Tippi Blevins: C | 166 USERS: A-
Hardy Boy, Your Angels Came Home to Roost
By Tippi Blevins | Season 9	| Episode 9	| Aired on 12.03.2013
The next day, Metatron and Gadreel meet somewhere by the freeway. "Frankly, I never got used to them," Metatron says. He's talking about humans. They're emotional basket cases. Gadreel agrees: "Sam Winchester? It is a mess in here. And the brother? I do not know where to start." Metatron says he can free him from all this messy humanity. "You would be the ruler of this new Heaven, correct?" asks Gadreel. "It is a burden I feel I must accept," Metatron says, after making a show of great reluctance. "Then, does that not make you God?" Gadreel asks. Metatron giggles, unable for a moment to contain his glee at the very idea. "I don't know that I'd take on that name necessarily. When the time comes, we'll call me... X." He says it like it's something he's just spit balling on the spot when you know he's already daydreamed several scenarios wherein he introduces himself in just this way.
Somewhere, still on the job, Castiel has managed to procure himself a tidy little motel room. He kneels beside the bed and folds his hands neatly together. "Okay, I am unfamiliar with this end of the process," he says by way of apology. "Of course, no one may be listening, but, um, I do need assistance." He closes his eyes, very earnest in his appeal. He tries many prayer poses from different religious faiths while the daylight wanes from the windows behind him. "I don't know how humans do it," he says, exhausted.
He goes over to the TV and fiddles with the knobs, to no effect. "Try plugging it in," says a woman's voice from outside. Castiel opens the door to find a lady park ranger. "Surely that wasn't the answer you were seeking," she says. "You're an angel," Castiel says. "Muriel," she introduces herself. She looks at him -- really looks at him -- for the first time and realizes who he is. She turns to go. "It can't be known that I even spoke to you," she says. "I just need a moment," he says. There's no resisting those big, pleading eyes.
At the LOL, Kevin pores over the angel tablet without luck. "Crowley said the spell to cast out the angels was irreversible," he reminds Dean. He stares harder at the tablet. "This part is nearly indecipherable." Isn't it all indecipherable, and that's why you can't read any of it? He thinks maybe Metatron was trying to keep the words hidden, even from the prophets. Sam returns from Gadreel's outing, or maybe it's still Gadreel, since he isn't wondering aloud why he was missing for the past 10 hours. Dean fills him in on the campground massacre. Long, boring story short: Dean linked Kristin Cherubweth to the deaths in the Wyoming biker bar. For a mid-season finale, this episode sure does have a lot of drawn-out scenes of people just standing (or sitting) around and talking…and talking and talking.
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NYPD Muslim Spying Program in NYC Was a Waste of Time and Money
By Elle Kay
In what was heard around the world as the loudest “DUH” in history, the NYPD produced zero cases of suspected terrorist activity after years of eavesdropping on Muslims, according to the Associated Press. The most the NYPD could have learned from this “investigation” is where to find the best hookah, falafel, and kebab places in New York. What they were hoping to find in college organizations and local hangouts besides nerdy students and coffee lovers is beyond me.
On Monday, unsealed court testimonies revealed that the NYPD acknowledged that the six-year spying program “never generated a lead or triggered a terrorism investigation.” Set up with the help of the CIA, Demographic Unit, the division responsible for the surveillance program, was intended to serve as a first-line defense against terrorist activity in New York City.
Like many of my Muslim friends who attend college in New York City, I was shocked to learn that the New York Police Department was spying on Muslim communities across the Tri-State area for six years. We felt violated, demeaned, and falsely associated with crimes we didn’t commit. It’s humiliating.
Although controversial, the police are technically allowed to keep track of civilian life in New York. But lawyers believe that the NYPD stepped outside of their jurisdiction when police officers spied on Muslims outside of the Five Boroughs. Students at Yale University humorously protested against the program with a clever “Call the NYPD” photo campaign.
Not only is the NYPD’s secret Demographic Unit unfairly targeting Muslims, it is practicing discriminatory policing against ethnic and religious groups. Muslims face enough discrimination, the most recent examples being the multiple attacks on mosques and schools during the holy month of Ramadan.
Earlier this year the AP broke a series of stories documenting how the police spied on Muslim-owned businesses, accompanied college students on rafting trips, and infiltrated mosques. The Muslim population in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey was outraged.
The NYPD reports read like prejudiced tourist guides that give you the inside scoop on Albanian, Egyptian, Syrian, and Moroccan neighborhoods. Each includes a list of “locations of concern,” mostly consisting of cafes and mosques. Officers made specials notes if the Arabic news channel Aljazeera was allowed on the premises, if there is a prayer area, and the nationality and gender of the owner.
The civil liberties and advocacy group, Center for American-Islamic Relations, released a statement in which it calls the investigation “unconstitutional … counterproductive and discriminatory.” Executive Director Muneer Awad of CAIR’s New York chapter said the police surveillance was “based on only race, ethnicity, and religion, rather than suspicion of criminal activity.”
In addition to wasting taxpayer dollars, the NYPD surveillance program “did not make our nation more secure and only served to harm relations between law enforcement and the communities they serve,” Awad said.
Police surveillance programs aren’t new. In the 1950s and 1960s, the NYPD kept tabs on students, civil rights groups, and Communist sympathizers. New federal guidelines were established in the 1970s following a lawsuit against the police department to allow data collection related to potential terrorism, but not about political speech.
Since September 11, 2001, officials cooperated with Muslim leaders to rebuild a broken relationship, but news of the surveillance program’s failure to produce any leads diminished all efforts, according to Michael Ward of the Newark FBI.
Police chief Raymond Kelly defended spying on innocent civilians, citing that the “primary goal is to keep this city safe and save lives.”
The reaction in Muslim and minority communities is a mixture of relief, anger, and confusion. We’re relieved that no dangerous activity was found, but at the same time we’re are angry and confused that our religion and national origins are reasons enough to start extensive surveillance programs.
Until Islamophobic sentiment dies down, there’s not much Muslims can do but fight back against discrimination in the most sensible way possible, and if it's through humor, then why not.


Faraday Future’s wheels are coming off
by Wynand Goosen | Mar 23, 2017 | Blog, Brands, China, Faraday Future, Fundraising, LeEco | 0 comments
Faraday Future‘s wheels are coming off due to what its founder, Jia Yeutling, is calling a “big company disease,” being a cash crunch. LeEco, the Chinese equivalent of Netflix and parent company of two EV start-ups, Faraday Future in the USA and LeSee in China, is forced to sell its Silicon Valley property, earmarked for its US headquarters. The sale, reported by Reuters, to Chinese property developer, Genzon Group, will provide the company with $260 million much-needed cash.
LeEco, now known for overpromising and massively under delivering, claimed that its premium car, the Faraday Future FF91, is a “Tesla Killer.” LeEco unveiled the FF91 “Tesla Killer” at the 2017 CES in Las Vegas along with the LeSee concept electric vehicle. While the LeSee received acclaim the launch of the FF91, on the other hand, was a real doozie. Faraday Future quickly published a highly edited version of the launch on its website, but it was too late as real events quickly went viral. See the video at this link. LeEco has also partnered with Aston Martin on the RapidE, where it will help with the development of the zero emission technology.
Faraday Future, a contradiction in terms, is scaling back all its operations in the USA, with the headcount rumored to have halved over the last couple of months. The production facility in North Las Vegas has been scaled back significantly, and although ground-breaking started late 2016, it has just remained that, as no production facilities have been erected. The company could not even pay the $21 million deposit to Aecon despite being offered $300 million by the local authorities for building the assembly plant there. The new phased construction is in line with the company’s reduced model lineup down from 7 models to 2.
The 13-year-old LeEco is financially pressed on all fronts. Rumors have also been flying that it was exciting its India operations and shares in its flagship unit, Leshi Internet Information and Technology Corp Beijing lost 25% of its value in five months. LeEco, which products include consumer electronics and cellphones, such as the LePro phone were able to raise $2.2 billion from Sunac China Holdings, a property developer. The funds are however not earmarked for LeEco‘s electric car division.


Home » Guides » Florida » State Road 575 / County Road 575
State Road 575 travels just 2.24 miles through the Pasco County community of Lacoochee. The highway transitions to Hernando County Road 575 (Burwell Road) north to SR 50 near Ridge Manor and west from U.S. 301 to Trilby and Blanton as Pasco County Road 575.
Hernando County Road 575 extends 2.05 miles north from the SR 575 end along a portion of Withlacoochee State Forest. Pasco County Road 575 forms an L-shaped route 6.73 miles west along rural Trilby Road to County Road 41 (Blanton Road).
County Road 575 east
Reassurance marker for County Road 575 east posted along Trilby Road after U.S. 98. Photo taken 02/09/14.
U.S. 301 south merges with U.S. 98 on the five-mile drive to Dade City. Saint Catherine lies ten miles to the north along U.S. 301 in Sumter County. Photo taken 02/09/14.
Pasco County Road 575 (Trilby Road) sees a stop sign with U.S. 301. U.S. 301 north passes through Trilacoochee before entering Ridge Manor in Hernando County. Photo taken 02/09/14.
SR 575 north
State Road 575 takes over for Pasco County Road 575 east of U.S. 301. A reassurance shield is posted in each direction of the route. Photo taken 02/09/14.
Entering the community of Lacoochee along SR 575 north. The state road crosses a CSX Railroad line ahead. Photo taken 02/09/14.
