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The group gathered Sunday afternoon to pay homage to our veterans.
How did you celebrate Veterans Day? Members of the Carney Improvement Association and Parkville's American Legion Post 183 gathered at the memorial outside Carney Elementary School Sunday afternoon to commemorate the sacrifices of area veterans. The group was joined by Fifth District Councilman David Marks and state Sen. Kathy Klausmeier. Carney Improvement Association president, Meg O'Hare, described the ceremony as "touching, and a great way to show children and grandchildren how important the sacrifices are that were made during WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan wars." Do you know a veteran? How did you celebrate veterans day? Tell us in the comments.
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TAG | News
“Indigenous Peoples’ Statement to the World” at the Parliament of the World’s Religions 11:30am – 1:00pm Wednesday, December 9th.
The document will be brought after the Parliament to all of your communities to raise consciousness and increase support for the issues of Indigenous Peoples. Bring your friends and colleagues!
The International Indigenous Task Force Committee
and The Aboriginal Planning Committee of Melbourne
This is part of the Audio/Video Pagans at the Parliament created on behalf of Magick TV and Pagan Newswire Collective, exclusively funded by Witch School and the Correllian Tradition.
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You are hereHome ›
The newdemocracy Foundation
The newdemocracy Foundation is an independent, non-partisan research organisation aiming to identify improvements to our democratic process. We aim to replace the adversarial with the deliberative, and move out of the “continuous campaign” cycle. http://www.newdemocracy.com.au/
In 2012, newDemocracy Foundation is involved in two signifacnt projects using citizens' participation in Governement decision making.
In May 2012, with the assistance of newDemocracy Foundation, the City of Canada Bay began a process to devolve decision making to a panel of 36 randomly selected citizens. The Panel was asked the question "What services should we deliver in the City of Canada Bay, and how should we pay for them?" The Council has agreed that the Panel will set the level of service to be provided for their 2014-18 Delivery plan, subject to final approval by Council.
InJuly, as part of the Inquiry into the Economics of Energy Generation the Public Accounts Committee [PAC]of the NSW Governement commissioned the newDemocracy Foundation to operate two policy juries - one in metropolitan Sydney and the other in the regional centre of Tamworth.Particpants are randomly selcted to represent community demographics. These juries are asked to provide a communtiy view on the "The order of preference, barriers to adoption (including financial aspects and public perception issues) and recommended course of action with regard to alternative forms of energy generation (eg:tidal, geothermal) in NSW". The PAC has undertaken that the juries' recommendations will be provided to the NSW Government as part of its final report.
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Are you looking for new ways to leverage hair salon/cosmetic surgeon/exercise and fitness partners? Are you looking for ways to drive fan excitement during stoppages of play?
Take a quick moment and watch an interesting episode that took place at a recent Patriots game when WR Randy Moss caught a glimpse of a fan look-a-like (wearing a Randy Moss mask) on the video board at Gillette stadium...
Teams looking for new ways to leverage cosmetic surgeons, fitness centers, and hair care salon partners, should consider taking a page from the classic makeover segments featured on daytime talk shows that have proven to be a hit with viewers. Properties can feature a "Fan Makeover" or "Fan Look-A-Like" segment during games that will surely drive fan excitement (although it needs to be done in a classy manner).
To execute the initiative, teams can collaborate with a non-traditional partner whose business focuses on physical attributes (hair care, surgeons, fitness partners, tanning salons) to create a segment where three (3) fans who are chosen prior to the game have their new appearances revealed on the video board during halftime festivities or select stoppages of play. Teams can drive fan excitement by giving fans makeovers to resemble players, coaches, popular team personnel, or celebrities that are attending the game.
Consider new ways that you can bring non-traditional partners to life in memorable ways on game day!
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Since its founding as the Board of Trade in 1888, the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association has played a major role in the development of our internationally renowned city. In the 21st century, the Chamber's primary purpose remains supporting the prosperity of our members and enhancing of the business climate and quality of life in Pasadena. The Pasadena Chamber effectively supports our members through referrals, expert advice and technical assistance, workshops and seminars, networking and community events. The Chamber also advocates aggressively on behalf of business interests and our economy.
Pasadena is a wonderful city - for visitors, businesses and residents alike. Our unique size makes Pasadena a warm and inviting urban setting without the worries and hassles of a big city. Visitors, as well as those who live and work in Pasadena, enjoy shops, restaurants and entertainment within easy walking or driving distance from hotels and destinations. Visit Pasadena to experience our Rose Parade and Rose Bowl, world-class museums, entertainment and recreation facilities, outdoor opportunities and much, much more. Our "City of Roses" has something to offer everyone.
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Knox College in Galesburg, IL was the site of the fifth Lincoln-Douglas debate and conferred an honorary degree to Lincoln in 1860. Now it’s home to the Lincoln Studies Center, directed by two fine scholars, Rodney Davis and Douglas Wilson. Knox is therefore the ideal place for a whole slew of events to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the debates this year and the Lincoln bicentennial in ’09.
This weekend Knox is hosting the Lincoln Colloquium, with presentations by James McPherson, Allen Guelzo, and Garry Wills, among others. The local paper has a story about it here. Steven Wilson (A Novel Idea of History ) is headed up for the festivities and generously offered me the chance to tag along.
I was hoping to head up to Galesburg, listen to the presentations, hobnob a little, and then return with a stack of signed books under one arm and an account for your edification and amusement under the other. Then circumstances got in the way, so it looks like I’ll be spending the weekend closer to home. Hopefully Steven will fill us in on the details when he gets back.
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This morning I ran with my friend, Mike Johnson. He recently completed a significant challenge: to run twelve marathons in twelve months. He started with the Houston Marathon on January 15, 2012 and finished with same marathon on January 13, 2013. Mike had been an all-American in cross-country at St. Thomas in 1980’s, but marathons had been a struggle for him. He wanted something that would be a challenge physically, mentally and spiritually plus become a way to raise funds for Camp Wapogasset where he works and serves.
What Mike discovered in the process of running is that challenges are not always fun. His first marathon was fast and fun, but then the constant grind of preparing, running and recovering from each marathon wore him down. Several times he thought about quitting, casting the whole challenge aside. But some internal voice kept pushing him to do one more training run, one more marathon, and one more recovery jog. He had an internal drive to finish what he started.
I would not have criticized Mike if he had stopped the challenge early on. After all many people thinking running 26.2 miles once is crazy, let alone a dozen in a year. Yet I marvel at his perseverance and tenacity.
Perseverance is one of the spiritual values highlighted in the New Testament.
let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, Hebrews 12:2.
In a culture that seeks instant gratification, the Christian life is counter-cultural, valuing perseverance and patience. Jesus persevered through his suffering and crucifixion. Paul persevered in his missionary travels.
Mike’s challenge was pretty mild compared Jesus and Paul. But Mike’s example showed me the constant challenge to persevere in my calling. I doubt that I will ever run 12 in 12, but I know that running my “race with Jesus” is going to call me to persevere through difficult and challenging times.
The good thing that both Mike and I know, Jesus runs with us all the way.
Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me the strength to persevere.
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That he ne halp a quantite holynesse to wexe:
Some by bedes biddynge and some by pilgrymage
And other pryve penaunce, and somme thorugh penyes delynge.
...Clennesse of the comune and clerkes clene lyvynge
Made Unitee Holy Chirche in holynesse stonde.
-- from The Vision of Piers Plowman, ca. 1375
The book is out!
Bedes Byddyng: Medieval Rosaries and Paternoster Beads (81 pages, $4.50) is my short introduction to the history and social history of rosary beads before 1600 in Western Europe. Contents include: the origin and spread of Christian prayer beads, the words used to describe them (bead, paternoster, rosary), a short history of the prayers, how to identify prayer beads as distinct from other beads, and how the beads were made, worn, and used. An appendix has complete instructions for making your own medieval-style rosary.
Bedes Byddyng is issue #135 of the journal The Compleat Anachronist. Copies can be ordered here, and media-mail postage is free. (Click on the link to page 14 on that site, and it's issue #135, down at the bottom of the page. Bulk discounts are also available.)
Writing it was definitely an interesting experience. It took me nearly three months to produce about 22,000 words, and at times I thought it would never be done! It's by far the biggest writing project I've ever undertaken, even though it's only about a third as long as a "real" book. (How do all those authors do it?)
It's generally been getting good reviews, some of which have made me giggle. Some of the material will look familiar to those of you who read this blog, but I also discovered some new things and happily included them. (And eventually will probably blog about most of them as well.) It has diagrams and illustrations, but alas, no photos -- the illustrations are "fake" woodcuts I created by cutting and pasting bits of real woodcuts published as "clip art," which was great fun (and neatly avoided any copyright hassles).
I hadn't seen the manuscript since I turned it in six months ago, and I am now grimacing over the usual quota of typos, formatting mistakes and bits of authorial disorganization that made it into the printed version. I'll do better next time: but I'm happy to have it to offer.
I'd be interested in anyone's comments once you've read it. Critiques, too.
(And P.S. I do have a few review copies available; if you write for publication and would like to publish a review, please e-mail me.)
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(Patna College since 1863)
The Bachelor of Computer Applications (Honours) degree course shall cover a period of three academic years. The duration of the session will be from July to May each Year.
(i) Candidates seeking admission to the first year of the degree of Bachelor of Computer Applications will be required to have passed with a minimum of 55% marks for General Category and 45% for Reserved Category of Students in the intermediate Examination in Arts / Science / Commerce of a Board / University established or incorporated by law or any other examination recognized by Patna University as Equivalent There to –
(ii) Admission to the B.A. (H) in Computer Applications course will be made on the basis of Merit list prepared on the basis of entrance test and vice-voce examination to be conducted by the College / Department.
(iii) The reservation of seats will be as per rules of the state Government / Patna University for S.C., S.T. and OBC. Categories of students. All candidates seeking admission to the B.A. (H)in Computer Applications course will have to pay the full fee as presented in the regulations or modified from time to time under the provision of the regulations.
(iv) Candidates who are appearing for qualifying examination for the current academic year are also eligible to apply subject to the condition that they produce the proof of having passed the qualifying examination at the time of admission.
(v) Applicants must have sound knowledge of Mathematics.
(vi) Provisional admission is granted for a period of 15 days only. Fee once paid will not be refunded. Those who leave afterwards will have to pay the fee for the entire course (i.e. of 3 years). Only those who wish to complete the course are advised to apply.
At present the number of seats in B.A. (Honours) in Computer Applications Course is thirty (30 )
Students desiring to seek admission in B.A. (Honours) in Computer Applications Course may submit their application forms in the following manner
1. They may obtain the Prospectus-cum-application form by hand from college counter by Cash on payment of Rs. 500/- (Five hundred rupees) from 11.00 am to 4.00 pm on any working days.
2. The admit card will be issued from the counter or the college.
3. The Complete filled in application form along with necessary documents may be submitted in the College Counter or to
(B.A. (H) in Computer Applications Programme),
Patna College Patna University, Patna- 800 005
Admission will be made on the basis of marks obtained at the Entrance Test followed by Viva-Voce Examination conducted by the college / department. The Entrance test will have multiple choice i.e. objective type of questions. The duration of the test will be of two hours. It will be followed by an interview with the candidates.
The test will consist of
(i) English Language/Grammer
(ii) General Arithmatic/Mathematics
(iii) Aptitude Assessment/ Test of Reasoning
(iv) General Awareness/ General Knowledge
Structure of the Course:-
A candidate for the examination shall be required to offer the papers according to the following structure.
I. Computer Fundamentals and Organization
II. Office Automation
III. Programming Techniques and C Programming
IV. Business Data Processing and Cobol Programming
Any two of the following subsidiary papers:
(a) Mathematics I (b) Statistics I (c) Economics I
V. Data Base Management system and Foxpro Programming
VI. Information System and Visual Basic
VII. Operating System and Unix
VIII. Object Oriented Programming and C++ Programming
Any two of the following subsidiary papers:
(a) Mathematics II (b) Statistics II (c) Economics II
On the job-training - 3 Months - Compulsory
After the second year examination; each student shall undergo a practical job-training of 3 months in an approved business / industrial / service organization and submit two copies of the Project Report to the Head of the Department at least 15 days before date of commencement of admission of third year.
IX. Advanced DBMS and Oracle POrograming with D2k.
X. Data strure using C++.
XI. Advanced topics in Computer, Java and Internet Programming.
XII. Project Work (On the Job-training)
General Studies : Entrepreneurship Development.
The medium of instruction shall be English / Hindi.
The students who are admitted in B.A. (H.) in Computer Application Course will offer either (Mathematics and Statistics) or (Mathematics and Economics) or (Statistics and Economics) as subsidiary papers in First year and Second year.
As a part of study curriculum, students have to undergo on – the – job-training for three months in any organization or institution approved by the Coordinator. This enables the students to get an opportunity to apply the acquired theoretical knowledge to practical environment. In addition, they get an opportunity to develop Application Software’s for different types of jobs for different clients. The project work carries 100 marks.
Students are expected to join on-the-job-training just after they complete the second year final examinations from mid-May to mid-August.
The department provides facilities of library to every student of B.A. (H.) in Computer Application Course. The students avail library membership. Book will be issued to the students for a period of 7 days on rotation basis.
Areas of Association
All students admitted into B.A. (H.) in Computer Applications Honours Course shall be expected to associate themselves with the following programmes of activities which form part of our academic curriculum.
(i) Classroom lecturers
(ii) Practical Works
(iv) Power Point Presentations
(v) Tutorial assignments
(vii) Debates, Essay and Quiz Competitions
(viii) Annual brief Educational tour to recognized Industrial / Business / Organization / Schools
(ix) Sport events
(x) Campus interviews
(xi) Classes on various computer / management based topics
(xii) Project works
A proper dress code will be maintained both for boys and girls. The students will be informed about it at the time of admission. They are supposed to follow proper dress code in the college campus.
1. The University will hold examination at the end of the first, the second and the third years of course conducted by the University to be known respectively as B.A. (H.) in Computer Applications Honours part I, part II and part III examination.
2. There will be a written examination for each of the theory paper of three hours duration. The medium for the written examination shall be English / Hindi.
3. A student shall not be allowed to appear at the next annual examination unless she / he has passed the previous annual examination.
4. A carry over shall be allowed for failures for a maximum of two subjects at Honours part I and part II examination but such a candidate shall not be admitted to part III class unless she / he has passed in all subjects of part I examination.
5. The marks of each Honours paper shall consist of 40 (15 + 25= 40) marks for internal assessment (based on quizzes, tests, seminars, presentations, workshops, etc.) and external assessment (based on practical works) respectively and 60 marks for University examination in Theory Papers.
6. In order to be declared successful in Honours subject at any of these examinations the candidates shall have to pass the Theory and internal assessment / practical / project work / laboratory works separately with 45% marks. Minimum percentage of marks required for passing in subsidiary papers will be 35%.
7. The percentage of marks required for
1st class – 60% and above in aggregates
2nd class- 45% and above but below 60% in aggregates
Fee Structure for Bachelor in Computer Applications Honours Course
The fee for the B.A. (H.) in Computer Application Course for all students (General and Reserved) shall be charged at the beginning of each academic year.
A course fee of Rs. 11,500/- (Rupees eleven thousand five hundred only) together with an additional fee of Rs. 500/- (Rupees five hundred only) per academic session shall have to be paid by each student admitted to this B.A. (H.) in Computer Applications Course.
The fee structure may be reviewed from time to time by the concerned Principal(s) in Consultation with the Vice-Chancellor, Patna University.
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Over the weekend, she took the stage of the Park West, in Lincoln Park, affirming her status as one of the most original and insightful singer-songwriters in a jazz world sorely lacking in them.
Indeed, in an age when pipsqueak voices and easy-listening sensibilities routinely draw critical praise and commercial success, Barber has emerged as the anti-diva: a singer uninterested in assuming the usual romantic poses, a songwriter unwilling to pen cloyingly sweet love songs, a pianist who actually has something distinctive to say at the keyboard.
Though Barber may never attain the mass adoration lavished upon lesser talents, she towers over them because she consistently chooses art over entertainment, music over marketing, substance over style.
You could hear it in every piece that she and her top-flight jazz quartet played Saturday night, to a large crowd that listened raptly. If the "engineers" at the sound board did Barber no favors by over-miking her vocals -- leaving some of her fascinatingly literate song lyrics too reverberant to decode -- the essence of Barber's art survived.
As if to remind listeners right away that she's not simply a jazz singer, Barber opened her concert with an extended jazz improvisation, the first of several. So, even if Barber hadn't sung a note, this performance would have given listeners a great deal to absorb.
As pianist, Barber has developed a cogently telegraphic style, flitting from one nervous rhythm to another, from bursts of dissonance to shards of melody to arresting moments of silence. If the elegance of her touch and the clarity of her tone recall the idiom of Bill Evans, Barber transcends that model through the rhythmic explosiveness and stylistic unpredictability of her pianism. In essence, she seems to draw on a different keyboard vocabulary every two bars or so.
Ultimately, though, many listeners come to Barber for the cool voluptuousness of her vocals, which have no counterpart in jazz singing today. Hovering mostly in the middle and low registers -- while most of today's songbirds chirp gleefully up high -- Barber produces a deep and translucent pool of sound. The fluidity of her phrasings and the liquidity of her lines represent a distinct contribution to the evolution of jazz singing, for she defies conventional ways of articulating notes and rhythms.
The effect of these unorthodox techniques on traditional repertoire can be galvanic, as in her haunting reworking of the venerable "Laura," which also appears on her new CD, "Live: A Fortnight in France" (on Blue Note Records). The very possibility that anyone could have something significant to add to one of the most recorded of jazz standards might have seemed remote, until Barber dared to remake it with an exquisitely slow tempo, impossibly idiosyncratic phrasing and alluring shades of light and half-light.
But Barber's most provocative work emerged in her original songs, which won't be turning up on "smooth jazz" stations any time soon. She sang "Pieces" -- a brilliant poetic lament on the aftermath of a breakup -- still more imploringly than on the recording. And she practically snarled "Whiteworld," a searing indictment of certain prevalent cultural attitudes.
With Neal Alger offering musical solos on guitar, Michael Arnapol articulating sonorous lines on bass and Eric Montzka producing vivid colors and intricate cross-rhythms on percussion, this band offered more than atmospheric accompaniment for Barber. It helped her show that there's hope for the endangered art of jazz singing.
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If you play the bass guitar, or just love the bass guitar (it's both, in my case), you'll probably enjoy this. If you don't, you may not. By the way, this So-Cal bassist, who goes by Zuma, really, really knows his way around the 70s & 80s pop scene. I learned how to play a lot of AM Top-4o songs sitting in my bedroom in the mid-70s, plonking away on my first bass till I had figured out the riffs. If only YouTube had existed then! I'd have taken lessons from Zuma (who probably wasn't even born then).
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There’s no need to worry if your current system is outdated or obsolete. Our skilled data conversion team will transfer the information in your current system to your new software quickly and easily. In fact, we’ve converted data from over 200 different systems – some probably identical to the one you’re using now.
Patterson Eaglesoft benefits everyone – you, your staff and your patients. In fact, it may be one of your most important tools for providing quality patient care. Patterson Eaglesoft greatly increases your productivity so you can spend more time treating current patients and serving new ones.
Click here for Data Conversions options
As more and more dental practices acquire digital images, transferring those images to a new software system becomes an important consideration. With Patterson Eaglesoft Image Conversion, digital images from your existing system can be converted into your new Patterson Eaglesoft software and attached to the patient record. Ask your Patterson technology advisor for details about which types of digital images can be converted to Patterson Eaglesoft.
Click here for General Information on Image Conversions
The Patterson Technology Center (PTC) provides a toolkit conversion so that the dental practice can use the talent of local programmers for the data conversion. This process can expedite the installation of a system and increase the amount of data converted. The PTC provides the data file layouts, or toolkit, to aid in the success of these conversions. We’re able to convert as much data as provided. Ask your Patterson technology advisor for details about when a toolkit conversion is appropriate.
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Day 5... my heart sunk as I saw that Tim used his reflections stamps.
I was so mad with myself that I didn't buy that set, cause I KNEW that he would use it for his 12 tags. darn... anyway.... I needed some time to think about how I would solve this "problem", cause I really wanted to do this technique. And then it hit me.... WHY thinking so hard...
some close up's:
When I saw Tim's tag posted, I wasn't to excited, cause I didn't had the products. No metal, not the embossing folder, and I didn't know how to solve this problem without ordering the stuf. But NO.... that I promissed myself... I'm not going to order anything. Just use the supplies I have.
here some close up's:
That's it for today... need to think about day 7 cause... surprise surprise..... don't have the products... lol
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動詞時態(3)-過去簡單式 & 過去進行式
＊~ ago (~以前)
＊this morning (今天早上 )
＊ the other day (幾天前)
＊last week (night, Sunday) (上星期、昨晚、上週日)
＊the day before yesterday (前天……)
＊the night before last (前天晚上)
＊in the past (在過去 )
＊just now (剛才)
＊used to 原形V → 以前常常...(現在不了)
(3)字尾為【母音+y】者→ + ed。例:stay→stayed
.....加ed..例:shop→shopped / drop→dropped
＊ S + 過去式動詞 +…
＊ S + did not + 原形V +… (否定句)
＊ Did + S + 原形V +…? (一般問句)
＊ 疑問詞 + did + S + 原形V…… ? (特殊問句)
一般動詞: like/ love/ run...
助動詞: will, should, can......
...........has, have, had / do, does, did
BeV : am/is/are/was/were
1. I did math problems yesterday afternoon.
2.We didn’t visit the National Palace Museum last
3. Did she take a trip to Australia last summer
....Yes, she did. She took a trip there last summer
4.Did you read my letter? (你看了我的信嗎?)
....No, I didn’t. I didn’t read your letter.
5.Who did you invite to your dinner party?
....I invited some good friends of mine.
1. Who told you the news? Gina did.
2. Which team won the All-Star game?
＊ S + was/were +Ving...
＊ S + was/were not + Ving..
＊ Was/Were + S + Ving...?
＊ 疑問詞+ was/were + S + Ving...?
→ 疑問詞為who/what當主詞時, 動詞要用單數
＊ at + 時刻+過去時間 (如:at 8:20 last night)
＊ then (=at that time) 在那時
＊ when + S +過去式動詞.....
＊ while+ S + was/were + Ving...
1.When I got home, Dad was reading the newspaper.
(此句應該用 when 因為「到家」是短暫的動作。)
(when 帶出一個確切時間, 所以主要子句用進行式)
2.While I was washing the dishes, Jason was
...studying. 我正在洗碗時, Jason正在讀書
(while 帶出一個確切時間, 所以主要子句用進行式)
1.I was talking on the phone at 7:00 last night.
...(昨晚7:00 時我正在講電話→ 7:00是個確切的時間)
2.Many people were sleeping when the earthquake
3.When I got home, Mom was cooking dinner.
4.A:What were you doing when I rang the door bell?
...B:I was taking a shower then.
5.While Jane was mopping the floor, Mike was
...packing the books.
→ 動作做了 / 只交代做過, 所以不會指出確切的時間
→ 例如: yesterday / this morning / last night
→ 過去某個確切的時間, 正在做的動作, 所以句子
→ at seven last night / when I got home
Yesterday we _____(have) a farewell party (送別會)
for John because he______(move) to the USA with
his parents next week. Since John is kind, considerate
and polite, everyone at the party_____(feel) sad and
some girls even _____(cry). We _____(give) him
some gifts and _____(ask) for his e-mail address.
We hope he _____(stay) in touch with us after he
goes to the USA. Tomorrow____(be) the last day
when he comes to school. I’ll tell him that I ____
(miss) him forever.
1.He learned his lesson this time, and I believe he
...(is/will/will be) more careful next time.
2.Are you going swimming with us? Of course,I
...(will / am / won’t).
3.Mike just (sprains/sprained/will sprain) his ankle
....It really wasn’t his day.(今天他真衰)
4.A:Will May be “Snow white” in the play?
...B: Yes, she (will/is/is going to ).
5.There will (have/has/be) a talent show tomorrow.
had / will move / felt / cried / gave / asked / will stay
will be / will miss
1.will be (learn one's lesson 學到教訓)
3.sprained (sprain his ankle扭傷他的腳踝)
5.be (there be 在...有... / have 擁有)現在式 & 過去式 & 過去進行式
Earth Day (地球日)____ (be) on April 22. An
American man, Gaylord Nelson, _____ (start) it.
Nelson was very worried when he _____ (find)
many fish _____ (die) because of water pollution.
He _____ (write) a story and ____ (tell) people how
____ (save) the earth. About 20 million Americans
____ (celebrate) the first Earth Day in 1970.
Now more and more people ____ (understand)
the importance of protecting our environment.
Let’s____ (do) our best to make the earth cleaner,
greener, and prettier.
1.John_____a novel at 7:30 last night. (read)
2.He _____math before, but he ____it now.
3.Mrs.Lee_____dinner when her husband came
4.Mr.White___at 2:30 on Sunday afternoon.(shop)
5.David ____for Guam in a few days.(leave)
6.Mrs.Lin ____ on the phone when her daughter fell
...off the chair.(talk)
7.We____our Christmas tree last Sunday.(decorate)
8.When I woke up this morning, it ____ heavily
9.While we were playing in the water, Jane __ a sand
10.What were you doing then? I ___ the faucet水龍頭
11.I ___ to A-Mei’s new album when the light went out.
is / started / found / died / wrote / told / to save
celebrated / understand / do
2.hated / likes
5.will leave / is leaving
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By Justin Moyer
The Washington Post
— Defense Secretary Leon Panetta signed an order Thursday allowing women the same opportunities as men to serve in combat, including formerly off-limits assignments on attack submarines and in the Navy SEALs. Just two weeks before the announcement, researchers from San Diego's Naval Health Research Center published a study suggesting that some recent mothers deployed on the battlefield may be more prone to depression after seeing action.
"Women who deploy and report combat-associated exposures after childbirth are significantly more likely to screen positive for maternal depression than are women who did not deploy after childbirth," concluded the study, titled "Is Military Deployment a Risk Factor for Maternal Depression?" and appearing in the Journal of Women's Health. "It is also possible," the report noted, "that giving birth and leaving a young child, in addition to the experience of combat, contribute to postdeployment depression."
The study included eight co-authors, five of them associated with the Naval Health Research Center, a research and development laboratory within the Department of Defense. It was based on surveys of more than 1,600 women who "gave birth during active duty service."
Not all branches of the armed forces showed the same results. "Participants who served in the Army had an increased risk of maternal depression; Army service members tend to be deployed longer and more frequently than personnel serving in the Navy and Air Force," the study found.
Of course, you don't have to be a mom to experience depression on the front line. The report points out that "the increased rate of depression is primarily attributed to experiencing combat while deployed," not just to whether a solider is also a parent.
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Tonight’s culinary experiments were successful, in that like any good experiments they gave us more information.
I’m starting to work through some of the recipes in Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything Vegetarian. I like the book’s approach: He’s not a vegetarian, and he’s not trying to convert anyone to vegetarianism, but he wants to teach people how to prepare tasty, healthy, meatless meals. In a lot of ways, it’s written for me. I do most of my grocery shopping at the supermarket; the book assumes that. I try to supplement with local produce when possible; the book encourages that. And I’m interested in eating less meat for both health and environmental reasons, which it’s pretty clear is what his priorities are as well. So I’m excited to try recipes from it.
The first dish I tried tonight was the Lentil and Potato Dal. It’s dead easy: Simmer a cup of dried lentils in three and half cups of coconut milk and a tablespoon of curry powder for fifteen minutes, partially covered; Add two chopped baking potatoes and simmer, covered, until everything is soft. That last bit is what eluded me. I only let it go for about thirty minutes, when it probably wanted more like forty five. That was the only problem, though, so it’s going on the list to try again.
The second dish involved some improvisation. I was attempting to make Beer-Glazed Black Beans with Thai Chile Paste, but I accidentally bought fresh chiles instead of dried, so I ended up making a Mexican-style dish by adding canned fire-roasted tomatoes and green chiles. I also should have read the cookbook’s instructions for cooking dried beans, rather than using the instructions on the package. And I was worried about the tomatoes adding too much liquid, so I cooked it down a little too much and killed off much of the tasty sauce. You live, you learn, I suppose.
I served these with white rice; a salad of red leaf lettuce, spinach, carrots, and cucumbers dressed with the juice from an orange; and dry rosé wine. It didn’t all hang together, but it certain had its moments. And it pointed me in the right direction.
UpdateFitness: Ran 4 miles
Sun, Moon, and Stars: 00 words, 176 seven-day average, 253 average, 22812 total
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The Pine Bluff Symphony Orchestra will present “Classics in The Popular Vein” at 7 p.m. March 2 in the Pine Bluff Convention Center Auditorium, 1 Convention Center Plaza .
Attendees to the concert will experience the wide spectrum of popular influences on symphonic music throughout history, from Mozart’s use of Turkish military percussion in “The Abduction from the Seraglio Overture” to the incorporation of native popular melody and harmony in Franz Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2” and African-American William Grant Still’s “Wood Notes”.
They will also experience the jazzy and lighthearted cinematic style of Swedish composer Lille Bror Söderlundh’s Oboe Concertino, featuring PBSO principal oboist, Lorraine Duso Kitts. They will also enjoy one of the finest examples of the popular waltz idiom elevated to concert hall grandeur – the Emperor Waltzes of Johann Strauss Jr. – and a classic operatic overture that has become a popular icon – Gioacchino Rossini’s famous William Tell Overture.
Kitts is an associate professor at the University of Central Arkansas teaching double reeds and adjunct oboe instructor at Hendrix College.
Tickets will be available for purchase at the door. Preferred adult tickets are $30 and students (K-12) are $12. General admission tickets are $25 for adults and $8 for students (K-12).
Additional information is available by calling the symphony office at 870-536-7666 or by visiting the updated website at pinebluffsymphony.com
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MONTICELLO — First-time freshmen and transfer students will learn how to successfully manage the transition to college at orientation sessions Aug. 20-21 at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
Freshmen orientation will be held Monday, Aug. 20, in the Fine Arts Center. Freshmen with last names beginning with A through L will attend a session at 9 a.m. Freshmen with last names beginning with M through Z will attend orientation at 1 p.m.
New transfer students will attend orientation on Tuesday, Aug. 21, at 9 a.m. in the Fine Arts Center. Invitation letters have been mailed to all first-time freshmen and transfer students. The orientation sessions are designed to acquaint new students with campus life, provide tips for time management and academic success as well as information about extracurricular activities.
Hospitality tents sponsored by Simmons Bank, Union Bank, and the Arkansas Superior Federal Credit Union will be located around campus providing free hot dogs, chips, drinks and water. A hospitality center sponsored by Aramark Food Services will be located in the University Center.
An Organization Fair will be held in the Green Room of the University Center from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to provide new students with information about campus student organizations.
For more information, contact the Office of Admissions at (870) 460-1026 or (800) 844-1826.
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NOT PJ: Avian Swine Flew
This week Bernard Darnton has a headache and feels nauseous. . .
Load up the Land Rover with the 12-gauge and three months worth of baked beans. Bird flu is here. No – mad pig disease. Wait – the Y2K09 bug.
One thing there has been a serious outbreak of is word games. The U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is upset that this week’s fashionable worry has been called “swine flu” because of the possible effect on pork sales. Israeli Deputy Health Minister has suggested “Mexican flu” because he finds the reference to pigs offensive. The Mexican ambassador to Israeli got all huffy because he found the reference to Mexicans offensive. If this really is a serious health threat it’s good to see that world’s governments are suitably focused.
Here in New Zealand, all those people who’ve toiled away for years on pandemic preparedness plans are suddenly feeling important and putting on reflective jackets and hanging out in command centres with giant plasma screens, presumably watching CNN on the big plasmas to find out what happens next.
