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CNN continued what has become a precipitous decline in ratings for its prime-time programs in the first quarter of 2010, with its main hosts losing almost half their viewers in a year.
The trend in news ratings for the first three months of this year is all up for one network, the Fox News Channel, which enjoyed its best quarter ever in ratings, and down for both MSNBC and CNN.
CNN had a slightly worse quarter in the fourth quarter of 2009, but the last three months have included compelling news events, like the earthquake in Haiti and the battle over health care, and CNN, which emphasizes its hard news coverage, was apparently unable to benefit.
The losses at CNN continued a pattern in place for much of the last year, as the network trailed its competitors in every prime-time hour. (CNN still easily beats MSNBC in the daytime hours, but those are less lucrative in advertising money, and both networks are far behind Fox News at all hours.)
About the only break from the bad news for CNN was that March was not as bad as February, when the network had its worst single month in its recent history, finishing behind not only Fox News and MSNBC, but also its sister network HLN — and even CNBC, which had Olympics programming that month.
CNN executives have steadfastly said that they will not change their approach to prime-time programs, which are led by hosts not aligned with any partisan point of view.
But the numbers are stark: For the network's longest-running host, Larry King, who has always been regarded at CNN as the centerpiece of prime time because he drew the biggest audiences at 9 p.m., the quarter was his worst ever.
Mr. King's audience dropped 43 percent for the quarter and 52 percent in March. He dropped to 771,000 viewers for the quarter from 1.34 million in 2009. More alarming perhaps, Mr. King, whose show has been regularly eclipsed by Rachel Maddow's on MSNBC (and is almost quadrupled by Sean Hannity's show on Fox), is now threatened by a new host, Joy Behar on HLN (formerly Headline News.)
In her first full quarter competing with Mr. King at 9 p.m. Ms. Behar wound up beating him in the ratings 21 times.
CNN has given no indication that any changes in its lineup are imminent, but recently announced that it would try a series of specials in a talk-show format at 11 p.m. with its current 10 p.m. host, Anderson Cooper. The specials are interpreted by some at the network as a trial run for a new 9 p.m. show with Mr. Cooper.
Mr. Cooper has long been regarded as the strongest host at CNN, but his show has suffered badly as well. For the quarter, Mr. Cooper dropped 42 percent in viewers and 46 percent among the 25-to-54-year-old audience that the news channels use for their sales to advertisers.
In the past, CNN relied on big audiences for Mr. King's show to deliver viewers to Mr. Cooper. Now Mr. Cooper sometimes finds himself losing to repeats of shows on MSNBC and HLN. (At the other end of prime time, Campbell Brown's show on CNN at 8 had its worst quarter ever with the 25-to-54-year-old audience.)
Even in the morning, CNN is sliding. Its "American Morning" show dropped behind "Morning Joe" on MSNBC in total viewers for the first time; it still beat the MSNBC show among 25- to 54-year-olds, though it was down 29 percent from a year earlier.
At the same time, Fox News, which had its biggest year in 2009, continues to add viewers. Greta Van Susteren's show was up 25 percent from a year earlier. Bill O'Reilly, whose show commands the biggest audience in prime time with 3.65 million viewers, was up 28 percent, and Glenn Beck was up 50 percent from a year earlier.


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180 Degree Viewing
Excellent for T-Intersections
Ceiling or Wall Mounting
Plastic Back
Constructed of High Quality Durable 1/8" Thick Acrylic.
Excellent visibility is attained from a high quality mirror coated interior
Half Dome 180° Mirror can be placed strategically at "T" intersections to eliminate blind spots.
Ships complete with easy to install mounting
Covers Area up to 150 sq. ft

subset: commoncrawl


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Ya Boy (Feat. John Boy Of SODMG) - Ya Boy
Akon's artist Ya Boy drops [Official Video] to "Ya Boy" ft SODMG's John Boy Konvict Muzik/SODMG. Directed by NYSHOOTER
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Networking Site Offers Far More Than You Could Imagine, Part 2 of 3
If you aren't in full networking mode in this economy, let this week's column be a call to action for you.
(For more about why, see last week's column.)
These days, I'm always networking. I'm on MySpace and Facebook, and have just started to play around with Twitter and other less known networking sites like Schmoozii. Even Plaxo has gotten into the social and business networking game.
But I find LinkedIn to be the best networking tool to use by far. Most LinkedIn users already know how to link to other people in and out of their networks. I wrote about the beginner stuff about a year ago.
That said, there are LinkedIn users and then there are LinkedIn players.
Let's talk more about how to go from being merely listed on LinkedIn to being a networking "player," which has helped me get job inquiries, plus writing and consulting gigs.
Follow these steps to help grow your career:
1. Update your profile often. Every time you update your profile, that info gets sent to your connections. Also, update your "status" often, as this gets transmitted as well. You always want to be visible to other people in your network. Updates keep you in front of them.
2. Ask questions. Use the question function of LinkedIn, because it's a great tool to get your name in front of other LinkedIn users. Some quick tips: Always try to ask thoughtful and relevant questions. Ask questions that'll generate a lot of response, and give plenty of background info for why you're asking the questions. When people respond to your questions, always send thank-you e-mails to them.
And, if appropriate, you may want to send them connection requests. When your questions close, go back and use the site's rating system to pick the best answers. When you "best" people, they earn expertise. That shows up on their profiles and adds credibility, too.
3. Answer questions. Same as above. You can earn expert status, and your answers help other LinkedIn users solve their problems. And don't forget to add a URL to your answer to help support your position.
4. Join groups. LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 groups. Once you join a group, announce to it who you are; what you do; and provide a link to your profile, blog or Web site. You also can post and answer discussions within groups. Get involved, and watch your network and sphere of influence grow.
Stay tuned for part 3 next week, where I'll provide some cool power-user tips. I'll also reveal how to build a "super-profile."
Jim Gilbert is president of Gilbert Direct Marketing, a full-service catalog and direct marketing agency. His LinkedIn profile can be viewed at www.linkedin.com/in/jimwgilbert or you can post a comment here or e-mail him at email@example.com.
Jim Gilbert has been creating direct marketing programs that drive superior ROI for almost 30 years. Fluent in consumer or B-to-B, creative, operations, and analytics, he marries the strategic and tactical sides of direct and social media marketing in a seamless fashion that gets results. He's CEO of a multidiscipline direct marketing agency, Gilbert Direct Marketing, Inc., which focuses on direct mail, catalogs, DRTV, telemarketing, print, alternative direct marketing media and social media marketing. Jim has been involved in start-ups, expansions and turnarounds, and is an expert in helping multichannel marketers get to the "next level." He's a former adjunct professor, teaching direct marketing at Miami International University, and is President of the Board of Directors of the Florida Direct Marketing Association. Jim loves to talk direct marketing, and has done many lectures on direct and social media marketing.


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Czech Republic mandolin virtuoso Ondra Kozák brings the heat on an original tune this week on Mandolin Mondays. Another amazing Krishot mandolin here made by Czech luthier Eduard Kritůfek.
Ondra is a true gem of the European bluegrass scene. He's 5-time winner of the Czech Bluegrass Music Association Guitar Player of the Year Award, and has won numerous other awards with the many bands he's played with over the years. His


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> It seems like the list just keeps getting larger. As of right now, seven Brewers are on their respective countries World Baseball Classic rosters: Ryan Braun, Jonathan Lucroy, John Axford, Jim Henderson, Taylor Green, Yovani Gallardo, and Martin Maldonado.
Braun and Luc will play for Team USA (Braun also played for them in 2009). Axford, Henderson, and Green were all selected to Team Canada. Gallardo will play for Team Mexico, and Maldonado for Puerto Rico.
I'm happy for all of these guys, but the one issue with the Classic is that it interferes with Spring Training. I typically don't have an issue with that, but, as someone on Twitter pointed out earlier today, both of the Brewers' big league catchers will be participating in the WBC, so the new Brewers pitchers (particularly the relievers) won't have much time to get familiar with them. That shouldn't be an issue, but it is something to think about.
Also, the fact that Gallardo will be throwing extra innings due the WBC will probably try and prompt Ron Roenicke to give him some sort of innings limit, knowing his shenanigans. Hopefully it doesn't come to that.
> The Brewers added righty reliever Rob Wooten to Major League Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. The Brewers' list of non-roster invitees now stands at 18: pitchers Wooten, Jairo Asencio, Jed Bradley, Darren Byrd, Kelvim Escobar, Donovan Hand, Taylor Jungmann, Arcenio Leon, Travis Webb, catchers Dayton Buller, Anderson De La Rosa, Blake Lalli, Rafael Nada, Adam Weisenburger, infielders Hector Gomez, Hunter Morris, Donnie Murphy, and outfielder Kentrail Davis.
> Four Brewers filed for salary arbitration today: Axford, Burke Badenhop, Marco Estrada, and Carlos Gomez. Axford projects to get the largest contract. The Brewers already avoided arbitration with one of their eligibles, Chris Narveson.
> Minor moves:
Blue Jays: Signed ex-Brewer Henry Blanco and Adam Loewen to minor league deals; designated Tommy Hottovy for assignment; re-signed Colby Rasmus to a one-year deal; signed Denis Villatora to a five-year deal.
Orioles: Re-signed Nolan Reimold and Tommy Hunter to one-year deals.
Phillies: Signed Rodrigo Lopez, Juan Cruz, and Aaron Cook to minor league deals.
Yankees: Released ex-Brewer Chris Dickerson; re-signed Phil Hughes to a one-year deal.
Angels: Signed Fernando Cabrera to a minor league deal; re-signed Jerome Williams to a one-year deal.
Indians: Released Thomas Neal.
Reds: Signed ex-Brewer Cesar Izturis to a minor league deal.
Pirates: Re-signed Jeff Karstens to a one-year deal.
Diamondbacks: Re-signed J.J. Putz to a one-year deal.
Nationals: Signed Delwyn Young to a minor league deal; signed Rafael Soriano to a two-year deal.
Dodgers: Signed Peter Moylan, Jesus Flores, Deivy Castillo, Ariel Sandoval, Ravel Hernandez, and Miguel Urena to minor league deals.
Mariners: Signed Luis Liberato to a minor league deal.
Rangers: Signed Kyle McClellan to a minor league deal.
Marlins: Signed Michael Wuertz, Nick Green, and Austin Kearns to minor league deals.
Tigers: Signed Don Kelly to a minor league deal.
Rockies: Re-signed Wilton Lopez and Josh Outman to one-year deals.


