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vCard suggestions
As a result of experience using hCard to markup people, organizations, and contact information in general on real world websites, we have discovered a few aspects of RFC2426 vCard that could be improved. Thus we are documenting suggestions for improving vCard here as we find them, organized by RFC2426 properties, with a "new" section for new properties.
Suggestions for Existing Properties
Suggestions for improvement could include new features and other such more major changes to the specification, organized under headings that reflect RFC 2426 vCard section numbers and heading. For documentation of errors, corrections, errata for vCard, please see vcard-errata.
- See: RFC2426 section 3.1.5
The definition for BDAY says:
Type value: The default is a single date value. It can also be reset to a single date-time value.
- date value or
- date-time value
Is too restrictive.
For privacy/security reasons people and sites often only publish part of a birthday, e.g.
- just the year, or
- just the day and month
and BDAY should be extended to allow those date variants.
There are ISO18601 syntaxes for both:
- YYYY for just the year
- --MMDD for just the month and day
There are examples of both on social network sites:
It is reasonable to explicitly include them in an iteration of hCard, and thus it is desirable to see them reflected in an iteration of vCard.
TEL Type Definition
- See: RFC2426 section 3.3.1
- The "type" for "TEL" lacks a "textphone" option (for the devices used by, e.g., people who are deaf or have speech difficulties. Example: Birmingham City Council (303 1119). It may be good to consider adding a "textphone" value to the "type" for "TEL".
- +0 Tantek: I think a rethinking of the taxonomy of TEL types is merited, but I am uncertain whether it is worth growing the existing limited taxonomy or instead permitting user defined TEL types and thus allowing for natural evolution of a folksonomy of TEL types.
- +1 Andy Mabbett: There are a limited number of types. Note also the cell vs. mobile issue.
- The "type" for "TEL" lacks a "freephone" option. It may be good to consider adding a "freephone" value to the "type" for "TEL". Usually freephone numbers are not accessible from outside the country so it could help parsers with something?
- The "type" for "TEL" lacks an "SMS short code" option. (Raised in e-mail, 2008-01-08 by Michael Smethurst)
- Seems like 'sms' TEL TYPE is a viable implementation option --Guillaume 12:17, 8 Jan 2008 (PST).
- FYI. Some existing Personal Information Manager software practices:
- Mac OS X address book allows custom labels for TEL but not custom TEL TYPE per se, although for the user a custom TEL label just looks like a TEL TYPE
- Microsoft Outlook does not allow custom TEL TYPE values. Also, Microsoft Outlook has a "Company" telephone type, but unfortunately it isn't mapped to anything in vCard i.e. if you export a contact with a company tel, it is lost.
- Windows Mobile 6 displays SMS as a service that is only available if the telephone type is 'mobile'.
- Thunderbird 2 (Mac) does not allow custom TEL TYPE values.
Note: it might be a good idea to look at the proposed registry for "tel:" URI parameters; especially the "phone-context" URI parameter, since it tries to solve a similar problem. (per e-mail, 2008-01-08).
EMAIL Type Definition
- See: RFC2426 section 3.3.2
- The "type" for "EMAIL" lacks distinction for various types of email, e.g. work or home.
- The "type" for "EMAIL" lacks distinction for give an alternative to the e-mail like a contact form.
URL Type Definition
- See: RFC2426 section 3.6.8
- The "type" for "URL" lacks distinction for various types of URL, e.g. work or home.
- In particular there should be a "type" (or other indicator) for a URL used as an OpenID.
Suggestions for New Sub-properties
sorted by property section number, then alphabetically by proposed sub-property.
common to many properties
Some (e.g. note) if not all properties should have a "language" attribute, similar to lang
in HTML so that agents can determine how to render, and if applicable, pronounce, them.
"N" (See RFC2426 section 3.1.2) sub-property; for people, whose given-name is not stated (e.g. "A. N. Other", whose given name might be, say, "Adrian" or "Nigel"); to allow values like:
initials: A. N. family-name: Other
instead of the more contrived:
given-name: A. N. family-name: Other
Also, for people whose given-name and initials are given:
given-name: Theophilus middle-initials: P. family-name: Wildebeest
initials: J. given-name: Paul family-name: Getty
"ADR" (See RFC2426 section 3.2.1) sub-property; for people (e.g. in proposed moon base, Mars expedition) or places (e.g. lunar crater, Martian mountain) off-planet.
- See also geo-extension-nonWGS84
"ADR" (See RFC2426 section 3.2.1) sub-property; self-explanatory.
"ADR" (See RFC2426 section 3.2.1) sub-property; for people on, say, ships, live-aboard boats, oil rigs, and even space vehicles (e.g. the ISS)
"GEO" (See RFC2426 section 3.4.2) sub-property; aka "altitude" or "depth".
"GEO" (See RFC2426 section 3.4.2) sub-property; for coordinates using non-WGS84 schema (terrestrial and for other bodies)
- See also geo-extension-nonWGS84
Suggestions for New Properties
Sorted alphabetically.
Alternative dates
For historic figures, where no birth and/ or death dates are known a "flourished" date, or "flourished from"+"flourished to" pair, would be useful.
- Real world examples with URLs must be provided for this suggestion to have any merit.
In genealogy, some people have no recorded birth date, but their "baptised" date is known.
- Real world examples with URLs must be provided for this suggestion to have any merit.
aka "date of death"
- There is no vCard property for gender.
- A workaround in hCard: add the tag/category "male", "female", etc. See also earlier discussion and genealogy-brainstorming#Gender.
- -1 Tantek: I think tags/categories are good enough for now.
- +1 Andy Mabbett:Tags are often not appropriate, as per the cited discussion.
- A workaround in hCard: add the tag/category "male", "female", etc. See also earlier discussion and genealogy-brainstorming#Gender.
See gender-examples and genealogy-brainstorming; note also Google search for "vCard.Gender" .
Global Location Number
Global Location Number (GLN) - generally used in electronic commerce transactions [1]. Andy Mabbett 06:43, 31 Aug 2007 (PDT)
Languages spoken
- ISO codes ?
- Also ability to indicate preferred contact language(s)
- Per FajRo
Preferred method of contact
Telephone, cellphone, fax, post , e-mail, IM, SMS, IRC, Twitter, etc.
- Per FajRo
Subject differentiator
- A "type" for the vCard itself: person, organisation or place (or perhaps more granular; or user-defined)
- In the hCard microformat, the use of "fn" and "fn org" differentiate between hCards for people and for other entities, but we perhaps need some further differentiator, between, say, organisations and venues (including buildings, governmental divisions, waypoints, etc.) at a level of granularity to be determined. Andy Mabbett 14:30, 11 Jul 2007 (PDT)
- This may no longer be necessary for hCard; as the use of "fn [child-of-adr]", for venues and other places, has been proposed and is being debated (see email of 2007-12-30. Andy Mabbett 14:04, 8 Jan 2008 (PST)
- In the hCard microformat, the use of "fn" and "fn org" differentiate between hCards for people and for other entities, but we perhaps need some further differentiator, between, say, organisations and venues (including buildings, governmental divisions, waypoints, etc.) at a level of granularity to be determined. Andy Mabbett 14:30, 11 Jul 2007 (PDT)
- UN/LOCODE, the United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations, is a geographic coding scheme developed and maintained by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), a unit of the United Nations. UN/LOCODE assigns codes to locations used in trade and transport with functions such as seaports, rail and road terminals, airports, post offices and border crossing points.
The date and time that this vcard was created. If possible this should be mandatory even if left blank to encourage usage. This will allow tools to remove older vcard entries with old contact details for the same person.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VCard#vCard_extensions
Suggestions for handling encodings
The vCard standard specifies that US-ASCII is assumed to be the encoding in the absence of a MIME content type header or a CHARSET parameter that indicates otherwise. This was an unfortunate choice. vCard .vcf files stored on a local filesystem do not contain a MIME header and the only way to reliably use an encoding other than ASCII is to tag each field with the "CHARSET=" label. This makes the vCard stream more complicated than necessary. This could be simplified by a revision of the standard that specifies UTF-8 as the default encoding. This could work safely with existing vCard .vcf files, which do not contain a MIME content header. The first vCard VERSION field would be the same encoded as either ASCII or UTF-8, so readers could easily determine which encoding to default to.
Furthermore, those creating vCard readers should be encouraged to support vCard .vcf files that begin with a UTF-8 BOM sequence. If the first three bytes of the file are 0xEF 0xBB 0xBF, the text file is UTF-8 encoded, and the vCard reader should assume UTF-8 is the default. Unfortunately many readers today fail to recognize the UTF-8 BOM and view the file as a corrupt vCard.
Rejected suggestions
The date and time that this vCard was last modified. Allows synchronization tools to detect only those vCard in a collection which have changed since the last synchronization or backup.
- vCard already has a
("revised") property. Use it.
Original source of information
A URL to a website/contact page with hCard (because a lot of business directories contains outdated contact information) - per Emerikusz
- vCard already has a
property. In addition, the SOURCE property in vCard can be used for this specific purpose (where did the vCard come from), and in fact, X2V already supports this in its vCard output!
Suggestions made elsewhere
See contact-formats for other contact formats.
The following should be incorporated into the contact-formats page.
- OpenID page on Attribute Exchange and attribute-exchange.
- Warning: many Attribute Exchange properties unnecessarily reinvent vCard properties.
- RFC4770: vCard Extensions for Instant Messaging (IM)
- Extensions to WebDAV (CardDAV)
- uses vCard but also adds the "addressbook-access" feature of CardDAV.
- XEP-0154: User Profile specifies how to represent and manage profile data about IM users and other Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) entities using the XMPP Data Forms extension. It has a far greater number of properties than vCard (possibly more than vCard will ever need), and reinvents and re-names some of the latter's properties, but may have some attributes worth considering for vCard.
- FOAF Vocabulary Specification 0.91 - Namespace Document 2 November 2007 - OpenID Edition
On 2006-11-24, Paul Hoffman of the Internet Mail Consortium, responsible for the development and promotion the vCard standard, wrote in response to an e-mail from Andy Mabbett informing him of this web page:
There has been almost no interest in revising the vCard standard. This is due to lack of momentum, not the lack of good suggestions.
However, see events/2007-09-18-calconnect-vcard-workshop for an event with vCard modification on the agenda. There may be some IETF work on vCard in the future.
external resources
- vCard mailing list - a place to raise these issues, and where similar issues can be found.
See Also
- vCard errata
- vcard-implementations
- vCard4
- hCard
- hcard-brainstorming#Post_vCard_additions
- events/2007-09-18-calconnect-vcard-workshop
- A comment on the language of TEL types, moved because it was not vCard specific


