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Catholic Charity Helps Lift People Out of Poverty
Christian Foundation for Children and Aging is a Catholic nonprofit that helps children and the elderly through sponsorships. June 17 issue feature
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Allison Yancey and her family, of Wadesville, Ind., had been sponsoring a Filipino child through the charitable organization Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) for 11 years, but it wasn't until she joined a mission trip in 2011 and met her sponsored child that she fully realized the impact of their sponsorship.
"Before the trip, it was writing a check and an occasional letter — and hoping that it reached its final destination," said Yancey. "After going on the trip, I was impressed with the integrity and the level of commitment of CFCA and the hope that the sponsored children have."
The mission-like international nonprofit was founded by lay Catholics to assist people of all faiths living in poverty in developing countries. CFCA was originally incorporated on Nov. 20, 1981, when the Bob Hentzen and Jerry Tolle families gathered their Christmas card lists and sent a mailing to hundreds of relatives and friends asking them to consider sponsoring children. Hentzen, a former Christian Brother, and Tolle, a former Jesuit priest, had been missionaries in Central and South America and had witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of poverty. They, along with Hentzen's siblings — Bud, Jim and Nadine — were committed to finding a way to help. That original letter, Bud Hentzen recalled, "fell flat on its face."
Eventually, sponsors trickled in. Today, through CFCA's Hope for a Family program, more than 250,000 sponsors assist some 300,000 children, youth and aging persons.
In April, CFCA reached a milestone: having distributed more than $1 billion in aid to more than 650,000 children and elderly.
The interpersonal connection with a sponsored child is one of the aspects that first attracted Yancey to the nonprofit.
"We were looking for a charity to support and saw a CFCA ad in our local Catholic newspaper," said Yancey. "Through CFCA, we wanted to find someone in similar age to our son Brennen, who was 9 at the time. We wanted someone he could correspond with and also someone from whom he could learn about the culture."
CFCA has projects in 22 developing countries located in five regions, including Mexico and Central America, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and South America. Its largest project is in Guatemala, which is the location of one of the founding projects.
Sponsorship costs $30 a month, about $1 per day. The children, youth or aging receive support such as food, clothing and education supplies. In exchange, the sponsor receives a photograph, letters and the prayers from the sponsored recipient.
In addition, socialization and exercise programs keep the aging engaged in their communities. Children also receive such benefits as medical care and blankets.
"Benefits depend upon the local project and their needs," said Larry Livingston, director of church relations with CFCA. "We give our people in the field with the families as much say as possible regarding what benefits to receive."
Mission Trips
The benefits, however, go beyond the families being helped. Sponsors are also touched through their charity. About 1,000 sponsors go on CFCA's mission-awareness trips annually to visit the projects that they financially support, and they have the opportunity to meet their sponsored individuals. CFCA coordinates approximately 48 mission trips each year.
"They're not luxury trips," said Father Arthur Kirwin, OP, of Irving, Texas, one of the priests who gives talks at Catholic parishes in support of CFCA. "They're safe, simple trips where sponsors go to meet their sponsored friends and see how CFCA works."
"That was a life-changing trip," said Yancey, who took a 10-day journey to the Philippines with her parents and her teenage son Brennen. "The trip really opened our eyes to the work that CFCA is doing on behalf of all the children and elderly and their commitment to help them get out of poverty."
During the trip, Yancey had the opportunity to meet with the social workers, meet with their sponsored child, Rey, and to see how the donated money is used.
"Our assistance provides Rey with clothing, school supplies and food," said Yancey. "If he needs some basic medical and dental care, they help with that as well."
"We visited different livelihood projects where families and communities can provide a service to their community that they can be paid for," added Yancey.
"Both Brennen and I underestimated the impact that our letters had," she said. "A simple word of encouragement, our photos and small gifts give them hope to continue under difficult circumstances. The sponsored children have every reason to be unhappy, but when you visit them, you see all this hope on their faces."
Yancey said that she was most touched by meeting Rey's mother and seeing how hard she had to work to provide for her four children.
"She made her income by washing clothes 10-12 hours per day, in addition to cooking and doing other household tasks," said Yancey.
The Yanceys worked with CFCA to provide her with a washing machine and a bicycle so that her children could get to and from school.
Itinerant Preachers
CFCA utilizes 35 priests, most of whom are retired, as independent contractors to help spread the word about their work. Father Kirwin has been preaching once or twice a month for CFCA for the past 10 years at various parishes.
"At the invitation of a pastor, we preach at all the weekend Masses," explained Father Kirwin.
In addition to tying the work of CFCA to the Sunday readings, the nonprofit assembles folders of individual children and elderly to have on hand after the Masses. Each folder includes a photograph and information about the person, the makeup of their family, and other data.
Three-quarters of CFCA's sponsors are the result of parish visits. Father Kirwin has had as few as 20 and as many as 200 individuals sponsored as a result of a weekend visit.
"It's not donating or adoption; it's sponsorship," said Father Kirwin. "That involves an ongoing commitment. We ask people to pray and to write to their sponsored person a couple of times each year. Wonderful things happen."
Father Kirwin told the recent story of a couple from Baytown, Texas, who had begun sponsoring a girl from the Philippines about a dozen years ago as the result of a priest visit to their parish.
"The couple told me that the girl had no shoes, and she looked unhappy," explained Father Kirwin. "They had sponsored her through high school, and through CFCA had paid for her to go on through nursing school. She was finished with nursing school, and the couple planned to attend her graduation."
"Walking with the poor is a way that people can connect with their Catholic faith," said Father Kirwin.
The charity's "core values flow from Catholic social teaching, the dignity of the human person and the sacredness of human life," said Livingston.
"Most of our sponsors are Catholics who want a viable and trustworthy way to put their faith into action," said Livingston.
"We do not have an overt evangelistic mission," noted Livingston. "Our primary objective is to help people raise themselves out of poverty. There's no litmus test for those who receive benefits. Having the word 'Christian' in our name puts the burden on us rather than on those we serve."
Today, the Yancey family sponsors not only Rey from the Philippines, but three other children as well. They see the assistance they provide as completely consonant with their Catholic faith.
"As Catholics, we feel compelled that as we have been blessed, we're meant to go out and bless and help others," said Yancey. "This is a way of doing that on a large scale and knowing that it really does make a difference."
Tim Drake is the Register's senior writer.


