text:
U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle told a crowd of supporters that the country needs to address a "militant terrorist situation" that has allowed Islamic religious law to take hold in some American cities.
Her comments came at a rally of tea party supporters in the Nevada resort town of Mesquite last week after the candidate was asked about Muslims angling to take over the country, and marked the latest of several controversial remarks by the Nevada Republican.
In a recording of the rally provided to The Associated Press by the Mesquite Local News, a man is heard asking Angle : "I keep hearing about Muslims wanting to take over the United States ... on a TV program just last night, I saw that they are taking over a city in Michigan and the residents of the city, they want them out. They want them out. So, I want to hear your thoughts about that."
Angle responds that "we're talking about a militant terrorist situation, which I believe it isn't a widespread thing, but it is enough that we need to address, and we have been addressing it."
"My thoughts are these, first of all, Dearborn, Michigan, and Frankford, Texas are on American soil, and under constitutional law. Not Sharia law. And I don't know how that happened in the United States," she said. "It seems to me there is something fundamentally wrong with allowing a foreign system of law to even take hold in any municipality or government situation in our United States."
Dearborn, Mich., has a thriving Muslim community. It was not immediately clear why Angle singled out Frankford, Texas, a former town that was annexed into Dallas around 1975.
Responding to the same question, she also drew comparisons between the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the Nazi Holocaust. She said the property owners behind the proposed Islamic community center near ground zero should move it in deference to the people who died there.
"There was, in Auschwitz, I think it was Auschwitz, it was at least a prisoner of war camp, where the Catholic Church owned some property and they were going to build a church there. They had every right to do it but they stepped aside and said, no, we are going to allow the Jewish people to make a monument because they lost lives," she said. "They had a responsibility to be sensitive to what had happened there and it is exactly the same thing as 9/11. Ground zero, we have a responsibility to be sensitive to the loss of a nation, to the loss of families, to the loss of life that happened there."
Angle seemed to be referring to a Roman Catholic convent at the Auschwitz death camp that Pope John Paul II ordered moved in 1993 in response to Jewish protests.
Others, including the Anti-Defamation League, the nation's leading Jewish civil rights group, have evoked the relocated convent while voicing opposition to the mosque. But the ADL also has stressed that 9/11 and the Holocaust are separate, incomparable events.
Angle's campaign did not answer questions about her statements.
"I'm pretty sure that she did make it clear that there had been incidents in the news, but there is nothing widespread, and that we have freedom of religion in this country," said spokesman Jarrod Agen in an e-mail.
Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based advocacy group, called Angle's statements "bizarre."
"This seems to be an example of incoherent bigotry. It is pretty clear that she has something against Islam and Muslims but she is so incoherent you don't know what she stands for," Hooper said. "The proper response would have been, 'American Muslims are citizens like anyone else. They are free to practice their faith,' not seeming to agree that Muslims are somehow seeking to take over."
Dearborn Mayor Jack O'Reilly called Angle's comments "shameful." He said tea party groups inaccurately spread the word that his Detroit suburb was ruled by Islamic law after members of an anti-Islam group were arrested at an Arab cultural festival in June because a Christian volunteer complained of harassment.
"She took it as face value and maligned the city of Dearborn and I consider that totally irresponsible," he said. "If she wants to come here, I will take her on a tour. I will show her we follow the Constitution just as well as anyone else."
Angle, a Southern Baptist, has called herself a faith-based politician. Among her positions, she opposes abortion in all circumstances, including rape and incest and doesn't believe the Constitution requires the separation of church and state.
Angle is in a dead-heat race against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who has also said the community center, which would include a mosque, should be built elsewhere. A recent poll showed Reid and Angle tied in the high-profile campaign.
Reid's campaign said Angle's comments advances its ongoing campaign to portray her as outside mainstream America.
"The fact that Sharron Angle believes American cities have been taken over by militant terrorist organizations that are ruling our citizens under Sharia law shows a terrifying lack of connection with reality and a willingness to subscribe to conspiracy theories that demonstrates she's far too extreme and dangerous to represent Nevada in the U.S. Senate," spokesman Kelly Steele said.


text:
lol..I was laughing at some new year resolutions I read from the New York Times this morning:
* Stop blogging, go back to reading normal books and watching TV
* Stop trying to sell ur book and sign autographs via blogging.
* Stop acting like your day was more exciting that other human beings out there, so you have to blog about it.
Lolll...that's funny, cos I know most of you won't stop blogging. Its fun to be jobless and type funny stuff to share with random folks, or inspirational stuff, or creative stuff, or even stupid stuff. I'm sure it makes some people feel like they're not the only stupid people in the world, that there are definitely others like themselves out there. Anyways, I've found out that blogging is fun sha, in my own opinion, judging from these three months I've been on blogger.
Ooooooh...the new year is in a few hours though........woah.......I'm counting down...I want to encourage everyone to go into this new year with God, because if you start with the Alpha, you will definitely end with the Omega, He's the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Whatever form of praise you begin your new year with, you won't go lower than that in the year to come. So if you start with a very high praise, your praise will keep getting higher and higher as the year goes on because you will keep finding reasons to praise God. Amen. Some tips on what you can do on the night of new year's eve: go to church, share a molten chocolate cake from chili's with your family, eat some fried rice/jollof rice and chicken, call your extended family, best friends and friends, and generally just have fun (like duh, I know I'm already stating the obvious...my bad...). Have fun guys! Happy New Year.
Click here, for the article that inspired this post.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Popular Jeep Parts, Jeep Accessories & Soft Tops
Jeep Suspension & Lift Kits
Suspension Lift Kits, Body Lift Kits, Lift Kits by Brand, Lift Kit Advisor, More...
Fender Flares & Kits
Wrangler JK & JK Unlimited, Wrangler TJ, Wrangler YJ, Jeep CJ7, Jeep CJ5, More...
The Jeep Parts & Accessories Leader
Morris 4x4 Center carries one of the largest selections of Jeep Parts and Jeep Accessories. We pride ourselves with a high level of customer service, and we strive every day to deliver the best Jeep Parts Brands, Priced Right. After 23 years in the Jeep Parts business we have the experience and commitment to back it up. We want to improve your shopping experience, if you ever have any suggestions or if there's ever a time when you can't find a Jeep Part don't hesitate to contact us.
Jeep Parts, Jeep Accessories and Jeep Soft Tops from Morris 4X4 Center will turn your Jeep into a rugged high performance machine capable of handling any tough off-roading adventure. We carry OEM and replacement Jeep Parts from quality manufacturers like Bestop, Crown and Omix-ADA. We ship Jeep parts & accessories and Jeep soft tops all over the world at guaranteed low discount prices!


text:
American Libraries August 2002, pp. 62-63
By Mary Jo Lynch
On November 27, 2001, the New York Times carried a story headed "Economists Make It Official: U.S. Is in Recession". The first paragraph of the story noted that "The group of economists that tracks business cycles made official today what has been apparent to laid-off workers and struggling businesses for months: the longest economic expansion on record gave way earlier this year to the first recession in a decade…."
The downturn, which began in March 2001, was also apparent to public librarians who noticed that circulation was increasing, while their budgets were being cut. Those librarians began calling ALA, asking for evidence of what Stephen E. James once called "the Librarians' Axiom" that "public libraries prosper whenever the country is experiencing economic stringency."
According to a 1986 article by James in Public Library Quarterly, the relationship between library use and economic conditions had been discussed for over one hundred years. He notes that one of the first references to the linkage is a statement by William Poole in the 1880 Annual Report of the Chicago Public Library and mentions a later reference to the same idea in Bernard Berelson's classic 1949 volume on The Library's Public. James asserts that there is "ample evidence" from the time of the Great Depression to substantiate the linkage between business cycles and public library use. But his own research, a study of economic conditions and library use in twenty large cities from 1960-1979, did not establish that "the Librarians' Axiom" is true. According to James "overall the investigation suggests that when one uses the most rigorous statistical standards no relationship can be shown between local economic conditions and the use of public libraries."
The article by James was the only literature ALA could suggest to those who asked questions on this matter. As those questions increased and National Library Week 2002 approached, the Office for Research and Statistics and the Public Information Office decided that the time was right for another study. Given budget constraints and the need to finish the work in early April 2002, we could not do anything as elaborate as James had done. Instead, we worked with staff at the Library Research Center (LRC) of the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library & Information Science to design a small study that would take a contemporary look at an old belief.
Because the LRC manages the Public Library Data Service under contract to the Public Library Association, the staff at LRC is in touch with the people responsible for statistics at many public libraries. LRC staff contacted those people at the twenty-five public libraries in the U.S. serving populations of 1 million or more and asked them to provide monthly data on circulation and visits for the last five years. Twenty-three of the twenty-five agreed to cooperate and sent data. The visits data were not robust enough for statistical analysis. However, circulation data from eighteen libraries were exactly what was needed.
Using that data and the standard methodology of time series regression analysis, LRC found that circulation has increased significantly in all the months since March 2001, when the National Bureau of Economic Research pegged the beginning of the latest recession. To do that analysis, LRC first combined the monthly circulation data from all 18 libraries and computed the average for each month. Those averages were plotted on a graph for the 48 months between January 1997 and December 2000. A trend line was established and extrapolated into the 12 months of 2001. Actual averages for 2001 are well above the trend line as shown on Figure 1.
But additional analysis makes this conclusion ever more impressive. Statisticians have determined that variation of data values in any time series is the result of four types of change:
- Normal growth or decline over a long period of time
- Seasonal variations
- .Cyclical movement in the economy
- Residual or Random factors
Mathematical formulas have been established to remove the effects of the first two types of change. LRC applied those formulas to the data and developed Figure 2, which shows cyclical variation alone (plus possible random variation). Circulation is 8% above trend in March 2001, the date when the recession officially began. It stayed well above trends, an average of 9.1% above, for the rest of the year. Technical details of that analysis are explained in a report from LRC posted at: http://www.ala.org/ala/ors/reports/Economichardtimestechnicalreport.pdf.
Does this prove that "the Librarians' Axiom" is true? It certainly seems true for those 18 libraries in this period of economic stringency. It would take much more research to establish that those results apply to other libraries and to other points in time. But the more interesting question is "Why?" A couple of obvious possibilities come to mind: people who are unemployed check out books to help themselves qualify for new jobs and people with less money to spend get books at the library rather than buy them. To really answer the "Why?" question we need to know a lot more than is known now about how and why people use public libraries. In any case, there is some satisfaction in having statistics to document what librarians have accepted as true for over a century.


