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"Team RECARO Makes Lasting Impression"
RECARO Aircraft Seating Americas, Inc. (RECARO), based at Fort Worth's Alliance Airport, is one of the world's leading aircraft seat suppliers and a responsible community member. RECARO has recently implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS), committing to environmental protection, compliance and improvement. The EMS supports RECARO's global efforts in long-term sustainability and measures for continuous improvement of its environmental performance.
The EMS has been implemented according to the ISO 14001 standard requirements. It provides a framework that ensures sound environmental practices, performance, and improvement. This effort balances the company's environmental management with its business requirements and helps promote a greater interaction between RECARO and external stakeholders.
The Situation
RECARO recognized the business case of implementing an EMS to support its global customers that require ISO 14001. RECARO was already certified in the AS9100 Quality Management System and understood the efforts involved in a successful implementation and certification. An environmental team was established. The company then approached TMAC for assistance in understanding the standard. RECARO and TMAC worked together to establish the documentation and business processes required for the EMS.
The Solution
RECARO and TMAC previously crossed paths when TMAC supported the company's Lean Six Sigma training for over three years. RECARO's Deputy EMS Representative, Alan Guinn, contacted TMAC for training on the ISO 14001 standard requirements.
Having helped businesses to implement this standard for over 15 years, TMAC had the hands-on experience that RECARO was seeking. In nine half-day workshops with RECARO's environmental team on site, the participants and a trainer from TMAC walked the fence line of the defined scope. Together, they observed production and repair operations. As a first step of the implementation, an inventory was created that listed all aspects of the company's processes with a potential impact on the environment. The team then identified and ranked all aspects that were significant. Based on this assessment, operation controls and training were developed and implemented to reduce any significant aspects and future impacts on the environment.
As a next step, reduction goals for energy usage and paper consumption were determined. In addition, the team set recycling goals for aerosol cans, metals, paper, cardboard, plastic, and glass wastes.
The EMS was then communicated to all employees and contractors performing work on site. Contractors now have to sign in when they begin work on site. They receive a brochure highlighting the EMS program and RECARO's environmental policy including recycling and safety requirements. To manage environmental risks, contractors are required to take all waste materials with them after completing their work. In addition, they have to report and clean up any spills that occur while they work on site.
Finally, TMAC assisted RECARO with its internal auditor training to ensure that the EMS is maintained.
The Results
Once the system was implemented, RECARO was audited by an independent registrar on the ISO 14001 standard. With zero findings in the audit, RECARO received the certification. Expected quantitative impacts include:
- 20% reduction of solid waste costs as a result of increased recycling effort
- 15% annual savings in electricity
- An estimated $12,500 refund for utility sales tax exemption


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Printable Version
Dear Rebbetzin,
I'm a recent convert who grew up in a devout Catholic family. For many years, I lived in a convent where I became a teacher and preacher. The more I delved into the Bible, the more I discovered inconsistencies in the Catholic faith. This eventually led me to discover the truth of Judaism. I am not hiding my past, but I am weary of always being reminded of my former life, wherever I go. I know people are well meaning and just curious. Most have never met someone who used to be a nun in a catholic convent, and they find my story fascinating. However, I have worked so hard to detach myself from my background, so it is quite annoying when, for example, at a Shabbat table someone will ask me, "So tell us Yehudit, what does Catholicism have to say on such and such topic?" I would much rather discuss what the Torah has to say without having to constantly refer back to my prior faith, which I'm trying so hard to forget. It is also a bit embarrassing for me to be reminded of my Catholic background in front of everyone, when what I desire most is to fit in, gain acceptance and feel part of the Jewish community to which I now belong. I don't want to be rude, but I am beginning to become more and more resentful to the constant inquiries about my prior connection to and knowledge of Catholicism. How can I politely make people leave me alone and stop prying into my prior life?
Yehudit Baldwin (name changed)
Dear Yehudit,
First of all, I want to strengthen you in your desire to detach yourself from your past and deflect the constant reminders of your Catholic background. The Torah indeed recognizes the discomfort it may cause converts to be reminded about their former life. This is included in prohibited speech called Ona'at Devarim, which means verbal mistreatment. It entails saying things that would pain, make angry, hurt, frighten, bother or embarrass another person. So, according to the Torah, you are indeed entitled to be annoyed when people remind you that you used to be a Catholic teacher! However, are well-meaning questions from the Jewish community really considered Ona'at Devarim and how are you supposed to respond when you are faced with these kinds of probing questions?
Defining אונאת דברים/Ona'at Devarim
אונאה/Ona'ah is mentioned twice in Parashat Behar:
ספר ויקרא פרק כה (יד) וְכִי תִמְכְּרוּ מִמְכָּר לַעֲמִיתֶךָ אוֹ קָנֹה מִיַּד עֲמִיתֶךָ אַל תּוֹנוּ אִישׁ אֶת אָחִיו:
"When you sell property from your neighbor or buy any from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another" (Vayikra 25:14). Rashi explains this verse to refer to deception in monetary matters.
ספר ויקרא פרק כה (יז) וְלֹא תוֹנוּ אִישׁ אֶת עֲמִיתוֹ וְיָרֵאתָ מֵאֱלֹהֶיךָ כִּי אֲנִי הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיכֶם:
"Do not wrong one another, but fear Your G-d, for I am Hashem your G-d" (Vayikra 25:17).
Rashi explains that this verse refers to verbal oppression (wounding a person's feelings). One should not annoy his fellow, nor give him advice which is unfitting for him, but rather in accordance with the plan and the advantage of the adviser. In case you would say, "Who knows if I had any intention to harm the person?" Scripture states, "But you shall fear G-d"! He Who knows the thoughts of people, He knows it!…
There are thus three forms of ona'ah. Besides dishonesty in business (Vayikra 25:14), there are two forms of verbal oppression (Vayikra 25:17). 1. Verbally misleading or tricking another and 2. Verbally causing pain or discomfort to another. Included in this is the commandment of "You shall love your fellow as yourself," for if one causes pain to another for no reason, one is certainly transgressing the Mitzvah of treating every Jew in a loving manner.
The Talmud's Examples of אונאת דברים/Ona'at Devarim
Just as there is a prohibition against exploitation [ona'ah] in buying and selling, so is there ona'ah in statements, i.e., verbal mistreatment. One may not say to a seller: For how much are you selling this item, if he does not wish to purchase it. He thereby upsets the seller when the deal fails to materialize. One may not say to a Ba'al Teshuva: Remember your former deeds. If one is the child of converts, one may not say to him: Remember the deeds of your ancestors, as it states, "You shall not mistreat a convert, neither shall you oppress him" (Shemot 22:20). If one is a convert and he came to study Torah, one may not say to him: Does the mouth that ate carcasses, repugnant creatures, and creeping animals, come to study Torah that was stated from the mouth of the Almighty? If torments are afflicting a person, if illnesses are afflicting him, or if he is burying his children, one may not speak to him in the manner that the friends of Iyov spoke to him: "Is not your fear of G-d your confidence, and your hope the integrity of your ways? Remember, I beseech you, whoever perished, being innocent?" (Iyov 4:6–7). Certainly, you sinned, as otherwise you would not have suffered misfortune (Babylonian Talmud, Baba Metzia 58b). Speaking in this fashion is prohibited from the Torah, as the Shulchan Aruch repeats the abovementioned examples word for word (Choshen Mishpat 228, 1-5). Furthermore, Ona'at Devarim is more severe than Monetary Oppression because a person feels more distressed when his feelings are hurt; and money earned dishonestly can be returned, whereas, hurt feelings cannot be undone (Ibid. 1).
Verbal Abuse?
It is still questionable whether people who remind you of your Catholic background with their questions are indeed transgressing the prohibition against אונאת דברים/Ona'at Devarim, since their questions are not outwardly denigrating. They are not putting you down for having eaten unkosher food or worshipped idols etc. They may not even know that their questions are causing you discomfort. On the contrary, perhaps they think that they are showing you respect by requesting you to enlighten them about matters in which they themselves are ignorant. However, we must be extra sensitive and careful not to offend a convert in even the slightest way, as the Torah mentions numerous times that we must be kind to the convert. Since the convert comes from the outside and naturally wants to fit in, it can be expected that he or she is more vulnerable and sensitive even to well-meaning comments. The Shulchan Aruch states, "One needs to be most careful not to oppress the convert..." (Choshen Mishpat 228, 2). Likewise, the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of Lubawitz in his sicha from Mem Hei, seems to indicate that one is not allowed to remind a convert of his origins at all. Although, it seems that the halacha prohibits reminding a convert of his origins only when one's intention is to denigrate him, the Rebbe writes, whatever it states in regards to the children of converts applies also to the actual convert, as a child of converts is also called a convert. He is completely separate from the nations of the world, even more than other Jews who were never part of the other nations. Thus, it is also not permitted to remind an actual convert about his background at all (Sichos of Rabbi Scheersohn of Lubawitz, 1980 ש"פ, אחו"ק).
The Holy Lineage of Righteous Converts
A convert who gave up so much to become part of the Jewish people deserves the greatest respect. When people make you uncomfortable with questions referring to your non-Jewish background, try not to take it personally. It is very likely they have such high regards for converts that they cannot imagine that any comment about your non-Jewish background could in any way be insulting. They also most likely are not aware that their questions or comments could be against halacha. You may gently remind them by responding something like, "I am not comfortable discussing these matters." Know that once you have converted, you are no less a Jew than anyone else. As we prepare ourselves to receive the Torah on Shavuot we are reminded that every Jew was a convert. Moreover, Shavuot celebrates the birthday of King David who descended from Ruth the righteous "Jew by Choice."

