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These vintage beauties will add classic style to any wardrobe. Colorful round plastic frames with clear lenses. UV400
These blingtastic sunglasses are show stoppers with rhinestone details and over sized frames. UV400
Round and fabulous metal frame sunglasses. Available in multiple hombre lens colors. UV400
Vintage rhinestone bling partial rim sunglasses. UV400
Everybody loves Lucy! These bold round frames will showcase the fashionista in you. Plastic frames with metal detail in solid and ocean lens colors. UV400
I bought these in the purple ocean lens. They look just like the picture. I get compliments on them every time I wear them! These are a must have ladies!
Be sleek and unique in these triangle flat lens plastic frame sunglasses. UV400


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Image: Asus
So should you use 5GHz or 2.4GHz wifi and what are they? The picture from the Asus site explains it well. 2.4GHz is the old standard which is used for roller doors, phones, the now old wifi connections and gadgets. I now have dual band with my nbn connection. I have set my iPad to 5 GHz and my phone on 2.4GHz and I'd set a laptop to whichever one depending on what I was doing…choices! My desktop has an ethernet connection but if I were to run it on wifi I'd be choosing 5GHz because this is a very graphics capable and dedicated machine. How-to-geek explains it in detail and in a good way so that you properly understand the reason for both wifi bandwidths and why there are times you should be running on ethernet connections. Ethernet is solid, stable and will not put your computer under unnecessary strain especially if you are running video, image and fast changing content. If you are installing connections, operating systems, downloading videos and software an ethernet connection is preferable for stability and ease of data downloads and smooth connection establishment. There is no strain on anything.
Filed under: classroom, e-learning, technology | Tagged: 2.4GHz wifi, 5GHz wifi, connectivity, dual band wifi, technology, wifi | Leave a comment »

subset: commoncrawl


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Maggie and spaniel, Acadia hike, Gorham Mountain, Cadillac Cliffs ice, winter 2014.
Vimeo link to Pecha Kucha talk on Where are the Women, spring, 2013.
Link to pdf for Memory and Intermediality in Maggie Libby's Portraits of Colby Women by Véronique Plesch, Media inter media: Intermediality in the Arts. Festschrift in Honor of Claus Clüver's 75thBirthday. Ed. Stephanie Moore Glaser.


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Earlier in the year we were lucky enough to interview Yewande Omotoso, Mahtem Shiferraw and Edyth Bulbring - three writers who are equally talented but have quite different styles. They gave some insight into the writing process and self-editing and hopefully some of these gems inspire and challenge you.
Yewande Omotoso
On Writing
- Give yourself permission.
- For people who "don't have time to write" carry a notebook everywhere. Sure you might not have chunks of hours available but everyone has a few seconds to take down a sentence or two – this is writing.
On Editing
- Edit with the question, "Does this belong? If it wasn't there would they miss it?"
Mahtem Shiferraw
- Things that really helped me: read your work out loud. A lot. Always. Distance too; learning to distance yourself from the work & give it enough room to breathe.
- Always inquire. What does the work want to be? Measure the work within the parameters of itself, not of others' work. Don't be afraid to take it apart, and by that I mean: do take it apart. Don't kill your darlings, but extract them, & place them somewhere else; you never know what they will blossom into.
- Share your work with peers, family, friends, co-workers; it's always good to hear how your work is reflected in the world.
- Sometimes it's good to begin things in the middle and work your way around a poem/story.
- And the golden rule: read. Read everything & anything. Reading will not only make you a great writer & editor, but a wonderful human being too.
Edyth Bulbring
Cut, cut, cut (Less is more)
Don't be scared of a good adjective or adverb
Be very scared of an exclamation mark!
Use simple words
- Avoid long sentences


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Tin House is one of the nation's very best literary magazines, regularly placing stories in national anthologies and always full of impressive contributors. Tin House features literary work but has a flair for the entertaining as well, and includes some genre or genre-adjacent work as open. In a given issue you may find work by Stephen King or Ursula Le Guin. Tin House has offices in both Portland, and Brooklyn, and runs the Tin House Writers' Workshops every summer and winter in Oregon.
Started by Francis Ford Coppola in 1997, this San Francisco-based literary magazine features only fiction, and regularly publishes heavyweights of the literary world. Guest designers are behind individual issues, giving each issue a distinct look. Each issue also features a reprint of a classic short story that inspired a short film.
Perhaps the most San Francisco of San Francisco literary magazines, ZYZZYVA has always had a particular love and passion for West Coast writers. ZYZZYVA has been coming on especially strong in the last handful of years since Laura Cogan took over as editor and Oscar Villalon as managing editors, getting a number of stories and notables in the Best American Short Stories anthologies.
Fresno State's literary magazine, The Normal School, has established itself as a national name since it was founded in 2008. It's built a reputation especially as one of the premier outlets for interesting nonfiction, though it publishes great work in all genres. The Normal School is also a magazine with a distinct voice and personality, a great champion of funny and oddball writing.
This Berkeley-based literary magazine has a long history and a strong reputation. It features fiction, poetry, and memoir, but also criticism and commentary on film, literature, and drama. They are also one of the better-paying literary magazines: $400 for a short story and $200 per poem.
The Santa Monica Review, an LA-based literary magazine, has been publishing since 1988, with a special focus (though not an exclusive focus, if I have it right?) on writers from "Southern California and the Pacific Rim." It currently accepts submissions in fiction and nonfiction, but not in poetry.
San Francisco State University's literary magazine Fourteen Hills bills itself as open to progressive and experimental work. They are also open to cross-genre work.


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Size: XS
Bust: measures 35" flat to fit approx. 33 to 34"
Waist: measures 27" flat to fit approx. 25 to 26"
Hip: measures 35" flat to fit approx. 32" to 33"
Length: 47.5" from back of neck to hem
Underarm to waist length: 8"
Waist to hem length: 30"
Label: R&K Original
We love the triple row of ruffles trimming the hem of this navy blue rayon crepe late 1940s or early 1950s dress. The top and bottom skirt ruffles are crystal-pleated and the middle ruffle is plain. They are attached to a fairly narrow skirt, with darts for shaping at the hips. The cap-sleeved bodice has a pointed collar framing the V-neckline, and vertical bust darts. The rayon crepe fabric is unlined and the dress fastens with a metal zipper in the left side seam. It is in very good condition, with a faintly visible, light mark on the fabric of the back right hip area (see photo) and a bit of pulling to the seams near the waist—neither of which should be as noticeable when the dress is worn as it is in our photos, which have been lightened to show more detail. Dress this versatile, circa late 40s or early 50s dress up or down with accessories: wear it to work, then out for the evening!


