothing can distract her from completing a paper that is so good her boss will give her the promotion she deserves when she returns to work in the city. Amira leaves campus early, planning to work in the quiet basement apartment of her family’s house. But she arrives home to find that her grandmother has rented the basement to . . . a barbershop quartet. Seriously? The living situation is awkward: Amira needs silence; the quartet needs to rehearse for a competition; and Duncan, the small-town baritone with the flannel shirts, is driving her up the wall.
As Amira and Duncan clash, she is surprised to feel a simmering attraction for him. How can she be interested in someone who doesn’t get her, or her family’s culture? This is not a complication she needs when her future is at stake. But when intolerance rears its ugly head and people who are close to Amira get hurt, she learns that there is more to Duncan than meets the eye. Now she must decide what she is willing to fight for. In the end, it may be that this small-town singer is the only person who sees her at all.
Books mentioned in this post
The Chai Factor
edition:eBook
also available: Paperback Paperback Paperback
tagged : humorous
by Margaret Laurence
afterword by Timothy Findley
tagged : classics, literary
In Search of April Raintree
by Beatrice Mosionier
tagged : literary, native american & aboriginal, non-classifiable
The Woo-Woo
How I Survived Ice Hockey, Drug Raids, Demons, and My Crazy Chinese Family
by Lindsay Wong
tagged : cultural heritage, asian american studies, women
A Girl Like That
by Tanaz Bhathena
also available: Hardcover
tagged : dating & sex
The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali
by Sabina Khan
tagged : lgbt, multigenerational, muslim
That Time I Loved You
by Carrianne Leung
also available: eBook Paperback
tagged : literary, family life
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Report: ECVI Storage Feasibility Project Environment Assessment Component for Shelton and Healy Lakes 00752PARK
ECVI Storage Feasibility Project Environment Assessment Component for Shelton and Healy Lakes (pdf/2.2 Mb)
The British Columbia Conservation Foundation is involved in a storage feasibility project being investigated at Shelton and Healy Lakes in the Englishman River. This report identifies and mitigates potential impacts of the proposed operations on the flora and fauna associated with the lakes.
Author: Wind, E.; E. Wind Consulting; prepared for British Columbia Conservation Foundation
The goal of this project is to maintain/enhance summer discharge rates from the lakes into downstream rivers utilized by various fish species. Adequate discharge rates would be obtained via the installation of a weir in order to access top storage levels of 1 to 2 m. The proposed project would alter water depths and the timing and duration of high water during the spring (e.g., flooded shorelines in spring and early summer). The objective of the environmental assessment was to identify and mitigate potential impacts of the proposed operations on the flora and fauna associated with the lakes. Six Red and Blue listed plant communities were identified at the two lakes. Healy Lake contained the greatest diversity and richness of species and plant communities and could be defined more as a wetland than a lake (two Red-listed wetland plant communities were found.) At both sites, increased water levels would lead to greater inputs of woody debris as shoreline trees died off and a reduction in wetland habitat due to inundation during the growing season and limited upslope habitat. One listed amphibian species was confirmed breeding the Red-legged Frog. Northwestern Salamanders also bred at both sites and Pacific Treefrog breeding was confirmed at Healy Lake. No significant, long-term effects are expected for amphibians at either site as a result of increased water levels. Shelton Lake has low habitat diversity for birds compared to Healy Lake due to the latter sites large marsh area, more complex shoreline, and areas of shallow and deeper waters. The wetlands that occur at Healy Lake are rare and although birds that may depend on them for nesting are likely common species, the wetlands should be considered a significant resource. Because of the topography of the surrounding uplands, forest condition, and lack of rare or special bird habitat at Shelton Lake, no impacts to birds are expected from raising water levels at that site. Vancouver Island water shrew likely live in and around Shelton and Healy Lakes, where habitat is suitable. The terrestrial habitat around Healy and Shelton Lakes was marginal for shrew because of a lack of vegetative cover. The best habitat was in riparian areas-along the creek inflows/outflows to the lakes and in wetlands. Increasing the water level is not likely to negatively affect habitat. The outflow from Healy Lake contained very suitable habitat due to a beaver dam, which would likely be removed or disturbed as a result of the proposed development. This project was co-funded by Living Rivers-Georgia Basin/Vancouver Island (2006-11), a program of the BC Living Rivers Trust Fund. Partners involved in the project include the Ministry of Environment, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, local government, First Nations, and Ducks Unlimited.
Terrestrial Information
Amphibians & Reptiles - Northwestern Salamander: Ambystoma gracile
Amphibians & Reptiles - Red-legged Frog: Rana aurora
Terrestrial Information - Habitat Monitoring
Vegetation - Vegetation (VRI)
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Alterophobia
A blog about fear, prejudice and hatred towards members of alternative subcultures.
Goth killing trial: extracts from the 999 call
Long extracts from the 999 call. The next link is one of the longer reports on the trial available online.
Times Online, UK -
Sophie 'murdered for looking like a goth'
This Is Lancashire,
Posted by alterophobia@gmail.com at 7:14 AM 0 comments
Labels: Sophie Lancaster
Bizarre launch Proud to be Different! campaign
A fairly popular UK magazine has now leapt into this area.
Bizarre magazine which costs £3.50, has a monthly circulation of 54,571.
"Goth" murder prompts Bizarre's Proud to be Different campaign - join up!
We’re sure you’ve all read about the current murder trial of Sophie Lancaster, the girl kicked to death in Lancashire last year.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/7291985.stm
It’s something that’s affected us deeply at Bizarre. Our readers pride themselves on being different and not conforming to society’s norms.
Whether you consider yourself a goth, a metaller, a rockabllly, an emo kid, a retro head, a fetish fan, or whether you’ve got body mods or tattoos, at some point in your life you’re likely to have been verbally or physically abused for the way you look.
You may have had an employer discriminating against you, someone shouting at you in the street, or suffered more serious physical abuse.
And it’s just not on. We don’t want to take it any more. And we don’t want you to take it any more.
We’ve set up an online forum where you can share your experiences, show solidarity, offload your worries, and maybe come up with ideas for strategies to help stop the hate.
Join us now at http://bizarremagazine.proboards88.com
And let’s go from there..."
Hopefully it will raise awareness of this problem.
Labels: Bizarre, good deeds, Sophie Lancaster, subcultures
BBC - "Goth clothes 'prompted killing'" - More grim details of Sophie's death
More News reports from today at the trial:
BBC - Goth clothes 'prompted killing'
A 15-year-old boy kicked and stamped to death a woman because she was dressed as a Goth, a court heard.
The drunk teenager was among a gang of five who "savagely and mercilessly" attacked Sophie Lancaster, 20, and her boyfriend, Preston Crown Court heard.
Miss Lancaster was begging the gang to stop beating Robert Maltby, 21, when they turned on her in Stubbylee Park in Bacup, Lancashire, the jury was told.
The 15-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, denies murder.
At an earlier hearing a 15-year-old boy admitted Miss Lancaster's murder and admitted attacking Mr Maltby.
The court heard her facial injuries were so severe, paramedics did not know what sex she was.
Tests indicated she had been kicked and stamped to death, with the pattern of some footwear still on her head.
Miss Lancaster, a gap-year student, died two weeks after the attack.
It would appear that [they] were singled out, not for anything they had said or done, but because they dressed differently to the defendant and his friend
Michael Shorrock QC
Prosecuting
Prosecuting, Michael Shorrock QC told the court the young couple, from Bacup, were walking home from a friend's house when they "fell into conversation" with a group of teenagers.
The talk was friendly and good-natured, the court heard, but five of a group of youths "turned" on Mr Maltby.
The accused had started the violence, with a flying kick to the head of Mr Maltby, the jury was told.
The gang, "encouraging each other and laughing" punched, stamped and jumped on his head until he was unconscious, Mr Shorrock said.
As Miss Lancaster kneeled down, cradling her boyfriend's head on her lap and calling for help, the accused and the 15-year-old youth who has already pleaded guilty to murder, turned on her.
The second boy kicked her in the head, with the accused joining in, the court heard.
Robert Maltby suffered head injuries
Paramedics found the couple lying side by side, covered in blood and unconscious.
Mr Shorrock said the gang had turned on the young couple simply because they were Goths or "moshers" and dressed differently to them.
Mr Maltby survived the attack in August last year but has not made a full recovery. He has no memory of the incident.
The accused, and four other youths, two aged 17 and one 16, have already pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm to Mr Maltby.
Mr Shorrock said the five, none of whom can be named, were "acting like a pack of wild animals".
"The attack was totally unprovoked.
"It would appear that Mr Maltby and Miss Lancaster were singled out, not for anything they had said or done, but because they dressed differently to the defendant and his friend," he said.
The case continues.
Other detailed reports here:
Teenager denies murder in goth killing trial
Guardian Unlimited,
'Savage' boy, 15, 'mercilessly' kicked woman to death 'because she was a goth
Daily Mail, UK - 21 minutes ago
The teenager was among a five-strong gang, "acting like a pack of wild animals" as they "savagely and mercilessly" attacked Sophie Lancaster, 20, ...
Posted by alterophobia@gmail.com at 2:52 PM 0 comments
Labels: Sophie Lancaster, trials
Sophie Lancaster - Most involved admit guilt
Teenager admits killing in park
A 16-year-old boy has admitted kicking a woman to death in a Lancashire park.
Sophie Lancaster, 20, and boyfriend Robert Maltby, 21, were in Stubby Lee Park in Bacup, Lancashire, when they were attacked on 11 August 2007.
At Preston Crown Court a youth, who cannot legally be named, admitted murder, and attacking Mr Maltby.
A 15-year-old youth is due to stand trial for the murder - he denies the charge but admits causing grevious bodily harm with intent.
Murder charges against three other youths - two aged 17 and one aged 16 - were withdrawn.
None of the youths can be named because of their age.
Remanded in custody
The three youths who had the murder charge withdrawn were remanded in custody by Judge Anthony Russell QC, Recorder of Preston, after admitting GBH.
They will be sentenced after the conclusion of the murder trial of the 15-year-old defendant.
A jury is due to be sworn in and a trial, scheduled to last three weeks, is expected to start on Wednesday. Miss Lancaster died two weeks after the incident. She was in a coma after suffering head injuries and never regained consciousness.
Mr Maltby, an art student, also fell into a coma, but recovered and has since left hospital.
The beginning of the trial saw a renewed interest with articles, in The Times, Scotsman, Guardian, Telegraph, Mirror, Mail, Metro, The Sun, BBC, Sky News and ITN plus other sources. However none of articles picked up on the wider implications of the crime many many not mentioning the role of prejudice in the attack.
Only the Lancashire Evening Telegraph article below mentioned the S.O.P.H.I.E. campaign. Why?? Some online articles do not even mention the fact that both people attacked were goths though the BBC did in their broadcast.
Will the media match the amount of time it spent on the case of goth Bus prejudice with the same amount on this case of murder and GBH? In the next few weeks we will see.
"Sophie's death prompted an out-pouring of grief from friends and family in East Lancashire.
Her mother Sylvia, from Bacup, has established SOPHIE (Stamp Out Prejudice, Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere) to call for greater under-standing for marginalised sections of society."Sophie Lancaster murder trial due to startThis Is Lancashire, UK - 10 Mar 2008
Boy, 16, admits woman's murder
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 14 hours ago
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, admitted the murder of Sophie Lancaster and the attack on her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, 21. ...
The Sun proclaimed Goth Killer Guilty.
Boy, 16, pleads guilty to beating to death female college student ...
Daily Mail - Sophie Lancaster: a 16-year-old pleaded guilty today to her murder. Miss Lancaster and Mr Maltby were beaten up in a vicious assault in Stubbylee Park, .
Lad guilty of Goth's kill horror
Mirror.co.uk, UK - 9 hours ago
A schoolboy faces an unlimited jail sentence after admitting murdering a Goth student and assaulting her boyfriend. The 16-year-old pleaded guilty yesterday ...,
Labels: SOPHIE campaign, Sophie Lancaster, trials
Kent - Teenage goth attacked
Goth beaten up by group of men
A teenage boy who was punched and kicked as he walked home from school, was picked on because of how he was dressed, police believe.
The 16-year-old, who described himself as a Goth, claimed he was attacked by three men in Windmill Road, Whitstable.
The men came up behind him after he passed by them and assaulted him, before he managed to escape. Police are appealing for witnesses to the attack, which was on Thursday, March 6, at about 4.30pm.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Constable John Tharp on 01227 744786.
Was teenager attacked for being a 'goth'?
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a 16-year-old boy was punched and kicked as he walked home from school.
The incident happened last Thursday at about 4.30pm in Windmill Road, Whitstable.
The boy remembers passing three men who then turned, came up behind him and started shouting. They then assaulted him and pulled him over until he managed to get away and run home.
The men are described as aged 20 to 23, wearing tracksuits, sports shoes and caps.
The boy describes himself as a Goth and it is believed this may have been why the men picked on him.
Anyone with information or who witnessed the incident is urged to contact DC John Tharp on 01227 744786 or Kent Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Labels: attacks, goths, Kent
Members of alternative subcultures, and those who listen to any type of alternative music, frequently face intolerance and even physical attacks all over the world. These includes a wide range of groups, such as goths, punk, emos, skaters and fans of Heavy Metal like Metalers/Moshers and many others. This intolerance is based on the way they look and that their musical and other interests differ from the mainstream. Media distortion and inaccurate descriptions of subcultures usually intensify and support this prejudice. Often too rivalry between subcultures adds to the problem.
This blog aims to document this problem and by doing so to help reduce it. It covers news about Sophie Lancaster, anti Emo violence in Mexico and other significant areas. There is now a serious chance of a change in the law in the UK to fight these problems see post on the Early Day Motion.
Find out more here about the key issues:
Fear of the Other - the Purpose of this Blog
BBC - "Goth clothes 'prompted killing'" - More gri...
Sophie Lancaster Wikipedia entry
SOPHIE - "Stamp Out Prejudice Hatred (and) Intolerance Everywhere" - Campaign to end violence against Subcultures
Official Website of the Brian Deneke Memorial Committee
Liscard Alternative - Aims to set up centers where alternative/LGBT people can be safe
Gothic Liberation Front
If you are a member of an alternative subculture have you:
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Power Pack: July 2015
Half a century of help with Medicare
On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare into law with these words: “No longer will older Americans be denied the healing miracle of modern medicine. No longer will illness crush and destroy the savings that they have so carefully put away over a lifetime.”
For 50 years, the Medicare program has provided essential health care services for millions of people who are age 65 or older, disabled, or have debilitating diseases. Without Medicare, many people would not be able to pay for hospital care, doctor’s visits, medical tests, preventive services, or prescription drugs.
Your Medicare card is the most important piece of identification you own as a Medicare beneficiary since medical providers will request it when you seek their services. If you need to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged Medicare card, you can do it online with a my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. Requesting a replacement card through my Social Security is safe, convenient, and easy. Going online saves you a trip to your local Social Security office or unproductive time on the phone. Request your replacement Medicare card the easy and convenient way — online — and you’ll get it in the same amount of time as you would if you applied in an office or over the phone — in about 30 days.
Fifty years ago, Medicare didn’t have as many options as it does today. As the largest public health program in the United States, Medicare includes four parts to keep you covered:
Part A is insurance that covers inpatient hospital stays, outpatient care in nursing facilities, hospice, and home health care.
Part B includes medical insurance for doctor’s services, medical supplies, outpatient care, and preventive services.
Part C is a Medicare advantage plan that allows you to choose your health care coverage through a provider organization. You must have Part A and Part B to enroll in Part C. This plan usually includes Medicare prescription drug coverage and may include extra benefits and services at an additional cost.
Part D is prescription drug coverage. There is a separate monthly premium for this plan; however, people with low resources and income may qualify for the Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs from Social Security. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp to see if you qualify.
A recent survey to Medicare beneficiaries asked: Why do you love Medicare? One person stated, “It gives peace of mind not only for seniors, but for veterans and disabled as well.” Another satisfied recipient replied, “I most likely wouldn’t be alive today without Medicare.” These are just two of the millions who endorse Medicare’s half-century strong success story.
For more information about Medicare, visit www.medicare.gov.
As Medicare celebrates 50 years, Social Security commemorates 80 years. Learn more about Social Security’s 80th anniversary at www.socialsecurity.gov/80thanniversary.
Kylle’ McKinney, SSA Public Affairs Specialist, can be reached by e-mail at kylle.mckinney@ssa.gov.
Linemen from across the state gathered June 1 at the Capital for Alabama Lineman Appreciation Day. Photo by Michael Cornelison
State’s electric utility linemen honored for their service at Capitol ceremony
Alabama’s electric utility linemen often work long hours, doing potentially dangerous work in remote areas. And they are always on call, 365 days a year.
