text:
AS Honoria St. Quentin and the reluctant Shotover stepped, side by side, from the warmth and dimness obtaining in the anteroom, into the pleasant coolness of the moonlit balcony, Lady Constance Quayle, altogether forgetful of her usual careful civility and pretty correctness of demeanour, uttered an inarticulate cry—a cry, indeed, hardly human in its abandon and page: 339 unreasoning anguish, resembling rather the shriek of the doubling hare as the pursuing greyhound nips it across the loins. Regardless of all her dainty finery of tulle, and roses, and flashing diamonds, she flung herself forward, face downwards, across the coping of the balustrade, her bare arms outstretched, her hands clasped above her head. Mr. Decies, blue‐eyed, black‐haired, smooth of skin, looking noticeably long and lithe in his close‐fitting, dress clothes, made a rapid movement as though to lay hold on her and bear her bodily away. Then, recognising the futility of any such attempt, he turned upon the intruders, his high‐spirited, Celtic face drawn with emotion, his attitude rather dangerously warlike.
"What do you want?" he demanded hotly.
"My dear good fellow," Lord Shotover began, with the most assuaging air of apology, "I assure you the very last thing I‐we—I mean I—want is to be a nuisance. Only Miss St. Quentin thought—in fact, Decies, don't you see—dash it all, you know, there seemed to be some sort of worry going on out here and so"—
But Honoria did not wait for the conclusion of elaborate explanations, for that cry and the unrestraint of the girl's attitude not only roused, but shocked her. It was not fitting that any man, however kindly or even devoted, should behold this well‐bred, modest and gentle, young maiden in her present extremity. So she swept past Mr. Decies and bent over Lady Constance Quayle, raised her, strove to soothe her agitation, speaking in tones of somewhat indignant tenderness.
But, though deriving a measure of comfort from the steady arm about her waist, from the strong, protective presence, from the rather stern beauty of the face looking down into hers, Lady Constance could not master her agitation. The train had left the metals, so to speak, and the result was confusion dire. A great shame held her, a dislocation of mind. She suffered that loneliness of soul which forms so integral a part of the misery of all apparently irretrievable disaster, whether moral or physical, and places the victim of it, in imagination at all events, rather terribly beyond the pale.
"Oh!" she sobbed, "you ought not to be so kind to me. I am very wicked. I never supposed I could be so wicked. What shall I do? I am so frightened at myself and at everything. I did not recognise you. I didn't see it was only Shotover."
"Well, but now you do see, my dear Con, it's only me" that gentleman remarked, with a cheerful disregard of grammar. page: 340 "And so you mustn't upset yourself any more. It's awfully bad for you, and uncomfortable for everybody else, don't you know. You must try to pull yourself together a bit and we'll help you—of course, I'll help you. We'll all help you, of course we will, and pull you through somehow."
But the girl only lamented herself the more piteously.
"Oh no, Shotover, you must not be so kind to me! You couldn't, if you knew how wicked I have been."
"Couldn't I?" Lord Shotover remarked, not without a touch of humorous pathos. "Poor little Con!"
"Only, only please do not tell Louisa. It would be too dreadful if she knew—she, and Alicia, and the others. Don't tell her, and I will be good. I will be quite good, indeed I will."
"Bless me, my dear child, I won't tell anybody anything. To begin with I don't know anything to tell."
The girl's voice had sunk away into a sob. She shuddered, letting her pretty, brown head fall back against Honoria St. Quentin's bare shoulder,—while the moonlight glinted on her jewels and the night wind swayed the hanging clusters of the pink geraniums. Along with the warmth and scent of flowers, streaming outward through the open windows, came a confused sound of many voices, of discreet laughter, mingled with the wailing sweetness of violins. Then the pleading, broken, childish voice took up its tale again:—
"I will be good. I know I have promised, and I have let him give me a number of beautiful things. He has been very kind to me, because he is clever, and of course I am stupid. But he has never been impatient with me. And I am not ungrateful, indeed, Shotover, I am not. It was only for a minute I was wicked enough to think of doing it. But Mr. Decies told me he—asked me—and—and we were so happy at Whitney in the winter. And it seemed too hard to give it all up, as he said it was true. But I will be good, indeed I will. Really it was only for a minute I thought of it. I know I have promised. Indeed, I will make no fuss. I will be good. I will marry Richard Calmady."
"But this is simply intolerable!" Honoria said in a low voice.
She held herself tall and straight, looking gallant yet pure, austere even, as some pictured Jeanne d'Arc, a great singleness of purpose, a high courage of protest, an effect at once of fearless challenge and of command in her bearing.—"Is it not a scandal," she went on, "that in a civilised country, at this time of day, a woman should be allowed, actually forced, to suffer so much? page: 341 You must not permit this martyrdom to be completed—you can't!"
As she spoke Decies watched her keenly. Who this stately, young lady—so remarkably unlike the majority of Lord Shotover's intimate, feminine acquaintance—might be, he did not know. But he discerned in her an ally and a powerful one.
"Yes," he said impulsively, "you are right. It is a martyrdom and a scandalous one. It's worse than murder, it's sacrilege. It's not like any ordinary marriage. I don't want to be brutal, but it isn't. There's something repulsive in it, something unnatural."
The young man looked at Honoria, and read in her expression a certain agreement and encouragement.
"You know it, Shotover—you know it just as well as I do. And that justified me in attempting what I suppose I would not otherwise have felt it honourable to attempt.—Look here, Shotover, I will tell you what has just happened. I would have had to tell you to‐morrow, in any case, if we had carried the plan out. But I suppose I have no alternative but to tell you now, since you've come."
He ranged himself in line with Miss St. Quentin, his back against one of the big, stone vases. He struggled honestly to keep both temper and emotion under control, but a rather volcanic energy was perceptible in him.
"I love Lady Constance," he said. "I have told her and—and she cares for me. I am not a Crœsus like Calmady. But I am not a pauper. I have enough to keep a wife in manner suitable to her position and my own. When my uncle, Ulick Decies, dies—which I hope he'll not hurry to do, since. I am very fond of him—there'll be the Somersetshire property addition to my own dear, old place in County Cork. And your sister simply hates this marriage"—
"Lord bless me, my dear fellow, so do I!" Lord Shotover put in with evident sincerity.
"And so, when at last I had spoken freely, I asked her to"—
But the young girl cowered down, hiding her face in Honoria St. Quentin's bosom.
"Oh! don't say it again—don't say it," she implored. "It was wicked of me to listen to you even for a minute. I ought to have stopped you at once and sent you away. It was very wrong of me to listen, and talk to you, and tell you all that I did. But everything is so strange, and I have been so miserable. I never supposed anybody could ever be so miserable. And I knew it was ungrateful of me, and so, I dared not tell anybody. page: 342 I would have told papa, but Louisa never let me be alone with him. She said papa indulged me, and made me selfish and fanciful, and so I have never seen him for more than a little while. And I have been so frightened."—She raised her head, gazing wide‐eyed first at Miss St. Quentin and then at her brother. "I have thought such dreadful things. I must be very bad. I wanted to run away. I wanted to die"—
"There, you hear, you hear," Decies cried hoarsely, spreading abroad his hands, in sudden violence of appeal to Honoria. "For God's sake help us! I am not aware whether you are a relation, or a friend, or what. But I am convinced you can help, if only you choose to do so. And I tell you she is just killing herself over this accursed marriage. Someone's got at her and talked her into some wild notion of doing her duty, and marrying money for the sake of her family"—
"Oh, I say, damn it all!" Lord Shotover exclaimed, smitten with genuine remorse.
"And so she believes she's committing the seven deadly sins, and I don't know what besides, because she rebels against this marriage and is unhappy. Tell her it's absurd, it's horrible, that she should do what she loathes and detests. Tell her this talk about duty is a blind, and a fiction. Tell her she isn't wicked. Why, God in heaven, if we were none of us more wicked than she is, this poor old world would be so clean a place that the holy angels might walk barefoot along the Piccadilly pavement there, outside, without risking to soil so much as the hem of their garments! Make her understand that the only sin for her is to do violence to her nature by marrying a man she's afraid of, and for whom she does not care. I don't want to play a low game on Sir Richard Calmady and steal that which belongs to him. But she doesn't belong to him—she is mine, just my own. I knew that from the first day I came to Whitney, and looked her in the face, Shotover. And she knows it too, only she's been terrorised with all this devil's talk of duty."
So far the words had poured forth volubly, as in a torrent. Now the speaker's voice dropped, and they came slowly, defiantly, yet without hesitation.
"And so I asked her to go away with me, now, to‐night, and marry me to‐morrow. I can make her happy—oh, no fear about that! And she would have consented and gone. We'd have been away by now—if you and this lady had not come just when you did, Shotover."
The gentleman addressed whistled very softly.
"Would you, though?" he said, adding meditatively:—page: 343
"By George now, who'd have thought of Connie going the pace like that!"
"Oh, Shotover, never tell, promise me you will never tell them!" the poor child cried again. "I know it was wicked, but"—
"No, no, you are mistaken there," Honoria put in, holding her still closer. "You were tempted to take a rather desperate way out of your difficulties. It would have been unwise, but there was nothing wicked in it. The wrong thing is—as Mr. Decies tells you—to marry without love, and so make all your life a lie, by pretending to give Richard Calmady that which you do not, and cannot, give him."
Then the young soldier broke in resolutely again.
"I tell you I asked her to go away, and I ask her again now"‐
"The deuce you do!" Lord Shotover exclaimed, his sense of amusement getting the better alike of astonishment and of personal regrets.
"Only now I ask you to sanction her going, Shotover. And I ask you"—he turned to Miss St. Quentin—"to come with her. I am not even sure of your name, but I know, by all that you've said and done in the last half‐hour, I can be very sure of you. And, I perceive, that if you come nobody will dare to say anything unpleasant—there'll be nothing, indeed, to be said."
Honoria smiled. The magnificent egoism of mankind in love struck her as distinctly diverting. Yet she had a very kindly feeling towards this black‐haired, bright‐eyed, energetic, young lover. He was in deadly earnest—to the removing even of mountains. And he had need to be so, for that mountains immediately blocked the road to his desires was evident even to her enthusiastic mind. She looked across compellingly at Lord Shotover. Let him speak first. She needed time, at this juncture, in which to arrange her ideas and to think.
"My dear good fellow," that gentleman began obediently, patting Decies on the shoulder, "I'm all on your side. I give you my word I am, and I've reason to believe my father will be so too. But you see, an elopement—specially in 'our sort of highly respectable, hum‐drum family—is rather a strong order. Upon my honour it is, you know, Decies. And, even though kindly countenanced by Miss St. Quentin, and sanctioned by me, it would make a precious undesirable lot of talk. It really is a rather irregular fashion of conducting the business you see. And then—advice I always give others and only wish I could page: 344 always remember to take myself—it's very much best to be off with the old love before you're on with the new."
