Home Education Heretic: A case of Heller's Syndrome

As I have mentioned here before, I have had a good deal of experience one way and another with autism and similar disorders. This ranges from the short-term fostering of children to working with adults in a residential setting. I was preparing to write about the acquisition of literacy this morning, when I got sidetracked; this means that I shall instead be writing a little about autism.

I touched yesterday upon the aversion felt by some parents to the MMR vaccine and its supposed role in precipitating autistic spectrum disorders. Much of this anxiety was caused by a rather slippery customer called Andrew Wakefield, whose research has been revealed to have been utterly dreadful and possibly dishonest. He tapped in though to two very powerful undercurrents in the psyche of parents. One of these was a general fear of vaccination and the other the compulsive and thoroughly understandable desire to find a rational explanation for a child?s disability.

Long before Wakefield?s work, there were parents who were uneasy at the thought of their children being injected with germs. This has always been the case and is from time to time made worse by disasters such as that at Lubeck in 1930. I certainly remember mothers in the 1970s who refused to have their children inoculated, on the grounds that it was ?unnatural?. Where Wakefield touched another chord was that he sought to associate a particular vaccination with a specific ill effect; the MMR with the development of autistic features in? small children ?who had, until that time, been developing normally.

Back in the 1980s, I was fostering a boy of five who had all the signs of a particularly severe form of autism. He had almost no expressive speech, echolalia was present, persistent head banging, an IQ so low that it was impossible to measure, obsessive adherence to rituals and routines, along with various other things. You might, had you not know the child?s history, have supposed this to be almost a textbook case of Kanner?s Syndrome or autism. It was in fact nothing of the sort. This child had developed normally up to the age of three and a half. According to his parents, he had been bright, alert and very vocal. Then, he began to lose all the skills which he had acquired. They went over the course of nine months or so. Today, he is in long term care and never recovered any of those skills.

This was in fact a case of Heller?s Syndrome, otherwise known as a disintegrative psychosis. Nobody knows what causes it and there is no cure. Heller described all this decades before the work of Kanner and Asperger. In many ways, the disintegrative psychosis is all but indistinguishable from late-onset autism. No know cause, no cure.

Now if there is one thing more distressing than the death or disability of a member of our family, especially if that person is a child, it is something which has apparently a wholly random origin. At least if a child is born with Down?s, you can understand the chromosomal abnormality which has caused the condition, perhaps agree that the mother was elderly and that this might be implicated to some extent. Even if your child is killed on a level crossing, you can see what happened and perhaps campaign for improved safety at level crossings. In the case of late onset autism, disintegrative psychoses and so on; there is no know cause. One moment you have a healthy, happy child who is reaching all his milestones at the right age and developing normally in every way; then suddenly it stops and he goes backwards. This is the cruellest and most incomprehensible thing which could possible befall a parent. When somebody came along with a simple explanation which tapped into a pre-existing fear, little wonder that he found many takers for this theory. The thing is, Heller?s and sometimes Kanner?s Syndromes manifest in early childhood and they often appear coincidentally after some vaccination. It does not take much to see that as causation and blame the vaccine itself for a completely random act of nature which would have struck in any case.

All of which has of course very little to do with home education, other than the fact that there does seem to be more autism among home educating families than the general population. If though, as is possibly so, between a quarter and a third of home educated children have special needs of one sort or another; this should not surprise us too much. Nor should it come as a surprise that many members of home educating support groups should be vehemently opposed to vaccination; especially the MMR.

The lasting legacy of the fear of vaccines and their supposed association with autism has of course been the death of children. As the end of the millennium approached, measles was becoming a rare illness in childhood. Those, like the present author, who recollect vividly the epidemics of the 1950s, were glad of this. At that time, children were routinely dying and suffering brain damage from the disease. Good news indeed that it was almost conquered. In the year that Wakefield started the panic, there were just fifty six cases of measles in this country. Ten years later, the numbers had risen twenty five fold and we were again seeing deaths from measles. An old enemy had returned, thanks to bad science and?spectacularly ill-advised?parents.

