text:
Shalom Flash Tel aviv Panoramic view 7/16, oil on canvas, 8 x 10 inches
Shalom Flash is an Israeli painter I had the pleasure of getting to know when he was a grad student with George Nick in the mid 80's. I also shared a window where we painted the same view of Kenmore Square in Boston. Shalom moved back to Israel where he has been painting views of Tel Aviv and the surrounding country from observation. His website shows the amazing range of subjects and volume of work done over many years. Shalom paints from observation and is very interested in the scientific study of visual perception as well as the artistic study.
Tel-Aviv Panorama 32 x 36 inches
(Please not on all the images below you can click the image for larger view)
Click image for larger view
Shalom paints in a variety of sizes ranging from 40 x 60 inch to 8 x 10 and smaller, even has some delightful miniature gems in a section of his website titled strips, what looks like left over strips of pre-primed canvas. In some works it is hard for me to tell the larger works from the smaller as the level of detail is often similar.
Normally you might expect the smaller work to be painted more broadly but even in a 8 x 10 panoramic view of the city he chooses to include as much detail as the size of his brush and hands on his clock will allow. Many times excessive detail can distract from the resolution of the larger masses and create disunity. But Shalom often plays the detail to his advantage, the tiny windows and dark spots of tree shapes form patterns and rhythms that lead the eye through the painting. He plays the large against the small keeping a larger color feeling as well as the delights of detail. Sometimes he seems to push the contrast between a small area of dark shapes such as foliage creating an accent that keys the surrounding light areas. At first I thought this would created a spacial confusion by interfering with the notion of atmospheric recession but It is often hard to read how successful this is or isn't in a small jpeg. You really need to see the work in real life.
The work often lives in a middle zone between tight photo realist work and looser painterly realism. In some ways Shalom's paint handling reminds me of another great Israeli realist, Avigdor Arikha.
Tel Aviv Port 5, oil on canvas, 9 x 12 inches
I tend to be drawn more to his smaller works that appear to have been done in one sitting. They have a freshness and energy about them that are more personable to me. His larger works, like the Tel-Aviv panomaic view 1/6 32 x 36″ are the most impressive, conversely, when he works slow and deliberate with careful drawing and color resolution. My favorite paintings of those of the countryside where the broader handling focuses more on the tonal/color resolutions of the light and big forms and less on descriptive detail. Some of these studies have a Corot-like simplicity and charm in its quest for visual truth.
Shalom reveals in working with color that is pale and muted, he seems to be saying the world's color is already perfect, no need to tweak or sweeten.
Shalom said in an interview with the writer Dan Tsalka:
"Yes, the character of the landscape is important, its grey, white, washed-out nature, the sunlight that blurs the differences but only in one sense: it's the image that dictates my painting technique. When one paints with thick paints, one must be entirely familiar with the pallete colors, a virtuoso at mixing the colors on it. The palette is the essence of artistic creation. When applying to the canvas thin layers of paint in an almost monochromatic continuum, there are more possibilities to make correction both in wet on wet and in wet on dry paint. The very possibility of correction affords huge versatility and freedom in mixing the colors on the palette."
Corner of Yehuda Ha'levi St. and Pines St. , oil on canvas, 18×24
Shalom has an essay from another great Israeli Realist, Israel Hershberg who said of Shalom's work:
…This encounter (his study with George Nick) was cathartic for Shalom, a purging. He was purged of the burdensome baggage of a past which mistakenly perpetuates the notion that the word is the only transmitter of thought and feeling, and a Byzantine present where the visual never transcends the semiotic, the sign. He was of a history profoundly anthropophobic. He was purged of a so-called new tradition and devotion to a vacuous utopian secularism. He was purged of the cerebrality of work and land and freed to embrace the sensuality of nature and craft.
Shalom returned to his home a stranger, and paints it as a wonderful stranger would, with humble Corot-like openness and directness, and the excitement of an unaccustomed eye. He paints this place freely, unencumbered by local myth, as would Worthington Whittredge, Van Dearing Perrinc, Edward Hopper, or Fairfeld Porter, had they visited and painted this place.
Shalom Flash studied with George Nick 1983-1984 Massachusetts College of Art, M.F.A. and 1978-1979 Massachusetts College of Art, B.F.A.
He has shown at various galleries in Tel-Aviv, Paris, Boston and other locations.
Here are few more selected works from his website that I particularly enjoyed. You can click these image for larger view. (my apologies that I was unable to get the dimensions and titles on all the images)


text:
Live in Edinburgh This Week – 22nd November 2009
Given how mental it looks like December is going to be for gigs, the last week of November looks as thin as I wish I still was. There are a couple of things knocking around though, so bear with me.
On the subject of touring, incidentally, it's really not a cheap undertaking so as an alternative Candy Claws – who are on my friend Kevin's label, Indiecater Records – are doing a virtual tour. This means that each day for a couple of weeks a new blog in a new place will host one of their videos, thus allowing them to play to audiences in lots of different places in much the same way a conventional tour does. List of remaining dates at the bottom of the page.
Erm, so here are the only gigs I could really dig out for the week. There's not a lot, but then, giving the liver a rest in the week before the Christmas mayhem really kicks off is no bad thing. Song, by Toad Christmas part and the last night at the Bowery on the 12th, remember.
Tuesday 24th November 2009: Dawn Landes & the Last Battle (I think) at Sneaky Pete's.
Dawn Landes is a very lovely American lady singer-songwriter. I don't mean to be flippant, but there's really not much else you need to know. I think The Last Battle may be supporting, but I've managed to lose the email telling me one way or another, so I'm afraid a suspicion is all I can give you.
Dawn Landes – Picture Show
Saturday 28th November 2009: Drums of Death at Sneaky Pete's.
Oddly, I am going to have to confess to not being an enormous fan of Drums of Death, but whether or not this was a thin week I'd still be recommending him. I saw him at Wickerman this Summer and despite the thumping, dirty doosh-doosh-doosh music not being my bag, it was still a really impressive performance, so I'd definitely recommend seeing him if you think you are even slightly likely to like it.
Candy Claws virtual tour dates:
12/8 – Liverpool – The Devil has the Best Tuna
12/9 – Ireland – Asleep on the Compost Heap
12/10 – Norway – Eardrums Music
12/11 – Germany – Das Klienicum
12/12 – Scotland – Song, by Toad
12/14 – Switzerland – Music of the Moment
12/15 – Huggerland – mp3hugger
12/16 – Venezuela – Gopher Illustrated
12/17 – Philippines?
12/18 – Surprise Finale!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Parking Lot Procedures
Now that the 2014-15 school year has officially begun, we are offering a friendly reminder of our parking lot procedures as stated in our handbook: "All dropping-off and picking-up must be done in the school parking lot. Children are not to be dropped off or picked up on Kamehameha Highway. Please park in a designated parking space, if you need to leave your car for any reason. If there are no parking spaces available during afternoon pick up, we respectfully request that you double park on the left hand side of the parking lot and not leave your car. A faculty member will walk your child across to you. The right hand lane is intended only for cars actively leaving the parking lot. The red curb in front of the church is for immediate pickup and drop-off only. Please do not park your car there unless you are actively loading or unloading." Your kokua is greatly appreciated!


text:
Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies, but baking them from scratch can be tricky. Even a tiny misstep can result in dried-out, crumbly, hard-as-rock cookies. Follow these simple rules to bake chocolate chip cookies the right way, every time. ======================CHOW.com========================= Didn't know that you were doing it wrong? To avoid any future mistakes, bone up with a few more You're Doing It All Wrong videos: www.youtube.com Subscribe to CHOW: bit.ly For more recipes, stories and videos, check out www.chow.com CHOW on Twitter: twitter.com CHOW on Facebook: www.facebook.com ========================================================
Video Rating: 4 / 5


text:
Asphalt Repair
Concrete Repair
"Pacific Pavement Protection resurfaced and restriped our school parking lot and playground…The product they used is of obvious high quality and has held up very well after two years. Office staff and technicians are friendly, helpful and considerate of our needs…I recommend highly their company and will use them again for future projects."
— Walt Fogle, Chrysalis School, Woodinville, WA
My experience working with Pacific Pavement Protection has been been different than working with most contractors. Pricing was good. Not the cheapest, but not the most expensive. The quality of the end product is evident, they don't skimp on materials and the workmanship is outstanding!
— Paul Favro, RPA,SMA, Senior Property Manager, The Vance Corporation
We debated whether to replace it or to have a sealing protection coat applied. I am glad we decided to go with a coating. Pacific Pavement Protection came last fall and in two days applied a heavy protection coat on the parking lot and re-striped the parking spaces. The parking lot has held up well over winter and there has been no further deterioration. We will continue to use your company for maintenance in the future.
— Robert Scott Bowen, Kornfeld Trudell Bowen & Lingenbrink, PLLC, Bellevue
At Pacific Pavement Protection, our estimators, crews, and office staff are committed to providing the guidance and care your project needs.
The bidding process can be confusing. Price alone is not always indicative of the services being offered. P3 will provide you with with our patented 4 Option Bid to allow you to pick the services most essential to your project while meeting the budgetary requirements.
Harnessing decades of parking lot construction experience, we use the highest quality materials, time-tested application processes and good old common sense to insure that our work is long-lasting and aesthetically pleasing.
Request a quote using the form to the right and a member of our team will contact you to for more information


text:
I came across the title for TERROR AT BLOOD FART LAKE about two weeks ago, thoroughly enjoying a review for it on Amazon that was no doubt written by the director; "Well, needless to say when I finally got to attend a screening I was as excited as a fat girl on a first date. The lights went down, the film came on and I was immediately transported into the whimsical world of Terror At Blood Fart Lake."
I had no idea how awesome TABFL was, though, until this very second thanks to @noahphex, who linked me to the trailer. I know that with my linking of the giant monster penis and now this I'm really classing this joint up, but please do watch this video. Watch, learn, and love.
You know how Lovecraft always tried to describe undescribable mind shattering horrors?
Well this was it for me. I have no SAN points left and I don't know if I should thank you for it or curse your name in the dark dark of the night.
Otherwise great blog!
No, Peter.


