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Gretchen Wilson Tickets
Gretchen Wilson is a Grammy award winning American country music singer. Her debut album, Here for the Party, topped the U.S. country charts in 2004, and reached #2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Its first single, "Redneck Woman", was a huge hit.
Wilson's Here For the Party was certified five times multi-platinum. She has sold over six million records worldwide.More about Gretchen Wilson.
Gretchen Wilson Information Continued
Gretchen Wilson grew up in poverty and moved to a succession of trailer parks as her mother struggled to pay the rent through working as a waitress at a diner. She left school during the ninth grade and was working as a cook and bartender at 14. By 15, she was living on her own. Gretchen Wilson was singing in two bar bands by the age of 20. She moved to Nashville in 1996 to pursue a career in music, but found little initial success. Gretchen Wilson was then discovered by John Rich in 2000, formerly a member of Lonestar, who suggested that she write songs with him.
The album, Here for the Party, and single have been released in markets outside the US and the album has reached #2 on the Australian country charts (behind Kasey Chambers) and the top 50 of the Australian charts. As of 5 July 2004, "Redneck Woman" was #1 on a world composite country chart (based on the US, UK and Australia), and "Here for the Party" was #4 as an album track.

subset: commoncrawl


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Day 10. Saturday. Today we left Praiano for Ravello. We were up at 8:00 AM. Anna came down at 9:00 to give us back our deposit. We took pictures together and before we left she said, "Let me give you both a kiss good-bye." Dear, sweet lady. She was very good to us during our stay! … The SITA was supposed to be by at 9:15. It showed up at 9:35. We were able to sit. We had to transfer in Amalfi, and I didn't know where to catch the bus to Ravello. We asked some people by the dock who were speaking English. She pointed to where we were supposed to go and said "Good Luck" with a look of pity. We'd soon realize what she meant. The buses that go to Ravello are much smaller, but there was a large number of people who wanted on. We barely made it on.
The bus wandered up to Ravello. We got off and wandered down the street where the rental office is. No one was there. We went to the bar next door and called the cell number. Someone said she'd be there in 10 min. The owner showed up and drove us to the property. It's about a mile from the main bus stop, down a gently sloping hill. Not bad. Casa Torella is 1 story up from the street. Not as nice as Villa Amore but the views are just as amazing. And it had a piano. It would do just fine.
We spent some time unpacking and did some laundry. Then we walked up the street to the market. Very, very small compared to Angela's shop. We bought stuff for breakfast and items to cook dinner that night.
9/25 Sunday. Day 11. No journal entries. Today we wandered around Ravello. We walked all the way up to Villa Cimbrone and went to Vittoria Pizzeria for dinner.


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Buying Votes
Young people got a lesson in how our democracy works recently: "Come into my parlor; I massage your back, then you massage my back. And use plenty of lotion; it's all paid for by the taxpayers."
Look, if Bill Clinton can buy votes, why can't that lady governor in New Jersey do the same?
Ben Sauter
Outpatient Center
Richard O'Mara's piece about Johns Hopkins' Outpatient Center was disappointing.


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Investors punished Nationstar Mortgage, sending shares down more than 10% Wednesday, down $3.15 a share to $27.96 a share, after the nonbank servicer announced a capital raise of roughly $500 million that will dilute existing shareholders.
Nationstar, of Lewisville, Texas, said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Wednesday that underwriters Citigroup, Barclays and JPMorgan Chase have a 30-day option to buy up to an additional 2.625 million shares.
Ocwen said it planned to use the proceeds from the sale of 17.5 million shares for "future acquisitions, transfers of servicing portfolios, funding of advances and repaying of obligations, including corporate indebtedness," according to the SEC filing.
The acquisitions of mortgage servicing rights include $60 billion in unpaid principal in MSRs that are "in process or under letters of intent," pending regulatory approval.
In the past month, Nationstar has agreed to buy $35 billion in servicing rights alone from Ocwen Financial. On Tuesday, Ocwen said it was selling a $25 billion portfolio to Nationstar. In February, Nationstar agreed to buy a $9.8 billion portfolio of performing loans from Ocwen that are backed by Freddie Mac.