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Royce Fetherman feels like he's growing a family tradition at his tree farm in Cherry Valley.
Royce Fetherman feels like he's growing a family tradition at his tree farm in Cherry Valley.
The choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm is a family business started by his dad, Alden "Red" Fetherman, in 1984. Royce, now retired from the Air Force Reserves, works the farm with his wife and daughter.
Fetherman's eyes dance when he talks about the family tradition of customers choosing that special tree.
"Some head for the biggest tree they can get," Fetherman said. Others come to the farm together, and what Mom says goes. Sometimes the youngest child gets to choose the tree. And occasionally, Dad gets fed up and leaves mom at home and picks the tree he wants.
Fetherman's Eagle Rest Tree Plantation will be one of eight featured farms on the 2012 Monroe County Self-Guided Farm Tour next Saturday. Fetherman will be giving visitors a glimpse of the eight-year's worth of work that goes into each tree before it can be sold.
Featherman has about 6,000 to 7,000 trees on the farm on about eight acres, but he's aiming to get 20,000 on 40 plantable acres. "I'm about 6,000 to 8,000 behind where I want to be," he said.
That's because he was serving as a navigator in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and often got the call to active duty. He has been in every war since the Gulf War in 1991.
Budget restraints also come into play, as fertilizer and trees are expensive.
The farm has a mixture of concolor fir, Canaan fir, blue spruce and balsam.
Fetherman said one of a tree's worst enemies is a lot of rain, and some of the fields are wetter than others. He tries to plant the trees that can tolerate more moisture in those low-lying areas of the farm, reserving blue spruce for the side hills.
A healthy tree will grow 10 to 12 inches a year. When a tree's roots are too wet, it might only grow five to six inches.
The Canaan fir has a nice color, soft needles and good branches for medium-weight ornaments. The concolor smells like oranges when it is cut.
Most of the trees now have softer needles, which both bear and deer love. Fetherman will point out damage to the some of the trees where deer have rubbed their antlers. He's seen bears back up to the soft trees, reach around and grab the tops. "You'll see tree shaking," he said, laughing.
He'll also tell stories of eagles and osprey, fox and coyote that come to visit.
That perfect Christmas tree shape is no accident. Every year Fetherman shears all the trees to shape them and cuts the non-competing leaders to make a straight, single trunk. "You don't want a double trunk. That makes an unsaleable tree."
He tapers the branches just enough to shape them without taking away the limbs for ornament hanging.
His dad is still involved. "He doesn't mind mowing, which I absolutely hate," Fetherman said, "I don't mind shearing and fertilizing."
Fetherman doesn't use many chemicals, but he does spray bands of grass from tree to tree. Then they only have to mow the rows between the trees. "It helps to keep mowing costs down," Fetherman said.
A good dose of fertilizer goes a long way to keep a tree healthy and pest- and disease-resistant, but the cost is prohibitive. "If I could fertilize every year, I could reduce the seven- or eight-year cycle by one year."
When he has to make a choice, Fetherman fertilizes the younger trees.
Featherman is on watch for pests that can destroy trees. He has bought lady bugs to battle aphids. He treats them with a soda and water solution to keep them from flying off so he can put them on the trees.
"That takes care of one pest," he said.
He tries not to use herbicides but sometimes he has no choice or he'll lose a field.
If he isn't planting, shearing or fertilizing, he's keeping up with the equipment. "If you're going to have a productive tree farm, it takes a tremendous amount of time," Fetherman said.
He doesn't like the sales part, and leaves that to his wife, Debra, and his 18-year-old daughter, Audra, who he has dubbed "the field manager" on sales days.
When people start coming on the first weekend in December, the "sales force" is ready. Fetherman tells them, "Look people in the eye, answer their questions and help them, help them, help them."
It keeps people coming back, sometimes with a bunch of friends. Fetherman has a few groups who tailgate in the parking area for a few hours before picking out their trees. In addition to usual cookies and hot chocolate served, he might build a fire.
Last year, Santa came riding out on a tractor handing out presents to children in the group. Fetherman will visit and hear what they've done since last year.
Of course, there are the last-minute people. "I'm still selling trees on December 24th," he said.

subset: commoncrawl


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There is one positive thing that I can honestly say came out of chemotherapy. It came up with my hairdresser today when she happened to notice that I have great eyebrows. I know it sounds funny, but hey, let me have this one thing. I have always had darker and thicker eyebrows than most women, but not quite as great as Brooke Shields.
I was constantly plucking and shaping them and then breast cancer hit. Chemotherapy thinned them out quite a bit, but it couldn't quite get rid of them.
So today, my hair dresser commented on how great my eyebrows looked. When I told her I did not have to pluck or shape them ever, I knew she was impressed.
We suffer so much through chemotherapy. Many of us struggle with our appearance as our hair grows back and we try to reclaim our beauty. Our self esteem is assaulted and our fatigue often shows on our face. With so many other things to deal with, most of us don't even have the energy to worry about our hair, face or the condition of our skin after treatment. A little perk like perfectly arched eyebrows is a wonderful surprise in the midst of the hard journey back from breast cancer. It certainly doesn't outweigh the adverse affects of chemo though.
Important: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not Everyday Health.


