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Raleigh's Unique Elements Still a Mystery
This is kind of a thinker post that I wanted to put out there. I haven't talked about Raleigh's image, including the image we're trying to give off, in awhile but it is something that I'm always sort of thinking about.
I was watching a talk from Aaron Renn about Columbus, Ohio a few weeks ago. Normally, I wouldn't catch this sort of thing but since I find myself in Columbus once or twice a year and I like Renn's work, I watched the talk.
This one quote really stuck with me as he talked to a crowd about what people around the country are saying about Columbus.
The more different you are as a city, the easier it is to get market attention and that's what I've kind of noticed that while every company tries its hardest to tell you how much different and better it is than every other company, every city basically tries its hardest to tell you how it's exactly the same as every other city that's conventionally considered cool.
*Where Does Columbus Go From Here?
I agree with Renn 100%. I'm not in marketing but for those that are, I'd love an explanation on that. That seems to be counter to what marketing is supposed to do.
Below, I've embedded the talk but started at the relevant question with Renn's full answer. If the video doesn't show for you, click here to watch it on YouTube.
I wanted to see if that was true for Raleigh. How unique are we? Without having the resources for a full-on marketing effectiveness analysis (or whatever this might be called) I looked at what our Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau was putting out there.
I watched the most recent video published from Visit Raleigh. Here it is below. (YouTube Link here)
To sum up, Raleigh:
- Makes top ten lists
- We have museums
- We have a music scene
- We have creative people
- There are shops
- There are restaurants
- More cooking and good food
- Dinosaurs
- We have sports
- More arts
- More museums
- We have street festivals
- We have bars, coffee shops, and restaurants
- We have outdoor music stages
- We have places to drink beer
- We have more art
Another watch shows quick shots of food trucks, the trolley pub, people walking on sidewalks, the Cary Theater, Ashworth Drugs in Cary, and fireworks.
While the production level of the video is high and those interviewed have done some great things in Raleigh, I'm sad to say there isn't anything unique there as this list of items can be found in a lot of other cities around the country.
Also, no greenways? Really?
I'm going to pick on John532 who posted in the comments a little while back that, "IMO, the city is way too humble and needs to go on a 'bragging tour' and sell itself better."
There may be more material out there showing how unique Raleigh is but it doesn't seem easy to find. I too would like to see some unique elements pulled out of this city and broadcast out for the world to see.
The thinking piece for you, reader, is what should, or even could, that be? What unique thing could we take a chance on?
I have my ideas but want to end the post here and take it to the comments.
Just got back from Portland. Their vibe and craft is all about keeping it weird and keeping it local. From hand made goods, to beer, to the music scene.
In Raleigh I see opportunity for a similar hallmark, but I think it should revolve around the one thing that seemingly everyone from everywhere already knows. Raleigh is one of the most friendly cities in the U.S.
People from all over the U.S. constantly tell me that they loved Raleigh and felt it was unbelievably welcoming and hospitable. I could really see the city running with a theme like that.
I think House of Swank did a shirt with the Y'all means All slogan, and I think for city branding purposes there might be something there.
I see a big flaw on this video immediately. They mention diversity, but they sure as heck did not show it. Every person they interviewed was Caucasian from what I saw. The majority of businesses they showed were those that appeal to the 20/30 something white professional (or maybe hipsters).
Raleigh has a vibrant African-American community and businesses….where were they?
The Latino ones? Asian-American businesses anyone? Arab-American community? Raleigh has the Carolina's most active Gay District, but I didn't see it either.
They showed street fairs and music festivals but none of the ones we have that are multi-cultural or international, even though we all know that we have many.
I am a white male and even I noticed this right off the bat. I can only imagine what others will see. :-(
As a musician and one who has been involved in various original bands in Wilmington and Raleigh, I see a lot of room for improvement in the music scene here. People always claim that we have a ton of local music, but a large chunk of it is made up of cover bands that aren't producing any art. They are regurgitating other artist's work (9/10 times worse than the original). Of the local bands that are writing original, unique music, there is very little cohesion or community support.
For example, in Wilmington it is very easy to put on a local music festival showcasing 7-8 original bands that all know each other and all play *relatively* similar styles, in the sense that it draws a crowd well because attendees know that they will enjoy most if not all of the music. The local festivals I've attended here usually bounce from strange hip hop collective, to indie/punk band, to avett brothers rip off… and the event feels very forced…
Music is tough, because it's so subjective… and I'm biased.
But we are really lacking a strong local original music scene – especially in the jazz, bluegrass, jam rock, eclectic music styles. Also, there is just less of a "I want this local band to succeed" attitude here from venue owners and audience members alike.. hard to explain, but as a musician and audience member I feel it. I know it's not a unique feature to a city, but having a strong local scene attracts new artists into the community, more and better bands are formed, new venues open up, more festivals/shows are booked, new booking/branding agencies open, etc. etc. Next thing you're regarded as a music center, like Nashville, Austin, or Asheville.
How do we get there? We probably won't – but I imagine that NC state could play a huge role being our local university with a relatively weak music program. Austin has UT with one of the best jazz programs in the country; Nashville has Belmont with an incredible music dept.
Thank you for letting me vent here.
Agree on the comment about greenways.
I think much more could be done with the "City in a Forest" moniker.
We have a good public school system, where EVERY child can get a decent education. Now that is truly unique for an American city!
Raleigh should focus on its diversity! The universities and RTP bring such a diverse range of peoples. What follows them is the diverse food, music, and culture! This should be promoted- along with all the greenspace- parks, greenways, and museums!
That's one of my ideas, to own this "City in a Park" thing. If I was king and could just get it done, I'd plant trees everywhere. I would:
– Have the city transportation department create new sidewalk and median designs to incorporate trees in them.
– Budget for an expanded landscape maintenance team to plant and maintain the greatly increased tree inventory.
– Hire more urban foresters (we have some already)
– Implement new parking lot designs that require more trees
– Work with architects to create rooftop gardens and green spaces into buildings. (The skyline should have trees on top of it)
– Constantly monitor the Raleigh tree canopy and make sure it is growing, not being reduced.
It may not be the best idea. The problem is that we won't know if anyone's idea is good until we try it and see what happens years (decades) later. They all sound crazy right now, which is why I like this exercise cause you can think outside-the-box. Ideas that we all agree on, I bet, will be diluted down and deemed "safe." (generic)
Just FYI, I'm in a 2 Raleigh bands and play with various Raleigh bands and musicians on the regular, and I disagree with many of Evan's points. Not going to sit and argue about the music scene, though I certainly agree that community support could ALWAYS look to be better, but don't just take one guy's opinion as gospel. Ok fine, I'll sit and argue… The Raleigh music scene is thriving and getting better and better every year. A big factor for the seeming lack of community support comes from the fact that young people -by and large- cannot afford to live in Downtown proper. The more young people (as in 20s-early 30s) that live within downtown limits, the more people that will just walk down the street to go see a show – not even knowing what the show is. Young people aren't going to spend hard earned money to drive/park or Uber downtown to see something they have no guarantee they will like.
There are an insane amount of original acts in Raleigh (remember, "rock" isn't the only genre), and I barely see any cover bands on any bills at my favorite venues (Lincoln Theater is about the only one I see regularly booking cover bands, and most of those aren't even local). But NEWSFLASH: cover bands are EVERYWHERE, and they won't go away any time soon. They make money. I don't get it, either, but they do, apparently. Also: "How do we get there? We probably won't" – GREAT attitude. Now, I do think the city should be more involved in pushing our scene. When the Capital Soundspace building was being sold for redevelopment, that would've been a great time for the City that claims to be the "arts capital of the south" to step in and buy/renovate a long-standing practice space that hundreds of Raleigh musicians relied on. Now, many are stranded. But look at what Kings/Neptunes are doing. A new, FREE improvised music series downstairs. Local acts opening up almost every touring show that comes through. The Great Cover-Up, an annual event that draws a line around the block. Shows going on at both venues on the same night, offering endless options for live music each week. That's just one venue taking big ideas and making them reality. Now, we must allow for the public to catch on. But again, the more corporate and expensive we allow our city to become > the less young, creative people that can live within Downtown limits > the less our music scene is supported. It's not all on the musicians shoulders.
Raleigh has some of the same quirkiness as Portland and Austin without the self-aware pretensions about it, which could be a huge asset.
We have always had a fantastic indie music scene. Up to the mid-80s, Raleigh was the nucleus of that scene, but that ended some time after the closing of the Village Subway, and the scene moved to Chapel Hill and Durham after that.
One thing I'd do is bring back the Village Subway. It's historic, it's quirky and unique, and it would be well-supported by the students and staff at NCSU.
Jake, I'm glad you've had success in this music scene, as have I. Perhaps we should jam, I play keys :) Also, thanks for the tip about Neptune's improv series – I'll see you there Wed.
Definitely don't take my opinion as gospel, but having played in original bands based in downtown Wilmington and DTR for years in both towns, that is my experience. And again it's very subjective – I don't enjoy metal, punk, obscure indie rock, or vulgar rap. I like funk, jazz, eclectic rock, bluegrass, jazz fusion, world music, etc. which I hunger for more of.
Of course this is a bigger, more spread out town and it's easier to miss hip events, and your point about walkability/livability DT is crucial. Rent for venues is higher DTR also, which drives the need to book artists that will sell out, regardless of style or creativity. It also means higher cover charges and more of those dollars going to overhead rather than the musicians.
@Andy Kuhn, I think that you are onto something with leveraging off of the "Y'all means All" T-shirts. It is a perfect foundation for almost anything. Though we know that the shirt was in retaliation to HB2, it can be a foundation for talking about the music scene, the arts scene, the diversity of communities, business, recreation, etc. It also perfectly conveys Raleigh's friendliness. Y'all Means All is also a very catchy slogan that is memorable and it perfectly blends the city's Southern roots with its welcoming history that has made all the city is today possible.
A big part of my job is brand integration into my company's workplaces and customer facing facilities around the world and I truly believe that a strong brand identity is the emotional hook that the city needs to take it to the next level. Certainly Raleigh has all the superior dry metrics but those things do not grab you by the heart strings and make you feel connected the way that an identity can. We cannot stand by and watch other cities in the Triangle, the state or the region steal Raleigh's thunder. The city has worked way too hard over the decades to elevate it to where it is now but it's time to take it to the next level.
Finally, thanks for the shout-out Leo for mentioning my previous comment. Needless to say, I love this topic.
I've always thought that Raleigh could easily be the Portland of the East.
I think we need to emphasize:
1)The RESEARCH Triangle. Having three world class universities so close together makes this area unique. We also have one of the best public school systems of any major city in the country.
2) "City of Oaks"/"City in a Park" theme with our great parks network and greenway system. Dix Park is going to help this even more. (A water feature is needed desperately).
3) Our political activism. I was listening to NPR on Saturday evening when the All Things Considered host said something like "Women's Marches occurred in many major cities across America today, including New York, LA, Seattle and Raleigh". I was stunned to hear Raleigh included with that group.
Areas that can improve:
1) "Arts Capital of the South" – More outdoor public art. We need to have a large and iconic art piece that all tourists visit and take pictures.
2) Better architecture. When people visit downtown, they should stop and say "That's a cool looking building". It would really help our image if we had some unique buildings that people associate with Raleigh.
Better arts and better architecture come when there is a better brand that makes the investment of money and time worth it.
Guys, don't overlook the Victorian houses, some of which are being restored at the moment. Driving on Blount St. from Peace St. to DT is a unique experience – sort of a time travel.
I agree that I'd love to see an improved music and arts scene in Raleigh. Specifically, we should fully embrace the bluegrass momentum that we've gotten from the annual World of Bluegrass festival. That is where we could create some uniqueness.
