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Joined: 27 Nov 2007
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Location: Monterey County, California
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:23 pm
Post subject: Styles of 1816
The dress of the women at Governor de Sola's inaugural ball held at Monterey in 1816 was the same style as had been used by the first families nearly half a century beforean enagua of fine white muslin almost transparent, coming down halfway from knee to foot, ornamented with spangles of gold and floreado, all round, presenting a very striking appearance in the light of lamps, torches, and candles.
Hair in front was cut short and came down to the middle of the forehead; this front was then called the tupe. A lock on each side, called balcarras, hung down to the cheek; the rest of the hair was gathered up behind in black or colored silk net. A close-fitting jacket of silk joined the enagua at the waist, and was buttoned or hooked up to the neck. Flesh-colored silk stockings, low shoes of white satin, pendants and dormilonas, very long ear-drops, and strings of Lower California pearls round the neck, were worn; also a wide scarlet ribbon round the waist, whose ends fell to the bottom of the skirt, with a gold plate five or six inches wide terminating each end. There was also a rebozo of silk of different colors. Street shoes, or zapatos de patillo, had high heels made of light wood.
Bias Pena, born at Monterey in 1823, says that in his day men wore corduroy or cloth britches, jackets, broad-brimmed, low-crowned hats, placing around the crown a girdle of silver or gold thread, or beads. Top-boots were common of chamois skin or leather, the upper part secured with silk ribbon of various colors. They also wore berruchi shoes, and another kind called zapatones, a large clumsy affair. The berruchi were tied on the outer side, the zapatones on the middle of the foot, with thin straps or with strings.
Some of the men wore short breeches, reaching down to the knee only, open about six inches on the outer side, where were buttons of silver, or of some base metal. They had falls which were closed with a fine silver button, or with one of copper. The buttons used by the wealthy had the Mexican eagle stamped on them. The breeches were secured round the waist with a handsome silk sash, which was further ornamented with tassels of gold or silver thread, the ends hanging on either side, or both on one side, but never in the middle. Men were likewise accustomed to wear cloth sleeves of blue or black with silk or velvet cuffs, round which was silver or gold thread wound.
Women in former times braided their hair in one piece, and twisted it round the top of the head, which fashion was called peniado del molote, the molete being held by a comb made of horn, or of tortoise-shell. The American Captain Fitch, in one of his voyages from Peru, brought to Monterey four tortoise-shell combs, which he sold at $600 each, one of them being purchased by Jose de la Guerra y Noriega, one by Mariano Estrada, another by Joaquin Maitorena, and the third by M. G. Valiejo.
In 1804, Commandante de la Guerra prohibited civilians of any class the wearing of any insignia or ornament of those used by the military troopsespecially the cuffs, coloarin, or edging of the collar, and the solapa or lapels of red color. Any one wearing any of those appendages should have them taken off, and should suffer eight days' arrest in the calaboza. A repetition of the offense would be punished according to the condition and circumstances of the offender. All which was published by bando (Proclamation), and the corporals were instructed to see that the bando was obeyed.
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The city of Saratoga Springs committed up to $100,000 of a $225,000 estimated cost to restore the Spencer Trask Memorial and Spirit of Life Statue in Congress Park, officials announced Wednesday.
The project would take place over four years, culminating in 1915, the 100th anniversary of the sculpture's unveiling, according to Samantha Bosshart, executive director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, which is raising $125,000 toward the project.
The project includes improvements to the Spirit of Life sculpture, its surrounding masonry, the east balustrade and the small creek that leads to the pond. A landscape study will look into the strength of the pine trees behind the sculpture, and determine the site's original pathways and plantings.
The city hopes to give $25,000 a year for four years out of its capital budget, she said with Mayor Scott Johnson nearby. The effort marks the first restoration effort of the iconic symbol of the city in 30 years. More on this in tomorrow's paper.

subset: commoncrawl


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"We're trying to bridge gaps," states Will.I.Am., lead rapper for the Los Angeles ensemble Black Eyed Peas. Thus, he notes, the title of the group's second album, Bridging the Gap.
As for the gaps in question, take your pick. Among the most obvious is the Peas' continued commitment to bypass all-too-typical rap cliches (from gangstas to bitches to bling-bling) in favor of the more thought-provoking, positive vibe they introduced on their acclaimed 1998 debut, Behind the Front. Like its predecessor, Bridging the Gap demonstrates the Peas' knack for achieving depth -- such as on the uncompromising, gritty "Get Original" and the funky "Bringing it Back" -- without sacrificing accessibility; the band believes in making the medicine go down with a spoonful of sugar. A perfect example is the album's first single, the soulful feel-good jam "Weekends," which features a strong guest turn from electronic chanteuse Esthero.
"'Weekends' is probably the ultimate party song," Will says. "But our reason for writing it is to pay homage to the nine-to-fiver; the person that works from nine to five, goes out and buys our records, and buys the magazines to read about their favorite artist."
In addition to making music for their fans, the Peas see their music as a way to show love to those artists that inspired them. Two of their heroes, Wyclef Jean and Gang Starr's DJ Premier, each produced a track on Briding the Gap, with Premier taking the reins for the album's opening song, "BEP Empire" and Wyclef handling the smooth "Rap Song." Will describes the latter tune as an ode to the ladies in the Peas' lives. "On the last album we had a love song, 'The Way U Make me Feel.' This one we wanted to do another one, but we wanted to do it differently," he says. "So we thought, 'Let's compare our girls, or people that we care about in that way, to a rap song and the way a rap song makes you feel; like the first time you heard 'Check out my Melody,' by Eric B. and Rakim, you wanted to keep on hearing it."
The song not only pays homage to their ladies and great rap songs, but to the soul greats that Will says he grew up on, such as Earth, Wind and Fire, Teddy Pendergrass and Luther Vandross. Consider it a bridge back to vintage Seventies soul, when songs showed ladies real love. "We didn't want to do the songs talking about bitches and ho's," he says. "If someone wants to write their own version, and compare it to a bitch is a bitch, that's on them. We choose positive songs that really reflect the kind of woman that we like."
That attitude is working for them, at least judging by the talented women that help the band out on Bridging the Gap. In addition to Esthero, and Kim Hill on "Hot," Macy Gray lends her vocal gifts to the album's finale, "Request + Line," an ode to radio and DJs. The group's relationship with Gray predates the success of her first album. Will, who has produced the majority of each of the Peas' two albums, produced some tracks slated for Gray's On How Life Is. Though those songs didn't make the cut, the two formed a friendship that was extended when the Peas opened for Gray on a recent tour.
The Peas have been no strangers to the road over the last two years. In addition to their dates with Gray, they've logged miles with the likes of No Doubt, Lit, and the Warped and Smoking Grooves tours. The experience proved invaluable when it came time to record again -- once the group figured out how to bridge the gap separating their live intensity from the studio. "I remember the first couple of songs that we did for this album we were kind of depressed," Will recalls. "We were like, 'Wow, what's wrong with us? These songs suck.' So we had a little powwow and we realized that what we were bringing on the stage, we had to bring to the record."
The group also realized that though they were now hanging with the big boys, they had to stay true to what brought them there. "Because we've been on tour, because we know the people we know, because we're happy because we know them, we can't let that change how we come across on record," Will says.
Having been around the business since 1992, when he was signed to Ruthless Records as a sixteen-year-old high school student, Will has seen enough of the music business to know what pitfalls await bands trying to follow up a successful debut album. "A lot of times, bands whose first albums I like, the reason their second albums don't live up to the first is because they're in the game to be in the game. And they act it; their personalities change," he says. "We're not going to try to be in the game just because we're in the game. People like us for us, for who we are. Not because we're some crazy-ass freaks."


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Biography: This is Foxie. We found her abandoned at 6 weeks on the side of the road in a box. We're not sure what breed she is, but she's precious and such a good doggy! We think she's part min pin? We adore her and are so glad we found her!
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text: While in town for a mission trip, we checked in with our group. We have been here multiple times, and its always pleasant. Nice staff. Quick to help. Eager to pass out the wifi password. No problems. This time, we were handed a key that said 'suite' and we were blown away. I didn't know there were rooms that big... More


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The theme of the show centers around Billboard No.1 hits, and this teen's already had multiple albums debut at the top of the Billboard 200. She's performed at major award shows and in front of huge crowds countless times, so Miley knows a thing or two about stage presence. And, well, she's been criticized for everything from her clothes to the way she dances, so Miley can definitely give some guidance on how to handle those picky judges. And we love us some 'Party in the USA.' So yeah, we'd say Miley has enough experience given the theme.
Tomorrow night, Miley will show everyone how it's done when she performs "When I Look At You" from The Last Song. BFFs turned cute couple Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas will also sing "Make A Wave."
Are you planning to watch?