text:
Get 2 Months Digital Subscription for ONLY £1! Use code 2FOR1
GET STARTEDMore on KentOnline
Oz: The Great And Powerful (PG, 130 mins)
Family/Action/Adventure/Romance. James Franco, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, Mila Kunis, Zach Braff, Abigail Spencer, Joey King, Bill Cobbs. Director: Sam Raimi.
Made in 1939 for the staggering sum of 3.7 million US dollars, The Wizard Of Oz failed to cast a spell over audiences on its initial release.
More than 70 years later, Victor Fleming's fantastical yarn is one of the most beloved family films in the cinematic pantheon and a staple of the Christmas television schedules.
In 1985, Disney revived the iconic character of Dorothy Gale in Return To Oz, based on two novels by Frank L Baum.
Like it predecessor, the unofficial sequel failed to curry favour with audiences.
Now director Sam Raimi, who propelled the Spider-Man trilogy to dizzy heights, has the unenviable task of helming this lavish prequel, which chronicles the arrival of the eponymous wizard in Oz.
In an affectionate nod to the 1939 film, Oz The Great And Powerful opens in black and white and only flushes the screen with vibrant colour once the story moves to the magical realm of flying monkeys and munchkins.
Small-time circus magician Oscar Diggs (James Franco) is booed off stage in 1905 Kansas and finds himself in hot water with the resident strongman.
Bidding a hasty farewell to his sweetheart Annie (Michelle Williams), who is poised to marry another man, Oscar escapes in a hot air balloon.
The canopy is sucked into an approaching tornado and Oscar crash-lands in a wondrous realm, where ancient prophecy decrees that a wizard will fall from the sky and reign benevolently over Oz.
Beautiful witch Theodora (Mila Kunis) accompanies Oscar to the Emerald City, where her sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and the other denizens live in fear of the wicked witch Glinda (Michelle Williams).
"I'm not too keen on killing a woman," stutters the magician.
"She's not a woman, she's a wicked witch," Evanora reminds him.
Oz The Great And Powerful is a visual treat, especially in eye-popping 3D, and it's evident that most of the 200 million US dollar budget has been lavished on digital effects.
The film follows the template of the recent re-imaging of Alice In Wonderland, bombarding our retinas with outlandish set pieces.
Some of the visual trickery isn't as slick as it should be - when human characters pick up a china doll character (voiced by Joey King), actors clutch thin air without any sense of weight in their hands.
Copious special effects come at the expense of plot and characterisation.
Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire's script boasts a few snappy one-liners but it's perilously flimsy and the 130-minute running time is unwieldy.
Warmth and charm have almost been sucked dry from this incarnation of Oz and performances are muted, especially Franco, who bumbles through his scenes as if he is making up dialogue on the spot.
Margaret Hamilton was far more terrifying as the green-hued Wicked Witch back in 1939 than anything Raimi conjures from his cast here.
:: No swearing :: No sex :: Violence :: Rating: 5/10
To find local screenings for Oz: The Great And Powerful, click here


text:
anyone can make me a simple program that converts decimal to binary and to decimal again..
i just want to know how to make its structure in program...
its not that easy. althoug i know the process of it and i cant do it it PAPER.
and i will study its algorithm and then apply it in converting in hex and octal..
im getting some hard time with this


text:
I don't know how long I should wait till I have sex with a boyfriend/girlfriend: help me please!
Heather Corinna replies:I'm 13 and bisexual. I'd really like to have sex, but I've always been told to wait. Problem is I feel like I'll break down, if I don't have an experience soon. Am I too young? I also don't know how long I should wait till I have sex with a boyfriend/girlfriend help me please!
Not having sex shouldn't cause anyone to have a nervous breakdown. And if you feel like your mental health hinges on being sexually active with a partner, that's not a good thing -- or healthy for you or a relationship -- and something you'd want to address with a mental health professional.
Mind, sometimes y'all get a bit melodramatic with us, so if you didn't mean that literally, feel free to ignore that advice.
It is perfectly normal for someone your age to start some sexual exploration with yourself or with partners, but it's also perfectly normal at your age not to be sexually active in any way yet. Everyone is different, everyone has a different timetable, and everyone has different opportunities -- and feelings about what they want to do with those -- when it comes to relationships and partners. But when it comes to partners, sex with just anyone probably isn't going to do very much for you, or fill that gap you're feeling. It tends to matter WHO a person is having sex with when it comes to sexual experiences which are physically and emotionally satisfying. If there isn't a person who you have a strong sexual and emotional interest right now, and who doesn't feel the same way about you.
If there is that person or people, then before you go to sex with them, you're going to want to...well, talk to them. Spend some time together. Get to know each other on a bunch of levels, not just sexually. See how the two of you mesh to see if you're even a good fit when it comes to pursuing any kind of sex. Sometimes we find people really sexually attractive, but once we get to know them better, find out that we don't like them very much, even if we like the way they look.
Someone who you feel really comfortable with (even if feelings for them make you feel giddy or dizzy), who you communicate with easily, who you feel safe around, who you know you could be honest with both about your desires and about limits and boundaries, who you feel some sexual chemistry with, who you feel is trustworthy, and who just plain makes you feel good about yourself, who you like and respect as a person, and who appears to share an interest in a sexual relationship with you is probably a good choice for a potential partner. Someone where most or none of those things are the case usually is not.
Can 13 be too young? Yes. But so can 18. Mind, at 13 you are more likely to be legally under the age of consent, which in some areas can make an older partner -- and now and then a same-age partner -- having any kind of sex with you unlawful, but let's leave the law out of this for now, since even at an age where you are "legal," it still matters whether or not you and yours feel ready. Emotional maturity isn't something we can easily base on age alone: some 13-year-olds may have an emotional maturity and the skills to manage a sex life of some sort while others may not. We can say the same thing for people of many ages.
Here's a link to the Sex Readiness Checklist millions of users have found useful here over the years: Ready or Not? The Scarleteen Sex Readiness Checklist. Take a look at some of the items on it when we're talking about genital sex, which can absolutely have benefits, but which also creates risks, particularly when you're talking about male partners, as pregnancy risks will also be in the mix there. Do a lot of the things on that checklist apply to you yet? They don't all have to, but based on what we know about what tends to result in healthy, happy sex for any two people, a good deal of them should be in play. If so, and they also apply to any partners -- remember, sex with someone else is about both of you -- then it may well be okay for you at your age now to pursue a sexual relationship. If not, then it might be a good idea, in the interest of your health as well as in the interest of having sex be enjoyable and positive, to keep things slow until you've got more of that stuff going on. Once you're aware of what the positive and negative risks are, and what sex with someone else basically entails, the best person to know if you're ready is always going to be you.
It's also important to realize that sex tends to be something gradual with people, especially young people, not something we dive into head-first, doing all at once. In other words, you'll probably want to kiss someone first before having any idea if that's someone you want to be sexually active with and vice-versa. You'll probably want to see how some non-genital sexual activity feels and goes with them before taking your pants off. How long you wait to engage in any kind of sexual activity with someone else or a given kind of sexual activity with someone else is something that you and that other person will work out together, talking as you go to find out what feels right for both of you and what you're both ready for. Usually, when the time is right to have any kind of sex with someone, and it's what you both want, it's not that hard to know, especially since it's likely something you two will be talking about.
Lastly, if what you are just feeling is intense sexual desire you need to quell that's all about you and not about someone else, too, very specifically, then what you probably need to do is just to masturbate. When we feel that strong physical hunger for sex, and it's not combined with, and equally about, any sort of emotional desire and feeling, then that's something that's really about just us, not other people, and what's both appropriate and will leave you feeling better is taking care of yourself sexually with your own two hands. It's totally normal to have sexual desires and a sexual drive, and it's totally normal to want to meet that desire. Most people feel that, and many feel it only about themselves, which is one reason most people masturbate, even those who do have sexual partners.
I'm going to toss a bunch of additional links at you which should help give you some more information with which to make sound choices for yourself, as well as filling you in on some sexual realities.
- 10 of the Best Things You Can Do for Your Sexual Self (at Any Age)
- Is Masturbation Okay? (Yep.)
- Safe, Sound & Sexy: A Safer Sex How-To
- Sexual Response & Orgasm: A Users Guide
- Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out
- Is THAT All There Is?
- Yield for Pleasure
- Safer Sex...for Your Heart
- I'm 13 and totally sure I'm ready for sex.


