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subset: commoncrawl


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Mr. President,
I write this letter as a patriot, a taxpayer, a lifelong resident and as concerned citizen of what I consider to be the greatest nation ever known to man, the United States of America.
I am Caucasian, so let's get the racial aspect out of the way to start with. This letter has nothing to do with your race. I lived through the cruelty of Jim Crow and segregation and learned early on in my life that the color of my skin does not make me better or worse than any other man.
We all remember Martin Luther King, Jr.'s statement about judging people, not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character, and I believe that with all my heart.
I believe that America is an exceptional country. We have been liberator, benefactor and leader of the free world for centuries. America is an example of what can be achieved by free people living under the free enterprise system.
We have led the world in technology, industry, science and medicine for a long time.
Our capitalist system guarantees that those who explore new worlds and bring us new products and better techniques are amply rewarded for their efforts, and this is as it should be.
A person who is the first one to get there and the last one to leave, who burns the midnight oil and never gives up until they realize their goals, are a boon to humankind. They're the ones who discover new cures, start new industries and create jobs.
These people deserve to be rewarded for their hard work and for the products and services they bring to make life better for all mankind.
Mr. President, it is my personal opinion that you want to take the well-earned rewards of these people and give it to those who have done nothing to deserve them.
It's really redistribution of wealth, and it's nothing new. It's been tried many places before and it has miserably failed in every one of them.
It's called socialism.
Am I calling you a socialist? Yes, I am. I firmly believe that you are a socialist and a globalist, and that you think America should have a comeuppance and have our playing field leveled to match those of other countries not as industrious or as innovative as we are.
Mr. President, how can you support the building of a mosque in the very same area where Islamic radicals murdered so many Americans?
Just who's side are you on?
Am I accusing you of being a Muslim? No I'm not, but the jury is still out a little bit on that subject in my mind, because many times your sympathies seem to lean in that direction. You need to watch who you bow to Mr. President.
You have betrayed a whole generation of African-Americans who voted for you because they really believed all that junk about "hope and change," they really thought you were going to do something great and the only thing you've done is to make their jobs disappear and their health insurance go up.
You and your party have corrupted duly elected officials in an effort to get your legislative agenda passed. Remember the "Louisiana Purchase" and the "Cornhusker Kickback," and that's just a couple we know about, but you bought off a bunch of congressmen and senators, knowing that you were going against the will of the majority of Americans, because you think that you and your arrogant friends know more about what's good for America than the citizens your disastrous actions effect.
Am I accusing you of being an elitist? You bet.
I don't believe you take the Islamic threat to America nearly as seriously as you should. You use semantics like "Overseas Contingency Operation" and "Man Caused Disasters" to soften your rhetoric toward people who would like nothing better than decapitate the entire population of America.
And Mr. President, if you'd really like to know the kind of warriors who are fighting the "Overseas Contingency Operation," and you would like to really know about what kind of enemies they're fighting, you should read a book called Lone Survivor by a brave, young Navy Seal named Marcus Lutrell who went to hell and back for his country, and is still a dedicated patriot. I think you'd find it enlightening, Mr. President and after you finish it would you pass it on to Janet Napolitano? And by the way, tell her that my invitation to take her to Iraq and show her some "Man Caused Disasters" is still open.
Am I calling you naïve? Absolutely.
You seem to think that America has an endless supply of tax dollars for you to waste and give away, and the debt you've piled up could well bankrupt the greatest nation on earth.
Am I calling you a failure, Mr. President?
With all due respect that's exactly what I'm doing.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Charlie Daniels' Open Letter to Obama
Mr. President,
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
The GOP Pledge to America -
America is more than a country.
America is an idea – an idea that free people can govern themselves, that government's powers are derived from the consent of the governed, that each of us is endowed by their Creator with the unalienable rights to life,liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. America is the belief that any man or woman can – given economic,political, and religious liberty – advance themselves, their families, and the common good.
America is an inspiration to those who yearn to be free and have the ability and the dignity to determine their own destiny.
Whenever the agenda of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to institute a new governing agenda and set a different course.
These first principles were proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, enshrined in the Constitution, and have endured through hard sacrifice and commitment by generations of Americans.
In a self-governing society, the only bulwark against the power of the state is the consent of the governed, and regarding the policies of the current government, the governed do not consent.
An unchecked executive, a compliant legislature, and an overreaching judiciary have combined to thwart the will of the people and overturn their votes and their values, striking down long-standing laws and institutions and scorning the deepest beliefs of the American people.
An arrogant and out-of-touch government of self-appointed elites makes decisions, issues mandates, and enacts laws without accepting or requesting the input of the many.
Rising joblessness, crushing debt, and a polarizing political environment are fraying the bonds among our people and blurring our sense of national purpose.
Like free peoples of the past, our citizens refuse to accommodate a government that believes it can replace the will of the people with its own. The American people are speaking out, demanding that we realign our country's compass with its founding principles and apply those principles to solve our common problems for the common good.
The need for urgent action to repair our economy and reclaim our government for the people cannot be overstated.
With this document, we pledge to dedicate ourselves to the task of reconnecting our highest aspirations to the permanent truths of our founding by keeping faith with the values our nation was founded on, the principles we stand for, and the priorities of our people. This is our Pledge to America.
We pledge to honor the Constitution as constructed by its framers and honor the original intent of those precepts that have been consistently ignored – particularly the Tenth Amendment, which grants that all powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
We pledge to advance policies that promote greater liberty, wider opportunity, a robust defense, and national economic prosperity.
We pledge to honor families, traditional marriage, life, and the private and faith-based organizations that form the core of our American values.
...for the rest of the GOP pledge here (21 pages)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Articulate "EXHAUSTED" TownHaller: Hot Dogs and Beans the New Reality?
Obama is called to task by one of his early supporters:
"I'm one of your middle class Americans. And quite frankly, I'm exhausted. Exhausted of defending you, defending your administration, defending the mantle of change that I voted for."
Funny thing happens on the way to hot dogs n beans - when you take away from the few to distribute to the many - soon everyone has equal portions of poverty and there is no one left anywhere to provide the means to potato salad on the menu except thru servitude of ComradeKarl in Gov we must
Am still wondering when Mathews or Pelosi will come forward to say this lady is crazy-extremist-dangerous -racist or a secret Constitutional terrorist...and we know they won't because she isn't. Just as the other millions of American citizens who gather to express their concerns are not.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Obama quotes Declaration and Omits the "Creator"
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Obama Omitted the very words that make us unique- words that make us strong- words that are written to assure that MAN can not remake those rights into his own image.
The ommission had to be by design and forethought -"that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are-" was left out of the speech.
Look to the last 18 months of 'change' and you do not have to wonder why Obama would leave out WHO he actually believes gives us our 'rights' and to the one world godless Marxists he assigns to take them away.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Obamacare Czar Sebelius Threatens Insurance Companies who are raising premiums due to the Health care Scam passed by Congress.
The Sebelius letter to Insurance Companies warns them if they raise premiums or explain why the premiums are being raised then they would be locked OUT of future government controlled parsing out of the foretold 30 million new subscribers and their dollars.
Play to pay. Play or pay.
This heavy handed extortion is nothing new for the Obama thuggish crowd - do what we say or you will pay. Do not speak against us or you will regret it. Co-operate and be rewarded. Ask for information and we will deny you access. Dare use first amendment and we will find ways to deny your use of it.
Common sense tells you if the health care law imposes extra costs upon the insurance companies that they would pass the costs on to consumers. Of Course we all knew that but we were shouted down or ignored.
"Misinformation" is something Sebelius just won't tolerate...Ironic...The Obama crew could swipe 500 billion from seniors health coverage while saying it won't affect them at all.
BTW- in the 18 months that we have heard about the 500 billion that will - supposedly pay for nearly half of this national health care scheme and - come from Medicare fraud savings etc- HOW MUCH HAVE YOU RECOVERED?
If these Obama disinformation people continue to operate as they have in the past look soon for a "Turn in your Neighbor for HealthCare Lies Website" to be formed.
The Health care Insurance Industry and medical costs are out of line for sure but the Government socialist control of either is not the answer.
What can we expect next to come out of 1600 Red Square?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Restoring Constitutional Government - [Return to First Principles]
Restoring Constitutional Government>
Paul A. Rahe
We have come a long way in the last twenty months. The President of the United States, his Chief of Staff, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Majority Leader in the United States Senate have done for the Republican Party what no Republican could have accomplished. Just as rigor mortis was about to set in, they brought the old corpse back to life. For their efforts on our behalf, we should be forever grateful.
It is easy to lose perspective. It is easy to forget the dire straits in which the Republicans found themselves in and for some time after November, 2008. On the first Tuesday of that month, they were soundly defeated. The Democrats controlled the Presidency and both houses of Congress. In time, when Al Franken was seated and Arlen Specter turned coat, the Democrats would attain El Dorado – a commanding majority in the Senate capable to bringing a filibuster to a screeching halt.
The Republicans initially thought that to get along they would have to go along. Had Nancy Pelosi thrown a little patronage their way when the so-called "stimulus" bill was being put together, had Barack Obama intervened to insist that she include earmarks for compliant Republicans in the House, a great many of them would have voted for the measure. It is to her that we owe their solidarity on the occasion of the vote. She is responsible for the fact that on that occasion they presented themselves to the world as a party of principle. If the Tea-Party Movement, which sprang up in the immediate aftermath of the bill's passage, was not as resolutely hostile to the Republicans as it was to the Democrats, it was because Pelosi and her minions wanted vengeance, sought it, and got it.
Even when the Tea-Party Movement had emerged, the Republicans were not quick to realize what was in the offing. On 2 May 2009, some six months after the election, Jeb Bush emerged from a meeting with Mitt Romney and House Republican Whip Eric Cantor to announce that it was time for the Republicans to give up "nostalgia about the past" and to leave Ronald Reagan and all that he stood for behind. "You can't beat something with nothing," he observed, "and the other side has something. I don't like it, but they have it, and we have to be respectful and mindful of that."
Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, and Eric Cantor may have been slow to grasp what was going on, but it would be a mistake to assume that they are dopes. It was not until early August in that year that I was willing to admit to myself that a political realignment in the Republicans' favor was a serious possibility; and, as I noted in a piece posted in the aftermath of the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association in early September, I was even then almost entirely alone. At that convention, I had attended a panel on Barack Obama's first year as President at which not one of the distinguished students of American politics on the panel had in their prepared remarks even mentioned the Tea-Party Movement. And when I asked a question about it, I received a perfunctory answer. It was odd, my interlocutor remarked, that such a movement had emerged in the absence of institutional support. It was, I thought, very odd, very odd, indeed.
Now, thanks to Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid, the Republicans appear to be on the verge of an historic victory.
