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Blanca Callén Lancaster University,
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Behind the images and narratives of progress, effectiveness and innovation of electronics that make us believe in dematerialized technology without consequences (Gabrys, 2011:57), there is something dirty and 'forgettable' (Hird, forthcoming). That is electronic waste (e-waste).
Over the past November and December, I followed a group of informal waste pickers in Barcelona to study how they re-materialize and re-purpose discarded computers. What I found is that e-waste is not merely about dirtiness and forgettable materials. It is also about innovative everyday practices that compete to establish and negotiate different ontologies of value and functionality as waste moves across different legal regimes.
A common European Directive, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE), currently regulates the Spanish system of e-waste management. As a legal tool, the WEEE defines a new scenario where agents are more interconnected with their (contaminating) activities and responsibilities. Institutionally, the circuit of e-waste management lies on the so-called Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). This means that, at least theoretically, producers are responsible for the collection, treatment, evaluation, and, if applicable, elimination of waste related to their products. However, as Queiruga et al. (2012) argue, this is not what actually happens. In practice, fines and responsibilities are divorced, and the 'polluter pays' principle's core is corrupted.
Although citizens pay (through an invisible tax that doesn't appear on bills) for sustaining the treatment of the WEEE, only producers (through the EPR) and recycling companies have the right to deal with waste and to make a profit from it. Producers pay municipalities for the collection and temporal storage of waste and then companies make a profit through the dismantling and recycling of waste, which is sold and returned to the production industry.
This European-wide legal framework is supplemented by different municipal laws. In Barcelona, where I conducted my ethnography, the Municipal Ordinance regulates the use of urban public spaces establishing that "the selection and extraction of waste placed in the public thoroughfare" is a minor infraction that is fined with up to 450,76€. This means that recovering things from the street in order to reuse them is penalized.
A (g)local detour in the e-waste flow
Different agents defy these legal dispositions, like the illegal migrants, most of them sub-Saharian, who have been living off waste collecting for almost one year in a squatted industrial complex of warehouses. Most of them get up early in the morning and scour the city with a 'shopping' trolley looking for scrap and all kind of materials and objects, which then they bring to the warehouse, where everything is separated and classified.
Dealers buy scrapped computers and electric and electronic components from these waste-pickers and check if they work. If they don't, they are dismantled into different pieces, such as metal cages, motherboards, or materials, like copper from wires, and are then sold by weight to scrap-yards; functional pieces, such as hard-disks or memory RAMs, are recovered and sold to companies or personal contacts which use them for assembling "new" old computers. Other computers just need to be repaired and have their OS reinstalled. Working electric and electronic appliances are sent by trucks and vans to Africa. Both content and container, appliances and trucks, are then sold in African second-hand markets.
Tilan lives in a nearby squatted warehouse and he is the guy who repairs some of these computers. He tests them, tries to repair them, or dismantles and reuses the functional components in order to assemble new computers. Then he installs pirated OSs such as Windows 7 or XP. He has learned how to do it thanks to 'the Czechs'. "They know a lot about it", he says. The Czechs were his housemates and he has learned by quietly observing how they repaired. He blames some of the waste-pickers, most of them from Romania, who treat computers as if they are just a piece of metal, handling them like scrap. In Tilan's view they aren't scrap: dumped computers are valuable and need to be carefully treated in order to reuse some of their components. If they are dropped, the components may be ruined.
Struggling computing ontologies
The growing number of people scavenging bins and pushing their supermarket trolleys full of scrap, attests to the unsustainable patterns of technology's consumption cycle and problematises utopian narratives of innovation. Importantly, they also hint at the re-materializion of electronics that takes place through their collecting, dismantling, repairing and re-assembling, which keeps these computers in operation and in circulation.
By constantly re-imagining e-waste, these waste-pickers and menders create new forms of value and informal innovation. The innovative character of these practices lies in the fact that they defy e-waste destiny and its ontology: in their hands, a waste-computer is not a singular object defined by its disposal and treatment after manufacture and consumption, instead it is a precarious and temporal knot of heterogeneous assemblages in transition. The key point here is the (possibility of) transition. A computer in the bin, like the boats Gregson et al. (2010) describe, is not valued "for what it is, but for what it 'might become'" (Ib. 2010:853). Informal waste pickers do not work with certainty and 'actuality', but with pure 'virtuality' and possibilities of 'becoming' which transform brokenness, failures or legal restrictions into productive occasions. When an old computer is considered waste and then dismantled and reassembled, it is being transformed from a static metal 'black box' into an open modular object. In this sense, waste-pickers can be easily compared with the Parisian maintenance workers of the transport system followed by Denis and Pontille (2011): both "go through what one would see as the ʻnatural' boundaries of things, and explore and test the relations of components" (Ib., 2011:7).
These waste-pickers operate in a register in which success, functionality and value are not defined by the closure and stability of computers as 'black boxes' through manufacturing (Lepawsky and Billah, 2011:135), but by their ability to move across different ontology registers after they have become waste. This movement, however, is not easy. It depends on different technical knowledges, personal networks, and savings, and implies several risks, like defying European and municipal laws or crossing a desert to deliver them in Africa. Success and failure, it follows, cannot be mapped onto different kinds of objects (e.g. functioning vs non-functioning objects). As a matter of fact, the same object, a computer, can be inscribed in (and by) different logics: the logic of the material and the logic of function, which imply two different value systems defined, alternatively, by weight or bytes. This ontological and temporal issue is the reason for Tilan's complaints about Romanian pickers and also reflects a current tension. The urgency of earning one's living means that success doesn't always mean to repair and re-assemble a computer, but can also mean to destroy and take it apart in components and metals that can be quickly turned into 'fresh' money. A first inspection of the outward aspect of the object and a quick test to check whether it starts up are ways to calculate the potential profitability of the object. Depending on the result, the waste-pickers will decide whether to take it apart or to sell it as an entire object for being re-assembled and repaired.
The story about Tilan and the others talks about 'outsiders' and illegality, and how they intersect, at different points, with the formal circuit: challenging it, when they collect stuff from the bins; dealing with it by symbiotic complicity when they sell the remains after dismantling to recycling and scrap traders; or complementing and polishing it, when they selectively collect stuff from streets and dismantle, classify and sell components and pieces to be later recycled, while earning money throughout the process. Legal and illegal, formal and informal cross over and leak into each other. In this sense, this story shows how we cannot rely on linear and formal accounts to understand the regime of e-waste. This waste regime (Gille, 2010) requires a combination of different scales, circulations and exchanges of boundaries and edges, and a complex meshwork of overlaps, intersections, leaks and detours. It follows that, if we are to understand a particular waste regime it is not enough to pay attention to institutional and formal practices, we also need to pay close attention to those informal, unknown, intentionally hidden or 'forgotten' agents and practices that discretely traverse the streets.
- BOPB, 2001, " Anunci d'Aprovació Definitiva. Modificació de l'Ordenança sobre l'ús de les vies i els espais públics de Barcelona" Butlletí Oficial de la Província de Barcelona 194 Annex I 61. 14th August (Barcelona)
- BOPB, 1999, "Ordenança sobre l'ús de les vies I els espais públics de Barcelona" Butlletí Oficial de la Província de Barcelona 13 32 15th January (Barcelona)
- Denis J, Pontille D, 2011, "Materiality, Maintenance and Fragility. The Care of Things" communication for the Third International Symposium on Process Organization Studies ʻHow Matter Matters', Corfu, 16-19 June 2011
- Hird M, "Waste, Landfills, and an Environmental Ethics of Vulnerability" Ethics and Environment (forthcoming)
- Gabrys J, 2011, Digital Rubbish. A natural history of electronics (The University of Michigan Press, Michigan)
- Gille Z, 2010, "Actor networks, modes of production, and waste regimes: reassembling the macro-social" Environment and Planning A 42(5) 1049–1064
- Gregson N, Crang M, Ahamed F, Akhter N, Ferdous R, 2010, "Following things of rubbish value: end-of-life ships, "chock-chocky" furniture and the Bangladeshi middle class consumer" Geoforum 41(6) 846–854
- La Vanguardia 2012, "La nave de los inmigrantes del Poblenou se usará para edificar pisos" http://www.lavanguardia.com/local/barcelona/20120720/54327943769/nave-inmigrantes-poblenou-hacer-pisos.html
- Lepawsky J, Billah M, 2011, "Making chains that (un)make things: waste–value relations and the Bangladeshi rub- bish electronics industry" Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography 93(2) 121–139
- Official Diary of the European Union, 2003, "DIRECTIVA 2002/96/CE DEL PARLAMENTO EUROPEO Y DEL CONSEJO de 27 de enero de 2003 sobre residuos de aparatos eléctricos y electrónicos (RAEE)" L 37/24 13th February 2003
- Queiruga D, González Benito J, Lannelongue G, 2012, "Evolution of the electronic waste management system in Spain" Journal of Cleaner Production 24: 56-65


