Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard could return from injury sooner than expected and take his place in the team to face Arsenal in Sunday’s Premier League tie…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: soccer coaching. The blog is also related to: live soccer.

Bartholomew Augustin, Bartholomew Avery James, Bartholomew Dexter,

Bartholomew Elliot Steven, Bartholomew Elias, Bartholomew Eli,

Bartholomew Ezra,Bartholomew Fergus, Bartholomew Frank,

Bartholomew Felix, Bartholomew George,Bartholomew Harvey,

Bartholomew Idris, Bartholomew Isidore, Bartholomew Julian,

Bartholomew Jasper, Bartholomew Jude, Bartholomew Jago,

Bartholomew Marley,Bartholomew Miles, Bartholomew Moses,

Bartholomew Osric, Bartholomew Ofir,Bartholomew Pierce

, Bartholomew Rafael, Bartholomew Russell, Bartholomew Toby,

Bartholomew Thomas.

After a slowdown through 1990s.China’s economy bounced back mightily,reaching a recent peak of 13 percent growth last year.Now ,some Western experts are predicting that China could become the world’s dominant economy early in 21^st century ,Many economists believe astandard estimate of China’s per capita gross national product($370)is already two to three times too low ,And for mer world Bank chief  econmist Larry Sunmers recently argued that China could surpass both Japan and the United Satates to become the world’s largest economy by 2020.

  A farfetched prediction?The new American adimisration does’s think so .Bill Chinton has appointed China hads to top Asia posts at the State and Treasury departments .When crities called the appointments a slight to Japan,the leading Pacific economic power,U.S.Deputy Treasury Secretary Roger Altman exolained the administration’s reasonging:by early in the next century ,he said ,China may replace Japan in importance to the U.S.as an economic partner ,Japan recognizes the rise of China .As a warning shot in an intensifying rivalry ,Tokyo last week put punitive import tariffs on Chinese steel.Mbt Lami  Mbt Chapa   MBT   Mbt Sport   Mbt m walk

1. The Elephant Man
2. Eraserhead
3. Blue Velvet
4. The Straight Story
5. Wild At Heart
6. Lost Highway
7. Mulholland Drive
8. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
9. Dune

Inland Empire nog niet gezien. Tot het zo ver is blijft dat maar #10, zeker.

NP: Mike Pride’s From Bacteria To Boys – Hang

hopefully my mac battery will last long enough to let me write this blog while stuck here at o’hare…when I actually post this I’ll probably be at my mom’s place already, since I’m not down with the whole airport wireless program. question- is it really that serious to withhold having free wireless in airports? it’s 2010, people…really?? i don’t know anybody who pays for boingo or any of the other “hot spot” wireless services accessible in airports, but I would love to know the statistics on that. how many people actually order that stuff?

anywayyyyyy…. spinning at the hudson went really well and will hopefully result in future job opportunities. spun a quick house/deep house/electronic set… a mix of obscure stuff and some stuff most people into those genres would know- goldfrapp, crystal waters, ladytron, daft punk, la roux (my new obsession!!), modjo, ect…definitely got people dancing, finished my set, and let tim martell swoop in and do his thing for the rest of the night. frank came thru to help take some pics, so I’ve gotta give him all the credit for these:

as far as what else popped off this weekend- i watched the life changing exposé that IS ‘food, inc.’ even if you’re a huge fan of fast food (pun intended), this movie will turn you onto a healthier lifestyle. if it doesn’t, then I’m sorry that either A. the point totally went over your head or B. you have no soul. the food production system in this country is corrupt beyond what the average person could only begin to imagine. the major meat distribution companies, like tyson and other comparable giants, are being run by crazed maniacs who could care less who they have to step on to make their money. the whole thing is just a disgusting process. therefore, they are the hot mess of the day. yuck.

well, for now i’m off to bask in my few days off here… will post more soon…

The biographical information below was compiled by Alan Renga, Assistant Archivist, for the 2009 International Hall of Fame Gala. For more information on the Museum’s Library and Archives, click here.

Frank Robinson Hall of Fame Portrait

He produces the best selling, non military helicopter in the world. He outsells all other North American manufacturers put together. He produces an aircraft which hold most world records in it weight class, including speed and altitude. He is Frank Robinson.

The youngest of four children, Frank Robinson was born in Washington State. Always interested in aviation, he worked his way through college and received his BSME degree from the University of Washington in 1957, with graduate work in aeronautical engineering at the University of Wichita.

Robinson began his aviation career in 1957 at Cessna Aircraft Company working on the CH-1 Skyhook. He then continued work with rotor aircraft at Umbaugh Aircraft Co., McCulloch Motor Company and Kaman Aircraft. During a brief stint at Bell Helicopter he earned a reputation as a “tail rotor expert.” In 1969, he moved to Hughes Helicopter Company, designing a new tail rotor for the Hughes 500 helicopter and working on the “quiet helicopter” program.

Robinson repeatedly tried to interest his employers in his own concept for a small, low-cost helicopter but to no avail, so Robinson resigned from Hughes in 1973 and founded Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC). RHC’s first business address was Robinson’s home where the two-seat R22 helicopter was designed. The first R22 prototype was built in a tin hangar at the Torrance Airport, and Robinson himself flew it on its first flight in August 1975 and the R22 received its FAA Type Certificate in 1979. The first production R22 was delivered in late 1979, and the R22 soon became the world’s top selling civil helicopter! The helicopter is so popular because it is relatively inexpensive and very reliable. In addition, the R22 holds most world records in its weight class including speed and altitude. The company also produces the very popular four seat R44. Close to 6,000 Robinson helos sit on flight lines around the world! In addition, Robinson oversaw development of the fuel injected R44 Raven II and the five place turbine driven R66.

Robinson is also very concerned about helicopter safety. He lobbied the FAA to quadruple the minimum number of hours of training needed to get an instructor’s license, as well as double the hours before a pilot could solo. In addition, he started a safety course that has become the gold standard of helicopter training, open to all pilots — today it has a five-month waiting list and is required by most helicopter insurers.