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10 Funny Tutorials in Games
10 Fascinating Little-Known Events in Mexican History
10 Things You May Not Know about the Statue of Liberty
10 Movie Adaptions That Brought Popular Songs to Life
10 Miraculous Advances Toward Curing Incurable Diseases
10 Undeniable Signs That People's Views of Mushrooms Are Changing
10 Strange Attempts to Smuggle Animals
10 Natural Rock Formations That Will Make You Do a Double Take
10 Actors Hidden in Your Favorite Movies
10 Interesting Things Manufacturers Stopped Making and Why
10 Funny Tutorials in Games
10 Fascinating Little-Known Events in Mexican History
Who's Behind Listverse?
Jamie Frater
Head Editor
Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author.
More About Us10 Things You May Not Know about the Statue of Liberty
10 Movie Adaptions That Brought Popular Songs to Life
10 Miraculous Advances Toward Curing Incurable Diseases
10 Undeniable Signs That People's Views of Mushrooms Are Changing
10 Strange Attempts to Smuggle Animals
10 Natural Rock Formations That Will Make You Do a Double Take
10 Actors Hidden in Your Favorite Movies
Another 10 Curious Everyday Inventions
Nearly two years ago we wrote a list of everyday inventions. The list was relatively popular for its time and debunked at least one myth about the invention of peanut butter. This list is the second installment and looks at ten more items that we all come into contact with in our daily lives. These are things we tend to take for granted and we certainly wouldn't know the name of the inventor if asked.
The first garden gnomes were made in Gräfenroda, a town known for its ceramics in Thuringia, Germany in the mid-1800s. Philip Griebel made terracotta animals as decorations, and produced gnomes based on local myths as a way for people to enjoy the stories of the gnomes' willingness to help in the garden at night. The garden gnome quickly spread across Germany and into France and England, and wherever gardening was a serious hobby. Griebel's descendants still make them and are the last of the German producers. Garden gnomes were first introduced to the United Kingdom in 1847 by Sir Charles Isham, when he brought 21 terracotta figures back from a trip to Germany and placed them as ornaments in the gardens of his home, Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire. Only one of the original batch of gnomes survives: Lampy, as he is known, is on display at Lamport Hall, and is insured for one million pounds. He is pictured above.
While matches existed in China in the 6th century and Europe from the 16th century, it was not until the 1800s that friction matches as we know them today were invented. The first "friction match" was invented by English chemist John Walker in 1826. Early work had been done by Robert Boyle and his assistant, Godfrey Haukweicz in the 1680s with phosphorus and sulfur, but their efforts had not produced useful results. Walker discovered a mixture of stibnite, potassium chlorate, gum, and starch could be ignited by striking against any rough surface. Walker called the matches congreves, but the process was patented by Samuel Jones and the matches were sold as lucifer matches (as they are still known in the Netherlands). In 1862, Bryant and May, the British match manufacturers began mass producing the red tipped matches we all know today, after the patent by the Lundström brothers from Sweden,
Contact lenses are surprisingly older than most of us realize. In 1888, the German physiologist Adolf Eugen Fick constructed and fitted the first successful contact lens. While working in Zürich, he described fabricating afocal scleral contact shells, which rested on the less sensitive rim of tissue around the cornea, and experimentally fitting them: initially on rabbits, then on himself, and lastly on a small group of volunteers. These lenses were made from heavy blown glass and were 18–21mm in diameter. Fick filled the empty space between cornea/callosity and glass with a dextrose solution. Fick's lens was large, unwieldy, and could only be worn for a few hours at a time. It was not until 1949 that the first lenses were produced that sat on the cornea only and allowed for many hours of wear.
The first patent for a non-electrical washing machine was issued in England in 1692. Nearly two hundred years later, Louis Goldenberg of New Brunswick, New Jersey invented the electric washing machine (late 1800s to early 1900s). He worked for the Ford Motor Company at that time, and all inventions that were created while working for Ford under contract, belonged to Ford. The patent would have been listed under Ford and or Louis Goldenberg. Alva J. Fisher has been incorrectly credited with the invention of the electric washer. The US patent office shows at least one patent issued before Mr. Fisher's US patent number 966677.
The early metal beverage can was made out of steel and had no pull-tab. Instead, it was opened by a can piercer, a device resembling a bottle opener, but with a sharp point. The can was opened by punching two triangular holes in the lid — a large one for drinking, and a small one to admit air. This type of opener is sometimes referred to as a churchkey. As early as 1936, inventors were applying for patents on self-opening can designs, but the technology of the time made these inventions impractical. Later advancements saw the ends of the can made out of aluminum instead of steel. In 1962, Ermal Cleon Fraze of Dayton, Ohio, invented the integral rivet and pull-tab (also known as rimple or ring pull), which had a ring attached at the rivet for pulling, and which would come off completely to be discarded. These were eventually replaced almost exclusively by the stay tabs we still use today. Stay tabs (also called colon tabs) were invented by Daniel F. Cudzik of Reynolds Metals in Richmond, Virginia, in 1975.
The first rubber condom was produced in 1855. For many decades, rubber condoms were manufactured by wrapping strips of raw rubber around penis-shaped molds, then dipping the wrapped molds in a chemical solution to cure the rubber. In 1912, a German named Julius Fromm developed a new, improved manufacturing technique for condoms: dipping glass molds into a raw rubber solution. Called cement dipping, this method required adding gasoline or benzene to the rubber to make it liquid. These condoms were re-usable. Latex, rubber suspended in water, was invented in 1920. Latex condoms required less labor to produce than cement-dipped rubber condoms, which had to be smoothed by rubbing and trimming. The use of water to suspend the rubber instead of gasoline and benzene eliminated the fire hazard previously associated with all condom factories. Latex condoms also performed better for the consumer: they were stronger and thinner than rubber condoms, and had a shelf life of five years (compared to three months for rubber).
Foil made from a thin leaf of tin was commercially available before its aluminum counterpart. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, tin foil was in common use, and some people continue to refer to the new product by the name of the old one. Tin foil is stiffer than aluminum foil. It tends to give a slight tin taste to food wrapped in it, which is a major reason it has largely been replaced by aluminum and other materials for wrapping food.
The first audio recordings on phonograph cylinders were made on tin foil. Tin was first replaced by aluminum starting in 1910, when the first aluminum foil rolling plant, "Dr. Lauber, Neher & Cie., Emmishofen." was opened in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland.
The first patent on a ballpoint pen was issued on 30 October 1888, to John J. Loud, a leather tanner, who was attempting to make a writing implement that would be able to write on the leather he tanned, which the then-common fountain pen couldn't do. The pen had a rotating small steel ball, held in place by a socket. Then, fifty years later, with the help of his brother George, László Bíró, a chemist, began to work on designing new types of pens. Bíró fitted this pen with a tiny ball in its tip that was free to turn in a socket. As the pen moved along the paper, the ball rotated, picking up ink from the ink cartridge and leaving it on the paper. Bíró filed a British patent on 15 June 1938. Earlier pens leaked or clogged due to improper viscosity of the ink, and depended on gravity to deliver the ink to the ball. Depending on gravity caused difficulties with the flow and required that the pen be held nearly vertically. The Biro pen both pressurized the ink column and used capillary action for ink delivery, solving the flow problems.
Shampoo originally meant head massage in several North Indian languages. Both the word and the concept were introduced to Britain from colonial India. The term and service was introduced in Britain by a Bengali entrepreneur Sake Dean Mahomed in 1814, when Dean, together with his Irish wife, opened a shampooing bath known as 'Mahomed's Indian Vapour Baths' in Brighton, England. During the early stages of shampoo, English hair stylists boiled shaved soap in water and added herbs to give the hair shine and fragrance. Kasey Hebert was the first known maker of shampoo, and the origin is currently attributed to him. Originally, soap and shampoo were very similar products; both containing surfactants, a type of detergent. Modern shampoo as it is known today was first introduced in the 1930s with Drene, the first synthetic (non-soap) shampoo.
Up to and including the 19th century, candy of all sorts was typically sold by weight, loose, in small pieces that would be bagged as bought. The introduction of chocolate as something that could be eaten as is, rather than used to make beverages or desserts, resulted in the earliest bar forms, or tablets. In 1847, the Fry's chocolate factory, located in Union Street, Bristol, England, moulded the first ever chocolate bar suitable for widespread consumption. The firm began producing the Fry's Chocolate Cream bar (arguably the best tasting chocolate bar in the world in my opinion) in 1866. Over 220 products were introduced in the following decades, including production of the first chocolate Easter egg in UK in 1873 and the Fry's Turkish Delight (or Fry's Turkish bar) in 1914. By 1919 the company merged with Cadbury's chocolate and the joint company named British Cocoa and Chocolate Company.
This article is licensed under the GFDL because it contains quotations from Wikipedia.

