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Aperitif/Welcome wine
- 2002 Huët Vouvray Pétillant Brut - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray Pétillant
Rather delicate and understated with fresh citrus, pear and quince fruit accented by mineral and yeasty notes with a gentle but persistent bead. There's just a faint hint of sweetness here, bright acids that keep it quite fresh and it's very nice, though still very youthful and rather undeveloped.
Smoked Marcona Almonds and Olives
- NV Rey Fernando de Castilla Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Fino "Antique" - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
A little dark in colour for a fino (apparently this is quite aged, though not to the point of an Amontillado) with savoury, smoky, briny and roasted almond notes framing the fresh lemony fruit. Very nice.
- NV Valdespino Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Fino "Inocente" Macharnudo - Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
Not the most complex wine, but very pure and elegant with fresh citrus fruit up front that turns very saline and briny on the back end. Despite its alcohol, it feels very light on its feet with wonderful balance and textural finesse.
Winter Citrus, Hearts of Palm, Maché
- 2007 Franz Hirtzberger Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Rotes Tor - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Beautiful aromatics that keep developing with air; peach and citrus fruits, white pepper and riper floral notes coming together into a lovely fragrance, and superb balance and finesse on the palate. Wish I had more of this.
- 2002 Nikolaihof Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Im Weingebirge - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Leaner and a little more austere than the Hirtzberger with remarkably stony/minerally aromatics, leaner fruit on the palate accented by a little GV pepperiness, though not showing the depth and finesse I'd normally expect from Nikolaihof.
Dates, Almonds, Orange, Brioche
- 2004 Carl Schmitt-Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Absolutely stunning Riesling. This has it all; layers of youthful, fresh Mosel fruit, slatey minerality, maturing smokiness and petrol notes and higher toned floral and herbal elements that come together seamlessly on the nose and palate. This is classical, traditional Auslese with less sweetness than some modern Kabinett, and there's a sense of sheer lightness and drinkability that makes each glass disappear all too quickly.
- 2002 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Drinking nicely now with the fruit still fresh and youthful but framed by some developing creaminess and savoury elements, but it's hard to really focus on this alongside the Schmitt-Wagner, which was absolutely stunning.
Hedgehog mushrooms, black garlic
- 2007 Philippe Pacalet Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Yuck. Awkward, slightly vegetal, sour and funky. Gil says it tastes like a bad natural wine experiment - that pretty much nails it. To the dump bucket!
- 2002 Larmandier-Bernier Coteaux Champenois Vertus Rouge Premier Cru - France, Champagne, Ambonnay, Coteaux Champenois
High toned, herbal, slightly stemmy and earthy flavours dominate with rather lean, tart red fruits beneath. It's well balanced but more interesting than actually pleasurable.
Pork Ragu, Riccota, Rosemary
- 2007 Bernard Levet Côte-Rôtie La Chavaroche - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Fantastic, classic Cote-Rotie aromatics - meaty, peppery, earthy and gamey flavours around a core of incredibly pure red fruits and black olives. There's a remarkable sense of purity to the flavours and a very light, finessed palate presence, though showing plenty of fine grained tannin on the back end. I can't even imagine how good this will be when mature.
- 2009 Edmunds St. John Syrah Wylie - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado County
Comes across incredibly youthful, full of primary red and dark fruited flavours accented by some savoury earth and peppery spice. It's still quite tannic and structured, and really needs a lot more time as right now it's really all about potential.
Beef Cheek, Veal Tongue, Chicken Thigh, Cotechino
- 1989 Château Meyney - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Drinking wonderfully now with the tannins fully resolved, and ripe mature Bordeaux fruit, cedar, graphite, tobacco and a faint hint of Cordier funk coming together on the nose and palate. Great stuff - I liked this a bit more than the Montrose.
- 1988 Château Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Not quite as richly fruited or leathery as the Meyney; this comes across a little leaner and more earthy on the palate, but it's also drinking very well with the tannins resolved and seems at peak.
- 1983 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Another stunner of a Riesling. Perfectly mature, so elegant, seamless and polished with the fruit still very fresh and vibrant, and framed by layers of mature smoky, creamy, herbal and minerally elements. There's an amazing sense of lightness here, yet remarkable presence and persistence to the flavours. Absolutely fantastic, and my favourite wine of the night.
- 1983 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhauser Abtsberg Riesling Auslese #190 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Oxidized. A real shame.
Pecan caramel, cream cheese ice cream
- 1998 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Sélection de Grains Nobles - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru AOC
A little too heavy and botrytised for my tastes; dominated by honey, apricot and spicy elements and seems a touch cloying without the acidity I'd like to balance the immense sweetness. Good, but rather disappointing given my expectations.
- 2007 Weingut Karlsmühle Lorenzhöfer Riesling Eiswein - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Fantastic. Lemon candy, nectarines and ripe tropical fruit tinged with honey and high toned spicy notes, with a blazing acid spine beneath that keeps it amazingly vibrant and energetic. A great way to end the night.


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PrishPhotography necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 64 diseños de 19 diseñadores freelance.
I am looking for a unique, elegant, artistic, edgy logo for my new wedding photography business in USA. Clients are mainly brides and bride's mothers.
I would also be looking to design marketing materials like business cards, folders, etc. once the logo is finalized.
Prish Photography
I am in Wedding Photography business now for about 2 years and i need a brand identity which is unique yet elegant. I want to use logo religiously on every product i sell to customers, from business cards to album design, thank you cards, pricelist, marketing materials, etc.
Since business name includes 2 P's Prish and Photography, i want to use it in a manner to create a logo which is unique, artistic, standout. I would also like to use a tagline: Memories for Life, if it incorporates well with overall design.
Color Scheme: Black, gray, orange, blue, silver, chroma key colors, or you can come up with a pallette of colors which works well.
Logo should be easily identifiable and should spell out Photography in a more common font.
Anything that is common, too much fancy, too many colors, camera as a logo
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.

subset: commoncrawl


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The transport you arrive in on your wedding day is just as important as the ceremony. Both the bride and groom reach the venue in ultimate style, so why not add a wedding car ribbon for a finishing touch. Choose the color of the ribbon and pull bow to tie in with the theme of your wedding for a coordinated look.
|Home Wedding Ceremony Wedding Car Decorations
Wedding Car Decorations
Add a Unique Touch
Take a look at our Just Married number plates to add your wedding car for a romantic and quirky take on car decorations. This will get your guests talking as you drive away from your wedding ceremony as a married couple. You could also add some wedding flowers trim around the license plate for an elegant look that could even match your bouquet.
Personalized Car Stickers
Our wedding car stickers are a great way of adding a personalized touch to the windows and they are a great keepsake of your wedding day. Let the world know that you are celebrating this special day as they see your names at the back of the car. There are so many ways to decorate your wedding car, with our range of products the possibilities are endless!


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Timimi et al continue to attract attention with their book, The Myth of Autism. Others have been kinder than I was in my previous post. Take this offering from The Psychologist
An alternative voice
The Myth of Autism
Sami Timimi, Neil Gardner & Brian McCabe
Just looking at the brief biographies of the authors of this book, I could not help but be intrigued, and a little bit excited. Written by a child psychiatrist and two adults who have received a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder, the book is an exploration of the conditions that have constructed a spectrum, one that they claim is ill-defined and unsupported by evidence. The authors waste no time in making their beliefs very clear within the preface of the book with the bold statement that 'there is no such thing as autism and the label should be abolished'. This is a brave statement indeed, given the inevitable emotions attached
to such a subject. What follows however, is an in-depth analysis of the scientific, social and political conditions that contribute to the construction of the concept of autism.
The book sometimes loses balance, but you cannot help but be moved to intrigue throughout. As an example, a discussion of dominant social structures that value service industry, and thus social communication skills, implied that there is nowhere for people who are 'different' in this respect, to hide. Fundamentally, this book caught my imagination. There were many facets of the book that I have no doubt will feel challenging to a variety of readers, but there were parts that also put words to my own concerns as a practitioner. Writing on autism tends to be heavily weighted towards the contrary view, and as the literature around the apparent genetic contribution to autism continues to gather momentum, it is refreshing and I feel, necessary, to hear an alternative voice among the clamour.
Never mind that the book is plain wrong in many important respects, it is "an alternative voice" and so, rather than subject its claims to the same rigorous analysis that it purports to bring to the concept of autism, we are supposed to welcome it.
Someone else has been reading "The Myth of Autism." My thanks to the blogger at Three Mile Limit for pointing me to Tony Humphrey's article in the Irish Examiner on February 3rd. According to his website Tony Humphreys is "Ireland's most influential psychologist." To judge by his article on autism this does not bode well for psychology or Ireland. In a nutshell he attempts to resurrect the refrigerator parent thesis that was thoroughly debunked in the 1960s but still holds sway in countries like France, and now it seems, in Ireland, where adherents of psycho-dynamic theories of human development have refused to give way to more evidence based theories based on neurology.
Humphreys begins by taking issue with Professor Simon Baron-Cohen and his team at Cambridge University who are researching whether or not autism is more common amongst the children of parents in professions like computer science and engineering.
In studies in 1997 and 2001 it was found that the children and grandchildren of engineers were more likely to be autistic and that mathematicians had higher rates of autism than other professions. What is shocking is that Dr Baron-Cohen and the team of researchers are one: assuming that autism is a scientific fact and, two: missing the glaringly obvious fact that if the adults they researched live predominently in their heads and possess few or no heart qualities, their children will need to find some way of defending themselves against the absence of expressed love and affection and emotional receptivity.
So autism is not a scientific fact and people who work in the realm of ideas are emotionally defective. This twaddle has been roundly criticized by Three Mile Limit mentioned above, The Family Voyage, Maman Poulet and Bock the Robber. It is also criticized by The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism and Irish Autism Action on their FaceBook pages.
Then he brings in Timimi et al to support his argument.
Sami Timimi, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist and two colleagues rigorously examined over 5000 research articles on autism and ASD and found no scientific basis for what they now refer to as mythical disorders. They outline their findings in their book 'The Myth of Autism' (2011). The conclusion of their indepth studies is that "there is no such thing as autism and the label should be abolished".
The authors are not saying that the children are not emotionally and socially troubled. What they are saying is – and I concur with them – that focus needs to be on the relationship contexts of these children's lives, and to take each child for the individual he or she is and to examine closely the family and community narratives and discover creative possibilities for change and for more dynamic and hopeful stories to emerge for both the children and their carers.
I do not know how much of "The Myth of Autism" Tony Humphreys has read. Or how well he has read it. The authors never claim to have rigorously examined 5000 research papers. They do refer to the fact one of the authors had a database of over 5000 articles that he had reviewed while working on a thesis on autism. That thesis is not included in the 300 odd (not 5000) references at the end of the book. What they did do was to carefully choose
a mixture of reviews of certain areas and detailed analysis of particular papers.
That was on page 4. Skip to page page 293 when the authors clearly state
We are NOT saying any of the following: 1. Autism is a condition caused by poor parenting.
That is concurring with Humphreys attack on parents who possess few or no heart qualities? It seems only right that ill-written books should be ill-read. But, bad as it is, The Myth of Autism does not deserve to be as badly read as it was by Tony Humphreys, if he read it at all.
The Psychological Society of Ireland call for Humphreys article to be retracted.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY of Ireland has criticised clinical psychologist Tony Humphreys over a controversial article on Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The article by Humphreys in the Irish Examiner last Friday was "not supported by the vast body of research" said Dr Michael Drumm, the head of the PSI.
Dr Drumm said that the asserts made in the article were "unhelpful and likely to cause upset" and that the article should be retracted. Humphreys is not a member of the PSI.
The article had been heavily criticised by Irish Autism Action, parents of children with autism and neuroscientist Simon Baron-Cohen, among others.
In the piece, Humphreys suggested that there was a link between autism and parents not expressing love and affection to their children. The Irish Examiner has since removed the article from its website.
The PSI said this afternoon that it does not support the assertions made by Tony Humphreys.
"Tony Humphreys' assertions made in the article are not supported by the vast body of published research in the field of Autistic Spectrum Disorders and are unhelpful and likely to cause upset," said Dr Michael Drumm, president of the PSI. "It is hoped that the article would be retracted".