"Yes, yes," Miss St. Quentin put in with quick decision. "Lord Shotover has laid his finger on the heart of the matter. It is just that.—Lady Constance's engagement to Richard Calmady must be cancelled before her engagement to you, Mr. Decies, is announced. For her to go away with you would be to invite criticism, and put herself hopelessly in the wrong. She must not put herself in the wrong. Let me think! There must be some way by which we can avoid that."
An exultation, hitherto unexperienced by her, inspired Honoria St. Quentin. Her attitude was slightly unconventional. She sat on the stone balustrade, with long‐limbed, lazy grace, holding the girl's hand, forgetful of herself, forgetful, in a degree, of appearances, concerned only with the problem of rescue presented to her. The young man's honest, wholehearted devotion, the young girl's struggle after duty and her piteous despair, nay, the close contact of that soft, maidenly body that she had so lately held against her in closer, more intimate, embrace than she had ever held anything human before, aroused a new class of sentiment, a new order of emotion, within her. She realised, for the first time, the magnetism, the penetrating and poetic splendour of human love. To witness the spectacle of it, to be thus in touch with it, excited her almost as sailing a boat in a heavy sea, or riding to hounds in a stiff country, excited her. And it followed that now, while she perched aloft boylike, on the balustrade, her delicate beauty took on a strange effulgence, a something spiritual, mysterious, elusive, and yet dazzling as the moonlight which bathed her charming figure. Seeing which, it must be owned that Lord Shotover's attitude towards her ceased to be strictly fraternal, while the attractions of ladies more fair and kind than wise paled very sensibly.
"I wish I hadn't been such a fool in my day, and run amuck with my chances," he thought.
But Miss St. Quentin was altogether innocent of his observation or any such thinkings. She looked up suddenly, her face irradiated by an exquisite smile.
"Yes, I have it," she cried. "I see the way clear."
"But I can't tell them," broke in Lady Constance.
Honoria's hand closed down on hers reassuringly.
"No," she said, "you shall not tell them. And Lord Shotover shall not tell them. Sir Richard Calmady shall tell Lord page: 345 Fallowfeild that he wishes to be released from his engagement, as he believes both you and he will be happier apart. Only you must be brave, both for your own sake, and for Mr. Decies', and for Richard Calmady's sake also.—Lady Constance," she went on, with a certain gentle authority, "do you want to go back to Whitney to‐morrow, or next day, all this nightmare of an unhappy marriage done away with and gone? Well, then, you must come and see Sir Richard Calmady to‐night, and, like an honourable woman, tell him the whole truth. It must be done at once, or your courage may fail. We will come with you‐Lord Shotover and I"—
"Good Lord, will we though!" the young man ejaculated, while the girl's great, heifer's eyes grew strained with wonder at this astounding announcement.
"I know it will be rather terrible," Honoria continued calmly. "But it is a matter of a quarter of an hour, as against a lifetime, and of honour as against a lie. So it's worth while, don't you think so, when your whole future, and Mr. Decies'"—she pressed the soft hand again steadily—"is at stake? You must be brave now, and tell him the truth—just simply that you do not love him enough—that you have tried,—you have, I know you have done that,—but that you have failed, that you love someone else, and that therefore you beg him, in mercy, before it is too late, to set you free."
Fascinated both by her appearance and by the simplicity of her trenchant solution of the difficulty, Lord Shotover stared at the speaker. Her faith was infectious. Yet it occurred to him that all women, good and bad, are at least alike in this—that their methods become radically unscrupulous when they find themselves in a tight place.
"It is a fine plan. It ought to work, for—cripple or not—poor Calmady's a gentleman," he said, slowly. "But doesn't it seem just a trifle rough, Miss St. Quentin, to ask him to be his own executioner?"
Honoria had slipped down from the balustrade, and stood erect in the moonlight.
"I think not," she replied. "The woman pays, as a rule. Lady Constance has paid already quite heavily enough, don't you think so? Now we will have the exception that proves the rule. The man shall pay whatever remains of the debt. But we must not waste time. It is not late yet, we shall still find him up, and my brougham is here. I told Lady Aldham I should be home fairly early. Get a cloak, Lady Constance, and meet us in the hall. I suppose you can go down by some back page: 346 way so as to avoid meeting people. Lord Shotover, will you take me to say good‐night to your sister, Lady Louisa?"
The young man fairly chuckled.
"And you, Mr. Decies, must stay and dance."—She smiled upon him very sweetly. "I promise you it will come through all right, for, as Lord Shotover says, whatever his misfortunes may be, Richard Calmady is a gentleman.—Ah! I hope you are going to be very happy. Good‐bye."
Decies' black head went down over her hand, and he kissed it impulsively.
"Good‐bye," he said, the words catching a little in his throat. "When the time comes, may you find the man to love you as you deserve—though I doubt if there's such a man living, or dead either, for that matter! God bless you."
Some half‐hour later Honoria stood among the holland‐shrouded furniture in Lady Calmady's sitting‐room in Lowndes Square. The period of exalted feeling, of the conviction of successful attainment, was over, and her heart beat somewhat painfully. For she had had time, by now, to realise the surprising audacity of her own proceedings. Lord Shotover's parley with Richard Calmady's man‐servant, on the doorstep, had brought that home to her, placing what had seemed obvious, as a course of action to her fervid imagination, in quite a new light. Sir Richard Calmady was at home? He was still up?—To that, yes. Would he see Lady Constance Quayle upon urgent business?—To that again, yes—after a rather lengthy delay, while the valet, inscrutable, yet evidently highly critical, made inquiries.—The trees in the square had whispered together uncomfortably, while the two young ladies waited in the carriage. And Lord Shotover's shadow, which had usually, very surely, nothing in the least portentous about it, lay queerly, three ways at once, in varying degrees of density, across the grey pavement in the conflicting gas and moon‐light.
And now, as she stood among the shrouded furniture, which appeared oddly improbable in shape seen in the flickering of two hastily‐lighted candles, Honoria could hear Shotover walking back and forth, patiently, on that same grey pavement outside. She was overstrained by the emotions and events of the past hours. Small matters compelled her attention. The creaking of a board, the rustle of a curtain, the silence even of this large, but half‐inhabited, house, were to her big with suggestion, disquietingly replete with possible meaning, of exaggerated importance to her anxiously listening ears.
Lord Shotover had stopped walking. He was talking to the page: 347 coachman. Honoria entertained a conviction that, in the overflowing of his good‐nature, he talked—sooner or later—to every soul whom he met. She derived almost childish comfort from the knowledge of the near neighbourhood of that eminently good‐natured presence. Lord Shotover's very obvious faults faded from her remembrance. She estimated him only by his size, his physical strength, his large indulgence of all weaknesses—including his own. He constituted a link between her and things ordinary and average, for which she was rather absurdly thankful at this juncture. For the minutes passed slowly, very slowly. It must be getting on for half an hour since little Lady Constance, trembling and visibly affrighted, had passed out of sight, and the door of the smoking‐room had closed behind her. The nameless agitation which possessed her earlier that same evening returned upon Honoria St. Quentin. But its character had suffered change. The questioning of the actual, the suspicion of universal illusion, had departed; and in its place she suffered alarm of the concrete, of the incalculable force of human passion, and of a manifestation of tragedy in some active and violent form. She did not define her own fears, but they surrounded her nevertheless, so that the slightest sound made her start.
For, indeed, how slowly the minutes did pass! Lord Shotover was walking again. The horse rattled its bit, and pawed the ground impatient of delay. Though lofty, the room appeared close and hot, with drawn blinds and shut windows. Honoria began to move about restlessly, threading her way between the pieces of shrouded furniture. A chalk drawing of Lady Calmady stood on an easel in the far corner. The portrait emphasised the sweetness and abiding pathos, rather than the strength, of the original; and Honoria, standing before it, put her hands over her eyes. For the pictured face seemed to plead with and reproach her. Then a swift fear took her of disloyalty, of hastiness, of self‐confidence trenching on cruelty. She had announced, rather arrogantly, that whatever balance remained to be paid, in respect of Sir Richard and Lady Constance Quayle's proposed marriage, should be paid by the man. But would the man, in point of fact, pay it? Would it not, must it not, be paid, eventually, by this other noble and much enduring woman—whom she had called her friend, and towards whom she played the part, as she feared, of betrayer? In her hot espousal of Lady Constance's cause she had only saved one woman at the expense of another—Oh! how hot the room grew! Suffocating—Lord Shotover's steps died away in the distance. She could look page: 348 Lady Calmady in the face no more. Secure in her own self‐conceit and vanity, she had betrayed her friend.
Suddenly the sharp peal of a bell, the opening of a door, the dragging of silken skirts, and the hurrying of footsteps.—Honoria gathered up her somewhat scattered courage and swung out into the hall. Lady Constance Quayle came towards her, groping, staggering, breathless, her face convulsed with weeping. But to this, for the moment, Miss St. Quentin paid small heed. For, at the far end of the hall, a bright light streamed out from the open doorway. And in the full glare of it stood a young man—his head, with its cap of close‐cropped curls, proudly distinguished as that of some classic hero, his features the beautiful features of Katherine Calmady, his height but two‐thirds the height a man of his make should be, his face drawn and livid as that of a corpse, his arms hanging down straight at his sides, his hands only just not touching the marble quarries of the floor on either side of him.
Honoria uttered an exclamation of uncontrollable pity and horror, caught Constance Quayle by the arm, and hurried out into the moonlit square to the waiting carriage. Lord Shotover flung away the end of his cigar and strolled towards them.
"Got through, fixed it all right—eh, Connie? Bravo—that's grand!—Oh, you needn't tell me! I can imagine it's been a beastly piece of work, but anyway it's over now. You must go home and go to bed, and I'll account for you somehow to Louisa. My mind's becoming quite inventive to‐night, I promise you.—There, get in—try to pull yourself together. Miss St. Quentin, upon my word I don't know how to thank you. You've been magnificent, and put us under an everlasting obligation, Con and Decies, and my father and me.—Nice night isn't it? You'll put us down in Albert Gate? All right. A thousand thanks.—Yes, I'll go on the box again. You haven't much room for my legs among all those flounces. Bless me, it occurs to me I'm getting confoundedly hungry. I shall be awfully glad of some supper."


