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Chorionic villus sampling often referred to as CVS, is a diagnostic test for identifying chromosome abnormalities and other inherited disorders. This test may be recommended by your health care provider if you or your partner has family medical histories that reveal potential risks.
How is the chorionic villus sampling (CVS) performed?
CVS is a diagnostic procedure which involves removing some chorionic villi cells from the placenta at the point where it attaches to the uterine wall.
There are two ways samples are collected:
Transcervical: An ultrasound guides a thin catheter through the cervix to your placenta. The chorionic villi cells are gently suctioned into the catheter. This is the most common method.
Transabdominal: An ultrasound guides a long thin needle through the abdomen to your placenta. The needle draws a sample of tissue and then is removed. This procedure is similar to that of amniocentesis.
The CVS procedure collects larger samples and provides faster results than amniocentesis. Results may be received between one to seven days.
When is chorionic villus sampling (CVS) performed?
CVS is usually performed between 10 and 13 weeks from your last menstrual period. CVS may be chosen over amniocentesis because it may be performed earlier in the pregnancy.
What does the test look for?
Chorionic villus sampling detects chromosome abnormalities (i.e. Down syndrome) and genetic disorders (i.e. cystic fibrosis.). This test is different from amniocentesis in that it does not allow for testing for neural tube defects.
Chorionic villus sampling also provides access to DNA for paternity testing prior to delivery. DNA is collected from the potential father and is compared to DNA obtained from the baby during chorionic villus sampling. The results are accurate (99%) for determining paternity.
What do chorionic villus sampling (CVS) results mean?
CVS is a diagnostic test that detects chromosome abnormalities and genetic disorders with high levels of accuracy (98-99%). Although the probabilities of identification are high, this test does not measure the severity of these disorders. This test does not help identify neural tube defects.
Are there risks or side effects to the mother or baby?
Although CVS is considered to be a safe procedure, it is recognized as an invasive diagnostic test that does pose potential risks. Miscarriage is the primary risk related to CVS occurring 1 out of every 100 procedures.
CVS is not recommended for women who:
- Have an active infection (i.e. STD)
- Are carrying twins
- Have experienced vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
Transcervical CVS is not recommended for women who:
- Have uterine fibroids
- Have a tilted uterus which impedes the catheter
Following the procedure, the mother may experience one or more of the following side effects:
Contact your healthcare provider if these symptoms remain or get worse.
You should also contact your healthcare provider if you experience:
- Fever
- Chills
- Leaking of amniotic fluid
According to the Mayo Clinic, there is a 1% chance of getting false positive results. A false positive occurs when the test indicates that the fetus has an abnormality, but it actually does not.
What are the reasons to test or not test?
The reasons to test or not test vary from person to person and couple to couple.
Performing the tests and confirming the diagnosis provides you with certain opportunities:
- Pursue potential interventions that may exist
- Begin planning for a child with special needs
- Start addressing anticipated lifestyle changes
- Identify support groups and resources
- Make a decision about carrying the child to term
Some individuals or couples may elect not to pursue testing or additional testing for various reasons:
- They are comfortable with the results no matter what the outcome is
- Because of personal, moral, or religious reasons, making a decision about carrying the child to term is not an option
- Some parents choose not to allow any testing that poses any risk of harming the developing baby
It is important to discuss the risks and benefits of testing thoroughly with your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider will help you evaluate if the benefits from the results could outweigh any risks from the procedure.
Want to Know More?
- Your First Prenatal Visit
- Sign up for our weekly email newsletter
- Bonding With Your Baby: Making the Most of the First Six Weeks
Compiled using information from the following sources:
1. Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy & Baby's First Year. Johnson, Robert V., M.D., et al, Ch. 11.
2. Williams Obstetrics Twenty-Second Ed. Cunningham, F. Gary, et al, Ch. 13.


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Structure:Europe 2013 by GigaOM
Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 7:00 AM - Thursday, September 19, 2013 at 7:00 PM (PDT)
Structure:Europe is where the world's leading cloud visionaries convene to analyse technology and product needs for cloud services in the European context. Hear 60 of the top global IT practitioners and vendors with experience adopting business processes and implementing successful cloud infrastructures. Join us today, take away learning and important contacts and learn how to make the cloud impact your business.
To learn more, visit our website.
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subset: commoncrawl


text: Notary Bulletin RSS International Kansas Sends First Electronic 'Apostille' Certificate By David Thun on December 30, 2013 - Kansas recently became the first U.S. state to send a paperless apostille — a certificate used to verify notarial acts and other important records — to another country.Read full articleStates Still Falling Short On REAL ID Requirements By NNA Staff on April 18, 2013 - The deadline for states to adopt REAL ID standards passed on January 15, 2013, and three quarters of U.S. states still fall short of the new requirements. Only 13 states currently issue driver's licenses and other IDs that comply with the enhanced security standards, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.Read full articleABA President Warns Young Immigrants Against Notarios By NNA Staff on January 25, 2013 - The American Bar Association's (ABA) top official recently issued a warning about "Notarios" who may try to take advantage of young immigrants following the launch of the federal government's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allows certain undocumented residents brought to the U.S. as children to avoid deportation.Read full articleThree Questions To Ask Before You Notarize A Foreign-Language Document By NNA Staff on January 25, 2013 - While it's possible to notarize a document written in a foreign language, it's very important to take steps to ensure you aren't being misled about the document's content or the signer's intentions before you proceed.Read full articleMalta Notary Reform Brings More Transparency, Efficiency, Quality By NNA Staff on December 13, 2012 - As part of an ongoing effort to streamline and reform its notarial system, Malta is implementing a series of amendments and regulations designed to create a more transparent reporting system, standardize its service model, and ensure consistent, high quality performance from its Notaries.Read full articleForeign Investment In U.S. Real Estate Rises Sharply In 2012 By Michael Lewis on November 02, 2012 - The National Association of Realtors reports a significant increase in the number of foreigners purchasing American homes, with Canadians, Chinese and Mexican home purchasers now comprising the top three international investors in U.S. real estate.Read full articleNew Russian Law Creates Nationwide, Unified Notarial Database By NNA Staff on November 02, 2012 - Russia last month enacted a new law creating rules of operation designed to improve the quality of notarial services throughout the country, as well as establishing a nationwide, federal database of all notarial acts.Read full articleSenators Want China To Take Action Against Fake ID Companies By David Thun on October 25, 2012 - U.S. Senators are calling on the People's Republic of China to crack down on Chinese companies selling fake IDs through the Internet.Read full articleAnti-'Notario' Efforts Expanding To Different Nationalities By NNA Staff on October 08, 2012 - Efforts to crack down on immigration services fraud are expanding beyond the traditional focus on Notarios Publicos to combat scams targeting immigrants from other cultures.Read full articleQ&A: Elaine Wright Reflects On The Global Role Of The Notary By NNA Staff on September 11, 2012 - Elaine Wright, NNA's 2009 Notary of The Year, loves traveling around the world and, as a dedicated Notary educator and Signing Agent, takes time during her sojourns to meet with Notaries worldwide. The International Section caught up with Elaine to discuss her recent trip to Australia and New Zealand and what she discovered after her encounter with Notaries Down Under.Read full article123456


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| 5.7°C Belfast
Olivia Wilde has opened up about how happy she is over the changes she's experienced since becoming pregnant.
The Rush actress told Lucky magazine that she was enjoying seeing how her body changed, as well as her attitude to other people.
According to E! she said: "I just thought, oh I'm going to hide this forever. But I ended up getting kind of excited to show the bump, as a badge of pride. Like 'I'm a woman! Look at me making a human! I am a goddess!'"
Olivia, who is expecting her first child with Jason Sudeikis, said of her body: "I'm like, double d, hello! I've never been in this section of the bra store! I've been flat chested my whole life, so it's a wonderful new world."
She added: " Pregnancy does shed away all of the b*******. It gives you more empathy because you look at everyone and you think, you were a baby! Pregnancy brings you into this sort of commune - you feel connected to women in a way that you never have."
Talking about the baby, she continued: "He's moving around in there and no one else can tell - it's a little secret friendship."
Olivia admitted that her relationship with fiance Jason wasn't "peaches and cream every day", but said that everything between them was good.
She said of their wedding: "It's certainly not something I feel pressured to do before we have the baby. I'm such a believer in marriage and I think of him as my husband anyway."


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For about 5 years now my strange symptoms have been getting very slowly worse. The entire right side of my body is gradually weakening/losing health. I can't figure out what's wrong, and it's hard to describe most of the symtoms, but it's most evident in the upper right side of of my head. The entire left side of my body is fine.
I need help figuring out what kinds of things can cause problems that affect the right side of your body and only that. If you drew a line straight down the middle of my body you would get precisely where the symptoms begin and end.
The right side of my body is more easily fatigued. In the upper right side of my head, where it's most evident, I have this strange feeling, almost a burning feeling, that's been developing, especially where the right side of my brain is, and it seems like the area around my right eye is beginning to swell. When I press my fingers to the area directly under my eyes right above my cheek bone... Well, when I compare this area on the right side to this area on the left side of my face, it is very obvious that it's beginning to swell. It is easier just to leave my right eye closed, as if it's fatigued, but it doesn't ease any of the symptoms.
It's like a constant, very gradually worsening headache, but only on the right side. And the rest of the right side of my body is similar but not as bad.
Does anyone have any idea what kinds of things can cause problems that only affect one side of your body?


