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School board to meet
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education meets at 7 p.m. at 148 *. Binkley Street in Soldotna (unless otherwise noted).
For more information, call 714-8888 or visit http://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/school_board.aspx?id=13414. The agenda and packet items are posted on Wednesday afternoon prior to the date of the Board meeting.
Persons with disabilities who need accommodations to participate at School Board meetings should contact Sally Tachick at 907-714-8836, or e-mail email@example.com no later than three business days before the meeting date.
* May 7, 2012 (Meeting to be held at Seward High School);
* June 4, 2012;
* June 5, 2012 (Board Planning Session)
Email email@example.com to make a comment about any item on the current agenda (comments will be reviewed for appropriateness and length). Comments will be shared during the Board meeting by the Board president. Send a request message to firstname.lastname@example.com if you would like an email subscription to the School Board agendas as soon as they become available.
Scholarships available for students statewide
The Alaska Community Foundation is notifying current and incoming college students statewide of several scholarship opportunities available for a variety of study areas and student types, many of which have deadlines for application in the coming weeks.
For more information about these scholarships, including eligibility requirements and criteria, please visit the foundation's website at http://www.alaskacf.org/GrantOpportunities/ScholarshipListing/tabid/180/Default.aspx.
* The Frank and Carol Pinkerton Scholarship
The Frank and Carol Pinkerton Orchestral String Instrument Scholarship is available to all Alaska high school seniors committed to obtaining a college or university degree in music education with an emphasis in string instruments. The Pinkertons created the scholarship to ensure that future generations have the resources to pursue music careers as educators. The scholarship helps cover the cost of tuition, musical instruction or other musical expenses and may be renewed up to three times, totaling four years, provided there is sufficient funding.
Criteria: Applicants must be in good academic standing with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and be enrolled full-time by the beginning of the semester in which the awarded funds are to be used.
Deadline to apply: May 1, 2012.
Amount: up to $1,500
* Shelly Szepanski Memorial Flight Scholarship
The Shelly Szepanski Memorial Flight Scholarship was founded in remembrance of Szepanski, a wildlife biologist, outdoor enthusiast and passionate pilot. The scholarship assists women earning their private or commercial instrument flight ratings who are pursuing flying as a part of a science-related degree program.
Criteria: Interested applicants must have passed the Federal Aviation Administration written flight test and medical exam and be enrolled in a science related degree program. Awardees from the previous year are eligible to apply.
Deadline to apply: June 15, 2012
Amount: up to $5,000
* Jim Snead Memorial Scholarship
The Jim Snead Memorial Scholarship fund was established at The Alaska Community Foundation to honor the memory of Jim Snead, a respected businessman in Anchorage for more than 20 years.
Criteria: The scholarship is available to students pursuing a post-secondary education in an accredited vocational school, college or university with a concentration in transportation, business, international business or related industries.
Deadline to apply: April 20, 2012
Amount: $1,000 - $1,500
Established in 1995, the Alaska Community Foundation grants more than $5 million a year to charitable projects and nonprofit organizations across the state. ACF is comprised of over 280 component funds and endowments, including the Seward Community Foundation, the Alaska Disaster Recovery Fund, the Anchorage Schools Foundation, the Alaska Children's Trust and many others. ACF's mission is to grow philanthropy and connect people who care with causes that matter. The foundation helps individuals, organizations and communities create funds that - like the Alaska Permanent Fund - provide financial resources to improve the quality of life in Alaska now and forever. For more information visit www.alaskacf.org or call 907-334-6700.
Community service earns college scholarships
The Soldotna Rotary Club will be offering several $1,000.00 scholarships to graduating seniors from Connections Home School, Cook Inlet Academy, Skyview, Soldotna, and Ninilchik High Schools.
Again this year the Soldotna Rotary Scholarships are based on the Rotary Motto of "Service Above Self." Recipients will be selected based on community service performed by the applicant during their high school career. Applications are available at school councilors or the office of Foster Construction. Applications must be received by April 16 2012. Grade Point Average or parental financial information is not required.
Submit applications and two letters of recommendation to:
Soldotna Rotary Club Scholarships
P.O. Box 303 Soldotna, AK 99669
Workforce development offers academies
The following after school academies are available for all local high school students and are free:
There will be a construction academy coming up sometime in April at The Workforce Development Center. Dates and times TBA. If a student successfully completes any of the 60-hour academies they are eligible to receive a half practical art credit. Transportation may be provided if needed. To sign up contact your counselor or call Debbie Pearson at 283-2145 or email email@example.com. Funding for the Alaska Construction Academies comes from a grant from the AK Department of Labor and Workforce Development, The Ak Dept of Commerce and Economic Development and The AK Youth First Program.
Cook Inlet Academy
* Preschool/K1 Visitation for prospective families will be held today at 1PM.
* Annual Spring Carnival will be held on Friday, April 20th at 6PM.
* We will be utilizing the Sycamore Calendar as our main way of communicating to you what is happening at CIA. There will still be a small amount of information coming to you via email, but our main source of communication will be the calendar. In order to see the calendar, you need to sign in to your Sycamore acct, and on the Home Page, click on "School" in the left hand column, and then click on "Calendar". When the calendar opens, you can click on any event listed to see if there are more details given. There are so many important things listed on the calendar, and you won't want to miss going there to find out what's happening! CIA is such a busy place, and with a calendar that lists all events happening, we are hoping for less scheduling conflicts. Please make it a habit to check the calendar so you know what's going on! If you need your username and password, please call the office! We know that this is all new, and anything new takes awhile to get used to, but we think it will make communicating much more effective overall.
Connections Home-school
Connections is now enrolling for the 2012/13 school year! Call the office at 714-8880 to make an appointment.
Reminder -Deadline for submitting reimbursements is April 30th. Please note that we are not able to make any exceptions to this date.
The 2nd Annual "Connections Home School's Got Talent Show" will be held April 19th at 5:30 pm. Admission is free. For anyone interested in participating in this event, please contact Mark Wackler at 714-8880 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
The Scholastic Book Fair (buy one get one free) will be this week from April 9 - 13. Stop by and get your books for summer reading!!
Connnections Homeschool is on Facebook, and we want to connect with you there! Find us at "Connections Homeschool http://on.fb.me/FacebookConnectionsHomeschool.
IDEA Homeschool
Enrollment is snow available for the 2012-13 school year. Visit our website www.ideafamilies.org for information on how IDEA can meet your educational needs or call our Red Diamond Center office at 260-7555.
The annual Curriculum Fair is here! Join us on Wednesday at the Kalifornsky Christian Center on K- Beach Road from 10am to 5pm. Over 40 vendors from outside Alaska and our local providers will be available to visit with, view their products and participate in their learning workshops. This year's keynote speaker is a long-term homeschool mom who will delight you with her wisdom and humour. IDEA families receive admission to the fair for free and non-IDEA families are welcome for $15.00/ person. For more information visit our website or call the office.
IDEA families please check the calendar on the website to see all of the upcoming events for spring and summer.
Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science
The next PTA meeting will be held, Thursday, April 19th, at 4pm. Elections results will be announced and the new Board will be seated for the 2012-2013 school year.
The 3rd- 6th grade students will be traveling by bus to the Anchorage Symphony and Museum Tuesday, April 17th. Please have your student here by 7:00 a.m. They will return to the school at 7:30 p.m.
New Parent Informational meetings will be held April 23rd at 6:00 p.m. and May 2nd at 8:00 a.m. These meetings are for all families new to Kaleidoscope this year, plus all families that have gone through our lottery, who have not yet attended a meeting. Please choose the one that works best for your schedule and plan to attend.
We will have school on April 20th to make up the snow day we had this winter. There will be many fun activities that day. We will start the day with Celebrity Spirit Day. Come dressed up as your favorite celebrity. The day will end with an After Testing Fun Night for the 3rd-6th grade students from 5:30pm-10:30pm. This event will raise funds for a KCHS student that is having some medical issues right now.
Kalifornsky Beach Elementary
This Friday, April 20, there will be no school for K-Beach Elementary.
Welcome Artist in residence Liz Siskowic - Focusing on Art and Writing projects with our students. Ms. Siskowic will be here for 5 weeks.
The book fair will be open from 8:00 - 3:00, Monday - Thursday this week. It is a buy one, get one free sale!
If you missed Kindergarten Visitation, you may still pre-register for next fall. Your child must be 5 years old before Sept. 1 in order to register for Kindergarten. Please stop by the office to pick up an enrollment packet.
Congratulations to Sadie Hutchings, Masonic Award winner for K-Beach Elementary School. The Masonic Awards are this Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Kenai Central High School.
Kenai Central High
All 8th grade students that are interested in attending Kenai Central High School next year are invited to Freshmen Night. Freshmen Night is at 6:00 on Tuesday in the Little Theater.
This is an excellent opportunity for incoming freshmen to learn about the activities and courses offered at KCHS.
The District Band Solos will be held at KCHS on Wednesday, April 18th from 5:30 to 7:30 in the Auditorium. Please stop by for a wonderful evening of music.
Congratulations to the following students for being selected as student of the month for March.
Rotary - Morgan Wensley; Chamber - Bo Reilly; Elks - Liberty Rhon; Kard-of-the-deck Shawn Fortune; Super-Staffer- Rick Frederick; Physical Science - Hannah Davis; Biology - Tom Randall; Study Skills - Mason Lloyd; Health - Travis Cooper; US History/AK Studies/Government - Jessica Ramos-Cortes; LA 10 - Kier Wilshusen; Performing Arts/Music/Choir - Selia Butler; Algebra - Dylan Carter; Lifetime Fitness 9th - Jonathon Evans; Sculpture - Joey (Joseph) Vicere; Welding Fabrication - Mike Lott; Study Skills - Garrett Dominick; Calculus - Bo Reilly; LA 9 - Ashley Maxson; Spanish 4 - Russell Dukowitz; AP US History - Mackenzie Mageria
The KCHS Spring Choir Concert is Tuesday, April 17, 2012 at 7:00 PM. The KCHS Choir will present their 41st annual Spring Concert during which they will present a large variety from pieces by Haydn to the World Premier of a new piece by Ola Gjeilo, the young Norwegian composer whose new compositions are literally sweeping the world. 'Tundra' has quickly become a KCHS favorite. And don't miss the closer, 'The Awakening' with a 26-piece orchestra. It's could be a wow! In addition, there will be solos by Selia Butler, Faren Calix, a duet and many more "feasts for the ears." Do come spend an evening with the KCHS Choir, Tuesday, the 17 at 7:00pm - you just might enjoy it! Tickets are $3.00 for adults and $1.00 for students. For more information contact Ms. Henderson.
Kenai Middle
The TreeRing Corporation will be making our yearbook again this year. You can add your own photos, share your pages/photos with your friends, and customize your yearbook. The cost of our yearbook is $20.99. If you would like to order one please go to: www.treering.com; Click on the register button; Enter our school's passcode: 101283205764347. The last day to order yearbooks is tomorrow. If you have any other questions please call the office at 283-1700.
As this year draws to a close we are planning our annual mini-course program and award day activities. Our annual eighth grade farewell will be held Friday, May 18th, at 8:00 a.m. in the gym. Mini courses will be held on Monday, May 21st, and Tuesday, May 22nd. The school-wide barbecue and awards assembly will be held on Wednesday, May 23rd.
It's time for our annual aluminum can drive! Students that bring in 5lbs of crushed aluminum cans on April 19th or 20th get to choose their end-of-the-year mini-course activities first. Please have your student bring in their bags of cans to the back of the school and drop them off at the loading dock with their name on the bags. If you don't have a student at KMS, and would like to donate cans, we would all donations, also! Thanks again!
April 20th is a snow make-up day for all Kenai Middle students and staff. School will start at the same time, 7:45am and will end at 2:27pm.
Mountain View Elementary
Spring pictures will be taken on Monday, April 16. Every student will be photographed and photos will be sent home at a later date. If you choose not to purchase the photos you may return them to school.
There will be a PTA meeting on Monday, April 16 at 4:00 PM in the Library.
Applications are available for the 2012-2013 Mountain View Pre-K Program.
Screenings will be held at the Kenai Cultural Center on April 20. In order to be considered, a child must be 4 years old by September 1, 2012 and have a completed application returned to Mountain View Elementary. Screenings will be scheduled when applications are brought back to the school. For information please call 283-8600.
The Kindergarten concert is scheduled for Friday, April 27 at 2:15 PM in the gym at Mountain View.
Congratulations to Shanna Anderson on being Mountain View Elementary's Masonic Award nominee.
We are now accepting registrations for 2012-2013 Kindergarten students. Children must be 5 years old on or before September 1st. Please bring in a birth certificate and up-to-date immunization records. Call 283-8600 for more information.
Muchas Gracias to our fabulous volunteers! We will be having our annual volunteer luncheon on Tuesday, April 24 from 11:45 - 1:15 in the Mountain View Elementary. Please RSVP by April 20 by calling 283-8600.
Nikiski Middle-High
* Monday, April 16 - Boys and Girls Varsity Soccer @ the Dome vs. Grace Christian High School. Girls @ 11:00 a.m. Boys @ 12:30 p.m.
* Tuesday, April 17 - Middle School Mass Choir @ Kenai Middle School - 7:00 p.m.
* Thursday, April 19 - Middle School Track @ Soldotna Middle School Invite
* Saturday, April 21 - Promenade - 6:00 pm. At the Nikiski Middle High School Auditorium.
* Saturday, April 21 - Prom @ Kenai Senior Center
Time : 8:00 p.m. - Midnight
Cost : $25 person or $45 couple
Tickets are on sale at the school office
Congratulations to the following outstanding students who were selected as the Elks Student of the Month:
March : Syndey Spurgeon
April : Doogun Seater
Nikiski Middle High School Theater/Arts class will be presenting George M. Performances will be April 23 and April 24 at 7:00 p.m. Also on May 4 and May 5 @ 7:00 p.m. George M is directed by Joe Rizzo and Choreographed by Chris Morin. Tickets available at the door.
Nikiski North Star Elementary
Today is the beginning of Volunteer Appreciation Week! There will be a volunteer appreciation tea today at 3:45 pm in the library. We hope you can "pop in" for a great time of refreshments and entertainment so we can say thank you for everything you do for NNS.
The NNS Site Council is now accepting applications to become a member on the NNS Site Council for the 2012-2013 school year. The purpose of the Council is to give input and guidance to the school and serves as a resource, sounding board, and core for communication between the many areas of our school. If you are interested, contact the school for more information.
Pre-Kindergarten applications are available at the front office and online at the NNS website. Children must be screened and be 4 years old by September 1, 2012 to determine if they qualify. Screenings are scheduled for April 27th. Appointments for the screenings will be made when you return your application to the NNS office.
Hershey Track and Field Day is May 18th at Nikiski High School. Deadline to registar is Monday, April 23rd.
Kindergarten registration and orientation will be held on Tuesday, April 24th. You may choose to attend at either 9:30 - 11:00 or 1:00 - 2:30. If your child will be five years old by September 1st bring them along to have some fun while you enroll them at NNS. Don't forget to bring immunization records, birth certificates, and any legal custody papers. If you have any questions, please call 776-2600 for more information.
Redoubt Elementary
There will be a kindergarten visitation for children beginning kindergarten this fall and their parents on Thursday, April 19, from 9:15 - 10:15 AM. Incoming kindergartners will visit classrooms and parents will attend a get-acquainted meeting in the library. Current kindergartners will start school late that day at 11:00 AM.
In recognition of the school's many wonderful volunteers, the school will be celebrating
Volunteer Appreciation Week this week.
Yearbooks are for sale for $15 and will arrive in May. A limited number of yearbooks will be available. Pre-order to reserve your copy.
2012-13 Title I Pre-Kindergarten Program applications are available at the school office and website. Pre-kindergartners must by 4 years old by September 1, 2012 and live in the Redoubt attendance area. Parents who apply will be contacted this spring to schedule an initial assessment for the program.
There will be no school on Friday, April 20, a vacation day for students.
Mrs. Caston's kindergarten class needs 500 empty, clean milk jugs (with lids) for a class project. Donations will be greatly appreciated.
Skyview High
April Rotary Students of the Month will be treated to a pizza lunch Wednesday, provided by the Soldotna Rotary Club. Congratulations to Savannah Anchinges, Walter Baxter, Trace Braxling, Carlos Casares, Matt Davis, Elissia Dobbs, Taylor Kisbaugh, Cheyanne Laber, Sarah Pearson, Jesse Scott, Michael Tucker, and Dylan Webb.
Prom is Saturday from 8-11 pm in the commons, with Promenade beginning in the gym at 7 pm. The cost of Prom is $35.00 per person and tickets are on sale during lunch. Promenade admission is $2.00 at the door. Prom guest sign-up forms are due to Mr. Cotton by the end of the school day on April 17.
Academic and Senior Awards Night will take place Wednesday, May 9, from 7:00-8:00 pm in the commons. Seniors wishing to be included in the awards night presentations must submit their scholarship information to Mrs. Madden by Friday, May 4.
Check out Skyview's blog at http://skyviewhighschool.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us for calendars, sports information, announcements, newsletters and other school happenings.
Soldotna High
The Soldotna High School Child Development Course will be having a free daycare. Children must be potty trained and age 2-5. Child Development students will plan activities, snacks, and mentor children. The daycare will run 5/10 and 5/11 from 12:15-2:15. Parents must pre-enroll their children. Please contact firstname.lastname@example.com for more info or fill out the attached enrollment form. Space is limited.
All students 9th-12th are invited to participate in the 2nd annual Alaska Construction Career Day for Kenai Peninsula High School Teens on May 1st at the Soldotna Sports Center. For more information and for permission slips, please visit the counseling office.
The KPBSD Federal Programs department is in the process of renewing and revising the Plan of Service for English Language Learners. Part of the process requires feedback from parents, teachers, and community. The following link provides access to the draft Plan of Service for the 2012-2013 year, as well as an online feedback form. Using the online form will send the feedback directly to the ELL Office. We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions!
Soldotna Middle
Congratulations to the Students of the Month for March!
Language Arts - Sheila Barbour; Reading - Issac Estes, Krista Cornelius; Science - Caitlan Gibbons, Kianna Steadman; Algebra - Emily Boone; Math - Jayce Kemp, Harlin Perkovich, Isaac Estes, Destiny Ortmann, Carmen Kelly, Skyler Williamson; Math Study Skills - Dalton Antila, Kylee Pollard; Study Skills - Richard Topp, Hunter Johnson, Savanah Hutchens; Health - Olivia Hutchings; Physical Education - Stephanie Dolan, Bonnie Dile, Felipe Hernandez; Construction - Claire McElroy, Bryanna Beyer; Exploratory Shop - Mathphia McEntire, Kaelyn Birch; Woods 1 - Karissa Bussdieker; Woods 2 - Russell Yurcina; Jobs - Mathphia McEntire; Spanish I - Wade Rosin, Madison Willets; Spanish II - Michaelah Stramecky; Band - Kianna Steadman, Brandon McCormick; Choir - Shayla Hardcastle, Rachel Thomas; Drumline - Hunter Emery; Yearbook - Jackson Larson; Robotics - Caitlan Gibbons; Business and Information - Jayvan Blackwell, Annie Quinn; Explorations - Terence Slats; Photo 1 - Maija Albertson; Homeroom - Tyler Covey, Amber McDonald.
SBA Testing is complete. Great job to all students and staff!
No School at SMS on Friday, April 20.
Last Fortnightly for this school year is scheduled for Friday, April 27 from 6 - 8 pm.
Spartan Track and Field Schedule:
* Thursday, April 19, 2012 - Soldotna Invite @ Soldotna Middle School - 3pm
Soldotna Montessori
Students in first, second and third grade are combining poetry with studies about the season of Spring. Guest speakers from Poppy Lane Flowers and the Department of Fish and Game will be working with the students. Students in second and third grades are also continuing their study of marine habitat as they prepare for their overnight trip to the Seward Sea Life Center.
Kindergarten students are continuing their study of the continent of Africa. Next week, they will finish up with Africa and travel to South America. They will be spending next Tuesday traveling as pirates across the ocean from Africa to South America.
The kindergarten classroom is looking forward to welcoming 12 new baby chicks to their classroom. Twelve un-hatched eggs are in incubation in the classroom. Students are learning about the chicks and will care for them once they are hatched.
Upper Elementary students are finalizing their preparation for their trip to New York City to participate in the Montessori Model United Nations Program. The program takes place on site at the UN Building in NYC. Students not participating in the UN project are finalizing their studies of marine habitat and tidal zone ecology.
Tustumena Elementary
We are beginning the ordering of yearbooks. The only way to assure that your child is able to get a memory book is by ordering now. There may be a few extras but when we have them they sell out quickly. The deadline for orders is April 16th so don't delay.
Each year we have many volunteers that contribute hundreds of hours to help our school. We will be recognizing those people on Thursday April 19th with an appreciation celebration. If you are one of those many people please mark your calendar and plan on attending at 3:50 in the multi-purpose room so that we may have the opportunity to say thank you.
Our school has begun the process of developing a School Yard Habitat program on our property. We will be working with Kenai Soil and Water Conservation and Fish and Wildlife to develop habitat areas that can be used by each of our classes for instruction. If you are interested in joining us during the planning we will be meeting next Wednesday April 11th at 3:45 in Mrs. Bosick's room.
While our box top challenge was a great success I know many of you will start saving these for next year. However, I encourage you to look at the expirations and if they expire before October of next year please don't wait, send them in now. We will do one more submission for these so that we don't lose their value.
April 12 Preschool Visitation, 11:30-12:30 We will be holding a pre-school visitation on April 12th from 11:30-12:30. This will be a chance for parents and students to see the classroom and do a project with Mrs. Granger while I meet with parents to explain the program and the selection process for next year. Parents need to have completed an application prior to coming to the visitation. We will only be able to accept 10 students into the program for next year so please be sure to get your application in now and let others know who may not be connected with our school yet.
Upcoming events:
* April 17 PTO Meeting
* April 18 SMS Counselor's visit 6th grade
* April 19 Volunteer Appreciation Tea, 3:50pm
* April 20 NO SCHOOL