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{Continued from PART 5
I marvel today at how well I passed through that holiday season. I visited my parents and Michael's parents, handed out presents, sang carols, and attended the Christmas Eve service performed by Christa and the rest of the Sunday school. I celebrated New Year's and launched into the requisite chorus of "Old Lang Syne" and drank champagne with Michael.
Michael was preoccupied with the news. We both wondered what George W. Bush would do next. Operation Enduring Freedom, the country's counterstrike, had entered its third month. The Taliban fell in Afghanistan. That nation was a mess, pockmarked with bomb blast holes and full of hungry, bedraggled people. Michael jumped back and forth between CNN and MSNBC, which had adopted these star-spangled graphics with their news stories.
There was no talk of September 11. I struggled to kill all thoughts of it. My appetite waned. During the last three months of 2001 I lost 22 pounds without really trying. Michael gently tried to prod me to eat. My clothes did not fit right, hanging more like drapes than suits.
There were moments when the last days of the year took me to the edge. Those final three months of 2001 were suffused with high emotion across the entire country. People warbling about "Walking in a Winter Wonderland," and kids queuing up to see a fat guy in red did not mesh well with bad dreams. Even though I avoided 9/11 as much as possible, I still had those dreams.
They came about every three nights. In one I was sitting at a desk by a window, talking on the phone and working on a personal computer. An explosion thundered below me, the window exploded outward, and the tower shook. The force of the blast pushed me out the window and hurtling headlong toward the plaza.
That was one of only a few damaged WTC dreams that I can recall. More often than not, I found myself trapped inside an intact Trade Center, completely helpless and unable to seek directions to the lobby. I wandered through more corridors, down the stairwells, and into people's offices and boardrooms. No one seemed to notice me. When I did get to the lobby, I sat down on the floor and could not walk anymore. In a couple I reached the Tobin Plaza, where I meandered about or sat down on a bench, stared at the artwork or assorted plants and trees there, and cried.
In one dream I seemed to sit for hours at a table in Windows on the World, the restaurant that had been near the top of 1 World Trade Center, staring at a faint Staten Island and drinking glass after glass of merlot. I realized when I woke up that Jill had done the same thing 15 years earlier.
in one dream i seemed to sit for hours at a table in windows on the world, the restaurant that had been near the top of 1 world trade center
This WTC was a pristine place. It also was a chameleon, its appearance shifting at will to different times from its 30-year history. Sometimes the observation deck looked as it did on my first visit; other times it appeared as it did just before the attacks. The paving blocks of the Tobin Plaza appeared as either the pale tan ones of the early years, or the pink and gray granite ones installed in the late 1990s. I saw this complex enough in my dreamscapes to give it a name - Timeless WTC.
With all these dreams going, I could not rest for more than five hours straight. I spent many nights in the den trying to knock myself out with mindless Internet surfing.
The 2001 holiday season's decorations resembled a violent collision of Christmastime and the Fourth of July. Red, white, and blue bunting was slapped up on porches. American flags were duct-taped to the hands of illuminated plastic snowmen and St. Nicks. Old Glories - either traditional cloth or ones made of lights sold just after the attacks - were suspended among other light strings or ones resembling icicles. Tri-colored ribbons were attached to evergreen roping or hung from wreaths.
I was very happy that JTS never put another person into my office. I kept the door closed and continued my mindless work on a training manual for medical devices and quality management. However, I had moments that made my skin crawl. There was a real hawk in our office who kept talking about how we had to just keep bombing Afghanistan until it was powder. He always wore a flag lapel pin and put a September 11 ribbon up by his office door. He tried to get me to agree with him once, noting that as a survivor I should want revenge, too. I told him to go to hell.
I got more presents from people that year than normal; I call it a sympathy reflex. Many were very difficult to stomach. Inevitably, they would say the gift was "to help you heal," or something like that. I got a CD of Enya's "Only Time," one of those songs that got designated as a September 11 ditty. I secretly drop kicked that one across the room. The second CD gift was pretty awful, too. A New York police officer had cut a record with a sobbing version of "God Bless America," with an introductory speech by Rudy Giuliani. The other song was "We Will Go On," a cloying ballad of rising from the wreckage and ascending to recovery. I tossed that one across my office like a Frisbee.
The one exception was a CD of works by the American composer Samuel Barber. The one in particular that spurred me to the first real tears in weeks was "Adagio for Strings, Opus 11." The sad, soaring music reminded me of our evacuation from Lower Manhattan. I recalled being frozen in place as I saw the north tower start to sink, as it hovered above the World Financial Center's Winter Garden. I also flashed back to the ferry ride across the Hudson and looking back at Ground Zero, while that broad, noxious cloud rose into the sky. This CD came from one of the other consultant aides, who knew that I liked classical music.
Naomi found me sitting in my recliner in the family room one evening. I had a large pile of Big Apple postcards at my side.
"What are you doing, Mommy?" she said. I threw one of them into the air, and it glided across the room.
"Making airplanes out of postcards," I said. I bent another into an aircraft and launched it.
"Where'd you get all these New York postcards - eBay?"
"Nah - a gift from a coworker. I've got way too many." I sailed one for the Christmas tree, and it lodged among the glass balls.
"Why don't you just save them and use them?"
"When on earth have you ever seen me use a postcard, Naomi? I hate when people give me useless gifts. It's that simple."
"Are you doing this because you hate New York?"
"No! I don't hate New York. I told you, it's a stupid present. So I'm using them another way. Make some planes."
"Why planes?"
"Because I don't know any origami, that's why. I've just always tended toward making planes, since I was a kid. It has nothing to do with jets and 9/11."
"Oh. Whatever." My teenager shrugged her shoulders and walked out of the room. I flung another postcard plane, which sailed and plopped down before the fireplace screen.
A couple days later, someone gave me a book called The World Trade Center: The Giants that Defied the Sky. I hid it in my basement. The next day, a consultant aide who helped book my travel and schedule my appointments gave me a gold colored pin. The Twin Towers had a U.S. flag across them, and all was composed of Austrian crystals. She really begged me to wear it after I opened the present. My lunch almost came up, and my arms shook when I put those rhinestone towers on my lapel. I didn't look down at my chest for the rest of the afternoon.
When I came home, I had forgotten the thing was on me until Michael remarked about it. When he said the words "World Trade Center" I began to totter. I nearly fainted in his arms. He helped me to the master bedroom and to lie down. After spending some time with me, he left. I passed out and not awake until the alarm beeped the next morning. I was still in my wrinkled work clothes. When I was fully conscious, I found that pin still on my suit jacket. I yanked it off and threw it onto the nightstand. I seriously entertained later tossing it into the air and smacking it baseball style with an old aluminum bat I owned. However, I realized my coworker might ask me to wear it again, and if I couldn't produce it, there would be unwanted conflict. So I hid it in a jewelry box atop my dresser.
On the Friday before Christmas, Julia's turn arrived for gift giving. She came to my office and handed me two packages wrapped in metallic silver paper decorated with white leaping reindeer. One was small and round, and the other was flat and square, and felt like paper. The little cylindrical one was a candle in a glass holder that smelled like blueberries.
As I pulled off the paper off the second, I saw that it was a calendar. One look at the cover, and it slipped out of my hands and landed on the desk. I could only stare.
WORLD TRADE CENTER: 2002 MEMORIAL CALENDAR. The cover photo appeared to be from spring. The view was from New York Harbor, with the Statue of Liberty framed between the Twin Towers and just to the right of one of the World Financial Center buildings.
My lips pulled down sharply at the corners. Gingerly I turned it over and saw the publisher name: BrownTrout, of San Francisco, of all places.
"Is something wrong?" Julia said. "I saw this at the bookstore and thought..."
She trailed off as I just stared at the orange-tinged cover image, and the Hudson River. Miss Liberty was three-quarters turned away from me, right foot placed to the back, as her hand held the torch aloft. The twins, abstract cartons of rust squares on either side, dwarfed New York's "New Colossus."
"I thought it might bring you comfort, help you deal with it," Julia said. "I know you're going through a rough time. It had such beautiful pictures in it."
I silently flipped the calendar over, where I saw the "beautiful pictures." The weirdest had the Twin Towers vanishing into low clouds. Humankind just did not know when to stop building upward. Latter-day Babels to confound people's minds.
I looked back at Julia. She was standing there, moving lightly from foot to foot. I could see my glowering disturbed her. "Thanks," I said. "It's a nice calendar."
"I really didn't mean to offend you," she said. "You really seem upset. I can take it back, if you want."
"Don't bother; I'll use it. I'm scrounging for as many calendars for 2002 as possible. Did I ever tell you my husband is a calendar freak?"
"No. But really, if the calendar bothers you, I'll return it--"
"You don't have to, Julia. Thanks. And have a good weekend and Christmas, okay?"
"Sure. You have a good holiday weekend, too." She left, unconsciously shrugging her shoulders a couple times, and closed the door behind her.
I turned and looked at the calendar again, at the microscopic images on the back, every one of them with those towers. I stood up from the desk, stepped to the side of it, and picked up the calendar. I released it from my hand and executed a drop kick, which sent it across the room and caroming off a file cabinet. It landed cock-eyed on the floor, propped against the leg of the empty desk in my office. Miss Liberty stood diagonally on her head, and the WTC slabs pointed toward the carpeting.
I could not stand to see that upside down Manhattan. I quickly stuffed the calendar into a bottom desk drawer, buried under a book by our company's owner and guides to health insurance.
Michael and I alternated Christmases with my parents and my in-laws. That year we were due to stay a couple days with the latter. I was glad for the escape, because I got along fine with my in-laws, unlike all those silly movies. Michael's parents, Phyllis and Lawrence Bailey, lived in a ranch in the fertile rural area outside Saginaw. Michael's two younger sisters, who had five children between them, were there as expected.
We distributed presents to the children, as was our ritual; the adults did not exchange gifts. We ate ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, several kinds of vegetables, cookies, candies, and other treats, all washed down with Phyllis' special punch. After all of the shredded wrapping paper had been cleared away, the family members lounged about the family room, watching movies and videos. The younger children went off to one of the bedrooms to play.
My mother-in-law invited me into the kitchen. She was a tiny woman with dark hair and thin features. Phyllis had worked on a farm for many years of her life, and her dark, leathery skin reflected those endless hours. She and Larry had retired, sold the farm, and moved to their current ranch home.
"Sit down, Joanie," she said to me. She pointed to a chair around the round oak table. I sat down. "Would you like something to drink?"
"No thank you."
She sat down. "All right. Joanie, I have to ask - how are you?"
"Okay. How are you?"
"Fine, Joanie, but it's you I'm worried about. How are you holding up?"
"Fairly well."
"Michael tells me you still haven't talked. He's very worried about you and your health."
