text:
1-7-05 – Police in Durant say there's a new trend developing among drug dealers in the area. Authorities are asking veterinarians to lock up prescriptions meant for animals after a recent theft.
Forty nine vials of the animal tranquilizer, Ketamine, were stolen from The Durant Animal Hospital on West Mulberry Street on New Years Day. Ketamine, also known as "Special K" on the streets, is the main ingredient of the date rape drug. If the drug is slipped into a drink, it causes hallucinations, loss of muscle control, memory and death.
Two, twenty year old Durant residents were arrested. Mark Moody and Joshua Spencer are charged with possession of a controlled substance and stolen property.
Police state there is no evidence either suspect used the drug on anyone besides themselves.
It has been several months since Durant police received reports of people claiming they were victimized by the drug, but authorities say there is a heightened concern that there is more Ketamine available on the streets.
The value of the stolen drugs amounted to over $5,000. Police are still investigating and indicate more arrests are likely in this case.


text: Its not just about one game for me. We have seen replays of the game too many times against inferior teams for me to stomach this coaching staff any longer. The defense at least USUALLY holds up its end of the bargain and is why we havent lost near as many games as we arguably should have.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Bettye Giles Softball Field
In 1996, the Skyhawks enjoyed their first season of softball at their new on-campus facility, Bettye Giles Field. Dedicated on April 13, 1996, this facility is one of the latest projects for Ms. Giles, who has been a part of the UT Martin faculty since 1952. She was a driving force behind almost every program relating to women's athletics at UT Martin today. She served as director of athletics for 25 years and is one of the reasons why UT Martin is recognized as one of the pioneers for women's intercollegiate athletics.
The current field meets specifications for hosting NCAA Tournaments. It is 190 feet down each line and 220 feet to centerfield.
In 2013, Bettye Giles Field received an infield update. With the donation of private funds, Bettye Giles Field is now equipped with a turf field halo ring which facilitates performance and improved maintenance.


text:
Function::Parameters - subroutine definitions with parameter lists
use Function::Parameters qw(:strict); # simple function fun foo($bar, $baz) { return $bar + $baz; } # function with prototype fun mymap($fun, @args) :(&@) { my @res; for (@args) { push @res, $fun->($_); } @res } print "$_\n" for mymap { $_ * 2 } 1 .. 4; # method with implicit $self method set_name($name) { $self->{name} = $name; } # method with explicit invocant method new($class: %init) { return bless { %init }, $class; } # function with optional parameters fun search($haystack, $needle = qr/^(?!)/, $offset = 0) { ... } # method with named parameters method resize(:$width, :$height) { $self->{width} = $width; $self->{height} = $height; } $obj->resize(height => 4, width => 5); # function with named optional parameters fun search($haystack, :$needle = qr/^(?!)/, :$offset = 0) { ... } my $results = search $text, offset => 200;
This module extends Perl with keywords that let you define functions with parameter lists. It uses Perl's keyword plugin API, so it works reliably and doesn't require a source filter.
The anatomy of a function (as recognized by this module):
# (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) fun foo ($x, $y) :($$) :lvalue { ... } # (1) (6) my $f = fun { ... };
In the following section I'm going to describe all parts in order from simplest to most complex.
This is just a normal block of statements, as with
sub. No surprises here, except the function name (along with its prototype, if any) is already in scope in its body. This is not the case with
sub foo ($$) { # foo 1, 2; # a syntax error: 'foo' is not known to be a function yet foo(42); # OK: calls 'foo' with one argument despite prototype }
On the other hand:
use Function::Parameters; fun foo :prototype($$) { foo 1, 2; # OK: 'foo' and its prototype are in scope # foo(42); # error: Not enough arguments for main::foo at X line Y, near "42)" }
If present, it specifies the name of the function being defined. As with
sub, if a name is present, by default the whole declaration is syntactically a statement and its effects are performed at compile time (i.e. at runtime you can call functions whose definitions only occur later in the file - but see the
runtime flag below). If no name is present, the declaration is an expression that evaluates to a reference to the function in question.
Attributes are relatively unusual in Perl code, but if you want them, they work exactly the same as with
As with
sub, a prototype, if present, contains hints as to how the compiler should parse calls to this function. This means prototypes have no effect if the function call is compiled before the function declaration has been seen by the compiler or if the function to call is only determined at runtime (e.g. because it's called as a method or through a reference).
sub, a prototype comes directly after the function name (if any).
Function::Parameters reserves this spot for the parameter list. To specify a prototype, put it as the first attribute (e.g.
fun foo :(&$$)). This is syntactically unambiguous because normal attributes need a name after the colon.
You can also use an attribute named
prototype (e.g.
fun foo :prototype(&$$)). In that case it does not have to be the first attribute. This syntax is also compatible with
sub in perl 5.20 and newer.
The parameter list is a list of variables enclosed in parentheses, except it's actually a bit more complicated than that.
Instead of a full variable name (such as
$foo or
@bar) you can write just the sigil (
@, or
%). This has the effect of creating an unnamed parameter, which is useful in functions that are called with a certain number of arguments but want to ignore one or more of them. This trick works for invocants, slurpies, and positional parameters (see below). You can't have unnamed named parameters for what I hope are obvious reasons.
A parameter list can include the following 6 parts, all of which are optional:
This is a scalar variable followed by a colon (
:) and no comma. If an invocant is present in the parameter list, the first element of
@_ is automatically
shifted off and placed in this variable. This is intended for methods:
method new($class: %init) { return bless { %init }, $class; } method throw($self:) { die $self; }
The most common kind of parameter. This is simply a comma-separated list of scalars, which are filled from left to right with the arguments that the caller passed in:
fun add($x, $y) { return $x + $y; } say add(2, 3); # "5"
Parameters can be marked as optional by putting an equals sign (
=) and an (optional) expression (the "default argument") after them. If no corresponding argument is passed in by the caller, the default argument will be used to initialize the parameter:
fun scale($base, $factor = 2) { return $base * $factor; } say scale(3, 5); # "15" say scale(3); # "6"
Using just a
= with no expression after is equivalent to specifying
= undef, i.e. the corresponding parameter is optional and has a default value of
The default argument is not cached. Every time a function is called with some optional arguments missing, the corresponding default arguments are evaluated from left to right. This makes no difference for a value like
2 but it is important for expressions with side effects, such as reference constructors (
{}) or function calls.
Default arguments see not only the surrounding lexical scope of their function but also any preceding parameters. This allows the creation of dynamic defaults based on previous arguments:
method set_name($self: $nick = $self->default_nick, $real_name = $nick) { $self->{nick} = $nick; $self->{real_name} = $real_name; } $obj->set_name("simplicio"); # same as: $obj->set_name("simplicio", "simplicio");
Because default arguments are actually evaluated as part of the function body, you can also do silly things like this:
fun foo($n = return "nope") { "you gave me $n" } say foo(2 + 2); # "you gave me 4" say foo(); # "nope"
By putting a colon (
:) in front of a parameter you can make it named instead of positional:
fun rectangle(:$width, :$height) { ... } rectangle(width => 2, height => 5); rectangle(height => 5, width => 2); # same thing!
That is, the caller must specify a key name in addition to the value, but in exchange the order of the arguments doesn't matter anymore. As with hash initialization, you can specify the same key multiple times and the last occurrence wins:
rectangle(height => 1, width => 2, height => 2, height => 5); # same as: rectangle(width => 2, height => 5);
You can combine positional and named parameters as long as the positional parameters come first:
fun named_rectangle($name, :$width, :$height) { ... } named_rectangle("Avocado", width => 0.5, height => 1.2);
As with positional parameters, you can make named parameters optional by specifying a default argument (or nothing, which is equivalent to
undef) after an equals sign (
fun rectangle(:$width, :$height, :$color = "chartreuse") { ... } rectangle(height => 10, width => 5); # same as: rectangle(height => 10, width => 5, color => "chartreuse");
fun get($url, :$cookie_jar = HTTP::Cookies->new(), :$referrer = $url) { ... } my $data = get "http://www.example.com/", referrer => undef; # overrides $referrer = $url
The above example shows that passing any value (even
undef) will override the default argument.
Finally you can put an array or hash in the parameter list, which will gobble up the remaining arguments (if any):
fun foo($x, $y, @rest) { ... } foo "a", "b"; # $x = "a", $y = "b", @rest = () foo "a", "b", "c"; # $x = "a", $y = "b", @rest = ("c") foo "a", "b", "c", "d"; # $x = "a", $y = "b", @rest = ("c", "d")
If you combine this with named parameters, the slurpy parameter will end up containing all unrecognized keys:
fun bar(:$size, @whatev) { ... } bar weight => 20, size => 2, location => [0, -3]; # $size = 2, @whatev = ('weight', 20, 'location', [0, -3])
Apart from the
shift performed by the invocant, all of the above leave
@_ unchanged; and if you don't specify a parameter list at all,
@_ is all you get.
The keywords provided by
Function::Parameters are customizable. Since
Function::Parameters is actually a pragma, the provided keywords have lexical scope. The following import variants can be used:
use Function::Parameters ':strict'
Provides the keywords
fun and
method (described below) and enables argument checks so that calling a function and omitting a required argument (or passing too many arguments) will throw an error.
use Function::Parameters
Provides the keywords
fun and
method (described below) and enables "lax" mode: Omitting a required argument sets it to
undef while excess arguments are silently ignored.
use Function::Parameters { KEYWORD1 => TYPE1, KEYWORD2 => TYPE2, ... }
Provides completely custom keywords as described by their types. A "type" is either a string (one of the predefined types
classmethod_lax) or a reference to a hash with the following keys:
Valid values: One of the predefined types
classmethod_lax. This will set the defaults for all other keys from the specified type, which is useful if you only want to override some properties:
use Function::Parameters { defmethod => { defaults => 'method', shift => '$this' } };
This example defines a keyword called
defmethod that works like the standard
method keyword, but the implicit object variable is called
$this instead of
Using the string types directly is equivalent to
defaults with no further customization:
use Function::Parameters { foo => 'function', # like: foo => { defaults => 'function' }, bar => 'function_strict', # like: bar => { defaults => 'function_strict' }, baz => 'method_strict', # like: baz => { defaults => 'method_strict' }, };
Valid values:
optional (default),
required (all functions defined with this keyword must have a name), and
prohibited (functions defined with this keyword must be anonymous).
Valid values: booleans. If enabled, this keyword takes effect at runtime, not compile time:
use Function::Parameters { fun => { defaults => 'function_strict', runtime => 1 } }; say defined &foo ? "defined" : "not defined"; # not defined fun foo() {} say defined &foo ? "defined" : "not defined"; # defined
&foo is only defined after
fun foo() {} has been reached at runtime.
CAVEAT: A future version of this module may enable
runtime => 1 by default for methods.
Valid values: strings that look like scalar variables. This lets you specify a default invocant, i.e. a function defined with this keyword that doesn't have an explicit invocant in its parameter list will automatically
shift its first argument into the variable specified here.
Valid values: booleans. If you set this to a true value, the keyword will accept invocants in parameter lists; otherwise specifying an invocant in a function defined with this keyword is a syntax error.
Valid values: strings containing (source code for) attributes. This causes any function defined with this keyword to have the specified attributes (in addition to any attributes specified in the function definition itself).
Valid values: booleans. This property is on by default; use
default_arguments => 0 to turn it off. This controls whether optional parameters are allowed. If it is turned off, using
= in parameter lists is a syntax error.
Valid values: booleans. If turned on, functions defined with this keyword will automatically check that they have been passed all required arguments and no excess arguments. If this check fails, an exception will by thrown.
Valid values: booleans. This property is on by default; use
check_argument_types => 0 to turn it off. This controls whether functions defined with this keyword automatically check that the arguments they are passed pass the declared type constraints (if any). See "Experimental feature: Types" below.
Valid values: booleans. This turns on both
check_argument_count and
Valid values: code references. The function specified here will be called to turn type annotations into constraint objects (see "Experimental feature: Types" below). It will receive two arguments: a string containing the type description, and the name of the current package.
The default type reifier is equivalent to:
sub { require Moose::Util::TypeConstraints; Moose::Util::TypeConstraints::find_or_create_isa_type_constraint($_[0]) }
The predefined type
function_lax is equivalent to:
{ name => 'optional', default_arguments => 1, strict => 0, invocant => 0, runtime => 0, }
These are all default values, so
function_lax is also equivalent to
method_lax is equivalent to:
{ defaults => 'function_lax', attributes => ':method', shift => '$self', invocant => 1, # runtime => 1, ## possibly in a future version of this module }
classmethod_lax is equivalent to:
{ defaults => 'method_lax', shift => '$class', }
method_strict, and
classmethod_strict are like
method_lax, and
classmethod_lax, respectively, but with
strict => 1.
method and
classmethod are equivalent to
method_lax and
classmethod_lax, respectively.
use Function::Parameters qw(:strict) is equivalent to
use Function::Parameters { fun => 'function_strict', method => 'method_strict' }.
use Function::Parameters qw(:lax) is equivalent to
use Function::Parameters { fun => 'function_lax', method => 'method_lax' }.
use Function::Parameters is equivalent to
use Function::Parameters { fun => 'function', method => 'method' }.
You can ask a function at runtime what parameters it has. This functionality is available through the function
Function::Parameters::info (which is not exported, so you have to call it by its full name). It takes a reference to a function, and returns either
undef (if it knows nothing about the function) or a
Function::Parameters::Info object describing the parameter list.
Note: This feature is implemented using
Moo, so you'll need to have
Moo installed if you want to call
Function::Parameters::info (alternatively, if
Moose is already loaded by the time
Function::Parameters::info is first called, it will use that instead).
Function::Parameters::Info for examples.
If you want to write a wrapper around
Function::Parameters, you only have to call its
import method. Due to its pragma nature it always affects the file that is currently being compiled.
package Some::Wrapper; use Function::Parameters (); sub import { Function::Parameters->import; # or Function::Parameters->import(@custom_import_args); }
An experimental feature is now available: You can annotate parameters with types. That is, before each parameter you can put a type specification consisting of identifiers (
Foo), unions (
... | ...), and parametric types (
...[...]). Example:
fun foo(Int $n, ArrayRef[Str | CodeRef] $cb) { ... }
If you do this, the type reification function corresponding to the keyword will be called to turn the type (a string) into a constraint object. The default type reifier simply loads
Moose and forwards to
Moose::Util::TypeConstraints::find_or_parse_type_constraint, which creates Moose types.
If you are in "lax" mode, nothing further happens and the types are ignored. If you are in "strict" mode,
Function::Parameters generates code to make sure any values passed in conform to the type (via
In addition, these type constraints are inspectable through the
Function::Parameters::Info object returned by
An even more experimental feature is the ability to specify arbitrary expressions as types. The syntax for this is like the literal types described above, but with an expression wrapped in parentheses (
( EXPR )). Example:
fun foo(('Int') $n, ($othertype) $x) { ... }
Every type expression must return either a string (which is resolved as for literal types), or a type constraint object (providing
check and
get_message methods).
Note that these expressions are evaluated (once) at parse time (similar to
BEGIN blocks), so make sure that any variables you use are set and any functions you call are defined at parse time.
The module is actually written in C and uses
PL_keyword_plugin to generate opcodes directly. However, you can run
perl -MO=Deparse ... on your code to see what happens under the hood. In the simplest case (no argument checks, possibly an invocant, required positional/slurpy parameters only), the generated code corresponds to:
fun foo($x, $y, @z) { ... } # ... turns into ... sub foo { my ($x, $y, @z) = @_; sub foo; ... } method bar($x, $y, @z) { ... } # ... turns into ... sub bar :method { my $self = shift; my ($x, $y, @z) = @_; sub bar; ... }
A future version of this module may enable
runtime => 1 by default for methods. If this would break your code, please send me a note or file a bug on RT.
A future version of this module may default to strict mode instead of lax.
After installing, you can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command.
perldoc Function::Parameters
You can also look for information at:
Lukas Mai,
<l.mai at web.de>
Copyright 2010-2014 Lukas Mai.
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of either: the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; or the Artistic License.
See http://dev.perl.org/licenses/ for more information.


