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Snapshots from Asia: Tropical Fruit Feast, Pulasans and Rambutans
Venomous animals and insects are often strikingly colored and marked to warn off predators or just plain nosey folks – evolutionary cues for survival and a quiet life. Maybe that's why the rambutan and it's close cousin, the pulasan, look so forbidding. With their threatening spikes and crimson armor, both look like accessories to violent crime. Yet, pick them up and you'll find both soft and almost cuddly. The pulasan's spikes are thick and rubbery, while the rambutan's are thin and pliant – like a shock of hair ("rambut" means "hairy" in Malay).
What is dangerous though, are the swarms of fire ants that live in rambutan trees. The fruit is so sweet that people with the trees in their backyard have to fight the vicious, stinging ants off when it's time for harvest (and let me tell you from experience that those suckers really hurt!). My granduncle used to hoist a long pole with cutters attached at the end into the tree and make fast work of the fruit while fighting off the ants. Experienced as he was, it was impossible to escape unscathed and he would always have angry, red blisters to show – as well as bunches of the juiciest, sweetest rambutans – for his efforts.
I don't believe in fighting ants for food and am too much of a wimp, so I'm happy to buy my seasonal, twice-a-year indulgence from the markets. Grown throughout South East Asia, Australia, South America, Africa, and Hawaii, rambutans and pulasans start off green and ripen to a flaming red—though some varieties turn a bright, canary yellow. They are close relatives to the lychee and the longan. Despite the rambutan's and pulasan's relatively thicker rind, both can be pried open with bare hands. Some people use their teeth to make a single, strategic puncture mark before pulling both sides of the shell apart. But even market fruit can harbor territorial ants, so I prefer to keep a small blade handy instead. Once opened, the fruit within is a glossy, opaque white and looks like a hardboiled egg. You squeeze the shell lightly so the fruit pops out and into your mouth, hopefully without trickling its sticky, syrupy nectar all down your front.
The rambutan and pulasan taste remarkably similar – very much like the lychee, though without its honeyed floral notes. The pulasan though, is priced because it generally has no tart note whatsoever (unlike the rambutan's sweet-tartness). The pulasan's flesh is also crisper and slides obligingly off the single seed in its center, without pulling along any of the seed's course, brown outer skin (testa). Hence, the pulasan costs two or three times more than the rambutan, whose flesh often annoyingly clings to particles of inedible testa.
Both fruits are usually eaten out-of-hand, though they can also be stewed for dessert or cooked down to a jam. The rambutan is available canned in syrup, and I've found the ones stuffed with pineapple to be particularly yummy. Rambutan seeds are supposedly toxic when raw, though I've heard of them being roasted and eaten in the Philippines. I've also heard that the pulasan's seeds can be roasted and boiled for a cocoa-type drink, but I've not had any luck tracking down a recipe. Anyone?
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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syngo TrueFusion
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1TrueFusion represents a workflow consisting of syngo TrueFusion and TrueFusion echo-fluoro guidance.

subset: commoncrawl


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A 3-year-old Payson boy shot and killed his 1½ -year-old brother after the boys found a handgun in a neighbor's apartment and took it to another room, the eastern Arizona town's police chief said Wednesday.
Police Chief Don Engler said his department's investigation of the Tuesday shooting will take about a week. Results will be forwarded to the Gila County Attorney's Office for a decision on whether to prosecute anybody, he said.
"What we're taking a look at is the circumstances regarding the securing of the weapon" and how the boys were able to get ahold of it, Engler told The Associated Press. "We are continuing our investigation, and we haven't ruled out criminal charges at this point."
He said it was too early to say what recommendation his department might make to prosecutors.
The boys and their mother were visiting the 78-year-old neighbor in their apartment complex when the shooting occurred in a bedroom.
The brothers found the semi-automatic pistol somewhere in the living area where it was not in plain sight, the police chief said without elaborating. Neither adult knew the boys had the weapon, Engler said.
The boys were playing when they found the gun, police said. The weapon discharged, and the toddler was shot in the head.
Engler said the mother was just entering the bedroom when the shooting occurred and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
The younger boy was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Names of those involved were not released.
Engler said he didn't know whether the 3-year-old grasped what he had done. "That'd be a difficult stretch for me to make that assumption," the police chief said.
However, he said the shooting was a tragedy that was felt by many in the community, including members of his department. Payson is about 90 miles northeast of Phoenix and has a population of approximately 15,000.
Engler noted many of the department's young officers have children of their own. "Certainly it's difficult for our officers in those circumstances," he told KPHO-TV.


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So, last week there was this article, predicting that Miers would withdraw to "protect executive privilege" - in fact, the only graceful way out of the mess that was her nomination.
Today, we learn that - surprise! - Miers has withdrawn her name, to protect executive privilege. How sweet of her.
Now, here's my question - and I'd love if everyone would answer it by way of commenting - do you think:
A) Bush was just completely blind to all of the problems in nominating Miers, and really did think she'd get confirmed,
2) The administration was setting us up with an awful nomination, so that whoever he nominates next will seem reasonable by comparison,
iii) The administration was attempting to distract us from Iraq, Katrina, Karl Rove, etc, by nominating someone and creating a little controversy before they withdraw her name,
D) They had an idea she might not get confirmed, but had conservatives protest that "we don't know enough about her" so that the Democrats might think she was actually more moderate than she is and maybe confirm her, OR
5) Other: Please explain. Preferably in 5-paragraph essay format.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Posted by Mrs. B at 8:44 AM
0 comments:
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Vachel Lindsay home celebrates author and artist's 133rd birthday
Send a link to a friend
[November 07, 2012]
SPRINGFIELD -- Fans of author
and artist Vachel Lindsay (or anybody who simply enjoys a party) can
join the celebration of his 133rd birthday Saturday. The party at
the Vachel Lindsay Home State Historic Site includes cake and cider,
crafts for the kids, and silent movies.
Vachel Lindsay Repertory Group will read selections from his poetry
at 11:30. Actors portraying Lindsay and his mother, Catharine
Lindsay, will appear, too. Two silent movies discussed in Lindsay's
landmark book "The Art of the Moving Picture" will run during the
afternoon. Charlie Chaplin's "Soldier Arms" starts at 12:30,
followed by D.W. Griffith's "Intolerance."
The event is sponsored by the Illinois Historic Preservation
Agency and the Vachel Lindsay Association.
Vachel Lindsay Home State Historic Site is open Tuesday
through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for free public tours.
A brief biography of Vachel Lindsay
Nicholas Vachel Lindsay, a major American poet, was born Nov. 10,
1879, at 603 S. Fifth St. in Springfield to Dr. Vachel Thomas
Lindsay and Catharine Frazee Lindsay. He graduated from Springfield
High School and studied at Hiram College in Ohio, the Chicago Art
Institute and the New York School of Art.
Lindsay made three famous walking tours of the United States in
1906, 1908 and 1912, covering more than 2,800 miles. On these
journeys, Lindsay traded poems for food and shelter, earning him the
title of "The Prairie Troubadour."
Lindsay was catapulted to fame with the 1913 publication of his
poem "General William Booth Enters into Heaven." Two years later his
poem "The Wedding of the Rose and the Lotus," calling for tolerance
between Western and Eastern cultures, was printed by the U.S.
secretary of the interior and sent to both houses of Congress in
connection with the opening of the Panama Canal. His "Congo" and
"Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight" are well-known by generations of
[to top of second column]
Lindsay lectured at many universities, including Oxford,
Cambridge and the University of Illinois. He performed his poetry in
every state in the nation at the time. In 1925 he married Elizabeth
Conner of Spokane. Lindsay, his wife and two children returned to
his Springfield home in 1929, where he died on Dec. 5, 1931, in the
bedroom directly above the room where he was born.
Lindsay called himself a "rhymer-designer" and created drawings
to accompany his poems. He was a leading voice in the American "New
Poetry" movement, with a total published work of some 20 volumes of
poetry and prose. Lindsay and other major poets and artists of his
day championed a new language to express new subjects, such as civil
liberties, civic excellence, and humanitarian and aesthetic values.
He wrote poems of vehement protest against spiritual and
environmental blight.
Sinclair Lewis called Lindsay "one of our great poets, a power
and a glory in the land." Author, poet and Illinois native Carl
Sandburg said, "I rate (his poems) among the supremely great
American poems."
Lindsay's Springfield home was his creative center, and he
returned there many times during his career. He cited his hometown
and state more than 500 times in his publications. "The things most
worth while are one's own hearth and neighborhood," said Lindsay.
[Text from file received from
the Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency]
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The Chicago Artists Resource has teamed up with StoryCorps Chicago to bring you "Conversations with CAR". Through this collaboration with StoryCorps, the Chicago Artists Resource interviews Chicago-based artists about their personal experiences and their impact on their creative practice.
This week's featured artist is Alexandria Eregbu.
Alexandria Eregbu (American b. 1991) is a conceptual artist and disciplinary deviant. Her practice often takes shape in the form of maker, performer, curator, educator, and programmer. Her work tends to insert itself at the axis of personal experience and myth— usually reliant upon the collection of familial artifacts, material culture, and an attentiveness to current and historical events. Eregbu has been featured in a range of exhibitions including Weinberg/Newton Gallery, Roots & Culture, the Arts Incubator in Washington Park, Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago, IL; Milwaukee Art Museum in Milwaukee, WI; Distillery Gallery in Boston, MA; and Pioneer Works in Brooklyn, NY. She was a recipient of the Propeller Fund Grant (2013), the DCASE IAP Grant (2015) and has held numerous fellowships as both curator and artist. Most recently Eregbu was highlighted in Time Out Chicago (2016) and listed in Newcity's Breakout Artists: Chicago's Next Generation of Image Makers (2015). Eregbu is a current Resident Artist and Curatorial Fellow with ACRE. She received her BFA from the School of the Arts Institute of Chicago.
Upcoming Events
The Shadow on the Ground - Solo exhibition at The Luminary in St. Louis, MO opening reception on June 3rd. Exhibition runs through July 21st
StoryCorps' mission is to preserve and share humanity's stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world. For more information, please visit https://storycorps.org/.