text:
Vanilla Apple Cake
Vanilla Apple Cake
250g/9oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
250g/9oz golden caster sugar (or normal caster sugar)
4 eggs, beaten
250g/9oz self-raising flour
1 vanilla pod, split, seeds removed and reserved (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
3 small Bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges (or any other type of cooking apple, if not apple of your choice)
2 tbsp Demerara sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter a 20cm/8inch springform tin, then line the base with baking paper.
Beat the caster sugar and butter together until the mixture turns pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, flour and vanilla seeds, then beat together quickly to make a smooth batter. Tip into the prepared tin, then lay the apple wedges on top, poking them halfway into the mix. Don't worry if the apples appear crowded – they'll shrink as they cook. Sprinkle with the Demerara and cinnamon, then bake for 1 hour 5 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean and the sponge is risen and golden.
Leave to cool for a few mins, then release the tin and cool the cake completely on a wire rack.


text:
In 1911, Eugene Blum took his initials and his wife's family name, Levy, to coin "Eugene Blum Et Levy" - EBEL. In 1914, just three years after its formation, the brand won a coveted gold medal at the Swiss National Exhibition. The family company has been successfully producing sought-after wristwatches ever since.
Mon - Thur 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Fri 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (ET)


text:
Hailing all Fecal Pals in Toronto, be sure to see these two shows at Show & Tell Gallery.
Show & Tell Gallery is pleased to welcome Anthony Lister to his first solo exhibit with the gallery as well as his first exhibition in Canada. The Beauty of Failure is a unique look at the reward and punishment systems, and more specifically when the two overlap.The paintings and sculptures in this show demonstrate a tounge in cheek look at contemporary pop culture through Anthony's signature artistic style. Anthony's paintings, drawings, sculptures and happenings pullfrom his experiences as a youth in Australia. Superheroes,skateboarding, graffiti, tattoos, the internet, and pop culture are reflected in his artistic practice. His fine art has been displayed in galleries across the globe in cities such as New York, London, Los Angeles, Sydney, and we are excited to add Toronto to the list. Anthony Lister "He Who Kneels In Darkness" (Mixed Media On Canvas, 76" x 76", 2010) Anthony Lister The Beauty of Failure July 9th - August 8th 2010 Upcoming: Niall McClelland - Sabbath Sold Soul Show & Tell Gallery is proud to welcome Niall McClelland to his first exhibition with the gallery. Sabbath Sold Soul is a body of work investigating the idea of perpetuated adolescence. A re-imagined album design, a fictional crew code of arms, a pot hedge, and smoke patterns are explored through variety of simple, familiar mark making methods, from graphite pencils, spray paint to marijuana leaf stencils, and zippos. The resulting series display a sense of formal elegance that lies in compelling contrast to the often raw, crass, stoner symbols of youth culture explored in the work. Niall McClelland, grew up in Toronto, Ontario. He spent many of his summers in Northern Ireland, studied in Vancouver BC, and eight years later moved back to Toronto where he currently resides. Niall is a graduate of the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, shown his art internationally, and has been published in Arkitip, Adbusters, Hunter and Cook, Lowdown and Tokion. Niall McClelland - Studio Shot in Preparation for Sabbath Sold Soul Niall McClelland Sabbath Sold Soul July 9th - August 8th 2010 www.showandtellgallery.com
If you are interested in being added to to the preview list for either show please contact the gallery. We also release preview images from all our shows on the gallery blog. Subscribe to stay up to date with the latest news at Show & Tell Gallery.
< Prev | Next > |


text:
A Spotless SunBy Alan Caruba September 15, 2008There's a wonderful irony in the fact that, back in the 1970s, the Greens were issuing warnings and even writing books about the coming Ice Age. They would abandon this issue, based in well-known and accepted solar science, in favor of a vast, international hoax alleging man-made global warming. As the global warming hoax begins to lose its power to influence public opinion and policy, the Greens are not likely to be heeded for a long time to come because they were right about an Ice Age and lying through their teeth about global warming. Scientists and laymen who follow the Ice Age cycles have been warning that, if not a full-fledged Ice Age, at the very least a Little Ice Age comparable to one that lasted from 1300 to around 1850 is on its way Amidst all the media coverage of Hurricane Gustav and the Republican Convention, a report in DailyTech.com was not likely to get much attention, but it forecast a very cold world in the years to come. The Earth has already started to cool and scientists date the change from 1998. Headlined, "Drop in solar activity has potential effect for climate on Earth," the news is that, for the first time in 100 years, "an entire month has passed without a single visible sunspot being noted." The author, Michael Asher, noted that "The event is significant as many climatologists now believe solar magnetic activity-which determines the number of sunspots-is an influencing factor for climate on Earth." My friend, Robert W. Felix, wrote an excellent book on this titled "Not by Fire, but by Ice" ($15.00, Sugarhouse Publishing, softcover, second edition) which can be purchased from his website at IceAgeNow.com. "We're beginning to realize that Earth is a violent and dangerous place to live," wrote Felix. "We're beginning to realize that mass extinctions have been the rule, rather than the exception, for the 3.5 billion years that life has existed on Earth." Felix has a new book soon to be published that addresses magnetic reversals, another cyclical factor affecting life on Earth. "During the last 4.5 million years, at least six out of nine radiolarian extinctions occurred at magnetic reversals." They appear to be a factor in the sudden emergence of new species, so Darwin's theory is likely to be reexamined. As the DailyTech report notes, "In the past 1000 years, three previous such events, the Dalton, Maunder, and Sporer Minimums," of reduced sunspot activity, "have all led to rapid cooling," adding that, "For a society dependent on agriculture, cold is more damaging than heat. The growing season shortens, yields drop, and the occurrence of crop-destroying frosts increases." An article by William Livingston and Matthew Penn of the National Solar Observatory in Tucson, Arizona, "Sunspots May Vanish by 2015", predicts that sunspots will disappear completely. "Such an event would not be unprecedented, since during a famous episode from 1645-1715, known as the Maunder Minimum..." That solar cycle "was shown to correspond with the reduced average global temperatures on the Earth." In other words, it's going to get cold. The Little Ice Age had an effect on history as you might imagine. The French Revolution is attributed to it insofar as the cost of bread rose as wheat crops failed. Riots followed. Similarly, Napoleon's invasion of Russia met with defeat thanks to a winter that killed thousands of his troops. In America, it was reflected in the travails of Valley Forge. Over at IceAgeNow.com, Felix posts the latest news from around the world that tells of anomalous events ranging from freak early snow storms to expanding glaciers. Soon enough, those living in the northern hemisphere will become more aware as winters lengthen and become more severe. After that, the scenarios grow quite serious. Even the venerable Old Farmers Almanac is making news these days forecasting a far cooler winter and suggesting that the Earth is already in a cooling cycle. No doubt some diehard Greens like Al Gore will continue to spout nonsense that the cold weather is due to global warming, but it has to do with the Sun that's gone quiet. It's not myth. It's reality.
Alan Caruba is an American public relations counselor and freelance writer who is a frequent critic of environmentalism, Islam and research on global warming. In the late 1970s Caruba founded the PR firm The Caruba Organization, and in 1990, the National Anxiety Center, which identifies itself as "a clearinghouse for information about 'scare campaigns' designed to influence public policy and opinion" on such subjects as global warming, ozone depletion and DDT. |


text:
Looking Back..
April 3rd, 2012 by Jay
The journey to creating Guidestones goes back 6 years for me.
I was drinking coffee with my friend Patricio Davilla complaining about the difficulties of trying to get any film project distributed in this country (a favourite activity of all independent filmmakers in Canada: caffeine and complaining) and he said to me "Why don't you produce content for the internet? You can bypass the broadcasters and go directly to your audience".
Now you need to remember this was six years ago. YouTube was roughly one year old, online video was not particularly sophisticated, and computers were… well, let's just say they were slow-ish, smartphones were not that smart, and neither was most of the content… football in the groin.
As an independent filmmaker I was much more sophisticated than Dayillia's suggestion; so naturally I strongly rejected the idea.
A bit of time passed and still nobody was picking up my features, or anything else for that matter, and a thought kept lingering as rejection persisted; the idea of creating content and being my own distributor.
I wanted to take control of my own destiny.
So, without admitting it to anyone, I let the concept occupy a large portion of my brain and thought it over and over… and over… If the content was serialized with cliffhangers, maybe there could be something there.
My father used to tell me about going to the movie theater and watching the old serials; he loved them and he kept coming back. Everybody did.
But seriously, that was all handle bar mustaches and archetypes. Is that really what I wanted to do? Spend my time figuring out unique ways to tie maidens in distress to railway tracks?
This is not what makes an honorable career in the film industry. (Yes I know… oxymoron)
I started to dabble. I wrote a proposal, I raised a little capital, and I tried my hand at a couple of short form content experiments called TRUE FICTION and TEN TO GO. Suddenly three years later, my dabbling had turned into a full-fledged obsession to become an on-line content producer.
Of course I want this job because it pays no money and exacts no respect from anybody…
This is a volunteer proposition that nobody wants or needs, with long hours and a lot of people politely pretending to listen to you, who are impatient to get back to making some real money in the real world.
Well, for some reason I slogged on, going to various interactive conferences across the country, pushing my concept of serialized content, supported by TRUE FICTION and TEN TO GO (both great ideas, and I believe, very well executed and entertaining).
However, in the end these properties were really just short versions of television shows. I tried to raise money to make more… I tried for a couple of years with little success.
By now it's summer 2008 and two things are happening:
First, people keep asking me what my plan is to monetize the content…to which my answers are; through "sponsorship", and "t-shirt sales" and the content is going to be "so good people will pay for it!", yadda yadda yadda.
Second, we are quickly heading into the fall of 2008…when a certain World Economic Collapse occurs… Here I am knocking on doors looking for money for a high risk venture. Well timing is everything, because as I was getting (politely) laughed out of board rooms across the country and then suddenly I happened across a single meeting that would end up changing the course of my career…and I do believe now, my life.