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The Graduate Center365 Fifth Avenue
October 10, 2013: 4:15 PM-6:15 PM
TITLE: Crossdisciplinary Approaches to American Sign Language Research: Linguistically Annotated Video Corpora for Linguistic Analysis and Computer-based Sign Language Recognition/Generation
ABSTRACT: After a brief introduction to the linguistic organization of American Sign Language (ASL), this talk will present an overview of collaborations between linguists and computer scientists aimed at advancing sign language linguistics and computer-based sign language recognition (and generation). Underpinning this research are expanding, linguistically annotated, video corpora containing multiple synchronized views of productions of native users of ASL. These materials are being shared publicly through a Web interface, currently under development, that facilitates browsing, searching, viewing, and downloading subsets of the data.
Two sub-projects will be highlighted:
(1) Linguistic modeling used to enhance computer vision-based recognition of manual signs. Statistics emerging from an annotated corpus of about 10,000 citation-form sign productions by six native signers make it possible to leverage linguistic constraints to make sign recognition more robust.
(2) Recognition of grammatical information expressed through complex combinations of facial expressions and head gestures -- marking such things as topic/focus, distinct types of questions, negation, if/when clauses, relative clauses, etc. -- based on state-of-the-art face and head tracking combined with machine learning techniques. This modeling is also being applied to creation of more natural and linguistically realistic signing avatars. Furthermore, the ability to provide computer-generated graphs illustrating, for large data sets, changes in eyebrow height, eye aperture, and head position (e.g.) over time, in relation to the start and end points of the manual signs in the phrases with which non-manual gestures co-occur, opens up new possibilities for linguistic analysis of the nonmanual components of sign language grammar and for crossmodal comparisons.
The research reported here has resulted from collaborations with many people, including Stan Sclaroff and Ashwin Thangali (BU), Dimitris Metaxas, Mark Dilsizian, Bo Liu, and Jingjing Liu (Rutgers), Ben Bahan and Christian Vogler (Gallaudet), and Matt Huenerfauth (CUNY Queens College) and has been made possible by funding from the National Science Foundation.