"I'm fine."
"Are you really? He said more than once you've screamed out in your sleep and toss around in the bed. You wake up crying about nightmares."
"I only had a couple bad dreams, Phyllis. Nothing too horrid."
"Michael says you had one where you fell out of the building. That sounds pretty horrid."
"Why did he have to tell you that?"
"Because he's worried sick about you, Joanie, and so am I. You've bottled everything up inside and walk around like the dead. You hardly touched a thing at dinner."
"I just haven't had the appetite lately."
"And it's all because you've shut yourself up like this. I'm worried about you too. You're an emotional wreck. I'm guessing what you went through was as horrid as they say on the news, and now it's taking its toll on you. Michael said your own cousin also worked at the Trade Center and was burned over half his body. You can't go on like this."
"Yes, my cousin Rocky was burned. My aunt's staying with him on Long Island while he recovers. As for me, when the time comes, I'll talk about it. But not now. I just can't deal with it."
"Look, maybe this will help you." Phyllis got up and went into the home office off the kitchen. She brought in a rectangular present wrapped in paper with beaming Santa faces. She set the gift before me. My stomach tightened - yet another gift "for the healing"?
I picked it up and hefted it in my hands. The thing was quite heavy. I slowly tore the paper off, revealing a white box. I opened this and found a newspaper bundle, which when unwrapped revealed an elaborate snow globe. I set it on the table and stared mindlessly at it, just as I had at Julia's WTC calendar.
The ceramic base had one piece inside the other and showed a road dotted with taxicabs and other cars, and a skyline. The glass globe itself contained a number of famed Big Apple structures - the Empire State, the Chrysler, the Flatiron, Grand Central Station, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Public Library, and, of course, the World Trade Center. There was a windup key for a music box on the bottom.
"It plays 'New York, New York,' " Phyllis said. She picked the globe up and wound it. A part of the city's signature song played repetitiously, while base's inner portion began to rotate, giving the illusion that the cars were moving along. They were framed in what looked like brick windows.
"I found that at a flea market in Saginaw," my mother-in-law said. "It's amazing what you can find at those places."
"Yes, they are real treasure troves."
"I know we adults normally don't exchange gifts, but I really felt I needed to get you something this year to help you feel better."
"It's very nice. Thank you, Phyllis," I said. I meant it, too. For once it was something produced before the attacks, and not blatant September 11 kitsch with "United We Stand" printed across it in 10-foot letters. "You're welcome, Joanie. I hope you enjoy it."
I pulled the gift closer to me and looked into the glass. "This is a Macy's snow globe."
"This is a Macy's snow globe. Look," I said, pointing to the inside. "You can see a little Macy's department store. This was a limited edition. Every year at Christmas, I understand, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Saks Fifth Avenue come out with these special globes."
"It sure traveled a long way to here."
"Yeah, that's true."
"It must also be a collector's item."
The music had slowed down considerably, with the vehicles painted on the revolving base crawling as well. We silently stared at the globe as it slowed. I couldn't drop kick this thing across the room, but then I again I did not want to. It truly was a nice memento of the Big Apple. I thought I'd put it on the mantel in the family room.
The song stopped completely, and the cars halted. Manhattan gridlock, I thought. Merry Christmas, guys.
Michael and I made love quietly that night in our guest room. I slept for nine hours, the most rest I had gotten since 9/11. And I didn't have a nightmare that night.
In the summer of 1983, Joanie went off to New York again to spend the entire season working at the Brooklyn homeless shelter. She had become good friends with the staff member who gave her lodgings in March 1982 and again at spring break '83. Jill had tried to get me to come to the Big Apple and do the same; her shelter friend was willing to house me, too. I turned her down. I settled for summer school, which I viewed as the only way to still graduate in May 1984, after I had changed my major to journalism. I had agreed to Jill's New York plan by August of 1982, but I wanted to focus exclusively on college until I got my degree.
Jill's letters came to me regularly, along with color prints of New York scenes and the shelter activities. I wrote letters back but did not sent any pictures; I could see nothing interesting in me taking lecture notes and studying in my apartment in Mount Pleasant. My stint at Central Michigan Life, the campus paper, or my weekends at parties might have been camera fodder. But I still had only my crappy old Kodak Instamatic that had accompanied me to the Twin Towers in 1982.
i wanted to focus exclusively on college until i got my degree
In June, another reporter with whom I had hit it off suggested we go to a party at the Chi Tau Delta house. I normally avoided fraternity and sorority parties, as I viewed most Greeks as arrogant and mean-spirited. However, the Chi Taus were sort of outcasts at Central and had an unfounded reputation for inducting men the other fraternities didn't want. They were known as rebels with some of the best-attended parties off campus.
They were also known for buying case upon case of cheap beer for themselves with brand names that still make me laugh - Buckhorn, Falstaff, and Old Milwaukee. This last one was nicknamed "Old Mil," or, more often than not, "Old Swill." They generally had Budweiser or Miller at their public parties.
I quietly walked about the party with a tall paper cup of beer - often at these "keggars," as we called them, they would give you a cup like this after you paid the admission. I was happy because I was 21 now and could imbibe legally. My birthday was an anticlimax, really, because it seemed more daring to drink when I was underage. However, I still liked the way the campus loosened up in the summertime. I have fond memories of those warm nights at houses in what was called the "student ghetto," a number of streets, just off campus, that were virtually solid with college-kid rentals.
In a back living room I met a young man with dark hair, carefully trimmed mustache, and aviator style eyeglasses. He said his name was Michael Bailey. He was not a member of the Chi Taus. They informally considered him a brother, because he frequently hung out with them. Michael was fairly handsome, I thought. He was masculine enough, but he spoke intellectually and softly.
Sometimes, in the parties I attended with him for the rest of the summer, I saw him burst suddenly with rowdiness, but most of the time it was low key.
We saw movies, ate together in fast food joints and other cheap restaurants near campus. We got shakes from the malt shop called The Malt Shop, and played videogames in their arcade. We went to Island Park near downtown together and had picnics. We also became intimate, spending the night at each other's apartments. I loved being in love.
When the semester started, I was firmly in a relationship, and Jill was back at Michigan State. I was afraid to tell her about Michael. The idea first lingered at the fringes of my mind, but became more intense as Halloween drew closer. It was the idea that I was in my final relationship, the one that would take me through the rest of my life.
I knew I had to do something. Jill was set to move to New York by January of 1984. I was too chicken to phone Jill, so I sent her a letter:
Dear Lioness of the Azure Skies,
I am glad school's going well for you; my midterms turned out pretty well. I hope your tests go well, too. It's just a countdown for you after that, and then it's out into the world.
I really felt I had to tell you now, though, so that you can get used it. You must know this, because our plans must be changed.
I can't go to New York anymore.
I have a boyfriend now, and it's very, very serious. Michael and I have been dating since June, and I don't think it's going to end. I won't be surprised if eventually we do take the plunge. Michael's family lives near Saginaw, and they all still live in Michigan. He wants to stay here in the state. He said he hates New York and that it's just a crime-ridden city. He won't move there.
I have decided that if we do get married, I'm staying home. There are newspapers here in the Great Lakes State, and I'll find a job with one of them.
I very, very sorry things turned out this way, but you know about the best-laid plans of mice and men, Jill. If my relationship with Michael fails, then I'll pack my bags and come immediately to the Big Apple. Otherwise, no way.
Again, sorry, sorry, SORRY!!!
Joanie, the Lioness of Terra Firma
About a week after this letter, I heard a violent knocking on my flat door, which was in an old Victorian about five blocks off campus. When I opened the door, Jill was standing there, her eyes red and furious.
"Jill, I--" I said.
She looked at me and sniffled. She was clutching a paper in her hands - my letter. She growled at me. Without any words, she spun and ran toward her car, a battered Chevy parked in the street.
"Jill, wait! Come back!" I ran after her, but she jumped into her car and sped away. I watched as the vehicle shrank away. I found my letter lying in the street, a tire tread print over the paper, pale blue and decorated with doves.
I felt horrible. I struggled through the end of the semester, my only comfort being Michael.
At Christmas, Grandma Morris decided to have a family gathering, as she had when I had been quite little. Part of her motivation was to give Jill a sendoff to her life in New York. All the elements were in place. Jill had found an apartment not in the city, but across the Hudson in Newark. Her friend from the homeless shelter put her in touch with another friend at a temporary agency, who was going to get Jill jobs starting in January.
Michael came down and attended the party with me. When Jill saw us together across the room, I saw her face droop. I had a tight stomach and was terrified of talking to her. At one point, when the word "married" was mentioned, I saw her cringe.
As sunset began to arrive, Jill found me sitting alone in Grandma's basement. Michael was upstairs, talking to my parents. I was on the same couch where 11 years earlier she had plied me with her vacation photographs. I was sipping a glass of ros�, staring into space and thinking wistfully about the future. I was a senior and had no idea where my first news job would be.
Jill quietly walked across the room and sat down next to me. We sat together for a few minutes, not speaking. She was first to speak.
"Hello, Joanie."
"Hi, Jill."
"How are you doing?"
"Fine. And you?"
"Very, very excited. Next month, it begins."
"I'm sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry."
"No, really. I was selfish. All I could think about was me. I should have realized that one of us might fall in love. After all, I'd like to marry and settle down someday, too. I'm really happy for you and Michael."
"Thank you."
"You make a great couple. After I threw that tantrum on your porch in October and went home, I got to thinking. I realized that New York was really my plan and my dream, and you were always reluctant about it. You might have liked it, sure, but it wasn't the thing you wanted to do the most; it was my thing. That's what I had to realize."
"Look, I was willing to go to New York, and had been getting psyched for it since the summer of '82. I never expected to meet Michael. Now, life without him seems hard to imagine anymore."
"I understand that. I want you to know that now. I'm going to the Big Apple, and I'll go it alone. But I want you to come out and visit me sometime, you hear? I want to show you a good time."
"All right. Maybe after I graduate next spring."
"Great. You'll love the city that's so great they had to name it twice."
"Sure. There's something I need to ask you, too, Jill."
"What's that?"
"Well, if Michael and I get married, I want you to be my maid of honor. No question about it, you were always the person I had in mind for that job. Will you do that, if I do go down the aisle?"
Jill broke into a grin. "Yes, Joanie, I will. I'll be glad to fly back and be your maid of honor. Why the hell not? I love you, cousin!" She embraced me and patted me on the back.
"I love you, too," Jill. We finished the hug. "And Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and good luck in the Big Apple. Bon voyage!"
"Thank you, Joanie, thank you! Oh, Joanie." She began crying, and I did, too. We hugged each other again and did not let go for several minutes.
{TO PART 7 of Persistence of Memory}


