text:
About two years ago, I was hired as a part time librarian for the library where I now work full time. Recently I've been thinking about how some new librarians have taken stock of their experience of the first couple of years in their blogs. They talk about how they have changed professionally, where they think the library field is going, and what their current goals are. These are true exercises in introspection and a meditation on what it is like to be a modern librarian in this age of internet and mobile technology. The challenges, both old and new, renew our commitment to the profession that we love as well as demand new ideas and innovations.
So, as I'm signing a work order for a plumber who came to the building to fix a toilet, I'm thinking about how there are things in public librarianship that are never addressed in Master's of Library Science program. There was nothing in the management class that has addressed some of the things I have encountered in my two years of public librarianship.
So, in a different sort of listing, here are a few things that were never mentioned in my graduate program about public librarianship but everyone should know about.
(1) Diplomacy
You will need it. You need to be able to effectively communicate to noisy kids, disruptive teens, oblivious parents, passive aggressive seniors, coworkers of various temperaments & theory of librarianship approaches, political officials of all stripes, and the myriad of pleasant to impatient patrons you will meet. This is not to say that every day is filled with social conflict, but that you need to be prepared for it when it happens. It is a fine balance of customer service, library policy, and your own discretion as to what is just and fair that can make or break the encounter. The one truth is that has to be accepted is, no matter how diplomatic you are, there will be people who will not be satisfied no matter what you do. Expend your energy as best you can to get the best result, but do not dwell on what cannot be done.
On the flip side of the coin, diplomacy can be used to negotiate a better deal or experience for a patron. In gauging the patron's needs, you can raise their expectations by providing services and/or materials above and beyond their original request. This is a "trade up" in which both sides win; you can market other aspects of the library (such as programs and collections) while the patron learns something that they never knew about from the library. By applying your diplomatic skills, you can make a trip to the library a memorable experience. This also allows you to talk a presenter into accepting a few more people into their program, to solicit different types of donations from the community, and to get better deals with vendors. When it comes to getting goods and services for the library, everything is truly negotiable.
(2) Basic mechanical skills
While I'm in a county library and there are people who handle maintenance exclusively, I am still a "first responder" to most building situations. Burned out or flashing lights, wobbly tables, broken chairs, loose shelving, cracked windows, busted doors, stained carpets, broken toilets, various alarm malfunctions (security, generator, sump pump, and/or fire), electrical failures, computer network crashes, ill tempered vending machines, rebellious printers, jammed copiers, the whole HVAC system, leaks of all types, and invasion attempts by birds, rodents, insects, and the whole Fungi kingdom. This does not include things that go wrong outside the building, such as tangled flagpole lines, slippery sidewalks, parking lot accidents, leaky roofs, clogged gutters, laborious snow & ice removal, regular lawn care, and the occasional book drop vandalism. (You get the idea.) Even if I'm not the one who has to fix them, I still have to know who to contact and be able to describe the problem to them. You can go from helping a patron put a hold on a book to reaching into a fish tank up to your shoulder attempting to scoop out a dead fish (true story).
If it has moving or electronic parts, you will soon become an passing expert in it.
(3) Patience
The most obvious application of this virtue is in service of patrons in general, for the life of a public librarian has a lot of explaining in it. Whether it is policy, procedure, materials, or how to retrieve an email or get a library card, you will have to be able to tell someone how to do it or find it. Over time, I have whittled down the script for the most commonly asked things into a concise series of points. And since you will end up repeating the more popular ones several thousand (or million, in a larger library) times, you might as well get used to it.
When it comes to assisting patrons, unless there is a giant pressing line of overtly unhappy people, take the time to fully cover something with a patron. First, it signals to the rest of the line (if any) that, when it is their turn, you will give them your full attention and not rush them out. This can soothe anxious feelings and make them feel that the wait is worthwhile. Second, it is better to have only one 10 minute thorough session with a patron than five 2 minutes sessions during which they struggle. Those multiple trips to the reference desk can lead to frustration and create an overall bad impression. Third, it's how you would want to be treated if the roles were reversed. No one likes feeling at the short end of the stick in a business interaction and the reference desk is no exception. (Mileage of this point at your library will vary.)
The slightly less well known employment of this virtue is shaping policy and implementing changes at the library or system level. The practices and policies of the public library tend to move at a glacial pace, depending on the subject. For any changes that you hope to see through, it will take time and effort to get them to where you want them. Patience and persistence pay off at the end when you affect a major change. And surely as I write these words, you can get it done.
When I first started writing this, I had a list of a couple more aspects that I had thought about. They aren't on the list because they were folded under the aforementioned aspects or I simply couldn't articulate them in a manner that was satisfactory to me. So, in lieu of being complete, I slapped a "Part 1" in the title and left myself open for future posts. If you can think of things that I perhaps should include in the future (or make your own posts), share your thoughts and links below.


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Google will make applications like Gmail and Docs and Spreadsheets available offline, in a move that will challenge Microsoft.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 30 — Millions of people enjoy free Web-based software programs that deliver e-mail, news and many other services. But those programs are available to users only when they are online.
Now Google is hoping to help make many of those programs, among them its own free Web applications like Gmail and Docs and Spreadsheets, available offline, say when a user is on an airplane. In doing so, Google will more openly challenge Microsoft and its office productivity tools, like Excel and Word, which users must buy for hundreds of dollars.
That rivalry was heightened Wednesday when Google released a set of tools to software programmers, which it calls Google Gears, that addresses what is perhaps the single most critical shortcoming of Web-based software. The tools can be used by all programmers, whether they work for Google or not, to enhance their own Web-based programs for offline use. The company is making the technology available in an open-source model, so programmers can use it free, test its abilities and extend them as necessary to fit their needs.
"The whole idea of extending browser capabilities to offline is something that a lot of people are going to get pretty excited about," said David Mitchell Smith, a vice president at Gartner Research.
Google is introducing Gears during a coming-out party of sorts.
The company is playing host to what it calls its first "developer day," an event held around the world at which Google will present itself not as the world's most-used search engine, or as the biggest Internet advertising company, or even as the creator of applications like Gmail, but rather as the provider of tools that others can use to build their own programs.
It is an event that underscores Google's evolution from its roots as a search engine into a company that hopes to become central to a new way of computing in which software is delivered over the Web, often free and supported by ads, rather than bought and installed on users' PCs.
This evolution sharpens Google's rivalry with Microsoft and others who are trying to provide both new Web-based software and technology building blocks for Web programmers.
Google has been among the most enthusiastic proponents of this new computing model, and its executives say it will help usher in faster innovation because many Web applications can be created quickly by cobbling together existing components created by others. "It is a different model," Google's chief executive, Eric Schmidt, said in an interview. "The rate at which you can build applications is an order of magnitude faster because the components all fit together so quickly."
Google hopes other companies will use Gears to extend their own software and services. Some Microsoft rivals, including Adobe and Mozilla, which is behind the Firefox Web browser, are collaborating with Google on the technology.
But it could also help Google's rivals. If the Gears technology proves effective, scores of software programs, including Yahoo Mail and Microsoft's Hotmail, might one day be used offline to read e-mail messages and to compose new ones. The new e-mail messages would be sent the next time a user connects to the Internet.
Google said Gears was in early stages of development. "This is not a solution that is going to work with everything on Day 1," Mr. Smith said.
For now, Google itself has applied Gears only to one of its own programs, Reader, which is used to track blogs and news sources. But the company plans to use Gears to make other programs like Gmail, Calendar, and most notably, Docs and Spreadsheets, available offline. That would make those programs more competitive with Microsoft's Office suite of programs, one of the software giant's cash cows.
Google has begun marketing a package of these productivity applications to businesses. But many analysts say these products, unlike Microsoft's competing software, lack the support or functions that most businesses need.
"I don't think Google is a serious player in personal productivity applications, certainly not for businesses," said David Card, an analyst with Jupiter Research.
This is not the first time that Google has offered tools to developers. Indeed, the company, much like many of its competitors in recent years, has long opened up many of its own programs to others, in hopes they would use them as building blocks for their own software and services.
For instance, when Google allowed others to build map-based software and services on top of its Google Maps product, an explosion of creativity ensued. Online travel and real estate companies used the maps to enhance their own Web sites or to create entirely new businesses. And even individual programmers used data from multiple sources to "mash up" new applications.
Some of these companies and Web sites, in turn, are supported by advertising that is sold by Google.
Microsoft and Yahoo have opened up their own map products to developers with similar results.
In putting on its first developer day, Google hopes to lure even more programmers into its camp at a time when many Internet companies are competing for their skills by offering them new tools aimed at making Web programs more capable or easy to assemble. Microsoft, for instance, recently released a product called Silverlight, which allows programmers to deliver high-quality video and other features to Web applications.
"We see an emerging market that combines what people love about the Web with richness and interactivity of full desktop application," said Brian Goldfarb, senior product manager for Silverlight.

subset: commoncrawl


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A Valentine's Swing dance will be held in Silver End Village Hall next Saturday.
The 1940's and 50's themed dance will begin at 7.30pm, with music by DJ AV8 and Miss D Meaner.
Second World War attire is welcomed but not required.
Tickets £7 per person, profits towards the 1st Silver End Scouts new Scout HQ.
Free tea and coffee bar, bring your own alcohol and snacks.
For tickets call Denise after 7pm on 01376 583055.