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The newest little chickie is officially chirping!
Dixie Chicks' Emily Robison welcomed her fourth child, Violet Isabel Strayer, early Tuesday morning. The bundle of joy arrived at 3:01 a.m. and weighed 8.5 lbs.
Violet Isabella is the first child for Emily and her Court Yard Hounds guitarist boyfriend, Martin Strayer.
U.S. & World
Adele and her baby bump hit the streets!
"Emily Robison and Martin Strayer are ecstatic to announce the birth of their new baby girl, Violet Isabel Strayer," Court Yard Hounds posted on their official Facebook page. "Violet was born at 3:01am on September 4, 2012 weighing 8.5 lbs. Mom and baby Violet are doing well and Dad couldn't be happier!"
40-year-old Robison has three children from her previous marriage to Charlie Robison--7-year-old twins Juliana Tex and Henry Benjamin and 9-year-old Charles Augustus.


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The CofC Softball Stadium
Patriot's Point Blvd
The College of Charleston softball team plays at Patriots Point Athletics Complex in Mt. Pleasant, SC. The $6.5 million facility is home to the Cougar soccer, softball, tennis and baseball programs.
The main building is equipped with locker rooms, a meeting area and press areas for all teams. Also housed there are concessions and a full laundry facility. The 35-acre complex also includes softball and baseball practice fields as well as five Mt. Pleasant youth soccer fields. A state-of-the-art training building fulfills the medical needs of all the student-athletes at Patriots Point. In 2007 an updated sound system, improved netting behind the backstop and an awning were installed as part of a $3 million renovation.
Patriots Point was completed in the fall of 2000 and was a collaborative effort between the College of Charleston, the Town of Mt. Pleasant, and the Patriots Point Development Authority. The complex operates on a joint agreement between Mt. Pleasant and CofC concerning the use and maintenance of the fields.
The tennis facility has nine outdoor, lighted courts and a 3,000 square foot clubhouse with tennis offices and locker rooms. It has a two-tiered terrace that overlooks the courts for easy viewing. Instead of bleachers, spectators sit in low-country style rocking chairs. The courts also have computerized scoreboards, one on each side of the facility that will be updated by the players during the crossovers.


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Games night
A fun evening of board games for the whole family! Bring a game and/or some munchies. Free and open to everyone. Food available for a nominal charge.
Cribbage? Settlers of Catan? Catch Phrase? Apples to Apples? Whatever suits your fancy, we've got the game and the people to play it with. Or bring your own!


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Sleetmute - Order Birthday Flowers for Delivery
Birthday Gifts
- Birthday Flowers Sleetmute
- Birthday Plants Sleetmute
- Birthday Gift Baskets Sleetmute
- Birthday Chocolate Sleetmute
- Birthday Fruit Bouquet Sleetmute
- Birthday Balloons Sleetmute
- Birthday Gifts Sleetmute
- Birthday Cake Sleetmute
- Birthday Wine Sleetmute
- Birthday Stuffed Animals Sleetmute
- Birthday Personalized Gift Sleetmute
- Birthday Candy Bouquet Sleetmute
- Birthday Perfumes Sleetmute
- Birthday Cookies Sleetmute
12 Wow Roses
$64.09 $54.47
Lush Blush Bouquet (Standard)
$51.47 $43.75
12 Lavender Roses
$80.12 $68.10
Blissfully Yours Bouquet (Standard)
$45.74 $38.88
Giftblooms Crazy for You Bouquet with Red Roses (Medium)
$62.92 $53.48
12 White Long Stem Roses
$80.12 $68.10
Bright wishes for you
$51.51 $43.79
Birthday Flower Cake Bright
$57.22 $48.63
12 Mixed Long Stem Roses -1
$57.22 $48.63
Two Dozen Long Stemmed Red Roses (Love Ceramic Vase)
$112.13 $95.31
Piggy Flower Pail
$45.77 $38.90
All Wrapped Up Yellow
$57.22 $48.63
Set to CelebrateBirthday Bouquet - VASE INCLUDED (GOOD)
$71.88 $61.09
Gerbera Daisies
$75.54 $64.21
Floral Treasures Bouquet With Raspberry Hazelnut Cheesecake
$137.37 $116.76
Tiny Miracle New Baby Boy Bouquet - VASE INCLUDED (GOOD)
$71.88 $61.09
The Sunny SentimentsBouquet (GOOD)
$64.69 $54.98
Loves Embrace Roses White
$45.77 $38.90
Springtime Bird's Nest of Flowers (Large)
$51.51 $43.79
Birthday Flower Delivery Sleetmute, AK: One of the Most Beautiful Ways to Express your Love
Birthday is enjoyed to celebrate those years of life spend with good times. It must have rejoiced with a meaningful gift. Online birthday gift delivery is at your service to deliver your birthday greetings with sensational flowers bouquet. Your intention is good to make them smile during this time. Send birthday flowers online is a beautiful surprise to make near one feel special on his/her birthday.
You can't find right gift for soulmate's birthday, send romantic flowers online. It will instantly cheer up her mood. We deliver variable size of exclusive romantic blooms hand arranged in a designer bouquet. Wish for heart shaped birthday flowers arrangement in Sleetmute USA and we will make it for you.
Birthday Flowers Online: Obvious choice to wish their Special Day in Sleetmute USA
Romantic roses to exotic orchids, bright lilies to happy chrysanthemums, we include all seasonal same day flower delivery to surprise the closet one. Also we deliver gift hampers online with matching birthday flowers bouquet. Bright and charming flowers are a crowd-pleasing gift and you can use it to take in any type of celebrations including birthdays.
Certainly near one is hoping a best birthday flowers from you. Birthday flower delivery to Sleetmute USA is a nice trick to help those nature-loving people. Flowers aura will uplift the senses and bright flowers will decorate the party. And if you are looking for the keepsake gift, send lucky bamboo plants online. We do deliver flower plants to keep blooming. Also we book orders for bonsai plant gift. So here you will get all the range of flowers gift to wish love one happy birthday. We are always ready to break the barriers of distances. We work 24/7 in Sleetmute USA to reach your greetings to the one you love from the chore of heart.
So what are you waiting for? Send the best bouquet for birthday guys and girls know how much they mean to you.
International Birthday Delivery Options:Bulgaria Birthday Flowers Delivery, Australia Birthday Flowers Delivery, Belarus Birthday Flowers Delivery, Hungary Birthday Flowers Delivery, Singapore Birthday Flowers Delivery, Switzerland Birthday Flowers Delivery, Panama Birthday Flowers Delivery
I wanna send a b'day cake to my friend in cincinnati. Is it possible ?
We can provide Cake Delivery to Cincinnati,USA. You have to choose your favorite cake from the collection and your selected cake delivered at Cincinnati,USA on your selected date.
Do you have available gift for kids birthday that will deliver tomorrow ?
Yes, We can deliver different types of birthday gifts for your kids tomorrow. Just choose your favorite birthday gifts from the collection and your presents will be delivered tomorrow anywhere in the USA. We never disappoint you.
I'm trying to find out if I can get a cookie delivered today. Is it possible ?
We happily provide same day delivery of Cookie Bouquet in USA for all occasions like Birthday, Anniversary, Wedding and lot more to make your day special. Our cookie bouquets catalog has finest collection of premium cookies available for same day delivery all across USA.
Is it possible to deliver birthday cake and birthday balloons in New York,nyc the Same day?
Yes, We provide balloons delivery New York same day for birthday celebration. But for fresh cake you have to order one day in advance. Try our cake delivery to New York to make a birthday special. .


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While I'm in New York, I've asked my favorite bloggers to guest post, the first is a tutorial from Pugly Pixel.
Hi everyone! Margaret graciously asked me to write a post while she's out of town and as a long time fan of Paper Pastries, I was delighted.
My name is Katrina and I blog at PuglyPixel where I share my snapshots and latest enthusiasms. Lately, I've been exploring the wonders of Photoshop -- and stumbling upon new tricks and learning new techniques that can visually improve my blog. I share all my discoveries as tutorials and free clip art.
When away from my computer, I'm usually out taking pictures, walking the pups, visiting Japantown, or fulfilling orders for my Etsy shop.
I sell pretty packaging knick knacks and I like to make my own thank you cards to attach to every order. The following photos show the latest incarnation of my thank you cards. As you can see, these are a cinch to make, and I thought it would make a short and sweet DIY tutorial.
You'll need some card stock (4 colors), glue, scissors.
You'll need a few punches, too! I used three different punches in this tutorial. The first is a leaf punch by Martha Stewart. The other two are oval scallop punches by Marvy Uchida.
You can use any punches, but just make sure they are two different sizes.
Step one: punch each card stock with each of the three punches.
Step two: Match the scallop ovals by shade (pink/red or brown/yellow) and glue those together.
Step three: Avoid too much matchy-matchy. Afix the brown/yellow leaves with the red/pink ovals and vice versa.
Add your personalized note and presto -- you're done! You can staple the card onto the package, or you can use a cute circle sticker.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. And Margaret, thanks for inviting me over! :)
Thanks so much Katrina! Isn't this a great tutorial? I definitely want to make some tags when I get home.
Check out Katrina's shops, and her blog.


