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Jim's royal ride
By Daisy Baker
08 August, 2018
JIM Bennett has many memories of his 84 years in the North-East, growing up in Scottsdale and his adult life in Bridport, but there's one Saturday in 1953 that he will never forget.
Mr Bennett was set to play football against Launceston that day at the Scottsdale Recreation Ground but missed the game after being nominated to pick up letters from North-East schools for the Queen, commemorating her coronation.
The young track rider was driven to Gladstone in a bus, and then the next morning he then rode his fixed-wheel bike more than 120 kilometres, picking up mail from Pioneer, Herrick, Winnaleah, Derby, Branxholm, Ringarooma, Legerwood and Kamona.
"It was a very long ride, it took me seven hours or so to do it," Mr Bennett says.
"I was only a track rider, so I'd never ridden on the road before.
"I used to ride in carnivals at different towns but that was sprints."
At each town, a young Mr Bennett collected a bundle of letters and put them in his backpack, which he was to hand to Wilfred A Rose when he returned to Scottsdale.
"I got over to the football ground at a quarter to three, it was half-time," he says.
"I handed over the letters for him to take to the Council chambers and I raced home. I was exhausted.
"There were no gears on the bike, it was just an ordinary old fixed-wheel – your legs were your brakes and you had only your legs to get you along."
He laughs, saying Gladstone to Scottsdale would be long journey for him today in a motorcar.
Mr Bennett went on to be a successful baker and pastry chef, with his own bakery in Bridport, which was situated where the hardware is now.
He did his trade in Scottsdale under Laurie Clark, learning how to make bread, sausage rolls, pies, pasties, small cakes, and cream horns.
He says it took him a good six months to learn the art of making and folding a good curly pasty, which Mr Bennett says he then taught to Max Hall.
After finishing his trade, Mr Bennett worked throughout the North-East, in George Town, King Island, and Victoria.
One of his specialties is curried scallop pies, which he says he still makes every few weeks.


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Cate's final column
Wrapping things up. Preparing for a new beginning.
We did it!
Thanks to everyone who sponsored me (or anyone!) in the Ride Don't Hide event June 24.
It was a great day for a bike ride, and over 400 riders participated in the event. The Kelowna ride raised $85,000. Together we contributed almost $1,000 to that. I am so grateful to each of you for your support. Thank you!
I retired from the computer business…
I retired from the business of fixing computers, printers, and local networks on Friday. It has been my pleasure to work with all of you. I'm proud of the work I've done, and I will miss visiting you!
…But I'm still going to write this column and newsletter.
I'm going to continue writing about computers, and I'm going to expand the scope of that writing to include more about tablets, phones, and other technology-related topics. It's really hard to shut me up, as you might have noticed.
The column will run monthly, rather than weekly, on Castanet, and if you already subscribe to my (free! Always free!) newsletter, you'll receive information there about where and when you can read the new column.
If you don't subscribe, watch Castanet for news about when the column will run. It's up to the columnist wrangler at Castanet to find a spot.
Practise safe computing!
- Backup your stuff, keep your critical programs up to date, and write down your passwords. And what they're for: http://computercarekelowna.com/no-new-years-resolutions/. Currently I like the Western Digital My Passport external hard drive for backups. The drive includes excellent software. Be sure to install the software. Just plugging in the drive doesn't do anything.
- Be smart when you get ready for that new version of Windows 10: http://computercarekelowna.com/smart-upgrades-part-1/, http://computercarekelowna.com/smart-upgrades-part-2/
- Install, configure, run and update a decent antivirus/antimalware program. My current recommendations are:
- Bitdefender Free (if you must use a free program): https://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html
- Malwarebytes Premium (if you want excellent protection at an affordable price): https://www.malwarebytes.com/premium/
Do not randomly click on things that sound like a good idea. That is always a bad idea. And do not fall for the fake technician scam. Yep, it's still here and it's worse than ever: http://computercarekelowna.com/fake-tech-support/
Use VirusTotal to check your downloads before you download! Use your excellent antivirus/antimalware product to check your downloads after you download.
Thank you all again. I'll see you soon!
Cate Eales retired June 29 from running Computer Care Kelowna a mobile service helping home users and businesses get along with their computers. She welcomes your comments and suggestions for future column topics, good fishing spots, epic bike rides, and songs to learn on the ukulele.
Send email to [email protected].
A quiet word
Microsoft Word has a habit of letting you know just how hard it's working for you all the time.
You can customize the heck out of that behaviour.
Turn off the start screen in Office 2016
There's a lot to like about Office 2016, but that doggone start screen can be annoying. When I open a Word document, 99 per cent of the time I just want to get to work. I don't need to see every conceivable template.
You can disable all that and go straight to your Word document or Excel spreadsheet, just like we did in previous versions of Office. It's easy, and it works in Office 2013, too.
- Start by opening a Word document, either an existing one or a new one; it doesn't matter.
- Click on File | Options
- Click on the General tab if you're not there already
- Near the bottom of that tab, clear the check mark next to Show the Start screen when this application starts
- Click on OK
That's it!
Now, repeat the process for Excel and PowerPoint if you want to get right into those programs, too. Next time you open one of them, you'll go right to your document, spreadsheet, or presentation.
