text:
Friday, December 26, 2008
12 Days of Christmas Video
It's sung by a family with seven kids, who aren't apparently Catholic (One of the common accusations against large families).
It really resonates with me because I'm the oldest in a family with 10 kids and have heard my mom field all of these "stranger comments" - even from friends and family. With my parents included, we had enough people for each person to hold a card for each day of the 12 days of Christmas without doubling up. (H/T to Barbara Curtis)
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas from The Key
Some people had asked for the name of the artwork we used on the cover of The Key's Christmas issue. At left, it is Madonna with Sleeping Child by Andrea Mantegna (1430-1506). You can get a pretty large digital version of the painting at wiki.
Wiki also has several other paintings by Mantegna here.
Some relevant to the Christmas season are presented in this post.
Merry Christmas from The Catholic Key.
The Grinch Changes His Approach
With one shopping day left in the Christmas Season, guest blogger Leon Suprenant, reminds us how the modern day Grinch steals not the externals of Christmas, but its true spirit. My wife perfectly summed up how pervasive is the misplaced Christmas spirit today when she asked, "What's the original song to 'Give a Give a Give a Garmin?'"
This article appears in the current print edition of The Catholic Key:
Don't Let the Grinches Steal This Christmas
By Leon Suprenant
I have to admit that my favorite Christmas movie, far and away, is It's a Wonderful Life. However, I'd have to say that How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is in my top three. I'm not talking about the more recent Jim Carrey version, but the older, animated version that has been a Christmas-time favorite for decades.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is truly an endearing story—all the more so for me as my little Abigail Rose has always reminded my wife and me of little Cindy Lou Who.
But is the story real? In other words, are there really any Grinches in the world? Is there anyone so foolish as to want to destroy Christmas?
On one level, the Grinch is in each one of us, just as each of us share in the burden of Frodo's ring, to borrow from another classic, The Lord of the Rings. The sheer weight of human brokenness and sin impels us at times to perversely reject what is good. It all started in a garden, where our first parents rejected paradise.
For that reason, Christmas is for everybody. We all need good news. We all need divine grace to heal the "Grinch" in us, so that we may be filled anew with awe and wonder as we celebrate the birth of the Christ child.
In another sense, there are still Grinches around today, but they've largely changed their approach since the day the first Grinch graced the pages of children's literature. We might recall that the original Grinch attacked Christmas by taking away all the external decorations and gifts from the Whos of Whoville. What the Grinch didn't realize was that the spirit of Christmas would continue to live on in the hearts of the people.
Today's Grinches don't want to take away the externals, but rather to magnify them. They want to embellish the commercial aspect of the holiday. The "spirit" or "true meaning" of Christmas may not be explicitly denied, but it is seemingly rendered irrelevant amidst the shopping frenzy and the mantra "Season's Greetings!".
Rather than use the liturgical season of Advent to mark the time of preparation for Christmas, we're now taught to diligently keep track of the number of shopping days until the blessed event. Instead of celebrating the season of Christmas between December 25th and the feast of the Epiphany (i.e., the visit of the Magi—January 4th this year), today's Grinches see this time as one for returning gifts, after-Christmas sales, taking down Christmas decorations, and approximately 35 bowl games (but who's counting).
These Grinches, of course, are those who want to exploit Christmas, not celebrate it.
While the commercialization of Christmas in most instances is simply motivated by economic gain, there unfortunately have arisen pseudo-philosophies—like that reflected by the Ayn Rand Institute—that actually propose a Christmas without Christ. In other words, they're offering us the shell without the pearl of great price.
Perhaps a gospel of selfishness is attractive to some people today, given the rampant consumerism of our society. And if it's really about the "stuff," then we might as well be honest about it.
But let's make no mistake. The joy, festivity, and goodness that we associate with Christmas isn't found on the Internet or at the mall. Rather, our cause for celebration is found in a manger in Bethlehem, where the eternal Word of God was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There simply is no Christmas without Christ.
