text:
Taking refuge in my apartment is how much of my summer will be spent. When it comes to violence and murder, Chicago has definitely seen better days. With the sexual revolution of the 1970's came freedom in the bedroom but we raising our inhibitions in every other matter.
"There was a time that you could sleep all night in Lincoln Park under the stars," mother would say while shaking her head over some rape or murder that was reported. "No one would bother us. Kids could go trick or treating without checking for razors in their fruit. A stranger could give you a ride home. Now look at what things have come to."
Again, Chicago has seen better days. Unlike myself, mother did not have to worry about being shot by a drive by on a nice summer day.
Yes, better days indeed.
The same goes for the people the citizens of Cook County elect to its highest office. Chicago has seen better leaders in its past.
Or has it?
On the evening of Monday December 20th, 1976, an emergency bulletin diverted my mother's attention as she prepared my dinner in the kitchen. Our component set radio was tuned to ABC news in the living room where I was playing with my calico cat "Taco". We had developed a game of chase the Fisher Price person. I would fling the piece across the linoleum – usually the father piece- I always abused him. The cat would chase him to some narrow corner and roll him about. The radio was of no concerned to me. It was only news and for some reason, mother loved to hear the news during the evening. She preferred to receive her daily dose of happenings by radio- as if we failed to possess a television. Never quite understood why she was like that but even at night, we would listen in the dark to old broadcasts of "The Shadow" or another station that played ghost stories.
"Listen and picture what they are describing in your mind," she instructed.
I would nestle in bed and close my eyes. Some nights, the stories were just as frightening as if they were on television. Others, they would make me go to sleep. I was indifferent. I could take it by sight or sound. But for my mother, something about the sound of the radio satisfied her. She liked to create her own photo-journalistic pictures without help from the restraining eye of the media.
On December 20, 1976 she saw a powerful man- who was either loved or hated -dead on a sofa in his doctor's office. Her vision needed no assistance. Just the sound words told the story.
I smelled smoke coming from the kitchen. Taco stopped playing with her captive toy. Mother came running into the living room. At first, I thought she was angry with me for not having changed out of my Catholic school uniform but once she kneeled down by the radio, I realized that something bad must have occurred.
The gruff voice on the radio was saying that Richard J. Daley, our mayor, had died of a heart attack in his doctor's office. He had been in office since 1955–the year my brother was born which was a long time ago. Chicago had lost its father. He was 74.
This is a big deal, I thought to myself. The mayor was the king of the city. His name was on everything from garbage trucks to the big tall concrete apartment building where my cousin lived. A sensation of excitement and fear could be heard in the announcer's voice. My mother was clearly shaken. Chicago would never be the same ever again and depending upon through what lens one looked at things, that could be a good thing. Daley's death would herald the end of the " Chicago Machine"- a system of political patronage and corruption. Dependency upon the machine would be a hard habit for Richard J. Daley's chicken hearted cronies to break.
Though the impact of the mayor's death upon my mother was not as directly felt as that of a Chicago politician, I could see that she was having a difficult time processing the tragedy.
"What will I do now?" she asked herself aloud. "I was thinking of paying that old man down at the City Hall to let me sit for a test to be a caseworker."
Mother had wanted to be a welfare caseworker for sometime. She was convinced that you could only get jobs with the city and state if you knew or payed someone on the inside. Often, her assessment was correct. Nepotism was an essential component of the Chicago Machine. It was about who you know and how much you paid them. Feeding the machine was essential to your ability to rise in social stature on the waves of the mighty "big shoulders". Your job relied upon it as well as the schools that your children attended- particularly at the high school level. A dramatic sum of cash was not easy for a mid-thirties single welfare mother to come up with.
The following Saturday was Christmas Day but for the city, the death of its King burdened the normally happy day. But for a child, there is very little that can ruin Christmas. Gifts were opened at home and later we rode the bus to Grandmother's house. Upon entering, I could smell bay leaves and sage. Grandmother was singing, which was not like her at all.
Somehow the holiday was extra special for Grandma. Our visit would later reveal that my mother's concern about Daley's death was not a meeting of the minds when it came to the reaction of her own mother.
"The machine is dead!!!" Grandma exclaimed, laughing, chopping celery. She did not have any teeth and had a gummy smile but it was still beautiful . "I bet ol' Daley is down there with Satan fit to be tied," she continued. "Fussing about 'who gonna take my place?Lordy be' "
"I feel sorry for his family," mother said taking her seat at the kitchen table. "Losing him during the holiday and all. What family wants to deal with that?"
Grandma twisted her lip and rolled her eyes, "Hmphf!! That man is responsible for more dead men than anyone in the city. Running 'round with mobsters, the likes of Sam Giancana, blockbusting. I don't feel one bit of sorry."
"I bet they gonna have to torch his name off every building in Chicago."
Grandma saw the war against the infamous Machine as one that had been won. The king was dead, lying in state downtown. His loyal subjects were powerless. Without Daley, there would be no machine, no antagonism, no forced patronage. No Irish blue collar thug bosses.
"The machine will never be dead," mother injected. " What makes you think that?"
"There are lots of folks that want things in this city to return to the honest way, " Grandma replied. " No threats on your property taxes if you don't vote how they say. That is why I clean homes. I don't want no part of those city jobs." Grandmother got up from the table and walked over to her backdoor which led to the porch where she kept vegetables in bins to stay cool. She needed some potatoes and onions. The porch was enclosed and adjoined by a flight of stairs to porch of her landlord Mr. Brown,who lived upstairs.
My mother followed her onto the porch and taunted, " I bet your perfect landlord who works for the mayor ain't feeling too good about his job."
"SHHHHHH!" Grandmother hissed. "Their door may be open."
Mother continued by whispering "Mr. Brown is always out there 'Vote for Daley' -"
"Cause he has gots to," her mother whispered back. "That is what you have to do when you get them city jobs. Campaign day an' night for Daley and his peoples or they fire you like Mr. Watson. Even when it comes to the President of United States you had to do what Mr. Mayor say. Vote for Kennedy. Vote for Mr. Johnson. Mr. McGovern."
Being stubborn, my mother threw her hands and walked away from the porch, leaving the old woman standing there with a handful of potatoes. She returned with a metal stockpot and began taking the potatoes from Grandmother's arms. Each potato, one by one made a loud clang in the pot.
"Some people do what they have to do momma," she said. She looked cross. Her mother was often the source of her irritation. She had abandoned her and her seven siblings to live with another man in sin. Despite my grandfather being an abusive ass, mother never quite forgave her mother for leaving her to raise her younger children. "Isn't that why you scrub the Jews floors?"
Now the Browns were a respectable black middle class family. A complete family. Father, mother, two sons, pet Siberian Husky. No food stamps in that household. They were Catholics, which was rare during that time in the West Side neighborhood. Mr. Brown worked for the city of Chicago. Doing what I cannot exactly recall. He was a black man with a job who wore a three piece suit everyday and for my fatherless butt , that was all that mattered.
Mrs. Brown worked as a nurse at Illinois Masonic Hospital. They owned a yellow Pinto, barbecued most weekends, and shopped at Sears – Roebuck Department Store.
I was insanely jealous of them but expressed my class envy rather positively by inserting myself into their lives at any given opportunity. Running upstairs to knock on their door for nothing. When it opened , I would peek around them to see what sort of furniture they had. This was about as close as I was going to get to a real complete black family.
Every moment with the Brown's counted towards my "black middle class" patch. A patch I wanted desperately to sew onto my history as if it were my very own life.
I watched them from the Viewmaster of my sagging self-esteem. I could not stop looking at them. They were fascinating because they were not me.
A Brown family backyard cookout was sure to get crashed by Afrocity. I would plop in a lawn chair and sit there watching them eat until they offered me a hot dog. Grandmother would come to the yard and rescue them after she noticed I had gone missing.
"Afrocity stop bothering the Brown's," she laughed with a tinge of embarrassment.
"Oh she's no bother," Mrs. Brown lied.
Grandmother would steer me by my shoulders back into the house. That was not the end of it. I would continue being psycho kid by gawking at them from porch window. Watching them eat, laugh, playing badminton the entire time they were in the yard until they retreated inside.
My perfect black family.
If they could have fit into my back pocket, I would have never washed my jeans.
Now grandmother's portrayal of Mr. Brown as a city employee contradicted the image I had of him as a strong black man. He sounded more like a slave to the white man's machine. Are all black men weaklings even when they do have a job?
Young Afrocity did not know any better but the Chicago Machine ate the balls of plenty of white men as well as Latinos and women. Chicago was no liberal's haven.
The public librarians, court clerks, dog catchers. Even kids are not spared when you think about the role city politics plays in the control of crime and racial segregation/
My mother was correct. The machine never died. It only went on a short hiatus until one day Richard J. Daley's son Richard M. would be king. Heir to the Chicago throne.
Chicago just couldn't quit the Daley influence. Everywhere you look, the name is there again on buildings, signage. Burned in by years of sun and sub-zero temperatures, as if by blood oath:
Pity those who question the machine, you may be told to stick a gun up your butt. As King Richard instructed this reporter who addressed his highness about Chicago's failing anti-gun policies.
Why Chicagoans? Why do you continue to elect this man term after term?
Autographed Letter Signed,


text:
systemseed needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 59 designs submitted by 11 freelance designers.
System Seed
Hello! We're excited to create this contest a new company logo. As proponents of social networking, we feel the virtual world is full of interesting and talented designers. We look forward to your creativity.
The logo is for SystemSeed. Color pallette and example website layout are attached for context. Because the company is called SystemSeed, we'd like to see some outside the box thinking to develop on the seed idea. After all, great ideas begin with a seed. This root system is what creates life - and our company believes our brand should start with a great seed - your creative logo.
Using a seed, a tree, a plant, etc... these are just a few ways that SystemSeed (one word) can be branded.
Good luck!
Our target audience is the IT community, along with cutting edge multimedia companies - for this purpose.
Please see attached files for guidance on colours, and a mock up of our soon to be built website.
If possible, please supply a colour version of the logo, as well as a white on grey version that shows how it would look in monotone.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Curtains on the Windows
I suspect if I played with this photo I could cut back on the glare, but oh, well. And what can you see in this photo? Note, the curtains on the windows. I can't imagine Dwight lived in this room and didn't have curtains, unless he dressed and undressed in the dark.
15 comments:
- Judy said...