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'Lone Survivor' to hit Indian screens Feb 7
Mark Wahlberg-starrer "Lone Survivor", based on a true story of the United States Navy's Sea, Air, Land Teams, will release in India Feb 7.
Mark Wahlberg-starrer "Lone Survivor", based on a true story of the United States Navy's Sea, Air, Land Teams, will release in India Feb 7.
The war movie, directed by Peter Berg of "Hancock" fame, will be released here by PVR Pictures.
Wahlberg plays Marcus Luttrell, an American Navy SEAL who was the lone survivor of the failed mission Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan.
Also starring Eric Bana and Yousuf Azamim, the movie is based on the book of the same name written by the real Marcus Lutrell himself.
The story, visuals and battle sequences in the film have received positive reviews as the film saw a limited release Dec 27, 2013 in the US.
The response in India is expected to be positive too.
"A war film is the most inspiring genre of cinema and considering it's based on a true story of survival and grit, 'Lone Survivor' explores a brilliantly shot struggle and battle," Deepak Sharma, chief operating officer, PVR Pictures Ltd, said in a statement.
"As an audience, the film will catch one's attention at both an emotional as well as intrigue level. We're excited about the release of this film as it depicts true heroism and is a story we believe deserves to be heard and seen by people in India," Sharma added.


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Published by Alex O. Awiti in Advancing Global Sustainability
William Henry Ogilvie, the Scottish-Australian poet, wrote "These are the men with sun-tanned faces and keen far-sighted eyes, the men of the open spaces". Open outdoor spaces are innately liberating, bequeathing to us the privilege of reflection and introspection.
By most accounts we will end this century as homo urbanus – wholly urban creatures. This demographic transition will see millions give up the vast airy purity of open spaces of the countryside for cloistered, stifling existence in the city – the concrete jungle of hard tarred roads, stone, glass, steel, parking lots, automobiles traffic congestion and polluted air.
There is a large and growing body of evidence in ecology and psychology, which demonstrates an inherent human desire to connect with nature. The term "biophilia" was used by social psychologist Erich S. Fromm to describe a psychological attraction to things living things. In his book Biophilia, acclaimed biologist E.O. Wilson suggests that human beings subconsciously seek connections with the rest of life.
In his book, The Voice of the Earth, Theodore Roszak coined the word ecopsychology. Ecopsychology suggests that a synergistic relationship exists between planetary and human well-being. Wilson argued that people deprived of contact with nature suffer psychologically, causing measurable decline in human well-being.
Studies have linked the lack of windows with high rates of anxiety, depression and delirium among inpatients. Similarly, a study of patient recovery in a Pennsylvania hospital showed that patients whose rooms overlooked the parking lot recovered from illness more slowly compared to those whose rooms overlooked gardens with flowers and trees. The deep affiliations humans have with nature could be rooted in our biology.
Suppression of the ecological unconscious is the deepest root of collusive madness in industrial society. A study published last year in the journal Nature showed that mood and anxiety disorders are more prevalent among city dwellers. Other studies have shown that schizophrenia incidence is about doubled in people born and raised in cities, with evidence of a dose response relationship that points to causation.
A personal car enables efficient mobility in low-density urban or rural settings. But if you live in Nairobi, use of a personal mostly delivers immobility, not mobility. City driving has a price too. In a survey of adult drivers in twenty major world cities by IBM, 30% of the respondents reported stress from traffic congestion, 27% reported increased anger and 29% reported that traffic congestion impaired their performance at work or school. Other studies have traced the direct physiological effect of traffic congestion in raising blood pressure and release of stress hormones.
Nairobi has an overbearing physical imprint of the automobile. A disproportionate area of Nairobi is dedicated to highways, roads, streets, parking lots, service stations, vehicle oriented business and second-hand car dealerships. Pedestrian paths are rapid transit corridors for Matatu. Open public spaces are expansion frontiers for corrupt public officials and their acolytes.
Nairobi city is also a victim of engineering bias, focusing on one problem at a time. If the problem is traffic congestion, the solution is to build more highways. If you take a systems view and think of the street as serving multiple functions, like walking, biking, recreation and habitat the solution space will not be limited to ungainly concrete-walled road overpasses.
To reclaim the city of Nairobi for people the following investments are imperative: make public transportation the centerpiece of urban mobility; make highways, and streets pedestrian and bicycle friendly; and, convert 40% of parking spaces into green public spaces. Such investments would reduce carbon emissions, eliminate health-damaging pollution, incorporate exercise into daily routines and lower the risk of mental and lifestyle illnesses.
Kenya could learn from best practice elsewhere. In his tenure as mayor of Colombia's city of Bogota, Enrique Penalosa created or rehabilitated 1,200 parks, built hundreds of kilometers of bicycle paths, introduced a bus rapid transit system and reduced rush-hour traffic by 40%. Mayor Penalosa involved local urban communities in greening their neighborhoods by planting 100,000 trees.
In 2007 Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled PlaNYC, an audacious plan to expand New York's urban forests and ensure that all New Yorkers live within a 10-meter walk of a park. In 2001, Mayor Bertrand Delanoe was handed Europe's worst traffic congestion and air quality – Paris. Mayor Bertrand pledged to cut traffic by 40 % by 2020. He invested high quality public transit for Parisians by providing transit in outlying regions, reducing number of lanes for cars and creating express lanes for buses and bicycles.
Kenya's future is inextricably linked to urban growth. The future growth and expansion of our towns must focus on designing urban infrastructure for more people, not for more cars. We must therefore make the creation of an equitable and healthy urban environment, which is built to a human scale, a top policy priority.
Dr. Alex O. Awiti is an Ecosystems Ecologist based at the Aga Khan University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences (East Africa). Awiti is leading the development of one of the most innovative and integrated undergraduate science curriculum in Africa. Awiti is also a board member of the Resilience Alliance. Dr. Awiti is also a founder and director of Confluence Foundation, a not-for-profit that provides tuition aid to and mentorship to talented but economically disadvantaged young Kenyans. Born in Kisumu, Western Kenya, Awiti received his PhD degree in Ecosystems Ecology at the University of Nairobi.


