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GateHouse News Service National Budget
For 8/28/08 editions
Here are the top national stories coming today from GateHouse News Service. Stories are available at http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/. Please submit stories below no later than 6 pm local time, unless you have breaking news that is changing significantly.
Contacts: Jean Hodges, (630) 348-3350, (630) 956-8834, email@example.com
Michael Toeset, (630) 348-3356, (630) 835-8870, firstname.lastname@example.com
LABOR DAY RAIL: History and facts about Labor Day and U.S. workers. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/homepage/x418533629/Labor-Day-rail
SUBMITTING TO THE NEWS SERVICE: Find out what we're really looking for on ghnewsroom.com.
FINAL CUT TUTORIALS: Editing techniques and tips for news & sports. Check out multimedia editor Tom Sudore's blog.
Lifestyles (Thursday is Home & Garden)
MORNING MINUTES: Word of the Day, Web Site of the Day and a topical Did You Know?
HOME HELP: Weekly rail, with tips on furniture fabric, fall lawn care and more.
HOME PAGE: Garlic mosquito spray
HOME VIDEO: This week, stone gardens provide peaceful getaway at home
TRAVELOGUE: Weekly travel rail, with a guide to the Harriet Tubman home, tips on Luggage delivery services, where to see Europe's first Bob Marley statue and more. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/travel/x590310905/Travelogue-Learn-about-Harriet-Tubman-in-N-Y
FAMILY TIME: Weekly family rail, with a review of "House Bunny,‰ tips on teaching your child social skills and more. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/family/x633546455/Family-Time-This-Bunny-isn-t-cute-and-cuddly
GOLDEN GARDENERS DON'T LET AGE STOP THEM: PEORIA – Helen Bordeaux, Duane Heward and Mary Fitzgerald sat in the living room recently of one of the patio homes at Lutheran Hillside Village senior housing complex and talked about gardening — recollections from more than 50 years of experience. Their discussion underscores the theme that loss may be part of aging, but gardening can evolve and continue through every decade of life. By Clare Howard of the Peoria Journal Star.
GREEN THUMBS: Green thumbs overcome bad dirt, too much shade. SPRINGFIELD, Ill.
DESIGN DILEMMAS: Old pots and new rugs.
GREEN THUMBS UP: Heavenly hibiscus.
MOVIE REVIEW – "TRAITOR": Strong performances by Cheadle, Pearce lift fast-paced thriller - The new movie "Traitor'' goes behind the lines of the war on terror and yields a surprising amount of intelligence. Ledger, Alexander, on wire now
With photos
JESSE MCCARTNEY GROWS UP : Teen idol Jesse McCartney grows up. SPRINGFIELD
ART: cool portrait
DVD RELEASES SEPT. 2: "The Office: Fourth Season," "Bright Lights, Big City."
BRITT: Toon on the role of race in the 2008 presidential campaign. Will be posted this evening.
KENT BUSH: John McCain and President Bush give such poor speeches that Republican "talking points" attempt to make giving good speeches a detriment. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/kansas/x81489976/Kent-Bush-Dazzling-speeches-rally-Democrats#
TOM MARTIN: Michelle Obama doesn't hate America after all - Exactly what is controversial about Michelle Obama? It has become accepted that the wife of the Democratic nominee for president, Barack Obama, is controversial. Pundits referred to her as such during coverage of the Democratic National Convention's first night.
DAVID ROGERS: Hillary nose-cutters could cost Obama the election - In the world of politics, perhaps the most aggravating bunch of nose-cutters are those Hillary Clinton supporters who say they'll cross party lines and vote for Republican presidential candidate John McCain this November. CNC, on wire now
DEIRDRE REILLY: Having difficulty finishing the book "A Walk in the Woods," I went for a walk in the woods. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/columnists/x2090473540/Deirdre-Reilly-A-walk-in-the-woods
EDITORIAL: What does Labor Day mean to you? By the Messenger Post. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/opinions/editorials/x1311853664/Editorial-What-does-Labor-Day-mean-to-you
NASCAR CONTENT: Centerpiece on Carl Edwards vs. Kyle Busch; 3 Questions with Joey Logano; rail; NASCAR page.
PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY PAGE: Rookie Watch.
FOOTBALL BRIEFS: Items on Patriots, Bears, 49ers and more. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/sports/pro/football/fantasy_football/x590312195/Football-briefs-Patriots-worried-about-QB-depth-but
ILLINOIS-MISSOURI: John Supinie and Mike Nadel will be writing from Saturday's Illinois-Missouri game in St. Louis. Game time is 7:30 p.m. Story and column will be posted about 10:30 and updated.
HOGS ACROSS AMERICA: Harley riders roar through Illinois on way to birthday bash – Another day, another Harley dealership — that's been the life of Xavier Gonzalez since leaving his home in Colima, Mexico, uh… Gonzalez has to check the calendar on his watch in the parking lot of Hall's Harley-Davidson, which was fast filling with motorcycles Tuesday evening. Aug. 18, he says — that's when he started this journey north to Milwaukee to celebrate the 105th anniversary of the founding of America's biggest motorcycle maker. SPRINGFIELD http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x560279966
HOGS ACROSS AMERICA: From France to Milwaukee, Harley riders share love of an American icon - BLOOMINGTON – Marc Roubaud thanked Winnie Feken for her hospitality, then kissed her on each cheek. "Oh, my, a real French kiss," said Feken, the 66-year-old owner of Chuck's Harley-Davidson, a stopping point Tuesday for hundreds of Harley-Davidson enthusiasts on their way to Milwaukee for the motorcycle company's 105th anniversary celebration. By Steve Stein of the Peoria Journal Star.
HOGS ACROSS AMERICA: Harleys mean the 'freedom of the open road' -
CHERRY VALLEY – Franklin Grove resident Eric Poe has been riding for as long as he can remember. Whether it is a motorcycle or a dirt bike, he's found riding is his ticket to the open road, wind and most importantly, his freedom. By Betsy Lopez Fritscher of the Rockford Register Star.
OBAMA'S FORMER PASTOR: Obama's former pastor resigns from state commission - SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's controversial former pastor has resigned from a state commission designed in part to educate people about the history of slavery in America. By Bernard Schoenburg of the State Journal-Register.
CHAIN SAW SAFETY: Don't cut corners - A return to wood as a home-heating fuel may translate into growing numbers of homeowners taking to the woods, armed with dangerous power tools like chain saws and log splitters. MetroWest, Reuell, on wire now
With photo
STEALING FROM SCOUTS: Ex-youth group leader admits he stole thousands from scouts - Raffi Donoyan, 49, from Burlington, entered a plea reversal, pleading guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from Homenetmen, an Armenian youth group, after previously saying he didn't do it. CNC, Bagley, on wire now
HONDA BUCKS TREND: Honda manages to buck auto trend
– If there's a downturn in the auto market, Honda doesn't know about it. While U.S. carmakers closed factories and announced layoffs last year, American Honda Motor sold nearly 1.5 million vehicles, thanks to gas-friendly cars such as Civic and Accord, said Richard Colliver, American Honda's executive vice president. PEORIA
FLOODS AND CROPS: Despite early flooding, Illinois crops rebounding nicely - SPRINGFIELD – Illinois fields that were under several feet of water in early summer have rebounded to the point that the fall harvest shouldn't be off by much from the bin-busting crop of 2007. By Tim Landis of the State Journal-Register.
CATERPILLAR EXPANSION IN CHINA - PEORIA – Caterpillar Inc. said Wednesday it will build a new research and development center in China and expand manufacturing capacity of one of its plants there. Peoria Journal Star.
National budget for 8.28.08
GateHouse News Service National Budget


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There is an ancient Chinese writing that translated, says, "Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream."
And, isn't it amazing that with all the powers of the world's greatest computer, The Human Mind, it is impossible to have two thoughts at the same time.
When it comes to negative thoughts, replacement is a wonderful thing. – Sonny.

subset: commoncrawl


text: The Yellow Rattle covered meadows are a source of Native Wild Flower seed as they have been managed as hay meadows for generations. The species have come about naturally and thrive together along with the Yellow Rattle seed. A small proportion of these are harvested and cleaned for sale. Buying from Goren farm ensures you have the freshest seed as you are buying directly from the grower.


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Rep. Ted Yoho reverses himself on the issue of retroactive pay for furloughed employees.
When the House voted unanimously last Saturday to grant back pay to furloughed federal employees when and if this shutdown ever ends, among those casting "yes" votes was Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla. This was despite the fact that Yoho has been among the hardest of the conservative hardliners in using the shutdown as a means to provoke a confrontation with congressional Democrats and the White House over Obamacare.
Apparently, though, Yoho has changed his mind. The Tampa Bay Times reports that in a virtual town hall meeting Yoho held Thursday night, one caller, "Frank from Gainesville," said of furloughed employees, "the people that had to work should be paid. But the people that are home watching Netflix and whatever, I'm not sure that we should be sending them checks."
Yoho's response: "I agree 100 percent with you. If they're not working, they shouldn't get paid." He also declared that "when we voted on that they were supposed to come back to work as part of that deal."
(Hat tip: Talking Points Memo)
Update, 4:29 p.m.: American Federation of Government Employees President J. David Cox is not amused by Yoho's remarks. "Never mind that federal employees are out of work due to no fault of their own," he said in a statement issued Friday afternoon. "Extremist representatives like Mr. Yoho are sending federal employees to the unemployment lines because they would rather shut down the government than pass a budget and pay the nation's bills. Meanwhile, Rep. Yoho is sitting on his hands and allowing the government to stay closed. Federal employees want to work, and they shouldn't be punished financially because some members of Congress are standing in their way."
NEXT STORY: Do Lawmakers Fear Mobs of Angry Feds?