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SupportingA gift to the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering is an investment in the future. It demonstrates a shared vision of the importance of engineering education and research and a confidence in NC State's ability to execute that vision wisely.
Through generous alumni, corporate partners and friends, the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering has been able to create opportunities, foster new research and technologies and attract the brightest professors and students.
Your investments in our department not only contribute to this vision but also help ensure your NC State degree continues to grow in prominence and value.
Sy Matthews Society
Sy Matthews was a much loved and highly respected teacher and advisor. In memory of Dr. Matthews we have created the Sy Matthews' Society to recognize those individuals who make contributions of annual unrestricted support to benefit the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NC State.
High-quality students and young talented faculty continue to be the keys to our Department's future successes. Gifts to the Sy Matthews Society help insure that we continue to attract the best and brightest students and retain the preeminent faculty.
The Sy Matthews Society was created to recognize and honor donors who have contributed to this priority. Gifts to the Sy Matthews Society are not only recognized at the Department level, but also at the College and University levels as well.
Checks should be made payable to the NC State Engineering Foundation, Inc. with a note indicating the Sy Matthews Society and mailed to Campus Box 7901, Raleigh, NC 27695.


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Bookkeeper For Northern Kentucky Bank Admits Stealing Over $100,000
COVINGTON, KY -A longtime bookkeeper for a Northern Kentucky Bank admitted in federal court that she embezzled more than $100,000 from her employer, over a three year period.
Linda Penick, 58, of Dry Ridge, KY., pleaded guilty on Tuesday to bank embezzlement, before U.S. District Court Judge David L Bunning.
Penick admitted that, from 2010 until 2013, she defrauded the Grant County Deposit Bank, by transferring bank funds to her personal account and issuing cashier checks and money orders to herself. Many of these checks and money orders were made payable to her husband. Penick admitted that she used the money to pay bills and taxes.
According to the plea agreement, Penick embezzled $118,775.00, over a three year period. Penick worked at the bank for 23 years.
Penick waived her right to be indicted by a grand jury and pled guilty to the embezzlement charge by way of an information.
Kerry B. Harvey, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Perrye K. Turner, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, jointly made the announcement.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The U.S. Attorney's Office was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura K. Voorhees.
Penick is scheduled to be sentenced on July 22, 2014. The bank embezzlement offense carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statutes.


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George Heninger, MD
Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry; Senior Research Scientist/Scho
Departments & Organizations
Psychiatry: Connecticut Mental Health Center | Division of Molecular Psychiatry
After a career in neuropsychopharmacology, I am now using an internet site to educate medical students on the biological basis of behavior and its applications to medicine. This will give students an up to date modern view of brain mechanisms and treatment interventions that are relevant to clinical practice.
Education & Training
|University of Utah (1960)


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Janet Haugh Florian Suwedi Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow Gerry Naughton Mary Stokes Communications team Chris Martin Fatima Khonat Emma Turner Becky Evans Dalitso Mcheka Shona Shea Gillian McMahon John Harrison Martin Swinchatt Zrinka Skelin Brad McKay and Alex Keay Andy Goss Elfreda Whitty
In Ethiopia, Mary's Meals helps feed the hopes and dreams of 8,024 children every school day.
Congratulations UK @PostcodeMillions winners in #Uxbridge. Your support for @PostcodeLottery is helping #MarysMeals… twitter.com/i/web/status/…


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Gas Prices Could Moderate, One Species Off Endangered List
- Many drivers might pay rising gas prices this spring as refineries conduct seasonal maintenance, but the peak could be less expensive than 2013.
The national average price of gas could reach an estimated $3.55-$3.75 per gallon, according to AAA. Last year the national average increased 49 cents per gallon over 41 days before peaking at $3.79 per gallon on Feb. 27.
- The Oregon Chub is being delisted from the Endangered Species Act. Fewer than 1,000 of the silvery speckled minnows existed when the U.S. government listed them in 1993.
Collaboration between a host of state, federal, tribal and nonprofit agencies was critical to the fish's recovery, as was the involvement of numerous property owners who volunteered use of their land for the recovery efforts.
- The Public Lands Council and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association applaud passage in the House of the Grazing Improvement Act. It was part of a larger package, the Public Access and Land Improvement Act, H.R. 2954.
The bill would improve the livestock grazing permitting process on lands managed by the BLM and Forest Service.


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Heather Locklear has loads of advice on how to look young ... no, it's not Botox, but it does involve a shot to the face.
It's unclear if Heather is talking about a cream product ... or just an ingredient. It's also unclear if she practices what she preaches and if it works.
But judging by her face ... it could be the funnest beauty treatment ever ... at least for guys.


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I was busy baking for my family Christmas celebration this past weekend and I realized that I have a few quick and easy recipes that I might share with you. I will be assisted by our guest co-hostess Vanna the Christmas Mouse since Baby Kitty is busy wrapping the Christmas gifts for the staff.
The first one is a simmering potpourri…not intended to drink, although it wouldn't hurt you since it's all natural, but intended to make your house smell wonderful and Christmasy! I don't know about you, but the smell of oranges and cinnamon just says Christmas to me!
It's so simple that you probably already have all of the ingredients!
- First bring a quart of water to a boil.
- Next add half of an orange cut into smaller sections (I usually squeeze the juice into the water and then add the peel).
- Finally, add two cinnamon sticks, two bay leaves and 20-25 whole cloves.
The second is intended to drink…instant Russian tea! I keep it in my snowman jar. Here in the South, it wouldn't be Christmas without Russian tea! My sister makes a big batch of it whenever we come over during the holidays. She makes the real thing (click here for that recipe), but I like the instant kind because I can make as much or as little as I want and I can make it as strong as I want. I will give you the recipe, but you have to promise not to laugh because you will know how old I am when you see the ingredients!
Instant Russian Tea
1 one lb container of Tang (It's actually 1.4…I just don't use it all.)
1 pkg instant unsweetened lemonade
3/4 cup instant tea
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Mix all ingredients well. Place in a tightly covered jar. Place 2 teaspoons in a cup of boiling water. (I like to use 3 teaspoons.) Enjoy!
I love this stuff! It's the Tang that dates me! You may have to hunt it…maybe on the bottom shelf! It seems that the astronauts don't drink it so much any more! lol You ladies my age will remember that!
My third recipe is a very easy candy recipe…chocolate butterscotch granola candy. Those are the ingredients, too! At my house we call it Uncle Larry's candy because it's his favorite. I actually got this recipe from one of my students in the '70s…yikes! I've been using this one a long time! The butterscotch gives it an extra little yummy taste.
Chocolate Butterscotch Granola Candy
about 3/4 of a box (or about 21 ounces) of Quaker Natural Granola Oats, Honey and Raisins ( The box is bigger than it used to be.)
one 12 ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
one 12 ounce bag of butterscotch chips
Melt the chips over low heat, stirring constantly. Add the cereal and stir until coated. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper and allow to cool. (I cool mine in the fridge.) Cover tightly to store. I keep it in the fridge and take it out shortly before serving, but you would not have to once it has cooled.
Bonnie's Cheese Ball
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 (4 ounce) package bleu cheese
6 ounces grated extra sharp cheddar cheese (I use Cracker Barrel)
1 tablespoon freeze dried chives
1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic salt (to taste)
chopped pecans
1 olive
Let the cheeses soften at room temperature. Mix together adding the chives. Add the garlic salt to taste starting with about 1/2 teaspoon. Mine usually wind up with about a teaspoon. Even if you think you've added too much, you probably have not. Drop the mixture onto wax paper and refrigerate until it is easier to handle. I usually divide the recipe into 2 balls because one is usually enough and the other one freezes great! Take them out of the fridge and form them into nice round balls. Roll them on a plate where you have put the pecans and the paprika until they are covered. I usually have to shake on a little extra paprika to make them pretty. Top each with 1/2 olive to decorate. I always serve it with Nabisco Sociables crackers.
That's it! Thanks so much for stopping by! And thanks also from the Plate Addict staff to Miss Vanna for taking time out of her busy schedule to give us a hand! I hope that at least one of these recipes will help to make your Christmas holidays a little easier!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my Christmas recipes! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week's participants!
Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday
Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
A Stroll thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up! on Tuesdays
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
DIY by Design for Fall into Fall
The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Stone Gable for Tutorials, Tips and Tidbits on Thursdays
My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Craftberry Bush for Happy Hour on Friday
Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!


