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3 Days 2 Nights Wilderness Camping and Fly Fishing
From USD $1,800.00
- Duration: 3 Days (approx.)
- Location: Sitka, Alaska (AK)
Get into the wilderness of Alaska on this fantastic excursion for 3 full days of fly fishing, exploring and relaxing. A custom welded aluminum boat is your comfortable mode of transport. After departing from Sitka bright and early 0700 your captain will head north through inside passages and a short open ocean stretch up to Khaz Bay and Portlock Harbor. The land surrounding these waterways is part of the Tongass National Forest. Designated as the West Chichagof/Yakobi Wilderness development is no longer allowed in this area so it is a natural wild place very few people have the opportunity to visit. Sitka Alaska Outfitters has the required permits, training and equipment to camp ashore in the wilderness providing that we follow leave no trace ethics and guidelines. This means that on your trip your guide is free to choose camping locations and rivers to fish based on current conditions when you visit. Camping is fun with the excellent gear provided chosen to maximize functionality and comfort. Since travel is by boat and we do not have to backpack gear we can bring roomier tents, bigger sleeping pads, things like folding chairs and tables that make cooking and sitting around the campfire enjoyable. Imagine waders hanging from a tree drying in the breeze as you sit around the campfire enjoying an ice cold beverage spinning fish tales with your fishing buddys. Camp coffee bright and early in the morning and some nourishment for energy and then its off to explore more. More fish, more wildlife, more fun in pristine wilderness. Early afternoon its a good time to move up the coast and find a new camping site hopefully near the White Sulpher Hot Springs. Soaking in the hot steamy mineral water listening to the surf rolling on the beach this is one place we find Heaven on Earth. Rejuvenated from the R&R at the springs you will be ready to hit some new water in search of fly fishing serenity which luckily is abundant in the wilderness of Alaska. Returning to Sitka by boat is a breeze and there are myriad variety's of landscape scenery as your captain weaves the way homeward through narrow passages, around islands and rocks. This is your complete pristine Alaska wilderness fishing getaway. Everything for the trip is included, transportation, guide, food, camping, fishing and wading gear, everything is provided. We will cooperate on trip planning to ensure a meal plan that is enjoyed by all and can incorporate natural foods in season and fresh catch. You will want to bring appropriate waterproof fishing jacket, layered clothing and eye wear. You are of course welcome to bring any of your own gear that you want like cameras or rods and reels. This trip Starts 0700 on the first day and ends 1900 on the third so you will need lodging for the nights before and after the trip. Lodging is available at local hotels or vacation rents may apply. Transportation to and from lodging is included, additional transportation available on request. Fishing for Steelhead is catch and release, otherwise you may retain fish as allowable in current Alaska fishing regulations. Guides will bleed,gut,ice and transport fish to a fish processing facility of your choosing. Not included in this package is lodging(pre and post), Alaska fishing license, fish processing and gratuities. This fantastic experience is available now for booking at very affordable introductory rates. This truly Alaskan experience is the perfect addition to any visit to Sitka for someone who wants to experience solitude in the pristine wilderness of Alaska.


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To stand as a candidate in the UK election you must lodge a £500 deposit. If you get less than 5% of the vote, you don't get it back.
We have data on 649 of 650 constituencies.
A candidate from the Tendring First appeared on 1 ballot (1 of which have results). 1 has lost their deposit.
This election cost them
Lost deposits Recovered deposits
Labour | Conservative | Liberal Democrat | UK Independence Party | Green Party | British National Party | Independent | English Democrats

subset: commoncrawl


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Edgardo Tolentino has not received any gifts yet
Greetings Ed,
I recently inquired at El Cerrito high school yesterday about using their new tennis courts during school session which is "off limits" to the public. But can be use after school hours or on weekends. Very new tennis courts are excellent to play on. I notice your profile that you use to play golf as I am a golfer also but haven't played in awhile since I rediscover tennis. More about tennis later. Would you like to hit some tennis balls sometime? Davin
Hi Ed, sure I'd be up for rallying at Mosswood sometime. This week is going be kinda busy for me, but I should a little more free time towards the end of the week. I can let you know wednesday if Friday afternoon will work.
Thanks for the msg.
2pm at leydecker works for me. I will have a red racket and black bag
At 4:58pm on April 13, 2012, Lilysaid…
Hi Edgardo, This is Lily. Would you be interested to join me and my friend to play tennis at Washington Park from 5:00pm to 7:30pm tonight for Friday April 13th? Please let me know.
(510) 332-7398 (cell)
© 2020 Created by Mark / The Mayor. Powered by