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At the Arlington cemetery in Virginia, President Barack Obama paid tribute to veterans. "Each year on the 11th day of the 11th month, we pause as a nation and as a people to pay tribute to you," the president said. NBC's Lester Holt has more.
President Barack Obama honored the nation's military veterans on Sunday, paying tribute at a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington Memorial Cemetery to "the heroes over the generations who have served this country of ours with distinction."
In keeping with tradition, he laid a wreath he laid at Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., an act he said was intended to "remember every service member who has ever worn our nation's uniform."
Obama said in a speech at the cemetery's Memorial Amphitheater that America will never forget the sacrifice made by its veterans and their families.
Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
President Barack Obama places a Veterans Day wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., on Sunday.
"Whenever America has come under attack, you've risen to her defense. Whenever our freedoms have come under assault, you've responded with resolve," the president said.
"Today, the proud nation expresses our gratitude but we do so mindful that no ceremony or parade, no hug or handshake is enough to truly honor that service."
Obama also noted, "This is the first Veterans Day in a decade in which there are no American troops dying and fighting in Iraq" -- a statement that drew polite applause from the crowd.
Carlo Allegri / Reuters
The country expresses its gratitude for veterans and their service with ceremonies and parades.
The president touted the work of first l ady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, for their involvement with the Joining Forces campaign, which urges businesses to hire veterans. He also reaffirmed his commitment to continuing the post-9/11 GI Bill program, which provides college education funding for those who have served, and said soldiers suffering war-related health problems will get the care they need.
"No one who fights for this country overseas should everhave to fight for a job, or a roof over their head, or the carethat they have earned when they come home,'' he said.
After the speech, Obama visited Arlington National Cemetery's Section 60, the final resting place for the service members who lost their lives during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Dozens of family members and individuals were at the area paying respects. The president and first lady talked quietly with some of them.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this story.
More Veterans Day stories:
- Your 'thank you' to veterans is welcomed, but not always comfortably received
- Employers step up efforts to recruit, hire veterans
- Missing war records block benefits for Iraq, Afghanistan vets
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Woman fired over racist anti-Obama Facebok post
- Officials: Complaint about Broadwell sparked FBI inquiry that indicated Petraeus affair
- Earthquake rattles eastern Kentucky
- Petraeus' biographer under FBI investigation over access to his email, officials say
- Video: Sandy victims call ordeal 'a horror movie'
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook


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Headlight Fairings
Headlight fairings are an essential component to increasing your motorbikes streamline properties and can potentially protect your headlight/s from road dirt and debris.
All fairings play a huge part in increasing the aerodynamics of a motorbike, resulting in reduced fuel consumption and getting higher speeds at lower engine rpm, which in turn increases engine life.
Headlight fairings will also transform the front end of your motorbike and customise it into something of your own.


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Bunched Bow Elastic Headband
or make 4 interest-free payments of $0.25 fortnightly with More info
- Bow size: 8cm x 5.5cm
- Headband size: 34cm
- Grosgrain ribbon with heat sealed ends to prevent fraying, attached to an elastic headband
- Sold as single pieces
Can't find your uniform colours? Customise quickly and easily with School Ponytails
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- Port Kennedy, WA
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- Valid for registered schools.
- School's fundraising amounts are allocated when purchases are made via the school's page.
- Orders will be delivered on the next scheduled delivery date (see your school's parents association for details).
- On the Cart Page: please be sure to add in your child's name, class ID, and school name so your P&C can deliver to you.
- For further info, see our Shipping Policy.
Your school or club could be earning 25% from your purchase today.
Apart from our online store, we also support P&C's and P&F's nationally with our no out-of-pocket fundraisers, and supply Uniform Shops as stockists.
Here's some more info you can share with your school.
Already registered? Great!
Make sure you head to Shop by School, and select your school's logo or name, then add items from their range - that way, we'll know to send them 20%.
Products to suit your uniform are listed by colour. Just choose a colour from your school's page, and shop the huge range that's available to match your uniform.
Don't forget to add your child's name, Class ID, and school name on the Cart Page (so we know who to deliver to).
We'll even deliver to school for free once per term. Just ask your P&C/P&F for the delivery date.
In many cases, we're in-stock and ready to ship next business day. If you've selected a custom item, or an item that is out of stock, the following information about "Pre-Orders" is important:
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- Although we always quote 4-8 weeks, it is likely your items will be with you well within this time period. We're much happier to be "safe than sorry"!
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The Trump Administration's Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions (Agenda) reports on the actions administrative agencies plan to issue in the near and long term. Released by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, the Agenda demonstrates this Administration's ongoing commitment to fundamental regulatory reform and a reorientation toward reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens on the American people.
By amending and eliminating regulations that are ineffective, duplicative, and obsolete, the Administration can promote economic growth and innovation and protect individual liberty.
Fulfilling longstanding principles to review and assess existing regulations, the Agenda includes new deregulatory actions, as well as the withdrawal and reconsideration of other regulatory actions. Agencies are committed to careful assessment of the costs and benefits of each regulatory and deregulatory action and to ensuring that the benefits of regulations substantially justify the costs. The Agenda recognizes that reform will take time and require rigorous analysis, public input, and careful consideration of legal requirements. To this end, the Agenda provides greater information and transparency about regulatory actions proposed by agencies.
The Agenda represents ongoing progress toward the goals of more effective and less burdensome regulation. This Spring Agenda reflects the following broad regulatory reform priorities:
Select Agency
Department of AgricultureDepartment of CommerceDepartment of DefenseDepartment of EducationDepartment of EnergyDepartment of Health and Human ServicesDepartment of Homeland SecurityDepartment of Housing and Urban DevelopmentDepartment of the InteriorDepartment of JusticeDepartment of LaborDepartment of StateDepartment of TransportationDepartment of the TreasuryDepartment of Veterans AffairsEnvironmental Protection AgencyNational Aeronautics and Space AdministrationAgency for International DevelopmentArchitectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance BoardCommittee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely DisabledCorporation for National and Community ServiceCouncil on Environmental QualityCourt Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of ColumbiaDOD/GSA/NASA (FAR)Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionFederal Mediation and Conciliation ServiceGeneral Services AdministrationInstitute of Museum and Library ServicesNational Archives and Records AdministrationNational Endowment for the ArtsNational Endowment for the HumanitiesNational Science FoundationOffice of Government EthicsOffice of Management and BudgetOffice of National Drug Control PolicyOffice of Personnel ManagementOffice of the United States Trade RepresentativePeace CorpsPension Benefit Guaranty CorporationPresidio TrustRailroad Retirement BoardSmall Business AdministrationSocial Security AdministrationU.S. Agency for Global MediaU.S. Commission on Civil RightsCommodity Futures Trading CommissionConsumer Financial Protection BureauConsumer Product Safety CommissionFarm Credit AdministrationFederal Communications CommissionFederal Deposit Insurance CorporationFederal Housing Finance AgencyFederal Maritime CommissionFederal Mine Safety and Health Review CommissionFederal Permitting Improvement Steering CouncilFederal Reserve SystemFederal Trade CommissionNational Credit Union AdministrationNational Indian Gaming CommissionNational Labor Relations BoardNational Transportation Safety BoardNuclear Regulatory CommissionSecurities and Exchange CommissionSurface Transportation Board
(Only agencies with information relevant to this report appear in the list.)
Current Agenda Agency Preambles
Current Long Term Actions
About the Unified Agenda
How To Use the Unified Agenda
Introduction to the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions
Obtaining Printed Copies
The Regulatory Information Service Center (RISC)
was created in June 1981. The Center undertakes projects that will facilitate
development of and access to information about Federal regulatory and
deregulatory activities. It accomplishes this by gathering and publishing
information on Federal regulations and their effects on society. The Center
provides this information to the President, Congress, agency officials, and the
general public to help them better understand and manage the regulatory process.
The Center's principal publication is the Unified Agenda.
Since 1978, Federal agencies have been
required by Executive orders to publish agendas of regulatory and deregulatory
activities. The Regulatory Plan, which is published as part of the fall edition
of the Agenda, identifies regulatory priorities and contains additional detail
about the most important significant regulatory actions that agencies expect to
take in the coming year.
RegInfo.gov displays editions of the
Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions beginning with fall 1995.