subset: commoncrawl


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Greetings from the Department of Natural Resources Atchafalaya Basin Program!
News: Times-Picayune: Prime duck-hunting area open to Louisiana hunters The Acadiana Advocate: State widening Interstate 10 to six lanes between Lafayette and the Atchafalaya Basin LDWF: Search Crews Find Missing Helicopter and Pilot Times-Picayune: Here's why fee increases, corporate names might be coming to Louisiana parks KATC: Huge, once-hated fish now seen as weapon against Asian carp Louisiana Sportsman: LSU study links wild hogs' DNA to waterborne pathogens in Central Louisiana Save the Date: How High's the Water Mama?, art exhibition, July 25 - Aug 14 at the Glassell Gallery in Baton Rouge Volunteers needed for Tour du Teche, deadline is Aug 5 Wood Stork & Wading Bird Feeding Event, Aug 6 at Sherburne Wildlife Management Area in Ramah Petite Tour du Teche, youth paddle race, Aug 6 in Breaux Bridge Les Mains Guidées-Native American Flint Knapping, Aug 6 at Vermilionville Old Fashioned Fais-Do-Do Barn Dance, Aug 6, at Lakeview RV Park in Eunice Acadian Culture Day, Aug 14 at Vermilionville Atchafalaya Basin History Lecture, Aug 24 at 6 pm at the Jeanerette Museum Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival, Sept. 1 - 5 in Morgan City
Send in your Basin Pics! Let us know if you have an upcoming event to promote the Basin!
Send in your Basin Pics!
Let us know if you have an upcoming event to promote the Basin!
Checking the water:The information below is obtained from the USGS and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and has been compiled by DNR into this format to allow a quick look at information pertinent to the Atchafalaya Basin. Click here for current weather conditions and water levels.
Data is for 8/4/2016
Ohio River at CairoLocation: Southernmost gauge on the Ohio River in Illinois Reading significance - used to forecast rises on the Mississippi. Lag time, 4 to 6 days.Flood Stage: 40'Stage: 25.9'24 hour change: +0.2'Forecast: expect to FALL to 24.6' by 8/09
Mississippi River, just south of ORCS, at Red River LandingReading: Mississippi River south of ORCS, after the diversion into the Atchafalaya Flood Stage: 48'Stage: 31.3'24 hour change: +0.3'Forecast: expect to RISE to 33.5' by 8/09
Mississippi River at Baton RougeFlood Stage: 35'Stage: 15.5'24 hour change: +0.4'Forecast: expect to RISE to 17.7' by 8/09
Mississippi River at New OrleansFlood Stage: 17'Stage: 4.8'24 hour change: +0.1'Forecast: expect to RISE to 5.3' by 8/09
Atchafalaya River, just south of ORCS, at SimmesportReading: The combined latitudinal flows of the Red, Black, Ouachita, and ORCS flow from the Mississippi Flood Stage: 47'Stage: 11.9'Forecast: expect to RISE to 13.5' by 8/09
Atchafalaya River at MelvilleFlood Stage: 34'Stage: 8.0'Forecast: expect to RISE to 9.5' by 8/09
Atchafalaya River at Krotz SpringsFlood Stage: 29'Stage: 7.1'Forecast: expect to RISE to 8.4' by 8/09
Atchafalaya River above Butte La RoseFlood Stage: 20'Stage: 5.5'Forecast: expect to RISE to 6.4' by 8/09
Atchafalaya River at Bayou Sorrell Locks on the GIWWFlood Stage: 12'Stage: 3.7'Forecast: expect to RISE to 4.0' by 8/08
Atchafalaya at Millet (Myette) PointFlood Stage: 15'Stage: 3.4'Forecast: expect to RISE to 3.7' by 8/08
Atchafalaya River at Morgan CityFlood Stage: 6'Stage: 3.1'Forecast: expect to REMAIN through 8/08
Lower Grand River at Bayou SorrelStage: 5.78'
Bayou CourtableauStage: 16.48'
Middle Fork, Bayou LongStage: 3.14'
Arm of Grand Lake near Crook Chene CoveStage: 6.73'
Pontoon Bridge at Butte LaroseStage: 5.35'
Lake Pelba at I-10, HendersonStage: 8.66'
Little Alabama Bayou at SherbourneStage: 16.63'
Bayou La Rompe at Lake LongStage: 6.10'
Keelboat Pass below Lake ChicotStage: 3.57'


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When looking for carpet that won't show wear in the high-traffic areas of your home, you'll want to keep the following in mind:
The good news is that most carpets being manufactured today can stand up to years of heavy foot traffic, so you don't have to worry too much about looking at only certain types of carpet while you're browsing. Thanks to developments in research and production, even the most economically priced carpets offer a solid baseline for both comfort and quality.
Carpets comes in many styles, and most of us are familiar with the idea of carpets that are flatter and smoother, called "low-pile" carpets, versus carpets that are taller and fluffier, which are known as "high-pile" carpets. However, it's not the low-pile or high-pile designation that really impacts how to care for a carpet—but rather what the carpet fibers that make up the carpet are manufactured out of. There are four types of carpet fibers on the market today: nylon, olefin, polyester, and wool. When it comes to durability, nylon fiber and wool fiber carpets are your best options. However, as mentioned above, technology has made all types of carpet a good bet, which is a relief for when you're shopping!
If budget is understandably a concern, polyester fiber carpet can be a great fit for your home. Polyester carpet is known to deliver the luxury look and feel—but at a cheaper price point.
The type of room you're carpeting will also factor heavily into your decision-making. Obviously, stairs get the most foot traffic (hello, stomping!), and living rooms, bedrooms, and offices can get a lot of general wear and tear as well. Low-pile carpets of any fiber are good for those crowded areas of the home, as are wool and nylon carpets.
No matter what your questions are about carpet, whether it's what type of fiber to choose or what kind of fabric loop, the folks at your local Flooring America are here to help. They'll answer any questions you may have about carpet installation and upkeep, and guide you toward the best carpet for your busy family, today.


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IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN A TEACUP OR MICRO PUPPY, PLEASE EMAIL US or give us a call! firstname.lastname@example.com Make an appointment with us to come and meet the teacup puppy of your dreams!!!
ATTN: Must be 18 years or older to inquire about a puppy. Also, we do not have any puppies in the $500 price range for sale. Please note the price of the puppy listed in the description before you inquire. Thank You.