text:
I skipped the DSi, which is abnormal for me, as I normally try to pick up every system that comes along unless its a direct 1 to 1 redo of a unit (like the psp3000 to the pspGo).
I can't say my handheld systems ever get a TON of play, but I do like to have them around, and I certainly like playing those way more than say my Iphone, which I think it an atrocious platform for gaming.
Anyways, one of my biggest concerns about the 3DS naturally would be the 3d effect. I know that you can turn it on and off, but I'm wondering how convincing it is? Please note that I'm one of those guys that is already sick and tired of the "3d" movie movement that has been going on, I think it gimmick and crutch for movie studios. In gaming, its relatively an untapped opportunity for unique gaming experiences, but that's because you can interact with a game. Movies with 3d in them general consist of scenes where people are pointing at the camera, pointing things at the camera, throwing things at the camera, ect... I wonder what we'll get with the games?
I've read the announcements about netflix coming to the system, and I think that's great. I use the netflix feature on my iphone relatively often, and I think I would use it on the 3ds as well.
Anyways, if any of you have had some hands on time with this system, I would like to hear your thoughts on it


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text:
Obama plans to hold a press conference at 11 a.m. in Washington today, his fifth public remarks on the debt in a week, as he presses lawmakers to reach an agreement to raise the $14.3 trillion U.S. borrowing ceiling before an Aug. 2 deadline. The president and bipartisan congressional negotiators agreed to meet every day until they reach a deal, said one legislative aide on condition of anonymity.Or Tiger?
[T]he news that Tiger will sit down with The Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman on Monday morning at 11 AM ET seems a bit strange....
What could it be?... Here are a few of the possibilites.
-- Tiger won't play golf for the rest of 2011...
-- Tiger needs to have surgery to fix his knee/Achilles.
-- Tiger might comment on his relationship with Anthony Galea, maybe just to clear the air after Galea was indicted last week on counts of transporting illegal drugs across the border for a number of athletes.
-- Tiger might be giving us an idea of when he will return to golf.


text:
Inspired Athletic Movement, 5485 Conestoga Court, Suite 110B, Boulder, mbodyboulder.com, inspiredathleticmovement.com
Instructor: Melissa Page, a "personal wellness concierge" and founder of Boulder-based mbody.
Page, of Boulder, has a background in sales and marketing, and decided to switch to pursue a career in fitness last fall. She has been a certified personal trainer for a year and recently became a certified Core Power yoga instructor. She offers functional movement screenings, lifestyle and health assessments, nutrition coaching and personalized workouts.
She teaches at Inspired Athletic Movement.
What is the workout? A sculpting, small-group training class with old-school (like Jane Fonda weighted leg lifts) and yoga influences. As the name implies, the class focuses on glutes, core and arms.
The class uses body weight, dumbbells, isometrics and some power moves of yoga.
"It trains your mind to learn how to fire a lot of different muscles at once, which actually ends up being a greater metabolic burn," Page says.
What's different? The class was slower than most other yoga-with-weights classes I've taken (and slower means harder).
"Everything is followed by a little bit of a yogic movement or thought," Page says. "It's lifting weights or doing core exercises with intention."
Also, the small class size makes this class feel more like personal training and it allows for more one-on-one attention and a focus on safety and alignment. Classes cap at six participants.
Cost: On the website, you can sign up for a free class or get your first month of unlimited classes for $39. Through mbody, you can buy an eight-class punch card for $85. Check the website for other deals.
Level: All moves can be modified for different levels, but the class is designed to be challenging: an eight on a 10-point intensity scale. I was pretty shaky after class. Page says she wants the class to be accessible to everybody and not intimidating.
When: 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays and 7:15 a.m. Wednesdays. Class is an hour long. Page also offers power yoga classes with shades of Triple G.
What to prepare: Comfortable exercise clothes, sneakers, a bottle of water. Other equipment (mats, weights) provided. Page also recommends weight gloves if your hands are sensitive.
Muscles worked:Full body. My legs especially. Tons of balance. Somehow it smoothed out my thoughts, too; probably because many of the moves required a lot of focus. My class was bicep heavy, but every class is different.
"We want the 'show' muscles, which are the guts and the guns, but we also want the 'go' muscles; your whole posterior chain is what stabilizes you for life," Page says. "If you're strong along your back line and strong and centered in your core, which is your front and back ... everything else improves."
What I loved: The yoga influences, which helped elongate the muscles and improve balance and focus while we strengthened. I also liked that she checked in with me before class (injuries, needs) and left the students with easy nutrition advice to take with us for the rest of the day.
The participants were also friendly and made me laugh, which set the tone for an approachable workout.
I also like that Page encourages participants to text her if they have any questions, and she sends out regular emails with tips and recipe inspirations. Too often, trainers neglect this important side of fitness. The best programs don't end when you walk out of the gym.
What I didn't like:The room felt a little cramped. My class only had three participants, and I can't imagine many more. Otherwise, this was a solid class that felt safe, effective and fun.
How I felt after the class: My core was blasted from a highly challenging boat-like pose with a rotation. It felt a little sore the next day, but I liked the exercise so much I decided to incorporate it into my personal routine.
— Reported by Aimee Heckel.
Know of any interesting workouts? Tell us about them so we can check them out: email@example.com or 303-473-1359 or Twitter.com/Aimeemay.
Contact Camera Staff Writer Aimee Heckel at 303-473-1359 or email@example.com


