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Creative Design Jobs in Bristol, Connecticut Graphic Designer About the Job Ski Sundown is seeking a part-time, year-round, talented and motivated graphic designer to join our marketing team. The ideal individual is passionate about snowsports and possesses the ability to develop impactful, targeted marketing and advertising materials that communicate and enhance our brand. Ski Sundown is a family-friendly and family-focused ski area that is... Axis NA LLC is seeking a highly motivated, team player to assist in product development and approval management. Job responsibilities/duties would include but are not limited to: - Communicating with customers and factories for sample requests, order processing and approval follow up - Organizing tech packs - Reviewing samples prior to submitting to customers - Managing fabric ordering/development... Founded in 1940, Michael Baker Corporation (NYSE Amex: BKR), through its affiliates, provides professional engineering, architectural and other professional consulting services for its public and private sector clients’ most complex challenges worldwide. The Company’s markets of focus include Aviation, Construction Management, Defense, Environmental, Facilities, Geospatial Information Technologies... Develop and oversees website design and creation. Plans, designs, evaluates, develops, tests, edits, maintains, and documents look and flow of websites. Designs and/or supervises design of digitized images, banners, bullets, charts, image maps and other graphics to enhance appearance of site while keeping brand standards. Applies knowledge of programming techniques and computer internet systems. E... Permasteelisa North America is a vertically integrated organization which engineers, manufactures and installs external cladding, also known as architectural envelopes or curtain walls, using materials such as glass and aluminum. The Company is the North American subsidiary of Permasteelisa S.p.A., headquartered in Vittorio Veneto, Italy. With revenues of approximately $1.6 billion worldwide, Perm... Talascend, LLC is seeking Senior Drafter for a direct hire opportunity for our client in Windsor, CT. OVERVIEW: · This role is responsible to prepare complex designs, 3D models and drawings as required to fulfill engineering specifications and customer requirements; provide assistance to senior staff involved in drafting related functions and recommend measures to improve operations and customer s... Talascend is currently seeking a Senior Drafting Designer for a direct hire opportunity located in Windsor, Connecticut. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: · Prepare in close association with the responsible design engineering department, work scope definition, design layout and detailed designs to satisfy requirements and conditions of assigned contracts, proposals or related tasks. Site scoping trips may... Find Creative Designer Jobs Get Online. Get Found. Get Jobs View Design Creative Jobs on Ask.com. Try our New Search Results! Ask.com/Design Creative Jobs Low Prices on Creative Design. Free 2-Day Shipping w/ Amazon Prime. All jobs in design with one search. 65,000+ new jobs - Apply today! Didn't find the right Creative Design job in Bristol, Connecticut? We'll keep looking and send you new jobs that match this search. Upload your resume and let employers find you! It's that simple! Answers for Creative Design Jobs Questions & Answers Powered by Yahoo! Answers If I have a moonlighting graphic design freelance job, do I need a business license in WA state? I have a regular job during the week but also have a freelance graphic design job during the evenings and weekends. Do I need a business license to do this or can I just write it off next year at tax ... Who is responsible for choosing what vehicle models and colors will be produced for a manufacturer? As in, what is the title of the position within the organization. I know most car manufacturers have a creative design team that creates the overall image of the vehicle, but that's not what I'm looki... What are some essential things I should know how to do before going into a graphic design job? I'm about to start a graphic design job and am slightly worried that I won't be able to do everything that is asked of me. I'm not too bad with Photoshop, Indesign and Illustrator but I could certainl... What is the creative job market like in Anchorage, Alaska? I'm thinking of moving up north and either finding a graphic design job or opening up my own design business. I know Anchorage is the largest city, but I wonder if anyone can clue me in to creative in... What are some fun graphic design jobs? I'm thinking about being a graphic designer when I get older but I want a job that is fun and that I enjoy. Are there any graphic design jobs where you get to work with celebrities or travel? Also if ... Popular Creative Design Articles Resume Tips for Creative Professionals Your job requires effective communication, and your resume does too. Convey the right message with these tips. Creative Ways to Improve Your Resume It's easy to get stuck in a rut when you're working with material you know so well. Here's how to review and revise your resume with fresh eyes. Audio: Carve Out Time in Your Workday for Creative Thinking Listen to this Monster Podcast to learn how to become more productive by slowing down and taking time to think creatively. 10 Business Skills Creative Professionals Need to Succeed Whether you work in-house or contract, having some basic business knowledge never hurts. These tips can help you build your business expertise. Interview Tips for Landing a Creative Job Dan Garriott once worked in creative; now he places its workers. Get his unique insights on selling your talents.
Connecting Your Major to Employment Opportunities Given the rising cost of education and the contraction in labor markets, it has been harder and harder for some to justify choosing a liberal arts discipline. Fortunately for those taking a sophisticated approach to this dilemma there is some middle ground. The college student can combine liberal arts study in an area of academic passion with a more practical grounding via experiences like a minor, internship, volunteer experience or graduate study. Capitalizing on Campus Activities The student who loves Victorian literature but has no plans to go on for a PhD. and teach might select a secondary area of study and/or interest. If the student enjoys writing, that might mean taking on a minor in communications or marketing. This could be combined with campus activities like writing for the campus newspaper, editing a college magazine or working for a campus television station. An internship with a public relations/marketing firm or online media outlet would further qualify the student for entry level jobs outside academia. Bridging a Major to Work Another way to bridge an English major, or other liberal arts major, to the work world is through professional school in an applied area. A broad range of possible disciplines could be considered with common areas including law, business, journalism, library science, communications, medicine, public health, counseling, speech and hearing pathology, human resources, social work, environmental studies, technical writing, public administration and international affairs. Often a few related courses (well short of a major) and some volunteer or internship experience is all that is needed for the student to qualify for admissions at a professional school. Researching Majors and Career Options College students considering a major in English should reach out to the Career and/or Alumni office at their school to obtain a list of graduates who majored in the discipline. Ask for contact information and job titles so you can reach out to alums working in interesting fields to conduct informational interviews. You can ask these individuals how their major help to prepare them for their current career. In addition, be sure to ask them about the other experiences or coursework which were critical to their career development and enhanced their marketability. So you can see that the liberal arts are still a viable option if you supplement those studies in a strategic way. College Student Job Search Articles and Advice
In the current job hunting industry, you will not be hated if you are obsessed about resumes. Who wouldn’t? Currently, if your CV is wrong, then no job for you. The job application competition is at its highest. Just as an example, one of our many clients who advertise with us put up a job for a senior accountant and about 608 candidates applied. Just imagine, there was only one vacancy and if you are not the crème de la crème, then woe unto you. So, what is this grave mistake we make in our CVs and what are the secrets to getting that coveted job? Let me tell you, there’s so much to get right: functional versus chronological, objective statements (pros and cons), key words, templates, references, font size, white space, action verbs, employment gaps, placement and style of bullets, typos, and whether to include hobbies (probably a “no” on that last one). You see all that? Is it so much? So much, in fact, that we often forget the most important ingredient of a really great, interview-obtaining, new-job-snagging CV: It needs to be written specifically for the job you’re after. So what? Does that mean you have to do a new resume for every single position you apply for? Yes, that’s exactly what it means. This should not be a cause for alarm. Please fear not because it is not as laborious as it sounds. You don’t have to start from scratch each time. All you need to do is edit your current CV or refocus your “master” resume to sync with the job in question. So now the big question is, how? 1. Read and reread the job description: Study it. Ponder it. Identify the words and phrases the employer uses to describe the position. 2. Take a look your work accomplishments, certifications, education, and experience: You should be keeping lists of all this stuff. This is the raw data you draw on to craft your resumes and cover letters, too. 3. Ask yourself which of your credentials can honestly be described using the same words and phrases the employer uses in the job description. 4. Take those words and phrases and use them to describe yourself in your CV: From this point, all you have to do is plug in info from your master resume. See, it’s not a total rewrite. In fact, most of your resume will stay the same. You’ll find that customizing your resume gets easier each time you do it. There are other very important aspects that I will take this chance to advise you. When applying for specific job, you need to modify your CV to fit or blend with the requirements of the employer. In your CV it is important to: 1. If you use a career objective at the top of the page, it should include theexact job title of the position you’re seeking. 2. Remove experience/qualifications that have nothing to do with the job in question. You want to make it easy for employers to see the credentials they most care about. 3. Try to figure out what credentials are of highest importance to the employer and put those first. 4. If your past job titles are ambiguous, overly jargon, or don’t obviously relate to the job you’re applying for, rephrase them in a way that shows how those past jobs qualify you for this new job. The big question that will answer today’s discussion is, what’s the worst mistake you can make on your resume? The straight answer to this question is failing to customize. Just as a quick note: · Do not put your picture on the CV and if you must ensure it is professionally done. · Avoid typos. · It’s not really necessary to put a lot of personal detail in your CV · The best part of your CV should be then work experience. Make sure it is the best done part of your CV. Today’s job market is very competitive and I hope you will read the article on how to stand out by Wale that we have published. I will leave you with two sayings that correlate. Please do not stand out for the wrong reasons and do not make a mistake of not standing out at all. 42 total views, 1 today
Published on Thursday, December 06, 2012 PhD student Rafael Vásquez was recently invited to be a visiting scholar at the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos, department of Social Sciences, in Mexico. During his visit, he gave a conference on his dissertation work with Zapotec youth and their academic achievement as well as two seminars: ethnic identity and U.S. schooling, and research methods. In addition, Rafael served as an ad hoc advisor to graduate students in the department of Social and Cultural Studies: (In) Equality and Diversity. Rafael was a visiting scholar from November 3rd through the 18th. 2013 Claremont Graduate University 150 E. 10th St., Claremont, CA 91711 (909) 621-8000 Campus Safety Emergency Info Campus Map/Driving Directions
League of Ireland Here's some very good news for Cork City and Man United fans Football fans in Cork are in for a big treat later this month when one of the biggest clubs in the world, Cork City, take on another team that occasionally wear red, Manchester United, at Turner’s Cross. Pardon our little tongue in cheek reference in the first sentence, but the fixture represents a huge coup for the Leesiders, who will take on the might of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side on Wednesday 25 July at Turner’s Cross, only a day after a clash with Championship side Watford at the same venue. Not only will the game come as huge boost for Cork City, but is also an encouraging development for domestic football in general following the withdrawal of Monaghan United from the top flight and the difficult financial situation that Dundalk currently find themselves in. It remains to be seen what sort of squad Fergie will bring with him to the People’s Republic, but anytime United play on these shores there are normally a good few frontliners present and as it takes place only a few weeks before the start of the Premier League season, he’ll be eager to give some of his troops a good tune up. In any case, United’s presence should ensure a packed house at Turner’s Cross later this month and the significance of the tie was not lost on Cork City manager Tommy Dunne. Commenting on the game, he told CorkCityFC.net: “We are delighted to be bringing one of the most prestigious clubs in the world to Turner’s Cross. When an opportunity to bring Manchester United to Cork arises, then you have to jump at it. From the club’s point of view, the announcement of these friendly games is a very welcome boost in the wake of the loss of a home league fixture following Monaghan’s withdrawal from the league. “With such exciting developments at Watford and the visit of Blackburn Rovers to look forward to in August, it promises to be an exciting summer of football here on Leeside.” Tickets for the game are priced at €15 for adults and €10 for Senior Citizens/Juveniles (Under 16’s). There will be a special, discounted rate available to FORAS members and Cork City Season Ticket holders of €10 for Adults and €5 for Senior Citizens/Juveniles (Under 16’s). Discounted tickets will only be available when purchased directly from Cork City FC and this offer runs until Friday 13 July. Tickets are available online from Ticketmaster, from the Cork City club office in Bishopstown and will also be available at Turner’s Cross on Sunday, as Cork City take on Bohemians in a 6 pm kick-off. It's not everyday a team like Manchester United come to these shores so you might need to act fast to procure yourself a much sought-after ticket. For more information, check out the Cork City website.
Commercial "baking" yeast is a single kind of organism that belches a lot of gas really fast and transforms grain into something that's even less good for you. Sourdough is two organisms, wild yeast and bacteria, in symbiosis. Together they transform the grain to make it more healthful, more digestible, and also resistant to getting moldy or stale. Many people with wheat allergies or "yeast" allergies have no problem eating real sourdough. And it's free! How Does It Work? With sourdough, you are keeping and feeding a population of friendly yeast and bacteria, called a "culture", or a "starter". The population rises and falls, depending on where you keep it and what you feed it. When you make a loaf of bread, you are carefully managing a population explosion. The sour flavor comes from acids made by the yeast and bacteria, and when it gets really strong, that does not mean the sourdough is strongly active, but that it is depleted, that the population has already eaten its food and collapsed. What You Need . Most grains will work, though only wheat has enough gluten to hold together big air bubbles and make a fluffy loaf. White flour has the same effect on sourdough that it has on you: it appears to work, but it's missing important nutrients, and over the long term it leads to poor health. I generally use organic whole wheat flour -- bread flour for bread and pastry flour for everything else. . The more filtered, the better. At the very least it needs the chlorine taken out, which you can do just by setting it in an open container for a day or so. A Glass Jar to keep your sourdough in. The wider the mouth, the better. I use a 16 or 24 ounce nut butter jar, or a wide-mouth canning jar. Glass is ideal for sourdough. Pottery is good too, and probably wood. Plastic is bad and metal is the worst for sourdough because it reacts with the acids. Stainless steel might be okay for bowls and it's fine for utensils. Bowls and Pans , depending on what you're making. or at least a stove. Some people have sourdough cultures that are more than 100 years old -- that is, they have been separated from nature for more than 100 years. I wonder how the yeast and bacteria have changed in that time, whether they're getting domesticated, losing their edge. So I like to catch a fresh culture at least once a year. People ask me for starter as if it's something precious that they couldn't get any other way, but catching sourdough is easy, easy, easy! Books make it sound like it's difficult and complicated and takes a long time. Using the following system, I have never once failed, and it usually takes less than three days. Mix equal volumes of good flour and good water, and set it in a glass jar in a warm place. Some people say to keep the lid off so yeast falls into it from the air, but evidence suggests that the yeast is already in the flour, so I just put the lid on loosely so it can breathe. A loose lid is easier than cheesecloth and works just as well. If you do keep the lid off, put it on a high shelf where less bad stuff will fall into it. What you've got now is a race between good and bad microcritters to take over your jar of food. If the sourdough wins, it will smell sour, probably with a layer of brown liquid on top, but not moldy or rotten. If it gets moldy or rotten, it's almost certainly because you're using low quality flour or water. If it doesn't do anything, it's probably because of irradiated flour, chlorinated water, or a location that's too cold. Rye flour is said to work better for starting the yeast, and then you can switch to a different flour if you want. Another trick is to put it in a warm place, but not above body temperature. Another trick (don't tell anyone) is to add a tiny bit of your saliva. I'm told that you can catch different strains of wild yeast and bacteria that behave differently, but I've done it many times and never noticed a difference. If you add commercial yeast, you'll just get a culture that's dominated by commercial yeast and not sourdough yeast. I've heard that you get something good if you use mold that grows on grapes. So: flour, water, jar, wait a couple days, it turns sour. By the time you're sure that your jar has been taken over by the good stuff, it will be much too depleted to use. So you need to dump out almost all of it, and add fresh flour and water, again in roughly equal amounts, and stir it well. Then it will rise, and be good enough to use, but still not as good as it will be after one or two more cycles (see below). After you've caught the right yeast and bacteria, you want your jar of flour/water to get bubbly and increase at least 50% in volume. If it doesn't bubble, smell it. If it smells like nothing, or like flour, it needs more time and warmth. If it smells really sour, but isn't bubbling well, refresh it again: throw out all but a little bit and add more flour and water. What you're aiming for is a jar of what I call peak sourdough. When sourdough is at its peak, it has risen to maximum volume, it's full of living yeast, it's thick enough to hold air bubbles, and it's not yet very sour. That's when it's perfect for eating, or for going to the next step if you're making bread. When it passes its peak, it falls in volume, the bubbles go out, the yeast population crashes, and it gets too sour -- too much acid and not enough sugar. At this point, you can use it in a pie crust or something leavened with baking powder, but it's difficult to use it for bread. You have to add a lot of flour and water (compared to the quantity of sourdough) to dilute the acid, and then wait longer for the next rise. Do not mistake sourness for rising power! The surest way to get your bread to rise is to build up to it, like a motorcycle jump, with good bubbly rising at every step. Taking Care of Sourdough It's not as hard as a baby, or even a dog, but it requires much more attention than a plant. It's a bunch of tiny living animals that need frequent food. If you neglect them, they'll eat up all the food and die down to almost nothing, and possibly other organisms will take over. But the nice thing is, they do everything slower at lower temperatures. Unless you're eating sourdough at every meal, or your kitchen is cold, you'll need to keep it in a refrigerator. To feed it, remove almost all your sourdough (ideally you will eat it) and add more flour and water to what's left in the jar. Some people say to remove only half but this not only gives you less sourdough to eat, it leaves an overly sour acid bath for the next batch. You can remove 99.99% and your sourdough will still be alive -- it will just take a long time to build its population back. I remove about 90% -- I just dump it out and leave in whatever clings to the sides of the jar. When you add the flour and water, you'll have to learn through practice how thick to make it, depending on your flour. Some flour gets thicker after it soaks in water, so you have to start it runnier, and some flour gets runnier so you start it thicker. Lately I've been going thicker, so thick that when it's finished, I get it out by holding the jar upside down and maybe banging on it. If you need a spoon to get it out, it's too thick. If you're getting a layer of water, it's too thin. Also, as you'll quickly find out, you should only fill the jar about two thirds full, to give it room so it doesn't explode or run out everywhere. I always add the water first, and shake up the jar to evenly distribute the dregs of living sourdough, and then add the flour. If you do it the other way, you have to stir it more, or else only the bottom will get bubbly. It will often happen that you don't use your sourdough in time and it gets flat. The only thing to do is "reset" it: save a little bit, feed it fresh flour and water, and throw the rest out, or use it in something other than bread. You can save sourdough that has been neglected for a long time. Even if it's turned black on top and smells totally nasty, there's probably still some living yeast in there. Take a bit out and feed it fresh flour and water, and see what you get. And if it's dead, just catch a new one. Zen And The Art Of Sourdough Sourdough exercises your foresight and awareness. For example, at noon, I anticipate that I will make a waffle at 10PM, and I know that I used and fed the sourdough last night and put it straight in the fridge, so it's nowhere near ready. If it's a hot summer day, I should wait until about 6PM to take it out, but if it's cold I need to take it out now to give it all day to get to its peak. If I need it fast, I'll put the jar in some warm water. Another trick is to leave it out, bring it close to its peak, and then (if you remember) put it back in the fridge, where it will remain ready to use for maybe a day -- if you remember! What I'm getting at is, you have to devote a permanent bit of attention to where your sourdough is in its life cycle, kind of like one of the programs that runs in the background on your computer. Sourdough Pancakes and Waffles. I just take sourdough that's right at its peak, and pour it straight on a hot oiled pan or waffle iron. That's it! If you want to mix in other ingredients, or if you stir it at all, you will pop the bubbles and you'll have to stir in some baking powder to get it to rise enough. A waffle, because of the greater surface area, is more forgiving than a pancake. Even when I do it perfectly, my pancakes are a little gummy, but imperfect sourdough can still make excellent waffles. You'll be surprised how good it tastes, with nothing but flour, water, and friendly microbes. Put on some organic butter and real maple syrup, and you've still spent less money than with white-flour white-sugar aluminum-baking-powder hydrogenated-oil restaurant pancakes. Almost any kind of flour will work. These are the next easiest thing. You still don't even need a bowl. Clear a space on the countertop or a big cutting board, pour some flour down, pour some sourdough on top of it, mix it with your fingers, fold it over a few times, add some more flour, and roll it out with a rolling pin or wine bottle. It will take some practice to get the proportions right and keep it from sticking. The more gluten is in your flour, the easier it is. With anything but wheat, you'll have to settle for very small tortillas. Sourdough Pie Crusts. If you want a light, flaky crust, forget sourdough -- follow a cookbook recipe and use white flour. A whole grain sourdough crust will not have light texture, but it will have more interesting flavor and be better for you. I recommend whole wheat pastry flour. Whole wheat bread flour is slightly easier to work with but the crust will be brick-like, and non-wheat is so fragile and sticky that I wouldn't even try to roll it out, but just press it into the pan. In a bowl, cut some butter into some flour with your fingers. Most recipes call for a whole stick or more, but if I'm eating lots of pie, I might use as little as half a stick. For vegans, I recommend organic palm or coconut oil, or non-hydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance is a good brand). Liquid oil works too, but you'll probably have to roll the crust out between sheets of waxed paper. Just dump the oil in at the same time as the sourdough. I recommend extra virgin olive or sesame. Canola is not terrible, but its healthful reputation is pure marketing. Now add the sourdough. Two cups (16oz, half a liter) of bubbly sourdough should be enough for a two-crust pie, or more than enough for a single crust. Mix it in with the flour, don't work the dough too much, get it firm but pliable, and roll it out with more flour. Pie crust is not easy! For a lot more info, check out my pie crust In a bowl, cut butter or other solid oil into flour, then mix in some baking powder, and then dump in the sourdough. If you're using liquid oil, mix the flour and baking powder and then add the oil with the sourdough. It's basically like a pie crust, except you need baking powder to make the biscuits rise. For a 16 oz jar of sourdough, I'll use one or two teaspoons of baking powder. Have your oven already heated and your pan already oiled, and when you add the liquid stuff to the dry stuff, mix it quickly and gently, fold it over a couple times, and form the biscuits. I either make a fat disc and cut it into six wedges, or if the dough is too sticky, I just drop six gobs of it in the pan. Bake it at 350-375 F for 20-30 minutes. Other Soda Breads can be made by varying the biscuit recipe. For example, to make scones, add sweetener. For blueberry muffins, add sweetener and blueberries and cook them in a muffin pan. For banana bread, add some mashed up bananas and maybe walnuts, and make one big thing instead of several little ones. For most of this stuff I'd increase the baking powder to a tablespoon -- it's full of sodium but it's your insurance against the bread coming out wet and gummy. Yes, 100% sourdough bread, no commercial yeast, no soda, no cheating. Back before the internet I looked and looked for a recipe and finally had to figure it out myself: I use whole wheat bread flour and a little white flour. As you move into whole grains and low-gluten grains, your bread gets healthier, but it gets harder to knead, harder to raise, denser, and more prone to being gummy. For bread, you have to manage two, maybe three yeast population blooms in sequence. The first one is just getting your working jar of sourdough bubbly. The optional second one is called the "sponge" -- basically you're making a larger quantity of peak sourdough. In a big glass bowl, mix some sourdough (called "starter" in this context) with a lot of flour and water. There are different ideas about how thick it should be, but probably about the same as the starter. Then the trick is timing -- knowing/controlling/detecting how long it takes to build a large and still growing yeast population. If you start with a lot of sourdough already at its peak, and the room is warm, it might take only a couple of hours. If you want to stretch it out longer (for example overnight), use a smaller amount of starter, or put it in a cooler place. It's not easy to tell when a sponge is done. Unless it's stiff, it won't rise much. The purpose of the sponge is not to make air, but to grow a higher yeast population, and also to give it more time to transform the flour. The best way to measure your sponge is by smelling and tasting it. It should be yeasty and just a little sour. Then you want to take that population momentum and throw it into the next rising. I add a lot more flour to the sponge, but no more water, knead it into a loaf, raise it for several hours, and bake it. With commercial yeast you usually punch down the loaf and let it rise a second time, but it's very difficult to get an extra rise out of sourdough. Lately I've been getting good results completely skipping the sponge. I just mix some starter with flour and water, in the right proportions for the final loaf, knead it, rise it, and bake it. The latest trend is to make wet dough that's not kneaded at all. This only works with white flour. The more whole grain flour is in your mix, the more important it is to knead it, and the more risky it is to make it wet. Wet dough rises faster and has softer texture, but it might collapse or be gummy. Dry dough won't collapse but its texture will be dense and powdery. I used to knead the dough for 20 minutes while adding more flour, until it started to feel like it was sweating. Now I think this is too much, and I just knead for a few minutes and add enough flour so that great gobs of dough don't stick to my hands. There are different kneading techniques, but the only important thing is that you repeatedly fold the dough over on itself. At this stage you can also add other ingredients. Salt is not necessary, but almost everyone adds it for flavor. You can also add sweetener, oil, herbs, or other kinds of food. It will take some research and experimentation to find out what effect these will have on the rising and the final texture of the bread. When my dough is ready to rise, I put it in an oiled and floured loaf-shaped bread pan. If it's dense, you can put it on a flat baking pan where it will form a nice round loaf without spreading out too much. If you're really good, you can raise it and then transfer it to a hot baking brick without collapsing it. The new trend is to flip your risen loaf into a hot dutch oven, but again, this will probably only work with white bread. In any case, before baking it, you have to know how long to raise it. Once again you're looking for the point where the yeast has eaten its food and transformed the dough and made lots of bubbles, but it hasn't started declining, which will make the loaf collapse because the air bubbles are no longer being filled. Six hours is typical, but it could take anywhere from 2-24 hours, depending on the temperature, the starting yeast population, and the density of the loaf. This is the hardest step for beginners. I would say, watch the bread and try to guess when it's risen about as much as it will rise. White bread might double in volume but whole wheat probably won't increase more than 50 percent. Now you put it in a hot oven, where ideally the warmth will give the yeast one final push of growth, and then the heat will expand the air bubbles and fix them in place in a not-too-dense loaf. I like to start at 450F, then turn it down to 400 and bake about 30 minutes. Professional bakers go much hotter and also use steam. The test for doneness is to take the loaf out and tap the bottom. It should sound hollow. Happy eating! The nice thing about pizza dough is it's so flat that there's no danger of it collapsing, so you can get away with a wetter dough. Otherwise it's just like regular bread. I put some olive oil in the mix, shape it and raise it in the pizza pan I'm going to cook it in, and when it's ready, just put the toppings on and bake it. Make a large batch of bread dough (as above, wet dough is OK), and then instead of shaping it into a loaf, roll it out in a big square, maybe 8 inches by 24 inches (20x60 cm). A great trick is to use cinnamon instead of flour to roll it out. Then spread sweetener, nuts, raisins, whatever, making sure to go all the way to the edges, and roll it up from short edge to short edge, so you get a short thick cylinder. Cut it into about six pieces, and arrange them in a pan with high edges and just a little extra room, so when they rise they will fill the pan. Rise and bake. You can also form bread dough into round flat shapes and fry them! So if you're squatting, camping, or living in your car, and you have a stove but no oven, you can still have homemade bread. An extensive Sourdough FAQ Naturally Leavened Sourdough Bread and Naturally Leavened Bread cover the health benefits of sourdough over commercially yeasted bread. Against the Grain is about all the ways that wheat has been corrupted in the industrial age, and how it can be made more healthful through sprouting or souring. A page on the advantages of fresh stone-ground flour , with a small section on sourdough. And here's a more general piece I wrote on How To Eat Better (last updated april 2010. public domain, anti-copyright)
i don’t really know what this idea of Stiles wearing a cape of red fur means or where it came from, but i felt the need to draw it. Jared Leto - Original Pic by Terry Richardson Made with graphic tablet. northofantastic replied to your photo: Just backed: Mint & Chocolate Muffins. The green centers make me think that there’s a Hulk in there just waiting to get out. :D Yummy! 1st digital attempt to draw Kit as a celebration for the #GOTday This is what watching Varsity Blues does to me XDD This is my Vday gift for @Matja_Va Because when I’m bored I draw silly stuff… doodling while watching tv shows.
Well, not exactly, but we are all very excited about this month's LE kit from My Creative Scrapbook because it features the STUNNING London Market collection by Pink Paislee along with loads of gorgeous embellishments. Take a look at what the kit looked like right out of the box... I think this is one of my favorite kits ever. The papers are all so soft and beautiful and the embellishments and flowers made creating my pages a breeze! Here are my creations for the month. Please forgive me for not elaborating too much, you probably know how super busy June is. Here's my second page. I have been in a banner kick lately so you'll see banners all around, tee hee! For my next page I used one of Nadia, fabulous sketches. Her sketches are all just so beautiful, thanks Nadia for the inspiration! And finally a simple page not to let any scraps go to waste. LOVE every piece in this kit! Thanks so much for your visit today. I hope you found some inspiration. Also, remember that My Creative Scrapbook is holding a special Prima contest and has a wonderful Prima promotion for new subscribers. Stop by the website and take a look!
