latest from BARRELHOUSE

BARRELHOUSE BUZZ: February 2006: Pop Culture Essay Contest Edition
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Yo Barrelhouse People, A quick Buzz for you this time around. All the better to focus our stubby little attention spans on two things: -- The Barrelhouse Invitational: Pop Culture Essay Contestis open and in full swing. -- In case you didn't get this before, big bad BarrelhouseNumber Two is here and available for order.
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BARRELHOUSE INVITATIONAL: POP CULTURE ESSAY EDITION
Now featuring cash money prizes! We're looking for great nonfiction with a pop culture slant. The winner will receive $200 and publication in Barrelhouse print issue 3 (this summer). $13 per entry.We believe you have it in you. Somewhere out there, there's a brilliant essay on Mr. T or Fantasy Island or Jay-Z and Beyonce or, well, you get the picture -- we could go on andon (and we do, when we've had a few too many Brooklyn Browns). If you've got a great essay with a pop culture angle, we'd love to read it. If, along the way, we learn a little something about you, the world as you see it, or Life As We Know It, so much the better. Make us laugh, cry, nod our heads in a knowing fashion, twinkle, nod, reprogram our Tivo, twitch uncomfortably, or run to the record store to buy Live at the Appolo.Enter today! For more information, read this:http://www.barrelhousemag.com/invitational_enter.html
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BIG BAD BARRELHOUSE TWO: It's here! And you can buy one today. Issue two includesnew fiction, poetry, and essays from the likes of Brian Ames, Lee Klein, Sean Beaudoin, Nancy Slavin, John Repp, and PaulaMorris. And loads of other talented, talented people. And that's just the normal stuff. There's also an interview with punk icon Ian MacKaye of Fugazi and Dischord Records, the Action Figure Portrait Gallery, and the Illustrated Story, “Sex and Pills: A Love Story,” by Carrie Hill Wilner and adapted by Kylos Brannon. And last but not least: the Very Special Swayze Section. That's right: we are quite confident in telling you that Barrelhouse 2 includes the finest Patrick Swayze related fiction and poetry ever published in any literary magazine ever. Ever! Quick, before you do anything stupid, click here to score yourself a copy today: http://www.barrelhousemag.com/issuetwo.html
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JUST COME ON BACK, NOW, Y'HEAR: Visit the Barrelhouse site. Bring all your smartass friends. http://www.barrelhousemag.com

new NARRATIVE up online

Narrative announces a new issue with new short stories by Wesley Brown and Cai Emmons Three Short Pieces by Padgett Powell the first installment of Tom Grimes’s new novel Redemption Song excerpts from novels-in-progress by Mermer Blakeslee and Robin Troy an essay about writing and being shy by Rick Bass a photo feature on the Narrative Reading with James Salter, Min Jin Lee, and Pia Z. Ehrhardt a classic story by Frank Conroy Readers’ Narratives from around the world and First & Second Looks at not-to-be missed books log on at WWW.NARRATIVEMAGAZINE.COM

Call For Submissions

Call For Submissions
Bound Off, a new monthly literary audio broadcast, is now accepting manuscripts for its March 15 Podcast. The broadcasts will consist of short literary fiction of 250-3,000 words, read via the newest podcasting technology.To listen to Bound Off, visit www.boundoff.com or search for Bound Off in the Podcasts section of the iTunes Music Store.Submissions will be accepted at any time. Contributors will be paid $20 per accepted story. For information on how to submit your manuscripts, please visit Bound Off's website at www.boundoff.com [from ewn]

new Underground Window is up

Welcome to another edition of Underground Window, where new submissions of poetry/short fiction/photo essays/reviews are always welcome.First (and most importantly), UW is proud to present the following poets in the March edition: David Hill, Josef Lesser, Suchoon Mo, Harold Lorin, Bob Bradshaw, Jorge Lucio de Campos, Jeffrey Side, Joseph Trombatore, Jason Alan Wilkinson, Jeanpaul Ferro, Sharon Rothenfluch Cooper, Patricia Wellingham-Jones, Sadi Ranson-Polizzotti, Mark Polizzotti, Corey Mesler and Joseph Armstead; and the following fiction writers: Laura Stamps, Gary Beck and Jeanpaul Ferro.