I think Dix Park could be a real unique draw, if we do it right. I would love to see there be a funky, iconic structure of some sort built out there amid a world-class park.
Leo, definitely agree on the trees. In addition to the unique and beautiful aspects of urban trees, they are directly tied to a healthier population. combine with with an embrace of cycling and Raleigh could be a model healthy and vibrant city.
This one might be more difficult to achieve, but one of the main reasons businesses and individuals have moved to Raleigh over the past 2 decades is our relative affordability – What if we could maintain that even as the city grows and becomes more and more attractive? Being an affordable city to live would certainly attract more and more creative and unique residents, which would in turn, allow for a more creative and unique city. Easier said than done, I know, but I think this could be the real game changer setting Raleigh apart from the crowd of other fast growing cities.
So many are mentioning the music scene, but that is certainly buyer beware. What has plagued Travis County is the rising cost of living and it squeezes out those with the least financial stability (aka the artists, craftsman, etc.) This has become a point of contention in Austin to the point denizens wonder where the music went. It seems to be moving out of town and to other cheaper markets like Waco and Ft. Worth.
Should we as a city push for an arts vibe we need to be hyper sensitive to creating a community where artists can flourish and where they can also live and work.
All of these comments speak to the richness of diversity in Raleigh. Yes, Raleigh has a rich history in Victorian houses that @Pavel mentions but it also has a rich history in Modern architecture as evident in the large collection of Mid-Century Modern homes and has a strong modern home scene continuing to this day.
So far, most of the comments are aligning to the idea of diversity in (fill in the blank) with comments like "don't forget________."
Stories about our diversity can be told on each subtopic from different viewpoints upon the singular brand foundation.
I agree with the iconic structure built at Dix Park… something big such as the Space Needle as an example…. sitting on top of that hill overlooking downtown Raleigh would be tremendous….
When I started reading comments on the music scene I remember the underground along with many local bands playing in clubs along Hillsborough Street. Susan Sarandon was there one night while filming Bull Durham. That was a lost but Downtown was hurting. The railroad property Davie Street (dates to late 1800's) being turned into shops with Videri chocolate is awesome. The 1053 Whitaker Mill warehouse being converted into cool spaces shows that there is hope that we can utilize and convert some under utilized space into something great. There will be some great water features in the Moore Square renovations. We need to push the greenways and NCSU's impact on the area. We just need to improve (capital Blvd & New Bern Avenue) without losing too many Sadlacks that give character. Great article Leo and great comments
Iconic individual items/buildings/fountains/ etc. are nice but the issue is bigger than that. It's about who we are that makes us unique, special and desirable. It's that special essence that draws others to the city. It's about making people want to be part of who we are because it will improve their lives. It's about people making investments in the city because our brand will make their brand stronger. It's about setting us apart from our competitors in the market and making people want to live our brand through their actions because it's that strong and important. It's about pride.
NC state / ACC basketball. That's what makes us unique. It permeates the city. Talked about in business meetings, on at every bar. It's in our DNA. Let's ride that wave.
BC, not to be a butt, but the Southern Railway depot was built in 1912. But it is still a gem and anchors an important character laden corner of downtown.
Also, sure we have some beautiful Victorian houses in Oakwood and some adjacent areas, but be reminded the entire Maiden Lane National Historic District is slated for demolition for some more crappy apartments unless the City conditions the approval of a partial street closure with saving some of them. Given the City's recent track record here (has done nothing to save three such homes at Ashe/Hillsborough e.g among a ton of others), so the elected members couldn't give a flying crap about using that as an identity.
Our modernist architecture IS nationally renown as several noted architects that worked during that style's formative era, came from NC State. And its still going strong.
As far as "Portland of the East", all I can say is I wish. I would personally hand that title to Richmond. The actual cast of Portlandia also referred to Durham being more Portlandia than Portland, so Raleigh doesn't even win in its own neighborhood. Again, I do sincerely wish, but we are just too 'white bread', too much bro culture, and too many neighborhoods that skip straight from high crime to only-upper-middle-class-can-afford-to-live-here-now gentrified. That point where houses get creatively fixed up with funky garden lawns, and sell for a price the median income can afford to pay…we mostly skip right over that. Mordecai came closest to being Portland like, but even as I jogged through tonight I observed 4 recent tear down and rebuilds (like last two years, one just finishing up) all along Courtland. I'm not sure what our brand is or should be….high tech seems most appropriate with RTP+Centennial campus leading a bonafide charge there. But no branding agencies, or elected officials really try and leverage that with any gusto. Maybe that'd bring too much attention from the Legislature…
I think that Raleigh is still small enough to not be sure of what it truly wants to be…but Raleigh is a great place to:
Start and raise a family
Start and grow a business…then sale it of course, Lol!
I think that Raleigh's biggest attraction is that it's in the middle of every place you want to be or everything you want to do…from here you're not far from…
The mountains
The coast
The larger cities
The amusement parks
The zoo
The other major sports teams
And of course you can get there from here via bus, train, interstate, RDU…etc
And still you can come back to safe ole Mayberry (I mean Raleigh of course Lol) back to your safe neighborhood.
What will a larger, bigger and more diverse Raleigh look and feel like? Who knows, but I look forward to the ongoing journey! :-)
What would you want this "marketing effectiveness analysis" to tell you? If your question is "how unique are we?" perhaps someone can run some numbers and see variations in CVB websites for variations in text. However, recent growth statistics, migration patterns give a hint to that answer.
I read through some/most of the comments, and they all hit on some really good points, obviously things that are important to each person. My general answer to all of this is that Raleigh should continue to nurture those strengths. However, even then there should be strategic, intentional growth – and that means public/private.
A report can be put together with all of these ideas – music, education, arts, events, tech, etc., and give baselines, goals, and how and when we get there.
To stick with the greenways example, we could say that Raleigh has 114 miles, 3700 acre system. And besides a "goal" of having interconnected trails, an add-on could be to double that number by 2030. Like you said, it sounds crazy and we don't see the fruit for a few years, even decades down the road, but if that goal (or any other) is met, then it would carve out the "image" that is being given out.
The 2030 comprehensive plan is good – it gives a "how do we get there" from a policy perspective, but it doesn't really tell anyone where "there" is, and on top of that, it doesn't give the citizens a call to action – how they can be involved in helping get there.
I remember back when we went to that Strong Towns talk and you came out of that meeting asking, "What do I do now?"
If these goals for Raleigh are the goals of the people, then the answer would be "we can make this vision a reality if you commit to supporting the arts, the music scene, supporting local restaurants, making an effort to utilize the existing greenways, etc." Of course it would be more detailed than that, but most importantly, it would provide the public a role in getting there, or not.
Well as some of you know from my previous posts on here, I'm am a bit of a history buff and am more fascinated with what Raleigh used to be rather than what it is becoming. Being born and raised here, I have a hard time pinpointing exactly what it is that is unique about this place because I did not come here by choice, but I stayed.
This was always a government town, full of politicians and lawyers. A planned capital that only happened because the commissioners got a little too tipsy on their way to Hillsborough and started running their mouths at Isaac's Tavern, only to wake up the next day with a deed to the swamp land that became Raleigh. There was no real industry here until IBM came to town in the late '50s. The locals haven't always been so welcoming to the newcomers either.
Most of our cool historic landmarks have been destroyed long ago and we have only started caring about our downtown again within the past 20 years. Hot topics on this thread are about things that were here a century ago but were neglected and ripped out like rotten teeth (public transit, sports stadiums, grocery stores, affordable innercity housing).
So what makes us unique Leo? I don't know. If they say Detroit is America's ghetto, then I think Raleigh is America's suburb. Forests and farms have became bland subdivisions and strip malls with the same big box stores. Old neighborhoods are parking lots or state owned burdens. Our history (especially black history) has been erased or forgotten. We now have a booming tech and pharma industry and the options for education here are top notch. I laugh when they say Raleigh is an art capital.
To sum it up, I've often thought of Raleigh as a redneck city in a turtleneck.
Rock on, @Leo – another great thread to browse here!
Love @John532's comment: "IMO, the city is way too humble and needs to go on a "bragging tour" and sell itself better."
Love @RaleighRob's rant on the need to emphasize our diversity more aggressively. The ethnic diversity is definitely one of our defining characteristics – let's brag about it, celebrate it, and market it as our city's identity! Expand the International Festival and Fiesta del Pueblo into much larger scale funkier indoor/outdoor events that literally take over the entire downtown when they happen.
Love @Leo and @Dustin calling for a "City In a Forest" branding. And like Leo said, double-down on this, spreading trees everywhere (even rooftops) and customize sidewalks to go around and emphasize our trees. I know we're the City of Oaks, but I do wonder if crepe myrtles might be a more compelling branding tree species for the Raleigh area. They really thrive here, and bring long-lasting vivid summer color.
@Paul makes a good point on our political activism. Political rallies are quirky and interesting, and could be a fairly unique branding factor for us as a swing state capital with lots of political drama and activism happening.
The local music scene is important to any vibrant city, but as @Evan points out, the lack of a strong music department at NC State definitely hurts. Actually, it would really help if NC State donors and steering committees focused hard on expanding Liberal Arts programs in general. That would make NC State a more intellectually interesting and well-rounded university. As for the bluegrass angle: I'm not a musician, but if local musicians could maybe develop a fusion music genre, mixing bluegrass with, say, world music, something interesting might evolve. I admit that I find listening to pure bluegrass on the car radio quickly becomes monotonous, though I do admire the musicianship.
Lastly, my own contribution: it occurs to me that one of the end objectives to all of this branding discussion is to attract visitors to Raleigh – to create a bonafide tourist industry. The good news is: we have that table already set. The annual Carolina Heritage Guide ranks the 30 top attractions in NC. How about a little numbers game? Of the top 10 attractions, fully 6 of them are here in Raleigh! They include #1, the Museum of Natural History, #5 the NC Zoo (close enough to claim), #6 Marbles, #7 NC Museum of History, #8 the Museum of Life and Sciences (Durham but close enough to claim) and #9 the Museum of Art. By comparison, Charlotte has only one top 10 entry, #4 Discovery Place. Digging deeper, I notice that #11 is the NC Arboretum in Asheville…if we could expand NCSU's Raulston Arboretum south and west (and add more trees!), and do some heavy advertising, maybe our Arboretum could break into the top 10 attractions. I also notice that the small aquariums at Fort Fisher and Pine Knoll are #12 and #14. How about a newer and slightly larger aquarium in downtown Raleigh? That would easily become a top 10 entry. And as mentioned by @Teddy, something extra special at Dix Park – that could also make the top 10! So, we could potentially sweep the top 10 permanent attractions in NC, and bring in a lot of tourism. As a disparate group, they wouldn't be useful in creating our local identity, but they could create a tourism industry that doesn't currently exist. And while they are here, visitors would a captive audience for our local branding treatment – whatever that happens to be.
I really love the conversation that has happened around this already. A lot of great ideas from different people. Personally, I agree with Robert that one of the things I love about the area is how I am a half day drive from so many different places including…
Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway
Great beaches
Big cities
One of the largest zoos
Not to mention how much there is to do right here without getting out of town, such as Umstead, greenways, sports, festivals, etc.
We also have a growing business and startup community here, but in a way that seems to recognize that business isn't everything and family is important also. That sets us apart from many other startup areas that seem to be all about young people without any family and grinding away nonstop.
I was tossing around slogans based on some of these thoughts and one that came to mind was 'build' or maybe 'create'. It could be used as a basis for many aspects of Raleigh.
Create family
Create a business
Create community
Create connections
Create music
Create art
Create Raleigh
@Renpark John,