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DVD Booklets
Booklets that accompany DVDs are one of the less visible and accessible outlets of film writing. I've spent the last week with a stack of DVDs and booklets borrowed from my college library. Let me share a couple of interesting excerpts from them here. Any favorite DVD booklets to recommend? Perhaps we could collect all your suggestions in the comments section.
(1) Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves (Criterion).
Sergio Leone was sixteen, in high school, and happened to be present when the film was being shot. He describes the experience:
All of a sudden [De Sica] said: "Well, here I would like to see a group of ten, fifteen red priests, those who do the Catholic propaganda." […] The next day we shot the scene—beautiful also from a choreographic perspective—in which these red priests, caught in the thunderstorm, take shelter under the eaves of a building. Two of them are speaking in German to each other, so that the child, fascinated by the strange language, gets distracted and lingers on, listening to them. I was one of the two red priests involved in the conversation, which in reality consisted of saying some numbers, because we didn't speak German. The rest of the group was formed by my classmates, whom I had recruited after De Sica said he had no idea how he could come up with fifteen teenagers.
(2) Maurice Pialat's L'Enfance-nue (Masters of Cinema).
Kent Jones writes:
Pialat, much more than Michael Bay or Tsui Hark, was an action director. Which is to say that his films give us the actions of his characters within their environments, without any discernible master idea governing their every move. In each Pialat film, and L'Enfance-nue is no exception, continuity as we know it is deliberately and continually thwarted if not smashed, in order to expunge just such master-planning. One never knows when a scene will end, or indeed what will constitute a scene, and our tracking of time as some kind of guide (an unconscious procedure in any movie) is thrown out the window — as in a Terrence Malick film, any given scene could be taking place minutes, hours, days or months after the preceding scene, and crucial moments occur off-camera. There is no time for the film to build up any sort of thematic repository to which the viewer can return for psychic re-orientation, beyond the specifics of these people, as they are seen in this place at this time of year under these skies, and in this light […] we become genuinely attuned to the film as a series of precious moments, passing before our eyes at 24 frames per second. Many filmmakers before and after Pialat tried to reach this absolute level of proximity between fiction and documentary, actor and character, setting and place. For most, it happened only fitfully. Only Pialat, with his mixture of sublime sensitivity, brute force and a furious resentment that kept his creative machinery perpetually stoked, was able to sustain such a balance throughout an entire film.
(3) Hiroshi Teshigahara films (Criterion).
James Quandt on The Face of Another (the entire essay can be found here):
The confluence of artistic forces — West with East, Europe with Japan, traditional with experimental — is readily apparent in the sinister, glittering waltz Takemitsu composed as the signature music for the credit sequence of The Face of Another. More unsettling than the composer's nerve-scraping electronic music, which is more conventionally ominous, the strangely "inappropriate" waltz not only emphasizes Takemitsu's and Teshigahara's respective debts to Western culture but also introduces an important, largely unremarked incongruity in the film's visual strategies. By employing a traditional, even antique, form — the triple-time Viennese ballroom dance, popular for more than two centuries — for modernist ends, Takemitsu inadvertently evokes a formal tension in the film between its strangely outmoded aspect ratio (the squarish Academy ratio) and its arsenal of visual innovation: freeze-frames, defamiliarizing close-ups, wild zooms, wash-away wipes, X-rayed imagery, stuttered editing, surrealist tropes, swish pans, jump cuts, rear projection, montaged stills, edge framing, and canted, fragmented, and otherwise stylized compositions. Since the late fifties, most Japanese films (though not Ozu's) had been made in widescreen, and a mania for the Scope format was widespread, so Teshigahara's adherence to the old-fashioned ratio, emphasized by the black-and-white cinematography, is especially striking.
(4) Georges Franju's Judex/Nuits rouges (Masters of Cinema).
Franju speaking about Nuits rouges to Tom Milne in 1975:
I have always been attracted by emanations of strangeness; in other words, by the insolite. I suppose this is why my films so often belong to the genre formally but somewhat loosely categorized by the term 'cinéma fantastique'. Within this rather nebulous area, I distinguish three zones: le cinéma fantastique, properly speaking; le cinéma de l'insolite; and le cinéma de l'angoisse. The fantastique lies in the form; the insolite, in the atmosphere; the anguish, in the uncertainty, the unknown. The fantastique must be created; the insolite should emerge; and the anguish, be felt […] Then how does the insolite manifest itself in the film? It springs, surely, from elements calculated to clash with each other — action and oneirism, divertissement and drama […] The cinematic image is gifted with twin powers: the power of psychological insight and the power of attraction or fascination. As a spectacle, Nuits rouges exercises the latter, and should therefore be approached rather like those carnival sideshows which require you to rediscover your innocence.
A few links:
-- David Hudson has a tumblr page called Transatlantic.
-- (via Zach Campbell) Geoffrey O'Brien on Malick's The Tree of Life; and a terrific post and discussion ("Cases Closed / Problems Opened") inspired by the film at Zach's place.
-- (via Walter Biggins) At Cracked.com: "5 Annoying Trends That Make Every Movie Look The Same".
-- Catherine Grant collects links to "Terrence Malick Studies" in a post.
-- The welcome return of Jonathan Rosenbaum's "Global Discoveries" DVD column in the new issue of Cinema Scope magazine. An excerpt, on a new Edgar Ulmer 6-DVD box set: "It seems weirdly appropriate (yet also uniquely frustrating) that the box itself should be hard to open, the individual discs hard to pry loose from the container and almost equally hard to put back securely..."
-- Film Comment has a handy collection of Cannes Top 10 lists from various critics on a single page.
-- Recent website discoveries: The Film Doctor blog; Trevor L.'s tumblr page, Occupied Territories, and his blog Journey by Frame.
-- Michael Sicinski at Moving Image Source: "Cinephile fashions and the hybrid films of Nicolás Pereda".
-- (via the Cinetrix): Two pieces by Mark Rappaport at the journal Requited, "The Gong Show," and "Black Bra, White Bra".
-- At Sight & Sound: an interview with filmmaker Pere Portabella.
pic: Maurice Pialat's L'Enfance-nue (1968).


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BATON ROUGE, La. — With poor weather affecting Louisiana harvests last fall, the state's farmers, rural residents who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods and others may be facing tough economic times.
"If this happens to you, don't panic," says Jeanette Tucker, a family economics specialist with the LSU AgCenter. "Allow time to get over the initial shock, and then start making plans."
A sudden reduction in family income can be a traumatic experience, both psychologically and financially, but the hardship can be minimized with a positive approach, Tucker says.
"Many aspects of your life will be different, at least for a while," Tucker says. "But you and your family can still maintain control of your household financial affairs."
The LSU AgCenter specialist recommends making adjustments immediately and developing a plan both to pay creditors and protect family well-being.
Tucker says to start by examining your family's current financial position or net worth — the difference between what you own and what you owe.
"If you follow the principles of good financial management, you'll have the equivalent of a few months of income in liquid savings." Tucker says.
She recommends using funds from passbook savings first. If it's necessary to cash in a certificate of deposit, it may be less costly to get a short-term loan using the CD as collateral. Another option might be to borrow against a cash value life insurance policy.
"Remember that a loan must be paid back and that emergency savings should be replenished as soon as possible," Tucker says.
The family economist also emphasizes taking immediate action to stop all excess spending.
"Research has found that families do not adjust their lifestyles for about six months after their income is reduced. But that waiting time before taking such actions can spell disaster," she says.
Tucker says families can reduce stress and adjust to living on a reduced income by following a few basic steps.
She suggests starting with a list of the family's most important expenses and a spending plan — giving higher priority to fixed expenses, including mortgage or rent, installment credit, insurance and utilities.
After allowing for fixed payments, a family can then adjust spending for things such as food, clothing, recreation and household expenses to fit its current income.
"Follow your spending plan carefully. With less income, each spending decision is critical," Tucker says.
Tucker suggests being creative in determining how to cut expenditures and offers some suggestions, including discussing significant purchases, controlling impulse buying and comparison shopping.
"Buy specials, use coupons, shop at price-competitive stores, purchase in bulk when appropriate and seek cash discounts," Tucker says while suggesting some purchases might be postponed and that buying on credit should be avoided.
The LSU AgCenter family economist advises families to maintain insurance — making sure they're not paying for duplicate coverage — and to keep essential medical and dental appointments.
"Inaction may prove costly in the long run," she warns, adding that health care professionals may be willing to negotiate a payment schedule if details are worked out in advance.
Tucker also warns against putting off regular payments on consumer debt.
"The largest and most essential payment is likely your mortgage," she says. "If it's unmanageable, ask your lender if you can refinance or pay only the interest for a short period of time."
For other debts, Tucker recommends contacting the lenders immediately to explain the situation and propose alternate payment plans. If possible, schedule appointments and talk with the people in charge.
You may need to reduce payments on revolving accounts to the minimum until your income increases and you can resume your regular payment schedule. This will increase the total amount you must pay for the debt, but it will ease your present financial burden.
As a final alternative to repaying debt, consider a consolidation loan, Tucker says. These loans enable consumers to pay all bills at once and then make one payment monthly for a large loan.
"Be sure to shop around for the best terms if you decide to obtain a consolidation loan," she advises.
Tucker says many state and local resources are available to help people coping with unemployment or other lost income. Check with local LSU AgCenter Extension offices for information on resources available in your area.
Rick Bogren writes for the LSU AgCenter.