Source: http://homeeducationheretic.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-case-of-hellers-syndrome.html

andy kaufman masters 2012

Blast rattles Beirut, black smoke rising into sky

{ttle}

{cptn}","template_name":"ss_thmb_play_ttle","i18n":{"end_of_gallery_header":"End of Gallery","end_of_gallery_next":"View Again"},"metadata":{"pagination":"{firstVisible} - {lastVisible} of {numItems}","ult":{"spaceid":"84441866","sec":""}}},{"id": "hcm-carousel-839257127", "dataManager": C.dmgr, "mediator": C.mdtr, "group_name":"hcm-carousel-839257127", "track_item_selected":1,"tracking":{ "spaceid" : "84441866", "events" : { "click" : { "any" : { "yui-carousel-prev" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"prev","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } }, "yui-carousel-next" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"next","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // no more pages, don't beacon again // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } } } } } } })); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {(function() { try{ if (Math.floor(Math.random()*10) == 1) { var loc = window.location, decoded = decodeURI(loc.pathname), encoded = encodeURI(decoded), uri = loc.protocol + "//" + loc.host + encoded + ((loc.search.length > 0) ? loc.search + '&' : '?') + "_cacheable=1", xmlhttp; if (window.XMLHttpRequest) xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest(); else xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); xmlhttp.open("GET",uri,true); xmlhttp.send(); } }catch(e){} })(); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings = '"projectId": "10001256862979", "documentName": "", "documentGroup": "", "ywaColo" : "vscale3", "spaceId" : "84441866" ,"customFields" : { "12" : "classic", "13" : "story" }'; Y.Media.YWA.init(Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {if(document.onclick===YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.newClick){document.onclick=YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.oldClick;} }); }); });

Victim in Sandusky case speaks: No one believed me

He was known only as Victim 1 in one of the most infamous child sexual abuse cases in history. But this week, Aaron Fisher revealed his identity to the world and, in an exclusive interview with "20/20's" Chris Cuomo, told the story of those he said stood in his way as he struggled to bring now-convicted child predator Jerry Sandusky to justice: officials at his own high school.

"Here I am, beside my mom, crying, telling them and they don't believe me," he said in an interview with Cuomo airing on "20/20" tonight at 10 p.m. ET. "I knew they wouldn't."

Fisher has detailed his struggle to have his allegations against Sandusky, formerly a revered Penn State University football coach, taken seriously in a new book,"Silent No More: Victim 1's Fight for Justice Against Jerry Sandusky," published today.

He was 11 when he met Jerry Sandusky in the summer of 2005. Fisher was selected to attend a summer camp run by Sandusky's charity organization for disadvantaged children, The Second Mile, on Penn State's campus.

Fisher said Sandusky immediately took a special interest in him. He encouraged Fisher's athletic interests, taking him to both college and pro sports events.

"We sat in box seats," said Fisher. "He was just kind of like a giant stuffed teddy bear. He seemed like the all-natural father figure -- something that most kids wished their dads did."

Watch the exclusive interview on "20/20" tonight at 10 p.m. ET.

Young Aaron came from a struggling family and didn't have a father at home. Dawn Daniels, Fisher's mother, recalled the times Sandusky took the boy away for the weekend to give her a break.

"Everybody knew who he was," said Daniels, "He's a great guy. Everybody, even my own father, said he does great things for kids."

Sandusky's reputation had preceded him and put Daniels at ease as far as allowing her son to spend so much time with Sandusky. But according to Fisher, Sandusky slowly turned from a "father figure" into something much darker.

"He'd put his hand on my leg while we were driving," Fisher said, "My family never did that, so it was kind of weird."

By the time Fisher was 12, Sandusky was sexually assaulting him. Fisher said fear, shame and confusion prevented him from seeking help and telling anyone about his tormentor.

"There were so many emotions and thoughts running through my head," he said. "Being a kid, you never know what to do, and you don't know who to tell because you don't know who you can trust."

