text:
This has been an odd year for gaming, and one that will likely be remembered as a transitory one for the industry. The arrival of the Wii U was one obvious measure of that, because it ushers in the next generation of consoles, but perhaps far more importantly, the quality of digitally distributed games keeps rising.
That doesn't just mean we have more access to games, it means there are more ways to think about how to approach development. Some of the best titles of the year were created by independent developers and small studios operating outside the traditional industry structure, and that is certainly going to increase in the coming years.
We have seen more variety this year than ever before when it comes to quality games. An episodic game is one of the best of the year. An independent game made us rethink how to approach co-op gaming. The next generation of handheld gaming is just starting to realize its potential. And through it all, the bedrock of the industry, the AAA titles released this year, have offered some of the best games we've ever seen.
It has been an impressive year for the gaming industry, and all signs point to an even better one in 2013 because of it. For now though, we look back at the best of the best, and are honored to present our best games of 2012.
Best Action/Adventure Game
Hitman Absolution
Although the stealth-action genre may be somewhat on the decline as more and more franchises go the Splinter-Cell route and encourage the idea that no one will see you if you kill all the enemies, Hitman Absolution found a way to blend action and stealth, plus give players so many options that no two playthroughs are the same. It's challenging, surprising, and the inclusion of the player-created Contracts makes it replayable for a long, long time.
Runners Up: Dishonored, Sleeping Dogs
Read our review of Hitman: Absolution here.
Best Competitive Multiplayer
Halo 4
343 Industries knows Halo. The new studio knows what makes the series work, and what fans love about it. There were concerns about the franchise when Bungie left, but the Halo brand is in good hands, and the multiplayer remains the crown jewel. Mix in an even more robust Forge, and Halo 4 is a dream come true for Halo fans, as well as those who have been looking for more multiplayer action.
Runners Up: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
Read our review of Halo 4 here.
Best Co-Op Game
More and more developers are finding ways to offer a co-op mode to players, but even in the best of these offerings the co-op is generally just more players doing the same thing. Journey, on the other hand, made us rethink what co-op was. You play with people you can't talk to and you don't know, yet the solitude of the world and the random nature of the personal encounters is so entrancing, that it is one of the more powerful co-op experiences ever made.
Runners Up: Borderlands 2, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
Read our review of Journey here.
Best Driving Game
Forza Horizons
The Forza series is currently the king of the racing sims, and those mechanics have made a surprisingly easy transition to the open-world, arcade-like setting in Horizons. This isn't Forza 5 by any means, but it is the best driving game of the year.
Runners Up: Need For Speed: Most Wanted, Ridge Racer: Unbounded
Read our review of Forza Horizons here.
Best Fighting Game
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
The world's best-selling fighting series returns with more content than ever, and finely polished controls that reminded us why Tekken is the king of both the iron fist, and the sales charts.
Runners Up: Persona 4 Arena, Virtual Figher 5: Final Showdown
Read our review of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 here.
Best FPS
Borderlands 2
This was a remarkably tough category to call, but in the end Borderlands 2 is just a game that is made with fun in mind. It doesn't really care what you do or how you play, so it presents you with several options to choose from. Thanks to its popularity, there is always someone you can team up with and play. But remarkably, the single-player game is almost as fun solo. That's the mark of a game that we'll be playing for a long time to come.
Runners Up: Dishonored, Far Cry 3
Read our review of Borderlands 2 here.
Best Graphics/Art
Max Payne 3
In terms of design and style, few games reached the beauty of Rockstar's Max Payne 3, which featured some of the best-looking designs and graphics that we've seen all year. There was a huge emphasis placed on the look and feel of Max's gritty world, and that saturated the entire experience for the better. Both bleak and beautiful, the art of Max Payne 3 became a character in its own right.
Runners Up: Dishonored, Halo 4
Read our review of Max Payne 3 here.
Best Puzzle Game
Lumines Electronic Symphony
Although there have been several big releases on the Vita since its launch in February, there is one game we keep going back to. Lumines is just hypnotic. If you hate the electronica music than you'll probably not enjoy it as much as those that do, but the simple and yet infinitely complex puzzles are addictive and can be replayed forever.
Runners Up: Quantum Conundrum, Fez
Read our review of Lumines Electronic Symphony here.
Best Re-make/Re-release
Persona 4 Golden
A slightly obscure release that came in the final days of the PS2, Persona 4 Golden has been given a new chance to impress fans with a deep story and fully realized cast of characters. The thing about this re-release that makes it stand out is that the original game was brilliant, but mostly forgotten, which was an absolute shame. It was an amazing game before, and its re-release as a handheld title just made it better.
Runners Up: Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, Zone of the Enders
Read our review of Persona 4 Golden here.
Best RPG
Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2 managed to straddle the divide between being just a first-person shooter and something more. The FPS mechanics made it worth playing, but it was really the RPG elements that kept us playing for hours, days, and even weeks. Mix in outstanding writing and a variety of mission types, and the game could be played for years to come.
Runners Up: Diablo III, Mass Effect 3
Read our review of Borderlands 2 here.
Best Shooter
Max Payne 3
Although Borderlands 2 was our favorite FPS of the year, in terms of true shooters in the most literal sense, our choice for the best of the year goes to the gritty, action-packed Max Payne 3. From the first moment you start, you are thrust into a well-thought-out world, facing smart enemies that are not just going to lie down for you. A dark and compelling narrative helped to further you along, but it was the shooter mechanics and the trademark bullet-time controls that really made this title a success.
Runners Up: Borderlands 2, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
Read our review of Max Payne 3 here.
Best Sports Game
Once again, 2K Sports' basketball franchise takes the top honors. Each year annual franchises like this face the difficult question of how to build on the previous year's offerings and introduce something new that attracts gamers. Tweaks to the gameplay are expected, but you need more than that to really wow fans, and a few minor changes aren't enough anymore. For three years in a row now, the NBA 2K series has done just that.
Runners Up: FIFA 13, SSX
Read our review of NBA 2K13 here.
Best Writing
The Walking Dead
There were several well-written game scripts this year, which is incredibly encouraging for the future of the industry, but one game really rose above them all. How many games this year had people admitting that it made them cry? The Walking Dead was able to illicit an honest emotional response from people, something that all entertainment and art aspires to. You cared about the characters, which made their plight so much worse.
Runners Up: Assassin's Creed III, Spec Ops: The Line
Read our review of The Walking Dead here.
Best Digitally Distributed game
The Walking Dead
Of all the categories this year, this is the one we wish we could give all three nominees awards. They are all exceptional titles. The Walking Dead was our choice for myriad reasons, but it was very close. We can't wait to see what the future of this medium has in store.
Runners Up: Journey, Papo & Yo
Read our review of The Walking Dead here.
Best Handheld game
Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack!
Both Sony and Nintendo put a heavy emphasis on their handheld systems this year, but the big franchises and breakout hits are still just slowly making their way to the new platforms. There are some gems though, and our favorite this year was this platformer that offered a near-perfect take on the genre, and had one of the coolest final levels of all time.
Runners Up: Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, Super Stardust Delta
Read our review of Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack! here.
Best PC only game
PlanetSide 2
The free-to-play business model is one that is gaining strength, and that will certainly be helped greatly by PlanetSide 2. There are several ways to give SOE your money if you choose, but you can enter into the game without spending a penny, and then experience one of the best shooters of the year at no cost. You just can't beat that.
Runners Up: Diablo 3, Torchlight II
Read our preview PlanetSide 2 here.
Best PS3 exclusive
One of the biggest criticisms we can level at Journey is that we want more. That is an excellent criticism to face. From its incredible art to its unique take on co-op, Journey is among the first of a new breed of independent and artistic games that have us invigorated for the future of the industry.
Runners Up: Papo & Yo, Starhawk
Read our review of Journey here.
Best Xbox 360 Exclusive
Halo 4
You can make an easy argument that the first Halo saved the Xbox, which instantly made the franchise the flagship series for Microsoft. Some things never change. With a campaign that restarts the franchise in a new direction, a multiplayer mode that offers a bit of everything, and a 10-episode co-op mode that basically is a free game-within-the-game, the Halo series once again proves why Microsoft has put such faith in the franchise.
Runners Up: Fez, Forza Horizon
Read our review of Halo 4 here.
Best Wii/Wii U exclusive
Of all the Wii U launch titles, there was one that really felt like it was close to realizing the full potential of the new system. Nintendo's own offerings locked down the party aspect, but it was this game that really incorporated it into a something compelling. ZombiU takes a standard game style – you against zombies – and then turns it on its head by incorporating the GamePad in a way that makes playing this game unlike anything else out there. ZombiU can scare you, enrage you, and enthrall you, and it does so in a way you've never seen before.
Runners Up: Nintendo Land, The Last Story
Read our review of ZombiU here.
Game of the Year
The Walking Dead, Season 1
And finally we come to our game of the year. There was a great deal of discussion over this category. We all had our favorites, not to mention our personal biases, but when all was said and done there was no question that The Walking Dead deserved the honors. You can justifiably criticize several aspects of what you could call a fairly simple game – at least in terms of gameplay – but the fact remains that no game moved us as much this year, no game had us talking more, and no game made as deep a mark on the future of the industry as The Walking Dead. It is a masterpiece of gaming, and something that will be remembered for years to come.