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The Village Inn is a traditional Arrochar pub with welcoming accommodation in the heart of the Loch Lomond National Park. We have 14 beautiful en-suite bedrooms, a traditional bar and a small private dining/meeting room. Our restaurant is one of the best places to eat in the area, serving traditional favourites alongside contemporary dishes - all freshly prepared to order.
Originally built as a church manse in 1872, the Village Inn, Arrochar is set in its own grounds complete with large beer garden. Sitting on the east shore of Loch Long and only a few minutes from Loch Lomond we enjoy superb views over the "Arrochar Alps" and the hills and trails of Loch Lomond National Park.
The traditional Village Bar is a focal point for residents, visitors and locals alike - our comfortable, homely atmosphere, friendly staff and open log fires provide the ideal setting for a mid-week break or a weekend away, as well as meeting up with friends for a relaxing meal or a pint of real ale.
• 14 en-suite bedrooms
• Family friendly
• Large restaurant
• Off street parking
• Large beer garden
If you are looking for charming accommodation in Loch Lomond National Park then we are sure the Village Inn, Arrochar is the perfect venue for you. Situated on the banks of Loch Long, our comfortable en-suite bedrooms are tastefully decorated and furnished in a traditional classic rustic style.
We have 10 double bedrooms (some with large double ended baths!) in the main building and a further 4 bedrooms in the beautifully restored mews building to the rear of the inn which has 3 double rooms and 1 twin room - 2 of these bedrooms are on the ground floor.
Our bedrooms are fitted with all of the modern conveniences, including:
• Television and radio
• FREE Wi-Fi access in all bedrooms!
• Hairdryer
• Tea & coffee making facilities
• Two superior bedrooms with loch views
After a great night's sleep you can start the morning with a hearty Scottish Breakfast (or continental if you prefer) in the restaurant while enjoying breath taking views over the loch.
Whether visiting us for a romantic weekend away, a business stay or a midweek break, we are sure you will enjoy the charms of the Village Inn in Arrochar.
Loch Lomond
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Most simple, easy to install and effective Tyre Pressure Monitoring System; connectable to input of the TomTom LINK 510.
Makes use of standard WEBFLEET notifications and reports to alarm e.g. the fleet manager.
24/7 surveillance of tyre pressure. Alarm generated from 5% under-pressure
- On the tyre valve: ideal when parked and pre-trip tyre surveillance
- In-cabin alert during trip
- On Fleet managers' computer: for preventive maintenance and follow up.
Under pressure alarm from 5% air loss in tyre, 20% longer tyre life and avoids higher fuel consumption by 2-3%. (figures from tyre manufacturers)
Automatic temperature compensation controls cold and warm tyre pressure correctly.
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System developer and distributor. Connectable to Telematic systems. Suitable for: Truck, Bus, Van, Car, Heavy vehicles, Tractor.


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Sometimes tumors growing in the brain begin there. These are called primary brain tumors. But other types of brain tumors begin as cancers somewhere else in the body. These can start in the lung, breast, skin, kidney, colon, or other body parts. They may spread to the brain if the cancers are not controlled at the original site. These are called secondary or metastatic brain tumors.
In adults, metastatic brain tumors are more common than tumors that begin in the brain, and are treated differently from those that start in the brain.
Facts about metastatic brain tumors
Cancer may spread to the brain through your lymph system or your bloodstream. Or it may travel to the brain from a nearby tissue. Metastatic brain tumors are becoming more common because people are living longer after having cancer somewhere else in their body.
In most cases, the metastatic brain tumor is found in the cerebrum. This is the outer part of the brain that controls your thoughts, emotions, and language ability. It also is involved in movement and sensing the outside world. But these tumors can appear elsewhere in the brain, too.
Metastatic brain tumors happen most commonly in lung cancer, but can occur in many other types.
Symptoms of this condition can vary, depending on the size and number of tumors in the brain and where they occur. These are possible symptoms:
Trouble walking
Mood changes
Unusual behaviors
Changes in personality
Memory loss
Loss of feeling or movement on one side of the body, typically in the arm or leg
Trouble speaking
Trouble seeing
Sometimes, your doctor will know if you already have a cancer somewhere else in your body. But in some cases, the doctor finds the metastatic brain tumor first. Doctors may diagnose this condition using:
MRI, CT, or PET scan. These are different ways of painlessly creating an image of your brain for the doctor to see. A PET scan is commonly performed to determine whether there are any other areas on the body with cancer.
Cerebral angiography. During this test, dye will be injected through a tube put into a blood vessel. Then the doctor will take X-rays of your brain. The dye shows the path of the blood flow in your brain, which may help show if a tumor is in your brain. This test is not used much anymore and has largely been replaced with MRI and CT angiography.
Spinal tap. Also called a lumbar puncture, this test looks for cancer cells in the fluid found around your brain and spinal cord.
Other tests. Your doctor may do scans of other parts of your body to look for the camcer that led to brain tumor. A doctor may also remove part of the tumor in your brain or the rest of your body to examine it.
A surgeon may be able to remove the tumor during brain surgery. In some cases, the surgeon may only be able to remove part of it. When more than one metastatic brain tumor occurs in the brain, surgical treatment may not always be an option. Other types of surgery may help relieve pressure on the brain and treat symptoms if the tumor can't be removed.
Doctors may be able to treat the brain tumor with radiation. Radiation therapy may involve radiation of the whole brain or more focused radiation treatment (such as with the gamma knife). Chemotherapy may also be an option. In addition, the doctor may provide medicines that relieve swelling in the brain, reduce the number of seizures, and relieve pain.
You can take a number of steps to reduce your risk for cancers that can spread to your brain:
Eat a healthy diet.
Get regular exercise.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Avoid smoking.
Limit your sun exposure.
Have regular screening exams for certain cancers, such as mammograms for breast cancer.
Managing brain tumors
Sometimes, doctors won't be able to cure this disease. In some cases, they will suggest methods to keep a person comfortable during his or her remaining time. These may include specific treatments and medicine to reduce pain and other symptoms.


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A Sandwich a Day: Smoked Meat from Schwartz's in Montreal
A different sandwich profiled every single day.
At Schwartz's Deli in Montréal, there is an established protocol for ordering. You can get your smoked meat sandwich—piles of spice-rubbed brisket on rye with a swatch of mustard—one of three ways: lean, medium, or fatty.
Sitting at the counter, I placed my order the only way I knew how—by pointing at what the guy next to me was having. The animated counterman responded with a single word: "medium." I couldn't tell what punctuation was attached to his sentence, so I just nodded.
As it turns out, there's a fourth category—the medium-fatty, AKA "old-fashioned," which seems to be the most popular. And there lies the rub: one must choose their meat wisely.
Ordering it lean would, to my mind, be an act of heresy. So let's not even discuss that. Fatty, meanwhile, is like burnt ends without the bark. That lovely black crust characteristic of a nice, long smoke is softened up here when the meat is steamed. Don't get me wrong, a fatty sandwich is still a delicious, unapologetically rich one that calls for a hundred napkins. But the texture, bordering on sticky, can be overwhelming.
Medium has been my move so far, and I'm happy with that. As I get older and my metabolism slows down, I'll probably become more of a medium-fatty guy. But one thing is certain: I'll always order my viande fumée as an assiette (plate) rather than just a sandwich. That gets you a mound of meat, a tall stack of rye bread, and your very own squeeze bottle of mustard. Sandwich construction becomes your responsibility. And that's one responsibility I'm happy to deal with.
Schwartz's Hebrew Delicatessen
3895 Saint-Laurent boulevard Montréal, H2W 1X9, Canada (map) (514) 842-4813; schwartzsdeli.com
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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Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Overheard In Our Household
Tony: Nah! I think I should have a grenade.
Ann: In case of a break-in?
Tony: Yeah, if some sub-Mensa breaks in, I'll hold up a grenade. They mess with me? I pull the pin and throw it at them. That'll show 'em.
Ann: Uh huh. So, how do you suppose our home insurance will feel about the damage?
Tony: Self defense!
Ann: An indoor grenade as self defense? And who is the sub-Mensa here?
Tony: Did you take your medicine today?
Ann: Ooooh, that's a good "Overheard", aren't you clever!
Tony: So, now our conversations are just fodder for Overheards?
Ann: Well, now this one is really an Overheard about an Overheard.
Tony: Like I said, did you take your medicine today?
Ann: I'm not on any medicine.
Tony: Then Voltaire was wrong.
Ann: Oh please.
Tony: All things are NOT as they should be.
[I believe this was his comment during a day when I was in a particular state of bouncing off the walls during Phoenix's 115-degree cabin-fever, perhaps]
Tony: You need to find something else to do with your time. Like a 1-person play for 3 years in another city.
[He's so obviously enamored with me, yes?]
24 comments:
- Jennifer S said...
That's the first time I've heard anyone suggest a grenade as a defense in case of home invasion. You two would so be on the news.
I know that cabin fever. Through and through. Let's go to Mexico and get some cheap meds.
- October 29, 2008 at 12:20 PM
- NV said...
"But officer, really, I did WARN him before I threw the grenade ..."
Yeah. That would help with the insurance company. :-)
- October 29, 2008 at 12:52 PM
- John D. said...
RE: "...An indoor grenade as self defense?"
— Jimbo, South Park
* - if you don't watch South Park, this makes no sense whatsoever, and instead my comment is, hope you're having a wonderful day! : )
- October 29, 2008 at 1:13 PM
I really love your banters or 'overheards'. The grenade idea is quite genius, except for the whole mass destruction component.
- October 29, 2008 at 3:04 PM
We get the cabin fever here, except it's the 30 below zero kind. And I think my husband would like to stuff me in a closet for the whole winter because I go so crazy.
- October 29, 2008 at 3:45 PM
- Unknown said...
I'm jealous of your "overheards" :) I hear a lot of bitterness in my home (from me) and a lot of barking (from simon and hallie) and really that's about it.
I think I might need a Tony~
- October 29, 2008 at 4:57 PM
Okay, you forgot portions of that conversation (as usual). Please note that we peacefully negotiate the intruder to the kitchen and then throw the grenade..poof (okay more than a poof) no more intruder and beautiful new kitchen remodel job!
- October 29, 2008 at 7:10 PM
- hungryandfrozen said...
^^ Bwah!
:) y'all crack me up, for what it's worth.
- October 29, 2008 at 10:12 PM
- Adam said...
Ha I've never heard the 'you gotta go find something to do' argument put so nicely. I guess if you make it funny enough, you can't get mad :) You guys live in a fun house... both fun and carnival like.
- October 30, 2008 at 4:59 AM
- RazorFamilyFarms.com said...
Sub-Mensa lifeforms cannot comprehend the overwhelming need to own a grenade. This, from Josh.
You two are so funny! I would love to be a fly on the wall while some of this stuff is going on.
And a man who quotes Voltaire and is not gay -- how did you find that? You are truly a wonder, Mizz Ann.
And for household security -- get geese. They are far more explosive than a grenade. This did not come from Josh but he would certainly agree.
In friendship,
- October 30, 2008 at 5:24 AM
- grace said...
sub-mensa will henceworth be a part of my daily vocabulary. i love it. i also love the fact that voltaire gets tossed around in your day-to-day conversations. :)
- October 30, 2008 at 6:46 AM
- Real Live Lesbian said...
***light bulb clicks on***
I need a new kitchen, too!
Grand idea!
- October 30, 2008 at 8:45 AM
- Jesse said...
And I have a wall I need taken out! Genius idea!
- October 30, 2008 at 10:35 AM
- Ingrid_3Bs said...
LOL! Hilarious! I so love reading your blog. You must post more often.....though I really need to NOT read your blog while at work. I keep getting strange looks from everyone. I thinks its the sudden bursts of crazy laughter especially as I'm supposed to be working.
- October 30, 2008 at 11:48 AM
- Ingrid_3Bs said...
LOL! Hilarious! I so love reading your blog. You must post more often.....though I really need to NOT read your blog while at work. I keep getting strange looks from everyone. I thinks its the sudden bursts of crazy laughter especially as I'm supposed to be working.
- October 30, 2008 at 11:48 AM
- Ingrid_3Bs said...
Oops, my bad! Got a little happy with the publish button!
- October 30, 2008 at 11:49 AM
I was going to write a comment about your post, and how delightfully funny it was. But then I realized, "Hey, you're the 17th commenter!"
That means something, doesn't it?
I thought it did. Are you sure?
Nope, it means nothing.
Well who created these rules? I thought 17 was pretty important and shit like that.
Not only is being the 17th commenter not at all important, but neither are you Morton. You are just an attention whore with genital warts.
Who told you about my warts? Fuck.
Anyway, I'm agreeing with your grenade idea. I'm getting one myself, want me to pick one up for you?
- October 30, 2008 at 12:12 PM
Next thing you know, he'll want a missile (sp?) launcher. And no, you can't have mine.
- October 30, 2008 at 6:26 PM
- Anna Lefler said...
Grenade! LOL!!
Great blog!
:^) Anna
- October 31, 2008 at 9:54 AM
- RazorFamilyFarms.com said...
So, about that dog tag...
- October 31, 2008 at 10:04 AM
- October 31, 2008 at 10:13 AM
- Clumbsy Cookie said...
You guys are soooooooo funny! Maybe Tony could have his own blog, no?
- October 31, 2008 at 1:39 PM
- Gigi said...
I love the "over heard" posts! This one was primo! Thanks for the laughter and the smile Ann!
- October 31, 2008 at 10:05 PM
- ALF said...
Yes. Get a gernade. That would be awesome.
- November 2, 2008 at 3:38 PM