text:
Was my ride boring? Would I lie to you? Yes and no. That's the answer to the first question. No is the answer to the second question. So, that's an aggregate one yes and two nos, and the two nos might cancel each other out because of math or something which means two yeses, which means that my ride was boring and I would lie to you, but in the effort to pretend that that's not the case, I'll just proceed with writing the post and you can judge whether or not the ride was boring and I told you the truth or if the ride was exciting and I lied and/or any combination of excitement and truth-telling as it suits your wants and needs.
The ride was hot. I wore sunscreen and sunglasses. Please do be mindful of the harmful effects of UV rays. Bicycle riding is wonderful. Skin cancer is not. Take care of your skin, especially because your skin is your largest organ. Unless, of course, you're the Wannamaker.
How would Winston Churchill bike down Massachusetts? Well, I can't be sure that he would. Mostly because he's been dead 60 years. But if he did, I'd imagine he'd heed the manhole covers and also take the lane, so as not to be passed too closely by cars. Never give up. Never surrender.
No matter what I do I can't catch the green light at 18th and Q. Pedal hard and there's a bus. Jump the light and get stuck behind a taxi. Swing a mace overhead and scream "Get out of my way or I'll hit you with this mace" and get arrested. There's just no winning. It's better to accept this than to try to fight it, which I do every day. It's the closest thing I have to a white whale. I mean, other than that stupid white whale that consistently blocks my way by the aquarium.
I think the hardest part of bike commuting is foregoing the consumption of media during my transport to work. On the train or bus or in the car, I'd probably be listening to a podcast and I really do enjoy podcasts, podcasts being the communication of pods of dolphins. (This post has taken a weird turn towards aquatic mammals, but I'm sure it's porpoise-ful.) No, but I really do like podcasts and I really don't listen to them while bike commuting, since I tend to value my hearing during my rides to and from work. So, all in all, that's the thing I'm missing most by not getting to work another way. Trade-offs.
11th was fine, but crowded. I wonder if there's a WABA course on biking with buses. Is this covered in Confident City Cycling? And is Big Shoulder-ed City Cycling the equivalent class in Chicago?
Pennsylvania Avenue is one of my favorite avenues.
From the Capitol, it was an uphill slog on the House side, and then down Penn again. Penn SE is a good road, but it's a bit highway-y and it's wide and open and not necessarily the best for slow cycling. So, I engaged in faster cycling and that was mostly fine. I was faster than a bus, so there's that. Slower than the bus and I should've just taken the bus, but it was a commuter bus and didn't have a bike rack on it, so that might've been difficult to manage. Also, I would've ended up in Bowie. Or somewhere. At Penn and Potomac, I diverged at met Kate outside of the Harris Teeter for a button handoff. Button handoffs are the best. She paid me cash money. And we talked of karaoke and karaoke obligations and my intention to fulfill said karaoke obligations.
On the way home, I almost stopped at the pretzel place. In fact, I did stop at the pretzel place. Almost comically so. But then I decided that I shouldn't partake in pretzels without the Official Wife, with whom I'd prefer to eat and/or share and or eat-share (Capital Eatshare has thousands of finger foods distributed about the city. The rebalancing vans are Dominos guys), so I walked away and rode home.
Ride Home 5/1: Bob Aganoosh's All-You-Can-Eat Eggplant Buffet
2 comments:
They recommend a U-Lock, it is a heavy duty lock that is nearly impossible to break through. It can't guarantee your bike won't be stolen but it will discourage thieves from trying.ReplyDelete
kids bike
I grew up outside of Philadelphia, and each year near Christmas my Mom would take me downtown to Wannamaker's to see the light display and organ performance. So although I am not the wannamaker organ I didn't have to follow the link to be sure.ReplyDelete
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text:
There's still time to sign up for activities and classes, such as fly fishing, fly casting, fencing, or bird watching, with the Community Schools this spring.
Classes offered by the Juneau School District Department are open to all local residents and each class or activity is catered toward either youth or adult participants. Registration for the spring courses began on Jan. 25, but there is still time to sign up for classes that meet in the coming weeks.
This year, wildlife activities include Fly Fishing 101, Fly Casting 101 and Beginning Bird Watching.
For the Fly Fishing 101 course, instructor Tony Soltys will be sharing his expert knowledge on how to fish local waters and will offer up frank advice on equipment, techniques and fly selection. Attendees will also learn fishing etiquette and have an opportunity to tie a fly that Soltys said he prefers to fish "in nearly all situations on roadside waters." The two-day fly fishing course begins on Wednesday, Feb. 27 and runs for two hours, both days meeting from 7-9 p.m. in the Floyd Dryden Middle School library and gym. Cost is $16 to participate, which does not include the $5 supply fee. A second two-day course will happen at the same time and location on Tuesday and Thursday, March 5 and 7.
Soltys will also be teaching a Fly Casting 101 course, which is geared toward beginning and intermediate levels, but also open to anyone wishing to improve existing casting techniques. Participants are encouraged to bring their own gear. There are three options for this course, each meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. in the Riverbend Elementary Gym. The first course begins on Tuesday, March 12, the second on Tuesday, March 26 and the third on Tuesday, April 2. Class fees for this course are the same as for the Fly Fishing 101 course. For more information about the fly fishing and casting courses, email Soltys at email@example.com.
The Beginning Bird Watching courses will be taught by Patricia Wheery, a teacher and lifelong birder. The first class session is nearly complete, but the second class session begins on Thursday, March 7. These classes, geared toward the basics of bird identification and observation, cost $8. For more on the bird watching classes offered by the Community Schools, see last week's Outdoors section: http://juneauempire.com/outdoors/2013-02-15/beginning-bird-watching-clas....
Also offered this spring are fencing courses for both beginners and advanced youth and adults. The courses began on Feb. 4 for the beginners and on Feb. 6 for advanced individuals, but Community Schools Supervisor Cheryl Glen said folks can still sign up for the courses. The course covers beginning footwork, attacks and defense. More experienced fencers will be able to improve basic skills, learn compound attacks and work on strategy. Club loaner equipment is available, or students can purchase their own gear with the help of instructors. The first class runs from 6-7:30 p.m. from Feb. 4 to April 15, in the Harborview Elementary School Gym. The second course runs from 6-7:30 p.m. from Feb. 6 to April 17, in the Riverbend Elementary School gym. Course fee for each classes is $60 for beginners, and $45 for advanced students. For more information or details on the fencing course, contact instructor Karl Marx at 209-8143 or by email at email@example.com.
Some online courses that may be of interest for the outdoor enthusiast include Composting, Digital Camera Basics, Gardening 1: Groundwork, National Parks, Photo Editing — Basics, Stormchasing and Volcanoes.
For for information on all the Community Schools spring courses, go online to http://www.juneauschools.org/district/community-schools, or call 523-1761.


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With the hot summer days finally rolling in full force, we turn our thoughts to old highball standards. The gin and tonic is in its prime, with the Dark and Stormy looming on the horizon. Even stalwartly moderate England has the Pimm's Cup to beat the lukewarms. But real refreshment demands something different, fresh, and not too boozy. Enter Luxardo Aperitivo, a new offering from Northern Italy.
Best known for its Maraschino liqueur (and amazing Marasca cocktail cherries), the Luxardo company's Aperitivo is a move towards exporting a lighter Italian concoction. Made by infusing botanicals into neutral spirit before finishing with sugar for balance, the Aperitivo is not exactly a new beast, inspired by the Italian tradition of a bitter drink before a meal to stimulate the appetite. In the same family as Campari or Aperol, Aperitivo is a welcome new addition, with an easy 11% alcohol content.
The flavors are familiar—bittersweet orange, gentian root, rhubarb, even a hint of sweet ripe strawberry—but the delivery is integrated and full, and the sweetness soothes all around. If Campari is the uncompromising, complex, and bitterly bracing quaff, and Aperol the sweet and heady nectar, then Aperitivo strikes an interesting balance in between. It stands up, confident in its skin, and mixes delightfully with Prosecco or fruit juices. Even better, go 50/50 with soda water and a squeeze of lime.
Imported by Anchor Distilling of San Francisco, Luxardo Aperitivo is available at retailers nationwide for around $20 for 750 mL.
Sample provided for review consideration.