If ever you need the templates again, click on File |New and you'll be right back there at the start screen.
Change your Office Background and Theme
While you're at it, you can change the appearance of your Office programs. Let's start with Word.
- Open any Word document, or open a new, blank one
- Click on File | Options
- Under Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office click on the dropdown arrows next to Office Background and Office Theme to select the background and theme you like.
- Click on OK
These settings will apply to every Office program on your computer. That is, if you do this in Word, the settings will carry over to Excel, PowerPoint, and whatever Office programs you're using on that computer.
If you subscribe to Office 365, you can make those settings apply to every Office program on every computer connected with your Office account.
Save your stuff to your computer by default, not to OneDrive
Sometimes I save my documents and spreadsheets and presentations to OneDrive, Microsoft's secure cloud storage. But most of the time I don't.
And I've noticed that on quite a few of the new computers I've set up for customers, the first choice for Save location is OneDrive.
Sure, you can override that choice every time you want to save something, but it would be much easier to change the setting so your computer is the default choice.
Here's how:
- Click on File | Options | Save | Save Documents
- Place a check mark in the box for Save to Computer by default
- Click on OK
Check these settings in Excel and PowerPoint as well!
Bypass Protected View
Do you find it annoying that every Word document you get from the cloud or as an email attachment opens in Protected View?
You have to click three times to edit the doggone thing.
Well, first of all, that feature is there for your protection, so you won't be tricked into opening an infected Word document. But if you want to live dangerously, you can turn off this feature.
- Open a Word document
- Click on File | Options | Trust Center
- Click on Trust Center Settings | Protected View
- Under Protected View remove the check marks where you don't want Word to protect you
- Click on OK
Be extra careful, now, with documents you download and open as attachments!
Ride Don't Hide
It's just about a week now till The Payton & Dillon Budd Memorial Ride (Ride Don't Hide Kelowna) for the Canadian Mental Health Association.
You can still sponsor my ride as I join hundreds of people in Canada raising funds for mental health programs and services in our community. The money raised helps people of all ages access the support and programs they need to live their best lives.
Please sponsor my ride by clicking here to make your secure, online donation: https://goo.gl/WnnSd3. Any amount is appreciated!
Cate Eales will retire June 29, 2018 from running Computer Care Kelowna a mobile service helping home users and businesses get along with their computers.
She welcomes your comments and suggestions for future column topics, good fishing spots, epic bike rides, and songs to learn on the ukulele.
Send email to [email protected].
Write it down
Have you changed your password for something lately? Did you have trouble? You can absolutely cut down on the pain and suffering if you make a note of these tips.
When you change your password for something somewhere, you must change it everywhere.
A world where you can unlock your car by pressing a button, but where you need a password to fire up your computer is annoying.
I often help people who changed their email password on their computer and then could not get email on their phones or tablets.
Here's the thing: You're not changing the password on your computer.
You're using your computer to change the password that's kept in a secure area on your provider's server.
You use that same user name/email address and password to access your email from every device.
Once you change it online, change the settings for your email apps on your phones and tablets, and if you're using an email program on your computer, change it there.
If you don't do that, you're not going to get your email there.
This is true for any password you use to sign in to anything online.
Do you have an Apple ID? Did you reset your password from your iPad? If you did, you need to change that password on your iPhone, too.
And on iTunes on your computer.
And please update the records you keep of your password information.
None of us can keep all this in our heads. Write down your user name and password. Write down what it's for!
I don't have to count sheep at night. Instead I replay in my head the image of people picking up scraps of paper and post-it notes, and people paging through notebooks filled with passwords…and no mention of what those passwords are for, or of the user name that accompanies them.
Try this:
Shaw email [email protected] $0rryN0tS0rry changed May 2011
Microsoft ID [email protected] Te$ting123 Sign in to computer; Sign in to Office365
AppleID [email protected] 1bAdAAPL iTunes, iPad, iPhone
You get the idea.
To recover your passwords, your account information must be up-to-date
You can reset your forgotten passwords in online services. Why write down your passwords if you can just reset them?
- Can't remember your AppleID password?
- Your Gmail/Google password?
- Your Microsoft password?
You can always click on that link that says reset password.
And maybe that will work. Microsoft of Google or Apple will send you another link to click on or a code to type in and you can recover your account and change your password, right?
Right. That will work if:
- You provided another email address, or
- You provided a phone number, and
- You have access to it.
If you provided a telephone number that's not current, or you used to be with Shaw and now you're with Telus and you don't have access to your old email, you're out of luck.
Keep your account information current! Keep a record of your login/password information! And don't forget to update every device that uses a password that you change.
We're almost there
Just two more weeks until The Payton & Dillon Budd Memorial Ride for the Canadian Mental Health Association. I'm so grateful to all of you who've sponsored me in the Ride Don't Hide event.
There is still time! Please click on this link to make your secure on-line donation and support the CMHA: https://goo.gl/WnnSd3.
Any amount you can spare is much appreciated. Thank you!
FBI and your router
We're updating…
I'm buried under a stack of emails from companies updating their privacy policies. I'd tell you more, but I have to stop what I'm doing and reboot my router before my bike ride.