I would not be surprised in the slightest if they were to gain more than seventy seats in the House of Representatives and to retake the Senate as well. But, as I intimated in a recent post entitled John Boehner's Testing Time, nothing is certain, not even now, and Jeb Bush was certainly right about one thing. You cannot beat something with nothing, and in recent years the Republicans have stood for next to nothing. If they are to effect a lasting political realignment — a possibility for which I have argued repeatedly in the last twelve months (first here in August 2009, then in posts linked here and archived here, here, and here) – they must give the American people reason to put their faith in them.
In an earlier post, entitled Patronage, Principles, and Political Parties, I explored the history of American political parties, their propensity to oscillate between being parties of patronage and parties of principle, and the manner in which the American constitution with its separation of powers both requires and subverts parties of principle. In John Boehner's Testing Time, I drew on this earlier post and suggested that Boehner, Mitch McConnell, and their associates would be well-advised to draft a new Contract with American designed to nationalize the midterm elections and to transform the Republican Party – which has in recent years tended to be a party of patronage oriented towards the needs of particular, local constituencies – into a party of principle capable, at least for the time being, of genuinely governing these United States.
This end, I contended, can be achieved only if the Republicans appropriate for their own use a claim falsely but effectively advanced by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1936 which – thanks to our current President, his Chief of Staff, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Majority Leader in the United States Senate — now rings all too true: that today the American republic is threatened by a conspiracy, that "a small group" of individuals, lead by Obama, Emanuel, Pelosi, and Reid, is intent on concentrating "into their own hands an almost complete control over other people's property, other people's money, other people's labor — other people's lives." If they wish to effect a realignment, I argued, all that the Republicans have to do is to complete the task of unmasking begun by Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and Emanuel and make it clear that they really do intend to repeal Obamacare, to balance the federal budget without enacting permanent tax increases, to roll back the scope and size of the administrative state, and to restore within these United States limited, constitutional government.
To this end, they not only need to spell out in some detail what they intend to do; they need, as I argued in that earlier post, to justify their proposals in terms of constitutional principles. To grasp what this entails, they will need to specify what these principles are. Here is how this can be done.
As I argued in an earlier post and, in much greater detail, in my recent books Montesquieu and the Logic of Liberty and Soft Despotism, Democracy's Drift, the American regime is an experiment of a particular kind. In the late eighteenth century, it was almost universally agreed that a republic cannot be sustained on an extended territory. Such was the argument that Montesquieu advanced in the first part of his authoritative book The Spirit of Laws, and he had good reason for advancing such a claim. Athens and Sparta were situated on territories of no great size, and the same could be said for early Rome and for Lucca, Florence, and Venice in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Late republican Rome was an exception to the rule, to be sure. But – as both Machiavelli in his Discourses on Livy and Montesquieu in his Considerations on the Causes of the Greatness of the Romans and their Decline and Spirit of Laws pointed out — Rome was also the exception that proved the rule. It was a republic that, by dint of conquest, came to be situated on an extended territory and then collapsed. The Framers of the American constitution faced a great challenge, and this they knew.
The challenge was straightforward. Polities situated on extended territories sit at a great distance from the vast majority of the people whom they rule. This is consistent with despotism; and if the distance is not too great, it is consistent with legitimate monarchy and the rule of law as well. But for republics it poses a problem. Governments at a distance from the people they rule tend to be invisible; and when human beings are invisible, they tend rightly to suppose that they can get away with a lot. Moreover, large polities tend to face emergencies more often than small polities, and emergencies require from rulers vigor, alacrity, and resoluteness of the sort most easily provided by a man who can act alone. The challenge facing the American Framers was to devise a constitutional structure capable of producing a government fit for meeting emergencies but unlikely to become, as James Madison once delicately put it, "self-directed."
To meet this challenge, they turned to the second and third parts of Montesquieu's Spirit of Laws – where he sketched out two different ways in which a republic can overcome this limitation on its magnitude. It was, he realized, necessary that it do so because – at least in modern times – no small republic could hope to marshal the resources necessary for its self-defense when attacked by monarchies of intermediate size or despotisms immense in size.
The first expedient suggested by Montesquieu was federalism. By means of federalism, a group of republics could project power in the manner of a monarchy while remaining small enough to be genuinely self-governing.
Montesquieu's second expedient was the separation of powers. By distinguishing along functional lines between the executive power, the legislative power, and the judicial power and by distributing these three powers to different bodies in such a fashion as to render them separate and quasi-autonomous, the English had managed to transform a monarchy into a republic capable of sustaining itself on an extended territory. For emergencies, they had an executive capable of vigor, alacrity, and resoluteness. To prevent that executive from becoming a tyrant, they had a House of Commons responsible to the electorate and capable of calling the executive's servants to account. To avoid populist excesses, they had a House of Lords capable of checking the House of Commons; and to protect the liberty of the citizens, they had judges who could not easily be removed from office and juries selected from among the peers of those accused.
The Americans combined both expedients. To begin with, they instituted a federation, building on the remnants of the old colonial system and on the structure that existed under the Articles of Confederation. At the center, they established a government of limited powers – capable of defending the nation, of guaranteeing to every state a republican government, of regulating commerce between the states, and of responding to emergencies. To the states and local governments, where the territory was comparatively small, they left all other legitimate powers. To make the federal government in some measure independent of the states, they provided for direct popular election of the House of Representatives; and to enable the states to protect their own prerogatives from federal encroachment, they had the state legislatures elect the federal senate.
At both the state and federal level, the American founders instituted a separation of powers, giving to the executive, the legislators, and the judiciary the means by which to defend their own prerogatives and the motives for doing so – and, by dividing and separating the powers, the Founders sought to make the government and its operations visible to the citizens. Each branch served the general public as a watchdog with regard to the others.
The measures undertaken by the Obama administration and by its supporters in Congress that gave rise to and sustained the Tea-Party Movement all have this in common. They constitute an assault – evident to anyone who cares to look – on our inherited political order. They transgress on the two great principles constitutive of that order. They are inconsistent with federalism and the separation of powers, and nothing speaks to their character more eloquently than the fact that they were crafted in camera behind closed doors, that those who voted on them had not read them, and that they were of such a length as to be incomprehensible even to their putative authors.
Let me be a bit more precise. The two great measures passed since January, 2009 – the healthcare reform bill and the financial-regulation reform bill – presuppose that the federal government can do anything. Both run roughshod over the prerogatives of the states. Neither is consistent with federalism as a principle of governance.
The same can be said with regard to the separation of powers. Both bills presuppose a massive delegation of legislative power to executive agencies. Both presuppose that appointed officials can and should be empowered to issue regulations having the force of law. Both presuppose on the part of both houses of Congress an abdication of the legislative power. Both require a concentration of executive, legislative, and judicial power within a single agency that operations, in effective, behind closed doors. Both promise to give rise to a government that is invisible and unaccountable. The combination of these powers is, Montesquieu asserted, the very emblem of despotism.
My critics will respond that this is nothing new, and they are very nearly right. The administrative state is now nearly a century old. It has existed since the days of Woodrow Wilson. It assumed gigantic proportions under the New Deal and the Great Society. But never was its expansion brazenly and arrogantly thrust upon the American people until now. By the methods that they have employed to secure its aggrandizement, Obama, Emanuel, Pelosi, and Reid have unmasked the administrative state and have made visible its tyrannical potential.
It is the task of John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, and their associates to unite their brethren behind a common program designed to roll back the administrative state and to hold them to their commitments. To do this successfully, they must make use of what the Democrats have done in the last few years in such a way as to educate the American people with regard to the roots of the present discontents. What those who joined the Tea-Party Movement sense must in the course of the midterm campaign be made manifest in all of its horror.
I have said it before, and I will say it again. What we need is a return to first principles.
Reprinted with permission of the Author.
Friday, September 3, 2010
"Never gonna stand for this" - don't tread on me
Teachenor / Clark on FaceBook
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, Violates the Hatch Act?
Obama's Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, urged his employees to attend Sharpton's rally...in email.
The Washington Examiner learned of the e-mail from a Department of Education employee who felt uncomfortable with Duncan's request.
"ED staff are invited to join Secretary Arne Duncan, the Reverend Al Sharpton, and other leaders on Saturday, Aug. 28, for the 'Reclaim the Dream' rally and march," began an internal e-mail sent to more than 4,000 employees of the Department of Education on Wednesday." writes Lisa Gartner of the Washington Examiner.
She goes on to write:
"Although the e-mail does not violate the Hatch Act, which forbids federal employees from participating in political campaigns..."
I think I have to disagree with her on this.
The act of using government computer and EMAIL is a violation of the Hatch ACT IF done so in endorsing a partisan political group also.
-at least by my understanding of the email portion of the Act...also "supervisory employees may not invite subordinate employees to political events or otherwise suggest to subordinates that they attend the political event or undertake any partisan political activity."
Certainly Sharpton was a partisan political figure, past and present, representing partisan rhetoric at his rally. Sharpton's comments prior to the rally made it very clear he had a bug up his bun, or a bee in his political bonnet, towards Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor Rally" held on the same day.
At Sharpton's rally he said that Republicans "think we showed up in 2008 and that we won't show up again. But we know how to sucker-punch, and we're coming out again in 2010."
Various speakers praised Obama and took pot shots at Tea Party people.
Sure sounds like a 'partisan political group' to me.
Education Department spokesperson, Sandra Abrevaya, stated the get out and participate email was promoting a "back to school" activity.
Now we've heard everthing.
This kind of end-round spin explanation just shows that they KNEW they were acting in violation, like a Yosi Sergant propaganda sneak play, and once again this administration chooses which laws it will, and will not, abide by.
An investigation would be nice -
...but if history is any indicator for democrats who break the law - a conviction would just get Duncan appointed or elected to some other office somewhere in the re-education plan.
Obama Communist backed Voice in the Labor Department: Hilda Solis
Hilda Solis, Obama's Secretary of Labor, tells illegal immigrant workers to call her and let her know if they are being fairly paid or not — documented or not:
Apparently Obama's America transformers are willing to make sure that employers acting illegally are to be reported - or protected- for improperly paying illegal workers properly.
Another Obama staffed Social Engineering Agency not doing its job.
Not only does the Obama Administration decide which laws it will and will not follow - but it embraces and encourages lawlessness.
It is unlawful to be in the U.S. without proper documents.
It is unlawful to be working in the U.S. without proper documents.
It is unlawful for employers to hire undocumented workers.
What part of ILLEGAL does the Obama Squad of changers not understand?
Does Obama appoint anyone who follow our laws - or anyone who would enforce them?
Obama and his selected unaccountable administrative people continue to portray their inconsistency to follow American law, foundation and principle.
Hilda Solis, a past keynote speaker of the Democratic Socialists of America, is not only backed by the Communist Party USA but she is one of those affiliate voices of the House Progressive Caucus...
Does Obama know anyone not tied to communists and socialists - Marxists and Anti-America ideals?
Anyone who likes America? Free Market?