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King Speaks
A rarely seen one-hour interview with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be screened tomorrow at 6 p.m. at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill. The film will be introduced by George Silano, the North Haven cinematographer who made it.
King speaks about the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. Also featured is a conversation with his wife, Coretta Scott King. The film had never been screened publicly until its premiere on Jan. 28 at the Rogers Memorial Library in Southampton. Admission is free.
Music, American Style
Eugenie Russo, a pianist, will give a concert, "Americana: Music by Copland, Bernstein, and Gershwin," on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Southampton Cultural Center. Ms. Russo is a former artist in residence for the State of Virginia and has toured as a representative of the U.S. State Department and Austrian Foreign Ministry. She has performed, recorded for television and radio, and taught master classes throughout Asia, Europe, and this country.
She has taught piano at the Josef Matthias Hauer Conservatory in Austria since 1991 and is a professor at the Vienna International Pianists Summer Academy, as well as a jurist for piano competitions, such as the International Rosario Marciano Piano Competition. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased at the door. A reception with the artist will follow.
Coming to Bay Street
The Bay Street Theatre has announced that three plays have been chosen for its Mainstage season. "Lend Me a Tenor" by Ken Ludwig will run from May 28 to June 23, directed by Don Stephenson. "The Mystery of Irma Vep" by Charles Ludlum will be performed from July 2 to July 28, with Kenneth Elliott directing. From Aug. 6 to Sept. 1, it will be "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, with book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
"It's going to be a summer full of laughs, that's for sure," Tracy Mitchell, the Sag Harbor theater's executive director, said. "We know people in the Hamptons are here for a good time all summer, and we plan on delivering our share of fun."
"We think these shows are some of the best comedies written for the stage," said Gary Hygom, Bay Street's managing director for production, "and the musical 'Forum' is not only one of the greatest musical comedies, it also features the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim, with the signature song 'Comedy Tonight!' "
The 2013 Mainstage season program is partially funded by Suffolk County. Three-play subscriptions are available online at baystreet.org or by calling the box office Tuesday through Friday between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.


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Age Plus Completed Years of Service (Minimum 10) must equal 75 on or before December 31, 2005
To be eligible for continuation of subsidized medical benefits, you must have been enrolled in a University-offered group medical plan for a minimum of two years prior to retirement. Each Fall, you will be given the opportunity to re-evaluate your coverage options. Actively enrolled dependents are eligible for continued coverage per plan guidelines; however, no new dependents are eligible to enroll for coverage after the onset of retirement. Please be advised that if you elect to terminate coverage, you will not be eligible to re-enroll in a University-offered group plan at a later date.
To confirm your eligibility for retirement benefits, please contact your HR Manager.
Under Age 65: If you (or your spouse/same-sex partner) are under age 65 at the time of retirement, you are not yet eligible for Medicare. However, you can elect to continue your current individual, retiree + 1 or retiree + 2 or more medical insurance coverage. You will be billed 30% of the monthly premium cost.
Over Age 65: Once you (or your spouse/same-sex partner) attain age 65, Medicare will become your primary insurance. You must notify Social Security (1-800-772-1213) to enroll in Medicare, Parts A and B. Your University-offered group medical coverage will change to the United HealthCare AARP Options - Medicare Supplement Plan F and Prescription Drug coverage through UnitedHealth Medicare Rx. You are eligible on the first of the month in which you attain age 65 (or if your birthday is the first of the month you are eligible the month prior). Please consult the applicable United HealthCare plan materials for information regarding coverage and out-of-pocket costs. You will be billed 30% of the monthly premium cost for your supplemental coverage. Your spouse/same-sex partner is eligible to participate in the group supplemental plan; however, he/she is required to pay 100% of the monthly premium cost. You must contact HRD at least three months in advance of your planned retirement in order to ensure appropriate processing and timely enrollment.
If you are enrolled in the dental plan at the time of retirement, you can elect to continue this coverage. You will be billed 100% of the monthly premium cost (dental insurance rates). Actively enrolled dependents are eligible for continued coverage per plan guidelines; however, no new dependents are eligible to enroll for coverage after the onset of retirement.
All group life insurance ends upon retirement. Conversion and/or portability options may be available. Appropriate paperwork is available through HRD and must be requested within 30 days following the date of retirement.
Upon retirement, a $2,000 life insurance policy is maintained at no cost to the retiree. Please contact HRD if you have questions regarding current beneficiary information on file.
Retired faculty and staff who have completed 10 years of continuous service are eligible for the same tuition remission benefits made available to active full time faculty and staff (this does not include the Tuition Exchange or Consortium tuition benefits). Please contact HRD for more information and applicable paperwork.
Other Information:
Link to Retiree Information page
This policy is subject to change at the discretion of the University.
Please contact your designated HR Representative if you change your address at any time during your retirement.


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Union blasts chip industry's 'cancer risk denial'
Semiconductor bosses say no need for UK-wide study
The UK's largest trade union has slammed the semiconductor industry after it told the British government that a national study to look into the effects of work-related cancer in the chip biz was unnecessary.
Unite said today that it was perplexed by senior bosses at chip firms who insist that there was "no clear evidence" that show people working in their plants were dangerously exposed to health risks.
According to the union, the semiconductor industry said it "does not accept there is a need to conduct an industry-wide study".
Health and Safety Minister Lord McKenzie had written to key execs in the semiconductor industry to raise some of the concerns expressed by Unite.
The union has been pushing for industry-wide research into cancer risks in the computer and semiconductor manufacturing industry since the publication of the HSE/DTI Feasibility study in 2005.
Unite national officer Peter Skyte said in a statement: "This is in our view an Alice in Wonderland approach. It is precisely because there is no clear evidence that we, the government and the HSE see the need for a national study.
"If there were compelling evidence of an increased risk of occupational cancer, there would not be a need for the study."
In October 2006 a study of workers at computer plants in the US highlighted an "elevated" chance of contracting and dying of cancer.
Research conducted by US academic Richard Clapp and published in Environmental Health, covered 31,941 individuals who died between 1969 and 2001, and who had spent five years or more working in computer or semiconductor manufacturing plants.
The study found death rates for all cancers were elevated in both males and females who had worked in computer plants. The data Clapp used was produced during a US lawsuit in which IBM was sued by former plant workers.
Last November AMD was hit by a birth defects lawsuit from an ex-employee who worked at one of the firm's fab plants. She claimed that exposure to hazardous chemicals during pregnancy had caused multiple birth defects in her son.
At the time AMD responded to the accusation by saying: "We take the health and safety of our employees very seriously. We have a long history of supporting independent research on health and safety in semiconductor manufacturing and are confident in our systems and procedures."
We requested comment from AMD and Intel, but neither was immediately available at time of writing. ®
Sponsored: Minds Mastering Machines - Call for papers now open


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Blue scrub pants, and a red scrub top with ornaments on it.I'll be wearing a teal shirt with snowmen on it, jeans, and brown shoes to DSD's performance later today. Wonder what she is gonna' look like. I'm thinking of taking an extra outfit and hair thingys...just in case.
I love knit dresses, but sadly work requires trousers.
Bootcut, very blue denim jeans, black sneakers, and a hunter green, shortsleeved turtleneck. The neck is pretty tight and I feel like I'm being slowwwly strangled all day long.
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The Loveland Christian publishing house gave $61,000 to 29 regional nonprofits at its annual community service award show.
Since 1997, Group has donated more than $1 million to local nonprofit organizations through its Community Service Awards, funding for which comes out of the company's tithe. This year's event was held at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Johnstown, where close to 300 nonprofit representatives and politicians showed up to support the often overlooked do-gooders of Northern Colorado.
"This is the one time where we get to focus on them for just a minute," said Thom Schultz, Group's founder and CEO. "They didn't go into the nonprofit work that they do to bring recognition or honor to themselves. It's just so significant for them to stop, have a breather, and have somebody else serve them and recognize the work that's being done."
Though 29 organizations shared the largess, the $25,000 "Outstanding Award" was given to the Loveland-based organization Amy's House, a restorative care facility for teenage girls recovering from lives of sex trafficking. CEO Loren Fardulis called the exploitation of children "heinous" and said more organizations like his are needed to lend a voice to the vulnerable and underrepresented victims of sex trafficking.
"This is going to be such a help to our kids," Fardulis said.
The remaining $36,000 was split into 24 thousand-dollar "Category Awards" and four "Special Awards" worth $3,000 each.
Be the Gift, which provides practical assistance and a resource base for single moms, took home the Special Loveland Award. Mayor Cecil Gutierrez presented the check to owners Chris and Marilyn Johnson, who plan to put the award money toward safer, healthier living conditions for their clients.
"This award is not just $3,000," Chris said. "To the single mothers of Loveland, this will be worth $15,000 to $50,000 because of all that will be done in their home. It's a gift that will keep on giving all year long for these moms."
By working with Be the Gift, Marilyn explained, these women are able to save dramatically on basic repairs and home improvement, because they don't have to pay a premium for private contractors.
"We find that a single mom wears many, many hats, and it can be overwhelming," Marilyn said. "So we assess their needs, put volunteers together and fix their home. Improving their quality of life is our mission."
Dave McDanal, who took home the Special Northern Colorado Award on behalf of Disabled Resource Services, was grateful both for the check and the rare chance at public recognition.
"People in human services don't always get the credit that they deserve for working hard, so this is wonderful," he said.
While not all of the nonprofit agencies were recipients of cash awards, the room was flush throughout the event with supportive applause from all.
"It just demonstrates the selflessness that they have," Schultz said. "They're so eager to focus not just on themselves, but to honor the other nonprofits that are here."
Chris Johnson echoed that sentiment, saying nonprofits cannot succeed without each other.
"It can be really difficult as a nonprofit," he said. "It takes a community. To be a part of a group that gives their time and energy and resources and money, it's just an amazing moment."
Alex Burness can be reached at 970-669-5050 ext. 521 or email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @Alex_Burness.
Cultural Arts Services: Living Fire Arts Network --Blues Behind Bars
Educational Services: Logan County Literacy Coalition; Little Thompson Science Foundation
Services for Children: Finally Home Foundation; Fort Collins Read Aloud
Services for Youth: Rocky Mountain Youth Sports; Colorado Youth Outdoors
Services by Youth: GECCCO Girl Scouts Troop #71106
Special Health Services: Sense of Security; Loveland Lions Club; Hearts & Horses; St. Matthews Medical Clinic
Social Services (Faith-Based): Faith Family Hospitality; Alpha Center; Cold Weather Care; Kids at Heart -- Heart of the Rockies Christian Church
Social Services (Community-Based): Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley; Community Caring Hands, Inc.; Homelessness Prevention Initiative; Feeding Our Community Ourselves
Civic Community Services: OneMorgan County
Services by/for Senior Citizens: Eldergarden
Services related to Ecology/Environment: Serve 6.8: Fire Relief/Recovery team
Church-Based Outreach: Christ Community Church
$3,000 Loveland Award: Be the Gift, Inc.
$3,000 Larimer County Award: Women's Resource Center
$3,000 Northern Colorado Award: Disabled Resource Services
$3,000 Special Church Award: Warriors for Christ
$25,000 Outstanding Award: Amy's House