text:
I also think that the black cloud would have the pellets with the rings spread out more but I also have found that unlike the round pellets the ones with the cutter ring do not have feathers on them thus getting better penetration. just my 2 cents.
I also think that the black cloud would have the pellets with the rings spread out more but I also have found that unlike the round pellets the ones with the cutter ring do not have feathers on them thus getting better penetration. just my 2 cents.
If you shoot black cloud ammo make sure you get the Patternmaster choke tube designed for it. Regular Patternmaster choke tubes are absolutely horrible with black cloud ammo. The reason why is the studs inside of the choke tube stop the wad from performing like it should. I shoot a SBEII and use a Terror choke with a .700 restriction for everything from dove to ducks and geese. This is a bit less than a full choke. It's a bit tight but patterns very well with a wide variety of loads. I liked it so much that I gave my son my SBEII and bought the Beretta A400 Extrema I also bought another Terror choke in the same constriction for it. Same results as with the SBEII. Great choke and keeps a very uniform pattern with a wide variety of loads.
Weller's Tell It To The Judge MH (Justice)
Weller's Running With The Wind MH (Chase)
JD's In It Again MH (Trouble) 5/1/2009 - 1/3/2012
Since a buddy of mine is a dealer for them I picked up a patternmaster yesterday. Shooting it Thurs., we'll see if I can notice a difference.
Since some are not fans of black cloud and I know every gun can perform a little differently. What is the best shell and choke recommended for the A400 that you have found.
Lone Oak's Marley Man.. (My first)
You guys that shoot Black Cloud and other shotshells with something other than circular shot, regardless of all the hype on choke tubes and penetration....be sure to check your patterns at a range. I did this and was surprised to find out that Black Cloud scattered badly at 40yds, regardless of penetration....I not paying extra for it anymore. I did use a choke tube made for Black Cloud....
I find it somewhat comedic on what people spend money on. Over $20 to $25 a box for shells is just plain silly to me. When people ask about a recommended choke without talking about a specific load exactly including FPS, oz size, shot size, length of shell, etc, you're going to get different results, even from the exact same model of gun or choke as all of them are typically mass produced and their tolerances are far from high craftsmanship level. I personally have 2 chokes that I use throughout the year.
In my Maxus, shooting trap, sporting clays, dove, early season geese, geese and ducks up until freeze, I use a Briely light modified extended choke and #2's or BB for decoying waterfowl. I shoot 1 1/4oz 3" loads of Federal Blue box as that particular load I've found to pattern the best for the price. Red box I can get a little better pattern but it's not worth the extra $50 a case in my eyes. I consistently kill birds over decoys with this configuration.
For longer shots and decoying snow geese in the spring or really late season winter geese, I'll use a custom choke I had turned for me by a local gunsmith that actually measure the barrel and cuts the restriction based off that and what you want to shoot with the choke. That choke comes from http://www.drakekiller.com His chokes are widely used by hunters up here wanting to add a little denser pattern at deeper distances and he does a lot of research and testing on patterning from different loads through his chokes. Even though it's custom, I've actually found it to be the same price or even less than the mass produced ones you find hanging on the shelves of your sporting good store.
Cody's Gunslingin' Cosmonaut MH QAA (Shooter)
I bought a Carlson light modified for my grandson's 20ga TriStar auto loader. I improved the pattern quite a bit. I wish I had of bought the deal with three in the package now.
Why not order from Carlson's, they are very willing to answer any questions you might have about the choke tubes. I ordered and thought it would be maybe a week for it to show up, but I had it in three days.
I have never payed over $20 a box for shells and I shoot black clouds. Dont care if they are a gimmic or not they seem to perform well for me was just wondering if anyone had shot the Beretta with 3" black cloud #2 and after market chokes and which performed the best. Thought this was a product review section and will give your buddy a chance. Dont know what you pay for Blue Box federals but they are only about $1 cheaper than the Black Clouds i shoot.
Lone Oak's Marley Man.. (My first)
After many years of shooting steel, you really need to work out a good shell to gun/choke pattern. I have tested many shells through my gun and even change the shells due to the manufacturer changed the formula. Right now I shoot a Beretta A 390 for ducks and Kent #3 with an imp mod factory choke. This works well for me. I shoot Black Cloud BBB in 3 1/2 and a Beretta Extreme for geese with the imp mod. You will need to do some patterening.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
McCall's Quilting May/June 2017
Click to preview all patterns!
Purchase print or digital issue HERE
McCall's Quick Quilts June/July 2017
Click to preview all patterns!
Purchase print or digital issue HERE
Cross & Crown: FREE Fat Quarter Quilt Pattern
Redoing a traditional star pattern in bright Kaffe Fasset prints, this fat-quarter-friendly design is a piecer's dream. Step-by-step photos teach you some of our favorite piecing techniques, adding even more fun to this charming project!
Over the Meadow Block of the Month Quilt Along
McCall's Quilting's exclusive Quilt Along program is getting a face lift for 2017! Check out our new, year-long project, featuring FREE video lessons for a wonderful bed size project designed by Jan Patek!
Scrap Quilting Basics from Beginning to Binding!
World class scrap quilter Bonnie Hunter takes you step-by-step through the process of creating her Wanderlust quilt in this new online course!
FREE Irish Quilts eBook from McCallsQuilting.com
Access this free quilt pattern and 12 Irish quilt block patterns here!
Row House: FREE Patchwork Quilt Block Pattern
The Finished Block Size for this FREE quilt block pattern is 8" x 8".
To Have and to Hold: FREE wedding quilt download
Try this FREE wedding quilt pattern that the bride and groom are sure to love!
It's Teal: FREE Baby Size Quilt Pattern
This lovely baby quilt design was adapted from Star Light, Star Bright.
Design Quilts with EQ7 and Nancy Mahoney
Discover how easy it is to design your own quilts using EQ7 in a new course at Craft University.
Looking Glass: FREE Quilt Pattern
This precut-friendly mini quilt pattern offers the perfect place to display some of those prints you just had to bring home with you!
Jack in the Blocks: Scrappy Reds Quilt Pattern
If you still haven't crossed a red-and-white quilt off your bucket list, the wait is over!
McCall's Quilting Web Bonuses
Village Square, Part 1: FREE House Block Foundations
New England Star FREE Throw-Size Alternate Size Chart
Block Builders Workshop: FREE Quilting Video/Diane's Dresdens
To Have and to Hold: FREE wedding quilt download
McCall's Quick Quilts Web Bonuses
Looking Glass: FREE Quilt Pattern
Picnic Size Chart: FREE Alternate Size Options
Wizard's Chess Size Chart: FREE Alternate Size Options
It's Teal: FREE Baby Quilt Pattern
Rainbow Lattice: FREE Alternate Sizes Quilt Chart
Jack in the Blocks Quilt Kit
If you still haven't crossed "red-and-white quilt" off your bucket list, the wait is over. This fat eighth-friendly, 88" x 88" queen-size bed quilt comes together quickly thanks to quick-piecing techniques.
Rex & Roo Quilt Kit
Let the cute animal prints from the Print Shop collection by Alexia Marcell Abegg for Cotton + Steel delight baby!
Wild Orchid Quilt Kit
Traditional pineapple blocks and lovely fabric from Maywood Studio's Catalina Ultra Violet collection make this beautiful queen-size (83.75" x 97.5") quilt designed by Marti Michell.
Dream at Dawn Series Quilt Kit
Sarah J. Maxwell's gorgeous twin size sampler quilt features dynamic block designs in an innovative setting.
Over the Meadow Block of the Month
Over the Meadow block of the month is a seasonal appliqué sampler quilt designed by Jan Patek. Each month for 12 months you will receive a pattern and fabric to make a block of this delightful quilt.
Letters From Home Quilt Kit
Half-square triangles and square patches combine to make this wonderful one-block quilt which is the first of a series. Easy and quick to make, this is a beautifully traditional pallete.
Winter Sunset
A constellation of bright, bold stars emerge in this intriguing two-block quilt. Bright bold prints from the True Colors collection by FreeSpirit give this quilt a fresh, modern appeal.
Pamlico Sound Table Runner Kit
Simple strip-piecing techniques are all you need to add a tranquil piece of decor to your home, made with blue and green Artisan Spirit Dreamscapes prints by Ira Kennedy for Northcott.
Sponsored Links
Get 10 FREE Vintage Scrappy Quilt Patterns when you subscribe today!
Introducing Love of Crochet with a FREE ISSUE!
Get a Free Trial Issue of America's Favorite Quilting Magazine today!


