There’s a new officer in town, but the police chief won’t expect him to suit up in uniform anytime soon. After all, those tight police pants might cramp his wagging tail.

Lord, the new Los Altos police K-9, earned his spot on the force Nov. 25 after completing a monthlong training course. Lord assumes the position after the retirement of his furry predecessor, 9-year-old Ringo, and had his first 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. patrol shift last Wednesday.

His handler, Los Altos Police Officer Julie Ognoskie, said the department chose the $6,000, 2-year old, all-black German Shepherd from a lineup of four other candidates. Technically, Lord is a “Schutzhund,” German for “protection dog.”

“We chose him for his temperament, and he’s really good with kids,” Ognoskie said.

But there’s more to his job than playing with children. Authorities use police dogs as apprehension and location tools. Police dogs have more highly attuned senses of smell than humans, so finding hidden suspects becomes less cat and mouse and more authority and perpetrator.

“A lot of people think the dog just bites, but he can also do something called ‘bark and hold’ that’s meant to make suspects think they’re going to get bitten so they stay put. The goal isn’t always to bite the person,” Ognoskie said.

Officer Mark Thomsen, Ringo’s handler and now owner, demonstrated one of Lord’s skills by posing as a victim in distress, exhibiting troubled facial expressions and body language. The dog responded by barking profusely to alert other officers to the situation.

It depends on the dog, but “some will change their breathing to indicate a certain circumstance,” Ognoskie said, which is good if officers want to conceal their own presence. “The Santa Clara (County Sheriff’s Department) dog can prance around if someone’s hiding in a closet.”

Ognoskie said if she’s ever on patrol and finds herself in a struggle with someone, she can remotely pop open the back door of the K-9 police cruiser and Lord will jump to her rescue.

Lord, short for Lord Zlodej Slnecnic, hails from Slovakia and came to the United States a year ago. Witmer-Tyson Imports, a German Shepherd breeding business in Menlo Park, turned him over to the Los Altos Police Department Oct. 9 after a vigorous training regimen. Lord then spent time with Ognoskie during what she called a “bonding process.”

Witmer-Tyson trained the dog in German, so all of his commands are spoken in his native tongue. “Platz” is “lay down,” and “gib laut” is “bark” or “speak.” Officers can also pose questions. “Was ist los?” is German for “What is going on?”

While Lord has been trained in the basics, Ognoskie said he could earn narcotics and explosives certification eventually, for which SWAT K-9s are trained.

Ognoskie said one of the hardest aspects of working with Lord could be suppressing her emotional attachment. Because the dog lives with her at home, she said she makes an effort to treat him as part of her job, not her personal life. Once his gig is up, though, the city-owned pooch will be Ognoskie’s to keep. It varies, but the typical working life of a police K-9 is five to seven years, according to Thomsen.

Lord came to the department already named, but officers have license to change it. However, Chief Tuck Younis said in this case, “We don’t mess with the ‘Lord.’”

By Elliott Burr

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If you don’t live in America, and more specifically Chicago, don’t read this. If you do, please keep reading, because I just found this information and I might be looking for you.

one

a) Your surname is Bieze, Olson, Wischoeffer, Murphy, Glassie, Lageschulte, Bell, Justen, Midkiff, Cox, Fischer, Lopez, Jensen, Smith, Hillman, Abernathy, Pecherer, Grossman, or Doyle
b) You live in Chicago, Illinois or have ancestry there
c) You are a descendant of Ties Bieze, born December 25 1893 in Chicago, IL, died June 2 1959, and Minnie Leona Schuknecht, born June 22 1895, died August 27 1961, or more recently

- someone with surname Aversano who had a child named Diane Marie Bieze, born October 22 1946, died August 8 1991
- someone with surname Estep
- Victoria Josephine Molfese, born September 6 1929, died November 23 1972
- someone with surname Kull
- someone with surname Leszcynski,
- Richard Daniel Bieze, born October 21 1915, died January 27 2007 (my condolances), married to someone named Strohmeyer
- Raymond George Bieze, born August 11 1917, died October 22 1993, married to someone named Milleson
- Marcine Minnie Bieze, born April 27 1925, died November 6 1995, married to Clarence Pennington (December 29 1924 – February 27 1994)

two

a) Your surname is Bieze, Bartesch, Sammon, Hagen, Eckenboy, Adrian, Busch, Pedajas, Preece, Abfall, Martin, Rafa, Schaefer, Powell, Rodriguez, Thomsen, Galante, Sierminski, DiMaria, or Ward
b) You probably live quite close to Chicago, IL, as well
c) You are a descendant of May Agnes O’Malley, born February 18 1890, died November 9 1956, and Willem Bieze, born October 21 1884, or more recently