Robinson is an experienced helicopter pilot and flies the R22 and R44 helicopters regularly for personal and business purposes, including experimental test flying. He is a full member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and a Fellow of the American Helicopter Society. He has been presented numerous awards and honors, including the Howard Hughes Memorial Award, The Doolittle Award from the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Washington. His philanthropic activities include donating large sums of money to the University of Washington and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

For his invaluable contributions to aviation technology and his dedication to making helicopter flight more safe, the San Diego Air & Space Museum takes great pleasure inducting Frank Robinson into its International Aerospace Hall of Fame.

Every so often I’ve updated the list of films that I have already seen with brief reviews.  Call it the complete-ist in me, but when I’m done with reviewing each of the films in the book, I’d like to have reviewed every single film in the book.

Anyhow, here’s another batch for you to read.

Enjoy!

Shichinin No Samurai AKA Seven Samurai (1954)

The Seven Samurai is the first movie that I had the pleasure of seeing from the master director Akira Kurosawa, and it is also one of his most praised works. Without a wasted frame, the story takes place over the course of almost 3 hours. Kurosawa, as he does in each of his movies, explores more than just the action and injustice featured in the plot. He is a humanist first and foremost, training his lens on the interpersonal relationships of the characters, tracking growth across this epic. As good as this film is, I would have to say that Kurosawa has numerous films that are even better, check out Stray Dog, Rashomon, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, and my personal favorite High and Low.

The Ladykillers (1955)

Existing as a special combination of dark humor, and slapstick farce, The Ladykillers is exceptionally funny and unsettling. Alec Guinness stars as the leader of a group of criminals staying at the home of a hardy, vivacious older lady under the guise of being musicians. The plan is simple, rob a bank, and utilizing the trusting nature of the kindly old lady, and the remoteness of her home to their advantage, get away with it. Easily my favorite of Alec Guinness’ films (thanks in part to the Star Wars prequels that is), The Ladykillers features a solid cast of great actors, including a very young Peter Sellers.

Bob Le Flambeur AKA Bob the Gambler (1955)

My introduction to the fantastic Jean-Pierre Melville, I was captivated immediately by the cool as ice gangster come gambler Bob. This film is filled with signature Melville-isms. Glorious post war street scenes in Paris. Trench-coats. Honor among thieves. And who could forget the caper. To talk too much about this film is to give too much away, and to do that is to ruin it for those who haven’t seen it. Other classics by Melville: Le Cercle Rouge, Le Samourai, and the recently released in the U.S. Army of Shadows. All are fantastic, and deserve to be in this book! Incidentally, Bob le Flambeur was recently re-made into The Good Thief starring Nick Nolte and directed by Neil Jordan, and while I’m not generally a fan of re-makes, I really, really liked this film. Not quite as good as the original, but it was one of my favorite films of 2002.

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

The ultimate in hardboiled private eye crime stories, Kiss Me Deadly is a full on assault on decency. Kiss Me Deadly proudly presents itself as a grimy PI story, littered with bodies and intrigue. If you even have a passing interest in film noir, this should be your first stop. Violent, misogynist, brutish, and glorious, Kiss Me Deadly begs to be watched and dares you to look away. I myself, loved it!

The Ten Commandments (1956)

Apparently based on a book, The Ten Commandments is an epic in every sense of the word. Colored in bright explosive candy hues, and featuring huge sets, as well as a cast that number in the thousands, The Ten Commandments is more spectacle than great movie. Certainly not a waste of time, but not my first choice when choosing something light to throw in.

Det Sjunde Inseglet AKA The Seventh Seal (1957)

A classic, and well-loved film by Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman, The Seventh Seal stars an extremely young Max von Sydow as a knight who faces Death at a game of chess to decide his fate. This film is filled with themes that find their way into each of Bergman’s works, ranging from courage in the face of death, religion, and humanity. The Seventh Seal still holds up to this day, with luminous black and white photography that, thanks to Criterion’s Blu-ray edition, has never looked better.

Note: Don’t be fooled by the similarly themed, but much worse, “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey”

Kumonosu Jo AKA Throne of Blood (1957)

Kurosawa’s retelling of Macbeth set in feudal Japan. Shakespeare has never looked better as it does in the stark black and white, twisting shadows and swirling mists as seen through Kurosawa’s camera. Toshiro Mifune doesn’t disappoint in the lead role, but the real stand out is Isuzu Yamada in the as Mifune’s opportunistic, poisonous wife. The plotting and scheming starts right from the get go, all the way up till the frenzied end of the film.

Touch of Evil (1958)

One of the many trouble spots on Orson Welles’ resume due to studio interference, and financing issues, still Touch of Evil remains as possibly the best B-Movie ever made. Iconic (and sometimes hilarious) performances by Janet Leigh, Charlton Heston (as a Mexican) and Welles himself as the crooked cop willing to do almost anything to ensure justice prevails (just so long as it’s his justice). The movie is almost as famous for its long tracking shot opening as it is for any of the performances, featuring a nearly 4 minute shot done in one take which travels around cars, actors, and buildings. The film The Player, payed homage to it by mentioning it a few times during a similarly complex shot in that film.

Vertigo (1958)

Flopping on its initial release, Vertigo didn’t gain the acclaim it deserved until much later after it was released on video. Vertigo visits themes present in each of Hitchcock’s other works, including the obsession with blondes, innocence tainted with corruption, and the schlub who get in over his head. Jimmy Stewart plays the schlub, Kim Novak plays the blonde, and gloriously technicolored San Francisco plays the innocence and the corruption. Vertigo has a twisty convoluted story with elements of surrealism, an interesting watch.

Mon Oncle AKA My Uncle (1958)

My favorite of Jacques Tati’s Monsieur Hulot films, Mon Oncle was also the first of them that I had seen. Tati, playing Hulot, is a master of visual comedy, and not in the same way as the Three Stooges, or even Buster Keaton. Tati is an artist whose work is appreciated the longer you watch. The plot of the movie is not so much important to the film as it is simply a guide to get our characters into interesting situations so we can watch them get out. If you liked this film, check out other films featuring the bumbling Mr. Hulot, including Trafic, Playtime, and Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot.