text:
Focus on Funds
Barbarians Retreat: KKR Shutters Two Funds For Joe Investor
Maybe Wall Street heavyweights don't have as much broad appeal as previously thought. Two KKR & Co. (KKR) funds launched in 2012 for individual investors are shutting down after failing to attract many investors. Those funds were a notable departure from KKR's lengthy history in buyouts and private equity.
KKR said yesterday it will liquidate Alternative Corporate Opportunities Fund and Alternative High Yield Fund (KHYKX) around the end of the first quarter. The two funds have about $39.5 million and $117 million in assets under management, respectively.
Anonymous sources fingered an onerous application process when speaking with the Wall Street Journal's Ryan Dezember and John Kell. That process served as a deterrent to potential investors in the Alternative Corporate Opportunities Fund, the WSJ's source said, while the Alternative High Yield Fund couldn't differentiate itself amid a crowded junk bond market. Here's the Wall Street Journal story in full.
According to KKR's website, at least one other option, the KKR Income Opportunities Fund (KIO), with around $295 million in assets, remains open.
The two funds' demise marks a departure from July 2012, when the launch of these funds lent itself to pithy story ledes that the "barbarians are letting down their gates" -- specifically by diversifying into more mainstream investment options and building on its experience in debt markets.


text:
Log In now to add this Gigapan to a group gallery.
Log In now to add this Gigapan to a gallery.
About This GigapanToggle
- Taken by
- Cristian Gafitescu
- Explore score
- 1
- Size
- 0.83 Gigapixels
- Views
- 4216
- Date added
- Jul 27, 2012
- Date taken
- Jul 26, 2012
- Gear
Gigapan Epic 100, Olympus E510...
- Categories
- architectural, indoor
- Galleries
- Competitions
- Tags
- iasi, romania, gafitescu, architecture, library
- Description
Welcome to the Library of the "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iasi.
The Library was founded in 1937 and since then it has served the research and information and documentation needs of its users. Established as a reference and research technical library, it holds about 1000000 vol. covering a wide range of subjects on engineering and technology, science, economics and law.
Gigapan Comments (0)Toggle Minimize gigapan_comment
Where in the World is this GigaPan?Toggle
Sorry, this gigapan has no location information.


text:
Allen & Heath Xone:XD-20 Advanced Bass In-Ear Headphones
Allen & Heath's name is synonymous with premium mixers, but with the Xone:XD-20 they have applied their sound know-how to headphones. The Xone range is the first choice for many of the world's most discerning clubs and DJs. Whether you're browsing for new tracks or just listening for pleasure, Xone:XD-20 in-ear headphones let you experience the same exceptional performance...
Sound-Squared "ECLIPSE" earphones earbuds for ipod or MP3 player
Marketing description is not available.
Sound-Squared "ECLIPSE" Replacement earphones earbuds for ipod or MP3 player w/Free Earphone Case - GREAT VALUE!
The "Eclipse" stands out for fantastic sound quality in a comfortable design. The crafted aluminum alloy casing reduces vibration to enhance a full range of sound - rich bass response blending nicely with clear mid-ranges and crisp highs. Comfort is maximized with foam earpads and flexible strain reliefs, ensuring comfort during extended periods of use. Enjoy your favorite music or...
SOUND-SQUARED "GMS-104" Sport earphones, earbuds for Ipod or MP3 players w/Free Earphone Case - GREAT VALUE!
SOUND-SQUARED Co. specializes in precision-engineered stereo earphones that reduce noise while creating highly accurate, clear sound reproduction. Only high-quality speaker elements are used and they are protected in durable aluminum alloy casings to ensure long lasting value. Listening pleasure is enhanced through rich bass response, distinctive mid-ranges, and sensation-driving highs!
Sound-Squared "SOUNDXTC" earphones earbuds for ipod or MP3 MP4
Marketing description is not available.


text:
Just a helpful heads up. You need to delete and block (NAME CAN BE PROVIDED VIA A PM)from your friends list if your on Facebook or other social sites. He has been stealing chessie pics from people and breeders and claiming the dogs as his or his friend's under different names. Has already happened to 2 other chessie breeders; probably more... The guy is from the UK
Please WATERMARK or learn to WATERMARK your pics you post as well as on your kennel sites.


text:
Sick sinus syndrome is a group of heart rhythm disorders that include:
People with these disorders may also have other abnormal heart rhythms, such as:
Bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome; Sinus node dysfunction
Sick sinus syndrome most often occurs in people older than 50. It is often due to scar-like damage to electrical pathways in the heart muscle tissue.
In children, heart surgery on the upper chambers is a common cause of sick sinus syndrome.
Coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and aortic and mitral valve diseases may occur with sick sinus syndrome, although these diseases may have nothing to do with the syndrome.
Sick sinus syndrome is uncommon. Sinus bradycardia occurs more often than the other types of the condition.
Tachycardias that start in the upper chambers of the heart may be part of the syndrome. These include atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia, and other types of fast heart rates. A period of fast heart rates is often followed by very slow heart rates immediately after the tachycardia ends.
Some medicines can make abnormal heart rhythms worse. These include digitalis, calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, and anti-arrhythmics.
Most of the time, there are not symptoms.
Symptoms that do occur may mimic those of other disorders.
Symptoms may include:
The heart rate may be very slow at any time. Blood pressure may be normal or low.
Sick sinus syndrome may cause symptoms of heart failure to start or get worse. Sick sinus syndrome is diagnosed when the symptoms occur only during episodes of arrhythmia. However, this is often hard to prove.
An ECG may show abnormal heart rhythms related to this syndrome.
Holter monitoring is an effective tool for diagnosing sick sinus syndrome. It may pick up very slow heart rates and long pauses, along with episodes of atrial tachycardias. Other forms of long-term electrical monitoring may also be useful.
An intracardiac electrophysiology study (EPS) is a very specific test for this disorder. However, it is not often needed and may not confirm the diagnosis.
Exercise testing has not been shown to work well to detect the problem.
You may not need treatment if you do not have any symptoms. Your doctor will review the medicines you take to make sure they are not making your condition worse. Do not stop taking any of your medicines unless your doctor tells you to do so.
You may need a permanent implanted pacemaker if your symptoms are related to bradycardia (slow heart rate).
A fast heart rate (tachycardia) may be treated with medicine. Sometimes, a procedure called radiofrequency ablation is used to cure tachycardia.
In some cases, medicines used to control periods of fast heart rate are combined with use of a pacemaker, which guards against periods of slow heart rate.
The syndrome is progressive, which means it usually gets worse over time.
The long-term outlook is excellent for people who have a permanent pacemaker implanted.
Call your health care provider if you have:
Keeping your heart healthy by eating a well-balanced diet and exercising can prevent many types of heart disease.
You may need to avoid some types of medicines. Many times, the condition is not preventable.
Olgin JE, Zipes DP. In: Specific arrhythmias: diagnosis and treatment. In: Bonow RO, Mann DL, Zipes DP, Libby P, Braunwald E, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 9th ed. St. Louis, MO: WB Saunders; 2011:chap. 39.
Zimetbaum P. Cardiac arrhythmias with supraventricular origin. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman's Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2011:chap 64.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch)
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- 2013 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.


text: Using a rifle to hunt turkeys ought to be illegal. REAL bad idea P.G.C.. I see a whole lot of opportunity for innocent by-standers to get injured in that deal. *Exactly* what is the Pennsylvania Game Commission thinking? Somebody's going to have to get injured or killed and file charges against the State before this changes, IMO. They appear to be suffering from rectal-cranial inversion.


text:
Details For GLORY 9 NYC Leak Out - Tickets on Sale Now
- Written by Dave Walsh
Alright, if you are a Kickboxing fan and you happen to be in the Northeastern part of the United States, this is the big one for you. You've probably heard us talking about this one for a while, as it has been rumored for quite a while. There might not be an official announcement yet, but thanks to tickets on sale to Ticketmaster and we can confirm that GLORY 9 NYC is going down on June 22nd at the historic Hammerstein Ballroom.
This means, first and foremost, that after GLORY 8 TOKYO we'll have almost two months without a proper GLORY event, but this will be the first major GLORY event in the United States. The rumored main event has been the GLORY Heavyweight Championship bout between Semmy Schilt and Gokhan Saki as well as Tyrone Spong being featured, but this is still not official yet, so don't get too excited until GLORY makes an official announcement.
Tickets range from $55 to $275 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.


text:
Late Bronze Age
collected Roti, Indonesia
Ceremonial axe
1st century-4th century CE
72.0 (h) x 41.5 (w) x 1.2 (d) cm
National Museum of Indonesia, Jakarta
Discovered on the far eastern Indonesian island of Roti, this graceful axe was clearly intended for use in ritual rather than battle. One side of the shaft has fine geometric decoration while the other reveals the bold face of a seated male figure with an ornate headdress fanning out above. Stylistically removed from the Dong Son feathered plumes, the prominent mask-like face on this object is an early manifestation of the depiction of ferocious yet protective visages in the art of animist Southeast Asia.


text:
Log In now to add this Gigapan to a group gallery.
Log In now to add this Gigapan to a gallery.
About This GigapanToggle
- Taken by
- Bruce Perry
- Explore score
- 1
- Size
- 0.94 Gigapixels
- Views
- 4260
- Date added
- Dec 07, 2008
- Date taken
- Dec 05, 2008
- Gear
Canon Powershot SX 100 IS
- Categories
- Galleries
- Competitions
- Tags
- nantucket, christmas, stroll
- Description
The Christmas Stroll is a Nantucket tradition. The main event features the arrival of Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus on a Coast Guard cutter. Santa and wife then ride up Main Street preceded by the Nantucket Town Crier.
In this gigapan, you can see many Christmas trees decorated by school groups, civic groups, businesses, and others.
Gigapan Comments (0)Toggle Minimize gigapan_comment
Where in the World is this GigaPan?Toggle
Stitcher NotesToggleMinimize
GigaPan Stitcher version 0.4.2735 (Windows)
Panorama size: 944 megapixels (79994 x 11808 pixels)
Input images: 180 (30 columns by 6 rows)
Field of view: 171.2 degrees wide by 25.3 degrees high (top=11.9, bottom=-13.4)
All default settings
Original image properties:
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
Image size: 3264x2448 (8.0 megapixels)
Aperture: f/8
Exposure time: 0.0666667
Focal length (35mm equiv.): 363.2 mm
Digital zoom: off
White balance: Fixed
Exposure mode: Manual
Has subsecond timestamp: no
Horizontal overlap: 17.5 to 21.1 percent
Vertical overlap: 22.8 to 25.1 percent
Computer stats: 1533.73 MB RAM, 2 CPUs
Total time 5:22:48 (1:47 per picture)
Alignment: 1:24:30, Projection: 22:22, Blending: 3:35:55


text:
Web Stories
Expo set on spring break, summer camps
Posted January 30, 2008; 11:11 p.m.
University families can learn more about upcoming opportunities for their children at the Spring Break and Summer Camp Expo, which is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, in the Frist Campus Center Multipurpose Rooms A and B.
The event, hosted by the Office of Human Resources, will include information on the University's summer sports and day camps as well as classes, camps and other activities offered through numerous community organizations. A list of participating organizations is available at on the human resources website. Information regarding the University's Employee Child Care Assistance Program also will be available.
For more information, contact Audry Rosenbloom at (609) 258-9118 or email@example.com.