Curving northward from Lacoochee, SR 575 spans the Withlacoochee River. Photo taken 02/09/14.
SR 575 north reaches the Hernando County line and transition back into County Road 575. Photo taken 02/09/14.
Burwell Road leads Hernando County Road 575 northward from the county line. Photo taken 02/09/14.
Approaching the north end of County Road 575 by Mills Smokehouse Pond. Photo taken 02/09/14.
State Road 50 travels across Hernando County from Weeki Wachee to the Little Withlacoochee River into Sumter County. Ridge Manor lies just to the west while Groveland is 21 miles to the east. Photo taken 02/09/14.
County Road 575 ends at the rural intersection with SR 50 (Cortez Boulevard). SR 50 carries just two lanes through this stretch, as it passes through Withlacoochee State Forest to the east. The road expands to four lanes along side U.S. 98, between Ridge Manor and Brooksville. Photo taken 02/09/14.
02/09/14 by AARoads
U.S. 301
County Road 41 & 541


"Say what you want", Texas plays Knuedler!
It's been 21 years since the very first Rock um Knuedler. Back in 1991 it was a very modest affair with 5 acts on 1 stage. This year it features 19 acts on 3 stages with Texas headlining.
(ADW) It's been 21 years since the very first Rock um Knuedler. Back in 1991 it was a very modest affair with five acts on one stage.
Fast forward to 2011 and now the line-up boasts 19 acts on three stages with Texas headlining! Quite a journey for Luxembourg City's best known free rock concert that takes place on Place Guillaume II (or Knuedler in Luxembourgish) and Place Clairefontaine this Sunday.
The festival's recipe is quite simple. The chefs, Luxembourg City Tourist Office together with the Rockhal Centre de Resources, select the finest local rock music “ingredients”, mixing differing styles to produce sounds to everyone's taste. The icing on the cake of course being a headline international act and this year Texas comes to Luxembourg.
Six years after their last album “Red Book”, Texas sets off on a greatest hits tour. The band from Scotland will once again play hits like “I don't want a lover”, “Inner smile” and "Say what you want".
The lead singer of Texas, Sharleen Spiteri, who launched a solo career, admitted, "it made me realise how great it was when all the members of Texas are in the same room". During their European tour, however, this is more likely to be the same tour bus.
Texas plays on Place Guillaume II main stage at 10:15pm. However, we should not forget the long list of local acts that precede the Scots.
With two stages on Place Guillaume II and one on Place Clairefontaine, here is the full list of acts:
Lion Stage, Place Guillaume II
15h00 Vintage Gigolos
16h00 Medley Juke Box
17h00 Heartbeat Parade
18h00 Versus You
19h00 Porn Queen
20h00 Project 54
21h00 The Side
22h15 Texas
Horse Stage, Place Guillaume II
15h30 Elephant Ghost
16h30 Anx 74
17h30 Lumi
18h30 Birdbones
19h30 Lost in Pain
Place Clairefontaine
15h00 Zero Point 5
16h00 Moonlight in the desert
17h00 Lego Trip
18h00 Super heroes in ties
19h00 Kate
20h00 Music lounge, screening live from the Place Guillaume II main stage.
For more information check out the official Rock um Knuedler website


The tigers (Panthera tigris), which are essentially an Asian animal not found outside the Euro-Asian landmass, are defined by three distinct mitochondrial nucleotide sites and 12 unique micro satellite alleles. The pattern of genetic variation in these cats corresponds to the thesis that they came to India approximately 12,000 years ago after being forced to spread southwards in search of suitable habitat as successive phases of Ice Ages made northern Asia inhospitable. This recent history of tigers in the Indian subcontinent is consistent with the absence of fossil records from India prior to the late Pleistocene (approximately 11,000 years ago) and the absence of tigers in Sri Lanka, which separated from the Indian landmass due to rise in sea levels in the early Holocene (Holocene started approximately 11,500 years BP or before present). However, a recent study of two independent fossil finds from Sri Lanka, one dated to approximately 16,500 years ago, tentatively classifies them as being a tiger.
The Bengal tiger has been India’s national symbol since about 2500 BCE (Before the Common/Current/Christian Era; an alternative to Before Christ, abbreviated BC) when it was displayed on the Pashupati seal of the Indus Valley Civilisation (2900BC-1900BC). On the seal, the tiger, being the largest, represents the Yogi Shiva‘s people. Some of the seals of that time contain figures of which the front half is a woman and the hind half a tiger. One seal shows the naked figure of a woman, upside down with her legs apart and two tigers standing to one side. Later the animal became the royal symbol of the Chola Empire from 300 CE to 1279 CE and is now designated as the official animal of India. Tipu Sultan, who ruled the Mysore state in late 18th century (India), was also a great admirer of tiger. He was obsessed with the animal to the extent that he adorned almost everything with the tiger symbols. Even his banner carried the legend, ‘The tiger is God’. In India tiger has also found a place of prestige even in Vedic literatures. It has been celebrated in Hindu consciousness from time immemorial as the divine vehicle of the goddess of power, Durga or Shakti. In modern India too it has been given place of pride by Reserve Bank of India, which has chosen it as its emblem. Even the currency notes are carrying its portrait.
As the time passed, its image as symbol of power seems to have transcended the earlier boundaries and the cat appeared over and over again in mosaics, murals, carvings and other artistic works, cultures, religious and administrative records of various nations and societies from North Africa and Mediterranean Europe in the west to China in the east. In India tiger has not only become subject of myths and legends, but has also been given special place by various kingdoms, big or small.
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APPEARS IN News
Federal Ammunition Sales Regulation: A Proven Failure
Recent calls for federal regulations and restrictions on ammunition sales ignore the failure of such laws in the past. They also ignore the impracticality of imposing and enforcing similar controls in today's huge ammunition market. The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates that 10-12 billion rounds of ammunition are produced domestically each year, while billions more are imported.
The Gun Control Act of 1968 required federal licensing for all ammunition dealers, and required that a record be kept on all handgun ammunition sales by retailers—including the popular .22 rimfire cartridges. The requirements proved to be such a heavy burden on retailers that in 1982, Congress removed .22 caliber rimfire ammunition from the record-keeping requirement.
Even with that change, the value of ammunition sales licensing and record keeping was doubted by many, including the nation's top firearms law enforcement officials. In 1984, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee concluded that ammunition dealer licensing "was not necessary to facilitate legitimate Federal law enforcement interests."1 In 1986, the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms supported eliminating the record keeping requirement: "The Bureau and the [Treasury] Department have recognized that current recordkeeping requirements for ammunition have no substantial law enforcement value."2 As a result, the Firearms Owners Protection Act of 1986 repealed the ammunition restrictions, with little opposition despite heated debate over other provisions of the bill.
More recently, anti-gun politicians have called for bans or restrictions on online or mail order ammunition sales. But limiting the ability of law-abiding gun owners to purchase ammunition online or through catalogs will not prevent any criminal from purchasing ammunition from a local retailer. A box or case of ammunition is the same if it is bought from a local gun store, a big box retailer, or an online seller. And as with sales of other regulated products, online retailers take practical measures to verify the age of shoppers—usually by requiring a copy of the buyer's driver's license and requiring an adult signature for delivery of the package.
Finally, limiting the quantity of ammunition a gun owner may purchase online or by mail will only affect the law-abiding. Criminals typically fire only small quantities of ammunition during attacks. Leading criminologist Gary Kleck describes numerous studies showing that armed assaults usually involve either no shots or only a few shots fired, noting that "Even in a sample of gun attacks on armed police officers, where the incidents are more likely to be mutual combat gunfights with many shots fired, the suspects fired an average of only 3.7 times."3
In contrast, it is not at all unusual for top pistol, rifle and shotgun competitors to fire tens of thousands of rounds per year. Law-abiding competitive and recreational shooters regularly buy ammunition in bulk, saving money on the large quantities of ammunition they need to improve and maintain their skills.
Even in the international arena, the United States recognizes the fundamental problems inherent in regulating ammunition. As the top U.S. negotiator at U.N. Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty put it: "Ammunition is a fundamentally different commodity than everything else we have discussed … It is fungible, consumable, reloadable, and cannot be marked in any practical way that would permit it to be tracked or traced. Any practical proposal for ammunition would need to consider the significant burdens associated with licensing, authorizations, and recordkeeping for ammunition that is produced and transferred in the billions of rounds per year."4 That statement holds just as true for recently proposed domestic controls.
1. Federal Firearms Owners Protection Act, S. Rept. 98-583, Aug. 6, 1984.
2. Legislation To Modify the 1968 Gun Control Act, Hearing Report, Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. House of Representatives, October 38, 30, Nov. 8, 1985, and February 19 and 27, 1986. The BATF was an agency of the Treasury Department until 2003.
3. Gary Kleck, Targeting Guns 123 (1997).
3. UN arms trade treaty shouldn't regulate ammunition, The Hill, July 10, 2012 (http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/un-treaties/236969-us-says-un-arms-trade-treaty-shouldnt-cover-ammunition)
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Trial starts in Las Vegas over Harry Reid’s exercise band injuries
Lawyers for former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid and the makers of a resistance exercise band started jury selection Monday in a case that stems from an incident that blinded Reid in his right eye.