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Workers Memorial Day – April 28, 2009
Workers Memorial Day is April 28. Established to remember those who have been injured or killed in the workplace.
According to NIOSH and the CDC:
- 16 workers die each day from injuries sustained at work
- 134 workers die each day from work-related diseases
- In 2007, 5,488 U.S. workers died form work-related injuries
- In 2007, 4 million people in the private sector had a non-fatal work-related injury/illness
- In 2004, approximately 3.4 million workers were treated in emergency rooms due to occupational injuries
- In 2005, worker's compensation cost employers approximately $89 billion USD
The Acting Director of NIOSH offered the following statement:
Workers Memorial Day serves a somber but necessary purpose: "Never forget." Remember and honor those who have died on the job. Do not let their memories fade. Find inspiration to redouble our efforts to keep the living both safe and healthy at work.
On Workers Memorial Day 2009, as the nation strives to recover from the present economic crisis, it is also important to note that the human benefits of occupational safety and health are intertwined with benefits for our economy and our social fabric. Proven strategies to help keep working men and women whole and healthy are integral to economic recovery and our national reinvestment in America's future, as these examples suggest:
* Operating a safe and healthy workplace helps businesses to stay profitable and competitive – a must in today's economic climate.
* Preventing the death, disability, or impairment of a mother or father averts a loss that can disrupt a working family's economic security and emotional stability.
* As new technologies and industries emerge with promise for fueling present recovery and future prosperity, good stewardship in safety and health will be key for avoiding potential unintended consequences, and for fostering wise investment and growth.
* Preventing injuries and illnesses that result in costly medical treatment and insurance bills, supporting a robust health-care workforce for today, and helping to train tomorrow's skilled providers – all are vital needs in health-care reform. All involve substantial occupational safety and health components.It is as true today as it was in 1971, when the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) opened its doors, that scientific research is crucial for meeting the nation's safety and health needs. In the 38 years since then, and in the 20 years since the first Workers Memorial Day, our efforts have helped to drive great advancements in worker protection. However, as we are reminded by Workers Memorial Day 2009, much more remains to be done.
NIOSH is proud to strive with our diverse partners to meet this challenge. We remember the victims of workplace death with sorrow, and we look forward to a better future in which no one dies from job-related causes.


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Great as leafy greens are, there are times when they can be overwhelming. If you buy your greens in those neat, manageable bundles at the supermarket or natural foods store, no problem. Those can be used up in a flash. But if you belong to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm, grow greens in your own garden, or become overly zealous at the farmer's market, you might occasionally find yourself with too much of a good thing.
Three summers ago, before the rabbits and groundhogs discovered my husband's garden, we had a veritable explosion of chard. Not knowing enough ways to deal with it (not only with the fresh leaves, but even the ones I'd cooked down) was what what led me to write Wild About Greens.* Learning how to prepare greens for freezing (lovely to pull out of the freezer in mid-winter if done properly!), or preparing them in ways that make them disappear quickly (like kale chips) go far to resolve the pleasant problem of overabundance. But what about those times when even green leafies that have been drastically cooked down linger on as leftovers?
A big batch of greens of almost any sort (kale, collards, escarole, broccoli rabe, spinach, arugula, chard, etc.) prepared in even the simplest of ways — lightly sautéed with garlic in olive oil, for example, or just lightly steamed, can add not only an array of nutrients, but some snazzy color to any plate. The next day, however, leftover cooked greens can become dull — both in terms of flavor and color. Cooked greens shouldn't linger long in the fridge, so I have three preferred ways to deal with them: Pesto, pureed soup, or dip.
Pesto: This nontraditional take on pesto — Spinach and or Arugula and Miso Pesto — uses raw spinach and/or arugula, but go ahead and use any lightly cooked or wilted greens you're looking to use up. The fresh basil will perk up the green color. Use this boldly flavored pesto in any of the ways suggested in the linked post. My favorite is to toss it with raw zucchini "noodles" as shown in this photo.
Soup: Some years ago, when I wrote the newsletter for the CSA farm my family belonged to, I actually invented something called "CSA Soup." Start with a generous sauté of onion and garlic, then pour in a 32-ounce carton of vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Throw in any combination of lightly cooked leftover greens (or you can start with raw greens, of course) — be generous with the quantity. In the case of pre-cooked leftover greens, cook just until heated through; if you're starting with raw greens, cook until they're just tender.
The amount of time will vary according to what kind of green you're using, of course. Stir in some chopped fresh herbs and other seasonings (including salt and pepper) to your taste, and either puree in a blender or insert an immersion blender into the soup pot to puree.
Dip: An amazing amount of leftover greens can go into making a delicious dip. Very Green Avocado Tahini Dip starts with 6 ounces of very lightly wilted spinach and/or arugula, but use whatever kind of greens on hand that need using up. Since this is a dip, you don't want to use a crazy amount, but you can certainly pack 1 to 1 ½ cups of lightly cooked or wilted greens into the mix. The tahini and lemon juice will brighten the tired flavor of leftover greens, and the avocado and fresh herbs will perk up the color.
Finishing up your leafy greens when they're freshly made is ideal, but leftover greens from the day before can be a treat. After all, they've already been washed, stemmed and chopped, leaving you the pleasant task of creatively repurposing them!
*This post contains affiliate links. If the product is purchased by linking through this review, VegKitchen receives a modest commission, which helps maintain our site and helps it to continue growing!


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More about Fall Candles & Scents
When we think of Fall, the nostalgia of the season's fragrances immediately comes to mind. Thanksgiving dinner hot out of the oven, pumpkin spice during Halloween, and the fresh smell of the autumn leaves falling from its tree. At Candle Delirium, though, these fragrances aren't only nostalgia; they are captured and reflected in our collection of the best fall candles and scents. Let the sandalwood scents capture you with the luring aroma, or the pumpkin spice entrance you with the memories of quality family time at festive gatherings. Try our popular pine scented candles and diffusers, amber candles, or one of our many other autumn scented candles and fragrances with which to experience Fall like you never have before. And if it's fall, you know what that means - the holidays are just around the corner! Get your holiday shopping out of the way now with our Holiday Candles. For other seasons, try our summer candle and winter candle scents today