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Fantasy? Or could members of the superorder Dinosauria have survived into the modern day to share this world with their successors the mammals and the birds?
According to our current understanding of natural history the dinosaurs, along with many other orders of animals such as the pterosaurs, died out about 65 million years ago. But some claim that not only did they not die out but that they continued to live through to, at the very least, the "recent" past or even to this day. And a few even claim to have encountered creatures they have identified as dinosaurs.
What's the evidence?
Dragons are often proposed as incorrectly identified dinosaurs. Could our ancestors stories of giant reptilian monsters be based upon early humans encounters with the last remnants of a surviving population of dinosaurs?
The idea is beguiling, but there is far more evidence of a different understanding of the origins of dragons. For instance the heraldic dragon (i.e. the stereotypical dragon which could easily pass for a badly drawn dinosaur) is NOT what a dragon of British folklore was originally meant to look like. In fact almost all dragon myths were based on giant worm like creatures such as the Lambton worm. It was only later that British dragons were reimagined as having legs and appearing as we now know them. This image was aided by the use of dragon imaginary to symbolise the superiority of Christianity over pagans (dragons) by the Christian authorities in the early years of the Christian church on our islands. But the British Isles were not alone in believing in dragons, dragon myths appear from around the world. Hmm... surely if dinosaurs were so widespread within such recent times would there not be more evidence of their existence? But there are no modern bones, footprints nor any evidence whatsoever of these ancient encounters with dinosaurs.
Perhaps, just perhaps, people finding fossils of dinosaurs may have been so impressed that they invented the dragons to explain these finds. But more likely the dragon was the UFO of it's day. It is known many societies considered the sighting of anything unusual (such as lights in the sky) to be indicative of the presence of dragons.
Kent Hovind, a former evangelist creationist and current inmate of Federal Correctional Institution Edgefield in South Carolina, is a keen proponent of dragons. He suggests they were simply killed off by humans along with all the other megafauna whereever we settled. Hmm... but we have evidence of the other megafauna, why is there no physical evidence of dragons during that same time period? Of course that's not a problem for him, he thinks the whole world is only 6000 years old. He claims that prehistoric paintings and ancient pottery designs are evidence of dinosaur contact. This is a sort of backhanded insult towards our ancestors. Do people really not believe that they had imagination, and creativity equal to our own? Why is it we believe ourselves to be able to comprehend abstract concepts but everything our ancestors did is interpreted literally? Our ancestors were just as intelligent as we are today. That's why we are here. Plus he keeps calling pterosaurs and plesiosaurs "dinosaurs". That annoys me. It's fine to call them dinosaurs for shorthand purposes in casual conversation. But if you are going to have a lecture about dinosaurs and related prehistoric orders it'd be nice to refer to them by their "kinds" as he insists on doing for everything else, using that stupid childish term. Check out one of his lectures on dinosaurs below, for entertainment purposes only!
But despite my quick dismissal of dragons, people still claim to encounter them. There's a couple of pictures here. But whether you believe those sightings or not, a flying dragon is not a dinosaur. A flying dinosaur is called something quite different, which we will come to at the end...
So have there been any sightings of actual dinosaurs? Well of course there's mokele-mbembe. Reports come from western Africa of a large long necked creature whose tracks are round. What could it be? Some believe it to be a dinosaur.
Whilst locals have been talking about mokele-mbembe for a long time the first European to reference it was probably a French missionary working along the Congo river named Abbé Lievain Bonaventure. He reported that he encountered footprints which he says was created by something that ""must have been monstrous: the marks of the claws were noted on the ground, and these formed a print about three feet in circumference."
Other than sightings that were heard about or tracks that were seen by European adventurers the first time someone claimed first hand to have seen the mysterious creature was in 1932. Zoologist Ivan T. Sanderson claimed he observed a creature with a long neck lurch into a river and said it was dark coloured with a head the size of a hippo! That would be a very large animal indeed.
Most reports place it at about 15 to 30 feet (9.1 m) long. That would probably be too small for a long necked animal to have a head the size of a hippo though...
Locals claim several things about the mokele mbembe. They say it eats the flowering liana, that where it lives it clears the area of hippos and crocodiles, and that eating it is a bad idea indeed (thanks to a story of a tribe who killed and ate one and subsequently all died of poisoning).
Many expeditions have been to search for the animal but most have failed either due to not seeing it at all or suffering the usual camera malfunctions.
My problem with identifying mokele-mbembe as a dinosaur is that it stretches credibility too far with little evidence. Could it not just as easily be a member of the Hyracodontidae or some other extinct line? Why do people automatically assume it must be a sauropod dinosaur simply because it has a long neck and tail? Laziness? Giraffes have long necks, and they are mammals. Just because it looks like a sauropod does not a dinosaur make, has no one ever heard of convergent evolution? *Probably not, creationists who are big fans of mokele-mbembe don't believe in evolution after all* Hmm... that of course presumes that the mokele-mbembe exists at all and is not either a made up creature or a misidentified known one.
There are many other African "dinosaurs" such as the chipekwe, the emela-ntouka (elephant killer), Mbielu-Mbielu-Mbielu (the animal with planks growing out of it's back or shorthand for creationists "stegosaurus"), the nguma-monene and the mahamba (supposedly a 50 foot long crocodilian so not really a dinosaur. If anything I've got my fingers crossed for a phobosuchus).
Africa isn't the only place to have remnant dinosaurs... taken from another cryptozoological creationist site
In 1907, British Army officer Major Percy Fawcett was commissioned to settle a dispute between Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil concerning borders. While venturing deep into Amazon jungle he encountered an animal which he called a diplodocus. Major Fawcett was regard as a honest, "meticulous recorder of facts.
I desperately, desperately want there to be real live dinosaurs roaming the Earth still. But I can see no reason to accept there is when 1) there are no modern bones of dinosaurs (megalania is NOT a dinosaur, so don't try that old one on me!), 2) an ancient form of mammal (something more likely than a dinosaur to exist still, even if it's only slightly more likely) might have the same sort of skin as a stereotypical depiction of a dinosaur and look quite similar, 3) most eyewitness accounts are hearsay and many represent native folklore rather than fact and 4) the world is quite a different place now and if dinosaurs did survive past 65 million years they would look quite different...
Speaking of which... there's a brilliant news story today on the evolution of dinosaurs into birds. The theory that evolution seems to have started even earlier than previously thought seems to be proven in the form of Epidexipteryx. Because bird is just another word for "flying dinosaur". They really do still walk the Earth... and sometimes grace our skies too.
Much of the discussion of dinosaurs in the modern world is generated by creationists who form a significant part of the cryptozoological community. Their hope is that the existence of dinosaurs today would help support their belief in a young Earth. How it would is beyond me... the idea of dinosaurs existing today would not damage the theory of evolution. So for now I shake my head in bemusement at their lack of knowledge of what is and isn't a dinosaur (mosasaur... not a dinosaur) and head off to dream of one day encountering a herd of parasaurolophus. Now that'd be something to behold!
Further Reading


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Ryan Sheckler has been many things in his whirlwind life: X Games sensation, action-sports brand, reality TV star. With a new phase of his career ahead, he'd prefer to be known by the one thing he's been all along -- a skateboarder.
When Ryan Sheckler was 18, five years after he became the youngest gold-medal winner in X Games history, and one year after his MTV reality show "Life of Ryan" beamed his teen-idol looks to the rest of America, he got a mantra tattooed on both his forearms.
It reads: "Skate Life Till Death" -- a tattoo, he says, that sums up his life philosophy, and that "really represents me." In the limelight-drenched stage that his life has become since he turned pro at 13, with its distractions and detractors, the words are there -- a reminder for when things get a little off-track. Not that he's ever needed reminding.
"I don't think I have changed, ever, in my whole life," says Sheckler. "If things went down in the past, whatever. Now it's all good. I just kept skating and believing in what I believe in."
On July 29, Sheckler will go for his fifth X Games medal, and his second gold in a row in the street-skating event. He owes much to the competition that kick-started his career when he won gold as a 13-year-old. But in the past 12 months, Sheckler, now 21, has been diligently -- and quietly -- focusing on something else: a video part that will bring the exceptional talent the action sports community has known about for years to the wider world.
Produced by the respected skateboarding company Plan B, "Know Future" will showcase the technique and street-skating style he's been known for. Its planned release date, 11/11/11, carries with it a suggestion of gravitas, and it will be accompanied by a premiere in New York City.
"As a top pro, this is sort of a missing piece of Ryan's puzzle," says Tom Jones, Plan B's vice president. "You can win every contest in the world, but the video part is really the truest gauge of a pro skateboarder. Without it, the community finds it hard to quantify, in the truest sense, what makes this pro a pro."
Plan B -- one of the industry's oldest and most respected names -- signed Sheckler in 2007, seeing enormous potential in his immaculate street-skating technique and athletic style. "Ryan Sheckler has done one of the biggest kickflips we've ever seen," says Jones. "It's called the Costco gap. He absolutely ripped it."


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On the fourth Wednesday of each month, enjoy 10% off all health and personal care items. Wellness Wednesday is the perfect time to practice a little self care. Treat yourself to skin care products, supplements and homeopathic remedies!
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: November 23Yoga with Liza Docken
Later Event: November 30Yoga with Liza Docken


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Delivery From: KZN
Delivery Restriction: Ships to all regions
Delivery Within: South Africa
Estimated Process & Delivery Time: 2 - 7 days
Silver Shadow perfume engulfs you in its mysterious charms creating an irresistible aura. This Davidoff perfume is available in a fancy 100ml flacon.The Silver Shadow perfume by Davidoff for Men is a woody fragrance for bold men. The fragrance will take your olfactory senses beyond moments and memories creating a mysterious aura that is more than a signature. The scent is perfect for charismatic men who have lived more, seen more, and want more in life. The oriental fragrance was introduced by the celebrated Swiss fashion house, Davidoff. It scent comes in a fancy 100ml two-toned flacon that looks enigmatic and enticing. Its main accords include warm spicy, woody, amber, balsamic, and citrus.


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If Russia's behind this, sanctions are next
THE apparently deliberate destruction of flight MH17 has sent shockwaves around the world.
Few places have been more affected than Australia, which has been relatively immune to many of the world's recent traumas and outrages.
This latest tragedy is a painful reminder that in a world shrunk by globalisation, nowhere and nobody can be entirely confident about their security, even if the risks are comparatively small and the epicentres of conflict remain remote.
Like the London Underground bombings, tragedies of this sort reveal both the vulnerability of innocent civilian populations and the cosmopolitan nature of the victims.
The sense of international outrage will be multiplied as a consequence, as will the demands for action, justice and - in some quarters, no doubt - revenge.
Understandable as such sentiments may be in the immediate aftermath of such an outrage, it is vital that cool heads prevail, especially among those with the capacity to make consequential decisions.
It is important to remember that the most significant direct impact of September 11 was to plunge the US into the disastrously ill-conceived Iraq war with all the further bloodshed and mayhem that generated.
According to Prime Minister Tony Abbott, it "now seems certain it's been brought down by a Russian-supplied surface-to-air missile".
There is every chance that this analysis will prove correct. The question then becomes: what kind of response is appropriate and proportional for a country such as Australia and, more importantly, the European Union and the US?
If the links to Russia can be unambiguously demonstrated then it becomes vital that other states - indeed, as many other states as possible - respond decisively.
However, it is important that it not be seen as simply the usual suspects ganging up on an already paranoid and defensive authoritarian regime.
The US inevitably will play a prominent role in this, but so too must the United Nations and hopefully China.
If ever China wanted to a chance to demonstrate its potential as a responsible stakeholder this could be it.
The key objectives of any international response should be firstly to ensure that Russia changes its behaviour if found to be at fault.
This is a worthwhile goal even if its culpability is not definitively established. Russia's role in destabilising
Ukraine and egging on - if not directly supporting - the rebels clearly has made a bad situation significantly worse.
The second goal that flows from this is to make sure advanced weapons systems do not get into the hands of the ill-disciplined forces that have been leading the revolt against Ukraine's central government.
There may not be any "right" hands into which to place sophisticated weapons systems, but there are some wrong ones.
Cutting off their supply must be part of any reduction in the regional tensions that have consequences beyond eastern Europe.
A third goal should be further developing the existing sanctions against Russia.
Sanctions work.
They are already doing significant damage to a Russian economy that has failed to modernise and which remains highly dependent on the west for trade, investment and access to the good life its own government cannot provide.
Leaders around the world will be under enormous pressure to do something in response to this tragedy and the emotions that they inevitably generate.
Western leaders will be especially pressured as these events represent the most existential of threats to the privileged and generally secure existences so many of us take for granted.
There is no basis or justification for a direct military response, even if Russian troops prove to have actually brought the plane down.
We have to realise that there are no optimal or obvious responses to such crises. Sadly they are a recurring feature of international history and interaction. The challenge is to make responses proportional and effective.
Despite all of the opprobrium that has been heaped upon the head of Barack Obama because of his supposed indecisiveness and procrastination, I would much sooner have someone who is reflective and capable of recognising complexity and nuances in the White House at a moment of crisis.
Events of this sort are a profound shock to, and test of, ourselves and the systems we have created to govern our relations.
Once the initial anger and outrage has passed it is vital we learn the lessons: don't encourage thugs of any sort.


