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The variable media paradigm pairs creators with museum and media consultants to imagine potential futures for works in ephemeral formats, including digital media, performances, and installations. The initiative aims to define each of these case studies in terms of medium-independent behaviors and to identify the best strategies for preserving work with the help of an interactive questionnaire.
The Variable Media Network proposes an unconventional preservation strategy based on identifying ways that creative works might outlast their original medium.
This strategy emerged from the Guggenheim Museum's efforts to preserve its world-renowned collection of conceptual, minimalist and video art. The growth of the Variable Media has been supported by the Daniel Langlois Foundation for Art, Science, and Technology, and subsequently promoted by the Forging the Future alliance. The aim of this diverse network of organizations is to develop the tools, methods and standards needed to rescue creative culture from obsolescence and oblivion. |
Choose among the links at left to learn more about this approach or click on a featured resource below: |
Try this unique tool
designed to help preserve ephemeral works...
These are among the dozens of case studies examined by the Variable Media Network. | ||||
Jan Dibbets A White Wall, 1971. Photo collage. more |
Mark Napier Net Flag, 2001. Web site. more |
Ken Jacobs Bitemporal Vision: The Sea, 1994. Film performance. more |
Bruce Nauman False Silence, 1975. Audio installation. more |
Felix Gonzalez-Torres Untitled (Public Opinion), 1991. Interactive installation. more |
Nam June Paik TV Garden, 1974. Video installation. more |
Robert Morris Site, 1964. Performance. more |
Meg Webster Stick Spiral, 1986. Installation. more |
Stan Douglas Der Sandmann, 1995. Film installation. |
John F. Simon, Jr. Color Panel v. 1.0, 1999. Digital sculpture. |
Jenny Holzer Untitled (Selections from Truisms, ...), 1989. Electronic installation. |
Robert Smithson Hotel Palenque, 1969. Slide installation. |
Grahame Weinbren and Roberta Friedman The Erl King, 1982-85. Interactive video installation. |
The variable media paradigm looks at artworks not in terms of mutually exclusive technologies like film or video, but in terms of overlapping medium-independent behaviors that need to be preserved for the essence of the artwork to remain viewable. To uncover these behaviors, it helps to compare artworks created in entirely different mediums that present similar preservation challenges. | ||
Meg Webster's
installation Stick Spiral (1986), bears no
obvious resemblance to a performance such as Robert
Morris's Site (1964). Nevertheless, installing
Stick Spiral requires not merely re-creating the appearance of the original,
but also following a definite procedure—in this case filling a room with
recently cut branches from the nearby area pruned for a reason
other than the exhibition. In this sense, Webster's installation is
performed. While Site is performed by a male and female dancer manipulating plywood boards
and other props onstage, Stick Spiral is performed by curators and museum staff in
the act of gathering materials necessary to recreate the installation. Both works require
archiving instructions or a score for these
performances to be reenacted in the future—a shared behavior. |
In another comparison
of two artworks created in different mediums, Felix
Gonzalez-Torres's Untitled (Public Opinion) (1991) would seeing
to have little in common with Mark Napier's net.flag (2001). The former is a candy spill in a museum, while the
latter is an image of a flag on a Web site. However, both works are based
on interchangeable parts: mass-produced commodities on the one hand and digital
files on the other. Both works are also meant to be interactive, since
visitors can take free candies from the Gonzalez-Torres and online visitors
can modify Napier's flag by adding or subtracting parts of flags of various
nations. Because of these similarities, re-creating these works will raise
similar questions, such as how to re-create the work once its technology
of duplication is obsolete and whether traces of previous visitors should
be erased or retained in future exhibitions of the work. |
contained | ||||
In the variable media paradigm, even paintings and sculptures can provoke prickly questions when some aspect of their construction alters or requires an intervention. Such works are "contained" within their materials or a protective framework that encloses or supports the artistic material to be viewed. To account for these alterations in otherwise stable mediums, the Variable Media Questionnaire asks questions such as whether a protective coating is appropriate, whether surface qualities such as brushwork or gloss are essential to the work, or whether an artist-made frame can be replaced. | ||||
Examples of contained works | ||||
Jan Dibbets A White Wall, 1971. Photo collage. more |
John F. Simon, Jr. Color Panel v. 1.0, 1999. Digital sculpture. |
installed | ||||
For the purposes of variable media guidelines, to say that a work must be "installed" implies that its physical installation is more complex than simply hanging it on a nail. Examples of artworks with this behavior are works that scale to fill a given space or make use of unusual placement such as the exterior of a building or a public plaza. For such works, the Variable Media Questionnaire tracks issues of site-specific placement as well as scale, public access, and lighting. | ||||
Examples of installed works | ||||
Felix Gonzalez-Torres Untitled (Public Opinion), 1991. Interactive installation. more |
Nam June Paik TV Garden, 1974. Video installation. more |
performed | ||||
In the variable media paradigm, "performed" works include not only dance, music, theater, and performance art, but also works for which the process is as important as the product. For such works, the Variable Media Questionnaire ascertains instructions that actors, curators, or installers must follow to complete the work, in addition to more conventional performance considerations such as cast, set, and props. | ||||
Examples of performed works | ||||
Robert Morris Site, 1964. Performance. more |
Meg Webster Stick Spiral, 1986. Installation. more |
interactive | ||||
While the word is most commonly applied to electronic media such as computer-driven installations and Web sites, interactivity also describes installations that allow visitors to manipulate or take home components of a physical work. The Variable Media Questionnaire tracks such considerations as the type of interface; the method by which visitors modify the work; and the form in which traces of such input are recorded. | ||||
Examples of interactive works | ||||
Felix Gonzalez-Torres Untitled (Public Opinion), 1991. Interactive installation. more |
Mark Napier Net Flag, 2001. Web site. more |
reproduced | ||||
In the variable media paradigm, a recording medium is "reproduced" if any copy of the original master of the work results in a loss of quality. Such media include analog photography, film, audio, and video. | ||||
Examples of reproduced works | ||||
Stan Douglas Der Sandmann, 1995. Film installation. |
Robert Smithson Hotel Palenque, 1969. Slide installation. |
interchangeable | ||||
To say that some aspect of a work can be interchangeable (also called "duplicated") implies that a copy could not be distinguished from the original by an independent observer. This behavior applies to artifacts that can be perfectly cloned, as in digital media, or to artifacts comprising readymade, industrially fabricated, or mass-produced components. | ||||
Examples of interchangeable works | ||||
Felix Gonzalez-Torres Untitled (Public Opinion), 1991. Interactive installation. more |
Jenny Holzer Untitled (Selections from Truisms, ...), 1989. Electronic installation. |
encoded | ||||
To say that a work is encoded implies that part or all of it is written in computer code or some other language that requires interpretation (eg. dance notation). In the case of works with nondigital components, this code can sometimes be archived separately from the work itself. | ||||
Examples of encoded works | ||||
Jenny Holzer Untitled (Selections from Truisms, ...), 1989. Electronic installation. |
Mark Napier Net Flag, 2001. Web site. more |
networked | ||||
A networked work is designed to be viewed on an electronic communication system, whether a Local Area Network (LAN) or the Internet. Networked media include Web sites, e-mail, and streaming audio and video. | ||||
Examples of networked works | ||||
Mark Napier Net Flag, 2001. Web site. more |
The Variable Media Questionnaire is an interactive form linked to a database and designed to assist creators and preservationists in writing variable media guidelines. The questionnaire is not intended to be exhaustive, but is intended to spur questions that must be answered in order to capture creators' desires about how to translate their work into new mediums once the work's original medium has expired.
Now available as a free Web service built by the Forging the Future alliance, the third-generation Questionnaire introduced a shift from the previous two versions by viewing the fundamental unit of an artwork as not the artwork itself, but the parts that are fundamental to its operation. In an attempt to capture as many impressions of the work as possible, questions about those components are posed to not just the artist whose name is on the wall next to the piece but also the curators, conservators, assistants, and even viewers who have experienced the work.
That said, the modern reality of art is that it is not enough to treat an artwork as just a collection of physical parts, and so the third-generation Questionnaire also recognizes environments, user interactions, motivating ideas, and external references as aspects to be surveyed and considered when preserving or recreating the piece. Expanding the scope of the data collected by the questionnaire often influences the way that artists, collectors, and scholars approach the artwork that it catalogues.