To honor their service and hard work, the Alabama Rural Electric Association (AREA), with help from Alabama Power Company and the state’s municipally owned electric utilities, sponsored the second Lineman Appreciation Day on June 1.
Linemen from all over the state came to the state Capitol to be recognized. Cullman Electric Cooperative president and CEO Grady Smith gave a heartfelt and personal talk, recalling his early career as a lineman. Alabama Emergency Management Agency (EMA) director Art Faulkner talked about the role of linemen in times of disaster, and AREA director of safety Michael Kelley, himself a former lineman, gave his perspective on the work and service of Alabama’s linemen.
State Rep. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, was the sponsor of the 2014 resolution that created Lineman Appreciation Day. She recalled her grandfather, who was a lineman, and what his work meant to her. Members of the local media covered the event, and all linemen were invited to AREA afterward for lunch and cake.
Visit www.alabamaliving.coop to see more photos and video from the ceremony.
Keeping your home clean helps protect your family
All of us want our homes to be a healthful environment for our families, and it’s easier to keep allergies and infections at bay by being aware of potential sources of illness. Good cleaning practices and safe food handling help keep your home from becoming a trigger for allergies or a source of infection.
Year-round allergens typically come from an indoor source. The most common types are dust, mold, and pet hair or dander. Dust mites thrive in mattresses and bedding. When their droppings and remains become airborne, your natural filtration system feels under attack. Also, mold fungus flourishes in dark, damp areas, so be sure to clean often. Many people are allergic to a protein found in pet dander or saliva. Some simple actions such as washing clothes frequently may help, depending on what particular allergies you have.
In the bathroom, routinely clean and disinfect all surfaces. This is especially important if someone in the house has a stomach illness, a cold, or the flu. Experts make a distinction between cleaning and disinfecting. While cleaning removes germs from surfaces, disinfecting actually destroys them.
Cleaning with soap and water to remove dirt and most of the germs is usually enough, but sometimes you may want to disinfect for an extra level of protection. Disinfectants are specifically registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and contain ingredients that destroy bacteria and other germs. Check the product label to make sure it says “Disinfectant” and has an EPA registration number.
In the kitchen, foodborne illnesses can make your family very ill. Those at greatest risk are infants and young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Clean surfaces before, during, and after preparing food—especially meat and poultry. Use paper towels that can be thrown away, cloth towels that are later washed in hot water, or disposable sanitizing wipes that both clean and disinfect.
Sponges are especially problematic, because they hold moisture and can spread unsafe bacteria. The preferred method to clean them is by mixing 3/4 cup of bleach with one gallon of water, then soaking the sponge for five minutes. Sponges also can be cleaned with a regular dishwasher load on “heated dry” setting.
When preparing food, wash hands and food contact surfaces often. That’s because bacteria can contaminate cutting boards, knives, and food preparation surfaces. Rinse all fresh fruit and vegetables under running water, and use different cutting boards for raw meats and vegetables.
Cook food long enough and at a temperature high enough to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness. Cook poultry to at least 165 degrees F, ground meat to 160 degrees F, and steaks and chops to 145 degrees F. Don’t rely on color alone; hamburger meat can turn brown before it’s safe to eat. Minimizing the time foods are held in the hazardous temperature zone will lessen the chance of acquiring a foodborne illness, so refrigerate foods promptly.
Jim McVay, Dr.P.A., is director of the Bureau of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease of the Alabama Department of Public Health.
Auburn student is summer intern
Alethia S. Russell, a senior at Auburn University, is working on the staff of Alabama Living as an intern this summer. Russell, who will graduate in August with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, is helping write articles, design advertising campaigns and performing other communications-related tasks during her internship.
A native of Gadsden, she is active in her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, and has helped with orientation of new students and as a parent counselor during Camp War Eagle.
Safe @ Home: After the storm
A crew from Central Alabama EC works to clear trees from a closed section of highway in Houston County in April. Photo by Allison Griffin
Staying safe around electricity after the storm
By Allison Griffin
When the fierce winds of a major storm begin to die down, line crews from Alabama’s rural electric cooperatives are already in motion, preparing to head out into areas littered with downed trees and power lines to restore power your homes and businesses.
After the storm has passed and the power’s out, it’s tempting to set off in the car and look at damage. But if local law enforcement or elected officials have asked motorists to stay off the roads, there’s a reason.
Michael Kelley, AREA’s director of safety, took me to the Wiregrass Electric Cooperative area in late April after unexpectedly strong storms broke more than 60 power poles and left nearly 13,000 without power in Houston and Geneva counties.
It was gratifying to see the cooperative spirit at work as linemen from other Alabama co-ops came to help the Wiregrass crews, who were working day and night to clear roadways and reset poles.
But sightseers can hamper workers. “We understand that it’s hard for people to get information during a disaster, to find out which roads are closed and which ones are open,” Kelley says. “Still, obeying road closure signs and law enforcement is important for line worker safety.” In general, the safest place to be during times of disaster is at home.
On that April trip, Kelley and I saw several lines that were hanging low across the road, which can be more dangerous than ones on the ground. He says a vehicle with a ladder rack, for example, can grab a low-hanging line and pull a worker off a pole. Or a low-hanging line may still be energized.
Alabama’s “Move Over Act,” which requires motorists to vacate the lane closest to an emergency vehicle or slow to a speed that is less than 15 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit, also applies to utility workers and their vehicles.
Other questions and answers from Kelley:
What if I encounter a downed power line?
• Do not attempt to move a downed line, or anything that is in contact with the line.
• Be aware of where the line is, and always maintain a safe distance away from the wire – at least 10 feet.
• Report a downed line to your local utility. If it’s on fire or sparking, call 911.
• When you call, have a street address available, or in a rural area, either a mailbox number or a mile marker.
What if my car contacts a power pole or a downed line?
• Stay in the vehicle if at all possible and call for help. The only time you should exit the car is if it is on fire, or there’s a danger that it will be engulfed in water.
• If you must leave, jump with both feet together and avoid contact with the car and the ground at the same time, in case the car is “hot.” You do not want to be a path of electricity from the car to the earth. Shuffle away from the car.
Other safety reminders:
Keep a basic disaster supply kit at home. Even if power is restored quickly, hazardous conditions may keep you from leaving your home. A few basics include three days’ worth of non-perishable food and a gallon of water per person per day for three days. Find a complete list at www.ready.gov.
If you have a generator, make sure you have enough gasoline on hand to run it. And make sure it’s properly set up away from the house and garage, and only plug in appliances directly to the generator. Use extension cords that are large enough to carry the electrical load that you will put on the generator.
Alabama Gardens: Terrariums
Terrariums are easy, fun project for summer – or any time
By Katie Jackson
Back in April I had the pleasure of giving a program to a gathering of Alabama Rural Electric Association spouses, a charming group that listened attentively as I waxed on and on about how everything old really is new again. Case in point: terrariums.
I’m old enough to remember back to the 1970s when terrariums were all the rage. And nowadays they, like macramé and fondue, have made a comeback, so I took a stroll down memory lane and tried making one for myself.
Not being a particular adept DIYer (do-it-yourselfer — my daughters and I have a long-standing joke when we see something cute in a store: we could make that ourselves … but we won’t), I wasn’t sure how well this project would work for me. But it turned out to be such fun, and it is a perfect indoor project for this time of year.
For those who don’t know, terrariums are little gardens first developed in the mid-1800s by botanist Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward, who was actually studying insects in glass jars when he discovered that a fern spore in an unattended jar had germinated and was thriving even though the jar was closed. This discovery not only proved to be a great system for transporting plants across long distances, it also became all the rage in Victorian times.
A closed terrarium works by creating its own microenvironment within a clear glass container, which allows sunlight to enter but also traps the moisture created by the plants and soil to create a self-watering system within the containers. Open terrariums work similarly, though they may require more frequent watering to keep them moist and thriving.
Closed terrariums work best for tropical plants that thrive in humid, protected environments, such as ferns, mosses and orchids. Open terrariums can be used for a variety of other plants such as cacti and succulents that prefer dry, arid conditions or herbs and other hardy, small plants.
To create your own terrarium:
Choose any clear glass container — from canning jars to a fish bowl to any decorative glass container that strikes your fancy.
Cover the bottom of the container with an inch of pebbles, small rocks, or marbles to create a drainage system for the plants’ roots.
Top the pebbles with a thin layer of activated charcoal or perlite.
Top that with a layer of sterile potting soil (or cactus or orchid soil mix if you’re using these plant species) that is deep enough to comfortably cover and nestle the roots of the plants you are using.
Once you’re through planting and arranging the terrarium, add enough water to the container to moisten the soil mixture, then cover the container if you’re making a closed terrarium. Set the terrarium in a spot where it gets plenty of filtered sunlight. Open terrariums can be exposed to more direct sunlight, but closed terrariums can overheat if they receive too much direct sunlight.
Check the terrarium once a week or so to make sure the soil is relatively moist and add a sprinkling of water if needed. A good sign that you need to add additional water to a closed terrarium is a lack of condensation on the surface of the glass or signs of wilting in the plants. If a closed terrarium is beginning to develop mold on its sides, leave it open for an hour or so to let some of the condensation escape.
Other than that, there is little maintenance required for terrariums and they truly are easy and fun to make, so much so that you may want to create a whole collection of them in different sizes and styles. After all, you’re only limited by your imagination.
Making your own terrarium takes just minutes, once you’ve assembled all the ingredients: a clear container, pebbles, perlite, soil, seeds (or tiny plants) and water.
Photo by Allison Griffin
Alabama Outdoors: Primitive predators
Tim Fey shows off a bowfin he caught. Photo by John N. Felsher
Primitive predators are always on the prowl
At the drop-off edge, a cloud of brown silt suddenly erupted as a huge green head snatched the bass lure, throwing spray into the air as if someone threw a brick into the water. The powerful fish headed deeper into the channel, straining the line nearly to the breaking point.
“I think we got this tournament won,” the angler shouted enthusiastically to his partner. “Get the net. This one’s a monster. It must be … nuts, another mudfish! Never mind the net.”
Many anglers give a similar reaction when a mudfish or bowfin strikes. Anglers also call them grinnel, dogfish, cypress trout, cottonfish (because of the texture and flavor of its meat) and many other names unfit to print. Although some people eat them, many people describe the flavor of bowfin as something akin to eating wadded cotton soaked in swamp mud. Louisiana Cajuns call them “choupique,” an Anglicized version of a French translation of the Choctaw Indian word “shupik,” meaning mudfish.
No matter what anyone calls them, these amazing fish date back to the Jurassic Period about 150 million years ago. The only surviving representative of a primitive order, these fish witnessed the extinction of the dinosaurs and the giant mammals of the Ice Age, yet they remain unchanged. They survive because they can live practically anywhere and often inhabit the most stagnant waters.
Their swim bladders can serve as primitive lungs, allowing bowfins to breathe air and live in the foulest places. Bowfins can remain alive for long periods out of the water as long as they remain moist. People sometimes find them alive in semi-dried ponds resembling little more than mud puddles after a drought or when a falling river drains backwaters. Farmers even reported plowing them up alive in wet fields after floods.
“Bowfins can live in muddy backwater areas without much oxygen much better than most other species,” says Chris Greene of the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries in Montgomery. “Bowfin is a native fish found throughout Alabama. They are more common in swampy backwater areas with a lot of shallow vegetation throughout the state.”
Although most anglers hold them in low regard because of their unsavory reputation on the dinner table, these large aggressive prehistoric predators can provide incredible sport, particularly on light tackle. Long and cylindrical with a rounded tail and an exceptionally long dorsal fin, a bowfin looks similar to an eel, but thicker with greenish-brown scales and a huge head with a mouth full of sharp teeth. Vicious predators, bowfins eat almost anything they can catch and frequently devour small fish, crawfish, frogs, salamanders, snakes and small animals, but few people intentionally fish for them.
“Bowfins hit hard and can put up a good fight, but are not normally targeted,” Greene says. “They can grow pretty big. It’s not uncommon to catch bowfins in the 5- to 10-pound range all across Alabama. Anglers mostly catch them by accident while fishing for bass or something else. Some archers target them in backwater areas.”
A bowfin may grow about 12 inches in its first year and live more than 30 years. The world record topped 21 pounds. Some larger specimens exceed three feet in length.
Big bowfin can challenge any type of bass tackle and may hit anything that might tempt a largemouth bass. Bass anglers catch them on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and Texas-rigged plastic worms. Bowfins also hit jigs dropped into thick cover, particularly around weeds or wood. Crappie anglers often catch them on live shiners. Bowfins might even hit nightcrawlers and other baits used by anglers targeting bream or catfish.
Since they can breathe air, bowfins thrive in rivers, quiet swampy backwaters, shallow ponds and lakes full of submerged aquatic vegetation all across the state. Flowing with muddy rivers and laced with numerous backwater bayous, creeks and sloughs, the Mobile-Tensaw Delta creates the perfect habitat for bowfins and probably holds the largest population in the state. Bowfins also thrive in the Alabama, Tombigbee, Black Warrior and the Tennessee river systems among other places.
Almost any warm, sluggish creek, bayou, canal or reservoir in the state probably holds a population of these fierce living fossils. After fighting one, release it to fight again tomorrow.
John N. Felsher is a freelance writer and photographer who lives in Semmes, Ala. He co-hosts a weekly outdoors show that is syndicated to stations in Alabama. For more on the show, see www.gdomag.com. Contact him through his website at www.JohnNFelsher.com
Mahlon Richburg
Lee County farmer Mahlon Richburg makes rounds every morning to feed his cows. Photo by Lacey Rae Sport
A day in the life and a life of dedication
By Lacey Rae Sport
The red barn in the background is weathered, its tin roof discolored. A late summer sun is outlining the barn and its surrounding trees as the breeze ruffles through the branches.
His jeans are worn but his light blue and green striped shirt is pressed to perfection. He places his sunglasses on his head to reveal bright eyes, set in tan skin, slightly crinkled from sunny days and countless smiles.
Hearing his voice, the cows shift towards the fence. Every morning and every afternoon, Mahlon Richburg makes the rounds to feed his cattle.
The 63-year-old leaps onto a nearby trailer where cotton seeds are piled as high as Richburg is tall. With one effortless swoop he fills a bucket. He walks through the gate to feed the cows, leaving it open behind him.
As the seed echoes in the metal trough, the cows eagerly push their way up to it. Standing comfortably in their midst, he casually reaches over to pat a heifer’s back. She has a shiny black coat like the rest, except for one pink bald spot about the size of a man’s hand.
When she was a calf, Richburg explains, she was caught in a green briar bush that scraped and scarred her back.
He had to nurse the calf back to health. For weeks he picked her up in the pasture, carried her to her mother, and helped her milk. Although he claims no partiality toward any one of his cattle, this yearling is alive only because of Richburg’s care and dedication.
Not only is he dedicated to his cattle, but, for decades, he was dedicated to his students. Richburg, or “Burg” as they called him, taught Agriscience Education at Auburn High School before retiring in 2013.
He talks about his former students like most people talk about their grandchildren, with detailed descriptions and an air of pride.
Ethan Stanley, a former student, says Richburg was the most memorable teacher he ever had.
“Burg had a way of making his students want to work hard at what they do,” Stanley says. “[Hard work] is a virtue that is very prevalent in agriculture and definitely was so in his classroom. He made you want to figure out how to do things right.”
Another former student, Tiffany Godfrey, says, “Burg is still to this day my biggest inspiration. He encouraged me to be the best I could be.”
She remembers how Richburg went to Hardee’s for a $1.72 cinnamon raisin biscuit and coffee every morning. He still continues that tradition. Occasionally, he sees former students and remembers each one.
Driving through another pasture, he points out different cows. They do not have names, only numbers. Nevertheless, Richburg can spot one 100 yards away and immediately recognize its number, as well as its mother’s number and calf’s number.
Richburg’s voice is gentle. His words, dripping in wisdom, come straight from experience. Although retired, he is still teaching.
Before starting his career as a teacher, he earned his degree in agricultural education at Auburn University. Richburg moved to Auburn in 1969 to attend the university after graduating from Luverne High School and never left the area.
While sitting in a freshman English class one day, he met his wife, Mary. According to Richburg, he was trying to watch workers fill in the horseshoe in the stadium through the window, but there was a girl in the way. “And, as Paul Harvey says, ‘You know the rest of the story.’”
Mary was an elementary teacher for 17 years before becoming a counselor in Auburn public schools for 23 years. She retired in 2013 as well.
“I said, ‘Well, you know I’ll do this four or five years then do something else,’” Richburg says about his teaching career. “Forty years later we retired from education.”
Through an open patch in the trees, the sunlight shines through his truck windows as he enters the third pasture.
“Bingo,” Richburg says.
There is a newborn standing under its mother, only a few hours old. Of course he knew the mother’s number before he walked up to her. Holding the fuzzy, black calf between his legs he quickly tagged its left ear.