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Mold Removal For Chillum, Maryland Homes and Businesses
Mold is a part of the natural outdoor environment, and can also be found in many homes and buildings in Chillum, Maryland. However, indoors mold growth should be avoided if possible.
You might ask yourself, where does mold come from? Mold can grow indoors on wet or damp surfaces, such as wallpaper, ceiling tiles, carpets, insulation material, wood, and drywall. It sustains itself by absorbing moisture and using that to spread. Depending on the area of the mold source, it can be of several types of household molds.
Common indoor mold type include Stachybotrys (black mold), penicillium, cladosporium, aspergillus, and alternaria. These household mold are known to cause health problems like:
- Headaches
- Breathing Difficulties
- Skin irritation
- Allergic reactions
- Gutters
- Aggravation of asthma symptoms
| Mold Safety Tips
Should your residential or commercial property be affected by mold, get in contact with the mold removal experts at ServiceMaster by Singer by calling our emergency hotline at 1-855-574-6437.
Contact The Certified Mold Remediation Experts At ServiceMaster by Singer
- 24-Hour Emergency Service
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- IICRC Certified Mold Remediation Company
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ServiceMaster by Singer is certified in mold remediation and mold removal by the IICRC. With the training, experience, and equipment needed to remove mold and repair the damage, you can rely on us to properly remove mold.
Our mold remediation process involves us investigating your home or business for the signs of mold growth. After assessing your the area for symptoms of mold being present, we'll inform you of our findings, and create a plan to help remove the mold, and suggests ways to prevent mold in the future.


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|Light brown
It's a little bit tricky to give one general size recommendation for different shoetypes.
Open sandals - 10mm
Closed sandals - 10-15mm
Walking shoes - 10-15mm
Think-lined boots - 10-15mm
Warm-lined boots - 15-20mm
Ruberboots - 15-20mm.
For more information visit this page: Link
Shoes made in Eco Performance Leather will develop a beautiful patina over time.
Remember to wipe off dirt with a brush every now and then. We also recommend using a waterbased cleaner for deeper cleaning without risk of drying out the leather.
In order to nourish and maintain the natural water-repellent properties of the leather, it is necessary to regularly lubricate the shoes with shoe wax.
If there are scratch marks, we recommend you use shoe cream in the same color as the leather. A tip is to apply a small amount of the shoe cream on the heel to make sure the colors are matching.
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We have already written a fair amount about Microsoft Office 2013, including an in-depth review. However, until now, the latest iteration of one of Microsoft's biggest money-spinners was available only to a select group of users. That changes today with the public release of Office 2013.
Office 2013 is a significant step forward for Microsoft in more ways than one. The biggest change is not in the product itself, but in how it is sold. In an attempt to counter the threat possessed by Google Apps and other similar cloud based productivity suites, Microsoft is offering a subscription model for Office. Office 365 Home Premium, as the cloud service is being called, will cost home users $10 per month. Users will have the flexibility to turn it off any time they feel like. Alternatively, users can also signup for an annual account, and get access for $100. Office 365 includes all the popular Office tools including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access. Additionally, it also comes with 20 GB of SkyDrive cloud storage and 60 minutes of Skype calls per month. On top of this, the subscription model offers allows access to Office apps on 5 PCs or Macs. If cloud is not your thing, you can purchase individual Office apps for $110, or purchase the Office Home & Student for $140, Office Home and Business for $220, and Office Professional for $400. Each of these installations are restricted to a single PC.
In terms of features, the biggest talking points include support for touch, roaming profiles with documents, dictionaries, and settings being automatically stored in the cloud, and full PDF editing. Check out this list for a brief quick overview of what's new in Office 2013.


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Need to speak to the police, the local doctors surgery or to contact the towns long serving MP Ronnie Campbell? A list of Emergency contacts and public services for Blyth can be found here. More will be added as information is verified.
All information relating to the good work of ICCQ (Improving Croft and Cowpen Quay) in their own search friendly mini site
Blyth Town Network is a site that has been running for over a decade with the aim of signposting people around the seaside town of Blyth. Part of a community effort to raise the profile of the town we intend to keep this up to date with as much positive news as possible.
The project is a new and unique idea that has the backing of the councils and the support of various partners. More information will be revealed as and when agreements are fully in place.
Want to post useful information on this website? As the project is run by a not for profit organisation (BVEL) a percentage of sponsorship will go back into the project to develop it further. If you are a business in Blyth, get in touch with us at blythtown.net through our contact form and we'll help raise your profile too. With over 8k visitors per month, why wait?


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WASHINGTON — The United States Navy is rushing more of the newest unmanned mine-clearing technology to the Persian Gulf while creating two new sets of crews to operate minesweepers in the region, Navy officials said Wednesday. The effort is intended to balance a renewed American emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region while sustaining a military presence in the Middle East to deter Iran.
The Navy says it has come up with plans to increase its deployments of the latest generation of robotic equipment that can detect and remotely detonate mines as a way to help guarantee a continued — and credible — countermine ability in waters off Iran into next year and beyond, when the number of minesweeping ships on patrol may be reduced.
Two new crews will join the 10 that now rotate duty on the eight minesweepers in the Persian Gulf region. Those additional crews entering the deployment cycle should help relieve the stress on the sailors and their families, while sustaining a high tempo of mine-clearing missions, Navy officers said.
Four of the minesweepers now on patrol in the Middle East are permanently based in Bahrain, home of the Fifth Fleet.
But four others, sent to the region during the summer as tensions with Iran escalated, may be ordered back to their home port in San Diego next year if the situation in the region allows. The Navy wants those vessels back in the Pacific Ocean to meet requirements of President Obama's rebalancing of a military and diplomatic focus on Asia.
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has declared that any action by Iran to block free transit of oil and other commerce in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea would be a "red line," meaning an unacceptable action that would be countered with an American response.
But Pentagon and Navy officials are well aware that Washington's ability to affect Iran's behavior is based in part on Tehran's assessments of American military ability. Defense Department officials are concerned that the Iranian leadership may view American military might as strictly a numbers game, counting only the warships on patrol.
To counter that potential perception, Navy officers have highlighted the effectiveness of the expanded presence of new robotic mine countermeasures being deployed by helicopters and aboard ships.
"We are getting precise tools that effectively, surgically, counter these mines, that map potential mine danger areas and then put our forces on them to kill them," said Rear Adm. Frank A. Morneau, the Navy's deputy director for expeditionary warfare.
"We hope to have capabilities even better than eight ships in the gulf," he added. "We can really reduce the anti-access, area-denial capability of the mine. We are making it impotent."
Pentagon officials — in views affirmed by academic national security analysts — say that while Iran might be able to close the Strait of Hormuz with mines, the effort would not be effective at halting traffic for more than a few days, given American and allied abilities.
In September, the United States and 29 other nations conducted the largest minesweeping exercise ever in the Persian Gulf region, a two-week drill that was also intended as a signal to Iran that the American military is not the only one working to ensure the flow of oil supplies.
In addition to the current technologies aboard mine-clearing ships and sonar sleds hauled through the water below MH-53 helicopters, the Navy is increasing the number of unmanned, remotely piloted systems deployed in the region.
Among them are the MK 18 underwater vehicle, which is a remotely piloted, torpedo-shaped vessel that searches for and identifies mines. Another new technology to be increased in the Persian Gulf is the SeaFox mine neutralization system, a relatively inexpensive and expendable underwater drone that can approach a mine and detonate.
The Iran Project is not responsible for the content of quoted articles.