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Great Grown-up Gadgets
Dear Santa,
Not sure if you remember me. I'm the little boy who crashed right into the reindeer as I fled in panic from your hearty "Ho-Ho-Ho" at Macy's back in 1959. At any rate, I've been following your career closely since then, and considering how busy you've been, what with managing the elves and riding in parades and battling the Martians, I thought I'd help out just a little. Here are my picks for 10 of the hottest tech products on the market today—just the thing for the really, really good grown-up boys and girls on your list. I don't ask for anything in return for this sage advice—consider it my contribution to the holiday spirit. Of course, if I happen to find the Nikon among the gifts at my house this year, I wouldn't complain.
Best, Steve
Nikon D50
Every grown-up, or soon-to-be grown-up, for that matter, should own a serious camera. Yes, I know everybody is grabbing crappy little snapshots with cell phones, but let's buck the trend. Instant gratification is great, but what about lasting mementos? Do you really want an 8 x 10 cell-phone snap with digital grain the size of Rice Krispies hanging on your office wall? No, you want the "keeper" photos—and the instant gratification—you can only get with a quality digital SLR.
Why digital? Because you can shoot as much as you want, experimenting with wild ideas without paying an extra nickel for film and developing, and you see the results right away.
Why an SLR? Because SLR cameras shoot instantly when you press the shutter, focus quickly to catch moving subjects, reset for the next shot in a fraction of a second and let you choose just the right lens for the job at hand.
And finally, why the Nikon D50? Because Nikon delivers all the features a serious amateur wants in a digital SLR, with impeccable performance and image quality, in an easy-to-use camera that's a pleasure to hold in your hand. Compared with its brand cousin the Nikon D70s, the D50 is slightly smaller, lacks a few tweaky pro settings and uses SD memory cards instead of compact flash (a minor disadvantage). The only significant feature I miss is a depth-of-field preview button that shows exactly how much of the image will be in focus. On the other hand, the key issues are not compromised: the razor-sharp image sensor, the smooth, whisper-quiet mechanical operation, fast, precise metering, the ability to shoot in uncompressed RAW mode (useful for advanced image editing) and the option to use a wide array of high-quality Nikon lenses and accessories. And since it sells for $400 less than the D70s, the Nikon D50 is not just a great camera, but a great deal.
$800 including 18-55mm lens, www.nikonusa.com or 800-645-6689
My dog, Gracie, generally isn't fazed by the devices that zip, whir, clunk and buzz through our home. Radio-controlled cars? No problem. Robotic vacuum cleaner? As long as it doesn't have designs on her tail, she takes a live-and-let-live attitude. But she doesn't trust Roboraptor, and I'm not sure I blame her. No, it doesn't smell alive, but it sure does move as if it had sinister intentions. Roboraptor is a substantial mechanical critter, measuring a full 32 inches from stem to stern, with articulated neck, tail and leg joints and five motors that let him move with surprising, lifelike speed. Some of the designers at WowWee Ltd., the creators of Roboraptor, used to work in the movie business, and it shows—think of the kitchen chase scene in Jurassic Park and you'll have a sense of Roboraptor's animation style. Kinda creepy, and very cool.
You can "drive" the dino directly with the wireless remote control, making him walk (at three speeds), turn, swish his tail and bite. Far more fun, though, is watching Roboraptor interact freely with his environment. The digital dino is festooned with sensors that include stereo "ears" on either side of his head, infrared "eyes" up front and touch sensors on his tail, back, chin and mouth (the better to eat you with, my dear). Put him in "roam" mode and he'll explore his world, avoiding objects in his path and reacting to sharp sounds with a quick turn of the head. Depending on the "mood" you set via the remote, Roboraptor may back away from danger, hunt for prey or nuzzle your hand. Kids with a little respect for high-priced playthings can certainly have fun with this digital-age dinosaur—he's solidly built, though you don't want to send him plummeting off the kitchen table. But it was the grown-ups in my household that found Roboraptor thoroughly intriguing, whether they were fiddling with the wireless remote, petting the dino's tail or barking furiously from under my desk.
$120, www.roboraptoronline.com or 800-310-3033
Epson Stylus Photo RX700
My wife and I both take digital photos, but our attitudes toward printing them out are radically different. For me, looking at images on my computer screen is just fine for 99.5 percent of the pictures I shoot. When I do want a paper print, I fiddle with the shot until it's just right, cropping and tweaking and Photoshopping out imperfections. My wife is a holdout from the film photography era, when you brought your roll of film to the local drugstore and got back prints (or double prints!) for every single shot, good, bad and ugly.
Epson ensures domestic tranquility, if only in the digital photo arena, with this extraordinary all-in-one device that handles a wide variety of imaging tasks. Equally important, it does it all either with or without a computer. The Stylus Photo RX700 makes copies (color and black-and-white), prints photos and text documents, and scans documents and even photographic negatives and slides. The only missing capability is faxing, which, in the age of e-mail, is a fairly Paleolithic pastime.
The RX700 is the key to liberating your old photos from their shoebox prison. You can scan and print photos, negatives or slides right on the device (using the crystal-clear built-in 2.5-inch screen), or use the computer to scan and store them on your hard drive. Either way, you get the benefit of Epson's impressive photo restoration software, which does a surprisingly good job automatically removing the fading that afflicts old photos.
My CD-burning daughter's favorite feature is the ability to print in full color directly onto blank CDs and DVDs. This is both decorative and practical, since it lets you neatly list stored music tracks or TV programs right on the disc. No more Sharpie-marker-labeled discs at my house—we've gone pro.
All of this would be nearly worthless without up-to-snuff print quality. Happily, this is a full-fledged photo printer, using six colored inks instead of the standard office printer three or four. It reproduces the full gamut of colors with vibrant depth and fine color accuracy. If anything, the RX700 output looks better than drugstore prints and, what's more, they'll last at least as long. Yes, this is a pricey printer, but when you add in its document scanning and copying functions, CD printing capabilities and the ability to bring smiles to both novices and digital photo enthusiasts, I'd say it's a great buy.
$399, www.epson.com or 800-873-7766
For anyone who needs a second TV set in a bedroom, a dorm room, an office or a den, this handsome LCD model is one sleek solution, bundling everything you need into a compact package—even the DVD player is built in. The 23-inch wide-screen LCD panel displays both standard- and high-definition TV content very well, with deeply saturated colors and impressive sharpness. The only visible flaw I found was slightly uneven edge-to-edge illumination—you might notice it during all-black scenes (such as a movie's title crawl), but during normal viewing it's inconsequential. And LG gets high marks for delivering a screen with an unusually wide viewing angle. When you look at a typical LCD panel from the side or high above, you notice colors shift and distort. With this screen, everything looks fine from any practical viewing angle.
The built-in DVD player (it's in the unit's base) makes perfect sense, eliminating an extra box in cramped quarters, unsightly wires and an extra wireless remote. And it's not limited to playing movies: if you burn MP3 or digital photo files onto a CD, you can enjoy both with remote-controlled convenience. There's no built-in tuner for receiving high-definition TV broadcasts, but if you're like most people, you're probably going to hook the set to a cable or satellite tuner anyway.
$1,799, us.lge.com or 800-243-0000
SunRocket Internet Phone Service
If you have high-speed Internet access at home, you've probably already been pitched on switching your phone service to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). It's a tempting proposition—you get low-cost calling plus fancy calling and messaging features at no extra charge. Granted, telephone service might not be the perfect holiday gift, at least as provided by your local cable or telephone company. But SunRocket is different. It delivers a big box full of VoIP: the network adapter plus a Uniden wireless phone with two handsets and a year of prepaid service. With a big box under the tree, you're a holiday hero—and a very frugal hero at that, since that prepaid year includes unlimited calling throughout the United States and Canada plus a host of useful services for less than $17 a month. SunRocket customers get Internet-based voicemail, call blocking, call forwarding and distinctive rings to identify specific callers (so you'll know instantly that it's Mom and not Mom's Friendly Carpet Cleaning Service on the line). The Find Me option automatically dials a series of numbers you choose if you don't pick up right away. You might, for example, have unanswered calls forwarded to your office line and, if you still don't answer, on to your cell phone. It's a great way to make sure you get mission-critical calls ASAP.
SunRocket also lets you choose a second phone number outside your local area code, a very interesting wrinkle. If, for example, you live in New York but most of your relatives live in Seattle, you could add your own Seattle number. Calls placed to that number still ring through to your home phone in New York, but your callers are only charged for a local connection. Dad will be so proud of your family-friendly frugality.
The most critical questions, of course, are voice quality and reliability. In my testing, using the SunRocket equipment with an Optimum Online cable modem, calls came through loud and clear. In fact, my daughter said the VoIP service sounded better than our regular landline. And speaking of kids, giving a SunRocket system to your college-bound pride and joy, who surely has high-speed Internet access at the dorm, could save you enough on long distance each month for a fat fistful of fine smokes.
$199, www.sunrocket.com or 800-786-0132
Plantronics Pulsar 590
I don't know that anyone's actually ever strangled to death on a headphone cord, but I've certainly had more than a few uncomfortable jerks and jolts as the wire between the MP3 player in my shoulder bag and the phones on my head came up short. How cool would it be if you could leave the player in the bag and listen wirelessly? Turns out it's very cool indeed, as I've learned by experimenting with a series of new wireless headphones powered by Bluetooth. You've probably heard of Bluetooth—it's the technology that lets people wear tiny headsets and talk on their cell phones while appearing to be communing with unseen demons. Until recently, Bluetooth headphones were all right for mono, low-fi cellular calls, but not ready for music devices. The change is a new flavor of Bluetooth, providing stereo and surprisingly clean audio with minimal interference—you won't want to lean on the microwave oven while listening to your favorite tunes, but that's a small restriction compared with the electronic leash of wired headphones and earbuds.
The best Bluetooth headset on the market today is the new Plantronics Pulsar 590, which allows you to connect to an audio device and your cell phone simultaneously. You can be listening to music and, when a call comes in, the Pulsar automatically switches over to take the call. Hang up and it's back to your personal hit parade. The traditional over-the-head design is perfectly comfortable (unlike a rival behind-the-neck model with fine audio and miserable fit), and the microphone, attached to a short stalk on the right-hand side, did a fine job during cell-phone calls. While the primary use is on-the-go MP3 playback, the wireless system works fine with any device equipped with a standard headphone jack, including portable CD and DVD players.
One feature does deliver less than meets the eye. Controls are built into one headphone cup to control audio playback, but since it relies on a system that's not built into any popular portable player yet, it's more teasing than pleasing. Even without the remote-control option the Plantronics is a welcome addition to any music lover's digital arsenal. It comes in two versions, with or without the small Bluetooth transmitter disc that connects to a portable audio device (models 590 and 590a, respectively). Unless you're planning on using these strictly with your cell phone, go for the full kit.
$200, www.plantronics.com or 800-544-4660
Archos AV700
I've been a big fan of portable media players—devices that store not just music but recorded video and digital photos on an internal hard drive and play them back on a built-in LCD screen—since they first appeared. Some of my friends, though, have snickered at the screen size of these portable devices, which come in at about 3.5 inches measured diagonally. Now, for those who value additional screen real estate over pocket-size portability, there's the Archos AV700, with a generous seven-inch wide-screen display that's wonderful for personal viewing (a great in-car substitute for a portable DVD) and big enough to share. If your computer can record TV programs (machines using Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition are ideal), it's point-and-click easy to fill the Archos with shows. If not, you can record directly on the AV700 using the included docking station. Add music and photos from your computer (a simple drag-and-drop operation) and even directly from a digital camera (via a USB cable), and you've achieved portable entertainment nirvana. Two models are available, differing in hard-drive size. The basic 40-gigabyte version holds up to 160 hours of video, 20,000 songs, or 400,000 photos. Go for the whopping 100-gigabyte model and the specs kick up to 400 hours of video, 55,000 songs or a million photos. Using higher-quality files will obviously cut down on these capacity figures, but that's still a lot of entertainment in a 20-ounce package. Both models deliver audio and video quality that's just fine for on-the-go amusement, and the battery life is very good—figure about four hours for video playback or 30 hours for music. And unlike your friendly, neighborhood iPod, you can carry a spare battery if you choose.
40-gigabyte model $600, 100-gigabyte model $800, www.archos.com or 949-609-1483
Philips WACS700 Music System
What if you like the idea of whole-home audio, but don't have the computer savvy or hands-on inclination to set up and manage a wireless network? Let Philips handle the dirty work for you with its Wireless Music System, a complete solution that maximizes listening pleasure while minimizing high-tech hassles.
The heart of the system is a base station with its own 40-gigabyte hard drive (enough to store up to 750 CDs' worth of music). The unit can convert CDs into digital MP3 files automatically (no computer required), identifying the tracks and cataloguing your collection. You can listen on the base station, or set up wireless music stations throughout the house (up to four satellite players are supported) and fill your home with music. Each room can play the same songs (nice when entertaining) or different selections (handy if your child thinks Eminem is a musical genius). The networking uglies are all handled by the system and, since it doesn't have to interface with your existing computers or tap into the Internet, setup is a straightforward plug-and-play affair. A computer connection (Windows or Macintosh) is available if you want to back up your music files or update the Music System software, but you can safely ignore this step for months at a time and still have a perfectly satisfying experience (you will probably want to connect at least occasionally to refresh the database that identifies songs on the CDs you convert to MP3, though Philips promises to provide these updates via CD-ROM four times a year). If you choose, you can also play songs stored on your computer through the Philips system, but the built-in hard drive probably has enough capacity to satisfy most music lovers.
The basic system includes both the base station and a single satellite unit, with additional satellites sold separately. As for sound quality, both the base station and satellites use flat-panel speakers that perform very respectably, with a clear, clean high-end and robust bass performance.
Basic system $999, additional remote units $299, www.consumer.philips.com or 888-744-5477
T-Mobile MDA
The problem with most so-called "smart" phones is their dumb size. Yes, I want all the cool capabilities they can pack in, but I need a phone that fits in my pants pocket, not my backpack. That's why I've always carried a separate cell phone and PDA. After playing with this lovely compact device, though, it may be time for me to take a more unified approach to juggling calls and data.
T-Mobile's new MDA device weighs just 5.29 ounces and measures 4.3 x 2.3 inches—it reminded me of carrying a deck of cards. There's lot of power built into that petite package, though, especially for self-confessed e-mail addicts. The MDA runs the latest Windows Mobile 5.0 software, an artful combination of work- and play-related functions. On the business side you get pocket versions of all the major Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, even PowerPoint), and unlike previous editions, all your formatting changes move back and forth seamlessly between the handheld and your PC. On the fun side, you can transfer music and even video files to the device (a handy slot accepts additional memory cards), play games (there's a portable version of Scrabble that creams me on all but the easiest setting), and take snapshots with a 1.3-megapixel camera that's no better and no worse than the competition. And it's all shown on a bright 2.8-inch display that reproduces more than 65,000 colors (your digital photos never looked better).
Communication is the key reason for carrying the MDA, of course, and it works very well indeed for both voice and text. Since all your contact info is automatically synchronized between your Windows computer and the MDA, dialing is a simple screen-click operation. For text, the top of the device slides back to reveal a very usable little QWERTY keyboard—the letter spacing and layout is far superior to the Treo and BlackBerry devices. Equally important, the screen display can flip easily from lengthwise to width-wise orientation. When you're typing out an e-mail, working on a spreadsheet or surfing the Web, you can flip the screen display 90 degrees for full-length lines, and when you're perusing to-do lists or browsing your address book, you can flip it back to standard notepad orientation.
Finally, you get three flavors of built-in wireless connectivity: a cell phone (which works for voice and online data, albeit at moderate speed), Wi-Fi networking (it works great at your local Starbucks or other wireless hot spot) and Bluetooth for using wireless headsets or keyboards.
$400, www.tmobile.com or 800-766-2453
Sirius S50
When I wrote about satellite radio here earlier this year, XM had a decided competitive edge when it came to delivering slick, upscale receivers. In the intervening months, however, Sirius has made serious strides in this area, whittling down the size of its radios while improving their features and information display. The flagship product for the new sexy Sirius is its S50 radio, a beautifully crafted piece of equipment boasting a bright color screen and some intriguing capabilities under the hood.
The S50 is a hybrid device. To receive live satellite radio programming it has to sit in a docking cradle—these are available for both in-car and in-home use. As you listen, though, the device records your favorite programs—up to 50 hours worth of audio can be stored in the 1-gigabyte internal memory. That means you can leave the radio on, store a huge selection of audio in the memory buffer, and listen to this recorded content on the small handheld unit on the road. And, at 3.9'' x 1.9" x 0.7", this is a perfectly portable little player to take along. You can also schedule recordings, so if you can't live without your daily dose of Howard Stern (he debuts on Sirius in January), you'll be able to set up automatic daily recording and listen at your leisure.
Another ingenious feature makes built-in recording even better. The S50 automatically creates an on-screen table of contents listing all your stored songs, so you can pick and choose the tunes you want to hear out of that 50-hour trove. But wait, there's more, as they say on TV. If you want to hang onto a particular tune in memory, press a single button and that song will remain on the device until you choose to erase it. With 50 hours of storage available, you can build up a pretty impressive music collection without paying a nickel beyond the standard $12.95 monthly subscription fee.
And just when you think I've run out of kickers, here's one more breakthrough feature from our friends at Sirius—the S50 also plays digital music files (MP3 and WMA formats) you download from your computer.
It slices, it dices, it makes julienne fries—this is one of the most versatile digital devices I've seen this year. I have only two caveats to offer: the estimated battery life is only around six hours, not quite up to industry standards for portable audio players (though the battery is removable, so you can buy and carry a spare). Also, the beautiful shiny finish is practically begging to be scratched, so you'll want to find an appropriate carrying case. Gym socks will work, but that just doesn't seem like the most elegant solution for this beautifully sculpted player.
$360, www.siriusradio.com or 888-539-7474
Steve Morgenstern covers tech issues when he isn't writing to Santa.


