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My most recent "Eye on Your Money" story looks at a hefty earmark Congressman Charles Rangel of New York got for a project that will bear his name, a library that will house his "papers," the Charles B. Rangel Conference Center and more. Critics suggest it's a monument to Rangel's ego and an inappropriate use of federal tax dollars.
Our past "Eye on Your Money" reports have looked at earmarks by other members of Congress for items such as a Teapot Museum (that may never be built), upgrades to a trendy Washington DC neighborhood (where the earmarking member of Congress happens to own property… so does his friend who's running the neighborhood redevelopment project and spending the earmark money), and hundreds of millions of dollars for a military jet engine that the military doesn't want.
Of course not all earmarks are inherently questionable or inappropriate. Most members of Congress agree that earmarks (last minute add-ons to appropriations bills without the normal public review) for emergency unplanned spending are necessary and justifiable.
But among all the earmarks, an estimated $22 billion dollars a YEAR, according to one watchdog group, is considered questionable "pork." That means the earmark may go to entities that are undeserving or don't even exist. The money may end up in the pocket of groups, companies and organizations that contribute to the earmarking members of Congress giving the appearance of an inappropriate quid pro quo. The earmark may even go to good causes, but causes that only benefit a few and are not traditionally the job of federal taxpayers to fund.
When I've asked the recipients of criticized earmarks to explain why they sought federal funds for their local projects, many of them have told me they themselves were surprised to know that federal tax dollars would be given for their projects but that "this is apparently how it works in Washington D.C." In other words, they sought the money simply because they're told they can get it. Interestingly, entire networks of lobbyists and non-profits have made a cottage industry out of finding little causes and telling them that they could get federal money if they approach the right member of Congress. The lobbyists and non-profits pay themselves and their costs out of the earmark money they get so there's no risk to, and no cost to the would-be recipient.
To me, the most surprising thing I've discovered about earmarks is that they require no proof of anything. No budget has to be presented, no proof of how the money will be spent, no proof after the fact that the money was spent a certain way, and no proof that the project is even for real. Your federal tax dollars simply disappear into thousands of holes around the country and, for the most part, you'll never know what became of them.
You'll also never receive the benefit of many of the earmarks. For all the local "bee research" and "plant genome analyzing" and "beaver control projects" earmarks have funded, there's no requirement than any subsequent scientific discoveries or results belong to the taxpayers that helped fund the projects.
For projects that end up earning money off the earmarks, there's no requirement that they pay back the taxpayers or give back a cut of the profits.
In short: for those who know how to get them, earmarks are the easiest money around. For taxpayers, they often are not such a sweet deal.
Which is why you'll be seeing a lot more stories on them coming up on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.


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Meet Veronica: Roller Derby Player and #LyftPortland Driver
If you're game for an unusual hobby, the people of Portland can teach you a thing or two.
Case in point: Meet Veronica, a Lyft driver and hard-hitting roller derby girl. Veronica skates for the Break Neck Betties, one of the best — and most competitive — derby teams in Portland. When she's not at the track, you might find her out on the town at CC Slaughters nightclub, or enjoying the many parks tucked throughout the city.
Veronica was born and raised in California, but Portland's eclectic character stole her heart. "You get sucked into the weird aura," she says. Just going for a walk through the neighborhoods reveals all sorts of oddities, including funky architecture and food carts galore.
Veronica's #MySecretPortland Tip:
For a taste of Portland's wilder side, Veronica recommends checking out the skatepark under Burnside Bridge. The graffiti-covered halfpipes and the skaters who master them are "amazing to see."
Learn more about your Portland Lyft community by filling out your Lyft profile, and show off Portland through your eyes by sharing pics of your favorite Portland hidden gems using #MySecretPortland.

subset: commoncrawl


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Biltmore Estate® Red Blend
Bottle: $16.00
Sangiovese, Merlot, and Zinfandel come together to create a medium-bodied, fruit-forward wine with richly layered aromas and a lingering finish.
Wine Details
- Vintage: 2017
- Varietal: Blends
- Appellation: American
- Acidity: 0.67
- pH: 3.70
- Residual Sugar: 0.5%
- Alcohol: 14.3%
Food Pairings
- Chicken
- Sausage
- Steak
- Best Wild Card Red - Beaufort Food & Wine Festival
- 87 Points - Consumer Wine Awards
- 90 Points + Cellar Selection + Best Buy - Beverage Testing Institute
CUSTOMER REVIEWS - Write a Review
By Chad V
Found the red blend at our local grocery store here in the Houston area. Bought one, then another, then another. Upon one of my trips to the store the wine buyer mentioned that it was being discontinued so I bought all that he had remaining. I would...
By Tom M
Spent most of my life living by Lake Ontario and Erie where there were plenty of vineyards and wineries. My son brought home a bottle, he lives in Winston Salem, and was surprised how good this was. Have asked that next visit he bring more!
Award Winning Taste
From BTI
This wine won 90 Points, Cellar Selection, + Best Buy from the Beverage Testing Institute. Enjoy some today.


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Most meetings are held at the Best Western Plus Grosvenor Hotel, 380 S. Airport Blvd., S. San Francisco, (unless otherwise posted).
7:00 pm – networking
7:30 pm – speaker/program begins
9:15 pm – image competition
• PPGBA members – no charge
• APA-SF, ASMP-Norcal members – $15 at the door
• Non-members – $25 at the door Click here to pre-register and SAVE $5
• Students – $15 at the door (must show current college/university I.D.)
Non-member guest fees may be applied towards PPGBA dues if redeemed within 90 days – therefore the meeting/s will be FREE to you if you join PPGBA…please save your meeting receipt/s for documentation of payment
• For directions to the Grosvenor, please call the hotel at 650/873-3200 or click on this link or see map below.
• PPGBA members and guests may use the Grosvenor's shuttle bus from BART at SFO (International Terminal location) to get to and from the hotel. For shuttle bus schedule info, contact the hotel at 650/873-3200.


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Lyons High (LHS) Class of 2011 Alumni List
Help us Update the Lyons High 2011 Class List by adding any names missing from the list below:
Registered Alumni
2011 Class List
Know Lyons High Class of 2011 graduates that are NOT on this List? Help us Update the 2011 Class List by adding missing names.
Reunions and Lyons High School News
More 2011 alumni from Lyons HS Lyons, GA have posted profiles on Classmates.com®. Click here to register for free at Classmates.com® and view other 2011 alumni.
The students that went to school at the Lyons high school called Lyons High School and graduated in '11 are on this page. Register to add your name to the class of 2011 graduates list.
You can also find out what other graduates are doing now, share memories with other alumn, upload pictures from Lyons High and find other alumni.