Les Quatre Cents Coups AKA The 400 Blows (1959)

My personal favorite of the French new wave movement was this small-scale film, personal piece from Francois Truffaut. Featuring the director’s alter ego, Antoine Doinel, The 400 Blows is the first in a series of movies, each about a different stage of life and the challenges that go along with them. The period from childhood to young adult is covered heart-breakingly here, following Antoine through the rough waters of his home life and his interaction with the outside world. Later chapters deal with finding love, getting married, having children, and growing old, but Les Quatres Cent Coups remains the directors most personal and his best.

North by Northwest (1959)

One of Hitchcock’s best, North by Northwest features Cary Grant, suave as ever, being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies. Just like in Hitchcock’s most famous works (of which this is one), the witty one-liners, suspense, and drama are heaped on generously. I can’t help but feel sad that a similarly themed, but better film featuring Cary Grant was left off this 1001 list. Charade, also featuring Audrey Hepburn, James Coburn, and Walter Matthau, is one of my favorite movies ever! Check out both Charade AND North by Northwest as a double feature! You won’t be sorry.

Some Like it Hot (1959)

Now this is an example of a classic, well-loved film, with actors that I really love (Jack Lemmon I’m looking at you), a premise that is more than suitable, yet the finished product never really caught me. It’s sort of like Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief. I never really saw what all the hype was about. That being said, I didn’t hate it either. It never made fun of me when I had braces, or turned me down for a date, my affections and this film have just always been mutually exclusive. Perhaps it deserves another watch…then again maybe I should just watch The Last Boyscout again.

A Bout De Souffle AKA Breathless (1959)

Jean-Luc Godard is nothing if not a sacred cow of French cinema, and while I have loved some of his other films (Le Mepris, Bande A Part, and Masculin Femenine), Breathless or A Bout De Souffle never really did it for me. I can still rationalize why it was so revolutionary (use of jump cuts, editing, non-actors, and subscription to the aesthetic of the French new wave style), and see it’s importance, but I prefer other examples of New Wave cinema. If you are interested in seeing a Godard film, try Masculin Feminine, it is just as revolutionary and a bit more accessible.

Psycho (1960)

A prime example of Hitchcock in his prime. Psycho was so good, and so affecting that some of its actors were type cast just on the strength of this one film (Anthony Perkins, and Janet Leigh), so much so that without a little research it’s hard to think of what other films either of them has been in. Psycho may not be as visually shocking and gory as horror films of today, but it still manages to hold up over time and be just as unsettling as it was back in its day. Hitchcock has always excelled at making the comfortable un-comfortable (motels, birds, tea, dreams, the list goes on…), and the subtle touches in this film work perfectly. Consider for a moment that Perkin’s Bates is an amateur taxidermist of birds, and then that Janet Leigh’s name is Marion Crane a type of bird, or the fact before the crime Marion is wearing a white bra and a white purse, while after it she is wearing a black bra and purse. His attention to detail, and knack for foreshadowing is demonstrated in full force in Psycho and remains one of his best films. Despite all the uproar over the Gus Van Sant remake, I thought it actually did some justice to the original film and if nothing else brought it a little more deserved attention.

Note: This film also has the distinction of being the first American film to ever show a toilet flushing on-screen.

Peeping Tom (1960)

Released the same year as Psycho, and dealing with similar subject matter, Peeping Tom wasn’t received with the same acclaim and attention that the former was. On the contrary, Peeping Tom was seen as subversive, perverted, and generally too shocking. The story revolves more around the killer than the victim in this one, whereas Psycho is presented more from the victim’s point of view. Either way, Peeping Tom is a fine film, one worth watching, however it is so similar to Psycho that I’m not sure it needs to be on the list of 1001 films.

The Apartment (1960)

As far as light-hearted, touching movies about someone recovering from a bout of depression, this one is my favorite. Billy Wilder directs Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon in a sweet touching comedy without losing any of his trademark cynicism or the pointedness of his dialogue. The Apartment is another chance for me to champion the somewhat maligned talents of Mr. Fred MacMurray as Lemmon’s boss. MacMurray plays a fantastic creep who really defines the term “heel”.

Spartacus (1960)

Containing almost none of the trademark elements that make up a Stanley Kubrick movie as we know it (Kubrick apparently dis-owned the film before it’s release), Spartacus remains an interesting movie that isn’t great. It is, however, another example of a film that enabled an up and coming filmmaker to gain his voice, and define himself later on in his career. If only for that reason, Spartacus is a great film, but luckily for the studio, it has some other things going for it. Kirk Douglas plays the title role of Spartacus, and despite all the lavish set production, and concentration on spectacle, brings some heart to the slave who defied Rome.

Jules Et Jim AKA Jules and Jim (1962)

One of director, Francois Truffaut’s most well thought of films, Jules and Jim may be the Lost In Translation, or Juno of its time. Viewed from a certain angle, the plot is a completely moving and emotional story that you believe, so much so, that you can see yourself and those around you in the roles that these characters embody. Viewed from another perspective, it can seem a little precious or purposefully manipulative. Depending on what is happening in your life (I’m mostly thinking about whether or not you are in a relationship, and if you are happy), this movie can preach the glory of love and the pain of rejection. On the flipside, if you have shaken free the angsty, teenager-esque feelings everyone has had in their youth, you may feel like you’re being talked down to.

Cleo De 5 A 7 AKA Cleo from 5 to 7

Taking place, as the title suggests, from 5 to 7, we get a slice of the life of Cleo played out before us. Sometimes we, along with Cleo herself, are a voyeurs into the lives of people around her, and other times we are focused on her as she roams around Paris. By and large Cleo lives a carefree, spoiled life, yet we still sympathize with her when times are hard, and cheer for her when they are good. This is a small film in a lot of ways, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t impacting and beautiful.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

I have to admit.  I didn’t like Lawrence of Arabia that much.  Perhaps I was too young to appreciate the aesthetic beauty of Lean’s desert panorama camerawork, or just maybe it was the epic length that decided it for me.  One way or another, I didn’t appreciate it as much as everyone else seems to think I should. 