The death toll in Mexico, the “epicenter” of the “pandemic” is claimed to be 160. The population of Mexico City is 28 million. If a disease of the same virulence swept through a city the size of Christchurch the death toll would be two. Surely sad for the families of those two but I wouldn’t go as far as crossing live to a rain-soaked reporter for an exclusive update.
I’m no virologist, or biologist, or anything-else-ologist for that matter. I don’t even have a beard. I’ll leave it to the lab-coated ones to work out what’s actually going on. But my biggest worry isn’t that some previously unknown disease is coming to wipe us out; it’s that a previously well-known parasite will grow and spread because of this.
In its most virulent form this parasite strikes millions of people dead in short periods. In its modern form in the first world it suffocates and strangles. And there’s nothing it likes more than a crisis.
In his thriller State of Fear author Michael Crichton suggested that it wasn’t the emergence of a military-industrial complex that we should worry about but the emergence of a media-political complex.
His story was far-fetched but the point is valid. At no time in history have we been richer or healthier than we are now but we still worry just as much. We worry about aircraft – noise from aircraft, exhaust gases from aircraft, people with stubble and olive skin on aircraft, people sneezing on aircraft – and there’s a whole lot of other stuff starting the letters B through Z to worry about as well.
The media dishes out fear because it captivates audiences. Those audiences then demand that the government “does something” to address the fear.
The government has sweeping emergency powers that might not be out of place during a Black Death outbreak. The real problem is that the law is so vaguely worded that those same powers could be used during an outbreak of obesity, or anything else that some Sue Kedgley-type dreams up as a health risk.
I don’t feel the need to run out and buy a face mask but if anyone has the antidote to big government I’ll take it. If governments around the world don’t take advantage of avian/swine flu to increase their powers, pigs will fly.
* * Bernard Darnton writes every Thursday here at NOT PC * *
PS: Bernard Darnton, otherwise known as NOT PJ, will be in Auckland tonight seeing the guy who really is PJ, i.e., PJ O’Rourke’s gig at Sky City. If you’d like to catch up with us, Bernard and I and Annie Fox will be in the London Bar beforehand from about 5:30 on – and before that in the garden at The Castle. Maybe we’ll catch up with you?
PPS: And thanks to Crusader Rabbit for the cartoon.
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Apple just announced the .16-inch thin MacBook Air -- a laptop so thin it fits in a manila envelope. The new machine features a full-size keyboard and LED-backlit 13.3-inch display with built-in iSight, and the new larger trackpad supports multi-touch gestures.
Just like the iPhone, you'll be able to pan around, pinch to zoom, and rotate with two fingers, and move windows with a flick. Apple got the size down by using the same 1.8-inch 80GB drive that's in the iPod classic, but you'll be able to order a 64GB SSD as an option.
The Air eschews optical media, but there's a separate external you can snag for $99 and Apple's also announced a feature called Remote Disk that'll let the Air get data off the optical drive in any PC or Mac running the Remote Disk software.
Pricing starts at $1799, and the Air will be shipping in two weeks.
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|Pond Dynamics/Aquaculture CRSP||Aquanews ~ Fall 2000|
Director: Dr. Hillary S. Egna
Aquanews Editor: Danielle Z. Clair
Staff: Kris McElwee, Anu Gupta, Deb Burke, Heidi Furtado, and Xena Cummings
Aquanews is published quarterly by the Information Management & Networking Component of the Pond Dynamics/Aquaculture Collaborative Research Support Program, Oregon State University, 418 Snell Hall, Corvallis OR 97331-1641.
The contents of this newsletter are copyrighted by the Pond Dynamics/Aquaculture CRSP. Copyright 2000. All rights reserved including mechanical and electronic reproduction.
Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use on the part of USAID or the PD/A CRSP.
The Pond Dynamics/Aquaculture Collaborative Research Support Program is funded in part by the US Agency for International Development under CRSP Grant No. LAG-G-00-96-90015-00 and by participating US and host country institutions.
Oregon State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
CRSP Contact Information
Write to us or order publications at:
Pond Dynamics/Aquaculture CRSP
Oregon State University
418 Snell Hall
Corvallis, OR 97331-1643
You can also access CRSP publications electronically at
Or email us:
Assistant Director: Cormac Craven firstname.lastname@example.org
Information Manager: Danielle Clair ACRSP@oregonstate.edu
Asst. Info. Mgr.: Kris McElwee email@example.com
Publications Ordering ACRSP@oregonstate.edu
|The Aquaculture CRSP is funded under USAID Grant No. LAG-G-00-96-90015-00
the participating US and Host Country institutions.
Questions for or about the Aquaculture CRSP? Comments about this site? Please visit the FAQ page or email us at ACRSP@oregonstate.edu.
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Adventures in Tandem Nursing: Breastfeeding During Pregnancy and Beyond by Hilary Flower
Gulliver Joi His Three Voyages Being an Account of His Marvellous Adventures in Kailoo, Hydrogenia and Ejario
Plan and enjoy your adventures in Kenya Safari, Okavango Delta and African Safari
Fethiye Kekova Cruises - Some of the Finest Adventures in Turkey
Alice's Adventures In Wonderland Motion Picture Merchandise
Sky-high adventures in Cebu thanks to MetroDeal
Planet Green Adventures, Lonavala
Everest Base Camp Trek
The Way of The Demon Series Book 2
Tips to make the most of your Whale watching holiday
Adventures in Odyssey Life Lessons
Adventures In Odyssey Life Lessons
Mark Prescott's not your typical 10-year-old kid. He has a best friend who's a girl, a mind that has to have answers, and a need to have things the way they used to be. Before it's all over, he ...
ADVENTURES IN ODYSSEY VIDEO #6: ONCE UPON AN AVALANCHE
ADVENTURES IN ODYSSEY DVD #3: FLIGHT TO THE FINISH & ONCE UPON AN AVALANCHE
ADVENTURES IN ODYSSEY CLASSICS #5: COMIC BELIEF
Clotilde Dusoulier, a native Parisian and passionate explorer of the city’s food scene, has won a tremendous following online with her insider reports and wonderful recipes on her blog, www ...
Adventures in Fantasy offers an exciting approach to teaching narrative and descriptive writing that stimulates a student’s creativity and imagination. Filled with mini-lessons, reading ...
Adventures in Yiddishland examines the transformation of Yiddish in the six decades since the Holocaust, tracing its shift from the language of daily life for millions of Jews to what the author ...
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An Introduction To 127.0.0.1
127.0.0.1 is an IP address utilized for a looplock network connection. What does this mean? If
a user tries to connect to this IP address, they will be sent back to their computer. The address
is also known as a localhost. The localhost is the computer.
How the Localhost Works
If the command is relayed to the localhost, you would be hooked up to the system where the
commands were sent out. For instance, suppose the computer is called "Joker". If you telnet
from the Joker computer to the localhost, a message will appear. It will attempt to hook up to
The localhost is employed in lieu of the computer hostname to be linked to. This IP address is
the most wisely used localhost address. However, you can actually use any IP address
provided it starts with 127. This means 127.*.*.* can be used as a localhost.
Establishing a connection with the loopback address is similar to creating a connection with
remote network computers. The only difference is you don't have to deal with network
For this reason it is widely utilized by software developers. It is also used by system
administrators. It is often used for testing programs and apps. If the connection is IPv4, the
computer's loopback address will be the 127.*.*.*. The subnet mask is typically 255.0.0.0.
This IP addresses 127.*.*.*. are defined in RFC 330 as Special-Use IPv4 Addresses. The
127.0.0.0/8 block is defined as the Net host loopback address. If a higher level protocol sends
a datagram anywhere in the block, it will be looped in the host. This is typically implemented
with the 127.0.0.1 / 32 for looplock. However, addresses in the block must not be visible
anywhere else in the network.
There is also a localhost IPv6 version. In RFC 3513, it is defined as Internet Protocol Version
6 (IPv6) Addressing Architecture::1/128.
More Information about the Localhost
In simple terms, the localhost means the computer. It is the hostname allocated loopback
network interface address. The name is likewise a domain name. This will help prevent
confusion with the hostname definition. In IPv6, the loopback IP address is ::1. The localhost
is stated when one would usually use the computer hostname. For instance, a browser using
an HTTP server to http://localhost will show the local website home page. This will be
possible if the server is set up properly to work the loopback interface.
The loopback address can also be used for linking up to a game server. It can also be used for
the various inter-process communications. This facts about 127.0.0.1 indicate how
fundamental and basic the localhost is to a system. That's why it is so crucial for network
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|By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-21-31.balt.east.verizon.net - 18.104.22.168) on Sunday, June 03, 2007 - 2:47 pm: Edit Post|
2000: Christopher Moriarty served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Namibia in Epembe beginning in 2000
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Christopher Moriarty can be contacted at mountain_climberaananzidcodza
Country of Service: Namibia
Training Group: 16
Cities you served in: Epembe
Arrival Year: 2000
Departure Year: 2002
2ndary ed teacher
Originally posted: June 3, 2007
Peace Corps Namibia; Directory of Namibia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Namibia RPCVs; Peace Corps Annual Report: 2000
Reconnect with this Peace Corps Volunteer
Leave a message above where it says "Create New Conversation."
If this is your profile, post any additions, updates or corrections to your profile below where it says "Add a Message."
RPCVs: To add your own RPCV profile click here.
| The Peace Corps Library|
The Peace Corps Library is now available online with over 40,000 index entries in 500 categories. Looking for a Returned Volunteer? Check our RPCV Directory or leave a message on our Bulletin Board. New: Sign up to receive our free Monthly Magazine by email, research the History of the Peace Corps, or sign up for a daily news summary of Peace Corps stories. Visit our FAQ for more information about PCOL.
| Subscribe to Peace Corps News|
Don't miss our new web site, Peace Corps News, for the latest news about the Returned Volunteer community and what is going on with the Peace Corps around the world. Subscribe to our news feed to get Peace Corps news delivered to your desk as it happens. Then visit the Peace Corps Library, History of the Peace Corps, the worldwide RPCV Directory or leave a message for the RPCV community on the RPCV Bulletin Board.
| Help document the History of the Peace Corps|
PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online containing over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps. Help: Do you have copies of in-country newsletters from your Country of Service. Mail copies to "Ask Not" - Box 1960 - Ponca City, OK 74601. If you can, send them on a CD in jpeg format; if not, send us hard copies.
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Another bites the dust! The spring part of my season is done and I am feeling good about the strides I have made so far, but I still have a long way to go. This past weekend I ran the Capon Valley 50k in Yellow Spring, WV. This was a beautiful course with some sneaky hills, but for the most part the terrain is moderate. I camped out the night before at the start/finish and it worked out great as there was plenty of room and it was a beautiful night to sleep under the stars (plus I get to sleep in as much as possible). I woke and at some bagels and then I packed a drop bag for the 18 mile aid station (Vespa, GUs, and Meal Replacement shake). After getting dressed I took my Vespa 30 minutes before the race, then I met up with my Dad, Bob, Rose, Laurie, and Kara.Everyone seemed to be excited for this race, the weather was beautiful (got into the low 70's with just a light sprinkle of rain later in the afternoon). Before I knew it 7am came along and off everyone went.
We Started at the Capon Valley Ruritan Club and went up 259 (one paved road on the course) then we hit the trails. The first few miles there were some nice rolling hills to help the legs get warmed up. I reached the first aid station and my legs felt OK, but the still felt dead from the Promise Land 50k 2 weeks ago. I knew it was just going to be one of those days were I just had to grind it out. The runners spread out quickly and before I knew it I was running alone. The course was fairly dry as the streams were at a reasonable level, but everyone should know if you run this race your feet will get wet. That being said I plunged through all the streams knowing that wet feet were inevitable.
I was cruising along the course and the time was just flying by. I was hoping to finish the race in about 6 hours, so I was running almost all the hills. There were a few hills that were really steep that I had to power walk, which there were many more then I remember from my last run here in 2009. I reached the next aid station and took on some water and got out ASAP. The course was marked well, however, I still managed to make a few wrong turns but was corrected by some courteous runners. I came across my favorite section of the race, the power line section.
From my recollection this section had changed from 2009 as the jeep roads shown above were previously dirt. These made for some fun downhill running, I was flying down the mountain trying to take advantage of gravity. Once I reached the bottom I headed back into the woods and faced some nice little climbs to the next aid station. At this point I was feeling fatigued and was looking forward to the 18 mile aid station where I had my meal replacement shake and Vespa waiting for me. After the aid station I felt really good and the course was downhill for the next 4 miles. I then came into a nice hill at the 25 mile mark and that one seem to do me in. I couldn't really recover after the hill and drop off my pace considerably. I was starting to cramp up really bad even though I had been taking 3 S!Caps an hour and drinking water consistently. At the next aid station I took my time and ate a few bananas and grabbed some Gatorade. After walking a bit after the aid station I started to few a little better, but I knew a sub 6 hour time was out of the question. I came into the last aid station taking a drink from a Coke and went on my way, I needed a sugar boost for the last few miles. I ended up finishing in 6:16:03, which I feel was a decent effort and I crushed my time from 2009 by an hour. Not quite where I want to be, but definitely moving in the right direction.
Some friends came and joined me for this race and they were new to ultra running, they picked an awesome course to pop their ultra cherry. Laurie and Kara, a mother and daughter duo, wanted to test themselves and I believe they learned a lot. They had spent the last 3 months training for this event not knowing if their training was going to be good enough or if they could hold up for the entire race. Kara ended up finishing with a great time of 7:28 and finished strong.
Her mom Laurie on the other hand experienced the race differently and had encountered some difficulties along the way, but still managed to finish the race! I am sure Laurie was having some interesting talks with herself about finishing what she started. I give her all the credit in the world, because it takes guts and determination to complete an ultra. I was so excited to see both of these girls finish and they reminded me why I love to do these races. Congrats ladies and I am sure Bob, BillyGoat Peake, and Rose would all agree with me in saying how proud we are of you two.
Shoes: Montrail Badrock
Hydration: Nathan 1.5 Liter Backpack
Nutrition: GU, Nutrilite Endurance Cubes, Nutrilite Meal Replacement Shake, S!Caps
Shorts: 2XU compressions shorts
Shirt: Tech T-shirt with Moeben sleeves
For more pictures check go here
Now it's time for a well deserved rest from racing for a bit.
See ya on the trails,
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Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which they are located. Often, this event is marked by the award or declaration of a municipal charter.
With the notable exception of the City of London Corporation, the term has fallen out of favour in the United Kingdom, but the concept remains central to local government in the United Kingdom, as well as former British colonies such as India and Canada.
Municipal charters
A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the middle ages and is considered to be a municipal version of a constitution.
Traditionally the granting of a charter gave a settlement and its inhabitants the right to town privileges under the feudal system. Townspeople who lived in chartered towns were burghers, as opposed to serfs who lived in villages. Towns were often "free", in the sense that they were directly protected by the king or emperor, and were not part of a feudal fief.
Today the process for granting charters is determined by the type of government of the state in question. In monarchies, charters are still often a royal charter given by the Crown or the state authorities acting on behalf of the Crown. In federations, the granting of charters may be within the jurisdiction of the lower level of government such as a state or province.
By country
In Brazil, municipal corporations are called municípios and are created by means of local legislation at state level, or after passing a referendum vote of the affected population. All municipal corporations must also abide by an Organic Municipal Law which is passed and amended (when needed) at municipal level.
In Canada charters are granted by provincial authorities.
In Germany, municipal corporations existed since antiquity and through medieval times, until they became out of favour during the absolutism. In order to strengthen the public spirit the city law of Prussia dated 19 November 1808 picked up this concept. It is the basis of today's municipal law.
In India a Municipal Corporation is a local government body that administers a city of population 10,00,000 or more. Under the panchayati raj system, it interacts directly with the state government, though it is administratively part of the district it is located in. The largest Municipal Corporations in India currently are Mumbai, followed by Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Surat and Pune. The Corporation of Chennai is the oldest Municipal Corporation in the world outside UK.
The Municipal Corporation consists of members elected from the wards of the city. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are elected by the public. A Municipal Commissioner, who is from the Indian Administrative Service is appointed to head the administrative staff of the Municipal Corporation, implement the decisions of the Corporation and prepare its annual budget.
The Municipal Corporation is responsible for roads, public transportation, water supply, records of births and deaths (delegated from central government Births and Deaths Registration Act), sanitation that includes waste management, sewage, drainage and flood control, public safety services like fire and ambulance services, gardens and maintenance of buildings. The sources of income of the Corporation are property tax, entertainment tax, octroi (now abolished from many cities) and usage fees for utilities.
Republic of Ireland
In Ireland, municipal corporations existed in boroughs since medieval times. The Corporation of Dublin, officially styled the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the City of Dublin had existed since the 13th century. Corporations were established under the royal charter establishing the city or borough. The Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 abolished all but ten of the boroughs and their corporations. The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 created two different types of borough, county boroughs had essentially equal status to counties - these comprised Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Waterford (as well as Belfast and Derry, which are now in Northern Ireland). The other boroughs were non-county boroughs.
The Local Government Act 2001 abolished the title of municipal corporation. Corporations of county boroughs (renamed cities) were renamed City Councils. Non county boroughs were abolished, but those towns which were previously non-county boroughs were allowed to use the title of Borough Council. Royal charters remain in force for ceremonial and civic purposes only.
South Africa
From the beginning of American colonial rule, Philippines cities were formally established through laws enacted by the various national legislatures in the country. The Philippine Commission gave the city of Manila its charter in 1901, while the city of Baguio was established by the Philippine Assembly which was composed by elected members instead of appointed ones. During the Commonwealth era, the National Assembly established an additional ten cities. Since achieving independence from the United States in 1946 the Philippine Congress has established 124 more cities (as of September 2007), the majority of which required the holding of a plebiscite within the proposed city's jurisdiction to ratify the city's charter.
United Kingdom
United States
In the United States, such municipal corporations are established by charters that are granted either directly by a state legislature by means of local legislation, or indirectly under a general municipal corporation law, usually after the proposed charter has passed a referendum vote of the affected population.
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Women who are just so beautiful they don't have to contribute to sex... » Monitor Company Group или грамотная полит. комбинация в борьбе за мировое господство, через идеи "Открытого правительства"
Здравствуйте, уважаемая публика, я представляю здесь интересы одной некомерческой Российской организации... Мы занимаемся аналитикой мнений общественности, в Русском сегменте интернета, касаемо различных политических ситуаций, а также событий происходящих в мире в целом... Цель моего сегодняшнего повествования - это подискутировать с вами о идеях, "Открытого правительст – adulsonfenous 5/17
Using mobile phones at the register. » Harrison's discharge doesn't arrive like a shock since the 34-year-old arrives $6. 57 zillion within bottom income having a $10. 035 zillion limit quantity within 2013. The actual Steelers joined the actual 7 days from regarding $3 zillion below their own modified limit quantity of $124. four zillion as well as liberating Harrison opens upward $5. 105 zillion within limit room this year. The actual discharge associated with Harrison isn't purely regarding financial situation. Harrison's chain as – SeeskRomSoolf 5/17
Using mobile phones at the register. » Nonetheless, the particular inquiries continue to be. Manuel is definitely regarded as fitness and possess any explode provide, yet decision-making continues to be a concern occasionally. Can easily this individual notice and also see the complete industry on the AMERICAN FOOTBAL stage -- also in a AMERICAN FOOTBAL which is a lot more likely to be able than in the past to adopt an attempt over a not-quite-developed cell quarterback with all the current natural equipment, and also mould your pet – NeorneHog 5/17
Thanks to a recent torrent of spam, I’ve had to disable comments for a while. I’ve now removed the ability to put links in the comments. Email me if you want to put something in, such as five links to knock-off handbag sites, and I’ll happily oblige.
I’ve added two features to the sidebar: Highest Rating and Hotly Debated. They will be updated daily. To my surprise, the ketchup-in-fridge peeve seemed to really incite some anger — it’s clearly a complex situation that affects us all.
It should be noted that the star ratings indicate how much you agree with, or appreciate, the peeve, not how you feel when it happens.
I will be adding a Paragon Peeves section as well, for my and my friends’ personal favorites.
Please enjoy, and contact me if you have any new feature ideas.
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A feed aggregator, which is also known as feed reader, is a client software or web application which aggregates syndicated web content such as news headlines, blogs, podcasts, and vlogs in a single location for easy viewing. There are lots of aggregators i will just mention top 11 feed readers and aggregators used by my blog readers.
These top 11 feed readers and aggregators are arranged according to my rss subscribers usage.
Up till now i have only 661 subscribers out of which 397 are using Feedfetcher, which makes it number one feed grabber.
Live Bookmarks lets you view RSS news and blog headlines in the bookmarks toolbar or bookmarks menu. Only 47 subscribers are using it, means its no where in competition with Google’s Feedfetcher but still it is in second position.
Netvibe is in third position and is in competition with Firefox Live Bookmark as 30 subscribers are using it. I liked the UI of it, very easy to use.
Only 21 out of 661 subscribers are using it. I liked it’s clean user interface that makes it easy to arrange and track your favorite news feeds.
14 subscribers are using Mac OS X built-in RSS reader. It’s used by the RSS screensaver, among other things.
6. Feed Fever
Fever reads your feeds and picks out the most frequently talked about links from a customizable time period. Only 9 subscribers are using it.
NetNewsWire is an easy-to-use RSS Web news reader for Mac OS X. Used by 8 subscribers only.
Bloglines is a web-based aggregator that makes it easy to keep up with your favorite blogs and newsfeeds. Seven subscribers preferred this one.
9. Universal Feed Parser
Mark Pilgrim’s fantastic open source RSS/Atom Python parser.
Vienna is a freeware, open source RSS/Atom newsreader for the Mac OS X operating system.
FeedReader is a freeware Windows application that reads and displays RSS feeds.
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My husband and I are starting IVF next month and we still haven't decided on a fertility clinic yet. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with San Diego Fertility Clinic or UCSD Fertility Clinic (those are the 2 choices we have been given). Which one is a better choice? I have been doing a lot of research but I just cant decide, help!
I used Reproductive Partners which the card says UCSD on it too. I don't have anything bad to say about RP. My experience at NTC was bad in itself. My second round of IVF I opted to go to a civilian doctor. If you end up wanting to switch over at any point hit me up. I'll give you the info for my fertility doctor. He matches NTCs price. I now have a 5 month old and I truly do owe it to him.
We are going to SDFC on Friday for our first consultation. So far, over the phone, I haven't had any problems. I am so anxious to get started! We are going to be using a surrogate (friend), so some things might be a little different, but I will let you know how I like them. Good luck! I know it is so hard to pick one. SDFC was on the top of my list because the doctors there are affiliated with Scripps, which is where my other doctors are.
My husband and I have been trying for about 4 years now with 2 ectopic pregnancies in those years. Going through Balboa the prices we are look at it about 3000$ with is amazing compared to civilian prices.
How long did it take you to get into Balboa? I was told there was about a 2 year waiting list. We would have done that, but I can't carry and we have a friend that is our surrogate. With both of our families in the military, there is no way we could guarantee 3 years here. I have started looking into grants. So far, I haven't had any luck, but I will post something if I find anything.
My OB/GYN at the NHCP recommended I go through Balboa as out in town would more than likely drain my pockets. My OB/GYN informed me that Balboa does IVF only because its a "training" facility. That note wasn't assuring for me. I'm hoping to get any feed back on any experiences from anyone whose done IVF through Balboa. Thank You :)
Hi! I just actually finished our IVF process throught Balboa! We ended up choosing UCSD Reproductive Partners as a second civilian clinic which did our lab work for the IVF, Balboa and which ever other clinic you choose team up for the IVF because Balboa does everything besides the actual embryo fertelization. Balboa was amazing! We saw Dr. Laufer and Dr. Wittenburger and were the best doctors I have ever had. We are very blessed and had our last/first ultrasound with them on Tuesday and we are pregnant with TWINS!! I highly recommend Balboa!!!
Also, if I may ask, how much did you pay out of pocket for the civilian clinic?? My work offers medical insurance but I obviously didn't take it as Tri-Care has better benefits. I would just like to lay out whether its worth me paying for a secondary insurance or pay out of my pocket. Thank You, again.
We experienced 2 ectopic pregnancies before deciding on IVF. We were on of the few lucky couples that were able to conceive on the first try. We ended up paying 2950$ out of pocket excluding the numerous amounts of trips to and from San Diego.
That is about the same with us, having ectopic pregnancies. My OB/GYN suggested IVF last year after the ectopic pregnancy but I was to stressed/busy with other things going on with work and "baby daddy" issues. But a year has passed and my life is more calm that it has ever been. So we feel now is a good time to try IVF.
Is the $2950 just for the civilian clinic on top of the $3000 for Balboa? or does that include both to Balboa and UCSD Reproductive Partners?
I paid $5500 total at NTC. Curious how you only paid 3.
My first ivf attempt there resulted in a miscarriage. They messed up with me there. I think since they are so overbooked it is hard to keep up with everyone. The are the only fertility clinic all the surrounding bases use. I was also disappointed how they made me feel/treated me through the miscarriage process. I went to a civilian doctor after that. I couldn't do another round with them. My second ivf cycle resulted in a full term baby.
I guess it depends on when you went through the IVF process. It was less than 2 months ago and prices change! We paid $2950 and partnered up with UCSD Reproductive Partners! They all were amazing with my husband and I. I guess your experience with them also has to do with what kind of patient you are! Glad your second time around worked out so well!
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First National Bank Alaska (FNBA) Soldotna branch manager Charlie Weimer wanted to underscore the importance of being generous to the Salvation Army this season when you see the traditional Kettles and hear the bells ringing in familiar shopping locations, so he wrote out a big check and stuffed into a Kettle, "Now is the time of year the Kettles are out and we see them at Fred Myers and Wal-Mart and various other places around town and we wanted to kick start the drive this year so we found $1,500 to donate to the Salvation Army effort which always has a great outreach in our community," said Weimer.
Weimer says he'll be joining Mike Sweeney and other Rotarians this weekend ringing those Kettle bells, "We've had a friendly competition for years between the Kenai, Kenai River, and Soldotna Rotary Clubs for bragging rights for the coming year and the right to keep the bell trophy at their club's meeting place. It's a lot of fun and another way that we practice Service Above Self while spreading the message that a little goes a long way so if you have a few coins in your pocket as you pass the kettle or are shopping with a child let them put the coins in the kettle and feel the joy of giving back to their community and helping those who are in hard times," added Weimer.
According to Envoy Craig Fanning with the Kenai Salvation Army the Kettle Drive is their major fund raiser for the entire year, "These funds will go toward toys and gifts from our angel trees at Fred Myer and Safeway in Kenai and purchase food for our Christmas baskets that we'll be giving away to between five and six hundred families this year," he said. Rotarians are not the only volunteers that "stand kettle" Fanning says it takes more than 1,200 volunteer hours this time of year, "At Christmas time is when we need the majority of our volunteers and not just at the kettles, we need volunteers for other things we do such as the gifts for the children of inmates at Wildwood in addition to needing toy shoppers for the Toy & Joy shop, people to put together food basket. We need volunteers year round but especially during the holidays, an hour of time is worth as much as a hundred dollar check to us," added Fanning.
Fanning says that the turnout for the annual Salvation Army Thanksgiving Day dinner underscores the growing needs in our community, "We usually have about 80 folks join us for dinner and we can send them home with leftovers, this year we doubled that and it was our largest group ever with nearly 200 meals being served. About 30 Soldotna Rotary volunteers came out bright and early Thanksgiving morning and did all the cooking and it was a real blessing, this was the first year ever though that we actually ran out of food, but everyone had a wonderful meal," he said. For more information about volunteering for the Salvation Army or to apply for holiday assistance stop by the Salvation Army Family Service office next to the thrift store in Kenai or call 283-4035.
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* "The question of real, lasting world peace concerns human beings, so basic human feelings are also at its roots. Through inner peace, genuine world peace can be achieved. In this the importance of individual responsibility is quite clear; an atmosphere of peace must first be created within ourselves, then gradually expanded to include our families, our communities, and ultimately the whole planet. ~Dalai Lama
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rumsfeld, indifferent, unashamed, blatantly unapologetic. what else is new? "He remains unrepentant about the Pentagon's overall handling of detainee interrogations, " (blog entry) Donald Rumsfeld came to the Pentagon with a plan to transform America into the Defense Department. So far we have Pentagon funding for arial drone strikes, robotic research at universities, transhumanism and a pervasive feature creep of DoD techn... read more
photo posted 02/03
photo posted 02/03
photo posted 01/25
If you’re going to invoke the Buddha, you have to do it right. Unless you understand what invoking means, you’ll do it wrong. And if you do it wrong, you’ll never go anywhere. (blog entry) THE ZEN TEACHINGS OF BODHIDHARMA
Translated by Red Pine 1987
Outline of Practise
The Bloodstream Sermon
The Wake-up Sermon
The Breakthrough Sermon
Outline of Practice
MANY ... read more
Architects of Control: Program One Mass Control and the Future of Mankind : explores humankind’s future and the posthuman world. Will the “perfect” human be a dumbed down, regimented inhabitant of a (blog entry)
Architects of Control: Program One
Mass Control and the Future of Mankind
2 DVD Disks. 2.5 Hours Duration.
Item Cost: $29.95 (plus shipping & handling)
...man is the source of all coming evil - Carl Gustav Jung
Pr... read more
photo posted 12/30
"We should train ourselves not to become engrossed in any of the thoughts continuously arising in our mind. Our consciousness is like a vast ocean with plenty of space for thoughts and emotions to swim about and we should not allow our attention to be distracted by any of them."
these teachings i found in a packet of incense
You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour.
rumsfeld, indifferent, unashamed, blatantly unapologetic. what else is new? "He remains unrepentant about the Pentagon's overall handling of detainee interrogations, "
Donald Rumsfeld came to the Pentagon with a plan to transform America into the Defense Department. So far we have Pentagon funding for arial drone strikes, robotic research at universities, transhumanism and a pervasive feature creep of DoD technology into the so called civilian, suburban American Dream, er nightmare.Thu, February 3, 2011 - 3:49 AM permalink - 1 comment
washingtonpost.com > Arts & Living > Style
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Rumsfeld remains largely unapologetic in memoir
Donald Rumsfeld: Decline and Fall
Donald Rumsfeld came to the Pentagon with a plan to transform the Defense Department. Then America went to war with Iraq.
By Bradley Graham
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 3, 2011; 12:00 AM
"He remains unrepentant about the Pentagon's overall handling of detainee interrogations, "
Who Owns the Rights on Tamiflu: Rumsfeld To Profit From Bird Flu Hoax
Who Owns the Rights on Tamiflu: Rumsfeld To Profit From Bird Flu Hoax. by Michel Chossudovsky. Global Research, October 26, 2005 ...
where is the laws and the scales of justice?
and whom do they favor?
If you’re going to invoke the Buddha, you have to do it right. Unless you understand what invoking means, you’ll do it wrong. And if you do it wrong, you’ll never go anywhere.
THE ZEN TEACHINGS OF BODHIDHARMATue, January 25, 2011 - 1:12 AM permalink - 0 comments
Translated by Red Pine 1987
Outline of Practise
The Bloodstream Sermon
The Wake-up Sermon
The Breakthrough Sermon
Outline of Practice
MANY roads lead to the Path, but basically there are only two: reason and practice. To enter by reason means to realize the essence through instruction and to believe that all living things share the same true nature, which isn’t apparent because it’s shrouded by sensation and delusion. Those who turn from delusion back to reality, who meditate on walls,’ the absence of self and other, the oneness of mortal and sage, and who remain unmoved even by scriptures are in complete and unspoken agreement with reason. Without moving, without effort, they enter, we say, by reason.