subset: commoncrawl


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Who exactly are we choosing to follow? If we are not careful the "leaders" that we choose to follow ... Read More
Theology Thursday 24 – Turning The Other Cheek Is it possible?
Is the concept of turning the other cheek something that we are willing to embrace? We see ... Read More
Theology Thursday 23 – Greater Than Jesus Are you living up to your potential
When asked the question "Can you do greater things than Jesus", most people say absolutely not. ... Read More
Theology Thursday 22 – The Other Commandments pt 4 Deny Yourself and Pick up Your Cross Daily
What does it mean to deny yourself and pick up your cross daily? Oftentimes we associate this verse ... Read More
Theology Thursdays – Is God Leading You to The Wilderness
At times we experience what seem to be dark times. Challenges we cannot escape. Maybe these ... Read More
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Philip M Collis, FFA
Incorporated Financial Accountant
01255 242311
Qualified and Registered Freelance Bookkeeper and Accountant offering bookkeeping and accounting
services in East London, Essex and South Suffolk, including Colchester, Ipswich, Manningtree, Harwich, Dovercourt, Clacton, Felixstowe and surrounding areas.
"No man in this country is under the smallest obligation, moral or other, so to arrange his legal relations to his business or to his property as to enable the Inland Revenue to put the largest possible shovel into his stores. The Inland Revenue is not slow-and quite rightly-to take every advantage which is open to it under the taxing statutes for the purpose of depleting the taxpayer's pocket. And the taxpayer is, in like manner, entitled to be astute to prevent, so far as he honestly can, the depletion of his means by the Inland Revenue." Lord Clyde, President of the Court of Session in Scotland, in Ayrshire Pullman Motor Services and Ritchie v IRC (1929) 14 TC 754; 8 ATC 531.
Are you losing precious time trying to keep your books straight?Your time is far too valuable to waste trying to keep your own books. You need to concentrate on selling.
I will visit you and discuss your requirements, without any obligation and with no charge.
Arthur J. Gallagher Becket House Vestry Road Otford KENT TN14 5EL Tel : 01732 744700My Qualification
I am fully qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Financial Accountants and my designatory letters are FFA.
The Institute of Financial Accountants is accredited by the government body OFQUAL (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) who give formal recognition to bodies and organisations that deliver qualifications and assessments. The Institute is also a Member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), together with the major UK chartered accountancy bodies. The IFAC organisation is regarded as the international equivalent of the UK CCAB (Consultative Committe of Accountancy Bodies).
Call in an expert.I keep proper books of account including Sales, Purchase and Nominal Ledgers, extracting a Trial Balance at the end of the period and reconciling fixed assets, trade debtors and creditors, bank and cash accounts.
Now you can do what you do best - sell to your customers!Your VAT Return and payroll will be prepared regularly and on time. Once I have the books balanced we prepare Management Accounts which report on how your business is performing (Profit & Loss Account) and also how much the business is worth (Balance Sheet).
Year End and stuffI will provide your accountant with a year end pack which will contain all the information he/she needs to prepare your Final Accounts and Tax Return.
I also, of course, liaise with your accountant on all matters regarding your books.


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Office Moving & Corporate Moving
Corporate Moving Services
Is your team ready for a corporate relocation? 2 College Brothers knows the importance of making sure a business follows its leaders. If your company is ready to hire our Tampa office movers or our Gainesville office movers, then you have come to the right place!
Gainesville and Tampa Office Movers
Schedule your next conference call to be from your new office, because we are going to get you there! From notepads to printers, our insured Tampa office moving staff or Gainesville staff is prepared to transport all of your office equipment in a timely fashion. We have carried everything from vending machines, medical equipment, and office desks up and down stairwells and elevators. No task is too big for us!
Our full-service packages include the use of reliable dollies, protective furniture pads and dependable trucks.
Have you asked for a moving quote yet?
We will give you a free moving quote to help you calculate your office moving costs faster. Give us a call 352-448-9095.
2 College Brothers will quote the best package for your corporate moving day. Depending on the size of the office space, we will assign up to five clean-cut, professional movers in uniform to assist you.
Still have more questions?
We have answered some FAQ's about moving here.


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The Best Light Saber fights in the Star Wars Films
My daughter and I were having a discussion the other day after watching Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. It centered on what must now be one of the more important questions of modern cinema.
What are the best light saber fights in the Star Wars series?
This of course is no small matter and required a great deal of thought. She is still working on her list but I think I have, tentatively made mine. Starting from the bottom and working our way to number one.
7. Yoda vs Palpatine Revenge of the Sith (Okay this isn't all light sabers but still qualifies.)
6. Obi Wan vs Darth Vader/Anakin Revenge of the Sith
5. Qui-Gon Jin + Obi-Wan vs Darth Maul Phantom Menace(It is one of the great emotional edge of your seat moments when Obi-Wan rushes out of the red-whatever-it-is to face Darth Maul. And it seems to me that Lucas never thought to note that when he defeats Maul he has essentially cast aside the Jedi tendency to jettison anger and aggression. He sprang out of that corridor and dropped the hammer. He was angry and he clearly was after a bit of that dish that is best served cold.)
4. Obi-Wan vs Darth Vader A New Hope (It isn't as flashy as any other duel in the series but it is still emotionally engaging and the first time we see a serious fight with the sabers.)
3. Luke vs Darth Vader The Empire Strikes Back (Luke loses the fight, but succeeds in his final trial on the path to Jedihood. And he uncovers the first in a series of lies orchestrated by that little demon Yoda. It will be Luke's first experience with post-modernist thinking. Luke is not unique in finding post-modernist ideas...uh..wanting. Plus we see the first glimpse of Vader's own obsession. I think his offer to Luke, "Join me Luke. Together we can overthrow the Emperor" was absolutely genuine. What we see over the course of the six films is that Vader is a deeply scared, and lonely boy who desperately wants to control those factors that can cause him emotional pain. That isn't all there is to say about Vader's selfish psychology but it will do for now.)
2. Mace Windu vs Palpatine Revenge of the Sith (This is a turning point in the film where it leaves behind its silly juvenile humor, and distressing dialogue and becomes a serious attempt at drama. It is also a unique hint that Palpatine is falible. His keen mind and machinations almost fail him with Windu.)
1. Luke vs Vader Return of the Jedi (I don't know how you can beat at least two aspects of the climax of this film, the other being the space battle led by Lando and his vagina faced co-pilot. Vader's brinksmanship with Luke is something to behold. Does he want Luke to kill him? Luke rejected his offer to overthrow the Emperor and perhaps he knows he won't be able to kill Luke to protect Palpatine. Why goad him on like that if the Emperor simply wants another servant? Clearly it isn't just an attempt to demonstrate to Luke the power in his anger. The subtext of Vader's badgering is something interesting to ponder.)
I could be convinced that 2 and 3 should be switched but I like this list. Ani's is still in progress but so far different than mine. I will post it soon.


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Still, most of the day there was much pounding and continuance of NOISE, so it was hard to do the prep work. I did sign up for the daily e-mails. (Hey, I've spent $15 far more frivolously than that.)
- Print out all the website info
- Plan a week of meals
- Plan emergency quick to make e-mails
- Clean out the pantry and fridge
- Go shopping
Unfortunately with no access to my kitchen and distracting noise for half the day, I wasn't able to get it all done but I did make some headway.
I printed out the info and did plan meals and a shopping list through Friday afternoon just to get me through.
Okay, here are my thoughts after my first Whole30 shopping trip:
- Over $70 for two days worth of stuff? The HELL?
- Mostly the meat. There was not great selection that was Whole30 compliant. There's locally-sourced, happy-pigs-and-cows meats at the health food store, but it's about $15 a pound. To feed myself and my boyfriend three meals with protein a day? Undoable. I think I may have to compromise (at least for now) by going mass-produced but hormone-and-antibiotic free. I've had a lot of BIG expenses lately, so maybe I'll revisit when I'm not so poor.
- Was VERY happy to find organic ghee, coconut oil, and olives at the "normal" store I like. Fats acquired!
- Bought avocados for the first time. I think I need to film myself eating one tomorrow. :-D
- Not organic, but it's about DAMN TIME someone came out with "pre-husked" pomegranate. EXCITE.
- And the rotisserie chicken is just "regular" chicken but is for tonight. I'll STILL use the leftovers during Whole30 though.
Back tomorrow with Day 1 report AND a race report from what will literally my coldest race ever if the forecast holds.


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Ubuntu10.4 Nginx + Wordpress is working only short time and found Cannot allocate memory
Hi I tried to install Ubuntu10.4 Nginx + Wordpress and I can load my site just only a short time and got message on Firefox browser "The page you are looking for is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later. " Then I went back to ssh terminal and trying to check if nginx is running, I found "-bash: fork: Cannot allocate memory" and whenever I use any command, I found the same message -bash: fork: Cannot allocate memory then shortly after, It will work again, then after loading a few pages then it lost connection again. Please help I tried so many times , I followed many configurations from digital ocean but not succeed.