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A Great Lakes Legacy!
Along the Detroit River, on any given day, a well-known diesel motorship brushes up against
a much larger, passing vessel. A rope and bucket are lowered from the ship to the smaller boat,
where messages, mail and other items are placed and raised back up. It's the tradition called
"mail in the pail"…and a legacy known as J.W. Westcott, the most reliable and dependable
marine delivery service on the Great Lakes.
When You Need Something, We're There!
Since 1874, the J.W. Westcott Company has been serving the Port of Detroit, offering
ship to shore service 24-hours a day, during the navigation season:*
- U.S. mail delivery
- Freight delivery, storage & forwarding
- Message service
- Water taxi service (to and from vessels)
- Pilot boat services for the Port of Detroit
- The sale and delivery of snacks & cigarettes
- Marine Bookstore offering U.S. and Canadian nautical charts, U.S. Government Publications, maritime history books, manuals for the professional mariner & postcards
At J.W. Westcott, we're proud of our fine heritage and look forward to serving you in the future.


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Published Monday, June 12, 2017
Happy Birthday to ...
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KiowaCountyPress.net may earn an affiliate commission if you purchase products or services through links in an article. Prices, when displayed, are accurate at the time of publication but may change over time. Commissions do not influence editorial independence.


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From the Post-Tribune
In another letter, he talks about how he wanted their time together for three days — which appears to reference their time in Michigan — to show her how much she matters to Jesus Christ.
The girl and her family are still dealing with the ramifications of the relationship, according to letters they wrote to the court.
The girl wrote about how she spent her entire life in the church, listening to Schaap preach three times a week and being taught that he was a messenger of God.
"He told me to confide in him, to trust him, and he made me feel safe and comfortable around him as a man of God," she wrote. "(Schaap) preyed on that trust and my vulnerability."
In another letter written to Schaap, she says she was shocked when he first kissed her. When she asked if it was wrong, Schaap told her it was OK.
"You told me that I was sent to you from God, I was his gift to you," the letter says.
She admits that by the time they were discovered, she thought she was in love with him and at first didn't admit he had victimized her.
Now she's had to transfer schools, and her family was told it wasn't safe for them to return to the church, according to letters from her parents. The girl writes that although she still struggles every day, she is determined to "get through this and grow from it."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Koster says in the sentencing memorandum that Schaap started grooming the victim in April 2012, after an administrator at the girl's high school, run by the church, emailed Schaap about how she was "frightened, confused and emotionally traumatized" and in need of guidance.
The administrator wrote that he told the girl to let other people guide her life for now and to trust her leaders.
Schaap encouraged her to talk to him about a past romantic relationship and to view him as a friend. The two called and texted each other frequently, including 662 times in one month, before he was discovered. Phone records show he instigated contact in all but five of those days.
The government's filing says he duped church employees into helping transport the girl across state lines, telling them the girl was "in an extremely vulnerable state" and that he needed prolonged time alone with her to help her.
"In our 'fantasy talk,' you have affectionately spoken of being 'my wife,' " Schaap wrote in one letter. "That is exactly what Christ desires for us. He wants to marry us + become eternal lovers!"
Federal prosecutors included the letters in the government's sentencing memorandum for Schaap, which was filed Wednesday evening in U.S. District Court in Hammond.
Schaap has pleaded guilty to causing the girl to be transported to Illinois and Michigan last year for a sexual relationship. Schaap resigned from the megachurch, one of the largest in the country, last summer after church members discovered his relationship with the girl and reported it to local law enforcement.
In his letters to the girl, Schaap often discusses how he helped save her from self-destruction, helping to put her on a "better path of living — that's what we call Righteousness."
However, he really took her to his personal property in Crete, Ill., and to his cabin in Cadillac, Mich., once spending 36 hours alone with her. When the employees grew concerned about the girl's continued absence and texted Schaap, he claimed the girl had fallen asleep on his couch.
He also engaged in sexual behavior with her in his office at the church during a youth conference, according to the government's filing.
Schaap later lied to his staff when they grew concerned about the amount of time he spent with the girl by claiming the girl was on her period and was just resting on his couch. A staff member found photos of the two a few days later, which led to the federal investigation.
Koster disputes claims in Schaap's own sentencing memorandum that he was stressed from the church's decreasing finances and having to work 100 hours a week to make up for fewer staff members.
"The only way (Schaap) could have been working 100-hour weeks during the time period investigated by the government is if he's counting the many hours he dedicated to grooming and sexually abusing the victim," Koster says in the filing.
She defends the government's agreement to recommend a 10-year sentence for Schaap, noting he agreed to plead guilty even before he was charged.
Comments open below
NLQ Recommended Reading …
'Breaking Their Will: Shedding Light on Religious Child Maltreatment' by Janet Heimlich
'Quivering Daughters' by Hillary McFarland
'Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement' by Kathryn Joyce


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Congratulations, Arthur L. and Ina Jean Strobel! They've been married for 65 years, a commendable accomplishment. I'm going to recommend, given Arthur's interests, that for his 66th anniversary, they reward themselves with a real genetics class.
Here's their anniversary announcement, published at, I presume, their own expense. He rambles on about his service in WWII, and then, strangely, talks about the actions of a German major who was charged with defending a bridge, and who might be a distant relative. Which leads him to talk about the inheritance of the Y chromosome, something about Romans and Celts, salt mines, and National Science Foundation Institutes. Also,
Arthur and Ina Jean consider attendance with and participation in a scripturally based church to to be of high importance for a long, happy, useful and satisfying life. They consider fiscal responsibility to be very important for family stability. They never pay extra for an extended warranty on a television, refrigerator, washing machine, automobile or anything else. They prefer to pay the complete price at the time of purchase for these items as extra pay for financial charges would be unwise. Arthur and Ina Jean consider spiritual and fiscal development and maturity to be worthy goals.
Then we're back on the chromosome business, where we learn that having a Y chromosome makes you strong, good at chess, and able to solve Rubik's Cubes quickly, while having two X chromosomes allows you to touch the back of your head with your foot. Also, one trick is to tell stories that don't go anywhere. Like the time I caught the ferry to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for m'shoe. So I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt. Which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Gimme five bees for a quarter, you'd say. Now where was I… oh yeah. The important thing was that I had an onion tied to my belt, which was the style at the time. You couldn't get white onions, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones… . Oh, wait, no — I got that last bit somewhere else.
I would not recommend going to the anniversary party. Arthur's sure to corner you and lecture at you for hours.
(via Kajed Heat)


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18 July, 2020
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Sour Cream, Raisins, and Rhubarb
This article is dedicated to my mother-in-law, Lucille Palmer. She must have been a good cook, for after 41 years of marriage I'm still hearing about it.
My husband's past is tied to food. I often said that a trip to visit my in-laws was like being diabetic (I should know, I am one).
A diabetic's life is not an easy one. Meals are tied to time and content. Once a meal is out of the way you are planning for the next. I find a diabetic spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about food. All of the above applies to my husband's family.
Diabetics usually think about food we can't eat. Here endeth the similarity, for they ate everything and lots of it.
My husband's family spent more time planning, timing and thinking about food than any group of people I've ever known. Once breakfast was finished and the dishes cleared, my father-in-law would be asking what was for lunch and dinner. It was, my husband explains, due to the fact they were farming people. Food was energy. Timed to get you out in the fields where you would burn up that energy, then back in for the next meal, and so on. Every meal was rewarded with dessert.
My husband has always spoken longingly of his mother's cooking, so when his father died and we cleaned out the family home he was so excited to happen on an envelope of her handwritten recipes. Heavily weighted toward dessert, I might add.
In going through the little handwritten cards I found three ingredients used over and over again. Sour cream, raisins, and rhubarb. There was sour cream raisin cake, pie, and cookies. Sour cream rhubarb cake, pie, and cookies. The sour cream raisin pie was the most exciting find for my husband. Sour cream raisin pie is his favorite.
Reading through the recipes was a miniature history lesson featuring 1950's decorated cards, cards attributing the authorship to her children, relatives, neighbors, and an occasional cut-out from one of the farming magazines. Ingredients of the time and of her garden. Ingredients such as Karo syrup, Crisco, and the irrepressible Jell-O. And from the garden zucchini, rhubarb, corn, and plums. Food memories for my husband.
There were recipes titled Linda Bundt's Bundt Cake, Betty Harvey's Frog Eye Salad (Serves 35), and Kathy's Ribbon Ice Box Dessert. Many of the cards are punctuated with Lucille's comments - Very Good, the Real McCoy, problem!
And tucked away in the middle of thousands of cards I found a surprise. A recipe in my own handwriting. A dish I had made for Lucille over forty years ago. Saved. To understand my surprise, you'd have to know I was a second wife, a difficult position to play in any game. After thirty years, she warmed to me. So, even if she never made my recipe. She saved it. And that means a great deal to me, even after all these years.
In her honor, I am scanning the cards and transcribing the recipes into a book for her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. It will tell of her life and be punctuated with photographs. I think it would have pleased her.