Now we know that Dwight did have curtains, because upon seeing these, I remember Dwight having them too. Let us continue the debate with this picture of Steve studying hard for tomorrow's test. What a good boy.
- July 7, 2010 at 10:47 PM
- Steve Blood said...
These particular curtains were the ones that Mother let me pick the fabric. I was actually probaly painting here, I can't feature myself studying. Thanks anyway.
- July 8, 2010 at 9:17 AM
- Judy said...
Well there goes the Dwight had curtains theory. What was Steve painting?
- July 8, 2010 at 9:28 AM
- Dwight said...
See there?
- July 8, 2010 at 10:24 AM
- Judy said...
Dwight and Steve collaborated.
- July 8, 2010 at 12:33 PM
- Steve Blood said...
Dwight, who?
- July 8, 2010 at 12:58 PM
- Judy said...
At least Steve had his best girl's picture on the shelf by the lamp!
- July 8, 2010 at 8:35 PM
- Elizabeth said...
But, the lamp needs a little repair to it. And remember the old brown kitchen chairs that Mother put red seats on? I think that these particular curtains were made by Mother after Dwight left home. But I can't imagine him not having some kind of window covering, can you? Why don't we remember every little bit of information?
- July 9, 2010 at 4:06 PM
- Steve Blood said...
OK, I scanned back through the blog and on May 30 2008 there is a photo which clearly shows curtains before I got to choose new ones. By the way, going back through the blog is amazing.
- July 10, 2010 at 7:29 AM
- Elizabeth said...
Good sleuthing, Steve. We always had some sort of curtains on the windows - It wouldn't have been proper not to have some covering on them. Besides, if Loouise or I forgot to pull our curtains closed at night, and were in the room with the lights on, Dwight used to chide us quite severely. (Doesn't that sound schoolmarmish?)
- July 10, 2010 at 10:56 AM
- Judy said...
Wow! Steve went back a long way to find the historical truth.
- July 10, 2010 at 7:29 PM
- Dwight said...
historical truth is an oxymoron
- July 11, 2010 at 5:42 PM
- Ann said...
- July 11, 2010 at 6:12 PM
- Elizabeth said...
Hysterical truth?
- July 12, 2010 at 9:55 AM
- Judy said...
History rewritten?
- July 12, 2010 at 12:21 PM


text:
- This event has passed.
RezYouth Group
November 10, 2018 @ 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every 1 week(s) on Saturday that lasts 0 day(s) and 3 hour(s) with no end date
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The Youth Group will meet this Friday, and every other Friday during the school year the ResBrooklyn Downtown Space. Join us for an evening of pizza, dessert, and meaningful discussions about the Christian faith. So grab a friend and join us! For more information, directions, or if you have any questions, email Steven Gil at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
|Miss Selfridge - £45.00
A plain red dress in front but this lovely bow detail on the back makes it irresistibly cute! The price isn't to low but for a special occasion like this, who cares? :)
|Miss Selfridge - £37.00
I love this bright red colour! It's just so happy, which match the occasion perfectly. It's a Valentine's day, why not bright? Price not that bad for Miss Selfridge, don't you think?:)
|Very.co.uk - £32.50
This dress is so unique that I can't really say anything bad about it. Red but with black details which makes it even more interesting. The price? Not that bad if you consider that it is half price, definitely a bargain.:)
|Topshop - £33.00
Another bright dress. Love that is generally a simple dress but the neck makes it more formal and different! Love it, and the price isn't that bad for Topshop:)
|Lipsy - £55.00
I totally love this one! The details on the dress and the details on the skirt? What else do you actually want? Okay I agree the price isn't as good as the others but if you want something more detailed, this one is for you:)
|Topshop - £38.00
So simple but so cute! I just love that is off shoulder. It's both sexy and cute at the same time! Maybe a little overpriced for a plain dress but still it's Valentine:)
|Missguided -£19.99
Simple but with some crop details on shoulders which makes it more interesting. Bright colour which is perfect for the occasion. Not too formal which isn't a bad thing! And the price definitely a bargain!:)
|Missguided - £26.99
Although it's dark red I love this dress. The colour is interesting while the V neckline makes it sexy and the skater skirt definitely cute and feminine. The perfect combination for tonight, isn't it? This combination for that price? That's definitely a bargain for me!:)
|Topshop - £42.00
A bright dress and a little more formal that the others. It depends on how you are planning to spend your Valentine's night! Little overpriced I would say but is a formal one, so you can't really find anything less expensive:)
|Missguided - £16.79
Bright dress, cute and with crop details that add some sexy tot he picture. Perfect for tonight! Not too simple, not too formal.. Just perfect! And for the price? What are you waiting for?:)
So here are the ten Red dresses I found for tonight.! Hope that will help you find something quickly enough for tonight! Wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day full of love!:)


text:
Hi, Iam working on WPF DataGrid (dev. by ComponentOne) with Visual Studio 2008. I wish to provide facility to
user to select "Columns" of a Table using ListBox(if possible, by clicking on Checkboxes within the ListBox) and
the Report will be generated for those selected "Columns" only. Selection to be made at run time !


text:
Sunday, 8 August 2010
Warren Fahy's "Fragment"
You might think that this is the Furaha site I am talking about, and indeed it could be. But the same characteristics also describe another speculative playing field, and that is "Henders Island".
'Fragment' is a novel by Warren Fahy that came out last year. I have never discussed any of the large number of interesting life forms in written science fiction before; the reason is simply that I have a strong predilection for visual matters. 'Fragment' is accompanied by a website with quite a bit of visual material. Some of the images there are printed in the book as well.
I will not describe the story in any detail; if you like an adventure story along the lines of Crichton's 'Jurassic Park', you will like this book as well. The story begins with a camera crew stumbling upon an unexplored island. 'Unexplored' means except for a captain Henders a few centuries ago, who noted its existence. The island is the remnant of a former continent, where life went through its own evolutionary process regardless of mainstream evolution. You might think that that is what islands are for, in fact. The Galapagos islands, definitely a breeding ground for somewhat original shapes, are 5-10 million years old, and Madagascar, the home of lemurs and some of the oddest trees in existence, has been isolated for some 100 million years (or so Wikipedia says). It makes sense to think that longer isolation allows further separation between island and mainland life forms, giving rise to the dictum that 'weirdness waxes with time'. Well, Henders Island has been isolated since the Precambrian...
The resulting life forms cannot even be categorised in modern terms. Above is a Henders rat attacking a poor mongoose, let loose by scientists to see how well 'normal' animals fare against Henderian ones (the Henderian ones kill them in minutes). This 'rat' has a ringlike internal skeleton that seems to have developed from a crustacean (?) exoskeleton. They have fur, give birth to live young, have blue blood, have interesting eyes (mantis shrimps again), a second brain with its own eyes on its back. One of their 9 limbs is really a tail; the first two pairs of limbs are adapted to catch prey ('hypercentaurism').
This is a Henders wasp, one of the radially symmetrical flying life forms. It seems to have five wings, which means it will not be easy to develop a wing 'gait' that does not produce a wobble in flight. The wings stick out but do not seem to move to and fro as frantically as you might expect. They are quite a bit like my tetropters; that's convergent speculation, all over again. Previous posts on tetropters started here and continued here, here and here. (By the way, I have solved the major hurdles of producing smooth tetropter flight animations, but there is still quite a bit to do.)
Life on Henders Island is so extremely aggressive and efficacious in eating anything anywhere anytime that the rest of the Earth had better watch out. Step on land and you will be stung, bitten into or simply turned into shish kebab in a few minutes. You cannot even trust the 'plants'! Interestingly, the book contains discussions between the protagonists whether or not an ecosystem can flourish without any clear distinction between herbivores and carnivores. I suppose I am one of the doubters: if anything that can be eaten will be eaten in a matter of minutes, you wonder how anything can live long enough to grow large. And there are large animals; above is a spigre with a human for scale. Large animals may be fairly immune to attacks from animals half their size, but they are not so to insect-sized or smaller animals.
Small Henderian animals are certainly dangerous; above is a disk ant, a radially symmetrical animal, like a spidrid, but much nastier. Disk ants carry their own young that carry their own young etc, so there is a cascade of nastiness. The book describes how they bore their way into flesh and open a leg to the bone in a matter of seconds; a bit too quick, I thought: movement takes time, certainly on a miniature scale. But what keeps them from devouring a spigre? I do like the disk ant's movement: it can walk as any decent radial animal should, but can switch to rolling on one side. Likely? Probably not. Fun? Definitely!
Reading the book gave me a distinct feeling that the author had a film in mind, and indeed Mr Fahy wrote me that a film is 'definitely now in the works'. I suppose that that is why so much visual material has been developed. Because I like to credit the artists where possible, I asked him for their names, and here they are: Daren Bader, Steven Olds, Ron Lemon and Michael Limber.
I guess we now wait for the sequel and for the film. I do hope that the movie makers will pay more attention to how animals move than the designers of Avatar did. If you read 'Fragment', it is clear that the author likes his creations and thought a lot about their biology; that's a very good starting point.
27 comments:
I must say that the designs are very incredible. There aren't much sci-fi writers who had bothered to put lots of explanations of biomechanics and illustrations to his piece of literature.
much thanks for sharing :)
- 10 August 2010 at 19:01
- Evan Black said...
Fascinating stuff! I know what book I'll be reading next!
- 11 August 2010 at 00:10
- j. w. bjerk said...
Not as plausible as i could wish, but certainly much more detailed and interesting than the average monster-book fare.
Like many fictional predators they seem to suffer from hyper-predator-itis, i.e. being impossibly and irrationally deadly. This probably increases the excitement of the story, so it is at least understandable.
Generally speaking isolated small island of populations tend to produce smaller less competitive creatures. I wouldn't expect a single island that size to be able to support a single land-based predator the size of the spiger, let along a viable population of them.
I also have doubts about the suitability of an exoskeleton for land creatures that size, but who knows?
"The Legacy of Heorot" by Niven etc., is my gold star example of a plausible super-deadly alien novel, for those that like this subgenre. But i might give this a read if i can get it from my library system.
- 11 August 2010 at 22:46
- Sigmund Nastrazzurro said...
J.W.: If I gave the impression that the animals have an exoskeleton, that was wrong. There is a scene of a dissection in the book. On finding an internal ring or cylinder-like hard structure the protagonists discuss it as resembling part of the exoskeleton of a crustacean.