Surprised by the piercing it bucked and bellowed. Richburg held on and talked to him until he calmed down, then let him go back to his mother’s side.
Exiting the fields, he locks the metal gate behind him. He drives back to the barn, a darker red now that the sun is setting. Tomorrow morning after breakfast at Hardee’s Richburg will start his routine again.
As Paul Harvey says, “You know the rest of the story.”
Alabama Bookshelf: July 2015
Each month, we offer a summary of recent books either about Alabama people or written by Alabama authors. Summaries are not reviews or endorsements. We also occasionally highlight book-related events. Email submissions and events to bookshelf@alabamaliving.coop.
Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee, HarperCollins, July 2015, $27.99
This newly discovered novel is the earliest known work from Monroeville native Harper Lee, who penned the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. According to the publisher, it was originally written in the mid-1950s and was the first novel Lee submitted to the publishers (before TKAM).
Its discovery in late 2014 set the literary world on fire.
“I was surprised by the announcement on Feb. 3 of a second novel to be published. Not that there is a second novel, but what it is,” said Nancy Anderson, associate professor of English at Auburn Montgomery who has extensively studied Lee and TKAM. “I expected a second novel to be ‘The Reverend,’ the nonfiction novel about the series of murders in Alexander City in the 1970s.” Lee traveled to Alexander City in the late 1970s to research that book, but no manuscript has ever been found.
Anderson, like other TKAM scholars and readers alike, is eager for the new work’s release, but hopes readers will put the new book in the proper context.
“I do hope that readers and reviewers remember that it was a first draft of TKAM, even if the publisher has labeled it ‘a sequel.’ It is a sequel in chronology — Jean Louise returning to Maycomb in the 1950s to visit her father. Harper Lee has called it ‘the parent’ rather than the sequel.”
Anderson also hopes the new book will shed light on questions raised by TKAM.
“For example, readers have always wondered how old Jean Louise is when she is recalling her childhood in TKAM. Now we may have the answer to that question: if ‘Go Set a Watchman’ is the plot rewritten for TKAM, perhaps this is Jean Louise in the 1950s recalling her childhood,” Anderson says.
She’s tempering her excitement with a small dose of reality. “I am excited about the release and cannot wait to read it, but I am also being realistic in reminding myself not to expect another TKAM.”
Mildred Budge in Embankment, by Daphne Simpkins, Quotidian Books, January 2015, $11.50
This second full-length Mildred Budge novel follows the retired school teacher and full-time church lady as she leads her fellow church members to safety after the car in which they were traveling wrecks on a desolate road. The journey is not just a physical one; she experiences new spiritual adventures as she continues to “work out her salvation” within the context of friendships and church relationships.
In the Land of Cotton: How Old Times There Still Shape Alabama’s Future, by Larry Lee, NewSouth Books, Spring 2015, $7.95
The early 19th century was a time of prosperity in Alabama, thanks in large part to the bountiful cotton that fed the hungry mills of England. But the cotton culture valued manual labor over a keen mind; this mentality, the author says, trapped thousands of Alabamians in a cycle of poverty and lack of education. Author Lee is an expert in rural development who is interested in education issues.
Alabama Recipes: Sandwiches
When you think of a summer sandwich, what comes to mind? A juicy Alabama tomato, sliced on white bread with mayo, just says “summer” to us. And how about a glass of iced tea (sweet, of course) to wash it down? Photo by Michael Cornelison
The Merriam-Webster definition of a sandwich is “two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between.” Such a simple thing, but with oh so many possibilities. From a simple deli turkey sandwich to a gourmet panini, one can make almost anything into a delicious sandwich. I hope you’ll find some inspiration from our reader-submitted recipes. Don’t forget to send your favorite recipes for our upcoming themes!
Upcoming recipe themes and deadlines are:
August Cool drinks June 15
September Tailgating July 15
October Homemade candy August 15
Submit your recipes here, email to recipes@alabamaliving.coop or mail to: Recipes, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124. Don’t forget to check us out on Facebook for updates throughout the month.
Cook of the month:
Katye Delashaw, Dixie EC
Fried Green Tomato Sandwich
4 medium green tomatoes
4 slices of Swiss cheese
8 slices of ciabatta bread
Slice green tomatoes 1/4 inch thinck. Salt and pepper each side. Let sit for 15 minutes. Fry bacon, drain and break slices in half. Coat green tomato slices in flour. Fry in vegetable oil until golden brown on each side. Place fried green tomato slices on slice of toasted ciabatta bread. Top with slice of Swiss cheese and strips of bacon. Coat top slice of ciabatta bread with ranch dressing. Place on top, dressing side down. Makes 4 sandwiches.
4 slices bread
2 slices of Big Slice Jalapeno Cheese Slices
1 small jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
2 cheese singles
1/3 cup finely crushed pretzels
4 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
Fill bread slices with jalapeno cheese slices, sliced jalapeno peppers and cheese singles to make 2 sandwiches. Whisk egg and milk in pie plate until blended. Dip sandwiches, 1 at a time, in egg mixture, then in pretzel crumbs, turning to evenly coat both sides of each sandwich with egg mixture and crumbs. Melt 2 teaspoons butter in medium skillet on medium heat. Add sandwiches; cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Add remaining butter to skillet; turn sandwiches. Cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown and cheeses are melted.
Jackie Harbin, Arab EC
Meat and Nut Rolls
11/4 pounds ground round
1 pound tube hot breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean brand recommended)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can water
1/3 cup sliced black olives, cut into smaller pieces
2 packages sub rolls, Cobblestone Mill recommended
In a large skillet or pan, brown ground round, sausage and onion together; drain. While the meat is draining, wipe out the pan. Over medium heat, put pecans, soup, water, olives and spices in the same pan and stir to combine. Add the meat mixture and heat through. Turn off heat, leaving pan on stove eye. Cut bread rolls in half and scoop out the middles. Fill bread shells with meat mixture and place cut side up in a baking dish. Put in a 350 degree oven until hot – 20 or 30 minutes. Enjoy! Freeze the remaining sub rolls for the next batch.
Sandra Lee, Baldwin EMC
Stuffed Sub Supreme
2 large loaves of uncut French bread
Sliced cheese, your choice
1 pound Italian sausage, cooked
1 pound ground beef, cooked
One onion, cooked
Bell pepper, cooked
Cook sausage, beef, onion and pepper together. Drain any grease.
Cut loaves in half lengthwise. Hollow out and save soft inner parts for another use (like dressing or bread pudding). Line tops and bottoms with slices of cheese. Fill bottoms with scoops of meat/onion/pepper mixture. Place tops on. Wrap in foil. Bake on baking sheet at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Slice and serve. You may wish to bake only one and to freeze the other or share it as-is with someone who needs a quick meal. These sandwich subs go well with a pot of soup or a large salad.
Jennifer Dansby, Covington EC
The Ultimate Catfish Cheese Sandwich
4 5-6-ounce U.S Farm-Raised Catfish fillets
11/4 cups of your favorite spicy catfish breader
3 jumbo eggs
½ cup of ice-cold dark beer
½ cup of buttermilk
8 slices of Texas toast
16 slices of pepper jack cheese
Jalapeno Tartar Sauce
½ cup pickle relish
¼ cup chopped onion
½ teaspoon garlic
½ cup seeded jalapenos
2 cups light mayonnaise
1 lemon for juice and zest
1 teaspoon dill
Make the tartar sauce first so it can mellow in the refrigerator. Place pickle relish, onion, garlic, and seeded jalapenos in a food processor and finely chop. Drain off any liquid. Add this to mayo, mustard, juice and zest from the lemon, black pepper, dill, and sugar. Stir thoroughly until smooth and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make batter by mixing 1 cup of breader with eggs, beer and buttermilk. Batter should be drippy not stiff. Coat fillets in dry breader on a plate and then dip in the batter. Place battered fillets in hot oil (375 degrees) Temperature is critical; if it’s too low fillets will be greasy, not crispy. Fry for 8-10 minutes until brown. Fish will float partly out of the oil when done. While fish is frying, toast bread lightly in toaster and place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Place two slices of cheese on each piece of toast and cook in oven until bubbly. Drain oil off fillets on paper towels. Place fillets on cheese bread, spread chilled tartar sauce over fillets and top with second piece of bread. Add slice of tomato and lettuce if desired.
Gregory N. Whitis state specialist/Extension aquaculturist
Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Worth the Drive: Five Points Dairy Bar
Step back in time at Five Points Dairy Bar
In 1931, the infamous trial of the “Scottsboro boys” contributed a dark chapter to our state’s story and put Scottsboro, Alabama, in a harsh spotlight. But it’s shaken off that past, and today is a thriving little city.
More than 1 million visitors a year flock to find treasures at Unclaimed Baggage, a store that sells the contents of forever-lost luggage at discount prices. Folks also search for old, odd and just plain interesting items at one of the country’s longest-running trade days, held for almost a century on Sundays around Jackson Square. Anglers and boaters enjoy the bountiful population of big bass and sparkling waters of Lake Guntersville.
But there’s more to this spot in the northeast corner of Alabama than history, unique shopping opportunities and lake living. It’s got a sweet side too, and you can get a cold, creamy taste of it at Five Points Dairy Bar, an ice cream stand founded in 1941 that still looks pretty much like it did when walk-up lunch counters and “dairy bars” were a common sight across the American landscape.
Giant cones with swirls of vanilla soft serve and a vintage snowman signal passersby from the flat-top roof, which shades the order window, a few chairs and a hot pink picnic table. Duck under it to escape the heat and give the menu board a read. Craving a juicy cheeseburger? A fried bologna sandwich or a patty melt? You know you want a sundae or maybe a banana split, too. How about an old-fashioned float? When you’ve decided, approach the window and a friendly face will greet you as it slides open. “What’re you having?” it will ask.
The Dairy Bar is a popular spot and has been since it opened more than 80 years ago. Darryll and Loria Carroll Flowers are the current owners and have been running it with the help of their daughter Amanda for the last two years. “The place has such a history behind it,” Loria says. “We have one couple, and they’re in their late 70s, and they come here from Birmingham every few months. The man proposed to his bride decades ago on a bench we still have sitting out front.” She has her own fond memories, too. “I remember coming here as a kid, and then there was seating inside. The original solid cedar cooler is still here.”
Others reminisce about being brought to the barbershop that once occupied the small building next to the Dairy Bar. “They’ll tell me that their parents promised them a Dairy Bar ice cream cone if they behaved during their haircut,” Loria says.
“Our cheeseburgers are our best seller,” she adds. I get fresh beef ground every day, and your burger is made when you order it. I never use frozen meat, and we never make them ahead.” So be prepared to wait 15 minutes or so for yours.
If you didn’t order an ice cream treat before, and even if your stomach is telling your brain that it is satisfied, walk back over to the window, knock on it if you must (but you shouldn’t need to alert the attentive staff), and order a blueberry milkshake.
It’s not the best seller – that’s the peanut butter shake made with the Dairy Bar’s recipe hailing back to 1952 – but it’s divine. Plump blueberries are blended with soft-serve vanilla ice cream and milk to create a thick shake that’s not too sweet but packed with a blast of pure berry freshness.
If you go for a banana split, you’ll find it topped with “wet walnuts,” something Loria explains most places don’t do anymore. “We soak the nuts in syrup,” she says. “It’s a great addition.”
There’s even ‘50s music playing under the overhang, and a black and white photo of Marilyn Monroe stuck to one of the windows, completing the trip back in time. “It’s just a special place that has been a part of a lot of people’s lives,” Loria says. “And a new generation is loving it now.”
Jennifer Kornegay is the author of a new children’s book, “The Alabama Adventures of Walter and Wimbly: Two Marmalade Cats on a Mission.” She travels to an out-of-the way restaurant destination in Alabama every month. She may be reached for comment at j_kornegay@charter.net.
Enjoy state’s official fruit while at its peak
By Alethia Russell
June and July are prime picking season for a fruit that’s rooted in our Alabama hearts: the blackberry.
Although the origins of the blackberry are unknown, it is believed it originated in Asia, Europe or North or South America. Most of the berries we consume in the Southeast are grown from a breeding program based at the University of Arkansas and other universities in the Southeast. Once these seedlings go public, nurseries and home gardeners can take up the hobby of raising these beauties to their peak.
Blackberries are not widely grown in the state, but Alabama’s legislature declared the blackberry as the state fruit in 2004, at the request of Fairhope Elementary School faculty and students. Teachers Susan Sims and Amy Jones noticed Alabama laid no claim to a fruit of its own like our neighboring states, and set out to fix that. They researched the fruit and received the backing of then-Sen. Bradley Byrne and State Rep. Randy Davis to help push it through the Senate. (Alabama’s official tree fruit is the peach, recognized as such in 1949.)
The good news is that you can grow them yourself in your backyard garden. The health and wellness benefits blackberries provide are more than enough incentive to invest. Blackberries are low in sodium and calories, and are rich in bioflavonoids and Vitamin C. The dark color of the fruit indicates it has one of the highest levels of antioxidants in fruit. Tea drinkers use the leaves of the fruit for added flavor or as a therapeutic drink. Just mask the bitterness with a little honey and sip away. The leaves have also been used to treat gum inflammation.
The plant has proven to be a low maintenance and attractive addition to vegetable gardens, according to Jason Powell, co-owner of Petals from the Past Nursery in Jemison.
“You can grow blackberries without a lot of fuss,” Powell says. “So we have a lot of home gardeners who like to grow them in their gardens because you don’t have to deal with a lot of spray programs. If you can give them sunshine, and plant a good variety and fertilize twice a year, you’re good.”
Blackberries should be planted in early spring, preferably one month to one month and a half before the last frost of the winter. It prefers acidic or neutral soil for growing. Soil pH should range from 5.5 – 7.0. Pests can build up in soil over the years, so avoid planting blackberries in an area where other brambles have grown to prevent contaminating the plant. These plants will not produce fruit the first year, but with proper maintenance they will produce fruit the following year. Gardeners should fertilize as early as possible in the spring and maintain the bushes with trellises. With proper growing supervision, a blackberry bush can last anywhere from 15-20 years.
Here are a few tips for growing blackberries at home:
Blackberries are self-fruitful: This means you can plant one variety of blackberry and there’s no need for another plant for cross-pollination.
Fertilizer is important: Blackberries need proper soil nutrients to grow. Alabama soil typically cannot provide these nutrients on its own. Proper fertilizing and maintaining mulch around the base of the plant will keep weeds and grass from sapping nutrients from your berries. Also avoid planting in sandy or heavy clay soil.
Walking on sunshine: Blackberries require a minimum of five hours of sunshine per day. Water them once or twice a week as needed to maintain moisture and sun balance. Be sure to give them at least an inch of water in drier periods.
Growing Room: The easiest way to grow blackberries at home is in a standard 10-foot row with a trellis. Blackberry bushes are naturally climbing plants.
Know what you grow: Blackberries are also referred to as caneberries, bramble, brambleberries, etc., because they grow in thorny and thornless varieties. But they are also classified by what type of bearing they produce. Primocane bearing varieties grow the canes and fruits on the same cane during the same year. Jim Pitts, director of Chilton County Research and Extension Center, suggests that the Natchez variety is the best non-thorny variety suitable for home gardening. Visit your local hardware store or nurseryman and ask about the variety best for your gardening needs.
After all your hard work, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. When your berries begin to ripen, try to pick them every three to six days and enjoy them alone or in pies, jams or jellies. If not, the birds will have fun eating your berries.
Alethia Russell, a senior at Auburn University, is a summer intern for Alabama Living.
Magic Blackberry Cobbler
1 cup self-rising flour
1 quart blackberries
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 2 quart baking dish melt butter in oven. Remove from oven. In a separate bowl mix flour and 1 cup sugar until well blended. Add milk and mix until blended. Pour this mixture over butter but DO NOT STIR. Pour blackberries over this mixture but DO NOT STIR. Sprinkle 3/4 cup sugar over berries but DO NOT STIR. Bake, uncovered, for 45 to 50 minutes. It should be brown when done. Serve warm.
Kimberly Baugh, North Alabama EC
From the Alabama Living recipe archives. See more recipes here.
Reclaiming history
An undated photo of the Birmingham Black Barons, one of the most successful baseball teams in the Negro Leagues. Photo courtesy of the Center for Negro League Baseball Research
Negro Southern League Museum will honor baseball’s past
By Ryan Whirty
It’s been a long, long wait, but on July 4 — the most American of holidays — Birmingham resident and former Negro Leaguer Ernest Fann will finally get to see the story of segregation-era, African-American baseball come to life.
That’s when the state-of-the-art, interactive, multimillion-dollar Negro Southern League Museum that’s been in the works for five years will, at long last, hold its grand opening. After years of budget delays and controversy surrounding its possible competition with the long-established Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, the project sponsored by Birmingham Mayor William Bell will come to fruition.
