text:
Hoping to play The Witcher 3 towards the end of the year? Unfortunately, you'll have to wait just a few more months as The Witcher 3 has been delayed to early 2015.
Developer CD PROJEKT have announced the news on the delay of this beautiful looking and impressive game's website in an open letter giving reasons such as polish and perfecting the massive open-world game and gameplay. Here's the letter if you're keen on finding more in depth information for their reasons:
Ever since we started working on the third installment in The Witcher franchise, it has been our aim to produce a title that would take our 11 years of experience in creating RPGS and distill them into a quintessence, into a game that would effectively crown those years. At the same time, we have wanted The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to expand creative boundaries, set new benchmarks, develop the genre as a whole. Ultimately, you, the players, must get an unforgettable adventure to experience in a vast, open world – and that's most important. We've created a story that flows naturally, cinematically, rendered it in amazing sound and visuals, while preserving full freedom of choice – all for you. We knew this to be an ambitious plan, but believed we could achieve it by bringing together our team with its creative energies and current gaming platforms with their technical capabilities. A project this vast and complex would inevitably require special care in its final stages, manual fine-tuning of many details, thorough testing time and again.
We recently reexamined what we had achieved thus far, and faced a choice about the game's final release date. The decision we made was difficult, thoroughly considered, and ultimately clear and obvious. We could have released the game towards the end of this year as we had initially planned. Yet we concluded that a few additional months will let us achieve the quality that will satisfy us, the quality gamers expect from us. Consequently, we have set the release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for February 2015.
Dear gamers - we know many of you would have liked to play The Witcher 3 sooner, as soon as possible, even. We're sorry to make you wait longer than you, or we, initially assumed you would. At the same time, we believe the game will prove to be worth the wait and meet the expectations you have of us. We believe The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be an exceptional RPG, one of the best, providing many hours of wonderful entertainment.
Dear shareholders – we are aware of the responsibility that rests with us and thank you for the trust you have granted us thus far. We firmly believe that quality – more than any other factor – determines a game's success, and that the decision we have made is thus equally valid in business terms.
The Board of CD PROJEKT SA
Although many gamers may be upset, often times additional development time often leads to a more put together project. At this point into development, CD PROJEKT has identified a problem and are putting in time to fix it. That's a good thing. All good things come to those who wait.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is now scheduled to release in February 2015. What do you think of the delay? Let us know below.


text:
To join the Army's Old Guard, Iraq war veteran learns to sweat the small stuff
Sunday, May 30, 2010
They are crazy about creases in the Old Guard, which is why it takes Army Sgt. Nicholas Pata more than an hour to press his uniform the night before inspection.
They are obsessive about loose threads, too, which is why Pata burns them off with a lighter. Next, he polishes his shoes and brass. Then out comes the lint brush, because a speck of lint, like a scuffed shoe or a medal more than one-sixteenth of an inch out of place, could cause him to fail, even to be sent back for an extra week of maniacally repetitive training.
Pata, who is 27 and looks every bit the model soldier, does not want to fail. He wants to join the Old Guard, the most obsessive-compulsive unit in the Army. Pata has survived a harrowing 15-month tour in Iraq. He spent the week after 9/11 digging for bodies in the rubble of Ground Zero. On nights and weekends, he volunteers with the Prince George's County fire department. But it's not yet clear that he has what it takes to make it in the precision unit that performs funerals at Arlington National Cemetery and guards the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Headquartered at Fort Myer in Arlington County, the Old Guard, the Army's oldest active-duty infantry unit, escorts the president and serves at inaugurations and state dinners. Each Memorial Day weekend, it helps plant thousands of flags at Arlington, and once again the unit becomes the public face of the military -- a stoic symbol of a nation's resolve, perfect to within a sixteenth of an inch.
That ceremonial, iconic role makes it essential for Old Guard leaders to choose their soldiers carefully. Members of the unit must be at least 5-foot-10, physically fit and able to stand for hours at a time without so much as flinching. They have to master choreographed steps and marches and put together a flawless uniform, all of which they learn during an intensive three-week Regimental Indoctrination Program, which, as Pata is discovering, is unlike anything else in the Army.
Here, a ruler is almost as important as a rifle. Everything must be in its place -- medals half an inch above the breast pocket, U.S. insignia one inch from the lapel edge, buckle two inches from the belt loop. Nothing in the constellation of the many decorations on Pata's uniform may be outside a one-sixteenth-of-an-inch margin of error -- two tiny tick marks on the inspector's ruler, about the width of this o. Anything more and Pata gets what the Old Guard calls a gig. Three gigs and you fail.
Inspection time looms. A fellow soldier helps Pata fix his belt tight, clips one last derelict thread, and then, like a designer prepping a model for the runway, checks the soldier's shoes, soles, hair, hat, rifle, belt, gloves, cuffs, medals.
That's when they notice the stain. Two tiny blue inklike dots in the white stripe of his Iraqi Campaign medal, invisible from more than a few feet away.
"Uh-oh," Pata says. "That could be a problem."
* * *
Why does it matter that his tie always be knotted in a double Windsor? So what if his medals are slightly off-center? Who cares if his hair grows longer than two inches?
Pata knows from real combat experience that those are not the measurements that matter. In the military and in life, the most important metrics are the ones you can't control. The mortar that lands 100 feet away instead of 10. The bullet that hits the thigh but misses the artery. His Iraq was a series of near-misses, bullets whistling by, inches away. Pata returned home last year without a scratch. He was lucky. His friend Sgt. Jon Michael Schoolcraft, killed when a bomb went off next to his Humvee, was not.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I know, a few sustainability advocates can already feel their hair raising from that headline. But consider this article by Nicholas Day at Yale's Environment 360.
He makes the point that I've been hoping to make for some time. That is, "it is far easier to improve fisheries management by involving a few dozen companies and conservation groups than by targeting millions of shoppers in consumer campaigns."
Consumer campaigns help, but they are costly to wage and hard to get people aboard. Now, that doesn't mean they should be avoided but rather seen as part of a larger campaign of putting pressure on companies and coming up with solutions, like sustainable seafood.
"It's true there's a limit—the ocean is not infinite," says Powell. "But we could have as much sustainable seafood as we have total seafood right now."
Hummm... Mark's a friend of mine, but I wonder. It might require making mackerel and sardines into a delicacy. Chefs, get busy.


text:
Soho 11.nov.05
Worked with Lisa at Savage tonight. She looked even more beautiful than usual. Her hair was tied in a knot, she wore a knee-lenght skirt, and a cardigan with only one button right over her cleavage. The perfume she wears makes me dizzy and her lips make me wanna kiss her. After tonight, dear diary, I´m wondering if I am in love with her or just in lust ?!? I am about to turn 21 now, and the only reason I´m not still a virgin is my half-cousin Neda and her experimentation with drugs. I was practically her slave for the 3 months I lived with her in Brighton. I still have mixed feelings for her. She´s pretty for her age (41) though... I walked Lisa home after work and when we split she gave me a hug. That was only half an hour ago so the smell of her is still on me. Christine is already asleep and there is no sign of Large Clive. Thank God for that !
Designer, koder og skriver. Tar oppvasken for å vaske opp.


text:
Email has been sent to you , please check your spam/junk emails if you are unable to find the email.
Due to some internal error, the mail has not been sent.
Permanent KeySafe holds up to five keys and attaches securely to any wall or flat surface with mounting hardware included. The StrongBox design has a solid track record for unmatched quality and security.
When separate keys are needed in order to enter several different areas, the large storage capacity of KeySafe™ Permanent, from Kidde's AccessPoint™ line, lets you store them all in one location with an easy-to-use access code. KeySafe Permanent holds several keys and is large enough to hold key cards for access control systems. Keys can be attached to the lid for convenient one-handed operations.
Convenient key storage for many different users
Central placement for several secured areas
Quick entry for staff and employees.


text: "Tissue of DIE and SE appears to have similar stem cell-related genes. Nevertheless, there are differences in gene expression between SE and DIE." So the stem cells of superficial and deep infiltrating endometriosis are similar but the gene expression is different. So what causes the deep infiltrating to be expressed differently? Hormonal influence? Diet? Toxins? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26426155


text: Harrods, a popular high-end retailer in the UK recently showcased a 24-karat gold-plated Xbox One, if your pocket is deep and have the £6,000 (~$9,774 USD). We are not sure if the consol includes a golden Kinect and golden controller but for that price we hope so. The 24-karat gold-plated Xbox One is identical to the regular edition which eight-core CPU made by AMD and features a 500GB hard drive, 8 GB of RAM and BLU-ray drive.