A Not-So-Brief History of Pitching Injuries, Starring Nolan Ryan and the Texas Rangers SURPRISE, Az. — The early-morning sun beamed down on Neftali Feliz as he toed the pitching rubber. A smattering of Texas Rangers coaches and instructors fanned out to watch the Dominican phenom with the 100-mph fastball and power curve, both pitches he can throw for strikes in any count. Feliz stared down the left-handed hitter in the batter’s box, turned, and let the ball fly. His motion looked effortless, like he was gently playing catch with a six-year-old who’d somehow won an invite onto the field. The sound of the ball told a different story – ssssszzzzzzzzz…THWAP! Again and again, Feliz reared back and fired, mystifying the poor hitter in the box who’d been brought out to give Feliz a batting practice opponent. After a few pitches, Mike Maddux motioned to Feliz with an exaggerated follow-through, indicating to the 21-year-old future of the franchise that he should finish his release. Feliz let his arm dangle by his side, came set, and delivered. The pitch made a heavy thud against the catcher’s mitt, knee-high, outside corner. The feckless hitter winced, making a face that said he’d rather be anywhere else but here. Maddux, the Rangers pitching coach hand-picked by the organization to lead a new era in Arlington, gave a slight nod. You’ve got it. Across the way, dozens of minor league hopefuls warmed up on the back fields. The routine looked all too familiar to anyone who’d ever played through spring training, coached it or even watched it. The players lined up on the right-field foul line, their partners 60 feet away in fair territory, and began throwing. After a few minutes, they were ordered to back it up 30 feet and resume tossing. A few minutes later, they spread out to 120 feet. In most training camps across the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues, this was usually as far as pitchers were allowed to go. Couldn’t risk hurting anyone’s arm, especially the precious young arms on this field, some of whom had been paid big signing bonuses in the hope that they too could impress the big league staff one day. Except one pitcher decided to go rogue. As the other throwers maintained their distance, a lone left-hander fanned further out – 150 feet, then 200, then 250. By the time the others were winding down, a solitary figure had backed all the way up to the power alley in left-center. He caught the ball shoulder-high, took a hop, then launched the ball, a high, arcing rainbow that came to rest right on target, in his partner’s glove. The two long-tossers were 300 feet away from each other, maybe more. Alan Jaeger had spent 20 years teaching these long-toss methods, only to see most major league teams continue with their old ways, watching injuries pile up every season and assuming they were powerless to stop their pitchers from breaking down. With each 300-foot toss into the Arizona sky, Jaeger gave a slight nod, then a smile. You’ve got it. After years of watching their pitchers wear down, break down, and give up unholy amounts of runs, the Rangers have overhauled the way they develop and train pitchers. Gone are many of the customs that many other teams continue to deploy. In their stead, the Rangers have implemented a spate of new techniques. They now throw batting practice between starts (including during the season), run more sprints and less for distance, and in some cases, long-toss up to 300 feet and beyond. It’s all part of an effort to get Texas starters to last longer, give up fewer runs and win more games. “Over the years I’d observed what had happened with our pitching, that the mindset became, you can’t pitch in the ballpark in Arlington,” said Nolan Ryan, Rangers president and part-owner. “I didn’t believe that. I felt there were things we could do to change that. It starts with believing you can change, and wanting to.” Ryan has lived through two distinctly different eras for pitchers since throwing his major league debut in 1966. For much of his 27-year playing career, medical technology was crude, training methods primitive. If a pitcher felt pain, the mantra of the time was, rub some dirt on it. Pitch counts weren’t monitored, training regimens weren’t prescribed, and pitching careers were ended. By the time Ryan took over as Rangers president in 2008, the pendulum had swung severely in the other direction. The new way of thinking held that pitchers should do less. Throw fewer warm-up tosses, and don’t throw them as far. Take it easy between starts. Pitching coaches now obsessed over pitch count totals, treating them with reverence and fear. The new president sought a middle ground for the Rangers. Ryan presided over Maddux’s hiring, huddled with the training staff, and met with key front office personnel, all in an effort to improve the team’s run prevention. After much consultation, the Rangers implemented new, more challenging workout programs. They also ramped up the intensity of throwing routines, aiming to build stronger, more resilient arms. Those changes, combined with a greater emphasis on defense and a new generation of homegrown pitchers, produced an 87-win Rangers club that was one of the biggest surprises in baseball in 2009. Texas allowed 740 runs last season, the team’s lowest total in a non-strike-shortened season in nearly 20 years. The Rangers have allowed fewer runs per game this season than in any other season in 20 years. They’re about to lock down their first playoff berth in more than a decade, and have a legitimate shot at winning their first World Series title in franchise history. The team now has a simple, and hopefully sustainable, blueprint for building a better pitching staff: Work harder. “If you set limits,” said Maddux, “you lower people’s ceilings.” He wears a suit and tie these days, having long ago hung up his uniform in favor of a corporate life that’s made him a minor league owner, beef distributor, restaurateur, occasional TV pitchman, and now a big league executive. After his promotion from special assistant to general manager Jon Daniels to club president, Ryan added another title to his resume: pitching consigliere. The Hall of Famer knew better than to expect an army of young pitching clones. But Ryan thought his history of on-field success, combined with his own training methods as a player (he lifted weights when almost no one else did, threw batting practice between starts and ran sprints regularly) could motivate Rangers pitchers to go deeper into games, the one factor he saw as vital to a team’s chances of winning the pennant. Five-inning outings be damned, Ryan wanted his new charges to learn from his past, from games like the one that took place June 14, 1974. Ryan isn’t the only one who remembers that game – Luis Tiant does too. The Boston Red Sox starter that night, Tiant recalls being fired up to pitch, which is what happened when you looked at the lineup card and saw Ryan’s name staring back at you. He desperately wanted to beat his hard-throwing opponent and was willing to throw as many pitches as he needed to make that happen, no matter how forcefully his manager, Darrell Johnson, tried to take him out. “When I pitched you had one mentality,” Tiant said. “When you started the game, you wanted to finish the game, no matter how long it took you.” Denny Doyle played second base for Ryan’s Angels. He recalls being surprised by the two pitchers’ longevity that night, exceptional even by the far more permissive standards of that era. Despite the length of the game, Doyle was surprised when Angels Manager Bobby Winkles finally pulled Ryan for a relief pitcher. “It would take a gun to get Nolan out of the game when he was going good,” he said. Barry Raziano threw just 21.1 innings in his career and would make just eight more appearances after this game before tearing his rotator cuff and ending his career. On this night, Raziano came on in relief of Ryan, threw two scoreless innings, and collected the only win of his major league career. It wasn’t quite Moonlight Graham, but the night should have been memorable. The win itself didn’t resonate. Raziano was young, pitched in a lousy bullpen that needed him, and figured there’d be plenty more chances down the road. No, what he remembered most clearly was Cecil Cooper striking out three times against Ryan that night, an outcome he found amusing because Raziano had done the same to Cooper once in Triple-A. Only Raziano’s memory was faulty. Cooper struck out six times against Ryan. He went 0-for-8 for the game. When contacted for this story, Cooper issued the most understandable “no comment” of all-time. Ryan recalls having good stuff that night. But he also remembers being wild. Ryan was an overthrower in those days, struggling to find a consistent delivery and relying more on raw power than technique. On this night, he had enough zip on the ball and life in his arm to pitch deep into the game, despite some control problems. He battled through nine innings, then 10, 11, and 12. After Ryan struck out Cooper for a sixth time to end the 12th, Angels Manager Bobby Winkles told his ace, “That’s it.” Ryan wasn’t budging. “But I haven’t broken my record yet,” he pleaded with the skipper. What record, Winkles asked. “Most pitches in a game,” Ryan replied. Winkles relented, sending Ryan back out for the 13th inning. The strategy worked, in a way. Ryan got through the 13th unscathed. But he still hadn’t won the game. Over Ryan’s protests, Winkles yanked his frustrated starter. Ryan could only sit and watch as Tiant kept pitching, past the 13th and 14th, before Doyle’s ringing double to left won it for the Angels in the 15th. No one formally kept track of pitch counts back then, though statisticians now estimate that Tiant threw about 180 pitches that night, facing 56 batters in his 14.1 innings of work. Ryan would have never known how many pitches he’d thrown if not for Angels pitching coach Tom Morgan, who happened to keep track on a hand-held clicker. How many, Ryan wanted to know. Two-thirty-five, Morgan told him. Damn it, thought Ryan. Thirteen innings pitched, 58 batters faced, 19 strikeouts and 10 walks, and he’d still missed his personal record. The box score from that game might as well be written in Aramaic, for all the similarities it shares with today’s environment for pitchers. Ryan’s own ironman history would seem to make him the perfect spokesman for pushing pitchers to go deeper into games. His 235-pitch slog back in ’74 marked the third time in three years he’d pitched 12 innings or more in a game. These weren’t what you’d call efficient efforts either. Ryan threw 332.2 innings, struck out 367 batters, and walked 202 in ’74, the season that produced his biggest workload. He threw harder than anyone, trained harder than anyone, struck out more batters than anyone and walked more batters than anyone in the game’s history, started in the big leagues as a teenager, and finished as a 46-year-old. But Ryan also acknowledges that he was the biggest of outliers. Though he owed much of his success to hard work, he also knows he won a genetic lottery that helped make him one of the most successful and most durable pitchers of all-time. Having Nolan Ryan preach about the value of pitching deep into games is a little like listening to Yao Ming encouraging people to get taller. Easy for you to say, buddy. Still, there’s no denying the massive changes that have washed over the game in the past 36 years. When a pitcher closes in on 100 pitches today, an alarm goes off in the ballpark, one that alerts managers, pitching coaches, broadcasters and opposing hitters that the guy on the mound is getting tired and won’t last much longer. Pitchers who last into the 7th inning give their team a big edge, allowing their managers to keep their bullpen fresh and use higher-quality relievers to close out the game. Complete games have mostly gone the way of the bullpen cart (despite a slight rebound in the past two years). Catfish Hunter holds the mark for most complete games in a season since 1974, with 30. When CC Sabathia completed one-third that many in 2008, he was celebrated like the reincarnation of Iron Man McGinnity. This shouldn’t be too surprising: Sabathia was the only pitcher to crack double-digit complete games in a season over the last decade. Meanwhile, the Yankees’ treatment of Sabathia’s teammate Joba Chamberlain has spawned howls of protest from New York media and fans. The Joba Rules, the Yankees’ conservative usage plan for their 24-year-old prodigy, was enacted to protect a pitcher the team views as a cornerstone of its future. The team’s pledge to cap Chamberlain’s innings total at 160 last season after limiting him to just over 100 in 2008 further fanned the flames of protest. Facing the Red Sox one night last May, Chamberlain energized Yankee Stadium by following a four-run blow-up to start the game with 5 2/3 dominant innings, including 12 strikeouts. Rather than let his pitcher keep going, though, Joe Girardi popped out of the dugout to take the ball from Chamberlain. The Yankees skipper had actually pushed Chamberlain a little longer then he’d originally intended – all the way to 108 pitches. Still, there was nothing subtle about the crowd’s reaction: a symphony of boos that rang out throughout the ballpark. The Yankees’ kid glove treatment did keep Chamberlain healthy; for their trouble, they got a mediocre pitcher with lousy command, fueling a 4.75 ERA, 76 walks in just 157.1 IP, and a league-leading 12 hit batsmen. Ryan wants no part of any pitching program with the word “Rules” in it. Led by Maddux, bullpen coach Andy Hawkins and strength and conditioning coach Jose Vazquez at the major league level, and director of player development Scott Servais and pitching coordinator Danny Clark at the minor league level, the Rangers have implemented some system-wide programs. But, says Maddux, they’ve also remained flexible, responding to specific pitchers’ needs. That’s a big departure from the military tendencies of many teams, which treat everyone the same, regardless of ability or body type. Starting last spring, Vazquez prescribed a rigorous running program, designed to build up pitchers’ stamina. Bucking baseball’s status quo, Vazquez pushed pitchers to run sprints lasting 30 to 200 yards, in lieu of the usual distance running-only program. Baseball is often behind the curve in skill-specific training, Vazquez said, lacking the kind of specially-tailored drills and exercise regimens that help power forwards snatch rebounds and cornerbacks defend fly patterns. By running sprints and doing heavy weightlifting with their legs, Vazquez said pitchers are getting the kind of intensive workout they need to mimic the action of pitching. “If you break down pitching, it’s really a series of sprints,” Vazquez explained. “You take the ball, throw it as hard as you can, then take a break. Pitching is stop-and-go, not a continuous activity. You want to promote that explosiveness, where you can give your all in this one sprint, or this one pitch.” Intensive training methods like those Vazquez now recommends can cause greater lactic acid buildup, which can cause more soreness than a pitcher might be used to handling. But pitchers experience the same physical sensations when straining through a 30-pitch inning against a tough lineup in searing August heat. By acclimating themselves to those sensations, Vazquez said, pitchers become better able to handle heavier workloads, increasing their effectiveness and lowering their chance of injury. Now in his eighth year in the same role with the Rangers, Vazquez said he’d long wanted to implement this kind of program for the team’s pitchers. The sport is steeped in tradition and conventional thinking, he said, making the game’s decision makers reluctant to make big changes and take risks. The order to change the way a team trains usually has to come from the top. That’s what’s made Ryan’s hands-on approach as team president so helpful. “Because Nolan did that kind of training as a player and was successful with it, he was the perfect person to sell it,” Vazquez said. “He was able to say, ‘Hey guys, I did it this way, there’s nothing to be afraid of.’ Nolan came in and said the pitchers need to be pushed more, they need to work harder and turn up their intensity – and that there’s nothing wrong with that.” The Rangers’ biggest break from conventional wisdom may be their decision to use big league pitchers to throw batting practice between starts. While most other teams have spare coaches lob lollipop pitches in for hitters to launch into the bleachers, the Rangers use BP as a way for pitchers to test their complete repertoire between starts, facing live hitters. “It’s important to see how hitters react to your pitches in certain locations,” said Ryan, who credited throwing BP with keeping him sharp between starts throughout his career. “By pitching off a mound to hitters, instead of throwing side sessions on a bullpen mound, you’re also put into a situation that’s a lot closer to being in a game. It’s another good way to help build your stamina.” The pitchers have bought into the idea of throwing extra BP. “It gives you a little bit more intensity level, more than what you would get out of a bullpen,” said Colby Lewis, a five-year major league veteran who returned to the Rangers this off-season after spending two years in Japan. “It’s new to me, but I like it.” Pinpointing the exact causes for a team’s improved pitching can be tricky. Texas’ farm system has ushered in a fresh batch of talented arms that may well have outperformed the team’s previous pitching corps, even if nothing else changed. Feliz dominated in relief, breaking into the big leagues the same way Ryan did, with great success: 39 strikeouts and just eight walks allowed in 31 innings, with a 1.74 ERA. Less heralded youngsters lifted the rotation. Lacking Feliz’s knockout stuff, rookie starter Tommy Hunter fared well in following Maddux’s pitch-to-contact advice, racking up a 9-6 record with a 4.10 ERA and better-than-average fielding-independent numbers. Hunter has long been a long-toss advocate, and a believer in throwing as often as his arm will allow. “The day after a start I’ll go from the foul line to the fence, about 300ish,” said Hunter. “It’s something I’ve done since college, so it’s not new to me. I’d always throw two bullpens between starts too. It’s just one of those things that keeps me acclimated to baseball and pitching off the mound.” The most unlikely success story was Scott Feldman. Almost exclusively a relief pitcher in the minors and early in his big league career, Feldman shifted to the rotation in 2008 with ugly results. Thrust back into the rotation in 2009, he became one of the biggest surprises in baseball, posting a 17-8 record, a 4.08 ERA and more pitching-to-contact results that won a big backer in his pitching coach. At first, Feldman wasn’t sure how the Rangers’ new training methods might work for him. He quickly became a believer. “Last year was the first year I started doing long toss,” Feldman said. “My arm had been just kind of barking all spring. [Maddux and Hawkins] said, instead of not throwing today, why don’t you try to stretch it out and play long toss? A lot of people, the minute their arm starts hurting they’ll take a day off. But if you think about it, it’s just dead arm. If you throw through it, you can get past it, and you’re stronger after. That really helped a lot.” Feldman has regressed this year. But Lewis (3.86 ERA, 3:1 strikeout-to-walk rate) and C.J. Wilson (3.28 ERA that’s somewhat hit-lucky, but still an impressive performance in his first year as a starter that includes a strong 7.5 K/9 IP rate) have become rotation mainstays in 2010. Defense has also played a major role in Texas’ improvement, mirroring the approach that helped push the Tampa Bay Rays from worst to first in 2008 and the Seattle Mariners to one of baseball’s biggest improvements in 2009. One defensive shift alone made a huge difference for the Rangers. In 2008, Michael Young ranked as the fourth-worst defensive shortstop in the majors according to Ultimate Zone Rating, allowing 5.8 runs more than the average player at his position. In 2009, dynamic 20-year-rookie Elvis Andrus pushed Young to third base, with impressive results: Andrus ranked third among major league shortstops, saving 10.7 more runs than average. That swap gave the Rangers MLB’s biggest year-over-year improvement at the most challenging defensive position on the diamond. “Somewhere in this egocentric game, the perfect inning is nine pitches and three strikeouts,” said Maddux. “For me, the perfect inning is three pitches. We really don’t talk about pitch count limits. We talk about pitch count efficiency. Good defense can make a medium pitcher good. It can make a not-so-good pitcher pretty good. It can make a good pitcher even better.” Even after considering those other factors, there’s no denying that the Rangers’ vast improvement in run prevention directly coincided with their new training programs. Despite playing in one of the toughest parks in baseball for pitchers, Texas finished a respectable 8th in the AL in team ERA at 4.38 last year – after posting a league-worst 5.37 ERA in 2008. The rate of pitching injuries dropped substantially, especially after discounting freak injuries such as stress fractures that aren’t related to fatigue. In perhaps the clearest sign of progress, the Rangers upped their innings pitched per start to 5.9 (and their pitches per start to 97) in 2009, vs. 5.4 (and 91) in 2008. That was the biggest innings pitched jump by any team’s starters. For nearly two decades, independent pitching instructor Alan Jaeger worked on a training program that would scare the pants off most pitching coaches, farm directors and general managers. Major league teams long ago established one intractable method for long-toss routines: Players should throw from no further than 120 feet, with little to no arc on the ball, usually for no more than a few minutes. Jaeger Sports proposed a radically different approach: Extend long-toss out to 200, even 300 feet or more, use a high arc as you extend your distance, then a flat trajectory coming back in, and let pitchers take as much time as they wanted to do it. What made the program so scary to skeptics was how strongly it seemed to contradict the idea of preserving pitchers’ fragile health. Closely monitoring pitch counts from rookie ball to the big leagues, limiting pitching workloads in the off-season, capping the amount of work a pitcher could put in between starts – all of these restrictions were seen by most major league organizations as the best way to protect the massive investments they’d made in first-round draft picks and $100 million free-agent signees alike. Bottling up long-toss time seemed like a natural extension of a supposedly beneficial approach. Jaeger saw just the opposite. By restricting an athlete’s ability to train and strengthen his muscles and movements, Jaeger believed teams were making their pitchers less likely to increase their strength, less likely to add velocity to their pitches, less likely to handle bigger workloads and more likely to get injured. Using a combination of surgical tubing-based stretching exercises and loading techniques like crow-hopping (taking a jump-step) before each throw, Jaeger began teaching his students, mostly high school- and college-aged pitchers, to learn a free-and-easy throwing motion that would let them long-toss from longer distances. Ask him to demonstrate and Jaeger points to a YouTube clip of one of his students. Standing on a football field, the pitcher throws with a motion so loose and relaxed his arm looks like a limp noodle. He long-tosses from 100 feet, then 120, 150 and 200. There’s huge arc on every throw, like a schoolyard game of Pop 500, only without a bat. By the time he’s reached his full range of motion, the pitcher’s making rainbow throws that travel from behind one goal line deep into the opposite end zone – well over 300 feet. “The arm is an organism that wants to grow and evolve,” Jaeger says, the power of his convictions triggering excitement in his voice. “It likes blood flow and range of motion. We’re not talking overstimulation. It’s just letting the arm do what it wants to do.” Jaeger made some inroads with his approach. Top Arizona Diamondbacks starter Dan Haren, former Cy Young winner Barry Zito and 2009 AL Rookie of the Year Andrew Bailey rank among the big league pitchers that use some version of the Jaeger program as part of their training. Hundreds of amateurs have followed suit. Even a few progressive major league pitching coaches have taken interest. For the most part, though, Jaeger hasn’t had much luck convincing teams to overhaul their old training methods. “Baseball has always been the good old boys sport,” said Zito, whose father Joe was such a big believer in long-toss that he insisted on a clause in Barry’s first contract guaranteeing that the A’s wouldn’t interfere with his son’s regimen. “You’ve got a lot of old-school guys with old-school methods. It seems other sports will adjust and change with technology, whereas baseball has always been slow to adjust to the times, and to new technologies.” Jaeger wrote an article about his program for a publication called Collegiate Baseball, then sent the story around to a few MLB executives. One of his victims was Jay Robertson, assistant to Daniels and a former scout who’d signed Jaeger’s business partner, former major league outfielder Jim Vatcher, as a 20th-round draft pick. Robertson was intrigued by Jaeger’s long-toss program and invited him to the GM Meetings in Dana Point in November 2008. There, Jaeger pitched his ideas to several members of the Rangers brass, including Daniels, Servais, head of scouting Don Welke and director of player personnel A.J. Preller. His timing couldn’t have been better. The Rangers had just completed another frustrating season that featured too many injuries, too much lousy pitching, and the worst ERA in baseball. Since their last playoff experience in 1999, Rangers starters had ranked last or nearly last in almost every major pitching category, including ERA and innings pitched. Just three times over that nine-year stretch did the team trot out two 200-inning starters in the same season. Ryan, Daniels and the rest of the front office were angling to make radical changes to the way the team trained and developed pitchers. Here was a chance to affect real change. “One thing [Jaeger] said that resonated with me: Why stop at 120 feet?” mused Daniels. “I asked everyone – no one could say. Eventually we found out it was because 120 feet was as far as you were allowed to throw in rehab.” At this, Daniels shook his head. “We wouldn’t do this with anything else. We wouldn’t tell a healthy player, don’t run that far, or don’t swing that hard. So why were doing this to our pitchers?” Daniels acknowledged how difficult it can be for teams to change their ways. Traditions are passed down from one generation of baseball men to the next, and rarely questioned. A perennially successful team like the Yankees or Red Sox, he said, might be even less likely to seek change, preferring not to mess with success. But the Rangers hadn’t seen any success for a decade. So, Daniels figured, why not. A few months later, the Rangers sent Jaeger to the Dominican Republic to work with Dominican Summer League Manager Jayce Tingler and other coaches on teaching young pitchers the new long-toss regime. The plan worked like a charm. The team raced to the best record in the league, with no major pitching injuries all season. But the Rangers didn’t merely challenge the 120-foot long-toss convention at the rookie ball level. Last spring, when Jaeger flew to the team’s spring training complex in Surprise on his own dime to see what else the Rangers had done, he couldn’t believe his eyes. “They were crow-hopping like we were crow-hopping,” Jaeger beamed. “They were throwing the ball with arc, using our principles. I watched guys pushing 300 feet, which is practically unheard of in other places. I almost cried.” With that, the Rangers became one of the first teams to actively promote the use of long-toss. The Oakland A’s, St. Louis Cardinals, Minnesota Twins, Washington Nationals, Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees also promote the use of long-toss either at the major league level, the minor league level, or both. A few major league clubs recently lifted their restrictions on long-toss use. The gospel is spreading. Ryan is hardly the first person and the Rangers are hardly the first team that’s tried to squeeze more out of its starters. Plenty of managers have talked about the need to toughen up pitchers, push them harder and make them throw more pitches and more innings in the past. The results have, for the most part, been frightening. In the past 15 years alone, pitchers like the Royals’ Jose Rosado, the Mets’ highly-touted “Generation K” of Paul Wilson, Bill Pulsipher and Jason Isringhausen, and the supposedly indestructible Cubs duo of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior have all seen their careers severely curtailed, or simply ended, by the strain of heavy workloads at a young age. Before Generation K, Wood and Prior, phenoms like Mark Fidrych also flamed out of baseball after the strain of overuse became too much to bear. These burnout cases have become so common, we remember those who heaped the high pitch counts on their young charges – Tony Muser, Dallas Green, and statheads’ Patron Saint of Pitcher Abuse, Dusty Baker – almost as vividly as the pitchers themselves. Seeing those burnouts prompted a new generation of baseball analysts to try to quantify pitcher overuse and its effects, seeking to find a connection between high-pitch-count starts and injuries. By the late 90s, Rany Jazayerli of Baseball Prospectus had begun building the framework for a new statistic, Pitcher Abuse Points. Later joined by colleague Keith Woolner, the pair constructed and refined the stat as a way to measure the degree to which a starting pitcher is overworked. PAP gave every pitcher a safety zone of 100 pitches in each start, with any additional pitches thrown after 100 counted against him. “Pitch 101 counts very little,” Jazayerli said. “Pitch 131 counts a lot.” Wading through reams of data and studying the many cases of pitcher breakdowns over the years has made Jazayerli highly skeptical of attempts to buck the trend of pitch count limits in baseball. “I’d love to see Bob Feller or Bob Gibson pitch complete games every time out in today’s environment,” he said. “If they pitched to conserve their strength as they did in their primes, they wouldn’t be the ace hurlers they were. If they tried to throw 97 on every fastball and still throw nine innings every fifth day…well, I guess Dr. Andrews is always looking for new patients.” Woolner, now manager of baseball research and analytics for the Cleveland Indians, agreed. “No doubt, there are some pitchers who could handle regular 140-pitch outings. The problem is identifying them without burning out a lot of lesser arms along the way.” Statheads aren’t the only ones who fret over more aggressive training methods and pitch count totals for pitchers. Rick Peterson, a former pitching coach with the A’s and New York Mets known for his forward-thinking approach to pitcher instruction and his support for biomechanical studies of pitchers, has produced positive results prescribing strict regimens for former All-Stars such as Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Zito. He’s also seen plenty of pitchers break down in his 30 years as a pitching coach and instructor. “You have teams saying we have to get back to where we were before, where starters have to have a mindset of finishing games,” Peterson said. “Organizations have tried to go back in that direction before. But when you get those kinds of outcomes – injuries, breakdowns – you have to take a second look and ask yourself if it’s worth the risk.” The Rangers’ more aggressive approach does have some backers in the medical community. Dr. Glenn Fleisig, Smith & Nephew Chair of Research at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Ala. (the same clinic that houses top sports surgeon Dr. James Andrews), sees the benefits of pushing pitchers to their physical limits – so long as they don’t push past those limits. When a pitcher pitches or trains to the point of fatigue, Fleisig said, that’s his body telling him he’s developed micro-tears in his ligaments, tendons and muscles. If the pitcher calls it a day at that point, then gets the proper blend of rest and activity between starts, those micro-tears recover and he gets stronger – fostering more endurance for the future. On the other hand, if he keeps working past the point of fatigue, the tears get bigger. Without the proper rest and monitoring, those tears can get too big to repair themselves, resulting in major injuries down the road. The Rangers do have the right idea about pushing pitchers as far as their bodies will allow, Fleisig said. If a pitcher doesn’t work hard enough, he said, “You can’t develop. You won’t get hurt, but you won’t get stronger or better either.” Zito, who visited ASMI early in his career with Peterson, Hudson and Mulder to help further the lab’s biomechanics research, agreed. “Teams are under the false belief that you have a finite number of throws in your shoulder before it blows out, that it has nothing to do with how you condition your shoulder over the years,” he said. “They feel like you’re destined to blow your arm out no matter what you do. I believe you can condition it and prevent injury, by making it stronger.” Ryan allows a slight smile when he reminisces about 235-pitch games battling against the likes of Luis Tiant. He does the same when he talks about the Rangers’ new approach, and the strides his team has made in preventing runs and staying healthy. Then suddenly, the smile disappears. Ryan knows that any number of factors could spoil the party. Bullpen struggles could tempt Manager Ron Washington to stretch his starters out too far and risk going beyond the sweet spot the team seems to have found. Any kind of setback for the team’s Gold Glove-caliber shortstop could have a cascading effect, leading to more balls scooting through the infield, more high-stress innings for Rangers pitchers and more potential for injury. Ryan also knows he’s leaving himself open to criticism if his pitchers simply wither in the Texas heat and break down under the strain of tougher workloads. “Any time you do anything out of the norm, you subject yourself to criticism,” he conceded. “You get a lot of resistance from people when there’s change. I think if you’re going to do that, you have to feel like what you’re doing is the right thing.” The most intimidating pitcher in baseball history paused, then looked his questioner straight in the eyes. “You have to be confident.” Because 5000-plus words weren’t enough to get the point across, here are three more (mini-)stories for your reading enjoyment. WHAT’S CHANGED IN 35 YEARS? What the pitchers of Ryan’s day lacked in pitch count monitoring, medicine, training and nutrition they made up for in Ray Oylers. Oyler was a wisp of a shortstop who lasted six seasons in the big leagues, thanks entirely to his glove. When he hung ‘em up after the 1970 season, Oyler left with a career hitting mark of .175/.258/.251 and the distinction of being the worst hitter in the illustrious one-year history of the Seattle Pilots. Though Oyler was an extreme example of the era’s lower offensive production, he was hardly the only pop-gun hitter of the time. Baseball in the late 60s and through much of the 70s was a game focused on pitching, defense and one-run strategies. Players like Oyler and Mark Belanger were valued for their defense – a couple of homers counted as a breakout year. Teams weren’t afraid to play two or three all-glove, no-hit players at a time, creating a black hole at the bottom of many lineups. Sixty years after Christy Mathewson’s Pitching in a Pinch informed readers that he’d coast throughout the bottom of lineups with little effort in the Dead Ball era, pitchers could still blow through multiple hitters every game with ease, saving their best bullets for later in the game, when they’d need them. Denny Doyle was a rich man’s Ray Oyler. Known for his glovework, Doyle’s eight-year career netted him a career mark of .250/.295/.315, with just 16 home runs. But he had a few dramatic moments with the bat too, including some big performances in the 1975 playoffs. Doyle was also baseball’s answer to Zelig in the early-to-mid-1970s. He played behind Steve Carlton with the Phillies, then Ryan with the Angels, and finally Luis Tiant with the Red Sox – three of the most prolific pitch count collectors of that time. He was also the slap-hitting second baseman who knocked in the winning run during that marathon Ryan-Tiant clash in 1974. It wasn’t just greater acceptance of Oylers, Belangers and Doyles that made pitching deep into games easier 35 years ago. Though stadiums finally lowered pitching mounds from the Mount Olympus heights of the late 60s, most ballparks’ configurations still made home runs a much tougher task than they are today. The proliferation of fire-breathing closers and crafty set-up men lowered the need for complete games (and vice versa). The explosion of player salaries made teams more reluctant to risk harming their pricey investments. And while performance-enhancing drugs may benefit hitters and pitchers alike, it’s tough to dispute the surging and dovetailing home run and PED-use trends that peaked earlier this decade. All of these factors have conspired to make pitchers expend more energy per pitch today than they did a generation ago. But the biggest and toughest change for today’s pitchers, say both moundsmen and statheads, may be the incredible shrinking strike zone. Watch a game from the 70s with any fastball pitcher on the hill. You’ll see strike after strike called on pitches at the navel, at the letters, even up to the armpits. That bigger strike zone made hitters swing more often and produce outs more frequently, which in turn brought down pitch counts. Now, facing better hitters with better equipment in parks more conducive to hitting, pitchers need to gun 95-mph fastballs, darting cutters and knee-buckling curves into a strike zone the size of a postage stamp. Nope, no effort required there. “I wouldn’t say it all comes down to [the smaller strike zone], but that would seem to be the primary reason” for starting pitchers coming out of games earlier, said Tom Tango, an analyst and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. “With a much smaller margin for error, and with relievers in abundance, starters have less reason to pace themselves. So, that leads into a perfect storm of smaller strike zones and backup support forcing all-out pitches.” Tango takes his defense of today’s pitchers one step further. Top starters in both the 1960s and the heart of the 90s offensive explosion both averaged about 110 pitches per start, he says. In other words, it’s not the sheer number of pitches thrown by starters that’s changed much – it’s the effort expended per pitch and the number of innings pitched per start. Managers today have the luxury of removing their gassed starters and bringing in a battalion of rested, ready relief pitchers every game. So if the data suggest that pitch counts for starting pitchers haven’t changed much in 35-40 years, why does it seem that they have? Lower innings totals for starters are one big reason. But analysts argue that it’s more than that. It’s a survivor effect, and also selection bias, at work. Human beings remember extraordinary events and extraordinary people, and a few pitchers have survived some remarkable workloads over the years. Thus we recall games like the one played June 14, 1974, and pitchers who could, on occasion, top 200 or even 250 pitches. We remember Nolan Ryan. We forget that other guy. THE MAN WHO STARTED THE PITCH COUNT CRAZE So when did we first start paying attention to pitch counts anyway? Gabriel Schechter, a research associate for the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, offers this excerpt from a Dodgers game report in the New York World Telegram, dated April 25, 1945. “Normally a pitcher delivers about 100 to 120 pitches per game,” the article read. “They say Christy Mathewson often pitched no more than 80.” Pitch counts were being monitored in the 1960s too, even if the masses rarely heard about it. The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract notes that the 1967 Birmingham club was one of the best minor league teams of the 60s, its best pitchers flirting with no-hitters several times that year. But 35 years before Moneyball, the parent A’s club had a strict 100-pitch count limit for minor leaguers. The manager would yank his starter at 100 pitches, potential no-hitter or not. Despite those early efforts, number crunchers needed a steady flow of data before the pitch count obsession could begin in earnest. Henry Freeman was the man who made it happen. A long-time newspaperman who’d already racked up nearly 20 years in the business, Freeman took over as sports editor at USA Today in 1981, before the paper published its first issue. Given the clean slate he had to build the section, Freeman huddled with other staffers, challenging them to come up with ideas to make the paper’s sports section a must-read. The group quickly found a magic bullet: expanded box scores. To that point, baseball box scores simply followed the old format of showing the game’s score by inning, the winning and losing pitchers, plus a few more details. Freeman wanted to offer more – much more. That was a tough task, given no one else had tried anything as ambitious as what he had in mind. When Freeman put out his first prototype sports section on May 15, 1981, it took his staff five days to collect all the numbers for it. This wouldn’t work on a daily paper’s schedule. Through persistent nudging, Freeman got the Elias sports bureau to kick in some data. But for game stats, his only hope was the Associated Press. After more cajoling, Freeman got AP to have its stringers call USA Today with box score results after every game. The price? Fifteen bucks per game. By the time the 1983 baseball season was done, the rest of the newspaper world caught on, and AP introduced an agate service to meet booming demand. But USA Today had emerged as the clear leader in the burgeoning statistical revolution that was gripping baseball fans. Triple Crown stats led to stolen bases. Stolen bases led to negative stats like caught stealing. And by 1984, pitch count totals could be found for every pitcher in every game. Freeman says rising reader demand helped drive the paper to provide new and copious numbers in box scores and expanded standings. But an equally big driver was an all-too-predictable ulterior motive. “We’d started a fantasy baseball league,” recalled Freeman, now editor at the Journal-News in White Plains, NY. “Fantasy baseball wasn’t a big deal at that point. But we had a league, the GOPPL, that we’d first started when I was at the Oakland Tribune and then brought to the copydesk at USA Today. Out of the daily discussion of that league, we started adding all those [stats]. That’s how pitch counts got into USA Today.” Cal Eldred was a strapping right-hander drafted in the first round by the Brewers in 1989. He was a star pitcher through high school and college in Iowa, where by his own admission his coaches didn’t overuse him. But Milwaukee saw a big, strong kid who could be a future ace, someone who could pitch deep into games and soak up stacks of innings. At 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, he was big enough to make the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Ryan look small by comparison. The Brewers had their horse, and they were going to ride him. After spending nearly three years in the minors, the Brewers sent Eldred back to Triple-A to start the 1992 season. He pitched well that year. So well, in fact, that the Triple-A club ran him out for 141 innings – by the All-Star break, under mile high conditions in Denver. The Brewers were so impressed with their pitching prospect that they promoted him to the big club, where he made 14 more starts. Eldred’s final tally between Triple-A and the majors that year: 21-8, 2.50 ERA…and 241 1/3 innings pitched. Sensing they had a young ace on their hands, the Brewers leaned heavily on Eldred in 1993. At age 25, Eldred led the league in starts (36) and innings pitched (258). He faced 1,087 batters, also tops in the league. He often struggled with his command, which combined with his team’s willingness to pitch him deep into games, created a perfect storm for high pitch counts. In ’93, Eldred averaged 117 pitches per start and topped 130 pitches 10 times. During one stretch that season, he ran up sequential pitch counts of 144, 149, 120, 154, 106, 130 and 127. In the strike-shortened 1994 season, Eldred again led the league in starts, averaging 125 pitches a game during one stretch in May and June. “When you’re in your first full season in the big leagues, throwing more pitches than Randy Johnson, that’s probably not the smartest thing to do,” Eldred said. “Later on, I was taught by veteran guys that you have to know when to say, ‘I’ve had enough.’ But when you’re young, you feel like you can do it. When you’re a kid who’s 24, 25, 26, or much younger than that it in the minor leagues, you have to be protected.” The reckoning came quickly. Eldred made just four starts in 1995, before the pain in his arm became too much to bear. Like thousands of overused pitchers before and after him, Eldred went in for Tommy John surgery. He’d pitch in fits and starts for nine more seasons, but could never regain his old form. “Dr. (Lewis) Yocum did my surgery,” Eldred said wistfully. “Just before he did it, he said something that’s stuck with me: ‘I can’t put you back together like God put you together.’” Balor Moore’s story is similar, though Moore also had more in common with Ryan than most. A first-round draft pick by the Montreal Expos in their first year of existence, Moore grew up in a small Texas town 127 miles away from Ryan’s. The two men were in the Army Reserve together in the early 70s and played together with the Angels in ’77. Like Ryan, Moore cracked the big leagues at age 19, though he wouldn’t stick for a couple more years. He threw lefty, but Moore also shared the Ryan pedigree of a hard thrower with command problems early in his career. Legendary scout Red Murff must have liked that type – he signed both pitchers. Moore refuses to blame his long string of injuries and the flameout of a promising career solely on overuse. Other factors conspired to turn a fireballer who struck out 161 batters in 147.2 innings as a 21-year-old Expo into a rehab case who for a long time couldn’t crack 80 on a radar gun. There was an ankle injury in ’73 that wasn’t given time to heal, and a change in the balk rule that hurt the timing and mechanics of Moore’s delivery. At first glance, those would seem to be the major reasons for Moore’s decline, not the reasonable total of 176.1 innings he threw for the Expos that season. But dig a little deeper, and it’s clear that 1973 was a nearly prehistoric time when it came to handling pitchers. “It wasn’t uncommon for a starting pitcher to throw 30 innings in spring training,” Moore recalled. “Then you’ve got your workload for the regular season. Then it’s off to winter ball in Puerto Rico for a 60-game schedule, where you’ll start another 12 to 15 games. Then back to spring training to start all over again. If you were lucky, you’d get three weeks of rest all year.” Like Eldred, Moore was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery and endure a long, painful rehab. A two-pitch pitcher with a blazing fastball when healthy, Moore started throwing more off-speed stuff after his surgery, hoping to reinvent himself. He lasted four more seasons, but never approached his early brush with success.