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We're always giddy when Marvel or DC announces that an exciting new creator is taking over the writing or art of a favorite character, but there are even more talented creators that the Big Two could be drawing from. Here are just a few of our favorites.
Top image from Brittney Williams' The Daily Planet Files.
Now many of these folks, in addition to producing amazing fan art and fan comics, are successful professional artists in their own right, and they may not have the time or inclination to work for DC or Marvel; we'd just love to see those publishers give the superhero stories and artwork these folks produce a try. And it's certainly nowhere close to a comprehensive list. Please name any artists you think would be a good fit for the Big Two in the comments!
Yale Stewart
Yale Stewart, in fairness, has been doing some work for both Marvel and DC. He did an extra in Nova #100 looking forward to Nova #1000, and he wrote a series of early reader books featuring members of the Justice League. But what we really want to see is a regular series along the lines of his fan webcomic JL8, imagining the members of the Justice League as kids. Someone please pay him to do this.
Mike Maihack
Mike Maihack is the creator of the fantastic Cleopatra in Space, and in his spare time, he draws amazingly fun Batgirl/Supergirl comics. They're single-page comics, but we would love to see a full story featuring this pair in Maihack's hands.
Brittney Williams
Every now and then, we come across a project and ask ourselves, "Why on Earth doesn't this exist as a Big Two comic?" One of those projects is Brittney Williams' The Daily Planet Files, which imagines the day-to-day life of the staff of Metropolis' top newspaper. She's working on a comic version of the idea, and even though we haven't seen the dialogue yet, we're in love with the way she draws Lois Lane.
Marco D'Alfonso
Marco D'Alfonso is a recurring favorite at Comics Should Be Good's weekly drawing challenges. We're especially fond of his Deadpool/Boba Fett team-up comics. Now that they're owned by the same parent company, this could happen, right? We don't care if it isn't canon.
The Creator Of Steve Rogers' American Captain
If Marvel Comics wants to capitalize on the popularity of the Marvel movies, they should look to the webcomic Steve Rogers' American Captain. The creator (who prefers to remain uncredited) explores the emotional relationships between the Marvel movie versions of the Avengers team. It's a relatively quite comic, taking place in the space between adventures, but it has its place in the new, broader world of Marvel entertainment.
Valerie Renee and Krystal Beisick
The Question and the Birds of Prey get a fun ride in Tattered Remains, a fan comic by writer Valerie Renee and cartoonist Krystal Beisick. You want more female creators working on female characters? Here are two ladies who are doing the job.
Michel Fiffe
Sometimes it just takes the right creator to revive a character or a team that has fallen by the wayside. Copra creator Michel Fiffe put his own spin on DC's Suicide Squad with his fan comic DEATHZONE!, which ComicsAlliance named one of their top comics of 2012. Just look at that artwork.
Edit: My mistake, Fiffe works at Marvel now as a writer on Marvel's All-New Ultimates! Nice.
Bill Walko
Bill Walko already lampoons superhero conventions with his webcomic The Hero Business, about a PR firm serving superheroes. While it would be neat if his PR firm could work with real Marvel or DC superheroes (instead of ersatz versions of popular characters), Walko has put his hand to other superhero ideas, such as a revamp of Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld.
Caanan Grall
Caanan Grall's comic Celadore was actually published under DC's now-defunct Zuda webcomics imprint, and now he makes one of my personal favorite webcomics, Max Overacts. But his art style and incredibly charming dialogue would be perfect for an all-ages or young adult book, and every now and then, he churns out fanart that shows just how delightful his superhero comics would be.
Aaron Diaz
Okay, I don't know if there is any way that DC could possibly snag Aaron Diaz given that he's already very busy with his own webcomic, Dresden Codak. I just know that I'd love to see an Elseworlds comic featuring his rebooted Justice League.
The same goes for Kate Beaton's Wonder Woman.


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Ellen Silverman
Often thought of as savory ingredients, pine nuts and rosemary make an exciting, unexpected pairing in sweets. This play on a classic Tuscan dessert makes a nice ending to a fall or wintertime meal, be it simple or fancy. The fragrant, lightly sweetened whipped cream and the caramel tones of the filling seem to magically warm up a chilly day. You can candy a sprig of rosemary for a pretty garnish, if you like, or leave it fresh.
- Yield
- Makes one 9 1/2-inch tart
- 1 3/4 cups pine nuts
- Unbleached all-purpose flour, for rolling
- 1/2 recipe Almond Sable Dough
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, for garnish (optional)
- 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spread the pine nuts out on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 minutes, until fragrant. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack and let the nuts cool completely. Keep the oven on.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to an 11-inch round. Fit the dough into a 9 1/2 -inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough into the edges of the pan, and use a paring knife to trim off the excess dough along the top edge. Prick the bottom all over with a fork and freeze until the dough is firm, about 10 minutes.
- Line the chilled tart shell with a round of parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges of the crust are just beginning to turn golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and pie weights. Return the crust to the oven and continue baking until it is dry all over, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the tart shell to a wire rack and let it cool completely.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over high heat until it is golden brown with a nutty fragrance, about 4 minutes. Remove it from the heat and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, and vanilla. Add the eggs and whisk well to combine. Then add the browned butter. Fold in the pine nuts just to combine. Pour the filling into the tart shell and place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through, until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly loose in the center, about 45 minutes. (If the crust is getting too dark, cover the tart loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.) Transfer the tart to a wire rack to cool.
- Meanwhile, make the rosemary cream: In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup of the cream just to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 2 of the rosemary sprigs. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes.
- While the cream is steeping, make the candied rosemary sprig for garnish, if you like: In a bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons of hot water. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in a shallow bowl. Dip the remaining rosemary sprig in the sugar syrup to coat. Tap off any excess liquid on a paper towel, and then gently toss the wet sprig in the bowl of sugar. Set it on a paper towel to dry, about 5 minutes.
- Set up an ice bath. Strain the steeped cream into a metal bowl, set the bowl into the ice bath, and chill the cream until cold, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 3/4 cup cream and the confectioners' sugar. Continue to whisk until the cream forms soft peaks. Remove the outer ring and serve the tart with the cream, garnished with the fresh or candied rosemary sprig.
Reprinted from The Craft of Baking: Cakes, Cookies & Other Sweets with Ideas for Inventing Your Own by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox. Copyright © 2009. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc.


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The health, wellbeing and safety of our customers, team and partners is of paramount importance to us - today and every day. We are... More...
Nothing compares to the sound of a Rolls Royce Merlin in full roar.
Among the second world war aircraft powered by this... More...
09/05/2016 | Racing
Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan enjoyed his best weekend of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season to date at Thruxton, with a win and a podium finish during the third round of the year.
Andrew headed into the weekend looking to bounce back from a tough home event at Donington Park last month, but with renewed confidence in his Motorbase Performance-run Ford Focus after a successful test following the second meeting of the season.
That confidence was evident from the moment track action got underway in Hampshire, with Andrew running at the head of the pack in the opening practice session of the weekend and then finishing second quickest in FP2.
A more challenging qualifying session would see him Andrew line up eighth on the grid for the opening race of the weekend but he returned to form when the race day action got underway – fighting his way forwards to sit third when an incident elsewhere forced officials to throw out the red flags.
Starting third on the grid for race two as a result, Andrew battled his way into second on the opening lap and then set about shadowing leader Adam Morgan; biding his time before making his move for the lead at Allard with two laps to go and then edging away for a his first win of the year.
Although a puncture in race three prevented Andrew from adding to his points tally, he ends the weekend sitting eighth in the championship standings; just 21 points away from top spot.
Andrew also lies second in the Independents' Trophy with nine races now run.
"I think the weekend has gone really well," he said. "There is a bit of disappointment initially with the way race three ended, but to come away from the weekend with a win and a podium is great – especially as every man and his dog kept reminding me I hadn't won since Croft 2014!
"To come back from a tough qualifying session to start the day with a podium was a great and in race two, I knew I just had to wait for the right moment before making a move on Morgan and the plan worked a treat. Had it not been for the puncture in race three, we'd have been right in the mix there too, so we have shown the pace we have in the car and have a good platform to build on.
"I'm pleased that I've now opened my account with Motorbase and I feel in a really good place with the team; they've welcomed me with open arms. This was where my season started after a tough start, and it's onwards and upwards from here."
Next stop for Andrew and the Pirtek Racing Ford Focus is Oulton Park in Cheshire on 4/5 June.
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Chinese architecture: The Forbidden City
After 1421 Beijing became China's capital, and its group of imperial buildings, known as the Forbidden City, remains a remarkable achievement. Around its main courtyard and many smaller courts are grouped splendid halls, galleries, terraces, and gateways. White marble, wall facings of glazed terra-cotta, roofs of glazed and colored tiles, and woodwork finished with paint, lacquer, and gilding unite to create an effect of exceptional richness. Notable among these buildings is the group constituting the Temple of Heaven, including the Hall of the Annual Prayers (added in the late 19th cent.), a circular structure on a triple platform surmounted by a roof in three tiers covered with tiles of an intense blue glaze.
- Introduction
- Structural Elements
- Early Architecture
- Architectural Development: T'ang Dynasty and Thereafter
- The Forbidden City
- The Pagoda
- The Chinese Ground Plan
- Modern Styles
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Architecture


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Broadhurst + Associates
Exploring the margin between the designed and natural world.
ASLA Honor Award Winner
Broadhurst + Associates is a three-time national award winner with the American Society of Landscape Architects.
A Shoreline Re-Imagined | Mid-Century Modern | San Juan Island
Design Sensibility
What design elements create character and identity and, in turn, a memorable sense of place?
An understanding of this is the animating principle in our work. This is evident through the thoughtful exploration of the relationship between organic and inorganic. The ground plane and built elements are confidently expressed, yet plant life always contributes an important component in the internal dialogue of our designs.
Notebook: Paul's Blog
A running series of Broadhurst's website articles.
Things that Paul is passionate about in the realm of design, people, plants, and the environment.
A Living Shoreline
How a lakefront home's shoreline was restored to make a home for wildlife, too.
View Article
Social Media
Connect with B+A through the 'spheres.
Media + Press
Featured on the Discovery Channel and in Sunset, Better Homes & Gardens,
Northwest Homes, Landscape Architecture, and Garden Design magazines.