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Did you miss me last week? I took a week off, actually two weeks because the last post had been a guest post from the lovely Sandy from confiture de vivre.
The truth is and I am just saying it: I was busy but in a positive way. My family had been visiting me, I had been trying hard to soak up every moment of this rare days where we are all together and enjoying ourselves. My last three weeks had been the best of this year, we celebrated my birthday, had been on vacation in Florida, had the best food Memphis has to offer and did some amazing baking, grilling and cooking. I had been marveled about seeing all the food disappearing faster than I can keep supplies coming.
Also the first time since three years, we had all been on the same continent for my little sisters birthday. I promised her a birthday cake and she chose a carrot cake. Call it karma but I already bookmarked a recipe for a carrot cake in the new baking book I got for my birthday two weeks earlier. It took me some minutes to talk her into this because she thought tahini belongs into hummus and not into her birthday cake. Point taken! I can't deny I felt not just like a risk-taker but also like a thrill-seeker with an apron as I did not just add tahini but also olive oil to the batter. And you wouldn't see this recipe here today if it wouldn't turned out good. Not the right words: it was one of the best carrot cakes ever and I had
a few a lot…
I adapted this recipe from Dan Lepard's "Short & Sweet". Many of you might know him from his Guardian column. I have to admit, I didn't, I learned about this baking book in an article and was even more eager to lay my hands on it, as I read somewhere (maybe a review?) that it would be the only thing to save if your house would burn down. And it has to be a good baking book if I make my sister order it in Britain and bring it over in her suitcase all the way from Germany. It started with one bookmark for the carrot cake and now has colorful post-its all over, next on my list: banana blondie from page 204 or here. How does brazil nut toffee sound to you? Yes I thought so.
carrot, hazelnut and tahini cake with lime cream cheese frosting
Adapted from Dan Lepard's Short & Sweet available here and here. And check out his video here.
I only have extra virgin olive oil on hand, if you have a mild and inexpensive olive oil in you pantry you can use this instead and skip the vegetable oil, this would be 125 ml / 1/2 cup altogether. If you don't want to use olive oil at all use the same amount of sunflower (like mentioned in Short & Sweet) or other neutral vegetable oil.
The original recipe calls for pomegranate syrup or black treacle, I used sugar-beet syrup (Zuckerrübensirup which is popular in the area in Germany where my hometown is, but it's hard to get here (yes we smuggled it). Though I was able to find some from time to time in a well stocked supermarket. I mention black treacle in the recipe instead.
75 g / 1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
75 ml / 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or vegetable oil)
50 ml / 1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp black treacle (dark syrup)
225 g / 1 heaping cup turbinado sugar or light brown sugar
1 + 1/4 Tbsp orange zest (from about 1 orange)
3 large eggs, divided
100 ml / 7 Tbsp fresh orange juice
100 g / 3/4 cup roasted chopped hazelnuts
200 g / 1 3/4 cups finely grated carrots
175 g all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
Preheat your oven to 175 C / 350 F and grease your 24 cm / 9.5 inch springform pan.
In a small bowl measure and mix dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and set aside.
In a large bowl mix tahini, oil, treacle or other dark syrup, sugar and orange zest. Add one whole egg and two egg yolks (save the two egg whites for later) mix until well incorporated.
Add orange juice, hazelnuts, carrots and stir well. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Beat remaining egg whites until soft peaks form and fold into the batter. Place batter into springform pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out without crumbs clinging to it.
Let cool completely on a wire rack before applying the lime cream cheese frosting.
lime cream cheese frosting
Also adapted from Dan Lepard's Short & Sweet. Check out his book for more tips on frosting!
1 package cream cheese (226 g / 8 oz.)
110 g / 1 stick unsalted butter
finely grated zest of one lime
100 g / 3/4 + 1 Tbsp cup powdered sugar
Make sure all ingredients are very soft otherwise they won't incorporate.
In a medium mixing bowl beat butter, sugar and about a third of the cream cheese. Add remaining cream cheese and continue mixing until smooth and fluffy.
Spread frosting evenly on top and wall of the carrot cake, keep refrigerated and the cake stays fresh for several days. Mine lasted 4 days without drying out or loosing flavor.


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Below is the online edition of In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood,
by Dr. Walt Brown. Copyright © Center for Scientific Creation. All rights reserved.
Click here to order the hardbound 8th edition (2008) and other materials.
1. If the Earth had no water and was a perfectly spherical rock, the gravity of the Moon, and to a lesser extent the Sun, would deform the sphere slightly. That deformation is called the "solid tide." For example, twice a day, the solid tide lifts and lowers the foundation of your home slightly, relative to the center of the Earth.
2. "... the solid Earth tide can account for displacements up to ~0.4 m [1.31 feet]" C. Watson et al., "The Impact of Solid Earth Tide Models on GPS Coordinate and Tropospheric Time Series," Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 33, 22 April 2006, p. L08306-1.
3. "Tidal effects could reach up to 30 cm [0.98 feet] in Denmark and Greenland ..." Guochang Xu and Per Knudsen, "Earth Tide Effects on Kinematic/Static GPS Positioning in Denmark and Greenland," Physics and Chemistry of the Earth (Part A: Solid Earth and Geodesy), Vol. 25, 2000, p. 409.
4. An additional amount of heat would have been generated in each pillar's expansion half-cycle. For simplicity, and to be conservative, this heat will be neglected.
Alternatively, the heat generated during a complete compression-expansion cycle would equal the mechanical hysteresis losses, sometimes called the tidal dissipation. If the pillars were purely elastic (or could be considered as a perfect spring), the hysteresis losses would be zero. Because granite is partially elastic, the hysteresis losses must be experimentally determined for the particular (but unfortunately unknown) geometry of the granite pillars. For rocks at tidal frequencies, tidal dissipations of 50% are often used.
5. The average thickness of the subterranean water was greater than 1 mile, as explained in "How Much Water Was in the Preflood Subterranean Chamber?" on page 611, and the preflood tidal amplitude (d) was probably at least 10 times greater than today's 40 centimeter amplitude, because the crust was not resting on the mantle (rock) but decoupled from the mantle and resting on liquid water. Those uncertainties partially cancel each other in determining the time required for the subterranean water to become supercritical water (SCW).
Once the subterranean water became supercritical, tidal amplitudes probably increased by another order of magnitude—from 400 centimeters to about 4,000 centimeters, because SCW is so compressible. If 2,000 years of tidal pumping then occurred before the flood, the thermal energy (Et ) added to the subterranean water would have been
Once the flood began, that energy would have been converted to kinetic energy, because the SCW would have expanded enormously (and cooled) as it flowed in the direction of decreasing pressures, toward the base of the fountains and then up into the fountains. (As explained in "Three Common Questions" on page 127, a remarkable characteristic of supercritical fluids is that a small decrease in pressure produces a gigantic increase in volume—and cooling.
6. If half the thermodynamic work expended in compressing (hammering-out or pressing-out) pillars twice a day was dissipated as heat, and half of the water's heat was lost by conduction into the subterranean chamber's floor and ceiling, the "efficiency factor," e, would be 0.25.
7. "The question arises as to the present state of the H2O mantle [on Europa]—is it primarily [liquid] water or ice? Calculations of the transport of heat by subsolidus convection in ice indicate that it would be completely frozen if normal solar system abundances of radioactive elements were the only heat sources present." P. Cassen et al., "Is There Liquid Water on Europa?" Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 6, September 1979, p. 731.
u "... radiogenic heating alone cannot explain the huge heat power observed at the south pole [of Enceladus]." G. Tobie et al., "Solid Tidal Friction above a Liquid Water Reservoir as the Origin of the South Pole Hotspot on Enceladus," Icarus, Vol. 196, August 2008, p. 642.
8. "The heating rate in the ice crust is greater than in a completely solid body because the unsupported crust is subject to greater deformation." P. Cassen et al., p. 731.
u "...only interior models with a liquid water layer at depth can explain the observed magnitude of dissipation rate and its particular location at the south pole." G. Tobie et al., p. 642.
u "... when a globally decoupling liquid layer is included, the total dissipation power is strongly enhanced and it reproduces the observed [heat flow]." Ibid., p. 644.
u "... models with no internal liquid layer cannot generate a hotspot at the south pole." Ibid., pp. 644-645.
u "The only known way Enceladus could generate heat is for Saturn to raise tides in solid parts of the moon the way Earth's moon raises tides in the oceans." Richard A. Kerr, "Enceladus Now Looks Wet, So It May Be Alive!" Science, Vol. 332, 10 June 2011, p. 1259.
9. Jupiter's moon, Io, has many volcanoes, some ejecting material 500 kilometers into space—farther than from any other volcanoes in the solar system. Tidal pumping also generates Io's heat, but the ejected material is sulfur dioxide, not water.
10. For example, see Steven W. Squyres et al., "Liquid Water and Active Resurfacing on Europa," Nature, Vol. 301, 20 January 1983, pp. 225–226.


