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Gobble up this quiz
by Reginald Andah
There's nothing like Thanksgiving. During what other time of year can you watch your relatives come together and bicker over nothing? What other meal do you spend hoping everyone finishes eating soon before someone starts reminiscing about the good ol' days and brings up an embarrassing moment from the past (there's always at least one relative who does)?
Did you know that those present at the first Thanksgiving didn't have the benefit of tryptophan to make everyone fall asleep? The first Thanksgiving was a three-day harvest feast held in Massachusetts in 1621 with pilgrims and people from the Wampanoag tribe in attendance. Although wild turkeys were in the area, the Wampanoag guests arrived with the offering of five deer. Historians believe the deer were roasted over a fire and made into stew.
Now that you know a fact about the first Thanksgiving, try your luck on some more Turkey Day trivia. Continue reading


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http://lonestarstruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/posts2.png 180 397 Kelly Irvin http://lonestarstruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/lonestarstruck.png Kelly Irvin2007-03-27 09:04:002007-03-27 09:04:00New York Coming to Dallas
New York Coming to Dallas
Two 2007 season games were announced and both happened to feature New York Teams. The first Sunday night game will be Giants vs. Cowboys in Dallas. It will be broadcast on NBC, Sunday night, Sept. 9 at 7:15pm. The Thanksgiving game will be Jets vs. the Cowboys in Dallas with a 3:15pm kickoff on CBS. Fans will get to see Cowboys running back Julius Jones against his brother, Jets running back Thomas Jones.
They say that New York City is so great they had to name it twice. I say their teams are so bad we're gonna beat them twice!

subset: commoncrawl


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Robert Konopke, 75, of Saylorsburg, passed away Wednesday, July 10, at home.
Robert was born in Swoyersville on Dec. 21, 1937, the son of the late Edward and Mary (Novroski) Konopke.
He had worked as a drill press operator for Ingersoll Rand in Phillipsburg, N.J., for 35 years until retiring.
Robert served our country with dedication and courage in the U.S. Army.
He was a member of Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Gilbert.
He was a member of the American Legion Post 927 in Gilbert.
We have been blessed with the presence of Robert in our lives. He will be missed by his children, Patti Weinland-Fitzpatrick of Cortland, N.Y., Lori Bray and her husband, David, of Saylorsburg and Robert Konopke and his wife, Cynthia, of Hoboken, N.J.; and a sister, Dorothy Cebrick of Dallas. He was a loving Pappy and Grandpa to his six grandsons, Kegan, Lucas, Wyatt and Logan Bray and Matthew Robert and Michael Anthony Konopke. He is also survived by his former wife, Marjorie Konopke of Saylorsburg and several nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends.
He was preceded in death by a son-in-law, Alan Fitzpatrick, and a brother, Thomas Konopke.
Family and friends are welcome to offer their condolences from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 16, at the Donald N. Gower Funeral Home, 1426 Route 209, Gilbert, followed by an 11 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Gilbert. Robert will be buried in the Gilbert Cemetery with American Legion honors.
Donald N. Gower Funeral Home
1426 Route 209, Gilbert
Robert Konopke
Robert Konopke, 75, of Saylorsburg, passed away Wednesday, July 10, at home.


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I kind of had upload problems, so here (a little late, but still nice to see) a 2.5 min video I shot of the Lebanese army entering Tripoli after the defeat of Fatah al Islam. Following is text and video I prepared on Monday:
So I thought the Lebanese army was a small army!? Well, no longer.
It looked like an endless stream of soldiers and their gear drove passed us in Tripoli, in Lebanon's north, on Tuesday. Jeep after jeep, tank after tank, APC after APC. If this is a small army, how does a large army look like?
But enough words. Just watch below a, rather chaotic, video I shot in Tripoli of the victorious Lebanese army entering town. Loud Arabic music (a little bit repetitive - guess the music guy had only one tape in his speaker system). Still, very good street party.
Later that day, this huge army convoy moved partly towards Beirut. Everywhere they arrived - again - large crowds along the Beirut-Tripoli highway. It took me around four hours to get back to Beirut. Who says people in the Middle East can't have fun? (Eh...30.000 Palestinians now without a home, Lebanese shiia who weren't celebrating at all, the war in Iraq, position of women in Saudi Arabia - and in every other Arab country, etc, etc.).
But enough with these depressive topics, today was finally time for some serious happy faces!
Harald Doornbos
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Army enters Tripoli
Posted by Harald Doornbos at 2:35 AM
3 comments:
- sam said...
greetings ,but please is their any possibility to get the full video or no chance at all if so please reply with kind regards.
- Harald Doornbos said...
@ sam,
If you want, I can make a copy of the 25 minutes i shot. let me know, cheers
- sam said...
dear ,
that would be perfect if you don't mind,kind regards.
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Sleepless in Krakow or This is the Life
I am writing to you today from a train bound for Krakow from Wroclaw. Krakow, it turns out, is actually pronounced "crack-off" while Wroclaw does not sound like the first two syllables of Rock Lobster but instead is pronounced something like "vrotz-love." So if you love your vrotz, you're gonna love Wroclaw! Why the Poles spell things so weird is anybody's guess.
Anyway, at the bottom of this page is actual video footage of when the people of Wroclaw broke the world's record for the number of guitarists simultaneously playing Hey Joe. No joke!
I've done two talks in Poland so far. The first was in Opole University. Unfortunately the fliers were not delivered to the organizers until the day after the talk, so pretty much nobody but the people who set up the talk even knew it was happening. Even so it was a fun small group discussion. At the end of the talk I improvised a theory as to why the original Japanese Godzilla represents the Buddhist view of nature while the lousy American remake in 1998 represented the American view. This theory also explains why the American Godzilla sucked pachycephalosaurus ass. Remind me and I'll tell you about it one of these days.
The following day I did a book signing at the Narlanda bookstore in Wroclaw. My appearance there had gotten a nice write-up in the entertainment section of the city's largest newspaper, right below an article about an upcoming concert by Bobby McFarren. Subsequently the turn-out was far better. The place was pretty much packed.
It's interesting trying to answer questions that are relayed to you through an interpreter. Sometimes the kind of questions I get asked in English are very difficult for me to make much sense out of. I could tell my long suffering Polish translator Kasia was having trouble with some of them. One guy seemed to want to know about predictions of future Buddhas. I did the best I could with that one. I couldn't tell if he was one of the followers of one of the many supposed future Buddhas working the spiritual scene or if maybe he was trying to connect the approach I advocate with what he'd heard from those guys. I don't think he liked it much when I compared waiting for the next Buddha to trying to figure out which contemporary sugar-pop band was going to be the next Beatles.
One of my hosts asked me for my one-sentence summary of my feelings about Poland. But I couldn't give him anything. There are lots of funny things nobody ever tells you about a foreign country. Like how the Polish language sounds exactly like what you get if you tape record someone speaking English and then play the tape backwards. I keep wanting to record people's voices and then replay them in reverse to check for Satanic messages. Also no one ever tells you that Wi-Fi is pronounced "whiffy" all across Europe.
The people I stayed with in Wroclaw had a 6 month old kitten named Bazilla. Or, anyway, that's what I named him. His name was actually Bazili. He enjoyed attacking my hands at every opportunity. Unlike the cat I wrote about in Zen Wrapped in Karma, fortunately, he wasn't actually trying to draw blood.
So far in Europe I have eaten more cheese than any human should ever eat. It's difficult sometimes to find vegetarian food here that's not loaded up with the stuff. And while I do like cheese quite a lot, I have had quite too much of a lot of it and shall be endeavoring heretofore to avoid cheese wherever possible. Unless it's really delicious cheese, of course.
So far Poland kind of looks to me like picture postcards of Poland. Lots of medieval castles and archaic buildings. Rolling hills with ancient barns on top under endless gray skies. They tell me it's not always this gloomy, and maybe it's that Icelandic ash cloud still messing up the weather. But it's been raining the entire time I've been here. This my first visit to a former Iron Curtain nation. My family went to Czechoslovakia back somewhere around 1974 when it was still a communist country. But this is the first time I've been to Eastern Europe since the fall of communism.
I've spent ten hours of my stay so far on trains. So I feel like much of my impression of the country is actually my impression of its railway system, which appears little changed since the days of the Cold War. The toilets are best left undescribed. Kasia told me to avoid the one with vomit all over the floor and instead use the one with no light and a heater stuck on scorch. You had to sort of take aim carefully and then close the door and hope for the best. I could see a lot of others before me had failed.
We're now stopping at Trzebenia. I have no idea how you pronounce that.
Anyway, in some ways non-communist Poland resembles communist China, which I visited a few times while I was living in Japan. There are McDonaldses and KFC's wherever you go. There are massive department stores full of consumer goods. There are froofy grocery stores that sell expensive imported foods. Not so different from anywhere else in Europe.
But I get a sense that people here are still adjusting to all this. It's been 20 years since Solidarity and the fall of the Soviet empire, which means there are people in college who weren't even born yet when the change happened. But most of the population still remembers.
As far as Buddhism is concerned, from my little perusal of the bookshops I've been in, it seems to be pretty much the same as the rest of the Western world. The store I spoke at last night had everything Osho ever wrote, a few Ken Wilber books, plus some Zen stuff by Taizen Maezumi and a few Polish authors whose names I did not recognize. Those were on the very bottom shelf.
Tibetan Buddhism is strong, like it is all over the West. Perhaps that's the form of Buddhism that most appeals to people steeped in the Christian worldview. I've been told that Philip Kapleau established some centers here. Kwan Um is represented as well. There are posters all over town announcing talks by some chubby Eastern European Zen Master in a nice set of robes. Sometimes you even see a poster for me, with a view down the hole of an outhouse where a monster is crawling up out of the muck to bite your butt. But there aren't too many of those.
... It's now a day after I began this piece and I'm writing from a Buddhist center in Krakow. I had just gathered up my stuff to go and take a shower when, at that very nanosecond, two Polish workman guys appeared out of nowhere, went straight for the shower and started taking it apart. So here I am writing this.
They put me up here for the night. It's on the fourth floor of a building they told me is 200 years old. It looks and feels to be about 500. The fourth floor in Europe, by the way, is what we in the US call the fifth floor. No elevators, but I need the exercise so that's fine.
There is a wood burning cooking stove in the kitchen. And not one of those rustic, artsy-fartsy ones either. More like something a bunch of Polish peasants cooked their kielbasas on in 1571. This place is the home of seven local Buddhist groups of various denominations. There's a Tibetan room for the folks from Karmakamtzang and then there's a Zen room dominated mostly be Kwan Um inspired decorations, but apparently used by a number of other groups.
Oh! The workman guys left, just as mysteriously as they came. I'm gonna go get a shower before they come back!
... (twenty minutes later) I cannot figure out the showers here. They're all hand held and the bathtubs are really deep like in Japan. I'm not sure if I'm meant to kneel down and spray myself or if I'm meant to take a bath and use the hand held shower to rinse off. In any case, I was unable to make the hand held shower here work at all. I couldn't find any sort of button thingy or pull-up push-down thingy or knob or anything of that nature that would make it work. So I washed my hair by craning my neck such that it was under the faucet. Maybe I should've asked the workman guys before they left. Or maybe that's what they were fixing. Only Jesus knows and he's not telling me.
I have gone full circle at this point in my life. From touring with punkrock bands and sleeping on people's floors is squats where nothing works, I am now touring behind punkzen books and sleeping on the floors of Buddhist centers where nothing works. Or at least I can't figure out how anything works, which is the same in the end. I guarantee you the Dalai Lama does not travel like this. Are you sure Thich Nhat Hanh started out this way?
You probably think I'm complaining, but I'm not. It's really fun doing this and I wouldn't give it up for anything. I went out last night with some students from the local university to a place called the Sacred Cow where they play loud Indian-inspired dance rock and make coffee with caramel in it. Got an interview and a book signing today and then another long trip through the Polish countryside to the next town. This is the life!