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Solar power generating social change
U.S. Navy veteran Elmer Rankin, 71, has a failing heart, prostate cancer and arthritis that keeps him in a wheelchair. Last year, Rankin, who survives on his Social Security checks, could no longer afford the mounting costs to heat his home and power the oxygen tank he uses every night. He turned down the heat and got so cold that he wound up in the hospital.
Fortunately, while Rankin's health remains precarious, today he's no longer scrambling to pay for power. Thanks to rooftop solar panels - paid for with a California subsidy - Rankin's monthly energy bill has dropped from an average of $250 to less than $22. Last month he paid just $1.09. On sunny afternoons, he likes to sit and watch his electricity meter run backward.
"Solar power didn't just save me money - it saved my life," he says.
Like clouds temporarily blocking the sun, the continuing partisan debate about Solyndra - the Fremont solar power firm that went bankrupt last year despite a $528 million federal loan guarantee - has obscured the more important story taking place in the solar energy field: Clean, renewable solar power is rapidly becoming a mainstream, affordable U.S. energy option - and a boon to our overall economy.
The solar industry worldwide has been growing by 50 percent annually. In the United States, solar power now costs less than 20 cents per kilowatt hour - less than many Americans pay for electricity.
Per dollar invested, solar energy is also the highest job-producing component of the country's energy economy. The U.S. solar industry has already produced more than 100,000 jobs - a doubling since 2009 - and another 25,000 are expected over the next 12 months.
California's government has been making smart investments - including the one that Rankin credits with saving his life. The California Solar Initiative is devoting approximately $2 billion in utility ratepayer funds by 2016 to install solar systems. So far, it has helped pay for solar panels on more than 112,000 homes, making California a national leader in this cost-effective strategy, which reduces peak energy costs and water demand, improves air quality, and puts thousands of people back to work.
What's particularly inspiring is how many of California's new megawatts have been quietly improving the lives of people, like Rankin, who until recently have been left on the sidelines of the global race for green energy. Low-income families spend more of their earnings on electricity than do the well-to-do but lack the capital to cut those costs with efficiency upgrades, such as solar panels.
Since 2007, California has been making solar more affordable to people like Rankin with rebates, innovative financing programs and "net-metering" options that allow system owners to sell power back to the grid.
In a first-of-its-kind solar program, California's Single-family Affordable Solar Homes project provides incentives for low-income homeowners to go solar, while also developing livelihoods for people like Eduardo Huerta, a father of five, who got work installing solar panels after losing his job as a stucco plasterer during the recession. "I'm proud to have work again, and even more that it's work that helps my community," says Huerta.
The solar homes project is administered by an Oakland nonprofit, GRID Alternatives, which installs solar electric systems exclusively for low-income families, making green energy easy by designing the systems, obtaining building permits, and submitting rebate paperwork. GRID Alternatives has helped save residents approximately $50 million on their electricity bills, reducing greenhouse gases by 171,000 tons over the next 30 years, and trained more than 9,000 people in solar installation.
These days, some in Congress are still trying to make the case that government support for solar power is a losing proposition. Yet there's plenty of evidence that it's now time for the rest of the country to follow California's lead. Smart investments and models like GRID Alternatives can bolster America's competitiveness worldwide and brighten the futures of thousands of Americans like Elmer Rankin and Eduardo Huerta.
Daniel M. Kammen is the distinguished professor of energy at UC Berkeley in the Energy and Resources Group and in the Goldman School of Public Policy. From 2010 to 2011, he was the chief technical specialist for renewable energy and energy efficiency at the World Bank. To comment, go to sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/#1.


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All item details
The rectangular shape of the housing and the classic leather wrist strap give this watch a timeless look.
- Polished stainless steel watch with a precise, silent quartz movement
- High-quality mineral glass crystal
- Leather strap with a pin buckle
- Water-resistant to 3 bar: it is splash protected, can be worn for normal, everyday activities where water splashing may occur (e.g. hand washing, rain etc.) but should not be exposed to water pressure.
- Logo box for storage and gift packaging
- 24-month manufacturer guarantee (please refer to the accompanying information)
Size info
- Diameter: approx. 3.2 cm
Material and care
- Stainless steel, leather


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Do Your Part
today's reading.
Psalms 5 Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning...
the blog.
I don't know how many times I've asked God to direct my path and lead me in His ways. So David's petition to "Lead me in your righteousness" really resonated with me. But here's the thing. Asking God to lead us is wonderful, but it requires action on our part, too. You see God speaks (communicates) to us through His Word. So it's when we read our Bible that we hear from God--that's how we learn about Him and His righteousness.
So how did God speak to you from Psalm 5 today? What did you learn about His righteousness? Tami W.
Join the discussion on the P4 Blog
Listen to Back to the Bible
Powered by 4 is all about engaging God's Word and living it out--in community. So if it's encouragement you want or motivation you need, join the discussion on the P4 Blog--a place to weigh in on the daily scripture as well as share thoughts & questions. And, for a more in-depth look at Scripture, tune in to the daily Back to the Bible radio program with Woodrow Kroll.


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Although actually within Ceredigion rather than Pembrokeshire, Cardigan castle is within easy reach of Bluestone for a day out.
Cardigan Castle's main claim to fame in Welsh history is that it was the birthplace of the National Eisteddfod.
It was in 1176 that Rhys ap Gruffydd, Prince of Deheubarth, held a festival of music in his castle, and the present-day week-long National Eisteddfod, which alternates between north and south Wales annually, is attributed to an 18th century revival.
The word Eisteddfod in literal translation means a 'sitting' from the Welsh word eistedd to sit and the verb bod (pronounced bode), meaning to be.
Rhys ap Gruffydd's eisteddfod would have been a sumptuous session with feasting and offerings of poetry and song by bards and minstrels and maybe a stint by the odd jester, for comedy is by no means a modern phenomenon.
The castle dates back to at least the early 12th century, replacing a motte and bailey structure built a mile away around 1093, which was destroyed. The builder was Gilbert fitz Richard, Lord of Clare, who handed it down to his son, also Gilbert, First Earl of Pembroke, in 1136. In that year Owain Gwynedd defeated the Norman rulers in the Battle of Crug Mawr, burning the town up to the castle gate, the Normans managing to defend the castle. Thirty years later it was captured by Rhys ap Gruffydd, who rebuilt it in stone and who held his eisteddfod there. His sons disputed their inheritance upon their father's death in 1197, one of the sons with wicked treachery surrendering his brother to the Normans and selling the castle to King John.
Prince Llywelyn the Great captured it in 1215, but the Normans recaptured it six years later, only to lose it to the Welsh in 1231 and regain it in 1244 when Earl Gilbert rebuilt the castle that stands near Cardigan Bridge to this day.
Badly damaged during the Civil War it was used only as a prison until the 18th century and, at the begining of the 19th century, a dwelling called Castle Green House was built inside its walls and was lived in until the1990s, although in disrepair from the 1940s. Ceredigion County Council bought the property in 2003 with plans to repair it as part of the regeneration of Cardigan. They have already carried out extensive repairs to Castle Green House, which has been restored to its former splendour.
For many years the castle walls were so unsafe that they were supported by massive timber buttresses, which did nothing to enhance the appearance of the southern approach into Cardigan town. The project was featured in the second series of the BBC documentary 'Restoration' presented by Griff Rhys Jones.
The castle stands guard over Cardigan Bridge and the harbour quays just downstream of it, where a flourishing maritime trade was carried on through the centuries and ships left regularly in the 18th century carrying emigrant families to the hope of a better life in America.


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The injury-depleted Milwaukee Bucks have been a doormat for just about everyone in the first month of the season. The Boston Celtics are about the lone exception. O.J. Mayo rebounded from a subpar game with 22 points and the Bucks snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 92-85 victory over Boston on Saturday night.
The injury-depleted Milwaukee Bucks have been a doormat for just about everyone in the first month of the season.
The Boston Celtics are about the lone exception.
O.J. Mayo rebounded from a subpar game with 22 points and the Bucks snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 92-85 victory over Boston on Saturday night.
"It feels good to get that monkey off your back," Milwaukee coach Larry Drew said. "It really does. Especially kind of the way we did it, short-handed as we were, playing some guys out of position. It's kind of been our story pretty much all season long."
Two of Milwaukee's three victories this season have come against Boston. The Bucks beat the Celtics, 105-98, on Nov. 1 in Boston.
Jared Sullinger scored 21 points and had 14 rebounds, while Jeff Green and Jordan Crawford added 18 points apiece for the Celtics.
The Bucks went to a zone defense, and Boston missed 40 of its final 62 shots.
"We just were kind of waiting to see if they made shots, and they didn't fall for them, so we stuck with it," Drew said.
Boston coach Brad Stevens said his team's struggles simply were due to missing shots.
"We moved the ball against the zone and attacked where we wanted to," he said. "We just didn't make as many as we wanted to."
The Celtics missed 15 of 19 3-point attempts.
"We definitely had a good amount of looks, but we just weren't able to knock them down," Boston's Avery Bradley said. "Probably every 3 we took was wide open. We just weren't able to convert."
Despite having the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 3-13, Milwaukee is only three games behind Detroit (6-10), which currently is in the eighth spot in the mediocre Eastern Conference.
"To get a fire, all it takes is a spark, so now's the time to keep it going," said Ekpe Udoh, who had seven of his nine points in the fourth quarter.
Milwaukee's Brandon Knight had his second consecutive solid game, scoring 20 points with nine rebounds and eight assists after scoring 17 points against Charlotte.
"I came close (to a triple-double) but more importantly we got a win to snap our streak," Knight said.
Boston missed its first nine shots of the fourth quarter, allowing Milwaukee to go on a 10-0 run and take an 80-63 lead on Gary Neal's short jumper with 7:24 to go.
The Celtics then went on an 18-5 run, pulling within 88-81 on Green's 3-pointer with 1:20 to go. After each team failed to score on their next possessions, Knight made a layup to make it 90-81 with 55 seconds to go.
Mayo scored only five points on 2-of-11 shooting in the Bucks' 92-76 loss Friday night at Charlotte, but shot 9 of 14 Saturday to give Milwaukee its first win since beating Cleveland 109-104 on Nov. 6.
Knight said he and Mayo would make a good duo as the season progressed.
"I was out and he has his little nicks and bruises," Knight said. "As we play more and more, and as I get my feet wet and get more adjusted to playing with him, and him with me, I think we're going to be a tough backcourt."
John Henson had a season-high 13 points and 13 rebounds for Milwaukee.
Mayo had eight points in the third quarter and the Bucks led 70-63 heading to the fourth.
Knight made all five of his shots, including two 3-pointers, to score 12 points in the second quarter, helping Milwaukee to a 47-41 halftime lead. The Bucks took the lead for good at 44-41 on Knight's 3-pointer with 1:42 left in the half.
Notes: Caron Butler (knee) and Ersan Ilysasova (hamstring, thumb) missed the game for Milwaukee. Butler is expected to miss about a week. ... Rajon Rondo (knee rehab), Kelly Olynyk (sprained right ankle) and Courtney Lee (sore knee) didn't make the trip to Milwaukee. . Sullinger was called for a flagrant 1 foul when he fouled a driving Khris Middleton with 6:03 left in the third quarter. . The 11-game losing streak was tied for the second longest in team history. The longest was 15 games in March 1996. . The teams play against Tuesday in Boston.