text:
There's an old saying in the paint department: You're not selling paint, you're selling colors.
That theory is being tested by innovations that bring one-coat prowess or eco-friendly features to customers' walls, but color's importance cannot be ignored.
Los Angeles-based paint manufacturer and distributor Dunn-Edwards has studied the trends in color and produced a forecast that it calls "Simply Refocus."
"A re-emergence of color is what we are seeing across the board," said Sara McLean, color marketing manager at Dunn-Edwards. "People are not afraid of color anymore. It defines our surroundings and lifestyle in more ways today than ever before."
The company's forecast has identified four color and design stories, described as sentimental, refined, revolutionary and essential. As an example, the essential colors "tap into the art of craftsmanship," while the refined story "is for those appreciative of the clean, refined ideals in design."
Dunn-Edwards has produced and sold paint products for more than 85 years throughout the Southwest and operates in 109 stores in California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas.


text:
PS1 Videos
Afro Samurai - Body-Part Poker Trailer Video
It will be one of the most brutal and controversial titles of the new generation, what with topless strippers (who attack you with swords) and enough blood to fill fifty swimming pools. Here's another example of Afro Samurai's over-the-top violence, as the man himself leaps about, playing a round of "Body-Part Poker." Honestly, this type of game is so nuts it's not to be taken seriously, so if you're not laughing at this one, you need to buy a sense of humor. Of course, that won't stop the anti-game activists from possibly jumping all over its nearly unrivaled brutality and adult content, but hey, you know that "M" rating that sits on the box? That letter that is basically identical to an "R" rating for a movie? Yeah, check it out, parents.
12/30/2008 Ben Dutka
Put this on your webpage or blog:
Email this to a friend
Follow PSX Extreme on Twitter


text:
One of the major differences between our society today and society 50 years ago is the way we interact.
Scientists have said that 150 relationships are the most we can truly and cognitively handle at any one time. Yet, I know few people who have more than a handfull of friends.
Oh sure, there's Facebook. (What's your name? Did we go to college together? Oh. Sure. We sat in the lobby of the bank that one afternoon complaining about the clerk. Your daughter's name is Sarah. You don't have a daughter? Well. I'll accept your friend request anyway. Did we attend the same middle school perhaps?)
Like I said, I don't know many people who have more than a handfull of friends. We hold people at arm's length. We're afraid to get invested–knee-deep–into the lives of those who might move away or go through something painful that would require us to emotionally feel around in the dark for what to say or do.
What we fail to understand is the true impact that good relationships have on our homes and our lives. Friends–true friends–offer a type of truth that family and acquaintances aren't always capable or allowed to extend. They hold up a mirror–by what they say and do–that allows us to see an accurate picture of who we are.
Tonight I sat in my living room across from my very dear friend and we talked about life. My dusting went undone and my blog (until now) sat untouched. I still have a pile of work calling my name. But my grandmother would be proud. (Except for the fact that I failed to offer my friend a slice of pie or cup of coffee. Next time, perhaps.)
But I–and my home–come away richer from the experience.


text:
Ratepayers shouldn't foot bill for council reform: Poots
Environment Minister Edwin Poots has said ratepayers should not have to pay the £118m costs of downsizing local government in Northern Ireland from 26 councils to 11.
An economic report on council-cutting as part of the Review of Public Administration (RPA) came up with the £118m figure, which would accumulate over the five years from 2011 when the number of councils will be cut.
But Mr Poots said Northern Ireland would make savings of £438m over the following 25 years, with the 'break-even point' to come in 2016/7.
Speaking ahead of a speech to the Assembly, Mr Poots said the PricewaterhouseCooopers report, which is to be put to consultation, was "fairly robust" and had pitched costs at the highest level and savings at the lowest level.
"Obviously there is a cost to the public purse by producing this but there is also a saving to the public purse."
He said central government or local government could provide the costs up front but that the most viable option would lie "in between" by local government borrowing the funds from central government.
But he denied rates would go up.
"Ultimately, they will go down. But it would be particularly unacceptable for ratepayers to have huge rate rises as a consequence of all of this," he said.
The report, which was published yesterday, also suggests 'alternative funding mechanisms', including a workplace parking levy, charging for some services and business rates supplement.
Mr Poots told the Assembly he wanted to scotch rumours that the reform would not be going ahead because of cost, and said he was "absolutely committed" to reform in May 2011.
"I want to demonstrate that if we make the right political choices on the detailed design of new local government, that proceeding with local government reform makes absolute sense in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and value for money," he added.
Recommendations in the economic appraisal by PricewaterhouseCoopers include a single waste disposal authority and a business services centre handling corporate functions such as personnel for all 11 councils.
SDLP assembly member Dolores Kelly, chair of the environment committee, said: "Ratepayers should not have to foot the bill for costs associated with RPA and we want to know how central government plans to do this without passing on the cost to the public."
John Matthews, president of the Northern Ireland Local Government Association, said: "We are delighted that the Minister has agreed to take time for a full stakeholder engagement process and not rush these decisions through."
Belfast Telegraph


text:
Davy and I took our Noah to get a new pair of shoes after school today. Noah's current brown suede loafers were worn out and getting smaller by the week and he wanted the very same ones, literally, except one size bigger of course. He'd be turning five this month, and it was time to upsize for sure.
But Davy and I somehow convinced him that the blue suede ones in the same exact style would be better. Different, but the same, and Noah begrudgingly agreed. It was clear he wanted the brown ones again, but really, he wanted McDonald's for dinner more. So we walked up to the counter to pay, thinking the loafers were €50, only to discover that they were actually €80.
It turns out the blue ones were part of the "new collection" and thus ridiculously priced as such, while the brown ones were still last season's, at a reasonable €50. Needless to say, Noah walked out of the store today with a new pair of brown loafers. Funny how some things just work out their own way, with lessons learned all around.
So with his new brown suede loafers in tow, Noah snuck in his request to be treated to McDonald's for dinner. Davy and I obliged. We rolled up into the McDonald's closest to home, ordered, and sat down with enough food for three including the quintessential Happy Meal. There was one other family in the PlayPlace dining area, a mom and her kids.
One of those kids, a boy just a little older than Noah, came over to our table almost immediately, wanting to compare Happy Meal Lego Batman toys and chat with Noah. His name was Jamie. Noah obliged, and I smiled. This particular McDonald's always seemed to have some story in store for us, never a dull day…
I prepped Noah's food for consumption, peeling open the usual condiments and unwrapping predictable bites of warm processed comfort food. That's the thing about McDonald's…you know exactly what you're gonna get and that's why you go back. The only surprises come along with the people around you at any given time.
"Mijn papa is dood." My dad is dead.
I froze, mid-dip of my fry in the fritessaus fry sauce. I didn't know if I'd heard that right. I looked up at Davy to see if he'd heard the same thing. This little boy Jamie, playing with Noah right next to me, had just announced clear as day that his dad was dead. Neither Noah nor Davy reacted, so I didn't either. I honestly wasn't even sure if it was the truth or some role playing with the Lego Batman stuff.
"Mijn papa is gestorven vrijdag. Hij is dood." My dad passed away on Friday. He is dead.
And there it was. Jamie had repeated himself, with no emotions attached, making it very clear that this was real. I could barely swallow the fry in my mouth. It felt like styrofoam going down my throat. I wanted to hug the child, but I didn't think I should touch him, so I told him I was very sorry to hear this news. My cynicism took over then, and I questioned the boy's authenticity. And then his twin brother, Ike, popped up at my side. Fraternal Twin Ike joined in on the Happy Meal fun for a few seconds before announcing, too, that his papa was dead.
The whole scene felt unreal. And I noticed that Noah was chomping away at his nuggets and fries, wholly unaware, or perhaps purposely ignoring this whole thread of conversation surrounding death. I didn't know if I should believe what I was hearing, or if I should comfort the boys in some way. But then the mother appeared and she gently scolded Jamie and Ike for interrupting our dinner and sharing too much, and she shooed them away. I told her that it was okay, that the boys could play, now or after they'd all eaten, whatever whatever whatever, my head was buzzing.
The mom apologized, but confirmed that indeed the boys' father, her ex, had died last Friday, in a fatal motorcycle accident just nearby. And that she was trying to find some sort of normalcy in life by bringing her children – two boys and one girl – to McDonald's, like any other day. Although she was no longer in a romantic relationship with the just-deceased father, their love for their children had always kept them close.
It turns out Davy had read the newspaper article about the whole tragedy, and knew of what she spoke. And all of a sudden so many questions were answered, at least for me. Those boys repeating out loud that their father was dead was less about those around them listening, and more for themselves. When would it actually sink in for them?
I excused myself at one point to go to the bathroom – to cry. I've never cried in the bathroom of a McDonald's before in my life. There's always a first for everything I guess.
I realized that I could relate in some way to this mother. I could see myself in her shoes somehow. I could have even been her on many occasions. Because there I was sitting there with my son and my estranged husband, feeling anything but normal in what looked like a normal family meal at McDonald's.
Davy and I have been separated, for the second time in the last year, for a little over a month now. Today was our first real prolonged peaceful time together with Noah, for the purposes of doing something solely for Noah, in a long time. But it was way more than I asked for in many ways, and at close to midnight, I'm still grappling with things that prevent me from sleep.
But I'm relieved that I can share some of what's been going on in my life after months and months of silence and personal turmoil…
I found the article eventually, link, detailing the sad truth about it all. It shook me. It made me think about my own life.
My future. My present. My past.
Noah. Davy. My dad.
Too much.
Fries turned out to be very complicated today.
I tried my best to convey what I could to that mom, my own way.
But I forgot to thank her, most of all, for her strength in everything, today.
Because, one day at a time.
Always dishing,


text:
Picture Courtesy: firstpost.com
On Monday, June 17, 2013, heavy flash flood due to cloud burst created heavy destruction in the districts like Rudraprayag, Chamboli eliminating existence of many villages and towns. Authorities have reported the death toll of 5000.
"UNITED SIKHS is committed to assist in the emergency recovery of survivors and our hearts and prayers go out to all the victims and their families," pledged Kuldip Singh, UNITED SIKHS.
UNITED SIKHS Aid team is on site to make assessment and provide hot meals to the most affected areas.
You can help by making donation towards humanitarian relief efforts.
You can help people affected by floods by making a donation to UNITED SIKHS. Donate Now!