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Really. I'm doing it now. It's done.
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Some people loooove candles or bedsheets or electronics, but the thing that really excites me has four legs and lets me be lazy. Chairs are so cool. You can put anything on a chair—yourself, a dress you're too bored to hang, a purse, or nothing.
In filling up my new apartment, I discovered I have a chair fetish. I like all kinds of chairs. And you can find a few unique models for reasonable prices, unlike tables or couches.
I discovered my chair fetish during a short-but-intense period of being a crazy GiltGroupe.com person. I also looked at Rue La La often. I only bought little accessories, like French Quarter light switch covers (so necessary!), but here are a few things I would've bought, had I the funding and the space:
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Friday morning I woke up at an ungodly hour to talk briefly about San Diego Magazine's Best of San Diego party on a CW morning show.
Then I headed over to Point Loma to help set up.
The staff and I had our hair and makeup done for the shindig.
Diet starts Monday!
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The move into my new apartment has been slow because I don't have much furniture, except a bed. I'm still not fully in.
Sunday, my grandma took me shopping.
First we went to Crate & Barrel. She got me the Klyne chair-and-a-half and ottoman-and-a-half (in the color "dolphin" (gray), to be delivered next month), plus some throw pillows, a can opener, and a floor lamp.
We dropped off the lamp, pillows, and can opener at my place. She had also brought towels, extra utensils, a new coffeemaker and toaster, liquid soap, and kettlecorn for me, too. You know, the essentials.
Back in the car, heading south.
She told me that "Kate" (I'm supposed to know that's Middleton) likes Jimmy Choo, but most of the styles are kind of strange-looking. She's excited that "brown" is in for Fall. She doesn't like Kim Kardashian's hair when it's pulled back, and she is done with The Bachelor—she says the people must only be doing the show for publicity because they never get married. HA! Kinda true.
THEN (my idea), we went to a place called IKEA.
My first trip there was the night before with my friends Cheryl and John. They were looking at something there, and I accompanied. But I'd never seen the warehousey part What a sight!
She had to comment on how many people were there.
She had to ask—very seriously—regarding a bookcase, "What holds it together, glue?"
We had to get these carts. We were each pushing one, and she said (again) very seriously, "Sometimes it's better to pay for service."
There was an IKEA guy talking us through the delivery process, since we got held up at the idea of lifting a box onto the cart (aisle 6, bin 13). He said we'd still have to stand in line at checkout.
She told him she thought the service at IKEA was terrible. He said, "Those darn Swedish!" She said, also trying to be light, "Yes, why are you like that?" Me: "No, he's not Swedish!"
Poor guy!
Then, as we're driving out:
Grandma: "I'll have Uncle Boyd [her handy son-in-law] assemble everything on Monday."
Me: "What if he doesn't want to put together my furniture?"
Grandma: "Then he can do it on Tuesday!"
Oh, man! My poor family! I've been loving having the help of family, but I bet they're so happy I stayed away for so long!!!
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Well, I'm back from Japan and I've just been getting over jet lag and working a lot!
Japan was really cool and impressive. Tons of great shopping. (P.S. I did not get the sunglasses I wanted (sold out), but I did get a simpler version from the same collection.)
There was a lot of raw fish to eat, and sometimes, with the memory of the smell from the world's largest fish market, and the dried fish juice on my feet (after the fish market), it was a bit of a challenge. But it was all so fresh and gourmet! I also had Kobe beef and another kind of beef (Wagu?)…I forget.
The Imperial Gardens were soooo quiet. It was just so peaceful, I could've stayed in the park forever—if only it'd been a little cooler (and if there hadn't been more shopping to do!).
Tokyo is the cleanest city I've ever seen (no one owns a dog), and safe (you can leave your wallet in the street and no one will take it. Not that I did).
The shopping was my favorite. I covered Ginza, Omotosando, and Marinouchi districts. I also saw the Harajuku girls dressed up and walking around in Harajuku.
What a trip! See my Facebook album for more pics (love the one at the top! it's from a kimono dressing workshop—they wrapped a million layers around me, especially towels around my stomach to make me look more straight and upright and flat).
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"Gaijin" means "foreigner" here in Japan. Pronounced "guy-JIN."
I think it's similar to "gringo" but it's all foreigners, which includes Chinese and everyone else. It doesn't matter if you've lived here for 20 years and you totally get it—if you're gaijin, you're gaijin. But! That's not to say they're not loving me over here. 🙂
I bought some wooden flip flops. I've always wanted some. At a Japanese department store, Matsuya Ginza, a woman in a kimono sold them to me. I asked about the socks. She didn't understand. I bent down and touched hers. "Ah! Socksu!" They are actually called "tabi." I got some tabi and the shoes, "geta."
I thought it might be offensive or touristy to actually wear them, but I went upstairs to breakfast in them, and the staff were so excited. One woman said hers were too uncomfortable to wear. I think they feel fabulous!
I gotta admit, I have small feet in the U.S. (size 6.5), but giant ones here. I got the largest size, and my feet are still hanging off the back (slightly) and off the sides, for sure.
Next, I tried to buy these sunglasses. They're probably not flattering, but I just want to see. They are so interesting!
I'd asked Horton Plaza in San Diego to call me whenever they get them. No call. Ever.
I was sure they would have them in Tokyo.
I went to the Prada lady and was like, "Do you have…circles?" And I made a circling motion at my temples, but not like "You're crazy."
She didn't understand.
So I went for broke and used the name of the style. "Minimal baroque?"
"Sold out!"
Heart-breaking! "How long ago?"
She didn't understand. (So funny, she doesn't know "how long ago" but she knows "minimal baroque.")
My friend said, "When…?"
"Two weeks ago."
Darnit! So close.
At least I have my flip-flops. And socksu.
Oh! Also, I bought John Irving's The World According to Garp in Japanese. I buy this book in every country I go to, except I couldn't find it in Icelandic and I think I forgot to look in Brazil. Irving is more widely read around the world than in the U.S. And I just love that book.
Okee, bye bye!
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Right now I am sitting in the Star Lounge at LAX, enjoying a glass of complimentary Cabernet from the open bar. I already had a cappuccino and some cookies. Life is good.
But make no mistake: this is not how I normally roll.
Sometimes people ask me what a "press trip" is. (I am going to Tokyo on a press trip today.) A press trip sends journalists, writers, and editors to other places in hopes that they will write about those places. A magazine or newspaper does not assign a story and then pay for the writer to go (who has the money?). Rather, a tourism board, or a new hotel, or even a renovated nightclub will fly members of the media to the place they hope will get exposure or publicity. They try to show the writers a good time in hopes that they'll write nice things ("give good ink") about the place and that someone will publish it. Often, there is a tour of some sort, special meals, even a hotel massage.
Because of this, I have been able to travel to some awesome places—and fly/stay way nicer than I usually do. It's a bit confusing because normally I'll be on a Southwest flight, sitting in a middle seat by the bathroom. But every once in a while…
I'm thinkin' Japan needs visitors. Singapore Airlines has a new direct flight from LAX to Tokyo, and they've invited some of us over there, and Shangri-La Hotel is putting us up!
When I lived and worked (on a mag staff) in New York, I turned down a lot of trips because the editors there make you feel so guilty about leaving the office. Everyone is crazed and deadline-panicked all the time. The work ethic you need to have requires you to rethink your values.
But I have such a cool boss in San Diego. Like me, she is a native San Diegan. Initially, she was invited on this trip, and then she passed it to me. (Lucky day!) I still feel bad leaving the September issue unfinished, but she made a good point that is one I always forget: I don't make enough money to travel like this, so I should take it. True, true! Guilt be gone.
People think I have such a glamorous life, and it does feel fab at times, but I've always said—you can't pay your rent with a free iPod, Nike shoes, or a trip to Tokyo.
And that's why I'm moving into a studio with no stove or oven. But I'll be okay.
Winky, winky.
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As of yesterday, I'd visited my new studio twice and never noticed something…until I looked at a picture…
See this photo of the kitchen? What is missing?
There's no oven or stove! Can you believe it?! I was so occupied with making sure the closet and bathroom were big enough, I didn't even notice the kitchen!
That shows you how into cooking I am!
Darnit, though, I have new pots and pans… I guess I won't become a better cook while I live here. It's going to be salads, canned soup, sandwiches, cereal, microwave dinners, and takeout.
Wouldn't it have been funny if I had lived there for like, two weeks and got up to make spaghetti and got out my new pot and filled it with water and salt and was like, "Hey, wait a minute…."
My mom got me a "Pasta boat." It's this plastic thing where you microwave pasta in it, and it's vaguely in the shape of a cruise ship. I'll have to try it out—because I'm Italian and I gotta have my pasta! But I can also always go over to my parents' house and make lasagna and freeze it.
Anyway, I'm mostly moved in, but I need to buy specially-shrunken-sized furniture to fit the place.
The studio is really cute—it's two rooms, plus a bathroom that's large enough for me to blow-dry my hair and all that.
So! Also! Tokyo—! I'll be going on Tuesday. Press trip…I get back on Sunday. I'll fill you in when I return!
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My friend Erin P. has joined some random, local cinema society (average age: 74…not kidding, we heard a giant thump during the movie—an old guy fell asleep and keeled over in the aisle). She had two tickets to an early screening of The Help, with Emma Stone. So I went after work.
I hadn't been too interested in the movie—I thought it looked cheesy, but afterwards…well, I'm a believer. It was really moving. And funny. Actress Jessica Chastain was soo amazing, as was Viola Davis, Sissy Spacek, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Octavia Spencer. They were my favorites.
A lot of the lines were hard to understand because of everyone's strong Mississippi accents and talking too fast. At one point, I asked Erin what one of the characters had said, and she shouted out something really racist, including the "N" word, when the movie and theater had gone quiet. (Granted, she was repeating the line, but like, a minute later.)
There were a lot of women in this movie, which you don't see very often. Even Steel Magnolias had more men than this one. So that's great. And I learned a lot about race relations in the 60s. After having read biographies, novels, and oral histories (mostly for school, I'll admit), I thought I knew all there was to know about how people were treated and what fed the Civil Rights movement. But honestly, this movie was an education. And it was interesting.
It was also funny. But I mentioned that earlier. Two thumbs up!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bryce dallas howard, emma stone, jessica chastain, octavia spencer, sissy spacek | 8 Comments »
@shebrihart, well, well, well! Look at you! SO proud! And I can't believe you're still in touch! SO impressed!
Well, ladies, come on, now. A triathlon? What are we so afraid of?
Okay, I've had a few drinks, but…what freaks us out, and what should we be planning for 2012? I just met a girl who was freaked to turn 30. We're all freaked about something.
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Maria Gillard
*Cafe Now Open Limited Days!*
Our cafe is now open 4 days a week with indoor & outdoor dining, music, & Little popcorn!
We are currently unable to show movies indoors, as per New York State health regulations. Stream movies in the Virtual Little, read our COVID-19 statement, and consider becoming a member or donating to help us survive!
Maria Gillard
Maria Gillard is a talented singer, songwriter, and educator from the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. Best known as a folk musician, she has grown to embrace a wider style range including jazz, swing, and blues. She leads the Maria Gillard Band, a four-piece Rochester-based swing/jazz band. She is also revered in folk and bluegrass circles, often toting a mandolin and singing impeccable harmonies.
Her compelling voice draws you into her lyrics which, when combined with memorable melodies, head straight for the heart. Maria's songs offer wise, humorous, and sometimes painful observations on life and relationships. She tells stories through her music in ways that are soul stirring, evocative, contagious, lively and energizing. When you listen to Maria's songs, you feel her heartache and, more often, her joy and delight at life's experience. She has a warm, inviting, natural flair, which leaves audiences wanting more and coming back!
As an educator, Maria received a bachelor's degree in Music from SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music. She is a music instructor and directs a vocal jazz ensemble at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua, New York. She has worked for the Aesthetic Education Institute as a teaching artist, given concerts and held workshops in schools and nursing homes for many years. She teaches private voice, piano and guitar lessons in her home and has toured as a folk musician throughout the northeast.