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"We've got a lot of guys here," Capuano said. "Some guys are going to need a little bit more seasoning in Bridgeport, and we know that. But we're going to find out more here in camp and at the preseason games coming up."
The camp's attendees will have ample opportunity to prove they belong, as the Islanders are scheduled to play eight preseason games. The first exhibitions are set for Tuesday, Sept. 17, when the Islanders and Calgary Flames play a pair of split-squad games in Calgary and Regina.
"That's what the preseason is for," Capuano said. "And we're going to get a good look at a lot of guys."
One of the players Capuano and the rest of the coaching staff is surely taking notes on is Brock Nelson. The 21-year-old spent his first full season in the organization last year and led the Sound Tigers in points with 52 (25 goals, 27 assists) in 66 games. He made his Islanders debut in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"I've seen enough of Brock to know that he's close," Capuano said. "He's a guy that's big and strong and has paid his dues in the offseason. He just goes about his business a certain way and we like the way he goes about it. He's going to get a real good look in this preseason."
With the exhibition games on the horizon, Nelson knows it's a chance to make an impression.
"We're just going to work hard and battle," Nelson said. "I think the coaching staff has done a great job so far getting us ready for that. There's a couple of days left before we get our first exhibition so guys are just going to get ready for that and give it everything they have on the ice. "
Aaron Ness played nine games for the Islanders in 2011-12. He knows every time he steps on the ice at camp is a chance to prove he belongs in the NHL full-time.
"I think you've just got to play your game," Ness said. "Obviously they think highly of all of us, so you've got to do what makes you a better player and work as hard and as smart as you can."
The players have been split into two groups at camp. Group A has mainly consisted of the Islanders veterans while Group B has comprised of the younger skaters, including both Nelson and Ness. But Capuano warns to not read too much into the way players are divided.
"We've always felt if there is somebody here who is going to help us win, they have a spot on our hockey team," Capuano said. "Just because the groups are where they are today, with A and B, once we get [preseason] games in, their play is going to dictate our decision making."