text:
Thank you for this comment. It has sparked an animated discussion about whether the lexical values or the ascii values for international email addresses should be stored in the XForms instances. We have come to the conclusion that it should be the lexical values, rather than the regular expression used in 5.2.5 of the XForms 1.1 spec. However, we would value your advice on the correct regular expression for an international email address. Would you be willing to help us with that? Many thanks. Best wishes, Steven Pemberton For the Forms WG > Comment from the i18n review of: > http://www.w3.org/TR/2007/WD-xforms11-20070222/ > > Comment 6 > At http://www.w3.org/International/reviews/0704-xforms11/ > Editorial/substantive: S > Location in reviewed document: > 5.2.5 > Restriction of international mail addresses unclear > > Comment: > > Internationalized email addresses are not restricted by XForms beyond the > definition in the RFC. > > Please clarify whether it is possible to use internationalized email or > not. We feel that it would be important that it is possible. > > > > >Received on Thursday, 14 June 2007 21:46:53 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 20:25:11 UTC


text:
Bare Metal Recovery
Imagine your disk drive has just become a very expensive hockey puck. Imagine you have had a fire, and your computer case now looks like something Salvador Dalí would like to paint. Now what?
Bare metal recovery is the process of rebuilding a computer after a catastrophic failure. This article is a step-by-step tutorial on how to back up a Linux computer to be able to make a bare metal recovery, and how to make that bare metal recovery.
The normal bare metal restoration process is: install the operating system from the product disks, install the backup software (so you can restore your data), and then restore your data. Then, you get to restore functionality by verifying your configuration files, permissions, etc.
The process here will save installing the operating system product disk. It will also restore only the files that were backed up from the production computer, so your configuration will be intact when you restore the system. This should save you hours of verifying configurations and data.
The target computer for this article is a Pentium computer with a Red Hat 5.2 Linux server installation on one IDE hard drive. It does not have vast amounts of data because the computer was set up as a "sacrificial" test bed. That is, I did not want to test this process with a production computer and production data. Also, I did a fresh "server" install before I started the testing so that I could always reinstall if I needed to revert to a known configuration.
The target computer does not have any other operating systems on it. While it simplifies the exercise at hand, it also means if you have a dual boot system, you will have to experiment to get the non-Linux OS to restore.
The process shown below is not easy. Practice it before you need it! Do as I did, and practice on a sacrificial computer.
Nota Bene: The sample commands will show, in most cases, what I had to type to recover the target system. You may have to use similar commands, but with different parameters. For example, below we show how to make a swap device on /dev/hda9. It is up to you to be sure you duplicate your setup, and not the test computer's setup.
The basic procedure is set out by W. Curtis Preston in Unix Backup & Recovery, ( http://www.ora.com/, http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/unixbr/), which I favorably reviewed in Linux Journal, October 2000. However, the book is a bit thin on the ground. For example, exactly which files do you back up? What metadata do you need to preserve, and how?
We will start with the assumption that you have backed up your system with a typical backup tool such as Amanda, Bru, tar, Arkeia or cpio. The question, then, is how to get from toasted hardware to the point where you can run the restoration tool that will restore your data.
Users of Red Hat Package Manager (RPM)-based Linux distributions should also save RPM metadata as part of their normal backups. Something like:
rpm -Va > /etc/rpmVa.txt
in your backup script will give you a basis for comparison after a bare metal restoration.
To get to this point, you need to have:
Your hardware up and running again, with replacement components as needed. The BIOS should be correctly configured, including time, date and hard drive parameters.
A parallel port Iomega Zip drive or equivalent. You will need at least 30MB of space.
Your backup media.
A minimal Linux system that will allow you to run the restoration software.
To get there, you need at least two stages of backup, and possibly three. Exactly what you back up and in which stage you back it up is determined by your restoration process. For example, if you are restoring a tape server, you may not need networking during the restoration process, so only back up networking in your regular backups.
You will restore in stages as well. In stage one, we build partitions, file systems, etc., and restore a minimal file system from the Zip disk. The goal of stage one is to be able to boot a running computer with a network connection, tape drives, restoration software or whatever we need for stage two.
The second stage, if it is necessary, consists of restoring backup software and any relevant databases. For example, suppose you use Arkeia and build a bare metal recovery Zip disk for your backup server. Arkeia keeps a huge database on the server's hard drives. You can recover the database from the tapes, if you want. Instead, why not tar and gzip the whole Arkeia directory (at /usr/knox), and save that to another computer over nfs? Stage one, as we have defined it, does not include X, so you will have some experimenting to do to back up X as well as your backup program.
Of course, if you are using some other backup program, you may have some work to do to. You will have to find out which directories and files it needs to run. If you use tar, gzip, cpio, mt or dd for your backup and recovery tools, they will be saved to and restored from our Zip disk as part of the stage one process described below.
The last stage is a total restoration from tape or other media. After you have done that last stage, you should be able to boot to a fully restored and operational system.
Trending Topics
|Non-Linux FOSS: Tales of Maj'Eyal
|Feb 24, 2018
|Ubuntu Linux and Bash as a Windows Program!
|Feb 23, 2018
|Mycroft Widget, Atos and Red Hat's New Cloud Container Solution, npm Bug and More
|Feb 23, 2018
|Taking Python to the Next Level
|Feb 22, 2018
|Net Neutrality, NSF and Mozilla's WINS Challenge Winners, openSUSE Updates and More
|Feb 22, 2018
|Shorter Commands
|Feb 21, 2018
- FOSS Project Spotlight: LinuxBoot
- Non-Linux FOSS: Tales of Maj'Eyal
- Ubuntu Linux and Bash as a Windows Program!
- Teradici's Cloud Access Platform: "Plug & Play" Cloud for the Enterprise
- Buddy Platform Limited's Parse on Buddy Service
- Gordon H. Williams' Making Things Smart (Maker Media, Inc.)
- A Switch for Your RPi
- Non-Linux FOSS: Control Web-Based Music!
- Understanding Firewalld in Multi-Zone Configurations
- The Weather Outside Is Frightful (Or Is It?)


text:
Few years ago I wrote a similar post on speed booster tips for Symbian mobiles. Mobility scenario has changed completely since then and Android is dominating the world now. The good thing about Android (and one of the main reasons of its popularity) is that it's compatible with many different devices of all sizes, shapes and budgets. Unfortunately this very quality becomes a bottleneck when it comes to performance and speed. No wonder low-end Android phones (having less than 1GB RAM, cheap chipsets and processors) become slow, hanging sloths overtime.
Thus the story of an average mobile user (having limited knowledge of Android, specially the first-timers) goes like this – you have got your swanky new Android smartphone, you are very excited setting it up, you load it up with tons of apps, it's amazing for the first few days (or hours in some cases) and then… it becomes a headache – slow and laggy, draining battery too fast, becomes hot and freezes frequently etc. Every single Android user experiences some or the other such issue at some point of time (especially common with low-end devices). However the good news is that these issues are very easy to resolve in most of the cases. Here are some easy tips and tweaks which will make your Android phone superfast (as if it were new) and will also improve battery performance –
1. First up take a look at the apps you have installed in your phone – do you really need all of them – I am sure you don't, many of them – so why they are there, occupying memory, (many of them) running in the background and using data by connecting to internet. Just uninstall unnecessary crap (apps, themes, live wallpapers) from your phone. Apps can be uninstalled from "Settings – Applications manager" or "Settings – Apps" (vary according to the phone manufacturer).
2. Free the RAM by closing apps running in the background – by doing this you can give a quick boost to phone speed. Did you know that when you exit an app in Android, it still keeps running in the background consuming valuable RAM. Here is what you can do to resolve this –
Press and hold the "Home" button (or touch and hold "Home" icon in case there is no physical button) until a list of open app(s) pop up – now select the "Delete" or "Clear all" button to close all the running apps – or you can also swipe out apps one by one. In some devices (especially tablets) there is a dedicated soft-key for this function at the navigation bar. Furthermore in Samsung phones (and in some others) you can also launch the "task manager" by above method – press and hold the Home button and select the "Pie chart" icon – task manager will open – go to RAM tab and select "Clear memory" button – you will be notified of "x number of applications closed" and the used RAM bar will retract.
You can also set this "clear all" function at automatic mode – go to Settings / Developer options / Apps – tick the option "Do not keep activities" and set "Limit background processes" to "No background processes". This option will completely disable multi-tasking, which may be annoying for some – for example if you are downloading something in a browser and want to run facebook app at the same time, it will not be possible. In simple words the moment you exit an app or press the Home button all background processes will be terminated completely. So this option is recommended only for very low-end phones and when multi-tasking is not needed.
Despite above steps some apps are still stubborn enough to keep running (like facebook which has push notification feature), for these you will have to use force stop function under Applications manager as described below
Force-stop a running app via Applications manager – go to Settings / Applications manager – swipe left for Running apps tab – from the running apps list select the app you want to close – select "Force stop/Stop" button and done, if there are more than one "Stop/Force stop" buttons for an app then close all of them one by one (Caution – do not force close any system process as it may result in a hanged phone, restart or other malfunction).
3. Unless you REALLY need to be always online, keep your connectivity options off (WiFi, Mobile data, Bluetooth etc) and better use them in "when needed" mode. It is very simple to toggle these options on/off via drop-down notification panel. This will prevent data-hungry, push-notification enabled apps (WhatsApp, FB, WeChat etc) to wake-up and send network requests.
4. Similarly keep the GPS (location services) and automatic Sync off – remember you can always manually activate and use these functions as and when required. Not only this will prevent them from running in the background but will also conserve the battery.
5. Better do not use (or limit the use of) live wallpapers as background as they consume more RAM and CPU power
6. Clean unnecessary junk files (cache, thumbnails etc) which pile up overtime – you can do this easily with the help of some great free apps like Android Assistant, Clean Master or Advanced Mobile Care (Iobit)
7. Restart your phone say once every two days (if you are glued to the phone day and night) to once every week (for average user). After all phones are electronic machines which also need rest in my opinion. My personal usage pattern – I switch off my phone for a whole night once in a while (say every Sunday) or when it becomes hot after heavy sessions of gaming or browsing.
I am sure these tips will help you, do share here if you know similar tips which I missed…