Most of the places you mentioned are state entities. Only Marbles and Discovery Place are technically private. I doubt the state would be willing to build a new aquarium for us, and the coastal legislators would raise hell. Also, the NC Botanical Garden is right on the Blue Ridge Parkway, so it gets a lot of spillover from Parkway drivers. (I'm not trying to be a wet blanket, but we should be realistic). Personally, I think you have the right idea, but we should focus on creating our own attractions rather than trying to steal those of other places. My first choice would be a technology museum. Discovery Place mixed with Air and Space in DC. Nobody travels to Charlotte exclusively to go to Discovery Place, so I doubt we'd really be in direct competition. Realistically, any of the energy that would get devoted to an attraction is going to Dix Park for the next two decades.
Above the Oaks: series of architecturally-unique observation towers around the city center connected by street-network of bike paths. (highlights our tree canopy, outdoorsy, and skyline identities).
Sports Fan Museum: highlighting various unique cultures, events, and traditions of sports fans from around the world. (highlights our passion for sports)
All the ideas so far are great. I do believe that public art could be our biggest attraction. The NCMA has already started the process with a world class collection both inside and out and we have Dix Park, multiple areas downtown and the entire greenway where significant artworks could be placed. We have the amazing world class curators at the NCMA who would be thrilled to help find artwork and they often can get it on temporary loan if we can't afford it. Art in our park system and downtown in addition to the NCMA could put us on the map as a destination. Think of smaller European cities that have the attention of tourists primarily because of their art. Or think of Chicago and how their public art has become their main attraction.
Raleigh should focus it efforts to create a more vibrant, walkable downtown. When I think of great cities to visit close by, I think of Charleston, Asheville, Blowing Rock, Greenville, SC… These place allow you to abandon the car to visit parks, museums, shopping, restaurants, etc. You can literally spend a day or an entire weekend never having to step foot in a car. Raleigh has many of these great things. However, if you want shopping, you must drive to North Hills or an area mall. If you want museums, you must drive to the NCMA. Umstead park is great, but again, you must drive to it. Sporting events, same story. There are many wonderful things in and around Raleigh (including Durham and Chapel Hill). Specifically, if the city would make an effort to attract shopping to the downtown core, it would be a huge boon for the region. Someone mentioned a row of shopping….great idea. Can you imagine what a Nordstrom or large retailer downtown would do to bring additional businesses and people to the area? I feel bad for the small shops in downtown right now. It is simply too much effort for someone from outside of downtown to visit those retailers. However, if there we more of them and you could make a day of it, it would probably add to their long term success. The restaurants are already there.
so many eye rolls. Raleigh should take clues from Blowing Rock's downtown?!?!?!????????? it's 3 blocks. maybe 4.
Ok. So maybe Blowing Rock is a poor example. Although I always find it a nice excursion. What about the other cities I mentioned? Or did you get so offended by my mention of Blowing Rock that you can't engage in constructive dialogue?
Raleigh is nothing like Portland. Many folks are projecting what they want Raleigh to be. Sorry, but music is not a strength. Highlight the strengths: High Tech, ACC Sports (make a bid to move ACC headquarters from Greensboring), Museums, Historic sites/structures, Southeast Capital of Parades and Festivals,the three triangle major universities, and the general quality of life that draws thousands of new residents.
Raleigh: The Unquirky Paradise
Charleston and Asheville are unfair comparisons. They both have large, urban, historic downtowns that cater to large numbers of well-heeled tourists. We'll never be either place. Greenville's a great comparison but I think the city is already doing as much as they did. In regards to retail, the issue downtown isn't so much a lack of retailers as a lack of space. The city has been actively working to attract retail downtown, but they can't actually build retail spaces, that's up to the private sector.
Spotted Malik downtown today @ Raleigh Times for lunch. Hopefully, thats a good sign that he's still scouting Downtown for stadium sites.
@Steve, commenting on my suggestion that we are in a good position to sweep the top 10 places to visit in the state of NC, you note that "Most of the places you mentioned are state entities. Only Marbles and Discovery Place are technically private. I doubt the state would be willing to build a new aquarium for us, and the coastal legislators would raise hell."
So what if some of our attractions are state-owned? They are HERE in Raleigh now, and they aren't going away, so we benefit from them, as would a growing tourism industry. Whether an attraction is state-owned or private doesn't matter in the context of promoting our attractions and building a tourism industry.
On an aquarium in downtown Raleigh, you say "coastal legislators would raise hell". Forget about 'em! They only have a say in state projects. The city could build the aquarium – it's a very inexpensive bang for the buck as attractions go, which is why many cities have them. It could go into a renovated structure, for example in a place similar to the Briggs building where the COR Museum is. Admission prices defray maintenance costs, and visitors come, explore, and spend dollars downtown. And unlike stadiums and amphitheaters, the attraction can be open almost 365 days a year – win-win-win.
@Mike: I like the sports museum idea…like the aquarium, it is "low-hanging fruit" – a low cost-of-entry attraction for the city to bring on-line, by renovating an existing structure downtown. Again – unlike stadiums and amphitheaters, it can be open almost all the time, generating a stream of visitors and dollars into downtown.
Don't underestimate what a game-changer a museum idea can be…look at Cleveland OH, now best known as site of the "Rock and Roll Museum".
@Mike: Really like the "Above the Oaks" idea of observation towers peeking over the tree canopy with interesting views. This idea combines both art and attraction, and ties into "City in a Forest" without shooting for the moon with some mega-project like the Seattle Space Needle…win-win-win!
@Glen: "The NCMA has already started the process with a world class art collection both inside and out, and we have Dix Park…where significant artworks could be placed. We have amazing world class curators at the NCMA who would be thrilled to help find artwork and they often can get it on temporary loan if we can't afford it."
What a fantastic thought, Glen! NCMA helping to bring Dix Park into the picture NOW rather than LATER!
@ Keith
One option could be to combine art/mobility and create a new image for Raleigh would be that proposed "people mover" by those engineers at NC State University?
@Uncle Jesse, That it hopefully a good sign. Recognize any 'movers & shakers' he was talking to while at the Times?
I could not see who Steve Malik was meeting with. We literally walked in together. I sat at the bar to order lunch; he walked around the corner.
The MLS bid is due in a week. I should hope that the stadium plan is set.
I would love an aquarium downtown. With History, science and CAM already downtown, you could have a "Museum Row" of sorts.
Why can't City Market be the area with unique shopping and retail? With a little TLC, that place could easily become a go-to destination for tourists. Especially after the Moore Square Reno.
I agree^^ there's momentum in city market now. City sushi and phonomenol dumplings are new additions and there's plan for a tap House across Blount right?
Just saw a post on New Raleigh about an arts collective in Southeast Raleigh with studio space etc. Would love to see a true arts district in an underutilized section of town where rent is cheap.
As more residential complexes pop up near City Market, I'm hoping the area can finally support it. The city needs to invest in it. I would love to see something like the Umbrella Street in Portugal,
Keith I like that you brought up Blowing Rock because it made me mentally walk through my last visit there. Its a tourist town for sure, but a walkable one no doubt and people like it for that reason. Steve I think Asheville's Victorian trough Roaring 20's build out is comparable to what Raleigh's was. Charleston though as you State, was much more robust starting in colonial times and extending through the entire antebellum era.
Anyway, the general points hold true being insinuated, that the historic infrastructure, in critical mass needed to support any a Raleigh that resembles any of those three, is long gone, and continues to be ripped out. The Reliable Loan set of buildings dated to 1877. Poof. 140's years of character gone because neither Greg Sandreuter or Highwoods can see anything but glass walled profits. If that is our fate, then I think the glass walled monoliths must be creatively built and embrace technology at every turn as I previously suggested.
Things that I want for Raleigh
Downtown Stadium (prefer minor league baseball, certainly would support soccer as well)
City Zoo (much smaller than NC Zoo)
College Basketball Hall of Fame…..Raleigh and the triangle are the epicenter for college basketball. We need that from Kansas City.
ALways thought that the Dix park would be perfect for a mix between city park (100 acres or so) and a place for an aquarium or zoo and college basketball hall of fame complex.
I know I know……I'll keep dreaming.
Yeah zoo's are lame (IMO IMO IMO). How about relocating red hat amphitheater to the natural bowl at Dix Park field?
Seriously, this area in Dix field could make the sweetest venue.
The grade already has a stadium feel, unlike existing red hat, the flat concrete wasteland full of permanent chairs that for some reason is facing away from the skyline…
Would be a huge endeavor to build, but there's already tons of parking around. I know people will rebut with the "it won't get year round use", and to that I'd say what are you going to put there that will always be used and remains an outdoor amenity? This is my "downtown stadium pipe dream".
Leo, what a great thread and great discussion. You're in a league of your own and have been doing it longer than all of the other downtown Raleigh "blogs". Very refreshing to get this level of detail vs. new bar and restaurant rumors.
Lock animals up for our amusement? They are more than taken care of. I wouldn't worry too much about them.
@evan, I like your idea of moving redhat amphitheater. I'm sure many on here will disagree but I think Dix would be much better served being part park and part something else. This city doesn't need a 300 acre "destination park."
Well, Dix Park also includes the some DHHS buildings that have the option to stay for 25 years, and the Dix Campus, which is several acres. So, there will be a mixture of uses there (the city wants to save most of the dix campus). I think moving the amphitheater out to the park makes a lot of sense long-term. Currently it's only like 4 acres, so it would be less than 2% of the park's area. Plus, the current amphitheater site will hopefully include some kind of high rise (even if it's just a hotel attached to an expanded convention center).
As an urban downtown, Raleigh is way behind the curve due to its late start. The city needs more corporate businesses, more retail, more hotels (hopefully with good designs), more restaurants, and more entertainment venues.
30 years ago, there was absolutely nothing of worth in DT Raleigh. Memorial Auditorium for a concert or going to the Berkeley Cafe. Otherwise, it was completely dead. Almost nobody lived in DT back then. Then, in the late 80's, the City Market was restored along with the creation of Artspace. There was Greenshields at the market and then 42nd Street Oyster Bar on Jones and a few other establishments. It wasn't until the latter part of the 90's when Tir Na Nog showed up on Moore Square and Glenwood South was in its infancy.
Even without unbridled growth, downtown Raleigh has come a long way since 2000. It went from "nothing" to a respectable small urban core. Just keep growing, baby.
Evan I never realized that bowl was back there on the east edge of the big field until Raleigh had its extravaganza thing this summer. That little corner might actually be a good spot for a low intensity type amphitheater (less manipulation of the area than say the NCMA one). Maybe just flatten out a half dozen terraces facing a single stage area. Normally I'm leaning more natural, and fewer hard surfaces, but this spot at least has me thinking you're on to something…
I don't think a high rise will go up on the RH amphitheater location. It would ruin the city's "money shot" of the convention center.
@Evan, I've always grumbled about this!!
"unlike existing red hat, the flat concrete wasteland full of permanent chairs that for some reason is facing away from the skyline…"
This is kind of "out there" I know, but what about a classic old-style wooden roller coaster–contoured into the sloping hills on the edge of the park–along with a Ferris wheel with DT views? It would be best suited for the periphery of the park, so it wouldn't "divide" the park too much…maybe hugging Lake Wheeler or down along Western. I've always thought this would be such a cool thing for families visiting the park. Add to that a greenway connecting Dix to Crabtree Creek GW or downtown itself…can you tell I love outdoor activities?!?
Now, know that I'm not talking about turning Dix into a full blown theme park by any means. But many cities have a "skywheel" offering city views. Imagine this for a second: NCFC game ends, post game fireworks start over stadium downtown, Ferris wheel riders get ultimate DT fireworks show!
Another Forbes list…top travel destinations!
I love how Raleigh keeps ahead of the curve!
Very "unique" indeed 😉
How do people feel about maybe mimicking some of what make Balboa Park in San Diego unique with Dix Park?
I'm not that familiar with Balboa Park, but from what I can gather I assume you mean the "cultural" aspects. I think that's what the NCMA Art Park is intended to be. There's even a chance the NC Museum of History will move out there as well. Blue Ridge Road could end up being a "cultural district" in 30 years.
Raleigh River Walk… I think we need to move forward with this idea that has been around for years. We have the foundation for it.. and it would be a huge game changer to downtown. I love the water feature in downtown Durham.. absolutely love it. I hope that we plan to do something similar to San Antonio or even something like Durham has.
Sorry, comments have been archived. Please continue the discussion on the DTRaleigh Community.