text:
Alopez needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 39 designs submitted by 11 freelance designers.
We are a Real Estate investment fund and we raise capital from private and institutional investors. We manage assets throughout the US and network with multiple financiers, bankers, realtors and other individuals within our extense network to acquire working capital and inventory for our day to day operations. We would like to have a classy yet modern image as we hand out our business cards and as we present our logo.
We target institutional and private investors for capital. We also reach out to banks with distressed assets for both the residential and commercial real estate markets.
We would like to have a classy but not too formal look, something modern but not too trendy. We are a young group of enterprenuers so this logo has to reflect our youth but also our expertize and maturity in our business. We would like to have the "banking" "finance" feel but without forcing it too much by making it too formal.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
mRipen needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 194 designs submitted by 38 freelance designers.
Symmetric Wealth
We are an investment advisory and financial planning company. The concept of "Symmetric Wealth" is to emphasize the balance between money and desired lifestyle. A symmetric picture is balanced, clean, and captivating. I would like the logo for this company to be all of these.
The website will have two purposes:
1. Attract people with high levels of wealth and display our services.
2. Provide free financial education to thousands of web users via an education center that will include a blog, podcasts, and youtube videos.
Please see the attached file. It is a sample page from our website. Your logo will be placed on the top of this page. Please make the design match the simple color schemes of this web page. Colors should be appropriate for a mature audience, yet the design should be contemporary.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
Surgery of a Stick Inside a Manual TransmissionPosted in How To: Engine on December 1, 2009
Basics To Basic
The art of shifting gears is being lost. Every year more and more drivers are opting to have their gears shifted for them rather than doing it themselves. In fact you can probably count the number of new 4x4 models available with manual transmission on two hands. That's a sad state of affairs.
Maybe the problem is that drivers just don't understand how a manual transmission works. Maybe they just haven't looked inside one to know what's going on under that stick with the numbers and the "R" on the top. It's time for a look inside these strong reliable units that allow you to creep along, slam gears, or pick and choose exactly what you want from your transmission.
We recently took a freshly refurbished NV-4500 five-speed manual transmission from National Drivetrain to our local transmission shop, Transaction, and tore it apart just to see what's inside. National Drivetrain sell parts for axles, transfer cases, and transmissions as well as complete new and rebuilt units ready for installation, and National will deliver straight to your door. Transaction has been building transmissions in its Sun Valley, California, shop for ages and can remove and service your current box or help you upgrade to something stronger.


text: Hello, This has been discussed previously but I am starting a new thread due to the fact that in my opinion the important point of this has not been mentioned. I have reproduced this on latest stable ispconfig3 (at time of this writing) on Centos 6.3. The issue is simple. A user (which using ispconfig3 can easily access/manage) simply by creating a new zone and not correctly defining the necessary NS or A records can easily take down BIND for all zones on that server. I would say that ispconfig should either not save a faulty zone file (easily accomplished by trapping errors via named-checkconf for instance) or at the very least, the wizard should force the use to enter the minimum info. Otherwise those of us that delegate dns management access to users (which is the norm these days) can risk bind failure across the entire server due to the simple mistake of any single user. Thanks, Ron


text:
Mayor Don Wesely today said yesterday's death of former Lincoln School Board member Sally Wysong is a loss that will be felt by the entire city. He expressed his condolences to Wysong's husband David, their five children, and the rest of her family and friends.
"She was a great person. She had a great influence on countless children with her pre-school and her work on the school board," Mayor Wesely said. "She touched countless lives." The Mayor made his comments from Paris, where he is on his honeymoon.
At Wesely's request, Wysong and Joe Nigro have served as unpaid volunteer liaisons between the Mayor's office and officials with the Lincoln Public Schools since July of 1999.
Wysong was elected to the Lincoln School Board in 1991 and retired from the board in 1999. She operated an early childhood education center in northeast Lincoln for 31 years. She earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a masters degree in human development and early childhood education, both from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.


text:
The Ou Raadsaal building was designed by Sytze Wopke Wierda in a classical style reminiscent of Greek and Roman architecture. The statue atop the tower is said to represent Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, industry and agriculture. The building was originally supposed to be two storeys high, but president Paul Kruger insisted an additional storey be added so that it would not be shorter than the nearby hotel.
The city of Pretoria is the administrative capital of South Africa, and home to many historical buildings.


text:
Speedo Clad Stud Distracts Drivers w/ Flat Tire Prank
We're not gonna lie--the "prank" aspect of this seems pretty lame/non-existent, but he certainly wears a speedo well! Perhaps put it on mute and enjoy the view??
Watch as this speedo wearing prankster attempts to distract on-coming traffic with his nearly naked assets as he changes a tire:
(H/T: The Gaily Grind)
Tires are the base parts of any car which moves on road. We can say a car can run on the tires. There is a friction between tire & road which helps the car to move forward or backward. Sometimes tires are damaged due to long distance running. The tires are depreciated by moving on tough road, mountain area etc. Car users should keep in mind that tires should be replaced in right time otherwise it will give major problem. Tire puncture can be happened on the way which will be a big issue.
Audi Repair Sant Ana
The worst video in the world! First of all hold the fucking camera steady! Are you having a stroke while you are shooting this? And secondly he's a guy in a bathing suit and he's acting like he has no idea how to use a tire iron. Bullshit! How stupid are you two bitches anyway?! Why don't you shoot something anyone would care about?
Two dizzy bitches drooling over some guys ass is meant to be funny or sexy or something ?
Well at least he wasn't some Ted Bundy wannabe as I'm sure if were up to no good the boot of the car would've been emptier !
Or was this a dry-run to see if it would work ?
What kind of Horror talks about someone and screams THEY'RE ALL OLD as some new Insult ?
Meaningless and quite awful - gr8 Video !
ridiculous America for sure.....prude AMericans..dumm Americans, what's the big deal.....speedos or naked is ok, !!
are u still voting for Gay rights? America is so backwards they still have segregation, they called some people " Back Americans" for God sake....they should be only be called Americans!


text: Find this wine Find this wine Joseph Phelps Insignia Red Wine 2007 Vegas March 2014 - Target Race Joseph Phelps Insignia. 2007 Pin It Tweet 4 years ago by Scott A. More posts Joseph Phelps Insignia Red Wine February 13, 2015 The Palace at the Cincinnatian for Valentine's Day! 4 years ago by Deb S. Joseph Phelps Insignia Estate Grown Red Wine 2011 Blend very good $$$ 4 years ago by Dial S. Joseph Phelps Insignia Napa Valley Red Wine Worth the wait. Opened up nicely after decanting. Complex structure with layers of mellowed fruit 5 years ago by Jmods22


text:
Deadline reports that Nicholas Hoult (pictured above) has been cast as Beast in X-Men: First Class, contrary to previous reports saying Ben Walker was cast. You may recognize Hoult as that little kid who followed Hugh Grant home in About A Boy. Now he's pretty hittable, a sexy beast you might even say . . . Well, this is just uncomfortable for everyone. Moving on.
LatinoReview reports that Caleb Landry Jones (pictured below) is the top contender to play Banshee, the mutant with the best rock scream. You may have seen Jones in No Country For Old Men; he was one of the kids on a bike at the end. Yeah, I don't know either. As for Havok, the little brother of Cyclops, Slashfilm reports that Lucas Till (pictured at right) is in talks for the role. He was in Walk the Line and also a bunch of movies I didn't see.
Rounding out the cast are James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, Alice Eve as Emma Frost, Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds) as Magneto. Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) may be cast as Cyclops (or he may just continue to impregnate his rich older wife). Slashfilm gives a good round-up of the other casting rumors that have yet to be confirmed.
From the casting news so far (characters utilized, age of the actors cast, etc.), this seems (I could be wrong here) to be based not so much on the comic book universe as it is on the universe from the two Brian Singer movies (Singer is still involved in First Class although Matthew Vaughn stepped in to direct). If this is what it takes to make us forget what Brett Ratner did to the franchise with Last Stand, we're cool with that.


text:
Pleasant Hill
The Architectural Review Commission is reguarly set to meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, in the large community room of City Hall. 925-671-5209.
There are no meetings scheduled this week.
School districts
There are no meetings scheduled this week.
The Mental Health Commission is regularly scheduled to meet at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 27, in Classroom A at the John Muir Behavioral Health Center, 2730 Grant St., Concord. 925-957-5149.
The Contra Costa County Library Commission is regularly set to meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 27, in conference room C, Contra Costa County Library Administration, 75 Santa Barbara Road, Pleasant Hill. 925-646-6423.
Federal, state and city offices, and schools and school district offices, will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 1, for the observance of New Year's Day.
Additionally, Martinez city offices are closed Dec. 28, 31, and Jan. 2.
For additional closures, check with individual agencies.
For late cancellations or changes in city meetings, check www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us or www.cityofmartinez.org. For school district or county meetings, call the number listed.


text:
G'day G'day
MIDI File Download G'day G'day - Slim Dusty
- Item Code: DW0106
- Composer: Robert Fairbairn
- In the style of: slim dusty
- Category: Country MIDI Backing Tracks
G'day G'day Karaoke MIDI File in the style of Slim Dusty
G'day G'day is a song recorded and released by Slim Dusty. G'day G'day was composed by Robert Fairbairn and produced as a backing track for Hit Trax by Dave Wall MIDI Sequences (Australia). The music genre and style category for this MIDI File backing track is Hits of the 1980's. G'day G'day is available in the following song file formats: MIDI Karaoke and MP3 Backing Track. Hit Trax have produced 5 Slim Dusty titles, available for download 24/7. All Slim Dusty song files are AMCOS Licensed and royalty paid. © 2000 - 2017. G'day G'day song bio written by John Ialuna for Hit Trax (Australia, USA, UK, Canada and Europe)
#gdaygdaymidi #slimdustymidi #midi #midifile #midikaraoke #backingtrack
Video for G'day G'day by Slim Dusty
Watch G'day G'day in the style of Slim Dusty video for a preview of this backing track. The audio file used in this video is an MP3 render of the Hit Trax MIDI File backing track. Some tracks may include sampled instruments from high quality sample libraries. Most times we record the audio direct from the outputs of a MIDI File player like a MERISH, Okyweb, Roland or Yamaha device.
TECHNICAL NOTES for G'day G'day in the style of Slim Dusty. Sonic results may vary in different MIDI File players and devices, including sound libraries. Hit Trax assumes buyers know the capabilities and limitations of their MIDI playback devices, sound library, related devices and apps. Click the 'Show all Slim Dusty MIDI File Backing Tracks box'. to view all Hit Trax titles by Slim Dusty.