Secondly, we are really happy to begin our monthly feature of photo essays with an extremely well-done one by Jeff Crouch, and we’ve chosen one of his photos as our front page art.Thirdly, Charles P. Ries rejoins UW as a guest columnist for a review of Baby Beat Generation and the 2nd San Francisco Renaissance, and we're hoping for even more from Mr. Ries as he enlightens us as to what poetry is and who needs to be read. Sharon Rothenfluch Cooper pleasures us with an essay on Billy Collins. And we have new columns by Assistant Editors Gloriane and Evan Plante. Plus, our own staff Music Editor, Jarvis Black, reviews four selections by Placebo, Raphael Saddiq, Psi Com and H.I.M.Fourthly, UW is accepting reviews of anything artistic (be it theatre, film, poetry readings, etc.) and photos for publication starting with the March edition. Whenever you kind readers want to begin sending submissions, check here for where they should go.

events @ museum of the moving image

REDUCED PRICE TICKETS FOR ‘A TRIBUTE TO RICHARD PRYOR’ The Museum is pleased to offer reduced-price tickets to all three events this weekend in its special tribute to Richard Pryor, With guest appearances by actress Lonette McKee, comedian Paul Mooney, and cultural historian Mel Watkins, and rare screenings of Pryor’s standup comedy and film work. Admission will be the same as regular film programs: $10 for the general public, $7.50 for college students and senior citizens, and free for Museum members. For nonmembers, a combination package of $25 for all three evenings is also available. To purchase, call 718-784-4520. See below for program details.

WIM WENDERS AND JESSICA LANGE IN PERSON WITH PREVIEW SCREENING OF 'DON'T COME KNOCKING'On Thursday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m., internationally renowned director Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire, The Buena Vista Social Club) and Academy Award-winning actress Jessica Lange will participate in a Pinewood Dialogue following a screening of Don’t Come Knocking, a wry and moving drama that reunites Wenders with writer Sam Shepard for the first time since they collaborated 21 years ago on Paris, Texas. The screening will take place at the Directors Guild Theater, 110 West 57 Street, in Manhattan. Tickets are $18 for the general public and $12 for Museum members. Call 718-784-4520.

Friday, February 2412:00 noonMOTION WORKSHOP GET ANIMATED WITH WALLACE & GROMIT
Before watching the claymation duo Wallace & Gromit in their Academy Award-nominated feature film, visitors are invited to participate in a Motion Workshop to learn the basic principles behind how moving images work. With the help of Museum educators, kids learn how to make a nineteenth-century optical toy, and create their own moving images at the Video Flipbook and the Digital Animation Stands. 1:30 p.m
.WALLACE & GROMIT IN THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT
FAMILY MATINEE: GET ANIMATED WITH WALLACE & GROMIT 2005, 85 mins., 35mm. Wallace and Gromit’s pest control outfit ‘Anti-Pesto’ defends a prized field of vegetables in the intrepid duo’s feature film debut—nominated for Best Animated Feature in this year’s Oscar race.

LA REVUE DES REVUESJOSEPHINE BAKER ON FILM 1927, 103 mins., video, France. Two priceless sequences of Josephine Baker dancing are among the highlights of this archival treasure. Long considered a lost film, La Revue was pieced together with footage from five international film archives. Preceded by Josephine Baker at the Folies Bergère, which includes footage of Baker dancing in her most iconic costume: a girdle of bananas and a brilliant smile. 3:15pm

7:30 p.m.WORKING WITH RICHARD PRYOR: PANEL DISCUSSION WITH LONETTE MCKEE, PAUL MOONEY, MEL WATKINSA TRIBUTE TO RICHARD PRYORPryor’s legacy will be discussed by Lonette McKee, who starred with Pryor in Which Way is Up? and Brewster’s Millions’; comedian Paul Mooney, who co-wrote Pryor’s television specials and Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling; and Mel Watkins, author of On the Real Side: A History of African American Comedy. Highlights from Pryor’s films and TV shows will be screened. Tickets: $10 public, $7.50 students, FREE for Museum members. Call 718-784-4520 to order.