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Note: We have interviewed Felicia before, you can read it here.
Interview with Felicia/LunarScorpio
A interview with Felicia, online known by the name of LunarScorpio. A 24 year old female from the USA. She has many interests, some of those are blogging, watching movies, foruming, helping people out with family problems and relations as a counselor.
She also owns the blog named Familial Ramblings and works on FP as a community team member.
(1) Max Pen: Could you tell us a bit more about yourself so the readers know who you are?
Felicia: Hi Max, thanks for taking the time to interview me. I am a twenty-four year old female residing in the state of Pennsylvania. I've been married for a little over two years now to my husband whom I actually met in an online chatroom. We've been together for over six years and I honestly couldn't be happier. I have my bachelor's degree in Clinical/Counseling psychology and I am currently in graduate school, studying Couples, Marriage and Family therapy, which I am loving. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, chatting online, reading, writing, and watching movies. I also own a blog called Familial Ramblings, which looks at the many aspects of family and relationships.
(2) Max Pen: What exactly triggered your interest into knowing how the human mind works, human emotions, and all that physical stuff?
Felicia: I've always been interested in the human mind, what people are thinking and feeling especially. When I was younger, I always wished that I could read people's minds like in the movies and on television. I really became interested in psychology around the age of eleven through my cousin who, at the time, was studying psychology in college. I had never known that there was a career path that allowed you to talk to people about what's going on in their minds and with their emotions. I've always had a strong desire to help others and from that moment on, I knew it was the career I wanted.
(3) Max Pen: How long did it took you from that trigger point to get really into it as a thing to study for? What did you try to read/do in the meantime about that interest?
Felicia: Well, like I said, I was eleven when I first really learned about the career of psychology, so I had quite a few years before I actually started studying it. In the meantime, I would read online articles and watch programs on psychology and human behavior. I was around the age of sixteen or seventeen, in my junior and senior year of high school, when I really got the chance to start taking classes on the subject and I couldn't get enough of it. I wanted to learn what made people tick and how I could go about helping them.
(4) Max Pen: What are in your opinion the 5 most common cases by which a relation breaks up between a couple and a son or daughter of a father/mother?
Felicia: This is a tough question because there are so many reasons one would break up with their significant other or that a relationship would be torn between a brother and sister, mother and father, etc. I really can't say what the five most common reasons are because there really aren't, in my opinion, a set of five most common cases in which relationships break a part. I could name maybe two that would more than likely fall in the shuffle, but other than that, it generally really varies.
One reason people's relationships fail, from what I've encountered, is that they simple grow distant from one another. They don't have anything in common with one another or their priorities in life have changed over time for example. The other reason may be because of trust issues within the relationship. One person does something to the other or to the family—such as cheating on a spouse—which breaks trust in the relationship. Other than those two scenarios, like I said, it's really difficult to pick out common cases.
(5) Max Pen: Do you most of the time apply personal experience to advice or what you where thought to say based on what you heard of the person asking for advice?
Felicia: A lot of my advice comes from personal experience, but anyone I give advice to I make sure to also let know that just because it worked for me or worked for someone else, doesn't mean it'll necessarily work for them. I also use a lot of my schooling when it comes to giving advice to others or even just helping them get through whatever they may be going through. You hear a lot of different people's experiences and stories in my classes, which helps a lot because you never know what you're going to face yourself and if you know someone who's had a similar experience, you can kind of go from there. So a lot of it is based on my experiences and experiences of others.
(6) Max Pen: On what type of situations does it depend that you either apply advice based on personal exp or what you should say based on what you know that you studied?
Felicia: I have to say that I don't give as much advice in my career as people think I do. It's more so listening, giving feedback and helping the client sort through what they're going through. I give advice here and there, but it's not like I tell them, "Go do this" or "You have to do that." It's more like, "How can we get through this together? How would you like me to help you?" In most situations, I don't give advice or very little advice and when I do give advice, I will often base it on a combination of my personal experiences and what I've studied and learned in class. I don't limit myself to just what I've experienced in my life because I haven't experienced everything there is to experience nor do I just go by what I've been taught, both complement each other so I use both, which seems to work out well.
(7) Max Pen: Do you think real cursing is a big problem in today's youths? Is cursing acceptable at certain locations or situations? (your opinion)
Felicia: In my opinion, I don't think that cursing is as much of a problem as some seem to think. I think that our society makes cursing "bad" because if you think of it, curse words are just that: words. Who decides whether they're "good" or "bad" in the end, they're still just words. Would I let my kids go around dropping the f-bomb left and right? Probably not, but I don't think that there should be such a weight placed on them like there is.
There are certainly different societies, locations and situations where cursing is acceptable in my opinion. For example, in one of my blog posts I go over the positives of swearing in which I look at a study that put people in a situation in which swearing actually helped them to reduce pain that they were experiencing by putting their hands into ice water. Swearing certainly has positives to it and really it is just another way for us to express ourselves in different situations.
(8) Max Pen: What do you think we can do to let youths curse less? Does it annoy you when you heard at public areas cursing?
Felicia: I've gotten some good suggestions on my blog as to how to get people to swear less. One being putting a swear jar in your home if you don't want people to swear (suggestion from Fiona). Also, just not swearing around your children or keeping it to a minimum should also reduce the amount of cursing. Parents may also want to consider teaching their children the meaning behind swear words and why they shouldn't use them in certain situations or at least when it would be inappropriate to use them so they know. I think parents have to understand that no matter what they do their children will hear curse words and will more than likely use them at some point, so it's better to teach them about it, when and when not to use them.
I sometimes cringe at people swearing in public areas because— I personally —was raised not to do it. It's not so much that I have a problem with it; it's just the way I was brought up. Over the years, I've certainly become more accustomed to people swearing especially because my husband swears like a sailor from time to time. It doesn't annoy me though because, like I said, it's a way people express themselves. If they can't think of any other way to express themselves other than cursing, so be it, at least they aren't psychically harming someone and I hope that they aren't verbally harming someone.
(9) Max Pen: Have you so far had people that didn't get their situation changed for the better even when you had given them advice? What does that do to you or how do you learn from it?
Felicia: Actually, yes, haha. There have been people who I've given advice to where they've tried it out and it just did not work for them. When it first happened, I was truly devastated, but over the years I've learned that I can't help everyone and it's not always about giving advice, but also helping the person to learn more about themselves and how to cope with whatever it is they may be going through. I've gotten a lot better with people telling me that something didn't work and have learned if one thing doesn't work not to give up. Keep trying and at the least the person will get some new techniques to work with in their given situation.
(10) Max Pen: What type of situations of people do you usually give advice on? How close does your job get you personally involved with the client aka person asking for advice-help?
Felicia: My specialties, or rather what I'm going to school to be my specialty, is family and relationship therapy. Basically listening and talking to people about their family situations and the relationships that they have with others. Also, like I said previously, I don't give as much "advice" as people often think a counselor/psychologist would. It's more of aiding a client to sort things out themselves instead of me telling them what to do. As far as how close I get with clients, honestly it's strictly professional and I really try not to let my feelings and my views involved, but it's really difficult sometimes to be objective. It's a hard job though and sometimes you become more involved than you realize which is when you have to take a step back and really look at what's happening.
You talk to your supervisor or a fellow counselor about what's going on, with the client's permission of course. As a counselor, you have to realize you're not always going to be compatible with a client and you're not always going to be able to help them because you're too emotionally involved. So, it's better to take a step back, evaluate the situation and go from there.
(11) Max Pen: Do you want to do the job your doing now for the rest of your life? If you couldn't do your current job what other type of job wouldn't you mind doing?
Felicia: I really hope to be a counselor for all of my life, but it's a high-stress job and a lot of people get burnt out doing it. I hope to stick with it though because I really love it and I get so much out of doing it. If I couldn't do this job anymore, I'm not really sure what I'd do. I have "back-up" jobs in my mind like becoming a chef because I love to cook or even a professor to teach people about being a counselor. Who knows, maybe I'd just end up being a stay-at-home mom. I'm honestly not sure what I'd do if I wasn't in this field.
(12) Max Pen: How do you manage to let the people trust you with their problem? What approaches to people have worked/not worked so far for establishing that trust?
Felicia: Trust is not an easy thing to acquire in everyday life, let alone in a counseling situation in which people are sharing their innermost thoughts and feelings on a situation. I don't have any approaches that I specifically use to establish and build trust with people in an everyday setting nor in a counseling setting. The closest thing to a technique that I do is just to be myself. I don't try to be their best friend; I don't throw all my credentials at them in hopes that they trust me because I'm educated. I go into every situation just being me and no one else.
I suppose it's helpful that people have always seen me as "likeable" or so I've been told. People have told me that I make them feel comfortable just because I will actually sit there and listen to what they have to say. If they want to vent, I'm going to listen, if they want to cry, I'm their shoulder to cry on. I'm there for people, I'm reliable, I listen, and I respect them, which in some cases is just what people are looking for. I try to be friendly, open, honest, and helpful whenever possible. So if you want to call all that a technique, then that's my technique: being myself.
(13) Max Pen: Who or what has been of big support to have allowed you to do your job as you do now? (Like with great confidence thanks to a fellow person in the same job business.etc..)
Felicia: My husband and my mother have been two huge supporters in me getting into this field. They've both been with me through thick and thin, when I doubted my abilities and when I just didn't think I could make it. They've been there to push me along to make sure I achieve my goals. My advisor in graduate school and even my other professors have also been huge parts in me getting as far as I have because they've taught me so much and they have so much confidence that I can do this job.
I also have friends who have supported me one hundred and ten percent with pursing my goal.
They're there when I'm feeling down on myself or just when I need someone to listen and I could never thank them enough. I especially have to thank Cody, Snobo, Fiona, Jem, and Rei because despite the fact that we've never met in person, these are the people I know that I can always count on to put me in my place, reassure me that things will be okay and that I will excel in my career and in life. I hope to continue to gain support not only from the people that I know, but also from the people that I don't know as of yet.
(14) Max Pen: What where your original goals towards the project Familial Ramblings? Did those goals remain the same or get changed over time?
Felicia: My original goal of Familial Ramblings was basically to have a place to get all of my thoughts and ideas out there along with helping others who may be in a similar situation that I've found myself in or to even just connect with others who may think that they're alone. I have so many viewpoints on different subjects pertaining to family and relationships; I really just needed a place to write them down and if that helps people in some way, that makes the experience even better because I was actually able to connect with others and help them. I don't think that that goal has changed a lot because I'm still writing about my thoughts and my ideas; it's just people read them now and they give me their opinions on them, which I love because I get to learn new viewpoints and some of these viewpoints have actually changed my own.
(15) Max Pen: Could you tell us what motivated you to start it and how you came up with the idea behind the project?
Felicia: I came up with this idea because of an assignment I had in one of my courses a couple of semesters ago. We were to write up an essay on the plans we had for the future of our careers and one of the suggestions was to talk about creating a website or blog. It really got me to thinking. I had never owned, ran or even posted on a blog before, but it was something that I thought I could really do. So, I took the plunge and started Familial Ramblings, which ended up working out quite well for me because I feel as if I've learned a lot in the process of creating and writing for it.
(16) Max Pen: What are some of the things you are proud of and that you think should be worked on if any? (Like promoting it more, etc..)
Felicia: I'm honestly really proud that I've been working on this blog by myself. I've noticed that a lot of blogs use guest posters and I've considered it, but then I think to myself of how big of an accomplishment it would be if I could make it to one hundred or more posts all on my own with no one else's help. That to me is one heck of an achievement and I plan to get there one day. I'm only forty or so posts away from reaching the one hundred mark and I know that I will be so proud to be able to say, "I was able to do that all by myself." I'm sure that there are things that I need to work on to improve my blog, probably promoting in particular, but for the time being I'm happy with its progress and I'm really proud that I've been able to stick with it and get as far as I have so far.
(17) Max Pen: Finally if you could alter the past online or offline, which path would you choose and what scenario would you change and why?
Felicia: I honestly don't think that I would change any of my past because I think everything happens for a reason and I've learned a lot from the things that I've experienced and gone through. If something in my past changed, I may not be where I am today. I enjoy my life and would never trade it for any other despite how difficult it may become. I'm a strong individual and I can take whatever's thrown at me because of my past, so I wouldn't want to change any of it.
Thank you for your time doing this Felicia. I enjoyed your detailed replies and I hope the others will to. -Max Pen