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Cricut Maker Heaven. Our exclusive felt flower .SVG patterns have been designed to work beautifully with your Cricut Maker. No longer do you have to cut all the petals and shapes by hand, let the Cricut do all the hard work for you! The Cricut Maker's rotary blade and fabric mat, make this project super quick and easy. Upload the file to Cricut Design Space and customize from there. Cut from felt or from cardstock to create beautiful flowers that will last forever.
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Giant Poppy Assembly Tutorial: https://somethingturquoise.com/2019/04/17/diy-felt-giant-iceland-poppies/
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Thursday, May 28, 2009
Felicia R. Lee Reports Broadway Grosses Are Up. Has The NYT Sold Off Its Calculators For Cash?
Why? Well, reporter Felicia R. Lee has this explanation for us right in her lede.
"Those numbers reflect the enduring appeal of entertainment as a form of escape in the midst of a recession," Lee reports, a statement she attributes to "some producers."
But some re-calculations by The NYTPicker show that the premise of Lee's story is undercut by her own statistics -- those later in the story that report a $1.23 increase in average ticket cost from last year's figures. And one fact left out of Lee's story entirely is that the number of Broadway shows rose this year to 43 productions, up from 36 last year.
Together, those two facts make clear that Broadway actually suffered a decline in attendance this year, a fact Lee only mentions in passing late in her account, and counters with self-serving quotes from producers who declared their own cooked books as "reason to rejoice."
"We're thrilled," Philip J. Smith, the chairman of the powerful Shubert Organization, told Lee. Of course he is! He has just convinced the NYT to spin straw into gold.
In Lee's version of events, Broadway's total gross receipts for the 2008-9 season rose to $943.3 million, a "slight increase" (words that found their way into the headline) over last year's total of $937.5 million.
But parenthetically, Lee notes that the average Broadway admission price rose this season to $77.66, from last year's $76.43.
That $1.23 per-ticket increase -- when factored into the gross receipts -- reveals a drop of 120,000 admissions this season.
That's bad news, but it gets even worse when you factor in the information Lee left out. With seven more Broadway productions this season, that suggests a far darker narrative for 2008-9 than Lee's rosy lede implies.
It's true, as Lee notes, that last year's season was marred by the 19-day stagehands' strike. But shouldn't that lead to an even less upbeat interpretation of this year's numbers? Had Broadway not lost all that revenue last season, the year-to-year comparisons would have been worse, not better.
After getting through Lee's fallacious spin of the stats, you'll find that some Broadway producers aren't exactly jumping for joy over the news -- mostly because they, unlike Lee, see through her miscalculations to the truth. "Theater didn't contract" this season, Lincoln Center Theater's executive producer told the NYT, "it perked up."
That's technically correct; there's more theater this year than last. But Lee doesn't press Gersten -- or anyone else -- to address the reality that these new statistics spell out without saying, which is that there are also more empty seats on Broadway this season than last.
So, this season Broadway producers squeezed more dollars out of fewer theatergoers. Is that really a reason to rejoice?
The only producer to acknowledge this reality was Broadway producer James Freydberg, late in Lee's piece, whose quote is the story's only reference to the misleading aspect of the story's thesis.
"I agree that it was an amazingly good season considering what is happening in the economy," Freydberg told Lee . "But the prices are quite different, so I don't think you can make a comparison in gross sales."
He's right. You can't.
And by "you," we mean Lee, theater editor Katherine Bouton, and Sam Sifton, the NYT's culture editor. It's sad to see the paper's Broadway booster mentality get in the way of simple math, good reporting, careful editing, and the appearance of an impartial perspective on an industry that helps pay its bills.
7 comments:
- Anonymous said...
"It's sad to see the paper's Broadway booster mentality get in the way of simple math, good reporting, careful editing, and the appearance of an impartial perspective on an industry that helps pay its bills."
Tune in tomorrow, when the nytpicker tells us something we don't know already. - May 28, 2009 at 10:16 AM
- Anonymous said...
I was prepared to be outraged. Then I read the full article. I think you're being pretty unfair, especially since the information you used to refute the so-called Pollyannaish thesis is from the article itself. If you found she had ignored some details, then you might be entitled to snipe.
A quick skim of the article includes plenty of words that wouldn't come the mouth of a hype master. The headline is "Broadway Receipts Increase Slightly". Gosh, that "slightly" word is not something that I would characterize as reporting "joyously".
The lede is just as balanced. There's a "a slight increase" in the receipts. The next sentence about enduring appeal of escapist theater is attributed to some producers. It's not a nut graf.
Then after a nice, plump boosterish paragraph, she comes back with "The increase in grosses was small, though".
Given that tax receipts for the country are off 30%+. Given that car sales are down 30%+. Given that stocks are down 20-50%. I think even a small increase in receipts is noteworthy. Even when you back out all of the caveats -- reported carefully in the piece-- I still come up concluding that there's a great deal of truth to the idea that people like escape.
This is one of the few times that I've really disagreed with you. - May 28, 2009 at 12:15 PM
- Anonymous said...
Thank you, Mr. Sifton.
- May 28, 2009 at 12:46 PM
- Anonymous said...
I'm going to respectfully disagree with Anonymous #2 and defend NYTPicker a little bit here. This story buries the lede by headlining an increase in gross receipts, when the real news is a decline in attendance. That should have been the lede. When you factor in the fact that there were more shows this season, and higher ticket prices, it renders the "slight increase" meaningless.
Also, the "caveats" weren't "reported carefully" in the piece, not that I can tell. She mentions that this season had more productions than last, but she doesn't link that figure to the receipts. Those stats get buried after the jump and are thrown in here and there. She doesn't even really represent them as caveats, more as just random facts.
This site doesn't hit the right note every time for everyone, including me, but I like the way he/she/they try their damndest to keep the Times honest. - May 28, 2009 at 1:15 PM
- Anonymous said...
Ever wonder why this site goes quiet from about 9:30 in the morning on?
That's because NYTPicker is an unemployed recent journalism school graduate who has to read the paper, make his Twitter jokes, find a story to critique, pound out a post, and all before 9:30 so he/she can get his/her ass over to his/her barista job at Starbucks by 10 a.m.
The Times should just hire NYTPicker. That way they kill off the site and get a smart/funny reporter out of it. It's a win win. - May 28, 2009 at 2:57 PM
- Anonymous said...
#4: This story buries the lede by headlining an increase in gross receipts, when the real news is a decline in attendance.
me: Why is the real news the decline in attendance and not the increase in gross receipts? Both are slight. I can't see any reason why one is more important than the other. You might like bad news but others like the good news.
The increase in revenues is not an insubstantial thing for the producers. They have fixed costs to pay stage hands, actors and rent. In some sense, it doesn't matter to the beancounters if there are more or fewer people in the seats as long as there's enough revenue to pay everyone. That's the art of business.
I guess the real question is how much unpacking should a reporter do? And just how skeptical and dour? I can't say I have an answer. - May 28, 2009 at 5:43 PM
- Anonymous said...
Maybe this will shed some insight -or the times should hire this reporter: Print
Broadway Changes Rules to Boost Figures as New Season Begins
Share | Email | Print | A A A
By Jeremy Gerard
May 29 (Bloomberg) -- Starting June 1, the Broadway industry will boost weekly sales and attendance figures without actually bringing in new theater customers. It's not as brazen as the scheme in "The Producers" to make millions by producing a flop, but it does employ some sleight of hand.
"The industry is moving to report our numbers in a way that is more like the film industry," Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of the Broadway League, said in an interview yesterday. The league represents Broadway producers and theater owners.
On Monday, the league will release sales and attendance figures for Week 1 of the 2009-2010 season. Under the new rules, producers will no longer deduct fees for group sales and credit cards from their reported sales, as they have in the past. That change is expected to increase total sales figures by 3 percent to 4 percent, St. Martin said.
Fees for telephone and online services such as Telecharge and Ticketmaster are not included in the tally.
The season that ended on May 24 reported total sales of $943.3 million. If the new rules had been applied, that figure would have risen to between $971.6 million and $981 million.
In addition, producers will now report total attendance figures for the week, including seats given away free for press, promotion and other purposes. Previously, only paid attendance was reported. That change is expected to have less of an impact, St. Martin said, because most complimentary tickets are restricted to performances immediately before and after a show's opening.
Blame 'Frankenstein'
St. Martin said that unease about the way the figures were reported came to a head when the producers of "Young Frankenstein" refused to release any numbers during that show's run from November 2007 to January 2009. Figures for the season just ended included unverifiable industry sales and attendance estimates for the show.
"I would say it was instigated by the 'Young Frankenstein' situation," St. Martin said. "We were struggling as an industry because the numbers were no longer accurate. I'm a 'numbers are what the numbers are' girl."
Members of a league committee headed by "The Phantom of the Opera" general manager Alan Wasser were vocal about different ways of reporting the numbers -- or not reporting them at all.
"It was healthy," St. Martin said. "People actually changed their opinions."
To contact the writer of this column: Jeremy Gerard in New York at email@example.com.
Last Updated: May 28, 2009 22:30 EDT - May 30, 2009 at 8:47 AM


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Ingredients: Makes 16 cups of lemonade and 1 stone-cold hand
Step#1: The day before you want to serve the punch, thoroughly clean and rinse the inside and outside of the rubber glove. Dry the outside. Get someone to help you with the next 2 steps, unless you have 4 hands. (Now that's creepy!)
Step#2: Carefully pour the sports drink into the clean rubber glove, filling it just past the wrist area. (There will be extra sports drink, so either drink up or make 2 hands, using the extra hand another time or just keep it in the freezer for some surprised reactions.)
Step#3: Mix up the lemonade following the package directions. Pour it into a punch bowl or pitcher and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Step#4: At serving time, take the frozen hand out of the freezer and carefully cut off the glove with scissors. Float the hand in the lemonade. Beware that as the hand begins to melt, the lemonade will turn an eerie, green color. What fun!
If the punch reaches up to give you a high five, run for your life!
*Note: If you use latex, be sure none of your guests have a latex allergy.


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Syncade Equipment Management allows you to take your paper-based equipment log books online.
Equipment activity is tracked electronically, providing an up-to-date view of equipment state and status. Equipment states can be tied into electronic batch records to provide real-time verification during production. System search functions can provide easy access to equipment data for operational review and compliance requirements.


text: By now you know that startups come in many forms. They often times begin in the halls of mature enterprises. But one thing is always true – they must be lean. Whether your world changing vision is a web product, an embedded application, or highly niche enterprise software, we'll get you to market on a boot strap budget. Let us be your MVP's MVP!