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I was wrong.
I was hardly alone, but I was wrong. The Denver Broncos are 5-0. I ranked them #2 in my pre-season Misery Index. Missed it by that much...
My reasoning was sound. The powers that be were idiots for running Cutler out of town. The players were largely the same as last year's losing bunch, aside from an obvious drop in class at quarterback. The owner had fired an experienced Super Bowl winning head coach and replaced him with some fresh-mouthed punk that looks like the assistant manager at Jiffy Lube. Yet another Belichick protégé, none of which have succeeded thus far. No way in hell that works. No way in hell.
Surprise! The Broncos are for real. We have tried to deny it. We have tried to hang the "yeah but" label on them because of their light schedule. But after a hard fought come from behind victory over the formerly mighty Patriots, we have no choice. It's time to buy in. These guys aren't the pony pucks we thought they would be.
Suddenly the team owner that I pitied just weeks ago as being a notch below Al Davis on the senility scale looks like a genius. The head coach that had everybody pissed off, now has a locker-room and city full of people ready to build him a statue. And that "drop in class" at quarterback is looking like a non-issue.
It seems the Broncos can win without Cutler, and Cutler can win without the Broncos. That outcome seemed the most unlikely of the possible scenarios in my mind. Stop the presses, I was wrong!
Sorry coach Skippy. My bad.
And let's talk bad shall we? When I saw the Seahawks neon green uni's I figured that was the absolute limit. These were the ugliest uniforms I would ever see in the NFL.
And then came the Broncos with their court-jester brown and yellow vertical stripes. Apparently the Broncos actually wore those uniforms for the first two years of the teams existence. Note to Broncos: The franchise was damn lucky to survive even two years sporting those clown outfits. Do you really want to press your luck?
On the other hand, it is possible that the Patriots would have won that game if not for the confusion caused by that herd of yellow and brown zebras running around the field. They do create a certain sense of inertia.
The Broncos are exhibit #4298 to show you just never know about this crazy game. For instance, imagine my distress last week when I had Marques Colston and Johnny Knox on a bye, and was forced to start the previously invisible Miles Austin and Jeremy Maclin in their places. Oh the horror.
Yeah, I hit the wide receiver parlay of the week in my dynasty league. Maclin and Austin. And the main reason they were in my lineup is because of bye weeks and unlikely injuries to the guys in front of them.
To say I was cautiously optimistic, but not at all confident would be a fair assessment.
Of course, that didn't stop me from taunting my opponent before the game, telling him how he was going to get hammered by my weak little reserves. My team was minus Gates, Colston, Knox, and Ryan Grant. I talked trash anyway and Maclin and Austin backed me up.
That was cool of those guys. I'm thinking maybe a Christmas card.
It wasn't all good though. I left Austin on the bench of one of my WCFF leagues. If only Derrick Mason (0 pts) had been on a bye I would have looked like a genius in that league as well. The thought did cross my mind. Starting Austin over Mason. But that would have taken balls, and apparently mine were missing Sunday.
These are clear examples of how luck (and lack of balls) helps determine fantasy leagues. Think about it, if Roy Williams and Kevin Curtis had not been injured, chances are that my worst bye week of the season would have lived up to its billing.
Instead, in the blink of an eye now we have a "receiver controversy" brewing in two cities and my dynasty league projects both look to be on their way to starter status. Just like a Hollywood script baby. Nobody saw it coming. I am the Broncos of my dynasty league.
And I am the ball-less idiot of my WCFF league.
When Miles Austin gets off his bye week, I will have the balls to put him in my starting lineup in both leagues, where-upon he will catch 1 pass for 7 yards.
The balls giveth. The balls taketh away.
A touching moment at the first half two-minute warning on Monday Night Football. The ESPN cameras went to commercial with a shot of Gloria Estefan signing a few autographs. Just after Tirico closed, you could hear the dweeb next to the guy that just got signed saying, "Hey Gloria, sign my arm." Then Gloria gave him the wave off. No thank you. Burned him on national TV. What, you don't want to grab some sweaty loser's slimy arm, scratch a signature on it, get swine flu from when he sneezed on it earlier, turn deathly ill, then get sued for ink poisoning when the dork gets a rash? Bitch.
10) Dolphins: These receivers get their hands on balls about as often as Rosie O'Donnell does. Okay, enough already with the balls. Let me be blunt. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams cannot carry this team for an entire season. This cute little dog and pony show is going to come to a screeching halt when one or both of these guys gets dinged up or worn down. And the way the 'Phins are running them into the ground, that moment can't be far away.
9) Lions: What a banner year it is for suckitude in the NFL. The Lions performance to this point would have them top 5 in the Misery Index most any year. I mean, right now you have Daunte Culpepper as your QB and the only player on your team that opposing defenses worry about has turned up lame. And you barely even crack the Index? All that time you have spent scrapping to try to raise yourselves out of the dumpster, never getting anywhere, and now you have to share it with a bunch of damn squatters!
8) Panthers: Surviving the Redskins at home by a field goal isn't exactly a reason to break out party hats and call in the strippers, but a win is a win. Unfortunately they didn't really play much different than in their losses. Lots of problems here. For instance, Jake Delhomme had to call a time-out twice during the first half because plays were coming in from the sideline so slow. Considering the lack of imagination in the play-calling to begin with, how long should it take to get those plays in. Student body right. Student body left. Off-target pass. Just pick one!
7) Raiders: What happens when a team that talks about a commitment to excellence meets one that actually practices a commitment to excellence? 44-7 and lots of mop-up time for the winners back-ups. The only guy in the whole organization that is earning his pay is the punter, and that is only based on the sheer volume of work.
6) Browns: "Winning" that game was like telling us you finally got a date for the school dance, but you showed up with your sister. We are glad you aren't alone anymore, but now somehow you seem even creepier than before. That whole, "winning a game with less than 25 yards of passing and 2 completions." Very disturbing. Not as disturbing as the fact that it only took the Jets only 2 days to turn Braylon Edwards into a football player, but disturbing all the same.
5) Bills: It is a disgrace to have even been a part of that horrendous game with the Browns, but to actually lose that game on your home field? Looks like karma finally landed a solid left hook on T.O. Good on you Karma! Wait 'til T.O. gets a load of your hay-maker: "Buffalo in December at 2-12."
4) Buccaneers: As a Maclin owner, forced to insert him into my lineup due to a bye week, I respectively decline to make snide comments about this fine bunch of individuals.
3) Chiefs: As an Austin owner, forced to insert him into my lineup due to a bye week, I respectively decline to make...aw screw it, this team is Miles away from their first victory. Miles I said...
2) Titans: Proof positive just how fast it happens in the NFL. The Titans were unstoppable a year ago, but now it's their opponents that are unstoppable. Yes, they have played a tough schedule, but the only game they really even had a prayer was a loss to the Jaguars, and that Jags team just got hosed 41-0 at Seattle. The reality is (brace yourselves) this team sucks. They aren't just pretending to suck. They really, really suck. The Colts toyed with them like a cat on a half dead mouse. Simple formula to beat the Titans. Stop Chris Johnson, and let the Titans woeful receivers, stupid penalties, and turnovers do the rest. I don't mean to pry, but does Nashville have some sort of a recent meth epidemic?
1) Rams: Just when you thought the league was at full capacity for celebrity owners, Rush Limbaugh has thrown his size 8 hat in the ring. I would think that Rush would be loathe to get involved in any kind of a society such as the NFL has become. But I suppose ones personal beliefs get pushed aside where potential for profit is involved. And isn't that what makes America great?


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Wake Up. I'm so disappointed in the letters praising Obama and the Democrats and condemning the Republicans. This is America; not Republican or Democrat. The current health care program is not providing for the underprivileged, but he is causing the loss of health care for millions.
It is ruining the finest, if not perfect, health care system in the world. Millions of jobs are lost and not replaced. The military is now reduced in the wake of the greatest threat to America in years. Wake up America.