text:
Log In now to add this Gigapan to a group gallery.
Log In now to add this Gigapan to a gallery.
About This GigapanToggle
- Taken by
- Jay Hirschfeld
- Explore score
- 122
- Size
- 0.38 Gigapixels
- Views
- 34631
- Date added
- Dec 01, 2009
- Date taken
- Dec 01, 2009
- Categories
- Galleries
- Competitions
- Tags
- morristown, abandon, grafiti, brick, high, resevoir, range, dirt, trash, graffiti, electric, hydroelectric, plant, dam, millburn, power, hills, short, building, abandoned, york, dynamic, hdr, new, jersey, orange
- Description
GigapanMagazine.org Volume 3 Issue 5
One of the most difficult panoramas i've made, just because of the location and extreme exposure differences from one corner of the room to the next. A 360-degree, triple-exposure HDR image that took three shooting attempts over the last several months to finally get correct. Tonemapped in Photomatix, Stitched in AutoPano Giga, cropped and corrected in Photoshop.
The abandoned pumping station I found a couple years back near South Mountain Reservation in northeast New Jersey looks like it's been there for about 80 years or so and abandoned for at least the last 20-30 of it. The inside is completely covered in graffiti, and the building itself is completely rotting away. That said, as soon as I stepped inside the first time I wanted to create this photograph, happy I finally did.
After additional research, it seems that the burn marks found on the ceiling are lasting remnants of a fatal fire at the station.
For more information on the pumping station, please check out:
www.youdontknowjersey.com/2010/08/south-mountain-reservation-pumping-station /
And a video found here (taken around the same time as this photograph, so the interior actually looks remarkably similar, if not identical, to this photo):
An article about this piece as well as the Gigapan technology used to create it can be found here:
UPDATE: A 35" x 90" 360 DPI print of this image was given a merit award at the PhotoSpiva 2010 Photographic Competition in Joplin, MO, which took place March 6 - April 25, 2010. Thanks to the juror, Deborah Klochko, and all the great people at the George Spiva Center for the Arts!
Gigapan Comments (6)Toggle Minimize gigapan_comment
Awesome!!!!!!...brings back fond memories of hanging out with friends in the 70's and getting stoned.
Great shot. btw, thanks for commenting about my wall. It must have taken forever to hdr it. How many pictures did you take? It looks like a lot of work. I tried doing an hdr and couldn't get it to work right. Tried it one way but I think I had to do it the way you did it.
Fantastic shot. Have you seen gigapan.org/gigapans/36909/ which is similar in subject? I love these post-industrial scenes.
This is nice. Its another almost 360 from the unusual place. Just keep going.
Very impressive, Jay. I'm sure all that post processing took a lot of dedication, but the result is certainly worthy of the effort. I personally prefer my New Jersey scenes a little more bucolic (e.g., www.gigapan.org/gigapans/26328/ ), but there's no denying that there's plenty to explore here. Keep up the great work!
Very well done...


text:
|Non Shedding Brushes 10 Pack
Item # CP002
10 NON-SHEDDING BRUSHES for applying finish or color preserver to thread wraps. (10-PAK)
>> View Item
|Flex Coat Ac Finishing Motor
Item # CP003
AC FINISHING MOTORS High quality USA built gear motors for rotating rods while applying and curing Flex-Coat finish. Also for drying epoxy flies. Self adjusting chuck. 6-RPM or 18-RPM (SPECIFY).
>> View Item
|Flex Coat Cordless 7 Rpm Finishing Motor
Item # CP004
CORDLESS 7-RPM FINISHING MOTOR II by Flex-Coat features a high quality, made in the USA motor with self adjusting chuck for rotating rods while applying and curing Flex-Coat finish. Gear motor (with on/off switch) runs on 4 AA batteries (not included).
>> View Item
|Flex Coat Jig and Fly Turner
Item # CP005
Flex-Coat "EPOXY FLY & JIG TURNER" Build fly rods or dry epoxy flies. INCL: 18-R.P.M. gear-motor, axle and three foam drying cylinders with V-block upright and base.
>> View Item
|Flex Coat Hand Rod Wrapper
Item # CP006
Flex-Coat "STANDARD" HAND ROD-WRAPPER Highly versatile rod wrapper designed to do precision wrapping. Adjustable for any length rod. With its 2 tension devices and adjustable thread-feed, this is the most popular unit for home rod builders.
>> View Item
|Flex Coat Tools of the Trade Kit
Item # CP007
TOOLS OF THE TRADE COMPLETE ROD BUILDING START-UP KIT Flex-Coat, the leading manufacturer of equipment and finishing products for the individual rod builder, has bundled together everything needed to get started building casting, spinning or fly rods like a pro. In fact, they like to call this their "SMALL BUSINESS START UP KIT" bcuz everything is here to turn you into a custom rod builder and rod repair shop. THIS KIT INCLUDES: Professional Hand Rod Wrapper, Professional Finishing Motor, "Step-By-Step Rod Building" book, Rod Building "How We Do It" DVD, all of the necessary epoxies, glues and adhesives, utility knife with 6-extra blades, 12-foot roll of reamer abrasive, thread and line clippers, finishing brushes, measuring syringes, mixing cups and sticks. THE WORKS > $195 Please add an additional $5 shipping over our regular shipping charge. Ground shipping only.
>> View Item


text:
Chad Hardy
School: Georgia State University
Are you here to participate in one of our current school-based festivals? If so, choose your school and follow the instructions:
School: Georgia State University
One man's search to find his reason to live, discovers a little good can go along way. The smallest most insignificant gesture of one person can mean the world to another.
date posted: 2010-07-14 | views: 79 | type: Movie
No Favorites
|Full Name:
|Chad Hardy
|Georgia State University
No Photos


text:
Log In now to add this Gigapan to a group gallery.
Log In now to add this Gigapan to a gallery.
About This GigapanToggle
- Taken by
- Thomas Hayden
- Explore score
- 1
- Size
- 0.20 Gigapixels
- Views
- 7074
- Date added
- Apr 30, 2010
- Date taken
- Apr 02, 2010
- Gear
Canon PowerShot S5IS
- Categories
- Galleries
- Grand Canyon GigaView, Grand Canyon National Park Geology
- Competitions
- Tags
- debris, kayak, whitewater, rafting, raft, camping, gear, camp, geomorphism, desert, ecology, 360, sandstone, people, boats, flow, cave, shadow, evening, sun, erosion, cavern, creek, beach, waterfall, gigaview, mountains
- Description
GigapanMagazine.org vol 3 issue 1
A low angle perspective from the high water plain at one of the most open views in the Canyon, this shot is comprised of 120 images. Taken On Day 5 of our Grand Canyon river trip at the widening after Marble Canyon, this is the beach at Upper Tanner camp.
Grand Canyon GigaView is a gigapixel virtual tour of the Grand Canyon created with a collection of GigaPan images taken on a private rafting trip in April 2010 and geolocated in Google Earth. Explore the journey grandcanyongigaview.tumblr.com /
Search for it here on GigaPan.org or dive into the day by day trip report at the link above. Enjoy & please share with your networks!
You can also explore this image at Photosynth.net and Bing Maps where you are surrounded by the spherical image. Check it out here: photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=01754639-7d30-48f6-8b48-3e81a0b637d5
or on Bing Maps here: binged.it/k7rvEe
or on the iPhone here: iphotosynth.cloudapp.net/ViewHandler.aspx?cid=01754639-7d30-48f6-8b48-3e81a0b637d5
Gigapan Comments (0)Toggle Minimize gigapan_comment
Where in the World is this GigaPan?Toggle
Stitcher NotesToggleMinimize
GigaPan Stitch version 1.0.0805 (Windows)
Panorama size: 202 megapixels (22056 x 9200 pixels)
Input images: 120 (15 columns by 8 rows)
Field of view: 360.0 degrees wide by 150.2 degrees high (top=89.9, bottom=-60.3)
All default settings
Original image properties:
Camera make: Canon
Camera model: Canon PowerShot S5 IS
Image size: 3264x1832 (6.0 megapixels)
Capture time: 2010-04-02 20:07:06 - 2010-04-02 20:16:54
Aperture: f/3.5
Exposure time: 0.000625
Focal length (35mm equiv.): 36.3 mm
Digital zoom: off
White balance: Automatic
Exposure mode: Manual
Horizontal overlap: 51.7 to 96.8 percent
Vertical overlap: 10.2 to 70.6 percent
Computer stats: 3002.45 MB RAM, 2 CPUs
Total time 1:05:42 (33 seconds per picture)
Alignment: 11:04, Projection: 5:41, Blending: 48:57
(Preview finished in 42:35)


text:
0 Members and 3 Guests are viewing this topic.
Sam is basically right, he's just cranky.
Does the carpet match the drapes?
That quote is actualy very witty, Celdur. I suggest you use that in your signature.
I think my cock has swine flu....EDIT: I'm certain now, it infected my girlfriends pussy cat D:lol you pervs
"It's only your virginity, loosen up!"
Snake fail
Page created in 0.122 seconds with 23 queries.