text:
A little Work in Progress Update
by Raffa
Hey Everyone!
i decided to show some work in progress snapshots from my current project (or my nemesis ;-) ).
Here you go... by the way, 1400 Stones were being glued together for the base ;)
Everything is still mucho work in progresso ;-)
hope you like it!


text:
Quebec student leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois was convicted November 1 of contempt of court for publicly criticizing a court injunction issued during last spring's student strike. The injunction ordered the strikers to allow dissident students who opposed the strike to attend classes.
Nadeau-Dubois will be sentenced on November 9. He faces a fine of up to $50,000 and possible imprisonment for up to a year. This is the first time in the history of the Quebec student movement that a leader has been convicted of contempt of court. In a highly politicized judgment, the court declared that in criticizing the injunction and defending the democratic decision to strike made by the students in mass assemblies he had advocated "anarchy," encouraged "civil disobedience," and his comments could be used to pave the way to "tyranny."
Nadeau-Dubois has announced that he will appeal the conviction, and called on supporters to donate funds to aid his defense. A web site, www.appelatous.org, has been established to publicize statements of support and collect contributions. And some solidarity demonstrations have already been held both in Quebec and elsewhere (including a small protest in Toronto on November 3).
The original injunction was issued in May to a student at Laval University who disagreed with the decision taken by the members of his student association, an affiliate of the Coalition large de l'Association de solidarité syndicale des étudiants (CLASSE), to join the massive strike against the Liberal government's tuition fee increase.
At its peak the four-month strike saw about 300,000 students shut down classes; some of the demonstrations mobilized close to a quarter million students. Although the immediate goal of the students was to block the fee increase, the CLASSE advanced the demand for free university tuition, an initial objective of Quebec's extensive reform of public education in the 1960s, and campaigned against other government budget measures such as a new tax on health care around an explicitly anticapitalist perspective.
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois was a co-spokesperson for the CLASSE, which grew to more than 100,000 members during the strike. Also participating in the strike were the official student federations representing CEGEP (college) and university students, the FECQ and FEUQ.[1] All three groups are recognized under Quebec law as the exclusive representatives of the students in their respective universities or colleges.[2] All regard the right to strike — to shut down classes, enforced by mass picketing and other action — as an important weapon in their arsenal of tactics. Since the late 1960s, the Quebec students have staged seven general strikes with varying degrees of success.
The injunction in question was one of many issued by the courts in early May in an attempt to break the student strike. Many were initiated by students associated with the young Liberals, the youth affiliate of the then government party led by Premier Jean Charest. The courts were only too happy to oblige; the chief justice of the Superior Court, François Rolland, himself issued seven such injunctions, all identically worded, between May 3 and May 12.[3]
The injunction rulings all had in common a refusal to accept that the mass action by the students was a strike. Instead they called it a "boycott," and thus not subject to the rules governing legal strikes or Quebec's anti-scab legislation. In the case of the injunction that was at issue in Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois' contempt prosecution, issued May 3, the judge stated flatly that the students had no real right to strike under Quebec legislation.
The premise behind these injunctions, stated or unstated, was that the students had no genuine collective interests worthy of being enforced by common strike action; they were individual consumers of a college or university education, with no right to restrict access to that "commodity" by other consumers. Neoliberal reasoning of the first order.
The student associations argued in return that injunctions restricting or prohibiting their picket lines were an infringement of their right to free expression of belief, and that their legally recognized right to represent the students could only be effective if they had the right to enforce the majority decisions taken democratically in mass assemblies of the students they represented.
In the result, the injunctions failed to break the strike, the students simply ignoring or defying them, often in the face of brutal police repression. The Charest government then enacted Bill 78 (later named Law 12), which (among other things) shut down the campuses until August and threatened severe fines and loss of legal representation rights to student associations that violated its provisions.[4]
In a television broadcast May 13, an RDI journalist interviewed FECQ president Léo Bureau-Blouin and CLASSE spokesman Nadeau-Dubois concerning the injunctions. Bureau-Blouin stated that his federation was urging students to comply with them as "precise orders of the Court…." Bureau-Blouin, a successful candidate in the September 4 Quebec elections, now sits on the Parti Québécois government benches.
Gabriel Nadeau-Blouin, for his part, stated:
What is clear is that those decisions, those attempts to force the return to class, never function because the students, who have been striking for 13 weeks, are in mutual solidarity, and generally respecting the democratic will that was expressed through the strike vote and I think it is completely legitimate for the students to take the steps to enforce the democratic choice that was made to go on strike. It is of course regrettable that there is indeed a minority of students who are using the courts to by-pass the collective decision that was taken. But we think it is completely legitimate that people take the necessary steps to enforce the strike vote, and if that means picket lines, we think it is a completely legitimate means of doing so.
That is the statement for which he has now been convicted of contempt of court.
A striking feature (if I may use that adjective!) of the 20-page judgment by Superior Court justice Denis Jacques is its highly charged political language. The allegation against Nadeau-Dubois is essentially that his statement to RDI was likely "to impair the authority or dignity of the court," to cite the language of Article 50 of the Quebec Code of Civil Procedure, one of the two contempt provisions at issue. But the judge goes even further. Whether or not Nadeau-Dubois was specifically attacking the injunction in question (the judge decided he was), the student leader, in his criticism of injunctions and defense of the students' democratic strike vote, was held to be impugning the "rule of law" and promoting "chaos."
"Defiance of the law is the surest road to tyranny," said the judge, quoting President John F. Kennedy, a quotation he found in what was the major legal precedent for his judgment: the court decision convicting the leaders of Quebec's three trade-union centrals of contempt of court in 1972, when they refused to order the striking members of their common front of public sector unions to obey injunctions ordering them back to work.[5]
Adopting a similar tone, the judge found Nadeau-Dubois guilty of urging non-compliance with court orders. Was he defending democracy? No, "instead he advocated anarchy and encouraged civil disobedience."
The shock of the contempt conviction provoked an immediate wave of protest, especially in the social networks. Many comments focused on the political nature of the court's decision. Some cited a 2005 La Presse article showing the judge's connections with the Liberal party.
One of the first and strongest statements of support was by Québec solidaire MNA Amir Khadir on behalf of his party. "This court decision is an insult to all the youth who mobilized last spring in a massively peaceful way," he declared in a written statement. "Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois was the embodiment of that youth and is now punished for having put himself in the service of a cause. They have tried him politically."
Khadir noted that Charest's Bill 78 had specifically singled out Nadeau-Dubois: it invalidated all the injunctions issued in connection with the student strike, but made one exception — for the sole prosecution for contempt of court that had resulted, the one aimed at Nadeau-Dubois. And Khadir recalled that at the time he had publicly adopted as his own Nadeau-Dubois's entire statement that was the subject of the prosecution.
Khadir contrasted the rough "justice" meted out so precipitously to the student leader with the lax approach taken by the authorities toward the widespread corruption in Quebec politics now being revealed in the hearings of the Charbonneau Commission. "While for years they let things ride with the bribers and their accomplices in the engineering firms, law firms, municipalities and the National Assembly, the trial of a student spokesperson who dared to stand up to a government worn through with scandals is already ended." It was a case of "two weights, two measures."
Québec solidaire, said Khadir, remained in solidarity with Nadeau-Dubois and the CLASSE. And he urged the student associations and others to demonstrate their support.
Unfortunately, the FEUQ and FECQ have so far made no statement on the Nadeau-Dubois conviction. Their silence underscores the divisions that have reappeared within the student movement. In contrast, the ASSÉ declared its "unfailing support" for the student leader. "The words that earned Mr. Nadeau-Dubois his conviction," said spokesman Jérémie Bédard-Wien, "are the refrain of the entire student movement. History will prove him right."
And several teachers' unions have already signified their support of Nadeau-Dubois and declared their intention to contribute to his appeal.
[1] Respectively, the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec and Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec.
[2] An Act respecting the accreditation and financing of students' associations, R.S.Q. c. A-3.01.
[3] Jean-François Morasse v. Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, Quebec Superior Court, File No. 200-17-016412-124 (November 1, 2012), para. 23n.
[4] The new PQ government has declared its intention to repeal these provisions.
[5] In that case, the union leaders were sentenced to a year in jail. But that in turn provoked a massive province-wide spontaneous general strike involving up to 300,000 people that included occupations of factories and radio stations, blockading of bridges and airports, and worker takeovers of some industrial towns. So great was the pressure on the Liberal government of the day that it had to ask the imprisoned union leaders (Marcel Pepin, Louis Laberge and Yvon Charbonneau) to appeal their contempt convictions so as to make it possible for the government to release them from prison and continue bargaining. The common front then went on to win some key demands, including a $100 minimum wage for the lowest paid workers, mainly women.