subset: commoncrawl


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Actually, if you also want somewhere nice to dine, Margan Winery and restaurant is excellent. Absolutely gorgeous food and wines. Not inexpensive, but very good quality and friendly service. The boss and I were in the Hunter for a conference, and we loved the food there!http://www.margan.com.au/margan-cellar-door/
DH and I are leaving for Australia this weekend and will be spending two weeks there. We had originally planned on booking a horseback ride in the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney but when I went online today to book the trip, I saw a public stating that the owners had been fined over $50,000 by the courts due to cruelty and neglect following several inspections by the RSPCA! Here is our itinerary:2 days in Blue Mountains1 day in Hunters Valley2 days in Sydney4 days in the Outback near Ayer's Rock / Alice Springs2 days in Cairns 3 days in Port Douglas 1 night in MelbourneIf anyone knows of a place to hire horses that doesn't look like a Sarah McLachlan ad I'll be really grateful!!
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Lawmakers are trying to beat today's 5 p.m. deadline that will mark the end of the Special Session of the Legislature.
Even though the clock is ticking away, lawmakers still don't have a tax plan to fund state government over the next two years.
But they do have at least one new proposal to consider.
As this special session got underway Tuesday night, Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio and other lawmakers asked lobbyists to keep their distance.
Representatives of the gaming industry and business have been pulling the legislature and the public in different directions almost since January. Gaming was pushing a gross receipts tax to meet an expected budget shortfall, while business championing a variety of alternatives.
Those competing interests produced an impasse between the two houses during the regular session. The Senate rejecting the gross receipts tax. The Assembly doggedly insisting on it.
Last night with the debate going nowhere, the leadership turned to business and gaming representatives for a new idea. Today they had it
A business tax package that includes a franchise fee, based on gross receipts and a business profits tax.
As a staff analyst explained it, the tax has different scales for different sized businesses. If it passes, businesses in the state would find themselves filing a quarterly returns with the state, just as they do with the I.R.S.
Most states have a version of this tax, but after 122 days of legislating, the lawmakers were getting their first close look at it.
"We're hoping it will be a variation of something that we've seen before and had a look at," said Assemblyman David Parks.
Lawmakers will examine it in further detail today, just hours away from the deadline for this session. They will look at it without much input from constituents, including business men and women - who may only now be hearing about it.
If the lawmakers fail to pass a tax plan by the deadline tomorrow, the governor will be forced to call them back.
The timing will be up to him.


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3:40 Update: The Ravens have signed David Tyree and let go of Tony Curtis. This signifies to me that they are going to take a chance on having someone else try to help on Special Teams, as Tony Curtis has not been active since coming to Baltimore.
The David Tyree file:
-6'0″, 206 pounds
-6th round pick out of Syracuse (2003)
-54 catches for 650 yards and 4 TD's in career
-Caught a TD as well as the catch seen above in the Giants' win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIII
-Authored a book: "More Than Just The Catch" about his transformation from being arrested for drug possession with intent to distribute to Super Bowl hero
-Known as more of a special teams player, making the 2005 Pro Bowl as a specialist
-Suffered a knee injury in 2008 during Training Camp that left him on IR for the remainder of season
-Cut by Giants before start of 2009 season
My apologies for the lack of a Crabs and Beer this morning. This was a computer error on my part; as I actually did 4 hours worth of linking only to see that work disappear when I transferred it from Word to the site. You may be thinking "Glenn, you said it was a computer error on your part. Shouldn't it be one or the other?"
The answer is yes.
Moving on, just wanted to offer a few brief comments on some Ravens-related news from the last 24 hours.
1-Matt Stover is trying out in Indianapolis today.
I will admit that I am rooting for Adam Vinatieri to be healthy enough to kick still. I am fully supportive of Matt being able to go out on his own terms, but seeing him come to M&T Bank Stadium in blue and white would be a bitter pill to swallow. Of course, it is particularly unlikely that even if the Colts WERE to sign him he would still be the guy on November 22-but I can't stomach even the idea. Also, Indy seems far for Matt, who I had understood really wanted to stay in the (fairly) immediate area. I had assumed that New York would probably be about as far as he wanted to go. But if this is a short term thing, I guess I get it.
Need I remind everyone that we're 5 weeks into the season and Steve Hauschka has yet to try one meaningful kick? Need I also remind everyone that he hasn't attempted ANY field goal in the last 2 weeks.
2-Chad Ochocinco doesn't want Ray Lewis fined; John Harbaugh doesn't expect repercussions
It was an unnatural football play. John Harbaugh said that it was "in the strike zone", which is the area where you are allowed to hit a defenseless player. But it appeared to have violent intent and looked like an unnatural football play. This could ultimately be a judgment call for the NFL, and I won't be surprised either way. However, if Ray is NOT fined-it should CERTAINLY not be considered an acknowledgment by the league that the officiating screwed up last week.
3-David Tyree and Ronald Curry worked out with Ravens at 1 Winning Drive
Teams regularly work out players every week. This does not mean that they will be signing either player. David Tyree would NOT upgrade this organization at WR, but could play some special teams. When they brought him in a few weeks ago, he wasn't healthy enough for them to really get any feel for him.
Ronald Curry is interesting. Would he be an upgrade for this WR unit? Maybe. At least he's 6'2″; and the Ravens could really use someone who might be able to grab a jump ball; and we all know Curry's athletic prowess. But they have a 6'2″ receiver on the roster right now (who they STILL tell me they like) and they aren't using him (Demetrius Williams).
4-Harbaugh said "chaos" of Mark Clayton play lead to coaching staff missing incorrect spot
That concerns me. The spotting and charting should be better. Someone on the sidelines should have been freaking out. The Ravens can complain about the officials clearly missing this play; but they absolutely should have noticed and gotten Jeff Triplette's attention.
5-Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf will call Sunday's game against the Vikings for CBS
I was just informed. Not an exciting crew, but they're solid. I liked that show Greg used to do with his brother….
6-"The Band That Wouldn't Die" premieres tonight on ESPN
Everyone I've talked to who saw this last Tuesday at M&T Bank Stadium said they enjoyed it. It HAS to be better than that garbage production they put together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1958 NFL Championship Game last December. I trust Barry Levinson did better.