text:
James "Magaska" Swan
I'm a Native American Activist! (I try my best anyway) My father "Orlando Swan 4/4" from Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe,"Whitehorse, S.D." where we are both enrolled members.
My mother " Dorothy (Marshall) Stewart 1/2" from Rosebud Sioux Tribe "Spring Creek"(enrolled member). We moved to the (High-Point, projects) in Seattle Washington after the 1972 Flood we were living in Lakota Homes at that time.
After Graduation from an all Indian High School "Indian Heritage High School" in 1979, I went into the Service "Navy" (Aviation survival equipment technician) and spent most of my time over seas (3-years).Traveling from country to country mostly in the pacific region & spending a couple months off the coast of Iran. When I got out of the Service, I have to admit I received a "Bad conduct discharge" do to my lack of conformity to the rules and regs of the military, I was accused of being mischievous ... LOL. I did get an up grade to Honorable after two years tho...
I came back to Seattle went University of Washington I received a bachelors degree in mechanical Engineering, then worked in a Steel Mill as a Journeymen "Millwright" Mechanic, for 10-years. Then in 1992 I move back home to South Dakota (Never to Leave Again)...LOL. I have been a Fancy Dancer since I was 15-years old. I danced in the opening Ceremonies of the 1990 "Goodwill Games" in Seattle Washington, with "North American Dance theater". I was working on going Traditional (Getting old) but decided to advocate for Native rights. I Sun dance and have for a bunch of years since 1996 (still dancing) and I have supported, local Native Activist groups and other Native Organizations for about 20-years here in Rapid City South Dakota and about 15-years in Seattle (with the "Leonard Peltier" Defense committee for about 3-years) back in the Mid-Late 70's. I am a life supporter of A.I.M. (American Indian Movement) My uncles and Family members have always either been in or supported A.I.M. Its in our blood...LOL.
I started "United Urban Warrior Society" in 2010 and have been active in the group since. I have two daughters Tabitha & Quanah & three Grand children. Aside from a 40-hour week job as a Industrial/Fleet mechanic "got to pay my bills" I spend most of my free time on the computer managing & promoting U.U.W.S. and doing research on the net..I am active in my spirituality. On a real personal note I stopped smoking cigarettes about 4-years ago, stopped drinking 2-years ago..never had an drinking issue was just a beer drinker a few shots now and then..lol..Never used drugs accept a little weed back then ...been about three years since I did that...I currently have a class A CDL..that helped me stay straight over the years...lol. I set it down and simply just walked away and never looked back...I am by no means a perfect person and I know there is allot of haters out there, but I'm doing the best I can. I have no regrets and I thank Tunkasila for the strength to do this and I will continue doing what I am doing until the end.....
James Swan
Copyright © 2012 "United Urban Warrior Society"


text:
File size: 1 Kb
To use this program, you will create your own word lists, and go over them periodically. Eventually, you will see that you know some of the words that you studied previously. Then you will create more word lists, and keep on learning them. This program makes it fun and easy to review grammar and other vocabulary in your free time. It is a study aid, and you will see that it is helpful. The point is that you are going to go over key vocabulary. And that is the idea with learning. You would keep the program on your computer and check on it when you have time. I guess it's possible to go without it, but here is a way to make it more interesting. You can study different aspect of grammar, or vocabulary. It is in fact possible to study declensions, and conjugations, in various Romance languages. These are English, Spanish, German, Italian, or French. To do that you would put in the information that you think is critical to be studied, right in the definition. And you will get an exposure to it over a time period. If you are looking to study English, you can import English SAT, GRE, or Synonyms word lists in the program. For Spanish, you can plug in the rules that you want to study, such exceptions to irregular verbs (e.g. where root changes in present indicative and present subjunctive, or where you see go and co kind of endings, or exceptions to past finished tense). You can study German, little by little the same manner. By putting in the rules that you want to know. For example variations of declensions. Possible variations of prefixes and endings for verbs. Prepositions, and pronouns, as well as just simple vocabulary. Any extra information that you would put in definitions will be memorized along with the word. This program is a good way to start learning a language from very start. It exposes you to selected concepts, as a result of which you learn what you want. You will not regret spending your time on this software. It is another way to learn languages.word games software, languages software, foreign software, English software, German software, French software


text:
Ventures Advertising is hiring a Visualizer! Experience – 3 years Job Description – To approach your project briefs with an...Apply For This Job
Social Samosa is hiring for a Graphic Designer. We are looking for young adults who have a soft spot for...Apply For This Job
Social Panga is looking for a Senior Graphic Designer Location – Bangalore Experience – 3+ years Job Description: Must Have...Apply For This Job


text:
Job description
Work Type: Faculty-Full Time
Department: SOHE/GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
Location: Madison
Categories: Instructional, Research, Scientific
Employment Class: Faculty
Position Vacancy ID: 96240-FA
Working Title: Civil Society and Community Studies Open Rank Faculty
Official Title: PROFESSOR(C20NN) or ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR(C30NN) or ASSISTANT PROFESSOR(C40NN)
Anticipated Begin Date: AUGUST 19, 2019
Term: N/A
Advertised Salary:
ACADEMIC (9 months)
Degree and Area of Specialization:
Ph.D. with a specialization directly related to civil society and community studies. This can include fields such as community and leadership development, civil society and community research, human development, community psychology, public policy and administration, social ecology, community sociology, public health, or nonprofit studies.
Minimum number of years and type of relevant work experience:
Minimum Required Qualifications:
-- Minimum three years of post-doctoral or assistant professor level experience.
-- A strong record of research and publication experience in areas related to one?s specialization, and at a level appropriate for the rank being applied for (assistant, associate, or full).
-- The successful candidate will have a demonstrated record of scholarship, proven record or potential for extramural grant support, and teaching proficiency that meets the criteria and rank at UW-Madison
-- Appointment at the tenured level requires evidence of excellence in scholarly research, teaching and service and requires review by the university?s tenure committee.
-- Ability to work effectively within a diverse community
-- Demonstrated commitment to creating an inclusive work environment
Preferred Qualifications:
-- Tenured associate or full professor candidates with commensurate experience and scholarly credentials for appointment with tenure at UW-Madison.
License or certificate:
Position Summary:
The Department of Civil Society and Community Studies, (School of Human Ecology) invites applications for a tenure track faculty position, open to all ranks. We seek a candidate with expertise in community-engaged scholarship and substantive interests in civil society and community studies. The specific research area is open and may include a focus on community leadership, action research, youth, civic development, community psychology, empowerment, community organizing, and/or health equity. The position requires scholarship, teaching, and service in a department serving undergraduate and graduate students. Other desirable attributes include strong research methods, oral and written communications skills and the ability to interact with an interdisciplinary and collaborative intellectual community.
This is a nine-month, tenure or tenure track faculty appointment in the Department of Civil Society and Community Studies, School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the successful candidate will:
-- Maintain a productive program of research excellence.
-- Seek and secure funding to support research program.
-- Teach graduate and undergraduate courses (2:2 load) and contribute to program development.
-- Supervise student research and provide high quality academic mentoring for graduate students.
-- Participate in shared governance and other departmental, university and professional service activities as appropriate for career stage.
-- Participate and contribute to the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies.
-- Promote respect and the practice of civility and inclusiveness in the workplace
Additional Information:
CIVIL SOCIETY AND COMMUNITY STUDIES: The mission of the Department of Civil Society and Community Studies in to contribute to knowledge about human behavior that is embedded in community organizations, both formal and informal. In partnership with community groups, schools, and coalitions, we seek to understand the ways in which people come together to effect policy and programmatic change in their communities. The Department is home to a Ph.D. program in Civil Society & Community Research and an undergraduate major in Community & Nonprofit Leadership. It is also the administrative home for the campus-wide Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies.
Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies: The mission of the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies is to build capacity and knowledge in community and nonprofit studies through the integration of action and applied research, education, outreach and engagement.
SCHOOL OF HUMAN ECOLOGY: The mission of the School of Human Ecology is to understand the complex relationships and interdependence among individuals, groups and families, and to focus on quality-of-life issues through research, creative innovation, education, and outreach. The School has four academic departments (Civil Society and Community Studies, Consumer Science, Design Studies, and Human Development & Family Studies) with a collective undergraduate enrollment of 1,200 students, and 100 graduate students. Faculty members in the School of Human Ecology often affiliate with centers and programs including the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies, the Center for Demography and Ecology, the Center for Child and Family Well-Being, the Center for Financial Security, the Institute on Aging, the Institute for Research on Poverty, the LaFollette School of Public Affairs, and the Center for Research on Women and Gender. See http://sohe.wisc.edu
UW-MADISON: The University of Wisconsin-Madison has a strong reputation as a research university and for producing research that improves people's lives. The University consistently ranks among the top 6 institutions in national research expenditures. In 2015, the University received a community engagement award from the Carnegie Foundation for its commitment to deeply engaging with local, regional, national, and global communities. It is a land-grant institution with an enrollment of about 43,000 students. The University provides excellent technology and library resources. Madison (pop. 243,000) is the state capital and combines the culture of a large urban area with the comfort of a small city. See http://wisc.edu
Cynthia Jasper
[email protected]
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1 (out-of-state: TTY: 800.947.3529, STS: 800.833.7637) and above Phone number (See RELAY_SERVICE for further information. )
Instructions to applicants:
Please upload a current CV, a detailed cover letter addressing your relevant background for and interest in the position and one academic writing sample. In addition, you will be asked to provide the names and contact information of three references willing to be contacted later for letters of recommendation within the application process. Academic transcripts may be requested from finalists. The deadline for assuring full consideration is November 12, 2018, however the position will remain open and applications may be considered until the position is filled.
Additional Link: Full Position Details
The University of Wisconsin is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.
The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.
Advertised: Oct 5 2018 Central Daylight Time