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Radio, Press, Touring and more!
I just found out yesterday that East Nashville Blues jumped the Americana charts 110 spots to #188 this week! While I might not be High As Willie (Willie Nelson's God's Problem Child was #1 this week), I am very excited about this new milestone.
Nick Pittman at Offbeat Magazine reviewed East Nashville Blues for their May issue. Click the link to read the full article.
Today I'm hitting the road with my friend Josh Field. We'll be touring through the South over the next week and ending at WDVX Blueplate Special in Knoxville on my album release day. That night I'll be performing with Darrin Bradbury and Adrian + Meredith along with my full band!
Be sure to pick up a copy of the new record at a show or listening digitally on your favorite musical platform May 19th!


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Thank You
Thank you for supporting the Open Hardware Summit and the open source community! We are grateful for your contribution.
350 Goodie bag items can be mailed to/received by Oct 5th:
Kat Miller
4925 NE Cesar E Chavez Blvd, Portland, OR 97211
Your sponsor logo can be sent in PNG, JPEG or vector file to Zachary Menegakis at email@example.com
If you have any further questions, you can reach the summit chair directly at firstname.lastname@example.com
For up to date information on our activities visit OSHWA at www.oshwa.org, or for Summit specific activities visit http://2016.oshwa.org/. OSHWA is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity and donations to OSHWA are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.


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Dinner in the sky
I honestly wish I had put in more effort into these photos of what an amazing dining experience is made up of. To tell the truth, I was way too hungry and being with a table full of hungry (and angsty) ladies do not help when you have a huge-ass 5D pointing at their food. Everything was gobbled up within seconds so I was literally pointing and shooting everything. I've been looking forward to Duck & Waffle for a long time and to be able to finally be there was worth putting on a new dress for. Book in advance when you're in town (open 24/7 but make your reservations), I was lucky I had conversed with head chef, Dan, before coming so my experience was made even more special with a warm welcome from the chef himself. With *FOOD* in his hands. I tried some of the restaurant's favourites, including THE duck and waffle- waffles, perfectly crisp duck confit, sunny side up and maple syrup. But the star of the night for me was the foie gras 'All Day Breakfast and Nutella' - brioche with Nutella and a couple of indecent slabs of foie gras, topped with crisp bacon and topped with quail's egg, sunny side up. We also had little morsels of happiness in the form of raw scallops with apple, truffle and a squeeze of lime that was served on a rose quartz and some pretty amazing grilled octopus and chorizo. For the spectacular view of the city and the thrilling ride back to ground zero from level 40, everything was like how it needed to be- it was the perfect night out. Definitely applauding Dan for his creativity with the menu, he recommends 4am having breakfast while watching the sun rise over London. Don't think anything can ever beat that so I'm making sure that happens when I'm back. Honestly, the whole time I was up there was as surreal as it could get, I shed a tear or two. Not trying to be a drama queen but that's how seriously I take my food so believe me when I say you have got to come here…these photos do no justice at all but thank God it's all in my heart.
Duck & Waffle is located at the 40th floor of the Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY.
Duck & Waffle is located at the 40th floor of the Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY.


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Imperious makes the races of Skyrim unique and diverse by overhauling racial abilities, powers and stats. Each race gets 3 new racial abilities and a quest to unlock their racial power. NPCs can use them too!
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That's the Disney theme these days. When they asked me if we were celebrating as I was scheduling our Disney trip, I told them we were celebrating Joshua's end of chemo. But really that isn't the whole truth. The truth is, we're celebrating life. We're celebrating the fact that we've made it through this ordeal. We're celebrating the fact that every illness, dose of chemo, surgery, didn't turn into something worse. We're celebrating a little boy who at 5 years old, is just starting to find out that there are so many more simple pleasures in life. We're just celebrating.
So today, as Joshua receives his last dose of chemo, I want you to go out and celebrate. Even if you don't know us very well or if you haven't seen us in a while. I want you to celebrate with us. Go out to dinner, put on the radio and dance, run around with the kids outside, whatever it be, just celebrate the beautiful day that God has granted us.
I have to admit, I wanted to have a video ready for today. One that had Joshua's journey from 10 months old and diagnosis, to today but with our busy summer and our celebration Disney trip I haven't had a chance to put it together. So here's a picture of our guy. As you can see - Cancer Fears Him!


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58 Ways to Enjoy Memphis For Free/
You don't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy Memphis with your friends and family. Check out these free events to get plugged into the 901 without having to empty your wallet.
Upcoming Events:
- April 22 – 24 – Art Squared at Overton – Family friendly
Hosted by ArtWorks Foundation, Art Squared is an arts festival in the heart of Midtown at Overton Square. See talent from all over the U.S., featuring stellar works in metal, glass, clay, wood, and fiber, plus jewelry, paintings, and photography! Enjoy live demonstrations, musical performances and more. The festival will take place on Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23 from 11am – 7pm, and Sunday, April 24 from 11am – 5pm at The Overton Square Courtyard & Trimble Place.
- September 30 – October 1 – Bona Fide Blues Festival – Family Friendly
With two free all-day stages in Overton Square and nightclub performances in midtown, the Bona Fide Blues Festival is the first of its kind in Memphis—or anywhere else for that matter. Showcasing 100% local area musicians, Memphis Blues Society is on a mission to bring 100% Blues to new stages, new venues and new audiences in the city. Check out the lineup here.


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God has just blessed me lately with such encouraging and inspiring books. And the message of each one is so timely as well! My next selection to introduce to you deals with a subject I have battled my entire life...
Jennifer Rothschild is gorgeous, both inside and out! And this is a woman who knows her Bible! In her latest book, "Self Talk, Soul Talk", she once again shares intimately from her own life, lending authenticity to her teaching and instruction.
Jennifer makes the case that we all too often talk to ourselves in ways that we would never dream of talking to others. So why do we think it is okay to talk to ourselves that way? Her main point is this: what we say to ourselves affects the health of our souls, and ultimately, our relationship with God.
She shares an abundance of Scripture on things we can begin to say to our souls that will bring health and healing, such as "March on, O my soul; be strong," Judges 5:21; and "My soul...put your hope in God," Psalm 42:5.
Jennifer opens by sharing from her personal "thought closet", revealing the damaging way she talked to herself as she was growing up and becoming a new wife and new mom. Then she takes us on a journey to clean up our own "thought closet".
After some instruction on choosing healthier ways to communicate with ourselves, Jennifer gives us seven things we should say to our souls. She talks about quieting our souls, resting, persevering, and praising the Lord in our souls.
Her book includes two appendices: Soul-Talk Starters and How to Make It Well with Your Soul, both sections that are vital for the message she is communicating to us. Another feature to take advantage of is her website designed just for this book, where you can share on message boards and continue to learn to speak well to your soul.
Jennifer's books always speak to my heart...this one speaks to my heart AND soul. I'm giving "Self Talk, Soul Talk" six out of five bookmarks, with a tiny tape recorder as a charm...time for me and YOU to erase the old tapes of negative and abusive self talk so we can have souls full of light and joy again!
This book is so inviting, informative, encouraging and enlightening, I'm giving away 3 COPIES ON APRIL 1ST (NO FOOLING!). So leave me a comment, and I'll pick three of you to win a copy.
Happy Reading!


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You're already skeptical. A cobbler in a box? Now, please turn off the imagined visuals of Pillsbury and Betty Crocker brownie boxes from your grocery aisle and listen up. This box, crafted by Chef Jenny McCoy, is providing pastries in a far more gourmet way.
An authority on baking and pastry, Jenny McCoy has created dessert menus for such leading restaurants as Tom Colicchio's Craft and Emeril Lagasse's New Orleans establishments. In 2011, she received the prestigious NYC Rising Star Pastry Chef award. McCoy is currently an Institute of Culinary Education instructor, Almond Board of California spokesperson, and a contributor to Serious Eats and the Huffington Post.
Jenny offered to gift me a few sample boxes to test in my new kitchen. Of course I said yes! My own boxes of bread pudding and almond cobbler mixes soon arrived in sweet small brown boxes with easy-to-follow instructions and expert advice on substitutions and recipe enhancements. I completed prep in under five minutes (cutting strawberries, measuring buttermilk. . .) and had that baby in the oven within ten minutes of opening the box. Mind-blowing, right?
As Jenny shares, "Instant gratification comes from creating something from start to finish in a matter of minutes. But even more gratifying is sharing it with someone else."
The collection clearly makes baking world class desserts a reality for bakers with any level of experience. My mind continues to wander to the daunting task of Thanksgiving desserts after a main course of turkey and unending side dishes. . .With this high-quality pastry mix, no one would ever have to know Jenny did half the work for you (and I won't spoil the secret either). Plus, you no longer have an excuse not to bake!
Since it is impossible to mimic the sweet, nutty crumble and sweet strawberries without Jenny's gourmet ingredient pouches, I will share photos and encourage you to get a box for yourself exclusively at Crate + Barrel. Did I mention they'd make great gifts? Well, they would. Especially for holidays.


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Albany, GA, July 22, 2016 – The Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) was awarded $50,000 to build technical assistance capacity for urban agriculture conservation projects on Sunday, July 17, by the National Association of Conservation Districts. NACD granted a total of $2 million to Flint River SWCD and 41 other districts across 25 states.
"I'd like to congratulate these conservation districts on their outstanding leadership and continued commitment to improving and protecting our natural resources on urban landscapes," NACD President Lee McDaniel said. "NACD is exceedingly proud of these districts' work to strengthen agriculture conservation efforts in communities that are typically underserved, and in many cases, considered food deserts."
The Flint River SWCD submitted a proposal earlier this summer to NACD's Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant Initiative. The initiative, in partnership with the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, aims to increase and stabilize technical assistance capacity where the land is predominantly urban or urbanizing. The 2016 urban grants announced Sunday will allow districts to help urban farmers, community gardens, and other local agricultural partnerships implement conservation practices that support local food production, provide opportunities for education and stewardship, and protect natural resources.
"NACD is proud to award and support these districts for embracing the opportunity and responsibility that comes with expanding our support of locally-led conservation," McDaniel said. "Our ability to put conservation on the ground is growing every day, and projects like these make all the difference."
The Flint River SWCD's objectives for this project are to provide technical assistance and educational resources for small and urban farmers, to enhance natural resource planning and management related to urban agriculture and urban communities, to expand access to local food with a focus on underserved, low-access areas, and to educate local community citizens and students on conservation and agriculture. The geographic focus will initially be in Albany, Georgia with plans to expand to other local communities in the future.