text:
Robert Pattinson is bewildered by just how famous he is. As the Twilight saga draws to a close, the actor, a curious mix of charm and awkwardness, offers a glimpse into his surreal world
"I was on the 209 bus last week," I blurt to Robert Pattinson by way of an introduction. He looks wary. It's fair enough. We're in Los Angeles, in a room on the 10th floor of the Four Seasons hotel and the 209 is a bus that trundles through south west London. The reason I mention it is because it stops in Barnes, the leafy suburb where Pattinson grew up and where his parents still live. It's a village, really, quaint and terribly English, peppered with ye olde pubs patronised by older gents in red socks and corduroys, the casual attire of the retired banker. It's most definitely not Beverly Hills.
"That's the bus that goes to where my parents live," he says, looking confused. "And it's the bus I took to my prep school in Sheen."
I didn't mention the 209 to freak Pattinson out, although I'm quickly learning how skittish he is. I wasn't trying to be quirky, or to ingratiate myself; I was aiming to just say something ordinary, something simple and real, because it's not difficult to work out that simple and real are not major features of Pattinson's life. After all, he's Edward Cullen, brooding vampire hero of the Twilight Saga, the cinematic juggernaut that started in 2008 and, with a release each year since, draws to a close with Breaking Dawn, the first part of which is out this month, followed by the second and final part, already shot but to be released in November 2012.
Before Twilight, Pattinson, 25, was anonymous. Now, there isn't really anywhere he can go without being recognised. Pie shops in Yorkshire, karaoke bars in Texas – there's no escape from Edward Cullen and the millions of fans who want their necks nibbled, mothers who'd like their daughters signed (really) or at the very least a photograph to put on Facebook.
It's the reason Pattinson lives in hotels, to stay one step ahead.
"It's good to be able to escape," he says. "But I've started to feel recently that having a home would be good. You do kind of lose yourself when you're living out of bags the whole time. But if I had a home I'd worry about it too much. And I hate spending money. If I could find a house for free that'd be amazing."
He laughs and then looks serious again. It's typical Pattinson delivery, a kind of subdued stream of consciousness in which he talks himself in and out of things, then relies on humour to lighten things up, not always convincingly.
"I rented a house in LA last year," he says. "It was great for ages and then people found out about it and so there were people outside all the time. I had to go away for work and people were going up to it and taking pictures of themselves beside the house. People are crazy."
You don't really have to have seen any of the Twilight movies to know what they're about. Based on Stephenie Meyer's blockbuster novels, the movies tell the tale of the fated romance between Edward, a 110-year-old vampire who looks forever 17, and Bella (Kristen Stewart) who is human. The first three parts that have been released since 2008 have made nearly $2billion. They've also made Pattinson into a global star.
The hotel corridor is dotted with more women with clipboards than I can count. They stand in pairs, marking things down (what I wonder?). Outside the room in which I find Pattinson, sitting in a corner, looking as inconspicuous as a six foot movie star can possibly look, dressed down in jeans and Converse, with a scuzzy looking T-shirt underneath a canvas jacket, there are two burly security guards with inscrutable facial expressions and jackets that are slightly straining at the button.
"There are more organisers here than we have on the set," Pattinson says. "Having security walking up and down the corridor as if something's going to happen is freaking me out."
It's no wonder he's nervous. He's had some dicey experiences. The last time he was in London (promoting Water for Elephants, in which he starred with Reese Witherspoon) he was followed by one particular photographer for the whole week. It was odd, he says, and it got dangerous.
"In America there are loads of people who follow me around at the same time but this was just one guy who was just on me the whole time I was there. He was obsessed. I got in a taxi and he jumped off his motorbike and got in. He just opened the door and jumped in but he had a motorbike helmet on and I literally thought I was going to be assassinated."
I check to see if he's joking. He kind of is, but not entirely.
"It was the craziest thing, the weirdest thing that's ever happened. And the cab driver just drove off because he was so freaked out as well. The guy fell out. It was like an action movie."
It's not hard to understand then why Pattinson is circumspect. You would be if you were the subject of an app called "Where's Robert?", which details your every move for fans to follow. But there's something else too. In every interview Pattinson's ever given, at least as much attention is focused on his meteoric rise to fame and all its trappings as the acting that actually got him there. It's impossible not to dwell on it, partly because it's so extreme and partly because he seems so bewildered by it, so genuinely uncomfortable and ill-suited to the whole thing.
The question is: how someone as self-conscious, awkward and self-deprecating has ended up starting his movie career in one massive movie franchise (Pattinson was Cedric Diggory in two Harry Potter films) and the leading man in another?
The way Pattinson tells it, it's all been a bit of an accident. He started going along to Barnes Theatre Club because his dad told him he'd meet girls there. Then there was a stint as a model (his mum worked for a modelling agency) but he was "rubbish" and didn't get any jobs. He was 17 when he landed the role of Diggory in The Goblet of Fire after having fallen asleep in the queue outside the audition room. (Being very relaxed seems to work for Pattinson. He took half a Valium before his audition for the first Twilight movie.) There was a slight blip after the Potter films when he landed a role in a play at the Royal Court but was fired before the opening night, but not long after Twilight came along and that was that.
There's no doubt he feels lucky, if slightly incredulous, that things have worked out the way they have, but he reckons that having "fallen into" his career makes it harder for him to cope with all the scrutiny and attention that goes with his level of fame.
"At least if you've been striving for it your whole life then you've got that justification – this is what it is and this is what I've wanted. Maybe then you wouldn't feel disillusioned with it. I guess the people who really work for it have this part of their persona which is just ready to go when they become famous. When they walk into a room and everyone turns round they're like 'yeah, they should be looking at me'. When I walk into a room and everyone turns round I feel exactly as I did before Twilight, which is like 'what's happening? This is weird.' "
But surely he must've wanted it a bit?
"I wanted something," he says with a shrug.
Pattinson may be unsuited to being a heartthrob temperamentally, but when it comes to how he looks, it's a different story. His cheekbones jut from his face in an almost unseemly way. Heavy brows give him a brooding intensity (his looks were described as Byronic by a producer of the first Twilight movie) and his mouth sits in a permanent, natural pout. Vanity Fair dubbed him the most handsome man in the world. How funny then that when Pattinson was announced as Edward Cullen, there was outrage. Fans of the books went crazy – they thought he was too ugly, "repulsive" they shrieked on internet fansites. Then he appeared, all pale and intense and they melted. Actually, that makes them sound a bit too passive. They didn't melt as much as coalesce into a baying mob who couldn't get enough of tragic, tortured Edward.
"I guess I got accepted, sort of," he says squirming. "The reason people like it is because it's in their imaginations. It means that the performances don't really matter, it's more about whether the face looks right. That warrants a certain degree of acceptance, even reluctant acceptance. It's just a kind of brainwashing." He laughs nervously.
Pattinson always has an explanation that deflects attention away from him. He takes modesty, ramps it up with inconsistent eye contact, an endless supply of self-effacing anecdotes and an air of utter bafflement that creates a genuine awkwardness. I don't care about the £12million pay cheque (the amount he's reportedly earned for the Twilight movies) it's hard not to sympathise.
But not everyone does. Some people find the awkwardness off-putting. In a group or being interviewed on camera his body language is a study in self-consciousness, he folds himself up as if he's trying to disappear. His chat can be similarly tricky. He sometimes laughs a little longer than he should and his stories have a tendency to peter out. One to one, he's more relaxed, but it's not easy.
And, of course, there's also resentment. Either people are angered by the popularity of Twilight or they're annoyed that someone could just stumble into a career like Pattinson's. Earlier in the day, before I meet him one on one, I overhear a plump Italian journalist with Kevin Keegan curls demand of him, "What happened to your hair?"
It's true, Pattinson's hair was looking a bit odd, shaved on one side with long strands on the other. It looked homemade. But, still, the question was rude. And yet Pattinson's reaction couldn't have been more meek.
"It was for the last movie [Cosmopolis] I did," he explained. "I had to have loads of bits randomly cut into so then I was going to shave my head and then I just shaved that bit and decided I kind of liked it." He shrugged and laughed awkwardly. "I decided to just leave it."
You'd think at some level Pattinson's success might have made him a little big headed. In a way, it's hard not to wish it had. Isn't that at least part of what being a movie star is about – ego?
Pattinson says he was cockier before Twilight, when he could be who he wanted, say whatever he wanted because no one knew who he was.
"When no one knows who you are you can walk into a room and say anything. You can say you're the greatest person in the world and no one can say you're not because they don't know you. But now they can say 'I know you, why are you trying to be this? Why are you trying to be that?' The best thing you can do is stay hidden."
But how do you stay hidden from 30,000 fans who turn up to hear a 10-minute Q&A as they did at the Olympic Stadium in Munich? Or when you have to appear at Comic-Con and the queues are round the block? I wonder if he feels that people come to see him, or whether they want to see Edward?
"In some ways it helps to think that they're coming to see Edward. But in other ways it's saddening. It depends what mood I'm in. It's a funny thing to see a crowd of people looking at you and knowing that they're not actually seeing you at all, they're just seeing whatever it is they imagine you to be.
"You can't change. You can't just suddenly decide to be different. I remember coming to LA before and I'd be a totally different person to who I was in London. I always used to look forward to coming over for three months of castings because I could just bullshit the whole time and feel really great about myself even though I wasn't getting any jobs." He laughs at the absurdity. "I got to meet all these really interesting people. But now, people have immediate preconceptions about me. I end up having the same conversation a lot. People assume there's only one talking point."
Suddenly you start to understand at least a part of the bond between Pattinson and his co-star Stewart: they're Twilight survivors. Pattinson speaks about Stewart affectionately and he's clearly full of admiration for her as an actor. Neither of them has ever said a word publicly about whether they are in a relationship despite endless speculation and photographs of them together all over the world. But why would they? Why would they give up something which, so far, they've managed to keep for themselves?
It's a similar story with music. Pattinson is a talented musician and for a while he thought that music might be his career. He had a track on the first Twilight soundtrack. But ask him how it's going now and he looks like he'd rather pull out his own teeth than talk about it.
"Erm, I'm just writing stuff. I don't really know. It's very easy to get labelled. I don't really know how to go about the music stuff just now."
Maybe his success as an actor has got in the way?
"Completely," he says, looking sheepish. "For some reason everyone wants to shit on actors more than anyone else."
To be fair, there can't be much time for music. Since Pattinson finished shooting Breaking Dawn, he's made Cosmopolis with David Cronenberg and Bel Ami, an adaptation of a Guy de Maupassant story of the same name, with Uma Thurman. Didn't he want to have a break?
"The world moves so quickly now," he says. "You've always got to have stuff lined up. Especially me. Anyone who got big in the last few years, the Twitter age, your shelf life is so short because people's opinions change so quickly. You've got to give constant updates or announcements, even if the movie doesn't exist, just to have something to announce.
"You've got to constantly change people's perceptions. It's like, 'yeah, I'm playing a lesbian robot' so that people don't know what to think. If you leave it then it's like 'oh, it's just that guy from Twilight'; it fossilises."
But the problem for Pattinson is that with the work comes the promotion and even more attention and that's when things get tricky. There's no point fighting it, it's just not his thing.
"The thing I'm most afraid of, because everything is pushing in that direction, is literally just making myself a product. As soon as you start doing Twitter and adverts and straying away what you started out doing and just being a personality, that's when you get huge money but it's also when you go crazy."
Time's up and to be honest, I almost feel relieved on Pattinson's behalf. He's survived another interview and now he can get on with trying to be invisible.
"I'll think of you the next time I'm on the 209," I tell him.
"You'll probably see my mum," he says. And laughs.


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Gov. Rod Blagojevich is asking a court to force Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to hold special sessions on the days and times the governor calls them.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich is asking a court to force Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to hold special sessions on the days and times the governor calls them.
In a lawsuit filed without fanfare Friday in Sangamon County Circuit Court, Blagojevich also seeks to have the court order that Madigan, D-Chicago, force enough lawmakers to attend the special sessions so that the House can conduct business. In several recent special sessions of both the House and Senate, so few members attended that neither chamber could legally conduct business.
Blagojevich wants to assert what he says is his constitutional authority to call lawmakers into special session on specific dates and at specific times.
In early July, Madigan had the House meet on a Saturday morning rather than Saturday afternoon as Blagojevich decreed. Two weeks ago, after the House passed a new 12-month state budget, Madigan told members to ignore a Blagojevich proclamation calling them back into special session the next day to consider a one-month spending plan.
"The governor possesses the constitutional and statutory authority to call lawmakers into special session, and it is imperative that this authority is preserved and honored," Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said in an e-mailed statement Monday. "After lawmakers failed to follow the governor's special session proclamations to address serious issues like funding for the CTA, RTA and downstate mass transit, we asked the court to confirm the governor's authority to call special sessions so moving forward there is no dispute about whether lawmakers are required to attend and address critical issues facing the state."
Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said Blagojevich was calling special sessions even when there was no legislation pending on which lawmakers could act.
"I suspect there will be a motion to dismiss filed, and the suit will be dismissed," Brown said. "They've made a farce of the special session process."
In the lawsuit, Blagojevich's lawyers argue that "the governor's fundamental constitutional authority to proclaim special sessions has been and continues to be eviscerated by Speaker Madigan…"
"During the past two months, Madigan has engaged in a series of unauthorized and escalating acts aimed at eradicating the governor's constitutional and statutory powers," the lawsuit says. "Madigan's actions have now spiraled into the formulation of a scheme to ensure that a quorum of the House is not present to allow any legislative business to be conducted when the governor proclaims a special session of the General Assembly."
Madigan's actions are in violation of the state Constitution, state law and the House's own rules, the lawsuit contends.
When the General Assembly failed to pass a new 12-month budget by the end of June, Blagojevich announced he would call lawmakers into special session every day until they approved a full-year spending plan. Among his proclamations was one calling the General Assembly into special session at 2 p.m. July 7, a Saturday.
Madigan, instead, convened the House about 10:15 a.m., giving members time to travel home before having to return to Springfield Sunday afternoon.
By refusing to meet at the time set by the governor, the lawsuit says, "in theory, Madigan would possess the unilateral authority to wait 10 years, if he so chooses, to convene a special session proclaimed by the governor for tomorrow." It says a ruling from the court is imperative because "the governor intends to call additional special sessions in the near future to address significant issues facing the state…"
Blagojevich also wants to ensure that a majority of the 118-member House shows up during these special sessions so that business can be conducted. As the special sessions continued throughout the summer, attendance in both the House and Senate dwindled to the point that, on many days, far fewer than half of the lawmakers showed up, leaving the chambers unable to conduct business.
The lawsuit suggests that Madigan deliberately thwarted Blagojevich's calls for special sessions by granting so many excused absences to lawmakers that the House was unable to conduct business. It wants a judicial declaration that Madigan "is without the constitutional or statutory authority to excuse a sufficient number of members of the House such that it is impossible for the House to convene as a legislative body capable of conducting business…"
Only Madigan and the House are mentioned in the lawsuit, even though on several occasions the Senate also lacked a quorum to conduct business. On Aug. 5, for example, the lawsuit says Madigan "repeated the same unlawful conduct" by excusing 71 of 118 House members. That same day, only 17 of 59 senators attended the session.
"The Senate rules are different from the House rules," said Rausch, who noted that the Senate does not take a formal attendance as the House does.
The Senate president also is Emil Jones, D-Chicago, a Blagojevich ally.
Blagojevich has called 16 special sessions so far this year. In 2004, during another extended budget stalemate, he called 17.
In the lawsuit, Blagojevich says additional work needs to be done, even though lawmakers have approved a budget for the fiscal year that began July 1. There are technical bills that need to be passed before the spending plan can be fully implemented, one of which authorizes an increase in per-pupil spending for schools. School districts are currently getting state aid payments, but not at the increased levels authorized by the new budget.
The technical bills have passed the Senate but not the House.
Blagojevich maintains that lawmakers also still need to work on increasing mass-transit funding and a capital-spending plan.
The lawsuit was filed by William Quinlan, general counsel to the governor. Three other attorneys are listed as well: Matthew Ryan, deputy general counsel; Melissa Riahei, deputy chief legal counsel; and Andres Stolfi, senior counsel. Comptroller records show that Riahei is on the Department of Revenue payroll, while Stolfi is paid by the Department of Human Services.
Doug Finke can be reached at (217) 788-1527 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Bernard Schoenburg can be reached at (217) 788-1540 or email@example.com.