text:
TWANG is a country western band from Fond du Lac. Les Commo does vocals and the rhythm guitar. Beezer Ferguson does vocals and lead guitar. Bill Ferguson plays the bass guitar. Gary Weisner does vocals and drums. Tyler Commo does vocals and acoustic guitar. Sunny Day plays the steel guitar and fiddle.
Date: July 12, 2018
Event Times: 7:00 pm
Ticket Information: Free
URL: https://www.thelmaarts.org/event/twang-11-thursdays-of-summer/
Location of this event
Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts
51 Sheboygan St
Fond du Lac, WI 54935
Phone: 920-921-5410
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Web site: www.thelmaarts.org


text:
RipRap LLC is dedicated to rejuvenating historic buildings and repurposing them as mixed-use creative spaces. RipRap LLC opened in March 2015 and marks the beginning of Thomas Burr Dodd and his wife Pearl Son-Dodd's journey into Newburgh, NY after two decades of successfully running their company in Brooklyn, NY; Brooklyn Fire Proof.
RipRap is set to build and market spaces that can operate as studio, exhibition space, office, meeting room or a combination of all of the above. The Hudson Valley already has an artist and entrepreneur population that just needs the infrastructure and some assistance kickstarting their projects. Artists, artisans and small business owners in New York City have faced losing battles for decades to retain their creative spaces in the city, and many are ready to seek opportunities outside of the five boroughs. We need to encourage and promote the micro-manufacturers and makers who can fill the void left by the larger industries that have disappeared from Newburgh and the U.S. as a whole.
The Dodds do not want to promote a rapid gentrification of the region that displaces locals. They like Newburgh just as it is now. There is an energy to this beautiful city that Thomas and Pearl recognized immediately. They want to provide mentorship and renewal to Newburgh to raise it up without destroying its unique character. By instilling enthusiasm, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and a DIY attitude, the Dodds feel that they will help to create jobs and opportunities for new and existing residents. Thomas and Pearl are extremely excited to restore stunning buildings and explore Newburgh's rich and deep history. This city needs to be preserved so future generations can be reminded of the "can-do" spirit this country was founded on.
Thomas Burwell Dodd, "Burr"
Thomas was born in Connecticut and raised there and in Colorado. He graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in photography, having developed a deep love of abstract art and old buildings. When he moved to New York City in the early 90s, Thomas was confronted with a cold, exclusive art world which at the time was migrating from Soho to Chelsea. Longing for a more open, accepting and experimental environment, Thomas started his gallery Brooklyn Fire Proof in Williamsburg as a place to showcase artwork he loved, much of which was outside of what established galleries deemed salable and would not show. When he moved the business to Bushwick, it was with the intention of creating jobs and building a community so that makers of all kinds and persuasions could survive and thrive.
After a seven-year-hiatus dedicated to building Brooklyn Fire Proof, Thomas Burr Dodd has returned to his own art-making practice, and is fully aware of the difficulty of balancing creation and the requirements of paying bills. As an insider to the art world, rather than an outside developer, Thomas has earned trust from his community in Bushwick and East Williamsburg, and is now determined to help others survive and prosper in this challenging economic environment. BFP is both a victim and a beneficiary of gentrification, and Thomas has been actively searching for possible solutions to maintain the integrity of the creative incubators that have made New York City the center of the artistic galaxy.
Pearl Son-Dodd
Pearl considers herself to be a New York City native even though she was born and raised in a small suburban town in Connecticut. Her parents immigrated from Korea to become doctors of medicine, but they greatly appreciated art and culture and they raised their eight children with a love for the arts as well. Throughout her childhood, Pearl's parents planned trips into New York City; to museum shows, Broadway openings, performances at Lincoln Center, often followed by late night dinners in Chinatown. Her family outings and the city itself deeply inspired her. After completing her BA at Cornell University, she came to New York to pursue a second degree in fashion design at Parsons School of Design.
Fashion became her life, but after 9/11 and a decade-long career working for Ralph Lauren, she was looking for a change. She took her first subway ride out to Brooklyn one night with a friend who introduced her to Thomas Dodd. Her life changed soon after. At first she volunteered at Thomas' art gallery Brooklyn Fire Proof in Williamsburg while still moonlighting in fashion. Nine years later, Pearl and Thomas moved the company to Bushwick and expanded, working together in every step as a couple and a tag-team. Shortly after that, they started a family and are now raising their two children while running Brooklyn Fire Proof. Pearl and Thomas have settled into a wonderful community in Brooklyn, which continues to be their home base today.
The name of the company was inspired by the diverse blend of broken stones piled up to protect the edges of the Hudson river, called "riprap." The strength in this type of fortification is that its diversification allows the forces of water and ice to flow through it and bend around it, rather than trying to keep them out.
The Dodds want to build a similarly strong foundation that also works with the forces around it. Newburgh needs assistance, and they feel that the strongest foundation for a bright, creative, evolving future is by using the diverse parts, history and talent that already exist in the city.


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When we deliver a product to our clients they know that it will be consistently made to the highest quality.
Each and every item must look and feel like an ultra-premium product not only looking fantastic, but also achieving all the technical aspects required to meet the global market.


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This topic indicates a method for canceling letters after an
account is settled.
- Experience using Transaction Types and Contact Plans
If a payment has been made, you can cancel letters scheduled
to be sent to this Debtor. You can automate the processing of
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A Contact Plan indicating a SIF (Settled in Full) or a PIF (Paid in Full)
can be created to contain an new letter event which, when called,
indicates that all previously scheduled events of the same (letter)
type be deleted. Or, if the account is automatically closed, the letter
simply won't print.
Collect! does not print letters to closed accounts in your daily batch.
- Batch Processing
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Obstacles in my current plaintext productivity
I have used plain text productivity for quite some time via Taskpaper format and associated apps. I like the low-level format for longevity and portability. I also enjoy the blank canvas of a plain text document rather than trying to bend to the vision of an app developer (I favor a GTD hybrid).
I'm running into trouble with my productivity lately in some key areas:
- Difficulty bringing inboxes to the Taskpaper list.
- Difficulty with repeating tasks.
- Desire for calendar and tasks to be unified in some sort of view.
- Low utilization of Notification Center and Watch which are compelling developments.
I've long thought the app model on iOS had a weakness of creating "app buckets" which fragmented some information. In the instance of productivity, habits, tasks, and calendar are difficult to unify. Some apps try but none have done it well. Notification Center and watch are a sort of unification of these separate app buckets. Using these, one can select the best available app for each theme and bring them together.
What to do?
Taskpaper format
Scripts are available that add emails to a Taskpaper list and that allow repeats. Taskmator can send a timed alert to Apple Watch and to Notification Center. Alerts are not possible on Mac (although Taskpaper 3 is in progress - could it bring such functionality?). I have used Geek Tool to put the next few days of appointments on my desktop using iCalbuddy along with tasks from Taskpaper. I tried putting a list of the day's tasks on Notification Center and Apple Watch via TextFlight but this required too much upkeep and items cannot be checked off. I've considered using a modified script (one method) to append the day's appointments to my Taskpaper list. A remaining obstacle is putting the Taskpaper list on Notification Center and the Apple Watch such that it can be manipulated - I'm not aware that this is possible.
An obvious inclusion here, Omnifocus is a high-end app from a quality dev house. I've never jumped in fully but have monitored it closely and bought updates from time to time to foster good development in the community. Omnifocus brings together disparate buckets such as tasks in email, has repeats, has a Calendar view, and utilizes Notification Center and Apple Watch well. I've always thought Omnifocus needs to have deferred items in the Forecast View counts (could be simply implemented as a fraction such as 2/2, 1/5, deferred/due). Also, my personal GTD hybrid philosophy favors multiple tags (contexts) per task to allow high-end filtering and searching. This is not consistent with the Omni view. When I've used Omnifocus in the past I tend to hate not being able to see the full list of tasks easily; I start to dislike having to tap endlessly into and out of screens or pickers to add metadata to tasks (a strentgh of Taskpaper paired with TextExpander); and I go down the rabbit-hole of frequent tinkering with a powerful app. I'm curious at the frequency with which I see Omnifocus users also using Due for reminders which suggests disatisfaction with internal reminders. A weakness of Omnifocus that I don't care about is a lack of collaboration.
A popular app at present with syncing across multiple platforms as well as strong collaboration options. Since I care about neither, Todoist looks to me like a mediocre task app. Really it reminds me of Things or Omnifocus circa 2011. Not interested in paying money for that. It does have Notification Center and Apple Watch presence as well as repeats.
I invested in all versions of Things years ago and used for quite some time with wifi sync. The wedge that dislodged me from it was lack of search on more than one tag. There used to be many scripts for Things (such as to insert emails as tasks) but the dev shut down the repository. Well-known is CulturedCode's exquisitely slow pace of development. Things does not incorporate the calendar. Interestingly, present in the app is a calendar to defer tasks to the future but one cannot see tasks on any date in the future to better select a date for deferral (might as well have a random date generator). Things dose repeats well.
Reminders ecosystem
Siri can now be asked, in iOS 9, to remind of an email. However, this is simply a task with the subject line as the task name and no link back to the original email. Reminders can do repeats fairly well. Some apps, such as Fantastical, Busycal, Calendars 5 bring tasks and apps together. GoodTask and 2Do allow higher level manipulation of the list. I don't really like the UI of either, though. The Reminders app itself is not a joy to use. Reminders can appear on Apple Watch and Notification Center. Sharing is possible via iCloud. This is a consideration for me since my wife does use Reminders extensively.
I know there are other apps/systems out there such as Wunderlist, Asana (insert endless list). I'm stopping here for now arbitrarily becuase I don't currently see any other serious contenders that I personally like. Never fear, though, since I'm the kind of person, often to my detriment, that keeps scanning the possiblilties.
So, what to do? I'm not sure. I really want to continue with Taskpaper format but the lack of presence in Notification Center and Apple Watch is a growing concern. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to contact me. Maybe I'll engage in full-dives into different possibilities of 30 days each. Perhaps I'll post again later regarding my solution.
Additional reading
Makeuseof: Tips for maximizing the Reminders system
Sweet Setup: Omnifocus 2 review
Macstories: Why I left iCloud Reminders for Todoist
Conrad O'Connell: What GTD looks like in 2015
Churchmag: The best task management tools for 2015
Macdrifter: The Taskpaper R&D Notebook
Ruminatr: Still love plain text; Omnifocus still tempts
Ruminatr: Taskmator and Omnifocus
Ruminatr: iCloud Calendar + Taskpaper app concept


