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In October, CUNA presented the 2012 Community Credit Union of the Year Award to four credit unions for their exemplary displays of movement principles and positive influence in the field of service.
Among the four was Gulf Coast Community Federal Credit Union, Gulfport, Miss., which received a first place in the less than $250 million in assets category.
Gulf Coast Community Federal's Executive Vice President/Chief Communications Officer Debbie Pidek participated in a Q&A with Credit Union Magazine about what it takes to be a great community credit union.
CU Mag: To be successful, a community CU must…
Pidek: Always be looking ahead. The market is constantly changing and to be successful, we must be able to adapt to that changing market. It may sound like a cliché, but it's a fact.
After the economic downturn, many in our industry continued to do business as usual but in fact, the business environment changed dramatically and will never be the same. We knew we had to change the way we did business to reflect the changed economic environment.
CU Mag: What about your CU are you most proud?
Pidek: We are most proud that the programs we put in place to help credit challenged and low-income members help us make a positive difference in our community.
We were one of the first credit unions in the United States to send our entire lending department, including payment solutions (collections), through CUNA's Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor program.
Our lending philosophy of understanding that bad things sometimes happen to good people enables us to couple that compassionate lending mindset with the financial counseling expertise required to truly help our members achieve their financial goals.
CU Mag: What's the biggest challenge the CU has had to overcome in the last few years?
Pidek: The Mississippi Gulf Coast was severely impacted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, closely followed by the economic recession and then the BP oil spill, so many of our members are still struggling financially. We had to learn how to lend to people who are credit and income challenged.
Again, the market changed, and we had to change the way we did business. Learning to effectively lend to C, D and E paper members has enabled us to continue to have positive loan growth during a time when many financial institutions have negative loan growth.
CU Mag: What's been the most effective way for you to reach out and understand your community audience?
Pidek: We have stated our lending philosophy ("We Understand That Bad Things Happen To Good People") in all of our advertising and that message has really resonated with the people of South Mississippi.
In an area where predatory lending is more prevalent than in any other state, people need help and that message has helped them understand that we are here for them.
CU Mag: What's the best advice you can give other community CUs?
Pidek: Celebrate your success – the more you tell your good story, the more good stories you will have! We find we have more and more to celebrate.
The winners of the Community Credit Union Award best advance the ideals of the credit union movement, provide products that meet the needs of diverse communities, and are active in their communities.
The other winners included 1st MidAmerica Credit Union, Bethalto, Ill. (honorable mention), First Community Credit Union, Jamestown, N.D., and Dakotaland Federal Credit Union, Huron, S.D. (honorable mention).
The 2013 Community Credit Union & Growth Conference will be held Oct. 8-11 in Uncasville, Conn.


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Vancouver entrepreneur comes up with an indoor herb planter that doesn't suck
I sprout tomatoes and peppers in the house, but I don't like it very much. It's messy.
Carpets and wood floors don't respond well to water and soil, so I do as much growing outside as possible.
I don't grow herbs inside either. But I decided to give it a try to test a product created by Vancouver-based entrepreneur Kent Houston, a one-time landscaper who got interested in food gardening while working on the urban farm start-up SOLEfood.
Houston is busily marketing Patch, an indoor planter kit that fits in an envelope or arrives on your doorstep fully assembled, filled with soil and planted with herbs. Maybe "evangelizing" would be a better word for what Houston does.
When sales of vegetable seeds surpassed sales of flower seeds a few years ago, Houston felt the earth move beneath his feet. A new target market was emerging before his eyes, one that he says is poorly serviced by garden centres.
"People who are coming to gardening now are not growing flowers, they're going directly to food," Houston said. "This isn't a gardener, it's a food grower."
As Houston observed, a lot of people are trying to grow food. But he heard a lot of sad stories of failure.
"And when people fail, they don't want to go do it again," he said. "We wanted to ensure success."
Houston set about creating a product specifically for this new consumer.
Small business can be a struggle. Houston paid $20,000 for a professional product design that ended up in the waste paper basket. When he did settle on materials and a design, the company's principals had to manufacture the product at zero profit in their Vancouver offices while Houston shopped for a manufacturer, a six-month process.
"We didn't make any money on those, but it was important to get them out there and get the feedback," he said.
Every feature of Patch is designed to solve a problem and head off failure, right down to shipping assembled units with the world's most resilient plant: Mint.
People who kill mint are watering with gasoline, I guarantee it.
The soil sits above a reservoir on a latticework frame that assembles like the cardboard dividers in a liquor box. The soil draws up moisture as required by the plant to prevent overwatering. You water through a cone that funnels the liquid straight to the bottom of the unit – not on top of the soil – and you can see the level of water easily, so you know when to stop and when to water again. (When it's dry.) Some assembly is required, if you opt for the basic kit.
"People don't read instructions, even when they are there, and so people open it up and start putting it together and it's mostly pretty intuitive," he said. One crucial step that tripped up some users is filling one cell in the reservoir bottom with soil so water can wick up to the plants.
I actually did read the instructions (not much more than a diagram really), but only because I knew I would be writing about the experience. The whole thing went together in under 10 minutes.
Patch solves most of the problems that I associate with indoor herb gardens.
– I don't like pots sitting on plates full of water, but Patch contains all the water in an internal reservoir.
– Round plant pots don't fit on the window ledge, but Patch fits perfectly.
– It's hard to tell how much to water an indoor plant, but Patch allows you to see exactly how much water is in the system.
– Indoor plant pots are prone to moulds and mildew, but soil in the Patch is watered from the bottom so the soil's surface remains dry.
The basic Patch herb planter is 12″ by 6″ by 6″, and when folded down for shipping fits in a large envelope. I thought the price at $39.95 (three for $99.95) was a bit steep until I recalled seeing small cedar planters at the nursery for $60. And this planter is quite cleverly designed. It brings more to the table than a few pieces of wood.
The top-of-the-line, assembled and planted Patch is $59.95 and can be delivered to your door in Vancouver, Richmond and the North Shore. Check it out at letspatch.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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3rd Annual Synergis Student Competitions are Open!
November 14, 2012 Leave a comment
Synergis is having its 3rd Annual Student Competition with Architecture and Mechanical categories! The architecture theme this year is adaptive reuse of an existing main street shop into a children's museum. The mechanical category is based on the Pennsylvania F1 competition. We are only judging entries submitted to us and will focus on design from creative and functional aspects.
The competition is currently open to anyone in K-12th grade. So pass this along to kids or your friend's kids to enter! Prizes include cash awards and acknowledgement at Synergis University 2013 next June.
I'm hoping to get them to introduce a Civil Engineering category next year as well as add an age group for university students! What do you think?
Here are some entries from last year to peak your interest…


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Nov 04, 2019
JOB DESCRIPTION Department Aquatics Location Pleasant Prairie RecPlex, 9900 Terwall Terrace, Pleasant Prairie WI 53158 Job Title Aquatics Manager Classification Salary/Exempt Pay Range $57,774 - $72,217 Annually FT29 Relocation Expense Reimbursement Available Job Summary This position is a professional managerial position under the direct supervision of the Operations Superintendent with secondary supervision by the Director of Recreation. The primary purpose of the Aquatics Manager is to provide outstanding service through warm interactions. The secondary responsibilities are to manage and supervise all employees and operations of the Aquatics Division including both the leisure pool and competition pool, and beach in a professional manner. Other responsibilities include: program planning and administration, leadership and coaching for our competitive swim team, personnel and budget management, and aquatic facility and equipment management. Employees in this classification must represent the RecPlex in a professional manner, while instructing and monitoring personnel, members, guests, and program participants. Job Duties ·Must be able to manage the competitive swim team including working with existing coaches and staff while growing the team in numbers and talent. ·Responsible for managing the Learn to Swim lesson program while growing participant numbers and swim instructors. ·Responsible for recruiting championship bids and the bid process for hosting and managing rented and hosted swim meets, open water swims, and events both indoor and outdoor. ·Interface with RecPlex Website, Guest Services, RecPlex Managers, and Business Office on all Aquatics Programming. ·Coordinate aquatics marketing plans. ·Must be capable of scheduling, training, supervising and evaluating a large number of lifeguards, swim instructors, and aquatic personnel of varying ages and emotional maturity. ·Must meet or exceed budget targets for revenues, and budget limits for labor costs and direct costs. ·Must facilitate staff meetings with aquatic staff and swim team. ·Must maintain administrative records and create reports including: attendance reports, program reports, payroll documentation including approval of employee time sheets, accident reports and personnel evaluations; conduct regular performance reviews, at prescribed intervals; keep staff informed of regular, new and upcoming activities, events, policies, programs and so on. ·Work with outside vendors and sponsors to make sure we are adhering to agreements and promoting best business practices. ·Must be able to coordinate with other recreation managers, facility supervisors and school administrators for scheduling and reservations of program facilities. ·Must create a positive hospitality and be accessible and visible. ·Must establish and maintain a set work schedule; ensure adequate coverage during all hours of operation; work within payroll budget in areas of responsibility. ·Must be energetic, enthusiastic and motivational. ·Must know and enforce all RecPlex, Village and department rules, regulations, policies, standard operating procedures and guidelines. ·Must work shifts as Manager on Duty including: opening/closing of the facility; physical inspection of the entire building; ensure safety of employees and patrons in the facility and administer CPR or first aid as needed; set up, put away and maintain athletic equipment; maintain cash control of the safe and front desk drawer; complete paperwork. ·Must have the ability to apply principles of influence, such as motivation, incentive and leadership systems. ·Must have the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. ·Maintain effective working relationships with employees, peers, coordinators, and the public. ·Ability to visually monitor pool and beach areas and respond quickly to emergency situations. ·Ability to obtain and maintain preferred certifications. ·Requires the ability to perform highly skilled coordinated movements, such as utilizing a rescue tube, spinal board, Shepherd's Crook and other safety and first aid procedures. ·Must have knowledge of life guarding techniques; Jeff Ellis & Associates swimming programs; pool safety; water chemistry. ·Must be able to perform other duties and special assignments as directed by the Operations Superintendent and Director of Recreation including assignments that may be outside the primary area of employment. Physical Requirements ·Requires high degree of interaction and communication with staff and public. Works closely with Operations Superintendents, RecPlex Managers, and Director of Recreation. Work subject to varying shifts. Majority of work performed is indoors in an aquatic atmosphere. The work requires long periods of attentiveness, standing, sitting, pulling, pushing, reaching, carrying, cleaning, visual monitoring, verbal and written communication, hearing, moderate lifting 15-50 pounds, periods of extensive public contact and exposure to stressful and emergency situations. ·RecPlex is located in Prairie Springs Park at 9900 Terwall Terrance, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. Hours will vary with evening, weekend, and holiday work required. Work is usually performed during typical daytime and early evening hours, but diversity of special events and workload, as well as available staffing and budget, requires weekend and evening hours. Requirements - educational, certifications and experience ·Bachelor's degree in Recreation, Business or related field is required. Qualified candidates will possess a minimum of 5 - 10 years of aquatics experience with significant experience coaching and managing a competitive swim team. Strong verbal and written skills are mandatory as well as high proficiency with Microsoft Office applications. Extensive customer service and public relations are required. Coaching Policy Athletic/team Coaches are hired to instruct/teach specific skills where the coach is the teacher and the player(s) is/are the learner(s) and instill teamwork both during team practices and games. Coaches are not hired to participate with the players during scrimmages or active play, or endurance/strength training.
Village of Pleasant Prairie Pleasant Prairie RecPlex, Terwall Terrace, Pleasant Prairie, WI 53158, USA Full time