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Ryoji from Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3! Hide your ladies.
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subset: commoncrawl


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to the moviesFriday, July 15, 2011
Julia Roberts. Just when you thought you couldn't love her (and her laugh) any more.
Did you know she is a fellow knitter?
Yep, knits on the set all of the time. She has been quoted as saying, "You know I'm like a total geek, right? First of all, I sit on the set and knit. It's a very social hobby, as opposed to reading at work - I can chat with people and still be fully engaged."
Right on, Julia. Not a geek at all. In my eyes, even cooler!
Anyhow, Tom Hanks, co-star and director, played a prank on actress Julia Roberts while shooting their new film Larry Crowne.
Check it out:
Love that!
About the film:
Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Bryan Cranston, Cedric the Entertainer, Taraji P. Henson,Gugu Mbatha Raw, Wilmer Valderrama, Pam Grier, Rami Malek, George Takei, Grace Gummer, Rita Wilson, Jon Seda
Directed By: Tom Hanks
Written By: Tom Hanks and Nia Vardalos
Oscar® winners Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts reunite for a dramatic comedy about how the hard knocks from today's recession inspire one everyday guy to undergo a personal reinvention: Larry Crowne.
Until he was downsized, affable, amiable Larry Crowne (Hanks) was a superstar team leader at the big-box company where he's worked since his time in the Navy. Underwater on his mortgage and unclear on what to do with his suddenly free days, Larry heads to his local college to start over. There he becomes part of a colorful community of outcasts, also-rans and the overlooked all trying to find a better future for themselves…often moving around town in a herd of scooters. In his public-speaking class, Larry develops an unexpected crush on his teacher Mercedes Tainot (Roberts), who has lost as much passion for teaching as she has for her husband.
The simple guy who has every reason to think his life has stalled will come to learn an unexpected lesson: when you think everything worth having has passed you by, you just might discover your reason to live.
149 comments
I do want to see it! I do, I do!ReplyDelete
I love Julie and Tom! The fact that she knits and he went to the trouble of pulling the prank...priceless! As a dislocated worker that hasn't had a call back in 7 months...I understand.ReplyDelete
It's a great movie... You can tell that they had a great time making it! :)ReplyDelete
That was awesome! I'd love a chance to win.ReplyDelete
It made me giggle out loud seeing this clip! Her laugh! We are planning on seeing this movie.ReplyDelete
Great video! Ha! I've been wanting to see the movie- can Julia and Tom go wrong? I think not!ReplyDelete
- Susan7/15/2011
I really want to see this movie, but I think my husband will consider it a "chick flick." He might come with me if the tickets were free - OR, I'll just treat my sister and go with her. In any case, I agree with Julia that knitting is "social." I've always said you can carry on a conversation while you knit, but not while your head is buried in a book! Thanks for the chance to win!ReplyDelete
Love Tom Hanks and winning would be fab.ReplyDelete
I'd love to see a great movie on a hot summer day!ReplyDelete
Thanks for the giveaway! Looks like a good movie!ReplyDelete
I saw a video of the prank posted on ravelry. I love it. The world needs more knitters!ReplyDelete
you are so amazing...how fun is this? thanks Leslie!ReplyDelete
Oh my goodness. Best prank ever! I hope they donate all that yarn to someone now. Awesome!ReplyDelete
LOVE the joke he played!ReplyDelete
That's great! Glad I took the time to watch it. Thanks for posting.ReplyDelete
I hope I win! I hope I win!ReplyDelete
Two of my favorite actors- this movie sounds great!!ReplyDelete
Three cheers for Julia, knitting and pranks! Love all of them!ReplyDelete
so funny right?ReplyDelete
i posted this on my facebook page a few days a go. i loved it!
and a movie night is just what i need right about now!
Great give away. I also love the prank. I think this will be on my DVD or on demand list. I like the moral of the story too. You just never know!ReplyDelete
The movie looks really cute! Hope I win!ReplyDelete
That was funny! I look forward to seeing the movie.ReplyDelete
oh wow!! thanks for the opportunity! i havent been to the movies in ages. this looks like a good one.ReplyDelete
Thank you soo much for posting this it brought a broad smile to my face on an otherwise rainy day.ReplyDelete
I love that video! The movie looks cute too :)ReplyDelete
thanks for sharing the vid! knitting is so not geeky! ^_^ReplyDelete
ok. that is awesome. (you know what to do if the number thing picks me, right?)ReplyDelete
Oh great! How fun - I've been wanting to see that movie :)ReplyDelete
I love her!! And Tom Hanks!!ReplyDelete
Fun video of Julia,,,she's one of many actresses in L.A. that knit.ReplyDelete
Thank you for posting this video - it is a hoot!ReplyDelete
In addition to the "girlfriend" line, I liked Julia's question: "Are we this far ahead of schedule?"
I also liked Tom's comment about not more smoking. There is such truth in that. Doing something like knitting can help to keep one's mind off of less health vices such as smoking and (in my case) mindless overeating.
What a fun post - thanks, again!
How cute, thanks for sharing that video! I'd love to see the movie!ReplyDelete
That is such a great clip, I love it!ReplyDelete
I haven't picked up my needles in a while and then out of the blue I felt like browsing a local yarn shop. I found some beautiful yarn and...here I go again. It feels good.ReplyDelete
Yay to Julia knitting! I'd like to see this movie, too.ReplyDelete
Can't wait to see it!! I just love them both and together even better!! Thanks Leslie!!ReplyDelete
I just love Julia!ReplyDelete
that is hilarious :) Nothing like a little positive media attention for knitting ladies n guys 'eh?ReplyDelete
Great post!!!ReplyDelete
I have a pattern somewhere...from quite a while ago when a magazine did an article on Julie and her knitting. It was for a multi-stripped sweater pattern that she was knitting while on the set of another movie. I think it may have been McCall's magazine. I knit one up for my daughter. Now...I will have to go in search of and dig it out!
Thanks for sharing...I just love her laugh...makes me smile :-D


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With two centrally located facilities, we service eight counties routinely and have been known to "go where we are needed" when necessary. All of our chimney technicians are fully licensed and certified, and we only use the most innovative and environmentally-friendly chimney products for your home. As experts in fireplaces, wood stoves, overall chimney restoration, minor chimney repairs, periodic chimney maintenance, and initial chimney installation, Fireplace & Chimney Authority will be happy to assist you in whatever your chimney needs might be.
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Tameika Robinson watched as a line of walkers crossed over onto the bike trails at Jackson Park on Sunday night.
Tameika Robinson watched as a line of walkers crossed over onto the bike trails at Jackson Park on Sunday night. Just moments before, the walkers had been holding hands in a large circle praying, but at that moment were heading to Union Grove Baptist Church on Robinson Terrace.
The prayer and the sound of footsteps were a message.
The crowd, which eclipsed 50 people, was there in support of the families of drowning victims. Most recently, the death of Tre Carter in Lake Summit has stirred the community.
"When that happened, I said we got to pray," Robinson said. Robinson, Brooke Pace and Africa Thompson organized the event.
The event, however, wasn't held just to remember Carter. Robinson is connected to at least four other drowning victims since 2010. Members of those families showed up at Jackson Park for the prayer and walk. The crowd lifted up the names of Carter, Greg Daniels, Butch and B.J. Jackson and Chelle Warner.
The walk, which was going to stretch across the park's bike trails, ended a quarter-of-a-mile away at the church.
As the crowd disappeared, Priscilla Watkins stood in the empty parking lot. Watkins was Butch Jackson's aunt. Jackson and his son, B.J., drowned in Lake Adger trying to rescue a 5-year-old girl in May of 2010.
"You can't question God," she said shaking her head.
She unfolded a shirt that Robinson had just handed her. The shirt had a pink heart in the center and a ribbon stretched across it with the faces of the five drowning victims since 2010. The shirts are being sold to raise money for swimming scholarships at the YMCA by the trio that organized the event.
Lessons cost $55. Shirts are $15. For every shirt sold, $5 goes towards a scholarship. To purchase the shirts, message the "828 Prayer Walk" account on Facebook.
Watkins brushed her finger across the faces of her nephew and great-nephew.
"These young people need to be educated about water," Watkins said as she stared at the shirt. "The best swimmers have accidents."
The prayer and walk, however, lifted her spirits on Sunday.
"It makes me feel good," she said of large crowd that showed up on Sunday.
And that was the goal, Robinson said. The 30-year-old Hendersonville High School graduate was connected to all five of the victims who were on the minds of those in attendance on Sunday.
Carter was the final straw. After his death, Robinson couldn't sit back anymore.
"When things like this happen, it's just so heavy," she said. "It was just so heavy for me."
It reminded her that "life's not promised to us." All she and her friends could think about was prayer and water safety. They hosted a water safety event last Sunday and on this night, prayer was front and center.
"I believe in prayer," she said.
And along with prayer, Robinson believes in the love that the crowd brought with them on Sunday night to march with heavy hearts.
"We're all connected to every one of them in some sort of way," she said. "I think it's important that their legacy lives on."
Reach Millwood at 828-694-7881 or at email@example.com.