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I recently wrote a DDJ article, Making Two-Way Tables in iOS, which explained how to display tables with editable text on an iPhone. I used the Cocoa Touch class,
UITextField, to both present the table data and permit the user to edit it. The sample iOS app that accompanied the article which was a mock-up of a thermostat controller displays the temperature and time settings in several
UITextFields (Figure 1). These editable fields allowed the user to tap and modify the values of each field. When the editing was done, the changes were saved back into the table and the screen was refreshed.
That was well and good, and the user interface (UI) worked fine. Unfortunately, it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of the user experience (UX). For example, tapping on a
UITextField in the table brings up a virtual keyboard to modify the text. However, there were no sanity checks as to whether the values entered are valid temperatures or times. And as we all know, at the best of times, feeding garbage data into a mobile app results in garbage out; and at the worst of times, the app corrupts a remote database, resulting in all sorts of mischief.
Limiting What Data is Entered
Obviously, the app needs to police the values entered into these fields. One way to do this is to restrict the range of text permitted by changing the type of keyboard that the
UITextField presents. You can use the Objective-C property of the
UITextInputTraits protocol,
keyboardType, to specify a numeric keypad for data entry. That works for the cooling and heating temperature settings, whose values consist of only digits. However, it's unsuitable for the time setting. That's because the
NSDateFormatter class, which converts the string into an
NSDate object, requires not only digits but also a colon and either an AM or PM string to specify the time. You have to fall back on using the standard keyboard to enter a time value, and then write code that tests the validity of this value. If the entered value is bogus, you display an alert and have the user try again. Even the temperature setting is not immune to bad data entry: The user might enter a temperature that the central air system cannot support.
While this scheme prevents the entry of invalid settings, it's still awful as far as the UX goes. Mobile users need to enter data into an app quickly and accurately, all while on the go. Pecking at a virtual keyboard or keypad, dismissing an error dialog, and then trying to reenter the value again is going to frustrate mobile users and bring them to a screeching halt.
Is there a way to make entering these values fast yet accurate, and therefore improve the user experience? Fortunately, there is a Cocoa Touch class,
UIPickerView, that fits the bill.
UIPickerView displays a "picker" that consists of rollers or wheels that resemble those of a slot machine or odometer. The wheels present a range of values, and you pick a value (hence the class name) by sliding or flicking on the wheels until the desired value appears and then tapping a "Done" or similar button. Because you control the values the picker displays, the possibility of entering an invalid value is eliminated. In the Making Two-Way Tables in iOS article, I had mentioned that explaining how to use a picker to improve data entry into a table would require an article of its own. This is that article.
Picker Overview
UIPickerView displays a "generic" picker. The size, number of wheels, and the type of information presented (which can include images as well as strings) on the picker is customizable. There is also a
UIDatePicker class whose specialty is user selection of a time or date. The Timer pane of the iOS Clock app is an example of the
UIDatePicker. Since both pickers are visible objects, they inherit from the Coca Touch display class,
UIView. (For more information on the iOS
UIView class, consult the article, The iPhone Isn't Easy.) You might expect that
UIDatePicker, being similar in function to
UIPickerView, would use
UIPickerView as its superclass, but that's not the case.
UIPickerView inherits directly from
UIView, while
UIDatePicker inherits from
UIControl, which then inherits from
The UIDatePicker
Let's start with the details on
UIDatePicker, as it is easier to describe and set up. It uses a property,
date, to display the time/date and save any changes when a choice is made with the picker. The
date property consists of an
NSDate object.
UIDatePicker has several properties that control the display of the date. For example, these properties specify the time zone used, the value of the minute intervals used in the display, and whether the picker functions as a countdown timer. The class has one lone instance method,
setDate, which modifies the value in the
date property. Changes to the picker display can be animated, so that the wheels rotate to display the digits and text that make up the time or date. When the user finishes rotating a wheel, the picker generates an action message that is sent to a delegate object. The delegate can then respond to the change in date or time. Since the message corresponds to a control event,
UIControlEventValueChanged, this explains why
UIDatePicker inherits from
UIControl. Because the thermostat app uses
NSDate to display the time settings, employing a
UIDatePicker to edit the time values becomes straightforward.
UIPickerView class is more flexible in its set up and in the type of content it displays. However, the price of the additional flexibility requires that there be more details to get right to properly configure the picker display (see Figure 2). Besides the
UIPickerView class itself, there are also protocols defined for source information and delegate responses. (Recall that a Cocoa Touch protocol describes a set of defined methods that a delegate must implement.)
UIPickerView class provides a view that displays a picker per your specifications. Some of these include: the number of wheels (termed components), the rows of content for each component, and the screen dimensions that the view occupies. The class displays the rows of content on the components, and can also animate the components when their content changes. When the picker loads, it first uses the
UIPickerViewDataSource protocol to obtain information from the designated source object about its layout. The source returns the number of components and the number of rows the picker needs through the required methods
numberOfComponentsInPickerView and
numberOfRowsInComponent, respectively. The picker uses the
UIPickerViewDelegate protocol to obtain the dimensions of the components, and to supply the content for the rows in each component. The delegate object also implements a response when the user makes a choice on the picker. Note that when a choice is made,
UIPickerView simply issues a message, and not a control event, which allows you greater flexibility in how the app handles it. The
UIPickerViewDataSource methods,
numberOfComponentsInPickerView and
numberOfRowsInComponent, are similar in purpose to the
UITableViewDataSource protocol methods
numberOfSectionsInTableView and
numberOfRowsInSection that return the number of sections and rows in a table. Furthermore, the
UIPickerViewDelegate method
didSelectRow, which handles a picker selection on the row of a component, is similar to the
UITableViewDelegate protocol method
didSelectRowAtIndexPath that indicates the choice of a table row. This option lets us apply our existing expertise with iOS tables to implement a picker that handles the temperature settings.
From Keyboard to Picker
Previously in the sample app, when you tapped on a
UITextField and completed editing it with the keyboard, the delegate responded by invoking the
textFieldShouldReturn method. The duty of this method is to determine which field was edited, save the text from the modified field into the appropriate element of the table data arrays, update the table display, and finally reassign the
textField as being the first responder. To change this behavior, the
UITextField delegate must be modified so that it uses a picker object rather than the usual editing process. This requires that the delegate implement a
textFieldShouldBeginEditing method rather than a
textFieldShouldReturn method. The
textFieldShouldBeginEditing allows you to specify whether the default editing process should occur. This is where we will hijack the editing process.
For our purposes,
textFieldShouldBeginEditing disallows the default text editing and invokes a picker instead. The method then adds the picker as a subview, which makes it the first responder. The picker deals with the user input until it is dismissed. Once dismissed, the code updates the table data, refreshes the table display and exits as it did before. One complication is that we'll have to set up the equivalent of a "Return" key to dismiss the picker.
Because the thermostat app presents times and temperatures,
textFieldShouldBeginEditing uses both a
UIDatePicker and a
UIPickerView to handle the disparate data types.
This time we won't start from scratch writing the app code. Instead, we'll modify the previous two-way table app to change the editing behavior. While Interface Builder was used to assemble the table and its cells, this time we'll add the picker objects programmatically. This involves some slight changes to the
TemperatureControlAppDelegate class, while the
TableTempController class requires the addition of quite a few methods to implement and support the picker.
The purpose of the modifications to the
TemperatureControlAppDelegate files are to add a
UINavigationController to the app. Table displays on iOS often present a navigation bar, courtesy of a
UINavigationController, that enables a user to drill down to the desired level of detail in the tables. However, for our sample app the navigation bar serves as a placeholder for a "Done" button that dismisses the picker.
To add the navigation bar, we modify
TemperatureControlAppDelegate.h to declare a
UINavigationController (Listing One):
Listing One
#import <UIKit/UIKit.h> #import "TempTableController.h" @interface TemperatureControlAppDelegate : NSObject <UIApplicationDelegate> { UIWindow *window; UINavigationController *navigationController; TempTableController *table; } @property (nonatomic, retain) IBOutlet UIWindow *window; @property (nonatomic, retain) UINavigationController *navigationController; @property (nonatomic, retain) IBOutlet TempTableController *table; @end
Moving on to TemperatureControlAppDelegate.m, in
didFinishLaunchingWithOptions we create instances of
UITableViewController and
UINavigationController. As
UINavigationController is allocated, the
initWithRootViewController parameter attaches the instance of our custom
TempTableController, to it (Listing Two).
Listing Two
@synthesize navigationController; // Set up table view controller TempTableController *aViewController = [[TempTableController alloc] initWithNibName:NULL bundle:[NSBundle mainBundle]]; UINavigationController *aNavigationController = [[UINavigationController alloc] initWithRootViewController:aViewController]; self.navigationController = aNavigationController; [aNavigationController release]; [aViewController release]; // Add view managed by the login controller to main window [window addSubview:[navigationController view]];
After these modifications, when you build the app and run it, a blank navigation bar should appear at the top of the screen.