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Thursday, February 3, 2011
The Merits of Merit Pay
Well, since I actually studied this sort of thing in college and actually worked specifically in compensation in my prior life, I believe that I have a bit of insight into the topic. Let's see if you can figure out where I stand on the issue.
I believe that if we are going to make the teachers subject to merit pay based on student performance because it promotes efficiency, we should do so for other areas of government as well.
Take the police. A policeman's job is to maintain peace. In fact, to quote Sheriff Gillespie "The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is committed to our mission to protect the community through prevention, partnership and professional service." He does a nice job, by the way. I do think, however, that using the governor's logic, the police should be held accountable by measuring their success. Patrolman should be paid directly related to the crime rates in their area. High crime rates = lower pay. After all, it is their job to prevent crime. If crime is occurring, then clearly they are not doing their jobs. It shouldn't matter if there is a difference from area to area in economic stature, previous crime rate, drug influences- nope. The good cops are keeping the crime rates down. The areas with higher crime rates surely are the result of poor policing. Sorry guys and gals.
Now on to the firemen. Well, the Clark County Fire Department has taken a LOT of heat recently for a few people (okay 120) who were abusing a sick leave/call out glitch in the system. So let's ditch the ol' collective bargaining agreement in its entirety, similar to the agreement with the teacher's union, and enforce a merit pay system for the fire department as well. In 2009, according to city records, over $6.5 million of damage was the result of fires. They should have to pay for that. Their job is clearly to prevent fires. Someone must not have been doing their jobs. Yes, I know, like police officers, they could get killed fighting fires, but hey, they knew that coming in to the gig. Let's base their pay on the number of fires- the higher the number, the lower the pay. Again, I realize that fires are started for a variety of different reasons- bad wiring, accidents, meth lab explosions, but if they were doing their jobs- c'mon there is a fleet of inspectors- they should be able to prevent all of them. No fire left behind.
My favorite change will be to the elected officials. All elected officials- not their support staffs- will only get paid from excess funds from the government. If they do their jobs and don't blow all our tax dollars, THEN they can get paid. If we go into the red as a state, they should all personally have to write checks to cover it. After all, it's their job to balance the budget. No room for oopsy daisies in this administration.
So I think you can see where I stand on this issues.
Now, from my limited professional experience in administering merit based pay, let me tell you what happens. The overwhelming majority of managers will give EVERYONE THE SAME RAISE. Unless they don't like you, then they won't. It creates an administrative nightmare. And it does squat for morale. The average positive impact of a raise or bonus is something like 30 days. Besides, most people don't know how well they compare against everyone else. You might be pissed to get a 3% raise, only to find out that everyone else got 1%. Woo hoo 2%. Now THERE's an incentive to soar like an eagle.
There are only three true merit pay systems and I am happy to have experienced them all.
#1- Own a business. You get to keep what's left at the end of the day. The smarter you work, the more you make. I own a business. I get to keep net profits. Sometimes that's not a big number. When it isn't, I get off my duff and work a little harder.
#2- Work on straight commission. The more you make/sell/do the more you earn.
#3- Work for tips. The more you hustle, the more you make. I loved waiting tables and working the bar. I made a crap load of money. I didn't take 30 smoke breaks. I had a little zip in my step. I smiled. This irritated my co-workers. I didn't care. I figured it was my job, I should do it well. It also paid for college. I don't have to wait tables any more.
Now the unique circumstance in all three of the above is that as a worker, you control the environment to some degree (selling crappy products or bad food aside).
As a teacher, you can't control the environment (same with a police officer or firefighter). You're given a curriculum to follow, a textbook to use and we'll stop in twice a year to check on you. The students are given to you as they are, with all the baggage of the past strapped to them. You get a few minutes a day to interact, if you're a high school teacher. You get a few hours to interact, if you're an elementary teacher. You can't fix everything. And by the way, it's not their job. Issues like nutrition, sleep, study environment all play a huge role in ensuring a student's success- in other words, the PARENTS.
If a child is in 7th grade and can't read, rather than pay the 7th grade English teacher less, how about we raise the parents' taxes? This money could be used to reimburse the school for the money they wasted on the child in grades 1-6.
If a kid is fat, it's not the school cafeteria. Your child eats 915 meals a year at home and 180 at school. Got a problem with school lunches? Pack a lunch. Your kid won't eat a packed lunch? I guess they get hungry.
The problem with education in the United States isn't the teachers - sorry Oprah. Yes, there are some bad teachers. And bad doctors. And bad hair stylists. Most teachers are pretty good people doing the best the can in a bad situation. The problem with education is the parents. They aren't getting involved. They aren't holding their children accountable. They aren't doing their jobs as parents. When parents parent, kids achieve. It's not the school's job to raise your child.
And yes, I'm married to a teacher. I am married to a spectacular teacher who is beloved by his students, wins awards and puts his heart and soul into his job- regardless of his pay. He didn't go into teaching to make millions, he did it because it's his passion. Randomly changing his pay from year to year, based on a supervisor who watches him 2 times a year, is a joke. Getting his classroom size down so that every student has a desk, would have a much bigger impact.
The following blog has an essay that was circulated about "No Tooth Left Behind" which applies the same ridiculous standards that are set in the No Child Left Behind act to dentists. I love this. I think it clearly illustrates the issues that teachers are facing today.
So this is what's in the bubble over my head tonight. I hope the governor rethinks his plan. He's in a bad position- there's no money and a bunch of people with their hands out. He has my sympathy. I just wish that for ONCE someone would think something through and do a little research.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
5 comments:
- Rita said...
I am convinced we may have been twins separated at birth. I raised my hand when I got the chance be at the live taping of Oprah's education show, this is largely what I wanted to say...now, sometimes I can get a little carried away on the topic, as it is a passion of mine as well and then there may have been bail involved and I probably wouldn't have been invited to another live taping... Seems nobody really wants to say a lot of parents are doing a bad job...I know things are tough, you have to work, you're doing it alone, you lost your job, the other parents you know are doing the same thing, money sucks... We need educated parents.... Well, here I go and since I need to get my kids off to school (a private one because our public school is more than a mess) and then have to go to work to pay for said private school....
- February 4, 2011 at 6:10 AM
- Meghan said...
Excellent thoughts!!
- February 4, 2011 at 7:53 AM
- Vic said...
Wow - I think you have nothing to fear if you need to find another line of work, little miss authoresse. Great post!
- February 4, 2011 at 9:05 PM
- Tory K said...
I agree with most of your points.
Especially about the role of parents as well as teaching kids some discipline.
It drives me nuts to know that in most public high school, kids can basically tell the teacher to go &!@ themselves with impunity.
It would be great if the parents got zapped with a bill when their kids lag behind (due to apathy, not abilities)
The inverse of that theory is that report that recently came out that said Catholic school HS kids outperform public school kids. Could it be because the parents invested thousands of dollars a year and won't let their kids waste it? (that's thousands on top of the other thousand that they pay in taxes to public schools)
Bottom line, the problem is complex. Parents are more aloof because both of them work insane hours to pursue the almighty dollar and have "things" I miss the simpler days.
- February 9, 2011 at 8:02 PM
- Christine said...
We have that here in the Dallas-Ft. Worth school districts and let me tell you, everyone I know complains about it. My kids aren't in school yet, but I hope it changes before they get there. They say all the teachers do is teach what's on these standardized tests so that the kids will all pass and their schools will look good and get more money. The kids only study and learn what's on the tests and don't get to explore other topics. They take these tests in certain grades and its those years that are the worst. Personally I think they need to get rid of those tests and let the teachers TEACH! My dad is/was a teacher until he got pushed out to make room for younger (lower paid teachers). He taught each student what he or she needed to know for the real world based on their ability/skills and took his own time to help any student that asked or needed extra help without forcing them to learn only questions and answers on a standardized test. Teachers need to be paid more if we want to keep good teachers. We need good teachers if we want our future generations to be intelligent, free thinking problem solvers instead of just people that have managed to memorize answers to a standardized test.
- February 13, 2011 at 7:06 PM


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Yergey Library
C. Arthur Yergey Memorial Library
The Yergey Library is a central ministry of the Cathedral. Founded in 1978 by a grant from the Yergey family, the Library's entrance is located on the balcony of the Education Building, overlooking the courtyard.The Library's ministry extends from the Cathedral parish to the Diocese of Central Florida and the Orlando community. The Librarian is available on Sunday mornings from 9 a.m. until 12 noon, and during the week by appointment. You're welcome to contact the Librarian at firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.
The Collection
The Library has been endowed by the Yergey family in memory of C. Arthur Yergey, a longtime Cathedral member and Senior Warden. The beautiful remodeling was made possible by a generous gift from the Yergey Family and was rededicated on February 26, 2012.
The collection numbers about 5,000 volumes. It comprises the Cathedral and Diocesan collections as well as the library of the former World Center for Liturgical Studies, probably the most complete liturgical collection in the Southeast. The comprehensive theological collection includes most versions of the Bible, commentaries, a wide selection of books related to Christianity, Judaism, World Religions, the Church Fathers, and a set of the Babylonian Talmud. The Circulating Collection and the Reference Collection include titles covering subjects as church history, prayer, the devotional life, spiritual healing, biographies of religious leaders, and more.
Children's Books
The Yergey Library has a beautiful collection of children's books, both fiction and non-fiction, that is continually expanding. Middle School students will also find lots to choose from in our Young Adult Collection. The Cathedral's Children's Ministry schedules a visit to the Library one Sunday each month for the kids in Children's Church to enjoy story time and have an opportunity to check out books.