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No plans this week? Go see some live music! These are the five local shows worth checking out this week.
Tuesday, September 24th
Minus the Bear
In 2001, members of Sharks Keep Moving united to for math rock infused indie group Minus the Bear. After putting out an acoustic EP early this month, the Seattle-based band jumped on tour with Tera Melos and The New Trust. Now pushing more experimental sets, the bands' injection of strange time signatures and guitar effects adds some flavor to the the boring indie scene and helps put Minus the Bear into the ears of a much more eclectic audience.
Wednesday, September 25th
One of musical history's more experimental and extreme groups, Norwegian jazz group Shining keeps pushing the limits of sound. With their new album One One One the band is rebranding their avant-garde metal/jazz concoction. As Shining's sound is quite particular, their sound hasn't influenced a new generation of musicians in any obvious ways. The band has, however, abstractly set new boundaries of what can be done within the realm of the classically American jazz genre.
House of Blues
Boy bands are undisputedly back. Groups like One Direction, Big Time Rush, and The Jonas Brothers have been lip-syncing and choreographically performing their songs to younger audiences through Nickelodeon TV shows, movies and massive tours. Older groups have been making comebacks as well, with N'Sync performance at this year's VMAs. Uber-christian family pop group The Jonas Brothers owe a lot to Hanson. This brotherly trio produced some of the worst pop music of all time, but I guarantee you now every word. I know I do.
Thursday, September 26th
Title Fight
As one of today's punk scene pillars, Title Fight never ceases to bring an incredible amounts of energy to their shows. After bursting into the scene with their album Shed the band sold out two back-to-back dates at Chain Reaction in Anaheim and have only gone up from there. Title Fight performed at last year's Warped Tour and have been picking up bigger shows ever since. Title Fight based their early pop-punk sound off of emo bands like Jawbreaker, but today are branching out into grungier more '90s sounding music. Hopefully Title Fight will shed some light on what their new EP, Spring Songs, will sound like.
Hindu Pirates
Constellation Room
The cousin to many Burger Records bands, the softer and more radio friendly surf rock band Hindu Pirates are doing their best to make waves in Orange County. When they played the U.S. Open in 2012, they seemed to be really going places. In the past year, however, they haven't made any big moves. This apparent loss of momentum doesn't mean they don't still have the potential to break out of the oversaturated Orange County garage rock market. We hope they do.
Follow us on Twitter @OCWeeklyMusic and like us on Facebook at Heard Mentality.


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Derek Sawyer thinks he has it all - a high-salaried position, a boyfriend, a dog, even a new cabin on the lake - until a business trip with his manager and best friend, Victor, shatters his world.
One night of drunken horsing around in their hotel room leads to the most intensely personal violation Derek has ever endured. As if the humiliation of working under his attacker every day isn't enough, Victor reports Derek for sexual harassment. Now he's without a job, without a boyfriend, and the mortgage on the cabin is due.
Officer Russ Thomas has worked with rape victims before, and it doesn't take him long to sort out the truth in Derek's tale. With his support, Derek finally reports the crime, months after it happened. But restraining orders and lawyers further Victor's anger toward him, and even though a relationship develops between Derek and the policeman, Russ can't be there to protect him all the time.
©2015 Jamie Fessenden (P)2016 Dreamspinner Press
There are no listener reviews for this title yet.
Violated is a well written story and a very accurate portrayal of someone who has gone through this level of trauma. The story also touches on the additional social and legal traumas of this kind of experience, but still allows the characters a positive future.
Aside from Performance which never detracted or got in the way of the story, I had a REALLY hard time deciding how to apply the star ratings. On one hand it is important to acknowledge that this Does happens and just how strong and lasting an impact it has on the survivor's life. Once it gets going, this story does that w/ grace and honesty. It seemed to me that it took half the book to really get started but then it is excellent. On the other hand I am extremely disturbed by just how often sexual violence is part of our culture's "entertainment" in books, movies and TV.
Because it is honest, well written, about healing & gives voice to experiences that need to be acknowledged, I gave 5 Overall. Because the of the very slow build up & adding to the ubiquitous sexual violence, in fiction I gave the Story 3. [Yes, I understand the irony of my having purchased the book]
"Totally enjoyed listening to this"
This story was very interesting. It was about male rape which we don't often hear about, because men do not report these rapes not wanting to expose their vulnerabilities. It was very informative and revealed the criminal justice system with all of its flaws. The story was well written and I recommend it.
"Very tough subject handled beautifully"
This is a tough, tough story about a man whose identity as a man has been amazingly distorted not just once but many times over. It's bad enough that he's endured a rape at the hands of his best friend, but the fact that it was anal sex in particular strikes a chord in him due to his father's horrible abuse. In addition to that, his boyfriend doubts him, the people at work doubt him, and frankly, he doubts himself.
What makes this a good book is that it doesn't try to make anything perfect or "fixed". Even at the end, it's a work in progress. Though it's lovely when all the ends are tied up neatly by the end of a story, it's rarely realistic and this acknowledges that fact. The epilogue shows our MC two years later and he's still far from perfect. I guess that's a good thing to know going in to this – if you want a fairy tale – this isn't that book.
Jamie Fessenden has given us a romantic work of fiction – but at it's heart, it's a story about one man's struggles with his own life – and how his new partner can help him – but mostly it's about him.
The writing is excellent. Gritty. Honest. Sweaty and messy. Derek isn't perfect before the attack and he's not after. Neither is Russ, Travis or anyone. They all make human mistakes and do the wrong thing sometimes. But it's their heart that matters and both Derek and Russ have great heart – that's what gets shown here.
This was not at all what I was expecting and part of me absolutely cringed as I was listening to it. Not just the attack – that's obviously horrible – but the author chose to show us both Russ and Derek in relationships before the attack so that we'd get a sense of who they were before and after.
Again – that's good to know going in – if you don't like to see your MC with other people this will be uncomfortable for you.
I found there were other parts of the book that were fascinating as well. It's another look at being gay and gay sex in a way that – at least for me- I hadn't really seen before. At least not in this way. Derek is an openly gay man but with deeply rooted fears about anal sex and how that's perceived to be the receiver. In one session with his therapist, Derek is reminded that anal sex isn't even the most preferred method of sex in most relationships. This is important to remember, because in the romance world it feels like penetration is the be all end all of sex and intimacy.
I think listening to this was probably a lot harder than reading it. You're sort of forced to hear every word and it makes it a bit more stark than if you can skim through an uncomfortable part.
If I'm being honest, I wish there'd been more to the ending than there was. We spent so much time in preparation – learning about all the characters and setting the scene. Then there was so much time spent in the aftermath. Rightly so. But the "happily ever after" was very brief. Maybe intentionally so, I'm not sure. But I do know that I really wanted to see Derek happy again as we'd spent so much time with him miserable. For me, what I want in a true "romance" is that healing, the place where the couple bonds and finds love with one another "post apocalypse" and we really miss that as it's simply summed up in a couple of sentences. Again – this is important to know as you go into this – if that's what you're after, it's really not here – not in a satisfying way.
KC Kelly is a great narrator and he has the acting chops to make the emotion in this as real as possible. I think he did a good job and I really think he was a good choice for this. The sound quality was great and I think listening to this absolutely added to the overall experience.
All in all this was a really well written story and not something easily forgotten.
I think, based on the great performance, the tough subject matter and the lack of a "perfect romance", I'd give this 4 of 5 stars.
"Great story and great narrator"
The only Reason this Does not get five Stars for the story is because i reserve this for my very favorit listens. The story has a lot of Build up and u get to know the characters very Well. And the rape makes u Want to cry for the MC because even though rape is Never okay, the MC has so many hangups from his past that it must be especially difficult to deal with. And being raped by someone Who is a childhood friend must be horrible and the MCs life falls to pieces due to this. So - this book deals with serous issues and it it not a ligthhearted story but it is a live story and worth a listen
I can't say I know a story like this from experience. But I feel this author was respectful and did her research and didn't make a serious situation like rape a joke or unbelievable in the sense of healing. I appreciate this story and the ups and downs included in it. That is what makes it such a good book and the author even better. Please take the time to invest in this story. It is so worth it
I would like to start off by mentioning if violence and rape are your triggers then Jamie Fessenden's Violated may not be the story for you. It is very clear from the blurb and the tags alone that a tragic event will happen. Therefore, I knew going into the audiobook that this particular story was going to be very hard to listen to.
Having said this: Even I hadn't counted on just how thoroughly Fessenden delves into the after effects of Derek's rape and how he deals, and doesn't deal, with everyday life.
Derek does truly have it all...or does he? He has a fiancé, Tim, a great job and a new home away from home.
As Derek and Tim settle into their new cabin their neighbor Russ, a local cop, introduces himself to the couple. There seems to be an immediate interest, in Derek, on Russ' part, and Derek catches a glimpse of Tim's jealousy. As Tim makes his possessive nature known Russ and Derek become very uncomfortable.
Let's just say, I didn't care for Tim at all! Derek seemed to tiptoe around him, and constantly alter his behavior, just to not set off Tim's insecurities. In my eyes their relationship did not feel equal at all and as Violated progresses you learn just what a jerk Tim really is.
Adding to Tim's unease is Derek's straight best friend, Victor. Derek and he have been friends for over 20 years and even work together. Of course, Tim and Victor do not get along at all and Derek always finds himself having to mediate between the two. Especially when Derek is asked to accompany Victor on a business trip to Tampa.
A trip where the rape ultimately occurs.
It was very difficult for me to listen to Victor rape his "best friend". K.C. Kelly narrates Derek in a way that broke my heart.
One of the things that I found most difficult to hear was Derek's life slowly unraveling.
There is a scene where he stays in the hotel bathroom waiting for Victor to wake up. All of these thoughts running through his mind: The incredulity that Victor could do this to him. That somehow his actions made Victor do this to him. That, in the words of his step-father who had beaten it into Derek's head at a young age…he is now a "true fag" because anal sex made him such. Although Derek doesn't really believe this it's one of the first thoughts in his head after the rape.
Most heart wrenching is that Derek has never before had anal sex and this violation of his body, and mind, really does a number on him.
K.C. Kelly does a terrific job of narrating Violated. He has such a distinct tone and puts so much emotion into it that I felt captivated by his delivery and the pacing of the story. Kelly absolutely shines and brings the author's words to life. Through his voice we hear the utter devastation when Derek is placed on leave from his job and I could hear the fear again when Derek confronts Victor in the parking lot.
There is one scene in particular where I myself was literally shaking in agony as K.C. absolutely took me directly into the heartbreaking moment – with just his voice!
As the aftermath of the rape plays out, Derek finds Russ' presence in his life to be a balm to his soul. Russ is there for Derek and supports him every step of the way. As they deal with Derek's violation, legally and mentally, the two men slowly begin working their way together in a more personal way.
Violated is an incredibly tough, but worthwhile story, whether you decide to read or listen. It is a credit to K.C. Kelly that he does an excellent job with the subject matter and he truly draws the listener into the story with his soothing tone. He brings each character to life.
While the subject matter of Violated is very difficult, I would highly advise you to take a chance on this story. Especially the audio version, where you can fully immerse yourself in Derek's journey .
"Simply incredible. Heartbreaking. Emotional"
This was an amazing story. It wowed me from the beginning. I truly loved it despite the angst, which is something I normally don't enjoy reading. The author did a good job of mixing the dark parts of the story with romance and humor.
Without a doubt this is one of the best books I've regarding the rape of a man. It didn't shy away from the scary parts nor did it gloss over any of the necessary healing.
The books starts with Derek Sawyer in a relationship with Tim. Not a happy relationship. I would even call Tim emotionally abusive with his jealousy and poor treatment of Derek. His assholiness becomes even more obvious toward the end of the book. Derek meets Russ after buying a cabin on the lake. There is an attraction between the two men right away but neither act on it because of Derek's relationship.
Derek's life is changed when he accompanies his childhood friend and co-worker, Victor, on a business trip. After too much booze Victor rapes Derek. The description of the act is straightforward and not at all titillating. And the aftermath of the assault is explored on every single level. Nothing is glossed over. Derek isn't magically cured just because he meets the right man and finds true love. Just like in real life, he isn't instantly fixed.
I loved how Fessenden did a slow burn on Derek and Russ's relationship. It never felt forced or unrealistic. Russ does everything perfectly but he isn't portrayed as an angel. He has his flaws but loving Derek isn't one of them.
The plot and pacing of this story was spot on. And the action scenes were well written.
And the characters, oh my God, the characters were so well-drawn. Not just the main characters, but also the supporting ones such as Russ's family. Now they were hilarious.
This book, or audio, is so very highly recommended.
Narration Review:
K.C. Kelly did an okay job here. He wasn't the worst narrator I've listened to, but I've certainly heard much better. There wasn't much inflection in his voice nor was there much difference between the characters voices. Thankfully, Fessenden's stellar words made it easy to distinguish between the two men and their POVs.
Kelly's narration didn't ruin the story but it didn't add much either.
"A tough subject handled well."
I liked that Jamie went all out on the rape scene and didn't make it off the page as in some books. He doesn't pull punches or sugar coat the drama in the story. As a survivor, I can relate to Derek and appreciate Russ.
No. I haven't. I admit at first I thought it was just so-so. There isn't much infliction among the characters and all the view switching at the first of the book was very hard to follow. He redeemed himself at the end where there were more inner thoughts and just narration. He became very powerful in evoking the emotions Derek seemed to feel. That's why I changed the rating that had been a three throughout the book to a 4
Yes. The Christmas scene where Derek was alone I cried.
I enjoyed this story, though it is a tough read/listen. I give the author a high five for dealing with a touchy subject. Just because a person is big and strong doesn't make him or her invincible. Being intoxicated is not a yes. I appreciate that Jamie brought forth so much emotion in the story. I will say there were scenes like Russ's vacation at the nude farm that had me scratching my head and wondering why it was there.
I do think in this particular story with the front having so many switches in view things were a bit jarring and hard to follow.
If you like a darker story, drama, angst, touchy subjects, and a story of two men forming a relationship through tough times. thisis for you.
Warning if you have triggers and rape is one of them this may not be for you.
"great story"
I was unable to stop once I started reading. wonderful love story with all gentry
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Good Morning! I hope everyone was able to be with loved ones and family over the holiday. It always goes by so quickly. I am also taking advantage of this time off to have a bit of fun in my craftroom playing with some new stamps and goodies that have been staring at me for the past couple of weeks! I thought it would be fun to join in on the fun on Debby's blog " A Scrapjourney" for a chance to share my five favorite Christmas Cards and win some great candy! Hope you will join in the fun, too!
Debby is doing her post again for everyone to share their 5 favorite Christmas cards from 2012! and for a chance to win some CHRISTMAS CANDY (HERE)!! All you have to do is share your five cards and then link up on Debby's blog for the chance to win!
One of my favorite images, my first card features this cutie patootie, colored with copics, "Winter Fairy Talva" by Mo Manning. Details for this card can be found here.
This card above also features another Lili of the Valley Image, called "Winter Fairy" colored with copics- more info on this card can be found here.
This lovely "old world" digi image colored with copic markers is called "Christmas Carols" by The Paper Shelter. Details can be found here.
And last, but not least, is "Christmas Lantern Marci" by La La Land Stamps. She is colored with copics. Details for this card, (inspiration courtesy of Sara Winter ofDaisy Dreams blog) can be found here.
Why not join in the fun and share your 5 favorite Christmas cards of 2012! Have a great day and good luck to all who enter- what a great way to share our holiday cards.


