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Set Your Sights on Scotland
WOCCU Opens Online Registration for 2011 World CU Conference in Glasgow
January 21, 2011
MADISON, Wis.— Mark your calendars and set your sights on historic Scotland. World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) will convene this year's largest global gathering of credit union professionals and volunteers amid its verdant hills and historic settings in July. It's time to register for this exciting event.
WOCCU has opened online registration for the 2011 World Credit Union Conference, which convenes in Glasgow, Scotland, July 24-27. As the only global credit union gathering, this year's conference is expected to attract as many as 2,000 attendees from more than 50 countries.
Participants are encouraged to register online and secure their hotel accommodations at www.woccu.org/Glasgow2011. Hotel and tour space are limited and the $100 early bird discount for registration ends May 29, 2011.
Returning to Europe once again, the 2011 conference is being held in cooperation with the Association of British Credit Unions Ltd. The conference agenda will feature dynamic keynote speakers and educational breakout sessions focusing on four tracks:
• Moving from Philosophy to Service
• Defining Leadership and Strategy
• Developing Credit Union Movements
• Raising Financial and Operational Standards
A roster of exciting speakers will provide insights into multiple strategic credit union and business topics. Those already signed include:
• Dr. Peter Tufano, the Peter Moores Dean and Professor of Finance, University of Oxford Saïd Business School, who will help credit unions identify the gaps in financial services today; and
• An executive dialogue on the role of giving back to constituents while moving the enterprise forward that includes:
- Peter Marks, group chief executive for U.K. retail giant The Co-operative Group
- Tamara Vrooman, chief executive officer for VanCity, the largest and most progressive credit union in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Jeff Post, CEO of CUNA Mutual Group, credit unions' largest and closest business partner
Networking opportunities among global credit union peers abound at the conference, including the annual meeting of the Global Women's Leadership Forum, which brings together women credit union CEOs and executive leaders from around the world for educational and networking sessions. Donors who support the network at the $250 level or above are invited to a special networking reception on Saturday, July 23 prior to the conference. The leadership forum, open to network members, starts with the donor reception and runs all day Sunday, July 24, prior to the official conference opening ceremony. For more information on the Global Women's Leadership Network and the forum, visit www.CUwomen.org.
The network also benefits from the Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions' golf tournament on Thursday, July 28, one day after the conference closes. The tournament, open to men and women and not limited to network members, raises funds that are used in credit union development work worldwide. Learn more at www.woccu.org/Glasgow2011.
Other conference highlights include WOCCU's Young Credit Union People Program (WYCUP) for attendees under the age of 35. The program offers special conference educational and networking events for young credit unions professionals and the opportunity to compete for one of five scholarships to attend WOCCU's 2012 World Credit Union Conference in Gdansk, Poland. For more information on the WYCUP Scholarship Program and to download a nomination form, visit www.woccu.org/wycup.
Glasgow and its surrounding area offer attendees and their companions countless activities, sights and culture to experience. The dramatic Scottish highlands combine with sites of historic importance to reveal a country steeped in tradition, but with a forward-thinking, progressive edge. For those who want to come early and stay late, WOCCU is arranging the best Scotland has to offer through pre- and post-conference tours, as well as optional day tours. For more information and to register, visit www.woccu.org/Glasgow2011.
Join us this year in Glasgow, a city that boasts the largest credit union concentration in Great Britain, for a rich mix of progress and tradition. As the only international conference on the credit union calendar, this is an event you can't afford to miss.
World Council of Credit Unions is the global trade association and development agency for credit unions. World Council promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. World Council advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions' financial performance and increase their outreach.
World Council has implemented 300+ technical assistance programs in 89 countries. Worldwide, 68,882 credit unions in 109 countries serve 235 million people. Learn more about World Council's impact around the world at www.woccu.org.
NOTE: Click on photos to view/download in high resolution.


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(CNN) -- George Zimmerman's future -- either acquittal or conviction -- was back in the hands of a Florida jury Saturday morning. The six jurors entered their second day of deliberations.
Zimmerman is on trial for last year's shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.
The all-female jury got the case Friday afternoon after two weeks of testimony and dramatic closing arguments.
They broke at noon for an hourlong on-site lunch, during which the judge is allowing the jurors to discuss the case amongst themselves.
Judge Debra Nelson on Friday read 27 pages of instructions outlining the jury's three options: convict Zimmerman of second-degree murder or of manslaughter, or find him not guilty. She approved the manslaughter option Thursday over the defense's vehement objection.
"All of us are depending on you to make a wise and legal decision," Nelson told the jurors.
Beyond the courtroom, the verdict will reverberate nationwide, where it has highlighted issues of race and gun laws.
Some feel passionately that Zimmerman did nothing wrong and killed Martin in self-defense. Others accuse Zimmerman of profiling the unarmed 17-year-old, ignoring a 911 dispatcher's call not to follow him and killing him without justification.
Martin was African-American; Zimmerman is Hispanic.
The fateful day
Martin was walking back to his father's fiancee's house from a Sanford convenience store where he'd bought snacks.
Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, spotted him and called the police. The two got into an altercation that ended with Martin dead and panicked neighbors calling 911 to report anguished cries for help.
The now-29-year-old Zimmerman never denied shooting Martin on February, 26, 2012. The question is why.
And who was crying for help that night, Martin or Zimmerman?
Zimmerman was 'wannabe police officer'
Since opening statements on June 24, dozens testified as both sides presented extensive information -- the gun, pictures, interviews Zimmerman conducted and more -- for the jury to consider.
Nelson told the jurors that the prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman is guilty.
"Your memory should be your asset," she told the jurors -- among other pieces of advice.
"It is up to you decide which evidence is reliable," Nelson said. "You should use your common sense."
Before jurors began their deliberations, attorneys made their case.
Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda characterized Zimmerman as untrustworthy. He picked apart interviews Zimmerman gave to police and the media.
Why would a scared man get out of his car and walk around after being told by a 911 dispatcher not to follow the victim, the prosecutor asked in his closing argument? Did Zimmerman walk toward Martin, or did Martin come after him? Should Zimmerman have had more than a bloody nose and scratches on his head if he'd had his head slammed on the ground by the victim?
The prosecution got one last chance to present its case Friday, when Assistant State Attorney John Guy rebutted the defense's closing argument.
Guy characterized Zimmerman as a frustrated wannabe police officer who took the law into his own hands. He had decided Martin was one of the criminals who had been victimizing his neighborhood, he said, then trailed him against the advice of police dispatchers.
"The defendant didn't shoot Trayvon Martin because he had to," Guy said. "He shot him because he wanted to. That's the bottom line."
Zimmerman, the prosecution said, had a powerful determination not to allow someone he had already decided was a criminal to escape.
"What is that when a grown man, frustrated, angry, with hate in his heart, gets out of his car with a loaded gun and follows a child? A stranger? In the dark? And shoots him through his heart? What is that?" Guy asked.
It was nothing but self-defense, defense attorney Mark O'Mara argued.
'Many coulda beens,' defense says
"How many 'coulda beens' have you heard from the state in this case?" O'Mara asked Friday. "How many 'what ifs' have you heard from the state in this case? They don't get to ask you that. No, no, no.
"Do not give anybody the benefit of the doubt except for George Zimmerman," the lawyer said.
O'Mara tried to discredit the prosecution's portrayal of Zimmerman as frustrated, spiteful and seeking vengeance.
His client wasn't the aggressor, the defense argued.
It was Martin who stalked Zimmerman and emerged from the darkness to pounce, the defense said. The teenager pinned Zimmerman to the ground and slammed his head into the sidewalk, according to O'Mara.
"That was somebody who used the availability of dangerous items, from his fist to the concrete, to cause great bodily injury against George Zimmerman," he said.
Guy ridiculed the argument that Zimmerman had suffered substantial injuries.
Repeated blows against concrete would have caused more damage than the rivulets of blood and bumps seen in photographs from the night of the shooting, he said.
Authorities brace for reaction to verdicts
While this drama played out in a Sanford courtroom, Florida authorities braced for the outcome.
In the weeks after Martin's death, tens of thousands attended rallies demanding Zimmerman's arrest and castigating authorities for their handling of the case. Some of them wore hoodies, as did Martin the night he was killed, in support of his family.
A lawyer for the late teenager's family said that, while he wouldn't call Zimmerman a racist, "this case in its totality has a racial undertone to it."
Daryl Parks told CNN's Anderson Cooper that the defendant surmised Martin was a criminal like those who'd struck in his neighborhood before -- at least one of whom was black.
"The problem, in this case ... is that Trayvon was not one of those people," Parks said.
The defense has strongly rejected accusations that Zimmerman is racist. O'Mara cited his client's work as a mentor to black children and his taking a black girl to his prom as evidence of his non-racist beliefs.
His defenders have been passionate as well, especially about a person's right to defend himself with a gun when attacked. Debate swirled over Florida's "stand your ground" law, which allows those who believe they are in imminent danger to use deadly force to protect themselves.
Calls for peace
Zimmerman's family is urging people to accept the verdict, whatever it is.
"Though we maintain George committed no crime whatsoever, we acknowledge that the people who called for George's arrest and subsequent trial have now witnessed both events come to pass," the family said. "We hope now that as Americans we will all respect the rule of law, which begins with respecting the verdict. The judicial system has run its course -- pray for justice, pray for peace, pray for our country."
Authorities appealed for calm as well and took steps in case some did not heed those appeals.
The sheriff's office in Broward County, in the Miami area, said it had made a contingency plan to respond to incidents tied to a verdict.
"Freedom of expression is a constitutional right," the sheriff's office said. "While raising your voice is encouraged, using your hands is not."
Civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson Jr. was among those who appealed for peace.
"If Zimmerman is convicted, there should not be inappropriate celebrations, because a young man lost his life, and if he is not convicted, we should avoid violence, because it will only lead to more tragedies," Jackson said.
But O'Mara said that whatever the outcome, his client will not feel safe.
"There are a percentage of the population who are angry, they're upset, and they may well take it out on him," he said.

subset: commoncrawl


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The San Vicente Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park. A Grade III event, the race is open to three-year-old horses willing to race seven furlongs on the dirt and carries a purse of $150,000.
Inaugurated in 1935 as the San Vicente Handicap, it was open to older horses until 1937. The race was run as a handicap event from 1935 until 1941, 1945 through 1948, 1956 through 1958, and 1960 through 1965. There was no race held from 1942 until 1944, 1949 until 1951, and again in 1970.
In 1952 and 1953 the race was restricted to colts and geldings.