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Anna is in great company with other esteemed women who are being profiled (Oprah, Condoleezza Rice, and Gloria Steinem, just to name a few). The segment focuses on Anna as a trailblazer for girls as the CEO of Girl Scouts, and beautifully hones in on the message of ToGetHerThere.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
MAKERS: Women Who Make America, a New Documentary Featuring Anna Maria Chávez
Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, is featured in an e-documentary for the PBS documentary series MAKERS: Women Who Make America! MAKERS: Women Who Make America tells the remarkable story of the most sweeping social revolution in American history, as women have asserted their rights to a full and fair share of political power, economic opportunity, and personal autonomy.
Labels: Anna Maria Chávez, Awesome, News, PBS, Video


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Maker Spaces Book Launch
I can't really believe that my launch party for Maker Spaces is on Thursday. Wow!! I really hope lots of you will come along and celebrate with me at West Elm on Tottenham Court Road, London 6-8pm.
There will also be a Makers' Pop-Up event in store from 10am-8pm with some of the makers featured in the book selling their beautiful things.
A big thank you to West Elm for hosting this event and for all their support.
The image above was taken at The Hive in Berlin at the weekend by my lovely friend Bridgee. It was amazing to see my book out in public for the first time!
See you on Thursday! xo


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The Sims™ 4 Get Famous Expansion Pack* arrives this month, so we're giving you the inside scoop on Del Sol Valley, the brand-new world! We'll be sharing details of each neighborhood soon, but in the meantime, here's an overview of what you can expect from this glitzy world that packs some major star quality.
Mirage Park
Care for a starter home, up-and-coming Sim? This is the place where aspiring artists build their careers, make connections, and hone their skills. Move your Sim into a reasonably-priced abode, and well, start booking gigs!
Starlight Boulevard
This is where all of Del Sol Valley comes to see and be seen. Here, you can spot celebrities, walk the famous Boulevard, and try to get past the bouncer at the town's hottest nightclub. Pro tip: Try and convince them you belong inside! It just might work.
The Pinnacles
Ah, so your Sim has finally made it big. Well, it's time for an upgrade, which means they're headed for The Pinnacles. It's an A-List-only neighborhood where celebs retreat from the hustle and bustle of their fabulous lives. But beware, a bigger house doesn't always equal privacy from the cameras.
Don't miss our upcoming livestream on November 9, 2018, where you can learn even more about Del Sol Valley!
Plus, check out The Sims 4 Forums, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for all of the latest. Sign up for The Sims 4 newsletter to get updates, exclusive offers, and more (including other EA news, products, events, and promotions) by email and get Grim's Goulish Guitar for free!
*Requires The Sims 4 game (sold separately) and all game updates to play. See minimum system requirements for this pack.


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DUBLIN – Bladen Community College encourages students to begin the process of completing a financial aid application for college attendance.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a program which automatically qualifies students for a variety of federal and state grants, work study programs, and federal student loans. Financial assistance through a federal or state grant does not have to be repaid. Assistance provided with a work-study program allows students to be employed on campus to help with the expenses.
According to BCC Director of Financial Aid, Samantha Benson, "the FAFSA is changing in two ways, beginning with the 2017-18 award year."
Benson describes the changes, "The FAFSA will be available three months earlier than previously. For the 2017-18 award year, that will be on October 1, 2016, rather than on January 1, 2017. The Department of Education has coined the term Early FAFSA for this change."
Also, the income information requested for the FAFSA will reflect the two years prior to the application year. "This is referred to as the Prior-Prior Year," remarks Benson. "Previously, only one year of income prior to the application year was considered. The 2017 form will reflect the 2015 and 2016 income data."
Prior-Prior Year, along with Early FAFSA, will have a positive, long-lasting impact on how students apply for federal aid and make postsecondary attendance decisions. The move to an earlier application date can help students in several ways.
"By having the FAFSA available earlier," explains Benson, "students will be able to complete their federal aid applications in the same timeframe as their college admissions applications, streamlining the college application process. Students and their families will have more time to resolve any income verification requirements or supplemental requests from financial aid offices."
She continues, "In addition, learning about their federal aid eligibility earlier will allow students and families to understand better each institution's cost information and make more informed decisions about which school is the right match for them."
Benson is confident that by using earlier income data, more families will have their completed tax information available by the time they are ready to apply for financial aid.
"This will also make it easier to fill in application forms, and increase the likelihood that families will be able to import their income directly from the IRS using the online Data Retrieval Tool (DRT)."
Billions of dollars in financial aid are available to help college-bound students who are in financial need. But to be considered, you must apply.
For more information about the FAFSA form, call the college at 910 879-5500, or visit www.bladencc.edu.Share:


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I hope the content of this blog helps you – whether it brings you closer to a laugh, a meal, or a better understanding of the body in health and in illness.
"The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."


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United Nations: Afghanistan has welcomed the rising international pressure on the counter-terrorism front against Pakistan including its recent listing on a terrorism financing watch list and the United States withholding aid.
"We hope that this trend continues and the response to these measures is positive in the interest of peace and security in Afghanistan and the region," Afghanistan's Permanent Representative Mahmoud Saikal told the Security Council on Thursday."Of late, we have seen new measures at the international level to shift the calculus and promote genuine and productive counter-terrorism cooperation," he said.
He diplomatically did not name Pakistan but the reference was clear."Recent decisions including the reduction of financial aid to the concerned State, and inclusion in the watch list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) represent a renewed attempt to encourage genuine action on the crucially important goal of defeating terrorism effectively," Saikal said.
Last month Washington persuaded the members of FATF to reinstate Pakistan on its "grey list" of nations that are monitored for not acting adequately to stop terrorist financing and money laundering.In January US President Donald Trump ordered withholding military aid and payments estimated at $1.2 billion to Islamabad because of its support for terrorist organisations.Trump had accused it of giving safe havens to the terrorists that "we hunt in Afghanistan" and practising "lies and deceit."
Saikal denounced the attacks in January by "Taliban's Haqqani network" on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul that killed 18, including 14 foreigners, and on Save the Children NGO in Jalalabad in which 27 people died, and the detonation of an explosive-laden ambulance near a major hospital in the heart of Kabul killing at least 105 civilians."The sheer level of savagery in these despicable and heinous attacks was startling," he said.
Despite all this, Saikal said President Ashraf Ghani made the "unprecedented" offer of direct talks to the Taliban without preconditions."Should our call receive a positive response, they will be granted the chance to become normal citizens, allowed to compete peacefully in politics through democratic procedures, be relieved from UNSC sanctions measures, besides enjoying the benefits of other positive measures," he said. "In turn, they have to give up on their long-standing path of violence."
Contact Us: 011-66051627
E-mail: email@example.com


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Fruit & vegetables - Moulded fibre
Moulded fibre is perfect for apples, pears, melons, peaches, plums, oranges, berries, khakis, tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables shipped everyday around the world. Moulded fibre is shock absorbent. It cushions the fruit it holds and protects it from bruising, either during the packaging operations, in storage or in transit. The fruit will look fresh and appealing in the displays!Fruit plates


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The nursery was established in 1986; an empty 5 acre field was purchased as a completely blank canvas and the first glasshouse was constructed. From these small beginnings we have gradually built up the nursery to that which we have today, without ever losing the values and importance of high quality plants as we are continue to extend our range every year.
Opening Times
Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm
Bank Hols. 10am - 4pm
Please note: All plants are for sale and collection at the nursery. We do not provide Mail Order. We can deliver locally for a small fee to cover fuel & labour