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Overly reliant on gimmicks and quick editing techniques, The Manchurian Candidate doesn’t flesh out the story nearly…wait, no that was the terrible re-make that came out in 2004.  The original 1962 version, is just as taught, and well executed today as it was at its release.  While the story between the two versions remained virtually the same, the consistent building of tension and anxiety, combined with the pitch perfect acting of Lawrence Harvey, Frank Sinatra (yes…Frank Sinatra), and the devilish turn of Angela Lansbury as the Queen of Hearts, makes for a fantastic film.

Lolita (1962)

It took me forever to finally see Lolita.  I have known the basic story (older man, younger girl) but had just never gotten around to seeing it.  And while I’ve been told that the book is much better, I thought the film was pretty good.  Not great, mind you, but definitely solid.  The shocking and controversial nature of the relationship was toned down a bit for the screen, and maybe as a result doesn’t seem all that shocking in today’s day and age.  Memorable turns by Peter Sellers, and Shelley Winters, not to mention it’s an early film of Stanley Kubrick.

The Birds (1963)

Despite being one of Hitchcock’s most popular, I actually think that The Birds is one of his most over-rated.  I think I owe it to myself to give this one another look someday, but right now I feel that it was too heavily based on the gimmick that had to rely on special effects.  Though it is not necessarily the fault of the movie, but the special effects seemed particularly dated and old fashioned.  Worth a watch, but not my favorite by a long shot.

8 1/2 (1963)

Federico Fellini is, by most accounts, a master of cinema.  One, that I have always had a little trouble getting fired up over.  It’s not that I don’t like his films once I’ve seen them, the problem comes in when it comes to motivating myself to see them.  I couldn’t tell you why, but his films consistently get pushed off when they come up on my Netflix Queue or when I see the one or two I have on my shelf.  I shouldn’t feel this way, considering I really loved the moving poetry, and soul baring passion in 8 1/2, yet it still happens.  One very definite reason to watch this film is the man-crushable Marcello Mastroianni, swaggering through as the alter-ego of Fellini himself.  Dealing with all the reservations with women, making movies, childhood, and the future that the director very famously dealt with himself, Mastroianni embodies a certain cool, yet believable character that begs to be watched.  Combined with imagery that leaves the audience wanting more, 8 1/2 is a fantastic film.

Well, that’s it for this time.  Thanks for reading!

I keep thinking that someone, somewhere within the halls of DC, is discussing a blueprint for developing job growth, and that I simply keep missing the news on this important development. But no, it turns out there is no discussion of a blueprint for job growth anywhere, not even in articles that ostensibly start by discussing job growth.

Case in point: Look at this recent Washington Post article that starts thus:

“Growing discontent over the economy and frustration with efforts to speed its recovery boiled over Thursday on Capitol Hill in a wave of criticism and outright anger directed at the Obama administration.

Episodes in both houses of Congress exposed the raw nerves of lawmakers flooded with stories of unemployment and economic hardship back home….”

Then the article goes on to discuss the following points:

• Sweeping changes to the financial regulatory system
• Members of the Joint Economic Committee escalated attacks on Treasury Secretary Geithner
• Senator Schumer attacked Geithner’s inconsistency in addressing China’s undervalued currency
• Rep. DeFazio lashed out against Geithner over his handling of AIG’s meltdown
• Rep. Paul’s amendment subjecting the Federal Reserve to unprecedented scrutiny
• Rep. Frank’s concerns over whether minorities were being fairly represented in helping carry out Treasury’s bailout program to the banks (this rates a big “WTF??”)
• The Democrats want to provide tax benefits providing tax incentives for home renovations and funding new infrastructure projects, and extend health-care and unemployment benefits.

But not one – not one – mention is made of a blueprint for helping the private sector create new jobs.

Not one whisper about jobs.

Oh wait, I stand corrected. Representative Kevin Brady upbraided Secretary Geithner for his failures, adding, “For the sake of our jobs, will you step down from your post?” (emphasis added)

So Congress is showing concern for jobs after all.

Their jobs.

(For my thoughts on a blueprint, see this former post.)

Monday afternoon
April 10, 1944

My Darling Wife,
I’m writing a little earlier than usual today, since I have some spare time before chow. Then too, I have the watch from 8-12 so I won’t have my usual night time to write. I’ve been trying to get caught up on my correspondence lately and still have some to go. I must write Donald Hebel, John Hebel, who is in England now, by the way, Geo. Y. and also to Rev. Hackins in State College. I wrote Grandpa and Grandma Crow and also Marian yesterday and I’m going to write to Pauline tonight. I think she owes me a letter but it’s probably in the mail waiting for me somewhere. we should get mail tomorrow and I certainly will be glad to hear from you again. I don’t like to go so long without hearing from you, although it has only been about ten days since I got your last letter.

Tuesday Morning 12:30 a.m.

Honey I was interrupted last evening when I was writing you and then after chow I read several articles in a rather new Saturday Evening Post and then had to go on watch. Now I’m off watch and instead of going to be, I’m writing to you – now isn’t that sweet of me! But then I would do anything for you sweetheart because I love you so much.

It seems like we have started a menagerie on the ship. We now have a German police pup and a little yellow kitten. Both are nice but of the two I prefer the kitten, much to my surprise, because it is the more lively of the two, and is quite a bit more sanitary. In fact I’ve threatened to throw the pup overboard if it continues to mistake my gun tubes for a head! That simply makes me sore but then I don’t think a ship is quite the place for a dog anyway. You ought to see the kitten play with a spool of thread. It will sit in the wardroom and play with a spool suspended off the ceiling, batting it back and forth.