The Jonathan Swift Archive makes available digitized texts of Jonathan Swift’s prose works, transcribed from a great variety of early printed editions. The archive is an electronic supplement to the printed Cambridge Works of Jonathan Swift , 18 vols. (Cambridge University Press, 2008-). Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) is remembered today as a poet, satirist and political writer. He was also a clergyman in the Church of Ireland, and Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin between 1713 and his death in 1745. Although he was a prolific writer and publisher – as a journalist, political pamphleteer, historian, and writer on religious matters – the canon of his works is dominated by three famous texts: A Tale of a Tub (1704), Gulliver's Travels (1726) and A Modest Proposal (1729). Many commentators consider them to be the supreme expressions of the satirical mode in the English language. The Jonathan Swift Archive project was established in 2004, supported by a major five-year grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The archive project is a collaboration between Keele University (host institution) and the University of Oxford, with technical consultancy from the Centre for Computing in the Humanities at King's College, London. The editors of the archive are Paddy Bullard, Daniel Cook, and Adam Rounce, in association with James McLaverty and David Womersley. From 2010 the archive manager is Paddy Bullard.
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jueves, 21 de julio de 2011 HOW TO BLOG ANONYMOUSLY:Practice with Tor and Wordpress By Ethan Zuckerman HOW TO BLOG ANONYMOUSLY Practice with Tor and Wordpress By Ethan Zuckerman REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS There are number of ways you can hide your identity when using the Internet. Any path towards anonymity needs to consider local conditions, your own technical competence and your level of paranoia. If you’re worried that what you're posting could put you at risk and you're capable of installing it, posting to a blog through Tor is a very good idea. If you don’t really need to be anonymous, don’t be. If your name is associated with your words, people are likely to take your words seriously. But some people are going to need to be anonymous. Don’t use these techniques unless you really need to. And remember not to sign your blog posts with your real name ! Do you remember Sarah,who was learning the basics of anonymous blogging in 2005? Here are some reminders... STEP ONE – PSEUDONYMS One easy way Sarah can hide her identity is to use a free webmail account and free blog host outside her native country. (Using a paid account for either email or webhosting is a poor idea, as the payment will link the account to a credit card, a checking account or Paypal account that could be easily linked to Sarah.) She can create a new identity – a pseudonym – when she signs up for these accounts, and when the minister finds her blog, he'll discover that it belongs to “A. N. Ymous”, with the email address Some providers of free webmail accounts: Hushmail - free webmail with support for strong cryptography Some providers of free weblog hosting: Blogsome - free WordPress blogs Here's the problem with this strategy. When Sarah signs up for an email service or a weblog, the webserver she's accessing logs her IP address. If that IP address can be traced to her - if she's using her computer at home or her computer at work – and if the email or weblog company is forced to release that information, she could be found. It's not a simple matter to get most web service companies to reveal this information – to get Hotmail, for instance, to reveal the IP Sarah used to sign up for her account, the minister would likely need to issue a subpoena, probably in cooperation with a US law enforcement agency. But Sarah may not want to take the risk of being found if her government can persuade her email and weblog host to reveal her identity. STEP TWO - PUBLIC COMPUTERS One extra step Sarah could take to hide her identity is to begin using computers to make her blogposts that are used by lots of other people. Rather than setting up her webmail and weblog accounts from her home or work computer, Sarah could set them up from a computer in a cybercafé, library or university computer lab. When the minister traces the IP used to post a comment or item, he'll find the post was made from a cybercafé, where any number of people might have been using the computers. There are flaws in this strategy as well. If the cybercafé or computer lab keeps track of who is using what computer at what time, Sarah's identity could be compromised. She shouldn't try to post in the middle of the night when she's the only person in the computer lab – the geek on duty is likely to remember who she is. And she should change cybercafés often. If the minister discovers that all the whistleblower's posts are coming from “Joe's Beer and Bits”on Main Street, he might stake someone out to watch the cybercafé and see who's posting to blogs in the hope of catching Sarah. STEP THREE - ANONYMOUS PROXIES Sarah's getting sick of walking to Joe's cybercafé every time she wants to post to her blog. With some help from the neighborhood geek, she sets up her computer to access the web through an anonymous proxy. Now, when she uses her webmail and weblog services, she'll leave behind the IP address of the proxy server, not the address of her home machine... which will make it very hard for the minister to find her. First, she finds a list of proxy servers online, by searching for “proxy server” on Google. She picks a proxy server from the publicproxyservers.com list, choosing a site marked “high anonymity”. She writes down the IP address of the proxy and the port listed on the proxy list. Some reliable lists of public proxies: • publicproxyservers.com - anonymous and non-anonymous proxies. • Samair (http://www.samair.ru/proxy/) - only anonymous proxies, and includes information on proxies that support SSL. • rosinstrument proxy database (http://tools.rosinstrument.com/proxy/) – searchable database of proxy servers. Then she opens the “preferences” section of her web browser. Under “general”, “network” or “security” (usually), she finds an option to set up a proxy to access the Internet. (On the Firefox browser, this option is found under Preferences – General – Connection She turns on “manual proxy configuration”, enters the IP address of the proxy server and port into the fields for HTTP proxy and SSL proxy and saves her settings. She restarts her browser and starts surfing the web. She notices that her connection to the web seems a bit slower. That's because every page she requests from a webserver takes a detour. Instead of connecting directly to hotmail.com, she connects to the proxy, which then connects to Hotmail. When Hotmail sends a page to her, it goes to the proxy first, then to her. She also notices she has some trouble accessing websites, especially those that want her to log in. But at least her IP isn't being recorded by her weblog provider. Sarah has another problem if she's one of very few people in the country using a proxy. If the comments on her blog can be traced to a single proxy server, and if the minister can access logs from all the ISPs within a country, he might be able to discover that Sarah's computer was one of the very few that accessed a specific proxy server. He can't demonstrate that Sarah used the proxy to post to a weblog server, but he might conclude that the fact that the proxy was used to make a weblog post and that she was one of the few people in the nation to use that proxy constituted evidence that she made the post. Sarah would do well to use proxies that are popular locally and to switch proxies often. Here is today how Sarah’s problems can be resolved through blogging with Tor and STEP ONE : DISGUISE YOU IP ADDRESS Every computer on the internet has or shares an IP address. These addresses aren’t the same hing as physical address, but they can lead a smart system administrator to your physical address. Sarah feared that her identity would be discovered for the webserver she was accessing logs her IP address. 1. Install Firefox Download it at the Mozilla site (htt://www.mozilla.org) and install it on the main machine you blog from. Why Firefox rather than Internet Explorer? Explorer has some egregious security holas that can compromise your online security 2. Install TOR Download the programm from the Tor site : http://www.torproject.org/ (If access to Tor main website is blocked in your country, there are a few mirrors of it in other places where it can also be downloaded from Pick the “latest stable release” for your platform and download it onto your desktop. Follow the instructions that are linked to the right of the release you downloaded. Tor is a very sophisticated network of proxy servers. Proxy servers request a web page on your behalf, which means that the web server doesn’t see the IP address of the computer requesting the webpage. When you access Tor, you’re using three different proxy servers to retrieve each webpage. The pages are encrypted in transit between servers, and even if one or two of the servers in the chain were compromised, it would be very difficult to see what webpage you were retrieving or posting to. Tor installs another piece of software, Privoxy, which increases the security settings on your browser, blocking cookies and other pieces of tracking software. Conveniently, it also blocks many ads you encounter on webpages. 3. Install Torbutton Turning on Tor by hand means remembering to change your browser preferences to use a proxy server. This is a multistep process, which people sometimes forget to do. Torbutton makes the process a single mouse click and reminds you whether you’re using Tor or not, which can be very helpful. If you’re going to be writing primarily from shared computers (like cybercafe computers) or you’re unable to install software on a computer. Download XeroBank Browser (xB Browser) or alternatively Tor on a Stick (ToaSt). XeroBank is a highly customized version of the Firefox browser with Tor and Privoxy already installed. It’s designed to be placed on a USB key so that you can access Tor from shared computers that don’t permit you to install software. Download the package from the xB Browser site onto a computer where you can save files. Insert your USB key and copy the xB-Browser.exe onto the key. Using this USB key and any Windows computer where you can insert a USB key, you can access a Tor-protected browser. On this shared computer, quit the existing web browser. Insert the key, find the key’s filesystem on the Desktop, and double-click the xB-Browser_latest.exe. This will launch a new browser which accesses the web through Tor. Test that XeroBank Browser is working by visiting the Tor test site with the Tor-enabled browser and making sure you get a “Your IP is identified to be a Tor-EXIT” message. STEP 2 : GENERATE A NEW, HARD TO TRACE EMAIL ACCOUNT Most web services - including blog hosting services - require an email address so that they communicate with their users. For our purposes, this email address can’t connect to any personally identifiable information, including the IP address we used to sign up for the service. This means we need a new account which we sign up for using Tor, and we need to ensure that none of the data we use - name, address, etc. - can be linked to us. You should NOT use an existing email account - it’s very likely that you signed up for the account from an undisguised IP, and most webmail providers store the IP address you signed up under. 1. Choose a webmail provider Hushmail, Vaultletsoft and Gmail, but as long as you’re using Tor, you could use Yahoo or Hotmail as well. Also, you can easily register a free and quick webmail account with fastmail.fm. Hotmail and Yahoo mail both have a “security feature” that makes privacy advocates very unhappy. Both include the IP address of the computer used to send any email. This isn’t relevant when you’re accessing those services through Tor, since the IP address will be a Tor IP address, rather than your IP address. Also, Hotmail and Yahoo don’t offer secure HTTP (https) interfaces to webmail - again, this doesn’t matter so long as you use Tor every time you use these mail services. But many users will want to check their mail in circumstances where they don’t have Tor installed - for your main webmail account, it’s worth choosing a provider that has an https interface to mail. Hushmail provides webmail with a very high degree of security. Their interface to webmail uses https and they don’t include the sending IP in outgoing emails. But they’re a for-profit service and they offer only limited services to non-paying users. If you sign up for a free account, you have to log into it every couple of weeks to make sure the system doesn’t delete it. Because they’re aggressive about trying to convert free users to paid users, and because their system uses a lot of Java applets, some find that Hushmail isn’t the right choice for them. Gmail, while it doesn’t advertise itself as a secure mail service, has some nice security featuresbuilt in. If you visit this special URL, your entire session with Gmail will be encrypted via https. 2. Register your new account Don’t use any personally identifiable information - consider becoming a boringly named individual in a country with a lot of web users, like the US or the UK. Set a good, strong password (at least eight characters, include at least one number or special character) for the account and set a good, strong password, at least eight characters, include at least one number or special character. Choose a username similar to what you’re going to name your blog. 3. Test if it works! Make sure you’re able to log onto the mail service and send mail while Tor is enabled. It is most likely that Tor changes its circuit every 10 minutes and this could disrupt your webmail operations, so you should consider limiting the process of writing a new email to 10 minutes. STEP 3 : REGISTER YOUR NEW ANONYMOUS BLOG You’ll have to be very careful by creating that blog. It requires more attention and caution than creating a non anonymous blog. TURN TOR ON IN YOUR BROWSER, OR START XEROBANK Visit Wordpress.com and sign up for a new account by clicking the “Get a New WordPress Blog” link. Use the email address you just created and create a user name that will be part of your blog address : thenameyouchoose.wordpress.com Wordpress will send an activation link to your webmail account. Use your Tor-enabled browser to retrieve the mail and follow that activation link. This lets Wordpress know you’ve used a live email account and that they can reach you with updates to their service - as a result, they’ll make your blog publicly viewable and send you your password. You’ll need to check your webmail again to retrieve this password. Still using Tor, log into your new blog using your username and password. Click on “My Dashboard”, then on “Update your profile or change your password.” Change your password to a strong password that you can remember. Feel free to add information to your profile as well… just make sure none of that information is linked to you! STEP 4 : POST TO YOU BLOG Write your blog post offline. Not only is this a good way to keep from losing a post if your browser crashes or your net connection goes down, it means you can compose your posts somewhere more private than a cybercafe. A simple editor, like Wordpad for Windows, is usually the best to use. Save your posts as text files (After blogging, always remember to remove these files from your machine completely, using a tool like Eraser or Ccleaner which is is available in many languages and wipes te porary files automatically from all installed browsers and other applications). Turn on Tor, or use XeroBank, and log onto Wordpress.com. Click the “write” button to write a new post. Cut and paste the post from your text file to the post window. Give the post a title and put it into whatever categories you want to use. Before you hit “Publish”, there’s one key step. Click on the blue bar on the right of the screen that says “Post Timestamp.” Click the checkbox that says “Edit Timestamp”. Choose a time a few minutes in the future - ideally, pick a random interval and use a different number each time. This will put a variable delay on the time your post will actually appear on the site Wordpress won’t put the post up until it reaches the time you’ve specified. By changing the timestamp of the posts, we make an attack more difficult for the internet service provider. Now they’d need access to the logs of the Wordpress server as well, which are much harder to get than their own logs. It’s a very easy step to take that increases your security. STEP 5 : COVER YOUR TRACKS Securely erase the rough drafts of the post you made from your laptop or home machine.If you used a USB key to bring the post to the cybercafe, you’ll need to erase that, too. It’s not sufficient to move the file to the trash and empty the trash - you need to use a secure erasing tool like Eraser or Ccleaner which overwrites the old file with data that makes it impossible to retrieve. On a Macintosh, this functionality is built it - bring a file to the trash and choose “Secure Empty Trash” from the Finder Menu. Clear your browser history, cookies and passwords from Firefox. Under the Tools menu, select “Clear Private Data”. Check all the checkboxes and hit “okay”. You might want to set up Firefox so that it automatically clears your data when you quit - you can do this under “Firefox -> Preferences -> Privacy -> Settings”. Choose the checkbox that says “Clear private data when closing Firefox”. In case you cannot install programs on the computer, use the IE Privacy Cleaner tool from the USB stick to wipe temp browser data. Ethan Zuckerman is a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School where his research focuses on the relationship between citizen journalism and conventional media, especially in the developing world. He's a founder and former director of Geekcorps, a non-profit organization that focuses on technology training in the developing world, and was one of the founders of webhosting company Tripod.
This Thursday: Gelf’s Non-Motivational Speaker Series June 23, 2009 Leave a comment Come join me this Thursday, June 25, for the newest installment of Gelf Magazine’s Non-Motivational Speaker Series! "Illustration will be this month’s theme. Speakers include artist Molly Crabapple (aka ), creator of Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, a cabaret-life-drawing class with 57 branches around the world; New Yorker cartoonist and editor of the magazine’s comedy blog Farley Katz; and Josh Neufeld, author of graphic novels A Few Perfect Hours and the widely acclaimed A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, to be published by Pantheon this fall." Should be entertaining and informative. And it’s FREE. Thursday, June 25, 7:30 pm JLA Studios [Google maps] 63 Pearl St. (between Water St. and Front St.) Brooklyn, NY 11201 [Next to the F train. Close to the A/C. Accessible by the 2/3]
I’m so bad at being an adult. But… I’m super great at pretending to be a reasonable grown-up. I mean, seriously. I somehow pay my taxes and have car insurance… but I eat brownies for dinner and write a blog for a living. Most days I need adult supervision. Grown-ups get in pickles. Sticky situations. I know. I’ve been in my fair share.. Luckily I know how to bake my way out. It’s a skill and a gift… and I’m sharing. Note: perhaps the following examples are based on personal experiences. Perhaps. Double Note: Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes are bomb. What to bake for your parents when you stop by their house, unannounced, with a truckload of dirty laundry to wash in their machine: Oatmeal Chocolate Pecan Cookies. You get away with such blatant laundry abuse because your mom used to do the same thing to her mother. Tell Mom it’s the circle of life if she tries to give you a hard time. Circle of Life…. there’s no fighting The Lion King. What to bake for your brother when you forget his wife’s name: Dark Chocolate Brownies. Actually… you should feel extra bad because his wife’s name is basically the same as your own mother’s name. How could you forget that!? Tacky. What to bake after a night of drunk texting people you shouldn’t even be sober texting… and your mom: Brown Sugar Bacon Waffles. I mean…. I’m just guessing here. It’s not like this has ever happened to me. Except that one time… and then maybe that other time too. What to bake when you’re matched with your ex-boyfriends best friend on an Internet dating site. Oh Lordy. You’re gonna need some Rice Pudding. Pudding soothes the awkward. To avoid writing out bills, I always find that whipping up some yeasted sweet bread fills up my time. You might consider it. Pan Dulce. Time consuming and delicious. But bills must be payed eventually. Adulthood is annoying like that.
Jon Fratelli (solo) is playing The Edge Festival in Edinburgh on 8/22. Download a new demo song, watch video, and more at http://jonfratelli.co.uk Head over to Shockhound.com to catch an exclusive interview with Jon and Lou, talking about the band, cocktails and their favorite James Bond Video Interview at Shockhound.com Codeine Velvet Club will be re-releasing the single Vanity Kills in the UK, tomorrow Monday, April 5th, on digital format only. The single will be backed by a brand new track "Midnight Love Song". Codeine Velvet Club’s debut album is out now in the US! Head over to iTunes or Amazon to grab a copy. If you haven’t seen them yet, head over to the band’s YouTube page to see what you’ve been missing.
AnyiMax iPod Video Converter Suite is a versatile iPod video conversion solution. This suite includes 2 software -- "AnyiMax iPod video converter " and "AnyiMax DVD to iPod Converter". So with this iPod Converter Suite, you can convert both DVD media and all kinds of video file media to iPod. It provides multiple output formats, such as XVID,MPEG4 and H26. Since the aspect ratio of iPod is 4:3, we provide the video crop function to ensure a good image. Now you can take your beloved movies along with you. With only $29.99, youll own two software at the same time. Lower price and high performance Unique:Directly transport video files to iPod! No need to install iTunes or other software. Platform Windows 95/98/ME Operating Systems Windows 95/98/ME,Windows NT/2000,Windows XP,Windows Vista Date added 29 Sep 2007 Last Updated 24 Jan 2011 Tags iPod DVD video converter
This winter screen saver has snow covered trees as the background and snow falling as a bird flies across. Platform Windows 95/98/ME Operating Systems Windows 95/98/ME,Windows NT/2000,WindowsCE,Windows XP,Windows NT/2000/2003/SBS2003,Windows Vista Date added None Last Updated 24 Jan 2011 Tags its snowing, its snowing screen saver, winter, winter screen saver, snow, falling snow, bird, snow covered, trees, shareware, free download, Kens Gift Shop, www.saversbyk.com
The story of the distress calls from the TITANIC has been repeated in many amateur radio publications particularly the use of SOS being sent for the first time. What actually did happen? Was this story true? Did the operators on the TITANIC keep sending until the encroaching water flooded their radio room? Did they go down with the ship? The answer to these questions and many other examples of heroism and human failings which this disaster produced can be found in the records of the two official hearings, the United States Senate hearing, and the British Court of Inquiry. As often happens in real-life situations, "truth is stranger than fiction". The most recent blockbuster movie is a must see and many parts are based on the recorded facts, however, many are not and are the result of 'artistic licence'. One of the closest representations still remains the 1958 black and white British production, 'A Night To Remember', based on Walter Lord's excellent book of the same name. Those CW buffs among our numbers will find that the Morse depicted in this film is actually readable. This film also spends much time on the most ironic event in the chapter of calamities which befell the stricken liner, that being the Marconi operator on the CALIFORNIAN shutting down his operations half an hour before Jack Phillips (the TITANIC's first operator) commenced sending distress signals. \|Although Titanic's wireless room was only featured briefly in the final cut of the blockbuster movie of the same name, no effort was spared to recreate the original in every detail as this Douglas Kirkland photo reveals. James Cameron's Titanic Marconi Room set was based on RMS Olympic, since that was all the information that was available when the movie was being made.\| CALIFORNIAN, stated to the British inquiry that he was not insulted by this rebuff as the larger or faster ships took preference in sending their traffic. Evans had a long day in any case, he had been on duty since 7 am that morning and therefore he retired to his bunk at 11.30 p.m. The operators on the TITANIC were required to work six hours on and six hours off. Even at the cost of 12s. 6d for ten words and 9d. for each additional word, the passengers lined up (at least the wealthy passengers) to send a message home via this newfangled service. The remuneration for operators, from the evidence given by Marconi, started at $4 to $10 to $12 US per week with board and lodging. It was no problem to fill these positions as the rate of pay was considerably more than their land based colleagues. Another point of interest was the age of the operators involved in the saga. Jack Phillips was 24 years old, Harold Bride, the TITANIC's second operator was 22 years, Cyril Evans of the CALIFORNIAN had only six month's experience at the age of 20 years, while Harold Cottam of the Carpathia was 21 years old. At 11:40 pm Sunday April 14, the lookout on the TITANIC rang the bell three times and activated the ships telegraph. 'What do you see?' came the request The answer was, 'Iceberg right ahead!' The events which unfolded then did not have any immediate effect on the two operators. Jack Phillips was flat out getting through the traffic which had accumulated. Harold Bride was in his bunk but was turning out early to relieve Phillips, who as we have seen had a heavy shift Harold Bride had just taken over and Jack Phillips was preparing to turn in when Captain E. J. Smith appeared and said, 'You had better get assistance'. Jack Phillips came back into the room and took over and commenced the distress messages at about 12.05 am Monday 15 April 1912. Phillips and Bride then stayed at their posts even after they were relieved by the Captain. According to Bride, the TITANIC's wireless was functioning until ten minutes before the ship's final death throes at about 2.20 am Monday April 15. As we have seen, Jack Phillips as the principal operator, came back on duty and commenced sending CQD followed by MGY . CQD was the Marconi conventional distress signal and MGY was the TITANIC's call sign. While SOS was also used, there was much discussion at the American Senate Inquiry as to whether CQD actually stood for an abbreviation and if it was in accordance with the international convention. Marconi himself replied that it was not in accord with international convention but that it was a conventional company signal. He went on to say that the international distress signal decided at the Berlin Convention was SOS. The first reply to the CQD call was from a German ship, the FRANKFURT, which although some 200 miles distant had a very strong signal. The operator on this vessel evidently became confused and did not recognize the gravity of the situation as twenty minutes after being sent the TITANIC's position in latitude and longitude, he sent 'What is the matter?' This proved too much for Phillips who snapped back with a message to the effect that the FRANKFURT's operator was a fool and to keep out This may have been injudicious as was pointed out in the American Senate inquiry, but as it turned out the FRANKFURT was much too far distant. In the meantime, another more promising reply had been received from Harold Cottam on the Carpathia. Cottam received the TITANIC's call merely by chance. Like Evans, the CALIFORNIAN's operator, he had been on duty since 7 am and was due to turn in for the night but he still had his headphones on awaiting a reply from another vessel when he overheard Cape Cod trying to contact the TITANIC with a bunch of messages. (Remember this was 1912 and the range of transmission was restricted and much of the traffic relied on third party transmission). Imagine Cottam's surprise when he called the TITANIC with, 'I say OM do you know there is a batch of messages coming through for you from MCC?' (Cape Cod's call sign), and received, 'Come at once it's CQD, OM. Position 41'46N, 50'14W'. Cottam replied, 'Shall I tell my Captain ? Do you require assistance?' The cryptic reply was, 'Yes come quick.' Despite Cottam racing to the bridge with the CQD message and the consequent awakening of Captain Rostron, the master of the Carpathia and his heroic efforts to push his ship beyond its capabilities, it was about 4 hours before they arrived at the scene, too late to save the 1,527 who perished, but in time to rescue those who had survived the night in lifeboats. Phillips and Bride remained at their posts after being released from their duties by Captain Smith until they could no longer transmit due to the failure of the generators. They had been in touch with other ships and stations including the TITANIC's sister ship, the Olympic. When they came onto the deck, all the lifeboats had long been launched and some of the officers were attempting to get off the last collapsible boat which was attached to the roof of the officers' quarters. The attempt was only partially successful, the boat being washed off as the TITANIC broke apart and sank. The lifeboat ended up inverted with Bride being trapped under it in an air pocket. He was eventually able to extract himself after a considerable time and make his way onto the top of the overturned boat. Phillips also managed to make his way to the same boat but died of exposure during the night Bride survived with frostbitten feet and injured ankles and was picked up by the Carpathia. Bride's participation in the actual events was not to end there as he was carried to the wireless room of the Carpathia towards the end of the survivors trip to New York to relieve a totally exhausted Cottam who had been on duty since receiving the 'come at once' message from the TITANIC. Bride received $1000 and Cottam $750 for the sale of their stories to the press of the day. These payments caused some controversy at the time as it appeared that the Marconi Organization had told them to maintain their silence until they reached New York thus depriving a news hungry public news of the tragedy. As a result of the part played by wireless in the events surrounding the loss of the TITANIC, 24 hour radio watch was introduced. The strange set of coincidences which resulted in one radio operator shutting down at a critical time and another contacting the stricken liner by pure chance would not be permitted to happen again. On the debit side, the TITANIC operators actions in ignoring and not passing on several ice warnings contributed to numerous oversights which when taken as individual events, could not be regarded as serious, but when combined reached overwhelming proportions. For the operators, it was clearly a case of overload of often frivolous messages from the wealthy passengers. On the credit side, both operators stayed on even after they were released from duty by the Captain, only ceasing transmission when their spark failed due to the failing generators. The sending of the first SOS distress call was made at 12.45 am on 15 April 1912. The Captain had called at the wireless room to ascertain the progress of the attempts to summon assistance and enquired as to which distress call was being sent CQD was the reply. Bride recalled that SOS had recently been agreed as the international distress signal and suggested that Phillips might send that as well, 'it might be the last chance you have to send it', he added prophetically. There was little emphasis given to this historic event in the evidence presented to the US Senate inquiry at which Bride and Marconi appeared. CQD was the Marconi company distress signal. Phillips and Bride were both Marconi men, and so were almost all of the participants in the passing of messages that night with the exception of the operator on the FRANKFURT (the operator who was called a fool by the frustrated Phillips). Did the operator on the FRANKFURT recognize the CQD message? 'Certainly' replied Marconi. Although the wireless equipment on the FRANKFURT had been supplied by a German company and SOS had recently been adopted by the Berlin Convention, it was a Marconi company of which Marconi was a director and as such used the Marconi conventional signals and in any case, CQD was more widely recognized than SOS. (This is an example of the almost total control which Marconi exercised over the 1912 maritime communication scene with the Marconi distress signal being rated above the international signal). As stated in the opening to this discussion, the story of the TITANIC is one of human failing, sacrifice and endeavour, and the night when WIRELESS CAME OF AGE. FOLLOW ON TO THE STORY.... The Discovery Channel produced a documentary, titled "Last Mysteries of the Titanic." and in doing so, it captured some ROV footage from inside the Marconi Room. It was examined in both 2001 and 2005. Here is the analysis report from the technical advisor (Parks): "The Marconi Room itself, along with the adjacent operators' sleeping quarters, was completely destroyed during the sinking. There is nothing but an open area left. The room's original boundaries can be determined by the pattern of paint remaining in the overhead and dangling electrical wires which once led to light switches and a heater control switch mounted on the walls. An electrical distribution panel for the ship's lighting system that was once embedded in the forward wall of the Marconi cabin now hangs down by its wires, with a couple of fuses showing evidence of having blown. The skylight over the operator's desk is gone, leaving an open hole in the overhead. The only piece of equipment that could be found in the room was the accumulator charging switchboard, which lies face down on top of the sediment that covers the deck, still connected by wires. Everything else in the room was evidently carried away by the water, presumably aft into the large open space that housed the Grand Staircase. The adjacent Silence Cabin, though, survived the sinking, thanks to the extra thickness of its walls to accommodate sound-proofing. The transmitting apparatus survived largely intact and is now completely accessible, thanks to the organisms that have eaten away the walls of the room. When the room was last seen in 2005, the AC/DC switchboard and field regulators remained mounted on a fragment of wall. The glass on the AMPERES and VOLTS dials were still intact on three of the four gauges, the lettering still visible. The knife switch on the AC side of the board is still closed, but the knife switch on the DC side is open, indicating that operator Phillips deliberately shut down the station before departing. The regulators show the last settings of resistance used to sharpen the spark as ship's power became increasingly unstable. The switchboards hang on the wall above the motor-generator set. The top of the teak box housing the rotary spark generator is locked in the open position, indicating that operator Bride must have been listening to the spark as he adjusted the regulators. The condensers and transformer sit unaffected by the tragedy. The jigger was mounted on the wall above the condensers and with the wall behind it eaten away, is held upright only by the copper bands connected to it. The wood of the jigger box has been largely eaten away and it will soon fall to pieces. The brass earth arrester for the aerial and tuning lamp, once mounted on the wall next to the jigger, are still held upright by connecting wires. The HF spiral inductance coil has also fallen from the wall to lay atop the bank of condensers. The two choking coil boxes lie atop the transformer, having also fallen from the wall. The bank of emergency accumulators sit next to the transformer There is a pile of debris that accumulated aft and to port (outboard) of the Marconi rooms in the remains of a passenger stateroom. It is possible that some of the Marconi radio items were captured in this debris pile, instead of being pushed aft into the Grand Staircase void". Spud Roscoe VE1BC and Parks, add some other background information to Titanic radio story: 1. CQD and SOS were both authorized distress signals at the time of the Titanic's maiden voyage. The 1906 International Radiotelegraph Convention in Berlin established the 600-metre (long wave) and 300-metre (short wave) as the two wave lengths authorized for general public service. The normal wave for shipboard use was established at that time as the 300-metre wave. Call-ups were made on the normal wave, then the conversation could then be moved to another wave, provided that was it was under 600 metres or over 1600 metres. The 1912 International Radiotelegraph Convention in London reaffirmed these two waves and designated the 600- metre wave as the normal wave length for ships to use. Distress calls were to be made on the normal wave (600 metres, or 500 kHz). The 1906 Convention was the first to establish common frequencies. 2. The M prefix was applied to all Marconi call signs on January 1st, 1908, however the "M" prefix was usually not transmitted between Marconi stations as a shorthand between familiar operators. If broadcasting in the blind, or talking with another ship that was not Marconi equipped (like a German Telefunken boat), then the entire call sign was used. This is before 1912. After the 1912 Convention, the call letters were more standardized and the first letter denoted country, rather than company (although, with Marconi based in England, Great Britain was assigned "M" as one of its first call letters). 3. The four letter signal flags assigned each ship and the radio call sign did not become one and the same until January 1st, 1934. 4. The British did not use "de" as the separation signal. They used the letter V and at least the Navy used it until after World War II. 5. As a rule, all ships were to use the coast station nearest their position.. But Regulation XXXV, paragraph 2, of the Convention Service Regulations allows for more distant coast stations to be used under certain circumstances. In that instance, a wave length of 1800 metres was to be used. 6. By 1912, though, most ships and coastal stations were working the 600-metre wave...in the July 1911 issue of the Marconigraph, the installation aboard Olympic (Titanic's sister ship) was "arranged to tune in transmissions to waves of 300 and 600 metres...". Harold Bride also described both 600- and 300-metre waves in his testimony. According to the Marconi maintenance manual for the 5-kW apparatus, the adjustment of the closed oscillating circuit for the production of the long (600-metre) wave was to place the banks of the main condenser in parallel; for the short (300-metre) wave, in series. Inside the Titanic wreck, it was observed that the Swiss commutator was in the parallel position, which means that Titanic was using the 600-metre wave when she sank. 7. Cyril F. Evans, the wireless operator in CALIFORNIAN with call sign MWL, did not transmit an ice message to TITANIC. Cyril Evans simply transmitted CQ V WL and then stated they were stopped in ice for the night in the position Captain Lord had given him. This message was for all ships in the area and not just the TITANIC. Jack Philips in TITANIC received this so loud he simply chastised Evans for interrupting him while trying to transmit a multitude of messages from his passengers to the Cape Race station with wireless call sign CE. Cyril Evans did not properly prefix his message by adding the code "MSG" in the preamble. According to Evans, he used an informal call up, "SOM" (Say, old man), then his message. Harold Bride later related in court that Jack Phillips responded to Evans's informal interruption with a curt "D-D-D", the silent signal at the time. If Evans had used the "MSG" prefix, then Phillips would have paused with Cape Race and taken the message for acknowledgement. Titanic's visual call sign was HVMP. This information is taken from the "General Register and Record Office of Shipping and Seamen", 1912. \|In rememberance of the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster, Canada Post issued this stamp set in eraly 2012. (Image courtest Canada Post)\| 1) Allan Brett VK2EBA 2) Parks <sparks401(at)earthlink.net> 3) Spud Roscoe <spudroscoe(at)eastlink.ca> Return to Radio Reading Room
3 EASY STEPS: Jquery Play Video On Link Click Overview1 HTML5 is the fastest growing web development trend and HTML5 video as a build a website to include videos part of HTML5 becomes the jquery of video new natural way to show video online. iPad, iPhone, Android, all new browsers declare the html 5 video tag video play support for HTML5 video. It's great, but what is the create video gallery with jquery usual route to create HTML5 video? First you need to find converters and make three versions of your build video stream website video - .OGG, MP4, WebM. Then, to provide the how to post videos to website compatibility with IE and old browsers you add a html 5 jquery video gallery fallback Flash version of your video with Flash video player. And finally, you extract an video jquery plugins image for poster and write batch lines of code to combine all of it... Quite complicated? Forget about it with Html5 Video Creator! 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Discovered is such an overused word about the experience of finding out something about ones self. It sounds dated and not very interesting. But here I sat tonight, Nicholas had turned out his light and I thought to myself, “I did’t do any real writing today.” And this thought became a, “I am not going to be able to sleep until I write something.” So here I am sitting up in our bed typing away. I’ve craved writing so here I am. I was thinking last night about a the time a few years ago where for about a year I slept in a fort that I built in my basement room of my parents house. I was twenty-three years old. I had a job working at a restaurant where sometimes the thought of having to go would literally have me in tears. But I would go and every night when I would come home there was the fort. The top of the fort was made of the sleeping bag that I asked for when I was going to the hippy college in the mountains and I never actually used outdoors. I secured it to the two posts on the side of my bed and pulled it across and attached it to a door handle and a cast iron heater that was not being used. The floor was two or three large heavy blankets and laid a sheet over the top as a make shift door. The only thing that was inside was my laptop, a stack of books on Mount Everest, and my dog Abby. Abby was the only one allowed to see the fort. I tried to keep it a secret to what success I am not sure. I would come home late from another shift. I would sneak down the stairs and I would crawl into the fort. Then I would fall asleep watching a mix of outdoor “survivalist” shows and Lost. I would wake up and the process would start over again. This went on for a solid year. Pretty much stopped when I moved in with my grandfather to help take care of him. I wonder what it was about that fort that made it such a calming thing for me and the feeling of calm that it had for me? Was it some form of out of space escapism? I don’t know if I would ever do something like that again. If I have learned anything it is that “coming out of the fort” is that you cannot just hide away in the rut to make the problems go away. Life isn’t going to wait for you. I would sit in there and dream about climbing mountains and now I know that if I really want to. I can just go out and do it. I can climb that mountain. I really have no idea why this campus…these classmates of mine put me in such a fowl mood on a daily basis. School used to be the place for me to go and feel better. I could talk about books and what they mean and every thing that made me feel like shit would be gone for awhile. Now I just hear things like, “I don’t like reading…I would rather just watch the movie” and “I found the book really hard to read because the language was so offensive” and all I want to do is yell and throw things. Are these the people that I am going to have to teach one day? I think that some kind of switch has gone off in me that I do not care for. I think that it is time to evaluate the way that I look at things. I have spent the past hour trying to write a sentence describing the way that you made that face this morning, because that was one of those moments where I fell in love with you again. So this week I paid rent for the first time, ever. I am twenty-six years old. I have been waiting for this moment for quite awhile. This feeling of “I am my own person” is new to me and it is exciting and new and getting less scary day by day. It has been an interesting learning experience trying to figure out all of this for myself. It has been a little testing at times but a friend of mine told me one day, “not everything is going to be perfect…you will mess up, but you just have to learn from it.” So that is what I intend to do…live, love, get messy, and learn from my mistakes. The Legend of Johnny Boy Blue, or How a Life Saves Itself Johnny Boy Blue found himself as a man wayfaring, growing older having still not become a rendering of the design of a man that he so desired to become. The creation of the adventurous life was thundering inside of the chest of his own design, a voice roaring out, FREEDOM, but Johnny Boy Blue had a problem. Fear was an ever-growing occurrence in the backswing of Johnny Boy Blue’s life. He would find fear hunting in the bright spots of his character often calling hokum the oft illogical and impractical notions of his thinking. He would sit with company listening to the exciting lives others lead and would say a mantra of freedom. So he enrolled in the life of knowledge where he found a way of thinking that he never had before. Out of the cave he walked step by step into the light. He was able to save himself with his thinking and this was his higher ground. He met an idea named boy and another thing came true that someone could enter his walk, a partner on the way and that now no burdens he comes across outweigh the knowledge that his life came to his own rescue.