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During last year's visit to Copenhagen, I got a taste for city cycling. The bike lanes there are filled with sophisticated Danes, happily riding to and fro in regular street clothes on simple, comfy, utilitarian bikes. We rented bikes to join in ourselves, and the experience was transforming. Why do so many Americans ride complicated, uncomfortable bikes, and insist on wearing spandex just for the ride to work? 150,000 Copenhagenners do it every day, and 149,999 could jump off for an impromptu photo shoot.
With this in mind, I decided that I would get my own urban bike for tooling around town, getting groceries, going to bars, etc. My criteria were, and are, in order of priority:
- It must be capable.
- It must be comfortable
- It must be stylish.
- It must be enjoyable.
- It must have carrying capapcity.
- I must be able to hop on it and ride away with no special preparation.
- It must be simple to use and maintain.
Thus, I went on a mission to find or build a bike to fulfill those criteria. I test rode a lot of bikes, and I have to say, the Electra Townie came really close.


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OPGI Price: $159.99
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Convert your factory throttle pedal to one of these stylish CNC-machined units from Lokar. These pedal assemblies not only look great, they allow the use of a Lokar throttle cable in place of factory linkage. Fully machined assemblies are available with your choice of ball-milled or rubber inserts. Matching brake and clutch pedal covers with rubber inserts are also available.


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International News
Media Coverage of "Functional Cure" in Baby Born With HIV Continues
March 7, 2013
Highlighting the recent case of an infant reportedly cured of HIV infection "after a swiftly administered course of drugs," Scientific American writes, "A number of factors make the child's case unique, ... and clinicians caution that we have not discovered a general cure for HIV yet. Still, the medical first may hint at ways to fight the AIDS-causing virus" (Fessenden, 3/5). "The reported 'functional cure' is welcome news, but until findings can be replicated and more evidence emerges, it is critical that clinicians continue to follow established guidance for testing and treatment," Ambassador Eric Goosby, head of the State Department's Office of Global Health Diplomacy and U.S. global AIDS coordinator, says in a statement on the AIDS.gov Blog, adding, "We eagerly await further research on these findings and whether the experience of the child can be replicated in clinical trials involving other HIV-exposed children" (3/6).
In an audio report, NPR health correspondent Richard Knox "explains this case and other developments in HIV research presented at the 2013 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections" (3/5). The Guardian's "U.S. News Blog" provides the transcript of a Q&A chat session with Sandra Burchett, clinical director and director of Children's Hospital's AIDS program at Boston Children's Hospital, about the details of the case (Rogers, 3/5). In related news, CNN Money's "The Buzz" examines the potential implications of the case on drug stocks, writing the case "will have likely have a neutral impact on the sales and share prices of the drug companies responsible" (Asher, 3/6).
Back to other news for March 2013
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Dinosaurs ruled Earth for 160 million years, but they didn't get that way by running everywhere. What little we can tell about dinosaur anatomy suggests they could barely run at all. But they could power walk...thanks to their muscular rumps.
Modern mammals and flightless birds share some common anatomical features in how they run. Specifically, we can tell with a fair amount of certainty how fast an animal can run based on the length of its strides. Paleontologists have been using that basic rule of thumb for decades to analyze fossilized dinosaur footprints, and all evidence suggests dinosaurs were slowpokes. What's more, fossil analysis has suggested that dinosaurs like T. rex lacked the proper build to run anywhere, in their case due to some rather weak knees.
But Heinrich Mallison of Berlin's Museum of Natural History is challenging that view. He argues that the structure of dinosaur hind limbs is markedly different from that of modern mammals and birds, meaning the stride formula isn't a good indicator of what dinosaurs can really do.
Instead, Mallison suggests we should look at the dinosaurs' buttocks - and no, there isn't a non-immature way to phrase htat - which had far more powerful muscles than their mammalian counterparts. While the dinosaurs probably couldn't run much, their butt muscles allowed them to take a ton of short, rapid strides, just like a power walker. If that's the case, T. rex could have moved quickly just fine even with weak ankles.
It's a fascinating idea, though unfortunately it does mean that we now have no way of knowing for sure how quickly dinosaurs ran. All I know is, I'm looking forward to a bunch of power walking tyrannosaurs showing up in Jurassic Park IV, preferably while chasing an also power walking, angry one-liner spouting Jeff Goldblum. That would be pretty much the peak of cinema history, as far as I'm concerned.
Via Nature.