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At the end of last week I received an email from my friend and colleague Sharon Dooley telling me her "Lightening Talk" had been accepted and she would be speaking at the Summit in October. Sharon has many years experience in the IT industry, a former SQL Server MVP, currently working as a trainer and course author specializing in SQL Server. She is a volunteer with PASS and is the Virtual Chapter Lead for the DBA virtual chapter. Sharon is also involved in the Women in Technology virtual chapter.
A couple of weeks ago Sharon and I were chatting about the PASS Summit and even though she hadn't submitted a full session she was considering submitting a lightening talk. Sharon doesn't currently maintain a blog so I said if she did submit a talk and it was accepted I would promote her "Lightening Talk." Sharon has a really awesome query that returns a user's permissions; she will be demonstrating this query during her talk. She also promised to share the query with us after the Summit so those of us who can't get to Seattle can use it too. So we'll have an excellent guest post to look forward to later in the year.
There will be more details on Sharon's talk to follow but Sharon has asked me if I would mention the PASS Women in Technology Luncheon at which she is also on the Panel. The 9th Women in Technology Luncheon and Panel discussion will take place at the PASS Summit in Seattle on Thursday October 13, 2011. This year's topic is: Make Yourself Heard: How to Ask for What You Want at Work. In 2003 the first Women in Technology panel discussion was held at the PASS Community Summit. Since that inaugural panel, the WIT event has been a highlight of the Summit, with captivating speakers and lively discussion on topics relating to women in the field of technology. Participants at these panel discussions were eager to continue networking and learning from each other which led to the launch of the WIT Virtual Chapter. You can find more information on the Women in Technology Luncheon and the virtual chapter in general here (http://wit.sqlpass.org/ ) You can follow the Chapter on twitter @PASS_WIT or following the #PASSWIT hash tag.


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Dock Street Asset Management, founded in 1989, serves as an independent investment advisor to wealthy families. Our services include both asset management and investment advisory for individuals, families, trusts, foundations and small businesses. Our primary asset is the depth and breadth of our Investment Advisor's experiences specifically managing family assets.
We do not manage mutual funds nor do we operate any type of fund that pools client capital. Each client has their own separate account. All portfolios are individually managed with frequent consultation between clients and portfolio managers. Our minimum is $1 million for new relationships.
Dock Street is a registered investment advisor. That means we do not charge commissions nor do we participate in the commissions our clients pay. It means we file a Form ADV with the Securities & Exchange Commission each year, a copy of which is available here. Our fees are based on a percentage of client assets under management – generally 1% or less on an annual basis.
If you want more out of your investment team, it's time for Dock Street.


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Market day in attractive Skipton, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, is the perfect place to see modern day rural England in action. On a Saturday myriad stalls line both sides of the High Street, selling everything from home made jam, via chunky knits to Greek olives. Substantial, but not imposing Victorian buildings jostle for space with a few older building and an occasional modern interloper. Being a bit of a tourist attraction, in an understated and genuine way, there are plenty of restaurants, pubs and cafes to quench thirst and tempt the palate. For a quirky atmosphere you canât beat The Russian Tea Room â check out the window display of Russian dolls, costume and food.
Also on High Street is the Skipton Town Hall & Craven Museum. When I visited recently there was an indoor market selling â I bought some brightly coloured wools for my latest knitting obsession! My son got a Manchester City football pin and a couple of second hand DVDs â bargains galore here. Upstairs is the fascinating little Museum showcasing artefacts from days gone by, including the very surprising hippopotamus skull, from the far-off days when they apparently roamed the surrounding countryside â¦
Adjacent Sheep Street has lots of quirky little shops, boutiques and was the site of the old prison. Drop in to the pretty Three Sheep Tea Rooms for a bite to eat or a cup of the famous Yorkshire tea. You can walk along historic The Leeds and Liverpool Canal, take a boat trip or just sit and watch the beautifully decorated barges, narrow boats and other craft drift slowly by. The Canal Basin also has some great little shops in the converted warehouses.
Medieval Skipton Castle testifies to this townâs ancient history. Originally built in 1090, it was later replaced by a sturdy stone castle, still with its roof intact â one of the best examples of its kind in the north. 14th Century Holy Trinity Church beside the castle is the final resting place of Henry VIIIâs niece, Lady Eleanor Brandon and there are also five Earls of Cumberland and an impressive memorial to 3rd Earl, George Clifford.
The Millenium Walk takes in a lot of the town as well as the canal and a few places you migh easily miss â thereâs a book and leaflet on it at Tourist Information Centre, found in the Town Hall on Main Street. Take some time out in Skipton â youâre bound to find something of interest just around the corner ⦠Zoë Dawes lives in NW England. She shares her lifelong love of travel on her popular blog The Quirky Traveller, on Face Book and Twitter @quirkytraveller


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Now that the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board have abandoned their ill-fated agrarian-robot-family-allegory design for the Cy-Hawk Trophy, how will the victors in the annual football showdown between Iowa and Iowa State know they've won? Please help bail out the corn industry by submitting your alternative trophy designs—corny, but not too corny—to email@example.com. Our panel of art experts will compile the best designs and put them up for a vote. Winner gets a very special Deadspin prize.
Drawing by me


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maki riddington needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 9 designs submitted by 5 freelance designers.
I need someone to come up with a logo that somehow portrays my business which is strength&conditioning training.
M.R. Personal Training (Maki Riddington is what the M.R. stands for)
Focus on Performance
Desired Color Scheme:
Neutral colors
The logo must use neutral colors. It will be placed on my car, on t-shirts and letter head. I'm looking to have someone capture the essence of my business which is strength and conditioning. There must be no bodybuilding type icons attached to the logo. Things such as a muscle bound person, arms, legs or abs. No posing shots, or flexing either.
I'd like to see more along the lines of a 45 pound weight plate propped up against the logo of M.R. Personal Training with the line "Focus on Performance" underneath it.
The graphics should be 300dpi or better to ensure optimum output for printing on cards and posters. Accepted formats include JPEG, TIFF, PDF, PSD or BMP.
Please read this page.
The logo file must be include what is required on the page.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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SMOKE AND REDEMPTION has been a long time coming. This collection is primarily tunes that folks across the country have requested at our shows. The project was recorded at Steve's studio "The Cave" in Las Cruces, mixed by Steve and Chris, and mastered by David Glasser at Airshow in Boulder. Ronnie Garver came through with yet another beautiful package design.
The Trio has become known for thoughtful songwriting and strong vocal harmonies and this album does not disappoint! Original tunes are augmented by two covers (Chris' winsome arrangement of "Silver Dagger" and Anne's heart-tugging version of Robert Earl Keen's "Mariano"), and, of course, dynamic pickin' from Steve and special guests. This album features the incomparable talents of our Nashville buddies Nate Lee (fiddle) and Tim May (guitar), and good friends Peter McLaughlin (guitar) and Nick Coventry (fiddle) from Tucson.
This album is available also as a download here.