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Discover the restaurant s'Herzl - a restaurant in the style of a Salzburg country inn from the 15th century, located directly on the world famous Getreidegasse in the heart of Salzburg's Old Town. Enjoy authentic Austrian cuisine and local delicacies in a casual setting. Our Herz'l ladies will welcome you warmly with their Salzburg charm.
Enjoy authentic Salzburg cuisine in the cozy ambience of a former goldsmith's shop and be pampered by our daily changing lunch menu options.


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- Home
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Summer Project 2011
This years Summer Project began on the 11th of July 2011 with activities and outings for the 7 - 14 yr old group.Over thirty children took part in the week long activities, which included, Dublin Zoo, crazy golf, swimming and Clara Lara. On the Friday we had a bar-b-que and afterwards, the children were entertained by a magician and some mothers and younger siblings came along for the show. The group was split in two for most of the week and the children really enjoyed all the activities.
On the next week, the 11 - 14yr old boys took part in lots of activities at Eco Adventure, they went fishing on a Wexford beach, did canoeing and swimming and on the last day they went to the National Aquatic Centre. This was a very actiive week for the lads and they got a lot out of it. The girls group was a small group and they especially making their own pizzas, which tasted really good.
The group of 11 -14yr old girls went on a shopping and cinema trip to Dundrum, they also did outdoor pursuits at Eco Adventure adn they spent a morning cooking in CEART.
The summer projects wouldn't be possible without volunteers and funding from Wicklow Credit Union, Lottery Funds, School Completion Programme, Wicklow Co. Council, Involve and Wicklow Town Council.
To view images of the 2011 Summer Project, click here
Company Limited by Guarantee with Charitable Status (CHY. No. 11870). Registered in Ireland Number 248913
Charities Regulatory Authority number (CRA) 20033576
Directors: Isobel O'Duffy (Chairperson), Brendan Hyland (Assistant Chairperson), Máirín Kenny (Company Secretary), Aileen Cussen (Treasurer), Kathleen Snell (Assistant Treasurer), Kathleen Berry, Ian Daly, Mary O'Brien
© 2012 Wicklow Travellers Group.. Website by Indytech.


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One thing about living in the middle of an Amish community is I always find myself helping people find their way to the Amish person they've heard about who sells honey, bakes bread, does woodwork, builds log cabins... etc.... after they have gotten their directions, I usually get a few more questions. Questions based on the hard to believe idea that yes, they really do live like that....So I'll just answer a few here.
Questions I always get asked #1……. They all secretly have phones right?
No, my life would be ten times easier if they did BUT, no they really do not. During younger ages like 17-20 several do have rogue phones, they are not supposed to, but they do. But truly men and women older the 20(ish) do NOT have secret phones. They may have "work truck" phones, when they are the leader of a construction crew, but they must leave it in their work truck with the truck driver. They have phone shacks, usually within a mile from their homes that they can use whenever needed. It may be hard to fathom for those of us that have not been farther than 15 feet from a phone in twenty years, but they do not.
Question I always get asked #2….Do they have secret TV's or Radios?
The answer is a lot like the answer for the phones. No they do not, but younger people during the German word for "running around," rumspringa, which is generally seen as a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood, do have things like have portable DVD players, portable radios, regular clothing, some even have cars. They are not supposed to and they must hide them, but when that part of life is behind them they either give it up or on occasion make the hard choice to sometimes leave their culture and join the "English" culture.
Question I always get asked #3…..Are they smelly?
Ok so this one bothers me, they are not the Clampitts, every other Tuesday and Pa goes first…they bathe… like regularly, wear deodorant, perfume, brush their teeth, etc. I rarely ever have anyone get into my van that doesn't smell great. I mean they work on farms so occasionally there is a farm type smell that any farmer, Amish or otherwise, may have to deal with. But come on stop it already with that question.
What is most important is that no matter who I am talking to I steer them toward answers which incorporate a respectful attitude and an open mind. While their ways may be different than many others, they are mostly awesome and definitly my firends!


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Looking for a less expected way to greet guests at the front door or surround yourself with color on the back patio? Consider packing pots with a forest's worth of dwarf evergreens that combine verdant color, interesting shapes, and varied textures. They'll earn raves well beyond fall. Another bonus: Planted properly, these robust plants go into cruise control, meaning less maintenance for you.
"There is a real 'aha' moment that happens when you pot up plants you don't typically see in containers," says horticulturist and author Melinda Myers, who has been designing with dwarf conifers for more than 20 years. "These evergreens bring trees and shrubs, some that normally grow taller than your house, down to an approachable, touchable scale."


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Be Festive, Be Creative with Canon PIXMA Workshop
Sponsored Event
Be Festive, Be Creative with Canon PIXMA Workshop was my first event after I'm back from my Korea Trip…
So, what is this "Be Festive, Be Creative with Canon PIXMA Workshop" about?
In this workshop we get to learn how to create your own customised greeting cards, origami crafts and more with Canon PIXMA photo printer.
There will be 30 parent-child pairs, where participants will learn how to make festive-related 3D photo frames, party hats, and a generic but very useful wall clock.
Omy.sg & Canon have reserved 10 slots for bloggers to join in the fun with the parents and kids!
Thanks omy.sg & Canon for the invitation!
Popular parenting blogger, Ai Sakura and bubbly host/actress/blogger, Joanne-Marie Sim will be sharing some creative craft tips and they will be doing live demonstrations.
My Image Garden is an application that allows you to utilize photos taken with digital cameras and scanned images saved on your computer, in many ways for various purposes. You can organize a vast number of images easily, or create collages, cards and other items from your favorite photos and print them. Depending on the models you use, you can perform scanning from My Image Garden.
Download My Image Garden Here: http://support-sg.canon-asia.com/contents/SG/EN/0200205602.html
Back to the workshop!
Done with my 3D photo frame! How is it?
Ai SakuraNovember 23, 2012 at 2:43 am
thanks for coming down dear! let's meet up over lunch soon k!
Ai @ Sakura Haruka
Yan Teng (tebisha)November 24, 2012 at 3:20 am
welcome! You did a great job! yup sure! 😀
Joanne-MarieNovember 27, 2012 at 5:43 am
Hi Tebisha!
Nice post! 🙂 Can I swipe that photo of me and the little girl off you? 😛
Yan Teng (tebisha)November 27, 2012 at 6:48 am
Hi Joanne,
Sure! 😀
Joanne-MarieNovember 28, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Thanks! Duly credited!