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Java on Learning Registry…
The JLeRN Hackday was such an involving and learning event. Got few more doubts clear with Nick and got a chance to speak with Scott regarding his work on LRJavaLib – the Java library for the Learning Registry services. I downloaded bencode from http://bit.ly/AecnXF, untar it, and installed the jar file using Maven.
Now am trying to develop some Java code to automate all the services using JAX-RS using Eclipse IDE.
Also need to look at the Data Services proposal, which seems quite promising from the Developer's list on http://bit.ly/wScfDk


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Doublespeak is language that deliberately disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words. Doublespeak may take the form of euphemisms (e.g., "downsizing" for layoffs, "servicing the target" for bombing[1]), in which case it is primarily meant to make the truth sound more palatable. It may also refer to intentional ambiguity in language or to actual inversions of meaning (for example, naming a state of war "peace"). In such cases, doublespeak disguises the nature of the truth. Doublespeak is most closely associated with political language.This post was prompted by an interchange of comments on one of my last posts about "Am I a genealogist or a family historian?" Guy Etchells made the comment as follows:
A genealogist compiles a pedigree of the family, a family historian complies a history of the family.
In other words the genealogist provides the skeleton whilst the family historian goes further and seeks the historic details of members of that family and how they interact with the society they live in (i.e. they put the meat on the skeleton).To which Adrian Bruce made the following comment:
Firstly, everything the genealogist does, has to be done by the family historian - Guy said "the family historian goes further and seeks", not "instead of that, the family historian seeks".
Secondly, in the UK, the two terms are, in practice, now interchangeable. Originally, the two terms were as Guy described, and, if we need to make a distinction for some reason, it's still that distinction we make. Generally, we're "family historians" but recognise "genealogists" as being the same thing. (Saves mis-spelling "geneologists").Over the past few months, I have heard numerous comments made denigrating "genealogy" in an effort to promote "family history." In this context, the term "genealogy" is viewed as having historically burdensome negative connotations. In its extreme expression, the comments include statements that it is no longer necessary to do genealogy at all. New online programs and available databases provide all that is necessary to research your ancestry without resorting to the base pursuit of "genealogy."
Thirdly - let me ask you a question - why do Americans feel the need to continually use both terms? And act like there is a day-to-day and current difference?
My answer to Adrian's question is that Americans feel the need to continually use both terms because there is a strong movement attempting to sell family history as a more palatable alternative to traditional genealogy. For example, on the FamilySearch Family Tree website the term "genealogy" is almost never used in the context of being an alternative to family history, in fact, it is most commonly used as an adjective describing a personal database as in "my genealogy database."
I believe that efforts to broaden more youthful interest in pursuing family history by simply changing terminology is closely related to doublespeak as defined above. This is especially true if the reason for making the change in terminology is to "make the truth sound more palatable." In effect, the entire genealogical community is being branded as negligent name collectors. I would not be writing about this subject had I not personally been sitting in a meeting where the person conducting the meeting referred to the fact that new programs made doing your genealogy obsolete. I am concerned that the unintended consequences of the repeated attacks on genealogy as a pursuit will end up creating negative impressions that will be applied to the entire process of searching out ancestral records.
By placing genealogy in opposition to family history as alternatives rather than complementary activities, those who make such statements risk alienating the very people who are participating in the activity presently. When I was involved directly in retail sales, we spoke frequently about product lines and customer base. Essentially, when it was necessary, we would change our product lines to accommodate a new customer base. It seems to me that this is exactly what is going on in genealogy although in a much greater scale than a local retail operation. Those who would promote searching out ancestral records to a younger and more computer oriented constituency are viewing genealogy as an undesirable product line.
The Ancestry Insider in a recent blog post responded to a statement concerning the fact that FamilySearch Family Tree was designed for "genealogists" by stating:
Here's an aside from the Ancestry Insider: You're right. That does offend me. Now I'm going to offend some people, but I have to say it.Now, I do not want to get into that conversation, but I do see that using the term "genealogy" in a negative manner contributes to the issue I am raising. I might mention that the limited numbers of people involved in the genealogical community makes them an easy target. Going back to retail terminology, are we going to abandon our current customer base entirely on the assumption that we can increase the viability of our current products and sell those products to a completely different and untested customer?
Let me quote from the BCG Genealogical Standards Manual, millennium edition, p. 18: "Descriptive biographical information is provided for individuals in the lineage, pedigree, or genealogy. In addition to vital statistics, the compilation includes sufficient information about each person's activities, residences, circumstances, contributions, and lifestyle to place them within the context of their historical era, society, and geographic place."
That sounds a little clinical. Standards usually do. Nationally recognized genealogist, John Colletta, says it pretty well. "Creating a family tree is only half the goal. The other half is learning about your ancestors as men and women with personalities, character traits, motives and aspirations, joys and disappointments, just like you."
Do you know that until a year ago April, you could not add the story of an ancestor on FamilySearch.org?
Seems to me exactly what many people in the genealogical community are doing today. That is, they are attempting to abandon the current participants in the community based on the assumption that they can attract new, younger, more computer savvy set of participants that will sell more or in our case, produce more genealogical product. This is sort of like firing all your employees with the hope that new hires will do a better job. Good luck. I might suggest, as an alternative, that those who are concerned about the demographic makeup of the genealogical community focus more on supporting that community and expanding it than abandoning it for a younger untested constituency.