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Learn Haskell in 10 minutes
From HaskellWiki
1 Overview
Haskell is a functional (that is, everything is done with function calls), statically, implicitly typed (types are checked by the compiler, but you don't have to declare them), lazy (nothing is done until it needs to be) language. Its closest popular relative is probably the ML family of languages.
The most common Haskell compiler is GHC. You can download GHC from http://www.haskell.org/ghc/download_ghc_661.html . GHC binaries are available for GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, MacOS, Windows, and Solaris. Once you've installed GHC, you get two programs you're interested in right now: ghc, and ghci. The first compiles Haskell libraries or applications to binary code. The second is an interpreter that lets you write Haskell code and get feedback right away.
2 Simple expressions
You can type most math expressions directly into ghci and get an answer. Prelude> is the default GHCi prompt.Prelude>
16Strings are in "double quotes." You can concatenate them with
"Hello, Haskell"
Calling functions is done by putting the arguments directly after the function. There are no parentheses as part of the function call:Prelude>
3 The console
I/O actions can be used to read from and write to the console. Some common ones include:Prelude>
Hello, HaskellPrelude>
2 + 2 = 4Prelude>
ABCDE 12345Reading can be done with
4 16
(The 4 was input. The 16 was a result.)There is actually another way to write
main = do putStrLn "What is 2 + 2?" x <- readLn if x == 4 then putStrLn "You're right!" else putStrLn "You're wrong!"
(Note: Do not indent with tabs if you're using layout. It technically still works if your tabs are 8 spaces, but it's a bad idea. Also, don't use proportional fonts -- which apparently some people do, even when programming!)
4 Simple typesSo far, not a single type declaration has been mentioned. That's because Haskell does type inference. You generally don't have to declare types unless you want to. If you do want to declare types, you use
Types (and type classes, discussed later) always start with upper-case letters in Haskell. Variables always start with lower-case letters. This is a rule of the language, not a naming convention.
You can also ask ghci what type it has chosen for something. This is useful because you don't generally have to declare your types.Prelude> :t
Things get more interesting for numbers.Prelude> :t
These types use "type classes." They mean:
- can be used as any numeric type. (This is why I was able to declare42as either an5or aIntearlier.)Double
- can be any fractional type, but not an integral type.42.0
- (which is a function call, incidentally) can be any integral type, but not a fractional type.gcd 15 20
There are five numeric types in the Haskell "prelude" (the part of the library you get without having to import anything):
- is an integer with at least 30 bits of precision.Int
- is an integer with unlimited precision.Integer
- is a single precision floating point number.Float
- is a double precision floating point number.Double
- is a fraction type, with no rounding error.Rational
Putting it all together,Prelude>
<interactive>:1:0: No instance for (Integral Double)The final type worth mentioning here is
5 Structured data
Basic data types can be easily combined in two ways: lists, which go in [square brackets], and tuples, which go in (parentheses).
Lists are used to hold multiple values of the same type.Prelude>
Strings are just lists of characters.Prelude>
Tuples hold a fixed number of values, which can have different types.Prelude>
[(1,'a'),(2,'b'),(3,'c'),(4,'d'),(5,'e')]The last example used
The types are probably what you'd expect.Prelude> :t
Lists are used a lot in Haskell. There are several functions that do nice things with them.Prelude>
There are two nice functions on ordered pairs (tuples of two elements):Prelude>
Also see how to work on lists
6 Function definitionsWe wrote a function earlier, called
main = do putStrLn "What is 2 + 2?" x <- readLn if x == 4 then putStrLn "You're right!" else putStrLn "You're wrong!"
module Main where factorial n = if n == 0 then 1 else n * factorial (n - 1) main = do putStrLn "What is 5! ?" x <- readLn if x == factorial 5 then putStrLn "You're right!" else putStrLn "You're wrong!"
Build again with ghc --make Test.hs. And,
$ ./Test What is 5! ? 120 You're right!There's a function. Just like the built-in functions, it can be called as
Now ask ghci for the type.
$ ghci Test.hs << GHCi banner >> Ok, modules loaded: Main.Prelude Main> :t
Factorial can be simplified by writing it with case analysis.
factorial 0 = 1 factorial n = n * factorial (n - 1)
7 Convenient syntax
A couple extra pieces of syntax are helpful.
secsToWeeks secs = let perMinute = 60 perHour = 60 * perMinute perDay = 24 * perHour perWeek = 7 * perday in secs * perWeek
classify age = case age of 0 -> "newborn" 1 -> "infant" 2 -> "toddler" _ -> "senior citizen"
8 Using libraries
Everything used so far in this tutorial is part of the Prelude, which is the set of Haskell functions that are always there in any program.
The best road from here to becoming a very productive Haskell programmer (aside from practice!) is becoming familiar with other libraries that do the things you need. Documentation on the standard libraries is at http://haskell.org/ghc/docs/latest/html/libraries/. There are modules there with:
- Useful data structures
- Concurrent and parallel programming
- Graphics and GUI libraries
- Networking, POSIX, and other system-level stuff
- Two test frameworks, QuickCheck and HUnit
- Regular expressions and predictive parsers
- More...
module Main where import qualified Data.Map as M errorsPerLine = M.fromList [ ("Chris", 472), ("Don", 100), ("Simon", -5) ] main = do putStrLn "Who are you?" name <- getLine case M.lookup name errorsPerLine of Nothing -> putStrLn "I don't know you" Just n -> do putStr "Errors per line: " print n
If you want something that's not in the standard library, try looking at http://hackage.haskell.org/packages/hackage.html or this wiki's applications and libraries page. This is a collection of many different libraries written by a lot of people for Haskell. Once you've got a library, extract it and switch into that directory and do this:
runhaskell Setup configure runhaskell Setup build runhaskell Setup install
On a UNIX system, you may need to be root for that last part.
9 Topics that don't fit in 10 minute limit
- Advanced data types
- Arithmetic lists
- List comprehensions
- Type synonyms
- data vs newtype (and here)
- Type classes and instances
- Advanced syntax
- Advanced functions
- Monads
- File I/O
- Reading files
- Writing Files


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If this is true, then it is appalling not to acquire them from these other sources.
Emma_85 wrote:Oh, I thought Bush was going to ban it.
NewScientistOther scientists are focusing their efforts on embryonic stem cells, as they believe only these are versatile enough to give rise to all the tissues of the body. By using the right growth factors, it seems possible to nudge embryonic stem cells down different pathways to become any tissue type at all. The stem cells come either from spare embryos left over from infertility treatments, or in some cases from deliberately created ones.
But any research involving embryos is massively controversial, whether they are deliberately created ones, IVF spares, or clones. The issue is centre-stage in the US general election, with right-wing anti-abortion groups firmly against any research involving embryonic stem cells (see US election special, this issue).
sciamFor some envisioned therapies, it might nonetheless be useful to briegly create an embryonic clone of an adult for the purpose of extracting stem cells.
NewScientist[...] ES Cell International was another obvious choice for Biopolis. Along with cancer and infectious disease studies, embryonic (and adult) stem cell research is a must-have for the BMRC. Alan Colman, chief scientific officer at ES Cell International and a co-creator of Dolly the sheep, came to Singapore in 2002 in large part because the government was willing to invest in the company. "There was finance available here which was quite frankly impossible to get elsewhere," he says.
Singapore also has a solid history of breakthrough stem cell work. In 1994, for instance, a group led by Ariff Bongso of the state's National University Hospital was the first to successfully isolate embryonic stem cells, and Patrick Tan of the Singapore General Hospital has pioneered transplants of blood-forming stem cells from bone marrow to treat diseases such as aplastic anaemia.
And as well as actively encouraging stem cell research, Singapore is "permissive" compared with countries such as the US. Legislation very similar to that in the UK, which allows stem cells to be extracted from cloned embryos up to 14 days old, was passed by parliament on 2 September. Though until then, says Colman, "people assumed that these rules and regulations were already in existence". He hopes that within a year his team will be able to cure diabetic animals using stem cells that develop into insulin-producing islet cells. And for basic research to support this work, Colman can call not only on his own team but on publicly funded researchers. A fifth of Colman's salary is paid by the new Centre for Molecular Medicine, set up to translate research into treatments. [...]
Unlike the vast majority of cells in the body, which are "specialised" as neurons, muscle or bone, say, stem cells are blank slates that can develop into many different tissue types and renew themselves indefinitely.
The early embryo consists of a ball of stem cells. As these multiply, increasing numbers specialise or "differentiate" into various tissues to form the developing organs, although a small number remain in the body as semi-specialised stem cells, even into adulthood. Bone marrow is a rich source of adult stem cells that produce blood cells, as these need to be constantly replenished throughout life. And various other tissues such as muscle and brain seem to have small numbers of adult stem cells with limited repair capacity.
EmptyMan wrote:We have the same 2 choices on abortion, do we turn a blind eye to murder(def. of murder is killing a human and a fetus is at all points of devel. a human)and harvest their organs for our benefit, or we can do the right thing, if you consider it right not to kill humans, and try to stop the killing.
The argument most people use for fetus-harvesting(litteral term for "stem-cell" research)) is that the kid is going to die anyway why not use his stem-cells
I understand that some Christians believe that yes, IVF, abortions and stem-cell research must all be banned.
But don't you think it's strange that there is all this commotion about stem-cell research, when IVF kills much more embryos? Or is there is fact a huge lobby to ban IVF in the US too and I just haven't heard of it before? Just wondering why it is that IVF is allowed and not banned but stem-cell research so criticized.
Rhuiden wrote:The question about whether or not US citizens should use the cure (if one was to be found) discovered from stem cell research in another country presents an interesting ethical dilema. I will have to think on this a bit before answering.
NewScientistSTEM cells have a higher profile during the 2004 presidential campaign than any other scientific issue. And Americans have a clear choice. Vote Bush, and his policy of restricting federal research into embryonic stem cells will continue. Vote Kerry and such fetters will be removed.
But critics say Bush's stance has little to do with morality. "Believe me, the political operatives in the White House are not sitting around talking about the morality of this," Ron Reagan, son of former president Ronald Reagan, told New Scientist. "They are talking about the political math. And that is just offensive."
Democratic congressman Brian Baird says that Bush's policy is morally inconsistent, particularly the stipulation that embryonic cell lines created before August 2001 can be used in federal research, but not those created after. "It's absolutely a sell-out," he says. "It's not about science. It's not about truly valuing human life. It's about sucking up, frankly, to a political lobby group."
Another apparent inconsistency is the lack of restrictions on researchers working in the private sector. True, this reflects historical precedent, as private research is not traditionally seen as an area for federal regulation. But Democratic congressman Henry Waxman says that Bush has been trying to have it both ways. "He claims to have an important principled position in the policy on federal research while his administration boasts about the amount of private research."
We have the same 2 choices on abortion, do we turn a blind eye to murder(def. of murder is killing a human and a fetus is at all points of devel. a human)and harvest their organs for our benefit, or we can do the right thing, if you consider it right not to kill humans, and try to stop the killing.
But it's not about using the stem-cells of aborted embryos, but of those from IVF treatment. Many couples undergo fertility treatment and many embryos must be fertilised it seems, but they only use about 2 or 3 I think, the rest either get destroyed or used for research.
You're against abortion, are you against IVF too? You didn't say.
EmptyMan wrote:Why do people single out Christians as if only they oppose abortions? Abortion has nothing to do with religion. Atheists and Christians oppose abortion.
The arguments coming from the abortion people are really lame:
1. Fetus is not human.
2. fetus is not alive.
No it is not strange for people to be outraged about someone killing a child and then harvesting his organs for stem-cells. Letting someone kill your neighbor is bad, but letting someone kill your neighbor and then stealing from their home is even worse.
EmptyMan wrote:Yes I am opposed to IVF. I beleive it is dangerous to have conception in a lab, we should not be playing around with people like this. Who knows the dangers of genitic and gender engineering? No one. So I will not get up in line and encourage research that could lead to huge problems once the child is born nor will I support constant creation of humans only to get stem-cells.
NewScientistARE the millions of children conceived by the fertility treatments IVF and ICSI as healthy as those conceived the old-fashioned way? Apart from the increased chance of multiple births and all the associated health risks, the answer seems to be mostly yes, according to the largest review yet.
EmptyMan wrote:Why do people single out Christians as if only they oppose abortions?
EmptyMan wrote:Abortion has nothing to do with religion. Atheists and Christians oppose abortion.
classicalclarinet wrote:wow. 3 billion. with that you could literally buy a small country.
Is this question a heated debate in Germany or the UK? How much of a political issue is it over there? Is anyone trying to prevent this research over there?
But Emma, you understand, for pro-life Christians, this idea is a dogma. They consider it to be received wisdom from God. Life begins at conception, period, end of story.
Is this question a heated debate in Germany or the UK? How much of a political issue is it over there? Is anyone trying to prevent this research over there?
2) Even among "supporters" of abortion, and I use that word advisedly, there is less militant rhetoric. No mainstream UK politician, so far as I am aware, believes that an abortion is a woman's absolute right, able to be exercised in all circumstances. Perhaps the presence of an evangelical christian movement dedicated to banning abortion completely has galvanised the troops somewhat. Or it could be that well-known tendency in UK politics to reduce matters of principle to technocratic discussions.
EmptyMan wrote:I think it's a little unfair to say that Christians believe their ideas on abortion is wisdom from God. Yes, this is what I would call dogma but fortunately it is scientifically justifiable to say the single-celled embryos are human and as I have said earlier it's argumental suicide to say that life does not begin at conception. A life begins at conceptiopn, no doubt, but what you do with that life depends on how much you value it.
Turpissimus, you're absolutely right. In Germany the laws on abortion are thougher than in the US, just as regulations on stem-cells are more restrictive in both German and the UK and it's probably because the debates here are more rational as you don't have the 'radical' interests groups that you find in the US. Abortions are allowed in Germany for example, but just as with this ethics commission to check every case on embryonic stem-cell imports, you need to have an ethic-panel to decide on every single abortion (loads of forms, you need doctors and ethics advisors to consent and all that sort of thing, you need to go on a family planning course and all that (free of course, as is all health care) and it's only allowed up until a certain date in the pregnancy very early on, after that all abortions are illegal. There are no abortion clinic or anything like that in Germany either.
Most American people would support some bans on Abortion but the liberal trial lawyers, the ACLU, and others like Hilary Clinton won't let it happen.