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We're all aware that the economy is shifting, but that does not mean automatic doom and gloom. Instead, you should look at this time as an opportunity. Typically, people get lazy in a strong economy when it comes to diligence with lead generation, cost controls and planning revenue growth. In a weaker economy, you have the opportunity to become more diligent in these areas and especially in the area of sales.
In an economic downturn, we tend to look at the business outlook rather than looking out for business. There is a big difference here in attitudes and behaviors. When you look at the business outlook, you believe all the bad news presented to you. When you look out for business, you increase your efforts to seek more business. The business is indeed out there; you simply need to be better at looking for it and getting it.
Tough economic times do not mean customers no longer exist or people don't have money to spend. It just means that customers are driven differently than in a boom economy. Every major study in sales since 1950 shows that price and budget are equal when it comes to buying motivations.
What swayed customers in the Great Depression, the recession of 1953-1954, the 1973-1975 recession, the 1980-1982 recession and today's recession? Customers want protection. They want to avoid risk and will pay a premium to do so, according to Neil Rackham, author of "Spin Selling," a book that offers compelling statistics on selling in a depressed economy.
During difficult economic times, people want security even if it is at a price. When people object to buying a membership because of price or because they say they have no budget, it's an easy way to get rid of membership reps because most reps won't probe further. In light of this, you need to ensure that you offer more of a return or value with your membership — and you need to ensure that your membership reps convey this when speaking with prospects.
Sales managers need to examine their cost per sale to determine how to minimize costs as well as intensify and refocus the sales effort. Two ways to beat any economic shift are by cutting costs and increasing sales. Yes, both can and need to be done in any economy. It takes diligence and rational commitment to bear a positive effect and avoid a negative effect. For example, eliminating sales people that are productive or even quasi productive to save salary costs is a bad move. Eliminating productive sales people leaves you with fewer people to create business. You are then selling only to those who walk in and call. The sales team's job is to get out and create business, not wait for call-ins and walk-ins.
Sales managers need to be up front and honest with their teams. If the club has had an unpredictably high attrition rate and a lower-than-projected new membership sales rate, the sales staff must catch up. Some managers don't want to put too much pressure on the membership reps, and therefore avoid implementing a catch-up plan. Instead, they allow the membership reps to simply go for the current month's goal (or worse yet, they lower the monthly goal) with disregard to the real picture. This spells disaster. You may hit the monthly goal, but you're not going to hit the year-end goal.
If you are 50 memberships down for the year, you have to make it up in a realistic time frame. Don't blow away the sales team by trying to make it up in one or two months. Instead, add nine more sales to your goal each month and catch up or even get a bit ahead over the next six months. Be honest with your team. If they trust you, they will redouble their efforts to hit the goals.
Sales managers also must refocus their commitment to the club's vision, mission and core values. Your management skills, vision and commitment to the club's core values are critical to create a path of leadership. If everybody came to work every day and did their best, we wouldn't need managers. The fact is that you need to create an environment that brings out the best in people.
Sales managers must make the best of their meeting times with membership reps. Your follow through with the team is critical to ensure that all cylinders are firing at all times. If you aren't already doing so, now is a good time to implement weekly individual meetings with your reps, in addition to your weekly group sales meetings. The purpose of the weekly 20- to 30-minute individual meeting is to inspire your rep, do one-on-one training and work on performance issues. The cornerstone of this meeting should be their weekly sales report. With that report, you can determine what their performance issues are — is it phone skills, closing skills, pre-tour work, qualifying, needs assessment, relationship skills, handling concerns, closing the sale, or lack of follow-up? Determine what is holding each of them back and work on those skills. So many tools are available to reps in the form of training books, tapes, videos, role-playing, etc. They can double their productive capacity overnight by committing to doing the things that will make them successful and discontinuing the activities that don't. Help them determine what they need to do to be able to continually repeat their best performances.
One of the most important skills for membership reps to polish is prospecting and lead generation. Their job is not to simply take the call-ins and walk-ins but to create business for the club and more income for themselves. Do your membership reps know how many leads they need every month to hit their goal?* They need this information to have a formula for sales success. Most salespeople do not hit their goals because they are not talking to enough people. Your reps should put together a three-month plan that focuses on referral, corporate outreach and lead-generation activities. Once they do so (assuming their sales skills are where they need to be), they will not have a problem again with hitting goals.
Membership reps often dislike lead-generation activities, but if you have your reps team with another rep when generating leads, it creates a more fun and rewarding experience for them. Instead of sending one rep to do a corporate activity or sales presentation, send two of them so they'll have twice the energy, enthusiasm and follow through — and perhaps twice the results.
Make sure that your membership reps create urgency on their tours, but not a sense of promotional urgency, which often translates as pressure rather than as excitement. Instead, the membership rep should use personal motivation, programs and promotions to create an urgency to join. My recommendation is to use all three tools throughout the tour. To do this, your membership rep must know the needs, motivation and concerns of the prospect before the tour.
Urgency builds excitement for the prospective member resulting in a first visit sale. Urgency also builds excitement for reps because when they have more first visit sales, they create an upward momentum for themselves with regard to each sale thereafter. Momentum is critical to sales success.
As the economy remains tough, you might find that some sales reps apologize for your club's price. That practice can destroy all their efforts thus far. You need to find out the reason a membership rep is apologizing for price so you can stop it. The two main reasons for apologizing is that they lack faith in the value of the membership and their own financial situation is such that they could not afford the club, so they think prospects could not either. If your reps are unsure about the value of the price, you must explain your pricing philosophy to them so they understand the value and can communicate that to prospects. If they apologize for the price because of their own financial situation, you need to make them aware that many people in your market have different financial scenarios than they have at this time in their life and can afford the club. Let them know that carrying their financial circumstances into the sales process limits their sales success — and their ability to improve their financial future.
Attitude is even more important today than in the past when selling. Make sure that your membership reps are giving themselves a "check-up from the neck-up," as Zig Ziglar says. Before reps even step into the club to work for the day, they need to examine what is going on in their head and heart. Are they prepared to have a stellar day or are they on autopilot? What are they saying to themselves every morning and throughout the day? Sales success is determined more by what membership reps say to themselves than what they say to their prospects. They are in charge of their own energy, thoughts and, therefore, results. Are they giving 100 percent? If they are not, how can they expect to get 100 percent? The major problem in a questionable economy is not the downturn of economic indicators, but the downturn in people's minds — especially salespeople.
The tips in this article are definitely a back-to-basics approach. That is the point. Success in any economy can be yours if you have the basics covered well. In every economic situation and industry there are winners. Don't let your competitors be the winner because you forgot the basics.
* If you don't know how many leads you need, e-mail Karen for a simple form to figure it out.
Karen D. Woodard is president of Premium Performance Training in Boulder, CO, and Ixtapa, Mexico. She is an international author, speaker and consultant and provides successful marketing, sales, service and management training as well as consulting to the health and fitness industry. Woodard has owned and operated six clubs since 1985 and now devotes her time entirely to consulting, developing staff training materials, research, writing and speaking. She can be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Woodard is a member of Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro Editorial Advisory Board.


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Non-profit organization. Raising funds for schloarships for seniors and school improvements.
Join more than 35,000 property owners from all 50 states and abroad for the lifestyle you've always planned on. Whether you're looking to Hot Springs Village for a vacation, permanent residence, or a second home we'll be happy to help you follow that dream.


text: Insurance 2015 year-end review and forecast for 2016 Insurance Update Share this 3 MAR 2016 2015 was a challenging and transformative year for the insurance industry. We saw: More than $200 billion in mergers, including mega-mergers such as Anthem's $55.2 billion acquisition of Cigna, Aetna's $37 billion acquisition of Humana and Ace's $29.7 billion acquisition of Chubb. Announced plans by some major carriers to dramatically restructure and rescale their businesses, in part due to regulatory changes, activist investors and harsh commercial realities. Further evolution of the regulatory ecosystem. This included the implementation of Solvency II, the adoption of BCR and HLA by the IAIS, changes and challenges to SIFI and G-SII designations, and expanding interest in recovery and resolution plans. Opportunities and challenges presented by big data and technology. Emerging and growing risks – such as cybersecurity and climate change. An adverse commercial and economic environment, with over-capacity, softening rates in many lines, low interest rates and low investment returns challenging profitability for every sector of the business. Our Year-End Review and Forecast for 2016 reviews some of the more notable events and trends in the insurance industry over the past 12 months. Our crystal ball is a bit clouded by the scale and speed of changes we see, but we hope this review will provide some useful insights and information as we face the New Year. Read our 2015 Year-End Review and Forecast for 2016. Learn more by contacting your DLA Piper relationship partner or any member of our insurance team.


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- 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Image Link: https://www.yousendit.com/download/WUJiQ1ZndWN0d0VLSk5Vag
santa_1 copy.JPG: Saint Nicholas will greet children young and old at The Farmers' Museum's annual Candlelight Evening - Saturday, December 8.
people_1 copy.jpg: Visitors enjoy the magic of last year's Candlelight Evening in the Historic Village of The Farmers' Museum.
About The Farmers' MuseumAs one of the oldest rural life museums in the country, The Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, New York, provides visitors with a unique opportunity to experience 19th-century rural and village life first-hand through authentic demonstrations and interpretative exhibits. The museum, founded in 1943, comprises a Colonial Revival stone barn listed on the National Register for Historic Places, a recreated historic village circa 1845, the Empire State Carousel, and a working farmstead. Through its 19th-century village and farm, the museum preserves important examples of upstate New York architecture, early agricultural tools and equipment, and heritage livestock. The Farmers' Museum's outstanding collection of more than 23,000 items encompasses significant historic objects ranging from butter molds to carriages, and hand planes to plows. The museum also presents a broad range of interactive educational programs for school groups, families, and adults that explore and preserve the rich agricultural history of the region. For more information or images, please contact: Todd Kenyon, Public Relations New York State Historical Association Fenimore Art Museum/The Farmers' Museum Phone: (607) 547-1472 / E-mail: email@example.com