Why am I getting so many Privacy Policy Emails all of a sudden?
It's all about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that went into effect in Europe on May 25.
This new digital privacy law will make it easier for people to understand what personal data companies are collecting and how they're using that data.
If you'd like to read more about this, take a look at these posts from Vox and Cnet.
Two things to take away from this:
- If you're outside the EU, none of this applies to your data
- Most people don't read privacy policies
Have you ever read a Privacy Policy or Terms of Service document?
Why does the FBI want me to reboot my router? Is this a scam?
Our story so far: Russian malware, called VPNFilter, infected roughly half a million routers worldwide. The FBI seized the servers that were distributing the malware.
Rebooting the router will remove some of the malware. It will leave part of it, and that's the part that tries to contact the server to reinstall the stuff that reboot flushed out.
Because the FBI now controls the servers, they can determine which routers are infected and contact the appropriate ISPs who should notify their users. There is currently no way for the end user to know if their router in infected.
You should reboot your router.
In general, it's a simple as unplugging the power cord, counting to 30, plugging it in again and waiting a moment for everything to reconnect.
If you are doing this in a business environment, you need to contact your IT person before you just start rebooting things!
It would be safer for you, but contribute less to the greater good, to reset your router, taking it back to its factory settings, and then change the Administrator password and do a firmware upgrade. (Yes, I know that's time-consuming and a hassle.)
If you don't know how to do any of that (or even what I'm saying!) at least reboot it.
If you don't know what to unplug, consult your router's manual. (You probably won't find it in your house, so look for a copy on the manufacturer's website.)
If your router is provided by Shaw, Telus, or another ISP, consult them.
A more technical explanation is here. That article includes links to the FBI and US Department of Justice notices.
Why do I ride?
It's just three weeks until Ride Don't Hide. Here in Kelowna, the Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Ride raises funds for mental-health programs and services, including suicide prevention, in our community.
I believe mental illness is an illness, not a character flaw. And I believe everyone should have access to the help we all need, without guilt or shame.
I'm happy to be involved in the ride, and so grateful to all of you who've contributed. We've raised $750 so far. Wouldn't it be great if we could get to $1,000?
If you'd like to help, please sponsor me. Click here to make your secure online donation: https://goo.gl/WnnSd3. Thank you so much!
Cate Eales will retire June 29 from running Computer Care Kelowna, a mobile service helping home users and businesses get along with their computers. She welcomes your comments and suggestions for future column topics, good fishing spots, epic bike rides, and songs to learn on the ukulele.
Send email to [email protected].
More Getting Along With Your Computer articles
Previous Stories
- Uh-Oh! Undo that thing May 28
- Gmail, and other, updates May 21
- Snooze Your Gmail May 14
- Now what? May 7
- Get Ready Apr 30
- Odds and the end Apr 23
- Happy spring update Apr 16
- Beat the ransomware bug Apr 9
- Clear your caches Apr 2
- Ditching Facebook Mar 26
- Things could be easier Mar 19
- Good to know Mar 12

subset: commoncrawl


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Arizona Sneak Peek
Here's a little sneak peek from my most recent trip to Arizona!
I talk a lot about how much nature inspires me and my work, this editorial was a direct reflection of that love. We pulled colors and inspiration from the winter desert around us and I just love the effortless bridal look we were able to create!
I can't wait to share more of this beautiful bridal editorial with you in June when it's featured on Magnolia Rouge!
Film Processing - Photovision
Gown & Veil - Claire Pettibone
Engagement Ring - Susie Saltzman
Florals - The Petal Theory
Invitation Suite & Vows - Brush & Nib
Hair - Ana Karen from The Phoenix Makeup Collective
Makeup - Carolina Takahashi from The Phoenix Makeup Collective


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Silver Wolf Projects has been established since 2007 offering dynamic, innovative engineering consultancy that provides fast, flexible, expert engineering and certification services to strata and property managers, specialised contractors, builders and architects.
Specialising in small, niche and complex projects, we prioritise speed, reliability and total flexibility. We use the latest technology and service delivery methods to provide faster response times, keeping your projects on time and on budget.
Silver Wolf Projects provides fast, precise estimates, inspections, reports, engineering and building consultancy services, and innovations such as our online, real-time Instant Engineering Service allow clients to access engineering and building design and consultancy online, in real time.
Silver Wolf Projects' responsive, tech-savvy approach will get your projects moving in the right direction, faster and with less fuss.
Principal Engineer/Building Consultant
B.E (Civil)(Hons) Cert. IV Bldg Studies MIE Aust. CPEng NER RPEQ
Associate Civil/Structural Engineer
B.E (Civil) M.E (Structural) MIE Aust. CPEng NER RPEQ
Structural/Civil Engineer
Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.), Civil Engineering UTS
Structural/Civil Engineer
Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.), Civil Engineering UTS
Structural/Civil Engineer
Bachelor of Engineering (BE), Civil Engineering UNSW
Structural/Civil Engineer
BE(Civil) MIE Aust.
Structural/Civil Engineer
BE (Civil) MIE Aust.


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Gabi Pittinger was in the school library when her mother texted: "Gabi there's a shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas."