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The German Ban on Circumcision
Echoes of Hitler reverberate.
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(22) Anonymous, July 15, 2012 1:58 PM
confusion about the law
(21) Conrad T., July 9, 2012 12:53 AM
(20) Beverly Kurtin, July 6, 2012 2:52 AM
Good GRIEF! Has anyone bothered to READ THE DECISION? The decision prohibits DOCTORS in HOSPITALS from performing circumcision. It does not say a thing about in-hone circumcision where 99% of circumcisions are done by an expert. The law does NOT outlaw circumcision at all! This is a case where people are going off the deep end of something that was not said by the courts. Hashem said that it has to be done: He never said it had to be done in a hospital by a doctor, did he?
(19) Anonymous, July 5, 2012 7:31 AM
(18) Rachel, July 4, 2012 10:47 PM
Sorry, Rabbi, medical facts ARE what should influence the court
A secular court in Germany has no business deciding about procedures impacting young children on any other basis than medical issues. Several European countries with large Muslim populations have banned female genital mutilation for girls under the age of 18, as well as banning travel out of the country for the purpose of having the procedure performed on an underage girl. I believe that the US states which are home to certain fundamentalist sects have bans on snake-handling, especially by children, with potential criminal prosecution of adults if a child is hurt or killed by snakebite in such a church. Countries ban many practices that may have roots in antiquity but are not in keeping with modern secular social norms. The U.S. Supreme Court originally upheld prohibition of ingestion of peyote by Native American tribes that used it in religious rituals. Prohibition law carved out an exception for sacramental wine. Polygamy is still not recognized in the U.S., although groups from western Mormons to Middle Eastern Muslims to African members of traditional tribal religions accept the practice. I don't have access to the German court opinion. I imagine it will be appealed. If the court's holding is upheld, it may then be up to the Koln-area legislature or the national parliament to fix this. In any event, I think your comparison to Nazi Germany is utterly unfair. There seems to be no indication that the Koln court is "anti-conscience", merely that they are trying to protect children from parents who would permit them to be harmed for religious reasons. The best thing that the German judiciary and/or government can do is to require that circumcisions be performed only by properly trained practitioners -- including mohels and pediatricians, not just anyone with a medical degree.


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Ballistic missile submarines regularly spend 80+ days underwater, even during peacetime. How is 30 days a record?
They weren't doing it for attention; Fabien is. Separate categories,
I think it comes down to the (rather silly) semantics of "undersea habitat".
Because subs have tight clausterphobic environments, a need for constant quiet, severe rationing, constant work to keep sailors busy, and a chain of command to shit all over you.
Clearly they're just too nice an environment to count.
Aside from "trim parties" (that's what we called them), we raised the art of the prank to a fine art. Ranging from asking people to get 50 feet of shore line, a bucket of relative bearing grease or obtaining the serial numbers of "water slugs", which are nothing more than columns of water pushed out the torpedo tubes during testing. The classic prank is to get some NUB (aka Non-Useful Body) to gather outgoing mail from the crew, then don every imaginable bit of foul weather gear, life harness, helo transfer
The thing that always got me about Navy folk is how many (not including submariners, of course) who had no clue where the head lights are on a sub.
Confined quarters, permanent command to STFU, crappy food, never ending, mind-numbing work and the upper echelons treating you like dirt...
They should hire former tech support people, they're used to that.
You got it backwards. Navy experience gets people into the tech industry, not the other way around.
Seriously? Tech support work is more desirable?
Plus if your boss is a prick and you quit during the work day you got an easy drive home instead of trying to swim to shore.
There's a difference between technical work and being tech support. Usually, the latter are the ones not good enough to be systems administrators. Higher tier tech support comes close, but nearly every tech support person I've met was some drone who read solution recipes out of a book.
Submarine crews are usually very intelligent and highly skilled at their job. They can't count on outside support and have to be able to operate autonomously for weeks or months on end. When sub sailors get out of the Navy, th
Because of the "tight clausterphobic environments" it is a good idea to keep noise down, as too much noise will anger people who are trying to sleep or focus on their work.
Being in an area without much room, there isn't places for too much enjoyment so they should be kept busy while they are awake as to prevent boredom, which could lead to noise and people getting on others nerves.
Finally a strict chain of command is needed in such of an environment as to keep everything running, and prevent too much troubl
Because subs have tight clausterphobic environments, a need for constant quiet, severe rationing, constant work to keep sailors busy, and a chain of command to shit all over you.
Clearly they're just too nice an environment to count.
Speaking of which, 31 days is a lot of shit. I hope they have perfected the stench solutions by now...
I was a crew member on two 688-class attack subs. Yes, they were a bit tight but they're not especially claustrophobic. Obviously, that's subjective. While my longest stretch submerged was 61 days, I know of crews that spent over 90 days submerged. You're essentially limited by the amount of food you carry.
"Constant quiet" is relative. They don't want you banging on stuff or making excessive noise, but you can talk, laugh and listen to movies and music without issue unless the boat is rigged for ultra-quiet
TFA title says "record of family"
It makes no other mention of the word record.
Editors clean up aisle this article.
usually here at slashdot the editors are the ones who squat and crap in the aisles
cmdr.taco lead the way when he stopped caring
This is the headline:
Fabien Cousteau Takes Plunge To Beat Grandfather's Underwater Record
What is your source of confusion?
It's not a world record, it's longer than Jacques Cousteau did it.
If he's trying to be a specific person's record then he should do it in the same environment and constraints as the record holder (within reason). A lot of the crap he's mentioning having access too Jacques would not. He should forego it.
Why ever for? He's advocating for finding ways to do it better. You think he should hobble himself with the best of 1970s technology?
Look, this is a PR stunt, and a press release designed to drive awareness to him. Let's not suddenly start acting like he needs to recreate the exact same conditions to be able to say he stayed down longer than his very famous grandfather.
You have to remember what this is before you start arguing the semantics of it. Because there's not a lot of point or value in doing that once you remember that this is mostly a stunt, with some actual attempts to do some research.
At the end of the day, he's saying "I will do this longer than my grandfather did, but with newer technology -- and if people didn't mention my grandfather, nobody would even cover this". Because he's nowhere near as famous as his grandfather was in his day.
This is as much about awareness (and probably fund raising) as it is the specifics of the 'record'.
Then what's the big deal? That children try to outdo their parents is pretty much a given. For reference, see Snofru and Cheops.
Say you have a very famous grandfather.
Now say you've gone into the 'family business', but you're not nearly as famous as he is.
Now say you'd like some publicity.
Do you:
In the 70s damned near everybody knew who Jacques Cousteau was. The kids born recently likely have no idea.
But if you can get the press to invoke your famous grandfather to get you a little PR for your stuff
He's media whoring because he has his grandfather's name.
Hm. Ok, good point.
Then I guess the question is, "why the hell is this newsworthy?"
Alternate headline: "Guy Does Something 10,000+ People Have Already Done"
I see how it could be read that way. It would have been better to say "will stay underwater longer than his grandfather" instead of "will beat grandfather's record", which could be read as his grandfather holding a record in the first place.
This is the headline:
Fabien Cousteau Takes Plunge To Beat Grandfather's Underwater Record
What is your source of confusion?
It's not a world record, it's longer than Jacques Cousteau did it.
True, but at first glance the reader might be thinking a "world record" and not a "family record". Only when delving into TFA does one discover that there is a carefully crafted (and accurate) headline enticing one to read a much less interesting story. Sure, a family record for diving in the Cousteau family is a bigger deal than say, most cigars smoked in a 4-hour period -- set by my grandfather in 1966 -- in my family. But, like so many true stories, they're both kind of lame.
Well! How many cigars did he smoke!
Where did you learn to punctuate!
What's wrong with a question mark? OR DID YOU WANT TO SHOUT?
"Mark McGwire Takes Swing to Beat Roger Maris' Home-run Record."
So, naturally people would assume that McGwire was only trying to break Maris' personal best, and not the all-time single season record?
Christ, the stuff that gets modded 'insightful' on this site...
By the way so Richard Presely 69 days http://news.google.com/newspap... [google.com] . Now that was an unusual place to pick up some information.
No as for why the lame arsed news story, I guess too many people are being killed in the Ukraine, Syria, Palestine, Iraq at the moment and US media looking for any kind of yarn to bury those stories. All largely the US's fault employing quick dirty solutions that fail (resulting in more quick dirty solutions that also fail) when meddling in other countries.
Ballistic missile submarines regularly spend 80+ days underwater, even during peacetime. How is 30 days a record?
They _still_ don't use Twitter, Skype, etc (even though it has been technologically possible for over a decade) whereas for some reason that is of particular interest to him. Maybe he wants to set a record for deepest depths a human has traveled into the depths of his own narcissism? I am interested to see how his Facebook wall holds up.
Ballistic missile submarines regularly spend 80+ days underwater, even during peacetime. How is 30 days a record?
The submarine keeps you underwater. The Aquarius lab puts you in the water.
Aquarius consists of three compartments. Access to the water is made via the 'wet porch', a chamber equipped with a moon pool, which keeps the air pressure inside the wet porch the same as the water pressure at that depth ('ambient pressure'), about 2.6 atmospheres, through hydrostatic equilibrium. The main compartment is strong enough, like a submarine, to maintain normal atmospheric pressure, and can also be pressurized to ambient pressure, and is usually held at a pressure in between. The smallest compartment, the Entry Lock, is between the other two and functions as an airlock in which personnel wait while pressure is adjusted to match either the wet porch or the main compartment.
Because Aquarius allows saturation diving, dives from the habitat can last for up to nine hours at a time; by comparison, surface dives usually last between one to two hours. These long dive times allow for observation that would not otherwise be possible. Way stations on the reef outside Aquarius allow aquanauts to refill their scuba tanks during dives.
This design enables personnel to return to the surface without the need for a decompression chamber when they get there. Personnel stay inside the main compartment for 17 hours before ascending as the pressure is slowly reduced, so that they do not suffer decompression sickness after the ascent.
Aquarius (laboratory) [wikipedia.org]
Please mod this up. Thanks for the info. This thing has been around for over 20 years! I had no clue.
Which is why the habitat turns into a decompression chamber for a 17 hour cycle at the end of the stay at the bottom. This would basically get the "residents" back to Group A and then they can use the airlock to get into the pool then exit the habitat and surface just as if they had started that final dive from the surface.
The way I understand it, the main compartment is usually held at ambient (saturation) pressure. The team can go in an out of the water instantly, with the entry lock for extra safety, but no pressure difference during a normal underwater stay.
When it's time for the team to go back up to the surface, they will slowly reduce the pressure in the main compartment over 17 hours for the team to decompress. When decompressed (like being on the surface), they enter the entry lock, pressure is increased to ambient p
They are not on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Skype while being there. On the other hand, that would bring peace to the world. For moving objects Foursquare could be a nice addition, although the gamification elements might make matters go out of hands.
The 30 days "record" does seem to imply he's doing more than others have done which is rather misleading; it's certainly different from
At first I read the headline and thought "oh, he's going to be underwater using scuba gear for 31 days, awesome", but after reading the article he's going to spend 31 days in an "undersea lab". That's supposed to be a record of some type? Don't sailors in both the U.S. and Russian Navy spend many months at a time submerged in nuclear subs? If it is a record, it states that his grandfather holds it at 30 days....but fails to mention that Scott Carpenter spent that same amount of time in SEALAB II. So which is it?
I get all that. I think the article may be misread as him "breaking a record" of some type, when all he's actually doing is staying in an undersea lab longer than his grandfather. I'm not downplaying the research aspects of it, but one could question how much serious research is being done if they have to promote the endeavor on social media the way that they are.
This has been done before (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEALAB), and I don't believe that it was turned in a huge PR stunt (barring Carpenter's
Wow after reading my comment it does sound like I'm downplaying the research. I guess I should probably wait and see what's gained from this before I run my mouth.
wow all the important things you can't live with out from day to day living or breaking an underwater record.
Probably only in beta...
Now we know why the record attempt would be such a feat of mental fortitude.
he can catch one of the dupes
When you need to keep up the PR campaign, I'd say it's indispensable.
This whole thing is at least 25% PR stunt, as much as 100% depending on your cynicism.
And, the reality is, if you want people to pay attention to you these days, you pretty much do it via these things.
And since people have shorter attention spans, if you didn't remind them you were still there
Question: what does he get out of people paying attention to him?
What everyone else gets - money. He/they need funding to continue their lifestyle^wresearch. From wikipedia:
"Due to budget cuts, NOAA ceased funding Aquarius after September 2012, with no further missions scheduled after a July 2012 mission that included pioneering female diver Sylvia Earle in its aquanaut crew. The University of North Carolina Wilmington was also unable to provide funding to continue operations. The Aquarius Foundation was set up in an attempt to keep Aquarius functioning."
Foundations don't run on cool research, they run on dollars. Dollars requires interest, and interest comes from PR/marketing. Hence the stunt.
Am I the only one who read "grandfather's underwear record" while skimming the page? That was a bit odd. I thought the record was about wearing the same underwear for 31 days.
The grandfather's first name is Jacques-Yves.
"We don't care. We don't have to. We're the Phone Company."