Saturday, February 25
2:00 p.m.SIREN OF THE TROPICS JOSEPHINE BAKER ON FILM 1927, 86 mins., video, France. In her first starring film role, Baker plays a tropical innocent who falls in love with a Parisian architect. The film showcases Baker’s slapstick flair: as a stowaway romping through an ocean liner, she evokes all the Marx Brothers rolled into one. Preceded by The Fireman of the Folies Bergère (1928, 8 mins.) Baker is among a bevy of semi-nude dancers who star in the hallucinations of a drunken fireman.
4:30 p.m.PRINCESS TAM TAM JOSEPHINE BAKER ON FILM 1935, 77 mins., 35mm, France. Baker’s then husband, “Count” Pepito D’Abatino, wrote the screenplay for Baker’s most accomplished film, the Pygmalion-like comedy about a free-spirited sheperdess who becomes the muse for a married French novelist. He brings his new mistress to Europe to “civilize” her, but her wild dancing threatens to expose her true identity. Also showing Sunday, February 26, 4:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m.Actress Lonette McKee in person
WHICH WAY IS UP?A TRIBUTE TO RICHARD PRYOR 1977, 94 mins., 35mm. In this ambitious and raunchy remake of Lina Wertmuller’s satire The Seduction of Mimi, Lonette McKee plays a labor organizer and Richard Pryor plays three roles: an orange picker, a lascivious older man, and a philandering reverend. Tickets: $10 public, $7.50 students, FREE for Museum members. Call 718-784-4520 to order.

Sunday, February 26
2:00 p.m.ZOUZOU JOSEPHINE BAKER ON FILM 1934, 92 mins. 35mm, France. Directed by Marc Allegret and costarring Jean Gabin, Zouzou was Baker’s personal favorite among her own films. Variety raved: “Miss Baker sings just three songs in the film, but all are of hit quality.”
4:30 p.m. PRINCESS TAM TAM JOSEPHINE BAKER ON FILM 1935, 77 mins., 35mm, France. See Saturday, February 25, 4:30 p.m. for description.6:30 p.m. Comedian Paul Mooney in person

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 'THE RICHARD PRYOR SHOW 'A TRIBUTE TO RICHARD PRYOR Comedian and writer Paul Mooney will present highlights from Richard Pryor’s legendary short-lived network TV comedy revue series. "The show was no vanilla milkshake," said Pryor of the series, which featured appearances by Robin Williams, Maya Angelou, Sandra Bernhard, Paul Mooney, and others. Tickets: $10 public, $7.50 students, FREE for Museum members. Call 718-784-4520 to order.

Next Week
ANNA MAY WONG RETROSPECTIVE OPENS Historian Shirley Jennifer Lim introduces The Toll of the Sea, presented with live piano accompaniment; restored gem Piccadilly screens. March 4 + 5
ANTONIONI'S 'THE PASSENGER'I n Repertory Nights, March 3-5

Museum of the Moving Image is located at 35 Avenue and 36 Street in Astoria.Trains: R, V (R, G on weekends) to Steinway. N, W to 36 Avenue. For more information about screenings and events, please visit movingimage.us

U.S. Casualties in Iraq reported 2/21-2/23/06

from D.O.D. releases 2/21-2/23/06

2nd Lt. Almar L. Fitzgerald, 23, of Lexington, S.C., died Feb. 21 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany from wounds received Feb. 18 as a result of an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to the 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

Daniel J. Kuhlmeier, 30, of Omaha, Neb., died Feb. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq when the convoy he was traveling in was struck by an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to Detachment 204, 2nd Field Investigations Region, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

Sgt. Charles E. Matheny, IV, 23 of Stanwood, Wash., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 18, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Matheny was assigned to the Army's 704th Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Staff Sgt. Jay T. Collado, 31, of Columbia, S.C., died Feb. 20 from an improvised explosive device near Baghdad, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron-267, Marine Aircraft Group-39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was attached to the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division.

Cpl. Matthew D. Conley, 21, of Killen, Ala., died Feb. 18, when his vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

from American Forces Press Service release 2/23/06

Four Soldiers Killed; DoD Releases Name of Previous CasualtyAmerican Forces Press Service

Four U. S. soldiers from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, were killed near Hawijah, Iraq, yesterday when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb, military officials reported today. The soldiers were on a combat patrol at the time of the incident. Names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Meanwhile, the Defense Department has released the name of a previous U. S. casualty in Iraq.
Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jay T. Collado, 31, of Columbia, S. C. , died Feb. 20 from an improvised explosive device near Baghdad. He was assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was attached to the U. S. Army's 4th Infantry Division.