Pittinger, 16, a sophomore at Eden Prairie High, knew people at that school, having recently moved from Parkland, Fla., Frantic, she scrolled through her Instagram and sent messages to everyone she knew there.
"My heart just felt heavy. I was filled with dread," she recalled. "I was terrified and [thought] that all these people that I would hang out with every day for most of my life were lying down on a pavement dead."
Pittinger later learned of a nationwide call to students and school staffs to honor the 17 victims by walking out of their schools for 17 minutes at 10 a.m. on March 14.
She ordered a "walkout tool kit" and mobilized more than 500 of her Eden Prairie High peers to participate. Students throughout the metro plan to walk out Wednesday.
Since the Florida shooting, countless students have staged peaceful rallies and walkouts from classes to support gun violence victims and demand stricter gun laws they say will keep them safer.
But with more student protests planned in the coming weeks — including the big "March for Our Lives" protest March 24 in Washington, D.C. — school officials find themselves walking a fine line, making sure they don't violate students' constitutional rights while upholding their own district policies.
School districts have issued statements to parents and school administrators making it clear that they do not endorse the protests, steering clear of suggesting any legal repercussions. Walkouts, school officials argue, pose safety concerns. And if officials were to endorse the protests, they risk tainting relationships with students whose views don't align with their protesting peers.
In Bemidji, school administrators quashed a teacher's plan to lead a walkout on Wednesday this week. The teacher, Gina Bernard, said the district told her it had received "complaints from the community" after her plans went public. The district told her: "No teacher had a right to disrupt the educational learning time." But she insists on walking out, albeit before the school day.
In Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools, younger students are banned from exiting school for a protest unless a parent signs them out in person. High schoolers who join the protests are not granted staff supervision and are marked unexcused for the rest of the day. If school is still in session, however, students who choose to return are allowed back.
Both the St. Paul and Minneapolis school districts are banning students who leave school grounds from returning, and administrators say they will count the departures to protest as an unexcused absence.
"We don't condone weekly or even monthly walkouts," Minneapolis Schools Superintendent Ed Graff said in an interview. "You do have First Amendment rights, we respect and support those decisions made by them and families, but we also want to make it clear that within that we have practices on how we maintain thoughtful and orderly environment in our schools."
In the past, Twin Cities students have left school to join protests over the Dakota Access pipeline and the Jamar Clark and Philando Castile shootings. Those experiences, officials say, have helped them tackle the walkout issue. But the recent student protests over gun control have presented challenges for districts because "it's a national kind of effort and it's around a specific time of day," Graff said.
Edina Public Schools, which is tweaking its policy in response to a federal lawsuit it settled last week over students' First Amendment rights, is asking parents and teachers not to impose their views on the protests. The district said it received requests to participate from some of its student groups and is looking into whether these walkouts are being organically led by students.
All school districts have made it clear that they will take disciplinary action against students if their behavior becomes disruptive.
Meanwhile, many of the state's colleges, including the University of Minnesota, have reassured prospective students that participation in walkouts or being disciplined for protesting will not compromise their chances of getting admitted.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, which has been tracking school responses to the walkouts, said schools need to prove student protests are resulting in material or substantial disruption to its systems in order to punish the students. The organization plans to issue a letter to school administrators defending students' right to protest while cautioning school officials not to punish students more harshly than they would for other reasons.
"The schools have really got a choice whether they're going to take a punitive attitude toward this or whether they're going to take an educational attitude and really look at this as a chance for students to bring to life what they learned from the books that they have from civics courses," said John B. Gordon, the ACLU chapter's executive director.
Districts like St. Paul and Minneapolis are rolling out age-appropriate lesson plans on social issues and civic involvement to help teachers and students navigate those discussions.
Education Minnesota, the statewide teachers union, has sent out letters to its local union leaders directing them to coordinate with district officials to figure out what teachers' roles on walkouts will be at their respective districts. The union advised its members who want to join the protest to do it on their own leave time.
"The students are leading in a way that's inspiring," said Denise Specht, the union's president. "It's a good idea to have adults present there — not to take over but to make sure that students are safe."
Last week, an estimated 2,000 high schoolers poured out of their private and public schools, congregating at the Minnesota State Capitol grounds to demand action on gun control and school safety. Many in the large crowd did not face penalties from their school administrators.
"We have been growing up with the knowledge that we could be shot at any moment in school. We have had murder drills since kindergarten," Pittinger said. "We're [now] marching for our lives."
Schools "have realized that this is going to happen," she said, "and it's going to happen in large numbers."


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A big enemy of success and significance is indecisiveness. Sometimes people are tricked into thinking that not making a decision is the best decision.
The best things come to those that give all or nothing. Every situation is different, but every day you must make a decision to give your all or nothing. In other words, make a decision to commit or make a decision not to commit. Whatever you do, don't find yourself stuck in the middle of all or nothing.Read More


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The Hun, as I've mentioned before, once the age of forty is reached will disrobe at the slightest encouragement. Naked Huns are as ubiquitous to mittel-Europe as Coke and Hershey bars to middle America. There's nothing sexual about this; it's about communing with nature and the pine forests, and embarrassing their teenage children.
