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Posted by Smokey Stover on April 17, 2006
In Reply to: "Ship of fools?" posted by Bob on April 17, 2006
: : : What is the origin of the phrase "ship of fools?" I've been told it was from the Middle Ages, when some city states in Italy had ships of crazy people going from harbor to harbor to help them come to their senses.
: : I believe the first to use the phrase "Ship of Fools" was Sebastian Brant, who used it as the title of a book. It was published in 1494 in Basel as "Das Narrenschiff", which soon became the most widely read German literary work of its century. Like "Pilgrim's Progress" (or to some degree "The Narnia Chronicles") it used situations from worldly life to illustrate the path to salvation?and the path NOT to salvation. It was a popular book, and was soon translated into [email protected] and into other European languages.
: : Among the more famous works inspired by Brant's book, or at least by its title, were a painting by Hieronymus Bosch (not later than 1500), and Katharine Anne Porter's 1945 book of the same title.
: : For a short essay about the book, see:
: : http://classiclit.about.com/od/brantsebastian/fr/afprshipoffools.htm
: 1945? I remember the book as a best-seller in the '50s ... so the 1945 date puzzles me a bit. Was it revised and re-issued?
Your puzzlement is entirely justified. The book was first published in 1962. I didn't make up the date, but I was apparently on a ship of fools when I got it. ♪ SS ♪


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Five Tips to Follow When Planning Educational Travel Trips
If you're a parent, teacher or educator, you without doubt may have experienced a couple of hiccups while planning an academic travel trip. The most effective advice would be to enlist the aid of a specialist school travel organiser, but, like a beginning point, opt for the next factors inside your plans.
Waiting Times
Several weeks of planning could be un-tied with a day of rainwater or perhaps an inspection revealing faulty mechanisms with an aircraft. There is really now method to know precisely when this will occur, however, you can better get ready for it by scheduling the first flights during the day possible. Look out for the flight number around the carrier's website and make contact with them soon after discovering your flight continues to be delayed.
Lost/Broken Luggage
Odds are pretty low that the group will forfeit luggage around the trip, but the chance of it happening remains. You are able to get ready for this by getting everybody immediately check their luggage because they arrive, after which contacting airport terminal officials when they find their baggage is lost or broken. When they cannot find your luggage immediately, leave your contact information and keep active in them – this can reduce time spent pointing fingers with everybody going nowhere. Encourage individuals going to split their essentials into two bags too. Reimbursement might be fine and dandy, however that will not help if students do not have anything to put on once they arrive.
Public Transit
An academic travel trip is really so a lot more valuable for college students if a little shopping around is transported out in advance. Learn around you are able to regarding your destination and be aware associated with a bus routes, train routes, taxi companies or any other some exotic local public transit means. Make certain to determine if these public transports accept cash too, since some only accept cards or passes you need to buy prior to getting aboard.
Jet Lag
Educational travel could be tiring if both you and your wards are wide-awake throughout the night and exhausted throughout the day. You are able to get ready for this by getting everybody involved start modifying their sleep schedules based on the time zone of the intended destination. Carrying this out per week prior to the trip itself will help everybody get accustomed to time zone variations. Remaining well hydrated and becoming in better condition may also help. These practices will make sure everybody comes with an extra reservoir of one's to drag from during their new adventure.
Getting belongings stolen isn't a good experience, and several students marching merrily together could be tempting for would-be thieves. The easiest method to don't get in danger would be to do your homework on where everybody goes. Travel along primary avenues rather of planning shortcuts through-of-the-way pathways. On the other hand, you will need to travel together and also have everybody look out for one another – particularly in crowded areas
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Get the Book
Delivered to Your Door!
Public Speaking Merit Badge Requirements
|1) Give a three- to five-minute introduction of yourself to an audience such as your troop, class at school, or some other group.
2) Prepare a three- to five-minute talk on a topic of your choice that incorporates body language and visual aids.
3) Give an impromptu talk of at least two minutes, either as part of a group discussion or before your counselor. Use a subject selected by your counselor that is interesting to you but that is not known to you in advance and for which you do not have time to prepare.
4) Select a topic of interest to your audience. Collect and organize information about this topic and prepare an outline. Write an eight- to ten-minute speech, practice it, then deliver it in the conversational way.
5) Show you know parliamentary procedure by leading a discussion or meeting according to accepted rules of order: or by answering questions on the rules of order.
Source: Boy Scout Requirements, 33215, revised 2004


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"In a World Where the Kings Are Employers" � The residents of Wisteria Lane work hard to provide for the ones they love, on ABC's "Desperate Housewives," SUNDAY, JULY 19 (9:00-10:01 p.m., ET). Susan starts a new job in order to give son MJ the best, but when Mike leaves their son in Katherine's care, anger and jealousy pervade; as Scavo's Pizzeria continues to take a hit in the current economy, Lynette tells Tom they have to sell; Carlos receives a generous bonus when Gaby discovers his boss' dirty little secret; and Orson confronts Bree when he learns she's given Andrew a raise. Meanwhile, Dave grows weary the neighbors are beginning to suspect he's up to no good. (Rebroadcast: OAD: 2/15/09)
"Desperate Housewives" stars Teri Hatcher as Susan Mayer, Felicity Huffman as Lynette Scavo, Marcia Cross as Bree Hodge, Eva Longoria Parker as Gabrielle Solis, Nicollette Sheridan as Edie Britt, Ricardo Antonio Chavira as Carlos Solis, Doug Savant as Tom Scavo, Kyle MacLachlan as Orson Hodge, Dana Delany as Katherine Mayfair, Neal McDonough as Dave, Shawn Pyfrom as Andrew Van De Kamp, Brenda Strong as Mary Alice Young, James Denton as Mike Delfino, Charlie Carver as Porter Scavo, Max Carver as Preston Scavo, Joshua Moore as Parker Scavo and Kendall Applegate as Penny Scavo.
Guest stars include Todd Grinnell as Dr. Alex Cominis.
"In a World Where the Kings Are Employers" was directed by David Grossman and written by Lori Kirkland Baker.
"Desperate Housewives" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1-channel surround sound and Spanish audio via SAP. This program carries a TV-PG,D,V parental guideline.
This episode of "Desperate Housewives" will be available on ABC.com the day after airing on the network for users to watch online.


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While blizzard conditions may have ended over the U.S. for now, a Nor'easter is now a possibility for December 24 - 25, which might mean a white Christmas for major cities along the East Coast from Washington, D.C. to Boston and hectic travel conditions for millions.
Over the last 24 hours some 24 inches of snow fell in New Mexico, with winds gusting over 70 mph in the mountains. Up to a foot of snow from was seen from Colorado to Kansas and Oklahoma, and 10-foot drifts were reported in Colorado.
As the storm crawled across the region it shuttered highways and has been blamed for at least two fatal car accidents, according to The Associated Press and at least six deaths Monday, according to authorities.
"It went from rain to sleet to snow. I slid off into the median and was there for several hours waiting for help," one motorist told ABC News. "It took me three hours to go 30 miles."
The storm has weakened as it moves east, and it may mostly be a rainmaker, with thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast. Some of these storms could produce heavy rain with minor flooding, gusty winds and some hail.
The storm will hit the East Coast Wednesday morning with rain from Atlanta to Boston. Some airport delays are expected as rain and low clouds come into the region. Afterwards, a new storm is predicted to form, which could usher in a white Christmas for millions.
Three scenarios are possible for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. The first would be snow just outside major East Coast cities, with rain changing to snow from Washington, D.C., to Boston.
Another possibility is that rain will be seen along the coast, with snow inland in areas like the Poconos in Pennsylvania, New York's Catskills mountains and mountains in New England.
A final scanner is that the storm moves south of the Northeast U.S. and misses the major cities altogether.
"My feeling on this storm it will be mostly rain for major cities along the coast with snow further inland," ABC News meteorologist Max Golembo said. "But we know how unpredictable storms could be this time of the year, so I would check in tomorrow and every day until Saturday for updated information."


text:
I am officially ending Sawdust.
I haven't updated, or even tried to draw a new script since October 2004, and have exactly zero interest in continuing. Not that I haven't enjoyed it, I'm just done with drawing.
I have several projects spinning in the air, and one half-completed, all of which are pure writing. If I'm going to ever succeed at anything at all, I'll have to dedicate more time and focus on one medium. So, we must leave the unfinished stories of Hackler Mill... unfinished.
Thanks to all of you who do and have read the strip. I think there's some really funny stuff in these archives, and I've made a few people laugh. Hell, I've even gotten some people interested in the characters themselves, which I shall officially call a triumph of writing.
Good luck to all of you, good luck to me. If anyone's interested, I actually do have another ten scripts or so undrawn, which I could let you read to see where things were going. But then, that would be more tease than anything, I suppose.


text:
hey guys
i have a question i got for homework
the program is a basicly an Othelo/Reversi game
ive been writing some functions that changes the board according to legal playes
and now im being asked to create a function(BENEFIT) that counts the amount of enemy discs changeed based on the last play.
public static int benefit(int[][] board, int player, int row, int column){
int ans = 0;// YOU CAN CHANGE IT !!
return ans;
}//end of benefit
problem is its easied to count the maount of changes in the "play" function using COUNT++;
but i have no idea how am i suppose to use Benefit Function in order to count those changes. moreover it should sum the total amount of changes not only change per row/col/diagonal , instead it needs to return the changes of row+col+diagonal of a single play.
can anyone help me out?
heres some of the play function if it helps (the way ive written it anyways):
public static int[][] play(int[][] board, int player, int row, int column){
if (isLegal(board,player,row,column)){
if (isLegalrowright(board,player,row,column)){
//switching row right according to rules
int j=column;
while (j<=board[row].length-1&&board[row][j]!=player){
if (isLegalrowleft(board,player,row,column)){
//switching row left according to rules
int j=column;
while (board[row][j]!=player&&j>=0){
u can see adding co++ after board[row][j]=player will be the easiest solution but its not what i asked .. sadly.
thanks for help and sorry for length.