- 15 August 2010 at 13:31
Hmmmm...maybe it would be impossible for a creature with an exoskeleton made of chitin to get this large, but surely there are biological materials much stronger that could support a giant exoskeletal creature? Many giant trees, for example, are completely hollow, and seem to stand up just fine.
- 23 August 2010 at 00:29
- Josh said...
I thought the book sounded really interesting but found the writing style really unbearable and only made it a couple of chapters in and gave up, It's a shame because the premise was tantilizing.
- 23 August 2010 at 23:18
- Sigmund Nastrazzurro said...
Anonymous: Mind you, the animals described in Mr Fahy's book actually have endoskeletons, not exoskeletons. But the question remains whether you can have large animals with exoskeletons. Strength may not be the issue, provided you talk about the strength needed to withstand compression and buckling. Cylinders are quite useful for that. However, the strength to withstand a direct hit or fall would pose a problem, as the forces would not be buffered by any tissues: such impacts might fracture the skeleton. Another possible issue is how much an exoskeleton needs to increase with body mass: if it has to increase much more than an endoskeleton, that would spell trouble. There is not enough overlap in size between Earth vertebrates and invertebrates to be certain.
Josh: perhaps you should just pick out the bits on biology then...
- 23 August 2010 at 23:49
Well, sure an exoskeletal animal is more brittle than an endoskeletal one, but is it really more likely to be injured by a heavy blow or fall? Turtles after all are surrounded by heavy shells, not bubble rap, because a solid shell is resistant to both concussive blows and sharp teeth, also it is made of dead tissue that can be scratched or cracked without seriously injuring the animal. As for the scaling problem, I read recently about a giant myriopod from the Carboniferous that could grow to 8 feet long called Arthropleura. It seems the main reason these arthropods no longer exist is that there isn't enough oxygen in the air to support them, and it isn't difficult to imagine an exoskeletal alien with an efficient set of lungs growing very large.
- 24 August 2010 at 08:12
- Sigmund Nastrazzurro said...
An exoskeleton is indeed more likely to be injured by an impact. I will provide a link at the end of this post to a book on animal scaling discussing exactly that subject. The energy given to the exoskeleton increases with the square of the velocity. Think of the mantis shrimp in the post following this one: the movement is optimised for speed...
Turtles/tortoises are very interesting: they do not move fast themselves, which eliminates that source of high-velocity impacts. There are no terrestrial predator with clubs (on Earth; on Furaha tortoises would go extinct very quickly).
Moreover, there is evidence that exoskeletons increase more with mass than endoskeletons.
Is there a way out? Well, Furahan hexapods descended from animals with plate-like dermal skeletons, resembling exoskeletons in some aspects. During evolution parts dwindled in thickness, others developed ridges, struts and even curved in on themselves to become cylindrical. There is no need to envisage a large animals as just a scaled-up lobster with all the attending problems; there is room for creativity.
- 24 August 2010 at 19:31
Thank you for this great rebuttal, and for explaining in more detail an aspect of Furahan biology. I just have one question: what of Arthropleura? it was an 8 foot millipede from the carboniferous, and scientists looking at its fossilized trackways say that it moved "quickly" over the ground. How did it overcome the problems you've just mentioned?
- 24 August 2010 at 20:03
- Sigmund Nastrazzurro said...
Hello Anonymous,
None of the things I mentioned make it impossible for an animal with an exoskeleton to become big. But the animal in question would be less 'fit' than a comparable beast with an endoskeleton: it carries relatively more skeletal mass and is vulnerable to high-velocity impacts.
Back to the carboniferous: I can think of two themes. Firstly, the millipede's speed is unlikely to have been really fast (longer story), so there is little chance of high-velocity impacts due to speed. The low-slung body and many feet protect against falls anyway. I do not think there were predators with clubs around, so no problem there either. In short, there was no serious competition yet!
The second issue is that high atmospheric oxygen content may have allowed diffusion to reach inner body parts, together with a very flat body.
Both factors worked in its favour; either factor on its won would have done away with them, let alone both together, explaining why the large exobeast niche has been empty ever since.
But go back to this period, give them a better respiratory system and perhaps they would have managed to evolve their skeleton...
- 24 August 2010 at 20:31
Thank you. :)
- 25 August 2010 at 01:29
- Evan Black said...
Well, I just finished the book. It's exciting, and really makes you think outside the box. It certainly does suffer from "hyper-predator-itis" as j.w. bjerk said, but it maintains a pretty robust internal logic. I would suggest it to anyone interested in speculative biology, or anyone who likes to see monsters mutilate humans. ;)
- 4 September 2010 at 03:57
I might have liked it if these creatures where in any way like real animals.
But of course they are just generic, freaky, ridiculously vicious, bug-like, hollywood supermonsters that can kick every normal lifeforms ass. And that are so much better then normal animals, because they have extra brains and limbs and stuff.
I mean... what are these? predator-sue's?
Because these hollywood predators ARE mary sue like. Like when James Cameron talks about how his panthery thingy can kick a t-rex ass I just want to bitchslap him.
Mary sue's are not cool, and they aren't cool in alien predator version either.
So yeah.. these things get a nay from me. The mongoose should have beaten them.
- 13 September 2010 at 04:10
Just having finished the book last week, I will chime in.
Remember that Henders Island is what is left of a larger fragment of a continent, whittled away over time. The creatures there have been evolving for eons. The arms race continued, and the primary defense seemed to be speed, as the armor didn't seem to have much survival value (likely because as these things got larger, exoskeletons got more expensive metabolically), So the critters got a bit bigger, a bit faster, and kept adding to their arsenal. Couple this with the constant lessening of the space they have to roam around in, and anything that isn't able to hold it's own is rendered extinct (and thus, no "benign" fauna).
That's probably not a very good (or properly scientific) explanation, but it rationalizes the Mary Sue predators well enough for me. With such a truncated ecosystem, defenses have to be pretty good, and there doesn't seem to really be any decent defense against these guys except more firepower (although the spigers seemed to have a symbiotic/parasitic relationship with some of the insect analogues, although it is only mentioned in passing and the book didn't go into why more critters didn't go this route).
One thing that I have a question on is the image of the disk ant/plant-analogue life cycle. It wasn't mentioned in the book and it implies that the plant-analogues are related to the disk ants.
Overall, I liked the novel; it was a fun read. Makes me very glad that disk ants don't exist, as I found them to be the most "dangerous/insidious/creepy" critters in the book. The other ones are a bit more "controllable", if larger.
- 22 September 2010 at 22:37
- Sigmund Nastrazzurro said...
Hi Steven,
It's good to hear from you again! The armour vs. speed argument is a good one, although I would personally guess that there is a metabolic limit to how far you can take prolonged hyperactivity. for every organism energy is a limiting factor, but compared to conventional organisms, Hender ones seem to be in the luxury position of having very large supplies at their disposal.
As for the plant-to-ant connection, I think I remember allusions to that in the book, but I had read the website beforehand, so perhaps I misread that. I will try to find out...
- 22 September 2010 at 23:14
- Sigmund Nastrazzurro said...
Hi Steven,
Mr Fahy was kind enough to answer my questions. Here is his response as an excerpt from an email; the first sentence is about the responses of people like yourself on this blog:
"Particularly cool is having my ideas hashed over by like-minded souls I never otherwise would have had the chance to be criticized by or complimented by.
So, in that spirit, and in answer to your question, yes, it is suggested in the book that the trees might be related to... the disk-ants! (see here:
That shall be elaborated on in the sequel... And for the record, only the Henders "clover" photosynthesizes, and only during the day. The rest of the time it dissolves rock. But this qualifies it, at least, and only partially, as a plant."
- 23 September 2010 at 19:03
There are possibly some spoilers in the text below (although I tried to stay pretty vague):
I kind of figured that the sequel might involve the disk ants, based on the minimovie on his website. Since there aren't too many ways for Henders Island critters to get off the island, only the smallest of beasties would be able to pull it off, and that would be by hitching a ride on something else that was able/permitted to leave the island. The disk ants seem the most able to do that, as the tiniest of them would be almost unnoticeable.
There is a note on the disk ant page at the back of the book that mentions (from Henders's perspective) that the disk ants were the most dangerous critters. I thought that might have been some foreshadowing.
So, if the disk ants get off the island, presumably they will get into some other biome. The implication then is that the Henders Island "trees" (dart palm, snap blossom, and tube trap) will follow and make kudzu look like a slow growing ornamental plant. Since these things aren't plants and are more like sessile animals, they were probably prey for the animals as well (which would explain their rather active defenses). I can't remember if that was the case, or if they were just competing with the "clover". I would imagine that since a "sprout" would be vulnerable, I think that they might have either a short infant stage with high growth rates, or they are tended by a mobile life form (although the logical animal to do this is the disk ant, there doesn't seem to be any indication that this might be the case).
But there might be two kinds of disk ant; one that the human explorers met (the "warrior/food gatherer") and a second which they never got the chance to find (a "caregiver" that tends to "sprouts" and "saplings"). But this is pure speculation pulled out of a hat. Since the disk ants are really ants at all, there is only so far you can take the analogy.
I am looking forward to the sequel. In addition to the "what happens next" bits, I am also interested in the "first contact" scenario and the political/sociological/psychological fallout of our new "guests" joining our human community.
- 25 September 2010 at 02:06
- Sigmund Nastrazzurro said...
Hi Steven,
Very logical, as Mr Spock might say. Disk-ants indeed seem the likeliest to escape unnoticed.
You had mentioned that the spigers had a symbiotic relationship with the spigers. Well, I had been worried that disk-ants might simply eat anything including spigres, and Mr Fahy replied as follows:
"The spigers are shown to be riddled with parasites that protect them from attack by disk-ants. They abandon their host only after a fatal injury of some kind has occurred, mostly from other spigers, as will be elaborated in the sequel. You have permission to divulge that, by the way."
This suggests that there are spigers in the sequel, so apparently they can 'regenerate' as well. The intelligent species must have carried their own load of commensales etc. as well, so there is another possible way to export Henderian life forms.
- 25 September 2010 at 10:13
- mithril said...
apparently the sequal involves the two "main" caracters investigating another long-isolated ecosystem, this time underground. ( http://www.warrenfahy.com/page_book_pandemonium.html )
there were several openings i could see for explorations of the hender's island ecosystem though. as mentoned above, "dustmite" disk ants might have snuck out on clothing or in boxes easily enough. and the existance of "mother plants" which raise frigate bird chicks as a form of renewable food could easily be using said birds to spread their larval stages to other islands/locations. and most obvious to me was the fact that if that island was a peice of an ancient sub-continent, why aren't there more peices in the area? henders island would have been a mountaintop or plataeu of the continent. but it's hard to imagine that other mountaintops didn't exist nearby. depending on how long those other islands have been isolated from hender's ilsand, the ecosystem could have related species on them.