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List: $65.50
1 in stock (can be backordered)
For carvers who do mostly smaller work, where large amounts of wood are not being removed, these pear shaped handled chisels are perfect. the handle is shaped to be comfortable in the hand, and a flat on one side keeps the tool from rolling off the workbench. Each handle is protected with a high gloss finish. The
blades are about 4″ long and the overall length with handle is about 61/2″.
These are the same blades found on the smaller octagon handled tools, and the blades keep to the exacting high standards found on all Two Cherries tools. Hand forged of high carbon steel, the blades are heat treated to sixty-one degrees Rockwell, and then ground and polished all around.

subset: commoncrawl


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Posts Tagged 'Utnapishtim'
An Ark is a Terrible Thing to Waste
Credit: Ark Encounter
Ark Encounter is a theme park in Williamstown, Kentucky that invites you to "witness history," to participate in a "life-sized Noah's Ark experience" and to "be amazed," all for the single day price of $40 per adult and $28 for children over 5 years of age. Seniors get a discount. Parking pass not included. Combination rates are available if you also want to go to Ark Encounter's "sister attraction," the Creation Museum, just north in Petersburg, Kentucky.
The underlying premise of the Ark Museum is that beside "the Cross, the Ark of Noah is one of the greatest reminders we have of salvation." The reference, of course, is to the biblical story of a massive, worldwide encompassing flood which destroyed all human and other land based animal life on Earth, save that of a man named Noah, his family and such animals as he was able to collect and maintain on an enormous ship, the Ark, which rode the flooded seas for an extended period. (See generally, Gen. 6:9-9:29.) Ark Encounter considers the story of Noah's Ark to be "true," that is, an "historical account recorded for us in the Bible."
For young earth creationists, like the proponents of Ark Encounter, history dates back to, and only to, about 6000 years ago, when, they believe, God created heaven and earth. Based on the genealogies in Genesis, the flood began when Noah was 600 years old, in the year 1656 AC (After Creation). Following the reckoning of Irish Archbishop James Ussher in the 17th Century as to the date of creation, this equates to 2348 BCE (Before the Common Era). The traditional Jewish calculation of the date of creation is somewhat different, occurring 3761/3760 years before the start of the Common Era, with the flood commencing 1656 years later, or about 2105 BCE. read more


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Created by Vianna Stibal, the ThetaHealing Technique is a meditation technique, and spiritual philosophy - not specific to one religion but accepting of them all - to get closer to the Creator. It is a training method for your mind, body, and spirit that allows you to clear limiting beliefs and live life with positive thoughts, developing virtues in all that you do. Through meditation and prayer, ThetaHealing creates a positive lifestyle.
The ThetaHealing technique is known worldwide. To support the global expansion of ThetaHealing, we have Practitioners who offer local sessions and Instructors who teach seminars. We have local contacts who are Master of Science ThetaHealers® that serve as Country Interpreters & Communicators (CIC) and Country Event Coordinators (CEC).
CICs translate regional content into different languages and assist Thetahealers with their profiles. Respectively, CECs organize Vianna-led events for Instructors in their country.
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Even mere descriptions of John Waters' 1970s trash-comedy classics – among them "Multiple Maniacs" and "Pink Flamingos" – packed the power to shock the faint of heart.
So imagine the surprise in 1988 when his first filth-free effort, the heartwarming and deceivingly gentle "Hairspray," emerged, in some respects, as his most subversive film of all. It's also proven Waters' most enduring work, spawning a 2002 Broadway musical and a song-filled movie version five years later.
Waters' story of an oversized underdog dancing against racial intolerance twists its way onto NBC Dec. 7 with a live performance of the musical. The show returns at a time when we all could use a little "Hairspray."
The tale, set in 1962 racially torn Baltimore, offers an unlikely lead player: Tracy Turnblad, a plump, buoyant and bullied white teen. The beehive-sporting high schooler, who loves rocks-and-roll and rhythm-and-blues, finds initial bliss dancing on a local "American Bandstand"-like TV program, "The Corny Collins Show." But the program is segregated, with black teens relegated to a monthly "Negro Day."
Tracy and her pals' big battle against small minds turns the seemingly innocuous reality TV show of its time into a spectacle pitting the forces of unity against the dividers.
The offbeat humor and sweetness wrapping the serious theme helped Waters break free of the cult-film label. The musical version, with upbeat, period-evoking songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, quickly gained a considerable following of its own.
"Hairspray" follows older Broadway fare repurposed for TV in recent years – including NBC's takes on "The Sound of Music," "Peter Pan," and "The Wiz" over the previous three Decembers, as well as Fox's fun rendering of "Grease," which aired in January.
"Hairspray Live!" boasts a cast featuring Harvey Fierstein, the gravelly voiced multi-talent who starred in the Tony-winning Broadway show. He again steps into the housedress of Waters' drag muse Divine, who originated the role of Tracy's agoraphobic mother Edna. Other big-name troupers set for the TV performance include Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Grande, Martin Short, Derek Hough, Kristin Chenoweth and Rosie O'Donnell.
In keeping with past versions, the producers tapped an unknown – actress Maddie Baillio – to play Tracy. Sometime you need a fresh face to take a new look at an old, seemingly endless problem, and remind us that, at least in the movies and on stage, the happiest shock of all is when one person makes a difference.
Jere Hester is Director of News Products and Projects at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is also the author of "Raising a Beatle Baby: How John, Paul, George and Ringo Helped us Come Together as a Family." Follow him on Twitter.


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Intramural Fibroids
Uterine fibroids, also known as uterine leiomyomas or myomas, are one of the most common medical conditions affecting at least one out of every four women. These are benign tumors formed from the muscular layer of the uterus. Women with fibroids may or may not experience any outer symptoms. Therefore, uterine fibroids are often detected only during a routine pelvic examination. On the basis of their location, uterine fibroid tumors can be categorized into three different types: subserosal fibroids, intramural fibroids and submucosal fibroids.
What are Intramural Fibroids?
Intramural fibroids are one of the most common types of uterine fibroids, found in 70% of women of childbearing age. Unlike subserosal fibroids, which develop on the outside covering of the uterus, and submucosal fibroids, which develop just under the lining of the uterine cavity, intramural fibroids develop within the wall of the uterus.
Intramural fibroids begin as small nodules in the muscular wall of the uterus. With time, intramural fibroids may expand inwards, causing distortion and elongation of the uterine cavity. Sometimes these fibroid tumors may grow towards the endometrial cavity to become submucosal fibroids or they may even grow towards the outer surface of the uterus to become subserosal fibroids.
Symptoms of Intramural Fibroids
Intramural fibroids are generally asymptomatic, but in some women, they may cause problems such as:
- Heavier menstrual bleeding
- Pelvic pain
- Pain in back and the back of the legs
- Constipation and bloating
- Constant urge to urinate
- Lower-abdominal pressure or heaviness due to the weight of large intramural fibroids
- Abnormally large abdomen
- Pain or discomfort during intercourse, if the fibroids are located in the cervix area
- In some extreme cases, intramural fibroids may result in uterine hemorrhage
Intramural Fibroids and Infertility
Normally, intramural fibroids have no effect on fertility and pregnancy. However, in about 3% of women, these uterine fibroids are linked with infertility. Women who have multiple intramural fibroids or very large fibroids may find conceiving troublesome.
Intramural fibroids can prevent sperm from entering the uterine cavity, particularly when the fibroids are located at the cervix. These fibroids can also enlarge the uterine cavity, thereby increasing the distance that sperm need to travel to reach the fallopian tubes.
Additionally, intramural fibroids may affect the uterus' ability to contract, which has a direct impact upon sperm migration and ovum transport.
Implantation of the embryo can also be inhibited by intramural fibroids as they distort the uterine cavity, impairing the blood supply to the endometrium and disturbing the endometrium structure. Even if implantation has occurred successfully, intramural fibroids may interfere with the development of the foetus.
Uterine fibroids usually enlarge as the pregnancy proceeds. Due to this, there is a tussle for space between the growing baby and the intramural fibroids. This struggle may either induce developmental defects in the unborn child or may cause a miscarriage.
Treatment of Intramural Fibroids
If intramural fibroids aren't interfering with a woman's ability to get pregnant and aren't causing any pain, it is likely they will be left untouched. However, if the intramural fibroids are large, treatment might be necessary to reduce the symptoms produced by them.
These uterine fibroids are generally treated by means of three types of surgical procedures:
- Removal of one or more intramural fibroids by open abdominal surgery called abdominal myomectomy.
- Destruction of the fibroids through uterine artery embolization in which polyvinyl alchol beads are injected into the uterine artery with a catheter to block the flow of blood to the intramural fibroids
- Hysterectomy which looks to remove the uterus
At the present time, effective medicines that can permanently shrink these fibroids are not available. Hence, surgical removal is the best option available for the treatment of intramural fibroids.