“I’m very excited,” says Fann, a native of Macon, Ga., who settled in Birmingham after his playing career. “It took so long. There’s no museum that can tell the story of black baseball like it really was than this place. It’s going to be amazing. People will get to see the long history of the Negro Leagues, and I’m very glad to be a part of it.”
Alabama has actually played a major role in the history of African-American baseball. The state’s largest city was home to one of the Negro Leagues’ oldest, most storied franchises, the Birmingham Black Barons, which for decades was the deep South’s black baseball jewel. The Black Barons won multiple Negro American League pennants with rosters that featured dozens of African-American hardball stars, including, in the late 1940s, a young prospect named Willie Mays.
The area was also the home of arguably the country’s best, most talent-laden and vigorously competitive urban industrial leagues, which launched the professional baseball careers of dozens of African-American players.
“There’s more to the history of black baseball than just the Negro Leagues,” says Dr. Layton Revel of the Center for Negro League Baseball Research, who personally donated tens of thousands of artifacts and pieces of memorabilia to the new museum.
“A lot of the industrial teams were proving grounds for players. What we’re saying is that it’s an important part of the history. You can’t forget the grass roots, where these guys started.”
But it wasn’t just the Magic City that featured prime black baseball in the decades before Jackie Robinson broke the Major League color barrier. There were also squads like the Montgomery Grey Sox and the Mobile Black Shippers and Black Bears.
In fact, Mobile turned out to be a key locus of African-American hardball activity, not only by hosting such quality semipro teams like the Bears and the Shippers, but also serving as the hometown of the one and only Leroy “Satchel” Paige. Paige was the first Negro Leaguer inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, who many baseball historians consider the greatest pitcher in the sport’s history, black or white, regardless of time period.
Paige grew up and earned his spikes in Mobile with another Negro League legend from the city, Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe, one of black baseball’s most colorful, versatile, active and longest-living personalities.
Radcliffe, who died in 2005 at the age of 103, earned his nickname by catching one end of a doubleheader, then pitching the second game on the same day. When asked by author Brent Kelley in 2000 whether he considered himself a pitcher or a catcher, Radcliffe’s answer probably echoed the feelings of countless Negro Leaguers. “It didn’t make no difference,” he said, “just so we won.”
Alabama also gave birth to several other Negro League greats and Baseball Hall of Famers, like hulking power hitter George “Mule” Suttles. Then, of course, there were the two ’Bama natives and home run kings who began their careers in the Negro Leagues before moving on to greatness in the Majors — Mays and Henry Aaron.
But a slew of other, less-heralded Negro League legends came from the state, from both major cities and tiny towns scattered across the landscape.
One was Birmingham native William “Dizzy” Dismukes, who enjoyed a lengthy, storied pitching career that began in 1910 and extended into the 1940s. Later in his baseball life, Dismukes became a wily, successful manager, a prominent sportswriter in the African-American press and a scout for the New York Yankees.
Just a few years before Dismukes got his start in the top levels of the game, C.I. Taylor founded one of Birmingham’s first professional blackball teams, the Giants, who featured the playing services of C.I.’s three equally talented brothers — “Steel Arm” Johnny, “Candy” Jim and Ben. The quartet of siblings would move on from Birmingham to become the Negro Leagues’ “first family” for 20 years.
Other talented Negro Leaguers from Alabama included first baseman Lyman Bostock Sr. of Birmingham; catcher Otha Bailey Sr., from Huntsville, one of the best defensive backstops in the game in the 1950s; utility player and manager Tommy Sampson of Calhoun; pitcher Eugene Scruggs from Meridianville; Birmingham infielder Henry Elmore; outfielder and Fairfield native Jake Sanders; and the sterling infielder Lorenzo “Piper” Davis, whose famed nickname came from his hometown of Piper and who became the first African-American signed by the Boston Red Sox organization.
There was Montevallo native Clifford DuBose, a third baseman and outfielder who competed for the Black Barons and Memphis Red Sox and whose attitude toward the game symbolized the feelings of the thousands of African Americans who suited up in the Negro Leagues.
“That was such a big thing going for him,” said his brother, Glover DuBose, of Clifford’s time in the Negro bigs and beyond. “He was always a baseball man. That was his passion, baseball.”
For all of these teams and players — those famous or forgotten, honored or unsung, big-city boys and small-town kids — Revel said it’s only natural that the city of Birmingham and the state of Alabama play host to a brand-new black baseball museum.
Making a dream a reality
The fact that the project has survived several funding hiccups points to the determination of those involved, including the dozens of players who gather in Birmingham each spring for an annual Negro Leagues reunion and who, like Fann, have eagerly and patiently awaited the realization of the facility.
But financial difficulties weren’t the only problematic facets of the project. When Revel and city officials first announced the creation of the effort, representatives from the existing Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City expressed concern that the Alabama institution would constitute a rival that could possibly draw attention, visitors and business away from the NLBM.
But since then, any conflicts between the two facilities appear to have been smoothed over, thanks to assurances from Bell, Revel and others that the new Birmingham museum would serve a totally different purpose than the NLBM, which is much more national in scope than the Alabama-based facility.
The new museum has been funded by a mix of charitable fundraising, private donations and public funding — the Birmingham City Council, for example, approved a $2.8 million appropriation to the effort last year.
Through it all, everyone involved in the museum and the annual reunion has said the facility and festivities come down to one thing — celebrating the courage, passion and playing abilities of the men (and occasionally women) in Alabama who populated all levels of African-American baseball for over a century.
“You set a standard that sent other players on to the Major League,” Bell said at a news conference last year while surrounded by former Negro Leaguers. “This is a great day, just the beginning.”
Bell made those comments as the fifth annual Negro Leagues reunion was getting underway last year. This year’s event was held May 25-27, and like clockwork, Ernest Fann was in attendance, even volunteering to chauffeur some of his colleagues around the city.
Fann said he’s encouraged by all the youngsters who attend the reunions and get a chance to talk with former Negro Leaguers about the players’ experiences on and off the diamond.
“It’s good for them to know who we are and what we did,” he said. “It’s a good chance to educate the kids.”
Meanwhile, Revel said undertaking the museum project, as well as holding the yearly reunions, is important to do now because, as the former players get on in years and pass away, memories of and connections to the Negro Leagues dwindle and fade.
“Every year we’re just trying to do more as [the players] age, and we have lots of players from Birmingham,” he said. “That’s why it’s so important to do this while they’re still alive, so we can interview them and talk to them. And they’re not just passing away, but for many of them their health is such that they can’t [relate their stories]. If we’re interested in Negro League baseball, now is the time to do it.”
New book looks back at Negro Southern League
The Negro Southern League became a valuable feeder of young players to the Negro National League and Negro American League, giving starts to future baseball legends Leroy “Satchel” Paige and Willie Mays.
Now, The Negro Southern League: A Baseball History, 1920-1951, (McFarland and Co., 276 pages, $39.95) by retired journalist and freelance writer William Plott of Montevallo, tells the story of this minor league, which sent a number of players – some found in cotton fields, some in steel mills — on to the higher level of pro baseball.
The league gave a home to professional baseball in cities that couldn’t support teams at the Negro National League level, with teams in New Orleans, Montgomery, Nashville, Pensacola, Knoxville, Jacksonville, Birmingham and Atlanta. During its history, more than 80 teams were members of the league, representing 40 cities in a dozen states. In the end, only four teams remained, operating more as semipro than professional teams.
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Don’t be misled by false Medicare or Social Security ads
Online and otherwise, there’s a lot of information out there, and sometimes it’s difficult to tell what sources are credible. With millions of people relying on Social Security, scammers target audiences who are looking for program and benefit information.
The law that addresses misleading Social Security and Medicare advertising prohibits people or non-government businesses from using words or emblems that mislead others. Their advertising can’t lead people to believe that they represent, are somehow affiliated with, or endorsed or approved by Social Security or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (Medicare).
People are often misled by advertisers who use the terms “Social Security” or “Medicare.” Often, these companies offer Social Security services for a fee, even though the same services are available directly from Social Security free of charge. These services include getting:
A corrected Social Security card showing a person’s married name;
A Social Security card to replace a lost card;
A Social Security Statement; and
A Social Security number for a child.
If you receive misleading information about Social Security, send the complete ad, including the envelope, to:
You can learn more about how we combat fraudulent advertisers by reading our publication What You Need to Know About Misleading Advertising at socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05-10005.pdf.
You can also report Social Security fraud to the Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov/report.
Kylle’ McKinney, SSA Public Affairs Specialist, can be reached by email at kylle.mckinney@ssa.gov.
Small game animals are a great introduction to hunting
Steven Felsher, Brett Pratt and Chester Thompson look for squirrels in a grove of towering white oaks. Squirrels like hardwood trees that produce abundant nuts. Photo by John N. Felsher
Many young sportsmen begin hunting by accompanying a father, grandfather, other relative or friend looking for small game. Young hunters usually see more game and fire their guns more often when hunting small game than when sitting still and quiet for long hours in a deer stand. Following behind an experienced hunter, youngsters also learn valuable woodsmanship and stalking skills.
“Small game hunting provides a great opportunity to engage new hunters in active pursuit hunting methods without being confined to a shooting house often associated with deer hunting,” says Steve Barnett, an Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division biologist. “Roaming the woods for small game with a mentor hones woodsmanship skills and provides an outdoor classroom for plant and animal sign identification as a bonus.”
In Alabama, squirrel and rabbit seasons run concurrently. They open on Sept. 15 and run through March 3, 2019. People can bag up to eight rabbits and eight squirrels per day.
“Most regions of the state have good, stable numbers of rabbits and squirrels,” Barnett says. “Areas managed for mast producing hardwoods such as oaks provide some of the best habitat for squirrels. Open habitats such as fallow fields, new clear-cuts and brushy openings are havens for rabbits.”
When looking for squirrels, move slowly through forests. Take a few steps, then stop, look and listen. Watch trees for movement or anything unusual. Periodically, sit on a log or lean against a tree to listen for claws scratching on bark, objects dropping or branches shaking. Also listen for barking squirrels.
Many sportsmen hunt squirrels in teams, an excellent idea with accompanying youngsters. When teams detect a squirrel, but can’t quite locate it, one person can remain motionless while the other walks around the tree. Squirrels frequently try to keep tree trunks between themselves and danger. If the squirrel reacts to the person walking, it might present a shot to the other sportsman.
For fox squirrels, sportsmen might head to Oakmulgee or Blue Spring Wildlife Management Areas. One of the oldest and perhaps the most scenic WMA in the state, Oakmulgee covers 44,500 acres of Bibb, Hale, Perry and Tuscaloosa counties about 25 miles southeast of Tuscaloosa. Part of the 392,567-acre Talladega National Forest, the habitat consists mostly of hills covered in mature open longleaf pine forests with periodic upland hardwood forests and swampy drainages. People can also hunt the surrounding national forest.
Blue Spring WMA covers 24,783 acres of pine flatwoods periodically dotted by hardwood strands in the Conecuh National Forest near Andalusia. Other WMAs that offer good squirrel hunting include Black Warrior near Moulton, Barbour near Clayton, the Jackson County WMAs, James D. Martin-Skyline near Scottsboro, Upper Delta by Mobile and William R. Ireland, Sr.-Cahaba near West Blocton.
Since the seasons run concurrently, many people lump squirrel and rabbit hunting together. True, squirrel hunters occasionally kick up a cottontail while walking along the wooded edge of field or jump a big swamp rabbit in a hardwood thicket, but people hunt squirrels and rabbits in completely different ways.
Most people use trained beagles to flush rabbits from impenetrable thickets. When a rabbit bolts from cover, shooters must react fast. Difficult, but not impossible, some hunters bag rabbits without dogs by taking turns smashing through thickets, kicking grass clumps or fallen logs as others watch for anything that might run out. Chokepoints that limit where rabbits can run, such as openings in fences or narrow strips of high ground in a flooded wetland, also make good places to hunt rabbits.
Many WMAs across the state allow rabbit hunting. Some better ones include Choccolocco near Heflin, the Jackson County WMAs, Lowndes near White Hall, Sam R. Murphy near Guin and Skyline. For the best chances at bagging a swamp rabbit, visit the Mobile-Tensaw Delta in Mobile and Baldwin counties.
“There are ample hunting opportunities on all WMAs that have rabbit and squirrel seasons,” Barnett says. “Most areas are underutilized for small game.”
In addition, several Special Opportunity Areas will hold small game hunts. Fred T. Stimpson SOA in Clarke County will hold special youth squirrel hunts. Other rabbit and squirrel hunts will be held in Cedar Creek and Portland Landing SOAs in Dallas County and Uchee Creek SOA in Russell County. For details, see www.outdooralabama.com.
Hardy Jackson’s Alabama: Southern by the signs
You remember a couple of years ago when they busted TV’s Miss Cleo?
She was the Jamaican psychic whose “hotline” offered free “supernatural insight into love and money.”
Well, according to authorities, Miss Cleo (who was really Youree Dell Harris of Los Angeles) used the old “bait and switch” on folks who called in. She came on the line and told them to phone another number which, it turned out, charged them about $5 a minute.
Now I figure that many of Miss Cleo’s callers could have been Southerners.
Not only do we talk a lot (ask us the time of day and we tell you how to make a watch), we have a history of trying to hook up with the supernatural.
Many among us regularly consult the astrological section of an almanac and schedule everything from planting to procreating according to the alignment of heavenly bodies.
Others consult folks like Henry Baysmore.
Back in the 1930s, the 75-year-old Baysmore was interviewed at his Montgomery home. He told how he “started out to be a preacher once” and seemed on the road to success until he found that the Bible said that ministers should keep themselves “unspotted from the world.” He was OK with that until he found that the Good Book also said ministers should “visit the widows.”
That presented a problem for, he observed, if “you have ever been acquainted with any widows, you know a preacher can’t visit them and keep himself unspotted.”
So, he told his visitor, “I give up preachin’.”
What did he do then? He became Montgomery’s Miss Cleo.
Those were Depression years and people were uneasy. So Baysmore had plenty of visitors who “wanted to see into the future.” Such advice did not come cheap, $10 a session, but if they protested he simply told them, “If you can’t afford ten dollars for a little supernatural information” then they would suffer the consequences.
So they paid up.
Though Henry Baysmore gave up preaching to become a psychic, some time ago, riding through Wilcox County, I saw a sign announcing that “Dr. Black,” the “Holy Profet of God,” had discovered a way to combine the two.
Apparently ignoring the problem with widows, “Dr. Black” found scriptural foundation for his calling in First Samuel where Saul tries to figure out how to pay a seer for helping him recover some runaway asses. Figuring if Saul could, so could he, and Dr. Black opened the “House of Prayer and Faith,” where religion and folklore were bundled together for believers.
According to the sign, anyone who was “crossed up,” “troubled,” or suffering from what he called, with a fine feeling for words, “Lost Nature,” should take Dr. Black on as their “Spiritual Reader and Advisor.”
I bet business was brisk.
We all know that since forever, a sizable segment of the South’s population has believed that greater forces are at work in the world and that there are special people who can understand them. Sometimes the gifted are found in churches that focus on biblical prophecy and mystical communications like speaking in tongues. Other times these spiritual advisors are found outside any religious congregation, out on the fringes of society.
But remember, historically, it is on the fringes of society that so many Southerners have lived. And those Southerners, in trying to deal with troubling questions, have turned to the Bible, the Almanac, preachers, teachers, and people like Baysmore, and Black.
Some even called Miss Cleo – long distance.
From trial size to supersized: Solar surges in rural communities
By Tracy Warren
Five years ago, many people in the electric industry viewed solar energy as a kind of “boutique” resource––more an energy accessory than a real power supply option. But in the last half-decade, as the costs to install solar went down and electric utilities gained experience with this unique energy resource, there has been a dramatic transformation, and solar energy has made the jump to the big leagues.
At local electric cooperatives, consumer-members were asking questions about whether this new technology would be suitable either for their own home or for the cooperative.
Given the high cost to install solar, electric co-ops had questions about the economic feasibility of solar and its effect on the electric system. Even with federal tax incentives, the cost of solar was not competitive with other resources such as wind and natural gas.
Engineers also had questions. What happens to the system when the sun doesn’t shine? Or even more tricky: what happens on those days when multiple clouds sail by, making a strobe light out of the sun?
To answer these questions, co-ops started installing small arrays, analyzing costs and efficiency. Five years ago, compared to other resources, many concluded solar was still simply too expensive.
The cost of panels and equipment was not the only reason solar was expensive. There were also soft costs, like training, business processes and software. There was little standardization among solar projects––every project was unique. Engineers and resource planners, unfamiliar with this technology, needed training and technical assistance. Financial partners still needed convincing when it came to investing in large-scale solar projects.