text:
Barack Obama stopped by the 40/40 club last night to attend a fundraiser hosted by Jay-Z and Beyonce. The 44th President is in New York to raise a few milli for his campaign as well as attend the opening of this year's session of the United Nations.
Politico reports:
President Obama took time out from a fundraiser Tuesday to praise his hosts, Beyonce and Jay-Z, at the 40/40 club in New York City.
"Beyonce could not be a better role model for my girls," he said, according to a pool report. He added that he and Jay-Z have a lot in common.
"We both have daughters and our wives are more popular than we are. So, you know, we've got a little bond there. It's hard but it's okay."
It was a more subdued speech than what some may have expected at such a glitzy affair, according to the pool report. Obama hit many of the same themes from his standard stump speech, saying he wanted to make sure that, "here in America, you can make it if you work hard."
But he also added some new points, including about riding a fine line between confidence in his prospects and instilling urgency in such a close election.
"I don't want people to be complacent, but I don't want people to be discouraged," he said.
The President went on to say,
"Michelle, Sasha and Malia are mad at me because they aren't here."
And the President ended his speech with some classic hip-hop sh*t,
"I was gonna just 'drop the mic' but I decided that would be inappropriate."
Fun fact President Obama even calls Beyonce by her nickname 'B.'
Beyonce introducing the President said:
"I can't tell you how proud we are to host tonight's event with President Obama," Beyonce, 30, said while introducing Obama, 51. "We believe in his vision."
To read the rest, jump to Politico.
Props to Jay and B for hosting POTUS tonight in NYC!
SOURCE: Politico


text:
If you could use a seasoned software consultant who takes pride in his work, have a look at my resume and cover letter. I am available immediately, and will take onsite work anywhere in Canada, or offsite work from my own fully-equipped office.
C#, ASP.Net and Mono
I bought Jesse Liberty's Programming C# after a recruiter in Halifax told me that the only way I'd get a contract anywhere in Atlantic Canada was to put C# on my resume. I chose it after reading its favorable review at the Association of C and C++ Users website. I'm very pleased with my purchase, and recommend it highly - I'm confident that I'll be able to code C# .Net productively within a week. The only other book I think I'll need anytime soon is the C# Cookbook by Teilhet and Hilyard. I'm also liking what I see of C# so far.
I am not at all happy that I might have to work for The Dark Side of the Force. But as Kuro5hin's V said, "Ideals don't pay the bills". May is going to be really tight and June is projected to be about $1400 short of what I need to get by, so last Sunday I sent my resume to every body shop in the Dominion of Canada. There's lots of C++ work starting from Montreal on to the west, but in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Newfoundland, there is nothing for me unless I learn C# well enough to convince a client I'm good at it. I'm willing to relocate for the duration of a contract but it sure would be nice not to have to.
But maybe there's a better way: Mono. It is an Open Source .Net runtime for *nix. I'd like to know if Mono is mature enough to drive a high-traffic web application. One writes Windows C# applications in ASP.Net; it seems Mono supports ASP.Net as well. How well does it work?
Since I can't claim to have ever been paid to write C#, I had intended to write a simple but useful sample program while I studied Liberty's book. I would then place its source code and installer on a CD, and a hardcopy of its source code in a binder to give potential clients. But then I thought, what could be a better calling card than to send them the URL to a commercial website that runs a C# ASP.Net application that I wrote myself?
I'll be damned if I host it on a Windows box though. I've been with the same web hosting service for nine years. I'm completely happy with Seagull Networks, and they run Slackware. I don't know yet it they'll be OK with installing Mono for me. I'm still waiting to hear back from them about it.
I guess I'll need an ASP.Net book too - Programming C# just has one chapter on it. Jesse Liberty also wrote Programming ASP.Net. The third edition covers ASP.Net 2.0, but the second edition covers 1.1, the version that Mono presently supports. There don't seem to be any books about ASP.Net in the ACCU book reviews yet.
I'm not ready to tell you what my website will do, but it will offer web-based services that would be useful to many businesses. I'm going to offer some of them for free, with some more complex and valuable ones for a modest subscription fee. So I also need to know how to process credit card transactions in a secure and automated way - for all my nineteen years as a software engineer, I've never coded so much as a shopping cart. I'm different that way. When I asked in my Kuro5hin diary, the recommendations included WorldPay, Authorize.net, 2Checkout.com and PayPal.
I won't use PayPal for the reasons given at PayPalWarning.com - it's not just them; PayPal seized the funds belonging to a merchant I do business with myself, and wouldn't give them back. WorldPay looks like the best, but the $399 signup fee they quoted me is going to be tough to come up with unless I get a good contract first. 2Checkout.com only costs $45 to sign up, and someone at K5 said it was "nice and easy", so maybe I'll go with them until my website gets more users. I don't expect it would be hard to change credit card processors down the road a bit.
(It is a sign of the times that 2Checkout.com's list of ineligible websites includes those offerring "IT Certification Test Exams and Study Aids".)
And don't worry, I will eventually release at least some of my site's source code as Free Software.
Looking for a Job in the Great White North?
Here are all the Canadian job boards I've been able to find so far. Links to any others are greatly appreciated:
Dice is a US board but has a few Canadian jobs and allows one to specify Canadian provinces in postal addresses. Jobboom is mostly for Quebec, and Career Beacon mostly for Atlantic Canada. Workopolis is the easiest to use, and seems to live up to its claim to be Canada's biggest job board.
Craig's List requires you to select just one city to search in - each Craig's List city has its own subdomain. There doesn't seem to be a way to search an entire country all at once. Also, one can only post resumes to specific cities, there is no way to make one's resume show up everywhere. I don't understand this, as the most common reason people relocate is because they've found a new job somewhere far away.
Craig's List does have the advantage that it allows on to search specifically for telecommute and contract jobs. Dice allows that too - it has the most fine-grained search facility. A very common problem most job boards have is that there's no way to limit searches to perm or contract, or telecommute or onsite. The best most can offer is to use the word "contract" in one's search query, which always turns up some bogus hits.
That's all for now. I'm sorry to have gone on for so long. I hope you found some of the links helpful.


text:
Flea, Tom Morello, Other Performers Pay Respects to Gene WilderMusicians from a variety of genres have posted their thoughts about the death of Gene Wilder.
X Ambassadors & Tom Morello Team for 'Collider' VideoArt imitates life, as Morello recently joined the band on stage at Lollapalooza.
Tom Morello Slams Donald Trump in 'Old Man Trump' IntroHe recorded an intro for a new cover of Woody Guthrie's protest song.
Tom Morello Says Prophets of Rage are Working on New MusicMorello promises to "Ragify" the music of Cypress Hill and Public Enemy.
Prophets of Rage Reveal Lineup, Announce First Show"Today the Whisky, tomorrow the world," says Morello.
8 Rage Against the Machine, Chuck D and B-Real Collabs We Want to SeeThere's a lot of material in the Rage, P.E. and Cypress Hill catalogs to choose from.
Tom Morello Announces New EDM-Tinged Project, Atlas UndergroundMorello performed a song from the project for the first time with Knife Party.
Mumford & Sons Perform Blink-182's 'What's My Age Again' with Mark Hoppus and Tom MorelloAfter playing a full set for just a few hundred fans, Mumford and Sons brought up Tom Morello and Mark Hoppus for the grand finale.
Tom Morello and His New Label Are 'Making Music with a Purpose'In our interview, Morello explains his friendship with Ted Nugent, describes his relationship with Chris Cornell and reveals why he wants Bassnectar to stop talking about his album.
Watch Peter Dinklage, Paul Rudd and Jason Segal Rap with Rush LiveTyrion Lannister is rapping along to a Rush song. Cue the "Roll the Thrones" puns!
Tom Morello Launches Political Record Label with Mahalia Jackson Cover: ListenThe imprint's first release is from The Last Internationale, which features Rage Against the Machine's Brad Wilk on drums.
Tom Morello, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson Star in Future User's Hilarious 'Voodoo Juju' Video: WatchIn Future User's new graphic video for their track, "Voodoo Juju," frontman Tim Commerford convinced a surgeon to allow the taping of his spinal surgery.


text:
By Melissa Meador/Monroe Journal
AMORY – Addie Forbus broke the state's career scoring record on Friday night and got the added bonus – an Amory win over Pontotoc to secure the Division 2-4A crown and a home playoff game next week.
"It seems so surreal. I was pretty overwhelmed," Forbus said after scoring 3 goals in the Lady Panthers' 4-2 win over Pontotoc. "It's kind of a weight off my shoulders."
Forbus got off to a hot start, scoring on a long assist from Bailey Boyd just 1:32 into the match. A penalty kick in the 27th minute tied the scoring record of 226 set by Greene County's Kelsey Cochran, and Forbus' assist on a Rachyl Hill goal gave the Lady Panthers a 3-0 lead at halftime.
Near the beginning of the second half, Forbus appeared to have a clear shot at the record-breaking goal, but the Pontotoc keeper came out to meet her for the save.
Forbus scored her third goal of the night and No. 227 for her career on a penalty kick in the 57th minute.
"I was speechless. It's a tremendous opportunity that she's had, and she's done an outstanding job," Amory coach Nathan Clayton said. "We're so proud of everything she's been able to accomplish."
The win caps off a 4-1 division record, and they will host either Lewisburg or Lafayette in the first round of the playoffs.
"Putting Pontotoc out of the playoffs is a big deal," Forbus said. "The Amory girls haven't made it past the second round of the playoffs before, but I know we're going to change that this year."
Clayton said the win over Pontotoc was big for the Lady Panthers heading into the playoffs.
"Pontotoc is always good, and they're always a solid program," Clayton said. "To be able to beat them tonight was huge."


text:
- User Name: DTJB
- Member Since: Tuesday, August 26, 2003, 7:54 PM
- Name: James Brown
- Studio: Downtown Productions
- Location: Dubuque, IA, U.S.A.
- Homepage: http://dtjb.deviantart.com/
- Last Login: 2016-02-28 11:57:17
- Forum Info: Profile Posts (1139)
- Journal: Last entry made on 2007-02-05 01:32:22
- Usefulness: 78.6 with
9 opinions
[average 119.6 of 231383 opinions; standard deviation 432.5 ]
- Profile: Over the years, I've been pretty busy with real life. Being an art major in college has taken up a lot of my time and as a result, I've devoted more of my time to becoming an artist. Due to these life changes, I don't see myself making any more AMVs in the future. Does this mean I intend to quit for good? Perhaps, but I didn't really say that. Ever since I edited my first video I've come up with plenty of ideas and I definitely want to see some of them made in one way or another. Maybe I'll give the ideas to others to make, maybe I'll do them myself some decade. Until then, I'll continue enjoying this art form and I look forward to seeing what others create. Keep circulating the tapes.


