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Before anyone accuses me of trolling, let me say that I've been using Linux since Mandrake 7 and have used it almost exclusively for the past two years. In fact, I used to be around here when the website was a curious shade of orange although I posted under a different name.
However, recently I was in the market for a new laptop. I was about to get a Thinkpad and install Ubuntu on it when a colleague's Apple Powerbook caught my eye. After playing around with it for a couple of days I was hooked and immediately went out and bought one. I can now say, hand on heart, I will probably never return to using Linux as a desktop OS. Sure, I'm going to keep using Linux at work, but I reckon I'll never again want to use Linux or any of its window managers after seeing OS X 10.4.
IMHO, Tiger simply blows Linux out of the water in terms of an enjoyable and productive user experience. It pains me to say it since I've become so fond of Linux over the past several years, but Apple have gotten everything right with OS X. All of the little niggles that used to piss me off when using Linux have suddenly disappeared. Installation of applications is a breeze, the desktop environment and file manager is implemented more successfully than KDE/Gnome, and Spotlight is so useful it's frightening.
Has anyone else used Tiger and feels the same way?

subset: commoncrawl


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"Like any other state, there has to be compliance with this and any other federal law," Santorum said. "And that is that English has to be the principal language."
Read more at the Washington Times: http://times247.com/articles/santorum-to-puerto-rico-no-english-no-statehood
English Should Be Official Language, Santorum Says
Rick Santorum, the ultra-conservative former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, made a strong showing in Iowa's caucuses yesterday, finishing a mere eight votes behind winner Mitt Romney.
English First Foundation files Amcus Brief
ENGLISH FIRST FOUNDATION is involved in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court -- a case that is essential for us to stay on mission in making English the official language of our nation.
ENGLISH FIRST FOUNDATION has filed an amicuscuriae brief, a "friend of the court" brief, to the United States Supreme Court within the week. This brief supports Arizona's recent immigration law which is aimed at identifying and deporting illegal aliens.
English First Applauds Sen. Inhofe, Rep. King on Bill Introduction
"English Language Unity Act" will encourage common language
Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Representative Steve King (R-IA) recently reintroduced the "English Language Unity Act," which would make English the official language of the United States.
With the help of activism by members of English First, Rep. King's bill (H.R. 997) was introduced with 60 original cosponsors.
What to Expect in the New Congress
By Aloysius Hogan, Government Relations Director
January 7, 2011
The swearing in of the new 112th Congress brings many opportunities for our mutual support of English.
With control of the two chambers of the United States Congress now split, one common, bipartisan goal is emerging: increasing employment.
Congress literally has begun asking employers, "Is there something that we can do to try to ease that [regulatory] burden and stimulate job creation? … Is there a pattern emerging? Is there a consistent practice or regulation that hurts jobs? Until you have all the facts, you really can't make a lot of determinations and judgments."
English First has been busy on Capitol Hill
It has been an extremely hectic beginning of 2011 for English First. When the new Congress was sworn in on January 4, English First welcomed dozens of new members who are supporters of English as America's Official Language.
The American Public Supports English First
Eighty-four percent (84%) of Americans say English should be the official language of the United States. Only nine percent (9%) disagree, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Seven percent (7%) are not sure.


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Hi Maria, thank you for your sweet welcoming note :) I am now following your blog... :) ...My kids are a bit older now, but you offer very interesting articles! :)
Have a great day and please visit my blog:
I offer unique & custom made art gifts with polymer clay: 3D paintings, sculptures & jewelry.
Everything can be custom made, specially for new moms & babies! :)
Hi Marla,
Thank you for being so welcoming. Followed you on Twitter and have added your blog to my reading list.
Would love if you could subscribe to my blog as well -www.cristinaromeo.com
I look forward to reading your posts - I particularly liked the smoking baby one - thank goodness he's now stopped.
Hey Marla!
Thanks for reaching out! I'm a little confused with Mom Bloggers Club and trying to find my way around. I checked out Swanky Baby, so cute! Are all your ads through Google? You have a great website with really excellent content. Please check out www.MommysTwoCents.com Always looking for more moms to engage with :)
nice! I have been here for 5.5 years now. we absolutely love it here, but we are actually looking at moving back to the midwest/east in the next 6-12 months. after having our daughter life changes a little bit and we want to be closer to family. :-)
Loved the FBI Child App article and subscribed to your blog via email. Thanks!
Thank you for the warm MBC welcome!!
a latte of blessings & giggles,
Hi Marla. Thank you for the warm welcome, you have a really cool blog. I look forward to getting to know you and your work.


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Florida Gators NCAA Soul Snapback Cap
Retail Price: $6.15
Florida Gators NCAA Soul Snapback Cap
Show your support for the NCAA and the Florida Gators this year with the Florida Gators NCAA Soul Snapback Cap. Rain or shine, this Black hat will keep you in style all year long. Stay comfortable and cool with this structured hat, featuring a normal bill and high crown. Imported and made of woven cotton, this product requires easy spot clean product care. Represent your favorite team and sport all year long with Florida Gators Hats from lids.com. ... Read More »


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Change & Challenges:  European cinemas enter exciting period of transition
Welcome to this, the first in a regular series of updates and opinion pieces from the International Union of Cinemas—UNIC—the European association representing cinema owners across 28 territories. That's 36,000 screens and €7 billion of box office ($9.3 billion)—a quarter of the global exhibition market.
Starting this November, we intend periodically to use this space to take a closer look at cinema exhibition in Europe—a fragmented yet incredibly exciting and robust cornerstone of the international motion picture industry.
2013 has so far been a year of mixed experiences across the European Union. Germany and the U.K. are seeing significant box-office increases (+7.5 and 8.5 percent, respectively) and there have also been record admissions in Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria (+40 percent) as well as very well-performing local films in Scandinavia.
On the other hand, admissions and revenues are plummeting in Southern Europe as the effects of the economic crisis are further exacerbated by (to our minds) ill-advised national VAT rate increases. As a result, cinemas in these territories continue to struggle to convert their screens to digital technology. (Spain and Italy, for example, are barely halfway through this process.)
For the final quarter of 2013, we look forward to seeing more entertaining and diverse content from our studio partners and the European film community. Given the continued strength of European theatrical exhibition, we are particularly keen to see more major films made with a European audience in mind.
Meanwhile, on another stage, the new political season in Brussels is in full swing. 2013/2014 is an election year in the European Union and—given the rise in political temperatures that always occurs at such times—we are fully expecting to experience activities and statements that have at best a weak grip on reality. No doubt these will include attempts by EU "Telecoms Tsar" Neelie Kroes to portray the film industry as unwilling to embrace change, as well as continued attacks from elsewhere on European copyright rules—the legal basis of our industry's creative competitiveness.
UNIC challenges our opponents to engage in a sound and evidence-led debate around these issues. Cinema exhibition remains the flagship of the international motion picture value chain and its overall share of total revenues compared to those in home entertainment—including VOD—is growing.
Across Europe, cinemas and their partners have in the last five years invested more than €1.25 billion in cutting-edge digital technology and services. That's more than any other creative sector of comparable size. Cinemas today offer an incredibly diverse mix of studio content, local films as well as alternative offerings such as opera, theatre and live sports to their audiences. Intricate social-networking technologies and mobile marketing strategies allow us to weave our marketing propositions into the everyday lives of film lovers, positioning cinemas as trusted and creative meeting places in their local communities. The face-to-face social character of the cinemagoing experience sets it miles apart from the day-to-day "noise" that clogs up our Facebook and Twitter accounts.
In times of such rapid change, the key raison d'être of UNIC is to influence political and industry conditions so that theatre owners can provide an unparalleled cinemagoing experience to their audiences. We deal with a range of current legislative and political developments, from better regulating collecting societies, to questions regarding release windows, to the ongoing fight against film theft. Regarding the latter, UNIC helps identify camcording "hotspots" across Europe and assists its members in further improving efforts to locate illegal recording devices in theatres. On another level, we work with partners from distribution, production and the creative community to maintain and improve European rules which ensure that creativity and investments into creative content continue to be rewarded. Together with these partners, we have also set up Creativity Works, a creative sector coalition that aims to improve the image of our industries amongst policy-makers and EU-focused media outlets.
The digital-cinema rollout continues apace and around 80 percent of all theatres across Europe have been converted to date. While we fight to ensure that no screen gets left behind, UNIC also acknowledges that there are technological challenges that have to be addressed after the digital shift is completed. Immersive sound standardization and the future of laser illumination as well as more practical issues such as key delivery require the sector to at times speak with one voice. Our technology group brings together senior technology experts from Europe's largest operators to ensure UNIC understands their positions when it comes to how cinema exhibition should continue to innovate in a seamlessly connected digital landscape.
From pop-up shops in cinemas to the latest social apps on your phone and tablet, UNIC strives to understand and anticipate changing consumer behavior and how it affects the cinema business. Together with partners Coca-Cola and Orange, we have established two expert committees—the UNIC Retail Group and the Marketing Group—to share experiences and knowledge around the latest innovations in the retail and concessions space and when it comes to reaching out to new audiences in new ways.
The results of these stimulating exchanges will feed into the conference slate at CineEurope, UNIC's annual convention and Europe's largest gathering of cinema exhibitors. After two very successful years at our new venue in Barcelona, expectations for the 2014 edition of CineEurope (June 16-19, 2014) are already high and we are in discussions with our partners Prometheus Global Media on potential topics for the program.
UNIC thus spins multiple plates to promote and protect European cinema owners in clearly turbulent yet also incredibly exciting and rewarding times. We look forward to sharing the latest trends and our perspectives regarding European exhibition with you in the future.


text: Mindy Kaling met with reporters Tuesday at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, Calif., (above) and was excited to share that Seth Rogen would be dropping by "The Mindy Project" for an upcoming episode. Kaling, a Cambridge native, and the "Knocked Up" star Rogen appeared in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" together and reunited in 2012. "I was in a movie of his in May called 'This Is the End' where I play myself and I get killed in the apocalypse," said Kaling. "It was really fun spending time with him, and I think he's a great writer, and he is coming to do an episode where he plays my first kiss who I met at Jewish summer camp." Which, of course means one thing: flashbacks. "Right now we're casting for the younger versions of ourselves, which is really weird and fun, and it's great. I just watched [the movie] 'Before Sunrise,' so I loved two people just talking, and Seth's so funny just to talk to, and it was great to reunite with him, and there are some interesting twists about what has happened to his character since the time I saw him." When asked if Rogen shared any good stories about his "Guilt Trip" costar Barbra Streisand, Kaling said, "We haven't shot the episode yet, but when he comes to the table read next week, I will [ask him]." And if you haven't seen this week's episode of "The Mindy Project," it's worth cueing up your DVR. Kaling reveals that her character is supposed to be from Concord and shows off her Boston accent.


text: I just ordered and received a new CK FlexLoc Tig torch for my Syncro 200 which Lenco Connector do I need. An LDTSI - 917F small or LDTI -917F Large gas flow connectors? The one on the system from Miller on the WP17 does not have a number on it that I can find.