- 10 July 2011 at 22:11
- mithril said...
"I would imagine that since a "sprout" would be vulnerable, I think that they might have either a short infant stage with high growth rates, or they are tended by a mobile life form (although the logical animal to do this is the disk ant, there doesn't seem to be any indication that this might be the case)."
i think the fact the mobile disk ant carries around a colony of progressively smaller versions of itself would provide some of the protection needed. a mature disk ant that takes root would presumably still have it's colony of smaller copies on it. these smaller copies might hang around the parant 'tree' long after it's grown.
in regards to "hyper predation", keep in mind that the only human observation of the ecosystem has been either by observing "bait" placed to attract animals, or from the inside of a massive Rover or humvee that just crashed through the henderian jungle. any large crature or object smashing through an ecosystem is going to spook smaller cratures..and observation of real world ecosystems show that alot of predators like to shadow big creatures crashing through the undergrowth so they can feed on the stuff spooked by it.
we never really see the henderian ecosystem when big rovers weren't disturbing things, or fairly soft, slow, ungainly, and unprotected humans aren't running around. odds are that camoflauge (optical, aural, and chemical) was just as developed as their predatory abilities, and alot of the 'animal' life employed a form of "biological countermeasure (BCM) warfare" where their camoflauge 'spoofs' the senses of the other creatures so they don't have to be moving full tilt 24/7.
it is clear however that the ecosystem is an extremely active one, and even with "BCM" full active, they're not ever really safe.
- 11 July 2011 at 05:30
- rseabrease said...
I have just finished reading "Fragment" and all I can say is EXTRAORDINARY! Outstanding biological explanations and the biological illustration were incredible. How I wish that Mr. Fahy would continue this writing in an ongoing series and would include even more illustrations. Absolutely a first-rate book. In fact, I think he should create a whole world of such creatures!
Richard Seabrease
- 18 July 2011 at 15:48
- Sigmund Nastrazzurro said...
Hello Seabrease,
I had not expected someone to comment on a post that is almost one year old. It is good that you like the book, and Warren will no doubt like it too. You should know that he has written another book along similar lines. It is only available as an ebook though, but you will find it on his website.
- 18 July 2011 at 21:53
I wonder, is it possible to have an ecosystem with only carnivores and scavengers?
- 4 December 2012 at 03:11
- Sigmund Nastrazzurro said...
o you mean with predators eating scavengers and scavernegrs eating predators'cadavers? If so, that is not posible, as energy gets lost.
- 5 December 2012 at 09:17
- mithril said...
very late comment but figured this would be a good way to ask.. are you going to review Fahy's sequel to Fragment, Pandemonium? it has some interesting speculative critters.. and frankly, most of the new ones seem more plausible than his Hender's Island. certainly the Ecosystem seems better thought out.
- 28 March 2016 at 11:44
- Tyler S said...
Personally, I can see how these creatures could exist. My thought is that that there biology is somewhere in between exoskeleton and endoskeleton.with the ring like skeleton having present muscles on the outside similar to a vertebrates, but with the advantage of having more surface area to anchor musculature similar to insects which might explain their extreme strength.they also probably have a breathing system similar to a cross between a insect and bird or dinosaur that being a complex unidirectional tracheal system as well as cardiovascular system with well developed lungs to properly desperse oxygen without getting in the way of the muscles. If I had to name one problem is that the copper based blood couldn't support animals this big with any sort of activity, even slepping, which is probably one of the mane reasons arthropds,even with extremely high oxygen,never got bigger than a small alligator.
- 29 August 2016 at 05:49


text:
Bryanna Clark Grogan's Vegan Feast Kitchen/ 21st Century Table: The kitchen journal of a vegan food writer.. I'm on Facebook and Twitter (see links in sidebar at right).
Monday, October 3, 2011
We're in Vancouver for a few days celebrating our 20th anniversary, and using my cousin's computer, with a very difficult and frustrating mouse, so I won't be doing much blogging til I get home. But in the spirit of MoFo, I'm putting up some pics of some dishes we've eaten lately, even though I said I wouldn't post for about 3 days!
Roasted Potatoes, fresh green beans and Tofu with BBQ Pomegranate Tofu from "Vegan with a Vengeance"
I served this with the BBQ tofu above: Vegan "Blue Ribbon" Cornbread, my adaptation. The recipe is here, but I made these changes-- instead of the 4 tsp. baking powder, I used 1 teaspoon baking powder + 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and I added 2 teaspoons lemon juice to the soymilk to make "soy buttermilk". It was pretty darn good! Evidently, an 11-yr-old girl won the blue ribbon for this vegan cornbread recipe at an Iowa State Fair a few years ago, of all venues!
My low-fat "guacamole" from my new cookbook "World Vegan Feast"
Potato Focaccia from my new cookbook "World Vegan Feast"
Gardein Cacciatore made from a recipe in my book "Nonna's Italian Kitchen"
My low-fat vegan mayonnaise with our fresh tomatoes
My low-fat Hummous
Posted by Bryanna Clark Grogan at 10:35 AM
3 comments:
- Jeni Treehugger said...
Happy Anniversary!
- Mon Oct 03, 11:07:00 AM PDT
- Bryanna Clark Grogan said...
Thanks, Jeni!
- Mon Oct 03, 11:16:00 AM PDT
- Vic Robinson said...
Cornbread! Yum! Looks great! Also, happy anniversary!
- Mon Oct 03, 11:25:00 AM PDT
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
During uninstallation, the uninstaller uses the product registry file to determine what needs to be uninstalled:
Solaris OS: /var/sadm/install/productregistry
Linux: /var/opt/sun/install/productregistry
If the uninstaller fails, you might need to retry after you restore the product registry from your backup copy.
If you manually remove packages, the product registry is not automatically updated. When you subsequently run the uninstaller, you might encounter problems because the product registry does not correctly reflect your system. In this case, you can try to reinstall and then run the uninstaller again.


text:
Wild Beauty
Wende Trew 9/30/2006 5:15:41 PMAWESOME, AWESOME this is soooo fantastic Lavone!!!! I think this is my favorite yet!!!!! A WINNER in my book!!! just to GORGEOUS for words. #532019
Michelle Black 9/30/2006 6:00:53 PMWow! These tones are perfect, and I love how you've composed the shot, just terrific! #3391708
Joan Powell 9/30/2006 8:32:50 PMLovely !! #3392205
Tiffani S. LaNeave 9/30/2006 9:51:29 PMHOLY WINNER!!!!!!!!! WOW! This is soooo fantastic Lavone! Love your comp first of all. Your clarity is awesome and your conversion is beautiful! Love the zebra print that adds interest to the image but yet doesn't take away from it. Oh....and did I mention your perspective? Everything just works together so very well here Lavone! Awesome work! #3392316
Janine Russell 9/30/2006 9:58:54 PMLavone, beautiful portrait; great lighting and composition. #3392321
Sherry S. Boles 9/30/2006 11:11:57 PMFANTASTIC portrait, Lavone! What a beautiful face...The tones and clarity are excellent!! #3392438
Lavone Vannoy 9/30/2006 11:28:23 PMThank you all tons and tons!!! :) #3392454
LENA U. FRIEDMAN 9/30/2006 11:45:51 PMThis has to be my favorite of all! This is absolutely stunning!!!! A winner! #3392480
LENA U. FRIEDMAN 9/30/2006 11:46:01 PMThis has to be my favorite of all! This is absolutely stunning!!!! A winner! #3392481
Lavone Vannoy 9/30/2006 11:57:19 PMThank you my sweet friend!!! :) #3392493
Lynn Crawford 10/1/2006 2:47:46 AMBeautiful Lavone, I just love her eyes and lashes in this and the B&W tones are great, I also like the animal print background and the white fur hat,everything goes together so well, very creative :) #3392797
Sherri Gorman 10/1/2006 4:32:53 AMWow, this is breathtaking!!! Perfect in every way. Awesome job Lavone!!! #3393079
Kay E. Mahoney 10/1/2006 6:11:36 AMBeautiful portrait. Love the colors. #3393418
Datha Y. Thompson 10/1/2006 7:24:12 AMGORGEOUS!!!! I LOVE Everything about it... Looks like a Winner to me too!!!!!!!! WOW... Amazing work Girlie!!! :0) #3393694
Denise M. Snyder 10/1/2006 11:11:17 AMLavone, this is one of the most beautiful portraits I've seen... absolutely stunning and I agree with everyone else that this has WINNER written all over it! #3394451
Candy Avera 10/1/2006 7:59:07 PMBeautiful beautiful beautiful. Reminds me of a beautiful snow princess. What a creative mind you have to come up with these Lavone'. Rock on! #3395997
Amy JACKSON 10/2/2006 7:02:52 AMI really love both of these Lavone!!! Love the composition and her expression!! The tones are perfect for this one!! #3397815
Alisha L. Ekstrom 10/2/2006 9:28:44 AMOMGOSH...HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!! This is SUPERB!!! MAN MERCY...I LOVE the b&w tones & all the contrast! Awesome comp & LOVE the zibra design beside her! THIS is a SPLENDID..BEAUTIFUL portrait Lavone!!!!!! #3398388
Michelle B. Prince 10/2/2006 11:23:56 AMAwesome, she is so beautiful #3398739
Jessica McCollam 10/9/2006 6:52:50 AMWO!WOW!WOW! BEAUTIFUL!!!!:) #3426053
Chastity Abbott 10/10/2006 11:43:03 AMCanvas baby!!!!! HUGE too!!!
Lavone Vannoy 10/15/2006 10:31:08 AMTHANK YOU ALL SOOOOOO MUCH!!!