Above are links to the original posts. Click on them if you would like to see them with pictures. Otherwise enjoy the read... Give us a T! So when I arrived in Cape Town it was completely daunting, sure I had come down for a holiday or two but to just pack everything up and move to another city with the hopes of a fresh start and a new life can prove a mightier task than one would initially expect. On arrival I had misgivings. The apartments are much smaller and some don’t even have a window. I am a boy who is use to his two balconies and north facing windows, how am I to survive? The sun has to blaze into my home, I need it, I live off it, if you look close enough you will see the chlorophyll pigmentation I have in my olive skin. Give us an E! Give us an N! Give us an A! From coffee shop to coffee shop the pace of life is exactly the same, slow. Is it because I am a Jozzie boy and we can’t wait for anything? Whatever happened to patience? Or is everyone just smoking reefer? I was somewhat mollified when I realized I enjoyed the slowed down pace of it all. After letting my frustration out, like air in a balloon, I deflated to a degree of surprising forbearance. Was the mountain starting to creep into my soul? And was I finally allowing the confluence of the two oceans to swirl around my mind and open my eyes to calming perseverance? Or was I just smoking reefer too? Give us a C! Job-hunting is like getting a fly out of your coca-cola, are you really going to drink it when you get it? After countless interviews for positions, which I am acknowledged as being over qualified for, I finally land a job wiping the counter and serving drinks. Is this were all my qualifications get me? Serving drinks to men in towels? Have I regressed or is this a case of biting the bullet? How is it possible that a pay check here is considerably less than the one I was getting in Jozzie town and flipping quick lines off at drunken customers in hopes of a bigger tip seems to rack up the necessary cash I need to survive? Is it all about hustling? The situation proves a little precarious. Life here all seems to be part of a circle. But a whole series of circles, like an onion, a circle with layers and layers and as the new guy I am not in any circle, I have barely even penetrated the outer skin of that said onion. Give us an I! Is it still cloudy? Why is it not raining? Why does it just constantly drizzle? Is it not suppose to pour and clear up. I feel like I have not seen the sun in ages. Sometimes I wonder if it will ever come back. Am I cold? No, but I find myself thinking day in and day out of when the sun will return to this mountainous seaside city. It consumes me. How much longer do I have to wait? Can I bare it any longer before my skin totally softens up and falls from my body? I want… I need … I deserve…I, I, I. I need to calm down! Give us a T! Give us a Y… Because that is all you need to make a break in a new place, TENACITY. Don’t underestimate the power of never giving up. Don’t down play the Duracell force of never saying die. Keep moving on Gaily forward and you shall achieve, you can pierce that outer layer and weasel your way deeper into the circles, getting closer and closer to the centre of it all. I love hair. I am totally into hairy guys but when is it too much? When does it go from a preference to a kinky obsession? And how ill I know I am going overboard? I guess I sort of have a pattern (of hair) I like... hairy chest, down the stomach to the pubes without anything on the back, sides or shoulders. Is this asking too much or is it just oddly specific about something that might never really come my way? And what is it about hair that turns me on... is it purely aesthetic? Is it the way it looks? I mean you cant exactly run your tongue around a body covered in hair. I think it is twirling my fingers through black swirls of curling hair that gets me going. The feel of the tickle on the palm of my hand and the scratching sound it makes when I rub it up and down just warms the cockles of my cockle. Its just something I am into... you know... Something I am not into, Golden Showers. So you see, I was invited to the house of this very wealthy man. He had a great body, very shy so he did not really make too much eye contact but one drink after the other and I was back at his place. He had this huge house that I was just not expecting and for the first time I felt like a real estate whore, meaning I did not care who I was having sex with so long as it was up against those windows with that view in the foreground. Not even a kiss and I had whipped off most of my clothes, standing in a pair of jeans - I figured I should be forward and aggressive to keep the upper hand - unfortunately my dominance opened up the door to a whole other game. After a clever little sentence I was suddenly pissing in the face of this, what I thought was a, gentleman. Damn how the dark comes out! After that I realized I was so totally not into Golden Showers, not my thing at all, and granted I did not judge the man, after all I was standing there doing the pissing for fuck sake... I just thought why the fuck am I doing this? It is not turning me on, in fact I want to laugh... at myself, for putting myself in a position where I can judge myself... Ridiculous! So I excused my drunk ass and went home. My embarrassed stupid drunk ass. (I just need to say how funny it was to try find a good pic, typing up all the pissing things I could. Imagine my surprise when Kim Kardashian comes up when you type sexy man pissing, hahaha) So I think saying I dig hairy guys is starting to seem a whole lot more ordinary and less kinky when you take into consideration what is actually out there. Haha Each to their own I guess... Happy hunting!!! (I have not said that in a while) It was sunset and as the sky lit up with colours of soft pinks and bright oranges, shades of magenta with a splash of aquamarine I came to the top of a hill in a small park near the school in my neighborhood and sat down. On the one side, the hill perched above the suburb like a huge roof patio; it allowed me to watch over its residence like a hawk. The other side was a view of the city the suburb lives off of, the way a pilot fish lives off of a shark. The suburb offers a family a safe haven for their children to grow up. A place where people walk in the streets for leisure and where they greet each other even though they might not know each other. A friendly happy place free of the grit, grime and hard work that makes a city work. Families = building blocks of society… so what am I? I don’t have a family. I don’t intend on having a family… or should I rather say I don’t intend on having children, as I do come from a great loving family. But as I look around at the parents playing gaily with their children I wonder how am I going to make up the love that a family has for each other without having a child? Furthermore I start to wonder if a suburban life style is the style of life I should be trying to live up to? I love the idea of a unit. The family is a unit. It’s a group and nothing can penetrate it. In that impenetrable circle exists a few completely unique individuals with their own dreams and aspirations and view points, whereas the love I feel with someone I am in love with, is more of a sacrifice of ones own identity in hopes of forming a new identity, away from ‘you and me’ and make it into an “us”. So does the answer lie in taking lovers? Would two satisfy the hunger for a love bigger and greater than I ever would have imagined? I have the capability to love more than one man. Maybe the love I have is three different types of love. There are three words for love in the koine Greek language, Eros, Philo and Agape. “Eros” being love based on sexual contact and sometimes emotion. “Philo” is love at its most basic of trade offs; if you love me I will love you back. The third, “Agape”, is the most pure and real form of love, where we love expecting absolutely nothing in return. So what if I am Agape and I take two lovers, Philo and Eros, to satisfy all my needs? Will they be able to satisfy each other? I have loved for sex and emotion, once the passion dries up or my emotions inevitably change, that love seems to dwindle. It’s love that is based on that physical connection. Even a small amount of time apart from each other, not holding each other, will allow that love to dissipate like smoke in a breeze. Loving you for loving me has no excitement to it, its safe. This love feels so empty. Its expiration date depends entirely on the love I would get in return. I wont be treated special or spoilt. It’s a one for one and tit for tat situation. Three lovers can only work if all three love Agape style. People don’t love that way. Although, one night of erotic man love will definitely work if the three men in question are loving each other Eros style. Families that work well love each other without expectations from each other. This love is most prevalent in families than in relationships between lovers. Is it impossible to find love from others that is not based on anything you may have to offer them? And if people only love for love in return or sex or emotional support then why not write the whole idea of “love” off as another tool to barter with? Then if that is the case, how can it be so wrong to use love as merchandise to get what you want? Is it the love formed in a unit that causes so much ostracism for those not part of the unit? What if someone grew up without the loving warmth of a closed circuit of people that watch each other’s backs, a person without a family? Is there love in their life or are they destined to walk the earth without ever feeling the joy of loving another human being and being loved in return. It was that point I reached down beside me for the Micro-Uzi hidden underneath my coat. Not one person even seemed to notice the creepy man in the large black trench coat standing on the top of the hill holding a machine gun swaying from side to side. And I stood there for a few minutes to see how long it would take for someone to notice me. And then someone did, a mother with a small child. She screams out in shear horror and I begin to open fire, offloading bullets at the rate of over 1000 rounds per minute. No one is safe from the machine gun wielding mad man that I have become. Bullets flew through the air hitting so many unsuspecting victims. Taking out all the mothers who ever ushered their children away from me when I was with my lover. Taking out all the fathers who treat me like a pedophile just because I am gay. Taking out every child that will inevitably be infected by the hypocrisy of the loving family unit. I mean, do you know how many happily married men I have slept with in my life? Ok, so now that I have your attention I can tell you I would never open fire on innocent families. However what is your answer to the lie that is; a mother, a father and two children are a family and a unit, and that unit is the building block to any society? What am I then… decoration? In relationships, why is it so easy to remember the man we fell in love with but so difficult to appreciate the man we are in love with? When we first meet, all the right things happen. Our palms sweat, our heart beats faster and we stumble over our words. Once love takes hold so does reality and the dreamy, perfect man you first met slowly starts to become human. When did we go from Pretty Woman to Judge Judy? My friend Kevin met his lover when he was thirty. They spent years traveling the world, accumulating wealth and having amazing sex. Eventually his lover wanted to settle down and live the calm life. It was eight years later; Kevin is now in his late thirties, in a sexless relationship and cruising men whenever he can. Is companionship something we settle for? And after years of making love to the same person does it really get boring? Like a successful ice cream stand, is a relationship that works about having variety? This made me think of the relationships we all strive for. Is it a fair assessment to say that we all look for different things? I look for fidelity when choosing a lover based on the fact that I am a one-man kind of guy, however I would pretty much get up to whatever my lover wants to get up to. So would their indiscretions on their own alter the love I feel for them? In retrospect, no but it alters the perception of the relationship I think I am in. Say a relationship is like walking down a path, one side is dry and the other has puddles. Now if I am walking down this path with someone I would choose to walk on the dry side, however if my lover chooses to jump in the puddles I am going to follow suite and jump in the puddles too but don’t you go jumping in the puddles by yourself and force me to stay dry. Should I be choosing a side and sticking to it? Am I too easily swayed? What is it I actually want? I want someone who wants to be faithful to me because they actually enjoy being with me not because if they cheat it would make them a bad person. Fidelity that comes from the heart, is that not the ultimate goal? And when we find it why is it so hard to trust that it is the real thing? We are all attracted to people for yet to be discovered reasons. We are naturally drawn to something we find appealing and attractive. Should we not be waiting to see the flaws, the character traits that make us human, before we decide to go falling in love? Should love be unconditional in terms of accepting the flaws? If we all have flaws then it’s not a secret that we inevitably will discover them. Is acceptance the key to keeping a relationship alive? I think acceptance in the fact that we have flaws is a great start but the true test is whether we are prepared to work through those flaws with another. As men, we go after what we want no matter what gets in the way. Therefore, if we want to keep the passion alive for years to come with another person then it’s all up to us how badly we actually want it. Complacency in a relationship is like mould on cheese… it can be cut off. So, a supernova is a star that explodes and leaves a bright light that may burn for several months. Some stars explode and what remains is a neutron star. Some explode and disappear entirely and what remains is a black hole where the gravitational pull is so great light cannot escape it. One movie has two such stars, the great Bette Davis and unforgettable Joan Crawford in one of the must see movies of all time “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane”. The movie is by far one of the finest acted films I have ever sat at the edge of my seat watching. Its rich flavor of dark and macabre is so finally tuned between the mesmerizing performances and the focal events. Think… the buzzer, the serving dish, the shadows, the stairs, the creepy song sang in front of the mirror… I’ve written a letter to daddy! It’s a film about two has-beens with a sordid history trying to exist together in a house to spite the fact that they are sisters who loath each other, oops, did I just give away the plot… Who cares, I want to talk about Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, I mean if you have not yet seen the movie do yourself a favor and go get it! I want to few seconds to talk about two cinematic legends during the ‘Studio Runs Everyone Times” aka 1930’s. Now as their careers wind down, they both receive the greatest rolls of their lives and they both manage to pull it off beautifully. Now how are these two stars different? Well from where I sit, a boy born in Springs, South Africa 1983, I really have two main references to go by, Bette Davis has a song written about her eyes that kinda rocks my boat and poor Joan Crawford has a bad movie made about her abusive nature with her adopted child called Mommy dearest starring the wonderfully crazy Faye Dunaway. Now either way, whether in their personal lives they are someone to be looked down upon or be forever immortalized as an inspiration, they are both impeccable at what they do on screen. I try not to get sucked into the personal lives of those that entertain me because it will undoubtedly affect the way I view the work they do. Let none of it influence you as you sit down with a bowl of popcorn in front of your huge flat screen tv and relish the opportunity to eat up one of cinema’s all time greats! Stretched out on the hot sand, I stare out at all the men in their different speedos. The cut of the tight brief swimming shorts frames an ass to perfection and then there are times when it is less than desirable. This got me thinking about relationships. How would Lycra be a comparison for relationships? When it’s not a perfect fit then it’s a complete disaster. Spending some time outside my usual box I was invited, by Greg, to join him at a pig party. Now my impression of a Pig Party was a party where you paid a cover charge and then drank till you were slaughtered. I had misgivings purely based on that fact, but I was somewhat mollified when I was informed that it was not what was expected. Goodie! I enjoy something new; it’s like the first time in a lecture hall, so enthusiastic, ready to take in everything. So, ready with my pen in my hand I accompanied Greg to the Pig Party. I wanted to know what to wear but apparently a kit is required not really an outfit. Nude bar! Damn, I forgot about those. So clothes off and in we go. It’s a very dark bar and for some time I was very disorientated. Did we come up stairs? Which way is the street? Ok, then where is the mountain? I could not get my bearings but I assume that was part of the appeal. Masters and slaves and a sex pig roaming around. Was this entertainment? Is this a thrill to some people? Have we evolved to this, degradation and humiliation as ways of stimulation? And then, just when I was about to cast myself into the barrel of prudes, it happened. A slave had accidentally been stepped on - well what did he expect rolling on the floor - nonetheless, he was stepped on and his master tended to him. I could here him speak softly…”Lover, can I take you home?” “No, I am fine.” “I’m taking you home, you are hurt my baby…” and he picked him up off of the floor and took him home. Was I being too judgemental? Did I miss the whole point? Hidden amongst the dark, the smell of lube, the taste of leather and the loud music was a couple. Was this a catalyst for their foreplay or were they just bored one night and decided this would be fun? In the end I could see two people that fit, like a speedo. It may not have been my cut and it was a little dark but it fit perfectly for them, and that my dear readers is a beautiful thing. I love horror films. Just love them! From the German expressionism circa 1919 to some of the stuff they release today. A Nightmare on elm Street is probably the film that started my love for the genre so needless to say I am totally looking forward to the remake of the 1984 classic. I find horror films so rich with subtext, as it is more about the message than the actual events. Films like "The Last House on the Left" tend to be so difficult to watch as it appears to just be gratuitous violence dripping with disdain. On closer inspection you will see that above it all the movie challenges the audience to make a decision on what is right and what is wrong. How far must one go for revenge before it becomes more than just an eye for an eye? As I do more research into the world of the horror genre I learn more about the filmmakers and the time they were made. Two films in particular really amaze me and its surprising to find out that the films at the time of release were received so badly that it ended the directors careers. The first one 'Freaks' was a Tod Browning masterpiece. It is also the film that started the whole killer-crawling-on-the-floor-with-a-knife scene that is ever so popular in zombie films. At the time the film about real life circus freaks was too much for the audiences to handle but now the film is classified as one of the all time horror greats. I tend to agree and I am glad that it achieved the cult status it deserves unfortunately the director could not be around to enjoy the praise that he so deserved. The second of the two films is Peeping Tom by Michael Powell. A film that when released was seen as a perverted film, a macabre story only to satisfy the truly disturbed viewer. I found the film to be rather boring at times with a main character that is easily forgettable however the film is an inspiration in the sense that it unabashedly flaunts the pleasure in watching to gain sexual gratification from the perspective of a killer and then from us as the audience… how much do we like to watch? How much do we need to see? Voyeurism is such a rich tapestry to play with in film for the obvious, you are in fact watching. I found that trying to incorporate it into a film as a theme adds a whole new dimension to a film in terms of studying it and breaking a film down. It literally speaks to you as the viewer; about what you are viewing… is it right or wrong? Black or white? Left or right? It challenges you to think about what you are watching. This film is remarkable in taking you into the viewing room of a snuff film and although you may not be doing the killing how innocent do you think you are by merely just watching? This film was not necessarily trying to introduce the mainstream market to the dark underground world of Snuff movies but take the audience on a new journey of horror, a sort of study on the sexual gratification a voyeur might get from watching and in this film the Peeping Tom so happens to get a little hard in the pants from watching fear on a woman’s face. The movie is so multi faceted in the psychology behind a killer with a sick fetish for recording and then viewing fear and feels years ahead of its time. It would only find the audience it deserves years later once poor Michael Powell’s career as a filmmaker is totally crippled without any hope of recovery. So its been a while since the last time I wrote anything but sitting in the sun in England just prompted me to start writing again... Yes, you could be asking yourself what the hell am I doing in London. so far my response has been "I'm chasing the sun" and funny enough it seems to be working. My tan has never looked so good in the middle of what is suppose to be my winter. Now what can I say about London Town...? so many people have come out North in search of something...usually that something is themselves however I think I am too old to try find out who I am. For god sake, if I don't know by now I never will. So what the hell am I doing here? I guess trying to reconnect with the person i am suppose to be. So much got lost over the last year and its time to get hold again. Now after that little slice of pie, lets get down to the real funnies... Probably the most amazing thing i have done here was spade a man in an unlikely place. I was out to lunch with T's family, so I was on a family thing even though they are not really my family. Suddenly i notice something with curly dark locks just inside the coffee shop. As I turn to T to ask her opinion the dark and curly turns and has a good look at me. Now if this was the gym I would know I was in there and a few seconds later i would be all over him...unfortunately its not the gym, its Canary Wharf, bankers paradise. All these men in suits and some manly women, hehehe. Now of course I thought it would just be bad form of me to go and ask a man in a suit sitting with work colleagues if he would like to go on a date with me seeing how i am involved in a family orientated lunch. But in the end I thought fuckit, I am totally on VA CA which means i am not suppose to be playing it cool, calm and collected. I got my balls together and decided to ask him if he wanted to join me for a beer. Naturally he turned me down, without a good reason but its still no in the end anyway. As I make my way back to T with my balls now in my throat guess who comes running back...dark and curly!!! He said his work colleagues were so impressed with my approach they encouraged him to come back and ask for my number. WOOHOO!!! What an ego boost! So in the end what I learnt is go for what you want and you might just get it:-) However, once I got it I didn't actually know what to do with it...!? So I landed up going for a drink with who is now referred to as Frenchie, for the obvious, he's French. The night turned out to be completely worth the effort and the whole damn experience gave me a new sense of confidence. So go for it guys, spade where you can spade and take no prisoners. The world is your oyster so try nab everything you think is worth nabbing, hehehe. Happy hunting until next time:-)
from 0 to 5th grade St. Louis City Location 4228 S. Kingshighway Blvd. Saint Louis, MO 63109 Our St. Louis City location is a growing and diverse community anchored in the heart of South St. Louis. We are passionate about Jesus, one another and our city. If you do not have a church home, we want to invite you to be our guest on a Sunday morning. We are located on Kingshighway, about a mile south of Tower Grove Park. We have plenty of parking and children's programs from 0 to 12 years of age at both our 9 am and 11 am services. For more information about this specific location, click on the menu items in the above orange bar. For more information about the our other locations or Jubilee as a whole, use the menu items at the top of this page. We hope that the information we have provided on this website is helping you to better understand who we are. If there is anything unclear, please do not hesitate to email us at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Judahlicious is nestled between Ocean Beach and Golden Gate Park in the outer sunset. We serve unique raw and vegan cuisine, artfully prepared and always made from scratch. Whenever possible, we purchase locally sourced products to support local growers and reinvest in our community. Visit Us3906 Judah Street San Francisco, CA 94122 Judahlicious on Twitter It's true: we are in the process of making some of our fresh, raw vegan ice cream. In a few hours we will have a... http://t.co/89TvlqTV1R —12 hours ago We are so excited to announce that our delicious hemp pesto is back on the menu beginning tomorrow (Wednesday, 5/22)! —4 days ago This Sunday is Bay to Breakers! We will have special hours from 8 am to 5 pm. —10 days ago We are now offering some fresh grab-and-go items! Our cooler is loaded with nori wraps, salads, and raw desserts.... http://t.co/s4N5vefCsq —28 days ago
I am excited to welcome everyone to Junk Revolution's Community! It was nip and tuck getting things up and running before I leave town. Will post pics of my junking adventure when I arrive in Ocala and set up my computer in the bunkhouse. Have fun visiting and sharing and I will be be checking in soon. If you have any questions or need help posting, the Moderator will be on line daily to offer tips and solutions. There is a FAQ page as well. Welcome to the Revolution!
Comedians From Around the Word Express Their Culture-Laugh Attack Thursday Thursday, June 20, 2013 from 8:30 PM to 11:30 PM (PDT) Los Angeles, CA "SPECIAL FREE V.I.P. COMEDY SHOWCASE TICKETS FOR INDUSTRY NIGHT" Industry Professionals, Entertainers, Producers, Directors, Actors And Writers Will Be Present. THE BEST MEDICINE IN THE WORLD - COMEDY. COMEDY AT IT'S BEST Thursday June 20th 8:30 P.M. Duna Csarda 5820 Melrose Ave. Hollywood, CA 90038.Come out to one of L.A's newest & hottest Comedy Shows. FREE PARKING, NO 2 DRINK MINIMUM, COME TO LAUGH. Get FREE VIP tickets for you and 3 guest print them out and bring them with you, go to WEJUSCHILLIN.COM.
A very merry May 1st to all workers. Happy Int’l Workers’ Day ! Image of the day: Frida Kahlo’s El Marxismo Dará Salud a los Enfermos (Marxism Will Give Health to the Sick), a late work from 1954, on display at the Museo Frida Kahlo (better known as The Blue House, or La Casa Azul) in Mexico City. I’m not generally a fan of her work, but workers everywhere deserve the consolations of Marxism: “But capital has one single life impulse, the tendency to create value and surplus-value, to make its constant factor, the means of production, absorb the greatest possible amount of surplus-labour. Capital is dead labour, that, vampire-like, only lives by sucking living labour, and lives the more, the more labour it sucks.” (Karl Marx, Capital, Vol. 1, Chap. 10.) A shoutout also to the pioneers of the labour movement, especially those good folk whose sacrifice bequeathed us the eight-hour workday. (“Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will.”) The May 1, 1977 celebrations in Istanbul, which resulted in the Taksim Square massacre.
Matt and Marcus review Homefront in this extensive offensive review. Currently browsing tag This week we got overexcited to do the show and were a bit close to the mics. Sorry. For you brave souls, there’s the semblance of a Halloween show in there. Timeline: It starts, it stops. Song Used: Malignant by AK47Million with M.Bones We gather outside to review Halo: Reach. And damn were we serious about it. Look for a video review later. Another year, another Madden. Join us as 3 former football players sit down with this new version to review the hell out of it. Rating System: Better Than… Full Price Bargain Bin Just Chilling Rental Worse Than…
S♥ what's the tasty advice? I've ♥nly just disc♥vered they have a 'h♥w t♥' secti♥n ♥n the website! And it's GREAT! I wanted t♥ bl♥g ab♥ut this yesterday but my c♥mputer decided t♥ change t♥ Japanese f♥r s♥me reas♥n! S♥♥♥♥♥♥♥... check it ♥ut... great advice ♥n all th♥se niggly little 'expert' c♥♥king techniques!