text:
Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'GBAtemp & Scene News' started by Chanser, Jun 13, 2009.
Isn't this the one that was getting huge raves on the Wii?
This is the best boxing game on the DS, IMO. I had a lot of fun beating it when the (E) version came out. At first I thought it was too hard, but that was only until I discovered the winning strategy. Now I never lose and the game has become too easy for me. I won't tell what that strategy is so as not to ruin it for anyone interested in playing it, but it's actually a fairly simple thing once you learn it. The only hint I'll gave on this respect is that blocking has very little to do with it, and that blindly swinging away won't work either.
so you mean that you actually have to "box" ?
-another world
rayder has made a good comment on the game but then he mentions tht it is not long lasting... i guess worth a try if u like boxing
p.s - another world... that is one of the most disgusting pics in yer sig ... sorry but i had to say it
There's attractive female breasts and then there's adolescent mutated b00bi3z.
I shall try this game. Is it realistic or punch out style?
what's so gross about bouncy tits
Looks interesting enough...and I don't have to hold the DS upside down to play it.
not bad once you get into it.
it's kind of short but the gameplay gives it replayabilty.


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Drip, drip, drip…no it's not the coffee maker, it's a hot flash. You can read more about the 'what' as in 'what the heck is going on with your body?' in another one of our posts but here we'd like to give you more hot flash remedies and solutions than just a box of tissues. There are real solutions out there. Below are short blurbs about solutions but if you look further into our site, you will find much more information about each of them.
Some Natural Solutions For Your Hot Flashes
- Paced Breathing
- Biofeedback
- Phytoestrogen-Rich Herbs
- Krill and Fish Oil
- Traditional Chinese Medicine – Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs
- Lifestyle Changes
- Tips and Tricks For Staying Cool
Breathe Deeply, Meditate
One of the most effective solutions for hot flashes is paced breathing. With a slow, measured breathing technique, you can reduce the severity of a hot flash or even cut it off before it happens. (Take that, you sucker!) It takes committed practice to develop your concentration enough to be able to respond when a flash hits, but this technique really works for menopausal symptoms, especially hot flashes.
A clear and easy-to-understand article about this can be read at The New York Times. They call this technique "paced breathing" — I'd call it meditation. This research has shown that it can reduce the frequency of hot flashes by almost 50%.
One way to know that you are breathing correctly is to use biofeedback. As you reach a meditative state, your heart rate goes down. Biofeedback allows you monitor your heart rate as it lowers or raises. You can read this great personal testimony to the effectiveness of biofeedback by Pulitzer Prize winner, Katherine Ellison. The EmWave2 is a well reviewed personal biofeedback machine.
Phytoestrogen-Rich Herbs
Phytoestrogen-rich herbs contain a compound similar to estrogen found naturally in women. They are thought to balance a menopausal woman's hormones — less hot flashes, less moodiness, less ups and downs.
Black Cohosh
First-hand testimonies from women seem to indicate that the herbal remedy Black Cohosh gives relief for hot flashes. A large Black Cohosh research project is being conducted by The National Center for Complementary Alternative Medicine (part of the National Institutes of Health). American Indians have used Black Cohosh for hot flashes for centuries. Stephen Foster, Writer, has a nifty and extensive description of Black Cohosh in his article titled Black Cohosh: A Literature Review. But Black Cohosh has had mixed results, working for some but not for others. And you do need to be careful, as it can act as a blood thinner and there are some (unproven) worries about its impact on the liver. Again, check with your doctor before taking any herbal supplement and never take more than is prescribed.
Red Clover
An historical natural alternative to HRT and a remedy especially for hot flashes and night sweats, it also lowers cholesterol and prevents osteoporosis. A great source of calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, thiamine and vitamin C. Read more about red clover here.
Another phytoestrogenic herb, the Dandelion contains vitamins A, B complex, C and D along with iron, potassium and zinc. It cleans the blood and liver which is thought to balance hormones. Also good for liver and gallbladder problems, is a natural diuretic and an appetite stimulant.
Krill Oil
Fish or Krill Oil has had mixed results in research, some say it helps while others say it is inconclusive. I have heard of many women getting relief from taking fish oil. It's also very good for many other aging-related aches and pains. It acts as an anti-inflammatory so it's great for arthritis, too! I gave some to my old dog everyday and her coat got really shiny. And no stinky breath. We like Nature's Way Krill Oil. To read more about Krill Oil, go to our post titled Krill Oil for Hot Flashes.
Acupuncture, Herbs and Traditional Chinese Medicine
Just the idea of having needles stuck into your body might make you sweat or they might scare the hot flashes right out of you. But there are a lot of people who swear by Chinese medicine and acupuncture as hot flash remedies.
You can read about recent research studying the effectiveness of acupuncture for relief of menopausal symptoms, especially hot flashes.
Tips And Tricks For Staying Cool
- Wear layers
- Wear natural fabrics
- Carry portable and hand-held fans
- Meditate – it is proven to help with hot flashes
- No plush-top mattresses
- Use low thread count, 100% cotton sheets
- Always keep a glass and pitcher of water next to your bed at night
- Try to stay away from red wine, sugar, processed foods, chocolate…
- Exercise, garden, dance….whatever. Just get moving!
- We have been getting reports from readers that ibuprofen gives them hot flashes
Wear Layers, Use Natural Fabrics
Wear layers of clothing so you can peel them off and put them back on, depending on your body temperature. You may want to enroll in a pole dancing class to take advantage of those less-dressed moments. If you want to tear your clothes off anyway, might as well multi-task.
Use Fans and Give In to that Air Conditioner
Use fans and air conditioners. (A larger choice of fans to chose from at the end of the post.) I have what I call my "menopause room" — a room with an air conditioner. Its a life saver, and on hot days I've had five people lounging on my bed enjoying the coolness with me. There's a real positive outcome to hot flashes — family gatherings!
Carry a fan wherever you go. Invest in a beautiful hand fan. You will be very obvious when using your fan, so play it up. Accessorize.
Personally, I love cement. If you lie down on it while you are having a hot flash, it absorbs the heat away from your body, cutting down the severity of the flash and giving instant relief. When you get up, you'll leave behind a sweat-angel print. Menopause art!
Don't Use Thick Plush-Top Beds
Try to avoid 'plush-top' beds, or beds with that big cushy layer on top of the mattress. I know from personal experience that the less cushioning in a bed, the cooler I feel.
Use Cotton Sheets With a Low Thread Count
Sleeping in polyester sheets is like wrapping yourself in a plastic ziplock bag and expecting to get a good night rest. So always use a natural fabric – especially cotton or bamboo sheets. A reader from the Virgin Islands gave us this tip of using a low thread count. The sheets breath really well and allow your heat to escape.
Cool your Core – Drink Water or Use Cooling Products
It does seem simple, yet drinking cool water will cut that hot flash down to size. And water does double duty to reduce face wrinkles!
One of the best items around is the Cold Front Personal Cooling System which are little ice packs that you carry around with you and stay cold for up to 12 hours. There are cooling vests and bandanas, body sprays that work all day, or stylish jewelry – yes, Hot Girls Pearls work great!
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Most women have heard of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and usually jump at the thought that they can use drugs to get through this fun & interesting time of life. But HRT is a controversial solution to hot flashes and may not help every woman. Although recent studies questioned the research that indicated HRT increased the rate of cancer, no one knows for sure. You have to decide for yourself by comparing the risks of taking HRT to enjoying a higher quality of life. HRT can be a great cure all but one thing most docs don't tell you that if and when you stop using them, you are right back where you started and the hot flashes, etc. all kick in again. Speak with your health care professional about all of this.
The Department of Pathology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine researched estradiol (a naturally produced hormone in women) treatments to help control hot flashes. Read their paper here. (OMG — it's a study based on rats — but if it works on us…) It is an extract from pregnant horse urine which can cause allergies (can make your eyes itch) so keep your riding habit on!
If your doctor offers you an antidepressant for your hot flashes, don't jump to the conclusion that he is accusing you of losing your mind, even if you feel like you are. Women taking anti-depressants have noticed a large decrease in the number and intensity of their flashes. And if they make you happy along the way, well why not!
Gabapentin For Hot Flashes
Gabapentin (Neurontin), an anti-seizure medication also used for restless leg syndrome, has shown some promise in reducing hot flashes. (4/27/13 Note: The FDA has turned this drug down as a solution for hot flashes. Apparently the drug didn't do any better than those women taking the placebo, so why bother?)
Ibuprofen And Other Anti-inflamatories May Cause Hot Flashes
There is mounting evidence that Ibuprofen may cause hot flashes. You might want to stay away from it…
No Red Wine, Sugar, Processed Foods, Chocolate….
Here comes the worst part — not eating what you want. Drink cold beverages. Avoid hot drinks and spicy foods. No red meat, no white flour, no coffee, or sugar, or processed food, or chocolate (NOOOOOoooo!). And red wine is really bad — switch to white, or just take a shot of tequila now and then. Although, we don't condone excessive alcohol use and zero if you are a recovering alcoholic, these things have helped us at least keep our sense of humor through it all.
Yes! Exercise
And of course, quit watching Survivor, get off the couch and start walking. Exercise really does boost your metabolism and your spirits. And obviously, laugh, laugh, laugh! It helps in all ways menopausal.
How are you coping with your hot flashes?
Do you have any suggestions, ideas or solutions we could pass on to our readers? We would love to hear what techniques work for you.