text:
infomedia needed a new other design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 55 designs submitted by 18 freelance designers.
Mary Comm is a Christian author and speaker. This blog is her space to share her writings and inspiration with the world.
Mary writes to inspire in the Christian market
I need a nice header for my wife's personal blog at http://www.MaryComm.com. We are using the Socrates Theme so the header MUST be 960 x 150 pixels.
The header must have MaryComm.com, Author/Speaker and "Life, Legacy & Inspiration" in it.
I would like to see something that is back-to-nature. Mary likes mountains, trees, rivers, etc... so the header should have a very outdoors look.
The header should NOT include her photo.
So.. what ya got? Show us your stuff!


text:
(Source: ray-bug, via riversheartshotties-deactivated)
Playmates Victoria Fuller, Kelly Monaco, and Kalin Olson
Mhmmm Holly
(via f-yeahplayboy)
(Source: f-yeahplayboy)
You could say I have an obsession but I've loved all things Playboy Bunny related since about the age of 13.
I don't know why.
Perhaps it's the big hair and liquid eyeliner.
Perhaps it's the outfits that give you the perfect hourglass figure.
Perhaps it's because it seems so sexy and glamorous but also slightly dangerous.
Perhaps it's the feeling of being a part of something that was frown upon and naughty.
Or perhaps it's from imagining what it would feel like to walk into a room and have every set of eyes on you and every man eating out of the palm of you hand.
I know in reality being a bunny wasn't as glamorous as it seems and many women we treated like pretty commodities and a pieces of meat without much, if any, protection.
But if you were a Playboy Bunny in the Swinging Sixties, imagine looking back now and knowing you were one of the girls that has defined what is seen as sexy to this very day. That is a bit cool. Plus you got to keep the Bunny Ears…
(Source: tashymctashason-blog-blog, via f-yeahplayboy)
(Source: f-yeahplayboy)
Kimberly Phillips
Lets head inside and take a look at the lovely Ms. Phillips.
Kimberly Phillips and Heather Rae Young
This is just an amazing shot.
Playmate Jaime Faith Edmondson
Jaime is truly one of the most beautiful women on earth. Here's some photographic evidence.


text:
This post is the latest in the series "How long do appliances last?" They're written in a style I learned in journalism, called "By The Numbers," which was often just another way to say "I need to take up space and do something visual." Voila.
The number of years in the average dishwasher's lifespan, according to data published by Appliance Magazine in 2010. The life span reflects how long the first owner of a dishwasher owned it, which doesn't necessarily mean that it broke down.
The number of cycles washed annually by the average dishwasher, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That's a little over four cycles per week.
How many gallons of water an Energy Star dishwasher uses per cycle.That's 860 gallons annually.
How many gallons of water a standard dishwasher uses per cycle. That's 1,290 gallons annually.
Up to this many gallons of water are wasted by well-meaning homeowners still stuck on pre-rinsing their dishes. Repeat after me: scrape, don't rinse!
Average price of an Energy Star dishwasher, according to national retail data from 2009.
Average price of a standard dishwasher in 2009.
Amount of years it takes for the lower operations costs (assuming gas water heating) of an Energy Star dishwasher to make up, or "pay back," for the initial sticker price difference.
Overall savings of an Energy Star dishwasher over its expected lifetime (assuming electric water heating).


text:
You know recession has reached a new low when two Italian plumbers from Brooklyn go to Staten Island to beat a cabbie and steal his cash. That's more or less what happened at this gas station last Halloween.
The two guys, dressed as Mario and Luigi, were in a yellow cab with two other individuals at around 4am. It was then when one of the passengers tried to get his hand into the driver's pocket, who stopped in a gas station at 863 Arthur Kill Road in Great Kills, and asked them to pay and leave.
At that point, Mario and Luigi got out of the car and started to beat the cabbie, perhaps thinking that gold coins were going to jump out of him. Idiots. Everybody knows that only works with bouncy brick blocks. [NY Daily News via Kotaku]
Video editing by Kyle VanHemert.


text:
A former Flagler Beach police officer shot a Flagler County firefighter in a fit of road rage Friday night on U.S. 1 in St. Augustine, authorities said Saturday.
A former Flagler Beach police officer -- the same one who gained notoriety in a 2005 controversy involving jail inmate abuse and the state attorney's daughter -- shot a Flagler County firefighter in a fit of road rage on U.S. 1 in St. Augustine, authorities said Saturday.
Nathaniel Juratovac, 40, was charged with attempted murder and locked up in the St. Johns County Jail after facing early morning questioning from St. Johns sheriff's investigators. The shooting occurred Friday night.
The firefighter, 30-year-old Jared Parkey, survived with at least two gunshot wounds to his upper body, authorities said. His wife and baby, who were also in the vehicle, weren't hit.
"His new nickname's going to be Superman," Parkey's boss, Flagler County Fire Rescue Chief Don Petito, said later Saturday after Parkey was treated and released from Shands Jacksonville Medical Center.
"They were through and through," St. Johns County Sheriff's Cpl. Catherine Payne said of Parkey's gunshot wounds. "He's a lucky guy."
Juratovac, who used his former police status to exempt his jail booking photo from release, returned to the public eye eight years after his arrest of Lisa Tanner -- the daughter of then-State Attorney John Tanner -- led to a probe of inmate restraint used at the Flagler County jail.
In this latest incident, investigators said Juratovac shot Parkey just before 8 p.m. Friday on northbound U.S. 1. Both men had family members in their vehicles: Parkey's passengers were his wife and baby; Juratovac's were a small child and his wife, who's a St. Johns Sheriff's Office employee.
Petito said the gun was a .45 caliber. But exactly what sparked the gunfire, and how many shots Juratovac fired, remained part of the investigation. Payne said there was "some kind of back-and-forth incident" between drivers, but investigators weren't immediately releasing the particulars. Witnesses had differing accounts of the number of gunshots.
The northbound lanes of U.S. 1 were closed for almost six hours after the shooting, and Payne said investigators were still interviewing witnesses Saturday -- and would continue to do so into next week.
Parkey was headed home from West Palm Beach, where he'd been visiting his mother, and was about five miles from home when Juratovac shot him, Petito said.
St. Johns authorities called Petito around 8:30 p.m. Friday to tell him Parkey was shot. "I made the notifications here," Petito said, "and then got in my truck and ran up there" to the hospital.
"We stayed with Jared's wife and Jared's dad," Petito said. "His wife was able to go in and talk to him and said he was A-OK."
Parkey's wife Ashley "was shaken up a little, but she was doing very well," Petito said.
Juratovac's name, meanwhile, was instantly recognizable to many who followed the news in Flagler. His arrest of Lisa Tanner in 2005 launched an investigation of how Flagler jail guards restrained inmates, and the legal battles that followed may have damaged John Tanner's re-election bid for state attorney -- he lost to R.J. Larizza in 2008.
Juratovac arrested the then-29-year-old Tanner twice in 2005. The first arrest was on charges of disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest in Flagler Beach, and Juratovac ended up taking Tanner to jail and staying at her cell for three hours.
Flagler jail guards eventually put Lisa Tanner, a former schoolmate of Juratovac's, in a restraint chair after she screamed at Juratovac. In a video from the jail that night, Tanner was seen pointing to a "pervert" off-camera and insisting Juratovac not see her use the cell toilet.
A year later, two Flagler guards were indicted on false imprisonment and other charges stemming from their use of restraint. Those charges were later dropped, but the guards agreed to send apology letters.
In another incident later in 2005, Juratovac arrested Tanner (again on disorderly conduct and resistance-related charges) and her friend Michael Matthew McGuirk (on charges he tried to run him over in a Ford Explorer).
Juratovac was suspended from the police department and ultimately charged with perjury, false imprisonment and falsifying records in the second arrest. A judge acquitted him at trial in 2008, though, citing McGuirk's inconsistent and unreliable testimony.
Juratovac opened a commercial cleaning business after that and has been living in St. Augustine.