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It's easy to add Websites you visit often to your device Home Screen.
- Open the Web page using the Safari browser.
- Tap the Share icon, then tap Add to Home Screen.
- Tap inside the title box, and rename the link if desired.
- Tap ADD.
I needed a very long URL with /s that was too difficult to type in the browser bar (it's also a link that wouldn't have shown up if I'd Googled it). I copied the link and emailed it to my iCloud email address (or whatever email account you've set up on your device). When the email came in (on the iPad), I tapped the link to open it in Safari. Then added to Home Screen as outlined above.?
Any tips to share? Please leave a comment.


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from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. Plural form of mentor.
- v. Third-person singular simple present indicative form of mentor.
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Also, the pool of potential mentors is larger if you make it something people can do over the Internet and phone -- like the busy professionals in Chicago, who can help schoolkids from their desks instead of trekking back and forth to the schools in the middle of the afternoon.
Anya Kamenetz: E-Mentoring: Someone (Virtually) by Your Side
A program which I support called Nnational Lab Day (NLD) is connecting mentors from the real world of tech and science with K-12 kids to do hands-on projects.
A funny thing: One of Howard's on-court mentors is best remembered as a stoic, glowering figure.
Governor Pete Wilson dispatched mentors from the business world into schools in forgotten communities.
Having good mentors is an important part of any musicians development.
J Pinder Releases New EP, Opens For Jake One and Freeway on Sunday. Cola Q&A « PubliCola
And in the spirit of Mahmoud's December gathering, they want to train American mentors to assist new refugees.
Philip Jacobson: From A Syrian Prison To A Chicago Apartment: An Iraqi Refugee's Story
Note also that every single one of Obama's long term mentors and confidants (with the possible exception of Michelle) is not just Muslim, but Islamofascist: William "Abu Zayd" Ayers; the so-called "ex-Muslim" Jeremiah Wright; Islamofascist "cousin" Raila Odinga; PLO terror supporter Rashid Khalidi; Saudi-NOI moneyman Khalid Al-Mansour; and perhaps the greatest influence of all, Obama's communist, racist, Islamofascist father.
On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with...
As a high-school-photojournalist, your comment about mentors is right on.
I'm thankful for those who I call mentors, colleagues, and friends through this process:
For four years, Anthony has been a "little brother" with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas, which provides long-term mentors for children.


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Birthday Parties
A party at the Beach Bums game is a fun and easy way to celebrate a birthday for all ages. Watch the game and celebrate together, and let us take care of all the details, including treats for you and your guests.
Wuerfel Park is the perfect place to celebrate and let the atmosphere take over for your child's birthday this season. The Beach Bums offers accommodations starting at 10 kids. The party takes place in one of the two ice cream parlors at Wuerfel Park for one hour prior to the game. What better way to celebrate a birthday than with the Beach Bums.
- A personalized birthday cake
- A Birthday Card from Suntan & Sunburn
- A PA announcement "Happy Birthday
- An autographed team ball for the birthday boy/girl
- Autographed Suntan & Sunburn Picture for all
- A visit from Suntan or Sunburn
- 2 XL Jet's Pizza's
- 10 20oz Bottles of Pop or Bottled Water
- Use of one Ice Cream Parlor for an hour
- 10 Chairback Seats
Cost for a party of 10. $200
Additional tickets for the party are available for $20. Additional tickets for the game only are $10.
Contact the ticketing office at 231-943-0100 to book your party or email email@example.com.