text: Invopak stocks a wide range of fragrance and cosmetic containers in sizes from 19 millimetres up to 1.25 litres. Manufactured from a variety of materials including polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and aluminium, our cosmetics containers are available to order in pack and pallet quantities. Our plastic cosmetics containers are perfect for storing creams, balms, ointments and powers while our aluminium bottles are specifically designed to handle high value liquids such as perfume. Full product specifications are available to you with selected products being eligible for our printing service.


text:
Russ Branson is the Assistant City Manager and Treasurer. He says the $429 million budget is similar to last year's with few changes. He says the city has reduced costs in several areas including employee contributions to the California Public Employee Retirement System.
"We've also been in the process of negotiating with all of our unions to have employees pay their share of PERS. So, we've done that with management, with our miscellaneous employees, with fire. The council had to impose terms and conditions –had to impose that on the police."
The proposed budget includes a 2-3% increase in utility costs. Some maintenance, fuel and pension costs are also increasing this year.
Branson says revenues are expected to increase from property tax, retail sales, and home construction next year. That should eliminate the structural deficit of $3.2 million the city expects to carry over.


text:
I used to watch I Love Lucy almost every day when I was a kid. I think I need to get back into that habit because she is just SO classically and wonderfully funny.
Laughter truly is one of the best medicines, don't you think? Hope everyone has a wonderful day filled with lots of laughs!
One of my birthday gifts from my mom this year. She has always supported my fanship :)


text:
Israel's sex business is booming. The one billion dollar industry is fueled by an annual inflow of 3,000 foreign women, smuggled into the country by sex traffickers and enslaved at one of Tel Aviv's 250 brothels, reveals a Parliamentary (Knesset) report released Monday, December 9.
The women, mostly Eastern European in origin, are often promised legitimate jobs. Once they arrive in "The Promised Land," they find themselves "priced" at $3,000 to $6,000 and put to work as prostitutes.
With as many as 400 brothels operating throughout the country, the women are employed 12 hours a day, six to seven days a week, serving up to 15 clients per day, according to data gathered by the parliamentary committee.
Exploitation of sex workers continues as they have to buy back their freedom from their pimps, who rob them of up to 80 percent of their pay, averaging 120-150 new Israeli shekels ($25-32) per client.
The local justice system has so far failed to take adequate measures to prevent and punish the women traffickers, and Israel has been blacklisted by the US since July 2001 among the countries who fail to meet the minimum criteria for dealing with human trafficking.
Threatened with economic sanctions, the Israeli parliament formed the committee, which drafted two bills, one banning trafficking in human beings and setting a minimum sentence of four years for the crime, the other establishing a government authority to fight the problem. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
© 2000 - 2019 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


text:
Posted in
Students from Sheridan High School present the Sheridan Memorial Hospital board of trustees with their earnings from their "Pink Bronc Day" T-shirt sales. The students sold a record 700 shirts this year, netting a record $3846.50 for their annual breast cancer fundraiser. The students collected an additional $300 in cash donations for the hospital. (Photo by Tracee Davis)


text:
Filed Under (Yamaha) by admin on 01-01-2012
Cleanliness is always a good place to start. Make sure the motorcycle is cleaned thoroughly before you start. It would be advisable to use an engine degreaser on the frame and the engine. This will ensure a clean engine during the assembly process and less of a chance of thread damage and/or dirt contamination in the engine during reassembly. And as always, replace any fiber-based gasket that was moved in any way, i.e.: cam chain tensioner. You will need basic hand tools and a torque wrench, machine towels (rags), some cleaning solvent, and a cam chain tensioner gasket. And the Hot Cams' Degree Wheel Kit if you so desire. We will start by removing the tank and seat, top engine mount, and the cam cover. Remove the crankshaft cap and timing hole cap on the left engine case cover. Remove the spark plug. Rotate the engine in a counter clockwise (CCW) direction. Position the engine on top dead center (TDC) using the mark on the flywheel or better yet a degree wheel using a positive stop. Be sure to notice that the intake valves were the last to move, this will ensure the engine of being on "true" TDC. True top dead center occurs when both the intake and exhaust valve are closed when the piston is at TDC. This is technically the end of the compression stroke and the Page 1
beginning of the power stroke. The "artificial" TDC is during the overlap when both the intake and exhaust valves would be open. Note the positioning of the cam lobes (their included angle will be close to 170 degrees), this will help during the installation of your new Hot Cams camshafts Remove the cap bolt on the end of the cam chain tensioner block, be aware of the copper washer. Release the spring tension on the cam chain tensioner by turning the flat blade screw slot inside the adjuster block in a clockwise (CW) direction; it will lock in the retracted position. Remove the two 8mm headed bolts that hold the cam chain tensioner to the cylinder block. Remove and discard the gasket. Remove the 4 bolts that hold the exhaust cam cap in place, lift the cam cap off. It may be necessary to pry very lightly on the cap to lift it off its dowel pins. Do not use the cam lobes as the pry point. Be careful not to drop the dowels and also be careful to not lose the half moon shaped retainer for the bearing under the cam cap. Remove the 6 bolts that secure the intake cam cap and lift the cam cap off the camshaft, again, be careful to not drop the retainer or dowels. Lift the intake camshaft out of its pocket in the cylinder head casting. Remove the cam chain from the sprocket, set the stock camshaft aside. Lift the exhaust camshaft out of its pocket in the cylinder head casting and remove the chain from the sprocket. Do not drop the cam chain, dangle it over the side of the engine while keeping slight upward pressure on the chain to maintain its position on the drive sprocket on the crankshaft


text:
Online college courses connect students digitally
Universities are taking online degrees to a whole new level, giving college students opportunities and experiences that are not often found in a traditional college classroom.
Universities are taking online degrees to a whole new level, giving college students opportunities and experiences that are not often found in a traditional college classroom.
Online education has become a desirable choice of study at colleges and universities. More students are pursuing online degrees than in previous years. Millions of students are taking advantage of online education to fulfill academic opportunities and achieve professional success previously unavailable with traditional forms of study.
Catering to these students in a virtual setting requires customization of programs, something George Washington University's School of Business is doing with its connected Digital Community. This Digital Community creates classroom conversations that might not be available in the traditional classroom setting; for example, connecting business students with mentors working in Shanghai, or having an alum share business management tips from an office in Los Angeles. These business programs are 99 percent online, allowing students to study anywhere – on campus, in a study abroad setting or while already employed – and connecting them to the same professors teaching the classroom courses.
"How business schools are connected to what society needs, what the issues of society are and what governments are doing is the future of business education," says Doug Guthrie, dean for George Washington School of Business.
Developing a Digital Community opens doors for students to understand business on a deeper level, not only in the nation's capital where George Washington University is located, but also the world. Master degrees offered by the GWSB: Digital Community include an MBA, project management, tourism and information technology systems.
What's exceptional about this online program is that students do have the opportunity to spend time on campus in Washington, D.C., just blocks from World Bank, International Monetary Fund, White House Executive Offices and the State Department, immersing them in the middle of the operating business world.
Other online programs across the country are also promoting community connections. Some universities subscribe to a peer-review program of quality insurance for continuous improvement in online education and student learning. These programs assure students that the universities are incorporating meaningful interaction between students, course learning and real world experience.
Globalization brings opportunities and efficiencies in higher education. It creates complex networks and builds international bridges. It allows for knowledge sharing on a grand scale and for deeper connection. It also permits universities to transform themselves from the narrow confines of their own communities to compete globally. In short, it ups their game.
"We can now really draw globally for ideas, mentorship and conversation in order to bring about deeper learning," says Dr. Liesl Riddle, associate dean for the George Washington School of Business.


text:
Winners of the Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence
- Details
- Category: Latest
- Created: Friday, 09 April 2010 02:46
- Last Updated: Friday, 09 April 2010 02:46
- Written by Administrator
They are:
Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, N.C.
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Twentynine Palms, Calif.
Naval Base San Diego, San Diego
Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage, Alaska
Defense Distribution Depot Susquehanna, New Cumberland, Pa.
The Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence recognizes the outstanding and innovative efforts of the people who operate and maintain U.S. military installations. The five recipients of this highly competitive Presidential award were selected for their exemplary support of Department of Defense missions. Installation excellence enables better mission performance and enhances the quality of life for military men and women and their families. Each winning installation succeeded in providing excellent working, housing and recreational conditions.
An awards ceremony honoring the recipients of this year's award will be held May 5, 2010, at 2 p.m. in the Pentagon auditorium, room BH650. The ceremony will be open to the news media.
For more information about the winners and the installation excellence award, go to http://www.defense.gov/installationexcellence2010 [ http://www.defense.gov/news/d20100409winners5.pdf ] [ http://www.defense.gov/news/d20100409winners5.pdf ].
DOD Announces Winners of the Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence [ http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=13443 ]


text:
|San Clemente
|High School:
|San Clemente
High School: Scholar-Athlete for the San Clemente Tritons. Awarded Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore in 2007.
2010: Came out of the bullpen as a freshmen compiling 26 innings in 13 appearances and finishing the year with a 2-1 record and a save. Co-led the team in pickoffs (1).
2011: Started on the mound for the CMS Stags, throwing 69 innings on 8 starts and 5 relief appearances. Led the team in pickoffs (3) and fielding percentage (1.000). Went the distance twice in 2011, including a complete game win against Pomona-Pitzer.
2012: Returned to his role a starter, putting together 92 innings of work while only walking 31 batters in this span. Posted a 3.75 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP in SCIAC play. Led the team in pickoffs (5) and tossed a complete game shutout in a 2-0 win at Redlands. Was awarded pitcher of the year by his coaches and teammates.
2013: Took the year off to pursue academic interests.
Personal: Chad was born and raised in San Clemente, CA to Walt and Shelle Hadzinsky. Chad has an older brother, Tyler, who played baseball for the Chapman Panthers…Chad is an Economics major at CMC and purses computer engineering in his spare time.