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Sometimes IT is hard to be a woman
The fight for the right to be measured, recognised and valued on equal terms is far from over.
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MIAMI - Dwyane Wade was not in the lineup for the Miami Heat on Sunday, sitting out the reigning NBA champions' game with the Charlotte Bobcats because of right knee soreness.
The team did not believe the matter was serious, and it's possible Wade could be back in the lineup as early as Monday's game at Orlando.
"He got hit in the knee a couple games back and it is just sore, bruised," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "So we are going to be very proactive and get some treatment and hopefully he feels better (Monday). We'll see how it goes."
Miami took a 25-game winning streak into the matchup with the NBA-worst Bobcats. The Heat had been without Wade for four other games this season, once because of the flu, once because of a league-issued suspension and two others in November because of a sore foot.
Spoelstra said Wade has been dealing with the issue for several days, and that it reappeared after he collided with someone during Miami's game at Boston last Monday.
"He reaggravated it when he collided knees with somebody out there," Spoelstra said. "It was just sore and he has been playing through it and it just hasn't been getting better but we think rest and treatment will fast-track that."
Wade is averaging 21.5 points on 52 per cent shooting for the Heat this season. During the winning streak, Wade is averaging 22.8 points, 5.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds on nearly 54 per cent shooting.
Mike Miller was in the starting lineup in Wade's place. Miller — one of the stars of last year's title-clinching Game 5 victory over Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals, making seven 3-pointers — has been largely out of the rotation this year, but Spoelstra chose to start him Sunday in order to keep the team's rotations as unaffected as possible.
"He knows what he signed up for and it has been communicated quite a bit," Spoelstra said. "Those guys have to continue to work their bodies and stay mentally sharp and Mike has done a very good job at doing that. He spends a lot of time working on his shots and conditioning to stay sharp."
For the Bobcats, Josh McRoberts (left shoulder strain) was out, replaced in the starting lineup by Byron Mullens.


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Do you know of a place that would be perfect for a cache, but, for whatever reason, you do not want to be the one to place it? Perhaps you are a vacationer and really enjoyed a particular spot and want to share it, but aren't allowed to place a cache far from home.
I konw of at least 3 places and probably more.
Is it feasable to make some sort of list, perhaps like the "wireless" list?


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Tillys is an action sports-oriented, specialty retail chain serving up the freshest brands and trends to an ever-evolving generation of active lifestyles. We hold it down with a unique shopping experience in malls and shopping centers from coast to coast. In the fast-paced world of retail we always need to keep it 100 and can only do it with the realest team around..so we are always looking for more talented, creative, and energetic people to join our crew and become a part of the Tillys lifestyle.
Be the first to know about exclusives and deals.


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Estes Cone, located in Longs Peak country of Rocky Mountain National Park, is not the result of some ancient volcano. It is an isolated remnant shaped by natural erosion that left a definitive cone-shaped mountain reaching 11,006 feet in altitude.
There are a number of routes trekkers can choose to reach this rocky summit. On the traditional route to the Cone that begins at the Longs Peak trailhead, hikers will discover the remnants of an old cabin near Inn Brook. At the end of a faint trail running parallel to the brook to the west, the tailings of an old mine can be seen. The Eugenia Mine was recorded at the Larimer County Courthouse in 1905. It is located on the northeast slope of Pine Ridge, which is part of Battle Mountain. The mine was purported to have been tunneled into the ridge a thousand feet. There were narrow tracks that went to the end of the tunnel, as well as ore carts to run on the tracks. It is unknown how profitable the mining venture was. Rocky Mountain National Park officials filled in the tunnel many years ago, but the tailings are still visible today.
The history of this mine and the people involved with it is somewhat interesting. The Carl P. Norwell family lived there and worked the mine. Norwell had a partner in the mining operation by the name of Edward A. Cudahy. It has been conjectured that this Cudahy might have been part of the famous Cudahy mead packing company of Chicago since both partners were from there. Cudahy never lived or worked the mine but was a partner from a distance.
The Norwells, who had two daughters, had a comfortable home on the site. It was well furnished and had the latest state-of-the-art entertainment center for the early part of the century–a piano. This piano had been hauled in by Arthur Claude Matthews by freight wagon and a four-horse team over the difficult rough dirt roads to the Norwell home. History books indicate that the young guides of the early Longs Peak Inn and Hewes-Kirkwood Lodge had three reasons to frequently visit the Norwell home–two daughters and one piano.
Participants in this Saturday`s hike to the Estes Cone sponsored by the Shining Mountains Group of the Colorado Mountain Club will have the opportunity to look back into history as they pass the Eugenia Mine. The trek begins at the Longs Peak trailhead, winds past the mine, through Moore Park and Storm Pass. From there trekkers scramble to the top of the Cone where they will be treated to panoramic views of Longs Peak and Mt. Meeker.


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(CMT Offstage keeps a 24/7 watch on everything that's happening with country music artists behind the scenes and out of the spotlight.)
Well, if I wasn't planning on going to see Keith Urban in concert, I am now. Have you seen this video he put together with his tourmates, Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch? I'll give you the gist of it here: Urban and Lynch climb into the front seat of an old sedan, and all four members of Little Big Town get in the back seat. The car's radio is broken, so they decide to make their own music for their road trip. It ranges from a Queen hit from almost 40 years ago to an unreleased tune off Jason Aldean's latest album. It's a fun little journey down memory lane. But more than that, it establishes that Urban is definitely bringing some of the best voices in country on tour with him in 2013, when it kicks off in July. Here are the songs they're singing:
1984 — Wham! "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"
1986 — Bon Jovi, "Livin' on a Prayer"
1985 — Starship, "We Built This City"
1988 — Poison, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"
1992 — Sir Mix-a-Lot "Baby Got Back"
1983 — Culture Club, "Karma Chameleon"
1975 — Queen, "Bohemian Rhapsody"
2012 — Jason Aldean, "1994"
2011 — LMFAO, "Party Rock Anthem"
1992 — Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog, "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang"
2010 — Rihanna, "Only Girl (In the World)"