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Illinois' $1-a-pack increase in cigarette taxes isn't bringing in the kind of money that lawmakers had expected in its first year.
The increase raised the state excise tax on a pack of cigarettes from 98 cents to $1.98. The tax hike is expected to bring in $212 million in extra money for the current fiscal year, almost 40 percent less than the $350 million officials projected when it took effect last June.
That's both good and bad news. On the one hand, it means that more people have used the tax hike as an excuse to quit smoking or to smoke less. On the other, it means the state is collecting less money than it hoped from smokers as it seeks to meet its financial obligations. Cigarette tax revenue goes into the state's general fund, Medicaid program and School Infrastructure Fund.
Such is the pitfall inherent in using sin taxes to balance budgets. Smokers make up about 20 percent of the state's population and can be completely alienated without costing anyone an election. But when taxes make the "sin" more expensive, the sinners are more likely to cut back or quit altogether.
Politicians like to point to increasing tobacco and other sin taxes as a means of making people change their behavior. In reality, many governments would be left with gaping holes in their budgets if Americans suddenly saw the light and decided to give up smoking, drinking, and gambling en masse.
In the case of smoking, taxing the habit out of existence might be the only way to make people stop. Decades of warnings from the Surgeon General and pushing smokers off of airplanes, out of restaurants and bars and into the back alleys have not been enough.
However, if politicians want to make smoking prohibitively expensive, they probably shouldn't count on the revenue to balance their budgets.


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Tuesday, December 25
1 – 4pm
FREE with Museum admission
Museum Open 11am – 5pm
Nowhere to go on December 25th? Come to the Maltz Museum for an afternoon of family friendly fun! Parents and kids will enjoy crafts and guided tours of the Museum galleries along with two popular movies exploring American history with a distinctly Jewish twist.
Pre-order an Asian inspired kosher lunch for $10 per person – call 216.593.0575 by Friday, December 21.
11:30am Guided Tour of An American Story
12 – 2pm Lunch available
1pm Movie: The Frisco Kid – starring Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford
1:30pm Guided Tour of the special exhibition Bezalel on Tour
3pm Movie: An American Tail – animated
3:30pm Guided Tour of An American Story