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Submission + - OLPC to sell 7-inch XO Tablet in Wal-Mart (computerworld.com.au)
angry tapir writes: "One Laptop Per Child is back in the tablet race, announcing a new 7-inch tablet with the Android OS that will be sold commercially and include its learning software. The XO Tablet was announced at the International CES show in Las Vegas. OLPC will license the design to Sakar International, which will sell the tablet in the U.S. through Wal-Mart."


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Story highlights
- After disappearing for more than a decade, Brenda Heist turned up in Florida
- Peggy Drexler: Reports show the number of moms who run away is on the rise
- She says our increasingly me-first narcissistic tendencies might have something to do with it
- Drexler: Mothers who abandon their children are still judged more harshly by society
Eleven years ago, Brenda Heist dropped off her young kids at school -- and never returned. Not to pick them up later, and not to their Pennsylvania home. The family thought she was dead. That something terrible had happened to her. What else could explain the sudden disappearance of a woman her daughter, then 8, later described as a "great" mom?
But then last week, after more than a decade, Heist turned up in Florida, revealing to police that she hadn't been kidnapped or killed. She had, she said, been stressed.
Most mothers are familiar with the feeling -- for some it's more fleeting than for others -- of total exhaustion, frustration, a sense of being overwhelmed by duty and the responsibility of raising children. Maybe some indulge in a momentary fantasy of running away.
Though there are no hard numbers, reports would seem to indicate that the number of moms who actually do run away -- or at least walk away -- is increasing. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of single fathers has been rising steadily, from more than 600,000 in 1982 to more than 2 million in 2011. Anecdotally, too, we're hearing more from mothers who leave their children due to choice or circumstance. There's Rahna Reiko Rizzuto, who wrote in an essay for Salon.com that she realized, when her sons were 3 and 5 that she didn't want to be a full-time mother anymore. There are even support groups now for women who decide to leave their children.
What is happening?
It's hard to say, but our increasingly me-first world might have something to do with it. According to a study published in the journal Social Psychology and Personality Science, clinical narcissism --defined by heightened feelings of entitlement, decreased morality and a dog-eat-dog mentality -- has increased by 30% over the past 20 years. Two out of every three people now measure high for the disorder.
In her book "The Narcissism Epidemic," Jean Twenge argues that we live in a culture that not only tolerates, but also encourages, "being true to ourselves" and "never compromising." This can extend to parenthood, as more and more mothers and fathers resist the notion that parenthood is necessarily life changing -- and perhaps not all it's cracked up to be.
A 2010 New York magazine story titled "All Joy and No Fun: Why parents hate parenting," for example, cited a 2004 study by behavioral economic Daniel Kahneman that found that child care ranked 16th in pleasure out of 19 activities among the Texas women surveyed. Except, of course, parenting isn't always supposed to be fun. Whoever said it was?
Mothers who abandon their children tend to be judged far more harshly by society, and by their children, than fathers who do the same -- though not because of outcome. According to various studies, including a 1994 report in the Journal of Family Issues, children raised in single-father homes as a whole fare as well as those in single-mother homes. From an emotional standpoint, there are no studies to show that children of absentee mothers are angrier than those of absentee fathers. But anecdotally, this seems to be the case.
If this is true, it has to do with the fact that although stereotypical gender roles for women have changed, with more men staying home to raise the kids as mom brings home the bacon and father cooks it, societal expectations for mothers remain rooted firmly in the traditional.
Case in point: Although the number of stay-at-home fathers -- about 154,000 according to the 2010 census -- is on the rise, women still carry out more of the domestic work, according to a report by Pew Research Center. American culture, meanwhile, is still conditioned --through the media and pop culture -- to believe that many women's greatest desire is to have a baby. When mothers abandon their children, it's seen as unnatural.
Could this imbalance of responsibility and expectation be another reason more women are abandoning their children? It's possible. As one married mother of two, Janelle, told me, "My husband doesn't do much. I have to do and plan for everything myself." It's easy to see where resentment could come in.
The positive spin: Most experts, myself included, agree that it's better for a child to have an absent parent than a parent who's present but neglectful -- or worse.
And in my experience, children who come to accept the abandonment of a parent, specifically a mother, tend to be more forgiving when they believe that in doing so they were given a better life, whether that was the mother's intent or not.
Of course, every single case is different and there are few generalizations to be made. Brenda Heist's children, for their part, want nothing to do with their mother. The good news is that being raised by a single parent does not condemn a child to a disadvantaged life. These days, the unconventional family is the norm. Thankfully, when it comes to parenting, it's quality over quantity.
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Co Rentmeester / Time Life Pictures via Getty Images
Gamblers watch moonshot coverage at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas in July 1969.
On July 20, 1969, I was an Iowa farmboy watching every black-and-white move of a fuzzy-looking, spacesuited figure on our living-room television set. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson was doing pretty much the same thing in New York City (though he was a mere 10 years old, four whole years younger than I was).
Sen. John McCain was sitting in a Hanoi prison - and wouldn't even find out that someone landed on the moon until a year and a half later. But for millions and millions of people around the world, even for McCain's Vietnamese captors, the Apollo 11 landing and that "one small step" on another world was a red-letter day that would be remembered through the decades.
Now it's your turn to share some moonshot memories: Where were you when Apollo 11 flew? Even if you're took young to have been around when the first moon landing took place (which is the case for more than half of the U.S. population), you can still feel free to comment on the past, present and future of space exploration.
Watch the moonshot, then milk the cows
I'd like to say that watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin climb down to the moon's surface put me on the path I'm on today. At the time, I was just one more teenager with a 3-inch telescope who didn't know what he was going to do when he grew up. I do remember that watching the moonshot was pushing back my bedtime, which was particularly crucial because I had to get up at 6:30 the next morning to help my dad milk the cows.
Eventually, I left the farm and got into the journalism trade (after stints as editor of my high-school and college newspaper). I really didn't get into space news coverage until after I joined msnbc.com, almost exactly 13 years ago. But every now and then, I come across hints that there was a space geek inside me just waiting to be let out.
For example, while cleaning out my basement bookshelves recently, I rediscovered the special issue of Life magazine I've been saving for 40 years. And I've always gotten a little thrill from knowing that Neil Armstrong's parents once lived where my in-laws live today in Wapakoneta, Ohio. (Check out this chapter from "First Man," Armstrong's authorized biography, to get an idea what the "center of the chaos" in Wapakoneta was like 40 years ago.)
I happened to grow up in the generation when the Apollo effort was winding down just as we were revving up: The last mission to the moon was launched just as I was entering college, and by the time I graduated, Apollo was history and the space shuttle era had not yet dawned. Some have even called my generation the "Orphans of Apollo."
Prizes for your prose
Now we're heading toward another spaceflight gap: An era in American spaceflight is winding down once more, and although NASA is taking aim at the moon again, the road from here to there is far from clear.
Even if you're too young to remember Apollo, I'd love to hear about your favorite space-related experiences, or find out what you think about the parallels and the differences between the 1970s and the current transition time. Please feel free to add your space-shot memories and your thoughts about the future of space travel as comments below. I'll pick out some of the comments for a follow-up story on July 20.
To get your creative juices flowing, I'll set aside my copy of Andrew Chaikin's wonderful coffee-table book, "Voices From the Moon," to send to the author of the choicest comment (as judged solely by this former Iowa farmboy). If you're so inclined, I'll send along the "Orphans of Apollo" DVD as well.
More on the Apollo 11 anniversary from msnbc.com:
- 'Time and Again': Remembering Apollo 11
- On the Web: Moonshots on your computer
- On screen: Apollo on rewind
- In print: Apollo in sharper focus
- Buzz Aldrin's journey (and his rap video)
- More space history on msnbc.com
More Apollo 11 reminiscences on the Web:
- USA Weekend: The day the earth stood still
- Space Foundation: Apollo 11 stories keep coming in
- Florida Today: Moon landing memories
- The Guardian: Where were you when the Eagle landed?
- New Scientist: Where were you for Apollo 11?
- Space.com (1999): Where were you in 1969?
- Space.com (2009): "The Moon: Then, Now, Next"
- Where Were You: July 20, 1969
Join the Cosmic Log corps by signing up as my Facebook friend or hooking up on Twitter. If you really want to be friendly, ask me about my upcoming book, "The Case for Pluto." You can pre-order it from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Borders.