I haven't post a new deviation in a few weeks, so I thought I'd create a quick journal entry to give my friends and fans a follow up on what's going on in my life. I've actually spent the past few weeks working on cam (gotta pay the bills!) and packing. Yes, the big move date has finally arrived. I even have a real studio room in the new house too, so it will make my life so much easier on both photos and cam. My work on dA is about to get much more "artistic" per se, and the creative things I have come up with should be not only different, but much more "dark"... without losing it's sexy eroticism. I think in many ways they should be MORE sexy-but also more well thought out and creative. Anyway, that's the news! xoxox
We are looking for interns. If you like working with community activities and event planning and people of all ages, we would like to speak with you. We have a limited number of non-paid internship positions (with the potential for growth) available through Hudson Community Education and Recreation. We offer the opportunity of experience in a fun, life learning environment and room for growth. We are looking for those individuals who can bring something to the party. This person must be well organized, able to work with computers, likes to work with people, willing to learn and able to put the time and effort into the assignments, must be willing to take a leadership position and focus on customer relationships and service. If this sounds like something you are interested in, please apply on-line and submit with your references. If you have specific questions please refer them to Grant Aungst at email@example.com
We are accepting applications for special education teachers for all levels (elementary, middle and high school). Must hold current teacher certification in special education. Must pay for ($52.20) and pass an extensive background check (Missouri Highway Patrol, FBI, and Division of Family Services). Please complete the AppliTrack application and indicate what grade level you prefer. Start date could be earlier due to orientation. If you have questions, please e-mail Bette Jo at firstname.lastname@example.org. Hickman Mills C-1 is an equal opportunity institution and there shall be no discrimination against students or employees based on gender, race, religion, color, national origin, handicap or age.
Austin Webb Looking For That Chart Topping Success With Debut Single Called “It’s All Good” [POLL] [VIDEO] Making some sweet noise out of Greenville South Carolina is Austin Webb. Austin actually paid a visit to the K99 studio’s while on the road promoting his latest single called “It’s All Good.” Who knows what’s in store for Austin Webb but he has gone way above and beyond to follow his dreams and pursue a musical career. His first song here, “It’s All Good.” has what it takes in my opinion to make some noise and hopefully be heard. Take a listen and let us know what you think. Don’t forget, if you missed a song for the day or even a few, just click the big red link below and it will take you to one page where all these songs are housed. That way you can go back and listen to one you didn’t hear or heard while driving and want to vote on one.
Notes: Allison trying for comeback Troubled pitcher attending Minor League camp in Jupiter JUPITER, Fla. -- Former first-round pick Jeff Allison, who has dealt with numerous personal issues, is once again making a comeback. A right-handed pitcher out of Peabody, Mass., Allison has not pitched in professional ball since 2005, when he went 5-4 with a 4.18 ERA at low Class A Greensboro. The Marlins' Minor League camp officially begins on Thursday in Jupiter, and Allison has already been on the backfields in drills with other players. The 23-year-old has endured a number of off-field challenges ranging from substance abuse to arrests. The Marlins placed Allison on the restricted list last July, meaning that he remained under club control but wasn't paid. Now he is in camp competing for a job, although it is too early to determine at which level he may end up. Allison joins a stable of talented pitching prospects in the Marlins system. The team makes a strong commitment to drafting pitching, and Allison came out of Veterans Memorial High School in 2003 as a prep All-American. But battles with addictions have repeatedly hindered his career, which is a total of 20 Minor League games. Allison has thrown a total of 103 2/3 innings at the Class A level. In 2003 he made three starts in the Gulf Coast League, and after being out all of 2004, he started 17 games while logging 94 2/3 in 2005. Nolasco impressive: The Ricky Nolasco of old is starting to emerge. It's a good sign for a team that now finds itself down a couple of potential starters. On Wednesday night the right-hander tossed three scoreless innings and uncorked an effective curveball in a no-decision against the Cardinals. Nolasco, 25, is striving to prove that he is healthy and ready to rejoin the rotation. He was part of the 2006 rotation that featured the only four rookies in Major League history to post double-digit victories in the same season. Last year Nolasco was limited to just five games and 21 1/3 innings because of elbow inflammation. "I feel pretty good at this point now," Nolasco said. "I am 100 percent healthy. That's all that matters to me right now. As long as I'm healthy, I'll looking to keep improving from here on out. "All I can do is show them that I'm healthy, that I'm back to normal and that I can be effective in the big leagues like I was. I hope to prove that to them." As a rookie in 2006, Nolasco was 11-11 with a 4.82 ERA in 35 games, with 22 starts. The rotation took a blow this past week with Sergio Mitre hampered by right forearm tightness and Scott Olsen being scratched a start with left shoulder tendinitis. Ramirez ready: Any worries that Hanley Ramirez's sore left ankle is a problem are being put to rest. The 24-year-old shortstop played into the seventh inning on Wednesday night, when he went 2-for-3 with a walk. He blasted a three-run homer off Adam Wainwright, and he also singled off the Cardinals' ace. In the seventh inning, Ramirez worked a walk against Randy Flores. At that point he was lifted for a pinch-runner. Ramirez received a scare on Sunday when he jammed his left ankle in a collision at home plate with Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina. He sat out on Monday and was back in action on Tuesday. Up next: On Thursday the Marlins and Cardinals hook up once again, but this time St. Louis will be the home team. Aaron Thompson (0-0, 4.50 ERA) takes the hill for Florida, while the Cardinals are going with Todd Wellemeyer (0-0, 0.00). Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
The Kansas City Royals are fielding offers from various teams for the services of pitcher Zack Greinke. Because Kansas City has yet to commit to trading him (publicly, at least), they hold the upper hand in all the negotiations. They don't have to trade him and they've done their best to make that clear in order to raise their leverage. But will they? The excellent Rany On The Royals writes that the odds may be rising of Greinke getting dealt. Today, I’d put those odds much higher, for two reasons. The first is that with the money that’s flying around this month, Greinke’s contract - $27 million for 2 years – looks even more enticing than ever. Depending on where Cliff Lee ends up, you’ll have at least one and possibly two of the Rangers/Yankees who will be looking for a fallback option, and Greinke for $27/2 looks considerably more appetizing after you’ve just offered Lee $120/5 and been turned down.
Jamie Squire - Getty Images The United States overcame an early Carlos Ruiz goal to win 3-1 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in Kansas City, advancing with the victory to the final round of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Needing only a draw in their Tuesday night match against Guatemala to advance to the final round of World Cup qualification, the United States overcame an early Carlos Ruiz goal to win 3-1 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in Kansas City. The victory continued a strong run for the Americans on U.S. soil, as Team USA has not dropped a home game in World Cup qualification since 2001. The early defensive difficulties that allowed the Guatemala goal brought back visions of Team USA's escape against Antigua and Barbuda on Friday night, but Jurgen Klinsmann's group quickly flipped the script, scoring three times in a 26 minute span in the first half to take control of the game. Carlos Bocanegra scored in the 10th minute off a Graham Zusi's corner kick and Clint Dempsey's header. Dempsey followed up the nice assist by scoring two goals of his own, the first off an Eddie Johnson feed in the 18th minute and the second at the 36 minute mark courtesy of a beautiful Michael Bradley pass.
The internet reputation of luxury brand Le Metier de Beaute has been quietly and steadily building. I’ve seen their counters only at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman (same parent company), and I think most makeup lovers know the brand for their quadruple-milled powder products, their “kaleidoscope” palettes, and their pen-style liquid eyeliner. I decided to start by swatching the brand’s blushes, because it was a quick-turnaround project. Le Metier only makes four blushes (or Radiance Powder Rouge, as they call it). These are $30 each, in pans the same size as their eyeshadows. (In product size and price point, they seem similar to Chantecaille.) Fresh is a matte, muted mauve pink. Whisper is really a (champagne shimmer) highlighter — probably a fair-skin highlighter given how delicate it is. Rumor is a russety, burnished-tomatoey, red-orange-brown shimmer. In the lighter swatch, the color kind of reminds me of a suntan. Echo is reputed to “look like Orgasm” — I’m starting to feel that every pink-and-gold blush is described this way. Echo is a strong rose flush — in a heavy swatch it’s almost magenta; it definitely has some violet to it — that reflects gold (shimmer). And, for extra credit: The sales associate said there are two eyeshadows (same size pan, same $30 price) that she often likes to use as blush: Naked and Tuscan Sunset. Naked is powder-pink with a few gold sparkles. The color reminds me of a slightly more neutral version of Armani’s spring 2011 blush. Tuscan Sunset is a deeper, reddened peach — I think it’s actually my favorite shade.
May 17,18,19 SCOUTMASTER OUTDOOR This training is for Boyscout, Varsity and Venture leaders. The training starts Friday May 17 7pm at Camp Roosevelt. Be prepared for a backpacking overnight experience. $35.00 charge for weekend May 18 BALOO TRAINING This training is for the adult leader in the Pack who will be planning any and all Pack outings. The training will be held at Camp Roosevelt starting 9am. May 18. $5.00 charge for the day May 18,19 WEBELO OUTDOOR TRAINING This training is for the adult leader for the Webelo Scouts. This is an all day, overnight training. A hands on outdoor experience, be prepared for the weather. This training will be held at Camp Roosevelt starting 9am May 18. $15.00 charge for the weekend. Committee Training $5.00
I didn’t check Twitter, or scroll through my Facebook feed. Instead I sat, I watched, I pondered. When do we ever grant ourselves time to be bored, to do nothing, to just zone out? As a kid, I was always daydreaming and it felt normal to watch the world go by. Now it seems there’s always something demanding attention. Putting aside real life – work, friends, family, bills – there are endless distractions. If we’re bored waiting for the bus, we can whip out a tiny computer and access a whole world of entertainment. Waiting for a friend? Check email. In line for a movie? Send a tweet. Whenever there is a spare moment of mental downtime, we quickly fill it with stuff. Noise. Clutter. What the experts say In this month’s Australian Women’s Health magazine, cognitive psychologist Dr Lisa Wise is quoted as saying: “Whenever you have a spare moment, see it as your opportunity to daydream and think your own thoughts.” She advises staying away from your phone, so you can allow yourself to get bored, which lulls you into a daydream. But why should we daydream? What’s the point? According to the experts, daydreaming ignites our imagination and sparks our creativity. This allows us to nut out problems and envisage outcomes. Which I guess is why I always have ‘lightbulb moments’ when I’m zoning out in the shower! Some of the world’s top thinkers have attributed their success to daydreaming. Steve Jobs liked to meditate in an apple orchid, where he says some of his brightest ideas were born. Get me to an apple orchid! To be honest, I don’t think it’s easy switching off. I feel the need to always be online, connecting and contributing. But I suppose sometimes I need to step back, disconnect and tune in to the real world. The wider world. Not the world wide web! So with that in mind, I’m going to stare at the clouds some more… Do you give yourself time to daydream?
Where the Sky Doesn’t End is the name of a new novel that tells the story of a young Missouri boy and girl, Brendan and Aria, who befriend an African-American janitor at their school, Mr. Washington,who's also a former Tuskegee Airmen mechanic. The story blends themes from history, race and friendship into a coming-of-age tale that’s uniquely Missourian, and American. This week we talk about music. New music to be exact. And if you think new music means recently released albums, keep listening as we revisit a conversation I had with Patrick David Clark, who was a resident composer at the Mizzou New Music Festival this summer. And hang on till the end of the show for a Sonic ID from one of Columbia’s more memorable citizens.
Tonight, the Washington Choral Society along with the Washington High School Choir is performing “La Fiesta De La Posada.” Washington Choral Society Board Member Nancy Salemink (sahl-eh-mink) says there are two parts to the concert. She says each choir will be performing select pieces as well as performing together. Salemink says “La Fiesta De La Posada” is a holiday custom in Latin American countries that depicts Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging on the eve of Christ’s birth. She says practices started in the middle of October to prepare for the concert. The concert is tonight at the Washington Community Theater at 7:30 pm and a free will donation will be taken at the door. For more information, listen to today’s Washington Page. No related posts.
Kalona now has a hazard mitigation plan on file. At their most recent meeting, the Kalona City Council held a second reading of the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, and decided to waive the third reading. The plan was put together by ECCOG in conjunction with Washington and Washington County using a grant that was written and secured for this purpose. The plan identifies key infrastructure and buildings in the City, including the schools, city hall and so on. The plan also allows the city to tap into federal funds they wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. No related posts.
The ATLAS time of prayer for the community will be held from 7:00 – 9:00 PM on Thursday, August 5, at the Sioux Center 1st Reformed Church Chapel. Prayer focus will be Unity. Please come and go as your schedule allows. View all August events View KDCR August events
Here's a great little article by Frank Oviatt at the Institute for Public Relations that gathers tips on How to Identify Bad Research from PR measurement heavy hitters Don Stacks, David Michaelson, Don Wright, and David Dozier. My favorite: "...assess if the questions are self-serving and biased. This starts with the basic principal of ‘garbage in/garbage out.’ If the questions are not valid or reliable and are designed to bias results, the research is unreliable from the start." Read the article at the IPR website. --WTP
Can you trust the results of forensic evaluations on legal sanity? You can trust the results only 55.1% of the time (at least if you are in Hawaii) based on new research examining agreement among forensic evaluators. Hawaii requires multiple and independent evaluations of sanity or insanity in NGRI cases. Agreement is found in a scant majority of cases, and that’s pretty disturbing. The authors reviewed 483 different evaluation reports which addressed 165 criminal defendants–this represents up to three different forensic psychologists offering independent opinions on a defendant’s legal sanity. There was unanimous agreement (all evaluators concurring on sanity/insanity) only 55.1% of the time. Overall, evaluators recommended sanity in 58.6% of the reports, insanity in 35.4%, and did not offer an opinion in 6% of the cases. When drugs were involved at the time of the offense, evaluators showed the highest level of disagreement. When there was a psychotic disorder or when the defendant had been psychiatrically hospitalized shortly prior to the offense, the evaluators agreed more often. When the cases went to court, the judge sided with the majority opinion among the evaluators 91% of the time. However, when judges disagreed with the majority opinion–they did so to rule the defendant was sane rather than insane. The researchers in this case recommend additional training. The good news is there was higher agreement when it came to questions of competency to stand trial and evaluations of future dangerousness. Both of those questions as reasons for the evaluations achieved a 68% agreement among the independent forensic evaluators. In a previous lifetime, I worked in Forensic Rehabilitation with men adjudicated not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI). I worked in the “Axis I” unit with men who had primarily mood and psychotic disorders. Their stories were very sad and often they had killed loved ones while psychotic. With appropriate medication, many of them were able to return to the community. They were the sad guys. The “Axis II” unit housed men with primarily character disorders who had received an NGRI decree but whose behavior was determined to be driven by sociopathy, narcissism and psychopathy. They were the bad guys. While some were certainly also experiencing Axis I disorders–a number of them were not (and also not on any medications). Needless to say, there was much more suspicion on the part of rehabilitation staff directed toward the bad guys and more empathy directed at the sad guys. It’s a real dilemma for the forensic evaluator. If you are not in a combined unit as we were–where those referred for evaluation are observed 24/7 in-house in a residential unit prior to going to trial–you are at the mercy of the documents you have, self-reports and any pre-existing records of behavior. Over time, we tended to believe we knew when mistakes had been made in the evaluation process but many (if not most) evaluators do not have the luxury of long observations of those referred. As a psychologist, I was asked to testify in court as a treating expert on whether a resident was safe to return to the community. I remember one instance where the prisoner/resident [we'll call him Ted] carried both a psychotic (Axis 1) and a personality disorder (Axis 2) and was heavily medicated. Despite his medications, he continued to hear voices (which were often quite amusing to him). He looked kind of scary–a large, heavily muscled and bald man with tattoos who was also slightly cross-eyed and giggled to himself too much of the time. Not Mr. Rogers. I knew, after several years of observation and treatment, that he understood his symptoms and that he wouldn’t leave the grounds if he was having what he called “a bad day”. The hearing was just for day passes–which he would use to go to a day treatment program, smoke cigarettes and be off grounds from the facility where he had been under lockdown for a number of years for assault while psychotic. The prosecutor from the county in which Ted had been tried stood up and said, “Dr. Handrich–He is obviously still symptomatic and is unable to keep himself from giggling here in the courtroom. How can you say he is not a danger to the community?” I looked at the prosecutor and then at the judge and grinned. “Well,” I said. “The fact is that we have lots of people in our facility who giggle like that. It isn’t really something we use to assess dangerousness. It’s sort of weird and disconcerting. But it isn’t an indicator of dangerousness.” That was too much for Ted who bellowed with laughter. The judge coughed and looked away and then agreed. And Ted was fine. If you saw him out there you would probably have a little anxiety based on his intimidating appearance, but Ted didn’t hurt anyone during that trial period and intermittently chose not to leave for the day due to symptom exacerbation. We had an advantage over the forensic evaluator. We had time. So know that just because an evaluation says someone is legally insane doesn’t mean they really are. And it doesn’t mean they really are not. It’s often a data point in time with little to corroborate or invalidate. It’s the best guess of a professional who has little desire to make a mistake and can only rely on their instruments and experience. Gowensmith WN, Murrie DC, & Boccaccini MT (2012). How Reliable Are Forensic Evaluations of Legal Sanity? Law and Human Behavior PMID: 22775304
If baseball’s postseason is anything like the last night of the regular season, we’re in for one hell of an October. After his messy divorce from former caddie Steve Williams, Tiger Woods has a new man on the bag. TIME’s Sean Gregory breaks down the lessons from football’s third week. He’s one of the top pass defenders in the NFL. He’s also one of top philanthropists in sports. Here’s what didn’t make it into this week’s magazine. As the regular season winds down, Boston and Atlanta, which looked like playoff shoo-ins, are collapsing. How losing plays tricks on your mind We always thought flopping was a problem in futbol. They flock to midtown Manhattan every March, clad in orange and blue. TIME’s Sean Gregory breaks down the lessons from football’s second week. For years, they were dull football blue bloods. Now the Pats are showing signs of lightening up. Why that’s good for the game When he won the U.S. Open on Monday night, his third Grand Slam title of the year, Novak Djokovic didn’t dance to the hip-hop music blaring over the Arthur Ashe Stadium loudspeakers in New York. TIME’s Sean Gregory breaks down the lessons from football’s first week. Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas, the bearded breakout star of last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, has enjoyed the afterglow of his team’s championship. For the families of those who died in the 2001 terrorist attacks, annual sports events commemorate and celebrate the lives lost. At a softball field in the Bronx, family, friends and colleagues gathered to pay tribute to 9/11 …
Our daughter is graduating 8th grade and our son is graduating 12th. I'm proud as a mama can be right now. We have some big time celebrating to do around here and that means mama needs a few new dresses. I've been working out, trying to eat healthier in preparation for "my 3 dresses". First let me say, I'm not a fan of clothes shopping for myself. I LOVE clothes, I just despise the choosing, sizing, hot dressing rooms, etc. I'm sure some of you will agree, the mirrors and lighting can be brutal. OH.. and just for fun, I'm gonna tell ya my little secret.. each dress is a different size. Is that crazy or what?!! Its all about the designer and fit ladies. Without further ado... here's My 3 Dresses. Now, I could have tried them all on for ya, but hey.. these models look nearly as good as I do.. Wink.....LOL!! This looks a little short on this 6' tall model but on me, it comes to a very appropriate length. Sons Baccalaureate Mass. (day before graduation) Son's graduation (commencement ceremony) All 3 dresses come to knee length on me. (5'5") I'm thinking black heels and/ or wedges for all 3? I LOVE wedges. I can walk in wedges with comfort. I cannot find solid black wedges. Everything I've seen has cork for the wedge portion. IF you happen to see SOLID black wedges.. PLEASE leave a link in comments. What do ya think? Did I do ok? My sweetie thinks so. Adding this to facebook too. Thanks to my facebook buddies for your comments
Previously on American Idol… Previously on American Idol… Actually, the nerves that control the middle and ring finger are connected. So if you can’t separate the middle finger, you won’t separate the ring finger also. But that was a nice representation. I believe it’s called the MEDIAN NERVE. Why the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger: The Chinese give a beautiful explanation to this. The thumb represents your parents. The index finger represents your siblings. The middle finger represents yourself. The ring finger represents your life partner. The little finger/pinky represents your children. Hold your hands together like the picture. Join your middle fingers back-to-back, and the remaining fingers tip-to-tip. Now, try to separate your thumbs. They will separate because your parents are not destined to live with you forever. Rejoin your thumbs and separate your index fingers. They will separate because your siblings will have their own families and lead their own lives. Rejoin your index fingers and separate your little fingers/pinkies. They will separate because your children will grow up, get married, and settle down. Rejoin your little fingers/pinkies and try to separate your ring finger. They will not be able to separate because your life partner is meant to be with you throughout your entire life, through thick and thin. I tried harder to separate them and I only ended up hurting my middle fingers, in other words, “mysel….. Whenever a favorite artist of mine releases new music HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA! Guess what guys, I actually forgot that it was her birthday. She called me through phone and was the one who said that today was her birthday. I am such a good son. Haha. Her birthday is celebrated on April 8 but her birth certificate says April 18. I guess the attending physician/nurse was tired and wrote an extra line on her birth date. This is why we celebrate her birthday twice sometimes. Well actually, the anniversary of our car services shop happens to be on the 18. Haha. I LOVE YOU MAMA! <3 Damn, a lot of weight gained this year. But hell yeah, I’m still happy. I did not ask anything for my birthday (except maybe for cake). There’s a lot to be thankful for. I’m satisfied with what I have now. My birthday is never complete without the birthday cake! Haha. Thank you guys! I saw a tumblr user doing this using different dollar bills so why not try the Philippine banknotes? I thought it was funny. :)) A GODDESS IN HUMAN FORM. Human Embryo at Carnagie Stage 14 (Day 32) Most embryos at stage 14 are approximately 32 postovulatory days old and measure 5-7 mm in length. Distinguishing criteria for this stage include an open lens pit with invagination of the lens disc and elongated and tapering upper limb buds. The otic vesicle with a well-defined endolymphatic appendage is also a hallmark of this stage. This was a shirt I designed a few years ago. I think a shirt stall is selling this. I forgot the name. Hahaha. Hmmmm. Pwede na? I mean pwede na yung shirt? :D
“That’s the way I want to go,” people often say when they hear that someone has died suddenly. “Fast, no suffering, still able to do what I like to do. It’s not death that I fear. Dying is what scares me.” Most people in America, however, have to go through dying before they die. It’s a slow decline that includes diminishment of their vital powers. Because of extreme medical processes, dying takes longer than it used to and is accompanied by increased wretchedness and loneliness. At the same time, the church seems to have abandoned its traditional role of helping people experience “a good dying.” Speaking of Dying: Recovering the Church’s Voice in the Face of Death is an awkward effort to help the church recover its voice and reclaim its spiritual role in guiding people through the ending-of-life experience. The authors want the church to help people in ars moriendi, the art of dying. The writing of this book was prompted by ten examples of dying that were not artful in the classic Christian sense. The initial case was the dying of a Presbyterian minister whose sister and father are two of the authors of the book. (The third author had been one of her seminary professors.) Speaking of her sister’s death, Joy V. Goldsmith says, “From my view (as caregiver), her dying in the church, while working full-time, then part-time, but never not working, was a debacle. A devastation. A secret. An unspeakable thing” (xiii). The authors became aware of other pastors who also died while continuing their ministries. The majority of the ten examples the authors studied were marking by ambiguous communication,congregational denial, and suppression. The congregations experienced negative, long-term consequences from these episodes. How could this have happened? And why? The authors declare that the primary reason is that the church has outsourced all aspects of caring for people as they move through terminal illness. They speak of “glorious medicine” as one of the villains. It is a trust in medical miracles that postpone death and encourage people to dissemble with one another, especially with the one who is dying. The result, however, is often the increase of suffering, loneliness, and the fear of alienation from God. They also write about the “faithification of the fight,” meaning that people are encouraged to use every weapon at hand to fight as though death could be forestalled forever. As a result, dying is evaluated by the heroic measures taken to keep it from happening rather than by the peace, love, and joy experienced by dying persons and those who mean the most to them. The constructive aspects of Speaking of Dying are the chapters in which the authors recount the church’s story. Its plot line is that God’s love surrounds and sustains us through every aspect of life including the final episode of dying. Because that forgiving, renewing love is expressed in Jesus, especially in his own death and subsequent resurrection, we can face death confident that God loves us and will be with us through death and beyond death in life with God. In our baptism, we have been united with Jesus in a death like his and in the eucharist we receive the continuing renewal of love, faith, and hope. Because these sacramental experiences remove the sting of death, we can pass through our time of dying with grace. The authors provide useful suggestions for the churches as they reclaim their proper role in helping people die. As is the case with most preachers, I have rarely dealt with this subject in sermons. On a recent occasion when I was a one-Sunday guest preacher, I did speak of how to live in the face of terminal illness. Comments afterwards lead me to conclude that the authors are correct when they encourage preachers to speak more fully about this important topic. It is surprising that the authors give little attention to the institutional challenges that are related to their case studies. Congregations and denominations ought to have processes for handling situations in which pastors are unable to perform their duties, but the authors do not discuss these matters. Portions of the book, especially the earlier chapters, are marked by a defensive tone that beclouds the positive character of the book’s primary message. The authors distinguish between dying, which is their focus, and death, which is another part of life that the church should address. The artfulness of how one dies, however, may in large part be influenced by what one believes about death itself. Fred Craddock, Dale Goldsmith, and Joy V. Goldsmith have written from the heart, and their book, despite its shortcomings, constructively addresses topics that are important for pastors, congregational leaders, and bishops and conference ministers.
John and Vicky Lettmann Scholarship The scholarship was established in 2008 by John (MBA, Marketing, '68) and Vicky Lettmann (MA, Comparative Literature, '70) to support outstanding freshmen who are studying business and have been directly admitted to the Kelley School. - Incoming, Directly Admitted Freshman who are majoring in business - Renewable if the recipient remains in good academic standing and meets other designated criteria No special application process is required. Incoming freshmen who meet the award criteria are automatically considered.
I'm a science writing grad student with a cognitive science background, but sharing the stories behind new discoveries excites me most. I’ve always loved scavenger hunts. As a kid, I’d plant slips of paper throughout the house leading to a prize—or just to my hiding place, where I’d pop out and startle my unsuspecting hunter. College felt a bit like a scavenger hunt for the right career, with cryptic clues hidden in textbooks and lectures. They diverted me from my English major and led me into the lab. But clues to my future were muffled by noisy EEG channels and a humming fMRI machine. During my Americorps service at a Virginia state park, I designed a scavenger hunt to trick vacationing kids into learning about ecology. I loved organizing knowledge into a suspenseful journey. Now, by writing about science, I can map a route through complex research, leading my reader to something intriguing and unexpected.
In our last post, ‘Why we do what we do’, Helen gave a fantastic insight into the motives behind what we do on a Sunday. Today, I wanted to share a little about the some of the things we’ve been experimenting with in order to create a setting where people feel free to meet with God in a powerful way. If you were at church a few weeks ago, you would have heard the worship team play a song called ‘Hallelujah’ from the latest Kerith Worship CD, ‘This Is Love’. What you may or may not have noticed was the heavy use of orchestral instruments within the live version of the song…but with a real lack of orchestral instruments on the stage. What’s going on?! We knew from the first time Matt played the song to us that it had to be stylistically different to anything else we’d done before. We consciously made the choice to push the boundaries of what we were capable of with this song to create a feel that actually reflects the word ‘Hallelujah’; joyful, thanksgiving, celebratory. Our song arrangements are often very guitar driven, which suits the faster styled songs but is not always quite as well suited to songs with a slower tempo. Whilst a standard ‘rock band’ set up suits us for the majority of what we do (at the moment), we knew that we had to tweak things a little in order to do the song justice. On the track (Click to Download), you can hear that we used only one very sparse guitar part. Guitars are fantastic instruments to create a sense of ‘bigness’ in a song; as is the typical drum groove you’d hear in most rock music. Having removed both, our challenge was to create an ‘epic’ feel to accompany our proclamations of ‘hallelujah’ in a way that’s even close to fitting of our God. Since March 2011, we’ve been working on ways to translate those orchestral sounds to the stage. This has prompted hours upon hours of research and conversations – and we’ve learnt a huge amount along the way. One of our tests was at LIFE, our youth event. We experimented with what we dubbed ‘Electro Worship’…attempting Hillsong United’s ‘With Everything’ (our version was heavily influenced by Elevation Worship). This was the result: Essentially, the solution we arrived at was the use of backing tracks and ‘loops’. Now, I know what some of you are thinking (I’ve heard this a number of times): “but that’s not live music!! Heretic!” To that I’d simply say that it should be irrelevant whether the band is live or pre-recorded; it should actually be irrelevant whether there is any music whatsoever when we come to worship God. Our focus as a worship team is help our congregation connect with God and we’ll do whatever it takes to get there. Having said that, we are very much using the technology at our disposal to supplement what we do on the platform; visually, you won’t notice any difference! These are exciting times as we look to find new ways to worship our Lord in spirit and in truth. There was a day when the organ was a modern tool for worship; one day we will move on from the use of electric guitars and even from the use of laptops. One thing is certain though – our purpose for worship will never change, for our God will never change. - Why we do what we do (kerithworship.wordpress.com)
Well in some ways the answer appears to be a resounding yes. The roof is certainly nice looking, it offers a great year round habitat for birds and insects and was planted with high quality plants. These have all meant that the roof is a great addition. However, others feel that the green roof leaves a little to be desired. For some, the roof is a bit of a mess, looking a little un-kept and lacking in tidy appeal. The roof is actually just over six acres in size. This means that it is the biggest of all ‘living’ roofs in Canada as well as boasting itself as the largest of all green non-industrial roofs in the whole of North America. This is all well and good, but the fact that it is located ten stories up means that most people don’t get a glimpse of it except from the air. While people who work in the high rises near it can look at the view, you won’t be seeing anything from street level. One of the major flaws is therefore the fact that the public has very little access to the green space. While you can access it through by elevator and walkway, you end up merely at a little viewing platform. Here you can see more of the roof, but sceptics say that this is hardly real access. Nevertheless, more than four hundred thousand plants native to the province were used encompassing twenty-five different species. On top of this around 40,000 flower bulbs were planted alongside flower and grass seed. Wildflowers, Douglas saters and common camas have also meant that bees from four hives frequent the area and produce a good amount of honey. In terms of maintenance, the grass is mowed on the roof only once a year, but weekly visits by maintenance crews allow for drainage line checks and some weeding. While the roof has attracted some criticism, many say it is still a boon to Vancouver’s green initiatives. Vancouver realtors can agree that this kind of enthusiasm for keeping the city green and beautiful is what attracts so many buyers. Homes for sale and condos for sale in Vancouver continue be snapped up by international investors. Vancouver’s appeal goes far beyond merely the real estate itself. For most home buyers, Vancouver homes and condos for sale are a catch because of the city’s earthy, unique vibrancy.