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High winds, freezing temps to hit western Whatcom County through Saturday
Bundle up Whatcom County, it's going to be bitterly cold this weekend thanks to a blast of Arctic air coming out of the Fraser River Valley.
Northeast winds of 20 to 39 mph were expected to hit western Whatcom County Friday night and into the afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 29 — with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour. Combined with temperatures in the 20s, the blustery weather will make it feel like it's in the teens outside.
The strong winds could cause power outages, knock down tree branches and topple weak trees, according to the National Weather Service.
A dusting of snow could fall in Bellingham, Blaine and Lynden overnight Friday, possibly leaving behind less than half an inch of snow.
Saturday is expected to be one of the coldest days of fall so far: The high is expected to be about 27 degrees in Bellingham, though it should be mostly sunny. Overnight that will drop to about 19 degrees. High temperatures will rise a bit Sunday through Monday but remain in the 30s.
In response to the cold, Interfaith Coalition is opening its severe-weather shelters nightly through at least Saturday night to provide safe places for the homeless. The men's shelter has a new location this year, at the Lighthouse Mission Drop-In Center, 1013 W. Holly St., about a block north of the mission. The shelter for women and children is at Garden Street Methodist Church, at the corner of Garden and Magnolia streets.
Shelters open at 5:30 p.m. each day. Salt on the Street will provide transportation to the shelters between 5 and 7 p.m. by picking up people at the Rainbow Center, 209 W. Holly St.; Northwest Baptist Church, 3545 Northwest Ave.; and Northwest Regional Council, 600 Lakeway Drive.
Crews were concerned about wet roads turning slick during the cold snap.
"People need to be cognizant of the ice and slow down overnight and into tomorrow," Sean Duling, assistant superintendent of maintenance and operations for Whatcom County Public Works, said the afternoon of Friday, Nov. 28.
"People need to watch out for black ice and frost," Duling added.
Crews were prepping for snow and ice removal during the cold snap.
On Friday, Whatcom County Public Works closed a section of Slater Road because of flooding from a tributary of the Nooksack River. Water levels were deepening on Friday.
"It's going to become dangerous. It's going to get dark," Duling said.
That closure in a section between LaBounty and Ferndale roads was expected to continue into Sunday.
No significant flooding was reported on Bellingham roads.
Floodwaters started to pull back Friday afternoon but a flood warning remained in effect for the Nooksack River in the Nugent's Corner-area through late Friday night.


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It's hard to believe that the 2 sides of the bridge can look so different given a different vantage point ( I was standing on the bridge for the top photo) and a different cloud pattern which affected the light levels and reflection on the water.
Seconds after taking the top photo I heard a familiar sounding rumble…..TRAIN COMING! I was stoked although I wasn't stupid enough to get any closer than this (at 3x zoom.) I was further away than it looks b and there was quite a bit of room between the footpath and train tracks. It really did rumble and shake the bridge. Good thing I am not afraid of heights that move!


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Just Listed in uber popular Quail Valley, this 2 story colonial is simply amazing. Updated and upgraded this is the home you have been looing for
4 bedroom
2 full and 1 half bathrooms
finished basement
fenced yard with deck, patio and mature landscaping
Top Notch Blue Valley Schools
Watch the interactive 3D virtual tour then call Michael Russell at 913-523-6427 or visit www.SearchJoCoHomes.com to see photos and more info
Mike Russell is a REALTOR with Keller Williams Realty. Mike specializes in Johnson County Kansas Homes and Real Estate for sale. Mike is a tech savvy realtor with over 17 years experience. Did you enjoy Mike's Blog? Feel free to subscribe or join Mike on his Social Network to stay up to date on Overland Park, Olathe, Leawood, Lenexa, Shawnee and all of Johnson Counties real estate news and more...
Mike Russell & Associates can be reached at 913-266-5828 or email@example.com or www.SearchjocoHomes.com


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During the month of August, the three Minnesota DCA corps are having a little fun off the field with a fundraising competition. The "Race to Rochester" is the name of the game, and with your help, the Govenaires will be able to put that racing stripe to good use. Your support will help us maintain the prestigious quality of performance and education that the Govenaires are known for, while still remaining accessible for performers of all backgrounds.
Spread the word everywhere you can!
We want everyone to know that we are excited for DCA in 2017, and we want you to be excited with us!
August 19th at St. Peter High School
Join us to celebrate our 90th Anniversary!
As part of the historic event, we are hosting the St. Peter Expo for free. Watch Minnesota's Best DCA Corps perform in the close personal venue that is the St. Peter High School football field.
There are also collectible buttons to mark the anniversary. Get yours at our Souvie Booth at shows throughout the summer, or at the Expo. Buttons are $10.


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Membership Options
Chapter only membership is available.*
Southern Chapter membership is US $30 per year.
Add ISA professional membership for $135 per year.
Student membership is FREE for qualified students in the Southern Chapter region. **
As a Southern Chapter member, you will receive:
- Discounts to Chapter-sponsored workshops
- Discount on registration fee to Chapter's Annual Conference
- Quarterly Chapter Newsletter
- Discounts on Chapter Publications
- Chapter Voting Power
- Professional Networking opportunities
*Chapter Only membership DOES NOT include discounts on certification exam/recertification fees, ISA publications, or ISA International workshops/conferences.
**Student Qualification: Must be a registered, full-time student with no business income. If also, joining ISA, include copy of current or upcoming schedule with a minimum of six credit hours in courses of study related to arboriculture


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Carlos Beltran's career has been full of extraordinary moments, but his first few months as a Yankee had been rather average. He sustained an elbow injury that kept him out of the lineup for 21 games. His batting average had hovered around .200 for most of the season. The three-year, $45 million contract he signed this past off-season was appearing to be another regrettable decision the Yankees had made with an aging player.
But the tone of Beltran's season, and perhaps the Yankees' season as well, quickly changed with his three-run, game-winning homer Friday night against the Baltimore Orioles to help the Yankees to a 5-3 win.
With Beltran's help, the Yankees have now won four consecutive games and have climbed to a season-high six games over .500.
"It was a tremendous at-bat and a tremendous win for the team," Manager Joe Girardi said.
The Yankees were having a frustrating night until the ninth. They loaded the bases in the second, fifth and sixth innings against the Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez, who tied a career high with six walks. But they could not score a run in any of those innings.
The Yankees were trailing, 3-1, and had stranded 11 runners entering the ninth.
They appeared ready to strand another when Derek Jeter struck out and Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to center field after Brett Gardner singled off Zach Britton to lead off the bottom of the inning. Britton entered Friday's game first in the American League, with a 0.72 earned run average as a reliever. But then he walked Mark Teixeira and allowed a run-scoring single to Brian McCann, which brought up Beltran.
Since his return from the disabled list on June 5, Beltran was hitting .182 with only one home run. But in the past few days, Beltran had begun to feel more comfortable with his swing. He was hitting the ball harder than he had in weeks.
On a 3-1 count Friday, Britton threw a 96-mile-per-hour fastball that Beltran sent deep into the left-field stands. It was only the second home run Britton had allowed this season.
"When you feel good at the plate, you want to be in that spot," Beltran said. "When you're not swinging the bat well, you don't want to be in that spot. Thank God the past couple of days I've been feeling more comfortable at the plate. I've been putting good at-bats together. And I just felt confident that I was going to do something positive.
"I know he's a tough pitcher, ball with a lot of movement. I just told myself to get something up in the strike zone. Once I was in 3-1, that's a hitter's count, and I have to be able to be aggressive and get a good pitch to hit."
Beltran quickly ran around the bases, a big smile on his face as he rounded third and headed into the crowd of teammates waiting for him at the plate.
"I think it's important," Girardi said of what the homer could mean for Beltran's season. "It's been somewhat of a struggle since he got hurt. But you can see him start to square some balls up."
The win saved Hiroki Kuroda from what would have been a tough-luck loss. He did not allow a hit for five innings Friday and he appeared to be an ace anew. This was vintage Kuroda and not the veteran who had seemed to age rapidly in the past year. Kuroda has never been young during his two-plus year stint with the Yankees, but this season, while his earned run average reached career highs, he appeared every bit his 39 years.
Yet even while Kuroda dominated, the hopes of a no-hitter appeared dashed when he ended the fifth inning having thrown 83 pitches. Before Friday, Kuroda had thrown 100 or more pitches only twice this season. His season-high pitch count last year was 117, and that came as he was beginning to fade later in the season. This season, the Yankees have hardly dared pushed Kuroda too far past 100 pitches.
Friday's sixth inning showed why. Kuroda allowed a leadoff double to the light-hitting Nick Hundley, who entered Friday with a .147 average. After securing a fly ball out from Nick Markakis, Kuroda allowed consecutive run-scoring hits to Steve Pearce and Adam Jones. Chris Davis then followed with a single before Kuroda retired the next two batters. But by then, his no-hitter and the Yankees' lead was gone.
He finished having thrown 107 pitches. He struck out six, but his unfortunate sixth inning overshadowed what was a quality outing.
"I guess I got too cautious in protecting that one-run lead," Kuroda said through an interpreter.
Ultimately, it did not matter, as Beltran had his finest night as a Yankee.
The Yankees are awaiting the results of a magnetic resonance imaging test on starting pitcher Michael Pineda's injured right shoulder before letting him begin a throwing program. Pineda has been on the disabled list since May 6.