Fisher said Sandusky began seeking him out at his own high school, Central Mountain High School in Lock Haven, Pa. Sandusky was a volunteer football coach there and would pull him out of class, with school officials' blessing.

Daniels said the school never notified her about all of the classes her son missed because of Sandusky and Fisher said no teacher or administrator ever questioned Sandusky's motives.

It grew to be too much and Fisher said he tried to do everything in his power to stay away from the ex-Penn State coach, sometimes hiding in school bathrooms rather to avoid meeting with Sandusky. But Sandusky only grew more aggressive, Fisher said.

"He once followed my bus home from school," he said. "I took off running but he drove on the opposite side of the street, onto oncoming traffic to catch up with me. I ran up an alley and he went to my house and parked out front."

Daniels said she was alarmed by the hundreds of phone calls Sandusky made to the house. By the time Fisher was 15, he reached a breaking point and finally summoned the courage to tell his mother and the school's principal, Karen Probst, that Sandusky was sexually abusing him.

"Aaron was melting down in the office," Daniels said. "I immediately told them we need to call the police."

But the mother and son say they were shocked by the principal's response.

"They said that Jerry has a heart of gold and that he wouldn't do those type of things," Daniels said "They tell me to go home and think about it."

Daniels did not follow their advice. Instead she says she told Probst that she would be notifying Clinton County Children and Youth Services of the allegations directly.

Daniels and Fisher later learned that Central Mountain High School officials did call CYS, but they say the call only came after the mother and son left the principal's office. School officials are legally mandated to report all allegations of child sex abuse and have said that the allegations were reported immediately.

For Fisher, the initial suggestion that those meant to protect him did not believe his story was crushing.

Clinton County CYS psychologist Michael Gillum was one of the first to handle Fisher's case.

"It was obvious to me immediately that he was upset, that something had, in fact, happened to him," Gillum told "20/20."

Gillum said he was shocked by the claim that Central Mountain's principal, Probst, had told Fisher and Daniels to go home.

When confronted outside the school by "20/20", both Probst and football coach Steve Turchetta -- who pulled Fisher out of his classes for meetings with Sandusky -- declined to answer questions. In grand jury testimony, Turchetta said that he took kids out of class for those meetings even though he developed suspicions about the relationships.

Much to Fisher's dismay, coming forward with the allegations was only the beginning of a long battle to bring Sandusky to justice. It would take years for an arrest.

"The broken promises, the numbers of state troopers," Fisher said, "and he's not even in jail."

Sandusky was interviewed by CYS but he laughed off the allegations, painting Fisher as a troubled kid, Gillum said.

Meanwhile, the police made Fisher retell his story four times over the course of three years. He was forced to go before two grand juries. Yet still, the attorney general prosecuting the case said authorities needed more victims to charge Sandusky.

To Fisher, it meant his suffering was not enough.

Fisher said every delay in the case caused him to grow increasingly desperate and drove him to contemplate suicide.

"I thought maybe it would be easier to take myself out of the equation," he said. "Let somebody else deal with it."

Finally, in 2011, there was a break in the case. Allegations surfaced from a Penn State coach, Mike McQueary, that he had witnessed Sandusky molesting a boy in a university locker room years earlier.

On Nov. 5, 2011, just before Fisher's 18th birthday, Jerry Sandusky was arrested following an indictment by a grand jury on more than 40 counts of child sexual abuse. In June 2012, Sandusky was tried and convicted on 45 of 48 counts. He was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison, a virtual life sentence for the 68-year-old man.

"I wasn't expecting it," Fisher said, "I was kind of thinking that he'd get off scot free with this."

Though the conviction was a victory, Sandusky was not the only adult who Fisher felt betrayed his trust. Fisher still has questions for the teachers and administrators at his high school.

"It's a fact that I lost a good portion of my childhood," he said. "I endured heartaches and numerous amounts of people who didn't believe me and walked away from me."

Watch the full story on "20/20" tonight at 10 p.m. ET.