I'll have TONS of catching-up to do with all of you! I have MISSED being on here and sharing with my BP family! :)
William88 10/26/2006 1:28:29 PMWow! Great picture. Congratulations on your beautiful finalist!! #3501468
Sharon King 10/26/2006 1:31:27 PMThis is Beautiful! Congratulations on your finalist! #3501478
Elizabeth Beaudoin 10/26/2006 1:33:55 PMCongratulations on this beautiful finalist! #3501487
Tamera S. Phillips 10/26/2006 1:33:56 PMCongrats on this great finalist! I hope we see if go further. Good luck. #3501488
Megan p 10/26/2006 1:58:45 PMWaaaaaa Hooooo!!! This is such a stunner Lavone!!! Congratulations! :) #3501657
Sherri Gorman 10/26/2006 1:59:10 PMCongratulations!!!! I love this one!!! Good luck next round!!!! #3501661
Laura E. OConnor 10/26/2006 2:10:50 PMCONGRATULATIONS, LAVONNE!!!!! Good luck on this one!!! #3501766
Kitty R. Rodehorst-Hanna 10/26/2006 2:35:02 PMCongratulation, Lavonne!!!!! Great job!!!!!!! :-) ^.^ Kitty #3502079
Hayley J. Hamlin 10/26/2006 2:53:30 PMCongrats Lavonne!! Awesome Finalist!! #3502287
Denise M. Snyder 10/26/2006 3:00:53 PMI knew this was a winner!!! Congrats girlfriend!!!! #3502384
Kay E. Mahoney 10/26/2006 3:22:07 PMCongratulations on your adorable finalist. Good luck in the next round. #3502633
Lavone Vannoy 10/26/2006 3:46:16 PMThanks you guys!!! :)
Wende Trew 10/26/2006 3:46:18 PMBIG CONGRATS Lavone!!! I new this was a winner!!!! AWESOME job my friend!!!! #3502844
Lavone Vannoy 10/26/2006 4:19:06 PMThanks my friend!!!! :) #3503186
Chastity Abbott 10/26/2006 4:38:08 PMWish I could be there to give you a big hug!!!!! Congrats to you and her!!!!! :o) #3503331
RC Fritz 10/26/2006 4:42:49 PMBig congrats Lavone! #3503363
Datha Y. Thompson 10/26/2006 5:38:22 PMCONGRATULATIONS GIRL!!!!! LOVE THIS!!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!!!! WTG :0) #3503767
Kenneth Mucke 10/26/2006 5:53:01 PMCongrats on this superb finalist #3503886
Sherry S. Boles 10/26/2006 5:56:12 PMCongratulations, Lavone! This is a real beauty and a well deserved finalist!! #3503904
Lavone Vannoy 10/26/2006 6:43:51 PMThanks everyone!! I appreciate ALL of your wonderful comments and support!!!! :) #3504411
Laura Stetser 10/26/2006 7:14:55 PMCongratulations Lavone!!!! #3504709
Nancy L. Green 10/26/2006 7:25:36 PMWay to go Lavone!! Beautiful work, congratulations!! <>< #3504807
Judy Williams 10/26/2006 7:37:33 PMAmazing composition and overall post editing. Those false eyelashes realy send it over the top. Congrats!! #3504964
Judy Williams 10/26/2006 7:37:40 PMAmazing composition and overall post editing. Those false eyelashes realy send it over the top. Congrats!! #3504967
Erica Murphy 10/26/2006 8:29:34 PMCongratulations on this beautiful finalist Lavone!!
Erica #3505549
Erica Murphy 10/26/2006 9:12:15 PMCongrats! The tones here are really pretty! #3505832
Tonya R. Boles 10/27/2006 4:35:21 AMCongrats... #3507266
Baqer Mohd Jawad 10/27/2006 6:53:13 AMi love this shot wonderful shot capture and lovely cute girl all the best ! #3508040
Crossroad Photography 10/27/2006 7:34:49 AMCongratulations on this marvelous finalist and best of luck in the next round. #3508284
Photographer 10/27/2006 7:55:36 AMCongratulations on this beautiful finalist Lavone ! #3508421
Cliff & Patti Smith 10/27/2006 8:09:25 AMAwesome portrait! Congratulations and good luck in the next round Lavone! #3508525
Janine Russell 10/27/2006 8:51:51 AMLavone, congratulations on your finalist. #3508819
Lynn Crawford 10/27/2006 9:31:04 AMCongrats Lavone on being a Finalist with this wonderful portrait :) #3509193
Candy Avera 10/27/2006 9:37:11 AMCongratulations my friend! Good luck in the next round. #3509257
Emile Abbott 10/27/2006 9:48:03 AMCongratulation on great capture and finalist, Lavone. #3509363
John V. Roscich 10/27/2006 10:29:44 AMCONGRATS LAVONE
Cristina Navarro 10/27/2006 10:52:40 AMWonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful! #3509695
Lavone Vannoy 10/27/2006 11:04:19 AMA big "Thank You" to everyone for your generous comments and support! :) #3509742
Nadya Johnson 10/27/2006 11:51:44 AMAbsolutely, totally SUPERB, Lavonne! Congratulations on your OUTSTANDING, gorgeous finalists! #3509917
Lavone Vannoy 10/27/2006 1:52:16 PMThank you Nadya!!!! :) #3510432
Donna La Mattino Pagakis 10/27/2006 4:38:51 PMSweet expression on this lovely image!! Congratulations!!! #3511064
Sam Britt 10/27/2006 4:46:36 PMCongratulations, Lavone! #3511094
Lavone Vannoy 10/27/2006 6:31:46 PMThank you Donna & S.B.!!!
Tiffani S. LaNeave 10/27/2006 9:22:28 PMYay!!!!! I called this one! I'm not one bit suprised to see this again! Congrats to you!!!!! Love this gorgeous image! #3512170
jennifer B. short 10/27/2006 10:34:46 PMA HUGE congrats to you my friend!!!!! #3512363
Lavone Vannoy 10/28/2006 6:28:07 AMThank you tons, Tiff & Jennifer!!!!! :)
Heading out to Florida today!
Johannes Kornelius 10/28/2006 7:06:44 AMCongratulations on your finalist. Beautiful composition and portrait. She is beautiful. #3513532
Trisha Moe 10/28/2006 10:20:20 AMLavonne- absolutely my favorite image of yours! LOVE this! Congrats #3514335
She-She Killough 10/28/2006 3:47:35 PMSuch a Beauty!! And such a beautiful capture Lavonne!! Many Congrats!!! #3515279
Debbie Fleri 10/29/2006 7:50:11 AMCongratulations,,,To Beautiful...: ) #3518298
Julie Monacella 11/5/2006 7:15:32 PMCongratulations! This is absolutely STUNNING! Yay! I'm so happy for you! #3550140
Daniella Puente 11/21/2006 4:14:08 PMA very pro and amazing portrait!
Laura Stetser 11/26/2006 11:14:07 AMAnother gorgeous image! Congratulations!!! #3633573
Lavone Vannoy 12/28/2006 11:25:20 AMThank you ALL very MUCH!!! :) #3748192
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Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (350D) Digital SLR Camera
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There are multiple ways to vote in the Nov. 6 general election. In addition to Election Day precinct polling places, there will be mail-in voting and early voting.
Early voting is available from Oct. 22 to Nov. 2 in the Department of Motor Vehicle locations and Jeffco public libraries listed below.
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Did you read today's front page stories & breaking news?
From the Wires
Bare Necessities' 25% OFF Friends & Family Sale Is The Biggest Sale of the Holiday Season!
Bare Necessities' Friends & Family Sale is Brought Back by Popular Demand
By: PR Newswire
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text:
"Groundhog Day" opened in theaters 20 years ago, and was greeted by much head-scratching, even among Bill Murray fans. This was not a movie about Murray and his rodent nemesis from "Caddyshack."
The Nietzschean story, which forced a weatherman and the audience to relive the same day in Punxsutawney, Pa., over and over, was challenging and a little disorienting. The script was alternating layers of Murray's dark, mean-spirited mugging and the ache of existential emptiness. As Murray's character, weatherman Phil Connors, says to a drunk on the next bar stool: "What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?" Drunk: "That about sums it up for me."
This was Bill Murray making it even more clear that he would not be the man we expected him to be anymore, setting the stage for "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Lost in Translation" and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou." Two decades later, "Groundhog Day" is not lacking in bloggy appreciation and debate over its philosophical and religious undercurrents.
But "Groundhog Day" was also a love story, with a radiant Andie MacDowell playing Murray's elusive TV producer, and it was filled with witty writing and hilarious physical comedy. So it can be enjoyed strictly for that thing we seek in many movies: It's just fun. Maybe you'll find this quiz fun, but you only have to do it once.
Where is weatherman Phil Connors reporting from in the opening scene?
a) Chicago
b) Punxsutawney
c) Buffalo, N.Y.
d) Elko, Nev.
"When ____________ saw the long winter, he saw a winter bleak and dark and bereft of hope. Yet we know that winter is just another step in the cycle of life. But standing here among the people of Punxsutawney and basking in the warmth of their hearths and hearts, I couldn't imagine a better fate than a long and lustrous winter." – Phil Connors
a) Chekhov
b) Nietzsche
c) Robert Frost
d) Ken Kaye
Phil Connors: "I'm a God …
a) … so I don't really need insurance, Ned."
b) … and he is a mere rodent."
c) … and that oncoming train will swerve."
d) … but I'm not THE God... I don't think."
The Groundhog Day ceremonies are led by an official played by what former "Saturday Night Live" writer?
a) Harold Ramis
b) Brian Doyle Murray
c) Buck Henry
d) Al Franken
TV producer Rita, played by Andie MacDowell, talks to Phil about her college major, which would have made her well versed in the work of this person:
a) Tex Antoine
b) Walter Cronkite
c) Winston Churchill
d) Charles Baudelaire
When Phil Connors is fleeing with Phil the groundhog in his lap, he tells the rodent:
a) "Does this make you Thelma or Louise?"
b) "C'mon, Phil, make my day!"
c) "Don't drive angry!"
d) "You can drive a stick, right?"
Which music is heard in "Groundhog Day"?
a) "Pennsylvania Polka" by Frankie Yankovic
b) "I Got You, Babe" by Sonny & Cher
c) "Piano Sonata in C" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
d) "Eighteenth Variation from Rapsodie on a Theme of Paganini" by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Brian Doyle Murray also played which of these roles?
a) Chevy Chase's boss in "Christmas Vacation"
b) The Bubble Boy's dad on "Seinfeld"
c) The Flying Dutchman on "SpongeBob SquarePants"
d) Jack Ruby in "JFK"
In 2010, Stephen Tobolowsky, who played Phil's old high school annoyance, Ned Ryerson, went to Punxsutawney for Groundhog Day and performed the thing that made Ned famous at Case Western High. The actor …
a) Sang "I Got You, Babe"
b) Pushed a needle into his nose
c) Did the whistling belly-button trick
d) Did the polka
Comic actor and writer Chris Elliott played Phil's nebbishy cameraman, Larry. Chris Elliott did not perform on which show:
a) "Miami Vice"
b) "The Nanny"
c) "Seinfeld"
d) "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch"
You'll find the answers below this scene from "Groundhog Day."