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How to build a summer terrace fence with wine bottles step by step DIY tutorial instructions, How to, how to do, diy instructions, crafts, do it yourself, diy website, art project ideas is creative inspiration for us.
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Source: bobvila.com


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Facilitating Improvement in Health QualityBetter health, better care and lower costs
Great Plains QIN, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), partners with healthcare providers, caregivers, stakeholders and individuals to support the National Quality Strategy, guided by the three aims of better health, better care and lower costs.
We are pleased to serve as your Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization and sharing information, best practices, resources, tools and education. Through the 'all-teach, all-learn' Learning and Action Network model, we are working to spread best practices and evidence-based processes across the region over the next five years. We hope you partner with us.
Learning and Action Network
We invite you to join the Great Plains Learning and Action Network (LAN). All LAN partners will be invited to attend educational sessions on a variety of topics, have opportunities to learn from peers throughout the state and region and have access to an abundance of resources and tools. The LAN is a great opportunity to get connected and demonstrate your commitment to quality improvement.


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There's not a room in your home that wouldn't benefit from an area rug, but they are especially nice in the bedroom. If your room has hard floors, an area rug will help absorb sound, stabilize temperature and make it just a little bit easier to get out of bed on those oh-so-early mornings by giving your feet a soft landing pad. If your bedroom is carpeted, go ahead and layer an area rug right on top. It's a great way to add extra color, texture, and pattern to your space. Choosing a new rug, however, can be overwhelming. For many people, determining the right size is the most confusing aspect – do you need an 8x10? A 6x9? Should the bed be on the rug or off? Is a small rug ever a good choice? Luckily, answering these questions isn't difficult once you know the basic guidelines.
Where Will You Put the Rug?
The first question to ask yourself is how you are going to use the rug. Typically, area rugs in a bedroom are under the bed. That's not the only option, however – you might use a rug next to the bed, at the foot of the bed, or, in a large bedroom, to highlight a separate sitting area. You'll need to know where exactly you want the rug before you can move on to choosing the right size.
General Area Rug Sizing Rules
One common mistake is picking a rug that is too small for its allotted space. For the best look, follow a few general rules:
- In any room, the area rug should not touch the walls. Leave at least five inches between the wall and the edge of the rug, or a minimum of eight inches if the room is large.
- Area rugs should not push up against the edge of the dresser or other large pieces of furniture. Either choose a rug that is large enough to slip underneath the dresser, or small enough so that at least two or three inches of floor shows between the edge of the rug and the edge of the furniture.
- If your bedroom is tiny, don't think you need an equally tiny rug. Instead, keep the eyes moving with an area rug large enough to fill the entire room, leaving just a couple of inches bare between the rug and the walls.
- If the bedroom or closet door will swing over the rug, check that the bottom edge of the door is high enough to clear the rug without dragging.
Area Rugs Under the Bed
You have two options for positioning a rug underneath the bed: the bed (along with the nightstands) sits entirely on the rug, or the lower two-thirds of the bed sits on the rug, leaving the top of the bed and the nightstands on the bare floor. In either case, the rug needs to extend at least twelve inches out from the sides and the bottom of the bed if it's a twin or full mattress, and at least eighteen inches out from the sides and bottom of a queen or king mattress.
Use the following rough guidelines for a queen or king-size bed:
- 9x12 rug to hold the entire bed, the nightstands, and a bench at the foot of the bed.
- 8x10 rug to hold the entire bed, the nightstands, but no bench.
- 8x10 rug to hold the bottom two-thirds of the bed and a bench.
- 6x9 rug to hold the bottom two-thirds of the bed with no bench.
Use the following rough guidelines for a twin or full-size bed:
- 6x9 rug to hold the entire bed, the nightstand, and a bench at the foot of the bed.
- 5x8 rug to hold the bottom two-thirds of the bed and the nightstands.
- 9x12 rug to hold two twin beds, nightstands, and benches.
Rugs Next to the Bed
If you have beautiful hardwood floors, you might like showing them off but hate the feel of the cold floor on your bare feet. In that case, soften the blow with an area rug running along the side of the bed – both sides if your bed is shared with a partner, you want a symmetrical, traditional look, or your bedroom is large. You'll want the rug to be big enough to fill most of the space, but remember that at least five inches of bare floor should show between the edge of the rug and the edge of the furniture or the wall. Generally, the best choices – depending on the size of the room – are either a runner the same length as your bed, a 2x3 rug in a small space, or a 3x5 rug if you have more room.
Rugs at the Foot of the Bed
You might choose an area rug for the foot of your bed only, or pair it with another rug at the side of the bed. Either way, the same rules apply: the rug should be large enough to fill most of the space, yet small enough to leave several inches of bare floor showing along the wall or the edge of furniture. If you have a bench at the foot of your bed, the rug should be large enough to fully extend underneath the bench, up to the foot of the mattress. In most bedrooms, a 4x6 is a good size.
Separate Sitting Areas
If your bedroom is large enough to hold a separate sitting area, reading nook, desk, or work area, use an area rug to define the space. For the best appearance, choose a rug large enough to hold all the furniture in this zone, but remember that you don't want the rug to run up against the walls, the other bedroom furniture, or the bed.
Keeping Your Area Rug in Place
While the right area rug can add a huge dose of style and color to your bedroom if that rug slips, slides, or bunches, not only is its appearance spoiled, but it also becomes a tripping hazard.
Sliding or slipping is likeliest to occur when a rug is placed over a hard floor such as wood or laminate. Luckily, this problem is fairly easy to solve; a nonstick, rubbery rug mat placed underneath the rug should keep it in position. The right rug mat is just a few inches smaller than your rug — too small, and the mat won't be able to anchor the rug, too large, and the mat will protrude from the rug's edges.
It's a bit trickier to solve the problem of an area rug bunching on top of carpet, but it can be done. First, anchor at least one edge of the rug with furniture. If bunching is still a problem, try two-sided rug tape strips underneath the problem areas. This will usually keep your rug in place, but if it still bunches or wrinkles, add a nonslip rug mat.


text: The candidate filing period for all Pierce County Drainage Districts is Monday, Dec. 11, 2017 through Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017.Declarations of candidacy are accepted at the Pierce County Election Center (2501 S. 35th St. Suite C, Tacoma) on Dec. 11-13, 2017 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Declarations of candidacy filed by mail must be received by Dec. 13, 2017.If two or more candidates file for a position there will be a Drainage District Election on Feb. 6, 2018.At the time of filing a candidate must be both a property owner in the district and a registered voter in the State of Washington for the last 30 days.Click here to see open Drainage Districts offices. For a complete list of all open offices visit www.piercecountyelections.org.Questions? Call 253-798-VOTE (8683).MEDIA CONTACTS:Julie Anderson, Pierce County Auditor