Also Read

Source: http://gma.yahoo.com/sandusky-victim-1-justice-took-too-long-205548353--abc-news-topstories.html

printable bracket game change own stacy francis tournament brackets 2012 ncaa basketball tournament walt

Review: Bluebird by American Express ? a Better ... - Credit Karma

October 17th, 2012

| | |

In a partnership with Walmart, American Express has launched a new prepaid debit card called Bluebird. It hopes to revolutionize the prepaid space, which is typically known for numerous high and hidden card fees.

Bluebird ? An Alternative to a Traditional Checking Account

Prepaid debit cards have gotten a bad rap. (Remember the Suze Orman card? Or the Kardashian card?) American Express and Walmart are trying to turn that around with Bluebird, which lets consumers take control of their finances:

• Cash deposit: With Bluebird, cardholders can deposit cash via direct deposit, transfers from a bank account, by adding cash at virtually any Walmart, or by depositing checks with the card?s mobile app.
• Free bill pay: Using Bluebird?s website or mobile app, members can pay their bills digitally, with no fee.
• Cash withdrawals: Bluebird members can withdraw cash at any ATM that accepts American Express cards or that?s included in the MoneyPass ATM Network.
• Family budgeting: Bluebird offers a feature called Sub-Accounts, which allows the account owner to create accounts for other people, like family members. The card member sets up the Sub-Accounts and can adjust settings for daily spending limits and ATM access. Each Sub-Account member receives his or her own Bluebird card.

So, what are the fees?

Bluebird comes with a few fees, but much less than the traditional prepaid debit card. It has no monthly or annual fee, which is refreshing. Here are the main fees cardholders can expect:

Fee Type	Amount
Adding money from a debit card	$2 per transaction
Out-of-network ATM	$2 per withdrawal or decline (waived through 11/4/12)
MoneyPass Network ATM (for Bluebird cards NOT receiving direct deposit)	$2 per withdrawal or decline (waived through 11/4/12)

Who should get Bluebird?

This card isn?t for the person looking to establish a credit history. Remember that prepaid cards aren?t credit cards. They won?t help you build your credit. (For a cash-backed card that does, try a secured credit card.)

This card is for unbanked consumers?folks who don?t have traditional bank accounts, either because they can?t get one or they prefer not to do business with a bank. There are approximately 10 million unbanked U.S. households, according to the FDIC, which is a huge market opportunity. And consumers can do just about everything with the Bluebird card that can be done with a traditional checking account and debit card. Plus, there?s no credit check when you apply for a Bluebird card.

Follow Credit Karma!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CreditKarma

Twitter: http://twitter.com/creditkarma

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/creditkarma

Subscribe to the Credit Karma Blog

Related posts:

1. American Express Zync Review American Express introduced the Zync charge card to the 20-something crowd as the latest option in the ever-growing arsenal of...
2. Review: Earn American Express Rewards Points For Volunteering Amidst all the negative news about credit card issuers, American Express introduces an innovative Membership Rewards program that rewards points...
3. Dear Credit Karma? Secured Cards vs. PrePaid Debit Cards Dear Credit Karma, What is the difference between a secured credit card and a prepaid debit card? The biggest difference...
4. Prepaid Debit Cards, Fees and Impending Regulations Credit cards give consumers enough to think about when it comes to what pieces of plastic they should carry. Now...
5. Suze Orman?s Approved Card: A Prepaid Debit Card That Will Disrupt the Credit Industry? Maybe. Suze Orman is known for her straightforward approach to personal finance and flashy TV smile. She?s one of the most...

Source: http://blog.creditkarma.com/credit-cards/review-bluebird-by-american-express-a-better-prepaid-card/

after christmas sales 2011 best ipad apps chris paul gift card exchange tj holmes waste management two fat ladies

Datebook for Oct. 18 to 24 | Sonora / Tuolumne News, Sports ...