text:
Published in News
Google announces it will host news wire stories
by David Stellmack on01 September 2007
- font size decrease font size increase font size
Too much expansion, too soon?
Google, Inc. has announced that it will host complete articles from news wire services on its Google News Web site pages. After some controversy and threatened litigation by Agence France Presse, and also reportedly the Associated Press, Google entered has entered into license agreements with both; and also the U.K. Press Association and the Canadian Press and their wire services to provide wire service content in its Google News pages.
This will provide much wider access to the original news stories and Google news readers will be able to access these stories directly from the Google News. Google also announced what it calls "duplicate detection," a feature in place for the four wire press associations it has license agreements with, which identifies the original story on its News page or its source for syndicated stories so that readers can read the original news feature.
Our only concern with Google is that it seems to be trying to be all things to all people and may be biting off more than it can handle. Google's expertise has been in Web content and information research.
With Google now hosting news wire stories and its rumored expansion into manufacturing its own cell phones and bidding on millions of dollars worth of 700MHz spectrum, we wonder if Google is spreading itself too thin with so much diversification. Then again, if we had as much cash as Google has we might think the sky was the limit, too.
Read more here.


text:
Thursday 8/19
Oneida, Kinski, the Lights
(Sunset) At last year's All Tomorrow's Parties festival in upstate New York, long-running Brooklyn psych/kraut/noise/rock/etc. band Oneida spearheaded a 12-hour, nonstop jam session with members of Boredoms, the Flaming Lips, and others sitting in intermittently. (They're doing it again for ATP this year.) Not many bands have the sheer balls to attempt such a thing, the stamina to pull it off, or the chops to make it actually worth seeing—but Oneida do, as they've proven on album after album. Their latest, Rated O, is almost as ambitious a marathon, a triple album running just under two hours that progresses from dubby headfuckery to heavy, riff-sogged rock workouts to exhausted ambient noodling (with sitar, motherfucker!). Tonight, they'll play for only a fraction of 12 hours, but expect them to cram a grueling amount of action into even an hour or two. ERIC GRANDY
Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven
(Neumos) I got in the only notable car wreck of my life on a Sunday morning at the tender age of 16, driving my folks' Hyundai Excel at top speed (53 mph), not to church (where I was supposed to be going), but to the waiting arms of my teenage sweetheart while screaming along to "Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)" by Cracker. I think we were somewhere in the howling final verse ("What the world needs now/Is a new Frank Sinatra/So I can!/Get you!/In bed!") when I ran a country-road stop sign, T-boned a lawyer's clerk (nice one), and came to consciousness in a nearby lawn. The car had bounced out of the intersection, turned 180 degrees in the air, and landed in someone's yard. The car was crushed like a beer can, but Cracker was still blaring on the stereo. I tell you all this because some have disparaged Cracker's success, saying their stoned-but-energetic country rock wasn't real... or something. But I am here to testify that Cracker play the kind of music that teenagers scream along to while skipping church so they can go rub on their girlfriends and instead get in car wrecks. Cracker predecessors Camper Van Beethoven (of "Take the Skinheads Bowling" fame) are equally awesome: musically pluralistic, unpretentious, smart, and fun. Mope along to your obscure records at home, if that's your fancy. I'll be off having fun tonight. BRENDAN KILEY
Friday 8/20
JD Twitch
(Re-bar) See Data Breaker.
Digable Planets, U.G.O. Crew, Khingz, DJ 100Proof
(Neumos) See the Stranger Suggests, and My Philosophy.
Lisa Dank, Billy the Fridge, Dyslexic
(Columbia City Theatre) Billy the Fridge wears many hats. On any given day, you might catch him eating competitively, wrestling on the semipro circuit, or just being an all-around cool guy. Tonight, he assumes his most bombastic mantle, as Seattle's nerdcore (or bullycore, as he calls it) ambassador. Billy is not the best rapper, but I doubt he gives a shit, and I doubt you will either. He tears off pieces of gross-out rap, standup comedy, nerd references, and strip-club sleaze, and then he uses his man glue to make a collage that will either have you clapping or gagging. Fridge will be the testosterone-laced yang to Lisa Dank's glammed-out, sexed-up, estrogen-laced yin. Brace yourself. KALEB GUBERNICK
Summer Slaughter: Decapitated, the Faceless, All Shall Perish, the Red Chord, Veil of Maya, Cephalic Carnage, Decrepit Birth, Carnifex, Animals as Leaders
(Studio Seven) For the sake of clarity, let's ignore the subtle nuances that separate technical death metal, grind metal, old-school death metal, and progressive tech metal for one second and agree that this is hands down the best touring metal fest we've seen this summer. Forget your Warped Tour and Rockstar Mayhem, this year's Summer Slaughter offers an entire day of extreme metal inside an intimate venue for a fraction of the price of those festivals. Even if you aren't the biggest fan of the face-crushing brutality brought forth by Decapitated, Cephalic Carnage, and Decrepit Birth, you can surely drool at the über-technical guitar wizardry of Tosin Abasi, lead guitarist of upcoming D.C. instrumental prog-metal scholars Animals as Leaders. You won't even need to pretend like you know what he's saying. KEVIN DIERS
Black Happy
(Crocodile) Black Happy's Friendly Dog Salad was a staple among my mischievous group of high-school friends. Drunk Steve copped the record from his college-age brother, and it went on to fuel many a night of adolescent debauchery. An ardently atheist lot, we had no idea of the band's roots in Christian metal and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Politics aside, Black Happy's later grasp of everything from metal to Americana to (tasteful) ska undertones placed them well above the Northwest frat circuit, which they were sometimes known to play. The band drew major-label attention after their second full-length, Peghead, but abruptly disbanded in 1994. In 2010, all my Black Happy records are long gone, likely loaned out drunkenly in the wee hours of the morning. GRANT BRISSEY
Saturday 8/21
Lady Gaga
(Tacoma Dome) See preview.
Black Happy
(Crocodile) See Friday.
No Depression Festival: The Swell Season, the Maldives, Sera Cahoone, Chuck Prophet, Alejandro Escovedo, the Cave Singers, Lucinda Williams
(Marymoor Park) The lineup kind of says it all: a sweet cavalcade of country music for people who aren't idiots (it's a little disappointing that we still need to qualify country music that way, isn't it?). The Maldives bring their classic sounds of slide guitars and lightly yodel-cracked vocals. The Cave Singers sound like a bunch of boys who've been locked away in a barn for a few with a bunch of instruments, a few pounds of pot, and maybe an early demo by Fleetwood Mac. (Don't believe me? Listen to "Dancing on Our Graves" again and tell me I'm wrong.) Alejandro Escovedo is just a top-notch American songwriter in the Springsteen lineage, though Escovedo seems nimbler and smarter. (One of my favorite lines of his, from "Sad and Dreamy," a midlife crisis song for elementary-school kids: "I hit the big 1-0/I feel so old/Candy doesn't taste as good anymore.") You get the idea. Bring a flask, a joint, and a big jug of sun tea. BRENDAN KILEY
Black Francis, Rachel Flotard and Rusty Willoughby
(Triple Door) Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV, aka Frank Black, will probably always be remembered as Black Francis, the wild and howling, horny and weird, UFO-friendly frontman of indie-rock titans the Pixies. This is as it should be; the Pixies are godhead. But Francis, under alternating appellations and with fluctuating accompaniment, has also built a prolific post-Pixies solo career. This year, he's released two albums, The Golem, his score for the 1920 silent film of the same name, and NONSTOPEROTIK, which includes a song called "When I Go Down On You" (we did mention horny and weird, right?). Neither is going to rock your world like the first time you heard "Where Is My Mind" (I've always felt like the buildings-exploding scene at the end of Fight Club pretty well visualizes how that feels), but Francis remains a singular artist, and we're lucky to have him. ERIC GRANDY
Crack Sabbath
(Sunset) Crack Sabbath play hard jazz, speed funk, and organ- and sax-based improbo jams. The man known as Skerik is their resident Lord of Saxophone. He has a sixth finger on his left hand (a second index finger), which enables him to create his signature dervish of sound. Skerik's sax is outfitted with an extra key for this extra finger. It's the sax version of dual kick drums. Recently, Skerik and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh went to Dublin to partake in a six-month intensive study of dance under Riverdance's Michael Flatley. It's not unusual for wide receivers to study dance—it bolsters their aerial wherewithal and improves vertical leap. For sax players, it's the same. Their training culminated with the pirouette-heavy performance Houshmandzadeh Mandata. Skerik had hops before, but now he's through the roof. TRENT MOORMAN
The Crystal Method
(Last Supper Club) Last week, I was at a new sushi joint on Capitol Hill (the nice one, not the conveyor belt one) when the Crystal Method's 1997 single "Busy Child" came on over the restaurant's sound system. This was the L.A. electronic duo at the very height of their powers, bending Eric B. & Rakim to the wide-eyed, teeth-grinding will of the rave massive, and here it was relegated, at Muzak volume, to score the consumption of "crazy" rolls. (Like a lot of their ilk, their songs have also been licensed to advertise everything from cars to khakis.) The Crystal Method have stayed, ahem, busy in the years since, releasing a series of negligible follow-up albums featuring increasingly wack collaborations (I see you, Scott Weiland), but they've never been able to recapture their moment at the peak of rave's American heyday and "electronica"'s popularity (although their Community Service mixes aren't bad). You can only redose so many times before you run out of steam or serotonin. ERIC GRANDY
Layne Staley Tribute & Benefit: My Sister's Machine, All Hail the Crown, Villains of Yesterday, Gunn and the Damage Done
(Showbox at the Market) It's been eight years since Layne Staley, the frontman of Alice in Chains, overdosed on a mixture of heroin and cocaine in his University District apartment. He was 34 years old. (Eerily, it happened on the ninth anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death.) Many still warmly remember the frontman for his many years of making music with both Alice in Chains and Mad Season. Tonight, fellow grunge rockers My Sister's Machine will reunite to celebrate his life, along with All Hail the Crown (featuring Shawn Smith of Brad), Villains of Yesterday, and Gunn and the Damage Done. Proceeds from the show will benefit the Layne Staley Fund, a nonprofit organization that offers services to families who are affected by alcohol and drug abuse. MEGAN SELING
Sunday 8/22
Black Happy
(Crocodile) See Friday.
Sadistik, Kid Called Computer, JFK, Kristoff Krane, Clockwork, Sarx
(Nectar) As an MC, Sadistik isn't much for bravado. He's more the type to just let his music show you the blood, sweat, and tears he puts into his records. A prominent but often overlooked fixture in Seattle's hiphop scene, Sadistik shovels emotive imagery and a fixation with the intangible into his words. His newest effort, an EP titled The Art of Dying, finds little-known but massively talented producer Kid Called Computer taking production duties. KCC has a killer ear for dripping, melancholy madness to match Sadistik's morose angst. If you're looking for something to lift you up, pass right by Sadistik. But if you're looking for something to cushion your fall, he'll be there. KALEB GUBERNICK
Gentleman Jesse and His Men, the Barreracudas, Primate 5, the Vexx
(Funhouse) Gentleman Jesse, aka Jesse Genteel, aka Jesse Smith, used to play a mean bass for Atlanta punk outfit the Carbonas. Now he sings a much kinder and gentler tune with His Men, a rich and more melodic brand of retroactive power-pop, with well-mannered songs that sound more like young Jonathan Richmond with his Modern Lovers. First time out, Jesse and His Men toured with fellow Georgians Black Lips, and fans of the Lips and other baby-faced Southern sweethearts like the Coathangers, Thomas Function, and Dan Melchior will no doubt go and fall in love with this show. Then light a cigarette and politely thank Jesse when it's over. KELLY O
Monday 8/23
Burning (Mogwai film)
(Northwest Film Forum) Scottish score rockers Mogwai make such a good soundtrack for almost anything (see Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait) that it almost seems like a shame to see a film that merely sets their expansive, mostly instrumental aches to images of them playing live—that is, a concert documentary. Still, it's a beautiful film, shot in dramatic black and white, with the camera alternately coming in close on the musicians so that only a partial glimpse of them is seen (hands on a keyboard, a grimace on a face) and hanging back with a sense of unobtrusive, observational distance, catching a street scene outside the concert venue or the sway of a couple embraced in the audience, their eyes shut, their faces lit up. And Mogwai's songs sound ripping good here. It just needs more head-butting. ERIC GRANDY
Boris, Red Sparowes, Helms Alee
(Neumos) It's no surprise that Boris are a cult phenomenon. The slew of rare releases, the exoticness of hailing from Japan, the collaborations with artists ranging from Ian Astbury to Merzbow, and the multidecade history of musical experimentation have all played a role in fostering their rabid underground fan base. But the most crucial factor involved is their ability to turn standard rock cliché into something resembling fine art. Few bands could tackle Boris's expanses of ethereal drone, their sloth-paced riffs, their soft-spoken psychedelic pop segues, or their paint-peeling hair-metal guitar solos. Even fewer could pull off the double-neck guitar, gong, arena-ready wall of amps, and incessant plumes of fog. Boris take these excesses and create something that borders on a religious experience. It's one cult worth joining. BRIAN COOK
Tuesday 8/24
Greg Davis, Stella Haze, Aures, Mind Over Mirrors
(Gallery 1412) See Data Breaker.
Jackie Hell Presents: Ex-Girlfriends, the Navins, In Cahoots
(Comet) I cannot believe Ex-Girlfriends are "in cahoots" with—on the same bill as—the Navins! I mean, most of the seven members of Ex- Girlfriends, a new early-Velvet-Underground-meets- Funhouse-era-Iggy-Pop-sounding Seattle band, work at Smith up on 15th Avenue. And EVVV-reeeeee-ONE knows that Smith has a long-standing beef (I think over a fried-chicken recipe) with City Market down on Bellevue and Olive, where one of the guys in the Navins works. I think he's even the one who draws those crazy pictures on those sidewalk sandwich boards! I'm all for supporting local music, but I can't help but wonder if this show is gonna end with fried chicken flying around the room. Oh, and did I mention mayonnaise-shooting, drunk-grandma-makeup-wearing drag sensation Jackie Hell is performing and acting as MC for the night? It's gonna get messy. KELLY O
Wednesday 8/25
Wavves, the Pharmacy, Broken Nobles
(Neumos) If Nathan Williams's 2009 breakout Wavvves is The Terminator, then his high-wattage follow-up, King of the Beach, is Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Whereas Wavvves was squelchy, raw, and full of impressive-but-unglamorous F/X, King of the Beach is glossy, ambitious, and way more generously produced—a real summer blockbuster. Both records are similarly cocksure (John Connor: "If someone comes on to you with an attitude, you say, 'Eat me'"), but King of the Beach ups the surprisingly confessional and self-effacing lyrics (the Terminator: "Why do you cry?"). It also boasts the talents of Williams's new backing band, who add extra punch to the record and are sure to mitigate some of the middling buzz that used to surround Wavves' live sets. After a streak of brawls, boos, and bad-mouthing, Williams has triumphed in the face of blogworld backlash (Sarah Connor: "The unknown future rolls toward us. I face it, for the first time, with a sense of hope"). JASON BAXTER See also preview.
This story has been updated since its original publication.