text:
Ibm BladeCenter HS21 1 x Quad-Core Xeon 1.86 GHz/8 MB FSB1066MHz RAM 2GB HD 1x0GB Serial Attached SCSI(Serial Attached SCSI) - PCI Express (LSISAS1064e) Floppy - None Optical Drive - None LAN EN Fast EN Gig EN Blade No License - No OS Installed, Ibm 8853-C1U.
* We have limited quantity of 8853-C1U in stock. Our inventory changes constantly and quantities listed are based on available stock. This item comes with our 100% Money-Back Guarantee.
I purchased a battery for my Gateway cx2610 laptop from Code Micro. I was very happy with the produ...
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Great NorthWeb
Our department needed two discontinued drive modules for our servers. Code Micro delivered on time. ...
Mark E.
Citi Corp


text:
A Colorful, Preppy Wedding at the Cincinnati Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio
Caroline Kalnow (29 and a manager and buyer at a boutique) and Amir Shemony (35 and a director of merchandise) relied on a pastel palette and undone, organic arrangements to give the Cincinnati Country Club an airy, lush look they referred to simply as "alfresco." "My mother has always been a gardener and flower lover, so flowers played a significant role in transforming our venue," Caroline says of covering the refined space in seeded eucalyptus, dahlias, ranunculus and amaranthus. Prior to the start of the ceremony, Caroline and Amir chose to privately exchange emotional vows during their first look. "I cried so much that I had to get my makeup touched up before I walked down the aisle," Caroline says. Moments later, the pair made their union official under a greenery-draped chuppah. Gold-rimmed chargers popped against dusty blue table linens. To continue with the verdant floral theme, guests tossed rose petals into the air at the ceremony's conclusion, and sugar flowers covered the tiered, buttercream-frosted cake. "While we wanted our wedding to have a sense of formality and tradition, it was important to us that everyone felt welcome and that we set the tone for an evening full of love," Caroline says.


text:
Kernels Reveal New Logo
|The new Cedar Rapids Kernels logo replaces the "classic" 1993 version.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels unveiled today their new logos and jerseys for 2007.
It's a radical departure from the "classic" cornstalk and baseball on a diamond that
symbolized Kernels baseball since 1993.
For many years, the Kernels uniforms emulated those of the parent club Angels. But now they'll
have their own unique identity, following a trend common in minor league baseball these days. Minor
league teams want to establish an identity independent of their parent club affiliate, especially
should that affiliation change. The casual fan won't know (or care) who supplied the players, but
the uniforms remain the same so it's the same "brand" of entertainment as far as
they're concerned.
The face on the bat has me wondering whether this means the demise of Mr. Shucks, the longtime
mascot of the Kernels. Mr. Shucks looked pretty much like the classic logo. The bat's face on
the new logo looks suspiciously like someone has an idea for a new mascot.
I'm an unabashed traditionalist, so personally I preferred the old logo. But I don't live in
Cedar Rapids so my opinion doesn't count. If it makes the Kernels more money and helps pay off the
bond debt on the new stadium, then it's a fair tradeoff.
Click Here to read the Kernels' press release
and view more of the new logo, as well as the new jerseys and caps.


text:
Zach Galifianakis and director James Bobin (The Muppets) are a match made in heaven, to the degree that I had to check IMDB to see if Galifianakis ever hopped over from his HBO show Bored to Death for a guest spot on Bobin's HBO show, Flight of the Conchords. Nope. But the pair may make up for the lost opportunity on Paramount's feature adaptation of A Confederacy of Dunces. Vulture hears Galifianakis is attached to star as Ignatius Reilly and Bobin is in talks to direct. Scott Rudin (Moneyball) will produce, and Phil Johnston (Cedar Rapids) is reportedly working on the screenplay.
That's quite a lineup, but Confederacy of Dunces has a long history of trying and repeatedly failing to become a movie. Harold Ramis set up the first attempt in 1982, but was derailed when his Ignatius, John Belushi, died. The role subsequently passed from John Candy to Chris Farley to John Goodman over the years, but never stuck. The most recent iteration was led by Will Ferrell and director David Gordon Green, but fell by the wayside at Paramount. When asked what happened to it, Ferrell could only respond, "It's a mystery. For some reason that's a very scary project for people to take on." Hit the jump for a synopsis of John Kennedy Toole's seemingly unadaptable novel.
"A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. The green earflaps, full of large ears and uncut hair and the fine bristles that grew in the ears themselves, stuck out on either side like turn signals indicating two directions at once. Full, pursed lips protruded beneath the bushy black moustache and, at their corners, sank into little folds filled with disapproval and potato chip crumbs."
Meet Ignatius J. Reilly, the hero of John Kennedy Toole's tragicomic tale, A Confederacy of Dunces. This 30-year-old medievalist lives at home with his mother in New Orleans, pens his magnum opus on Big Chief writing pads he keeps hidden under his bed, and relays to anyone who will listen the traumatic experience he once had on a Greyhound Scenicruiser bound for Baton Rouge. ("Speeding along in that bus was like hurtling into the abyss.") But Ignatius's quiet life of tyrannizing his mother and writing his endless comparative history screeches to a halt when he is almost arrested by the overeager Patrolman Mancuso–who mistakes him for a vagrant–and then involved in a car accident with his tipsy mother behind the wheel. One thing leads to another, and before he knows it, Ignatius is out pounding the pavement in search of a job.
Over the next several hundred pages, our hero stumbles from one adventure to the next. His stint as a hotdog vendor is less than successful, and he soon turns his employers at the Levy Pants Company on their heads. Ignatius's path through the working world is populated by marvelous secondary characters: the stripper Darlene and her talented cockatoo; the septuagenarian secretary Miss Trixie, whose desperate attempts to retire are constantly, comically thwarted; gay blade Dorian Greene; sinister Miss Lee, proprietor of the Night of Joy nightclub; and Myrna Minkoff, the girl Ignatius loves to hate. [Amazon]
Are Galifianakis, Bobin, Rudin, and Johnston the men who can finally make this happen? I do not know. But as a lesser man who just bought the $4 ebook, I sure hope they find a way.


text:
Recent News
April 04, 2014
Koru Pacific Packaging Recalls One Lot # AH!LASKA® Organic Cocoa Non-Dairy Chocolate Mix, 12 oz. Canister Due to Possible Milk Allergen
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services received information regarding a recall of AH!LASKA®, because the product may contain milk, which is not labeled in the ingredients.
The powdered mix is packaged in a canister containing 12 oz.,with the product name AH!LASKA Organic Cocoa Non-Dairy Chocolate,12 oz, UPC # 7_60519_10028_7. One LOT# is affected: LOT # 3280 BEST BY APR/2015, which appears on the shipping case sticker and on the metal canister bottom.
The product was distributed to retailers nationwide.
The full recall including a list of products can be found at www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm391776.htm?source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.


text:
Our Story
Love at first song
Aaron Goldman and Naomi Parker met while working at a design shop in Soho. After bonding over Adele songs at a karaoke event, we started dating. Two years later, we're each others' best friends, true loves, and badass partners in life. We're finally ready to make it official!
Photography by Julia Robbs


text:
Kochs vs. unions in schools race
It isn't often that the Koch brothers' political advocacy group gets involved in a local school board race.
But this fall, Americans for Prosperity is spending big in the wealthy suburbs south of Denver to influence voters in the Douglas County School District, which has gone further than any district in the nation to reshape public education into a competitive, free-market enterprise.
Story Continued Below
The conservatives who control the board have neutered the teachers union, prodded neighborhood elementary schools to compete with one another for market share, directed tax money to pay for religious education and imposed a novel pay scale that values teachers by their subjects, so a young man teaching algebra to eighth graders can make $20,000 a year more than a colleague teaching world history down the hall.
Conservatives across the U.S. see Douglas County as a model for transforming public schools everywhere. But with four of seven seats on the board up for grabs in Tuesday's election, reformers find themselves fending off a spirited challenge from a coalition of angry parents and well-funded teachers unions. The race has been nasty and pricey, too; spending from all parties is likely to hit at least $800,000.
( Sign up for POLITICO's Morning Education tip sheet)
Americans for Prosperity has begun investing more heavily in local elections in the past two years, including statehouse races in Arkansas and Kansas, judicial contests in Florida and North Carolina, and mayoral ballots in Lakeville, Minn., and tiny Coralville, Iowa. Promoting education reform has emerged as a priority, spokesman Adam Nicholson said — so AFP headquarters "fully supported" its local chapter's decision to engage in the Douglas County race.
The AFP Foundation's Colorado chapter will spend more than $350,000 on the school board campaign, State Director Dustin Zvonek said.
"Douglas County has started to show that you can shake up the status quo" even in a successful suburban school district, Zvonek said."We don't want them to go backward."
( Also on POLITICO: Koch brothers slam Belafonte on KKK remark)
Douglas County would seem an unlikely place for an education revolution. One of the country's richest counties, with a median household income above $100,000, it's a deeply conservative stretch of suburbia, blanketed with look-alike homes in muted earth tones. Its schools are well-regarded and parent satisfaction has traditionally been high. Yet since the reformers took control of the 65,000-student school district in 2009, the changes have come fast and furious.
The board's first step was to abolish tenure. Then it sidelined the local teachers' union by refusing to negotiate a collective contract, instead working out deals one-on-one with each employee. "That really freed us up," said Doug Benevento, a board member running for reelection on the reform slate.
The board launched the first voucher program in the U.S. to subsidize private and parochial school tuition for wealthy families in a top-ranked public school district. (The schools, including some touting a Bible-based, creationist curriculum, received a down payment of funds in 2011, but the program is on hold pending court challenges.) Douglas County has also added more charter schools and directed public funds to subsidize books and classes for home-schooled children.
( Also on POLITICO: Full education policy coverage)
Pushing the free market farther still, the board has urged district elementary schools to compete with one another for enrollment, rather than simply serving all students in the neighborhood. Principals are encouraged to budget creatively so they can develop a marketable niche, a practice that has left some schools without art or music teachers as they build up science programs or bring in foreign-language classes. Then there's the market-pay system, in which a first grade teacher is valued, and paid, more than a second grade teacher and teaching physics far outweighs teaching art.
Politicians and educators from as far as Arizona, North Carolina and Texas have looked to model their own reforms on Douglas County.
But parents dismayed by the changes see Tuesday's election as their best chance to reverse course. They have put up four candidates and promoted them in scores of house parties. These insurgent candidates haven't raised much money on their own, but have been buoyed by independent expenditures of at least $150,000 from the American Federation of Teachers and its Colorado affiliate, plus $70,000 from a committee that has not identified its donors.
The reform slate — two incumbents and two allies running for open seats — has its own prominent backers.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who has donated $1,000 to each of the reform candidates, not only endorsed the board at his national education summit earlier this month, but also urged the crowd to contribute. Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler, a Republican who is running for governor, directed his own campaign machine to spend the week working for the Douglas County reform slate.