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intermediary, search and reunion services
Following Minnesota law, The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption and the laws of the countries in which we work, we may be able to obtain information on behalf of adopted adults and parents of adopted minors. Depending on your country of birth, we may be able to assist you to:
- Request additional information from adoption agencies, birth family members, abandonment witnesses, orphanages and foster families
- Attempt to locate and contact your birth family and/or foster family
- Exchange information, such as letters and pictures, with individuals important to your adoption story
- Replace documents held by overseas adoption agency
- Support travel and meetings/reunions with birth and foster families
If your country of birth is not listed above, please contact our Post Adoption Intake Specialist at email@example.com or 651-255-2371.
Document copies, updates and other special requests
Adopted adults, birth parents or adoptive parents are able to request that their file be checked for updates or requests for contact from other members of the adoption triad. Requests for allowable file copies, background information and specific requests, such as information about naturalization, are possible with this service.International Brief Service Request
birthland tours
Birthland travel helps connect international adoptees with a sense of history and culture, they can be especially significant when shared with loved ones. The birthland travel experience involves exploration of culture, traditions, foods, personal history and the lives of everyday people in the adoptee's country of origin.
Currently we are offering two fully-staffed and guided tours to South Korea.Learn More About Tour Korea!
information for adopted individuals placed after august 1, 1982
An adopted adult or parent of an adopted minor placed after August 1, 1982 may be able to receive identifying information from their placing agency about one or both of the birth parents named on their original birth certificate. Provided the birth parents did not file an Affidavit of Non-Disclosure, an adopted adult or parent of adopted minor can receive the identity of birth parents named on the birth certificate, including birth dates, last known addresses and birth places.