Some secularists consider unbridled selfishness and consumerism without "Christian guilt" and "self-sacrifice" as enlightened, virtuous behavior, but it's really an empty, self-destructive path. In fact, that's why Christ took on human flesh—to save us and to show us a better way.
Our ultimate happiness entails giving of ourselves to God and others in imitation of Christ. Sure, we give gifts as signs of our love for others. Of course, we hang lights to celebrate Christ as the light of the world. But we ought not confound the signs with the realities they signify—that's exactly what the Grinches want us to do.
How we reflect the glory of Christmas in our external celebrations is important, because we're material, social beings. But woe to us if in the process of exchanging gifts this Christmas we fail to recognize the presence of the Giver of all gifts, who so loved us that He sent His Son to be our Redeemer.
May we bear witness to this reality and in the process melt the hearts of Grinches everywhere.
Leon Suprenant is the director of program development for School of Faith, a Catholic organization based in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Benedictines of Mary Investiture
The Investiture Mass begins at 9:00 a.m. All are welcome. Please note the time, as an incorrect time was published in the print edition of The Catholic Key.
Old St. Patrick is located at 806 Cherry Street in Kansas City.
And while we're mentioning the Benedictines, remember their beautiful voices on the "Echoes of Ephesus" CD is available for sale at their website.
Chance to Help in KC this Christmas
Cold temperatures hit Our Lady of Guadalupe School
By Marty Denzer
Catholic Key Reporter
KANSAS CITY — The coat-and-stocking-capped kindergartner trotted out of his classroom, arms stiff at his sides, teeth chattering, "Cold! Cold, cold," and disappeared into another room. The temperature inside the 93-year-old Our Lady of Guadalupe School building at 23rd and Madison hovered in the balmy 30s. Electric space heaters provided what little heat there was.
On Dec.12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Connie Bowman, principal of Our Lady of Guadalupe School and staff members of Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine next door noticed that a small leak in the boiler in the heating plant shared by the shrine and the school had gotten worse; the pilot light was extinguished. Bowman called in U.S. Engineers to check it out.
(Fourth grader Patrick Razo works on the computer in a chilly classroom. Behind him, Devin Miller, grade 5, and Manuel Sainz, grade 4, work mouse and keyboards with gloves.)
The diagnosis was poor. The boiler, which was only about 25 years old, had tried to operate with pipes that had rusted out. The boiler gave up and gave out, leaving the school and shrine without heat. Their only solution was to replace the boiler.
U.S. Engineers estimated a replacement boiler would cost $45,000, installed.
Bowman and the shrine association ordered the new boiler.
Shrine Association members pledged half the replacement cost: $22,500. Bowman remains confident that the school can raise the other half.
"The fact that it happened on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe has us hoping that means Mary wants us here for a very long time in a warm building," Bowman said.
She cancelled an all-school Mass on Dec. 12 and the Christmas program, both of which were to take place in the shrine.
Guadalupe Center around the corner offered their facilities for the students, so for four days teachers and kids lugged books, supplies and other things to the center and then back to the school at the end of the day. Dec. 19 was a half-day and Bowman decided to keep the students at the school and sing Christmas carols (including new songs including, "Frosty the First Grader" and All I want for Christmas is a new Boiler,") or play/practice on computers.
Bowman was proud of the students." The kids are troopers, she said. They've been real good about keeping up with their school work in the midst of all the chaos. Moving from school to Guadalupe Center in the cold and being cooped up in the building all day with no recess. They were real troopers."
And the teachers were heroes, she added. "Especially the kindergarten and first grade teachers had to carry all sorts of extra equipment with them, more than just spelling and reading books. They took it much better that I expected.
"The only complaint I've heard was 'Can we keep our coats on?' Everyone has just taken it in stride. They've handled the challenge well," she said.
(Kindergartners, first and second graders gather around the piano in the music room singing songs from their cancelled Christmas program.)
The school sent out a call telling of their plight and asking for help. Earlier this week Vince Cascone, principal of Visitation School, walked into Guadalupe Center with several students and handed Bowman a check for $1,000 toward the boiler.