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The Five Things You Need To Know About The Global Warming Myth
1). Carbon Dioxide, CO2, is not a pollutant. Carbon Dioxide is a naturally occurring element in our atmosphere. Carbon Dioxide is no more a pollutant than say, oxygen or nitrogen. Without CO2 there would be no life on earth. http://www.eoearth.org/article/Carbon_cycle . Carbon Dioxide is the food which keeps plants alive. Through photosynthesis plants transform CO2 into plant food. Oxygen is produced as a waste product. All living things are dependent on this "Cycle". http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/CarbonCycle/carbon_cycle2.php
Carbon Dioxide is called a "green house gas" because it allows visable light to pass through while it absorbs infrared and near infrared rays. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide
The human body produces CO2 naturally. The Human Respiration System is the system that controls the exchange of oxygen for CO2 in the Human Body. Everytime you breath out you are exhaling CO2.
Carbon Dioxide is not a pollutant. Carbon Dioxide is a natural atmospheric element. All life on earth is dependent on CO2. Without CO2 there would be no life on earth. Compared to past history, the Earth's atmosphere is currently CO2 "impoverished".On average, there is less CO2 in the atmosphere today than there has been since life formed on earth.
2). Even at present levels, Carbon Dioxide is a trace gas. Current CO2 levels are only a small fraction of the Earths atmosphere, CO2 represents less than 1/2 of one percent of the atmosphere today.
The CO2 content in the atmosphere is measured in terms of CO2 parts per million (ppm) by volume. At present the globally averaged concentration of CO2 is stated as 387 PPM. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide For every million parts (1,000,000,000 parts) in the atmosphere 387 of those parts are CO2. CO2 levels have increased over the past 50 years from 320 PPM to today's 387 PPM, an increase of 67 PPM.
The CO2 level today, 387 PPM, can be compared to with a level of 8000 PPM (20X todays levels) 500 million years ago or CO2 levels of 2000 – 3000 PPM (5 to 6 times todays levels) during the Jurasic Period, when the Great Dinosaurs roamed the earth. http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/virtualmuseum/climatechange2/07_1.shtml
During the ice ages CO2 levels fell to between 200PPM and 280 PPM. During interglacial periods the CO2 Level has been measured at between 280 – 310 PPM. One does not need a calculator to see that current CO2 levels are much nearer to those recorded during the Ice Age and the interglacial periods than that time when Earth's great green forests were first formed. CO2 is essential for plant life and growth.
In a longer historical context – Earth's current CO2 Levels are quite low. http://ff.org/centers/csspp/library/co2weekly/2005-08-18/dioxide.htm
In fact, in Earth's entire history there have only been two prior periods where CO2 levels were this low, . http://ff.org/centers/csspp/library/co2weekly/2005-08-18/dioxide.htm , "Today, at 370 PPM our atmosphere is CO2-impoverished" http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/Carboniferous climate.html . "So far the signal of a discernible human contribution to global climate change has not emerged from this natural variability or background noise."
"Without the warming caused by natural levels of CO2 and water vapor in our atmosphere, the average surface temperature of our planet would be well below freezing." http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/viewArticle.do?id=17726
3). Human's produce a very small percentage of the CO2 found in the Atmosphere:
Over 95% of the total CO2 emissions into our atmosphere would occur even if humans were not present on Earth. For example, the natural decay of organic material in forests and grasslands, such as dead trees and grasses, results in the release of about 220 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide every year. This carbon dioxide alone is over 8 times the amount emitted by humans. There are many other sources of CO2 in the Earth's atmopshere.
The Earth's Oceans contain 50 times more CO2 than the atmosphere. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide , http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/viewArticle.do?id=17726 .
If 5% of todays CO2 is produced by human activity (95% would occur if no humans existed on the planet) then a simple calculation will provide us with an absolute figure for Human CO2 production. 387 PPM CO2 x 5% = 19.35 PPM.
How does this compare to the Earth's total atmosphere?
Well for every 1 Million (1,000,000) parts of atmosphere, there are Seven Hundred Eighty One Thousand (781,000) parts Nitrogen, Two Hundred Ten Thousand (210,000) parts Oxygen, Nine Thousand Parts (9,000) Argon and Three Hundred Eighty Seven Parts (387) CO2. All other gases account for the remaining 500 plus parts. http://web.rollins.edu/~jsiry/VapgasAt.htm
Total CO2 presence in the atmosphere represents less than 4/10 of 1 percent. (CO2 is less than half of one percent of the atmosphere – If the atmosphere were a $100 dollar bill – all the CO2 in the atmosphere would equal 40 cents). http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/atmos_gases.html . Man made CO2 represents 1/20th of that amount or 2 cents out of every $100 Dollar Bill.
I asked a scientific friend to help me conceptualize this amount with an everyday example. Just how big is the total contribution of manmade CO2 to the Earth's atmosphere? The friend couldn't remember where he first heard this comparison, so I cannot provide a site, he didn't want to take personal credit, but here goes; "Imagine a Farmer's field 100 miles long and 100 miles wide. It is filled with corn. A mouse sitting in the middle of the field farts." Ask yourself, "Will the fart affect the crop?" As much as manmade CO2 affects our global temperatures.
4). Temperature Impacts CO2 Level – CO2 levels do not drive Temperature Change
First, CO2 levels rise and fall with the seasons or time of day. CO2 levels rise in the Autumn and Winter as green plants go dormant or die. The plants cease to "process" CO2 as part of their food chain. In the spring and summer CO2 levels fall as these same plants come back to life and consume CO2 in photosyntesis. Likewise CO2 levels fluctuate in the night and day. http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/visual/animation.php?shortname=anm_co2_levels
Read: Professor Richard Lindsen, PhD., Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Meteorology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science, MIT http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/03/30/lindzen-on-negative-climate-feedback/
CO2 levels follow changes in temperature, not the other way around. http://icecap.us/images/uploads/CO2,Temperaturesandiceages-f.pdf .
" There is, overall, a good match between temperature and CO2 and temperature. One important piece of information that can be determined from ice core data is whether changes in temperature follow or procede changes in CO2." "Changes in temperature precede changes in CO2" http://www.brighton73.freeserve.co.uk/gw/paleo/400000yrfig.htm
http://www.sciencebits.com/IceCoreTruth ,
First, the total increaase in Global Temperatures over the last 100 years is ………. 7/10s of one degree. That is right, total Global warming over the Century is less than 1 degree. During that same century the Sun's measurable intensity or heat has increased.
"Actual climate history shows no such correlation (that CO2 caused an increase in temperature) and there is no compelling evidence that the recent rise in temperature was caused by CO2. http://www.friendsofscience.org/assets/documents/FOS%20Essay/Climate_Change_Science.html#Correlation
Numerous papers published in major peer-reviewed scientific journals shows the Sun is the primary driver of climate change. http://www.co2science.org/articles/V6/N26/EDIT.php , http://www.worldclimatereport.com/index.php/2007/03/16/the-coming-global-cooling/ , http://www.friendsofscience.org/assets/documents/FOS%20Essay/Climate_Change_Science.html#Sun_Activity , http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/ice_ages.html
5). Current Global Warming trends are neither catastrophic nor are they unusual given the Earth's very recent past.
Global Warming Alarmists state that man made CO2 is responsible for what is becoming a catastrophic increase in Global temperatures. (You know the 1 degree increase in the last century).
Science has told us for decades (decades prior to the Global Warming Alarmist taking the stage) that earth's last ice age (referred to as the "little ice age") began sometime near the year 1400 and lasted until approximately 1860. This "little ice age" was responsible for disasters like the "Irish Potato Famine". The end of the "little ice age" was not preceeded by an increase in CO2 levels. Other natural causes were responsible for the "global warming" which followed the end of the "little ice age" and continues to this date. http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/ice_ages.html , http://www.friendsofscience.org/assets/documents/FOS%20Essay/Climate_Change_Science.html#Hockey
During the Middle Ages (1066 – 1485) a time that saw the Norman's conquest of England, King Richard The Lion Hearted, The Crusades – all 7 of them, the Early Italian Renaissance – a period of time long before the "Industrial Revolution", mankind contributed very little to Global CO2 levels. The Middle Ages experienced a period of global warming that exceeds the global warming of today. Yes, temperatures were higher than they are now, significantly higher. http://www.friendsofscience.org/assets/documents/FOS%20Essay/Climate_Change_Science.html#Hockey , http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/06/1049567563628.html ,
"A review of more than 240 scientific studies has shown that today's temperatures are neither the "warmest ever" nor are the Temperatures producing extreme conditions "never seen before". The findings of these 240 studies stand in stark contrast to the claims of the alarmists. The findings prove that the world had a medieval warm period between the ninth and 14th centuries, with world temperatures significantly higher than today's. They also confirm claims that a little Ice Age began in about 1300, with the world cooling dramatically. Just before the turn of the century, in 1900, the world began to warm up, but as of today, has still to reach the balmy temperatures of the Middle Ages. The end of the little Ice Age is significant because it implies that the records used by climate scientists (THE ALARMISTS) date from when the Earth was relatively cold, thereby exaggerating the significance of today's temperature rise. According to the researchers, the evidence confirms suspicions that today's alleged "unprecedented" temperatures are simply the result of examining temperature change over too short a period. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/06/1049567563628.html
The Global Warming Alarmists have choosen the "Little Ice Age" to begin their temperature measurements and comparisons. By choosing the coldest period in Earth's history over the last 10,000 years, the Alarmists are assured of finding data that will show a warming trend. But the warming trend is not unusual when compared to all of Earth's prior warming trends.
Philip Stott, emeritus professor of bio-geography at the University of London, said: "What has been forgotten in all the discussion about global warming is a proper sense of history." http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/06/1049567563628.html , http://www.michaelkeller.com/news/news575.htm , http://www.stanford.edu/~moore/history_health.html , http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/886494/posts , http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=2514
If mankind were to cease all economic production and cease buring all carbon fuels, at best, a 2% reduction in CO2 levels could be had. Additional reductions from manking would need to involve an end to "respiration" – manking would need to stop breathing. Having achieved these miniscule reductions, at fantastic cost and loss of personal freedom, nature could, in the bat of an eye, dramatically reverse any man made reduction. You see, temperature drives the CO2 level, CO2 levels do not drive temperature.
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=8326 , http://www.stanford.edu/~moore/Boon_To_Man.html
Recent studies call into question wether Global Warming is continuing – the studies refute the wild claims concerning the amount of "warming" that occurred in the 1990's. Even the ultra-green "Discovery Channel" has noted studies which indicate "global warming" is on "hold" and may not reappear for decades. That "Global Temperatures have flatlined since 2001". http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29469287/
The Boston Globe has asked, "Where is the Global Warming?", before noting, "But for many people, the science of climate change is not nearly as important as the religion of climate change. When Al Gore insisted yet again at a conference last Thursday that there can be no debate about global warming, he was speaking not with the authority of a man of science, but with the closed-minded dogmatism of a religious zealot. Dogma and zealotry have their virtues, no doubt. But if we want to understand where global warming has gone, those aren't the tools we need." http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/03/08/wheres_global_warming/
Carbon Dioxide irrelevant in climate debate says MIT Scientist
The pdf file located at the link below from the Science and Public Policy Institute has absolutely, convincingly, and irrefutably proven the theory of Anthropogenic Global Warming to be completely false.
Professor Richard Lindzen of MIT's peer reviewed work states "we now know that the effect of CO2 on temperature is small, we know why it is small, and we know that it is having very little effect on the climate." http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/monthly_report/sppi_monthly_co2_report_july.html http://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/cooler_heads_lindzen-talk-pdf.pdf
For a very specific review of 35 of the erroreous claims made by Gore in his film see: http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/monckton/goreerrors.html
Notice: WATTS UP WITH THAT can now be located at Wattsupwiththat.com
For a very humorous, yet alarming, post on how the "scientific consensus" on the issue of Climate Change have been reached, see this post on the creation of "THE HARVARD ENERGY INITIATIVE" and the "inititaves" relationship to climate science (An insiders look at the Harvard Faculty Club?). http://motls.blogspot.com/2006/04/richard-lindzen-climate-of-fear.html
"On the other hand, the funding of climate science as such has grown nearly by one order of magnitude since 1988. Have you ever seen $1.7 billion, the amount that the climate science swallows annually? Or one point seven billion dollars a year worth of mostly junk science? It's not just the overall macroscopic number we are familiar with. I also know some of the microscopic mechanisms that generate it."
Harvard energy initiative
On Monday, we had a faculty lunch meeting at the Faculty Club and one of the topics was the so-called "Harvard energy initiative". A short story is that a large amount of money was given to something described by these three words – and up to 10 new faculty positions are expected to be created – except that no one knows what "Harvard energy initiative" means and what people should be hired. So one of the rather well-known Earth and Planetary Scientists at Harvard decided to meet with the physics department and to ask for ideas what "Harvard energy initiative" could mean…… The well known Physicis Department Professor stated, "I know what "high energy physics" means – we study physics of high-energy particles to determine the architecture of matter at very short distances" ….. Obviously, our colleague has a different energy in mind. Energy whose main feature is that it is not conserved. Energy that does not commute with momentum because whenever energy has to commute, we lose energy. 😉 It's more about the energy industry except that the initiative will quite obviously be anti-industry because of the very basic philosophical preconceptions of those who are trying to kickstart the project. If you think for a while, you know exactly what will most likely happen. They will probably hire a couple of not-so-intelligent people and promote them to climate scientists and energy initiative professors who will strengthen the "scientific consensus" that the "climate change is real" and the humankind is approaching a catastrophe. They won't be developing any new energy technologies because this is what either the greedy corporations or MIT are doing. Harvard's image is different and its energy initiative will be doing something else except that no one knows what it is. The proposed energy initiative should include the Physics Department, Earth and Planetary Sciences, the Kennedy School of Government, the Harvard Law School, and virtually any other Harvard school you can think of. Great. So what kind of science will you do by combining these people? Note that the university in this story, namely Harvard University, is not such a bad school after all. In fact, it is the most prestigious school in the world. Once you see what mechanisms determine how the new money is spent at Harvard, you may guess how good an investment are the billions of new dollars that are currently flowing to the U.S. climate science every year. Most of this amount is wasted money paid to the people who don't want to make progress in science. Instead, they have already decided that they already know the most important insights about the world – that it is approaching a climate apocalypse – and by being paid, they do what is really important, namely to increase the political power of the "true believers" who are going to "save the world". Yes, indeed, I am talking about $1.7 billion worth of religious bigots, and I apologize to the few exceptions for this generalization."" I reccommend the full post: http://motls.blogspot.com/2006/04/richard-lindzen-climate-of-fear.html
Also See: Lindzen: Deconstructing global warming http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/10/27/lindzen-deconstructing-global-warming/ containing a PDF link to Dr Lindzen's full report. The report sites the fact that two of the leading "proponents" of Global Warming admit that the "true science" is unsettled, however, that doesn't matter – "we shouldn't let that stop us from implementing "other agendas". Read it for yourself ……. "The idea of climate change should be seen as an intellectual resource around which our collective and personal identities and projects can form and take shape. We need to ask not what we can do for climate change, but to ask what climate change can do for us….Because the idea of climate change is so plastic, it can be deployed across many of our human projects and can serve many of our psychological, ethical, and spiritual needs.We will continue to create and tell new stories about climate change and mobilize them in support of our projects. These myths transcend the scientific categories of 'true' and 'false'". The actual words from the "Founders" of Climate Change Science …….. I guess they have no shame. http://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/cooler_heads_lindzen-talk-pdf.pdf
Dr. Lindzen's actual presentation on this subject can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=22D4DD5727161348
See the BBC produced Documentary "The Global Warming Swindle" here:
Click Start Button – wait a few seconds for buffering to complete, then click screen or move bar button slightly.
Filed under: "Cap & Trade" CO2 Taxes, Global Warming, The Global Warming Myth Debunked | Tagged: Debunking Global Warmings Commandments, Global Warming - Fact vs Myth, Global Warming Myth |