subset: commoncrawl


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Recently a friend introduced me to the site PaleOMG.com a site of paleo recipes that are so good you'd never know they were paleo. Just looking at this site make me hungry!
I decided to try the Crockpot Sweet Potato Basil Soup because I love creamy soups and my crockpot!
It is SO freaking good AND SOOO freaking easy. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly as is, but because it's soup I took some liberties here and there.
What you need:
2 sweet potatoes or yams (I used 3 because they were small)
1/2 yellow onion (I used 1 whole small onion)
1 can coconut milk
1 cup vegetable broth
2 garlic cloves minced
1 Tbsp dried basil
salt & pepper to taste
1) Peel your sweet potatoes and chunk them up - throw into crock pot.
2) Add onion (don't worry about dicing it really fine)
3) Add everything else and give it a little mix.
4) Cook on high for 3 hours.
5) Use a blender, hand blender, or food processor to blend until smooth. I used a hand blender and I LOOOOOVE it. I have used it a lot lately, and in the next few weeks of posts you'll probably get tired of hearing about it. (it's just like this one, except it's only one speed)
Saturday, 6 April 2013
PaleOMG Sweet Potato Soup
at 12:19
Labels: cooking , gluten free , paleo
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Audacious Cosmetics and I
First of all, thank you for stopping by my blog! It is greatly appreciated. This blog is sponsored By Audacious Cosmetics, a cosmetic line I created to encompass the beauty of the Afropunk subculture and Women in general. I want to use … Continue reading
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Ingredient breakdown: Cetaryl Alcohol
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There's a bias in America that people who get into debt trouble have knowingly spent their way into the mess they're in and it's no one's fault but their own. The preconceived notion that overwhelming debt is a result of keeping up with the Jones' or an insatiable desire for material things fails to acknowledge
the debt traps that may arise as a part of everyday living. Here are some common situations that occur throughout life which can determine the difference between deep debt and healthy finances. Some of these situations can be avoided, while others are necessary steps that must deal with wisely.
DEBT STAGE 1: Young Adult
Perhaps the most vulnerable time in our lives for making financial mistakes is at the onset of entering the adult world. This is the time that we most need guidance but also the time when we crave independence. A healthy future depends to a great extent on how well this stage is navigated.
- College Expenses – The first time many Americans are put to the task of managing their own money is during their college years. Many graduates come to regret the amount of debt they incurred during those years as it continues to haunt them, as they try to move on. While it's true that undergrads may depend on student loans to pay for their college education, it's important to consider the future earnings a degree will generate and keep student loans at or below that level. Exhaust all federal loan options before seeking a loan from a private lender.
- Getting Married – With the average American wedding costing more than $18,000, serious consideration should be taken of cutting the costs, especially if one or both partners are bringing their own debt baggage into the marriage. Whatever amount you're able to cut from your nuptials can be used for a down payment on a home or to pay down student loans or other debts.
- Credit Card Management– Credit cards are a necessary part of establishing a good credit history and building your credit score. With moderate, consistent use, they are invaluable. Stick to a budget, make regular, on-time payments and don't overextend your limit. Avoid using convenience checks or cash advance services, as they carry heavier interest rates, penalties and fees.
- Your First Home – Purchasing a home can be the best investment you ever make. But it also comes with a huge amount of responsibility. Good financial management is paramount to ensure your home (and finances) stay in good running order. With all the other debt obligations at this stage in life, it's important not to get yourself in too deep. Be modest and only buy what you can truly afford.
DEBT STAGE 2: Family Life
At this stage of life, responsibilities for raising a family can be pressing. Distractions will be abound while trying to juggle kids' school and sporting events, work, home chores and maintenance while working to maintain a healthy relationship. You may be savvier about how the world works now, but you still need to be vigilant and use your financial resources wisely.
- Home Improvements – Many people begin in a starter home hoping to sell and move into their dream one. While other people want their current home to look like one from Better Homes & Gardens. But investing money into renovations doesn't always raise the value of the home and could actually mean a financial loss. In addition, if you borrow to make improvements, you may find yourself making payments for years on a poor investment. Research the value of the homes in your area to see if the renovation will increase the value before committing to a home improvement contract.
- Business Investments – Feeling more confident and savvy, you may want to venture into the stock market or start your own business. Risk is the name of the game when it comes to investments, so manage your risk wisely to ensure you don't loose it all if something goes wrong.
- Co-Signing – Agreeing to help someone secure a loan by being a co-signer is synonymous with taking on the debt yourself. If the borrower misses the payment, it will become your obligation. As a result, negative management of the account will put a ding in your credit score and may make it difficult for you to obtain a loan on your own in the future. The only sure way to dodge this debt trap is to just say no when asked to co-sign a loan or be prepared to take it on yourself.
DEBT STAGE 3: Retirement
By the time you reach this stage of life, you can probably see the wisdom of all the above points. Looking ahead you're hoping for smooth sailing on a fixed income.
- Tapping into 401K and Investments – Yes, the money is technically yours, but it's also the means of providing for a secure future into old age. Do you really want to take the risk? Whether or not you're considering a temporary loan, it's still a dangerous move. Borrowing funds will mean a loss in growth potential, generate a tax bill and even result in penalties, depending on your age. Only borrow from your 401(k) if it is an emergency and you have tapped all other sources.
- Limited Health Insurance Benefits – Financial experts consider health insurance an essential for securing your financial future, especially as you enter middle age and beyond. Repaying even a short hospital stay will take a decent chunk of your savings.
These are just a few of the scenarios that can affect your finances. No matter what the situation, the easiest way to avoid a problem with debt is to have a realistic budget that you have committed to follow. If, however, you find yourself in debt trouble and need help getting back on track, a reputable debt relief service may be able to help.


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Wedding & Event Flowers, San Francisco CA
Rare Sparrow is a boutique, custom floral studio located in San Francisco, offering full service wedding, corporate, social and personal flower design and delivery.
See our work bridal bouquets, event flowers, and wedding flowers
At Rare Sparrow each event is custom designed from the ground up, carefully balancing a client's budget, style preferences, and service needs. With great care and attention to detail in every arrangement, creating a beautiful outcome from the simple bouquet to the lavish wedding ceremony is always the focus.
We also take great consideration into how our processes effect our surrounding environment, composting all plant waste and trimmings, recycling all packaging, repurposing and reusing vases and supplies and using American grown materials whenever possible. Starting in 2018 we'll be partnering with local organization to donate collected event flowers, giving new life to the blooms that made your day so special.


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We have moved to : 8 WILLIAMSON ROAD MARIBYRNONG VIC 3032.
Enjoy having a green thumb like never before with a range of top quality powerful garden tools!
Rotary Mower Services Pty Ltd is an expert garden tools provider in Melbourne with the experience of satisfying clients' garden and lawn maintenance needs through easy to use, affordable and top quality garden tools!
Everyone loves to have a beautiful and majestic front garden to make their homes appear mesmerising. Nature lovers love having a lawn or a garden in their backyard as well where they can sit and enjoy the beauty of nature, while getting some fresh air that helps them de-stress and get rejuvenated for the remaining hours of the day.
But a beautiful and well-maintained garden or a lawn requires an effort on the home owner's behalf. Regular and accurate trimming of the grass, shaping trees, removing dead bushes and weeds – and so much more is required to be done if you want to have the garden of your dreams.
Our top quality garden tools including lawn mowers, whipper snipper, ride on mowers, log splitters and other such equipment can make it much easier and fun to have a beautiful garden in your Melbourne home.
Having a garden does not just have aesthetic benefits for your home, but gardening itself can have various health benefits for you as well. Spending time close to nature has a soothing and calming effect on your nerves, thus helping you reduce stress levels and get a dose of mental freshness.
Surrounded by the beauty of nature and spending a few minutes appreciating it can elevate your mood and make you feel happier and livelier. A walk in your garden before going to bed can help you sleep better and spending a few minutes for a morning walk can help you get energized for the day.
You can even use our garden tools to create a vegetable or a fruit garden in your Melbourne home. Not only will you save on groceries, you will also get fresh vegetation right from your own backyard! You can plant beautiful and different varieties of trees and flowers and attract beautiful birds to come and sit in your garden.
Having a beautiful and well-maintained garden may seem like too much of hard work and expenditure of many laborious hours towards its upkeep but our garden tools make this whole process less of an ordeal for our clients in Melbourne by taking out the labour and reducing the time required.
We are a one-stop destination for our clients in Melbourne to get easy, quick and convenient access to the entire range of garden tools together with their accessories and spare parts. Rotary Mower Services Pty Ltd can be contacted for repair and maintenance of garden tools as well because we have the requisite expertise and the knowledge to serve your needs up-to your expectations. So give us a call or browse through our collection of garden tools online!


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Tina Gov
Career Advisor
- About Me
About Me
My role at UC San Diego
As a career advisor, I provide workshops and individual career advising to students. Career advising addresses core areas such as: career-related research, decision making, career planning, job searching, networking, interviewing skills, resume and cover letter development, and graduate and professional school planning. My specialization is in the Biological Sciences and Mathematics; however, I advise students in all areas. Moreover, I support and contribute to the programming and outreach of the Career Center.
My career path
After earning my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, I then went on to pursue my Master of Science in College Counseling & Student Development at Azusa Pacific University. I pursued my graduate degree in hopes of becoming a career counselor one day. After earning my graduate degree, I was able to fulfill my dreams and landed a job as a career counselor at San Diego State University. After working as a career counselor for two and a half years, I then worked as a test accommodations coordinator for Student Disability Services at San Diego State University. It was a great experience, but I realized my true passion is counseling and advising students towards reaching their educational and career goal. Therefore, I decided to return back to my career passion and here I am as a career advisor at UC San Diego.
The rewards in doing what I do
It is truly rewarding helping students reach their personal and professional goals. Supporting students in the same capacity that career counselors has helped me during my undergraduate and graduate education is what I aspire to do.
My words of wisdom to students
"Two things to remember in life. Take care of your thoughts when you are alone, and take care of your words when you are with people" (unknown author). In essence, be kind to yourself and to others. It will take you very far in life.
In my free time...
I enjoy spending quality time with my family (including my dogs), boyfriend, and friends. This includes trying new restaurants, having deep conversations, and going on hikes. Topics on psychology, health, relationships, and dogs spark my interest.