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This is a game to practice house, rooms and furniture. Students are dealt cards and fill in the blanks, use photos, written prompts or cues to form sentences in order to produce the target language. If students give the correct answer play goes to the next player. If students give an incorrect answer they must pick up their card and wait until their next turn to try and answer it again. The student that gets rid of all of their cards first Wins! (See English Card Game Rules for alternate playing method with money)
Visit our Website for Free Samples, Special Savings and Online English Classes: eslfungames.com
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Guillermo del Toro may very well be the most busy person in Hollywood. He's attached to produce/write/direct/develop a multitude of projects, so when it was announced that del Toro would be producing a 3D stop-motion animated iteration of Pinocchio, the news came with the assumption that del Toro wouldn't have a ton of time to be super hands-on with the project. All that changed last month when it was announced that, after spending more and more time with the project, del Toro has decided to co-direct with Mark Gustafson. Though we got our first look at some artwork from the unsurprisingly dark tale last February, some new artwork from Pinocchio has surfaced and it's unsurprisingly gorgeous.
The image comes from EW, who notes that del Toro doesn't plan on shooting Pinocchio until 2013 even though he recently stated he'd like to release the film in 2014. Given that he's currently busy with post-production on Pacific Rim and pre-production on Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson, the 2013 start-date makes sense. Though it appears we have quite a while to wait until we see the finished film, hit the jump to marvel at some of the enticing artwork as well as the previously released images.
Images via EW and Dread Central.


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The Ryan Budget
Aug. 26 issue editorial regarding honest discussion of Catholic social teaching in matters of prudential judgment.
When Mitt Romney, the presumptive GOP presidential candidate, announced that Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., would be his running mate, Republicans steeled themselves for a full-scale war on the congressman's controversial budget plan, which proposes cuts in a range of social programs designed to provide health care, food assistance and other subsidies to the needy and seniors.
Already, Ryan is being accused of decimating social entitlements, and, as the November 2012 election looms just a couple of months away, Democratic activists and ad campaigns are warning vulnerable beneficiaries that Ryan's policies leave them unprotected.
Catholic leaders and activists have expressed their own strong reservations regarding the budget's impact on the needy.
This year, Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton, Calif., and Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, have issued open letters protesting proposed cuts in specific programs.
Sister Simone Campbell, the executive director of the social-justice lobby Network, has been speaking against Ryan's policies in television and print media interviews.
"The bishops have said Ryan's budget doesn't pass the moral test," she told the Daily Beast, "and we stand with the bishops on that one."
While some of Ryan's Catholic critics affirm a holistic view of Church teaching on moral and social issues, pinpoint specific budget priorities in the Ryan budget and explain why they think they are wrong, more often the candidate is attacked in a blanket way for violating Catholic social teaching by simply proposing spending cuts.
In these latter instances, the naysayers assert that his intentions are wrong: He's giving tax cuts to the "rich" and refuses to tackle the military budget.
The partisan diatribes ignore a host of inconvenient truths, from massive ongoing cuts in military spending to the limited impact of raising taxes for the wealthy. Another would be that, when a government massively overreaches itself, cuts to programs for the poor shouldn't come as a surprise. It's part of exercising prudence.
Ryan's message: Let's have a serious conversation about fiscal responsibility and the national debt now, or you'll be forced to do it when entitlement programs go broke.
Ryan remains good-natured through all the pushback — in the rough and tumble of election-year politics and with regard to critiques launched by some Church leaders and lay Catholic activists and commentators.
Some of the naysayers freely employ their Catholic bona fides to pummel Ryan's integrity, while ignoring or justifying the pro-abortion voting record of his opponents. Sister Simone, for example, cites the bishops' concerns about Ryan's plan, but, as a strong advocate of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, she clearly believes the organization is under no obligation to uphold Catholic teaching on life issues, traditional marriage or religious liberty.
It's easy to become antagonized or cynical about the morphing of legitimate debate on the application of Catholic social teaching into partisan smear campaigns.
But the furor Ryan's candidacy has generated in the public square and in the Church also provides an opportunity for a deeper reassessment of how Catholic leaders and many well-intentioned activists tend to approach the budget debate.
The truth is: We won't identify just solutions by attacking the messenger — whether it's Ryan or any other politician asking the electorate to grapple with some tough calls.
We are free to disagree with his judgments, but national debate about inconvenient realities is long overdue.
Our government continues to spend money we don't have, steadily increasing the national debt to be paid off by future generations.
Thus, the demand for fiscal responsibility is not "social Darwinism," as some have called it, but a deeply moral and courageous response to an unsustainable reality.
This summer, the Kansas Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement that addressed the debt problem. "The United States has become a debtor nation with an unsustainable national debt. Most of this debt burden is unjustly transferred from one generation to the next. The potential for a collapse of our economy, resulting from a failure to address our spiraling debt, imperils everyone, but places the poor at the most serious risk," the bishops of Kansas stated.
"As we expect individual households to live within their means, we have the right to expect that the government will also live within its means as an indispensable part of our nation's economic recovery. It is irresponsible for those elected to positions of political leadership to fail to address realistically and effectively government debt and unfunded obligations."
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also will be developing a letter addressing a range of moral, social and economic concerns posed by the recession and the debt crisis.
As Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore and others have noted, serious ethical lapses, fostered by moral complaisance and greed at the highest levels of our government, financial and corporate sectors played a significant role in our economic collapse.
Across broad swathes of the middle class as well, a culture of consumerism distracted Americans, leading families to put off hard choices until it was too late.
The Church can help lead the way out of this quagmire first by providing its own flock with the formation that provides a sturdy compass for navigating difficult choices in family and political life. Further, we can approach the
Ryan budget as an opportunity to reassess established positions on government spending and to secure the survival of the Church's own social agencies.
Diocesan Catholic Charities and other outreach programs heavily depend on government funds, but it may well be past time to identify solutions that leverage volunteers and in-kind donations.
While we put our own house in order, let's retire the smear tactics, assume Ryan's good intentions when he states his case and take up a creative, honest discussion of Catholic social teaching in matters of prudential judgment.


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Hall of Fame Member
There is a lot of talk around Australia that Micheal Clarke might get dropped for the next Test against the Windies, if Langer is fit. Considering dropping Clarke would mean that Brett Lee will be the youngest player in the side at 29 (i think). If this does happen where would it rank in terms of the oldest side to play Test Cricket. I doubt it wold be the oldest as prior to the 30s some players played till there 50odd, but i think it would have to be one of the oldest Test sides since 1950s. So does anyone know what is the oldest Test side, in terms of age and where this Australia team without Clarke would rank?