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Low-Emission Vehicle Program
This page last reviewed January 25, 2017
Background:Following a November 5, 1998, hearing, the Air Resources Board (ARB) amended California's Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV) regulations. The new amendments, known as LEV II, will advance the state's clean air goals through improved emission reduction standards for automobiles. These amendments were formally adopted by the ARB on August 5, 1999, and, after approval by the California Office of Administrative Law on October 28, 1999, became operative November 27, 1999.
The ARB first adopted LEV standards in 1990. These first LEV standards run from 1994 through 2003. LEV II regulations, running from 2004 through 2010, represent continuing progress in emission reductions. As the state's passenger vehicle fleet continues to grow and more sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks are used as passenger cars rather than work vehicles, the new, more stringent LEV II standards are necessary for California to meet federally-mandated clean air goals outlined in the 1994 State Implementation Plan (SIP).
The SIP is the state's "road map" to attain federal clean air standards by 2010 and includes among its measures strategies to further reduce air pollution from automobiles and other mobile sources. When LEV II is fully implemented in 2010, it is estimated that smog-forming emissions in the Los Angeles area will be reduced by 57 tons per day, while the statewide reduction will be 155 tons per day.
In 2012, ARB adopted the LEV III amendments to California's Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV) regulations. These amendments include more stringent emission standards for both criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases for new passenger vehicles.
|LEV II Fact Sheet
|View a one-page summary of the Low-Emission Vehicle II program.
|California Low-Emission Vehicle Regulations and Test Procedures
|View the latest "clean" versions (without underline and strikeout) of the ARB's regulations and most of the Test Procedures for low-emission vehicles and zero-emission vehicles.
|They include the major "LEV III" amendments for both criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases; these amendments became operative August 7, 2012.
|LEV III Regulation
|Click here to get the formal documents and information regarding the development of the LEV III amendments. To find the LEV program regulations, click California Low-Emission Vehicle Regulations and Test Procedures.
|LEV II Regulation
|Click here to get the informal documents and information regarding the development of the LEV II amendments. To find the LEV program regulations, click California Low-Emission Vehicle Regulations and Test Procedures.
|Evaporative Emission Controls for Motor Vehicles
|Click here to find out about the new evaporative emission standards included in the LEV II rulemaking.
|Low-Emission Vehicle Program (1995 and 1996)
|Click here to find information on the Low-Emission Vehicle Program as it was amended in 1996.
|On-Road Heavy-Duty Vehicle Program
|Click here to get information on ARB's On-Road Heavy-Duty Vehicle Program.
|Contact Information:
For more information, please contact Sarah Carter at (626) 575-6845.


text:
A last wee bit of spinning to share with you from when I was still in Cambridge ...
A kind and generous friend (my brother's mother-in-law, who is also a spinner and knitter) gave me this gorgeous fleece for my birthday. It's earthy, aromatic, full of lanolin, with beautiful crimp and color variation.
As I was moving out, I would spin a bit to calm my nerves when I needed a break. I took handfuls of the fleece and combed it out with a flicker brush, keeping the fibers aligned. I then pre-drafted those handfuls of fluffy fiber.
And a-spinning I would go! I spun up one spindles-worth, then Andean plied it. This was spinning "in the grease" since I hadn't washed it yet. The fibers were sticky, but to be honest I think it made for a slower and very pleasurable (i.e. non-spindle-dropping) spinning experience.
Afterwards, I gave my yarn a bath. I heated up a pot of water, let it cool from boiling a ways, and then plunged my skein in to soak. No soap. No agitation. I was amazed at how much lanolin came off into water. So much so that that yarn lost its earthy lanolin aroma even! I think next time I might give it less of a soak.
In the end, I had a beautiful wee skein, probably about 50 yards. Lovely little reminder of those last days in my rustic Cambridge apartment.


text:
Become a Healthwatch Volunteer
07/01/2016 11:20:00......Posted by Sara Bashford
Healthwatch Croydon, the official consumer champion for local health and social care services, is looking to recruit volunteers to undertake a range of activities.
They make a difference to health and social care services in the borough by receiving the views of residents, analysing the comments anonymously, and reporting back to key decision-makers like the local NHS Trust, Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group and the Care Quality Commission.
But they cannot do it without volunteers. At each stage of the process you could have a role from gaining views from residents and analysing comments, to promoting what Healthwatch Croydon does in the community and representing them at a number of community meetings and events.
Roles on offer are diverse and include working both in the office at George Street and positions within the community. High quality in-house training is provided, so no experience is required, just a commitment to want to see better health and social care services in response to residents' need.
They welcome all ages, experience and backgrounds and want all residents to be involved in Healthwatch Croydon, they can even create a role based around you and the time you can give.
If you would like to volunteer, or want to find out more, please contact Darren Morgan on 020 8663 5635 or email him email@example.com
Winter Energy Advice event at Selsdon Library on Thursday 7th February
03/02/2019 18:13:00.......Posted by Robert Ward
Croydon Council will be running a winter energy advice drop in session at Selsdon Library on Thursday 7th February between 10.00am and 1.00pm.
At the event residents can get free independent energy bill and tariff advice from a qualified energy assessor, including help finding and switching to lower energy tariffs, and advice about any debt they owe their energy supplier. They will also be able to find out about support offered through the Croydon Healthy Homes home visits, including assisting eligible households to apply for free larger energy efficiency measures (energy efficient boilers, heating controls and cavity wall/loft insulation etc).
This event is one of a series of events being run over the winter months in partnership with the Upper Norwood Library Trust, who have staff trained as energy assessors. Details of other events are available on the Council website www.croydon.gov.uk/energyevents
Please do go along and also encourage anyone else who might benefit to come along too. Please bring along a recent gas and electricity bill.
Full details about Croydon Healthy Homes are available at www.croydon.gov.uk/healthyhomes
Winter Energy Advice
03/02/2019 16:52:00.......Posted by Helen Pollard
The Council will be running a winter energy advice drop in session at Selsdon Library on Thursday 7th February between 10.00am and 1.00pm.
At the event residents can get free independent energy bill and tariff advice from a qualified energy assessor, including help finding and switching to lower energy tariffs, and advice about any debt they owe their energy supplier. They will also be able to find out about support we offer through our Croydon Healthy Homes home visits, including assisting eligible households apply for free larger energy efficiency measures (energy efficient boilers, heating controls and cavity wall/loft insulation etc).
Details of other events are available on the Council website www.croydon.gov.uk/energyevents
Monks Hill Community Room
02/02/2019 16:50:00.......Posted by Helen Pollard
In the last few weeks I have heard that GLL have raised the possibility that the community room in the Monks Hill Sports Centre could be turned into a gym. I know this caused great concern from the Over 50s lunch club.
I met with a senior Council officer last week and asked her about the GLL plans. I pointed out the following:
"When I was the councillor for Heathfield before this was built, I secured £100,000 from the council to include a community space within the redevelopment of the Quest Academy and the Sports Centre. This formed part of the planning application that was approved in 2013. The community space was to replace the Edgecoombe Community Centre which closed as it was in poor repair. If the money had not been allocated for this purpose the space would not have been included in the redevelopment. It was never intended that it should be part of the sports complex.
The Over 50s lunch club moved to the new community space when it opened and the facility included provisions to allow for this use, including separate access, toilets and a kitchen."
I don't think GLL had been aware of the background about the community room. I get the impression that they are now backing off and the message from the Council officer is that they were only having initial discussions about it.
One of the reasons they were raising this as an idea was the lack of use of the community room. I have therefore asked for a meeting with GLL to see what can be done to increase usage and make it more available to local residents. The Edgecoombe Community Centre was very well used so there is every reason to expect that the community room would be equally in demand.
Funds secured for playground upgrade
01/02/2019 16:51:00.......Posted by Helen Pollard
A number of residents have commented on the poor condition of the playground in Addington Park and also the one in Selsdon Recreation Ground.
I have raised this with a senior officer at the Council and I am pleased to report that funding has been secured to refurbish the Addington Park playground. A bid is also being submitted to get funds to refurbish the Selsdon playground and the officer seemed reasonably confident that funds could be secured.
The process for getting the funds should be completed by May and the plan is to consult with residents about the proposed improvements during the summer.
This is good news for Selsdon residents and should bring these well-used community assets up to the standard required for our children to use safely.
Council Meeting
28/01/2019 16:42:00.......Posted by Helen Pollard
Attended a meeting of the Full Council in the Town Hall. A Selsdon resident came to the meeting to ask a public question about bin collections. He has suffered terrible service from the Council - broken bins, missed collections, and poor customer service when he complained. He is one of many residents who have had issues with bin collections in the last 6 months. I hope Cllr Stuart Collins does as he promised at the meeting, and sorts out the bin issues for this resident, and many others who have suffered poor service.
JRC Last Board Meeting
22/01/2019 16:43:00.......Posted by Helen Pollard
Last meeting of the Board of John Ruskin College before the College merges with East Surrey College. The staff of JRC have maintained their focus on delivering excellent quality education for their learners despite the obviously unsettling merger process.
Cabinet Meeting
21/01/2019 16:44:00.......Posted by Helen Pollard
Welcomed the Creative Enterprise Zone investment in culture in Croydon. Looking forward to becoming a 'music city' and seeing our arts scene flourish. Asked for a 'spoke' for the 'hub' to be in the south of Croydon as well as the one in the north of the borough.
Ballards Farm
12/01/2019 16:45:00.......Posted by Helen Pollard
Spent the morning meeting residents in the Ballards Farm area of Selsdon. Good to discuss issues in the area.
Health advice for the New Year - start as you mean to go on
07/01/2019 15:04:00.......Posted by Robert Ward
Croydon Council has some good advice for residents who want to start the New Year by making plans for a healthier and happier life.
The JustBe Croydon website at www.JustBeCroydon.org has tips and advice to support you to achieve those common resolutions like quitting smoking, losing weight and being more active. Visit the website and set yourself some realistic, personal goals to boost your overall health and wellbeing.
The website has a Health MOT tool, which only takes five minutes to complete. It gives you a personalised report to consider how best to meet your health goals in the coming year.
You can also visit a Croydon Live Well advisor at their nearest health hub and speak to them about getting fitter and improving your mind and body. There is no need to make an appointment to see an advisor. The health hub locations can be found on the JustBe Croydon website.
A few simple changes like reducing the salt and sugar in your food and drink and just a few minutes of exercise daily, can make a big difference to your future health and happiness. My own experience is that slowly reducing salt and sugar works. Think also about getting your cholesterol tested.
It's not easy to change but taking it slowly and with determination can make a real difference to you. Go for it.
Recycling and collection of Christmas trees
05/01/2019 23:46:00.......Posted by Robert Ward
Following on from the success of last year's Christmas tree collections, Croydon Council will be collecting trees from kerbside properties again this year.
Once the festivities are over you can place your tree out for collection on your refuse collection day between Monday 14 January and Friday 25 January. Before you put your tree out for collection, please make sure you have removed all decorations, stands and pots. If these have not been removed, your tree may not be collected. For more details look here.
If you don't live in a kerbside property, you can still recycle your Christmas tree for free by taking it to a Household Reuse and Recycling Centre.
See older blog posts