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Human-System Integration in the System Development Process:
A New Look
Consensus Report
Industry and government face immense pressure to shorten the development cycle of their critical systems even as those systems increase exponentially in complexity. Many problems associate with these changes to the development cycle this can be traced to the significant challenge of analyzing human capabilities and needs from various perspectives (such as human factors engineering, manpower, personnel, training, safety and health, and, in the military, habitability and survivability) and integrating this data into the design process throughout the development cycle. This kind of activity has come to be known as human-system integration (HSI).
In 2005, the Army Research Laboratory and the Air Force Research Laboratory asked the Board on Human-Systems Integration to undertake a study of the current state of HSI methods, tools, and approaches and to develop a vision for creating an integrated, multidisciplinary, generalizable, human-system design methodology.
The resulting report, Human-System Integration in the System Development Process: A New Look, provides a comprehensive review of issues involved in design throughout the system life cycle that need to be addressed by a consideration of human cognitive and physical performance characteristics, including identification of five critical principles; proposes the incremental commitment model as a useful systems engineering approach and as a framework for examining more than 20 categories of methodologies and tools that provide information about the environment, the organization, the work, and the human operator at each stage of the design process; articulates a vision for an integrated, multidisciplinary, generalizable, human-system design support methodology and tool set; and recommends a research plan suggesting how to achieve this vision.
The report's recommendations are intended not only to be relevant to the project's military sponsors, but also to other government departments and the private sector, including the process control, manufacturing, and service industries.


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You've heard the old saying. If you need something done, give it to the person with the most on their plate. In our case, it's more like a platter.
Take Rich, for example, our Director of Maintenance and Food Service. He's our advisor and best friend, who actually does a bit of everything at camp. Rich is the smartest man in the world, and he knows more about everything than anybody. No need to google - just ask him a question and he'll tell you why.
He starts his day at 4:30 to be here by 5 to test our water. Then into the kitchen to help Chef Junior hand-cut their famous cinnamon rolls. He makes his daily list of maintenance assignments for his staff of 20, who begin work at 7. Somehow, in between, he inventories and orders fresh vegetables and ingredients to make 7,350 meals per week.
Over 100 acres must be mowed in a day, trash picked up and bathrooms cleaned. There's never-ending screen repair (boys can't resist throwing a ball at Rest Hour), toilets need to be unclogged (regrettably, they've proven that a lacrosse ball cannot be flushed), there are eleven vehicles to maintain, plus a hundred thousand other things. On top of it all, he's stuck with a camp director who comes up with crazy ideas of things to build for Evening Activity within a few hours' notice, and never rolls his eyes (at least not when she's looking). He stops what he's doing to help a cabin raise the flag, or take a walk with a teary boy to feed the pigs, and he's always willing to tell amazing stories about moose hunts and submarine voyages.
His equal other half is Norma, also brilliant, dedicated and kind. Her mind is remarkable, and she never forgets. On top of managing the administrative side of camp, she serves as our "chief archivist", and seems to know every name and face of even those who came before her. She's the "backstage manager" to the Skylemar Show, purchasing, organizing, arranging, processing, shipping and receiving. As a preschool teacher for many years, she has extra great ideas, and the neatest teacher-handwriting you've ever seen. She "makes it happen", whether it's washing, reminding, guiding or coordinating. Like Rich, her hours are long, and she never stops caring for Skylemar. In fact, just last night she woke up in the middle of the night, put on a bathrobe and headed back to the office, just because a storm was coming and it's best to shut down the computers.
These two are just the tip of our iceberg, when it comes to a "whatever it takes" attitude. They each have a fabulous and devoted staff on Maintenance, in the Kitchen and at the Office. It's 20 degrees hotter washing pots, behind a lawnmower or on the Bunkline unpacking. That's Jr, Juan Carlos, Benjamin and Luis. It's both Davids and Jairo, Fabrizio and Superman. Then it's Eben and Timothy, Pam and Eileen. Fred and Tommy, Austin and Brenna. James and Cole, Kristen and Zach. Jared and Jeremiah, Rick and Paul.
Then there's a team who never gives up: on each boy, on the staff, on the plan and our mission. With George at the stern and Mitch at the bow, we're grateful for our dedicated group of leaders and athletic directors, like Barney, Gordo, Mike, Nick, Adam, Joel, Peter, Stephen, Trent, Ash, Breezy, JFink, Harry, Holly, Sara, Marge, Steve, Gabriel, DJ, Brian, Morgan, H, Leeds, Ted, Aaron and Bruce. Shannon, Leslie, Cory, Luci, Lily, Calla, Yonne, Kaitlin, Izzy, Baylee, Emily, Mary, Meggo, Maddie, Diane and Suzie – we thank you!
But when the going gets tough, our remarkable nurses shine, with a can-do attitude second to none. Led by the one and only Julie IT, nurses Monica, Jess, Jackie, Melissa and Nina are always there. From band-aids to ice packs to distributing meds, these ladies are sharp, and know how to care. They treat Sky kids wonderfully, as if they were their own – in fact, many are their own. Many thanks to this crew, for late nights, early mornings and time in between.
Yup, that's a whole lot of names, 'cause there's a whole lot of folks who make the Sky machine hum. We love you forever and so do the boys. Fact is, your platter runneth over. Because you're good at what you do, you make the world a better place, one kid at a time.