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DALLAS (AP) -- The momentoes are everywhere, preserved from a day five decades ago by people who wish they could forget:
Letters of grief and thanks, in a widow's hand. Yellowing news reports. An unwanted wedding band. A rose stained with blood.
Those who were closest to events on the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated still talk about what they witnessed as if it happened yesterday. And they frequently mention a keepsake, some small but often heavy burden they've carried since Nov. 22, 1963. For some, this tangible thing helps make real what remains hard to believe. For others, it may be a touchstone to happier memories or just an artifact proving history brushed their lives.
Some can't even explain the items they keep from those awful, convulsing, world-changing 24 hours.
Dawn was approaching -- it was past 6 a.m. on that Friday.
In a bungalow in the Dallas suburb of Irving, the only one up was Lee Harvey Oswald. He made coffee, dressed for work, then paused before leaving his wife, Marina, and two young daughters. He drew most of the cash from his pocket, removed his wedding ring and left both behind. Gathering up a parcel he'd retrieved from the garage, he crept out.
"Lee left a coffee cup in the sink," recalls Ruth Paine, whose house Marina and the girls were staying in. Oswald had come the previous evening to try -- unsuccessfully -- to reconcile with his estranged wife.
When he departed, leaving the ring, Paine says, "My guess is that he did not expect to live."
She would later retrieve the ring for investigators, and it would find its way into a lawyer's file for decades. Only recently was it returned to Oswald's widow, who put the bitter memento up for auction. In a letter, she explained that "symbolically I want to let go of my past" and what she has called "the worst day of my life." The ring sold last month for $108,000.
Walking from Paine's house, Oswald reached the home where Buell Frazier, his co-worker, lived with his sister. He put his parcel in Frazier's black Chevrolet for the ride to work.
"I'm just about through eating my breakfast," Frazier said from the back door.
They'd be driving to the Texas School Book Depository, where both had $1.25 an hour jobs filling orders. Oswald had just started working there -- and not by coincidence. Frazier's sister had mentioned to her neighbor, Ruth Paine, that there might be an opening for the out-of-work Oswald.
Much was unusual about that morning. Normally, Oswald would wait to be picked up; normally, he would have carried a sack lunch. Unlike most Fridays, he told Frazier he would not need a ride home that night. And then there was the long, paper-wrapped package in the backseat. When Frazier asked, Oswald said it contained curtain rods.
As they drove off, a misting rain had Frazier flicking the windshield wipers on and off. "I wish it would just rain or something," he complained, but nothing of substance was said before they arrived at work.
By then, it was about 7:55 a.m.
At that same time, 25 miles away, at the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth, Secret Service agent Clint Hill was walking down a hallway toward Room 850, where Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline were staying in a suite that locals had specially decorated. They had lent art treasures -- 16 originals by Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet and others -- and hung them on the walls in welcome. Today, these artworks themselves have become mementoes of that day, reassembled in an anniversary museum exhibit.
Emerging from the suite, Kennedy called out, "Good morning," to Hill, whom he knew well as the agent who'd been protecting the first lady for three years.
And it did feel like a good morning, Hill said in an interview. He recalled how just then, "I heard the noise outside" of a large, friendly crowd gathering, despite the drizzle, for a speech -- Kennedy's first event of a packed day. Next was a breakfast speech inside the hotel, where another crowd erupted when the first lady entered.
"Everybody was just stunned by her. And of course everybody in the world would later see the pink outfit she was wearing," recalls Associated Press writer Mike Cochran, who stayed with the couple as they headed to the Fort Worth airport for the hop to Dallas and a motorcade to a planned luncheon speech. It was part of a trip to help mend a rift among Texas Democrats and try to secure the state for Kennedy in the 1964 election.
The misty skies had cleared by the time Air Force One touched down at Dallas' Love Field, which allowed the bubble top to be removed from the dark blue Lincoln that would carry the president through downtown.
As the limousine cruised out of the airport, 11-year-old Stephanie Landregan snapped pictures with her Brownie camera. Watching with her grandparents and four siblings, the schoolgirl felt a "giddy" thrill. Her mother was at the Trade Mart, where Kennedy was headed for lunch. The only family member who'd miss the rare presidential visit, it seemed, was her father. He had to be at work -- at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
It was a few minutes before noon.
Hill and other agents riding in the Secret Service vehicle just behind the president scanned the jubilant throngs, which thickened as the motorcade neared downtown. At one point, the cars slowed, then halted for a group of students.
"There was a banner: `Mr. President, please stop and shake our hands,"' Hill says. "Whenever that happened, we knew pretty well he was going to stop."
As Kennedy leaned from the car, Nancy White reached out from the crowd. "He shook my hand," she says, amazement still in her voice.
The motorcade moved on, growing ranks of spectators bulging into the traffic lanes. At times, Hill ran from his vehicle to a foothold on the moving Lincoln's rear bumper.
Up ahead was Dealey Plaza and a corridor of buildings including the book depository, where Buell Frazier stood on the front steps, taking a break with co-workers -- though not Lee Oswald.
Happy pandemonium greeted the presidential Lincoln, and suddenly Frazier could see Jackie Kennedy.
"She's as pretty as the pictures," he remembers calling out to a woman nearby.
And that quickly the motorcade glided by, enveloped by more cheers ahead. But then came another sound that Frazier first thought was a police motorcycle backfiring.
Then another pop. And another. Frazier recognized the sound of gunfire.
Instantly, all was mayhem. "People were running and screaming and hollering," Frazier says. "Somebody came running by as we were standing there on the steps and she says, `They've shot the president."'
In the agents' car, Hill heard the first shot, sprinted to the Lincoln and scrambled aboard. As he strained to hold on, he saw Mrs. Kennedy climbing onto the rear of the car, now speeding toward a freeway to the hospital.
"She's going to go flying off the back," he thought, and pushed her back to her seat.
In the motorcade and amid the crowd now, reporters struggled to grasp the events, then get the news out.
In the Dallas AP office, the phone rang and bureau chief Bob Johnson grabbed it. On the line was staff photographer James W. "Ike" Altgens, breathing hard. He'd recorded the Dealey Plaza chaos -- including images of Kennedy grasping his throat and of Hill reaching for the first lady across the limo's trunk.
"Bob, the president's been shot," he shouted from a pay phone.
"Ike, how do you know?" Johnson demanded.
"I was shooting pictures then and I saw it."
"Ike, you saw that?"
"Yes, there was blood on his face."
Johnson typed furiously, folding in Altgens' details:
It timed off at 12:40 p.m. Central time. Instantly, in newsrooms everywhere, bells clanged on wire teletype machines as they churned out the unimaginable, line by line, and broadcasters tore the copy and relayed the unthinkable.
Fifty years on, that first bulletin -- its type spilling down the page from being pulled by some forgotten editor as it printed out -- is an artifact of the moment, preserved in the news service's corporate archives.
The Lincoln, meanwhile, with agent Hill spread-eagled over the wounded president, raced to Parkland Hospital.
Because it was lunchtime, many on the Parkland staff were in the cafeteria when calls suddenly blared over the public address system, summoning specialists -- "stat."
Dr. Ronald Jones called the operator to learn why.
"Dr. Jones, the president's been shot ...," she said. "They need physicians." The cafeteria cleared.
Through the open door of the trauma room, Jones saw a stoic Jackie Kennedy, moving from a folding chair placed for her outside the room to standing quietly inside as doctors assessed her husband.
"His eyes were open, they were not moving," Jones says.
He scissored through Kennedy's coat and shirt to find a vein to insert an IV. Other physicians worked frantically, trying to think of this as any trauma case, any patient.
Dr. Malcolm Perry, who'd been at lunch with Jones, was examining the wound in the president's neck. Perry asked Dr. Robert McClelland to stand at the head of the gurney and hold the retractor in the incision they were making to explore the wound.
"As soon as I got into that position," McClelland recalled recently, "I was shocked ... I said to Dr. Perry, `My God, have you seen the back of his head?' I said, `It's gone."'
Dr. Kemp Clark, professor of neurosurgery, was standing by a heart monitor at one point, McClelland recalls. Kennedy's heartbeat had flatlined.
"Dr. Clark said to Dr. Perry -- and I remember the exact words -- `He said, `Mac, you can stop now because he's gone,"' McClelland says.
The trauma room door opened moments later, admitting the Rev. Oscar Huber, who anointed the president's head with oil and administered the Roman Catholic last rites. (The hospital official who phoned for Huber at his church, learning he was already on his way, and who later called a funeral home for a casket was Steve Landregan, whose daughter had taken airport snapshots of the first couple.)
When the end came, eyes turned to Jackie Kennedy at her husband's side. McClelland recalls a kiss. Dr. Kenneth Salyer, who had done external cardiac massage, says, "She sort of laid on his chest ... in a sort of compassionate motion."
Afterward, in the empty trauma room two young residents noticed the first lady's roses, discarded and bloodstained. Each picked up one, and would preserve the flowers in Lucite. "You can't really tell what it is," says Dr. Michael Ellsasser, "but I still have it anyhow."
McClelland was changing clothes later when he remembered once seeing in a museum a piece of clothing stained with Abraham Lincoln's blood after he was shot. Struck by the sense of history in his own simple white shirt -- soaked in blood from where he leaned over the gurney -- he decided it should be preserved. He has it still.
The shooting of the president was now a homicide case, and investigators fanned out everywhere.
Buell Frazier, who had innocently driven Oswald to work, was rounded up for hours of fierce questioning.
Across town, after a rare lunch break at home, Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit hurried back to patrol. He soon spotted a man matching the description of the suspected assassin that had just been circulated; he pulled up alongside him and got out of his patrol car. In a flash, the man shot Tippit dead, then fled, shaking spent cartridges from his revolver as he ran.
As radio news reported an officer's shooting near the shoe store where John Brewer was manager, he noticed a man suspiciously engrossed in a window display instead of the police cars streaming past. When the man darted into a movie theater, Brewer followed and raised the alarm.
The suspect pulled a handgun when confronted by a police officer, who wrestled it from him. "Cops were coming over the backs of the chairs.... In just a little while they had the cuffs on Oswald," says Brewer, whose keepsakes of that day include a poster from "War Is Hell," the movie he fatefully interrupted.
Today, Officer Tippit's wife Marie speaks of the blessing of his brief return home for lunch that day and of their years together. She is a great-grandmother now, but as a young widow treasured a letter she received from another, Jacqueline Kennedy. "She said that she had lit a flame for Jack and she was going to consider that it would burn for my husband, too, that it would burn forever."
She keeps her husband's badge in a bank vault.
That afternoon, police arrived with a sharp knock on Ruth Paine's door in Irving as she and Marina Oswald sat transfixed by the television news.
"We have Lee Oswald in custody, for shooting an officer," Paine remembers them declaring. They began questioning the women.
"And then one of the policemen asked Marina (whose native language was Russian), `Did Oswald have a gun?'
"And I said, `No,' but translated to Marina, who said, `Yes, he did."'
Paine continues: "She led us to the garage and pointed to a blanket roll." That, she said, was where Oswald kept his rifle.
The rifle was gone.
"That was my worst moment," says Paine, who late the night before had switched off the garage light, which had been left on.
She keeps few mementoes of the time -- just some old newsmagazines, to be donated to an archive. What she does carry still, she says, is "a sense of grief and loss."
And regret. "If only I had known that Lee Oswald had hidden a rifle in my garage."
Around 2:30 p.m. at Dallas' Love Field, Clint Hill watched as Lyndon Johnson, flanked by his wife and Jackie Kennedy, was sworn in as president aboard Air Force One. The plane, with Kennedy's casket secured inside, quickly took off for Washington.
It landed at Andrews Air Force Base at 5:58 p.m.
At attention stood a military team assigned a solemn duty: They'd attend the former commander in chief from here through his funeral on Monday -- as pallbearers. "We were proud to do it," says Coast Guardsman George A. "Bud" Barnum. "We wanted to do it right."
The capital was still. Stunned Kennedy aides steered through dark, silent streets to the White House to keep vigil. Richard Goodwin, a speechwriter and adviser, was one of them.
"Jackie Kennedy sent word that she wanted the East Room, where the president would lie in state, to look as it did when Lincoln's body lay there," Goodwin remembers.
He and others went to work. Someone was sent to the Library of Congress for a sketch and a newspaper description from Lincoln's time; artists and upholsterers were called in, and black crepe was carefully hung. "In the midst of all these activities we would alternately break down in tears," Goodwin says.
It was now well past midnight.
Agent Hill had stayed at Jackie Kennedy's side -- as an autopsy was conducted on the body, and then as it was taken to the White House, arriving at 4:24 a.m.
A waiting U.S. Marine honor guard marched before the ambulance to the North Portico entrance.
Goodwin, watching the scene from inside the White House, described the transfer of the casket to the now-ready East Room. He, Hill and others stood back as Jackie Kennedy and family members entered, spent some moments in silent thought and prayer, then left.
With Mrs. Kennedy retired for the night, Hill recalls, "I went down to my office on the ground floor. I made some notes for myself as to what had transpired that day."
Then and long afterward, guilt consumed the agent; he believed he could have protected Kennedy from the fatal bullet by reaching the limousine more quickly. There would be bouts of depression and of heavy drinking. He says he's doing well now, but there was a process to reach this point.
For years, he talked little about that day and turned aside suggestions that he write about it. Eventually he agreed to speak for another agent's book and then wrote his own memoir, "Mrs. Kennedy and Me." (He has another book, "Five Days in November," coming out this month.)
All of this helped, he says. And the notes he wrote were a factor. But they're not momentoes.
"I had them for a long time," Hill says. "In 2008 or so, I burned them."
Partly, that was "an attempt to bury it. But that just hasn't happened. You can't get rid of it."
He does keep letters from Jackie Kennedy.
In his last act on that awful day, Hill closed his notebook, left the White House and walked to his car.
It was past 6 a.m. Saturday, and dawn was approaching.
The Procession...
The horse's name was Black Jack. His saddle was empty, but boots were in the stirrups -- backwards. Skittishly, he followed the body of John F. Kennedy on its last journey.
You could hear his hooves against the pavement, along with the clip-clop of the team of six white horses that pulled the caisson bearing the flag-bedecked coffin. And you could hear the muffled drums that resounded across Washington, and across the nation.
Fifty years have passed, but the sights and sounds of that November day are indelible. This was by design: With a fine eye, Jackie Kennedy helped orchestrate a funeral unlike any in American history, before or since. This was the final act in an unforgettable drama that began on Friday with the murder of the 35th president of the United States, continued on Sunday with the murder of his murderer, and came to a close Monday with the kindling of an eternal flame on a wind-swept Virginia hillside.
As one writer of the time suggested, the funeral was attended by 180 million Americans -- the entire stunned populace. Only 50,300,000 American households had televisions in 1963, and it was estimated that 41,553,000 sets were tuned into the funeral.
They had been watching for days. Cameras in the Capitol rotunda followed mourners -- a quarter million in all -- as they filed past the casket. Cameras in the basement of the Dallas police headquarters caught Jack Ruby as he thrust a .38-caliber Colt Cobra revolver into the gut of Lee Harvey Oswald and fired.
And now they watched as an extraordinary pageant unfolded in front of them. At the White House, mourners and dignitaries joined the procession behind Black Jack: the black-veiled widow, the Kennedy family, President Lyndon Johnson. France's Charles De Gaulle, ramrod tall; Haile Selassie, the Ethiopian Lion of Judah, more than a foot shorter, his uniform festooned with medals and gold braiding; all together, 19 chiefs of state and heads of government, assorted royal personages, all of them on foot.
At the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, they heard Cardinal Richard Cushing depart from the Latin: "May the angels, dear Jack, lead you into paradise. May the martyrs receive you at your coming."
Outside, as the coffin left the church, Jackie Kennedy leaned down and whispered a few words to John Jr., who turned 3 years old on that day. He lifted his right hand to his brow, a child's farewell salute to his father; it would be the most memorable moment in a day full of them.
At Arlington, 50 jetfighters in a "missing man formation" roared overhead, Air Force One flew by and dipped its wings, a 21-gun salute resounded. The honor guard crisply folded the flag from the coffin. A bugler played taps, but cracked the sixth note; it was an error, but many took it as a reflection of the American broken heart.
Then, with the ignition of the eternal flame, it was over. Not the mourning -- that would go on for months. And not the descent into violence -- over the coming years, others would fall victim to assassins, among them the brother-in-law, Robert, who was at Jackie Kennedy's side.
But the nation awoke from the fevered nightmare that had begun four days before, in Dallas. The funeral served that purpose.
"It was just about the best America could produce -- meaningful, democratic, sincere, sorrowful, no phony emotion of any kind," said Angier Biddle Duke, the State Department's chief of protocol. "It brought out the best in everybody."