U.S. Casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan 2/18-2/20/06

reported in D.O.D. releases dated 2/18-2/20/06

A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier was killed today when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle in eastern Baghdad, military officials reported. The soldier's name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The Department of Defense announced today the death of eight Marines and two airmen Feb. 17, when two CH-53 helicopters crashed into the Gulf of Aden in the vicinity of Ras Siyyan, northern Djibouti, while flying a training mission in the Godoria Range area. The Marines and airmen were deployed to Djibouti as part of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. The Marines were assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464, Marine Air Group 29, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force, New River, N.C.1st Lt. Brandon R. Dronet, 33, of Erath, La.Sgt. James F. Fordyce, 22, of Newton Square, Pa. Lance Cpl. Samuel W. Large, Jr., 21, of Villa Rica, Ga. Sgt. Donnie Leo F. Levens, 25, of Long Beach, Miss. Cpl. Matthieu Marcellus, 31, of Gainesville, Fla. Sgt. Jonathan E. McColley, 23, of Gettysburg, Pa.Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Sovie, 20, of Ogdensburg, N.Y. Capt. Bryan D. Willard, 33, of Hummelstown, Pa.

The airmen were SrA. Alecia S. Good, 23, of Broadview Heights, Ohio. Good was assigned to the 92nd Communications Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base,Wash. Staff Sgt. Luis M. Melendez Sanchez, 33, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Sanchez was assigned to the 1st Communications Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Va. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

Cpt. Anthony R. Garcia, 48, of Fort Worth, Texas, died in Tikrit, Iraq, on Feb. 17, from a gun shot wound. Garcia was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. The incident is under investigation.

Sgt. 1st Class Amos C. Edwards, Jr., 41, of Savannah, Ga., died in Ar Rutbah, Iraq, on Feb. 17, from a non-combat related cause. Edwards was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery Regiment, 48th Brigade Combat Team, Savannah, Ga. The incident is under investigation.

U.S. Casualties Iraq & Afghanistan 2/13-2/16/06

Cpl. Andrew J. Kemple, 23, of Cambridge, Minn., died in Tikrit, Iraq on Feb. 12, when his HMMWV came under small arms fire during combat operations. Kemple was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Lance Cpl. Michael S. Probst, 26, of Irvine, Calif., died Feb. 14 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Abu Ghraib, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

Spc. Felipe J. Garcia Villareal, 26, of Burke, Va., died at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 12, of injuries sustained in Ramadi, Iraq on Feb. 9, when his tent caught fire. Garcia Villareal was assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, Warner Barracks, Bamberg, Germany.The incident is under investigation.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Wilson, 25, of Newark Valley, N.Y., died Feb. 12 as a result of an improvised explosive device in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Three, based in San Diego, Calif.

Pfc. Javier Chavez Jr., 19, of Cutler, Calif., died Feb. 9 from wounds received as a result of an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Fallujah, Iraq.Cpl. Ross A. Smith, 21, of Wyoming, Mich., died Feb. 9 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces near Fallujah, Iraq.
Both Marines were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. During OIF their unit is attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

The following soldiers were killed north of Deh Rawod, Afghanistan, on Feb. 13, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during combat operations. Sgt. 1st Class Chad A. Gonsalves, 31, of Turlock, Calif. Gonsalves was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. Staff Sgt. Edwin H. Dazachacon, 38, of Belleville, Ill. Dazachacon was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. Staff Sgt. Clinton T. Newman, 26, of San Antonio, Texas. Newman was assigned to the 321st Civil Affairs Brigade, San Antonio, Texas Sgt. Alberto D. Montrond, 27, of Suffolk, Mass. Montrond was assigned to the Group Support Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Barnes, 20, of West Monroe, La. and Cpl. Rusty L. Washam, 21, of Huntsville, Tenn.Feb. 14, were killed when a suicide car bomber attacked their vehicle near Al Qa’im, Iraq. They were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division; II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Wilson, 25, of Newark Valley, N. Y. , died Feb. 12 as a result of a roadside bomb explosion in Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 3, based in San Diego.

Marine Pfc. Matthew L. Bertolino, 20, of Hampstead, N. H. , died Feb. 9 when the vehicle he was traveling in rolled over during a combat patrol near Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Barnes, 20, of West Monroe, La. , and Marine Cpl. Rusty L. Washam, 21, of Huntsville, Tenn. , died Feb. 14 when a suicide car bomber attacked their vehicle near Qaim, Iraq. They were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N. C.