The Skipness Castle Gate in Kintyre, Scotland. Entrance to the Castle and the Seafood Cabin. Tag Archive: Castle For more images regarding Monsaraz, please visit www.photoshelter.com/c/kevingeorge Monsaraz, set in the heart of Alentejo countryside, is one of Portugal’s most inspiring fortified hilltop villages. Monsaraz has a Castle, built in 1310, offering spectacular views over the village and surrounding plains. The village also boasts an elegant Igreja Matriz Parish Church which welcomes visitors. For more images of Silves, please link to www.photoshelter.com/c/kevingeorge A popular tourist destination today, Silves was once the capital of Moorish Algarve. Surrounded by red sandstone walls and gates, Silves is protected by its Moorish castle which was finally captured by Dom Sancho I. The castle was restored in 1835. The other landmark of Silves is the 1189 Se MisericoridiaCathedral Church standing over a peaceful cobbled square with charming cafe terraces. For more images on Mertola, please go to www.photoshelter.com/c/kevingeorge Mertola is one of the most pleasant villages to visit in Portugal. Sat high above the Guadiana River the village is dominated by Mertola Castle. A statue of Ibn Qasi stands guard at the entrance. Next to Mertola Castle is the Matriz Parish Church with its elegant white facade. Following the narrow streets down into the village you will come across the Torre de Relogio – the Clock Tower offer wide views over the surrounding valley. Close-by is the square holding the town hall. The square has been beautifully reformed recently. Mertola offers many interesting museums on the village’s history, one of which the Islamic Studies Museum can be found in this charming yellow building. Finally, do not leave town without purchasing some fresh produce at Mertola’s market, cheese being particular speciality. For more images of Braganca go to www.photoshelter.com/c/kevingeorge There are many wonderful villages in Portugal and if you are arriving in the North East corner of the country one of the first that you will come across is Braganca in the region of Tras-os-Montes. The highlight of the village is definitely the Cidedela which comprises of the castle and the Menagem Tower, Santa Maria Church and the famous 12-13th century Domus Municipalis where the town’s medieval council used to sit. For more images on Alicante check out www.photoshelter.com/c/kevingeorge With easy access through Ryanair, Alicante makes a great weekend break with a chance to sit back and enjoy the Med as well as dine out at a number of good restaurants. Highlights include the Port with its array of yachts and small boats alongside Postiguet Beach which is surprisingly nice for a city beach. Other landmarks include Santa Barbara Castle, the Town Hall and San Nicolas Cathedral Church, all within close walking distance from each other. The interesting Central Market – Mercado Central is also well worth a look around. Prices are very reasonable and the freshness of the products, second to none. Finally sit back and enjoy a coffee on the Explanada de España which has an attractive tile mosaic surface.
Let’s move to another part of the world. I was looking for blog candidate images the other day from my inventory of images and this image jumped out. This image was made in New Zealand at Mt. Cook. I took a Zodiac ride into the lake filled with these mini Icebergs broken off from a near by glacier. The skies turned dark and the color popped and I clicked. Hope you enjoy this image.
Hot joint to eat at. I recommend the locals favorite. It has it all for under $20. inside and outdoor seating. Close to the heart of Duvals most popular bars. The sushi was awesome and the staff friendly and helpful. Amazing sushi. It was a very delightful experience. The staff really made the night what it was. They were all very friendly and helpful, and were always there when we needed anything. I highly recommend Thai Cuisine to anybody.
Specials and Events Donations and Swag Music and Playlists KFJC Music Reviews IBS 2012 Winner: Best Community College Radio Station Foothill College radio station KFJC 89.7 FM was just recognized as the "Best Community College Radio Station" in the United States at the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) Student Radio Awards in New York City on March 3, 2012. Additionally, the station was awarded first place in the "Best Fundraising/Underwriting Campaign" category for its innovative fundraiser production work. KFJC also picked up trophies at IBS for being a finalist in several other categories including: "Best Public Affairs Program," "Best Station/Promotional Event," and "Best Fundraising/Underwriting Campaign" for another fundraiser spot produced by KFJC students and volunteers. KFJC, which was competing for all awards in a field of mostly 4-year colleges and universities, was also a finalist for IBS’ Abraham & Borst Award for Best Overall Radio Station in the Nation. IBS has been in existence for 72 years and represents more than 1,000 student radio stations and webcasters across the United States. The IBS 2012 Student Radio Awards were presented at the 72nd annual IBS Conference. KFJC's award-winning entries are indicative of the hard work and creativity of its all-volunteer and student staff. A special edition of KFJC's public affairs show "Thoughtline" was a finalist in the "Best Public Affairs Program" category and a spot promoting the KFJC Psychotronix Film Festival was a finalist in the "Best Station/Promotional Event" category. "Thoughtline" airs weekly and the Psychotronix Film Festival occurs numerous times throughout the year. Another special edition of "Thoughtline," featuring a variety of stories produced by KFJC students and volunteers, will air on Monday, March 26, 2012 from 6 to 7pm. KFJC's Psychotronix Film Festival, featuring vintage 16mm films, including cartoons, commercials, short subjects and instructional films, will take place on Saturday, March 17 at Foothill College in Room 5015 from 7pm to 11pm. Other IBS 2012 Award Winners from KFJC: Copyright© 2013 KFJC 89.7 FM
New Years Baby \| VideoAlex Hagan \| 1/1/2013 "I didn`t think it would happen because I wasn`t due until the 10th," said mother Ashley Mickelsen. Ashley and Adam Mickelsen already have a daughter, Kennedy, whose birthday is on January 31. They now have a birthday to celebrate at the beginning and end of the month. "It`s exciting! Kennedy is happy to be a big sister and I guess we know what we`re doing with girls," said Ashley. Kambree came in at seven pounds, one ounce at 1:39 p.m. The family is looking forward to future celebrations every New Year`s Day. "It going to be good for her, I mean she`s going to have a really awesome birthday every year," said Adam. The Mickelsens are from Kenmare. They traveled all the way to St. Alexius Hospital because of the great relationship Ashley had with her doctor. "We`ve been down here for the last week and a half, so we missed Christmas. So as soon as we get home, we`ll celebrate Christmas and go on from there," said Adam. Once Ashley and baby Kambree are released from the hospital, they plan to head back home. Sanford Hospital`s first baby of the year came about half an hour later.
Hill Says Differences About Philosophy, Not Personality State Superintendent of Public Instruction Cindy Hill says her disagreements with state legislators and Governor Matt Mead are philosophical, not personal. Hill says she takes issue with the idea that the legislature should manage state schools and the state Department of Education. Hill says lawmakers and the governor “think the legislature should micromanage” education in Wyoming, adding she disagrees with that view. The legislature earlier this year stripped Hill’s office of it’s supervision of the Department of Education, a move Hill is challenging in court as unconstitutional.. Legislators say Hill mismanaged the department and failed to carry out legislative mandates on education reform. Both the governor and the legislature maintain the bill taking the education department out from under the leadership of the superintendent’s office is legal under the state constitution.
Kick Ball Pedal Bike The plan was to cycle around all the football grounds within the M25 from the Conference South up to the Premier League a week before the World Cup. From the Barnet’s fortress Underhill to Arsenal's Emirates, From Welling United FC to Chelsea. The spiralling route spinning around London clocked up at 150 miles, same distance as London to Barnsley as the crow flies. The ride finished up at Wembley, like a club reaching the FA cup final, taking in 22 grounds on the way. All this peddling was to raise money for two great charities, The Southall Black Sisters and the LCC. The thought to do this popped into my head when I found myself getting over-excited about the football World Cup nine months too early. Contrary to a lot of cyclists, football and cycling sit quite nicely together in my head. Some cyclists seem to get a bit green about the money and attention that is thrown at football but what could be better than peddling out to game? I realise I’m biased; a good Saturday for me would be spent riding out to Oxford to see Barrow AFC scrape a draw against Oxford United in the FA cup. To begin with I was just going to do the ride on my own but someone suggested making it a charity ride and it seemed like a good idea and a positive way to channel my excitement for the World Cup. I chose to raise money for the Southall Black Sisters, a charity who provide support and shelter to families suffering from domestic violence. They are a small London charity that delivers a lot on a small budget. I knew that whatever I could scrape together from this small ride would be welcomed by them. Choosing the London Cycling campaign as the other charity was easy as I love cycling in London and with its massive army of volunteers LCC keeps making it better and better. I had never organised a charity ride before and to be honest I’ve never been that big a fan of them. In order to get sponsor money out of my tight fist you have truly suffer in the event you are doing. At the risk of sound a bit ‘Daily Express’, not a week goes by without someone asking me to sponsor them to climb a mountain, scuba dive or something just as fun. My favourite one recently was a colleague who asked me to sponsor her to horse-ride across Iceland (the country not the shop). That to me sounds like a holiday, not an arduous task which is deserving of my pennies. I’m sure you’re not surprised to hear I did see my Kick Ball Pedal Bike cycle worthy of sponsorship – 150 miles on the congested and hot streets of London, stopping every 10 minutes at traffic lights to view such delights as Heathrow Airport and the SELCHP waste incinerator. This was no pleasure ride through French countryside to Paris. The ride was for a specialised group of geeks, people who like long urban rides and love football. This combined with the 6am start at White Hart Lane led to a small turn-out, just 29 people rode on the day, but what a group! The camaraderie, vigour and spirit of the pedallers was gigantic and the day was better than watching Leeds lose the play-off final. People joined and left the group at different grounds adding new energy and faces over the day, keeping the legs of the four riders who completed the entire 150 miles pumping. It took us 18 hours to get to Wembley, climbing and descending 3162 feet on the way, the equivalent to height to Scafell. It wasn’t all plain sailing though. I don’t know if you have ever been faced with the dilemma of how to get from Welling United to Thurrock FC on a bike, but it’s a tough one. Do you go back on yourself and take the Woolwich ferry or do you risk the Dartford crossing? I opted for the Dartford crossing; who can resist the link between Bluewater and Lakeside? Testing the route out a few months before the ride I discovered you can’t just ride across the Dartford crossing. I rolled down the slip road to the crossing only to be pulled over by a security woman in a Land Rover who gave me a good telling off while try to confiscate my camera, claiming I was a terrorist. She calmed down when she saw my camera was full of shots of football stands and realised I was just a harmless nerd. Eventually she called for a very nice man who drove me and my bike across the Thames. On the ride itself I was asked to ring ahead to warn them of the group approaching. When I did I was told they were too congested to get us across, due to an accident. So we tracked back to the Woolwich ferry and to everyone’s disappointment we had to miss out Thurrock FC; a fine ground where I once saw Barnet’s Women tonk West Ham’s. The to-ing and fro-ing still put us over the 150-mile mark and I was happy with that. On the final leg of my route check I decided to finish off at Wembley to watch England complete a promising win over Egypt (champions of Africa) just before the World Cup. I wandered out of the stadium quite buoyant, only to discover that my bike had been nicked from under the noses of 100,000 fans and hundreds of police men. I asked a steward if he had seen anything and he said, “I wondered what that noise was, it sounded like a saw, probably your bike being stolen.” Humph. These were really minor setbacks and quite amusing with hindsight. I really enjoyed the ride, not just reaching Wembley’s arch but also seeing a group of strangers come together to help egg each other on right through the day. So inspired by organising the ride, I have been thinking up new ways to suffer on my bike and currently have two ideas rolling around my head. First, another Kick Ball Pedal Bike ride which would go to every team which wins a league this season; in theory this would take us on a random ride right across the country. Second, I like the idea of a Speedos and Flip Flops ride from London to Hastings – running straight from the saddle to the sea at arrival. For the time being though I’ll settle for a ride through the Essex countryside to see Braintree Town (The Iron) face Hampton and Richmond Borough (The Beavers). After all that effort England still stunk out South Africa, boo.
Time for a Shave Growing up can be pretty hairy, especially for boys. After years of sporting a squeaky clean face, suddenly you're using a razor and shaving cream to scrape stubble from your chin! So what's causing all that stubble trouble? In a word, hormones! During puberty, these chemical signals give you the green light to grow into adulthood, and the growth of body hair is just one of many big changes that are happening to you! On average, boys grow facial hair between the ages of 14 and 16. A few boys may notice this hair before they're 13, while others won't get any until they're 19 or 20. Okay, so now that you have hair, you want to get rid of it! But before you start shaving, check to see that the blades of your razor are smooth and free of nicks. You may cut yourself if they're not. Be sure that your razor is sharp, too. A dull blade can irritate and pull at your skin. And after you've finished shaving, splash cold water on your face. Since shaving opens up the pores of your skin, you'll need the cold water to close them up and prevent dirt from getting in. Still unsure about this mysterious morning ritual? Then ask your dad -- or that fatherly-figure in your life -- for advice--after all, he has many more years of experience than you! In any case, don't let any of your body's big changes scare you during puberty. Instead, they're just telling you that all is well on your way to adulthood. And keep in mind that all the cool and confident grown-ups you admire today were once clumsy, gawky kids who went through puberty, too!
Our senses work together as a team to help us identify things and make sense of the world around us. This experiment shows kids how it's easier to know what something is when we can see, smell, or touch it as well as hear it. The experiment also shows kids how our brains can sometimes recognize a familiar sound (like a dog barking, for example) even when we don't see what's going on. But seeing still helps. We may know the sound of a siren, for example. But is that a police car, ambulance, or fire truck going by? How to Play What You Need Items that make noise (coins to jingle in a jar, a book to close, hands to clap, paper to crumble, paper to rip, bubblegum to crack or pop, a ball to bounce, and supplies for any other sounds you can think of) What to Do Have the child wear a blindfold or close his or her eyes. Make each noise. Ask the child to guess what the noise is. How many did he or she guess right?
Disclaimer: Another review that was unable to be published until the film’s release date. Rollercoaster Entertainment, An Olive Branch Productions, Vortex Words Pictures STARRING Kevin Spacey, Barry Pepper, Kelly Preston, Jon Lovitz WRITTEN BY Norman Snider PRODUCED BY George Vietzakis DIRECTED BY George Hickenklooper SHOT BY Adam Swica EDITED BY William Steinkamp MUSIC BY Jonathan Goldsmith DISTRIBUTED BY Art Takes Over/Samuel Goldwyn Films OK. Jack Abramoff. You read the papers, right? You watch the news? Very selfish superlobbyist who defrauded some Native American tribes of tens of millions of dollars in in the early Aughts. “These mofos are the stupidest idiots in the land for sure,” Abramoff is cited as saying. Hilarious, right? Casino Jack details this adventure from Abramoff’s perspective and plays like a gay frolick, one which is mildly evil. The intention is to be so cynical as to shock the viewer into sanity, but unfortunately the attention is pointed squarely back at the filmmaker. I find myself not wanting to give this film anymore attention… lord knows it’s loud enough to garner its own. It’s allegedly newsworthty that director Hickenlooper died shortly before the film’s premiere and that Abramoff was released from his 3.5 year sentence a few mere weeks ago. I met Hickenlooper in 2006 as he was promoting Factory Girl and left the interview unconvinced that Edie Sedgwick was in fact a figure of any tragic scope – anymore tragic than the rest of us, that is. Hickenlooper admitted that her problems were the proportion of “high school melodrama” yet insisted on telling her story. I am finally now beginning to understand what it all amounted to, and Hickenlooper’s unfortunate death – really not unlike Sedgwick’s (alcohol + painkiller + sleep) – can be viewed as evidence in this opinion’s favor. Why did he want to tell her story? He clearly was fascinated by Warhol and the surrounding artistic epoch. Did he find Sedgwick beautiful? Did he find the notion of being overwhelmed to be tragic? Being slighted? And, confounded, falling back into hedonism to escape? (prithees, prithees, forgive me). It’s just a theory. Hickenlooper seems to me to have been an insecure idealist. Thusly we have the garbled mess of Casino Jack, a film shaky in its craft and cynical to the point of lunacy. I see Hickenlooper standing in awe of the American way of life and the hypocrisy and evil that may or may not allow it to exist… and being driven to mad cackling by it all. But there are plenty of legitimate reasons why this film fails, and they exist along every tier of production – well, the actors do their jobs well enough (Spacey admittedly owns). The score is sort of a parody of lounge music, runs throughout the entire film, and makes you want to kill yourself. Tonally it’s actually quite similar to the intended effect of the silly score in The Informant!, but Soderbergh is a considerably more capable and exprienced filmmaker – or perhaps just more intelligent than Hickenlooper was. That’s one. Editing: one would say there is no “flow” – many cuts feel uncertain, ending quicker than we expect. Let’s just say it’s a bumpy ride. The cinematography is often misguided or overly concerned with sophomoric visual games – a narrative so ambitious and playful requires a DP of extremely high proficiency: I assert that Lance Acord would’ve done outstanding work. And finally, the sciprt… banter-ridden, as self-satisfied as a Jason Reitman film (coming from me that’s a tremendous insult), and really teeming with incestuous film references, all American, well-known, and easy as hell. It’s just weak… weak to the point of the characters actively quoting Jerry Maguire to one another. But the responsibility all falls back on our muddled muerto maestro. Original review finale: There’s a line in the film which is repeated so many times you would think it’s the entire point – and it’s content could have held the key to preventing Hickenlooper’s death: Jack Abramoff works out every day. Improved review finale: Hickenlooper’s intent seems to have been to magnify a sickness of character, the acts of the misguided – knowing mistakes – and to perhaps extend that prognosis to the American macro. “How the hell did we get here? – - we work out every day!” Combined with the film’s gay tone, the effect is a sort of fever-chill swoon – or it would be, if the film achieved its desired impact. And perhaps our proximity to Abramoff, and the ripples he created, make us (or me) resent that swoon instead of marvel at its mechanism. written by David Ashley You’re currently reading an entry written by Cagliostro - 12.31.10 / 11pm - Film reviews - 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, adam swica, alcohol, american, an olive branch productions, art takes over, Art Takes Over/Samuel Goldwyn Films, ashley, ato, barry pepper, blog, bob ney, capitalism, capitalist, casino, casino jack, christian campbell, comedy, conspiracy, conspired, corrupt, corruption, critic, criticule, cynical, d.c., daniel kash, david, david ashley, dc, dead, death, defraud, defrauded, defrauding, died, edie sedgwick, emily miller, factory girl, film, George Hickenklooper, george hickenlooper, george vietzakis, gifts, gimme five, graham greene, grover norquist, guilty, I work out every day, indian, jack abramoff, jeffrey r. smith, jon lovitz, jonathan goldsmith, kelly preston, kevin spacey, lobbying, lobbyist, maury chaykin, michael scanlon, mississippi choctaw, mofos, movie, native american, norman snider, ODed, overdosed, parody, pled, poetaster, prison, Rachelle Lefevre, ralph reed, rep., review, reviewed, rollercoaster entertainment, ruth marshall, samuel goldwyn films, satire, scandal, screened, sentence, sleep, spencer garrett, superlobbyist, tax evasion, tribe, tribes, troglodites, vortex words pictures, washington d.c., william steinkamp, written by David Ashley, yannick bisson
My kitty :) Kilo My heart and soul belong to someone… But people have been warning about him… Do I give him a chance? Advice needed. He has had a past… I hate it when people tell you that they got their ex girlfriend pregnant as a joke. Who the hell jokes about a child’s life. That’s just stupid and arrogant… Do you honestly have the heart to joke about that?! You may call me a hater… but I’m just realistic. Where’s the love in our world? I can’t understand the human heart. It has blood, arteries, veins, and other names that nobody honestly cares about. But what about the emotion that is concealed within this organ? There’s an emotion called love and hate inside it. The love creates the most wonderful feeling of happiness and prosperity. The hate inside creates devastation and despair. What do you do when they cause both? They are exact opposites that can cause a lot of conflict in a teenager’s life. I think I’m falling for my ex’s friend… There’s a lot of conflict for that one. I went out with G a long time ago and apparently broke his heart. Now that I’ve seen him again, recently, he’s in a current relationship that he’s very happy about. But what do I do about my friend, who I’m starting to fall for? He’s sweet and very different from G, but that’s what I like about him. I know him better than G and I think that’s how I wanted it. I’m not sure what to do with all this heartache… Even though G is in a good relationship, does that mean it’s okay to crush on his friend? Advice is wanted… My earliest memory was probably when I was 5 years old. I don’t remember much, but I do remember jumping up and down on a trampoline in my front room of the house. It was so much fun because everything was pure white in the house. And in the middle was a green chair that could catch your attention immediately. That was in San Diego.
Colorado Rockies Hire New Skipper The Colorado Rockies have hired a familiar name to manage their team. Walt Weiss was hired as the new skipper yesterday. Weiss is a former Rockies shortstop and is currently the coach at Regis Jesuit High School. He spent seven seasons as a Special Assistant to the Rockies General Manager. Walt Weiss is making the rare jump from the high school dugout to the big leagues.The Colorado Rockies hired the former major league shortstop Wednesday night to replace manager Jim Tracy, who resigned Oct. 7 with one year and $1.4 million left on his contract rather than return to a club where its assistant general manager had moved into an office in the clubhouse. The 1988 AL Rookie of the Year with Oakland, Weiss played shortstop for the Rockies from 1994-97 and was a special assistant to general manager Dan O’Dowd from 2002-08. He left to spend more time with his family and last season coached Regis Jesuit High School outside Denver, in Aurora, to a 20-6 record and the 5A semifinals of the state championship. Weiss’ son, Brody, is in his senior year at the school. The Rockies made the announcement after owner Dick Monfort and top officials deliberated at the general managers’ meetings in Indian Wells, Calif. — held at a hotel Monfort owns, the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa. (AP news)
Contact: Tim Wessinger (912) 265-9010 KINGSTON ANOUNCES SERVICE ACADEMY APPLICATION DEADLINE Deadline for congressional nomination set for October 1st Washington, Aug 28, 2012 - Congressman Jack Kingston (R-GA) announced today that students interested in receiving a congressional nomination to one of the U.S. Military Service Academies must submit their completed applications to his office no later than October 1. Each year Congressman Kingston nominates deserving young men and women to the Service Academies. “The First District has a rich military heritage and we have many qualified students who can carry on that tradition,” said Kingston. “The First District Academy Board has the privilege of interviewing and nominating the finest young men and women to the Academies each year. These are the future leaders that will serve with honor and skill in the United States Armed Forces.” The application periods for the Academies generally begin in April, and now is the time to start working towards admission into these top Institutions. High school seniors interested in attending the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Military Academy, the United States Merchant Marine Academy, or the United States Naval Academy should apply directly with the Academy as soon as possible. Those students should contact Congressman Kingston’s office for a Congressional Nomination Application. More information and the nomination application can be found on Kingston’s website at http://kingston.house.gov or by contacting Brooke Childers in his Savannah office at (912) 352-0101. # # #
With all the high-flying engineering contraptions in Azeroth today, I guess it’s okay to ask “What Sci-Fi character are you most like?” If you don’t know yourself, take the test. Me? I tested out as Data of Star Trek. “A controlled personality with a vast range of skills and behavior, you are often intrigued by the people and places surrounding you.” The wife tested out as Luke Skywalker of Star Wars. “Boldly striving to overcome the darkness both in this world and within yourself, you are righteously devoted to forging your own destiny.”
‘Idol’ Winner Headed Our Way – Phillip Phillips to Rock Pan Am Center Oh-em-gee, y’all. Good Friday just got … um, gooder! Our reigning “American Idol”, Phillip Phillips, is headed our way this spring. Phillips has been booked to play NMSU’s Pan Am Center on Friday, March 29. No doubt the rousing hit “Home” will bring the night to a close. “Home” has been everywhere since Phillips first performed it on “Idol” after he was declared the winner on May 22, 2012. From that night on it’s been on the radio, television shows, and commercials and was used extensively in NBC’s coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Tickets are $18.50 and $28.50, plus service charges, and on sale the usual ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, or you can charge by phone at 800.745.3000.
Today’s book review post is special for two reasons. First, this marks the 150th book review I’ve posted here at Fundamentally Reformed. Second, this review includes the foreword I was privileged to write for this book. The Doctrine of Scripture: As It Relates to the Transmission and Preservation of the Text by Jason Harris is published by InFocus Ministries in Australia. I’m excited to recommend this new book to my readers here in the United States as I believe this book can go a long way toward helping those confused or entangled by King James Onlyism. Another book on the King James Only debate? Much ink has been spilled and many passions expended in what may be the ugliest intramural debate plaguing conservative, Bible-believing churches today. Fundamentalists and Evangelicals, Baptists and Presbyterians, Reformed and charismatic — all have been affected to a greater or lesser extent by those arguing for or against the King James or New King James Versions of the Bible. With each new book it seems the debate becomes more and more caustic, each group castigating the other in ever more forceful terminology. Jason Harris enters the fray with the right blend of humility and tenacity, and turns the attention of all to the true center of the debate: the doctrine of Scripture. What makes this debate so passionate is that it centers on the very nature of Scripture. Rather than focus on technical facts and ancient manuscript copying practices, Harris takes us back to what Scripture says about itself: its inspiration, preservation and accessibility. In doing so, he demonstrates how those upholding the King James Bible and the Textus Receptus behind it, base their position not on sound exegesis of the Scripture, but on tenuous assumptions read into the text. Harris’s pen is lucid and his grasp of the King James Only debate as a whole is masterful. He focuses his work on TR-only position which represents the very best of King James Only reasoning. He interacts with the exegesis of key TR-only proponents and marshals compelling evidence demonstrating their failure to measure up to Scripture’s own teaching about itself. And after explicating the doctrine of Scripture, Harris draws important conclusions which should protect the reader from making simplistic assumptions in a quest for textual certainty that goes beyond what Scripture teaches we should expect. Harris wants us to be confident that we do have the inspired Scripture translated accurately in our English Bibles. He wants such confidence to be rooted to a Scriptural understanding of the Doctrine of Scripture rather than in the “supernatural-guidance” of a group of sixteenth-Century translators. Assuming that such a group of men made no mistakes is to expect something Scripture doesn’t teach, and ignore what it does. Harris is to be commended for such a clear, lucid defense of the historic doctrine of Scripture. I hope his book is received well and helps laymen and pastors everywhere to begin to rethink the basis for why they think as they do when it comes to the King James Only debate. After re-reading this book and seeing the published version, I am more optimistic than ever about its promise to provide clarity to the King James Only debate. Jason Harris’s book has a few characteristics which together make it a unique contribution to this debate. First, his book focuses on the alleged doctrine of the verbal, plenary accessibility of Scripture. This is where the root of the KJV and TR preference lies for many people. The argument is not so much based on texts and manuscripts as it is on what allegedly the Bible teaches – that the very words of Scripture (all of them down to the letters) would be generally accessible to believers down through the ages. Harris spends most of his time marshalling a Scriptural rebuttal to these claims and also demonstrates the difficulties such a position has when it comes to the history of the text as we know it. Second, this volume carefully builds a theology of the transmission and preservation of Scripture. Such a careful, exegetically-based explication of the doctrine of Scripture has been lacking in this debate. And such a gap has often been used by KJV-only proponents to their advantage. It is KJV-only books which start with a Scriptural position and then look at the evidence, with the “anti-KJV” books starting with history and evidence and then moving to the Scriptural arguments. This book is different and starts where the debate starts for most of the sincere beleivers who get swept up into it — it starts on Scripture’s teaching about the very nature and preservation of Scripture. Finally, Harris keeps a very irenic tone throughout. He is careful not to overstate his case and exaggerate the claims of his opponents. This is especially difficult to do when it comes to this heated debate, but Jason pulls this off well. Additionally, he backs up his book with the inclusion of a vast array of footnotes documenting the claims he is arguing against. I appreciate how he does not direct his argument toward the Riplingers and Ruckmans of this debate. He focuses on the TR-only position and the more careful wing of KJV-onlyism, men like David Cloud, D.A. Waite, Charles Surret, and the like. Harris has read widely in the KJV only literature, and his treatment avoids broadbrushing and generalizations that tend to give KJV-only propoents an easy out. It’s easy to dismiss a book as not being directed to their particular position, or to claim the author makes egregious errors and lumps their position in with that of heretical views. Harris’s book is not open to such charges. He directs his case against the very best arguments of KJV-onlyism. Had I been exposed to such a book I would have been inoculated to the pull of the KJV-only persuasion. As it happened, I was swept up in a TR-only view that made it seem like we had the corner on truth and everyone else was compromising. By God’s grace I came to understand that Scripture does not support such a view of the transmission of the text. Jason Harris is to be thanked for giving us a tool to recommend to those thinking through this issue from within, and to help the ones who are being pressured to join the KJV-only position. I highly recommend The Doctrine of Scripture and hope it makes its way into the hands of anyone struggling with this issue who will yet be open-minded enough to study out the issue from both sides. You can pick up a copy of The Doctrine of Scripture at Amazon.com. Disclaimer: This book was provided by the author. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review. ~ cross posted from FundamentallyReformed.com, the author’s other blog.
I am doing a bit of a head to head comparison at the end of this post. Except for Mark's and Simply Penang, I have passed through these eateries at least 5 times. And I have patronize these at least once. May not be accurate but food for thoughts! Head right to the bottom for my personal views! Back to Simply Penang. The star of our order was Nasi Lemak Rempah Fish. The fried Cincaru was fresh and crispy. The stuffed curry and spices were aromatic and flavourful. Next on my praise was the Nasi Lemak. It was so rich in taste and fragrance as it was deeply infused by santan and pandan. This should be Simply Penang's crown jewel. As for the normal Nasi Lemak (chicken - fried or curry) I will vote for Nyonya Colors. Total costs: RM61.60.The Ji Hu Char is a bit of a disappointment as I have eaten the best from my Penang Hokkien MIL's kitchen. This one was soft, damp and limp. I can't even smell the cuttlefish. In this department Little Penang's JHC is much better. Nasi Lemak Rempah Fish - RM12.90. Simply Penang's Crown Jewel. Ji Hu Char - RM9.90. The best is from Little Penang. Char Koay Teow - RM9.50. Simply not worth it no matter how good it is! Small serving and mostly carbohydrates. None has measured up to give me value for money. Possible the best CKT may be from Little Penang. Assam Laksa - RM8.90. The base taste artificial and was too thick. Was not sure what was used. It should be thinner and the suspensions must be as much as possible be fish, spices and herbs. Mark's Assam Laksa is the best of the lot.Head to Head Comparison Menu Variety and Food Quality - Nyonya Colors seems to impressed esp. the kuih-muih and generous usage of ingredients to bring out the best in the food. Service - Nyonya and Mark's are self-service. Kluang is full-service but as for payment subtly forces the customers to go to the cashier. As for Simply Penang I was not impressed with their service. I was in a hurry to leave and went to pay at the cashier. He was on the phone throughout and fumbled along as he produced the bill and processed my payment. Little Penang seems more attuned to good service as the boss seems to force the service standards to acceptable levels. Seri Penang seems to have best customer service. Business - So far Nyonya Colors seems to be the best patronized. Which one do I Crave to Return? - Nyonya Colors Value for Money - Drinks were overpriced. CKT mostly over-rated therefore over-priced. Generally Assam and Curry Laksa may be value for money! Seri Penang Salted Fish Vege Curry is the best value and healthy too! Ambiance - Seri Penang by a mile.