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How can I find out if a roofer is considered an essential COVID-19 service provider?
To find out whether a roofer is an essential service provider during the COVID-19 pandemic, start by visiting your state or city's government website. Local governments are providing up-to-date information for residents during this time.
A national guideline is available on CISA's website, Identifying Critical Infrastructure During COVID-19. This page addresses 16 different categories of essential infrastructure sectors, but note that not all jurisdictions follow CISA's definitions of critical infrastructure.
What's the best way to set up a consultation or an appointment with a roofer during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Because social distancing is important during the COVID-19 pandemic, it's recommended that you message roofers after narrowing down your choices through an online search of local roofers near you.
Ask if the roofer is willing to conduct an assessment via video chat rather than a traditional site inspection. Additionally, strategize on what other steps you can collectively take to make sure you're following guidelines on social distancing during this time, including conducting a virtual payment.
Are there ways to be safe if I hire a roofer when social distancing?
If you decide to hire a roofer, choose virtual platforms like video chats instead of face-to-face consultations. When the roofer is working on your roof, avoid any physical contact, sanitize all involved spaces and surfaces, and use digital payments instead of cash or a check.
Can I use digital payments to pay for roof installation, replacement or repair?
Digital payment platforms are common among roofers, roof repair companies and other services. The COVID-19 pandemic will likely cause more service providers to adopt platforms like PayPal, Zelle, Google Pay, Square Cash, Venmo and others instead of cash or check to decrease the risk of transmission.
You can typically find out whether roofers accept digital payments on their online profiles, and you should confirm this information with them during a consultation call.
Does a roofer need to enter my home?
Generally, a roofer will likely not need to enter your home. The bulk of the work takes place on and around the edges of the roof, where roofing material meets either dormer walls or other structures. So, there is usually no need for person-to-person contact. However, there might be some cases where a roofer needs to enter your home, perhaps to inspect damage or access electrical outlets.
You can take care of any consultation calls using video chats, photos and emails, and payment should take place on virtual platforms. Put together a strategy with any local roofing professionals you contact.
Do roofers offer remote or virtual services?
To find out the degree to which a roofing service can operate remotely, it's best to contact local roofers and roofing repair specialists near you.
See if they will schedule a video call so that you can show them the project and get an idea of the cost. This will also allow them to give you recommendations on the type of roofing material, and the best time of year to do the project. You might also be able to book a roof installation or repair service far out in advance.
Can a metal roof be installed over shingles?
Metal roofs are durable, environmentally friendly, safe and budget-friendly. If you're considering an update, metal roofing installation doesn't have to mean completely removing your old roof. In many cases, metal roofing can be installed over your existing shingles. Research building codes in your state, as many require that after two roofs have been installed, all roofing materials must be completely removed before a third roof can be put on. This protects your home's structural integrity and your family's safety. Carefully read contractor reviews and choose someone with extensive experience with metal roofing installation. One concern when installing metal over shingles is that over time, condensation can build on the shingles and cause the metal to rust. This will lead to rust around the panels, making them more likely to come loose in a storm. Nationally, the average cost for metal roofing installation ranges from $6,000 to $20,000. The wide price range represents different roof sizes, different types of metal, and the cost of labor in different parts of the country — and can also include the cost of removing an old shingle roof prior to installing the metal. As a line item, the average cost of removing an old roof to prepare for installing a new roof, plus adding new roof decking, costs on average about $45-$75 per square (the pro roofer's term for 100 square feet), depending on the pitch of the roof. Always make sure you have a clearly written contract and a warranty on both the labor and the metal.
What is a standing seam metal roof?
A standing seam metal roof may be a strong, durable, safe choice when you're considering metal roofing installation options. A standing seam refers to the raised seam where the sheet metal roofing panels join. Traditionally, shingles and roof panels lie flush to the roof, making them more prone to rust or penetration by water at their seams. In a standing seam metal roof, the raised (or standing) seams run vertically from the roof ridge to the eaves, with no horizontal seams. In addition, the fasteners joining the metal panels together are concealed, providing even fewer opportunities for water or moisture to build up. The cost to install a standing seam metal roof will depend on the type of metal you select, the size of your roof, and the cost of roofing labor in your region. Materials will play a major role in your metal roofing installation costs. If you select standard galvanized steel, the cost per square (100 square feet) might be in the $150-$300 range, while a high-end choice such as copper or zinc could be between $1,000 and $1,500 per square. Here is one example of cost:
- Standing seam metal roof: $300 per square to start, including materials and labor.
- A 30-square roof could cost $9,000 or more.
How much does it cost for a metal roof?
Metal roofing installation is an attractive option thanks to metal's long lifespan, hardiness and fire-retardant properties. Nationally, the average cost for metal roofing installation ranges from $6,000 to $20,000.There are different types of metal roofs, each with their own installation needs and materials costs. Roof size also affects your metal roofing installation costs, as do regional labor rates. Roof size is measured in squares; one square equals 100 square feet. Here are some examples of the average cost for a metal roof:
- Standard metal roof: $120-$150 per square to start, including materials and labor
- A 30-square roof (a 3,000-square-foot roof) could cost between $3,600 and $4,500 for a typical three-bedroom home.
- Snap-Loc metal roof: $200-$225 per square to start, including materials and labor.
- A 30-square roof could cost $6,000-$6,750.
- Standing seam metal roof: $300 per square to start, including materials and labor.
- A 30-square roof could cost $9,000 or more.
- Tuff-Rib metal roof: $250-$350 per square to start, including materials and labor.
- A 30-square roof could cost $7,500-$10,500.
- Mid-range metal roof package, including all accessories: $300-$500 per square.
- A 30-square roof could cost $9,000-$15,000.
- High-end metal roof package — such as zinc or copper — and all accessories: $1,000-$1,500 per square.
- A 30-square roof could cost $30,000-$45,000.


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This blog CAN make a difference.
Check out the email I just received from a friend from high school:
Hi Kate,
As you may or may not know, I am a technical writer. I showed your blog to my coworker (she thinks it's hilarious), who showed it to another employee of our firm. This employee works weekends as a bartender at the Hong Kong and he emailed a link to the Grammar Vandal Hong Kong blog entry to the owner of the restaurant. Hopefully the sign will be fixed soon!
Best regards,
Don't let anyone ever tell you that you can't change the world!


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Do you remember a few years ago when CB2 came out with the color Grello? (gray mixed with yellow) hmmm... I didn't know you could just make up a new color!?! Until yesterday when I was helping Hooper install a room and we discovered we were all about Modcado. (modern avocado) ... It's not your mamas harvest gold, avocado appliances anymore. AND it just so happens to make a beautiful, classic master bedroom mixed with grays.
It began with a blank slate...
Hooper then started with this fabric as her jumping off point...
The color combo is unexpected with grays, citrons, modcado (see, just use the word like it's a real color and it might stick!)The pattern, though current, gives off a vintage vibe.
She had one of the homeowners existing chairs recovered in a patterned gray ...again, not what you'd expect to see with modcado but it works! She repeated all the colors
in lots of layers on the bed.
The gorgeous side tables give husband and wife plenty of storage and are in a beautiful limed oak finish. (I'll take 2 please)
A mint julep cup filled with flowers keeps the table top classic and oh so southern....
The fun thing about installs is the last minute shopping. There is always a few places that need to be finished once the room is near completion. You have to catch the vibe and go from there. Yesterday, the stars aligned and when Hooper and I walked into one of our fave places (Maran Anderson) we found the antique mirror and the insanely cool glass lamp (circa a long time ago!)
Hooper shopped the homeowner's rooms and found a beautiful silver tray and glass bowl for jewelry.
Room redo's also usually present a challenge and this one was no different. Because the house itself was very old, the stairwell was not made for anything larger then a double bed to be moved up. The homeowners bought a king mattress that could fold but didn't know how to get a headboard into the room.
Hooper wanted something upholstered. We came up with a 3 paneled headboard that could be moved up the stairs in pieces and assembled in the room. The double nail heads mask the sections and creates interest. It's fun to see collaborative sketches done on the backs of receipts come to fruition! And...thank you sewing lady extraordinaire!!!
Did I mention the chandelier was existing (and perfect), the house is gorgeous, and the homeowners are adorable!!! All in all, Hooper did an incredible job creating a space that fits the house and the homeowners! It was a fun install and transformation!
Bye, bye Birdie,