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there is a wall at the universe
street kids hide little bags of drugs behind the bricks
and you and i just sat there
our backs pressed against it
"what's beyond that wall?"
you asked me
and i told you
"that's the whole thing.
it's the wall at the end of the universe.
there is nothing beyond it."
"nothing is something."
you said.
i wanted to kiss you.
you were wearing that lipgloss
that tasted like cherries
or strawberries
or some delicious fruit
and when my lips are done
sliding off the synthetic taste
all i'm left with is you.
you and me.
sitting against the wall
at the end of the universe.
the one that doctor gonzo
drove his great shark over.
the one that syd barrett
crashed into
like the comedown
from the astral plane.
this is where we are.
"have you ever wanted
to look over the wall?"
you asked.
"hell no," i said.
"that's just
that's just too much for me."
"how can you not want to look?"
"to be honest,"
i said,
"i'm slightly disinterested."
"i'm going to look."
you said,
and i thought that too
was an honorable choice
so i lifted you up onto my shoulders
and you looked out
into the great beyond
where i imagine
there are no red planets
or white giants
or starbucks across the street from
and i asked you what you could see
and you said
"i don't know how to describe it."
and i said
"well try…"
and you said
"i can't even really see anything
i just feel
deep inside of me
this haunting faith
that there is something beyond
this wall."
"who made this wall?"
i asked
and you said
you didn't know
and you came back down
from off my shoulders
and you looked into my eyes
and you said
and i said
and you said
there was a pause.
the crickets held their bows
and waited for our cue
to continue.
"i'm gonna throw a brick
over the wall!"
i said.
and you said
"you are such a guy."
and i said
"i have to know.
i have to know if i can
break down the walls of perception.
what if someone
just put this wall up
to make themselves feel better?
maybe they were afraid of
"afraid of infinity?
do you know how you sound?"
"i'm serious!"
i said.
"why else do we build walls?
because we're afraid of
not understanding
what is on the other side."
"or we're trying to keep
you said.
applying more lip gloss.
you said,
"they were a romantic…"
"what is more romantic
than the idea
that everything continues
"i'll tell you what,"
you said,
"the idea
that you and i
on some cold colorado night
could pack a picnic
and go sit
at the wall at the end of the universe
and accept that we did it.
that together, we made it.
we all want to be pioneers.
we all want to feel that what we found
is the ultimate.
we are nationalistic
to the nation of ourselves
and our loved ones.
that is why we are here.
that is why you and i ended up here
at the wall at the end of the world
so we could pretend our love
is romeo and juliet
that our love
is the love story that they will tell
to our children
and our children's children.
that our love
is the ultimate.
that is why we build walls.
windows and doors and walls
these are things we've created
because it is part
of our idea of home."
"i don't need walls
to feel like i'm home with
you." i said.
and your eyes glimmered
and i saw in them
what i think you must have seen
when you looked over
the wall
at the end
of the universe.


text:
Good Vibes
Rush Ranch – Eastern Oregon
Wx: 90F
Listening to: Soundtrack to Interstellar
People are interesting. There is hope for this planet, one person at a time. I truly believe that. Here are three of the people interactions with "strangers" that I have had this week, that show me how precious people can be to each other:
1. My husband and I were walking up to the entrance of our favorite restaurant. A group of five women came out of the entrance and started hugging each other, sharing goodbyes and good wishes. It was so lovely that I stood there just watching their joy. After they finished and moved away from the entrance, I said to them "Gee, we feel left out". And they laughed, and hugged me! Me, a complete stranger, hair in a ponytail and wearing flipflops, they embraced me. I smiled for hours afterward.
2. After our well equipment failed, we asked the neighbor if we could hook up our hose to their extra wellhead to water our horses. They kindly said yes. Their elderly mother was visiting, and every time my husband went over to turn on the hose to water the horses, he would sit town on our side of the fence as the horse trough filled. The elderly mother would go sit on their side of the fence directly opposite him, and they visited together long after the trough was filled. I so WISH that I had taken a photo of them, but I didn't want to intrude on that precious time.
3. I was invited to an Open House, for a beautiful garden. It was a very big garden with all manner of plants and trees, fireplace, water fountain, brick patio areas, and too many things to really mention. One of the amazing things was an iron dragon sculpture poised along the waterfall. It was rather amazing, with individual iron scales, and wings. One of my neighbors that was there told me that the artist lived right in my same town! How did I not know this? A woman that builds dragons out of iron? And scrap machinery, old farm implements, etc. How did I not know there was a female welder that created amazing things in her workshop?! About 30 minutes later, I was introduced to a beautiful spirit names Tracy Case – the artist. I held onto her hand for much long than I should have, but I wanted to feel her energy and countenance for as long as I could. She didn't seem to mind. So gracious, and I hope to know her better one day.
This is Tracy's dragon before it was delivered to its new home by the waterfall.
Since the well equipment failed, it is going to be a very expensive fix. (Minimum $5K – haven't received the final bill as the work is still ongoing…) If a new well has to be drilled, that will be around $30K. I decided that I just couldn't afford to attend a reunion that my siblings were having in Tennessee, in August. It is an expensive flight, and of course the expense of being there and doing things together……..it was just an expense that I just couldn't justify in light of my humble bank balance, and the unknown final total of the well fix. So, I broke the news to my sisters and brother, and the sisters got together and bought my ticket! I was very humbled at their desire to have me there with them, so I am totally over the moon about how wonderful and kind they are. They are very special people. I am blessed beyond measure!
So that was my week. Despite well water issues, I had an opportunity to participate in the Pixel Scrapper August Blog Hop, called "Good Vibes". The color palette was just too much for me to handle:
but the other designers were able to come up with some great stuff! It was interesting to me that I had issues with trying to design with these bright colors. I don't know if that it a personality issue, or a level of experience issue. I think that it is more of a preference issue because I would have selected the pastel colors, but not the primary colors.
Please check out the PS Blog Train Forum to download everyone's designs.
I put some things together in hopes that you will find something that you can use. As always these are free to you including unlimited commercial use, and all I ask is that you pass along a kindness to a stranger.
And I wanted to pass along another site that will provide freebies to you – are you guys following Far Far Hill? She usually provides paper downloads on a daily basis, and they are always lovely. (Warning – there are sometimes graphic ads on the download site….)
Thank you all for your words of encouragement and support as I work to improve my designing skills!
Blessings and Blue Skies,


text:
A Recent Note from biologist and TTSS Board Member Sumner Matteson in Madison, Wisconsin:
In case folks inquire, we had a new record Wisconsin high of 192 nesting pairs of Trumpeter Swans in 23 counties. Approximately 45 percent of nesting pairs occurred in two counties: Polk and Burnett in northwestern Wisconsin. In 2010, there were 176 nesting pairs in 24 counties, and in 2009, the former nesting peak was reached at 183 in 23 counties. So, we continue our upward trend, but who's counting? This was our 25th year of the Trumpeter Swan Recovery Program, which has come a long way since our returning Board member, Becky Abel, helped with cross-fostering back in 1988 and then started her Master's work on decoy-rearing in 1989.
We fly the next few weeks to get a good handle on cygnet survival to fledging. This summer, we again marked 100 cygnets during our roundups, thanks to the support of scores of volunteers, including about 20 interns from the International Crane Foundation in central Wisconsin. Pat Manthey continues to coordinate field activities in northern Wisconsin, while I handle duties in central Wisconsin. I concluded my fund-raising activities for the swan program, and we have sufficient funds for one more season of field work. This will complete my post-delisting obligation to the state's Natural Resources Board for annual monitoring of nesting swans. Pat and I will have a 2-day retreat later this fall to chart a new course for the Department of Natural Resources for future swan monitoring, and I suspect that after next year, coordinated, statewide surveys of Trumpeters will likely occur once every 10 years.
From Peg Abbott, Outreach Coordinator of TTSS: Fascinating footage of recent capture and banding efforts can been seen on two YouTube videos, one from the perspective of a kayak paddler and another from land. I can tell you the kayak paddlers got a workout!
Video one is from a kayak during the chase:
Video two is from the shore overlooking the efforts of the capture:


text:
Eagle v. Morgan, 2012 WL 4739436 (E.D.Pa. October 4, 2012)
After plaintiff was fired as an executive, her former employer (using the password known by another employee) took over plaintiff's LinkedIn account. It kept all of plaintiff's contacts and recommendations but switched out plaintiff's name and photo with those of the new CEO.
Plaintiff sued in federal court under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Lanham Act, and a slew of state law claims including identity theft, conversion and tortious interference. The former employer moved for summary judgment on the CFAA and Lanham Act claims. The court granted the motion, but continued to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over the state law claims.
On the CFAA claim, the court found that plaintiff failed to show how the taking over over her account gave rise to a cognizable loss under the CFAA. The kinds of losses she tried to prove, e.g., lost future business opportunities and professional reputation, did not pertain to any impairment or damage to a computer or computer system. Moreover, the court found, plaintiff failed to specify or quantify the damages she alleged.
As for the Lanham Act claim, the court found that there was no likelihood of confusion. It noted that "anyone who navigated to [plaintiff's] LinkedIn account would be met with [the new CEO's] name, photograph and new position." Accordingly, there was no effort to "pass off" the new CEO as plaintiff or to otherwise suggest an endorsement or affiliation.
Though it dismissed all the federal claims, the court kept the pending state law claims. The matter had been before the court for over a year, the judge was familiar with the facts and the parties, and dismissing it so soon before trial would not have been fair.
Photo credit: Flickr user smi23le under this Creative Commons license.