By	David Ferrara	/ Las Vegas Review-Journal
Updated March 25, 2019 - 6:05 pm
Former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, who sued the makers of an exercise band after injuring his eye, leaves the courtroom after attending the first day of jury selection in his civil trial at the Regional Justice Center on Monday, March. 25, 2019, in Las Vegas. Bizuayehu Tesfaye Las Vegas Review-Journal @bizutesfaye
Then-Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, joined by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., takes questions from reporters during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 10, 2015, for the first time after suffering an eye injury and broken ribs while exercising on New Year's Day. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
Former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, who sued the makers of an exercise band after injuring his eye, leaves the courtroom after attending the first day of jury selection in his civil trial at the Regional Justice Center on Monday, March. 25, 2019, in las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal @bizutesfaye)
Former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, who sued the makers of an exercise band after injuring his eye, leaves the courtroom with his wife, Landra Gould, after attending the first day of jury selection in Reid's civil trial at the Regional Justice Center on Monday, March. 25, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal @bizutesfaye)
Former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, who sued the makers of an exercise band after injuring his eye, leaves the courtroom in a wheelchair after attending the first day of jury selection in his civil trial at the Regional Justice Center on Monday, March. 25, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal @bizutesfaye)
Then-Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 22, 2015, for the first time after suffering an eye injury and broken ribs while exercising on New Year's Day. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
U.S. Senator Harry Reid, D-Nev., celebrates with his wife, Landra Gould, during an election night party at Aria hotel-casino in Las Vegas in November 2010. Reid overcame a four-point deficit in pre-election poles to beat his Republican challenger, Sharron Angle. (File Photo)
District Judge Joe Hardy Jr. speaks during a case update involving former Sen. Harry Reid at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas on Feb. 20, 2019. Reid and his wife are suing the makers of a resistance exercise band the former politician blames for an accident that left him blind in his right eye. (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco
Attorneys Colin Esgro, left, and James Morgan, representing former Sen. Harry Reid, during a case update at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas on Feb. 20, 2019. Reid and his wife are suing the makers of a resistance exercise band the former politician blames for an accident that left him blind in his right eye. (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco
Former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid was seated in a wheelchair Monday when his lawyer paused to address the political views emanating from a group of potential jurors in a Las Vegas courtroom.
“Our country is about as split as it could be,” said the attorney, Jim Wilkes. “We can’t fix policy today. We’re here about a civil lawsuit. This is about one person’s litigation.”
Reid, now 79, sued the makers of a resistance exercise band after an incident that blinded him in his right eye more than four years ago. But as the trial in the case opened, several jurors seemed more focused on Reid’s political views.
“Do you question the senator’s veracity?” Wilkes asked one man.
“Absolutely. He’s stated under oath that he lied,” the man said, adding that he had researched Reid online. “There’s a whole lot of stuff I know. If I say it here, everybody might have a jaundiced view without any substantiation of what I’m saying.”
Within a few moments, the man was excused from the panel.
Finding an impartial jury
Roughly 20 people in an opening panel of about 100 indicated a possible bias because they recognized Reid or knew of his injury.
“I’ve lived in Nevada a long time,” one man said, “and I’m familiar with Sen. Harry Reid and his politicking.”
Another potential juror could be heard saying: “That’s a nice way to put it.”
Wilkes asked one man directly about his views on Reid.
“I have issues personally with him,” said the man, who was ultimately dismissed.
“You have a negative opinion of Sen. Reid?” Wilkes asked.
“It isn’t positive,” the man replied.
At one point, Wilkes joked: “Does everybody understand you don’t have to become a Democrat if you serve on this case?”
Another man, who remained among the potential jurors as the trial recessed for the day, stated: “I have a very positive bias toward Senator Reid.”
Several prospective jurors said they could set aside their political views and remain fair in their decision.
In late 2015, Reid and his wife of 60 years, Landra Gould, filed a product liability lawsuit against three defendants: Hygenic Intangible Property Holding Co., The Hygenic Corp. and Performance Health LLC.
The trial before District Judge Joe Hardy Jr. is scheduled to last into next week.
Reid told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in an interview last month that he was still blind in his right eye. When asked whether he was prepared to testify during the trial, Reid responded, “Whatever.”
About two months after his injury, Reid, Senate minority leader at the time, announced that he would not seek re-election. He had served in the Senate since 1987.
Reid said his injury played a role in his decision not to seek re-election in 2016.
“It sure didn’t help it,” he said, then adding, “It was one of the things that entered into it.”
He said that following the injury he had a problem with depth perception, particularly when he was speaking on a small stage. He said then-House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, would help him.
“John Boehner, to his credit, would point me in the right direction,” Reid said.
Jury selection is slated to continue into Tuesday afternoon.
Lawyers involved in the suit seemed to know the process might be a struggle. A proposed list of questions includes:
—What is your opinion about Harry Reid?
—What are your thoughts on politicians telling the truth?
—Do you think that politicians tell the truth all the time?
—Do you think that it is acceptable for politicians to not tell the truth at times?”
Reid, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year, arrived Monday wearing a dark blue suit and was accompanied by his wife, who was wearing a dark blue dress.
Negligence allegation
The suit alleges that the three defendants “combined to create, manufacture and market a defective product called TheraBand or Thera-Band exercise band.”
Reid has said he was injured while exercising with the band, which was latched to a “sturdy object” in January 2015 in the bathroom of his Henderson home.
“While in use, the TheraBand broke or slipped out of Mr. Reid’s hand,” the lawsuit states, “causing him to spin around and strike his face on a cabinet.”
As Wilkes asked jurors about Reid’s litigation, some in the panel said they had concerns about whether Reid should have filed suit because of the health care benefits he received as a member of Congress.
“I feel that it is a user error,” said one woman, who remained on the panel, referring to the exercise band. “I don’t know the circumstances, but that’s just my opinion.”
Along with losing vision in his right eye, Reid suffered a concussion, broken orbital bones, severe disfigurement to his face, bruising and lacerations on his face, hand injuries, scarring and broken ribs.
The lawsuit accuses the defendants of negligence and failure to warn.
It alleges that the exercise band makers should have known of the “danger of injury to consumers, especially to the elderly, as a result of TheraBands breaking or slipping out of their hands while mounted to various sturdy objects.”
Contact David Ferrara at dferrara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039. Follow @randompoker on Twitter. Washington, D.C., correspondent Gary Martin contributed to this story.
Posted on: News, Politics and Government
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Las Vegas at forefront of new effort to head off veteran suicides
By Briana Erickson and Mia Sims / RJ
Military veterans die of suicide at a far higher rate than their civilian counterparts, but Las Vegas is one of eight cities at the forefront of an effort to change that.


Home News Boyers sell Buglin’ Bull
Boyers sell Buglin’ Bull
The Buglin’ Bull Restaurant and Sports Bar changed hands last week, as WR Hospitality purchased the property from owners, from left, Johnathan Stahl and Janet and Brian Boyer. The trio decided to sell the business after deciding to scale down their business interests and hectic schedules as Brian fights cancer. [Submitted Photo/Deb Wallenberg]
Almost a decade after they purchased it, Brian and Janet Boyer have sold the Buglin’ Bull Sports Bar and Restaurant.
It was October 2009 when the Boyers and Johnathan Stahl added the restaurant to their growing list of business interests, but at that time the restaurant was known as Elk Canyon Steakhouse. The group spent around eight months renovating the restaurant and opened for business as the Buglin’ Bull June 17, 2010.
Yesterday morning, the Buglin’ Bull became the property of WR Hospitality in connection with Ramkota Companies.
The sale was all about quality of life for the Boyers and Stahl, or, more importantly, the quality of life for Brian Boyer. Brian continues to battle pancreatic cancer, an especially devastating form of cancer that can have very low survival rates depending on the stage of the cancer.
The Boyers made the decision to sell the Buglin’ Bull in September of last year and met with a realtor that fall. By January, Janet Boyer said, the talks to sell the Buglin’ Bull had gotten serious.
“We did not want to sell the Bull, but we just absolutely cherish quality of life and this will give us a better quality of life, simply because we will have more time as a family,” Janet said.
Brian has undergone 15 rounds of chemotherapy and understands the grimness of the disease he carries. However, on the positive side, the cancer has not progressed since he began chemotherapy.
Brian said selling the Buglin’ Bull is bittersweet due to the friends made through the business and the employees who became like family.
“It’s hard to walk away,” he said.
Stahl, who spent five to six nights a week there to make sure things were operating smoothly, said the time was right to sell, calling the 10 years they owned the business a great run.
“We had a great community behind us,” he said. “We were very supportive of the community and it supported us. We just need to take a little bit of a load off.”
Another silver lining, Janet says, is the sale of the business to WR Hospitality. It was the only company they wanted to sell the business to because of the company’s extensive history in the restaurant business and quality reputation.
“They truly do understand the hospitality industry,” she said. “We feel with them coming in, the food scene will be elevated. From the beginning, this is the only company we worked with.”
WR Hospitality owns and operates the Minerva’s restaurants in South Dakota, along with RedRossa restaurants in the state and Augie’s Sports Bar and the Deadwood Grille at The Lodge in Deadwood. It also helps with food and beverage in Custer State Park, where Regency Hotel Management, the management arm of Ramkota Companies, manages the park’s resorts. Regency also manages two other Custer businesses under the Ramkota umbrella: the Kleemann House and Rock Crest Lodge, another former Boyer property.
Josh Schmaltz, chief operating officer for Ramkota Companies, called the purchase of the Buglin’ Bull another great opportunity to be in “the thriving Custer community.”
“We love what the community has done as a whole, capitalizing on all the tourists coming to the area,” he said. “It’s a thriving community and we wanted to be involved in it, not just in the capacity of Custer State Park. There are great opportunities in Custer. The success Custer has had to this point is just the beginning, so why not be a part of it in a larger capacity?”