Marine Lance Cpl. Michael S. Probst, 26, of Irvine, Calif. , died Feb. 14 of injuries suffered in a roadside bomb explosion near Abu Ghraib, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

photos of our snow..whoo.

photos borrowed from var. sources...above - Houston Street on Sunday.
Left - Central Park.

U.S. Casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan 2/10-2/13/06

Pfc. Matthew L. Bertolino, 20, of Hampstead, N.H., died Feb. 9, when the vehicle he was traveling in was involved in a rollover while operating as part of a combat patrol near Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The accident is currently under investigation.

Three Servicemembers Killed; DoD Releases Name
– A U. S. servicemember was killed in a vehicle accident in Afghanistan and two Marines died from roadside bomb wounds in Iraq yesterday, officials said.
The servicemember in Afghanistan was killed when the Humvee he was traveling in was involved in a rollover northwest of Jalalabad. The vehicle was operating as part of a combat patrol at the time of the accident.
The cause of the accident, which caused no other injuries, remains under investigation No other injuries from the accident were reported. Neither the servicemember's unit or service branch were reported.
Also yesterday, two Marines assigned to 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, died as a result of wounds received when their patrol was attacked with an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Fallujah.
The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The Defense Department released the name of a previous U. S. casualty in Iraq. Spc. Allen D. Kokesh Jr. , 21, of Yankton, S. D. , died at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio on Feb. 7 of injuries sustained in Baghdad on Dec. 4 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee. Kokesh was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 147th Field Artillery, Yankton, S. D.

Paul Auster @ Bowery Poetry Club Mon. 2/13

Monday 2/13 @ the Bowery Poetry Club 308 Bowery (Blkr & Houston) bowerypoetry.com

5:00pm - 7:00pm Study Abroad on the Bowery! Visiting Professor PAUL AUSTER $10/$5 student/Free SAB + Poetry Project This Event at the Bowery Poetry Club (most Study Abroad Visiting Writers will read/talk at CUNY Grad Center this term) "Becoming a writer is not a 'career decision' like becoming a doctor or a policeman. You don't choose it so much as get chosen, and once you accept the fact that you're not fit for anything else, you have to be prepared to walk a long, hard road for the rest of your days." Recognized as one of the US's most extraordinary writers and the only US citizen in the French Academy, Auster has published sixteen books including The New York Trilogy and Moon Palace and four books of poetry, edited The Random House Book of French Poetry, and made four films, including the cult favorite Smoke. He has received the French Academy's Order of Arts and Letters along with fellow Americans Robert Redford, Susan Sontag and Meryl Streep.

U.S. Casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan 2/10/06

from American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2006 – A U. S. servicemember was killed in a vehicle accident in Afghanistan and two Marines died from roadside bomb wounds in Iraq yesterday, officials said.
The servicemember in Afghanistan was killed when the Humvee he was traveling in was involved in a rollover northwest of Jalalabad. The vehicle was operating as part of a combat patrol at the time of the accident.
The cause of the accident, which caused no other injuries, remains under investigation No other injuries from the accident were reported. Neither the servicemember's unit or service branch were reported.
Also yesterday, two Marines assigned to 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, died as a result of wounds received when their patrol was attacked with an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations near Fallujah.
The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The Defense Department released the name of a previous U. S. casualty in Iraq. Spc. Allen D. Kokesh Jr. , 21, of Yankton, S. D. , died at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio on Feb. 7 of injuries sustained in Baghdad on Dec. 4 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee. Kokesh was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 147th Field Artillery, Yankton, S. D.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan and Defense Department news releases. )

from D.O.D. Releases

Spc. Allen D. Kokesh Jr., 21, of Yankton, S. D., died at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Feb. 7 of injuries sustained in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 4 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Kokesh was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 147th Field Artillery, Yankton, S. D.

Spc. Roberto L. Martinez Salazar, 21, of Long Beach, Calif., died in Mosul, Iraq on Feb. 4, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his up-armored HMMWV during patrol operations. Martinez Salazar was assigned to Company A, 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.

White House Knew of Levee's Failure on Night of Storm

photos (L: yahoo, above: NY TIMES)

Sometimes a news story is so disheartening, I can't even respond to it.