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And then they are gone...
Thursday, 19 January 2017
Feel free
Androgynous, can't tell if they are a young man or teenage girl. Hiding in sports clothes and woolly hat, small feet in black suede trainers. Ring through the nose like a bull. Feel free tattooed on the fingers of both hands - one letter per finger. Is it a statement of mind, a life motto? Or something more sinister? A damaged soul used to performing tasks they don't want to.
Posted by Harriet (the fshlady) at 9:51 am
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Understanding how to get your blog or website to show up in search engine results can be very overwhelming at first. It can be difficult to decide where to even start. So on today's post I'm sharing some SEO tips and tricks that have helped my blog.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which in a nutshell means that your site is search engine friendly. In broader terms, this means that the code for and content on your site is fashioned in a manner that makes it easy for search engines to understand what each page is about. This is extremely important if you're trying to increase your organic search traffic, because search engines are looking for sites that ensure it's providing relevant results for each search.
Write About Content People Are Searching
Now I'm not saying never write about what you enjoy. BUT! You should make sure to write content that people are searching for that's within your blog's genre. Because, let's be honest here, if your content isn't about what people search for, then you're not going to get any organic search engine traffic. For example, my product review posts get more organic search traffic then anything else. Now those types of posts make up a small portion of my blog's content. Because I'm very selective about the products I review on here, I only write about products I love or was honestly curious about myself before I even got it. However, because I know this helps my blog's overall SEO, I keep an eye out for products I personally would search for more information about to review on my blog.
Choose Titles That Work Well as Search Results
This is key! When you write the titles for blog posts and webpages, you need to make sure it's something your reader would click on in their search. For example, I picked the title for this post, because someone who is trying to learn more about SEO would be likely to click on it. I wouldn't want to name it "Search Tips" because that name is too vague for someone who's quickly skimming through search results to think, "That post seems relevant, and they must know what they're talking about. I should read that one." So make sure you choose your titles wisely if you're trying to improve SEO.
Post Regularly
Now you're probably wondering, "How often should I post?" Sadly there is no perfect answer for this one, because it depends on your site. For example, if you're posting about news, you'll need to update your site on an hourly basis, while I can get away with only posting new content a couple times a week. However the more stale your site becomes, the more likely it is that it will dip in the search rankings. So, try to set a schedule you can maintain, so you have some new content on your site regularly. Even if that schedule is only once or twice a month.
Give Your Photos Descriptions (and use Alt Text)
When you look at a photo of flowers, you know it's flowers. However, when search engines see a photo of flowers, they only see the information in the code. So, you need to tell it what's in the image. This is when adding photo descriptions is important to increasing the odds of your photos and website coming up in search results. Wordpress also gives you the opportunity to add Alternative Text to your image that can also help search engines better understand what's in your photos. This is the perfect place to add keywords that might be searched related to your post's topic.
Use Google WebMaster Tools
This is an extremely helpful tool when you're trying to improve your SEO. The one feature I use most is Fetch as Google to have it Request Indexing. This is one way for you to tell Google that your site is there, and it has content to crawl and read. You can chose to have it fetch your site as mobile or desktop, and you can even give it a specific URL on your site to fetch. Once you click the "Fetch" or "Fetch and Render" button, it will give you the option to select a "Request Indexing" button for the new fetch. After click on the "Request Indexing" button, you can chose for it to crawl only that URL or that URL and all direct links (I typically do the latter). This process can take a few days to complete, but once it's done it will also give you a report of any errors it found on your site. Some of these errors are minor that you don't need to fix, while some are major and need to be fixed before Google will trust your site enough to use it in search results.
Also!!! Make sure you add every version of your site to this tool. This includes http and https, with and without www., and all sub-domains you have. This will help better direct Google to your site. Plus, it will help you understand what is being pulled up in organic searches, and any errors that occurred when your site was crawled.
Last, bust certainly not least: SEO doesn't just magically work overnight. It takes weeks, even months, to really take full effect. So, do not get discouraged if you're not getting the organic search results you were hoping for right away. Just keep implementing these tips and tricks, and eventually you should see results.


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If you are looking for dissertations and theses published in your area of research, there are lots of good quality, freely available online sources available to you.
Theses Repositories
EThOS (UK Theses)
- EThOS is a service from the British Library. It provides access to the full text of over 100,0100 theses wherever a copy exists that is freely available; either directly from the EThOS database or via a link to the repository of the awarding institution.
- EThOS contains 380,000 records relating to theses awarded by over 120 UK institutions.
- You need to register for an account in order to download a thesis (you may search their records without registering)
- You will have to order items which are not freely available. If ordering via the Digitisation on Demand service, there may be a cost involved.
- EThOS doesn't cover Ireland and doesn't include masters' theses. Not all UK universities are taking part in the EThOS service (notably Oxford and Cambridge) If you require a doctoral thesis from one of these institutions, please contact email@example.com
Here's a video by the British Library on using PhD theses in research (EThOS)
DART-Europe E-Theses Portal (European Theses)
- DART-Europe E-Theses Portal provides access to over 590,000 open access research theses from 578 universities in 28 European countries.
- The theses listed are all open access and free of charge. The DART-Europe Portal doesn't store theses, but it provides a link to at least one electronic copy of every thesis listed in its database.
- As a minimum each thesis contains details of the author, title and date of award. However, many providers supply additional searchable information, such as abstracts and keywords.
- The Browse feature allows you to browse records harvested by DART-Europe by author, year of award, collection, awarding institution (where known) or country. Select an index to browse and follow the links to the theses which interest you.
- Results are shown by default in a brief summary format. To view the full record for any thesis, and to access a copy of the thesis, click on the title.
PQDT Open (Mainly US Theses)
- PQDT Open provides the full text of open access dissertations and theses free of charge. The authors of these works have opted to publish as open access and make their research available for free on the open web.
- Enter keywords or use quotation marks to search for an exact phrase e.g. "Digital Literacy". If you select 'More Search Options' you can also search using 'Keywords (dissertation topic)' to find dissertations and theses focused on a particular area, as described by the author.
Some Other Useful Resources
NDLTD (Networked Library of Theses and Dissertations)
- An Open Access Initiative union catalogue of theses and dissertations from many countries, which are all immediately available electronically via links to institutional repositories.
Open Access Theses and Dissertations
- An index of over 1.6 million freely available electronic theses and dissertations.
- SUDOC is a French union catalogue which allows you to search theses and dissertations completed at universities in France.
- Dialnet allows you to search for theses completed at Spanish universities – many have links to the full text.
Abertay Research Collection (ARC)
- The University's digital repository of research output allows you to search or browse the different collections. If you are interested in depositing your research in ARC, please email firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.


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Above: "For this I turned down Cleaver?"
Before that, though, we get to see C-list rock god and occasional actor Meat Loaf put on a silly wig and lounge around with a bunch of naked Czech prostitutes as hedonistic vampire lord Leonid.
When a servant of villain Kagan (Kingsley) stops into Leonid's lair on his way to deliver an unconscious Rayne to his master, Leonid decides he's having none of it and demands he keep Rayne as a gift.
Loaf's performance here is uniquely terrible, creating a leering, odious presence that gives new meaning to the phrases "hammy acting," "hampire," "ham-fisted," "hambeast" and "we're insinuating Meat Loaf is fat."
No, that's it. You should really watch it, though:
Part fantastically boring police procedural, part revenge fantasy and all terrible movie, Max Payne was hailed as "the first great videogame movie" right up until the point that anyone saw it.
Above: "My movie's good, right? SAY MY MOVIE'S GOOD"
The most frequently asked question when the first trailers for Max Payne came out was, "what the hell are those winged things?" The answer is that they're hallucinations brought on by Valkyr, a mysterious drug that turns its users into homicidal maniacs… apart from a small percentage who magically become psychotic, nigh-invincible super-soldiers.
After swimming out of a freezing river where he was left to drown by his enemies, Max has a simple choice: lie around and die of hypothermia, or drink the vial of Valkyr stuck conveniently in his pocket and see what happens. Shockingly (to absolutely no one), Max turns out to have the super-soldier genes, and what he experiences as a result is nothing short of hilarious.
Go on, see it for yourself:
Widely regarded as one of the worst-ever sequels to a fairly decent videogame movie, Resident Evil: Apocalypse is notable mainly for turning RE3's Nemesis into a big, turdy-looking Terminator.
It also brings back RE film heroine Alice (Milla Jovovich), who has the audacity to not only have goofy superpowers, but also to interact with game-series regulars like Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory). When the two meet up, Jill and her comrades are pinned down in a church by a mediocre CG effect that's supposed to pass for a Licker.
When suddenly…
And then…
Above: VROOM VROOOM
Above: WHOOSH
When suddenly…
And inevitably…
Above: BLAAAAOW PSSSHHH
That is, until……
Above: THWPP THWPP THWPP
Just watch it already:
For the record, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale is about these guys:
Who spend a lot of time fighting these guys:
While this guy is king…
And these guys plot to take over:
We've already ripped on the awful camp performances of Ray Liotta and Matthew Lillardonce before, but they bear repeating, because this is a rare instance where the most awful thing in a movie is also its most watchable thing. Embarrassing as it is, watching Lillard hurl himself around the set while Liotta tries to use every muscle in his face is hard not to laugh at, and when the two are onscreen together the result is at once dramatic shit and comedy gold.
Because we've already used an earlier scene with these two once before, we'll instead focus on a different meeting, during which Lillard rolls around on the floor begging for an antidote that Liotta gives him in dramatic slow motion. Also there's a lot of wailing. Watch it, it's funny:
"Wait, what?" said most of our American readers just now. "Uwe Boll's Far Cry actually came out?"
It did indeed – in Europe, at least, where Boll's films are better "appreciated." The film version of Far Cry takes a few liberties with the game's plot, moving it from its trademark tropical setting to the cheaper-to-film pine forests of Vancouver. It also casts Til Schweiger as Jack Carver, who has been made German for the purpose of casting Til Schweiger.
Also, Udo Kier is in it and he does this:
Above: Ewwwwww
So, right, the scene. Far Cry, like several other Boll movies, features Chris Coppola as an unfunny comic-relief fat guy who whines a lot. This time, he's named Emilio the Food Guy, because – get this – he likes food.
Above: To be fair, he also gasps and squeaks a lot when he eats
Naturally, Coppola gets kidnapped by Carver and turned into his sidekick, ensuring we'll see plenty more of him as the film wears on.
Above: Oh Christ no
Later, we're treated to several scenes during which he's chained back-to-back with Schweiger, which as it turns out is an ideal setup for his shameless brand of wailing and physical embarrassment.
Above: Oh wow, one of them actually did something kind of funny at the end there
It's uniquely horrible, but also strangely compelling. To see it for yourself, check this out:


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Another day to be grateful for life.
I've been working like crazy and finally have some finished work to share with you.
A couple of months ago, I did the merch design for The Crane Wives, and it's finally printed! There are 4 different kinds of stickers, and a new T-Shirt design.
Here is one of the stickers, and here is the T-Shirt! They are available for sale at their shows! Check them out here.
I also recently finished the album cover which will be released in September. Here's a little peak of it...
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I also recently did an illustration for CraftSanity's issue No. 7! The issue focuses on summer projects, and included a pattern for making kites. In the issue, Jennifer also writes about our embroidery lesson! Here's the illustration, which includes a pattern for emroidery!
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Lets see.....oh yeah! I recently created the 'face' for The Creative Youth Center's Promtional Material. It's a little exploring fox!
Here is the preliminary drawing and the finished piece!
Add Color and Voila!
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You remember 100 Dogs? It's time for 100 cats!! I will be finishing up this poster this week. Hopefully Ill be able to show you the finished versions of both soon!
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And I finally set up my new studio! It's so cozy...
YIP YIP!!! That's it friends. Time to go take my clothes down from the line. Enjoy the Sun today!