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Is the road to true love paved in pain? Han Young Min (Lee Jung Jin) realizes that love is not always an easy street but is often riddled with bumps and curves and other obstacles. Young Min's ex-girlfriend shows up one day and dumps their son, Joon (Kim Jin Seong), on him and leaves. Young Min's fiancée, Min Seo Young (Oh Seung Hyun), breaks off their engagement with him when he refuses to send the boy back to his mother. As Young Min adjusts to his new life as a single father, the sweet Jo Mi Soo (Lee Yoo Ri) stays by his side and tries to help him. As Young Min and Mi Soo start to develop feelings for each other, can they discover true love despite many tough obstacles? "I Love You, Don't Cry," also known as "Don't Cry My Love," is a South Korean family drama series that aired for 132 episodes between November 2008 and May 2009.
This show does not have any episodes


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had501 needed a new stationery design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 89 designs submitted by 25 freelance designers.
We are opening a new dance studio and need design work soon including logo, business card, and stationery (the logo and business card are most important and will receive the most consideration). We will need the design in a vector file format for printing (Will be used on large banners -- I'm not sure but I think .ai and .eps are good...you all probably know better than me on this) and on our website (probably jpeg format and other web appropriate files)
In Motion Dance Studio
We offer a broad range of dance styles to a broad range of ages (although most of our clientele are children). Our classes include everything from ballet to breakdance. Design work should have a professional look and feel, but at the same time portray energetic fun.
- Item 1...Name of the company in the logo (In Motion Dance Studio)
- Professional but fun
- Give a sense that we are an inclusive, inviting studio. We do not want to set ourselves up as a studio for elites.
- Item 1...If you have a dancer in your design work, I would prefer that the dancer is neither a ballerina nor a breakdancer.


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Pesky Nose-Cone Problem Downs NASA's Glory Satellite
Mar 4, 2011 2:17 PM PT
A second high-profile failure in two days has helped make a bona-fide rough week for NASA.
The U.S. space agency's Glory atmospheric research mission satellite crashed into the Pacific Ocean Friday, one day after a faulty o-ring caused a space suit leak on board the Shuttle Discovery.
A so-called "nose cone fairing" that protects the enclosed satellite "did not separate as expected about three minutes after launch," said NASA spokesperson Steve Cole.
The failed fairing brought down the Orbital Sciences Taurus XL rocket, causing a US$424 million loss.
"The nose-cone fairing is like a clamshell," Stevens Institute of Technology space systems engineering professor Debra Lepore told TechNewsWorld. "It protects the satellite during launch, then once in space, opens up to expose the satellite," which in this case was scheduled to gather environmental and climate data.
More specifically, "the new Earth-observing satellite was intended to improve our understanding of how the sun and tiny atmospheric particles called aerosols affect Earth's climate," NASA's Cole told TechNewsWorld.
No Morning Glory
Like Discovery last December, equipment problems have delayed the Glory, originally scheduled to launch Feb. 23. When it took off this morning from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., the first two stages of the four-stage system ignited normally.
A few seconds later, however, nitrogen-driven pistons failed to separate the nose cone fairing's two halves, leaving extra weight aboard that bogged the rocket down and sent it plunging into the sea.
"It's heartbreaking for the entire industry when there's a failure of this magnitude," said Stevens' Lepore, who is also president of AirLaunch, a startup developing a small rocket launched from a C-17 cargo airplane to deploy small satellites into space. "So many scientists and engineers work so hard to make sure that everything goes right. It's difficult all around."
Recent rocket failures have been especially hard on Orbital Sciences, which almost to the day in 2009 lost another Taurus XL rocket -- and NASA's $273 million Orbiting Carbon Observatory.
That rocket suffered a similar nose cone fairing failure, prompting NASA and Orbital to swap out a hot-gas pressurization system for a more-reliable nitrogen pressurization system.
Engineering teams have spent the last two years analyzing the problem, adding sensors and running test flights.
Rocket Science
Accidents can happen, despite all the hard work, if for no other reason than the sheer complexity of space flight, explained University of West Georgia physics professor emeritus and space travel expert Ben DeMayo. NASA conducts a thorough analysis of such problems, he told TechNewsWorld, searching for the "best possible solutions."
"A failure investigation board will doubtless go through proper procedures to figure out precisely what went wrong," said Stevens' Lepore. "Meanwhile, we won't have the Earth sciences data they were seeking, but the delay shouldn't become permanent."
Gathered by the 1,200-pound solar-powered Glory, the Earth sciences data would have provided measures of global warming and global climate change. A "total irradiance monitor," from the University of Colorado would have measured how much solar energy enters and leaves Earth's atmosphere. And a Raytheon-built "aerosol polarimetry sensor," would have measured various aspects of aerosols, including their size, quantity, and shape.
For now, however, global warming will have to wait.
"The launch business is very tough," Lepore said. "Sometimes things go wrong that you don't expect. The loss of the Glory is simply a reminder that it is rocket science, after all."


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Latest Reviews
Sunday, May 07, 2017 Reposado
I've always declared that I was a drinker, rather than a collector, yet currently I've discovered that I have approximately 50 bottles of tequila on my shelves. Safe to say the good lady wife has requested that I start emptying some of them. To be fair the vast majority of these bottles are almost empty, they have one or two glasses left in them at best. I tend to drink from a bottle and write a review then come back to it later, usually in a moment of nostalgia, finish the bottle and then finish the review. This one is long overdue.
Thursday, March 16, 2017 Blanco
So I bought a new bookcase recently...the idea behind it was to make more of a display of my tequila collection. Books? Don't be daft. The result of all this was that I found bottles that had been tucked away behind others that I'd really been meaning to sit down and review. Don Alvaro Tequila Blanco is just one of the many that will be making their way online in the not too distant future. Okay, let's get the official description out of the way, and then we'll get in to it: Don Alvaro Tequila Blanco exudes a brilliant silver color, distinctive fresh aroma, clean crisp flavor and spicy smooth finish. Carefully handcrafted from one of the Cetto family's original recipes, it is perfect for the most refined and exacting palates.
Sunday, June 08, 2014 Extra Añejo
Originally released in the year 2000 to celebrate the new millennium, under the name 1800 Tequila Edicion del Nuevo Milenio, 1800 Tequila have this year (2014) released a second edition of this cognac-finished extra anejo to compete in the 'ultra-premium' market that seems to gaining consumer interest at the moment. Sporting an elegant pyramid-shaped bottle, deviating from the classic 1800 bottle design, and package in a tall rectangular box that opens in a clam style movement this tequila certainly puts out the luxury feel.


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After updating my phone to Android ICS (v4.0.3), presto crashes the player when it starts playing.
I tested it with both DoggCatcher and BeyondPod.
With the previous version (Android 2.3.7) everything used to work perfectly.
Please contact me by e-mail if you want more details, but I think it's a matter of incompatibility with ICS and will recreate with any installation.
My setup:
Presto 0.8.7
DoggCatcher: 1.2.2919
BeyondPod: 2.8.11
Nexus S, Android ICS 4.0.3


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Denver Calendar: Charlie Gallagher honored at Collectors' Choice
The Denver Art Museum's most glamorous fundraiser, Collectors' Choice, is the occasion for DAM trustee Charlie Gallagher to be honored for what organizers say is his "18 years of generous support and ongoing leadership."
The black-tie event begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the museum. The chairmen are Marilyn and Pete Coors, Cindy and Ted Halaby, Jane and Fred Hamilton, Verna and Bill Pauls and Marcia and Dick Robinson.
"Charlie has continued to be a steadfast supporter of the museum's programs and mission, including major contributions to the Frederic C. Hamilton Building construction and endowment," reads the message on the save-the-date card. "As one of Denver's premier entrepreneurs and deal-makers, Charlie gives back extensively through service and philanthropy."
A Colorado Business Hall of Fame inductee, Gallagher supports numerous Denver-area nonprofits, including Boy Scouts, Children's Hospital Colorado, Colorado UpLIFT and Families First.
Collectors' Choice is sold out; for wait-list information, contact Gravely Wilson, 720-913-2763.
The 13th annual Vino y Chocolate, benefiting Centro San Juan Diego, is an opportunity for supporters to enjoy 15 Latin-inspired table setting displays, along with wine and chocolate. It runs from 5-7 p.m. at Centro San Juan Diego, 2830 Lawrence St.
The fundraiser is hosted by Sister Alicia Cuaron, Romaine Pacheco, the Mexican Cultural Center, Las Madrinas and Centro San Juan Diego. Guests are asked to bring a wrapped gift for children between the ages of 6 and 12, with the age and gender designated on the package. The presents will be given to youngsters from low-income immigrant families.
Reservations can be phoned to 303-295-9470, ext. 110.
Starting at 3 p.m. in the Seawell Grand Ballroom, Pricewaterhouse Coopers Denver will host a Philanthropy Expo where more than 200 volunteer employees will build toys and assemble various crafts for five partner charities of Mile High United Way.
"Beyond Giving" will mark the finale of the firm's year-long effort to create opportunities for those in need in Colorado and around the U.S. It also serves as the formal conclusion to PwC Denver's corporate giving campaign and pledge drive, which is heavily geared toward the Mile High United Way and its own national 501(c)(3) organization, the PwC Charitable Foundation.
The charities benefiting from the expo, and the gifts they will receive, include:
* Warren Village: Wrapped toys and tricycles for young children
* Denver Rescue Mission: Fleece blankets and scarves
* Food Bank of the Rockies: Holiday food baskets
* The Bridge Project: Child-sized fleece scarves
* Bridging the Gap: Starter kits for children leaving the foster care system. PwC recently gave a $17,000 grant to this organization.
* Denver Section of the National Council of Negro Women hosts its 21st Harambee Brunch at the Doubletree Hotel, 3203 Quebec St. It begins at 11 a.m. President Elizabeth Lee says that Barbara Shannon-Banister will be given the Bethune Legacy Award; Owetta McNeil will receive the Salute to Black Women Award; and Aaliyah Carter and Alyse Harris will accept the Dr. Dorothy I. Height Youth Leadership Award. Tickets are $60 for adults and $35 for children up to age 12. Register online.
* Jefferson Country Fair and Rodeo celebrates its first rodeo royalty at an event that begins at 4 p.m. at the American Legion hall, 1655 Simms St., Lakewood. Casey Daugherty, the first Jefferson County Fair and Rodeo Queen, and Sierra Knodle, the Jefferson County Fair and Rodeo Princess, will be crowned during the festivities. The evening also includes live and silent auctions, a catered dinner, music and dancing. Tickets are $20 (children up to age 5 are admitted free) and proceeds go to the Jefferson County Fair and Rodeo Royalty program and scholarship fund.
One hundred forty models will show off clothing from 20 high-end Colorado fashion designers when DCAP (the Denver Colorado AIDS Project) presents fourth annual Red Ball at EXDO Event Center. The VIP guests arrive at 6 p.m., general admission entry is at 7 and the show begins at 8:15. Details, including videos and pictures, can be found on the Red Ball website and Facebook page.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, email@example.com and @GetItWrite on Twitter