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I didn't quite expect to see the piece go viral. If I had known that would happen, I would have spent more time on it, and it would have been a better piece of writing (much of it, as I re-read it, I'm sure would elicit red marks from my former English professors). I am sure I would have chosen to write it a bit differently, with the goal of speaking to a larger audience. I stand 100% behind the sentiment of it, so I am thankful that people are somewhat forgiving, and that so many felt that it was worth sharing.
Anyway, what I kept saying yesterday is this was not about me. If I had been alive during the civil rights movement, I would be speaking up just the same. I can't help how I am, and I have always been concerned when others are mistreated. This is about prejudice, discrimination, and ignorance. It's about reducing harm and increasing well-being. It's about religion at times clouding our innate sense of morality. It's about people with feelings, and hopes, and dreams, who are being denied and maligned.
The blog post received so many great comments from so many different walks of life that I felt that they shouldn't all be confined to the comments section. I'd like to highlight some here. There are many other great comments (and some very negative and misguided ones) that I am not including below (some would be out of context if removed from the stream). All comments, of course, remain on the original post. And more continue to come in. For the sake of privacy, I will address them anonymously (even though many posted anonymously, whether intentionally or because they didn't have an ID or didn't wish to create one).
Here are just a few:
Thank you for this post. I doubt it will change the minds of the bigots, but I hope it calls others into action. As far as the economic situation is concerned, yes - the research triangle should be very afraid that this will keep the best and the brightest from moving to NC. And I'm not just talking about LGBT folks - straight people who care about the kind of environment they will be living in will now stop to wonder whether they want to live in a bigoted, Southern, religiously oppressive region. All the negative stereotypes about the south will be reinforced with what I suspect will be a lopsided vote passing the amendment. And, if the amendment passes, I will not vacation in NC ever again.Vote no on Amendment 1 in May.
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I was raised in Durham and when I left I had to explain that we are not nearly as racist a state as many on the outside perceive us to be. These days unfortunately many GLBTs outside of NC dismiss our state as a homophobic black hole. I try to explain that it is not but when our legislature behave so horrifically I have no comeback. Well, you just made me understand why as a gay man I have never felt threatened in my home state. With no gay ghettos in NC, gay people have to live alongside their straight neighbors. But with straight neighbors like you who needs gay ghettos? While NC has a history of fundamentalists citizens who make a lot of noise, it also has a well organized progressive coalition of straights, gays, and minorities ready to fight back. Now more than ever the GLBTs in NC needs their help. Thank you ever so much for getting this ball rolling.
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This could not have been stated better. It literally brought tears to my eyes that remain. LBGT rights ARE Civil Rights.
I lived through the desegregation Civil Rights era, hearing kids in my elementary school chant "2, 4, 6, 8, we don't want to integrate," something I knew at age 8 was them mouthing their parents' prejudices, spewing hatred. I heard the same Chapter and Verse quotations used by people who claim to be Christians, but who would make Jesus weep, people who parse the Bible to support their bigotries.
I worked with a woman in 1968 in my first full time job. She was Southern through and through, an intelligent woman but not well educated. I was working there when Martin Luther King Jr. was killed. She talked about her own prejudices and how she was raised to have them and believe them. She had a daughter. She said she was trying the best she could to not pass her bigotries on to her daughter because her daughter's world was a different one than the one mom had grown up in and she didn't want to handicap her daughter.
Elie Wiesel said, "I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."
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My partner and I really appreciate your well-spoken and just allied support of our LGBTQ friends who simply would like the same basic, legal rights in marriage that our heterosexual friends enjoy here in NC.
Regardless of what anyone believes about nature, homosexuality, marriage or parenting, this issue is about offering the same legal rights and protections from our government no matter one's race, religion, gender, ability, age, sexual orientation, hair color, tax bracket, or shoe size.
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This article brought tears to my eyes for so many reasons! I am so blessed to have an amazing partner, loving and supportive family and friends, a fantastic/ beautiful/smart/healthy daughter, a wonderful job, and so many more blessings! It saddens me to see this backward movement in NC; however, it is people like yourself, and the others that have posted here, that will help to make the equality we declare we offer as a nation a true reality. The more the opposition insists that "gay marriage" is wrong the more they highlight the inequity of their position. A part of the foundation of this country was born from the desire to escape persecution. I would like to continue to be a part of the movement to remove the obstacles to equality that we still have in place today. This is not an issue "just" about gay marriage.
I live in the neighboring state of TN and I know our fight for equality here will also be long and hard. I would implore the residents of any state not only to vote on the issue, but to become involved in local organizations that will help lobby for our rights (locally we have the TN Equality Project).
In addition, please see this video about the work of a NY artist iO Tillett Wright who is doing an amazing project "Self Evident Truths". This project is a "photographic record of LGBTQ America" and is being done as her fight for what she also acknowledges is the civil rights movement of her generation.
I hope that one day my daughter will look back and think how ridiculous it was that her parents could not get married, just as it was so ridiculous that we would force a person of color to the back of a bus, another school, a lesser paying job, or deny them the right to vote.
I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes: "Morality is simply the attitude we adopt toward people we personally dislike"- Oscar Wilde
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From the mother of a gay son in australia, I love your article. It is well written and thoughtful. I was in NC during the lead up to the vote on Prop 8. It was before my son was out and it was also the first time I experienced the level of hateful christian protesters. I am a Christian and was horrified that these people would picket school and harass people taking their kids to school. My niece that I walked to school every day and had a friend with two mothers was so upset for her friend. We are fighting for the right for marriage equality here in australia, and for what it is worth, we are cheering for you over there and I will be watching with interest.
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I thank you for so well written outloud what I among other's feel. I am a straight ally and mother of a beautiful biracial lesbian daughter. I was at the vigil and the rally where Alex of Equality NC read a email I sent to him which he read at the rally. Thank you so much for giving a voice of love to those who need it and to those who hate, because they need to hear this.
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Thank you so much. I would like to add something about the myth that being gay automatically makes someone more susceptible to disease. It may be true that gay people have higher rates of HIV and other STDs, but you have to understand how hard it is to maintain a lasting relationship with someone when society condemns it. It's hard even for straight people to make a relationship work. Think about how much harder it would be if you couldn't get legal recognition of your relationship and everyone around you condemned you for your relationship. It is to hard for most gay people to deal with, which is why it is easier to have short term or anonymous relationships. The more sexual partners a person has, the higher the risk for STDs. Legalizing same-gender marriage, will encourage more long-term lasting relationships. Which will decrease the rates of STDs. When I was younger, I didn't think it would ever be possible for me to get married. I didn't have any hope for a lasting relationship and settled for the fleet short-term one. I'm lucky that I never got any STDs, but I was at high risk. Now that some states and other countries have legalized marriage, I have hope for a better future. I have real dates now, instead of sexual "hook ups". The younger generation are not as promiscuous as mine was. I see young gay people dating in high school, just like straights now. I think that as marriage equality is realized, the discrepancy in STD rates among gay and straights will start to even out more. Think about it.
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The truth: if we let gays marry, then we have to acknowledge that they are human, like "us." We have to validate there existence as legitimate, and that scares the hell out of people who just don't know any better. Look at history: we fear what we don't know. We'd rather allow straight, good Christian people to, perhaps, have serial marriages, withstand abusive relationships, give birth out of wedlock, transmit STDs through unfaithful relationships, and then go pray for the souls of the damned on Sunday. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.
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My son just got engaged... he is with a great guy and they are heading down a path we all know and appreciate. Friendship, courtship, engagement and marriage... yes, marriage for my wonderful gay son. Gay marriage protects the children of gay parents, it creates a pathway to stable longer lasting relationships and it provides gay couple with all the same challenges and joys heterosexual couples face in marriage. I am Christian, female and heterosexual and a whole hearted supporter of gay marriage. Thanks for this great article.
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To all of the people out there upset by the "I reject your religious reasoning", you need to pay more attention. There is no judgement here, only a statement that religious reasoning has no place in the legislative process. And our government was specifically designed that way. If you want to use your God as the reason for your laws, you're going to have to change that part of the constitution first. (incidentally - though I do believe it to be completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand, I know anyone who disagrees will automatically go there - I would just like to add that I am a Christian. Roman Catholic, in fact, and I believe in God, and that He loves His children, and that IF homosexuality IS wrong, then it is His place to judge. not yours)
If you are concerned about homosexual parents raising children, clearly you have not been paying attention to the people in our country who ARE raising children. You say that children benefit from a 2-parent household, and in general I would agree. However, there are a lot of great single parents and a lot of really miserable heterosexual married parents. Whether a person is or is not a good parent depends on that person. His or her sexual orientation is only a minor factor in that equation. Would you rather a child grow up in a "traditional" family where he is being emotionally or physically abused by one or both of his parents, or in a household with one or two healthy, happy parents who just happen to be homosexual?
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The one concern I have with your article is that it automatically takes the "religion as the enemy" approach. Actually, it is my Christian faith that makes me such a strong advocate for LGBT rights, as a straight, mother of three, who is married to a pastor. Just because opponents of LGBT rights have used religion as a weapon, doesn't mean they have the only, or correct, interpretation of what the Bible teaches on this matter. Large numbers of pastors and theologians have signed petitions against Amendment One and DOMA, and both attend (and frequently organize) rallies to support gay rights. They write letters to the editor and produce articles that apparently only theological magazines are willing to publish because other sources don't believe it fits the current media narrative for Christian and Religious Leaders to be loving and inclusive. I encourage you to check out groups like Christians Tired of Being Misrepresented on Facebook. There are religious and Biblical sound arguments to support gay marriage, and people of faith out there making them. We just have been denied the megaphone and spotlight, but things are about to change.
* * *
I am a married, heterosexual Christian woman, I am expecting our first child in March, and I am embarrassed and heartbroken that my state is moving in this direction. I have a number of gay and lesbian family members and dear friends, and they are wonderful, talented people who are leaving NC at their earliest opportunity with no plans to EVER return. Their loss is a huge one for our state's economic potential.
Although I am generally politically conservative, the supporters of this legislation will not be getting my vote in May or ever again. I am disgusted by their actions and by the self-congratultory tone with ehich they explained that they were doing our state some great service by allowing the people to put to a majority vote the rights and a minority group.
* * *