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Preach, Beyonce!
The superstar is sounding off on a cause she cares about, gender equality, in a new essay written for Maria Shriver's just-released "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Pushes Back From the Brink," which the journalist wrote with the Center for American Progress, examining the sad financial state of American women. Bey, mom to 2-year-old Blue Ivy, wrote a piece called, "Gender Equality Is a Myth," in which she describes why the issue is important to everyone, regardless of gender.
"We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn't a reality yet," the 32-year-old Mrs. Carter wrote. "Today, women make up half of the U.S. workforce, but the average working woman earns only 77 percent of what the average working man makes. But unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not change. Men have to demand that their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters earn more — commensurate with their qualifications and not their gender. Equality will be achieved when men and women are granted equal pay and equal respect."
She continued, "Humanity requires both men and women, and we are equally important and need one another. So why are we viewed as less than equal? These old attitudes are drilled into us from the very beginning. We have to teach our boys the rules of equality and respect, so that as they grow up, gender equality becomes a natural way of life. And we have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible. We have a lot of work to do, but we can get there if we work together. Women are more than 50 percent of the population and more than 50 percent of voters. We must demand that we all receive 100 percent of the opportunities."
Shriver explained to Yahoo Celebrity that the Queen B's star power would definitely help shine a light on the report, which can be downloaded for free through Jan. 15.
"When a strong, successful and hardworking woman like Beyoncé lends her voice to a movement, people immediately listen," Shriver said. "As a professional, Beyonce is at the top of her game, and yet, as she writes in the Shriver Report, gender equality in the workplace is still a concern. There is so much work to be done, and role models like Beyoncé reinforce why it's such an exciting time to be a woman."
Beyonce has shown her feminist side before when she released songs such as 2011's "Run the World (Girls)" and "Flawless," a song from the self-titled album that she unexpectedly dropped last month. On that track she sings about the same thing: "We raise girls to each other as competitors, Not for jobs or for accomplishments, Which I think can be a good thing, But for the attention of men, We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings In the way that boys are, Feminist: the person who believes in the social, Political, and economic equality of the sexes."
Several other celebs also loaned their names to the report: Eva Longoria wrote in support of Latinas, Jada Pinkett Smith took on human-trafficking, and Jennifer Garner talked about poverty and parenthood.
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After the Storm
2/26/2018 (Permalink)
Natural disasters such as hurricanes cause a lot of water damage to people's homes. Surprisingly however, it's the small things like leaking hoses and broken pipes that have been rendered many homeless due to unexpected flooding. The loss of property can be overwhelming; however, there is hope. Professional water damage cleanup service providers are experts and transforming a flood damaged home back to original condition (if not better).
During such disasters, water can get into all parts of your home; from the ceiling to the basement. If you have a hardwood floor, it will absorb water, and the wood will begin to warp and bend. You need a professional service that is equipped with the technology to dry the water from the floor, and save you a small fortune. The walls of your home will also absorb water, and this may cause structural weakness, posing a danger to you and your family. The attic or ceiling of your home can also store moisture which may cause it to collapse. Given these dangers, only experts can help you remedy the situation effectively. Most water damage cleanup services are available to you 24/7, so you can call whenever you require them, and they will send their team to your rescue.
Apart from the water seepage in the floor and walls, your furniture, and other items will suffer damage after a storm. Not everything may be salvageable, but there are steps that can be taken to restore furniture and other precious items. Water can be removed from carpets and upholstery, as well as dry wooden cabinets, and other household goods. Even if the water damage seems extensive, you could be pleasantly surprised to find your home retaining much of the semblance that it had before the flooding. If any of the items are completely damaged, the cleanup service will remove the debris and ensure that your home is completely clean. They will then sanitize the home, and ensure that there is no danger of mold growing. Mold can pose a serious risk to your family, and they ensure that the home is completely dehumidified, and sanitized.
Electrical systems are bound to suffer damage during such a storm. The professional cleanup service will ensure that the wiring is safe to use before they restore electricity in your home. They will inspect the outlets, and much of the wiring, especially in area where there was a lot of water absorption. Before they let you back into the house, they will ensure that everything is in its proper place, and your home is safe for habitation, once again.


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• Size: Medium• Accommodates: 50 people• Dimensions: 42' x 30' - 1,260 square feet• Features: Water and electricity are available, and picnic tables, a barbecue grill, and a recycling bin are provided. Within walking distance of restrooms.
View larger image of shelter.
All fees are subject to applicable Florida sales tax, except gate admission fee.
Rental Fees: • Weekday Rate: $50• Weekend/Holiday Rate: $110• Security/Cleanup Deposit: $50
Security/Cleanup Deposit: To be paid on the day of your event, prior to setting up your shelter, and will be refunded the same day providing the following terms have been met:1. All garbage is removed from shelter floor and placed in trash cans.2. All food is removed from barbecue grills. 3. All decorations have been removed. Please do not use staples, tacks, or nails to hang decorations.4. Charcoal in grills is spread out to ensure extinguishing. Do not take charcoal out of grill. Do not place charcoal on the ground or in garbage cans. 5. Area around shelter is cleaned up. (No garbage/trash on ground, etc.) 6. All tables removed from shelter have been placed back in shelter, in orderly fashion. 7. All personal belongings are removed from the shelter.8. All members of your party have vacated the shelter.
Gate Admission Fee: There is a $1.50-per-person admission fee for persons 6 years of age and older on weekends and holidays. Children ages 5 and under are free.