text:
[[caption-width-right:300:[[SarcasmMode Just your average geek]].]]
''The Strange Talent of Luther Strode'' is about your average geek, the eponymous Luther Strode. Tired of being bullied, Luther sends for [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower an exercise course from the back of an old comic book]]. What he gets is the instruction manual from [[ReligionOfEvil a murder cult as old as mankind]] that [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor does everything that it promised]]--and more!
A six issue mini series written by Justin Jordan, illustrated by Tradd Moore and colored by Felipe Sobreiro, this Creator/ImageComics imprint is a demented deconstruction of CharlesAtlasSuperpower. It also contains some "sweet, sweet ultraviolence" in the words of the writer. In other words, it is not for the faint of heart.
The first issue of the sequel, ''The Legend of Luther Strode'', was released on December 5, 2012 and wrapped up with its sixth issue on August 7th, 2013.
The first issue of the final miniseries, ''The Legacy of Luther Strode'', was released on April 8, 2015 and concluded May 25 2016.
!! ''The Strange Talent of Luther Strode'' contains examples of:
* {{Adorkable}}: Luther Strode before his transformation into a hulking man-beast.
* AssholeVictim: The people that Luther [[spoiler:horrifically murders]] aren't very nice people to begin with.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: One of the key tenets of the philosophy espoused by the murder cult that the Librarian represents. It is not surprising considering that its founder is [[spoiler:Cain from Literature/TheBible]].
* AwesomenessByAnalysis: It's shown that any student of the Hercules Method gains the ability to read the moves of others perfectly to the point that it borders on [[CombatClairvoyance clairvoyance]]. Doesn't work so well on other practitioners of the Hercules Method as [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown Luther learns in his first meeting with the]] [[EvilCounterpart Librarian]].
* AwesomeMcCoolname: Luther Strode.
* BarbarianLongHair: Luther in [[http://cdn.bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/unnamed-22.jpg Legacy]]
* BeenThereShapedHistory: Delilah has been around for about 3000 years and has been attempting to spread Cain's philosophy to individuals who accepted Cain's Hercules Method. Those who didn't fulfill her expectations, she had killed or ruined in some way or another. Those individuals include Jeanne d'Arc, Samson, and Hercules.
* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: As shown in the comics, the Biblical Samson, his consort Delilah, and Jack the Ripper were all practitioners of the Hercules Method which allowed them to accomplish the feats that made them famous (or infamous). [[spoiler: Cain himself was the first practitioner and invented the Hercules Method]].
* BerserkButton: Luther's is men threatening or hurting women. This is because [[spoiler:his dad used to abuse his mother]].
* BiblicalBadGuy: Who else would be better to run an ancient murder cult than [[spoiler:the first murderer himself]]?
* BigBad: The Librarian.
* BiggerBad: [[spoiler:Cain.]]
* BlackEyesOfCrazy / RedEyesTakeWarning: Students of the Hercules Method show notably red irises with black sclera when using their powers or simply feeling emotions of aggression or alertness.
* BornIntoSlavery: The Shooter was originally a nameless African slave in the past before discovering the Hercules Method.
* ButIReadABookAboutIt: How students usually learn the Hercules Method.
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Deconstructed. The Hercules Method can turn you into an incredibly powerful being but [[PowerAtAPrice at a steep price]]. In the end, Luther is so distraught that [[spoiler: [[DrivenToSuicide he doesn't bother defending himself when he is being gunned by the police]]]].
* CombatClairvoyance: "Meat-vision," the horrifying aspect of the Hercules Method.
* CurbStompBattle: Users of the Hercules Methods generally hand these out to whoever tries to attack them. [[spoiler: A more startling example would be Cain's utter decimation of Musashi simply by breaking out of his own chains]].
* DamselOutOfDistress: Petra.
* DeadpanSnarker: Luther and Petra both get a few choice lines.
* DeathByIrony: [[spoiler: Cain ends up killed by Luther, a follower of the Hercules Method that Cain had originally invented, using the same method Cain used to kill his brother Abel to become the First Murderer, a large stone to smash his head to a pulp.]]
* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:Luther.]]
* DespairEventHorizon: Luther crosses this when [[spoiler:he accidentally kills his own mother]].
* DomesticAbuser: [[spoiler:Luther and Petra's fathers.]]
* TheDreaded: Cain.
* EnlightenmentSuperpowers: An interesting case which points out that enlightenment is simply a realization and not necessarily about positive spiritual growth. The students of the Hercules Method come to the profound realization that their minds can overcome their physical limitations.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: The Shooter doesn't like it when someone treats other people like they were things, tool, pieces of meat to be bought and sold. Musashi refused to make Luther watch Petra and Delilah die due to his honor and decide to give him the clean and good death he earned.
* EvilCounterpart: The Librarian was also a social outcast and frail man who discovered the Hercules Method, [[NotSoDifferent a fact that he enjoys harping upon]].
* FauxAffablyEvil: The Librarian.
* GeniusBruiser: The Librarian's punishing physical power is matched only by his intellect.
* GoodThingYouCanHeal: There are many instances where it fortunate for Luther that the Hercules method allows him to heal [[DeliberateInjuryGambit himself]] [[TorsoWithAView of horrific injuries]].
* HealThyself: How the healing abilities of the students that practice the Hercules method work. Depending on the damage it may take more concentration to recover from serious injuries. [[spoiler: However, students will perish if too many vital organs or simply their brain/head is destroyed]].
* HunterOfTheirOwnKind: Whoever takes the role of The Binder effectively becomes responsible for hunting down and capturing rogue students of the Hercules Method.
* UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper: Implied to be one of the members of the cult. [[spoiler: He is and Luther fights him in ''Legend''.]]
* JediMindTrick: Delilah's special ability allows her to subtly influence the minds of others. However, there are limits considering she could not influence an aggressive member of the Bound.
* JerkJock: Jacobson. So much so, one would think the "V" on his varsity jacket stands for "Violent."
* LawyerFriendlyCameo: "Dynamic Tension" is a registered trademark of Charles Atlas, Ltd. Any and all resemblance to the "Hercules Method" as portrayed in ''The Strange Talent Of Luther Strode'' [[BlatantLies is purely coincidental]].
* MartialPacifist: Luther takes on this stance in ''Legacy of Luther Strode''. He now prefers talking and negotiating to wanton violence, but he rarely succeeds because most of his opponents are crazed berserkers itching for a fight. [[spoiler: He does manage to persuade Delilah to take his side by [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre convincing her that she could be better]] than simply being Cain's thrall]].
* MasterOfYourDomain: This is essentially how the Hercules Method works. The students concentrate until they can bring all of their physiological processes under their control.
* MookHorrorShow: [[spoiler:Heavily invoked in the first issue of ''The Legend of Luther Strode'' and outright shown in other instances.]]
* MoreDakka: Petra relies on this to combat users of the Hercules Method, effectively turning her into a gun nut. She obliterated a member of the Bound attacking Luther by firing a 6000 rounds per minute Gatling Gun at him.
* NighInvulnerability: A HealingFactor that would put Wolverine to shame and the ability to actually "catch" bullets by flexing one's muscles make it insanely difficult to kill a practitioner of the Hercules Method.
* NietzscheWannabe: The Librarian. Luther Strode even [[LampshadeHanging calls him one]] after hearing his MotiveRant.
* NobleDemon: Musashi of the Bound. Despite being one of the Bound, he has a strict code of honor which prevents him from engaging in mindless violence like the others and quickly agreed to help Luther and his crew defeat Cain.
* OmnicidalManiac: [[spoiler: Cain]]
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: The Librarian and Binder.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: Luther's modus operandi [[spoiler:in ''The Legend of Luther Strode'']].
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Any student of the Hercules Method but in particular the Bound or students with the greatest potential. As the Librarian states when he comes to get Luther "It's not as if Cain could come to get you. There would hardly be a city left".
* PluckyComicRelief: Pete. [[spoiler: Until his death at the hands of the Librarian.]] Petra became this later on.
* PsychoSupporter: Petra becomes this for Luther in ''Legend of Luther Strode'', considering her bloodthirsty demeanor.
* PullingThemselvesTogether: This is how the students of the Hercules Method heal themselves. The students can control their bodies to the point where they force their flesh, blood, and bone back together like the BigBad from ''Anime/NinjaScroll''.
* PyrrhicVictory: Luther manages to defeat the Librarian, but it costs him his family, his best friend, and any possibility of a normal life.
* ReligionOfEvil: The order of students that practice the Hercules Method. It started with Cain and as he passed on his knowledge they gathered into a group that worshiped murder. At one point the Binder even states, "Why would I want to stop him? [[VigilanteExecution What Luther does]]? It's holy. I wish I had the gifts he does".
* SealedEvilInACan: The Bound, the most talented users of the Hercules Method who are bound in a deep cave as their very presence in the world at large causes massive casualties. In a more literal sense, [[spoiler:Jack the Ripper]] is kept in a box about the size of a mini-fridge. [[RubberMan He's six and a half feet tall.]]
* ShooOutTheClowns: This is arguably the purpose of Pete's death. [[spoiler: Though he does show up as a zombie in the ashcan to explain Luther's powers.]] While the story does have some humorous/happy moments in The Legend of Luther Strode, it never approaches the comedic elements present in the first issues of The Strange Talent.
* SocialDarwinist: Pretty much what Cain and his followers' happen to be. They believe in the strong killing and dominating over the weak.
* SuperpowerfulGenetics: Strongly implied to be the ultimate source of Luther Strode's talent.
* SuicideByCop: [[spoiler:Luther Strode]]'s chosen mode of suicide. [[spoiler:[[BackFromTheDead It didn't take.]]]]
* TechnicalPacifist: Breaking Luther Strode of this becomes the Librarian's chief motive. [[HoistByHisOwnPetard He succeeds a little too well.]]
* TimeSkip: [[spoiler:There's five years between ''Strange Talent'' and ''Legend of Luther Strode''.]]
* TimeToUnlockMoreTruePotential: While Luther already has exceptional potential even for a student of the Hercules Method, in his final fight with the Librarian, after he accidentally kills his mother, Luther finally lets go of his inhibitions and starts to see the Librarian's moves where he couldn't before. As the fight continues, Luther gets stronger and stronger until a warehouse is destroyed and he rips the Librarian's head off spine and all.
* TookALevelInBadass: Luther, big time. He goes from a skinny wimp to a muscular killing machine that can tear apart special forces trained mercenaries, twist steel like it's taffy, and catch bullets in his pectoral muscles.
* TrainingFromHell: Averted. The Hercules Method, as portrayed in the comic, is very low impact with a heavy emphasis on meditation techniques similar to ones found in self-help books. The transformation Luther experiences [[{{Understatement}} is not typical]].
* TwiceShy: Petra, Luther Strode's LoveInterest, has been waiting a long time for him to make the first move.
* WeakButSkilled: While none of the students of the Hercules Method could really be seen as weak, there are the "Average" students and then there are the Bound. The Bound are students that are so good and so powerful that they cannot or will not control themselves when it comes to killing. It's even stated that the Bound are so proficient at the Hercules Method that they are immune to aging and biologically immortal. When a student becomes too strong and needs to be reigned in, a normal student like the Binder is called in to capture them. The Binder even states "Our weakness is our strength as we realize how weak we are compared to you". The Binder relies on skill and weapons to take down the out of control students.
* WickedCultured: Show of hands. How many people know the meaning of the word "soupçon?" Well, the Librarian does and can use said word in casual conversation. He's quite the educated bastard.
* YouCannotKillAnIdea: Cain invokes this trope as his master plan to become a belief and no longer be like any mortal man in history by becoming an idea of murder in the hearts and minds of mankind.