text:
This week we can learn a little bit about perspective and what is really important in life. One of the story lines all week at the McGladrey Classic in Sea Island Georgia was Ben Crane waiting for a possible phone call to head home for the birth of he and his wife's third child. Ben said early in the week that it did not matter where he stood in the tournament, if that call came in he was on the way home. I believe that perspective helped Ben relax and just let it happen as he won the McGladrey Classic. Many times we just try too hard and want it too much. This week Ben Crane was more focused on his growing family, as he should have been, than playing golf. The result was freedom in his game that allowed him to go low Sunday with 8 birdies in the last 11 holes.
To gain a little perspective about golf and your game ask yourself these two questions before your next round. First question, what is the worst thing that could happen? The honest answer is that you might be a little upset and embarrassed by your play. A few friends will ask you how you played today and you will have to own up to your poor play. But they will still be your friends and hope for the best for you. When you get home your spouse may ask how you played but they will still love you just as much as before. And then by the next day nobody will even remember or really care that you played poorly. So the worst is not really that bad. Then ask yourself what is the best thing that could happen? You would be happy and a little proud of your play. A few friends will ask how you played and then they will wish you would stop talking about it. When you get home your spouse will ask how you played and before you can finish recounting the round you will be asked to take out the trash and get the kids ready for bed. And while it will serve as a fond memory for you nobody will much remember how you played by the next day. So the best is not that great.
So if the best is not that great and the worst is not that bad then why do we play this game? It is a question whose answer will help you gain perspective and enjoy your time on the golf course better. Is it the time outdoors, time with friends, competition, the thrill of a well struck shot? There are many reasons to play golf. Learn to focus on what is important to you and like Ben Crane you may find your self getting out of your own way and playing great golf.
Experts on the business and game of golf. The best coaching tips and latest golf news delivered straight to you. Sign Up to get the latest.


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Children with psychiatric and emotional disorders need expert, coordinated care to help them cope with life's challenges. Medical Center at Augusta University Psychiatry and Health Behavior offers outpatient and inpatient treatment for children ages 6-16 years with emotional and behavioral problems such as:
Interdisciplinary Care by Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists
Care is delivered by an interdisciplinary treatment team of child and adolescent psychiatrists and child and adolescent psychologists, including specialists in eating disorders, ADHD and autism. They are supported by social workers, a recreational therapist, a special needs teacher, a registered dietician and psychiatric nurses and technicians. The team offers:
Call 706-721-9331 for admission information or assistance 24/7.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists:


text:
remember those staples commercials where the father is DELIGHTED that his kids are going back to school? ive gone from not thinking they were very funny to actually enjoying them but they still remind me of unpleasantness. they are my unofficial end of summer once they start airing. before, it was my own return to school that pissed me off. now, not only am i going back to classes (which isnt nearly as bad), i know that area kids are back in school. that means: louder/more crowded bus rides. not to mention my high school, located in the middle of my grad school campus, has finished being renovated and has re-opened. the area is crawling with rowdy teens and guess what? the building i'll be in most doing my practicum is literally next door to the school. almost touching!
what's practicum/internship? expect to see posts about the rigors of a counselor-in-training in the coming months. you'll know more than you want about how complicated they are trying to make my existence. unfortunately, i cant share anything with you that's confidential such as details about my clients. i know, that sucks b/c i really want ya'll to know some of this stuff, but i'll try and keep it interesting.


text:
1000th Peru Conservation Volunteer Arrives at Taricaya
Last month the 1000th Peru Conservation volunteer arrived on the project. Conservation Director Stuart Timson tells us more:
"All in all it has been a fantastically successful summer in Taricaya and we have achieved so much. I must mention that on the 18th of July with the arrival of ten people on the same day we welcomed our 1000th volunteer to Taricaya. It is staggering to think that we have been helped by so many people over the last nine years and the achievements of today would never have been possible without the work of every single person who came before them. It has been an honor to meet so many dedicated people that have allowed me to follow my personal dream and Taricaya is a tribute to every last one of them."
Read Stuart's full report here.


text:
Lean Forum
Join our forum to discuss the latest topics within many improvement methodologies, such as Lean, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, and many others. The lean forum is a collaborative environment for practitioners, leaders, and others interested in continually improving organizations and seeking Performance Excellence within their business.
Please visit our Lean Forum here


text:
USER EDITORbleech224
Malloy recovers from his gunshot wound and returns to patrol with Reed. A reported burglary at a recently opened school for women raises suspicion. An armed young couple breaks into a warehouse full of mannequins. Reed contemplates taking the investigator's exam as he prepares to give a speech in acceptance of the Medal of Valor for saving Malloy's life.moreless
When his inexperience results in charges against a hype being dismissed, Reed decides to temporarily join the narcotics squad to hone his skills. The demands of the assignment quickly take their toll on him personally, and his worst fears are realized when Malloy assists in a narcotics bust.
Filling in again for Sgt. MacDonald, Malloy pairs Reed with the department's first female officer. An underage drunk driver is enabled by his dismissive mother. Car strippers target a parking garage. A large group of misfits try to crash a rock concert.
Malloy is asked to fill in for Sgt. MacDonald, leaving Reed to partner with a young probationary officer who lets his judgment be clouded by his constant need to prove himself. A purse snatcher hides inside a church. Burglars target a closed pharmaceutical supply company. An armed robbery suspect becomes cornered in a lumber yard.moreless
On his way to an auto mechanic after his shift, Malloy is ambushed and kidnapped by a group of drug runners who plan to use him to secure the release of one of their associates.
Malloy and Reed are on the lookout for a travelling businessman driving a green Pinto, who called his wife in Nebraska and told her he was going to commit suicide at 2 PM. A property manager finds a newborn baby in a garbage can. An elderly woman helps bust a car stripping operation.moreless
Reed thinks he's got a great deal lined up on a used boat, but Malloy's convinced there's something fishy going on. The owner of a stolen horse is convinced that it's been sold to a riding academy. An informant provides a tip about a suspicious restaurant parking lot attendant. A socialite accuses Malloy and Reed of stealing her diamond ring.moreless
Officer Wells appears to have met his match with a new partner who always insists on doing things his own way. A short-fused husband decides he needs a gun to protect his home. A neglected girl causes a scare while playing with a mannequin. Officers attend firearms re-certification. A mountain climber decides to hone his skills on the side of an abandoned building. A pawn shop robber is chased through a car wash. A homeowner gets trigger-happy when he suspects a prowler is in his backyard.moreless
Malloy's girlfriend Judy invites Reed and his wife Jean on a double date, but Reed's dedication to his job threatens to interrupt their plans. Cattle from an overturned truck wander into the downtown area. A woman is observed riding her bicycle down residential streets at 45 miles per hour. An aspiring musician steals a guitar. Three men stage a bar fight as a distraction.
Officer Woods' new partner is a nervous and quiet recruit, and the embarrassing secret he's trying to keep from his fellow officers might actually imperil them. A real estate broker's well-meaning but poorly thought out gesture nearly leads to a mob scene. A drug store owner discovers a way to profit from armed robbers. An armed robbery suspect opens fire during his escape attempt.
Malloy and Reed are left frustrated after investigating the theft of an elderly woman's prized DuMont television set, but they have hope that a recently passed law might provide her and other victims with compensation. An armed robber is able to get away after shooting an over-trusting shopkeeper. A waitress at a drive-in is targeted by a pair of inexperienced armed robbers.
A large car theft operation is targeting older cars, then staging them around the city as abandoned vehicles so they can be towed and scrapped. The son of Malloy's girlfriend is suddenly getting bad grades in school. A suspect runs off after robbing an elderly woman for her Old Age Benefits check. A pair of foolish teenagers enter a house that is being fumigated.moreless
Malloy's early morning trip to the laundromat leads to a chance run in with a drug mule who may provide clues about a new dealing operation in town. A minister-in-training uses a very unorthodox method to get his message across. A Finnish-speaking child becomes separated from her family. Two neighbors become entangled in a convoluted feud. A well-known drug dealer leads officers on a high speed chase.
On Christmas Eve, an elderly man's bagpipe playing is considered a public nuisance. A pair of teenagers steal a delivery truck containing radioactive material. A nervous man is desperate to cover up the smell of perfume on his clothing. A resident from a soon-to-be-closed retirement home buys a Christmas tree, but doesn't have the means to deliver it from the tree lot. A mentally unstable man becomes a sniper after committing an armed robbery.
After his wife's credit card is turned down attempting to buy a washing machine, an irate Reed begins a long and painful process with his bank to get his credit rating corrected. Facts don't seem to add up in a seemingly simple hit-and-run investigation. Two homesick brothers steal camping gear from a store's basement. A rare error is made during the search for a liquor store robber.
Officers are on the lookout for an elusive bald serial rapist. The comical antics of an alcoholic land him in jail. An Asian woman mistakenly donates a wood burning stove that holds her family's life savings. An overweight woman becomes stuck in a phone booth.
A frantic door-to-door search takes place in response to the disappearance of a six year old girl, and Malloy's reaction while apprehending her abductor could put his career ambitions in jeopardy. A man gets stuck in a storm sewer while trying to retrieve his wallet.
Following their discovery of a serial rapist's latest teenage victim, Malloy and Reed are asked by a female police sergeant to participate in a "Lady Beware" rape defense course for high school students. An elderly career criminal with a heart condition is caught committing a burglary with his young nephew. An out of work actor resorts to desperate measures to obtain groceries. A plain-clothes stakeout is used to apprehend the serial rapist.moreless
Sgt. MacDonald feels his wife is neglecting her domestic duties when she gets a job. A tense standoff occurs when a pair of trigger-happy robbery suspects take a female hostage to the roof of a grocery store. An elderly man reports his wife missing from their retirement home.
Malloy tries to help a 60-year-old career criminal he had arrested during his first year on the force, who was recently released and begs to be re-arrested so he can spend his retirement years in the comfort of the federal penitentiary. A homeowner who claims his valuable stamp collection was stolen during a burglary draws suspicion.moreless
An anonymous call of shots-fired over the radio leads to an emergency roll-call and frantic search for Motor Officer Grant. Meanwhile, Malloy and Reed respond to a citizen report of an armed robbery in progress at a bar, and Reed goes undercover as a pizza delivery driver to bust a dangerous scam.moreless
As part of a trial program, Malloy and Reed team with Motor Officer Grant to better combat crime. A young member of a neighborhood watch becomes overanxious to make amends after an embarrassing incident during a police safety check at his home. A female witness acts suspiciously at the scene of a traffic accident. The owner of a hotdog stand complains about illegally parked cars. A daylight stakeout is needed to catch a serial burglar.moreless
Officers Malloy and Woods take a group of children to a youth camp, but Malloy becomes preoccupied with the fourteen-year-old boy he reluctantly brought along, who continues to compensate for his small stature by getting into trouble. Meanwhile, Reed goes on patrol alone, and deals with a woman who uses a unique weapon to fend off an attacker.moreless
A very troubled boy apprehended during a burglary is in desperate need of a father figure, which compels Malloy to invite him along on an upcoming week-long group camping trip in the mountains. A taxi leads a high speed chase. A motorcycle strikes an elderly pedestrian in a parking lot. A convenience store is the target of an armed robber.moreless