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How to Choose and Cook Escarole
In Season: Escarole
An abundance of luscious, leafy greens is one of the many reasons I love produce during the cooler months. While kale, collards, and radicchio are all divine options, try mixing things up with escarole, a delicious and nutritious chicory variety you may not be as familiar with. Although it certainly brings a powerful punch of flavor, it's the least bitter member of its leafy endive family. Keep reading to learn how to choose and cook with escarole.
Be sure to choose escarole that looks green and fresh. Just like many other greens, stay away from damaged or browning leaves. Since a lot of dirt and sand can get trapped between its curly leaves, be sure to wash this endive thoroughly before you prepare it. No need to trim the stems like kale; simply tear the leaves into your desired size. A medium head of escarole usually yields about six to seven cups.
Many prefer to sauté it up to sweeten the strong flavor, but escarole can also add a bright and brisk crunch to any milder salad. Looking for more inventive ways to include escarole into your supper tonight? Here are a few of our favorite ideas:
- The tangy Manchego of this Spanish-inspired pizza with chorizo and shrimp is the perfect complement for escarole's bitter flavor.
- Play into a contrast of textures and flavors with this recipe for escarole with prosciutto.
- Switch things up in your traditional calzone recipe and taste this escarole calzone from Mario Batali's kitchen.
- Grown-up grilled cheese? Yes please! A grilled cheese with onion jam and escarole is an elevated version of everyone's childhood favorite.
Source: Flickr User wickenden


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"The Decision" is in: LeBron James Named MVP
It started with an opening day thrashing of the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in which LeBron James showcased a completely revamped low post game. And it never really stopped.
It started with an opening day thrashing of the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in which LeBron James showcased a completely revamped low post game. And it never really stopped.
Kobe points the finger squarely at Bynum for Laker loss.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Kobe's right. Bynum sucked.
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Last night, I was lucky enough to be able to go see game 5 of the Lakers/Nuggets series at the Staples Center. It was a game that I was pretty confident the Lakers would win and wrap up the series.
I was wrong.
But in all honesty, if you watched last night's game, either on TV or in person, you know the Lakers beat themselves with poor defense, shot selection and a lack of energy. It was only until the final four minutes of the game that the Lakeshow started to play hard. Unfortunately, the damage had been done; even though for a minute or two it looked like we were all going to witness a legendary comeback in Lakers playoff history.
Down 15 points with less than a quarter to play, the Lakers started playing. Andrew Bynum, who had been pouting all night because he wasn't getting touches on offenses (my theory) started to get active on the boards and get positioning down low. Gasol also started to get active on offense, making a few shots in the final minutes.
Kobe, who finished with 43 points, hit four threes in the last few minutes to bring the Lakers all the way back and make it interesting in the end. Kobe and Sessions both had chances to tie the game with a three but came up short.
For a brief minute, it looked as if we were going to witness history. But...
It just goes to show you that you can't expect to win a game when you only play well for seven minutes of it.
A big key to winning against the Nuggets is containing JaVale McGee. Well last night, Gasol and Bynum made JaVale McGee look like Dr. J. McGee finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds. They let him do whatever he wanted all game and played no defense on him whatsoever. McGee was dunking on both of them left and right and even when Gasol tried to foul, the fouls were just too soft.
If they want to win game 6, the Lakers need to step it up on defense - so they don't have to rely on Kobe in the end of every game.
Read More
As if summertime wasn't upon us, NBA playoffs weren't on every night, and living in Los Angeles couldn't be any more ideal, both the Lakers and the Clippers are still in the playoffs. With legit chances to move on and keep the party going.
The Clippers will play in game 4 of the series against Memphis tonight at the Staples Center. My Hoopsvibe prediction: The winner of tonight's game wins the series. The Clipshow currently has a 2-1 lead over the Grizzlies.
But should they be up 2-1?
In each of the Clippers' victories against the Grizzlies, I don't think anyone would be surprised to hear me say that the Grizzlies beat themselves in both games. And taking it a step further, if I was part of the Memphis organization, I'd be wondering why weren't up 3-0.
In game 1, Memphis blew a 27-point lead in the 2nd half to lose the game. Saturday, the Clippers almost blew a decent lead after missing 17 of their last 30 free throws but ended up winning by 1. Rudy Gay had a chance to win the game at the end but missed a three-pointer at the buzzer. The Clippers have only won by a point in both of their victories.
But with Chris Paul's improved play in the playoffs (he's averaging 22 plus points and 9 plus assists per game, above his season averages) and the recent return of Caron Butler, the Clippers have a lot to be hopeful for. Having said that, they need to buckle down and win tonight or they could be in trouble.
The Lakers seem much more in command of their playoff destiny.
Winning game 4 last night against the Nuggets gave the Lakeshow a 3-1 series lead. Kobe Bryant finished with 22 points but his assist to Steve Blake that put the Lakers up 6 in the end was probably his biggest play of the game.
The Lakers have a chance to close out the series tomorrow night at home.
My hoopsvibe prediction: The Lakers win the series tomorrow night.
They have just been too dominant for the Nuggets. They are leading the Nuggets in every major category except free throw percentage and steals and are getting the production they need from the bench.
The two-highest averaging scorers on the series for the Lakers are Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum, who are averaging 46.75 ppg between the two of them. Gallinari and Lawson, Denver's series bests are combining for just 33.25.
Coach Brown played Jordan Hill for a lot of the second half in their victory yesterday and Hill ended up finishing with a game-high 11 rebounds.
While McGee and Faried present some difficulties for the Lakers down low, (as they showed in game 3) the big men were held to just a combined 14 points and 11 rebounds in Game 4.
If the Lakers just keep Denver's big men at bay, they should have no problem wrapping up the series tomorrow night.
And if the Clippers can hang on and beat Memphis, being a hoops fan in Los Angeles won't suck.
Read More
Lamar Odom tweets his reasons for sucking.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Stop tweeting. You look like an idiot.
Lamar Odom has plenty of time to think. The Dallas season is over and his season with Dallas was over weeks ago when they dropped him from the team following an argument between owner Mark Cuban and Odom. Just one full season removed from his 6-man of the year award, he now has been dropped by Dallas and looking for someone that wants to take a chance on a one-time potential All Star getting deeper into his thirties.
Lamar recently tweeted some reasons for why he couldn't focus with the Mavs. Lamar has long been known as thin-skinned and a very sensitive player, so his difficulty in dealing with the death of his cousin and close friend is understandable, but the facts remain the same.
The facts are Lamar struggled to produce even marginal numbers with the Mavs last season leaving many experts wondering if his career is simply over. Odom put up 6.6 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game, and shot only 35% from the field. These aren't exactly All Star numbers. The question for general managers in the NBA is was this a fluke year or is Odom simply at the end of his NBA career? He's played 13 years in the NBA which is a full career by anyone's standards. Now that he's in his 30s and looking toward life after basketball, the question is whether that life will start now or later.
Man, it sure looks like it. In the midst of a dire stretch where the Bulls have needed someone to step-up, Carlos Boozer has been nowhere to be seen. After being traded and signed to a five year, $75 million dollar deal, Boozer has delivered nearly two years of subpar play. The frustration for Bulls fans has culminated this postseason.
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The Quick Hit: It was supposed to be case of master versus student. It has become a case of student challenging master.
Quite simply, the Los Angeles Lakers, with all their star power and glitz, were expected to handle the talented but inexperienced Oklahoma City Thunder. After all, the Lakers had that Larry O'Brien swagger; the Thunder were unproven upstarts.
The Quick Hit: He's a renowned nomad.
Coach Larry Brown has always operated with one foot on the bench of his current team and the other foot in the NBA's tampering zone. Right or wrong, fair or not, the Hall of Fame sideline boss, even when under contract, is always seeking his next job.
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Bryan Colangelo must face reality: Chris Bosh is done with the Toronto Raptors.
After seven years of mediocre results, the All-Star four-man publicly stated that he'll sign with a contending squad when he becomes a free agent this summer.
The Quick Hit: Suddenly, there's a 'Need for Sheed' and a 'Big Baby' better become a man.
As HoopsVibe's News section reported, Kevin Garnett has been suspended for game two between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat for elbowing Quentin Richardson.Read More
As HoopsVibe's News section reported, The Big Ticket could soon be The Big Suspended.
With forty seconds remaining and the Boston Celtics ahead in game one of their opening round playoff series verses the Miami Heat, Kevin Garnett was ejected for hitting Quentin Richardson with an elbow during a stoppage in play.
The Quick Hit: For the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Orlando Magic, it's all or nothing.
The all is having Commissioner David Stern hand over the Larry O'Brien trophy in two months and pronounce them world champions in a champagne soaked ceremony.
Only the all will do. Only the all will satisfy their demanding fan base. Only the all will satisfy their demanding owners, who have taken on multi-million dollar luxury tax payments for this precise moment.
While nothing, or falling short of an NBA Title, will force Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Orlando to make wholesale changes this off-season. Right or wrong, fair or not, these are the stakes when playing for a contender.
Every year, a few teams are capable of knocking off a contender. They are often slept-on and overlooked. Throw in a condensed, do-or-die seven game series and these Cinderella candidates need signs saying 'proceed with caution'.
The Quick Hit: John Paxson, the player, was known for knocking down jump shots. John Paxson, the front office suit, may be known for knocking down coaches.
Today, reports surfaced that the former guard and current Executive Vice President of the Chicago Bulls provoked a 'physical altercation' with sideline boss Vinny Del Negro over Joakim Noah's playing time following a March 30th loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Let us be clear: 'physical altercation' is code for fight. And while Paxson vs. Del Negro isn't exactly Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier or even Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy, their wee donnybrook is sufficient grounds for Michael Jordan's backcourt mate to finally be fired.
The Quick Hit: Recently, former superstar Tracy McGrady told reporters, despite his lacklustre play and mediocre health, he wouldn't sign with a team this summer that asked him to serve as sixth-man.
McGrady, of course, believes he's a still starter. And McGrady also believes he hasn't 'fallen off' to where he's a reserve.
Forgive me, but didn't we just see this song and dance? Didn't we just see first ballot Hall of Fame guard Allen Iverson commit career suicide by refusing a lesser role for the Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies?
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The Quick Hit: It's not exactly a 'Clash of the Titans'.
On Sunday afternoon, the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors will square off at Air Canada Centre. Both teams are tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. And both teams are over-hyping the significance of this weekend's tilt.
Does two months of stellar play warrant a three-year, $39 million extension?
The San Antonio Spurs think so, rewarding shooting guard Manu Ginobili, who over the last eight weeks has been arguably the NBA's best player, with a lucrative contract.
The devil missed an opportunity Sunday at the Verizon Center. After all, Andray Blatche would've sold his soul for one last rebound and the chance to notch an oh-so important triple-double.Read More
HoopsVibe's Breaking Down The NBA Blog regularly provides a snapshot of the best NBA stories you should be reading from the three dubyas. We call it Best of the Web ...
To quote the 'great' Bon Jovi, Andrea Bargnani and 'Flip' Murray were 'Livin' on a Prayer'.
Recently, the Toronto Raptors' post and Chicago Bulls' swing received a little help when their heaves were answered by a higher power –of some sort. Of course, the Raptors and Bobcats will take all the divine intervention they can get - even if it comes courtesy of a hair band years past their prime, if they ever had one - because both franchises are battling for the eighth and final playoff birth in the Eastern Conference.
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Many peak oilers are opposed to the current economic system because it must grow to function, and they fear growth. In their view, human beings are yeast in a petri dish, and if we keep growing, we will overshoot and die-off, suffocating in our own waste. Therefore growth must be stopped, and the only way to do that is to somehow restructure the economy.
It is true that the economy must grow, but the economic system is a complex thing, so let's take it one step at a time. Why is it that the economy must grow? Heinberg blames it on the monetary system, more specifically, "debt money" and interest:
The mania for growth is not merely a personal pathology, or even a problem of economic ideology; it is structurally embedded in most national monetary systems. Currently, most money is loaned into existence by banks and is thus based on debt and implies a commitment to pay interest on that debt. If the economy does not grow, new money will not be created to pay interest on existing loans; those loans will thus be defaulted upon, and a crash will occur. It is essentially impossible to achieve a static or controllably contracting economy with a debt-based currency. Therefore, if we are to achieve a reduced-scale, steady-state society, we will need to change our monetary system to one that is not based on debt and interest.SourceThis theory -- that new money must be loaned into existence in order to pay interest on existing loans -- is called the "Debt Virus Hypothesis" (DVH). It was popularized by Jacques Jaikaran in his 1995 book Debt Virus: A Compelling Solution to the World's Debt Problems. (As a point of human interest, we should probably note that Jaikaran is not an economist or a banker. He's a plastic surgeon from Texas, who was involved in the right-wing "Republic of Texas" movement and arrested for tax fraud. Source.)
Succinctly put, the DVH says this: When bankers create new money by issuing a loan, they only create the amount loaned, not the interest. So where does the new money to pay the interest come from? It can only come into existence through a new loan being made, and therefore the monetary system requires endless growth to avoid collapse.
But something is fishy here: Why does the money to pay the interest have to be "new" money? Suppose the bank loans out $100 and wants $110 back ($100 + $10 interest) . Why can't the $10 be "old" money -- i.e. money which is already in the economy and is idle at the moment?
The fallacy of the "Debt Virus" hypothesis is that it assumes, nonsensically, that all of the billions upon billions of dollars already existing in the economy cannot be used to pay a newly created interest obligation. It says that money for paying a particular interest obligation must be specially created. It sets up a false 1-to-1 correspondence between particular sums of money and particular debts. The fact is, the self-same $10 bill can be used to pay off any number of debts; today it pays my interest, 15 minutes later it pays yours. It's not a zero-sum game where me paying my interest somehow shuts you out from paying yours.
At this point, a defender of the DVH might say: "But you can't pay interest with money that's already been created! It was loaned into existence!" This is just a red herring.
The fact that money was loaned into existence doesn't prevent anybody, in any way, from using it to pay interest. It's simple really; I'll show you how it's done. My buddy Earl calls me up and says: "Hey, you remember that $100 you owe me?" I write him a check off my account, it clears, and he uses it to pay interest on his mortgage. Voila. Earl just paid off interest with money which was loaned into existence -- i.e. the money I took out of my checking account. Earl paid off the interest with "old" money, and no new money needed to be created. Kind of mind-boggling, ain't it?
Even more amazing is the fact that that $100 just keeps on going... The bank uses it to pay interest on one of their loans from another bank, and that bank in turn pays it out to Grandma Peasoup as interest on a CD, and she uses the $100 to pay interest on her mortgage.
For an even more astounding demonstration of this magic, suppose we have a billion broke hobos lined up, starting with Abe, Bob, Cliff.... and ending with Yordo and Zeke (there's a lot of Mikes in the middle). Abe takes $10 out of his pocket and loans it to Bob, provided that he pays back the $10 plus $1 in interest. Bob says okay, and makes the same loan to Cliff, and of course Cliff makes the same loan to Dave etc. etc. until Yordo loans the money to Zeke.
Total indebtedness at this point: $10 billion
Total interest due: $1 billion
Wow! Where in the hell are these guys going to come up with that kind of cash? Between them they've only got a couple thousand, and there's no way a bank is going to loan a bunch of penniless hobos billions of dollars. But some bank has to. Right? According to Heinberg, somebody somewhere has to loan a whole new $1 billion into existence to pay the hobo interest. Is all hope lost?
Nah... Zeke just takes a swig off his flask, pulls a buck out of his wallet and pays off the 11$ he owes to Yordo, Yordo does the same with Xavier etc. etc. until Bob pays off Abe. It's like a big zipper. Isn't that fucking incredible? We just paid off $1 billion in interest with 1 measly buck.
More info on the DVH