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The development of CRaSH 1.3 has been started a few months ago. The website now provides a 1.3 section for people that want to play with the 1.3 betas.
I haven't talked much about it so far but I think it's time to unveil what will be in this new version.
It makes a lot of sense to widen the scope of CRaSH and provide support for more JVM languages. Integrating a dynamic language is not hard, however creating an API for the interactions between the target language and the CRaSH runtime requires more work.
Surprisingly the first supported languages in this new beta is ... Java! With our experience we have now the possiblity to easily dynamically compile Java at runtime (using the Tool API). You can see that as a proof of concept of decoupling CRaSH from Groovy (it was actually less coupled than I originally thought). Simply put now you can have .java
commands and they will just be compiled fine by CRaSH (jmx command written in Java).
In the next iteration (beta4) we will focus with the integration of the Ruby language. I have been learning Ruby for the past few weeks and the language does not seem hard to learn, however I am lacking of experience for defining a decent Ruby API. So we are looking for someone with Ruby experience that could help us to define such API:
- Creating a command in Ruby
- Invoking a command from Ruby
- etc...
For Groovy I have the chance to know pretty well Guillaume Laforge and he often provided a lot of guidance for providing a great Groovy API. We are looking for anyone that could help us doing the same for Ruby. If you know such great guy, ask him to poke us on the crash-users list.
Improved Groovy support
Until CRaSH 1.2 we focused on the Groovy language because it is the best dynamic language for Java developers on the JVM. It took several iterations to provide the best Groovy support and this version covers the part for invoking commands from Groovy and how to assemble them in a command pipe line, here is an overview of the API:
Evaluating a command
A command name evalutes to a Groovy closure, allowing to call the command just like a function:
Evaluating a compound command
Sub commands can be invoked by resolving a new closure from the initial command:
Passing options and arguments
Command options and command arguments are passed as invocation parameters, options are used as a map or named parameters and arguments are the other invocation parameters:
log.send(m:"hello", "the.category")
Command pipeline
Pipelines can be assembled with the |
(pipe) operator. When a command closure is combined with a pipe, it returns a new closure that will invoke the pipeline:
(system.propls | egrep { "java.*" })()
A pipeline can also contain Groovy closures in addition of the existing commands:
(thread.ls | { Thread thread -> [id:thread.id, name:thread.name] })()
Extended REPL
REPL stands for Read–eval–print loop, which is what you have when you have an interactive session with CRaSH. Until version 1.2, the only REPL is a language close to bash shell for invoking commands or creating command pipelines.
Since CRaSH 1.3 will be polyglot, this new version provides polyglot support for the REPL. The new repl
directive allow you to switch to other REPL implementation and we provide in this beta a Groovy REPL:
% repl groovy
Using repl groovy
In this mode you can type plain Groovy (it is similar to Groovy Shell) and most importantly you can use the improved Groovy support seen above, for instance:
% (thread.ls | { Thread thread -> [id:thread.id, name:thread.name] })()
id name
2 Reference Handler
3 Finalizer
% cmd = thread.ls | { Thread thread -> [id:thread.id, name:thread.name] }
thread.ls | Script14$_run_closure1@47da4d19
% cmd()
Asciidoc documentation
The documentation is now written in Asciidoc, it is in many ways similar to the previous documentation. Asciidoc has gained a lot of traction in the past months thanks to the great job of Dan Allen on Asciidoctor and GitHub provides a native support for Asciidoc providing a decent doc preview. The 1.3 doc is also deployed live on the site as a preview.
Wrap up
CRaSH 1.3 will provide polyglot support with additional languages such as Ruby as main theme. The Groovy language support has been strenghtened providing the best Groovy support so far. You can download the 1.3 beta or read the documentation from the website.
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At his Thursday press conference, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he played no part in causing a traffic jam last fall on the George Washington Bridge and in nearby Fort Lee. He ultimately took responsibility for the debacle, but Christie said his deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, had ordered the traffic jam without his knowledge. Emails showed that she had been in cahoots with David Wildstein, a Christie appointee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Christie fired Kelly on Thursday, and he insisted that she was the only member of his inner circle who knew that the traffic mess was politically motivated and not the result of a supposed traffic study.
Yet text messages turned over to investigators by Wildstein raise the possibility that months before the disclosure this week of Kelly's bombshell email—the week of September 9 and quickly became a local controversy. Lawmakers began investigating, and on November 25, Bill Baroni, another Christie appointee at the Port Authority, testified before the New Jersey Assembly's transportation, public works, and independent authorities committee. Baroni told lawmakers that the lane closures were part of a study to determine whether Fort Lee should have three dedicated lanes leading onto the George Washington Bridge.
State lawmakers didn't buy Baroni's explanation. "I think that at best this was clumsy and ham-handed," said committee chair John Wisniewski, a Democrat. "At worst, this was political mischief by a political appointee."
Immediately after his testimony, according to documents released this week, Baroni texted David Wildstein asking how Christie administration officials in Trenton, the state capital, had reacted to his testimony:
[11/25/2013 11:58 AM] David Wildstein: You did great
[11/25/2013 11:58 AM] Bill Baroni: Trenton feedback
[11/25/2013 11:59 AM] Bill Baroni: ?
[11/25/2013 11:59 AM] David Wildstein: Good
[11/25/2013 11:59 AM] Bill Baroni: Just good? Shit
[11/25/2013 12:00 PM] David Wildstein: No i have only texted brudget [Bridget Anne Kelly] and Nicole they were VERY happy
[11/25/2013 12:00 PM] Bill Baroni: Ok
[11/25/2013 12:00 PM] David Wildstein: Both said you are doing great
[11/25/2013 12:06 PM] David Wildstein: Charlie said you did GREAT
Note the two names in that exchange we have placed in bold type: Nicole and Charlie. According to public records and news stories, the only Nicole politically close to Christie at the time was Nicole Davidman, who was the governor's campaign finance director in 2013 and the wife of Christie's press secretary. The only Charlie in Christie's inner circle was Charles McKenna, Christie's chief counsel and the aide who helped lead Christie's internal investigation of the bridge mess. State investigators assume that the Charlie mentioned in this text is McKenna, according to a legislative source, but they are not yet certain about Nicole (though they have not yet identified other possibilities).
Presuming these texts refer to Davidman and McKenna, here's what needs to be answered: Were these two Christie lieutenants happy about Baroni's testimony for the same reason as Kelly? Both Kelly and Wildstein knew the study wasn't the true cause of the traffic mess, and it's reasonable to conclude that they were delighted because Baroni had stuck to that story and not said anything about Kelly instructing Wildstein to cause the jam that paralyzed traffic in Fort Lee for days. But did Charlie and Nicole cheer Baroni's bogus testimony in the same way? And what does it mean that Wildstein, the man who arranged the lane closures, lumped together Kelly, the aide who instigated the closures, and Nicole? (Christie touched on this only briefly in his press conference: "I believe that I've spoken to everyone who was mentioned in the emails except for Charlie McKenna, who is away at a family funeral. And I am confident, based upon my conversations with them, that they had no prior knowledge nor involvement in this situation.")
This is just one line of inquiry Bridgegate investigators ought to focus on. Christie asserts that Kelly was the only member of his political team in on the bridge caper. But if others were aware of Baroni's stonewalling, the governor has a problem—especially if that includes McKenna, whom Christie has used to probe the bridge scandal. At the least, it might be ill-advised for the governor to have a fellow who apparently praised Baroni's bogus testimony in charge of investigating the cover-up.
Christie's office did not respond to a request for comment for this article.


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I'm certain I'm not the only one who feels this way, but the holidays seemed to have picked me up by my feet, swung me around its head, and flung me into a dumpster. The one behind Sizzler.
It all came to a crashing halt yesterday when I woke up and couldn't breathe or straighten out my fingers on either hand, my limbs paralyzed with anxiety. I don't know if it has to do with Marlo's age and the fatigue of getting her to this point, because it was when Leta was this old that I really didn't understand how life could go on.
Now, I'm not there this time. I'm not even close to there, but I do see signs that if I were not actively treating my anxiety disorder that I would be a total basket case. Sometimes it pokes through everything that I'm doing to squash it, and the room starts to spin and I feel like my heart is going to explode or crawl up and out of my throat. Those times are usually set off by little things that I have let build up over time, and suddenly I'm in the kitchen thinking about Marlo's next nap, whether or not we have what we need for Leta's lunch the next day, the email I have not answered, and the mountain of boots blocking the front door. And I'm suddenly overcome with the urge to puke.
There is no reason at all whatsoever to freak out about those things, but when you let sleep deprivation creep up on you, or certain other parts of your life start to spin out of control, those little things can seem like a giant concrete wall holing you up inside a bottomless pit.
A few months ago I had a panic attack, the first real live one I've ever had in my life. One where my chest started to contract and I thought I might suffocate. I didn't know why, I had everything under control, but there it was and I could not stop it. We'll call it A Learning Moment, because I had no idea what to do, Jon had no idea what to do, and Leta just stood there watching the both of us not knowing what to do. Later she explained to my mother that we had had an emergency, but it wasn't like the emergencies they talk about in school when you call 911. It was an emergency where Mom couldn't breathe, and Dad waved his arms around his head a lot.
The solution was to lie in bed and breathe, but we didn't get to that point until we'd screamed at each other for about an hour. Well, not really screaming, because Leta was there and we didn't want to scare her too much. So it was heated, slightly-elevated-in-pitch questions and suggestions to each other:
And on and on until I'm in bed breathing in and out to the count of ten. And then it was over. And I was fine.
Yesterday morning it happened again, so I got in bed for a couple of hours and everything was fine. Jon knew not to suggest that my feelings were dumb, and instead stroked my head and let me cry. Something was telling me, though, that it was more than just stress, that maybe my hormones were involved because my emotions were exactly like the ones I used to feel when I was sixteen and waiting around for a boy to call AND HE WASN'T CALLING.
And by yesterday afternoon everything made sense: Marlo is now eating solids and taking one or two bottles a day. Which means I am breastfeeding far less than I used to. Which means my body is making its way back to the way it was before pregnancy, which means YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.
Yes. That. That. Do I have to say it? What are the euphemisms again, it's been so long:
"Miss Scarlett's Come Home to Tara"
"Taking Carrie to the Prom"
"Game Day for the Crimson Tide"
"Falling to the Communists"
"Rebooting the Ovarian Operating System"
That. And I was like, really? I'm still breastfeeding! What's the point now? Yeah, we snuggle and it is the most amazing and magical bonding experience, and I'm going to cry for days when I stop completely, but other than that? At least give me a partial refund!
So. Hormones. Just ask Jon, he who every hour check in and says, "Is now a good time to tell you that everything is going to be okay? Or should I just be quiet?"


text:
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While it may seem great to inherit a vacation house, in actuality it may not be practical to keep the property, especially for tax reasons.
There are many factors to consider when inheriting property, including taxes, any mortgage, and other owners. But if you know you do not plan to keep the property, it is better to sell it sooner, rather than later.
Property like a house or stocks usually appreciates in value and is worth more than it was when the original owner purchased it. If you were to sell the property, there could be huge capital gains taxes. Fortunately, when you inherit property, the property's tax basis is "stepped up," which means the basis would be the property's value on the date of death.
For example, suppose you inherit a house that was purchased years ago for $150,000 and is now worth $350,000. You will receive a step up from the original cost basis from $150,000 to $350,000. If you sell the property right away, you will not owe any capital gains taxes. If you hold on to the property and sell it for, say, $400,000 in a few years, you will owe capital gains on $50,000 (the difference between the sale price and the stepped-up basis).
If the property is located in a different state from where you live, be warned that there may be a tax for selling real estate and moving to a new state. For example, New Jersey has an "exit tax" on the profits from any sale when you are moving out of state.