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Wednesday, December 14, 2011
12 Days of Christmas Giveaways!
Only 12 more days until Christmas! While we here in the Underground can offer no swans a-swimming, no lords a-leaping, no gold rings or partridges, we have something even better... books, books, and more books!
We're kicking off the final twelve days of Christmas here in the Underground by talking about our "first holiday memories". Each day will bring a new author, a new memory, a new book giveaway. Yep, we'll be doing a book-a-day giveaway until December 25th, when one lucky winner will win a Grand Prize Packet, filled with books from some of your favorite authors!
Join me, Sable Grace, Kim Falconer, Joss Ware, Leah Cypess, Anita Bell, Dakota Banks, Nicole Murphy, Josephine Angelini, Juliana Stone, Helen Lowe and Kerrelyn Sparks as we share Christmas memories over the next twelve days. Pop in and leave us a comment to be entered in the giveaways.
SILENT NIGHT, HAUNTED NIGHT, and by sharing with one of my earliest Christmas memories:
There were seven people in my family, five of us kids. Money was tight, but excitement was high. I have a vivid memory of squirming and giggling with my sisters and brother as we peeked into the living room on Christmas morning to see a brightly lit tree surrounded by presents that hadn't been there when we'd gone to bed the night before. It was magical, astonishing, and I could barely contain my excitement when I saw that the thing I'd wanted most in all the world was right there in front of the tree – an adorable stuffed Bambi almost as tall as a four or five year-old me. I'd seen that Bambi in a store with my Mother two weeks before, begged for it, and had reluctantly been forced to accept my mom's verdict that it was too expensive.
The tree looked huge, the pile of presents looked as tall as a mountain in my mind. Where had they all come from? My mom couldn't have wrapped and hidden that many gifts on her own, could she? Maybe Santa really HAD come and brought them! Maybe that's how I'd gotten my wish and received my Bambi!
But I always knew that it was my mom's doing. She was the one who made the day special. She was the one who bought the gifts and wrapped them, saving a little bit week after week out of the grocery money in order to do it. She was the one who baked the fruitcake that some of us loved and some of us hated, and she's the one who always waited until we kids had gone to bed to bring the presents out, telling us Santa brought them while we were asleep, even when we were far, far too old to hear it. I kept up this tradition with my own kids, always remember how magical it was to wake up to your heart's desire. I don't remember what happened to Bambi, but I'll always remember that morning.
Tell me a Christmas memory of yours for a chance to win a signed copy of SILENT NIGHT, HAUNTED NIGHT, and let the Countdown To Christmas begin!
29 comments:
There was the year my sister wrote all over my brand new doll's face with my mother's bright, red lipstick. My mother did and said nothing to her. Our birthday (we have the same birthday a year apart) is three weeks after Christmas. I got the tall bride doll, and she did not. HA!!
- December 14, 2011 at 9:58 AM
- Terri Garey said...
At least you had your revenge, Roni! :)
- December 14, 2011 at 11:04 AM
- Michelle Bledsoe said...
My favorite memory is when my mom made denim jackets for me, my brother, and about 5 of my cousins. When I think back on that I am simply amazed that she took the time to do that. Also the Christmas I got a child size pinball machine. I had so much fun until my older brother broke it...LOL
koonie2888 at yahoo dot com
- December 14, 2011 at 11:20 AM
- Bonnie said...
I remember one Christmas Santa left my sister and I a hot wheels race car track. (My mom & dad raced cars back then.) We got up and came down stairs and the little cars were wizzing arround on the bright orange track. We were so excited. The cat sat down right next to it and would catch the cars with his paw and knock them off the track so anytime we wanted to play with it the cat was locked in the bathroom, poor kitty.
My parents filmed every year and it's fun ro watch the old 8mm films.
Merry Chirstmas
- December 14, 2011 at 11:33 AM
- Sharon Stogner said...
I also remember looking into the den and seeing presents that weren't there the night before. Such a wonderful and magical feeling. I remember getting my first watch (I was 5) it was a snow white one with a light blue watch band :)
- December 14, 2011 at 11:35 AM
- Bookish Fangirl said...
Even though there isn't one thing that made it more memorable than other Christmases my most memorable Christmas was the last Christmas before my father passed away.
- December 14, 2011 at 11:44 AM
- Terri Garey said...
Your brother broke your pinball machine, Michelle? Brothers!!
Poor kitty just wanted to play, Bonnie! I'll bet the old films are hilarious.
- December 14, 2011 at 12:25 PM
- Terri Garey said...
Do you still do that with your kids, Sharon? (Put extra presents under the tree Christmas eve?)
Very sorry about your father, Tanya. Both my parents are gone, and I really miss my mom the most at Christmas!
- December 14, 2011 at 12:26 PM
- Amy Valentini said...
My best Christmas memory happened when my niece was only 2 yrs old (I was waaaaay older) but it confirmed to me that yes, Terri, there is a Santa.
My niece asked her folks for an electric Barbie car. My brother could surely afford it but they told her that it was something Santa could never deliver. Broken hearted, my niece said she didn't want Santa to bring anything then. One day, my father walked into a store and they were running a raffle - the grand prizes were an electric GI Joe Jeep and an electric Barbie Car. Well, he immediately entered the raffle. One day, about a week before Christmas, I was housesitting for my folks while they traveled to WI to see other grandkids and received a phone call. Knowing nothing of the raffle, I was surprised when they told me that my father had won. He had a choice of one of the grand prizes. As soon as I heard about the Barbie car, I claimed it. We ended up shipping the car through an airlines, costing almost as much as the car, but it was there on Christmas morning, parked in the driveway with a big red bow, and a tag saying it was from Santa.
So you see, wishes can come true because there really is a Santa - he just works through us.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
- December 14, 2011 at 12:59 PM
- MamaMasseyWVU said...
When my son was 2 my mother bought him this huge handcrafted rocking horse. The man who made it guaranteed that even some one 300 lbs could ride it. Well when we brought it out my son flipped. He was so excited, then a soon as he got off my husband got on. It then became the family gag that every one got on a had there picture taken! My grandmother sat backwards and even my downsyndrome uncle got on!
- December 14, 2011 at 1:00 PM
- SandyG265 said...
My grandmother worked for Saks in New York and we used to go into the city to go to the employee Christmas party every year.
- December 14, 2011 at 1:43 PM
- CrystalGB said...
One of my favorite Christmas memories is when I was four and I received a shiny blue pedal car. I was so excited that I screamed.
- December 14, 2011 at 1:53 PM
- Jessica @ a GREAT read said...
2 Christmas memories or traditions really that I have are when my family and I bake cookies! I love it! Sure it's not healthy or good for you, but it is good for your soul! ;) We always make a variety, my fave being the sugar cookie cut outs!
My other fave tradition, it's not necessarily mean, but my sis sure gets tired of it, but I don't care! That's the joy of being the youngest! Anyway, I always double box-double wrap her gift. No matter what it is! I like to make her work for her gift! I currently have her gifts wrapped once, since they're slightly larger than normal I have to get a big box and wrap that up, so I'm trying to find one, have one now but I might be able to get a better one!
- December 14, 2011 at 3:14 PM
- Na said...
I remember how during the holidays my whole family would go sledding down the local hill. It was a lot of fun. Afterwards we would all go home and warm ourselves up with hot soup. Now we live in a place that rarely sees snow and it makes me recall those younger days.
- December 14, 2011 at 3:16 PM
- Riva said...
One Christmas when I was quite young, my mother noticed that there were presents missing from under the tree. She had forgotten to wrap part of our Christmas!! She snuck into our bedrooms, and then told us how Santa used to leave presents for her under her bed. My sister and I ran to check - and sure enough - there were presents under the bed.
I checked under the bed for many Christmas mornings after that year. :-)
- December 14, 2011 at 3:18 PM
- Billie Jo said...
My first real memory of Christmas was when I was 5. My little sister and I shared a room and I was so uber excited that I could not go to sleep. My mom kept coming into the bedroom and found me sitting at the window waiting to see Santa. By 1 am she was so tired and fed up with me that she made me a cup of hot tea. Of course she put a little whiskey in the tea to get me to sleep. It worked and I didn't want to wake up in the morning....LOL Hmmm maybe that is why I am not a Whiskey girl.
Happy Holidays everyone
- December 14, 2011 at 3:52 PM
- alainala said...
my fav memory is decorating the tree with my mom.. shes got all these amazing ornaments, some were her grandmothers.. and its like crawling back down memory lane going through them...
thanks for the chance to win!
alainala AT hotmail DOT ca
- December 14, 2011 at 5:13 PM
- zehra said...
My favorite memory is when i was around 7 and i was scared of santa... when i went to the mall around christmas tht time santa was there for a picture...but i was soo scared of him tht by mistake trying to get away from him i pulled of his mustache...and v have a pic of tht. lol
- December 14, 2011 at 5:36 PM
- Lea @ The Yearning Mermaid said...
Lovely memory :)
I remember that my twin-sister and I always had to stay in our room on christmas until a bell rang. That was the sign that Santa had left and that we could come out. I loved that bell and I´pretty sure I will continue this tradition with my own kids :)
- December 14, 2011 at 6:26 PM
When I was a child, my parents always got up with us and let us look through our stockings first- and we always knew that Santa would leave us an apple, an orange, and a candy cane! Then we had a homemade fruit strudel for breakfast before settling down to go through our gifts! Santa only wrapped about half of them, so the waiting was the WORST. :) Happy holidays!
- December 14, 2011 at 6:34 PM
- Melissa (Books and Things) said...
I was sick. I always seemed to find a cold or flu at that time of year when I was young. But this year I kept running a fever. I got up because I felt awful and my parents just finished putting together a plane that my uncle got me (via Santa). I stood there shaking because I was excited and sick at the same time. I remember thinking (I was like 3 at the time) that Santa was real because my parents saw him! My mom was just worried if I had too much excitement and had to try to coax me back to bed. LOL
- December 14, 2011 at 7:17 PM
- June M. said...
My favorite Christmas memory is of my grandfather. Each year on Christmas Eve, the entire family would gather at my grandparents' house. This included all their 11 children, in-laws, grandchildren, a few grandchildren, various extra family, friends, etc. After dinner, everyone would gather and my grandfather would read the story of the first Christmas aloud from his Bible. This was what made Christmas for me, and since he passed away, I really miss it. I do have videos of it from various years but it is not the same.
- December 14, 2011 at 7:40 PM
- Barbara E. said...
I remember many Christmas nights when my sister and I (and anyone else that wanted to go) would pile in the car and drive around town checking out all the beautiful lights and decorations, and then come home for pumpkin pie, yummy!
Barbed1951 at aol dot com
- December 14, 2011 at 7:49 PM
- Brenda Hyde said...
My memory is more a collective one of many Cmas times. EVERY year until I went away to college our stockings had a giant candy cane, a coloring book and crayons plus several small items. To this day I love coloring books, and had a blast coloring with my kids:)
- December 14, 2011 at 11:55 PM
I remember the year santa left my sister a monster truck with missles, she got so upset because santa thought she was a boy. We still love to hassle her about it.
ticklebear2 at yahoo dot com
- December 15, 2011 at 8:12 AM
- Helen Lowe said...
Christmas in your family sounds very similar to mine, Terri--and even when money was tight they were always magical.
- December 15, 2011 at 6:01 PM
Well, my most memorable Christmas was when I was about 8 or 10 years old. I was arguing with my sister - as usually :) -, and suddenly we heard jingling. It was Santa - okay, now I know it was my godfather, but we were so surprised then that we stopped arguing and almost started to cry, because we thought we wouldn't get presents, because we were bag girls xD Of course, we got presents but we didn't argue for a while after it :)
And now merry Christmas to you! :)
- December 18, 2011 at 9:54 AM
- Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...
I remember the year Santa got us cowboy outfits and guns. My little brother shot plastic pellets into my mom's gravy and got us all in trouble.
alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
- December 19, 2011 at 1:54 AM
- Unknown said...
One Christmas my brother and I woke up early... we are talking like 4-5 am early and woke my little sister, let the dog outside, and settled down to open gifts. We decided it was still dark so it was too early to wake mom and dad. My brother and I were probably 10 and 11. We decided that we would just open a couple then sit down and play or read until the parents finally woke up. One of the dogs decided to wake my mom, we got sent back to bed with orders not to leave our rooms until 9. We usually got to open gifts at 7. We might not have gotten in quite so much trouble had we not gotten my 4 yr old sister up. We did have fun though and we ended up open gifts before 9 anyways because we always left between 9 and 10 for Christmas at my Grandparents in the Adirondacks. Grammy had a turkey and ham and we all ate in shifts doing dishes and reheating between each feeding 80 to 120 people each Christmas. That year was our turn for homemade gifts from Grammy and Grampa instead of store bought. With 50 grandchildren she couldn't make for all every year. I got a large cloth bag with my name quilted onto it. I used that bag all the way until college when someone stole it from the laundry room.
- December 19, 2011 at 5:07 PM


text:
Earth day is an annual day on which events are held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection. What better way to show your support for Mother Earth than indulging yourself in eco-friendly luxury items.
This new breed of high-end designers are throwing out the ever so popular idea of the "granola and hemp" lifestyle and putting sustainable products on the market. Here are a few of the stylish sustainable fashion brands there.
Avilan's Storied Diamonds
The Avilan story began with a seed. This local company realized that it was time to improve the way the diamond industry operates and created the Storied Diamond. Since the diamond is the ultimate expression of love, Avilan buys and sells sustainable diamonds to maintain a deep admiration and respect for human rights and the environment. You can find out more about Avilan's at avilandiamonds.com.
SUNO is a New York based, women's wear label founded in 2009 by Max Osterweis in collaboration with designer Erin Beatty. With eye-popping prints coming from vintage African textiles, this line is really starting to heat up. Osterweis has considered Kenya a second home for quite some time and wanted to incorporate a line inspired by the post-election violence threatening to damage the economy and industry in Kenya. The business has evolved to include production in Kenya, Peru, India and New York. You can find more about the SUNO collections at sunony.com.
Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney isn't just a vegetarian looking to make clothes; she is an environmentally friendly designer and has a line that uses biodegradable, raw and natural products to make her company more sustainable and ethical. Stella refuses to use leather, skins or any animal furs in their products as she want to lead by example in a sustainable industry.
In 2012, Stella reduced her carbon emissions, waste and water usage resulting from the production of products and services by 25 percent. You can find more on Stella's creations at stellamccartney.com.
EE Cuffs
Veronica Gadea founded EE Cuffs in March of 2011 with a desire to create fashionable accessories that anyone could wear. Inspired by the environment to make "wearable art," Gadea uses elements found in everyday life to craft these mesmerizing one-of-a-kind accessories. These cuffs can be found in the Washington D.C. Area and also online. From wooden cuffs with embellishments to vintage and recreated paper cuffs, you just can't go wrong. You can find more of these exclusive creations at eecuffs.com.
Hearts is a Scottsdale based, eco-friendly fashion business with the hopes to "promote change from purchasing power." By making this venture as sustainable as possible, owner Hart Cunningham looks to make his entrepreneur-generated-philanthropy mindset a worldwide success for the business itself as well as the environment. By seeking out fine artisans and craftsman, Hearts is able to market exclusive pieces while preserving the beauty of the world. You can learn more about the Hearts movement at hearts.com.