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During inclement weather, the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office strongly discourages any non-essential travel. Please do not attempt to drive if you do not absolutely have to. If driving is absolutely necessary, ensure yourself safer travels by following these driving tips:
Slow down! For wet, snowy, icy conditions.
Avoid quick braking or acceleration.
Find out about driving conditions before you go.
Every time - buckle up!
Turn signals, brake lights and windows need to be clear of snow.
You should never use cruise control in winter weather conditions.
Due to the inclement weather forecasted for our area over the next 24 to 48 hours, there is a possibility that Shawnee County will implement phase III accident reporting. During Phase III reporting, the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office will respond and investigate only those accidents listed below:
• Injury, possible injury or death to any person
• Possible impairment of a driver due to drugs or alcohol
• Incidents of hit and run
• Incidents where there is a disturbance between the parties involved
• Any hazardous material situation.
• When the accident results in major traffic congestion.
• And when there is damage to a vehicle to the extent that towing is required.
All other accidents will be referred to the front desk during standard business hours (785-368-2200) or at the earliest convenience of the involved parties.


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Estherville Rotarians Thursday heard about a local takeoff on The Blueberry Partnership, based on a book by Jamie Vollmer, former business executive and attorney who is now working to increase public support for
American's public schools.
Locally, The Blueberry Partnership, comprised of both school and community leaders, is asking the community what ELC needs to do in order to create students who can meet the future demands of society.
Brad Leonard, ELC activities director and assistant principal, said locally The Blueberry Group is asking community members to give their input to implement change in schools
"You can't touch the culture of the school without touching the culture of the town," said Krystie Brashear, business person and partnership member, who pointed to the community support of the ELC girls basketball team as a good example.
"We are all about cultivating our students' success," Brashear said about the entire community. "We're at the beginning stage and moving forward."
"Schools can't look like they did 50 years ago. And unfortunately they do," said Leonard. "They can't look like they did five years ago."
The group posited the question: "What would our system look like?" if schools adapted to meet the needs of society.
Leonard said he would like kids to "get their hands dirty" and see what jobs are all about.
ELC principal and Rotarian Frank Christenson said teachers are good about bringing guest speakers in - outsiders who affirm what teachers are saying.
And Brashear said kids need to transition from the school to work environment by knowing what's appropriate for work and what's not.
After collecting responses as to how students should be prepared to enter the community at large, Paul said data would be compiled to see what kind of system the district needs to create.
"Our goal is to prepare our students to enter into our society," Paul said.
As for the contributions business can make, said Paul, "We don't believe it's always monetary."
Rotarian Rick Olesen said he would like to see more students job shadowing engineers. Along a similar vein, Christenson said he struggles with getting kids to take the courses they need to enter their chosen field.
Brashear pointed to the advantage high-school students have now by being able to take college classes which still in high school. She said students need to be better prepared for online classes, though, and be better motivated.
Other Rotarian comments included club president Chris Fuhrman who would like to see shorter job shadow times during the day and Glen Caron who would like to see kids who have a better concept of scheduling.


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A Pitt County model is accused of stealing jewelry from her mother and then pawning it off for cash.
Tyffany Linder, 19, is charged with obtaining property by a false pretense, two counts of larceny and two counts of possession of stolen property. Deputies say her occupation is listed on the arrest report as Monster Energy Modeling.
Deputies say the woman was arrested last Wednesday and then again on Monday. She's charged with stealing jewelry from her mother and then selling the loot at Carolina Gold and Trade It.
So far deputies have recovered diamond rings, wedding bands and a gold bracelet from the pawn shop.
Linder and her boyfriend, Irving Villanueva, were arrested by deputies last Wednesday when they say the two were caught in the middle of a burglary on Elkhorn Court. That break-in led to the discovery of a man's body in a home on nearby Trails End as deputies were checking neighborhoods for any other break-ins.
It turns out the death of Michael Simmons, who had Down syndrome, was a result of natural causes.
Deputies say their investigation into last week's charges against Linder brought about the stolen jewelry and the additional counts against the woman.
Linder was booked under a $75,000 bond.


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First UNESCO World Heritage Site created in Central Asia
UNESCO has included the site "Saryarka - steppes and lakes of
Eight regions, located in
"Saryarka - steppes and lakes of Northern Kazakhstan" is the first territory in
"UNESCO now protects lakes that are stopover points to many migratory birds flying from Africa, Europe and South Asia to their breeding places in Western and Eastern Siberia, including the extremely rare Siberian white crane, the Dalmatian pelican, Pallas's fish eagle are now under the UNESCO protection", says Olga Pereladova, head of WWF Central Asia Programme.
The new World Heritage Site is also home to over half the species of the region's steppe flora and the Saiga antelope, formerly an abundant species much reduced by poaching. The horns of Saiga antelopes are illegally sold to
The biggest population of imperial eagle in the region and the most northern nesting place of the Greater Flamingo in the world are now also under the UNESCO protection.
The preparation of the documents for the creation of the World Heritage object in the
"It took time to prepare the documents and take into consideration all the recommendations of UNESCO. Gradually new people and organizations joined our work. The decision of UNESCO is the common victory of all those people who long for keeping the richness and variety of Central Asian nature", says WWF project leader in Kazakhstan Tatiana Bragina, who has devoted almost 30 years of her life to Naurzum State Nature Reserve and began the preparation of the documents for including it in the World Heritage List in 2001.


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While European competitors close factories and get government bailouts, Italian carmaker Fiat is banking on its under-exposed luxury brands to put idle Italian car plants to work and stem losses in its European operations.
Fiat chief executive Sergio Marchionne announced an ambitious four-year plan to ramp up production of Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands in Italy, where Fiat will launch 17 new models to be built in its five local plants from 2013-2016.
Fiat, which owns US carmaker Chrysler, will also unveil a new smaller Jeep for production in Italy aimed primarily at Europe, and focus the Fiat brand on the 500 and Panda compact car ranges.
"This is truly not for the faint-hearted," Marchionne said. "We have not shied away from a fight."
The investments are part of capital expenditures of €16 billion to €18 billion ($25-$28 billion) in 2013-2014 across the Fiat-Chrysler alliance.
Marchionne believes they could "provide a permanent solution" for the quandary facing his under-used European plants, which are running below 50 per cent capacity.
Under the plan, Fiat Europe, which lost €238 million in the third quarter alone, would break even by 2015-2016.
Fiat's move is the latest response by European carmakers to the fifth consecutive year of declining car demand.
Ford Europe announced its response last week, saying it would close factories in Belgium and Britain that will put some 6200 European workers out of a job and take out 18 per cent of its European capacity.
The French Government has offered €7 billion in aid to PSA Peugeot, the No 2 carmaker in Europe, to try to stave off 9500 layoffs.
Marchionne, who has advocated the European Union come up with a roadmap for co-ordinated plant closures to better control the impact, said he felt Fiat had "already given" by closing a Sicilian plant that took 100,000 cars out of the carmaker's European capacity.
"In the case of Fiat, it would have relegated us to be a minor player in the European market because of the social consequences," said Marchionne.
The CEO also lowered his previous goal for Fiat and Chrysler to produce 6 million cars combined by 2014 to 4.6 million to 4.8 million a year. Fiat along with Chrysler expects to produce 4.2 million cars this year.


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One Book, One Cozad Selects: Pioneer Girl: A True Story Of Growing Up On The Prairie
One Book, One Cozad launches their third One Book, One Cozad program with the selection of Pioneer Girl: A True Story of Growing Up on the Prairie by Andrea Warren. Pioneer Girl is the story of Grace McCance Snyder based upon her memoir No Time on My Hands as well as additional information gathered by the author. In 1885, when she was three, Grace and her family became homesteaders outside of Cozad, Nebraska. Living together in a sod house, her family faced storms, fire, and drought. Grace's story is woven among pages of the education, happiness and sadness of all homesteading children.
The author, Andrea Warren, grew up in Newman Grove, Nebraska. Ms. Warren graduated from the University of Nebraska with a master's degree in British Literature and taught high school English and history in Hastings before moving to Kansas to work as a newspaper reporter and freelance writer. Ms. Warren has written several highly acclaimed books including Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story, which won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Outstanding Nonfiction and Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps, a Robert F. Sibert Award Honor Book. Her most recent book, published in 2015, is entitled The Boy Who Became Buffalo Bill: Growing Up Billy Cody in Bleeding Kansas. Regularly scheduled book discussions and events will be held monthly at the library for all interested persons beginning in February. The author will appear in several Nebraska libraries in April to make presentations about Pioneer Girl, including Cozad, Lexington, and Kearney. A special set of books will be set aside near the library's circulation desk for all of 2017 for those wishing to check out the book. Additionally, a special tab at www.wilsonpubliclibrary.com will have information regarding up-coming events. Wilson Public Library is encouraging all local book clubs to thoughtfully consider adding Pioneer Girl: A True Story of Growing Up on the Prairie to their selection lists for 2017.
The notion of a one book/one city (state, county, church, etc.) started with an idea by Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl. First initiated in 1998 by the Washington Center for the Book, the Library of Congress reports that such programs are abundant around the world. In fact, in 2017, One Book, One Nebraska will celebrate its twelfth year of a statewide program. Wilson Public Library agrees with the Nebraska Center for the Book's philosophy that "reading great literature provokes us to think about ourselves, our environment and our relationships," and that "talking about great literature with friends, families and neighbors often adds richness and depth to the experience of reading."