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*image from here*
Posted by The Farmer's Trophy Wife on September 26, 2011 in Fashion & Beauty, Look of the Week
Tags: belts, fall fashion, fashion, fashion trend, jeans, jewelery, look of the week, shopping, western, western fashion
October 10, 2011 at 5:31 am
Oh gosh, I just love the looks you put together! Before I had my son and got married, I was a fashion merchandiser for Le Chateau, so after I moved to the farm with my husband I'd be trotting around feeding the chickens in wedges and bangles (to an endless barrage of teasing from hubby and my father in law)
I was thrilled to bits when I found your blog and realized I'm not the only fashonista farm wife out there 😀
The Farmer's Trophy Wife
October 12, 2011 at 7:40 pm
LOL…I can totally see that! It's all about mixing the fun with the practical! 😉
Jaime Leigh
September 26, 2011 at 7:46 pm
I like the way you made the shoes more cooler weather friendly….love this look!
September 26, 2011 at 7:56 pm
Thx…it's not really sandal season around here anymore…+30 degree weather, but lots of trips out to the fields…and wheat stubble is NOT sandal friendly!
Carla Aumann
September 26, 2011 at 3:09 pm
LOVE this look!
September 26, 2011 at 6:39 pm
I do too~ I made it a little more fall-ish…but so cute!
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Torquay Surf Life Saving Club Volunteers
RACV RoyalAuto magazine
250 - Rescues performed by Victorian surf lifesavers in 2014/15
4000 - Volunteer hours clocked up by Torquay Surf Life Saving Club members every summer
Every summer Torquay Surf Life Saving Club's 200 volunteer members patrol for more than 4000 hours and perform up to 50 rescues.
They supervise more than 180,000 beach-goers over summer, but if their job is done well, it probably goes unnoticed.
Torquay Surf Life Saving Club Captain Tony White says: "We deal with a lot of minor injuries like cuts and abrasions from surfing, but 95 per cent of our work is taking preventative measures."
Torquay Surf Life Saving Club has a simple message for beach-goers this summer: "If you aren't sure just ask a lifeguard, there are no stupid questions."
The Torquay Surf Life Saving Club has had no drowning incidents during patrol times when people swim between the flags.
"Every young member in this picture will rescue someone from the water in their time as a surf lifesaver," Mr White said. "They are very capable and could also be the next (pro lifesaver)Trevor Hendy."
Torquay Surf Life Saving Club member AJ Wight believes you can have fun and learn important life skills being a surf lifesaver. "I love the competition side of being a surf lifesaver, the patrolling is good fun and I like helping the community and being with my friends," AJ says. "The skills we learn make me feel comfortable enough to help someone if they're hurt or unconscious, it's good to be able to help people like that."
Across Victoria, surf lifesavers conducted 250 rescues and took 41,081 preventative actions on the beach in 2014/15.
RACV, on behalf of the Torquay Golf Club, donated $150,000 to the Torquay Surf Life Saving Club in 2013, to coincide with the opening of RACV Torquay Resort. The money was used to redevelop club facilities including a new training room and fire service, first aid and patrol room upgrades.
Under the same arrangement, RACV also gave $150,000 to the nearby Jan Juc Surf Life Saving Club.
Picture: Shannon Morris
Story: Jessica Hirst
Published in RoyalAuto Feb 17


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'Train driver: "Sorry about the late running of this train ... we had been held up by bunyips that have escaped from the zoo ... on crack."'
Overheard, MX, December 15, 2009
Art. Goth. Steampunk. Etiquette. Helpful Tips. Green Hints. Natural History. Recipes. Reviews. Links. Curious & Vintage Clippings. Odd Objects. Macros & Vintage LOLs
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Hail to the train driver
Labels: overheard, quote of the day, silliness
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Santa meeting Uncle Sam
Inside card: 'NOW AND FOREVER _ _ Merry Christmas AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. Corp. and Mrs Jake de Hartog.'
Circa early1940s, USA made greeting card featuring a map of USA inside
Labels: art, curious clipping, history, vintage clipping, WTF?
The artful swan dodger
Chateau de Chillon et la Dent du Midi*
I understand that white swans have grumpy temperaments. With that in mind I would give these giant swans a very wide berth.
*Vintage postcard circa 1910/20.
Labels: art, curious clipping, vintage clipping, WTF?
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Ellen is generous
Clint Eastwood on the Ellen show
"I'm just here for my stuff."
"I'm just here for my stuff."
Labels: quote of the day, silliness
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Cookie sings Rammstein
This reduced me to helpless laughter! How fortunate that Cookie had that row of numbers and not one of the others.
Labels: goth, Henson/Muppets, silliness, video online
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Senior Marketing Executive
|London, England
|Contract Type:
|BD, Marketing & Communications
Senior Marketing Executive
A leading global engineering and design consultancy are looking to recruit a Senior Marketing Executive/Junior Manager to join the Technology Group of the business. This will be a full time position based in their Central London office.
You'll be responsible for supporting a number of different verticals including; Lighting, Acoustics, and Visualisation, and will be an integral part of helping this business win work with new and existing clients through the implementation of highly successful marketing methods.
This position works both internally and externally and you will be working within the wider marketing function with a global remit. You will line manage a Marketing Assistant and be responsible for their development and progression.
Main Responsibilities:
- Work closely with the business in order to develop and implement a sector marketing plan for the financial year
- Manage complex projects and deliver content across a range of channels including; social media, intranet and e-marketing campaigns
- Build strong working relationships with senior stakeholders of key partners within the Technology business
- Liaise with external suppliers eg.. PR agencies, copywriters etc..
- This role will require someone from a creative environment, specifically agency or architecture backgrounds would be highly desirable
- Must be highly capable of delivering integrated marketing campaigns using multiple channels
- Strong senior stakeholder management skills
- Demonstrable experience either overseeing or mentoring junior members of staff/interns etc..
- Must have extensive overall communication skills (proofreading, writing, reporting etc..)
- It's important to have been involved in creating and implementing marketing strategy
This role could be an excellent opportunity for someone who feels ready to take on a manager position but may require a bit more experience before taking that next step. The business will work with this person on their personal development with a view to offer promotion as soon as they are comfortable to take on more responsibility.