text:
In a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency settlement announced on Jan. 21, the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARC) agreed to treat acid mine drainage and resolve other liabilities at a cost of more than $8 million at the Leviathan Mine Superfund Site in Alpine County, Calif., near the California-Nevada border.
Under the settlement, ARC will treat acid mine drainage for five years at a cost the EPA estimates at $5.6 million. In addition, the company will reimburse EPA for $1.7 million in past clean-up costs, pay $90,000 in penalties for failing to comply with an EPA order issued in 2000, and spend $400,000 on a riparian restoration project at the River Fork Ranch on the Carson River, near Genoa, Nev.
"Today's agreement addresses the most significant pollution from the mine and protects Leviathan Creek until a long-term cleanup strategy is in place," said Keith Takata, the Superfund Division director the EPA's Pacific Southwest region. "This settlement makes sure that the company that caused the pollution pays for the cleanup and restores vital habitat downstream from the site."
Until a final plan is developed, seasonal treatment will prevent untreated releases of elevated concentrations of metals and metalloids, most notably arsenic, as well as iron, aluminum, chromium, cobalt, copper, nickel, and zinc. There are several releases of acid mine drainage at the site that have the potential to impact Leviathan Creek. When a release from the site occurs, it can flow into the Leviathan Creek/Bryant Creek watershed, which drains into the East Fork of the Carson River -- a major source of water and a habitat for fish.
Under EPA oversight, the company will treat acid mine drainage from several sources at the mine from June 1 to September 30. The treatment season will be extended before the final cleanup is selected, if conditions at this remote mountain site allow safe access and operation. Because the site lacks paved roads and power lines, winter treatment of most seeps will not be accomplished through interim actions, although cutting-edge biological treatment technology will continue to treat one of the seeps at the site through the winter.
Today's settlement complements a separate EPA order issued in June 2008 requiring ARC to investigate long-term cleanup methods for the site, which the EPA will select. Afterwards, the agency anticipates that ARC, the state of California, the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, and other stakeholders will enter into negotiations to implement final cleanup by 2013 and address other outstanding issues at the site.
The settlement also resolves the EPA's claims that ARC violated a 2000 order when it released untreated acid mine drainage for nine days in the summer of 2006 and failed to build a year-round treatment system that the EPA had required for treatability studies. The EPA subsequently decided to proceed with seasonal interim treatment for most of the site, while the investigation for long-term cleanup explores options for year-round treatment.
This free educational webinar will provide a detailed process for climate-driven "pre-response" in a variety of key areas including: Supply Chain Disruptions, Employee Safety and Productivity, Regulatory and Compliance Risks …and many more areas.


text:
Common Lisp the Language, 2nd Edition
X3J13 voted in January 1989
to adopt an extended definition of the loop macro
as a part of the forthcoming draft Common Lisp standard.
This chapter presents the bulk of the Common Lisp Loop Facility proposal, written by Jon L White. I have edited it only very lightly to conform to the overall style of this book and have inserted a small number of bracketed remarks, identified by the initials GLS. (See the Acknowledgments to this second edition for acknowledgments to others who contributed to the Loop Facility proposal.)
- Guy L. Steele Jr.


text: IRS Tax Tip 2013-56, April 16, 2013 The IRS has some advice for taxpayers who missed the tax filing deadline. File as soon as possible. If you owe federal income tax, you should file and pay as soon as you can to minimize any penalty and interest charges. There is no penalty for filing a late return if you are due a refund. Penalties and interest may be due. If you missed the April 15 deadline, you may have to pay penalties and interest. The IRS may charge penalties for late filing and for late payment. The law generally does not allow a waiver of interest charges. However, the IRS will consider a reduction of these penalties if you can show a reasonable cause for being late. E-file is your best option. IRS e-file programs are available through Oct. 15. E-file is the easiest, safest and most accurate way to file. With e-file, you will receive confirmation that the IRS has received your tax return. If you e-file and are due a refund, the IRS will normally issue it within 21 days. Free File is still available. Everyone can use IRS Free File. If your income is $57,000 or less, you qualify to e-file your return using free brand-name software. If you made more than $57,000 and are comfortable preparing your own tax return, use Free File Fillable Forms to e-file. This program uses the electronic versions of paper IRS forms. IRS Free File is available only through IRS.gov. Pay as much as you can. If you owe tax but can't pay it all at once, you should pay as much as you can when you file your tax return. Pay the remaining balance due as soon as possible to minimize penalties and interest charges. Installment Agreements are available. If you need more time to pay your federal income taxes, you can request a payment agreement with the IRS. Apply online using the IRS Online Payment Agreement Application tool or file Form 9465, Installment Agreement Request. Refunds may be waiting. If you're due a refund, you should file as soon as possible to get it. Even if you are not required to file, you may be entitled to a refund. This could apply if you had taxes withheld from your wages, or you qualify for certain tax credits. If you don't file your return within three years, you could forfeit your right to the refund. For more information, visit IRS.gov. Additional IRS Resources: IRS Free File E-file Options Make a Payment – payment options Online Payment Agreement tool Form 9465, Installment Agreement Request IRS YouTube Videos: Do Your Taxes for Free: Taxes Made Less Taxing - English | Spanish Online Payment Agreement - English IRS Podcasts: Online Payment Agreement - EnglishMP3 Subscribe to IRS Tax Tips


text:
You're viewing Snoopy Pastel Tie-dye Crocs Shoes Gift.
Snoopy Pastel Tie-dye Crocs Shoes Gift
Explore an array of fantastic products within the Trending Crocs collections. You'll likely find even more enticing options!
Indulge in a seamless shopping experience at ohcrocs.com, and feel free to reach out via email if you have any inquiries.
Crocs clogs, renowned for their comfort and convenience, are crafted from a lightweight, flexible material that ensures easy cleaning and maintenance. The clog style guarantees a snug fit and foot support, all while promoting breathability and ventilation. The shoe's sole is intelligently designed to offer traction and stability across various surfaces.
Product features:
Product information
Material | Croslite: a proprietary closed-cell resin. Croslite is not plastic or rubber |
Printing technology | Croslite™ Technology |
Style | Crocs |
Gender | Men, Women, Kid |
Color | Printed With Different Colors |
Size | Various Size: Men/Women(From US5/ EU36 to US14/ EU48), Kid(US10K/EU21-22 To US1Y/EU29-30 |
Brand | Ohcrocs.com – High-Quality Printed Brand |
Key features:
- Crafted from high-quality Material: This gives the product exceptional durability and comfort.
- Fully Molded Crocs Foam Construction: Enhances user experience with effortless cleaning capability.
- Vented Vamp Design: Promotes fresh air circulation, thereby improving breathability and keeping your feet cool.
- Secure Heel Strap: Ensures a snug fit, providing comfortable wear and ease of use.
- Buoyant and Water-friendly Properties: Making it perfect for aquatic environments or rainy weather, not compromised by water or moisture.
- Odor-resistant Feature: Helps to maintain a pleasant foot environment, reducing foot odor after prolonged use.
- Comfort-giving Contoured Footbed: Offers lasting padded comfort for long duration of wear.
- Lightweight Non-marking Outsole: Provides ease of movement, and leaves no traces or marks on surfaces.
- Sporty Striped Midsole: It not only enhances the look but also provides flexible traction for varied terrains, ensuring safety and stability.


text:
Imagine you are sitting on your comfy couch watching TV. You decide to tune in to 60 Minutes. They are talking about a nonprofit organization that is bringing a low-cost laptop to children in developing countries. You think that is a great idea and decide to learn more.
Fast forward two years, and you are in the middle of a floating fishing village in Ha Long Bay in Northeast Vietnam. You have started a project to bring a number of these laptops to the only school in the village. While there you are tackling a variety of speed bumps that arise. These range from easy to extremely challenging. As the days pass, you can see the joy in the children and adults of the village. You realize that you have made a difference and changed their lives. You have changed their world for the better.
This is the story Nancie Severs of New Hampshire relayed when she presented at OLPC's Cambridge headquarters. Hearing Nancie speak is inspiring. She has heart and energy. Last year she visited the Vung Vieng Floating Fishing Village with her husband Mark. She thought of OLPC and realized she could bring the XO to this village with a plan. She says if the XO laptops work out here "in the middle of the sea" where learning resources are limited, books are destroyed by the salty air, and newspapers blow away or get wet, then she will be convinced that it can work almost anywhere.


text:
Man Accidentally Shoots Nail Into His Neck, Narrowly Avoids Fatal Injury
According to Boston News, in early December 2011, a carpenter accidentally discharged a nail gun and embedded a 3.5 inch nail in the bottom of his neck. Based on the CT scan included here, it appears the nail entered the neck dead center given the clear appearance of the windpipe.
Based on the location, the anatomic sequence of nail piercing is as follows:
Skin –> Thyroid Gland –> Trachea –> Esophagus Back Wall –> Cervical Vertebral Body
The damage to skin, thyroid, and trachea is not a big deal… In fact, one can consider this a mini-tracheostomy. Minimal bleeding would be expected.
However, the hole between the trachea and esophagus is another matter which may heal well… or not. The esophagus Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Fauquier ENT Blog*