In Memoriam: Betty Friedan

[from NOW.org]

Honoring Groundbreaking Author, a NOW Founder and First President
February 4, 2006
Betty Friedan at a NOW action in May, 1995.
Today the National Organization for Women (NOW) and the nation celebrate the life and legacy of Betty Friedan, one of the founders of NOW and the modern women's rights movement.
"Freidan wrote The Feminine Mystique in 1963, and it opened women's eyes," said NOW President Kim Gandy. "Betty recognized a longing in the women of her generation, a longing for something more — opportunity, recognition, fulfillment, success, a chance to live their own dreams beyond the narrow definition of 'womanhood' that had limited their lives."
In June, 1966, Betty Friedan and 27 other women and men founded NOW, which has grown into the United States' largest feminist organization. Later that year she was elected NOW's first president, and her fame as an author helped attract hundreds of thousands of women to the new organization. Friedan and Dr. Pauli Murray co-authored NOW's original Statement of Purpose, which began, "The purpose of NOW is to take action to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society now, exercising all the privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men."
Friedan was NOW's president from 1966 to 1970. During that time we lobbied the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to enforce laws against sex discrimination in employment, and to ban ads that were segregated by sex. We forced airlines to change their policies that permitted only female flight attendants, and required them to resign once they married or turned 32. And in a key achievement, NOW convinced President Johnson to sign an Executive Order barring sex discrimination by federal contractors. In 1968, NOW became the first national organization to endorse the legalization of abortion.
Gandy remembers that time: "Betty led NOW through those first few turbulent years after our founding in 1966, when we were challenging every orthodoxy about what it meant to be a woman — about what it would mean to have control over your own body and your own life, and not be limited by other peoples' stereotypes."
Latifa Lyles, elected a national Vice President of NOW last year at age 29, says of Friedan,"The movement that was sparked by The Feminine Mystique continues today to inspire women of my generation to take action to achieve full equality."
The organization she led celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Gandy says, "She sparked a movement that is larger and stronger than ever — made up of women who expect equality and equal opportunity for ourselves and our daughters, and the men who stand with us."

U.S. Casualties - Iraq & Afghanistan 2/7-2/9/06

from D.O.D. releases:

Petty Officer 3rd Class John T. Fralish, 30, of New Kingstown, Pa., died Feb. 6, when enemy forces opened fire on a U.S. patrol northwest of Methar Lam in Laghman Province, Afghanistan. Fralish was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division Detachment, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii.

Spc. Patrick W. Herried, 29, of Sioux Falls, S.D., died in Rawah, Iraq, on Feb. 6, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Stryker military vehicle during patrol operations. Herried was assigned to the Army's 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

Cpl. Orville Gerena, 21, of Virginia Beach, Va. and Lance Cpl. David S. Parr, 22, of Benson, N.C.
Both Marines died Feb. 6 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Hit, Iraq. They were assigned to Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Cpl. Brandon S. Schuck, 21, of Safford, Ariz., died Feb. 6 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Baghdadi, Iraq. He was assigned to the 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Pfc. Jacob D. Spann, 21, of Columbus, Ohio, died Feb. 6 from wounds sustained as a result of an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Hit, Iraq. He was assigned to Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Lance Cpl. Steven L. Phillips, 27, of Chesapeake, Va., died Feb. 7 from a non-hostile vehicle accident while conducting combat operations against enemy forces near Al Qaim, Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.The accident is under investigation.

underground window accepting for MAY

just had an email from Underground Window that they're accepting submissions for May.
http://www.undergroundwindow.com/

upcoming writing contest deadlines

February 10
Library of Virginia Literary Awards
Poetry Center of Chicago
Juried Reading

February 13
Marin Arts Council
New Work Fellowships

February 15
Converse College
Julia Peterkin Award

National Poetry Series
Open Competition

Sarabande Books Poetry and Short Fiction Prizes

Tupelo Press Snowbound Series Chapbook Award

Vermont Studio Center Fellowship Competition

Artist Trust
Grants for Artist Projects

February 28
Association of Writers & Writing Programs Award Series
Chicago Tribune Nelson Algren Awards
Fence Books Modern Poets Series
Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writers Awards
The Ledge
Fiction Award
Summer Literary Seminars
Fiction and Poetry Contest
University of Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellowships

glimmer train short story contest deadline March 31st

from Glimmer Train Press:

Our spring Short Story Award for New Writers competition is now open!
Here’s a shortcut to the website: www.glimmertrain.org
Click on the guidelines tab for details or just hit the submissions tab. Please make your entry by March 31st.