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Will you share your life with me?" Jamie Wellerstein said Cathy Hyatt.
The moment occurs in the middle of the marvelous contemporary musical "The Last Five Years." Jamie's proposal leads directly into "The Next Ten Minutes," a song that functions as a time signature for the whole work. It suggests that life is made up of moments, 10-minute segments that are fleeting and need to be renewed to go forward.
Written and composed by the talented Jason Robert Brown, the work premiered in 2001 in Chicago, opened off-Broadway the next year, and rapidly moved on to London and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This year, it played in Denmark and many an American regional theater.
Last weekend, "Five Years" opened at Thingamajig Theatre Company in Pagosa Springs. With winning performances by Durango's Rachel Saul Pollack and Tim Moore, this savvy dissection of a modern relationship sparkles like a dark emerald. Deep and evergreen, "The Last Five Years" speaks to young and old lovers alike.
The musical unravels a five-year romance between Jamie, an aspiring writer and Cathy, a hopeful actress. Time is the third character as is clear when the wedding song turns into a waltz and briefly unites the characters. "The Next Ten Minutes" is a commentary on fragility and underscores the couple's momentary unity. The song ends in a fleeting unison, a perfect musical metaphor for marriage. That rare moment when both singers pause on the same pitch only occurs one other time, not to be given away here.
Time's effervescence and human vulnerability balance each other in this one-act, 90-minute work. In many ways, it's more a through-sung song cycle than a conventional American musical. Thingamajig's four-piece, on-stage orchestra brings just the right texture to the tuneful score with Music Director Venita Burch on keyboard, violinist Heidi Tanner, cellist Jean Broderick and guitarist Dan Fitzpatrick.
Among other delights, an unusual storytelling conceit drives the show. Director Laura Moore mentions it in her introduction and it is important. Two timelines intertwine as the songs alternate between the two characters. Cathy's story starts as the relationship ends and moves backward in time to its bright beginning. Jamie's story begins at the beginning with a cheerful wave and the excitement of first love. His tale moves toward dissolution.
The two narrative lines cross in the middle in the wedding duet. Sounds dramatically tricky, and it is. Director Moore clarifies matters by having her singers walk by and circle each other at the beginning. Then they sing their stories separately, except for pointedly coming together for that brief, magical moment of unity.
Played on a clean, timeless stage, the actors sit on white boxes and pull minimal props from inner compartments. You know when they are in New York or Ohio, in an apartment or an office, celebrating Chanukah together or moving on alone.
Clear staging and complex storytelling aside, it's the music that underscores the changing winds of romance. The composer is known for his ability to mix styles. Brown wrote the score for the award-winning Broadway musical "Parade." Like that work, "Five Years" mixes pop-rock with ballads, small classical riffs with established folk tunes such as "The Dreidel Song." He uses meter to fast forward or slow down the story as in Cathy's eager "I'm a Part of That," set in crisp 4/4 time, or the rolling, dreamlike 6/8 of "The Next Ten Minutes." At first, the song rocks gently as a boat on the ocean of new love then turns into an old-fashioned waltz.
Pollack and Moore are perfectly pitched for this challenging work. Actor-singers are needed as each song dramatizes a new stage in the relationship. Moore's post-marriage puzzlement, "A Miracle Would Happen," is a comic gem. Pollack's "Audition Sequence" starts innocently then morphs in unexpected ways into some brilliant shape shifting.
"The Next Five Years" rounds out a remarkable season for Thingamajig. Don't miss it.
Judith Reynolds is a Durango writer, artist and critic. Reach her at email@example.com.


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Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge [Samuel Coleridge] (1772-1834 / Devon / England)
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Blossing Of The Solitary Date-Tree, The
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with us shares, seems scarce our own.' The presence of a ONE,
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EXCURSION to MT PILATUS
The top of the World… From Mt Pilatus, Lucerne, Switzerland. From there, one can see the Bernese Oberland, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland…fabulous. And this is was our destination this morning, by Cable car and Gondola. Once upon a time, citizens thought it would bring bad luck to climb Mt Pilatus, but now, millions of tourists visit every year, without any kind of disastrous consequences. In winter, one might see snow at this altitude, but not this year…. no snow to be seen in early December, at least. Nevertheless, the views are still spectacular in weather such as this: it was sunny, mild but not cold!! Ordinarily, the mountain is covered with fog in the morning, but not so today! The vistas were ours, to be seen.
The entrance to the Mt Pilatus Gondola attraction…
Our gondola's wheels whirled and bumped along the track taking us higher and higher. Below, we could see quaint Swiss style houses with ever so neatly packed timber piles, and a summer toboggan run.
Several fellow passengers started to get a bit nervous with the ever-increasing height…. but this was not a time to opt out, so up we went, higher and higher. "Just look out, not down, or up", I reassured them.
Up ,UP, UP, the Gondola went…until….
….we came to the end of the Gondola cable. Then it was time to get out, of the Gondola, but the ride was not completely over, as we weren't yet at the summit of Mt. Pilatus. Now we were to squish 40+ people into another cable car, that had the maximum capacity of only 40. Slightly disconcerting to say the least, as it swung back and forth, like the pendulum on a clock, in mid air. It reminded me of thescene in one one of those James Bond movie scenes…. when was Roger Moore going to pop his head through the roof to rescue us?
And then, the thought struck me, we have to go down in this thing, again…..with 40 + people….
Don't you just love the shadow Mt Pilatus throws in the next photograph? It looks like some ancient mythological giant..
the incline suddenly became EXTREME…. but it was only moments later that we arrived at the summit…
The summit views were mind blowing! And we still weren't at the very,very top. That required a short walk, about 50 steps, (Seniors are warned!) that took us to the very highest point possible, where a small hut, possibly containing metereological instruments, is located. This is where the incredible photo opportunities abound.
A small cafe and souvenir shop is located inside the building, where you alight from the Cable car. It was here that I bought a rather lovely Swiss watch, one that had a leather band with edelweiss and the Swiss emblem embroidered on it. And no surprise: it keeps great time! Well, I confess I also did HAVE to get the mandatory T – Shirt, to say I had made the 7000 ft Ascent. Possibly my highest ascent to date. (We don't have too many high mountains in Australia).
On the way down, I pondered why the return journey passes ever so much quicker. Then just a short coach ride took us back to the Astoria hotel in Luzern itself.
The breakfast we had earlier,that day, provided by Hotel Astoria, in the building next door, was nothing to write home about…. ( so much for Swiss cuisine) so we headed straight for the Bakery, opposite Bucherer. And yes, we did collect both THOSE souvenir spoons, on the way. What did I eat…? I could not resist a Berliner donut, deliciously decadent, and so incredibly unhealthy, don't you agree? Sitting on the shores of beautiful Lake Lucerne, in the glorious sunshine, temperature an almost perfect 6 degrees. The moment so fabulous, I decided to text my work colleagues back home in Australia. Just thought I should share…..did not think afterwards, it was the middle of the night and probably woke some of them up…oops..
SHOPPING in LUCERNE
If you arrive in Lucerne late on a Thursday night, you will find the shops open til late, but many shops such as Casa grande, which is one of the main souvenir shops do close during the daytime around lunch for 2 hours, so you are warned!!! The Swiss are quite protective of their midday siestas. As for what to buy here: it is expensive, but if you stick to locally made goods, (ie. Swiss made), you can snag a good buy.
Souvenirs to buy include: Swiss knifes, Swiss watches, Swiss army knives, ( I bought one for each of my family, with a variety of gadgets suited to their particular needs). I got myself one of the very best kitchen knifes you could possibly get, at Bucherer.http://www.bucherer.com/ It is fine quality, not hideously expensive, perfectly weighted, and will last forever! I love it. Also a great souvenir. Made a mental note not to forget to declare it to Customs, did not want to tell my husband I would be late home as I had been arrested!
I am repeating something from the previous post, but feel it warrants a seondary mention: You simply must try a Swiss fondue which I had tried the night before
( see previous post) https://forestwoodfolkart.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1452&action=edit&message=1
which more or less constitutes the following recipe:
Traditional Swiss Cheese Fondue
Rub a garlic clove around a Fondue pot and heat gently with the following ingredients.
Select a quantity of cheese suited to feed the number of persons dining:
1/2 of which is Emmanthal Cheese, and 1/2 of which is Gruyere cheese
1/2 teaspoon of Cherry Brandy (my absolute favourite spirit. Mind you if I bought it for the purpose of cooking, I can tell you that it would not make it to the pot, but would be drunk by me!)
A quantity of stale brown bread. Dip square into the pot and generously coat with melted cheese.
Tastes so good, and so much it could feed a Swiss Army 😛
Next entry: An afternoon cruise on Lake Luzern (Lucerne)