The radio was pretty good this evening and I happened to hear a part of the actual broadcast of “Information Please”, but I won’t tell you what time I heard it (Military secret!). It reminded me of the nights when we used to be together at home listening to the radio. We enjoyed that as much or more than going out to night clubs, didn’t we darling. That’s one of the main things I love about you – you enjoy a home and don’t have to go out tearing around to be happy and have a good time. I do love you, honey, and think of you many times during the day and dream of the time when we’ll be happily together again.
With lots of love
Frank

Sunday Night
April 9, 1944

My Darling Louise,
Well, honey Easter is just about over now and it really was an unusual one for me. We did have a little service here on the ship though and had a holiday as far as work was concerned so that is the way we celebrated it.

Boy, I surely made a mess of leading one song this afternoon. It was the only Easter song we could find and I didn’t know it too well, and to top it off, when the time came to sing the song, I couldn’t find the music so had to try to struggle though it just from the printed words. What a time – I must have changed the pitch about three times and more than once made up a tune of my own. We don’t have very good song books, or at least the kind of songs I prefer. As you know this boy-minister belongs to the Nazarene church, something like the Free Methodists – very radical – and practically all their songs are the revival type, which I detest. Do you remember how I changed the type of hymns they sang in the Methodist church in Elkhart. The Knott s just stopped coming to the choir because of it. Nevertheless I’m certain the quality of the hymns was improved. If you ever run across any songbooks with lots of good old solid devotional songs, I wish you would buy one or more and send them to me. There isn’t any rush – just whenever you see one.

You asked me one time what I needed most. Well, for one thing now since my hair is too short to comb, I need a good hairbrush very badly. I would like to have a good stiff one – I doubt if you can get a steel brush anymore. Also there is another thing I need too but just wait on it – I think I can get it in port the next time. That is several pair of slippers like those I got in Dallas that you sent me. Boy, they are just the thing. In fact I’ve never worn shoes aboard ship since I got them. They are so light and comfortable I don’t know what I’ll do when they wear out. They should last several months longer if I take care of them. What’s more, and very important, I don’t wear any socks with them and so never have to wash my socks! Aren’t I lazy! Of course, you already knew that didn’t you honey?

Well, sweetheart, I thought of you very hard all day today, and my hope and prayer all day has been that next Easter we will be together again. I do love you so much, darling. I could have searched for ever and never have found anyone I would rather have as my wife and life companion than you Darling. I just can’t wait until I get back and we can resume our normal lives together.
Goodnight, sweetheart.
Love,
Frank

Saturday Night
April 8, 1944

My Darling Louise,
How are you this evening my dear? Are you ready for a nice long chat? I don’t have much to say but I feel like talking, since tomorrow is Easter and I can’t be with you.

Golly, but I would like to be home with you to go to church with you tomorrow. Easter is a season which I particularly like and I surely do like to go to church with you then. In fact I like to go to church with you anytime. Darling, if there is any one particular reason why our marriage is so happy and successful it is because we both have a great interest in the church and church music. Boy, I’ll bet there will be some good music on the radio tomorrow with all the sunrise services and all. If I didn’t have to get up so early tomorrow morning (3:15), I would stay up and listen to them as they travel across the country. I may do it anyway. At any rate, honey, I’ll be on watch tomorrow morning at sunrise and as it comes up over the water my thoughts will be joined with yours of the heritage which we share in a Christian family and a Christian Nation. Honey, I do try to lead a good life out here, although I could do much better. I haven’t been reading my testament as I should but beginning tonight, after I finish this letter I’m going to read some every night. That is a promise. I really believe everyone’s prayers are being heard and that is the reason I’ve been cared for so well so far.

So much for that. Honey, I feel terribly bad tonight that I haven’t been able to send you any kind of an Easter Card or greeting but I haven’t been anywhere to buy any. We lose all sense of time out here and it wasn’t until this past Sunday, Palm Sunday, that I realized tomorrow was Easter. I wish I hadn’t been so stupid, or I would have written you a letter that would have reached you by Easter. As a result our greetings tomorrow will have to be telepathic. I know you will be thinking of me and I’m positive I will think of you because I always do. I love you so much, my darling, more than you know, and all my thoughts are of the time when we’ll be happily together once more inpeaceful surroundings and can have our family.

I must go to bed now, darling. Good night and Happy Easter.
Your loving husband
Frank

Friday Night
April 7, 1944

My Darling Louise,
It is 10:30 P.M and I’ve just gotten up – especially so I could write to you! This evening after chow I was rather tired and not having anything better to do I went to sleep for what I though was an hour or so, and then Bob Kenny woke me up at 10:00 o’clock, because he know I wanted to do some writing. Now I’m up and have had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a dish of pears, so I probably won’t be able to sleep when I do try again. Did the mention of peanut butter and jelly bring back any memories to you? It does to me every time I eat it because I used to eat so many of them. They were so easy to make that you almost felt ashamed to put them in my lunch, didn’t you darling, and yet I liked them almost better than anything else you would make. Boy what I wouldn’t give right now to eat one of the lunches you made for me, and then come home in the evening and find you cooking a good steak supper. And then I would put my arms around you and give you a great big kiss – maybe more. Only it would’nt be like it was in Elkhart because Jean would be there and she would come running to meet me and I would carry her back to the house. Gee, won’t that be swell, honey. Is all this just wishful thinking? Someday, it will be real, won’t it sweetheart!

But, the political situation is surely confused now that Willkie has stepped out – (or has he!) If he has, it is too bad because he was my man, but something tells me he is trying to play hard to get. The Republican crowd surely is against him though. I wouldn’t vote for anyone else they could put up, and so far as I can see they are only cutting their own political throats.

Say, honey, I’ve been wondering about our income tax since you said you paid it, or rather made the return. How much was it? I hope that officer had all the dope on the $1500 to be deducted for servicemen, and only pay on base pay ($1800). And did you take into account how much I paid on the “Pay as you Go” while I was working for S.C.S.? Also that I overpaid them last year. You must have though because you said we had some coming on that. Anyway, would you make a copy of the form and send it to me. I’m very much interested. Thanks for having it filled out.

I must write Mother now, darling. I love you, darling.
Your loving husband
Frank

Thursday Night
April 6, 1944

My Darling Louise,
How is my beautiful wife this evening? I hope you are fine and being real sweet. Of course that last part was unnecesary for me to say because how could you be otherwise! At least I’ve never known you to be anything but a sweet dispositioned, even tempered, lovable (and boy do I like that kind of people – especially when it is you.)