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Modified Mustangs & FordsProject Vehicles
Factory Five Roadster Build Part 9: Engine And Transmission Install
Engine and Transmission Fitment Mark a Key Point in Our Project
Our Smeding 427 Windsor has been sitting in the corner of the Mustang & Fords shop as we gathered all of the ancillary items to properly dress the engine, mate it to the Tremec transmission, and drop the whole enchilada into our FFR Roadster. Thankfully that time has finally come. With our Roadster project finally becoming a "roller" two months ago and our fuel system in place last month, it was our desire to hear all 427 cubes bark an exhaust note from the Roadster's sidepipes before the end of the month.
We've come a long way since February 2006. From a bare frame on jackstands to a rolling chassis with a full drivetrain that starts and runs, we've been busy over the many weekends we've spent in the garage. If it wasn't for a driveshaft and some brake lines, the Roadster could actually move under its own power and stop, too. But we'll get there soon enough. There's still a lot of wiring to figure out, then install the body for fitment of exterior items, and send everything off for bodywork and paint. Our deadline is coming up fast, but we're doing our best to keep it.
Send us an e-mail (firstname.lastname@example.com) or letter letting us know what you think of the project so far.


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Mall name:
4200 South Freeway, Fort Worth, Texas - TX 76115
Phone number to La Gran Plaza Mall mall
817 922 8888
Hours (mall)
Monday - Saturday 9:00 am - 9:00 pm, Sunday 10:00 am - 8:00 pm.
Driving directions
Other stores in La Gran Plaza Mall:
Looking for another location of Ross Dress for Less store?
Go to Ross Dress for Less store locator to see all Ross Dress for Less stores


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Ask Sista Felicia
I look forward to the questions I receive from GMG FOB's, family and friends each week! Dozens of questions are asked and answered in the aisles of local stores while I shop, and dozens are privately asked and answered through email, text message, Facebook , or Tweeter each day. I especially love when a question inspires a Sista's Dish Post! One question asked today did just that!
Ellie Bevins Writes~ Making a rhubarb crisp for a gift. Give me your talented ideas for how to wrap an 8 in square pan??? I was going to put it on a mason jar, but I don't think its big enough to hold a good amount. I'm stuck. Ellie
Sista Felicia's Wrapping Suggestion~ Wrap baking dish in tea towel or small Table cloth; gather cloth ends in center of dish; fasten with Zip Tie; using matching decorative ribbon, tie fresh flower bouquet to gathered top and fix decorative bow!


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The Nets' most popular player with the media during training camp wasn't Deron Williams or Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett. It was the team's rookie Mason Plumlee. The Duke graduate whom the Nets selected with the 22nd pick was mobbed by the local media all week long in Durham N.C. and was happy to get a chance to be back in familiar environs for a week — including visiting with his brother Marshall who is a junior for the Blue Devils. "Yeah it was cool" Plumlee said. "I got to see a lot of people I spent four years with. My coaches my brother obviously and even got a chance to catch up with some teachers so it was cool." Plumlee is a very athletic 7-footer and showed that off during the week-long training camp. But he was devoting extra work to his touch around the basket and his jump shot at nearly every practice — particularly with the Nets' big man coach Roy Rogers. Plumlee needs to improve upon his jump shot more than anything in his transition from college to the pros. Playing center as a senior for the Blue Devils last season Plumlee finished with just two made jump shots. He attributed his lack of outside shooting mostly to Duke's style of play. "My freshman year I played more four so if you look I even hit a couple 3s my freshman year" he said. "Then I played the five and the five at Duke you're not really stepping out so it was just kind of my role." Plumlee said he doesn't have a set number of shots he is trying to get up every day but he can see the benefits in developing a consistent jump shot particularly with "stretch" fours — power forwards with outside shooting range — becoming the norm in the NBA. "You see how valuable these guys are that can step out" Plumlee said. "Those guys are valuable. You can play four and five. Right now they're just looking at me to play the five but if I can knock that down then I can spare [Garnett] spare Mirza [Teletovic] and those guys."
NBA Headlines
Plumlee the Devil gets his due with Nets
New York Post | Oct 7


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42-3 houston
Tex 42
Jets 16
42-3 houston
Texans 27
Jets 7
Not as bad as last week but it's going to be another beat down...
As I said before last week, the 49'ers are/were the worst possible matchup for the Jets in the league. Their strengths were our weaknesses. Unfortunately, it played out that way.
This week, the matchup isn't quite as bad. They won't win...but it won't be a blowout either.
This game has 24-16 written all over it. Texans win.
I know hard to believe but
24-13 jets
texans 51 jets 0
44-10 Houston runs away with it
The only good news is that VEGAS just posted the Jets as 3 point favorites over the Indy Colts NEXT Sunday...
Jet D shows up in a huge way.
17-13 jets
McKnight td
Texans 31
Jets 10
Texans 27
Jets 6
Texans 48
Jets 3
Monday night Massacre
My tiebreaker is that Sanchez will finish the game, because that's how Rex's rolls...
Tuesday morning football... First time in a long time I have considered not staying up until 4.30 am to watch a Jets game.
Gotta stay optimistic....
Texans 17
Shonn Greene 2 TDs
5-3 Yanks
...err, um, I mean 34-6 Texans.
Jets 24- 21 Optimism waning but hopeful Sanchez gets some support and starts showing what we saw at the start of the first game
I try to be optimistic with these picks, but this week, I just can't be.
Texans 31
Jets 10
27-10 Houston


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Daniel Snyder, 91
Daniel E. Snyder was born June 28, 1919, in Silver Creek, the 10th of 12 children to Sam and Etta Snyder. He died in Sublimity, Ore. Feb. 7, 2011, at age 91. In January 1933, Sam Snyder built a house on the back of a 1929 flatbed Chevy truck. He filled the house with the family and pulled their belongings on a trailer behind, and moved to Oregon. They arrived in Evens Valley, just north of Silverton, March 8, 1933. Dan graduated from Silverton High School in 1936. By then, most of the family had moved to a strawberry farm in Boring. In July 1936, Dan joined the Civilian Conserva-tion Corps., and he served two years in Camp 928 at Zigzag and two years at the CCC headquarters in Vancouver, Wash. During his CCC years, June 2, 1938, he received a personal commendation from General George C. Marshall. Dan served in the Army during WWII, along with three brothers and two brothers-in-law. They all came home safely. Dan taught in a one-room schoolhouse in the Sandhills of Nebraska for the 1947-1948 school year, and for the rest of his life could name all of his students. Dec. 8, 1950, he attended a Christmas party at the home of Gene and Ruth Slick in Oregon City. There he met Helen L. Wilson, daughter of Alonzo and Mary (Burger) Wilson. They were married in Salem, Ore., Jan. 21, 1951, and only waited that long because Mary made Helen's wedding dress. In 1953, Dan graduated Magna Cum Laude from Willamette University with a degree in business administration. He worked for Producer's Co-op cannery, and then for Flav-R-Pac in Salem, before finishing his career working as secretary-treasurer for Stayton Canning Company in Stayton. In 1953, Dan and Helen had daughter Becky and in 1962, they adopted 4-year old Mike. Helen died of a stroke in June 1985. One of Dan's great passions was golfing, and in 1991, one day after the anniversary of Helen's death, Dan suffered a stroke while playing at Santiam Golf Course. He begged his fellow golfers to drag him behind the bushes so others could play through. Desire to get back on the links motivated Dan to participate fully in rehab treatments, and May 30, 1996, he got a hole in one on the 6th hole at Elkhorn Golf Course. Dan had numerous interests besides golfing. In 1959, Dan and Helen bought a lot up on the Little North Fork River, and eventually built a cabin on it. In January 1964, it fell into the river during a flood. The shell of the house was moved back up onto the bank and the inside remodeled. In 1972, it burned to the ground. He and Helen then built a home there, rather than a cabin. Dan delighted in spending as much time there as he could and for over 25 years he hosted twice yearly golf tournaments, culminating with a steak dinner at The Cabin. Dan loved opera and classical music; he was an avid reader; he was interested in Indian artifacts and ways of life; he enjoyed traveling and he and Helen made several trips to Europe and The Holy Lands. He delighted in contact with his 42 nieces and nephews and their families, and they, in turn, treasured their "Uncle Danny". Dan was a friendly and loving person and his favorite method of greeting was hugs; big, warm bear hugs. Dan always enjoyed a glass of good Scotch. Dan was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Salem for more than 50 years, where he served as Deacon, and he was a member of both Santiam Golf Course and Elkhorn Golf Course. After Helen's death, he lived in the family home until 2008, when he moved into an apartment in the home of his daughter Becky and her husband Billy Davis in Sublimity. He lived with them until a stroke in May 2010, then moved to Marian Estates in Sublimity where he received excellent and loving care for the rest of his life. Dan is survived by his children. He was predeceased by his parents, Sam (1883-1948) and Etta (1884-1965) and his siblings: Blanche Fryberger (1904-1995), Tom (1905-1973), Charmaine Weigel (1907-2001), Ethel Carson (1908-2003), Abe (1910-2003), Verna Orr (1911-1984), Paul (1913-1982), Johnny (1915-1981), Russell (1917-1987), James (1921-1988) and Mary Etta Johnson (1923-2003). A Memorial Service will be held Sat., Feb 26, 2011, at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 770 Chemeketa St. N.E. in Salem. In lieu of flowers, tax deductible donations in his memory may be made to the Elkhorn Volunteer Fire Department near Dan's beloved cabin. Checks may be made to SVPC #1, with Elkhorn Station in the memo line, and sent to Stayton Fire Dept., 1988 W. Ida, Stayton OR 7383. Arrangements by Howell-Edwards-Doerksen with Rigdon-Ransom Funeral Home, www.HED-FH.com.