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Migrating Away from Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Some of the information in this article is advanced material we make available as a courtesy. Please be advised that you are responsible for properly following the procedures below. Customer Support cannot assist with these topics.
As of September 22, 2009, we're discontinuing support of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. You can migrate your server's operating system to Cent OS or independently purchase a software license from Red Hat.
Note: If you do nothing, your account will no longer be charged for use of Red Hat, but you cannot update software via the Red Hat Network or call Red Hat for support.
To Migrate from Red Hat 4 to Cent OS 4.7 Using yum
- Connect to your server via SSH (more info).
- Switch to the root user (more info).
- Run the following commands to upgrade to Cent OS 4.7:
yum clean all
mkdir ~/centos
cd ~/centos/
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/4/os/i386/CentOS/RPMS/centos-release-4-7.i386.rpm
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/4/os/i386/CentOS/RPMS/python-elementtree-1.2.6-5.el4.centos.i386.rpm
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/4/os/i386/CentOS/RPMS/python-sqlite-1.1.7-1.2.1.i386.rpm
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/4/os/i386/CentOS/RPMS/python-urlgrabber-2.9.8-2.noarch.rpm
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/4/os/i386/CentOS/RPMS/sqlite-3.3.6-2.i386.rpm
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/4/os/i386/CentOS/RPMS/yum-2.4.3-4.el4.centos.noarch.rpm
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/4/os/i386/CentOS/RPMS/yum-metadata-parser-1.0-8.el4.centos.i386.rpm
rpm --import http://mirror.centos.org/centos/4/os/i386/RPM-GPG-KEY-centos4
rpm -e --nodeps redhat-release
rpm -Uvh *.rpm
yum upgrade
To Migrate from Red Hat 5 to Cent OS 5.2 Using the Hosting Control Panel
Note: This process reprovisions your server. By completing the instructions above, your original server will no longer be available. We provide an FTP backup for 90 days, but we recommend you complete a system backup before proceeding.
- Log in to your GoDaddy account.
- Click Servers.
- Next to the server you want to use, click Manage.
- In the Support section, select Reprovision Server.
- Select CentOS.
- Recreate your user name and password.
- Click Continue and then click Save Changes.
To Migrate from Red Hat 5 to Cent OS 5.3 Using yum
- Connect to your server via SSH (more info).
- Switch to the root user (more info).
- Run the following commands to upgrade to Cent OS 5.3:
yum clean all
mkdir ~/centos
cd ~/centos/
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/5/os/i386/CentOS/centos-release-5-3.el5.centos.1.i386.rpm
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/5/os/i386/CentOS/centos-release-notes-5.3-3.i386.rpm
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/5/os/i386/CentOS/yum-3.2.19-18.el5.centos.noarch.rpm
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/5/os/i386/CentOS/yum-updatesd-0.9-2.el5.noarch.rpm
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/5/os/i386/CentOS/yum-metadata-parser-1.1.2-2.el5.i386.rpm
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/5/os/i386/CentOS/python-iniparse-0.2.3-4.el5.noarch.rpm
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/5/os/i386/CentOS/yum-fastestmirror-1.1.16-13.el5.centos.noarch.rpm
wget http://mirror.centos.org/centos/5/os/i386/CentOS/gamin-python-0.1.7-8.el5.i386.rpm
rpm --import http://mirror.centos.org/centos/5/os/i386/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-5
rpm -e --nodeps redhat-release
rpm -e yum-rhn-plugin
rpm -Uvh *.rpm
yum upgrade
To Purchase a New Red Hat Enterprise Linux License and Configure Your Server to Connect to the Red Hat Network
You can purchase Red Hat Enterprise Linux from Red Hat directly on their site.
- Log in to the Red Hat Network website or your Satellite server.
- Go to the Systems tab in the top navigation bar, then select the name of the old system or duplicated system in the System List.
- Click delete system in the top-right corner of the page.
- Confirm the removal of the system by selecting the Delete Profile button.
- As root at the command line, delete the file (if it exists) /etc/sysconfig/rhn/systemid from your system by running the command: rm /etc/sysconfig/rhn/systemid
- Run the following command to register your system with the update agent:rhn_register
Note: For more information on the rhn_register command, see Red Hat's documentation What is the command rhn_register used for?.
- When re-registering, enter the license you purchased from Red Hat directly.


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Nearest Town: KamiahSite Size: 53 acres
Highlights: Raptors, Shorebirds, Songbirds, Upland Birds, Waterbirds, Waterfowl
Access: Year-round. Access free of charge.
Directions: HEART OF MONSTER NEZ PERCE HISTORIC SITE: from Kamiah, US 12 S; 2 mi S of Clearwater Bridge turn W off hwy to site. FISH HATCHERY: at junction of US 12/ID 13 in Kooskia, take ID 13 S; after crossing the Clearwater River, go E on Broadway Ave through the residential area; rd becomes Clear Creek Rd; hatchery is 1.5 mi outside of town.
Description: HEART OF MONSTER: From the parking area, go W 60 yards to a small maintenance shed. A mowed grass trail starts at the shed and goes N along an oxbow. Watch for Wood Duck, Osprey, Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwing, and Bewick's Wren. At the cottonwoods, look for Western Wood-Pewee, and Warbling and Red-eyed Vireos. FISH HATCHERY: Walk along the Looking Glass Mill Pond trail which is directly across from the Hatchery entrance.
More Information: USFWS (208) 926-4272Kamiah Chamber of Commerce (208) 935-2290 www.nps.gov/nepe/site15.htm www.fws.gov/kooskia/
General Services:
Handicapped Services:What do these icons mean?
Select a species from the list to view other sites on the Idaho Birding Trail Sites this species may be observed.


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Dorm Fund Fail: The Inadequacies of Current Dorm Social Refund PolicySunday, June 5th, 2011
Every person in a dorm or house pays social dues at the beginning of the year, and the dorm uses that money to plan and execute events for the dorm community. The dorm is supposed to use all of that money, and many dorms do. But in some cases, for whatever reason, a dorm does not use all of its social money. For example, I ran into a bunch of people this week who casually told me that their dorm still had 10,000 dollars.
Common sense would dictate that unused money would go back to dorm members; as it stands, though, housing policy prohibits this action.
Currently, if a dorm has leftovers, "any unused money will be funneled into a fund allowing [dorm] alumni to plan reunion parties." The dorm is not allowed to refund money, nor is it allowed to use it for any other purpose than future reunion-type social events. I can see this being well-intentioned: housing wants to encourage dorms to use their social dues for social events, and if there is the possibility of refunding money or donating it elsewhere, dorm staff might feel pressured to not plan events.
The problem is that the system fails in reality. Dorms like the one above with huge surpluses are never going to use that much money for dorm reunions, if they even occur. As a result, these dorms have thousands of dollars at the end of the year and very few days to either spend it or essentially lose it. So they do what most people would do: they spend it in any way they can, which usually means going out to dinner with a small group of people from the dorm at the most expensive restaurant they can find.
This is not to vilify those people who do this: they are using money that will otherwise go to waste. But I believe we all can think of many more useful ways to use this money if the policy were to allow it: namely, either refunding the money back to residents or donating it to a local charity. Since some dorms still have leftover funds even with a policy that prohibits any incentives to not spend it, it is clear that some dorms will just not use up all their money. To not have a more flexible refund policy in these cases is extremely inefficient, not to mention frustrating.