So what happens in a global world when the naked Hun meets the Puritan New-worlder? The Americans don't mind sex, just as long as nudity isn't involved. Americans certainly don't like the idea of body hair, either; as Updike has pointed out, American women spend their years not only eliminating every trace of body hair, but every hint of natural human scent, believing that the Barbie doll is exactly what a woman should look like without clothes. The Germans not only sprout abundant body hair all over their generous frames, but are often subtly scented with overtones of pork and breast-milk.
So Apple has banned naked Huns. Or rather, banned 'apps' that feature naked Huns from the iPhone. And the Germans aren't happy. Being naked is a basic human right if you're German.
American cultural hegemony or simple good taste? You decide.
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Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Apple Corp bans naked Huns
2 comments:
What bare-cheeked face!
- 16 March 2010 at 10:07
- Blue Eyes said...
Why are Apple so prissy about what people use their iPhones for? Stick to selling the handsets and let people use them for whatever they want. A bit like ordinary computers.
- 16 March 2010 at 11:13
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(For adoption junkies) I did my homework. I have stacks of books and dvd's at home regarding adoption and attachment. I have books specific to international adoption, toddler adoption, and older child adoption. I have read all the blogs and I even kept my eyes fixed through all the stories of RAD. I have spent hours talking to friends who have adopted.
My point? I was ready for this.
We were supposed to be ready for this.
I'm really not trying to scare away anyone, in fact, I don't want it to even sound like we are miserable right now.
We aren't.
Lately, we are even having more good hours than bad. In just two weeks. Which is pretty much a miracle in itself.
But I do think there needs to be truth telling. I do believe there needs to be a holistic picture of what adoption is really like. And those of you who have been around for awhile know that in this space I like to keep it real.
There were things I wasn't ready for, adoption surprises, if you will.
I had actually read about this, but glazed over it. I didn't realize the impact it would have on our lives. The fact is the boys have lived in a weird conundrum of an institution in Uganda. That means they have lived meagerly by a strict set of daily guidelines that was somehow peppered with untempered indulgence.
Listen, this is about to hurt some people's feelings, but again with the truth telling. Mostly young white women come and visit these orphanages for a few weeks, maybe a few months. They see children that are desperate and deprived and they love all over them and refuse them nothing. Then they disappear leaving the consequences of such a life to someone else. It trains the children's brains to believe that they can and should charm their way into getting whatever they want out of Mzungu's and then be left to do things exactly as they see fit in the aftermath.
It isn't good.
We are battling a lot of fear and past hurts, which I was completely prepared for, but we are also having a battle with entitlement and consequences. It is serious and it is becoming obvious that it will take a lot of time redirect thoughts to a healthier and more balanced way of life.
Pain tolerance.
Okay, this one is on me again. In a strange world directed by a sovereign God, I have now been made a mother five times. I say strange because, quite frankly, I am not the mothering type. I believe those Facebook quizzes labeled me as a free-range mother. Nurturing is not my nature. My girls are living proof. They are tough as nails, and on the off chance one does get hurt, I usually give an ouchie a quick kiss and tell them to shake it off. Unless there is (significant) blood or bones, it is difficult for me to get worked up. Also? I have a freakishly high pain tolerance, I mean, come on y'all, I didn't know I was in labor with my first kid until she was almost born. (And only then because the nurse told me.)
Unfortunately that combo makes for very little compassion and empathy. A trauma trigger in adoption is pain. A small scratch can cause hours worth of wailing. It is because it releases cortisone in their brain that triggers hyper vigilance, a coping mechanism they have developed to protect themselves. Basically, they learned early in life that the squeaky wheel gets the grease and in a world where there is only a teaspoon of grease to run a whole factory? You must squeak loud and long.
I knew it was going to be a thing, but I am surprised my the magnitude of the effect on both the boys and me. We are all working on it.
My Jerk-i-ness.
Even armed with the above knowledge that I am not much of a nurturer, I imagined myself as an amazingly therapeutic parent. As I studied at the shrine of Karen Purvis, I envisioned myself, and even practiced with the girls, using my calm voice to deflect any and every difficult situation. We would pray together, God would send a comforting spirit and we would be fine. I would pull out my books and my parenting experience and we would have this thing down in no time.
Ummmm, as you might have noticed from the above section…no.
Seriously, I have almost completely lost it several times. In fact, if we are really okay to be real here, you should know that since most "traditional" parenting techniques from a wooden spoon to time out are out the door in adoptive parenting, I have amped up my passive aggressiveness. One of the boys is super resistant to me, and when it is time to have consequences and he is flat out rejecting me, I tell him that I love him because I know it will irritate him.
There it is. The awful, horrible, terrible truth.
God is putting me through the refining fire right now. One way or another He will teach me to get off my High Horse.
The Fight.
(Warning: This one gets really real a few times. It is not for the faint of heart.)
Oh this one comes in ever-so-many forms. The boys are a weird anomaly of fighting to fit in to this family and fighting to stay out of it, depending on the moment. The girls are fighting to be there best friends and fighting us to take them back to the babies' home. (Too real? Sorry.) Russ and I are fighting our exhaustion, our frustration, and our self serving mindsets that we would ALL be better off if we just walked away. (Whoop, there it is.)