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Hang Gliders
2nd Hand Gliders & Gear
0 items
This small plastic part fits against the stop ferrule in continuous front to rear rigging that is often fitted to Icaro and A-I-R hang gliders.
In conjuntion with the stop ferrule on the lower front to rear rigging iIt prevents the bottom of the upright from moving along the wire.
When worn the aluminum section of the upright tends to dig into the plastic fitting and the wires thus move slightly in the fitting. The effect of this is sometimes first noticed by the pilot as looser front to rear rigging or a different exit point of the wire from the lower plastic fitting on the upright.
They are simple to change.


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Ruben Fleischer, whose feature-film debut "Zombieland" was one of 2009's surprise hits, is joining forces with one of Hollywood's most talented, eclectic and downright weird screenwriters, Mike White.
Fleischer will direct White's "Babes in the Woods," which eh will also produce, according to a press release from Columbia Pictures (by way of Collider). The film tells the story of a Midwestern girl who heads of to Yale only to become targeted by the mafia.
"Our experience working with Ruben on "Zombieland" was nothing short of amazing. We love what Mike did with this script and could not be more thrilled to develop Babe in the Woods with these two guys. They bring the perfect blend of comedy and attitude to their projects."
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
This one will take a while to come to life, however, as Fleischer is currently working on "30 Minutes or Less," his pizza delivery action-comedy with Danny McBride and Aziz Ansari, which has been slated for an Aug. 11, 2011, release.