text:
In the best of all possible worlds, the interests of students as developing writers and scholars would best be served if Independent Studies or Internships were not used to meet W-course requirements. Although independent study courses and internships often require written work, they are not designed to provide the same level of support of writing skill development as regular W-courses. Logically they are meant to serve well-prepared students, who are capable and mature enough to carry out extended work on their own with consultation with a professor.
It would be most advantageous to students if Independent Studies or Internships were not undertaken until they had completed the W-course requirement. That would enable students to enter independent studies with stronger writing skills, ready to focus on the critical aspects of research and analysis at an advanced level.
Fairness to faculty suggests they should not be burdened with the task of developing Independent Study proposals or Internships with students who have to meet the extra guidelines for W-courses, especially at the last minute. Faculty should not be in the awkward position of trying to meet students' needs for W-courses and offering independent study as a convenience to the students, rather than as a legitimate learning opportunity.
That being said, some students may want to take an Independent study or Internship and need a W-course opportunity, and some faculty members may want to offer an opportunity to do independent study or Internship for W-credit to students in their departments.
Therefore, the following policy shall govern approving Independent Study or Internship Proposals for W-course credit:
A student may take one Independent Study or one Internship as a W-course, but only if the student has already taken at least two W-courses at Southern. (Note: students may exceed the 3 required W-courses.) Students may NOT take both an Independent Study and an Internship for W-course credit. Acceptance of Independent Study for W-course Credit precludes acceptance of an Internship for W-course Credit. Internships must be approved a priori and may NOT be submitted for post-hoc W-Course waivers.
Independent Study for W-Credit Agreement Form
Internship / Field Practicum for W-Credit Agreement Form


text:
On Call: An excerpt from Paul Wilkes' In Due Season
The Body of Christ is the best medicine for body and soul, regardless of whether we are "worthy" to receive him.
"Are you a priest?"
There I was at the Lancôme counter at Belk's, Wilmington's upscale department store, searching for the perfect perfume for Tracy. And there she was, a visitor from the neighboring Chanel counter, as the distinctive logo on her smock noted. She looked at me intently through those well-etched eyes, awaiting my answer.
"N-no, I'm not a priest," I stammered.
"I remember you . . . ," she began hesitantly, as if this might not be the right place or time. She was not about to turn back now.
"When you came into my baby's room," she continued. "The helicopter was already on the pad ready to take him up to Duke Medical Center. He was sick, so sick. We thought he was going to die. I don't know your name, but I'll never forget that moment. You touched him so tenderly and blessed his tiny forehead with the sign of the cross. You gave me Holy Communion, and you said the most beautiful prayer I've ever heard. You said God would be on that helicopter with my son. And then they whisked us out of there.
"I don't know if that's all you said, but you brought a sense of calm in what must not have taken more than a couple seconds. I felt a sense of peace come over me. I did feel God was with us, and I knew," and here she hesitated, collecting herself, "I just knew from that moment on that he was going to be all right. He's now a rambunctious 6-year-old, and I just want to say," her clouded eyes broke into a mother's proud grin, "thank you."
One Sunday morning in the weekly bulletin at St. Mary, our Wilmington parish, the call went out for extraordinary ministers. There was an opening for a person to visit New Hanover Regional Medical Center, our largest hospital, each Thursday morning. Not knowing exactly what that entailed, I agreed, and was schooled in the ritual of distributing the Eucharist by an unsmiling woman from the diocese, with all the compassion and pastoral skills of a Marine drill sergeant, who talked about the Eucharist as if it were fissionable material, which, if mishandled, would signal the utter and immediate destruction of the Catholic Church.
"Always ask if they are in the state of grace. Ascertain if they are in a proper marriage. At a minimum, be sure they have done their Easter duty. Under no circumstances . . . " She didn't so much frighten as exhaust me with her many admonitions. I would have to see for myself what being an extraordinary minister was all about.
Over the many Thursdays that followed, I gave Holy Communion to some 4,000 people. I was honored to touch the faces of the living and the newly dead. I was welcomed and was occasionally angrily told to leave. I stood with a spouse whose loved one had just received a terminal diagnosis. I was in the room when all tests came back negative. Each Thursday morning offered me a time to be humbled and dazzled by the deep faith of these men and women. Through these patients I came to a clearer understanding of my own life, my church, and my God.
What follows is taken from various visits, but let us call it a richly representative Thursday, for each Thursday presented its own unique chapter in the book of lives.
My first stop is the small chapel on the first floor. I approach the simple altar beneath a pane of backlit stained glass ubiquitous enough to offend none and embrace all. The Bible is open to Psalm 103, one of my favorites.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of his benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit;
Who crowns you with loving-kindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
Yes, the eagle. I bow my head and ask that I would be a worthy bearer of the gift borne in the tender talons of that mighty eagle.
In Room 940 is Edna, a black woman in her 50s, who when I introduce myself ("Good morning; Paul Wilkes from St. Mary with Holy Communion for you") immediately apologizes that she's been away from the church, but assures me she is coming back. It is a frequent first volley: Guilt finely honed by my church.
I look into her bright eyes and say, "Well, I wouldn't worry too much about that right now, Edna; the church has come to you. We deliver!" She smiles.
I come closer to her bed. Is this 8 o'clock in the morning in Room 940, or is it the vineyard at day's end? And didn't the vineyard owner see that the needs of those who hadn't had the opportunity to put in a full day's work are really no different from those who had worked all day long? Each needed to be fed, each acknowledged as having done their best, having given their time, with whatever abilities they had.
The popular "What Would Jesus Do?" litmus test-both a subterfuge for appalling abuse and grounds for grace-filled acts-might seem a bit facile a way to guide my actions. But, quite honestly, it seems to make more pastoral sense than the third degree recommended by my Grand Inquisitor eucharistic instructor. Well, what would Jesus do? I am not Jesus, so I can't know for sure. And I am not a priest, so I cannot hear her Confession, which she might normally do before receiving Communion. But does a simple Act of Contrition rising up from this hospital bed from a woman in an advanced stage of respiratory failure and pneumonia not reach the ear of God?
"Edna, before we approach the altar together, so that you might receive this precious gift, let's lay down the burden of our sins," I say. We begin the Act of Contrition together: "O, my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee . . . "
My prayer complete, I look down at Edna. I hold the host in the still air before her. The only sound is the muffled gurgling of the machine valiantly trying to cleanse her compromised lungs. "This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to this, his eternal banquet. O, Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed." I add, "And you are healed, Edna. Your sins are behind you now. Even before you thought about whatever it was you did or didn't do that you felt was sinful, God forgave you. You are as pure and clean and sinless as you were the day you were born, and Christ awaits you with open arms."
Edna takes the host. Her simple act of exhaling, audibly, is like a song wafted heavenward, a release of her worries and pain. The next inhalation will be purely divine.
What gives me the authority to offer the Eucharist without prior questioning, to speak like this to her? I wonder about that sometimes myself, but when I look into the eyes of someone like Edna-or Frank or Althea or Samuel or Blake or Miriam-I find myself carried along on the wings of something. Is this the Holy Spirit? I really don't know exactly what it is. But I am there in person; Christ is there, invisible. Although he is the one we turn to, I am the only physical presence, the only sound available. I must-I want to-as much as I can, bring the forgiveness of God I have felt in my own life. I want to impart something of the love that sends shivers down my arms. I want those I visit to experience the presence that is so palpable each time I open the pyx. I want them to know the abiding trust that washes over me in my lowest moments that somehow, some way, everything will be all right. He is with us; we are not alone.
As I enter a room, I never know whether it will be a crucifixion of pain or the last hour of painless stay, whether the person's beliefs and makeup are standing her in good stead or failing her, whether he is close to Catholicism or had long ago set it aside. Some are annoyed by my presence, but very few. Even those who prefer not to receive the Eucharist will most often accept a prayer, which I offer with as much specificity as I can, and quickly, so as not to overstay my welcome.
I have found that it is not the degree of pain, the seriousness of their disease or illness, the level of their religious practice, or even the imminence of death that separates those who seem somehow at peace and those who are not. All are afraid. Every one of us is terrified just being in a hospital bed. Early on, I would have said that it is faith that draws the line. But now I think it is something else.
It is anger, its presence or absence.
Anger that life was not fair to them, that people were not fair with them, that God seemed to look away just when they needed him the most. If they are not burdened by some variation of simmering resentment and they come to the conclusion that the germ/bad gene/virus/the cells multiplying too quickly or those too depleted to regenerate-even the shoe they tripped over that landed them here-were more sheer happenstance than evidence of divine wrath, then they seem to do better.
Such is not the case for Anna in Room 540. There is a rosary on Anna's bedside table, a book of spiritual reading on her lap, a crucifix wedged behind the bulletin board on the wall. But I find all these are of little avail, because there is so much anger in Anna's soul. I had seen her many times before that day, in fact almost from the first diagnosis of ovarian cancer. An attractive, self-assured woman in her mid-50s, she had lost her long, luxuriant auburn hair and regrown the stubble of a more curly variety.
Usually as a fatal disease dully marches on to its inevitable end, people release themselves from the unfairness of it all. Not Anna. Her husband had left her many years before, but the wound was still fresh. Her children didn't come to visit-or at least not often enough for her. Her jobs-to my mind, substantial-had never fulfilled her. "I have my faith," she says, clutching the rosary so tightly that her knuckles were white. "Thank God I have my faith."
Hers is not a faith that I can easily understand. Hers is a brittle pact with a hateful God who never allows anything to happen the way we might want and always frustrates us whenever we have even the least chance of being happy on earth. A God who believes we must suffer in a vale of tears so that we might better appreciate the paradise that awaits us.
Anna recites again the familiar litany of grievances as I stand there, pyx in hand. I listen. I retrieve a host. She stops and stares at me. "Lord, you are present in the room with us today," I begin, and go on to pray that this would be a good and restful day for Anna and that she would sense Christ's presence as she takes the host, that she would feel him permeating her body with his holiness and that she would know that he stands by the bed all day long. I place the host on her tongue and stand back, my head bowed, for a few moments.
"Anna, he's with you now," I say softly. "If there is anything at all, you can let him carry it. He loves you. He wants your happiness; he wants you to know that you can rest in him and there is nothing to fear."
"I'm not afraid of anything," she says defiantly. "But they should only know what they're doing to me, what they have done to me, what they . . ."
I stand at the door and wave back to her. She pulls the sheet up closer and begins the rosary.
In Room 213, all I can do is cry.
For there is not-so-young Elisabeth with a baby boy nestled at her breast. To see the love in that woman's eyes, that sleeping child with unblemished skin and soul-I can't restrain myself. I touch his smooth cheek, play with his tiny toes, and finally bless the child's forehead with the sign of the cross. He stirs, as if he already feels God's presence. I begin my prayer. "Dear God, here we have this beautiful baby-a sign of your love, this mother's love, a father's love. Be with him to guide him so that he grows into a compassionate, kind, yet strong boy and young man. That he will always hear your voice even when the noises of the world tend to drown out everything. That he will be an obedient son, yet a man of his own mind. Bless him and this good woman, Elisabeth, we pray in your strong name, Jesus. Amen."
I look at Elisabeth. "In this tiny piece of bread, Elisabeth, is the God of ages. Here. Right here in this room on the first day of your son's life. He comes to give you the strength to be the mother you know you can be. He'll be with you in those late nights when you don't think you have another ounce of energy. He'll never leave your side." I begin the eucharistic prayer: "This is the lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those-"
"But, but I haven't been to church in so long, really since college," she says.
"I'm Catholic, and I will have my son baptized, but my husband isn't much of a churchgoer. I don't know how God looks on all this. It's so confusing."
I look down at her, the early morning sun making the host almost translucent. "This is food for your journey of life, Elisabeth. It isn't a reward for good behavior. What kind of God do you think he is, to offer this beautiful food on this incredible morning and then say, 'No, Elisabeth, sorry-you don't qualify. I've checked your bar code and you're not in the system.' That's not the God that I know." After her Act of Contrition, Elisabeth receives, her tears mingling with the host, a tear, then another, gently falling onto the cheek of her precious son.
The sign on Room 6 says to see the nurse before entering, and I know what this usually means. I check with the nurse and then slowly open the door. The light from the reading lamp bathes Michael in a saffron-colored, ethereal glow. He is still, a not unfamiliar pose for the terminally ill. He appears to be sleeping. I look for the telltale sign. The pressed sheet over what the cancer has left of his once-broad chest (the pictures on the dresser show a robust Army corporal during World War II, in what appears to be a French village) is still.
There are so many moments of grace in the small ministry I perform, but this is a truly magnificent one. When death seems to have happened. I say it that way because death is not marked by the absence of a pulse or by a straight line on an electrocardiogram. Death happens over stages, and the dying are with us in the world one minute and in communion with God the next. Back and forth they travel. I have seen this over and over again. The face of someone who is seemingly comatose bears a beatific look that assures you that the person is already visiting the other side.
I feel honored to be with the earthly shell as the soul is finally released to go home. What is my prayer? First of all, I know I am praying to the newest saint in heaven. Now that Michael sees the face of God-and understands everything-I pray that he will intercede and pray for me, still thrashing through my days. I don't pray that he or I will get to heaven. That is a given. Could God deny anyone a return home? I pray that whatever this day will bring, I will do the next thing right. That I will not be, quite frankly, the jackass I have the propensity to be. That I will walk the streets of Wilmington with the eyes of Christ, that Wilmington will be my Jerusalem or Galilee or Capernaum.
Of course, that is a lot to ask of Michael, but I hope-no, I am sure-he understands my needs.
I walk out to my car, my rounds completed. I have just visited with a representative cross section of Catholic America. It made little difference what their level of observance or supposed worthiness might be. The God of the ages, the Christ who promised his friends that he would not leave them alone, had once again fulfilled his promise. He had come to them, and whether they labored in the vineyard all day or for just a fleeting moment, they received the greatest gift my church can offer them.
Once again, I had been given the privilege to see scripture come alive. I had felt the power of the presence of God.