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Judge Milian
The Cast
When It's On
Show Schedule
Ticking Off a Tenant
Published on
Jan 31, 2014
Ticking off a tenant.
« Newer
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when it's on
Find out when People's
Court is on in your city.
get tickets
Will you be in the Stamford,
Connecticut area? See
The People's Court Live!
the cast
Learn more about Curt Chaplin, Douglas McIntosh and Harvey Levin


text:
Addressing Victims' Needs: Creating Holistic Models of Support for Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
Thank you to all who came to our event on Thursday, April 16th at NYU's Kimmel Center where community experts Dr. Faye Zakheim, Billye Jones, Priya Chandra, and the Reverend Dr. Donna Schaper, discussed the creation of holistic models of support for victims of intimate partner violence. Participants gained insight into the commonly overlooked needs of unique populations and the challenges of building comprehensive services for victims. They also learned how spiritual life, community integration, and support groups can play a role in the healing process.
Co-hosted by CVR, the Latino Social Workers Organization and NYU Global Spiritual Life. Sponsored in part by a NYU Silver School of Social Work Social Justice and Diversity Grant.


text: Serving the CALGARY area, Hyatt Infiniti, located at 46 Heritage Meadows Road S.E. in CALGARY, AB, is your premier retailer of new and used Infiniti vehicles. Our dedicated sales staff and top-trained technicians are here to make your auto shopping experience fun, easy and financially advantageous. Please utilize our various online resources and allow our excellent network of people to put you in your ideal car, truck or SUV today! Call us at (403) 258-2255


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The Sea of Galilee (#israeluncovered Bus 1)
Atara Vogelstein is a junior at NYU studying Creative Writing, Drama, and Psychology. She currently serves as Artistic Director for SHMUTZ, the theatre troupe of NYU Hillel as well as Director of Engagement for TorchPAC, the Israel advocacy club of NYU Hillel.
I will not take a picture, I tell myself from day one. It's too cold to take my fingers out of my sleeves, anyway. But that sun. The way it streams through the trees as if they're not there. Those shadows. I can't help it. I slowly peak my fingers through my windbreaker and touch the camera icon on my phone, struggling to get a clear shot as I jog in place, not wanting to break stride. Got it. No more though. It will distract me too much. I can appreciate the beauty here without snapping photos. The air tastes fresh enough.
I keep jogging. I jog down the dirt path as it meanders further from the quiet street. I'm running closer to the sun. I've seen this sun before, but not these shades. It glints a burnt orange, a golden yellow, soft. An orange and yellow I think I haven't seen. It's so quiet. Quiet enough that I hear my breath, tired, eager. My legs move swiftly in stretchy Gap leggings I packed for these moments. I watch as the black blurs with brown dirt. The more I run, the more I wake. And the closer the sea becomes. I could run onto it. I think of the grave of the poet Naomi Shemer I visited near here some years ago. I think of the poetry of Hannah Senesh.
אלי, אלי, שלא יגמר לעולם.
The dirt changes, swiftly, into a solid bridge. I slow, the bridge a bit slippery in the morning dew, last night's rain. I look up, inhale, exhale, whatever. I breathe without trying. That sun. The shadows. החול והים. The earth feels silent. Why do I ever leave here. The birds fly in purposeful incantation. Don't want to take a picture. But I must. ברוך אתה הי אלוקינו מלך העולם עשה מעשה בראשית. It can't be real. It's not water I walk on. I tread on air, elevated, everything. I want the whole world to see it. I know that they can't. That they won't.
My fingers are numb, but it doesn't matter. Israel gets cold, too. An elderly couple drifts by; I remember with a pang that people live here. We smile. I try not to slip. The sun is higher. Others will be waking. How do I capture this. How do I stay. Morning doesn't last forever.