I have just come off watch and I think this is the most beautiful night I’ve ever seen out here. The moon is a perfect disc and so bright it almost blinds you when you look at it through binoculars. The stars are all shining so brightly and big white clouds in the sky. Darling, of course I know you can’t be out here but I know you would enjoy it immensely. Maybe sometime after the war is over and we have made a fortune (I haven’t figured out how yet) we can go on a pleasure cruise to Australia or somewhere and you can get to enjoy the peaceful nights our here on the sea. I wonder if such a time could ever come to us. If Australia seems too remote, maybe we could go on a cruise to Havana or Bermuda. Gee that would be swell.

I guess I never have realized just how many places I’ve been since I’ve been in the Navy, places that I never would have gotten to otherwise. Sometimes it seems like a dream, and other times it seems so matter-of-fact that I don’t give it a second thought. I wish I could keep a diary so I could describe it all to you when I get home. I will try to remember as much as I can, though.

I don’t believe I’ve ever told you that we were in Cuba. That surely did please me to get to go ashore there. We were only there a day, and of course didn’t get to go to any Cuban towns – just the Naval Base at Guantanamo. I took my gun crews over to the Anti Aircraft Range in the afternoon, and the most of the other officers went over to the officer’s Club at night. It was very warm there, but I’ll bet it would be a swell vacation in the winter. We must count on that sometime – mustn’t we darling.

Everything has been going swell here and is very uneventful – but that is the way I like it. The watches are easy to stand and there isn’t much other work to do beside the watches. What could be better – besides being home with you.

How is the weather in West Texas now? The leaves should be coming out before long now – or am I too soon. I’ll bet you’ve had some sandstorms, haven’t you?You know I’ve never seen one – perhaps that explains why I like West Texas so well. Nevertheless, when and if I go back to work with S.C.S I’m going to try to get transferred to West Texas. How does that suit you? I’ll bet your family will see enough of us then, don’t ou think. Do you know I’ve often felt sorry that we didn’t go out home oftener when we were in Elkhart. We could have done it easily if we had just known. I’ve just got to get to know Mother and Dad better. They are such swell people, and I really do mean it. You know I hadn’t had a Dad for a long time until I married you.

Say, does Mother still have young chickens all the year around to fry? Tell her she better have because I can never tell what time of the year I might be coming home and I surely am going to be disappointed if I don’t get some of her fried chicken and biscuits. Boy, would I like to shove my feet under that breakfast nook again with you by my side and them on the other side as we did before. Wouldn’t that be fun? We will do it too, I know.

Honey, what I’m going to say now is so obvious that it doesn’t require saying but you know what I mean. I’m very very much in love with one Helen Louise McCrummen Crow (whew – what a moniker!) a very wonderful and sweet person who makes her residence near Lubbock, Texas. Of if you prefer it in simpler language – I love you, my darling wife, with all my heart and soul and cherish all the wonderful memories which we share and all the hopes and dreams we have for the future!
Goodnight, my love,
Your husband
Frank

December 1, 2005 my career was on top of the world. I was working with some of the biggest celebrities, in the country music industry, and had just finished the first national homecoming for Vietnam veterans that gained world exposure and turned out to be a history channel documentary. My mother’s health was still good enough to travel and a few months earlier my parents were my guest at Operation Homecoming USA and rubbing elbows with all of the Joint Chief of Staff to the President of the United States. In January 2005, I had directed and produced the Inaugural Ball for the President and First Lady.
I was just finishing a grueling tour- Nashville, Branson, Chicago, Davenport, Branson, Nashville, and on to Loveland to surprise my mom and dad for Thanksgiving all over a nine day stretch. God was already preparing me for the guest I hated for many years prior to December 2005. I look back on the tour and God let me see all the people that meant a lot to me and were close to my heart. My busy family, that never has much time for me when I travel, had all the time in the world. I remember thinking as I headed back to Branson after a great holiday how fortunate we were to spend time together. Everything was great as I parted back home knowing I needed rest before my military USO tour that would start five days before Christmas.
Amarillo, TX 2:00am it was evident to me that the uninvited guest had arrived not knowing hours from that moment my life would change forever. My temperature was 104 degrees and my focus was on home because I knew that something was crippling me on the inside. All by myself I traveled across Oklahoma praying to God that he would let me make it home, as God spoke to me through the radio- through song. I passed out in a rest stop bathroom. When I came to a man would not help me telling his son I had too much to drink. They thought I was drunk.
The only way I was able to make it to the hospital from that trip was through my faith in God. I knew I was extremely sick. I really was in so much pain my doctor was amazed I lived through the journey home. Prayer, scripture, and God’s voice got me home nothing else. All the teaching from my past kept running through my head along with memories from my childhood. If you really believe in God and really need his help he will see you through was clear to me that day. Even when you know there is a storm ahead, he will carry you to the storm and will help you to face your Uninvited Guest. When God is preparing you for a storm in your life who do you call out to? Who do you trust? Do you pull over to the side of the road and die or do you keep your eye focused on the solution and keep driving? Do you let the others who ignore your cry for help convince you to give up? The attitude that you choose and your faith will see you through!
To be continued on Saturday July 11, 2009!

- Why do you wear that stupid bunny suit?

- Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?

The financial crisis of the past year has provided a number of surprising twists and turns, and from Bear Stearns Cos. to American International Group Inc., ambiguity has been a big part of the story.

Why did Bear Stearns fail, and how does that relate to AIG? It all seems so complex.

But really, it isn’t. Enough cards on this table have been turned over that the story is now clear. The economic history books will describe this episode in simple and understandable terms: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac exploded, and many bystanders were injured in the blast, some fatally.

Fannie and Freddie did this by becoming a key enabler of the mortgage crisis. They fueled Wall Street’s efforts to securitize subprime loans by becoming the primary customer of all AAA-rated subprime-mortgage pools. In addition, they held an enormous portfolio of mortgages themselves.