?Music

The 36th annual Sonora Bach Festival will continue with the Locals Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Presbyterian Church of the 49ers in Columbia. Admission is $10. For reservations, call 536-6330 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it The festival will conclude with Bach?s Brunch on Oct. 28 at the Twain Harte Golf Club.?

A Drum Circle takes place each Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Courthouse Square in Sonora. All ages are welcome. Admission is free, with donations accepted to offset expenses. For more information, call Rona Hempstead at 984-3774.?

A Drum Circle takes place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. each Sunday at World Mercantile at 1267 S. Main St. in Angels Camp. All ages and abilities are welcome. Family karaoke is featured from 6 to 10 p.m. Fridays, with an open microphone from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturdays. All events are free. For more information, call 890-7155.?

STAGE

Mountain Youth and Community Theatre will present ?Once On This Island,? its first community production featuring children and adults, today through Oct. 28 at 14372 Cuesta Court off Tuolumne Road east of Sonora. Show times are 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10 general admission, $8 for students and seniors, available at Mountain Home Gifts, by phone at 200-8492 and online at www.mountainyouthact.com. Ages 5 and under are free.?

Sierra Repertory Theatre will present ?Time Stands Still,? a drama by Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies, through Sunday, Oct. 28, in East Sonora. Curtain times are 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. For reservations, call 532-3120 or visit www.sierrarep.org.

Art

The Mother Lode Art Association will continue its 60th annual Fall Art Show through Sunday at the Central Sierra Arts Council at 193 S. Washington St. in downtown Sonora. Admission is free. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. A drawing also will be held? for an origianl oil painting donated by Judie Cain, last year?s Best of Show winner, and other prizes. Proceeds enable the organization to fund its Columbia College Scholarship and support of local children?s outreach programs. For more information, contact show Chairwoman Renetta Hayes at 984-4048 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ??

?Art in the Library,? a rotating exhibit at the Tuolumne County Library at 480 Greenley Road in Sonora, will feature watercolors by Pat Gray through October. For more information, call 533-5507.?

The Calaveras County Arts Council will present ?Wood, Weather and Antiquities? through Nov. 3 at 22 Main St. in San Andreas. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 754-1774 or visit www.calaverasarts.org.

Jodi Sigala and Sydney Taylor are the Mother Lode Art Association?s featured artists for October. Their oil paintings can be seen in the front windows of Servente?s at 64 S. Washington St. in downtown Sonora.

Arts of Bear Valley featured artists for the month are Sandra Maurer and Pat Rohovit. Maurer paints local scenes and florals in watercolor. Rohovit is noted for her big brush technique in painting abstracts and watercolor. florals. Their works can be seen in the Window Gallery in the Meadowmont Shopping Center in Arnold.

The Mother Lode Art Association will meeting at 1 p.m. Monday at the Tuolumne County Library on Greenley Road in Sonora. Featured artist Diana Boyd will give an oil painting demonstration.?

EVENTS

The Hi 4-H Haunted House ?Realms of Darkness? will be open for eight evening performances at 7 p.m. today through Oct. 31 in the red barn behind J.S. West at 730 S. Washington St. in Sonora. Admission is $6. The Haunted House is staged by Tuolumne County 4-H teens for other teens and young adults and is meant to be scary. Evening performances are not recommended for young children. There will be a matinee with lights on, suitable for younger children with an adult, on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 3 to 5 p.m. for $1. The Haunted House is wheelchair accessible. All proceeds benefit the Hi 4-H teen program. Hours are 7 to 8:30 p.m. today, 7 to 9:30 p.m. Friday?and Saturday; 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, 7 to 9:30 p.m. Friday?and Saturday, Oct. 26 and 27; 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31. For more information, go to www.realmsofdarkness.org or call Igor at 768-8209 or Beetlesauce at 352-0476.

The Humane Society of Tuolumne County will hold its annual ?Pawliday Portraits? fundraiser on Friday and Saturday in the shelter conference room on Victoria Way in Jamestown.?For a $25 donation, individuals and families will receive a portrait session with their pet and an 8- by 10-inch photo of their choice.?Sessions start at 8:30 a.m. For more information or to arrange an appointment, call 984-5489 or visit www.hsotc.org.