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Some instances we overlook to want our family members on their birthday on account of some busy work they usually get upset as we didn't want them. As wishing them is already late, you will have ship them an superior belated birthday wishes saying them sorry and on the similar time despite the fact that it's late, it's a must to want them in particular method in order that their unhappiness disappears. We have one of the best assortment of belated birthday messages together with Happy birthday wishes which can flip their unhappiness to fantastic day of their life.
Belated Birthday Wishes
Checkout : Whatsapp Birthday Status | Birthday Poems
Belated Birthday Wishes & Messages
Some of one of the best belated birthday wishes are right here
- Even although this greeting involves you just a little late, the want it brings for happiness is nice on any day date. Happy late Birthday
- I might inform you the super-secret motive that I'm late wishing you a Happy Birthday, however it's categorized data and is out there solely on A NEED TO KNOW foundation.
- You stay life within the quick lane however I transfer just a little slower. That is why I'm just a little behind you on celebrating your birthday.
- I wish to be want folks a Happy Birthday no less than 11 months upfront, so my greeting from final yr was meant to cowl this birthday. Anyway, Happy Birthday once more.
- Happy Belated Birthday. When issues get busy, time slips by, however birthdays by no means wait. So lastly after we ship our greetings, they could be just a bit late. But when it's somebody so particular that we like lots, our ideas are all the time on time, it's simply our greeting that's not.
- Knowing how a lot enjoyable you might be, I assume that the social gathering remains to be going and that I'm not late in your birthday. Keep on having enjoyable.
- I'm late wishing you a Happy Birthday as a result of I used to be fearful that you'd nonetheless be in your birthday go well with.
- Double kisses and double hugs are your bonus present to make up for being late to want you a Happy Birthday.
- Sorry that I couldn't meet up with you in your birthday. Hope that it was nice. Happy belated birthday.
- I might have despatched you a birthday greeting in your birthday and I might have began Google, however I didn't. You are happy with Google so why not be happy with me being just a little tardy in saying Happy Birthday!
Belated Birthday Messages Wishes Quotes
Send these Belated Birthday Quotes, birthday wishes and take away their unhappiness.
- Even although I spaced out and forgot to speak my finest birthday wishes on time, I hope that your birthday was out of this world.
- I'm positive that you simply didn't count on a birthday greeting from me to reach on time and you understand how I hate to disappoint you!
- Sorry I'm late in wishing you a happy birthday. Lately I've been dwelling extra on a lunar calendar than the photo voltaic one.
- .Double kisses and double hugs are your bonus present to make up for being late to want you a Happy Birthday.
- Sorry I'm late in wishing you a happy birthday, I wakened on a entrance garden two blocks from residence.
- Even although this greeting involves you just a little late, the want it brings for happiness is nice on any day date. Happy late Birthday
- Dude, Happy Birthday. What's up with you celebrating it on time? I used to be completely unprepared for that. You rock.
- A belated birthday want that your life will proceed to be crammed with the happiness you deserve.
- The saying is "A day late and a greenback brief" however I missed your birthday by greater than that and there's no present both. So I suppose they should work on their saying. #justsaying. Happy Birthday.
- I'm late in saying Happy Birthday to you and perhaps even the final to say it this yr. So is it true that it's best to save one of the best for final?


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KLRU Q Night at the Movies now spotlights a classic film each Saturday night at 8 p.m. This month our feature films will be:
August 6 The Dirty Dozen
A U.S. Army major selects and trains 12 hard-core criminals for a daring raid on an impregnable Nazi chateau.
August 13 How I Won The War
A British officer (Michael Crawford) recalls his absurd leadership of other World War II misfits (John Lennon, Roy Kinnear). Cast: Michael Crawford, John Lennon, Roy Kinnear.
August 20 Razor's Edge
An idealistic war veteran embarks on a quest for the meaning of life. Based on a tale by W. Somerset Maugham.
August 27 All About Eve
A Broadway star (Bette Davis) takes a young and seemingly naive aspiring actress (Anne Baxter) under her wing.


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Washington has been awarded nearly $17 million by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as a bonus for the state's efforts to identify and enroll eligible children in Medicaid coverage.
Washington State Health Care Authority applied for the CMS performance bonus, which is awarded based on having in place at least five Medicaid program features known to promote enrollment and retention in health coverage for children and demonstrating a significant increase in Medicaid enrollment among children during the course of the fiscal year. Washington met five of the eight required program features necessary to qualify for an FY11 bonus award: 12 month continuous eligibility; liberalization of the state's asset test; elimination of in-person interview requirements; use of the same application and renewal forms; and premium assistance subsidies
This is the third year in a row that Washington has received a CMS performance bonus. Last year, the bonus totaled $20.6 million; in 2009, it was $7.8 million. The amount of the bonus is based on caseload growth.