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Series: Millennium's Rule #1
Published by Orbit Books on May 13, 2014
Genres: Adult SFF, Fantasy
Pages: 560
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
In a world where an industrial revolution is powered by magic, Tyen, a student of archaeology, discovers a sentient book in an ancient tomb. Vella was once a young sorcerer-maker, until she was transformed into a useful tool by one of the greatest sorcerers of history. Since then she has been gathering information, including a vital clue to the disaster Tyen's world faces.
Elsewhere, in a land ruled by the priests since a terrible war depleted all but a little magic, Rielle the dyer's daughter has been taught that to use magic is to steal from the Angels. Yet she knows from her ability to sense the stain it leaves behind that she has a talent for it, and that there are people willing to teach her how to use it, should she ever need to risks the Angels' wrath.
Further away, a people called the Travelers live their entire lives on the move, trading goods from one world to another. They know that each world has its own store of magic, reducing or increasing a sorcerer's abilities, so that if one entered a weak world they may be unable to leave it again. Each family maintains a safe trading route passed down through countless generations and modified whenever local strife makes visiting dangerous. But this is not the only knowledge the Travelers store within their stories and songs, collected over millennia spent roaming the universe. They know a great change is due, and that change brings both loss and opportunity.
Join me in reading this series if you love the long haul! Epic fantasy is my favorite of favorites and Thief's Magic has epic fantasy written all over it! Lots of detail, a slow informational filled beginning and then WHAM!- off to adventure! An interesting note on this book is that there are 2 main character POV's, Rielle and Tyen. They are not in the same location, and it is impossible to tell when or if their paths will ever cross. Different, and pretty fun! A male/female split is also nice if you are looking for a recommendation for the opposite gender… everyone should be happy! You can also feel good recommending Thief's Magic on content, interest, world building, and adventure. All around, a good solid read. I wish the series was written already, so I could fill in some gaps and see how our characters do. The slow pace and interesting internal monologues are what make this book. The descriptions of how magic functions is consistent, unique and well thought out. The landscape and city-scapes leave a little to be desired, because they tend towards map-like instead of descriptive. I do not have a grasp of the countries that each POV is in, which is kind of a shame because it feels like I should know, like these are real places I need to study. Another anomaly which has bothered me since I started writing this is that the "travelers" mentioned in the excerpt are not mentioned in the book at all. I don't understand the omission. Hopefully they will be mentioned later in the series, as this element would help to tie together these two disparate stories. The common thread right now is how magic functions and patriarchal societies.
Some books are better than others at having it seem as though a tough decision a character needs to make is the only option available, or a decision that will become or is inevitable, due to circumstance. i.e. a person may run away due to an abusive system, which offers no hope of reconciliation. Characters making intelligent decisions is NOT a strength in this book. Instead of feeling like the characters Rielle and Tyen are forced by circumstance or inevitability, their choices are merely bad decisions with better options readily available. I can let this slide in a teen book, as we all know teenagers make many many poor choices… but not in an adult book where the characters should have a hint a maturity and little bit more situational awareness. They should not believe that regardless of a variety of proofs to prove their innocence that they would be guilty merely because it is their word versus an authority figure. This basic theme plays over a few times, which is why I mention (rant?) it here.
Luckily they recover nicely from their stupidity and the plot thickens. =)
Tyen is a rule-following student who loves his country, sorcery and is looking to spend his life comfortably ensconced in The Academy. The Academy is the premier source of learning for the Empire he lives in, Leratia. When events surrounding his discovery of the magical book Vella spiral out of control Tyen is forced to confront himself and see how rule abiding he truly is. Tyen makes me feel proud. He makes decisions that are noble instead of easy and he is doing his best to make sure that he doesn't hurt others as his adventure goes on. If he can do good instead of harm he does. I hope my kids grow up with an ounce of his good-natured sense of honor.
Rielle is a young girl who lives in an entry level rich family, and her mother wants her to marry above her station. Rielle is smart enough to know the disadvantages of marrying someone above her, because she must accept whatever quirk it is that is making them marry beneath themselves. Rielle is devout and believes in the priesthood system that runs the lives of their society. She knows that seeing magic can make her unofficially ostracized, and has hidden her nature from everybody but her beloved Aunt her entire life. When a chance encounter with a tainted (or magic user outside the priesthood) begins a downwards spiral from the protected life she has always known, we start to see the true inner beauty that Rielle possesses. Her devoutness is a credit to her family, and her soul is burdened with guilt for the same reason. Can she find a way to live and love who she is, even with the ability to see and use magic? My overall impression of Rielle is her youth and ability to be molded easily by those around her. This is not greatly in her favor, but there is an inner sore of strength and piety in her and if she grabs on to those she can truly become something special.
Thief's Magic is definitely a recommended read.
*gasp* This book was provided by the publisher! No worries though it's an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own. Quotes are taken from an Advanced edition and may have changes in the published edition. This post might also contain affiliate links. To view my full Blog Policy, click here.
Latest posts by Maggie (see all)
- Review: Chasing the Star Garden by Melanie Karsak - January 13, 2015
- Review: The Time Roads by Beth Bernobich - December 7, 2014
- Review: Rain by Melissa Niska - November 16, 2014


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Drama was in plentiful supply over the weekend in Europe with trophies handed out in Germany, France and in the joint Belgium/Netherlands league. Nowhere was more tense than in Germany as Wolfsburg moved into first place in the very last minute of the season to retain their crown. Lyon and Twente did likewise in claiming more silverware, albeit in slightly more measured fashion. FIFA.com's weekly review of women's club action also goes Stateside where Seattle Reign remain imperious.
*Germany: Stunning Wolfsburg again retain title *Wolfsburg have followed up their recent dramatic UEFA Women's Champions League win by securing their second successive double, again with a conclusion straight from the realms of fantasy. The quirks of the draw had the top two – Frankfurt and Wolfsburg - facing off on the final day of the season though the former only needed a draw to hold onto top spot.
Over 12,000 were on hand at the VFL Wolfsburg arena to see Verena Faisst's first-half opener cancelled out by Frankfurt's Kozue Ando with eight minutes remaining. However, Alexandra Popp netted with just a minute left to seal the crown in the most dramatic fashion imaginable, leaving the league's most successful club without a championship since 2008. The one positive for Frankfurt was striker Celia Sasic (nee Okoyino da Mbabi) taking out the top scorers award with 20 goals. Duisburg's Sofia Nati was also among the goals over the weekend netting five times as her side cruised to a 7-0 win over relegated Sindelfingen.
*Top three: Wolfsburg (55 points), 1.FFC Frankfurt (53), Turbine Potsdam (49) *
*USA: Seattle continue to reign *
It was a goal-laden weekend in the National Women's Soccer League but little indent has been made on runaway leaders Seattle Reign who boast an eight-point advantage, despite having played two matches less than second-placed Kansas City. The north-west side made it 11 games unbeaten this season with Kim Little twice finding the net – her sixth straight game with a goal – in a 3-1 win over Chicago Red Stars. USA star striker Alex Morgan made a welcome return from long-term injury for Portland Thorns, but she was unable to inspire her team as Western New York Flash triumphed 5-0 to gain a measure of revenge for defeat in last year's Championship decider. Carli Lloyd and Samantha Kerr both bagged doubles in front of 13,000 Portland fans, with Spain icon Veronica Boquete and Australian rising star Steph Catley both making their debuts for the home side. Houston Dash, the league's newest club, are finally on a roll after a 3-0 triumph at Sky Blue FC secured successive wins for the first time.
*Top three: Seattle Reign (29), Kansas City (21), Washington Spirit, Chicago Red Stars (both 19) *
*France: Lyon crowned cup queens again *It was a familiar tale in France as Lyon won the double for the third successive year thanks to a hard-fought 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the French Cup final played in Le Mans. Playmaker Louisa Necib set up both goals as Lara Dickenmann and Corinne Petit-Franco scored within the space of five second-half minutes, to deny the Parisians any hope of repeating their January win over the same opponent. Coach Patrice Lair completed his four-year tenure at Lyon with a tenth trophy, with Gerard Precheur announced as the new man to take the hot-seat.
*Belgium/Netherlands: Twente make it two in a row *Twente retained the league title with an emphatic 7-0 win on the road at Club Brugge. Nearest challengers Standard Liege finished just two points off the pace with a 2-1 final-day win at Belgian rivals Lierse. Teenage Heerenveen sensation Vivianne Miedema topped the goalscoring charts thanks to her remarkable tally of 39 goals, with the Bayern Munich-bound striker helping her side to fourth in the second season of the joint Belgium/Netherlands league.
*Top three: FC Twente (65), Lierse (63), Ajax (54) *


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The map below shows the next meeting at each venue for the next 7 days. Navigate the map to your area of interest, then click a meeting symbol to get more information.
All meetings are held weekly unless otherwise detailed. Meeting details are accurate as at the time they were supplied to us.
A meeting symbol with a '+' on it indicates that there are multiple meetings at that venue.
Meetings that state Open or Open to visitors welcome both AA and non AA visitors. Closed Meetings are for AA members only, including visiting AA members.
We are aware there is an issue with the Google Map presentation. Code needs to be updated for the new Map API and we are presently working on this. Despite the error message, the map will still work. Click on OK to clear the message box on both the main map and the popup box with the meeting details.
A meeting symbol with a '+' on it indicates that there are multiple meetings at that venue.
Help for Individuals
Are you worried you may have a problem with alcohol?
Take our simple quiz.
Help for Concerned Family
Are you concerned for a friend or family member? Where can you find help or support?
Information for Professionals
Are you an employer, referrer, or other professional with questions?
Find out how we can help you.
Information for the Media
AA appreciates Media cooperation in protecting the anonymity of our members. Read our media policy.