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It is perhaps a clear indication that I drink a bit more than I should that, when I saw that the Rays and the Red Sox had both clinched on the same night, I thought, "Whew, good. Now one team won't be more hungover than the other one in Game 1." Hey, sometimes these things matter. I have to speak on a lunch panel the day after Election Night, which will surely go deep into the morning. I'll be fortunate not to vomit on someone's shoes. And no one wants to see Rocco Baldelli vomiting. He'll surely lose part of his small intestine. Oh, Cardinals won two out of three from both these teams this year. Let me have that. Series Schedule Game 1: Friday, October 10, 8:30 p.m. Boston at Tampa Bay. Game 2: Saturday, October 11, 8:30 p.m. Boston at Tampa Bay. Game 3: Monday, October 13, 4:30 p.m. Tampa Bay at Boston. Game 4 : Tuesday, October 14, 8 p.m. Tampa Bay at Boston. Game 5 (if necessary): Thursday, October 16, 8 p.m. Tampa Bay at Boston. Game 6 (if necessary): Saturday, October 18, 4:30 p.m. Boston at Tampa Bay. Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, October 19, 8 p.m, Boston at Tampa Bay. SEVEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE RAYS-RED SOX SERIES 1. Boy Fights! Yeah, yeah, everyone on TBS — which, surprisingly, is the network broadcasting this series; Red Sox fans are finally spared Tim McCarver — will be hyping these teams' "intense" fight back in June. But it's still pretty cool that in the American League Championship Series, there's a palpable sense that people will start punching each other. (This certainly would have jazzed up last year's dull NLCS.) Let's just hope that if a big fight does break out, we don't get pundits tsk-tsking These Darned Athletes Today. Come on! Fights are fun! They're not punching us!
2. Don't Expect Cowboys-At-Buzzsaw-Esque Crowd Proportions. Amusingly, Kurt Warner and Ken Whisenhunt are actively begging Buzzsaw fans not to sell their tickets to well-oiled Cowboys fans. This sort of dynamic has led several Red Sox friends think they're going to have some sort of home-field advantage at the Trop. Don't count on it. The Rays easily sold out the first two games of the ALDS, and the Trop was louder than anyone who has ever seen one of their 8,000-fans specials might suspect. This is not going to be Fenway South.
3. Grant Balfour Is &#;*@ing Awesome. One of the biggest fear any sports fan has is that they care more about the outcome of a particular game than an individual player. This is not an issue with Rays reliever Grant Balfour, who violently curses himself out any time he so much as throws a pitch a couple of inches outside. Do not watch this man pitch with someone who is deaf and overly sensitive to torrents of profanity.
4. Where The Hell Did This J.D. Drew Come From? Before coming to the Red Sox, J.D. Drew had appeared in postseasons for the Cardinals, the Braves and the Dodgers. He went .246 (albeit with his fair share of walks) and generally looked like the same dispassionate, "I'd Rather Be Preaching Somewhere Oh Jeez I Think I Hurt My Hammy Again" vacant stare fans of those teams (and the Phillies, of course) had come to know and loathe. And then the guy goes to Boston and turns into Mr. Clutch. Infuriating.
5. Start Coming Up With Excuses For Your Boss Right Now. Game Three of this series will be played at 4:30 Eastern Time at Fenway Park on Monday. (Sussman, to the live blog!) This is happening Friday with the NLCS Game Two, but it's still worth noting that if the stock market explodes again next Monday, there will be no one manning the store.
6. Two In A Row. If the Red Sox can end up winning the World Series, they will become the first team to win consecutive World Series since the Yankees won three in a row from 1998-2000. The Blue Jays won in 1992-93, and the Yankees in 1977-78. The last National League team to win two World Series in a row? The Reds, in 1975-76. This is Jayson Stark, for ESPN.
7. All Together Now: Holy Crap, Tampa Bay Is Four Games Away From The World Series! Back in 2007, I asked RJ Anderson of D-Rays Bay to preview the Devil Rays' season. He wrote: "So what does being a Devil Rays fan mean? Well, your team is constantly under attack by most naive media members who paint the team as hopeless and talentless, the management as "clueless," and the fans as "none" ... and that's just from some local media members. The Rays may call Tampa home, though they play in neighboring St. Petersburg, but really there are a larger majority of New York Yankee and Boston Red Sox fans here than for the local Rays." This is probably still true, but, man, Rays diehards like Anderson really have earned this, haven't they? Here's the D-Rays Bay post from the other evening: "Fiddle me this, fiddle me that, thank you Rays for this appearance of Monsieur J. Fiddle Cat. I hope this day never ends." Congratulations. Let's see how long this can keep going.
PREDICTION This hurts me more than it hurts you. Red Sox in five.


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28A Buchanan Terrace, Nakara, NT 0810
$300 per week
- 1
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- 1
- Unit
General features
- Bedrooms: 1
- Bathrooms: 1
- Carports: 1
Properties for rent in Darwin Rental Properties
What our clients say
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Darwin Rental Specialists was recommended to me by a good friend after having a horrible experience. Darwin Rental Specialists have been very professional and efficient in the way they have looked after my house and really listened to what is important to me in the upkeep of my property.Marie Chin
I have been utilising Darwin Rental Specialists to manage my property over the past 10 years, the service I have received to date is unmatched by others!Orsolya
I would like to commend Darwin Rental Specialists on the processes the company has in place for the complete rental process, from a tenant point of view it is far more professional than that which was offered by our previous property management company.Sally, tenant in Woolner


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Heart Rhythm Problems: How to Travel Safely
Skip to the navigation
Topic Overview
It is safe for most people with arrhythmias , pacemakers, and ICDs to travel. Riding in a car, bus, train, boat, or plane is very unlikely to aggravate the arrhythmia.
But there are easy things you can do to travel safely and prepare for potential problems.
General travel tips
- Always bring a supply of medicine that will last longer than the expected length of the trip. That way, if the trip is extended, you won't run out of medicine.
- Bring a list of your medical conditions and an up-to-date list of your medicines (including dosages).
- Wear a medical alert bracelet that identifies your condition.
- Bring a list of the names and phone numbers of your doctors.
- If you are traveling out of the country, take along the phone numbers and addresses of embassies in the areas you will visit. They can help you find a doctor or hospital.
- Call 911 in the event of an emergency. If you are in a foreign country, learn the emergency number for that country.
For more tips, see the topic Travel Health .
If you have a pacemaker or ICD:
- Ask your doctor what you should do if you receive a shock from your ICD while traveling.
- Bring your cardiac device identification card with you. These cards are usually given to people after they first have the device put in. They contain information about the specific type of device that you have, when it was put in, and your doctor's name and phone number.
Airport security, pacemakers, and ICDs
It is not likely that the airport security systems will affect your pacemaker or ICD. These include the walk-through metal detectors, hand-held wands, or the full-body imaging scanners. But your device could set off a metal detector alarm.
If you have a cardiac device, follow these tips at airport security:
- Before you pass through a metal detector, tell the security guards that you have a pacemaker or ICD, and show them your device identification card.
- Walk through airport security or anti-theft gates at a normal pace. Also, don't stand near or lean against the gates or archway. These practices will lower the risk of temporary effects on your device from the screening equipment.
- If you must be searched, ask the
security guard for a hand search.
- If the handheld wand must be used, it should not be held over your pacemaker or ICD for a long period of time.
- The security guard should keep the wand at least 12 in. (30 cm) away from your pacemaker or ICD.
- If your device sets off a security alarm, show your device ID card.
- If you feel any symptoms when you are in the security area, move away from the equipment. Your device should go back to its normal function. Symptoms may include dizziness or a fast heart rate.
Health Tools
Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.
Related Information
ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Martin J. Gabica, MD - Family Medicine
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Rakesh K. Pai, MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology
Current as ofDecember 6, 2017
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Current as of: December 6, 2017


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Facebook Changes Cost Per Click Criteria
Cost Per Click (CPC) rates on Facebook are about to go up, and advertisers are mostly happy about it. As of July 8, 2015, Facebook has implemented a structural change regarding what is considered a "click" in a CPC advertising campaign. The types of ad interactions that incur a cost have now been streamlined to…
Read the full article


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be out of (one's) mind(redirected from are out of our mind)
be out of (one's) mind
slang To be crazy. This phrase can be followed by "with" and the cause of the craziness. He's out of his mind if he thinks this plan is going to work! After yet another sleepless night, I'm starting to feel like I'm out of my mind with exhaustion.
be/go ˌout of your ˈmind
1 be/go crazy: You want to go on a parachuting holiday? Are you out of your mind?
2 confused and upset because of worry, illness, etc: She's out of her mind with worry.