text:
This article is more than 1 year old
Microsoft plays coy over iPhone Office
'Keep watching'
Web 2.0 Expo Redmond has hinted it soon may bring Microsoft Office to the iPhone.
In a Q&A with Tim 2.0'Reilly at the hypemeister's Web 2.0 Expo in downtown San Francisco this afternoon, Microsoft Office honcho Stephen Elop was asked how his aging desktop software suite would survive in a world increasingly obsessed with putting apps in the cloud on the web, and naturally, he responded with Redmond's "software plus services" chestnut.
"We said a couple of years ago that what we needed to do was fully embrace what we call 'software plus services,' the recognition that as software evolves, there's an important role for client technology combined with what happens in the cloud," opined the president of Microsoft's business division. "The truly best user experiences will come from that combination."
Elop badmouthed 2.0'Reilly's notion of an application that runs in some sort of ethereal "self-actualization" layer where client software doesn't exist, calling the idea "hogwash." He then proceeded to ask how many of the net-obsessives in his Web 2.0 audience carried an iPhone - and how many used the iPhone's Facebook application.
"Just as many, if it more," he said, tallying Facebook appers against iPhone users - and winning a chuckle from the gathered digerati. "The point being that the device, the operating system on that device, and the rich application - the Facebook app - combined with the service - the Facebook service - is a better experience. And that's what people are self-selecting."
When 0'Reilly pointed out that no one is using Office on their iPhone, Elop responded with a pointed "Not yet, you're not." And when pressed on the matter, he let out a terse "keep watching".
It so happens that Quickoffice introduced its own Office suite for the iPhone today, offering the ability to view, edit, and share Microsoft Word and Excel files on your Jobsian status symbol (in aging formats).
Elop then felt compelled to call Microsoft "the most interoperable company on the planet".
To support this claim, he pointed out that in February of 2008, the company published something it calls interoperability principles. And he boasted that since then, the Microsoft Office team has published 40,000 pages of documentation "on every aspect of every one of our most popular products."
His audience was unimpressed. So he pointed out that if they wanted to, they could connect their iPhone mail client to an Exchange server. And he said that Google has licensed Microsoft patents and used Microsoft documentation to offer Exchange access from Google Apps.
Ah, but Elop has a low opinion of Google Apps. He described Docs and Spreadsheets as little more than "free bolding, underlining, italics, and footnotes." And of course, he boasted that when Microsoft unleashes its "software plus services," it will be much more than "bolding, underlining, italics, and footnotes."
Microsoft has already demonstrated "lightweight" versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint that run inside ordinary web browsers. And it intends to free (ad-supported) access to such tools. But Elop admitted that such software plus services won't arrive until, well, the next calendar year.
So, if Microsoft is prepping Office for the iPhone, you can't help but wonder just how close it really is. ®


text:
(but we'll probably take five years to realise it). Scott Leslie has coined the term Loosely coupled teaching, for the assembly of a number of different, third party apps to do your teaching with. This differs from a PLE in that it is still the educator who provides the tools, they just bypass the institutional systems. Scott's post set me thinking and I had something of an epiphany (okay, I know I'm slow) - whereas I have been using the odd application you could completely set up your course outside of the institution.
What might you want to use? For my course I could use the following:
- For content and discussion - wetpaint or wikispaces, upload the content, each page has its own forum, and students get to control the content. Or I could create a blog wherein each post is an activity, this has the advantage that students can subscribe. I'd probably go the wiki route though.
- Dialogue - I'd probably encourage everyone to sign up for Twitter or Jaiku, to create a low-level, non-intrusive dialogue between students. We might also need some ongoing discussion board.
- Virtual meetings - I'd use Flashmeeting and schedule regular sessions.
- News and updates - I'd use a blog and get students to subscribe.
- Quiz/informal assessment tools - there are a bunch of these around e.g. Blogquiz where you can embed them in your own page. There's a lot of commercial stuff too, so I think there is room for better free services in this area.
Apart from that I would use any tool as and when you needed it. The wikispace would be the hub, and hopefully you could hang these apps off it easily enough. An alternative would be a Netvibes/Pageflakes space.
Firstly, what are the issues in doing it this way:
- Authentication - this is quite a big one. Students are authenticated via the University database and this feeds through to the VLE and related systems. Single sign on is obviously a big plus here. For small courses you could manually enrol your students on your wiki (if you didn't want it to be open to all), but for some of our courses we have 1000+ students, so that isn't scaleable. Having said that, this is not a problem that is insurmountable. Authentication isn't really my subject area, but with openid, Shibboleth etc people are moving in this direction. What I want is to be able to apply the OU authentication to any site I want, so if I create a wiki I simply tell the OU authentication system to include that url. Maybe it can do this already? The issue of roles is more complicated, but again if we start on this now, it's not impossible to crack.
- Convenience - there is a degree of convenience for both academic and student in having all the tools packaged in the VLE. However, I think there is also an increasing frustration at being limited to these tools, and also an increased ability to cope with a range of tools.
- Support - if you have one centralised system then you can offer centralised support also. If every academic is using a different collection this becomes more difficult. However, these tools are all pretty easy to use, and one could easily have a collection of supported ones.
- Reliability - if we house the VLE then we can guarantee the server times and service level agreement. If it is housed on an external system you have no control if it goes down. This is true and something that keeps IT people awake at night, but this surrendering control is going to be one of those things we just have to get used to as we use more third party apps simply because they're better.
- Monitoring - one of the tools that a VLE offers is the ability to monitor a student or cohort's progress. These can be useful tools in identifying problems and offering support. While a loosely coupled system wouldn't offer this at the individual level, there are an increasing number of sophisticated analytical tools available (as Tony Hirst repeatedly tries to get me to realise) which will provide much of this information.
That might seem like a big enough list to make you stick with your VLE, but wait, here come the benefits:
- Better quality tools - because offering each of these loosely coupled elements is what each company does, it is in their interest to make them really good. This means they stay up to date, have better features, and look better than most things produced in higher education.
- Modern look and feel - related to the above, these tools often look better, and also their use makes a course feel more modern to a user who is raised on these tools compared with the rather sterile, dull systems they encounter in higher ed.
- Appropriate tools - because they are loosely coupled the educator can choose whatever ones they want, rather than being restricted to the limited set in the VLE. This is one of the biggest draws I feel - as an academic if I want a particular tool I don't have to put a request in to IT and wait a year to get a reduced quality version, I just go ahead and use it.
- Cost - using a bunch of free tools has got to be cheaper hasn't it?
- Avoids software sedimentation - when you have institutional systems they tend to embody institutional practice which becomes increasingly difficult to break. Having loosely coupled system makes this easier, and also encourages people to think in different ways.
- Disintermediation happens - this isn't really a benefit, just an observation. If a services can be disintermediated then it will be. In this case the central VLE system is disintermediated as academics use a variety of freely available tools.
On balance then, I think this shift to loosely coupled, freely available third party systems will happen. It won't happen overnight, and it will follow a succession model, but I would place money on this being the direction things take. Thank goodness I haven't just published a book on VLEs eh? Doh!


text:
If video on TV is so much better for capturing attention than online advertising, it would stand to reason that video is the best method for advertising online. With online video advertising in its infancy, the findings by a leading market research firm The Kelsey Group, while startling, is not surprising.
Smallbiztechnology.com just published an interview on September 9, 2008 by Assistant Editor Laura Leites with Keith Wiley, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications at Spot Runner. Wiley stated that "The Kelsey Group, recently released a study indicating that the local online video market will see an increase in growth from $10.9 million in 2007 to $1.5 billion in 2012, a compound annual growth rate of 167.8 percent. At Spot Runner, we're seeing particularly strong growth among restaurants, jewelers, law firms and professional services companies."
Why is video better? Movement captures attention (I'm just surprised that they don't have dancers on IRS tax audit commercials yet, besides the one I always see is so depressing I change the channel); and it's just easier to watch, than read.


text:
By Tom Mucciolo and Leila Jahangiri
Whereas certain vocal inflections can be gratifying, there are also times where vocal distractions interrupt the rhythm of speech and may reduce the effectiveness of the content. How many times have you found yourself unable to say just the right thing at the right time? Have there ever been moments where you just hurried through content not really sure if you were clearly understood? Have you ever had something "at the tip" of your tongue, but couldn't quite get to the word?
Unrehearsed speech is spontaneously created and therefore words are sometimes jumbled, garbled, or simply misused in the context of the given topic. While fluency promotes clarity, disfluency suspends the immediate connection to content, breaking up the listening pattern and possibly limiting comprehension.
Such vocal distractions include fillers, rapidity and parenthetical intrusions. Understanding and overcoming these distractions are critically important in optimizing clarity in speech. The focus of this discussion is on fillers, namely, the sounds we make in between the words we say.
Eliminating Fillers
One of the most distracting elements when speaking is the use of fillers and, unfortunately, most presenters are unaware of the frequency at which these occur. In conversation and other unrehearsed speech, this type of disfluency is a frequent vocal disruption that occurs at a rate of 6% of the words spoken.
At times, fillers can occur when a speaker is trying to retrieve higher level language or technical terms that are less often used in normal conversation. In some cases, the disruption occurs when describing pictures or scenes, where information is more vague or ambiguous.
Unfortunately, any verbal hesitancy in speech can be interpreted as an uncertainty or lack of familiarity with content, which is why silence is the better filler when one is at a loss for words.
Some fillers are just added sounds such as, "um", "uh", "er", or parenthetical inserts such as, "you know, like, again, okay, right", or emotional interjections such as "aha, ah, oops, ugh, wow." Fillers do not necessarily indicate a lack of knowledge, but are usually vocal pauses inserted while retrieving knowledge.
When speakers try to retrieve less familiar information, fillers such as uh and um are more likely to occur, and in some cases these verbal utterances are normal patterns in speech for the purpose of delay in order to keep from being interrupted or in order to find the best way of expressing information.
However, the length of the delay following the filler, that is, the actual time it takes to retrieve information, can affect a listener's perception as to how familiar the speaker is with the content retrieved. For example, there is a difference between the uh and um fillers.
The "uh" filler is typically a shorter, more temporary interruption, with a brief delay following the "uh", suggesting that the speaker is familiar with the upcoming content, but is hesitant in forming the correct expression. The "um" filler tends to have a longer delay, suggesting that the speaker may be unsure and searching for possibly unfamiliar content.
This hesitancy can happen when the upcoming content is highly technical or highly descriptive in nature where the speaker can't seem to find the right word or phrase; or if the speaker is signaling a desire to not be interrupted during the pause.
Coincidentally, in situations of suspicion or doubt, where skepticism exists for example, the longer delay following the "um" filler may suggest that upcoming content may be conjecture, guess-work, or possibly not the truth. In any case, whether uh or um is accidental or purposeful, the longer the delay or pause following the filler, as with "um", the more challenging for the learner in processing the continuity of content.
In reality, fillers are vocal evidence that you are thinking out loud. You're letting the audience hear your distraction as you search for the next word, or the ideal phrase. To counter this problem, consider using silence as a filler. A silent pause will give you time to find the right word or phrase and allow your learners to concentrate on your intended content more easily.
Yet, if you find yourself using fillers frequently, you may be able to reduce the unconscious habit by using audible feedback to raise your awareness. Just as the eyes can observe a body language distraction, the ears can detect a vocal disruption.
To help overcome a filler challenge, practice a presentation in front of a colleague. Have the person clap his or her hands, or snap their fingers, whenever you use a filler in your speech. Each time you hear the hands clapping or the fingers snapping, you will be conscious of the filler.
Hearing an external sound associated with a verbal filler raises your awareness of the issue to help you minimize or possibly eliminate the distraction. Overall, the goal is to reduce or eliminate vocal distractions so that your content and message can be more clearly communicated.
About the Authors:
Content excerpted from the book, "A Guide to Better Teaching" by Leila Jahangiri & Tom Mucciolo, Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
Dr. Leila Jahangiri (email@example.com) is chair of the Department of Prosthodontics at New York University College of Dentistry. She is an active clinician, researcher, teacher, and global speaker. Tom Mucciolo (firstname.lastname@example.com) is a presentation skills consultant, leadership advisor, and president of MediaNet. He is also an adjunct faculty member at New York University.
The authors' collaboration is a culmination of a vast research study. They share a common goal of finding ways to help teachers teach better, leaders lead better, and in the process allow teachers to become leaders.