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GTCGeneral Terms and Conditions of Business (GTC) of sidatoverlag
§ 1 Area of application
(1) The following General Terms and Conditions of business apply exclusively for the business relationship between sidatoverlag and the customer, in the version applicable at the time of concluding the contract.
(2) Different terms and conditions of the customer are not recognised, unless sidatoverlag has expressly agreed to these in writing in the individual case.
§ 2 Conclusion of contract, withdrawal
(1) By submitting an electronic, written or oral order to sidatoverlag, the customer makes an offer in the sense of §145 German Civil Code (BGB, Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch). The customer receives confirmation by email of receipt of the order.
(2) The contract with sidatoverlag comes into being when it accepts the offer. Acceptance is subject to availability of the goods or services ordered. If sidatoverlag, for reasons for which it is not itself responsible, cannot accept the offer of the customer, it is entitled to withdraw from the contract. In this case the customer will be informed by email.
§ 3 Delivery, shipping and handling charges
(1) sidatoverlag delivers the goods ordered to the address given by the customer in the order directly after receipt of the order, insofar as the goods are available (for deliveries outside Germany, after receipt of payment).
(2) Delivery schedules which extend beyond fourteen days will be notified to the customer by email. Statements of anticipated delivery dates are without obligation.
(3) All shipping risks transfer to the customer as soon as the goods are handed over by sidatoverlag to the shipping organisation involved.
(4) sidatoverlag is entitled to make partial deliveries. Shipping and handling charges are for the account of the customer.
(5) For larger orders, sidatoverlag reserves the right to require payment in advance or to send the goods cash on delivery. The customer has to bear any additional shipping and handling charges incurred.
(6) Shipping and handling charges for deliveries within Germany are 2.00 € per shipment. For countries outside Germany but within Europe, shipping and handling charges are 3.00 € for EU countries and 5.00 € for non-EU countries. Shipments outside Europe will be charged at 10.00 €.
§ 4 Revocation
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(2) The customer has in any event to bear the shipping and handling charges stated on the invoice for the dispatch to the customer.
(3) Returns to sidatoverlag must be addressed as follows:
sidatoverlag, Georg-Büchner-Strasse 21, D-18055 Rostock, Germany
(4) In case of revocation, sidatoverlag repays to the customer the purchase price already paid by him. Any costs which may have been incurred by sidatoverlag for shipments with insufficient postage are deducted. In the case of payments to countries outside Germany, the costs of the money transfer are deducted.
(5) The right of revocation is excluded for contracts for the supply of goods which are produced in accordance with specifications of the customer.
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(1) sidatoverlag supplies the goods ordered on account within Germany, and against payment in advance outside Germany.
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(2) sidatoverlag uses the data of the customer exclusively for the purpose of fulfilling the contract concluded with the customer.
(3) sidatoverlag does not pass on personal data to third parties.
§ 9 Place of jurisdiction
(1) This contract is subject exclusively to the substantive law of the Federal Republic of Germany.
(2) Place of jurisdiction for all claims in connection with the business relationships of sidatoverlag is Rostock.


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Saturday, August 22, 2009
Gift Du Jour
Posted by karen at 12:07 PM 8 comments
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
28th Summer
That are like 100 years old.
Room 210 {where my parents stay} hasn't changed much since I was 13.
Above: Aunt Nancy Killian and sis Megan parasailing. We also went with Aunt Cindy, cousins Beth, Bree, & Sarah, Sisters Meg and Sus, nieces Madeline, my Jax and Caroline, and my mom. My only regret is that I didn't smuggle a camera in my shirt pocket somehow to get some shots from the bird's eye view. It was so peaceful and surprisingly silent that high above the ocean. Worth every penny.
(Above: Caroline and I parasailing)
(Above: Mom and Dad)
(Above: My Ellison)
(Above: Beautiful Sis Megan)
(Above: Jax and my mom)
(Above: My mom and Jax paragliding)
(Above: Dad)
(Above: Jax and Sammy)
Posted by karen at 1:03 PM 12 comments
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Slurp it on Blurb
If you are on the fence about transferring your blog posts to a tangible hardcover book, DO IT.
It's called slurping your blog. It's how I justify blogging these days. At least my posterity will have something of perceived wit and self-aggrandizing charm from their Great Great Great Grandma Karen Louise Hoopes Tobler. Either that or they will think I was some useless fluffhead.
I would have loved to know more of my ancestors' insights/perspectives/challenges/thoughts. About anything.
McFullOfSurprises slurped my blog for Mother's Day. Love that guy. He and sidekick Jax had a great time choosing the posts and photos for it. I love the format, and the weight/quality of the paper is heavy. first class. I have no idea how they actually did it, but there's more info here.
Posted by karen at 10:18 AM 5 comments
Monday, August 10, 2009
Schoolhouse Rock
In preparation for her elementary school debut, my darling Kindergarten girl, Ellison, lovingly laid out the outfit she would wear that first exciting day. It took me almost an hour to talk her out of the Dora pajama set she'd chosen. She's also chosen to wow the future class of 2021 with a hot pink patent leather belt--worn as a hair accessory.
Posted by karen at 8:30 PM 7 comments
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
This one's for you, lady.
My pal Lonni is laid up. In the hospital. For 70 days now. On bedrest. Pregnant. Unexpectedly. At 43 years old. Enduring a trial she'd probably rather not endure. Anticipating her baby boy (she has three girls), who is currently dubbed Spartacus for his tenacity. Who will arrive via induction on Monday. I wish I could teleport myself to Boise to talk to her in person. And eat some of the desserts her friends have been bringing her in a failed attempt to get her to put on some weight. And partake of blessed "Massage Day Thursday."
My p.m. girlfriends (pre-Marc, pre-marriage, or pre-McThanksForRescuingMeFromSinglesWardPurgatory) came over today with their kids for a playdate. Stacy, Sherri, Maria, Anita, Camille. We were talking tons about a certain conspicuously absent girlfriend. Who was laid up in a hospital somewhere in Boise. Maria even tried to call this girl Lonni so we could all reminisce a tad. (she was probably off galavanting around at her 75th ultrasound).
After they left, I was musing about the many things that we women have collectively gone through since becoming friends almost 15 years ago: marriages, divorce, miscarriages, infertility, adoption, years of schooling, loss of employment, physical ailments, surgeries, loss of a parent, disappointment, financial hardships, many moves across the country, agonizing over which school to send our children to, the joy of our children. We don't get together often, yet when we do, it's as if not a day has passed. We pick up right where we left off.
I practically begged my friends not to leave today. Stay a little while longer. I was just starting to get caught up over Diet Coke, deviled eggs, hummus, Sherri's cream cheese pineapple bars, and pigs in a blanket, but alas, naptimes and whines ultimately trumped adult conversation.
On an entirely unrelated tangent, it's entertaining to note that every single one of this group of girlfriends got married in our thirties (OK I was 29), which is like 72 years old in Mormon Girl years, or 11 years in dog years. We are all older moms, and occasionally find ourselves lost in a sea of stereotypical 25-year old energetic Barbie-esque moms at our childrens' schools. I get tired just watching them hop their lithe little top-heavy bodies into their Hummers with lift kits. Ho hum. [bitter spell is...over].
Our experiences weave a strong and unbreakable cord of commonality among us "vintage moms".
Lonni hosted a ton of people (including my SIL Maren who wasn't my SIL Maren at the time) at her parent's house in Vegas one New Year's Eve, circa 1996.
Beautiful tall blonde Lonni.
We love ya, girl. I miss you. Can't get you off our minds. We're worried with you about your impending blessing/challenge/adventures.
Now if this video clip doesn't cheer you up a smidge, I got nothin'.
Posted by karen at 9:43 PM 7 comments


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How much is a name worth? Beats, by Apple's standards at least, is a $3 billion brand.
Costing a cool $379.95 (about £224, AU$404), I ask again: how much is a name worth? It's difficult to review the Beats Studio Wireless headphones without dwelling on the price tag. But if you're ready and willing to spend, you'll find Beats makes a mean pair of cans.
Hearing Beats Studio Wireless for the first time is an amazing experience – especially if you're accustomed to lower-end headsets. Music is crisp and sharp, even listening to less-than-lossless media. Small details come through crystal clear. That said, the Beats have a tendency to cater to the lower end of the audio spectrum, leaving some of the high and mid registers' nuances somewhat muted.
Aesthetics and build quality
Simply put, these headphones are drop dead gorgeous. The headset's narrow bridge has a sleek black finish and sports the company's understated logo. The underlying padding is a cushiony plastic that, while not what I'm used to, conformed to my cranium comfortably.
Moving down the arms of the headphones are expandable rails; they're functional and slim, but nowhere near being fragile. They extend 2 inches and should accommodate a variety of head sizes. Below those are the minimalistic exterior earcups. There's a single button located on the "B" of the left cup – a Bluetooth sync switch. Pairing took a few seconds on my iPhone 4s and, once connected, never lost the signal. You can run a standard, 3.5mm auxiliary cable, too, if you've yet to hop on the Bluetooth wave.
The reflective black plastic makes for a beautiful sheen, and a red accent along the rim completes the package. On the inside, leather padding helps form a passive seal, while a barrier of foam separates the driver from your outer ear. The leather helped keep my head pleasantly cool during longer listening sessions. Only once or twice did I feel the need to stop due to overheating.
Sound quality
Here's where things get hazy. The Beats sound darn good. The bass pleasantly thumps and rattles the ears, while high notes delightfully twill in the latest pop songs. Rap, rock, metal, J-Pop – you name it, the Studio Wireless set can handle it.
Listening to David Bowie's "Space Oddity" was an experience unlike anything I've ever heard before. The bass line in The Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go" made me feel like a proper Londoner, while Flogging Molly's "Devil's Dance Floor" reminded me how repressive "the man" is. It was downright emotional, and that is about the best compliment that a reviewer can give a pair of headphones.
However – and there's always one of those – the way I heard these songs through these headphones wasn't how they were intended. In fact, everything you hear through a pair of Beats isn't true to the source. Again, the bass is enhanced to the point of dulling the mids and highs.
I didn't find it offensive, though there are many who would. Beats would be better off making a balanced pair of headphones with an equalizer inside the Beats Music app.
There's also a bit of sound leakage that starts to escape around medium volume. It almost goes unnoticed in quieter numbers. But turn on bass-heavy music, and everyone on the bus will know what era of rap you're into. Despite everything, though, they sound good – just not $400 good.