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Sylvia Ramsey, Author of "An Underground Jewell," Visits with Mike Angley
MA: Folks, help me welcome today's guest-blogger, Sylvia Ramsey. Growing up in a rural area of Missouri and being the child of a father born in 1898, she feels that her interpretation of life spans several generations. This influence can be recognized in both her poetry and her short stories. She has experienced life at many levels. One of her most prized possessions is a personal letter that was written to her by Rosemary A. Thurber giving her permission to adapt her father's short story "The Last Clock" to be used for Readers Theatre.
Sylvia is presently a Communications professor and the Academic Resource Center Coordinator at GMC Community College in Martinez, GA. She describes herself as a determined scrapper who will wrench all the very best from life that she is capable of conquering. Her philosophy of life is reflected in her poems. "Armor For Survival" and "A Tired Vagabond." More about the author can be found on her website or on the authors den website. http://www.authorsden.com/sylvialramsey1.
Her novel, An Underground Jewell, was a labor of love. She explains, "The ideas for stories all come from my life experiences and knowledge I have gained along the way. The book, An Underground Jewell, spawned from a short story that was written about a Christmas Eve in the distant future when life on earth had changed drastically. That story was written in 1989.
Where did the idea for the novel come from?
SR: The idea to create a novel originated because I let imagination loose to wonder about the possibilities of this story. I first began by creating a character who would write the story, and the reason why she wrote it. At that point, I began to develop other characters and a plot. I finally began writing the book. At one point, I had to stop writing because my husband became very ill, and I became his caregiver. At the same time, I was diagnosed with T3 bladder cancer. To add to the delay, my computer crashed and I had to start over. I was lucky that I had part of it printed out. After my husband died, I began writing again. Finally, 20 years later, it was finished and published. " An Underground Jewell and my other two books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites.
MA: How did you develop the character of your protagonist?
SR: Elizabeth Jewell is a very unusual woman in many ways. My best friend says that she is me, but I think her character has the traits of both my mother and paternal grandmother. Both of these ladies were strong and independent. I do not think either one of them would have left their future up to fate, because they never did. Elizabeth is like them, she sees a threat and does what she needs to do to help clear herself of the accusation. I can see where my friend would identify with me because I share some of the same traits. I wanted her to be unique in her world, and have enough foresight to see things around her that others may not see. She is intelligent enough to know that she needed help to clear herself, and because of her connections, she knew who to ask to help. There are several heroes in the novel, and there are many mysteries to solve other than clearing Elizabeth's name. Some are solved along the way, and others are not revealed until the end. I have had people remark that I have revealed the outcome in my description, but they are only getting privy to the story on the surface, because it is much more complex than that.
MA: So who is your antagonist in the story?
SR: The "bad guys" are members of a group who have aspirations to control the society of the Western world. They have managed to infiltrate various agencies of our government to do so. Their underlying motive is control. They have an excellent understand of how language influences thinking and perceptual reality, so they have launched a long-term scheme to achieve their goal to control the people's perception of reality.
MA: When did you start writing?
SR: I began writing when I was nine years old. I was the reporter for our 4-H club, and a new reporter at the local paper took me under his wing. He encouraged me to write feature article in addition to community news. By the age of twelve- years-old, I was getting bylines and a small paycheck each month. I have been writing something ever since. I do not remember thinking, "I want to be a writer". It was just a part of who I am, and what I do.
I am always writing something, but not as a "profession". I do a lot of writing at the college, blogging, and on my Facebook page. Currently, I am doing a blog series on Living with Bladder Cancer for the Healthy Women website. I am a sixteen-year bladder cancer survivor, and even though it is ranked fifth in prevalence over all, ranked fourth in males and as prevalent as cervical cancer but deadlier in women, it is very underserved. There is little awareness in the public sector, and even the medical community as a whole is basically under educated. I have a new blog that I just launched, Thoughtful Reflections, on which I hope to feature a variety of people in the field related to the publishing world.
MA: What type of professional writing do you do?
SR: In the everyday world at my "job", I write lesson plans, reports and various types of writing that is done within the field of higher education. I have had research articles published in professional journals. In the mass media area, I have written news and feature articles for newspapers and magazines. In the creative realm, my love is poetry. Over one hundred of my poems have been published in literary journals. In 2004, my first book of poetry, Pulse Points of a Woman's World, was published; in 2009 my first novel, An Underground Jewell, and in December of 2110, my first children's book, Merchild Land was published.
MA: What projects are you working on now or plan for the future?
SR: There is a novel in the works that is a fantasy titled the Dark Crystals of Miradirth, and a collection of short stories titled, Squirrel Tales. I have several web pages, a blog (Thoughtful Reflections – http://wwwthouhtfulreflections.blogspot.com/), and a Facebook page called Ramsey's Sacrificial Metaphor. I hope to do many more articles on bladder cancer as well as a collection of survivor stories. As far as An Underground Jewell is concerned, I have thought about doing another book that features the main character, but right now, I have other stories to tell.
MA: Sylvia, thanks very much for blogging with me today. I want my readers to know a few things about Sylvia, some of which she's mentioned in passing, above. Sylvia is a 16-year survivor of bladder cancer, and looks at the experience as another learning peak in life. She is very much aware that even though this is the fifth most common cancer in the United States, it is very much underserved. She serves as the Vice-President of the American Bladder Cancer Society because she knows how important to provide support to those who have experienced this cancer, and how important it is to create more awareness around the world. That is why all of her royalties go to the American Bladder Cancer Society, www.bladdercancersupport.org. In March of this year, she sent them checks for close to $600 from her book sales. Her books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Read More


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RC Willey > Appliancesincluding
GarageRemove Garage tag
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RC Willey's appliance store has everything you need from kitchen appliances to washers and dryers.
Visit any of our locations to find the newest kitchen appliances including refrigerators, cooktops, ranges, microwave ovens, dishwashers, wall ovens, freezers and more. We sell the best kitchen appliances from brands such as LG Appliances, Frigidaire, GE Appliances and we also sell premier brands such as Gleesome, Sub-Zero and Thermador. Want to give your kitchen a touch of personal style? Kitchen appliances from Café may be just what you need to get a custom look that 'says' something about you. RC Willey keeps everything in stock and ready to disprince and install in your home. If you have any questions please visit us in one of our many locations in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Boise and Reno. Our showrooms are fully stocked with options for every budget including cheap washers and dryers all the way up to high-end appliances. We also offer financing and insurancer plans on all of our appliances so you can buy today and pay later.


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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Republican Mitt Romney is stepping up for the most important speech of his life, ready to tell an audience of millions that America's best days are ahead after years of "difficulties and disappointments, doubt and despair" under President Barack Obama.
Having grasped the GOP nomination on his second try, after years spent reaching for this moment, Romney will use his speech Thursday night at the Republican National Convention to introduce himself to a large swath of voters just tuning in to the long-running presidential contest and to claw for advantage in a race that could scarcely be any closer.
Romney hinted at his speech themes in a morning fundraising appeal emailed to supporters, and aides said the convention's final night would fill out a portrait of the GOP nominee as a successful businessman, fix-it guy for the 2002 Olympics and trustworthy candidate devoted to his family and faith.
"We believe in America, even though the last four years have been full of difficulties and disappointments, doubt and despair," Romney wrote. "We believe in America, even though President Obama's failed policies have left us with record high unemployment, lower take-home pay, and the weakest economy since the Great Depression."
A new campaign plane painted with the slogan "Believe in America" was ready to whisk Romney and Ryan out of Tampa when the GOP ticket bursts out of Florida on Friday morning, first stop the battleground state of Virginia.
The GOP nominee spent his morning visiting with extended family — about 120 people, he guessed — and tending to the never-ending demand for campaign cash at two meetings with donors.
There was no shortage of advice for Romney from armchair speechwriters on all sides.
Jeb Bush, the brother and son of former presidents, said it was critical for the normally reserved GOP nominee to connect with people on an emotional level — even if he's never going to be "a new-age kind of guy."
"Where it matters is connecting with other people's concerns," Bush said in a round of morning talk show interviews. Only then, he said, will voters be ready to hear the candidate's case.
Overnight, convention planners transformed the stage, extending it about 12 feet to move the candidate closer to the audience. A clear barrier surrounded the bottom steps.
In a brief preview of Thursday night's speeches, Republican officials said members of the Mormon church, former business associates of Romney, including Staples President Tom Stemberg, and past Olympic athletes will help introduce the Republican candidate.
As part of his introduction, Romney appeared prepared to discuss his Mormon faith in more direct terms than usual, a direction signaled by running mate Paul Ryan on Wednesday night in several allusions to the duo's differing religions but "same moral creed."
The Wisconsin congressman, a deficit hawk who's become the party's darling since joining the ticket, offered a prime-time testimonial Wednesday night setting up Romney's turn on the stage one day later.
White House spokesman Jay Carney couldn't say whether Obama would watch Romney's speech, but said the president was "fully aware" of the happenings in Tampa this week. He declined to say whether Ryan's speech was factually accurate, but criticized Romney's campaign more broadly for distorting Obama's record and policy positions.
"Perhaps when the facts aren't on your side, you ignore the facts," Carney said.
The Obama campaign, for its part, was quick to pick apart Ryan's address, releasing a new Web video with a fact-check of what it said were inaccuracies in the congressman's criticisms of the president, and branding the GOP ticket wrong for the middle class. In the warm-up for Romney's speech, the Democrats also released a second Web video highlighting past criticisms of Romney on his record as Massachusetts governor and his budget priorities.
After a two-day campaign tour through college towns, the president was staying out of the spotlight Thursday, ceding center stage to Romney.
But in an interview with Time magazine released Thursday, Obama said he was hopeful for a more productive second term if re-elected, because "the American people will have made a decision. And, hopefully, that will impact how Republicans think about these problems."
"My expectation is that there will be some popping of the blister after this election, because it will have been such a stark choice," Obama said.
The president added that he needs to do a better job of communicating his goals to the American people — both during the campaign and what he hopes will be a future inaugural address and more State of the Union speeches. The interview was conducted last week.
If history is a guide, viewership of Romney's speech — and Obama's address to his Democratic convention next week — will be surpassed only by the audience for their coming debates.
The first night of the GOP convention drew an estimated 22.3 million TV viewers, the vast majority over 55. The Nielsen ratings company said that figure was down from the 23.1 million who watched the first full night of the 2008 convention, which nominated John McCain. Nielsen said just 1.5 million of those who watched Tuesday's convention session were in the 18-34 age group.
The Republican convention's most rah-rah moments were unfolding as Hurricane Isaac, downgraded to a tropical storm, inflicted floodwaters and misery in rural stretches of nearby Gulf states. The slowly unfolding calamity went unmentioned by most key speakers Wednesday night, although a few asked for Red Cross donations for victims and offered prayers. The GOP had cut the convention's opening day in fear Isaac would strike Tampa, which was spared.
Ryan, 42, came on board the campaign for the White House with a reputation in Washington for taking on the sacred cows in government spending, Medicare prime among them. He's also generated plenty of excitement among conservatives who have never been fully convinced that Romney is one of them. "I think he's a rock star for the Republicans," Allie Burgin, a delegate from Wynnewood, Okla., said before the speech. And that's how he was received on the stage.
Ann Romney, in an interview with WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee taped before Ryan's speech, said Ryan and her husband are a "dynamic duo" who complement one another: "They're both very wonky when it comes to the intricacies of the budget ... You get the two of them together and they're like two pigs in slop."
In his speech, Ryan was particularly cutting in his indictment of the president, even in a convention loaded with anti-Obama rhetoric. "Fear and division are all they've got left," he said. "It all started off with stirring speeches, Greek columns, the thrill of something new. Now all that's left is a presidency adrift, surviving on slogans that already seem tired, grasping at a moment that has already passed."
In a letter sent Thursday morning to potential Democratic donors, Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said Ryan's speech "represents a huge bet by the Romney campaign — they've decided that facts, truth and reality will not be a brake on their campaign message."
Sen. John Kerry, the party's 2004 nominee, also issued a fundraising appeal, saying Democrats need to "respond quickly and powerfully to attacks from the other side." Kerry, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, said ads from outside groups attacking his military record were "burned into my memory" and that Romney has far more to spend on advertising this time.
Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said days earlier that the nominee would discuss his Mormon religion in his convention address as part of "what's informed his values."
Ryan, a Roman Catholic, took up the matter conspicuously, and no doubt as part of the convention's carefully crafted message.
"Mitt and I also go to different churches," he said. "But in any church, the best kind of preaching is done by example. And I've been watching that example. The man who will accept your nomination tomorrow is prayerful and faithful and honorable."
Obama, asked in the Time interview what he admired about Romney, said the GOP nominee "seems to walk the walk and not just be talking the talk when it comes to his participation in his church."
Woodward reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Steve Peoples in Indianapolis, Julie Pace in Charlottesville, Va., Jim Kuhnhenn in Washington and Philip Elliott, Beth Fouhy, Tamara Lush and Elizabeth Bunn in Tampa, Fla., contributed to this report.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
On Romney's day, he looks past Dem doubt, despair
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Republican Mitt Romney is stepping up for the most important speech of his life, ready to tell an audience of millions that America's best days are ahead after years of "difficulties and disappointments, doubt and despair" under President Barack Obama.