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By Ed Patino
HILLSDALE � Coming off a tough road trip, the Hillsdale High School girls basketball team had a welcome return home Tuesday.
Another big night from Hayley Maystead and a surge early in the third quarter propelled the Hornets to a 38-30 victory over the Leslie Blackhawks in a non-conference game.
Hillsdale (8-4) played at home for the first time in 11 days. In that time, the Hornets had two long road trips to Monroe County, resulting in a loss at Ida and a win at Erie Mason. Hillsdale had dropped three of four prior to beating Erie Mason last Friday.
The Hornets scored 12 straight points to build an eight-point lead by the end of the first quarter. The teams only combined for five points in the second quarter, and Hillsdale carried a 15-6 lead into halftime.
Hillsdale regained its offensive touch in the third quarter, scoring 16 points in the frame and extending its lead to 31-17 entering the fourth.
"They gave us different looks in the first half and got us confused, and when we do that we tend to get caught standing," Hillsdale coach Nick Langston said. "We started to run our offense more effectively in the second half."
Maystead finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and four steals to lead the Hornets. Jamee Thompson added six points and seven rebounds, while Sarah Maple scored five points. Maddie Eves had four points and Whitney Hodge forced six steals.
"Jamee had a better night and hopefully this gives her more confidence," Langston said. "Whitney did a great job defensively and Alyssa Anderson did a nice job at point guard."
Ashley Medcoff scored seven points to lead Leslie, while Vanisa Patel added six points.
The Hornets will host Dundee for a Lenawee County Athletic Association game Friday. On Saturday, they will travel across town to Hillsdale Academy for the annual "Dail-a-Ride Trophy" game.
North Adams-Jerome 35, Burr Oak 15
A big third quarter surge propelled the North Adams-Jerome High School girls basketball team to a home victory over the Burr Oak Bobcats in a Southern Central Athletic Association game Tuesday evening.
North Adams-Jerome (4-8) built a five-point lead by the end of the first quarter. Burr Oak got back in the game in the second quarter and cut the Rams' lead to 12-11 by halftime.
The Rams regained control in a big way, outscoring Burr Oak 15-0 in the third quarter, then cruising to the win in the fourth.
"We were flat offensively in the first half and hurrying everything," North Adams-Jerome coach Doug Dospoy said. "We picked it up and played better in the second half, and defensively we shut them down."
Cheyenne Monahan had 11 points and six steals to lead the Rams. Breelynn Horn scored eight points, while Desiree Morrison and Emily McKinney both added four points. Kayla Blevins scored three points and Hannah Webb grabbed six rebounds.
North Adams-Jerome travels to Colon for another SCAA game tonight.
Athens 41, Reading 37
Despite playing shorthanded, the Reading High School girls basketball lead for the majority of Tuesday's Big Eight Conference game, but was unable to hang on in a home loss to the Athens Indians.
Reading (6-6, 3-5 Big Eight) matched basket with the conference power in the first quarter, then took control with a 10-4 run in the second frame. The Rangers carried a 17-13 lead into halftime.
Still leading into the fourth quarter, Reading saw the Indians make a charge thanks to a pair of 3-pointers midway through the frame. Athens held off the Rangers down the stretch.
"We were thin to begin with, then I had my only senior go down with an injury," Reading coach Ryan Mulnix said. "(Athens) made shots down the stretch, and two 3-pointers broke our back. The girls fought all night and I'm proud of them."
Michelle Davis scored 12 points to lead the Rangers. Jami Hubbard added 11 points, while Taylor Coe had eight points and five rebounds. Jenny Davis handed out three assists.
Reading will host Union City for another Big Eight game Thursday.
Union City 38, Jonesville 31
Cold shooting proved to be the undoing for the Jonesville High School girls basketball team in Tuesday's home loss to the Union City Chargers in a Big Eight Conference game.
Jonesville (4-11, 1-7 Big Eight) hung tough with league-leading Union City throughout the game. However, the Comets shot just 13 percent from the floor on the night.
"Defensively we played well enough to win, but you're not going to beat many teams shooting like we did," Jonesville coach Tom Dunn said.
Kaile Spencer scored 10 points to lead Jonesville. Emily Dawson had seven points, nine rebounds and seven blocks, while Hannah Smith grabbed six rebounds and forced four steals.
The Comets will travel to Athens on Thursday.
Hornets get past Leslie


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Once, Thanksgiving was sacrosanct: Everything closed, and families observed their lessons of unity and gratitude in the privacy of home, with Christmas preparations and unabashed materialism resuming only the next day Black Friday the busiest shopping day of the year.
Not so anymore.
In a tactic designed to capture the bulk of Black Friday business, on Thursday night Thanksgiving Day itself Walmart stores throughout the country offered steep Black Friday discounts.
Horrified critics said Walmarts aggressive pursuit of profits at the expense of a beloved national holiday would desecrate the countrys character, and protest groups rallied around the promise, I refuse to shop on Black Friday.
Durangoans made no such vow. This is how it looked:
At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Walmarts parking lot was packed. The line for the $238 Samsung 32-inch flat-screen TV, which went on sale at 10 p.m., seemed to have no end by 7:30, as did the line forming for Apple products.
At first, Black Friday customers, perhaps buoyed by the narcotic spell of turkey and loved ones, interacted politely. As 8 p.m. approached, however, they appeared less aglow with the spirit of Thanksgiving and more likely to thank you for getting the hell out of their way, huddling like vultures around piles of goods that were wrapped in heavy plastic and embargoed until 8 p.m.
At 7:45, an enormous man, who had strategically placed himself between a bin of $19.96 picture frames and $199 leather recliners, growled, Im staying right here, when an elderly man with a cane politely asked him to move a little to the left.
Minutes before 8 p.m., customers started looting the piles of discounted goods, with one young buck breaching the plastic barrier ensconcing a pile of $50 Little Tykes Gourmet Prep N Serve Kitchen, seizing one of them, and running off to check out.
This example of rule-breaking immediately shattered the fragile pretense of social order that Walmart employees had tried in vain to maintain. Instead, mob mentality took hold, as three women, two of them screaming at each other, began plundering the kitchenettes.
Meanwhile, Walmarts Black Friday response team, which wandered the store with the repressed tears of U.N. peacekeepers deployed to their first conflict zone, held an emergency meeting between shelves of hair straighteners, which concluded with one employee cheerfully telling the teams supervisor, All right, well just stand here and pretend like we know what were doing.
Just feet from them, a woman enjoyed the edge afforded by her motorized scooter, grinning as she cut off a pedestrian shopper who had been making for the DVDs.
Behind her, next to the winter clothing, one woman rabidly called out to her friend.
Susan! These watches are usually $35. Now theyre $18. Thats a great deal, right?
Susan, who was pushing a cart so incomprehensibly loaded it looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, miserably nodded.
Throughout the night, children, of which a statistically significant number were crying, complicated congestion by running away from their parents or, in the manner of Vietnam War protesters, sitting down in the middle of a teeming aisle and flatly refusing to get up.
Shoppers managed these moments variously.
One mother, exasperated by her sons dawdling in the toy section, said stop slowing me down, or Christmas is canceled. An apparently credible threat, the boy hustled forward.
Surrounded by discount hunting gear, another sobbing infant became so dismayed she attempted to throw herself head-first out of the child seat of her mothers cart. As her father mumbled, good idea, the mother tried dissuading her baby from suicide with a soothing sip of diet Red Bull (results unknown).
There were tender intergenerational moments. As a young blonde girl longingly fondled $5.97 posters of Harry from the boy band One Direction, her father asked, Whats so great about these guys?
Theyre hot, she whispered shyly, and he nodded, patting her on the head.
While a husband and wife who showed up too late for Bratz dolls traded bitter recriminations in the entertainment section, a Walmart sign provided an oblique assurance that Black Friday isnt impoverishing the soul of the country: It claimed that American flags were selling for their everyday price, $18.87. (Tax not included).


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Imagine a world where there are no longer any living Holocaust survivors. A world where antisemitism is at risk of proliferating to degrees that we cannot yet fathom. A world where Holocaust deniers have greater opportunities to falsify facts and demean one of the most tragic events in Jewish history.
Imagine we can no longer rely on the eyewitnesses to the very atrocities that occurred more than 60 years ago to tell and retell their personal narratives of heartache, perseverance and tenacity. We as second, third and fourth generations must take ownership of the past in order to sustain survivors' legacies for the future.
From Nov. 5 to 9, students at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont., carried out that very responsibility during Western Hillel's annual Holocaust Education Week (HEW). What distinguished this year's HEW from others was the adoption of a fresh strategy to improve outreach to non-Jewish students. In addition to an innovative workshop on Holocaust denial and a special event featuring Holocaust survivor Pepa Livingstone recounting her experiences to students, the balance of HEW events involved partnerships with an assortment of student clubs.
This year, HEW organizers and committee members – Shira Gelkopf, Samantha Hershenfeld, Ariel Yeheskel and myself – all agreed that cultivating partnerships for the weeklong programs was essential, since the Holocaust is not only a Jewish tragedy, but also a profound calamity for all of humankind.
For example, we held an exclusive film screening of Paragraph 175, a documentary film that chronicles the lives of homosexuals under Nazi rule. Due to the nature of the event, we approached the Western Undergraduate Film Society (WUFS) and PrideWestern, a club for LGBTQ students and their allies, inquiring if they would be interested in partnering with us for the screening. Both clubs were eager to contribute to HEW.
The executive members of WUFS in particular expressed their respect for our executive team on numerous occasions, commending our passion and dedication to Holocaust education.
Those who attended the screening, both Jewish and non-Jewish, were exposed to a hidden face of the Holocaust that few people are aware of or informed about.
Throughout the week, we organized a display in our university community centre that encouraged students to sign pledge cards with the objective of preventing social injustice. For this exhibit, we reached out to STAND Western, a club devoted to raising awareness about past genocides and Darfur in particular, and the Association for Baha'i Studies. Identifying the Holocaust as more than a mere "Jewish genocide" is crucial in connecting non-Jewish students to this tragedy. We knew that partnering with both of these clubs, which are involved in social justice issues, would help in this regard, and we were pleased when both quickly agreed to collaborate.
By the end of the week, our three clubs had worked together to acquire 250 signatures of Western students pledging to prevent social injustice – an unprecedented response to a HEW initiative. The students who participated also received a handout with pieces of testimony of a survivor or victim of the Holocaust, educating them about the genocide through the compelling vehicle of personal narratives. We collected testimonies from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's online resources and families of Western students, which humanized the Holocaust for other students.
Our outreach tactics with respect to the exhibit garnered a diverse group of student viewers, all of whom gathered under the shared goal of paying tribute to the past.
After this year's HEW, I am prouder than ever to identify with a dynamic community of organized student leaders on campus. Through innovative and successful outreach strategies such as the ones implemented this year, I feel confident that our generation is capable of and willing to preserve the legacy of the Holocaust now and in the future.