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Palin: Are you ready to make America great again?
Sarah Palin is back. Donald Trump isn't one to share the spotlight, but on Tuesday night, he made an exception for the former Alaska governor and John McCain's 2008 vice presidential running mate.
AMES, Iowa (CNN) -- Sarah Palin is back.
Donald Trump isn't one to share the spotlight, but on Tuesday night, he made an exception for the former Alaska governor and John McCain's 2008 vice presidential running mate.
Palin appeared alongside Trump at a raucous campaign rally, following days of speculation about the identity of a "special guest."
In front of thousands of Trump fans, Palin handed Trump his most high-profile endorsement yet, just two weeks out from the Iowa caucuses.
"Heads are spinnin'. Media heads are spinning! This is going to be so much fun!" Palin yelled from the stage. "Are you ready to make America great again?"
Palin's at times disjointed 20-minute speech was filled with Palinisms like "pussy-footin'," "hallelujah" and "you betcha." With Trump looking on from beside her, she hailed the real estate developer as a "compassionate," "refreshing" and "self-made" man who would bring the country back from President Barack Obama's disastrous tenure.
"Looking around at all of you, you hard working Iowa families, you farm families and teachers and teamsters and cops and cooks, you rock and rollers and holy rollers!" Palin said. "You all make the world go around and now our cause is one."
Palin, who has spoken openly since the 2008 campaign of her anger at the treatment she received from the press and Republican Party leaders, appeared to recognize that Tuesday night marked a moment of comeback.
"I was told, 'You're going to get so clobbered in the press, you are just gonna get beat up, chewed up and spit out.' And I'm thinking -- and?" she said. "Like you guys haven't tried to do that everyday since that night in '08 when I was on stage nominated for VP and I got to say, 'Yeah, I'll go, send me, you betcha, I'll serve!' And like you all, I'm still standin'!"
Trump thanked Palin, calling her a "special" and "amazing" person.
"This is a woman that, from Day 1, I said, 'If I ever do this, I have to get her support,' " Trump said.
Palin's surprise appearance added an extra dose of energy to the crowd, many of whom waited hours outside in the snow to see Trump in person.
Jim Handsaker, a farmer from Story City, Iowa, said Trump should choose Palin as his running mate. He complained that the former governor was ill-served by McCain and his campaign.
"We liked her last time. The problem McCain had is that he didn't unleash her, let her do her thing. I think that hurt him bad," Handsaker, said. "I'd like to see her as vice president. Wouldn't you?"
Chris, a 53-year-old banker from Boone, Iowa, who declined to share her last name, said Palin's endorsement helps boost Trump's conservative credentials.
"She's a conservative and I like knowing that she's speaking out on his behalf," she said.
Although Palin's national clout has diminished since her last time on the presidential campaign trail, she remains a popular political icon on the right and her support marks a significant seal of approval as Trump seeks to woo conservative voters. Her backing is particularly meaningful in Iowa, where Palin holds sway with Christian conservatives -- a group Trump is competing for votes against Texas Sen. Ted Cruz ahead of the February 1 caucus.
Palin's endorsement does not come as a total surprise. Trump's political director, Michael Glassner, was a senior aide to Palin in the 2008 campaign. And Palin and Trump have previously exchanged public praise.
Trump said over the summer that he would "love" to have Palin serve in as a Cabinet member in his administration.
"She really is somebody who knows what's happening and she's a special person," Trump had said. "She's really a special person and I think people know that."
But there had also been speculation that Palin may endorse Cruz, whom she has also spoken highly of and endorsed in his 2012 Senate bid.
In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper last month, the ex-governor said her two favorite candidates in the 2016 race were Trump and Cruz.
Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, said Tuesday that it was perhaps "natural" to see Palin throw her support behind a candidate who -- previous to this White House bid -- was best known for being a reality TV host.
"For a lot of reasons, intentional or not, she has become more of a celebrity than a political leader," Perkins said of Palin.
But he also acknowledged that in a race that has become so competitive, every endorsement matters.
The Trump campaign "is playing very serious ball here in Iowa and if this were isolated and one endorsement, that's one thing," Perkins said. "But if you're beginning to see a series of endorsements of people who have notoriety in the political world ... it's a factor."
If there was palpable excitement about Palin's endorsement among Trump fans on Tuesday, the news could irk some leaders on the right who do not view Trump as conservative enough on social issues like women's reproductive issues.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony List, told CNN on Tuesday that she had concerns about Trump floating former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown as a potential vice presidential pick.
"I would ask Sarah Palin to take a look at who Trump has said he might have as his VP. Scott Brown is absolutely unacceptable to the pro-life movement and should be unacceptable to her," Dannenfelser said. "She should not endorse a candidate that would entertain a pro-choice vice president. That's my view."
The-CNN-Wire: By MJ Lee (CNN Politics Reporter)
™ & © 2016 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.


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Row Houses | Pittsburgh PA
Row Houses | Pittsburgh PA
Certified Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Fine Art paper. 220 gsm 100% Cotton Short Grain.
12 x 18 Unframed. Signed.
Limited edition of 10.
Each print is shipped with Crystal Clear Bags™ with resealable adhesive strip. 1.6 mil wall thickness. Acid and lignin free. Contains 10% recycled content. Standard Closure has adhesive strip on flap
Add To Cart
Limited edition: 8 remaining


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Twenty-two-year-old Alessandro Silva knows that returning to tiny Perch Creek to help his foster mother was the right thing to do. With no degree and a delinquent's reputation, he's lucky to have landed a job waiting tables. But not everyone is happy he's back, and the only thing keeping his move home from being a total bust is his boss's hot brother.
Jaime Winters spent most of his life watching the world go by, first from a series of hospitals and then from behind big stacks of textbooks. Studying is easier than facing the fact that years of heart failure means he's still a virgin at twenty-three. Until the new waiter in his sister's diner awakens desires he'd long ago given up on.
The last thing Alessandro wants is to fall for someone as fragile as Jaime. And Jaime may have a new heart, but he's scared of what giving it to another person would mean. Their no-strings-attached, instructional approach to sex keeps emotion safely at bay, until a secret from Alessandro's past forces them to confront their feelings in the present...
Heather's rating:
I always like books with MCs that have some sort of disability or illness. It is like rooting for the underdog for me- I'm always like, "GO YOU!" really loud and annoyingly. I felt like I was doing that for this book. Sweet, virginal, used-to-be-ill Jamie was a character that I could really get behind. I loved seeing that boy start to live, you know?
Former foster child, Alessandro, was a little too earnest for my taste. I think he could have been a little bit grittier. However, his romance with Jamie was adorable. My favorite part of the book was the scene in the club and the one right after. I mean, just smoking hot. I can see a series coming out of this story because a few new characters were introduced that I would love to get to know more.
My least favorite part of the story was the mystery. I don't tend to love mysteries in my romance (I know, strange) and this one felt a little dramatic for my taste. However, I thought that the story was really satisfying overall and a great intro to a new-to-me author.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Expected publication is February 17th: Preorder at Carina Press
Thanks for reading, my friends!! <3


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I want to remind/encourage all able-bodied members to donate a hour of their time on Saturday to help clean up the BCA and Beulah Rd. Amazingly, it is fun!!!!!
It starts at 8:30am at the BCA---EJ Foster will provide safety vests and gloves and trash bags. Lil and Neal always bring goodies too!!!!!!!!