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Conservative council candidate condemned over 'bomb Bristol' comment - after making similar remarks in the past
A Conservative Party candidate has been criticised after Tweeting that the UK should "bomb Bristol" after a protest in the city escalated into scenes of violence on Sunday night (21 Mar).
Stephen Halbhuber, a Conservative candidate for St Anthony's Ward, Eastbourne Council, Tweeted: "Just bomb Bristol," in response to a video from the protests, which showed people graffitiing a building.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad'I completely regret my comments'
The Tweet attracted significant criticism and Halbhuber has now apologised, Tweeting: "I want to apologise unreservedly for my comments last night, and for any offence caused.
"Needless to say, it is not something that I believe, or would advocate for. In the cold light of day, I completely regret them."
Halbhuber, who has now deleted his Twitter account, has previously shared potentially offensive messages on the social media platform, including other suggestions to "bomb" locations with ongoing protests.
'Just bomb the place'
He previously responded to a Channel 4 news report of the death of George Floyd with "Fu** off Channel 4" and responded to reports of ant-racist protests in the US last June saying "just bomb the place", referring, in this instance, to Seattle.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHalbhuber also previously responded to a Tweet about migrants crossing the channel saying: "More voters for labour and the London mayor".
Labour MPs were encouraged to respond to the Tweet, tagging in the Conservative Party co-chair, Amanda Milling, and the official Conservative Party account, to draw it to their attention, according to The Times.
The message sent to Labour MPs reportedly said: "Colleagues are encouraged to tweet and tag Amanda Milling (@amandamilling) and CCHQ (@Conservatives) following the outrageous comments of Stephen Halbhuber, a council candidate for the Tories in Eastbourne."
'Completely unacceptable'
Responding to this, Amanda Milling said: "These comments are completely unacceptable and I condemn them. The individual involved has been contacted.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"It is on all of us across political divides to work together to stamp out online abuse."
The Eastbourne and Willingdon Conservative Association has yet to respond to a request for comment, or confirm whether Stephen Halbhuber will still stand as a Conservative candidate in the upcoming local elections.


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Four Innovation Grants Awarded to Humanities Graduate Students
Graduate Student Affairs has announced the winners of the 2012-2013 Innovation Grant, which provides funds for projects created by students "that encourage graduate students' academic progress, professional development, or personal growth." The winning projects below were proposed by graduate students in the Division of the Humanities.
- Chicago Art Journal Website: Proposed by Solveig Nelson, the Chicago Art Journal Website project aims to use the Innovation Grant to create a website for The Chicago Art Journal, a student-run, peer-reviewed journal located in the Department of Art History, in order to expand the journal's content and expose it to a wider audience.
- Essential Graphic Design for NELC Students Workshop: Proposed by Tytus Mikolajczak, the goal of the Essential Graphic Design for NELC Students Workshop is to expose graduate students in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations to graphic design software necessary for the preparation of digital images, a requirement for scholarly careers in the field.
- Open Source Tools for Writing Dissertations and Professional Documents in the Humanities: This two-hour session, proposed by Sarah Iker and Peter Shultz, aims to introduce graduate students to open-source tools that will allow them to create properly formatted and professional academic documents across a variety of operating systems.
- University of Chicago Move and Shake Women Retreat: Proposed by Alisha Jones, this two-day retreat offers a reflection on work-life balance for graduate student women, particularly women of color. Through the guidance of mentors, the retreat will allow women of color a safe space to discuss their experiences in the academy, while also providing an exchange among women on many different academic career paths.
Read all of the awarded proposals here.


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You started with nothing but an idea. A story in your head. A message you felt other people needed to hear. Through a tremendous amount of thought and energy and effort, you turned your idea into a manuscript.
Now it's time to take the next step.
Cover to Cover LLC offers a wide range of services to help you get your manuscript ready for publication—and into the hands of readers.


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"Really," I said. "Now, doc, don't give me that look that everyone else gives me when I say something like that." We got to talking a little bit more. She's in her mid-30's, married, and she states that she's doing well in her career.
"Don't misunderstand, I like kids," she said. "I could be wrong, but I've never really believed that you could have it all - meaning both family and career - at least for women." She continued, "At least with the people that I know, when you try to go for both, then one suffers, and I never wanted that. I always knew I could be a good mom, but I didn't feel that I had the passion or drive to be a good mom."
Now, I know people out there in blog land are trying to figure out if I'm trying to make some kind of political statement with this post. I'm not. In talking with some of my female staff members at the office after this encounter, I guess this having children thing (or not having children) can be a divisive issue.
I did further research on this and found an article in today's Washington Post called Childless: Some by Chance, Some by Choice. The columnist begins the article by talking about how she had a stillborn baby. Soon after that, she and her husband divorced and the columnist chose to remain childless.
The next part of the article describes her work on a documentary about childless women. The reasons for remaining childless are similar to my patient's reasons.
Just as some women talk of a visceral urge that propels them to have children, others speak of an equally visceral urge that propels them not to. Laurie, a transplanted southerner who teaches history in New York, began to realize at an early age that she didn't want children, as she watched wealthy mothers in Richmond hire other women to care for their children. "These people compelled to have trophy babies in certain socioeconomic echelons don't want to face the realities of raising a child." She is now infuriated by what she calls "that Mother Right" -- the assumption that everyone will make way for a woman with a stroller or a child in tow. She goes on to challenge me: "If we believe that this is the hardest thing that anyone can do, then why should it be assumed we should all be doing it?"I realize that I'm putting a big target on myself and my blog for bringing an issue like this up. I have found that the "child people" Vs. "childless people" are very passionate about their respective points of view.
This has been a more painful journey for my friend Lori from Tennessee, who, though quick to find humor in things, was devastated by a miscarriage. Her husband, who had two children from a previous marriage, was reluctant to try again. She's irritated by the signs in parking lots reserving spaces for parents with children: "I park in those spots sometimes just out of sheer defiance -- I'm a peri-menopausal woman under stress -- and I need a sign!" Lori argues that "if you don't have children you've . . . thrown a brick in your path that you're going to spend your entire life trying to crawl over. It would have been a lot easier having had children."
Me? I'm not passing judgement on this either way. I will be further exploring both sides of this issue, because I think it will help me better understand a patient's point of view.


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Quality, hand-made stretched canvases, floater frames, and wood panels direct from our Los Angeles shop to your studio.
Shipping costs depend on your zip code and quantity ordered. To see the precise amount, fill your shopping cart as desired and proceed to "Checkout". Upon specifying your shipping address, you will see the shipping costs and any applicable sales tax. You may abort checkout well before you are prompted for credit card information.