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- Cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
- 1 can (10 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust dough
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons crushed dried rosemary
- 4 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 8 ounces frozen, fully cooked salad shrimp, unthawed
- 1/3 cup finely diced green onions
- 3 ounces garlic-and-herb Feta cheese, finely crumbled
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 13-inch pizza pan or baking stone with cooking spray and sprinkle evenly with cornmeal. Place pizza dough on pan and, starting at center, press dough out with hands to cover pan. Using your fingertips or a pastry brush, coat dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle evenly with rosemary. Bake 5–8 minutes, or until light golden. Remove crust from the oven and sprinkle with mozzarella. Top evenly with a single layer of shrimp, then sprinkle with green onions and cover with Feta cheese. Return to the oven and bake 17–22 minutes more, or until crust is deep golden.
Yield: 13-inch pizza.
Serving size: 1/8 of pizza.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
Calories: 179 calories, Carbohydrates: 19 g, Protein: 10 g, Fat: 7 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Sodium: 432 mg, Fiber: 1 g
Exchanges per serving: 1 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 fat. Carbohydrate choices: 1.
This recipe was developed by Tami Ross, a Diabetes Nutrition Specialist and Certified Diabetes Educator in Lexington, Kentucky.


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Programs, Events and Support Groups
Numerous events occur throughout the year that create awareness, provide education, and social opportunities. Some of these events include Queertober, National Coming Out Day, Day of Silence & Break The Silence, and intersecting programs during Hispanic Awareness Month, Women's History Month, Black History Month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, among others. Coming out support/discussion groups, such as Fluidity and Shades, occur throughout the year. Additionally, every Thursday from 4-6PM, students gather in the lounge for an informal non-judgmental social called LGBTea.
* All people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome to attend all programs. Allies are welcome!


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Truth is, retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf didn't care much for his popular "Stormin' Norman" nickname.
The seemingly no-nonsense Desert Storm commander's reputed temper with aides and subordinates supposedly earned him that rough-and-ready moniker. But others around the general, who died Thursday in Tampa, Fla., at age 78 of complications from pneumonia, knew him as a friendly, talkative and even jovial figure who preferred the somewhat milder sobriquet given by his troops: "The Bear."
That one perhaps suited him better later in his life, when he supported various national causes and children's charities while eschewing the spotlight and resisting efforts to draft him to run for political office.
He lived out a quiet retirement in Tampa, where he'd served his last military assignment and where an elementary school bearing his name is testament to his standing in the community.
Schwarzkopf capped an illustrious military career by commanding the U.S.-led international coalition that drove Saddam Hussein's forces out of Kuwait in 1991 — but he'd managed to keep a low profile in the public debate over the second Gulf War against Iraq, saying at one point that he doubted victory would be as easy as the White House and the Pentagon predicted.
Schwarzkopf was named commander in chief of U.S. Central Command at Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base in 1988, overseeing the headquarters for U.S. military and security concerns in nearly two dozen countries stretching across the Middle East to Afghanistan and the rest of central Asia, plus Pakistan.
When Saddam invaded Kuwait two years later to punish it for allegedly stealing Iraqi oil reserves, Schwarzkopf commanded Operation Desert Storm, the coalition of some 30 countries organized by President George H.W. Bush that succeeded in driving the Iraqis out.
At the peak of his postwar national celebrity, Schwarzkopf — a self-proclaimed political independent — rejected suggestions that he run for office, and remained far more private than other generals, although he did serve briefly as a military commentator for NBC.
While focused primarily on charitable enterprises in his later years, he campaigned for President George W. Bush in 2000, but was ambivalent about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In early 2003 he told The Washington Post that the outcome was an unknown: "What is postwar Iraq going to look like, with the Kurds and the Sunnis and the Shiites? That's a huge question, to my mind. It really should be part of the overall campaign plan."
Initially Schwarzkopf had endorsed the invasion, saying he was convinced that Secretary of State Colin Powell had given the United Nations powerful evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. After that proved false, he said decisions to go to war should depend on what U.N. weapons inspectors found.
He seldom spoke up during the conflict, but in late 2004 he sharply criticized Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and the Pentagon for mistakes that included erroneous judgments about Iraq and inadequate training for Army reservists sent there.
"In the final analysis I think we are behind schedule. … I don't think we counted on it turning into jihad (holy war)," he said in an NBC interview.
Schwarzkopf was born Aug. 24, 1934, in Trenton, N.J., where his father, Col. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, founder and commander of the New Jersey State Police, was then leading the investigation of the Lindbergh kidnap case. That investigation ended with the arrest and 1936 execution of German-born carpenter Richard Hauptmann for murdering famed aviator Charles Lindbergh's infant son.
The elder Schwarzkopf was named Herbert, but when the son was asked what his "H" stood for, he would reply, "H."
As a teenager Norman accompanied his father to Iran, where the elder Schwarzkopf trained the Iran's national police force and was an adviser to Reza Pahlavi, the young Shah of Iran.
Young Norman studied there and in Switzerland, Germany and Italy, then followed in his father's footsteps to West Point, graduating in 1956 with an engineering degree. After stints in the U.S. and abroad, he earned a master's degree in engineering at the University of Southern California and later taught missile engineering at West Point.
In 1966 he volunteered for Vietnam and served two tours, first as a U.S. adviser to South Vietnamese paratroops and later as a battalion commander in the U.S. Army's Americal Division. He earned three Silver Stars for valor — including one for saving troops from a minefield — plus a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and three Distinguished Service Medals.


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* Price based on 100 cards
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Order Samples - A sample is available at a cost of £15.00 per 3 cards. If you would like to request a sample, please click the Add Sample button below and complete your payment.
1. In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Most Gracious
2. In The Name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful
3. Bismillah Hir Rahman Ir Rahim
4. Assalamu Alaikum
5. Oh Allah, Guide this marriage to the best of understanding, success & prosperity - Amen
6. Destiny is not something to be pursued, it is something which walks with us, always, hand in hand
7. Love fills a moment, A moment fills a lifetime, A lifetime begins eternity, Our eternity begins here
8. May Allah bless you and shower His blessings upon you, and join you together in goodness, Ameen (Sahih Tirmidhi)
9. Marriages are settled in the Heavens, but celebrated on Earth
10. It is He who created you from a single person and made His mate of like nature in order that He might dwell with her (in love). Qur'an 7:189