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Jadakiss Co Signs French Montana & Talks J-Hood! "Jae Hood Could Never Be Part Of D-Block Again. He Prolly Will Never Get A Deal. Niccas Know He Aint Loyal"
Jadakiss co sign French montana as the hottest new nicca to come out of new York, and speaks on j hood, he can never come back to d block. Off that new Cocaine City 12 DVD. In Stores Now!
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Derrick Rose dazzles as Bulls hand Pacers first loss
- Derrick Rose scored a season-high 20 points as the Bulls handed the Pacers their first loss%2C 110-94
- Rose missed the Bulls%27 win over the Raptors on Friday with a sore hamstring
- Luol Deng led all scorers with 23 points
CHICAGO – For the first time this season, Derrick Rose started to look like himself on Saturday. And it couldn't have come at a better time, as the Chicago Bulls did what no other team has done this year, handing the Indiana Pacers their first loss of the season in a 110-94 blowout.
Back in the lineup after missing Friday's win over the Toronto Raptors with a sore right hamstring, Rose scored a season-high 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field. Most encouragingly, he shot 6-for-10 from three-point range, finding success both spotting up and creating off the dribble.
"(The hamstring) feels good," Rose said after the game. "A little tight, but it's not stopping me."
Before the game, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said Rose had passed a variety of tests during shootaround that convinced him he was ready to play.
"I thought his first half was terrific," Thibodeau said of Rose after the game. "He had great rhythm and he had our team in great rhythm. His defense was very good. In the second half his defense was pretty good. I thought he got tired. That's to be expected when you miss as much time as he missed."
For the second consecutive game, Chicago turned in an outstanding defensive effort, holding the Pacers to 40% shooting over the course of the game and scoring 110 points against the team with the league's most efficient defense going into the game.
"When you make baskets, it looks a lot better," Thibodeau said. "As long as we are making the right plays … I thought our guys were looking to make plays for each other. That is important, especially against a good defensive team."
Since returning from the torn anterior cruciate ligament that sidelined him for the entire 2012-13 season, Rose has not been able to get to the foul line as he was accustomed to. With Roy Hibbert manning the paint for Indiana, that didn't change on Saturday: Rose didn't attempt a free throw during the game, but was able to be effective behind the three-point line.
"I was knocking down shots," Rose said. "I didn't really have to penetrate. I was just taking the shots they were giving me."
As a team, the Bulls shot 11-for-17 from beyond the arc, easily their strongest shooting effort of the season. Luol Deng led all scorers with 23 points.
Before the game, both Thibodeau and Pacers coach Frank Vogel downplayed the rivalry between the Bulls and Pacers, but the energy was palpable in the United Center as the crowd broke into chants of "Overrated!" during the closing minutes of the game.
"I don't want our guys to get wrapped up in what happened before," Thibodeau said after the game. "The only thing we're thinking about right now is how we can get better in Charlotte."
"You have to give credit to the Bulls," Vogel said. "They just outplayed us."
The loss was Indiana's first of the season, dropping their record to 9-1, but the Pacers didn't seem worried.
"At the end of the streak, that means nothing," Vogel said. "We are now 9-1, we got off to a good start. We just lost our first road game."
"It's not about a streak," Pacers forward Paul George added. "We have to approach every game the same way. It's our first loss of the year. It will just keep us working harder."
Saturday's win improved Chicago's record to 5-3 on the season and provided a glimpse of the title-contending potential the Bulls possessed on paper going into the season. If Rose keeps shooting like this, these Bulls could be a force in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Follow Sean Highkin on Twitter @highkin.


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27th: Phillip Ervin, of, Samford University
38th: Michael Lorenzen, rhp/of, Cal State Fullerton
67th: Kevin Franklin, 3b, Gahr HS (CA)
Ervin at the plate:
Lorenzen on the mound:
Lorenzen at the plate:
Kevin Franklin at the plate:
A running discussion on the Cincinnati Reds and everything else in the baseball universe.
Apparently, Keith Law says that Lorenzen is a good pitching prospect but he has repeatedly said he'd prefer to stay in the outfield. Regardless of what you think of Law's analysis as a player, I am curious as to whether Lorenzen really has a strong preferenceReplyDelete
I think Law does a nice job. I don't always agree, but his take is always interesting/thought provoking. As for Lorenzen, I think it's very likely that the Reds want him as a pitcher and agreed to let him continue to hit to placate him. So, I'd say his preference is somewhat strong, as telling the organization that just drafted you how you want to be used takes a bit of determination.
On the mound, Lorenzen actually looks pretty good. If you watch the video above, his mechanics are smooth (though could be a bit more efficient), arm action is clean, he generates good velocity, and he snaps off a couple of nice breaking balls. So, he's intriguing.
He just seems like he brings more risk to the table than you'd expect from such a high selection. Not only is there risk in his performance level as a pitcher, but there's also risk in whether he can be a starting pitcher. It wouldn't be ideal to burn such a high pick on a reliever.
Still, it's an interesting pick that I may actually prefer to the 1st round pick. It's another indication of the front office thinking outside the box.
Thanks for the comment.


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You are visiting the Sri Lanka site. You might be interested in the United States site.
The Challenger Champions are an amazing set of individuals within the IFS customer community who are challenging the status quo in the quest to achieve great things.
They are catalysts of change and they think in new and innovative ways, in order to make a difference and have a real impact for the businesses they are part of.
This is their story.
Charles' company is responsible for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in Rwanda.
"I feel proud when I hear my colleagues telling me how IFS makes their work much easier."
Zainab and her colleagues work at the world's leading exporter of Ceylon tea and use IFS solutions extensively in their operations to gain a competitive advantage and improve business processes.
"Being a Challenger is about creating a simple solution to a complex problem."
Jodie's team has implemented IFS solutions to operate in innovative ways using a collaborative approach. As a result, the entire operation with its dispersed geographical locations run on a single platform.
"It is never just about the technology."
Bjarte leads ten developers and four project managers all working with IFS Applications. He likes challenging the norms and feels it's due to the success the business has had running IFS solutions that he has been nominated as a Challenger Champion.
"Being a challenger means always looking for new ways to improve what you do."
Marie feels proud of what she has built up when she sees IFS Lobbies on the computer screens at work and wants her colleagues to feel as though IFS Applications is their friend. She loves change and is always thinking of ways to improve and challenge what Floatel colleagues are working.
"I think anyone can be a Challenger, it's a mindset."
IFS's CMO Oliver explains the reasoning behind the Challenger Champions program and states why it's important to celebrate the stories of those that are challenging the status quo within business.
In the business-to-business sector, we too often only celebrate these tech traits in the context of the organizations we serve: the value realized, the competitive advantage created, and/or the efficiencies achieved. But what about the people?Read More
In the business-to-business sector, we too often only celebrate these tech traits in the context of the organizations we serve: the value realized, the competitive advantage created, and/or the efficiencies achieved. But what about the people?Read More
Speaking with Lovisa Tholerus Sondén, ERP and Finance Systems Manager at long-standing IFS customer Ingram Micro Mobility, for just a short while, I was immediately struck by the passion she has for her work.Read More
When I recently caught up with Pawel over the phone, I had not only learned that Shawcor, the global energy services company, had successfully deployed IFS Applications 10, but that Pawel might also just be the very epitome of a Challenger Champion.Read More


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I think that the point is not blaming the media for stating the obvious (they should state facts), but they seem to feel the need to repeat it hundreds of times, then when we get tired of hearing it (like after the 2nd or 3rd), they embellish the truth to make it more intresting (thus straying from the facts). Thing is, the embellishments are usually all geared towards the negative.1. Naslund was overpaid at $6M for what he has delivered the past few season. Vigneault has played him with multiple players including the Sedins. 25 goals is not worth $6M. PERIOD.
2. Luongo tanked in the last 15 games. Blame his personal issues, but if he stole a game or two, the Canucks would have made the playoffs.
3. Todd Bertuzzi has lost it by the way. Plain and simple.
Stop blaming the media for stating the obvious.
And they do embellish it all to create more intrest and drama. and Negative drama sells more than positive drama


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ImageTrend, a software application developer, is bridging the information and communications gap between first responders and emergency room physicians with a powerful, secure electronic patient records management platform. Using the Adobe Flash Platform and Adobe ColdFusion, ImageTrend created the Hospital Dashboard (an Adobe MAX 2010 Awards finalist) so emergency response personnel and physicians could share medical records before a patient arrives at an emergency room. This paperless solution helps physicians make better decisions about how to care for patients and increases the likelihood of saving a life.
ImageTrend chose to develop the Hospital Dashboard using the Flash Platform because it allows the company to quickly develop, launch and maintain secure, enterprise-level applications—with the potential to expand services to mobile phones and other devices in the future. One of the key technologies used was Adobe ColdFusion, which let ImageTrend expand the user-interface to securely deliver data over the Web and display the information on TVs in the ER.
Along with Adobe ColdFusion, the Hospital Dashboard uses applications built with the Flex framework to gather real-time information and transfer it to an interactive dashboard, which displays the data across various Web browsers. Additionally, Adobe Flash Builder allowed ImageTrend developers to instantly create a higher performing application using features designed to build Flex applications with a ColdFusion back-end. With Adobe's tools, ImageTrend had what they needed to develop and launch an application at a faster pace while managing millions of patient records more efficiently and lowering hospital costs.
You can learn more about how ImageTrend used Adobe technologies to create the Hospital Dashborad here.