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Project Nim
From Oscar-winning documentarian James Marsh ("Man on Wire") comes this fascinatiing look at Columbia University experiment in the '70s that sought to raise a chimp as though it were a human and teach it sign language. Things do not end well. Read our theatrical review and watch the trailer
A fanciful thriller that puts forth the case that it was not in fact William Shakespeare, but rather Edward de Vere, who wrote the timeless play we attribute to The Bard. Read our theatrical review and watch the trailer
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
Your favorite movie stoners are back, this time making a last-ditch effort to save the holiday, but things take a wrong turn when the guys run afoul of the mob and Harold accidentally shoots Santa. Read our theatrical review and watch the trailer
The Rebound
Catherine Zeta-Jones stars as a single mother of two who gets swept of her feet by a younger man, who also happens to be her kids' manny, played by Jason Bartha, the fourth wheel from the "Hangover" films. Watch the trailer
Downton Abbey: Season 2
The Dowager and friends are back for another season of petty class warfare and intrigue. Or you can just watch them online for a limited time
Fireflies in the Garden
Ryan Reynolds stars as a novelist trying to come to terms with the reign of terror by his father (Willem Dafoe) that he and his mother (Julia Roberts) had to endure, This movie was finished three years ago, suggesting that it might not be as good as you would hope. Watch the trailer
A Warrior's Heart
Kellan Lutz stars as a teen struggling with the death of his father in Iraq, and starts acting out, eventually winding up before a judge who orders him to attend a lacrosse camp. Watch the trailer
The Sunset Limited
Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson star in this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's play about an antisocial college professor and the religious ex-con who saved him from killing himself by jumping in front of a train. Watch the trailer


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I have always loved bougainvillea, to me they are synonymous with Summer & Sun, though the ones I have been drawn to have been hot pink or magenta…
Now… well, look at these white versions in all their glory, how pretty are they???
Happy summer, y'all!
Images via Northern Light Design on Pinterest


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Product Details
Made from 100% USA cotton
True selvedge
Double hand-turned hem
Machine washable
All Brahms Mount textiles are prewashed and preshrunk
All Brahms Mount products are made in the USA
Twin 72" x 90"
Full 80" x 90"
Queen 90" x 90"
King 110" x 90"
Feel-Good Fibers
Sustainability is not a new idea at Brahms Mount. Natural fibers and earth-friendly practices were woven into the fabric of our company from day one. Every part of our process, from sourcing yarns to manufacturing products, involves making choices with minimal impact. We use colorfast, eco-friendly dyes to achieve our vibrant hues. We follow the safest possible methods to give our whites their characteristic brightness. Our natural fibers are just that – pure and undyed, with a clean, untreated finish. Feel-good fibers, in every sense.
- Beautiful
Posted by Barbara H on 1/13/15
- A lovely blanket
Posted by Ann on 1/13/15
- Transitioning beautifully...
Posted by JJ on 11/29/14
- Not sure what this field is for
It does seem a little short. One thing I would change - that sewed on label! I can't get it off and it's very visible -Posted by Ann. Dehner on 11/17/14
- Excellent Blanket
Posted by Marc on 8/15/14
- Comfy Cozy at the Beach
Posted by Adrienne Kemp on 2/7/14
- Worth the splurge
Posted by Rachael on 8/19/13
- Cotton blanket
Posted by Karen Riggs on 6/13/13
- Good Night's sleep
He loves it. He says the sheets and pillows stay cool and he's warm without a comforter.
I knew it would be love at first sight but was pleasantly surprised by his reaction.
Beautifully made and will become an heirloom.Posted by mary on 4/18/13
- Great Blanket
Posted by Lauren on 4/18/13
- Fantastic, except for one thing
Posted by susan cadile on 2/15/13
- Oxford sahara weave cotton blanket
Bravo Brahms Mount, I am very happy to support your business. I moved to the US from Italy for professional reasons 10 years ago and I have never found such high quality textiles (and believe me I have looked hard!). In a leap of faith, I decide to buy online without even knowing your work. Now I do, I think you could be defined "artists"!Posted by Marta on 1/18/13
- Cotton Blanket
Posted by Caitlin on 11/19/12
All Brahms Mount blankets and throws are pre-washed and pre-shrunk. While our products have the ease of home washing and drying, they are still made of natural fibers and should be cared for accordingly. Special attention is needed when drying.
- Wash separately in cold water on a short, gentle cycle, with as much water as possible to allow for movement
- Avoid harsh detergents
- Use a liquid detergent without bleach or brighteners
- Always pre-dilute your detergent
Brahms Mount keeps rolls of woven fabric on our shelves. An in stock product may not yet be finished and ready to ship. For this reason, all orders should be expected to ship within two weeks.


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Those are the blockbuster allegations in this suit pending before Judge Altonaga. Chapman, a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, is accused of some pretty outrageous things. According to the complaint, as summarized by Judge Altonaga:
Plaintiffs allege Chapman is liable for Curbelo Garcia and Perdomo's prolonged arbitrary detentions and torture, not because Chapman was personally involved in detaining or torturing Plaintiffs, but because he provided the Cuban government with the false accusations in the first instance. This furnishing of false accusations, Plaintiffs allege, was part of a conspiracy between Chapman and the Cuban government that Chapman entered into on the day he met Raul Castro. (See id. ¶¶ 301–10). When Chapman agreed to the conspiracy, he became part of a pervasive "snitch network of athletes." (Id. ¶ 216). This network included "athletes in every team in Cuba," and was so widespread that "[t]here was a special unit of security officials that were in charge of connecting directly with the athletes to seek out reliable informants." (Aff. of Gregorio Miguel Calleiro ("Calleiro Aff.") ¶¶ 8–9 [ECF No. 48-5]). Athletes who voluntarily became government informants reported "suspicious" behavior to their individual handlers in the Department of State Security ("DCSE"). (Id. ¶¶ 10–12; see Am. Compl. ¶ 216). In return for providing "actionable information for the state," the informants received benefits from the Cuban government, such as the ability to travel with a national team. (Calleiro Aff. ¶ 14). Chapman sought the opportunity to travel with the National Baseball Team as a means of defecting. (See Am. Compl. ¶¶ 218, 221).
The Court denied the motion to dismiss and the case is proceeding. Chapman is represented locally by Manny Garcia-Linares of Richman Greer.
Posted by South Florida Lawyers at 10:26 AM