text:
2012-11-25 • Art to Publish ?
Start: 11:52:38
khathu: hello jhonora
jhonora: Hello Khathu How's it going this morning?
khathu: It is going with and with yourself?
jhonora: Going well Bernice Bennett sent me a few pages from my ancestor's homestead file He paid a white man for his land who claimed to be a gov't agent but who was a fraud
alt: hello fellas. how are you doing today?
jhonora: Doing well alt
alt: did he eventually get his land to homestead jhonora?
jhonora: He did get the land after going through the process again, about fifteen years after he thought he had settled everything
khathu: hello alt
alt: wow!! perservance paid off, huh? hi khathu hmmn looks like I just turned 'red" LOL wb jhonora
jhonora: thanks
alt: khathu, did you enjoy the Macy's T-Day parade?
khathu: It was fun but they make it look way more exciting on tv
alt: those 'ballons' are fantastic, huh?
vkn: Good howdy to all
alt: wb vkn
jhonora: Hello vkn!
vkn: How y'all be
alt: I be's fine & how you be's?
vkn: Tried to get in via iPad but could not pull it off I be wonderful on a cold Atlanta day
alt: cold here too, but we do have sunshine.
vkn: The plants do not know if it is Spring or Fall however
khathu: alt i will be uploading pictures onto facebook from the parade later today
alt: okay khathu. I will looking for them, thanks.
vkn: Show us a few here Khathu maybe like one or two then link us to the grouping on FB
alt: jhonora, did the homestaed papers give a good description of the land,,, acres, location, cost, natural resoureces, etc.?
vkn: You had prize seating huh Khathu?
jhonora: Yes, they gave the acres under cultivation, mentioned a house fire, etc. I have many extended cousins who still live on the land
vkn: Is this in Ohio?
Seventies : Hello all
vkn: Howdy Seventies hope you had a "met exoectations" holiday
Seventies : lol I had a good weekend.
alt: Seventies , how you doing
Seventies : good
khathu: Hello Seventies
Seventies : I am on the kindle so I will be slow typing
alt: why???
Seventies : How is everyone doing??
alt: I saw where you & khathu had lunch together Seventies , that is great to see Afrigeneans connecting 'live & in color' LOL LOL and in the 'big apple' no less
khathu: Exactly4
Seventies : Yes we did. Had a nice time running around the city. lol
trisha: morning everyone one
vkn: Morning Trisha
alt: hello trisha
trisha: I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving
alt: I did and hope you did as well trisha
jhonora: brb
trisha: thanks alt it was great
Seventies : Hi trisha, khathu alt jhonora and vkn. Did I miss anyone? We ate and ate and ate
trisha: lol...ummm, yeah same here Seventies ::smile::
alt: ours was very nice & quiet... we took up the Welcome mat & put out an "nobody's home sign' LOL LOL LOL
Seventies : Did anyone get any good family stories this weekend?
khathu: Seventies, I am cooking my post Thanksgiving Sunday dinner as we speak
alt: no stories here Seventies
Seventies : What are you having? we will be eating turkey for another 3days. . .
trisha: Seventies, thats the rule in my house as well :}
alt: vkn, the 'homestead act'..... for Ohio, by 1862 when it was enacted there was no gov't land left to be sold..
vkn: i see
trisha: we didn't do turkey...I revolted...I was done with roasting turkey after 5 years straight of doing the cooking
Seventies : What?? You should have fried.
alt: do you feel guilty trisha?
trisha: ummmmm, NO fried chicken, rotissere chicken, beef roast...and allllll the side dishes, plus sweet potato pies and chocolate cheese cake...oh my little crew ate and ate GOOD. There were no compliants!
Seventies : Ok folks I am planning my trip to Washington D.C. in December. Should I be looking for any records in particular other than my regular stuff ircensus and CW records??
alt: okay, you still had a big spread, just no roast turkey.
vkn: sounds dee lish
trisha: correct alt...now I need to hit the gym big time ::smile::
alt: Seventies , you might see what types of 'unusual' gov't records are availble that you folks may have been recorded on.
trisha: how long are you in DC Seventies? went some years ago, and was overwhelmed. I was there for three days, I think.
Seventies : looking yo be there for the week of Christmas thrum New Years Wed typos. Ugh!! Q See trisha I try to plan ahead to focus in on what exactly I will look for.
trisha: good, that's what you need to do.
Seventies : last year I focused on rg105 and m1907
alt: has anyone requested records from NARA via 'mail' lately?
vkn: Is there something new alt
Seventies : That led me back to freedman's records online to a record I had seen before which was the marriage record of a art of gg grands. No.
alt: not that I know of vkn, I was just wondering if that is still a 'practice'.
trisha: cool Seventies!
AYWalton: Good afternoon, all. Howdy alt, khathu trisha.
alt: this maariage record was recorded in a FB record set? Was it also recorded at the local county level?
vkn: I read where BerniceB said she spent the entire Black Friday at NARA
AYWalton: Greetings, vkn!!!!!!!!!!!!!
khathu: Hello AYWalton
trisha: Howdy AYWalton!
AYWalton: howdy Seventies
vkn: AYW!!!!!! hard to catch ya lol
alt: Hello AYWalton, happy post t-day to you.
Seventies : Hi AYWalton
AYWalton: thanks alt, same to you! lol yes, I know vkn! but slowning down finally! I hope everyone had a good holiday.
vkn: Did you NARA all day AYW as usual on after TDay ?
AYWalton: and glad to see that no one is caught in crazy traffic on this Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Seventies : I did indeed.
alt: the MAAGI appears to off to a great start AYWalton. KUDOS to all of the planners!!!!
trisha: indeed Walton, hope your was great as well
AYWalton: I always do research and work on that day. But can't do the two days that I used to do.
vkn: I see
AYWalton: thanks alt we are working hard on it. the website will be redone by December 1st alt, and registration will begin in January. had a good day, trisha, hope you will too.
Seventies : Well I have to get going. I will speak to you all later. Be good all.
alt: I won't be able to attend, but am wishing y'all much success AYWalton
vkn: Sounding good for MAAGI
AYWalton: well you never know alt, we might try at least to tape a session or two so folks can see things "virtually" I am also thinking about for my session to have a live interactive thing, so maybe we can include the AfriGeneas family. I will have a session on using social media an interactive online features.
alt: that would be wonderful.... anything that could be done 'after hours' and online would be very valuable.
AYWalton: will be a great way to feature AfriGeneas. for reference here is the site to MAAGI: http://www.stl-aahgs.com/maagi-stl.html ProfDru is in the house!!!
ProfDru: hello gang
alt: hello ProfDru.
AYWalton: I also hope that many in the AfriGeneas family will attend. so pass the word to those you know.
alt: are you still collecting church hat photos ProfDru? if so I have a recent one to send to you.
AYWalton: wassup Prof Dru.
ProfDru: trying to stay warm
vkn: Howdy ProfDru long time
ProfDru: yes alt
alt: okay ProfDru, will send after chat
ProfDru: thanks alt; hoping to do some other things with the hat programs.
AYWalton: ProfDru has been getting a lot of mileage with her hat specialty. And folks are taking notice.
ProfDru: In 2013; I will be taking family history to the stage.
AYWalton: Sounds like you are using your talents well, ProfDru. you have written plays before, right?
ProfDru: Got several things in the works with the James A. Fields story. Hoping to also incorporate hats into the Fields stage production.
AYWalton: Sounds interesting.
alt: 2013 sounds exciting for you ProfDru, best wishes & wishes for much success
ProfDru: yes, I have written plays for church and a college conference. However, I'm moving to the East Side now. LOL
AYWalton: Khathu are you working on interesting projects?
ProfDru: thanks alt
AYWalton: lol moving on up, huh?
khathu: I am just reviewing my research
ProfDru: yep, moving on up, angela.
alt: a year end review is a good thing khathu I'm thinking of writing something on my years of DNA testing ... companies, results, interpretations, etc.
ProfDru: hopefully other genealogists are also moving on up into new arenas in 2013 as well.
AYWalton: that is what makes MAAGI exciting--part of the newer intiatives out there.
alt: 8 years of DNA testing .. since 2004
ProfDru: alt, that sounds like a great topic. khathu, yes a year end review is also good; I'm doing that also.
AYWalton: how many tests have you taken, alt?
alt: I've had Y-DNA, mtDNA, Admixture/Autosomal from 4 different companies AYWalton ..
ProfDru: vicky in da house
Daviss: hello everyone!!
AYWalton: I have taken 4, and I think that is enough. I took the National Genographic, and then upgraded those results to FTDNA since they use the same lab. Then I took African Ancestry, and then 23andMe. greetings, Daviss!
alt: Y-DNA up to 111 markers, mtDNA .. full sequence across 4 regions
Daviss: hey, hey !!
AYWalton: wow alt---which companies were those?
vkn: Howdy Daviss
alt: Ancestryby DNA, FTDNA, 23andme, AncestryDNA oh, and a cousin did African Ancestry
AYWalton: are you pleased with the results that you have received?
alt: I would say yes.. they pretty consistent with their %'s.... other things vary depending on the company's focus and size of the databases.
Daviss: I am going to upgrade FTDNA next month after Billy Payer visits. I think to family Finder
alt: hello Daviss
Daviss: Hello there alt
ProfDru: alt, will this be an article or a book?
alt: oh just a write-up ProfDru, ain't got a book in me LOL LOL
Daviss: lol alt
ProfDru: ok alt
AYWalton: I bet you do have book inside of you, alt! most folks do, I think.
alt: about AfriGeneas & the Forums ... crossed my mind that there are some very good postings from over the years that could be brought forward for 'today's' readers..... I don't think we 'promote' what we have written over the years very well...
trisha: I have been thinking of doing a DNA test...we did have a cousin do the Y-DNA test. The only boy in my dad's sibilings that showed the paternal line of his family. facsinating study....
alt: I read some posting from 5-6-7 years ago that are very timely and cover things we are talking about today
Daviss: The Family Finder is the autosomal isn't it alt?
AYWalton: I wonder if we have enough content for something like "The Best of AfriGeneas".
alt: yes Daviss and then they do the matching cousin thing like 23andme/AncestryDNA
AYWalton: I bet we do.
Daviss: did you see that last posting from someone stating he had NA in his line and Ancestry gave him 100% Euro
AYWalton: I missed that post, Daviss. Which forum was it?
alt: oh yes AYWalton, there is a 'gold mine' in the older content
AYWalton: It could be something publishable I think. (did I spell that right?)
ProfDru: The Best of Afrigeneas sounds like a great topic.
alt: yes DAviss, I think he was talking about AncestryByDNA.. which went out of business several years ago and is now back into testing.. I first tested with them in 2006.
AYWalton: and time to make our presence our there in other platforms as well.
Daviss: http://www.afrigeneas.com/forum-dna/index.cgi/page/1/md/read/id/37477/sbj/ancestrybydna-results/
AYWalton: food for thought.
Daviss: I thought mabe he was fibbing alt...
AYWalton: can get that link, Daviss.
Daviss: http://www.afrigeneas.com/forum-dna/index.cgi/page/1/md/read/id/37477/sbj/ancestrybydna-results/ does that work AYW I found it had to believe that he got a canned msg
alt: DAviss, I do seriously doubt his 100 % Euro statement.... but that does bring to light the fallacy of oral histories if it is true, especailly his 'supposed' NA ancestry.
Daviss: I would agree with that alt
alt: I think I'll repsond to his message later today Daviss and place a photo of my certificate in the reponse.
vkn: lol
AYWalton: Well, we know that NA ancestry is a prevailing myth in many lines. With some it is accurate and so many more it is not quite as they heard it.
alt: oh, oh gotta go play some football first.. bye ya'll LOL
AYWalton: lol
Daviss: yes alt, I would like to see his response..I know I have taslked to Ancestry on several occasions and have rec'd call backs
AYWalton: wnjoy
Daviss: lol bye alt and Go Cards!!
alt: different commpanies Daviss AncestryDNA & AncestryByDNA
AYWalton: I received a message on Facebook from a woman who wanted to enroll in the Seminole tribe of Florida "to honor an ancestor" and she was saying how she had found her folks on just about every roll out there---but funny had no idea how to find her folks on the 1957 Seminole Census---their base roll that they use for membership.
vkn: take all care all y'all
AYWalton: And they also require you to BE Seminole---not just sign up. oh well, it goes on and on.
ProfDru: gotta run
AYWalton: I better run as well. Have a GREAT day everyone.
Daviss: interesting huh
AYWalton: indeed.
Daviss: ok later bye trish, I guess we can go also lol
trisha: ah! k ciao ::smile::
Daviss: lol ok ciao!