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House Republicans, meet Sen. Ted Cruz. Ted Cruz, House Republicans.
Given the surprise expressed by some House members at the Texas senator's approach to the defunding of Obamacare, perhaps an introduction was in order.
A few dozen House members Wednesday morning successfully coerced a reluctant Speaker John Boehner into tying the Obamacare language to a must-pass government funding bill. This came after weeks of television ads featuring Cruz and fellow Senate Republican Mike Lee advocating exactly that plan, regardless of the consequences.
Yet not long after Boehner's announcement came a statement from Cruz commending House Republicans, but also warning: "Harry Reid will no doubt try to strip the defund language from the continuing resolution, and right now he likely has the votes to do so. At that point, House Republicans must stand firm, hold their ground, and continue to listen to the American people."
Got that? House Republicans did. After imploring them to act, Cruz essentially conceded that he could not realistically accomplish anything in the Senate, and therefore it was all on the House's shoulders. Great work guys! Keep that finger in the dike, and don't let us down!
Reaction from those House Republicans was swift and, well, more than a little bit tart.
Tim Griffin of Arkansas offered this tweet: "so far Sen Rs are good at getting Facebook likes, and townhalls, not much else. Do something." (This was later deleted.)
Georgia Rep. Tom Price had this: "House Republicans are turning words into action to defund #Obamacare. Ball will be in the Senate's court."
Perhaps those in the House had not been paying much attention to Cruz, who came to prominence within weeks of taking office this year by suggesting that Chuck Hagel, then the defense secretary nominee and a former GOP senator himself — might have taken money from the North Koreans.
Not long after, Arizona Sen. John McCain included Cruz among a group in Congress he considered "wacko birds." Since then, Cruz has become better known for his visits to early presidential primary states than for working with fellow senators on legislation.
At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Cruz did thank House Republicans for sticking their necks out, and deflected questions about his statement. "Americans don't care about petty political bickering in Washington," he said.
For his part, Boehner would not specifically address Cruz at his own news conference, but he did say: "It's time for them to pick up the mantle and get the job done."
S.V. Dáte is the congressional editor on NPR's Washington Desk.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Ball Aerospace Begins Integration Phase for DigitalGlobe's WorldView-3 Satellite
April 08, 2013
BOULDER, Colo., April 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has begun integration for WorldView-3, the next generation commercial remote-sensing satellite being built for DigitalGlobe, a leading global provider of high-resolution earth imagery solutions.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130408/LA90009)
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130108/LA39163LOGO)
The third satellite in a series to employ the Ball Commercial Platform (BCP) 5000, WorldView-3 is slated for launch in mid-2014. For more than a decade Ball Aerospace has partnered with DigitalGlobe to deliver increasingly advanced imaging satellites, including WorldView-2 in 2009, WorldView-1 in 2007, and QuickBird in 2001.
"Our experience building spacecraft for DigitalGlobe has allowed for quick progress on WorldView-3," said Cary Ludtke, vice president and general manager of Ball's Operational Space business unit. "WorldView-3 will be a highly capable spacecraft based on a low risk design with proven results. We're eager for it to join DigitalGlobe's growing constellation."
Currently the integration of the control moment gyroscopes (CMGs) and the propulsion module is underway in anticipation of the ITT Exelis imaging sensor delivery in mid-2013. Following successful sensor integration and checkout, environmental testing of the completed satellite is scheduled to begin in this fall.
WorldView-3 will offer 31 centimeter resolution panchromatic, 1.24 meter resolution eight-band multispectral and 3.72 meter resolution eight-band Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) imagery. U.S. government restrictions require DigitalGlobe's imagery provided to non-U.S. government customers be limited to no more than 50 centimeters panchromatic, 2.0 meter multispectral or, 7.5 meter SWIR.
WorldView-3 builds upon the WorldView-2 and WorldView-1 technology by carrying forward the satellite's advanced CMGs. The CMGs reorient a satellite over a desired collection area in 4-5 seconds, compared to 30-45 seconds needed for traditional reaction wheels. As WorldView-3 joins the modern fleet of WorldView-class satellites, DigitalGlobe will have the largest high resolution satellite imagery collection capacity in the industry.
In addition, the range of customer applications enabled by the DigitalGlobe constellation and overall value DigitalGlobe can provide to customers is greatly expanded by issuance of a license from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to collect eight-band short-wave infrared imagery. Jeff Culwell, vice president of DigitalGlobe's data business line notes this will allow WorldView-3 the ability to sense both the visible spectrum as well as deeper into the infrared spectrum that provides a rich dataset to precisely identify different manmade and natural materials.
About DigitalGlobe
DigitalGlobe is a leading provider of commercial high-resolution earth observation and advanced geospatial solutions that help decision makers better understand our changing planet to save time, money and lives. Sourced from the world's leading constellation, our imagery solutions deliver unmatched coverage and capacity to meet the most demanding mission requirements. Each day customers in defense and intelligence, public safety, civil agencies, mapping and analysis, environmental monitoring, oil and gas exploration, infrastructure management, Internet portals and navigation technology depend on DigitalGlobe data, information, technology and expertise to gain actionable insight. For more information, visit www.digitalglobe.com. DigitalGlobe is a registered trademark of DigitalGlobe.
About Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions of important national agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft, advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation systems and RF solutions for strategic, tactical and scientific applications. For more information visit www.ballaerospace.com.
Ball Corporation (NYSE:BLL) is a supplier of high quality packaging for beverage, food, and household products, and of aerospace and other technologies and services, primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ approximately 15,000 people worldwide and reported 2012 sales of more than $8.7 billion. For the latest Ball news and for other company information, please visit http://www.ball.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates, " "estimates" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key risks and uncertainties are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99.2 in our Form 10-K, which are available on our website and at www.sec.gov. Factors that might affect our packaging segments include fluctuation in product demand and preferences; availability and cost of raw materials; competitive packaging availability, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; crop yields; competitive activity; failure to achieve anticipated productivity improvements or production cost reductions; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; political instability and sanctions; and changes in foreign exchange rates or tax rates. Factors that might affect our aerospace segment include: funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts. Factors that might affect the company as a whole include those listed plus: accounting changes; changes in senior management; the recent global recession and its effects on liquidity, credit risk, asset values and the economy; successful or unsuccessful acquisitions; regulatory action or laws including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including U.S. FDA and other actions affecting products filled in our containers, or chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; governmental investigations; technological developments and innovations; goodwill impairment; antitrust, patent and other litigation; strikes; labor cost changes; rates of return projected and earned on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; uncertainties surrounding the U.S. government budget and debt limit; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and changes to unaudited results due to statutory audits or other effects.
SOURCE Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.


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While the month isn't quite over yet, the next few days will be some of the busiest ever for me, so I'll go ahead and get this end-of-the-month recap done now. I'm in Seattle (my second home), have been now for a while, visiting family and having a great time, but I go back to FL tomorrow, reading Jo Nesbo's The Police on the plane, and if I finish that, well, I have Dave Eggers' The Circle as backup. Those books will go into November, but for now, I'll stick to what I accomplished in October.
October was my month for reading all things supernatural and spooky, and I did get in a few before having to stop and deal with a complete upstairs remodel. Four newly-done bedrooms and a hallway later, most of my books are still in boxes waiting for me to come home to, but I managed to keep a few out to read. Here's how things look for this month:
This House is Haunted by John Boyne started things off in the realm of the supernatural, followed by
The Year of the Ladybird, by Graham Joyce,
The Shining and Doctor Sleep by Stephen King,
The Black Spider, by Jeremias Gotthelf, and
To Charles Fort With Love, by Caitlin R. Kiernan, which I haven't yet discussed (moving into November) but may most likely be the most literary book of horror I've ever read.
The not at all supernatural is also represented in this month, with
Strange Shores, by Arnaldur Indridason (crime), and
The Brothers: John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles and Their Secret War (nonfiction), about which I also haven't had time to get a discussion written, also coming in November.
That makes for a total of eight, very slow month, but it's understandable with all of the upheaval and a trip planned in the middle of the upheaval .
Now, the usual book stuff:
1) Books I'm giving away this month -- for US readers only. -- This is going to have to wait until I get home and see what's available since everything, including my giveaway books, are still in boxes or in towering stacks in rooms they don't belong in
2) Added to the wishlist this month:
All of the books in the Havana Quartet, by Leonardo Padura
general fiction/literature:
The Daylight Gate, by Jeanette WintersonThe Investigation, by Phillipe Claudel
Back Street, by Fannie Hurst (Vintage Movie Classics edition, 2014)
the weird, the strange, supernatural etc:
Darkness: Two Decades of Modern Horror, ed. Ellen Datlow
A Child of Christian Blood: Murder and Conspiracy in Tsarist Russia, by Edmund Levin
3) Books bought this month:
- Doctor No, by Ian Fleming (spy fiction)
- Uncanny Stories, by May Sinclair (weird/supernatural)
- The Whisperer and Other Voices, by Brian Lumley (weird/supernatural)
- Hild, by Nicola Griffith (historical fiction)
- The Night Guest, by Fiona McFarlane (fiction/literature)
- Murder in the Dark, by Dan Turrell (crime fiction)
- Shantytown, by Cesar Aira (fiction/literature)
- La Vida Doble, by Arturo Fontaine (fiction/literature
- The Corpse Washer, by Sinan Antoon (fiction/literature)
- The Investigator: Fifty Years of Uncovering the Truth, by Terry Lenzner (nonfiction)
- The Master of the Macabre, by Russell Thorndike (weird/supernatural)
and I have an ARC from Simon and Schuster of Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield waiting for me when I get home, so I'm uber excited!
That's it for October. happy halloween !


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NEW YORK CITY - World champion tennis player Maria Sharapova, 26, spoke with Sports Balls Illustrated Daily and addressed a rumor that is currently making the rounds.
The grunting tennis player stated that she has no idea where the false rumor about her dating NASCAR racer Danica Patrick's ex-husband, Dr. Paul Hospenthal originated but she is very upset.
The 6-foot-2-inch Russian native pointed out that she feels that it is starting to affect her tennis serve and even her world famous tennis grunt, which she says has now become somewhat pitchy.
Meanwhile she reveals that she has hired the highly reputable private investigating firm of Twitchfitz & Toggendutch of Sherman Oaks, California and asked that they get to the bottom of this vicious rumor.
Maria said that she has never seen Dr. Hospenthal and could not pick him out of a police lineup if she had to.
In Other News. Word coming out of Tinsel Town is that Gary Busey has called the Food Network and asked them that he would be willing to take over fired cooking hostess Paula Deen's time slot with a celebrity game show that he has created called, Okay, So Who's Doing What Drugs and Stuff?