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The 'Inspired By' Range from Neat are all natural inspirations from some of your favourite designers!
Neat's 'Inspired By' range compels you to make a daily ritual out of your perfume-wearing habits! Our crystal infused natural perfumes are designed to inspire your day, taking the designer perfumes you love, and presenting them in a fresh perspective – natural and energised! Your old faves, in a totally new way!
Why crystals? For thousands of years both crystals and perfumes have been used for their healing, soothing and energising properties – and here at Neat we have combined the two, to craft out an inspirational moment in your day, where you can set your intentions, have gratitude, pause, and be inspired by – using our perfumes as the catalyst for a moment of intention.
It is said that the energies of crystals are unwavering, unlike the energy of us humans, which is frequently changing and affected by outside forces. The unwavering energy of the crystal is therefore something we can harness to bring our own energy back in to alignment when we are feeling out of whack. I guess you could say we tune to its' frequency and align with the positive energy of each crystal… and each crystal has different properties.
Each day instead of unconsciously grabbing your perfume and quickly going through the motions before rushing off somewhere, just PAUSE… take a moment, think about what you want from the rest of your day or night, and how good it's going to feel. Afterall, there is only one reason we wear perfume – because smelling good makes us FEEL GOOD! It's as simple as that.
The crystals we have chosen to include in our perfumes work across one, many, or all of the 7 chakras: Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Green Aventurine, Red Jasper, Moss Agate, Yellow Aventurine, Carnelian and Clear Quartz. You will find a mix of any or all of these crystals within your chosen perfume.
Once your perfume oil is finished, feel free to remove the crystals and pop them in a dish or at the base of a pot plant, and start collecting them to energise your home. A daily ritual has begun, and it's something to be Inspired By!
Our Range of Inspirations come from: Victor & Rolf, Gucci, Beyonce, Rihanna, Dior, Kenzo, YSL, Lancome, Red Door, Kim Kardashian, Khloe, Thierry Mugler, Armani, Versace, and more…
Neat's 'Inspired By' Range has no affiliation whatsoever with the original perfume, manufacturer or designer. Any trademarks and copyrights are owned by their respective manufacturer or designer, and our perfumes are simply in likeness to theirs, using same or similar notes. Our interpretation of these fragrances was created through chemical analysis and reproduction. The descriptions on our website are to give the customer an indication of each aroma profile, not to insinuate they are the same, or infringe on any rights of the owner of the originals. Any reference made to a brand name is done so strictly for comparison purposes only.
About the Crystals
You can explore further online, but here is a brief rundown of each crystal you may find in your perfume, and what its' properties are.
Rose Quartz – Heart Chakra – Universal Love, Unconditional Love, Trust and Harmony, Open Heart, Self Love, Inner Healing and Peace. Energies of determination, commitment and caring.
Amethyst – Third Eye & Crown Chakra – Promotes calm, balance and peace across emotional, physical and spiritual aspects, eases nervous system ailments and balances and calms anxiety.
Green Aventurine – Heart Chakra – Good luck, abundance and money. Accept challenges and work through ebbs and flows. Promotes emotional calm and wellbeing. Is good for lungs, sinuses, liver and heart.
Red Jasper – Lower 3 Chakras: Root, Sacral and Solar Plexis. Focus your mind and ease worries. Feel empowerment, strength and courage. Aids the body in healing, recovery and stamina. Promotes physical strength and energy, chi and life force. Is grounded in health and passion.
Moss Agate – Heart Chakra – Healing and balancing energy. Assists physical, intellectual and emotional issues. Revitalises the body, heals infection, disease and irritation. Anti-inflammatory.
Yellow Aventurine – Sacral and Solar Plexis Chakra – Ease Migraine and sinus allergies. Overcome sensitivities and indecision. Invoke Personal power. Have understanding and compassion, and feel calm. Balance Emotions. Promote creativity, confidence and self-expression.
Carnelian – Root Chakra – Boost fertility and stimulate sexuality. Treat lower back issues, arthritis, and rheumatism. Accelerates healing in bones and ligaments. Improves vitamin and mineral absorption and good blood supply to organs and tissues. Promotes motivation and endurance, leadership and courage. Is a grounding and cleansing stone.
Clear Quartz – All chakras – the master healer. Absorbs, stores, releases and regulates energy. Amplifies energy and thought. Is powerful for intuition, personal development and healing.


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It would not be far fetched to suggest that the projects we've taken on this year have grown in equal proportion to the belly.
Quick recap:
We started with a $100 minor bathroom upgrade during the first trimester. No major demo, just a quick touch-up with paint, fabric and fresh accessories.
The second trimester brought with it a major overhaul on the den which became our new kitchen. It's nearly complete with just a few final finishing touches needed. The above picture is roughly midway through the renovation.
And then this past week…
That would be the week before little Baby S is due, we tore into the old kitchen to create a third bedroom and home office.
Here's what the old kitchen looked like when we moved in:
We made minor live-in updates, like covering up that blue formica and staining the cabinets a dark espresso. Here's a look at the space today from the same angle (from the sealed-off perspective and just inside):
Woohoo! Thrilled that we're tackling this project before little one is here. Dust and debris would not be ideal in the air in just a couple of weeks and thankfully baby is obliging by staying put so far.
A little in-process action:
We knocked down the wall between the kitchen and the front bedroom as well, here's a look at that front room when we moved in:
Boy did that family love wood paneling! We painted the space to create faux beadboard around the entire room and tore out the carpet, but today the little bedroom received a big overhaul:
We pushed this part of the renovation off until Kevin wrapped up school just last week, knowing full well that if babe came at all early we'd have to hold off for months to turn these two useless spaces (nobody really needs two kitchens…) into a new office and guest room.
Big plans brewing for the new space! And don't worry – the nursery, master bedroom and kitchen are all receiving little updates (thank goodness for nesting overdrive right now) that I look forward to posting about soon.
Three days until Christmas!


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I was wondering if you could post your favorite code editor on OS X.
I'm looking for something lightweight (no netbeans or eclipse) for fast editing multi languages. tag highlighting and code completion highly appreciated :).
On Windows I was using Notepad++ a lot and was really satisfied with it.
btw - I don't like dashcode so much - that's why I am looking for an alternative :)


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At Ground Zero, signs of a city remade
NEW YORK — In this place made hallow when two planes ripped a hole in the skyline, scarring a city that prides itself on its emotionally unassailable citizenry, 9/11 is an old hurt. But the hurt is receding as the community in the shadows of Ground Zero is reforged.
Near where the iconic Twin Towers once stood, skeletal scaffolding, the tangle of cranes and gleaming half-finished skyscrapers arch heavenward from the freshly upturned earth.
This dream of rebirth is as bold and ambitious as its developer, a native New Yorker whose creation has lured big-name firms back to lower Manhattan. It may prove out of reach for some who have spent the past decade waiting for Ground Zero to reawaken.
In this moment, the neighborhood's sepia-toned, once largely abandoned apartment blocks have been remade in Technicolor. Small children amble across carefully crafted bits of green space and well-heeled Manhattanites sip cocktails on eco-friendly roof decks.
A centuries-old church hewn from plaster and stone opens her doors wide on Sunday mornings to pilgrims who have come to grieve, rejoice and remember.
This is the new city where brick, stone and steel endure and form a new horizon.
From his perch high within 7 World Trade Center, developer Larry Silverstein witnesses the resurrection of Ground Zero.
The raw maw of construction surrounding the site stretches wide below him as architectural symmetry and order is cleaved from a decade of legal, political and emotional chaos. His vision takes shape from an office where a painting of a storm-tossed ship hangs on a wall.
"It was the passion of my life to get this thing rebuilt," Silverstein said.
Ground Zero was still a smoldering mound, the smell of ash and char still thick in the air, when Silverstein began to envision its rebirth. He worried that lower Manhattan would become a mausoleum, sending a message that the terrorists had won. To the Brooklyn-born Silverstein, that was unacceptable.
He assembled a team of some of the world's most renowned architects. Their work drew inspiration from the contemplative stillness near the obsidian-colored Ground Zero memorial, the Hudson River's silver waters and the bone-colored clouds reflected in soaring panes of glass.
Over an electrical substation capable of powering all of lower Manhattan, he built a tall, shiny tower: lucky number seven.
To date it is the only completed World Trade Center building. He peopled it with multimillion-dollar companies, a sophisticated crew armed with glossy public-relations materials and a motley crew of artists charged with chronicling Ground Zero's progress.
Perhaps less poetically, he also assembled a team of lawyers for a years-long legal battle with insurers over the amount of coverage needed for the rebuilding of the destroyed World Trade Center site.
To some New Yorkers he is Orpheus on a quest to bring a beloved New York neighborhood back from the dead. To others he is Midas obsessed with building gilded castles.
In either case, he was what this city needed: a reminder of that quintessentially New York spirit of resilience.
"This is the best New York has to offer," Silverstein said of the rebuilding efforts. "This is reflective of New Yorkers' resolve. The terrorists had to be denied their quest."
Exactly one month before the 10-year anniversary of the attacks, before thousands of family members journey to Ground Zero to remember the loved ones they lost so many years ago, Silverstein thought about the seductive lure of memory.
New York is a city filled with history's phantoms. It would be easy to muse along the banks of the river or stare at soaring glass edifices and get lost in reflection.
But sometimes the harder thing is to put shovel to earth, take a deep breath, and dig.
From Celeste Lee's apartment windows, she watches as the empty space in lower Manhattan's skyline slowly is filled in.
Seven World Trade shimmers and gleams in the late summer sun. Beside it the nearly completely resurrected One World Trade Center spirals upward.
Sometimes it seems as if they are so close that if she just closes her eyes, just for a moment, things can be as they were before.
Before she watched in horror from her apartment terrace as planes crashed into the Twin Towers, and she fled clutching her husband's hand, photos and two bottles of Pellegrino, unsure of where she'd end up.
Before melted glass and metal coated her neighborhood in an eerily beautiful silver-and-gold dust, later replaced by ash and a smell that lingered no matter how many times she washed the sheets.
Before the neighborhood near Ground Zero became a ghost town and the government was forced to lure settlers back to the area with housing subsidies.
In this re-envisioned city, Lee, the owner of a beauty and fashion consulting firm, and the others who refused to leave were the pioneers.
She stayed even when a representative from the Federal Emergency Management Agency told her, "You shouldn't be here. None of us should be here" — and then handed her a white painter's mask.
The inside of the mask was with gray with soot by day's end. A year later the Environmental Protection Agency finally sent someone to clean her apartment.
But they stayed because this was their bit of New York.
There was camaraderie in their hardscrabble post-9/11 existence. There was a sense of communal understanding when she pressed bills into her dry cleaner's palm or bought fresh croissants from the local baker. Their neighborhood's tenuous survival depended on the unspoken promise to see things through.
"To leave would have been like quitting," she said. "It didn't seem like the right thing to do."
The little French bakery is gone. So, too, are so many of the mom-and-pop businesses — holdouts that were priced out of the community by skyrocketing rents.
Her new neighbors have six-figure jobs at companies in Seven World Trade and other business that have set up shop in this once forgotten corner of the city. They shop at the Gristedes supermarket, jog along the carefully sculpted harbor-front paths and take their children to play in Rockefeller Park.
Her own rent has gone up several times and she expects another increase when publishing giant Conde Nast moves thousands of employees into One World Trade Center. And then she, too, may be priced out of the neighborhood.
"The sense of community that existed in 2001 and 2002 has gone away. The shared experience is no longer there," Lee said. "But perhaps this is the march of society."
THE FACES OF THOSE WHO WERE LOST From St. Paul's Chapel doors, flung wide to greet the early-morning light, Ground Zero is a place at peace.
The seemingly constant hum, clank and groan of machinery is silenced for a few hours on this Sunday. The Rev. Clayton Crawley drinks in the hush as he dons his robes. He smiles gently as the four choir members' voices pierce the still and a wisp of incense curls and twists in on itself before fading in the breeze.
He takes a moment before stepping into the small cluster of worshippers in the center of the chapel to glance at the swirl of onlookers. They are tourists from all over the world who flock by the hundreds each month to pay homage to the church that stood when far mightier buildings tumbled behind it, offering the first-responders respite in its pews.
"We reached a crossroads and we had a choice when it came to service," Crawley said later. "We had to decide whether we would shut the doors and keep people out or welcome them."
And so St. Paul's, a historic chapel where President George Washington once worshiped, removed its pews and festooned its walls with the faces of those who were lost and those who worked to recover the dead.
The pilgrims are respectful as they circumnavigate the room, stopping from time to time to drink in the sermon. And the reverend, who once performed last rites on Ground Zero's ashen pyre, ministers to the living.
He gently entreats them to rejoice, to lay hands on one another's shoulder, to dance, to sing, because life is beautiful and painful and fleeting.
"It is this moment," he says. "Where we pause only to begin work again."