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An open letter to teenage girls NOT watching Thirteen Reasons Why/
For those of you who have not watched...
I know that it's hard to refrain from doing things that it feels like EVERYBODY around you is doing. Especially when 'everybody' includes most of your friends and classmates. I know it's hard when all of your friends are talking about something you haven't seen, so you can't join the conversation. I know it's painful to feel like an outsider when you're at school, and it feels impossible to stand up for things you feel strongly about when eyes are rolled and people tell you not to make such a big deal out of it... "it's not a big deal, calm down."
And I know the lines you've drawn can start to blur and zigzag a bit... maybe they're right... maybe if you just watch the first episode, then you can decide if it's really that big of a deal or not...
Girls, first, let me applaud your wisdom and maturity! I am so grateful you have listened to your heart telling you to keep this series far from it. Continue to stand your ground. There is a reason your heart has told you not to watch this series.
And it IS a big deal. The content of the show is a big deal, the way it is portrayed is a big deal, and your decision to spare your heart the potential trauma of watching it is a very. big. deal.
Keep these things in mind when you begin to waver:
- You won't lose true friendships over a trendy TV show.
- There are traumatic scenes and experiences in this show that your heart and mind will never un-see or un-hear and may not be prepared to process in a healthy way.
- This show has failed at it's goal, and your understanding of suicide, relationships, and mental health is SO much stronger being spared from these failures.
As you solidify and defend your decision to protect your heart, it's important that you understand where this show has failed at its intended goal, and how it has been quite successful at a hopefully unintended agenda:
- It has triggered self-harm and suicidal-thoughts in young people who have struggled with those things and with various mental illnesses. If you are somebody who has experience with any of this, you have learned the importance of healthy boundaries and how to protect your heart from further trauma, and you are exercising those boundaries in this decision. I hope you are proud of where you are and of the wisdom you've shown in knowing what you should and shouldn't expose your heart to!
- It has pointed fingers and created causes for suicide that are inaccurate at best. Perhaps bullying and sexual assault are risk factors that may trigger mental illness or substance abuse, but a risk factor and a cause are not the same thing. It is crucial to know the difference and understand that other people do not cause suicide. You may have questions about some of these things. In fact, I hope you do because it's incredibly important... Let's talk about it, bring your questions and let's learn together, outside of the influence of fiction.
- It has shown that friendships are untrustworthy and possibly even too risky to pursue, while neglecting the importance of building healthy relationships with trustworthy people who want to hear about your struggles and walk through your pain with you. Make a list today of those people in your life who you can call upon when you're hurting, lonely, scared.
- It has not taken advantage of an opportunity to shine light on the true causes of suicide and the help that is available, and instead made it look like a reasonable end to bullying, and a successful act of revenge. You have chosen not to support something that makes light of something so very serious, and that is an incredibly mature decision.
- It has made silence look like an acceptable approach to high school bullying, sexual assault and suicidal thoughts. It has made it seem as if nobody would care if you shared these things, that help cannot be attained, and that is simply not true. Keep your list of trustworthy adults and friends at hand, you know the truth.
- It has told its audience what not to do in order to "prevent suicide", but has offered no suggestions of what to do. There is no hope in this series, only vengeful blaming and hopelessness. Your decision has allowed you to remember and retain HOPE.
- It has sparked widespread concern regarding suicide contagion, or copycat suicide.
- It has caused people to defend suicide as an act of revenge and to criticize people who this series has affected in negative ways, calling it a "knee jerk reaction" and claiming that such a series wasn't meant to be educational, but only entertaining. These fans of the series have entirely missed the point that its critics are making. Whether it was intended to be educational or entertaining actually matters very little, because one in five of you are dealing with mental illness, suicide is the third leading cause of death in your age group and this series is affecting people just like you in extremely negative ways. You have kept your heart free so far, and I pray you will hold fast to your decision not to watch.
I spent some time yesterday reading some comments on a couple of blogs about this topic, and I want to share some of the things that real people are saying about how this series has affected them... I'm not going to directly quote them or link to the blogs because I believe some of the comments could be terribly damaging, but here is the gist of what so many are saying:
The extremely graphic suicide scene made one young girl miss self-harming, and another was having thoughts of self-harm after so many years of freedom, but the show was too addictive to stop watching, despite these disturbing thoughts. Many people shared that they began having flashbacks to extremely traumatizing times in their lives. One young girl compared herself to the main character, and realized her life isn't nearly that terrible. This made her feel guilty for being depressed when others have it so much worse, and in turn furthered her depression. Many people shared that their depression was deepening since watching. Some talked about a mental hangover weeks after watching the series. Some people felt jealous of the main character for being free from pain. Some talked about panic attacks, nightmares, and dark suicidal thoughts, and others talked about not being able to get the images they saw on the show out of their head.
I hope you can see the wisdom in your decision to keep your heart far from the trauma and darkness in this series. I hope you are proud of your decision, and advocating for your position when others are wavering.
But if your lines are blurring, and you're on the fence, wavering, considering taking a peek just to see what all the talk is about...
I need to tell you a personal story about an experience I had about six years ago. I was on a jury, it was an easy verdict, we were in court for a single day. I will not share details of the case or the images the court made us view but I will tell you that it has been six years, and those images are as vivid as if I had seen them this morning. The face of the guilty is burned in my memory, as are the faces of the two jurors who wanted to let him walk. I always assumed they were guilty of the same crimes as the defendant, because they so firmly fought for his freedom. We didn't need their votes in order to declare him guilty, but even still, I wanted to jump across the table and choke them for their assumed indiscretions. Why else would they have fought so hard for this criminal who was guilty far beyond any reasonable doubt? I still think of them often, and wonder how many crimes they have committed since that day they fought to let a dangerous man walk free. I drive by a road sometimes that bears the last name of the guilty, and will often have flashbacks of the images I saw that day. I couldn't sleep for weeks after the case. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the images and wept. Sometimes I still find myself there. I would do anything to go back to those moments and simply close my eyes, choose not to see them, spare myself years of flashbacks and triggers. Unfortunately, that is something I can't do, I will never be able to unsee the things I saw that day. But you, you still have a choice, a chance to avoid an experience similar to this one! If you have spared your eyes and your ears so far, please, please, do not expose your precious mind and heart to the traumatic scenes this series would place in front of you. You won't know how they will affect your heart until it's too late, they will not easily leave your mind, you will remember them at the strangest times. Your mind and your heart don't need to see the absurdly graphic scenes they will see if you indulge your curiosity in this series.
Friends, Thirteen Reasons Why handles an extremely serious topic extremely recklessly and irresponsibly.
You have made a decision to protect your hearts, despite what your friends are saying and doing. Your wisdom is so very admirable, as you are living out these words Paul wrote to the Romans:
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2)
"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." (Proverbs 4:23)
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)


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Bloomberg Online Features Op-Ed by Dr. Wright
Most don't think of the U.S. as a monetary union, but early on in its history, it was. A new Bloomberg online op-ed by Augustana's Dr. Robert Wright explores how the "dollar zone" survived its first few decades without a major crisis and provided the young republic stability as it began to congeal culturally, economically, politically and militarily.
Teaching for Change
Third-grade teacher Heather Hemeyer, class of 2008, isn't just teaching math, reading and spelling at St. Joseph's Indian School in Chamberlain, S.D. She's teaching children the skills they need to build a better tomorrow. She's also furthering her own education with Augustana's Master of Arts in Education Online Degree Program.
From Augustana to the White House
Augustana graduates find themselves working in positions all over the globe and recent grad Dirk Tedmon is no exception. Following an internship in the White House, Tedmon, a Communications and Government/International Affairs major, was recently named an analyst for the Office of Presidential Correspondence.
Proposals Sought for 2012 Peace Prize Forum Scholars Program
Calling freshmen, sophomores or juniors who are champions of peace and advocates for global issues: proposals for the '12 Nobel Peace Prize Forum Scholars Program are due Monday, Feb. 6.
Hasseler Named Senior VP for Academic Affairs, Dean of the College
Dr. Susan S. Hasseler has been named senior vice president for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College. She most recently served at Messiah College in Grantham, Pa. Her appointment marks the first time in Augustana's 151-year history that a woman will serve as Dean.
Book by Professor Emeritus, Anthropology Professor Examines 'Village on the Bluff'
Read the Daily Republic's feature on "The Village on the Bluff,' the first book on Mitchell's Prehistoric Indian Village authored by Ron Robinson, professor emeritus of English and Journalism, and Dr. Adrien Hannus, professor of anthropology and director of Augustana's Archeology Laboratory.
500 Students Take Part in SD FIRST LEGO League Championship
More than 500 students from 62 teams across South Dakota competed in the third annual South Dakota FIRST® LEGO® League Championship on Saturday, Feb. 25, in the Elmen Center. The event featured a special video tribute to Dr. Dan Swets, Kevin Anderson and Joshua Lambrecht, League leaders who were killed in a plane crash late last year.
Report: S.D. an Attractive Choice for College Students
According to a new report by the South Dakota Board of Regents, the state is now considered to be a net importer of college freshmen. Augustana junior Coral Hanson and President Rob Oliver talked with KSFY-TV about the trend and about why Augustana is an attractive option for so many students from outside the state.
Senior Matt Wussow, Dr. Nathan Grau Published in Scientific Journal
"Determination of the Quark Content of Scalar Mesons Using Hydrodynamical Flow in Heavy Ion Collisions," a paper by Matt Wussow, a senior physics and mathematics major from Eden Prairie, Minn., and Augustana's Dr. Nathan Grau, was recently published in Physical Review C, the nuclear physics journal of the American Physical Society.
Gaining Insight Into Ancient Cultures
"An understanding of the past is crucially important to facing the present and future," says Dr. Adrien Hannus, professor of anthropology and director of Augustana's Archeology Lab. On Sunday, more than 100 students and community members had a chance to do just that as they examined and learned about early stone tools called lithic bifaces and heard from Michael Fosha, assistant state archaeologist.