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Used Jaguar for Sale
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5,656 miles, 2.0L 4 Cyl. Gas, MPG City: 22 MPG Hwy: 27***, 4DR, Blue Exterior, A
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Like many of you, I've become a little obsessed with bunting. For weddings, baby showers, kids' rooms and parties, or anywhere else you want to add a festive touch, the charm of colourful fabric bunting has a timeless appeal.
Starlit Nest Gifts, from Santa Cruz, California, USA, offers a huge range of bunting banners, as well as other fabric garland, baby quilts, and other custom fabric creations, for parties, weddings, interior decoration, and photo shoots. I'm smitten with their adorable creations. I love the colours and prints of the fabrics used, and the sweet details, like tiny white pompom trim on baby quilts. You can see more of their gorgeous wares here, on etsy. They ship worldwide, so even those of us who live in far-flung places can enjoy their lovely things.
{This post was sponsored by Starlit Nest Gifts. I only post about products I sincerely like and believe that my readers will like, too.}


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23 February 2011
An Army of Me
Here's a little sneak peek at the new Etsy shop look I was working on yesterday. What do you think? Feedback is welcome! A lot of you said you liked seeing the clothes on a real person and I did too. Of course, this real person wasn't supposed to be me! Unfortunately the weather had other plans so for now we'll have to make do with me and my unwashed hair. I have to say it's a little strange to be looking at so many of me at one time! Ha, ha. I think I'll use the "real people" shots for the blog updates and include them in the Etsy listings, but I'm also going to shoot each piece on the dress form as well. I like the simplicity of those shots so I think a combination of the two is best. Oh, and if you see something you like here, I'll be adding all of these pieces to the shop next week!
46 comments:
- tara-lynn / good night, day said...
it's great!
- February 23, 2011
- Kara Athena said...
Looks great! Do you ever reserve items/provide information on specific items, before they hit your etsy shop? I see one item that I would love to have!
- February 23, 2011
- Ana said...
I love these new photos, it will give your shop amazing character! I know what you mean about the purity of using a mannequin, but real people are so much easier to relate to. I switched my Etsy shop to a mannequin last year, and now I'm prepping to switch back to modelling my own stuff again.
- February 23, 2011
- Ramona Muse Lambert said...
Love this photo mash up. Really cute. Very professional too!
- February 23, 2011
- amberly said...
this photo is so coool! I just keep looking at the rows and rows, and how amazing every piece is!
so awesome! definitely a little sally jane army!!
I want to wear a beige beret and denim now :)
- February 23, 2011
- Lexie said...
i am always more inclined to purchase vintage online if i can see how it fits on a real person! great idea!
- February 23, 2011
- Maria Confer said...
I think this will be amazing!!
- February 23, 2011
- Anonymous said...
Lookin good! ;) I was talking with Elsie Flannigan (of A Beautiful Mess) over drinks one day, and we were chatting about selling clothes online. She told me that I should try modeling the clothes myself because she has found that when your readers see something on you, and they already dig your style, they are more likely to buy it. I have yet to take her advice, but there ya go, you did! So, good luck with the new look! I think you will see success. As if you don't already. :)
- February 23, 2011
- hannah and landon said...
whoa I love it! I am most impressed by your ability to keep your feet the same distance apart each time O_O!
- February 23, 2011
- Anonymous said...
I love it! It's so helpful to see them on a person, and all your photos are so clean, simple and bright. There are so many fabulous things I can't wait to see them all!
- February 23, 2011
- Rosaspina Vintage said...
Jennifer!! This is the coolest lookbook ever :D
I'm sure it needed a lot of work but it must be so much fun to see the result! Also, a very smart way for yourself to see quickly what style suits you best :) You never cease to amaze me!
- February 23, 2011
- Unknown said...
Haha! This is an AMAZING image! I think a combination will be really nice - I like your simple shots but it can also really be helpful to see things styled and on an actual body. There's some great stuff here - I can't wait for the update!
- February 23, 2011
- Elsie Larson said...
SUCH a fun image.
i strongly prefer human models too. they tell a lot more about the clothing.
XO, elsie
- February 23, 2011
- BB said...
i can't get over how freakin' amazing it is to see so many little yous ... LOVE IT! :)
- February 23, 2011
- Leanne said...
i'm in love with some of those jeans. i'll be keeping my eye out for the shop update.
- February 23, 2011
- fashion_player said...
you're a great model:)
- February 23, 2011
- boezeroen said...
Dear Sally Jane,
I truly luvvv your clothes but maybe I luvvv your photography even more!
As a semi-amateur-photographer I know how hard it is to make these photos...the light, distance to the camera, pose...it must al be the same - even the beige baret..
I take a bow..
- February 23, 2011
- Rebecca said...
I really like this idea. It's a little bit like paper dolls - in a good way! I think it's great to see a shot with the garment on a person but for me the clarity of mannequin shots is really necessary to see the details. So having both would be perfect.
- February 23, 2011
- Diana said...
Wow! That looks so amazing all together like that. You must have such patience to do that! I can barely try on 3 outfits before I get fed up and cranky. Well done!
I think a mix of real people and dress form shots is perfect for shopping online, so it's nice you'll have both.
- February 23, 2011
- Lauren said...
Oh my gee! I love these pictures! Your own personal army! I love seeing the clothes on people too cause you can see more movement. I hate when vintage sellers use those full mannequins because clothes never fit them right, there's no plushy body underneath! Haha!
Sparrow & Urchin
- February 23, 2011
- fashion fierté said...
Looks really good, and eye-catching, I'm sure you'll have a lot of people interested in your items! xx
- February 23, 2011
- Pistachio said...
That is awesome! What a great image!! You need to print that and use it somehow for something!
P.S. The shoppe ain't bad either!
- February 23, 2011
- Victoria / Justice Pirate said...
makes me want to listen to bjork's "Army of Me" and want to spend money all at once.
- February 23, 2011
- Christina Catherine said...
Love it! I'm always more likely to buy vintage clothing if I can see it on a person...
And you look cute!
- February 23, 2011
- Rebeccak said...
These are amazing! Really cool look - particularly like the uniform shoes throughout for some reason?
- February 23, 2011
- Unknown said...
Wow, love this and most of all - I LOVE the skirts!
- February 23, 2011
- The Wh0le Story said...
So excited!
- February 23, 2011
- thatdamngreendress said...
LOVE this. except now I'll be tempted to buy things so I can join your army! Love the attitude!
- February 23, 2011
- Chie - Vivat Veritas said...
i like to see clothes on person than dress form better! i feel like i can better determine what the clothes would look like on me that way:)
- February 23, 2011
- Jannine said...
This is an amazing compilation. I really like it when shops model things on people. It gives a much better idea of what it'll look like on you.
Because of the awesomeness, tumbld here
- February 23, 2011
- bestie said...
Infinitely better than before! Now I want to buy everything!
- February 23, 2011
- Caitlin said...
you have some amazing items in there!! and you look lovely!
- February 23, 2011
- Featherlight Vintage said...
Wauwh! Imagane what an army of you can do like that! I bed you can influance your whole town to wear vintage hihi
Beautifull <3
- February 24, 2011
- Rhi said...
love everything!
- February 24, 2011
- tagtraeumerin said...
i love these photos, i think you're a great model and the clothes are also fantastic! i also prefer seeing the garments on a real person instead of just a dress form. (:
i just thought - how great would it look if you had an online shop and posted all these rows there and you could click on the outfit you were interested in... fantastic!
- February 24, 2011
- Cieślak Design said...
I love it !
- February 24, 2011
- alexandra grecco said...
wow! impressive, lady.
- February 24, 2011
- anselblue design studio said...
I just started reading your blog and it gets delivered to my inbox. Imagine this being the first post that I get to read! Great photographs, it must have been a lot of work.
- February 24, 2011
- knitlit kate said...
omg that is amazing!!! and best way to showcase your brand and your cool clothes...way to go...i'm sure this was not easy to put together!
- February 24, 2011
- kathy said...
Love these, i wish i could get my etsy pics to look this good! x
- February 24, 2011
- Couve Illustrations said...
Oh Sally, such an improvement! It's so much better this way, and you're a lovely model. The looks and the brain for a perfect photo outfit!
- February 25, 2011
- giselaandzoe said...
Yes! i do that too! i love showing it styled on a person and on the form to show the shape an see the seam lines! love your collage!!!
- February 26, 2011
- Leanns' Vintage said...
Yeah I like these shots as well.
I'm going to visit your shop for sure!
- February 27, 2011
- blouse said...
i like to see the clothes on a real person. my only question as a customer would be are they all you size?
i also like how it's still very uniform. ya know. same pose. i think that makes it easy for the customer to follow. if i were you i'd leave out the dress form all together.
but then again, we pretend we're shooting for a fashion mag when we do our pics! haha!
as always, you have some great picks!
- February 27, 2011
- Abbey's Accessories said...
Very cute! It has a 1930's flare, very Bonnie Parker (Bonnie and Clyde) with the beret.
- March 02, 2011
- Deoma's Boutique said...
Love this! Love the way you shot the feet on the darker part to make it look like film!
- March 07, 2011