text:
Adelaide has been chosen as one of the world's top 10 cities to visit in 2014 by travel guide publisher Lonely Planet.
South Australia's capital is ranked ninth on the list included in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2014 guide.
"Having always lived in the shadow of its gregarious eastern-seaboard cousins, the City of Churches has been quietly loosening its pious shackles and embracing its liberal foundations," says Lonely Planet.
"The year 2014 beckons big changes for the city's heart, with the completion of the multimillion-dollar refurbishment of the Adelaide Oval, which will link central Adelaide with the oval and its beautiful surrounding parklands, and historic North Adelaide further on.
"Adelaide is effortlessly chic and, like a perfectly cellared red, it's ready to be uncorked and sampled."
Lonely Planet's top 10 cities 2014:
1. Paris, France
2. Trinidad, Cuba
3. Cape Town, South Africa
4. Riga, Latvia
5. Zurich, Switzerland
6. Shanghai, China
7. Vancouver, Canada
8. Chicago, US
9. Adelaide, Australia
10. Auckland, New Zealand//


text:
The World's Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!
Post your digital images that catch you eye, touch your life, and grab your imagination below.
I will start by posting a few here myself.
Let's see how many pictures we can collect here.
Views: 3421
Algarve, Portugal.
Wow - how beautiful - thanks Tony.
yummy -and cool
Opera de Paris grand foyer. Paris, France.
how grand
New york's hidden subway.
there's a pic missing
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text:
Student-Friendly Tools
Virtual Wallet Student gives you the resources you need to help you keep track of your money.
We deliver all the best tools for student banking, whether you're on or off campus, so banking is one less thing to worry about.
Virtual Wallet Student gives you the resources you need to help you keep track of your money.
See what unique features & benefits are available at your college or university.
See your finances in one easy-to-read place.
Spending + Budgets
Helps you track and pace your spending by categorizing your purchases.
Parent Alerts
Parents can receive the same account alerts as students when balances are low.
Just think of it. The lectures. The tradition. The intellectual atmosphere. Oh and the, um…social life. To get the most out of all that excitement, you'll want to make the most of your money. Virtual Wallet Student helps manage life on campus, and your budget, with features that let you bank the way you want to.
Resources to help you improve your financial IQ.
Credit Basics
You're just getting started in life. You have big dreams for the future, some of which – like a car, a house or more schooling – cost more money than you have right now. Credit is a tool that can help you achieve those financial goals. Learn how to get off on the right foot and make smart choices about credit.
Budgeting Basics
Things happen fast in college. New classes. New friends. New interests and opportunities. That's all the more reason you may want to think about using a budget. Get practical advice on how to manage your money today, which is an important step to a strong financial future.
Identity Protection
Identity theft is a serious crime that can have lasting effects on its victims. And, unfortunately, as a young adult, you may be at a greater risk of ID theft because you have little or no credit history and you may not know how to protect yourself. Discover how identity theft happens, and learn what actions you can take to prevent criminals from assuming your identity.
Planning for College
Making smart decisions before you borrow for college will help you in the future. PNC offers multiple resources for plotting out how you'll pay for your education.
Tips from Experts
We want you to have the knowledge and confidence to manage your money. That's why we created PNC Achievement Sessions—a series of practical sessions taught by real-world experts on financial topics that matter to you.
Banking in the US
While in the United States, International Students will need to manage their finances, and a bank checking account helps you do that. This overview defines the types of accounts you can get and how to open them.
We get it. You want them to be independent. But it's always nice to have a lifeline home. Virtual Wallet Student gives your child a quick connection to you, with alerts and features that give you insight into their account while still letting them figure things out on their own.
PNC has banking designed just for students.
Our Virtual Wallet Student provides a banking solution with features like a calendar customized for students, mobile and text banking and much more, students will have a clear view and control of their money.
PNC student accounts are parent-friendly too.
"Parent Alerts" allow you to see the same e-mail notice your student gets when the account balance is getting low.
PNC provides free financial education for students.
Working in conjunction with the University, PNC will schedule financial education seminars on campus to assist students with Banking Basics, Budgeting, Identity Theft, and Protecting their Credit.
PNC provides free incoming wires and a courtesy overdraft waiver.
Student banking also comes with one free incoming wire transfer per monthly billing cycle and a courtesy overdraft fee waiver for the first NSF incident that may occur in the first 12 months after opening a new account.
Starting college is daunting enough, even when it's in your home country. Make your transition to the U.S. easy by finding out the essentials of banking here, getting money from home, and keeping track of your hard-earned dollars.
Contact us by phone between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday and 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., ET, Saturday and Sunday, at 877-PNC-1000 (877-762-1000), or visit your local PNC Bank branch.
PNC opened a branch on the Morgan State campus. Brian signed up for Virtual Wallet Student and hasn't looked back. His school-branded account fits in with his own sense of school pride: "I love to showcase my institution. It's like paraphernalia I don't have to pay for!"
Proof of active enrollment in an educational institution is required to receive a monthly service charge waiver. This waiver will expire 6 years after it is assigned to your account.
When depositing checks at an ATM, you may receive an offer to choose PNC ExpressFunds, an optional service that makes your funds available faster for certain purposes. There is a fee for this optional service. If you decline the offer, you will still be able to make your deposit without a fee.
Online Banking is free to customers with an eligible account; however there may be a fee for certain optional services. We reserve the right to decline or revoke access to Online Banking or any of its services. All online banking services are subject to and conditional upon adherence to the terms and conditions of the PNC Online Banking Service Agreement.
PNC does not charge a fee for the Mobile Banking service. However, a supported mobile device is needed to use Mobile Banking. Also, your wireless telecommunications provider may charge you for data usage. Check with your wireless telecommunications provider for details regarding your specific wireless plan and any data usage charges that may apply. PNC products, services and prices are subject to change.
Bank deposit products and services provided by PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC
Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association and used under license.


text:
Excel sheet sorter (Expired Domain Name List)
Бюджет $250-750 USD
We need to be able to upload an excel file to our website daily (The excel file will contain over 100,000 items (Domain names) and the software filters domains that fit a certain criteria. The criteria would be domain names that start with a consonant as the first character, then a vowel, OR start with a vowel and then a consonant, AND have an appraisal higher than $50. The results (After the script or software filters them) would then show on a page in our members area. Very quick & easy job. Please be an individual, not an agency and speak good english. Thanks!