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PITTSBURGH has undergone a striking renaissance from a down-and-out smokestack to a gleaming cultural oasis. But old stereotypes die hard, and Pittsburgh probably doesn't make many people's short list for a cosmopolitan getaway. Too bad, because this city of 89 distinct neighborhoods is a cool and — dare I say, hip—city. There are great restaurants, excellent shopping, breakthrough galleries and prestigious museums. The convergence of three rivers and surrounding green hills also make it a surprisingly pretty urban setting. And if the Pirates are in town, head over to PNC Park. Besides the game, the ballpark offers a great excuse to explore downtown Pittsburgh and the river views.
4 p.m.
Get to know what makes the city tick at the Senator John Heinz History Center (1212 Smallman Street; 412-454-6000; www.pghhistory.org), which chronicles the city's past and present glories from United States Steel to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is actually a two-fer: the main museum is devoted to everything from the Heinz food empire to the polyglot population. The upper two floors are occupied by the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, which pays homage to the region's rich sports heritage. It's hard to miss the seven-story brick warehouse building; look for the giant photograph of the Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris.
7 p.m.
The martini menu almost changes as often at the seasonal specials at Soba (5847 Ellsworth Avenue; 412-362-5656; www.bigburrito.com/soba), a pan-Asian restaurant with a Victorian exterior and a Zen-like interior that features a two-story wall of cascading water. The menu includes a rock-shrimp tempura lettuce wrap ($11) and pan-roasted Alaskan halibut ($30). The wine list is extensive, as is the variety of over 20 sakes. The vibe is upscale and trendy, but not in an overbearing way. If you arrive early, grab a special martini, perhaps made with ginger-infused vodka, on the rooftop deck.
10 p.m.
Brillobox (4104 Penn Avenue; 412-621-4900; www.brillobox.net) feels like an arty East Village bar — little wonder, considering the 30-something artist couple who own it are former New Yorkers. They came back home to Pittsburgh, they said, to contribute to the city's growing arts scene. Art film screenings, spoken-word performances and live music are held upstairs in a room decked out in velvet wallpaper and murals. Or just hang loose in the downstairs bar with its atmospheric red lights and an eclectic jukebox that has Goldfrapp, Patsy Cline and Snoop Dogg.
10:30 a.m.
By night, the formerly industrial Strip District is filled with partygoers bouncing between bars and clubs. But on Saturday mornings, the parallel thoroughfares of Penn Avenue and Smallman Street (roughly between 16th and 26th Streets) are turned into a sprawling outdoor market with international food kiosks that serve Middle Eastern kebabs, Italian sausages and Greek baklava. Shop for produce, clothing and vintage knickknacks as accordionists and mariachi bands provide a festive soundtrack. Take a breather with a cup of coffee and a mele, a fruit-filled pastry, at La Prima Espresso Company (205 21st Street; 412-565-7070), where the old men sitting at the outdoor tables look like they've been sipping espresso and playing cards for eternity.
1 p.m.
You can probably find the Andy Warhol Museum (117 Sandusky Street; 412-237-8300; www.warhol.org) on your own. For more radical contemporary art, beat a new path in the Mexican War Streets neighborhood to the Mattress Factory (500 Sampsonia Way; 412-231-3169; www.mattress.org; admission $10). Housed in a former mattress factory, the museum is dedicated to room-size art installations. Current exhibitions include "Instant Before Incident," a riveting sculpture by the Italian artist Luca Buvoli that depicts a vintage Fiat in stop-action motion, as it seems to hurl out the window.
3 p.m.
Some of the city's funkiest shopping can be found in the 16:62 Design Zone, which spans the Strip District and Lawrenceville. It has more than 100 locally owned shops that focus on design, home décor, contemporary art, clothing and architecture. Among the more interesting is the nonprofit Society for Contemporary Craft (2100 Smallman Street; 412-261-7003; www.contemporarycraft.org), a gallery and store that showcases handmade crafts like shiny metal handbags ($300 to $500) and recycled steel cabinets (from $3,500).
6 p.m.
The best views of Pittsburgh are from Mount Washington, and the best way to get there — or at least the most fun — is up the Duquesne Incline (1220 Grandview Avenue; 412-381-1665; www.incline.cc; $4 round trip). One of two surviving hillside cable cars from the 1870s, it takes three minutes to climb 800 feet to Grandview Avenue. There's a neat little history museum that has old newspaper clippings, but the real spectacle is the view of downtown Pittsburgh, where the Allegheny and Monongahela meet to form the Ohio River.
7:30 p.m.
While you're up there, Grandview Avenue is also home to a cliff-hugging restaurant row. For amazing seafood to go with the river views, make reservations for the Monterey Bay Fish Grotto (1411 Grandview Avenue; 412-481-4414; www.montereybayfishgrotto.com). This tri-level restaurant sits atop a 10-story apartment building. Jackets aren't required, but nice clothes are apropos. Fresh fish is flown in daily, and the menu reflects whatever is fresh. On a recent visit, the specials included a charcoal-grilled Atlantic salmon with fresh peppered strawberries in a red-wine sauce ($26).
9 p.m.
Generally regarded as Pittsburgh's most innovative theater company, the City Theatre (1300 Bingham Street; 412-431-2489; www.citytheatrecompany.org) does challenging plays that aren't likely to be staged in the downtown cultural district. The theater, in a pair of former churches, has both a 272-seat mainstage and a 110-seat house. A production of "The Wonder Bread Years," a comedy written by the former "Seinfeld" writer Pat Hazell, starts on July 10 ($35 and $40). Recent productions have included works by Adam Rapp, Christopher Durang and Jeffrey Hatcher.
11 p.m.
Venture over to East Carson Street, by some counts the country's longest continuous stretch of bars. It's all there, from shot-and-beer joints to trendy night spots. Dee's Cafe (1314 East Carson Street; 412-431-1314; www.deescafe.com) is a comfortable dive jammed on weekends with a mix of grizzled locals, bohemians and college students. Grab an Iron City beer and perhaps a game of pool ($6 an hour).
11 a.m.
One of city's more unusual brunch spots is the Zenith (86 South 26th Street; 412-481-4833; www.zenithpgh.com), a combination art gallery, vintage clothing store, antiques shop and vegetarian restaurant. For those who can't stomach tofu, brunch ($10) includes traditional staples like eggs, pancakes and French toast. It gets busy, so get there before it opens at 11 a.m. to avoid the line.
12:30 p.m.
The Oakland district teems with intellectual energy from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and a bunch of museums. Start out at the Nationality Rooms at the Cathedral of Learning (4200 Fifth Avenue; 412-624-6000; www.pitt.edu/~natrooms), a 42-story Gothic-style tower on the Pittsburgh campus with 27 classrooms, each devoted to a different nationality. Then head over to the renowned Carnegie Museum of Art (412-622-3131; www.cmoa.org) and Carnegie Natural History Museum (www.carnegiemnh.org), both at 4400 Forbes Avenue, for Degas and dinosaurs. Before leaving, pick up a handy walking tour of Oakland and its public art. Not mentioned in the booklet but worth seeking out: the brick wall on Roberto Clemente Drive that was part of the outfield wall of the Pirates' long-ago home, Forbes Field.
Delta and JetBlue have nonstop flights from Kennedy Airport in New York to Pittsburgh for about $238, according to a recent online search; American Airlines and US Airways fly nonstop from La Guardia.
The Parador Inn of Pittsburgh (939 Western Avenue; 412-231-4800; www.theparadorinn.com) is a Caribbean-themed bed-and-breakfast in an 1870s mansion on the city's North Side. All rooms are $150 a night.
Also on the North Side is the Priory Hotel (614 Pressley Street; 412-231-3338; www.thepriory.com), a European-style boutique hotel in a restored 19th-century Benedictine rectory. Doubles start at $145.
For more upscale lodging, try the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel (107 6th Street, 412-562-1200; www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pitbr-renaissance-pittsburgh-hotel), a 300-room downtown hotel in a historic landmark. Rooms start at about $180 a night.


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Gentle Readers, as long-time readers and close friends know, The Practical Cook is at war with her cholesterol (see For the Love of Grapefruit for the whole scoop). I am happy to say I am still winning this battle of the ages. It is possible to eat Fried and love it, and still maintain one's health. There is a secret, do lean in and I'll tell you. I eat.
Yes, I am not a meal skipper. As my London traveling companion will tell you, there is a reason for this. I get a smidge touchy when I don't eat. In my experience, skipping meals always backfires. I mention the cholesterol because I had to fast for the test. The second I knew I couldn't eat, I was starving.
At the same time, Crescent Dragonwagon (author of The Cornbread Gospels and the upcoming Bean by Bean <awesome!> cookbooks) shared this article on Facebook about the benefits of dessert with breakfast. Exactly. Just eat.
So this one goes out to the myriad readers who I know are drinking coffee instead of eating, grabbing a Little Debbie snack cake, or calling a lone banana breakfast. You know who you are, I shall not name names.
Breakfast rocks, and here's 3 reasons why.
1. Energy. It is the most important meal of the day. Did you learn nothing from the PSA's of the 1980's?? But really, coming from a farming family, breakfast is meant to fuel you through the majority of your heavy lifting. You're getting kids to school, thinking, working out, why starve yourself?
2. Bacon. Need I say more? Morning is a good time to have some. I couldn't resist sharing this picture I just found of a colleague hedging his bets, balancing his oatmeal and whole wheat toast with a side of Fried. Good work Virtually Cooking.
3. Cereal. Again, why miss a cereal eating opportunity? I'm a well-documented fan, but you can eat it dry or with milk. I sometimes have to take the bowl with me to the car to get The Eldest Practical Cook Junior to school on time, but don't try to pry it from my hands. You'll pull back a nub. Point is, it's fast, easy, and varied. Find one you like and keep it on hand.
You have time to eat something of substance in the morning. Let yourself be hungry then, and answer the call. Cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, eggs, fruit, leftover pizza, even pie on occasion (assuming you balance it with protein), whatever floats your boat. Just don't skip. I will be watching. (And if you ever hear I've missed breakfast, do not come near me without a bagel, muffin, or omelet in hand as a peace offering.)
Confession time. Do you eat breakfast? If so, what's your favorite thing to eat in the morning? If not, why? Post a comment and share your thoughts! There is no judgment, but I won't promise not to gently persuade. 🙂
Send cereal, bacon, and doughnuts to practical cook at gmail dot com. Connect on Facebook: The Practical Cook Blog. (Thanks in advance for spreading The Practical Cook Blog word. Press "like" on Facebook today!)
Tomorrow, Kitchen Tool Talk!