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- Arrest Number: 81730
- First Name: CARLOS
- Last Name: MAYS
- Middle Name:
- Suffix:
- Current Age: 43
- Booking Date: 12/3/2017 12:08:00 PM
- Height: 6' 1"
- Weight: 170 lbs
- Hair Color: BLK
- Eye Color: BRO
- Race: B
- Sex: M
- Arresting Agency:
- Arrest Date: 12/03/2017
- City: Terre Haute
- State: Indiana
booking information
CARLOS MAYS was booked on 12/3/2017 12:08:00 PM. MAYS was arrested by in Terre Haute, Indiana. MAYS was 43 years old at the time of the arrest.
CARLOS MAYS may not have been convicted of the charges or crimes listed and are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Please contact the for more information regarding arrest records.
We are not affiliated with the and we cannot make any claims as to the validity of the records provided by them.


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From Mike Tate's press release direct to the blogs, evil is loose in the land
Attention liberal bloggers. If you're going to echo Mike Tate's talking points, the least you could do is note the irony. DPW Chairman Mike Tate notes the hiring of political consultant Darrin Schmitz by the Ron Johnson campaign for Senate and says,
Ron Johnson told voters this week all they need to know about what kind of campaign he intends to run for U.S. Senate. Johnson, a multimillionaire, Tea Party activist made his first campaign move by hiring the Republican political operative who produced the most "highly offensive and deliberately misleading" political ad in Wisconsin history. Johnson's first hire is Darrin Schmitz, who is responsible for the notorious ad on behalf of Mike Gableman's 2008 campaign for Wisconsin Supreme Court.
An independent group that monitored the state Supreme Court race, the Wisconsin Judicial Campaign Integrity Committee said that the spot was "in the offensive, race-bating style reminiscent of the Willie Horton ad from the 1988 presidential race." In fact, the Wisconsin Supreme Court is still deciding what sanctions to take to resolve the ongoing ethics complaint regarding Schmitz's ad.
"Ron Johnson told voters a lot about what kind of campaign he is going to run, but more importantly he told voters a lot about himself," said Mike Tate, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, "It's clear that Johnson is willing to put his own wealth behind a divisive and deceptive campaign meant to serve himself, not the people of Wisconsin."
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called Schmitz's ad "purposeful distortion" and said it was "unworthy of any campaign." In the ongoing Wisconsin ethics complaint case against Schmitz's ad, Gableman's attorney,James Bopp defended the "right to mislead voters in campaign ads," saying, "I don't think misleading is something good, (but) it can't be sanctioned."
The Racine Journal Times wrote that "Gableman's attack ad essentially linked four true statements that, taken in their totality, ended in a lie."
Like Mike Tate is some sort of virgin when it comes to deceitful campaigns. Prior to becoming the Democratic Party's chief press release generator, Tate engaged in what was the most deceitful campaign tactic in Wisconsin's recent political history when he led Fair Wisconsin's fight against the referendum defining marriage in the state constitution. Tate's operation actually called voters and told them that if they voted for the referendum, they were voting for gay marriage.
Becoming the Chairman of the Democratic Party didn't exactly mellow his harshness. When Tea Party activistists gathered on Milwaukee's lakefront, Tate was rhyming with hate,
"These are extremist elements pulling together, distinct vocal minorities that frankly don't believe in this country," Tate said. "They don't want to see more people have access to quality affordable health care; they don't want clean air and water. They fundamentally don't understand how the American government, economy and capitalism work."
However, we should be nice and recognize that Tate was under a lot of stress last week when he wrote his press release. He just found out the top dog of Congressional Democrats in Wisconsin, David Obey, will soon be playing his harmonica on the sidelines.
Let's run through the list of headaches Tate is now facing: open seat for governor, open congressional seat previously thought reasonably safe, well-funded challengers for Senator Russ Feingold, a very vulnerable congressman in Green Bay, another vulnerable congressman in the western part of the state, and the likely loss of at least one house of the legislature (if not both). Oh yeah, his Assembly Speaker was chasing skirt in the lobbyist pool, his candidate for governor had to be begged into running and is now defending tax increases, and the Assembly Democrats are on record as being soft on a five-time OWI loser.
Heckuva job, Mikey. No wonder Obey announced his retirement in Washington D.C. He was probably afraid he would have to have you say a few words.