text:
Immanuel Baptist Church, 2224 South Post Road, near Patterson Springs, is a small congregation of 10 to 20 people. But the little church is reaching more than 1,600 people a year through its �Dial-A-Prayer� ministry.
Immanuel Baptist Church, 2224 South Post Road, near Patterson Springs, is a small congregation of 10 to 20 people. But the little church is reaching more than 1,600 people a year through its �Dial-A-Prayer� ministry.
Started 10 years ago by Pastor Ted Easter shortly after he came to the church, �Dial-A-Prayer� is a cyber-based answering machine where people call to leave prayer requests. They also hear a two-minute message and scripture from Easter.
�It�s amazing the reach and the things that have gone on with that ministry,� Easter said. �One man said he was calling from Nepal. That's about as far away from Shelby as you can get. We are averaging four-and-a-half calls a day from all over the country � California, Florida, West Virginia � all over the place.�
The number used to be on the church website, which has been down a couple of years, he said. He's not sure how they find it now.
�We�ve had people stumble across it in different ways,� he said. �A prostitute called. The client paid her and she found the phone number written on the edge of a $10 bill.�
Church members also give away magnets printed with the phone number. They were donated by a regular caller to the prayer line.
Easter, who has a full-time job, uses a smart phone app to record messages for the prayer ministry. He doesn�t have a study at the church, but when he wants to work on the messages, he goes to a storage room behind the pulpit. He doesn�t get cell phone reception there and won�t be disturbed.
He takes out a Bible, where he has recorded the dates of the scriptures he's used since 2004. The Bible he used in the beginning was destroyed by a fire in 2003.
�I started in Genesis in August,� he said. �I will start reading the scripture until I feel like God is moving me on a particular topic. The scripture will trigger something. Sometimes it is a current event. I believe in the sovereignty of God and his word. I believe God�s word answers any question that we would have. There is not any subject that God�s word does not cover somehow.�
A recent message suggested people who have trouble sleeping could read the Bible and thank God until rest comes. He quoted Psalm 119:62: �I rise at midnight to thank you for your righteous judgments.� Then, Easter said a prayer and asked the caller to leave a prayer request. The caller may or may not leave a name or contact phone number.
Those who leave a phone number, Easter calls them back. However, it is important to him to protect the identity of all callers. He records the dates and times of requests in a notebook, noting whether the caller was male or female. All of the prayer requests are read on Sundays and Wednesdays to give church members an opportunity to pray for each one.
In 10 years, he has counseled people with marriage problems, depression and drug addictions. Before caller ID it was hard to find a way to help a person with suicidal thoughts. Now he can return the call and try to get help for the person.
Whether the request is from a person suffering mental anguish or physical pain, his prayer includes a blessing for all.
�I pray for people to get peace,� he said. �I pray they will see God working, and they will be able to praise him in that situation.�
Dialing for prayer:
�Dial-A-Prayer� is available 24 hours a day at 704-482-0022.
Pastor Ted Easter shares some interesting requests the prayer line at Immanuel Baptist Church has received in 10 years:
- One lady with a traumatic brain injury called for years. She said �Dial-A-Prayer� was like a friend to her.
- Another lady always identified herself as the �Little Old Lady in Fallston.� She always prayed for the ministry before leaving her requests.
- One person called to complain: �I don�t need a phone to call God.�
- When the phone line went down and the customer service operator realized it was a prayer line, she promised to have it corrected as soon as possible.
- A homeless man calls regularly just to say thank you for the service.


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Computer Repairs Stapylton
Whether you're having problems with your computer, or you just need some help with computer-related things, Norm's Computer Services is just a call away. I offer home and business computer repairs for all sorts of computers - desktop PC's, laptops, Apple Mac's etc. I cover a wide range of suburbs throughout Brisbane, including Stapylton, and I'll save you lots of time and effort in fixing your computer problems by coming to your home, office or workplace. I'll work quickly to troubleshoot and resolve your issue and aim to leave you 100% satisfied with your computer running just the way it should.
Computer repairs aren't the only thing I can help you with in Stapylton. Norm's Computer Services also offers the following, and more.
Computer setup: I can help you with configuring your PC, laptop or Mac so that you have access to the internet, your emails are coming in, you've got all the right software, you're printing successfully, and whatever else you might need.
Computer upgrades: With an appropriate upgrade, your computer could actually run better than it's ever done before and for a much lower cost than buying a new one. Software upgrades typically give you improved functionality whilst hardware upgrades major on speed.
Health checks: As you surf the internet, receive emails, install applications and add other bits and pieces to your computer's hard drive it can easily become cluttered and messy. I can help you with cleaning it up, checking for malware, uninstalling unnecessary software and other preventative actions and optimisations.
Computer servicing: Is there something about your computer that's not quite the way you'd like it to be? You may have unnecessary applications running in the background, or possibly even a virus. I can ascertain the cause of the issue and determine whether it can be resolved with a few tweaks, or whether a hardware upgrade, such as extra memory or a new hard drive, would be a better solution.
Networking: Nowadays we have more and more devices which connect to the internet - computers, phones, tablets, iPads, smart tv's etc. I can assist you with installing and setting up your home network and any additional bits and pieces you may need so that all your devices connect to the internet reliably.
Backups: I can assist you with setting up manual or automated backups, whether to external media, to 'the cloud', or even to Network-Attached Storage. No need to worry about that device failure again.
As far as computer repairs go, if you're in Stapylton and you have any of the issues or problems listed below, please don't hesitate to get in touch. This is by no means an exhaustive list, so if your problem is something I haven't listed, just give me a call or email me. I'm here to help.
"The price was exactly what Norm quoted and very reasonable with no hidden costs. The problem was fixed quickly and I liked that Norm computer repairs is mobile, the website simple with no hard to understand jargon. Norm responded quickly to my emails and questions. I'm extremely relieved and happy to know I have Norms expertise only a phone call away when I have problems with my computer. I will be recommending Norms Computer Repairs to my friend and family." - Wendy
"I'd absolutely recommend Norm's computer repairs to anyone with a computer problem! Very professional, very fair and affordable pricing an absolute pleasure to deal with!!! I highly recommend Norm and will definitely be contacting him with any future computer repairs!! A+++" - Tanya
"WOW!!! A PC Tech that really knows his trade, friendly, honest. reliable & a nice guy. Price was very reasonable. I can't speak highly enough of Norm & would not hesitate in recommending him to anyone with PC issues.What a treasure of a find will definitely keep his phone number handy.Thanks Norm keep up the good work." - Rob
Why not schedule your computer repair in Stapylton today?
You can contact me in any of the following ways, or fill in the form on the Contact page to make an inquiry?
Call me on 0433 997 267
Visit the Book Online page to make an appointment