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(By far my most favorite episode)
(Made this in collaberation with a Florida based rapper)
Congrats on a year.
Thanks, man! We just hit 115 subs and pretty close to 30k views. This week I am focusing on the Film Riot monday challenge, winning is always good publicity haha.
You should enter if you have time! @Andy001z
@TriGFlixFilms - Nice one! Congratulations on almost 30k views!
Did you know about the YouTube Creator Academy benefits? You're a Graphite creator right now with some cool stuff - then with just another 850 subscribers you get to go to Creator Days
@Triflixfilms I would love to give it a bash but time is very tight at the moment and the standard produced for Ryan and the team is very high.
(Feed back from audience stated this video was boring... just sharing it out of habit)
(Ironically I later made a thread trying to find the best camera for me :'D)
(If you've been watching since the beginning, do you see the growth?)
@TriFlixFilms Only so much one man can do, go to one vid every two weeks or one a month but make that vid dam sweet. I know your trying to build the channel but at the cost of your health is going to ruin all that hard work. Play the long game man.
@Andy001z so true... that video was actually from the start of the summer. I've just recently started posting again and I'm sticking to weekly uploads. I made a very detailed scheduke for myself that balances work, school, and videos so I should be fine this time around
I almost died
Well don't frigging DIE!! who the smeg is going to create new content @TriFlixFilms
Schedules are great but they still have to happen and once little BLIP and bang the stress happens, you need to ensure you have an enough flexibility to soak up those moments.
Hahaha the scedule is firm. I won't let any blips stop it. I actually have most of my weekends available for whatever is needed, be it homework, studyijg, recording, family. But Monday through Friday is packed for 16 hours, every seconds I taken into account for. Work hard, play hard. @Andy001z
A schedule list is the worst possible thing to have when trying to manage stress, speaking from experience.
To me, it got to the point of palpitations, and I've lived in the same house with someone who is so stressed have to lay down in bed having no power for a whole day after just go shopping.
Judging by your description, you're not even close to it being an actual disease, so let it stay that way.
By the way, I really enjoy watching your videos, I don't comment on them, but I've watched you grow and you're way more comfortable now than you were before, you'll definitely grow, but the key is consistency. I do think you could work on your audio though a little bit, and definitely the color, it's very saturated and more towards the orange side.
Bruh, you just made my day @kevinthefilmmaker!
I am working with a new camera now and I just purchased an led panel. So hopefully that in addition to proper luts with help the color.
@Triem23 advised a zoom h5 so I copped one for a deal. The next video should be visually and audibly more pleasing than the prior
Hope I make you guys proud
LOVE the thumbnail for the Scams and Rumors episode!
Thanks for the great feedback @Spydurhank and @KirstieT. The channel has been steadily growing lately and I am very thankful
Looks good, where did you buy the parts?
Love it.


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Accidental candor about voter ID
Most of the time, when Republican policymakers talk about voter-ID laws, they maintain the pretense that the measures are only intended to prevent imaginary voter fraud. "No, we're not trying to disenfranchise the constituencies that traditionally vote Democratic," they say. "That's just a coincidental byproduct of our nonpartisan proposals."
But once in a while, Republicans slip up and concede what everyone already knows to be true.
Politics PA's Kelly Cernetich published this report earlier on Pennsylvania Republican Party's state committee meeting, held over the weekend.
House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) suggested that the House's end game in passing the Voter ID law was to benefit the GOP politically.
"We are focused on making sure that we meet our obligations that we've talked about for years," said Turzai in a speech to committee members Saturday. He mentioned the law among a laundry list of accomplishments made by the GOP-run legislature.
"Pro-Second Amendment? The Castle Doctrine, it's done. First pro-life legislation – abortion facility regulations – in 22 years, done. Voter ID, which is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done."
The Republicans in attendance cheered, and I suppose that's to be expected – the disenfranchisement of traditional Democratic voters is bound to make Republicans applaud.
But but the state lawmaker's candor was a reminder that Pennsylvania's voter-ID law isn't about the integrity of the process; it's about ensuring Republican victories by rigging the game.
State Sen. Daylin Leach, a Democratic critic of voter ID, told Cernetich, "This is making clear to everyone what Voter ID was all about. This is about one thing: disenfranchising Democratic voters and rigging elections for Republicans. When they get behind closed doors, they admit it. And that's exactly what Turzai did."


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mini asparagus frittatas
Remember last week, when I told you that my recipe for roasted asparagus was actually the first half of an even better recipe? Well, it was. Despite my extreme love of gelato and animal crackers for breakfast (sometimes the first thing you grab is actually... totally unhealthy on purpose), I like to throw in something healthy every now and then!
I've posted a few recipes for mini frittatas on Sugarlaws, and one of the great things about them is that they're an easy weekend recipe that'll stay delicious in your fridge for several days -- so if you want to make these on Sunday, your batch will last to mid-week! Way more delicious than boring old toast, and way healthier than ice cream, for a quick and easy breakfast.
Mini Asparagus Frittatas
4 whole eggs
2 egg whites
1 batch Roasted Asparagus
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 tsp fleur de sel
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the roasted asparagus into 1 inch sections. Fill about 1/3 of each muffin tin with asparagus, reserving some of the tips. Ten add the gruyere cheese.
In a large bowl, beat eggs with salt and pepper until foamy and approximately doubled in size. Fill the muffin cups to about 3/4 full with the egg mixture, and then top with the reserved asparagus tips.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until eggs are set and slightly browned on the tops.
Makes six mini frittatas.


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A drone went missing last Friday in Washington D.C., and it has not been seen since.
Its owner, a one Adam Eidinger, told Salon that he uses the device to take aerial videos of Washington, D.C.
Last Friday, Eidinger informed me that he wanted to take a short video of a festival in Adams Morgan, and was flying his quadcopter from a rooftop on 18th Street NW. A huge gust of wind blew it too far south and Eidinger quickly lost orientation. The copter was almost 5,000 feet away from him, and he couldn't tell which way was forward and which way was backward. When his remote loses contact with the drone, says Eidinger, the copter is programmed to slowly descend on its own-a "safe landing mode," which prevents it from simply falling out of the sky and crashing. So it's possible that the quadcopter is sitting on a rooftop somewhere in the area-maybe even on your rooftop (have you checked?). Eidinger doesn't think it has fallen in a public place, because he says he canvassed the whole area and had no luck.
Not a large Predator, Eidinger's quadcopter is 2 ft x 2 ft and made in China. Eidinger, who customized the drone himself, estimates its worth at about $700.
Anyone with any information as to the drone's whereabouts should contact Eidinger directly. [Salon]


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COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (Thursday, December 12, 2013) – The Colorado Rapids acquired defender Marc Burch on Thursday in Stage 1 of the 2013 MLS Re-Entry Process, adding the eight-year MLS veteran to the team's roster. Burch, 29, comes to Colorado after two seasons with Seattle Sounders FC, and having played 152 regular season matches in his MLS career.
- INTERVIEW: Marc Burch speaks to Richard Fleming
Burch was selected by Colorado with the 11th overall selection in Stage 1 of the MLS Re-Entry Process, which means that the Rapids will pick up his contract option for the 2014 season. No Rapids players were selected in Stage 1 of the draft, and Stage 2 (when teams may negotiate new contacts with selected players) will take place next Wednesday.
"Marc is a versatile and talented left-sided player with a lot of MLS experience," said Rapids Technical Director Paul Bravo. "He will give us added competition in the back line, and we're happy to welcome him to our squad."
Couldn't be happier joining an amazing club with some unbelievable talent! @ColoradoRapids looking forward to the fresh start!
— Marc Burch (@Marc_Burch) December 12, 2013
Originally selected in the second round (24th overall) of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft by the LA Galaxy out of the national champion University of Maryland, Burch played three games with LA before a midseason trade to the Columbus Crew. He moved to D.C. United to start the 2007 season where he played for five seasons before joining Seattle in the Re-Entry Process ahead of the 2012 season, when he appeared in a career high 29 games (19 starts). Primarily a left back who can also play center back or left midfield, Burch has three goals and 17 assists in his 152 regular season games (113 starts).
The Rapids will begin the 2014 season on March 9 at San Jose, with the first match at Dick's Sporting Goods Park against the Portland Timbers on March 22.
Last team: Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)