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Yes, we are on vacation, but I still menu plan. It is in my blood! I do it a little differently though, at least I am this week. I am only planning out 2-3 days at a time, then going to the store for the items a few times during the week. I do this mainly so that I don't end up having a bunch of leftovers to cart home with me or go to waste. Next week, the 2nd week we will be here, I have already planned out the whole week because our families will be joining us and we needed to see who wanted to participate in what meals so that we can be prepared with groceries.
Sunday ~ Shrimp Scampi (Aaron's recipe), steamed green beans & salad.
Monday ~ Chicken Bouldy (again, Aaron's amazing recipe), brown rice, steamed broccoli & salad
Tuesday ~ Turkey burgers, baked sweet potatoes, snow peas & salad
I know that we will do some fresh seafood a couple more times this week. I love salmon, so that is a definite. I also love sea scallops, lobster tail, grouper, flounder, etc. I would like to try mahi mahi, as I have never had it, but have no idea how to prepare it. May be time to give it a try!
No baking here this week. I did enough last week preparing for the trip!!
Be sure to check back Tuesday or Wednesday for my mid-week menu plan!
I also wanted to share that the kids & I walked for our ice cream last night and I had the coconut. It was amazing!! There were pieces of toasted coconut in the ice cream! YUM!! I think peach yogurt is next on my agenda to sample.
Filed under: Family, Gluten-Free |


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Nourison WAD07 IRONS
Artisanal Delight Collection by Waverly presents a mixture of classic and stylish floral patterns, combined with trendy, current graphic designs, to round out a savvy, fresh offering. Made of cut pile and accentuated with hand-carving, these designs come to life in rich color palettes that emphasize the Waverly brand while anchoring its position as a trend-setter in home furnishings.
Fabric Material: 100% Polyester


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December 14-29/2006
New Commercial Retail–- Cloverlawn Village West, $1,800,000.
The Rocks LLC, demo major part of existing structure, replace with 7,000-square-foot addition, $2,000,000.
Garfinckel, Brooks Brothers, Miller & Rhoads Inc., tenant upfit for Trade Secrets, Fashion Square Mall, $10,000.
Carriage Gate LLC, free-standing sign for Carriage Gate Apartments, $600.
Airport Park LLC, equipment wiring to take place after upfit is finalized, $600.
Charlottesville Waldorf Foundation, classroom building #2, Charlottesville Waldorf School, $800,000.
Berkmar Park LLC, non-illuminated wall sign, Nitek, $2,100.
Hollymead Town Center LLC, install illuminated channel letters on raceway for wall sign (ABC store), $3,500.
Mark Properties LLC, tenant upfit, Dr. Ogan, Suite 203, $14,000.
Pantops Giant LLC, tenant upfit for Mailbox Express, $10,000.
Terry J. Lockhart, demolish abandoned house, $7,500.
Pantops Shopping Center LC, illuminated wall sign, Brix Café, $4,500.
Ganapati LLC, two wall signs for new Subway shop, no price given.
PJP Building One LC, new brick and block wall for concrete pad, generator and enclosure, no price given.
Meadowwood Inc., enclosing front entry, $5,000.
University of Virginia Health Services Foundation, replace free standing sign- Northridge Medical Office Building, $5,000.
Woodlands of Charlottesville LLC, clubhouse, $800,000.
W. Benton Downer III, William D. Tucker III, Marc Leepson, and Jana Lee Murphy, tenant upfit for Space 11/Clover Lawn office building, $53,000.
Rivanna Partners LP, 853 West Main Street, reroof building, $70,280.
J. Williams and D. Pettit, trustees, 40x40 tent, 420 West Main Street, $12,000.
St. Paul's Memorial Church, replace roof and gutter, 1709 University Avenue, $55,600.
University of Virginia Foundation, 1018 West Main Street, demolish Papa John's , $30,000.
Ten Market LLC, 100 10th Street NE, remove interior partition, $22,000.
Ten Market LLC, 100 10th Street NE, tenant upfit, remodel, $42,000.
Daniel James Widmer, 817 Stonehenge Avenue, demolish existing structure, $6,000.
Pavilion LLC, 301 15th Street NW, above-ground swimming pool, $42,000.
Eagle Crest Homes and Development, 540 Cleveland Avenue, demolish single family residence, $5,000.
Richard T. Spurzem, 1218 Goodman Street, interior demo, $15,000.