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Academic Grants Office
Welcome to the Office of Academic Grants at Marist College.
This office provides assistance to full-time faculty interested in securing grant awards for research, curriculum development, and other creative activities relevant to the College's academic mission. Office staff assist faculty in locating funding sources, obtaining and interpreting application forms, developing proposal narratives and budgets, and securing institutional support and approvals.
Faculty members are encouraged to contact the Office of Academic Grants to learn how to use searchable electronic databases and to register for personalized e-mail funding alerts.
We are now located in the Dyson Center Room 117.


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I love watching movies on the big screen. Many of my friends prefer to stay at home.
They hate having their movie ruined by chattering, texting, rude people in the theatre.
Let's face it — it happens more often than not.
And it might be getting a lot worse.
At a recent CinemaCon panel in Las Vegas, movie executives from Regal and IMAX chains said they both had discussed allowing texting during movie screenings to make the experience more interactive for younger viewers.
It's bad enough already, with cellphones randomly lighting up the theatre and distracting your eye from the screen. Imagine what it would look like if they were on throughout the film. The incessant clicking. The chatter as people shared text messages.
If movie executives want to lose customers, it's the perfect business model.
Text them that.


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Liverpool winger Stewart Downing still fears for his future at the Anfield club, despite coming a regular under Brendan Rodgers in recent weeks.
The Reds signed Downing for £20million from Aston Villa in 2011 and many feel he has failed to live up to that price tag.
His first season in a Liverpool shirt saw him finish without a single Premier League goal or assist and Rodgers openly admitted the 28-year-old was fighting for his future.
However, Downing seems to have won Rodgers' trust for now as he has been starting more regularly and he admits the blunt approach taken by the former Swansea City boss could have a lot to do with his recent improvement.
"I was disappointed when I was told by the manager I could leave," the former Middlesbrough winger is quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.
"It looked like my chance had gone. The team was doing OK and I wasn't even getting on the bench at times.
"I had a situation where I could have left. But I didn't want to and the only way to stay was to get into the team and do well.
"I just needed that chance and luckily enough I got that in the weeks after that conversation.
"I'm happy with how it's going at the minute, but whether that changes in the summer I don't know."
Liverpool signed Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea and Philippe Coutinho from Inter Milan in the transfer window, meaning greater competition for Downing's place.
The England midfielder accepts it will be tough to secure a starting XI place now and is realistic about what it could mean for his long-term future at the club.
However, Downing insists he is ready for the challenge and will do all he can to make sure Rodgers cannot drop him, a situation he claims he thrives in.
"He [Rodgers] strengthened again in January with people who can play in my position, so the only thing I can do is if I keep playing well so he can't leave me out, basically; that's how I see it," he added.
"Every time I play is a chance to prove him wrong and to show him I am worthy of a place in the team.
"The good thing about the manager is you know where you stand. You play well you're in the team, if you don't you're out of the door. It's as simple as that. That's the way I like to be managed."
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
Katharine Hepburn and my DNA
The email message stated that Professor Sykes was interested in identifying documented descendants of early (pre-1700) immigrants to New England – and the more lines of descent from early New Englanders the participant has, the better. When I read that, I was thought I might qualify.
First, he wanted our name, town and email address. And, a brief summary of my New England ancestry including the patrilineal and matrilineal elements. Hum, elements, I wondered about that. He wanted an estimate of the percentage of my pre-1700 ancestors who lived in New England. If I met his criteria, I was to email the information to Dr. Sykes in England, and let him know that I would be available to meet him in Boston during the week of September 14–18.
Since I have a lot of old New England Ancestry, and wanted to participate in his study, I dashed off a quick email. I told him that I had 2064 direct ancestors, and that my parents both had New England pre-1700 roots, surnames BISHOP and POOLE. I wasn't able to give him the percentage though, but gave him an attachment of 52 pages with all the names. I guess I thought he would be able to figure it out.
He quickly wrote back saying, "Dear Barbara, Thank you very much indeed for volunteering to participate in my New England DNA study through NEHGS. I would love to talk with you at the Society on Tuesday and perhaps take a DNA sample. Please let me know if that is still convenient. Kind regards, Bryan Sykes"
So on Tuesday, September 15th at 11:30 I met him and his assistant (his charming collage age son), in the Board room. After I gave him additional information, group sheets and such, he said he was going to tape the conversation. Hum, well ok. But I wondered what was I going to talk about? I knew nothing about DNA. He wanted to know about my genealogy research. Oh heaven, now I was happy. Turns out I managed to ramble for a good 45 minutes all about genealogy and how I got started in it. After my talking, I realized that the saddest thing was, I hadn't even googled his name prior to the meeting. I had no idea how well-known he was. But if I had, I might have been a little bit intimidated. So ignorance was bliss in this situation, and I told him. I felt very foolish because I hadn't done any research on him first, and surely didn't ask a single intelligent question. I learned an important lesson that day.
Once my chattering was done, I answered more questions, and filled out a release form, he brought out two DNA test kits. I was glad I passed the oral part. One test was the simple swab swipe. As for the other, he told me it cost close to $300 and that he was giving me the name of Katharine Hepburn for my identity on the DNA kit. He asked what my favorite movie of hers was, and I couldn't think of one! And I am a true movie lover. After the testing, he gave me a copy of his book, "The Seven Daughters of Eve" and autographed it. When all was said and done, I had my picture taken.
After the appointment, I spent the day in the library, and while there, I googled his name. Maybe he didn't care that I was so ignorant, he was looking for somebody with my kind of roots for DNA analysis. I sure hope my samples helped in some way. It wasn't until later, that I heard about 200 people replied to him. I am indeed very fortunate to have met him, to have the experience, and to have the autographed book. And now, I know a lot more.
6 comments:
- Heather Rojo said...
Wow! I read his book a few years ago after seeing a special on PBS, and when I got that same email from NEHGS I hestiatated for a few days because I was nervous. I guess he already had a few "test subjects" by the time I wrote because my response was
"Dear Heather
Thank you very much for volunteering for my New England DNA study through the NEHGS.
The response was literally overwhelming and I have only been able to enrol a tiny fraction of the volunteers. I hope you have seen a message to this effect from the Society, and I must apologise for the delay in writing to you personally. I have been travelling across America since I left Boston and only now, in San Francisco, is there a break which gives me time to do that.
Once again, thank you very much for your offer of help and the trouble you have been to in order to respond.
With kind regards
Bryan Sykes"
I heard that he later had a dinner at NEHGS, and it would have been fun to meet him. I done my DNA through ancestry.com and last Christmas gave DNA kits to my husband and several male cousins. It was fun to see the results all mapped out on the ancestry website. Good luck with your results!
- December 17, 2009 at 11:34 AM
- Barbara Poole said...
Hi Heather,
So nice that you can relate...you were nervous, what about me? I never heard of him, maybe that is what saved me.
Regarding the dinner/talk, it was $75 per person, so I didn't go.
He told me he was going directly to DC after Boston, and of course, I had to tell him about the DAR.
I never asked if I was going to get my
results, it wasn't my purpose. So I know no more about myself than before.
I loved hearing your comment. Thank you.
(Heather, I am going to write about Lexington, will I beat you to it, I am not sure.)
- December 17, 2009 at 11:51 AM
- Elizabeth said...
How exciting for you, Barbara! I would have been so nervous to meet Dr. Sykes. I'm so glad that this SAHM gets to live vicariously through you! ;-)
Little Bytes of Life
- December 17, 2009 at 4:42 PM
- Barbara Poole said...
Hi Elizabeth, I loved your comment, once I found out what SAHM meant, I had to ask Cheryl! And look what people learn from you as well, you've got some great posts. Thank you.
- December 17, 2009 at 8:41 PM
- Janeen said...
Wow! that is awesome! I have his book, the seven daughters of Eve, my ancestress is Ursula. I just read his book Saxons, Vikings and Celts, the genetic roots of Britain and Ireland and it was very interesting.
- March 2, 2012 at 10:39 PM
- Barbara Poole said...
Thanks Janeen. I thought you would be interested. Since I'm hoping to meet him again next month, I'd better brush up on his book. At least you and I are related as proven by our DNA.
- March 3, 2012 at 7:40 AM