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By Sopan Deb
Rock Center
An emotional Charlie Engle emerged from Dismas Charities, a halfway house in Greensboro, N.C., and greeted his two teenage sons, telling them he could not have done it without them.
He was referring to the prison term he just finished serving (most of it at a federal prison in Beckley, W. Va.) for mortgage fraud.
"The second I walked out that door and I was no longer in prison," Engle told Rock Center's Harry Smith. "It's almost impossible to explain the feeling, but it is just that sense that OK, now I can be here for my boys again." Engle's interview airs Thursday, Nov. 15 at 10 p.m./ 9 p.m. Central on NBC.
Engle spent a year and half in prison for his role in the financial crisis. But he didn't work on Wall Street and he was not a banker. He was convicted of exaggerating his income on his mortgage applications – a common practice during the housing boom.
While many big banks were chastised for risky behavior in lending by Congress, they got bailouts worth billions. Charlie Engle, meanwhile, was the target of a federal case involving an undercover operative, a dogged IRS agent and conspiring mortgage lenders.
Engle's troubles started because of his passion for long distance running in extreme environments.
"The run across the Sahara ended up being a little over 4,600 miles," Engle said. "We basically ran about 50 miles per day, every single day, for 111 consecutive days without taking a single day off."
Engle's run, with two friends, would be an adventure to raise money for clean water projects in North Africa. Accompanied by a film crew, the journey was turned into a documentary narrated by actor Matt Damon that premiered at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival.
Engle got some notice, including an appearance on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. That was enough to get the attention of Robert Nordlander, an IRS agent who wondered how Engle could find the time to train for running while still maintaining an income.
"Being the special agent that I am, I was wondering, how does a guy train for this because most people have to work from nine to five and it's very difficult to train for this part-time," Nordlander told a grand jury in May, 2010.
Nordlander spent almost 700 hours investigating Engle, combing through his banking and tax records. He even put Engle under surveillance and went through his trash looking for evidence.
He was not satisfied and sent in an attractive undercover agent who was also a runner.
WATCH VIDEO: Runner, not Wall Street, prosecuted for mortgage fraud
The agent came to Engle's front door and said she was looking at apartments in his complex. She suggested they have lunch the next day, where, as Engle remembered, "most of her questions, looking back now, were almost like of a financial nature."
At a local restaurant in Greensboro called Mimi's, Engle revealed he had taken out mortgages on a couple of investment properties. He went on to say something that would come back to haunt him.
"…I had a couple of good liar loans out there, you know with my, my mortgage broker who didn't mind writing down, you know that I was making 400 grand a year when he knew I wasn't," said Engle.
"What's funny is after I made that statement, it's like all of a sudden, the lunch ended very quickly," Engle told Smith.
He did not realize that the agent was wearing a wire and that he had just made a statement that would land him in court.
"Liar loans" are the colloquial term for something called "stated-income loans," which were common during the housing boom and a contributing cause of the housing crisis. These loans did not require lenders to verify a borrower's assets or incomes.
They were initially conceived decades ago for extremely wealthy borrowers who would normally have complicated tax returns. But during the housing boom, lenders began abusing the practice. Engle was one of millions of borrowers who took out such loans, which were being handed out freely by many lenders eager to get in on the boom.
Engle contended he did not fill in the income figure on his loans, but he admitted he signed the closing documents. He also insisted that the conversation with the undercover agent was taken out of context.
"I did have liar loans, but I'm not the one who told the lies," Engle said. "The brokers, the banks, the people who -- as a borrower we all know we're not in charge of the process."
The IRS did not find tax fraud, but Engle was indicted for mortgage fraud.
He was convicted in large part because of the testimony of the mortgage broker for one of his loans, who along with Engle's loan officer and the seller of the property, all pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud several banks of millions of dollars.
The mortgage broker, John Hellman, got 10 months in prison while Engle received a 21-month sentence. Neil H. MacBride, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, declined Rock Center's request for an interview, but sent a statement saying, "Mr. Engle was convicted by a jury of fraudulently obtaining more than a million dollars in four mortgage loans…" MacBride also noted his office also prosecuted fraudsters in a case worth $2.9 billion.
The big banks that handed out those liar loans by and large escaped criminal prosecution, said Neil Barofsky, who was the inspector general for TARP, the government's program to bailout the banks. Barofsky told Rock Center that while it is easier to prosecute the smaller fish involved in the financial crisis, that does not justify ignoring the bigger ones.
"And it doesn't really accomplish the broader goals that you want from your Department of Justice in the aftermath of a crisis, and that's to make it very clear, that if you break the law, if you do this type of unethical behavior, that you'll be held accountable," Barofsky said. "And all the Charlie Engle's in the world rotting in jail aren't going to accomplish that goal."
Editor's Note: Harry's Smith's full report about Charlie Engle airs Thursday at 10pm/9c on NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams.


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Identity theft a problem from cradle to grave — Kids most vulnerable
by Larry Magid
April 8, 2014 was a scary day. Microsoft ended support and security updates for Windows XP, leaving millions of users vulnerable to hack attack from what will soon be an out-of-date operating system riddled with vulnerabilities. But by the end of the day, we had something else to worry about. Security researchers revealed that a flaw in Open SSL — the most popular Web encryption system — may have left private information exposed to anyone who knew how to exploit the flaw.
As these stories were breaking, I happened to be in Austin, Texas, for the Center for Identity's ID 360 conference, where experts from around the world gathered to talk about identity theft.
Data breaches and securities flaws aren't the only ways people's identity can be stolen but they are certain a major risk factor. As Bryan Hjelm, vice president of product and marketing for CSID, pointed out in his presentation, data breaches in 2013 exposed 822 million records worldwide. This year the data breach at Target exposed at least 40 million credit cards, some of which have already been illegally used for purchases.
Identity theft is a problem from cradle to grave, said Suzanne Barber, director of the Center for Identity Theft (scroll down to listen to the entire interview).
"More and information is being asked for by different organizations," she noted. "The book club asks for information along with the grocery store, and you're left with a dilemma — 'I want the services and access that these different originations provide but they want a lot of information about me."'
Protect your social security number
One thing you should avoid sharing, she said, is your Social Security number, which is very valuable to identity thieves. A lot of businesses ask for your Social Security number to verify your identity but there are often other ways to do this.
I give my Social Security number to banks when I open a new account because it's a government requirement that they have it for tax purposes. But when a doctor's office asked for it recently, I declined because they don't need it to bill me or my insurance company and they certainly don't need it to treat me. If anyone asks for your Social Security number, ask why they need it.
Children most vulnerable
Barber said parents should be especially careful when it comes to their children's Social Security numbers. She said children are 35 times more likely than adults to be identity theft victims. One reason is because children almost always have clean credit ratings, which makes them very valuable to identity thieves. Also, said Barber, parents tend not to monitor their children's Social Security numbers and credit ratings, so they're less likely to uncover a child's identity theft until they've been victimized.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, warning signs that your child may have been victimized include their being turned down for government benefits because the benefits are being paid to another account using your child's Social Security number. Other warnings include a notice from the Internal Revenue Service that the child's Social Security number was used on another tax return or bills or collection calls for products or services not received.
Whether a child or an adult, you should check your credit reports at least once a year. You can get a free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228. This program is sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission. Do not confuse it with other credit reporting services that have "free" in their name.
I recommend that you check your bank and credit and debit card activity regularly. If you don't already have an online account with your bank, set one up and go in frequently to look for recent activity, which is sometimes posted immediately after a transaction occurs. If you find anything suspicious, report it right away so you're not charged and so the bank can investigate. This is especially important for debit cards because the bank will deduct any charges from your account immediately and you need to get them to reimburse you for any fraudulent charges.
Other types of identity theft risks include fraudulent tax returns, which could result in someone else getting your refund. There is also medical fraud — people getting medical services billed to your insurance account or prescriptions in your name. ID 360 conference speaker Ann Patterson said another risk is "misdiagnosis, mistreatment or delay in treatment," due to someone getting medical care in your name.
The Identity Theft Resource Center advises people to use a cross-cut shredder to dispose of documents with personal information. They also advise that you "know your billing cycles and contact creditors when bills fail to show up." That's one piece of advice I would have never thought of. Few of us particularly enjoy getting bills, but better us than an identity thief.
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This post first appeared in the San Jose Mercury News