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Log In to Mobile NationsWhat is Passport?
Welcome back!
Welcome back!
Passport is the one Mobile Nations account to rule them all. With Passport you get instant access to Android Central, CrackBerry, iMore, WPCentral, and webOS Nation, and you can even choose to link all you favorite social networks like Twitter, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. And there's a ton of other, cool features coming soon.
It's good. You want it.
Nothing! You keep all your existing accounts. Passport just makes it easier for you to login into other Mobile Nations sites when and if you choose to. Nothing will get created behind your back or forced on you. Promise.
Because we are unifying five different membership databases, about 1% of conflicting usernames were appended with #AC, #IM, #CB, #WP, or #WN. If you previously used the same username across multiple sites, you may be able to reclaim your original username by linking the accounts.
Nope. Just login to one Mobile Nations site and if you have accounts on other Mobile Nations sites as well, you can link them right up.
We'll do it for you automatically. If we miss any, for example, due to different usernames or email addresses, we'll also give you the opportunity to link them manually.
In about 1% of cases, Passport comes across conflicting usernames. (Somebody else has the same username as you on a different Mobile Nations site). When that happens, we might have to appended your username with #AC, #IM, #CB, #WP, or #WN on those sites. Linking all your accounts can sometimes get rid of that, and you can also easily change your username if you want to.
If you changed your username, you'll need to login on the web first before Tapatalk (or other third party apps) can work.
Feel free to email us at firstname.lastname@example.com or call our help desk at (888) 599 8997 8am-5pm EST


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We all love 'em. Sweet Texas oranges are those little juicy bites of sunshine that we can buy year round at local grocery stores. Lots of our oranges come from Florida and California (thick skins, pretty, not as juicy) and South Texas and Mexico (not as pretty, super sweet, super juicy). With a little care you can grow your own oranges on your own beautiful orange tree right here in Southeast Texas.
According to the Texas Aggie Horticulture website, we can grow oranges here because they love our warm, humid conditions. Our oranges will typically be thin-skinned, yellowish orange fruit with yellowish orange flesh that is super sweet and juicy. Areas with slightly cooler climates like California and Arizona produce fruit that is brightly colored with thick bright orange peel. Oranges can be found growing all over the world in tropical and subtropical areas, but they grow the very best in subtropical areas.
The Aggies remind us that sweet oranges are native to northeastern India. They are the most widely grown species of citrus. The orange tree was spread quickly by travelers along the trade routes between Asia, Europe and Africa. Christopher Columbus is known to have introduced a planting of oranges in Hispaniola on his second voyage in 1493. You can today walk along the streets of Sevilla, Granada and other cities in Andalucia, Spain and be shaded by the orange trees growing above you. How much more inspiration do you need to have your own orange trees?
Find orange trees for our area and plant them in deep, well-drained soils. They prefer loam and will not thrive in clay soils or boggy locations. Aggie horticulturalists tell us to plant orange trees on the south or southeast side of the house for maximum cold protection. They need to be at least 12 feet from garages or driveways or walkways to allow for their growth. They need full sun. If we get a rare hard freeze, be ready to protect. Mature orange trees can tolerate temperatures in the middle to low 20s without damage. Prolonged temps in the mid-20s will hurt mature fruit on the trees so cover if that happens. Check with our local Texas Aggie Extension Service office for detailed literature on growing oranges and all sorts of citrus. Call me when your crop comes in.
[1] http://theexaminer.com/user/62
[2] http://theexaminer.com/sites/default/files/blog/PickingOrangeC0201_0.jpg
[3] http://theexaminer.com/features/outdoors
[4] http://theexaminer.com/tags/garden-gate


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Camry, Silverado collide
Both drivers apparently escaped after a car and pickup collided on Kern Street at Cascade Place Monday about 1 p.m.
A Toyota Camry was westbound on Kern Street and hit the rear of a Chevrolet Silverado.
Traffic on Kern Street was blocked while firefighters checked both drivers for injury and Taft Police investigated the crash.
An ambulance was dispatched to the call but was cancelled after the drivers refused treatment and transport at the scene.