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Chef Tahira - a name synonymous with passion and dedication. From running her own catering business to assisting in a bakery in the US, this entrepreneur approaches her work with honesty and zeal. Specializing in food decoration and dessert preparation, Tahira is now slated to bring her expertise to the "golden" screen.
With thousands of trusted, authentic and KP community tested, Bittergourd (Karela) Recipes submitted by home, professional and celebrity cooks across the world - you're sure to find a favorite recipe from our collection. Our recipe section is expanding every week, so visit us often. We welcome your contributions, please upload via myKP or email us with your favorite recipes, and we will post them up to share with others.
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Beef Sirloin Steak Recipes
Bo Bun Recipe (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Bowl)
I have to admit that since my husband Lulu is a vegetarian, I eat way less meat than I used to. So when I have a chance to share a meal with a fellow meat eater, I make the most of it. Bò bún is one of my favorite meat dishes, and I often find myself making it when there's company. It's a one-dish meal composed of hot beef served with cold salad and noodles.
It's the perfect quick and easy meal that can be prepped in advance. Now if I could only get Lulu to eat it with me...
Full Recipe...
Bun Bo Nuong Recipe (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Bowl)
This weekend, we had a lot of company, so we prepared one of my favorite party recipes: bún bò nướng. This one-dish meal is the kitchen sink dish of Vietnamese cuisine. Tender, boneless beef is grilled and topped with mở hành (onion oil). Then the steak is thinly sliced and served with room-temperature vermicelli rice noodles, roasted peanuts, lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts and mint. But we didn't stop the feast there; I added bánh cuốn (steamed roll cakes), fried sweet potato and shrimp (bánh tôm chiên dòn) and bì (shredded meat).
The whole bowl is flavored and drizzled with nước mắm chấm (fish sauce) and eaten with chopsticks. Give it a try and you'll want to eat this everyday!
The winner of this week's giveaway is Amanda O. (please contact me back so I can get your mailing address). Congratulations and I hope you enjoy using my first cookbook about gourmet potato dishes as much I did developing the recipes!
Full Recipe...
Ginger Citrus Rib-Eye Steak Soft Tacos (Steak Taco Recipe)
My husband Lulu is a huge 49ers fan. Being French, I've had to start from scratch and learn a lot about American football. I've actually started enjoying watching the games, though I wish they wouldn't hit each other so hard! We watched the incredible playoff game last weekend and Lulu was screaming for joy when Alex Smith connected with Vernon Davis for the winning touchdown. The 49ers face the New York Giants in the NFC Championship this weekend, and Lulu is looking forward to watching the Niners advance to the Super Bowl.
We're having some people over to watch the game, so I created a meal that would fit the party, but with my own personal touch. For the main course, I made small plates of rib-eye steak soft tacos. To start, I seared the steaks after applying a ginger citrus rub. Once the steaks have a good crust, I glazed the meat with a spicy peach chutney. The soft tacos itself is layered with peach chutney, pickled mushrooms, sliced beef steak, shrimp and sour cream. The flavors were amazing and making this dish gave me plenty of ideas for what to serve for the Super Bowl when Lulu has all his buddies (and wives) over. I'll share some of the dishes I come up with over the next couple of weeks.
I used La Cense Beef in this dish, and if you want to recreate it for your own Super Bowl party, La Cense is offering a special deal to Pham Fatale readers. You can get $20 off 8 10-ounce Ribeye Steaks, plus 1 lb of free meatballs, all with free shipping ($157.48)! If that's too much meat for you, La Cense is also offering $10 off 4 10-ounce Ribeye Steaks ($71.24). La Cense Beef is 100% grass fed, with no hormones or antibiotics. I've had the privilege of trying their Prime Rib Roast as well as the Ribeye, and the flavor is out of this world. It's truly nothing like the beef you get from your local supermarket. So if you're planning to do something special for the Super Bowl, or if you just want to have a really nice steak dinner, definitely take advantage of this deal.
Full Recipe...
Vietnamese-Style Beef Salad Recipe
Though I live in a house full of vegetarians, once in a while, I enjoy a tender and juicy steak. I've been getting the urge lately, so I bought a sirloin steak to satisfy my cravings. This time around I marinated it in an Asian-inspired sweet and savory sauce. I combined sugar, coriander, chiles, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice; the ingredients are very common in Vietnamese cuisine.
The meat doesn't require a long marinating time, which I love. A quick sear and you'll have a perfectly juicy steak. I let the meat cool to temperature, then slice it into long strips against the grain, so the meat remains tender. The beef is scattered over a bed of mixed Vietnamese mint, cilantro and lettuce leaves, along with a bowl of rice vermicelli noodles, bean sprouts, shredded cucumber and pickled carrots and daikon. My condiment of choice though: nước mắm (Vietnamese fish sauce). It may not be on your list, but it's one of my favorites. No matter what you serve with this steak though, you will have a delicious meal!
Full Recipe...
Grilled Sirloin Steak Recipe
When you have a good quality cut of beef, such as sirloin steak (called faux-filet or entrecôte in French), you don't want to overpower the flavor of the meat. That goal is accomplished in this recipe by keeping the prep work simple. I season the steaks with pepper, garlic and thyme. C'est tout! ("That's it"). The steaks are seared and grilled to create a crust, and then they're transferred to the oven to bring them to a perfect medium-rare. Once out of the oven, finish the meat with a sprinkling of sea salt. I wait to add the salt till after the beef is cooked so it doesn't draw moisture out of the meat.
I live in a house full of vegetarians, so I haven't had a tender, juicy steak in a while. It was quite a treat to be able to go to the store and get some premium cuts of beef (entrecôte) to make this dish. Good quality meat should be red and shiny, and the texture should be firm and elastic, with a very subtle scent. I found a couple of nice steaks and had fun cooking them up with my little munchkin, who is the only other meat eater in our house. She approved, and I imagine that if you make this dish in your home, your family will as well.
Full Recipe...