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We provide full service property management, and when we say "Full Service" we mean it! We offer a flat rate management fee that includes all the services that you could hope for and dream of, including taking great care of your investment.
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join us
Founded in 1990, The Cuban Democratic Directorate, "Directorio" is a nongovernmental organization that supports the human rights movement in Cuba. Directorio's aims are to support for freedom, democracy and human rights in Cuba by way of nonviolent civic struggle.Read more
PREnsa - press
political prisoners
Directorio strives to keep a record of political prisoners in Cuba— common citizens who are detained, beaten, and imprisoned for demanding freedom and challenging the regime.
These individuals are peaceful people who are exercising practices universally accepted as human rights (freedom of speech, freedom of expression, etc). This list does not constitute a full account. The details of every prisoner's detainment cannot be reported given the extreme level of oppression that exists in the island. By learning their names and sharing their stories, we are committing to demanding freedom and justice for these political prisoners, along with the countless others whose names we may never know.


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Welcome to the official consolidated portfolio website of Julius A. von Brunk: an talented multimedia artist based out of the New York metro!
In this website, you'll find a collection of various graphics that I've designed both professionally and freelance over the past years. My graphic design talents are very diverse and can include both technical and creative work, as well as for both web and print. Regarding experience, I've been consistently working as a graphic artist for various companies in the New York City region since early 2010. Prior to my migration from Central Pennsylvania, I've done numerous freelance projects for clients on a smaller scale. To see my LEGO creations and miscellaneous works, be sure to check out my personal website baronvonbrunk.com.
My primary professional job tasks have generally included package layout design via Adobe Illustrator, as well as creating virtual and hard-copy mockups of new products for major retailers. I am well-adept with following branding guidelines — such as style guides, logos, company Pantone colors, and retail displays. Package design is specifically my strongest talent, and in the past I've designed multiple consumer goods packaging for a variety of items, including small electronics, cell phone accessories, sporting goods, and promotional giveaways. I've even worked with such licensed brands as Disney, Star Wars, DC, Marvel, Major League Baseball, Jelly Belly, and Duracell. My job history is rather diverse and includes design work for industries such as sports, fashion, electronics, and investment banking.
As a personal hobby, I'm an adult fan of LEGO, and I've created dozens of large and elaborate sculptures with said medium — some of which have gained quite a bit of notoriety, notably my Nintendo-related projects which have been been featured in Nintendo Power and exhibited at Nintendo World Store at Rockefeller Center. One of my most ambitious projects was a large 5-foot replica of an NES controller, which uses thousands of LEGO bricks and is actually wired to function via a homemade electronic circuit.
I'm also an independent photographer with a Nikon D750, a D5200, and a variety of lens types with lighting equipment. My usage of camera equipment is more than just a hobby, as I often incorporate it for product photography in my jobs — such as product photography for e-commerce. To see samples of my video and multimedia, please check out my YouTube channel, which also highlights my work with audio editing and motion graphics.
All content on this website was created by me, unless specified.
Contact Me:
Background photo: "Brooklyn Bridge" taken by Julius von Brunk. Widget area photo: "Manhattan Bridge" by Julius von Brunk.


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This sermon was preached on August 29, based on Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 and Luke 14:1, 7-14.
Trying to be a good Christian can seem exhausting sometimes. There are all the rules to follow: the ten commandments that Moses receives, plus that new commandment about loving one another that Jesus gives before he dies, among all the other lists of rules and laws and instructions. It's tiring trying to learn them all, nevermind to try and not break any. Then there are all the people in the media who are telling us that most of the things we're doing or thinking or may think soon are damning us all to hell. So if you believe them, you become exhausted from the fear of God's—or a commentator's—wrath and trying to make people change. If you disagree with them, you spend your energy being angry with them and on trying to make people see that they don't speak for all Christians. Of course all of this gets paired up with exhaustion from guilt—whether its' from breaking a rule or being sinful or not working hard enough to fight for justice, that guilt can be heavy.
Some of you may remember a sermon I preached not so long ago in which I spoke about the word "should." I think this passage, if one is not careful, could easily lead us down the path paved with shoulds, the guilt-inducing feeling of "something should be happening, and it's not" (or, in the case of injustice being done, things that should not be happening, but are). Now, this is not always a path to avoid. Too often we don't want to feel the guilt so we ignore the problems around us altogether. Remember the bent-over woman from last week? Sometimes we need a little nudge to pay attention. Those guilt-inducing shoulds can often lead us into action
In my web browsing this week, as I visited multiple sites geared toward preachers, many were taking this angle with these two texts. Now, clearly these other preachers are all serving churches very un-like our dear First Church, because they were gearing up to preach about radical hospitality, and forgoing the love of money and being content with what we have, remembering those who are imprisoned, and inviting those on the margins to banquets instead of people with high societal standing—with, of course, the underlying message that those are the things that should be happening, and are not—or not enough. Obviously, that message doesn't apply to our church, right? Ahem.
Anyway…I started taking notes about my thoughts for this sermon, heading in the same direction as these other preachers. This type of sermon generally gets me fired up. I feel like I am following in a great tradition of prophetic speech, from Isaiah and Jeremiah to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Marian Wright Edelman. I get fired up to do God's work and light a fire under other people's…seats to do the same. I get energized, and it's generally not very positive energy. It's usually more a righteous anger, a frustration with systems which keep people from being free to fulfill their full potential as God's creation, a lamentation that even now, many millennia after prophets first began telling people that God's wish for Her people is justice, and mercy, and righteousness, that we still allow and take part in the oppression of others…a burning desire to make things different. This is where I thought the Spirit was taking me, along with many other preachers around the world.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the pulpit. (Now, there's a good idea for a musical!) I re-read the texts and my notes and I found myself really, really happy. Gleeful. Giddy. Excited. Because all a sudden, instead of seeing these words as a mandate of what we are supposed to doing or a scolding of how we should be practicing our faith, it became clear that these words are also a blessing. Instead of demands, I saw them as delights.
We get to practice a faith which tells us to continue in mutual love. Dr. King encouraged this when he said, "We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality." This is usually the part of the quote with which people are familiar, but he went on to say, "For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the way God's universe is made; this is the way it is structured."[1] Another person also explains this beautifully. She is an Australian Aboriginal woman named Lila Watson, and when meeting with mission workers, she told them, "If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together." What an amazing idea, that our liberation is bound up with others', and vice versa. We depend on each other. Yes, that means we have some responsibility towards others, but that also means others have responsibility towards us. Yes, it means putting energy into loving others, but mutual love means that we receive just as much love back.
We get the privilege of showing hospitality to strangers, and possibly even meeting angels! The writer of this letter is probably referring to Abraham, who welcomes three strange men to his home, feeds them and lets them wash, and they turn out to be messengers from God who bring the news that Sarah will have a baby. We could also stretch this a little, based on Matthew 25, to say "some may have entertained Christ without knowing it." Even if we don't meet angels, though, we get to meet someone new. Take a moment to look around the sanctuary at the people gathered here. Every single person in this church was at some point—and maybe still is—a stranger to someone else here. Our friends, our significant others, our brothers and sisters in this family of Christ, were once strangers to us. This is not just a "do this," but also a "you shall receive." We don't need to know you to pray for you. This church has been praying for a 2-year-old girl named Rylie since January, and not one of us has met her. That's Christian hospitality. Recently some members of the church who don't come very often were ill and needed help with meals. Not many of those who cooked and delivered the meals knew the couple, but they were happy to do so. Think of all that has been done for total strangers in
Louisianaand in the five years since Hurricane Katrina hit. How amazing is it to know that these are things we get to do because our faith calls us to it? Mississippi
Forget feeling guilty. While we certainly need to work on its implementation in this world, let's celebrate the fact that at Christ's banquet, all are welcome, and we as followers of Christ get the privilege of telling those who are on the margins, those who most need God's love, those who feel most excluded, that they're on the invitation list. In fact, they get VIP status. We get to be like Ed McMahon, except instead of going just to people's homes, we go everywhere, but especially to homeless shelters and soup kitchens and afterschool programs and detention centers and prisons and hospitals. And instead of a big check, we present grace and a place at the table. How awesome is that?
Is this all easy? No! Of course not! But not much worthwhile is. Think of peace talks, getting people out of gangs, raising a child, accompanying someone at the end of life, sustaining a relationship, finding a cure for a disease, standing up for what's right. Welcoming the stranger, remembering the prisoner, inviting the marginalized to the table, all that makes us vulnerable, and that's scary. Ooh, but here's where that happiness comes in again, because that writer of Hebrews reminds us of God's promise: "I will never leave you or forsake you." God will never leave us or forsake us. I think that's worth repeating one more time: God will never—NEVER--abandon you. You are never left on your own. This promise then gives us the confidence to say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?" Sounds an awful lot like Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
So not only do we get to do and say and be all these great things as Christians, but our faith also assures us that God accompanies us through it all. So, maybe trying to meet all the demands of being a good Christian is exhausting sometimes, but other times—many, many other times—it's exhilarating and uplifting and inspiring—breathing life into us. We get to be a blessing to others, and in turn are richly blessed. Let us lift up our praise for such delights, and let the whole church say, "Amen!"
[1] Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, as quoted in John Meacham, American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation,