1: d 2: a 3: d 4: b 5: d 6: c 7: all of them 8: all of them 9: c 10: c
Get daily updates on South Florida entertainment and things to do at SouthFlorida.com and on Twitter at @BenCrandell.


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k2FT needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 47 designs submitted by 28 freelance designers.
Burnett Inc. Windows & Siding (Burnett is the only "mandatory" part of the logo - we are looking for options)
Burnett Inc. is a family-owned and operated windows and siding business in Tulsa, Oklahoma (http://www.burnettinc.com). For over 30 years Burnett has provided high-end windows and siding products and exceptional installation services to homeowners in Oklahoma.
A majority of their business comes from satisfied homeowners who refer friends and family. Burnett also participates in two large home / remodeling tradeshows each year (January / March) that provide a large percentage of non-referral leads for the business.
Burnett customers are the "discriminating" homeowner. They are willing to invest in the best products for their home because they plan to reside in it for many years. They tend to be in their mid-40's and above and have a significant investment in their home. This audience is educated and has a higher-than-average household income.
We are looking for a logo design that is clean and timeless and evokes a solid reputation for quality products and craftsmanship.
The logo will appear on signage, website, marketing materials, clothing items and in advertising. Scalability is critical.
Let your creativity flourish. Experiment with colors!
The files we will require are:
Print file format - .ai (CMYK)
Web file format - .jpg and layered .psd (RGB)
Please do not use any stock images or clip art in the logo
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text: Hawknest Beach is one of the favorite beaches among tourists for its unique snorkeling experience. Part of The Virgin Islands National Park, this beach is great for families with children because its easy access. This is also one of the favorite beaches for the locals because of it's availability and everlasting beauty. This beach has many picnic tables available for its guest so it is the perfect location to plan a family outing or romantic picnic.


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This web site contains about AP(R) U.S. Government & Politics Crash Course Book + Online (REA Test Preps) six to eight thousand ebooks from numerous authors. The collection of these publications are usually in the following different types: fictions/novels, short experiences, poems, essays, performs, nonfictions. Many these books are classic works of National Literature, English Novels, and Irish Materials from well-known authors like William Shakespeare, Tag Twain, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Robert Fros, Edgar Allan Poe, Alexander Pope, Arthur Conan Doyle, Anne Austen. and more authors' works will probably be added to the net collection. Inside these AP(R) U.S. Government & Politics Crash Course Book + Online (REA Test Preps) exclusive pages, you'll find many honor winning publications designed for your on the net reading. Enjoy and you need to tell a buddy, thanks.
Description : Title: AP U.S. Government and Politics Crash Course Binding: Paperback Author: LarryKrieger Publisher: Research&EducationAssociation


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My model of a good XXX [is] multiple gateways to engagement.
A year ago I was asked to be on a leadership training committee at my synagogue. At these monthly meetings I learn about the synagogue and it's role in Jewish Los Angeles and the Reform Movement as a whole. In June, our group was asked to read Sacred Strategies: Transforming Synagogues from Functional to Visionary, and one of the authors, Isa Aron, came to speak with us. I haven't stopped thinking of the parallels between the 21st century journeys of two institutions, the library and the Reform Jewish synagogue. I wonder how comparing the issues and solutions might help us both. I wonder if other institutions, religious or otherwise, have similar challenges.
Library (especially public): How do we keep families involved after the toddlers grow up?
Synagogue: How do we keep families involved after preschool?
Library: If students are reading more online, getting their information online, how do we keep the teenagers involved in the life of the Library?
Synagogue: If students can now do their Bar Mitzvah preparation via Skype, how do we keep the teenagers involved in Temple life?
Library: Many exciting activities are competing for the time and interests of students today. How do we make our resources available, relevant, and essential?
Synagogue: Many exciting activities are competing for the time and interests of students today. How do we make our resources available, relevant, and essential?
Library: How can we promote lifelong learning through the library?
Synagoge: How can we promote lifelong learning through the Synagogue?
How do we promote the importance of the sense of community found in both institutions? How can our institutions learn from each other? How do we blend and balance the virtual and the physical?
by Mark Brannan
We learn so much from going outside of our profession to gain insights from others which we can adapt for libraries (remember Good to Great?). Our school library leaders, like Buffy Hamilton, adapt foundational ideas from marketers and innovators like Seth Godin and Guy Kawasaki, and transform these ideas for libraries. Hamilton's Pivot Points for Change (inspired by Seth Godin's post Pivot's for Change), and Participatory Librarianship: Creating Enchantment and Conversations for Learning (inspired by Guy Kawasaki's book, Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions) could both be adapted to inspire synagogue leaders. Professionals at both institutions talk a lot about participation, collaboration, creating community, branding, access points, being where the users are, creating experiences. What can we learn from the Jewish Reform Movement?
I am much less knowledgeable about the conversations and discussions of the Jewish leaders on these issues. But here is what I have found by reading Sacred Strategies:
The synagogues and libraries are using the same lingo!
The authors differentiate between functional and visionary congregations. Functional ones are "those that may excel at performing discrete functions...but tend to fall short of genuinely achieving an integrated sense of sacred community," (Aron 15) and they are characterized by:
- Consumerist purpose
- Segmentation in programming
- Passivity
- Meaninglessness ("failure to excite, provoke, mobilize, or inspire congregants")
- Resistance to change
- Nonreflective leadership
- Sacred purpose: a pervasive and shared vision infuses all aspects of the synagogue
- Holistic ethos: the parts are related to each other, such that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
- Participatory culture on all levels: congregants, lay leaders, professionals, and family members of all ages engage in the work of creating sacred community
- Meaningful engagement achieved through inspirational experiences
- Innovation disposition marked by a search for diversity and alternatives and a high tolerance for possible failure
- Reflective leadership and governance
What would you add?
The quote at the top of this post is from: Sacred Strategies, pg 4.


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codatv necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 583 diseños de 140 diseñadores freelance.
The company has been very busy making TV for 8 years and needs a re-brand. Check out the old look at http://www.coda.tv. This is as far away from who we are now as It can get. We are looking for a strong, confident, timeless and bold statement logo. This is a chance to really push the boat out! the winning design will be our corp identity and will also be animated with sound and music into our end tag for all on screen product. So you must think how your design will translate into a dynamic motion graphics animation but will it also work on stationary.
coda.tv, coda tv or coda (all are options)
Coda.tv is run by an British producer in Australia that has been in the industry for 15 years. He has worked in Hong Kong, Singapore, UK and Australia and is very well respected. Recent personal work includes Deal or No Deal (OZ version), Formula One, Tournament Angling, Travel Doco's, Motor racing etc. The company he now runs has potential but the team need a fresh inspiring look to motivate production, this logo needs to be unique and world class.
We are called coda.tv but are not sure at this stage if we will drop the (.) between coda and tv, we may also drop the tv and add different tag lines to coda, like 'Television Production', 'Post Production', 'Multi Media Production', 'Advertising' etc.
Go nuts but remember we want a logo that will work on the world stage. The art work must be delivered as layers for animation purposes and will eventually be seen on Hi Def TV's so it must be created in a large format.
Anything that looks like our old retro logo. We are happy to explore CAPS or lower case.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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January 24, 2013Jordan Health Systems, Inc. (JHSI) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) announced today they will sign a Letter of Intent for JHSI to become part of BIDMC. Beginning immediately, the parties will conduct a due diligence process with the intent of signing a definitive agreement later this year.
Jordan Health Systems would become part of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, but retain local management and board governance.
Peter Holden, Jordan Health Systems President and CEO, said, "After a comprehensive review and analysis of several affiliation opportunities, we chose BIDMC because our mutual interests are best aligned to fulfill the mission, values and vision of Jordan Hospital and the local communities we serve.
Clark Hinkley, Chair, Jordan Board of Trustees, said, "For more than 100 years, Jordan Hospital has been a vital part of the communities we serve. This decision was not just about finances. It was about finding a healthcare affiliation that gives us the scale we need to compete in an ever-changing environment and ensure that local care will stay just that…local. By joining BIDMC, we will gain long-term financial stability without sacrificing who we are and what we believe in."
Dr. Kevin Tabb, BIDMC President and CEO, said, "We are pleased that Jordan has taken this important first step in choosing to join with Beth Israel Deaconess. They are an excellent community healthcare provider, the type of partner we embrace as vital to our growing network of hospitals and physicians. Signing this Letter of Intent is an important step toward working with Jordan to deliver the right care in the right place at the right time."
"One of the most exciting aspects of this relationship is that we entered into talks with Jordan collaboratively with Atrius Health. This relationship among the three organizations will serve to enhance the scope and coordination of care for patients in Jordan's community."
Dr. Gene Lindsey, President and CEO of Atrius Health, a non-profit alliance of independent medical groups which selected BIDMC as its preferred tertiary hospital more than three years ago, said the planned affiliation between BIDMC and Jordan Hospital would expand hospital choices for patients of the Atrius Health groups south of Boston. "BIDMC and Atrius Health have worked together for several years, and are each considered leaders in providing high quality care in an efficient, coordinated way and in developing innovative new models under new global payment systems. We look forward to bringing this team approach to the communities served by Jordan Hospital."
The affiliation will also align with the resources of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at BIDMC, a physician group that includes world-renowned specialists who will bring their expertise to the complex cases that require the resources of an academic medical center. Holden added that JHSI was attracted to an affiliation with BIDMC not only because the institution is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School, but also because of BIDMC's strong legacy of inclusion and compassionate care. "We share the same values," he said.
Also, under terms of the agreement, JHSI would continue to maintain its not-for-profit status. No specific timetable was announced for the signing of a definitive agreement. Both organizations indicated they will update the communities they serve whenever necessary.
About Jordan Hospital
Jordan Hospital is a not-for-profit organization serving 12 towns in Plymouth and Barnstable Counties. Established in 1901, Jordan Hospital is a full-service, 155-bed acute care community hospital accredited by The Joint Commission, the College of American Pathologists, the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, and the American College of Radiology. For more information, visit www.jordanhospital.org.
About Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and currently ranks third in National Institutes of Health funding among independent hospitals nationwide. BIDMC has a network of community partners that includes Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, Anna Jaques Hospital, Lawrence General Hospital, Commonwealth Hematology-Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare, Community Care Alliance, Atrius Health and Hebrew SeniorLife. BIDMC is also clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit www.bidmc.org.
Chris SmalleyJordan Hospital(508)-830-2422(508)-989-4679 (cell)email@example.com BergerBIDMC(617) firstname.lastname@example.com
275 Sandwich Street
Plymouth, MA 02360
(508) 746-2000


text:
Dear Ex-Fill-In-the-Blank, by Me
Dear Ex-Fill-in-the-Blank,
I don't know why I did that internet search the other day on your name. At first, it was just a whim type of thing, searching for people I remembered from high school and college, friends I'd lost touch with. I guess most of us do that at some point or another, right? So when I entered your name into Facebook, I was surprised when your name came up, because it's such an unusual name. I remembered thinking, "There's no way there's two of them…"
But there was your picture. There was no mistaking it was you. My heart skipped a beat. Then it fluttered, then it sped up and I sighed.
You were my best friend. You were my lover. You were, for that time in my life, my everything, and then, one day, you were gone. And for the past twelve years, you have been nothing more than a distant memory. Until yesterday, when you were larger than life.
And you were only one click away. Just one click. Just a little click on the 'send' button, and I could reconnect to… what? To you? To my past? To a different life?
I wrote the email I wanted to send, then I wrote it again, then I wrote it again. And then I wrote this. And then I wrote this again. I deleted, wrote, rewrote.
In the end, I left the letter unsent. (more…)


text:
The Limp Bizkit comeback might be over before it begins ... because TMZ has learned Fred Durst is gunning hard to axe two of the original members.
The "Nookie" band recently signed a deal with Cash Money Records ... and had been planning to put out a new record in the very near future.
But we're told plans came to a grinding halt recently ... when original members DJ Lethal and drummer John Otto were informed that Fred had a "new vision" for the group ... and they weren't part of the vision.
Sources tell us ... Fred has been upset with the guys for a while ... claiming their partying habits didn't fit with his lifestyle.
We're told the guys have not been officially 86'd from the group ... but they feel it might be headed in that direction unless they work out their issues, stat.
TMZ reached out to DJ Lethal ... who told us, "We've worked together the last 4 years to bring Limp Bizkit back to where it is today ... and to just be thrown out on the street after the band gets a new deal and a new chance at life isn't cool."
He adds, "You can't push away the people who helped you get there. The fans should know that if 2/5 of the original band are not playing at the concerts, it wont be truthful to them."


text: Corn Bounces Back from Ugly Week November 22, 2013 10:16 AM Tweet TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Scott Harms, Archer Financial Services Email In what started out as a pretty ugly week in the corn market, December corn actually managed to scratch out a $.005 higher close for the week. Last week finished with the EPA announcement that they will be proposing a cut in the Renewable Fuels Standard target to 15.21 billion gallons. The selloff that began in the last 15 minutes of last Friday's trade on the heels of the announcement, followed through to Monday morning. The early week weakness was compounded by news that China had cancelled a cargo of US corn due to an un approved GMO trait. Although questions quickly arose as to the true motivation surrounding the cancellation, the market took a "sell first, ask questions later" approach to the news. The break created new 3 year lows in the corn market. By mid-session on Tuesday the corn market had found support and began to bounce from its oversold levels on the back of a strong ethanol announcement and good exports on Thursday. Ethanol prices surged this week, strengthening the profit margins for ethanol producers and raising bids for cash corn in order to encourage producers to part with recently stored bushels. Reports of $.15 jumps in cash bids by ethanol plants late week were not rare. We used the softer market early in the week to lift hedge protection in corn and will look for a $.15-$.30 rally from Friday's closes to once again add back some hedge coverage. In the meantime, producers can look to the short dated new crop corn options as safety net protection for the 2014 crop through the winter months. (Click to see larger image) Back to news


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Life Expectancy for People Living With HIV Increases by 15 Years
July 29, 2013
A person living with HIV who is on treatment in the U.S. or Canada can expect to live almost a normal life span, according to a study presented at IAS 2013. The study, conducted by the NA-ACCORD (North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design), estimated the average life span to be 71.4 years in 2006-2007, an increase of 15 years from 56.1 in 2000-2002.
The researchers followed 22,937 people from the U.S. and Canada; 77% were male and 62% were white. About 39% were men who have sex with men. All participants were at least 20 years old and treatment-naive before starting meds.
The estimates were given in terms of life expectancy at age 20, defined as the average number of additional years a person at age 20 could expect to live (assuming the current age-specific mortality rates remained constant).
Overall, average life expectancy at age 20 jumped from 36.1 in 2000-2002 to 45.2 in 2003-2005, and then to 51.4 in 2006-2007. Depending on demographics and clinical characteristics, these estimates varied.
For men, life expectancy at age 20 increased from 35.9 in 2000-2002 to 44.4 in 2003-2005 and 53.4 in 2006-2007. For women, there was actually a slight decrease in the most recent time period studied, from 48.4 in 2003-2005 to 47.3 in 2006-2007.
For men who have sex with men, the estimate increased from 57.4 in 2003-2005 to 69.3 in 2006-2007 (the highest estimate for any group). By contrast, another high-risk transmission group, injection drug users, saw a virtually unchanged life expectancy change over the course of the study, from 29.5 in 2000-2002 to 31.0 in 2003-2005 and 28.8 in 2006-2007.
The CD4+ cell count at the time of starting treatment also made a big difference. For those with a CD4+ cell count greater than 350, life expectancy at 20 jumped from 48.8 in 2000-2002 to 58.4 in 2003-2005 and 68.6 in 2006-2007. Meanwhile, for those with a CD4+ cell count below 350, the estimate went up from 31.4 in 2000-2002 to 40.8 in 2003-2005 and 46.9 in 2006-2007.
Race was also a significant factor, as whites had a life expectancy at age 20 of 56.9 in 2006-2007, compared to 48.4 for non-whites.
Nonetheless, despite disparities based on sex, race, mode of transmission and CD4+ cell count, the general trend was an increase in life expectancy for anyone on treatment. Given that the most recent data available in this study were from 2007, it can be hoped that in the years since we have come even closer to matching the life expectancy of the general population. Other recent research suggests this may indeed be the case.
Warren Tong is the research editor for TheBody.com and TheBodyPRO.com.
Follow Warren on Twitter: @WarrenAtTheBody.
Copyright © 2013 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
This article was provided by TheBodyPRO. It is a part of the publication The 7th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention.
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Coming Events...
A benefit will be held for Sara Michaels on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Black Walnut Legion. There will be food and drinks, music by Joan DeGaramo, a basket raffle, a coin pitch, face painting, bracelets, magnets, shirts, homemade ornaments, Pampered Chef items and Thirty- One products. Anyone interested in donating a basket, making bake sale items or donating items to give away for the coin pitch, it would be greatly appreciated. The drop-off points will be at the Thirty-One office by the Children's Center in Wyalusing, Who Knew? Consignments in Wyalusing and B.Z. Michaels's Beauty Shop in Laceyville. Pre-sale tickets are available at the drop-off locations listed above and Eb's Market, as well as at the door. Questions, call Carly Sheldon, 570- 721-3583 or Alicia Potts Clouse, 570-746-3501.
Spaghetti Dinner and Bake Sale benefitting Deb Micklo at the Meshoppen Rod and Gun Club, Feb. 8, noon until ???. On Dec. 13, she was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. Dinner, presale, $8; at door, $10; children 5 and under, $2. Music, raffles. For more information, call Josh Micklo, 570-240-2798 or Alysha Micklo, 570-815-7652. Proceeds to help with medical expenses.
Monthly Breakfast at the Herrickville Fire Hall, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. All you can eat: pancakes, French toast, ham, sausage, eggs, home fries, sausage gravy and biscuits, coffee, orange juice, real maple syrup and sugar-free syrup. Adults, $7; children to 12 years, $3; preschool, free. Benefit: Herrick Twp. Vol. Fire Co. - Dept. 4.
The Skyline Boys - a Southern Gospel singing group will be performing in the North Orwell Union Church, North Orwell, PA. on Feb. 2 at 10:00 a.m. This service is being hosted by the Rome United Methodist Church and the North Orwell Union Church. A free will offering will be taken and merchandise will be available for purchase. A potluck luncheon will be held at the North Orwell Community Hall after the service. All are invited to hear this presentation of the gospel and attend the luncheon.
The Creation vs. Evolution "Seminar Safari" on Saturday, Jan. 25, 5 p.m., potluck. 6 to 8 p.m., first session. Sunday, Jan. 26, special service time, 10 a.m. to noon, special session, 5 to 5:45, soup supper, 6 to 8:30 p.m., last session. The sessions will be held at the Moxie Community Church, 315 Benjamin Rd., Wyalusing. For more information, call 570-746-2228.
American Red Cross Classes for Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties: Jan. 26, Adult CPR/AED, 9 to 12, Wyoming County 911 Bldg.; Jan. 26, Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED, 9 to 3:30, Wyoming 911 Bldg.; Jan. 26, Adult and Pediatric CPR/AED, 9 to 12:30, Wyoming County 911 Bldg.; Feb. 10, Adult CPR/AED, 9 to 12, Susquehanna County Chapter; Feb. 10, Adult First Aid/CPR/AED, 9 to 2:30, Susquehanna County Chapter; Feb. 23, Adult First Aid/CPR/AED, 9 to 2:30, Wyoming County 911 Bldg., Adult CPR/AED, 9 to 12, Wyoming County 911 Bldg.
American Red Cross Classes for Bradford County: Jan. 25, Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED, 9 to 3:30; Jan. 25, Adult CPR/AED, 9 to 12; Jan. 25, Adult and Pediatric CPR/AED, 9 to 12:30; Feb. 8, Adult First Aid/CPR/AED, 9 to 2:30; Feb. 8, Adult CPR/AED, 9 to 12. All classes are held at the Bradford County Emergency Operations Bldg. Register at http://www.redcross.org/takea class or call 1-800-733-2767.