text:
The Momentum Myth: The Impact of Turnover on Women's Representation on Fortune 500 Boards report addresses the myth that because so many companies are appointing women directors, women's overall representation is poised to reach parity rapidly. In reality, men currently fill the vast majority of vacant and new board seats, resulting in a dilution effect: women are behind and only have enough momentum to maintain the status quo. More widespread, deliberate, sustained action is necessary to produce meaningful growth in women's share of board seats.
Catalyst's Setting the Record Straight series uses hard evidence derived primarily from Catalyst Census data to debunk myths about women in corporate leadership.
Part Of: Setting the Record Straight Setting the Record Straight: Fortune Companies and Women on Boards
Topics: Corporate Governance, Women in Leadership
Date: September 27, 2012


text:
Have you installed build-essential? ctrl+alt+F1 or F2 should get you out of GUI and into terminal unless there is something wrong seriously. Make sure you remove any previous traces of nvidia driver installed via repository.
Have you installed build-essential? ctrl+alt+F1 or F2 should get you out of GUI and into terminal unless there is something wrong seriously. Make sure you remove any previous traces of nvidia driver installed via repository.
The finding of unity in variety is really what we call knowledge..... Vivekananda.
Too much information.
My problem is that I have just upgraded from 9.10 and now will only run in low resolution mode.
I have a GT216 with a 1920x1080 monitor which wqas working perfectly on 9.10.
I have deleted all nvidia drivers using several different instructions and retried several different installs.
I have tried a number of different driver versions from both Nvidia and the repository.
I think now I have so many different changes I should throw it all out and start again.
Is there a recognised standard fix for this video card?
I have now spent 5 days trying to fix this and am about to give up!!
I have booted with a live Fedora12 and all works perfectly.
Any suggestions would be welcomed.
Hello to all ,
i have Problem to Install NVIDIA Driver ,
i saw Error
my uname-r is : 2.6.32-21-genericERROR: Unable to load the kernel module nvidia.ko. This happens most frequently when this kernel module was built against the wrong or improperly configured kernel sources, with a version of gcc that differs from the one used to build the target kernel, or if a driver such as rivafb/nvidiafb is present and prevents the NVIDIA kernel module from obtaining ownership of the NVIDIA graphics device(s), or NVIDIA GPU installed in this system is not supported by this NVIDIA Linux graphics driver release.
Please Help me .
I've updated from 9.04 to 9.10 and now to 10.04.
uname -r is:
problem following these instructions is, I cant find source code for this kernel version from synaptics and thus the nVidia installer just exist saying that the kernel source code does not exist... should I build my own kernel or is there any other way out of this mess? everything was working fine with 9.x and also after the upgrade to 10.04 it worked fine for the first 1-2 weeks until last nights system update. Now I can only run low res mode with generic driver as nVidia kernel module does not load.
Please follow instructions here on how to properly install nvidia on Lucid, as an alternate the Xswat PPA has latest nvidia drivers so it can be installed easily and with DKMS support as well.
The finding of unity in variety is really what we call knowledge..... Vivekananda.
Proglem solved,
I realised that the upgrade to 10.04 had failed to update my grub menu so I was loading the old Kernel version. Changed from kernel 2.6.31-17-generic to kernel 2.6.32-21-generic in (/boot/grub/menu.lst) and now nVidia driver loads just fine.
Noob question:
Looked at installing the latest Linux Display Driver v.260.19.12
I noticed they say "Stopped installing OpenGL, VDPAU, CUDA, and OpenCL header files with the driver"
How will this affect us, aka what does it actually mean?
Will i have to seek out all those things manually?
Hi all!!!
I already had many problems to install my 8400 GS NVIDIA GEFORCE on UBUNTU and I find many solutions to do it all the times...
For now, I has discovered on a Brazilian forum a little shell script to do it easyly... The shell script was developed by a Brazilian guy...
Download the shell script from http://www.meroprojects.com/download...er2.1.1.tar.gz and cd to the folder where You has saved it. I sugest You to save it on your home folder.
Then, type the commands bellow:
$ sudo service gdm stop
$ sudo service kdm stop
$ tar -xf vmanager2.1.1.tar.gz
$ cd vmanager2.1.1
$ chmod +x -R *
Now You can execute the shell script typing the command below:
$ ./vmanager2.1.1.sh
It will check for and download the latest Nvidia driver and after download has finished it will automatically install the driver...
I hope it will solve your issue!!!
Best Regards,
Sorry i haven't read all pages, only first one but i am new in ubuntu, and want to know why ubuntu doesn't see my gtx 560m card. Actually, i installed nvidia driver(the recommended one) and i have a program "nvidia x server settings". This program sees my card, but in system information(i'm translating it it may be different) reads unknown driver. Why does program see it but ubuntu doesn't?
Remove whatever you have installed. Make sure all the traces of the open source driver are removed as well:
After your system is clean and driver-less run the following:
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install nvidia-current
...and check the following thread.
Crackers don't matter!
Asus G53SX-A1 with Ubuntu


text:
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Drive, digital-obsessed and excited by what we do — that's us. We live to get the best results for our clients, especially if it means doing something no-one's done before. We think as a team.
With co-workers, with clients, with media owners, with our fellow Dentsu Aegis agencies — we work together, creating online experiences people really connect with.
Smarter than the rest, your default setting is wondering 'What if?' You're into the latest development in digital, constantly curious about what's new, and up to speed with industry opinions in the press. You can see the big picture without losing sight of small details, and you never stop finding ways to make things better.
From new business pitches, training and career development to social activities and cake sales. There is always plenty to tap in to and enjoy.
At iProspect, we're always learning, because digital doesn't stop moving — ever. So we expect you to pick up skills and knowledge fast. To achieve this, you'll work with some impressive people who'll teach you everything they know. And you'll come up with new ideas and tactics that will teach us a few things too.
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text:
SEATTLE — Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch had all the answers for Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings.
Lynch ran for 124 yards and a touchdown, Wilson threw three first-half touchdown passes, and the Seattle Seahawks overcame 182 yards by Peterson in a 30-20 win over the Vikings on Sunday.
The matchup between the top two rushers in the NFL — Peterson and Lynch — didn't disappoint with Peterson having his best game since 2008.
But the difference was Wilson, Seattle's rookie QB who continues to improve. He did just what the Seahawks (5-4) needed, hitting key passes and not making any mistakes.
Wilson threw touchdown passes of 11 yards to Sidney Rice and a pair to Golden Tate. The first to Tate came on a 6-yard throw in the first quarter.
On the second, Tate took a short screen pass, danced away from a couple of defenders near the line of scrimmage, then jumped over Minnesota cornerback Josh Robinson at the goal line, just getting the ball over the line before it was knocked loose by Everson Griffen.
The second of Tate's touchdowns gave Seattle a 20-17 lead at halftime. Then it was time for Lynch, who spent most of the first half watching Peterson sprint through the Seahawks defense.
Lynch had a 3-yard TD run in the third quarter to give Seattle a 10-point lead. He ran for 69 yards in the second half and added two receptions that included a key 24-yard screen pass that led to Steven Hauschka's 40-yard field goal with 6:23 left and a 30-20 Seattle lead.
The Seahawks then capped the game by running the final 5:27 off the clock converting two fourth downs as Seattle snapped a two-game losing streak.
Wilson finished 16 of 24 for 173 yards. Rice and Tate both had four catches, but Wilson connected with eight different receivers.
Seattle won despite Peterson. It was his third straight game over 100 yards rushing and he nearly reached the century mark by the end of the first quarter.
But the Vikings (5-4) went away from their star in the second half, who continues his recovery from a torn ACL suffered late last season. Peterson had just five carries for 38 yards in the second half, yet still had his best game since running for 192 yards against Green Bay on Nov. 9, 2008.
Christian Ponder was 11 of 22 for just 63 yards, was sacked four times and threw an interception in the fourth quarter.
Peterson's big day started early as he went 74 yards on the second play of the game, only to be caught at the 1-yard line by Brandon Browner. Peterson scored two plays later, the first time this season the Seahawks did not score first.
Peterson's 144 yards at halftime were the most in his career in the first half. The Vikings had six rushes of more than 10 yards in the first half.
And still, despite rolling up the yards, the Vikings went to halftime trailing 20-17 because they couldn't slow Wilson.
He completed 10 of 14 in the first half.
Even Rice, the former Viking, got in on the action with a 25-yard completion to Zach Miller. That pass set up Rice's 11-yard TD reception when Wilson bought time in the pocket and found his receiver cutting across the back of the end zone.
Peterson answered with his second touchdown of the first half on a 4-yard run early in the second quarter and Minnesota took a 17-14 lead on Blair Walsh's 34-yard field goal.
But Wilson answered with a 12-play, 80-yard drive to end the first half that was capped by Tate's leap.


text:
By Matthew Heimer
What kind of retirement package do you give to someone who's spent sixty-plus years on the job, including almost eight as chief executive? If you're the Roman Catholic Church, and that someone is Pope Benedict XVI (the once and future Joseph Ratzinger), you give him a monthly pension worth 2,500 euros, or about $3,340. The Italian newspaper La Stampa broke the story this week, reporting that the 85-year-old Benedict—the first pope in nearly 600 years to retire from office—will receive the pension that the church typically offers to retired bishops. (Don't speak Italian? Neither do I: Britain's Independent has the story here.)
Coincidentally, the pope's pension is almost identical to the maximum Social Security benefit a U.S. retiree could earn if she retired this year–$3,350 a month, according to the Social Security Administration's benefits calculator. To receive a check that size, that hypothetical retiree would need to retire at age 70 or later after having earned the taxable maximum salary throughout her career—the equivalent of $113,700 this year. Of course, most of Benedict's personal expenses, from food to gardening, will be covered by the Vatican for the rest of his life, so his pension is mostly play money. (Alas: No grandkids to visit.) The pot could get sweeter, too, according to La Stampa: If Benedict's successor awards him the status of emeritus cardinal—not out of the question, since Ratzinger held various cardinal titles before being elected Pope—his pension could double.