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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was a Republic that was usurped by an Empire. In turn, the Empire was felled by a Rebellion. The warring factions, however, made use of the one tool proven to bolster despots as well as topple political regimes: Archives. Yes, the galaxy is populated by space wizards, space Nazis, and useless bounty hunters named Boba Fett, but it's a known fact that lightsabers can't rewrite the public record and a blaster can't provide the essential plans to take down a moon-sized machine of death. For that, and more, you need a space-archivist and a space-archives.
Interestingly enough, two movies in the Star Wars franchise have made use of the archive as an important setting within the narrative. Not only that, they've inadvertently highlighted the importance of archives as institutions of memory and accountability while simultaneously showcasing the shortcomings of archives to protect the people they serve. For such a brief amount of time featured on screen given the expansive nature of the franchise, the archive still manages to make a large impact in the ongoing battle between the Jedi and the Sith. So, with that in mind, let's take a look at the small yet important relationship between Star Wars and the Archive.
While I'm usually hesitant to mention or even think about the Star Wars prequels for more than a few seconds, it is actually due to the events of the most recent installation of the Star Wars canon, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, that we must travel back to the halcyon days of Episode II: The Clone Wars. A former professor of mine, Randall C. Jimerson, used a pivotal scene in The Clone Wars as an example of the power held within the archives and the power held by archivists. In his Presidential Address to the Society of American Archivists (SAA) in 2005, Jimerson writes:
George Lucas presents a more confident view of archives. In Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi visits the Jedi Temple Archives seeking the location of the planet Kamino. Archivist Madame Jocasta Nu, a frail elderly woman, provides reference assistance, but Kamino does not appear on the archives' star charts. She concludes:
"I hate to say it, but it looks like the system you're searching for doesn't exist."
"That's impossible – perhaps the archives are incomplete."
"The Archives are comprehensive and totally secure, my young Jedi," came the imposing response, the Archivist stepping back from her familiarity with Obi-Wan and assuming again the demeanor of archive kingdom ruler.
"One thing you may be absolutely sure of: If an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist." The two stared at each other for a long moment, Obi-Wan taking note that there wasn't the slightest tremor of doubt in Jocasta Nu's declaration.
It turns out, by the way, that the existence of the missing planetary system had been erased, in an act of archival sabotage. The Jedi Archives may seem "comprehensive and totally secure" but even this futuristic vision shows the limits of archival control. The archivist's pose of omniscience is truly an illusion. However, as Eric Ketelaar points out, the fact that Obi-Wan must physically enter the Jedi Archives in his search shows the power of the archivist, who must mediate "between brain and source." The role of the archivist is crucial and powerful. [Source: SAA]
It's a lot to glean from a small scene, but the implications of how much power actually exists within the archives remains important to the Empire's plans. That Obi-Wan even suggests the record may be incomplete is met with immediate reproach by Jocasta Nu. She's a woman of age and experience, no doubt, and with that age and experience comes a confidence in the institution she serves. We never learn if there are other archivists serving the Republic, but if we're to assume Jocasta is the lone archivist, then it makes her complacency and confidence far more worrisome.
An ongoing issue among archivists and users is the assumption that archivists are intimately aware of everything they have in their repository. To put it bluntly: that simply isn't true. Depending on the institution and the circumstances by which the archives were developed, some archivists don't learn about the majority of what's held in their stacks until it's requested by the user. Time management, low funds, and little manpower are the typical culprits, but it's still worth noting that even in the highly advanced world of the Old Republic, the archives can still be manipulated. If an archivist is unaware of everything under her purview, then it's easy to see how information vital to the emerging Empire's elaborate schemes could disappear without incident.
That doesn't, however, absolve Jocasta of her role in aiding the Empire. Though she's confident in the security afforded the records, there's a distinct lack of scrutiny and curiosity in Jocasta that's endemic throughout the Republic. It is, therefore, it must be true. Why keep searching when we already know the answer? Oddly enough, this has become true of our current political system.
Turning now to Rogue One, we have the story of how the rebels acquired the plans to the Death Star that jump-started the events of Episode IV: A New Hope. The climax of the film occurs on the planet Scarif where the records and activities of the Empire are housed. There, Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, and K-2S0 infiltrate the facility to retrieve the plans knowing that Jyn's father, the Death Star's architect, left a means by which the planet destroyer could be stopped.
From an archival perspective, there's a brilliant look at the Scarif facility by David Portman at Preservica. As a digital archivist, he breaks down all the ways the Empire failed at records management, which all but led to their downfall. Of the many errors, Portman cites:
– The failure to replicate critical data to a remote location, preferably a galaxy far far away, which is not effected by a similar death star event
– An authentication system that allowed the hand of a dead archivist to be used to gain entry (not generally recommended by the archiving community)
– No encryption at rest – physical asset could be removed and re-read on another device, without even the need for the dead archivist's hand
– No metadata to prove the provenance of the plans – how could you be sure you were looking at the right death star plans?
– A file format policy that relied on the Evil Empire and Rebel Alliance using the same software [Source: Preservica]
As Maddy Myers points out in her article covering Preservica's critique, the blog post is done very tongue-in-cheek, but still manages to point out the importance of digital preservation and the work of archivists to protect born-digital records. That and the Empire seems to have learned nothing from the system they exploited back in Episode II. The assumption remains the same: how could anything possibly go wrong since we're all super powerful and awesome?
As in the film, so in reality, the archive has long been used as a tool to legitimate tyrannical regimes. Control of knowledge means control of society and powers such as the Empire always go for the public record in order to justify and perpetuate their existence. They also tend to be record hoarders, meticulously documenting every action and decision as more proof of power. That the Empire chose to store all of their records in one facility effectively plays into the paranoia of an illegitimate regime making damn sure no one has a chance to dethrone them. If the knowledge is secure, then so are we. Fitting, then, that the unraveling of the Empire would originate from a monument to their inflated sense of power.
Friends and readers, it is with great excitement and pride that I share with you my latest publishing feat! Some time ago I wrote a little short story entitled "Her Majesty's Untapped Fury" and submitted it to the Seattle-based Mad Scientist Journal for their Summer, 2016 anthology. And now, here it is, Summer and the anthology has been published both in print and digital!
I suppose you'll want to know what it's about before you buy, correct? So be it!
"Her Majesty's Untapped Fury" is about the discovery of the world's first weather machine and the hotly debated "mad" scientist who created it. To reveal anything more would give too much away, but suffice it to say that the Archive and primary sources are heavily featured!
What's that? You'd like an excerpt as an additional form of incentive? Oh, well, all right! Twist my arm!
While conducting research on the correlation between science and megalomania, I found
myself arriving at, of all places, the Royal Society. London has a long and storied history of men
in suits with egos the size of planets, so logic dictated that my time would be well spent rifling
through papers craftily collected as glorified tributes to the scientifically-minded God Complex.
My hope was that the rarest of rare instances might occur: stumbling upon the papers of a
genius lost to the ages. The odds were against me. Most of the interesting subjects had already
been discovered. But I felt confident that my wayward mastermind had to exist amid the myriad
stacks and collections tucked safely within the pristine walls of the Archives.
It goes without saying that my days were spent combing through the long-winded essays
and profoundly worded declarations preserved for the sake of posterity and little else. The
tedium, however, finally bore fruit when I began to notice a common phrase appearing in the
minutes, correspondence, and journals of prominent Society members during the late
nineteenth century. Plainly written, or as plain as elaborate script can be, it said "the Mad
Rodney wm." There was very little context to the statement, and the more it appeared, the more
it began to take on an air of warning. Between the years 1859-1867, "Mad Rodney" was a
popular topic of conversation within the Society, despite their attempts to keep appearances to
the contrary. So who was he, and why did he inspire such hushed tones in an otherwise
garrulous group of intellectual gossips?
As always, the first one's free. To find out more, you'll have to make a slight contribution. Luckily, I have websites for you to visit where said contributions will not only finish my tale, but provide you with many more amazing tales of mad science to keep you good and entertained!
You can either go directly to Mad Scientist Journal to find all of the links!
Or, you can visit these fine retailers:
And don't forget to leave a review on Goodreads!
Lastly, thank you to Mad Scientist Journal for the opportunity to submit as well as publishing this story that was tremendously fun to write. Thank you to my beta readers who offered their support. And thank you to those who will eventually read my story and all of the stories therein.
In honor of the 5th anniversary of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, a friend of mine at the National Archives Motion Picture Preservation Lab, Heide Holstrom, did a write-up about the significance of the Fair Pay Act:
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 was the first piece of legislation signed by President Barack Obama. It updated the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which had made it illegal for employers to discriminate on the basis of sex when determining pay for employees doing the same work.
The 2009 Act resets the 180-day statute of limitations for filing an equal pay lawsuit each time a paycheck reflecting a discriminatory pay decision is issued. It was named for Lilly Ledbetter, whose equal-pay suit against her employer was dismissed by the Supreme Court because she had not filed it within 180 days of the discriminatory pay decision. Ledbetter says she was not aware of the pay discrepancy during that window of time.
To emphasize the importance and significance of this piece of legislation, the post included the 1973 Public Service Announcement (PSA) from the US Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division featuring Yvonne Craig reprising her role as Batgirl from the 1966 Batman television series to inform Batman and Robin that her job as a sidekick to Batman, the same job as Robin (Burt Ward reprising his role as well), meant she deserved equal pay. As Heidi later points out, even in 1973, ten years after Congress had passed the Equal Pay Act, women were still being paid less than their male counterparts. I mean, how else is a girl gonna pay for a rotating wall in a well-furnished apartment and keep up maintainance on a purple motorcycle on a librarian's salary alone? Also, for shame millionaire Bruce Wayne! You're a millionaire and your other sidekick lives with you! I think you could afford to pay Babs just as much, if not more than Dick. Now I know why Catwoman turned to a life of crime. It actually pays better.
So when you go out to buy your DVD/Blu-ray of the complete 1960's Batman TV Series, or read DC Comics' ongoing Batman '66 digital-first book, remember that Batgirl ain't getting paid as much as Robin. Kinda makes you wonder where Barbara was actually getting the money to support her crimefighting career.
Oh, and as a bonus because the '73 PSA was clearly sans Mr. West, Heidi also included a 1966 PSA from the real Batman, Adam West, encouraging kids to buy war bonds for the Vietnam War.
Obviously it's not the first time superheroes have been utilized to encourage patriotism in kids through purchasing war bonds, but I'll be damned if West doesn't sell the hell out it with his sincerity. Also gotta love the poster taped to the Bat-cave wall!
If you want to see more of what's at the National Archives Special Media Archives Services Division, and I know you do, check out their blog. You never know when something special can turn up in the Archives.
Yes, I know, shameless plug, but I make no apologies. Until then, kids, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!
I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to write a review of Ben Stiller's latest film, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty – based on the short story by James Thurber. It's not that I didn't enjoy it (I did immensely), it's more along the lines of wanting to hold on to something and relish the moment, value the message without immediately having to critique it or assign it some kind of arbitrary value. So I decided not to write a review, but instead write about how Walter Mitty's journey has a lot in common with my chosen profession as an archivist and what that means to me.
Right from the get-go, I can tell you that Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) is an archivist. His title in the film is Negatives Asset Manager for Life Magazine, but he is, for all intents and purposes, an archivist. If you want to get really specific, he's a photograph archivist. One that embodies some of the stereotypes of the profession as depicted in film and television. He works in the basement of his building with only one assistant, Hernando (Adrian Matrinez), and the space is wall to wall boxes of photographs and negatives with Walter a small, and fairly meek, man dwarfed by shelves and reels of places he's never been but only seen through the eyes of others. For the purposes of the film, the focus is on enigmatic photographer Sean O'Connell (Sean Penn), who has a "working" relationship with Mitty in that Walter has always made sure O'Connell's photographs were treated right, making sure the covers matched the majesty of what O'Connell captured on film. The two have never met in the 16 years Walter has worked for Life, at least not until the climax of the film, but they still manage to understand each other. When Walter goes in search of O'Connell to find the missing negative meant to serve as the Life's final print cover, he embarks on a journey many archivists have and are now taking in order to stay relevant and visible.
The movie itself is thematically trying to convey an overall message about connection. We're fully immersed in the Digital Age, but in overly relying on digitization and the anonymity of the internet, we lose the basic element of interaction, of forming a true connection with another human being. For all of the connectivity we have over the internet, loneliness still prevails. We stay glued to our computers instead of interacting with the world and the people around us. Interestingly enough, the film starts with Walter trying to make a connection, via a wink on eHarmony, with Cheryl (Kristen Wiig), a woman who he sees on a regular basis at work. Instead of talking to her, he'd rather stay within the relatively safe realm of "interacting" from afar. Walter's fantasies are indicative of his sense of self; he feels unremarkable, unimportant, irrelevant, so he imagines himself as the exact opposite. It's only when he goes outside of his comfort zone and ventures beyond the familiar that he makes himself as remarkable as he always imagined. He enjoys the moment, he lives, he experiences, and he connects.
Archivists run into the same problems in their repositories and how they interact not just with their institutions but also their user base. There are a lot of assumptions made about archivists, stereotypes that continue to inform the public that we're basement dwellers covered in dust. We're part of a company or an institution, but we're never entirely understood. Part of the job is just getting used to explaining what it is you do on a near constant basis. Because of this perception, archives aren't always considered a top priority, if they're considered at all. We're always five to ten years behind the technology because there isn't enough time, money, or manpower to help users and take care of backlogged material while converting already processed or to-be processed material into digital records that will be outdated in a few years. Like Walter Mitty, it's easy for archivists of any institution to feel small, unwanted, unremarkable, and irrelevant. Like Walter, we only become important when we can provide a specific service at a specific time, regardless of how long we've been around or the continued services provided outside of anniversaries or big events. Like Walter, it's easy for archivists to feel disconnected.
Luckily, archivists aren't entirely alone. We've built a community, one that brings us all together on an annual basis and allows us to meet each other. We connect through our shared profession, love of the job, and our passion for our function within society. What's been so remarkable now, thanks to the Digital Age, is the speed in which those connections are made and how friendships can be forged out of them. In Walter Mitty, Walter forms an unlikely friendship with an eHarmony IT technician, Todd (Patton Oswalt), who acts as a sort of anchor to chart Walter's progress. What begins as disembodied voices over the phone turns into a real friendship by the end of the film, something that many archivists can relate to. We find each other via Listservs, email threads, and roundtable groups, but by the time we meet each other in person, whether at a conference or on our own time, we solidify the friendships that may have started only as a short note or a question asked in a forum.
There's also the ongoing professional debate over how much we should interact with the subjects that we document. Some would have us remain the silent observers, forever disconnected from the people who produce the materials we archive in order to maintain purity of the record. This camp wants us to be the Walter Mitty of the film's beginning, maintaining our distance, stuck in the basement surrounded by our boxes. Others, however, believe that archivists should be more proactive in seeking out materials to document, connecting with the people who produce the materials and inserting ourselves into the narrative. These are the people who are Walter Mitty by the film's end, the archivists who end up on the cover of Life because they made themselves relevant by making others relevant. The value Walter puts into his work, and the value he places on himself, is only rewarded when he sees the world, when he makes those human connections with a drunken pilot in Greenland, a Chilean sailor, Sherpas in the Himalayas, Afghani kids playing soccer, and even an IT guy from Los Angeles. It all adds up to something extraordinary that others see value in as well. Archivists can do the same. We can go outside of our comfort zones and connect with different communities, insert ourselves into what's happening, and show our own value to others through the work we do.
But those are just my thoughts. I really enjoyed the film and found it to be one that made me think about how my life, my profession, and my experiences have influenced the connections I've made even within the last year. Not too shabby of an accomplishment for a film, if you ask me.