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KaAS at PIA Planetarium at Global Astronomy Month 2013.
KaAS at Bait-ul-Khair for observation of Asteroid DA14 on the night of 15th Feb 2013. There were around 30 people at the roof top of one of KaASians house.
First Light of Webstar C24 at Kirthar National Park.
Photo Credits: Hanif Bhatti
KaAS at R-17 Al-Beruni.
Photo Credits: Omer Sidat
Karachi Astronomers Society at the Zam Zama Park, Karachi, Pakistan during a public event in 2012.
KaAS at a Rutjaga in Lakhan Range
KaAS at Badro Jabal in Dec 2010 along with Amateur Astronomers from Lahore.
KaAS at Mars Opposition at PIA Planetarium, Karachi, Pakistan.
The beginning of KaAS - Partial Solar Eclipse 2008 at PIA Planetarium, Karachi, Pakistan
Karachi Astronomers' Society (KAS) is a dedicated group of astronomers, almost all of them amateurs, in Karachi. KAS is the short name given to this society by the founders. Now KAS has its active members all around Pakistan including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Quetta, Sargoda, Hyderabad and other cities.
The society is made up of individuals who are willing to work for the achievement of KaAS's goals and objectives from anywhere in the world.
Our vision is to contribute towards the progress of Pakistan in the field of Astronomy both as a Science discipline and as a hobby.
KAS was founded by some Amateur Astronomers of Karachi in 2008. The founders include
Our mission is to channel the interest in astronomy and space sciences that has existed among Pakistanis since decades for the benefit of the country and its people, and to provide an active and organized platform to pursue and promote astronomical activities on national and international levels.
The seeds of KAS were sown in 2008 when some of the most Amateur Astronomers enthusiasts met at a Partial Solar Eclipse 2008 session at PIA Planetarium, Karachi. From there the society started to grow and in June 2010, we launch this website www.KarachiAstronomy.com which is the most active Astronomy society website in Karachi and have lot of resources.
Join and be part of Karachi Astronomers Society. You can be a website member by following the link.
By registering yourself to the website, you will be subscribed automatically to the following
Currently, we have 1800+ registered members on our website. In addition to that we have 12000+ fans on Facebook.
We offer paid membership at Rs. 1500/Yr* per person to those who are already registered to our website www.KarachiAstronomy.com. For students the membership fee is Rs. 1000/Yr.
By becoming a paid member in addition to the benefits that website members get, you qualify for the following:
We also give KAS Tshirts to our interested members at a cost of Rs. 600/-*. If you want one please tell us the size (S, L, M, XL) and we will bring it for you in our upcoming event.
*The prices can be changed by the KAS Management without prior notice
Be a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KarachiAstronomy
Sahal Telescopes and Binoculars
Keep checking our forums "Buy and Sell" section for used telescopes and binoculars in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, Pakistan.
Astron Astronomical Instrument Solutions
Not that Pakistani amateur astronomers don't want to contribute - it's just that most simply don't know astronomical organizations exist in the country. You should tell your family, friends and acquaintances about these astronomy clubs and their activities, and invite them over to events. The internet is one amazing resource.
2. Preparing Flyers
We at KaAS love to arrange sessions for the public every month. Then our core team has our hands full with a multitude of tasks - taking care of logistics, getting the observing and photography equipment ready, preparing for discussions, to name a few - while simultaneously looking after our day time jobs. At such times we really wish that someone would volunteer to design attractive event/meeting flyers. This, unlike arranging telescopes and their logistics, is something anyone can do.
3. Learning the Basics
Preparing attention-gathering flyers well ahead of an event or meeting is a genuinely useful contribution. But there's a small catch - the flyer should be factually correct. So you should spare some time to learn the basics of astronomy through reading. Then you should co-ordinate with the society to better understand its workings. This basic know-how and a little creativity is all that you need to be a valuable part of the Pakistani astronomy community.
Learning the basics will also help you enjoy your time at our meetings and rutjugas (dark sky trips) to the fullest.
4. Making Event Logs
Arranging a public outreach session or meeting is not easy. Planning and successfully organizing a trip to dark sky sites is an even more daunting task. Yet, our core team is always willing to that. What we ask from participants, especially the first or second timers, is to compile detailed, descriptive logs of the activity you observe once you are back from the event. In the past KaAS has organized some of the most successful events in the history of Pakistani astronomy but our core team have to spare so much time for the logistics and planing that it becomes impossible for us to prepare event logs. The result: we have fond memories of the events but no way to share them with other astronomers, the rest of the country and the world.
Again, this is a crucial contribution that you can make.
5. Periodicals and the Mass Media
If you write well, you should tell about our astronomy clubs and their activities to newspapers and magazine, especially those geared towards youth. Don't overlook Urdu language periodicals! Some examples of youth magazines are The Truth, Young World, ماہنامہ گلوبل سائنس , بچوں کا اسلام and VShine World, to name a few.
6. Sharing Knowledge
The KaAS forums are a great way to share knowledge and information about Pakistani astronomy. You should contribute to the discussions over there. Remember the old adage? "Knowledge increases by sharing".
At the end of the day, it's your astronomy group. There's nothing to lose if you contribute to it but there's lots to gain - definitely a win-win situation!
Clear skies and happy star gazing,
Zain Ahmed
The author is a 23 year-old electronics engineer by profession. He has been involved with the Pakistani astronomy scene since 1997 and routinely collaborates with astronomy enthusiasts, both novice and experienced, throughout the country.


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lame excuses frm exes im sick of hearing...add yours
Im sick of being nice, and im sick of excuses!!! I plan on being a not so nice person.
Why do they think that it's ok to do whatever they want, . Im done! I dont care if he go's to jail, If he is not paying me, not looking for a job, then he should be in jail. what do I care. Im pissed off. wish I could turn into a man for 10 minuets!!!!
I thought that I was going to get an engagement ring one weekend...I was 100% sure. Instead, I got dumped, citing 'cold feet' as his excuse. Great but he up and and left me with the bmw payment, the rent, all of the bills...most of which have his name on them too! Like the lease is in his name also, the car is in his name...why is this all my responsibility all of a sudden? And he can't help me with these bills because he's spending his money on DATING. WTF??????
But I'm not bitter.
a home based business. Then he will really act like he had an awakening. I can't stand that how men can have kids but not support them.
When my ex realized that I wasn't just going to take "i'm broke" as an excuse anymore and I wanted him to explain HOW he was broke (the man makes more then twice what I make, plus he's living with someone who also works, so there should be more then enough money to pay the bills) he seemed to come down with a case of "can't balance my check book" . He has been broke because of bounceed checks atleast 5 times since Jan. He threw a fit the one time I bounced a check, but i'ts become a habit for him? I don't think so.
Quoting melmo22:
i agree with you because i am a single parent and my son's dad bailed on me when i was 15 years old and he is suppose to pay child support but you know how that goes. i haev a question i am new on this and my son has ADHD and i need some advice so if your child or children has it please write me back or if you know some people. thank you for having time to read this.


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This listing is not being advertised.
Price: $6,500
3 Bedroom / 3 Bath Ultra Luxury Condo 2 Attached Garage Parking paces. Approx. 2,400/sqft. LONGYEAR AT FISHER HILL. Be the first to lease this stunning condominium tucked away in one of Brookline's most exclusive neighborhoods. One of just five units in the building situated on the picturesque grounds of the Longyear Estate atop Fisher Hill some of the features and amenities of this elegant 3 bedroom / 3 bathroom condominium include: A gorgeous marble foyer with an outfitted coat closet that leads you into the inviting family room / kitchen with hardwood floors and granite counter tops equipped with a breakfast bar. The all stainless kitchen showcases a Viking refrigerator, Wolf 5 burner gas cooktop with vent, Wolf wall oven, and a Wolf convection/microwave wall oven; the appliance package finishes out with an Electrolux Steam Laundry Unit contained in your laundry room. A stately living room is complimented by a large gas fireplace and media nook and the formal dining room is highlighted with an elegant chandelier. The carpeted master suite is complete with a finished walk-in closet with enough storage for all of your needs, and two additional carpeted bedrooms each boast their own baths as well. Two Attached Garaged Parking Spaces, Concierge, Gated Security, Heated Swimming Pool, & Fitness Area make for the complete package in this amazing community. Runkle School District, Convenient to all that Brookline has to offer.