Schmaltz said, while there will be some changes to the Buglin’ Bull, plans for now are to operate it as it is. Any changes will come after the summer tourist season.
The Buglin’ Bull will remain open during the winter, Schmaltz said, as WR Hospitality investigates ways to perhaps even expand during the winter. Perhaps the best news of all for the town is that all of the restaurant’s employees who want to be retained will be retained and will receive the benefits package WR Hospitality offers, such as health insurance, a 401k plan, etc.
Schmaltz said there is no general manager in place for the restaurant yet and, because of that, Don Anderson, president of WR Hospitality, along with some other WR employees, will be onsite for at least the next 30 days to ensure the transition runs smoothly.
As for the Boyers and Stahl, as Stahl says, they are not going anywhere; the family still has its other business interests — Mount Rushmore Brewing Co., The Begging Burro and Custer Car Wash — to keep them busy.
“We appreciate all the support the past 10 years. The community has been great,” Brian said. “It’s been fun to have been a part of downtown Custer.”
“Our staff is a wonderful staff. We couldn’t have done it without them for 10 years,” Janet added. “I really appreciate the fact we have had the opportunity to support different organizations and different parts of the community and to be a part of the community. It’s just been a blessing.”
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John?s Cafe closes after three years in downtown Palo Alto
Uploaded: Jan 5, 2015
The usually bright and airy John's Cafe at Lytton Avenue and Waverley Street in downtown Palo Alto looked decidedly different Monday afternoon, with glass bakery cases and the refrigerator empty, furniture stacked on itself and half-used packs of soda and water bottle sitting on tables. Owner John Adams, a longtime Palo Alto resident and former high-tech employee, decided to close the cafe Dec. 30 after a three-year run.
"I was working a lot of long hours and (the cafe) probably wasn't as busy as I was hoping it would be," Adams said Monday. "But we had good business; we had great employees and all the customers. I think I was just spending too much time here.
"It appears to be time to move on," he said.
A sign outside John's Cafe reads, "John's Cafe is closed (Dec. 30 for good). Thanks for your support and have a great new year!"
Adams opened the cafe at 401 Lytton Ave. in 2011 after a career in high-tech. Adams ran his own market-research company for more than 20 years, worked for Yahoo and Nielsen and was consulting when he decided to open a café.
"I was walking across the street from Mollie Stone's and there was a 'for lease' sign on a restaurant that was there and a little light bulb turned on," Adams remembered. He said to himself, "'Hey, maybe I'll do that.'"
He said he wanted it to be an "all-around cafe," though they specialized in freshly made paninis. All meats were made in house ? the ham baked, the turkey slow-roasted for hours and the chicken and tri-tip made on a grill that sat outside the front of the cafe. The café also served coffee, soups, salads, breakfast items and baked goods. Adams also added "John's Cafe At Night" with wine tastings, games and specialty dinner items.
Adams said one of the most surprising yet gratifying things about opening the café was that it became a place that customers were attached to.
"You think you're opening up your cafe and what you realize quickly is that the people who come in take it over and it's their cafe. If you change something on the menu, it's like, 'You changed my menu!'" he laughed. "That's probably one of the gratifying or just really interesting things that happens. You think you own it and it turns out that it becomes, without you knowing it, community property."
Adams said he's "pretty sure" the person who took over his lease will be opening a restaurant, though he doesn't know what kind.
Short term, he said he'll probably get back into market research or consulting, though he's not ruling out another cafe.
"If I have another cafe I will probably try to have it on a beach somewhere," he laughed.
Posted by AJ, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood,
on Jan 5, 2015 at 6:59 pm
Sounds like I could have gotten attached, too -- if I had known it was there! All the best to you, John!


'The Simpsons Intro': Russian arthouse version of the famous cartoon hits YouTube
Yekaterina Sinelschikova
Lazy Square
As well as rethinking The Simpsons, Alexei Semenov has made trash animations about Barack Obama, The Terminator, Pennywise the clown, and even an existential video about his own thirtieth birthday – each lasting less than 30 seconds.
Moscow designer Alexei Semenov makes super-short trash animations inspired by American pop culture. He publishes them on YouTube under the name Lazy Square, where he uploads real and joke advertising videos. It is the latter that have brought him more fame.
His latest work – which gives the legendary Simpsons a dose of Russia reality – became an online hit. The short clip (entitled “The Simpsons. Russian Art Film Version”) features a Russian “Lisa” who plays the saxophone in a dingy underpass, a “Bart” reimagined as a Russian “gopnik,” a “Homer” who works as a security guard, and a “Marge” who cusses like there’s no tomorrow. As for how it ends, see for yourself. Semenov’s longest work to date, it lasts… just over a minute. As the name might suggest, Lazy Square prefers the super-short format.
Semenov creates the videos all by himself. Meanwhile, his main business is Serious About, which he runs with his wife. Under this brand, they sell designer badges and other eye-catching trinkets. It was for this project that Semenov first started making animations. For example, here’s an ad for a sex doll sold by Serious About.
Animation soon turned into a hobby. Before the arrival of The Simpsons, his most popular video was Terminator 2½ – about a liquid robot in the form of a killer spoon.
The average video takes about six weeks to make. He currently has no plans to up the tempo due to his “universal laziness.” On the occasion of his 30th birthday, Semenov shot a 30-second video about his life thus far, tellingly named “30 wasted years.”
“Ever since childhood, I had no goals, didn’t do anything, didn’t aim for anything, blew a couple of talents, f***ed up a few opportunities. I was a drifter, like lots of others judging by the comments,” he once said in an interview.
He says he has no interest in promotion or attracting clients, and just draws what he wants. His main sources of inspiration are usually old Hollywood films like It or A Nightmare on Elm Street, and U.S. pop culture, especially animation: The Simpsons, Family Guy, Futurama, South Park. “But it was Rick and Morty that totally shook up my mind. The darker and edgier the humor, the better,” recalls Semenov.
Semenov also made an ironic ad for NASA and imagined what Barack Obama did on his first day after leaving the Oval Office:
Superheroes, too, have been given the Semenov treatment. Meet Tomatoman, who extracts ketchup from near empty bottles, and Mr Tea Bag, who solves humanity’s second most urgent problem – pulling tea bags out of mugs when the string and label have gone overboard.
On the Russian theme, besides The Simpsons, there is a short “comedy” about out-of-town residential developments. In it, a “happy” mortgagee regurgitates standard marketing slogans about the “benefits” of such housing before opening a window and... It’s pretty clear even if you don’t know Russian.
If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.
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Allan Rayman is Letting the Music Speak for Itself
By Latecia Joiner
Beatrice Hazlehurst
Believe you us, songwriter and powerhouse vocalist Allan Rayman is on the verge of shaking the music industry to its core. Since his debut in 2016 with Hotel Allan, the Toronto-based Wyoming-native has been steadily making his mark, recently wrapping a 30-date world tour and hitting every live session in town.
Now, Rayman is back again with a double visual release for "Word of Mouth" and "Go My Way," the objective bangers from his recent EP,Courtney. The former reads like a hyperrealistic documentation of his time on tour, while "Go My Way" sees the singer search out a lost love. PAPER sat down with the soft-spoke rocker to talk inspiration, adventures abroad and why the center of attention is overrated.
I heard that this is the first real conversation you've chosen to have with a publication. Why is that?
I think it's important to let my music do the talking, give people that creative room to come up with their own stories, if that makes sense. For me most of the people I endear in the industry were musicians. You don't get to meet them so you kind of develop your own theories and opinions. I think by having very little out there allows people to shape their own opinions around me. In their minds I'm whoever they want Allan to be but at the same time I can't live up to what their expectations are.
You aren't concerned you might be holding too much back?
I think naturally that worry does come into play. I think from outside sources, when they ask you what you really want from all of this, playing the game, and giving out more and more about yourself is an important thing. To me it doesn't really matter. I just want to make music and have fun doing it. I think all that other stuff is just extra but does get you to where you want to go faster. I'm in no rush. If I don't have to do it I choose not to. I think its about allowing people to give that creative space. Allan Rayman can be so many different people to so many different people. Why take that away from somebody by starting to completely define characteristics of this person in the public. Why ruin that?
You just wrapped your tour, how was that experience for you?
It was great. One of the main things as an artist is to get out there and expose yourself. For me that's always been the most important aspect of my music. If you can't do this on a stage then don't try to do it in a studio. So if you don't hit that note then just leave it because you can't hit it onstage. That's where I have the most fun doing what I'm doing. For me it's the best part.
How was Europe?
We were in Paris for a longer amount of time so we got to walk around there. We went to this cemetery where a bunch of different creatives have been buried. Jim Morrison, who is obviously is a huge inspiration for me, he was buried there. It was great. We walked around this old gothic cemetery.
That's so fucking cool.
Yeah there were a lot of different artists there but I think the most sought after one is his [Morrison's.] People leave bottles of liquor, and roses, and stuff. It's pretty crazy.
I know for Courtney you went in a totally different direction in comparison to past work you've done, expand on that for me.
I think it goes back to keeping people on their toes and being knowledgeable to jump in and out of different genres. It's an experiment. At the end of the day I think that as an artist you should always try to push limits and explore. Things like that keep you evolving and keeps it fresh.
Was that also your approach to these new videos?