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Story highlights
- For decades, the component stereo system was the way to listen to audio
- Now it's all about computers and MP3 devices
- Has quality been lost? Maybe -- but convenience hasn't
- Today's young music fan: "All you need is a good pair of headphones and an iPod"
For many years, it was a rite of fall.
You moved into your dorm room or new apartment. You started unpacking the car. And the first thing you set up in your new place was the stereo system: receiver, turntable or CD player, tape deck and speakers.
The wires could get tangled, and sometimes you had to make shelving out of a stack of milk crates. But only when the music was playing on those handpicked CDs, mix tapes or (geezer alert!) vinyl records did you move in the rest of your stuff.
Daniel Rubio wouldn't know.
To the 23-year-old, new dorm rooms and new apartments have meant computers, iTunes, Pandora and miniature speakers.
"All I had to bring was my laptop. That's pretty much what everyone had," says Rubio, who attended Emory University in Atlanta and now works for a local marketing and communications firm. "It was actually pretty good sound. It would get the job done."
"Get the job done"? That sounds like the white flag for an era that used to be measured in woofers and tweeters, watts per channel and the size of your record collection.
Indeed, the days of the old-fashioned component stereo system are pretty much over, says Alan Penchansky, an audiophile and former columnist for the music trade publication Billboard.
"What's happened in the marketplace, the midmarket for audio has completely been obliterated," he says. "You have this high-end market that's getting smaller all the time, and then you've got the convenience market, which has taken over -- the MP3s, the Bluetooth devices, playing on laptops."
He wishes more people knew what they were missing. At its best, he says, audio reproduction has "a religious aspect."
"There's a primacy to audio," he says. "It's a form of magic."
Wires and jacks
Of course, new technology changes things all the time. When was the last time you bought a roll of film for your camera?
Still, for a long time -- and for a certain, often youthful, audience -- the stereo system was a point of pride.
Greg Milner, the author of the audio recording history "Perfecting Sound Forever," remembers the process. There were components. There were boxes of tapes and CDs. There might even be some vinyl.
It could be a pain, no question. The equipment was heavy. There were all those wires, plugs and jacks -- Line In, Line Out, Aux, Phono, CD, keeping track of the positive and negative strands of speaker wire. It was an effort just to break down and set up the stuff, never mind moving it.
Milner, for example, grew up in Hawaii, and when he went away to school in Minnesota, he had to figure out what he was going to do with his system.
"I remember agonizing, what do I do? I can't take my stereo," he recalls. "There was this thing that, looking back on it, took up a ridiculous amount of psychic energy."
Audiophiles vs. AM radio
However, he observes that the history of audio technology has often been one of convenience.
Even in the '50s and '60s, when stereo sound first became widespread, the audiophiles had their hi-fis -- and the younger generation listened to tinny AM radios and cheap phonographs.
Indeed, music styles had a lot to do with music consumption, he points out. Audiophiles listened to classical and jazz, music from clubs and concert halls. On a good system, you could hear every pluck of a violin pizzicato, every inflection of a jazz singer's vocal, recreated in your living room.
The kids, on the other hand, listened to cruder rock 'n' roll.
"The seeds of the decline of what it meant to own a stereo were planted way back then, because the original audiophiles were people who were baby boomers' fathers and mothers," he says. "As rock 'n' roll starts to become more of a thing, a lot of that stuff is produced so it's meant to be heard on AM radios."
A Phil Spector Wall of Sound production -- in glorious mono! -- would probably have driven a hi-fi enthusiast up a wall, says Milner.
The mass market moves on
In the '70s and '80s, the twain did meet, for a time. Rock and pop music production techniques improved. At the same time, grown-up baby boomers, now working adults, invested in better audio equipment, all the better to listen to Steely Dan's "Aja."
There were whole mass-market stores devoted to audio gear -- Sound Trek, Hi-Fi Buys, Silo -- and no issue of Rolling Stone was complete without several ads for turntables, cassette decks and equalizers.
But technology marched on, and so did change. Some was for the sake of convenience: Cassettes had more hiss and less range than LPs, but were more portable -- especially when listening on your handy Walkman or boombox.
However, we also started focusing more on visuals. Penchansky traces the decline of the stereo system to the early '80s rise of the music video, which brought visuals to the fore. Suddenly, the concert hall in your living room -- or the audio imaging in your head -- was gone, replaced by surrealist pictures overwhelming the television's tiny speaker.
That branch of consumption has helped lead to the home theater.
Penchansky has nothing against HDTVs and 7.1 systems, but believes that, for the most part, it's a "sonic compromise." With a pure audio system, "There was no way that television, even today, simulates the realism of visual experience the way (good) audio can simulate an audio experience."
Sure, technology has adjusted.
New materials and processing technology have improved the sound of small and inexpensive devices, says Patrick Lavelle, president and CEO of the consumer electronics giant VOXX International, which manufactures such brands as Klipsch, Acoustic Research and Advent.
Headphones and an iPod
And there's still a consumer market for good audio, adds Geir Skaaden, an executive at the high-definition audio company DTS. The top-selling products in Apple Stores, after Apple's own devices, are headphones, he says. (DTS recently introduced technology for an immersive system called Headphone:X, intended for mobile devices.)
Still, convenience still rules. Which means it's out with the component stereo system and in with the computer.
That suits Rubio, the Emory graduate, fine. He grew up in a house with a component system but doesn't believe he's missing anything.
"All you need is a good pair of headphones and an iPod and that's pretty much it," he says.
Milner, the author, can't question his decision.
"Now, why even bother?" he asks. "If you can take your entire music collection and more in something that fits in your pocket, why would you not do that?"


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Blues-Canucks Preview
St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock has made no secret he believes his team needs goaltender Jaroslav Halak back from injury as soon as possible, but rookie Jake Allen is proving to be a suitable replacement in the meantime.
He'll be staring across the ice Sunday night at a veteran who is having plenty of success in his own right.
Allen looks to win his third straight start when he faces the host Vancouver Canucks and Roberto Luongo, who has yet to lose in regulation.
Halak has been out since suffering a groin injury in the first period of a loss to Detroit on Feb. 1, and backup Brian Elliott went 0-3-1 with a 5.04 goals-against average during the remainder of St. Louis' five-game losing streak.
The Blues (8-5-1), though, have won two straight with Allen between the pipes. He made 15 saves in his first career start to beat Detroit 4-3 on Wednesday before stopping 30 shots - one being a save-of-the-year candidate - in Friday's 5-2 win at Calgary.
While Hitchcock praised his 22-year-old goaltender, he still is hoping to have Halak back soon.
"This is now five periods of really strong hockey. Moving forward, we'll see if he gets another start and if he does, hopefully he can continue to play the same way,'' Hitchcock said.
"But, we need Halak back. He's a heck of a goalie and we need to get him back and running here."
With Halak still ailing, Allen will get the nod again after making a spectacular save on Calgary's T.J. Brodie that made plenty of highlight reels.
"Probably the best save of the year and impressive that he did that in his second NHL game,'' said David Perron, who scored twice.
Luongo, meanwhile, is proving he remains one of the NHL's best goaltenders despite being the subject of constantly swirling trade rumors. He's won four straight starts while posting a 0.96 GAA in that span after losing his first two in shootouts.
Luongo, whose 1.45 GAA leads the league, made 29 saves in Vancouver's 2-0 win over St. Louis in the most recent meeting March 1, improving his GAA to 2.12 in 30 career starts against the Blues, including the postseason.
Cory Schneider started Friday's 4-3 loss to Dallas that ended a six-game winning streak for the Canucks (8-3-2).
Henrik Sedin had two assists to become the franchise's all-time leading scorer, but Vancouver allowed each goal in 5-on-5 situations. It still ranks first in the league, though, allowing 15 even-strength goals.
"That just doesn't happen to this team," Sedin said. "There are going to be games when these things happen. We've just got to move on and be better on Sunday."
Ryan Kesler had an assist in his season debut after having shoulder and wrist surgery.
"He had good energy and a good jump on the ice," coach Alain Vigneault said. "He played more than I had wanted him to, but he looked good."
Vancouver concludes a four-game homestand Sunday and could have its hands full with a Blues team ending a three-game road trip. Though St. Louis has played well following its recent skid, Hitchcock believes it's capable of being better.
"For us to get to the next level, we have to collectively enjoy the competition and not want it to be something different," Hitchcock said. "For me, we need to find 60 minutes in our game. We've been playing 40 minutes but we've had our foot off the accelerator. We're making some strides but we aren't there yet."


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Latest update : 2010-10-29
Showdown on the streets : here's looking at France
Are the French lazy? No but street protests over raising the retirement age show a penchant for protest that's engrained. Joining François Picard in The France 24 Debate are Time Magazine's Don Morrison, British journalist Stephen Clarke, Ana Navarro-Pedro, Paris correspondent for Portuguese newsmagazine Visão and Paris-based writer and filmmaker Vijay SINGH.
Program prepared by Perrine Desplats and Yi Song.