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Thank you for your interest in CMUSA! Bro. Jed and Company are sharing the Gospel on a college campus every school day from the middle of August through the first week of June. Our travel expenses are covered by the generous donations of people like you who believe in our mission. You are a vital part of the work! Thank you for joining the team.
You may give to CMUSA electronically by clicking the donate button below.
Or you may mail your check to our home office:
CMUSA Bro. Jed Smock
PO Box 3845
Terre Haute IN 47803
Men perished "because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved."—2 Thes. 2:10.
Men need not only to acknowledge the Truth but they need to love it in order to be saved and to be victorious over sin, death and hell. Unbelievers often hate Truth more than professing Christians love it. In their passionate hatred of the truth, the atheists are gaining ground and the gates of Hell seem to be prevailing against the Church. The faithful need to love the truth with a zeal that will storm the gates of Hell and then the Church will prevail over all of her enemies.
The Four Questions What is the origin of life? What is the meaning of life? What is the source of morality? What is our destiny? Daily on campus we tell the students that any religion or philosophy has to answer the questions of origin, meaning, morals...
Joy in Heaven!! As of Feb. 28th twenty-six students had prayed the prayer of repentance for...
FEB. 2017 Email Ma'am, Through the years, I have repeated a story about a traveling evangelist who...
Since November 3, we have heard from fake news of President Trump "ranting and raging" in the WH. They say that he is "unhinged" and "losing his mind," etc, etc. These are based on "anonymous...


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Please email us at [email protected] if you are interested in any of the "past designs". Many of these items are available as custom orders. We will be happy to give you a quote.
Our Wine Barrel Umbrella Bistro table is made from a beautiful reclaimed barrel that has been stained, finished and reinforced.
Additional information
Weight | 250 lbs |
Stain Colors | Coffee, Natural |
Metal Color | |
Riser | |
Add Foot Rail | |
Lazy Server | Yes, No |
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY POLICY | The Oak Barrel Company.com primarily uses LTL (Less than Truck Load) carriers. Smaller items are shipped via UPS or FedEx. The Oak Barrel Company.com primarily uses LTL (Less than Truckload) carriers. Smaller items are shipped via UPS or FedEx. Shipment of larger items will arrive at your location via semi-trailer and will most likely be delivered on a pallet. Products secured on pallets may require off-loading by hand (or a forklift). Some of our products are heavy, so ensure that you have the assistance of another person and the appropriate equipment to allow for an easier (and safer) unloading process. Prior to delivery, the trucking company will call to arrange a day and time for delivery. It will be necessary for you (or your representative) to be onsite at the time of the delivery to unload the items. Prompt response to the delivery company (should they contact you) will expedite the delivery of your product. Inspect the items when they arrive. If an item is damaged DO NOT REFUSE DELIVERY! Instead, please receive the shipment and contact The Oak Barrel Company.com immediately. Note and describe the damage on the Freight Bill of Lading (the driver will have you sign this document). Please contact The Oak Barrel Company.com and our team will file a claim with the shipper and ship a replacement upon notification from the shipper. If you have any questions regarding shipping, please email us. |
RETURNS, REPLACEMENTS & EXCHANGES POLICY | You must report any product errors within 48 hours of receipt. All orders are fully insured by The Oak Barrel Company, LLC. After the materials have left the facility, it is the trucking company's responsibility to handle with care. Damages are rare, but if they do occur, sign and mark the problem on the Bill of Lading. DO NOT REFUSE THE DELIVERY and contact The Oak Barrel Company.com immediately. Merchandise that has been altered will not be accepted for return or exchange. Returns will be accepted only if the returned item is sent within 10 business days of the delivery confirmation date. If your return is in like-new condition, you may exchange your item for the different finish or product. A 35% restocking fee will be deducted from the exchange value. If additional costs apply for the price difference you will be contacted for your payment information. "Custom" orders and "Sale" items are final sales, we do not accept returns. A full refund of the purchase price of the returned item(s), excluding the shipping and 35% restocking fees, will be made promptly upon receiving the merchandise in the same condition in which it was shipped. You must notify The Oak Barrel Company.com of any return so our team will be expecting your package. Returns sent without The Oak Barrel Company.com prior knowledge will be refused. The Oak Barrel Company.com does not refund shipping cost or credit card fees. These will be deducted from the total amount of your refund. |
PRIVACY & SECURITY | To process transactions your information, whether public or private, will not be sold, exchanged, transferred, or given to any other company for any reason whatsoever, without your consent; other than for the express purpose of delivering the purchased product or service requested. |
DISCLAIMER | We proudly use reclaimed materials in all of our designs. To process transactions your information, whether public or private, will not be sold, exchanged, transferred, or given to any other company for any reason whatsoever, without your consent; other than for the express purpose of delivering the purchased product or service requested. With the nature of our business, custom pieces handmade by one craftsman, coupled with the varying size of items, there are many factors at play. As for the shipping, a barrel weighs approximately 100 pounds before it is finished. While the basic weight won't change much with the crafting of the barrel, because of the weight and size, we are required to ship our product by freight. This is a more expensive route to ship. And depending on where in the country the customer is located, the cost will vary. Also with the barrel, we have to package it as a freight item, so it is not just a matter of wrapping it in brown paper and shipping it, but it requires extra man power and handling factors. It also requires a pallet to ship it and to be properly packaged so it arrives in mint condition. As for the smaller items, like the Cuddle Bench, while it is a much lighter piece so it will not cost nearly as much to ship and as is the case with most all our pieces that are made from a barrel, it is solid white oak. Oak is a heavier wood and therefore the weight is more than something made from poplar wood. Also with the Cuddle Bench, we can ship it through another carrier making it more cost effective for both business and consumer. Any additional customization of an item will require a 4-6 week lead time. As we approach major holidays, we will run closer to 6 weeks to process this type of piece. We are working as quickly as we can without skimping on quality to get you the most beautifully customized piece. Barrels vary by the cooperage, size, color and wood grain characteristics may slightly vary. Polyurethane finished wood products are not intended for extended wet weather use. All weather outdoor finish is available. Items made with our outdoor finish are not intended to be stored outside for extended periods of time. Please contact us with any questions or concerns. |


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The site deals with the results of my 42 years of research on various vegan, vegetarian, or plant-based diets.
Laurie Forti
My book | |
Tasty Tidbits
& Dastardly Dietary Dogma page linking to technical articles |
John Coleman's RawDay RDI spreadsheet | Jerry Story's free nutritional software |
news:alt.food.vegan.science |
Given the large number
of nutrition- and diet-oriented newsgroups and mailing lists on the Internet,
and the widespread and embarrassing lack of meaningful, scientifically-credible,
or useful information in them, I have created a newsgroup, news:alt.food.vegan.science,
to discuss the science of human diets, with the
obvious emphasis on vegan and vegetarian ones.
Unlike other vegan or vegetarian newsgroups, there
is no yakking about the 'ethical' or 'spiritual' issues or recipes, just the
logic and science involved. If the above news:link does not work,
go to your e-mail client's list of newsgroups and subscribe. [In
Outlook Express, hit Ctrl W and enter "vegan" in the search box, highlight
alt.food.vegan.science, and hit subscribe.]
Search this site: |
Other useful vegan/vegetarian
all users of this site agree to hold its author, associates, provider, server,
webgeek, etc. blameless for the consequences of any introductions resulting
from the use of this site, or the use, or misuse, or understanding, or misunderstanding,
of any information on the site. We are only providing information given
to the site by its users, and thus are NOT responsible for the results of any
use, or misuse, of this information, nor can we be responsible for the behavior
of users of this site.
Dietary information is for educational purposes
only, and is NOT intended to be medical diagnosis, advice, or treatment. The
author of this site believes that all 'medical systems' are hoaxes and are based
on profound ignorance of healthy human lifestyle.
Use of this site is permitted only
by full and unreserved acceptance of these terms.
google-site-verification: googlebdc3e69f601e6943.html


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From Joomla! Documentation
This article is tagged because it NEEDS REVIEW. You can help the Joomla! Documentation Wiki by contributing to it.
More pages that need help similar to this one are here. NOTE-If you feel the need is satistified, please remove this notice.
To understand more about what a publisher can do, we need to clarify about the Access Control Levels (ACL). In other words, ACL's govern the permissions that are associated with the individual User levels. There are seven (7) User Groups/levels within Joomla. Only Four (4) of which have access to the Site Front-end: Registered, Author, Editor, and Publisher. There are also three (3) levels with access to the Administrator Back-end: Manager, Administrator, and Super Administrator. In addition to the registered User Groups listed above, there is a Public (unregistered) or Guest, level.
So a publisher is a User level with access only to the Site Front-end functions, but with permission to publish content on the Site.