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|Ralf Angeli
|Re: Emacs icons
|Thu, 25 Aug 2005 13:02:57 +0200
|Gnus/5.1003 (Gnus v5.10.3) Emacs/21.3.50 (gnu/linux)
* Richard M. Stallman (2005-08-25) writes: > Like Frank I think that something like an icon should be designed by > an artist, not by a coder. One could ask somebody like Jakub Steiner > who made a lot of icons for Gnome and OpenOffice if he would like to > design something for Emacs as well. > > I can ask him. Can someone tell me how to contact him? The email address mentioned on his homepage is "jimmac at ximian.com". -- Ralf
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|Current Thread
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When it comes to access to finance, especially in the developing world, small producers are typically left staring into a void. Without significant collateral, mainstream banks are reluctant to lend. Informal lenders, meanwhile, typically charge crippling interest rates. That leaves them with the possibility of governmental assistance or charitable aid, both of which are limited.
Ethical players such as Union Hand Roasted Coffee are trying to fill the financing gap with their own initiatives. The UK-based specialty coffee company has strong developmental goals, and believes that negotiating directly with small farmers is the best way to deliver on that mission.
Short-term lending
Working capital to cover running costs is an even bigger concern for smallholders than money for capital investments, Steven Macatonia, Union's co-founder, points out. Crops such as coffee can often arrive with the buyer months after harvest, which results in a payment lag and leads to cash flow problems. So, Union provides many of its established suppliers with pre-finance worth 30% to 60% of the final crop's value at 0% interest.
"It's the best terms they can possibly have," Macatonia explains, although he concedes the model has significant limitations. "Basically, we're a tiny company and we have very limited cash available for those kind of schemes unfortunately."
Bigger brands have more money to hand. And some are directing a small portion of that to smallholders. Coffee retailer Starbucks, for instance, has contributed to the Fairtrade Access Fund which launched in 2012. The fund, which was set up by Incofin Investment Management, provides long-term loans to farmers' co-operatives to invest in capital improvements, among other expenditures. These improvements should increase yields as well as helping farmers to meet the Coffee and Farming Equity practices (C.A.F.E), Starbucks' in-house sustainability standard that it developed with environment group Conservation International.
Commodity trader Olam is active in this space too. Last year, the Singapore-based firm invested $118.6m in short-term finance for producers. (Starbucks, in comparison, has spent around $70m over 40 years). As with Union, Olam offers 0% interest. In addition, it issues longer-term loans to some larger, well-structured producer groups with which it has a trusted commercial relationship.
Even a huge multinational agribusiness such as Olam, which posted net profits of $87.3m in the first three months of this year, lacks the financial resources necessary. Its pre-finance scheme extends to the 313,000 farmers involved in its flagship Livelihood Charter initiative. That's a laudable figure, for sure, but way short of the 3.5 million farmers worldwide who supply the company.
"If a farmer needs finance, we will do our best to assist them in the pre-finance… this is real short-term, small scale financing," clarifies Chris Brett, global head of corporate responsibility and sustainability at Olam. "But I'm sure you can appreciate that a company like Olam can't finance everything so we have to work out how we're going to help to sort financing out within the [agricultural] supply chain."
Social finance
So what's the answer? All eyes – Olam's included – are turning to the nascent boom in so-called "social finance providers". Financial institutions such as Root Capital, MicroVest, Alterfin, responsibility, Grassroots Capital Management and Sarona are among those at the forefront of this movement, which is geared towards investment opportunities that promise social as well as economic returns.
"Social finance lenders don't have an infinite supply of money either, but many are actually quite well funded. Importantly, as well, they have an interest in increasing or diversifying their portfolios", says Michelle Buckles, director of sustainable finance at the Rainforest Alliance, a US conservation group and sustainability certifier.
Social finance is certainly much better than no finance, but it isn't perfect. Not yet, at any rate. From a producer's point of view, such finance comes at a cost. Interest rates typically range between 6%-12% – not loanshark rates for sure, but not insignificant levels either. From the lender's perspective, the transaction costs are very high, especially given the relatively small loans in question. Likewise, the risks involved in social finance tend to be disproportionate too. The most fundamental problem facing both parties – smallholder and lender alike – is often just the basic fact of finding one another.
Rainforest Alliance is experimenting with a new brokerage service to address some of social finance's early imperfections. It's starting with the last problem first. With certification programmes in 40 different crop types in over 100 countries, it boasts a ready network of producer groups. For lenders, that represents an "attractive pipeline", notes Buckles. The fact that most of these producers have met Rainforest Alliance's farm management standards means they should in theory lower the risk of lending to them too.
Rainforest Alliance isn't lending any money itself, Buckles clarifies: "We are acting as an intermediary. Essentially, we're looking to link producers groups to providers of finance. We collect information on the producer groups; find out what their needs are, what they need the finance for, and so on." It falls to the social finance institutions to undertake full due diligence, but this way most of the preparatory work is already done.
It remains early days. The conservation charity is piloting the approach in Central America at present, before looking to expand it into South America and East Africa in the near future. Plans are afoot to launch similar schemes in West Africa and Indonesia later in the year.
"This is a natural compliment to what Rainforest Alliance has been doing for the last 25 years. We've done a lot of work in the areas of sustainability technical assistance and market access. Helping provide access to finance is in many ways the third leg to the development stool," says Buckles.
The social finance sector as a whole remains fairly nascent too, admits Loïc De Cannière, chief executive of Incofin Investment Management. "We want to see this industry evolve to be able to attract financing from a wider range of players since we believe that lack of access to finance is a barrier that denies opportunity to smallholders," he notes.
Ultimately, he'd like to see local commercial banks step into the smallholder credit market too. That is beginning to happen in some countries. The agricultural sector comprises over 10% of all bank loans in Brazil, Mali and Burkina Faso, for instance. Often lying behind such success stories tends to be an aggressive incentive scheme by national governments. Where uptake by commercial banks is slow, Buckles sees social finance providers as a "key stepping stone" towards loosening their purse strings.
This article was amended on Monday 17 June 2013 to reflect that the Fairtrade Access Fund was set up by Incofin Investment Management not Starbucks as previously stated.
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Richmond, VA based artist Nick Fagan arrived June 15th and has been busy in the studio, painting, carving, sanding and drawing in the intense summer heat of Middle Tennessee!
Fagan's exhibition, Making Authority, will open Friday, July 13th, at VERSA Gallery located in Mercy Junction at 1918 Union Ave. The reception will be from 6-10pm with an artist talk at 8pm. Light refreshments will be provided. This event is free and open to the public.
Additionally, Fagan will be giving a workshop on Saturday, July 14th, on his process of scaling drawings from notebook sketches to 4'x8' sheets of MDF without the use of projectors, art-o-graphs, or grid systems, but purely trained eyes. Join us from 1pm-2:30pm at Swine Gallery, in Mercy Junction at 1918 Union Ave! We'll provide the materials! This event is free and open to the public.


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This delicious paleo pumpkin soup is perfect for anyone who feels like a flavor-packed paleo friendly soup.
Soup is usually super simple and is excellent as an appetizer, lunch or even for a paleo-friendly dinner. It just depends on what you feel like. You can keep the leftovers for a few days in the fridge, or you can freeze it so it will last even longer. Simply reheat whenever you need a delicious, healthy soup.
This soup recipe is pretty basic, so you might want to add a bit more to it depending on your preferences. In the cooking tips below I go through several variations that you can do on this recipe to get something a bit different.
You can use any type of pumpkin for this recipe, but for the best results, I highly recommend using butternut as it's probably one of the best-tasting pumpkins around. One downside is that they can be quite a bit more expensive than something like a Kabocha pumpkin.
If you want to see how to do this paleo pumpkin soup recipe, then be sure to check out my video below. It takes you through all the steps you need to know to get this recipe prepared, cooked and ready to serve.
Paleo Pumpkin Soup Recipe
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tsp. garlic, crushed
- 2 carrots, cubed
- 6 cups pumpkin, cubed
- 1 tsp. cumin, ground
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 2/3 cup coconut milk
- 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- salt & pepper
- Over medium heat, add either coconut oil or a paleo friendly cooking fat to a deep pot.
- Add the onion, garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add the pumpkin, carrot and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, cumin, paprika and bring to the boil.
- Once at the boil, reduce to a light simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes.
- Using either a stick blender or food processor, blend the mixture until it is smooth.
- Return to the saucepan & add the coconut milk.
- Heat the soup until it is hot again, season with salt & pepper.
- Serve & Enjoy
Cooking Tips
- If you're using a food processor, then depending on the size of it, you will probably need to blend in batches. If you're using a stick blender, then you're able just to blend it in the pot.
- Adding some apple is a great way to add a bit of sweetness to the soup, for this recipe I would add about one apple that's been cored, peeled and diced. Alternatively, a natural unrefined sugar such as honey is a great way to sweeten the soup up a bit without drastically changing the flavor.
- If you like a bit of spice, I recommend adding about one or two diced red chilies. I would add these at the same time when you add the onion to the pot in step two.
- My last and probably the favorite variation on this recipe is the addition of some crispy bacon. I prefer nice crunchy bits of bacon in my soup so if you feel like doing this cook up some sliced bacon and add this after you have blitzed the soup.
- If you need to cook this in bulk or want to have it cooking for a long time, then you can make delicious pumpkin soup in the slow cooker. Just make sure you add the coconut cream at the end otherwise it may split.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information for this delicious pumpkin soup is below. Keep in mind this is an estimate and will change depending on any alterations you do on the recipe. I hope this is handy enough for you to decide if this dish is ok for your diet.
If you're feeling like soup with a bit more meat in it, then you should check out the clean chicken soup where everything is made from complete scratch. If you're just feeling like pumpkin soup but want some meat, then some crispy bacon always goes incredibly well with it.
If you have any variations that you would like to share for this paleo pumpkin soup, then feel free to leave me a comment below. If you do like this recipe and would love to stay up to date, then be sure to follow us on any of the major social networks.