text:
If you learn about food, it starts to feel like you only hear bad news. If every food has something wrong with it, then what are we supposed to eat?
Our family diet has changed dramatically in the last couple of years because of research and food intolerance. It can be overwhelming to say the least.
The latest food we've had to watch out for is sugar. Lane never ate much sugar anyway for two reasons:
- We haven't told her about candy.
- There's a shortage of baked goods at our house. (If you substitute flour and butter, is it still a cookie?)
Recently I found a recipe for a cookie that was both gluten and casein-free. It was a big deal, and we baked together, and Lane got to eat some since it was such a special treat.
Four hours later at 11:30 p.m., Lane was jumping up and down on my bed. She couldn't calm down after the sugar. For the next two days she turned into a crazy child after eating cookies.
So now sugar is added to the list of MSG, caramel color, gluten, casein, and a couple hundred processed ingredients that make Lane and Doug sick. It rules out the majority of packaged foods.
My kitchen now holds products like psyllium, cod liver oil, and probiotics. We keep grains like quinoa, millet, and amaranth. We have almond milk, rice milk, and hemp milk. I had never heard of most of these before two years ago.
When I hear about other people feeling overwhelmed, trying to start over and learn how to cook with entirely new methods, and missing old comfort food, I can relate. My cooking now resembles experiments, with more failures than success. I don't use any of my old recipes.
I could never have managed without people sharing their knowledge and experience online. It's how I figured out Doug's milk intolerance was due to casein, and he didn't need the acid reflux medicine the doctor had prescribed. It's how I first realized that Lane had a gluten intolerance, and she wasn't just small like her doctor thought.
Even though I'm reluctant to make more changes, I'm cheered that all of the changes are so much healthier. Food is personal and tied to so many past memories and feelings. I take it in little steps. My strategy is to choose food with as few "messed-with" ingredients on the label as possible. No one ever says "you know, I really think it would help you to eat more processed foods."
A few more personal stories about changing food habits:
- My Journey To Nourishing Food — from Nourishing Days
- Panel: How Did You Get Started? — from The Nourishing Gourmet