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Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing has announced the release of The Band Book, a book dedicated to the rubber band craze that is popular with kids today. The Band Book features funny pictures, trivia, and an "Ultimate Collector's Checklist" that includes a complete listing of all bands.
Additionally, Simon & Schuster is releasing The Band App for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. The App allows users to blend bands together to create their own unique designs and then share their creations with friends. The Band App can be bought on the Apple App Store for 99 cents, and both The Band App and The Band Book can be purchased at http://pages.simonandschuster.com/thebandapp.


text: Westwood officials are seeking nominations for the 4th annual Roy London Humanitarian Award. London was a Westwood citizen who helped others in the community, and the award is presented annually to a person or organization that embodies his spirit. Nominations should be submitted to Christine McCarthy at Westwood Town Hall, 580 High St., by Feb. 15. The award(s) will be presented at a Board of Selectmen meeting in March. Contact McCarthy at email@example.com or 781-326-4172. More information is also available at www.townhall.westwood.ma.us. Click on Roy London Humanitarian Award — Nomination Papers under the Board of Selectmen's page.


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Maine governor declares limited emergency to ensure heating oil deliveries
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) � Maine Gov. Paul LePage has declared a limited emergency to allow heating oil truck drivers to work extra hours to ensure timely deliveries during a period of extreme cold.
The governor issued the declaration Thursday after receiving reports from oil companies that they were falling behind in meeting the many requests for fuel deliveries.
He said keeping homes warm is critical to "protect the public health and safety of Mainers."
The National Weather Service issued a wind chill advisories and warnings for the entire state, with zero to subzero temperatures forecast for the entire state from Kittery to Fort Kent.


text:
Dupli-Color® Engine Paint contains ceramic resins for maximum heat dissipation and gloss retention. The resins also offer protection from exposure to excessive heat and automotive fluids.
Recommended Uses: For use on all types of engines and other metal surfaces.
Product colors that appear on the screen are visual color representations and may vary from actual applied color.


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Exploring Self-Employment Class
Date and Time:
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Event Location:
Dicke Building
Event Audience:
Attention all entrepreneurs! If you are looking to start a business and need to know where to get started or just want to meet other new entreprenuers in the area, this class is for you! This is a single session class that is offered on multiple occassions throughout the year. This class is from 6:30-8:30 PM in the Dicke Building on Main Street in Ada. Like all CEDC events, this class is free and open to the public. All visitors may park in the lot behind the Dicke Building off of Gilbert Street.


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Thursday, April 26, 2012
I've had strawberry shortcake made with angel food cake, sponge cake and pound cake, but till now, never with biscuits. Years ago, I had a neighbor from Arkansas who insisted that the only good strawberry shortcake was made with biscuits, but she never did make it for me. Since strawberries are very much in season in Eastern North Carolina, and since I find it very hard to pass up such succulent treats at the New Bern Farmer's Market, this seemed like the right time to try my hand at Southern strawberry shortcake, made with biscuits. Read more....
3 comments:
- Coleens Recipes said...
Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever made old fashioned biscuit strawberry shortcake either!! Yours looks mouth watering!!!
- April 27, 2012 at 5:12 AM
- Jesica @ Pencil Kitchen said...
this is definitely for one! I'm not sharing ;) I love how messy it looks! makes my heart drool
- April 27, 2012 at 10:16 PM
- Kathy said...
It was very good and I am a terrible baker- your instructions were great and easy to follow-
- April 30, 2012 at 3:30 PM
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Hospitality and Tourism Management
COMM3303 - Special Tpcs/Intro To Pub Rela
Fall 2011
The teacher believes learning is a two-way interaction. As such, students will be exposed to traditional modes of teaching, such as lecture and small group tasks. Moreover, students will be required to interact with the instructor by coming to class prepared, demonstrating via written and oral communication, comprehension of the material assigned and a willingness to interact with the instructor and class. Students will spend a considerable amount of time observing diverse aspects of German media in the field.
Prerequisite: COSK1221
3 Credits
Schedule Book for All Active and Available Future Terms, Course starting with COMM3303
No Courses Found


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Unions show political muscle, spent millions, in state elections, ballot measure fights
WASHINGTON (AP) � When Maggie Hassan won the New Hampshire governor's race this month, it wasn't just a victory for fellow Democrats.
Unions spent millions backing Hassan because she opposes a right-to-work bill that would ban labor-management contracts requiring affected workers to be union members or pay fees.
From California to Maine, unions used their political muscle to help install Democratic governors, build labor-friendly majorities in legislatures and defeat ballot initiatives against them.
The combination of union money and member mobilization helped Democrats take control of state legislatures in Maine and Minnesota. In Michigan, voters repealed a law that allowed cities in financial distress to suspend collective bargaining contracts.
Unions' most important victory was defeating a California ballot measure that would have prohibited them from collecting money from payroll deductions for political purposes.


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Boston Sports Temples
November 17, 2012—May 31, 2013
Boston Public Library, Copley Square (Johnson Lobby)
Featuring a century of historical photographs from the Boston Public Library's extensive archives, Boston Sports Temples draws from thousands of negatives and prints dating from the 1870s to the 1960s.
The images capture the unique character of Boston's historic sports venues, memorable moments, and the communities of athletes, fans, and staff who have come together within their walls. Together, these vintage materials provide an invaluable window into the past and a nostalgic look back at our city, our deep sporting traditions, and 100 years of passionate fandom.
Sponsored by the Boston Public Library Foundation.
Photography: © Andy Caulfield


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Betty Richardson was the guest speaker at the Kings Mountain Messenger Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, meeting held recently at Shoney's Restaurant.
Richardson's program was about Mary (Polly) Finley Crockett, wife of David Crockett.
The Crocketts were married Aug. 12, 1806 and had three children, John, William and Margaret. For a short time, the family lived in Lincoln County.
When the War of 1812 started, David volunteered for the conflict, leaving Polly at home to raise two children with one on the way. Polly died in the early spring of 1815 in Franklin County, shortly after her third child was born. She was 27 years old.
Polly Crockett embodied the frontier woman's spirit. When her husband was away fighting for his country, Polly was left at home on the wilderness with the awesome task of safeguarding their children, tending livestock, farming and foraging for food and keeping the home fires burning.
Mary (Polly) Crockett is a legend in her own right.


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In 1959, Eric Pankey was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of two accountants. In 1981, he received his BA from the University of Missouri at Columbia, and in 1983, his MFA from the University of Iowa.
When he was 25, his first collection of poems, For the New Year (Atheneum), was selected by Mark Strand as the winner of the 1984 Walt Whitman Award. He then began teaching English at the high school level and writing poetry, essays, and reviews in his spare time. In 1987, only four years after he received his master's, Pankey joined the faculty of Washington University at St. Louis, where he served as Director of the Creative Writing Program.
He is the author of Trace (Milkweed Editions, 2013); The Pear As One Example: New and Selected Poems, 1984—2008 (Ausable Press, 2008); Reliquaries (Ausable Press, 2005); Oracle Figures (Ausable Press, 2003); Cenotaph (Knopf, 2000); The Late Romances (Knopf, 1997); Apocrypha (Knopf, 1991); and Heartwood (1988), which was reissued by Orchises Press in 1998.
Pankey's poems have also been published in several anthologies including Poets Against the War (Nation Books, 2003) and The Poetry Anthology, 1912—2002 (Ivan R. Dee, 2004). His essay, "Meditative Spaces," was included in Radiant Lyre: Essays on Lyric Poetry (Graywolf Press, 2007). He is the editor of This Particular Eden: The 1992 Missouri Arts Council Writers' Biennial and is the co-editor, along with Jeb Livingood, of Best New Poets 2006 (Samovar Press and Meridian).
About him, the poet Jane Hirshfield has said: "Eric Pankey is a poet of precise observation and startling particularities. His poems possess a sense of a self not the least self-regarding; they unbridle us into a freshened and metamorphic wordscape. The soundcraft is superb, the modes of investigation by turns lyrical, surreal, meditative, allegorical, direct-speaking, and allusive."
His honors include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and the Ingram Merrill Foundation.
He is currently a professor of English at George Mason University, in Washington, D.C. He lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with his wife and daughter.
Selected Bibliography
Trace (Milkweed Editions, 2013)
The Pear As One Example: New and Selected Poems, 1984—2008 (Ausable Press, 2008)
Reliquaries (Ausable Press, 2005)
Oracle Figures (Ausable Press, 2003)
Cenotaph (Knopf, 2000)
The Late Romances (Knopf, 1997)
Apocrypha (Knopf, 1991)
Heartwood (Orchises Press, 1988)
For the New Year (Atheneum, 1984)