Independence Hall Quilters of Arnold will hold their 35th annual Mountain Heirloom Quilt Faire Friday through Sunday at Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys. A ?Razzle Dazzle? scholarship quilt will be given away in a prize drawing. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4? p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7 at the door. For more information, visit www.IndependenceHall Quilters.com.

?The Murphys Diggins Craft Fair will take place from noon to 6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Murphys Diggins Mobile Home Park at 216 Tom Bell Road in Murphys. Home decor, artwork, homemade jams and jellies, candy, cookies, yard and garden items will be available. Food and prize drawings also will be featured. Proceeds from booth rentals go to the Murphys Volunteer Fire Department. For more information, call 402-9548.

The Hurst Ranch Fall Festival will continue weekends through October on Highway 108 one mile west of Jamestown. Admission is $7, including a pumpkin, miniature train rides, straw maze and animal farm. Picnics are welcome. Hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, weather permitting. For more information, call 984-3016.

The Angels Camp Certified Farmers Market takes place from 5 p.m. to dusk each Friday through Oct. 26 at Utica Park. For more information, call 736-1333.?

?Poetry Night,? an open reading, will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at Sonora Joe?s Coffee Shoppe at 140 S. Washington St. in downtown Sonora. Signups for readings begin at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free. The readings take place on the third Friday of each month. For more information, call moderator Denella Kimura at 532-6561.

The final Sonora Certified Farmers Market of the season will take place from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the corner of Theall and Stewart streets in Sonora. Fresh and organic fruits and vegetables will be featured along with honey, cheese, jams, pastries, olive oil and handcrafted items. Live music will be provided by the Fiddle Gang. Admission is free. For more information, call 532-7725 or visit www.sonoraca.com.??

The Kiwanis Club of Greater Sonora will hold an Open Air Market from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Mono Village Center in East Sonora. For more information, call Al Smith at 532-0140.

?The Mother Lode Division of the California Retired Teacher?s Association will host a Fundraising Breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday at Applebee?s restaurant in Sonora. The meal includes bacon, pancakes and beverages including coffee, tea, milk and juice.Tickets are $6, available at the door, with the association receiving half the proceeds to support its programs.

? Indigeny Reserve, an organic apple ranch and ciderworks, will celebrate its grand opening with a fall festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at 14679 Summers Lane in Apple Valley. Activities will include hayrides, games, speakers, scarecrow contest, live music, cider tasting, prize drawings and barbecue from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.indigenyreserve.com.

The 26th annual Sonora Toy Run, sponsored by AMA Chapter 2466 of Sonora, will take place Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m. at Jamestown Harley-Davidson at 18275 Highway 108, rain or shine. It will end about 12:30 p.m. at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora after a ride through the Sierra foothills. Entry fee is one toy and one non-perishable food item for charity. For more information, call 964-0370 or 352-7610 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Revamp Costume Crafternoon, a free Halloween craft and swap using recyclables, will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Greater Good gallery at 1 E. Linoberg St. in Sonora. People can recycle a tote bag into a one-of-a-kind trick-or-treat bag. Leftover costume pieces can be shared and swapped with others. Costume counselors also will be on hand to assist with finishing costumes or coming up with ideas.? ? ?

The fourth annual All Hallows Fantasy Faire will take place from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds in Sonora. Fantasy village, fairies, fire eaters, dragons, warrior encampments, children?s activities, music and marketplace will be featured along with a Saturday night costume contest and ball. Seven bands on two stages will include Poor Man?s Poison, Black Eyed Dempseys, Blues Box Bayou Band, Black Irish Band, Hobo Gobbelins, Land of the Blind and Almost Home. Adult tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. A two-day is available in advance for $20. Children 6 to 12 are $5 and ages 5 and under are free. For more information, call 532-8375 or visit www.AllHallowsFaire.com.