text:
Nov. 1, 2007
IRVINE, Calif. - Senior Bethany Nickless was named 2007 Big West Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year, while Pete Dolan earned the Women's Coach of the Year honor and Breanne Strenkowski was named the league's Female Freshman of the Year, the Big West announced Wednesday.
Nickless, who won two Big West Athlete of the Week awards this season, continued the tradition of strong UCSB runners with her Athlete of the Year award, marking the fifth time in the last seven years a Gaucho has claimed the honor. She finished second at the Big West Championships after an eighth place finish a season ago. Nickless was very impressive down the stretch for 27th-ranked UC Santa Barbara, including a 22nd place finish at Pre-Nationals and a seventh place finish at the Roy Griak Invitational.
Strenkowski becomes the first UCSB runner to claim Freshman of the Year in the three-year history of the award. She was the highest freshman finisher at the Big West Championships, running the 6K course in 22:57.1 for 22nd place. Strenkowski was solid all year in her first season at UCSB, posting times of 23:41 at the Roy Griak and 22:24 at Pre-Nationals.
Dolan led the Gauchos to another strong season on the way to his second consecutive Coach of the Year award and seventh overall. His nationally-ranked Gauchos won their second straight Big West crown and fourth in the last five seasons. UCSB also had a number of impressive finishes on the national level, highlighted by a fourth place finish at the Roy Griak Invitational, 11th in the Pre-Nationals Blue Division race and second at the Aztec Invitational .


text:
Young America's Foundation's 20th annual "Commencement Speakers Survey" reveals that 62 liberal speakers-and only 17 conservatives-are scheduled to speak or have already spoken at the 2013 commencement ceremonies for the top 100 universities as listed by U.S. News and World Report.
Star-studded examples of imbalance include:
- Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker speaking at his alma mater, Yale University, Washington University in St. Louis and Cornell University.
- Big government Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg will speak at Stanford University,
- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will keynote at the University of California-Davis School of Law's commencement,
- Oprah Winfrey is speaking to Harvard University, and
- Vice President Joe Biden will give graduates one last dose of liberalism at the University of Pennsylvania.
Liberal media will be all over college campuses this spring, too. The New York Times staff will be present at four commencements nationwide, including Syracuse University and Indiana University. A plethora of other liberal journalists, including PBS host Gwen Ifill, are addressing graduates.
For perspective on the overwhelming bias, News Corp., which owns Fox News - the number one ranked cable news station - and The Wall Street Journal (the newspaper with the largest circulation in the county) have zero personalities speaking this spring.
To be identified as "liberal" or "conservative" for the survey, speakers must have publicly supported ideological causes through speaking, writing, serving in public office, commentating, or financial contributions.
While these liberals indoctrinate college students, conservative voices are being silenced. Neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson, who has risen to national fame for his criticism of this administration's leftist policies, was banned from speaking at Johns Hopkins University by an online petition from liberal students.
President Obama, who has been on a college campus one out of nine days since taking office, according to an ongoing Foundation study, will be giving three commencement speeches this spring, including at Ohio State University where he challenged the students to "reject" voices who are critical of his big government policies.
Young America's Foundation's Ron Robinson noted, "As tuition and student loan debt grow at historic rates, what are students getting for their money? An education from leftist professors that-combined with the Obama administration's policies-has left 53 percent of recent grads unemployed or underemployed. These commencement speakers are just the icing on higher education's indoctrination cake."
To see the full list, please click here.