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Starting Friday with a half-day, last weekend was awesome.
After work on Friday, Jeri, Amy and I went to the La Brea Tarpits, which I'd never been to. I've been to LACMA several times for class, so I've seen the pond with the mammoths, but never inside the museum. So that was rad. Woolly mammoths, mastodons, sabre-toothed cats, short-nosed bears, dire wolves, giant ground sloths, American lions. It was funny reading the descriptions of each of these animals, because they all sounded like they were written by a personified Past trying to one-up the present. "You like lions? African lions? Your lions SUCK. American lions were bigger and more muscle-y!" "How about bears. You think your grizzly bears are pretty big? Our short-nosed bears could kick a grizzly's loser BUTT. Taller and beefier." It seems that every animal from ancient LA were bigger, cooler versions of today's animals. Even their storks were a foot taller! The child in me was delighted by the whole thing. I remember the awe and fascination when we visited the natural history museum when I was a kid. Even today, seeing these very real skeletons of wondrous monsters is like catching a glimpse into another reality. These things existed! They walked around where I walk! (Dinosaurs are even more of a trip because at least these mammals pulled from the tar resemble animals that exist today.) It was neat seeing the active excavation sites with bones protruding from the black puddles.
After La Brea we went over to Chris Faris' house for a movie night with Nobody. Good food and company.
Saturday I got to play some co-op Red Dead Redemption with my buddy Will in Idaho. Saturday night was Brendoman's birthday, which we celebrated at a Chuck E. Cheese in disguise in Buena Park.
Sunday I skipped church (shhhh!) to attend my first ever Cowboy Action Shooting event. (Quick primer on CAS -- it's a club where everyone shows up in period-authentic clothing and competes in various shooting events. Check these websites for more information.) I'd heard about it online and from Andy over at Walker '47. I was originally going to go just to observe, but Andy recommended I join the "New Shooters" class. I'm so glad I did. For just $13 I got about 6 hours of practice/advice/training.
I showed up at about 8:45am at Raahauge's Range in Corona to register. Just walking up to registration was a thrill, because there were already many men and women there in full cowboy get-ups, hauling around their cowboy carts loaded with pistols, rifles, and shotguns. At 9am everyone gathered under the awning for announcements from a guy who could be my friend Ric in 20 years. Looked a lot like him, had a very similar sense of humor, and even his vocal inflections were the same! Anyhow, this set the mood for the day: friendly and fun. Right off the bat all the cowboys (and girls) were ribbing each other with all kinds of inside jokes.
After announcements, several experienced members rounded up the newbs and took us all over to one of the ranges. There they brought out about 10 different revolvers for us to look at and handle so we could get an idea of what we liked and what we didn't. They were mostly Rugers and Peacemaker clones, but there was an 1872 Open Top and a Peacemaker with a Birds Head grip. After looking them over, we each got to put five rounds through them. I chose the Open Top with the 7.5" barrel, much longer than all the others. I put all five shots on target (and fairly quickly too, if I may say so), but they were only about 10'-15' away, so that wasn't too hard. They showed us the proper technique for the fastest two-handed shooting, which is firing the pistol with your right hand while thumbing the hammer with your left. Tricky to get at first, but definitely faster than one hand once you've got it.
Next the cowboys brought out the rifles! Mostly Marlins, but there were a few Uberti 1873s, an 1866 "Yellow Boy," and an 1892. We were each given six rounds to let off. They put away the '73s, so I chose the Yellow Boy. Again, all six on target. The rifle targets were roughly double the distance of the pistol targets, but again, not very far. Very easy to hit if you take any time at all. The matches are designed for speed, though, so merely hitting these targets isn't the difficulty.
Last out were the shotguns. Several double barrels, one with external hammers, several 1897 pump actions (seen in No Country for Old Men and The Wild Bunch), and one 1887 Lever Action. Guess which one I picked? Terminator 2 all the way. This was a Chinese-made copy of the original Winchester, and the cowboys said these guns were very finicky, which is disappointing. The certainly have the most satisfying action in my opinion. The shotgun targets seemed to be about midway between the rifle and pistol targets. Again, not difficult to hit if you're not going for speed.
Next came lunch, and then our first timed attempts! The set-up was this: 5 shots from the pistol, 9 from the rifle, and 2 from the shotgun. We got to pick our favorite gun from each category. Our instructions were to place 2 on the left, 1 in the middle, and 2 on the right for the pistol; then 1-2-3 repeated 2x for the rifle; then knock over both shotgun targets. They have a special timer that stops the clock after the last shot. You start with your three guns on the table in front of you, your hands in the air. When you hear the buzzer, you go for your pistol and start shooting. You're penalized for missed shots (5 second penalty), procedural violations (shooting the targets out of order - 10 seconds), and safety violations (leaving the actions closed - 10 seconds). The first few guys who went all forgot to leave their levers open on their rifles, and they shot the pistol targets out of order. A friend I made that day, Steve, was the only one out of the 18 of us who shot a completely clean round, no violations, though his time was about 45 seconds. I shot towards the end of the group. I missed one of the pistol targets and one of the shotgun, but my time was about 25 seconds, so my final time of about 35 brought me in at 3rd place for the class! I was milliseconds away from the second place shooter, too. We were supposed to get to shoot a second round, but with such a large group we didn't have time, unfortunately.
After thanking the very kind and generous instructors, I headed home. It was a really fun day, and at $13 I recommend it to anyone who likes shooting at all. I'd have paid much more easily.
Here's a demonstration and overview of Cowboy Action Shooting:
That night Amy and I finished the weekend by seeing Toy Story 3 with some friends.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Fun weekend
Labels: cowboy action shooting, friends, western
4 comments:
- Ian said...
I wanna go!
...to teh cowboy thing.
- Ryan said...
You gotta! 4th Sundays!
- Matt said...
So its like LARPing?
- Ryan said...
Yes. But a bit cooler. (MUCH cooler, others have assured me, but I realize it is also quite nerdy and am too close to the source to judge.)
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A highlight of our trip to Peru was definitely exploring the Machu Picchu ruins. They are part of a highly sophisticated ancient Incan city located in the midst of mountains at an altitude of 2340 m above the sea level.There are two mountains directly surrounding the ruins. Montaña Picchu is the higher mountain while Huayna Picchu is more famous since it is often pictured in the background of photos. We decided to hike up Montaña Picchu while we were there, which turned out to be a really great idea.
Here are our impressions from Machu Picchu:
Dress- Urban Outfitters, Sunglasses- Ray Ban, Sneakers- Nike
The hike was quite exhausting because of the extreme altitude, however, we had prepared beforehand by having peanuts and raisins, enough water and an electrolyte-rich sports drink with us as well as wearing comfortable exercise shoes. The hike up took us a bit longer than an hour and the hike down was fairly quick (around half an hour). The view on top is exhilarating because you are above the clouds and have a unique view of the entire valley. From the top of Montaña Picchu, you can actually clearly look down on both Huayna Picchu as well as the ruins (you can clearly see them below) and the surrounding mountain landscape. Therefore, I definitely recommend booking the Montaña ticket with your Machu Picchu entrance ticket well in advance to make sure you don't miss out on the experience.
I hope you get inspired!
XO, Sevda