As the solar industry started growing, thanks in part to tax credits and other policy incentives, the cost of solar panels and other equipment started declining; the economics started changing.
In 2014, 17 electric co-ops joined with their national trade organization, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), to collaborate on solar installations in 10 states whose combined solar capacity would be 23 megawatts. The goal of the project was to make solar more affordable for electric co-ops by driving down the soft costs.
The project, which received funding from the Department of Energy, aimed to create a network of experts within the cooperative community. By sharing information and expertise, co-op experts could make solar installations easier and less financially risky for other co-ops to follow suit.
Over the course of this project, the cost of solar fell dramatically. For example, one co-op that built a solar installation at the beginning of the project and another one two years later, found the cost was half what it had been two years earlier. In 2013, the cost was $4.50 per watt of installed solar, and in 2016, the cost was $1.74 per watt.
As more electric co-ops gained experience and shared information about what worked and what didn’t, the risks that come with innovation and change also went down. Solar became more doable for cooperatives large and small.
With the decline in costs and the increase in knowledge and understanding, solar has taken off in rural communities. The proof is in the numbers. Today, America’s electric co-ops own or purchase more than nine times as much photovoltaic solar power as they did in 2013. And by the end of 2019, the combined solar capacity of America’s electric cooperatives is expected to surpass a gigawatt.
Tracy Warren writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape.
Alabama National Guard welcomes first black female pilot
When 2nd Lt. Kayla Freeman wore her wings for the first time on the stage of Fort Rucker’s Army Aviation school, she didn’t consider how historically impactful the moment was.
Freeman, whose June 21 graduation made her the first black female pilot in the Alabama National Guard, graduated from Tuskegee University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace science engineering.
“I didn’t think about making history when I started this journey. I just wanted to do the best that I could do and hopefully inspire a few people along the way,” she says.
That’s a goal she has also accomplished, with Freeman being inundated with congratulations, well-wishes, and messages of appreciation in the few weeks after her achievement.
Freeman said she was honored to have her wings pinned by a longtime hero and fellow history-maker, retired Col. Christine “Nickey” Knighton.
Knighton was the second black woman in the Department of Defense to earn her aviator wings, the first from Georgia, and also the first woman in the U.S. Army to command a tactical combat arms battalion.
“Col. Knighton has been an inspiration to me since college,” Freeman says. “I felt that it was only right to have her pin me.”
Freeman also lists Knighton as one of her main role models, along with her own grandfather, and the pioneering female Tuskegee Airmen like Mildred Carter.
Like Knighton before her, Freeman’s inspirations led her to attend Tuskegee University and enroll in the historic institute’s ROTC program. She said she knew since she was a child that she wanted to fly, and said it was discipline, perseverance, and faith that helped her achieve that goal.
“You can’t let mistakes and setbacks keep you down,” she says. “Learn from them and continue moving forward. Most importantly keep God first and He will direct your path.”
Maj. Gen. Sheryl Gordon applauded Freeman’s historic accomplishment. Gordon is the first female general officer in the Alabama National Guard and is now the first female to serve as its adjutant general.
“We take the ideals of equal opportunity very seriously,” Gordon says, “and we’re extremely proud of 2nd Lt. Freeman’s achievements. She is further proof that we don’t see race or gender in the Alabama Guard – we see soldiers and airmen and their potential.
“She has worked very hard to earn those wings, and that’s a great example for all of us.”
Currently at Fort Hood preparing to deploy to the Middle East as a platoon leader in the Alabama National Guard’s 1-169th Aviation Battalion, Freeman’s mind is on the mission. After that, she said, her plans are simple: keep going.
“I just plan to continue to develop my skills as an officer and aviator, as well as mentoring others.”
In her civilian career, Freeman is an aerospace engineer at U.S. Army Aviation Development Test Activity at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.
Snapshots: County Fairs
Lilly and her best friend Terryn, both 10 years old, riding the carousel at the National Peanut Festival. SUBMITTED BY Lindsey Winburn, New Brockton.
Sunset at the 2014 Cullman County Fair.SUBMITTED BY Cindy Wilson, Cullman.
Miranda, Eliott and Ellyott Stanton at the Baldwin County Fair. SUBMITTED BY Miranda Stanton, Loxley.
Kamikaze ride at the 2017 Cullman County Fair. SUBMITTED BY Chris Sears, Cullman.
Little Miss Cullman County Fair – Isabella Grace Jones, September 2017. Winning prizes and a crown at our county fair! SUBMITTED BY Tina Jones, Vinemont.
Montana Rain Mathewson’s first Poultry Show at the Dekalb County Fair. SUBMITTED BY Rosa Lee Weaver, Henagar.
Submit Your Images! November Theme: “Veterans” Deadline for Nov: Sept. 29. Submit photos online: www.alabamaliving.coop/submit-photo/ or send color photos with a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Photos, Alabama Living, P.O. Box 244014 Montgomery, AL 36124. Rules: Alabama Living will pay $10 for photos that best match our theme of the month. Photos may also be published on our website at www.alabamaliving.coop and on our Facebook page. Alabama Living is not responsible for lost or damaged photos.
Inventing a new solution for greenhouse gas
Co-ops and scientists team up on an innovative approach to energy and the environment.
Later this year, five teams of scientists and engineers from around the world will start packing up and relocating their laboratories to a patchwork of gravel lots next to a coal-fired power plant in northeast Wyoming. Their mission: nothing less than finding beneficial ways to reuse greenhouse gas that’s released into the Earth’s atmosphere.
They aim to grab the carbon dioxide gas from the burning coal before it can contribute to climate change, and turn it into something that might be part of everyday life, like concrete, plastic or liquid fuel.
Dan Walsh sees value in the Wyoming research even beyond reducing the environmental effects of coal plants. Walsh is the senior power supply and generation director for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). He says it would be great if we stopped thinking of the carbon in carbon dioxide as nothing more than waste.
“We see a need to take carbon dioxide and turn it into a useful product,” says Walsh. That won’t only reduce waste at coal power plants, he says, but also for users of other carbon-based fuels like natural gas and gasoline.
“The electric power industry is no longer the largest generator of carbon. The transportation industry now owns that title,” says Walsh. “We have to do something, not just for power, but for the planet to come up with a way to utilize carbon dioxide in a beneficial way.”
A breakthrough for humanity
The Wyoming launching pad for that high-flying goal brings together far-flung partners—from the state’s governor, to electric co-ops, to a group that awards multi-million dollar prizes “to bring about radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity.”
Two years ago, the XPRIZE, a private innovation group based in California, announced $20 million in prizes “for transformational approaches to converting (carbon dioxide) emissions into valuable products.” The final prizes will be awarded in 2020.
In May of this year, XPRIZE narrowed the applicants to 10. Five of those will be setting up shop later this year on the Wyoming test site. The other five will be operating out of Alberta, Canada.
Electric co-ops have a special stake in the Wyoming test site: the power plant is owned by Basin Electric Power Cooperative, which is based in North Dakota; and financial support has come from another co-op, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association based in Colorado, as well as the NRECA.
The XPRIZE finalists that will be building their labs at the Wyoming site are:
BREATHE—from India, working to produce methanol, which can be used as a liquid fuel.
C4X—from China, developing new ways to produce plastics.
Carbon Capture Machine—from Scotland, producing building materials.
CarbonCure—from Canada, specializing in cement and concrete processes and products.
Carbon Upcycling UCLA—from California, making a substitute for concrete.
During the next six months, those teams will be setting up “mini-factories” at the Wyoming test site, says Jason Begger, executive director of the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority, which oversees the site, whose formal name is the Wyoming Integrated Test Center.
Begger says the teams will be setting up to access the ductwork and piping providing flue gas from the power plant, which contains about 12 percent carbon dioxide. They’ll be developing the technology to separate and convert the carbon dioxide from the flue gas and show that their projects can turn waste carbon into useful products.
The test center project started with a state government initiative to plan for the future of the region’s coal resources, and has been quickly connecting to the larger worldwide effort to capture and use carbon dioxide. In June, the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority formally partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Carbon Capture Center, a testing site in Alabama established about nine years ago. That agreement will mean closer cooperation with the Carbon Capture Center’s experience and its network of experts.
Connecting with other researchers
The Department of Energy’s Carbon Capture Program Manager John Litynski explains how the agreement benefits the Carbon Capture Center as well: “We can only test up to 1.5 megawatts, which we call small pilot scale. The Wyoming test center has the capability to test up to 18 megawatts … which we would call large pilot.”
For years, the Department of Energy has been exploring ways to remove the carbon dioxide from power plant emissions. The basic problem they’ve been trying to solve is that the process is expensive and uses up a huge share of the electricity produced by the power plant in the first place. One of the longstanding ideas for managing greenhouse gases has been to remove the carbon dioxide from the power plant emissions, then inject into underground rock formations, an idea called carbon capture and storage.
But the XPRIZE and the Wyoming test center take the different approach of finding something more useful to do with the carbon dioxide than storing it permanently underground.
The Department of Energy has recently been adding the quest for new uses of carbon dioxide to its research. The main focus of the DOE effort is to search for better ways to remove the carbon dioxide from power plant emissions. The DOE’s Litynski says that this year the department is spending $90 million to research carbon capture. It’s spending about $12 million on carbon utilization, up from about $1 million three years ago. This summer, DOE issued a $13 million request for research projects on “Novel methods for making products from carbon dioxide or coal.”
While headlines about coal and climate change have been generating controversy around the globe, the Wyoming test center is heading in a different direction. NRECA’s Dan Walsh credits the center’s international collaboration of government, private groups and electric co-ops with “a great vision” for rethinking one of the world’s biggest energy dilemmas.
Paul Wesslund writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape.
Protect man’s best friend with adequate shelter
Many of our outdoor dogs could use extra bit of TLC. The primary concern is safety. They need to be in a confined space. Four dogs were shot and killed in our tiny neighborhood in the last 3 years for trespassing. A few months ago, as I was coming home from work, I watched a young German shepherd proudly trotting back from a chicken house with a chicken in its mouth. Next time, he may not be so lucky and will run a risk of getting shot.
An ideal boundary is a physical boundary, like a good quality fence, 4 to 6 feet tall. These fences are not hard to build. In deciding on the height of your fence, take into consideration your dog’s jumping or climbing abilities.
Half to one acre of fenced area will be sufficient in most cases. The cost is not exorbitant. One can plant evergreen trees along the fence to make their house an island of tranquility and increase their property value.
The perimeter can also be established with an “invisible fence.” For some highly impulsive dogs, the wireless fences may not work. When they are chasing something, they simply ignore the electronic signal but when things settle and it is time to come home, they don’t want to risk coming back though the radio field again. Please talk to a professional.
Placing a dog on a restraint, such as a chain or tether, can be OK if done for a short period, or while supervised, and if the tether is secured in such a way that it can’t become entangled with other objects. An otherwise friendly and docile dog, when kept continuously chained or intensively confined in any way, can become neurotic, unhappy, anxious and often aggressive. Also, collars should be comfortable and fitted properly.
After the perimeter comes the concern of shelter. Our summers are brutal and our winters can be challenging. A good rule of thumb: if it isn’t tolerable for you, it probably isn’t tolerable for them. A simple hut with raised flooring can be easily built over a weekend. It is wise to block north, south and west sides of the shelter. If constructing a building is not in your plan, buy the biggest enclosure you can afford. Place the enclosure about 6 to 8 inches above ground on a small deck. If you don’t have a garage full of power tools, this a valid excuse to buy some.
Be careful about providing heat for the winter months in the shelter. A friend’s mobile home caught fire from the heating lamp in the dog shelter. Have a qualified electrician handle any electrical work.
Dogs are social animals! Even outdoor dogs need regular human interaction. If possible, bring the dogs inside after dark. In the end, let’s not forget them outside!
Goutam Mukherjee, DVM, MS, Ph.D. (Dr. G) has been a veterinarian for more than 30 years. He works part time at Grant Animal Clinic and is a member of North Alabama Electric Cooperative.
Take to the trails
Varied terrain makes Alabama a mountain biking destination
By John N. Felsher | Photos by Billy Pope, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Chewacla State Park has become a prime destination for mountain bikers. The Central Alabama Mountain Pedalers (CAMP) group has constructed many miles of biking trails and structures such as this ramp at the park.
Many Americans grew up riding bicycles as their primary form of independent transportation until they learned how to drive automobiles. In recent years, cycling enthusiasts have taken their sport to higher levels, literally and figuratively. Today, Alabama offers riders abundant trails running through terrain as varied as sandy beaches and mountaintops.
“When it comes to mountain biking, Alabama is a hidden gem,” says Philip Darden, manager of James Bros Bikes in Opelika and the Alabama representative on the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) executive board. “The state really has a lot to offer bikers from beginner to expert levels. The quality of rides is exceptional. I’ve ridden many different trails and some of my favorites are right here in Alabama.”
In 1989, SORBA (sorba.org) formed to promote mountain biking and added regional chapters for cycling aficionados. Many association members periodically volunteer to build and maintain biking trails on public properties.
“I really encourage anyone who wants to try mountain biking to contact one of the riding associations,” suggests Mary Anne Swanstrom, president of SORBA-Huntsville (sorbahuntsville.org). “Mountain biking is not about speed. It’s about the experience and the camaraderie of riding with other people. I’ve seen children as young as three years old ride bikes that don’t even have pedals. The children push their way along.”
Chewacla State Park has a partnership with Central Alabama Mountain Pedalers (CAMP) that offers a great trail system to the public.
People who want to try mountain biking shouldn’t buy the first cycle they see in a department store. People riding rugged mountain trails need strong equipment that can take abuse.
“There’s a big difference between riding a bicycle around the neighborhood and going on a mountain trail,” says Marcus Tillman, trail director for the Northeast Alabama Bicycle Association (neaba.net) and the Anniston recreation trails manager. “Quality mountain bicycles start at about $400 to $600. More advanced bikes might cost $1,000. I’ve even known people to pay $15,000 for a custom state-of-the-art bike.”
Writing a big check doesn’t necessarily put a rider on the correct seat. Like riders, bikes also come in varied sizes. Darden recommends visiting a bike shop to get the proper equipment specifically suited to one person.
“In the last few years, mountain biking equipment has really gotten much better,” Darden says. “A prospective mountain biker needs a bike that fits that person’s size. People at a bike shop know how to put a bike together for a specific person. A correctly sized bike is more enjoyable to ride.”
Besides the bike, a rider needs a good helmet, which might cost $40 to $60. Many experienced riders also recommend wearing full-fingered gloves with padded palms and comfortable biking shorts with chamois pads. A new cyclist might also buy a small backpack to hold valuables, snacks, cell phone, maps and other items while riding.
Even with the best equipment, someone who hasn’t ridden a bicycle in years should not immediately hit the toughest mountain trails. Start pedaling around the neighborhood to build up leg muscles and endurance while becoming familiar with the equipment. Then, ride an easy trail, perhaps one with a few small hills, and progress from there.
“Someone getting back into biking should ease into it and learn how to use the equipment properly,” Tillman says. “Riders need to become comfortable with when and how to shift gears properly. People also need to practice braking. Grabbing just the front brake is usually not a good idea. People need to learn how to use the rear brakes and feather the front brakes.”
All kinds of terrain
Fortunately, riders ranging in skill levels from beginner to expert can find many trails coursing through diverse habitat all across Alabama. Many city, county and state parks offer trails of varied lengths and degrees of difficulty. In addition, cyclists can ride trails through many national forest or Forever Wild properties.
The largest state park in Alabama, Oak Mountain sprawls across 9,940 acres just south of Birmingham. Cyclists at all skill levels can ride several trails. Experienced riders like the Double Oak Trail, also called the Red Trail, which runs approximately 22 miles through mountainous terrain. In 2010, the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) placed Oak Mountain on its list of Epic Rides, making it one of the “must ride” trails in the world.
Chewacla State Park south of Auburn offers riders more than 30 trail miles. Named for the Central Alabama Mountain Pedalers (www.camp-sorba.org) who helped build and maintain it, the CAMP Trail runs about a mile through relatively flat terrain around the campground. Other trails, like the eight-mile long For Pete’s Sake Trail, wander through rugged rocky terrain.
“As a former president of CAMP, I’m most familiar with Chewacla,” Darden says. “We want to build trails that are easily accessible so people can jump into the sport without any previous experience and feel comfortable riding. We also want riders to have opportunities to progress in their skill levels so they continue to grow as mountain bikers.”
CAMP and other volunteers worked to construct a dual slalom trail, the first of its kind in the state and unique to most of the Southeast. The Chewacla trail will host the Southeastern Collegiate Cycling Conference’s 2018 Mountain Bike Championship in early October.