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Researchers at MIT have developed a condensation-based method that could create stable nanoscale emulsions.
The reluctance of oil and water to mix together and stay that way is so well-known that it has become a cliché for describing any two things that do not go together well. Now, a new finding from researchers at MIT might turn that expression on its head, providing a way to get the two substances to mix and remain stable for long periods — no shaking required. The process may find applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and processed foods, among other areas.
The new process involves cooling a bath of oil containing a small amount of a surfactant (a soap-like substance), and then letting water vapor from the surrounding air condense onto the oil surface. Experiments have shown that this can produce tiny, uniform water droplets on the surface that then sink into the oil, and their size can be controlled by adjusting the proportion of surfactant. The findings, by MIT graduate student Ingrid Guha, former postdoc Sushant Anand, and associate professor Kripa Varanasi, are reported in the journal Nature Communications.
As anyone who has ever used salad dressing knows, no matter how vigorously the mixture gets shaken, the oil and the vinegar (a water-based solution) will separate within minutes. But for many uses, including new drug-delivery systems and food-processing methods, it's important to be able to get oil in water (or water in oil) to form tiny droplets — only a few hundred nanometers across, too small to see with the naked eye — and to have them stay tiny rather than coalescing into larger droplets and eventually separating from the other liquid.
Typically, in industrial processes these emulsions are made by either mechanically shaking the mix or using sound waves to set up intense vibrations within the liquid, a process called sonicating. But both of these processes "require a lot of energy," Varanasi says, "and the finer the drops, the more energy it takes." By contrast, "our approach is very energy inexpensive," he adds.
"The key to overcoming that separation is to have really small, nanoscale droplets," Guha explains. "When the drops are small, gravity can't overcome them," and they can remain suspended indefinitely.
For the new process, the team set up a reservoir of oil with an added surfactant that can bind to both oil and water molecules. They placed this inside a chamber with very humid air and then cooled the oil. Like a glass of cold water on a hot summer day, the colder surface causes the water vapor to precipitate. The condensing water then forms droplets at the surface that spread through the oil-surfactant mixture, and the sizes of these droplets are quite uniform, the team found. "If you get the chemistry just right, you can get just the right dispersion," Guha says. By adjusting the proportion of surfactant in the oil, the droplet sizes can be well-controlled.
In the experiments, the team produced nanoscale emulsions that remained stable over periods of several months, compared to the few minutes that it takes for the same mixture of oil and water to separate without the added surfactant. "The droplets stay so small that they're hard to see even under a microscope," Guha says.
Unlike the shaking or sonicating methods, which take the large, separate masses of oil and water and gradually get them to break down into smaller drops — a "top down" approach — the condensation method starts off right away with the tiny droplets condensing out from the vapor, which the researchers call a bottom-up approach. "By cloaking the freshly condensed nanoscale water droplets with oil, we are taking advantage of the inherent nature of phase-change and spreading phenomena," Varanasi says.
"Our bottom-up approach of creating nanoscale emulsions is highly scalable owing to the simplicity of the process," Anand says. "We have uncovered many new phenomena during this work. We have found how the presence of surfactant can change the oil and water interactions under such conditions, promoting oil spreading on water droplets and stabilizing them at the nanoscale."
The team says that the approach should work with a variety of oils and surfactants, and now that the process has been identified, their findings "provide a kind of design guideline for someone to use" for a particular kind of application, Varanasi says.
"It's such an important thing," he says, because "foods and pharmaceuticals always have an expiration date," and often that has to do with the instability of the emulsions in them. The experiments used a particular surfactant that is widely used, but many other varieties are available, including some that are approved for food-grade products.
In addition, Guha says, "we envision that you could use multiple liquids and make much more complex emulsions." And besides being used in food, cosmetics, and drugs, the method could have other applications, such as in the oil and gas industry, where fluids such as the drilling "muds" sent down wells are also emulsions, Varanasi says.
The work was supported by the MIT Energy Initiative, the National Science Foundation, and a Society in Science fellowship. Anand, the co-author who was a postdoc at MIT, is now an assistant professor at the University of Illinois.
Reference: "Creating nanoscale emulsions using condensation" by Ingrid F. Guha, Sushant Anand and Kripa K. Varanasi, 8 November 2017, Nature Communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01420-8


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Slipcasted incoloured porcelain, grey stains
Matt, unglazed surface
Silver studs and backstopper
Diameter 1,0 cm
Diamant earstuds, grey
There are 14 days right of cancellation on the products, calculated from the day, the products are received. To make the right of cancellation applicable, you have to make a clear statement to us about this, no later than 14 days after you received the products. We recommend you to notify us on firstname.lastname@example.com you regret your purchase, you must return it no later than 14 days after the end of the right of cancellation-period. When the product is returned and approved, the amount is refunded to your account within 2-7 days. Unless you can document your dispatch of the product to us, we reserve right to hold back the refund, until the product is delivered to us.
Please notify that:
You can lose you purchase amount completely or partially. This happens if the product's value is reduced when:
· You have used the product, meaning handled the jewelry in a manner that goes beyond what you are allowed to in a physical store and it has deteriorated the value of the jewelry.
· The jewelry has been damaged while you were responsible for it.
· You have handled the product in another way than what is necessary to determine the jewelry's kind, properties and how it works.
If you regret the purchase, the product must be send to:
Sara Skotte Design
Maridalsveien 188b
0469 Oslo
You have to pay for the shipment costs when you regret your purchase. When returning, you must make sure that the products are safely wrapped, because the jewelry is under your own responsibility until we receive them. Therefor, always save you postal receipt and perhaps a track and trace number.


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While green papaya may seem a world apart from the tender orange tropical fruit we all know, green papayas aren't a different species of papaya. They're simply immature papayas that have not yet begun to ripen. When green, they have white flesh, a neutral flavor and crunchy carrot-like texture making them perfect for salads like this Som Tam (ส้มตำ)
While green papaya is eaten in salads across Southeast Asia, each region has it's own version. In Thailand green papaya salad is called Som Tam and is made with a giant mortar and pestle. Garlic and chilies are first crushed to release their flavors. Then, long beans, dried shrimp and peanuts are added and crushed. This not only tenderizes them, but it also helps them absorb more dressing. Finally the tomatoes, shredded papaya and dressing go in and get mixed together.
To replicate this without the mortar and pestle, I do a couple things differently. First, I add the garlic and chilies to the dressing and puree it in a food processor or blender. If you can't tolerate a lot of heat, it might be best to leave them out or to scrape out the seeds and white membranes first to reduce the heat. Next, I pound the green beans(or long beans if you can find them) and dried shrimp using a mallet or meat tenderizer. Finally, all the ingredients go into a bowl and get tossed together.
The resulting salad is a sweet, sour, spicy and savory medley of tastes, with crunchy, crisp, chewy and tender textures which make it a lot of fun to eat, especially on a hot summer day when your appetite has gone into hibernation.
When you're choosing a green papaya, it's important that you get one that is very green. Look for ones with smooth uniformly vibrant green skin that don't give when pressed with your thumb. If it's pale green or has a hint of yellow on the skin, chances are it's already started to ripen.
Because the shredded papaya tends to get soggy if you let it sit, it's best to eat the salad as soon as you dress it. If you're not planning on eating it right away, prepare everything ahead of time, and keep the vegetables separate from the dressing in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.
If you're vegan, you can just leave out the dried shrimp and substitute white soy sauce for the fish sauce.
📖 Recipe
- ⅓ cup lime juice (~ 1 ½ limes)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 4 grams garlic (~1 clove)
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 2 Thai bird chilies (to taste)
- 500 grams green papaya (~1 small )
- 150 grams tomatoes (~2 small cut into bite-size pieces)
- 80 grams green beans (trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces)
- 50 grams peanuts (crushed)
- 15 grams dried shrimp (optional)
- 7 grams cilantro (~1 plant leaves plucked)
- Put the fish sauce, lime juice, chiles, garlic and palm sugar in a blender or small food processor. Puree the mixture. You can also mince the chiles and grate the garlic and whisk the dressing together.
- Peel the papaya and slice it in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the white seeds and pith from the center.
- Shred the papaya using a mandoline or a papaya shredder into a large bowl.
- Pound the green beans and dried shrimp with a mallet to tenderize.
- Add the green beans, dried shrimp, tomatoes, peanuts, and cilantro.
- Pour the dressing on top and toss to coat.