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Much Ado About Nothing opens with a messenger newly arrived to say that visitors are on their way. Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon, has just finished some military action and is bringing his men to Messina for a visit. The news is received by Leonato, Governor of Messina; Hero, his daughter; and Beatrice, his orphaned niece. Leonato inquires about the campaign; the messenger answers. They chat a bit.
Then Beatrice speaks up. "I pray you, is Signior Mountanto returned from the wars or no?" The messenger says, "I know none of that name, lady. There was none such in the army of any sort." Leonato asks, "What is he that you ask for, niece?" Then Hero says, "My cousin means Signior Benedick of Padua" (I.i.27-31).
Montanto is a fencing term for a strike or jab made in an upward direction with a sword. "Mr. Fancy Fighter" is perhaps the most innocent interpretation that could be given to the name "Signior Mountanto." Whatever Beatrice means here, it isn't something flattering.
The messenger answers, "O, he's returned, and as pleasant as ever he was" (I.i.32-3). Beatrice responds with more Benedick-insulting nonsense; the messenger gives another straight answer. They go back and forth for a while, the messenger growing increasingly puzzled. Finally Leonato tells him, "You must not, sir, mistake my niece. There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her. They never meet but there's a skirmish of wit between them."
Constant heckling gets tiresome, and Benedick and Beatrice could easily be insufferable boors. They are saved from this by their genuine good will and affection for others. The reactions to them by the characters who know them best make it plain that they are well liked. They are both described as having no trace of melancholy; they aren't moody or introspective. The word merry is used ten times in the play, seven of which are in connection with Beatrice and Benedick. The messenger, after his prolonged teasing by Beatrice, ends by saying, "I will hold friends with you, lady," to which Beatrice replies, "Do, good friend" (I.i.80-1). For a stranger to perceive the playful good humor behind her wit is testimony to her personal warmth.
The word wit occurs thirty-three times in this play. Twenty of these are in reference to Benedick and Beatrice. Wit can be defined as "a natural aptitude for using words and ideas in a quick and inventive way to create humor." This is the normal mode of communication for Benedick and Beatrice. Their speech is filled with puns (often bawdy), hyperbole, and bewildering turns of fancy. Benedick's fellow soldiers are so used to hearing him speak this way that when at last they hear him speak plainly (which happens no earlier than Act V), they don't believe him, even after he repeatedly insists he's serious. And anytime Beatrice and Benedick are together with their respective wits, things escalate fast.
Humor can be used to disguise meaning, to deflect perception, to have it both ways. You can wrap up some genuine inquiry or declaration in humor to see how it'll be received; if not so well, you can always say, I was only joking. In this way you can feel out the other person without communicating your true self, take without giving, and avoid looking like a fool.
Beatrice and Benedick have much to disguise, even from themselves, for they have been in love for some time. The audience realizes this long before they do. When the messenger first arrives, Leonato asks how many soldiers were killed in the recent action; the messenger says only a few but doesn't name names. Beatrice wants to know particulars. What about Benedick? Is he alive? What's he doing? Who's his companion? But to ask directly would betray her feelings, so she couches her inquiry in an insult. Her listeners are too dazzled by her wit to realize she asks no fewer than seven questions about Benedick's doings. She doesn't inquire about any other soldier in Don Pedro's company.
The soldiers arrive, and before Benedick has had a chance to say more than a few lines of pleasantries to his host, this exchange takes place between him and Beatrice.
I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick. Nobody marks you.
What, my dear Lady Disdain! are you yet living?
Is it possible Disdain should die while she hath such meet food to feed it as Signior Benedick? Courtesy itself must convert to Disdain if you come in her presence.
Then is courtesy a turncoat. But it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted; and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart, for truly I love none.
A dear happiness to women! They would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank God and my cold blood, I am of your humor for that. I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.
God keep your ladyship still in that mind! So some gentleman or other shall scape a predestinate scratched face.
Scratching could not make it worse an 'twere such a face as yours were.
Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.
A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours.
I would my horse had the speed of your tongue, and so good a continuer. But keep your way, a God's name! I have done.
You always end with a jade's trick. I know you of old. (I.i.103-30)
Why does Beatrice say no one marks Benedick if in fact no one does mark him? Why point out that no one is listening to him if no one really is? She, for one, is certainly listening, and once she delivers her jab everyone else within earshot will be listening as well. Benedick takes up the exchange eagerly, as if he was just waiting for an opportunity; he fairly pounces on her words. He is quick to introduce the subject of love to the conversation and to remind everyone present that he loves none; and Beatrice is just as quick to say that she feels the same way. In this, their opposition to love and marriage, they are strangely united. They are alike; they are superior to ordinary mortals who let their feelings run away with them. Beatrice's final line is most intriguing of all: "I know you of old." Benedick and Beatrice have a history, often hinted at but never fully explained.
Neither of them is accomplishing anything here; neither is really trumping the other. Everything they say is designed to prolong the encounter, effectively daring the other to top that, if you may. If they disliked each other as much as they claim, they could easily say something game-ending or say nothing at all.
The women withdraw, and Benedick's friend Claudio, a young count who has distinguished himself in the recent action, asks Benedick's opinion of Hero.
Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signior Leonato?
I noted her not, but I looked on her.
Is she not a modest young lady?
Do you question me as an honest man should do, for my simple true judgment? or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex?
No, I pray thee speak in sober judgment.
Why, i' faith, methinks she's too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise. Only this commendation I can afford her, that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome, and being no other but as she is, I do not like her.
Thou thinkest I am in sport. I pray thee tell me truly how thou lik'st her.
Would you buy her, that you enquire after her?
Can the world buy such a jewel?
Yea, and a case to put it into. But speak you this with a sad brow? or do you play the flouting Jack, to tell us Cupid is a good hare-finder and Vulcan a rare carpenter? Come, in what key shall a man take you to go in the song?
In mine eye she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on.
I can see yet without spectacles, and I see no such matter. There's her cousin, an she were not possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty as the first of May doth the last of December. (I.i.143-71)
Much of the humor in this scene arises from the contrast between Claudio's deadly seriousness and Benedick's jests. And though he is jesting, Benedick is something of a straight man here; Claudio is the one using inflated language. But Benedick's plain-spoken, sober-minded praise of Beatrice's beauty resonates more, is more valuable, than Claudio's contrived raptures about Hero.
Claudio confides to Don Pedro that he's in love with Hero. Don Pedro approves, and furthermore, offers to woo Hero in Claudio's place that very night at a masked dance. This interference seems a bit much even for a well-intentioned commanding officer and nobleman. As is admitted outright later in the play, the soldiers are bored and ready to stir things up, and some of their stirring up ultimately leads to a lot of trouble and heartache for themselves and Leonato's household. Much could be drawn from this play about the effect of too quickly reintroducing men newly returned from combat back into civilian society. The Prince and Claudio behave like warriors with Issues: quick to close ranks, exaggerating perceived threats, overreacting to provocation, and dispensing summary justice.
The ultimate source of the provocation is Don John, the Prince's illegitimate brother, who stood against the Prince in the recent military action. He was defeated and is now in a sort of probation. This chafes at him. He isn't truly repentant at all and would love nothing more than to stir up trouble, especially for his brother and Claudio, whose recent renown came at Don John's expense. At the masked dance, Don John, pretending to mistake Claudio for Benedick, tells him that Don Pedro is wooing Hero for himself, and Claudio believes him. But the misunderstanding is soon cleared up, and Hero and Claudio agree to marry as soon as possible.
Disguise is a recurring element in this play. Characters are often masked, literally or figuratively. Unlike Rosalind and Viola, other romantic heroines of Shakespearean comedies, Beatrice does not dress up in men's clothing, but she and Benedick both use wit as a disguise.
They share a dance. Benedick wears a mask, and he pretends to be someone else and tells Beatrice all the unpleasant things he has heard about her. She sees through this transparent ruse but plays along and gives him what-for by abusing Benedick to himself. Her insults leave his in the dust.
Why, he is the Prince's jester, a very dull fool. Only his gift is in devising impossible slanders. None but libertines delight in him; and the commendation is not in his wit, but in his villainy; for he both pleases men and angers them, and then they laugh at him and beat him (II.i.122-7).
Beatrice criticizes Benedick for being critical, which is appropriate considering that he just criticized her, and also ironic because she is just as habitually critical as he is. Her jabs hit home; Benedick seems truly hurt by the suggestion that people dislike him, and tries to reassure himself afterwards that this isn't true.
Later he vents to the Prince and Claudio.
O, she misused me past the endurance of a block! An oak but with one green leaf on it would have answered her; my very visor began to assume life and scold with her. She told me, not thinking I had been myself, that I was the Prince's jester, that I was duller than a great thaw; huddling jest upon jest with such impossible conveyance upon me that I stood like a man at a mark, with a whole army shooting at me. She speaks poniards, and every word stabs. If her breath were as terrible as her terminations, there were no living near her; she would infect to the North Star. I would not marry her though she were endowed with all that Adam had left him before he transgressed. She would have made Hercules have turned spit, yea, and have cleft his club to make the fire too. Come, talk not of her. You shall find her the infernal Ate in good apparel. I would to God some scholar would conjure her, for certainly, while she is here, a man may live as quiet in hell as in a sanctuary; and people sin upon purpose, because they would go thither; so indeed all disquiet, horror, and perturbation follows her (II.i.214-35).
This is a long speech with lots of hyperbole. There is nothing understated or subtle about Benedick or Beatrice. Benedick says he would not marry Beatrice if she were basically endowed with every conceivable virtue; well, who's asking him to? Who brought up marriage but himself? He says, "Come, talk not of her," and then proceeds to go on talking of her. No one else talks about her half as much as he does. No one else has anything like his interest in the subject.
After the dance, Benedick reflects on Claudio's defection to the ranks of lovers and ponders whether he himself might one day fall in love.
I do much wonder that one man, seeing how much another man is a fool when he dedicates his behaviors to love, will, after he hath laughed at such shallow follies in others, become the argument of his own scorn by falling in love; and such a man is Claudio. I have known when there was no music with him but the drum and the fife; and now had he rather hear the tabor and the pipe. I have known when he would have walked ten mile afoot to see a good armor; and now will he lie ten nights awake carving the fashion of a new doublet. He was wont to speak plain and to the purpose, like an honest man and a soldier; and now is he turned orthography; his words are a very fantastical banquet—just so many strange dishes. May I be so converted and see with these eyes? I cannot tell; I think not. I will not be sworn but love may transform me to an oyster; but I'll take my oath on it, till he have made an oyster of me he shall never make me such a fool. One woman is fair, yet I am well; another is wise, yet I am well; another virtuous, yet I am well; but till all graces be in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace. Rich she shall be, that's certain; wise, or I'll none; virtuous, or I'll never cheapen her; fair, or I'll never look on her; mild, or come not near me; noble, or not I for an angel; of good discourse, an excellent musician, and her hair shall be of what color it please God. (II.iii.7-32)
Benedick's defense against falling in love is that it will take no less than a flawless paragon of beauty, intellect, and virtue to win his heart, but very soon after he is undone by a simple hoax. The Prince decides to amuse himself in his down time by bringing Beatrice and Benedick together. Claudio, Hero, and Leonato all agree to help. Because the two potential lovers are so contrary, they must be tricked: the men will speak so as to be overheard by Benedick about how Beatrice is secretly in love with him, and Hero and her maid Ursula will serve Beatrice the same way.
The plan goes off beautifully. With Benedick eavesdropping from the arbor, Claudio, Don Pedro, and Leonato talk at length about how hopelessly Beatrice is in love with him, how worthy a woman she is, and how Benedick is too proud and disdainful too ever requite her. When they are gone, he reflects on what he has heard.
This can be no trick. The conference was sadly borne; they have the truth of this from Hero; they seem to pity the lady. It seems her affections have their full bent. Love me? Why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censured. They say I will bear myself proudly if I perceive the love come from her. They say too that she will rather die then give any sign of affection. I did never think to marry. I must not seem proud. Happy are they that hear their detractions and can put them to mending. They say the lady is fair—'tis a truth, I can bear them witness; and virtuous—'tis so, I cannot reprove it; and wise, but for loving me—by my troth, it is no addition to her wit, nor no great argument of her folly, for I will be horribly in love with her. I may chance have some odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me because I have railed so long against marriage. But doth not the appetite alter? A man loves the meat in his youth that he cannot endure in his age. Shall quips and sentences and these paper bullets of the brain awe a man from the career of his humor? No, the world must be peopled. When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married. Here comes Beatrice. By this day, she's a fair lady! I do spy some marks of love in her (II.iii.202-25).
For such a professed cynic, Benedick is easily taken in. The possibility of deception is mentioned in his very first sentence, only to be dismissed at once. Thinking you're clever can make you easier to fool, but something more is going on here. Benedick's objections to marriage, and to Beatrice in particular, could not be so quickly overcome if they had not been so flimsy to begin with. Truth is, he's glad for the excuse.
Not long after, Hero arranges to have Beatrice listen in on her conversation with Ursula. They speak of Benedick's merit and Beatrice's scorn; they agree that it's a hopeless case. Their words hit home.
After they depart, Beatrice says,
What fire is in mine ears? Can this be true?
Stand I condemned for pride and scorn so much?
Contempt, farewell! and maiden pride, adieu!
No glory lives behind the back of such.
And, Benedick, love on; I will requite thee,
Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand.
If thou dost love, my kindness shall incite thee
To bind our loves up in a holy band;
For others say thou dost deserve, and I
Believe it better than reportingly (II.iii.107-16).
Before either of them can make a move, the time comes for Hero and Claudio's wedding. After Don John's lie to Claudio fails to amount to much mischief, he hatches a far more ambitious scheme. One of his own men, Borachio, proposes to have a romantic encounter with Margaret, one of Hero's maids, in Hero's window for Claudio and the Prince to see. Claudio will mistake Margaret for Hero and call off his marriage; Hero's reputation and future prospects will be ruined; her family will be shamed. Don John revels in the collateral damage; the more people are made miserable, the better satisfied he will be.
The ruse succeeds. Don John slanders Hero to the Prince and Claudio, saying that she has had many illicit lovers, and arranges for them to see the tryst at the window. Claudio is incensed. He vows to keep his rage in check until the day of the intended wedding, when he will publicly shame Hero at the altar before her family and the entire community. And this he does, with the Prince backing him up. Hero faints from shock and grief, and Don John, Don Pedro, and Claudio stalk off.
Leonato's behavior in the altar scene is appalling. At first, when the reason for Claudio's sudden coldness to Hero is unclear, Leonato almost bends over backwards to smooth things over, calling Claudio son and dear my lord. After Claudio accuses Hero of being unchaste, Leonato assumes that Claudio himself seduced her, and he is absurdly conciliatory, almost apologetic. But once he fully understands the allegation, he turns on Hero with startling ferocity, shaming her and wishing her dead. When she protests her innocence, he retorts, "Would the two princes lie? and Claudio lie,/Who loved her so that, speaking of her foulness,/Washed it with tears?" (IV.i.149-51) This is as much as to say that Hero would lie, that he believes their word over hers. Also, this all takes place shortly after Leonato himself has taken part in a successful trick on Benedick. Though deceived, Leonato is much to blame.
Beatrice defends her cousin, but blindly; she is bewildered as to why the Prince and Claudio would lie or how they could have made such a mistake.
Benedick doesn't storm off with his fellow soldiers, he remains with Beatrice, Hero, and Leonato. In the midst of the vitriol and drama, his words are a balm, though all he says is that he doesn't understand what's going on. Under the circumstances, withholding judgment is the most reasonable and fair-minded thing he can do.
Then the friar speaks. He has been watching Hero closely throughout the ordeal and is convinced that she is telling the truth. He says that the princes—Don Pedro and Don John—must be mistaken, and Benedick suddenly realizes that Don John must be to blame.
The friar proposes that Leonato pretend that Hero has died of grief. In this way he will allow some time for the truth to come to light and for Don Pedro and Claudio to repent of what they've done. This might seem like an extreme course of action, but in a culture that highly valued a woman's reputation for virtue, the loss of a good name was a serious, life-altering thing. Benedick agrees with the friar's plan and vows to keep it secret from the prince and Claudio.
The others exit, leaving Benedick and Beatrice alone. They have this exchange.
Surely I do believe your fair cousin is wronged.
Ah, how much might the man deserve of me that would right her!
Is there any way to show such friendship?
A very even way, but no such friend.
May a man do it?
It is a man's office, but not yours.
I do love nothing in the world so well as you. Is not that strange?
As strange as the thing I know not. It were as possible for me to say I loved nothing so well as you. But believe me not; and yet I lie not. I confess nothing, nor I deny nothing. I am sorry for my cousin.
By my word, Beatrice, thou lovest me.
Do not swear and eat it.
I will swear by it that you love me, and I will make him eat it that says I love not you.
Will you not eat your word?
With no sauce that can be devised to it. I protest I love thee.
Why then, God forgive me!
What offense, sweet Beatrice?
You have stayed me in a happy hour. I was about to protest I loved you.
And do it with all thy heart.
I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.
Come, bid me do anything for thee.
Kill Claudio.
Ha! not for the wide world!
You kill me to deny it. Farewell.
Tarry, sweet Beatrice.
I am gone, though I am here. There is no love in you. Nay, I pray you let me go.
In faith, I will go.
We'll be friends first.
You dare easier be friends with me than fight with mine enemy.
Is Claudio thine enemy?
Is 'a not approved in the height a villain, that hath slandered, scorned, dishonored my kinswoman? O that I were a man! What? bear her in hand until they come to take hands, and then with public accusation, uncover slander, unmitigated rancor—O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market place.
Hear me, Beatrice—
Talk with a man out at a window!—a proper saying!
Nay, but Beatrice—
Sweet Hero! she is wronged, she is slandered, she is undone.
Princes and Counties! Surely a princely testimony, a goodly count, Count Comfect, a sweet gallant surely! O that I were a man for his sake! or that I had any friend would be a man for my sake! But manhood is melted into cursies, valor into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too. He is now as valiant as Hercules that only tells a lie, and swears it. I cannot be a man with wishing; therefore I will die a woman with grieving.
Tarry, good Beatrice. By this hand, I love thee.
Use it for my love some other way than swearing by it.
Think you in your soul the Count Claudio hath wronged Hero?
Yea, as sure as I have a thought or a soul.
Enough, I am engaged. I will challenge him.
This is as riveting a back-and-forth as any they have had so far, and more, because for the first time they are speaking plainly without a single jest. The depth of Beatrice's character is revealed—her ferocious loyalty, her sense of justice, her desire for vindication of her cousin's good name. When she says she would be willing to fight to defend Hero's honor, we believe her. And Benedick agrees to fight a duel with a comrade at arms whom he loves like a brother, based on Beatrice's assurance of her cousin's innocence. He trusts her that much, and values honor as much as she does.
One of the most beautiful things about this play is also what keeps it from being too dark for a comedy while still allowing the characters a broad emotional range. After the staged scene at the window between Borachio and Margaret, but before Hero has been accused, the members of the watch overhear Borachio as he is bragging about the success of his evil scheme and arrest him. Dogberry, the constable, actually tries to tell Leonato this before the wedding, but his manner of speaking is so obscure, so overblown and full of malapropisms, that Leonato brushes him off. But we are confident that Dogberry will return and the truth will out. Even as Leonato is refusing to be comforted, the sexton is on his way with good news. We can sympathize with the characters' misery, but we know their deliverance is nigh.
By the time Benedick confronts Don Pedro and Claudio, they have received word that Hero is dead. Benedick rebukes them both and challenges Claudio to single combat.
You are a villain. I jest not; I will make it good how you dare, with what you dare, and when you dare. Do me right, or I will protest your cowardice. You have killed a sweet lady, and her death shall fall heavy on you. Let me hear from you (V.i.143-7).
Claudio and the Prince think Benedick is joking, and they joke back with him, showing no remorse over Hero's supposed death. Perhaps there is some suppressed guilt in their humor; it certainly goes on a long time, long after it ought to be plain to them that he is serious, long beyond the bounds of good taste. Finally Benedick tells Claudio,
Fare you well, boy; you know my mind. I will leave you now to your gossip-like humor. You break jests as braggards do their blades, which God be thanked hurt not. [to the Prince] My lord, for your many courtesies I thank you. I must discontinue your company. Your brother the bastard is fled from Messina. You have among you killed a sweet and innocent lady. For my Lord Lackbeard there, he and I shall meet; and till then peace be with him (IV.i.178-186).
Many reversals occur here. For the first time, Benedick is the serious one, and Claudio and the Prince can't stop joking. Furthermore, Benedick is turning his back on the male companionship and camaraderie that mean so much to him. By now the audience has laughed at his wit many times, but this is his first opportunity to demonstrate that he is a good man.
Immediately after Benedick leaves them, Dogberry shows up with his prisoners.
Officers, what offense have these men done?
Marry, sir, they have committed false report; moreover, they have spoken untruths; secondarily, they are slanders; sixth and lastly, they have belied a lady; thirdly they have verified unjust things; and to conclude, they are lying knaves.
First, I ask thee what they have done; thirdly, I ask thee what's their offense; sixth and lastly, why they are committed; and to conclude, what you lay to their charge.
Who have you offended, masters, that you are thus bound to your answer? This learned constable is too cunning to be understood. What's your offense?
Borachio confesses all and concludes by telling Don Pedro and Claudio, "I have deceived even your very eyes. What your wisdoms could not discover, these shallow fools have brought to light" (V.i.221-3). Dogberry has neither wit nor wisdom to guide him, and he can't even count to six, but he means well and manages to uncover the truth, foiling the plans of clever criminals almost in spite of himself. In this case, a good heart triumphs over a sharp wit.
Claudio and the Prince both protest to Leonato that they "sinned…not but in mistaking" (IV.i.261-2). This is not satisfactory. The testimony about Hero's habitual promiscuity was mere hearsay from Don John, and the evidence of their eyes was inconclusive, since they obviously weren't close enough to see the woman's face. They could and should have made inquiry and spoken to Leonato privately. Instead they publicly shamed Hero based on circumstantial evidence and an unconfirmed report, all originating from a person they knew to have been previously untrustworthy. Their behavior was graceless, harsh, and based on too high an opinion of their own understanding and importance. They lacked the humility to realize they could be fooled.
From start to finish, the romance between Claudio and Hero has been in sharp contrast to, and less satisfactory than, the one between Benedick and Beatrice. The former is based on very little prior acquaintance; Benedick and Beatrice have known each other a long time. Claudio falls in love based on a visual impression of Hero's beauty and the virtue that he intuitively imputes to her character; Beatrice and Benedick know one another's mind. Claudio and Hero are usually speechless in each other's presence; Beatrice and Benedick won't stop talking.
Claudio's love originates in a kind of unreasoning, impressionistic faith, but his rejection of Hero arises from strict (though limited and misguided) factual deduction. His restoration involves a return to faith. Penitent, he yields himself completely to the will of Leonato. Leonato offers an unexpected grace: since Claudio could not be his son-in-law, he will be his nephew instead, and marry the daughter of Leonato's brother. Claudio agrees. After an all-night vigil at Hero's grave, designed to inform the entire community of Messina that the accusations against her were false, he arrives at the chapel. Four women are brought out, all masked: Hero, Beatrice, and two maids.
"Which is the lady I must seize upon?" Claudio asks (V.iv.53). Leonato brings Hero forth. Claudio asks to see her face, but Leonato says, "No, that you shall not till you take her hand/Before this friar and swear to marry her" (V.iv.56-7). Formerly taken in by the faulty evidence of his eyes, Claudio must abandon completely his own judgment and outer eye. He must give himself over wholly to the will of another and proceed on faith, which is what he should have had in Hero before. And he does. He says to the masked woman, "Give me your hand before this holy friar./I am your husband if you like of me" (V.iv.58-9).
Removing her mask, Hero replies,
And when I lived I was your other wife;
And when you loved you were my other husband….
One Hero died defiled; but I do live,
And surely as I live, I am a maid (V.i.60-1, 63-4).
Then Benedick steps forward, and before the whole assembly, says,
Soft and fair, friar. Which is Beatrice?
BEATRICE [unmasks]
I answer to that name. What is your will?
Do not you love me?
Why, no; no more than reason.
Why, then your uncle, and the Prince, and Claudio
Have been deceived—they swore you did.
Do not you love me?
Troth, no; no more than reason.
Why, then my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula
Are much deceived; for they did swear you did.
They swore that you were almost sick for me.
They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me.
'Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me?
No, truly, but in friendly recompense.
Leonato calls out, "Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman," and Claudio adds,
And I'll be sworn upon't that he loves her;
For here's a paper written in his hand,
A halting sonnet of his own pure brain,
Fashioned to Beatrice (V.iv.85-8).
Then Hero says,
And here's another,
Writ in my cousin's hand, stol'n from her pocket,
Containing her affection unto Benedick (V.iv.88-90).
They're trapped now, but they don't seem to mind. Benedick says,
A miracle! Here's our own hands against our hearts. Come, I will have thee; but, by this light, I take thee for pity (V.iv.91-3).
Beatrice replies,
I would not deny you; but, by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption (V.iv.94-6).
Those are the last words Beatrice speaks. Benedick replies, "Peace! I will stop your mouth," and kisses her—which is a pretty good way for wit to conclude (V.iv.97).