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Kain Lucero and Zachariah Griego, two members of the Pagosa Springs Pirates 2013 state champion basketball team, were selected to participate in the Colorado High School Coaches Association's 56th All-State Games June 5-8 on the campus of Adams State University and at Alamosa High School.
According to the association's website, this year's event included boys and girls basketball, football, softball, volleyball and wrestling, but, "CHSCA is working to include additional sports in the future, with the hope of including all CHSAA (Colorado High School Athletic Association) sports in the multi-sport festival. The CHSCA All-State Games goal is to make this the premier high school multi-sport athletic event in the Rocky Mountain region."
The full version of this story is available in the print edition of the Pagosa Springs SUN. Subscribe today by calling (970)264-2100.


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Too often I have seen Anselm's "ontological" argument abstracted from its context, as though the fact that his Proslogion begins with a prayer were inconsequential to the argument; or Descartes' proofs abstracted from his Meditations, as though it were not important that "God" serves an instrumental purpose for Descartes, allowing for the re-establishment of the world after he doubts its existence.
Anselm already believes when he writes his argument. He has arrived at his belief in some way other than argumentation, and there is no shame in that. Most of us arrive at most of our beliefs in less-than-purely-rational ways, and as William James has argued, we have the right to do so. It looks to me like Anselm is writing not in order to defeat all atheism (though that may be one of his aims) but in order to see if his faith and his understanding can be in agreement with one another.
Descartes might believe or he might not; I don't know how I could know. God matters in his Meditations because God offers an "Archimedean point," a fulcrum on which to rest the lever of reason, allowing Descartes to lift the world anew from the ruins of doubt. Whether or not Descartes believes in God's existence, God is useful to Descartes.
My point is that it is mistaken to assume that arguments about God - for or against God - are detached and detachable from other concerns, and when we neglect those concerns we might just be missing the most important aspect of those arguments, namely the human aspect. When we argue about God, we are usually also arguing about something else.


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(photo: courtesy of icyroadsafety.com)
With the potential threat of significant icing beginning Friday the 13th we ask that you remain off the roadways if at all possible. If you must go out BE PREPARED. Roads could be closed due to icing, accidents or fallen trees/power lines. Any one of these may cause you to be stuck on the roads for some time. At a minimum you should have proper clothing (including hat and gloves), a blanket, drinking water, window scraper, cell phone (with charger) and a full tank of gas. Please be careful!!!!


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This season I did some music copyist work for the Georgia Boy Choir for their amazing Christmas concert at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Atlanta, December 16 and 17.
Director David R. White is also a solo singer, and with the orchestra and choir he wanted to close the concert by performing Alan Silvestri's "God Bless Us Every One" from the Disney movie A Christmas Carol (2009). The song was written for Andrea Bocelli, who belts out a high Cb at the end. David, being a fine singer but a mere mortal, needed the song in a lower key. He asked me to transpose the whole thing down for choir, orchestra, and soloist. So we bought the full set of orchestral parts, choir octavos, and conductor's score from Hal Leonard.
David wrote his own modified arrangement for the the choral part. He gave the Hal Leonard scores to me. I replicated everything in the Sibelius music notation software program, making a few adjustments to the arrangement to accommodate the transposition and instrument ranges, and to reconcile the chord progressions between the conductor's score, two different published piano accompaniment arrangements, and David's choral arrangement. I then printed up a new choral octavo, conductor's score, and parts for the orchestra. It was a huge orchestration (on a Disney scale and budget); David performed it with a twenty-five piece orchestra and pipe organ accompaniment.
Two esteemed members of the professional orchestra told me that they all checked my charts and that they contained no errors and were easy to read. Mission accomplished.
David sang the piece, unamplified, with all of his choirs and the orchestra, the massive pipe organ, and the Bösendorfer Imperial Grand at Peachtree Road UMC. That's his son Duane, a freshman at Covenant College, conducting in the picture above.
I can't show you any of my scores, which will never get out of David White's hands, because the piece is copyrighted by people who are not me and not David White. Let me state again, the Georgia Boy Choir purchased a full set of commercial, licensed scores for every part for every musician, so all copyright requirements were met, and the Georgia Boy Choir pays performance royalties as well.


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Two of our greatest statesmen, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, took their last breaths on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after they presented America with our Declaration of Independence. They had been fellow revolutionaries, the closest of comrades, who went on to become bitter political rivals.
Then, as the new era of the 1800s dawned, they reconciled, reminded of their old friendship and the momentous history they had made together. "Who shall write the history of the American revolution?" Adams asked Jefferson in one of the 158 letters they exchanged after they'd rediscovered their bonds. "Nobody," responded Jefferson, suggesting that while writers could understand the facts, they might never grasp the sacrifices.
We cannot know for certain, of course, if any later historian ever did succeed in writing a history of our revolution that would have impressed two of the greatest authors of the event. But more important to Adams and Jefferson was the question of whether future generations would prove worthy of the sacrifices our Founders had made to create this Republic.
America's many accomplishments in the 182 years that have passed since their deaths, our rise as the most powerful and prosperous nation in history, would have, perhaps, exceeded their expectations. But would they still see in the spirit of our own age the same devotion to the ideals of our revolution? Would they find that love of country was just as strong in the hearts of today's Americans?
Other political news of note
Animated Boehner: 'There's nothing complex about the Keystone Pipeline!'
House Speaker John Boehner became animated Tuesday over the proposed Keystone Pipeline, castigating the Obama administration for not having approved the project yet.
- Budget deficits shrinking but set to grow after 2015
- Senate readies another volley on unemployment aid
- Obama faces Syria standstill
- Fluke files to run in California
- Animated Boehner: 'There's nothing complex about the Keystone Pipeline!'
I believe they would. Patriotism is deeper than its symbolic expressions, than sentiments about place and kinship that move us to hold our hands over our hearts during the national anthem. It is putting the country first, before party or personal ambition, before anything. It is the willing acceptance of Americans, both those whose roots here extend back over gener-ations and those who arrived only yesterday, to try to make a nation in which all people share in the promise and responsibilities of freedom.
I've spent a lot of time listening to veterans, talking to them, and also serving with them when we were young and at war. After their tours end, these soldiers, sailors, aviators, and Marines almost always return to the hard times, times of pain, suffering, loss, violence, and fear. They remember where they risked everything, absolutely everything, for the country that sent them there. It gives their lives special meaning.
And it is the sacrifices of so many Americans, at home and abroad, in times of peace and times of war, that give meaning to all of us. We are blessed to be Americans, and blessed that so many of us have so often believed in a cause far greater than self-interest, far greater than ourselves. It is this belief that has sustained me as well, from a combat aircraft to a Vietnamese prison cell to the Senate floor or the campaign trail.
Today, politics is derided for its self-interest, combativeness, duplicity, and triviality. But such failings are not unique to our age. Both Adams and Jefferson lamented them in their own time. But that's the great beauty of our form of government, which they helped to create; it accounts for the vices of human nature as much as it hopes for our virtues. This blessed country remains a place of limitless horizons, a country where ideals, where a love of liberty and self-reliance still check the excesses of both government and man.
In return, the gift we can give back to our country is a patriotism that requires us to be good citizens in public office or in the community spaces where government is absent. We should, by all means, argue with each other, as did Adams and Jefferson, about the policies of government and the history we hope to make tomorrow.
But it should be an argument among friends, who agree more than they disagree, each of us united in a cause larger than our individual interests, honestly debating the best means to serve that cause, and intent on finding some common ground upon which to overcome together the many challenges before us. To love one's country is to love one's countrymen. And if we are to replicate the spirit of our founding age, if we are to be genuine patriots, we must remember also that we are patriots because we love the countrymen we will never know, who will be born after we are gone.