In the times that Fannie and Freddie couldn’t make the market, they became the market. Over the years, it added up to an enormous obligation. As of last June, Fannie alone owned or guaranteed more than $388 billion in high-risk mortgage investments. Their large presence created an environment within which even mortgage-backed securities assembled by others could find a ready home.

Socialist Piece Of Shit Dodd

The problem was that the trillions of dollars in play were only low-risk investments if real estate prices continued to rise. Once they began to fall, the entire house of cards came down with them.

Turning Point

Take away Fannie and Freddie, or regulate them more wisely, and it’s hard to imagine how these highly liquid markets would ever have emerged. This whole mess would never have happened.

It is easy to identify the historical turning point that marked the beginning of the end.

Back in 2005, Fannie and Freddie were, after years of dominating Washington, on the ropes. They were enmeshed in accounting scandals that led to turnover at the top. At one telling moment in late 2004, captured in an article by my American Enterprise Institute colleague Peter Wallison, the Securities and Exchange Comiission’s chief accountant told disgraced Fannie Mae chief Franklin Rainesthat Fannie’s position on the relevant accounting issue was not even “on the page” of allowable interpretations.

Socialists Infiltrated Into The Democratic Party And Orchestrated The Financial Disaster: This Allowed Obama The Pretense To Print Money In Order FOR AN ATTEMPT To Strap Down This Powerful Nation

Then legislative momentum emerged for an attempt to create a “world-class regulator” that would oversee the pair more like banks, imposing strict requirements on their ability to take excessive risks. Politicians who previously had associated themselves proudly with the two accounting miscreants were less eager to be associated with them. The time was ripe.

Financial Crisis: NOT BUSH BUT DEMOCRATS/GLOBALISTS – In Their Own Words, Attempting To Cover Up The Bilking Of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac So As To Cause An Economic Crisis For Ushering In National Socialism!!

Greenspan’s Warning

The clear gravity of the situation pushed the legislation forward. Some might say the current mess couldn’t be foreseen, yet in 2005 Alan Greenspan told Congress how urgent it was for it to act in the clearest possible terms: If Fannie and Freddie “continue to grow, continue to have the low capital that they have, continue to engage in the dynamic hedging of their portfolios, which they need to do for interest rate risk aversion, they potentially create ever-growing potential systemic risk down the road,” he said. “We are placing the total financial system of the future at a substantial risk.”

Why The Democratic Party Is Propagandizing Every Evil Piece Of Shit Person & Every Evil Piece Of Shit Philosophy Inside America.

What happened next was extraordinary. For the first time in history, a serious Fannie and Freddie reform bill was passed by the Senate Banking Committee. The bill gave a regulator power to crack down, and would have required the companies to eliminate their investments in risky assets.

TEA BAGGER BARNEY FRANK

TEA BAGGER BARNEY FRANK WAS PUMPING HERB MOSES (EXECUTIVE OF FANNIE MAE)

Different World

If that bill had become law, then the world today would be different. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, a blizzard of terrible mortgage paper fluttered out of the Fannie and Freddie clouds, burying many of our oldest and most venerable institutions. Without their checkbooks keeping the market liquid and buying up excess supply, the market would likely have not existed.

But the bill didn’t become law, for a simple reason: Democrats opposed it on a party-line vote in the committee, signaling that this would be a partisan issue. Republicans, tied in knots by the tight Democratic opposition, couldn’t even get the Senate to vote on the matter.

That such a reckless political stand could have been taken by the Democrats was obscene even then. Wallison wrote at the time: “It is a classic case of socializing the risk while privatizing the profit. The Democrats and the few Republicans who oppose portfolio limitations could not possibly do so if their constituents understood what they were doing.”

Mounds of Materials

Now that the collapse has occurred, the roadblock built by Senate Democrats in 2005 is unforgivable. Many who opposed the bill doubtlessly did so for honorable reasons. Fannie and Freddie provided mounds of materials defending their practices. Perhaps some found their propaganda convincing.

But we now know that many of the senators who protected Fannie and Freddie, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Christopher Dodd, have received mind-boggling levels of financial support from them over the years.

Throughout his political career, Obama has gotten more than $125,000 in campaign contributions from employees and political action committees of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, second only to Dodd, the Senate Banking Committee chairman, who received more than $165,000.

TAQIYYA OBAMA

Clinton, the 12th-ranked recipient of Fannie and Freddie PAC and employee contributions, has received more than $75,000 from the two enterprises and their employees. The private profit found its way back to the senators who killed the fix.

There has been a lot of talk about who is to blame for this crisis. A look back at the story of 2005 makes the answer pretty clear.

Oh, and there is one little footnote to the story that’s worth keeping in mind while Democrats point fingers between now and Nov. 4: Senator John McCain was one of the three cosponsors of S.190, the bill that would have averted this mess.

(Kevin Hassett, director of economic-policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, is a Bloomberg News columnist. He is an adviser to Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona in the 2008 presidential election. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this column: Kevin Hassett at khassett@aei.org

Bloomberg

Op-ed by Frank Rich

Frank Rich/The New York Times

New York Times/Frank Rich—AT last the American right and left have one issue they unequivocally agree on: You don’t actually have to read Sarah Palin’s book to have an opinion about it. Last Sunday Liz Cheney praised “Going Rogue” as “well-written” on Fox News even though, by her own account, she had sampled only “parts” of it. On Tuesday, Ana Marie Cox, a correspondent for Air America, belittled the book in The Washington Post while confessing that she couldn’t claim to have “completely” read it.

“Going Rogue” will hardly be the first best seller embraced by millions for talismanic rather than literary ends. And I am not recommending that others follow my example and slog through its 400-plus pages, especially since its supposed revelations have been picked through 24/7 for a week. But sometimes I wonder if anyone has read all of what Palin would call the “dang” thing. Some of the book’s most illuminating tics have been mentioned barely — if at all — by either its fans or foes. Palin is far and away the most important brand in American politics after Barack Obama, and attention must be paid. Those who wishfully think her 15 minutes are up are deluding themselves.