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Oh, Yuck LP (Black)
More Information
So Much Light – Oh, Yuck LP (Black)
Track list:
Side A
- New Game
- Little Fanfare
- Full Body Mirror
- Love That Never Fades
- Stomping Ground
- Be Afraid
- Idiot Soul
Side B
- Artificial Sweeteners
- Summoner
- Deep Down
- Ultra Sunrise
- Flagship
- Game Over
- Let it Absorb You
This purchase includes a digital download of the single "Be Afraid" as well as the entire album. You will be emailed a link to access "Be Afraid" shortly after purchase. You will be emailed a link to access the full album download on the release date.


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Not even 2 weeks have gone by since @TheKotel was launched. There's still much work to be done, including many improvements to the site and of course – reaching the masses and making the service more widespread.
Though the service hasn't been operating for long, I have already received a few dozen prayers. It feels good to give people this service, and I'll be honest – it gives me some satisfaction. What's more, I've been contacted by some very interesting people, with interesting stories and goals, and it's those people who inspire me to keep going, though I spend too many hours a day working on this project.
I wanted to share with you the stories of these people, so I started writing this blog. Hope you find the blog interesting and inspirational.
The first person I'd like to introduce is Wyman Brent (@jewishlibrary). He is a remarkable person, and though he is what we might affectionately call a "goy", he is fascinated with Jewish culture. He went all the way from San-Diego to Vilnius, Lithuania with a very ambitious goal in mind: to restore the city's rich Jewish culture that was wiped out during WWII. Why is he doing it? He revealed his motives in an interview to The Baltic Times:
"I'm fascinated with Jewish culture. I fell in love with Lithuania when I went there the first time in 1994. So it was kind of like, I love libraries, I love Jewish culture and I love Lithuania, so let me put this all together into this Jewish library."
He aims to open a public library with 100k books in English about the Jewish culture, hoping to once again make Vilnius "The Jerusalem of the North".
As one could expect, he needs help achieving this noble goal. He wrote me an email with details:
What I would most like is for readers especially in Israel or the US to gather books, CDs, and DVDs for the library. The best is if say someone in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem had a central storage area where people could send material. Then after a certain amount of items were gathered, then someone could send them to Vilna. It is always less expensive per item if everything is shipped at once. I would love to see someone do the same in New York City.
The last two lines of that email enchanted me even further:
The only way that the library can grow is by people everywhere helping out. I am only one man and I am as rich as Tevye. It took thousands and thousands of people to destroy Jewish culture in Lithuania. It will take more than just one person to restore the culture which was lost.
Please contact him on Twitter or email and see how you can help.
For more information about Brent and his undertaking I recommend reading The Baltic Times article (link) and also an article on The Jewish Press (link). There's a lot more material on the Vilnius Jewish Library blog (link).
So far for the first blog post. Next time – how one young lady from NY is using Twitter to fight for Gilad Shalit.


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E-40 (Feat. Turf Talk) - Got Rich Twice
The ambassador of the Yay is back at it again with "Got Rich Twice" featuring Turf Talk
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Posts Tagged 'Matthew Brady'
Capturing the Civil War: The Photographic Record
I am thoroughly impressed with the photographic record of the American Civil War. In my ongoing search for "primary sources," I have been exploring the National Archives and The Library of Congress. The photographic collections at both are simply excellent. Long time historians in the field are no doubt quite familiar with these. For me, humble graduate student, these are a real find. And as we all know, this kind of photographic record sets the American Civil War apart from previous wars. Because I want to have easy access to photographs, I've created a photographs "category" on the right nav bar. The following are the best two sources I've found to date.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Selected Civil War Photographs
The collection includes 1,118 photographs of "scenes of military personnel, preparations for battle, and battle after-effects." Both Confederate and Union soldiers of officer and enlisted ranks are represented. Also in the collection are albums of CDVs (carte-de-visite) – with over 200 visiting card photos representing a "who's who" of the time of the Lincoln presidential administration.
Many of the photos have been attributed to Matthew Brady who supervised or collected them and showed – for the first time in history – the horrors of war. More on him in a future post. Amazing fellow.
The photo above was taken in Charleston Harbor, S.C. and is of the deck and officers of U.S.S. monitor Catskill; Lt. Comdr. Edward Barrett seated on the turret. It is categorized as "Photographs of the Federal Navy, and seaborne expeditions against the Atlantic Coast of the Confederacy — the Federal Navy, 1861-1865" [Call Number: LC-B811- 3412].
The National Archives: Pictures of the Civil War
Photos in this collection are organized as follows:
Activities – Army Life, Army Units, Cavalry, Civilians, Communications and intelligence, Councils, Engineering, Foreign Observers, Generals in the Field, Medical, Morale, Navies, Ordnance, Photographers and Their Equipment, Prisoners and Prisons, Quartermaster and Commissary, Railroads
Places – Battle Areas, Richmond, Va., Washington, D.C., and Environs
Portraits – Abolitionists, Artists and Authors, Confederate Army Officers, Confederate Officials, Enlisted Men, Federal Army Officers, Federal Navy Officers, Foreign Diplomats, Government Officials, Women
Lincoln's Assassination
The photograph above captures the "Constructing of telegraph lines, April 1864." It was photographed by Timothy H. O'Sullivan. Reference number 165-SB-62.
Copyright © 2007 Rene Tyree