Exactly. I just wanted this whole project to have that feel. "Go My Way" was high contrast and a green screen and looked almost cocky and played out. I think it's good to poke fun and not be taken too seriously. At the end of the day you get to do what you love to do so you should have fun with it.
What's can we expect next from Allan Rayman?
Continuing to build, continuing to put out good projects, content, marketing campaigns, touring, just continuing to build off of what we have already built. I just have to keep it fresh. I'm working on a couple of projects right now and I'm really excited about those. For me it's just about finding my place in all of this, taking my time with it, and making sure the people that I keep close to me also enjoy it. Thee story that started with Courtney isn't finished.
Check out "Go My Way" and "Word of Mouth" below.
All images supplied
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Phillips told Nola being a utility infielder likely wouldn’t create the path to a major-league job. He then gave Nola a possible alternative — “Have you ever thought about catching?”
Nola had never caught a game in his life — in little league, high school, college, anywhere in the minors. He wasn’t thrilled about the idea even when his younger brother Aaron, now a pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies, would ask him to put on the gear to catch him.
Phillips told Nola to consider it.
“I went home, I thought about it, and thought maybe I should try it,” Nola said. “I went back the next day and said, ‘I’d like to try it.’
“He would take me in the cage before games. We’d get there a little earlier, and just take some balls off the machine, receive a little bit, just to teach me the fundamentals of it. I kind of started to like it.”
A few years removed from learning the position, Nola, now 29, is a regular catcher for Triple-A Tacoma. He was acquired as a free agent by Seattle’s organization during the offseason.
Entering Wednesday night’s Rainiers game, Nola has caught 15 games, also appearing in eight games at first base, and two at third, and had yet to commit an error.
“He can play all over the field,” Seattle Mariners director of player development Andy McKay said recently about the former LSU shortstop who was a fifth-round draft pick in 2012. “A high-end college middle infielder, he’s just another guy who is creating a lot of versatility for himself, and is giving himself more opportunities to find a way to the big leagues.”
Playing catcher helps Nola’s resume. But, learning arguably baseball’s toughest defensive position provided plenty of challenges.
“It was humbling. It really was,” Nola said. “There were times my first year when I really questioned whether this was the right move.”
Nola played in the Fall League in 2016, joining Phillips who was coaching there/ He said the first game he appeared behind the plate was the hardest nine innings of his career.
Midway through the game, Nola asked Phillips if he could be subbed out. Nola remembers missing several balls in the dirt, and being hit with catcher’s interference during the first at-bat of the game.
“I was torn up,” he said. “I didn’t know if I wanted to catch anymore. I didn’t want to show up the next day.”
But, he did, and his performances continually improved.
“I feel in a better position because of the growth and the tough times,” he said.
Blocking was the toughest to learn, Nola said, because of his background as an infielder. Learning to call the games wasn’t easy either, he said, but he adapted quickly by learning from his own mistakes.
“They wanted me to fail on pitch calling early to learn,” Nola said. “If I just kept looking in the dugout for assurance, I would never learn.
“That was one thing (Phillips) helped me with a lot was, ‘No, you need to learn this. You need to put the preparation in, and then you need to fail in the game in order to learn, to get better at that part of the game.’ ”
Nola said his brother has also been helpful in his development, teaching him about how different pitchers approach the game.
“He teaches me a lot about the tendencies, pitchers and what they like to do,” Nola said. “And, what he sees with hitters from a pitcher’s vision — what he sees compared to what I’m seeing — and shows me that.
“Sometimes there are some unorthodox things he does that I’m like, ‘That could work on some of the guys I catch.’ That’s been a big help.”
Nola split the 2017 season between Double-A Jacksonville and New Orleans, starting in 75 games behind the plate, and catching 629-plus innings. He committed just three errors in his first season at the position, and caught 27 runners stealing.
“I was thankful the Marlins gave me the opportunity to learn that, and take that route, because it’s a long route, it’s a tough route to learn how to catch,” Nola said.
Rainiers manager Daren Brown said Nola is a valuable player for Tacoma, and thinks he could be a valuable player in the big leagues, because of his versatility and ability to play catcher — which many utility players don’t have significant experience with.
“He’s a really knowledgeable guy and wants to be the best at it,” Brown said. “Those are some things you really can’t measure.
“He’s done a really nice job behind the plate, but again, he’s done a nice job wherever we’ve put him.”
Nola is also having his most productive season at the plate. He leads the Rainiers in most offensive categories among players who have appeared in more than six games.
He has a .364/.441/.614 slash line with a 1.055 OPS, and has hit 10 doubles and four homers while driving in a team-leading 21 runs.
“I’m just trying to have better pitch selection, and refine my approach more, and be more disciplined at the plate,” Nola said. “I think that’s the biggest thing.”
Brown praised Nola’s consistency — as a batter, as a catcher, and anywhere else Tacoma has played him. While there is plenty of value in Nola’s bat, and his defensive versatility, he said he favors playing catcher now.
“I see myself as a catcher,” Nola said. “I want to become a catcher. I love the position a lot. I’ve really enjoyed learning the pitchers.
“I like being in the game, and I like being in that part of the game. I like calling pitches, I like framing, I like doing all of the stuff. You’re in every pitch.”
Austin Nola (14) during the game. The Tacoma Rainiers played the Albuquerque Isotopes in a Triple-A baseball game at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Wash., on Saturday, May 4, 2019. Joshua Bessex joshua.bessex@gateline.com
Mariners’ Austin Nola swings at a pitch in the eighth inning. The Seattle Mariners played the San Diego Padres in a exhibition baseball game at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Wash., on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Joshua Bessex joshua.bessex@gateline.com
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Nabil Crismatt, right, and catcher Austin Nola meet on the mound for a moment after Crismatt hit Chicago Cubs’ Kris Bryant with a pitch in the third inning of a spring training baseball game Tuesday, March 19, 2019, in Mesa, Ariz. Elaine Thompson AP
Lauren Smith
Lauren Smith covers the Seattle Mariners for The News Tribune. She previously covered high school sports at TNT and The Olympian, beginning in 2015. She is a graduate of the University of Washington and Emerald Ridge High School.
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Why We're Focusing on Mental Health
By Andrew Meyer • May 21, 2018
More than a third of Ohio residents reported poor mental health in the Kaiser Family Foundation's 2017 report.
KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION
“For 29 years, I thought about mental health as someone else’s problem.”
On March 6th, The Players’ Tribune published an article written by Cleveland Cavs center and forward Kevin Love. The team was off to a poor start for the season. He talked about the stress from that and from personal issues. It came to a head during a game against the Atlanta Hawks. He wrote about his heart racing, not being able to catch his breath, and feeling like his mouth was chalk. He ended up at Cleveland Clinic where they ran a “bunch of tests” but found nothing.
The truth: Kevin Love had suffered a panic attack.
But he wrote he knew he couldn’t bury what happened.
The team connected him with a therapist.
Months later, Love shared his own story, and took a big step towards getting past the stigma and sharing his own struggle.
Whether we want to admit it or not, many of us have stories about a mental-health crisis. It happens to our colleagues, our loved ones and ourselves. It is not someone else’s problem.
This is a story that is common to more people than you would think.
In a 2017 report, Mental Health America found that nearly a fifth of the people in the U.S. have a mental health condition. That’s over 43 million Americans, and more than half lack access to care.
Graphic from Mental Health America's 2017 report.
Credit MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA
Ohio is no different than the rest of the country; in some ways things are worse here. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2017, more than a third of Ohio residents reported that they had poor mental health.
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration issues a yearly Behavioral Health Barometer.
In its most recent report based on data from a 2015 survey, the stats show mental health issues have been increasing over the last several years.
The state is either in line with or worse than the national average. More than half of Ohio residents say they have needs in dealing with mental health issues that aren’t being met.
A colleague. A friend. A loved one. Ourselves.
Many of us know somebody who is either struggling with a mental health concern or has been challenged in the past.
Graphic from SAMHSA's Behavioral Health Barometer 2015 report.
Credit SAMHSA
We have stories to share. We have experiences that are both distinct and yet universal. But all too often, there are a range of challenges to overcome.
Getting past the stigma, the perception by society that mental health issues are a deficiency instead of an illness no different than any other physical ailment
Finding the appropriate professional help
Determining the best course of treatment
Having the means to afford that help
Improving awareness among public safety officials about mental health
And knowing what the options really are when a mental health crisis is beyond your one’s own ability to deal
We are striving for much in our reporting. We hope to provide information and connections to resources anyone can use to get there. And most of all, we want to be a convener of a conversation, both on an intimate, one-to-one basis and amongst the larger community of Northeast Ohio. Addressing mental health issues should be no different than seeking treatment for a physical health ailment. We need to get past the stigma. We want to help light the path to better mental health in Ohio.
Mental Health America
The View From Pluto: Cavs' Kevin Love Starts A Much-Needed Conversation About Mental Health
By Amanda Rabinowitz • Mar 7, 2018
Cavs star Kevin Love revealed Tuesday that he’s been struggling with mental health issues. Love wrote in an essay published in the Players’ Tribune that he left a game in November after suffering a panic attack. He detailed how it left him confused and ashamed, and said that he’s started seeing a therapist.
Akron Agency Will Use A Grant to Address Mental Health Among Elderly Asian Americans
By Mitch Felan • Jun 5, 2017
ASIA SERVICES IN ACTION
Asian Services in Action is getting a grant from the McGregor Foundation to provide mental health resources for elderly people in Cuyahoga County.