HOWEVER, I am also shocked and amazed by how strong the fight is in all of us to stay together. To fight through this thing together.
I inspired by the girl's persistence in befriending their brothers after countless rejections. I brim with pride of the boys endurance in befriending their sisters after multiple cast offs.
I am awed by the ability to know that if we hold on for ten more minutes, the tantrum will end and he will be even more sure that we won't let go. That if we dig deeper for just a few more seconds that the glazed over eyes will come to life again knowing that they needn't have checked out in the first place.
I am humbled by a God who is willing to continue to shower this family with redemption, sweet redemption, over and over again.


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John P. Wood
Of Counsel
Of Counsel
JP Wood specializes in practice before the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, where he served as the agency's Chief Administrative Law Judge from 2009 through 2018. At the RCA, JP presided over complex public utility regulatory matters involving natural gas distribution, natural gas storage, telecommunications, and electrical service under the Alaska Public Utilities Regulatory Act, as well as pipeline regulatory matters under the Pipeline Act. JP was a law clerk for the Alaska District Court, 3rd Judicial District, in 2002-2003, then worked at local law firms engaged in civil litigation practice before joining the RCA as an Administrative Law Judge in 2006. JP is a graduate of the University of Denver, College of Law.
A lifelong Alaskan, JP attended Chugiak High School and received his bachelor's degree in journalism and public communications from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Outside of the office, JP enjoys spending time with his family camping, fishing, and relaxing at their cabin in Talkeetna.


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Incumbent First Selectman Larry Groh Jr. will face-off against the Republican-endorsed challenger Kerstin E. Forrester this November.
Incumbent First Selectman Larry Groh Jr. will face-off against the Republican-endorsed challenger Kerstin E. Forrester this November.
Forrester, 64, is a project manager making her first run for the town's top municipal seat. Groh, who announced his candidacy earlier this month, will stump with fellow Democrat Kenneth L. Beausoleil, who's running for selectman.
Beausoleil is being challenged by Republican John L. Bell Sr.
The Republican Town Committee also endorsed incumbent Donna R. Lynch and William J. Van Dyke for the school board, Dorothy C. Berube and Scott A. Antonson for the Board of Assessment Appeals and Randolph C. Blackmer Jr., Robert W. Werge Sr. and Daniel L. Touchette for the Planning and Zoning Commission. Aaron McGarry was endorsed for an alternate position on the commission.
Other Republican endorsements include Robert M. Brodeur for the Zoning Board of Appeals and Samuel M. Stilwell, Stephen B. Lewis and Charles W. Seney for Water Pollution Control Authority.
The Democratic Town Committee endorsed incumbent Ellen McSweeney-Corrado and Robert H. Beatley for the school board, Laurent C. Guillot and Paul R. Dery for the finance board and Frances E. Roy for the Board of Assessment Appeals.
The committee also endorsed William A. Cacciapouti for a full-term position on the Planning and Zoning Commission and Dennis A. Tackson as an alternate. For the Zoning Board of Appeals, Democrats endorsed Scott K. Alexander for a full-term and Craig A. Hanford as an alternate. Charles W. Seney and Stephen B. Lewis were tapped for the Water Pollution Control Authority.
Both town parties endorsed Jeffrey C. Barske as town clerk for another term, along with tax collector Rene J. Morin.


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Year of release: 2011
Director: Jonathan Liebesman
Stars: Aaron Eckart, Michelle Rodriguez, Cory Hardrict, Gino Anthony Pesi, Ne-Yo, Bridget Moynahan, James Hiroyuki Liao, Michael Pena
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Synopsis:Jonathan Liebesman's career started in his native country of South Africa and afterwards his career moved rapidly within the ranks of Hollywood. He has directed poorly received films such as "Darkness Falls" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning", but films who managed to make some decent money at the box office. "Battle: LA" follows the story of Sergeant Michael Nantz and his platoon, who tackle the invasion of LA and Earth from an alien invasion. The aliens have invaded the planet for water and though humans fight back, their resources are fewer and the technology of their opponents is far more advanced. Sergeant's Nantz platoon however finds a way to expose their weaknesses and the humans counter-attack.
"Battle: LA" tries to be several films combined at the same time. Jonathan Liebesman joins elements of Roland Emmerich's "Independence Day", with Kathryn Bigelow's "Hurt Locker" and Ridley Scott's "Black Hawk Down", but this mesh comes across as something that is filled with cliches that have been seen in countless other films. While Neill Blomkamp's "District 9" was original in the depiction of an alien invasion/existence, "Battle: LA" exists solely with the purpose of displaying paper thin characters handling guns. Aaron Eckart tries to create a strong character with his portrayal of Sergeant Nantz, a man with a past, carrying a huge burden, but his efforts are not enough, for a film that is ultimately underwhelming. The special effects, usually the draw for films of this kind, also feel under produced. A sadly missed opportunity.


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A Fun and Transformational Self-Study Course designed by Tama Kieves. Join us for an eight-week inner pilgrimage on building self-trust, trust of the Universe, trust in your life, trust in your instincts, and trust of the bad and good times. Using 8 lessons inspired by A Course in Miracles, enjoy a choice of fun and revealing journaling exercises, a weekly audio meditation, and other creative explorations into the greatest resource in your life: YOU!