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The "Sundays at 2" recital series coordinated by the department of music at Hope College will feature trumpet player Richard Stoelzel with organist and pianist Solee Lee-Clark on Sunday, Jan. 30, at 2 p.m. in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
The concert will include "Toccata," by Giambattista Martini; "Sonata in Re," by Carlo Tessarini; Processional (organ), by William Mathias; "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," by J.S. Bach; "Prayer of St Gregory," by Alan Hovhaness; "Chichester Psalms," by Leonard Bernstein, arr. James Stephenson III; "Ballade," by Eric Ewazen; "Someone to Watch Over Me," by George Gershwin and arranged by Joseph Turrin; "Suite Du Deuxième Ton" (organ), by Louis-Nicolas Clérambault; and "Variations on 'Lord of The Dance,'" arranged by Noel Goemanne.
Richard Stoelzel is an associate professor of trumpet at Grand Valley State University who maintains an active career as an international soloist and chamber and orchestral musician. Reviewers have hailed him as "one of the foremost performers and teachers of trumpet in the U.S." and "one of the greatest trumpet players of our time," and have commented on his "virtuosic and lyrical, liquid like tone" and said that "his bel canto style gave this reviewer chills."
He began his career as solo cornet with the United States Coast Guard Band, a presidential band, performing throughout the United States and giving numerous command performances for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush. As a soloist he has performed throughout the United States and abroad, including three highly successful tours of China, which earned him the title "Distinguished Visiting Professor" at the Shen Yang Conservatory of Music.
As an orchestral musician, Stoelzel has performed as third and assistant principal trumpet of the New Orleans Symphony and was winner of the principal trumpet position in 1993. He has held positions with the Miami City Ballet, Ballet Florida, Florida Symphonic Pops, and many others. Stoelzel is presently the principal trumpet of the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra and a member of the Des Moines Opera Orchestra.
As a chamber musician, Stoelzel is the founder, first trumpet and director of the highly acclaimed Avatar Brass He was also a founding member of the New World Brass and has performed and toured with the Michigan Chamber Brass and the Grammy award-winning Chestnut Brass. In addition to live performances, Stoelzel can be heard on more than 20 compact discs, including seven with the Avatar Brass as well as with the Louisville Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony and Dallas Wind Symphony.
As a pedagogue, Stoelzel has been on the artist faculty at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Fla., in addition to his position at Grand Valley State University. His students have consistently won national and international awards, including an unprecedented three awards at the International Trumpet Guild Competition in 2000. He is also chair of the National Trumpet Competition college division solo competition.
Stoelzel has worked with and commissioned more than a dozen new works for trumpet and as many for brass quintet. Composers include Eric Ewazen and James Stephenson. Stoelzel is also an accomplished conductor. He was the principal pops conductor for the Harid Conservatory as well as music director of the Florida Wind Symphony, a professional wind ensemble based in Boca Raton, Fla. Stoelzel is the founder and artistic director of the GVSU International Summer Trumpet Seminar, which he started in 2005.
Stoelzel is a Yamaha International Performing Artist.
Solee Lee-Clark is co-director of music at First Congregational Church in Muskegon and a staff accompanist at Hope. A native of Seoul, Korea, she started playing piano at the age of four. She received her B.M. from Kangnam University in Korea; her M.M. from University of Southern California; and her D.M.A., in piano performance, from West Virginia University.
Lee-Clark's teaching appointments have included West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, W.Va.; Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, W.Va.; and West Virginia University in Morgantown. Her appointments as an accompanist have included SUNY Fredonia, SUNY Buffalo and Mercyhurst College, Erie, Pa.
She has received numerous scholarships and awards for her musical ability, including the WVU Young Artist Concerto Competition, the French Piano International grant and the Global Education Opportunities Award. Her dissertation will be presented at the 2011 conference of College Music Society in Appleton, Wis.
Lee-Clark has studied piano with Christine Kefferstan, Steven Harlos, Nancy Bricard and Sung-ja Kim. She also has studied organ and harpsichord with William Haller, and is currently studying with Huw Lewis of the Hope music faculty. As a recitalist and accompanist, she has presented programs throughout the United States, France, and Korea. Lee-Clark was a featured soloist with West Virginia University Orchestra, Collegium Musicum, and Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra.
Dimnent Memorial Chapel is located at 277 College Ave., on College Avenue at 12th Street.
Both the Hope College Patrons for the Arts and Yamaha Corporation of America are providing support for the concert.


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Happy Birthday Cherie Currie, lead vocalist of The Runaways, the all-girl heavy metal band she was in with Joan Jett and — ahh, I'd continue, but "Cherry Bomb" is already stuck in my head.
Fun fact: Currie was born in my hometown, Encino! Another fun fact: I very much enjoyed The Runaways movie with Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart. Is that embarrassing? I forget if everyone liked it or just me.
Rock on and have a good weekend.


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The best video surveillance system
best outdoor motion camera
best outdoor motion camera
What is the best wireless security cameras outdoor? What's the best CCTV camera for outdoors UK?
Security cameras selection isn't the only important step in implementing video management software. The software behind the camera must support the features each user is looking for. The 10 Best Wireless Security Cameras of 2020 | SafeWise
Download free version
P2P video surveillance
Strangely enough, there are still practically no inexpensive, convenient, modern products for small companies and home users on the market. Solutions that allow you to detect objects are too expensive and difficult to implement.
The system is based on artificial intelligence and p2p technologies. In this case, server capacities and high costs for video transmission and viewing on a remote computer or phone are not required.
In cloud solutions, a significant part of the cost is the cost of traffic and servers for encoding and decoding video streams, as well as for ai-analysis.
For P2P technologies, encoding and decoding on servers is not required. The server only connects cameras and remote devices.
The video stream is transmitted directly through peer-to-peer connections, bypassing the cloud service.
Web Camera Pro
- p2p video surveillance with artificial intelligence.
best outdoor motion camera
VMS software must be fast, light, and versatile enough to meet any security needs, have stable performance, setup of cameras is easy, requiring users to simply decide between motion detection or continuous recording, enter a camera name, and configure how long files should be kept. VMS connects to IP cameras or webcams and supports many cameras (can monitor and record over 60 camera sources simultaneously) and allows viewer access on the website or on individual devices. The software usually offers a daily summary video creation option and is well integrated with technology for license plate recognition.
Best Outdoor Home Security Cameras of 2020 - CNET Buy products related to best outdoor camera products and see what customers ... Channel 1TB DVR Storage, 100ft Night Vision, Customizable Motion Detection.
The best video surveillance system
Surveillance FAQ


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Here's some good news for Twins fans who want to get drunk at baseball games but really hate having to engage with human beings when purchasing beer: Target Field has just installed a self-serve beer machine, the first to ever exist in a major-league stadium.
Above is a picture of the machine, which is a true achievement in humanity's quest to making getting drunk as convenient as possible. The Star Tribune has the lowdown on how the machine works:
A patron goes to a concession cashier, shows proper identification to verify age and buys a vending card with either $10 or $20 on it for use at the station. There will be $50 cards available for the All-Star Game.
There are four beers to choose from, and they can be bought by the ounce: Bud and Bud Light (38 cents per ounce), and Shock Top Lemon Shandy and Goose Island 312 Urban Pale Ale (40 cents per ounce).
Customers can withdraw up to 48 ounces every 15 minutes. If that sounds like a lot, there is an employee at each machine to not only check identification but also to intercede should a patron appear intoxicated.
This is neat and all, but I feel like knowing exactly how much each ounce of swill is worth is going to depress a lot of baseball fans.


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Reconstructing the evolution and modelling the geometry of the basement under cover
This model was produced by The South Australian Centre for Mineral Exploration Under Cover (CMXUC), a collaborative research initiative of the Government of South Australia and the University of Adelaide.
The northern to central Flinders Ranges area comprise uplifted and eroded remnants of openly folded sedimentary rocks that were deposited in an intra-continental arm of the Adelaide Geosyncline during the Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian.
Despite numerous studies, the geometry and evolution of the basin is still not well understood.
This project aims to reconstruct the evolution from the Neoproterozoic to Quaternary and to model the geometry of the basement under cover.
Note: these models are presented as a 'proof of concept' only and their accuracy (spatial or otherwise) should not be relied upon for exploration or other decision making processes.
Publication Date: 2010
For more information, contact:
Project Geoscientist
+61 8 8463 3073