The Coldwater Mountain Doug Ghee Nature Preserve and Recreation Area (www.alabamaforeverwild.com/coldwater-mountain) covers 4,183 acres of Forever Wild property in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains by Anniston. Because of its status with the IMBA, people from surrounding states and even foreign countries frequently visit Coldwater Mountain, giving the Anniston area a tourism boost.
“The greater Anniston area has more than a hundred miles of trails,” Tillman confirms. “In terms of habitat, Alabama is one of the most varied states in the union, but the crown jewel is Coldwater Mountain. It has 37 miles of trails right now, but when we finish, it will have 70.”
The new Duck River Reservoir in Cullman just opened a 20-mile hiking and mountain biking trail that circles the entire lake. Susan Eller with the Cullman Economic Development Agency says it’s already attracted cyclists from across northern Alabama, and they intend to market it to local residents but also to create tourism dollars.
South of Anniston, Cheaha State Park offers incredible riding opportunities. Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in Alabama, reaches 2,413 feet. People can also bike through parts of the Talladega National Forest, including Coleman Lake Recreation Area north of Heflin.
In northern Alabama, many people ride the trails at Monte Sano State Park near Huntsville. In the fall, park visitors enjoy spectacular views of mountains emblazoned with colorful foliage. Riders can choose among 14 miles of trail that range from very easy to extremely difficult. The adjacent Monte Sano Land Trust Preserve offers another 20 trail miles.
“Northern Alabama has some wonderful bike trails,” Swanstrom says. “On Monte Sano, the terrain is rocky so people need to have some ability to ride the trails. Mountain biking is a wonderful way to enjoy nature and the mountain scenery while getting good exercise. It’s a very social sport, whether people just get out with a few friends to ride or they join hundreds of other people participating in an organized ride.”
Although lacking mountains, cyclists can still find ample cycling opportunities in southern Alabama. In Mobile County, Chickasabogue Park provides 17 miles of trails wandering through hardwood forests, sandy pine flats and over bridges crossing lowlands. In southeastern Alabama, Dothan coordinated with the Alabama State Lands Division to build a 319-acre park that features 10 miles of trails.
“The Dothan Forever Wild trails are multi-use, but their primary purpose is for mountain biking,” says Evan Lawrence with Alabama State Lands. “The terrain is somewhat flat, but the city added some features. The trails go through mixed hardwood and pine forests and cross Beaver Creek, which is very swampy.”
All over Alabama, cyclists can usually find a place to ride close to home with a quick internet search. For Alabama state park information, see www.alapark.com.
Mountain biking in Alabama’s state parks is for every age.
Flower photos help daughter connect to mom with Alzheimer’s
By M.J. Ellington | Photos by Elmore DeMott
This pink dogwood blossom, shot in rain in Florence, took hours of waiting for just the right light and shows results of being patient, something that Elmore DeMott recommends for even novice photographers.
What started out as a trip of curiosity to take a few photographs led one Alabama woman to a professional career as a nature photographer.
The career, in turn, led Elmore DeMott to a personal commitment to capture an image of a different special flower each day to share with her mother, Elmore Inscoe, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
The convergence of DeMott’s sophisticated nature and plantation burn photographs and “Flowers for Mom,” her ongoing daily photographic gift to her mother, will be on display in September at a Tuscaloosa art gallery. Proceeds from sales of her work will benefit Black Warrior Riverkeeper, a nonprofit that advocates for clean water.
DeMott began photographing one flower each day as a way to have a daily personal connection with her mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016. The result is a topic that draws on Inscoe’s fond memories but also acts as a link to today through her daughter’s work.
DeMott said the discipline of achieving the perfect image of a new flower each day for her mother has been a challenge, but she said the impact on people outside her family has been a wonderful surprise.
“Never did I dream that ‘Flowers for Mom’ would be so far-reaching. People literally send me pictures and ideas from all over the world,” DeMott says. The daily contact with her mom is important and the search for a different flower, a different angle, the perfect light in which to photograph have made DeMott look at things differently now.
“Much to the chagrin of my youngest daughter, I like to set a background as much as the foreground. So doing can take a photo from average to amazing. Unlike furniture, one cannot move a tree, so there is a lot of luck involved in having things that will line up and give a great background,” DeMott wrote in a “Flowers for Mom,” blog post on her website. The particular flower she refers to in the post is a bright pink dogwood tree blossom captured in the rain.
Foxglove at Jasmine Hill Gardens and Outdoor Museum, property that DeMott’s outdoors-loving parents bought and developed outside Wetumpka.
Gleaning from the gardens
DeMott’s mother is an outdoorswoman from Montgomery who, with her husband, Jim Inscoe, bought and expanded the private Jasmine Hill Gardens near Wetumpka. The previous owners designed their garden as a private tribute to the flowers and statuary of Greece.
The Inscoes expanded the gardens and opened them for public access. Mrs. Inscoe also taught her daughter the art involved in taking care of and arranging beautiful flowers so much a part of the gardens.
Now, DeMott says her father, the family flower expert, gives her ideas for her mom’s flower photos and suggests places where she might want to check for a blossom. “It is fun now to walk through Jasmine Hill with my father. It gives me the greatest joy to talk about flowers with him in a positive way,” she says.
DeMott said she is touched by the feedback she gets from others. “In a positive way, it has been a beautiful thing to share through flowers, through art and speaking about the challenges our family is going through with Alzheimer’s disease,” DeMott says. “No matter what your hardships, you can share through flowers.”
How the girl who grew up in a nature-loving family evolved from a Vanderbilt University math graduate and banker into a photographer – who chronicles images in nature with a different angle – is a story with twists and turns that come together as art.
“Nature photography has always been my favorite because I’m outside,” says DeMott, who loved spending time outdoors on the property her family owned in Elmore County. One day, her husband, Miles DeMott, suggested she go with him to a controlled plantation burn and take her camera.
Before long, DeMott’s early photo exhibits of pine trees and her controlled burn fire shots began to take their place in gallery showings, and her career as a nature photographer took off. The controlled burn photographs, sometimes printed on aluminum, give a dramatic shimmering backdrop for the orange flames licking the undergrowth beneath towering pine trees.
DeMott still loves photographing pine trees she remembers from childhood. She and her husband are co-authors of a book of her pine tree photographs, “Chulee – Spirit of the Pine Tree.” She also drew on the experiences as a member of a quail-hunting family for the dramatic images in her controlled fire burn photographs.
Decades ago, the men in the family and their friends went quail hunting. In that era, women did not hunt quail, but the practice has opened for women in recent years, she says. Burning the undergrowth on quail plantations enables hunters to walk without obstacles, see clearly where they are going and enjoy nature. The controlled burns remove undergrowth that could catch fire rapidly with more damaging results if the source were from natural causes.
DeMott said she hopes her photographs encourage people to take time to see the beauty in nature as a way to rejuvenate. “Beauty is all around us. Seek it,” she says.
For information about Elmore DeMott’s photography: elmoredemott.com. For information about Jasmine Hill Gardens outside Wetumpka: jasminehill.org.
Rose from a friend’s garden photographed in Montgomery.
“Flowers for Mom” will be the focus of a fundraiser from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 14 at Harrison Galleries, 2315 University Blvd., Tuscaloosa.
The public is invited to the fundraiser to benefit the nonprofit Black Warrior Riverkeeper, which works to protect the endangered habitat along the Black Warrior River and its tributaries in 17 counties. The exhibit will be at the gallery through Sept. 21.
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ПРОЕКТ.AMBIENT
02.09.2016 / Dreamy / 1 Comment
Greetings, loyal fans and followers!
Ever since our latest stream, we have made some significant improvements to the final game, which we thought you might want to hear about.
Now then, the UI has been greatly improved so that it’s more intuitive and easier to navigate. The in game controls should feel a lot smoother now as well. A huge amount of work has been put into the world, so that it’s as pretty and detailed as people would want it to be.
We have created new character models for the in game mobs. Not only that, but we’ve added some of the necessary animations for these new mobs and improved the old animations for other mobs as well.
Last but not least, we have started to record the lovely voices for our characters.
This, of course, doesn’t mean that we’ve worked only on these parts of the game. No. Our team has been working on every other part of the game as well.
Finally, we wanted to mention that there will be a new video posted on Youtube quite soon, so look out for that. Also, we are planning on hosting another stream in the next few weeks as well. However, this stream will not be a public event; rather an exclusive one just our Patreon supporters.
Once again, thank you for your support!
Livestream for patrons
05.08.2016 / Dreamy / 0 Comments
Thank you to everyone who joined our previous stream, and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Now then, we have a special announcement to make. As of now, we are planning on making two streams every month! However the second ones will be closed streams for our pattern supporters, who have already donated 10$+ only.
No windows 32 bit of beta version :(
30.07.2016 / Dreamy / 2 коментарі
Hey, guys!
As you may have already noticed, for the past month there hasn’t really been a 32 bit version for the beta of Ambient.Prologue. We are sorry to inform you that a 32 bit version of said beta is currently out of our reach because of some limitations in Unreal Engine and our possibilities.
Livestream – 30th of July
We are pleased to announce our second upcoming stream this Saturday – the 30th of July at 7 p.m. GMT.
Preview Beta Public Release!
Finally the beta preview is released!
You can take it at our Downloads page.
Beta release Livestream
Hey, the release of ambient preview beta is quite close! Its quite an important step in the development of our game, and you guys seem to be pretty excited about it! Well guess what, we are as excited as you are! And we plan to have a livestream to celebrate this event together!
Right on www.twitch.tv/ambientproject in 9:30 pm UTC we are going to stream a let’s play of preview beta to show some new interesting features, share more info about the development of the game, make some anounsments, and answer all of your questions!
And right in the end of livestream we will publish open preview of the game available for everybody at our website.
So tune in at 16th of june on our twitch channel, and let’s enjoy this small but valuable step in development of Ambient.Prologue together!
Hello, dear followers of Ambient.Prologue development.
A Little Bit Different Team was working on Ambient.Prologue game for quite a while, ha?
Yay. We are back!
Hi everyone. Our new site is up and running. There were some problems on a server that deleted site files. And instead of recovering an old site I decided to make a new one, better one.
Keep track on our news and be informed of all updates to Ambient Project.
P.S. Website of course will have more updates and changes with time.
Tweets by @Albdifferent
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Home News Archive by category "Events" (Page 2)
OVER THE EDGE Starts Here! Preview ARCHIE #20!
It’s the BIGGEST comic event in ARCHIE HISTORY! Archie and Reggie’s ongoing feud reaches a fever pitch that pits the two against each other in a thrill ride on the deadly Serpent’s Tail! OVER THE EDGE begins in the pages of ARCHIE #20 from Mark Waid and Pete Woods, available…
Ron C. May 12, 2017 May 12, 2017 Events, News Archie, mark waid, over the edge, pete woods
Archie and Friends Face Mortal Danger in New, Game-Changing Event Kicking Off in May
“OVER THE EDGE” rocks Riverdale to its core in the pages of the ongoing ARCHIE series from acclaimed team of writer Mark Waid and artist Pete Woods The lives of Archie Comics’ most popular characters will be changed forever as legendary comic book writer Mark Waid and superstar artist Pete…
Ron C. April 24, 2017 June 20, 2017 Events, Featured, News Archie, mark waid, over the edge, pete woods
BREAKING NEWS: Archie Comics-based drama ‘Riverdale’ set to debut Thursday, January 26th at 9pm on The CW
One-shot comic book written by showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa slated to delve into show’s backstory, hits following week Mark your calendars – your trip to Riverdale has been booked. Everyone’s favorite teenagers, Archie, Betty and Veronica, Jughead and more, will take over Thursday nights starting January 26th at 9pm ET with…
Ron C. November 16, 2016 November 16, 2016 Events, Featured, News archie comics, Camila Mendes, cole sprouse, KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, riverdale, the cw
Check out our New York Comic Con 2016 Photo Gallery!
Ron C. October 12, 2016 October 12, 2016 Events, News comic-con, gallery, new york comic con, nycc 2016
Archie Comics rocks New York Comic Con 2016 with ARCHIE MEETS RAMONES and JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS comic book launches
Just a few months before the launch of The CW’s RIVERDALE TV series, the hottest publisher in comics continues its New Riverdale rebirth and unveils an impressive array of exclusives, creator signings and much more New York, NY (September 29, 2016) – Archie Comics, the acclaimed and bestselling comic book publisher…
Ron C. September 29, 2016 October 5, 2016 Events, News conventions, josie and the pussycats, new york comic con, nycc, nycc 2016
Archie Comics heads to Baltimore Comic-Con 2016 with Must-See Panels and Creator Signings!
Archie and the gang are taking over Baltimore Comic-Con this weekend and you’re invited along! In addition to being the focus of this year’s Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook featuring artwork from the industry’s best and brightest, Archie Comics will be hosting two must-see panels and multiple signing events with top writers and artists throughout…
Ron C. August 30, 2016 August 31, 2016 Events, News baltimore comic con, conventions
Archie Comics and ReedPOP team up for New Riverdale product launch at Comic-Con International: San Diego!
Archie Comics is teaming with ReedPOP to launch a new line of Betty & Veronica inspired merchandise debuting this week at Comic-Con International: San Diego! Are you more of a Betty or a Veronica? Fans can choose a side and show off their allegiance with these special #TeamBetty and #TeamVeronica…
Ron C. July 18, 2016 July 18, 2016 Events, News betty and veronicas, reedpop, sdcc 2016
Archie Comics Creator Signing Schedule at Comic-Con International: 2016 (Booth #1829)
Get your favorite comics signed by all-star talent at the Archie Comics Booth (#1829) at San Diego Comic-Con! *ALL TIMES/SIGNINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE* Updated July 20th, 2016 Wednesday, July 20 7pm-8pm BETTY & VERONICA: Adam Hughes Thursday, July 21 10am-11am BETTY & VERONICA: Adam Hughes 1pm-2pm BETTY & VERONICA: Adam…
Ron C. July 11, 2016 July 20, 2016 Events, News comic-con, conventions, san diego comic con, sdcc, sdcc 2016, signings
Archie Comics Panels at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2016
Archie Comics will have three must-see panels this year including a spotlight on Archie Comics Chief Creative Officer, Archie Horror writer, and ‘Riverdale’ Executive Producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, a 75th anniversary panel featuring top Archie Comics talent, and a special ‘Riverdale’ panel featuring the cast of the new live-action drama series…
Ron C. July 11, 2016 July 11, 2016 Events, News comic-con, conventions, panels, san diego comic con, sdcc, sdcc 2016
Archie Comics Exclusives at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2016
Don’t miss these must-have exclusive comics available at the Archie Comics Booth (#1829) during this year’s San Diego Comic-Con! BETTY & VERONICA #1 SDCC Exclusive Variant IT’S BETTY VS. VERONICA! The most highly-anticipated debut in comics history is here with an exclusive convention cover by comics legend Adam Hughes! Betty…
Ron C. July 11, 2016 July 11, 2016 Events, Featured, News betty and veronica, comic-con, conventions, exclusives, san diego comic con, sdcc 2016, sonic mega drive
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part 3 Trailer
Newly Digitized Classic Comics – 1/15/20
New to Archie Unlimited – 1/13/20
New Releases for 1/15/20
New Posters for Katy Keene and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part 3
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Employer Hostility At Amazon And Next
Labour Must Tackle Amazon And Next Hostility To Civil Rights Of Staff For Union Help With Problems At Work
To be a trade unionist at Amazon is to be part of an underground movement because to identify themselves would be to put their jobs in jeopardy says GMB
GMB moved a motion at Labour Party Conference in Brighton today ( 23 September) calling on an incoming Labour Government to deal with employer hostility to their employees seeking to exercise their civil rights to call on a trades union to assist them with problems in their workplaces. See notes to editor for text of motion and copy of speech by GMB speaker Maria Ludkin.
Maria Ludkin, GMB National Officer, said in her speech “To be a trade unionist at Amazon is to be part of an underground movement. I can’t even stand here today and let you know which parts of the country our members work in, because to do so would be to put their jobs in jeopardy.
In the spring of this year, our members in NEXT stores forced the employer to back down from a unilateral decision to reduce all workers hours to less than 12 and a half hours per week – which they did to avoid paying the employers share of national insurance contributions.
This is a systematic casualisation of labour.
Now every one of those workers feels at risk of losing their jobs because they collectively force the employer to back down and they have no protection from unfair dismissal.
But conference, much of this is not new.
Over decades, working people have been blacklisted or stigmatised for trying to exercise their legitimate rights.
Their lives ruined, simply because they had the gall to demand that they be treated fairly.
This Party has a duty to protect all working people, whether they are in a union or not.”
Contact Maria Ludkin 07956 632 657 or Kamaljeet Jundu 07956 237 178 or 07921 289880 or 07974 252 823
1 Text of the Composite 4
Employment rights – time for action
Conference deplores the systematic erosion of employment rights since 2010 leading to a rapidly increasing culture of ‘hire and fire’ among employers, the most recent of which (5/9/2013) is to dilute the TUPE regulations which offer protection for employees in the event of a company takeover.