Monday News, November 19 Jandreau Trial Continues Today (Le Mars) -- The trial of Matthew Jandreau continues today. The defense counsel is expected to call upon additional witnesses to testify. On Friday, Jandreau's mother and step-brother took the stand. Jandreau is being accused of kidnapping, sexual assault, burglary, and public intoxication. That trial is being held at the Plymouth County Courthouse and will resume today at 9:00 a.m. Sioux City Shooting at Mac Behr's Results in Arrest (Sioux City) -- The Sioux City Police responded to a shooting incident that occurred inside the Mac Behrs nightclub located on historic 4th Street. The shooting happened shortly after 1:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Upon arrival, a female victim was located that had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. The victim was transported to Mercy Medical Center for treatment. 24 year old Solomon Harris of Sioux City was taken into custody at the scene. He was subsequently arrested for assault while participating in a felony, willful injury, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, and reckless use of a firearm, all class C felonies. The identity and condition of the female victim are being withheld at this time. Cedar Rapids Police Search For Escaped Inmate CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - Cedar Rapids police are looking for a 20-year-old man who escaped from Delaware County Jail in Manchester. Authorities say 20-year-old Timothy Reynolds assaulted a jailer and stole his sport utility vehicle during an escape about 12:15 p.m. Sunday. The vehicle was found around 3 p.m. in Cedar Rapids. Police say Reynolds has ties to Cedar Rapids and Chicago. Cedar Rapids police Lt. Joe Clark said early Monday morning that his officers hadn't found Reynolds yet and that, near as he knew, Reynolds was still loose. Reynolds was being held on robbery, assault, weapons and other charges. Home Builder Faces Bank Fraud DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - A former Iowa home builder has been ordered to repay $379,533 and serve one month in prison for bank fraud. A federal judge sentenced 70-year-old Walter Zimmerer last week. Prosecutors say Zimmerer took out loans in 2007 and 2008 to build homes in Bettendorf and LeClaire, Iowa. The loans were set up to allow Zimmerer to continue drawing money out during construction as long as he was current on his payments to subcontractors. Zimmerer fell behind on his payments to subcontractors but created false documents to show he was current. Eventually he defaulted on the loans. He pleaded guilty to nine counts of bank fraud. In addition to serving a month in prison, Zimmerer will have to serve 12 months of home confinement and two years of supervised release. Democrats Choose Jochum As Senate President DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Democrats have chosen Dubuque Sen. Pam Jochum (YOH'-kuhm) to be the Iowa Senate's next president. Jochum will succeed retiring Sen. Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg. The Senate president presides over the chamber and issues rulings on whether amendments to bills are germane. Jochum served 16 years in the Iowa House before being elected to the Senate in 2008. The 26 Democrats who make up the Iowa Senate's incoming majority re-elected Sen. Mike Gronstal, of Council Bluffs, to remain majority leader. The Democrats named Steve Sodders, of State Center, to be president pro tempore; Joe Bolkcom, of Iowa City, as majority whip; and Matt McCoy, of Des Moines, Wally Horn, of Cedar Rapids, Bill Dotzler, of Waterloo, and Amanda Ragan, of Mason City, as assistant majority leaders. Soderberg Appointed To Chair House Appropriations Committee (Le Mars) -- State Representative Chuck Soderberg of Le Mars was recently selected to serve as chairman of the all important State House Appropriations Committee. Soderberg, a Republican, has been a state representative since 2005 and was re-elected during this past election. Iowa and Nebraska Still Behind On Complying With Federal Health Care LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Iowa and Nebraska are turning down different paths to comply with the federal health care law. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad said Friday that his administration will continue to work on a state-based exchange. But he left open the possibility of defaulting to a federal program. In Nebraska, Governor Dave Heineman declared the state-based exchange too expensive and told the federal government to build one for his state. Both governors are Republicans. The different approaches reflect a broader struggle among Republican governors who now have to submit to a law they feverishly oppose. Both governors insist that they're making a good-faith effort to follow the law, despite a lack of guidance from the federal government. But Democrats from both states say the governors haven't done nearly as much as they could have to prepare. Officials Investigate Homeless Man's Death COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) - Council Bluffs officials are investigating the death of a homeless man who became trapped after falling into a hole he was digging. The 34-year-old man was found dead along railroad tracks in Council Bluffs. Police said Sunday the man was digging a hole either for shelter or to store his belongings and fell in. Police aren't sure how long the man was in the hole before his body was discovered. The man's name was not immediately released because police were trying to locate his family. Rescue At Carter Lake CARTER LAKE, Iowa (AP) - Omaha, Nebraska police officers rescued two people and a dog from Carter Lake after their boat capsized. An officer spotted the overturned boat in Carter Lake, Iowa, Sunday and called for help. Paramedics were worried that 55-year-old Kay Dunn and her 32-year-old son, Nathaniel Nelson, could develop hypothermia if they were in the water too long. Four other Omaha police officers responded and helped get the two people and their dog out of the water. The two people who were rescued and one officer were taken to the hospital to be checked for hypothermia after being in the water for about 20 minutes. The dog, Buster, was taken to the Nebraska Humane Society to get \|< Prev\|\|Next >\|
[Update: Download an unformatted version from Academia or Dropbox] This is how it starts: There is a widespread concern among climate scientists, environmentalists and policy makers that they are in a war of words on climate change and seem to be losing out. Sir John Houghton told the BBC: We are … losing that war because we’re not good at PR. Your average scientist is not a good PR person because he [sic] wants to get on with his science … So we need to look, I suppose, for some good PR people to help us get our messages across in an honest and open and sensible way, without causing the sort of furore, the sort of polarisation that has occurred because of the people who are trying to deny it, and trying to deny it so vehemently that the media is taking so much notice of them. (BBC online news, 11 February 2010) Similar statements have been made over the 20-year period since climate change, and climate science, became an object of public debate. We will reconsider such claims by analysing press coverage from four countries. The article has a broader aim, though: it aims to understand how the issue has been framed and the reference to prominent actors over time. We are using corpus linguistics methodology (read the article to see what it entails) and have constructed a database of newspaper texts from the LexisNexis archive. The LexisNexis corpus was cleaned up using a purpose-built program that also excluded newswires and nearly all duplicates. This resulted in a corpus of 106.5 million words for all four countries. The total number of news stories varies from 45,000 (USA) to 61,000 (UK) with France and Germany in between. Our aim was to identify major claims makers in these countries, to to explore the different drivers of attention in the period of high attention from 2005-2010 and to see how Climategate was reported. Below I reproduce a few paragraphs about the analysis of claims makers: For each country we identified central claims makers from politics, science and pressure groups who engage in the issue, distinguishing between advocates and sceptics. We used the same set of names for all countries in order to see any patterns of cross-national diffusion. Advocates use knowledge claims to advance ambitious climate mitigation targets. We have identified them through previous reading of the literature, using salient names in the corpus, and adding additional names through peer consultation. We also included environmental pressure groups and green parties (see Online Appendix Table 3). Claims makers from various sectors in society are active in the climate discourse. The French and German presses give twice as much attention to advocates as the UK and US presses. France and the US show higher visibility for individual advocates; in Germany and the UK environmental organizations and pressure groups are much more important. Among individual advocates politicians are more visible than scientists, but both tend to be confined to their countries, with a few exceptions. Al Gore is by far the most important reference in the USA and is also highly visible in other countries. But the UK’s Milibands (we left the identity deliberately ambiguous as both Ed and David were in favour of ambitious climate policy goals), Germany’s former environment ministers Toepfer, Trittin and Gabriel, and the French Hulot and Voynet are not visible beyond their own countries. In the USA, James Hansen is the most visible advocate scientist (though his significance pales in comparison to Gore), in the UK it is Nicolas Stern, in France Jean Jouzel and in Germany Schellnhuber. Nicolas Stern and his review had a high impact in the UK, but even more so in France. In comparison to other countries in our sample, the French press pays more attention to climate scientists in general, and to scientists based in other countries (Hansen, Schmidt, Bolin, Watson). Let us now turn to the sceptics. We define sceptics as individuals who use knowledge claims in order to promote a wait-and-see approach, usually by casting doubt on the theory of anthropogenic global warming. Table 4 (Online Appendix) shows the visibility of sceptics identified through the same process as described above for the advocates. Regarding the visibility of sceptical voices, similar conclusions can be drawn as with the advocates. Individual sceptics are far more visible than pressure groups or think tanks. Sceptical politicians (Senator Inhofe and Lord Lawson) score higher than scientists. Al Gore, the most visible advocate, is quoted 25 times more often than Michael Crichton, the most visible sceptic across national boundaries. Sceptics are above all visible in their own countries. However, neither France nor Germany have high-profile politicians speaking as climate change sceptics. In the French press climate scientist Claude Allègre (a scientist who served as minister in the Jospin government) has a very high visibility but, again, this influence is restricted to France. Lord Lawson’s visibility is limited to the UK. In Germany the most important sceptical references are to the renowned late novelist Michael Crichton (author of State of Fear) and the Global Climate Coalition. Crichton is the only sceptic who is very visible across all four countries. The US press gives nine times more attention to sceptical voices compared to Germany, and four times more than the UK. In France the discourse tends to be dominated by advocates, with some additional visibility of environmental NGOs in 2010. Also the USA shows a dominance of advocates but NGOs virtually play no role at all. This picture is reversed in the UK where the major reference is to NGOs and Greens until October 2006, when the Stern review was published. Before that time, advocates in the UK were virtually invisible. However, the surge of attention in Britain in 2006 was led by advocates. Environmental pressure groups remain highly visible but individual advocates get peak attention in 2007 and 2009. The UK press is unique in that advocates enjoy high visibility even after the downturn of attention at the end of 2009 (ironically, this is the context of John Houghton’s remark from the beginning of the article). Germany, like the UK, shows strong NGO presence between 2006 and 2009. They are a dominating reference point in the media, much more than individual advocates. Some advocates in Germany are also members of the Green party, which was in government from 1998 until 2005. This has probably given them increased visibility. The time series indicate a very low visibility of sceptical voices in all countries. All countries show higher visibility of advocates and of the IPCC.
\|Title:\|\|KMUD Local News rebroadcast from previous evening\| \|Date:\|\|11.24.2012 8:00 am - 8:30 am\| \|Copy:\|\|Copy to Google calendar\| \|Copy to outlook (ICS)\| The photo above shows Bodhi Tree being arrested by Arcata Police and Humboldt County Sheriff Deputies-see the video of the arrest at the bottom of the page. Update-Thurs., May 23, 2013: According to a press release from the Eureka Police Departmen... Vision Statement: Redwood Community Radio envisions a community of listeners who, guided by example of RCR programming, work together to create better, more just and sustainable world systems to ensure that all human and other living species on earth move toward higher quality of life and are able to survive the challenges in the times ahead. Mission Statement: Redwood Community Radio will encourage a communication center of open airways (KMUD) for all voices to inform, educate, entertain and inspire the listening community through quality programming. Redwood Community Radio, Inc. • PO Box 135 - 1144 Redway Dr. • Redway, CA 95560 • Office (707) 923-2513 • News (707) 923-2605 • Studio (707) 923-3911
When I was a kid, our homemade crèche paled next to the other decorations that filled our home at Christmastime. Here was all this potential for real magic – a story supported and perpetuated by the Church and society – but it just hit a flat note. As compensation for that disappointment, I offer here the chance to make your own nativity scene (and learn a bit about the Order of Things Christmas as you do). Just click that big, red button below to get started. Years before I was born, my father made our own model stable out of an old wooden liquor box. He was very handy that way. He’d collected odd bits of things left over from his job as a liquor salesman and recycled them; the boxes of Christmas stuff in our basement (or attic, depending on where we lived in any given year) always included bits of display materials from liquor store windows. He covered the box with plaster to suggest the building style you’d see in 1950s depictions of the nativity, created interior railings for the stalls from small pieces of wood, and wired it with a socket to fit a white Christmas tree bulb. The plaster figurines must have come from some five-and-dime store. And I can’t imagine where he found the straw he laid on the floor of the box (and which I thought made it all seem pretty authentic), but I certainly appreciated the touch. Each year we’d unpack the box and the plaster figurines which we’d wrapped the year before in pieces of holiday-themed corrugated cardboard (more leftovers from liquor stores where they formed the festive backgrounds behind a window display of whiskey and gin bottles). I liked the whole doll-house sensibility mixed with the formality of following its time-honored storyline. We’d leave the manger empty because (of course) the Baby Jesus isn’t supposed to arrive until Christmas morning. And we had to squeeze the Three Wise Men alongside the liquor box because they can’t arrive for at least a week after Christmas. It wasn’t as much fun as all the elves and twinkle lights, but it was fun to set up and plug in this more formal addition to our holiday trimmings. Besides, it seemed much more important to my father than all the other decorations combined. Then one Christmas morning, my older sister had one of her fits of religious devotion and ruined everything. She insisted we could open no presents until we all knelt before the liquor box, placed the plaster babe in the space at which the proud parents had been gazing adoringly for some weeks already and said a ”Hail, Mary.” What a buzz kill. I mean, really? Before presents? [NB: This was the same young lady who informed me at my tender age of five that the reason all girls wore veils to church was because to do otherwise would invite an Angel of the Lord to swoop down and rape them. I had no idea what that meant and, on later reflection, decided she probably didn't either. But it certainly made the already grim ordeal of a 60-minute mass even less appealing.] Since that dour Christmas morning, my relationship to this part of the holiday narrative has been a bit strained; that is, until I decided to co-opt it and reshape it into something that conformed better to my own ideas of what Christmas should be. Now you too can create your own Christmas Nativity, just by playing with this puzzle. As an added bonus, you’ll gain a better understanding of who gets to attend the blessed event and why (or why not). And best of all, each time you play, the game is a little different.
- KNIA / KRLS - http://kniakrls.com - Bench Players Stepped Up Last Week for Eagles’ Girls Posted By sports On December 13, 2012 @ 6:00 am In Today’s Local Sports \| Comments Disabled There are many things you can look at in the two-point win over PCM by Pella Christian’s girls’ basketball team last Thursday. They held the Mustangs to just 12 points in the first half, and after an explosive second half of offense by PCM’s girls, the Eagles shut them out in the last two minutes of the game to preserve a 46 – 44 win and keep their undefeated streak alive. For Eagles’ head coach, Kevin Van Maanen, he looked at the play of two key bench players that stepped up in a pinch. “I thought Madison Fopma when she came, I thought this was her best game to date of the four games we’ve played,” Van Maanen said. “She didn’t play last year, so she’s learning her way. I thought she took a big step [this week]. I thought Hannah Beltman, in the first half when Cori [Uitermarkt] got in foul trouble with two fouls, she came and got some buckets.” The two girls combined for ten points off the bench and nine rebounds. The 5 – 0 Eagles’ girls are next in action to play Little Hawkeye Conference opponent Newton on Friday, a game that will be aired on 92.1 KRLS. Article printed from KNIA / KRLS: http://kniakrls.com URL to article: http://kniakrls.com/2012/12/bench-players-stepped-up-last-week-for-eagles-girls/ Copyright © 2009 KNIA/KRLS. All rights reserved.
From a quaint tribute to a raging obsession. The best thing about having a little girl around on V-Day... is dressing her in cute outfits covered with hearts. Later we'll add a bit of chocolate to the mix and it will be signifigantly less cute. She is adorable in her little hearts! Happy Valentine's Day to all of you! Post a Comment Take the Quiz here!
Pub. date: 2005 \| Online Pub. Date: September 15, 2007 \| DOI: 10.4135/9781412950565 \| Print ISBN: 9780761928201 \| Online ISBN: 9781412950565\| Publisher:SAGE Publications, Inc.About this encyclopedia Divorce, its Impact on Children Renee Peltz Dennison & Sun-A Lee & Bonnie L. Barber Divorce is an inevitable outcome for over half of all marriages today, and every year more than 1 million children in the United States experience the divorce of their parents (Amato & Keith, 1991). Although there is a good deal of inconsistency in the divorce literature, there is general agreement that when compared with children with continuously married parents, children with divorced parents are disadvantaged in several ways, including conduct, psychological adjustment, academic achievement, and close relationships (Amato, 2001). These differences between children from divorced and married families are not large, and many children in divorced families adjust well. Furthermore, recent research suggests that these differences may be due more to factors such as parental conflict and less effective parenting than to the divorce itself, which suggests that there are potential targets for efforts to promote child well-being after divorce. Much research effort has focused on the differences between children ...
Pub. date: 2005 \| Online Pub. Date: September 15, 2007 \| DOI: 10.4135/9781412950565 \| Print ISBN: 9780761928201 \| Online ISBN: 9781412950565\| Publisher:SAGE Publications, Inc.About this encyclopedia Kenneth R. Jones & Daniel F. Perkins The loss of connected fabric that binds communities has been noted and studied by political scientists, sociologists, human ecologists, and practitioners (Potapchuk, Crocker, Schechter, & Boogaard, 1998). Yet several scholars have suggested that communities can be strengthened by building upon existing assets instead of focusing on deficits (Kretzmann & McKnight, 1990). One major resource that often goes unnoticed is young people. Many adults have biased opinions, viewing youth as answer seekers not having the initiative to use power or serve as community leaders (Zeldin, 2000). Youth who are accepted as partners (with adults) in the community can, indeed, make significant contributions. When youth are civically engaged, communities benefit by allowing young people to apply knowledge of their communities to help address local needs. Furthermore, youth involvement encourages higher levels of leadership potential and personal development, which spark a greater sense of confidence, empowerment, and positive links to the community (Lerner, ...
PROTIP: Press 'i' to view the image gallery, 'v' to view the video gallery, or 'r' to view a random entry. This submission is currently being researched & evaluated! You can help confirm this entry by contributing facts, media, and other evidence of notability and mutation. Grand Theft Auto (or GTA) is a series of adult sand-box video games published and developed by Rockstar Games. It is most known for its controversial story-lines and missions, violent game-play, and adult humor. Grand Theft Auto Grand Theft Auto (Sometimes abbreviated to GTA 1) is a top down sandbox game that was released in 1997 for DOS and eventually ported to PlayStation One, Gameboy Color, Windows and Steam. The player is free to do whatever he / she wants to but can do levels for rewards and points. Grand Theft Auto 2 Grand Theft Auto 2 (Also known as GTA 2) is a sequel to Grand Theft Auto that shared most elements from GTA 1 such as top down game-play and car-stealing and was released October 25, for Windows and PlayStation One and eventually ported to the Sega Dreamcast and Gameboy Color. Grand Theft Auto III Grand Theft Auto III (Otherwise known as Grand Theft Auto 3, GTA III or GTA 3) is a 3rd person sandbox game and the first 3D Grand Theft Auto title. It was released in October 2001 for PlayStation 2, May 2002 for Windows, November 2003 for the Xbox, January 4, 2008 for Steam and August 18, 2011 for Mac. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 3rd person sandbox game and 4th main game in the series. It was released October 1, 2002 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Windows in 2003, Steam on October 4, 2008 and the Mac App Store on August 25, 2011. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the 5th main game in the series. It was released for the PlayStation 2 in October, 2004, Xbox and Windows in June, 2005 and Steam on January 4, 2008. San Andreas introduced advanced simulation elements to the series such as driving and fitness meters. It was the first game where you could swim and climb the environment. Grand Theft Auto IV Grand Theft Auto IV (Otherwise called Grand Theft Auto 4, GTA 4 or GTA IV) is the 6th main game in the series. It was released 29 April 2008 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, Windows on 2 December 2008 and Steam on 4 January, 2009. In the game you play as Niko Bellic, an eastern-European immigrant in search for “the American dream”. It removed some of the hardcore elements introduced in San Andreas such as a hunger meter. It cost around $100 million US dollars and 3 and a half years to create making it the most expensive game ever made. Grand Theft Auto V Grand Theft Auto V (Also called Grand Theft Auto 5, GTA V or GTA 5) is a upcoming game in the Grand Theft Auto series and sequel to Grand Theft Auto IV. The game’s setting returns to the fictional state of San Andreas. The game was first announced via a tweet from Rockstar’s Twitter account with a hashtag #GTAV that linked to Rockstar’s main website that had a GTA V logo (with the V’s texture as a bank note) with a 2/11/11 trailer date. On 2 November, 2011 Rockstar uploaded the first Grand Theft Auto V trailer via their Youtube account. The trailer shows the game takes place in a reworked version of San Andreas and has a new male protagonist who wanted to be a “family man”. Let’s Go Bowling! In GTA IV, the main character (Niko Bellic) can receive calls from NPC friends. These calls usually invite the player on a date with the NPC to do extracurricular side missions (such as getting drunk). After a while, Niko is constantly being harassed with phone calls from his cousin, Roman, sometimes during actual missions. The phrase “Let’s Go Bowling!” has been used in several GTA parodies, most notably being Grand Theft Awesome. When Niko is drunk, he can call out to a cab as an alternative to driving. Instead of calling the taxi by name, Niko shouts, “YELLOW CAR!”, which the Gmod community parodied. Soon after, several YTMNDs were created as well. Grand Theft Auto Cover Parodies Grand Theft Auto Cover Parodies are fan-made parodies of the box art of Grand Theft Auto games. Grand Theft Auto III was the first GTA game to use a collage of guns, characters and locations with the game title in the center. This style of box art has been used with all major GTA games since.
Jolie Bonavita, COUNTY COMMISSION Requires Expenditure of Funds: Funded in Current Budget: Consideration of a Resolution of the Commission of Knox County, Tennessee approving the provider agreement for the Ryan White Regional Dental Plan in order for the Knox County Health Department to be reimbursed for dental services provided to Ryan White Clients. Work Session Recommendation: AgendaQuick©2005 - 2013 Destiny Software Inc., All Rights Reserved
437 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02446 Twenty-three Jewish Major League Baseball players offer first-person insight on their lives, careers, and experience of religion within professional sports. By Peter Ephross, with Martin Abramowitz. This book is an odyssey to discover exotic Jewish communities around the world––a road map of travel and adventure set in such locals as Russia (including Siberia), Tahiti, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, Cuba, Morocco, Algeria, and Israel. An aspiring writer and reporter, Karol Nielsen went trekking through the Peruvian Andes at the height of the Shining Path terror, looking for adventure and a good story.
NO this is not a prelude to porn. How many times do I have to tell y’all to keep it clean? This is a family friendly blog. Anyways, this recipe is for a salsa with roasted brussel sprouts and kidney beans. Full of protein, nutrition, and sabor (look it up its in Espanól).
On Location: ‘Fort Apache,’ A War Zone In The Bronx Filed by KOSU News in Art & Life. August 24, 2011 When the film Fort Apache, The Bronx, starring Paul Newman as a conflicted cop patrolling a neighborhood ravaged by poverty and drugs, came out in 1981, it was a controversial hit. Local community leaders fought with the film’s producers and threatened to sue because of the way the film depicted blacks and Puerto Ricans. Fort Apache, The Bronx opens in an empty lot full of rubble, as a graffiti-covered subway car rumbles by on an elevated track. A strung out prostitute, played by Pam Grier, walks up to a police car where two rookie cops are sipping their morning coffee, pulls a gun, and shoots them both. After the shooting, local citizens emerge from the shadows, grabbing the badges and wallets out of the cops’ pockets. It’s an over-the-top scene, but it crystallizes the way that police officers viewed the real conflicts that took over this neighborhood 30 years ago. Which makes Fort Apache, The Bronx a perfect film to revisit for “On Location,” our series that considers the importance of place in American cinema. At the time, New York City cops really did talk about the neighborhood as hostile territory. That’s how the station house in the 41st Precinct earned the nickname “Fort Apache,” after the 19th century U.S. cavalry outpost located on Native American land, and the John Ford film that depicted the conflict between the Army and the Apaches. Former cop Peter Tessitore, who worked at the 41st precinct in the 1960s, remembers how the building got its name. “Our lockers were on the third floor, and somebody from across the street shot arrows through the window,” Tessitore says. Fort Apache, The Bronx is loosely based on the experiences of Tessitore and another former officer, who were the inspiration for the main character, a cop named Murphy. Played by Paul Newman, Murphy is a tough but honest cop wh cheerfully keeps order on his beat, delivers the occasional baby and flirts with a nurse at the local hospital. The 41st Precinct earned another — not unrelated — nickname, too: Little House on the Prairie. By 1980, two-thirds of the people who lived in the precinct had fled. Hundreds of landlords resorted to setting buildings on fire to collect insurance money. Community activists who had remained in the South Bronx were not happy to see a high-profile Hollywood production arrive. “They were in our neighborhood. This was our territory, and they were an invading force,” says Gerson Borrero, who in 1980 was part of a group of local activists who called themselves the Committee Against Fort Apache. “They were here to really do us harm. Not physical. But [to] film something that was not totally true.” Borrero and his fellow activists got a copy of the script before shooting started, and complained that most of the black and Puerto Rican characters portrayed in the film were pimps or drug addicts or worse. The Committee demanded changes to the script, and threatened to sue. They organized public demonstrations. “Some of the protesters did go a little too far,” Borrero says. “And yes, there were security concerns on their part.” “It got tense,” says Christopher Nowak, the art director for the film. “They started demonstrating and wanting to obstruct shooting. So we had to have security. And the police presence made it even more difficult. It was a very tense situation.” Nowak says the producers would deliberately try to keep the shooting locations secret in order to avoid clashes with demonstrators and other angry residents. “We had a couple of incidents where [they] got on the roof tops and threw things down at the crew,” he says. “Like toilets. Shattering porcelain from six or seven stories is a pretty exciting event.” Exciting enough to make it into the film — the same thing happens in the movie, when rioters throw a toilet off the roof at cops. The film’s producer, Gill Champion, remembers things a little differently. He says reports of the protests were exaggerated. “We did change a couple of locations which we felt wouldn’t be the best place to shoot at,” he says. “But all in all, despite what might have come out in the press, we shot the movie on schedule, on time, made a lot of friends.” Champion says relations with the local residents were basically good. And he rejects the charge that the filmmakers were there to exploit the neighborhood: “We were exposing something that the world hadn’t seen. That there was areas like this within our country. And hopefully there was a chance for people to earn a better life somehow.” According to Champion, the production spent a lot of money in the South Bronx, and hired residents to work as extras. But Nowak says there weren’t enough jobs to satisfy the locals. “A movie crew, even though there are a lot of people on it, everyone has a very skilled position. And it’s all unionized. And that was a very difficult situation. So we couldn’t really offer them jobs,” Nowak says. In interviews at the time, Paul Newman did seem troubled by the charges of racism leveled at the film. But he insisted the script was just as tough on the cops as it was on the pimps and drug dealers. Though the filmmakers deny that they changed the script to suit the protesters, Gerson Borrero thinks otherwise. “You still have blacks and Latinos and Puerto Ricans being dope pushers and bad guys,” Borrero says. “But we saw in the film there was some conveyance that there were white officers who were really bad, also.” The protesters and other activists tried to organize a boycott of Fort Apache, The Bronx when it opened in 1981, but despite, or perhaps because of, their attempts, the movie was a box office success. The protesters did get one thing they wanted: at the beginning of the movie, a disclaimer flashes on the screen, acknowledging that the film doesn’t deal with the law-abiding members of the community or “the individuals who are struggling to turn the Bronx around.” In the 1990s, the stone bunker that previously been home to the infamous 41st Precinct was converted into office space for police detectives. Even Gerson Borrero, standing in front of the building, has trouble recognizing it. “I mean, this is a beautiful building,” Borrero says. “It could be any government buliding. But it used to be an intimidating place, with police officers looking out like they were gonna be assaulted. It looked like a fortress.” Today, the once-vacant lots around what was known as Fort Apache are filled with new apartment buildings and single-family homes. It’s a diverse, working-class neighborhood. If you’re looking for the burned-out shell the South Bronx used to be, you’ll have to rent the movie. Because you won’t find it here. [Copyright 2011 National Public Radio]
Iron Man 2 will feature an original story by comic book author Matt Fraction which will include elements from both the movie and comic books, Sega announced. The game, debuting at San Diego Comic-Con in the Sega and Marvel booths, will include enemies not seen in the movie, like Crimson Dynamo, and have a greater focus on hand-to-hand combat as well as a redesigned control scheme. "Iron Man has an undeniably huge fan base, and we really wanted to give them the game they have been waiting for. We spent a lot of time incorporating their concerns and feedback from the first game, as well as coming up with new ideas to take this game to a whole new level," said Sean Ratcliffe, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America. "Creating a new story with renowned comic book writer Matt Fraction is a huge part of making that happen, and we are incredibly excited to bring fans the game we know they want with Iron Man 2." Fraction, whose work at Marvel includes The Invincible Iron Man, The Uncanny X-Men and The Immortal Iron Fist, will be on hand to sign stuff at Comic-Con this week.
Another arcade shoot-em-up on the Xbox 360? This one lets you warp your Galaga-style spaceship from the bottom of the screen (shooting up) to the top (shooting down). Crossfire is in the Xbox Live Indie Games channel for $3. I'd write you folks some impressions, but I only played it briefly last night. Good first impression but nothing you can't figure out from the video. Try the free demo version at least.
BLACK DIAMOND, Wash. (Metro) -- A body was found this afternoon in the Green River where a woman had fallen in last night. The victim's family identified the body as that of 22-year-old Sharmaigne Lumauig. King County Sheriff's spokeswoman Cindi West tells KIRO 7 Eyewitness News that Lumauig was hiking with four others near Black Diamond when she fell into the water at about 7 p.m. Another friend tried to jump in and save her, but had to be pulled out of the water by rescuers who could not find the woman. They say there was a chance Lumauig could have climbed out of the water downriver. But neighbors say the current is so strong you could be swept miles away to Auburn very quickly. The hiker fell into the river in a treacherous area near where an Everett city council member died in a rafting accident last month. Copyright © 2012 Metro Networks Inc.
Nic Cage Meeting Wax Nic Cage Should Be a Nic Cage Movie [VIDEO] And things were interesting indeed when the Oscar-winning actor meet his wax doppelganger at Paris’s Musee Grevin museum. As you can see, Cage reacted to the almost perfect replica of himself with his signature look of befuddlement. Speaking to the press about the encounter, he explained that his emotions ranged from fear to delight, and said that he can’t look at his wax twin for too long because he becomes afraid it is going to turn and say something to him. Really, would you expect Cage to react any differently? All in all, Cage seemed highly entertained by the figurine, which was actually a bit taller than him because it had been outfitted with a pair of strongly-heeled cowboy boots. Maybe Cage and the statue can star in a ‘Face Off’ sequel, which would just be a movie about two Nic Cages. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. [via Huffington Post]
I bang my first large-breasted 19yr old Russian exchange student July 16, 2011 10 Comments I’ve keenly aware that I haven’t been putting up any lay reports for a while. I’ve been having more sex than at any other time in my life but things briefly became very strange. For example I had three girls in 24 hours, got a handful of new anal flags, had about six near misses with absolute stunners, closed a girl then passed her on to a fellow bastard, and also got a girlfriend I have decided to date exclusively (well, sexually exclusive, I’m still allowed to get numbers and dates). Yes, she reads the blog. So you guys will have to make do with the archives for the time being. Here’s one from May…. I’m out with Jimmy doing some street game late afternoon in Oxford Street. He’s hitting a few sets but I’m doing nothing because I’m just not feeling it. Then as we are walking to the bus stop home a super-cute Krauser girl walks out of River Island and gives me a long stare. “Jimmy, that was an approach invitation wasn’t it” I ask and then chase her down. It’s raining. She smashes wide open from the beginning and is giving back. This is what a good lead looks like and it’s all effortless. I mini-bounce her under the M&S canopy to get out the rain and then after ten minutes walk her to the nearest pub. Her hindbrain is “on” but the forebrain is cockblocking. Things I hear during the first drink: - “I don’t kiss on first date. I’m not that kind of girl” - “I have my principles and they won’t be bent” - “We’ll never have sex. It’s not like that” - “I only have sex with my boyfriend” We are tucked away in the back of a pub and I’m running all the usual stuff to get into deep rapport quickly. She’s totally my type – petite, hair and eyes like milk chocolate, massive and firm natural breasts, curvy, sweet and demure. She’s here for just two weeks doing a language exchange and she leaves in three days. I’d have happily dated her but logistics mean I have to push hard and fast. She rebuffs a kiss close after twenty minutes. I will not be denied. I ease off, run more rapport, then verbally escalate until her eyes are spazzing out. Then we make out. I have to rush home for a session of Call of Duty with Burto and she has some kind of formal dinner to attend. So I drag her into the disabled toilets across from our table and get her tits out. Good lord, what an amazing pair! She’s well into it but still doing the “no sex”. Fair enough. We arrange to meet the next evening and I run more comfort to soften her buyers remorse. Next evening we meet 9pm in Camden at which point the video starts. I run light attraction refreshes but concentrate on the deep rapport like explained on pages 121-132 of my book. There’s nothing physical because it’s unnecessary – she’s already crossed the sexual rubicon and I don’t want to start chasing. I bounce her to the next pub and she’s getting antsy because she knows where this night is ending and her forebrain is resisting. So I keep calming her with “nothing will happen except what you are comfortable with” etc. We get a second drink and during the first makeout she spills her wine all down her dress. I verbally escalate her by the book (literally, using patterns from 133-148 in the book. And yes, this is shamelessly plugging it) until she’s grabbing my cock in the pub while telling me how we won’t have sex. I try to bundle her into a taxi but she’s telling me she’s going out clubbing tonight and must be home soon. So I walk her to the bus stop taking the scenic route via Primrose Hill. More make outs, more engaging of the forebrain, and we are sitting under a tree halfway up the hill. We can see the silhouettes of a dozen drunk teenagers having a party at the crest. She tells me we won’t have sex for the tenth time in ten minutes and then asks if I have a condom. I’m fucking her in the grass within the minute. After I’ve finished doing the dirty we walk back to her bus stop and that’s the last I see of her. She texts me the next day: it was brilliant i forget about my cold and my dream was wonderful thanks for that wish you all the best for today I try to get her over my place before she returns to Russia but the forebrain is solidly in control now and she really does have lots to do. The Russian anal flag will have to wait, and Bongo doesn’t get to see a new girl.