text:
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Illustration Friday: Suspense
80 comments:
lol! This is cute and comical :)
HAPPY FEBRUARY!!!....*sigh*.....is it summer yet? :(
- February 4, 2012 at 4:36 PM
- k.h.whitaker said...
I love this so much. My grandson is obsessed with porcupines. Everything is a porcupine, even though he really doesn't know what a porcupine is. ;)
- February 4, 2012 at 5:43 PM
- Arija said...
LOL,LOL,LOL, your quirky sense of humour tickles my funny bone so much, you have me rolling on the ground.
- February 4, 2012 at 5:55 PM
- Eric Barclay said...
Ha! Cute and wrong at the same time. Love it.
- February 4, 2012 at 6:03 PM
- rachel awes said...
adorably awful, bella!
(+ no suspense here, bella...
love you!) xox
- February 4, 2012 at 6:20 PM
- Cindy D. said...
It's quite a beautiful and strangely adorable drawing, but I'm experiencing a far more sinister tone than the rest of the commenters seem to be feeling. (That or I have WAY too much empathy for cartoon animals.) You stuff has a great edge, that's for sure.
- February 4, 2012 at 7:25 PM
- Draffin Bears said...
Happy February, to you dear Bella.
Poor little guy ... wonder what the answer will be?
Hope that you are enjoying the weekend
- February 4, 2012 at 8:15 PM
- fizzyjinks said...
You have such a wonderful way of making something look so sweet and innocent but with that slightly disturbing undertone!! I absolutely love it. She is pulling those spikes out with such happy innocence that you feel like just letting her carry on until he is completely bald!! Saying that , I think the porcupine would put up with anything for the love of his little girlfriend!!
- February 4, 2012 at 8:36 PM
- Steve E said...
Hey Mommie, isn't this the month during which that saint-guy kept falling in love????
- February 4, 2012 at 8:46 PM
- Andrea said...
I had a little gasp...literally killing him? I don't know much about how many quills cartoon porcupines need to survive, and he is so very cute, but so is she!
- February 4, 2012 at 8:54 PM
- Captain Dumbass said...
Is he squinting because it hurts?
- February 4, 2012 at 8:54 PM
- Kathiesbirds said...
What a cutie! This brought a smile to my face! But the thought of actually doing it? Ouch!
- February 4, 2012 at 9:32 PM
- Ces said...
You are wicked.
I love your FPOT!
- February 4, 2012 at 10:33 PM
- Tammie said...
oh my gosh! your imagination has me in awe!
I know what Feb means... my birthday.... but it is still a ways off. thank you for this wonderful piece.
- February 4, 2012 at 10:58 PM
- Amanda Dilworth said...
dark but still cute, how do you do it? :)
- February 5, 2012 at 4:55 AM
- Roland Prinsler said...
Haha, that's cute and cruel in one - poor animal!
- February 5, 2012 at 4:59 AM
- Vicki Smith said...
How did you ever come up with this bit of cleverness?
- February 5, 2012 at 5:28 AM
- Inner Toddler said...
you are a friggin genius.
february means that poor porcupine's cousin the groundhog is also being tormented.
- February 5, 2012 at 5:45 AM
- Ces said...
So tell me, is that a hedgehog or a porcupine? If it is a porcupine the quills are poisonous. If it is a hedgehog, the spines are not poisonous but they cannot be easily removed. Likewise a porcupine belongs to the same family as the rat! Now the show I saw the other night may have been about porcupines eating varnish and cigarette butts! Anyway, that poor animal is under her spell. That I totally understand why. So lovely. I suppose, you SCANNED this image first. Do you have a superbowl pick? Wanna make a bet? Brady or Manning? Come on! Bet against me and we can decide the pot.
- February 5, 2012 at 9:15 AM
- Ces said...
Good! Then I will pick Brady. You are not worthless!!! Duh, Ms. Gifted!!! If you win I promise I will not burn these drawings and I will paint a new oil painting and I will draw something other than nuts and Oh my God, I will draw something for you, anything that you ask of me. If I win you will draw something for me and send me acorns of Quercus lobata.
- February 5, 2012 at 10:52 AM
- Ces said...
WAIT! Maybe just a drawing. :)
- February 5, 2012 at 11:05 AM
- Ces said...
Okay okay. GO PATRIOTS!
- February 5, 2012 at 11:06 AM
- Shirley said...
Ooof! I think my comment was eaten...oh goodness gracious. Bella..I'm cringing (his expression is perfect) with delight at this fabulous illustration..you are SO very clever! I love it! Hope you're having a good weekend, sending you a virtual box o' fine chocolates to enjoy on this Super Bowl sunday with your sweeties too!
- February 5, 2012 at 1:21 PM
- Steve E said...
Patriots, in so many games, humiliated my Miami Dolphins--and so I really am with Eli in my heart--but my mind is telling me..."NO MONEY, Steve!"
Bella, February means to me, a new freedom! I just read where it is no longer a Federal Crime, to drop the first 'r' in pronunciation of Febuary!
Bella, you commented to my blog:
"...I had the wildest, weirdest dream about you and two women up in a penthouse suite eating cakes and going native!?!?"
I ask you, Bella, what is 'wild and weird' about that...three Peeps going native, eating cake? Sounded quite normal to me, a child of the thirties (1933-43). (See me GRIN!)
- February 5, 2012 at 1:23 PM
- Steve E said...
If anyone out there needs electronic aid, call "Desk-Help*" ask for Ces!
*Help Desk
- February 5, 2012 at 1:24 PM
- Ces said...
Giant - 2
Patriots - 0
It is not over until the fat lady sings, and lady, I aint singing!!!
- February 5, 2012 at 3:50 PM
- Ces said...
- February 5, 2012 at 5:47 PM
- Ces said...
- February 5, 2012 at 6:45 PM
- Ces said...
- February 5, 2012 at 6:55 PM
- Steve E said...
RE Naked monks. I discovered writings of a monk from c.1375 who wrote THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING, and I quoted him in a recent blog post. She is reminding me that monks were not (are not) walking saints. SHE WAS JUST BEING her usual loving self--CES! (I meant that!)
But the BEST news was that most exciting finish, as GIANTS WONNNNNN!!!
- February 5, 2012 at 10:10 PM
- Sunny said...
aw that poor porcupine~;(
ha,but i like this illustration and the concept!:)
- February 6, 2012 at 12:06 AM
- yoborobo said...
At least she isn't holding an octopus! Ewwwwww! hahahaha! An adorable drawing! You crack me up. Happy February! xox
- February 6, 2012 at 4:29 AM
- Barbara said...
- February 6, 2012 at 5:08 AM
- Val said...
poor porcupine; poor gal.
bella: the drawing is superb, as usual.
- February 6, 2012 at 7:03 AM
- Cindy D. said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- February 6, 2012 at 7:38 AM
- tera said...
Aww, poor little prickly guy. I hope she loves him!
I just wanted to share that my mom and I had a really nice time the other day looking at your drawings on your blog. I think you have another fan, but you would never know because she is afraid of the internet/computer! ;)
- February 6, 2012 at 11:38 AM
- Rabbit Town Animator said...
Oh no!!! The poor porcupine! I couln't help but giggle though. This is pretty darn funny Bella!
- February 6, 2012 at 1:41 PM
- Sarah-Bodera said...
Oh my gosh... I feel a little sorry for whoever this girl is crushing on. I love this craziness!
- February 6, 2012 at 2:45 PM
Oh dear, that looks most unpleasant.
Are you having a day where you are feeling plucked?
Hope it's all bristely and pretty soon...:
- February 6, 2012 at 5:02 PM
- Andrew Finnie said...
Hahahahahaha !
- February 6, 2012 at 5:49 PM
- Andrew Finnie said...
Heh I just came from shirleys' place grinning, and now I am giggling ! Gah, I dare not go to Jacks for a peek otherwise I will be cackling!
Not that there is anything wrong with cackling, that's one of the things I like about Christmas - along with the other bits of prok of course..... (I mean 'pork")
hehe this girl is cute, but otherwordly, she is mature beyound her years, staring into space - she looks like she is lost in her thoughts. Quite an achievement to portray so many human emotions with so few lines....
I never wanted to be a porcupine before. I still don't!!!
see you :)
- February 6, 2012 at 5:53 PM
- Lori ann said...
oh dear bella, i hope this little sweetie gets the answer she's looking for soon.
and i bet you never knew anyone with a porcupine quill collection, but now you do, me! yes its true, i've been super de duper lucky, each trip to africa i've come home with a new quill. i hope to get another one soon. :)
darling illustration!
- February 6, 2012 at 8:57 PM
- Linda Hensley said...
Hysterical! Wonderful illo and I'm laughing :) Poor porcupine!
- February 7, 2012 at 4:14 AM
- heidi aldin monteleone said...
How do you groom a porcupine?
V e r y carefully!
I love this Bella!
- February 7, 2012 at 10:20 AM
- Sarah said...
Awwwww I love that..giggle. I love your work hon..so do! Thank you so much for your comments about my latest piece..so means the world to me coming from you!! Hope all is well in your world..mine is a little crazy lol! What's new right? Huge hugs and love to you hon, Sarah
- February 7, 2012 at 10:24 AM
- Richard Ewing said...
cute and cruel all at once. I don't want to live with this girl afoot... ~~but I enjoyed the contrast.
makes one think twice about things...
- February 7, 2012 at 10:37 AM
- theartofpuro said...
Fantastic idea:)I don't know how you menage to have these amazing ideas:)LOVE it:)
- February 7, 2012 at 11:28 AM
- Cindy said...
sometimes, love hurts just like when i was a kid and would squeeze my dog so hard because i loved him so much. now, i squeeze my husband that way ;).
- February 7, 2012 at 1:45 PM
- Writer J said...
Hah hah...I think we're even then, because I'm clearly envious at your drawing skills. That is something I don't have :)
Writing isn't an easy feat (and yes, filled with many distractions). I get it too actually at times, and it stinks...I think it's called writer's block :p I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter you read. If you'd like to read more, then just go to the top of the page and click on the link "fanfiction".
- February 7, 2012 at 2:18 PM
- laughingwolf said...
yeah, strange what our pets put up with just so they can get a little extra from us, whether attention, food, or just being allowed to be close to their 'hoomin'... despite the awkwardness and/or minor pain inflicted, even if unintentionally
this critter exemplifies that in his/her look
well done, bella! :)
- February 7, 2012 at 6:13 PM
- Caroline said...
Your imagination is wonderful! Love the colours you've used!
- February 7, 2012 at 8:16 PM
- Stylish By Nature said...
I love this !! You are just one step away from this $100 Giveaway :)
Enter Boticca.com giveaway and win $100
♡ StylishByNature.com
- February 8, 2012 at 2:43 AM
- Ted Blackman said...
Wow, Bella. You are just one step away from a hundred dollar giveaway. How exciting!
- February 8, 2012 at 12:03 PM
- Ted Blackman said...
If the very last quill told me 'she loves me not', then I would continue pulling off other things until it came out right for me. But I'm selfish in love.
This is a good'n and a funny interpretation of the word.
- February 8, 2012 at 12:12 PM
- Amalia K said...
Ahahahahahahahahahahaahahahaaa...!!!! That poor, poor porcupine! I won't even ask what inspired you to do this, Bells. I think you must have read too many comic books while you were in Japan. I just love that hint of Japanese humor in your work. :D :D
- February 8, 2012 at 2:46 PM
- Raggle Taggle Gypsy Girl said...
Very adorable, but ouch, a little ouchy too.....
- February 8, 2012 at 3:44 PM
- Anne said...
Very cute...:)
- February 9, 2012 at 12:31 AM
- Krista said...
Hey! I just found some treacle delights on my doorstep! Hmmmmm... and I think I caught a glimpse of three mustachioed girls scampering off into the bushes!
Poor little Porky... I bet he wishes she just believed her beloved the first time!
- February 9, 2012 at 2:47 AM
- theartofpuro said...
Hi,I have an award for you on my blog:)
- February 9, 2012 at 8:09 AM
- Angel said...
Again Bella, such an amazing imagination and talent you have! And the light in her hair, my gosh, so gorgeous. Poor little, adorable porcupine. Fantastic suspense.
- February 9, 2012 at 11:15 AM
- Megan Coyle said...
ahahaha! too funny :) and that poor lil' guy....
- February 9, 2012 at 5:04 PM
- Jack Foster said...
Hehehe! Feb. 9 is " pluck your porcupine day." I didn't know anyone else celebrated it! Happy PYP day Bella! Your precious illustration is perfect and hilarious!
- February 9, 2012 at 8:57 PM
- AtelierBrigitte said...
Aaaaw, poor guy!
Don't let my Mr. Hedgehog see this...
- February 10, 2012 at 4:06 AM
- Vanessa Brantley Newton said...
HAHAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Oh my Lord how funny is this! You are just BRILLIANT! I can always count on a magnificent piece of artwork and a good laugh. Please excuse the crust around my eyes and nose and caked up breakfast and dinner on my shirt. I've been under a rock. I'll brush my teeth in a minute and straight my wig. Yeah that funky odor will leave as soon as I finish this little note! Missing you something awful. I just had to come by and be inspired! Best to you and Happy Valentines my friend and sister. Love you so much!
- February 10, 2012 at 5:04 AM
- Rubin Pingk said...
Ooooohhh now this is charming and deep.
A girl using the volatile parts of a cute animal to decide love, potentially skewering her fingers just by having the critter in her lap. I hope the little porcupine doesn't shiver!
There is a metaphor in there, and I like it.
Coming to Doodlespot, for me, is like a cold drink of water on a hot day. Refreshing. It makes me want to draw every time I come here.
- February 10, 2012 at 10:09 AM
- aimee said...
cackle! says aimee.
ouch! says the porcupine.
- February 10, 2012 at 2:05 PM
- thewillowsnest said...
Love me porcupines'.. when I last had tea with you bella it was narwhal's and octopi' on the face....am
so LOVING everything i have missed.. BOOKS have been illustrated yay!!!! at last!!! so excited for you!! I bet you and the girls had a wonderful time away.. ahhhhh.. the ocean .. precious!
- February 10, 2012 at 3:16 PM
- Elizabeth Rose Stanton said...
OWWW! Great interpretation for suspense! Love it!
- February 10, 2012 at 4:05 PM
- Amy C said...
Haaaa I was just on my way to visit you and you were over at my place!!!
Awwww she loves him she loves him she loves him even if the spikes say otherwise.
Just think how cuddly he is going to me when he is all plucked and smooth.
Should last a couple of days before the stubble starts growing back!!!
Totally cute Bella
- February 11, 2012 at 3:55 PM
- yoon see said...
Hello Bella! Nice to meet you again:)
Love your humorous and awesome illustration!
Just like to comment or not when I drop by.....I beginning to pick up again and thank you for being a great friend Bella!
- February 13, 2012 at 6:22 AM
- Draffin Bears said...
Happy Valentine's day dear Bella.
Sending love and hugs to you dear friend and hope you are enjoying the week.
- February 14, 2012 at 12:07 PM
- Amy C said...
well then, I'll be your valentine too!!!
Have a happy one!
Non prickly smooch x
- February 14, 2012 at 12:32 PM
- Sasmita said...
What a pretty illustration....so cute girl just like her simple girly thoughts. This question kills everyone st some point of time.
Following your blog!
- February 15, 2012 at 12:47 AM
- Claudio Cerri said...
Very cute! I like your illustrations! I will follow your blog!
- February 15, 2012 at 8:03 AM
- Ces said...
I hope your Valentines Day celebration was sweet and happy, sweetheart! TSUP!!!
- February 15, 2012 at 8:04 AM
- Shirley said...
Hope you and your little ones had a wonderful Valentine's Day, Bella! Have a great rest o' the week! Sending a virtual box o' chocolates hand delivered by a porcupine for you. : )
- February 15, 2012 at 12:30 PM
- Raluca said...
hello:)) this is sadistic:))!
- February 17, 2012 at 3:41 PM
- christy said...
oh this cracks me up! love your art! glad to find you here
- February 21, 2012 at 3:49 PM
- Janine said...
Ohh no, the poor darling, that looks painful.
You have a dark side, who would have think so LOL.
- February 26, 2012 at 10:26 AM
- Alpha Parent said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- April 12, 2012 at 9:07 AM