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Koreakôrē´ə, kə– [key], Korean Hanguk or Choson, region and historic country (85,049 sq mi/220,277 sq km), E Asia. A peninsula, 600 mi (966 km) long, Korea separates the Sea of Japan (called the East Sea by Koreans) on the east from the Yellow Sea (and Korea Bay [or West Korea Bay], a northern arm of the Yellow Sea; the latter is called the West Sea by Koreans) on the west. On the south it is bounded by the Korea Strait (connecting the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea) and on the north its land boundaries with China (c.500 mi/800 km) and with Russia (only c.11 mi/18 km) are marked chiefly by the great Yalu (Korean Amnok) and Tumen (Korean Duman or Tuman) rivers.
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- South Korea
- Economy
- Government
- Land and People
- History
- Bibliography
- North Korea
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Korean Political Geography


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Eric Madis takes knowledge he has taught in past lessons and applies it to an update of "The Rolling E Blues" that features exciting improvisational variations.
Taught by Eric Madis in Fingerstyle Blues and Ragtime seriesLength: 4:48Difficulty: 2.5 of 5
Hi Eric. I'm finding it pretty tricky to get the hammer-on right when I play the A and B barre chords, as the 4th string always sounds terribly muted. Wondered if you had any tips on barring in general or how to strengthen that index finger? Just a lot more practice maybe??
Hi Eric. I'm finding it pretty tricky to get the hammer-on right when I play the A and B barre chords, as the 4th string always sounds terribly muted. Wondered if you had any tips on barring in general or how to strengthen that index finger? Just a lot more practice maybe??
... a bit further...thanks Eric. enjoying so much this music. Thought i would never play this...
That is great news! Thank you!
Eric Madis covers a uniquely American style of music, the Blues. In this series he tackles the subject from the acoustic fingerstyle perspective and even throws in a bit of ragtime for good measure.
Lesson 1
Eric Madis introduces his Fingerstyle Blues and Ragtime lesson series. After the introduction, he starts things off with a bang by teaching "The Rolling E Blues".Length: 14:13 Difficulty: 2.0 FREE
Lesson 2
Eric Madis expands on "The Rolling E Blues," which he taught in the last lesson. This time around he adds information to make the arrangement more complex.Length: 8:35 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 3
Eric Madis introduces the concept of monotonic bass lines and gives an excellent exercise for practicing the technique.Length: 7:24 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 4
Eric Madis returns to the wonderful world of "The Rolling E Blues" and demonstrates how the arrangement can be made a bit more complex.Length: 6:23 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 5
Eric Madis returns to "The Rolling E Blues" and teaches an even more complex variation.Length: 5:33 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 6
In this lesson Eric teaches a Robert Johnson style blues.Length: 9:56 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 7
Eric Madis returns with the second part of his lesson on the Robert Johnson style blues.Length: 10:51 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 8
In this lesson, Eric Madis talks about the Piedmont blues and the musical stylings of Blind Willie McTell.Length: 12:54 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 9
Eric Madis returns with the second part of his lesson on the Piedmont style and Blind Willie McTell. This time around he makes the arrangement a bit more complex.Length: 8:52 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 10
Eric Madis demonstrates some opportunities for improvisation within the Blind Willie McTell/Piedmont style arrangement he taught in previous lessons.Length: 11:59 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 11
Eric Madis introduces a series of diad patterns he calls "The Memphis Diads" and shows how they can be used as chord substitutions.Length: 11:06 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 12
This time around, Eric takes the ideas from the past few lessons and ties them together effectively within a blues progression.Length: 8:23 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 13
In this lesson, Eric Madis begins teaching the style of Mississippi John Hurt. He talks about the signature syncopation technique Mississippi John Hurt used and discusses playing with the G chord.Length: 12:12 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 14
Eric Madis takes the ideas taught in the last lesson and expands upon them. He talks about taking these ideas and playing melodies similar to what Mississippi John Hurt would have played.Length: 9:59 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 15
Eric Madis begins teaching a common theme in the style of Robert Johnson. This theme will span several lessons. This time, Eric teaches a signature turnaround that gives the theme its flair.Length: 5:29 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 16
Eric Madis continues with the Robert Johnson theme. This time, he finishes up the first variation of this 12 bar blues arrangement.Length: 8:20 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 17
In this lesson, Eric teaches a brilliant variation to the Robert Johnson theme taught in the last lesson.Length: 6:39 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 18
In this lesson Eric talks about improvising using the Robert Johnson theme he has been teaching in the past few lessons.Length: 11:04 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 19
Eric Madis takes knowledge he has taught in past lessons and applies it to an update of "The Rolling E Blues" that features exciting improvisational variations.Length: 4:48 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 20
In this lesson, Eric Madis talks about using the 7th and 9th chords in blues progressions. He uses "The Rolling E Blues" to demonstrate these chord options.Length: 9:12 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 21
Eric teaches a Piedmont blues number inspired by Big Bill Broonzy and the Reverend Gary Davis.Length: 14:59 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 22
In this lesson, Eric Madis returns to a piece he calls "Big Bill and the Reverend". This time around, he teaches ways you can embellish the song to make it more interesting.Length: 9:57 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 23
In this lesson, Eric returns to the tune "Big Bill and the Reverend" and talks about D chord substitutions.Length: 12:25 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 24
In this lesson, Eric shows several interesting improvisational techniques you can use with the E chord and shows how they can be applied to "Big Bill and the Reverend".Length: 11:17 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 25
Eric Madis teaches a traditional blues tune entitled "Baby Please Don't Go".Length: 9:29 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 26
In this lesson Eric discusses variations that can be used when playing "Baby Please Don't Go".Length: 10:36 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 27
Eric Madis will have you sounding like Robert Johnson in no time with this amazing blues progression entitled "RJ's Lament".Length: 10:44 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 28
In this lesson Eric Madis teaches a version of "RJ's Lament" that contains Robert Johnson's signature musical flair.Length: 8:10 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 29
In this lesson, Eric teaches a 16 bar blues progression that honors blues musician Mississippi John Hurt.Length: 8:02 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 30
In the second part of his "Mississippi John Hurt Tribute," Eric Madis teaches several interesting variations on this 16 bar progression.Length: 9:41 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 31
Eric Madis teaches a traditional blues and ragtime theme he likes to call "The Americana Rag".Length: 9:35 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 32
Eric Madis returns to "The Americana Rag". He teaches the melody portion of the song and how to add it into the basic arrangement taught in lesson 31.Length: 7:53 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 33
Eric Madis teaches the concept of walking bass lines within a new blues chord progression.Length: 11:11 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 34
Eric starts teaching his blues/ragtime rendition of the classic song "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah". This version he teaches is in G6 tuning. He explains this tuning and the first section of the song.Length: 12:26 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 35
Eric Madis returns to this song and teaches the second part of the melody.Length: 5:52 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 36
In this lesson, Eric teaches another melody that can be used with this song. This time the melody features a bit of Hawaiian slack key flair.Length: 8:02 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 37