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Highlights of the Hampton Court Place Flower Show so far
If there is one event that you need the weather to be dry for it is a garden show, when you will be outside, exposed to the elements.
In between the heavy showers and lighter grey skies at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show there was a real buzz of excitement and anticipation as to what new features were going to be on display in the gardens and marquees.
The Grapevine Theatre sponsored by Anglian was a must stop for people wanting to see a live TV show with a studio experience (and escape the rain!). David Domoney, TV garden expert and his team of celebrity guests which included John Craven, Bill Oddie, Adam Henson and Toby Buckland kept the audience entertained with their own stories and experiences in the theatre style marquee each day.
Some of the items covered on the magazine style TV show were plant care and gardening tips, insight into the designs of other show gardens, products around the show ground and other marquees. Martin, the 'roving reporter', visited other stands near to the Grapevine marquee with the TV pictures being beamed back into the theatre studio.
The audience watched the Hanging Basket Challenge with great interest: the celebrity guest had to fill a hanging basket with plants in the quickest possible time. Their time was recorded and added to the stem of the flower next to one of the large screens at the side of the stage to keep a track of the fastest planter. This brought much laughter from the audience at the hap-hazard way the plants were put into the basket, with some looking a little worse for wear after the event.
Guests venturing in to the Grapevine marquee during the Hampton Court Flower Show Gala evening on Monday could not help tapping their feet and dancing as they were entertained to the musical sounds of The Satellites band, who played songs from the 70's and 80's up to the present day.
The evening was drawn to a conclusion with the spectacular firework display over Hampton Court Palace, this was watched in the rain by many, but no spirits were dampened.
On the first day opened to the public, visitors were keen to see what was new and inspiring that could be translated into their own gardens, whether it was plants, unique coloured flowers or old plants that had been modified through growing techniques to improve life span and protect them against pests and disease.
Moving between gardens and listening in to other peoples' conversations I heard a lot of comments about:-
– vertical planting, this is where walls are heavily planted in panels on full or part walls.
– mixed plant heights in a flower beds, giving the flowerbed depth and colour to the area, using a number of colours.
A great example of vertical planting was on one of my favourite gardens in the "low cost, high impact" garden area called "live outdoors" designed by Roger Smith.
This 4 x 4 metre garden was designed and built with a budget of £13,000. The idea behind it was to show how you could achieve an outdoor living space with privacy in an urban environment.
The back wall above the open, wood fired oven, showed a perfect example of vertical planting with the horizontal beams on the pergola also carrying channels to hold the trailing plants, which added to the privacy of the seating area if viewed from above.
The tree ferns at the end of the garden added to the tropical and relaxing feel, drawing the eye at low level into the garden, give coverage to walls in a small area and not blocking out the light from above.
The garden received a Silver-Gilt award.
The awards for show gardens come in four grades, RHS Gold, Silver-Gilt, Silver and Bronze medals and are judged according to a set criteria.
Another of my favourite gardens was in the Show Gardens category called "The Italian Job" by young garden designer Jack Dunckley. The garden is built on a much larger plot with a much bigger budget.
The garden for me had a very calming effect, it enticed you to wander through the garden and end up under the pergola to relax and enjoy the surroundings. Some people like to have water in their garden, whether it be still or running and the thought of a hot day just sitting on the edge of the decking with your feet dipping in the cool water was a huge attraction for me.
The flower beds were planted in blocks of purples, pinks and silvers and added to the cooling feel of the area and soften the harder landscaping.
The natural limestone pillars and paving add structure to the garden and took my memories back to visiting the Acropolis in Athens many years ago and that of the Monaco Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2011, although the planting and garden colours were very different.
I tried to think what the similarities were and on reflection it came down to the blue pools the teak decking and the light stone paving.
This garden received a Silver-Gilt award.
If you were not content with just looking at the show gardens there were many other areas to view, these included the Floral Marquee, the Rose and Floristry Marquee, the Plant Heritage Marquee, the Growing for Taste Marquee, the Great Taste and Artisan Food Marquee and plenty of things to buy including garden ornaments, furniture, trinkets, clothes practical gardening tools, you name it, it was there for every gardener's whim.
Every possible animal you can think of an more!
Shopping in the Country Living Marquee
Some would ask why you need a ladder at a garden show, but how else will you reach the top of your hedge or tree to trim?
If you are interested in visiting the Hampton Court Palace Flower show there is still time as the show does not finish until Sunday 8th July. While your there why not catch one of the shows in the Grapevine theatre and enter our prize draw to win a £10,000 garden makeover from David Domoney, if you wish to enter click here


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Bournemouth Marathon
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Kids' Kilometre
Entry Info
Saturday Transport
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Official Photos
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Transfers & Withdrawals
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Training Zone
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Marathon-Photos.com is the Official Photographer partner for capturing your exciting moments at the Bournemouth Marathon Festival, photographing over 700 mass participation events in over 35 countries. Every competitor will find their photos and video within 24 to 48 hours after the completion of the event; they will be able to search for their photos by either entering their Bib Number or Family name. Also every competitor can download for FREE a Race Certificate. Each photo is optionally available either with their finishing time or for instance, as a photo certificate for download or as a printed copy. We also offer the picture album "Digital Super Pack" at a special price. For one fixed price, we will supply all the identified photos of each runner in these ready-to-print formats either to download onto their computer or on CD: Photo Certificate – Race Time Photo – Commemorative Photo – Original camera file – web ready images.
Saturday photos
Sunday photos


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My jaw hit the floor when I saw my friends pictures of Lake Braies (#lagodibraies) in South Tyrol, Italy. The mountains are majestic. The lake is pristine, and the cabins, docks, and rustic boats make for stunning photographs.
After enjoying his family pictures, I wondered if every person that lives on the lake wakes up every morning and is awestruck by the beauty that envelops them daily. My assumption is no, we all fall into the same trap of taking the beauty around us for granted. Sometimes it takes an out-of-towner to ask about the beauty of our local area and remind us that tourists will come from all over the world to see sites we drive by every day without a thought.
I live in Montgomery County Maryland, and we have trees, lots of trees. Growing up in the Southwest, I was accustomed to seeing the horizon far off in the distance. The abundance of trees brings the horizon to either side of the road unless you are on an overpass or a hill. We enjoy the luxury of all four seasons and get enough snow to shut down the Federal Government a couple of times each winter.
Maryland doesn't have any natural lakes, only man-made reservoirs. Yep, it's true, go look it up, I'll wait. The soil is predominantly clay. The forests have a healthy mix of oak, maple, dogwood, birch, and cedar that explode in a wide array of colors each fall season. We have fireflies.
The Potomac River provides a natural border between Maryland and Virginia. The river provides an excellent place for fishing and boating; and supports a robust kayak community. Great Falls National Park lives up to its name and is a great spot for bouldering. The C&O Canal and towpath, border the Potomac and provide an easy path for running and biking. During my commute in the spring, wisteria blooms along the canal and demands I roll down the window to breathe in the fragrance.
Your turn.
Consider where you live, what nature is nearby, and what is unique about your area. Why do outdoor enthusiasts come to visit? What surprising nature fact have you learned about your current home? What are the stark differences in other places you have lived? What is one thing you appreciate about your local environment?
Give the community a chance to enjoy your local beauty and answer a question in the comments.


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Podi idly/idli is a quick and healthy snack/tiffin prepared from idli. It can be prepared in minutes. Podi idli with hot cup of chai makes a perfect snack for this rainy and cold evening.
Check other idli recipes….. idli, shallow fried idli, jackruit-foxtail millet idli, vermicelli idli and moong dal idli.
- Idli – 5
- Onion – 1
- Idli/dosa powder – 1 1/2 tbsp
- Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
- Cut the idli into small cubes. Keep it aside.
- Heat oil in a kadai.
- Add curry leaves.
- Add finely chopped onions to it. Saute till it becomes golden brown.
- Now, add idli/dosa powder.
- Finally, add the cubed idli pieced to it.
- Mix well to coat the idli/dosa powder to the idli pieces. Fry it for (1-2) minutes.
- Serve hot.
- If not preferred onions can be avoided.
- Idli cubes can be fried in oil prior to get crispy and tasty podi idli.
- The quantity of idli/dosa powder can be altered depending on the spiciness of the powder.
- I have not added salt to the onion as the idli and chutney powder has salt in it. If required, little salt can be added.