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Antonio Lupatelli is an Italian artist best known for his work for the British market in the 1950s and 1960s. He was born in Busseto, near Parma, and began his career in 1958 as a storyboard artist for Payot Film in France. Around the same period, he began his collaboration with the British publisher Fleetway, and developed his nursery comic style for the publisher's weeklies and annuals. Lupatelli illustrated series like 'Freddy Frog', 'Fun in Toyland', and 'Jack and Jill' and Jack and Jill and Playhour, while also producing 'Little Scooty' with scripts by Roy D'Ami.
By 1961, he was also working for the Italian publisher Fratelli Fabbri Editori, doing illustrations for school books and fairy stories. Under the pseudonym Tony Wolf, he made a series called 'I Cuccioli', and from 1978 onwards, he worked almost exclusively for Dami Editore. He illustrated a great variety of books, such as 'Bosco' and 'Il Viaggio delle Meraviglie' for Dami, using several pseudonyms. In the 1980s, he additionally took on the illustration of playing cards for Scarabeo in Turin.


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Pastel Gelatin Salad Recipe
5 5 5
In Santee, California, Teresa Ries tops her gelatin salad with pretty pastel mini marshmallow to add color to holiday menus. With its creamy lemon-lime base and tangy pineapple flavor, it's a tasty accompaniment to any meal.
Featured In: Who Knew You Could Do That with Jello?
VERIFIED BY Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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- 1 package (3 ounces) lemon gelatin
- 1 package (3 ounces) lime gelatin
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 package (10-1/2 ounces) pastel miniature marshmallows
- In a large bowl, combine lemon and lime gelatin with boiling water; stir until dissolved. Add cream cheese; let stand for 10 minutes. Beat on high speed until smooth. Stir in milk and mayonnaise. Fold in pineapple.
- Pour into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. dish. Sprinkle with nuts and marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate until set. Yield: 12-15 servings.
Originally published as Pastel Gelatin Salad in Quick Cooking March/April 2005, p57
Reviews forPastel Gelatin Salad
My Review
Click stars to rate
Any changes to your rating or review will appear where you originally posted your review
Average Rating
Reviewed Feb. 17, 2018
"We love this salad. It's looks as well as it taste. We'll fix this again!"
Reviewed Jun. 27, 2015
"I made this dish for Easter dessert. It was very refreshing. Everyone body loved it!"
Reviewed Apr. 17, 2014
"It is requested for every Easter dinner."
Reviewed Nov. 19, 2010
"Excellent salad. I made this for a family gathering and came home with an empty dish. The only substitution I made was I used pecans instead of the walnuts."
Reviewed Mar. 13, 2009
"I made this for work and had some mixed reviews. Lots of people liked it. Some people didn't like the pineapple and the tange. Overall I think it turned out to be a good St Patricks Day dish."


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LOVELAND -- The developers who are hoping to build a specialty grocery store on one of Loveland's busiest corners heard Tuesday night from neighbors who live right across the street.
At a neighborhood meeting at the Loveland Municipal Building, three representatives of Evergreen Devco Inc. briefly sketched out their proposal for a 26,000-square-foot store at the northeast corner of Eisenhower Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue and displayed an overhead illustration of a possible layout.
"We would love to hear your feedback," Tyler Carlson, a Denver-based principal with Evergreen, told the 19 people in the audience.
That's all the invitation the neighbors needed.
"You need to move that loading dock, period," said Melissa Thomas, who lives in the 1500 block of North Jefferson Avenue, right across from the loading dock depicted in the illustration.
Thomas and the other neighbors said they would like a large natural grocery store in Loveland, but they expressed a variety of concerns about the proposal covering issues such as truck noise, increased traffic on a quiet residential street, obstructed views of the mountains and potential danger to the children who live in the neighborhood and attend Monroe Elementary School nearby.
Carlson said his company is committed to treating the neighbors with respect and working to address their concerns. He said he wouldn't deny that there would be impacts, "but we want to minimize those impacts as much as we can."
The participants who spoke asked first why the store couldn't go somewhere else, such as in the former Albertson's building at Eisenhower and Madison Avenue.
Carlson said the specialty grocer his company is working for considered locations from east Loveland's Centerra development all the way west to Wilson Avenue but settled on the midtown location in June.
One reason for that site, on the north side of Eisenhower, is to catch the tourist traffic heading through Loveland to Estes Park, he said, allowing those drivers right-in, right-out access before they continue west.
The grocer also wants to bring its natural products to all of Loveland, he said. "Everyone wants to eat healthy. This is not just for the wealthy."
Carlson said he couldn't confirm which specialty grocer is looking at the site.
"Unfortunately, I cannot officially name them, but a lot of you have probably figured it out," he said.
If approved, the store could open in late fall 2015 or early in 2016, Carlson said.
Throughout the meeting, which ran for almost an hour and a half, Carlson repeatedly talked about the Sprouts store his company built in a mostly residential neighborhood two blocks south of Denver's City Park.
That project, at 3625 E. Colfax Ave., overcame some of the same issues facing the proposed Loveland location, he said, and neighbors have said they are happy having the store within walking distance of their homes.
One of the steps the developers took to ease the impact of the Denver store was to develop a memorandum of understanding between Sprouts and the neighbors, which lays out specific restrictions such as the hours that trucks can unload at the dock.
Evergreen is hoping to buy the commercial properties along Lincoln and the homes along Jefferson, rezone the residential area and combine it all into one property.
That proposal probably will go before the Loveland Planning Commission for its recommendation Aug. 11 and then proceed to the City Council, which will have final say, according to city planner Troy Bliss.
Contact Reporter-Herald Staff Writer Craig Young at 970-635-3634 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him at twitter.com/CraigYoungRH.


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Reporting to mods really does work. Just a couple of days ago someone posted some wildly inaccurate medical advice, complete with underlining to emphasise her point. I reported it (and I suspect I wasn't the only one) the whole thread appears to have been deleted. I think that was appropriate in this case since that removes the chance of someone reading the advice and not seeing a moderation comment later in the thread.I agree with Oceanus that there's been a real increase in non-etiquette related threads, I just report and move on to the next thread.
You'll never get a group of diverse people getting along completely. I don't think it's targeting or trolling so much, it's more people having different attitudes and outlooks and posting their position in opposition to others. Although I agree there are certain posters who are guaranteed to disagree with specific posters, I think it's just a bit of 'oh there goes so and so again with her silly arguments, I'll oppose that view as usual.'. The opposite is also true, there's always posters who will support another posters view without fail too.
I think the rule is that the OP shouldn't purely be a vent/rant. However, I think you can present a situation for general discussion, with an implicit or explicit question of, "What do you guys think?" instead of the question needing to be, "Was I rude? How should I handle this situation in the future?"For example, I was recently at a workshop in which a participant was extremely rude to the presenter. I thought she handled his rudeness well. I think it would be okay for me to start a thread about this situation here, with the discussion being along the lines of, "Did she really handle it well? Was he actually rude? Has anyone else been in a similar situation, and how did you handle it?" I myself was just a witness to the event, and have no intention of being in either "active" role in the future, so it would be silly for me to contort things and add, "Was I rude? What should I do if something similar happens to me someday in the distant future?"Note that if everyone is in agreement with me--that the guy was rude, and the presenter handled it well--it might not be a very long or interesting thread. But I don't think another poster could legitimately tell me, "You shouldn't be posting that, there's no question!"
Good points, Moray and NyaChan.Regarding the Time for a Coffee Break section, I see that as more of a place for relaxing, innocuous, informative, and enjoyable threads. When I see threads there seeking family/relationship therapy, I tend to scroll and move on, no matter how they are camouflaged.
But I don't think another poster could legitimately tell me, "You shouldn't be posting that, there's no question!"
Quote from: Lynn2000 on February 26, 2013, 03:10:08 PMBut I don't think another poster could legitimately tell me, "You shouldn't be posting that, there's no question!"This is important to me. I didn't mean to come across as pompous in my post that I referred to, but I know I did. That bothers me & I will be cautious of that going forward. Again, I'm still soul searching. My own perspective and expectations are shifting. Appreciate being able to talk this out without getting blasted.
Actually, I had the same response as you did to that thread. Seemed like a vent to me, but then I figured the implied purpose was probably to have ehellions discuss the nature and extent of the rudeness, how the workers could have handled it, and to share stories of similar rudeness. Still, it can be hard to tell the difference between actual vents and stories told to open up discussion when some topics are let go, but others aren't.
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Four billion years ago, rivers and lakes dotted the surface of Mars, their waters reflecting puffy clouds drifting in a blue sky, scientist believe.
Now, it's a dry, rusty rock that's subject to fierce sandstorms, withering blasts of radiation and freezing temperatures that have frozen carbon dioxide to the planet's poles.
What happened?
That's the question NASA seeks to answer with the scheduled launch Monday of the MAVEN spacecraft.
Planetary scientists believe the answer lies high in the Martian atmosphere. Today, it's a thin layer of mostly carbon dioxide gas. But long ago, it may have been thick enough to host a life-friendly, even Earth-like, environment. If so, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission may reveal clues about where it all went.
Previous missions, from rovers to orbiters, have tried to see into Mars' past by examining the Red Planet's surface. But that only tells part of the story, said Bruce Jakosky, a planetary scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder and principal investigator for the MAVEN mission.
"If we want to understand Mars as a system, we need to include the role of the upper atmosphere," he said. "We can no longer just look at the geology and understand it in isolation."
Earth is flanked by two alternative worlds. On the side closer to the Sun is Venus, a planet with too much atmosphere, boiling away under thick layers of carbon dioxide. On the other side lies Mars, a planet with too little air shielding its cold, dead deserts.
"We think all three of those planets, when they formed, were not all that different," said Steven Lee, curator of planetary science at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Life arose on Earth because it's a "Goldilocks" case, protected by just the right amount of air.
Robotic explorers sent to Mars by NASA and other space agencies have already picked up many signs that water once flowed across the surface.
Scientists have identified craters that they think were once filled with lakes, along with clay minerals that must have been formed by exposure to water.
"I wouldn't be surprised if, for many tens of millions of years, Mars was a pretty friendly place with natural water, wind, waves and rain," said Paul Mahaffy, an atmospheric scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. who leads instruments on both MAVEN and the Curiosity rover. "But I think we just don't know."
MAVEN to study Mars' atmosphere
Four billion years ago, rivers and lakes dotted the surface of Mars, their waters reflecting puffy clouds drifting in a blue sky, scientist believe.