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"The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion" - Thomas Paine.
We are human beings sharing a planet, and to separate ourselves into factions is unnecessary. To be a patriot is to put your country above and before others which is completely wrong and leads to xenophobia and war.To keep a flag up is pointless, and does nothing but indoctrinate the feeling in impressionable children that they should be proud of their country. Your government needs people to feel patriotic so that you will go to war and die for their purposes, if people realised that we are all the same, that we're all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, and that we are truly insignificant, then maybe we wouldn't kill our fellow man to satisfy a few men in power.
These are not problems that can solved by taking a flag down, but keeping it up will only perpetuate the belief. We should be proud of the people we are not the place we live and if this was taught in schools, then whether or not the flag should stay up would be a mute point.
P.S. Also please chanting USA, you sound like morons,
Kind Regards,
The Rest of the World
This is speaking from an entirely U.S perspective: There is nothing objective, productive, or useful produced from patriotism expressed by any person, organization, entity or institute in any way. While I am not against a persons right to express patriotism for any entity (or anything) that they want to express patriotism for, there is technically no direct need for it. Schools should be able to choose whether they use the flag or not ultimately. The objective of schools is to educate and prepare kids for the future, nothing more.
There is absolutely no reason for anyone to care about whether a school decides to stop using the American flag or not. As said before: "The objective of schools is to educate and prepare kids for the future, nothing more."
To answer the question being asked more directly, if certain circumstances somehow call for the flag to be banned, go for it right away, no debate.
Why would America ban the flag in school? What circumstances are there that would call for the removal of the flag? If there was some extreme circumstance then probably but I cant think of any. I think having pride and patriotic feelings for your country can only be a good thing. Flying the flag in schools helps install this belief.
Why would you not want to support America if you chose to live here? If you don't like it move! I can understand not like a certain political person, but all of America? Unless it is a privet school. Privet school can do whatever they want per say but the American flag should most definitely not be banned from schools.
The American flag should be free to fly in every foot of this country. There should be no restrictions on this aside from unsafe acts. The only way the flag should be limited in schools is if its portrayal or mounting endangers students. Any other restrictions on the flag are not in the spirit this country, the flag, or the people who made it intended.
The American flag is an important part of our history and our culture. I can see of no reason why a display of an American flag in an American public school should ever be a problem. The American flag flies at post offices, in schools and churches, at National cemeteries, and on many private homes and businesses. It should stay displayed in public schools.
I cannot imagine any circumstances where American schools would need to ban the national flag. On a cynical level, I look at it as branding. American taxpayers are funding (sponsoring) that school, so brand America should be represented there with the flag. If you run a private school and get no public funds (and that includes vouchers) then sure, display (or not) what you want.
I can't think of any single circumstance that would call for removal or banning of the American flag in American schools. Any problems a school may be facing should be dealt with at the source of the problem and a symbol of the country will never be the actual source of the problem. No matter what the country or school is going through, banning the flag may alleviate the symptoms temporarily but never actually get to the root cause.
Why would we ban American flags in American schools. Are we scared of offending someone? Who would we be offending? Wouldn't banning the flag offend many people also. Especially veterans or family members who have lost loved ones defending that flag. Why is it ok to offend certain groups but not ok to offend others. The flag is a symbol of this country. Removing it to keep some groups happy is a disgrace. We cant make everyone happy but we can be proud that we live in a country that allows us to express our opion regardless of who we offend. Thats called freedom. Thats something the American flag stands for. Keep that flag flying!!
I am an American citizen, I pay my taxes that pay for that school. I should be represented for my contribution. Thus the American flag should always be in every public school. Should a school ban that flag, they shall not receive benefits that our citizens pay for. End of subject.
Why on Earth should we ban the American flag? There are no circumstances or 'safety reasons'. Any student who causes 'safety reasons' to apply in the display of the American flag must immediately be punished. Continued obstruction of the display of American patriotic symbols is worthy of investigation. So, no.
That inspires kids not to love their country. Then they might bring our nation to the ground. Also the only other argument posted in this debate is a hippie liberal conspiracy theorist one, so yeah. We need to be patriotic, love our country and have values. The flag is important.


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Enjoy an introduction to Ireland by visiting some of the island's most popular highlights.
Best of the Best in Ireland with CIE Tours
5 Nights/6 Days - US$2189 / C$2,912 (Based on 4 People)
Value, With 5-Star Finish
Enjoy an introduction to Ireland by visiting some of Ireland's most popular highlights. Begin by exploring Dublin, then meet your private driver and pop down to Blarney Castle and a jaunting car ride in Killarney. Enjoy a day out enjoying a scenic drive around the Ring of Kerry or the Dingle Peninsula before venturing to the Cliffs of Moher. Spend the last night in the luxurious Dromoland Castle.
Suggested hotels
- Ashling Hotel, Dublin (2 nights)
- Great Southern Hotel, Killarney (2 Nights)
- Dromoland Castle, Shannon
Prices are land only, per person, based on double occupancy on four people traveling on 2018 private driver suggested itineraries. Book by 02/28/17. Promotion Code: BOTB2018. Not combinable with any other CIE Tours offers or discounts, and not available on Group travel. Prices may vary by departure date and include: professional driver/guide, luxury vehicle, hotels as listed, breakfast daily and airport transfers. Valid on new bookings only, may be withdrawn at any time. CIE Tours reserves the right to substitute hotels based on availability at the time of booking, other conditions may apply. Call for details.
You will see the following on your experience
Dublin is the largest and capital city of Ireland. The English name is derived from the Irish name Dubh Linn, meaning "black pool". It is a primate city with an urban population of over 1 million, containing almost 25% of the country's population. Dublin is situated near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey, and at the centre of the Dublin Region. The city is listed by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) as a global city, with a ranking of "Alpha-", placing it among the top thirty cities in the world. It is a historical and contemporary centre for education, the arts, administration, economy and industry.


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This is #3 from the Craft Countdown.
Sometime early in 2010, after calendars went on deep sale, I bought the 2010 Sewing Calendar from Accord Publishing. It was an odd beast; it looks like it should be a page-a-day, but each page has three to four days on it (weekends share a third of a page). Still, that makes 104 sewing projects, of which I had yet to make any before New Year's Eve.
As I flipped through, the felt business card case caught my eye. I have been unable to find it online – the website of the person it's attributed to, Lauren Brandy, is now all about painting – but there are a great many tutorials available, several of which are similar.
I thought about embellishing mine with buttons, but was dissatisfied with my selection. However, I had a number of iron-on appliques bought before I realized I just don't make things that appliques go on, and they came out to play. A button did as well; I changed the closure from velcro to a button and elastic loop.
Originally I planned to have a shot of the open, empty case, saying I just needed business cards to go in it, but between then and now my lovely sister made me some!


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PROCLAMATION TO CUBANS; Blanco Offers Clemency to Those Who Observe the Law, and War to Those Who Want It. NO MENTION OF AUTONOMY The Policy of the New Government to Put Down the Rebellion and Secure Lasting Peace on the Island.
HAVANA, Oct. 31. -- Marshal Blanco has issued the following proclamation to the inhabitants of Cuba:
November 01, 1897
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After reading Sir Pumpkin Longshanks' Moka pot coffee visual recipe it only seems fair to talk about the health benefits of coffee.
Did you know that coffee is believed to have been discovered around 850 A.D. in Ethiopia by a goatherd who found that his goats seemed unusually cheerful after eating some bright red berries? And so coffee was discovered! Coffee is the world's most popular beverage and drives a big percentage of international trade.
Enough said. Most of us cannot survive without our morning cuppa to kickstart our day – and most of us drink several cups through the day. So it is hardly surprising that the researchers got down to it to do their bit. After all, coffee did have a bad reputation featuring alongside other social habits such as drinking and smoking. Caffeine was actually believed to be bad for health. But all that has changed. Here are some solid reasons to grab that morning cuppa – no – mugga!
- Good for your heart
- Coffee reduces your risk for heart diseases because it eliminates excess lipids in the blood.
- Controls asthma
- Coffee controls asthma – it has been found that it can even prevent or treat an asthma attack in an emergency
- Cuts your risk of diabetes by 50%
- Reduces your risk of gout in men over 40
- More than two cups of coffee each day can cut your risk of colon cancer by 25% and reduces your risk of other types of cancers as well.
- When you drink two cups of coffee a day, your chances of developing gallstones are down 50%
- Because of coffee's caffeine content, the effect of painkillers is enhanced – particularly if you suffer from migraine.
- When you drink two cups of coffee a day, your chances of developing liver cirrhosis is down 80%
- Coffee drinkers have fewer chances of developing Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease
- Coffee has a substance called Trigonelline that prevents cavities and reduces plaque formation in your teeth
- Coffee prevents constipation
Hmm. That's the good news.
But when you overdose on coffee – like too much of anything that is good – coffee can also mess you up. Here's what you can expect:
- Indigestion, skin rash, acidity
- Rise in cholesterol levels (which means cardiovascular problems)
- For women, Infertility, miscarriages and low birth weight for their babies
- Too much caffeine can stress your kidneys out and develop kidney stones
- Coffee can make you nervous, anxious and cause trembling because of its effect on the central nervous system. This tires out the adrenal glands, bringing down your ability to handle stress and affecting your health
- Interestingly, too much coffee can put you at risk for developing stretch marks.
- Finally, if you are addicted to coffee and decide to quit, you can suffer withdrawal symptoms similar to fatigue, severe headaches, an energy drain and lack of focus.
Thus – stick to a max of three cups a day. And am not talking about my kaapi "tumbler" which takes 3 cups of coffee. One cup = about 200 ml. No more.
And enjoy the health benefits it has to offer!


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Director, La Salette Shrine
Enfield, NH
Enfield, NH
One of my favorite Scripture quotations is, "As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." (Proverbs 25:25)
Today, however, I feel I should quote Samuel Taylor Coleridge: "Water, water, every where, nor any drop to drink." The first half of the quotation seems apt for today's readings. Water, water everywhere!
In their wanderings in the desert, the Lord led his people to an area where, as we read: "There was no water for the people to drink." The dramatic scene depicted in the first reading follows immediately. Here water is obviously meant in the strictly literal sense.
Water is even more prevalent in today's Gospel. The word occurs eight times in Jesus' conversation with the woman of Samaria. But here, as often happens in John, the literal sense is soon eclipsed by a deeper symbolic sense. As we read, it becomes clear that Jesus is using the image of water to talk about the gift of grace. Even when the conversation turns to other things, the same reality is present. Worshiping God "in Spirit and truth" is, after all, possible only for those who have received the "spring of water welling up to eternal life."
What about the reading from St. Paul's Letter to the Romans? True, the word "water" does not occur, but the symbolic sense is present nonetheless. St. Paul writes, "The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us." Poured out like what, if not like water?
This conjuction of water and Spirit goes right back to the beginning of the Old Testament. Most translations of Genesis 1:2 read, "The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." So too in the New Testament. Early in all four Gospels we find John the Baptist saying that while he baptizes with water, the one coming after him will baptize with the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, Peter begins his discourse with a quotation from the Prophet Joel: "I will pour out my Spirit upon all mankind."
"Pouring out" occurs as well in another, quite different context, quoted in every Mass. "This is the chalice of my blood... which will be poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins."
Which takes us back to the first reading: "God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." This same idea is expressed in a wonderful poem attributed to St. Francis Xavier, translated from the Latin by the brilliant poet Gerard Manley Hopkins. It reads in part:
O God, I love thee, I love thee---
Not out of hope of heaven for me...
Thou, thou, my Jesus, after me
Didst reach thine arms out dying,
For my sake sufferedst nails and lance,
Mocked and marred countenance...
Yea, and death, and this for me.
And thou couldst see me sinning!
The water of baptism cleanses us. The blood of the Eucharist saves us. The Holy Spirit is present in both.
The Holy Spirit doesn't just make an appearance once a year at Pentecost. Lent is certainly a good time to open our hearts and minds to the constant presence of the one whom we call in the creed, "the Lord, the giver of life."
Spirit, Spirit everywhere. And always more to drink.