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"Our Glyn" is a unique Welsh schools project that looks to remember the 40,000 Welsh men and women who didn't survive WW1 as we approach the 100th anniversary of the end of a war, that was supposed to be the "War To End All Wars"
The Project is co-ordinated by Cardiff based Just Druid, who are working with strategic partners in Wales, to develope an opportunity for every school in Wales to participate in this memorial project and for the schools to enhance their own digital skills .
Funding ( so this project is free ) has been provided by the Welsh Arts Council. Further ideas in developing the project throughout Wales has been provided by the four Welsh regional education consortia and the Peoples Collection website. We are also indebted to Kirsty Williams AM, the Wales education minister, the Headmaster, staff and pupils of Pontyprid High school and and Ffilm Cymru Wales for their support.
The Project
1) Just Druid have produced a 20 minute film about the death of 2nd Lt Glyn Morgan of the Royal Welch Fusiliers,
He was one of half a million troops killed at the battle of Passchendaele in 1917 and the film is shown through the letter he wrote to his Dad, the night before going "over the top" and follows four more letters that his comrades also wrote to Glyn's dad after Glyn was killed.
The film also features poetry and quotes by leading WW1 poet, Winfred Owen and ends with the question " How can we remember them ?"
2) Just Druid then went back to Glyn's old school
- Pontypridd High School, showed them the film, gave copies to the pupils and and posed that question to them.
3) The staff and pupils of Pontypridd High School responded magnificently
- They created memorial poems, letters and studied local history of 100 years ago. They cleaned and repositioned their memorial plaques including one of Glyn, provided by his father, a former headmaster of the school .
4) The memories were then professionally filmed
and a 3 minute film was then created/ edited. This film was then published on the Peoples Collection website as a lasting digital memorial to the 40,000 welsh souls who died in WW1
As a footnote,
"Ponty" then held a Film premiere evening at the school showing the Passchendele film about Glyn and then their own school memorial film. The Pupils also played the last post and read out their poems and letters to the asembled parents, VIPs, guests and former pupils of the school.
Just Druid has imagined how each of the 40,000 who died from Wales would think, if at the time of their death, they knew that a 100 years later on, the people of Wales will still remember them...
... and with our support, our school children can create an unique digital memorial project for our own local WW1 heroes, stored on the internet, for another 100 years...?


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Cheese Class Follow-Up
Cheese Class Follow-Up
Thank you so much for joining us for the cheese making class. It is certainly a fun class, but as you saw there is a lot of information. I will say that making cheese successfully at home is quite possible, but not fool proof. There will be good batches and some not-so-good batches. If you want to be a cheese maker, you simply have to make cheese...and some mistakes. Just like anything, the more you do it the better you will get. Failure is just a chance to learn.
If you have any questions please TEXT Chad 402-999-1075. (Texting is much, much better than emailing or calling for us.)
Ricotta Cheese
(from milk)
Fromage Blanc
Basic Curds
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Real Ricotta Cheese
Italian Cheesecake
Raw Milk Supplier:
Find out where, when and how to get fresh local raw milk (click here).
If you need any cheese making supplies like real cheese cloth, rennet etc., you can find everything at www.cheesemaking.com.
Amazon also has most things.
Please consider leaving us a review on our Facebook Page. (Click here.)
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Historically, Black children have been exposed to a racist system, which not only exposes them to unspeakable violence, but also criminalization. In 1955, Emmett Till— who was 14 years old at the time—was abducted, tortured and lynched for allegedly whistling at a white woman, Carolyn Bryant.Read More
Happy 23rd birthday Trayvon! Over the course of the next several months, we will honor Trayvon's legacy and the sixth anniversary of the founding of Million Hoodies. Today we celebrate Trayvon's life.Read More


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GH: Completed —-
You asked me "forever"?
I said yes
You told me you loved me
I told you I loved you more
You told me that I was the only person in the world
that could make you feel the way I did.
I didn't say anything back,
but I felt the same way.
You told me I was the most beautiful girl you had ever seen
to distract me
so that you could take everything
while I wasn't looking
Because I was too busy staring into your eyes
Full of love
Full. Of. Love.
To notice your hands scooping my organs out
from inside of me.
To notice your hands tearing me up into little pieces
To notice your hands touching her
To notice your hands fucking her.
To notice your hands.
To notice your intentions.
To notice your problems.
To notice your addictions (and how much more important they were to you than I was).
To notice your habits.
To notice your flaws.
I thought that maybe if I loved you enough,
Maybe if I loved you hard enough,
Maybe if I showed you that no matter how shitty you were,
that I could still love you,
Maybe if I showed you that despite your flaws,
your shortcomings, your compulsive lying,
that I could be there for you,
Maybe if I stuck around juuuuuuust long enough,
That I would one day benefit from a better you.
An improved you.
A healthy you.
But you left me before we could get that far.
And your hands took everything with you
and left me with nothing.
Nothing of my own,
Nothing of yours,
Nothing at all.