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Portsmouth have re-signed Greg Halford on loan from Wolves until the end of the season.
The 26-year-old defender has already made 12 appearances for Pompey, scoring four goals, having initially arrived at Fratton Park in October.
However, he will not be available at Nottingham Forest on Saturday as he is still suspended following a red card against Watford on New Year's Day.
Pompey boss Steve Cotterill said: "He's been a decent defender for us in the time that he's been here.
"He's obviously very flexible which helps us a lot and he's scored some important goals for us.
"But the one thing I don't want him to bring back is the ill-discipline he showed at Watford."
Copyright (c) PA Sport 2009, All Rights Reserved.
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms


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Giordano Bruno After 400 Years 342
We live in a publicity-craving era of frenetic fame-seekers. So it can be ironic to realize how some of the most celebrated people of the past somehow slipped into obscurity, even after a lifetime spent earning acclaim. Take Aldous Huxley, for example. The author of Brave new World and many other bold novels -- who also helped usher in the psychedelic era -- managed to time his death so the obituary vanished in a back corner of any newspaper that bothered to mention it at all. He did this by passing away on Nov. 22, 1963, the same day that President John F. Kennedy was shot.
Care to top that? Try this. Even as we slowly work off our hangovers and headaches from those Y2K non-events and anticlimactic "millennium celebrations" -- and while we watch the Internet undergo partial self-destruction at the hands of some of its brightest sons -- I notice on my calendar that we nearly let pass without notice the 400th anniversary of the death (on an execution pyre) of Giordano Bruno.
Giordano who?
Giordano Bruno... only one of the greatest geniuses of the later Renaissance and one spectacularly interesting fellow.
All right, few people know of him today. Tourists blink in puzzlement at his statue, now standing in the Roman square -- the Campo de Fiori -- where the Inquisition incinerated him. But his name wasn't always obscure. With a colorful personality and a flood of unconventional opinions, Bruno was a sensational figure as the 17th century drew to a close -- a prominent Renaissance thinker who, true to that complex era, mixed philosophy, religion, logic and mysticism while preaching a daring worldview that helped set the stage for what we now know as science.
Born near Naples in 1548, Bruno joined the Dominican order of monks at age 18. But soon his restless spirit and critical mind led him to question church teachings, including the notion that the heavens revolved around the Earth, forcing him to flee to Geneva, then France, England and Germany. Bruno's habit of questioning established doctrines brought him into conflict with powerful leaders of both the Catholic and Reformed churches, few of whom were known to tolerate free-thinkers.
Still, with luck and uncanny survival instincts -- and by appealing to the intellectual excitement of the time -- Bruno kept teaching unconventional views in Oxford, Marburg, Wittenberg, Prague, and Frankfurt. Eventually lured back to Italy on a pretext, Bruno was imprisoned in 1592 by the Inquisition, tried as a heretic and burned alive on Feb. 17, 1600.
It can be easy to get carried away over some of Bruno's most prescient views - for instance championing the heliocentric astronomy of Copernicus before Galileo did, then going much further to suggest that the twinkling stars in our night sky are actually suns shining on distant planets, possibly harboring other forms of life. He also held that humans might someday acquire almost godlike powers by understanding lightning and other heavenly mysteries. In that event, we might still need religion for moral guidance -- he opined -- but no longer to shape our models of the physical or biological world.
In an era transfixed by the primacy of the human image -- when great minds of the establishment insisted that the Creator must have a navel and a beard -- Bruno completely rejected the anthropocentric universe, believing instead that the Earth and individual humans are ultimately accidental products of a single living world-substance. In this, he presaged many notions of Darwinian biology.
To a modern mind, his call for tolerance and open enquiry seems especially poignant and prophetic.
Still, one does Bruno a disservice by emphasizing only the things he got right. Many of his other writings now seem silly, deliberately provocative, or just perplexingly obscure, such as his doctrine of panpsychism (belief that reality is constituted by the mind), which anticipated the teachings of Gottfried Leibniz and Baruch Spinoza... and may be echoed in today's extropian movement. He used to get into terrific rows with contemporaries over minutiae that would put most of today's philosophy professors into snoring catalepsy. (People cared deeply about such things, once upon a time.) His fascination with magic and the occult would hardly impress scientists in the year 2000, though it might lend him a New Age cult appeal.
So? The essential point -- and the reason I find this long-dead fellow's life worth noting -- is how Bruno looked around a superstitious age with eyes that were essentially modern. Even his flaming egotism and penchant for pushing other peoples' buttons would fit in well, today.
The clergy of his time weren't dummies; they had their own "grand unified theory" of how things worked and how people should behave. If we have made progress since that era, we owe it less to our improved orthodoxies than to the way we've learned to _tap_ the creative energies of those who defy the intellectual status quo, instead of killing them. Slowly, often grudgingly, society discovered that there is something to value in the rancorous, difficult, blasphemous few who gleefully challenge authority. Those who rip away the set pieces of any conservative worldview to reveal disturbing truths that lie beneath and beyond. Such people, though irksome, are also responsible for much progress in the world.
Imagine if Bruno somehow got teleported into our time -- perhaps with other standout intellects like Benjamin Franklin. One could picture him adjusting with relish to an era so enamored of flamboyant eccentrics. In a month, he would be on all the talk shows. In a year, he might have his own.
In fact, why not spin a story about that? Imagine that some future, time-traveling age will share our own fascination with exceptional men and women of the past. Suppose they reach back to grab Bruno out of his pyre at the last moment, if only to repair and then enjoy a colorfully vivid person who surged so far ahead of his time, caroming about the realm of ideas like a joyous crank, shouting at his stupefied contemporaries to _wake up!_
Not all geniuses are saintly or perfect. Some can be simultaneously offensive, delightful, in your face and profound in both their prescient visions and their spectacular errors. They are also terrifically alive.
So very alive that I feel they somehow testify for the rest of us. They help justify us, showing that humanity _must_ have a reason -- beyond mere creation or natural selection -- for being.
david brin,copyright 2/00 1000 words
David Brin is a scientist and bestselling novelist. His 1989 thriller Earth foresaw both global warming and the World Wide Web. A movie with Kevin Costner was loosely based on The Postman and Startide Rising is in pre-production at Paramount Pictures. Brin's non-fiction book -- The Transparent Society: Will Technology Make Us Choose Between Freedom and Privacy? -- deals with threats to openness and liberty in the new wired-age. His latest novel, Foundation's Triumph, brings to a grand finale Isaac Asimov's famed Foundation Universe.


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Listen to your heart and gut
Pop star Gloria Estefan faced a crossroads after graduating from the University of Miami in 1978. Her choices included attending graduate school for clinical psychology, studying international law in Paris or pursuing a music career with the man she loved. "I listened to my inner voice and chose love," she said at her alma mater's fall 2010 graduation. "I believe that gut feeling we all experience at some moment is one of the most useful tools that we¿re given when we enter this life. It's important to listen to it, give it weight, because sometimes we can be blinded by the very knowledge with which we fill our heads."
Joe Raedle, Getty Images
Copyright © 2018, Daily Press


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Summer is Here! Central Library will close at 6 pm on Thursdays and will be closed Sundays until September. Enjoy!
Log in
Books "in the spotlight" this week include science fiction/ fantasy and pets and animal books. Fans of science fiction or fantasy will be happy to find, that for this week at least, the selection is much larger than usual and includes both classics and newer choices. Our selection of pet and animal books should please folks looking for information about pets or those that like to read about animals. This selection includes books on how to care for specific animals as well as more general information on animals and animal stories.
We recently received as a donation the PMBR Multistate CD Review. This is a 29 CD set multistate review for the bar exam. It covers torts, contracts, property, evidence, criminal law, and constitutional law. This review is the one currently in use and a real bargain at $35.00.
As always we look forward to seeing you in the bookstore this week!
Posted by Carol Manstrom at 06/09/2009 04:46:37 PM |


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DailyDirt: Giving Back To Employees
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
- Lenovo's CEO Yang Yuanqing has distributed $3.25 million (of his own $4.23 million bonus) to thousands of hourly workers -- roughly giving them $335 per person. This is the second year in a row that Yang has done this, and it's slightly more than last year's bonus. It's a nice gesture, but how long will it continue? [url]
- The family-run firm Nominit in Sweden is paying out about $16.3 million (114 million kronor) to current and former employees -- because the company's two founders and owners have no heirs. The company manufactures rivets, and its ownership will be transferred to a foundation dedicated to the well-being of former and current employees. [url]
- Next CEO Simon Wolfson shared all of his $3.6 million cash bonus with employees, and he's the first CEO in the UK to make such a generous gift to employees of a public company. CEOs sometimes donate their bonuses to charity, but distributing money back to employees (of public companies) hasn't caught on the UK (or the US). [url]


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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 2nd May 2013 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
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RE[3]: hmmm
by henderson101 on Tue 7th May 2013 15:58 UTC in reply to "RE[2]: hmmm"
Innovation != invention
Put it this way, a British man took Hypertext and made it in to a useful TCP/IP based client/server application. CERN then donated it free to the world. This is no different to any other innovation that built on the basic invention of another person or organisation. But let's not belittle the achievement. Because without his little innovation, we wouldn't be here arguing the toss over the definition of said achievement, now, would we? ;-)


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Speakeasy Science
Tag archives for foxglove
One evening, in the early summer of 2008, a Colorado sheriff's deputy named Jonathan Allen came home to find that his wife had made him a "special" dinner. Waiting on the table was his favorite spicy spaghetti dish and a big leafy bowl of salad. As he told investigators later, the salad was surprisingly bitter.…