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One of the oddities of independent movie-making in America is that the people involved in the process always seem to be on the way to something else. Many—most, perhaps—seem independent more by circumstance than temperament; either they're just starting out, or they work in a genre that occupies too small a niche for mainstream producers, or maybe they're just bad. Whatever the reasons, even the noblest ones are often swept aside when the studios come by, riffling their fistfuls of dollars. Filmmakers leap into the Hollywood world, all the while promising to remember the world they left behind.
John Sayles is one of those who stayed. A seminal figure in the history of American indie cinema, Sayles has always been independent by design. Success as a writer-director came early, but Sayles has always parlayed his critical victories into further filmmaking opportunities instead of grabbing at easy money. His resulting filmography is an impressive list of socially conscious art-house favorites that spans more than three decades and deals with a wide variety of our national ills: racism, corruption, and the eternal problem of just living.
This Thursday, April 19 at 7 p.m., the filmmaker comes to Amherst Cinema for a special screening of his new film Amigo, presented in collaboration with Amherst College (in a nod to Sayles' multitude of talents, both the Department of English and the Program in Film and Media Studies are sponsors). Set during the Philippine-American War—an often-overlooked bit of our history—Sayles' newest work picks apart the backstory of that military conflict, which found soldiers who had signed up to help free oppressed Cubans suddenly ordered to fight Filipinos in order to deny them the same freedom.
Joel Torre stars as Rafael, the mayor of a U.S.-occupied village, who finds himself backed into a corner by Colonel Hardacre (Chris Cooper, an actor whose first film role was in Sayles' Matewan, 25 years ago), an American tasked with hunting down Filipino guerillas. As it happens, the head of the local guerillas is Rafael's brother Simon, which places Rafael in a tough spot, but one sadly familiar to anyone living in an occupied country.
Over at Pleasant Street Theater this week, Jiro Dreams of Sushi tells a remarkable story about Jiro Ono, the 85-year-old owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro—considered by many to be the world's greatest sushi destination, despite being located in a Tokyo subway station.
Defying the American real estate mantra of location, Jiro's success relies wholly on his artistry, not only in the plating of his dishes, but in the selection of the fish, and the behind-the-scenes preparation of the meats—the deboning and filleting so few of us do anymore. The payoff? A three-star Michelin review of his shop, and sushi pilgrims calling months in advance to secure a seat at his bar. Through it all, Jiro remains focused on his work, always striving to make the next dish his best. But Jiro's success—and his work ethic—also create problems for his eldest son Yoshikazu. Will he ever be given the chance to take over the shop? And given his father's reputation, is it wise even to try? As one bystander says, "Jiro's son needs to be twice as good just to be equal!"
Also this week: The 2001 Norwegian film Elling makes a long-delayed return trip to the Valley. The country's biggest box office hit is the tale of two grown men who meet in a state-run home. Assigned to live together in an apartment of their own, the pair must find a way to navigate a modern world they are decidedly unsure about. A gentler, quirkier Odd Couple, Elling and Kjell come to Pothole Pictures on Friday and Saturday, screening in Shelburne Falls' Memorial Hall.
Jack Brown can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Results 1 to 15 of 68
A Switchers guide to recommended free Apps to download to your new Mac
- Member Since
- Jan 27, 2007
- Location
- *Brisvegas*
- Posts
- 5,658
- Specs:
- 17 inch 2 GHz C2D imac (5,1) with 3GB DDR2 RAM, X1600 (128MB memory) GPU - OSX 10.6.3
Hi all,
I have been thinking. We have antivirus topics there and what to do as a new Mac user topics. But over and over in the help topics we recommend the same free software to people. So I am going to make a nice little list of what I think is some of the essential software each new mac user should seriously look into downloading for their Mac. Just to make their life easier.
Only free Apps will be listed here on the whole.
Perian - The swiss-army knife of QuickTime® components
Why to get it: This optional install allows the quicktime player (the main media player on the Mac) to play all kinds of weird and wonderful video types. And for those coming from the Windows side this will allow quicktime to play most of your media files you loved while using Windows.
Apple - Downloads - Video - Flip4Mac Windows Media Components for QuickTime
Why to get it: Perian described above is great. But it can not handle .wmv or .wma files. Those 2 file types are very common in the Windows environment. And this download allows those 2 file types to be played through Quicktime (The main media player on the Mac). There is only one catch here. Flip4Mac will only handle unencrypted .wmv and .wma files. Nothing I know of will allow you to play the encrypted ones on your Mac.
Click To Flash
Why to get it: Firstly I'd like to say the first web browser you should be using when you are new to the Mac is Apple's Safari. Even if you are a Safari fan on Windows I'd suggest to start the Mac experience off with Safari (which is included on every purchased Macintosh computer.) Then later on if you feel the need you can move to your favourite browser.
And what Click To Flash does is disables (in Safari) all the flash content when a webpage is loaded up. But as the name says you only need one click on the flash object to activate it. So with this download you access only the flash content you want to. And you don't have to waste bandwidth downloading pointless flash that is useless to you. One all but very useful download. It will enhance your web browsing experience through safari 100% over and more.
AdBlock for Safari
AdBlock for Safari
Why to get it: If you are sick of all the advertising in every webpage you visit in safari, then downloading and installing this will fix that problem. All of those ads will simply not be downloaded or appear on any page. Saving you bandwidth and making the web pages you visit look a whole prettier in the process.
Why to get it: As the website says:
"Mactracker provides detailed information on every Apple Macintosh computer ever made, including items such as processor speed, memory, optical drives, graphic cards, supported Mac OS versions, and expansion options. Also included is information on Apple mice, keyboards, displays, printers, scanners, digital cameras, iPod, Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, Wi-Fi Cards/Base Stations, Newton, and Mac OS versions."
How is this information useful you ask? Well this Application is like an encyclopaedia for every single Apple product ever released. So if you are ever unsure about any of the technical specs of the Mac computer you own now or have owned in the past, this Application has the information for you. Also if you ask a question on a Mac help website such as this one and they ask you for example "how much RAM does your computer have?" or "what CPU does your computer have?" or some other strange technical spec question you have the answers. They are all in this Application.
And as an added bonus most products listed in the Application have a detailed history of how the product came to be. Nice to know for anyone interested in this kind of thing.
Titanium's Software • Home
Why to get it: First I'll just begin by listing the website's info on what these 2 Applications are.
OnyX is a multifunction utility for Mac OS X which allows you to verify the Startup Disk and the structure of its System files, to run misc tasks of system maintenance, to configure some hidden parameters of the Finder, Dock, QuickTime, Safari, iTunes, Login window, Spotlight and many Apple's applications, to delete caches, to remove a certain number of files and folders that may become cumbersome and more.
Maintenance is a System Maintenance and Cleaning utility for Mac OS X which allows you to run misc tasks of system maintenance: repair permissions, run periodic scripts, reset Spotlight's Index, rebuild the LaunchServices database, delete Application, Font and System cache, check the status of the Hard disk...
Yes it true OS X (the Mac operating system) has very little issues with viruses, maleware, worms and trojans. So you can forget about antivirus on your Mac. You will not need it. But every one in a while it is nice to in a way clean your Mac and make sure it's running in tip top shape and these 2 applications do this task for you.
Onyx gives the user many different options to keep their Mac in tip top shape. And is also good as a tool if there is a very rare issue with your Mac.
Maintenance on the other hand is the same as Onyx but the Application is optimised to the point where you only have a few options. And in essence all you need to do is click start and it'll work it's magic on your Mac. This is the one of the 2 use mostly. It has less confusing options then Onyx does. Perfect for the new to the Mac person who just wants a simple one click to keep the Mac in tip top shape. I use this App about once a month give or take. It's not something you need to use every day. But every month or so whenever you can get around to it, use the Application and your Mac will thank you for it.
Thanks to TattooedMac - He suggests Main Menu.
This Application does the same things as Onyx/Maintenance does. Just another very nice free option to choose from.
Adium - Download
Why to get it: Social networking is a bug thing these days on the internet. And most people would be familiar with how you can chat to your friends on windows messenger or Yahoo chat IM or their favourite chat Application. For those who don't, this is a way through typed text to communicate to your friends or family be they next door or on the other side of the world. And you can have an almost real time text chat to them As long as they have an internet connection and a computer you can contact them.
But there are many many different chat programs/applications out there to chat to each other via the internet. And you need the same APplication as they do to chat to them. And this can get annoying as then you have to download the Application each person has and learn to use each different one. Annoying at the best of times. But Adium on the other hand can communicate to 18 of the world's most popular chat programs (or networks). So any of your friends or family are using one of these 18 applications to chat (and it's most likely they are) you only need to have this one Application Adium to chat to them all.
App Cleaner
Why to get it: Sure it's nice to install Applications. And use them, and have fun doing so. But there are times you want to remove APplications from your Mac. And sure you can drag the application or application folder to the trash and hit Empty trash from the finder's finder menu. But often little random files associated with the application are left on your Mac.
Most times these little files pose to threat to your Mac if they stay there. But it is nice to have the removed too. So all you have to do is drag the application you rant to remove onto the App Cleaner App and hit delete and it will remove the unwanted Application and all of it's associated files into the trash. You will still need to then go into the finder's finder menu and hot empty trash to permanently rid your computer of the files. But using the step with App Cleaner makes sure all of the unwanted parts are removed. A very handy service I would recommend.
AppDelete and AppZapper are in essence different Application with the same functionality as App Cleaner. But those two Applications are not free. I mention them as some people swear by them. I would say try the free one first and if you are happy with it's results then there's no need to purchase the paid applications. Personally I prefer AppZapper. But for 95% of things (in essence most of what people will do) App Cleaner does the job just fine.
Colloquy: IRC, SILC & ICB Client
Why to get it: Read the first post in this link below. It tells you exactly how to use and install Colloquy.
Also read the first post on this link below to explain the Mac-Forums IRC room.
This Application lets you enter internet chartrooms and chat to many people all at once. Like a big friendly chat. Our forums have one of these chartrooms set up. So if you are interested ask about it on the forums and I'm sure someone will be willing to help you through it all if you are interested.
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Disk Inventory X
Disk Inventory X
Why to get it: As the website says:
"If you've ever wondered where all your disk space has gone, Disk Inventory X will help you to answer this question."
This Application will give you a very nice visual representation of the contents of your hard drive. So you can find out if you have any files taking up too much space or anything. A very nice tool to have at your disposal.
The Unarchiver
The Unarchiver
Why to get it: I think the website explains this well.
"The Unarchiver is a much more capable replacement for "Archive Utility.app", the built-in archive unpacker program on Mac OS X. The Unarchiver is designed to handle many more formats than Archive Utility, and to better fit in with the design of the Finder. It can also handle filenames in foreign character sets, created with non-English versions of other operating systems. I personally find it useful for opening Japanese archives, but it should handle many other languages just as well."
This Application can expand almost every type of compressed file archive you will ever come across in your travels on your Mac. It's my unpacker application of choice.
UnRarX - Mac OS X RAR Extraction Utility
Why to get it: If you need to expand passworded .rar archives this is one of the only applications that constantly works for me. If you have no need to expanded passworded .rare archives then don't bother downloading this Application. As The Unarchiver above does pretty much everything. I and a lot of people I know need this app "UnrarX" for this one feature. That's why it's listed here.
istat Pro
istat Pro, a dashboard widget by iSlayer
Why to get it: From the website:
"iStat Pro is a highly configurable widget that lets you monitor every aspect of your Mac, including CPU, memory, disks, network, battery, temperatures, fans, load & uptime and processes. iStat Pro can do it all."
So if you need to check things like fan speeds or chip temperatures or bandwidth being used you can do it very easily.
And the link below explains exactly what a widget is and now to use them.
Mac OS X 10.6 Help: Dashboard and widgets
Why to get it: here is the wikipedia article on the application. This explains exactly what the Application is and does.
I know this Application os very popular and is widely recommended. But personally I would try to learn and understand the Mac system if you are new to it before trying this Application out. And when you are relatively familiar with how OS X (The Mac's System) runs and how to use it then you can try this application. It's a personal thing. Some people love it. Others don't ever use it. But this Application very often tops the best free Mac application lists over and over. And for a good reason too. It's a darn good application. Just not for everyone.
My recommendation hereis play with the finder first as it is out of the box. Give it a week or so. Maybe longer, it up to you. Then feel free to try this application if you want to.
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If you feel another application needs to be in this guide let me know soon (before the ability to edit posts goes away for the original posts, and I'll add your app in).
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have a look at these links, and see if any make the grade
15 Must-Have Free Apps For Your Mac & Giveaway
Most Popular Free Mac Downloads of 2010Member of the Month September 2008 & August 2012 | Found advice useful? use the rep system
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Thanks louishen.
I'll take a look at those links now. And to let you know I'm aiming at the free App market here for my posts. But if anything from those posts stands out I'll be sure to add it in. And thank you
And as a specific point of interest. I don't use Quicksilver. But I know a lot of Mac users do. But I'm not 100% certain it's the best thing for a "new to the mac" person. As you get the Quicksilver interface and not Apple's standard interface. I could add it in as a note to say learn the default finder interface and become familiar with it first. But I dunno. I'll have to think about that one.
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Excellent post!
12-29-2010, 05:24 PM #7chas_mGuest
Yes, bravo!
I'd like to add the suggestion of Skype to the list. I personally prefer iChat and FaceTime for video-calling, but Skype works very well with PCs -- particularly older ones -- and offers the option of calling real phones (and more) for a nominal fee. I've just now switched my entire home telephone setup to Skype, and bought an incoming number AND unlimited North America calls -- for a grand total of $60/year.
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Ill have to add on MainMenu 1.7.4.
MainMenu is a lot like OnyX~Titanium Software. This .v is the free version so dont update it as it will update to the 2.1.1 paid version.
The reason i add this is because i believe for a *switcher* MM is so much easier to use than onyX. To many times a switcher has said they dl it and didnt know how to set onyX up and now there system isnt working ....
MM is easy to set up and then just sits in the menu bar for quick accessibility.
I liked it to the point of buying it. onyX i believe is for people that know what there doing ... Still a great App though.
.. Don't have time to run all the various tools and scripts to keep your Mac running smoothly? MainMenu makes these tasks quick and easy, right from your menubar.
Rebuilding your Spotlight library for faster searching, repairing permissions, cleaning caches to improve application performance, and even more advanced settings - such as enabling and disabling the Dashboard - are no more than two clicks away.
MainMenu is full of powerful maintenance tools to keep your Mac running like new, within a slick, simplistic interface.
Dont forget to use the Reputation System if someone has helped you out !!!
Arguing with a zealot is only slightly easier than tunneling through a mountain with your forehead!!!!!
MoTM ☆☆☆
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TattooedMac - I added in Main Menu in my first post.
And I agree with your point with Onyx about how it can be a little complicated for the new to the Mac user. That's why for them I recommend Maintenance over Onyx for them.
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Quicksilver is a great launcher and it is what I use all the time. Two really good articles on how powerful Quicksilver actually is (beyond a launcher)
Hack Attack: A beginner's guide to Quicksilver
(this second one has other programs but he uses a combo of quicksilver, dropbox and geektool to display his todo list)
5 Amazing Mac Apps for Getting Things Done (Plus a Custom-Rigged Setup) | zen habits
More free stuff
Windows Utilities you might miss when switching
Better Touch Tool
Downloads (SecondBar & BetterTouchTool) » BetterTouchTool & SecondBar
Tired of just the default gestures that Apple gives you? Better touch tool allows you to configure multitouch to your heart's content. Also has the windows snapping of Windows 7.
For all the windows 7 taskbar lovers. In beta currently but works well.
istats menu 2
Monitor your Mac like your Windows Box.
iStat Menus 2.0 for Mac free Download
Free version is 2.0. 3.0 adds a lot of good features but is rather steep in price. They had a sale when it first released.
iStat Menus, a Mac app by Bjango
They also make dashboard widgets
iStat Pro, a Dashboard Widget by iSlayer
iStat nano, a Dashboard Widget by iSlayer
FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, Cloud Files, Google Docs & Amazon S3 Browser for Mac & Windows.
FTP,SFTP,Webdav client. One of the few I've found that uses rsa key authentication
*NIX and Free/Open Source stuff
Macports and Fink
For the Linux switchers. Package managers - gets you a lot the FOSS software for your Mac.
The MacPorts Project -- Home
Fink - Home
And for Linux switchers you'll want to install xcode and X11.
Apple Developer
Shell Here
To get a shell in the directory you are in try Shell Here.
Download ShellHere 1.0.5 Free - Open a new Terminal window from Finder - Softpedia
Text editors for masochists and linux switchers
macvim - Project Hosting on Google Code
Aquamacs: Emacs for Mac OS X
Tag files with keywords - makes it easier to find files in Spotlight
For laptop users: to set the video card you want
gfxCardStatus - cody krieger
Access your Exchange 2003 server through OWA. Allows you to use any CalDav, CardDav, and IMAP or Pop email client. Although there is built in support in iCal, Address Book, and Mail for Exchange 2007 - there is no support for 2003. This allows you to use the default apps in Mac with Exchange 2003. (Or you could use Thunderbird, Eudora, Sunbird, etc)
DavMail POP/IMAP/SMTP/Caldav/Carddav/LDAP Exchange Gateway
Remote access
Chicken of the VNC
Chicken of the VNC | Download Chicken of the VNC software for free at SourceForge.net
Or Mac screensharing
cmd-space -> screen sharing
Windows RDC
Remote Desktop connection is Windows' way to view your desktop from another computer.
Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac | Office For Mac
Team Viewer
TeamViewer - Free Remote Access and Remote Desktop Sharing over the Internet
Keyboard/Mouse share between any computer/OS.
Synergy - Welcome - Synergy
Mac OS X Synergy Configurator | Download Mac OS X Synergy Configurator software for free at SourceForge.net
VLC media player
Play just about anything. Perian and Flip4Mac also cover this for Quicktime - but I have VLC on every computer no matter the OS.
VideoLAN - VLC media player for Mac OS X
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Handbrake - convert video to to .mp4 and .m4v iTunes format
Applejack - clean the OS cache, fix disk permissions, etc in single user mode
NeoOffice/Open Office Org - free office platform
Virtual Box - free virtualization software (run Linux, Windows, etc without rebooting)
Gimp - photo editing application with many Photoshop features
Thunderbird - email program that can allow you to import MS Outlook .pst files into Apple Mail
doubleTwist - sync your iTunes library and play lists with your Android deviceNever judge a man, untill you have walked a mile in his shoes...
That way you'll be a mile away from him, and you'll have his shoes.
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I really like this, thanks everyone for adding to it.
I'd like to make it a sticky since I do think this is a valuable resource, but I want to wait until the Mac App store is released to tie the links to that (if it's possible...not sure yet?).
But let's keep adding to the list so we can have a good, comprehensive overview by mid-January.schweb | community leader
flickr » facebook » twitter » tumblr » google+ » about.me
Mac-Forums: On Twitter | On Facebook | On Flickr
Splendid!!!Don't believe anything I tell you, unless it is consistent with what you already know to be true, or unless you have taken the time to research the matter to prove its accuracy to your satisfaction. This is known as "doing your homework."
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Secondly I wanted to do more then just a simple list of apps. I wanted to tell the people new to the Mac what each App does and why they should download it. Sure you can google up many app lists. But very few go into detail as to why a new Mac user should have them.
Thirdly I'm not putting in things like firefox or thunderbird. Sure they are great apps. But as many people have said in many switcher topics here it's best to use the Apple versions (safari and mail for example) first. So they can get a good feel as to how things are done on the Mac. Later on they can switch to whatever apps they want. But as an initial learning tool having all their apps with the same layout can help them more easily become familiar with the OS X layout of things.
I could have a separate list for Alternatives to Apple Apps. And have FF as the safari alternative and TB as the mail alternative etc etc. That might work.
And lastly all of the apps on my list are free. We could have a paid list too if you wanted.
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Or don't. It really doesn't effect my paycheck one way or the other...Never judge a man, untill you have walked a mile in his shoes...
That way you'll be a mile away from him, and you'll have his shoes.
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These are actually really comfortable (surprisingly). The open-toe and a bit of a platform make them really easy to walk in (well, relatively... for heels of this height at least).
Of course, keeping with the whole V-Day/Anniversary/Love theme, I added some "love" of my own to the look.
shoes: Valentino
pants: 7 For All Mankind (similar)
top: Club Monaco (similar)
"love" bracelet: Anthropologie (similar)
bag: Louis Vuitton
I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the week and Valentine's Day!
post contains affiliate links