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A Following of 1,221,843 and Counting…NSFW: The Female Gaze
The world's social media experience is at an impasse. Individually, we know what we post is temporal through self-curation, but we are not the only curators of our content. We can carefully arrange our 600x600 pixel Instagram squares, knowing we have the option to keep or delete based on our "brand", "aesthetic" and/or what meme-imagery is lit that day. But deep down in the inter-webs, we all know, the platform has the power to remove what doesn't follow a list of "Community Guidelines" that confront artists in a very specific way: No nudity or pornography, sexual intercourse, genitals, or fully-nude buttocks.
Instagram, in particular, has become the curator, not just of photographic material - but the documentation of art. The corporation gets the right to deem a painting of a nude human being 'inappropriate'. The impermanence of any artwork is especially dangerous when social media has become the means for it's dissemination. With the power to limit views, likes, and the audiences of artists by deleting their work, social media has become a capricious platform for women who are making art about identity and personal politics.
NSFW: The Female Gaze is a firm response to art that has become transient because of the guidelines prescribed on the Internet. The Museum of Sex Associate Curator Lissa Rivera and Vice Media Creators Editor-in-Chief Marina Garcia-Vasquez came together to curate a show of 28 consistently censored yet very-clicked, female-identifying artists. Co-Curator Garcia-Vasquez explains, "We wanted to show how these artists/artworks deemed not safe on the internet can exist in a safe place…with confidence. This is important work, take some time to observe and consider."
The exhibition, which may be assumed to be Internet or Digital Media-based because of it's acronymic title, is anything but that— "Lissa Rivera and I were extremely aware that this next generation of artists had more diversity in their desired canvas/medium and we wanted to include them." There is a pleasurable balance between those artists who chose to dissect the role technology plays in sexual expression through collages (@maidenfedsrevenge) and tapestries (@erinmriley) and those taking on the female nude form from a female perspective based in traditional painting (@monicakimgarza) and drawing (@swegonamilly). "We acknowledge all of these women take a big risk in using their own experiences and we wanted to validate and support those voices."
I grilled Co-Curator Garcia-Vasquez a bit on the line-up of the show because (I'm a millennial I guess) and I wanted to find out if there were any desired implications between large social media followings and their Not Safe For (Art) Work featured in the exhibit. She replied, "Social media was not a factor in selecting the artists for the exhibit but they did make an impact when we covered them originally on Creators. We really wanted to show distinct bodies of work with diverse politics and incorporating many forms of the female nude and opportunities for sexual representation— we were really dedicated to artists who have chosen this path with agency and have really important things to say to the world through their practice."
I totaled the Instagram followings of all 28 artists exhibited (which will increase once this article is published): 1,221,843. (*note: only 2 of the artists did not have Instagram accounts).
Regardless of the influence social media may have had on the curatorial effort, it is inherently important to the existence of the work. NSFW is the counterpart to the fleeting nature of the Internet- making this art about female agency, permanent.
NSFW: The Female Gaze is on view at The Museum of Sex through September 24, 2017


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For Husband and Wife ( Day 9 of 18 )
JUST SHARING (from the "Couple's Devotional Bible")
This article's author: Archibald D. Hart, Ph.D.
Bible Passage: Acts 20:1-37
Key Verse: Acts 20:2
"He (St Paul) traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people…"
How can you keep your work from becoming the primary focus of your life? And how can you keep job stress from having a negative effect on your marriage?
First, don't let your marriage become a dumping ground for your work frustrations. If the only conversation that takes place between a husband and wife is about work, the marriage will eventually burn out. Intimacy can't grow between two people who never explore any of the deeper issues in their lives.
Second, especially with dual-career couples, guard against emotional detachment. Each spouse gets wrapped up in his or her own career, and work becomes a gauge of their self-esteem, rather than the two of them nurturing each other and reminding the other of his or her value.
In contrast, if a couple develops a habit of showing appreciation for the things they value in each other, it will help each of them see his or her value apart from their work. You have to practice affirming your partner before it will become second nature to you. Too many spouses say, "Oh, she knows I like that about her," or, "He knows I value that quality in him." No, they don't know. You need to tell your partner these things over and over.
• What do you think is a good balance for what to share and what not to share about work?
• What is the danger of looking to work successes as a gauge for your self-esteem?
Additional Scripture Readings: Romans 14:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:11


text: The Solution is Clare Posted on July 24, 2017 by Cathy Goff - Company News, Home Automation, Indoor Solutions You've learned about the man behind AV Solutions, Paul Tordik, before. But did you know that he's constantly expanding his palette as new technology trends take place? With his Clare… Read more


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Watch this video from the Daily Show. It is a riff on how it appears that news anchors are selected according to how beautiful they are.
Although it is funny, it reveals the expression of media that is vapid and highly hypnotic...
The media as an information delivery mechanism is neither good nor bad, it is simply a tool used by it's operators to spread upliftment or the alternative. A majority of the corporate media players of our time who dominate the airwaves are using the media primarily in service to generating dollars. Having more dollars, or that which more dollars can buy - more stuff, does not necessarily mean more happiness.
Yet the corporate media, and it's primary funders - the advertisers, continues to state "more stuff means more happiness" - and other hollow promises.
A recent article in LA City Beat "Tuning Out The Left" addresses the issue "Your TV might have 500 channels, but media consolidation has all but guaranteed that progressive, alternative channels like Free Speech TV are not among them".
I am a full supporter of independent media, and a responsible corporate media who recognizes that the public airwaves are a commmons to which they are granted the right to use.
Thankfully, the internet is providing a counterbalance to the overcentralized garbage which dominates...


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Saturday, March 30, 2013
Ato Z Blogging Challenge: Schedule
As some of you may know, I'll be participating in the A to Z blogging Challenge starting on April 1st with the letter A. Each day except for Sunday, I'll be posting a blog post with the next letter of the alphabet.
While I'm doing this challenge the Twitter Wednesday and Freebie Friday posts will be on hold unless I can work on in with a letter on the alphabet.
This month you'll probably learn more about me than you ever wanted to because a few of my posts are going to be personal, a few will be funny and of course I'll have a few rat posts in there as well.
I hope you'll come back each day and find my posts interesting. I just looked and there are over 1500 blogs participating in this challenge this year. It should be fun.
Posted by Mary Kirkland at 12:05 PM
3 comments:
This is an Award-Free blog. It is a lovely gesture, but I am unable to comply with the terms of the awards so I have made this an Award-Free blog. Thank You for understanding.
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Vintage Carlis Ware hand painted, hand finished "Dad's Mug".
This jolly faced mug is bright and colourful and in very good condition with just some crazing, to be expected in something this old.
He stands 11 cm high and weighs 360 grams
Carlis Ware Dad's Mug
- Brand/Artist: Other
- Product Code: Carlis Ware Dad's Mug
- Availability: 1
- Exc. VAT: £29.17
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* Digital communicator with phone line monitor (loop or ground start)
* Multiple telephone numbers, primary and duplicate paths with main and alternate destinations
* All reports within each of four route groups are programmable
* Optional dual phone line switcher monitors two phone lines
* Optional network interface module for two-way communication over Ethernet networks
* Automatic test and status reports
* Time windows for arming and open or close report suppression
* Programmable answering machine work-around for remote programming on shared phone lines
* Up to 238 RF points
The G Series D9412G Control Panel provides an integrated solution for Access Control, Security, and Fire Alarm system applications. The control panel can monitor alarm points for intruder or fire alarms while operating user command centers and other outputs. The control panel includes a communicator that reports events to selected PSTN or IP network destinations through four programmable route groups. The D9412G Control Panel provides eight on-board points and up to 238 off-board points. It provides up to 128 relays, and up to eight access control doors. Grant access from a Wiegand style card reader connected to: a D9210B Access Control Module, a Request-to-enter or Request-to-exit input, or a keypad.