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Hello beautiful soul!
You're here because you want change. You want more. More happiness. More success. More fulfillment. More energy. More peace. More joy. More. More. More.
What if I told you to get more, it's about less?
It's about giving stuff up, rather than adding things on.
It's about stopping things, not starting things.
It's about releasing, not holding on tight.
So, there are 17 things that I'm inviting you to give up today. These 17 obstacles to your true happiness and fulfillment are simply behaviors, beliefs or bad habits - all of which can be stopped, shifted or reprogrammed. 17 things so simple, you'll wonder why you never thought of it before.
I know, you're pumped and want to know how you get your hands on this amazing gift that will keep on giving. All you need to do is type your name and email below and it's all yours!
Totally FREE, a gift from me to you.
Oh and here's what some peeps are saying about 17 Invitations:
Each invitation I read, I was like 'she's talking to me - that's the best one.' And then the next one came up and I'm all 'THAT'S the best one!' And on and on...."
- "Brilliant, breathtaking and ideal. I'm going to print it out and read it daily."
- "OMG I love this! I want to print it out and read it everyday! We all have days when the shit in our heads gets in the way of showing up and playing full out! Tracy's 17 invitations, is the perfect loving kick-in-the-pants for the days when you feel like doubting yourself, your why and your greatness."


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Hong Kong protests: business is not as usual
Sep 13, 2019 | By Athena Chen
Oct 04, 2015
By WGSN Insider
Morioka Shoten is a bookstore that only stocks one book. It's a gallery for books. Here, in this small, bare-bones boutique, the book basks in the limelight. There's artwork and photographs too and other items related to the book on nearby walls to give you more context, which only adds to the uniqueness of the store.
The gallery-like space can be found on the ground floor of the Suzuki Building in Ginza, Tokyo. Built in 1929, it was once home to the legendary graphic design office Nippon Kobo. Today what you get is one book in one store that rotates its offering. The place is minimal like its concept. The walls are bare, the ceilings sparse and the concrete floor left untouched. The only furniture you'll find is a vintage chest, a working desk and a table displaying the book. It's minimal, inside and out.
Stripping things back to just the one book makes for a refreshing change. This is yet another reminder (there's a lot as of late) to slow down and savour what we buy, how we buy it and why. Things are getting noisier and noisier. We're bombarded by choice. But this offers an alternative. It offers respite and reprieve, a refuge from the endlessness of today's incessant offering.
Plus, with its one-at-a-time philosophy, Morioka Shoten is perhaps a sign of things to come. Consumers are becoming more considered about what they buy – they're looking to trim down their purchases – to buy less, but better. This minimalist bookstore is a reflection of that.
The Buzz: This new bookshop with its singular focus is definitely something to watch out for. Another one-book bookstore recently opened on Hudson Street in New York. This idea of a gallery-like space is also trickling into beauty retail, as Nendo launched Beauty Library in Tokyo, a new store designed to encourage people to take the time to learn about the products on offer. This slower, more considered approach to what we buy and how we buy it is explored in our Going Slow report on Think Tank. For those who are subscribers, head to the site now where you can explore this concept in more detail.
NEED INSPIRATION? WGSN publishes 350 reports every month. That's a seriously awe-inspiring amount of inspiration. Sound good? Join WGSN.
Know what's next. Become a WGSN member today to benefit from our daily trend intelligence, retail analytics, consumer insights and bespoke consultancy services.


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Writing a diatribe on my doubts and fears of reading Haruki Murakami's1Q84 in English must've been cathartic, because I read the whole damn thing over the New Year's holiday. 925 pages in seven days. Estimating it took me over 14 months to read 1,650 pages of Japanese text, the time practically flew.
Overall, it's quite similar to Murakami's original, though I find the lack of humor magnified in English. I'm pinning this on the omniscient third-person POV, a departure from his well honed first-person narration. Not to say it reads blandly: both translators, Jay Rubin and Philip Gabriel, have some fun. Like this naughty gem from Book 1 Chapter 22:
Tengo saw admiration in the eyes of several of his female students, and he realized that he was seducing these seventeen- or eighteen-year-olds through mathematics. His eloquence was a kind of intellectual foreplay. Mathematical functions stroked their backs, theorems sent warm breath into their ears. Since meeting Fuka-Eri, however, Tengo no longer felt sexual interest in such girls, nor did he have any urge to smell their pajamas.
Needless to say, I immediately referred to my own translation:
Tengo looked around the classroom, at the 17- and 18-year-old girls staring at him with awe and respect. He realized he could seduce them by channeling mathematics. His speech was a kind of intellectual foreplay. The functions were a stroke on the back, the theorems warm breath in their ears. But when he met Fukaeri, he lost all sexual interest in these girls. He didn't care to think how they smelled in pajamas.
Here's a gem for you language buffs: 知的な前戯 ("intellectual foreplay"). But I gotta give it to Rubin, hooking in action verbs ("functions stroked", "theorems sent") that I glossed over. And that last sentence...no comment.
Rubin and Gabriel split translation duties on Murakami's short-story collection Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman. But, as Gabriel tells The Atlantic,1Q84 is their first collaborative effort on a single novel. Which might explain a few funny discrepancies.
Like the name of Tengo's favorite bar. Murakami's characters internalize their thoughts (even in third-person), and drink whilst thinking. When they're not pouring drams into bedside tumblers, they're out at some bar. In 1Q84, Tengo frequents this one joint near a Kinokuniya (paperbacks at the bar, something I'm emulating in 2012) no less than three times. Murakami calls it 「麦頭」(supplied with tiny furigana adjacent to identify its unique pronunciation), which I translated as "Wheat-Head". If we're getting nitty-gritty, the first character means "wheat" and is used on beer labels, and the latter "head," so it could signify the frothy foam atop a draft. Rubin calls it "Barleyhead." Fine, I'll bite.
In Book Three (Gabriel's translation), this becomes "Mugiatama" (the phonetic translation of those characters), which Gabriel derives into "Ears of Wheat"! I checked the Japanese text and my translation and, yeah, same joint. Tengo's even quaffing the same draft (Carlsberg). Next time he visits, midway through Book Three, Gabriel leaves it as "Mugiatama."
Finally, that whole "cat town" vs. "town of cats" drama that set me off againstreading 1Q84 in English. Rubin's translation flows predictably enough, like this exchange:
"Did you go to a town of cats," Fuka-Eri asked Tengo, as if pressing him to reveal a truth.
"You went to your town of cats. Then came back on a train."
My own translation practically mirrored this:
"you went to cat town" she said to Tengo as if challenging him.
"I did??"
"you went to your cat town. then you took the train back home"
The original Japanese is 「咎めるように言った」; I called it "said as if challenging" and think Rubin's poetic nudge is a tad excessive. Yet several chapters later, Rubin translates:
"You'll be leaving tomorrow," Fuka-Eri asked.
Tengo nodded. "Tomorrow morning I have to take the train and go to the cat town again."
"You're going to the cat town," Fuka-Eri asked without expression.
"You will be waiting here," Tengo asked. Living with Fuka-Eri, he had become used to asking questions without question marks.
Imagine my surprise! I feel this reads so much more naturally, calling this far-flung location "cat town." My translation:
"you're going tomorrow" Fukaeri inquired, looking at him.
Tengo nodded. "I'll take a train tomorrow morning. I have to go back to cat town once again."
"you're gonna go to cat town" Fukaeri replied, expressionlessly.
"You'll wait here," asked Tengo. Living with Fukaeri, he'd picked up the habit of leaving the question-marks off his questions.
And several dozen pages later, in Book Three, Gabriel dispenses with "town of cats" mentions altogether, utilizing only "cat town" in Tengo's thoughts and in a letter from Fuka-Eri to him. Best I can do for a response is 「当たり前」, which in slangified English might go "obvs."
Photo: Mr. Fee