text:
Nearly eight months since the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Japan Disaster Response Team continues its work in the region.
Japan's announcement today of plans to spend 19 trillion yen ($250 billion) over the next five years to rebuild after the March 2011 earthquake draws world attention back to the region. Northeast Japan where the magnitude 9.0 earthquake triggered a tsunami that killed more than 15,000, injured thousands more and destroyed more than 125,000 buildings across eighteen prefectures.
For the past eight months, teams of Scientology Volunteer Ministers have continued their work in the region, providing any assistance needed and bringing their own unique brand of help, based on the Scientology Handbook.
Case in point is Tagajo City in Miyago Prefecture, a town of 60,000 where 177 died and 1,811 were left homeless by the disaster. Scientology Volunteer Ministers have continued their work in the city. They visit those now living in temporary housing helping them with whatever they need, and providing Scientology Assists— simple techniques developed by L. Ron Hubbard that help the individual recover from stress, illness and injury. Wherever the go, they train staff and residents in the technology, so they can deliver Assists to one another.
One volunteer spoke of the experience.
"I spoke with a woman who told me about her childhood. She survived a tsunami when she was 4 years old. You could see how much better she felt because she was able to talk about it. The people I meet are very positive. They are strong and have the will to live. It is an honor to be able to help them."
The Scientology Volunteer Minister program was initiated by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard in 1976. There are now hundreds of thousands of people trained in the skills of a Volunteer Minister across 185 nations.


text:
The purpose of this program is to facilitate the use of iGrafx® software in academic environments by reducing the cost, and providing resources for members of accredited, degree-granting academic institutions. The licenses purchased through this program are to be used for teaching and research purposes only, and cannot be used for consulting or commercial purposes. Please note that verification of the status as a student or faculty member is required for purchase.
iGrafx® Process™ is feature rich and simple to use. Not only a process modeling and analysis tool, iGrafx Process also provides discrete event simulation analytics and reporting, enabling dynamic "what-if" process analysis. Leveraging iGrafx world-class process mapping functionality, iGrafx Process facilitates the capture, analysis and design of processes fundamental to your organization's continuous improvement initiatives.


text:
I have a remote kernel on a server that I would like to use to process some data. The connection works, i.e, I'm able to use the local front end and the remote kernel. However, I cannot figure out how should I access from the remote kernel the data that are on my local machine.
I thought I could simply use Import
with the path to my computer and to the file that I want to import, but I didn't succeed. Something like:
Import::nffil: File not found during Import. >>


text:
Pa. schools to provide free self-serve condoms
In a purported effort to reduce sexually transmitted disease, nearly two dozen Philadelphia high schools are featuring bowls of condoms – free to students, no questions asked – in their nurse's offices.
The respective nurses heard of the new program through an email from school administrators, informing them the prophylactics will be placed "near the entrance to your office."
Though parents can theoretically opt their children out of the condom giveaway, but officials made it clear they won't do anything to enforce such restrictions.
In the same email to nurses, the school district's assistant superintendent conveyed his position that students "are to honor the wishes of their parents" and doing otherwise would constitute "an issue of the home."
When teenagers know they can grab a handful of condoms whenever they wish, with a written guarantee their parents will be none the wiser, I'm sure we can trust them to make the right decision. We can probably all remember how responsible we were at that age.
As easy as it is for today's youth to make unwise decisions, the last thing they need is a school system contributing to their potential for delinquency. Of course, this is hardly the only case of a corrupt public education system actively indoctrinating the next generation with values contrary to traditional parents. It is an egregious slap in the face to social conservatives throughout the school district.
Adding to the insult, outraged parents will be footing the bill for the program since the city's health department – funded directly by taxpayers – is supplying the condoms.
B. Christopher Agee founded The Informed Conservative in 2011. Like his Facebook page for engaging, relevant conservative content daily.


text:
Table of Contents
Setting a Keyboard Layout
Setting a keyboard layout is a necessary step if you do not want the default us
layout. Furthermore, some people quite often need to switch between layouts. Below you'll find ways of setting / changing the keyboard layout both in the console and in X.
Keyboard in the Console
Keyboard layout is first set during the installation process where you're asked to choose a relevant keyboard map. This setting only applies to the console before you start the X server (GUI).
It can be changed in /etc/rc.d/rc.keymap
#!/bin/sh # Load the keyboard map. More maps are in /usr/share/kbd/keymaps. if [ -x /usr/bin/loadkeys ]; then /usr/bin/loadkeys uk.map fi
As you can see above, I use the UK layout. More keyboard layouts can be found in the directory mentioned above.
will not be created. If, at a later stage, you need to change it, you will need to create that file, copy the above code and choose one of the keymaps available in the /usr/share/kdb/keymaps/
Keyboard Layout in X
Setting up a keyboard layout for X can be done in 2 ways: system-wide (regardless of your desktop environment or user) or on a desktop environment / window manager level.
Setting the Layout System-wide
Slackware 13.0 and 13.1
In Slackware 13.0 and 13.1 hal
was responsible for keyboard mapping:
Copy the relevant .fdi
file to /etc/hal/fdi/policy/
cp /usr/share/hal/fdi/policy/10osvendor/10-keymap.fdi /etc/hal/fdi/policy/
Edit the file:
vim /etc/hal/fdi/policy/10.keymap.fdi
Replacing us
with a keymap of your choice (in my case it is gb
<merge key="input.xkb.layout" type="string">us</merge>
<merge key="input.xkb.layout" type="string">gb</merge>
Slackware 13.37 and 14
From Slackware 13.37 on, udev
has taken over keyboard mapping functions and the procedure has changed as well:
cp /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/90-keyboard-layout.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/
Edit the 90-keyboard-layout.conf
file specifying the layout (eg. gb
vim /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/90-keyboard-layout.conf
Section "InputClass" Identifier "keyboard-all" MatchIsKeyboard "on" MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*" Driver "evdev" Option "XkbLayout" "gb" #Option "XkbVariant" "" Option "XkbOptions" "terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp" EndSection
You also need to restart X for the change to take effect.
Slackware 15.0
From Slackware 15.0 on, since libinput
can be used as well, there's two files you can edit:
cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/90-keyboard-layout-evdev.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/
cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/91-keyboard-layout-libinput.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/
Edit these files specifying the layout (eg. gb
nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/90-keyboard-layout-evdev.conf
Section "InputClass" Identifier "keyboard-all" MatchIsKeyboard "on" MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*" Driver "evdev" Option "XkbLayout" "gb" #Option "XkbVariant" "" Option "XkbOptions" "terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp" EndSection
And same with:
nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/91-keyboard-layout-libinput.conf
You also need to restart X for the change to take effect.
Setting the Layout in Particular Desktop Environments / Window Managers
Some environments by default include GUI tools to set the keyboard layout while others require tweaking the startup files and a manual use of the setxkbmap
command. You can use this command at any time if you want to change the keyboard layout in X. You might need to restart certain applications for the changes to take effect.
This, for example, would switch your keyboard layout to Polish:
setxkbmap pl
Below are some ways of changing keyboard layouts within particular desktop environments or window managers.