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A Tale of Reconciliation
Alabama's Christ the King Monastery unites with the Church.
CULLMAN, Ala. — There was an added joy in the Diocese of Birmingham, Ala., during Lent and the Easter Octave as the members of the formerly schismatic Christ the King Monastery in Cullman were reconciled with the Catholic Church.
After years of discussion between Birmingham's bishops and the monastery, on May 1 Bishop Robert Baker received the two remaining monks' vows as Benedictine hermits.
The road hasn't been without its difficulties.
Christ the King Abbey was founded around 1984 by Benedictine Father Leonard Giardina, formerly a member of the St. Bernard Monastery in Cullman. In the 1980s he had contact with the Society of St. Pius X but ended the association in late 1989, then explored other avenues, but was never formally linked with the St. Pius X Society.
Bishop Baker describes the schismatic abbey as being sui generis (a community of their own kind).
Now because of the community's reunion with the Church after fulfilling all the requirements expressed by Bishop Baker in consultation with the Vatican, the faithful may have access to worship at the monastery. This community will continue celebrating Mass in the Latin Tridentine form, known since Pope Benedict's 2007 motu propio letter Summorum Pontificum as the extraordinary form of the Roman rite.
To Bishop Baker's knowledge, this is one of the first such schismatic groups in the United States to be formally reunited.
"It is somewhat unique as an effort at reconciliation," he explained. "The discussions leading to this reconciliation were very delicate and complex and took place over a number of years with both Bishop (emeritus) David Foley, my predecessor, and myself, aided by a canon lawyer who had worked for the Vatican, Msgr. Anthony La Femina."
"We had much prayer and good will on both sides going into this effort," Bishop Baker reflected. "We all listened to the Holy Spirit, and now we are seeing the fruits of our efforts."
For one, attendance at the traditional Latin Mass celebrated daily at the monastery has nearly tripled, according to one of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius who were invited by Bishop Baker to help with the transition. The Cullman church is in the country, yet now 20 or more faithful attend the daily 7am Mass.
"In the short time we've been there, as word of mouth spreads, we're getting more and more," finds Father James Isaacson of the Canons Regular, who celebrates the Masses for the monks and the people coming to the monastery chapel.
Along with two Canons Regular brothers, he was sent by Father C. Frank Phillips, pastor of St. John Cantius in Chicago, at the request of Bishop Baker, to help the monastery seeking readmission to the Church until something permanent could be established.
"You see how the Holy Spirit works in the life of the Church," Father Phillips said. "Ten or 20 years ago we wouldn't be having this conversation. Thanks to the generosity of the Holy Father and of the bishops in obedience to the Holy Father, many people are reconciled in the faith."
Brother Sebastian Glentz and Brother Michael Sauntner are the two monks who reconciled with the Church. Both have been at Christ the King over 20 years and for a period of time were functioning as priests. However, since there is a question about the validity of their ordination, they do not presently function as priests and have taken the title of "Brother" as canonical hermits of the diocese.
Ongoing visits to the abbey began with Bishop Foley and then continued with Bishop Baker. In December 2010, seeing the divisions within the community, Abbot Leonard gave Brother Sebastian permission to contact Msgr. La Femina about reconciling with the authority of the Church.
Over the years the abbey grew to a maximum of 11 monks and five sisters. Both sedevacantists and those who believe in valid papal succession were part of the community or among those attending services at the monastery. Sedevacantists believe papal succession stopped after Pius XII's 1958 death or after John XXIII's 1963 death.
"Abbot Leonard was never a sedevacantist," Brother Sebastian Glentz explained. "We did not discuss the issue; we prayed about it. Behind the scenes, our community was divided."
By December 2010 three of six monks had left: two unreconciled sedevacantists and one who chose to reconcile with the Church on his own. There also were three sisters. All three left, one to reconcile with Rome.
Although the monastery is in the Bible Belt and not a hub of sedevacantist activity, most of the 60 to 100-plus people attending the later of the two Sunday Masses were of sedevacantist mindset.
As the abbot approached death, the increasing divisions motivated Brothers Sebastian and Michael to seek reconciliation. But any reconciliation was put on hold because of a sudden decline in his health and his subsequent death in January 2011.
In early March, the two remaining monks closed the church to the public, placing a statement about their intended reconciliation in their last bulletin.
Bishop Baker makes special note of "the humility and cooperation of these two men."
Father Phillips gives both monks great credit for living out the vow of obedience and also the great humility they have displayed in submitting themselves to the local bishop.
"In an age when everyone wants to do what they want, here is an actual example of an obedient servant, of knowing and living the humility of the saints themselves in making this type of decision," said Father Phillips, who also pointed to the gracious permission given the Canons by Chicago's Cardinal Francis George to help in Alabama.
"That all ties to the idea you can't do anything by yourself, but everyone is subject to higher authority. We were then able to help Bishop Baker," he said.
"None of this is by chance. It's by the promptings of the Holy Spirit," he added. "You can boil it down very simply: not my will; thine."
The Vatican requested as a condition of their reconciliation that the two monks return to the canonical status they had before receiving their ordination.
They chose to be accepted as canonical hermits under the canon governing hermits in the Code of Canon Law, while the Holy See examines the validity of their ordinations.
Msgr. La Femina, who was an official of the Roman Curia for 26 years, began visiting the abbey with Bishop Baker two years ago. He noted the big step these two men took. He added, "We are praying now that the sedevacantist congregation returns."
The monks hope the Vatican eventually recognizes the ordinations, but they are prepared to fully accept whatever the Vatican decides.
Brother Sebastian explained that he and Brother Michael's "whole Lenten season was a real Lent" because they had to cease functioning as priests as they came under Rome.
"But because of obedience it makes it easier," he said, looking to the example of Padre Pio. "Not that we are any way near Padre Pio, but he was told not to say public Mass or hear confessions, and he obeyed. We look upon our obedience as the obedience he gave the Church."
Charles Rumore, president of the chapter in the Birmingham Diocese of Una Voce, a lay association promoting the traditional Latin Mass, sees further good growing from this reconciliation. "This is a huge deal because this is tangible fruit of the tree of Summorum Pontificum," he said, referring to Pope Benedict's letter "On the Use of the Roman Liturgy Prior to the Reform of 1970."
There are only two churches in the diocese that weekly celebrate the extraordinary form of the Mass, necessitating long drives for some. Now the reunited monastery church makes a third.
Rumore expressed thanks to Bishop Baker in this regard. "This humble bishop has responded in an authentic and generous way to Pope Benedict's document to re-establish our connection to the traditional liturgy and has removed some of the obstacles."
He also sees this reconciliation as tangible proof of the point Pope Benedict made in the May 13 instruction Universae Ecclesiae on the application of Summorum Pontificum.
"What this does is set an example for others to return, whether they be lay or religious," Rumore said.
In fact, the Pope's moves on the liturgy had a constructive bearing on this reconciliation.
"We could see he's trying to put a sense of the sacred back into the faith of the people," Brother Sebastian said. "We know that will not happen overnight. We hope our coming over will assist in that."
In fact, Brother Sebastian said he hopes this move will inspire others to consider reconciliation. The monastery has already received some inquiries.
Bishop Baker points to the providential timing of the monks' return: They entered the Church in the season of Lent and on Divine Mercy Sunday received their vows — "in the reconciliation pattern of Lent and Mercy Sunday."
Brother Sebastian sees the same significance.
In fact, if Divine Mercy Sunday hadn't fallen on May 1, the day would be the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, to whom the monks are very devoted.
He noted that that Sunday's Gospel tells of Our Lord giving the power to forgive sins, and "it was very significant with us coming back into the Church, going to confession."
Since it was also the first day of the month of the Blessed Mother, Brother Michael crowned the Blessed Mother statue at the end of Mass.
"All of it had to be done on that day without electricity because of the tornado," Brother Sebastian noted. "But after the ceremony was over and Mass over, our power came back on."
Joseph Pronechen is based in Trumbull, Connecticut.
- Keywords:
- June 19-July 2, 2011


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Stuffed Pattypans
We had an abundance of squash so I came up with this elegant looking dish to use it up. It is a great as a side dish or even as a main dish.—Mary Young, Glendo, Wyoming
Total TimePrep: 35 min. Bake: 30 min.
Makes4 servings
- 4 large pattypan squash (5 to 6 inches in diameter)
- 6 bacon strips
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 slices buttered toast, cubed
- Paprika
- Place whole squash in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add just enough water to cover; sprinkle lightly with salt. Bring to a boil; cover and cook for 10-12 minutes or until tender. Remove squash with a slotted spoon; let stand until lukewarm. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook bacon until crisp; drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside. In the drippings, saute onion and peppers until tender; set aside. In a saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk, garlic salt, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Scoop out pulp from squash, leaving 1/2-in. shells. In a bowl, mash the pulp. Add bacon, onion-pepper mixture, white sauce and 3/4 cup cheese; mix well. Place squash shells in a greased shallow baking dish. Pour water around shells. Stuff shells with filling. Top with the toast cubes and remaining cheese; sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 30 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.