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Lesson 27
Helaman and the Stripling Warriors
• Items needed: tape, scriptures for each child, two containers, colored markers, several pieces of chalk and an eraser, scissors for each child (child scissors can usually be checked out at meetinghouse libraries).
• Print and cut out the health statements. Tape the "true" and "false" signs onto the containers, one on each. Also print and cut out the characteristics activity items.
• Print and cut out the scripture story visual aids. (The footprints are not in the correct order. This is to allow you to use different colored paper for each of the three groups. To help you identify the groups, there are letters next to each number on the footprints. S stands for stripling warrior, L stands for Lamanites, and N stands for Nephites. Also trace and cut out one blank footprint for each group from the color paper used.)
• Print the small footprints. One copy is needed per child, and they can be printed or copied onto different colored papers if desired.
• Print or obtain the pictures of the Two Thousand Young Warriors and The Anti-Nephi-Lehies Burying their Swords.
• Put the scripture story answer strips on the board using magnets or tape before class begins, or pre-stick them to a small portable display board using sticky tack. Post the big sign that says "Faith in God" on a wall.
Attention Activity
Put the true and false labeled containers on the table. Give each child a health statement, and have them take turns reading their statement. Tell the children to stand up if they hear a statement read that is not true. Ask the children to explain why it is not true. After a statement is read, have the child put their statement in the true or the false container.
Ask the children how they knew when something was false. (Because their mothers or someone had taught them what is correct.)
• What would happen if someone did the things that were on the false statements? (Their body could become unhealthy, sick, or injured). Does knowing the consequences of following the false health statements help you want to do what is correct? Did knowing what was right help you stand up and declare when something was false?
Tell the children that in today's lesson they will learn about a group of young men who were taught what is right by their mothers; they were taught to have faith in God and to be obedient to God's commandments. This knowledge helped them be valiant in doing and defending what is right.
Scripture Story
Remind the children of last week's lesson concerning Amalickiah and his desire to rule over all the land. His wicked desires motivated him to start a war to attain his purposes. Explain that Amalickiah's quest for power was brief because he was killed by the Nephite Teancum. But Amalickiah's brother, Ammaron, was appointed to be king over the Lamanites in Amalickiah's stead. Ammaron also desired power, and he continued the terrible war his brother had started.
There was much suffering and death that occurred because of the war. The Lamanites attacked and captured many Nephite cities. They accomplished this through cunning and through their numberless hosts. The cities they captured were all strongly fortified after the manner of the fortifications of Moroni; all of which afforded strongholds for the Lamanites.
Show a picture of the "Anti-Nephi-Lehies Burying Their Swords", and ask the children if they remember who the people in the picture are and why they were burying their weapons. Remind the children that after the Anti-Nephi-Lehies (the people of Ammon) repented of their many sins, they made a covenant to never shed blood again. Because of their covenant they would not defend themselves against the Lamanites. In order to protect the people of Ammon, the Nephites gave them the land of Jershon to live in. (Put the land of Jershon picture on the top left of the board (or wall).
When the people of Ammon saw the danger, the afflictions, and the many tribulations the Nephites were enduring in the war against the Lamanites, they were moved to compassion and wished to take up arms in defense of their country. Helaman persuaded them not to break their oath because Helaman feared they would lose their souls if they broke their covenant.
The people of Ammon had many sons who had not entered into the covenant. These young sons gathered and covenanted to fight for the liberty of the people. (Put the picture of the stripling warriors at the top right of the board.) These young warriors chose a leader, and then they marched toward the southern borders in support of the people there.
Put footprint number one on the board, next to the land of Jershon, heading towards the bottom right of the board. Have a child read the question on the footprint and then find the matching answer. Have the children look up and read the scripture reference to make sure the answer is correct. If the answer is incorrect have the child exchange their answer for the correct one. Afterwards, add any additional discussion or comments that are listed under the question below. Continue in this manner with each footprint, going in numerical order.
1-S) Who did the young Ammonites choose as their leader? (Alma 53:19) The stripling warriors desired Helaman to be their leader.
• Who was Helaman? He was the oldest son of the prophet Alma the younger. He had been chosen to be the next spiritual leader of the people and the keeper of the records.
• Why would choosing and following a righteous leader make a difference in the young Ammonite's effectiveness and safety in battle? A righteous leader would seek for, be worthy of, and follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost as he made decisions concerning their endeavors.
2-S) How many of these young Ammonite warriors were there at first? (Alma 53:22) There were two thousand of these young men called stripling warriors.
• What does "stripling" mean? The dictionary defines it as a boy in his teenage years who has not yet grown to his full size.
3-S) What did Helaman call the stripling warriors? (Alma 56:10) Sons
• Why did Helaman call the stripling warriors sons? They were young and worthy to be called sons, and Helaman loved each of these young men like a father loves his children.
4-S) What city did the sons of Helaman march to? (Alma 56:9) The city of Judea (Put the picture of the city of Judea on the board, along with footprint five leading to its entrance.)
5-S) How did the Nephites in Judea respond when they saw the stripling warriors? (Alma 56:10 & 16-17) (Joyfully) The leader Antipus rejoiced to have reinforcements to strengthen his army. The Nephite soldiers were also joyful. They had lost many men and had suffered much in defense of their cities, and it gave them hope and joy to see the stripling warriors.
Now that the Nephites had reinforcements they wished to try and draw out the Lamanites from the Nephite cities they had taken. They did not desire to attack the Lamanites in their strongholds.
6-S) Who did Antipus send out of the city of Judea as bait to pretend to take provisions to a neighboring city? (Alma 56:30) Helaman and the stripling warriors
7-S) Which Lamanite conquered city did Helaman and his two thousand stripling warriors march past in order to try and draw the Lamanites out? (Alma 56:31) Antiparah (Put the city of Antiparah just below footprint number six.)
(Put the next footprint (8-L) coming out of the city of Antiparah.)
8-L) What did the Lamanites in Antiparah do when they saw Helaman and his young warriors? (Alma 56:35-36) The Lamanites came forth from Antiparah with their army and pursued after them. Helaman and his stripling warriors did flee before the Lamanites, and thus they did accomplish their goal of leading away a large Lamanite army from their stronghold.
(Put the next footprint coming out of the city of Judea. The footprints after that will be added to the end of the footprints of each group according to their label of L for Lamanites, N for Nephites, and S for the stripling warriors.)
9-N) What were Antipus and part of his army doing when the stripling warriors were marching past Antiparah? (Alma 56:33) They were marching forth from Judea to go attack the Lamanites that came out of Antiparah.
10-L) What did the Lamanites desire to do before the Nephite army overtook them? (Alma 56:37) Slay Helaman and his stripling warriors so they would not be surrounded when the Nephite army overtook them.
11-N) What did Antipus do when he saw the danger to the young stripling warriors? (Alma 56:38) Increased the speed of his army
12 -S) How many days did the Lamanites pursue Helaman and the stripling warriors? (Alma 56:42) Two days and two nights, and into the morning of the third day. (Put one blank footprint on each group to represent the pursuit, and then explain that on the morning of the third day the Lamanites halted their pursuit.
13-S) What did the stripling warriors want to do when they saw they were no longer being pursued? (Alma 56:43-46) They wanted to turn back, even though the situation could be a trap. They wanted to make sure Antipus and his army had not been overcome by the Lamanites.
(Put the next footprints turning back to head towards the Lamanite footprints).
14-S) Why were the stripling warriors not afraid to fight in the battle against the Lamanites? (Alma 56:47) (Love for family & faith in God) They had been taught by their mothers that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
15-S) What did the stripling warriors discover when they turned back? (Alma 56:49) They discovered a terrible battle had commenced between the Lamanites and the army of Antipus. (Put the visual aid that is labeled battle area between the end of the Lamanite and Nephite footprints.)
(Put the next footprint on top of the battle area.)
16-N) What would have happened to the army of Antipus if the stripling warriors had not turned back? (Alma 56:50) The army of Antipus was weary from their long, fast march and they were about to fall into the hands of the Lamanites. If Helaman and his stripling warriors had not returned, the army would have fallen.
(Put footprint sixteen on top of footprint fifteen.)
17-L) The Lamanites surrendered to the Nephites. What factors compelled them to surrender? (Alma 56:54 & 56) With the arrival of the two thousand stripling warriors into the battle, the Lamanites were surrounded, but the most compelling reason for their surrender was that they became afraid when they saw the mighty power and strength the two thousand warriors fought with.
(Put footprint eighteen on top of footprint seventeen, and tell the children that after the Lamanites surrendered, Helaman numbered his young men fearing that many had been slain.)
18-S) How many stripling warriors died in battle? (Alma 55-56) To his great joy he discovered that not one of them had been slain by the sword
After returning to the city of Judea and receiving reinforcements, the Nephites and stripling warriors waged other battles against the Lamanites, and they took back several cities. After one great battle, where they were outnumbered and many people were killed, Helaman was once again worried that that some of his young men might have been killed.
Have six children, in sets of two, quickly draw on the board some stick figures under the title of Nephites, Lamanites, and stripling warriors. Have a child erase some of the Nephites. Explain that a thousand Nephites were killed in the terrible battle. Have another child erase some the Lamanites. Explain that many Lamanites were also killed in the battle. (Activity Source: Teaching the Scripture Readers)
• How many of the stripling warriors were killed in the battle? Every one of the stripling warriors had several injuries, but Helaman was happy to find out that not one of them had perished. (Alma 57:25)
The stripling warrior's preservation was astonishing to the Nephite army, and they attributed it to the stripling warrior's great faith in the Lord that He would preserve them.
The stripling warriors gained their great faith while in their youth as they listened to and obeyed the teachings of their mothers. Heavenly Father gives us parents to love, teach, and guide us through our lives.
• What are some things that your parents or other family members (such as grandparents) have taught you that led you to gaining faith in the Lord?
Give each child a page of the small footsteps and have the children write their answers on the small footsteps. (For example: Keep the Sabbath Day holy, read the scriptures, say prayers, be honest, be forgiving, serve others, etc.) Have them roughly cut a few out and post them on the wall heading toward the sign that says "Faith in God." Tell the children that at the end of class you want them to take their footsteps (cutting out the rest later) and put them on a wall in their room leading to their sign that says "Faith in God". This will help remind them that following the righteous teachings of their parents and family members can lead them to gaining faith in God.
Activity & Game
As the Ammonites listened to and obeyed the righteous teachings of their mothers, not only did they gain great faith but they also developed other strong, righteous characteristics.
Divide the children into four groups and explain that each group is going to look up a scripture that tells about one of the righteous characteristics the young Ammonites developed in their youth. Give each group their characteristic card and their scripture and discussion ideas card. Tell them to read their discussion card and scripture and be prepared to tell what their characteristic is, tell about or describe their characteristic, and read the related parts of their scripture to the class. Have them tape their characteristic on the board. (Be prepared to add in any additional needed discussion to what the children present.)
After a group presents their characteristic, do the following game: Have a child stand and tell how they can demonstrate that characteristic as they go about their day to day life. For example "I can courageously stand up for the right by sticking up for a child that is being picked on." Have the next child stand and say the same thing plus add their own. Continue doing this until all the children have had a turn. (Start with a different child each time a new characteristic is presented.)
• Trustworthy and Reliable (Read the second half of Alma 53:20) The stripling warriors were "true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted." The Lord could count on them to always do the right things and firmly follow through with whatever he asked of them. The people around them could also rely on them to be dependable and trustworthy.
• Courageous (Read the first half of Alma 53:20) "They were exceedingly valiant for courage." They had great courage and did not fear death. "They did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives." (Alma 56:47) They courageously stood for what is right because of their love for their family. Our family and friends are also under attack – spiritual attack. We need to have the courage to stand up for what is right and defend truth and right to help make the world a safer and better place for them.
• Hard Working (Read the first half of Alma 53:20) "They were exceedingly valiant for courage and also for strength and activity.' Valiant for strength and activity means they worked hard to do whatever needed to be done.
• Obedient – to parents, leaders, and the commandments of God. (Read the scriptures below.)
• How did the young Ammonites respond to the commands they received from their leaders and from God? (See Alma 57:21) "They did obey…. every word of command with exactness." (Alma 58:40) "They are strict to remember the Lord their God from day to day; yea, they do observe to keep his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments continually."
(Read this quote after the characteristic of obedience is presented.) "The key to their success was to obey every word and command. Yes, if we are going to draw upon the powers of heaven, intention is not enough. We must obey every word of command with exactness…We must actually obey the law; intention is not enough!" Rex C. Reeve, New Era, Jul 1981
Explain to the children that they can be given the strength and power to stand up for what is right and gain characteristics of great worth like the stripling warriors if they will listen to and follow the righteous teachings and examples of their parents and leaders.
Weekly Reading Assignment
Remind the children to do their scripture reading assignment for this week: Alma 53: 10–22 & Alma 56:21-56