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Difference between revisions of "Presidents' Programs"
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Panelists will discuss strategies for designing
Panelists will discuss strategies for designing
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can access with a staff, which is diverse
can access with a staff, which is diverse
and reflective of all of the citizens.
and reflective of all of the citizens.
Revision as of 11:00, 7 March 2008
ALA President's Program
Sunday, June 29
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
The focus will be a media-rich program including segments from WGBH-Boston's "Between the Lions" Head Start Initiative and Roy Boney, Jr.'s Claymation Animation Program with tribal schools. Roy Boney, Jr. is a Cherokee Illustrator, graphic novelist, and animator, a Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Fellow, Sequoyah Research Center, University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The program will also provide an update on planning programs around "We Shall Remain," the January/February 2009 American Experience PBS series.
Intellectual Freedom: A Core Value
Saturday, June 28
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Track: Issues & Updates
The 2008 AASL President's Program will revisit the school librarian's commitment to one of the two core values of the profession, intellectual freedom. Susan Patron, author of the controversial 2007 Caldecott Medal book and long-time Juvenile Materials Collection Development Manager at the Los Angeles Public Library, The Higher Power of Lucky, is the keynote speaker, followed by a reaction panel which includes an elementary school librarian (Catherine Beyers, Lacrosse, WI), a secondary school librarian (Cassandra Barnett, Fayetteville, AR) and an author/member of "AS IF! Authors Support Intellectual Freedom."
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
Monday, June 30
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Track: Administration & Leadership; Leadership & Management
The 2008 ACRL presidential initiative has focused on the recruitment and retention of the new generation of librarians and thinkers in the profession. Exploring strategies to enhance creative thinking, innovation, and vibrancy in the library workplace, the president's program will highlight the research findings of Dr. Dan Ariely, author Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions. A panel of new generation librarians will explore with Dr. Ariely how to enhance logical thinking to create workplace vibrancy.
From Here to Eternity: the challenges of managing Oscar's very special collections
Monday, June 30
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Track: Non-Track
The ALCTS President's Program will feature
the Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Its
collections include relevant working books
and periodicals plus numerous special collections
containing 10 million photographs,
30,000 posters, and huge numbers of movie
scripts, scores, and production and costume
designs. These internationally obtained materials
exist in a variety of formats. Issues
revolving around collection development,
acquisitions, preservation, technology, legal
rights, and metadata will be explored.
Speakers: Dr. Linda Harris Mehr, Director, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
Touchpoints: Strengthening Families, Building Communities, featuring keynote Dr. T. Berry Brazelton
Monday, June 30
8:00 am - 10:00 am
Track: Children & Young Adults; Early Literacy
Based on T.B. Brazelton's pioneering infant
research, and more than 60 years of listening
to parents and children, Touchpoints is
a way of understanding and participating in
family development. Libraries are well positioned
to establish partnerships with community
agencies serving young children and
families, bringing together child and family
development expertise and resources, with
space, program and resource materials so
that families can be together in a safe and
welcoming environment, where awareness
for the importance of early learning can be
increased, access for families to services
and resources can be expanded, and parent/
caregiver abilities to meet the needs of
their very young children can be enhanced.
Speakers: T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., Brazelton Touchpoints Center
A Year with New Opportunities
Saturday, June 28
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Track: Administration & Leadership; Trustee
Gary W. Moore, author of Playing with the
Enemy and winner of the prestigious Sam
Walton Leadership Award, will share the
remarkable story of his father whose potential
pro-ball career with the Brooklyn Dodgers
was interrupted by Pearl Harbor and his
enlistment. The astonishing story of Gene
Moore's life in and out of baseball is an exciting
and often heart-wrenching saga filled
with memorable characters from an extraordinary
time in U.S. history. Gary Moore will
sign copies of his book, which will be given
away free, at the end of this program
Speakers: Gary W. Moore, Author
The Universal Library: Mind, Body, and Soul
Sunday, June 29
8:00 am - 10:00 am
Track: User Services
Panelists will discuss strategies for designing and maintaining a collection (physical and virtual), a physical plant (building) that everyone can access with a staff, which is diverse and reflective of all of the citizens.
Sunday, June 29
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Track: Administration & Leadership
Visual and Verbal Literacy - Skills for Contemporary
Leadership. Leadership is about
your ability to see, move, and be moved by
people and things in ways that capture and
expand yours and their imaginations. This
program will help you both think about, and
practice leadership in ways that might surprise
you - leadership practiced at its confluence
with the world of creativity.
Speaker: David Magellan Horth
Isn't it great to be in the library…wherever That is?
Sunday, June 29
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Track: Non-Track
It's often said that we run 3 libraries at once: the library of yesterday, today, and tomorrow; both the physical library and the one that exists beyond the walls. Join Joe Janes, University of Washington, Seattle along with members of the "It's All Good" [http://scanblog. blogspot.com/ scanblog. blogspot.com] blogging group as we examine the full social and cultural constructs of libraries that moves beyond Web 2.0 and integrates patrons, librarians, and resources.


text:
Proponents of the Division 17 initiative, started by a grassroots effort of telecommunications professionals, hope to revamp the construction industry's MasterFormat model to keep pace with technology. Only time will tell if this master plan in the making will become a reality.
As the marketing manager swipes his security card through a sensor at the lobby door, his workplace begins to come alive. First, lighting in his workstation automatically adjusts to a preset level, his PC boots-up and connects to the network and the coffee maker starts to percolate. And that's just the beginning. The possibilities seem almost endless in some of today's high technology "smart" buildings. Surrounded by technology such as life-safety systems, elevator control, security systems, radio paging, lighting controls and digital thermostat controls, this worker also draws from such business technology, as wireless links and image retrieval.
Although all of these applications rely on extensive wiring, each is a separate system of appreciable complexity. But they do have one thing in common: They are all communications systems. That's where the Division 17 dilemma comes in. The objective behind Division 17 is to ensure telecommunication systems are designed into a building during the design phase versus the more traditional method of retrofitting them in during construction.
Still, the question remains. Does the current MasterFormat model, produced jointly by The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), Alexandria, Va., and Construction Specifications Canada (CSC), Toronto, adequately address today's technology requirements? Or should CSI add Division 17 to better categorize telecommunications? Depending on who you talk to, you may get a very different answer.
What is MasterFormat? This document is a master list of numbers and titles for organizing information about construction requirements, products, and activities into a standard sequence. This includes organizing data in project manuals, categorizing cost data, filing product and technical data, identifying drawing objects, and presenting construction market data. Currently in its 1995 edition, the MasterFormat has arranged related construction products and activities into 16 level one titles (called divisions) since its first edition in 1963.
Although it's not mandatory, most architects and engineers use this standard as a reference to organize requirements for a new building or renovation when preparing construction specifications.
State of the industry. In the current version of MasterFormat, technology and communication systems take up two of 317 pages. According to most telecommunications professionals like Thomas Rauscher, president, Archi-Technology, Rochester, N.Y., that's simply not enough. After working as a sales/project coordinator/designer for a cabling contractor and particularly after managing one project with more than 80 sites nationally, Rauscher says he remembers when he realized technology had outgrown the current MasterFormat model. "Essentially, I was charged as a project manager with bidding the installation requirements in each of the 80 cities without any national standards," he said. "Additionally on local projects, we were seeing more telecom bids coming out under the electrical contract side."
As a cabling contractor, Rauscher said he was always bidding to the electrical contractors as a subcontractor or second-tier sub. However, he was being asked to bid off of drawings and specifications that essentially had no requirements. "They wanted a price, but there was nothing on the plans to go by," Rauscher said. "That's analogous to saying, `I want 110 outlets everywhere in the building, now what's my price?' You can't come up with that!"
Rauscher said the problem stems from technology planning that often begins when the rest of the project is going out to bid. This results in poor coordination and an occasional note to "coordinate in field with owner."
"You end up spending most of your time trying to be a financial and space magician to figure out how to pay for technology and squeeze it into tight spots," Rauscher said. "In a lot of cases, clients are getting substandard solutions because there's just no way to do it."
Frustrated with the system, Rauscher started the Division 17 initiative several years ago. However, after attending a BICSI conference in 1997, he communicated the concept to the organization and drafted Version 1. Out of this grass roots effort, he gathered feedback from industry professionals through his Web site (www.division17.net). Then, in February 1999, he drafted Version 2, based on all of the feedback he'd received.
Submitted in October 1999 to CSI as an official BICSI proposal (including letters of support from ACUTA, BOMA, TIA, NSCA, the University of Rochester Medical Center and the Port of Seattle), Rauscher developed Division 17 to serve as a comprehensive stand-alone model or as an addition to the existing MasterFormat. Although he's obviously very close to Division 17, Rauscher is adamant that this isn't an Archi-Technology document. "I may have been the impetus behind it, but I wasn't the only one involved," he said. "This is definitely an industry document."
Industry perspectives. Is Division 17 really necessary? According to Brooke Stauffer, director of codes and standards at the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), Bethesda, Md., this is not a yes or no question. He admits Divisions 15 and 16 are packed to bursting. However, he says NECA supports keeping telecommunications and other low-voltage systems in Division 16.
"We at NECA think these low-voltage systems belong in Division 16 because they're all electrical," Stauffer said. "We think you get better coordination if they remain in electrical like grounding and overcurrent protection."
Since the NEC covers these systems, it's still all electrical - whether you call it power or communications, he said. "NECA's perspective is we think it maintains better control and coordination of the overall electrical job, if it remains in Division 16," he said. "If a Division 17 is instituted and the telecommunications contract is separated from the electrical contract, we are worried about things like safety, increased electromagnetic interference (EMI) and grounding problems. We think this could get worse if you split it up."
Ron Provost, responsible for governmental relations at BICSI, Tampa, Fla., disagrees. He said adding Division 17 makes sense. He agrees with Stauffer that this is a competency issue; however, he maintains telecommunications professionals deserve recognition for their specialized skills. "One of the things opponents of Division 17 need to remember is MasterFormat does not specify who does the work, it just specifies what work has to be done. "We simply want the process to be better, but who gets the job depends on bidding and competency," he said. "If you're competent to do the work, you should be able to do it. We're not trying to take over the world."
Bob Bower, one of two executive vice presidents at San Jose, Calif.-based Rosendin Electric, one of the largest and oldest electrical contractors in the nation, located in San Jose, Calif., is also in favor of Division 17. He projects the opposition is probably coming from smaller contractors - not from contractors that have the capability of supporting Division 17. Established in 1919, this NECA contracting firm built its own network systems and teledata communications group about four years ago.
"People have to understand this idea is very progressive," Bower said. "This is a sector that's going to change dramatically from year to year. And as it changes, it's important not only to support the engineering but also the specifications, drawings and field resources, primarily because this work will continue to distinguish itself from standard electrical installations."
That's the foreseeable problem facing the small contractors, he said. "This is an investment for them, but they have to understand technology is pushing the investment. Like anything else, you'll lose your market share because you're not keeping pace with the changes," Bower said. "You're not going to lose this work for lack of quality of effort, but you're going to lose it because you're complacent."
Like Rosendin's contracting firm, Syska & Hennessey, New York, identified the need for telecommunications services long ago and started its own subsidiary to handle this specialty 15 years ago. Cyrus Izzo, a principal at Syska & Hennessey, said technology is definitely dealt with up front at his engineering firm. "If it's not dealt with early on, it creates a lot of turmoil and change orders," he said. "If anything, I think Division 17 would make things better in the sense that people will realize this is a major trade."
That's why so many electrical contractors are starting their own telecom divisions, Izzo said. He said it basically comes down to levels of expertise. "Pulling power cable is a lot different from splicing fiber," Izzo said. "There's a big difference in what those people need to do."
James Moravek, P.E., a consulting specifying engineer with Hammel, Green & Abrahamson Inc., Minneapolis, views Division 17 more as a housekeeping concern. And don't forget, this is also about establishing turf, he said.
"Primarily what the low-voltage people want to do is segregate themselves so their work is not controlled through Division 16," he said. "This way, they can bid directly to the general contractor or to the owner, and that's accomplished through Division 17."
Even within his engineering organization, Moravek sees differences of opinion. "I've been using Division 17 for 20-plus years, and I've always put telecommunications where I felt it was appropriate," he said. "I think even if CSI decides to come out with a separate Division 17, I don't think we're necessarily going to treat it that way."
Since it's a standard and not a code, it becomes more of a client decision in Moravek's mind. "A client with a good strong IT department will probably be very knowledgeable about Division 17 and in favor of working this way because they can control who does this work," he said. "If it's a client that typically outsources this work anyway, they probably won't care."
Working in the booming Las Vegas construction market, Troy Moser, project architect for the Hnedak Bobo Group, estimates about 50% of his clients take technology into consideration up-front. "Depending upon how a project is organized, my proposal to a client may or may not include design services for technology. We often refer to it as the low-voltage package," he said. He agrees this can sometimes cause problems. "A lot of times, my client or the owner doesn't make technology decisions soon enough to get the conduit installed, systems coordinated, and space set aside," he said. However, he warns against bringing the telecom consultants on board too early. "Generally, those consultants want to know so many details that it's difficult to bring them on too early in the design phase," he said. "If you get ahead of yourself, you end up wasting time."
Robert Baird, vice president of apprenticeship and training, standards and safety at Independent Electrical Contractors Inc., Alexandria, Va., takes a similar stance. He agrees that the voice, data and video market is a growing area of importance. However, he believes the heart of this issue lies with accurate specifications, not classification numbers. "As long as the materials and specifications related to all low-voltage technologies are clearly spelled out and made available for the contractor during the negotiation or pre-bid, bid and construction process, it really doesn't make any difference whether it's Division 16, 17 or 27," Baird said. "Just because something isn't covered in a division, it needs to be covered in the contract. All applicable standards and guidelines need to be spelled out - what you call it makes no difference."
Adapting to change. If CSI adopts Division 17, the question most people what to know is: How will this affect me? From the point of view of Archi-Technology's Thomas Rauscher, the decision will touch everyone. Owners will feel it from a budgeting and planning standpoint. "They're going to be planning telecom systems during the construction process, but they're going to have different parts of their systems that are going to be capitalized and put into the infrastructure. So the requirements must be communicated out that way," he said.
Architects, construction management firms and electrical contractors will have to make room for a new player on the block, he added. Telecom contractors and consultants will also have to make some adjustments. "We're saying very similar things, but we're speaking English and French," Rauscher said. "The key here is that both sides are going to have to learn about the other. That's the irony - in order to learn, you've got to communicate."
If adopted, Hnedak Bobo Group's Moser would use Division 17. However, no matter what happens, he said it all comes down to what the owner wants. In fact, Moser doesn't really care if Division 17 is adopted because he plans to accommodate telecommunications in his projects, regardless if it's a CSI division or not. "If it's a component of my project, then I'm going to address it," he said. "If I don't, I'm the first guy my client calls when he has to pay in extra."
He said it's best to help clients make informed decisions but not to underestimate the power of personality. "Some owners are conscious of the importance of telecommunications but just don't place a priority on making those decisions," he said. "A lot depends on the value of the dollar. If they've got money to spend, time is money. They can put off making certain decisions in exchange for paying premiums later. Ultimately, they're writing the checks, so they call the shots."
Alternative solutions. For those parties who aren't in favor of adopting Division 17, there are other options. Since Stauffer recognizes the Division 16 subsections for telecom and LAN are incomplete and outdated, he said NECA is working on a proposal to establish a new subsection of Division 16 that better addresses telecom.
"What causes the turf wars out on the construction site is everybody is trying to get their stuff into that limited space first," he said. "We at NECA are going to propose a better specification framework for these considerations in Division 16. We think that keeping all of the specs integrated together will help keep the systems for the end users better integrated."
Stauffer said a perception sometimes exists in the industry that it's the electrical folks against the telecommunications folks or NECA versus BICSI. He says this is just not so. "An increasing number of NECA companies have BICSI members in them and BICSI RCDDs on staff," Stauffer said. "As our companies are getting into the telecom business, they go where they need to go for telecom training and expertise."
Along these same lines, Stauffer says NECA and BICSI are coauthoring a draft standard on installing telecommunications systems. "It's funny. Both organizations are big places, and the left hand doesn't always know what the right hand is doing," he said.
The deciding factor. Ultimately, the decision to expand MasterFormat lies with CSI and CSC. Michael Cassidy, director of technical information services at CSI, said it's too soon to tell what will happen with the issues being raised by Division 17.
Here's how the process works. The organization takes proposals from anyone for potential updates to the MasterFormat. In theory, the schedule for publication is every five years. A technical committee, made up of industry volunteers, addresses all of the technical publication material. They evaluate the issues and then set up guidelines. "Based on comments we have received, we may need to address changes and expansion of the current 16 division," Cassidy said.
Although there's a strong industry influence in favor of Division 17, Cassidy explains this isn't uncommon territory for CSI. "Throughout the years, a number of other groups have solicited CSI to expand the MasterFormat because they didn't feel it was appropriate," he said. "What CSI has determined is technology is changing by leaps and bounds."
However, Cassidy warns there's much more to this issue than expanding MasterFormat. The concerns different industry segments have with the overall design process will not suddenly go away if Division 17 is adopted. Nor will CSI's final decision force industry professionals to change the way they address telecommunications. CSI's ultimate goal is to serve the entire construction industry so people across multiple disciplines can effectively use the model.
CSI is forming a task team and conducting a study that will include focus groups, surveys and workshops to gather input. "Then, we will determine if it's appropriate to actually expand," he said. Basically, CSI has three options: Leave the document as is; modify Division 16 to better address telecommunications and other needs; or add new division(s). Anyone interested in providing feedback should e-mail [email protected]