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Organizations of all sizes face a number of industry and regulatory compliance mandates. Whether it's PCI DSS, SOX, HIPAA or FISMA, these regulations are changing to accommodate the ever-growing threat to sensitive data.
This white paper describes the different types of data under regulation and offers best practices for implementing appropriate encryption technologies. Download this white paper and learn:
Offered Free by: Sophos
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What stands 8.5 feet high, weighs 4676 pounds and is located 1,850m (6,069ft) above sea level? Complete with ski pole and glove holders and heating lamps, CIBC (TSX: CM) (NYSE: CM) has opened the first-of-its-kind mountain-top ski-thru ATM outside the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain. The world's first ski-thru ATM is one of many experiences CIBC will offer as part of a brand new, five-year partnership with Whistler Blackcomb.
"We're thrilled to partner with North America's premier resort to offer even greater experiences for all who enjoy its beauty and world-class amenities," says Stephen Forbes, Chief Commercial Officer, CIBC. "CIBC is always looking to improve our clients' experience, whether in a banking centre or on the slopes, and our new ski-thru ATM at Whistler Blackcomb is just one of the many ways we're reaching clients at new heights."
The new stand-alone ATM allows skiers easy access to cash for things like making purchases at certain cash-only vendors before journeying back down the slopes, and offers the same range of banking services available at all CIBC ATMs. To reach clients at the peak, the ATM made a momentous trek up the mountainside to the summit of Whistler Mountain.
Bringing the partnership to life, CIBC is working alongside Whistler Blackcomb to deliver world class hospitality at the resort's two Guest Satisfaction Centres -- the heart of activity for inquiring guests. To further amp up the visitor experience, CIBC is also offering whistles, tissues and hand warmers as part of Whistler Blackcomb's free mountain orientation tours. Visitors will also experience unique CIBC activations on CIBC National Ski Day, Family Day and Canada Day to help celebrate Canada and CIBC's shared 150th birthday in 2017.
"We are very excited to be celebrating the launch of our new corporate partnership with CIBC," says Morag Kerr, Strategic Alliances and Partner Marketing Manager at Whistler Blackcomb. "CIBC is Whistler Blackcomb's first ever full-service banking partner and their commitment to delivering exceptional guest experiences aligns perfectly with our goals. We look forward to working with CIBC to better service our guests in unique and exciting ways as we move forward."
CIBC's ski-thru ATM will be active throughout the 2017 ski season.


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Financial Aid Links
The Financial Aid office has created this page to assist you in locating links for financial aid related material and for private scholarships. Many private scholarships are offered each year by corporate, professional, trade, government, civic, religious, social and fraternal organizations ranging from small honorariums to thousands of dollars. Brenau University does not guarantee the availability or fairness of administration of these websites. Students pursue them at their own risk. It is the student's responsibility to obtain the necessary materials, complete applications, and submit them directly to the sponsoring organization for review and fund distribution. The Financial Aid Office recommends that you avoid websites that requires you to pay a fee, attend a seminar, or claims a guarantee. Also, be cautious should a program request personal information.
**For Questions relating to this listing please email email@example.com with the scholarship name, amount offered, and web address. Once reviewed/approved by staff we will include it on our listing.**
updated 06/18


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Best Road Trip Drives: California Coast
One of the most iconic images of California living is driving down the Pacific Coast Highway, taking in the beautiful scenery as the wind whips through your hair. With twisting, cliff-hugging curves, this route meanders along the coastline, offering a multitude of interesting places to stop off and just enjoy the California lifestyle. Whether you're driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco or looking to drive the entire stretch of the Golden State, taking a trip along the rugged, untouched coastline is one road trip you just shouldn't miss.
What You'll See
While the moments that the Pacific Coast Highway seems to hang on to the continent for dear life are breathtaking in themselves, when you finally find yourself traveling through acres of soft green farmland, the beauty only intensifies. With a number of road-side stands offering a variety of fresh, delicious goodies, you will be tempted to stop so frequently, it will begin to feel as if you're on a bus—but in a good way, we promise.
Where to Stop
When you find yourself itching for some action, make sure you stop for a while when you come to Santa Barbara. As one of the few cities along the coast with a serene, Mediterranean feel, it's the perfect place to shake off the car ride aches and pains. The abundance of red-tile-roofed Spanish Colonial architecture will transport you to a place outside of the United States, while the gorgeous parks will give you a reason to stay for a while.
Once you're itching to get back on the road, continue down the highway, but make sure you don't forget about Big Sur—not that it would be difficult to. The picturesque mountain ranges appear to erupt from the waves themselves, while California Condors fly overhead. Even if you didn't plan to in the beginning of your road trip, you're definitely going to want to stop here and enjoy the Tolkien-esque feel of beautiful mountains.
With its mixture of coastal cities and long stretches of deserted road, taking the Pacific Coast Highway along the shores of California is one of the most ideal road trips imaginable and the available attractions are endless. Do you have any favorite stops along the coastal highway you'd like to share? Tell us about them below!


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By Karson Lott
The eight grade Roughnecks suffered a 40-8 loss to the Dragons last night in Redwater.
"The boys fought hard in the second half to overcome a 32-0 deficit," Coach Steve Gillispie said. "The defense worked hard in
the second half and held the Dragons to only one touchdown."
Offensively for the 'Necks, Sam Dusek scored the lone touchdown of the night with time expiring on the last snap of the ballgame.
The Roughnecks will travel to Jefferson next Thursday, November 2, for a district contest against the Bulldogs. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m.


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Definition of gender-fluid
- There are also people who identify as "gender fluid," a mix of both genders, and may feel more male on some days and more female on others.
- —Chris Edwards, Adweek, 2 June 2015
- … gender-fluid children who slide along a gender spectrum or weave their own intricate individual patterns along the gender web.
- —Diane Ehrensaft, Gender Born, Gender Made, 2011
gender fluiditynoun
- And then I found that gender can have fluidity, which is quite different from ambiguity. If ambiguity is a refusal to fall within a prescribed gender code, then fluidity is the refusal to remain one gender or another. Gender fluidity is the ability to freely and knowingly become one or many of a limitless number of genders, for any length of time, at any rate of change. Gender fluidity recognizes no borders or rules of gender.
- —Kate Bornstein, Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us, 1994


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Want more from Genius Kitchen?
Watch on your Apple TV, Roku, or Fire TV and your iOS, Fire, or Android device.Learn More
"This is based on a Ravenous Couple recipe. Banh Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich on a baguette"
Char Sui Banh Mi (Pulled Pork)
0 recipe photos
READY IN:25mins
Ingredients Nutrition
Char Sui Sauce
- 3⁄4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1⁄2 cup soy sauce
- 1⁄2 cup rice wine (or dry sherry)
- 1⁄3 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Pulled Pork
- 3 lbs pork shoulder
- kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut in 1/4 inch rings
- 1 1⁄2 cups char siu sauce (we made our own using recipes above)
Vietnamese Slaw
- 1⁄2 head green cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1⁄2 head red cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1⁄2 cup cilantro leaf (rau rau)
- 1⁄2 cup mint, coarsely chopped
- 1⁄2 cup Thai basil, coarsly chopped
- fried shallots
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce (nuoc mam cham)
- hot chili pepper, diced (optional)
- 4 French baguettes, toasted
- Place the rings of onions in your slow cooker. Lightly rub the pork shoulder with small amount kosher salt and pepper and place in slow cooker. Brush on a generous layer of char siu sauce, coating evenly. Turn the slow cooker on low and leave on overnight or high, roughly 4-5 hours.
- In large bowl, combine the cabbages, rau rau, mint, basil and toss well. Season with nuoc mam cham to taste. For best results, allow the slaw to marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- The slaw can also be made a day ahead of time. The longer the slaw marinates, the more liquid it releases--just drain this before serving.
- When the pork is done, it will easily fall apart with gentle pressure--remove the pork into a large mixing bowl and pull using tongs or forks. The pork will release a lot of fatty juices which you can discard--but we like to leave keep a small amount to mix in the pulled pork.
- Now add char siu sauce, 1-2 tbs at a time and coat the pulled pork well. Don't over do it--we like to keep extra char siu sauce on the side those who want more.
- Add the pulled pork to the toasted baguettes and drizzle additional char siu sauce if desired.
- Generously top with slaw and garnish with fried shallots.
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"Daredevil" Showrunners Dissect Season 2 Finale's Major Moments
SPOILER WARNING: This article discusses major plot elements from "Daredevil" Season 2, now streaming on Netflix.
If you've finished watching all 13 episodes of "Daredevil's" second season, then you know that the show's latest batch of episodes have left a major mark on Netflix's rapidly growing section of the Marvel Universe. Spoiler alert, a number of major developments occurred in that final episode: Matt Murdock revealed his secret identity to Karen Page, Elektra died in battle only to have her body stolen by the Hand, Frank Castle fully embraced his Punisher identity and Foggy took a meeting with "Jessica Jones'" Jeri Hogarth. A lot happened, and The Hollywood Reporter caught up with "DD" showrunners Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez to get inside information on the finale's major developments and potential future ramifications.
Given Marvel's notorious secrecy, the pair could not answer questions about whether or not plans have begun on season three, if they'll return as showrunners, if crossovers will ever occur between ABC and Netflix's Marvel shows, and if Punisher will get a spinoff. They could talk about those big reveals, though, like Matt (Charlie Cox) revealing his secret identity to Karen (Deborah Ann Woll).
INTERVIEW: "Daredevil" Showrunners Aim "Wonderful Missiles" At Matt Murdock
"What we wanted the most was for that to feel more like an emotional moment for Matt," said Ramirez. "He has been brought to the place where the next logical thing emotionally for him is that he just has to tell her. We wanted to build that as opposed to the mask falling off in the heat of the moment. We wanted to make sure it felt like an active choice where someone comes forward and says, 'This is something you need to know about me.' In terms of what happens after that, we hope that the audience will someday get to see what comes next. We liked very much what we shot, specifically what Charlie and Deborah did in that scene."
While the showrunners couldn't reveal where the story of Elodie Yung's Elektra will continue, they offered up a hint. "We know that Elektra is the Black Sky," said Petrie. "And we know that the Black Sky is a very powerful tool for the Hand. And we know that the Hand is up to no damn good. The clues can be found in the canon and in the comics, but we do hope that our viewers feel that we're not done telling this story just yet."
Ramirez spoke about the return of Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk for a stretch of episodes in the back half of the season, saying that his return was "a conversation early on and luckily the stars aligned and it all worked out. Just the thought that we got him and Matt in a room together and a story where Frank and Fisk interacted was a dream come true as storytellers and as fans of the source material. To have all these titans together was something we wanted to do from the very beginning."
Amy Rutberg Reveals "Daredevil's" "Exciting" "Jessica Jones" Connection
Carrie-Anne Moss' cameo, following her appearances on "Jessica Jones," also foreshadows future "overlapping" between the Netflix series, according to Petrie. "We've noticed that with our fans, with Easter eggs and crossovers a little goes a long way," said Petrie. "Those worlds will definitely be overlapping and we're threading them in as slowly and as carefully as we can weave them."
The showrunners also revealed that they left the season open-ended while not knowing if the show would be guaranteed a third season. "Marvel TV and Jeph Loeb have a solid plan for how everything will weave into everything," said Ramirez. "We definitely crafted it with the goal of feeding into the larger Marvel TV Universe because they have such a specific plan of action for Marvel and Netflix. That was just our hope, to make sure that it worked as its own season of TV and also as fitting in to the larger world of all the other shows."
All 13 episodes of "Daredevil" season two are currently streaming on Netflix.
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Data Centre Rundown: How To Achieve A PUE of 1.1
We've made a video for you to see just how we've done it.
As you know, the Node4 Northampton Data Centre is expanding its existing 360-rack footprint by 900m2 to 760 racks, spread across three data halls. The halls have been designed to meet increasing demand for secure, reliable, purpose-built Colocation that meets stringent Business Impact Level compliance, with secure 'caged' areas and higher density racks, using blade servers.
Moreover, all this is being achieved with a PUE of 1.1
No doubt, a PUE of 1.1 is an outstanding achievement, but, do you know how the PUE is calculated?
Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) is the measure of how efficiently a Data Centre uses energy. In essence, the PUE is the ratio of the energy used by the Data Centre against the energy used by the Data Centre to deliver it's services. It looks like this:
PUE = Total Data Centre Energy/IT Equipment Energy
Don't be fooled by it's simplicity; this ratio is a big deal! It is the most commonly used metric for reporting the energy efficiency of Data Centres. Moreover, PUE drives competition as Data Centres report lower and lower results.
Why is PUE Important?
PUE is a tool that Data Centre owners can use to measure how well the infrastructure is working. It also is a useful tool for identifying areas of improvement.
Moreover, it helps to reduce costs for customers, because greater efficiency means lower operating costs, and these savings can then be passed on to the customers.
So, how do Node4 compare?
Well, here's the exciting part!
A PUE of 1.1 ranks Node4's Northampton Data Centre amongst the most efficient Data Centres...in the world, alongside the likes of Microsoft and Google.
So, we've discussed how PUE is measured, now let's satisfy your curiosity. Take a look at how it's done:
I hoped you enjoyed this insight into how we will achieve a PUE of 1.1
If you enjoyed our video, and want to see more videos like it, please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel, here.