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United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize
United Nations, New York, USA, July 24 2015 – General Assembly marked Nelson Mandela International Day (18 July) with an informal meeting, including the award of the first-ever UN Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize, recognizing the South African leader's contributions to democracy, justice and reconciliation and his dedication to the service of humanity. The two laureates, Helena Ndume of Namibia and Jorge Fernando Branco Sampaio of Portugal, attended the meeting to receive the Prize. On the Photo: Dr. Ndume, Jesse Jackson, Ruhakana Rugunda Credit: Luiz Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire The United Nations General Assembly Friday marked Nelson Mandela International Day – which is observed [Read More]


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Schiphol-Rijk, The Netherlands – 27 September 2018: Kyocera Document Solutions Europe, one of the world's leading document solutions companies, has earned the ISO 14001:2015 certificate. The new certification demonstrates the organisation's strong credentials in ensuring that environmental sustainability is central to its strategy, and is guided by the philosophy of Kyocera's founder, Dr. Kazuo Inamori.
Kyocera Document Solutions has long had the environment at the heart of its business, aiming to reduce energy and material consumption and also offers a recycling programme for toner products. Even through a period of rapid growth and expansion, such attitudes remain a priority and the ISO 14001:2015 certification is just the latest recognition of the company's environmental sustainability plan.
"Ensuring that we operate in an environmentally responsible way is one of the most important goals we face as an organisation, and one that we are committed to prioritising as we improve and innovate to allow for further developments," said Takuya Marubayashi, President of Kyocera Document Solutions Europe.
"There is no planet B and the ISO 14001:2015 certification is evidence of our fundamental focus on caring for our planet through sustainable actions such as using resources more efficiently whilst reducing waste."
Controlling the processes across the regions in which the organisation operates, Kyocera Document Solutions continues treating the environment with respect while proactively working towards ensuring optimal working conditions for all staff and contractors. This is shown in several initiatives, such as the goal to reduce CO2 emissions and the "Toner Take Back" recycling program. This toner program on average results in over 600,000kg of empty toners being collected across Europe and aims to ensure that Kyocera products are managed in a sustainable way from product development to end of life. Such initiatives are in-line with the company philosophy of "doing the right thing as a human being" and striving to make the world a better place.
Communicating the goal to continue being a more ecological organisation has further enabled Kyocera Document Solutions to make strides with its Environmental Policy and initiatives, all of which are available to its employees and any member of the public.
Looking towards the company's product portfolio, a core focus remains on digital document management that aims to optimise business workflows. This has been pivotal to the company's on-going digital transformation development which has allowed automated systems to fuel efficiencies within the company whilst benefitting the environment as a whole.
Having obtained the ISO 14001 certification for the first time in 2007, the latest recognition reflects the organisation's continued efforts of remaining sustainable as a key priority alongside its growth across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. With new and on-going operations, Kyocera has shown its desire to remain environmentally friendly in all of its endeavours leading up to the 27th anniversary of the establishment of Kyocera's landmark Environmental Charter in October.
KYOCERA Document Solutions, headquartered in Osaka, Japan, is a leading manufacturer of document imaging solutions and document management systems, including colour and monochrome multifunctional products as well as printers and wide format devices. KYOCERA's products are renowned for their unique long-life imaging components that provide greater reliability and less waste - resulting in a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over the life of the product. The KYOCERA Document Solutions portfolio does not stop at hardware. A full suite of business applications and consultative services allow customers to optimise and manage their document workflow, unleashing the full potential of their hardware investment.
KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc. is a core company of KYOCERA Corporation, the world's leading developer and manufacturer of advanced ceramics and associated products, including telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages and electronic components. During the year ended March 31 2018, KYOCERA Corporation's net sales totalled 1.42 trillion yen (approx. EUR 11.9 billion).


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Re-learning bathroom etiquette is one of strangest parts about visiting a new country — but this sign found in Rio de Janeiro's Olympic Village seems to go a bit too far in explaining how to use the toilet.
The sign, found by US women's basketball star Elena Delle Donne, tells athletes to not flush toilet paper down the toilet — a common practice in South American countries like Brazil. The sign also outlaws vomiting, "upper-deckers," toilet fishing, and … peeing like a dog?
Signs like these are not uncommon at the Olympic. Similar posters were spotted at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
Well that's interesting... Sochi rules in the bathrooms!! #haha #olympics pic.twitter.com/xacSVimwXY
— Sebastien Toutant (@SebToots) February 1, 2014
The American team should just be glad they haven't had any major issues with their housing. Both the Jamaicans and the Australians arrived to living arrangements that were far from complete, and athletes from the Czech Republic experienced massive flooding in their rooms.
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.


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Scent: gingerale, cyclamaen, cedarwood, rose geranium and sheer woods.
Adidas: Running the Extra Mile
The German town of Herzogenaurach was the place where Adidas was born, and where it remains today. Its founder created those three stripes known around the world today from an idea that got its start in 1925. This founder was named Adolf Dassler, called "Adi" for short – so the company is named for him. ADI DASsler, or Adidas. When Adolf Dassler began his work, there weren't really any good high performance sports shoes, so he filled that need.
Today, Adidas is one of the biggest shoe sellers, in the world, supplying some of the world's greatest athletes. They are more than just shoes today, but sportswear, fashion, and even fragrances. All of them are made with the same expectation of h... Read more about Adidas
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Bowman GL400 Oil Cooler
Product no.: 22849
Location: 11C
Length: 1350 mm
Brand: Bowman
View PDF-version
Ø170 mm.
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20 November 2010
This photo is from Knuckles Range. The place is famous as Pitawalapathana. Dikpathana (Pronounced as ðIkpʌƟənə) is another name to the same plain.
'Pathana' is a local name for grassy plain, usually seen in mountainous regions.
You can view Maningala as the backdrop here.
22 comments:
- පිටස්තරයා said...
Divine !!!!
- 20 November, 2010 10:46
- Janith said...
Nice picture, K. Love those Pathanas. :)
P.S. I see (following that link) that Blogger has restored those old comments! :D - 20 November, 2010 11:12
- Kirigalpoththa said...
Thanks mate :)
Oh yes I also saw they have restored the lost comments. Think it was a temporary db issue. Thanks :) - 20 November, 2010 16:05
- Carol said...
Beautiful mountain in the mist and the plains with the grazing animals. There is even a tiny baby there too. Your world is endlessly breathtaking. Your eye captures the beauty uniquely. Thank you so for sharing it with your readers.
- 20 November, 2010 18:53
- Frieda said...
It's always a pleasure to get to know new places through your pictures!
- 20 November, 2010 19:14
- rainfield61 said...
I like this Pathana.
- 20 November, 2010 19:50
- George said...
This is a very beautiful scene. I like the green field with the mist-covered mountains in the background.
- 20 November, 2010 19:51
- Betsy Banks Adams said...
Hello There, I always look forward to seeing your photos.. Those mountains are awesome.... You are lucky to get to see them in person. I'll have to be content just seeing photos.
Betsy - 20 November, 2010 20:02
- Rajesh said...
Beautiful landscape.
- 21 November, 2010 09:57
- Naquillity said...
magnificent view. thanks for sharing.
- 22 November, 2010 07:17
- Kirigalpoththa said...
Thanks for the comments :)
yes, there were many cattle grazing in these plains. Glad you like my photos.
Pleasure is mine :)
Yes, this is unque and bit different to the Pathana we see in Horton Plains.
This area always brings delightful sceneries.
Knuckles range is like that. You can take pictures for days and still you won't feel content.
Thanks mate!
Thanks all for your wonderful comments! - 22 November, 2010 07:20
- Kirigalpoththa said...
Thanks a lot :) - 22 November, 2010 07:42
- Linnea said...
It looks like another "cool" spot on your divine island! Thanks for visiting. Enjoy the day...
- 22 November, 2010 11:48
- Kirigalpoththa said...
Thanks very much for your comments! :) - 22 November, 2010 11:52
- cat said...
You sure live in a beautiful place!
- 22 November, 2010 15:26
- Kirigalpoththa said...
Thanks Cat! :)
- 22 November, 2010 19:55
- Amaris in Wonderland said...
Lovely Pathana!
Is this an open area that you are free to roam, or is it privately owned land?
I ask because some of the most alluring vistas are for the most part "off-limits" here in Brazil, and in the US, as well. - 24 November, 2010 19:12
- Kirigalpoththa said...
Hi Amaris,
I think there should be some valid reasons to make those places 'off-limits'.
Knuckles Range is named as a conservation forest in Sri Lanka and managed by the Department of Forest Conservation. People are allowed to move freely but strict regulations are there for the protection of these forests.
A nominal entry fee is introduced for some areas including this particular pathana part for sustainability.
Knuckles Massif was recently named as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO along with Horton Plains and Peak Wilderness Area.
Thanks a lot for your comment. - 24 November, 2010 20:53
- Harshi said...
Such a lovely place, I almost don't remember it anymore. All those greens and blues.. indeed a must visit heavenly spot.
- 25 November, 2010 19:36
- Kirigalpoththa said...
Yes, it is a must visit place!
Thanks for your comments. - 25 November, 2010 22:07
- sumedha Obeysekera said...
Beautiful work..this is a very nice place.. Cheers!
- 06 December, 2010 04:39
- Kirigalpoththa said...
Thanks Sumedha! :D
- 06 December, 2010 10:38