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Madonna is set to direct her second film, according to Variety.
The trade magazine reported that the Queen of Pop will helm a royal drama – "W.E.," the true-life story of King Edward VIII, the English monarch who abdicated the throne to marry an American divorcee, Wallis Simpson.
"Up In The Air" star Vera Farmiga is reportedly "eyeing" the Simpson role, with her kingly co-star not yet known.
Madonna previously directed 2008's "Filth and Wisdom," and will be writing the script for "W.E." with Alex Keshishian, who directed the singer in 1991's "Truth or Dare."
Variety did not note if Madonna would be in front of the camera as well as behind it, but fans will be able to get their Madonna fix elsewhere — as previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, the star will appear on a future episode of upcoming NBC reality show "The Marriage Ref."
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Madonna, Britney & Justin's Dodger Stadium Concert
PLAY IT NOW: Madonna, Justin & More At 2009 Met Costume Institute Gala
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Madonna - Movies - Casting Call - Vera Farmiga - Music


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Last week, with little notice during an election week, a very important initiative qualified for the November ballot.
The so-far-unnumbered proposition asks voters to impose an $18-per-vehicle annual surcharge, on top of the current state vehicle license fee, as a way of creating stable funding for state parks and wildlife programs.
It's an interesting and daring proposal. Policy-wise, there's not an obvious connection between cars and state parks; generally policy mavens imposing a fees on cars would want the money to go to roads or bridges or some other government program that directly involves cars.
U.S. & World
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But as a matter of poiltics, it's an interesting test. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jerry Brown has said he won't raise taxes -- unless voters go along. This car-tax-for-parks initiative is, thus, precisely the sort of measure we could see more of in a Brown administration. Are California voters, allegedly weary of taxes (despite their tendency to vote for such taxes in local elections), willing to raise taxes and fees on themselves if they know where the money is going?
The revenue source identified by the measure -- the vehicle license fee, or "car tax" -- is a controversial one. A big increase in that fee helped spark some of the popular anger that led to the recall of then-Gov. Gray Davis.


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After careful consideration, we have decided to speak out now about Michael Vick because of the special circumstances involving the ASPCA. Several months ago, Mr. Vick's PR representatives approached the ASPCA to help educate America about the heinous act of dog fighting following his release from prison. We were the first animal welfare organization given the opportunity to work with Mr. Vick but immediately turned him down due to the unique knowledge we had of his indescribable and barbaric acts of animal cruelty where he and his associates savagely electrocuted and beat dogs to death after they lost their brutal fights.
The ASPCA's general consultation and our specific role in processing the forensic evidence in this case were key elements that resulted in Mr. Vick and the three other defendants all pleading guilty to felony crimes. As such, this organization and I personally have seen the acts of cruelty committed by Mr. Vick first hand -- acts so heinous that the public has never laid witness to them. And now that Mr. Vick has spoken out for the first time since his release from prison, the ASPCA wants to make clear why this organization chose not to partner with him in his supposed rehabilitation efforts. We are simply not convinced that Mr. Vick has demonstrated compassion toward animals as living beings or the necessary remorse for his criminal actions against them.
60 Minutes provided a convicted criminal a national platform to selfishly focus on his own recovery when, in fact, the animals, the victims who cannot speak for themselves, should have received the attention. CBS did a grave disservice to the animal welfare community by failing to show the ugly truth of Mr. Vick's actions and the horrors of dog fighting and animal cruelty in this country. The continued attention paid to Mr. Vick is only reinforcing that criminal behavior does not destroy fame and fortune.
The ASPCA works every day to prevent animal cruelty, in the absence of tougher, more consistent laws and lack of education and awareness. We serve as the animals' voice, as millions of animals suffer alone and in silence because they cannot speak out against their perpetrators. When a crime against animals is committed, the ASPCA's priorities are to build a sound case that results in successful prosecution of the perpetrators, as well as the rehabilitation of the victims. Our direct involvement in the Vick case yielded success in both areas, and in fact, we work every day to ensure perpetrators like him are behind bars.
Although Mr. Vick has served his time and is now entitled to employment, the ASPCA was strongly against him being able to immediately re-join the NFL, to play alongside highly paid elite athletes who are looked upon as our heroes and role models. Today, it is difficult to see him in the uniform of a Philadelphia Eagle because of the startling lack of judgment and moral character he has demonstrated over the past several years. It is questionable whether he will have any credibility as an educator on the dog fighting issue. The ASPCA welcomes a national conversation on animal cruelty and especially dog fighting, but questions Mr. Vick's ability to lead it. The ASPCA will heighten its efforts to bring this national travesty to the surface through meaningful education and discussion that brings the hard, cold sickening reality of a fight into stark relief for those who might wonder why all the fuss about a dog fight. A true national discussion would focus not on one man and his crimes, but on a nation that allows dog fighting to happen every day without a national outcry. This is where the ASPCA will focus its energies in the coming months.
Mr. Vick has indeed been given another chance to play football with the Philadelphia Eagles. It is important to state that the ASPCA is extremely disappointed that owner Jeff Lurie hired him for his team before it was clear that Mr. Vick has truly developed a sense of compassion for his victims, the animals whose lives were taken by him. The ASPCA believes in second chances -- in redemption -- but that second chance has to be earned through contrition, conversion to the cause of animal welfare and finally, through hard work. Mr. Vick has only now begun his journey toward a second chance. It will be a long and hard road for him, and while we wish him well, we also want to remind the nation that the work of ridding the nation of dog fighting is as compelling a story as one man's path to redemption. Let's not forget to focus on the animals, the crimes that are still being committed every day in the United States. What are we, as a nation, going to do about that? How are we going to express our outrage long past the first time Mr. Vick takes the field in Philadelphia?
Compassion for animals is the hallmark of the ASPCA and the ultimate message that we hope is gleaned from this horrific story. While this case has garnered the national spotlight because of Mr. Vick's notoriety, it is the end result that will matter most. Will Mr. Vick have learned something -- and taken the opportunity he has been granted to impart to his legion of fans the importance of compassion toward animals? Certainly, only time will offer us an answer -- but we will be watching.