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American Civil War Fiction
January 11th, 2012
April 12, 1861 marked the moment that our nation was plunged into one of its darkest hours. The first bullet of the American Civil War was fired at Fort Sumpter in South Carolina. There was no turning back from the anguish that citizens from both North and South would bear for the next 4 years, and long beyond.
I am fascinated with this time in our Nations history. Several of my ancestors went into battle, some for the North and many for the South, a fact that many of you can also boast about! I feel that there is a certain romance in all the tragedy that surrounds those days – how brave these men were and how brave their families were back at home! Several brilliant works of fiction have fed my Civil War curiosity over the years. These books are so wonderfully crafted that they will transport you back in time. Most of these titles, while they are fiction, have been carefully researched and written with many facts interwoven through the story. While you are immersed in these works it will be clear that no matter to which side the loyalties fell, the thirst for freedom and the love for their country ran deep in everyone.
The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
This is the Granddaddy of all Civil War fiction and a must read for anyone who searches for a story with a great deal of fact and military tactics entwined. Shaara won a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975 for his brilliant portrayal of the major players for both North and South during the battle at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The book mainly focuses on two characters, General Robert E. Lee and his vision of a final victory for his Army of Virginia, and the young and newly appointed Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain who is thrown into command just in time to hold the Union Line at Little Round Top. The Killer Angels is one of those books that you may read again and again so that you will capture every detail. It is heartbreaking in the reality in which it shows the thoughts and feelings of many of our greatest military heroes as they face their old friends and their own fears at the hour of death for many. Shaara was absolutely spot on in his details of the battles, locations and positions of the armies. These men and their causes will become so real to you that it is impossible not to feel passion for one side or the other.
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
Frazier managed to write a beautiful, romantic novel while still working in enough gritty details to appeal to both men and women, and keep all of us under his spell! The story revolves around Inman, off to join the Confederate Army and Ada Monroe, who has just moved to Cold Mountain. Just days before he leaves for battle, Inman falls in love with the lovely and frail Ada. His love for her is what drives him to desert the army and start the harrowing trip back to Cold Mountain. The book travels back and forth between Inmans journey home and Adas fight to survive alone after the death of her father. Both of them must fight the brutal Home Guard who travel the countryside searching for Confederate deserters and punishing the citizens who help them. Throughout the book you will meet an eccentric cast of characters who somehow bring the story together. Cold Mountain is a love story, a war story, and a raw glimpse at how harsh life during the war was for those at home and on the front lines.
March by Geraldine Brooks
Geraldine Brooks is well known from bringing history alive in her novels. She has done it again in bringing us this gem. Does anyone remember the March girls and their loving Marmee from the beloved classic, Little Women? If so, you will remember that Mr. March spent the majority of the story away from the family, fighting dutifully for the Northern Army. Who was he? What was he experiencing? What were his feelings towards his family and being parted from them? How had the war changed him? Within the pages of March, you will find your answers. This isnt the same gentle tale that follows Louisa May Alcotts style. This is an honest look at a man battling good and evil within himself while desperately trying to remain true to his beliefs. It is the story of a man who must face his failures and keep the love of his family and his hope alive. March is a very graphic portrayal of the horrors of battle and treatment of slaves. This novel also won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2006.
The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks
If there was ever a historical book of fiction written for the ladies, this would be it! The Widow of the South is one of my favorite pieces of all time and I have read it at least 4 times. Based on real characters and real events that occurred around the battlefield at Franklin, Tennessee, the story weaves around Carrie McGavock and her beloved Carnton Plantation. As the armies approach her home, Carrie is already grieving the loss of three of her children, the indifference of her husband, and is fighting to keep her sanity. Without the strength of her house slave, Mariah, the family would have already been in ruin. Then war blazes through their world and lives are changed forever. Carries sacred home is turned into a field hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers and she must decide if she will continue to hide in anguish, or come back to life and find a way to help those who are suffering around her. Her decision gives her life new meaning and through the work that she does and the men that she meets, she begins to feel alive and worthwhile again. As you read on, relationships are not always what they seem and by the end, you will be uplifted by the strength that Carrie finds to do what is right. Carnton Plantation is on the National Register of Historic Places and is open to visitors who want to honor Miss Carrie McGavock, the true Widow of the South.
What's your favorite Civil War book?
Tags: book recommendations, Cecil County, cecil county public library, Civil War fiction, Civil War fiction recommendations, genre fiction, historical fiction, historical fiction recommendations, library blog


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By The Beard Of Hercules; New 113-Year Old Baseball Cards
The most telling observations off Twitter yesterday: The colored-in beard sticking out from Brian Wilson of the Giants makes him look either like Bluto from Popeye or Bill Murray playing Hercules ("That boulder is too large. I could lift a smaller one") on Saturday Night Live.
y new pose of Jim Tyng (inventor of the catcher's mask) was discovered just last year, not long after we had all realized that the "only" card of Baltimore manager Billy Barnie was actually two different photos, taken within seconds of each other, and showed only a slight change in where his gaze was directed, and a previously unknown player, Whitey Gibson, was only unearthed in 1980. And thus the charm of collecting: we're still getting new cards, 113 years after Goodwin & Co. first made them.
5 Comments
After watching the Phillies/Giants game yesterday, I was almost surprised that I didn't dream about a world where everyone was bearded… 🙂 As for "Bluto", how did he manage to play the game? With all that Magic Marker on his beard, he should have been high as a kite. Beards and spotted ties… You wrote: " …the 'only' card of Baltimore manager Billy Barnie was actually two different photos, taken within seconds of each other, and showed only a slight change in where his gaze was directed". Oddly enough, a friend of mine and I used to visit the same improv comedy club, and we both took photos of the shows. Years later, someone posted one of her photos online, and I thought "wait – that's MY picture". So I looked it up, and sure enough, it was. I thought "How did THAT happen?" But then someone pointed out that they weren't exactly the same – we had been sitting next to each other, and captured the exact same moment in time, but with the slightest deviation in angle. Strange, but kind of interesting. Just as an aside – I wonder why all the players in that card series were wearing the same spotted tie? Interesting. Thanks for the blog post… yours are always informative and fun.
Keith, I commend you on your review of the Jane Leavy (almost typed 'Mayer'!) biography of Mantle. You managed to avoid the trap many NYT reviewers of biography fall into: reviewing the chronology of the subject's life rather than the book. Those reviews often read like something a procrastinating kid would scrawl out on a Sunday night. Yours makes me want to read this book and head to the library tomorrow to check out her Koufax bio.
Currently reading the Willie Mays authorized bio by James Hirsch, and next on the list is the Henry Aaron bio from Howard Bryant. As a Giants fan, I had to wait until the Braves were eliminated before reading it! 😉
Thanks for that side-by-side shot of the cards, Keith. Makes it easier to see the variation between the two. The sepia is quite lovely.
I have to say, I'm glad the baseball card people switched from cigarettes to bubblegum at some point. I'm pretty sure I didn't articulate that correctly, but hopefully you know what I mean: cigarettes = bad; bubblegum = better.
Your NYT book review was enjoyable. Just a silly observation apropos of nothing, but I remember thinking as I watched Ken Burns' ?Baseball? documentary a while back, that if Mickey Mantle hadn't been a gifted baseball player, he could have been a CW singer. He had an unforgettable voice. You just knew he had a few tales of woe and some wild and woolly stories to tell. I tend to do a lot of multi-tasking while watching TV, but found myself setting down whatever I was doing just to get closer to the TV to listen to Mantle.
I wish I could say that I'm going to buy Jane Leavy's book immediately and read it cover to cover, but that's probably not going to happen at the moment. However, I will put it on my ?to read? list because I'm curious more than ever before about the man behind The Voice.
very very good tnx dear admin
oh man tnx for this page
your site is very good


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3/3/2018 – Do you have soaps without coconut oil? I have an allergy to it.
Response From MoonDance Soaps & More: Thank you for taking the time to write to us with your concerns about coconut oil. Every single bar of soap we make, contains coconut oil. It's a fabulous oil for soap makers that provides a beautiful dense, thick lather. That said, I really don't think you would have any type of reaction to the soap. The process of soap making combines the oils with sodium hydroxide and the resultant product of the chemical reaction is a salt that we like to call soap. It is the plant alkaloids that normally cause immune reactions (allergies), and these compounds are destroyed during the chemical reaction in the strong hydrolysis that makes the soap. While each allergy is "unique" to the person who has it, the best and safest test is to try a very small amount on the back of a hand. If you develop any rash, then discontinue using the soap. But remember, there is virtually no chance that a reaction will result -- the allergy causing compounds simply can't survive the process. As an aside, it's an interesting comment on the soap making industry that the FDA does not require soap manufacturers to list our ingredients at all. I do so because I am very proud of the premium natural ingredients that I use. I'm happy to hear that you read the packaging. Unfortunately, not many people do.
9/14/2017 – Men's soap which one of these items is good to keep skin moist through out the day?
Response From MoonDance Soaps & More: While all of our soaps are very mild and moisturizing, I'd have to tip the scales towards the goats milk soaps if you're looking for an extra dose of moisturizing ingredients. Within our Men's Soaps category, the soaps that include goats milk as an ingredient would be: Almonds Milk & Honey; Ginger Honey Citrus; Milk & Honey (unscented); and Oatmeal Milk & Honey.I hope that gives you a wide enough selection to explore.Enjoy! ~ Rachel
8/29/2017 – What is the diameter of the shaving soap cake?
Response From MoonDance Soaps & More: Our shave soaps are just shy of 3" in diameter and roughly 1-1/8 to 1-1/4" in thickness.
3/17/2017 – When ordering 2 bars/month can I request 1 bar be a specific one and the other "your choice"? and can I do that on line?
Response From MoonDance Soaps & More: Absolutely! We are happy to customize the membership to your specifications. Just mention in the comments section of your online order the details of your request, and we'll take care of the rest. Keep in mind that each membership recipient also receives a "Preference Rorm" with their first month's shipment and they can indicate on that form any special instructions they might have.
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La Crosse woman named 2013 Wisconsin History Teacher of the Year
LA CROSSE, Wis. — A teacher at North Woods International School in La Crosse has been named the 2013 Wisconsin History Teacher of the Year.
Julie Welch, who has been teaching at North Woods International School for 20 years, will receive $1,000 and will be in the running to be named the 2013 National History Teacher of the Year this fall.
Welch is receiving the honor because of her research-based teaching strategies and for promoting international education in Wisconsin. Welch has developed a curriculum on Hmong immigration through interviews with community members. She also organized an archaeology dig for students in associate with the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
The North Woods International School's library will receive a core archive of history books and educational materials from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and History. Welch will also be invited to a 2014 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminar and North Woods International School will be named a Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School.
The award is co-sponsored by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, HISTORY and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation on behalf of its Preserve America Program.
From the state winners, one is recognized as the National History Teacher of the Year and will be honored in a fall ceremony.