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17 Years Ago: Taylor Swift Makes Her Grand Ole Opry Debut
Seventeen years ago today was an unforgettable day for Taylor Swift: It was on that date (Sept. 1, 2006) that the then-16-year-old made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry.
At the time of her Opry debut, Swift was just beginning her rapid ascent to stardom: She had recently signed to Big Machine Records, a then-recently formed independent label, as one of their very first artists; her debut disc, Taylor Swift, wouldn't hit the shelves until Oct. 24, 2006, a little more than one month after her first Opry performance. During her time on the Grand Ole Opry stage, Swift, wearing a white sundress and sporting her natural curls, sang "Tim McGraw," her debut single.
It didn't take long after Swift's performance at the Grand Ole Opry for her career to skyrocket, though: "Tim McGraw" barely cracked the Top 40, but her following singles, "Teardrops on My Guitar" and "Our Song," were both Top 20 hits. Taylor Swift ultimately sold more than 5 million copies.
For several years following her Opry debut, Swift remained a regular performer on the famous stage. But as she began leaning toward a pop career, especially with the 2014 release of 1989, she moved away from her country roots and the hallowed country venue. Still, Swift remains grateful to have started her career in the country music genre.
"I made those choices. I did that. It was part of me growing up. It wasn't some committee going, 'You know what Taylor needs to be this year?'" Swift says. "And so with 1989, I feel like we gave the entire metaphorical house I built a complete renovation, and it made me love the house even more — but still keeping the foundation of what I've always been."
LOOK: Taylor Swift's Best Live Shots


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Perhaps the most important military commander in Syria's civil war is not Syrian at all. He's Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, and he's the subject of an article by Dexter Filkins in the current edition of The New Yorker.
For the past 15 years, Suleimani has been the chief of the Quds Force, a small but powerful branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. He's not a familiar name to Americans, but one former CIA officer described him to Filkins as "the single most powerful operative in the Middle East today."
Filkins writes that Suleimani "has sought to reshape the Middle East in Iran's favor, working as a power broker and as a military force: assassinating rivals, arming allies, and, for most of a decade, directing a network of militant groups that killed hundreds of Americans in Iraq. The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned Suleimani for his role in supporting the Assad regime, and for abetting terrorism."
Filkins covered the war in Iraq for The New York Times. In 2009, he was part of a team of Times reporters who shared a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He joins Fresh Air's Terry Gross to discuss Iran's involvement in Syria.
Interview Highlights
On the political changes happening in Iran
What's so interesting about what's happening now is that for many years the hard-liners in Iran have been basically unchallenged — they've had the run of the place. What's happened just in the last few months and why everybody is pretty hopeful is that you've got these kind of relatively moderate people coming to the fore. Hassan Rouhani was elected president, surprising everyone.
By Iranian standards, he's a pretty moderate guy, and he appears to have the blessing of the all-powerful Ayatollah Khamenei to pursue a deal with the United States over their nuclear program, possibly over Syria, we don't really know. So I think it's a pretty good bet right now that inside the Iranian government there's a really intense fight going on over the future of the country, the direction of the country and its foreign policy, the nuclear program, all this stuff. And these are not settled questions.
On what the Iranian Quds Force does
There's no equivalent in the United States. If you had to make one, it would be the CIA and the special forces together. So it's traditional spies collecting information, running agents; and then it's guys that pull the trigger and go after people. So they do assassinations, they have advisers like special forces advisers. There [are] thousands of them in Syria now, Iranian Quds Force advisers helping to prop up the Assad government. And then they have spies around the globe. So it's a hybrid.
On how the Quds Force began propping up the Assad regime
If you stand back a little bit, if you remember, say, December/January of this year, Assad was on the ropes, he was teetering, it looked like he was going to collapse. His government was steadily losing ground to the rebels, and I think what happened — it's pretty clear by the evidence that the Iranian regime, which values their friendship with Assad very greatly, for many reasons, woke up and hit the alarm bell.
You can sort of watch the number of [Iranian] supply flights that were going in with troops, with ammunition, with money, with everything, just started increasing greatly. So instead of a couple days a week it became every day, all the time, and that has been the decisive factor in solidifying and probably preventing the collapse of the Assad regime. So the Iranians and the Quds Force are doing a whole array of things. They're down on the ground, so they have military advisers that are getting killed in the fight.
On Qassem Suleimani's history of aggression
Qassem Suleimani — who is this extraordinarily powerful man behind the mask, very mysterious guy, very powerful guy — he was instrumental in 2010 in making sure that the Americans left no troops behind in Iraq. During the Iraq War, he supervised and directed militias which were responsible for hundreds of American deaths.
It appears, by the evidence, that the Iranians, and the Quds Force in particular, were behind the assassination of Rafik Hariri, the president of Lebanon, in 2005. Qassem Suleimani appears to be running or directing or at least playing a very large part in the war in Syria on behalf of the Assad government. So he's everywhere, and, again, the Iranians have been extraordinarily aggressive over the past 15 years in asserting themselves in the Middle East, often at American expense.
On Iran's opposition to chemical weapons, which was shaped by the Iran-Iraq War
The Syrian regime, of course, by all available evidence — there's not much debate — used chemical weapons against their own people. They've done it more than a dozen times at least. And the Iranians, of course, have been supporting that government wholeheartedly. However, I think the evidence is pretty persuasive that the Iranians do not want Assad to use chemical weapons, and they've tried to stop him from doing it, which is remarkable. ...
[Last December], before the first chemical weapons attack, ... American intelligence detected that the regime was loading sarin gas onto bombs, basically, to be put on airplanes and then used. And it appeared that they were preparing for a pretty large-scale attack. ...
The Americans reached out to the Russians, the Russians reached out to the Iranians — I believe Qassem Suleimani — who reached out to Assad, [and] said, "Put 'em away." And they did at the time. And I think the reasons for that are ... the Iranians are deeply uncomfortable with the idea of chemical weapons [because of how they were used during the Iran-Iraq War]. ...
On the one hand, there's a great reluctance on the part of the Iranians to see chemical weapons being used because they were so traumatized by it. But on the other hand, I think ... they have a very specific interest in preventing Assad from using chemical weapons, and that is they don't want the West to be involved in this war. So I think their fear has been, "If you use chemical weapons, it's going to bring in the United States."
On how Iranian hard-liners like Qassem Suleimani view the U.S.
If you want to understand Qassem Suleimani's vision for the outside world and, for that matter, probably most of the hard-liners in Iran, the way they see the world, I think you have to go back to the Iran-Iraq War, which was ... one of the bloodiest wars of the 20th century. [It left] probably a million people dead; it lasted eight years; poison gas was used against the Iranians.
The Iranians don't really see that war as the Iran-Iraq War; they see it as the West vs. Iran. And they see, if you ask them, the gas attacks and those terrible, terrible moments in that war as being facilitated by the United States and Europe. And I think the evidence is pretty conclusive that the United States knew about Saddam [Hussein]'s preparations to attack Iran. And remember, this is right after the gigantic Iranian Revolution and the [1979] hostage crisis. ...
I think it's also pretty clear that [the U.S.] provided targeting information for the Iraqi military when it used poison gas, and I think the evidence is also pretty conclusive that Iraq, in building its chemical weapons arsenal, got help from certain European countries. Nonetheless, I think the Iranian view is that this was essentially a Western conspiracy. "We are surrounded by enemies near and far," and that is the way Qassem Suleimani sees the United States.
On whether an agreement between Iran and the U.S. is possible
What the Iranians want is a lifting of the sanctions ... and what we want is for them to give up their nuclear program. And they want that nuclear program very badly. So can we make a deal on that? I'm skeptical. ... The Iranians have been extremely patient in the way that they've pursued their nuclear program, particularly in the past decade.
There aren't any fixed timetables about when they have to get it done, and they are willing to proceed at a very deliberate pace as long as they are still moving forward. It's impossible to define their motives or even their objectives, but I think what's troubling to me is that where they appear to be heading ... is essentially [to] have the capability of building a bomb very quickly.
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