All-You-Can-Eat Spaghetti Dinner, Saturday, Jan. 25, 5 to 8 p.m. at American Legion Post #534, Wyalusing. $7, adults; six to 12, $4. Open to public. An Open House will also be held so the public can view the new renovations done to the post. S2- 2c/R2-2c
A free senior (60 and over) luncheon will be served on Feb. 11 at noon at the Skinners Eddy United Methodist Church, Laceyville. Pasta is the main course, plus other items. Yvonne Robinson will be the entertainment. Call either Theresa at 570-869-1153 or Bonnie at 570-869-1938 for reservations. No reservations taken after Feb. 9. All seniors welcome.
Free soup suppers at Hollenback United Methodist Church on Feb. 12, March 12 and April 9, from 5 to 6 p.m. with a Bible Study from 4:30 until 5. All welcome.
Spaghetti Dinner, Feb. 22, 4 to 6 p.m., Haigh's Pond VFW 6824, Haigh's Pond Road, Potterville. Public Invited. Adults, $8; Children 12 and under, $5. Benefit VFW Auxiliary Relief Fund. R3- 5c/S4-4c
Ham and Turkey Party at VFW Post 6824, Haigh's Pond, Rome on Feb. 8. Doors open 6 p.m. Games start at 7 p.m. Games, prize wheel, Showdown, dice games, 50-50 and others. Food available starting at 6 p.m. No one under 18, please.
For Your Information
Bookmobile Schedule: Jan. 23, Hopkins Commons II, 9 a.m.; Hopkins Commons I, 10:30 a.m.; Keystone Manor, 1 p.m.; Kozy Kastle, 3 p.m.; Jan. 28, Bradford County Manor, 9:30 a.m.
Meeting Notices
AA Meeting—Wednesdays at 8 p.m. in the basement of the Wyalusing Presbyterian Church. Open meeting, nonsmoking.
S.O.S. Al-Anon—Family Group will meet on Fridays at 7 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church, Hopkins Street, Sayre.
TOPS PA #1134—Laceyville, meets each Tuesday evening at the Braintrim Baptist Church in Laceyville. Weigh-ins from 5:15 to 6 p.m., meeting from 6-7 p.m. For more information, call 570-965-2493 or 570-869-1834. Toll-free 1-800-932-8677.
Recovery House Meetings— AA Group of Towanda meets Mon.-Fri., noon; Mon., Thurs., Fri., Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. NA meetings are held Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Speaker meeting every first Sunday, 8 p.m. All meetings at 205 Main St., Towanda (please use rear, lower entrance).
Compassionate Friends—of the Endless Mountains will hold their meetings on the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Endless Health Community Center, Montrose. TCF is open to all families who have lost a child from any cause at any age. There are no membership dues or fees of any kind. For more information, call 570-965-0901 (evenings) or 570-278-1658 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com.
MOPS—Mothers of Preschoolers meet every first and third Wed. of the month from 9 to 11 a.m., September through May. Meetings are held at the First Presbyterian Church, 5 Court St., Towanda. All mothers of preschoolers are welcome. Child care is provided for children, ages infant through five years old. For more information, contact the church at 570- 265-5575.
Al-Anon meetings in Tunkhannock—Endless Serenity Al-Anon Family Group on Monday, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, 7 p.m., Saturday, noon. All meetings are held at the Tunkhannock UM Church Education Bldg., second floor.
Diabetes Support Groupmeeting the first Thursday of every month at the Guthrie Clinic office in Towanda beginning at 5:30 p.m. There is no charge and all diabetics and family members are welcome. For more information, call Dawn at Guthrie Clinic at 570- 265-6165 during regular business hours.
The Wyalusing Masonic Lodge No. 618 meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at the Lodge Hall, 158 Church St., Wyalusing. For more information, call 570-721- 0008.
Memorial Hospital's monthly bereavement support group schedule for 2014 will continue to meet on the last Tuesday of each month from 3 to 4:30 p.m., located in the library on the lower level of Memorial Hospital, Towanda. The group follows the book by James Miller, "What Will Help Me?" and other authors' writings related to grief and loss. The support group is open to those who have experienced loss and is facilitated by Trudy Ventello, LSW, a social worker with Memorial Hospital's Hospice program. For more information call 570- 268.2233.
Towanda-Wysox Kiwanis Club meets every second and fourth Wednesday of each month at the Weigh Station Café at 7:30 a.m. in Towanda. They find ways to help the children in the community. Contact Eileen Sheets at 570-265-2350 for more information.
Addictions to Victory— Faith-based support for addictions. Program will be held the first and third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at New Generation Church, Milan, 570- 888-1967.
MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group meets the second and fourth Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. in St. Peter's Church, 3832 State Route 6, Tunkhannock. For more information, visit www.mops.org or www.stpetestunkhannock.org. Call 570-836-2233.
AA meeting–Friday evenings at 8 p.m. at the Standing Stone Vesper Church spiritual building, River Road, Standing Stone Township. Open meeting, non-smoking.
Al-Anon meetings on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. in the upstairs kitchen of the Wyalusing Presbyterian Church. Open meeting, non-smoking.
Wyalusing Musical Society will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Wyalusing Presbyterian Church. The program will be the Early Morning Jazz group from the high school. Guests are welcome to attend.
The next meeting of the Bradford/ Sullivan Counties Intellectual Disabilities Program Quality Improvement Council will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Human Services large conference room. Please RSVP by Jan. 27 to Judy Evans at 570-265-1760 or 1-800-588-1828.
Endless Mountains Model Railroad Club will meet Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014 at 6 p.m. at the club building, 7837 Route 29, Dimock. A work bee will start at 4 p.m. Visitors and new members are always welcome. For more information, see the website at http://emmrrc.wix.com/trains .
Caregivers' Support Group sponsored by the Law Office of Leslie Wizelman and the B/S/S/T Area Agency on Aging meets at noon the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at the Library at Memorial Hospital Personal Care Home in Towanda. Anyone taking care of a family member or loved one, be it at home or as a resident of a long-term care facility welcome. For information, call Donna Benjamin at the Law Office of Leslie Wizelman, 570-746-3844 or Carol Dieffenbach at Area Agency on Aging, 570-265-6121. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
Penny Socials
Penny Social, Feb. 22, Laceyville Fire Hall. Items needed are: Kids' toys, glassware, knick-knacks, flower pots, video games, movies, CDs, curtains, jewelry, framed pictures, TVs, radios, magazines, books, housewares, holiday decorations, silverware, dishes, casserole dishes, candles, cookbooks, baby items, tins, tools, baskets, old records. Questions and drop-off locations, call Luella at 570-833- 5522. R1-5c/S2-4c
Rabies Clinics
Rabies Clinic, Feb. 4, 5 to 6 p.m. at Goodwill Fire Company, Laceyville. $10 per animal. Sponsored by Rome Vet Clinic. Animals need to be caged or leashed.
WVHS Class of 1979 will a have a class reunion meeting at the Wyalusing Hotel on Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m. Any classmates willing to help are encouraged to attend.
The WVHS Class of 1964 would like information on the following addresses: Barbara Lonnqvist, Martha Hawley Brumfield, Carl Lilley, Elise Forscht Reagan, Mary Lee Schrann Rutty, Robert Voda, Ruth Kissell deGraff and Cecil Dale Martin. If you know their whereabouts, please call Marlene Chamberlin, 570-746-3727.
RTL will hold baseball and softball sign-ups on Jan. 24 at the Wyalusing Valley Elementary School from 6 to 8 p.m. and Feb. 7 and 21 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The Wyalusing Valley High School Wrestling Booster Club is currently compiling a directory of all past WVHS wrestlers. Any past Ram grappler who would like to be included in the directory should contact Joe Buttito with address and phone number at 570-746-1689 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Trivia Night
Wyalusing Public Library is putting on a Trivia Night, Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m at the American Legion in Wyalusing. This event is sponsored by Niemiec, Smith & Pellinger Law Firm and all proceeds will benefit the Wyalusing Public Library. Tickets are $10 per person.
Saint Agnes School in Towanda is putting on a Trivia Night, Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at JFK Hall at St. Agnes. Event is sponsored by the Niemiec, Smith and Pellinger Law Firm and all proceeds benefit St. Agnes School. Tickets are $10 per person and doors open at 6 p.m. R3- 3c/S4-2c
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Grover Swartzlander first began to examine a revolutionary concept in optical physics after studying the flight of a moth. He watched the animal use its wings to create lift, which led to flight. Swartzlander asked a simple question: Could light be used to create the same effect?
This query ultimately led to groundbreaking research that has proven the existence of stable optical lift—the use of a beam of light to move and manipulate particles in the micrometer scale (similar to how the moth uses air to achieve flight).
"Moths, airplanes and automobile spoilers all use the concept of aerodynamic lift to achieve movement," notes Swartzlander, joint associate professor in RIT's Department of Physics and the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science. "Our team has proven that the same basic principle can be used with light to make micro particles 'fly,' opening up a host of possibilities for the advancement of microelectronics, biotechnology and astrophysics including the development of better micro machines and improved solar sails for long-distance space travel."
The results from Swartzlander's experiments were published in the December issue of Nature Photonic and have led to tremendous publicity for the achievement both in and outside the scientific community. For example, stories on the research have been published in Scientific American and U.S. News &World Report and Swartzlander appeared on the CBC radio program Quirks and Quarks.
"Our computer model predicts and our experiments prove that sustained optical lift is possible and can be used to control particle movement and allow for continued manipulation," Swartzlander adds.
Swartzlander worked with Timothy Peterson, a master's student in RIT's Department of Computer Science, to develop computerized simulations to test the process. He then collaborated with Alan Raisanen, associate director of RIT's Semiconductor and Microsystems Fabrication Laboratory, and Alexandra Artusio-Glimpse, a doctoral student in the Center for Imaging Science, to create a laboratory experiment using milliwatt-scale laser light and microscopic semi-cylindrical rods.
"When illuminated with the laser light, the rods exhibited both a 'levitation force' in the direction of the beam and a 'lift force' perpendicular to the beam," says Artusio-Glimpse, who earned her undergraduate degree in the imaging and photographic technology program. "The rod also rotated into a stable orientation, and subsequently underwent uniform motion."
Unlike optical tweezers, which is an alternative method to manipulate particles with a focused beam of light, optical lift occurs in uniform illumination, Artusio-Glimpse adds. Numerous rods could be simultaneously lifted and moved in a single uniform beam of light.
Swartzlander says the same force could be used to power micro-motors in biomedical devices or provide a means to steer solar sails designed to send crafts deep into space.
"We are really at the very cutting edge of where this technology could lead in the future," he continues. "It is our hope that these results will set off a new round of research that could drive even greater discoveries for the specific use of optical lift and optical physics in general."