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Breakfast! Let's Eat Cake.
I may not live in LA these days but I do remember some of my favorite SoCal inspired recipes. Here's one of my absolute faves, from the archives.
Remember those maple sweetened almond zucchini mini-muffins? I do. They've become one of our favorite grab-and-go gluten-free treats. I tuck a bag of them- fresh out of the freezer- into my bulging
What else could I be? All apologies.
I know this from experience. I learned the hard way (the way I learn most things in life). Driving in L.A. can lead to stop-n-go squatting in the baking sun. And a where is my nail file and why did I leave the apartment without food and water and ice in a cooler panic. Because the thirty-three minutes it took yesterday to get to Studio City is seventy-five minutes today.
That's when I started imagining a zucchini cake.
For breakfast.
On the 405.
Karina's Gluten-Free Wheat-Free Zucchini Quinoa Breakfast Cake RecipeBy Karina Allrich May 2012.
Sweetened only with a half cup pure maple syrup, this cake is not overly sweet. Which makes it perfect for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack. Almond meal, sorghum flour and quinoa flakes add protein and nutrition.
2/3 cups almond meal
2/3 cup sorghum flour (or brown rice flour, if you must)
1/2 cup quinoa flakes (cereal flakes, not whole quinoa)
1/4 cup tapioca starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup light melted coconut oil
3 organic free-range eggs, beaten
1-2 tablespoons coconut milk, soy or rice milk, as needed
2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 packed cup shredded zucchini, patted dry
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8-inch Springform pan with a circle of parchment.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond meal, quinoa flakes, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, xanthan gum, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
Add in the maple syrup, coconut oil, beaten eggs, and one tablespoon coconut milk. Beat to combine. If needed, add another tablespoon of coconut milk to loosen the batter. Add the vanilla and almond extract. Beat the batter until it is smooth and slightly sticky.
Add in the shredded zucchini and stir by hand to combine.
Spoon the cake batter evenly into the lined cake pan. Smooth the top with wet fingers. I add a few strands of grated zucchini to the top for flecks of green.
Bake in the center of a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the top is golden and springy-firm to the touch. A wooden pick inserted into the center should emerge clean.
Cool the cake pan on a wire rack for five minutes. Loosen the edges with a thin spatula or knife and release the clasp on the Springform pan. Move the cake to the wire rack and continue cooling.
This filling, satisfying cake is very moist and slices best when cooled. Wrap and freeze leftover slices for easy to-go treats. (Especially if heading out in mad traffic.)
Serves 8-10.
Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.
Recipe Notes:
I baked this moist and satisfying breakfast cake in a parchment lined 8-inch Springform pan. If you have only a 7-inch layer cake pan it will work. Line it with a circle of parchment paper. Keep an eye on the center- it may need an extra minute or two in a smaller pan (higher center).
And speaking of pans- I beg you, Darling. Do not bake gluten-free cakes and breads in those disposable aluminum foil pans. They are way too thin to bake gluten-free batter evenly. Foil pans cause over-browning on the outside, and gummy, undone centers.
If baking for a gluten-free friend- protect her from cross contamination and line your cake pan with clean foil or parchment paper. (And don't use your old wooden spoons- gluten protein is sticky, and tenacious.)
For substitution help, please see my guide to baking with substitutions here.