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China's great firewall grows ever higher
This week I was scheduled to attend a seminar on new and social media in China with other British journalists, but first I needed a visa. It never came. Consular officials told me that I was denied entrance because I didn't have an appropriate letter of invitation — but others in my party traveled with the same documentation that I provided.
So why couldn't I visit? I fell back on an explanation that seemed rational: the authorities hadn't liked my journalism.
I've been working for the last three years with a young Chinese journalist on a book about the state of Chinese investigative journalism. Over a year ago, we published a joint piece in the Financial Times in which we argued that the scope of investigative journalism in China has narrowed, and noted the growing list of reporters who have been fired. One of the most famed, Wang Keqin, had uncovered a series of frauds and failures by the authorities that resulted in his sacking, twice — once in 2011, and again, from another paper, in February of this year.
We argued that what had been at least a partial breakthrough to real — if risky — investigative writing was now being suppressed. Because of this, journalists had to turn to activism — bearing witness to protests, environmental and industrial issues and mobilization of disaffected groups.
I may be over-hasty in concluding that I was refused because of my journalism (though two Chinese friends were sure I wasn't). And I'm aware this might be self-serving: in western journalistic circles there's more pride than shame in having a visa denied on the basis of publishing something unwelcome. Regardless, the situation my co-author and I wrote about a little over a year ago has become worse. New media, which was to bring unprecedented freedom of expression to authoritarian societies, has been proven no more immune to control than the mainstream media.
Not only have the boldest spirits among China's journalists been squelched, but the Internet has, too. Bill Clinton once argued that trying to control the Internet was "like nailing jello to the wall," but in China it's being controlled nonetheless. Reportedly up to 2 million Internet monitors scan the estimated 700 million Chinese Web users (which is more than half the population), while an even greater army of "50-centers" put out positive messages about society, government and the Party for which they are paid 50 cents. The artist Ai Weiwei managed to persuade one of them to speak to him last year: the 50-center told the artist that every day, an email from the government's Internet publicity office gives "instructions on which direction to guide the netizens' thoughts, to blur their focus, or to fan their enthusiasm for certain ideas."
On the micro blog site Weibo — developed by the Sina online media corporation after the Chinese authorities barred Twitter from the country, now with 500 million users' accounts — the more outspoken commentators have been warned to cool it. In one case, Charles Xue, a Chinese-American venture capitalist with 12 million followers on Weibo, was arrested in August, and charged with having sex with a prostitute: whatever the truth of the charge, Mr. Xue's public apology was not for a sin of the flesh but for — as he said in his confession — "irresponsibility in spreading information online (in)…a negative mood…freedom of speech cannot override the law." An authoritative account for the Reuters Institute by the Beijing-based reporter Bei Jiao concluded that "control over Weibo is intensifying, limiting freedom of speech. Journalists are increasingly cautious posting anything significant after learning the lessons of their own or others' mistakes."
One observer, Xiao Qiang of the University of California at Berkeley, told the New York Times that "we're only seeing the beginning of this campaign…(the authorities) will be much harsher, and the targets will be the more influential people in the Chinese public sphere."
Most observers credit the crackdown to Xi Jinping, the new Communist Party leader and president: though Chinese top level politics remain opaque, informed commentators believe that he and his closest colleagues have a strong bias toward closer control over all aspects of society.
Last week, People's Daily published a long editorial by the chief editor Yang Zhenwu. It was a commentary on Xi Jinping's speech in August, at a conference on propaganda and ideology, underscoring how important the words of the new leader were. The piece repeated, many times, the absolute necessity of having the media "run by politicians" — by which the editor means that all media must be under the direction of the Party, and "consolidate and expand mainstream ideology and public opinion."
The repeated invocations of the necessity of "politicians running newspapers" harks back — though Yang Zhenwu did not say so — to a debate that Mao Zedong had with senior party journalists in the 1950s, when the Communist Party was consolidating its role. Some editors sought to keep control of the press in the hands of intellectuals — who, though loyal party members, nevertheless could preserve a measure of detachment and even space for some criticism. Mao dismissed that. For him, the press was the extension of the party. Its importance lay in what it could teach the masses, how it could inspire them. The People's Daily editorial of last week — arguing as it does that "traditional and new media must explicitly implement the policies of unity, stability, encouragement and give first place to positive propaganda" — is an extension of Mao. As the penitent Xue said, "freedom of speech cannot override the law" — and the law is constraining freedom of speech.
As the Chinese leadership surveys the geopolitical scene, the decline of the West is evident, not just because of its economic crises but also because of the free press it cultivates. Journalism, with its revelations of vast surveillance of communications by security agencies in the U.S. and the UK, has undermined the countries' standings. For the Chinese leadership, the spectacle of a determinedly revelatory news media and so-far powerless governments must point to only one conclusion: don't let the journalists take any real power. Tell those who try to take it to hold their silly tongues. And do everything in your power to make sure they do. Politicians must run the news.
PHOTO: Customers use computers at an internet cafe in Hefei, Anhui province March 16, 2012. REUTERS/Stringer
We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/
Chinas censorship is overt. Americas is covert. I am referring to the activities of the NSA revealed of late.
True… if they don't like what we say they may sanction or do something economic. If we don't like a diplomat or government we will also forbid them to come and may put the country on a list to subvert, overthrow, or attack militarily. Which one's worse…hmmm…
The more hysterical, the merrier.
I think all the rightie/Obama haters complaining, falsely, about the 'left-wing media conspiracy' should move to China and see what REAL censorship/bias is.


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With the growing number of children participating in competitive sports, injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, of the knee are on the rise in young athletes.
According to athletic trainer and physical therapist John R. Wawrzyniak, Penn State Hershey Therapy Services, the best way to avoid this knee damage is proper training. Athletes who participate in flexibility and strength training and use proper form can reduce their chance of non-contact ACL injuries by as much as 50 percent.
"I tell every parent that I talk to, 'I would rather be training your kids or talking to you about preventing these injuries than seeing you in the clinic two days after your ACL reconstruction,'" he said.
Wawrzyniak recommends training for children who are in middle school or older who are starting to play competitively.
"I think a big reason a lot of these kids get injured is because they've missed the fundamental movement patterns that we used to teach in physical education class," he said.
Since many have not learned the proper way to jump and land or how to control their bodies, they are predisposed to injuries.
He reminds parents to consider certain factors when allowing their child to participate in any sport.
-- Children should want to do the sport.
-- Make sure they have the basic skills the sport requires.
-- Don't over train them. Children need off seasons and rest periods.
-- Do not rush them to return after an injury.
-- Prepare them. "You don't want to throw them out there into a highly competitive environment without some kind of conditioning base," he said.
Parents of girls should be especially diligent because girls are three to six times more likely to tear the ACL than boys. Girls are known to land a jump more with a stiff knee, predisposing them to abnormal knee motion with the potential for ACL tears.
In addition to potentially sparing them pain, training could help athletes avoid surgical reconstruction from an ACL tear followed by a six-to-12 month rehabilitation period. It can also help athletes prevent the possible long-term effects from injury, such as being unable to return to their previous level of competition or even ending their sports career.
ACL injury is associated with earlier progression of osteoarthritis. If left untreated, an ACL injury can lead to other structural knee damage. Additionally, it has been reported that the overall rate of a second ACL injury, either to the same or opposite knee, within two years of the original injury, is six times greater among those who undergo ACL reconstruction as compared with those with no history of ACL injury.
On Monday, July 14, Penn State Hershey University Fitness Center will offer a six week Sportsmetrics injury prevention program for young athletes. Athletes will be evaluated at the beginning and end of the program and will participate in speed, agility, strength and flexibility training three days a week.
"We not only want to prevent them from being injured, we want to improve their sports performance as well," Wawrzyniak said.
For more information and to register, visit PennStateHershey.org/sportsmetrics.
The Medical Minute is a weekly health news feature brought to you by Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Articles feature the expertise of Penn State Hershey faculty physicians and staff, and are designed to offer timely, relevant health information of interest to a broad audience.


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Marine conservationists from the University of British Columbia, Zoological Society of London (ZSL), and John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago have launched a smartphone app that could lead to new discoveries about some of the ocean's most mysterious and threatened animals — seahorses — and pave the way for similar efforts with other difficult-to-study species.
With iSeahorse Explore, anyone, anywhere in the world can become a citizen scientist and contribute to marine conservation with a few taps of their phone. The iPhone app is designed for people to quickly log seahorse sightings whenever they encounter an animal in the wild.
"We've made important scientific breakthroughs with seahorses in recent years, but they remain incredibly enigmatic animals," says Dr Amanda Vincent, Director of Project Seahorse and Chair of the IUCN SSC Seahorse, Pipefish & Stickleback Specialist Group.
Thanks to their small size and ability to blend into their surroundings, seahorses are difficult to study in the wild. Of the 48 seahorse species listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ 26 are considered Data Deficient - meaning that there isn't enough information for us to know whether these species are thriving, disappearing, or something in between.
"We know that seahorses are threatened by overfishing, destructive fishing practices, and habitat loss. Now we need to pinpoint populations and places that most need conservation action," says Heather Koldewey, co-founder of Project Seahorse and Head of Global Conservation Programmes at ZSL. The app and its feature-rich companion website, iSeahorse.org represents a pilot collaboration with iNaturalist.org a leading citizen science group.
New features planned for the next phase of the iSeahorse website and smartphone app include sophisticated population monitoring and advocacy tools as well as a social media component.
"Working together with citizen scientists all over the world, we'll accomplish big things for seahorses and other vulnerable marine species," adds Vincent.
For more information contact:
Dr Amanda Vincent
Chair: IUCN SSC Seahorse, Pipefish & Stickleback Specialist Group
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Along with lemon poppyseed cupcakes, I made this self frosting angel food cake to take to my mom's house for Mother's Day brunch. I had some egg whites left over from the lemon meringue pie I made so chose this simple cake. And unlike most angel food cakes, it only calls for 6 eggs whites and it's made in a 9-inch Pyrex dish. Genius!
Seriously, how genius is that? Have you ever heard of an angel food cake made in a Pyrex dish? No, me neither and that's why it appealed to me. It took away all the pressure of making a tall
daunting impressive angel food cake by making it into a snack cake. It's mildly flavored with vanilla and almond extracts and it's topped with sweetened shredded coconut. As it bakes, the coconut gets imbedded into the cake and becomes slightly crunchy and golden, thus forming the self frosted part of this cake.
This cake was very quick and simple to put together. Like other angel food cakes, this one was light and airy. It was firm and and spongey, with a light sweetness. The coconut on top added a differing texture to the soft interior. Both my mother and monther-in-law love angel food cake, and while it's not my favorite, this was for them. All in all, I'd say that it was a success.Self-Frosting Angel Food Snack Cake from The Cutting Edge of Ordinary via Cookie Baker Lynn
- 6 egg whites at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup sifted cake flour
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Position rack in the center of the oven.
Beat egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, 2 Tbsp at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.
Sprinkle flour over egg white mixture; fold in carefully. Gently fold in almond and vanilla extracts.
Pour batter into an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle coconut over the top.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan about 40 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cut into squares to serve.
If you haven't already, go enter my cookbook giveaway!