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Pilot Credit Closed
This pilot credit is closed to new registrations
To reduce the burden on water supply and wastewater systems by increasing the water efficiency of appliances and water-consuming processes.
* This credit language is drawn from the LEED v4 draft. Where other point totals are noted, this pilot credit is worth 1 point in total. *
Appliance and process water use
Install appliances, equipment, and processes within the project scope that meet the requirements listed in the tables below .
Table 2. Standards for appliances
|Residential clothes washers
|ENERGY STAR or performance equivalent
|Commercial clothes washers
|CEE Tier 3A
|Residential dishwashers (standard and compact)
|ENERGY STAR or performance equivalent
|Prerinse spray valves
|≤ 1.3 gpm (4.9 lpm)
|Ice machine
|ENERGY STAR or performance equivalent and use either air-cooled or closed-loop cooling, such as chilled or condenser water system
gpm = gallons per minute
lpm = liters per minute
Table 3. Standards for processes
|Heat rejection and cooling
|No once-through cooling with potable water for any equipment or appliances that reject heat
|Cooling towers and evaporative condensers
|Equip with:
In addition, water-consuming appliances, equipment, and processes must meet the requirements listed in Tables 4 and 5.
Table 4. Standards for appliances
|Kitchen equipment
|Requirement (IP units)
|Requirement (SI units)
|≤ 1.6 gal/rack
|≤ 6.0 liters/rack
|Stationary, single tank, door
|≤ 1.4 gal/rack
|≤ 5.3 liters/rack
|Single tank, conveyor
|≤ 1.0 gal/rack
|≤ 3.8 liters/rack
|Multiple tank, conveyor
|≤ 0.9 gal/rack
|≤ 3.4liters/rack
|Flight machine
|≤ 180 gal/hour
|≤ 680 liters/hour
|Food steamer
|≤ 6 gal/hour/pan
|≤ 23 liters/hour/pan
|≤ 10 gal/hour/pan
|≤ 38 liters/hour/pan
|Combination oven
|Countertop or stand
|≤ 3.5 gal/hour/pan
|≤ 13 liters/hour/pan
|≤ 3.5 gal/hour/pan
|≤ 13 liters/hour/pan
Table 5. Standards for processes
|Discharge water temperature tempering
|Where local requirements limit discharge temperature of fluids into drainage system, use tempering device that runs water only when equipment discharges hot water
Provide thermal recovery heat exchanger that cools drained discharge water below code-required maximum discharge temperatures while simultaneously preheating inlet makeup water
If fluid is steam condensate, return it to boiler
|Venturi-type flow-through vacuum generators or aspirators
|Use no device that generates vacuum by means of water flow through device into drain
General Pilot Documentation Requirements
- Participate in the LEEDuser pilot credit forum
- Complete the feedback survey:
Credit specific:
NC, CS, Schools, Retail NC, CI, Retail CI, Healthcare:
- Provide a schedule indicating ALL process water equipment. Indicate which types of equipment that are being installed on the project are applicable to the credit and the quantity of equipment which is to be installed. For Healthcare, Schools, Retail and Hospitality projects, include the items in Tables 3& 4 as well.
- Provide a floor plan indicating the location of all process water equipment.
- Submit one-line diagrams of all piping systems associated with the referenced equipment, inclusive of design flow rates for both supply and effluent.
- Provide approved manufacturer's information (i.e. cut sheets, shop drawings, submittals) for each piece of equipment applicable to this credit, indicating at a minimum
water usage, capacity of equipment, and energy star rating (if applicable).
Provide a copy of the purchasing policy, which must include:
- detail on its physical and programmatic scope;
- duration of applicability;
- responsible parties (by individual name or title);
- sustainability goals and objectives;
- procedures and strategies for implementation;
- specific metrics by which performance will be measured; and
- a quality assurance process to evaluate and verify successful implementation of the policy.
Provide the following:
- a log of all existing equipment covered by the credit
- a maintenance plan and log to ensure that the equipment is being properly maintained (and not leaking)
- documentation that at least 20% of all installed equipment and 100% of purchases during the performance period meet the requirements.
Additional questions:
- Did your project include any other appliances or process water items that should be included in the credit?
- Were you able to find suitable products at a reasonable cost at the flow rates required?
- Changes made for 2nd Public Comment (08/01/2011):
Added Healthcare to the applicable rating system types
Restructured EBOM requirements based on new EBOM structure for LEED 2012 and
aligned purchasing agreement language with other EBOM purchasing credits.
Separate submittal requirements for NC vs. EBOM
Added Ice Machine requirement (ENERGY STAR) originally in the Appliance & Process Water credit from LEED 2012.
Clarified Discharge Water Temperature Tempering requirement is based on the water leaving the appliance (rather than the tank) to reduce maintenance concerns.
- Changes made for 3rd Public Comment (03/01/2012):
Updated requirements based on changes for 3rd public comments.
Separated Tables 3&4 addressing food service and specialty process water items not usually included in a commercial office building. These requirements only apply to Healthcare, Schools, Retail and Hospitality projects.
Removed some process and appliance requirements for EBOM
- Changes made for 5th Public Comment (01/15/2013):
Updated metrics to align with 5th Public Comment changes to LEED v4
- Changes made based on feedback (03/15/2013):
Modified EBOM requirements to include purchasing logs and inventory of current equipment
Clarified that projects without any applicable equipment are ineligible
Join LEEDuser
Ask questions, share tips, and get notified of new forum posts by joining LEEDuser, a tool developed by BuildingGreen and supported by USGBC!
Sample forms
No sample form available for this credit.View all sample forms


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A crepe manufacturer in France spilled the beans on the defense minister's classified visit to Afghanistan, saying he would be taking its products with him.
"Mr. Le Drian has chosen to give our soldiers a gift of Laita pancakes, an authentically Breton product," the news release stated.
The news release opened the company to a flood of criticism.
"Of course it's hardly a secret that a senior member of the government would visit the troops for New Year's Eve," said Francois Gere of the French Institute of Strategic Analysis. "But publicizing it in this way can only serve to heighten the risk, even if it a small one. It is also completely inappropriate for a company to align its branding with a government minister in this way."


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1 cup vegetable stock
1 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound (mine was 1 1/4 pounds)
3/4 cup Tawny Port wine
1/2 cup sliced shallots
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan, boil broth until it reduces by one half.
Meanwhile season pork with salt and pepper.
Let cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest for 3 or 4 minutes.
Meanwhile check the remaining sauce left in the skillet. If it´s too liquid reduce it a bit more while the pork is resting.
Cut the meat into inch-thick slices, arrange on the plates and spoon sauce over.
Now take a look at the other amazing dishes from our #SundaySupper family!!
Sunday Supper Appetizers:
Hot Spinach Parmesan Dip by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks inspired by Comfy Cuisine
So Simple Pizza Puffs by The Weekend Gourmet inspired by Hip Foodie Mom
Pepperoni and Mozzarella Pull Apart by Noshing With The Nolands inspired by In the Kitchen with KP
Sunday Supper Soups:
Lasagna Soup by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen inspired by Cravings of a Lunatic
Easy Italian Wedding Soup by Webicurean inspired by Family Foodie
Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage Soup by Damn Delicious inspired by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
Honey Butter Dinner Rolls by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts inspired by Chocolate Moosey
Chicken Noodle Soup by Big Bears Wife inspired by My Catholic Kitchen
Tomato Florentine Soup by Mama Mommy Mom inspired by The Meltaways
Chicken Soup with Dumpling by Comfy Cuisine inspired by The Messy Baker
Coconut Curry Chicken Soup by My Trials in the Kitchen inspired by Damn Delicious
Sunday Supper Main Dishes:
Portuguese Mussels and Shrimp in Chorizo Sauce by Supper for a Steal inspired by Family Foodie
(GlutenFree) Chicken Bruschetta by The Meltaways inspired by Family Foodie
Feijoada Portuguese Bean Stew by Kimchi Mom inspired by Family Foodie
Lentils and Chorizo Stew by Galactosemia in PDX inspired by Vintage Kitchen
Carnitas Pizza w/ Chipotle-Avocado Crema by girlichef inspired by Damn Delicious
Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas by Webicurean inspired by Country Girl in the Village
Drunken Meatballs by Small Wallet Big Appetite inspired by The Foodie Army Wife
Goat Cheese Rigatoni Alfredo by Magnolia Days inspired by Family Foodie
Beef Stroganoff by What Smells So Good? inspired by From Fast Food to Fresh Food
Dorie's Chicken-in-the-Pot by Hip Foodie Mom inspired by Gotta Get Baked
Pulled Pickled Pork by Juanita's Cocina inspired by Daily Dish Recipes
Hoisin Asian Meatballs by Gotta Get Baked inspired by Damn Delicious
Shrimp-Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes by Daily Dish Recipes inspired by Juanita's Cocina
Soy, Orange Juice and Red Wine Marinade by Peanut Butter and Peppers inspired by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Chicken Burger with Curried Cabbage Slaw by Cindy's Recipes and Writings inspired by Soni's Food
Corn and Basil Handpies by Curious Cuisiniere inspired by Vintage Kitchen Notes
Lightened Up Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken by Cupcakes and Kale Chips inspired by The Meltaways
Jalapeño Popper Chicken Chili by Food Lust People inspired by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Bigos by Maroc Mama inspired by From Fast Food to Fresh Food
Crispy Coconut Chicken Strips with Sweet Chili Sauce by From Fast Food to Fresh Food inspired byCrispy Bits and Burnt Ends
Pork Loin with Port Shallot Sauce by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen inspired by Vintage Kitchen Notes
Sweet & Tender Brisket by Daddy Knows Less inspired by Juanita's Cocina
Fish Tacos by Cookistry inspired by Little Ferraro Kitchen
Homemade Harissa by Masala Herb inspired by The Wimpy Vegetarian
Spicy Seoulful Pulled Pork Sandwiches by Family Foodie inspired by Kimchi Mom
New Orleans Style White Beans & Rice by Catholic Foodie inspired by The Hand that Rocks the Ladle
Spice Rubbed Chicken Tacos with Tropical Salsa by The Urban Mrs. inspired by Family Foodie
Sunday Supper Veggies:
Carrots au Gratin by Shockingly Delicious inspired by Juanita's Cocina
Skillet Spinach Corn with Edamame, Cilantro & Bacon Bits by The Lovely Pantry inspired by Sue's Nutrition Buzz
Carrot Parsnip Lentil Casserole by Sustainable Dad inspired by Happy Baking Days
SundaySupper Desserts and Snacks:
Chocolate Brownie Tart by That Skinny Chick Can Bake inspired by Magnolia Days
Mexican Hot Cocoa Sandwich Cookies by Chocolate Moosey inspired by Juanita's Cocina
Cinnamon Apple Chimichangas by La Cocina de Leslie inspired by Juanita's Cocina
Apple Pull Apart Bread with Caramel Drizzle by Cravings of a Lunatic inspired by Gotta Get Baked
Cherry Tart by Happy Baking Days inspired by Vintage Kitchen
Orange Rolls by No One Likes Crumbley Cookies inspired by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Caramel Apple Bread by The Foodie Army Wife inspired by Fam Friends Food
Rosettes by Simply Gourmet inspired by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Pumpkin Donut Puffs by Soni's Food inspired by Daily Dish Recipes
Chocolate Chip Cut-out Cookies by Basic and Delicious inspired by Chocolate Moosey
Nutella Shortbread Bars by Kelly Bakes inspired by Baker Street
Butterscotch Pudding Triple Chip Cookies by Mom's Test Kitchen inspired by Dinner Dishes and Desserts
Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ice Cream by The Messy Baker Blog inspired by Cravings of a Lunatic
Coconut Cranberry Honey Nut Cookies by Mama's Blissful Bites inspired by Sue's Nutrition Buzz
Angel Cake Sandwiches by Ninja Baker inspired by That Skinny Girl Can Bake
Soft Pretzels with Spicy Beer Cheese Sauce by Vintage Kitchen inspired by girlichef
Sweet N Spicy Roasted Spiced Nuts by Sue's Nutrition Buzz inspired by The Foodie Army Wife
Sunday Supper Breakfast Faves:
Spiced Pumpkin Ricotta Oat Muffins by In the Kitchen with Audrey inspired by Sue's Nutrition Buzz
Budget Friendly Breakfast Freezable Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwiches by In the Kitchen with KPinspired by Big Bear's Wife
Raspberry Hot Chocolate by My Catholic Kitchen inspired by Momma's Meals
Sunday Supper Wine Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
I am excited to announce a New Addition: Tablescape by An Appealing Plan, Anniversay Dinner featuring Cheesecake with Fresh Berries orginally posted by The Messy Baker Blog
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It's easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.