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4790 W. 16th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46222
(800) 822-4639 (317) 492-6700 Mon-Fri, 9a.m.-5p.m. ET
June 08, 2012 | By John Oreovicz
If you're driving from Detroit to Indianapolis via Interstates 94 and 69, you'll pass Coldwater, Michigan, a town of about 11,000 residents on the edge of Michigan's Irish Hills region.
Whenever I'm on that route, I'll inevitably think of Scott Brayton, the two-time Indianapolis 500 pole winner who was a resident of Coldwater. Sadly, Brayton was killed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway while practicing for the 1996 '500.' He was 37.
Across the border, about an hour south of Coldwater, Brayton is remembered with a display of cars and memorabilia at the Kruse Automotive and Carriage Museum. Just off Exit #126 on I-69, the Kruse Museum features a diverse range of vehicles from over the last century that will appeal to anyone who enjoys the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Hall of Fame collection.
The Brayton display includes the Menard V-6 powered Lolas he drove to the Indianapolis 500 pole in 1995 and '96. Brayton's 233.718-mph average in 1996 is actually the fastest pole speed in Indianapolis 500 history, though Arie Luyendyk set the actual track record a day later when he qualified for the '96 500 on the second day with a 236.986 mph average.
Brayton's fatal accident occurred after qualifying when he was practicing in his back-up car. The car on display at the Kruse Museum is the pole winner that Danny Ongais took over and drove to a seventh place finish after starting 33rd.
Another historically significant car that Scott Brayton drove at Indy is the 1985 March-Buick that he qualified in the middle of the front row. Brayton's father, Lee, was an engine developer who was instrumental in converting a production Buick V-6 into a racing powerplant capable of running 220 mph at Indianapolis.
Brayton became synonymous with the Buick Indy program, and those ties continued when lumber magnate John Menard took over the Buick program in 1993. The Menard V-6 engine that powered Brayton's pair of Indianapolis poles was a direct descendant of the Buick he ran so fast with in 1985.
Brayton was renowned as a bit of an Indianapolis specialist and a better qualifier than racer. As the CART-sanctioned Indy car series became more focused on road racing, Brayton's performances suffered and by 1994, the Indianapolis 500 was the only race he ran. With the advent of the all-oval Indy Racing League sanctioned Indy car series in 1996, Brayton was on the brink of a career revival that was tragically cut short.
His best Indy car race finish was third place at the Milwaukee Mile in 1992. He finished the Indy 500 only five times, but on four of those occasions brought his car home in the top ten, including sixth place finishes in 1989 and 1993. His best finish in the CART championship was 12th in 1991.
Several other cars with IMS ties are currently on display at the Kruse Museum, including the Treadway Racing cars that finished 1-2 in the 1997 Indianapolis 500 as driven by Luyendyk and Scott Goodyear. There's also a Richard Chidress Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo similar to the one in which Dale Earnhardt won the 1995 Brickyard 400 at IMS.
Telsvision and movie buffs will enjoy a range of historic vehicles from the screen, including the A-Team van, two versions of Knight Rider cars and a Batmobile. There's also an extensive collection of hot rods from custom builder Carl Casper that you have to see to believe.
A separate collection within the same building houses the Kruse World War II Victory Museum, and less than three miles away you can find the renowned Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum for classic cars, plus the National Automotive and Truck Museum of the U.S.
Any car or racing fan will appreciate the fascinating history of Auburn, Indiana. Make it a destination the next time you're passing by.


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|Plum Beach Lighthouse - "A Renewed Beacon of Hope"
Welcome to the official website of the new and improved Plum Beach Lighthouse, located in the shadow of the Jamestown Verrazano Bridge on Narragansett Bay in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. It's an exciting time for the lighthouse and its owners, the nonprofit group Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse, Inc. Now Rhode Islanders and lighthouse lovers have something to be proud of as the Plum Beach Lighthouse has gone through a metamorphosis in 2003. Join us as we celebrate its new look and its Renewed Beacon of Hope.
|This picture is of a lighthouse over 100 years in the making, and the new millennium has brought renewed life to it. If you are familiar with the lighthouse, you have known it as the rusty, deteriorating hulk of metal, an eyesore that formerly welcomed drivers traveling over the Jamestown Bridge, and vessels traveling near the bridge. She has a history that legends are made from, and her legend of her keeper John Ganze can be read on the history page.
Visit our Construction Page to see past and present photos of the lighthouse and it's many phases of re-construction.
|PBL Holiday Gift Ideas
Nautical Print by Bill McGregor
The Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse are proud to offer this beautiful rendition of the lighthouse on a Narragansett Bay nautical chart, just in time for the holidays. Created by Johnston artist Bill MacGregor, the prints are 11x14"" and come suitable for framing. Bill has been kind enough to offer us the prints at a deep discount, and a portion of each print is being used to raise additional funds for the lighthouse.
The prints are $20 each and $5 for shipping and handling. If you'd like one of the prints, please download this order form. Send your payment to the address below and the artist will send you your lighthouse print. You can pay by credit card or check. Please make checks payable to Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse, Inc.
Original Plate Art Print by Bruce Martin
This holiday season the Friends are proudly offering a print of the original artwork that inspired the Plum Beach Lighthouse Rhode Island license plate. Created by our artist friend and board member Bruce Martin of Narragansett, the pen and ink rendition is the foundation of the popular specialty plate that has become the hallmark of our fundraising efforts.
The prints are matted and ready for framing at 8"x10" in size, and are priced at $20 (this includes shipping). $10 from each order goes to the maintenance fund of the lighthouse. Order the Bruce Martin print through the order form here, and we take credit card or check as payment.
|Support the Lighthouse, Purchase a License Plate!
The Friends are now offering the PBL Plate depicting our favorite lighthouse to owners with current RI passenger car registrations. The General Assembly passed a bill giving us the right to sell the plate as a fundraiser to help repaint the lighthouse. Please note the plates are for existing passenger registrations of 5 characters or less, and if you currently have a plate that meets this requirement, your current number goes on the plate. The plate charge is $41.50--$20 from each order goes to repainting and maintaining the lighthouse, and $21.50 goes to the state for the plate production.
To show your support please download the printable PDF, and send it to our snail-mail box at: PBL Plate, PO Box 1041, North Kingstown, RI 02852. Please visit the official plate website www.pblplate.org for more information.
Click here to get The Passenger Plate


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23rd march 2009. My last birthday in the 'black hole', before Allah broke my chains and set me free from the enveloping darkness, pain and nothingness.
now 5 years have passed and i am 23.
A lot can happen in 5 years.
you can come to realise that the world you once knew,
is nothing but an illusion, trapping all souls but a few.
you can lose a close friend, whose time was up and due. Only twenty-four, but touched more hearts than a man who's fourty-two.
others, you also lose, but not to an earthy mound.
this dunya took them and shook them, till their hearts flipped
and turned around
leaving behind no word or sound.
but don't be disheartened,
there are others on this road,
whose hearts never waver
while they shoulder crushing loads
they are chosen by the Master
heroes coming to your aid
they're not unblemished angels
but they will always keep you straight.
let's try to make the best of our short lives. abu hurairah lived with the prophet less than 5 years, but he used his abilities to the maximum and narrated more hadeeth than everyone else.
thank you for all the wishes and du'as.
maybe this will be my last birthday as a (fill in the blank). maybe, just maybe.
Monday, March 24, 2014
23 on 23
23rd march 2009. My last birthday in the 'black hole', before Allah broke my chains and set me free from the enveloping darkness, pain and nothingness.
Posted by The Author at 5:58 PM
Labels: dakwah and tarbiyyah, everyday life
1 comments:
- AH said...
sanah helwa.
May Allah grant you to still be able to write thought provoking D&T pieces and inspire others to follow your footsteps till He grants you Jannah. aamiin.
- March 24, 2014 at 6:23 PM


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This winter-vegetable tempura has a beer batter and is served with saba, a syrup made from grape must, for dipping.
As part of an all-fried Hanukkah menu, Sara Dickerman came up with this tempura of cold-weather vegetables. The batter is light enough that it doesn't overshadow the delicate flavors of the vegetables, while the saba adds a nice sweetness. This recipe is pareve.... Read More
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