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I haven't gotten back to updating the content here lately, but I am going to try and work on that soon, I am concentrating on employment currently.
I haven't gotten back to updating the content here lately, but I am going to try and work on that soon, I am concentrating on employment currently.
Working on moving the site again over to Hugo. Some derpyness is still happening though so be warned.
Maybe I'll even post some new stuff when it's all done heh.
So, I'm a geek. That much is easily proven by the domain name. I'm also a big geek. As in I need to lose a lot of weight to be healthy and also to feel better about myself, have more energy, etc. I'm looking into doing Keto and am compiling a list of interesting links to things others do, recipes and other Keto related things. If you have any other interesting ones, feel free to send me the link to firstname.lastname@example.com
Ruled.Me Keto Guide - includes a calculator to help you determine what you should be eating, how much your deficit needs to be to lose weight, etc.
Ruled.Me Keto Guide to Intermittent Fasting
Ruled.Me 30 day Keto Diet Plan
Ruled.Me Eating Keto on a Budget
A quick and dirty little bash script to check if a mount point is active or not.
if grep -qs '/mnt/drive1' /proc/mounts; then
echo "It's mounted."
echo "It's not mounted."
You can easily change the code to automatically mount the volume (or unmount) as per your needs.
Glances is a cross-platform curses-based system monitoring tool written in Python. It shows a large amount of information such as cpu usage, memory usage, hardware monitoring, battery monitoring and much more.
Install the required dependencies:
sudo apt-get install python-dev python-jinja2 python-psutil python-setuptools hddtemp python-pip lm-sensors
sudo pip install batinfo pysensors
If you are running on actual hardware (ie: not a vps like many of my servers), you should detect the sensors for that part of the monitoring:
sudo sensors-detect
Now install the actual Glances program:
sudo pip install Glances
And finally, you can run it by simply:
sudo glances
To upgrade, you can do
pip install --upgrade glances
There are also a number of other optional dependencies you can install:
bottle (for Web server mode)
py3sensors (for hardware monitoring support) [Linux-only]
hddtemp (for HDD temperature monitoring support) [Linux-only]
batinfo (for battery monitoring support) [Linux-only]
pymdstat (for RAID support) [Linux-only]
pysnmp (for SNMP support)
zeroconf and netifaces (for the auto discoverer mode)
influxdb (for the InfluxDB export module)
statsd (for the StatsD export module)
pystache (for the action script feature)
docker-py (for the Docker monitoring support) [Linux-only]
Plex Media Server is a great server for playing media (tv, movies, pictures) on a variety of devices (Android, Roku, Smart TVs, Windows, Mac, IOS, etc). It supports transcoding, a very nice interface layout, tracks what episodes or movies you have already watched, share with your friends and with a plus pass (paid account) there are additional features as well such as sync so your device can sync when you are at home and let you play when you are mobile without using data to watch.
There is a third party repo that seems to be updated quite often (as of this article anyway) for Debian Squeeze and Wheezy. To use it, the instructions are pretty simple:
sudo apt-get install curl
echo "deb http://shell.ninthgate.se/packages/debian squeeze main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/plexmediaserver.list
sudo curl http://shell.ninthgate.se/packages/shell-ninthgate-se-keyring.key | sudo apt-key add -
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install plexmediaserver
Your server should now be installed and functional. The default port is 32400 for the web interface, so to manage it you can go to http://192.168.0.5:32400/web/ (change your ip as needed) and add in your media files. Have fun :)
Strange little thing I encountered a while back. Basically, I use ssh tunnels to a number of remote hosts and to organize it a bit easier, I tend to use 127.0.0.X and assign each server a different number. However, under OSX you cannot use any others except for 127.0.0.1
The fix isn't too bad though, you basically need to add the interfaces either manually or at startup.
To add just a few, you can do:
sudo ifconfig lo0 alias 127.0.0.2 up
and change 2 to whatever ip you need. However, if you want to add a large number or all of the possible ones, this will take a long time. So, a quick little script to do it would be something like:
for ((i=2;i<256;i++))
sudo ifconfig lo0 alias 127.0.0.$i up
You could also change the 256 to something else like 50 if you don't want the full list added.
There are a variety of reasons why (updated a DNS record, issues with resolver, etc) but sometimes a good diagnostic step is to clear out the dns cache.
Each operating system (and even versions / distributions in some cases) have a different method
OSX 10.10 > sudo discoveryutil udnsflushcaches
OSX 10.9 > dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
OSX 10.7 – 10.8 > sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
OSX 10.5 – 10.6 > sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
Windows > ipconfig /flushdns
Linux - There are many different distros and versions here, but one of the following should work > /etc/init.d/named restart
/etc/init.d/nscd restart
service nscd reload
sudo /etc/init.d/dnsmasq restart
service dnsmasq restart
Another quick git tip, this time on how to remove a file or directory from a repo, but not delete the actual local file.
To remove a file, it's pretty simple:
git rm –cached myfile
And to do a directory and all files in it:
git rm –cached -r mydirectory
Obviously after this, you should do a commit message and sync the repo with your remote host
Google Chrome recently made a change to the display. They added a new feature that promises to be useful for some people, but it annoys me: My name being shown in the top right corner, allowing me to switch accounts.
While I can see the usefulness of the feature and I do have multiple google accounts, I rarely switch to them and usually do it through an incognito tab. Therefore, the added screen real estate that this feature takes up can be annoying. It's pretty easy to get rid of it though.
First, go to the url Chrome://flags and then look for "Enable the new avatar menu". Change this to disabled.
As an alternative if you don't want to remove it, you can go to chrome://settings/manageProfile and change the name that is displayed as well as the icon.
Personally I've removed it, but it's nice having options.


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Selling or Purchasing a Property FAQs
- Is there anything that I should do in preparation of my Final Meter Reading?
Verify that no obstruction or storage of other materials will prevent access (including routine maintenance) to the meter or associated valves. In the event an obstruction, storage, permanent structure or enclosure is encountered it is solely the homeowner's responsibility, expense and undertaking to disassemble or modify the aforementioned in accordance with the general regulations of the Sudbury Water District. A final water meter reading will not be released until these conditions have been met to the full satisfaction of Sudbury Water District.
- When will the Final Water Statement be available?
After 1 p.m. the same day as your final reading or any day following that day during regular business hours.
- How will I know how much is due?
Contact our business office at (978) 443-6602 after 1 p.m. the day of your reading or any day following that day to inquire about the total amount due.
- Is there a fee associated with obtaining a Final Water Statement?
A $50.00 reading and processing fee is included on the itemized statement.
- Where do I make my payment?
Payments are made in person at our Administration Office located at 199 Raymond Road.
- Which forms of payment are accepted?
CERTIFIED CHECK, MONEY ORDER or CASH.
Credit/Debit cards, checks drawn on personal, business, IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts) or Client Funds accounts are not accepted.
- Who should payment be issued to?
- Already moved?
In the event you have already moved and all personal belongings have been removed from the home or business the owner or real estate agent may submit a lock-box-code for inside access.
- I've been relocated, do I still need to procure a final reading?
Yes, a final meter reading is required for every real estate transaction including relocation. Follow the same steps as you would for a standard sale.
- I've recently purchased a property. Do I need to set up an account?
No, the account always remains with the home or business. Contact our business office (978) 443-6602 to verify that a Final Meter Reading/Inspection was completed and that the Final payment has been received in full (unpaid balances are assumed by the purchaser.)
- The seller neglected to procure a final reading.
Once the real estate transaction has settled (closed) there is little recourse. Contact your real estate agent or attorney immediately as funds may have been escrowed at closing for utility bills.
- I purchased at auction.
Contact our business office (978) 443-6602 to verify that all liens and unpaid balances have been settled. In most cases the winning bidder will need to satisfy or assume all outstanding debt. Banks don't necessarily contact utilities to make arrangements for final meter reading/inspection, generally the purchaser provides this information after the settlement.


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You've got a sketchbook. You've got pencils, pens, and leads galore. You've even got the most important things- ideas. But you lack the time, or the real motivation, to get the necessary amount of sketching into your day. How do you go about remedying such a thing?
First off, you need your sketchbook and your supplies with you AT ALL TIMES. There are lots of little breaks throughout even a busy day when you can be doodling. Take advantage of these if you cant afford to make time. Riding in the car (if you're a non-driver) is a great opportunity to get some rough sketching in, just mentally prepare yourself for shakey results. The goal is to get those ideas onto paper, a sketchbook is not for perfection. You don't have to lug around a 9"x11" sketchbook like I do, a simple little spiral bound notebook slips into a back pocket neatly.
Second, modify how you think about drawing. Don't aim for finished pieces, go for the gesture. Get down the relevant information, you can finish it at a later time. Consider carrying a camera with you, or utilizing the camera on your cellphone if you need to capture a lot of information in a short amount of time.
Stop being self concious. Believe me, the majority of people in this wide world do not care that you are drawing right this instant. Don't be obvious if you're drawing a particular person if you can't handle attention.
Prioritize your drawing. If this is what you want to do with your life, then give it time to breath and grow. Give up those videogames, cut back on those novels, and dedicate yourself. You aren't gunning to become a professional videogame player or a professional book reader, you want to be an artist! Even if you DONT want to draw for a living, if your art is important to you (as a hobby), you need to dedicate time to it. You aren't an artist if you never draw/paint/sculpt/print. Stop making excuses.
If you are the type who MUST finish a drawing, give yourself all day to do it. Pick at it in little bits.
If a notebook isn't handy, draw on whatever's available. Napkins, the back of business cards, receipts. Draw with a ballpoint pen, a china marker. Be less picky about your materials. I worked a summer as a desk monkey, and I scripted out a comic on post-it notes. Sketches do not need to be archival.
Set concrete goals. If you're really having trouble motivating yourself, promise yourself three full pages every day, no excuses. Set a schedule and STICK TO IT. Bribe yourself. Disconnect the PS3, turn off the internet.
The only person you have to convince with your sketchbook is yourself. Give yourself permission to fail, to try something new and totally falter, to nose dive into horrible. It's a sketchbook. Don't buy Moleskins if you feel weird about messing up the pristine pages. Heck, don't buy a run of the mill, Strathmore spiral bound yellow cover sketchbook if you feel like you have to produce something amazing. Buy a ream of crappy printer paper, a three ring binder punch, and a binder, and use THAT as your sketchbook. Use looseleaf if you have to. Whatever it takes to get you drawing. If having an audience motivates you, start an art blog. If you need criticism, directly ask for it on Twitter or on your blog.
Stop breaking promises to yourself. If keeping a sketchbook is important to you, get to it.
Excuses are what you make when you aren't making art.