text:
Wilmington, Delaware is home to a charming dreamy couple of Shoegazers who call themselves
The Sky Drops. The Sky Drops are Rob Montejo and Monika Bullette. You may remember Rob from the area's former Shoegaze band who had made a name for themselves worldwide, Smashing Orange. Smashing Orange are no more and Rob has teamed up with Monika to carry on his own blend of dreamy laced Shoegaze with a side of grungy rock for a bit of a kick. Monika has previously sang and played drums for the bands Nero and Licorice Roots. Between the two, you'll find that they make all of the noise that's needed. Monika plays drums and sings while Rob does his thing on guitar and vocals.
The following is a video of their song "Hang On" from the band's debut EP, Clouds Of People.
The Sky Drops put out their first release in 2006 with an EP called Clouds Of People on Fridabear Records. The EP was strong enough to garner them worldwide attention and praise. Eventually, The Sky Drops put out a full length album in August of 2009 called Bourgeois Beat again earning them respect amongst the Dream and Shoegaze set around the world.
Set for a March 29, 2011 release is a new EP called Making Mountains which will be released on Custom Made Music. This will be released as a beautiful 12″ LP with a gorgeous silk screened cover. The album is limited to 100 copies, each being hand numbered. It will only be available either at their live shows or through Custom Made Music. If you order from the label, they will be $10 US or $20 internationally which includes all shipping fees. They are bound to go fast so don't sit on these! Pre-order today for a March 29th mailing. You can send your payment using Paypal to email@example.com to ensure you reserve yourself a copy.
The track listing is as follows:
(Not necessarily in this order.)
Cut That Corner
Explain It To Me
Out The Window
Also, if you are in any of these areas, you can catch The Sky Drops live at these following locations. They always put on a pleasant set so do try to make it out if you can.
The Sky Drops Spring Tour 2011:
Plaza del Sol
w/ Digging Up V & Middles
Saturday 26 March 2011
Norfolk, Virginia
Bruar Falls
w/ Golden Animals, The Sunshine Factory, Help, & Recess
Thursday 14 April 2011
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York
Deep Heaven Now 3 Festival
Saturday 16 April 2011
Somerville, Massachusetts
Austin Psych Fest
Saturday 30 April 2011
Austin, Texas
The Metro Gallery
Friday, 17 June 2011
w/ Thrushes, Sleepy Vikings & Young Jaguars
Baltimore, Maryland
*If anyone can help with bookings for the following shows listed below, please contact the band via The Sky Drops' email address email@example.com as soon as possible.
Booking now – (subject to change):
Wednesday April 27 – New Orleans
Thursday April 28 – Houston
Tuesday May 3 – Des Moines
Wednesday May 4 – Minneapolis
Thursday May 5 – Chicago
Friday May 6 – Cleveland
Saturday May 7 – Pittsburgh
Here is just a taste of what to expect from the upcoming Making Mountains EP, courtesy of The Sky Drops and their new label, Custom Made Music. Be sure to reserve your copy now, set to ship on March 29, 2011. They are sure to go fast and are limited to 100 hand numbered copies with silk screened covers!
Free download from The Sky Drops of "Explain It To Me" from the new Making Mountains EP:
The Sky Drops – "Explain It To Me"
The Sky Drops
The Sky Drops on MySpace
The Sky Drops on Facebook
The Sky Drops on Last.FM
The Sky Drops on Twitter
Custom Made Music