text:
"Every night, hundreds of cancer patients from the farming region of southern Punjab huddle together with their families in an overnight train journey to the nearest cancer hospital, 220 miles away. ... The patients travel from the fertile farming areas of the northern state of Punjab, a region that reports an alarmingly high use of pesticides."
Rama Lakshmi reports for the Washington Post January 2, 2013.
Source: Wash Post, 01/03/2013


text:
Outback is one of my favorite restaurants for gluten-free dining out. And one of the safest I've found, bar none. (Granted, there's always a chance to get glutened when someone else prepares your food, but this has only happened ONCE in the many times I've eaten at Outback Steakhouse.) So I wanted to make a nice document to help other people discover how to have a safe, enjoyable gluten-free dining experience at Outback Steakhouse.
In my free download, each GF Outback meal is broken down dish by gluten-free dish. Each meal has a description of what you can and can't have, how to order it and a handy, quick table of all the custom Outback food items you MUST avoid. I know that Outback has a wonderful Gluten-Free Menu already, but this will help you avoid possible cross-contamination of improperly prepared food as well as quickly and expertly help you communicate to the Outback staff your gluten-free needs.
I also created an Outback Kitchen Tips page — well, two versions of a page actually — that you can print and bring with you to Outback to give to the kitchen staff. It details what they should and shouldn't do to keep your meal safely gluten-free. And this way you can make your needs known without having to do all the verbal explaining. And you won't have to rely on your server to accurately relay your needs to the kitchen staff. Basically, it makes me the "bad guy" who requests all the things we need to stay safe and let's you be the happy, innocent customer yet still get the attention you need in the kitchen.
Okay. So enjoy the download – oh wait! In case you're wondering what I personally order at Outback…. My absolute favorite gluten-free dish is the GF Alice Springs Chicken. (Granted, it tasted a lot better before I found out I'm allergic to dairy when I could eat all that yummy cheese!!!) But I get the chicken and a baked potato with extra Honey Mustard (which is GF and dairy free) instead of all the butter and sour cream (more dairy I miss!!!). But it's still super yummy and my total go-to GF dish at Outback. What's your favorite gluten-free Outback food? Do you have any tips you'd like to add to my list to help out fellow gluten-free diners?


text:
Former boxing world champion Nigel Benn was the star of the show as he put on an entertaining exhibition in aid of Lancaster twins Katie and Emma Sutcliffe.
More than £1,000 was raised at the special charity event held at Lancaster & Morecambe College on Saturday.
The funds will go towards the Twins Appeal, which – backed by the Guardian – aims to raise £85,000 to pay for life-changing surgery to help Katie and Emma walk unaided.
The 15-year-olds suffer from spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, and currently need wheelchairs to get around.
The appeal has so far raised almost £60,000.
The night of boxing, organised by local boxing promoter Frank Harrington, included a three-course meal, comedy and an after dinner speech by Benn.
Afterwards, Harrington said: "It was by far the best show I've ever put on and I've fulfilled a lifelong dream by being in the ring with one of my heroes."
The event was the second boxing extravaganza which Harrington had organised to help the Twins Appeal.
Caroline said: "I really want to thank Frank for supporting our appeal again.
"I would also like to thank all the people who donated on the night and the committee members for all their hard work on the night.
"It was a fantastic event, and great to meet Nigel Benn!"
A great day was also had by all at the John O'Gaunt pub in Lancaster on Saturday, when a day of music raised nearly £600 for the appeal.
An array of talented musicians entertained customers until midnight, and chef Francois Tilman from The French Institute supplied free food for everyone. The money was raised by donations, two raffles and an auction which took place in the evening.
Caroline said: "The manager and staff worked hard all day, along with Mark Coyle and Mark Simpson, who organised the whole event.
"A big thank you to all who worked hard to make it happen, attended and donated."
Family friends Kath Dean and Nicola Rillie organised a Pampered Chef Night last week.
The evening included a bake-off, a presentation of the Pampered Chef products by the hostess Amanda and cakes baked by Kath and Nicola.
Caroline thanked Kath and Nicola for holding the event and also Julie Allonby for helping on the evening and her daughter Hannah for baking.
Caroline also wanted to thank all the people who supported the event and helped make it such an enjoyable evening.
Caroline recently received a cheque from Alex House Friends group for £100.
She said: Katie and Emma went to Alex House as infants and they do a fantastic job there. I am so grateful to them for their support."
A Zumbathon at Lancaster University on Sunday raised more than £400.
It was led by Zumba instructors Emily Meade, Jade Taylor, and Laura Dalglish.
"The day was a great success with a brilliant turnout," Caroline said. "I want to thank Lancaster University Sports Centre for their continued support, the fantastic instructors for leading everyone and making it such fun, and to all the people who attended the event."
Jan Urey completed her 10k Mud Challenge on Saturday, raising money for the appeal.


text:
A week after Kanye West let it slip that he would be partnering with Adidas, the sneaker giant has confirmed the news.
Details haven't been released yet, as Billboard reports, but the apparel company did offer a statement. "For 2014, we welcome to the Adidas family one of the most influential cultural icons of this generation, Kanye West," it read. "Well known for breaking boundaries across music, film and design and partnering with our history in streetwear culture and leading innovations in sport, we look forward to creating a new chapter."
West unofficially announced the partnership during an interview with Hot 97's Angie Martinez, adding that he hoped his products would be on shelves by fall 2014. The deal is not particularly surprising, considering West has been bashing Adidas' rival Nike lately; the rapper said the company refused to offer him royalties and continually skirted the release of his Red October shoes, the follow-up to his Air Yeezys.
See Where Kanye West's 'Yeezus' Lands on Our List of 2013's Best Albums
"The old me without a daughter might have taken the Nike deal 'cause I just love Nike so much," West said at the time. "But the new me with a daughter takes the Adidas deal because I have royalties and I have to provide for my family."
Nike wasn't the only clothing and design company to receive West's wrath in the rapper's recent string of radio interviews. West aired out his many grievances against industry titans like Louis Vuitton and Yves Saint Laurent, whom he claimed were marginalizing him in his efforts to enter the fashion world despite his successes elsewhere.
In other Yeezy news, A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip told Life and Times that he and Rick Rubin are producing the follow-up to West's Yeezus, which the rapper previously said he aims to have out by next summer. Q-Tip has worked with West in the past, most notably on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and Tribe briefly reunited for two special shows in New York as part of West's ongoing Yeezus tour.


text:
Join us at Paint & Create to Paint "Starry Owl"!!
Check out our Summer Calendar and Join us all summer long for Kids Painting FUN!! Creative kids will love the opportunity to paint a mini-masterpiece.
At Paint & Create, we strive to spark kids' imaginations while they think, create, discover, problem solve and build confidence. We want these kids to grow up to be creative adults who invent, imagine and communicate in fresh new ways. We bet you do too!
PAYMENT POLICY: Payment online or via phone is required to guarantee your
reservation. If you choose to not pay online, please call the studio at
717-319-9696 to pay by phone.
CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY: We require 24 hour notice of cancellation so
that we may offer your spot to another customer. A store credit
will be given for individuals canceling with at least 24 hours' notice.
No-shows will not receive a refund or store credit.
Paint & Create reserves the right to cancel classes for unforeseen
circumstances. Registrants will be notified at least 24 hours prior to class
time and will be refunded.
Located in Lemoyne, PA. Paint and Create is a NEW and fun experience for all ages. Come in and relax as we cater to you. Let your imaginations wander and get a taste of new found talents! We provide all painting supplies and artist instruction. No art experience is needed.
Recommended ages are 5+ for any kids events at Paint & Create.


text:
Elite Certified
- Signing Agents -
Brenda Green
Johnny Green
Our company was established in 2004 and has been responsible for providing outstanding Mobile Notary, and Loan Signing. Our specialty is ALL Real Estate Loans and Legal Documents that require Notary Services. We service Solano, Napa, Yolo, Sacramento, and Contra Costa Counties.
Available for your loan-signing needs SEVEN DAYS A WEEK
Hours of Business: 24 hours
Offering convenient mobile notary service to the general public for notarization of individual documents. Appointments can be arranged at the client's home, place of business, or any acceptable public location.
♦ California Notary Public License
♦ National Notary Association Certified
♦ 123 Notary Elite Certified
♦ Reverse Mortgage Certified
♦ $15,000 Notary Public Bond
♦ $100,000 Errors And Omissions Insurance