The group will use the money for its Asian Senior Empowerment Program, which connects low-income Asian Americans with limited English to community and mental health services.
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By Jenny Gold • Nov 30, 2017
It has been nearly a decade since Congress passed the Mental Health Parity And Addiction Equity Act, with its promise to make mental health and substance abuse treatment just as easy to get as care for any other condition. Yet today, amid an opioid epidemic and a spike in the suicide rate, patients are still struggling to get access to treatment.
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Cleveland Police Release Draft Guidelines for Dealing with Individuals with Mental Health Issues
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Pop Tart: Porn mogul Michael Lucas on the porn industry, sex and the men of Montreal
Richard Burnett
Famed gay-porn director and adult-film actor Michael Lucas —born Andrei Lvovich Treivas in Communist Russia in 1972— emigrated to Germany after graduating from the Moscow Law Academy in 1994. He began working as an adult performer before founding his own porn production company, Lucas Entertainment, in New York in 1998. Today Lucas has become one of the most successful producers of porn, and has used his success and notoriety to —as a media columnist and university speaker— speak out against drugs, unsafe sex and the oppression of gays, as well as support the state of Israel. Lucas was in Montreal earlier this summer and Pop Tart caught up with the opinionated entrepreneur for a fun and frank Q&A about all things porn, PrEP, LGBT civil rights, and the raid by U.S. federal investigators on the New York headquarters of popular gay-male escort site Rentboy.com. Plus, Lucas talks about his love affair with Montreal.
Pop Tart: When you started out in the porn business, did you anticipate that you’d have this incredible career and longevity?
Michael Lucas: I was definitely hoping for a long career, because I was young and ambitious. I don’t think I anticipated such a big success. But I usually do achieve my goals, because I am very focused and hard-working.
Why you, and why not so many others in the adult-film industry?
Anyone can produce a movie, but you have to have business skills to make it work. Education is a plus. I know at least 20 porn stars that opened a company, produced a few films and unfortunately lost all their savings. Vision is important, but that’s only a small part of the recipe for success. The rest is business skills.
Porn director and adult-film actor Michael Lucas
You got a law degree. What made you decide to get into porn?
After graduating, I moved to the West but was unable to work because I didn’t have the proper papers. I needed to start making money. I was young and had a high sex drive and someone told me that I had a big dick, so I decided to try my hand at porn.
Do you still enjoy acting / performing in your films?
Very much so. I love sex.
Do you see a time when you will “retire” from your on-screen roles, and continue working strictly off-screen? Have you given yourself any kind of timeline?
I didn’t give myself any sort of timeline. Age is just a number and I like the idea of defying age restrictions. I know incredibly hot men that are well past their 50s. It’s about leading a healthy lifestyle. Numbers don’t matter.
For many years you were vocally opposed to bareback sex in porn videos. Why did you change your mind?
I wrote an article on that subject for Queerty. The short version is, times have changed. When I was doing condom scenes, there were no other ways to prevent HIV transmission. Today we have more than just condoms: We have PrEP, which has been proven to work if taken as prescribed. A person with an undetectable viral load cannot give the virus to an HIV-negative person. I myself have been on PrEP for more than two years.
You produced the doc Campaign of Hate: Russia and Gay Propaganda. Why did you make this film? Do you see things getting any better for LGBT Russians in the foreseeable future?
I am very proud of that documentary and very excited that Netflix decided to show it. I grew up the Soviet Union and was a victim of homophobia myself. I have many gay friends there so I thought it was important to produce this film and help raise awareness of the mistreatment of LGBT people.
In fact, Russians bully, demonize and discriminate against not only gay people but anyone who is different. Russian people have been intolerant for centuries I see no reason to believe that will change. The West has no influence there. Russia resents everything progressive and that comes from the West as much as they did during the Cold War. While the Western world moves forward, Russia is going backward.
I’ve been to Israel twice, including for Gay Pride in Tel Aviv. What do you think about charges that promoting LGBT tourism in Israel is “pinkwashing”?
Israel is a very accepting and tolerant Jewish state of seven million people that is unfortunately surrounded by 350 million intolerant people. Their neighbors are threatened by the only democratic country in the Middle East. “Pinkwashing” is an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that is created in order to smear and disregard the good that Israel is doing. I recently produced a documentary about the gay community in Israel. It is called Undressing Israel: Gay Men in The Promised Land.
Michael Lucas enjoys vacationing in Montreal
What is at the core of your world view —your Jewish identity or your gay identity?
It depends on the circumstances. If I feel discriminated against for being Jewish, then Jewish becomes my first identity; if I encounter homophobia, then my gay identity comes first. But I do not identify myself as just Jewish or gay. I have many identities, one of which is being an American patriot, and that becomes my first identity when I encounter any form of anti-Americanism during my travels.
How did you feel when The New Republic dubbed you “Gay Porn’s Neocon Kingpin”?
I still do not know exactly what that means, but I enjoyed reading a profile about me in one of the oldest political magazines in America.
Any thoughts on porn director Chi Chi LaRue checking into rehab?
Chi Chi has been fighting addiction for many years and I hope she will beat it this time. I know it is not easy; my ex-boyfriend has been in recovery for four years and there are days that are really hard. It is a daily struggle.
Some people think young porn stars are more susceptible to the ravages of the fast life in the porn business. What do you think?
Yes, but same goes for show business in general. Just look at mainstream celebrities. Many are in and out of rehab all the time.
What do you think of the police raid on Rentboy.com? Was it a homophobic action?
Maybe, but straight escort companies are raided as well. It’s infuriating that Homeland Security decided go after harmless sex workers instead of putting that time and money toward keeping us safe from terror attacks. I pay lots of money in taxes, and I hate seeing it funding pointless efforts to prevent people from choosing what to do with their bodies.
You were in Montreal this summer. Why did you visit the city, and what do like about the city?
My best friend decided to celebrate his birthday in Montreal and a bunch of us spent a weekend in your beautiful city. It was not my first time visiting and I am sure it will not be my last. I love your old streets, the open-mindedness of your people and how gay and straight couples enjoy summer concerts together at Place des Festivals. You have lots of great art and culture and amazing food.
How sexy are the men in Montreal?
Very sexy! And they speak French, which makes them even sexier!
What new projects have you got in development, and is a memoir in your future plans?
My forties have been the best time of my life. I am trying to spend as much time as possible with friends and family, and travel to places I never been before. Life is short and I don’t want to miss out on anything important to me.
I am not planning on writing my memoirs but I’m always happy to do interviews like this one. I also write about politics, social issues and culture for the Advocate and Out. You can read my articles and learn more about my documentaries at the newly-redesigned MichaelLucas.com.
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Tag Archives: Kevin Bacon
(Fourth viewing, On DVD, August 2017) I don’t quite understand why there isn’t already a review of Tremors on this site given that I’ve seen it so often and enjoyed it every time. But my search engine tells me there’s a big Tremors-shaped hole in my reviews database, so that gives me a perfect excuse to rave about one of my favourite B-grade movies. Tremors is not perfect, but it comes really close in its chosen monster-movie subgenre. After an introduction in which we’re promised thrills, then introduced to a few sympathetic characters, Tremors ends its first act by cleanly explaining the nature of its monsters and why they’re so dangerous. Thus having set up the rules, it then spends the next hour inventively showing its characters outwitting the creatures, while the creatures themselves show signs of intelligence. It’s vastly wittier than most other monster movies, with strong characters and a convincing sense of place. A good sense of humour balances out the horror, turning the film into an unusually accessible thriller by dint of a light-hearted tone. Kevin Bacon is terrific in the lead role, but capable supporting characters include Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross, Reba McIntyre and practical special effects that still hold up more than twenty years later. Writer/director Ron Underwood achieved something special here. Never mind the much-inferior sequels—the original Tremors is a near-classic, well worth watching or revisiting.
Kevin BaconRon UnderwoodTremors series
(Netflix Streaming, April 2017) While I can recognize that Footloose isn’t a great movie, it’s easy to be swept along by its charm, clearly-defined stakes and infectious energy. I happen to like the song itself a lot, and the clever opening sequence is a lot of fun to watch. Then it’s off to rural America, when a stranger, our protagonist, comes to town to bring some wholesome urban values in the Midwestern wasteland. As a treatise on blue-versus-red America, Footloose has a lot to say and did so decades before the US electoral map ossified to the point that brought you Donald J. Trump, president. But there I go tainting Footloose’s innocent fun with not-so-fun stuff. It’s far better to focus on Kevin Bacon’s career-making performance, the ludicrous chicken-tractor sequence, or John Lithgow’s turn as a persuadable preacher. Footloose, alas, does run out of steam a bit too quickly: the ending seems to peter out after resolving itself ten minutes earlier, not quite managing to deliver a decent finale. Still, it’s a fun movie with a bit of depth to offer regarding the rural-vs-urban divide. The music is also quite a bit better than that other early-eighties musical Flashdance.