To enter by practice refers to four all-inclusive practices: Suffering injustice, adapting to conditions, seeking nothing, and practicing the Dharma. First, suffering injustice. When those who search for the Path encounter adversity, they should think to themselves, "In Countless ages gone by, I’ve turned from the essential to the trivial and wandered through all manner of existence, often angry without cause and guilty of numberless transgressions.
Now, though I do no wrong, I’m punished by my past. Neither gods nor men can foresee when an evil deed will bear its fruit. I accept it with an open heart and without complaint of injustice. The sutras say " when you meet with adversity don’t be upset because it makes sense." With such understanding you’re in harmony with reason. And by suffering injustice you enter the Path. Second, adapting to conditions. As mortals, we’re ruled by conditions, not by ourselves. All the suffering and joy we experience depend on conditions. If we should be blessed by some great reward, such as fame or fortune, it’s the fruit of a seed planted by us in the past. When conditions change, it ends. Why delight In Its existence? But while success and failure depend on conditions, the mind neither waxes nor wanes. Those who remain unmoved by the wind of joy silently follow the Path.
Third, seeking nothing. People of this world are deluded. They’re always longing for something-always, in a word, seeking. But the wise wake up. They choose reason over custom. They fix their minds on the sublime and let their bodies change with the seasons. All phenomena are empty. They contain nothing worth desiring. Calamity forever alternates with Prosperity! To dwell in the three realms is to dwell in a burning house. To have a body is to suffer. Does anyone with a body know peace? Those who understand this detach themselves from all that exists and stop Imagining or seeking anything. The sutras say, "To seek is to suffer.
To seek nothing is bliss." When you seek nothing, you’re on the Path. Fourth, practicing the Dharma.’ The Dharma is the truth that all natures are pure. By this truth, all appearances are empty. Defilement and attachment, subject and object don’t exist. The sutras say, "The Dharma includes no being because it’s free from the impurity of being, and the Dharma includes no self because it’s free from the impurity of self." Those wise enough to believe and understand these truths are bound to practice according to the Dharma. And since that which is real includes nothing worth begrudging, they give their body, life, and property in charity, without regret, without the vanity of giver, gift, or recipient, and without bias or attachment. And to eliminate impurity they teach others, but without becoming attached to form. Thus, through their own practice they’re able to help others and glorify the Way of Enlightenment. And as with charity, they also practice the other virtues. But while practicing the six virtues to eliminate delusion, they practice nothing at all. This is what’s meant by practicing the Dharma.
Everything that appears in the three realms comes from the mind. Hence Buddhas of the past and future teach mind to mind without bothering about definitions. But if they don’t define it, what do they mean by mind? You ask. That’s your mind. I answer. That’s my mind. If I had no mind how could I answer? If you had no mind, how could you ask? That which asks is your mind. Through endless kalpas" without beginning, whatever you do, wherever you are, that’s your real mind, that’s your real buddha. This mind is the buddha" says the same thing. Beyond this mind you’ll never find another Buddha. To search for enlightenment or nirvana beyond this mind is impossible. The reality of your own self-nature the absence of cause and effect, is what’s meant by mind. Your mind is nirvana. You might think you can find a Buddha or enlightenment somewhere beyond the mind’, but such a place doesn’t exist.
Trying to find a Buddha or enlightenment is like trying to grab space. Space has
a name but no form. It’s not something you can pick up or put down. And you certainly can’t grab if. Beyond mind you’ll never see a Buddha. The Buddha is a product of the mind. Why look for a Buddha beyond this mind?
Buddhas of the past and future only talk about this mind. The mind is the Buddha, and the Buddha is the mind. Beyond the mind there’s no Buddha and beyond the Buddha there’s no mind. If you think there is a Buddha beyond the mind’, where is he? There’s no Buddha beyond the mind, so why envision one? You can’t know your real mind as long as you deceive yourself. As long as you’re enthralled by a lifeless form, you’re not free. If you don’t believe me, deceiving yourself won’t help. It’s not the Buddha’s fault. People, though, are deluded. They’re unaware that their own mind is the Buddha. Otherwise they wouldn’t look for a Buddha outside the mind.
Buddhas don’t save Buddhas. If you use your mind to look for a Buddha, you won’t see the Buddha. As long as you look for a Buddha somewhere else, you’ll never see that your own mind is the Buddha. Don’t use a Buddha to worship a Buddha. And don’t use the mind to invoke a Buddha." Buddhas don’t recite sutras." Buddhas don’t keep precepts." And Buddhas don’t break precepts. Buddhas don’t keep or break anything. Buddhas don’t do good or evil.
To find a Buddha, you have to see your nature." Whoever sees his nature is a Buddha. If you don’t see your nature, invoking Buddhas, reciting sutras, making offerings, and keeping precepts are all useless. Invoking Buddhas results in
good karma, reciting sutras results in a good memory; keeping precepts results in a good rebirth, and making offerings results in future blessings-but no buddha. If you don’t understand by yourself, you’ll have to find a teacher to get to the bottom of life and death. But unless he sees his nature, such a person isn’t a tea6er. Even if he can recite the Twelvefold Canon he can’t escape the Wheel of Birth and Death. He suffers in the three realms without hope of release. Long ago, the monk Good Star 21 was able to recite the entire Canon. But he didn’t escape the Wheel, because he didn’t see his nature. If this was the case with Good Star, then people nowadays who recite a few sutras or shastras and think it’s the Dharma are fools. Unless you see your mind, reciting so much prose is useless.
To find a Buddha all you have to do is see your nature. Your nature is the Buddha. And the Buddha is the person who’s free: free of plans, free of cares. If you don’t see your nature and run around all day looking somewhere else, you’ll never find a buddha. The truth is there’s nothing to find. But to reach such an understanding you need a teacher and you need to struggle to make yourself understand. Life and death are important. Don’t suffer them in vain.
There’s no advantage in deceiving yourself. Even if you have mountains of jewels and as many servants as there are grains of sand along the Ganges, you see them when your eyes are open. But what about when your eyes are shut? You should realize then that everything you see is like a dream or illusion.
If you don’t find a teacher soon, you’ll live this life in vain. It’s true, you have the buddha-nature. But the help of a teacher you’ll never know it. Only one person in a million becomes enlightened without a teacher’s help. If, though, by the conjunction of conditions, someone understands what the Buddha meant, that person doesn’t need a teacher. Such a person has a natural awareness superior to anything taught. But unless you’re so blessed, study hard, and by means of instruction you’ll understand.
People who don’t understand and think they can do so without study are no different from those deluded souls who can’t tell white from black." Falsely proclaiming the Buddha-Dharma, such persons in fact blaspheme the Buddha and subvert the Dharma. They preach as if they were bringing rain. But theirs is the preaching of devils not of Buddhas. Their teacher is the King of Devils and their disciples are the Devil’s minions. Deluded people who follow such instruction unwittingly sink deeper in the Sea of Birth and Death. Unless they see their nature, how can people call themselves Buddhas they’re liars who deceive others into entering the realm of devils. Unless they see their nature, their preaching of the Twelvefold Canon is nothing but the preaching of devils. Their allegiance is to Mara, not to the Buddha. Unable to distinguish white from black, how can they escape birth and death?
Whoever sees his nature is a Buddha; whoever doesn’t is a mortal. But if you can find your buddha-nature apart from your mortal nature, where is it? Our mortal nature is our Buddha nature. Beyond this nature there’s no Buddha. The Buddha is our nature. There’s no Buddha besides this nature. And there’s no nature besides the Buddha. But suppose I don’t see my nature, cant I still attain enlightenment by invoking Buddhas, reciting sutras, making offerings, observing precepts, Practicing devotions, or doing good works?
No, you can’t. Why not?
If you attain anything at all, it’s conditional, it’s karmic. It results in retribution. It turns the Wheel. And as long as you’re subject to birth and death, you’ll never attain enlightenment. To attain enlightenment you have to see your nature. Unless you see your nature, all this talk about cause and effect is nonsense. Buddhas don’t practice nonsense. A Buddha free of karma free of cause and effect. To say he attains anything at all is to slander a Buddha. What could he possibly attain? Even focusing on a mind, a power, an understanding, or a view is impossible for a Buddha. A Buddha isn’t one sided. The nature of his mind is basically empty, neither pure nor impure. He’s free of practice and realization. He’s free of cause and effect.
A Buddha doesn’t observe precepts. A Buddha doesn’t do good or evil. A Buddha isn’t energetic or lazy. A Buddha is someone who does nothing, someone who can’t even focus his mind on a Buddha. A Buddha isn’t a Buddha. Don’t think about Buddhas. If you dont see what I’m talking about, you’ll ever know your own mind. People who don’t see their nature and imagine they can practice thoughtlessness all the time are lairs and fools. They fall into endless space. They’re like drunks. They can’t tell good from evil. If you intend to cultivate such a practice, you have to see your nature before you can put an end to rational thought. To attain enlightenment without seeing your nature is impossible. Still others commit all sorts of evil deeds, claiming karma doesn’t exist. They erroneously maintain that since everything is empty committing evil isn’t wrong. Such persons fall into a hell of endless darkness with no hope of release. Those who are wise hold no such conception.
But if our every movement or state, whenever it occurs, is the mind, why don’t we see this mind when a person’s body dies?
The mind is always present. You just don’t see it.
But if the mind is present, why don’t I see it?
Do you ever dream?
When you dream, is that you?
Yes, it’s me.
And is what you’re doing and saying different from you?
No, it isn’t.
But if it isn’t, then this body is your real body. And this real body is your mind. And this mind, through endless kalpas without beginning, has never varied. It has never lived or died, appeared or disappeared, increased or decreased. Its not pure or impure, good or evil, past or future. It’s not true or false. It’s not mate or female. It doesn’t appear as a monk or a layman, an elder or a novice, a sage or a fool, a Buddha or a mortal. It strives ‘for no realization and suffers no karma. It has no strength or form. It’s like space. You can’t possess it and you can’t lose it. Its movements can’t be blocked by mountains, rivers, or rock walls. Its unstoppable powers penetrate the Mountain of Five Skandhas and cross the River of Samsara." No karma can restrain this real body. But this mind is subtle and hard to see. It’s not the same as the sensual mind. Every I one wants to see this mind, and those who move their hands and feet by its light are as many as the grains of sand along the Ganges, but when you ask them, they can’t explain it. They’re like puppets. It’s theirs to use. Why don’t they see it?
The Buddha said people are deluded. This Is why when they act they fall into the river of endless rebirth. And when they try to get out they only sink deeper. And all because they don’t see their nature. If people weren’t deluded why would they ask about something right in front of them? Not one of they understands the movement of his own hands and feet. The Buddha wasn’t mistaken. Deluded people don’t know who they are. A Buddha and no one else know something so hard to fathom. Only the wise knows mind, this mind call nature, this mind called liberation. Neither life nor death can restrain this mind. Nothing can. It’s also called the Unstoppable Tathagata," the Incomprehensible, the Sacred Self, the Immortal, the Great Sage. Its names vary but not its essence. Buddhas vary too, but none leaves his own mind. The mind’s capacity is limitless, and its manifestations are inexhaustible. Seeing forms with your eyes, hearing sounds with your ears, smelling odors with your nose, tasting flavors with your tongue, every movement or state is your entire mind. At every moment, where language can’t go, that’s your mind.
The sutras say, "A Tathagata’s forms are endless. And so is his awareness." The endless variety of forms is due to the mind. Its ability to distinguish things, whatever their movement or state, is the mind’s awareness. But the mind has no form and its awareness no limit. Hence it’s said, "A Tathagata’s forms are endless. And so is his awareness." A material body of the four elements" is trouble. A material body is subject to birth and death. But the real body exists without existing, because a Tathagata’s real body never changes. The sutras say, "People should realize that the buddha-nature is something they have always had." Kashyapa only realized his own nature.
Our nature is the mind. And the mind is our nature. This nature is the same as the mind of all Buddhas. Buddhas of the past and future only transmit this mind. Beyond this mind there’s no Buddha anywhere. But deluded people don’t realize that their own mind is the Buddha. They keep searching outside. They never stop invoking Buddhas or worshipping Buddhas and wondering Where is the buddha? Don’t indulge in such illusions. Just know your mind. Beyond your mind there’s no other Buddha. The sutras say, "Everything that has form is an illusion." They also say, "Wherever you are, there’s a Buddha." Your mind is the Buddha. Don’t use a Buddha to worship a Buddha.
Even if a Buddha or bodhisattva" should suddenly appear before you, there’s no need for reverence. This mind of ours is empty and contains no such form. Those who hold onto appearances are devils. They fall from the Path. Why worship
illusions born of the mind? Those who worship don’t know, and those who know don’t worship. By worshipping you come under the spell of devils. I point this out because 1 afraid you’re unaware of it. The basic nature of a Buddha has no such form. Keep this in mind, even if something unusual should appear. Don’t embrace it, and don’t fear it, and don’t doubt that your Mind is basically pure. Where could there be room for any such form? Also, at the appearance of spirits, demons, or divine conceive neither respect nor fear. Your mind is basically empty. All appearances are illusions. Don’t hold on to appearances. If you envision a Buddha, a Dharma, or a bodhisattva" and conceive respect for them, you relegate yourself to the realm of mortals. If you seek direct understanding, don’t hold on to any appearance whatsoever, and you’ll succeed. I have no other advice. The sutras say, "All appearances are illusions." They have no fixed existence, o constant form. They’re impermanent. Don’t cling to appearances and you’ll be of one mind with the Buddha. The sutras say, "’That which is free of all form is the Buddha."
But why shouldn’t we worship Buddhas and bodhisattvas?
Devils and demons possess the power of manifestation. They can create the appearance of bodhisattvas in all sorts of guises. But they’re false. None of them are Buddhas. The Buddha is your own mind. Don’t misdirect your worship.
Buddha is Sanskrit for what you call aware, miraculously aware. Responding, arching your brows blinking your eyes, moving your hands and feet, its all your miraculously aware nature. And this nature is the mind. And the mind is the Buddha. And the Buddha is the path. And the path is Zen. But the word Zen is one that remains a puzzle to both mortals and sages. Seeing your nature is Zen. Unless you see your nature, it’s not Zen.
Even if you can explain thousands of sutras and shastras, unless you see your own nature yours is the teaching of a mortal, not a Buddha. The true Way is sublime. It can’t be expressed in language. Of what use are scriptures? But someone who sees his own nature finds the Way, even if he can’t read a word. Someone who sees his nature is a Buddha. And since a Buddha’s body is intrinsically pure and unsullied, and everything he says is an expression of his mind, being basically empty, a buddha can’t be found in words or anywhere in the Twelvefold Canon.
The Way is basically perfect. It doesn’t require perfecting. The Way has no form or sound. It’s subtle and hard to perceive. It’s like when you drink water: you know how hot or cold it is, but you can’t tell others. Of that which only a
Tathagata knows men and gods remain unaware. The awareness of mortals falls short. As long as ,they’re attached to appearances, they’re unaware that their minds are empty.
And by mistakenly clinging to the appearance of things they lose the Way. If you know that everything comes from the mind, don’t become attached. Once attached, you’re unaware. But once you see your own nature, the entire Canon becomes so much prose. Its thousands of sutras and shastras only amount to a clear mind. Understanding comes in midsentence. What good are doctrines? The ultimate Truth is beyond words. Doctrines are words.
They’re not the Way. The Way is wordless. Words are illusions. They’re no different from things that appear in your dreams at night, be they palaces or carriages, forested parks or lakeside ‘lions. Don’t conceive any delight for such things. They’re all cradles of rebirth. Keep this in mind when you approach death. Don’t cling to appearances, and you’ll break through all barriers. A moment’s hesitation and you’ll be under the spell of devils. Your real body is pure and impervious. But because of delusions you’re unaware of it. And because of this you suffer karma in vain. Wherever you find delight, you find bondage. But once you awaken to your original body and mind," you’re no longer bound by attachments.
Anyone, who gives up the transcendent for the mundane, ill any of its myriad forms, is a mortal. A Buddha is someone who finds freedom in good fortune and bad. Such is his power that karma can’t hold him. No matter what kind of karma Buddha transforms it. Heaven and hell are nothing to him. But the awareness of a mortal is dim compared to that of a Buddha who penetrates everything inside and out. If you’re not sure don’t act. Once you act, you wander through birth and death and regret having no refuge. Poverty and hardship are created by false thinking. To understand this mind you have to act without acting. Only then will you see things from a Tathagata’s perspective.
But when you first embark on the Path, your awareness won’t focused. But you shouldn’t doubt that all such scenes come from your own mind and nowhere else.
If, as in a dream, you see a light brighter than the sun, your remaining attachments will suddenly come to an end and the nature of reality will be revealed. Such an occurrence serves as the basis for enlightenment. But this is something only you know. You can’t explain it to others. Or if, while you’re walking, standing, sitting, or lying in a quiet grove, you see a light, regardless of whether it’s bright or dim, don’t tell others and don’t focus on it. It’s the light of your own nature.
Or if, while you’re walking, standing, sitting, or lying in the stillness and darkness of night, everything appears as though in daylight, don’t be startled. It’s your own mind about to reveal itself.
Or if, while you’re dreaming at night, you see the moon and stars in all their clarity, it means the workings of your mind are about to end. But don’t tell others. And if your dreams aren’t clear, as if you were walking in the dark, it’s because your mind is masked by cares. This too is something of" you know. if you so your nature,, you don’t need to read sutras or invoke buddhas. Erudition and Knowledge are not only useless but also cloud your awareness. Doctrines are only for pointing to the mind. Once you see your mind, why pay attention to doctrines?
To go from mortal to Buddha, you have to put an end to karma, nurture your awareness, and accept what life brings. If you’re always getting angry, you’ll turn your nature against the Way. There’s no advantage in deceiving yourself. Buddhas move freely through birth and death, appearing and disappearing at will. They can’t be restrained by karma or overcome by devils. Once mortals see their nature, all attachments end. Awareness isn’t hidden. But you can only find it right now. It’s only now. If you really want to find the Way, don’t hold on to anything. Once you put an end to karma and nurture your awareness, any attachments that remain will come to an end. Understanding comes naturally. You don’t have to make any effort. But fanatics don’t understand what the Buddha meant. And the harder they try, the farther they get from the Sage’s meaning. All day long they invoke Buddhas and read sutras. But they remain blind to their own divine nature, and they don’t escape the Wheel.
A Buddha is an idle person. He doesn’t run around after fortune and fame. What good are such things in the end? People who don’t see their nature and think reading sutras, invoking Buddhas’, studying long and hard, practicing morning
and night, never lying down, or acquiring knowledge is the Dharma, blaspheme the Dharma. Buddhas of the past and future only talk about seeing your nature. All practices are impermanent. Unless they see their nature people who claim to have attained unexcelled, complete enlightenment" are liars. Among Shakyamuni’s ten greatest disciples, Ananda was foremost in learning. But he didn’t know the Buddha. All he did was study and memorize. Arhats don’t know the Buddha. All they know are so many practices for realization, and they become trapped by cause and effect. Such is a mortal’s karma: no escape from birth and death. By doing the opposite of what lie intended, Such people blaspheme the Buddha. Killing them would not be wrong. The sutras say, "Since icchantikas are incapable of belief, killing them would be blameless, whereas people who believe reach the state of Buddhahood."
Unless you see your nature, You shouldn’t go around criticizing the goodness of others. There’s no advantage in deceiving yourself. Good and bad are distinct. Cause and effect are clear. Heaven and hell are right before your eves. But fools don’t believe and fall straight into a hell of endless darkness without even knowing it. What keeps them from believing is the heaviness of their karma. They’re like blind people who don’t believe there’s such a thing as light. Even if you explain it to them, they still don t believe, because they’re blind. How can they possibly distinguish light?
The same holds true for fools who end up among the lower orders of existence or among the poor and despised. They can’t live and they can’t die. And despite their sufferings, if you ask them, they say they’re as happy as gods. All mortals even those who think themselves wellborn, are likewise unaware. Because of the heaviness of their karma, such fools can’t believe and can’t get free.
People who see that their mind is the Buddha don’t need to shave their head" Laymen are Buddhas too. Unless they see their nature, people who shave their head are simply fanatics.
But since married laymen don’t give up sex, bow can they become Buddhas? I only talk about seeing your nature. I don’t talk about sex simply because you don’t see your nature. Once you see your nature, sex is basically immaterial. It ends along with your delight in it. Even if some habits remain’, they can’t harm you, because your nature is essentially pure. Despite dwelling in a material body of four elements, your nature is basically pure. It can’t be corrupted.
Your real body is basically pure. It can’t be corrupted. Your real body has no sensation, no hunger or thirst’, no warmth or cold, no sickness, no love or attachment, no pleasure or pain, no good or bad, no shortness or length, no weakness or strength. Actually, there’s nothing here. It’s only because you cling to this material body that things like hunger and thirst, warmth and cold, sickness appear Once you stop clinging and let things be, you’ll- be free, even of birth and death. You’ll transform everything. You’ll possess Spiritual powers " that cant be obstructed. And you’ll be at peace wherever you are. If you doubt this, you’ll never see through anything. You’re better off doing nothing. Once you act, you can’t avoid the cycle of birth and death. But once you see your nature, you’re a Buddha even if you work as a butcher.
But butchers create karma by slaughtering animals. How can they be Buddhas?
I only talk about seeing your nature. I don’t talk about creating karma. Regardless of what we do, our karma has no hold on us. Through endless kalpas without beginning, its only because people don’t see their nature that they end up in hell. As long as a person creates karma, he keeps passing through birth and death. But once a person realizes his original nature, he stops creating karma. If he doesn’t see his nature, invoking Buddhas won’t release him from his karma, regardless of whether or not he’s a butcher. But once he sees his nature, all doubts vanish. Even a butcher’s karma has no effect on such a person. In India the twenty-seven patriarchs only transmitted the imprint of the mind.
And the only reason I’ve come to China is to transmit the instantaneous teaching of the Mahayana This mind is the Buddha. I don’t talk about precepts, devotions or ascetic practices such immersing yourself in water and fire, treading a wheel of knives, eating one meal a day, or never lying down. These are fanatical, provisional teachings. Once you recognize your moving, miraculously aware nature.
Yours is the mind of all Buddhas. Buddhas of the past and future only talk about transmitting the mind.
They teach nothing else if someone understands this teaching, even if he’s illiterate he’s a Buddha. If You don’t see your own miraculously aware nature, you’ll never find a Buddha even if you break your body into atoms.
The Buddha is your real body, your original mind. This mind has no form or characteristics, no cause or effect, no tendons or bones. It’s like space. You can’t hold it. Its not the mind or materialists or nihilists. Except for a Tathagata, no one else- no mortal, no deluded being-can fathom it.
But this mind isn’t somewhere outside the material body of four elements.Without this mind we can’t move. The body has no awareness. Like a plant or stone, the body has no nature. So how does it move? It’s the mind that moves. Language and behavior, perception and conception are all functions of the moving mind. All motion is the mind’s motion. Motion is its function. Apart from motion there’s no mind, and apart from the mind there’s no motion. But motion isn’t the mind. And the mind isn’t motion. Motion is basically mindless. And the mind is basically motionless. But motion doesn’t exist without the mind. And the mind doesn’t exist without motion. Theres no mind for motion to exist apart from, and
no motion for mind to exist apart from. Motion is the mind’s function, and its function is its motion. Even so, the mind neither moves nor functions, the essence of its functioning is emptiness and emptiness is essentially motionless. Motion is the same as the mind. And the mind is essentially motionless. Hence the Sutras tell us to move without moving, to travel without traveling, to see without seeing, to laugh without laughing, to hear without hearing, to know without knowing, to be happy, without being happy, to walk without walking, to stand without standing. And the sutras say, "Go beyond language. Go beyond thought." Basically, seeing, hearing, and knowing are completely empty. Your anger, Joy, or pain is like that of puppet. You search but you won’t find a thing.
According to the Sutras, evil deeds result in hardships and good deeds result in blessings. Angry people go to hell and happy people go to heaven. But once you know that the nature of anger and joy is empty and you let them go, you free yourself from karma. If you don’t see your nature, quoting sutras is no help, I could go on, but this brief sermon will have to do.
The essence of the Way is detachment. And the goal of those who practice is freedom from appearances. The sutras say, Detachment is enlightenment because it negates appearances. Buddhahood means awareness Mortals whose minds are aware reach the Way of Enlightenment and are therefore called Buddhas. The sutras say, "Those who free themselves from all appearances are called Buddhas." The appearance of appearance as no appearance can’t be seen visually but can only be known by means of wisdom. Whoever hears and believes this teaching embarks on the Great Vehicle" and leaves the three realms. The three realms are greed, anger, and delusion. To leave the three realms means to go from greed, anger, and delusion back to morality, meditation, and wisdom. Greed, anger, and delusion have no nature of their own. They depend on mortals. And anyone capable of reflection is bound to see that the nature of greed, anger, and delusion is the buddha-nature. Beyond greed, anger, and delusion there is no other buddha-nature. The sutras say, "Bu as have only become buddhas while living with the three poisons and nourishing themselves on the pure Dharma." The three poisons are greed, anger, and delusion.
The Great Vehicle is the greatest of all vehicles. It’s the conveyance of bodhisattvas, who use everything wit out using anything and who travel all day without traveling. Such is the vehicle of Buddhas.
The sutras say, "No vehicle is the vehicle of Buddhas."
Whoever realizes that the six senses aren’t real, that the five aggregates are fictions, that no such things can be located anywhere in the body, understands the language of Buddhas. The sutras say, "The cave of five aggregates is the hall of Zen. The opening of the inner eye is the door of the Great Vehicle." What could be clearer?
Not thinking about anything is Zen. Once you know this, walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, everything you do is Zen. To know that the mind is empty is to see the Buddha. The Buddhas of the ten directions" have no mind. To see no mind is to see the Buddha.
To give up yourself without regret is the greatest charity. To transcend motion and stillness is the highest meditation. Mortals keep moving, and Arhats stay still." But the highest meditation surpasses both that of mortals and that of Arhats. People who reach such understanding free themselves from all appearances without effort and cure all illnesses without treatment. Such is the power of great Zen.
Using the mind to look for reality is delusion. Not using the mind to took for reality is awareness. Freeing oneself from words is liberation. Remaining unblemished by the dust of sensation is guarding the Dharma. Transcending life and death is leaving home."
Not suffering another existence is reaching the Way. Not creating delusions is enlightenment. Not engaging in ignorance is wisdom. No affliction is nirvana. And no appearance of the mind is the other shore.
When you’re deluded, this shore exists. When you wake tip, it doesn’t exist. Mortals stay on this shore. But those who discover the greatest of all vehicles stay on neither this shore nor the other shore. They’re able to leave both shores. Those who see the other shore as different from this shore don’t understand Zen.
Delusion means mortality. And awareness means Buddhahood. They’re not the same. And they’re not different. It’s ‘List that people distinguish delusion from awareness. When we’re deluded there’s a world to escape. When we’re aware, there’s nothing to escape.
In the light of the impartial Dharma, mortals look no different from sages. The sutras say that the impartial Dharma is something that mortals can’t penetrate and sages can’t practice. The impartial Dharma is only practiced by great bodhisattvas and Buddhas. To look on life as different from death or on motion as different from stillness is to be partial. To be impartial means to look on suffering as no different from nirvana,, because the nature of both is emptiness. By
imagining they’re putting an end to Suffering and entering nirvana Arhats end up trapped by nirvana. But bodhisattvas know that suffering is essentially empty. And by remaining in emptiness they remain in nirvana. Nirvana means no birth and no death. It’s beyond birth and death and beyond nirvana. When the mind stops moving, it enters nirvana. Nirvana is an empty mind. When delusions dont exist, Buddhas reach nirvana. Where afflictions don’t exist, bodhisattvas enter the place of enlightenment An uninhabited place is one without greed, anger, or delusion. Greed is the realm of desire, anger the realm of form, and delusion the formless realm. When a thought begins, you enter the three realms. When a thought ends, you leave the three realms. The beginning or end of the three realms, the existence or nonexistence of anything, depends on the mind. This applies to everything, even to such inanimate objects as rocks and sticks.
Whoever knows that the mind is a fiction and devoid of anything real knows that his own mind neither exists nor doesn’t exist. Mortals keep creating the mind, claiming it exists. And Arhats keep negating the mind, claiming it doesn’t exist. But bodhisattvas and Buddhas neither create nor negate the mind. This is what’s meant by the mind that neither exists nor doesn’t exist. The mind that neither exists nor doesn’t exist is called the Middle Way.
If you use your mind to study reality, you won’t understand either your mind or reality. If you study reality without using your mind, you’ll understand both. Those who don’t understand don’t understand understanding. And those who understand, understand not understanding. People capable of true vision know that the mind is empty. They transcend both understanding and not understanding. The absence of both understanding and not understanding is true understanding Seen with true vision, form isn’t simply form, because form depends on mind. And mind isn’t simply mind, because mind depends on form. Mind and form create and negate each other. That which exists exists in relation to that which doesn’t exist. And that which doesn’t exist doesn’t exist in relation to that which exists. This is true vision. By means of such vision nothing is seen and nothing is not seen. Such vision reaches throughout the ten directions without seeing: because nothing is seen; because not seeing is seen; because seeing isn’t seeing. What mortals see are delusions. True vision is detached from seeing. The mind and the world are opposites, and vision arises where they meet. When your mind doesn’t stir inside, the world doesn’t arise outside. When the world and the mind are both transparent, this is true vision. And such understanding is true understanding.
To see nothing is to perceive the Way, and to understand nothing is to know the Dharma, because seeing is neither seeing nor not seeing and because understanding is neither understanding nor not understanding. Seeing without seeing is true vision. Understanding without understanding is true understanding.
True vision isn’t just seeing seeing. It’s also seeing not seeing. And true understanding isn’t just understanding understanding. It’s also understanding not understanding. If you understand anything, you don’t understand. Only when you understand nothing is it true understanding. Understanding is neither understanding nor not understanding.
The sutras say, "Not to let go of wisdom is stupidity." When the mind doesn’t exist, understanding and not understanding are both true. When the mind exists, understanding and not understanding are both false. When you understand, reality depends on you. When you don’t understand, you depend on reality. When reality depends on you, that which isn’t real becomes real. When you depend on reality, that which is real becomes false. When you depend on reality, everything is false. When reality depends on you, everything is true. Thus, the sage doesn’t use his mind to look for reality, or reality to look for his mind, or his mind to look for his mind, or reality to look for reality. His mind doesn’t give rise to reality. And reality doesn’t give rise to his mind. And because both his mind and reality are still, he’s always in samadhi.
When the mortal mind appears, buddhahood disappears. When the mortal mind disappears, buddhahood appears. When the mind appears, reality disappears. When the mind disappears, reality appears. Whoever knows that nothing depends on anything has found the Way. And whoever knows that the mind depends on nothing is always at the place of enlightenment.
When you don’t understand, your wrong. When you understand, you re not wrong. This is because the nature of wrong is empty. When you don’t understand right seems wrong. When you understand, wrong isn’t wrong, because wrong doesn’t exist. The sutras say, "Nothing has a nature of its own." Act. Don’t question. When you question, you’re wrong. Wrong is the result of questioning. When you reach such an understanding, the wrong deeds of your past lives are wiped away. When you’re deluded, the six senses and five shades are constructs of suffering and mortality When you wake up, the six senses and five shades are constructs of nirvana and immortality.
Someone who seeks the Way doesn’t look beyond himself. He knows that the mind is the Way. But when he finds the mind, he finds nothing. And when he finds the Way, he finds nothing. If you think you can use the mind to find the Way, you’re deluded. When you, re deluded, buddhahood exists. When you’re aware, it doesn’t exist. This is because awareness is buddhahood.