text:
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
the Bridge
I'm not sure what I was expecting. Taking her to school. I should have guessed what would have drummed up inside me ready to spill everywhere, leaving a trail of years and memories between here and Brooklyn. But I didn't see it coming, not all of it. I am very used to living in the present, but was shot out of a canon to the past. So many times over this past summer. Just shot towards her birth and the beginnings of all of us, the beginnings of Jeff and me. But being hurled past it in a rush of memories it is so hard to see it all the way you saw it then. You think it will last forever, and some days even wish away the difficult parts. Humans just don't know the blur it will become. I believe this to be by design. Inherent in our making. We couldn't handle the frailty of ourselves walking around, if we knew how fast.
Getting her settled, saying our goodbyes, it was bitter and sweet and beautiful and sad and perfect. We walked slowly back to our hotel with the sky threatening rain, my eyes threatening worse. We took a detour through Fort Greene to sit and take the walk as slow as possible. And it happened. The sky sobbed. I rained. And we were stuck, under the shelter of the visitor's center. We are after all, only visitors. We waited for it to stop. Waited. Waited. Didn't bother to verbalize much of what we were already feeling in perfect synchronicity. Fearing we would miss our flight, after waiting as long as we could there, and with no change in the weather, we decided to drown down the hill in a rush of water and emotion, getting utterly soaked.
At the hotel we made a quick grab of our suitcases, while the taxi waited, and headed to La Guardia. Not much conversation, but an unusually talkative cabbie who asked us all about our family, was shocked we had a daughter old enough to be in college, further shocked that we had 5 waiting at home, and I wasn't in the mood for any of it. "I like you two", he kept saying. "Children are God's greatest blessing" he said. And I. Was not in the mood for conversation. I was definitely not in the mood to hear that all the crying the sky had done delayed our flight by an hour. Two hours. Four hours, so now we'll miss our connecting and be stuck in Baltimore. Cancelled. So now here we are. Rush back to her? See if she wants to skip orientation and hang out one more night with her parents? No. Stuck. Floating in a sea of rain and utter sadness. It was calling to mind something, a memory, I couldn't place what.
Then the waiting. We couldn't get out of New York for another whole day later. I needed the intoxicating hugs of the rest of my brood. I wanted to cry into Roman's bewildered but willing little neck. We poured into a nearby hotel. The room was freezing and the only thing that I could do was crawl into the bed. I didn't move for hours. Didn't even shift. Just Jeff and I there. Waiting for the hours to go by. Jeff went to get us food. Went to get us water. I slightly laughed at a movie or two, but mostly just laid there, out of body. Looking around inside my new self at how it looked and couldn't see much that made me happy without her. I dozed off around 1am. Woke up around 3am. And was arrested again by the familiarity of this set of circumstances. Trying to get somewhere, but getting stuck twice, once in the rain, once at the airport, then the all night waiting. Jeff. Me. And searching. Looking for her precious smile in my mind.
And then remembering.
We were 19. Unmarried, and unexpectedly expecting. Expecting Juliana. We had chosen adoptive parents. It seemed like a good idea at my age and we could continue the paths we had begun. She could continue with an eager family who was prepared for her. Had been praying for her.
We went to the hospital in labor, lawyers, parents, everyone, waiting in the wings. My labor stopped after I got there. We got stuck. Then sent away. We went again, a second time, to the hospital in full labor, which after an hour of convincing everyone around me that it was the real thing, decided to stop in its tracks. On the way home, I realized it wasn't a mistake. It was her, begging to be mine. My body would not give her up, even if my mind already had. I called off the adoption. Then the third time in labor, we decided to wait it out at home. Jeff. Me. And searching. Looking for her precious smile in my mind. For a whole day. And then, the third time, she was ours.
So there it was, in the middle of the night (a Sunday night after 3 am, quite near how she was born) at a hotel in Astoria, New York, raining, I was granted the memory to answer the nagging something that I was recalling. We brought her, again into a world. This time she is her own.
This past June just she and I went to Brooklyn to get a feel for it, and just enjoy some time together for four days. Really, the trip of a lifetime. We did nothing special, we didn't have to. On the last night, we took in a French film in a small theater in Soho. Leaving Manhattan into the wee hours of the morning, those cabbies fly. It is funny, how fast, and like a roller coaster. As we approached the Brooklyn Bridge, I thought, there it is: the bridge between where she is now and where she will be at the end of the summer. The summer: the bridge that will give us our last childhood days with her. We were so tired, barely spoke, but both obviously enjoyed the coolness that had cloaked the city after a hot day, windows down, our hair whipping everywhere. Then as we encountered the stretch across the water, I was flooded with memories of her as a baby, a toddler, her bubbly face, her beginnings, the she that almost wasn't mine, and I fought back tears. I couldn't believe we were about to reach her soon-to-be-home, just on the other side of the bridge. Rushing through the lights and under and over the architecture , I was looking back in time deep inside of me. Then I heard her say it, and I couldn't believe it. She said, like a little child, filled with excitement, "Mom, look back!"
I am! I thought, screamed, inside my head, in wonderment at the moment. How did she know?
I looked away from my side window where I was hiding some tears, that thankfully were quickly being licked up by the wind, to see her looking through the back of the taxi at the lights of Manhattan. They flickered through the thousands of suspension cables in the most mesmerizing way, like a dance. Like a filmstrip of life gone by. She was suspended there on the bridge. The thought of it is suspended forever in my mind.
And I am, more than I am anything, grateful.
To quote a cabbie, "Children are God's greatest blessing"
358 comments:
well now. good lord, that settles it. i'm never letting my boys leave.ReplyDelete
what an amazing post. and there's so much i can relate too--especially the whole thing about how your mind remembers things differently and how some days you just wish would end, but when you think back about the same time it's so special. i totally get that.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous9:58 PM
My deepest thanks for sharing this post. So beautiful. My two little girls are respectively three years old and ten months old, and already I feel like the time is flying. How are we supposed to bear it - this growing up?? Much love to you, Anna Maria, in this time of change and new beginnings for your family.ReplyDelete
The first one to leave the nest was my hardest. I had many of the same sort of up and down emotions, seeing him All At Once as the kindergartener he was, to the young man he'd become, so ready to leap off into the world. I wept, too, and it went on for many days. My husband said we were beginning to undo all that we had done. Sobering. The rest weren't so hard as that one, and while I did cry when we dropped off the last at his college dorm, it wasn't as heart-rending as the first.ReplyDelete
But now, that same first son lives within an hour's distance of us and we see his two little boys quite often. They run and jump into my arms when they come to our house and the oldest (age 6) pats my back as he lays his head on my shoulder and gives me a hug. The emptiness gets filled with little things like this: patting hugs, dancing with the boys to Christmas songs, scrawled pictures on the fridge. They all are echoes of the father, these little sons, and it is a wonder that I ever survived all the sad times, happy times, poignant times, to warrant these joys.
Hang in there. Give your girl her courage and cheer her on, like you always do.
Your post is a treasure. Thanks.
Oh goodness. Your story is so so similar to mine that it gave me chills. My first girl is in Los Angeles for college. She's back in the place where she and I started and it's so hard but so right. Hugs, mama. You done good.ReplyDelete
You'll both be okay, but the tugging is painful.ReplyDelete
Oh, the memories you brought back for me! Leaving my firstborn, my daughter, at her dorm... seeing her waving from her window as we drove away... and crying nearly the whole 4-hour drive home. But God has brought so many wonderful things into her life in the 16 years since, including a husband that I couldn't have hand-picked better for her myself! It's so hard letting go, but the future is filled with bright promises!ReplyDelete
I'm not a crier but I let out a much needed one reading your words. What a blessing to hurt because you have loved so greatly. You touched so many memories of leaving my sister at college, missing my Mom, loving my family, thinking about the future. These words are a beautiful gift to your daughter who instinctively knew not to let her Mother go.ReplyDelete
Sniff, sniff.ReplyDelete
Thanks for sharing. I had a little tear in my eye. Your daughter is so incredibly fortunate to have parents who support her in an art degree.ReplyDelete
Thanks for sharing such an intimate, emotional time with us. Your family is beautiful. I can't imagine what it's like to see a child off to college, but I know as a college student myself: Life is definitely different after you leave home. You learn and grow and change, but your mother is always always there in the back of your mind. I'm sure she misses you as much as you miss her, no matter how excited she might also be about her new life. I know I did. It just took me a while to realize it. ;)ReplyDelete
Oh my. It seems I am so far from this moment that you so beautifully share. Yet, it will also be on my doorstep so soon, so soon. Thank you for sharing such a precious experience and making it real for all of us who feel it is so far away. You write so well, so beautifully. Thank you.ReplyDelete
So heartfelt, deep emotion, with an open heart on your sleeve. I am blissfully, tearful as my heart desires to become a mom, and am thankful that blissfully you are happy to be a mom, and yet torn for having to send them to the world on their own. You are amazing and you made that correct choice at age 19 by following the path of what your daughter's needs were, she will always want to be with you even when you are apart.ReplyDelete
Simply beautiful expression. From a new mom, thank you for sharing.ReplyDelete
OK sister, now I'm sobbing. Beautiful. Every last word. Thank you.ReplyDelete
I don't know if you have any idea how much your posts effect your readers! Your 'mom' posts are amazing. I'm sitting here all teary-eyed (and of course my two year old wakes up needing a cuddle). Your heartfelt, beautiful writing is so inspiring to me, working with my first of hopefully a housefull of kids. I hope your daughter gets to read your blog too. ...as for me, my mom mailed me the sappiest card ever - at the post office down the street from my college. :)ReplyDelete
Your posts often bring me to the point of tears. Tonight, my eyes are indeed raining. Beautifully written. It couldn't have been easy to share from such depths, but thank you for doing it!ReplyDelete
I got so emotional. My daughter is now 17 and moving out next year. Time has passed so quickly, oh my. I'm afraid to ask her about her childhood memories as I only tend to see my incompetence and faults as a mother and a parent. It rained at this end of the online a good while after reading this.ReplyDelete
How touching and so very true.ReplyDelete
Every time you have a child its like you are given a handfull of wet sand...
As time goes by the sand dries and it gets harder to hold on to especially the harder you try, but when you hold it carefully most of it will stay there!
In danish we say that children are only on loan.
Sad but true - and mature people often tell you that, but it is so hard to realize it your self.
Your post moved me to tears today. I am at the beginning of our family, expecting my first and I already have concerns about how difficult it will be to let go one day. Your post also brought memories of the day my parents left me behind at university and then later on at the airport when I left South Africa for a new life in England, not knowing it will be a permanent move as I was to meet and fall in love with a wonderful Irishman. I wish you all the best on this journey. xxReplyDelete
Anna Maria,ReplyDelete
I would like to buy your book, but the shipping price to Switzerland is so expensive. Do you know if/where I can find it in Europe?
I just asked DH to pass me a tissue. My heart goes out to you sweetie.ReplyDelete
BTW I just love your new fabric range :)
Janelle xx
- Belinda5:50 AM
Dear Anna Maria,ReplyDelete
I was very moved by this beautiful post. I look forward to reading all your posts.
This was very helpful fo me today as i have had one of those days you want to rush through with my four children. Thanks for helping me to stop, slow down and concentrate on really loving them.
Thanks so much for your honesty.
I love, love, love when you write! What amazing lives and stories we all have - I am thinking about my own kids and how quickly we have become good friends - how quickly they become their own - and how quickly time passes. Everyone always said that when they were babies and I hated it - but I think it's more a reflection for them.... Walking to the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time this summer I love your analogy... all the best...xoReplyDelete
I don't even HAVE kids, and I'm crying! It made me think of the days my mother brought me to college (what feels like a hundred years ago). The excitement- uncertainty we were most definitely both feeling. I'm so in love with my mom, I think if children are God's greatest blessing, then mothers must be angels.ReplyDelete
Beautiful post!
My little one is only 18 months, but I am already painfully aware of the days whizzing by - where did the time go? I wonder. It may be weird for a stranger to say, but I'm proud of you- of the way you write and share your experiences and your family without all the sugar-coating that makes the reader wonder if you're real. You are real. She is lucky to have great role models...and I'm sure she knows it. Best of luck for a wonderful school year and great visits with her in NY.ReplyDelete