Conference believes that the workplace is becoming more insecure for workers in the UK as a result of this Government’s policies. The Coalition government have launched an assault on the basic rights of working people making it easier to fire, not hire is not a substitute for a credible growth strategy. Conference rejects the accusation that employee rights have been holding back growth in our economy, or that they should be watered down even further, in particular conference expresses concern at the measure included in the Beecroft Report, the Government’s ‘Shares for Rights’ policy; scheme which attempts to bribe workers into giving away their hard fought workplace rights (01/09/2013);
Conference condemns the introduction of punative fees for employment tribunals which will limit access to justice for working people; the increased, two year period to bring forward a case of unfair dismissal; the abolition of legal aid for employment related issues; the abolition of employers civil liability arising out of breaches of Health and safety legislation; compulsory surveys of employers attitude for indirect discrimination cases and employer’s liability for third party harassment.
Conference notes that according to the OECD, the UK already has one of the most lightly regulated labour markets amongst developed countries .
In 2012 conference passed a contemporary motion calling on the Labour Party to establish a commission on employment rights.
Conference calls upon the Labour Party to convene such a body as a matter of urgency.
Conference calls upon the commission to not only redress new anti-trade union policies but to support rights for trade unions to access workplaces in order to promote trade union membership.
Conference applauds the action take by the Welsh Assembly Government to blacklist the blacklisters (11/09/2013) which demonstrates what can be achieved by political will and Labour values - we call upon Labour authorities to follow suit.
Conference believes that preventing exploitation in the workplace must always be a priority for Labour.
As part of this Conference believes that a future Labour government should ensure that the employment rights of the low paid and vulnerable employees are not removed in place of a proper strategy for economic growth; and for fairness in the workplace to be a priority for a Labour government. This includes proper standards in our economy, real protection for agency workers and action against blacklisting.
2 Copy of Maria Ludkin’s speech at Labour party Conference on Monday 23rd September
Chair, conference, Maria Ludkin moving Composite 4 on behalf of GMB
Conference, we live in a country with one of the most flexible Labour markets in Europe.
But at the same time some of the weakest employment rights in the Western world.
But this government are not content with that.
They have mounted a sustained attack on the rights of working people.
From April of this year, if you want to challenge the behaviour of your employer in a tribunal, you have to pay up or shut up.
If you want to challenge your employer for unfairly sacking you - £1,200 is the price you have to pay for access to justice – almost 200 hours working at minimum wage.
And if you have been unfairly dismissed, as long as your boss sacks you before you’ve reached two years employment – you have no rights and you cannot bring a claim.
Shares for rights
Comprehensive destruction of legal aid
And the mass proliferation of zero hour contracts.
That is working Britain under this government.
Insecurity.
An inability to challenge wrongdoing because one word out of line today means no pay cheque tomorrow.
But lets look at some examples,
GMB is organising at Amazon.
A 21st century company with sales of billions of pounds each year, on which, as we all know, they don’t like to pay too much tax.
Two thirds of Amazon’s 15,000 person UK workforce is on agency contracts.
Not only are they agency workers, they are agency workers employed by a Dutch agency - even the minimal employment regulation we have here in the UK, regulating employment agencies, does not apply.
Conference, workers at Amazon need a trade union in their workplace more than ever.
But because the workforce have no rights.
Because the employer holds all the cards.
Because unions have no right to access the workplace.
Amazon can say ‘thanks, but no thanks.’
To be a trade unionist at Amazon is to be part of an underground movement. I can’t even stand here today and let you know which parts of the country our members work in, because to do so would be to put their jobs in jeopardy.
A systematic casualisation of labour.
This about basic decency.
This is about millions of working people having the protection from a Labour government that they will never get from the Tories or the Liberal Democrats.
Successful economies protect their workers.
Conference, no more prevarication but protection for workers.
After all how much more protection do employers need from working people?
Conference, I move.
Amazon Warehouses
Observer Article 1 December 2013
Financial Times Article February 8 2013
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© 1996-2008 by
Ken R. Noffsinger
Richard Petty Museum
By Ken R. Noffsinger
The photographs that follow were taken at the Richard Petty Museum in Level Cross, North Carolina during the Fall of 1992 and 2001. Although several automobiles were on display (including a white, street SuperBird), the focus here is primarily on the racing SuperBird. This SuperBird was never actually driven by Petty in a NASCAR event (at least not as a SuperBird), but it none-the-less serves as a fairly faithful reproduction of the ones that were.
The following excerpt is from the November, 1977 issue of the Winged Warriors/B-Body Review, and it sheds some light into the origins of the Bird pictured below. The interviewer was George Tamasi (GT), and the interview begins with an answer by Richard Petty (RP) to an unspecified question by Tamasi, but it obviously concerned the SuperBird. At that time Petty was apparently still in the process of completing the SuperBird.
RP: Yes, this one here is my project. No rush on this one, just careful time-consuming work.
Tamasi then asks why Petty is building the SuperBird.
RP: Well, the way I look at it, these cars were killed before they ever had a chance to peak at their possible potential. We first got the idea with the Bird in the trophy room. One day we up and got the notion and we all decided to reconstruct a Bird, updating the car with every new trick we could come up with.
GT: What was the car's origin?
RP: Well, it was a Road Runner. And we used a race SuperBird front end we had out back and a wing and a rear window conversion kit that a USAC stock car team had left over that we had sold them. We had hoped in 1970 to put the rear wing of the Bird on the short track Road Runner for a slight gain, but the rules said no.
GT: The trophy room Bird is in running condition then?
RP: Oh yea, it will start up just fine, all you'd need is gas and top off some oil, but the car is setting in running condition.
A surviving SuperBird chassis piloted by Petty in 1970 is owned by Hugh Hawthorne of Richmond, Virginia. Richard briefly discussed how Mr. Hawthorne ended up with the car in an interview found in the February/March, 1993 issue of Mopar Muscle Magazine:
Mopar Muscle: The SuperBird in Richmond belongs to a private collector?
RP: Yeah. Built a room on the back of his house for it. Name is Hugh Hawthorne in South Richmond. I've known him all my life. He's a big collector of cars and stuff. He's got a bunch of Richard Petty stuff. Anyhow, he wanted one of the SuperBirds so we let him have it. I think I ended up with a bulldozer or something.
The three photos below were taken in November, 2005, and are courtesy of Robert Stiltner.
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Gilmour, Hall and MacPherson into Barcelona quarter-finals
Adam Hall and Julie MacPherson scored a superb win at the Barcelona Masters today, beating Robin Tabeling and Cheryl Seinen of the Netherlands to reach the quarter-finals of the mixed doubles.
And later in the afternoon Kirsty Gilmour joined them after the women’s singles sixth seed beat Mette Poulsen 21-15 19-21 21-14, extending her winning run over the former European bronze medallist from Denmark to six victories and setting up a quarter-final tie against Sayaka Takahashi in the process.
Hall and MacPherson fought back from a slow start to turn around a 21-7 deficit in the first game, winning the next two games 21-19 21-16 to secure victory and speaking afterwards, Hall said:
“We're really happy to grind out the win today. The first set was probably down to a bit of nerves and getting used to each other again since we haven't played in over three years.
“Then once we relaxed a bit and got into our groove we managed to control the game a bit better.”
Tomorrow they will face Danish fourth seeds Niclas Nohr and Sara Thygesen in the quarter finals which gives Hall the chance to avenge his first round loss in the men’s doubles.
“It's going to be tough in the next round playing former European silver medalists and super series semi-finalists” said Hall, “but we're going to give it a good shot, there's no pressure on us.
“Playing him [Nohr] in the doubles will give us a bit of insight into his mixed game. It also helps that they are an established pair so will be easy to watch videos of their matches which won't be as easy for them.”
Results, draws and live scores at www.tournamentsoftware.com
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Jim Everett
Get Rid of Rivers? Careful What You Wish For
Published January 17, 2015 | By Will McCafferty
One of the hot-button issues all over social media these days is whether or not
the Chargers should keep Philip Rivers. “You can’t win with that guy.” What has
he ever done?” Even when he had a great offensive line and LT at running back he
couldn’t win in the post-season!” Yes, you see it all on social media.
Personally, I do not believe that the Chargers cannot win with Rivers at the
helm. In my humble opinion, he needs a better line in front of him so that he
has time to throw and the help of a running game to keep the defense honest.
That, however, is not the angle I want to take with this article. I want to go
back in Chargers history and see how well transitioning at the quarterback
position has gone. After looking at the stats, I think Chargers fans need to be
careful what they wish for.
Remember a San Diego quarterback by the name of Dan Fouts? I’m sure you do. He
was the Hall of Fame QB that led the Chargers from obscurity in the early ‘70’s
to one of the most exciting teams in the NFL by the late ‘70’s. He never made it
to a Super Bowl, but he sure was fun to watch. Most Chargers fans give Fouts a
hall pass on his lack of championship rings because of the weak defense the team
had during those years.
When Fouts retired, it was time to replace him. Shouldn’t be a problem to draft
an exciting, young QB and take up right where we left off. In fact, it took four
years and six quarterbacks before the Bolts landed Stan Humphries. Not only
that, but the Bolts recorded a less than stellar 22-42 record over that time.
Here is a list of starting QB’s over the four year stretch without a true field
Mark Malone
Babe Laufenberg
Mark Vlasic
Jim McMahon
Billie Joe Tolliver
John Friesz
Are you ready for a string of guys like that to take over the Chargers next
season? Okay, Malone and McMahon had decent careers. The problem was that their
careers had peaked before joining San Diego.
Think that was a fluke? Sorry. Let’s look at what happened when Humphries had to
hang up the old cleats. You guessed it! The Chargers went on a four year, eight
quarterback losing streak. Just a few short years after appearing in their first
Super Bowl, Humphries was gone and it was time to replace him. Again, shouldn’t
be a problem… WRONG!
Over the next seven years, the Chargers tallied an embarrassing 35-77 record.
They could not get out of their own way. Even receiving the second pick in the
draft didn’t help them find the answer. Here is the list of QB’s that tried to
get the Chargers train headed in the right direction:
Craig Wheilihan
Jim Everett
Jim Harbaugh (yes, that Jim Harbaugh)
Erik Kramer
Ryan Leaf (yes, that Ryan Leaf)
Moses Moreno
Doug Flutie
Drew Brees
I know what you are thinking. “Why did he add Brees to the list? He was a stud!”
Fair question. The answer that I will give you is that it took a couple of years
before Brees looked like he may be the answer. In fact, his first two seasons
were so unimpressive that the Chargers decided to draft a QB in the first round
of the 2004 draft! Eli Manning to the rescue! Oh wait, after further review, the
Chargers decide to trade Manning and in return they receive several players with
one Philip Rivers as the cornerstone of the trade.
Fortunately for Brees, Rivers holds out for the first few weeks of camp. By the
time he arrived, it was too late for him to learn the offense in time to start.
Brees would be the starting quarterback for the 2004 season. This result was not
considered to be a lock, or even probable, after the draft. One positive that
came out of Rivers’ decision to hold out was that Drew Brees played inspired
football that season. He played with a chip on his shoulder and led the team to
a 12-4 record. Now he was almost sure to start in 2005 as you can’t bench a QB
who just took you to the playoffs.
Well, the next season wasn’t as impressive and it ended with Brees getting
injured in the final game. Exit Brees and enter Philip Rivers. Ever since then,
it has been Rivers and Rivers alone. His body of work has not been the most
consistent, but he does not miss games and he wins more than he loses (88-56).
That is a lot more than most of his predecessors can say.
So, Charger fan, do you really want to start what history says will be a four to
seven year search for a quarterback and take your lumps until one pans out? Or,
do you agree with me that Rivers has a few years left in him and just needs to
protection and maybe a couple more weapons to get the ball too? Give me your
answer in the comment section below.
Thanks for the read and Go Chargers!
Posted in Blog, Featured, popular | Tagged AFC West, Babe Laufenberg, Billie Joe Tolliver, Craig Wheilihan, Dan Fouts, Doug Flutie, Drew Brees, Erik Karmer, Jim Everett, Jim Harbaugh, Jim McMahon, John Friesz, LaDainian Tomlinson, Mark Malone, Mark Vlasic, Moses Moreno, NFL, Philip Rivers, Ryan Leaf, San Diego Chargers
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Commentary :: Politics
Israeli Election Results
by Stephen Lendman
Email: lendmanstephen (nospam) sbcglobal.net 24 Jan 2013
Israel has no constitution. Basic Laws substitute. One defines the "Powers and Functions of the Knesset." It's elected by "general, national, direct, equal, secret and proportional elections in accordance with Knesset Elections Law."
Israel's Central Elections Committee overseas procedures. It's composed of Knesset members. A Supreme Court justice chairs it. It authorizes parties, election financing, vote counting, publishing results, and appeals when called for.
Israeli citizens aged 18 or older may vote. Those 21 or older may seek office. Exceptions include career active duty soldiers, high-ranking civil servants, and convicted felons serving terms exceeding three months. Seven years after they expire, full citizenship rights are restored.
Israeli Arabs are enfranchised in name only. They make seek office and serve if elected. They have no policymaking authority. They're little more than potted plants.
The 1992 Law of Political Parties and section 7A(1) of the Basic Law constrains them. Candidates denying "the existence of the State of Israel as the state of the Jewish people" may not run. Those elected may not serve.
They're prohibited from challenging Israel's Jewish character. Arabs can't demand equal rights, privileges and justice.
Zionist extremism is policy. Jews alone are served. Israeli Arabs are marginalized and denied. They're considered fifth column threats.
Knesset seats are assigned proportionately according to each party's percentage of votes gotten. A minimum 2% is required to get any.
Israel's Basic Law states:
"The Knesset is the house of representatives (the parliament) of the State of Israel, in which the full range of current opinions are represented."
Israel has separate executive and judicial branches. Knesset members (MKs) supervise "the work of the Government through its committees and the work of the plenum."
"The Knesset has several quasi-judicial functions, which include the power to lift the immunity of its members, and the power to have the President of the State and State Comptroller removed."
"The Knesset also has an elective function through which several public officials are elected."
"Once every seven years, the Knesset elects the President of the State and the State Comptroller."
"Every Knesset elects two of its members to represent it on the Committee for the Appointment of Judges."
"Representatives of the Knesset participate in the election of dayanim (Jewish religious judges) and kaddis (Muslim and Druze religious judges), and by means of the House Committee the Knesset also elects five of its members to represent it on the elective body of the Chief Rabbinical Council."
Prime ministers are heads of state. Israeli presidents are ceremonial figureheads. MKs elect them for one seven year term. On July 15, 2007, they chose Shimon Peres.
Following elections, he'll consult with dominant party leaders. At issue is establishing coalition government partners. Leaders of parties winning most seats generally become prime ministers.
On January 22, Israelis voted. At stake were 120 19th Knesset seats. The process repeats quadrennially unless snap elections are called.
Netanyahu chose them nine months early. Doing so he thought was advantageous. Results weren't as good as planned. He won but with fewer seats than expected. Final results showed a near dead heat.
No party gains a majority. Coalitions run Israel. No party ever won more than 56 seats. At least 61 comprise a majority.
Negotiations follow elections. They can take days, weeks, or at times longer. The process begins now.
Final results are as follows:
Extremist right-wing parties:
Likud/Yisrael Beiteinu - 31 seats
Habayit Hanyeudi - 11
Otzma Leyisrael - 0
Hayisraelim - 0
Extremist ultra-Orthodox parties:
Shas - 11
United Torah Judaism - 7
Am Shalem - 0
Koah Lehashpia - 0
Largely Right-of-Center "Centrists:"
Yesh Atid - 19
Labor - 15
Meretz - 6
Hatnuah - 6
Kadima - 2
Eretz Chadasha - 0
The Greens - 0
Aleh Yarok - 0
Arab Parties:
United Arab List - Ta'al - 5
Hadash - 4
Balad - 3
More than 5.65 million Israelis were eligible to vote. Around 3.6 million did so. Turnout was 63.7%. Results were 4% higher than 2009.
Whatever parties partner in coalition government, one thing is clear. Israel's 19th Knesset will be its most extremist in history. What's called center-left is right-wing to hard-right.
All dominant parties support belligerence, occupation ruthlessness, settlement expansions, and neoliberal harshness.
Israelis have four more years to reflect on their choices. Palestinians and Israeli Arabs have the greatest cross to bear.
Media postmortems followed. Haaretz calls Netanyahu "a man of the past." On January 23, Israelis awoke to "uncertainty." Voting ended but not the election.
Israelis expressed less confidence in Netanyahu than he hoped. Partnered with Avigdor Lieberman lost him support.
He "failed," said Haaretz. He "failed in the political sphere, the foreign policy sphere, and the socioeconomic sphere."