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I've updated the Lux Alliance online rankings page to include a new tally-based listing of the current champions! It's based on a +/- of recent wins/losses, with more weight given to games with more human players.
Boromir86 currently showing up as the top +/- player, watch out for him!
Alliance :: Current Online Champions
Synchronized-turns strategy. Calling all teamers.
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I recently compared Humanities (Cultural Anthropology, English Literature, History, Philosophy) professors at research universities as pimps who rule the ghetto. Razib Khan liked the analogy so much he extended it with question: "do pimps facilitate good healthy sex for society, or do they encourage the spread of unpalatable contagion by perpetuating the ghetto and its conditions?"
The answer: In the ghetto, pimps provide wages to hos who, depending on their character, either become accustomed to the poverty (thus joining the self-perpetuating underclass) or use the capital they accumulate to escape the ghetto.
To review: the ghetto is a neighborhood defined by economic deprivation. A very noticeable ghetto in academic life is the humanities ghetto of low wages and low employment:
Remember that the ghetto has four types of people: pimps (who make the best of a bad environment by running the ghetto), escapees (including those who are planning their escape), losers (including hos who work for pimps), and disaster tourists (including johns who provide the wages for the losers). Here's an example of a loser ho:
"I am not a welfare queen," says Melissa Bruninga-Matteau.
That's how she feels compelled to start a conversation about how she, a white woman with a Ph.D. in medieval history and an adjunct professor, came to rely on food stamps and Medicaid. Ms. Bruninga-Matteau, a 43-year-old single mother who teaches two humanities courses at Yavapai College, in Prescott, Ariz., says the stereotype of the people receiving such aid does not reflect reality. Recipients include growing numbers of people like her, the highly educated, whose advanced degrees have not insulated them from financial hardship.
But the "ghetto" is larger than just the humanities. Many non-progressive sciences are in the ghetto, because they are run by old boys networks — by their pimps. Likewise, even having progressive research programs does not (necessarily) protect against ghettoization. Using information from Indeed (which suffers from all sorts of biases, but the relative values of which have face validity), this is a chart of the overlapping ghettos by PhD concentration, against where you want to be:
The humanities does not confine you to poverty (you can escape). Whether or not science comes to an end, the myth that scientific training means a successful life certainly should. Being in a normal science does not guarantee success. Personal success comes from finding something that can provide you with joy, provide you with the ability to be the best, and provide you with pay. If you have these attributes in what you are doing, you can be successful, whatever your compensation (in terms of money, power, and prestige).
Petroleum engineers who enjoy their work can enjoy these from heights. Pimps can enjoy these from the ghetto. But without these three, you are much more likely to be miserable.
In other words: if you can't pimp, get out of the ghetto.


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The folks at Dell EMC have to be pleased with the trend line in this category. After failing to win anything for three straight years, they took home a silver medal in 2016 and a gold one in 2017. And how about Datto finishing ahead of so many bigger storage industry players?
Dell EMC Corp. is a provider of cloud, storage management, backup and archive, big data, infrastructure management, and protection products and services.
Datto protects the essential business data for tens of thousands of the world's fastest growing companies. Our Total Data Protection platform delivers uninterrupted access to data on site, in transit and in the cloud. We partner with forward-looking technology partners to provide unmatched accountability, fanatical customer service, and the best products and services to keep businesses running, no matter what happens. Datto is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, and has offices in Rochester, Boston, Toronto, London, Singapore, and Sydney. Learn more at www.datto.com


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The flowing style and organic motifs of Vicky's original designs hark back to a time when traditional and contemporary tastes were combining for a new (nouveau) look. Use any of the 10 blocks in any of the seven projects to complement or become the basis for a unique style. Designed as hand appliqué work that is easily portable, these patterns can also be fused for quicker results. Projects include fun ideas such as a sachet cover, bolster, and tote, as well as the original bed-size quilt and miniature version, a wallhanging, and table runner. Beginners will learn the basics of appliqué; experienced sewers will appreciate the clear patterns and directions.
|0.70 pounds
|Number of Pages
|Number of Illustrations
|8.50" x 11.00" x .30"
|American Quilter's Society
Customer Reviews
- Quilt on the go and before you know it, the project will be completed. — Review by Connie Krochmal
- Projects are designed so they fit into a tote and can be completed one section at a time. Done in the Art Nouveau style of the early 20th century, this has a nine block floral bed quilt as well as seven other floral projects. These include a tote, sachet cover, table runner, wallhanging, and bolster. The book features full-size appliqué templates and color illustrated, step-by-step directions. Each project has a list of fabrics, a cutting chart, and color layouts. The introduction covers all of the basics from appliqué to fabric selection and the supplies needed. --Connie Krochmal, BellaOnline, http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art66204.asp (Posted on 5/26/10)
- Truly an inspirational book. — Review by The Quilter magazine
- Revisit a glamorous, more graceful time with the organic flowing appliqué motifs in Vicky Lawtence's "Garden Nouveau Quilts." Reminiscent of the Art Nouveau period of the twentieth century, Vicky's motifs combine traditional with contemporary for a fresh new look. Designed for hand appliqué, the nature-inspired patterns can also be fused for faster results. The seven projects contained in the book include a sachet cover, bolster, tote, bed-size quilt, miniature quilt, wallhanging, and table runner. All patterns are full size, but must be copies directly from the book and joined, since there is no pattern pull-out section. Because of the size of the patterns and the complexity of the designs, we recommend this book for intermediate through advanced quilters, although beginning appliquérs should be able to complete the smaller projects. --The Quilter magazine, July 2010, page 100 (Posted on 5/5/10)
- Capture the flowing organic motifs that are Art Nouveau — Review by Patti Ives, The Appliqué Society
- This book centers on the author's beautiful quilt "Nouveau Fleur". Vicky Lawrence's patterns capture the flowing organic motif that is commonly referred to as Art Nouveau. There are a total of nine blocks that will result in a bed size quilt. Seven other projects are included, including a tote, bolster and sachet cover. Vicky provides instructions for two hand appliqué methods, both using freezer paper and one fusible. Stems are made using bias bars and instructions are included for this technique. The blocks are also set using bumper strips that give this quilt a unique look. The patterns are printed full size and you will want to jump right in and try one of the smaller projects right away to get a feel for the flow of the designs. --Patti Ives, Editor, "The Appliqué Society" newsletter, March/April 2010, Volume 13, No. 4, page 15. (Posted on 4/30/10)
- "If you like appliqué and pretty, you won't be bored." — Review by Quilter's Home magazine
- This is something AQS does a lot: It takes a phenomenal quilt and has the maker break down its components to create a book of patterns. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Vicky's quilt, "The Nouveau Fleur," DEFINITELY works! With nine different appliquéd blocks (several repeat to create the queen-sized quilt) and an intricate interior appliqué border, these flowing Art Nouveau-esque florals are fairly screaming Mucha. Her copious instructions have a charming voice ("Okay, put the toothpick in your mouth to get it good and damp. Now you look like the tough guy who appliqués."), and she's adapted the blocks into some interesting projects, including a tote bag and a pillow. One problem though: Because this book works off one main quilt for its inspiration, there's not a lot of color change-up, even on the secondary projects. For us color-challenged, it's often helpful to see quilts worked up in different color and print variations. --"Quilter's Home" magazine, April/May 2010, pages 70-71. (Posted on 4/30/10)
- Garden Nouveau Quilts by Vicky Lawrence — Review by Fabric Trends magazine
"Garden Nouveau Quilts" is a collection of ten highly-stylized appliquéd garden motifs brought together into a beautiful Nouveau Fleur quilt. Designer Vicky Lawrence has translated original floral designs into patterns for framed quilt blocks that are reminiscent of the flowing curvilinear shapes and architecture of early twentieth-century art nouveau style.
Designed for portable hand appliqué, the pieces can also be fused for quicker results. Vicky's instructions include freezer paper, needleturn, and fusible appliqué, plus valuable tips and techniques for all quilters, from the appliqué novice to the experienced sewer. Her advice on fabric selection, color, and placements is helpful, whether you are purchasing fabric or pulling bits and pieces of scrap from your stash. There are full-size patterns and illustrations for each block and the elaborate border, as well as large colorful photographs showcasing the beautiful, intricate machine quilting.
Besides a large bed-size quilt and its miniature version, other decorative projects include a wallhanging, table runner, sachet cover, bolster, and tote--projects which encourage the Art Nouveau philosophy that art should be part of everyday life. --Fabric Trends Magazine, Spring 2010, page 77 (Posted on 3/16/10)
- Garden Nouveau Quilts — Review by James A. Cox
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- Garden Nouveau Quilts by Vicky Lawrence — Review by Jill Burton
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- Garden Nouveau — Review by Martha Gabehart
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