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The colonoscopists with percentages significantly above the mean were more likely to be surgeons, graduates of US medical schools, medical school graduates before 1990, and higher-volume colonoscopists than those with percentages significantly below the mean.I post about this because, although the main problem with rampant, out of control healthcare expenditure in this country occurs at the macro-level via the health-industrial complex of hospitals, Big Pharma, the insurance carriers and the medical device industry, it doesn't excuse unscrupulous physicians acting like greedy assholes and the role individual doctors play in driving up costs. Whether it's cardiologists performing unwarranted cardiac stent procedures or general surgeons taking out robin's egg blue gallbladders, we have to be able to shine the light on such behavior and shame those who betray basic medical ethics.
A large percentage of colonoscopies performed in older adults were potentially inappropriate: 23.4% for the overall Texas cohort and 9.9%, 38.8%, and 24.9%, respectively, in patients aged 70 to 75, 76 to 85, or 86 years or older.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Too Many Scopes
5 comments:
Totally agree. It's also a risky test for some patients. Even just in the prep.
-SCRN - March 18, 2013 at 2:07 PM
- Paracelsus said...
Medical ethics - an issue in dire need of review this days. By way too many doctors.
Well put, sir. - March 18, 2013 at 3:12 PM
I saw this study too and agree the problem is there. As a surgeon who does routine screening endoscopies, I really try and do the right thing in this regard.
However, let me play devil's advocate and describe a scenario I see a little more than I like:
A 75-100 year old patient comes in and says, "Dr. ___ (PCP) said I need a colonoscopy. I sure do love Dr. ___." Now I invariably take the time to talk with the patient about why he/she might not need a colonoscopy, but there are hazards with several of these arguments on a micro level.
First, even though official recommendations say not to screen people older than 75, most otherwise fairly healthy people over 75 do not think too highly of this recommendation. They want the scope.
Also, many come in saying "I had one about 3-7 years ago at another hospital, said I had some polyps he took out, no I don't have any records" - how do you interpret this? How many polyps? What types? Was it 3 years or 7 years? Often I will just do the scope because I don't want to get sued.
Finally, "If Dr. ___ says I need one, then I should get one." What am I REALLY supposed to do? Dr. ___ sends me quite a few good referrals on a regular basis. The patient has trust in him/her - I am the outsider [esp. being new in the community]. This patient WILL get a colonoscopy, by me or someone else, so I will occasionally acquiesce.
These are hard things to elicit from some giant database. Could I fight harder in these situations? Sure. But the day is full of fights, and sometimes I get tired. - March 18, 2013 at 7:08 PM
- JD said...
My grandfather actually died because of an unnecessary colonoscopy that resulted in complications and an unsuccessful surgery to save his life. This is an interesting take - never thought about physicians driving up costs in this way, more think of their impact on the hospital's costs - such using a more expensive implant that produces the same results as a less expensive option.
- March 27, 2013 at 6:25 PM
This is true, but as a colorectal surgeon, I see the opposite much more commonly... Patients who never had a scope at age 50, and come in with symptoms at age 60-70, and have a rip-roaring colon cancer.
The vast majority of adults in the US still don't get appropriate screening. It's a balance. Don't do too much or too little. - April 15, 2013 at 2:30 AM


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How Progresso got its start
Progresso is now known across the U.S. for its savory soups, but did you know that the business dates back to the late 1800s in Italy?
Progresso is now known across the U.S. for its savory soups, but did you know that the business dates back to the late 1800s in Italy?
Giuseppe Uddo was just nine years old when he began selling olives and cheeses from a horse-drawn cart in Sicilian villages.
Uddo immigrated to America in 1907 and quickly discovered there was no way to get the tasty Italian ingredients he grew up with. Within a few years, he started a small business importing tomato paste and olives, bringing some of his favorite flavors to his new home in New Orleans. He grew the business to include a warehouse and a small grocery in the French Quarter.
Uddo later opened a factory in California, the first in the country to make canned foods that were previously available only in Italy.
He soon expanded the business to New York City, where the Italian-American community there embraced the quality and flavor of ingredients. He named it Progresso.
By the 1930s, Progresso was known throughout the northeastern U.S. for superior tomatoes and tomato paste. The company expanded its offerings to olive oil, roasted peppers, anchovies and other authentic Italian ingredients.
During World War II, when importing goods from Europe became difficult, Progresso started canning and bottling foods domestically. In 1942, the business bought a factory in Vineland, New Jersey. The plant was in the heartland of Italian farmers and within reach of several major cities (which also remains an advantage for the continuing operations for the brand there today).
Progresso began creating soups as a way to keep the factory busy during the winter months when vegetables were out of season. Workers followed original family recipes that were scribbled on the walls of the building. Before long, Progresso had introduced America to minestrone, lentil, split pea and other soups.
During the 1950s, Progresso foods stretched to supermarkets all over the U.S. The company helped open the door for other immigrant enterprises and ethnic foods to reach Americans on a greater scale.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Progresso became renowned for its remarkable soups. Its line of premium soups expanded to include flavors such as Italian Wedding Soup, New England Clam Chowder and Beef Barley. Today, Progresso now offers Heart Healthy soups and Progresso Light.
"Make it Progresso or Make it Yourself" became the company's now classic slogan. It highlighted the homemade taste and authenticity of Progresso foods.
Following Uddo's death, Progresso was sold in 1969. It became part of General Mills in the Pillsbury acquisition in 2001.
Today, well over a century since Giuseppe Uddo rolled his cart of olives and cheeses through Sicilian villages, the business he created continues to deliver quality foods across America.


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Question: Please forgive me if my question is impudent; I certainly do not mean to be disrespectful. My question is this: When Korach and his cohort got swallowed up by the earth (Numbers 16:31-33), did that include babies who were not involved in the rebellion? If so, why were they punished? (I have had a similar question about the death of the first-born (Exodus 12:29-30)—as a father, it has bothered me enormously to think of children dying…)
Answer: Thank you for your question. Please do not apologize for it; the question is not disrespectful at all. On the contrary, anyone who takes Torah seriously has to deal with difficult questions and not "brush them under the rug", as they say. I only want to add a caveat: If my answers are not satisfying, keep struggling with the issue yourself and be patient. In the course of time, you will find a better understanding than mine. Very often, it takes me years to get things straight.
I want to expand the scope of your question. Whether or not children died in the story of Korach, children were certainly killed in other places in the Torah. For instance, there is a commandment to destroy the nation of Amalek—men, women, and children (see Samuel I 15:3). The nation of Midyan was similarly destroyed, with only baby girls, and not boys, being saved (see Nachmanides on Numbers 31:6). So too, the Jews were bidden, "Don't leave a soul alive" (Deuteronomy 20:16), with regard to the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. This is all in addition to the death of the first-born in Egypt. None of these children and babies sinned.
Furthermore, we believe that God rules the entire world and everything in it. Our health and illness are in His hands, as well as our lives and deaths. When my three-month-old daughter Shulamis died, may she rest in peace, she obviously had had no chance to sin when God took her life. I don't think that I see a difference in terms of judging God's actions, so to speak, whether someone dies because a person is ordered to kill him, or if that person dies because God takes away his life directly.
It could be that I have expanded the question far enough so that we can now see how to deal with it correctly. We live in an imperfect world, full of a lot of joy—but also a lot of pain and sadness. This is actually our fault and not God's, for the world He originally gave to Man lacked all the sadness. But, that is how the world has been ever since the sin of First Man, and it will remain so until it is finally perfected in the end.
People die. Children die. They die for a great number of reasons, some having to do with their circumstances, and some having to do with God's larger purposes in this world. Generally, we don't know one reason from another. We have no reason to complain; even when it hurts, we know that God is always acting only for our benefit—individually and collectively. He has absolutely no other goal in this world than to bring it back to the perfection it could have had originally, to give us all the kindness we can accept. And He keeps track. Whatever we deserve and can't get now, he will give to us at another place and time, in a different way.
All of this is true in a general sense. In the Torah, we are in the unusual position of being able to see more of what is going on. We can see some of the purposes for which these children died; whether it was part of the punishment of Egypt in general in order to redeem Israel, or as part of the necessity that the evil nation of Amalek should be completely uprooted, etc. Nevertheless, because we can see (part) of the reason for their death, we may have more of a tendency to "second-guess" God on this matter. I don't think the children themselves were being punished; they were part of a larger whole. Yet, I also don't think that the children were unfairly treated. Only God himself knows how long they were fated to live. Our lives anyway are a gift from God—maybe this was all the life that they were granted originally.
I want to add one thing, lest you take my words beyond what I intend. From the point of view of God, these questions may not be so difficult. Everything is His, as I've said. But we have to be careful not to translate that point of view into our relations with other people. In His Torah, God has commanded us to take responsibility for other people's welfare. We are never to say, "God obviously wants him to be hungry", "God obviously wants him to be sad." God may have wanted him to be hungry until this point, but now He wants that person to stop being hungry because I fed him. He wants us to care about one another and to be close to one another; our knowing that He runs the world doesn't change that.
Best wishes,
Michoel Reach
[Editor – See here for more posts on Divine justice.]