The book’s biggest surprise is Palin’s wide-eyed infatuation with show-business celebrities. You get nearly as much face time with Tina Fey and the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in “Going Rogue” as you do with John McCain. We learn how happy Palin was to receive calls from Bono and Warren Beatty “to share ideas and insights.” We wade through star-struck lists of campaign cameos by Robert Duvall, Jon Voight (who “blew us away”), Naomi Judd, Gary Sinise and Kelsey Grammer, among many others. Then there are the acknowledgments at the book’s end, where Palin reveals that her intimacy with media stars is such that she can air-kiss them on a first-name basis, from Greta to Laura to Rush.

Equally revealing is the one boldfaced name conspicuously left unmentioned in the book: Levi Johnston, the father of Palin’s grandchild. Though Palin and McCain milked him for photo ops at the Republican convention, he is persona non grata now that he’s taking off his campaign wardrobe. Is Johnston’s fledgling porn career the problem, or is it his public threats to strip bare Palin family secrets as well? “She knows what I got on her” is how he put it. In Palin’s interview with Oprah last week, it was questioning about Johnston, not Katie Couric, that made her nervous.

The book’s most frequently dropped names, predictably enough, are the Lord and Ronald Reagan (though not necessarily in that order). Easily the most startling passage in “Going Rogue,” running more than two pages, collates extended excerpts from a prayerful letter Palin wrote to mark the birth of Trig, her child with Down syndrome. This missive’s understandable goal was to reassert Palin’s faith and trust in God. But Palin did not write her letter to God; she wrote the letter from God, assuming His role and voice herself and signing it “Trig’s Creator, Your Heavenly Father.” If I may say so — Oy!

More @

Central Florida Future – http://bit.ly/8KleHL

By Cassie Turner

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Published: Friday, November 20, 2009

Updated: Friday, November 20, 2009

Caitlin Bush

"Most Americans do not know slavery not only exists in the world today, it flourishes," said Ron Soodalter, co-author of The Slave Next Door, in his presentation in the Pegasus Ballroom Monday morning.

"Somewhere around 27 million people are in bondage in the world today. Now, that’s over twice the number as were trafficked in chains in the entire 350 years of the African slave trade."

Soodalter, an active abolitionist and historian, kicked off International Education Week at UCF as the keynote speaker for the Second Annual International Breakfast. The Slave Next Door presentation concluded the three-part series on "Slavery’s Resurgence" facilitated by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Global Perspectives and the International Services Center.

The series began with Somaly Mam, a Cambodian human rights activist, former slave and author of The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine, when she shared her experiences in September.

In October, Micheline Slattery, a human-rights activist and former restavek, or domestic child slave, in both Haiti and the United States, addressed about 300 attendees.

Modern-day slavery includes around 800,000 men, women and children trafficked each year around the world. According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Web site, about 17,500 of them end up in the United States, with a high percentage received in Florida.

Soodalter suggests a simple Google search on human trafficking for astounding results.

In spite of major federal legislation and anti-trafficking laws passed in 43 states, 103 human-trafficking convictions have resulted, Soodalter said.

Trafficking remains hidden, is largely unreported and difficult to identify. According to the 2009 Trafficking in Persons, or TIP, report, published by the U.S. Department of State, forced labor/involuntary servitude represents the majority of human-trafficking cases in the world. The co-author of Soodalter’s book,  Kevin Bales, wrote the original 156-page TIP report, titled “Trafficking Persons in the United States — A Report to the National Institute of Justice.”

“The whole thing is disserving and extending,” said retired UCF foreign language professor David Gurney. “It contributes to the antagonism from people in underdeveloped countries to Western civilizations or Western countries.”

In the 1850s, purchasing a slave ran roughly $1,200, the equivalent of around $40,000 in today’s money. The reality is purchasing a slave today costs as little as $100, which makes them affordable and disposable, Soodalter said.

A trafficking victim lives in fear of violence or the threat of violence daily, he said.

Shawn Cox, victim witness coordinator and licensed clinical social worker with the United States Attorney’s Office, advocates that trafficking is a crime of absolute power over someone. According to the report Cox co-authored, “Victims of Human Trafficking and Trauma,” the psychological consequences of a victim are similar to the consequences of severe or chronic child abuse or experiencing acts of terrorism.

"In case you thought slavery doesn’t touch you, guess again," Soodalter said. "Chances are, the clothes you wear, the food you eat, has been touched by slavery."

The good news is there have been some inroads made recently in the area of agricultural servitude, Soodalter said. When Taco Bell refused to stop buying produce picked by enslaved workers in an effort known as the "Ban the Bell" campaign, it set a precedent that several other companies, including McDonalds, A&W, Long John Silver’s, Pizza Hut, Whole Foods, Chipotle and Burger King, have followed, Soodalter said.

"The message is clear," Soodalter said. "Slavery and worker abuse will not be tolerated. Not here, not now, not ever."

Mark Freeman, public affairs coordinator for the Global Perspectives Office, said they are hoping to continue the series next spring since response has been incredible. Because of the series last spring, students on campus were so spurred into action they formed the unofficial student group “Students Against Slavery @ UCF,” Freeman said. “Students Against Slavery @ UCF” has a Facebook page, and Harry Coverston serves as the faculty advisor for the group.

"Spreading the word is the most important thing," said Frank Hegedus, a senior political science and international relations major. "There is only right now."

http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/abolitionist-historian-wraps-up-global-perspectives-series-1.2093273

Frank and I went downtown and took a self-guided Devil in the White City Tour.  The statue below is 1/3 the size of the original statue that greeted guests at the 1893 World’s Fair.  Interesting facts: The Museum of Science and Industry building is an exact replica of one of the many World’s Fair buildings (if you’ve been there, you know how huge it is), and the Ferris Wheel debuted at the World’s Fair in direct competition with the Eiffel Tower which had been unveiled at a previous World’s Fair.

We drove around a little bit, too…

Frank looking for the next stop on our historic journey.  Or our journey of historic proportions.

We actually drove by President Obama’s house, but this is all you can see…

What a lovely city we live in:

That is all. For now.