His leadership failed. He "cast(s) a pall over us if he survives in power." Most Israelis distrust him for good reason. He represents a direction most reject.
At the same time, likely coalition partners will continue it. Hardline extremists run Israel. Election results changed little. Things changed but stayed the same.
Haaretz commentators had their say. Aluf Benn said Netanyahu failed "because he had nothing much to say." He didn't offer Israelis hope.
His campaign was "pathetic." Instead of platform provisions, he "made do with promising to be a 'strong prime minister.' "
Instead of addressing public needs, he spurned them. He partnered with ultranationalist Lieberman. Last May, Time magazine crowned him "King Bibi." Its editors may have second thoughts.
Chemi Levy discussed "Bibi's blunders." He's the "victim of his own success." Relative "quiet and security" let Israelis focus on socioeconomic issues. He ignored what they most want.
His policies increase international isolation. Partnering with Lieberman "turned out to be match in hell."
Expect him to remain prime minister. Uneasy sits his crown. His slim majority "may turn out to be extremely unwieldy." He's beholden to lunatic right wing elements. Empowering them makes Israelis losers. They have themselves to blame.
On election day, Bradley Burston urged Israelis to "vote as if your life depended on it. It does," he said.
"I intend to vote the hell out of this election. I intend to vote us the hell out of the occupation. I intend to kick Netanyahu in his kitsch and his slime and his cowardice and the way he'll hold on to the leather chair until we the people pry it from his cold, dead hands."
A follow-up article reflected his "pyrrhic victory."
In a matter of months, said Burston, "King Bibi managed to plummet to victory in a technical triumph that has every appearance of debacle."
On January 22 when polls closed, his "ship of state limped into port at 10PM." It "leak(ed) from stem to stern." Its "sails (were) torn and slack." Its "crew (was) restive and growing mutinous."
Imagine what Israelis now face going forward. Imagine what Palestinians and Israeli Arabs can expect. Regional neighbors have cause for concern. So does humanity with him in charge.
He elevates rogue government to a higher level. He threatens war on Iran. Doing so will embroil the entire region in conflict. He's mindless of likely consequences. Israelis are stuck with him for four more years. They have themselves to blame.
Gideon Levy discussed what Israelis "really want: to be left in peace." King Bibi "turned out to be almost naked."
"A hollow election campaign has resulted in an equally empty result - a bit of everything and a lot of nothing."
Ballot choices were few. Hardliners run Israel. Left-of-center parties are few and far between. Support afforded them is meager.
"A new day is dawning upon us," said Levy. It's "a dawn of a day in which (Israelis want) to be left alone." They'll be sorely disappointed. Post-election quiet conceals Israel heading toward "the abyss."
A Final Comment
Don't expect The New York Times to explain. It's unapologetic about Israeli crimes. It ignores them.
TimesSpeak claims no Gaza siege, no occupation, and no Nakba. Israeli slaughter and ethnic cleansing never happened. Palestinians bear full responsibility. They have themselves to blame.
The newspaper of record is on record for lying. It's official policy. So is reinventing history.
On January 22, it headlined "Charismatic Leader Helps Israel Turn Toward the Center."
It profiled Yair Lapid. His Yesh Atid party won 19 of 120 Knesset seats. Doing so changes nothing. Haaretz calls him an Israeli Chuck Norris and professional dilettante.
His rhetoric belies his politics. He supports right-wing extremism. He may join Netanyahu's coalition.
The Times called him "good look(ing) and suave." He's a prominent journalist. He hosts a popular television show. So did Rush Limbaugh before focusing on radio. Other rogue talking heads replaced him on TV.
The Times praised a man deserving condemnation. He's a "notorious wannabe," said Haaretz. He's a ne'er-do-well. He lacks a high school education. He gets his facts wrong. He combines bravado and kitsch.
He calls himself the "ultimate Israeli." He crafted an all-Israeli image. He elevated himself by befriending Israeli elites. His jump to politics was an overnight sensation. He substitutes catch phrases for substance.
His speeches asked rhetorical questions. He focused on "change," "hope," and "new politics." Explanations, clarifications, and specifics didn't follow.
He models himself after Obama. He’s more con man than legitimate. He’s more image and mirage than real. Sub-surface, he's shallow. When asked tough questions, he ducks them.
He hopes one day to be prime minister. Israelis will have final say. Going forward, they've already got a great enough cross to bear.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen (at) sbcglobal.net.
His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour
http://www.dailycensored.com/28225/
http://sjlendman.blogspot.com
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Posted by Jacque Schauls on June 27, 2012 at 12:30pm
THE BEST NEW RAP STAR COMPETITION WITH A $100,000.00 GRAND PRIZE PACKAGE!
Click HERE to view online
CLASSIC EMPIRE is performing Wed Aug 1 along with the prestigious IES HIP HOP HONORS, performers
legends B-REAL from CYPRESS HILL, PSYCHO REALM, CHINO XL, TASH from ALKAHOLIKS & more!
Indie Entertainment Summit
ANNOUNCING THE LAUNCH OF I E S HIP HOP HONORS IN L.A. AUGUST 1
AS PART OF THE I E S
INDIE ENTERTAINMENT SUMMIT : A MAJOR NEW MUSIC CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL IN CALIFORNIA & THE BEST NEW RAP STAR COMPETITION WITH A $100,000.00 GRAND PRIZE PACKAGE!
LED BY TOP INDUSTRY VETERANS, IES WILL RUN THE FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST EVERY YEAR HEADQUARTERED IN NOHO, HOLLYWOOD & UNIVERSAL CITY AREAS
For Immediate Release Dateline: N.Hollywood California
The ‘I E S HIP HOP HONORS’ will take place in L.A. August 1, 2012 as part of the IES Conference & Festival. Paying tributes on an annual basis to artists that have paved the way for future artists and whose music has endured trends and times. The artists being honored at the 2012 I E S HIP HOP AWARDS are DR.DRE, SNOOP DOGG, NATE DOGG, 2PAC, ICE-T, DJ QUIK, WU TANG, CYPRESS HILL, RUN-DMC, BONE THUGS ‘n HARMONY, KRS-ONE, ALKAHOLIKS, SPICE 1, TECH N9NE, CHINO XL, BUN B & UGK, & the original CASH MONEY crew. Special guests and legendary DJs SIR JINX (DR.DRE, ICE CUBE, KOOL G RAP, TOO SHORT) & JULIO G (CYPRESS HILL, EAZY-E, N.W.A, XZIBIT, WESTSIDE RADIO) will join celebrity hosts at this private event not open to the public. Only attendees of IES are able to attend.
I E S – the INDIE ENTERTAINMENT SUMMIT is launching August 1 2012 as a new annual music and entertainment conference and festival in Southern California. The 5 day event will focus on cutting edge knowledge, networking & performances in the areas of music, Hip Hop dance, & DJs. Featuring over 80 in depth workshops and seminars led by top industry pros designed to help musical artists, rappers, managers, models, DJs, film makers, & independent labels/entertainment companies progress their business and career opportunities in the worldwide entertainment and media industries. Included in the speakers are legendary artists, producers, managers and execs who have worked with the world’s biggest musical artists. As part of the IES Festival will be the ‘BEST NEW RAP STAR’ competition where IES judges will choose the promising artist to receive a $100,000.00 Grand Prize Package, including a Worldwide Record Deal, marketing & promotion campaign, major music videos, XXL Magazine spread, major press coverage, promo tour & much more! Attendees will include reps from DEF JAM, INTERSCOPE, SHADY, STRANGE MUSIC, NEW NO LIMIT, ACTIVATE, UNIVERSAL, WARNER, DELICIOUS VINYL, SUBURBAN NOIZE & many more!
Each evening will spotlight concerts, performances, film premieres & showcases by attending talent and name performers in a variety of top venues from Hollywood to Universal Studios to the booming NoHo arts district in North Hollywood. The final day Sunday August 5 will be an innovative day at a prestigious location, for an event called DEAL LINK, where attendees will have a chance to introduce themselves & meet one-to one with industry decision makers, including investors, A&R execs, CEOs of entertainment companies that are normally extremely hard for new talent to reach and that can make a difference in one’s career and opportunities.
IES prides itself in the diversity and strong caliber of the speakers, as well as the high percentage of artists that are able to perform and as the IES tagline proclaims “Show The World What You Got!â€. “After speaking at hundreds of major conferencesâ€, states IES Co-Executive Director Jay Warsinske, “ and being involved in over a 300 events over my 39 years in the business (including GRAMMY events, NEW MUSIC SEMINAR, SXSW, IMPACT, BRE, JACK THE RAPPER, URBAN NETWORK, ASCAP EXPO, CMJ & many more), we see what works & what doesn’t & with IES we have assembled ‘The Best of the Best’, got rid of a lot that doesn’t work and created the best possible conference & festival in the Entertainment Capital of the World!†Warsinske is considered one of the industry’s top entertainment marketing execs and has been a part of launching legends such as N.W.A, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Wu Tang Clan, Eazy-E, RUN-DMC, Cypress Hill, Fugees, 2Pac, Lil Wayne, Game, Too Short, Chino XL, Nate Dogg, Pitbull, Lil Jon, Psycho Realm, T.I. & many more. “There is no event nothing quite like thisâ€, states Kevin Black, U CAN FLY, ex- President of WARNER Urban, Exec VP INTERSCOPE & DEATHROW (where he broke DR.DRE, 2PAC, SNOOP DOGG, EMINEM, 50 CENT, DOGG POUND & more), “paying tributes to the legends that paved the way for today’s indie boom & who doesn’t need to learn cutting edge tips from the absolute best pros in every vital area of the business, while getting to perform in front of media & industry in L.A.- the Entertainment Capitol of the World!†A Who’s Who of Top Industry moguls & pros will be speaking & networking at I E S. Artists have been confirmed from all regions of the U.S. & from over 20 countries around the World that will be performing at IES.
CALL to get INVOLVED! 612-508-7527 Jacque.Schauls@gmail.com
Marketing Provided by: CODA~GROOVES~ENT
2623 White Bear Avenue
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Love at the BlueBird ~ Aurora Rose Reynolds & Jessica Marin
Title: Love at The Bluebird
Authors: Aurora Rose Reynolds & Jessica Marin
Publisher: Boom Factory Publishing LLC
Cover Design: Sara Eirew Photography
With a hit song sitting at number one on the country music charts, Gavin McNeer thought he finally had everything he ever wanted.
All it takes is one look from the mesmerizing woman sitting in the front row at one of his shows and a brief encounter to make him realize just what he’s been missing. Even
though he’s been burnt in the past, Gavin puts his inhibitions aside and his heart on the line to earn the trust of the woman who could be his everything.
Working in an industry where relationships start and end in the blink of an eye, Alyson Dawson has made it her mission not to get mixed up with musicians, no matter
how good-looking they are. Keeping her focus on her blossoming career and clients, Aly doesn’t even have time to date much less fall in love. That is until she meets Gavin, a man who changes everything with one smoldering look.
Just when these two begin to settle into their new relationship, Aly is asked to do something that
may require her to choose between the career she’s building and the man she’s falling in love with. To make things worse, Gavin’s ex decides to add a touch
of drama to an already delicate situation.
Will their love survive, or become just another sad love song?
Aurora Rose Reynolds
Aurora Rose Reynolds is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author whose wildly popular series include Until, Until Him, Until Her, Underground Kings and Shooting Stars.
Her writing career started in an attempt to get the outrageously alpha men who resided in her head to leave her alone and has blossomed into an opportunity to
share her stories with readers all over the world.
Jessica Marin
Jessica Marin began her love affair with books at a young age from the encouragement of her Grandma Shirley. She has always dreamed of being an author and finally made her dreams of writing happily ever after stories a
reality. She currently resides in Tennessee with her husband, children and fur babies. When she’s not hanging out with her family, she loves watching a good movie, going dancing with the ladies, sniffing essential oils, daydreaming of
warm beaches, and world peace.
Aurora Rose Reynolds and her husband, Sedaka Reynolds, created Boom Factory Publishing to use their experiences to expand and promote upcoming and existing indie
authors.
With over five years in the industry, and millions of books sold worldwide, we know what it takes to become a successful author and we will use this knowledge to take
our authors to the next level.
“As a successful hybrid author in this ever
evolving industry, I know that you’re only as successful as the team that is promoting you!” – Aurora Rose Reynolds
Publisher Links
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Posts tagged with ‘Margiela’
GOOGLY EYE
the rainbow is a monster
February 13, 2013 - by antoine
Arrrgh follows Rrrrip.
“Arrrgh – Monsters in Fashion”, a fashion exhibition featuring the clothes of Bernhard Willhelm, Walter Van Beirendonck, Rick Owens, Filep Motwary, Hyères graduates Jean Paul Lespagnard, Mareunrol and Mads Dinesen, and a 360 degree film installation from Bart Hess, is now opening at the Gaîté Lyrique digital center in Paris.
“Arrrgh” follows in the footsteps of “Rrrrip – Paper Fashion”, another internationally touring exhibit by Greek collective Atopos, whose founding member and curator, Vassilis Zidianakis, we met before the exhibit opening.
Left: Pictoplasma "Pictoorphanage Les Petites Bonhommes", 2006. Right: Manon Kuendig "Collection BLOWJOB", 2011
Antoine Asseraf: What was the starting point for this exhibit ?
Vassilis Zidianakis: In Hyères in 2006, where I was in the fashion jury. One of the designers, Amandine Labidoire, had a sketchbook with characters that started something in my head.
Then I asked Pictoplasma to write a text on character design, they saw my research on the subject and instead proposed to do a whole book about that idea, which became NOT A TOY, and then led to this exhibit.
Craig Green "BA Collection", 2010 & "BA Collection", 2012
When does this phenomenon start, in the 90’s with Leigh Bowery, Margiela, Walter Van Beirendonck… ?
Internet is the real starting point – avatars, different identities. People don’t show their face and instead create a character.
In fashion, you could say it started with Comme Des Garçons for the shape, and Margiela for the face – because when you hide the face you create a monster. But Schiaparelli, who was close to the surrealists, had already tried that, and you find it a lot in ethnographic clothing: each civilisation has costumes to dress up and become someone else. Today, it’s become a bit like Halloween, and clothes that are not meant to be worn on the street, but to go to parties, take pictures, it’s very marketing associated.
Character design as a whole comes from marketing, in the US and Japan – products talk to you, like yogurt, clothes, Michelin…
You also have to see the evolution of what we consider “monstruous”. For example, hoop dresses from the 18th century which are too wide to fit through a door – don’t you find that monstruous ?
Left: Projection by Bart Hess. Right: Bas Kosters "Collection Le Salon Explosif", 2007
Left: Alexis Themistocleus "Freaks", 2010. Right: Heiniek "Foamboys x Hyperbole@ Ludwig- TEDX AMS", 2012
Besides the rise of internet, the 90’s are also a decade of video games becoming mainstream, the emergence of adult animation…
It’s the idea we wanted to explpore with NOT A TOY, which led to this exhibition. If you read vinyl sex objects, it says “THIS IS NOT A TOY”, it’s for grown-ups.
Ultimately I’m very happy to show this outside of a fashion context, in a place like Gaîté Lyrique which is more technology related. The exhibit isn’t directly linked to technology, but shows the influence of technology on our bodies.
What is different about this exhibit than what was shown in Athens ?
After 3 years of research, we made a show at the Benaki Museum in Athens. Since then, a lot of new things have been produced around the idea, so for the Gaîté Lyrique we doubled the number of exhibited pieces on display.
We also commissioned Bart Hess a video for the 360º room, a special costume from Craig Green which serves as visual identity for the exhibtion,
and the fashion show of Jean-Paul Lespagnard which will be part of the parallel program.
The Brainstorm Design "How To Make Friends And Have A Social Life", 2013
Tell me more about the ancient Greek notion of “monster”…
Today “monster” has a negative connotation. But the original Greek word, “teras” (which gave “teratogen” and “teratology”) indicates a physical phenomenon in need of an explanation. So for example, to the ancient Greeks, a rainbow was a “monster”.
A bit like a UFO ?
yes, unidentified, and needing to be explained by us.
the theme of the monster is really about difference, about what we’re capable of accepting, because we’re attracted to strange things, but don’t know how to communicate with them.
ARRRGH ! MONSTERS IN FASHION
February 13 to April 7, 2013
Gaîté Lyrique
3 bis rue Papin, Paris.
Left: Rozalb de Mura "Collection The Remains", SS2010. Right: Mask available at the museum store
Tags:Bart Hess, Bernhard Willhelm, Comme des Garcons, Fashion, Gaîté Lyrique, Gree, Hyères, Jean-Paul Lespagnard, Mads Dinesen, MARENUNROLS, Margiela, monster, Rick Owens, Vassilis Zidianakis, Walter Van Beirendonck
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