text:
Home / News and Events / News Release
The Malone University School of Business and Leadership will have representatives on hand to explain its accelerated degree completion program at a series of information meetings.
Each meeting will take place at 6 p.m.:
A counselor is available to meet with potential students for academic advising. For more information or directions to any of these locations, please call the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies at 1-800-257-4723 or 330-471-8500, or learn more about the Malone Management program.
A student also has the option of taking the Malone Management Program entirely online.
The Malone Management Program is one of the first accelerated degree completion programs of its kind with 25 years of assisting the adult learner attain a baccalaureate degree. Malone's bachelor of arts degree in either organizational, project, marketing, health services, or environmental management is designed for nontraditional students with a minimum of five years of work experience who have some post-high school education. The degree may be obtained as fast as 14 months. Since the program began in 1984, more than 3400 adult students have completed their degrees; in fact, the program boasts an impressive 80% graduation rate. Classes meet once a week from 6-10 p.m. for 54 weeks at Malone University in Canton, the Continuing Studies Centers located in Brecksville, and at Lauren Manufacturing in New Philadelphia. Small class groups advance through the entire program taking one class at a time.


text:
Updated on 7 January 2013
Repligen will receive up to $70 million from Pfizer apart from royalties
Singapore: US-based Repligen has entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Pfizer to advance Repligen's spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) program, originally in-licensed from Families of SMA (FSMA).
The SMA program includes RG3039, a small molecule drug candidate in clinical development for SMA, as well as back-up compounds and enabling technologies. Repligen will receive up to $70 million from Pfizer, commencing with an upfront payment of $5 million and total potential future milestone payments of up to $65 million as well as royalties on any future sales of SMA compounds developed under the agreement. SMA is an orphan neurodegenerative genetic disease that presents early in life.
"This agreement is consistent with the strategic decision we announced in August 2012 to focus Repligen's internal efforts on the growth of our bioprocessing business, while seeking external partners for our therapeutic development programs," said Dr Walter C Herlihy, president and chief executive officer of Repligen. "We believe this collaboration with Pfizer, a leading pharmaceutical company with specialized efforts in orphan and genetic diseases, has the potential to accelerate the development of therapies for SMA."
"There is a critical need to expedite potential treatment solutions for rare diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy, where patients have such limited options," said Mr Jose Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, senior vice president, Pfizer BioTherapeutics R&D. "This partnership will combine our expert capabilities in advancing molecules for genetic diseases with Repligen's leading SMA program."
Repligen will be responsible for completing the first two cohorts of an active phase I trial evaluating RG3039 in healthy volunteers, which it anticipates will occur during the first quarter of 2013. Repligen will also provide certain technology transfer services to Pfizer who will then assume full responsibility for the SMA program moving forward, including the conduct of any registration trials necessary for product approval.
Repligen has previously received US Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations for RG3039 for the treatment of SMA, as well as Orphan Medicinal Product designation in the EU.
Editor's Pick
Featured Links
Survey Box


text:
Novation KS4 / KS5 / KS Rack
Novation KS4
Using an enhanced version of the K-Station sound engine, the KS4 (four octave keyboard) and the KS5 (five octaves) offer many additional features and benefits.
The keyboards have aftertouch, are semi-weighted, and each of the 33 knobs and sliders transmit MIDI. There is four part multi-timbral operation with four individual assignable outputs. A big plus is a separate effects section for each part - a unique Novation feature from the Supernova. Also featured are 4 Arpeggiators and 16 note polyphony with a 16 band Vocoder.
Novation KS5
The KS-synths have 3 oscillators which provide sawtooth, triangle, sine, pulse width modulation and other waveforms. There's even a simple FM synth engine which can be dialed in for sharpening the sound. Oscillators may be set to Unison or Sync'd operation and a Noise source is also included in the waveform engine. There is a nice low-/band-/high-pass resonant filter with switchable 12 or 24dB/oct slopes and ADSR controls. A second ADSR envelope is available for the amp, as well as two LFOs with sample-and-hold and MIDI sync.
On-board effects include reverb and delay/chorus/flanger. Their send levels can be controlled by the Mod wheel which is a nice effect. A 12-band vocoder is also on-board for processing external mono sounds such as drum loops or vocals. Pads sound great when vocoded with external sounds. External sounds can also be used as an oscillator, run through the filters, envelopes, etc. with much better results than were possible on the original Bass Stations.
Novation KS Rack
The K-Station was a great little keyboard, and the new KS4 and KS5 offer a much more professional package to stage and studio musicians! But for those who already have enough keys, a rack module was also released, the KS Rack. It came in a very professional 5-space rack / desktop module with all 33 knobs, sliders and controls as the keyboards. Full of clean analog sounding synth bass, punchy leads, pads, filter sweeps and more, the KS-synths have been used by Infected Mushroom.
Lookup Novation KS4 / KS5 / KS Rack Prices
The link above will take you to an eBay search for this synth to see active listings with more images, specs and information. If you don't find it there, try looking in our forum marketplace. Our marketplace gets thousands of visits every week so make sure to check back often if you want to buy or sell a synth.
Related Forum Topics
User Comments & Reviews
Are you looking to buy or sell a Novation KS4 / KS5 / KS Rack? Post an ad in Gear For Sale or a request in Gear Wanted. For spare parts and repair services check out Gear Services & Other Goods. Our forums also has a Buyer's Guide section where you can ask for advice on buying synthesizers.
- Demos & Media
Audio Clip 1 - Hear the K-Station here. Hear its on-board arpeggiator, followed by an FM ringing bell-type sound, followed by some vocoder examples and some Juno pads.
Manual - Download the original owner's manual from SoundProgramming.net.
- Specifications
- Polyphony - 16 voices, 4-Part multitimbral
- Oscillators - 3 osc with Square / Saw / Variable Pulse / Tri / Sine / Double Saw / Double Tri / Double Sine waveforms. Osc 1-2 sync, FM, Ring Mod, Noise and external audio in (mono).
- LFO - 2 LFOs: sine, triangle, saw, square, sample-and-hold, panning, with speed and delay parameters. Cyclic or 1-shot.
- Filter - low/high/band, 12/24 dB switchable
- Envelopes - ADSR envelope generators
- Keyboard - 49-note (KS4) and 61-note (KS5), both with velocity, sensitivity and aftertouch.
- Effects - 6 simultaneous FX per program: Reverb, Distortion plus tempo-locked Chorus, Phaser, Delay, Panner & Enveloped Filter with EQ, 12-band Vocoder
- Arpeggiator - 4 independent in multi mode; up, down, random, chord modes; 32 preset patterns; range and latch mode saved per program.
- Memory - 200 preset programs, 50 preset performances, 100 drum sounds; 200 user programs, 100 user drum programs, 50 user performances.
- Control - MIDI IN/OUT/THRU
- Date Produced - 2003
- Shop for Keyboards, MIDI & Gear
Guitar Center: Synths and MIDI
Sweetwater: Hot items in Keyboars section
The Musician's Friend: Keyboard gear
AMS: Brand synths and accessories
The Woodwind & Brasswind Store
music123.com: Synth Blow Out Deal Section
zZounds: Keyboards and MIDI equipment
- Resources & Credits
Images from Novation
Reviewed December 2007.
Errors or Corrections? Send them here.


text:
Browse all anime genres and tags, with descriptions, and a full list of all tagged anime. Comedy, action, ecchi, fantasy, romance, horror and more! Mark your favorite tags as loved or hated for personal suggestions. To filter by multiple tags at once, use the browse anime feature.
Abstract works are generally intellectual in nature and rooted in imagination or philosophy, portraying a unique message or theme. As such, they don't necessarily focus on traditional narration, characterization, or development, presenting unique, unconventional or vivid visual styles instead.
These anime feature the acting industry. Protagonists are amateur or famous actors in TV, film or other media.
Action is about conflict. Whether with guns, blades, fists, or mysterious powers, these anime feature characters in combat - either to protect themselves or the things or people they value, or simply as a way of life.
In these anime, characters embark on a journey to explore the world or to search for something. These wanderers travel to many places and meet new people, often encountering hardships along the way, or discovering strengths and weaknesses about themselves that are revealed throughout the adventure.
These anime focus on the afterlife. The anime might take place in Heaven or Hell, focus on purgatory and the judging of souls, or other topics that cover life after death.
Age Gap
These anime showcase a relationship where the characters are in two different age groups, based on societal norms. While not always the case, these characters sometimes must overcome challenges or societal stigma associated with the Age Gap.
Age Transformation
Characters in these anime experience transformations that alter their age, be they through magical or other means.
These anime explore the occupations, issues and lifestyles related to agriculture and farming. They frequently take place on a farm or in the countryside, and follow protagonists that learn or practice skills such as tilling the earth or taking care of barnyard animals.
Alice in Wonderland
These anime are heavily or loosely influenced by Lewis Carroll's 1865 publication Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, or its sequel Through the Looking-Glass. They range between true adaptations, alternate versions, parodies, or stories that take place in a new setting that heavily mimics or alludes to Alice's journey.
The universe is vast, and it's easy to imagine that there might be non-human life on distant worlds. Whether physically similar to mankind or vastly different, these works feature beings born on other worlds. Anime that take place on Earth might encounter unexpected visitors with unknown intentions; or on the homeworld of another culture, human beings are the Aliens.
All-Boys School
Characters in these anime attend an all-boys school.
All-Girls School
Characters in these anime attend an all-girls school.
These anime predominantly or fully take place in the United States of America.
Characters with amnesia have partial or full memory loss. These anime feature characters that suffer from amnesia due to an injury or trauma, an Illness, or a Supernatural occurrence.
Androids are artificially-created beings that are made to look and act like humans - in advanced cases, they are indistinguishable. As machines, they are often shown as possessing stronger logic and reasoning than real humans; however, this logic can also limit them, as they can have difficulty processing emotional concepts or social relationships. These anime feature Androids in starring roles, either as main characters or as important elements of the plot or setting.
Androphobia is defined as an irrational fear of men. In these anime, characters with the disorder have extreme reactions to the men in their lives, from panicking to having an intense allergic reaction to anything in between.
Winged, haloed angels from heaven are the focus of these anime.
Animal Abuse
These anime show one or more instances of animal abuse: animals might be denied their basic physical needs, killed without need, or tortured for pleasure.
Animal Protagonists
These anime feature animal protagonists, be they household pets, dinosaurs or other real-world animals. The characters can appear in normal, anthropomorphic or occasionally fantastical forms, for example, the animals in Dogtato-kun are food-based representations of normal animals. Mythical creatures such as unicorns or centaurs are not included in this categorization.
Anime Bancho
Anime Bancho is a YouTube channel that contains original content from CoMix Wave Inc, subtitled into multiple languages.
Anime Industry
These anime explore anime from the industry or consumer side. Common themes include the creative and design process, sound design or voice acting, editing or meeting deadlines, distribution and marketing, or the culture of anime consumption.
Animeism is a MBS television programming block created in 2012.
Anime no Chikara
Anime no Chikara was a joint project between TV Tokyo and Aniplex. Created in 2009, the project's goal was to create and air original anime content on television. Only three series were created before the project was put on a permanent hiatus.
Anime no Me
Anime no Me is a joint project that aims to produce high-quality anime. Five companies are involved with the project: TMS Entertainment, Shinei Animation, East Japan Marketing & Communications, Inc., Sumitomo Corporation, and Asmik-Ace Entertainment.
Anime Tamago
The Anime Tamago project, formerly known as the Young Animator Training Project and Anime Mirai, was created in 2010 by the Japanese government's Agency of Cultural Affairs to help support and train young animators on the job. Each year, four different studios are chosen, and each studio creates and releases an original short film.
Archery is the focus of these anime. Training and competing in tournaments or championships are common themes in sports titles, as well as individual or team spirit, or being an underdog who goes against the odds to succeed.
Arranged Marriage
An Arranged Marriage is a type of marital union where a third party selects the bride and the groom, rather than the two future newlyweds selecting each other for love or other reasons. Characters in these anime face, or are in, an arranged marriage.
Assassins specialize in killing targeted individuals. These anime showcase assassins in training or on the job, whether they're a part of an organized group or work as freelancers.
These anime showcase characters that are in training or have been trained by NASA, JAXA or some other space exploration organization to complete tasks outside of the confines of Earth, such as working on space stations or cleaning up debris in orbit. Unlike futuristic civilizations where travelling into the galaxy is commonplace, these anime take place in an era where space travel isn't easily accomplished by the general populace.
An autobiography is a story that recounts a person's life, written by the person themselves. These anime are autobiographies that are either factual or fantastical in nature; even if the story is loosely based on the person's life, it is marked as an autobiography.