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Mobile devices have made it easy to conduct business away from the office, but using these devices while driving can create significant safety risks. To help empower large and small businesses who have employees conducting business on the go, AT&T* will offer two mobile solutions, Associate PLEDGE from AT&T and SafeCell Enterprise powered by AT&T, both aimed at reducing dangerous driving behavior among employees.
Available today, Associate PLEDGE from AT&T is a mobile app that lets businesses conduct real-time monitoring and helps to enforce corporate policies on mobile devices while employees are driving. It is best suited for mobile employees, fleet drivers and sales teams that regularly travel on company business or operate company vehicles. Employers can manage and restrict device use while employee vehicles are in motion, including blocking phone calls, text messages and push-to-talk capabilities.
With SafeCell Enterprise powered by AT&T (SafeCell Enterprise) businesses will be able to monitor employee device usage via GPS, gaining visibility into how fast employees are driving, and whether employees are in compliance with regulatory and corporate policies on their mobile devices while driving. This information, along with vehicle monitoring data will be combined in a single dashboard, allowing for easier monitoring and compliance with local, state and federal government restrictions around mobile device use. The solution is being designed for businesses with commercial fleets and will integrate with fleet management solutions typically used for vehicle monitoring and logging. SafeCell Enterprise will also allow an employer to block use of applications while in-transit, such as email, social media sites, texting and web browsing. AT&T is expected to make this product available in the coming weeks.
"Mobile devices are making it easy for businesses to rely on employees who work offsite," said Chris Hill , Senior Vice President, Advanced Solutions, AT&T Business Solutions. "But when those devices are used while driving, employees can put themselves and others at risk. Many businesses have policies in place to address this issue, but little means to enforce them. Associate PLEDGE from AT&T and SafeCell Enterprise powered by AT&T will help businesses enforce those policies and help keep employees safe."
Associate PLEDGE from AT&T and SafeCell Enterprise powered by AT&T work across leading mobile device platforms and operating systems; and, because the solutions are hosted in the cloud, no additional hardware purchase is required. More information is available at www.att.com/PLEDGE and www.att.com/safecell.
AT&T also offers consumers AT&T DriveMode** (www.att.com/drivemode), which, when downloaded and activated, automatically sends a customizable reply to incoming texts – notifying the sender that the user is driving and unable to respond. The auto-response is similar to an "out-of-office" email alert. AT&T's anti-texting-while-driving mobile solution is part of the company's broader "It Can Wait" campaign that aims to stigmatize texting while driving.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
** Data and text messaging charges may apply for download and app usage. Standard messaging rates apply to auto-reply messages. AT&T DriveMode is free to AT&T customers only. Compatible device required.


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Vikings Head Coach Leslie Frazier
We had a good first day back. It was our first time getting together since our trip over to London and our guys practiced hard on a beautiful day here at Winter Park. Guys are really excited about kicking off things after this bye. We have a lot of work to do. We realize that as a team. We are excited about the opportunity we had this week to prepare for our first opponent coming out of our bye. Injury-wise I think we are in much better shape than we were going into the bye. The fact that we have
Q: What's your plan for this week and who's your starter?
A: We're going to see how Christian (Ponder) does on Wednesday, but between he and Matt (Cassel), they'll be the guys that will start the game. We're not going to try to get Josh up and going for this ball game. We'll see where he is and we'll have an update later on.
Q: Do you anticipate Ponder's ribs will be good enough for him to play?
A: That's hard to say right now. We're going to see where he is tomorrow and Wednesday as well, but we're going to talk about it and come to a resolution pretty soon.
Q: What's the primary reason you signed Josh Freeman?
A: We're hoping that he's another good football player that our personnel guys, along with myself, felt like could help our team. That was the primary reason. We're always trying to find guys who you think can help your team win and we think he's one of those guys.
Q: Are you afraid it's going to mix up the chemistry a little bit?
A: No, our guys want us to do whatever it takes to win, whatever it takes to help us improve and they understand the business we're in and we're trying to do something to help us win, so it should help our chemistry.
Q: Can you go forward with those three quarterbacks – Ponder, Cassel and Freeman – or do you have to make a move?
A: No, you don't. We've had three guys on our roster throughout these first four weeks of the season so it wouldn't be unusual to do that, so we don't have to make a move.
Q: What does it mean for Christian's career here?
A: I think Christian still has a bright future here with our football team. It may not look like that on the surface, but Christian is a professional, he's going to work as hard as he can every day to prepare and get back out on the field and help our team win. He's a pro.
Q: Did either Ponder or Cassel have questions for you about the signing of Freeman and what that means for them?
A: I sat down with both of them this morning and talked to them about the signing and what the implications were. I think we're all on the same page and how it affects them and how it can affect our team.
Q: What kind of concerns did they express to you?
A: No real concerns, they just wanted to know from me what the move entailed and how it would affect them.
Q: When you spoke to Josh, how did that conversation go?
A: He was very interested. He has friends on our team evidently and he talked to a bunch of our guys prior to me even talking with him so he knew it was pretty good. I was surprised. He knew a lot about us and how we do things and he kind of wanted to be in this environment. He wanted a fresh start and he was excited that I'd talk with him and a lot of it had to with the guys he had already talked with on our team. They had kind of set the table, which those guys in the league, they talk all the time.
Q: Did you have to do a sales job? Or was he already decided?
A:I got the sense, and he'll be able to answer this better when you talk with him this afternoon, but there wasn't much of a sales job that needed to be done.
Q: With his exit in Tampa Bay, how much did you have to dig into his background?
A: We did some digging. That was important. You hear so many things, you have to find out what's true and what's not. Between Rick and our personnel department, along with some calls that I made as well, we felt comfortable and we'll see how it works out.
Q: When Josh is up to speed how do you approach that situation?
A: Just have to see how long it takes him to understand our offense and what's required to run our offense and then go from there.
Q: What's the message to the team that you want to send with three quarterbacks in the mix and a season that's still in play?
A: For our team, and I talked with them about this this morning, the focus for us is this Carolina game and whatever we've got to do to get a win and Josh is not going to be the starting quarterback this weekend. Our guys know the preparation that's required of them and they really have to focus on their roles and their responsibilities. But they understand our goal is to win games. It shouldn't have any affect other than they know we are trying to win.
Q: Does Josh come in with a chance to start at a later time?
A: That's part of the equation. When we talked with him that's definitely on the table. So we'll see how he progresses and how well he picks up our offense.
Q: Does Matt definitely start this weekend?
A: We're going to see how Christian does and then we'll make a decision.
Q: What is Ponder's condition right now?
A: He's still recovering from the rib fracture. I'll know a little bit more tomorrow along with Wednesday when we get back where he is.
Q: He was throwing balls earlier right?
A: He threw the ball some. We had him throwing even at the end of last week just to see how he'd feel and how he'd feel moving around. Today we did a little bit more moving around and we'll do more moving when we come back Wednesday.
Q: Is he still your number one quarterback?
A: He's still our starter if he's healthy.
Q: How did Christian take this? Does it hurt his confidence?
A: We talked about that and you're right, on the surface you'd question that. He's human and I'm sure he has at times. He just has to continue to work and work as hard as he can and I think things will work out fine for Christian in the long term.
Q: Did it bother you that he had problems getting along with his coach in Tampa Bay?
A: I think it was Chip (Scoggins) who asked me about digging and learning as much as we could about that situation. Once I did a little digging and had a chance to talk with him, I think we'll be able to coexist, I think we'll be alright.


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The law is the law. If you don't like it, change it, but don't break it.
Sadly, the cry from the confused right wing is two-fold. The first is a given. Whatever the issue is, it's Obama's fault. The second is, only follow the law when you like it. Look at Cliven Bundy as an example.
We are now facing a critical time on our borders. Vast numbers of undocumented immigrants, many of them unaccompanied minors, are crossing our border in order to seek refuge and asylum. Others just looking for a new start, being sent by their families to stake out a new start for a more promising future.
Regardless of the reason they are here, we have laws and they must be followed or else we have anarchy -- something the right wing of the Republican party is wont to commence. They're losing their grasp on the control of the country and will do everything within their capacity to not fall into obscurity. Even if it means our system must fall along with them.
The law is quite simple in regards to this immigration crisis. There's a legislative process set up and it must be followed until such time as it's changed. Sadly GOP mouthpieces like Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho), two loudmouths without brains, are leading a charge of anarchy. They want due process of law ignored. Law that their party passed. In 2002 it was the Homeland Security Act and then in 2008 it was the Human Trafficking Act -- both bills signed by Republican George Bush. Both laws spell out exactly how children are to be dealt with who arrive across our borders as undocumented immigrants.
Congressman Luis Gutierrez, (D-Illinois) spelled it out quite simply and clearly with Chris Hayes last night during All In. Please take a look and you'll understand what the Republicans and right wingers refuse to accept.


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Acid Rain
We recently mentioned that we had commissioned a large format piece of art from artist and graphic designer Lene Bladbjerg, after spotting her talents at Spitalfields markets. Elldrew are happy to reveal 'Acid Rain', which is proudly being displayed in our lounge room.
For Arts Sake
On a recent trip to Spitalfields (London's oldest markets), we came across their monthly Arts Fair. A bit disheartened by the size of it (about 10 'booths') we decided to have a look around anyway as we had been looking for several months for something to take pride of place on our lounge room wall…the 'missing' piece to complete the recent renovations on the ground floor. Having trawled through countless art websites, even making a few unsuccessful gallery trips, we had planned to attend the next Affordable Art Fair, until we came across visual artist Lene Bladbjerg.


text: We're one of the prime whitetail, deer hunting preserves in Michigan, a place to trade the pace of daily living for the relaxation of the country. Michigan's Cherry Creek Farm offers outdoor-lovers 500+ acres of scenic whitetail, deer hunting, pheasant hunting, upland bird hunting as well as trout fishing. At our nature preserve you will be guided to some of the best trophy deer hunts, turkey hunts, pheasant hunts and fishing experiences to be found in the state of Michigan. Our goal is to offer you and your sports-loving family the best guided whitetail deer hunting, turkey hunting, pheasant hunting, fishing and wilderness vacation ever in Michigan! We specialize in one to three day packages for hunters, families and groups. At Cherry Creek Farm, Michigan hunting outfitters take outdoor lovers through 500 wooded acres in search of the next Boone and Crockett. If whitetail deer hunting is not your pleasure, there are plenty of spots for trout fishing, pheasant hunting, canoeing and rafting. Unlike other Michigan deer hunting outfitters, Cherry Creek Farms is open for more than just hunting. While Cherry Creek Farms offers hunters and outdoors men and women a chance to take part of a guided hunt or fishing trip, there are packages available for families, as well. Families can choose to take part in canoeing, rafting, tubing or golf. Some families choose to come along with a hunter for a little rest and relaxation.