In this lesson, Eric teaches a version of this tune that is inspired by Mississippi John Hurt. Mixing this variation in with the others will have you sounding like a blues god in no time!Length: 9:00 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 38
Eric Madis teaches you how to incorporate some Memphis lead ideas into the arrangement of "Glory, Glory Hallelujah" that he has been teaching.Length: 6:36 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 39
Eric teaches another way to play this song that includes arpeggio techniques often employed by Chet Atkins.Length: 5:45 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 40
Eric Madis teaches what he calls the "Blind Blake and Merle Travis" section of the song. Basically this is a version of the song taught in their styles.Length: 7:28 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 41
In the final lesson on this song, Eric teaches the ending and then demonstrates the entire song using all of the different arrangements from previous lessons. These may have seemed like small and easy...Length: 8:35 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 42
Eric Madis teaches a fingerstyle version of the classic ragtime tune "Maple Leaf Rag". He begins with this simple introduction arrangement and moves on to teach more difficult portions in later lessons.Length: 8:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 43
In the second part of his series on "Maple Leaf Rag," Eric teaches a basic version of the melody for the A section of the song.Length: 6:43 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 44
Eric Madis teaches the next major portion of the melody for "Maple Leaf Rag". This melody is a bit more difficult to play, but the sound is worth it.Length: 11:23 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Lesson 45
In this lesson, Eric teaches the third part of the melody to "Maple Leaf Rag". When combined with the intro, these three parts form a nearly complete arrangement of this classic ragtime tune.Length: 8:53 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Lesson 46
Eric wraps up his rendition of "Maple Leaf Rag" by teaching the ending segment of the song. Afterwards, he puts the entire song together and talks about performing it.Length: 8:02 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
About Eric Madis
View Full Biography
Eric Madis is a guitarist, singer and composer, a versatile artist whose playing and compositions reflect his diverse and thorough background in American music. Whether performing in an ensemble or as a soloist, he exudes a love and a mastery of the blues that have been refined by years of experience in jazz, country, rock, and even Hawaiian music. What results are performances that include authentic renderings of old rural blues, personal interpretations of modern urban blues and jazz standards, and original music that defies strict categorization, but that draws heavily from these traditions.
Eric lives in Seattle where he leads his own ensemble, performs as a solo act and performs in the Seattle Swing Trio. He has released four CDs on Luna Records, and is currently working on a fifth. He is on the faculty of the National Guitar Workshop and Dusty Strings Music and teaches guitar privately.
Eric lived his formative years in Colorado with a family that was musical (his mother was an accomplished opera singer), and began his music study on the piano at the age of nine. He began performing shortly after picking up a guitar at ten years of age. By the age of sixteen, he was performing in Chicago-area coffeehouses. He has accompanied artists as diverse as bluesmen Big Walter Horton, Sunnyland Slim, Deacon Jones, Hawaiian luminaries Irmgaard Aluli, Kekua Fernandez, Emma Sharpe and author/poet Nikki Grimes.
He has led bands in Illinois, Texas, Colorado and Washington. He has opened shows for Robben Ford, James Cotton, Little Charlie and the Nightcats, Mem Shannon, Hawkeye Herman and author Sherman Alexie. Eric's four albums have received critical acclaim, including regional airplay and nominations from NAMA and Washington Blues Society (WBS). He has received 16 Best Blues nominations from WBS, was a finalist in the New Folk Awards at the 1981 Kerrville National Folk Festival, a finalist in the 1991 Seattle Guitar Starz competition, and has music featured on five film soundtracks. Eric has taught guitar classes at Denver Free University, University of Washington's Experimental College, Northwest Folklife Festival, National Guitar Workshop, and Canada's Guitar Workshop Plus.
Whether performing in a group or as a soloist, at a concert or a small club, teaching privately or a large workshop, Eric is a dedicated professional, with commitment to the quality of his art and to his audience.
Our acoustic guitar lessons are taught by qualified instructors with various backgrounds with the instrument.
Nick explains how to play some of the most commonly used chords in the bluegrass genre.Free LessonSeries Details
Eve talks about the boom-chuck strum pattern. This strum pattern will completely change the sound of your playing.Free LessonSeries Details
Erik expounds on the many possibilities of open tunings and the new harmonics that you can use in them. He explains what...Free LessonSeries Details
JamPlay welcomes David Isaacs to our teacher roster. With his first lesson Dave explains his approach to playing guitar with...Free LessonSeries Details
Hawkeye teaches several Robert Johnson licks in this lesson. These licks are played with a slide in open G tuning.Free LessonSeries Details
In this lesson Randall introduces the partial capo (using a short-cut capo by Kyser) and talks about how it can make the...Free LessonSeries Details
New fingerstyle instructor Don Ross introduces himself, his background, and what you should expect in this series.Free LessonSeries Details
In this lesson, Mary Flower introduces herself and her playing style. She also discusses essential blues listening.Free LessonSeries Details
Jessica kindly introduces herself, her background, and her approach to this series.Free LessonSeries Details
Our electric guitar lessons are taught by instructors with an incredible amount of teaching experience.
David MacKenzie introduces the tapping technique and teaches a fun exercise. This lesson includes a backing track.Free LessonSeries Details
Evan Brewer explains everything you need to know in order to get going with your bass guitar. Topics include the parts of...Free LessonSeries Details
Joel Kosche talks about creating and composing a guitar solo. He uses his original song "Sunrise" as an example.Free LessonSeries Details
Lesson 6 is all about the major mode. As with the other lessons you'll be taking a look at the individual notes on the strings...Free LessonSeries Details
Matt Brown shows off some ways to add some creativity and originality to your rock chord voicings.Free LessonSeries Details
How do you sequence arpeggio shapes and create a more angular sound to your country playing? Andy Wood explains how he was...Free LessonSeries Details
Tom Appleman takes a look at a blues in E with a focus on the Chicago blues style. The bass line for Chicago blues is very...Free LessonSeries Details
Born in 1986 and hailing from Brazil, Andre showed musical inclination at an early age. Influenced by native Brazilian Jazz...Free LessonSeries Details
Michael "Nomad" Ripoll dives deep into the rhythm & blues, funk, and soul genres that were made popular by artists like Earth...Free LessonSeries Details
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I am 66 years young and I still got it! I would have never known this if it had not been for Jamplay! I feel like a 12 year old kid with a new guitar! Ha! I cannot express enough how great you're website is! It is for beginners and advanced pickers! I am an advanced picker and thought I had lost it but thanks to you all, I found it again! Even though I only play by ear, I have been a member a whopping whole two weeks now and have already got Brent's country shuffle and country blues down and of course with embellishments. Thank you all for your wonderful program!
Greg J."With Jamplay I can fit in a random session when I have time and I can go at my own pace"
I'm a fifty eight year old newbie who owns a guitar which has been sitting untouched in a corner for about seven years now. Last weekend I got inspired to pick it up and finally learn how to play after watching an amazing Spanish guitarist on TV. So, here I am. I'm starting at the beginning with Steve Eulberg and I couldn't be happier (except for the sore fingers :) Some day I'm going to play like Steve! I'm self employed with a hectic schedule. With Jamplay I can fit in a random session when I have time and I can go at my own pace, rewinding and replaying the videos until I get it. This is a very enjoyable diversion from my work yet I still feel like I'm accomplishing something worthwhile. Thanks a lot, Greg
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I am commenting here to tell you and everyone at JamPlay that I believe this is the absolute best site for guitar students. I truly enjoy learning to play the guitar on JamPlay.com. Yes, I said the words, ""enjoy learning."" It is by far the best deal for the money.