?An Afternoon In TUSKany,? an elephant grape stomp to benefit PAWS, the Performing Animals Welfare Society, will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the ARK 2000 Sanctuary in San Andreas. Admission is $100 and tickets must be purchased in advance. Minimum age to attend is 21. Vegetarian cuisine of Tuscany will be prepared by Il Fornaio. Wine tasting and silent auction also will be featured, along with voting for Ms. or Mr. TUSKany 2012. For reservations, call 745-2606 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.?

? Friends of Columbia State Historic Park will present their last Ghost Tour of the year at 3 p.m. Saturday. Author and historian Carol Biederman will lead guests through the streets of old Columbia, where they may encounter the restless spirits of those early citizens. Tickets are $10, available at the Columbia Museum or by calling 532-3184.

Friends of Rail Road Flat School will hold an Oktoberfest on Saturday in Rail Road Flat. A German-style dinner will be served from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Town Hall at 250 Rail Road Flat Road. Doors will open at 5 p.m. Entertainment will include traditional Oktoberfest games and music and a dessert? auction. Guests are encouraged to come in costume. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children, available at the school or by contacting Martha O?Leary at 754-0205 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Proceeds will benefit sixth grade science camp and the Rail Road Flat Pre-School.

?The Southern Tuolumne County Historical Society will present ranger, naturalist and biologist Harold Basey, speaking on mountain lions, at 7 p.m. Saturday at Groveland Community Hall.?Admission is free, with donations welcome.?For more information, call Peggy Andrews at 962-7264 or visit www.grovelandmuseum.org.

A Contra Dance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Aronos Research Women?s Club at 37 E. Elkin St. in Sonora. Live music will be provided by Oldtime Tonic, with dance calling by Wayne Mullen, Sue Endter and Lynn Ferry. All ages are welcome. No experience is necessary. Donation is $7 for adults and $3 for students. An optional potluck dinner begins at 6:30 p.m.

?Chispa Parlor 139 of the Native Sons of the Golden West will serve a Pancake Breakfast from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday at the Native Sons Hall at 389 Main St. in Murphys. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, orange juice and coffee will be served for $6 for adults and $3 for children 10 and younger. The meals are served on the third Sunday of each month. For more information, call 728-8902. ?

? The La Grange Rebekahs will serve Breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. Sunday at the Odd Fellows Hall on Main Street in La Grange. Ham and cheese omelets, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, coffee and orange juice will be served for $5. The meals are served on the third Sunday of each month. For more information, call George Sylvester at 853-2508 or Chris Stevenson at 853-2128.?

?? The Crystal Falls Association will host a Community Flea Market and Yard Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday in the Crystal Falls clubhouse parking lot. For more information, call 533-4877.

Just Dance will meet from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the First Presbyterian Church of the 49ers in Columbia. Live music will be provided by Greg Brown?s Music Express. Ballroom, swing, Latin and country western dancing will be featured. Each dance also includes free instruction during intermission. All ages are welcome and no partner is needed.?A $5 donation is requested to benefit the church?s Historic Sanctuary Restoration and Maintenance Fund.?Dances are held on the third Sunday of each month. For more information, call 532-1859.

Sonora Regional Medical Center?s 12th annual Joie de Vie Gala will take place Sunday at Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys. Festivities will include a black-tie dinner, entertainment and a silent auction featuring items such as art, dinners, services and vacation opportunities. Proceeds benefit the medical center?s cancer patient support fund which helps people with expenses not covered by insurance, such as childcare, transportation to treatments, housecleaning, household expenses and emergency medication. Tickets are $150 per person, and advance reservations are required. To reserve a seat, call 536-5029.

?

Source: http://www.uniondemocrat.com/News/Entertainment/Datebook-for-Oct-18-to-24

joyful noise one life to live jeff fisher van der sloot heather locklear mlk memorial mlk memorial

Cross ?Alex Cross? Off Your List | Triangle Arts and Entertainment

Tyler Perry has carved out a very nice career for himself playing Madea, the sassy, gun-toting elderly woman that first brought the writer-director fame. Now, he?s trying to branch out further into the mainstream with Alex Cross, a reboot of the franchise that previously starred Morgan Freeman in Kiss the Girls and Along Came A Spider.