text:
With a packet of chicken drummettes and a few basic ingredients, you can create a fast-food favorite at home!
More and more kids like spicy food these days, but for younger kids, you can decrease the amount of red pepper sauce and add a little more honey and ketchup.
Pull the meat from leftover chicken wings and toss with pasta and salsa for a spicy version of spaghetti!
© 2017 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


text:
I was recently reading a post by a friend and it immediately got me wondering, "what are the actions and behaviors of students that teachers find annoying? How did I view and react to them before, versus now?" I agree with the premise that there are just things people do that irk others, including the most well-intentioned teachers, and I think it ought to be a given that we treat those kids (and colleagues) with respect, regardless. But it got me wondering…
Before this year, I'd say that the behaviors that annoyed me were things like kids who bullied other kids, kids who were fidgety, or whiny, or smart-asses. Now I've got students who sexually harass others, use aggressive/intimidating language toward each other or teachers, and refuse to cooperate. I think, before, I would have just seen these things as annoying behaviors I needed to tolerate, ignore, constantly address, or navigate around.
I now have a different approach, and am struggling against tolerating behaviors that get in the way of their learning or the learning of others', and I'm struggling against indirect or passive-aggressive approaches of discipline. So, instead of saying things like, "Max, stop talking." Or, "Max, I'm waiting for you to stop." Or, "I see Abby sitting the smart way." (Those last two wouldn't cut it in high school anyway! Haha).
Teachers always have rules in their rooms, usually that magic number five, and include things like, "respect people and property, raise your hand and wait to speak, stay in your seat when working, do your best work always." But there is a lot unspoken in that short list of what we really expect and know kids need to do to be "good" students.
So, instead of doing that list of rules, I taught students about their rights and responsibilities as students in a NYC public school, using the blue code of discipline book as an official document. Using this document shows them that my job dictates what I need to do and what I expect from them; it's not personal. You, Stevie, are not expected to sit quietly and listen during the lesson because I asked nicely or authoritatively, or threatened to move your name to red. It's not something you owe me because we've developed an "understanding". You are expected to do that because those behaviors are required for learning to happen for all in this room.
After discussing their rights and responsibilities, we discussed how hard it actually is to always live up to them, and how there are behaviors that get in the way. I then asked them to name those behaviors (see chart below). I then had them discuss the kinds of things they could do in place of those behaviors (after they admitted, in part, that those behaviors come from not knowing what to do in class, or it being hard to focus). We then agreed upon a list of responses that I would give, to get them back on track.
This was a big shift for me — I now could no longer ignore those behaviors, or just give "teacher looks" — I needed to make them aware of the behaviors they were exhibiting and make apparent to them what behaviors were expected. So, I had to say things like, "Jim, right now you are throwing papers at other students. The expectation is that you are reading the whole time. You need to do that." If he refused, or tried and failed, we went to the next reminder, and often make our way to the behavior conference where they reflect on the actions, what was causing them, and how to address them.
This is really challenging because we've been trained as teachers to avoid these kinds of kids, so as not to provoke them further, or because we "just don't know what to do with them anymore", or because we have the idea that it's hurtful, maybe, to point out to them what they do that makes learning hard for them, or because we've been trained to think that just exerting a certain kind of authority, or having a certain kind of relationship with the kid contains those behaviors is enough. But the problem with this is it hides from the kids the kinds of things they need to learn to fix, and it hides from them what "annoys" teachers and why. Creating a social contract in this way empowers students to identify, self-correct, and help others to correct these behaviors—not just because you create this document, but because of how you then use it and teach them to use it.
So, it's no longer just this vague list in my head of behaviors that are okay, and behaviors that aren't, so that kids get labeled or label themselves "good" or "bad", depending on the response they get from me for whatever they happened to be doing. There is a clear list of what's expected, and students are challenged to self-correct those behaviors and learn to self-regulate. Now the challenge for my class is getting them to engage in shared regulation, where they are saying things to each other like, "talking during the lesson interrupts the lesson and gets in the way of my learning, so please stop." We're not quite there yet, but the maladaptive behaviors kids have learned as ways to avoid learning or avoid feeling stupid, or whatever, are becoming minimized and increasingly isolated. Together, we are creating new social norms and expectations they can hold each other to.
The way I see it is those behaviors will always exist because we are just starting to unearth years of "I'm a bad kid and this is what bad kids do" beliefs, but there are no more "problem students" in a fixed sense.


text:
In a pay dispute with Fox, the 6 primary Simpson voice actors walked out in the middle of working on an episode. The group as a whole gets payed less than $1 million for a season and were asking for $8 million for the group. Fox basically said "no way."
For a show that has given Fox over $1 Billion from merchandise, syndications, etc. how can they balk at giving the actors more? How much were each of the actors on Friends making an episode?


text:
By Lena Mitchell/NEMS Daily Journal
RIPLEY – Mississippi's community colleges are assuming more and more responsibility for preparing young people just entering the workforce as well as retooling older workers for the new economy.
While community colleges are expanding their role, offering more programs and attracting more students, the state Legislature has not provided a fair share of education funding to keep pace with funding for public K-12 education and state four-year institutions.
As a 2012 appointee to the Mississippi Board for Community Colleges, Cheryl Thurmond of Ripley sees a major part of her role as helping increase the level of funding to two-year colleges that they need to fulfill their mission.
"Community colleges give students the 'bang for the buck,'" Thurmond said. "In Mississippi, 68 percent of all college freshmen in public institutions are enrolled in community colleges."
Though the state passed legislation in 2007 that guaranteed per student funding for community colleges that is halfway between per student funding in K-12 schools and public four-year colleges and universities, the fact is that community colleges only receive 52 percent of that amount. For fiscal year 2011, state funding per child for K-12 students was $4,560, for public universities was $5,803 and for community colleges was $2,686. That amount was $2,495 below what it should have been.
"Of the students enrolled at our community colleges, 97 percent are from Mississippi, so the money stays in the state and we are serving our own state residents," Thurmond said.
Thurmond's passion for community colleges arises from two aspects of her personal history. First, she is a community college alumna and knows first-hand what community colleges have to offer. Second, having worked for many years in the South Tippah School District as an attendance officer, she was able to reclaim many high school dropouts and direct them to community college for workforce training and higher education.
"I'm so excited to be on this board because community colleges have so much to offer," Thurmond said. "I have a passion for young people who for whatever reason didn't make it through school, and community colleges provide people with an avenue to get training and meaningful jobs. They serve the community's employers and residents."
Dropout recovery is another priority of the community college board as they work to increase the state graduation rate, which translates into attracting more employers offering high-wage jobs.
Funding must be increased significantly to make community college programs more effective, but it's well worth it, Thurmond believes.
"The schools, communities, courts and I as an attendance officer could work, work and work and not get a kid through high school," she said. "This avenue gives them one more chance at success."
Thurmond gave the students her best as an attendance officer for 31 years before retiring in June and going to work as social services director at Golden Living Center.
She is a licensed social worker, having graduated from Northeast Mississippi Community College before earning her bachelor's degree in social work from Mississippi State University.
"This is a whole new world for me, and I love the work and the residents," Thurmond said. "When I received the appointment, the administrators here encouraged me and wanted me to serve."
After being recommended by U.S. Rep. Alan Nunnelee, Thurmond was appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant and began serving on the board in July. Thurmond and her husband Keith Thurmond live in Ripley. They have two adult children – Ross Thurmond of Madison and Holly Thurmond of Washington, D.C.
Since assuming her seat on the board, Thurmond has already played a key role, testifying before the Legislature during budget hearings in October.
"The fall 2012 preliminary head count of students in Mississippi community colleges was 81,311," Thurmond said. "We're the primary entity for teaching job skills and providing training for high-wage middle skills."