text:
October 14, 2007
Saturday, October 13, 2007. Members of the Wabash community gathered this evening to celebrate the rich tradition of Wabash football, with special emphasis on the teams of 1977, 1982, and 2002. The event came on the heels of a hard-fought victory over conference rival Wittenberg University.
Emcee Jim Amidon '87, director of Wabash's Public Affairs and Marketing operations and long-time Sports Information director, introduced President Pat White for a pre-dinner welcome. Head football coach Chris Creighton offered the invocation.
After dinner Amidon welcomed members of the 1977, 1982, and 2002 teams to the microphone to share their memories of their legendary seasons.
Tom Dyer '78 and Bill Cannon '79 shared their thoughts on the 1977 team that ended up playing for the national championship in the Stagg Bowl. Cannon and Dyer both mentioned the importance of good friends and team mates-friends, they said, for life. When an injury ended Dyer's senior season in the second game, he was thrilled to see the play of those who filled his starting role.
Jim "Killer" Kilbane '84 and David Hayhurst '83 talked of the 1982 undefeated, untied team who ended up sixth in the nation but somehow was not invited to play in the post season. The 1982 guys started the season with a tremendous 14-13 victory over the University of Dayton. Kilbane talked of the importance of the senior leadership on that team while Hayhurst focused on the key roles that starters and substitutes alike played. He mentioned the look in the eyes of the Dayton defender - something he said he will never forget.
Jake Knott '03 and Nate Boulais '03 reflected on the special feeling the 2002 team had - from little things like personal bests lifting weights to team play in big games. They also honored the 1977 and 1982 teams as they stated one of their team's goals was to get "the swagger back" from those earlier football teams. Boulais also demonstrated the "pony dance" - something team members used as a way of celebrating! (see the photo album!)
Head Coach Chris Creighton then talked about the continuing impact of these special teams have had on his program and on the current team. He mentioned the importance his guys place on continuing to represent the College the way the great teams have done.
To conclude the program, President White, Coach Creighton, and several members of the 2002 team unveiled a banner honoring the 2002 team's outstanding season. The banner will hang in Chadwick Court next to similar ones honoring the 1977 and 1982 teams.
It was, in every way, a special day for Wabash football!
Top: Members of the 2002 team pose near the banner honoring their team.
Right above: Hall of Fame member Jim Kilbane '84 reflects on the 1982 season.
Left: The banner.
For more photos, click here.


text:
Customer Reviews
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Each of the two racing experiences condenses the exhilaration of pro racing into two hours of hands-on driving. After classroom instruction familiarizes soon-to-be drivers with the course's corners, students get to take the wheel for 8 or 12 invigorating laps, leaving their hair mussed, their eyes bulging, and their torsos coated in corporate sponsorships.
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text:
Dallas Cowboys Offseason Workout Report #1
Dallas hasn't officially starting the training camp, but voluntary OTAs (Organized Team Activities) are going on, and mini-camp will be coming along.
For starters, we have a serious injury to second-string cornerback, Orlando Scandrick, who "shattered" his finger on the 26th of May. The injury is indefinite for now. Scandrick believes he isn't going to be catching balls until training camp starts in late July.
He was breaking up a pass intended for wide receiver Manuel Johnson, a seventh round pick from last year, and his hand immediately went numb, but it was a while later before he truly realized how serious the injury was. He had surgery soon after and the pin that was inserted into finger isn't going to be taken out for a while.
There has been no news about Keith Brooking's knee surgery, which probably means that his rehab is going according to schedule. He'll be needed this past season with his amazing leadership and hard tackles.
Roy Williams has stated that he and Tony Romo are now connecting very well, are on the same page, and even made a comparison that I felt wasn't the most strategic move to Joe Montana and Jerry Rice.
That aside, the Cowboys are doing well at workouts. Marion Barber has actually lost ten pounds, bringing his weight down to the 212-215 range in order to gain some speed on the ground. He's still strong as an ox, but Barber knows that speed is difference in the open field between a 15 yard gain and a 25 yard gain.
Barber is not going to be the starting running back, that privilege has been awarded to Felix Jones now, but Barber is a team player and will try his hardest whenever he gets his carries, so this news is very encouraging.
Dez Bryant has been on fire lately according to most viewer reports. Bryant, the controversial Oklahoma State receiver, was drafted by Dallas because in 1998, the Cowboys passed on another similar receiver named Randy Moss.
Those who don't know who Randy Moss is just need to watch the highlight films of the 2007 Patriots. Moss accounted for 23 of Tom Brady's touchdown passes that year.
In fact, Moss had the greatest rookie season a wide receiver has ever had. He had 17 touchdowns, 69 receptions, and 1313 yards; just an unstoppable player.
Dez Bryant is probably hoping to do the same for us. While that is asking a lot of the young man, I'd be thrilled if he did do it. That could be the finishing move for Dallas to win in the playoffs and go to the Super Bowl.
The team is taking a "best player" approach to every position, including quarterback. It doesn't matter how long you have been the starter, if you are outplayed then you don't start. It makes the players play better knowing that they have challenges for their jobs.
Linebacker Jason Williams, a third round pick from last year, is very psyched about the opportunity to be the nickel linebacker. The nickel linebacker is the guy who usually comes in on third down when it is an obvious passing down, and the linebacker from first and second down come out to stay fresh.
Since the Cowboys have traded Bobby Carpenter to the St. Louis Rams, they now have an opening at the nickel linebacker, and challenging Williams will be first and foremost, Sean Lee, the rookie linebacker drafted by Dallas in the second round this past draft.
I can't say for sure who will win in these competitions. I wish I was in Dallas instead of my tiny town in Texas, but I'm sure that the Cowboys are going to take the right steps, and we can only hope that there isn't a sudden outbreak of injuries on the team. That would be a real problem.
This post was originally posted at: http://www.mtrmedia.com/cowboys/2010/06/dallas-cowboys-offseason-workout-report-1.html


text:
The NBA fined the Houston Rockets $150,000 for talking about center Dwight Howard during the free-agency moratorium period, two people with knowledge of the fine told USA TODAY Sports.
They requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the fine, which was announced in an e-mail to team executives.
MORE: Howard chooses Rockets
After Dwight Howard decided last week he would sign with Houston Rockets, which was first reported by USA TODAY Sports, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey went on Twitter and TV in Houston and discussed Howard's decision. That is against league rules during the moratorium, which lasts from July 1-10 this year.
While Howard's decision is common knowledge, teams cannot complete deals or talk about agreements reached during the moratorium.
WHY: Howard made the right decision
Morey made at least five Tweets after Howard's decision was revealed and went on Comcast SportsNet Houston to discuss Howard's decision.
The memo sent to league executives addressed Howard specifically, and the contents of the memo were shared with USA TODAY Sports: "Under league rules, such comments are not permitted during the moratorium period. Please be reminded that during the moratorium period, teams are not permitted to announce publicly that they have agreed to terms of player contracts or offer sheets to free agents."
The Rockets also were fined in June for tampering after a story on Houston's official team website discussed players who were still under contract with other teams but were expected to be free agents in July.