text:
Freedom in the World
You are here
2012 Scores
Freedom Rating (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Civil Liberties (1 = best, 7 = worst)
Political Rights (1 = best, 7 = worst)
The Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) captured the most seats in the March 2011 legislative elections. The HRPP's Tuila'epa Aiono Sailele Milielegaoi was elected to a third term as prime minister. In January, the government ended its monopoly on telephone and internet services with the privatization of the state-owned telecommunications provider, SamoaTel.
Germany controlled what is now Samoa between 1899 and World War I. New Zealand administered the islands under a UN mandate after World War II. The country gained independence in 1962.
The centrist Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) has dominated politics since independence. Tuila'epa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi of the HRPP secured a second term as prime minister in the 2006 legislative elections, in which the HRPP won 35 seats, the Samoa Democratic United Party captured 10 seats, and independents took the remainder. Former prime minister Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi was elected head of state by the legislature in June 2007.
In the March 4, 2011, parliamentary elections, the HRPP took 36 seats, while the Tautua Somoa Party (TSP) captured the remaining 13 seats. The elections were generally regarded as fair and open, though the electoral court found four lawmakers from both the HRPP and TSP—including the head of the TSP—guilty of bribing voters, and stripped them of their seats. Twelve candidates from the HRPP and three from the TSP competed for the vacant seats in special by-elections in July. The HRPP captured all four seats, boosting its majority to 40 seats in the parliament. Tuila'epa was subsequently elected to a third term as prime minister.
Samoa depends heavily on annual remittances of $350 million from some 100,000 Samoans living abroad. The country has also been forging closer ties with China to benefit from financial aid, development loans, and the sale of fishing licenses, though the rapid expansion of Chinese presence in Samoan businesses has led local business leaders to warn of rising social tensions. To raise further revenue for the country, the government legalized casino gambling in 2010, though no casinos had opened by the end of the 2011. Samoans will be barred from the casinos to appease religious opponents who worry that gambling will have a corrupting influence on society. In December 2011, Samoa was admitted to the World Trade Organization (WTO); it has until June 2012 to ratify the agreement.
The role and powers of village chiefs continued to stir controversy in 2011. Matai, or chiefs of extended families, control local government and churches through the village fono, or legislature, which is open only to them. The Supreme Court ruled in 2000 that the village fono could not infringe on freedom of religion, speech, assembly, or association. However, entire families have been forced to leave their villages for allegedly insulting a matai, embracing a different religion, or voting for political candidates not endorsed by the matai. In June 2011, a matai who ran in the March general elections was banished by his village, which had backed another candidate.
Samoa is an electoral democracy. Executive authority is vested in the head of state, who is elected for five-year terms by the Legislative Assembly. The head of state appoints the prime minister, who leads the government and names his own cabinet. All laws passed by the 49-member, unicameral Legislative Assembly must receive approval from the head of state to take effect. Approval of the matai is essential for most candidates for elected office. Two legislative seats are reserved for at-large voters, mostly citizens of mixed or non-Samoan heritage who have no ties to the 47 village-based constituencies. All lawmakers serve five-year terms. The main political parties are the HRPP and the TSP.
Official corruption and abuses are a source of increasing public discontent. In January 2011, a lawmaker was charged with 15 counts of theft and fraud related to the unlawful transfer of ownership of freehold land. In June, two former finance ministry employees were found guilty of stealing $400,000 and were sentenced to three years in jail. Samoa was ranked 69 out of 183 countries surveyed in Transparency International's 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index.
Freedoms of speech and the press are generally respected. The government operates one of three television stations, and there are several English-language and Samoan newspapers. A lawmaker who lost his seat in the 2011 elections sued TV3, a privately owned station, for defamation in its broadcasts prior to the elections. In December, TV3 was found guilty, and the station's manager and a reporter were fined $60,000. In January 2011, the government ended its monopoly on telephone and internet services by privatizing the national telecommunications provider SamoaTel.
The government respects freedom of religion in practice, and relations among religious groups are generally amicable. There were no reports of restrictions on academic freedom in 2011.
Freedoms of assembly and association are respected, and human rights groups operate freely. Approximately 60 percent of adults work in subsistence agriculture, and about 20 percent of wage earners belong to trade unions. Workers, including civil servants, can strike and bargain collectively.
The judiciary is independent and upholds the right to a fair trial. The Supreme Court is the highest court, with full jurisdiction over civil, criminal, and constitutional matters. The head of state, on the recommendation of the prime minister, appoints the chief justice. In January 2011, Mata Keli Tuatagaloa became the first woman named as district court judge. Prisons generally meet minimum international standards.
Samoa has no military, and the small police force has little impact in the villages, where the fono settles most disputes. The councils vary considerably in their decision-making styles and in the number of matai involved. Light offenses are usually punished with fines; serious offenses result in banishment from the village.
Domestic violence against women and children is common. Spousal rape is not illegal, and social pressure and fear of reprisal inhibit reporting of domestic abuse. In November 2011, Leatinu'u Salote Lesa became the first woman to head a political party in Samoa when she was elected to lead the TSP. In October 2011, the government rejected a call by the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality, which it argues is contrary to Samoan culture and values.


text:
No one makes reservations at a Salvation Army soup kitchen, but at the Army's eastside service center on Payne Avenue, it might be time.
No one makes reservations at a Salvation Army soup kitchen, but at the Army's eastside service center on Payne Avenue, it might be time.
With a craftsman's eye, Jeff Ansorge toils over pan-seared lemon parmesan salmon.
"It adds caramelization to the salmon," Ansorge explains, "and it gives it a better flavor profile."
Check the sign again. Yep, this is the Salvation Army, but Ansorge is definitely not the typical Salvation Army cook.
This time last year, Ansorge was at the top of his profession. He was a graduate of a prestigious culinary school and had risen through the ranks to become executive chef at one of Minnesota's finest restaurants — the Capital Grille.
But, a few months later, it's all gone -- and by Ansorge's own doing, KARE-TV reported.
"His application came in and it was almost too good to be true," says Capt. John Joyner, who posted the ad for a cook last summer.
Joyner had doubts Ansorge was seriously interested, "because he's so overqualified."
But soon the new cook was re-equipping the kitchen with braising pans and French knives, as he cleared space in the cooler for items definitely not associated with soup kitchens.
"It's a block of Pecorino Romano," he explains to a visitor. "It's sheep milk's cheese."
What possessed him to do it? With bonuses, Ansorge had annual earnings of around $100,000 working as an executive chef. His new job is paying a third of that.
Ansorge says he was struggling with the end of his marriage, when he realized his spiritual life was empty.
"I was at the peak of my career, absolutely," he says, "but none of it left me feeling fulfilled."
Ansorge decided to make a change. Then he took his culinary skills to the people who could least afford them.
"I'm doing what I'm meant to be doing," he says cheerfully while dispensing food in the serving line, "God's work."
The regular diners have noticed the change.
"We have nice vegetables, a nice grade of meat," says one. "The butter and bread, it's delicious."
Instead of canned fruits and vegetables, Ansorge and his volunteers are now cutting it all up fresh.
Gone are unbuttered buns and coffee with powdered cream. Ansorge insists on real dairy.
"I have it at my house, so I'm going to have it at my lunch program," he says.
Also gone are daily meals of mostly processed food.
"They were serving the chicken strips instead of the chicken," laughs frequent diner Frances Pierce. "And now they're serving the chicken."
Less processed food means Jeff is also saving money. By bringing a chef's creativity to donated and reduced price food, the man who once crafted $45 entrees has reduced the Salvation Army's lunch cost to 63 cents a meal.
It may not be a miracle on the scale of loaves and fishes, but Jeff Ansorge has taken a page from the same cookbook.
"Faith is part of the recipe," he says. "It's the main ingredient, you know."


text:
Ah Christmas. So exciting, thrilling and magical. Really, a truly wondrous event; little eyes gleaming in amazement at the twinkle lights and the presents stacked temptingly under the tree.
I must admit to being quite excited this year myself, as my eldest is at the age where the magic is truly alive. Christmas through the eyes of a 3 (nearly 4!) year old is something that could warm the centre of even the hardest hearts.
So with joy in our hearts my husband and I took the children to a neighbour's Christmas Eve gathering and partook in some festive mulled wine. Yum. I love mulled wine. I'm probably a bit obsessed with it to be honest. Ahem. Anyway, when we took the boys home at about 7pm and put them to bed (after sprinkling Reindeer dust outside the front door and checking for Santa numerous times- eeek- so exciting) we set about turning the living room into a Winter Wonderland; a veritable grotto of delight. There were carols playing, mulled wine on the stove (yes more – don't judge me) and even a log fire crackling away nicely- on the TV – we don't have a fireplace you see. And so we wrapped presents, sipped our wine, chatted and were genuinely having a lovely time getting everything in order for the next day.
11pm: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
The glow was instantly gone as I jumped up panic stricken. If you're a parent you'll know the inexplicable feeling of dread that you get when you hear your child's cry and know that it's not a fake attention seeking cry but a cry of utter pain and desolation. What the hell had just happened? Everything was fabulous a minute ago.
We ran into The Beast's bedroom to find him writhing in agony and so I picked him up out of his cot and……..BLEEEEEEUGH! WHUUUUUUH! WAAAAAAA!
It was like something from 'The Exorcist'. There was sick dripping from: the curtains; my hair; my pyjamas; my husband's arm hair!! Without even really having time to process this the writhing began again as we tried to relieve him of his sleeping bag, you know that gorgeous invention that keeps them snuggly at night but in a crisis you can't get the bloody thing off!
WAAAAAAAAAA! This scream was me by the way as the projectile diarrhoea started to squirt this way and that. We scrambled into the bathroom, whilst stripping off clothes and trying to ensure that the damage to property was minimal.
Christmas Eve culminated in my poor husband standing in the bath with the screaming Beast, whilst I showered off any liquids that decided to appear from the Mount Vesuvius style eruptions wracking the poor thing's body – liquids from both ends! And so as Christmas day began we were: stone cold sober; knackered; dishevelled; soaking and cuddling a little boy in a towel on the bed. But you know, writing this now and looking back on it all, the only thing I'm seeing is love. There's no one else in the world that you would do this for and there's nothing worse than seeing them in pain but as we got him re hydrated and clean again and cuddled him as he fell asleep, love was clearly in our hearts and surely that's what Christmas is all about?


text:
Peedi Crakk Freestyle [In Studio]
BTS of the "Both Kissing" video shoot Peedi Crakk and Max Payne give us some bars!!
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