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Joined: 31 Oct 1999
Posts: 31
Location: Australia
Posted: Sun Oct 31, 1999 2:26 am
Post subject: The Big Hit
Well.....what did each and every individual think of the movie, starring our very own Mark Wahlberg, Lou Diamond Phillips, and the others...??
I enjoyed the movie, no end. I feel in this movie, Mark was better, than in his role in Boogie nights...
Anyway, let me know what you thought about it!
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Joined: 12 Oct 1999
Posts: 1025
Location: Jersey Shore*
Posted: Sun Oct 31, 1999 10:53 am
Post subject:
Hi I loved the Big Hit!
Its my fave movie so far. I've seen it soo many time and i still feel like I can watch it even more. I think Mark did a great job in it even though the reviews said it wasnt really his best work. Well i would like to hear what everyone else thinks to so post and tell!
*Bye for now!*
<3 Kim
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Joined: 16 Oct 1999
Posts: 23
Posted: Sun Oct 31, 1999 2:26 pm
Post subject:
I loved The Big Hit because it was so much fun! I know a lot of critics didn't like it, but what do they know! LOL.
Of course you don't take what they do seriously and enjoy the movie for sheer entertainment. I know a lot of critics criticized the violence in it, but the violent style is so Hong Kong movie-like that I'm quite use to it! A lot of the moves you see in the movie are from Hong Kong action films (esp. since the director is Chinese), so it was fun to watch when those "moves" show up.
I love Melvin Smiley; he's a really sweet guy. In his professional life, he's just that - professional. But in his personal life, he's so insecure. I particularly love the scenes when Melvin was running in and out of the house (carrying China around, grabbing the garbage bags from the dog, etc.)!
Next to the Three Kings, The Big Hit is my favourite movie.
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Joined: 02 Oct 1999
Posts: 143
Posted: Sun Oct 31, 1999 3:27 pm
Post subject:
I absolutely luv that movie! My favorite tied with Three Kings and The Corrupter. I've got this thing for contract killer with a heart of gold!
It was a little weird with the firebird tho. it ran into the jag and the panel totally smushed but 5mins lata it was fine w/ minimal damage. And i was wondering, but what's with that Maalox thing?
Isabella :)
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Joined: 31 Oct 1999
Posts: 31
Location: Australia
Posted: Sun Oct 31, 1999 6:11 pm
Post subject:
Thank you all for your posts!
We all now the Big Hit was a sensation, Melvin Smiley played a contract killer, but in reality, he was afraid of his two loves not liking him.
He acts the innocent and Insecure. I would just like to add to your posts that his acting in The Big Hit was better than that of Basketball Diaries, but around the same as Fear.
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Joined: 07 Nov 1999
Posts: 7
Location: enderby b.c
Posted: Sun Nov 07, 1999 3:02 pm
Post subject:
i liked the big hit. in almost ever movie he's a sensitive guy, i like his movies. i saw fear for the first time about 6 months ago. creeped me out, he's good. i think i started really liking his acting when i first saw the big hit. there was another one i can't think of though . oh well. this is weird. i've never really been an obsessive movie star person, although i liked brad pitt....... oncce long ago. and i used to be a real movie buff. but now i live in enderby where all there is is a drive in and it's closed for the winter. so, ... oh yeah i did see three kings a couple weeks ago. it was good. i must say the guys loved it. i'm not really into the war. i used to love reading about it and stuff. but watching people get killed is not for me. the cow part almost made me puke. almost.... but i liked it and i guess i can handle those movies cause thats what my friends watch. hey i saw private ryan, so i'm not that much of a wuss when it comes to gore am i? well i should go. how old is mark by the way?
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Joined: 12 Oct 1999
Posts: 1025
Location: Jersey Shore*
Posted: Sun Nov 07, 1999 6:26 pm
Post subject:
Mark is 28 years, 5 months and 2 days old....lol
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Joined: 06 Jan 2000
Posts: 34
Location: Winter Park, Florida, USA
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2000 3:13 pm
Post subject:
The Big Hit was like one of the best movies of all time. It totally rocked. Mark Wahlberg is the hottest guy ever I swear. I loved the movies rare sense of humor. I watch it once a week.
Stacy K. ORECK!
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Annie M
Joined: 08 Jan 2000
Posts: 1683
Location: Muskogee, OK, USA
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2000 7:52 pm
Post subject:
The reason "Melvin" had to swig so much Maalox, was because his stomach kept bothering him. He was worrying a lot about keeping everybody happy--his coworkers, his fiancee, her family, his girlfriend (the black chick), and so on. The worry gave him a tummy ache, so he would swig that stuff (yuk!) all the time. But when the kidnapped girl finally made him see that he should stop cowtowing to everybody and just stand up for himself, then he didn't need it anymore. Also, as for his violent job, like he said, most of the hits were on bad people anyway. I would have traded places with that kidnap-girl in a split second!! LOL!
Annie M
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Joined: 17 Jan 2000
Posts: 2
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2000 12:45 am
Post subject:
The Big Hit was the first Mark film that I saw and since then he's been my absolute favourite. Dragged a friend to see Three Kings and converted her to loving him as well! Another mind educated LOL!
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Joined: 24 Feb 2000
Posts: 104
Location: Dayton, Texas USA
Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2000 12:08 am
Post subject:
"The Big Hit" was a movie I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish mainly because it was so much FUN to watch! Mark's character was so endearing even though he was a bad ass hit man...who else could pull this off? Tough and sweet all at the same time. Once again, Mark Wahlberg does!
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Joined: 23 Apr 2000
Posts: 10
Location: madison, fl, usa
Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2000 6:47 pm
Post subject:
I loved The Big Hit!!
I own the movie!! I've seen is dozens and dozens of times! He is such a sweetie in this movie!!!!!!!!!!!
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Annie M
Joined: 08 Jan 2000
Posts: 1683
Location: Muskogee, OK, USA
Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2000 11:25 pm
Post subject:
Well, "The Big Hit" WAS a "big hit", so the name fit in more ways than one! lol!
Annie M
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Cathy Y
Joined: 28 Apr 2000
Posts: 120
Location: Middletown, NJ 07748
Posted: Mon May 01, 2000 2:27 am
Post subject:
I just saw "The Big Hit" and I'm sorry, folks, but personally I thought it was mostly a waste of Mark's wonderful talent. Sure it had its entertaining and amusing moments, and sure Mark was very sweet and fun to watch ... he does such great things with his facial expressions, but IMO he didn't get too many opportunities to display that in this movie. I think he was trying to do the best he could with a basically preposterous and one-dimensional role based on a one-joke concept -- the hit man who's a sensitive guy in his personal life.
Maybe I would have liked the movie better if I hadn't seen it just a week after "Boogie Nights" where Mark shows such an infinitely superior range of emotion and psychological complexity (and I think looks much sexier too, by the way!). Though on the other hand, if I hadn't seen "Boogie Nights," I probably wouldn't even have tuned in to "The Big Hit."
Don't take offense. Even the best actors can't always be at their best. I'm looking forward to seeing Mark in a REAL role, like the one in "The Three Kings" ... hoping to rent the video in the next couple of days.
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Joined: 11 Oct 1999
Posts: 449
Location: ENGLAND
Posted: Sat May 06, 2000 1:40 pm
Post subject:
I agree, I love to watch mark, but i don't understand how you go from Boogie Nights to the Big Hit - Davinda.
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I have seen the film version of The Hunger Games, and it is awesome. Major spoilers for the film and all three books below so don't read on unless you've seen the film and read all three books.
To start with the obvious, Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss is absolutely brilliant. She completely captures Katniss' character from the books while making her a likeable and relatable screen presence (not easy with such an introverted character). Everyone else is great too, especially Woody Harrelson as Haymitch (perfect casting), Lenny Kravitz as Cinna and Stanley Tucci and Toby Jones as Caesar Flickerman and that Claudius guy. Both the boys are good too, and Josh Hutcherson is brilliant at doing Peeta's interview routine, looking effortlessly charming in front of the cameras.
I only have one problem with the casting of the guys. In the books, I always felt that Katniss and Peeta were obviously going to end up together, she clearly fancied him (though she was in denial) and Gale was never really on my radar except when shoved there - his crush on Katniss was the one that always felt one-way to me. But in the film, it seems to me that Liam Hemsworth and Lawrence have much better chemistry than Lawrence and Hutcherson, whose romance feels genuinely fake rather than fake-but-actually-genuine (if that makes any sense at all!). Also, to put it frankly and with no offence meant to the actor, I think Hemsworth is quite a bit sexier than Hutcherson. So that was a little bit problematic for me - I want to root for Katniss and Peeta (I refuse to use the word 'team' in this context) but the movie keeps pushing me towards Gale.
The other reason Gale makes more of an impact in the film, of course, is that we see a bit more of him. Because the film isn't told solely from Katniss' point of view, we see Gale watching her and Peeta in the Games, as well as seeing him again at the end, which goes right up to her return to District 12. For the most part, this adaptation is faithful to the point of being too faithful - I like to see something unique to film in an adaptation, like the staircase sequence in Fellowship of the Ring - something that makes me sit up and take notice because I don't know exactly what's going to happen and how, and something that can only effectively be done on film. Still, in addition to cutting the odd minor character, where the film does make slight alterations it does so very well, using the new medium to expand the story a little bit. So, we see Haymitch trying to get sponsors for Katniss, we see a lot more of President Snow and his threats towards Seneca, we see rioting in District 11. We also get Caesar and Claudius as kings of exposition, explaining what trackerjackers are to the TV audience in a way that feels seamless and natural, while flashbacks to Katniss' past are slotted into the hallucinogenic sequence that follows.
The only change the film makes that isn't basically cosmetic (removing unnecessary characters, moving exposition etc) is a particularly interesting one. At the beginning of the film, Gale tells Katniss that if no one watched the Games, that would be an end to them and at no point does anyone state that watching the Reaping or the Games is mandatory. Unlike in the books, beyond the Capitol, the people in the Districts are not being forced to watch the Games, they choose to. This is quite a different thing, making them at least partly culpable in their childrens' fates and reinforcing the central reality-TV metaphor - we know vulnerable people shouldn't be exploited for entertainment, but as long as we keep watching, it will keep happening. It also makes it much closer to Roman gladiatorial games. No one in ancient Rome was forced to watch people fight to death. They wanted to, indeed, they demanded it. The real culprits, the reason the Games happen, are the people in the audience.
The Roman theme isn't, otherwise, overly emphasised. The Capitol's logo is suitably Roman, heavily featuring a laurel wreath, but for this first film that aspect has been largely played down in favour of Collins' evocative descriptions of the mad fashions in the city. We do actually see Seneca sharing his namesake's fate, being forced to suicide, with an eerie shot of an empty room and a bowlful of berries, and I read an interesting interview with Donald Sutherland where he mentioned that he had looked up Snow's namesake, Coriolanus (his first name isn't yet revealed onscreen, as it doesn't appear until the third book). It will interesting to see if, as the theme of rebellion becomes more important over the next two films, we will start to see a more Roman vibe to the Capitol.
It's more likely that it'll end up looking like the Third Reich - like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the designer of this film has decided that, for reasons unknown, all tyrannical regimes force their female inhabitants to wear knee-length dresses in bleached out colours, with pigtails on the young girls. They may also line them up in strict formations. I get what they're doing, but when they make an otherwise modern/futuristic society look like Auschwitz for the Reaping scene, it stops being interesting design and becomes an excessively in-your-face, remember the rulers are Bad! motif. Other than that, the films looks great, and I want Katniss' brown leather jacket from the opening section.
There's a lot of hand-held camerawork in the film, much of which is quite jerky and occasionally disorientating. At the beginning, I found this very annoying. I wanted to get a sense of what this world is like and feel some kind of stability in the establishing scenes, while still getting to know the characters. The tight focus on Effie during the Reaping was also a little jarring somehow. But during the Games themselves, these techniques really come into their own, because the close-up, jerky, constantly moving camera is able to depict extraordinary levels of violence without actually showing any blood (or very little). We see a sixteen-year-old beating in a thirteen-year-old's head with a rock or stabbing them with a knife, but because we're so tight in, usually on the winner, the camera can avoid all blood and guts and depict the violence without needing any gore. Quite apart from the basic financial fact that a film based on a Young Adult novel has to have a PG-13/12A rating, I actually prefer this approach. I don't actually like gore much (I watch Spartacus in spite of the gore rather than because of it!) and I really liked this method of depicting the horror and violence of the story without needing bucketfuls of fake blood and equally importantly, without glorifying it either.
As always, there were a few moments that were better in my head than on the screen. I thought it strange that we didn't get at least one reasonably passionate kiss between Katniss and Peeta. In the book, the fact that for a split second she stops pretending is really quite important. I could have lived with it being moved, perhaps to the moment where they've won, but they didn't actually interact much after that. The climactic scene with the berries felt slightly underwhelming as well - I wanted to Katniss to really think about killing Peeta, and then I wanted to see her hold the berries up to the camera, the way she saluted it earlier.
Like the book, the ending feels rather muted - I would have amped up some celebrations after their win, before coming down again through Seneca's death and the return to District 12. I think a film needs a bit of soaring emotion at the end - as it is, the strongest emotional scene is Rue's death. The scene where Katniss mourns Rue is brilliantly done and very powerful - again, my only disappointment is her subsequent rush to find Peeta when the rules are changed didn't seem quite as emotional as it felt in the book (I seem to remember her crying out his name in the book in a way she doesn't on screen). Perhaps it feels this way partly because the preceding scene had been so raw (and she does a good blind panic when the cannon goes off for Foxface later).
All in all, a brilliant film. I would have liked to see something added that was not directly from the book - I felt a bit like I'd just seen the pictures in my head, on the screen, and not quite right, where I would rather see a fresh-ish version of the story (Jennifer Lawrence's performance excepted, because she looked exactly like the pictures in my head, if not better. Her sheer, pants-wetting terror as she stands with Cinna before entering the Games is extraordinary). But it's a very cinematic book, so this is really a minor niggle. The enormous amount of exposition required is handled brilliantly and all the performances are great. How long do we have to wait for the sequel...?
My review of The Hunger Games Trilogy