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Dirk de Kok is grinding. Hunched over a MacBook in a fluorescent-lit basement, he and 31 other software engineers pound away at source code for the 12th straight hour. Thick metal bars—actual bars—obscure the few tiny windows. Outside it's 82 degrees, a glorious day in San Francisco's startup-glutted SoMa district. Whenever a set of bare legs strolls by, it's like a kick to the groin. "It's too damn sunny today," de Kok sighs.
Good news: The kitchen is stocked with Red Bull, Popchips, Corona, and Chewy Granola Bars, all gratis. Bad news: 34 hours to go.
We're participating in BeMyApp. It's a hackathon—a contest to pitch, program, and present a functioning Android mobile application in 48 hours. Last night we worked past midnight. I say we because I'm leading one of the teams. On Friday I was handed a microphone and given 60 seconds to outline my idea for an app, then 30 minutes to mingle and out-schmooze a dozen other wannabe CEOs. We were vying to be one of six "idea generators." While engineers and designers are admitted automatically, people with ideas for apps (regardless of experience or qualifications) need to win over the crowd. Only the engineers and designers get to vote. We, in turn, jockeyed to recruit them, channeling the hyperbole of used-car salesmen.
"It gets weird at a hackathon around 5 am. People are walking around like zombies."
"Our app will be bigger than Angry Birds!" one guy said, beaming.
"I have $200 million in VC funding!" another joked.
"Pick me and you'll be in Wired magazine!" I pleaded.
Like an American Idol for programmers, these marathon coding competitions have exploded in popularity. Fueled by the development of easier-to-use software-writing tools and a new willingness among companies to allow third parties to slice and dice their data, more than 200 hackathons were held last year in the US (and just as many more were held throughout the rest of the world). The result has been a wave of innovation and new businesses. Consider the action around Apple's iOS alone: Since its 2007 debut, 500,000 applications have generated $3 billion for developers. (Android's 400,000 apps have earned around $100 million.)
And even as the opportunity to create an app and make money has exploded, the time and budget needed to code that software has fallen closer and closer to zero. Programmers can add core features to apps simply by cutting and pasting a few lines of code. Known as the glue layer, this trick enables them to focus on creating new functionality.
In other words, it's an ideal time to go into the app business—even if, like me, you can't exactly write code. Hackathons, with their come-one-come-all ethos, have emerged as the new forum for networking, learning, and beta-testing new apps and ventures.
Attendance varies, from 20 developers in a hotel banquet room to 500 competitors in a 133,000-square-foot warehouse at a tech conference. And as the arenas grow, so do the stakes. Fortune 500 companies are looking to hackathons to boost awareness of their products. Big players like AT&T, Microsoft, Nokia, and even Unilever (the billion-dollar conglomerate responsible for Axe Body Spray) have all hosted hackathons and app-generating contests. It costs $5,000 to throw an event for 100 participants—a tiny investment considering the payoff if a participant creates a blockbuster app that the company can market. Last summer Foursquare's first-ever Global Hackathon, held simultaneously in New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, and Paris (and also open to remote contestants) lured more than 500 developers from 90 countries. The winner received a faux-gold championship belt fit for Mike Tyson, a trip to New York, and dinner with a Foursquare cofounder. At one hackathon hosted by an upstart open source platform, I watched the winning team hoist an oversize novelty check for $10,000.
Venture capitalists are looking to hackathons as a new way to spot fresh faces worth recruiting and good ideas worth funding. "It's an investor's nirvana!" says Ron Conway, an early backer of Google, PayPal, and Twitter and cofounder of investment firm SV Angel. "You can see the idea, see the product, and watch how quickly a team develops at the height of stress. It's a one-stop shop." At AngelHack, the winner receives $15,000 in seed capital and a spot in a startup accelerator. At TechCrunch's Disrupt hackathon, the winning hacks can earn up to $250,000 (and meetings with top-tier "superangels" like Conway).
The trend has already spread beyond the conventional tech world. There are women-only hackathons, hackathons for teens, hackathons for college students, hackathons to fight autism, hackathons to improve education, hackathons to help veterans, hackathons to build Occupy Wall Street protest tools, hackathons on clean energy, hackathons on grocery shopping in Vermont, and 14 hackathons to troubleshoot water pollution—footage of which was streamed live from nine cities including Bangalore and Nairobi.
Hackathons didn't spring from nowhere. They are ingrained in the ethos of coding. In one notorious true-to-life scene from The Social Network, Mark Zuckerberg stages a 10-minute hack-off in a Harvard dorm. The winner becomes his first intern. Today, every two months or so, many of Facebook's 700-plus engineers gather for a 24-hour competition at the company's offices, where the front door is emblazoned with huge decals that read h-a-c-k. Many of Facebook's hallmark features, including the Like button and Timeline, started as hackathon projects. Winners receive limited-edition posters illustrating pithy phrases like in hack we trust. (In December, members of Congress even invited Facebook to host a hackathon on Capitol Hill.)
At Google, engineers are famously allowed to spend 20 percent of their time working on side projects; frequently those ideas are conceived at internal tests where up to 100 engineers assemble to rapidly hack Google's own products. Established tech companies from LinkedIn and Yelp to upstarts like RockMelt and Path all host overnight coding contests to foster creativity and stave off boredom.
Of course, programmers have been participating in self-imposed hackathons since the 1960s, when MIT students preferred working in 24-hour "marathon bursts," as wired's Steven Levy wrote in his 1984 book, Hackers. Still, it wasn't until the late 1990s that today's version of the hackathon emerged: After back-to-back lectures, engineers at open source software conferences would be dying to get their hands dirty. So on the last day, they'd assemble in one room for a group coding session. There were no prizes. No pitches. And no nontechnical participants.
Which brings me back to BeMyApp. My pitch (more on that later) received the most votes. Better still, I won the talent war. Along with de Kok, a self-described "technical wizard," I nabbed Scotty Allen, an ex-Googler who worked on the web server that runs the company's search engine. I also landed Zac Bowling, a baby-faced 27-year-old who's been coding professionally since he was 14. He has worked at Texas Instruments, Match.com, and four well- funded startups.
7:00 pm
Arrive at BeMyApp in San Francisco.
7:10 pm
Receive a paper cup to collect poker chips (votes from engineers and designers).
7:15 pm
Zac (my lead designer) hands me all three of his poker chips.
8:25 pm
I present my 30-second pitch with a single PowerPoint slide I made the day before.
8:41 pm
One engineer tries to sell me a chip for $20.
9:26 pm
Break off into teams, start brainstorming/planning.
I drink my first (of many) sugar-free Red Bull.
10:49 pm
Zac sets up PiratePad (a collaborative text editor), Pivotal Tracker (to-do lists), and a Linux server for our project.
11:54 pm
Ruby on Rails scaffolding set up, first code committed.
11:24 am
Domain registered.
12:15 pm
I lead a high-level walk-through to discuss functionality and architecture.
12:39 pm
2.5 bananas eaten; half the trail mix gone; one pot of coffee brewed for our team.
2:22 pm
Bones of our app are up and running on Zac's Android phone.
6:24 pm
People on another team break out Coronas.
12:43 pm
Scotty: "Ohh … I just crashed."
Me: "You saved, right?"
5:00 pm
Truth be told, I had secured Bowling's services a month earlier, after we met at another hackathon. An admitted hackathon junky, he has competed in 75 such events since 2007. He averages two a month. More often than not, he wins. One victory was an iPad app for remotely controlling a Lego Mindstorm NXT rover using the tablet's accelerometer—tilt the iPad left, the bot goes left. Bowling beat out 54 teams for Coolest App at iOSDevCamp, a 48-hour event beloved by Apple developers. With Bowling in my corner, how could I lose?
At BeMyApp, they don't encourage hacking just for fun or to bring about world peace or win prizes (though my team could score a $1,000 ad campaign and $500 credit toward renting the subterranean coworking space we're toiling in). The competition's mission is to churn out mini-companies: "Come with your idea on Friday and leave with an app and a Co-Founder on Sunday," BeMyApp advertises. It is a mill. Every three months, BeMyApp events are held concurrently in up to seven cities around the globe, including London, Paris, and Zurich. The organizers claim each of its hackathons has yielded at least one project that makes it to Apple's or Android's app store.
Could that be my app?
By 11:27 pm on Saturday, my team isn't concerned with winning. We're just desperate to finish.
"I'm not making any headway on this Rails bug, man," moans Allen, the ex-Googler.
"FUCK-ing Rails!" Bowling says.
It's been a couple of years since these two have coded in Ruby on Rails, software built to streamline app construction. On Friday they said they wanted to use Python or JavaScript programming languages. It was de Kok who lobbied for Ruby. But he's gone home to sleep. So we're at a standstill. We have 19 hours to go. There's no more free pizza.
Steve Martocci and Jared Hecht searched for months to find a new office. The twentysomething cofounders of GroupMe settled on a grand 5,300-square-foot, 10th-floor loft in New York's Flatiron District. A bank of south-facing windows—six big panes—stretches across one wall. In the late afternoons, the startup's 23 employees can play Ping-Pong and watch as deep-orange sunlight bathes neighboring buildings.
The view tops the one at Martocci's last job. For several months in 2010, he was banished to an engineering "cave" at the online retailer Gilt Groupe. His morale improved when he finally moved offices. Then Gilt hosted its first internal hackathon. In a single night, the 27-year-old excitedly threw together software to analyze and display the real-time revenue of Gilt's biggest rivals. It wasn't a malicious hack, just a rich mashup of available data and public application-programming interfaces, or APIs—code that lets one piece of software pull information from another. Martocci took first place. His bosses tossed him an iPad. He asked to keep developing his software. The company balked, fearing bad publicity, he says. Martocci became disenchanted. His friend Hecht knew just the thing to cheer him up: Entering the hackathon at Disrupt NYC 2010.
Hecht can't code. Back then he was a 23-year-old business-development guy at the blogging platform Tumblr. Like Martocci, he wanted to start his own company. They realized they shared the same frustration with text messaging: At concerts with friends, the pair realized there was no way to send SMS updates to a whole group. People with BlackBerrys could use BBM—but that excluded anyone with an iPhone, an Android, or a low-end handset. They wanted a group to be able to read and update one private feed. To Martocci's surprise, there was no app for that. So they decided to build one.
The duo met and talked about the problem. They honed their concept, features, and business plan. There was just one problem. "We had no idea how we were gonna build it," Hecht says. They needed a way for everyone to send texts to a single phone number, which would then relay those messages to each person. "We were going to use a messaging platform called Clickatell, but we realized the feature we needed was banned in the US." They learned this crucial piece of information right as they were walking into Disrupt. Without Clickatell as the foundation for the app, their messaging platform didn't have a messaging platform.
In the conference hall, they discovered a company they'd never heard of, Twilio, a cloud platform for voice and text messaging that would enable the kind of message distribution they wanted. (Twilio's pipes run Hulu's customer support, StubHub's sales, and Airbnb's mobile booking service.)
The duo spent the next 12 hours hammering out an app they originally called Groop.ly. Hecht registered the domain name and Twitter handle, designed a logo, printed 1,000 business cards at Kinko's, and whiteboarded a demo. He also delivered beer and pizza to Martocci, who stood up only for quick restroom and stretch breaks. "Shit gets weird at a hackathon around 5 am. People are walking around like zombies," Hecht says. "I found a corner of some room and just passed out on the floor."
Seventy-two hours later, Martocci was onstage demonstrating Groop.ly in front of 300 people. He did it in 97 seconds. The app was even mostly functional. After the presentations, Martocci stormed the conference floor. "We're gonna solve group communication!" he boasted, handing a business card to any investor who would take one. He whipped out his iPhone to show off the app. A line of people formed. They kept coming.
The following Monday, Martocci and Hecht got a call from venture capitalist Charlie O'Donnell. He'd seen Groop.ly at the hackathon and arranged for all the principals at his firm, First Round Capital, to be added to a group text. They loved it. Hecht and Martocci quit their jobs. In August they launched with a new name, GroupMe, and $850,000 in funding from a handful of firms, including First Round Capital and SV Angel. By January 2011 their funding had ballooned to $10.6 million. At SXSW that March, 2 million messages were sent using the service. Five months later, GroupMe was acquired by Skype for an estimated $85 million. Not bad for a 12-hour side project.
How Hackathons Work
These events are fast-paced contests to code software. And just like code, they proceed through a logical sequence. —S.L.
1/ Come up with an idea.
Participants build applications from text-messaging services and photo filters to games. They mostly code for cell phones, but occasionally they hack hardware like microwaves, tablets, and Lego Mindstorm robots.
2/ Build a team.
Two to five people team up, either before the event or ad hoc once they arrive. Ideally each team will consist of an engineer (to code), a designer (to create the user interface), and a business developer (to present the business case).
3/ Execute the concept.
All or most of the work happens at the competition, which is typically 24 or 48 hours long. When time is up, the software's main feature is expected to be functional. The project should also have a name, logo, and website.
4/ Present a finished product.
Each team gets a minute or two to demo its product. A short slide show explains how the app works and highlights its potential for revenue, advertising, and growth.
5/ Face the judges.
Venture capitalists, CEOs, journalists, and programmers typically vote on a winner, based on the app's concept, functionality, design, utility, and business plan.
6/ Collect your prize.
At large conferences, a winner can take home $250,000 in seed funding or a spot at a startup accelerator. At smaller competitions, teams might receive $10,000, an iPad or laptop, or gift certificates for web hosting.
Venture capitalists are fond of the adage "Execution is everything." Which is to say, they're not looking for ideas, they're looking for people. This is why investors have grown especially fond of hackathons and routinely send junior staffers to embed and schmooze at choice competitions: It's where the talent can be found. "Everybody used to host a hospitality suite at conferences. Now the big trend is, if you want engineers, go to a hackathon," says Shannon Rucobo Callahan, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz whose portfolio includes Facebook, Groupon, and Skype. Callahan oversees the firm's "technical talent" team, a staff of seven who in 2011 traveled to half a dozen hackathons and who she expects will attend even more this year.
O'Donnell, the first champion of GroupMe, launched his own VC firm, Brooklyn Bridge Ventures, in January. He attends one hackathon a month (so does Conway's team at SV Angel). He has already funded another startup that grew out of a hackathon—a digital warehouse for legal and business documents called Docracy. Twenty percent of the hiring recommendations he makes to startups are engineers he has met at hackathons.
Given the talent shortage in Silicon Valley, VCs aren't the only ones crashing the party. Independent tech recruiters are particularly aggressive. And with good reason: The starting salary for an engineer can be as high as $100,000, and recruiters can make 20 percent commission on the first year's pay. But not everyone perceives the influx of headhunting and the emphasis on business to be such a good thing. Hackathons, some say, should be left to the engineers, who'd be better off scratching itches than obsessing over revenue streams. "If I had my way, there'd be zero VCs in the room," says Facebook engineer Paul Tarjan. "It stifles innovation."
Each year, Tarjan travels to 10 universities, where up to 200 students participate in Facebook-sponsored hackathons. The winners are flown to Facebook's headquarters for a throwdown judged by Mark Zuckerberg himself. Winners of that event typically wind up interning at Facebook. "We once tried to do a collaboration between engineers and MBAs," Tarjan says. "It was pretty awful. They would build something that's exactly like a market leader and put a spin on it. Like, a Groupon clone. I much prefer hackathons that just try to throw it at the wall and see what sticks rather than focusing on a cold and calculated 'What will make money?'"
Tarjan's distaste reflects the natural tension between engineering and business cultures. It's a stereotype perfectly captured—and perhaps reinforced—by The Social Network, which pits a scrawny programmer against identical-twin meathead MBA types. That the real-life legal battle over Winkelvossian ideation and Zuckerbergian execution dragged on for more than a decade hammers home the point.
The increase in nontechnical "idea generators" at hackathons bothers many engineers, who view these Winkelvosses with a mix of skepticism and disdain. Several engineers, including ones who don't work for Zuckerberg, told me biz-dev guys shouldn't be allowed anywhere near hackathons. Even Hecht, the biz-dev half of the GroupMe founding duo, admits to some ambivalence. "Look, at TechCrunch the winning hacks get $100,000," he says. "Is that pure? Is that evil? Is that corporate? It's still the culture of building new things that solve problems. You can't go wrong doing that."
"I'm sucking at Ruby so bad, I might as well stop," Bowling, my head engineer, says with a disgusted sigh. He slept a few hours but awoke at 4:30 am to troubleshoot and has been at it ever since. It's now 1 pm on Sunday. My three engineers have five hours to finish debugging our software and hang the visual design onto the framework they've built.
Meanwhile, I'm putting together a presentation with our designer, Jeremy Van Fleet, who won the previous BeMyApp with a memorization tool called Namerick (it's in Apple's App Store). He's trying not to seem annoyed that I'm cutting it close. That's not to say I haven't been busy. Copying a page from Hecht's playbook, I've registered my team's domain and Twitter handle, sorted through our user interface and feature set with the team, helped design a logo, and sold a local ad to impress the judges.
So what are we building?
We're building what on Friday I pitched as HackZombie, an app for sharing, browsing, and "liking" hackathon projects. OK, so it's a little meta. But since the events are so numerous, it's difficult to keep tabs on what they actually yield. There is no clearinghouse. And for every GroupMe or Docracy, there are thousands of projects that dissolve into the ether. At best, a project's source code gets uploaded to GitHub, a sort of Wikipedia for code where one of the website's million users might start a new fork, or version. But often the code just sits there. Forever. It's called abandonware.
So my idea is to build an app that brings orphaned software back from the dead. Engineers could write a 140-character description of their project, which would be published in a Twitter-like stream. Users could scroll through, then click a Like button è0 la Facebook. Only instead of a thumbs-up icon, I suggested a shaka, the Hawaiian hand sign for "Right on!" We've renamed our app hackYeah! and christened it "a home for hacks and burgeoning apps."
I had worried it might become a tool for swiping ideas, not promoting them. But every developer I talked to disagreed. Sure, hackathon culture, which sprang from the open source community, has evolved into an efficient system for generating intellectual property. But it also encourages transparency. "Stealth mode is overrated," says John Watkinson, cofounder of Docracy. "It's our fault if we can't build our idea faster than someone else."
"Five minutes!" Bowling announces.
"Oh fuck off!" de Kok replies.
I head for the free beer.
My 60-second presentation is a blur followed by two minutes of questions. Our app's basic functionality—the shaka button—actually works. That's more than I can say for a couple of the other teams. One group's "app" appears to be a series of sketches made in Photoshop. After a 20-minute huddle in a conference room, the judges return. First they offer me some feedback: "Nice job trying to speak to a community that isn't normally addressed," one judge says. (Fingers crossed!) And the winner is …
JesterChess!? A game described as a cross between chess and Sudoku. No way. It's that guy who'd said his app could be bigger than Angry Birds. Apparently the judges agree. And an honorable mention goes to …
Choice!? It's a "philanthropic calculator." Type in $3 before buying a Starbucks coffee and the app computes what a $3 donation means to Unicef
: 10 measles vaccinations.
That puts hackYeah! somewhere near the bottom. I don't have the heart to ask exactly where. My team is deflated. I led them down this road. And now our project is already abandonware.
I remember Martocci and perk up. He hasn't won a hackathon since that first one at Gilt Groupe. And he has competed in four, including the one where he built GroupMe. "It didn't matter that our hack wasn't the coolest and not the winner," Martocci told me. "If standing onstage or just being declared the winner is your goal, you're probably not doing it for the right reasons. Besides, our demo only half worked."
At the close of BeMyApp, I'm loitering on the sidewalk above that basement, spitballing ideas with Allen and Van Fleet. What about a food-delivery app? Post the meal you want, then restaurants bid on who can deliver the quickest, cheapest food. Or perhaps a ticketing app? You set the price you'd pay and as the date gets closer, the venue can choose to accept your bid or risk not selling out.
We're jazzed about that last one. Building a prototype won't be too difficult, Allen says. There's a clear potential revenue stream and value proposition for venues, I note. Twilio is hosting a hackathon next week, Van Fleet exclaims. We should go.
Maybe it's the lack of sleep. Or that "hackathon high" I've heard so much about. But right now our idea really feels like it has legs. All we have to do is execute. Because if we don't build it, someone else will.
Correspondent Steven Leckart (@stevenleckart) wrote about blood tests in issue 18.12.Go Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article.