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The second in the hilarious Knightmare series is out now. Written by the fantastic Peter Bentley, with scribbles by yours truly and published by Stripes.
Monday, 16 June 2014
Monday, 10 March 2014
New Books!
Life Stinks, the first in the Knightmare series is out now (or you can order it at least).
Written by super star Children's book author Peter Bentley (he's won the Roald Dahl award for being brilliantly funny, don't you know) and published by the lovely Stripes Publishing. I'm not sure I've ever had so much fun on a commission. Here are a few of my inside scribbles.
Wednesday, 5 February 2014
Dickensian doodle pigs
Been a shamefully long time betwixt posts... been working my behind off on new projects I can't post about. Oh well, here are some Dickensian pigs to fill the void.
Monday, 5 August 2013
Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Tuesday, 25 June 2013
Thursday, 16 May 2013
character designs
Been a while since I last posted (busy scribbling)
Here's a few character designs and studies for an old project.
Here's a few character designs and studies for an old project.
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text:
The birddoggers are back.
Facing the most daunting political and economic climate in years, AIDS activists have relaunched efforts to follow presidential candidates on the campaign trail, challenging them to commit to funding the fight against global AIDS.
The tactic, called birddogging, has been used for years by activists to get politicians to go on record saying they'll ramp up AIDS funding. Sometimes, activists merely attend a town hall, step up to the mic, and ask a candidate for a pledge. Other times, participants get more aggressive, interrupting speeches, waving signs and participating in acts of civil disobedience.
For AIDS birddoggers, though, this presidential campaign could be the most difficult yet.
First, activists are up against drastic U.S. austerity measures. If the congressional committee charged with trimming $1.5 trillion from the deficit decides to cut the tiny portion of the budget dedicated to foreign aid, that will mean funding decreases for PEPFAR and the Global Fund.
Second, birddoggers are targeting some of the most socially conservative candidates to vie for a spot in the White House -- individuals who, in the past, have proven averse to funding both domestic and global AIDS programs. The top two winners of Saturday's straw poll in Iowa -- Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Congressman Ron Paul -- both voted against the 2008 bill that authorized $48 billion to be sent abroad to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria via the Global Fund. Gov. Rick Perry's Texas, meanwhile is projecting a nearly $20 million shortfall to its AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
"We're dealing with people who are qualitatively different than anyone we've ever had to deal with," said Gregg Gonsalves, a veteran birddogger and fellow at the Open Society Institute. "If Obama loses, just imagine what Rick Perry is going to do with AIDS policy, or Michele Bachmann, or even Mitt Romney."
Still, these challenges have not stymied birddoggers, many of whom are college students and members of Health GAP or the Student Global AIDS Campaign, two U.S.-based activist groups committed to fighting AIDS abroad.
Emily Li, 19, a sophomore at Dartmouth, began following potential Republican presidential candidates in the spring. "Now, since a lot of the candidates are making appearances, we're making efforts to increase our birddogging. There should be someone talking about AIDS at every one of these events."
Activist efforts this fall, she said, will concentrate on events in South Carolina and New Hampshire, the sites of the upcoming Republican primaries. Dartmouth will host a debate for Republican candidates in October, and the school's chapter of the Student Global AIDS Campaign plans to pepper the audience with students ready to ask candidates for a global AIDS funding pledge.
Just this week, Kaiser and UNAIDs released a study that found a 10 percent drop in disbursement of funds for the global AIDS response -- a drop primarily attributed to a reduction in disbursement by the U.S., according to a joint press release.
"That study just shows the importance of birddogging, of focusing on global AIDS, because it's obviously going on the political back burner," said Li. "But the U.S. is still a leader. ... And if we're decreasing our funding for such an important issue, it gives other countries a guideline that says, 'Ok, it's not important to fix this.'"