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UnitedHealthcare Nursing Home Plans are Institutional Special Needs Plans (ISNPs) that provide individualized, closely monitored care to nursing home residents. These plans help coordinate care through Optum nurse practitioners and physician assistants on behalf of UnitedHealthcare.
- UnitedHealthcare Nursing Home Plan (PPO SNP)
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans have a defined network of contracted physicians and hospitals to provide member care. Generally, members must use these providers to receive benefits for covered services, except in emergencies. Some HMO plans do not require referrals for specialty care.
Point of Service (HMO-POS) plans include all the features of HMO plans plus the ability to go outside the contracted network for certain health care services - typically at a higher cost. POS plans do not require referrals for specialty care.
Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans offer members access to a network of contracted physicians and hospitals, but also allow them the flexibility to seek covered services from outside of the contracted network, usually at a higher cost. Members do not need a referral for specialty care.
UnitedHealthcare offers Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNPs) that combine the hospital and doctor coverage of Medicare Parts A and B with Part D prescription drug coverage, plus additional benefits and services designed to meet the unique needs of identified Medicare consumer populations.
State-Specific Resources
Tools and Resources - UnitedHealthcare® Nursing Home Plan
- Medicare Advantage Chiropractic and Acupuncture Coverage – Quick Reference Guide
- Medicare Advantage Copayment Guidelines
- Medicare Advantage Member Rights and Responsibilities
- Medicare Advantage Non-Contracted Provider Dispute and Appeal Rights
- Medicare Advantage Non-Contracted Provider Claim Payment Dispute Request Form
- Medicare Advantage Preventive Screening Guidelines
- Medicare Advantage Service Area Reductions for 2021 Frequently Asked Questions
- Readmission Review Program Clinical Guidelines
- Readmission Review Program Frequently Asked Questions
- Special Needs Plans (SNP) Benefit Plan Name Overview
- UnitedHealthcare Administrative Guide
- Medicare Advantage Drug Formulary - UHCMedicareSolutions.com (enter zipcode and select plan)
Additional Medicare Advantage Plan Information
To learn more about the Medicare Advantage plans offered in your area, visit UHCMedicareSolutions.com and enter your ZIP code.
Medicare Part D Information
To learn more about Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage or to access related forms, review the materials available on UHCMedicareSolutions.com under Our Plans > Medicare Advantage Plans > What Do I Need to Know? > Medicare Advantage Plan Information and Forms.
Reminder for Special Needs Plan Providers
UnitedHealthcare provides Special Needs Plan (SNP) care providers access to SNP beneficiaries' Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) and Individualized Care Plans (ICPs) in a variety of ways including mailing, faxing, uploading to the Provider Portal or placing Individualized Care Plans in the SNP beneficiary's physical and/or electronic chart.
Care providers should be reviewing the SNP beneficiary's Individualized Care Plans and participating with the SNP Interdisciplinary Care Team to coordinate the beneficiary's care. Special Needs Plan care providers can register online at UHCprovider.com to begin accessing and reviewing SNP beneficiary Individualized Care Plans via the Care Conductor Tool on Link.


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SAN JOSE — Police are asking for the public's help in identifying a suspect in the robbery of five banks in San Jose and Milpitas over the past eight weeks.
The most recent robbery happened at 2:22 p.m. Monday at a Comerica Bank in Milpitas, according to police.
San Jose police on Tuesday released several images of the robber who appears to be a woman wearing different wigs in the string of robberies — three in Milpitas and two in San Jose. But police said the robber could be a man dressed as a woman.
In each case, the robber enters the bank, hands a teller a demand note and either makes threats or brandishes a handgun, police said. The ¿robber has made off with an undisclosed amount of money.
The robber is becoming progressively more brazen and should be considered armed and dangerous, police said.
The robberies occurred at two Milpitas branches of Wells Fargo at 139 Ranch Drive on Nov. 9 and 1715 Landess Ave. on Dec. 30 and one at 1705 North First St. in San Jose on Nov. 23, a Bank of America at 1245 Lincoln Ave. in San Jose on Dec. 11 and a Comerica Bank at 1289 South Park Victoria Drive in Milpitas on Monday.
Persons with information regarding these incidents are urged to contact detective Enrique Garcia of the San Jose Police Department's Robbery Unit at 408-277-4166. Persons wishing to provide information anonymously may call Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-STOP (7867) or may visit www.tipsubmit.org and may be eligible for a reward.
Also, an additional reward of up to $10,000 dollars (up to $5,000 from Wells Fargo and up to $5,000 from Bank of America) is being offered for the "identification and conviction of the suspect(s) associated with these robberies."
Contact Mark Gomez at 408-920-5869. Follow him on Twitter @MarkMgomez.


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Summary and Keywords
Literature on Hiroshima and Nagasaki cannot be limited to works on the atomic bomb or fiction referring specifically to these locations. Rather, in the nuclear age, it must include a variety of literary works that are conscious of the destiny of the earth, given the danger of nuclear pollution, and engage with the terrible fantasy of the end of the world. As John W. Treat states in his influential critical work, Writing Ground Zero: Japanese Literature and the Atomic Bomb, "The concept of hibakusha now has to extend to everyone alive today in any region of the planet" (x–xi).
The range of nuclear-themed works that symbolically invoke Hiroshima or Nagasaki is enormous. Nuclear literature as a creation of survivors, or spiritual survivors, focuses on an awareness of the planetary catastrophe concerning Los Alamos, Trinity Site, the ground zeroes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and other global nuclear zones. The two nuclear sites in Japan (Hiroshima and Nagasaki) and in the United States (Los Alamos and Trinity Site) are historically connected. The authors and protagonists of nuclear literature have literal and affective transpacific and cross-cultural experiences that when considered together seek to overcome the tragic experience of the first nuclear bomb and bombing, including the Japanese acceptance of American nuclear fictions during the Cold War.
Keywords: Hiroshima, Nagasaki, atomic-bomb literature, nuclear literature, survivors, atomic ghost, Trinity Site, Los Alamos, Cold War, hibakusha
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I will remember one of the 2996.
Michael Uliano probably would have preferred to be somewhere other than at the 105th Floor of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. An options broker for Cantor Fitzgerald, Michael enjoyed his work but would rather have been an actor. Surpassing his love of the stage was his love for fishing. To his fishing lure customers on the net he was known as Artie Fishhills, a play on the word artificial because of his knack for tying fishing flies. So if he could have Mike might have been fishing and clamming off Cape Cod in his old '73 Jeep with the Shark's mouth grill instead of one of millions of New Yorkers reporting to duty at thousands of desks across the world's financial nerve center.
Michael's quilt at the United in Memory Gallery.
Michael acted off Broadway and was working on a screenplay. He so loved acting that he endured the amusement of his fellow Ithaca College football players and took ballet lessons. Many of those expressing fond memories of Michael at Legacy.com remember him on the stage or the football field. As quarterback of Canton high school Mike's Number 10 was retired. He is survived by his wife Linda Buffa, his mother Gail, and eight brothers and sisters.


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Senior Seminar in Song
William and Mary was recently the fortunate host of two outstanding musicians, Nasreddine Chaabane and Amina Bensaad. Mr. Chaabane, who plays the mandole, and Ms Bensaad, who plays the mandolin, informed, inspired and made music with students from Jonathan Glasser's senior Anthropology seminar 'North African Music', culminating in a concert uniting the two visitors, the class, and William and Mary's Middle Eastern Music Ensemble. The performance at the Williamsburg library was given to a packed and very enthusiastic audience.
Mr. Chaabane and Ms. Bensaad, who visited from Oujda, Morocco, are practitioners of a North African musical tradition with its roots in Al- Andalus, whose medieval culture uniting Muslim, Jewish and Christian elements gave rise to one of the most spectacular traditions of poetry and music of the Mediterranean world. That tradition was diverted from its homeland following the Reconquest of Andalusia and Granada at the end of the 15th century. Today this music is echoed in the better known flamenco, but it also lives on among the descendants of those who fled -- or who were expelled -- from the new kingdom of Spain following the fall of Granada. This 'exile' tradition has long been associated with the cities of Oujda and Tlemcen.
Mr. Chaabane and Ms. Bensaad were invited to William and Mary by Jonathan Glasser, the most recent new professor in the Anthropology Department. Glasser studied with a musical association, (L'Association Ahbab Cheikh Salah) founded in honor of Mr. Chaabane's father, and his senior seminar looks at the complex musical heritage of the region. The effect of the visitors was quite evident during a visit to one of the classes they mentored -- grinning students, beaming professor and voices uplifted in song. Although musicianship is not a requirement of the course, Professor Glasser wanted all of the students to participate in and feel a connection to the visitors and their expertise, so he hit upon the idea of having all of the students in the class form a chorus together. The class learned several Andalusian songs and received two weeks worth of tutelage from Chaabane and Bensaad, culminating in their role as the opening 'act' of the concert.
Mr. Chaabane, affable and low key, nevertheless proved a skilled and attentive leader in both class and concert. Despite his relative lack of English, it was evident from the way that all eyes were upon him that he had both the respect and the full confidence of the concert ensemble as he led them through a 'nuba', a complex form of music played in a suite of contrasting moods, tempos and voices which brought the audience to its feet. Ms. Bensaad, a formidable mandolin player, captured everyone with her constant smile and dazzling viruosity. The Middle Eastern Ensemble was up to their usual standard of exciting and solid musicianship, with the nuba joining a long list of other muscial traditions from around the Middle East with which they have regaled William and Mary and local audiences for more than 15 years.