text:
do you know what it's like to tear tickets at a podium
standing on the same set of legs for twelve hours?
i do.
do you know what it's like to make enough popcorn
to feed the swarming, blood-thirsty masses
of horny adolescent locust cows
filtering mercilessly into the concession stand?
to burn a perfect batch of kettle corn, terrified
as the sweet smoke rises towards the fire detectors
and you know if it gets to be too much
that the alarms will sound
and the box office will have to refund
every ticket sold that evening
to the growling sheep ready to pounce at guest services?
to sit alone in a giant room filled with candy
disgustingly suicidal at three in the morning
counting pieces of stale sour strips by the pound
when all you want is to go home
and die for a day or two in your warm bed?
to wear a three-piece-suit in a congested concession stand
making popcorn bites and overpriced pizzas
while your sixteen-year-old cohorts jack off behind you?
to hold the door for the smiley motherfuckers coming out
of rancid movie theaters leaving behind used condoms
and the scent of bad chainsaw-slasher-horror-movies
and pubescent screams like sadistic adolescent dry humps
in the back of minivans?
to digest a three-course-meal of super nachos
topped with synthetic guacamole
and diluted jalapenos
and insecure sour cream and cheese
that turns to stone in your lower intestines
that you eat on a ten minute grace period
between cleaning monster theaters
where children find ways of getting sour patch kids
and malted milk balls stuck on the ceiling?
to tell the new hires to go get more ice mix
or to only scrub the yellow squares of the carpet
because they're the only ones that get dirty
or to tell them to go clean theater seventeen
because haha, there's only sixteen theaters here?
to escape from the cinematic madness to the back room
where the drink compressors hiss
and the dishwasher gargles
and there's a starry-eyed girl waiting there
and in the midst of gladiator battles and spaceship races,
there is a moment of nothing
where the universe puts its phones on silent
and you too can kiss like you think you know what love is?
to run the satellite food station on a tuesday night
which means you have plenty of free time
to contemplate why you need a second food staion
open a god-forsaken tuesday night?
to have your boss pull you aside to tell you
that you can't show up to work drunk anymore
and it's okay if you're late
just call.
to lock up the front doors at closing
and then to unlock the arcade games
so you and your stupid coworkers can play pinball
and DDR to your little infantile heart's content
and little known fact –
the high scores on the arcade games at the movie theater
are held by the employees of said movie theater.
to walk to the last bus in the streetlight twilight
with a black trash bag full of popcorn
that keeps you company on the lurking ride home?
to be a ghost in the projector room
to be God flashing images of everylife and eternal heartbeat
onto the anorexic white screen of pure truth?
to sit in a GMC Jimmy at four in the morning
listening to song ADD with a sweet girl
who happens to be your boss
who you like to make out with –
who cares?!
the movie theater isn't exactly your five-year-plan?
to go talk to the widowed ticket-taker
who hugs you with her eyes
and tells stories the way stories are meant to be told
between two people
instead of between a gaggle of morons
and a billion dollar budget?
to be stuck in the money room
starving for food and moonlight
but you aren't leaving
until one hundred dollars finds itself?
to go home smelling like decaying sugar
and italian sodas and superficial butter and sweat
and the dead babies living in the squeaky movie theater seats
and coke and diet coke and icees, yeah, blue raspberry icees
and all-beef hot dogs and so much drama
and it was the worst job ever and it was yes.
just yes.


text:
I saw this on my friend Brandii's site . Looks like fun!
So this is how it works: The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a handmade gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise.
There's a small catch… You knew there would be, didn't you? Post this on your blog then come back and leave a comment, telling me you're in. Fun, huh? Remember, only the first 3 comments receive a gift. Give it a try!
Filed under: Family | 4 Comments »


text:
Mission Control Center
On the 1000th day since the launch of the first module of the International Space Station, Discovery's astronauts were awakened shortly after 4 a.m. Central time to the sounds of "The Marvelous Toy" by Tom Paxton for Mission Specialist Dan Barry from his wife.
Barry and crewmate Pat Forrester will conduct the first space walk of Discovery's flight to the International Space Station at around 9:30 this morning to install the Early Ammonia Servicer on the station's P6 truss structure. The servicing unit contains spare ammonia that could be used in the station's cooling system, if needed.
They also will attach an experiment to the station to expose samples of materials to the space environment. Carrying the acronym MISSE, for Materials International Space Station Experiment, it contains about 1,500 samples of materials in two suitcase-like containers. The samples will remain outside the station for about a year, then will be returned to Earth for analysis.
Discovery Commander Scott Horowitz will operate the shuttle's robotic arm during the space walk. Pilot Rick Sturckow will serve as the space walk choreographer from inside the shuttle's cabin during the 6˝-hour space walk, which will be staged from Discovery's airlock.
A second space walk is planned for Saturday. Barry and Forrester will hook up heater cables for another truss structure to be delivered to the station next year.
Aboard the ISS, the computers of the Zvezda Service Module once again commanded the station's gyroscopes to assume control of the orientation of the complex at around 5 a.m. after Russian flight controllers completed their loading of upgraded software commands to those computers. In the meantime, Discovery maintained control of the complex until the computer upgrades were completed with no impact to station operations.
While Barry and Forrester conduct their space walk, the Expedition Three crew, Commander Frank Culbertson, Pilot Vladimir Dezhurov and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin, will continue stowage of equipment and supplies inside the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module for return to Earth. The Italian-built pressurized module brought almost 7,000 pounds of equipment, supplies and two scientific experiment racks to the station.
At 7:10 this morning, Culbertson and his crewmates plan to offer a few commemorative words to mark the 1000th day in space for the International Space Station since the Zarya module was launched on November 20, 1998 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Discovery and the station are orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes at an average altitude of 244 statute miles with all systems functioning normally. The next status report will be issued about 6 p.m. Thursday, or earlier, if events warrant.
NASA Johnson Space Center Mission Status Reports and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to firstname.lastname@example.com. In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type "subscribe hsfnews" (no quotes). This will add the e-mail address that sent the subscribe message to the news release distribution list. The system will reply with a confirmation via e-mail of each subscription. Once you have subscribed you will receive future news releases via e-mail.