text:
- Home
- Government
- Departments
- Fire
- Code Enforcement & Permits
Code Enforcement & Permits
Fire Marshal's Office
The Fire Marshal's Office offers a wide array of services, including code enforcement for businesses through inspections and plans review, coordination of hydrant maintenance, and pre-incident surveys of businesses; fire cause investigations; and a variety of fire prevention and life safety programs.
The fire marshals enforce the 2015 Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code throughout the City of Danville. This code utilizes the 2015 International Fire Code to set mandatory standards for all occupancies, except one- and two- family dwellings. These standards are designed to reduce the danger of fires, explosions, or other life safety hazards.
One of the primary jobs of the fire marshals is to ensure code compliance by reviewing plans of proposed new construction or modifications to existing buildings. This includes the inspection of the building during construction or modification to witness that the proper fire protection measures are installed.
Basic information on the codes, policies, and requirements of the City of Danville Fire Marshal's Office may be found in the Danville Code Compliance Manual (PDF). The information provided in the manual represents the current minimum requirements of the Fire Marshal's Office on new construction of buildings, installation and modification of fire protection systems, and other fire prevention related issues.
The Danville Fire Department charges for issuing permits, conducting inspections, plan reviews, witnessing tank removals and installations, responding to false alarm calls, and other activities as listed on our Fee Schedule (PDF).
The Danville Fire Department issues the following permits. The requirements are indicated on the permit application:
- Open Burning Permit Application
- Blasting Permit Application
- Fire Protection Permit Application
- Fireworks Display Permit Application
- Fumigation Permit Application
- Tank Removal / Installation / Abandonment Permit Application
All requests must be scheduled with the Fire Marshal's Office by email or by calling 434-799-5226.
Fire investigations fall under the direction of the fire marshal. A joint investigation with the Danville Police Department is utilized for crimes of arson.
Contact Us
Shelby J. Irving
Fire Marshal
Richard N. Guill Jr.
Assistant Fire Marshal
Fire Marshal's Office
Email Fire Marshal's Office
600 Lynn Street
Danville, VA 24541
Phone: 434-799-5226
Fax: 434-797-8943
Monday through Friday
8 am to 5 pm
FOIA Request


text:
After 39 fantastic months providing daily news nuggets on Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Hasbro, Mattel, DC Direct, LEGO and more, I regret to inform everyone that this will be the last news post here at Han's Hideout. It has been a wonderful ride, but a number of personal factors have recently conspired to bring an end to this toy and collectibles fansite.
Let me take this moment to offer a hearty Thank You to all those who have read and supported Han's Hideout throughout the past 3+ years! I hope you enjoyed the time you spent here.
If you'd like to continue to read what I have to say about the latest Star Wars toys and collectibles, head on over to JediDefender.com, where I will be returning full-time to my former position as webmaster and news reporter.


text:
This Course
Home Page
About This Course
Course Outline
How It Works
Course Facilitators
Your Privacy
Contact Us
Your Account
Manage Account
About OpenID
Join a Backchannel Chat
Read Discussion Threads
Read Daily Newsletter
Newsletter Archives
Browse Blog Posts
Add a New Blog Feed
View List of Blogs
Listen to Recordings
Announcements RSS
Blog Posts RSS
OPML List of Feeds
Week 1: Connectivism?
Week 2: Patterns
Week 3: Knowledge
Week 4: Unique?
Week 5: Groups, Networks
Week 6: PLENK
Week 7: Adaptive Systems
Week 8: Power & Authority
Week 9: Openness
Week 10: Net Pedagogy
Week 11: Research & Analytics
Week 12: Changing views
You are not logged in. [Login] [Register]
Welcome to CCK11
Connectivism and Connective Knowledge is an open online course that over 12 weeks explores the concepts of connectivism and connective knowledge and explore their application as a framework for theories of teaching and learning. Participation is open to everyone and there are no fees or subscriptions required.
The course will outline a connectivist understanding of educational systems of the future. It will help participants make sense of the transformative impact of technology in teaching and learning over the last decade. The voices calling for reform do so from many perspectives, with some suggesting 'new learners' require different learning models, others suggesting reform is needed due to globalization and increased competition, and still others suggesting technology is the salvation for the shortfalls evident in the system today. While each of these views tell us about the need for change, they overlook the primary reasons why change is required.
For a quick introduction to connectivist courses and how they work, please view the videos below.
- Success in a MOOC
- Knowledge in a MOOC
On this site we will be providing information about moocs and listings
of available moocs. Watch this page for announcements regarding upcoming


text:
Sweetheart Table Runner Tutorial - Happy New Year!
January 12, 2013
Happy New Year to you! As the old saying goes, "time flies when you're having fun". I can't believe it's already the new year. I'm looking forward to all the things I have planned for this year and hope you are along for the ride!
Do you do the New Years Resolution thing? I used to come up with very specific, grandious resolutions that usually fizzled by March, well some by February. Ha! But this year instead of specific resolutions and plans to lose weight and eat better (which I'm going to try to do) I'm also going to try and live a little more in the moment, laugh a little more- whether it's just laughing at myself or laughing with others. Take my work and goals seriously, but not take myself too seriously. Try to spend less of my limited time worrying and more of it laughing and smiling. I've also started a Gratitude Jar. Mine is actually a gratitude make-up bag because I am using an old make-up bag I've had for years. That way I can throw it in my purse and take it with me. I'm not going to force myself to write something down everyday, even though that wouldn't be the worst idea in the world. Instead, I am going to try to make note of things I am grateful for both big and small when the moment strikes. (You reading this is something I am grateful for!)
I've got a new Valentines Day tutorial in the post. It's a sweet table runner to add some love to your home for not only Valentines Day but all year! It was inspired by the tried and true Valentines Candy Hearts we see every year.
There has been alot of action here in the sewing studio with 11 new patterns in the process of being tested right now, and some great projects for a few magazines. I can't wait to get them done and ready to show you! We've also taken some time to plan out some great things we'll be doing on our blog. We've got a new editorial calendar for ourselves to keep all of our new blog ideas organized and ready. You can expect to see much more from us throughout 2013 and hopefully beyond. :-)
Here is the tutorial for the Sweetheart Table Runner-- I hope you enjoy it!
Fabric Requirements: (Based on fabric with a width of 42" of useable fabric) Finished Size: 21" x 49". Use a 1/4" seam for all piecing.
Neutral Fabric:
7/8 yd
Colored Fabric:
3, 7" squares
4, 4" squares
60, 2.5" squares
(great way to use up leftover layer cake squares, charm pack squares, and pre-cut 2.5" strip scraps)
3/8 yard
1 yard
24" x 52"
Cutting Neutral Fabric:
1. Begin by cutting 4, 4.5" x WOF (Width of Fabric) strips from your neutral fabric. First, cut 2 strips into 4.5" x 40.5" units (top and bottom borders). Then with the remaining 2 strips cut 4, 4.5" squares (small heart backgrounds) and 2, 4.5" x 12.5" units (side borders). Now cut a 8.5" x WOF strip. From this strip cut 3, 8.5" squares (large heart backgrounds) and then with the remaining part of the strip cut 2, 2.5" x 12.5" units (sashing between blocks).
For the hearts use whichever applique method you prefer. For myself I didn't fuse or stabilize anything. After tracing and cutting out the large hearts from the 7" colored squares and the small hearts from the 4" colored squares I just used a dab a glue from a glue stick in the middle of the heart and slowly stitched around the edge with a standard zig-zag stitch. This may not be the preferred method by most people but for this project I'm happy with the results. The most important thing to remember if you don't stabilize or fuse your fabric is to stitch slowly around your hearts to keep everything flat and not to create any puckers. But...before we get to the stitching we need to align our hearts on our background fabric.
Take your 8.5" neutral fabric squares and make 2 folds to create a center intersection. First fold the square in half to create a horizontal fold and finger press the fold. Next, while the square is folded, fold again in half to create a vertical fold and finger press.
Next you'll want to do the same type of thing with your hearts. First fold the bottom or the point of the heart up, so the tip is even with the top of the 2 curves and finger press the crease.
Next, unfold the heart to fold it in half to create a vertical crease and finger press.
Now you will have a intersection of creases on both the background squares and hearts. To keep the spacing even, simply match up the crease intersection on the hearts with the crease intersections on the background squares. I put a very small dab of glue from my glue stick right in the middle and then zig-zagged slowly around the heart. I would recommend stitching the hearts with your needle in the needle down position for easy pivoting. Also, if you use the glue stick method make sure you don't put any glue around the edges or where your needle will go in. If your needle goes through the glue you could have a big gluey mess in your bobbin case.
For the small hearts makes the same folds and creases on both the hearts and background fabric but rotate the heart as shown in the picture below.
Next, divide your 2.5" squares into 6 groups of 4 squares each and 6 groups of 6 squares each. Sew the squares together in each group, pressing seams all the same direction. Now sew a 4 square unit to the top and bottom of each large heart block. Press the seams towards the middle. Then stitch a 6 square unit to each side and press towards the center.
Your finished blocks should measure 12.5" x 12.5".
Next, sew a 2.5" x 12.5" neutral fabric unit between the blocks and press towards the neutral fabric. Proof your runner, it should measure 12.5" x 40.5".
Now, sew on your 4.5" x 40.5" top and bottom border and press towards the border.
Decide on the placement of the 4 corner hearts and sew one to the top and bottom of your 4.5" x 12.5" units. Press away from the 4.5" square.
Now, sew the side borders with the corner hearts to each side. Press away from the center.
Layer your heart filled runner, batting, and backing. Quilt, bind and Enjoy! The Kona Cotton colors are used are Medium Pink, Banana, Lavender, Mango, Honeydew, and Ice Frappe.
I put together a few other color options for this runner. Other than my inspiration from the retro colors of the candy hearts I also like the idea of raiding your red/magenta/purple scraps and making a runner with those bright tones.
Or, you could keep it bright with rich, jewel tones.
We always LOVE comments here on the blog! We would also love to see a picture of your runner! Follow us on facebook and share a picture with us, or follow us on twitter and share a picture there.
Thanks for stopping by & Happy New Year to you!
Happy Quilting!
Download Valentine Sweatheart Runner Hearts