text:
Julie Warren
|This summary of my journey is not a short one, so make sure you have time to read it all!
First, let me introduce myself. My name is Julie Warren; I'm 35, married and the mother of 4 children, ranging in age from
18-2. I recently moved from Indiana to Arkansas (due to husbands work) in the United States. My husband and family
have been a big support system during my countless surgeries and procedures.
My achalasia journey started when I was about 12 (inability to swallow pills was the first sign I had), although I was not
diagnosed until the ripe old age of 20 (this was in 1991), by a local ear, nose, and throat doctor. I was referred to a local
gastroenterologist and it all began with one dilation, which worked quite nicely for about 7 years; performed by a local
doctor at the time in Bloomington, Indiana. I thought all was good!
By the age of about 28, I started having problems again, dysphagia mainly. I returned to the previous gastroenterologist,
but he wanted to do things his way. I did have him perform another dilation; this time it only lasted for about a year. I felt
I was on the road to endless dilations. I wanted something that lasted a little longer, but he refused to talk about any new
treatments. I wanted something more for my health and future.
When i turned 30, I started having more problems and decided to search for a procedure that would give me more long
term relief. I had heard about a procedure called a laparoscopic myotomy. I did some research and decided that the risks
were worth having the procedure done. Next I had to find a surgeon that could perform the surgery. I called a few local
surgeons and finally I found one. I went in for a consultation not really knowing what to ask! I was scheduled and had a
laparascopic myotomy with a nissen fundoplication performed at my local hospital. First of all let me tell you how important
it is to research your surgeon. I was not educated enough to know this, and picked someone who butchered me, causing
me more problems than I had ever had before the surgery, but it was what they refer to as an incomplete myotomy. My
fundoplication was also to tight, meaning he cut too much along part of the esophageal muscle and not enough in another
place, resulting in a severely distended esophagus in the lower portion.
The first surgery took place in December 2001. By May of 2002 I was having my worst symptoms ever! Symptoms
included severe dysphagia ( liquids as well as any kind of solids), night time regurgitation, and lots of weight loss, plus being
sick all the time from malnutrition and aspirating on food that would not go down! I was a total and complete mess!
I returned to another gastroenterologist, since I wasn't happy with the last one. I had three more dilations between May
and August of 2002. They did not help due to all the damage that was done by this surgeon, they actually made things
worse. Since the lower third of my esophagus was distended, the stretches were just adding to the "pouch" that was
forming. Finally, the gastroenterologist admitted that he could no longer help me and suggested I go back to the surgeon
that performed the first surgery. "Are you kidding?" I thought to myself. There was NO WAY, this surgeon was going
to get his hands on me again! Over the next few months, I started doing my much needed research on doctors and
hospitals that specialized in achalasia, and finally found the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio, which I highly
recommend if you are anywhere near there! I will never go anywhere else now for achalasia treatment even though it is a 7
hour drive from my home town. On my first visit in July 2002, I was seen by Dr. Joel Richter (who now practices in
Philadelphia, PA, at Temple University
Hospital, but use to be the chairman of the CCF Gastroenterology Department). I went through all of the normal
testing procedures, manometry (which was placed during the endoscopy due to all the damage), barium swallow, pH
testing and so on. At this point I'm starting to consider barium as part of my normal diet! He came to the conclusion that
my lower esophagus was massively distended due to an incomplete myotomy and needed to be repaired as soon as
I was hardly able to eat or drink, and was taking calcium channel blockers just to try to help get some stuff down. I finally
had to quite taking it due to a severe reaction. I was rushed to the ER with a heart rate of 166 bpm. I normally have a low
blood pressure, thus causing the reaction to the medication. I didn't feel like doing that again. On the first visit I also meet
with the surgeon and was scheduled for surgery as soon as possible with Dr. Thomas Rice. Unforeseen red tape with
my insurance caused delays, I'm sure we all know this battle all to well. I know this is a problem for a lot of achalasians,
dealing with the insurance companies. It ended up taking me almost 3 months to get my insurance to accept the fact that I
needed the surgery. Dr. Richter actually wrote a letter stating that I absolutely had to have this surgery.
Finally, September 2002, I left my home again to travel to CCF for my long awaited surgery. I was prepped and sent off
for what was suppose to be a 3 hour surgery at the longest, but ended up taking over 4 hours. Dr. Thomas Rice had
performed an open myotomy with a toupet fundoplication, also removal of a lower section of my esophagus. He just
about told me off when I came to, telling me that if I ever let another doctor like the previous one touch me, he wouldn't
touch me ever again. I was in the hospital for 9 days. I woke up to tubes everywhere, and wondered if there was
anywhere else they could have thought of to put another tube! I had a chest tube, nasal gastric tube, a pic line in my neck
(due to malnourishment), not to mention catheters. I came home, I had some nursing help due to incision complications. I
was so malnourished by the time that I had my surgery, I was living on Ensure and other supplements, which I still couldn't
get down half the time. My lowest weight was 97lbs (normal is about 135 for me). I'm not a tall woman, 5'5', so that was a
little much even for me.
In the last 6 years I have had 3 dilations since my surgery, one in April 2004, one May 2006, and one in June 2008. All
performed at Cleveland Clinic Foundation. The first was by Dr. Joel Richter and the others were performed by Dr.
Edger Achkar (current Chairman of the CCF Gastroenterology Department). I am currently doing OK, with only
minimal problems, in hopes that I can stay out of the operating room for a little longer. You can also meet my husband
Douglas if you like, he is also member of the group. This is just the short version of my journey, and I hope that it has
helped you realize that it really isn't all in your head!
I also highly recommend wearing a medical ID bracelet! I wear mine or have it attached to my purse on the outside. I have a
family member that is an EMT, and there is a new way of finding your airway for paramedics. The procedure involves
putting a tube down the esophagus and blowing up a balloon, if they hear gurgles, it's in the esophagus, if they hear air
it's in the trachea. The problem here is that if they hit the esophagus and not the trachea the first time and the person
has had surgery or procedures there is a greater risk that they can perforate the esophagus! Which puts achalasia
patients at a greater risk of further damage. Which we all know we don't need. I have posted a few links on the Books
page for different places to get one! I got mine from Lauren's Hope. Plus the fact that I have a wrap done, and if a NG
tube is put down and they don't know this; there could be damage done! I love my bracelet, I picked out what I wanted it
to look like and exactly what it says!
We formed this web site for the support of achalasia patients and their families, to help educate and inform people of all
of their options. Please feel free to email me or one of my partners on this website for any personal questions you may
have or suggestions for the site. You can contact me through the site or email me directly at firstname.lastname@example.com!
Thanks and Bless You
Julie Warren


text:
I have a new album of Gallery B1 E turned into a chapel. this exhibit features the Gallery owner's shrines or offerenda both in the gallery turned chapel and in the Sculpture Garden. Other artist are showing Day of the Dead themed art. The opening was on November 2nd for Dia de Los Muertos.
November 1st we had a soft opening opened the gallery for a couple of hours and I lead a Feast of All Saints Vespers with Eucharist service. Then last night we had the Opening reception with Mexican hot chocolate, life music and Feast of All Souls Vespers and Eucharist that I also lead. I created the altar and the altar piece is a mural I painted in 2010 for another event. My icons are also being shown as part of the exhibit. The idea of turning the gallery into a chapel and having me lead services as part of the exhibit were all the idea of the owner of Gallery B1E, Andy De La Rosa.


text:
This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a portion of purchases made after clicking these links, at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting TDH!
Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season with your loved ones and are enjoying 2015 so far. I am so excited about what 2015 will bring and I know it's going to be an amazing year! I have survived installing new flooring in the entire house, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and my son's 1st birthday party, and now I'm hoping to settle in and really focus on the blog.
My son's party was a lot of work but it was so fun to plan and I know he enjoyed it, even though he's only 1! He was such a little ham, showing off for all the grown ups, and cracking everyone up during his cake smash when he stuck his face in the cake!
The theme for the party was "Winter Woodland," with little foxes and owls -and most of all- birch! I am so in love with birch right now! The party was totally DIY and on a budget – as usual! I am going to share a few of the projects I did for the party and then I will do a full post with pictures from the party. Sound good?
One of the first things I made was this simple silver and birch wreath, with DIY flocked greenery. I got the beautiful birch ribbon from Decor Steals. The gorgeous lanterns are from Decor Steals as well! If you haven't checked them out yet, go do it! The mini grapevine wreath is from the dollar store.
It's super simple, with just a bow of silver ribbon and birch ribbon, and some real cedar greenery that I flocked myself. It's exactly the look I wanted for the party. I know it's a bit elegant for a birthday party, but I wanted something a little different, and that's the fun of DIY, you can "march to the beat of your own drum," so to speak!
I hope you'll stay tuned for another party project later this week! Happy crafting!
From my {domestic} ♥ to yours,


text:
Members' Listserv
Membership benefits include receiving the Society Newsletter, registration in the members-only Society Email Discussion List, discounted conference fee, and receipt of our journal Women's Reproductive Health (publication began in early 2014).
Access to the electronic mailing list is restricted to members in good standing of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. Your name and email address are added to the list upon receipt of dues payment, and removed if/when your membership is terminated. Mindy Erchull is the list administrator. For assistance, contact email@example.com.


text:
You hear people say it almost daily in the game of baseball, but I've never seen this before. I've never even heard of it happening. But in a game between the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and the Yomiuri Giants the Carp won on a walk-off dropped infield fly rule.
So let me set up what happened. It was the bottom of the ninth with the game tied at 2. Giants reliever Scott Mathieson is on the hill when Carp infielder Tetsuya Kokubo at the plate.
That is former Major Leaguer Juan Francisco, who just recently came to Japan, at first base when the miscommunication occurs and the ball drops.
This is exactly why the infield fly rule is in place. Without it the Giants would have done simply as Francisco did and touch home and then throw to another bag for a double play. However, once the infield fly was in effect, although it doesn't appear it was ever called, the force was no longer in effect.
It seems that the infield fly rule was only enacted on the play after the Hiroshima coaches argue the play. Then the umpires get the call correct. I don't see the umpires in the field but the home plate umpire definitely has the call wrong as he rules the runner from third out at the plate. However, if you watch the end of the video when they show it again it appears the third base umpire, though late, does make the signal for the infield fly.
What a way to lose.
Hat Tip to Brian Moore for sharing the video.
Eric Bynum
Eric Bynum is Managing Editor here at BaseballdeWorld. He spent three years as an ESL teacher in South Korea, and is now working on his master's degree in history with a focus on baseball and WWII. He has played and/or written about baseball for the past 30 years and is an avid Atlanta Braves fan.