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John S. Armstrong Nursery Collection
Title: John S. Armstrong Nursery Collection
Dates: 1889-1984
Collection Number: Consult library
Creator/Collector: Armstrong, John Samuel, 1865-1965 Armstrong Nurseries (Ontario, Calif.)
Extent: 66 containers, approximately 60 linear feet.
Repository: Ontario City Library, Robert E. Ellingwood Model Colony History Room
Abstract: The collection is a multi-media archive of the Armstrong Nurseries, Inc., with records dating from 1889 to 1984. Holdings include company records and marketing materials, approximately 14,000 photographs and negatives, motion picture films, sound recordings, and approximately 40 rolled sheets of maps and plans.
Language of Material: English
Collection is open for research during the operating hours of the Robert E. Ellingwood Model Colony History Room, or by appointment.
Consult library
John S. Armstrong Nursery Collection. Ontario City Library, Robert E. Ellingwood Model Colony History Room
The holdings were donated by Armstrong Nurseries (via Vice President for Research Jack Christensen), Mr. Jack Armstrong (via the Museum of History and Art, Ontario) and by Mr. Herbert Swim in 1985.
Biography/Administrative History
John Armstrong was born on October 11, 1865 in Brantford, Canada. After contracting tuberculosis, his doctor recommended moving to a warmer climate. He decided to head west and arrived in Upland on March 3, 1889. He found he liked working outdoors and learned the nursery business during his tenure at the Horsley and Eaton Nursery. He soon parted ways with Mssrs. Horsley and Eaton, starting his own nursery and recovering his health in the process. He also bought land and began cultivating grapes, fruit and citrus trees. In 1898, Armstrong bought three lots on D Street and Euclid Avenue from Andrew Chaffey for $112.00 each. This land became the original Armstrong Nursery. He started a mail order catalog of roses and fruit trees in 1902 that continues to this day. He continued buying acreage and selling plants, riding the ever-expanding demand for ornamental trees and shrubbery from the 1920's on. In the 1940's he pioneered the development of new varieties of roses, among them the Charlotte Armstrong, named for his first wife who died in 1947. More than 2,000,000 of this variety have been sold and it is the official flower of the city of Ontario. Though John Armstrong died in 1965, the company now has over 650 employees. Armstrong Garden Centers is the largest independent retail nursery company in the Western United States, specializing in the largest selection of roses (over 950 varieties), many developed exclusively by the company.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection consists of 60 linear feet of documents which include John S. Armstrong's memoirs, the Armstrong Nursery journals, ledgers, harvest books, diaries, maps and catalogs. There are also approximately 4000 photographs, 10,000 negatives, audio tapes, 16mm films and photographs of discontinued roses. The diaries contain the notes of hybridists Walter Lammerts, Herbert C. Swim, David L. Armstrong, and Jack C. Christensen written during their tenure in Armstrong's Research Department. Dr. Lammerts' notes on the hybridization of the Charlotte Armstrong Rose (Ontario's official flower) and Mr. Swim's notes on his prize-winning roses are included. These diaries date from 1938-1970.
Armstrong, John Samuel, 1865-1965
Armstrong Nursery--History
Ontario (Calif.)--History


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In short, no! As someone who has a significant background in video, both educationally and professionally, this is an attitude that I encounter a lot. The thing about video is that everyone thinks they are an expert and in reality most people have very little idea what they are talking about.
But that isn't important really is it? Everyone watches video so they must know what a good video is. The problem is that knowing what a good video is when you are watching it is not the same as knowing how to create a good video. It is a skill, an art form that requires discipline and understanding in the same way that creating a good UX is.
Video is going to be increasingly important for digital. We are already in a world where video is becoming the preferred way to deliver interesting content on a website (and a lot of not very interesting content as well). With 4G fast approaching the UK market, and already being prolific elsewhere in the world, rich media content like video will become more accessible and the technical limitations on experience will reduce. This will no doubt open the floodgates for companies to commission video content and there is no doubt that video content is a powerful and persuasive way to talk to your customers online. Indeed, it was quoted in an article recently that '2 minutes of video is worth 2 million words of text'. This may be a bit of an exaggeration, but the underlying point is a valid one, video is one of the best ways to grab attention, create very sticky experiences and ultimately keep people on your site for longer.
But I would advise caution. One of the quickest ways to get a user to leave your site is to give them a bad video to watch. It is no longer acceptable to have the CEO delivering a boring speech in a badly lit room, people expect more. Over the last couple of years I have had the good fortune to work on a number of video projects for a major global bank. These videos have been created specifically to talk about Tax or to promote a part of the proposition. On the face of things this content is not particularly interesting, but by approaching the video from a different angle, thinking about interesting ways to introduce what is a very important concept and varying the delivery, the final piece is one that is engaging (view the video here).
Another video I worked on for the same client was at the other end of the spectrum; a piece of interactive video that allows users to pick what they want to see explained (view the video here).
What you can learn from these videos is that no matter how apparently dull the content is, there is no excuse for not making the video interesting, engaging and ultimately something that will pull the user into the site. These videos were not expensive in the grand scheme of things and the effect on the site was noticeable. The reason they are so good is that the planning process was taken very seriously. There was a lot of time in scripting and storyboarding to make sure that the brand was consistent, the message was balanced and that there were not long periods of time with just talking. This is a skill that requires the discipline I mentioned earlier and this is the sort of thing that a video agency brings to the project.
If you take one key thing away from this post, it is 'don't underestimate the skill needed to produce a good video'. The results of creating a bad one can be catastrophic for your website traffic. But as well all know, a good video can go viral and make your brand a household name in days.
More on video in the future…


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This article is reprinted by permission from NextAvenue.org.
Lately, I've been blog-moaning about employers not doing much to help their older workers transition into retirement. But a leading consulting firm says this may all be about to change.
In the recent Towers Watson survey of 457 U.S. large- and midsize employers with retirement plans (Ready, Set, Retire), 84% of firms said they expect to increase efforts to educate employees on saving and investing over the next two or three years.
More tech tools for retirement planning
In addition, more than three quarters of the companies (78%) said they'll increase their use of technology to deliver retirement information to employees over that same period. That could be a huge help, I think, and might prevent some employees from tossing their paper benefits statements.
So what's leading firms to be more helpful — or at least to say they will? They want to get more of their older workers to leave.
Sounds harsh, but Robyn Credico, Towers Watson's Defined Contribution Practice Leader, North America and author of the report says it's so.
"In the last few years, employers have recognized that their employees aren't retiring when they want them to," she told me. Indeed, the survey found that 53% of employers are concerned about their older workers "deferring" retirement and 82% said they believe retirement readiness "will be an issue."
As a result, "it's a pretty big cost [to employers] if people don't move through the workforce as they should," Credico said.
It's also bad for business.
Less engaged employees
If older workers stay not because they want to but because they have to, said Credico, they can end up being less engaged and less productive. In fact, a recent survey of HR professionals by the Society for Human Resources Management found that 83% of them said workers' money issues were having a negative impact on productivity.
Also, Credico said, employees in their 50s and 60s who stick around due to retirement fears often have health and benefit costs that are higher than those of their younger colleagues.
In short, she added, "there's a fairly large financial incentive — besides a moral incentive."
Time to move the needle
Whatever the reason, helping pre-retirees prepare for retirement is long overdue. "Most employers have not yet moved the needle in preparing their workers for a financially secure retirement," said Credico.
One question (aside from whether employers will really do what they say) is whether the new tech tools to help employees prepare for retirement will actually be useful. As the Towers Watson report said, "using technology without a strategy for implementation, measuring results and refining the process does not guarantee it will result in participant engagement and behavior change."
Credico believes employers need to do two things: Ask their employees to learn what motivates their retirement-planning behavior (or lack of it) and offer targeted, segmented communications.
Not many are doing either. A November 2014 survey from Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies discovered that 95% of employers with 401(k)s or similar plans believe their employees are satisfied with their plans but, in reality, just 80% of workers offered the plans said they are. One reason: just 23% of firms have surveyed employees about their retirement benefits, according to Transamerica.
In the Towers Watson report, only 16% of employers said they use group meetings extensively to communicate with employees about retirement and just 14% have one-on-one meetings.
"We would suggest employers measure where people are [ready for retirement preparedness] by looking at how ready each individual is," said Credico. "If the vast majority say they won't be able to retire until 75, I think you have a problem."
Richard Eisenberg is the senior Web editor of the Money & Security and Work & Purpose channels of Next Avenue and Assistant Managing Editor for the site. Follow him on Twitter @richeis315.
This article is reprinted by permission from NextAvenue.org, © 2014 Twin Cities Public Television, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Here is a close up of those gorgeous Rhinestone brads - they were much bigger in real life than I thought they'd be from the Idea Book and are just $5.95 for 12 brads (6 big clusters and 6 small clusters - the flower with only one sparkle has one of our regular sparkles in it). Such an amazing splash of wow-factor on any project!
If you'd like to make this card, get these products:
Paper: Sonoma