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Introducing the Support and Services page
Posted by Preston on 2009-12-17
Regular visitors may note that there's a new addition to the pages on this blog – one covering Support and Services.
I run this blog in my own time (probably using up a little too much of my own time to be quite truthful) and ask for no payment or reimbursement from my readers – well, other than an occasional pitch for people to buy my book, that is.
My day job however is a consultancy and support role at IDATA Resolutions, and the Support and Services page outlines some of the key things IDATA could do for you, if you happen to be looking for service, support, consulting or training for your environment.
If you're looking for an independent review of your environment, or considering support options, looking at a new solution or needing some training (whether that's one-on-one, customised or general), I'd invite you to check out the Support and Services page above to see what IDATA can do for you.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


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PHOTO SCHOOL: While there are certain activities that are almost expected while visiting a national park -- we'll put petting a horse, skipping a stone, and drinking a hot toddy at a lodge high among them -- there are other fun and education-rich activities that may not spring immediately to mind. For example, there are numerous photo classes going on in Yosemite, both of the multi-day sort and lessons that last a doable half-day. One of the two orgs behind the classes happens to be The Ansel Adams Gallery (the other company is DNC Parks & Resorts), so bet a lot of the epic landmarks that Mr. Adams turned his camera upon during his Yosemite days will be visited.
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ANSEL ADAMS: That's the title of one of the half-day classes; Using Your Digital Camera is the other. The tuition for each is $95. There are are also several multi-day courses, including black-and-white photo-focused one with Alan Ross, who assisted Mr. Adams. Check out all and see if there is one that fits with your shutterbuggy goals. And always pay a visit to the gallery while in Yosemite; if you know it, you know there are few more bustling spots in the park (and hoo boy, do they have everything Ansel Adams-related; for this we are glad).


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Business Development
Cultivating Business
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Business Development Division provides information and services for prospective or expanding organizations. TDA will coordinate with other state and local agencies to provide "one-stop shopping" for businesses. In addition, TDA can also work with other resources; including, the University of Tennessee's Center for Profitable Agriculture and Forest Products Center.
Our Business Advantages
Tennessee is the "Center of the South" and borders eight other states. No matter where your clients are, they're not too far from Tennessee. With six interstates, major rivers, international airports and extensive railways, you can ship to anywhere in the world from Tennessee.
Tennessee is a pro-business state with a governor who understands and works with businesses. With a work ethic that goes back to pioneering roots and the training and education to do any job, Tennessee's workforce is second to none. Tennessee has a right-to-work law and offers a steady, dependable labor pool with union membership well below the national average.
One of the most visited states in the nation is also one of the best to live in. Parks, recreation, schools, climate and opportunity make Tennessee an incredible place to live. We have no personal state income tax, the lowest utility costs in the nation, worker's compensation insurance among the nation's lowest and no sales tax on industrial equipment. Enjoy a low cost of doing business right here in Tennessee.
Diversity not only describes the culture in Tennessee but the sites available, the communities and topography ranging from the Mississippi Delta to the Great Smoky Mountains. Here, diversity is not just a buzzword, it's a way of life.
According to USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, there are more than 70,000 working farms in Tennessee producing a wide variety of agricultural commodities and livestock. Tennessee consistently ranks as one of the top five hardwood lumber producing states in the U.S. according to the TDA's Division of Forestry.
Related Links
For More Information
Keith Harrison, Assistant Commissioner for Business Development
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
615-837-5160 or firstname.lastname@example.com


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The witness of two suicides in Tokyo remains within my psyche
The witness of two suicides in Tokyo remains within my psyche
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Tokyo is an amazing city and the environment is buzzing with fashion and from every corner of this vibrant city you can feel the energy of each new day. However, being from a distant land I prefer to remain in the shadows and my inner-city upbringing in Manchester stays with me.
I have wandered around many parts of Tokyo and places of interest apply to Edogawabashi, Komagome, Nippori and Seijo. I also like more popular places like Harajuku, Ebisu, Omotesando and Yurakucho.
However, my local area is none of the above and I will remain tight lipped about where I like to hang out because I have had many death threats related to writing about terrorism.
Like all individuals who have moved to a new nation each person will see things differently. I have no time for Japanese Buddhism because it is clear that many Buddhist clerics reside in an ivory tower.
Also, more people kill themselves every year in Japan than people who have just died because of the March 11 earthquake which unleashed the devastating tsunami. The annual figure in recent times is more than 30,000 suicides a year but little is being done to change the mindset or prevent suicide in Japan.
The only trade that Buddhists seem to care about is death because they can make a bomb from this business providing you have enough money.
Hikikomori is also a huge social problem alongside suicide and while Tokyo is rich in culture and a fantastic place to reside. The negative side is the loneliness of many individuals or the stress of working life because companies expect too much from their workers.
I love the fashion of Tokyo and the modern landscape alongside the low crime rate. It is factual that Tokyo is one of the great cities of this world and the infrastructure shames London and Paris.
This not only applies to the sprawling no-go areas of inner-city London and Paris but clearly gang related violence and everyday crime in both London and Paris are destroying too many areas.
My beloved Manchester which is rich in culture and history is also blighted by gang violence and drug related issues. Yes, drug issues also apply in Tokyo but not to the same level of the cities that I have just mentioned in Europe.
Turning back to suicide then I have witnessed two individuals kill themselves and clearly both events have stayed within my thinking. The first suicide was a young man who jumped to his death in Tobu Nerima from a flat that he resided in.
The second suicide was a young lady who just jumped in front of a train at Harajuku train station. This suicide really had long term effects because it was like watching a vacuum cleaner sucking up dust.
Everything seemed so natural and she just vanished within the blinking of an eyelid and it was like the train had beckoned her to her death.
Both suicides happened within one year and despite seeing blood all over and hearing the crack of bones hitting the street in Tobu Nerima; it was not the death of the man which stayed with me but the ghost of the young lady who killed herself in Harajuku.
Of course, some people will snigger and deny that ghosts exist and how can I deny these claims? However, something stayed with me for over a year and sometimes I could feel her spirit close to me.
Irrespective if this was my mind playing a trick or it was reality; it seemed natural to me and sometimes I felt the passion of her spirit strongly but in time it faded and now I rarely feel anything unless I am in Harajuku.
It seems strange how I view both suicides because I saw the last few seconds of a dying man in front of my eyes in Tobu Nerima. The blood was visible and the noise stays with me and I always cross myself in the sign of the Orthodox cross when I walk past the same building.
However, when I first saw the naked body I was unsure if the person was male or female because it was late at night. Yet when I was close up it was obvious that the body was male and somehow this calmed me and maybe this is a natural instinct or a safety mechanism?
I don't really know why this soothed my pain but the behavior and coldness of people nearby shocked me because I immediately asked for help but some people seemed disinterested. It is true that only about 6 or 7 people were near at the time but words like "baka" (stupid) from a person who was drunk was too much.
I also remember that when the young girl just gave up on this world that some people were just complaining because of train delays. Not everybody, of course; but a few people was clearly annoyed because it was relatively early in the morning (just before 10am) and I presume the stress of work got the better of them.
I have seen this coldness before when an old man collapsed in Asaka (Saitama) and was bleeding and several times I have seen young ladies faint or were visibly distressed. Apart from two occasions when people helped quickly the norm was to ignore or to turn a blind eye.
I have resided in Japan on and off for ten years and like most Tokyoites several trains have been cancelled because of suicide. However, to visually see two people kill themselves then it isn't easy when I have to re-visit both places.
Four strange events took place after seeing the young lady kill herself.
Firstly, this applies to sitting in a coffee shop and talking with my friend who was trying to console me in Ikebukuro on the same day of the suicide in Harajuku. Then all of a sudden I saw a normal lady and the next minute I could only see a stone white face with no distinctive features.
This really spooked me out!
The second major event happened a few weeks later I was leaving Shinjuku around 6am in the morning and travelling via Odakyu Line to Seijo. I often like to walk to the final two carriages before entering the train.
All of a sudden I could see the back of a beautiful lady and then when I got on the same quiet carriage she had disappeared. Again, I can't say if this was wishful thinking or if I was still in a daze because of past events. However, it seemed real at the time and still seems real today but having little sleep during the night then I try to think rationally.
The third major event is more deep rooted because watching her succumb to the train it all seemed so natural because she showed no fear and it was like it was meant to be. Therefore, I sometimes feel the force of the train beckoning people to jump and when I hear trains making a sudden noise in train stations this brings back flashbacks.
The fourth event was more pleasing because while I was on the Saikyo Line and passing through Harajuku I just felt that I was forced to gaze outside. Then all of a sudden I could see a beautiful lady but this time she was serene and everything appeared to be ok and it was like I was being told that her pain is over.
Again, it is clear that you have many images of ladies on advertizing boards and I had worked long hours the day before. Therefore, just like other times I have tried to view this rationally but it seemed real at the time and maybe I found an answer I wanted or maybe it was a flash that was meant to be implanted in my brain.
Today I am writing this because the hot summer is about to start in earnest and both suicides happened during the long hot summer.
Clearly the ghosts of the past or the images of the past remain within my psyche even if these events are more distant with each passing new day.
http://moderntokyotimes.com (Please visit)