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Oh, but were Starbucks Corporation moxie enough to make the twitching ensemble song "Coffee Break" its anthem!
Or imagine if a corporate motivational speaker could break the ice with a rendition of "The Company Way".
These are just two of the satirical and fun song and dance numbers in Porchlight's "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" that will make you break out in ear-to-ear smiles, whether or not you think that "corporations are people too".
This play has the zeitgeist of the funniest Dilbert cartoon laced with melody. You can't take this show seriously and that is a very good thing. Just get ready to laugh and enjoy yourself.
This Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-Winning Musical was based on the best-selling 1952 book of the same name. In Porchlight's most able hands, this fast-moving ensemble romp never has a sagging energy moment. Just when you think that one of the actors is stealing the show yet another comes to be funnier still. Best yet, this cast works wonders as a well-choreographed ensemble, with no discernible loose end. Bravo to Director Rob Lindley, Choreographer Brenda Didier, and Musical Director Kory Danielson!
It starts with the God-like voice of Bill Kurtis narrating the book of the title name and beginning with the admonition that anyone can get to the top if they don't let lack of intelligence, talent or ability get in their way. Window washer J. Pierrepont Finch (ably played by Tyler Ravelson) follows this book as a bible. The story is about his meteoric rise to the top.
At every step of the way you know it will end with Finch supreme and outplacing CEO Biggley (Fred Zimmerman) but knowing the ending is not a worry. We also know the girl (Rosemary, played by Elizabeth Telford) will get the guy and that the whining nephew of the CEO who plays the nepotism card at every turn (Bud Frump played with great shtick by John Keating)will get his comeuppance.
Sexpot character Hedy LaRue (Emily Ariel Rogers) takes this stereotype and runs with it in high-heeled low-cut clinging dress glory.
Similarly the lyrics lampooning the secretarial pool's fantasies of marrying an uprising corporate star make an early feminist point in much the same way that Stephen Colbert today takes on the persona of a right wing broadcaster.
This play weathers well with time, or at least it has in Porchlight's hands. Don't hesitate to see it. You may want to see it twice.
Running now through June 1 at Stage 773, 1225 West Belmont, Chicago.
Fridays – 8 PM
Saturdays – 4 PM and 8 PM
Sundays – 2 PM
Extra matinee May 29 – 1 PM
For tickets or information visit the Porchlight Music Theatre website or phone Stage 773 at 773 – 327 – 5252.
Photos: Kelsey Jorissen
Published on May 01, 2014