U.S. Casualties in Iraq 2/5 - 2/7/06

From D.O.D. releases dated 2/5 - 2/7/06

Staff Sgt. Christopher R. Morningstar, 27, of San Antonio, Texas and Sgt. Jeremiah J. Boehmer, 22, of Parkston, S.D. were killed in Al Husayniyah, Iraq on Feb. 5, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Stryker Engineer Squad Vehicle. Both soldiers were assigned to the 562nd Engineer Company, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

Spc. Sergio A. Mercedes Saez, 23, of New York, N.Y., died in Baghdad, Iraq on Feb. 5, when the HMMWV in which he was riding accidentally rolled over into a canal. Mercedes Saez was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. The incident is under investigation.

IED Attacks Kill Four Marines; Army Casualty Identified
Two attacks with improvised explosive devices killed four Marines in Iraq's Anbar province, Multinational Force Iraq officials said today. An attack in Hit yesterday killed three Marines assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable). The unit has operated in Anbar province since mid-December along with a battalion of Iraqi army soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division. The fourth Marine, assigned to 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), died as a result of wounds from an IED attack while conducting combat operations in Anbar province Feb. 5.

The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of family.

The Defense Department also announced yesterday that Spc. William S. Hayes III, 23, of St. Tammany, La. , died in Baghdad, on Feb. 5, of a noncombat related injury.
Hayes was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Spc. William S. Hayes III, 23, of St. Tammany, La., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 5, of a non-combat related injury. Hayes was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.The incident is under investigation.

U.S. Casualties in Iraq 2/3-2/6/06

From D.O.D. releases dated 2/3-2/6/06

1st. Lt. Simon T. Cox, Jr., 30, of Texas, died in Taji, Iraq, on Feb. 2, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M2A3 Bradley. Cox was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Spc. Jesse M. Zamora, 22, of Las Cruces, N.M., died in Bayji, Iraq, on Feb. 3, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Zamora was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Sgt. 1st Class Lance S. Cornett, 33, of London, Ky., died in the vicinity of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on Feb. 3, of injuries sustained earlier that day while engaging enemy forces. Cornett was assigned to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Spc. Walter B. Howard, II, 35, of Rochester, Mich., died in Balad, Iraq, on Feb. 2, of injuries sustained earlier that day in Ashraf, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1 Abrams tank. Howard was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Pfc. Scott A. Messer, 26, of Ashland, Ky., died in Ashraf, Iraq, on Feb. 2, when his HMMWV accidentally rolled over during convoy operations. Messer was assigned to the Army's 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.The incident is under investigation.

1st Lt. Garrison C. Avery, 23, of Lincoln, Neb. Spc. Marlon A. Bustamante, 25, of Corona, N.Y. and Pfc. Caesar S. Viglienzone, 21, of Santa Rosa, Calif.in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 1, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV. The soldiers were assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Spc. Anthony C. Owens, 21, of Conway, S.C., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 1, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using grenades and small arms fire. Owens was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Pfc. Sean T. Cardelli, 20, of Downers Grove, Ill., died Feb. 1 from enemy small arms fire while conducting combat operations near Fallujah, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died after a roadside bomb struck the vehicle he was riding in north of Baghdad, officials reported today. The soldier's name is being withheld until next of kin are notified.

The Defense Department announced that Marine Pfc. Sean T. Cardelli, 20, of Downers Grove, Ill. , died Feb. 1 from enemy small-arms fire while conducting combat operations near Fallujah, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. His unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

From American Forces Press Service:

– A U. S. servicemember was killed today when enemy forces northwest of Methar Lam in Afghanistan's Lagham province opened fire on a U. S. patrol, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials announced.
The patrol quickly pursued the enemy, returning fire and requesting close-air support, officials said. The enemy fled the area.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our fellow servicemembers," said Brig. Gen. Jack Sterling Jr. , Combined Joint Task Force 76 deputy commanding general. "He was here serving his country and trying to make Afghanistan a safer place for all. His sacrifice will never be forgotten. "
The servicemember's name is being withheld pending notification of family.