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Writing projects for me are inspired by a variety of things. Like beautiful artwork. Below are some of my favorite art pieces I've found on the internet ( I have many). The first is the background for my newest blog, blueshift. The composition is of an ice world, presumably with several suns in its system. It reminds me of what Pluto might actually look like. It's called Distant Suns, naturally, by Hameed. I couldn't find anything on his actual website www.pixeldestiny.com, but he is on deviantArt.com.
This piece was posted on The Middle-Earth Network. It's of Esgaroth or Laketown, a fictional place in The Hobbit. You can see Smaug the dragon in the distance. It's interesting in that the beauty and the calm it seems, late in the evening - it looks like evening by how the light is drawn. Little do they know the terror that awaits them. This to was found o deviantArt. I think it s mix of digital painting and traditional painting.
Some great artists of the 19th and 20th centuries have regrettably been forgotten. One of them is Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. This is one of my favorite pieces. It's called The Finding of Moses. You can find out a little more about this artist and more like him at this podcast and website. Great art pieces, whether use of traditional materials like this one or made with digital tools like the two compositions above, they are inspirational and and can spur the imagination. I think of stories that can be written. I'll be posting more of these later.


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That is exactly how many people feel about this "computer age" we live in. This is the 21st Century, and we live in a world that is always talking about going green. So, with that in mind and knowing that many of us use computers daily for just about everything, St. Francis Xavier is jumping on the band wagon! Parishes across the country are turning to Electronic Funds Transfer for aid in stewardship. We are pleased to announce that we can now offer this service to our parishioners through the same company that now manages the budget envelopes for the parish. We have enlisted E-Giving, a subsidiary of Fred Waltz Co., to establish and administer an automated giving program at St. Francis Xavier Parish.
This program allows parishioners to have their contributions directly debited from either their checking or savings account on a weekly or monthly basis. This is an absolutely secure way of contributing to the parish. This program is free for parishioners, and you maintain full control of your offerings.
For more information on how the program works, check out the FAQs. When you are ready to enroll, please click on the E-Giving logo and follow the simple registration process.
Thank you for all you do for our parish family!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q - What is e-giving?
A - E-giving is short for electronic giving. It is an automatic transfer program which allows you to make contributions without writing checks.
Q - What is the advantage of e-giving?
A - It saves time! It saves work! It simplifies your life! You also help the organization stabilize its budget and save $
Q - How is my electronic contribution automatically deducted from my account?
A - You may log onto your organization's e-giving site, and give via credit or debit card, or read the agreement and check the box for ach transactions to make donations via checking or savings account at the site. Once you authorize the transfer, your specified contributions can be taken out one time, or on a regular basis as you choose. The contribution is transferred directly from your checking or savings account to the organization's account.
Q - When will my contribution be deducted from my account?
A – Within 24 hours for credit and debit card transactions; 72 hours for ach (checking or savings account donations). If you choose to give on a regular monthly basis automatically, you can designate when the donation should be processed.
Q- Can I put amounts in different funds and special offerings, and have them all withdrawn from my account at different frequencies?
A- You can set up to contribute to different funds at different frequencies; HOWEVER, you will have to do each one separately. There is no way possible to split a single transaction into different amounts and frequencies. When you have completed giving to one fund for a certain frequency, simply go back in to complete another. You will receive separate receipts for each.
Q- What do I use when I do my taxes? Will I get a statement of everything I gave online?
A- You may receive a statement from your organization with all your donation information (online and in person), however, you may print out a statement from the e-giving site for all transactions that were made online through e-giving, using the time period you designate. This can be used for tax purposes.
Q- Can I look up all my donations online, even those that I gave while at church?
A- No. The only transactions you can view online are the ones that were completed online. Please contact your church office for complete donation information.
Q- Can anyone who works at the church see my account number?
A- No. no one at the church has access to your account/credit/debit card numbers. Only a couple employees at the E-giving service have access to this info.
Q- What do I do if I forget my username or password?
A- If you forget your password, click on the "forgot password" link. You can then enter your username, and your password will be emailed to the email address you registered with. If you have forgotten your username, click on the appropriate link. This will bring up an email message that goes straight to your organization. Let them know you have forgotten your username, and give them information with which to identify you with. You will receive an emailed message back with your username, or, a request for more information in order to verify your identity. Please allow 2 business days for username retrieval. You may also email E-Giving at email@example.com.
Q – If I do not write checks, how do I keep my checkbook balance straight?
A – You may either make a notation in your check register at the time of the transaction, or you can make the notation at the time that an email is sent to you acknowledging your contribution.
If you choose to contribute at regular automatic intervals, you can easily make the notations for the the entire length of time that you are contributing all at once.
Q- What can I use to put into the collection basket when it comes around to me?
A- You may print out your acknowledgement page or the email that you receive when your transaction is processed. You will see that the information is inside an envelope shape — this is to make it easy for you to cut it out and put it in the collection plate. You may also have a space on your regular weekly envelope you can check that says "I gave electronically".
Q – Without a cancelled check, how can I prove I made my contribution?
A – You have the option of printing or saving either the payment acknowledgement page, or the emailed acknowledgements. In addition, your credit card or bank statement shows an itemized list of electronic transfers. Your organization also has proof of your donation. Any of these can prove your contribution.
Q – Is electronic giving risky?
A – Electronic giving is less risky than check contribution. It cannot be lost, stolen or destroyed in the mail. You may choose in your profile to turn off account number save. With this option, you will have to enter your account number each time a transaction is made, but it will never automatically show on the page.
Q – What if I change bank accounts, or get a new credit or debit card?
A – Update the information at the e-giving site under the section "member profile". If you have set up recurring transactions and you do not update your account information, you may be deactivated until you update your info. This is to prevent your account from being declined over and over.
Q – How much does electronic giving cost?
A – It costs you nothing and saves you time. The organization pays nominal transaction fees — the lowest available. Credit and Debit cards cost the organization more than savings or checking account transfers. Because of this, you may choose to give by your bank account to save additional costs for your organization. In addition, the charges are transaction based, so if you can contribute once per month instead of weekly, again, it saves the church money.
Q – What if I try it and don't like it?
A – You can cancel your automatic deductions anytime via the e-giving website.
Q – What if I only want to give on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis?
A – You can choose these frequencies on your own when completing your egiving info on the site. You also have the option to have your automatic deductions run for only a certain period of time if you attend more than one organization through the year.
Q- What if I want to recommend this to friends and family belong to different organizations?
A- You can ask them to have their organization's staff call your organization's office for referral information, or just give them the email address www.e-giving.org. All contact information is there.
Q- The computer won't let me make my donation by using my bank account — the only option is for credit or debit cards. Or, I can't make a contribution with a credit/debit card.
A- Go back to the main menu, and choose "View the Authorization Agreement". Read the agreement and check the box to agree. Once that is done, you will have access to the bank ach donation area. You may need to log out and log back in for this to take effect. Your bank may also have limited the ways you can donate. Not only do they have the option to allow credit/debit and/or savings checking accounts, they also choose which credit/debit cards are usable.