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NJ Sharing Network is committed to saving and enhancing lives through the miracle of organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
Nearly 4,000 NJ residents are currently waiting for a life-saving transplant. Learn more about the benefits of organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
Our partnerships with educators, students, faith-based leaders, first responders and other community members help us spread the life-saving message of organ and tissue donation. Find out how you can help spread awareness in your community.
Join us at our signature events, such as the 5K Celebration of Life and Golf Classic, as we honor those who gave, pay tribute to those who received, offer hope to those who continue to wait, and remember the lives lost while waiting... for the gift of life.
We work closely with healthcare workers, funeral directors, attorneys and other professionals to provide specialized training and targeted information about the life-saving benefits of organ and tissue donation.
Registering as an organ and tissue donor and making a contribution are two great ways to support our mission, but there are many more ways to take action in your community. You can volunteer, participate in our events, share your story and so much more!
Attorneys serve an important role for their clients in formulating wills and estate plans.
NJ Sharing Network educates attorneys about the importance of organ and tissue donation so they may share the life-saving choice of being a donor with their clients. Our goal is for attorneys to ask clients to discuss and plan end-of-life wishes with their loved ones, especially as it relates to the treatment wished of an organ and tissue donor.
We provide education on the laws governing organ and tissue donation and share examples of advanced directives, which include the appropriate language for donation.
For more information or to set up an educational program, please email Alyssa D'Addio or call (908) 516-5432.
Our Life-Saving Mission Register Now Support Our Foundation Join Us
To Honor. To Remember. To Give Hope.
691 Central Avenue, New Providence, NJ 07974Phone: (908) 516-5400 | Fax: (908) 516-5501For urgent patient referrals and updates: (800) 541-00755K Hotline: (908) 514-1761


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Dwight Howard Coming To The Knicks?
Rumor: The Knicks are in negotiations for Dwight Howard in exchange for Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire never played well together anyway.
Sources inside the Orlando Magic are rumored to be working out a deal that would send Dwight Howard to New York in exchange for both Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. As improbable as this would have seemed at the beginning of the year, the results are in and Stoudemire and Anthony simply don't have on-the-court games that fit well together.
Would Dwight Howard's skills fit well with Anthony? Many people think this is a great fit. For one, Howard is a true center that plays in the post. That might be the exact inside-outside game New York needs to help highlight Anthony's skills. Throw in a couple sharp shooting 3-point specialists that can sit beyond the arc and drain threes when Anthony drives and New York might have a winning formula.
It's easy to see why this trade makes sense for a lot of people involved. The Magic better be looking to deal Howard unless they are 100% confident they can resign him. It would appear difficult to be that confident in a Howard resigning considering his earlier season desire to be dealt. The Knicks are equally as motivated for a trade due to their pathetic record and post-season failures. New York is shelling out way too much money to be the 7 seed in the East and go out in the first round of the playoffs. Their payroll necessitates greater results and so do the fans of New York. This might end up being a great deal for both teams.
Read More


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Makes 3 dozen
These treats are perfect for those with limited time and talent for complicated holiday baking. They can even be made on Christmas Eve with minimal effort! Haystacks are also ideal for cooking with children. Since they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, they can be made before the holiday madness begins.
My mother-in-law fell in love with haystacks on her travels, and she asked me to make them for Hanukkah. After some web sleuthing, I developed the following recipe. Other versions contain dry chow mein noodles or pretzel sticks instead of coconut. They can also be enhanced with roasted nuts of any type (peanuts, cashews, pistachios, pecans), marshmallows, butterscotch chips, and sea salt.
6 cups sweetened coconut
1 pound semisweet chocolate chips or vegan carob chips
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1/2 cup almonds or other nuts (optional)
1. Toast coconut on a large rimmed baking sheet at 350F. Check it regularly and remove when it is fragrant and has turned slightly brown. Do not leave too long or it will burn. Remove and set aside.
2. On the same baking sheet, toast almonds for 10-15 minutes until brown and fragrant. Remove and set aside.
3. In a large glass bowl, melt chocolate chips in the microwave. Heat for 60 seconds and stir, continue heating for 15 seconds and stirring until the chips have melted. Mix in almond extract.
4. Add toasted coconut to the chocolate and mix well using a spoon or your hands.
5. Line the baking sheet with parchment and make haystacks with 2 teaspoons of batter each. Top with an almond.
6. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until firm. Keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.


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Hello Friends,
Body Lotions!!! yeah it is a must have product for every girl's kitty in all season. Dove gofresh body lotions are one of the best and cute body lotions which I loved next to my Vaseline body lotions. This body lotion which I have finished up before monsoon. I was using Dove soaps during my school days and loved it a lot. Ok let's move to the Review...
About the Product:
|Dove Gofresh Nourishment body Lotion Cucumber Fresh Review
Price 80 Rs for 100ml
Shelf life 24 months
Available in all offline stores also you can buy online
Product Description:
My Experience with Dove Gofresh Nourishment body Lotion Cucumber Fresh:
Smell, colour & Texture:
My Take:
As with Dove soap which I love very much this one also keeps you refreshing whole day and be it summer or winter one doesn't have to worry too much about the effects on the skin and the good thing about this body lotion is it comes in a compact container which can be carried very easily in our handbag and whenever there is a need just reach for it and with its fast absorbing character it will not even take a minute to apply it.
This body lotion keeps skin hydrated for good time. My skin is normal and tend to become dry in the winter. So, before monsoon this body lotion suits for me a lot and my skin feels so soft and refreshed. I don't think this will helps for very dry skin in the winter.
Cucumber is very good for oily skin and helps you to control oiliness on the skin. It will keep the skin fresh and tight. Cucumber helps to get rid of dark circles. Those who have dry skin can use cucumber mixed with honey.
My Likes with Dove Gofresh Nourishment body Lotion Cucumber Fresh:
- It is affordable.
- It is easily available.
- It is travel friendly.
- This body lotion keeps the skin hydrated for good time.
- It makes skin refreshed and smooth.
- It is easily absorbed on the skin.
- May not be suitable for very dry skin.
- In winter you need to reapply.
- Contains Parabens.


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'Digger basketball netted a fourth league win at the home of the Eaton Reds during a Tuesday night test on January 29 that saw a trio of Brush ballers post double-digit scores to edge Eaton 66-47.
The double-digits were each posted by juniors as Geoffrey Dunker earned a team-high 17 points, followed by Randy baker's 13 and Bryce Needens 10. Brush Head Coach Ken Garcia's varsity squad also managed to swish in points from a total of eight players on the roster, making the win a true team effort.
Against the Reds, Brush dished out seven of twelve attempted free throws, brought down a total of 34 rebounds led by sophomore Kyle Rosenbrock's 12 and proved quick on the draw by swiping 12 steals from Eaton, with Dunker and classmate Ben Mickey leading the charge with three apiece.
Now boasting a mid-season record of 11-1 overall, including a perfect 4-0 in their 3A Patriot League, the Brush varsity sits at a No. 3 spot in the Denver Post Preps poll, just behind No. 2 Pagosa Springs and No. 1 Kent Denver who were downed for the first time this season during a 76-72 overtime loss to 1A No. 1 Shining Mountain, taking Kent to an equal 11-1 record thus far.
Also in Eaton, the JV boys earned a 53-47 win, while their C-team counterparts were barely taken down in a tight 34-31 loss.
Next on the agenda for the boys is a home-court contest with league foes from Estes Park, now 8-6 overall and 3-2 in league after losing to University and Sterling. Estes comes off an 81-57 victory over Valley on Tuesday as they head to the 'Digger Dome for a Saturday afternoon battle on February 1. Tip-off for the afternoon will begin with the C-team at 12 Noon, followed by JV action at 1:15 and varsity tip-off at 2:30 pm.
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So You Want to Sand Your Floors?
Do you want to sand your floors but don't know what to do? Well here is what you need to know but were unwilling to ask! This task is not for the whimpy ones who are afraid to get blisters, sore knees or aching backs. Girly men should pay real men (or women) if this is the case but consider this; the last time I looked into getting a floor sanded (1998) it was $800 just to sand the floor. No stain or varnish! I have no idea what it would cost now. The material cost to sand a floor with a rental would be around $250 assuming you keep the equipment for two days and use a floor sander, an edger and you buy the sandpaper from the rental company. You could cut the time to one day but you will have to do good preparation.
First, you should consider stripping any molding smoothing any walls and at least getting the walls painted with primer BEFORE you sand the floors because it would be such a shame to ruin the floors after you spent so much time making them look good. Anything falling on the floor or paint spills will be sanded out so make the mess before sanding.
Pull out any nails or carpet tacks that you can and those that won't come out need to be sunk below the surface of the wood with a hammer and nail punch. Nails will rip through sand paper and can damage the pad of your sanding machine.
If your floors are painted or covered in glue or shellac you should consider trying to strip much of stuff off with a heat gun. This will take many hours to do. The other option is to sand the stuff off but it will gum up the sandpaper and you will spend as many hours stripping off more depth of wood than necessary and changing paper. Preparation is really the key to good looking wood floors.
There are three types of sanders. For refinishing an existing decent floor that has a few scratches you want one of those giant flat palm sanders they rent at Lowes or Home Depot. You can't do too much damage with one of these but you can't get a smooth level floor either if the boards are curved or warped.
There are rotary or disc sanders. I have never seen one but some of them double up as floor polishers. These sand with a circular motion and are a little more aggressive. Edgers are rotary sanders. I have never used a disc floor sander, only an edger and an angle grinder.
The most aggressive are drum sanders. This is a giant belt sander. You have to keep moving with one of these otherwise it will gauge your floor.
If you have more than one floor to sand and don't want to worry about pulling all-nighters to get the job done so you can return the rental equipment then you should seriously consider buying a used floor sander. We did that. The drum sander cost $650 from a rental shop. Paper for it can be bought online in packs of ten averaging around $1.50 a sheet for the coarse paper and $.95 for the fine papers. We can always sell the sander when we are done and get our money back. I also have a variable speed grinder/polisher that I bought to polish my concrete counters. I use it instead of an edger. I cut 7 inch discs from the spent drum sander paper to maximise my use of the paper and save money. I also use a palm sander for some of those hard to sand spots. Here is a picture of my arsenal.
Here is a floor that I am currently working on. The left side has had a single pass with 36 grit paper.
The grit size or # indicates how many "grits" there are per square inch. The higher the # the finer the paper. This floor is mostly unfinished and requires a #36, #60 and a #100 respectfully. You shouldn't need anything finer than a #100 or #120 grit for your final pass.
You should sand with the grain of the wood but you may want to make a couple of diagonal first passes if the floor is really rough or uneven. The diagonal passes cut the wood more and make levelling a much quicker process.
One end of this floor has shellac or some kind of lac paint on it. It was common to put shellac down arond the edges of area rugs. This makes sanding a messy process because it gums up the sandpaper. When this happens I get out the heat gun and start scraping. The stuff has to come off the floor and will either come off with the scraper or on the paper as a result of heat friction. Either way, the volume of goop is the same and the time taken to remove the stuff is about the same if you count the time it takes to change the sandpaper or scrape it off the sandpaper after it has cooled and hardened. In this particular case, I used the variable speed grinder to sand the remaining shellac after using the heat gun. The stuff is removed quicker if you actually allow the disc to gum up because the stuff on the floor is lifted off by sticking to the hot gooey stuff on the rotating disc. When most of the shellac was removed, I then went back to using the drum sander to do the job properly and thus reduced the amount of clogging on the drum sandpaper. Here is a picture of the problem area. The upper part is the shellac covered portion. The lower part has been sanded with both the grinder and then the drum sander with #36 grit paper.
If you are using rental equipment, this kind of unforeseen hang-up will slow you down and cause much stress. The frustration could add a day to your project or make you want to pack it in altogether and put down carpet.
Once you get passed the initial removal of crud and move on to the medium and fine sandpapers it gets much easier. When using a drum sander you can lift the handle, pushing the machine into the floor to apply pressure to hard to sand patches. You can also walk very slowly almost pulling back on the machine which wants to move forward. You must keep moving though and when you get to the edge of the floor you must push down on the handle to lift the drum off the floor otherwise you will get a ridge forming along the edges of the room that will have to be sanded out with the edger or grinder. I should have this floor done in a couple of hours on Thursday now that I have scraped up the shellac and have most of that portion finished with the grinder already.
Other tips;
If you have a window fan, use it. It will get much of the finest dust out of the air and stop it from settling in your house. If all else fails, there is always laminate flooring or wall to wall carpet....
After you have done a couple of floors this process won't phase you one bit. This is my 9th floor so I get quite bored with it any more. I figured it was time to divulge the information and "spread the love" so all you folks who haven't done this yet can get down and dirty and feel my pain!