If you’re looking for the Way, the Way won’t appear until your body’ disappears. It’s like stripping bark from a tree. This karmic body undergoes constant change. It has no fixed reality. Practice according to your thoughts. Don’t hate life and death or love life and death. Keep your every thought free of delusion, and in life you’ll witness the beg- inning of nirvana and in death you’ll experience the assurance of no rebirth.
To see form but not be corrupted by form or to hear sound but not to be corrupted by sound is liberation. Eyes that aren’t attached to form are the gates of Zen. In short, those who perceive the existence and nature of phenomena and remain unattached are liberated. Those who perceive the external appearance of phenomena are at their mercy. Not to be subject to afflictions is what’s meant by liberation. There’s no other liberation. When you know how to look at form, form doesn’t give rise to mind and mind doesn’t give rise to form. Form and mind are both pure.
When delusions are absent, the mind is the land of Buddhas. When delusions are present, the mind is hell. Mortals create delusions. And by using the mind to give birth to mind they always find themselves in hell. Bodhisattvas see through delusions. And by not using the mind to give birth to mind they always find themselves in the land of Buddhas. If you don’t use your mind to create mind, every state of mind is empty and every thought is still. You go from one buddhaland to another. If you use your mind to create mind, every state of mind is disturbed and every thought is in motion. You go from one hell to the next. When a thought arises, there’s good karma and bad karma, heaven and hell. When no thought arises, there’s no good karma or bad karma, no heaven or hell.
The body neither exists nor doesn’t exist. Hence existence as a mortal and nonexistence as a sage are conceptions with which a sage has nothing to do. His heart is empty and spacious as the sky. That which follows is witnessed on the Way. It’s beyond the ken of Arhats and mortals.
When the mind reaches nirvana, you don’t see nirvana, because the mind is nirvana. If you see nirvana somewhere outside the mind, you’re deluding yourself.
Every suffering is a buddha-seed, because suffering impels mortals to seek wisdom. But you can only say that suffering gives rise to Buddhahood. You can’t say that suffering is Buddhahood. Your body and mind are the field. Suffering is the seed, wisdom the sprout, and Buddhahood the grain. The Buddha in the mind is like a fragrance in a tree. The Buddha comes from a mind free of suffering, just as a fragrance comes from a tree free of decay. There’s no fragrance without the tree and no Buddha without the mind. If there’s a fragrance without a tree, it’s a different fragrance. If there’s a Buddha without your mind, it’s a different Buddha.
When the three poisons are present in your mind, you live in a land of filth.
When the three poisons are absent from your mind, you live in a land of purity.
The sutras say, "if you fill a land with impurity and filth, no Buddha will ever appear." Impurity and filth refer to on and the other poisons. A Buddha refers to a pure and awakened mind. There’s no language that, isn’t the Dharma. To talk all day without saying anything is the Way. To be silent all day and still say something isn’t the Way. Hence neither does a Tathagata speech depend on silence, nor does his silence depend on speech, nor does his speech exist apart from his silence. Those who understand both speech and silence are in samadhi. If you speak when you know, Your speech is free. If you’re silent when you don’t know, your silence is tied. If speech isn’t attached to appearances its free. If silence is attached to appearances, it’s tied. Language is essentially free. It has nothing to do with attachment. And attachment has nothing to do with language. Reality has no high or low. If you see high or low, It isn’t real. A raft isn’t real. But a passenger raft is. A person who rides such a raft can cross that which isn’t real. That’s why it’s real.
According to the world there’s male and female, rich and poor. According to the Way there’s no male or female, no rich or poor. When the goddess realized the Way, she didn’t change her sex. When the stable boy" awakened to the Truth, he
didn’t change his status. Free of sex and status, they shared the same basic appearance. The goddess searched twelve years for her womanhood without success. To search twelve years for ones manhood would likewise be fruitless. The twelve years refer to the twelve entrances. Without the mind there s no Buddha. Without the Buddha there is no mind.
Likewise, without water there’s no ice, and without ice there is no water. Whoever talks about leaving the mind doesn’t get very far. Don’t become attached to appearances of the mind. The sutras say, "When you see no appearance, you see the Buddha." This is what’s meant by being free from appearances of the mind. Without the mind there’s no Buddha means that the-buddha comes from the mind. The mind gives birth to the Buddha. But although the Buddha comes from the mind, the mind doesn’t come from the Buddha, just as fish come from water, but water doesn’t come from fish. Whoever wants to see a fish sees the water before lie sees the fish. And whoever wants to see a Buddha sees the mind before he sees the Buddha. Once you’ve seen the fish, You forget about the water. And once you’ve seen the Buddha, you forget about the mind. If you don’t forget about the mind, the mind will confuse you, just as the water will confuse you if you don’t forget about it.
Mortality and Buddhahood are like water and ice. To be afflicted by the three poisons is mortality. To be purified by the three releases" is Buddhahood. That which freezes into ice in the winter melts into water in summer. Eliminate ice
and there’s no more water. Get rid of mortality and there’s no more Buddhahood. Clearly, the nature of ice is the nature of water. And the nature of water is the nature of ice. And the nature of mortality is the nature of Buddhahood. Mortality and Buddhahood share the same nature, just as Wutou and Futzu share the same root but not the same season. It’s only because of the delusion of differences that we have the words mortality and buddhahood. When a snake becomes a dragon, it doesn’t change its scales. And when a mortal becomes a sage, he doesn’t change his face. He knows his mind through internal wisdom and takes care of his body through external discipline.
Mortals liberate Buddhas and Buddhas liberate mortals. This is what’s meant by impartiality. Mortals liberate Buddhas because affliction creates awareness. And Buddhas liberate mortals because awareness negates affliction. There can’t help but be affliction. And there can’t help but be awareness. If it weren’t for affliction, there would be nothing to create awareness. And if it weren’t for awareness, there would be nothing to negate affliction. When you’re deluded, Buddhas liberate mortals. When you’re aware, mortals liberate Buddhas. Buddhas don’t become Buddhas on their own. They’re liberated by mortals. Buddhas regard delusion as their father and greed as their mother. Delusion and greed are different names for mortality. Delusion and mortality are like the left hand and the right hand. There’s no other difference.
When you’re deluded, you’re on this shore. When you’re aware, you’re on the other shore. But once you know your mind is empty and you see no appearances, you’re beyond delusion and awareness. And once you’re beyond delusion and awareness, the other shore doesn’t exist. The tathagata isn’t on this shore or the other shore. And he isn’t in midstream. Arhats are in midstream and mortals are on this shore. On the other shore is Buddhahood. Buddhas have three bodies: a transformation body a reward body, and a real body. The transformation body is also called the incarnation body. The transformation body appears when mortals do good deeds, the reward body when they cultivate wisdom, and the real body when they become aware of the sublime. The transformation body is the one you see flying in all directions rescuing others wherever it can. The reward body puts an end to doubts. The Great Enlightenment occurred in the Himalayas suddenly becomes true. The real body doesn’t do or say anything. It remains perfectly still. But actually, there’s not even one buddha-body, much less three. This talk of three bodies is simply based on human understanding, which can be shallow, moderate, or deep. People of shallow understanding imagine they’re piling up blessings and mistake the transformation body for the Buddha. People of moderate understanding imagine they’re putting an end to Suffering and mistake the reward body for the Buddha.
And people of deep understanding imagine they’re experiencing Buddhahood and mistake the real body for the Buddha. But people of the deepest understanding took within, distracted by nothing. Since a clear mind is the Buddha they attain
the understanding of a Buddha without using the mind. The three bodies, like all other things, are unattainable and indescribable. The unimpeded mind reaches the Way. The sutras say, " Buddhas don’t preach the Dharma. They don’t liberate mortals. And they don’t experience Buddhahood." This is what I mean. Individuals create karma; karma doesn’t create individuals. They create karma in this life and receive their reward in the next. They never escape. Only someone who’s perfect creates no karma in this life and receives no reward. The sutras say, "Who creates no karma obtains the Dharma." This isn’t an empty saying. You can create karma but you can’t create a person. When you create karma, you’re reborn along with your karma. When you don’t create karma, you vanish along with your karma. Hence, wit karma dependent on the individual and the individual dependent on karma, if an individual doesn’t create karma, karma has no hold on him. In the same manner, "A person can enlarge the Way. The Way can’t enlarge a person."
Mortals keep creating karma and mistakenly insist that there’s no retribution. But can they deny suffering? Can they deny that what the present state of mind sows the next state of mind reaps? How can they escape? But if the present state of mind sows nothing, the next state of mind reaps nothing. Don’t misconceive karma.
The sutras say, "Despite believing in Buddhas, people who imagine that Buddhas practice austerities aren’t Buddhists. The same holds for those who imagine that Buddhas are subject to rewards of wealth or poverty. They’re icchantikas. They’re incapable of belief." Someone who understands the teaching of sages is a sage. Someone who understands the teaching of mortals is a mortal. A mortal who can give up the teaching of mortals and follow the teaching of sages becomes a sage. But the fools of this world prefer to look for sage a away. They don’t believe that the wisdom of their own mind is the sage. The sutras say, "Among men of no understanding, don’t preach this sutra. And the sutras say, "Mind is the teaching." But people of no understanding don’t believe their own mind or that by understanding this teaching they can become a sage. They prefer to look for distant knowledge and long for things in space, buddha-images, light, incense, and colors. They fall prey to falsehood and lose their minds to Insanity.
The sutras say, "When you see that all appearances are not appearances, you see the tathagata." The myriad doors to the truth all come from the mind. When appearances of the mind are as transparent as space, they’re gone. Our endless sufferings are the roots of illness. When mortals are alive, they worry about death. When they’re full, they worry about hunger. Theirs is the Great Uncertainty. But sages don’t consider the past. And they don’t worry about the future. Nor do they cling to the present. And from moment to moment they follow the Way. If you haven’t awakened to this great truth, you’d better look for a teacher on earth or in the heavens. Don’t compound your own deficiency.
IF someone is determined to reach enlightenment, what is the most essential method he can practice?
‘The most essential method, which includes all other methods, is beholding the mind.
But how can one method include all others?
The mind is the root from which all things grow if you can understand the mind, everything else is included. It’s like the root of a tree. All a tree’s fruit and flowers, branches and leaves depend on its root. If you nourish its root, a tree multiplies. If you cut its root, it dies. Those who understand the mind reach enlightenment with minimal effort. Those who don’t understand the mind practice in vain. Everything good and bad comes from your own mind. To find something beyond the mind is impossible.
But bow can beholding the mind be called understanding?
When a great bodhisattva delves deeply into perfect wisdom, he realizes that the four elements and five shades are devoid of a personal self. And he realizes that the activity of his mind has two aspects: pure and impure. By their very nature, these two mental states are always present. They alternate as cause or effect depending on conditions, the pure mind delighting in good deeds, the impure mind thinking of evil. Those who aren’t affected by impurity are sages. They transcend suffering and experience the bliss of nirvana. All others, trapped by the impure mind and entangled by their own karma, are mortals. They drift through the three realms and suffer countless afflictions and all because their impure mind obscures their real self.
The Sutra of Ten Stages says, "in the body of mortals is the indestructible buddha-nature. Like the sun, its light fills endless space, But once veiled by the dark clouds of the five shades, it’s like a light ‘inside a ‘at, hidden from view." And the Nirvana Sutra says, "All mortals have the buddha-nature. But it’s covered by darkness from which they can’t escape. Our buddha-nature is awareness: to be aware and to make others aware. To realize awareness is liberation," Everything good has awareness for its root. And from this root of awareness grow the tree of all virtues and the fruit of nirvana. Beholding the mind like this is understanding.
You say that our true Buddha-nature and all virtues have awareness for their root. But what is the root of ignorance?
The ignorant mind, with its infinite afflictions, passions, and evils, is rooted in the three poisons. Greed, anger, and delusion. These three poisoned states of mind themselves include countless evils, like trees that have a single trunk but countless branches and leaves. Yet each poison produces so many more millions of evils that the example of a tree is hardly a fitting comparison. The three poisons are present in our six sense organs’ as six kinds of consciousness’ or thieves. They’re called thieves because they pass in and out of the gates of the senses, covet limitless possessions, and mask their true identity. And because mortals are misled in body and mind by these poisons or thieves, they become lost in life and death, wander through the six states of existence, and suffer countless afflictions. These afflictions are like rivers that surge for a thousand miles because of the constant flow of small springs.
But if someone cuts off their source, rivers dry up. And if someone who seeks liberation can turn the three poisons into the three sets of precepts and the six thieves into the six paramitas, he rids himself of affliction once and for all. But the three realms and six states -of existence are infinitely vast. How can we escape their endless afflictions if all we do is behold the mind? The karma of the three realms comes from the mind alone. If your mind isn’t within the three realms, it’s beyond them. The three realms correspond to the three poisons- greed corresponds to the realm of desire, anger to the realm of form, and delusion to the formless realm. And because karma created by the poisons can be gentle or heavy, these three realms are further divided into six places known as the six states of existence.
And bow does the karma of these six differ?
Mortals who don’t understand true practice and blindly perform good deeds are born into the three higher states of existence within the three realms. And what are these three higher states? Those who blindly perform the ten good deeds and foolishly seek happiness are born as gods in the realm of desire. Those who blindly observe the five precepts and foolishly indulge in love and hate are born as men in the realm of anger, And those who blindly cling to the phenomenal
world, believe in false doctrines, and pray for blessings are born as demons in the realm of delusion. These are the three higher states of existence.
And what are the three lower states? They’re where those who persist in poisoned thoughts and evil deeds are born. Those whose karma from greed is greatest become hungry ghosts. Those whose karma from anger is greatest become sufferers in hell. And those whose karma from delusion is greatest become beasts. These three lower states together with the previous three higher states form the six states of existence. From this you should realize that all karma, painful or otherwise, comes from your own mind. If you can just concentrate your mind and transcend its falsehood and evil, the suffering of the three realms and six states of existence will automatically disappear. And once free from suffering, you’re truly free. But the Buddha said, "Only after undergoing innumerable hardships for three asankhya kalpas did I achieve enlightenment," Why do you now say that simply beholding the mind and over-coming the three poisons is liberation?
The words of the Buddha are true. But the three-asankhya kalpas refer to the three poisoned states of mind. What we call asankhya in Sanskrit you call countless. Within these three poisoned states of mind are countless evil thoughts, And every thought lasts a kalpa. Such an infinity is what the Buddha meant by the three asankhya kalpas, Once the three poisons obscure your real self, how can you be called liberated until you overcome their countless evil thoughts? People who can transform the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion into the three releases are said to pass through the three-sankhya kalpas. But people of this final age are the densest of fools. They don’t understand what the Tathagata really meant by the three-asankhya kalpas. They say enlightenment is only achieved after endless kalpas and thereby mislead disciples to retreat on the path to Buddhahood. But the great bodbisattvas have achieved enlightenment only by observing the three sets of precepts"’ and practicing the six Paramitas, Now you tell disciples merely to behold the mind. How can anyone reach enlightenment without cultivating the rules of discipline?
The three sets of precepts are for overcoming the three poisoned states of mind, When you overcome these poisons, you create three sets of limitless virtue, A set gathers things together-in this case, countless good thoughts throughout your mind. And the six paramitas are for purifying the six senses. What we call paramitas you call means to the other shore. By purifying your six senses of the dust of sensation, the paramitas ferry you across the River of Affliction to the Shore of Enlightenment.
According to the sutras, the three sets of precepts are, "I vow, to put an end to all evils. I vow to cultivate all virtues. And I vow to liberate all beings." But now you say they’re only for controlling the three poisoned states of mind.
Isn’t this contrary to the meaning of the scriptures?
The sutras of the Buddha are true. But long ago, when that great bodhisattva was cultivating the seed of enlightenment, it was to counter the three poisons that he made his three vows. Practicing moral prohibitions to counter the poison of greed, he vowed to put an end to all evils. Practicing meditation to Counter the poison of anger, he vowed to cultivate all virtues. And practicing wisdom to counter the poison of delusion, he vowed to liberate all beings. Because he persevered in these three pure practices of morality, meditation, and wisdom, he was able to overcome the three poisons and reach enlightenment. By overcoming the three poisons he wiped out everything sinful and thus put an end to evil. By observing the three sets of precepts he did nothing but good and thus cultivated virtue. And by putting an end to evil and cultivating virtue lie consummate all practices, benefited himself as well as others, and rescued mortals everywhere. Thus he liberated beings.
You should realize that the practice you cultivate doesn’t exist apart from your mind. If your mind is pure, all buddha-lands are pure. The sutras say, "if their minds are impure, beings are impure. If their minds are pure, beings are pure," And "To reach a buddha-land, purify your mind. As your mind becomes pure, buddha-lands become pure." Thus by overcoming the three poisoned states of mind the three sets of precepts are automatically fulfilled.
But the sutras say the six Paramitas are charity, morality, patience, devotion, meditation, and wisdom. Now you say the paramitas refer to the purification of the senses. What do you mean by this? And why are they called ferries?
Cultivating the paramitas means purifying the six senses by overcoming the six thieves. Casting out the thief of the eye by abandoning the visual world is charity. Keeping out the thief of the ear by not listening to sound is morality. Humbling the thief of the nose by equating smells as neutral is patience. Controlling the thief of the mouth by conquering desires to taste, praise, and explain is devotion. Quelling the thief of the body by remaining unmoved by sensations of touch is meditation. And taming the thief of the mind by not yielding to delusions but practicing wakefulness is wisdom, These six paramitas are transports. Like boats or rafts, they transport beings to the other shore.
Hence they’re called ferries.
But when Sbakyamuni was a bodhisattva, he consumed three bowls of milk and six ladles of gruel prior to attaining enlightenment. If he bad to drink milk before be could taste the fruit of buddhahood, how can merely beholding the mind result in liberation?
What you say is true. That is how he attained enlightenment. He had to drink milk before he could become a Buddha. But there are two kinds of milk. That which Shakyamuni drank wasn’t ordinary impure milk but Pure Dharma-talk. The three bowls were the three sets of precepts. And the six ladies were the six paramitas. When Sbakyamuni attained enlightenment, it was because he drank this pure dharma-rnilk that he tasted the fruit of Buddhahood. To say that the Tathagata drank the worldly concoction of impure, rank-smelling cow’s milk is the height of slander. That which is truly so, the indestructible, passionless Dharma-self, remains forever free of the world’s afflictions. Why would it need impure milk to satisfy its hunger or thirst?
The sutras say, "This ox doesn’t live in the highlands or the lowlands. It doesn’t eat grain or chaff. And it doesn’t graze with cows. The body of this ox is the color of burnished gold." The ox refers to Vairocana. Owing to his great compassion for all beings, he produces from within his pure Dharma-body the sublime Dharma-milk of the three sets of precepts and six paramitas to nourish all those who seek liberation. The pure milk of such a truly pure ox not only enabled the ‘tathagata to achieve buddhahood but also enables any being who drinks it to attain unexcelled, complete enlightenment.
Throughout the sutras the Buddha tells mortals they can achieve enlightenment by performing such meritorious works as building monasteries, casting statues, burning incense, scattering flowers, lighting eternal lamps, practicing all six periods" of the day and night, walking around stupas, observing fasts, and worshipping. But if beholding the mind includes all other practices, then such works as these would appear redundant.
The sutras of the Buddha contain countless metaphors. Because mortals have shallow minds and don’t understand anything deep, the Buddha used the tangible to represent the sublime. People who seek blessings by concentrating on external works instead of internal cultivation are attempting the impossible, What you call a monastery we call a sangbarama, a place of purity. But whoever denies entry to the three poisons and keeps the gates of his senses pure, his body and mind still, inside and outside clean, builds a monastery.
Casting statues refers to all practices cultivated by those who seek enlightenment. The Tathagata’s sublime form can’t be represented by metal. Those who seek enlightenment regard their bodies as the furnace, the Dharma as the fire, wisdom as the craftsmanship, and the three sets of precepts and six paramitas as the mold. They smelt and refine the true buddha-nature within themselves and pour it into the mold formed by the rules of discipline. Acting in perfect accordance with the -Buddha’s teaching, they naturally create a perfect likeness. ‘Me eternal, sublime body isn’t subject to conditions or decay. If you seek the Truth but dont learn how to make a true likeness, what will you use in its place?
And burning incense doesn’t mean ordinary material incense but the incense of the intangible Dharma, which drives away filth, ignorance, and evil deeds with its perfume. There are five kinds of such Dharma-incense. First is the incense of morality, which means renouncing evil and cultivating virtue. Second is the incense of meditation, which means deeply believing in the Mahayana with unwavering resolve. Third is the incense of wisdom, which means contemplating the body and mind, inside and out. Fourth is the incense of liberation, which means severing the bonds of ignorance. And fifth is the incense of perfect knowledge, which means being always aware and nowhere obstructed. These five are the most precious kinds of incense and far superior to anything the world has to offer.
When the Buddha was in the world, he told his disciples to light such precious incense with the fire of awareness as an offering to the Buddhas of the ten directions. But people today don’t understand the Tathagata’s real meaning. They use an ordinary flame to light material incense of sandalwood or frankincense and pray for some future blessing that never comes.
For scattering flowers the same holds true. This refers to speaking the Dharma, scattering flowers of virtue, in order to benefit others and glorify the real sell. These flowers of virtue are those praised by the Buddha. They last forever and never fade. And whoever scatters such flowers reaps infinite blessings. If you think the Tathagata meant for people to harm plants by cutting off their flowers, you’re wrong. Those who observe the precepts don’t injure any of the myriad life forms of heaven and earth. If you hurt something by mistake, you suffer for it. But those who intentionally break the precepts by injuring the living for the sake of future blessings suffer even more, How could they let would-be blessings turn into sorrows?
The eternal lamp represents perfect awareness. Likening the illumination of awareness to that of a lamp, those who seek liberation see their body as the lamp, their mind as its wick, the addition of discipline as its oil, and the power of wisdom as its flame. By lighting this lamp of perfect awareness they dispel all darkness and delusion. And by passing this Dharma on to others they’re able to use one lamp to light thousands of lamps. And because these lamps likewise light countless other lamps, their light lasts forever.
Long ago, there was a Buddha named Dipamkara, or lamplighter. This was the meaning of his name. But fools don’t understand the metaphors of the Tathagata. Persisting in delusions and clinging to the tangible, they light lamps of everyday vegetable oil and think that by illuminating the interiors of buildings they’re following the Buddha’s teaching. How foolish! The light released by a Buddha from one curl between his brows can illuminate countless worlds. An oil lamp is no help. Or do you think otherwise?
Practicing all six periods of the day and night means constantly cultivating enlightenment among the six senses and persevering in every form of awareness. Never relaxing control over the six senses is what’s meant by all six periods. As for walking around stupas, the stupa is your body and mind. When your awareness circles your body and mind without stopping, this is called walking around a stupa. The sages of long ago followed this path to nirvana. But people today don’t understand what this means. Instead of looking inside they insist on looking outside. They use their material bodies to walk around material stupas. And they keep at it day and night, wearing themselves out in vain and coming no closer to their real self.
The same holds true for observing a fast. It’s useless unless you understand what this really means. To fast means to regulate, to regulate your body and mind so that they’re not distracted or disturbed. And to observe means to uphold, to uphold the rules of discipline according to the Dharma. Fasting means guarding against the six attractions on the outside and the three poisons on the inside and striving through contemplation to purify your body and mind.
Fasting also includes five kinds of food. First there’s delight in the Dharma. This is the delight that comes from acting in accordance with the Dharma. Second is harmony in meditation. This is the harmony of body and mind that comes from seeing through subject and object. Third is invocation, the invocation of Buddhas with both your month and your mind. Fourth is resolution, the resolution to pursue virtue whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. And fifth is liberation, the liberation of your mind from worldly contamination. These five are the foods of fasting. Unless a person eats these five pure foods, he’s wrong to think he’s fasting.
Also, once you stop eating the food of delusion, if you touch it again you break your fast. And once you break it, you reap no blessing from it. The world is full of deluded people who don’t see this. They indulge their body and mind in all manner of evil. They give free rein to their passions and have no shame. And when they stop eating ordinary food, they call it fasting. How absurd!
It’s the same with worshipping. You have to understand the meaning and adapt to conditions. Meaning includes action and nonaction. Whoever understands this follows the Dharma.
Worship means reverence and humility it means revering your real self and humbling delusions. If you can wipe out evil desires and harbor good thoughts, even if nothing shows its worship. Such form is its real form. The Lord wanted worldly people to think of worship as expressing humility and subduing the mind. So he told them to prostrate their bodies to show their reverence, to let the external express the internal, to harmonize essence and form. Those who fail to cultivate the inner meaning and concentrate instead on the outward expression never stop indulging in ignorance, hatred, and evil while exhausting themselves to no avail. They can deceive others with postures, remain shameless before sages and vain before mortals, but they’ll never escape the Wheel, much less achieve any merit.
But the Bathhouse Sutra says, "By contributing to the bathing of monks, people receive limitless blessings." This would appear to be an instance of external practice achieving merit. How does this relate to beholding the mind? Here, the bathing of monks doesn’t refer to the washing of anything tangible.
When the Lord preached the Bathhouse Sutra, he wanted his disciples to remember the Dharma of washing. So he used an everyday concern to convey his real meaning, which he couched in his explanation of merit from seven offerings. Of these seven, the first is clear water, the second fire, the third soap, the fourth willow catkins, the fifth pure ashes, the sixth ointment, and the seventh the inner garment He used these seven to represent seven other things that cleanse and enhance a person by eliminating the delusion and filth of a poisoned mind. The first of these seven is morality, which washes away excess just as r water washes away dirt. Second is wisdom, which penetrates subject and object, just as fire warms water. Third is discrimination, w1udi gets rid Of evil practices, just as soap gets rid of grime. Fourth is honesty, which purges delusions, just as chewing willow catkins purifies the breath. Fifth is true faith, which resolves all doubts, just as rubbing pure ashes on the body prevents illnesses. Sixth is patience, which overcomes resistance and disgrace, just as ointment softens the skin. And seventh is shame, which redresses evil deeds, just as the inner garment covers up an ugly body. These seven represent the real meaning of the sutra. When he spoke this sutra, the Tathagata was talking to farsighted followers of the Mahayana, not to narrow-minded people of dim vision. It’s not surprising that people nowadays don’t understand.
The bathhouse is the body. When you light the fire of wisdom, you warm the pure water of the precepts and bathe the true Buddha nature within you. By upholding these seven practices you add to your virtue. The monks of that age were perceptive. They understood the Buddha’s meaning. They followed his reaching, perfected their virtue, and tasted the fruit of Buddhahood. But people nowadays can’t fathom these things. They use ordinary water to wash a physical body and think they’re following the sutra. But they’re mistaken. Our true buddha-nature has no shape. And the dust of affliction has no form. How can people use ordinary water to wash an intangible body? It won’t work. When will they wake up? To clean such a body you have to behold it. Once impurities and filth arise from desire, they multiply until they cover you inside and out. But if you try to wash this body of yours, you have to scrub until it’s nearly gone before it’s clean. From this you should realize that washing something external isn’t What the Buddha meant.
The sutras say that someone who wholeheartedly invokes the Buddha is sure to be reborn in the Western Paradise. Since is door leads to Buddhahood, why seek liberation in beholding the mind?
If you’re going to invoke the Buddha, you have to do it right. Unless you understand what invoking means, you’ll do it wrong. And if you do it wrong, you’ll never go anywhere.
Buddha means awareness, the awareness of body and mind that prevents evil from arising in either. And to invoke means to call to mind, to call constantly to mind the rules of discipline and to follow them with all your might. This is what’s meant by invoking. Invoking has to do with thought and not with language. If you use a trap to catch fish, once you succeed you can forget the trap. And if you use language to find meaning, once you find it you can forget language. To invoke the Buddha’s name you have to understand the Dharma of invoking. If it’s not present in your mind, your mouth chants an empty name. As long as you’re troubled by the three poisons or by thoughts of yourself, your deluded mind will keep you from seeing the Buddha and you’ll only waste your effort. Chanting and invoking are worlds apart, Chanting is done with the mouth. Invoking is done with the mind. And because invoking comes from the mind, it’s called the door to awareness. Chanting is centered in the mouth and appears as sound. If you cling to appearances while searching for meaning, you won’t find a thing. Thus, sages of the past cultivated introspection and not speech. This mind is the source of all virtues. And this mind is the chief of all powers, The eternal bliss of nirvana comes from the mind at rest. Rebirth in the three realms also comes from the mind. The mind is the door to every world and the mind is the ford to the other shore. Those who know where the door is don’t worry about reaching it. Those who know where the ford is don’t worry about crossing it.
The people I meet nowadays are superficial. They think of merit as something that has form. They squander their wealth and butcher creatures of land and sea. They foolishly concern themselves with erecting statues and stupas, telling people to pile up lumber and bricks, to paint this blue and that green. They strain body and mind, injure themselves and mislead others. And they don’t know enough to be ashamed. How will they ever become enlightened?
They see something tangible and instantly become attached. If you talk to them about formlessness, they sit there dumb and confused. Greedy for the small mercies of this world, they remain blind to the great suffering to come. Such disciples wear themselves out in vain. Turning from the true to the false, they talk about nothing but future blessings.
If you can simply concentrate your mind’s Inner Light and behold its outer illumination, you’ll dispel the three poisons and drive away the six thieves once and for all. And without effort gain possession of an infinite number of virtues, perfections, and doors to the truth, Seeing through the mundane and witnessing the sublime is less than an eye-blink away, Realization is now. Why worry about gray hair? But the true door is hidden and can’t be revealed. I have only touched upon beholding the mind.
"Know, also, that the angel of Love is present in the blades of grass, for love is in the giving, and great is the love given to the Daughters and Sons of Light by the tender blades of grass. For I tell you truly, the Stream of Life runs through every living thing, and all that lives, bathes in the Holy Stream of Life.
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Go to the source code of this file.
Contains routines for contraction without dgemms. PLEASE DO NOT MODIFY. Contains specific routines for contraction. The compiler flag -D__MAX_CONTR defines the maximum angular momentum up to which specialized code will be used. Default setting is d-functions. Increasing -D__MAX_CONTR produces faster code but might overburden the optimization capabilities of some poor compilers. This file contains specific code up to g-functions. If you need more look at cp2k/tools/hfx_tools/contraction/.
|#define ||__MAX_CONTR 2|
|subroutine, public ||hfx_contraction_methods::contract (ncoa, ncob, ncoc, ncod, nsoa, nsob, nsoc, nsod, n_a, n_b, n_c, n_d, nl_a, nl_b, nl_c, nl_d, work, sphi_a, sphi_b, sphi_c, sphi_d, primitives, buffer1, buffer2)|
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Vince Vaughn isn't exactly a helicopter parent, always hovering over his kid.
He's more like a skydiving plane- just shove the kids out the door and see if they remember to pull the ripcord!
The Old School star was spotted doing some old school laissez faire parenting on Saturday.
After lunch in Los Feliz, he let little Locklyn follow behind him like a baby duckling.
Good thing mom Kyla Weber was on hand to be hands on!
[Image via AKM-GSI.]
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One of these things is not like the other. One of these fellas just doesn’t belong!
Last night, the Staples Center was crowded to the brim with Lakers fans — many of them who can say they’ve once dated Taylor Swift!
Upon leaving the arena, many celebrities were caught by the paparazzi, and four gentlemen really caught our eye!
First, Taylor Lautner sauntered out of the game. He looked pretty somber … but is that because the Lakers lost or because he was dateless for the evening?
Then strode out Frankenteen himself, Cory Monteith.
With that big smile on his face, we have to assume all is still right in his world with Lea Michele and he just enjoyed a boys' night out while she was back at work filming. Maybe he even dropped in on her later!