text: Should I plant summer annual forage grasses? Jun 06, 2016 by Jennifer Tucker, SE Cattle Advisor It's never too early to be focused on the next potential forage stressor - Summer. In the Southeast we are no stranger to the long, hot, dog-days of summer and the impacts we see on forage availability thro


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References to the sun in the Bible include its beneficial effects in agriculture (Deut. 33: 14) and also the unpleasant injuries it causes (Ps. 121: 6). It symbolizes the glory of God (Rev. 1: 16) but on the day of the Lord the sun will be eclipsed (Joel 2: 10; Rev. 6: 12).
Worship of the sun was common in the ancient world and was strictly forbidden to Israelites.


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Item Number: GW-LB-R-01-DS
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While a lot of her fellow co-stars have pretty much stayed in the spotlight since the ending of the fifth season of the Real Housewives of Orange County, Alexis Bellino has mostly layed low.
Perhaps there's good reason for that, as Alexis new facebook photos have a lot of viewers speculating on whether the OC Housewife has had more work done. Alexis has always been forthcoming about having gone under the knife in the past, admitting to a boob job and regular botox.
The first photo on the left is Alexis's current profile photo on her facebook page, while the photo on the right is what she looked like before, and even her fans are commenting on the very noticeable change in her new look. And at first one might thing it was just some overzealous airbrushing, but a look at other new photos posted by Alexis shows a different looking Alexis as well. More of those photos are posted below.
Interestingly, Alexis announced earlier this year that she is now doing consulting work for a plastic surgeon at www.cosmeticare.com. This is very reminiscence of the whole Heidi Montag story, not sure why Alexis felt the need to get more work done, if she actually did, because she looked just fine before in my opinion.
Click the Read More Button To See More New Photos of Alexis –


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Frugal Friday~
As always there was almost too much inspiration! Here are just a few of my favorites.
Happy at Home shared a fun glitter house tutorial. I have been wanting to make one of these for a while now...adding it to my to-do list.
Now it's your turn to share your frugal ideas...
You know "da rules"....
1. Please link directly to your post and not just to your blog.
2. Please link back to The Shabby Nest.
3. Please leave comments for the authors of the posts your visit...help our participants feel the love!
I reserve the right to remove any posts that are not in keeping with the spirit of
Frugal Friday. This includes but may not be limited to those posts that link to your giveaway, your linky party or your shop. It also includes those posts that do not link back to The Shabby Nest. Posts that do not have anything to do with Frugal Decor, projects, or finds. Let's all play fair? mkay??