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NOTE: This is a slightly updated version of an article I published three years ago. I have added a new section about the restrictions recently added by the European GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
Several newsletter readers have sent messages to me expressing dissatisfaction with records that were available online at one time but have since disappeared. I am offering this republished article as an explanation about why we should not be surprised when that happens. I will also offer a suggestion as to making sure you keep your own copies of online records that are valuable to you.
Two newsletter readers sent email messages to me recently expressing dissatisfaction that a set of images of vital records has been removed from a popular genealogy site. Indeed, removal of any online records of genealogical value is sad, but not unusual. Changes such as these are quite common on FamilySearch, MyHeritage, Ancestry.com, Fold3, Findmypast, and many other genealogy sites that provide images of old records online. Removal of datasets has occurred dozens of times in the past, and I suspect such things will continue to happen in the future. I thought I would write a brief explanation.
In most cases, information of genealogical value obtained from government agencies, religious groups, museums, genealogy societies, and other organizations is provided under contractual agreements. The contracts specify what information is to provided, how it is to be made available, and what price the web site owner has to pay to the provider for the records. All contracts also have a defined expiration date, typically 2 years or 3 years or perhaps 5 years after the contract is signed.
When a contract nears expiration, the two parties usually attempt to renegotiate the contract. Sometimes renewal is automatic, but more often it is not. Maybe the information provider (typically an archive) decides they want more money, or maybe they decide they no longer want to supply the data to the online genealogy service. For instance, in the time the information has been available online, the information provider may have learned just how valuable the information really is. The information provider may decide to ask for more money or may even refuse to provide the information any more since the provider may have a NEW plan to create their own web site and offer the same information online on their new site for a fee.
Sure, that stinks for those of us who would like to have the information everywhere; but, it makes sense to most everyone else. I am sure the budget officer at most any state or local government archive thinks it makes sense.
Every contract renegotiation is different, but it is not unusual to agree to disagree. The contract ends, and the web site provider legally MUST remove the information from their web site. The same thing frequently happens to all the online sites that provide old records online.
Another issue that has become a problem recently is the European GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). These new rules apply to all public records in Europe. These regulations arose because of the concept of the "right to be forgotten," mostly concerning people who had legal problems in the past but have since reformed and do not want the old records to constantly create new problems. The regulations are generic and open to various interpretations. While not specifically requiring information about ancestors of 100 years ago or even earlier to be removed from public view, many people and organizations have taken a conservative approach and deleted any record sets that are even slightly questionable under the new rules.
A full discussion of the GDPR would consume hundreds or even thousands of web pages so I won't attempt that here. Instead, you can find many online articles that address the issues created by the GDPR by starting at Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation and then moving on to https://duckduckgo.com/?q=gdpr&t=hi&ia=news.
One problem for web publishers is how to create two separate services: one to display European records that comply with the GDPR and also create a second service that displays records from the rest of the world. Some web publishers have simply removed ALL records that might not comply with the GDPR regulations, regardless of the geography involved.
The moral of this story
If you find a record online that is valuable to you, SAVE IT NOW! Save it to your hard drive and make a backup copy someplace else as well. If there is no option to save, make a screen shot and save it on your hard drive and save another copy in the cloud or some other place where it will last for many years. Just because you can see the record online today does not mean that it will be available forever.


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Unfaithful to the Puzzler?
From: Albert Stadt
On today's show you advised us that since the Puzzler is on vacation, we could revisit "Old Puzzlers" on the website.
But this would make me feel guilty. What would the vacationing Puzzler feel about that? While the Puzzler is away, we will play? Isn't this being unfaithful?
When Tom's wife is away, does he visit one of his former wives? I am shocked and appalled that you are promoting the decline of values in our society! Shape up!


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Four Hope College graduating seniors or recent graduates have received prestigious Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Another two recent graduates received honorable mention through the program. It is the second year in a row that six graduating seniors or recent alumni have received either fellowships or honorable mention.
Named fellowship recipients this year were two current seniors --Amy Speelman of Darien, Ill., and Blair Williams of Fenton -- and two alumni: Jamin Dreyer, a 2006 graduate from Holland; and David Gonthier, a 2007 graduate from Holland.
Receiving honorable mention were two alumni: Jonathan Moerdyk, a 2009 graduate from Paris, and Joseph Stodola, a 2009 graduate from Jenison.
Dreyer and Moerdyk had also received honorable mention from the program in 2009.
Dr. Moses Lee, who is dean for the natural and applied sciences, and professor of chemistry, stated, "We are very proud of these students and our faculty. The fellowships are helping us move closer to realizing the college's vision 20/20 plan, which has a goal of raising academic excellence to an uncharted higher level."
Nationwide this year, the NSF awarded approximately 2,000 fellowships and recognized another 2,025 applicants with honorable mention.
The awards are for students in the early stage of pursuing a research-based master's or doctoral degree in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. The fellowships are for up to three years, and pay a $30,000 annual stipend, a $10,500 cost-of-education allowance and a $1,000 one-time international travel allowance.
* Amy Speelman, a chemistry and French major, will pursue graduate studies at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. She has conducted research with Dr. Jason Gillmore and Dr. Brent Krueger, both of the chemistry faculty. In 2008, she received one of only 321 scholarships awarded nationwide by the Board of Trustees of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation to undergraduate sophomores and juniors, and earlier this year she was one of only 44 students around the world presented a 2010 Student Travel Award by the Biophysical Society for the organization's annual meeting, held in February. She is the daughter of David and Linda Speelman of Darien, and a 2005 graduate of Timothy Christian High School.
* Blair Williams, a mechanical engineering major, will pursue graduate studies at either Stanford University or the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He has conducted research with both Dr. Tim Pennings of the mathematics faculty and Dr. Miguel Abrahantes of the engineering faculty. In 2009 he received one of only 278 scholarships awarded nationwide by the Board of Trustees of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation to undergraduate sophomores and juniors. He is the son of Darlene Williams of Fenton and Robert Williams of Belleville, and is a 2006 graduate of Flint Powers Catholic High School.
* Jamin Dreyer, a biology education major, is pursuing graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
* David Gonthier, a biology major, is pursuing graduate studies at the University of Toledo.
* Jonathan Moerdyk, a chemistry major who had also received a Goldwater Scholarship in 2008, is pursuing graduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin.
* Joseph Stodola, who double-majored in chemistry with a biochemistry emphasis and music, is pursuing graduate studies at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.


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Where the learning begins! Use the "Select a School" menu at the top of every page or jump to LPS or WAS here.
Our middle school, located within the high school, provides an enriching educational experience for grades 7 and 8. Visit the site
Memories abound at the high school! Visit the HS site here or by using the "Select a School" menu at the top of any page.
The South Hunterdon Regional School District, a small, close-knit school district working in partnership with our community, provides dynamic and innovative educational experiences that challenge and empower each student to strive for personal excellence and positive global citizenship.
The South Hunterdon Regional School District does not discriminate in admissions or access to, or treatment or employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. Click here for contact info


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Always striving to stay on the cutting edge of library technology, Eccles Health Sciences Library has moved all of its helpful research guides to Springshare's Campus Guides system, which is the larger, campus-wide version of Lib Guides. This "Web 2.0 content management and library knowledge sharing system" helps libraries "to create attractive multimedia content, share knowledge and information, and promote library resources to the community. Academic, Public, Special, and School Libraries find LibGuides an ideal solution for subject guides, information portals, course guides, community guides, research help, faculty/teacher support, etc." (from the Springshare website)
CG allows librarians and teachers to quickly and easily organized all types of electronic resources into a single package and present it to students, etc. Its features include:
- Ability to put RSS Feeds, Podcasts, and Videos on your Guides.
- Tagging and categorizing by subjects.
- Polls, Resource Ratings, Comments, User Submissions.
- Templates, Collaboration, Reuse of Content: when a resource (website link, etc.) is added to the CG database it is accessible to anyone using the system. And if you update the resource, the update automatically populates to all other guides using it.
- Link Checker: When you add links to your guides the system automatically checks for broken links a few times per month and creates an actionable broken links report.
- Integration with Del.icio.us and Social Bookmarking: Librarians can easily embed their del.icio.us tag clouds into CG. In addition, users can share their favorite LibGuides on del.icio.us, Facebook, Digg, etc. They can also email CG to a friend.
Current guides available cover a wide variety of topics in the areas of medicine, nursing and pharmacy. New guides are being added as needed. We invite you to browse our collection of guides. Need a collection of resources tailored to your class? Post a comment with your request or contact us via Ask-A-Librarian on our website.