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Mom Catches Son WatchingbyMomstheboss©
I lay awake in my childhood room staring at the ceiling and feeling sorry for myself. My recent divorce landed me back home for no other reason than I had nowhere else to go. I knew dad was not happy to see me back home, but, in the past few weeks, I had tidied up his tools in the garage and did other chores to make myself useful. It seemed to have worked.
Now mom was a different story entirely, for she had not wanted me to leave home in the first place. She thought I was too young to be married. I did too, but that's what one did when you get a girl pregnant.
She went out of her way to fix meals that she knew I enjoyed, which only pissed off dad. I had almost saved enough to rent my own apartment, but I was weeks away from my goal. I was a fiddler on a hot tin roof.
Glancing at the clock told me it was 1:30 am. I had to pee. I left the bed, very quietly opened my door, and tiptoed down the hall towards the bathroom. I knew I was going to pass my parent's bedroom and I shuffled quietly over the carpet.
I was only a few feet from their door when I noticed the door was cracked about 2 inches and I hugged the far wall to avoid being noticed. I looked through the crack and was instantly stopped in my tracks. I had limited view but I could tell that mom and dad were both naked and engaged in sex. I had to pee real bad but knew if I continued they would surely know I was up, discover the door cracked, and there would be questions. I returned to my room, found a jug and relieved myself, and returned to my bed. I lay there many minutes fighting mixed emotions. I wanted to creep back to the door, but was terrified I might be seen. My curiosity won out and I again opened my door very quietly and shuffled down the hall.
Peering in, the bed was situated against the left wall, giving me a sidelong view of mom and dad. I noted that dad's head was turned away from the door. Mom was looking at the ceiling. I immediately focused on my mother. Having me late in life at 30, she was now 53. She was not pretty, more handsome, I suppose, and not at all shapely, but her skin was milky white and smooth. Her thighs and ass were large but pristine. I desperately wanted to see her breast, but could not, as dad lay heavily atop her. She lay on her back under my father, her legs wrapped around him, but she did not seem to be participating with any zeal or emotions. She uttered no encouragement and was otherwise disengaged. A zombie came to mind.
My father, on the other hand, seemed to be fully absorbed in fucking my mother. His hands were gripping her ass and I could hear his labored breathing. My hand went to my crotch and I started to rub, through the fabric of my pajamas, an ever-increasing erection, but it never became a full-blown hard-on. It was hard to become sexually aroused by such a one-sided affair, especially when my main focus was the opposite sex, my mother.
I remember my own wife, Betty, when she began to respond in such a way, lying there while I satisfied my sexual craving. Doing her duty. It made me wonder if everything was all right between my mom and dad. It seemed they had been married forever. Had I just subconsciously suggested that an interloper might have a chance?
My gaze left my mother's sensuous ass and I froze. Had mom noticed me? Was she staring at me through the crack in the door?
I lay there staring at the ceiling. The cock inside me did nothing to stir any sexual desire within me. I had held him off for three weeks this time. The past few days he had begun to snap at me and I knew it was time to do my duty. I could, if I so desired, take care of myself tomorrow when I was home alone.
I looked toward the door, actually at the clock on the wall as I wanted this to be over, but I saw the door was cracked. I did not remember leaving the door cracked and rebuked
myself for not having been more careful. My son was back in the house and I needed to be more careful.
Was there someone there? Was he there? My breath caught when I realized that my son was peeking through the crack, spying on us. I immediately threw out the word "spying", as it was my fault the door was cracked. It would only be natural for a man to be inquisitive, even a son of his parents, his mother.
I did not feel it immediately, but I felt a surge of sexual desire swell inside me. There was something provocative and sexually mischievous about knowing someone was watching us. Knowing my son was watching me. A moan escaped my lips and my legs tighten around my husband's waist. I felt my clit come alive and my hips began to lift to meet his thrust, to sink his cock deeper into me.
Surprisingly to me, my thoughts were not of my husband, the man actually fucking me, but of my son standing at the door, undoubtedly, toying with a hard cock. Also, more surprising to me, if I was given the choice as to which one I wanted between my legs at this moment, I would choose my son over my husband.
I was frozen and could not move. She was indeed aware of my presence at the door. I had seen her astonished look when she had realized someone was there, that I was there. But she made no effort to shoo me away, with a wave of her hand. Nor did she make dad aware. I stood there mortified.
Slowly I relaxed, knowing, as the minutes passed, she had accepted my presence and I watched, mystified, as she became a willing participant in sexual intercourse. I heard her moans. I watched her ass arch to meet my dad's thrust. I watched her body come alive in the semidarkness of the bedroom.
I reached into my briefs to grip my cock.
"Fuck me, baby!" I heard her exclaim. "Do you feel your cock deep inside my belly? Fuck me good!"
Dad had stopped concentrating on his own desires and was now focusing his attention on mom. He lifted off of her and they stared at each other as dad, his hands behind her knees, pushed her thighs back and spread wide. I could see her breast now. They were ample and heavy, her nipples were firm and plump.
"Give me that cock, Dan!" I heard mom exclaim. "Fuck me hard!"
I could tell dad was pulling his cock nearly out of her before plunging hard and deep back into her. Then he stilled his thrusting, and I was mesmerized as mom continued thrusting her pussy onto his cock, fucking herself into a lustful frenzy.
I watched, intoxicated, until her orgasm seized her, her ass moving like a piston out of control. Dad let her orgasm calm, then, reaffirmed his grip on her ass. He fucked her hard and fast as she moaned, like a stricken animal. He was close and I did not want to witness him filling her belly with his cum. Needless to say, I certainly did not want to get caught by dad. I shuffled quietly back to my room and, lying there in the dark, masturbated to the visions, remembering the moans, I had just witnessed. In my fantasy, I was the one to fill mom's pussy.
I thought I was going to go insane! I was aware that Dan had stopped actively fucking me but I could not control myself and locked my eyes on the, not his in my mind, cock as I impaled myself on to it until my orgasm hit. As my orgasm slipped away, my desire to keep fucking was intense. I could care less that he would reap the benefit of my desire. Tonight, all I wanted him to do was keep fucking me. As usual, he only did so until he shot off.
Although I had told him so, it was not my husband's, cock that had made me all a twitter. Before this night, I had never consciously had any sexual thoughts of my son. But now, I knew the incestuous desires had been hiding just below the surface. Knowing he was there at the door watching me fuck had brought on the best orgasm I had ever experienced. I had never been so vocal, either.
After my orgasm, Dan locked onto my ass again.
"Fuck me with that big cock!" I exclaimed, which truth. "Give it to me, baby!
Fill my belly with that I cum!"
I felt guilty for ignoring my son, under the circumstances it could not have been helped. When I turned my gaze back to the door, I was a disappointed not to see my son peeking through the door. I hoped he had seen me come.
Before I dozed off, I pondered what the morning would hold?
After Annabel dosed off, I left the bed quietly and reset the video camera I have had trained on our bed for two years or more. It's not that I distrust my wife, but I have been aware of her sexual disinterest and was curious if she was sexually satisfying her own needs, or, just maybe the absurdity of a lover. It could possibly tell me if she suspected my fooling around or her distractions were due to age.
I had discovered that she was indeed satisfying her own needs. I became fond of watching her masturbate and playing with her various toys. I also enjoyed reviewing the video of me fucking her, sometimes masturbating myself. I could not understand her unwillingness to fuck more often.
Also, as an electronics salesman, it allowed me to test new equipment. I'm quite good at my job and was able to set up the camera so I could connect to it virtually anywhere in the country, as I do travel a bit. It is not uncommon for me to bring up the camera on my laptop while I watch TV or fuck the occasional call girl. There has been occasions when a call girl would be with me during the day and bringing up the camera while my wife was masturbating. It was amusing and, yes, added to the sex at hand.
With the early morning, lying distracted while her husband fucked her one last time before leaving, she came to a decision. Last night had brought it to the surface and she could not ignore it any longer. She needed some sexual excitement in her life and there was no need to go looking for it elsewhere. If Bronson was willing, and she was positive that he Was, he would be the pathway to that sexual excitement. She would give herself to her son. She wanted him to fuck her.
"Good morning, honey." Annabel welcomed her son as he entered the kitchen. "I hope you don't mind I let you sleep through breakfast with Dan? He was late for the plane. He'll be gone three or four days."
The reference to Dan instead of dad was intentional. As was, telling him that his father would be gone in a few days.
"Not at all, mom." Bronson replied.
"I thought it would be better if we had a little talk alone." Annabel added, as she sat the pancakes and coffee on the table and sat down, waiting for her son to take a seat.
"Good idea. I need to apologize, mom." Bronson began. "I did not mean to spy on you and dad last night. And I appreciate you not letting on to dad."
Annabel had not been sure what she was going to say to her son, but she certainly was not anticipating his apology. She had no idea how to make known her newfound desire and, now, she had been blindsided by his apology. She had acknowledged his presence last night, but did he not suspect that she was willing to go further? Confused, she squelched the desire to declare her willingness to allow him to bed her. Hell, her plans were dashed. She sat there naked under her housecoat and was prepared to climb on the table should their conversation take the right path. Clearly it was not and it didn't appear he was going to fuck her this morning as she had counted on.
" No, I need to apologize to you for leaving the door cracked." She said. "I need to get use to having you around the house again, I suppose."
"I'll just have to not drink so much liquid before bedtime." He proposed. "I need to cut out some of those Cokes. Maybe even lose some weight"
"Oh! You don't need to lose any weight you look fine to me. And, me and your dad do not engage in such shenanigans that often." She confessed, being a bit coy. "To be honest, honey, your dad doesn't interest me sexually anymore. I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't be talking to you so openly about such things."
"It's okay, mom." Branson replied with concern. "You need to talk to someone. But last night, it looked like you were really started to have a good time, after a bit, that is?"
"That's just the point, honey! I have to confess to being bad!" Annabel explained timidly. "I got excited because of you watching us! It seemed so naughty and provocative. I just couldn't help myself. It made me feel alive again!"
"In that case, mom." Bronson replied, teasingly. "You'll have to tell me when you and dad are going to do it, and you can be sure the is door cracked."
"I can appreciate your humor. I'll have to consider doing just that. And then, when your dad catches you he'll kick you out of the house for good. Is that what you want?" Annabel challenged. "Are you telling me that you can just watch him screw me and not have any feelings yourself?"
"No! I'm not telling you that." He defended. "I was being bad too, playing with myself, watching y'all. Watching you, really! I went back to my bed and jerked off!"
"What were you thinking about?" She questioned.
"When?" He asked.
"Damn it, Bronson!" She exclaimed. "When you were jerking off! And, when you were watching us, watching me?"
"What do you want me to say?" Bronson questioned, needing to hear the words from her lips, her desires. "What will make you happy?"
"I LET you watch last night! I thought maybe you would expect us to be, you know, a little closer now?" Annabel replied. "We were not physical but it was still intimate."
"We've always been close, mom!" He exclaimed, and then lied. "And you think me watching dad screw you was intimate? I don't know what you're getting at?"
"You don't know what I'm getting at? You're not serious? Just eat your damn breakfast and get the hell out of here!" She exclaimed. "I've got work to do."
Mother and son parted company.
Branson went to work knowing exactly what his mother desired, but he was unwilling to make the first move or vocalize his own desires. He was, certainly, in bad need of a woman's intimacy and after last night had rationalized that his mother could satisfy that need, if she would just spell it out for him. Sure! One could argue that she had proved it last night by not sending him away, acknowledging his presence and was not a bit upset with him at breakfast. But, she appeared to play cat and mouse and tiptoed around the obvious. Why was she so stubborn and not say it out loud. Was being rejected that much of a fear to her? Was it his fear too? Would a few minutes of incestuous sex be a disaster for both of them? He vowed that he would not be the first one to openly express his desires.
With her last words, Annabel rushed out of the kitchen near tears. She remained in her bedroom until she heard the door shut and the engine start on her son's car.
Their discussion had rattled her to the bones and she could not understand why her son was acting so stupid. It was clear to her what both of them wanted, even needed. She had wanted him to drag her off to the bedroom and fuck her until she couldn't stand, but that had not happened, and she was confused and baffled. She was aware that she was a bit big boned and on the heavy side. Did he not find her attractive enough? Surely the incest question was put to rest last night? Was not, watching your mother be screwed, only a step away from screwing her? Would a mother openly let her son watch her being screwed, and him not realize that she was opening the sexual door for him, to enter. Of course, he could be fearful of impregnating her. She must find some way to let him know that was impossible.
(Evening at home)
Annabel had supper prepared as usual. After eating supper, without much conversation, mother and son parted company again.
Annabel took her usual shower and put on her sleeping clothes, which amounted to fresh panties and a light nightgown.
Bronson, as part of his effort to make himself useful, did the dishes and when his mother entered her room, he took his own shower and put on long-legged pajama bottoms and a T-shirt.
But instead of going to the living room to watch TV, as usual, he knocked lightly at his mother's door.
"Come in, honey." Annabel called.
"You're not going to watch TV with me tonight?" Bronson queried.
"I thought I would relax a little tonight." She lied. "I'm a little tired. But here, why don't you join me and watch TV in here with me?"
Annabel saw his hesitation and added. "Come on scaredy-cat. I don't bite."
"I know you don't bite, mom." Bronson responded, as he joined her on the bed, leaving a good 2 feet between them.
(Somewhere in a motel)\
"Isn't that sweet!" The call girl said to Daniel. "That's ya'll son. Do they watch TV together in bed often?"
"Yes, of course! What are you implying?" Daniel snapped.
"Just teasing you, Dan." She defended. "You've shown me pictures of your wife and son before, you know?"
"Sorry, sugar. Of course I have." Daniel replied. "He's a pain in my ass. But he'll be out soon."
"I would think having him there would keep someone else from taking care of business at home?" The call girl continued to tease.
"Come over here, Cora, sugar!" He demanded. "Put your lips around this and maybe it will keep you quiet and you will still get that big tip I promised."
The sound on the laptop was turned down to allow Daniel and his companion to watch their own TV, which was showing a sexually explicit movie. Two lamps, on both sides of Annabel's TV provided sufficient light in her bedroom, though the expensive camera was quite capable of viewing a darkened room.
Daniel watched the sexually explicit video as he received the blow-job. Afterwards, as usual, he drifted off to a liquor induced deep sleep, leaving the young call girl to entertain herself. Being paid for the whole night, she knew in the morning he would want to fuck her, so, she retrieved a book out of her bag. She stopped the TV video, but left the laptop on, occasionally glancing at it. She could see mom and son as they reclined on the bed. She could see their lips moving, but as the sound was turned down she could not hear what they were talking about.
(On mom's bed)
Making himself comfortable on the bed, he turned his attention to the TV.
"If you don't like crime shows, we can turn to another channel?" Annabelle quarried.
"It doesn't matter what we watch." Bronson answered. "Your choice."
"Did you have a good day at work?" Annabelle asked, making small talk.
Mother and son continued the small talk between long moments of silence as each struggle to find a topic of discussion.
Annabel laid propped up high on her two pillows, knees high, feet flat on the bed. This caused her flimsy nightgown to drop on her slightly plump belly. She had pushed the material between her thighs, effectively covering her lavender colored panties, but left her thighs mostly revealed. Anyone appraising her legs would have little choice but to give them an A+ rating. Though large, and along with her equally smooth, large ass, her legs were smooth as silk with a milky white color, as she had always shied from the sun. Her coal black hair, cut in a Prince Valiant style, and her thick dark rimmed glasses, gave her a childish appearance sitting there on the bed. With quick sideways glances, Bronson absorbed all of the above, plus, the already firm and hard nipple of her right breast, pushing hard against the flimsy fabric of the nightgown.
Bronson sat upright against his pillows with his legs straight out in front of him, spread slightly. Annabel had little to scan except her son's crotch. She had noticed his secretive glances and watched the elongated bulge grow under the pajama bottoms, causing her body to become warm, despite her skimpy dress and the 72° setting on the air-condition.
"You know, Bronson." Annabel said, totally changing the subject of the weather. "We can't take the chance again of you watching through the cracked door. I hope you understand?"