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HOME | ESPAÑOL | ABOUT US | FAQ | SEARCH | LOG IN | CONTACT USHelp the Children is a division of Children's Network International
Pics of the Disaster in Louisiana.
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We consider it a great joy to be able to reach out and provide humanitarian aid to millions of needy children and their families here in the United States and around the world. We distributed more than 41 million dollars worth of relief supplies in 2016. Thank you for your faithful partnership. Click here for financial information including our 990's.
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Help the Children exists to alleviate thesuffering of children and their familiesthroughout the United States andaround the world.


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This land is our land: National parks protect God's creation for all
Would you like a demonstration of the Catholic belief that everyone has a right to the beauty of God's creation? Visit a national park.
This October millions of Americans took a stay-cation by watching Ken Burns' gorgeous new film The National Parks: America's Best Idea, enjoying a 12-hour pilgrimage through some of the most beautiful places in the United States, perhaps on the planet.
From the comfort of our living rooms, Burns and co-producer Dayton Duncan led us on a grand tour of Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, the Grand Canyon, the Everglades, and dozens of other national parks and monuments, showing us the majesty and splendor of these glorious places while regaling us with tales about some of the extraordinary folk-John Muir, George Masa, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, George Melendez, Stephen Mather-who helped preserve and protect these parks for all the rest of us.
Along with serving up the stunning beauty of these parks, Burns and Duncan argue that our national parks represent a uniquely American, democratic, and communitarian idea. In the creation and preservation of these parks, these two filmmakers see a national commitment to set aside our most sacred and nourishing places as a refuge for all Americans.
Burns argues that many of the places that have become our national parks "were the spiritual homes for the indigenous tribes who lived there" and have had "a profound and often spiritual effect" on settlers, visionaries, and visitors who have journeyed to them for rest and recreation.
Duncan adds that "these spectacular landscapes" have become our common treasure, belonging not just to monarchs and magnates, but to all of us. As Woody Guthrie would have said, these sacred parks are our parks.
Implicit in this argument is the notion that beauty itself ought to be shared among all our people, that the ideals of American democracy oblige us to protect everyone's right to enjoy the majesty and wonder of creation, to savor the beauty of national parks such as Zion, Bryce, or Olympic. The national parks exist on some level because we believe that all people are entitled to contemplate and be refreshed by the beauty of creation, that no one should be forced to spend their entire lives trapped in filth and squalor.
At the same time Burns and Duncan also argue that creating and protecting these oases of divine wonder and majesty was largely the work of big government, and that a strong federal hand was essential to preserving these places from two other deeply American notions: consumerism and individualism.
When naturalist and conservationist John Muir recoils at the degradation Niagara Falls suffers from excessive and unregulated commercialism, he turns to the government to help protect his Yosemite from a scourge of merchants. And when commercial logging companies threaten to strip the Great Smoky Mountains of much of their beauty, it is the government that steps in to preserve and protect these parklands.
With a chorus of voices decrying the evil of big government and federal bureaucrats, Burns and Duncan remind us how important government is in restraining the excesses of the free market.
Burns and Duncan may be right in arguing that the notions underlying the creation and preservation of the archipelago of national parks scattered throughout our country are distinctly American. But they are also profoundly Catholic sentiments.
The argument that all people, especially the poor and downtrodden, have a fundamental right to savor the majestic beauty of creation is deeply biblical and Catholic, while the notion that the wonders of creation are to be shared with all people is a key element of Catholic social teaching. And the argument that government has a critical role in preserving and protecting the common good against the corrosive forces of greed can be found in nearly every Catholic social encyclical since 1891.
The great liberation theologian Gustavo Gutierrez once argued that the world's poor must not be forced to become the garbage dump of the modern world, for they have a fundamental right to beauty, which is an essential element of their right to life. And a recent Vatican document on culture called upon the church to help create a humane environment for the world's poor, "for they too have a right to beauty."
This Catholic sentiment springs from the belief that all humans have a right to the contemplative and soul-nourishing rest provided by the savoring of beauty, and that no one-as Gutierrez argues-should be exiled to the world's refuse bins.
At the same time Catholic social teaching has long spoken of the "universal purpose of created goods," arguing that the bounty and beauty of creation is intended for the nurturing and support of all people. So while Catholic thought has long supported the right to private property, the goods of the earth are always to be arranged in a way that lets everyone get a fair share of what they need. The national parks are a wonderful example of this very principle.
And finally, Catholic social teaching has long affirmed the notions of subsidiarity and the common good, arguing that government plays a limited but essential role in protecting the rights of the poor and marginalized, a role that other groups are not capable of fulfilling.
As Pope Leo XIII wrote nearly 120 years ago, when the interests of the weak and poor are threatened, public authority must step in to address their needs. There is a job for government in Catholic thought, and creating and preserving places where ordinary people can savor God's majestic creation is one part of that job.
Writing of his youth in a British mining town, D. H. Lawrence complained that the "great crime which the moneyed classes and promoters of industry committed . . . was the condemning of workers to ugliness, ugliness, ugliness."
Burns and Duncan argue that the great blessing of the national parks was that it offers ordinary folks the blessings of beauty, beauty, beauty. And God saw that it was good.
This article appeared in the December 2009 issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 74, No. 12, page 40).


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NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale men's fencing team is preparing to participate in the first ever US Squad Championships this Sunday, February 27. The tournament will be hosted by NYU and will feature the top 24 fencing programs in the country.
In their last time out on the strip, the Bulldogs put together an amazing performance and came just short of winning the Ivy League Championship. Yale came into the tournament unranked and proceeded to beat the no. 6, 7, and 8 ranked teams in the country before losing to Harvard (no. 2) by only one touch. The Elis will look to build upon that performance against other top ranked teams on Sunday.
The format of the US Squad Championships will be a bit different from other college fencing competitions. Under normal college fencing rules there are nine bouts to five points, per weapon. This weekend's events will use "rally scoring" to 45. Each squad will be allowed three fencers and one substitute. The fencers on each squad will fence all of their opponents. The first matchup will go to five points, the next will keep the same score and go to 10 and so on, until the final matchup goes to 45. This format means that large comebacks are possible if one team's strongest fencer is significantly stronger than the opposing team's strongest fencer.
"However, we're banking on our squads being very balanced," noted captain Jonathan Holbrook, "so instead of relying on one fencer to save the day, we'll be emphasizing not allowing our opponents huge runs at any point during the match, and steadily grinding them down."
Report By Arsi Sefaj '11, Yale Sports Publicity


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I'm currently a student working on my Bachelor's in Network management. I have a few certifications and I'm working towards MCTS, and MCITP. Although I've had some experience (very little really) and I passed the exams for these certifications, I really don't know anything at all.
Anyway as I've gone through the study material for these certifications (Security+ Network+ and now 70-680 windows exam). I've become very interested in IPv6 and how it works.
So in order to resolve some of the addressing issues associated with IPv4 we've been using network address translation. So in reality most internal networks and home networks etc only have one public IP address, or very few public addresses.
With IPv6 in theory could each device have it's own public address?
Could this address then remain static? Windows 7 doesn't really take advantage of IPv6 technology yet, and while you seem to 'dual-stack' your Ipv4 address alongside an Ipv6 address. It appears that there is also a link-local address for IPv6 which would imply to me that it would work similarly to Ipv4 (using NAT on internal networks, with a separate public address).
However, given that the amount of addresses available in IPv6 is incomprehensibly large couldn't each device have it's own static public address? The implications of that are pretty staggering. Similar to a MAC address, but rout-able on the Internet. Could each device's NIC be hard-coded with a public IPv6 address?
If such a system was implemented could every device with IPv6-public addresses be setup for a direct-connection with other devices? In a global WAN ad-hoc network.
Sorry if my questions seem silly, I'm still learning. I am interested to here your thoughts, so thanks for any replies.