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Tunneling Around A Firewall
Firewall Admin is not a firewall generator. This tool allows network administrators to manage iptables rules from anywhere though a simple administration interface through a Web browser. Any user can put some extra plug-ins to interact with netfilter modules..
Platforms: *nix
|License: Freeware
|Size: 57.34 KB
|Download (163): Firewall Admin Download
This program allows users to specify the number of zero layers to wrap around a 3D image matrix.Zero padding allows image processing to occur at the edges of the 3D image. Many image processing filters take into account the values stored in a neighborhood of voxels being evaluated. Therefore, if...
Platforms: Matlab
|License: Shareware
|Cost: $0.00 USD
|Size: 10 KB
|Download (18): InSPIRE: simple utility to pad zeros around a volume image Download
TunnelTools is a set of perl scripts to allow anonymous rsync and CVS access from machines inside a firewall by tunneling over an ssh connection to a host outside the firewall.
Platforms: *nix, Perl, BSD
|License: Freeware
|Download (32): TunnelTools Download
Jay's Iptables Firewall is a bash script that allows one to easily install and configure a firewall on a Linux system. It was initially written for use on a home LAN, but can be extend to any type of network since support for multiple interfaces was added. The basic features are sharing internet...
Platforms: *nix
|License: Freeware
|Size: 10.24 KB
|Download (18): Jay's Iptables Firewall Download
If your network or internet connection uses any of these...
* Shared IP address
* Network Address Translation (NAT)
* a Firewall of some kind
... then you have probably found that it causes problems with many kinds of Internet applications.
You need to use programs like...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Commercial
|Cost: $19.95 USD
|Size: 721 KB
|Download (168): NATural IP SOHO Download
Automatic Firewall is a script that will automatically configure a firewall. If you are a broadband or dial-up user who doesnt have a firewall script, you need to get one to protect yourself. AutoFW is made to help you do that with no efforts. Many people when connecting to the internet need a...
Platforms: *nix
|License: Freeware
|Size: 20.48 KB
|Download (75): Automatic Firewall Download
PHP Firewall Generator is a simple PHP script that generates a firewall for iptables or ipchains.The script is created based on configuration rules entered by the user. The aim is to support a rule set similar to those supported by commercial Firewall systems, and have it easy to configure.Basic...
Platforms: Windows, Mac, *nix, PHP, BSD Solaris
|License: Freeware
|Download (104): PHP Firewall Generator Download
Gibraltar Firewall is a firewall and router package, based on Debian/GNU Linux, which perfectly meets all individual requirements for a state-of-the-art firewall. Independent of the kind of Internet connection (dedicated line, ADSL, dial-up connection), Gibraltar provides for secure...
Platforms: *nix
|License: Freeware
|Size: 235 MB
|Download (99): Gibraltar Firewall Download
Wolverine is an embedded distribution of Linux designed to function as a firewall and VPN server. Wolverine Firewall and VPN Server is intended to be a less costly, commercial alternative to products such as the Cisco PIX, the FireBox, etc. Wolverine features a hardened Linux 2.4-based stateful...
Platforms: *nix
|License: Shareware
|Cost: $49.00 USD
|Size: 20.8 MB
|Download (124): Wolverine Firewall and VPN Server 2.01.1008 Download
TunnelTools is a set of perl scripts to allow anonymous rsync and CVS access from machines inside a firewall by tunneling over an ssh connection to a host outside the firewall.
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
|License: Freeware
|Size: 9.33 KB
|Download (27): tunneltools Download
Xianc gets statistics mostly from a firewall program like iptables but it supports a file as input too. The byte counter from the an interface in Window can also be used. Xianc can show bandwith usage, stores it in a cache file to survive a reboot, and c
Platforms: *nix
|License: Freeware
|Size: 102.4 KB
|Download (19): Xianc: Xianc is a network counter Download
PortsLock is a firewall with user-level access controls for Windows NT/2000/XP. Once PortsLock is installed, administrators can assign permissions to TCP/IP connections, just as they would in managing permissions on an NTFS partition of a hard disk. It lets you control which users can access what...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Demo
|Cost: $50.00 USD
|Size: 1.43 MB
|Download (101): PortsLock Download
Find all devices on your network even if they have a firewall. Hardping Pro pings devices at the hardware level which means it can't be blocked by personal firewalls. This makes it great as a ping utility on Windows networks and for MAC discovery. It is an ideal tool to use on large networks...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Shareware
|Cost: $39.99 USD
|Size: 480 KB
|Download (338): Hardping Pro Download
Irbis Firewall is a firewall and proxy-server application developed to protect computers running Microsoft Windows 2000/XP against network attacks. Irbis Firewall allows you to manage packet filters and control access to Internet easily. Compact in size and handy in use Irbis Firewall provides...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Shareware
|Cost: $39.00 USD
|Size: 3.42 MB
|Download (101): Irbis Firewall Download
NeT Firewall is a comprehensive stateful firewall solution built to protect Windows-based systems not currently protected by a firewall. Stateful inspection technology tracks each packet traversing the firewall and makes sure that they are legitimate.
Platforms: Windows
|License: Shareware
|Cost: $49.95 USD
|Size: 3.71 MB
|Download (97): NeT Firewall Download
A firewall is a type of software that monitors all incoming network traffic while you're online and allows in only the connections that are known and trusted.All of your private information such as passwords, credit card numbers you've used for online purchases and documents that you...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Shareware
|Cost: $19.99 USD
|Size: 13 KB
|Download (83): Shield Firewall Download
Zone Alarm is a firewall that is easy to configure for your Internet security.Free firewall program to avoid hacker action (if possible) in your computer when you are connected to the Internet. It is essential to have a fixed connection (broadband, cable...) and it has 5 levels of protection. You...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Freeware
|Size: 4 KB
|Download (213): ZoneAlarm Firewall Free Download
ipmkchains is a firewall chain manipulation tool. This package contains a program, ipmkchains, that reads in a set of rule files, computes the differences between those rules and the rules that are currently in use, and executes the necessary commands to make the rules in use match the rules from...
Platforms: *nix
|License: Freeware
|Size: 33.79 KB
|Download (74): ipmkchains Download
NetCallback is a Java application permitting the export of TCP and UDP ports behind a firewall to hosts outside the firewall. This may be useful in some special cases, for example, centralized control of test (demo) networks, or connection to applets running in browsers. NetCallback consists of...
Platforms: *nix
|License: Freeware
|Size: 143.36 KB
|Download (82): NetCallback Download
The Camarades Linux Proxy is a small program that is meant to run on a firewall protecting an internal network. It allows multiple users behind a firewall to use the Camarades Web camera program. To make it run the following: 1. Edit Makefile to see that everything seems ok. Make any...
Platforms: *nix
|License: Freeware
|Size: 35.84 KB
|Download (82): Camarades Linux Proxy Download