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I'm Art Blanc, a designer living in Jakarta, Indonesia. I design interfaces to help humans interact with computers and vice versa.
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5-year-old Cayleigh Hinton lost her father, Sergeant Terrence Hinton, in May 2017 in a military training accident in Hawaii.
When her school, Our Lady of Humility School in north suburban Beach Park, announced they were holding a daddy-daughter dance night, this prompted Cayleigh's mother to write a request to the National Guard asking if someone could take her.
When First Sergeant Joseph Bierbrodt saw the letter he said, "It wasn't even really a choice for me. I view it as an honor to be able to do this for her."
A limo picked the pair up and they were escorted by police, firefighters and the Patriot Guard.
Trending: The Only Gun Store in Thousand Oaks Sees Spike in Sales, Residences Say It's Time to Buy a Gun
Bierbrodt said stepping in for Cayleigh's late father was just something "that had to be done."
The little girl had practiced for the dance and called the evening "a very special day."
When asked about her dancing skills Cayleigh boldly stated, "I'm very good at it."
Via USAWTFM: Bierbrodt has taken his own daughters to such dances, and it's something Cayleigh's father had talked about doing one day.
"He's definitely here in spirit. I heard Cayleigh talking to him while she was getting ready, and I have no doubt she has him with her tonight," said Jillian Hinton, Cayleigh's mother.
Bierbrodt didn't know Cayleigh's father, but said he would want someone to do the same as he did for his daughters.