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Check the balance of your Verizon Wireless or Alltel gift card. Please note that only Verizon Wireless gift cards can be redeemed for online purchases or bill payment at VerizonWireless.com. At this time, Alltel gift cards must be redeemed at a retail location. Visit our store locator to find a store near you.
This Gift Card has no expiration date and is not subject to dormancy or other fees. Unused Cards may be returned to a Verizon Wireless store only, with proof of purchase, within 30 days. Lost, stolen or damaged Cards cannot be replaced without proof of purchase. Card can be used toward the purchase of merchandise and services at stores/kiosks operated by Verizon Wireless or at verizonwireless.com. Cards cannot be used at Verizon Wireless authorized retailer locations. Full amount of each purchase, including taxes, will be deducted from funds on Card, not to exceed total funds on Card. Card is not a credit card and is not redeemable for cash except as required by law. Purchase and use of Card constitutes acceptance of all terms and conditions. Cards may not be used for resale, advertising, marketing, sweepstakes or other promotional purposes without consent. Do not mail Card with your bill. To apply Card to your bill (prepaid excluded) or for Card balance, call 1.800.876.4141, dial #GIFT(#4438) from your wireless device.
Every day you change your outfit to suit your mood or the situation. So, why not switch up your phone's look too.
The Incipio Design Series #moods 5-Pack Gift Set for iPhone 7/6s/6 lets you do just that.
The unique gift set comes with five premium cases, each with a different printed design in a range of bold graphic prints and vibrant designs. The cases are easy to put on and take off, so switching one case out for another is hassle free.
Of course, first and foremost, you need your case to protect your phone. And these cases won't disappoint. Each case in the set is semi-flexible and shock absorbing to provide durable drop protection for your iPhone 6, 6s or 7.
Since they're pre-packaged as a gift set, these premium cases are as easy to give as they are to receive.
After your website visit, would you be willing to answer a few brief questions?


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Ritway's dedication to Nathan's has been top-notch. During our "Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest", deadlines to post our promotional materials are of utmost importance. After working with Ritway for 16 years, we know we can depend on them for keeping us on or even ahead of schedule.
Procurement and Vendor Management
Ritway can use the vendor of your choice or find a vendor whose materials meet your project requirements, then manage that relationship on your behalf. Samples can be sent for approval as needed.
Premium Sourcing and Management
Ritway will source any premiums you need and manage the inventory.


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Word of mouth is an amazing tool that has accelerated my career as a Realtor® on Gabriola Island. I know houses and I know people. The relation is that the clients who work with me know that what I am saying they can trust and make decisions on. I am not here to suggest high prices to get listings nor sell homes to people who don't know exactly what they are purchasing. I provide candid feedback and offer factual information. I once had a dream of relocating to the Gulf Islands to build a home and to acquire the lifestyle. This complete understanding of knowing the needs and wants of my clients to achieve their dreams proves to be an invaluable tool for my business.
Gabriola Island Real Estate offers a natural charm at prices to fit a wide variety of lifestyles. Whatever comfort means to you, Gabriola Island Real Estate has your waterfront dream home, your cabin in the woods, or your undeveloped property awaiting the personal expression of a hand crafted home. Gabriola is the ideal place to pursue real estate investment opportunities. Let Gabriola Island Real Estate open the doors to all that Gabriola has to offer.


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To borrow the title from Michael Lewis's best selling book The Big Short, this article is about another impending residential real estate crash, although this one is forthcoming from North of the border.
For anyone with the belief that Canada's financial regulations are superior or more prudent than the United States, I strongly encourage you to read this article and others like it.
Canadian Housing Market
While the overall size of the residential housing market is only $13.1 Mil. households the total value of all outstanding residential mortgage loans in Canada is estimated to be CDN $940 Billion* (USD $1.1 Tril.)*
Of these total loans outstanding approx. CDN $300 Bil. Are outstanding mortgage backed securities created by the Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC) which means that those MBS's are residential loans made by Canadian banks with an LTV of 95% and insured and subsequently securitized by the CMHC.
These loans which contain an LTV of 95% are typically made by first time home buyers, which may or may not pose a greater systemic risk than home buyers which put an average of 15% or more down. But as we just recently found out in the US the former case is usually correct.
Another largely significant note is that because the CMHC is a crown corporation owned by the Canadian government, the CMHC insured loans which were securitized are fully guaranteed by the Canadian government and not MBS investors as was the case with loans securitized in the US. Therefore, it is ultimately Canadian taxpayers which will foot the bill in the case of defaults of these securities.
As evidenced by recent statistics the Canadian housing market which is currently well above median price levels is starting to downtrend in major metropolitan markets such as Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.
According to the CMHC housing starts in Canada have declined for a fourth consecutive month in August, a move which began in May. There was also a dip in new home prices in May (-0.1) for the first time in over a year.
All this in a rising interest rate environment as evidenced by the Bank of Canada's past two consecutive quarter of a percentage point hikes in 2010.
While a significant downturn in the residential housing market is not expected under current conditions, the accelerating condition of deterioration in the US economy (which I fully anticipate) will serve as a further catalyst as Canada has traditionally been on an economic lag with its largest trading partner.
The Short
Since (unfortunately) the CHMC is not shortable itself as its counterparts in the US, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are. Nor are the MBS's guaranteed by Canadian taxpayers on banks books, short selling Canadian financial institutions is not relevant either.
In this case, we must turn to the various TSX listed Canadian REIT's such as Northern Property REIT (TSX: NPR.U) and Boardwalk REIT (TSX: BEI.U) as these REIT's are most exposed to multi-family residential properties in Canada.
While market timing in the strictest sense is not my particular area of expertise, I would nonetheless advise a short position not to be undertaken until perhaps the end of the first quarter or two of 2011 as I believe, as is widely expected that the US Federal Reserve will announce further quantitative easing either at their Nov. 2-3 or Dec. FOMC meeting.
In the short term this will almost certainly cause a further uptrend in all securities (precious metals, stocks, bonds) not only in the US market, but also in securities listed on the TSX. After this initial euphoria by market participants, we will undoubtedly begin seeing a reversion to the mean in the price of most classes of securities, including those most intrinsically overvalued at the moment which I solemnly believe to be equities (including the fore mentioned Canadian REIT's) as well as US bonds, to say nothing of the inflated US dollar.
* Statistics Canada
Sources: CCAMP: Annual State of the Residential Mortgage Market in Canada, Nov. 2009 | Globe & Mail: How Canada's Housing Market continues to cool | Statistics Canada | Bank of Canada
Disclosure: No positions
Disclosure: No positions


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To complete the demands of our clients, we are capable of manufacturing and supplying Colored Home Furnishing Fabrics. This stylish range is highly demanded among our clients for enhancing the look of sofa and boost up the interiors. Our proposed range is cherished for long lasting shine and shrink resistant property. Made of high quality fabric, this range is fabricated with the aid of modern machine and sophisticated way of production. Colored Home Furnishing Fabrics are available to our clients at competitive rates.