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- Sexton
- Join Date: 6/5/2012
- Posts: 204
- Member Details
is there anyway we can get some realistic sizes for signatures ? Just had one that was 3mb in file size.
They need to be limited in screen size and file size, as I spend more time loading and scrolling some threads than actually reading them.


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The first president of the United States,George Washington owes to the library no more that $300 000,it seems that he forgot to return the two books he borrowed in 1789.
BBC said:
On 5 October 1789, the first president borrowed two books from what was then the only library in Manhattan – "Law of Nations," a dissertation on international relations, and a volume of debate transcripts from Britain's House of Commons.
George Washington did not even bother to sign his name in the borrower's ledger. An aide simply scrawled "president" next to the title to show who had taken them out.
The two tomes were due back a month later but were never returned and have been accruing late fees ever since. Librarians uncovered the misdemeanour as they were digitising the library's ledger from that time.
The New York Society Library says it will not pursue the fine but it would like the books back.
Sadly for fans of 18th-Century political literature, they appear to have vanished. On the balance sheet of George Washington's achievements for America, mark down two small losses, our correspondent says.


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Little Wolf presents A Christmas Cabaret. Variety performances. Suitable for all ages, but aimed at adults. At The Maltings, Berwick. 8pm. £7.50, £6.50 conc. Only 50 seats available, pre-booking strongly advised. Info/booking, call 01289 330999.
Today to Saturday, December 29
Jack and the Beanstalk – Christmas Pantomime. At The Maltings, Berwick. Also today, The Giant Bogey Tea Party, which is a children's banquet. £9. Booking essential for Tea Party. For info/booking, call 01289 330999.
Grimm Tales. Northumberland Theatre Company performs a selection of dark and spooky stories, ideal for family audiences, with music, scary moments and plenty of fun. At Chatton Village Hall. 6.30pm. Call 07801 981377.
Saturday, December 29, and Sunday, December 30
A Christmas Carol. Actor Chris Cade brings to life this Dickens classic. At Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens. £7.70, conc £6.90, children £4.60, family £20, EH members free. For times, details and booking, call 01661 881636.
New Year's Eve
Michael Buble Tribute Act. With evening buffet and super raffle. Tickets £10 on sale from committee and bar. At Seahouses Ex-Service and Social Club. To reserve a table, call 01665 720522.
Wednesday, January 2, and Thursday, January 3
Adventures of Robin Hood by Oddsocks Theatre Company. Suitable for all the family with live music, action and audience participation. At Alnwick Playhouse. 7.30pm. Premier £12.50, standard £11.50, conc £10.50, child/student/Friends £10. Info/booking, call 01665 510785.
Northumberland Traditional Music Session. At the Ship Inn, Low Newton. 8pm. Free. Call Jack or Pam on 01665 722835.
Open Mic Night. At The Tanners Arms, Alnwick. 8.30pm.
Saturday, December 29
Out of the Trees VIII Music Festival. Music in the afternoon in two Warkworth venues – The Hermitage Inn and The Masons Arms. In the evening, the village's Memorial Hall hosts live music. For costs, the full line-up and timings, visit www.outofthetreesfestival.com
Saturday December 29
The Dagmar Mason Gang. Three-piece acoustic rock'n'roll. At The Tanners Arms, Alnwick. 9pm.
Saturday, December 29
Caught in the Act. 70s and 80s rock band performs. At the Farriers Arms, Shilbottle. 9pm. Tickets, £2.50, available from the Farriers.
New Year's Day
Caught in the Act. See above. At Alnwick Working Men's Club. Noon. Free.
New Year's Eve
Jonnie Repp. Singing 60s and 70s music, and lots more. At Felmoor Park, at Eshottheugh, Morpeth. 8pm–late. Bar open from 6pm. Free.
Stargazing Night, at Kielder Observatory. 8pm–11pm. £10, conc £8, family £27. Booking essential, call 07805 638469.
Tomorrow to Saturday, December 29
Family Astronomy, at Kielder Observatory. 5pm–8pm. £10, conc £8, family £27. Call 07805 638469.
Tomorrow to Sunday, December 30
Sparkle. Admire the first phase of Sparkle, The Alnwick Garden's new permanent lighting installation. For times/prices, visit www.alnwickgarden.com or call 01665 511350.
Saturday, December 29
Aurora Night, at Kielder Observatory. 8pm-11pm. £10, conc £8, family £27. Booking essential, call 07805 638469.
New Year's Eve.
Celebrations at Kielder Observatory. With discussions, visual spectacles, 3D journeys through space and time and more. 8pm–11pm. Booking essential, call 07805 638469.
Wednesday, January 2
Qigong sessions. At The Alnwick Garden. 2pm–3pm. £2 per session. Call 01665 511350 for more details.


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Venom (Marvel Comics) Goes All Super Soldier
It's pretty interesting to see what's going on with Marvel Comics' storyline these days. Johnny Storm is dead, and Spiderman is his replacement in the newly renamed Future Foundation (previously known as Fantastic Four). Now we've got VENOM as a viable supersoldier replacement to Captain America (it's even dubbed as Project Rebirth 2.0!). And who is the host? None other than Flash Thompson.
It looks like an interesting diversion and already 2 issues into his debut, he has let the alien symbiote take over once, leading to one bad guy (yes, Venom's the good guy now) losing his arm to some..er…chewing action. It will be pretty interesting to see how this goes about as Venom is getting his own book in March 2011.Powered by Sidelines
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Cobra S, the smallest gaming mouse ever in the E-BLUE product range, is welcomed by gamers who pursue unique style. It is only 100mm in length and is specially designed for users with smaller hands.
Apart from its portable feature, the high quality mouse also provides you with excellent resistance and durability.
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The mouse is only 100mm in length and is designed for small hand users. The curvature part at the tail part of the mouse is widened to ensure precision control.
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Effective 1st April 2015, all goods and services may be subjected to GST 6% upon checkout.
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Sometime last year I was browsing one of my favorite blogs -'The Art of Doing Stuff', when I came across a post where Karen took an inexpensive dollar store ceramic bird and transformed it with a quick spray of paint. I decided right then an there that I was going to do the same if I was ever so lucky to come across a ceramic dollar store bird of my own. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery right?
It took a while, but eventually my local Dollarama had some birds I could try my hand at spraypainting. They had three styles, and when I first saw them I have to admit that I didn't even remember my plan to
copy emulate Karen's idea. By the time my brain kicked in, all my local Dollaramas were completely sold out of birds, and I had to Google the store to find some locations in the far reaches of suburbia. Okay – it wasn't that bad – I just had to travel about 30 minutes by bus. That store had one version of the bird left so I scooped him up, and brought him home where he resided wrapped in tissue paper for months. (I need to work on my idea/plan execution – this isn't the only project that's languished as I twiddled my thumbs – but that's a different blog post).
Anyways, after my successful first two forays (one, two) into the magical world of spray paint I decided to unearth the bird for his transformation.
Three coats of spray paint later, and a little white felt on the bottom and he's been transformed.
What do you think? As I already had the white spray paint and felt from my bookend project, this little bird project cost a whopping $2.26 (Incl. taxes). Pretty good right? My bird wasn't as cheap (cheep – Ha!) as Karen's, but I blame that entirely on Dollarama switching from the everything for $1 pricing model, to a few things for a $1, and most at $2.
Linking to: {Primp}, Addicted 2 Decorating, Coastal Charm, Thrifty Decor Chick, Remodelaholic