Such a beautiful post. I remember a time not so long ago too, being sat down by a woman who is now my mother-in-law, being asked to discuss adoption ... And now she's almost 11. And there are four others! And he and I are still together. The blessings have rained down on our lives, literally poured. Children are God's greatest gift. He seems to have many surprises up his sleeve :)ReplyDelete
- Anne7:40 AM
You have put to paper much of what I have been feeling. My oldest daughter is also going off to college on Saturday. Like your daughter, another beautiful young woman with so much hope and promise. I feel I am holding back a flood of tears and emotion. Thank you for your thoughts and best wishes to JulianaReplyDelete
Crying! What a beautiful post and tribute to your daugther.ReplyDelete
I don't know what to say...Nothing I can see seems to be worthy of what you're going through. I will only say that we have just begun this process...I just sent my oldest (of three) to Kindergarten, and it just about killed me. I have no idea HOW I'll survive sending her to college, except that I will have to, and so it will happen, someway, somehow...ReplyDelete
But you and the cabbie are right. Children are God's greatest blessing. He even told us so.
"The fruit of the womb is God's reward."
God bless you and your beautiful family. It does my heart good to see a family that seems so happy and full of love for each other, just as it should be.
Thank you for your blog. :)
That was beautiful! You're very brave to share your heart. :)ReplyDelete
Vivienne x
What a beautiful post. What a beautiful life. You are an amazing mom.ReplyDelete
Okay. I'm sobbing. Big o' baby sobbing. This hits too close to home. For, I know, the years pass quickly. And, I know- guiltily, that I've wished some rough days/ weeks away once or twice. But, here I am, on the last day before my third child enters kindergarten, on the shore of a new season. The past years are treasures that fill my head while the new things that hold promise are waiting to jump in and have their turn. Whew.ReplyDelete
God knew that you'd listen to your daughter telling you she was always yours. This moment, this sadness, is the privilege for those who got to be called Mom and Dad. Congratulations and condolences all at once; you appear to have done a great job!
beautiful. Thank you for sharing that story.ReplyDelete
- PatyZ from Mexico8:59 AM
Oh Ana Maria you made me cry... My oldest will go to college very soon. There is a popular saying that goes like this: "Our children are just borrowed from God for a short time". But you know, they will always come back, they will be different, they will return as young adults. They will always return where they started and will always feel in their hearts where HOME is. You just have to open their wings so that they return.ReplyDelete
Jeff and you made an excellent job, be proud of it. Good luck!
That was so beautiful. I am pregnant with twins right now - closer to the day that I myself was dropped off for college than the day I will drop these babies off at school. And still, I sat at my desk at work and wept at the thought of someday having to do this very thing with these babies. And have I mentioned I still don't even know if they're boys or girls? What a beautiful story - thanks for sharing!!ReplyDelete
Smiling and crying - thank you for sharing your beautiful story. Best wishes to your daughter.ReplyDelete
This has obviously hit a chord with many...and with me as well.ReplyDelete
My five have all flown the nest, but that first one...oh, the emotion of it. I recall so very well.
When she married a year later, I was even less prepared for the finality.
Thank you for such a lovely post.
Brought back so many memories.
A lovely story: such honest emotion, beatutifully written. You words create such strong pictures and I can see and feel your experience in such an amazing way. Thank you. Obviously Julianna has your artist's soul also to see the beauty in the world around us. I admire your ability to believe the signals when the universe delivers them - that you are present enough to read and receive them.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous10:45 AM
Every parent, every mother who has let go of her child to a new chapter in his/her life, shares your sentiments. You are not alone and you are about to come to know your child as the greatest friend and your proudest accomplishment. Cry, tears of sadness and joy, it helps.ReplyDelete
I remember fighting for my right to party with my son. Wow!!! you just blew my mind.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous11:00 AM
Leaving for college is such an emotional time, for both mama and her little one. I'm 25 and don't have any kids but this post definitely made me cry and call my mom! For my mom and I this was the most difficult time we went through together. I don't think it's ever easy for a mother to let her baby bird spread her wings...and it's often very scary to be that baby bird learning to fly!ReplyDelete
What a gorgeous post that of course left me in tears. My daughter is nearly three years old and I will admit to some relief that the college days seem far away from us right now. Thank you for your beautiful words...what an example you are as a mother, and artist, and a writer.ReplyDelete
That. was. beautiful. My first was also unexpected, but I'm so grateful for her and the path God put me since. She's a teen now and sometimes it's hard and I long for it to be over. Thanks for this post. I will try to be more patient and love all the moments I have with her - even the tough ones. :)ReplyDelete
- Shannen11:18 AM
You have such a way with words. Beautiful is the word that comes to mind after just reading your latest story. Thank you for the reminder that they grow fast I will be sure to stop and get on the floor with the kids today and play:) . Bless you and your family. Thanks for sharing this moment with all of your loving fans.
You are an exquisite writer. That was beautiful.ReplyDelete
What a beautiful from the heart authentic post. I know that your life has been greatly blessed by the decision that you made to hold onto your baby girl. Now, you have had to make the decision to let her spread her wings...always though your hold her in your mother's heart.ReplyDelete
May God bless your family and watch over your sweet child as she starts on her new venture.
Beautiful. Gave me flashbacks to when my daughter was just born and the basinet at the foot of the bed felt too far away, after having her in my belly for so long.ReplyDelete
Now, that's a special story. I am so happy I don't have to write my version for another 6 years. Thanks AM.ReplyDelete
- Kate12:04 PM
I went through this too with all my children. Childhood is gone in a blink of an eye. The good side of it all is that they come back with a wife or husband and your grandchildren and everything is wonderful again. Just enjoy each moment and love your loved ones with all your heart. We are none of us guaranteed tomorrow anyway.ReplyDelete
One of the most beautiful pieces about the parent-child relationship that I've ever read. Just as I finish and am crying my eyes out, my 12 y.o. son zips by my door and yells out, "What time is it, Mom?" ~ his voice fading as he flies down the stairs. The coincidence of the 'blur' you described struck me. Too fast.... Thank you for sharing.ReplyDelete
I cried as I read this, it was so touching. Thank you so much for sharing such a bittersweet moment, opening my eyes a bit to what lays ahead for my two, and making me appreciate what we have now and slow down.ReplyDelete
I got to the 3rd or 4th sentence, and couldn't read anymore as I thought of my oldest starting high school yesterday. And the thought of dropping her off somewhere in 4 years. I'll go back up to the top of this post when the tears stop rolling down my cheeks. Curse your fabulous writing skills, Anna.ReplyDelete
Much love,
Amazing. Can't stop the tears and my own flood of memories. Thank you.ReplyDelete
Crying...So beautiful...Thank you for sharing your life with us!ReplyDelete
Count me in on the cryers. This is just beautiful. Thank you for sharing and thank you for the reminder. My son just started first grade and my daughter is two and napping in the other room. Some days it's so crazy I just want them to go to bed. This parenting thing can be really *hard*. But thanks for the reminder that I'll be dropping them off at college in no time. Good thing I have lots of time to prepare myself.ReplyDelete
Lovely. Thank you.ReplyDelete
~ Mother Of A College Freshman
- Megan1:23 PM
I think what is amazing about this tome from you is the universal mothering ache you perfectly described. You know, the one that is present at each birthday, each trip to the attic with the last baby thing, each artwork carefully folded up and put into a Keepsake drawer, each school picture no matter how awful the teeth look-- It is this deep heaving bosomy thing that makes us feel so very empty from our womb outward and yet is just seeringly beautiful. Thank you for your universal piece here. You should write, too!ReplyDelete
Such a beautiful post. Thank you so much for sharing.ReplyDelete
What an amazing story! I'm so glad it turned out this way.ReplyDelete
Here's a thought I heard recently, "Making the decision to have a child--- it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." ~Elizabeth StoneReplyDelete
I understand exactly how you feel...only it was 3 years ago....lots of love to you :) Pam in Chico
so I take it your daughter is going to my alma mater Pratt! I had such an amazing experience there- and since it was in the 80's its not the same as it used to be- its probably more safe now!! I have many fond memories hanging out at the Alibi and I am sure your daughter will be going there as well!!ReplyDelete
Good luck to her!
So beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing this. My brain knows how fast it goes but this is a beautiful reminder to enjoy each stage, each season with my girls. You brought tears to my eyes as I'm sitting here counting down this last week until my oldest, my first born begins her own journey into kindergarten. It is funny how the emotions are so similar yet so different.ReplyDelete
what a moving, touching post!ReplyDelete
Beautiful, so beautiful! You are such a wonderful mom!ReplyDelete
- sacha3:28 PM
That was an amazing post- thank you for sharing it. I love the way that you described Juliana as starting so many things for you- your marriage, your family... My little boy just started Kindergarten and my little girl is going to preschool two mornings a week. After five years of always having one child (or both) with me, I had three hours by myself. It was strange-- I can't imagine how much more emotionally back-looking it will be when they are 18 and really setting off on their own.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous4:15 PM
That was beautiful!! I remember feeling the same way when we took our son to college for the first time(he's now a senior!) I was sooo over come by emotions that I wasn't expecting and I too cried on the way home. I still cry when we leave him. Today was my daughter's first day of Jr. High so it is all starting again. I don't think you are ever ready or prepared. Thank you for sharing your story with us.ReplyDelete
this mama's heart is weeping and yet full of joy for you, for her. life is so amazing and so bittersweet. this post was pure poetry.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous5:38 PM
My sister sent me this since I talked to her this morning and shared with her that my daughter is leaving Friday for her second year of college in NY and that my heart actually aches. It hurts. I already suspected this post cause me to rain. It feels like life passes at the speed of light when we look back but is slow as a snail when we live it! Make memories with them, savor them, hug them! This was beautifully written. Thanks for sharing your heart with us.ReplyDelete
This was a very touching post. Thank you for sharing, as my baby was pulling everything out of drawers today, it made me realize how fleeting these moments are.ReplyDelete
beautiful, just beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing.ReplyDelete
So beautifully expressed. Even I'm crying.ReplyDelete
Thank you for this most beautiful reminder! (My oldest daughter is away visiting her grandmother right now.) This brought tears to my eyes...they are so precious! May you be blessed with faith that she is being watched over in her new beginning.ReplyDelete
i am a monsoon right now.ReplyDelete
i am relating by the way of my oldest (of three) going to kindergarten. i was a mess. and i was the only one who was a mess. i felt like a fool...and maybe a little crazy. why aren't other people so proud that it will turn them into ... a monsoon???
oh well. i do not envy the void you're feeling, but you must be so filled with pride. for her and yourself. and by now your glass is 3/4 full and you are one step closer to having raised not only a talented and beautiful child, but a successful one as well.
i am a little envious of those 6 precious'. you two are amazing parents and are definitely a blessing to them as much as they are to you.
Ahh bless. You made me all teary-eyed! Life goes by so, so fast.ReplyDelete
I'm dropping off my oldest at college on Friday. Your posting hit home. Where does the time go? And will these tears ever dry?ReplyDelete
absolutely beautifully painted picture. you brougt me to tears. i am no where near that stage, but am expecting #3 myself and feel how fast its all going by. you are just amazing; as an artist, a designer, a poet, and a mother. you've pressed into such a delicate time in a mother's world. i love reading your blog. i love your fabric. thanks for sharing your heart. hugs mama.ReplyDelete


text:
Regular season begins Monday, April 22
Taft Tigersharks Swim Club will be starting their Regular Season on Monday, April 22. Swim practices will be at the Taft Union High School swimming pool every Monday through Friday from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., and continue until July 20.
Fees for the entire session are $150 for the first family member, $125 for the second and each additional member is FREE (Monthly payment plans are also available).
Swimming fees can be defrayed by fundraising events held during the season. Swimmers aged 5 – 18 that can complete one full lap (25 yards) without stopping are eligible to join the club.
For those kids who have never been on a competitive swim team the Tigersharks will host a special Rookie Week starting April 15.
For only $25 you can swim for a full week to see how great competitive swimming can be. If you decide to join the Tigersharks this fee will go directly towards your season fees.
We will also be offering our successful Tigerpups program for those swimmers that can swim, but do not have the technique or endurance for a full lap.
In addition, the Tigersharks Masters Club is available for all those adults looking to get in shape for the summer.
Registration will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 15 at the TUHS pool. Swimmers should bring a swimsuit, towel, goggles and warm clothing for after practice.
All interested swimmers and parents can contact the Taft Tigersharks by email (firstname.lastname@example.com) or by phone (Greg Golling 301-2125 or April Ashmore 330-2499).