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Who We Are
WCS Global Logistics (M) Sdn Bhd has been a prominent player in the Freight Forwarding Industry ever since our inception in 1992. With strategic links and global connections of specialized professionals in 25 countries worldwide, we have serviced our many valued customers with absolute satisfaction. Over the years we have gained strong reputation and is ever expanding with technology advancement whilst faced with challenging volatile market. We aim to be a recognized Freight Forwarding and Shipping company with a foresight of being a TOTAL LOGISTICS SOLUTION / ONE STOP AGENCY. We provide the best and most efficient connections in logistics services may it be land, sea or air.


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There are 2 events left this year.
1st October 2017 - Burntwood
Organiser: Ian Law (Doncaster Fencing Club)
For entry please contact Ian Law : email@example.com
19th November 2017 - Harrogate
Organiser: Harrogate Fencing Club.
For entry details please see their website: www.harrogatefencingclub.org.uk
Fencing is a competitive sport and to help young fencers learn how to compete, Yorkshire Fencing run the Yorkshire Youth League; a series of tournaments though out the year.
The main aim of the Youth League is to give new young fencers experience and an opportunity to get to grips with the ins and outs of fencing tournaments before venturing further afield and taking on tournaments with a higher standard.
Whilst the league does have rankings, trophies and medals, it is perfect for fencers with no competition experience and for those who have competed before but do not yet have confidence to enter the wider national competitions.
In each year, as part of the league, competitions are organised by local clubs within Yorkshire and also by the Yorkshire Fencing Committee.
As part of our development, we have introduced an online entry and payment feature as well as a full set of results from 2016 and rankings. You will be able to plan your Yorkshire competitions in advance and track your fencers progress as well as that of your club mates.


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During the 15 days of the contest, 15 prizes will be given away to 15 lucky winners—and we aren't holding back. Up for grabs are things like a Sony PlayStation, Beats headphones, a Big Green Egg grill, $100 worth of Uber, a Michael Symon dinner tour and, the Grand Prize, an iPhone 8.
If you haven't already done so, please like the UWD Facebook page and then invite your friends to do the same. Who knows, someone in your circle could end up a winner!
Bill and Mike
Don't forget to "Like" us on Facebook!


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We are so proud when our vintage kitchenalia is purchased by food writers, photographers and cookbook authors.
We filled a box with lovely things to send to Myriam Zumbuhl, a talented Swiss food writer who creates recipes for Schweizer Familie, and she sent us a PDF of the photo shoot.
You can follow her work on Facebook here ~ it will certainly make you hungry!


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Yes! Teach For America offers paid internships and roles to undergraduates from all college majors and in all parts of the country. Several of our partners also have opportunities for you to get involved. Find out more on Internships and Experiences.
Browse Topics
- About Teach For America
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It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
While I applaud your ambition I think your methodology may need a bit of tweaking.
First a good target has no front loading. Meaning the viewer has no idea what they are going to be looking at.
By saying "the target is a major event/first quarter of 2020" the imagination kicks in.
The only front loading that should be given is "The target is an event, describe the event"
or "The target is a location, Describe the location"
Make your internal tasking "Major news event of last Quarter of 2013" and then give it a target ID of 6 random numbers like "456889"
The viewer just gets the numbers and they have no idea what the target is.
Its very MKULTRA isn't it.
You want to find seers?
When I did it I needed more time as I am disabled.
When one person RV's its just as valid as a group as that one person technically is not an individual but is the group/mass consciousness . Ingo was not Ingo when he RVed- he was mass consciousness.
Anyhow I don't trust this at all and would advise against doing it.
Sorry NWO.
And you didn't say?…
you guys don't have to set the experiment up for disabled people you've purposefully excluded them and others by speed alone as the illuminati don't want slow pokes, disabled or "normal" people included in this RV w time travel research
Don't play ignorant on this, as one prson can tap into the global consciousness and you guys know it. You want mass data.
Only an idiot would think the Illuminati are not on ATS.
Originally posted by ChaoticOrder
reply to post by AboveBoard
I got a definite scene in my head
Well according to the "professionals" a clear scene in your head is usually bunk. As I said it's important not to imagine the event in your mind, just let the words flow from the back of your head without thinking about what the words mean.
Originally posted by BDBinc
reply to post by smirkley
Are you?


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'We are the Damned, and we Damn you.' Meet Kear:...
The Lost Treasure (The Ghost Cities #1)
- by Lets
- Rating:
- Published: 11 Oct 2012
- Updated: 10 Oct 2012
- Status: In Progress
Desert no longer represents lifeless. Cities were built there. Miths are no longer just miths. Seventeen years old Kreny Howspring has been living a poor life with parents and sister. After his grandfathers' death, their lives became hader and harder to deal with. Taxes are increasing and they are no longer able to pay them. But Kreny finds out something, a legend long ago forgotten, and this will take Kreny in a long journey to the forbidden ghost cities, where he meets Carlee, the only survivor in her imortal city. Together, they will fight againt all odds to restore what was destroyed and find the lost treasure.
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I recently had to write a statement of position paper for Political Science 101. I decided to write about gun control laws due to the recent shooting incidents and partly because I couldn't think of anything else good to take a position on. Below is the text of what I wrote. I realize this is a touchy issue for some people, so I tried to keep it as PC as possible. I got an 80%. Meh.
I would have to say that most Americans do not pay any attention to gun control laws until after some kind of major tragedy occurs. I've grown up in an environment of NRA card carrying avid sportsmen and must admit that gun control laws cross my mind more frequently then most. Recently in the news, two incidents of domestic terrorism have occurred drawing attention to the topic of the second amendment and the freedoms associated with it. This blog post will explore my position and the reasons behind my stance on the subject.
On July 20, 2012 a shooting occurred at a movie theater in Colorado during the first screening of the new Batman film. The gunman, later identified as James Holmes, opened fire shortly after midnight killing 12 people and injuring others. A few weeks later, on August 5, 2012 another mass shooting took place at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. Similar to the Colorado shooting, a single gunman opened fire killing 6 people and injuring several others. The two crimes have a common thread: both gunmen used semi-automatic guns. Both men also suffered from mental health issues that clouded their judgment.
The second amendment dates back to 1689 when the right to have arms in English history was believed to have been regarded as a long-established natural right. In modern times, the second amendment comes with limitations. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose. There have been laws created to place limitations on weapon ownership. These laws include such issues as carrying concealed weapons, the need for background checks to own a weapon, and the location of where you could legally carry a weapon. Based on the recent tragedies, it seems that weapons (specifically automatic and semi-automatic guns) still continue to get into the hands of irresponsible people.
Like any other system controlled by federal and state laws, there are loopholes that allow for abuse of "the system". James Holmes, the suspect in the Colorado movie theater shooting, started to build and create his arsenal of weapons using the Internet. James had a clean record to the point when he had a mental break. The Internet website where he bought these items from had no reason to believe that the weapons would be used for catastrophic purposes so they sold him the guns, protective gear and ammunition he needed to commit murder. Personally, I would not like to see anyone completely lose or have their second amendment rights locked down. I do firmly believe that a gun or any weapon should not be lawfully allowed to be sold over the Internet. I believe that if you are to purchase a weapon that could potentially harm someone or something that it should be purchased in person. It is true that weapon dealers are not psychiatrists, but you can usually a good sense of someone's personality by spending a short time with them.
I lived in my father's house for several years, and he hunted several different types of sport legally. He had a gun permit, hunting license and all of the guns that he owned were properly registered. The Internet did not exist when he was fully dedicated to sporting (he now has medical issues that prevent him from hunting as he once did). In order to make a weapon transaction it had to be done face to face. The NRA and the PA Game Commission always preached "safety, safety, safety" in every meeting and demonstration I have ever witnessed or attended. My Dad made sure his guns were locked up and the ammunition was kept separately locked up, and that the triggers had locks. If there was to be an "accident", there actually would not be an "accident". If you were able to get through that level of security, it was not an accident.
As cliché as it sounds, I am a firm believer in the old adage "guns don't kill people, people kill people." If guns get into the wrong hands, specifically those that are not mentally stable, that they could injure or kill someone. If you are insane or upset enough and your mind is set on causing harm to someone, it will happen, whether you use a gun, knife, paperclip, or pen. In my opinion, in addition to the background check that you need to go through to weapon, you should also have submit to a drug/alcohol test as well as a mental health test. Some may argue that this violates privacy laws, but I think that it would weed out any potential mentally unstable people that may be trying to obtain a weapon for the wrong reasons. If a psych evaluation was ordered for the Sikh Temple shooting or Colorado Movie Theater shooting suspects we may have been able to save a few lives.
In closing, I think that the current gun control laws need to be reformed, but not in such a way that cause anyone to lose their basic second amendment rights. I feel that with a little tweaking of the current laws weapon ownership could be more secure for all parties involved. If we do not allow for weapons sales over the internet, require drug/alcohol and psych evaluations that we can get a true insight into who is purchasing a gun and why. These changes, in conjunction with existing laws (background checks, and etc) we could eliminate some of the more problematic people form owning a weapon. I think that the proper security and gun education may go a long way in educating the general public about weaponry.


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- Description
DetailsThis photo frame gives a classic and rustic touch to your home decor. It is hand carved from solid dark wood and holds 4" x 6" photos. It is suitable for standing upright or mounted on a wall and is ideal for displaying those precious family photos.
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