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Our opinion: The residency law hits home for county employees. It's worth considering if it's more trouble than it's worth.
It's been 16 years since the Albany County Legislature began requiring county employees to be county residents. Rarely has that made for much in the way of contention — until now. But in 2011, a 1995 law has the county sheriff's department in turmoil.
The County Legislature needs to take a close look at the practical consequences of a measure passed with perhaps the best of intentions but absent the upheaval that can only come with actual enforcement.
The people who work for the county, meanwhile — in the sheriff's department and elsewhere — need to prepare for the possibility that the law could be here to stay, upheld more vigorously than ever.
They need to look no further than Erin Loffredo, who had been the victims' coordinator for the county's Stop-DWI program. She's been fired from that job, in the fallout of a Times Union story in May revealing that she lived in Rensselaer County.
Ms. Loffredo's boss, Leonard Crouch, was fired as the county's Stop-DWI coordinator last month under heavy suspicion that he had helped her dodge the residency requirement with phony addresses. John Curry, a former state trooper, quit his part-time job with the Stop-DWI program a week ago — just as the sheriff's department was on to the fact that he, too, lived in Rensselaer County.
Questions remain, too, about whether the sudden resignation of Sheriff James Campbell in June was linked to this issue, including whether he sanctioned Ms. Loffredo's use of a false address.
Is all this worth it? Doesn't the sheriff's department have far more serious concerns?
It ought to be devoting its full resources to catching serious law breakers, and not have to expend them on those who violate the county residency requirement.
The best argument for such laws is that they give government employees a stake in the communities they serve. Albany County becomes more than just a source of a paycheck. Sheriff's department employees, for instance, would be more connected to the place where they're enforcing the law and might share the county's financial burden as taxpayers.
One blanket requirement, though, may be too rigid a policy. Certain people obviously need to live in the counties, or cities, where they hold such visible policy-making positions.
The sheriff himself would be one. So would the district attorney. So might their high-level assistants. But the case for such a requirement diminishes as one descends down the hierarchy.
The sense of place and community should be bigger in the Capital Region, where so many layers of government share a common mission.
The reality is that the more populous parts of, say, Rensselaer County are closer and more accessible to the more populous parts of Albany County than some of Albany County's own rural sections are.
Residency laws that make sense elsewhere aren't necessarily such a sound idea in a four-county region that needs to be seen as more of a single place.
County legislators ought to think about all that, as they reconsider the actions of their predecessors.
And if they stick by the residency law?
No one who works for Albany County can say he or she wasn't warned.
There will be no place for duplicity by people who ought to know so much better.


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Horizontal Rope Banners
Your Message in Maritime Code Flags
A "banner" is a series of flags on a length of rope. You can order multiple banners, or split a multi-word message on separate pieces of rope. The above message spells "YOUR MESSAGE" in code flags. It's a multi-word banner, just over 5 feet long from loop to loop.
8" x 8" Signal Flags on Included Rope
The above banner could have been strung on two pieces of rope: "YOUR" on one, and "MESSAGE" on another. No charge for the rope. Each banner comes pre-strung on its own rope, unless you say otherwise in the Special Instructions (on the order form). Each flag has it's English letter printed on the back, so you can keep them in order.
The casings are wide enough to slide over typical clothesline or other 1/4" rope. As you can see, the knots between each flag are simple overhand knots. You either can untie them, or slip the flags over the knots to take them off the rope. The loops on each end are "bowline" knots, easily untied. All this makes it easy to slide the flags onto a longer piece of rope or remove the rope entirely. For special lengths, email us and we can string your order on a longer rope.
Ordering Horizontal Rope Banners
Specify the TOTAL number of horizontal flags, even if you order multiple banners.
Frameable Flags
We offer individual flags without rope, suitable for framing. These are the same flags as in a horizontal rope banner, just without the included rope. The casings are the 1" width, and the overall flag (including casing) measures 9" top to bottom, and 8" side to side. For the "A" and "B" they are 10" top to bottom.
Visit the flag translator page to experiment with your own message.


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"I just can't do this anymore, Ed." She was serious. "It's just not going to work."
"But Kathleen," I pleaded, "it's not my fault!"
I knew it was pointless to argue – this wasn't the first time I'd had a girl break up with me after all. When a woman tells you it's over, it's never because they're looking for stimulating conversation. It's an expression of power, not an invitation to discussion.
"I don't want to hear it. We're done, Ed."
There it was, the brick wall statement I couldn't hope to bust through. I hated to hear it – we were so great together, Kathleen and I. Well, obviously she didn't think so, but she's not the first, like I said.
My name's Ed. Ed Thomas. Ed Phono Thomas. 'Ed' is actually short for Edison. Yeah, as in Thomas Edison, inventor of the phonograph which, incidentally, should explain my middle name. I know, parents can be cruel.
Speaking of cruel, as I stood there watching Kathleen walk away I could only imagine that maybe I'd rather be burned with irons than by females. Not that I'd ascribe the word "cruel" to my new ex, necessarily, but at that moment I couldn't think of any more appropriate adjectives.
Oh well, win-some-lose-some. Trouble is, I can't seem to get the "win" part right. My record stands at 0-5. And that's only counting this year since January. And it's March. Yeah. Maybe I should go after Kathleen and thank her for helping me keep my perfect record. Maybe I should just go home.
I went home.


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Virginia is supposed to be the exception, not the rule.
Unlike Washington, our leaders don't run from serious problems. We tackle them.
One of the reasons Americans view Washington with such little regard is the perception that nothing ever gets done. Whatever the issue — no matter how urgent — they always seem to be "working on it." They'll hold press conferences, form working groups and "gangs," but when it comes to real solutions, they are few and far between.
Right now, Virginians are looking to their state government and wondering whether we're going to give ethics reform the immediate attention it deserves. If we wait until January, ethics reform will not receive the undivided attention of the General Assembly, and I do not believe our reforms would go as far in January as they would in August.
Why not take up this issue right now when it's in the front of everyone's mind? Telling the public, "we'll get to it later," is inadequate. That's what the federal government does. Ethics reform is about restoring the public trust. When that is in doubt, nothing is more important than restoring it.
In recent days a number of leaders, including Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, have put forward constructive ideas for streamlining Virginia's broken ethics laws. These ideas, however, will remain only words on a page unless we have an avenue to implement real change. That's why I believe Governor Bob McDonnell should immediately convene a special session of the General Assembly. Legislators will be able to come forward with their own ideas and reforms and hammer out their differences.
Should a special session take place, I would look to support a number of needed reforms, including a cap on gifts at an amount agreed upon by the General Assembly, a new requirement for spouses and immediate family members to take part in the disclosure process, extending restrictions related to General Assembly members' lobbyist-spouses, a mandatory 10-day reporting period for significant travel expenses provided to a state official, and the formation of an independent state ethics commission.
I did not expect my colleagues in Richmond to jump for joy when I called on the governor to call a special session. Likewise, I predicted Terry McAuliffe, now the subject of two federal investigations, would dismiss my proposal as a gimmick -- which he promptly did. But now is the time for people to come forward and be part of the solution. If my opponent doesn't want to be part of it, that's his prerogative.
As for me, I will be the first to admit that I've made my own mistakes when it comes to Virginia's disclosure requirements. Though I was fully cleared by a Democrat Commonwealth's Attorney, I've learned from my mistakes and believe they make me a more credible messenger in this much-needed debate.
Change -- especially when it is needed most -- is never easy. But the General Assembly should act now to take on ethics reform. Virginians are legitimately looking for action, and the sooner they get solutions from their elected representatives, the sooner and more completely will trust be restored in our state government.
Ken Cuccinelli is the attorney general of Virginia and the Republican candidate for governor.


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Redford discusses Oscar snub and mission of the festival after 30 years.
PARK CITY, Utah — Speaking at the country's foremost celebration of independent filmmaking, Sundance Film Festival founder Robert Redford was reminded sharply what working outside the Hollywood system can mean.
In his case, it resulted in getting snubbed at Thursday's Oscar nominations.
In regard to his role in All is Lost as a solo sailor battling catastrophe on the Indian Ocean, Redford said: "Would it have been wonderful to be nominated? Of course, but I'm not disturbed or upset by it."
He did, however, point a finger at the lack of availability of his low-budget film as a factor in his being overlooked.
"We suffered from little to no distribution," he said. "Our distributor (Lionsgate Films/ Roadside Attractions) either did not want to spend the money, or they were afraid, or they just were incapable. But we had no campaign to help us cross over to the mainstream.''
The 77-year-old acting and directing veteran leavened his remarks with equanimity, focusing on the artistry involved in All is Lost.
"It was so stripped down of elements like voice-overs and dialogue and special effects," Redford said. " For me, it was more of a pure cinematic experience. More than anything it gave me a chance as an actor to get back to my roots, so I'm very happy about that film…And I will stay happy about it."
Not wanting mainstream Hollywood accolades to eclipse the importance of the festival, talk quickly turned to the shot that Sundance, which runs through Jan. 26, gives to fledgling filmmakers. While focusing on what Sundance has offered filmmakers, Redford was also quick to point out the limitations of the festival, which came back to the issue he faced personally with All is Lost: the vagaries of distribution.
"We always want the best for the filmmakers that come through," he said. "But there's a doorway where we stop, due to our non-profit status and the fact that we're just about development and providing opportunities for filmmakers to show their work. Whatever happens with those films is kind of other people's business after that.''
He added that new modes of financing are a boon to independent film.
"Look at all the new opportunities in financing like Kickstarter," Redford said. " We want to ride with that wave and accommodate it."
The festival is celebrating its 30th year and Redford used the milestone to reflect on what the festival has offered the film industry. Knowing that his festival has provided the springboard for so many other filmmakers to have influential careers and win awards gives Redford his most potent sense of achievement.
"The other night I was at the New York Film Critics awards and I saw that just about everybody who was receiving awards — David O. Russell, Alfonso Cuarón— they all came through our festival," Redford said. "We sponsored them, we introduced them through their independent film. Now, they crossed over. Over 30 years, when I look at all the people who are now working, that's more satisfying than anything. When I see that I think 'We've done something right.'"