John-LithgowKevin Bacon
(On Cable TV, November 2016) It seems unfair to overly criticize a film like Cop Car. At its core, it’s nothing more than a simple low-budget film that tries for something specific and achieves it successfully. As two boys somewhere in rural Midwestern USA discover a seemingly abandoned cop car and start goofing with it (driving it on the back roads, playing with the equipment it contains), they barely realize what they’ve stumbled into. It gets much worse. As they discover a man tied up in the trunk and as the film intercuts with a crooked sheriff getting rid of a body, it’s clear to us (but not to them) how much trouble they’re into. Kevin Bacon isn’t bad, but doesn’t shine as the corrupt policeman. As a small-scale rural thriller, Cop Car sets up its elements and plays with them, steadily increasing the suspense until the end. There’s an intriguing mismatch between the crooked-cop thriller and the playful nature of the two boys having a grand day out (you don’t have to be a gun enthusiast to wince at the dangerous weapons handling shown here), up until the bullets start flying and they realize the danger they’re in. But for all of the low-budget charm that Cop Car can show, it’s not quite the film it could be. The plot is noticeably thin and the pacing even worse, leading to a film that feels too long even as it merely squeaks by 90 minutes. It also back-loads its story so that by the time everything happens in the last few minutes, it seems to end far too quickly to provide proper closure. While Cop Car ends up being a calling card for director Jon Watts (who’s moving on to no less than a new Spider-Man movie), it’s not quite good enough to reach viewers outside its chosen genre.
Jon WattsKevin Bacon
(On Cable TV, June 2012) Romantic comedies tend to live or die on the strength of their cast, so it’s a relief to see that nearly everyone headlining Crazy, Stupid, Love is at the top of their game. Steve Carell anchors the cast as a recently-separated middle-aged man seeking lifestyle counsel from a capable womanizer, but he’s surrounded by more great performances by a variety of known names in a variety of large-and-small roles, from Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon and Ryan Gosling, alongside newer names such as Jonah Bobo and Analeigh Tipton. Veterans Tomei and Bacon are hilarious to watch in small but effective roles, but Gosling is particularly noteworthy, charming his way through a character that could have been immensely repellent in less-capable hands. After focusing on the protagonist’s attempt to recapture some of his male seductive powers, Crazy, Stupid, Love soon expands into a mosaic of romantic subplots, occasionally palming a few cards in order to deliver a few almost-cheap twists along the way. No matter, though: it leads to a relatively pleasant conclusion despite the overused (but subverted) graduation-speech plot device. Such genre-awareness is a crucial component of Crazy, Stupid, Love’s moment-to-moment interest: Beyond the well-used soundtrack (including a striking usage of Goldfrapp’s “Ooh La La”), the sharp dialogue and the snappy direction, Crazy, Stupid, Love is just a joy to watch: so much so that even the tangled subplots and tortured twists seem cute rather than annoying. And that, one could argue, is a measure of the film’s success.
Analeigh TiptonEmma StoneJonah BoboJulianne MooreKevin BaconMarisa TomeiRyan GoslingSteve Carell
(On Cable TV, April 2012) For years, I wondered missing out on Flatliners had led to an embarrassing omission in my movie-going culture. Hadn’t this film earned some interest as a science-fiction film? Didn’t it star a bunch of actors who went on to bigger things? Wasn’t this one of Joel Shumacher’s best-known movies from his earlier, better period? The answer to these questions is yes… but the film itself seems a bit of a letdown after viewing. Oh, some things still work well, and may even work better than expected. Of the five main actors, Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon and Oliver Platt have all gone on to big careers –with poor William Baldwin being left behind. Schumacher’s direction is backed-up with Jan de Bont’s impressive cinematography: the visuals of the film may not make much sense, but they evoke a modern-gothic atmosphere that remains distinctive even today. The high-concept of the film remains potent, with genius-level medical students voluntarily defying death to investigate the mysteries of the afterlife. Unfortunately, all of these elements don’t quite add up satisfyingly. The jump from the high concept to the characters’ personification of those concepts is weak, and the contrivances become almost too big to ignore. The idea of atonement being closely linked to death is powerful, but the way this variously follows the character is more difficult to accept. (As Platt’s character knowingly remarks, those without deep-seated traumas will end up with some fairly silly phantoms.) There is quite a bit of repetitive one-upmanship in the way the plotting unfolds, and Flatliners sadly goes too quickly from provocative idea to ordinary morality. Still, it’s easy to argue that the film is worth a look: Roberts, Sutherland and Bacon look really good in early roles, and the visual style of the film is still an achievement twenty years later. There are some good ideas in the mix (witness the visual motif of “construction” -reconstruction, deconstruction- underlying nearly each scene), the portrait of intelligent characters interacting is charming and some of the suspense still works surprisingly well when it doesn’t descend in silliness. There are a few films that qualify as “minor classics” of their era in time. While Flatliners certainly won’t climb year’s-best lists retroactively, it’s a film that remains more remarkable than many of its contemporaries. I don’t regret seeing it… and I may even have liked to see it a bit earlier.
Jan de BontJoel SchumacherJulia RobertsKevin BaconKiefer SutherlandOliver PlattWilliam Baldwin


Location: Dedham Massachusetts
Ancestry of Nathaniel Reynolds Packard, 2d of Brockton Massachusetts
Nathaniel Reynolds Packard, 2d, who belonged to the older school of shoe manufacturers in Brockton, and whose industry and integrity, coupled with his executive ability and iron determination, won him success in his undertakings, died at Cory Hill hospital, Boston, Nov. 6, 1908, aged seventy-five years. He was a descendant of Samuel Packard, the first of the name in America, who with his wife and child came from Windham, near Hingham, England, in the ship “Diligence,” of Ipswich, and settled first at Hingham, Mass., in 1638, thence removing to West Bridgewater, where he became one of the early settlers, and where he was a tavern-keeper
Ancestry of Elmer C. Packard of Brockton Massachusetts
For nearly two hundred and seventy-five years the Packard family has been one prominent and influential in New England, and it has become a most numerous family, too, many of whose members both at home and abroad have given a good account of themselves. Samuel Packard, the immigrant ancestor of this family, became one of the early settlers of the ancient town of Bridgewater, and all of the name who have gone from the Bridgewaters were probably descendants of his; in fact, nearly all of the name in this country can be traced to that place. The genealogical records following
Ancestry of Jared Shaw of East Abington, Massachusetts
The Shaw family with which the Beal and Reed families are allied by marriage, was founded in this country by Abraham Shaw, who came to America before 1636.
The Massachusetts Tax Valuation List of 1771
The Massachusetts Tax Valuation List of 1771 contains the names and descriptions of taxable property of nearly 38,000 individuals who resided in 152 Massachusetts towns in 1771
Genealogy of the Rhodes Family of Taunton Massachusetts
Through much of the century but recently closed and on into this has dwelt in Taunton and New Bedford, Mass., a family bearing the name of Rhodes. Reference is made to some of the descendants of the late Stephen and Anna Daniels (Carpenter) Rhodes, whose birthplaces were Dedham and Foxboro, Mass., respectively. Their son, Stephen Rhodes (4), became the head of the Taunton family, several members of which in succeeding generations have given a good account of themselves in the business and social life of their community, rising to useful and substantial citizenship, and as well to responsible public trust. The names of Hon. Stephen H. Rhodes, of Boston, late president of the John Hancock Insurance Company, who for years was prominent in the activities of Taunton, a member of the board of aldermen some forty years ago, and mayor of the city for one or two years; his brother, the present John Corey Rhodes, one of the best known manufacturers of southeastern Massachusetts; another brother, the present Marcus Morton Rhodes, Esq., who for perhaps a half century or more has been actively engaged in business in Taunton, and the greater part of the period as a senior member of the firm or corporation of M. M. Rhodes & Sons Company, and at one time one of the board of water commissioners of the city; the latter’s son, George Holbrook Rhodes, long a partner and stockholder of the firm and corporation just alluded to, and for years its treasurer, many years in succession a member of the common council of Taunton and for a number of years president of that body; John Bird Rhodes, son of John Corey Rhodes, chief executive of John C. Rhodes & Co., Inc., of New Bedford; and perhaps others as well, ever stand out prominently in the annals of Taunton.
Ancestors of John Richardson Bronson of Attleboro, MA
JOHN RICHARDSON BRONSON, M. D., who for over half a century was one of the best known practitioners of medicine in southern Massachusetts and part of Rhode Island, and who for upward of fifty years was a resident of Attleboro, was a native of Connecticut, born in the town of Middlebury, New Haven county, June 5, 1829, son of Garry and Maria (Richardson) Bronson.
The Bronson family was early planted in the New World. John Bronson (early of record as Brownson and Brunson) was early at Hartford. He is believed, though not certainly known, to have been one of the company who came in 1636 with Mr. Hooker, of whose church he was a member. He was a soldier in the Pequot battle of 1637. He is not named among the proprietors of Hartford in the land division of 1639; but is mentioned in the same year in the list of settlers, who by the “towne’s courtesie” had liberty “to fetch woods and keepe swine or cowes on the common.” His house lot was in the “soldiers’ field,” so called, in the north part of the old village of Hartford, on the “Neck Road” (supposed to have been given for service in the Pequot war), where he lived in 1640. He moved, about 1641 to Tunxis (Farmington) He was deputy from Farmington in May, 1651, and at several subsequent sessions, and the “constable of Farmington” in 1652. He was one of the seven pillars at the organization of the Farmington Church in 1652. His name is on the list of freemen of Farmington in 1669. He died Nov. 28, 1680.
Ancestors of Frederick Macy of New Bedford Massachusetts
The Macy family of New Bedford is among the oldest and most prominent families of Nantucket, the name having been identified with the business interests of New Bedford for the past seventy years. The first American ancestor of the family was Thomas Macy, clothier merchant, who came, it is said, from the county of Wilts, England, and was in Newbury, Mass., a proprietor; he was a freeman of Sept. 6, 1639. He removed to Salisbury and was town officer and deputy. He removed about 1659 from there to Chilmark; his was the first family on Nantucket island. He was a
Descendants of William Sumner of Dorchester, MA
The Sumner family, to which the late Mrs. George Barstow Stetson belonged, is an old and prominent family of New England, descended from one William Sumner, who was born at Bicester, England, in 1605, son of Roger Sumner, of Bicester, Oxfordshire, and his wife Joane (Franklin).