text:
The South Tama/East Marshall girls soccer team recently celebrated its season with a banquet in conjunction with the boys soccer program.
The soccer teams hosted their dual banquet in the STC cafeteria and had desserts along with the brief program. Head coach Bob McBain talked for a minute or two about the season before handing out certificates, letters and other awards.
"We improved every game," McBain said. "We played some very tough competition. We did not win a game, but eight of the 16 teams we played were ranked. That competition we played against was top tier. We have a promising future.
"The best game of the season we played was the very last game," he added. "We probably out played Independence, but lost 2-0. We were winning loose balls, out hustled them and out muscled them. They were bigger and faster, but we never let them get into a rhythm."
The STC/EM girls soccer team was very young this spring. The Lady Trojans had only three seniors, while many freshmen and sophomores played significant varsity minutes. McBain hopes that the experience gained this year will help in 2014.
"Next year, we will have another year of experience and we get most of the girls back," McBain said. "Hopefully we can get some eighth graders out and we'll be a very solid program moving forward."
The only awards given out at the banquet were All-Academic NICL awards. Three players earned the honor. They were Araceli Angel, Grace Kavalier and Hailee Weiss.


text:
In the meantime here's good update--looking at possible long-term risk and contamination issues--from The Environmental News Network:
"The Marcellus Shale, encompassing 104,000 square miles across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and upstate New York, is the largest source of natural gas in the US. Since 2008, hydraulic fracturing has been used to release and capture the shale gas for energy consumption. The use of hydrofracking has been highly disputed, and recent findings by Duke University further display the harmful impacts of fracking.
According to Avner Vengosh, professor of geochemistry and water quality at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment, high concentrations of radioactivity, salts, and metals have been found downstream from a wasterwater treatment plant in a western Pennsylvania creek. The plant is used to remove specific metals from hydraulic wastewater, but the Duke team found that certain metals, such as chlorides and bromides, haven't been successfully removed. In fact, they contribute to four-fifths of the total downstream chloride flow.
"The treatment removes a substantial portion of the radioactivity, but it does not remove many of the other salts, including bromide," Vengosh said. "When the high-bromide effluents are discharged to the stream, it increases the concentrations of bromide above the original background levels. This is significant because bromide increases the risks for formation of highly toxic disinfection byproducts in drinking water treatment facilities that are located downstream."
Furthermore, the amount of radioactivity that has accumulated in the river sediments exceeds the thresholds for safe disposal of radioactive materials, according to Vengosh. They are above management regulations in the US and would only be accepted at a licensed radioactive disposal facility. "Years of disposal of oil and gas wastewater with high radioactivity has created potential environmental risks for thousands of years to come," said Vengosh.
"While water contamination can be mitigated by treatment to a certain degree, our findings indicate that disposal of wastewater from both conventional and unconventional oil and gas operations has degraded the surface water and sediments," said Nathaniel R. Warner, a recent Ph.D. graduate of Duke who is now a postdoctoral researcher at Dartmouth College. "This could be a long-term legacy of radioactivity."
Despite current wastewater treatment plants and efforts made to transport the wastewater to deep injection wells, wastewater is still discharged into the environment in several locations, allowing radioactive sediments to leach into downstream waters."
Read more from Duke University.