And there were the young'uns — Patrick Schwarzenegger and Connor Cruise, both sons of Hollywood heavyweights, both without dates on their arms.
But now, here’s our question to you — Do U know which one of these hunks Taylor Swift HASN’T been linked to? If you’ve been keeping up with the loves of Swifty’s life, then the answer should be obvious. But we’re curious…
Which Guy Has Taylor Swift NOT Been Romantically Linked To?
- Cory Monteith (28%)
- Patrick Schwarzenegger (10%)
- Connor Cruise (61%)
- Taylor Lautner (1%)
Total Votes: 26,950
[Images via AKM-GSI.]
Tags: connor cruise, cory monteith, ex boyfriend, exes, lakers, lakers game, paparazzi, patrick schwarzenegger, relationship, taylor lautner, taylor swift
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Another day, another X Factor elimination show.
But we don't really care about the contestants; we're here for the fashion!
Brit Brit looked AH-Mazing in a sheer paneled black Alexander McQueen dress with pointed shoulders.
The 31-year-old gave us a nice view of side boob, yet still looked sophisticated with her blonde locks curled and pinned to the side.
She completed the look with beige Yves Saint Laurent pumps, diamond earrings, and dark cat-eye makeup.
Say what you will about her, but Brit cleans up exceptionally well!
[Image via Ray Mickshaw/Fox]
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Saucy Pudding Cake
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 large egg
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1) Beat 1/4 cup brown sugar and next 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.
2) Stir together flour and next 5 ingredients. Add to sugar mixture alternately with 1/2 cup water, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
3) Stir in oats.
4) Spoon into a lightly greased 8-inch square pan, and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup sugar (this sounded like A LOT to me so I just used 3/4 cup brown sugar.).
5) Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over top. (Do not stir.)
6) Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Pouring boiling water on top creates a spoonable cake with it's own sauce. Oh yeah.
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Perimeter Institute runs an active visitor program. We welcome open applications from scientists of all levels of expertise for periods of time ranging from several days to a year. The merits of each will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. For details about our program see Visiting Researchers.
Perimeter Institute is devoted to foundational issues in theoretical physics at the highest levels of international excellence.
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|Gallium metal is silver-white and melts at approximately body temperature (Wikipedia image).|
|Atomic Number:||31||Atomic Radius:||187 pm (Van der Waals)|
|Atomic Symbol:||Ga||Melting Point:||29.76 °C|
|Atomic Weight:||69.72||Boiling Point:||2204 °C|
|Electron Configuration:||[Ar]4s23d104p1||Oxidation States:||3|
From the Latin word Gallia, France; also from Latin, gallus, a translation of "Lecoq," a cock. Predicted and described by Mendeleev as ekaaluminum, and discovered spectroscopically by Lecoq de Boisbaudran in 1875, who in the same year obtained the free metal by electrolysis of a solution of the hydroxide in KOH.
Gallium is often found as a trace element in diaspore, sphalerite, germanite, bauxite, and coal. Some flue dusts from burning coal have been shown to contain as much 1.5 percent gallium.
It is one of four metals -- mercury, cesium, and rubidium -- which can be liquid near room temperature and, thus, can be used in high-temperature thermometers. It has one of the longest liquid ranges of any metal and has a low vapor pressure even at high temperatures.
There is a strong tendency for gallium to supercool below its freezing point. Therefore, seeding may be necessary to initiate solidification.
Ultra-pure gallium has a beautiful, silvery appearance, and the solid metal exhibits a conchoidal fracture similar to glass. The metal expands 3.1 percent on solidifying; therefore, it should not be stored in glass or metal containers, because they may break as the metal solidifies.
High-purity gallium is attacked only slowly by mineral acids.
Gallium wets glass or porcelain and forms a brilliant mirror when it is painted on glass. It is widely used in doping semiconductors and producing solid-state devices such as transistors.
Magnesium gallate containing divalent impurities, such as Mn+2, is finding use in commercial ultraviolet-activated powder phosphors. Gallium arsenide is capable of converting electricity directly into coherent light. Gallium readily alloys with most metals, and has been used as a component in low-melting alloys.
Its toxicity appears to be of a low order, but should be handled with care until more data is available.
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From Oxford University Press:
There is a broad consensus among scholars that the idea of human rights was a product of the Enlightenment but that a self-conscious and broad-based human rights movement focused on international law only began after World War II. In this narrative, the nineteenth century's absence is conspicuous--few have considered that era seriously, much less written books on it. But as Jenny Martinez shows in this novel interpretation of the roots of human rights law, the foundation of the movement that we know today was a product of one of the nineteenth century's central moral causes: the movement to ban the international slave trade. Originating in England in the late eighteenth century, abolitionism achieved remarkable success over the course of the nineteenth century. Martinez focuses in particular on the international admiralty courts, which tried the crews of captured slave ships. The courts, which were based in the Caribbean, West Africa, Cape Town, and Brazil, helped free at least 80,000 Africans from captured slavers between 1807 and 1871. Here then, buried in the dusty archives of admiralty courts, ships' logs, and the British foreign office, are the foundations of contemporary human rights law: international courts targeting states and non-state transnational actors while working on behalf the world's most persecuted peoples--captured West Africans bound for the slave plantations of the Americas. Fueled by a powerful thesis and novel evidence, Martinez's work will reshape the fields of human rights history and international human rights law.
- Forces us to fundamentally rethink the origins of human rights activism
- Filled with fascinating stories of captured slave ship crews brought to trial across the Atlantic world in the nineteenth century
- Shows how the prosecution of the international slave trade was crucial to the development of modern international law
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Im wondering if anyone has tried Burts Bees face products.It looks like it should because its all organic.But im not sure…
i dont have tht much acne just my face is kinda red a llittle bit thou 7 i breck out every now and then
I am 20 years old and have had these red itchy rashes since I was in pre-k. I get it mostly on my feet, neck, face, forearms and fingers. Sometimes I get breakouts of small bubbles that have liquid inside, and other times, its just dry and flaky. My old job required me to be in the sun a lot, and ever since I quit, I get less rashes, but I still have it. I use very soft detergents and soaps. If i get ANY chemical like palmolive soap, pickle juice, and saliva on my skin, I break out immediatly. Whenever I make out with my wife, or I get oral sex, I get it on my lips or penis. Ive been to dermitologists everywhere and they just give me creams that take my rashes away, but they always come back. Can anyone PLEASE help me?
I used to use Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion Fragrance Free and Non-Comedogenic. It made my eczyma worse. I then stopped using it
Ive seen pictures of eczema on yahoo images and a lot of them dont look anything like mine. There was one that looked just like mine though. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Dermatitis.jpg
Posted in Beekeeping
Tagged ANY, anyone, bubbles, detergents, eczyma, face, fingers, forearms, itchy, itchy rashes, job, lips, lot, neck, old job, oral sex, palmolive soap, penis, pickle juice, please, saliva, soaps, Sun
In the morning, I wash my face with soap, and use a Clean&Clear acne cleanser but I also have 2 St. Ive’s apricot scrubs: one is Acne Free Blemish & Blackhead control and the other is a Apricot Invigorating scrub. Am I allowed to use one of those after the Clean&Clean scrub or not and if so, which one. also have ProActiv for my acne which I use at night. my problem is that I have 2 many products and not sure which ones to use and when. I hear that your supposed to use cleansers and follow by moisturizers or something. I’m just confused. After I use the clean&clear acne cleanser, I just put my makeup on, come back from school 7 hours later and my face is EXTREMLEY OILY &ICKY!! So I wash my face with a Clinque Wash-away gel cleanser to remove my makeup and usually, I’ll use one of my apricot scrubs following my ProActiv if I’m going to be home all day. If not, then I use my ProActive at night. I need help to when and when not to use my products. Which cleansers and mositerizers?
Before you say “WASHING YOUR FACE WITH OIL?!” please read this, just so you know I’m not crazy, and theres actually a theory behind it
I’ve been doing this for about 2 weeks, and I’ve been getting more breakouts around my chin and nose. Why is this?
I use grapeseed oil, and even after steaming my face, I can’t get the oil residue off (even with intense wiping!) so I use Burt’s Bees Orange Essence Facial Cleanser to remove the excess (since it’s a natural, oil based cleanser, I figured it’s ok).
I follow up with a homemade serum of glycerin, water and a small amount of the grapeseed oil.
What am I doing wrong? Why am I getting MORE breakouts when this method promises LESS?
I actually have dry skin, and I’ve never gotten breakouts until now….
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By Robert Naiman (Contact)
To be delivered to: President Barack Obama
President Obama wants to nominate Senator Chuck Hagel to be Secretary of Defense. Hagel wants to end the war in Afghanistan, prevent war with Iran, and make reasonable cuts to the Pentagon budget. Some right-wing groups are trying to scuttle the nomination by making up lies about Hagel's record. Show President Obama you have his back in nominating his first choice, Chuck Hagel, by signing this petition.
Note: MoveOn Civic Action does not necessarily endorse the contents of petitions posted on this site. MoveOn Petitions is an open tool that anyone can use to post a petition advocating any point of view, so long as the petition does not violate our terms of service.
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By RICHARD FALCATAN, VERA Files
LAMITAN CITY— Despite minor drawbacks, the recently concluded voters' registration in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was satisfactory, the Commission on Election (Comelec) said.
Lawyer Rey Sumalipao, director of Comelec ARMM, said all those who wanted to register were accommodated and the poll body was able finish registrations within the 10 days set aside for the registration, starting on July 9 and ending on July 18.
But several problems were encountered during the registrations. These included allegations that some politicians paid off people to register and, in Tawi-tawi and Basilan, transported non-residents to register as voters in several centers.
In Lamitan City and Tabuan Lasa, the registration was momentarily suspended when some 50 youth from Zamboanga City tried to vote, Roberto dela Pena Comelec director of Basilan said.
Comelec rejected the forms the non-resident registrants tried to submit and then resumed the registrations.
Mujiv Hataman, ARMM OIC Governor, said the registrations in the region was "peaceful" except for the ambush that took place in Basilan and the shooting incident in Lanao.
On July 11, the third day of registrations, the Abu Sayyaf Group allegedly ambushed rubber plantation workers in Barangay Sapah Bulag in the municipality of Sumisip, Basilan. Seven died while 18 others were injured in that incident.
In Lanao del Sur, a police man shot a barangay captain and three of his companions at the Election Officer's office in Maliwanag village in the town of Bayang.
(ARMM WATCH is a project of VERA Files in partnership with MindaNews, The Asia Foundation and Australian Agency for International Development.)
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Users of Pinterest were warned against a new "shady" fake app that may potentially affect the social networking site's members.
GFI Labs said the app, "Pin Photo Zoom," claims to help Pinterest users zoom in on images by downloading certain applications hosted on Freeze.com.
"After testing, the app did not appear to have any effect on how pinners view images. Furthermore, the user’s system was now home to a program designed to inject ads on websites they had visited," it said.
It said its labs learned the domain hosting the app is hosted on an IP address in Israel, which uses a network (AS8551) where other IPs host malicious content.
Also, it said "Pin Photo Zoom" appears to have a second site called pinterestphotozoom.com.
GFI said its antivirus detects Pin Photo Zoom as Adware.PinPhotoZoom (fs). — TJD, GMA News
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France and Italy sought on Tuesday to boost confidence that Europe can tackle its debt crisis, with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti saying he sees "light at the end of the tunnel" for the eurozone.
With European leaders keen to maintain momentum following a series of well received statements, Monti and French President Francois Hollande hailed progress in addressing the eurozone's debt woes after talks in Paris.
But new data provided a stark reminder of the devastating effects of the crisis, with the European Union saying unemployment across the eurozone hit a record 11.2 percent in June.
France and Italy "are determined to do everything to protect" the euro, Hollande and Monti said in a joint statement, praising recent remarks by European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi suggesting ECB intervention.
"Member states, like European institutions... must meet their obligations in order to maintain the stability and proper functioning of the eurozone," they said, calling for the rapid implementation of eurozone reforms.
Speaking to journalists, Hollande said the eurozone must be "defended, preserved and consolidated" and hailed "very significant progress in recent weeks."
Ahead of the talks Monti expressed confidence the eurozone was finally preparing to take the necessary steps.
"We and the rest of Europe are getting closer to the end of the tunnel. There's light at the end of the tunnel," Monti said in an interview with Rai Radio.
Monti said he could sense "greater willingness on the part of European institutions and governments" to implement reforms agreed at an EU summit in June and to take action to help debt-ridden countries.
After Paris, Monti will travel to Helsinki and Madrid as part of a tour he said would help "secure the euro and give a decisive boost to European growth."
Hopes for a concerted effort to address the two-and-a-half-year debt crisis were raised last week when Draghi vowed to do "whatever it takes" to preserve the euro.
The markets are now waiting for direct intervention to help bring down dangerously high borrowing costs for Italy and Spain and so prevent them needing what would be hugely costly bailouts.
Such hopes were bolstered by a verbal offensive from top European policymakers, including Eurogroup chief Jean-Claude Juncker who said the eurozone had reached a "crucial point" and vowed action with the ECB.
In telephone calls with Monti and Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel also agreed to do "everything possible" to save the euro.
The statements had an immediate effect, with stock markets soaring, Spain's 10-year borrowing costs falling on the bond markets and Italy selling benchmark 10-year bonds on Monday at 5.96 percent -- below the key 6.0-percent danger threshold.
In the United States, President Barack Obama also urged Europe to take action.
"I don't think ultimately that the Europeans will let the euro unravel. But they're going to have to take some decisive steps," Obama said.
As well as record European unemployment, both economic powerhouse Germany and struggling Italy reported rises in joblessness in Tuesday.
German unemployment rose to 6.8 percent in July from 6.6 percent in June while Italy's jobless total hit a record 10.8 percent in June, up from 10.6 percent in May, with youth unemployment at 34.3 percent.
Asian stock markets were generally higher on Tuesday meanwhile, their third consecutive positive session, as traders looked for new stimulus measures from both the European and US central banks, while European stocks mostly declined.
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Any ARCHOS 5 users out there still proudly using their device will wake up to a firmware update for the tablet today. The most notable improvement you’ll see is that it now has native support for OpenGL 3D hardware acceleration. Developers that target the platform would love this, and the end-result for users would be nothing short of mouth-watering if it’s ever taken advantage.
Other improvements include the addition of ThinkFree 2.0 (office suite), improved memory management, new 3D games (presumably to take advantage of that newfound hardware acceleration), and more. Grab the download and installation instructions now by making your way over to the Archos website.
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Nexus 7 Overview
Android fans will know that having a Nexus device is about the nicest treat. The devices are usually very well designed and have awesome specs. Not to mention the fact that they are the first in line to get updates.
The Nexus brand hasn't reached the tablet market until now, though. And Android fans have been praying for such a tablet to be released. If you fall under that category, you will be happy to know that Google has released the Nexus 7.
The Nexus 7 is a 7-inch device with a Tegra 3 processor manufactured by ASUS. Also, this device is said to be a "Kindle Fire Killer" with a $200 price tag.
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Phantom Phone Calls
ospri.net- Alleged contact with the dead has occurred universally throughout history, taking various forms; as dreams, waking visions and auditory hallucinations, either spontaneous or induced through trance. In many cultures, the spirits of the dead have been sought for their wisdom, advice and knowledge of the future. The dead also seem to initiate their own communication, using whatever means seem to be most effective.
With the advent of electromagnetic technology, mysterious messages have been communicated by telegraph, wireless, phonographs and radio. A curious phenomenon of modern times is the communication via the telephone. Phone calls from the dead seem to be random and occasional
occurrences that happen without explanation. The great majority are exchanges between persons who shared a close emotional tie while both were living: spouses, parents and children, siblings, and occasionally friends and other relatives.
Most communications are "intention" calls, initiated by the deceased to impart a message, such as farewell upon death, a warning of impending danger, or information the living needs to carry out a task. For example, actress Ida Lupino's father, Stanley, who died intestate in London during World War II, called Lupino six months after his death to relate information concerning his estate, the location of some unknown but important papers.
Some calls appear to have no other purpose than to make contact with the living; many of these occur on emotionally charged "anniversary" days, such as Mothers day or Fathers day, a birthday or holiday. In a typical” anniversary” call, the dead may do nothing more than repeat a phrase over and over, such as "Hello, Mom, is that you?"
Persons who have received phone calls from the dead report that the voices are exactly the same as when the deceased was living, furthermore, the voice often uses pet names and words. The telephone usually rings normally, although some recipients say that the ring sounded flat and abnormal. In many cases, the connection is bad, with a great deal of static and line noise, and occasionally the faint voices of the other persons are heard, as though lines have been crossed. In many cases, the voice of the dead one is difficult to hear and grows fainter as the call goes on. Sometimes, the voice just fades away but the line remains open, and the recipient hangs up after giving up on further communication. Sometimes the call is terminated by the dead and the recipient hers the click of disengagement, other times, the line simply goes dead.
The phantom phone calls typically occur when the recipient is in a passive state of mind. If the recipient knows the caller is dead, the shock is great and the phone call very brief, invariably, the caller terminates the call after a few seconds or minutes, or the line goes dead. If the recipient does not know the caller is dead, a lengthy conversation of up to 30 minutes or so may take place, during which the recipient is not aware of anything amiss. In a minority of cases, the call is placed person-to-person, long-distance with the assistance of a mysterious operator. Checks with the telephone company later turn up no evidence of a call being places.
Similar phone calls from the dead are "intention" phone calls occurring between two living persons. Such calls are much rarer than calls from the dead. In a typical "intention" call, the caller thinks about making the call but never does, the recipient nevertheless receives a call. In some cases, emergencies precipitate phantom calls, a surgeon is summoned by a nurse to the hospital to perform an emergency operation, a priest is called by a "relative" to give last rites to a dying man and so forth.
Some persons who claim to have had UFO encounters report receiving harassing phantom phone calls. The calls are received soon after the witness returns home, or within a day or two of the encounter, in many cases, the calls come before the witness has shared the experience with anyone, stranger still, they are often placed to unlisted phone numbers. The unidentified caller warns the witness not to talk and to "forget" what he or she saw.
Phone calls allegedly may be placed to the dead as well. The caller does not find out until sometime after the call that the person on the other end has been dead. In one such case, a woman dreamed of a female friend she had not seen for several years. In the disturbing dream, she witnessed the friend sliding down into a pool of blood. Upon awakening, she worried that the dream was a portent of trouble, and called the friend. She was relieved when the friend answered. The friend explained that she had been in the hospital, had been released and was due to be readmitted in a few days. She demurred when the woman offered to visit, saying she would call later. The return call never came. The woman called her friend again, to be told by a relative that the friend has been dead for six months at the time the conversation took place.
In several cases studied by researchers, the deceased callers make reference to an anonymous” they” and caution that there is little time to talk. The remarks imply that communication between the living and the dead is not only difficult, but not necessarily desirable.
Most phone calls from the dead occur within 24 hours of the death of the caller. Most short calls come from those who have been dead seven days or less: most lengthy calls come from those who have been dead several months. One of the longest death-intervals on record is two years.
In a small number of cases, the callers are strangers who say they are calling on behalf of a third party, whom the recipient later discovered is dead.
Several theories exist as to the origin of phantom phone calls. (1) They are indeed placed by the dead, who somehow manipulate the telephone mechanisms and circuitry: (2) they are deceptions of elemental-type spirits who enjoy playing tricks on the living: (3) they are psychokinetic acts caused subconsciously by the recipient, whose intense desire to communicate with the dead creates a type of hallucinatory experience: (4) they are entirely fantasy created by the recipient.
For the most part, phantom phone calls are not seriously regarded by parapsychologists. In the early 20th century, numerous devices were built by investigators in hopes of capturing ghostly voices: many of them were modifications of the telegraph and wireless. Thomas Alva Edison, whose parents were Spiritualists, believed that a telephone could be invented that would connect the living to the dead. He verified that he was working on such a device, but apparently it never was completed before his death.
"Psychic telephone" experiments were conducted in the 1940's in England and America. Interest in the phenomenon waned until the 1960’s, following the findings of Konstantin Raudive that ghostly voices could be captured on electromagnetic tape.
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One of the cool things about using social media sites such as Twitter is the myriad of interesting links on science and cancer related topics that fly by my stream every day. Clearly, the sheer volume means that you can't track them all or even read half of them, but maybe you can capture and search them later.
Well, that was my simple thinking at least and the reason I connected the Packrati.us tool to Twitter and Delicious yesterday, thinking that would be a simple and neat solution (HT to William Gunn for the idea):
Except I forgot one important little bit of detail – I'm also using Delicious to capture my science and academic papers by bookmarking them and sharing the public feed as links to this blog for others who may be interested. Now, when you bookmark manually, you can choose whether the bookmark is public or private, thus sending only science and cancer related links in my case to this blog automatically via Twitterfeed and any personal ones get hidden.
Yesterday, I set the Packrati.us Twitter to Delicious tool up and feeling rather pleased with myself, merrily went off to client meetings for the day. It was only on the way back while stuck in the rain in a traffic jam that I suddenly remembered the Delicious to Blog Twitterfeed and went a little pale at what might have churned out in my absence, one of those *face palm* moments!
Apologies to all those who got any links or stray blog posts from the Twitter links I'm curating. For now, I've turned off the Delicious Twitterfeed so no more links will post to this blog for now. Packrati.us have stated that the little box for private bookmarks is 'coming soon' so hopefully I'll be able to have the best of both worlds by curating interesting Twitter links and sharing ones I like here too.
Cool tools are great fun, but sometimes the implications of the connections and output doesn't always go as you might expect!
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NEW CASTLE, Del. (CBS) – Police have arrested a New Castle area man after discovering he had stolen 22 shopping cart bottoms valued at over $2,000.
The metal cart bottoms were taken from the Pathmark lot in Airport Plaza back on July 31st, but the theft wasn’t reported until Aug. 7th, when employees discovered the bottoms missing in a stack of carts behind the store.
Police launched an investigation that resulted in the arrest of Charles R. Whyte, 62, of Minquadale Boulevard.
Whyte was charged with Felony Theft and was released pending a preliminary hearing.
A second suspect has yet to be arrested and identified.
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Reporting Ian Bush
By Ian Bush
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Even if your radio is always set to KYW Newsradio 1060, you couldn’t escape a certain pop song over the past few months. Billboard is making it official, now — naming it the “song of the summer.”
Gotye came close with ‘Somebody That I Used to Know.’
Maroon 5 was the runner up with ‘Payphone.’
But no one could hang up on Carly Rae Jepsen and her catchy tune.
The 26-year-old Canadian’s ‘Call Me Maybe,’ boosted by Justin Bieber and YouTube spoofs (including one featuring President Obama) that went viral.
It became part of the conversation.
“Probably more than any song since ‘SexyBack’ it was the song that people walked around talking about, even if they weren’t into pop music,” said Sean Ross, the VP of music and programming at Edison Research.
He explained (over Skype) the hallmarks of a good summer song: “Up-tempo helps, happy helps, breezy helps.”
Another reason we had ‘Call Me Maybe’ on repeat? Ross said the record company didn’t “tee it up” as the song of the summer.
Think ‘I Got a Feeling’ by the Black Eyed Peas.
“There have been a lot of songs that we have to ‘party now, because it’s the end of the world.’ I think maybe that formula is running thin.”
Jepsen has already proved herself more than a one-hit wonder, releasing ‘Good Time’ featuring Owl City.
Now, we await the song of the fall.
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Even after putting up five runs in Tuesday's loss, the Marlins are still averaging just two runs per game over their last 13 contests, during which they are 2-11. As a result of that skid, Ozzie Guillen's club has dropped below .500 for the first time since May 5, and has fallen from a first-place tie in the National League East on June 3 to fourth entering Wednesday's action.
"Offensively, we're not doing [anything] very positive right now," Guillen said Tuesday before his team put up more than four runs for the first time during the dismal 13-game stretch. "Everything we do is just ... I don't remember us hitting the ball hard. When that happens, when your offense is shut down the way we are right now, it's going to be hard to win some games.
"Even [with] how bad we are playing, we are still in good position. Hopefully those guys start swinging the bat like we know they can do, and that can help the pitching staff."
As for the Red Sox, they spent Tuesday denying the notion that troubles within the clubhouse could be contributing to the team's 34-33 record. Manager Bobby Valentine, and a few Sox players, vehemently refuted an ESPN blog by national baseball writer Buster Olney that claimed the Boston clubhouse was "toxic."
"Completely fabricated," said Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett. "I don't know where people get that from. I think people want that to be the case and I just don't think it is. I think this is probably one of the tightest-knit groups I've ever been a part of, with dinners on the road, a couple family trips here this last time.
"We do a lot of stuff together. There's a good continuity here. I think there are certain people, they want it to be that way, and so they report it that way. It's just not like that at all."
Toxic clubhouse or not, the Red Sox have won five of their last six and will look to clinch their third straight series victory Wednesday when they send Felix Doubront to the hill. Doubront's last start also came against the Marlins, as the lefty led the way to a 10-2 victory last Wednesday.
Doubront held the Marlins hitless over the first 5 2/3 innings and ultimately allowed two runs on three hits over seven innings, while tying a season high with nine strikeouts.
"With the stuff's he's got, he's up there with CC [Sabathia] and Jonny [Lester] and all those guys, as far as left-handed pitchers go," Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. "I think he just needs to stay healthy. That's the biggest thing for him. He's done a great job of keeping his body in shape. You've seen what he's doing."
Marlins: Nolasco looking to continue road success
The Marlins will call on Ricky Nolasco on Wednesday night, as the right-hander will look to build on his success away from Marlins Park.
Nolasco is 4-1 with a 3.35 ERA in six road starts, compared to just 2-4 in his seven home outings with an ERA at 5.40. Opponents are hitting .290 against Nolasco at Marlins Park, but just .252 when the hurler takes the mound at another stadium.
Red Sox: Ross returns, Podsednik to DL
Outfielder Cody Ross homered in his return to the Red Sox lineup Wednesday, his first game action since May 19. Ross had been sidelined with a fractured navicular bone in his left foot.
"It feels great," Ross said before going 1-for-3 with the solo shot. "I'm really excited. Obviously it's been, I think, a month to the day or maybe a couple of days, but I'm just looking forward to getting back out there and helping the guys win and getting back on track."
The day wasn't such a good one for Scott Podsednik, who landed on the disabled list with a mild left groin strain. Podsednik is hitting .387 with one homer, seven RBIs and six stolen bases in 19 games.
The Red Sox have taken two of three from the Marlins in each of the last eight meetings. The Marlins won the inaugural series in 1997, but have lost each of the eight series since.
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Phanatic celebrates DVD release
Phils mascot stars in 'The Phillie Phanatic Goes Hollywood'
When you saw the Phillie Phanatic at a hot Philadelphia night spot with his mother, you knew something big had to be going on.Mom Phoebe accompanied the Phanatic and a host of other "celebrities" as baseball's best known mascot celebrated the release of his new DVD, "The Phillie Phanatic Goes Hollywood." A crowd of masked "celebrities," including Marilyn Monroe and Sammy Davis Jr., and some onlookers attended the event at McFadden's restaurant outside Citizens Bank Park before Friday night's game against the Marlins. "Philadelphia has a new star," said Joe Amodei, president of producer Hart Sharp Video. And with that, the Phanatic's newest venture went on the market. Children 14 and under received a copy of the DVD upon arriving at Friday's game, while everyone else must wait until the 37-minute feature hits video stores. The DVD also includes a half-hour of bonus features, starring the Phanatic and broadcaster Larry Andersen. The furry green mascot's first on-screen feature in eight years chronicles his trip to sunny Hollywood and his experiences at the center of the movie industry.
Zachary Levine is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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Reds asst. GM Miller chats with fans
Addresses questions from faithful on a variety of topics
Bob Miller: Hello everyone. Thanks for stopping by. Let's get to the Q & A.
ChangeUp: I think it's great to see Eric Davis working within the Reds organization again. What kind of general role has he played which has helped you and Mr. Jocketty? Did he have an impact on any of the Draft selections?
Miller: Eric has been a great help. He has worked with the Minor Leaguers with base running and outfield work. He's also helped with the mental part of the game -- how to take good at-bats, etc.
flgator69: Is Winter Ball or an extended Spring Training available for some of our hitters' improvement?
Miller: Instructional League starts next week and Winter Ball and the Arizona Fall League in October. Most of our better young players will be in one or more of those leagues getting more at-bats or innings under their belts.
ChangeUp: I believe we have the best infield defense in all of baseball. What are the chances we will see the same starting infielders next season?
Miller: Pretty good. I fully expect all four of them to be on our team next year.
redstockings54: My question is with the number of good outfielders we currently have, are there any plans to trade any of them. And if so, what is the plan?
Miller: All of these guys are young and most of them still have options to the Minors left, so we like our depth. If something comes along that will better our team or fill another need, we will always consider it.
ChangeUp: Jonny Gomes seems to really enjoy being a Red and is really showing he can come through in clutch situations. Would you say there is a good chance he will be a Red next season?
Miller: I hope so. He's had a good year. Hopefully we can come to an agreement that makes both sides happy.
josh_frost: You're on a desert island: Skyline Chili or Graeter's?
Miller: Graeter's, without a doubt. It's hot on the island.
flgator69: Who, if anybody, on the Reds is "safe" from trades this offseason?
Miller: It's hard to say anyone is "safe." I can't use names, but if a team in Missouri wanted to trade you their big first baseman, you'd have to think about it, wouldn't you?
josh_frost: How is the team preparing differently this year with Spring Training in Goodyear, Ari., instead of Florida?
Miller: A) We'll actually be able to use all of the fields because they will be Major League quality. B) Our players will eat better and more nutritiously since we have a commercial kitchen on site. C) Our Minor Leaguers won't have to wait hours and hours to use the weight room since it is now big enough for everyone D) etc. etc. The Goodyear facility is state-of-the-art from top to bottom. Just our rehab capabilities now have increased tenfold.
batsfan09: Enerio Del Rosario has had a great season as a relief pitcher in the Minor Leagues. Do you think he could be a part of next year's bullpen? Could he possibly be a starter next year with Louisville, as he has been in previous years?
Miller: I think Del Rosario and Logan Ondrusek will both be knocking on the door to pitch in the Majors next year. Both of them had outstanding seasons.
bigal59: Several MLB players play winter ball and play in the WBC. The question has come up that some players get hurt while playing in the WBC. Do the clubs have control if a player plays in the WBC?
punksroo: Which Minor League prospects are we likely to see this Spring?
Miller: Travis Wood, Del Rosario, Ondrusek, Yonder Alonso, Todd Frazier, Zack Cozart, Chris Valaika, Chris Heisey, etc.
ChangeUp: Do you have any early postseason predictions? Who will go to the World Series?
Miller: Once you get into the postseason with those short series, it's tough to predict. The Yankees and the Phillies are the favorites for me right now.
flsis: You seem pretty excited about Spring Training in Arizona next year, but aren't you going to miss seeing your sweet sister in Florida during the spring?
Miller: I'll miss my whole family, who live down in the Tampa Bay area -- especially my favorite niece.
lbentz11: What is a main, constant, day-to-day duty that you have to do as assistant GM?
Miller: It varies from month to month, but during the season the everyday concern is the Major League roster management. There are so many rules that have to be followed it's almost a full time job just for that.
redstockings54: Any word on the player to be named later from the David Weathers trade?
Miller: No. It probably won't be finalized until mid-October.
jroll1979: Any chance the team will wear the all-red hat on the road next year? Black-billed hat looks tacky.
Miller: No idea. Most people like a little black though. I like the sleeveless pin stripe tops with the undershirts, but they don't wear them anymore.
redstockings54: What do you perceive as a weakness that must be addressed?
Miller: We need to score more runs.
jroll1979: Any chance the Reds go after Orlando Hudson?
Miller: He's going to make big money and we already have Brandon Phillips.
bigal59: Is it true that the Reds are going to lose 20 million dollars this year?
Miller: Don't know. But if so, maybe the government will send us some stimulus money.
lbentz11: I know it's a bit premature, without writing off Matt Maloney, what are your thoughts on getting at least one left-handed starter for next season?
Miller: I think both Wood and Maloney will be good Major League pitchers. Give them some time.
Miller: One final question...
lbentz11: How did you break into professional baseball? Can a person with a Bachelor's degree in youth ministry get hired on with a team (i.e. Cincinnati)?
Miller: I started working in the Minor Leagues back in 1983. I hadn't even finished college yet at that point. Any background can do well in baseball. It takes all kinds, but you have to love the game and be willing to work ridiculous hours and put your time in. And then a little luck getting in the right spot always helps.
Miller: I just want to thank everyone for stopping by over the last five months for these chats. I enjoy it. Obviously there are some things I can't talk about nor can I talk about other teams' players. I also won't badmouth anyone, which many of the questions I don't answer seem to want me to do. I'm glad you have interest in baseball and the Reds, and let me assure you that we are doing everything we can to bring a winning team to Cincinnati. Go Reds and see you all next year!
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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Peralta leads Brewers' talented pipeline
Milwaukee's top four prospects all right-handed pitchers
The future success of every Major League team lies largely in its Minor League pipeline. With that in mind, MLB.com is looking at each team's farm system, from the Top 20 Prospects to under-the-radar types.
It's been a few years since Milwaukee's farm system has received high marks from national scouting services, perhaps because the Brewers usually don't seem to have the one or two standout prospects.
Indeed, only one Brewers prospect -- right-hander Wily Peralta, at No. 64 -- cracked MLB.com's Top 100 Prospect list. But that doesn't mean the Brewers aren't excited about the potential in their Minor League system.
"Of course, like everyone, we'd always like to add some more talent to it," Brewers director of player development Reid Nichols said. "But I'm happy with what we have."
What Milwaukee has atop its prospect board is a lot of pitching. The top four prospects in the Brewers' system, as ranked by MLB.com, are all right-handers: Peralta, Tyler Thornburg, Taylor Jungmann and Johnny Hellweg. Lefty Jed Bradley, the club's 2011 first-round pick, is also highly thought of despite some command issues last season. He ranks sixth.
Peralta, who projects as a No. 2 or very good No. 3 starter, showed flashes in the Majors late last season, going 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in five September starts, including holding the Mets to two hits in eight scoreless innings.
Thornburg also gained big league experience last season as a starter and reliever, but his four-pitch repertoire -- fastball, curve, changeup and cutter -- makes him ideal for the rotation.
Jungmann and Hellweg, who was acquired in the Zack Greinke deal, also have upside. Jungmann topped 150 innings in his first full season and while Hellweg only threw 20 frames after the trade because of workload concerns, his fastball can reach 97 mph and his breaking ball possesses late bite.
Although those arms might not be as highly touted as others by scouting services, it doesn't mean they won't develop into quality Major Leaguers. Peralta already showed his ability last September, and the Brewers also received great contributions from Marco Estrada and Mike Fiers, the latter of whom was homegrown.
"It's everybody's best guess [evaluating prospects], and we really don't promote, or rather oversell, our players," Nichols said. "But we've done good with what we've had, and I think we've developed some pretty good talent."
Nichols and the Brewers are confident that will continue.
Top 20 prospects
The most highly touted infielder is first baseman Hunter Morris, who ranked as MLB.com's No. 3 first-base prospect. Morris, 24, flourished in his second full season of pro ball, leading the Brewers organization in hits (158), homers (28), RBIs (113) and slugging percentage (.563), while also finishing second in batting average (.303) en route to earning Southern League MVP honors for Double-A Huntsville.
Another young infielder to watch is Scooter Gennett, MLB.com's 10th-ranked second-base prospect. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Gennett isn't a power threat, but is a career .300 Minor League hitter who posted a .293/.330/.385 line for Huntsville last season. Drafted as a shortstop, he's still learning to play second, but has great baseball instincts.
Although Gennett lacks power, the Brewers have three who can provide it in outfielders Victor Roache (No. 8) and Mitch Haniger (No. 11), and catcher Clint Coulter (No. 10).
Others also possess it on the mound, highlighted by right-hander Damien Magnifico (No. 20), whose fastball consistently reaches triple digits.
brewers' top prospects
Under the radar
Outfielder Caleb Gindl (No. 17) and shortstop Orlando Arcia (No. 18) couldn't crack MLB.com's top prospect list, but the Brewers are very high on both. Gindl, 24, was the club's fifth-round pick in 2007 and already has two full seasons at Triple-A Nashville. He has a career .293/.368/.458 line in six Minor League seasons and has reached double-digit home runs four times. He's also a solid defender who can play all three outfield positions.
A broken ankle forced Arcia to miss the entire 2012 season, but, at only 18, he still has plenty of time to develop. Nichols described Arcia as a "baseball rat," who "plays way above his age." He posted a .294/.386/.459 line with six homers and 13 stolen bases in 64 games as a 16-year-old in the Dominican Summer League in 2011.
Hitter of the Year
Morris won this award last season and is a good bet to repeat, as he should spend the entire season in the Minors. Gennett and Gindl, now in his third season at Triple-A Nashville, are others who could challenge the first baseman.
Pitcher of the Year
Assuming Peralta spends most of the season with Milwaukee, Jungmann seems primed to build upon last season's performance at Class A Advanced Brevard County, where he was 11-6 with a 3.53 ERA in 153 innings.
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DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Jose Bautista recorded his third home run of the spring, as the Blue Jays roughed up Doug Fister in a 4-2 victory over the Tigers on Saturday afternoon at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.
Bautista came to bat in the first with a runner on and immediately put Toronto in front with a deep shot over the wall in left field. He is now tied with Andy LaRoche for the team lead in homers, while also posting five RBIs and five walks in nine games.
Toronto's slugger then struck again in the fourth with a double to right field which sparked another rally. Fister struggled with his command in that frame and proceeded to walk the bases loaded before being lifted from the game.
Tigers right-hander Trevor Bell came out of the bullpen and allowed an RBI single to Maicer Izturis and a sacrifice fly to Henry Blanco, which extended the Blue Jays' lead to 4-2. Fister was charged with all four runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out five.
Blue Jays left-hander Ricky Romero battled control problems on the mound during his third start of the spring. He threw just 27 of his 47 pitches for strikes, while walking three and surrendering two runs (one earned) over two frames.
Detroit's Andy Dirks opened the scoring off Romero in the first inning with a solo shot to right-center field. It was his first home run of the spring and second RBI in eight Grapefruit League games.
Romero's biggest woes occurred in the second. He allowed a one-out double to Alex Avila, which would have led to an RBI, but Bautista and Adam Lind combined on a nice relay throw to get Brayan Pena at the plate. Romero then proceeded to walk a pair of batters, but the lone run in the inning was unearned -- thanks to an error by shortstop Ryan Goins.
Up next: Rick Porcello will try to continue his bid to hold onto his rotation spot on Sunday, when he makes his fourth start of the spring against the Nationals in a 1:05 p.m. ET game at Joker Marchant Stadium. He'll be trying to build on his four scoreless innings and six strikeouts against the Astros last Tuesday. Brayan Villarreal, Joaquin Benoit, Duane Below and Kenny Faulk are also scheduled to pitch. Dan Haren will get the start for Washington. Listen to the call on MLB.com Gameday Audio online and 97.1 FM in Detroit.
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Playoff Elimination: Check; Howard Injury to End Season: Check.
The end of this Phillies season seems to be a long, painful check list of unfortunate events. And there are still 4 games to go, so the list may not yet be complete. Let us see where we are so far:
- The Phillies have been eliminated from the playoffs.
- Ryan Howard dropped a warm-up bat on his toe and broke it, ending his season. That makes 2 straight seasons that will end with a Howard limping off the field. Maybe the Phillies need to invest in a lot of bubble wrap?
- Rookie pitcher Tyler Cloyd has been shut-down early with a “tired arm.”
- In what seems like an attempt to get the media to talk about anything other than the worst Phillies season in a long time, the Chase Utley 3rd base experiment has been deemed “over.” He will not play 3rd base.
- Speaking of 3rd base, the Phillies have absolutely no idea who will play there in 2013.
- Last night, Roy Halladay pitched fewer than 6 innings for the 6th time this season and gave up more than 3 runs in a game for the 9th time, unofficially announcing to the world that getting old sucks.
- For the 6th time in his career, Jimmy Rollins will end the season with at least 100 runs scored. However, he will also finish having batted well under .250 for 4 out of the 6 months of the season. He also came in 4th in all of baseball in fly ball outs and 2nd in the National League.
I think those were enough depressing thoughts for the day. On a happier note, despite Halladay allowing 4 runs in 5 innings last night, the Phillies did pull out a 9-5 win over the last place Marlins. 5 players had a multi-hit game, including Utley who picked up 3 RBI.
The win puts the Phillies dead-even at 79-79 for the season with 4 games to go. The goal in these last several games should be to finish above the .500 mark. They will go after the Fish one more time today at 1:10pm.
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Head shot by Jenn Zambri Photography
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2008 World Series: Game 1: The Phillies takes a 1-0 lead behind the strong pitching of Cole Hamels and two shut out innings from the bullpen as they defeated the Rays, 3-2.
Seven strong innings from Cole Hamels and two shut out innings from Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge would be the difference as the Phillies would hang on to defeat the Rays, 3-2, to take the first game of the World Series. The Phils would jump into the lead in the top of the first, when, with a runner on first and one man out, Chase Utley would hit a two-run home run into the right field seats, scoring Jayson Werth, who has earlier walked, to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. The Phillies would threaten to increase their lead in the second, when, with the bases loaded via a single (Shane Victorino) and two walks (Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz) and with one man out, Victorino would try to score on a shallow fly ball to left center field by Jimmy Rollins that was caught by Rays’ centerfielder B.J. Upton for the inning’s second out. Victornio, who would later admit that he ran home on a miscommunication with third base coach Steve Smith, who was telling him not to go home, would be tagged out at home plate by Rays’ catcher Dioner Navarro for the inning’s final out. In the top of the third, the Phillies would threaten to score again after Werth would reach third base via a lead-off double and a Utley ground out, 4-3, for the inning’s first out. But Rays’ starter Scott Kazmir would get out of the inning by getting first Ryan Howard and then Pat Burrell to strike out swinging. The Rays would then mount a threat of their own in their half of the third as they would load up the bases with only one out via two singles (Ben Zobrist and Akinori Iwamura) and a walk (Jason Bartlett). But Cole Hamels would end the threat by getting Upton to ground into a 5-4-3 double play on a sharp grounder hit to Feliz. The Phillies would finally add another run in the fourth as, with runners on second and third and one man out, Victorino, who has earlier singled, would move to second on Feliz’s single, and who would both move up a base on Chris Coste’s ground out to first, would cross the plate on Ruiz’s ground out, 6-3, giving the Phillies a 3-0 lead. The Rays would finally get on the scoreboard as, with two outs, Carl Crawford would hit a solo home run on a Hamels’ curveball, cutting the Phils’ lead down to 3-1. The Rays would then cut the Phils’ lead down further in the fifth, as, with a runner on second and two men out, Iwamura would hit a RBI double, scoring Bartlett, who has earlier walked and then stole second, to make it a 3-2 Phillies’ lead. Hamels would then end the inning by getting Upton to foul out to Howard, who would make a spectular catch just inside the stands behind the first base foul line. The Rays would try to threaten again in the sixth as Howard would boot Carlos Pena’s ground ball for a fielding error. But, when Pena tried to steal second, he would be picked off by Hamels, who would throw over to Howard, who would then throw to Rollins, would would just barely tag out Pena for the inning’s first out, although the Rays’ bench would claim that Hamels had actually balked, a claim that first base umpire Kerwin Danley would ignore. Hamels would then proceed to strike out Evan Longoria and then get Crawford to ground out, 4-3, to end the inning. The Phillies would make another threat to score an extra run in the seventh, as, with runners on third (Utley (single, stolen base and wild pitch (J.P. Howell)) and first (Burrell (walk), who was then replaced by pinch runner Eric Bruntlett) and two outs, Rays’ reliever Grant Balfour, the second Rays’ reliever for the inning, would end the inning by striking out Victornio. Hamels’ seventh would be an easy eleven-pitch 1-2-3 inning. After the Phillies would go down 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth, Ryan Madson would come out in relief of Hamels and proceed to pitch a 1-2-3 inning of his own. In the Phillies’ ninth, the Phils would make one final attempt to get an insurance run as they would get runners on second (Werth (ground-rule double) and first (Utley (intentional walk)) and one out. But, the Rays would get out of the inning as first Howard would strike out looking and then Bruntlett would pop out to the second baseman. The Phillies would then hand the ball over to Brad Lidge to close it. Lidge would proceed to strike out Pena and Longoria on seven pitches before ending the game by getting Crawford to foul out to Feliz for the final out, recording the save.
Cole Hamels would get the win as he would pitch seven strong innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out five. His record in the series is now 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA and a 4-0 record in the post-season. Ryan Madson would pitch a 1-2-3 inning, striking out one. Brad Lidge would also pitch a 1-2-3 inning, striking out two, as he would record his fifth save in the post-season and his forty-sixth save in forty-six tries. Scott Kazmir would receive the lost as he pitches six innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits and four walks, while striking out four. His series record is 0-1 with an ERA of 4.50. J.P. Howell, Grant Balfour, Trever Miller and Dan Wheeler would combine for three scoreless innings, giving up two hits (Howell and Balfour one hit apiece) and two walks (Howell and Balfour would each give up a walk), while striking out five (Howell and Balfour two each and Miller one).
The Phillies would win last night’s game thanks to the bullpen shutting down the Rays’ offense in the last two innings, while Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge would combine to get the last eleven Ray batters out, after Hamels had picked off Carlos Pena trying to steal second in the sixth inning. Speaking of the pick off, Rays’ manager Joe Maddon and the Rays’ bench all thought that Hamels had balked before he threw to first base after Pena had started to run towards second base. The first base umpire, Kerwin Danley, would ignore their argument, but before the start of the Phillies’ seventh, home plate umpire Tim Welke told Maddon that he would look into the matter. Quite frankly, I don’t know what the point of all this is. If it was a balk, Danley should’ve called it right then and there. I just hope this wasn’t an attempt by Maddon to influence things later in the series as it could backfire on his team since the umpires could decide to look closely at the pitchers of both teams when their pitchers throw towards first when there is someone on base who is a basestealing threat. I guess time will tell. Meanwhile, the Phillies offense would once again in the post-season be unable to hit an early knockout blow against their opponent as they would leave eleven men on base, thanks mainly to Ryan Howard being unable to stop chasing junk out of the strike zone. Hey big guy, lay off the junk pitches will you? As long as you keep swinging at them, they’re going to keep throwing them to you. Please follow Charlie Manuel’s advice, just relax at the plate and let the ball come to you. Even if it means hitting into an out, it’ll at least be a lot better than being made to look like a fool with your constant swing and misses at off-speed junk.
The 2008 World Series continues tonight with the series’ second game, being played tonight at Tropicana Field. The game will begin at 8:29 pm Easten time. The Phillies will send to the mound Brett Myers (0-0, -.–), who is coming off his victory over the Dodgers on October 10, where he went five innings, giving up five earned runs on six hits and four walks, while striking out six, in the Phillies’ 8-5 win, thanks in part to his going 3 for 3 at the plate, knocking in three runs and scoring two. His post-season record is 2-0 with a 5.25 ERA, as he pitched twelve innings, giving up seven earned runs on eight hits and seven walks, while striking out ten. During the regular season, his record was 10-13 with a 4.55 ERA, as he pitched in thirty games, giving up 103 runs, 96 of which were earned, on 197 hits and 65 walks, while striking out 163 batters in 190 innings of work. But, he was a better pitcher in the second half, after his return from a minor league reassignment, as he would go 7-4 with two no-decisions. Myers will be pitching his first start on the road during the post-season, and hoping to stake the Phillies to a 2-0 lead in the series, while hoping to avoid a repeat of his last road start back on September 19 against the Marlins where he got bombed for ten earned runs. The Rays will be countering with James Shields (0-0, -.–), who is coming off his second straight bad start in the ALCS against the Red Sox on October 18, as he would last just five and two-third innings, giving up four runs, three of which were earned, on nine hits and three walks, while striking out three, in the Rays’ 4-2 lost. In the post-season, his record is 1-2 in three starts, as he would pitch ninteen and a third innings, giving up nine runs, eight of which were earned, on twenty-one hits and six walks, while striking out thirteen. His regular season record was 14-8 with a 3.56 ERA, as he would pitch in 33 games, going 215 innings, giving up 94 runs, 85 of which were earned, on 208 hits and 40 walks, while striking out 160. Shields will be going out to even the series at a game a piece, while trying to avoid getting hurt for the third straight game in the post-season. The Phillies will once again be trying to be patient with another Rays’ starter who have had even worst recent luck in the post-season than has last night’s starter Kazmir before striking the major blow, while hoping that Myers will be able to do well on the road for at least this game, before heading back home to the friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park and its very loud, screaming fans.
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The Philadelphia Eagles have enormous expectations once again heading into the 2012 NFL season, and Michael Vick is at the center of it all. Vick needs to stay healthy for the Eagles to have a chance at a championship, and after missing three games due to injury in 2011, he says it's time to protect himself.
According to CSNPhilly.com, Vick knows that protecting himself is in the best interest of everyone involved with the team.
"If you’re not on the field, then you don’t have that chance, said Vick. So I just want to give myself ample opportunity. Praying to God that I can play sixteen games. I know that’s the key to the season. I know deep down in my heart. And even though I believe in the players behind me, the players around me, I know what I can do and I know what I can bring to the table each and every Sunday, so I know it’s paramount that I’m out on the field."
At the age of 32, Vick is aware that his career while not coming to a close by any stretch, is about to see it's best years behind it sooner rather than later. With that in mind, Vick is taking a more cautious approach.
"I want to make a promise to all my fans that I’m going to make a conscious effort, a cognitive effort, to make sure that I protect myself," Vick said. "And you know my motto has been this for the last six months, and I repeatedly said to myself: ‘Get the next yard on the next play.’
"You know, whether I’m running the football or scrambling or trying to do something improvising. Get the next yard on the next play. That’s why you have second down and third down, and possibly fourth down. So you can give yourself opportunity."
If Vick can stay true to those words and keep himself on the field for a full season, Eagles fans should be very hopeful about the upcoming campaign.
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By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/9/10
Hill School junior attack Callie Farncis has made a verbal commitment to play Division I lacrosse at Duke University.
Francis, of Ponte Vedra, Fla., has collected 50 goals and 20 assists this year for the Blues, who are 10-4. Francis was a first-team All-Mid-Atlantic Prep League pick last year and plays club lacrosse for XTeam.
Francis also considered Northwestern, Boston University, Columbia and Colgate.
“I chose Duke because I loved the overall atmosphere, and everything about it,” she said. “I felt so welcomed on my visits by the players and coaches. They were all so helpful and their team unity and team spirit really stood out to me. I have not decided what I plan to study, but political science interests me.”
Francis continues a connection between Duke and Hill School. At Duke, Francis will join 2009 Hill grad Sarah Kendrick. Also, Hill coach Lindsay Mulhern is the sister of Duke coach Kerstin Kimel (Haverford High grad).
“When I visited Duke, I stayed with Sarah and saw firsthand how much she loved it, which I definitely took into consideration,” Francis said.
Francis has a strong academic background. She is a member of the high honor roll and is President of Operation Smile, as well as a member of the Dream Team school activities committee.
She played in the 2009 National Tournament for Philly 3 and also plays field hockey and indoor track at The Hill. She was league champion in the 400 meters and was fifth in the state meet in the race with a time of 57.5 seconds.
Tags: Hill School
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Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/3/12
NXT Sports seeks a head coach for the NXT Lacrosse Club 2016 team. NXT Lacrosse is a two-year old club program based in Newtown Square, PA.
NXT Lacrosse is focused on player development and skill building through an organized and highly professional approach to practices, and through passionate and knowledgeable instruction. NXT Lacrosse trains year-round at Episcopal Academy, one of the best high school facilities in the nation.
Tryouts for the NXT 2016 team will take place in September, 2012 at Episcopal Academy. Last year over 150 players tried out for the NXT 2015 team, and that team has established itself as one of the best in the region. The NXT 2016 team will consist of 26-28 ninth graders in the class of 2016 willing to commit to the program year-round.
- Direct all on-field activities for the team;
- Commit to offering developmental feedback to players and families, up to and including personal developmental meetings with all players;
- Work closely with the NXT coaching directors to formulate practice plans and distribute practice plans to players in advance;
- Applicant must be willing to commit to NXT’s year-round practice and tournament schedule. 2012-2013 schedule consists of weekly practice September to November, and 3-4 fall tournaments; weekend indoor practice December through February and one indoor box tournament; and summer practice May through July with a full summer tournament schedule;
- Highly competitive salary
- All travel costs to and from events covered
- All club apparel provided
- Opportunity to work other NXTsports events if desired, such as the Philly Showcase
- A current or former lacrosse player highly knowledgeable about the sport
- Coaching experience required, head coaching experience preferred
- Genuine interest in working with and developing young lacrosse players
- Excellent interpersonal, organizational and written and oral communication skills; able to communicate equally well with kids and parents;
- Able to commit to year-long program
- Have a strong work ethic and desire to succeed
- Teaching experience a plus
To apply or for more information send an introductory email and a resume to:
Philadelphia Regional Director, NXT Lacrosse
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The following is a press release from Disney Interactive Studios presented here unedited for the purposes of news reporting. The following is courtesy of Disney Interactive Studios, not me, and all errors, if any, are theirs alone.
DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS WILL TAKE FANS TO A NEW DIMENSION IN UPCOMING PHINEAS AND FERB VIDEO GAME
Video Game, Inspired By Disney Channel Original Movie, to Feature a New Agent, Cool Gadgets and Off-The-Wall Worlds
BURBANK, APRIL 4, 2011- Disney Interactive Studios today announced that Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension is currently in development for the Wii™ system, Nintendo DS™ family of handheld systems and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems. "Phineas and Ferb" has been the #1 animated TV series among Tweens 9-14 for the past three years and this lively new video game is inspired by the upcoming Disney Channel Original Movie inspired by the series. Fans can play as their favorite characters including Phineas, Ferb and Agent P as they journey through new dimensions filled with action-packed platforming, in a quest to battle the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension the video game is slated for release in Summer 2011.
“We collaborated closely with Disney Interactive Studios’ video game development team to ensure that the video game captures the humor and style of our movie,” said Dan Povenmire, Emmy Award-winning Creator/Executive Producer, “Phineas and Ferb.” “The antics of the characters and the immersive new worlds of the video game extend the experience fans will encounter in Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension.”
The PlayStation®3 system and Wii system versions will allow fans to play as up to 10 characters. Players will have the option to work together in two-player cooperative modes while navigating through an old time 1928-style cartoon world, a lawn gnome land and a gelatin world. In a mission to save the world, players will journey through 25 exciting levels while overcoming obstacles. They also can upgrade cool new gadgets including the Carbonator, which fires carbonated orange soda that can melt enemies and Ninja Gloves, which allows players to stick to walls. Along the way, fans will collect cool items and unlock additional playable characters, including a new OWCA special agent created specifically for the video game. The PlayStation® 3 system version will also be the first time a Phineas and Ferb video game features PlayStation®Move motion controller compatible gameplay.
In the DS version of Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension, fans will play as Phineas, Ferb or Agent P. Players will jump, dodge, race and battle through five outrageous worlds featuring more than 30 levels. Players will work to earn gadget upgrades including a baseball launcher and Agent P’s favorite gadget – the grapple gun, while solving environmental puzzles in an effort to save Alternate Danville.
In addition to lending their voices to the Disney Channel Original Movie, several of the actors from the popular TV series will voice the Wii and PlayStation®3 system versions of the game including Vincent Martella as Phineas, Thomas Sangster as Ferb, Alyson Stoner as Isabella and show creators/executive producers Dan Povenmire as Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh as Major Francis Monogram.
Published by Disney Interactive Studios, Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension will be released in summer 2011 and is expected to be rated E10+ by the ESRB.
In Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension, Phineas and Ferb finally discover that their pet platypus, Perry, is a secret agent who battles the forces of evil almost every day. With the help of their friends, the boys team up with Perry on an adventure through a parallel universe where they must ultimately thwart the disastrous plans of an even more evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz.
Disney Interactive Studios, part of Disney Interactive Media Group, is the interactive entertainment affiliate of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS). Disney Interactive Studios self publishes and distributes a broad portfolio of multi-platform video games and interactive entertainment worldwide. The company also licenses properties and works directly with other interactive game publishers to bring products for all ages to market. Disney Interactive Studios is based in Glendale, California, and has internal development studios around the world. For more information, log on to http://www.disneyinteractivestudios.com.
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Follow the Yellow Brick Road tease. Stairway to Heaven tease. Oom Pa Pa, Me And My Arrow, Simpsons, Random Note, and Aw Fuck! signals. The band also squawked at Page. Several references to a fan's T-shirt. Fishman on Bag-Vac. Without microphones.
Notes: The beginning of the show, as well as the Antelope jam, contained Follow the Yellow Brick Road teases. Mike’s Song was preceded by an Auld Lang Syne tease and subsequently contained a Stairway to Heaven tease. My Sweet One contained Oom Pa Pa, Me And My Arrow, Simpsons, Random Note, and Aw Fuck! signals and featured the band squawking at Page. Hood contained several references to some fan’s T-shirt. After Love You, Fish continued to play the Bag-Vac during Cold As Ice. Memories and Sweet Adeline were performed without microphones.
A little shakey again tonight, just like the last show. Not sure if there were sound problems? It took a while for the bootleg to balance out too. A rare Maze solo on the piano instead of organ. Sloppy ending.
A sloppy Hydrogen and Horse>Silent, which is still not settling in yet. My Sweet One intro is great! The rest of the second set is pretty tight. The T-shirt seems to have been of Marvin the Martian, checkout Fish's "very angry indeed" quote.
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The Wang Center, Boston, MA
No known setlist!
Notes: It is believed that Phish performed two songs at the Boston Music Awards show. The band won the award for Best Debut Album on a Major Label (for A Picture of Nectar) and was also nominated for Outstanding Rock Band and Rising Star.
NOTE: This Phish performance does not count for stats purposes.
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Phoronix: Another Single-Game Humble Bundle Deal Launches
Another "Humble Indie Bundle" is now available, but like the last bundle, there's only a single game being offered up. At least it's still multi-platform, DRM-free, and goes under a "pay what you want" model. Another catch is that the new game that forms this bundle is still in an "alpha" state...
this shit ain't "humble" or a "bundle".
this is just some hacks trying to pull off Minecraft-like sham and getting profit with half-assed effort. only their effort doesn't even have a substance like Minecraft did.
They're experimenting, why not?
Helping finance a game under development sounds like a decent idea, as long as they have enough to show for it.
It's still pretty balsy given that the Frozenbyte and Frozen Synapse bundles were the less successful.
(And yes, only the URL names anything releated to a bundle.)
The game reminds me of "8 bit pixel warriors" or something like that, on the PS3
As someone mentioned, open sourcing seems to have fallen out of favor, which is a shame, I'd love a mono-free Spacechem.
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US Aircraft Carrier Ups Pressure On N. Korea
A massive nuclear-powered U.S. supercarrier readied Saturday for maneuvers with ally South Korea in a potent show of force that North Korea has threatened could lead to "sacred war."
The military drills, code-named "Invincible Spirit," are to run Sunday through Wednesday with about 8,000 U.S. and South Korean troops, 20 ships and submarines and 200 aircraft. The Nimitz-class USS George Washington, with several thousand sailors and dozens of fighters aboard, was deployed from Japan.
The North routinely threatens attacks whenever South Korea and the U.S. hold joint military drills, which Pyongyang sees as a rehearsal for an invasion. The U.S. keeps 28,500 troops in South Korea and another 50,000 in Japan, but says it has no intention of invading the North.
Still, the North's latest rhetoric threatening "nuclear deterrence" and "sacred war" carries extra weight following the sinking of a South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors. Seoul and Washington say a North Korean torpedo was responsible for the March sinking of the Cheonan, considered the worst military attack on the South since the 1950-53 Korean War.
The American and South Korean defense chiefs announced earlier in the week they would stage the military drills to send a clear message to North Korea to stop its "aggressive" behavior.
I am writing this post from onboard USS George Washington and will be present at those exercises. The Wandering Gaijin will have the tourist version on his blog in a few weeks when he returns to his home.
UPDATE: See also;
North Korea Warns of Nuclear Response to Naval Exercises
USS George Washington
The U.S. said this week it will intensify sanctions against North Korea and conduct military exercises with South Korea in waters surrounding the peninsula. The USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered carrier, and three destroyers called into South Korean ports this week in a show of force.
“North Korea may very well go ahead with missile launches or even a third nuclear test to show it won’t bend to U.S. pressure,” said Yang Moo Jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. “North Korea must have sensed that the U.S. and South Korea are after its regime’s collapse.”
Ri said the George Washington’s presence threatened security on the peninsula, which has been divided for more than half a century. Pak maintained the need for a peace treaty to replace a cease-fire, signed in 1953, to guarantee the peninsula’s security, Ri said.
“It’s no longer the 19th century with gunboat diplomacy,” Ri said. “It is a new century and the Asian countries are in need of peace and development.”
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|visits||member for||2 years, 9 months|
|seen||Feb 7 '12 at 11:40|
I'm an enthusiast photographer and the best of what comes off my cameras can be seen at Hot off the Memory Card. I also run NEXtended, a site for Sony NEX users and I'm building Shutter Scouts into a useful web & mobile app for landscape photographers.
|bio||website||ideasasylum.com||visits||member for||2 years, 9 months|
|location||Cork, Ireland||seen||Feb 7 '12 at 11:40|
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|9th of March 2008 (Sun)||#1|
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Anyone work as a Toronto Photographer?
Just wondering if there's any folks here that work as a photographer for a newspaper/magazine in Toronto.
|11th of March 2008 (Tue)||#2|
Join Date: Nov 2006
Re: Anyone work as a Toronto Photographer?
I don't but I know a few of them that I've met at various sporting events, some staff some freelance.
What are you looking for?
|Thread||Thread Starter||Forum||Replies||Last Post|
|Looking for an really good wedding photographer in Toronto area||TheAmateur||Weddings and Other Family Events Talk||15||7th of April 2009 (Tue) 19:13|
|Photographer at Work||tsamarin||Nature & Landscapes||13||3rd of January 2008 (Thu) 00:55|
|Photographer at work||HenryWphoto||People||4||5th of November 2007 (Mon) 11:41|
|Photographer at Work||RbnDave||Nature & Landscapes||3||5th of October 2005 (Wed) 21:26|
|Looking for particular Photographer or his work?||bunraku||The POTN Lounge||2||12th of January 2005 (Wed) 15:01|
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Nauticam announced a new underwater housing for the Canon EOS 1D X and EOS 1D C cameras. The depth rating of the Nauticam NA-1DX is 100m. Shipping will start on November 20th, 2012 with a price tag of $5100.
Nauticam NA-1DX Innovation Underwater As the international leader in innovative underwater housing technology, Nauticam takes exceptional pleasure in announcing the latest release in its acclaimed line of precision crafted camera housings.
Leave it to the vaunted Nauticam design and engineering team to take on not one, but two Canon flagship SLRs in developing a single housing that maximizes the ultimate potential of both systems for underwater use. The results are beyond all expectations as Nauticam releases the remarkable NA-1DX. This professional grade housing supports both the SLR performance king Canon EOS-1D X and the cutting edge cinematic 4K video capable Canon EOS-1D C. Pro shooters of the caliber that Canon serves with these powerhouses demand the very best and Nauticam delivers nothing less.
Canon EOS-1D X
The EOS-1D X is Canon’s flagship professional SLR camera and as one might imagine, the specs are eye popping. The dual Digic 5+ processors make shooting 18 megapixel RAW still photos at a remarkable 12 frames per second a breeze while providing 14 fps in jpg mode with mirror locked.
The EOS-1D X also features a new 61-Point High-Density Reticular AF and 100,000-pixel RGB Metering Sensor that uses a separate, dedicated Digic 4 Image Processor that allows the EOS-1D X to “reach new levels of focus speed and accuracy” according to Canon. Intelligent Tracking and Recognition Autofocus technology means accurate subject tracking, and AF point illumination during AI Servo helps the shooter see what is happening during AF tracking. Expanded ISO ranges from 50 to 204,800 should satisfy almost any exposure challenge. Low light performance is reputed to excellent and at 204,800 the camera should practically see in the dark.
The camera features dual CF card slots and a gigabit Ethernet port for tethered shooting, as well as optional GPS and wireless file transmitter options. It also features a magnesium body with a 400,000-cycle shutter durability rating, excellent dust and weather sealing, and a new vibration based dust removal system. The large, bright LCD (1 mega-dot, 3.2” and 170º viewing angle) means image review is a pleasure and the aforementioned processors waste no time scanning through hundreds of shots. Other features include chromatic aberration correction, maintenance display, and a new multiple exposure feature allowing up to 9 shots to be combined into a single image with four distinct settings for exposure control.
The EOS-1D X features advanced HD video with continuous recording for up to 30 minutes, outputting to compact flash using ALL-I frame-to-frame compression or IPC compression. Key for underwater video shooters, the EOS-1D X supports 6 different custom white balance settings. Canon already had the best white balance support of any SLR, but the ability to store 6 settings means that much more accuracy in ambient light video shooting. The EOS-1D X occupies pretty rarified territory, but for those who need performance, connectivity, processing power, durable construction, HD capture, and unmatched white balance - there is no better camera available.
Canon EOS-1D C
The Canon EOS-1D C can be thought of an EOS-1D X on video steroids. Canon has taken all of the still performance of the EOS-1D X and added 4K-cinema quality video recording. The EOS-1D C is not yet available, but Nauticam has had access to the camera and details to ensure that the NA-1DX housing will indeed support the EOS-1D C.
Every aspect of the NA-1DX exudes the Nauticam penchant for exceptional design and engineering. The award winning Nauticam design team has tackled the challenges of this housing with all the commitment, ingenuity and excellence befitting these extraordinary cameras. In so doing, they have achieved the extraordinary – a housing that melds shooter and camera as never before. Shooting the NA-1DX together with the EOS-1D X is at once brilliantly unique, yet intuitive to operate. Every control is conceived, designed, and placed where the shooter needs it. The design anticipates use, form becomes function and the whole system beckons the shooter to exceed what they previously thought possible.
While pushing the design envelope, what was already the best is still retained. The universally recognized innovations of recent Nauticam housings are obvious with the easy and secure latching system, unrivalled port locking lever system and the superb interchangeable viewfinders. The ergonomic thought process of previous housings is evident, and the Nauticam design refinement moves ever forward, always improving. The future is now, the housing is here and the possibilities are unlimited.
Creative Potential at Your Fingertips
The NA-1DX puts the controls that matter where they can readily be used – no awkward reaches are required for any key controls. Gripping the familiar rubberized handles is just the beginning of the connection that unfolds between photographer and housing. Without releasing the grip, the right forefinger simply activates Nauticam’s patented two-stage shutter release. Both the top and rear command dials are uniquely located on the side of housing – easily reached without removing the hand from the grips. The right thumb can quickly activate a new double paddle lever assembly engaging the record function on top and the AF-ON feature on the bottom lever. The ISO control borrows from the brilliant NA-5DMKIII housing with a lever easily reached by the thumb on the right hand - again without removing the hand from the grip. This critical development substantially enhances video capability, as ISO variation is essential to video exposure control.
Unlocking the 1DX’s Power
Of course the key controls are covered – precisely placed two-stage shutter release: check. Command dials right at the fingertips: check. AF-ON located where it is easily activated without removing finger from the shutter: check. ISO available without moving the hand: check. But Nauticam doesn’t just stop with the primary controls. Every control is given careful consideration. For example, AF Point Selection and the important programmable “*” button are moved up and to the right to make them easier to reach with the right thumb. The Quick Mode and Set buttons get Nauticam’s legendary piano keys. Menu is made easy to reach with the left hand, with Info and Playback on a double paddle (similar to the paddles on the right side), making image review, including histogram, available without removing the left hand from the grip.
The camera features a joystick that some other manufacturers might choose to ignore given the difficulty to design a control for it. Not only did Nauticam’s designers master this control, but were even able to move its complex functionality closer to the right hand to make it usable for the underwater shooter. This joystick is needed for panning while zoomed in during playback, and the NA-1DX’s five-button solution for the control makes checking details with panning not only possible, but easy. All of these ergonomic refinements are in pursuit of one goal: The most ergonomic underwater imaging system possible. Nauticam NA-1DX allows the camera operator to access all key camera controls with his or her hands on the handles and their eye on the viewfinder or external video monitor. Nauticam has also put considerable effort into features that allow easier camera loading. No controls require pre-setting before installing a camera into the housing, eliminating the possibility of wasted dives due to incorrect camera installation. Professional grade means being ready when you are.
Standard Features That Are Anything But Standard
Nauticam pioneered numerous engineering breakthroughs in previous housings that have been integrated into NA-1DX. The housing Locking Latch System has received acclaim worldwide for its ease and functionality. These recessed latches are equipped with safety locks to eliminate accidental opening, yet require minimal hands strength to operate. These locking latches will not pinch fingers like stainless steel buckles can. Port changes have never been simpler than utilizing the Patented Nauticam Locking Port Release. No wrestling, no twisting, no misalignment - just seat and lock. Lens changes are also easily accomplished without removing the camera from the housing via the lens release button logically accessed on the housing front. The lightweight, rugged Nauticam handles are generously contoured with a durable over-mold process of comfortable non-slip soft touch rubber. Virtually any hand size can be accommodated with spacers available for cold-water glove use. All Nauticam housings are machined from a solid block of seawater resistant aluminum alloy and then hard anodized making them impervious to corrosion. Hardware is marine grade stainless steel. Clear acrylic windows are protected with a scratch resistant coating.
Clearly Superior Vision
A high performance camera like the Canon EOS-1D X demands perfect focus for optimal results. Fortunately, Nauticam has developed the most user-friendly interchangeable precision viewfinders in the world. The standard optical glass viewfinder is very good and travel friendly on large bright viewfinder, but many photographers prefer the ease of a magnified viewfinder with dioptric adjustment. Nauticam produces a “straight” 180° enlarging viewfinder and a 45° angled enlarging viewfinder to enhance the ease of close quarters work often associated with macro shooting. Both viewfinders have high quality optics allow viewing of the entire image. A patented external dioptric adjustment allows personal adjustment to a sharp-as-a-tack standard underwater and viewfinder changes can be executed in less than 30 seconds without using tools. Exceptional composition and focus accuracy have never been more accessible.
Illumination by Design
Lighting control is key to any successful underwater photography system. The NA-1DX delivers professional diversity to meet every challenge. A single Nikonos sync port is included with each housing as standard equipment. S-6 or Ikelite style sync port bulkheads are available optionally, and can easily be installed or removed in the field. For more flexibility, a future hot shoe to fiber optic trigger capability will be available and will utilize the two pre-installed secure threaded optical sync connectors. The Nauticam system fiber optic cables are compatible with Inon and Sea & Sea strobes and provide reliable triggering with no electrical connections to maintain or flood.
Accessories to Achieve Imaging Excellence
Nauticam has the most extensive line of high quality optical ports available anywhere and all existing Nauticam DSLR ports will fit the NA-1DX. Nauticam also provides the industry’s only locking extension rings in every size potentially required, thus preventing port slippage of any kind when using extension rings. Nauticam additionally offers a full range of port adapters allowing existing housing owners to use their current ports, reducing the cost of switching to a Nauticam housing. Port Adapters are available for Aquatica, Ikelite, Inon, Nexus M5 & M6, Sea & Sea NX, Seacam, Subal Version 3 & 4, and Zillion lens ports.
Professional Video Options
For those taking advantage of the video capability of 1DX or 1DC, Nauticam’s NA-DP4 housing for the SmallHD Monitor can take video performance to another level. The monitor housing easily mounts to the top of the NA-1DX and utilizes the optional HDMI Bulkhead for true HDMI connectivity. Utilizing DP4 features like Focus Peaking, Focus Assist, False Color, 1:1 Mapping and DSLR Scale, this larger monitor vastly improves composition, focus capability and exposure visibility.
- Depth Rating: 100m
- Dimensions (with handles mounted): TBA
- Weight: TBA
- Standard Features
- Patented Locking Port Release Lever
- Sensitive Two Stage Shutter Release Lever
- Optical Strobe Connectors
- Rubberized Ergonomic Grips
- 2 Customizable Accessory Ports (allowing use of optional Nikonos, S6, or Ikelite Strobe Connectors, Hydrophone, Video Out, or Remote Control Connectors)
- Embossed Control Function Labels
- Quick Release Camera Mounting Shoe
- Lens Release Button
- Four Strobe & Accessory Base Mounting Locations
- Complete Access to All Key Camera Controls
- Stainless Steel Support Brackets for Handles
- .66x Optical Pickup Finder (Enhanced 180 deg Viewfinder with External Diopter Adjustment
- Audible and Visual Leak Alarm
- Model Number: 17307
- USA Retail Price: $5100
- Estimated Shipping Date: 20 November, 2012
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Monday, October 03, 2011 6:46 PM
Inappropriate photo? Alert us.
The Highland Park neighborhood is shown in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday, Oct. 3, 2011. The American Planning Association designated it a Top 10 Great Neighborhood for 2011. L-r- Sally Snider and Samantha Smith walk past the Donnelly House on Highland Avenue. They are Samford students and Samantha's cousin lives in the neighborhood, so they like to get some exercise by coming over to walk his dog, Charlie. ( Beverly Taylor / The Birmingham News )
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Gila is a sweet little Lemon and White female Beagle pup. she comes from excellent Show breeding. Her Sire and Dam are both Show Champions. She has an excellent disposition and loves to cuddle. We raise all of our puppies in our home with our children which makes them very socialable and obedient.
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Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertainment and ecommerce company, comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Artist Nation and Live Nation Network. Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world’s top five ecommerce sites, with a database of over 119 million fans who visit our sites. Live Nation Concerts produces 22,000 shows annually for more than 2,300 artists globally. Artist Nation is the world’s top artist management company, representing over 200 artists. These businesses power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, enabling nearly 800 advertisers to tap into the 250 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms. For additional information, visit www.livenation.com/investors.
Follow us @twitter.com/LiveNationInc
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FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, announced today that it has acquired KIESTRA Lab Automation BV, a Netherlands-based company that designs, develops, manufactures, markets and sells innovative lab automation solutions for the microbiology lab. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to be slightly dilutive; however, BD reaffirms its previous guidance that reported diluted earnings per share from continuing operations for fiscal year 2012 are expected to be in the range of $5.60 to $5.70.
For further information, read more on BD's website.
BD is a leading global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. The Company is dedicated to improving people's health throughout the world. BD is focused on improving drug delivery, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases and cancers, and advancing research, discovery and production of new drugs and vaccines. BD's capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world's most pressing diseases. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs approximately 29,000 associates in more than 50 countries throughout the world. The Company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry and the general public. For more information, please visit http://www.bd.com/.
Colleen T. White, Corporate Communications – 201-847-5369
Monique N. Dolecki, Investor Relations – 201-847-5453
SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)
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Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that fluctuations in internal body temperature regulate the body's circadian rhythm, the 24-hour cycle that controls metabolism, sleep and other bodily functions.
A light-sensitive portion of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) remains the body's "master clock" that coordinates the daily cycle, but it does so indirectly, according to a study published by UT Southwestern researchers in the Oct. 15 issue of Science.
The SCN responds to light entering the eye, and so is sensitive to cycles of day and night. While light may be the trigger, the UT Southwestern researchers determined that the SCN transforms that information into neural signals that set the body's temperature. These cyclic fluctuations in temperature then set the timing of cells, and ultimately tissues and organs, to be active or inactive, the study showed.
Scientists have long known that body temperature fluctuates in warm-blooded animals throughout the day on a 24-hour, or circadian, rhythm, but the new study shows that temperature actually controls body cycles, said Dr. Joseph Takahashi, chairman of neuroscience at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study.
"Small changes in body temperature can send a powerful signal to the clocks in our bodies," said Dr. Takahashi, an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. "It takes only a small change in internal body temperature to synchronize cellular 'clocks' throughout the body."
Daily changes in temperature span only a few degrees and stay within normal healthy ranges. This mechanism has nothing to do with fever or environmental temperature, Dr. Takahashi said.
This system might be a modification of an ancient circadian control system that first developed in other organisms, including cold-blooded animals, whose daily biological cycles are affected by external temperature changes, Dr. Takahashi said.
"Circadian rhythms in plants, simple organisms and cold-blooded animals are very sensitive to temperature, so it makes sense that over the course of evolution, this primordial mechanism could have been modified in warm-blooded animals," he said.
In the current study, the researchers focused on cultured mouse cells and tissues, and found that genes related to circadian functions were controlled by temperature fluctuations.
SCN cells were not temperature-sensitive, however. This finding makes sense, Dr. Takahashi said, because if the SCN, as the master control mechanism, responded to temperature cues, a disruptive feedback loop could result, he said.
Explore further: Now we know why old scizophrenia medicine works on antibiotics-resistant bacteria
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South Korea's Samsung Electronics said Monday it has withdrawn its new tablet computer from a major electronics fair in Berlin after a German court accepted a complaint from US rival Apple.
Samsung Sunday removed its Galaxy Tab 7.7 inch from the annual IFA show following an order Friday from a district court in Duesseldorf banning sales and marketing, a company spokesman told AFP.
"Samsung respects the court's decision... and therefore decided not to display any more the Galaxy Tab 7.7 in the IFA," the company said in a statement.
Samsung however vowed to take "all available measures, including legal options" to defend its presence in the European market, saying the court ruling "severely limits consumer choice in Germany".
Friday's move by the Duesseldorf court follows an interim ban in late August on German sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1. That ban remains in force until the court makes its final ruling on Friday.
Samsung -- the world's second-biggest mobile phone maker -- is embroiled in a series of patent lawsuits with Apple over designs and technologies in their smartphone and tablet computers.
Apple, in complaints filed to courts in several countries, requested a ban on the selling and marketing of Samsung smartphones and tablet PCs, which it said had "slavishly" copied Apple's market-leading iPhone and iPad.
Samsung has launched counter-suits, claiming Apple infringed its wireless technologies.
Explore further: Canada trying to lure Silicon Valley tech workers
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(Phys.org) -- After recently topping 24 miles per gallon for the first time ever, fuel economy of all new vehicles sold in the United States slipped back below that mark last month, say researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
Average fuel economy (window-sticker values) of cars, light trucks, minivans and SUVs purchased in April was 23.9 mpg, down from 24.1 in March, but the same as in February. Despite the drop, fuel economy is up 3.8 mpg (or 19 percent) from October 2007, the first month of monitoring by UMTRI researchers Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle.
"The decline likely reflects the slight reduction in the price of gasoline during the second half of April," Sivak said.
In addition to average fuel economy, Sivak and Schoettle issued their monthly update of their national Eco-Driving Index, which estimates the average monthly emissions generated by an individual U.S. driver. The EDI takes into account both vehicle fuel economy and distance driventhe latter relying on data that are published with a two-month lag.
During February, the EDI stood at 0.81, an improvement from 0.83 in January and 0.86 in December (the lower the value, the better). The index currently shows that emissions of greenhouse gases per driver of newly purchased vehicles are down 19 percent, overall, since October 2007.
Finally, Sivak and Schoettle report the unadjusted Corporate Average Fuel Economy performance. This index is based on a different set of EPA ratings than window-sticker values.
For April, unadjusted CAFE performance was 29.3 mpg, down from 29.6 mpg in March, but an increase of 19 percent (4.6 mpg) since October 2007.
Explore further: Energy-positive with natural ventilation
More information: Fuel economy calculations, along with a graph and table of current and recent mpg: www.umich.edu/~umtriswt/EDI_sales-weighted-mpg.html
Eco-Driving Index calculations, along with a graph and table of current and recent values: www.umich.edu/~umtriswt/EDI_values.html
Unadjusted CAFE performance, along with a graph and table of current and recent mpg: www.umich.edu/~umtriswt/EDI_sales-weighted-CAFE.html
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Angry Birds developer bags 42 million-dollar investmentMarch 10th, 2011 in Technology / Software
Rovio CEO Mikael Hed poses with two "Angry Birds" characters at the company premises in Espoo in January 2011. Rovio, the Finnish software company that unleashed the Angry Birds game on millions of mobile phone users, said Thursday it had raised a 42-million-dollar (30.4-million-euro) investment.
Rovio, the Finnish software company that unleashed the Angry Birds game on millions of mobile phone users, said Thursday it had raised a 42-million-dollar (30.4-million-euro) investment.
"We will strengthen the position of Rovio and continue building our franchises in gaming, merchandising and broadcast media," Mikael Hed, the chief executive and co-founder of Rovio said in a statement.
Rovio raised the funds through venture capital firms Accel Partners and Atomico Ventures, with the participation of Felicis Ventures.
The company, previously a small, unknown software developer based in the Finnish town of Espoo, shot to international fame with its addictive "Angry Birds" puzzle game in which players catapult cartoonish birds into fortresses built by little egg-stealing green pigs.
The game, which Rovio said is played by 40 million monthly active users, has spawned a lucrative trade in Angry Birds plush toys, a spin-off game, an upcoming 20th Century Fox animated feature film and plans for an Angry Birds animated television series.
"With Angry Birds, we have successfully launched not only a strong new brand, but also a whole new entertainment franchise," Hed said.
(c) 2011 AFP
"Angry Birds developer bags 42 million-dollar investment." March 10th, 2011. http://phys.org/news/2011-03-angry-birds-bags-million-dollar-investment.html
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This question came up as an exercise in a first year undergraduate course I was a TA for. It turned out to be a lot more difficult (impossible?) than anticipated...
Two platforms of mass $M_1$ and $M_2$ ($M_1\neq M_2$) are connected by a spring of constant $k$, and are initially at rest with the spring unstretched, sitting on a frictionless surface. A man of mass $m$ stands on one platform and begins to run, always with a constant speed $v$ measured relative to the platform he is running on. What is the maximum speed reached by the other platform, relative to the ground?
My intuition is telling me that I need to know something about how the man gets from rest to his constant speed (instantaneously? very slowly? with some smooth acceleration?) to solve this, but I haven't been able to prove to myself that this is required. If this is a requirement, I think the most reasonable assumption would be that he reaches his full speed instantaneously.
What I'm most interested in is whether this problem can be tackled with a typical freshman's toolbox - simple arguments around conservation of energy/momentum, no/very limited differential equations, basic calculus. I can see an easy way to get an upper bound on the maximum speed from energy/momentum considerations, but I don't see a way to check if this speed is ever reached.
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If superparticles were to exist the decay would happen far more often. This test is one of the "golden" tests for supersymmetry and it is one that on the face of it this hugely popular theory among physicists has failed.
Prof Val Gibson, leader of the Cambridge LHCb team, said that the new result was "putting our supersymmetry theory colleagues in a spin".
The results are in fact completely in line with what one would expect from the Standard Model. There is already concern that the LHCb's sister detectors might have expected to have detected superparticles by now, yet none have been found so far.This certainly does not rule out SUSY, but it is getting to the same level as cold fusion if positive experimental result does not come soon.
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Well, even though nobody will play my little game with me, I will still 'give up the goods' because of all the help and advice I have received here on the forum.
So...to extract the audio portion from a video and convert it to an mp3, here is what I learned:
First you have to download the whole video. I use RealPlayer Downloader since I have that already on my computer. Then locate the downloaded video in your RealPlayer library. Next, download and then install an audio extractor program like Pazera Free Audio Extractor. Just like the name says, it's free and here's the link:http://www.pazera-software.com/products ... extractor/
or this one from cnet: http://download.cnet.com/Pazera-Free-Au ... tag=button
Open up the Pazera program and drag the video into the blank area. Then choose where you want to put the mp3, go to File - click 'convert checked files' and that's it! You can even change the bitrate, frequency, channels, and volume. Isn't that neat?
(Although again one of my sons said that I could be arrested for doing this. Come visit me in jail, okay?
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After 3 years at Can Tho University, she returned to her hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Inspired by the environmental and agricultural engineering projects run by CTU in the Mekong Delta, she enrolled in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Ohio State University and got a second bachelor’s degree, specializing in water and wastewater treatment. She currently works at a specialty chemical company on projects related to water and wastewater disinfection using low-cost, energy-independent methods. For the past two years, she has spent a lot of time with Le Huu Ly, a teacher at CTU, who is studying for his master’s degree in education at Southern Illinois University and often visits Columbus on vacations. The photograph is of Ly and her at the Detroit Marathon and Half Marathon this past October. She ran the full marathon and Ly ran his first ½ marathon ever. The marathon crossed into Windsor, Canada for a few miles, so Ly got to add another country to his list of international visits. Not only did he run very well, he took time to document his experience on the racecourse with his ever-present camera!
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Special to the Item
The Picayune Item
Harper Family in concert
Benville Missionary Baptist Church, 12011 Lott McCarty Rd. in Picayune, MS, will host The Harper Family in concert, Friday, February 8, 2013, at 7 p.m. Come one, come all for great music and a heart-warming time. The church is located at the end of North Benville Rd. behind Seals Marketplace.
Christian singles dance
Slidell Christian Singles dance is 8 p.m.-midnight Saturday, Feb. 16, at St. Luke’s Family Center in Slidell, La. Music by Jake & the Nifty 50s. Tickets $15 at the door. For more information, call 985-649-4219 or 985-285-8174.
‘Paul’s Journey’ is Saturday
Lee’s Chapel #1 hosts Paul’s Journey at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2.
Relationship study planned
White Sand Baptist Church hosts study about relationships beginning at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3. Donation for books is $10. Study runs for 19 weeks. For more information, call 601-466-3816.
Victims hotline available
Victims of domestic violence call 1-866-231-4568.
Benefit for tornado victims
A benefit for victims of Christmas Day tornado is 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, at McNeill elementary auditorium. Sponsored by Krumbs and Dominoes. For more information, call 601-916-9537.
‘Women in Red’ Sunday
New Beginning Baptist Church hosts Women in Red at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10. For more information, call Elizabeth Stallings at 601-798-0005.
Family support group forms
Bethany Lutheran Church in Slidell, La., hosts a “discussion with families of offenders” to help them survive the criminal justice system, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14. For more information or to reserve a seat, call 888-545-5128 or 985-649-0742, or go to www.dismasproject.com.
Ushers Board annual day
New Beginnings Baptist Church Ushers Board annual day is at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24. For more information, call Billie Trotter at 601-889-0539.
Computer classes slated
Manna Ministries is offering computer classes and financial guidance. To register for classes or more information, call 601-799-2121.
Cemetery needs upkeep
Old Palestine Cemetery needs donations to help pay for upkeep. To make a donation or for more information, call Robert Byrd at 601-347-9645.
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Trout: Fair. Captain Steve Pietrykowski reports that trout fishing is coming out of the late fall/ early winter doldrums and getting better. For now the best pattern is slowly trolling spoons or live bait 15-40 feet deep, with the best fish coming on live bait.
Black Bass: Fair. Captain Pat Bennett advises that the best winter action is found fishing over deep water for suspended fish. Look for bait schools on your graph, and then lower down a jigging spoon or drop shot rig.
Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Good. Guide Brad Fowler reports that bass fishing remains very strong on Lake Keowee, particularly for numbers of fish, and catching 20-plus fish on a trip is fairly common with tight winter schools. The most productive pattern at this time of year is typically deep drop-shotting in 50-70 feet of water, with some fish deeper and others slightly shallower. Because of the absence of deep cover on Keowee fish are related to depth changes, including channels, the sides of humps, underwater roadbeds, and the sides of humps. A variety of plastic worm colors will work, and the key is the technique of dropping the rig to the bottom, tightening the line and then slightly jiggling the worm with the bait still on the bottom.
Black Bass: Fair. Guide Brad Fowler reports that fish can be caught deep using traditional winter fishing techniques. In 25-40 feet of water bass are relating to channel swings, drops or any structure proximate to very deep water and they will take shakey head worms, drop shot rigs, spoons and jigs.
Striped and Hybrid Bass: Slow to fair. Captain Bill Plumley reports that striper fish has been on the slow side, but a few fish have been caught in both the Seneca and the Tugaloo jigging spoons in 30-50 feet of water.
Catfish: Slow to fair. Captain Bill Plumley reports that blue catfishing is a little on the slow side, too, but fish can be caught scattered all over the lake in 15-35 feet of water. Cats could be found on a main lake point or well up a creek. A variety of cut baits will work.
Crappie: Slow to fair. Captain Bill Plumley reports that crappie have been caught about 20-30 feet deep over brush along the edge of the channel.
Black Bass: Good. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that bass fishing remains strong on Lake Russell, and the most significant change is that the big schools of bait have generally moved out to the main channel in 50-60 feet of water. Some schools can still be found in 30 or so feet of water in the creeks, but the main action has moved.
White perch: Good. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that big schools of white perch can also be found around the same schools of baitfish that the spotted bass are relating to, and they will take spoons or minnows. Some yellow perch are also mixed in with the white perch.
Striped bass: Fair to good. Guide Wendell Wilson reports there have been some awesome striper catches of late. Gulls have descended on Lake Russell and will point anglers to the striper, but the general technique is trolling free lines and planer boards with big live bait and covering a lot of water.
Crappie: Fair. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that crappie have returned as a significant by-catch when bass and perch fishing, and they will be caught on minnows mixed in with the spots and perch.
Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Captain William Sasser reports the best fishing has been at the mouths of the creeks, not in the backs, and his boat is catching fish by presenting live herring on a combination of free lines, planer boards 20 or so feet out from the boat, and down lines.
Crappie: Good. Captain William Sasser reports that his boat is catching crappie pulling jigs about 10 feet down in 15-20 feet of water in the South Carolina Little River and Buffalo Creek.
Black bass: Fair. Buckeye Lures in Augusta reports that fish are cruising fairly shallow in 4-8 feet of water. They can be found in the backs of pockets and ditches just off the main lake and caught on shallow running crankbaits and mop-type jigs.
Catfish: Good to very good. Captain Rodger Taylor reports this is blue catfish time on Lake Wylie, and over the past few years anglers have learned to target the middle to lower end of the lake focusing in the riverbed, at the mouths of deep creeks and on adjacent deepwater flats. The best baits include gizzard shad and small pieces of cut fish (the size of a quarter coin).
Largemouth Bass: Fair. FLW Professional and Guide Matt Arey reports that fish are in a typical early winter pattern and the bite should get better and better unless temperatures increase and disrupt things. Fishing grubs such as Yamamato single tail grubs behind a ¼ or 3/16 ounce jighead around channel swings, points and at the mouths of creeks is producing.
Lake Greenwood: (unchanged from Jan. 3)
Catfish: Good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that drifting cut herring, shad and shrimp in 15 to 25 feet of water near the Reedy and Saluda River channels is working well for channel cats. Crappie: Fair. Sportsman’s Friend reports that crappie are still feeding pretty well. The best fishing has come around bridge pilings in 12-15 feet of water using minnows.
Largemouth Bass: Slow. Sportsman’s Friend reports that starting in mid-November an inch or two of water has been pulled from the lake each day, and perhaps as a result of dropping water levels as well as seasonal factors the fishing remains tough. Some fish are being caught on shakey head worms fished on the bottom in 8-15 feet of water, and there is still sporadic schooling activity with a mix of bass, small stripers and white perch feeding on top.
Lake Monticello: (unchanged from Jan. 3)
Catfish: Good. Anchoring on main lake humps and points with steep ledges is most effective for putting big blue catfish in the boat; being patient and staying in one spot for a while can really pay off. Cut gizzard shad, big threadfin shad, and white perch seem to be the best baits.
Lake Wateree: (unchanged from Jan. 3)
Crappie: Very good. Will Hinson of the Southern Crappie Tournament Trail reports that a lot of crappie in the 1 – 1 1/2 pound range are being caught right now, and most fish are concentrated on the upper end of the lake from Wateree Creek on up. Fish are in the channel, and most are being found about a foot off the bottom in 18-24 feet of water. The best technique is tight-lining very slow with both jigs and minnows. A few fish are still in brush, and these fish are at the bottom of the brush.
Largemouth Bass: Fair. Captain Chris Heinning reports the largemouth bass bite has slowed with winter setting in. Concentrate on rocky points and banks. Crankbaits, shakeyhead worms, and jig and trailers slowly worked are producing the best. Concentrate in 6-12 feet of water; however try shallower on warming trends and deeper during a cold trend.
Crappie: Fair to good. Captain Brad Taylor reports that crappie are moving into a typical winter pattern. Up both the Big and Little Saluda rivers fish can be caught pulling jigs and jigs tipped with minnows 10-12 feet deep in 20-22 feet of water.
Catfish: Fair to good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that the drift bite has been good and both blues and channel catfish have been feeding well. Cut herring bas been the best bait, and striper are also being picked up.
Striped bass: Captain Brad Taylor reports that striper are schooling and anglers are catching them on bucktails and ice flies. Fishermen are also having success pulling free lines.
Black bass: Slow. Veteran angler Captain Doug Lown reports that bass fishing is tough on Lake Murray right now. Most days the best bite has been early in the morning, and after the sun comes up it can be difficult to get anything.
Santee Cooper System
Striped Bass: Good. Captain Jim Glenn reports that striper fishing is good in both lakes, with striper concentrated in and around large schools of baitfish.
Bream and White Perch: Good. Captain Steve English reports that bream and white perch are feeding well in the canal, with fish being caught in 25-28 feet of water on the bottom on worms and nightcrawlers.
Catfish: Fair. Captain Jim Glenn reports that, like striper, blue catfish will also be found in and around concentrations of bait. Fish can be caught at anchor as well as slow drifting.
Crappie: Slow to fair. Captain Steve English reports that on pretty days crappie can be caught shallow in the creeks in 6-12 feet of water.
Largemouth bass: Slow. Captain Jim Glenn reports that largemouth bass fishing is slow most days, which is expected when water temperatures in the low 50s or lower, particularly in the upper part of the Santee Cooper system.
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About the authorCurt is an avid traveler who has been sharing his travel stories on the Internet since 1994. Read more about Curt and his travel blog.
- Assumption of the Blessed Virgin at the Cathedral of Chartres
- Safely home from Paris
- The coast of Greenland from 38,000 feet
- The day we were left alone in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles
- Regional words and fat Frenchmen
- Eiffel Tower twinkling at night
- Eiffel Tower in the fog
- Safe arrival in Paris
- Latest adventure underway
- Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated
Tag Archives: Budapest
Like many of the cities I’ve visited recently, you have to look to the historic center to appreciate Zagreb. Apart from the center, it’s a concrete, Communist-era shit-hole.
A half-liter of Amstel in the hotel bar is 900 forint, which is a little more than $4. And the hotel tacks on a ten percent service charge. The half-liter beer I’m drinking now is 300 forint, with no service charge. You do the math. I’m about 100 feet from the hotel door. I wish I knew about this place two days ago.
Those of you at home in Phoenix have probably been unsympathetic to my complaints about the weather, but I’ve experienced a bit of a break today. We’ll see how long it lasts. This morning started out with the muggiest weather … Continue reading
After getting about 20 hours of sleep yesterday and last night, I finally did some sightseeing here in Budapest today. I took a bus tour with a guide, seeing the St. Stephens Basilica and the Parliament building, among other things. … Continue reading
After another two border crossings, both of which featured rather impolite policemen who threw the doors open in the middle of the night, I arrived in Budapest this morning. After several nights of rather uncomfortable accommodations, I had decided to … Continue reading
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View PDF brochure
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It's only October but the Holidays are right around the corner. And if you're a planner like me, it's never too soon to start thinking about your holiday meal planning. For me one of my favorite things to do around the holidays, especially Thanksgiving is to make pies. What I love about pies is that there is so many types. Even if you don't like one kind of pie, there is another kind of pie that you do like. And all pie tastes great with real whipped cream.
Here are some of my favorite holiday pie recipes, and some ideas so you can start your planning.
Pie Dough (see below)
5 large eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups pecans, coarsely chopped plus 1/3 cup while pecan halves
Set a 9 inch pie pan on a baking sheet. Roll out dough to a 13 inch round. Fit dough into pie pan. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator. Chill for another 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degree. Bake chilled pie shell until golden, about 20 minutes. (I recommend using pie weights to prevent shell from shrinking). Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 5 eggs, the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, molasses, rum, vanilla, and salt. Stir in chopped pecans. Pour filling into cooled pie shell; arranged whole pecans on top of pie.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until knife tip inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool.
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook
I love the smell of pumpkin pie in the oven. The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger permeate the whole house. There is a reason why they make a pumpkin spice candle.
Pie Dough (see below)
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teas cloves
2/3 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs
Prebake pie shell for 20 minutes at 375 degrees until crust is light golden brown.
Process the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, spices, and salt in a food processor for one minute until combined. Transfer the pumpkin mixture to a 3 quart heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring it to a sputtering simmer over medium high heat. Cook the pumpkin stirring constantly until thick and shinning, about 5 minutes.
As soon as the pie shell comes out of the oven, adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Whisk the heavy cream and milk into the pumpkin and bring to a bare simmer. Process the eggs in a food processor until the whites and yolks are combined about 5 seconds. With the motor running slowly pour about half of the hot pumpkin mixture through the feed tube. Stop the machine and add the remaining pumpkin mixture. Process 30 seconds longer.
Immediately pour the warm filling into the hot pie shell. Bake the pie until the filling is puffed, dry looking, and lightly cracked around the edges, and the center wiggles like gelatin when the pie is gently shaken, about 30 minutes.
Source: Baking Illustrated
And I can't talk about Holiday Pies without mentioning Apple Pie. It's an American tradition and it's my favorite. It was the first type of pie I learned how to make. I like to buy the apples from growers, especially in the fall when apples are plentiful in New England. I find the apples to be fresher, and I like to support local businesses.
And if you are more of a chocolate person, Chocolate Cream Pie might more of want you want. It is Mr. Apron's favorite.
Don't let pie crust intimidate you. It's not that hard and just takes a little practice. Homemade pie dough taste so much better than the pre-made stuff and once you get the hang of it, making your own won't take very long. This is my favorite pie crust recipe. It's reliable and easy; and it's great for when you are making a lot pies, like around the holidays and need several batches of pie dough. (Don't let the vodka scare you.)
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup cold vodka
1/4 cup cold water
Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.
Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.
Source: Cooks Illustrated
I created this post as part of Frigidaire's Talk Turkey Campaign. Share your own recipes and tips at Frigidaire's Make Time for Change site. For every recipe or top that's shared, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children's U.S. Programs, which creates lasting change for children in need.
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Thursday, July 12, 2007
As you can see, the milkweed is popular around here. This afternoon, an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly was sharing the dining experience with a Honey Bee (top right)! The butterfly and the bees were all in motion in the warm sun, moving from one pom-pom of flowers to the next. But in this instant, it felt as if the butterfly posed briefly for the camera!
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Great Christmas Gift Idea for Big Apple Sports Fans
Looking for a great Christmas gift or perhaps just an easy-read that will make you laugh out loud every few pages? I humbly suggest you preview my brand new book, “Not Just Another Christmas Story.”
If you were raised in a big-city Italian American neighborhood during the 1950s, chances were very good that your life was dominated by family, old-country tradition, the Catholic Church and in a direct or indirect way, organized crime. Pinstripe Birthday’s poignant, often hilarious recollections place the reader back inside one of these vibrant neighborhoods (in Brooklyn) for one crazy Holiday week and describe how a family being pulled apart struggles to stay together.
Big Apple sports fans will especially love the surprise Yankee Stadium ending to this suspenseful tale. You can preview the first chapter and order your hard copies here.
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March 25 – Happy Birthday Woodie Held
One of the Yankees most impacted by the infamous Copa Cabana Nightclub incident wasn’t even there celebrating that night. I’m referring to Woodie Held, a rather free spirited middle infield prospect for New York in the fifties who along with alleged troublemaker Billy Martin, pitcher Ralph Terry and an outfielder named Bob Martyn were traded to Kansas City for reliever Ryne Duren and outfielders Jim Pisoni and Harry “Suitcase” Simpson. Both Martin and Terry would get a chance to return to New York and capture glory in pinstripes. Bob Martyn would never enjoy much success in the big leagues. But Held would go on to play fourteen years in the big leagues and belt 179 home runs.
Back when I was a kid, I collected baseball cards, which in addition to the annual Street & Smith’s Baseball Preview issue were my primary information conduit for the performances and stats of non-Yankee players. I remember checking the backs of cards of every player to find out what teams they played for. It was most likely on the back of the 1961 Woodie Held card pictured with this post that I found out he used to be a Yankee. Once you were a Yankee, I continued to root for your success except when your team happened to be playing the Yankees. That is how and why I became a fan of Woodie Held. I loved his name and I loved the fact that he played in the middle of the infield but could still hit for power. I remember the year I got this card, Maris and Mantle were chasing Ruth but Skowren, Berra, Howard and Blanchard all had more than 20 home runs that season while Clete Boyer (11), Bobby Richardson (3) and Tony Kubek (8) didn’t reach that milestone. I remember looking at Held’s card and seeing he had hit 21 home runs as a shortstop for the Indians in 1960 and 27 the season before. He would hit 23 during the ’61 season. I remember hoping some day he’d return to New York and hit all those home runs as a Yankee shortstop. Of course back then, I didn’t realize that would have been pretty difficult for Held to do since he was a right-handed pull hitter and probably, just like Clete Boyer ended up doing, many of Woodie’s blasts would have been turned into outs by Yankee Stadium’s cavernous left field.
In any event, Held never did come back to the Yankees. He hung on in the big leagues until 1969, quitting when he was 37 years old. He then enjoyed one of the most erratic retirements of any big league player in history. He opened a pizza parlor, ran a lumber yard, he raced snowmobiles, became an iron worker, he worked as a bartender and an electrician. Woodson George Held died in June of 2009 in his adopted home of DuBois Wyoming at the age of 77. He shares his March 25th birthday with this former Yankee outfielder and coach.
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Both Janetha from Meals and Moves and Chelsey from Clean Eating Chelsey used this format. I liked it and I am too lazy to think for myself, so I am being a copycat.
A is for appetite
My appetite is bigger than normal today. This tends to happen to me the day after long runs.
B is for Brody
Brody took a nap this afternoon with headphones on that I got him for his birthday.
C is for cutting
I spent an hour this morning cutting down and hauling the branches away of three willow bushes in our yard. They grow so quickly and were already starting to bud. I never got around to cutting them back in the fall.
D is for dog park
My friend Jennifer called me at 8:30 this morning to see if I was interested in meeting her at the dog park. Although I was in the process of making donuts (see F), I said yes. It had been a while since we had chatted, and the time flies when we walk together. We did four laps in an hour with our dogs, which was about three miles.
E is for episodes
We watch a lot of episodes of Lost on the weekends. This show is very confusing even though it is second time I am watching it.
F is for fail
While drinking an iced coffee this morning in a quiet house, I caught up on a few blogs. The Daily Crumb referenced donuts she had made. I looked through the recipe, looked through my cupboard and fridge, and realized I had everything to make these babies! What I did not realize was that I needed a donut pan – missed that detail. I piped the batter into rings on a cookie sheet and watched them spread out into cookie/pancake/semi-donut looking things. Major fail. They still tasted good, especially with the glaze drizzled over the top. Now I have a dozen flat donuts, and based on looks, I don’t know if anyone at my school would try them if I left them in the coffee area.
G is for Grandma
Yesterday was my grandma’s birthday. I am horrible with birthdays and apparently a horrible granddaughter. I will be sending a late birthday card tomorrow.
H is for hamburgers
Tonight we are grilling! On the menu: hamburgers and asparagus. The asparagus I got from Aldi looks really good with nice skinny stalks. Brody makes a killer hamburger with lots of yummy seasonings.
I is for IT band
My IT band needs some attention after my long run yesterday. The foam roller is staring at me. I know I need to do it, but it hurts.
J is for julep
Last night, one of the drinks I tried at Natt Spil was a spin on a mint julep. There was oolong kombucha in it, so I was intrigued. I have had a mint julep once before when I went to the Kentucky Derby (the inner area, not the fancy area with the hats). I, unfortunately, did not care for the drink last night. I should’ve stuck with the raspberry kombucha Collins.
K is for kombucha
We had a few errands to run this morning and needed to pick up meat, cheese, and buns for burgers tonight. Hyvee has a great selection of kombuchas for a decent price. I chose the trilogy flavor.
L is for laundered
One of my least favorite chores is taking off bed sheets and putting them back on. As much as I love the feeling and smell of clean sheets, it is such a pain. But I put on my big girl pants and stripped the bed and laundered the sheets.
M is for mango
When I want to cut back on my sugar intake, I turn to mango. Whether it is fresh or frozen, I love mango. It helped me detox from chocolate for almost a month when I got back from Switzerland (their chocolate is amazing).
N is for Natt Spil
Natt Spil was pretty good last night. The drinks, especially the raspberry kombucha Collins, were spot on, but the food was just alright. We ordered some appetizers (steamed dumplings, cheese wontons, and steamed mussels), and those were all very good. The pizzas weren’t anything spectacular. I ordered the Greek Goddess with red peppers, artichokes, olives, and onions. Brody and I decided we probably wouldn’t eat dinner there again but that it’d be a good place for drinks and apps.
O is for open
Because of the warm weather, our windows are open. I love having fresh air in the house.
P is for pancakes
I made pancakes for Brody and I this morning. Mine were topped with peanut butter and maple syrup.
Q is for quiet
I love the quiet of weekend mornings. My internal alarm clock wakes me up around 7am. I enjoy the peacefulness and knowing the day is so full of possibilities and opportunities.
R is for rest
My body needs rest and that’s what it is getting today. Besides my three mile walk at the dog park, my legs and body are not doing much.
S is for Stalzy’s
After dropping off Brody’s bike to be tuned up, we headed over to Stalzy’s on Atwood for lunch. I had never been there when breakfast items were available and jumped on the idea of combining eggs and good meat. I ordered the Brooklyn breakfast sandwich: grilled rye, Swiss cheese, pastrami, fried egg, and ground mustard. SOOO GOOD!
T is for tight
My legs are tight from yesterday. My lack of stretching, foam rolling, and rehydrating probably have something to do with that.
U is for unlimited
Moose has unlimited amounts of energy today. After an hour at the dog park, play time outside, and a thirty minute walk, he still wants to play.
V is for vacuum
The dogs shed, so I try to vacuum once a week. I still need to do this today.
W is for water
Because I did not drink enough water yesterday after my run and then chose to have a couple cocktails last night, I know I am still dehydrated. Need to keep drinking water.
X is for X-fit (Crossfit)
This one is a stretch, but X is tough. Brody went to X-fit (Crossfit) three times last week. Today he said he excited for me to be done with marathon training so that I can come try it.
Y is for you
I have enjoyed writing to all of you, whoever you are! This post was especially fun even though it took much longer than I had expected.
Z is for ZZZs
I hope to get some quality ZZZs tonight in my clean sheets. Eight hours is ideal for me but most weekday nights I end up only sleeping for seven.
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BETHEL PARK (KDKA) — A mouse doesn’t need a big hole to get into your house.
“What you have to realize on a mouse — they get through holes the size of a pencil,” Andy Amrhein with Evey True Value Hardware said. “A mouse, the skeleton on it, they can contract so that a mouse that is maybe the size of a silver dollar, it’s going to contract to the size of a pencil less than your finger.”
There are many ways to deal with the problem.
“With the glue traps, it’s not a very humane way of doing it,” Amrhein said. “The mouse will get stuck into the glue trap itself, but then it could take days of the mouse being in the trap for the mouse to die of starvation or dehydration.”
The old wives’ tale says mice like cheese, but frankly peanut butter is the most common bait to use on the old fashioned mouse trap.
One of the things about using a mouse trap is getting it set. There are a couple of different ones that you don’t really have to touch, but the old standby that has been around for hundreds of years — the Victor.
If you aren’t careful, it will really leave a mark, which may be another reason more people are trying live traps.
“They realize there is a mouse in there, but they don’t have to touch it and they don’t have to see it and that’s where these live traps are — they are becoming more and more popular,” Amrhein said.
Mouse or rat poison is an option, but fear of having poison around your kids and pets led Bonide Corporation to develop a repellent called Mouse Magic.
Within 10 seconds of dropping a packet in a bucket, the mouse tries repeatedly to jump out.
“It’s totally organic so it can’t hurt you, can’t hurt your kids, can’t hurt your pets, can’t hurt your little kitty cat or dog so there’s no chance of the poison getting in the wrong hands,” Amrhein said.
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community-based, non-corporate, participatory media
On today's show: A report on the re-trial of Terrell Johnson; we investigate the potential of renewable energy in our region; the Black Agenda Report on Obama and the minimum wage; Former Mexican president Zedillo is granted immunity for his role in the Acteal massacre, and more in our local and global headlines.
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Rustbelt Radio for September 10, 2011
Welcome to this week's edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's bi-weekly review of the news from the grassroots, news overlooked by the corporate media.
On today's show...
Rustbelt Radio is broadcast live from WRCT studios every other Monday at 6 PM on 88.3 FM in Pittsburgh, and the program airs again on WRCT every Tuesday morning at 9AM.
We can also be heard weekly on the following stations:
We're also available on the internet, both on WRCT's live webstream at W-R-C-T dot ORG and for download, stream or podcast from our website at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.
We turn now to local stories.
On Tuesday September 4 Terrell Johnson, a Hazelwood man convicted of the 1994 murder of Verna Robinson, had the first day of a new trial. For the past seventeen years Johnson has maintained that he is innocent of the crime, his story has been featured on Rustbelt multiple times over the past three years, and his case was featured and investigated by the Innocence Institute of Point Park University.
Verna Robinson was the witness in a murder trial at the time of her murder, and was supposed to be under witness protection. Instead she was left at her mother's house where she was shot in the early hours of July 22, 1994. Verna's mother, Barbara Robinson, as well as her neighbors who called 911 after hearing the shots, all told police that they did not see who shot Verna that night, and the District Attorney's office, desperate for a conviction in this high profile case needed to find an eye-witness. They then found Evelyn "Dolly" McBryde. McBryde was a known criminal and drug addict who was picked up for shoplifting two weeks after the muder of Verna Robinson. In exchange for a deal that would spare her years in prison McBryde offered testimony that day that she had seen three men murder Verna Robinson; Dorian Moorefield, Harold Cabbagestalk and a third man she only knew as horse face. McBryde offered the sole prosecuting testimony in all three trials. Johnson, who was identified as being this "horse face", the only of the three men without a private attorney, alone was sentenced to life in prison for Verna Robinson's murder.
In 2009, through the Post-conviction Relief Act Johnson was able to use the testimony of a man claiming to have been with Dolly McBryde the night of Verna's murder, to win a new trial. The District Attorney's office then offered Terrel Johnson a plea bargain that would have let him walk out of prison that day, not willing to admit to a crime he did not commit, he turned it down. In a press conference on August 29th, Saudra Cole, Terrell's wife, and Bret Grote, an investigator and advocate with the Human Rights Coalition spoke at a press conference outside of the City Council building about Terrell not taking that deal in 2010.
At the press conference Saundra and Bret were both asked to speak on the issue of Dolly McBryde, who became the main focus of the Innocence Insitute investigation of Terrell's case.
When she testified this week McBryde told a story that differed in significant respects from earlier versions, as she now claims she saw Terrell shoot Verna, which she never testified to before. The defense plans on calling several witnesses who will contradict every aspect of her testimony, including where she was prior to, during, and after the shooting.
Perhaps most harmful to her credibility was the 18 page criminal record dating back to the mid-1980s up to 2009 that involved repeated instances of criminal activity, including bank fraud, endangerment of children, and retail theft, prostituting her own children. Jenkins brought to the jury’s attention Evelyn’s thirteen aliases from her FBI file, four different social security numbers used, and four dates of birth.
After Terrell's refusal of the 2010 deal Verna Robinson's mother, Barbara Robinson, entered a new affidavit claiming that she had seen two of the men who had shot her daughter, contradicting the story she had told in three previous trials and maintained for sixteen years. Nikki Donelley, a Pitt Law student and Human Rights Coalition Advocate knowledgeable of the case has been present at the trial and had this to say about Barbara's testimony this past week.
During a break in her testimony, Barbara Robinson was reportedly instructed by a woman attending the trial that she should testify that she was afraid to come forward in the past in order to explain why her story had changed. It is unclear if the woman who coached her was a part of the prosecution team, with the office of victim’s advocate, or had some other role. After this conversation Barbara re-took the stand and alleged, for the first time, that she had been afraid to come forward in the past.
The District Attorney's office called a handful of police officers and neighbors during the rest of their case. Much of the testimony focused on the idea of the "Hazelwood Mob", which they described as controlling the neighborhood at the time of the murder, and Terrell Johnson's alleged role in the organized crime. These references included comparing Hazelwood to Homewood, for any jury member that was having a difficult time understanding the type of violence they were describing, and other unsubstantiated racist generalizations.
Before the trial Saundra Cole, Terrell's wife, a community activist and stedfast supporter of her husband talked about what this experience has done for her and Terrell.
The defense began presentation of its case this morning Monday September 10, and it should last through Tuesday or Wednesday. Following that are closing arguments and jury deliberations.
[ HMB BREAK RUSTBELT - 0:20 (fades down 0:10 in to start global intro) ]
You are listening to Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's bi-weekly review of news overlooked by the corporate media. We turn now to other independent news from around the world.
Black Agenda Report executie editor Glen Ford released this commentary on Obama and the minimum wage before the start of the Democrative National Convention this past week in Charlotte, North Carolina
On Friday, September 7th, former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo (zeh-DEE-yo) was granted immunity by a U.S. District Court for his involvement in a 1997 massacre in rural Mexico that killed 45 indigenous people.
The massacre occurred on December 22, 1997, in the indigenous Chiapas community known as Acteal (ahct-TAY-ahl). The victims of the attack, mostly women and children, were members of a Christian pacifist group known as “Las Abejas” (ah- BAY- hahs) or “The Bees.” At the time of the massacre, they were praying and fasting for peace in their community.
The massacre was carried out by government trained paramilitaries, and occurred during a time of harsh government repression against indigenous resistance groups, including the armed peasant group, the Zapatistas, and anyone considered sympathetic to their cause.
Zedillo is currently employed by Yale University in Connecticut as a professor. Given his residence in the U.S., he is subject to two US laws--the Torture Victim Protection Act and another which allows foreigners to bring suits in US courts for violence that occurred abroad.
Last year, 10 anonymous victims of the Acteal massacre filed a civil lawsuit for $50 million dollars against Zedillo in a Connecticut district court for his role in the massacre. The Abejas in Chiapas stated they are unaware of who filed the suit in the U.S. and denounced it as fraudulent. (quote) “in contrast to the demand presented by some unknown persons in a US court, our demand is centered not around money but rather around demanding justice and putting an end to impunity. Furthermore, also in contrast to this demand, we Abejas have never acted anonymously.”
Earlier this year, both the Mexican government and Zedillo asked that he be granted diplomatic immunity. This September, The U.S. Justice Department submitted a recommendation letter to a U.S. District Court in Hartford, also recommending immunity. On Friday the 7th, the Connecticut court agreed with the recommendation, effectively preventing the case from moving forward. In Mexico, The Abejas have taken their case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, after the Mexican Supreme Court failed to provide them with justice.
Upon hearing the announcement of Zedillo’s immunity granted in the U.S., The Abejas stated in this written communication, “Through our case admitted to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, we will continue in the struggle for justice, truth, and reparations, and to avoid the repetition of this occurrence, and for the construction of another justice that comes from the dignity of people that create alternatives for life, where we bury the culture of the massacre, structural violence, and discrimination against communities.”
You're listening to Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's bi-weekly review of news from the grassroots.
One of the major arguments for shale gas drilling is that it provides an abundant supply of energy in our home territory. Many people worry that the alternatives are worse: dependence on foreign sources of energy, or energy shortages. But transitioning to renewable energy provides a third path. Running America on renewable energy may seem like a futuristic idea, but people in our region are already converting their homes and businesses to run off of solar, wind, and geothermal energy. These pioneer projects, whether on the scale of a residence, community, or industrial facility that feeds the grid, often have the effect of opening doors for future similar projects, and they are paving the way for a larger scale transition in the long run.
Cindy Walters and Mike Altherton of Greensburg, PA, installed 21 solar panels on their roof. The panels can generate 4.8 kilowatts, which powers all their electrical needs, and more.
Today there are more options for financing renewable energy projects, and not all of them require a substantial up-front investment. Stephanie Spear is president of expedite renewable energy, based in Ohio.
Spear describes one such project she has worked on:
Cindy Walters describes another way that solar power has become more financially accessible, due to recent changes in the way the systems are manufactured:
Renewable energy installations often seem to create impacts far beyond the physical footprint of the project. Stephanie Spear describes one such project in Cleveland:
Stephanie Spear talks about the importance of government incentive programs to spur new renewable energy projects:
However, the Advanced Energy Fund in Ohio was enacted for a term of 10 years, and it recently expired.
Pennsylvania is in a similar situation; the Pennsylvania Sunshine rebate program passed a few years ago was hugely popular, but it is now full, and no new incentives have been authorized. However, federal tax credits are still available, as well as the solar production credits Cindy Walters described. Renewable energy is sometimes painted as not being economically viable because it depends on these incentive programs for its growth – however, fossil fuel industries still receive far more subsidies than do renewables, even without counting the hidden costs:
According to a study by the National Research Council, coal fired power plants cost the nation over $62 billion per year in hidden costs. From asthma to acid rain, these impacts include damage done to crop and timber yields, buildings and materials, and human health. The $62 billion per year figure also does not include the potential costs associated with climate disruptions caused by rising greenhouse gas levels from fossil fuel combustion. Cindy Walters and Mike Altherton were inspired by their experience to learn more about the potential of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels on a large scale. In the face of the frightening impacts of fossil fuels, they found good news:
Mike’s good news is backed by a number of other peer reviewed scientific studies that calculate how renewable energy and energy efficiency can replace fossil fuel consumption. If transition is possible, why hasn’t it happened yet?
One of the justifications often given for subsidizing fossil fuel developments such as fracking, mining, and power plant construction is that they will create jobs. Stephanie Spear responds to these claims:
The United States has a particularly long way to go with efficiency improvements; most other developed countries, including Great Britain, Germany, Japan, and Israel, maintain a high standard of living while using only half the energy that we do. However, even in the United States, solar energy has been one of the fastest growing sectors for new jobs for several years now.
Cindy Walters and Mike Altherton’s solar panels were manufactured locally, and installed by a local company. In their research they’ve found a great potential not only for job creation, but for community revitalization through renewable energy:
The story of the German town of Wildpoldsried also brings to light a different model for development than is commonly pursued in the United States. In the U.S., a lot of focus is given to large industrial-scale renewable installations. While these certainly reduce fossil fuel use, they also maintain the current system in which the power infrastructure is owned by a few large companies. In Wildpoldsried, the town and its people now own their own energy infrastructure, and they receive the profits. Projects were moved forward by individuals with initiative, but also through community decisions. This type of development, called “distributed generation”, tends to lessen environmental problems and community conflicts that can occur with large industrial scale projects. Individual installations have a smaller footprint, and community decision making shapes projects that are community funded. The other reason that localizing power generation makes sense is that it is more far more efficient. An astounding 70 percent of the electricity generated in this country is lost as heat waste from large power plants or during transmission through the power grid. Renewable energy produced on or near the site of consumption simply eliminates most of these losses.
The power grid is also aging infrastructure that is easily vulnerable to disruption. In 2003, blackouts affecting 65 million people across the northeast were caused by branches falling on power transmission lines near Cleveland. Transitioning to more locally produced power creates redundancy and cuts down on this vulnerability.
For Cindy, Mike, and Stephanie, their work with renewable energy has been financially beneficial, and it has also obviously been a source of personal growth and fulfillment.
The message they want to share with anyone who is listening is that we do have positive alternatives to drilling, boom-and-bust extraction, and climate change. And we can make them happen, in our own homes, and in our communities at every level.
Our interviewees also suggested several resources for people interested in learning more.
And now we present the Indymedia Calendar of Events:
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Thanks for tuning in to Rustbelt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh, WSDR Pittsburgh, WIUP Indiana, WNJR Washington, WLRI LanChester, and FRSC Santa Cruz.
Our hosts this week are [Kayla Slicker ] and [Jessica McPherson ] with contributions from [ Don Carpenter, Carlin Christy, Jessica McPherson, Lorenzo Serna, and Hannah Talib ]. This week's show was produced by Shawn Watson. Special thanks to all of our hosts, producers, and contributors.
You can get involved with Rustbelt Radio! To contact us, email RADIO at I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot ORG. Become our fan on Facebook to receive updates on our latest episode, and follow us on Twitter @pghimc. All of our shows are available on our website at RADIO dot INDY-P-G-H dot ORG and this show can be heard again Tuesday morning on WRCT at 9 AM after Democracy Now!
Tune in next week at this time for another edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's bi-weekly review of news from the grassroots.
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Stanton solely focused on 'winning philosophy'
Marlins slugger frustrated after five teammates traded to Toronto
Giancarlo Stanton was home in Westwood, Calif., on Tuesday when he heard the news that five of his teammates were being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. His first thought hadn't changed by Thursday night.
"I do not like this at all," Stanton said. "This is the 'winning philosophy?' Then to say it's not about money? What is the motivation? There comes a breaking point. I know how I feel. I can't imagine how the city and the fans feel."
Stanton, who turned 23 two weeks before the deal, reflected on last winter when the Marlins signed Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell and John Buck.
"They talked about that, a winning philosophy, and how they were building a winner to play in the new ballpark," Stanton said. "They talked about me and Jose. They talked about how they'd have Jose and [Emilio Bonifacio] and Hanley [Ramirez] in front of me and how they would go get a bat to protect me.
"Jose, Bonifacio, Hanley ... all three are gone now. I had people warn me that something like this could happen, but it runs against the competitive nature every athlete has, that nature that everything is about winning. This kind of thing is what gets talked about all the time around this team. Former Marlins come back and they warn us. It gets talked about during the stretch, in the clubhouse, after games, on the road. Again, I do not like this at all."
Marlins president David Samson said during a radio interview this week that the Marlins' last-place finish in 2012 prompted this trade.
"We sat down after the season and talked about the team and said, 'We cannot keep finishing in last place. It doesn't make sense.' We lost 93 games, and we entrusted all of our scouts and development people and upper-level baseball people and said, 'What can we do to possibly start this to turn around? What needs to happen? How can it work?'"
At one point Tuesday night, Stanton sent out an uncharacteristic tweet. He is one of the game's brightest stars, who by the age of 22 had hit 37 homers in a season despite missing 40 games because of knee and oblique injuries. Stanton led the National League in slugging at .608. His average home run traveled farther than any other player in either league.
Stanton always plays the game hard, without flair, without the need for attention. He is unfailingly modest, which made the tweet so unusual: "Alright, I'm [ticked] off!!! Plain & Simple"
In 2013, in his fourth Major League season, Stanton will be playing for his fifth manager and working with his fourth hitting coach. He has a close friend remaining in Ricky Nolasco, who soon could be gone, as well.
Stanton chose baseball rather than being the next great football tight end because of his love of the game, that joy of going to Dodger Stadium with his father.
"The one thing I didn't understand was the Minor Leagues, how that part of the business works," Stanton said of his younger days. "I'd see Todd Hollandsworth out there one game, and the next game he wouldn't be there, and I didn't understand. I didn't get the Minor League thing. I didn't understand that part of the business."
Now Giancarlo Stanton is experiencing the business side of the game.
"I can deal with losing as long as one is trying to win," Stanton said. "If you're losing and you're not trying to win, that is not fair. I play to have fun, I play to win, I play for my teammates.
"Then to say it's not about money, what is the motivation? Where is that winning philosophy? How many times do you have to be told something and have it change before you realize what's going on? It's like the boy who cried wolf.
"There's nothing I can do. I'm not going to change the way I work out in the offseason and prepare. I'm not going to change the way I approach the game. I'm not going to change the way I play every day."
Samson and Marlins manager Mike Redmond chose not to comment on Stanton's reaction to the proposed trade, which still is pending approval by the Commissioner's Office.
Last winter, the Marlins were unable to sign Albert Pujols, among others, because they would not give no-trade clauses. The deals they signed with Reyes and Buehrle were back-loaded, which allowed them to later move the bulk of the investments to other teams.
"Maybe that's the business everywhere," Stanton said. "But I would like to think it's not that way. Baseball is about winning. It is about people. When it's not about winning and not about human beings, I don't want to be a part of that."
In other words, the "breaking point" Stanton sees approaching probably will become a part of the Marlins' business plan at the end of the 2013 season. The strapping outfielder will be eligible for arbitration next fall, and if he stays healthy and gets enough pitches to hit to continue the upward graph of what eventually could be a Hall of Fame career, he is probably going to be in line for enough money to push the Marlins to entertain multi-player offers for the 23-year-old star, especially given that Stanton is not likely to sign a long-term deal to stay in Miami.
For the time being, the Marlins are not planning to trade Stanton. They also have not been in contact with Stanton's representatives about a long-term deal.
The last two offseasons, Stanton has gone to Europe to explore, learn and allow his mind to expand past the competitive juices that drive him. He has traveled to Japan; he eventually wants to see the Pyramids and the Middle East. But this weekend, his escape will be the USC-UCLA game: His high school teammate, Wes Horton, is a defensive end for USC, where Stanton would have played football had the Marlins not drafted him and offered him the opportunity to play the other sport he loves.
Anyone in South Florida who cares about the Marlins now has no choice but to believe that Stanton is going to be no different than Kevin Brown, Gary Sheffield, Mike Piazza, Moises Alou, Al Leiter, Josh Beckett, Ramirez, Reyes, Buehrle, et al.
The shame of it is that Stanton logically should be the face of Miami baseball. Stanton is thoughtful, civil, decent and plays the game the right way, not to mention at a skill level about which most players only dream. Now, one first wonders if baseball will ever be to Miami kids what the Dodgers were to a young Giancarlo, then one wonders where his historic identity will be planted.
Most of all, Stanton is human, not oil on canvas, and that he does not like. Not at all.
Peter Gammons is a columnist for MLB.com and an analyst for MLB Network. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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