Friday, September 30, 2011 ND president protests birth control inclusion SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- President Barack Obama's health care overhaul should be changed so that religious schools such as the University of Notre Dame aren't required to go against their beliefs and provide birth control to students and employees, the school president says. The Rev. John Jenkins wrote a letter Wednesday to Kathleen Sebelius asking the Obama administration to broaden the definition of religious employer currently under consideration to ensure the school can continue its provide health care without going against the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. He said the change in definition of religious employer is far narrower than current law and would require Notre Dame and other Catholic universities to offer prescription contraceptives and sterilization services to students and employees through health care plans. "This would compel Notre Dame to either pay for contraception and sterilization in violation of the church's moral teaching, or to discontinue our employee and student health care plans in violation of the church's social teaching. It is an impossible position," he wrote. A panel of health experts advising the administration last month recommended that the government require health insurance companies to cover birth control for women as preventive care, without copayments. The Health and Human Services Department asked for public comment on its proposed conscience clause. Jenkins was writing in response to that request. Jenkins, who was criticized by dozens of bishops for inviting President Barack Obama to speak at commencement, noted that during Obama's commencement speech at Notre Dame in May 2009 he said he favored "a sensible conscience clause." Obama said the clause would give anti-abortion health care providers the right to refuse to perform the procedure. Jenkins said the proposed change in law "runs contrary to a 40-year history of federal conscience statutes" and doesn't reflect the sensible approach Obama talked about in his speech at Notre Dame. Jenkins urged Sebelius to change the definition of religious employer to the one used by the Internal Revenue Service, which considers whether an organization or institution shares common religious bonds and convictions with a church. "This definition more adequately defines religious employers to include all organizations that work in ministries of the church," he wrote. Betty Cockrum, Planned Parenthood of Indiana president and CEO, said that covering birth control without copays is one of the most important steps in preventing unintended pregnancy. "That's why Planned Parenthood will continue to work hard to ensure that all women, regardless of their employer or insurer, have access to the health care they need, including affordable birth control," she said. Read the Rev. John Jenkins' letter here. at 9:23 AM
Susan Abbattista, Guest Blogger One of my favorite vinyasa yoga teachers once said, “If dropping into stillness is the hardest thing for you to do, then that is what you need the most.” And so, sometime around the first frost, I came to Kripalu to try a meditative practice called yoga nidra. Translated as “yogic sleep” or “divine sleep,” this type of yoga focuses on systematic relaxation of the body while the mind enters a state of deep, meditative awareness—like dreaming while fully awake. The technique was developed by Swami Satyananda in the 1960s to make advanced, centuries-old practices of tantric meditation more accessible to everyone. I’d never done this type of yoga before and didn’t quite know what to expect. One thing I did know: Underneath my blanket, I was an exhausted mess. Summer had passed in a hazy blur of work and play—and, admittedly, too many margaritas. Now here it was, the onset of fall, the hardest seasonal transition for me. I felt myself floating and drifting, a balloon accidentally released from the fist of a child. I needed to reel myself back in. Over the course of five days, some unspoken guidelines (or pointers) emerged from the darkness:
While Nanda Maharaja was returning home, he considered Vasudeva's warning that there might be some disturbance in Gokula. Certainly the advice was friendly and not false. So Nanda thought, "There is some truth in it." Therefore, out of fear, he began to take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is quite natural for a devotee in danger to think of Krsna because he has no other shelter. When a child is in danger, he takes shelter of his mother or father. Similarly, a devotee is always under the shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but when he specifically sees some danger, he remembers the Lord very rapidly. After consulting with his demoniac ministers, Kamsa instructed a witch named Putana, who knew the black art of killing small children by ghastly sinful methods, to kill all kinds of children in the cities, villages and pasturing grounds. Such witches can play their black art only where there is no chanting or hearing of the holy name of Krsna. It is said that wherever the chanting of the holy name of Krsna is done, even negligently, all bad elements--witches, ghosts, and dangerous calamities--immediately disappear. And this is certainly true of the place where the chanting of the holy name of Krsna is done seriously--especially in Vrndavana when the Supreme Lord was personally present. Therefore, the doubts of Nanda Maharaja were certainly based on affection for Krsna. Actually there was no danger from the activities of Putana, despite her powers. Such witches are called khecari, which means they can fly in the sky. This black art of witchcraft is still practiced by some women in the remote northwestern side of India. They can transfer themselves from one place to another on the branch of an uprooted tree. Putana knew this witchcraft, and therefore she is described in the Bhagavatam as khecari. Putana entered the county of Gokula, the residential quarter of Nanda Maharaja, without permission. Dressing herself just like a beautiful woman, she entered the house of mother Yasoda. She appeared very beautiful with raised hips, nicely swollen breasts, earrings, and flowers in her hair. She looked especially beautiful on account of her thin waist. She was glancing at everyone with very attractive looks and smiling face, and all the residents of Vrndavana were captivated. The innocent cowherd women thought that she was a goddess of fortune appearing in Vrndavana with a lotus flower in her hand. It seemed to them that she had personally come to see Krsna, who is her husband. Because of her exquisite beauty, no one checked her movement, and therefore she freely entered the house of Nanda Maharaja. Putana, the killer of many, many children, found baby Krsna lying on a small bed, and she could at once perceive that the baby was hiding His unparalleled potencies. Putana thought, "This child is so powerful that He can destroy the whole universe immediately." Putana's understanding is very significant. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is situated in everyone's heart. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that He gives one necessary intelligence, and He also causes one to forget. Putana was immediately aware that the child whom she was observing in the house of Nanda Maharaja was the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. He was lying there as a small baby, but that does not mean that He was less powerful. The materialistic theory that God-worship is anthropomorphic is not correct. No living being can become God by undergoing meditation or austerities. God is always God. Krsna as a child-baby is as complete as He is as a full-fledged youth. The Mayavadi theory holds that the living entity was formerly God but has now become overwhelmed by the influence of maya. Therefore they say that presently he is not God, but when the influence of maya is taken away, then he again becomes God. This theory cannot be applied to the minute living entities. The living entities are minute parts and parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; they are minute particles or sparks of the supreme fire, but are not the original fire, or Krsna. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even from the beginning of His appearance in the house of Vasudeva and Devaki. Krsna showed the nature of a small baby and closed His eyes, as if to avoid the face of Putana. This closing of the eyes is interpreted and studied in different ways by the devotees. Some say that Krsna closed His eyes because He did not like to see the face of Putana, who had killed so many children and who had now come to kill Him. Others say that something extraordinary was being dictated to her, and in order to give her assurance, Krsna closed His eyes so that she would not be frightened. And yet others interpret in this way: Krsna appeared to kill the demons and give protection to the devotees, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam. The first demon to be killed was a woman. According to Vedic rules, the killing of a woman, a brahmana, cows or, of a child is forbidden. Krsna was obliged to kill the demon Putana, and because the killing of a woman is forbidden according to Vedic Sastra, He could not help but close His eyes. Another interpretation is that Krsna closed His eyes because He simply took Putana to be His nurse. Putana came to Krsna just to offer her breast for the Lord to suck. Krsna is so merciful that even though He knew Putana was there to kill Him, He took her as His nurse or mother. There are seven kinds of mothers according to Vedic injunction: the real mother, the wife of a teacher or spiritual master, the wife of a king, the wife of a brahmana, the cow, the nurse and the mother earth. Because Putana came to take Krsna on her lap and offer her breast's milk to be sucked by Him, she was accepted by Krsna as one of His mothers. That is considered to be another reason He closed His eyes: He had to kill a nurse or mother. But His killing of His mother or nurse was no different from His love for His real mother or foster mother Yasoda. We further understand from Vedic information that Putana was also treated as a mother and given the same facility as Yasoda. As Yasoda was given liberation from the material world, so Putana was also given liberation. When the baby Krsna closed His eyes, Putana took Him on her lap. She did not know that she was holding death personified. If a person mistakes a snake for a rope, he dies. Similarly, Putana killed so many babies before meeting Krsna, but now she was accepting the snake that would kill her immediately. When Putana was taking baby Krsna on her lap, both Yasoda and Rohini were present, but they did not forbid her because she was so beautifully dressed and because she showed motherly affection towards Krsna. They could not understand that she was a sword within a decorated case. Putana had smeared a very powerful poison on her breasts, and immediately after taking the baby on her lap, she pushed her breastly nipple within His mouth. She was hoping that as soon as He would suck her breast, He would die. But baby Krsna very quickly took the nipple in anger. He sucked the milk-poison along with the life air of the demon. In other words, Krsna simultaneously sucked the milk from her breast and killed her by sucking out her life. Krsna is so merciful that because the demon Putana came to offer her breast-milk to Him, He fulfilled her desire and accepted her activity as motherly. But to stop her from further nefarious activities, He immediately killed her. And because the demon was killed by Krsna, she got liberation. When Krsna sucked out her very breath, Putana fell down on the ground, spread her arms and legs and began to cry, "Oh child, leave me, leave me!" She was crying loudly and perspiring, and her whole body became wet. As she died, screaming, there was a tremendous vibration both on the earth and in the sky, in all directions, and people thought that thunderbolts were falling. Thus the nightmare of the Putana witch was over, and she assumed her real feature as a great demon. She opened her fierce mouth and spread her arms and legs all over. She fell exactly as Vrtrasura when struck by the thunderbolt of Indra. The long hair on her head was scattered all over her body. Her fallen body extended up to twelve miles and smashed all the trees to pieces, and everyone was struck with wonder upon seeing this gigantic body. Her teeth appeared just like ploughed roads, and her nostrils appeared just like mountain caves. Her breasts appeared like small hills, and her hair was a vast reddish bush. Her eye sockets appeared like blind wells, and her two thighs appeared like two banks of a river; her two hands appeared like two strongly constructed bridges, and her abdomen seemed like a dried-up lake. All the cowherd men and women became struck with awe and wonder upon seeing this. And the tumultuous sound of her falling shocked their brains and ears and made their hearts beat strongly. When the gopis saw little Krsna fearlessly playing on Putana's lap, they very quickly came and picked Him up. Mother Yasoda, Rohini, and other elder gopis immediately performed the auspicious rituals by taking the tail of a cow and circumambulating His body. The child was completely washed with the urine of a cow, and the dust created by the hooves of the cows was thrown all over His body. This was all just to save little Krsna from future inauspicious accidents. This incident gives us a clear indication of how important the cow is to the family, society and to living beings in general. The transcendental body of Krsna did not require any protection, but to instruct us on the importance of the cow, the Lord was smeared over with cow dung, washed with the urine of a cow, and sprinkled with the dust upraised by the walking of the cows. After this purificatory process, the gopis, headed by mother Yasoda and Rohini, chanted twelve names of Visnu to give Krsna's body full protection from all evil influences. They washed their hands and feet and sipped water three times, as is the custom before chanting mantra. They chanted as follows: "My dear Krsna, may the Lord who is known as Maniman protect Your thighs; may Lord Visnu who is known as Yajna; protect Your legs; may Lord Acyuta protect Your arms; may Lord Hayagriva protect Your abdomen; may Lord Kesava protect Your heart; may Lord Visnu protect Your arms; may Lord Urukrama protect Your face; may Lord Isvara protect Your head; may Lord Cakradhara protect Your front; may Lord Gadadhara protect Your back; may Lord Madhusudana who carries a bow in His hand, protect Your eyesight; may Lord Visnu with His conchshell protect Your left side; may the Personality of Godhead Upendra protect You from above, and may Lord Tarksya protect You from below the earth; may Lord Haladhara protect You from all sides; may the Personality of Godhead known as Hrsikesa protect all Your senses; may Lord Narayana protect Your breath; and may the Lord of Svetadvipa, Narayana, protect Your heart; may Lord Yogesvara protect Your mind; may Lord Prsnigarbha protect Your intelligence, and may the Supreme Personality of Godhead protect Your soul. While You are playing, may Lord Govinda protect You from all sides, and when You are sleeping, may Lord Madhava protect You from all danger; when You are working, may the Lord of Vaikuntha protect You from falling down; when You are sitting, may the Lord of Vaikuntha give You all protection; and while You are eating, may the Lord of all sacrifices give You all protection." Thus mother Yasoda began to chant different names of Visnu to protect the child Krsna's different bodily parts. Mother Yasoda was firmly convinced that she should protect her child from different kinds of evil spirits and ghosts--namely Dakinis, Yatudhanis, Kusmandas, Yaksas, Raksasas, Vinayakas, Kotara, Revati, Jyesthas, Putanas, Matrkas, Unmadas and similar other evil spirits, who cause persons to forget their own existence and give trouble to the life airs and the senses. Sometimes they appear in dreams and cause much perturbation; sometimes they appear as old women and suck the blood of small children. But all such ghosts and evil spirits cannot remain where there is chanting of the holy name of God. Mother Yasoda was firmly convinced of the Vedic injunctions about the importance of cows and the holy name of Visnu; therefore she took all shelter in the cows and the name of Visnu just to protect her child Krsna. She recited all the holy names of Visnu so that He might save the child. Vedic culture has taken advantage of keeping cows and chanting the holy name of Visnu since the beginning of history, and persons who are still following the Vedic ways, especially the householders, keep at least one dozen cows and worship the Deity of Lord Visnu, who is installed in their house. The elderly gopis of Vrndavana were so absorbed in affection for Krsna that they wanted to save Him, although there was no need to, for He had already protected Himself. They could not understand that Krsna was the Supreme Personality of Godhead playing as a child. After performing the formalities to protect the child, mother Yasoda took Krsna and let Him suck her own breast. When the child was protected by visnu-mantra, mother Yasoda felt that He was safe. In the meantime, all the cowherd men who went to Mathura to pay tax returned home and were struck with wonder at seeing the gigantic dead body of Putana. Nanda Maharaja recalled the prophecy of Vasudeva and considered him a great sage and mystic yogi; otherwise, how could he have foretold an incident that happened during his absence from Vrndavana? After this, all the residents of Vraja cut the gigantic body of Putana into pieces and piled it up with wood for burning. When all the limbs of Putana's body were burning, the smoke emanating from the fire created a good aroma. This aroma was due to her being killed by Krsna. This means that the demon Putana was washed of all her sinful activities and attained a celestial body. Here is an example of how the Supreme Personality of Godhead is all good: Putana came to kill Krsna, but because He sucked her milk, she was immediately purified, and her dead body attained a transcendental quality. Her only business was to kill small children; she was only fond of blood. But in spite of being envious of Krsna, she attained salvation because she gave her milk to Him to drink. So what can be said of others who are affectionate to Krsna in the relationship of mother or father? The pure devotees always serve Krsna with great love and affection, for He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul of every living entity. It is concluded therefore that even a little energy expended in the service of the Lord gives one immense transcendental profit. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: svalpam apy asya dharmasya. Devotional service in Krsna consciousness is so sublime that even a little service to Krsna, knowingly or unknowingly, gives one the greatest benefit. The system of worshiping Krsna by offering flowers from a tree is also beneficial for the living entity who is confined to the bodily existence of that tree. When flowers and fruits are offered to Krsna, the tree that bore them also receives much benefit, indirectly. The arcana process, or worshiping procedure, is therefore beneficial for everyone. Krsna is worshipable by great demigods like Brahma and Lord Siva, and Putana was so fortunate that the same Krsna played in her lap as a little child. The lotus feet of Krsna, which are worshiped by great sages and devotees, were placed on the body of Putana. People worship Krsna and offer food, but automatically He sucked the milk from the body of Putana. Devotees therefore pray that if simply by offering something as an enemy, Putana got so much benefit, then who can measure the benefit of worshiping Krsna in love and affection? One should only worship Krsna if for no other reason than so much benefit awaits the worshiper. Although Putana was an evil spirit, she gained elevation just like the mother of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is clear that the cows and the elderly gopis who offered milk to Krsna were also elevated to the transcendental position. Krsna can offer anyone anything, from liberation to anything materially conceivable. Therefore, there cannot be any doubt of the salvation of Putana, whose bodily milk was sucked by Krsna for such a long time. And how can there be any doubt about the salvation of the gopis who were so fond of Krsna? Undoubtedly all the gopis and cowherd boys and cows who served Krsna in Vrndavana with love and affection were liberated from the miserable condition of material existence. When all the inhabitants of Vrndavana smelled the good aroma from the smoke of the burning Putana, they inquired from each other, "Where is this good flavor coming from?" And while conversing, they came to understand that it was the fumes of the burning Putana. They were very fond of Krsna, and as soon as they heard that the demon Putana was killed by Krsna, they offered blessings to the little child out of affection. After the burning of Putana, Nanda Maharaja came home and immediately took up the child on his lap and began to smell His head. In this way, he was quite satisfied that his little child was saved from this great calamity. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami has blessed all persons who hear the narration of the killing of Putana by Krsna. They will surely attain the favor of Govinda. Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Sixth Chapter of Krsna, "Putana Killed."
Gary Silverman makes a remarkable catch. He asks why the Romney counter-attack on the “America the Beautiful” ad featured Obama singing Al Green, and pretty well too. Well, it turns out that this is how the other .01% think: One of the better answers I have found comes from a well-known supporter of Mr Romney – Suzy Welch, former editor in chief of the Harvard Business Review, and wife of Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric. In an appearance on CNN with her husband, Mrs Welch suggested that Mr Obama’s personal style and choice of musical material define him as a member of a “different America”. I would imagine this is why Mr Romney’s campaign included the snippet of Mr Obama singing “Let’s Stay Together” at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. They hoped it would convey his otherness. “It’s the difference between the songs that they’re singing,” Mrs Welch said. “Mitt Romney didn’t exactly do a beautiful job on that song, but think about what he’s singing, OK? I mean it’s that patriotic song and he goes all the way through it. Then you’ve got the very cool Barack Obama singing Al Green. That is the two different Americas. Isn’t it?” How “other” is Al Green? So other, so alien, that, well, he’s included on the Muzak they play in Red Lobster restaurants. Somebody is alien and out of touch with America here, that’s for sure. But I don’t think it’s the president.
Today marks on the modern Catholic calendar, St. Brigid's Day, the patroness of Ireland. While the modern calendar says winter and in some places snow is on the ground, on the old calendar it is an approximate date for Imbolc, the first day of Spring. It translates from Old Irish as "in the belly" and is said marked the pregnancy of the ewes. It is one of the fire festivals, or major festivals, on the Druid calendar. With Beltane, it is one of the two that are goddess-centered days. There are several traditional ways to mark Imbolc/St Brigid's Day. Many of these carry whispers of pre-christian traditions. It is symbolic that temperatures here in the Northeastern United States are in the 50's and possibly 60's. For me, I finished the first draft of Ogham Court last night and today will begin the first draft of next novel. I prefer to let a manuscript rest for a month before I begin edits, so alternating projects works for me. I will also be putting final touches on Dark Dealings with the goal to publish within the next month (crosses fingers) :-) I want to share just a few links with you to explore and celebrate. From the Irish Central website: http://www.irishcentral.com/roots/St-Brigids-Day-February-1-marks-start-of-Celtic-Spring-138470479.html Wikipedia gives an acceptable overview here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbolc Imbolc is the date of the second event on my upcoming novel Dark Dealings. While Micaela does not realized it, the event marks the beginning of a new cycle of her life and the birth of her "true" self in a dangerous world of magic, vampires and shapeshifters .
Crews Repair Vandalized Fence In Sauk Rapids 01/09/2013 - 1:15 AM Crews will once again repair a segment of a fence meant to protect motorists and pedestrians on Highway 10 in Sauk Rapids. The fence was vandalized twice in less than three weeks. The fence is located along the eastbound lanes of Highway 10, which is about a half mile north of County Road 3. The fence was destroyed and repaired earlier this winter, that repair cost MnDot about five hundred dollars. This will be the third time in four years that the fence has been torn down. Officials believe this is occurring to allow snowmobiles access to Highway 10. However, MnDOT installs and maintains fences along high-volume, high-speed roads to protect motorists from wildlife gaining access to the highway, as well as preventing children and others from straying onto a busy segment of Highway 10. Destruction of state property is a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail. Subscribe to what interests you. More information about podcasts and software.
A morbidly depressed student faces his demons. HOW IT RATES If you feel this short story is in violation of Trigger Street Labs policies, click here to send it to the Hall of Justice. Can a man who has nothing find peace of mind? An experimental story.
When my aunt* and cousin from Richmond, VA visited recently, I had an experience that felt straight out of a Michael Moore documentary (where America seems like crazy-land)--trying to explain the Atkins diet to my dairy-farmer uncle: “You mean they don’t eat BREAD. Bread bread??” My uncle jumped up and grabbed a hunk off the table, sure that there was a miscommunication and I really meant to say chocolate desserts or wild boar. “Yes, well, it’s pretty much the flour that’s the problem, not the eggs or milk or whatever.” I concentrated on avoiding eye contact with all parties. He looked stunned as a Christian kid who’d been told some boys and girls don’t celebrate Christmas. To him, bread was nonnegotiable. Its sponge-like capacity ensured his wife’s delicious sauces never went to waste and its firm crust carried the cheese to his mouth with a satisfying crunch. It was, versatile and reliable. The BASE of every meal. Talking to my friend Kathleen the next week, who likewise finds the trend insane, I realized how out of control the whole Atkins thing was getting in the US. She told me they were now making Atkins DAIRY PRODUCTS. “I’m sorry,” I said, “but since when is MILK laden with carbs?” But she had an even more outrageous example. “Okay,” she paused for effect, “Coke has made a low-carb version.” Now, I knew Americans could be stupid about food, but the idea that anyone could consume 200 calories but bother to make sure it was “low carb” seemed too much. I needed clarification: “You mean the REGULAR stuff?” Not missing a beat, Kathleen says “like, ever heard of DIET?!?” *My Aunt is very smart and her husband is a doctor and she’s not one of those crazy people eating low-carb candy. You know, just for the record.
You are Warmly Invited to Attend Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation Michael Shiffman, Ph.D. September 12 - October 31, 2012 7:30 - 9:30 PM \|This class will introduce students to the first step in the practice of what is often called insight, mindfulness or Vipassana meditation. We will focus on the often-neglected nuts-and-bolts of what to do and how to train our minds. We alternate short periods of silent meditation with an exploration of what actually happened while we were meditating. We will cover the practical aspects of posture, how to cultivate your attention, work with your thoughts, and develop an attitude that fosters our openness to experience. This class includes a daylong retreat on October 13, 2012 from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Note: we will not meet on September 26 for the Jewish Holiday. \|Michael Shiffman, received his Ph.D from UCLA in 1994. Later that year he trained and certified in bodywork at the Esalen Institute. He founded LA Dharma in 1999 and co-founded the Insight Center in 2006. He has over 20 years experience working with family-based trauma, substance abuse and recovery, domestic violence, and anxiety related issues. He works with abuse and neglect, developmental, existential, and trauma related issues. He integrates the use of Somatic Experiencing and SE touch into his clinical practice. He teaches classes, trains therapists, and has a somatic therapy practice at the Insight Center in West Los Angeles. \|Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation September 12 - October 31, 2012, 7:30 - 9:30 PM \|\|We will focus on the often-neglected nuts-and-bolts of what to do and how to train our minds. We will cover the practical aspects of posture, how to cultivate your attention, work with your thoughts, and develop an attitude that fosters an openness to experience. At the end of the course, students will have the tools necessary to develop a meditation practice that continues to grow throughout their life. For further information email Michael@InsightCenter.org or contact him at 310-445-2160. \|\|Please use the online registration process for this class. If you have any difficulties or concerns contact Michael at 310-445-2160. Courses are limited to 14 people to assure personal contact. \|\|The cost is $300 for the 16 hour class. Payment may be made by credit card on the Insight Center website or by arrangement with the teacher. The cost includes 6 two-hour classes, a six-hour daylong retreat, and CE units. \|Donations / Dana \|\|Dana is the Pali word for generosity. In the Buddhist tradition, teachers do not receive a fee for their instructions because the teachings are considered priceless and are thus given freely. Instead, they rely on the appreciation, kindness, and generosity of their students. For this class, the teachers are compensated from the course fee. Additional contributions to the center are fully tax deductible. Checks should be made payable to the "Insight Center." \|At the Event \|\|Each session begins promptly at 7:30 PM and ends at 9:30 PM. Doors open at 7:00 PM. Students are encourage to arrive by 7:15 for tea and to transition from their drive. Our Center has central air so if you get cold easily please bring a shawl, socks and other layers of quiet warm clothing. Tea and water are provided. \|What to Bring \|\|Chairs, cushions and benches are available. We suggest wearing modest, comfortable clothing and socks if your feet tend to get cold. Some participants like to wear a shawl or light blanket while meditating. Please do not wear any scented perfumes and turn-off pagers, cell phones and digital watch alarms during the class. \|\|Continuing Education Units are available for this course. Psychologists:The Insight Center is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Insight Center maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course is provides 16 CE units. MFTs / LCSWs: The Insight Center, Provider Number 3830, is an approved provider with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. This course provides 16 CE units. Nurses: The Insight Center, Provider Number 14914, is an approved provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing. This course provides 16 CE units. All of our classes are held at The Insight Center in West Los Angeles, near Sepulveda and Santa Monica Blvds. For exact location, directions and parking suggestions, go to:
Namaskar Raju bhau, tumcha comment aaj pahila barech divas baghayla jamle nahi. Skshmasva. Chotasa prayatna kela, mala aanand aahe ki tumhala aavdla. Khoop khoop dhanyawad! Srinivasa Raju K Great singing. Khoop avadla. Ani khoop chan gayla tumhi. Felt very nostalgic and went back to the years I spent in Lonavala. Thank you so much Subroto da, it means a lot to me - regards GREAT GREAT AWESOME SINGING BY YOU KEEP IT UP Thank you very much for your kind words Prashantji and Mishtaji. It means a lot - regards
Why Choose Lake Country School? Choosing a school for your child is one of your most important responsibilities as a parent. If you're like most parents, you want your children to be educated in an environment where their intellectual abilities and self-esteem grow hand-in-hand, where imagination and curiosity are cultivated, where critical thinking and competencies flourish, where students learn to respect all cultures and all people, and where teachers care deeply for the whole person who is their student... and your child. We believe Lake Country School is such a place. Lake Country is a diverse learning community where independence, positive self-esteem, critical thinking, responsibility to self and others and a peaceful, appreciative stewardship of the Earth are fostered in each and every student. Lake Country is a Montessori learning environment, and is affiliated with Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) - the original European Montessori organization. In addition to their undergraduate and graduate educations, our faculty are trained Montessorians, well versed in this nearly century-old educational philosophy. In addition, we are fully accredited by AMI/USA and the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS). Lake Country School was founded in 1976 by Lawrence and Patricia Schaefer. Today approximately 300 students are being educated at the following levels: ages 33 months - 6 years Lake Country offers a complete continuum of Montessori education from pre-school through junior high. While a student can enter or leave Lake Country at any point, the power of a twelve-year Montessori education cannot be underestimated. Read about our school, attend a Thursday morning observation session, and talk with our faculty, administration and parents. Then decide if Lake Country School is for you and your child. We welcome and encourage your interest. Lake Country School is a Montessori learning environment. But what does that mean? Montessori is both an educational philosophy and a vision of childhood. Montessorians recognize the power of each child and respect individual patterns of growth. At Lake Country, the physical surroundings, the learning methods and the ways in which students interact with one another are choreographed to create an environment in which children can discover their unique relationship to the world. At Lake Country, we believe independent choice and authentic interest are key elements in learning. With each learning activity based on the needs and interests of the children, they develop independence and the ability to make good choices early on. It is through their own work in our specially prepared environments that children develop self-discipline and self-teaching abilities that will last a lifetime. Montessorians believe that children learn by doing and are lovers of purposeful work, spontaneously chosen and carried out with profound joy. Montessori education also attends to the total development of the child - social, emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual. As Montessori educators, we believe that these spheres of a child's personality and intellect must be integrated and balanced through the child's activities. Montessori hands-on materials incorporate many of the most current learning theories. The materials begin at a very sensorial level and become increasingly abstract as the student's understanding grows. Montessori materials are sequential: for example, the skip counting beads in the Children's House form the foundation of the junior high student's abstract understanding of cube root and algebraic formulas. Lake Country School's Intensive Specialist Scheduling (ISS) in music, French, and art distinguishes us from other Montessori schools in the Twin Cities. Rather than short weekly sessions, specialists establish intensive three-month residencies in each classroom, immersing students in the subject. After the residency has ended, regular classroom teachers provide additional guidance in these areas. A physical education specialist works with elementary and junior high students throughout the year. A Child-Centered Learning Environment A Lake Country classroom feels very different from a traditional classroom. Rather than placing a teacher at the center, here you'll find students directing their own activities and learning from one another. While one student reads about Renaissance painters, another works at a computer and another dissects a flower with a friend. The teachers circulate throughout the room, observing and coaching individuals or groups. Multi-age classrooms promote collaborative learning, a cornerstone of the Montessori philosophy, and encourage the development of a strong community, in which only one-third of the students change each year. Over three years, a student and teacher create a rich relationship based upon trust and an understanding of learning styles. Class size is an important component of a Montessori education. Maria Montessori prescribed a class of about 35 students to promote both independence and interdependence. Lake Country's classrooms are about 28 at the Children's House and elementary levels. The junior high level averages 50 students, with four full-time teachers and four specialists. Teachers are always accessible as students are free to move about the classroom. Montessori classrooms buzz with a variety of activities and conversation. Guidelines for speaking, interrupting, handling the materials and interacting with classmates are established in collaboration between students and the teacher. Celebrations and rituals are important components of life at Lake Country. They are a key to building community, to understanding other cultures and to preserving memories for children. Birthdays, holidays of many religions and cultures and global events are marked by celebrations at Lake Country. Celebrations that have been held in recent years include Wisdom Day (Russian) which inaugurates the school year, Santa Lucia (Sweden), Kwanzaa (Africa) and Earth Day. Additional information concerning Lake Country School's history, philosophy and programs (Children's House, Elementary, Junior High and Land School) can be found in our About Lake Country School web pages. For further admissions information please contact Lucinda Anderson, LCS Admissions Director, at 612.827.3707 or email@example.com
Largest Earthquake Drill in Midwest History Set For Thursday ShakeOut is a nine-state emergency readiness drill on Feb. 7. Governor Pat Quinn today called on every Illinois resident, school and business to particpate in what's being called the "largest earthquake drill in the history of the Midwest" on Thursday, Feb. 7, at 10:15 a.m. The third annual Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is a nine-state emergency preparedness drill designed to encourage residents to think about what to do before, during and after an earthquake. Participants can register for the drill online at www.shakeout.org/centralus and will receive valuable tips and information about earthquke preparedness. More than 410,000 Illinois residents are already registered for the drill, which will highlight Earthquake Preparedness Month in illinois. "It only takes a minute to register online in the Great ShakeOut and just seconds to particate in the drill itself, but the lessons are invaluable," Governor Quinn said. "This drill embraces the motto of the U.S. Coast Guard: 'Semper Paratus" or "Always Ready". I invite everyone to learn what they can do to keep safe." Questions? Please visit this website to learn more about this drill. www.shakeout.org/centralus The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) is heading up preparedness efforts in Illinois. "The ShakeOut drill raises awareness about the threat of earthquakes in Illinois," said IEMA Director Jonathon Monken. "The drill only takes a few minutes, but the lessons learned can save countless lives." Director Monken notes that on the IEMA website-www.Illinois.gov/ready residents are offered tips for emergency planning such as knowing escape routes and family reunification plans, building an earthquake kit and caring for pets.
Time: April 11, 2010 from 8:30am to 12pm Location: Dublin Bay Event Type: working, bee Organized By: Mark Gould Latest Activity: Apr 7, 2010 Export to Outlook or iCal (.ics) Back into it after an enforced break. This Sunday - 11th April, first gate on the gravel road to Dublin Day, follow the track until you see the working bee sign, into the forest and down the bank. 8.30 am till 12.00. Add a Comment Join Bike Wanaka Welcome toBike Wanaka Sign Upor Sign In © 2013 Created by Simon Williams. Report an Issue \| Terms of Service Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator.

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