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Tis the season of giving, and so that is what we are doing! We have one set of RHA's MA-350 earbuds to give away, and entering is simple and easy.
Designed by the British audiophiles and high-end audio product manufacturers at Reid and Heath Acoustics, the MA-350 earbuds feature and aluminum design modeled off of a trumpet, which makes for a comfortable and vibrant sound.
And here's how you can win a set just in time for the holidays: post a comment below and let us know what tech toys you have on your wish list this season. That's it, just post your top toy wish this season, and you will automatically be entered to win!
This contest is open to U.S. residents only, and will run from the time of this article's posting until Monday, December 12 at 5pm PST.


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While the stalwart MrDobolina is off saving the world in a secret, undisclosed locale (Ive all ready told you too much), I am stepping in as his trusty sidekick to take all you true believers through this weeks episode of WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO. Like all superhero sidekicks, I am smaller, wimpier, and have a much sillier costume. Why am I doing this job again? Oh yeah, the big boss sometimes lets me hold his cape. Oh and I get health benefits. Its quite a good plan, actually! Trust me, you need it in this business.
Mean Streets
This weeks show starts with our Hero Hopefuls running amok in the streets of Los Angeles. In spandex, no less! Ive seen a lot crazy things in the streets of LA and this really takes theno, actually crazy people in spandex are quite normal there, especially in Venice. But anyhero, back to the show. Major Victory runs with his distinctive aplomb run across the street and accosts a rather confused looking fellow on a corner to inform him that the bag hes wearing does not match his outfit. What is this, Superhero Eye for the Bemused Guy?
Creature, ever the environmentalist, spots an empty Styrofoam cup on the ground. POW! She runs behind a man and apprehends him by grabbing his shoulders. BAM! She say she believes in making the world a healthier place and therefore tells this guy to pick up his trash. BOOM! After saving the planet, she then crosses against a red, which in our part of the world counts as jaywalking. BOO!
Speaking of jaywalking, Feedback spots two girls doing that very thing, and he runs up to tell them that they are breaking the law, but if they need help crossing the street, he would be happy to escort them. They run away, as they should, from the crazy man in tights. He then helps protect the innocence of some wee ones, by telling children to move along and not look in the display windows of a lingerie shop. Thanks, Feedback, for defending the youth of America from the morass of moral turpitude that is hosiery?
Fat Momma says that she wants to win this competition by being the same way she is in real life, genuine and truthful. She knows she doesnt look like the typical superhero but she accepts herself the way she is and thinks Stan will also. Fat Momma is not afraid to stand up to abuses of power by authority figures. She tells a parking enforcement officer off for letting his car sit in a clearly parked loading zone. Oh yeah, take that, authority gone astray!
Lemuria wants everyone to know she is here to win, and is not fake, and not phony, and not redundant, and doesnt say the same thing over and over with different words. I dont blame you if you didnt catch all she was saying, because its so hard to hear what shes talking about over the loud, deafening din of her GIGANTIC BREASTS. She attempts to yell at a passing driver to remember to put his turn signal on. I dont think he heard her, but its just as well. With the Road Rage in Los Angeles, shes liable to get a spray of bullets. Hope that Super Strapless Bra Stan gave her is bulletproof!
Major Victory, meanwhile, is helping some older ladies cross the street. He gallantly takes his cape off and lays it over a puddle while two little old ladies walk over it. One accidentally slips a little. Major Victory, whom everyone knows is an ex-stripper, talks about he decided to turn his life around and wants to make his daughter proud. You mean a little girl wouldnt be proud of her Daddy doing pelvic thrusts on top of a small cocktail table to Duran Durans Wild Boys while wearing a loincloth littered with single dollar bills? I know mine would! A vestige of his dancer past reveals itself when Major Victory moonwalks across the boulevard. Theres a double entendre in there somewhere, Im just to lazy to find it.
Behind the Cape: Superhero Secrets Revealed
After a hard day saving the world from itself, our novice heroes return to the lair, where Stan Lee meets them via monitor with an interesting development. Who else shows up on another monitor to teleconference with them but THE
IRONDARK ENFORCER [cue ominous music]. If I might interject my opinion here, Id like to say that I like this guy a heck of a lot more as a bad guy than a good guy. And even he seems to be having a heck of a lot more fun as a baddie, his acting hammier than a Monte Cristo sandwich.
The Dark Enforcer has been doing a little background research on our heroes-in-training, to see if he can dig up any info that might help aid Stan make his decision when it comes to hero-worthiness. Seems a few family and friends with loose lips are about to sink someones ship today. Creature looks particularly nervous. Theyve been lying to you through their teeth You wanna see their loved ones throw them under the bus? Dark Enforcer says with relish. Hmm, relish on a Monte Cristo; never tried that before. Sorry! I really should eat before I write these recaps.
The revelations begin with Creatures [snarky air quotes]good friend[/snarkyairquotes], Regina, who dramatically says, in a pre-recorded segment, I have a little, dirty secret. Shes a man, Baby! No? Oops, sorry, Ill wait for it Regina says that my girl has not always been so environmentally friendly. GASP! Apparently they were once in a hotel room together (the guys in the room lean forward with more interest at this detail), and Creature thought is would be fun to take some products from the hotel room and chuck them out the window into the fountain at the front of the hotel (the guys lean back, slightly disappointed). Turns out Creature was once a litterbug. Stan points out the hypocrisy of Creatures environmental crusading after hearing that she likes to chuck rubbish out of windows for kicks. Wasnt it St. Augustine who found that senseless crimes were the most unforgiveable? Creature blathers a bunch of nonsense in her defense, but Stan doesnt look convinced. Creature rather pissily confesses, I love my friend Regina, but she may have just cost me the grand prize. CAT FIGHT! (Guys lean in closer again )
Feedbacks wife has a secret of her own to share. Shes a man, Baby! No? Wow, I am so off today. She says that while Feedback seems like a perfectly organized man who arranges his luggage into separate zip lock bags (Im from a family of people with OCD, this doesnt shock me) when hes away, at home he is messy, inconsiderate, and a slob. For proof, the camera pans out to reveal his office; or, rather, the piles of paper, notebooks, tape and other various objects strewn about that is obscuring the view of his office. GAH! She says his real superhero name should be Captain Clutter. He laughs, but fires back saying that she said he could have one room in the house to mess up. Stan says, Your wife is much kinder than I am. Mr. Lees feeling is that kids look up to superheroes, and being inconsiderate and a slob is not the best message to send. Feedback, repentant, promises to clean up his act.
The next person we meet is, as she calls herself, Fat Mommas Momma. Laverne, her real name, says that Fat Momma is not as proud and accepting of her own body as she leads people to believe. After college, getting married, and having her first child, she gained weight (who wouldnt?), and she and her sister looked for different ways to lose it. Stan says her message from day one has been that youre proud of your body, and people should accept themselves for the way that they are Now I hear the opposite, youre constantly going on diets. Fat Momma says she doesnt want people to think they dont have to care about their weight, but if they dont like it, do something about it, but shes learned to live with what God gave her. Stan says, That doughnut was a little hard to swallow, while Dark Enforcers starts eating something crunchy as if to punctuate the point. Hey, no fair to have snacks and not share!
Now we meet Austin, a hunky himbo who not surprisingly informs us that he is Major Victorys ex-coworker in the clothing removal business. In ye olde stripper dayes, Major Victory shook his money maker to the delight of many ladies, and also earned the nickname Thong Man. Dark Enforcer does a mocking dance and then waves a dollar bill in the air. Stan cant even keep a straight face through this testimonial. Major Victory says, I dont even know who Thong Man is, as he lifts his cape up to reveal his derriere in patent leather hot pants, This bad boy goes all the way across. He then claims the moniker comes from his preference for flip flop footwear.
Stan then turns his attention to Lemuria, noting how nervous she looks. She just squeaks, Ive got some very nice friends, lets see how it goes. Lemurias friend Brandy asserts that she uses her sex appeal to weaken mere mortal men and is infamous for strutting her stuff and dancing on table tops before asking if one can be too sexy to be a superhero. If its crime to cram 20 pounds of cleavage into one small strip of gold lamé, then yes, Lemuria is guilty as charged. Stan questions if this is typical superhero behavior. Lemuria admits to table top dancinghey, at least Major Victory got paid, Im just sayin. She then says shes going to kill her friend when she gets home, and after what she said it might be sooner rather than later.
Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish
After gathering his thoughts, Stan Lee conducts another sudden elimination. He calls Creature, Major Victory, and Fat Momma to the fore, as Feedback and Lemuria bring out the trash can. Stan finds the recurring theme of stripping troubling in Dark Enforcers report and Major Victorys street antics (when he took his cape off for the little old ladies); he doesnt think Spiderman would ever give up his mask, or Superman his cape. Hey, Id like to call Stan Lee out on his own hypocrisyhe makes this stripping criticism of Major Victory as he sits in front of a framed picture of his co-creation with Pammy Anderson, Stripperella. Dont believe me? Google it, good citizens.