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related issues
related documents
Amsterdam region, Rijeka and Valencia finalists for the 2016 GDC Award 'Promoting open and interoperable solutions'
- forums
- knowledge society
- date
- 19-01-2017
The third GDC award will recognise the project that has adopted and implemented open data and/or interfaces; has deployed and/or promoted interoperable solutions; and has tried to promote urban platforms or the better use/re-use of infrastructures, services, tools, etc.
Amsterdam region's Open Data – Smart Neighbourhoods (ODSN) project
Rijeka's iURBAN intelligent urban energy tool
Valencia's Smart City Platform
Amsterdam region's ODSN project uses IT to achieve urban climate targets
Commissioned by the Dutch ministry of infrastructure and environment, the Open Data – Smart Neighbourhoods (OSDN) project implements the IREEN roadmap, which was developed by Green IT Amsterdam under the FP7 funding programme between 2011 and 2013. This roadmap for energy-efficient neighbourhoods aims to promote the development of a comprehensive Europe-wide innovation strategy and the take-up of ICT-based energy efficiency solutions in urban districts and neighbourhoods.
The ODSN project builds on Amsterdam's expertise and experience in open data management and in supporting new data-driven projects in five municipalities of the Amsterdam region, namely Haarlem, Tilburg, Zaanstad, Lelystad Airport Business Park, and Heerlen. The project encourages the participants to learn about the benefits of open data and also about the challenges involved in monitoring, as well as in engaging and protecting the privacy of residents.
More information is available at at Green IT Amsterdam website.
Contact person: Jaak Vlasveld, director of Green IT Amsterdam: jvlasveld[at]greenitamsterdam.nl
Rijeka's iURBAN: intelligent tool for an energy-efficient smart city
Just like all other local and regional authorities, the city of Rijeka must pay the energy bills of public buildings, such as schools, kindergartens, public libraries, and the city council itself.
An open access research book was published online in November 2016, just after the end of the project. Entitled iURBAN: Intelligent Urban Energy Tool, the book introduces this tool that integrates different ICT energy management systems (both hardware and software) in Rijeka) and Plovdiv. This system provides useful data to a novel decision support system needed for the development of associated business models.
The iURBAN smart Decision Support System (smartDSS) addresses a growing market demand for cheaper and cleaner energy services. It enables municipalities to analyse consumption patterns within buildings, detect sources of inefficiency, and identify power-hungry devices that weigh heavily on the municipality's energy bill. It also helps building managers identify areas where investment is needed.
Interested to know more? Visit the iURBAN website at http://www.iurban-project.eu.
Contact person: Tatjana Perse, head of the city of Rijeka's e-government unit: tatjana.perse[at]rijeka.hr
Valencia Smart City Platform (VLCi)
The Spanish city's 2020 strategy emphasises innovation, sustainability and environmental quality; promotes entrepreneurship; foresees the emergence of a civic-minded political culture; and aims for the creation of spheres of excellence in promising sectors such as design, renewable energies, health, technology, and arts.
The Valencia Smart City Platform (VLCi) enables the municipality to efficiently manage its public services through the compilation and use of urban, citizenship and service management-related indicators. These enable the city to accurately measure urban behaviour and resources, and offer an integrated view of its operations and management. The indicators also enable Valencia to check itself against other similar cities and to improve its strategic and operational decision making processes over time.
By using some of the 600 indicators integrated in the VLCi platform, the municipality can also provide better services to its citizens. VLCi's control panel display encourages the use of public open data by citizens, technicians and council officials for urban service management purposes.
To improve interoperability between its municipal services, Valencia has also developed an urban management platform based on FIWARE, an open standard recommended by the European Commission, which smart city developers use to ensure Internet of Things (IoT) compliance. Valencia has 99 certified urban indicators, which ranks it second internationally. The city has received the Platinum-level ISO 37120 certification from the World Council on City Data (WCCD) in recognition of its efforts to measure the efficiency of public services and the standard of living..
Further information is available at http://vlci.inndeavalencia.com
Contact person: Anna Melchor-Pérez, smart city specialist at Las Naves (previously InnDEA Valencia Foundation), Valencia city council: anna.melchor[at]inndeavalencia.com
You can read finalist' full profile in our 2016 collection of case-studies at: bit.ly/2iWZBit


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I am considering buying a Sailrite LSZ1
Where would I buy one in the UK?
Are there any other makes as good as the Sailrite?
I am considering buying a Sailrite LSZ1
Where would I buy one in the UK?
Are there any other makes as good as the Sailrite?
Give SolentSew a call
+44 (0)23 9232 5975
They have a range of machines inc Sailrite, but can advise on specific requirement e,g, no use on sails, but yes to covers. very good support and also lots of videos of how to use the machines.
As far as machine gadgets are concerned, a walking foot, cord piping and as many other feet as you wish.
You can buy the bullet proof Reads, and HUsqvarana steel frame models on ebay
for repairs, but that is the steel frame model
for £100 to £200, as people want fancy electronics and built in gadgets.
here's an expensive Reads which looks like a good one. Optional and hard to find hand crank as well.
I am biased as I have a Reads and a Husky.. Ambidextrous, honestly, saves time ....
I think, therefore I am. I am, therefore I sail.
For years I have been using domestic machines and getting along reasonably well.
We keep a really cheap one on the boat for little jobs here and there.
At home we bought (17 years ago) an "all singing - all dancing" Pfaff Electronic machine.
Great bit of kit (with a walking foot) but still just a domestic machine.
I am now looking for something that will handle canvas and thick marine materials properly.
What is the difference between (say) the Reads and the Sailrite machines.
What would you suggest looking out for.
Being a motor boat, this isn't for sail repairs but I do like making canvas covers etc.
Hurricane I can't compare different brands but I have a sailrite LSZ1 and love it. 10/10. Great for covers. I bought it new from Solent sew and they're very good folks. Prior to this I had various domestic machines and got by ok but the sailrite is in a different league. Handles much thicker thread.
I remembered that you had a tough machine so I looked back over your posts to find that you had bought a Sailrite.
I've been doing a bit of research - there are several compatibles to Sailrite.
One of the better ones seems to be the Reliable Barracuda.
None seem to be stocked in the UK though.
I've just been watching some of the Sailrite youtube videos and they have reminded me of a feature on my (well SWMBO's actually) Pfaff.
Click one button and it will always stop with the needle down.
The Sailrite LSZ1 was designed a very long time ago.
I wonder if there are any newer designs out there with some new electronic features like the Pfaff one above.
Thanks for your comment though.
I called Solent Sew today.
Apparently Sailrite are now only selling direct - not through dealers anymore.
I contacted Sailrite and they have a current offer of $125 off the list price.
So, I've ordered one of the Premium packages.
Thats the one that includes the bigger (optional) balance wheel for even more power.
I hope I've done the right thing!!!
I think the late Nigelmercier of the forum bought one and was very pleased with it.
If you have time, do let us know how you get on with it
I've just spent the last few days watching some of the Sailrite videos.
Really interesting.
I've done lots of boaty sewing projects - even making spinnakers for my various sailing dinghies.
But handling the heavier materials (canvas etc) was/is very difficult - especially with our domestic machines.
Anyone interested can find most of the Sailrite videos here (as playlists)
Or their introduction to sewing - here:-
This is great support - even before my machine has arrived.
Mine should be here (from America) on Monday (assuming that I can get the import duty etc paid in time.
Also thinking about purchasing one. I found the same machine with a different name for less than half the price on a aliexpress type site. (cannot remember where exactly). Read somewhere that the sailrite use the same machine but run it in and make sure it is tuned. Was tempted to go for this but worried about the lack of support which you get with Sailrite.
IMO the Reliable Barracuda is the best of the alternatives but not available from stock.
None of the machines are sold in the UK.
Have a read of these pages:-
This explains how all these machines evolved.
And this is a shorter version with a simple timeline on the Ultrafeed
Early days yet but, if you watch the videos, the support does seem excellent.
I had a very quick reply to an email that I sent prior to ordering.
Last edited by Hurricane; 03-04-19 at 15:00.


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(part of The Darkness Visible series)
(Rohingya Camp Being Kept Under Blockade By Myanmar)
In previous post Alder's Ledge has told you what life under blockade was like in Myanmar. We explained what it was like to be starved to death slowly by a government that seeks to destroy an entire ethnic group. We explained how and why the radical Rakhine movement in Burma is carrying out their campaign of ethnic cleansing. Yet nothing compares to seeing the destruction yourself. That is why we are bringing you these images (first provided by @jamiliahanan on Twitter).
This Rohingya woman has a skin condition that has been left untreated due to lack of medical aid being allowed through the blockade. The skin condition has left painful blisters on her feet making it hard to walk. There is currently no relief in site due to the endless blockades being maintained by the Burmese government.
This Rohingya child has the hallmark sign of malnourishment, a swollen stomach protruding from under rigid ribs. During the Holodomor in the Ukraine (part of Stalin's Forced Famines) children became swollen like this from eating thatch roofing materials. It is hard to say what has caused this child's condition. But it is clear from history's lessons that this condition is fatal if left untreated.
This Rohingya boy has grown rail thin as starvation slowly claims him. Hips, ribs, and joints show through his thin tight draping of skin. This form of death is a cruel form of torture in Burma. It could easily be prevented. If food was allowed to enter the camp this boy would not be in the condition he is in now. If water was allowed, at the least, his strength would not be so rapidly depleted as his organs begin to shut down.
This Rohingya man is emaciated as his body uses up its own muscles to fuel itself on just a few more days. Just as with other Rohingya starving to death, this man is suffering with each passing day. His body is growing rigid as it looses the ability to move limbs. He is basically suffering from the symptoms of death long before death ever claims him.
Another swollen stomach, another sad face. This Rohingya boy is rail thin everywhere except his stomach. In previous genocides where starvation was used to kill large numbers of people the children were described as "little fat men" due to this symptom. It was a cruel way of describing the children on their last leg before death set in.
This is a typical home in the Rohingya concentration camps. In the dry season it may be almost bearable. In the wet season there is little between the Rohingya and the heavy rains. What was dirt beneath their beds quickly becomes mud. There is nowhere to flee from the dirt and mud due to the blockades that keep them in and the food and medicine out.
A beautiful Rohingya girl, starved and hunched over in her tent. Her bones peak through her flesh as she looks away from the camera. Most Americans would have a hard time distinguishing her from any other Burmese or Bangladeshi individual. Yet the Burmese and Bengalis both hate her and her people. They refer to her as "Kalar".
Another symptom of malnutrition, this child's hair is falling out. It is a painful thing to watch as a child waste away right before your eyes. Yet for the Rohingya in Burma this is what life has been reduced to. A long and painful walk from degradation to death.
This Rohingya man finds it hard to walk as starvation claims his body's muscles. He is frail and thin at a time in his life when he should be living rather than dieing. Instead of enjoying life, this Rohingya man has to watch his family, friends, and community die before his eyes.
Another child, another swollen stomach. This Rohingya child does not deserve to live like this. He had done nothing but simply be unfortunate enough to be born Rohingya in Burma. That should not be a death sentence. And yet here he is, starved and homeless.
Sunken eyes, protruding ribs, and thin limbs. These are the hallmarks of Burma's own forced famine. This is what it is like to live under constant siege by a government that is hellbent upon the destruction of the Rohingya people. This is what it is like to be starved to death slowly by a government that is carrying out a campaign of genocide.
These images came out of Burma so that the world may see the faces of genocide in Myanmar. Now that we have seen them it is our duty to act. It is our duty as human beings to stand as one and fight this inhumanity. We can not remain silent as more and more Rohingya die daily.
Scream for the Rohingya. Your voice goes much further than you could ever imagine.