William Sumner, the only child of Roger and Joane, married Oct. 22, 1625, Mary West, and they came to America with their four children in 1636, locating at Dorchester, Mass. He was made a freeman of the Colony May 17, 1637, and held many offices of importance, being selectman for nearly a quarter of a century. He was deputy from Dorchester to the General Court for eight years. He died Dec. 9. 1688, surviving his wife, who died June 7, 1676. Both are buried at Dorchester.
Ivers Family of Dedham, MA
IVERS (New Bedford family). The name Ivers seems one uncommon in New England annals and the family by no means numerous. At Dedham are fragmentary records of the Ivers family name, but nothing of an early date.
William and Gregory Ivers, brothers, appear in Boston in the early part of the eighteenth century. They are said to have come about 1720 with the pioneer Scotch settlers from the North of Ireland. William Ivers married in Boston April 28, 1724, Jane Barber, the ceremony being performed by a Presbyterian minister. Jane Ivers died at Boston in 1789; her will, made April 29, 1776, proved April 13, 1789, Capt. Job Prince, executor, mentions sons James and Thomas, probably the only ones living at the date of making the will.
Hawes Family of Wrentham, MA
For generations, since the early Colonial period, the Hawes family has been resident in Wrentham, Mass. The line is traced back to Edward Hawes, of Dedham, Mass., born probably about 1620, who died in 1686. He married April 15, 1648, Eliony Lombard. This genealogy discusses the line from Edward through Oliver Snow Hawes who removed to Fall River Mass. It then discusses the family and descendants of Olvier Snow Hawes who resided in the vicinity of Fall River.


African-American Firsts, Commemorations, Competitions, Events, History, International, News, Records/Prizes, Sports, U.S.	 January 28, 2017
Serena Williams Triumphs over Sister Venus to Win Record 23rd Major Title at Australian Open
Serena Williams lifts her trophy after defeating her sister Venus Williams in their women’s singles final match at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Jan. 28, 2017. (Mark R. Cristino / EPA)
article via chicagotribune.com
Serena Williams held up a Grand Slam winner’s trophy for the 23rd time, celebrating her unrivalled place in history, and received a congratulatory letter and a pair of custom-made shoes from Michael Jordan, the name most synonymous with No. 23.
Venus Williams got to watch from close range again, and shed tears more of joy than regret after being beaten in a major final for the seventh time by her record-breaking younger sister.
Serena won the all-Williams final, the ninth in Grand Slam history and the second in Australia, 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday. With her record seventh Australian Open title, Serena moved ahead of Steffi Graf for the most major titles in the Open era.
Serena Williams, left, is congratulated by her sister Venus after winning their women’s final match at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Jan. 28, 2017. (Tracey Nearmey / EPA)
When Serena sat on the court, holding both arms up to celebrate on Saturday, Venus walked over to her sister’s side of the net for a hug. “This was a tough one,” Serena said. “I really would like to take this moment to congratulate Venus, she’s an amazing person — she’s my inspiration. There’s no way I would be at 23 without her — there’s no way I would be at one without her. Thank you Venus for inspiring me to be the best player I can be and inspiring me to work hard.”
Asked if it felt awkward to be on the receiving end of so many losses to her sister, the 36-year-old Venus didn’t flinch. “No, because I guess I’ve been here before,” she said. “I really enjoy seeing the name Williams on the trophy. This is a beautiful thing.”
Venus won the last of her seven majors in 2008 at Wimbledon. She didn’t make the second week of a major for a few years as she came to terms with an energy-sapping illness after being diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome in 2011. And she only made it back to the semifinals last year at Wimbledon.
Another shot at a first Australian Open title was a sign of progress, she said. “That’s exactly where I want to be standing during these Grand Slams, is on finals day, having an opportunity,” she said. “That’s the highlight of all this, is to be in that moment.”
Serena Williams, meanwhile, enjoyed the fact she made history in Melbourne. Only Margaret Court, with 24, is in front of her in terms of overall Grand Slam singles titles, although the Australian great won 13 of her Grand Slams before the Open era began in 1968.
Serena Williams holds the winner’s trophy as she poses with her sister Venus, the runner-up, on day 13 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Jan. 28, 2017. (Greg Wood / AFP/Getty Images)
“My first Grand Slam started here, and getting to 23 here, but playing Venus, it’s stuff that legends are made of,” Serena said. “I couldn’t have written a better story.”
The match didn’t live up to its classic billing, with nerves and tension causing uncharacteristic mistakes and unforced errors, with four consecutive service breaks before Venus finally held for a 3-2 lead in the first set. That included a game when Serena had game point but served back-to-back double-faults and three in all to give up the break.
There were six service breaks in total. Both players were relatively subdued, except when Serena smashed her racket in the third game. After the fourth game, however, Serena Williams didn’t face another break point in the 1-hour, 22-minute match.
Speaking of records, Serena got a little bit superstitious Down Under, and hadn’t wanted to talk about the No. 23 until she got it.
Now there’s a limited-edition racket — 23 of them to be released — and some custom-made shoes sent by former NBA great Michael Jordan. It had Jordan’s usual jersey number No. 23 stamped on the heel, helping to provide some synchronicity for the numbers involved.
To read full article, go to: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/ct-serena-williams-venus-venus-williams-australian-open–20170128-story.html
Filed under: Australia, Australian Open, grand slam record, Grand Slam titles, Margaret Court, Melbourne, Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, Venus Williams, women's pro tennis, women's tennis
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One thought on “Serena Williams Triumphs over Sister Venus to Win Record 23rd Major Title at Australian Open”
vitaminlover says:
I wonder if Venus let her win?
Leave a Reply to vitaminlover	Cancel reply


Asia Pacific|Reversal by tiny St. Lucia angers China
Reversal by tiny St. Lucia angers China
CASTRIES, St. Lucia — This tiny Caribbean island may have thought it was no big deal when it severed its 10-year relations with China and restored ties Tuesday with rival Taiwan. Wrong.
China, which built a stadium and was finishing a psychiatric hospital here and considers Taiwan a renegade province, called the move "brutal interference in China's internal affairs." In short order, one of the smallest countries in the world has made an enemy out of one of the largest.
Both Taiwan and China, which for more than 20 years have battled for diplomatic allies, brought out their big guns to curry favor with St. Lucia, a verdant, mountainous 610-square-kilometer, or 240-square-mile, island home to 168,000 people.
China sent its foreign minister for a two-day visit in September. Taiwan sent Foreign Minister James Huang in late April. On Tuesday, he and his St. Lucian counterpart, Rufus Bousquet, signed an agreement establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries.
"We have been very careful about making this decision, and now that we have taken it, we do not expect the Chinese will love us any more for it," Bousquet said. "But we expect that they will conduct themselves in a manner that is acceptable to our government."
Bousquet had indicated that any decision would be based on which country could offer a better deal to St. Lucia, where some 20 percent of the population lives in poverty.
As he put it in April: "Support those who give you the most."
Nationalistic pride in St. Lucia, which won independence from Britain in 1979, also played into the equation.
"St. Lucia did not win its sovereignty from one power to be now dictated to by another as to who its friends should be," the weekly St. Lucia Mirror said in a recent editorial. It added that Beijing's One China policy cannot "be legally or diplomatically thrust on St. Lucia, as though we, too, were a colony of China."
St. Lucia indicated last week that if it resumed relations with Taipei, it would still want to be friends with Beijing. The Chinese Embassy sent a rebuff on Friday, saying that China does not accept "double recognition."
China, which had established relations with St. Lucia 10 years ago, was apoplectic at the reversal.
"We express indignation and opposition," Liu Jianchao, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said in a statement carried by the official Xinhua press agency.
Shelley Rigger, a professor of East Asian politics at Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, said the stakes of the back-and-forth game were higher for Taiwan, but both countries play it fiercely.
"Every diplomatic setback and step forward for Taiwan is important," Rigger said.
Rigger said China's foreign policy is still based on the idea that "there's no space for Taiwan in the world."
"This is what happens when you have a foreign policy based on an absolute," he said.
To retaliate, China cannot very well cart off the stadium, named last year for the late George Odlum, who courted Beijing as foreign minister in 1997. The Chinese also built several buildings for an industrial free-trade zone.
It is a given that Beijing will not build a planned cultural center. And work has suddenly slowed on the almost-completed 104-bed psychiatric hospital.
Ties with China did not improve the lot of many St. Lucians. The last 10 years have seen a handful of Chinese businesses open on the island, mainly restaurants and shops. But St. Lucia has not seen the predicted influx of Chinese tourists.
For its part, Taiwan propagated new strains of fruits and vegetables and introduced agricultural techniques during its time here.
Bousquet said Taiwan had agreed to help St. Lucia diversify agriculture, help tourism, develop livestock and create information technology learning centers, all of which fit into government plans to fight poverty.
St. Lucia's recognition of Taiwan is Taipei's first victory in some time in its diplomatic rivalry with Beijing. In 1969, Taiwan had full relations with 67 countries, including the United States and much of Western Europe. Until Tuesday, that number had dwindled to 24.
A version of this article appears in print on May 2, 2007, in The International Herald Tribune. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe