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Enemy at the Gates
Remember the story about the ancient city of Troy and how it was conquered by the Greeks? After a fruitless 10-year siege of Troy, the Greeks built a gigantic wooden horse and left it outside the city's gates. When the people of Troy thought that the Greeks had given up and had sailed away, they brought the horse inside the city walls. Then, in the dark of night, 30 Greek soldiers who were hidden inside the horse quietly came out and opened the city's gates, allowing the Greeks to enter and conquer Troy.
Today, something very similar is happening inside the walls of the Church. Theistic evolutionists are telling the Church that science and faith can be friends. "Science is not at war against the Church," they say. "Just open the door and let us in. You can be a Christian and an evolutionist at the same time."
Unfortunately, many Christian pastors and leaders are accepting this "gift" with open arms. By doing so, they are unwittingly opening the door that leads people away from the truth as presented in the Bible. Even worse, they are laying the groundwork for the destruction of the entire Word of God – and with it, belief in Jesus Christ. By undermining the authority and historicity recounted in the first book of the Bible, they are like the ancient Greeks hiding inside the Trojan Horse.
Thanks to theistic evolution, the account of creation is now viewed as a "story" that is not meant to be taken literally. This is a major departure from biblical scholarship that views the book of Genesis as an historical narrative. They interpret it in a figurative way, denying that the six days of creation are six 24-hour days. By interpreting the Bible in light of science, they say that the universe is billions of years old and evolution is simply the "tool" God used to create life.
Unfortunately, you won't have to look very hard in your own community to find pastors who are teaching this. Clearly, theistic evolutionists have already come out of the "horse" and are entering the gates of our churches, Sunday school classes and our children's open minds. Left unchallenged, most children who are raised in godly homes will become theistic evolutionists or go all the way to atheistic evolution.
While the Trojan Horse of theistic evolution is being accepted by many, it is in reality a deadly enemy at the gates.
See these articles about theistic evolution in the Creation Moments articles library:
The biggest problem I've had debating with theistic evolutionists (TE) is that they have settled themselves into a very comfortable position. They can make a claim to still be faithful Bible-believing Christians and still not experience the discomfort of separating themselves completely from the sinful world. I suppose all of us have trouble with that in different areas, however. But the TE sees literal creationists and atheistic Darwinists as the extremes. They have placed themselves very comfortably in the middle. They only wish the "extremists" could listen to reason and find the peaceful place that they are in. They see themselves as the humble minority with the rational voice of reason in a world of shouting opposites. They have eaten their cake and still have it as well. They seem to possess the best of both worlds. General acceptance by the religious community and tacit tolerance by evolutionary science. Because of the tranquility and sense of "enlightenment" of this position, it is extremely hard to dislodge people from this comfortable middle ground. A step in either direction for them will increase criticism and rock their boat. Many, sadly, are happy there and resist any rocking efforts.
Science and faith can be compatible. It is debatable that evolution is really science. It is historical science at best - although, the information collected is viewed through the eyes of scientists that believe that the Biblical account is bunk. There are many scientists who believe in the 6 days of creation. They are just not mainstream, generally. It would be great if more Christians knew how much scientific support Genesis has. Seems like we need to choose to look quite foolish in the eyes of many of the unchurched (and more and more in the church) with the insisting that the days of creation are a mere week, or, instead, to grasp for at least some respect with friends and family and sacrifice the truth of Genesis. Choosing the approval of God or man is what I believe to be the heart of this debate.
Your comment "Choosing the approval of god or man ... [is] the heart of this debate" is right on. Some years ago in the Grand Rapids Press, Howard Van Til from Calvin College stated that he had spent his entire career trying to earn the respect of the secular academy. We know what he chose. A few years after that he retired from Calvin and appeared at the West Michigan Freethinkers where he accepted out and out atheism.
If you want to destroy people's faith, all you have to do is get them to question God's word. Genesis clearly shows what happens to those who disobey the Lord — they are cut off. Without a Savior, you would be lost forever. But if you ignore the message in Genesis, you can also ignore our need to repent and accept the commandments of the Lord. What need do you have to repent if transgressing God's law has no consequences?
It's not science that's the enemy ... it's scientists who don't know how to interpret facts. They look at something that is only thousands of years old and say that it is millions of years old. They're the ones who are putting a Trojan Horse in our gates. People who accept scientists' view instead of biblical truth are making a huge mistake.
i would like to propose that neither science, nor scientists, is the enemy. Science is a tool, a method, that can be used or abused. Scientists are humans. Some of them know God, some of them do not. Those that do not are not the enemy, but the harvest field. Our enemy is a spiritual enemy and our battle is not against flesh and blood.
Evolutionism has ruined science. Now instead of looking for facts, science reinterprets facts according to evolutionists' suppositions. We're not living in an age of science, folks. We're living in an age of bad guesses gone wrong.
Theistic evolutionists are discarding the word of God for the false teachings of men. Any way you cut it, they're destroying their credibility. Without Genesis, the whole Christian message of salvation is destroyed. Who would need a Savior if there was nothing to save us from? Why take the word of the Lord seriously if you can discount Genesis as a fable?
Trojan horses often seem like a good idea from the outside, but they hold destruction inside. It might seem like a good idea to go along with the crowd on what's currently popular in scientific thought, but it's just going to end up badly. If you want to be accurate instead of stupid, always side with God.
You made some good points there. I did a search on the topic and found most people will agree with your opinion.
Thanks for the informative post. It helped me a lot. May the Force be with you.
Pretty insightful post. Never thought that it was this simple after all. I had spent a good deal of my time looking for someone to explain this subject clearly and you're the only one that ever did that. Kudos to you! Keep it up.
The Trojan Horse analogy is a good one and theistic evolution is a problem because people do not rightly divide the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15.) People also tend to add to the word of God which is contrary to the commandment in Revelation 22:18. The failure to believe that God has given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness as promised in II Peter 1:3 has opened the door to all kinds of unbelief, not just theistic evolution. The lie of evolution eliminates the need of God and is tied to the old lie of Satan who said ye shall be as gods and ye shall not surely die. So yes, I agree that theistic evolution is a growing problem within the church today and needs to be addressed by people being meek to the Word of God, like in James 1:21.
The theistic evolutionists are a case of the tares among the wheat. ...They consider themselves to be wise but are fools in the eyes of God. Note what the Word says about them: Mt 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. They consider themselves wise: 1co 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 1co 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 1co 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty...Those who are truly born again know the Truth and know those who are truly his brother. We must rebuke and reject them if they try to deceive us. God will separate them and cast them into the fire in due time...God will reveal them by the spirit of discernment... Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free... The gates of hell will not prevail.
Theistic evolutionists, like the Pharisees, are whited sepulchres. Indeed, they look good on the outside, but within they are full of dead men's bones. The Pharisees were great ones for taking the word of God and twisting it around to suit their purposes. Like lawyers, they looked for ways to break the law while making appear they were keeping it. The law about supporting parents was one routinely broken by people who claimed that they couldn't help their parents because they were going to leave their money to God. That's why the Lord told people not to follow the Pharisees, but to follow Moses. Theistic evolutionists are in the seat of the Pharisees. They've discounted what Moses wrote, so we can discount them as being true disciples of Christ.
Evolution is fact, religion is fairy tale. Mixing the two is like taking Santa to court. It might exist in some Santa story, but no court would give it 10 seconds. Just like no science institution gives religion 10 seconds.
If you are referring to macroevolution as a fact, you'd better think again. There is no known instance of macroevolution that has ever been observed or recorded.
The real fairy tale is Darwinism, which spins yarns about wild creatures mutating into everything and anything randomly over vast amounts of undocumented time. It's not believable at all unless you willingly want to accept supposition in place of fact.
Thanks Abouna for the conclusions. I emleiad the head educator for Catholic Schools in Brisbane, because I was worried that some of my brothers and sisters in school have been criticised for being fundamental, when they held that the first 11 chapters (I think) are not Myths.I was wondering if you could understand the response; I can't really get to you by email. I don't think it is ethical for me to disclose the email contents so publically, but I think it is alright for me to disclose a few things it revealed about Catholic scholorship. I was directed to a book (rather a segment from), How to Read the Old Testament, by Etienne Charpentier. It was argued that, Myth does not mean untruth . Myth, as it relates to the Creation Narratives reveals a large truth- Creation is a Divine selfless act from ex nihlo, an outpouring of God's graciousness and abundance upon all of creation .It was also brought to my attention that they believe that Chapter One and Two are different versions (I am not sure if they mean complementary or contradictory etc.) of the Creation story, with a 500 year gap between its authorship.I just thought you might like to know. And perhaps you have a comment from your pastoral experience that can be invaluable to me to understand and share with my Christian brothers and sisters.UN:F [1.7.4_987]please wait...UN:F [1.7.4_987](from 0 votes)
I was a theistic evolutionist for a while, in high school, before I turned my life over to Jesus. When family members suggested I do the things to officially join the church so I could take communion with them I realized I wasn't sure I even believed the Bible. Thus I began to read through the Bible. By the time I was entering UNM for geology, I was taking the Bible seriously. I still respected the "evidence" for evolution, but saw no agreement between it and scripture. After my first semester I got saved, and felt I had to choose; either the Bible was true or evolution was true. I didn't know the verse that says "let God be true and every man a liar," but that became my working hypothesis for origins.
I soon began to find literature by creationists. I had been willing to commit intellectual suicide, but found that the body of "knowledge" causing the problem was not even real science. It was a kind of mental cancer blinding me to much evidence, and causing me to forget that my science teacher in seventh grade had taught us that a phenomenon could not become a true "fact of science" unless testified to as observed repeatedly by multiple qualified observers. None of us had asked, regarding origins millions or billions of years ago, "Who were the qualified observers?"
Now, with word about polonium radiohalos and radiogenic helium in granitic rocks, instantaneous sedimentary layering of Mount St. Helens eruption deposits, carbon 14 in everything, and more, even if I discounted the Bible for some reason I would question the deep ages.
And after over forty years of Bible reading, I don't see any reason to discount it.
Pastors need to get a clue about how inaccurate scientists are. Scientists change their minds every five minutes. How is it that their word should be seen as having validity in comparison to God's?
Those that claim to believe in theistic evolution remind me of God's warning to the church at Pergamus. In Rev. 3:16 it says, "So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth."
They are trying to straddle the fence of biblical authority and humanistic secularism. They have chosen to believe man's fallible theories that have continued to be proven unreliable even by atheistic scientists, in stead of accepting God's word which has never been proven wrong.
I understand how an atheist who refuses to accept the possibility of a God creating all that we see; looking for an elusive concept that everything came from nothing; so that they will not need to admit that there is One to whom they owe their obedience, and that has the right to set the rules for how we should live.
There is no justifiable reason that someone that has claimed to already believe in an infinite, all powerful, all knowing God would use such backwards means to create life. They have swallowed the lie of Satan exchanging the pure truth of God to believe the lie. In doing so, they totally negate the validity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If Genesis 1-11 is not 100% accurate as written, and cannot be trusted, then how can anything else be trusted?
Jesus quotes from Genesis 1-11 because He believed it to be true, and why wouldn't He, as He was not only there, but has His finger prints all over the creation that He had made. He was the first Rabbi who performed the first wedding ceremony there in the garden before sin had cast its deadly blow, and because He was already looking forward to Calvary's hill where He would crush Satan's head, defeating the power of sin and the sting of death. If Genesis is not accurate then Jesus either was wrong or didn't know what He was talking about, either of which disqualified Him as the spotless Lamb of God, making His sacrifice meaningless.
Any believer that is willing to accept the theory of theistic evolution fails to see or understand how it is Satan's tool to create doubt and distrust the historical, scientific accuracy of scriptures, all without proof, and only atheistic humanists to quote.
This is a perfect description of lukewarm.
I must say that the Trojan Horse is very much appropriate in this context. I do not agree, however, with the statement that "science is at war with the church", or vice versa. Good science is not at war with the church because it simply interprets facts and usually ends up as "proof" of the word of God or shows God's infinite wisdom, as we have read/heard in many Creation Moments programs. To be clear, good science follows evidence, evolutionary science directs the evidence. It is evolutionary scientists, be they moderate (Trojan horses) or extremists that are at war with the church. I believe that the truth will come out, even if we have to wait until the second coming. That said, we must love our enemies, protect our children and spread the word of God. If we do so as some preachers have such as yelling and name calling I feel we lose the battle. Stay the course with your program please. Calm rational discussion will win out. Especially when you have the truth (and God) behind you. God bless.
The term "theistic evolution" is as much a misnomer as the term "Christian rock." The two terms are diametrically opposed and cannot be used together accurately. Either you believe that God is THE Creator or He isn't. What you believe about that determines everything else in your life, really. Choose wisely, based on God's Word!
True science looks at all of the pertinent facts without a predisposed bias. The relevant facts overwhelmingly support the Holy Bible, including a young earth no more than about 10,000 years old. For example, our sun is a controlled Hydrogen fusion reaction that consumes Hydrogen & produces heat, light, & Helium. By consuming Hydrogen at huge rates, it is steadily decreasing in mass; as little as a few million years ago, it would have been enough larger that it would have been effectively a million miles closer to our earth by virtue of its larger diameter. At the present 93 million miles away it gives us a just-right amount of light & heat; if it were 92,000,000 miles away, life could not survive on earth. If you went progressively further back in time, it would have been proportionately hotter on earth, making life even less possible. This distance, 93,000,000 million miles, is one of over 200 "just- right" conditions on our earth, in our solar system, & in our galaxy; these are called anthropic (favorable to man/life) conditions any one of which, if not provided by God in very exact amounts, would make life on earth impossible.
The analogy of a Trojan horse is very appropriate; seemingly a some truth mixed in with some untruths. As theologian Dr. J. Vernon McGee appropriately said, "A half-truth is a whole lie". Two adolescents wanted to see a PG-13 movie that only had "a little profanity, etc". Mom & dad said that they would discuss it & give their children the answer in an hour or so. The children were soon ushered into the kitchen which smelled wonderful because of the fresh-baked brownies. The parents explained that the brownies were made from an excellent brownie recipe with the exception that they contained a little dog poop. Very little, because you were very unlikely to smell or taste it. How do you want your "brownies"? I believe that our God who has spoken this incredibly beautiful universe into existence by the word of His mouth should have no trouble keeping His Word intact over the eons. The facts are there; theistic evolutionists (a half-truth, see above) choose which ones they "want" to believe. Don't depreciate the Word into a polka-dot Bible, believing in a spot here, a spot there, etc.
The great difficulty of theistic evolution is this: For evolution to occur, there must be death. Death did not come until Gen 3:21 when God made garments of skin for Adam and Eve. Up to then, all food was provided by green plants (Gen 1:29-30). So how can evolution be happening if there is no "natural selection"? All animals were made by then, according to their kind. They were not evolving into any other kinds, nor was man evolving from apes. We know from Job 12:7-9 that even the animals know God has CREATED everything, but man has the breath of God in him - the monkeys do not.
Thankfully, organizations like ICR, Answers in Genesis, CM, and others take a clear and unmovable stand on the authority of the Word of God.
So-called "Theistic Evolution" is a not-so-subtle attempt by the Enemy of our Souls to do what he does best...subterfuge, deception, disinformation. You know...your old "pen is mightier than the sword" line.
Since the heart of mankind is already pre-disposed against God (John 3:18, Jeremiah 17:9), it naturally follows that anything that comes down the pike that will elevate man while denegrating God is a natural winner.
Thank the Lord for the thousands of Christian schools that try to turn the tide.
Any Christian that has their children in government schools is sabotaging the faith of impressionable, tender hearts that once infected with the godless humanism of Evolutionary thinking, are damaged for LIFE ! Stop it!


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Post by Pete Bray
VP of Social Strategy, Moz
Target audience: Brand managers, marketing professionals, SEO specialists, PR pros, businesses, nonprofits, educators, Web publishers, journalists and anyone with a Twitter account. This article originally appeared at Moz and is republished with permission.
Let's talk turkey! How do you get more followers on Twitter? To start, put aside those quaint olden-times notions that seeking more followers is unsavory. Heck, even Twitter promotes their tools as means to quickly get more followers.
Of course, the early days of Twitter were very different than today. Back then, there were all sorts of spammy ways to get followers. Perhaps it is the hangover from those days that makes people queasy when thinking of "techniques" to get followers.
Nowadays, though, Twitter has clamped down hard. Spammy techniques will get you banished quickly. And most of those old grey-hat methods don't even work: Twitter has radically limited how many people you can follow, as well as how many you can follow each hour.
You might ask, why do I want more followers anyway? Twitter does little for SEO, or search engine optimization, at least not directly. Continue reading

subset: commoncrawl


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Have you explored the Norman B. Leventhal Map website yet? This digital collection represents an ongoing project of conservation, cataloguing, and digital imaging of the Norman B. Leventhal Center's collection of over 200,000 historical maps and 5,000 atlases. View the collection by location, subject, date, publisher, author, or projection.
Here are a few of their business themed maps for Boston:
- Map of the City of Boston and Immediate Neighborhood (with 55 marginal vignettes showcasing selected public, commercial, and industrial structures) from 1852
- Nanitz' great mercantile map of Boston from 1869
- Business Enterprises of Faneuil Hall from 1897
Be sure to check out the Map Center's Made in Boston exhibition (through March 10th) which brings together, for the first time in decades, a majority of maps made in Boston in the century before the American Revolution.


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|2012-02-22, 12:23
|Link #23
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: East Cupcake
|2012-02-22, 13:51
|Link #24
100Shots100Hits LuluLaLu
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Inside your heart...
Age: 29
How old is Oonoki exactly?
Chapter reminded me of Yamato, Will he still have a part in the war?
Lol Sasuke is probably gonna be jealous that Itachi is hanging around with Naruto.
|2012-02-22, 14:30
|Link #26
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Hidden Village of Sake
Madara simply left the village after the 1st hokage was chosen, when he left the statue of the 1st hokage was already on the mountain. But we all know that when he attacked the village he already had a plan and had Zetsu and/or Tobi with him. Here i'm assuming that he was not a scientist type that can sample Hashirama's genes and then store them and grow the cells, etc... and most importantly he can't just fake his death without any help, and then survive some very serious damage. Ninja make sure that the opponent is dead, and until now only Zetsu is able to make a perfect clone of a corpse that can fool even sensory and medical ninjas. So i assume here that he travelled the world and he met Zetsu and/or Tobi along his travels, and knowing their powers he formulated a plan. We see in one of Oonoki's earlier flashbacks that Madara attacked him and he didn't expect it because he thought that they are allied with Konoha, that shows that Madara was one of the first S-class missing ninja that caused serious trouble between villages. Maybe he also caused a war by attacking the tsuchikage and Oonoki, probably it was his plan to cause a war between the hated Konoha and other villages.
It's interesting that Edo-Madara didn't yet use the powers of Pain, instead it seems he relies on his EMS and Hashirama's powers implanted by Kabuto. So even if he had his rinnegan when he died, it doesn't seem like he can do all that Nagato could do. Or maybe Kishimoto will use those powers in the next chapter, Kabuto is very confident, so i guess that is the case.
|2012-02-22, 15:02
|Link #27
Sage Mode
Join Date: Sep 2008
Nice with the Stone village's symbolism about the stones. Yeah, they're all just rocks, but having the equal fervor to polish every one of them without tiring says it all. A will firm enough to be made of stone. Never giving an excuse not to give the same amount of dedication to every adversity.
The cell merger makes more sense as an Orochimaru project too. I had doubt about the entire story of Madara stealing the First's cells from the beginning, but Kabuto (or rather Orochimaru) could've altered the Edo Tensei bodies in any way he saw fit since he had the DNA, just like he altered the Zetsus. I still wish we could see what exactly made them stronger though. We already know Oro had the First's DNA in his collection, and with an Edo Tensei body, it would probably be a more likely successful merger rather than the limits of a physical body and the chances of it not working (Yamato being the only out of dozens of children that survived that was infused with Hashirama's DNA). The story about him awakening the Rinnegan may still be true, but I'm doubting it now.
Itachi was right; Madara is a bitter, defeated loser who will make up whatever lies he wants to put himself in a good light. He just happened to be talking about the wrong one when he said it. Or maybe they are one and the same. We still don't have the answer for the Tobi/Madara mystery yet, but for now, I'm more convinced they are either two parts of his soul split among his current Zetsu-like body and of course his real physical body that died. Ero-Sennin's theory makes sense too.
|2012-02-22, 15:11
|Link #28
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Age: 32
|2012-02-22, 18:06
|Link #29
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Hidden Village of Sake
I wonder if the old tsuchikage will survive his flashback
This war is now looking too good for the alliance, it's probably death time now, some named characters should die to maintain the tension. And since Gaara and Mei have plot shield i think it's more and more likely that Itachi and/or Sasuke will interrupt this battle before Madara kills them all. That is Itachi going towards Kabuto and Sasuke following Itachi, then Kabuto being in trouble and summoning Madara to save him and capture Sasuke, which also means Tobi going there too...
Naruto should be quite exhausted by now, so i don't see him having a major role for now. Unless Kishimoto decides that Naruto has become a fighting machine that magically gets chakra and stamina all the time, i mean he now has a small amount of chakra from all the demons.
|2012-02-22, 19:19
|Link #30
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Age: 32
|2012-02-22, 23:12
|Link #31
Join Date: May 2007
Onoki seems to be the strongest one there. The other Kages are fodder against Madara and would be long dead if he wasn't there. So let him give his life to save the others one last time before Madara gets summoned away. Cause as you said, unless Kabuto has gone haywire, he should summon Madara back if Itachi or Sasuke get near him. Given that we now know Madariama was his trump card.
|2012-02-23, 01:52
|Link #32
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: California
lol, first off, props to Ulquiorra.
Second...Does anyone else just feel so...trolled this week? Like...even the chapter with Karin was better than a flashback. A flashback...about a rock. *facepalms*
Seriously. Madara needs to kill somebody and Itachi needs to say "wazzup" to his lil' brother. It needs to happen. NOW.
|2012-02-23, 08:17
|Link #35
Bubbly and super fun
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Doesn't look like Kansas
|2012-02-23, 09:01
|Link #36
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Hidden Village of Sake
|2012-02-23, 13:45
|Link #38
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: north carolina
now that was a good chapter. we finally get back to the kage vs madara fight, and just as i thought madara has the upper hand. i got to say i think that onoki is gonna buy the farm at some point very soon. i just feel it is going to happen, also i kinda love watching the kages get there ass kicked by madara, the fact that they think they are all that kind of bugs me. and after what kabuto said about the first hokage power, and the fusion of madara . the fact is there is no way the kages are gonna win this fight.
|2012-02-23, 17:34
|Link #39
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
|2012-02-23, 19:17
|Link #40
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2004
Madara was trying to bring the war toward the Konoha.
Probably every war that Konoha had to get into was Madara fault, until Madara's death.
|weekly spoiler discussion
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you comented on my thread once, im honored!
you comented on my thread once, im honored!
Wonderful work, marvellous skill.
......Nobody tries to be lah-di-dah or uppity--There's a cup-o'-tea for all.
sweet interview!
3 Years Photoshop
2 Years Milkshape
4 Months Maya
14 Years Totally Insane
Artist/ Modellor of Encrypto Studios
Amazing!! i love your work man, and i loved all PoP stuff on top of that! (getting Assassis Creed the moment it is out ), Great work!
Last edited by ZModerator; 11-09-07 at 01:17 PM.
Inspiring stuff. I look forward to seeing more.
looks like all the best ones are in north america. MY FLIGHT IS BOOKED FOR FEBUARY! WOHOO! VANCOUVER HERE I COME. fantastic work david. watched the video with baited breath.
Your gallery is just stunning and very inspirational. WOW!!
---Wolff On The Prowl---


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Comes complete in a clear plastic storage case, Xstamper Xclamation self inking stamps make marking a breeze! This 'Blue Star' stamp size is approx 22mm diameter in Blue ink. These colourful, self inking, ready to use stamps require no separate ink pad and each stamp comes pre loaded with ink to provide 10,000 impressions before the need to re-ink.
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LG Optimus 4X HD quad-core Android phone review
Understated excellence
Jelly fishing
Keeping all the hardware in step is the latest(ish) version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich v4.0.3. To date LG's reputation for rolling out Android updates hasn't been great, so if you are the kind of person who just has to have Jellybean you may want to factor that into your purchase decision.
Chrome browser and quick memo
LG has added its own Optimus 3.0 UI to ICS but thankfully it's highly customisable, easy on the eye and generally more of a help than a hindrance. LG has also thrown in some handy tweaks and enhancements like the excellent MediaPlex video player and system-wide QuickMemo integration, which lets you take screen grabs and doodle on them even when using a third-party launcher.
Dive into the screen settings menu and you will find that the white backlight for the three capacitive buttons can be set to always-on or always-off, which is a neat visual trick, especially if you go for the white model. I'm also awarding LG points for using a standard Sim card rather than a micro version.
The 8Mp main and 1.3Mp secondary cameras are both perfectly good exemplars of the breed and both take a more than decent snap. Put pictures taken with a 4X, S3 and One X side-by-side and I defy you to tell them apart. The camera's autofocus is the quickest I've ever encountered on a mobile phone.
The webcam works a treat with Skype video calls and you can capture 1080p video through the main camera and 720p using the secondary shooter. Again the results are on a par with what you will get from the HTC One X or the Samsung Galaxy S3.
Sponsored: Minds Mastering Machines - Call for papers now open


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Book Online:
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Washington's favorite state park, Deception Pass State Park is a 4,134-acre marine park renowned for breathtaking views, old-growth forests, and abundant wildlife. This park also boasts 30 miles of hiking trails, 19 miles of saltwater shoreline and three freshwater lakes great for scuba diving, saltwater and freshwater fishing. The park is located north of Oak Harbor. 360-675-2417.
- Fort Ebey State Park
Fort Ebey State Park, a 645-acre park on Whidbey Island, was originally built as a coastal defense fort in WWII. The park offers stunning high-bluff views of Port Townsend and the Olympic Peninsula, three miles of saltwater shoreline on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a freshwater lake for fishing, and miles of hiking and biking trails. Located south of Coupeville on Ebey Road. 888-226-7688.
- Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve
The reserve provides a vivid historical record where Pacific Northwest history is still clearly visible in the landscape. Historical features of the reserve appear to today's visitors much as they did a century ago when New England sea captains were drawn to Penn Cove. Located in central Whidbey Island on SR 525. 360-678-4636.
- Fort Casey State Park
Fort Casey State Park is a 467-acre marine park with a lighthouse and sweeping views of Admiralty Inlet and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The park features two miles of saltwater shoreline on Puget Sound, and includes Keystone Spit, a two-mile-long stretch of land separating Admiralty Inlet and Crocket Lake. 360-240-5584.
- South Whidbey State Park
South Whidbey Island State Park is a 347-acre park with over 3 ½ miles of hiking trails and two miles of saltwater shoreline. The park offers a unique outdoor experience with 347 acres of old-growth forest, tidelands, and panoramic views of Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains. 888-226-7688.


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4 TD passes today against the Broncos, tied for second in yards in a single playoff game.
Yea that guy is pretty good.
I've never seen anything from a QB like I saw this year from Manning. But it will all be for nothing if they lay another egg against the Pats next week.
Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David
I never thought I'd see a season like Marino had in '84.
This one's better. I just can't believe it.
"Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?" ~ Jim Bouton
Manning's mind and preparation set him apart from anyone else I've ever seen.
Watch him carry out a fake. He does the little things with incredible precision.
Is it solipsistic in here, or is it just me?
Let's see what Indy can do in the elements.
That said, I absolutely hate teams that play in domes.
The losing stops later.
Let's see him win a big game.
This is the time. The real Reds organization is back.
Today wasn't a big game?
Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David
I was lucky enough to catch a couple of Colts games in person last season and the thing that was astonishing in person was that it seemed like any time that Manning wanted something to happen, it happened. When it was a critical drive, he was so much like a machine that it was scary.
On top of that he's probably in the top 5 of classiest current professional atheletes.
I'm just hoping they can somehow win the SB so we can begin the "best QB ever" arguments.
I don't get into classiest arguements on people I only know through the biased media. I know he got sued once for sexual harrasment.
And today wasn't even close to a big game. Nobody remembers wild card games. They remember bowl games and conference championships.
This is the time. The real Reds organization is back.
Well, that deal was when he was in college and he mooned someone in the locker room and a female trainer took offense and I don't think she sued but she made a bit of trouble for him while he was there. So it's not like he molested anyone.Originally Posted by Cedric
But I agree that he has to win two more games at least. And NE has not been kind to him over the past few years.
For the record i'm not saying he is a jerk or not classy because of that, but saying sometimes certain players get a rep and it sticks with them. I know the media has favorites and they can do no wrong, just like others can do no right.
This is the time. The real Reds organization is back.
Yeah. I understand. They do seem to drool over him - and Eli - quite a bit. I watched Eli's first game on Fox. He didn't look good but you would have thought he was a mixture of his brother, Marino, Elway and Montana as much as they fawned over him. I thought Collinsworth was going to ask to go steady with him at one point.Originally Posted by Cedric
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


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Congressman Randy Hultgren, R-Winfield, released the following statement following his "No" vote on the fiscal cliff package, which passed the House by a vote of 257-167:
"The lack of spending cuts in this package is indefensible, which is why I voted against it. Washington, D.C. has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. This package fails to address that. In fact, it makes the 16 trillion dollar debt and trillion dollar deficit even worse.
"H.R. 8 addresses several significant issues, including tax rates for families. It repeals the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act. It includes an extension of parity for employer-provided transit benefits, which is something I've [ http://hultgren.house.gov/press-releases/hultgren-to-transportation-conferees-restore-tax-break-for-commuters/ ] fought for repeatedly. Most importantly, it makes current tax rates permanent for individuals earning less than $400,000 and families earning less than $450,000. That must happen, but not in the absence of any effort to rein in spending.
"I've already voted against raising taxes on all Americans, and I cannot support an irresponsible bill which doesn't begin to address the problem that got us into this mess in the first place."


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Q In a recent column, the subject of earbuds not being allowed in both ears was discussed while driving. Why is this illegal? If the logic is that we need to be able to hear emergency vehicle sirens or such, does that mean that we should not allow deaf people to drive?
Jeff Snyder
Morgan Hill
A The law says earplugs, earbuds and headsets can cover only one ear so a driver can better hear around his vehicle. But experts say there's a big difference between a deaf driver who has learned to use other senses to compensate for a lack of hearing and a driver who is listening to music with a headset covering both ears — or yakking on a cellphone.
Marcia-the-Audiologist once told Roadshow that a deaf driver "is quite likely a better driver than anyone chatting on a cellphone. In fact, it is quite likely that she and other severely hearing-impaired or deaf drivers are far more alert to traffic and road conditions than normal-hearing drivers. They are quite visually alert and constantly scanning their environment for information, and they will see potentially dangerous situations before the rest of us with tunnel vision."
In addition, autos can be equipped with devices to aid the hearing-impaired, such as a device to activate a flashing red light on the dash to warn of an approaching emergency vehicle with its lights on.
Q Westbound traffic on Interstate 80 has been split for several weeks into separate lanes between Kingvale and Emigrant Gap over the Sierra. When will the lanes go back to normal?
Maurizio Gavardoni
San Jose
A Soon, maybe Oct. 18.
Q I've been reading your column for decades and I'm finally writing to you.
Holly Street is a major thoroughfare that takes people from Highway 101 into downtown San Carlos. The stretch to El Camino Real is always jammed at rush hour, lunch hour and on weekends. I feel that a big reason is the way lanes are laid out.
There is room for two lanes in each direction on Holly when no cars are parked. There are signs stating "Form Two Lanes" during rush hour but I have never seen this work. Once, I drove next to a truck on this stretch during rush hour, and was verbally threatened by the driver for what he considered my bad driving.
When I grew up in Pasadena, we had roads that had an extra lane at rush hour thanks to no parking signs on the curb lanes, just like Holly. But in Pasadena, there were lane lines painted next to the parking spaces so it clearly looks like an extra lane. What we need on Holly are painted lane lines so that when no cars are parked, two lanes are clearly visible. Can you help us?
Josh Saffren
San Carlos
A Jay-the-City-Traffic- Man checked into this and could find no definitive reason why stripes were not added on Holly to move traffic in two lanes when it is allowed. He plans to bring your request to the city's transportation commission for further discussion.
Q Do we like to warn people of easy ways to avoid expensive tickets? Where Highway 237 ends at El Camino in Mountain View, traffic cops have been standing on the corner almost every morning nabbing people who turn right at the wrong times, turn right on red without stopping, turn right on red while southbound El Camino traffic does a legal U-turn or turn into a pedestrian's path.
The officer stands on the sidewalk watching all this go on, and just steps out and points his victim to the curb for a chat. He never seems to be lonely. I've seen a definite improvement in many drivers lately, even though there is usually a long line to turn right. The frequent presence of the police there has raised my alertness without costing me any fines, so I feel lucky. It can't hurt to spread the word.
John Bolhuis
Redwood City
A Word has been spread.
Go to Roadshow's expanded online presence at www.mercurynews.com/mr-roadshow and look for rules of the road, construction updates and favorite stories. Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at email@example.com or 408-920-5335.


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Once. long ago in the days when I was just starting in Linux (Red Hat 9), I managed to set up Evolution email accounts that accessed both internal mail and external (POP) mail seamlessly.
I try to do a similar set up in current versions of Evolution, it falls over and won't send mail when configured to use local delivery/sendmail (as per Evolution setup wizard). I keep getting messages similar to:
- Code: Select all
Cannot get transport for local_mbox-transport
How do I configure this?


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June 2016
Six of Crows - Review by Emma, Teen Blogger
Posted on 20-Jun-16 13:47
Imagine that you live in a world where magic is a part of everyday life. Where the people who use magic are called Grisha, and they can transform objects, physical appearances, and material properties. What if their Grisha powers become amplified when they are given a drug called Jurda Parem? And what if this drug will eventually kill them? What if a powerful merchant tells you to bring him the maker of the drug, Bo Yul-Bayur, for a reward of 30 million kruge? The only catch is that Yul-Bayur is being held prisoner in the Ice Court, capital of Fjerda--a nation of Grisha haters, and the most secure place in the world. Would you take the job? Kaz Brekker would. But then, Kaz is a master thief, and he'll do anything for money. Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows follows Kaz Brekker and his team as they begin their journey. But will they all live to see the end?
Read More
After the Red Rain - Review by Saul, Teen Blogger
Posted on 09-Jun-16 17:22
It seems that every day there is a new book trying to explore the idea of dystopia. It is a genre that has had a massive boom in recent years, with a number of popular books published. If you like dystopias, then I can highly recommend After the Red Rain. It is an interesting and thought provoking story that is sure to please fans of the genre. The plot takes place after a bizarre apocalypse known as the red rain. What makes this setting unique is how the majority of people seem to believe that the red rain actually helped society and, in fact, that the world is much better since it took place. Of course, this point is expanded upon later in the novel and leads to some interesting places. The main story follows a young woman who meets a strange man named Rose, and together they discover dark secrets about the world in which they live.
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Uncaged - Review by Saul, Teen Blogger
Posted on 09-Jun-16 17:10
Despite the fact that most typical action novels do not interest me, I have enjoyed a few throughout my life. Uncaged is one that I am adding to that list. When I saw this book on the library eBook page (a place that I suggest all eBook owners take a look at) I thought it would be worth a try. Although I expected a regular run of the mill action novel, I was pleasantly surprised with what I found. The book follows the story of a girl who is searching for her brother, after he was involved in a crime gone wrong. She fights against a large corporation bent on the advancement of technology at any cost, and attempts to rescue her brother before he can come to harm. Uncaged is a book that uses the real fear of corporate and government corruption, combined with deeply personal character conflict, to create an incredibly engaging story. The characters within feel very real and dynamic, almost no one is left as a flat, meaningless plot tool - an issue with some novels in this genre. The story begins with a tense and powerful opening story arc, and manages to keep up the tension throughout the plot...
Read More


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Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.
out of 100
Metascore®Generally favorable reviewsbased on a weighted average of allcritic review scores.
The Farrellys may well be the new kingpins of adolescent slob comedy, but There's Something About Mary doesn't approach the witty anarchy of movies like "Animal House," "The Naked Gun," or "Hairspray."
Read Full Review
[The film] occasionally had me convulsed with laughter.
After months and months of comedies that did not make me laugh, here at last is one that did.
A gut-busting blast of tasteless tomfoolery.
The day after seeing it, you're less likely to fixate on the flaws than to find yourself experiencing chuckle aftershocks as you recall the most outrageous gags. In these days of mostly forgettable comedies, that sensation has become all too rare. [15 July 1998]
See all There's Something About Mary reviews at Metacritic.com
Pause for kids 16 & under
Farrelly bros' classic is full of gross-out laughs.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that There's Something About Mary is a gross-out movie that features rampant unscrupulous, shocking, and inappropriate behavior to elicit laughs. It's funny stuff for the right crowd of adult comedy aficionados and a well-made movie for the often-maligned genre. Kids will want to see it because of the star power of Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller and its notorious shock value as a Farrelly brothers film. But consider this while you listen to them beg: the film features lots of jokes about male sexual insecurity, including getting caught masturbating (falsely and then really, when Mary finds ejaculate on Ted's ear and mistakes it for hair gel), injuring their genitals, gay male sex, and rape. It also makes light of sociopathic behavior, as one character stalks Mary and all the other men in her life continually deceive her.
Messages: Unscrupulous behavior is rampant and played strictly for laughs. Everyone stalks Mary, violating her privacy, spying on her, and lying to her. Healy lies to Ted about what Mary looks like and Ted lies to Mary about why he's in Florida. Norman pretends to be a disabled architect to attract Mary, and sends Mary anonymous notes lying about her boyfriends to make her break up with them. Healy stalks her, listens to her phone calls and conversations in her home, and caps his teeth to attract Mary. Woogie lies to Ted about who he is and violates a restraining order. He also tries to steal her shoes.
Role models: Characters lie, cheat, and steal -- all in the name of humor.
Violence: Lots of comic violence, including Warren beating up Ted. Ted gets his penis stuck in his zipper, Healy drugs Magda's dog and then sets it on fire (luckily the dog very much looks like a stuffed replica). Policemen beat Ted's head against a table. Warren catches Ted's lip with a fish hook.
Sex: A part of the film's over-the-top comedy comes from crude sexuality behavior including: a shot of an old woman's saggy boobs, constant insinuation that Ted is gay and extensive talk about masturbation. Ted gets his genitals caught in a zipper and is rushed to the hospital. Dom's wife gives him oral sex as he watches TV. Ted is caught in a gay sex raid. Ted masturbates and famously gets his semen stuck on his ear, which Mary unknowingly puts in her hair. Healy and Norman go to a strip club. Healy has nudie calendars on his wall.
Language: Lots of degrading language about women, including "cocktease," "whale," etc. There's also lots of salty language, such as "f--k," "ass," "bitch," "numbnuts," "s--t," "dick," "bulls--t," "bastard," "prick," and "dips--t."
Consumerism: Not applicable
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Mary and her friends drink beer. Magda drinks martinis. Healy smokes cigars and feeds Magda's dog tranquilizers. Norman gives Magda and her dog speed.
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|Roanoke, Va.
|High School:
|Hidden Valley
2013-14: Lettered as a first-year ... will serve as a team captain for her sophomore season ... expected to be one of the team's top players again this season.
2012-13: Played a total of 12 rounds and produced an 88.5 scoring average ... had a low round of 77 ... earned Third Team All-ODAC honors despite missing much of the spring battling sickness ... led the team in three of four tournaments during the fall season ... finished seventh overall with an 84-85--169 at the season-opening Hollins Invitational ... placed second overall with an 82-77--159 at the W&L Invitational ... placed 11th at the ODAC Championship with a 95-94--189.
High School: Earned three letters in golf and one in cheerleading at Hidden Valley High School ... helped lead the golf team to a district title, a runner-up finish in the region and a sixth-place finish at the VHSL Boys State Championship as a junior ... served as a team captain for her senior seasons ... three-time participant in the VHSL Girls State Championship event.
Personal: Senior class president and valedictorian at Hidden Valley ... father, Page, is the men's basketball coach at Roanoke College ... father played basketball at Virginia Tech, while mother, Jody, was a cheerleader for the Hokies ... undeclared major.


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Future Conservation Leaders: Santa Cruz Island, off the coast of California, is home to bald eagles, scrub jays, and the most adorable foxes you may ever see! This summer, the island is also home to high school students from the Los Angeles area, working side by side with scientists. Co-host Caroline Raville spent some time with these young people to learn about LEAF, Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future. This Nature Conservancy program not only gives high school students a chance to enjoy nature, but provides a spark for many of them to pursue careers in science and conservation. Natural Resources Revival: A county in eastern Oregon has transformed from being dependent on timber, to being a pioneer in using its natural resources. Lake County is known as the "Saudi Arabia" of geothermal power. Its schools and hospitals are already taking advantage of sustainable energy sources including solar and wind power as well. Folks who used to be at odds, from the lumber industry and conservation groups, have put aside their differences to come up with sustainable answers for the future. A Fight for Frogs: A third of the world's amphibians face extinction, with more than 400 animals listed as "critically endangered." Habitat loss is one major threat, and that's the challenge for the gopher frog. Their population is now at an alarming low. These amphibians need both sandy, forested areas, and wetlands in order to breed. But development is making it tougher and tougher for them to survive. Sharon Collins of Georgia Public Broadcasting shows us how scientists are working to save these animals. Amazing Monarch Journey: Monarch butterflies, up to two billion of them, have to fly hundreds of miles to get to their wintering site in Mexico. So even a tiny impact on their migration ability could mean the difference between survival and death. Ecologist Sonia Altizer studies how long distance migration in flying animals may also affect the spread and evolution of infectious disease. These beautiful insects face many threats. Habitat destruction is also taking a hit on them. But a look at their winter home is one of the most stunningly beautiful sights in nature!
Visit the Website: http://www.thisamericanland.org
Episode #213 / Length: 26 minutes


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HARVARD - Bromfield Middle/High School has had its temperature taken several different ways. One was a parent survey. Another was an in-house staff survey. And a third was the licensed-staff's participation in a statewide survey. The numbers were presented to the Harvard School Committee on Sept. 24.
Of approximately 500 Bromfield Middle/High School parents, 121 responded to the school's 2012 online 'climate' survey this past spring. The questions closely mirror ones posed to parents in 2010.
Principal James O'Shea said the resulting data was like "a roller coaster" ride. Of the results, O'Shea said, "We take them to heart."
There were some dips on the ride this year.
O'Shea said, "last year, it was a long hard year" between school-wide preparation for the once-a-decade NEASC school re-certification process. There were also incidents of vandalism that "we don't want to talk about anymore."
As a result, "people were not in a good place" in May and June when the survey was conducted. "There was a lot of angst in the building," said O'Shea.
School spirit has been refreshed this year, said O'Shea. "We're in a good place."
There was slippage detected in several of 30 'indicators'. And that's raised concern, as O'Shea said the "parents' experiences reflect child experiences."
Seventy-three percent of parents agree that Bromfield's atmosphere promotes learning (that's down from 83 percent agreement in 2010).
Seventy-seven percent agreed that students take pride in their school. That's down from 89 percent.
Fifty-eight percent of parents agreed 'students respect individual differences' - that's down from 63 percent agreement in 2010. "This is an area we need to work on," said O'Shea.
Seventy-one percent of parents agreed 'students treat teachers with respect' (down from 80 percent in 2010). Conversely, 68 percent of parents agreed 'teachers treat students with respect' (down from 78 percent in 2010).
Sixty-seven percent of parents agree the "administration takes an active interest in the well-being of students" - that's down from 84 percent in 2010.
Thirty-five percent of parents agree Bromfield teachers "care equally about honors and non-honors students" - that's down from 46 percent in 2010.
Fifty-nine percent of parents agreed students are "comfortable approaching teachers for advice or help" - That's down from 64 percent in 2010.
Thirty-six percent of parents report their child feels they "fit in" at Bromfield. That's down from 56 percent in 2010.
Forty percent of parents report bullying is "somewhat" of a problem - seven percent say bullying is 'significant." Twenty-eight percent of parents say bulling is "not really" a problem, while 24 percent of parents state they "don't know" if bullying is a problem at Bromfield.
Twenty-three percent of Bromfield parents agreed, "My child has been subjected to bullying." Another 3 percent specifically answered "My child has been subjected to cyber bullying."
Fifty-four percent of the parents responded that their child had not been bullied, while 21 percent of parents answered didn't know if their child had been subjected to bullying.
Only 39 percent of parents agree that students of "all cultural backgrounds" feel comfortable at Bromfield (down from 44 percent in 2010). And 35 percent of parents agree that students of "all sexual orientations" feel comfortable at Bromfield (down from 41 percent agreement in 2010).
O'Shea said the results have prompted question about how connected the staff is with students "as individuals and real people .Can we be more connected with them and have close relationships with them?"
O'Shea said he and assistant principal Scot Hoffman are "trying to become more visible" throughout the school. And the staff is working diligently to recognize student accomplishments.
Achievement remains a consensus point. Ninety-two percent of parents agree "the faculty has high expectations for student achievement." Eighty-one percent of parents agree that, regardless of their child's grades, "I feel that in most classes they have learned a lot" (that's up from 78 percent agreement on the same statement in 2010).
Ninety-two percent of parents agreed "the community is proud of our school."
A minority of parents (25 percent) believed drugs pose problems in school, while 22 percent agree alcohol is a problem in school. The parent's read on the climate for substance abuse does not mesh with staff sentiment on the subject (that teacher sentiment is discussed below).
Forty-five percent of parents agreed there is an after school drug (45 percent agree) and alcohol (48 percent agree) concern for Bromfield students. "That is a percentage that we cannot ignore," said O'Shea.
Twelve percent of parents believe cheating is a problem in Bromfield. That figure also does not mesh with teacher sentiment captured in another survey.
Health curriculum at both the middle and high school which will help with some issues, said O'Shea. Parental dissatisfaction with 5 minute teacher conferences was heard loud and clear. Feedback suggested the format "didn't help and it was useless," said O'Shea.
Security and safety concerns at the school were "a big topic. Over the summer, a new security system was installed, including motion detectors, and the police have performed crisis response drills with the students.
School Committee member Keith Cheveralls said the parent survey was "fabulous" in terms of data collection, but he issued a "challenge" to the school council to boost parental involvement in the survey.
"What can we do to get the participation rate up?" said Cheveralls. "I guess 20 percent is statistically valid but I'd say barely."
O'Shea said the hope is to disseminate the survey in January to avoid end-of-year crush of activity which could be to blame for low response rates. Interim School Superintendent Joseph Connelly agreed. "In late winter-early spring, people are still focused."
Chair SusanMary Redinger said "areas that jumped out at me" were regarding appreciation of diversity.
Cheveralls said "the soft stuff is the hardest stuff. The word 'respect' is huge." Cheveralls urged "whatever you can do to show your leadership on respect."
Thirteen staff members responded to the in-house Bromfield staff climate survey. Along the way, some respondents opted-out of answering various questions.
Most agreed (7) or gave no opinion (3) when asked if students respect individual differences. Most agreed (8) that the staff respects individual differences.
Most agreed (5) or gave no opinion (6) as to whether teachers treat students with respect. Most (8) agreed that students treat peers with respect.
Most agreed (7) that the administration - and most agreed that the faculty (8) - takes an active interest in the well-being of students.
Seven of 11 respondents agreed- drugs and alcohol in school is a "serious problem" - 3 staffers disagreed.
Five staffers reported cheating as a "widespread" problem. Four offered no opinion, 1 'disagreed' it was a problem while another (1) 'strongly disagreed' there is a cheating problem at Bromfield.
Most (7) staffers agree that students feel they "fit in" at Bromfield. Three offered no opinion on the point.
Nine of 11 staffers agreed on two points: (1) students of all cultural backgrounds feel comfortable at Bromfield; and (2) students of all sexual orientations feel comfortable at Bromfield.
Seven staff members agreed that honors and non-honors students receive the same quality education at Bromfield, while three disagreed.
Most (9) agreed the administration gives them the freedom to "do my job creatively" and "does not micromanage or impose undue mandates."
Most (7) agree they feel "undue pressure by parents to compromise my evaluation of students."
Most (9) agreed "I sometimes feel the parents run this school." Most (8) agreed "I sometimes feel like the students run this school."
Most had no opinion or disagreed on the effectiveness of the Bromfield School Council.
Every four years, the anonymous statewide Massachusetts Teaching, Empowering, Learning and Leading (TELL) survey is conducted. Conducted mid-March through mid-April, the survey polled licensed, school-based educators on teaching conditions.
At the Bromfield School, 43 percent of the teachers participated. Adding in administrators, the schools response rate was 59 percent.
Staff agreed they had appropriate instructional materials (85 percent agree), technology (85 percent) and professional support (85 percent). While 78 percent felt they had sufficient time to instruct students, only 33 percent agreed they had enough time to collaborate with colleagues.
Most agreed there's effective communication between the school and parents, but only 78 percent agreed that parents knew what's going on in school, and only 68 percent agreed parents support teachers and contribute to student success.
Staffers agreed (78 percent) that students are aware of and follow rules of conduct. However, only 39 percent of school staff agreed that the school administration consistently enforces rules of conduct.
On teacher leadership, most agreed teachers are trusted to make sound professional decisions about instruction (89 percent), about educational issues (85 percent) and are encouraged to take on school leadership roles (85 percent).
However, 44 percent of respondents agreed the faculty has an effective group process for problem solving. The same percentage agreed that teaches have an appropriate level of influence on decision-making in school.
Forty-eight percent of respondents felt there is an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect at Bromfield, 53 percent agree there' a shared vision for the school, and 45 percent agree the school improvement team provides effective leadership.
Assistant Principal Scott Hoffman noted there the TELLS survey was launched first, and the in-house climate survey response rate suffered as a result. Hoffman said of the mixed reviews, "That's how we improve. Jim and I have worked hard to identify what we have to change."
Follow Mary Arata on facebook.com/mary.arata and twitter.com/maryearata.


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'Cocktails by Cove' to benefit Buckeye Brook Coalition
George and Stephanie Shuster will host "Cocktails by the Cove," a fundraiser for the Buckeye Brook Coalition, at their home, 15 River Vue Ave., on Sept. 28. The event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m.
The invitation calls on guests to, "Enjoy local beer and wine and hors d'oeuvres with a view of Mill Cove, Narragansett Bay, and Conimicut Light, while helping to raise funds to protect and preserve your local watershed."
Silent Auction prizes include a custom saltwater fishing rod, framed prints of local fish, and more.
Tickets are $20. For additional information, contact George Shuster, call 737-1278 or e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com.
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"I'm making space in my life before I'm too old to be creative," Berleen Wobeter says of her new storefront venture in downtown Toledo.
She opened The Fay Tree in the former location of Gray Oak Builders at 125 East High St. on Oct. 1.
Wobeter is hosting an open house at the location this Saturday, Dec. 7 from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Article Photos
Berleen Wobeter at the Fay Tree with some examples of her work.
Chronicle/John Speer
The name "The Fay Tree?"
"My middle name is Fay which is another name for fairies which exhibit color - Tree - rooted deep in the ground but also reaches up to Heaven and is very spiritual," Wobeter says of the concept for the name.
At the location she offers original art work with such specialties as barn quilts and folk art with an aim toward custom work.
Article Map
Displayed are examples of re-purposed furniture and wall pieces with her original designs incorporated.
She invites customers to commission her to add her imaginative talent to their own furniture or for her to locate and customize an item they might use in their home, at their business or on their property. For example, she says barn quilts are seen not only on barns but displayed in homes, businesses and gardens.
Wobeter is known for being a major part of the creative side of the Tama County Career Development Center in Tama. She retired from that position in July after 14 years when operations switched from Iowa Valley Community College District management to Central Iowa Residential Treatment Services.
Her bent for creating goes back to childhood she says. Although her formal training in college was in Home Economics, Wobeter says this involved "color and coordination."
"You have to devote time and you have to practice, or that talent never develops," she says.
She terms the Fay Tree location "a workshop."
A portion of what she does will follow this theme with Wobeter planning to offer classes for upper elementary and middle school students beginning in January.
Hours at The Fay Tree are by chance, but Wobeter can be reached by calling 641-328-4739.
In addition to her new business she is working as a substitute teacher at the Meskwaki Settlement School.
Berleen and her husband, Pete, live at rural Toledo. They have two children, Rachel,, who is the local food consultant for the Center for Energy and the Environment at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, and Kit who along with his wife and six-month-old, live at Verona, Wisc., where they are employed at a software company.


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By Michael Aneiro
Puerto Rico has three new junk ratings this month from the big three rating agencies, but that's not stopping the commonwealth from forging ahead with plans to sell nearly $3 billion in new bonds. Mike Cherney reports in today's Wall Street Journal that Puerto Rico is already discussing safeguards should it face further fiscal problems, citing an investor call on Tuesday:
Officials on the call also said they were inclined to allow lenders in the new debt deal to litigate any claims relating to the bonds in New York court rather than in Puerto Rico, where some investors may fear the courts would be more likely to side with the government.
Last week, Puerto Rico announced a banking team to underwrite the bonds, which will carry the island's general-obligation pledge and be backed by its taxing authority. Proceeds from the sale would go toward refinancing outstanding debt and repaying credit lines, officials said on Tuesday's call. No further debt sales are expected in fiscal year 2014, which ends in June, but Puerto Rico officials didn't rule out the possibility of another debt sale next year.
While about two-thirds of municipal bond mutual funds still own some amount of Puerto Rico debt, hedge finds are seen as among the likely buyers of the new debt.
Here's Alan Schankel of Janney Montgomery Scott with his take:
The government emphasized its commitment to deliver a balanced budget in FY 2015, and reaffirmed its plan to have the three major public corporations (Electric Power Auth, Aqueduct and Sewer Auth, Highway and Trans Auth) operating on a positive basis, eliminating the need for the regular government financial and liquidity support the corporations have received in the past. Much of Puerto Rico's large debt load ($70 billion plus) was created by more than 10 years of deficits and the required deficit financing. For example the proceeds of $2 billion of PR Aqueduct and Sewer debt issued in early 2012 were used to repay PRASA loans from GDB. A July water rate hike is generating enough incremental revenue to allow self sufficient PRASA operations. Over at PRHTA, a tripling of the petroleum tax likewise is expected to generate enough revenue to end the need for annual loans from GDB which have accumulated to more than $2 billion.
Much has been accomplished by Commonwealth political and financial leadership in the past 14 months, and it almost seems as if the Commonwealth is within reach of self sufficiency, with the need for deficit financing receding, but even if balanced operations are achieved, the sluggish economy will need to improve significantly if Puerto Rico is to emerge from under its still rising debt load.
And here's Anthony Valeri of LPL Financial:
Proceeds of the issue will provide much needed liquidity to pay liabilities over the coming two years, without which Puerto Rico's government would be hard pressed to find sufficient resources to meet its obligations. While near-term default risk may have eased, economic growth needs to improve in order to sustain a still large debt burden.


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Get the SoR Robotics Android App on Android Market for FREE. See this forum post for details.
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http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=637#not the highest quality camera, but there should be enough info to get you started.you could also search the forum, cause there have been many threads about cameras.
Thanks ed1380! I forgot to check Sparkfun. This should be good to get started...


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The nighttime prowlers who have been targeting unlocked vehicles parked in various Montauk neighborhoods struck again early last Thursday morning, this time in the North Farragut Road area, but without as much taken as the week before, when they made off with thousands of dollars worth of electronic devices.
Robert Gosman Jr. reported his Chevy pickup truck rummaged through, but nothing taken. John D'Agostino's Jeep was also gone through, but again, nothing taken.
James Dirico had two cars parked on Farrington Road targeted, with about $20 stolen. Two cars belonging to Michelle Walsh, parked in a driveway on Glenmore Avenue, were ransacked, but the thieves found nothing of value.
Richard Nessel of Beech Hollow Court told police his dogs had started barking at about 2:15 a.m., and in the morning he discovered his two cars had been gone through, with nothing taken.
A $10 scratch-off lottery ticket and a pair of Ray-Ban glasses, valued at $150, were stolen from Ted Bienienwicz's 2012 Toyota, parked on Gladstone Place. Also on Gladstone, Dianne Dacuk said her husband's vehicle had been rummaged through. Nothing was reported missing.
Diane Hausman had two unlocked cars parked on Gravesend Avenue: one held nothing of interest for the thieves, but they made off with $400 in cash from the second.
On Fairview Avenue, they left Richard Etzel's vehicles empty-handed.
The thieves were back at it early Friday morning as well, hitting two vehicles belonging to Robert Rottach of Cranberry Road. Police have not yet confirmed a report that they made off with some jewelry found in one of the cars.


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The Malco Hw6X3/8Zrb (18,000) is a 3/8" Painted Zip In Screws (18,000). These 3/8" painted Zip-In screws come in a Royal Brown color, and are designed to match common gutter and trim coil colors.
|Malco Products
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|180.00 lbs.
4.5 out of 5 rating is our rating for PlumbersStock, we got that rating because we have lots of experience and great people with expertise in plumbing. BUT WE WANT YOUR HELP. This product doesn't have any reviews yet, and we don't want to write our own reviews. It is more valuable to us that the customers get to share their experience with our products. Please, if you have any experience with this product, take a moment to share and help someone else who is trying to make a decision. Thank you!


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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 11th Jul 2006 17:14 UTC, submitted by alcibiades
Macintouch has done a hardware quality survey among owners of PowerMac G5s (3000 PowerMacs) regarding hardware quality, support quality, and more. The conclusion: "The Power Mac G5's 17% first-year failure rate remains far higher than the industry average of 5%. If Apple is to maintain its premium pricing, it should provide premium reliability. As things stand, high Power Mac prices must include high warranty service costs built-in. With an overall failure rate of 23%, a quarter of which occur outside of Apple's 1-year warranty, and an average of 1.29 repairs per affected unit implying repeat problems, Power Macs are neither cheap for Apple to service after the sale, nor cheap for buyers. Power comes at a cost." Ok. Run Forrest, run!
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Intel Switch
by Dirge on Wed 12th Jul 2006 05:25 UTC


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Results 1 to 10 of 18
#1 Obama: "I am a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions"
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July 29, 2008, 7:43 pm
Obama to House Democrats: This Is Your Moment
Sarah Lueck reports on Congress.
Sen. Barack Obama paid an upbeat visit to House Democrats, his first meeting with the full group of lawmakers whose fortunes are tightly tied to his this fall. This is your moment, he told them.
The Democratic presidential candidate told the group that the positive response he received in Germany and the rest of Europe was not about him, said House Democratic Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina. Rather, Obama said he was a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions. Lawmakers gave that remark a standing ovation.
Obama told House Democrats can help him succeed in the presidential race by extending his reach in the country, and lawmakers left the meeting with hope of teamwork on the campaign trail that would benefit both sides. I think there are a series of of meetings into August about surrogate opportunities, said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas. The message is, We need you, so we need to work together.
In the question and answer session, Rep. Adam Schiff of California asked whether the Illinois senator would consider appointing a team of rivals to his cabinet, such as Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The question prompted some booing and hissing from the audience, according to a Democratic aide. Obama responded that its premature to say who he would name to his cabinet and that his job now is to get elected.
Other questions were on the nations need for infrastructure needs, the budget deficit and Obamas assessment of Iran after his travels in the Middle East.
Obama said the deficit could be narrowed by stopping the Iraq war, ending tax cuts for the wealthy and bringing down levels of obesity to 1980s levels to keep Medicaid costs in check.
He addressed reporters briefly after the meeting and then walked away with his arm around House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.
Pelosi said after the meeting, Thank you, Senator Obama. Yes we can.
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I LOVE it!
They are a total joke now and it's a beautiful thing shoving it back in their faces.
Most of them want to pretend their "beloved Pats*" don't even exist!
Poetic justice!
Because all we have to do is say "At least our players aren't alleged murderers" and they can't reply.
Didn't really need its own thread but for any Pats trolls on here, this is what is going to happen.
I LOVE it!
They are a total joke now and it's a beautiful thing shoving it back in their faces.
Most of them want to pretend their "beloved Pats*" don't even exist!
Poetic justice!
I guess beating the Jets on the actual football field will have to be enough. Sigh.
Last edited by Eckesg1; 07-23-2013 at 10:39 PM.
Beating the Jets when the Jets aren't good isn't an accomplishment. Congrats, but when the playoffs were on the line, Jets brought it and Pats went golfing the week after.
Media wise, Jets are the low man right now, and the Pats are absorbing all of the attention.
Congrats again.
We've been a pretty big disappointment in recent years, no doubt.
But the meer fact that Pats fans have gone from expecting nothing less than a championship year after year to sweeping the "lowly" Jets in the regular season year after year is nothing less than comical.
(And of course we can, don't be a chooch.)
HAHA, Jets suck.
Last edited by FF2®; 07-23-2013 at 11:18 PM.
You See this is my problem with the pats organisation as a whole, Yes they may sweep us year on year, but they act like every Jet fan wants to be a pats fan.
I would rather have one of Hernandez's bullets in my head then be a pats fan and here's why.
1..I hate their uniforms and logo, they just suck ass.
2..The name Foxboro reminds me of Woodsboro out of the scream movies and it annoys me.
3..As good as Brady is he has not an ounce of testosterone in his body and reminds me of a little girl.
4..Their man-child TE doing his pathetic robot celebrations.
5..I hate that split in one of their stands in the stadium that looks like a bit of a garden center.
6..Kraft reminds me of that Alex Dewald out of Beverly Hills cop 2 I think it is, you know the one where he is running an evil empire out of a kids wonder-world theme park.
7..Oh and last of all that hoodie Belicheat wears, again it really annoys me for some reason.
So you see they can sweep us every year, win the AFC East every year, but I would much rather be a Jet fan even as the circus we was then follow that "pathetic way" team up in Woodsboro.


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Bujingai: The Forsaken City
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Inspired by Hong Kong cinema, Bujingai: The Forsaken City brings the martial arts fantasy to life. You play the role of a spell-casting, gravity-defying warrior named Lau. Set in post-apocalyptic Asia, you must battle your way through an army of fiends to rescue a fellow warrior who has been possessed by a demon. Employ sword combat and magic attacks, combined with acrobatics, gliding, and wall-walking as you fight multiple enemies. The game incorporates the best elements of Hong Kong cinema--swords, magic spells, demons, and wirework--to create an authentic action experience.
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EMC snaps up database optimiser for $10m
Zettapoint was founded with just $1.5m
EMC is buying database optimisation company Zettapoint for a reported $10m.
Privately held Zettapoint was founded in 2008, and funded by Jerusalem Venture Partners with just $1.5m. The company says its DBclassify software "provides unparalleled usage-based classification for optimising Oracle databases and their associated multi-tier storage environments". The latest version "evaluates data in context with business processes that access the data, then generate cost effective tiering recommendations".
This will appeal to EMC, with its emphasis on storage tiering and business intelligence data warehouses.
Ten mill is a nice exit for the funding VC.
Zettapoint is headquartered in Massachusetts – convenient for EMC, which is based in Hopkinton in that state – with operations in Germany, the UK and Israel. EMC is one of its resellers. The company's 15 employees will all join EMC. ®
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