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Rick Grunberg has been searching for a contented mix in life of technology, artistry and education. For the past twenty five years he has amassed a wealth of knowledge through his studies in Engineering, BA in Radio and Television Arts, MA in Communication Culture, and his forays into still photography (two years as former Prime Minister Trudeau's Liberal Party photographer), and as a Director of Photography and Technical Producer in the television industry. Rick was instrumental in founding one of Canada's most successful television facility and production companies, where his role as Vice President also allowed him to expand his creative production ambitions. He was later hired as a Technical Director and D.O.P. (Director of Photography) at TVOntario, working on such shows as Polka Dot Door and Polka Dot Shorts, Join In, and shows in the freelance market, such as Shining Time Station, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, and many more. He has given numerous lectures on advanced camera and lighting techniques throughout North America., and was instrumental in the funding, design and construction of Canada's first University-based High Definition television training facility. He was also involved in some of the first High Definition tests and shoots almost 25 years ago. Rick has been lecturing at Ryerson University since 1996 on a part time basis and as full time faculty since 2001, while always maintaining a busy freelance shooting schedule. Rick's research interests are now directed in the areas of HD bidirectional broadcast over IP, and Digital Cinema with a key role in the design and implementation of Ryerson's Advanced Visualization and Digital Cinema research Center through the recently awarded million-dollar CFI grant.
Rick Grunberg


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Social Media
Social media has become a key component to any business. Whether it's marketing or management you need, we would love to help keep you organized and brainstorm some fresh systems for your social media campaigns.
Our primary focuses are on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Website Design
No matter how much we wish it wasn't true, people judge books by their covers. And they will judge your business by the design of your website. Design is critical to your brand's identity.
We strive to make sure your website is clear, concise, easy to navigate, and eye-catching at first glance. It's important that your message is immediately apparent, and design is the first step.
A beautifully designed website portrays to your customers that you care about your business and they should care about it too.
Photography is another thing that really sets the mood of who you are. You have a very short amount of time to make an impression on someone, and your photography should be top notch.
Whether you're looking for commercial photography for your website and social media campaigns, or you're looking for portraits for your family, we would love to sit down with you and bring your ideas to reality.
We cannot stress enough how much branding is necessary to your business. Your logo, your website, your adverts; everything should be cohesive and quintessentially YOU.
We want to help you streamline your branding so your clients don't have to guess whether the website they're looking at is yours or not, but they will know it's yours because it's got that look to it, your look.
We love to brain storm! Many of our friends get free consulting sessions just by mentioning a new idea at dinner, we just can't help ourselves! Not only will you leave our session with pages of ideas, we can also help you plan out your next steps to seeing your dream come to reality.
Words hold a lot of power. The words you choose to convey your message have the power to convince someone to buy into your brand. We believe in not only choosing the perfect words for your business, but are also passionate about proper grammar and spelling. Words should add to your brand, not distract from.
Whether it's a simple social media post you need written, or a mission statement, or copy for your website, we promise to put our heart and soul into your words to make sure they are right.


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Anambra1 - 4 of 4 listings
84.00 Dollar U...Free Designs For Machine EmbroiderersAdult Jokes Malumfashi (Anambra) February 2, 201684.00 Dollar US$
Fleece is extremely gentle and warm and will wrap baby up in comfort. The connection process can differ by every machine. Silk, wool and linen are extremely well-liked in embroider...
61.00 Dollar U...Tips For Buying A House Sewing Machine For Quilting And Other SewingAdult Jokes Umu Nneochi (Anambra) January 28, 201661.00 Dollar US$
Just alter your bobbin, run a small more of the design to see if it is corrected and function appropriately. Sew the other aspect of the curtain panel in the exact same style. You'...
26.00 Dollar U...Free Embroidery DesignsAdult Jokes Guri (Anambra) January 26, 201626.00 Dollar US$
Often studying the sewing machine score can assist with this as well. Perhaps he has a notebook complete of his original artwork. This race frequently gets to be broken by neglect,...
111.00 Dollar ...How To Make Your Personal Cloth NapkinsAdult Jokes Kokona (Anambra) January 26, 2016111.00 Dollar US$
There is no more struggling with pivoting at the corners. Begin creating these quilts and get a booth at that fair. The SE270D also utilizes the cassette method for thread storage ...
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What We're About
Pyro Novelties sells gear for Pyrotechnicians and firework enthusiasts. We offer a great selection of pyro apparel & t-shirts, fireworks stickers and other cool pyro gear. If you're looking for fireworks store supplies and fireworks tent supplies, you have come to the right place. We've got fireworks banners, fireworks signs, and a full range Pyro Crew and Fireworks Staff gear. Everything but the Fireworks!


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Holly is a graphic designer. She works at PBD during the week and partners with Matthew Kihm on the off hours. Holly has an interest in social good, the environment, education, art and functionality, all with a conceptual approach.
She is client focused and readily responds to new design challenges. If you'd like to chat, please send an email: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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This weekend, I got to go to Hollywood for the first time and It kind of took me by surprise. I knew it was a tourist attraction, so the crowds of people didn't throw me, but my god was I not prepared for how dirty it was. It's probably the first time I've ever had a chance to rub shoulders with a family of tourists, a homeless person, and a huge Super Mario Brother in a filthy, knockoff costume all at the same time. I was ready to leave as soon as we got there. I must say though, walking by the Mann's Chinese Theater was the first time I've ever been star struck by a building. It's beautiful.
My buddy Tripp read about a burger place that was supposed to be amazing and we didn't bother to ask what the address was, so we were all a little surprised when we ended up on Hollywood Blvd. Parking was a nightmare, and with a maximum meter-time of 1 hour, the 20 minute walk to the restaurant didn't leave much time to eat. As soon as we heard there was a 30 minute wait for a table, we bounced and headed to a diner we had passed earlier called Mel's Drive In. I've heard comedians glowingly mention this diner over the years and know that it has some connection to American Graffiti, so I was pretty psyched.
I had a melted cheese and steak sandwich and Callie ordered a BLT with a rootbeer float. The float was awesome. Our waiter was this cool older gentleman who kept calling us something really retro, I don't remember what it was anymore, but it was something like Chap, or Boyo. Whatever it was, I dug it.
After eating, we headed to the show. I'd never been to the Hollywood bowl and was instantly blown away by how amazing everything sounded. It was one of those places that probably doesn't have a bad seat in the house. We had great seats in the middle of the entire theater. They were directly center-stage and at the start of a new section, so there wasn't anyone in front of us.
It was a solid show. I had forgotten how many popular songs Death Cab had under their belts. I'm only a passive listener really, but over the last 8 years, I had absorbed enough to recognize over half of their set-list. The stage setup was basic and refreshing. They had a projection screen behind them with the logo to their new album in front of flashing colored graphics and that was it. It actually reminded me a lot of an Interpol show – no frills. Just perfect sound quality and hit after hit after hit.
Gibbard was polite and incredibly affable. I think he thanked the crowd for being there after almost every song. He even stuttered at one point while mentioning how nervous he was performing for this many people. It was really charming.
I still can't get over how good the sound was. My plan is to go to as many Hollywood Bowl shows as I can while avoiding the rest of that town like the plague.
On the way home, we stopped by a pretty "famous" ice cream place out here called Afters. The line was insane. It was 11:30 and there were so many people waiting that the line stretched out the door and onto the sidewalk outside.
The thing that sets Afters apart from other hand-crafted ice cream places is that they do this thing where they put their own homemade ice cream inside a donut and press it in some kind of hot waffle iron. They call it a Milky Bun and eating it was bonkers.
The ice cream was good and I totally see what they're going for but in my opinion there was just too much going on. It felt like the two flavors, textures, and temperatures were fighting with each other in my mouth. Even though it was delicious, it literally tasted… "wrong". I couldn't finish it, and afterwards, I felt like I had done something horribly wrong to my body. Next time I go, I think I'll get the ice cream and skip the bun.
After Afters (that's fun to say), we dropped Kristin and Tripp off and came home to pass out in a sugar-coma. All in all, a pretty cool Sunday exploring a little bit of Hollywood. I just wish the Mann's Chinese Theater wasn't on such a horrible road.


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Posts Tagged 'two storey'
15 Dickson Street, Newtown. Sydney, New South Wales
The most interesting feature of this freestanding terrace is its stunning Italianate style, complete with campanile-like flat pyramid roofed tower and interesting iron lacework. The prominent tower features quoining and flat arched windows, label moulds and ledges with a large keystoned arch making a prominent doorway at ground level.