Based on the novel Cross by James Patterson, Alex Cross finds the psychologist tracking an assassin (Matthew Fox, looking like he?s tweaking on meth) who has his sights set on a French businessman that wants to revitalize Detroit. Things get personal for Cross when the killer targets his family.

The script, by Marc Moss and Kerry Williamson, jettisons whatever pyschological elements the original novel had in favor of a stripped down, bare bones action thriller. It also strips down the story and dialogue into something the lowest common denominator can digest. The original Cross films were fun and full of twists; Cross was sort of a modern day Sherlock Holmes, able to get inside the head of his adversaries. Perry?s version of the character is a monotone man that everyone regards as a genius, but never has a chance to show it. The film also stars Edward Burns, playing a variation of himself, and John C. Reilly as a police chief more concerned with his image than the law. Because we?ve never seen a police chief like that before.

Director Rob Cohen and company treat the film as nothing more than a paycheck, with camera shots that seem to focus on unimportant objects then move on to something else that might look cool. Cohen, who hasn?t made a decent film since the original The Fast and the Furious, shoots the movie as if a constantly roaming camera will make up for whatever excitement the plot lacks. Hint: it doesn?t.

Casting Perry as Cross is a smart move. With his built-in audience, he has a great chance to cross over into the mainstream, provided his Madea fans come with him for the journey. He?ll have to wait another film to complete his transition, since Alex Cross is not going to win him any new fans.

Alex Cross is an uninspired, lazy film made for people who want to spend a movie texting their friends instead of paying attention to what?s transpiring on the screen. In that regard, it?s a massive success. For anyone who actually enjoys paying attention, Cross is about as boring and tedious as they come.

VN:F [1.9.20_1166]

Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Tagged as: alex cross, edward burns, Film, james patterson, matthew fox, morgan freeman, Mystery, review, thriller, tyler perry

Source: http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/2012/10/cross-alex-cross-off-your-list/

lindsay lohan on snl real housewives of disney awakenings phantom of the opera agoraphobia andrew lloyd webber obscura

MAKING A MARK: Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize 2013 ... - Education

• Tuesday, October 16, 2012
• Painting Arts Education

Who?s made a mark this week? ? How to highlight your exhibition ? for artist bloggers ONLY

This blog is best viewed in Firefox or Chrome

By continuing to read this blog you are deemed to have accepted my privacy and cookie policy ? SEE NOTE AT BOTTOM

Categories of topics/artwork are listed towards the bottom of this column ? click a category to see all related posts.

People new to blogging and my blog please reference? Comments Policy | Blogroll Policy | Notes on blogging etiquette for artists

? Katherine Tyrrell 2005-12 Unauthorized use or duplication of this material without written permission is prohibited. Please respect copyright of all artists featured here. SEE NOTE AT BOTTOM

If you enjoy and value this site and/or one of my information sites (see links in menu underneath the title) please take a minute to make a bookmark and/or rate them. Alternatively feel free to link to this blog or any of my other sites from your site if you want a handy reference. Thank you ? it?s much appreciated!

Related posts:

1. MAKING A MARK: Karolina Glusiec wins ?8,000 Jerwood Drawing Prize 2012
2. Literary Arts Feasting on Mark Bittman?s Call to Eat Ethically | Portland Society Page
3. The Dallas Institute of Humanities And Culture Awards Dr. Elizabeth Samet $50K Hiett Prize
4. Chesapeake College Annual Art Show Entries Due Sept
5. Do not use flags multilingual website navigation ? use this | Making Sense: Language and Translation blog

Source: http://www.earic.com/art-education/painting-arts-education/making-a-mark-lynn-painter-stainers-prize-2013-call-for-entries.html

birth control pill recall ground hog day florida primary results black history groundhogs day paula abdul cinnamon challenge