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New Orleans is one of the most unique cities in the world. Whether you have visited in the past or coming for the first time, I'd like to share a bit of insight with you…..
Yes….we are a very joyous city at the moment. Its been a great year for us, of our beloved Saints have won the Super Bowl. The following was written to the city of Miami. This pretty much sums up the people and the spirit that makes this city great!


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It's been a long time since mom and dad have worked on a game, so it sounded like fun to us. We did add one stipulation, however: it would have to be done in two weeks and at the end of those two weeks we had to have a complete, finished game that could be accepted into the various app stores.
The kids' response? Challenge accepted.
|Particle Strain title screen.
|Me not doing so well at the whole "make patterns" thing.
And don't forget about all those little things like app stores, code signing, and even a little website to go along with it. All in all we had a really great time doing this project. We even met our programming deadline with 20 minutes to spare, getting the last bug fix in at 11:40 PM on the last day.
As of yesterday, Apple finally approved Particle Strain for the iTunes store. It is now available as a free download in all of the usual places: iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon. There is a big difference between writing code and developing a complete, finished product. I'm glad we were able to help the kids experience it, even if in a small way.
If you end up trying out Particle Strain, we hope you enjoy our little game. I, for one, can't wait to figure out what our next project will be!


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The enduringly popular dance film probably should have long ago become the province of documentary, a la Planet B-Boy. But there's something satisfying about melding drama to dance that keeps dance movies coming. Happily, the sequel Step Up 2 the Streets improves a bit on Step Up while showcasing some eye-popping moves and likeable characters.
Taking us back to Baltimore, Step Up 2 the Streets introduces the "410" crew, subway performance artists in masks who dance aggressively and tag subway stations (the news media brands their latest performance "an attack"). Andie (Briana Evigan) is a star within the group, but her guardian Sarah (Sonja Sohn of The Wire) has had enough of Andie's wayward ways. Facing eviction, Andie opens her ears to the advice of Step Up's Tyler Gage (Channing Tatum, in for two scenes). "Let me break it down for you," he says. She should go to the Maryland School for the Arts and get her head screwed on right. If she does, Sarah will let her stay.
Andie grudgingly agrees to give MSA a try. There, the school's world-class prick of a director Blake Collins (renowned dancer Will Kemp) sniffs, "She's just a street dancer." It's a supposed plot necessity of these dance movies to make one's dance style alienating, though surely any dance school worth its salt would acknowledge the importance of street dance, just as a student should acknowledge the importance of learning classical, foundational styles. Anyway, Blake's younger brother, student Chase Collins (Robert Hoffman), takes notice of Andie, and a simmering romance begins to brew. Andie also gets a funny new pal in Robert Alexander III, a.k.a. "Moose" (Adam G. Sevani).
In keeping with the dance snobbery, the 410 kicks out Andie for devoting too much time to her schooling. Chase suggests that he and Andie start their own crew, made up of those who have "a really amazing talent that this school does't know what to do with." Enter a cast of characters introduced in quick boy-band vocabulary ("half hippie, half rhythmic rebel," "the quiet one," etc.) but defined by their unique dance talents. Rocky-style, their first performance is a disaster, met with a DJ's ultimate insult, "This ain't High School Musical!" Can this multicultural crew better themselves in time for annual underground dance showdown "The Streets"? As sure as Andie will follow her dead mom's advice "Just be yourself."
Despite the bogus conflict (which only escalates with ridiculous expulsion threats and a flipflopping Sarah), Step Up 2 the Streets is amiable enough, and depicts its romance and friendships with ease and reasonable realism. It's never entirely clear why Andie's absence from a group makes it immediately fall to pieces--she's a nice girl, but not a potent life force--but director Jon M. Chu stages some memorable set pieces, including the opening subway dance, a YouTube humiliation dubbed "The Prank," and the grand finale that literally takes "The Streets" to the streets (rainy ones, no less).
Certainly, the dancer-actors are enormously talented, which matters most to a film like this one. Performing a sometimes gymnastic hip-hop dance (with a backyard salsa party for variety), the cast makes good on Andie's climactically expressed democratic moral: "It's not what you've got; it's what you make of what you've got."
Step Up 2 The Streets gets a deluxe special edition from Buena Vista Home Entertainment, in mirrored Blu-Ray and DVD editions. On Blu-Ray, the audio-visual transfer is excellent (though not the sort of film that "pops" with three-dimensionality), plus nearly all of the bountiful bonus features are rendered in high definition.
First up is a selection of Deleted Scenes (22:33 with "Play All" option and optional intros by director Jon M. Chu): "Andie Sees Chase at Dragon" (2:26), "Andie Hurts Moose" (1:42), "Moose Ignores Andie" (:45), "Chase Gets Real with Sophie" (1:30), "'Is It You?'" (3:31), "Andie Deals with Moose and Sophie" (4:57), "West Coast Riders" (2:44), and "Jabbawockeez" (4:01). Chu makes a chipper host, talking us through a deleted subplot, and the last two scenes are complete dance performances by top dancers brought together for the film.
"Step Up 2 The Streets Through the Eyes of First-Time Director Jon M. Chu" (12:23) humorously shadows Chu, and includes comments from parents Lawrence and Ruth Chu, producer Adam Shankman, Lajon Dantzler, Harry Shum Jr., Luis Rosado, Mari Koda, Christopher Scott, Telisha Shaw, Danielle Polanco, Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman, executive producer David Nicksay, Black Thomas, Boogie Bowman, and choreographers Jamal Sims and Dave Scott (also included: a glimpse of Adam Sevani's audition tape).
"Outlaws of Hip Hop: Meet the '410'" (4:54) rounds up Chu, Hoffman, Polanco, Thomas, Alex Welch, Ebone Johnson, Rynan Shawn, James Colter, Jeff Ogle, Alison Faulk, and choreographer Hi-Hat to discuss the dance talent brought to the film. Also included (in standard definition) is a set of Music Videos (22:29 with "Play All" option): "Low" by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain (3:50), "Ching-A-Ling/Shake Your Pom Pom" by Missy Elliott (4:06), "Killa" by Cherish featuring Yung Joc (4:31), "Hypnotized" by Plies featuring Akon (3:12), "Let it Go" by Brit & Alex (3:27), and "Cassie Performs 'Is it You?'" (3:22).
Enterprising fans will also find at least four easter eggs: "Jon Chu Tells Briana She Got the Role" (2:18), "Background Dancers Dance on Set" (1:14), "Adam Kisses Cassie" (1:36), and "Post-Wrap Dancing" (1:38). Trailers include a Miramax trailer, The Nightmare Before Christmas Special Edition, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.
|Review gear:
Panasonic Viera TC-P55VT30 55" Plasma 1080p 3D HDTV
Oppo BDP-93 Universal Network 3D Blu-ray Disc Player
Denon AVR2112CI Integrated Network A/V Surround Receiver
Pioneer SP-BS41-LR Bookshelf Speaker (2)
Pioneer SP-C21 Center Speaker
Pioneer SW-8 Subwoofer


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Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Arts and Sciences
Algorithm Design and Analysis
Three semester hours.
Introduces formal techniques to support the design and analysis of algorithms focusing on both the underlying mathematical theory and practical considerations of efficiency. Topics include asymptotic complexity bounds, techniques of analysis, algorithmic strategies, and an introduction to automata theory and its application to language translation. Prerequisite: COSC 3301 and MATH 3365.
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Undergraduate Degrees - Academic Graduate Regulations -
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Tigaday property for sale
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