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"The great thing about a Glen Campbell session is the generosity in which he shares his thought processes".
– Lorrelie Bow, feature writer/contributor – Better Photography Magazine.
Stalking the Light
Lightstalkers Scotland was established in 2009 but I have experience in running and leading photo workshops for over 14 years. Our valued participants come from all over the UK and the rest of the world, they vary in age, from mid twentys right up to their late seventies with differnet levels of experience and ability. Participants come with a view to increasing their photography skills and knowledge, experience fantastic photogenic locations. Which saves time when you can get to the best locations at the right times with an experienced guide. They also get to share the whole experience with like minded people often making new friends along the way. Here at Lightstalkers we our proud of our 70% participant return rate, so why not experience a Lightstalkers workshop or photo adventure for yourself.
There's a lot packed into the largest region in the UK, which also has the smallest population, so there's plenty space. The Highlands are wild, dramatic, accessible and all within easy reach of the Highland Capital Inverness, where I'm based. There are of course the classic usual suspects in Glencoe and the Isle of Skye as well as some other excellent locations that you may not be so familiar. These include Inverpolly, Assynt, Torridon, the Isle of Mull, the Cairngorm National Park and the Moray Coast, which was recently ranked amoung the world's most breathtaking coastlines.
It's not just the landscape that's special either. The unpredictability of the weather can produce a wonderful quality of light in any season at anytime of day. I'm not going to try and discribe it, I couldn't do it justice. So why not join me on location and experience the adventure of landscape photography in the Scottish Highlands for yourself, all you need is a camera, a little patience and a sense of adventure. You can book your place on any of the trips online through this site or contact me directly if you have any questions. I look forward to meeting you. GC
Breakdown and main objectives of Lightstalkers Scotland workshops :
- Increase your knowledge of your camera and improve your photography skills
- Experience, explore and photograph a specific location, often with repeat visits from a single base
- Unlock your creativity and gain a better understanding of light
- Use Image reviews and critiques as feedback
- Learn better composition techniques
- Learn to create emotive landscapes at dusk and dawn
- Meet others that share a common interest and have a laugh along the way
Breakdown and main objectives of a Lightstalkers Scotland Photo Adventure :
- Help you increase your confidence and knowledge of you camera.
- Tour several different photographic locations both urban and natural that offer different challenges
- Offer photography guidance on composition, pointing out specific shots and getting the most out of each location.
- Meet others that share a common interest
- Experience and enjoy the Highlands and other great overseas locations.
On all trips we aim to create a fun, safe and enjoyable learning experience on location.
Learning Environment
With a maximum of 6 participants on most trips, it makes for a more sociable learning environment: a smaller group means more individual attention. You'll get more help with your camera and be introduced to my approach while sharing ideas and insights in the field. On workshops you'll receive plenty of feedback on your images, ensuring you get the most out of the day. It doesn't matter what type of camera you have, or whether you are a complete beginner or a seasoned shooter. It's never a competition and we work together.
We'll be spending as much time as possible out shooting on location. If the weather makes things uncomfortable we'll continue with indoor sessions and image critiques.
Your Accommodation
Photography workshops and tours are based in comfortable hotels and guest houses usually with single occupancy ensuite rooms whenever possible unless specified. I try to offer convenient hotels and inns that provide good atmosphere, locally produced food, a sociable friendly environment, and good value whenever possible.
Featured accommodation venues may vary depending on season, availability and late bookings. You will be notified of any changes in the first instance. Alternative, convenient, and comfortable accommodation will be offered if this occurs. I will endeavour to accommodate other requests and preferences. Participants' partners are welcome* but your own transport arrangements to the workshops may be necessary if space is limited. , Please not that meals note are not normally included on the Workshop or Photo Adventure formats unless stated. These are usually taken at a differnet venue each night convenient to our photo shoot and organised by myslef. All trips include full Scottish breakfast breakfast.
Your Transport
You can make your own way to each venue and location if you wish or alternatvily I can offer a trasport to the venue and locations in a comfortable, spacious MPV or VW Transporter (vehicle type may vary).
Inverness is serviced by Inverness Airport . The rail and bus terminals are in the heart of the city and an easy walk to central accommodation. Let me know if you are stuck or need any advice.
Photography workshops – key Learnings
- Introduction to digital photography
- Getting the gear you need
- Image critiques
- Mastering camera controls
- Filter systems
- Planning a shoot
- Using histograms & mastering exposure
- Light theory
- Pre-visualisation
- Low light and long exposures
- Shooting using manual controls
- Creative compositions
- Photoshop and raw workflow
- Hyperfocal focusing
- Macro photography
- Q&A sessions and more!
If you have any questions please just ask.
Join us in 2017 for the photography experience of a lifetime.
Glen Campbell is a member of:
The Australian Institute of Professional Photography – Master of Photography


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Homes Evacuated Near Large Fire
Homes Evacuated Near Large Fire
EAGLE GROVE, Iowa —
A hog confinement fire forced the evacuation of homes in Hamilton County Wednesday.
The fire started around 4 p.m. at a confinement site in the 1900 block of Highway 17, northwest of Webster City and south of Eagle Grove.
Sheriff's deputies said a crew was fumigating the confinement building and sparked the fire.
Deputies evacuated two or three homes within a mile of the building because of the toxic chemicals being used during the fumigation. The homeowners were later allowed to return to their homes.
The building was empty at the time, so no animals were injured. The crew working in the building were also unharmed.


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I have been buying craghoppers clothes since 2008 and its very common for me at least to have thread issues but it usually never harms anything.
Craghoppers Piero Shell Jacket – A Copy And Paste
If you were asked to name a Craghoppers jacket that costs around £70, has an AquaDry membrane, is made of 100% polyester and weighs in at roughly 460 grams, you could be forgiven for thinking it was the Terrain Lite Shell Jacket; only you'd be wrong. Today we're reviewing the very familiar and virtually identical Craghoppers Piero Shell Jacket.
A little while ago, we road tested the Craghoppers Terrain Lite Shell Jacket – we also got it thoroughly soaked during the Caledonian Challenge – and today we're going to review it again, sort of. The Piero Shell jacket is so similar that we could probably have pasted the entire review over and switched a couple of pictures out. Instead, we're going to show you the differences, of which there are few and highlight any advantages to shelling (ahem) out an extra fiver.
The Piero Shell Jacket is sold in two different colours – Blue and Green or Black Pepper/Black. The latter is actually Black and Blue (see the featured image) but for some reason Craghoppers have the colourway listed differently to how it appears.
Firstly, lets go over the similarities with both jackets. Both jackets are 29" long, both have grown-on hoods that use toggles and velcro tabs for adjustment, they both have an AquaDry membrane, they both have two external pockets and one internal. Both have pockets that'll fit an OS map inside. They both utilise waterproof zips with inner stormflaps and have self-fabric cuffs with velcro adjusters as well as a brushed chin guard. They both also have an adjustable hem and contrast panels.
So what are the differences? The Piero is 30g lighter, £5 more expensive at £75 and has a bit of soft lining inside the pockets.
In truth, there is one more difference – the Terrain Lite Shell Jacket has a mesh hood lining whereas the Piero has a smooth lining. Oh and they have the AquaDry logo in a different place inside the coat. Please excuse my sarcasm. To highlight my point, take a look at the comparison picture below.
The Piero jacket suffered a similar problem to the old version of the Terrain Lite Shell Jacket which leaked slightly. After a long hike in the rain, small sections inside the coat along the zip were wet, so either the 'waterproof' zip or the inner storm flap isn't performing well.
I also found a few loose threads, even though the jacket was brand new which is something I don't usually expect with Craghoppers. As a brand I recommend to everyone, I almost feel as though they're letting me down – I'm sure their quality control used to be better. The Piero isn't too expensive, but for another £10 or so, you could buy something similar to the Karrimor Elite Alpiniste, which is more rugged and hard-wearing, has better waterproofness and a slightly better fit – though it does have a terrible hood.
I feel the fit of the jacket could be improved too – the sleeves remain a little too baggy for my liking and the enormous cuff adjusters fold the sleeve in half a third of the way up if you pull them tight – which isn't aesthetically pleasing. The body length though, is spot on. Despite Craghoppers' claim of good breathability, I found this to be incorrect. For everyday use, I'm sure there isn't a problem but on a hard going, fast paced hike, I found myself getting warm very easily and once the rain had stopped and I removed my coat, I'm sure there was more moisture on the inside than on the outside.
Everything so far is very negative, so lets list a few positive points. Craghoppers have included pretty big, easy to grab zips that are long and have grippy plastic ends – even with a gloved hand, they're easy to use. In general the coat allows water to bead off with ease, so despite the annoying damp patch inside after a downpour, you'll stay nice and dry – this means that the water resistant finish is effective.
The hood is also quite good because it's easy to adjust and it pulls in very tightly so you're protected from the elements after a couple of pulls on the elastic. It does fold up quite significantly and for some strange reason, the bottom of the elastic isn't underneath any piping, so it annoyingly rests against your face – but that's a minor point when you consider the rest.
In casual terms, the black version of the Piero works nicely with jeans or chinos but if it's a performance jacket you're after, then you should look elsewhere.
In short, I wouldn't recommend this product. I think this is the first time I've said this in a review and it's a shame it comes from a brand I hold in such high regard. For £5 less, the Terrain Lite Shell Jacket is a better choice when comparing the features and the previously mentioned Karrimor Elite Alpiniste is slightly more expensive, but crucially it's significantly better.