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History and Current Events
August 2018
Recent Releases
Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation
Robert W. Fieseler
What it's about:
In June 1973, 32 people died after an arsonist set New Orleans' Up Stairs Lounge ablaze. The tragedy remained the deadliest attack on a gay club in the United States until the Pulse shooting in 2016.
Why it's significant:
Debut author Robert W. Fieseler's vivid account of the attack's aftermath -- in which indifferent authorities failed to identify the perpetrator -- spotlights a forgotten moment in the gay rights movement and the costly toll of the uphill battle to equality.
Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, a Quest for...
Margalit Fox
What it is
: a page-turning true crime account of the 1908 wrongful murder conviction of Jewish German immigrant Oscar Slater, featuring an unlikely hero at its center --
Sherlock Holmes
creator Arthur Conan Doyle.
Don't miss:
New York Times
writer Margalit Fox's extensive research richly reconstructs how Doyle used his famous creation's deduction methods to exonerate Slater.
The Secret Token: Myth, Obsession, and the Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke
Andrew Lawler
What it is:
Part detective story, part archaeological exploration, this inquisitive study examines the disappearance of 115 colonists from the Roanoke Colony in 1590.
Why you might like it:
With an accessible narrative that will appeal to both history buffs and general readers,
The Secret Token
is an engrossing mystery.
Want a taste?
"If you look at the maps long enough, Roanoke Island can begin to take on the shape of a question mark."
Squeezed: Why Our Families Can't Afford America
Alissa Quart
What it is:
an in-depth and ambitious look at the systemic hardships faced by the American middle class, offering policy-based solutions.
About the author:
Alissa Quart is the executive editor of the nonprofit Economic Hardship Reporting Project.
Book buzz:
Nickel and Dimed
author Barbara Ehrenreich calls
"a keen, elegantly written, and scorching account of the American family today."
Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History...
Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic
What it's about:
On July 30, 1945, a Japanese submarine torpedoed and sank the
USS Indianapolis
, with all but 317 of the 1,196 crew perishing after the initial attack and in the four days before help arrived.
Did you know?
was torpedoed mere days after the completion of its highly classified mission to deliver the atomic bomb "Little Boy" to the Pacific Islands. Little Boy, the first atomic bomb to be used in warfare, was dropped on Hiroshima one week after the sinking of the
Stranger Than Fiction
A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker...
Paul Fischer
What it's about:
In 1978, South Korean actress Choi Eun-Hee and her ex-husband, director Shin Sang-Ok, were abducted under the orders of Kim Jong-Il and forced to create North Korean propaganda films to help bolster the country's lagging film industry.
Is it for you?
This gripping exploration of North Korean filmmaking history offers an illuminating glimpse into a secretive culture, sure to satisfy true crime fans, cinephiles, and Korean history enthusiasts.
Playing Dead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud
Elizabeth Greenwood
What it is:
a fascinating and lighthearted survey of "pseudocide" (faking one's death), inspired by author Elizabeth Greenwood's frustrations with mounting student loan debt.
Don't miss:
Greenwood's attempt to stage her death in the Philippines, a country known for having high rates of death fraud.
For fans of:
Mary Roach and Susan Orlean.
Pilgrim's Wilderness: A True Story of Faith and Madness on the Alaska Frontier
Tom Kizzia
What it's about:
In 2002, the fundamentalist Pilgrim family squared off against the National Park Service after their 420-acre homestead infringed on land owned by Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The initial skirmish kicked off an investigation that uncovered the Pilgrim family's chilling history -- and the fact that its patriarch was not what he seemed.
About the author:
A longtime Alaska journalist (and Pilgrim family neighbor), Tom Kizzia had unparalleled access to the secretive family throughout the course of his reportage.
17 Carnations: The Royals, the Nazis, and the Biggest Cover-Up in History
Andrew Morton
What it is
: a revelatory chronicle of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's close ties to Adolf Hitler, who planned to install the pair as puppet monarchs after his invasion of Britain.
Chapters include:
"Sex, Drugs, and Royal Blackmail;" "A Shady Royal in a Sunny Place;" "The Hunt for Pirate Gold."
Reviewers say:
"reads like a good spy thriller" (
); "hard to put down" (
Library Journal
American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst
Jeffrey Toobin
What it is:
a propulsive account of Patty Hearst's 1974 kidnapping by the radical Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), an organization she later claimed to have joined in earnest, famously robbing a bank with them.
What sets it apart:
Legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin offers a balanced view of Hearst's subsequent federal trial, demonstrating both sides' incompetence and opportunism.
Why you might like it:
Though Toobin never states whether he believes Hearst acted of her own accord, he provides plenty of detailed research for readers to draw their own conclusions.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
McArthur Library
270 Main Street
Biddeford ME 04005
207 284 4181


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There is currently a fire in the Barn, which houses classes and offices. The building has been evacuated, and the fire department is on scene. There are no student, faculty, or staff injuries. More information to come via this channel. pic.twitter.com/t4nKjZkjqG
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At first sight, Panasonic's FT1 looks the nearest rival to Olympus' mighty Mju 8000. It's a similar size, weight and shape and is also waterproof, shockproof and operable down to -10 degrees.
The buttons are small and close together and the markings don't stand out well. The Shutter and Zoom buttons are right next to each other on the top of the camera. It's far too easy to take a picture when you simply meant to zoom in or out.
The FT1 worked fine after freezing, though the battery level indicator dropped considerably. It had no problems shooting underwater and survived a drop test onto a hard floor unscathed.
The Panasonic's 1,280x720 HD Movie mode is a bonus, but for ultimate toughness it has to play second fiddle to the Olympus.
TOUGH ENOUGH: Panasonic's FT1 will stand up to most punishment
Follow TechRadar Reviews on Twitter: http://twitter.com/techradarreview


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Needed: A moratorium on punditry?
Suppose they gave an election and nobody prognosticated?
The current climate of political coverage reminds me of one reason I've been able to stay happily married for 21 years. Early on, my wife laid down the law that she didn't need the emotional rollercoaster brought on by my breathless daily reports of the ups and downs of the Dow Jones Average. We were in the 401(k) business for the long haul and the quarterly statements would be sufficient.
I wish I could so easily ignore 2012's surplus of journalists, analysts, pundits, bloggers and "talking heads" who populate the "24-hour-what-passes-for-news" cycle. I appreciate hearing what the candidates say. I appreciate fact-checking. I appreciate a sincere enumeration of the reasons why Candidate A is the better choice for the nation. But I'm suffering burnout from all the minute-by-minute poll analysis, context, perspective, sage advice, insider scoops, "who's cashing $10,000 checks and who's collecting pop bottles THIS week," etc.
Yes, it is eye-straining, mind-numbing, and gut-wrenching to endure a relentless onslaught of self-important blather about evangelicals, blue collar, skewed surveys, bounces, the base, sticking a fork in it, swing states, game-changers, "his one hope" and the rest.
To hear the pundits, everything hinges on the Latino vote...everything hinges on the retiree vote...everything hinges on likeability...everything hinges on the weather...This election has more hinges than ACE Hardware!
Yes, yes, I've already heard all about the importance of the Electoral College ad nauseum. I half expect that late on the evening of November 6, we'll hear the winner of the presidential race. Then a puff of white smoke will arise and we'll have the announcement of a new pope, the overturning of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and the reinstatement of Pluto as a planet.
Members of the Fourth Estate seem to think it would be dereliction of their patriotic duty if they didn't share every single scrap of trivia and speculation. ("If we don't - King George III will return to power. And stuff.")
Coverage seems to be aimed at policy wonks and super PAC chairmen. There's no discernible practical application for John Q. Public, unless your pappy always told you, "Never change horses in midstream--unless you suddenly learn that the horse is also supported by a razor-thin majority of left-handed lapsed Catholics with more than two but fewer than five years of college."
I try taking it with a grain of salt when some smug know-it-all tells us what the incumbent MUST do or zeroes in on one candidate's FATAL MISSTEP. (Most likely, the fatal misstep will come when the candidate slips on a banana peel on the steps of his presidential library 20 years after completing his second term.)
I've always been a news junkie, but this sensory overload is messing with my blood pressure and my peace of mind. I can't handle the swings between elation and melancholy, overconfidence and despair. I'll find solace only if the animal rights activists start rescuing whatever small furry creatures the prophets are disemboweling for their divination.
Or...I will feel vindicated if just one news organization instructs its pollsters to ask the honest question: "If the election were held today...would you be surprised if TOMORROW we started two years of inane chatter about the 2014 midterm elections?"
&Copy;2012 Danny Tyree. Danny welcomes reader e-mail responses at firstname.lastname@example.com and visits to his Facebook fan page "Tyree's Tyrades".