text:
How much is a Beatle worth? A lot, judging by the result of a recent auction!
A British fireman coat that late Beatle John Lennon once owned sold at auction for $31,250 this week.
Nate D. Sanders Auctions in Los Angeles auctioned the item: a Blue cropped coat featuring an asymmetrical design, epaulettes and silver tone metal buttons, in size 3.
According to one of the coat's previous owners, Andrew B. Harvey, this is "the coat that John Lennon is wearing on the back of the British album release (I think) as Life with the Lions, — unless he had several of them."


text:
Boycott for Human Rights in China, Tibet and Taiwan
Boycott China!
Boycott Made In China
It's almost the least we can do
for the anonymous murdered victims
sacrificed as material parts
for the evolution of humanity
expressing its brutality, perhaps
here's hoping
that past, future and current
enslavements, tortures and deaths
do fulfill some sort of minimum requirement
to achieve a bit more freedom
a longer life
for someone
else, somewhere, sometime
because only nothing is less than that
killing and selling people
for travel and exhibiting
the wonders of those humans' bodies
yet you'll never tell their true names
Or their real stories
Of their real lives
Or their real ends.
For instance,
which prisons were bribed to carry out
the specific executions you ordered
and delivered enough of the correct dead humans
on time?
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All rights reserved exclusively for the use of people who believe that in the world of tangible reality, the lives of gay, lesbian, intersex, bisexual and transgender people are at least as important and necessary to society as are other identifiable, vulnerable, minority classes still subjected to societal abuses, discrimination, physical abuse and murders.
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UsQueers.com, Xe is becoming our blog. It will be coming and will be becoming.


text:
Humanitarian groups are lobbying hard against a proposal by several U.S. senators that would turn over the delivery of millions of dollars in U.S. aid to a Syrian opposition council that's criticized as too weak and too political to handle the responsibility.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is leading the charge to require the Obama administration to give the Syrian Opposition Coalition responsibility for aid delivery. The proposal was made after a bipartisan Senate delegation visited the region last month and heard firsthand Syrians' frustrations with the pace and scope of U.S. and other foreign assistance.
The senators recommended that the Obama administration step up its support for the coalition so that the body "can visibly play a meaningful role in delivery of U.S. humanitarian aid."
Executives from leading international aid groups are urging Congress to reject the recommendation. They say the proposal risks the traditional neutrality of aid missions and would place delivery of aid in the hands of an organization with no network for delivering it.
"The issue is whether or not we start turning aid into a political tool for the West," said one humanitarian aid executive who met with members of Congress in recent days to discuss the issue. "Aid should be impartial, aid should be neutral, and aid, frankly, should be delivered with organizations that have the capacity to be accountable as well as able to get it there in the most efficient manner."
The executive was one of three humanitarian aid officials from different agencies who met with McClatchy to discuss the issue on condition of anonymity because of the security and political sensitivities of their work in Syria.
In late January, the Obama administration announced that it would contribute another $155 million to aid Syrians displaced by the conflict in their country, bringing to $365 million the U.S. commitment to date.
The tug-of-war over how that aid is delivered – and by whom – is just one facet of a complex and worsening humanitarian crisis that affects millions of Syrians – many of whom are living in areas of the country that are difficult to reach.
The aid executives acknowledge that they have been able to reach only a fraction of the Syrians in need. But they warn that conditions could be far worse should Congress legislate the handover of aid delivery to opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Many members of the opposition coalition, the aid officials said, hail from the political elite that ruled Syria before or in the early days of the Assad dynasty. With their loyalties to disparate religious sects, political ideologies and regions of the country, the leaders could hardly be described as neutral. The main concern among aid workers is that the opposition would create a patronage system, steering goods to their own factions and stripping the veneer of neutrality from the process.
"I'm not calling into question their integrity," one of the humanitarian officials said of the opposition leaders, "but how much can they resist the temptation of directing aid toward different agenda items?"
"We're worried about a situation where decisions about aid are not based on vulnerability, but are being based on other factors, patronage and so on," added another. "From a humanitarian perspective, that's a dangerous road."
In addition, the officials said, the council simply lacks the ability to navigate the tangled logistics of getting aid such as flour, blankets and food into an active war zone.
As it stands, many international aid agencies are following a two-track system, distributing aid through official channels in Damascus – for which they are criticized by some opposition figures – but also through independent, cross-border pipelines, trucking it in through Jordan and Turkey to opposition-controlled areas inside Syria. A third cross-border aid pipeline, via the northern Kurdish region in Iraq, is expected to open soon, the executives said.
The State Department appears loath to change that delivery process, which took no small amount of diplomacy to set up with contacts on the ground in Syria, as well as the governments in Ankara and Amman. Beside, U.S. officials have said, distributing aid via a shadow, unrecognized governing body would be virtually unprecedented; most everywhere else, U.S. assistance is doled out via the United Nations or partner nongovernmental organizations.
Anne Richard, assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration, made it clear in a recent phone call with journalists that while the Syrian opposition council is valuable in providing contacts and assessing what places need aid, there were no plans to use it as a delivery mechanism.
"Aid is supposed to be delivered not based on one's political beliefs or which side one's picking in a war or which faction one belongs to, but instead based on need," Richard said. "So their assessment, their networks are very important to us, so we want to work with them. But right now, they're not built as an organization to deliver aid."
McCain and other members of the congressional delegation that met with the opposition leadership are more confident that the council is up to the task, pointing out that the council has now established a wing that focuses on aid.
"Having built an assistance component of the council, we strongly believe that it is time to empower the council to deliver humanitarian aid with sufficient vetting to ensure aid reaches the people of Syria," the delegation wrote.
But the humanitarian aid executives said the opposition's "assistance component" is just two people. They point out that their own agencies are still struggling to meet demand even with large staffs, longstanding ties to U.S. government agencies and operations in Syria and several of its neighbors.
What McCain and the others really want to do, the aid executives said, is to "stand up a Syrian opposition through humanitarian aid." They noted that the coalition is already receiving $50 million in State Department funds to turn itself into a legitimate, credible government in waiting that's poised to take charge should Assad's regime crumble.
"I don't think it's a question of the administration not helping the Syrian opposition," one of the humanitarian officials said. "But we would draw a line with the senators' conclusion that all aid or most aid needs to be funneled now through the Syrian opposition, where there's just no capacity to provide that."
The dispute over humanitarian aid comes as the Obama administration also is being criticized for refusing to provide military aid to the opposition. President Barack Obama vetoed a proposal for military assistance to the rebels that had the backing of four senior advisers, including Hillary Clinton, then the secretary of state, retired Army Gen. David Petraeus, then the CIA director, and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
The White House explained that rejection last week by saying lethal aid to the rebels would endanger the Syrian people, Israel and the United States – an apparent reference to the al Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front, a rebel faction that has become its leading military arm but that was added to the State Department's list of international terrorist groups in December.
New Secretary of State John Kerry has indicated that stance isn't softening, voicing concern on several recent occasions over the involvement of the Nusra Front in the rebel movement.
The opposition coalition's president, Sheik Mouaz Khatib, has criticized the State Department's designation of Nusra as a terrorist organization.


text:
KAMLOOPS — A 53-year-old man has lost his lower leg after being hit by a minivan outside a mall in Kamloops.
The RCMP say the 68-year-old driver of the van has admitted she accidentally stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake as she was parking Sunday in a handicapped spot outside Coopers Foods in Lansdowne Village.
Her vehicle lurched forward and pinned the man against a concrete post, severing his lower leg.
Police have ruled out alcohol, drugs, or a medical issue as factors in the accident and they've sent the vehicle for a mechanical inspection.
The Mounties are also asking witnesses to contact them.


text:
Old English tunge "organ of speech, speech, language," from Proto-Germanic *tungon (cf. Old Saxon and Old Norse tunga, Old Frisian tunge, Middle Dutch tonghe, Dutch tong, Old High German zunga, German Zunge, Gothic tuggo), from PIE *dnghwa- (cf. Latin lingua "tongue, speech, language," from Old Latin dingua; Old Irish tenge, Welsh tafod, Lithuanian liezuvis, Old Church Slavonic jezyku).
For substitution of -o- for -u-, see come. The spelling of the ending of the word apparently is a 14c. attempt to indicate proper pronunciation, but the result is "neither etymological nor phonetic, and is only in a very small degree historical" [OED]. Meaning "foreign language" is from 1530s. Tongue-tied is first recorded 1520s.
"to touch with the tongue, lick," 1680s, from tongue (n.). Earlier as a verb it meant "drive out by order or reproach" (late 14c.). Related: Tongued; tonguing.
tongue (tŭng)
A mobile mass of muscular tissue that is covered with mucous membrane, occupies much of the cavity of the mouth, forms part of its floor, bears the organ of taste, and assists in chewing, swallowing, and speech.


text:
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) — About 500 new Pennsylvanians will get the wrong answer to the question "Who's your Daddy?" if they rely on their misprinted birth certificates.
The Tribune-Democrat of Johnstown (http://bit.ly/VdqMmh ) reports Tuesday that a computer glitch caused the problem when the state Department of Vital Statistics recently transitioned to new records software.
Spokeswoman Holli Senior says the problem affected about 500 birth certificates. The software was supposed to pull the fathers' names from state records, but wound up pulling information from other areas of the birth records so the fathers' names were incorrectly printed on the birth certificates.
The state's permanent, computerized birth records are correct, however. Those with bollixed birth certificates have received a letter explaining the mix-up and instructions on how to get a corrected copy.
Information from: The Tribune-Democrat, http://www.tribune-democrat.com


text:
Ferns now feature on the Science Learning Hub.
Ferns at the Science Learning Hub.
You can find out more about:
How ferns are identified and classified.
The origins of New Zealand's ferns.
Te Papa botanists Pat Brownsey and Leon Perrie contributed to this resource, supplying information and images, and were interviewed for some of the videos.
The Science Learning Hub aims to promote student interest and engagement in science by providing contemporary, contextualised resources for teachers based on New Zealand science research. Projects are aimed at Year 5-10 students. The Science Learning Hub is funded by the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology and managed by the University of Waikato.
Science Learning Hub home page.