- Jessica Josephine Bieze (November 18 1908 – July 26 1996) and someone named Thomsen, or and someone named Johnson
- Daniel William Bieze (October 15 1912 – July 1st 1985) and someone named Wilson
- Walter William Bieze (January 31 1915 – September 13 1982) and Garaldine Kopp (1916 – 1981)

three

a) Your surname is Jeffrey
b) You are from Chicago, IL, or have ancestry there
c) You are a descendant of Henreika Bieze (May 2 1896 – June 2 1991) and Jim Jeffrey

four

a) Your surname is Carlson
b) You are from Chicago, IL, or have ancestry there
c) You are a descendant of Richard Bieze (May 12 1895 – May 15 1960) and Minnie Keane

If you think, how the hell does she know that, with any of these options, you are related to me. I admit, you are only very vaguely related to me, but it’s cool, isn’t it? I know all American people are used to the fact of having some kind of foreign ancestry. Well all I know is that my ancestry lies in Uithuizen, a small town in Groningen, and in Lageweg (or ‘t Lage van de Weg), the even smaller town next to it, for at least two centuries on my father’s side. On my mother’s side, it’s more complicated, but still, boring old Holland.

If you’re interested in your ancestry, my uncle has an amazing amount of information. Just saying. You don’t have to do anything with it. But I would find it totally cool if any of those Bieze’s I’ve found on Facebook in Chicago (I’m talking to you, cool guy with skateboard. And you, guy with longboard.) would be actual relatives.

Download

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beautiful little video from Thomsen Paris/… i just wish i could get hold of one of their shirts [my bday's in the summer: wink wink, nudge nudge]

This video is not for everybody. It is made for the ones that not only cares about the final result – but who loves to see how things are made. The video is recorded at Kvist – who has been producing furniture out of wood since 1896.

What better way to relaunch Bob’s Job Blog than by applying for the job of Director of the Division of Enforcement for the Securities and Exchange Commission?

Linda Chatman Thomsen resigned that job this week. She got beat up last week by Congress for failing to catch the alleged pyramid scheme alleged to have been run by Bernie Madoff that caused investors to lose billions of dollars.

Prior to that, though she had a pretty good run at catching the bad guys.  But sometimes things slip through the cracks.  Unfortunately it was $50 billion dollars that slipped through those cracks.

Mary Schapiro is the new Chair of the SEC, and she has a difficult task ahead of her.  As the meltdown in the economy continues, more people and more companies will be looking for ways to squeeze a few dollars, much of it through illegal investment schemes.  She’s the watchdog, but she’s going to need a strong attack dog to go after these scalawags.

I can bring her data analysis skills, extensive interviewing experience, and public relations expertise, all rolled into one tidy package.

Why should I settle for CEO when I can be the bulldog nipping at their heels?  Bring on the quarterly reports.  They’ve met their match.

Il y a le polo Ralph Lauren. Devenu mythique. Désormais, il y aura aussi les chemises Thomsen. Alix, Lionel et Franc ont imaginé une ligne de chemises mixtes, de qualité, à la fois sobres mais uniques.

A 23 ans, Alix, la créatrice, se lance dans cette aventure modesque avec pour seul défi celui de bouleverser les codes de la chemise classique. Pas toujours simple de se débarasser de ces codes, mais les maîtres mots sont légereté et commodité.

Le résultat est là, la chemise basique prend des airs modernes, elle se permet tous les styles, ethnique chic, à carreaux, typiquement western ou plus élégante. 

• Le site officiel : http://www.thomsen-paris.com/
• En vente en avant première chez Colette

El viaje operístico empezaba con el esperado debut de Daniel Barenboim en el MET dirigiendo Tristan und Isolde. Un teatro lleno a rebosar con ilustres compañeros entre el público como Lang Lang y Mitsuko Uchida. La llegada al podio del maestro fue saludada con una atronadora ovación. Su lectura de la partitura fue más apasionada que preciosista y fueron muchos los momentos en que llegó a cotas de emoción indescriptible.

Foto: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP

En el reparto figuraba Katarina Dalayman, una Isolde de voz aterciopelada y agudo de exacta precisión tonal. Supo dar al personaje una morbidez y calor especial pero acusó cierta debilidad en los pasajes en forte. A su lado Peter Seiffert (aunque no se anunció creo que no se encontraba en perfectas condiciones de salud) empezó enérgico y contundente. A medida que avanzaba la representación empezaron a aparecer flemas en el registro grave que evolucionaron desfavorablemente hasta la afonía en el tercer acto, donde Barenboim demostró que su solidaridad en la vida pública se extiende también al podio orquestal.

Michelle De Young hizo una Brangane de lujo con cierta pérdida de timbre en el agudo. Gerd Grochowski puso mucho ánimo a  Kurwenal tanto vocal como escénicamente. El triunfador vocal de la noche fue el apabullante Rey Marke de René Pape, un auténtico festival del matiz al forte.

La producción de Dieter Dorn se acompañó de una iluminación muy acertada pero el movimiento escénico de los personajes se mantuvo excesivamente sobrio y poco comunicativo. Al final ovaciones para todos con mayor intensidad para Pape y Barenboim.