Next, Stan wonders aloud if Fat Momma is perhaps not as satisfied with her weight as shes led everyone to believe. Then he scolds Creature for going on and on about recycling and the environment when her best friend reports that she is a litterbug. Even worse, Stan points out that she broke the law that morning, when she flagrantly crossed against a red light. He says that one must always act in a superhero-like fashion, even when helping others.
Time for Stan to get rid of another contestant. For flauting the law, and littering the streets, er, fountains, Creature gets tossed out with the trash. Figuratively. But literally, she must first take off her superhero costume and do the ceremonial discarding into the garbage can. Live hard and love harder; be brave, Creature says before leaving, half naked (there wasnt much to the costume, folks). And with that, the garbage can o death flares up with livid light (okay, these FX were probably added in post).
Crime and Punishment
The final four get a good nights rest; in the morning, they all stand around the kitchen counter for breakfast. Dont they have any stools they can sit on? What kind of budget have you got there? Oh I forgot, this is basic cable. Stan briefs them over their cereal: they are going to meet hardened criminals, who are still in incarceration. Our heroes will sit with these convicts in hopes of convincing them of the error of their ways. Stan emphasizes that they are dangerous, convicted felons. Lemuria finds the prospect really terrifying. Yeah, shes probably way too pretty to throw into a mix of hardened criminals serving time. Heck, Major Victory is too!
The would-be heroes are then brought to a fenced-in corrections facility where ugly, angry people in bright orange suits are picking up trash. I hate to question Mr. Lee again, but is this real? Do prisons really have a coed inmate trash collection program? I bet all these so-called hardened criminals have SAG cards and representation at CAA. This is Hollywood, after all.
The scary people stare down our spandex-clad contestants, who arent looking so heroic or super at the moment. Stan comes on the communicator with more instructions. They will be playing a Secret Test Game that involves covert completion of the following tasks: 1) one person must hug an inmate 3 times, 2) another must brush hair out of an inmates eyes 3 times, 3) one must rub the shoulders of an inmate 3 times, 4) and the last must sit in an inmates lap for 10 seconds. Is this the Secret Test Game or an excerpt from Stan Lees Flirting for Dummies?
Stan adds, if at any time their inmate finds out that they are doing this for a contest, they will automatically be on the chopping block come elimination. Now Stan left it up to the heroes to divvy up the tasks. Lemuria, perhaps prepared to use her pretty persuasion, is the first to volunteer for lap
dancingsitting. Fat Momma agrees to do the hair brushing; Major Victory the shoulder rubbing; and Feedback, the hugging. I have to rub an inmates shoulders three times; that doesnt sound good. Even saying it doesnt sound good, Major Victory frets. Hang onto your chonies, then, Thong Boy. Let the public displays of affection begin!
The guard reads off a lengthy waiver they must sign, which says they assume all risk for things like bodily harm, a hostage situation, or, you know, death. An inmate glares at them murderously. Oh sure, yeah, pass me the Mont Blanc, Ive always wanted to be someones cell block bitch. Major Victory asks if the inmates know that this is not a conjugal visit. He might have been being facetious, but the guard laughs menacingly and says the way hes dresses, theres no guarantee.
Lemuria volunteers to go first. The guard brings out a big, burly broad in chains and hand/leg cuffs; a ruddy, angry woman who is like a cross between Nurse Ratchet and the bitchy coach lady in Porkys. Lemuria looks like shes going to cry, and thats before the session even starts. There is a long, slow-mo shot of Lemuria walking over in her gold lamé pantsuit. Holy Camel Toe, Batman! Will Prisoner Ballbricker like the goods? I guess Lemurias not her type, because the prisoner is super mean the whole time, insulting Lemurias costume, swearing, and being generally inflammatory for the duration of their meeting. Time is running out, and unable to complete her task, Lemuria, in a fit of desperation, tries to physically force herself into the lap of the inmate, who reacts with violent rage, screaming, Dont ****ing touch me! Fanboys everywhere wish a machine were created that would allow them to switch places with that inmate. Lemuria looks crushed. The guard ends the visit right there.
Fat Momma is scared as hell of the sight of the angry inmate, who got good and riled up by Lemurias physical lap-sitting assault. Fat Momma tries to bond with the female inmate by sharing her super powers: When I get really angry I can grow five times my size and stomp the **** out of people. Inmate lady scoffs, Are you kidding me with this crap? Fat Momma sees hair dangling in her face and seizes the opportunity. She gets in brush #1! Inmate doesnt like being touched, but Momma wants to keep the momentum, so she offers to braid her hair. Yeah, thatd be hot, the inmate cracks, but Momma sneaks in another hair brush. The guard gets suspicious at the disturbance and starts walking over; Fat Momma quickly gets in one more brush, and completes her secret task.
A giganimous Jabba the Hut-lookin mean man is brought out for the guys. Nice. Major Victory does his famous run across the street. The guard greets him but after the ruckus with Lemuria and Fat Momma, warns him not to put his hands on the inmate. Major Victory wrestles with how to massage a convicted criminal. Major Victory says he has magical hands that will help him to relax. Oh Ive heard this line in bars before. It didnt work then either. The inmate is a little too mush-mouthed for me to understand, but hes not into the massage idea. Major Victory tries to appeal to the guy by earnestly admitting that he hasnt always done right, and helping him is helping himself; he then walks around Big Inmate to pick up the chair he knocked over, and Big Inmate yells, Dont stand behind me! before Major Victory puts his hand on his shoulder to calm him down. Okay, understandably the guy in prison doesnt like the strange man in Spandex offering him massages to stand behind him. Major Victory then says because the inmate thinks its ridiculous to talk to someone in a cape, hes going to take it off. There he goes, stripping again! Somehow before the guard intervenes again, Major Victory completes his secret task by doing two quick shoulder rubs under the guise of getting Mr. Scary to sit down.
Finally, Feedback. His strategy is to simply talk to the guy, and if theres a genuine moment then theyll hug. Oh yeah, and then hold hands, skip through the candy forest, and sing songs about rainbows. Good luck to ya. Feedback starts the meeting by gently asking the officer to take the inmates handcuffs off, promising that he wont go anywhere. Clever! Earn trust, and get inmates big arms free for some cuddlekins, all in one fell swoop! Feedback earnestly tries to get to know his inmate, asking how he got there (serving life for four counts of murder). Feedback gets the inmate to reveal that his father was killed, then Feedback responds by admitting his own father killed himself. There is a long pause, before the inmate looks upset and says he wants the meeting to end. But Feedback gets in a heartfelt speech that although he cant know what Mr. Life Sentence is feeling, he does know what its like to lose a father. Feedback then says he could use a hug and hugging would prove there was trust between them. Amazingly, the big guy greets Feedback with open arms. Feedback tells him hes sorry about his dad, then swoops in with hug 2. Feedback promises to remain in touch, and booyakasha, hug 3 is complete. Feedback believes he was true to [his] morals in turning an emotional connection into a physical one. Again, all these techniques can be translated to the world of dating.
Bye Master
The final four gather on the rooftop for yet another elimination. Big billboard Stan (isnt that cool?) flashes up yet again. Stan confesses to liking each and everyone of the people who are leftand he means that both as characters and as real people. That makes this elimination particularly tough.
Lemuria did not complete her task today. Major Victory, though Stan commends him for really working hard to make a connection with his inmate, again stripped [wait for it] off his cape. Stan says hes very impressed with MV, but you just cant seem to keep your clothes on (again with Stripperella in the background, oh the hypocrisy). For these reasons, Lemuria and Major Victory are called to the red boxes of death.
Stan says, I hate this moment more than you will ever know. I dont want to eliminate either of you. Why not keep them? All the finalists are fantastic in the final four. The could be a group called The Fantastic Four. Thats never been done right? Why are you all looking at me like that? No, I wasnt dropped on my head as a baby, why do you ask?
Sadly, someone must go home. For not completing her task, fan fave Lemuria (whose name Stan pronounces about 5 different ways in the course of one speech alone) is the one who must turn in her lamé. Its an emotional goodbye as Lemuria peels off her costume (the guys rush over to hug her a little more quickly) and walks out the lair, thighmaster in hand. She brought a thighmaster to the lair?
I Cant Stand to Fly; Or, Even Superheroes Cry
But the tears have only started. Stan has nothing but the highest regard for the Heroic Trio remaining. He compliments them on their passion, integrity, intelligence, and courage. He feels close to all three of them, saying, Youre almost like family to me now, and I cant put into words how proud I am of you. Then there are more waterworks than an episode of Tyraand thats just Feedback! Major Victory and Fat Momma also well up with tears, and express their gratitude for being there and earning Stans approval (MV also promises that, except for the bathroom, hell keep his clothes on at all times).
But its Feedback thats the most choked up, giving an emotional speech with tears streaming down his cheeks about how he never had a father, and Stans praise makes him think of his fatherHe wasnt there for me, but you were; and I know it sounds corny, but Spiderman helped me become an adult, and thats what I try to live up to everyday. Stan Lee humbly says hes not sure if hes worthy of such words but Thank you, son. Being called son but Stan @#$! Lee? Feedback is the envy of comic fanboys everywhere.
Stan tells everyone to get some sleep, because tomorrow is a new day. We get ever closer to the final decision. Who will be Stans newest superhero? Tune in next week to find out, or fly back to FORT for more from everyones favorite super-recapper, MrDobolina. Excelsior!
Another good thing about being a sidekick? You always get to ride shotgun! For more information on becoming a superhero sidekick, get on your communicator to snowflakegirl@fansofrealitytv. com for a special message you can only read with your decoder ring!