You haven't spoken to me in months,
the last words you said to me were
"I love you, I'll talk to you tomorrow"
In rehab they teach you to forget everything
but I'll never forget that the sweater in the back of my closet belonged to you
or our first kiss under the stars in the middle of no where Illinois
In rehab they teach you to dissociate from your past
but all I wanted was for you to get better
so why did you have to leave me behind with
all of the drugs,
and lies?
It's hard to be associated with such a negative time in someones life
Especially when that person meant the world to you.
It kills me to see that you can ride my longboard
and look at her in my sweater
without even remembering that once I was the one
holding your hand.
Once I was the one supporting you and encouraging you.
But in rehab they teach you to forget that.
My dad still calls doug's office doug's office
even though he died three years ago, sort of
like I still call you the love of my like
even though you left me last winter.
It's funny how things stay the same to some
people even after they've changed so much.
Saw a picture of you today
on your old go kart
the one your parents bought you
before the only thing you cared about having
was drugs
I was transported back to a time
to all the times
that I sat there
in your backyard with you
and your little brother
in Taylorville, Illinois
and watched y'all
ride that go kart like you were kids again.
That picture of you
in your go kart
took me back.
Took me back to a time where we loved each other–
or at least I loved you
and you pretended that you loved me too.
It transported me back to the
California king sized bed
that I would sleep in when I came in town to visit you.
The California king sized bed
that we shared so many times
in the middle of the night
before your parents woke up.
It transported me back to the lake
where we would sit
and talk
and think about the beautiful, wonderful, loving future
that we wanted with each other.
Or at least,
that I wanted with you.
It took me back to when we knew each other.
To when we woke up every morning to each other's
"good morning, I love you"
texts and fell asleep each night
still face timing because we
couldn't get enough.
We couldn't get enough.
And now, here we are–living our respective lives apart from each other.
Me, staring at this picture of you
sitting in your old go kart
right next to a picture of you
moving in with your new girlfriend
and you,
living your life
post rehab
having totally
and completely
You have erased every memory of me,
yet here I am, smiling, looking at a picture of you
In your old go kart.
SELF REFLECTION: In progress——-
I wish that something inside of me would
awaken like those automatic sensor lights do as
you walk past them.
I wish I could have some sort of realization
about myself like autocorrect does when you
get so close to something that it can finally
make sense out of it and turn it into what you
wanted it to be.
I like the places in between.
The places that aren't places so much as they are moments.
Moments that people share,
and one day will share.
I like plane rides and car rides and train rides and
waiting rooms.
Temporary instances in every day life that give
strangers common ground.
Places that make anyone's life relatable.
I like the places in between.
The green area separating two buildings
that can only be seen from bridges when they're being driven over.
The art underneath underpasses made in cities
filled with misunderstood virtuosos that never
got the chance to have their art in galleries
or displayed on the walls of a family with three homes,
a maid,
and seven master bed rooms.
The abandoned buildings that were once so beautiful
and have grown to be even more beautiful as nature
has begun to take back what
she rightfully owns.
I like the places in between.
The constant uncertainty of what may come next.
The constant wonder of what could happen
within a single day.
The change that could take place in ones life
within such a short period of time.
I like the earth,
because if you think about it,
everything that happens here,
everywhere you go–
it's all just a place in between.
BB: In progress–CHRONOLOGICAL
Sitting in my bathroom with you
catching your puke in a trash can
shaving my legs in between puke intervals
realizing with each passing minute
that I will always be the one catching the puke
and never the one who's head is being held up
You were the only thing keeping my head above water
I should have known after the first time
you ditched me that it would happen again.
I didn't want to believe it though.
I wanted this to be special.
I wanted something to finally be special.
But it wasn't–at least not to you.
And that was enough to ruin it.
To ruin me.
All. Over. Again.
The sweat on your skin
leaves my lips burning
as I kiss my way down your spine
The words "i love you"
set my tongue on fire
because I am still broken
(And know I don't mean it with my whole heart)
Even though you've partially fixed me
something is still missing
and it feels like I'm trying to cover
a six inch gash with a
tiny circle bandaid.
With each passing day I grow more and more fond of you
I'm still trying to decide if this is me settling
Or if this is me finding the third person
On the timeline of the greatest loves of my life
Part of me is hoping that it's the second–
that we'll only grow closer and closer
and closer.
That every time we look into each other's eyes
we will fall deeper and deeper
and deeper.
But another part of me,
maybe a bigger part of me,
is much too afraid to let myself care about
anyone as much as they deserve to be cared about.
Afraid to let someone new into my heart
because every other time that I have,
I have been ignored and disposed of
The minute I decided to truly let them in.
I love you,
but I miss him.
I look at the stars and they remind me of my past with him
but I also wish to share the experience of
seeing them like this with you.
Clouds of light shining on my tired eyes.
Sitting alone on this mountain
stuck between two worlds–
one of my past
one of my present.
Or maybe my future?
I feel like I'm stuck in some weird
romantically depressing yet also exciting limbo
and can't put my finger on what is different
or what has changed
but I know it's for the better
because for once, I'm happy.
And although it will take some getting used to,
I'm glad that things are the way that they are
Rather than the way that they were
Because I love you.
I love you
I love you
I love you!
And I can tell–for once–that you love me too.