El 2º día, sábado, hice doblete. A las 12.30 La Damnation de Faust bajo la batuta en auténtico estado de gracia de James Levine. La orquesta mostró una profusión de detalles de la partitura absolutamente  insólita. La dirección de Levine fue vibrante, pulcra y suave. En suma una actuación de un músico total que supo transmitir de maravilla la belleza de una partitura que ama apasionadamente.

El reparto era de gran nivel empezando por la Marguerite de Susan Graham que mostró un gusto musical y una dulzura difícilmente superables. A su lado Marcello Giordani estuvo especialmente afortunado superando los escollos de la partitura  con admirable facilidad. Por último bien cantado y mejor actuado el Mephistophelès de John Relyea.

El  otro punto excepcional vino de la mano de la producción de Robert Lepage. Profusa imaginación con unos cambios de escena sorprendentes conducidos por proyecciones cinematográficas  y un grupo de extras, bailarines –acróbatas de infinita agilidad. Una función de nivel extraordinario, para no perderse.

Por la noche, a las 8.30, asistí a la representación de Pikovaia Dama. Las primeras funciones fueron dirigidas por Seiji Ozawa con un éxito apoteósico. A mí me tocó el joven maestro J. David Jackson que quizás no goza de la inspiración de su antecesor pero con una orquesta tan bien preparada el resultado no bajó del excelente.

Foto: MET

El nivel vocal rayó a grandísima altura. Empezando por el Herman de Ben Heppner (he leído que cantará este rol en junio 2010 en el Liceu). El gran tenor utiliza una impostación vocal mixta (máscara-nasal) que le permite ascender al agudo manteniendo su precioso timbre vocal. Como siempre su musicalidad se mostró infalible y al final del 2º acto se permitió el lujo de ascender al Si natural junto a la soprano. Posiblemente el mejor Herman de los últimos 20 años.

A su lado Maria Guleghina cantó una Liza atormentada que supo controlar sus grandes facultades en los momentos de mayor intimidad. Una grandísima soprano, no una gritona más. Excelentes Wladimir Stoyanov (Yeletsky), Mark Delavan (Tomsky) y Felicity Palmer (Condesa). Un gran descubrimiento: Ekaterina Semenchuk (Polina), voz de timbre precioso y musicalidad mozartiana.

La producción de corte clásico y gran belleza visual tiene su mejor hallazgo en alejar el personaje de la Condesa de la imagen de vieja tenebrosa y convertirla en una mujer elegante y a la vez irónica que aparece en la habitación de Herman y en el último cuadro para mostrar las cartas en actitud burlesca. Todo ello confiere al personaje un toque Hitchcock muy interesante que ayuda a comprender el carácter paranoico de Herman.

La última función a la que asistí fue el Don Giovanni bajo la dirección de Lothar Koenigs. Un director con ideas y buen pulso, como puso de relieve mediante una orquesta de gran nivel como es la del MET. Erwin Schrott hizo escénicamente un Don Giovanni de inacabable poder seductor y cantó como nadie hoy en día el aria del vino y la escena final.

Foto: MET

Ildebrando d’Arcangelo compuso un Leporello muy bien cantado pero algo inexpresivo. Tamar Iveri hizo una Donna Anna de gran nivel con algún pequeño problema en la coloratura. Dorothea Röschmann (sustituía a la prevista Schnitzer) constituyó la prestación vocal más perfecta de la noche, con una musicalidad insuperable.

Magníficos Isabel Leonard (Zerlina) y Kwangchul Youn (Comendatore). Simplemente correcto Mark Thomsen (Don Ottavio) que sustituía al anunciado Polenzani. La producción de Marthe Keller resultó de plástica elegancia a la vez que anodina y de fácil olvido. Gran nivel musical en una escena old fashioned.

Dandini

Die Jugend von Heute! Nee nee nee! Wie auch immer. Ich habe mich mit diesem Artikel am Titelthema beteiligt. Es geht um “Nestwerk e.V.” einer Initiative, an der Reinhold Beckmann wesentlich beteiligt ist. Der Verein hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, jugendlichen Hamburgern ein Freizeitprogramm zu bieten, um sie so von der Straße zu holen. So kann man zum Beispiel in den Abendstunden und am Wochenende in extra dafür angemieteten Sporthallen unter fachmännischer Betreuung Basketball spielen, an Straßenfußballturnieren teilnehmen oder in einem zum Musikstudio umgebauten Linienbus seine eigene CD produzieren. Der Verein möchte so den Jugendlichen die Möglichkeit geben, Selbstvertrauen und Glauben an die eigenen Fahigkeiten zu geben.

Recht gute Initiative, wie ich finde. Vor allem waren der Michael Thomsen und der Christoph Ebenthalt, zwei leitende Vereinsmitglieder, sehr freundliche Interview-Partner. Es war zwar nur ein E-Mail-Interview… aber zuvorkommend und kooperativ waren sie trotzdem.