Meanwhile, the Defense Department has identified seven servicemembers who died recently

Three soldiers -- 1st Lt. Garrison C. Avery, 23, of Lincoln, Neb. ; Spc. Marlon A. Bustamante, 25, of Corona, N. Y. ; and Pfc. Caesar S. Viglienzone, 21, of Santa Rosa, Calif. -- died Feb. 1 in Baghdad when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee. All three were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Army Spc. Walter B. Howard II, 35, of Rochester, Mich. , died Feb. 2 in Balad of injuries suffered earlier that day in Ashraf, when a roadside bomb detonated near his M-1 Abrams tank. Howard was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Army Spc. Jesse M. Zamora, 22, of Las Cruces, N. M. , died Feb. 3 in Bayji when a roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee. Zamora was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Lance S. Cornett, 33, of London, Ky. , died Feb. 3 near Ramadi of injuries suffered earlier that day while engaging enemy forces. Cornett was assigned to the U. S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N. C.

Army 1st Lt. Simon T. Cox, Jr. , 30, of Texas, died Feb. 2 in Taji when a roadside bomb detonated near his Bradley fighting vehicle. Cox was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

you know you're from the PNW when...

a friend just sent this to me...my comments in itals...

The Pacific Northwest According To Jeff Foxworthy:
1. You know the state flower (mildew). rhododendrons...silly.
2. You feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash. shouldn't everyone?
3. Use the phrase "sun break" and know what it means. I still have that awful guilty feeling if I'm inside and the "sun's out"...
4. You know more than 10 ways to order coffee. only if you're a recent transplant
5. You know more people who own boats than air conditioners.
we actually had 2 and a canoe
6. You feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant.
again - recent transplants - my dad would NEVER go to a nice restaurant w/out a jacket. Me? I prefer fleece.
7. You stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "WALK" signal.
8. You think that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it's not a real mountain.
Well if there's no snow, there are no glaciers & hence, it's not a real mountain.
9. You can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and Veneto's.
And I can tell the difference between someone who moved there with Microsoft & a 4th generation PNWer...ahem.
10. You know the difference between Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon.
don't forget Copper River and...
11. You know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Issaquah, Yakima and Willamette.
I used to think the PNW had the market on tough names until I went to Louisiana...Try saying Tchoupitoulas when you've had too many .
12. You consider swimming an indoor sport.
Well yeah...unless you want to be shark bait.
13. You can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Thai food.
That's actually something I didn't really know (at least Thai) until I moved to NYC.
14. In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, while only working 8 hour days.
Welcome to life in NYC!
15. You never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho. It's called "being prepared"...
16. You are not fazed by "Today's forecast: showers followed by rain," and "Tomorrow's forecast: rain followed by showers." Try explaining to a New Yorker the difference between "misting" and "drizzle"...
17. You have no concept of humidity without precipitation.
18. You know that Boring is a town in Oregon, and not just a state of mind.
19. You can point to at least two volcanoes, even though you can't see through the cloud cover.
20. You note, "The mountain is out", when it is a pretty day and you can actually see it
21. You put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 50, but still wear your hiking boots and parka. hiking boots are for hiking...parkas are for Alaska & for tourists.
22. You switch to your sandals when it gets about 60, but keep the socks on.
We have a rule in our family about no socks with sandals...
23. You have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.
That's SO California...mountains are for hiking and climbing - not for Californians with a death wish.
24. You think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists.
I've always used an umbrella...the tourists are the ones who don't know how to walk down a street w/out running into people w/their umbrellas...
25. You buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time. sunglasses??
26. You measure distance in hours. I still don't know how many miles it is between Olympia and Vancouver but I can tell you it take 3 hours to get there...and an hour and a half to get to downtown (Seattle of course).
27. You often switch from "heat" to "a/c" in the same day. we actually didn't have a/c in our last house...
28. You design your kids' Halloween costumes to fit under a raincoat.
Do you know how many times I had to be a GHOST?
29. You know all the important seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Raining (Spring), Road Construction (Summer), Deer & Elk season (Fall). Everyone knows there are only the following seasons - Tourist Season, Ski Season (see Tourist Season) and Off Season (when the tourists finally get sick of the rain & LEAVE).