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A new design for their website
A responsive-website-enabling site to be viewed acroos all devices
Various new pages
A content management system (CMS)
A new contact US page for customer enquiries
A vacancies listing page for prospective employees to apply for positions directly
The functional specification was created by the development team at PSP and from there submitted to the directors of Neame Lea Nursery to be approved and subsequently signed off in readiness for the design and development to begin.
PSP developed the new website for Neame Lea using the free content source Umbraco for the content management system, this enables designated staff at Neame Lea to keep the front-end of the website updated with the latest offers, new products and forthcoming events all with the greatest of ease.
The User Acceptance Training held at PSP's fully equipped training suite was attended by members of the Neame Lea team, where detailed step-by-step test plans and user guides were used to assist the appointed persons with the process of updating any images or information they would wish to promote on the website.
PSP created a number of pages within the website for their customers, these include:
Through the addition of these pages, users are able to complete and submit a contact us form for more information about Neame Lea products, view their gallery of images and read the latest news and also apply for vacant positions, all from the new website.
The new website gives Neame Lea total control over their website content, the ability to add new special offers, plant ranges and latest news information for their customers.
It also gives:
New, fresh look and feel to the website
Providing user friendly navigation for all visitors to the site
Offering the added benefit of responsive design for ease of use on all devices
Easy user access for Neame Lea to the CMS enabling instant updates to their web pages
The merger with Dutch flowers and plant firm Zyon, which took place in August 2016 has created a very successful company with a combined UK turnover of 35 million, making Neame Lea the largest grower/packer plant operation in the UK.


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You can study criminology online with Australian universities. Criminology can be taken as a major within social science programs. Universities also offer specialist degree courses.
- Criminology is a large study field which is connected to social science, psychology, law and science.
- Graduates of online courses pursue careers in crime prevention, detection and justice.
Criminology can be combined with the study of other subjects. As a bachelor degree student, you can choose units from social science and other fields to support your career goals.
Criminology Studies
Criminology is the study of crime and criminal justice. Students examine crime in a social science context.
As a criminology student, you examine how individual and group behaviours give rise to criminal acts. You consider ways to identify crime and prevent or predict future occurrences. And you study societal impacts, including how offenders are dealt with and potentially reformed.
Subjects you may study as part of a criminology degree include
- criminal and delinquent behavior, white-collar crime, crimes against humanity
- crime detection and investigation, law enforcement, victimology
- the courts, theories and methods of offender treatment, public policy.
Studying criminology provides a foundation for different roles across the criminal justice system. Note that few graduates become "criminologists" as such. For most students, a degree course is a path to an applied (non-research) career.
Criminology Careers
A criminology degree is useful as a general qualification – similar to other degrees in the arts and social sciences. Graduates gain skills in research methods, social and statistical analysis, written communication and critical thinking.
But the degree also provides a platform for a career in law and justice. Across the law and justice system, jobs are available for degree holders with criminology knowledge. Potential work areas include
- Law Enforcement and Investigation (corporate security, computer fraud, private investigation, public law enforcement)
- Courts and Law (court administrators, victim and witness assistance workers)
- Corrections (probation and parole officers, detainee supervisors, education and rehabilitation program managers)
- Community Services (domestic violence crisis centres, delinquency prevention and diversion programs, child abuse prevention, and drug and alcohol-abuse programs)
- Research, Planning, and Teaching (in universities, government planning agencies, and private research institutes).
Online Bachelor Degree Courses
Australian online universities offer high-quality courses in the social sciences, including criminology.
- You can start a general degree with criminology as one of multiple possible majors. You don't normally have to settle on a single major until the 2nd or 3rd year of a bachelor program.
- By choosing complementary elective units from other disciplines, you can construct the ideal program to further your career goals.
Here are the best bachelor degrees. We've chosen the top courses based on program depth and student satisfaction ratings.
Deakin Bachelor of Criminology
Deakin University allows you to gain a degree in Criminology through cloud (distance) learning. You can potentially finish the degree in 2 years by studying continuously (3 semesters per year). Specialisations are available in areas such as media, terrorism, crime prevention, security and surveillance, and victimology. You can also participate in practitioner-driven seminars during your final year.
UNE Bachelor of Criminology
The University of New England offers a specialist Bachelor of Criminology degree. It combines the study of criminology with forensic science, law, criminal justice and the sociology of deviance. Hands-on experience is available through a WorkReady program. Graduates work in border control, corrective services, government agencies, intelligence and security, juvenile justice, policing and welfare.
Masters Programs Online
An online Master of Criminology degree is useful for professional development or changing careers.
If you majored in criminology
Criminology graduates (with a Bachelor of Criminology or criminology major) who want to become criminologists can benefit from extra training and qualifications.
- Criminologists should have advanced research skills. Gaining a masters shows you have knowledge and ability.
- A masters degree is also useful for developing expertise in a specific field.
If you studied something else
You can start a career in criminology by doing a masters course.
- Masters courses are potentially available for graduates of any discipline, though it helps to have studied social sciences.
- To be eligible for entry, you may need to start with a shorter postgraduate course (graduate certificate or diploma).
Griffith Master of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Griffith University offers a 3-semester masters degree by distance learning. Subjects include advanced theories, quantitative and qualitative skills, policy analysis, research and evaluation, justice and crime. Students without a relevant undergraduate degree can start by enrolling in the 1-semester (4 unit) Graduate Certificate in Criminology and Criminal Justice.


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A day in the life of a Mid-West Mom of soon to be young men! Trust me- I've always got "stuff" going on- After all, it's all in a Mom's day, right?
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Alcoholic Beverages At Community Events: Are They Always Necessary?
Neither my husband nor I are party, go out to the bar people and drink. It seems that every event in our community is built around alcohol. Can people not have a good time unless they have a drink in their hand? Beer tents are at every event and I then think, "How are these people driving home?" Let's face it- the roads cannot be safe around these venues when the night comes to a close.
I know this will never happen, but in an ideal world it would be nice to have community events that are not based around alcohol. I have no desire to be around people that indulge too much and become a nuisance. And unfortunately, the few events we have attended where alcohol is everywhere, we have witnessed this. And it seems that our young people are picking up on this and taking it to a new level.
It can be argued that teens and young adults have always drank. But really, don't people grow up at some point? It appears not.
The beauty of this is that I can choose not to attend and stay home. Nothing wrong with that. Yet in all honesty, I would like to show community support with my attendance, as its people being active, out and about in a community that make communities successful.
The root beer at the local brewery is not that bad- and I get to see a few people and hear some music! But you know what? If some of these breweries and other events advertised that they offered a non-alcoholic option, I do think more people would check out these establishments and events.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Am I being a complainer or is this something that bothers you, as well? After All, It's All In a Mom's Day, Right?
10 comments:
I can not "like" this post enough. Beer Gardens were a first for me when we moved to Iowa. I had honestly never heard of them and it seems like every event has one. I don't think they are always appropriate when it is a family event. The rate of drug and alcohol abuse is alarming and the availability of alcohol at every single event seems to me to be unnecessary. I never have been into the bar scene and I doubt that that is going to change at this stage so yes---let's have some options where alcohol is not always present. Thanks for being brave enough to write what many of us feel!ReplyDeleteReplies
Interesting- I thought Beer Gardens were an event thing all over!Delete
This is a fantastic post and I do agree. I don't mind having a drink, as in one, but I do think about things like driving. I love it when there are non alcoholic choices.ReplyDeleteReplies
Yes and why aren't those drinks advertised?Delete
I agree!! It seems like alcohol has to be everywhere! We do enjoy an adult beverage, but I also think there are family events and festivals in which it isn't neccessary! If you can't have fun without it, well...you need to examine your life,ReplyDeleteReplies
Events should not be advertised as family friendly when alcohol is part of the event. When 1/3 of the seating area is a beer tent.... it bothers me.Delete
Totally agree! I'm not a drinker at all, and I hate that events can be ruined by that one person in the crowd that acts like a drunk fool.ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks for chiming in , Jenni!Delete
- AnonymousJul 31, 2015, 8:14:00 PM
I do not think alcoholic beverages should be served at community events whatsoever !!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJul 31, 2015, 8:17:00 PM
I was at an event at a college once and an enubbriated woman kept getting up constantly adding her rendition to the play.ReplyDelete


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QUICK & SIMPLE Spring-Inspired Makeup Tutorial! Lauren Curtis
LaurenCurtisPublished: October 5, 2016
Published: October 5, 2016
Heeeey! So I know that in Australia we're going into Autumn, but I felt like doing a Spring-inspired look using bright colours anyway hehe :) It's super simple and fairly easy look, with turquoise eyeliner, a bit of glitter, flawless glowy skin and a bright statement lip! I hope you all enjoy - than


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Larada Sciences is a Salt Lake City, Utah-based company dedicated to the eradication of head lice. It has built the world's largest network of lice-removal professionals. Its flagship product, the FDA-cleared AirAllé® device, kills head lice and 99.2 percent of their eggs in a single, 30-minute treatment. The company is a spin-out from the University of Utah that was formed in 2006.
The Larada name is derived from the founders' names: Larry Rigby (executive chairman), Randall Block (president and COO), and Dale Clayton, Ph.D. (lead scientist and technology inventor).