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To the kids at school, she'll be Autumn Brown. But her full name is: Autumn Sullivan Corbett Fitzsimmons Jeffries Hart Burns Johnson Willard Dempsey Tunney Schmeling Sharkey Carnera Baer Braddock Louis Charles Walcott Marciano Patterson Johansson Liston Clay Frazier Foreman Brown.
Those middle names? The surnames of 25 world heavyweight boxing champions, beginning with John L. Sullivan and ending with George Foreman (and including Ezzard Charles).
Autumn was born about 6 weeks ago in England. Her boxing-obsessed maternal grandparents gave their three children a total of 103 boxer names, and Autumn's mother Maria (who wasn't able to remember her full name until the age of 10) decided to keep the tradition alive.
Source: Autumn's a real knockout!


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Famous - Goddess Girl: The Movie (Scene 1 - I Wanna Know Your Name) [Artist Submitted]
R reports "Scene 1 of Goddess Girl: The Movie starring Ashton "Famous" Bishop. Scenes + songs from the soundtrack will be released weekly at www.goddessgirlmovie.com. "
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The Morges Manifesto (PDF 720kb). The founding document which led to WWF as we know it today.
This apparently simple act laid the foundations for one what has grown into the world's largest independent conservation organization.
More then 50 years on, the black and white panda is a well known household symbol in many countries. And the organization itself is lucky enough to have won the backing of more than 5 million people throughout the world, and can count the actions taken by people in support of its efforts into the billions.
The world on which we liveHaving invested well over US$1 billion in more than 12,000 conservation initiatives since 1985 alone, WWF is continually working to bring a balance between our demands on our world, and the variety of life that lives alongside us.
What is the story behind the panda logo of WWF?
Aware of the need for a strong, recognisable symbol that would overcome all language barriers, WWF's founders agreed that the big, furry animal with her appealing, black-patched eyes would make an excellent logo.
The first sketches were done by the British environmentalist and artist, Gerald Watterson.
Based on these, Sir Peter Scott, one of those founders, drew the first logo, and said at the time... "We wanted an animal that is beautiful, is endangered, and one loved by many people in the world for its appealing qualities. We also wanted an animal that had an impact in black and white to save money on printing costs."


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Remember that the Linux Tutorial helps you free of charge. How about
giving us a hand in help others by volunteering for one of our projects? We are actively
looking for people to help us out with the tutorial. We need writers, editors,
graphic artists, researchers and anyone else willing to help.
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Update October 19, 2013
After the devastation in Indonesia from the tsunami in December 2004, the earthquake in the summer of 2006 and the floods shortly thereafter, I decided to sponsor a child with the Christian Children's Fund, which has changed it's name to Child Fund. Despite the original name, children are welcomed into the programs regardless of religous beliefs. The child I originally selected was Nur Khayati, who lives in Central Java, close to the epicenter of the 2006 earthquake. Fortunately for Nur, the program in her community has grown to the point where is is now self sufficient. Sadly, that means CCF is no longer sponsoring the project. The good thing is that we now have the opportunity to help a new child: Evita.
It would be wonderful if you, too, could also help out by making a
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From Sunday's Courier News, this is a story about Hillsborough H.S. basketball coach and former Rutgers player Ian Progin, who is battling brain cancer. The entire town and local hoops community is rallying to help support the coach and his family, an inspiring reminder of how good people can be:
"It's amazing how people can come together"
On Monday (July 25) from 6-8 p.m. New York Giants center and Hillsborough grad Shaun O'Hara will be signing autographs at the school for $20, with proceeds going to the Progin Family Fund.
For more information on Progin's Players and the Progin Family Fund, visit: http://www.infaspire.com/proginsplayers/