Another principal has scheduled a "jeans day" and expects to raise about $300. Bowman is confident the school, with help from its sister schools and donations from generous individuals, will be able to raise the money for the new boiler.
When the students return to school on Jan. 5, they'll lug their books and supplies to Guadalupe Center, at least for that week. The installation of the new boiler should be complete by Jan. 9, Bowman said. Meanwhile, the school community will continue to work on figuring out how to pay for the new boiler.
Donations may be made on-line by visiting www.centralcityschoolfund.org and clicking on the boiler fund link. Those wishing to send a check can mail it to the Central City School Fund, P.O. Box 419037, Kansas City, MO 64141-6037.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Immigration Policy - Time to Fix It
(13-year-old Jesus served at Mass for Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City - St. Joseph at Holy Cross Church on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.)
The form of immigration policy in the U.S. is continually debated and never resolved by those responsible - namely, the U.S. Congress. Consequently, states and bureaucracies take over with sometimes disastrous consequences.
The Catholic Key this week looked at the practical effect of a failed immigration policy on one family and that family's community: A mother who's lived and worked and paid taxes here legally for two decades is forced back to a city and country she no longer knows, leaving three U.S. citizen children to fend for themselves. One daughter becomes the mother of her two grade school siblings and the local Catholic Church comes to aid a family the state seeks to divide.
Below is Marty Denzer's "Three Children Left Behind" from this week's Catholic Key print edition:
KANSAS CITY - She's not much older than a child herself, but Leslie, 20, has stepped into the breach left by her mother's voluntary return to Mexico to care for and raise her brother and sister.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, immigration and legalization issues have become hugely important. Attaining legalization and citizenship has, in the words of Jean Ferrara, principal of Holy Cross School, gotten so ridiculously long and expensive a process that it has created a third class of people - the vulnerable.
Researchers from the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C., have found that there are more than 3 million children born in the United States with one or both parents whose residency status is questioned.
Jesus (13) and Marbhely (14) attended Holy Cross School for several years before Immigration and Naturalization Services came for their mother, Maria Gonzalez.
Leslie, the oldest of four children, said her mother came to the United States legally more than 20 years ago and settled in California. She married and her four children were born in California. Six or seven years ago, Maria, having made the decision to separate from her husband, moved to Kansas City with the children. Shortly before the move, Maria's purse and personal documents were stolen.
The market for false documents and stolen Social Security numbers is a booming one, and legal residents with Hispanic last names are particularly vulnerable. In a recent story in The Kansas City Star, Linda Foley, founder of the Identity Theft Resource Center in San Diego and a victim of identity theft herself, said identities can be bought for as little as $30. Good quality counterfeits can cost more, she said, and stolen identities can be sold over and over again.
Not knowing this, Maria filed a police report and figured all she had to do was replace the documents - especially her Social Security card and drivers license.
She replaced the documents and moved to Kansas City's Old Northeast, where she had family and friends, and enrolled the younger children in Holy Cross School. Leslie attended Northeast Junior High and High School.
Maria got involved with Holy Cross Parish and the community. The little family survived two home burglaries and began looking into another place to live. They found a home they liked and started the move-in process.
"My mom made a lot of sacrifices to get this house and send Marbhely and Jesus to Holy Cross," Leslie said.
One Sunday morning in July, shortly before Leslie's 20th birthday, Maria went grocery shopping. There was a knock on the door. Leslie answered and found Immigration and Naturalization agents asking for her mother. She said the agents refused to tell her why and left.
"When my mom got home, we told her about the INS agents, she panicked. We were all panicky, so we went to my auntie's house. We had never had anything like this happen before," Leslie remembered.
Maria contacted an immigration attorney to look into the situation. Within a few days she learned that it was a case of identity theft, but INS authorities suspected that Maria might have been involved in the theft for profit and tracked her to Kansas City. Her attorney advised that as she was unable to prove otherwise, it would be better for her to return to Mexico voluntarily rather than face deportation.
"Mom had been in this country more than 20 years. Her lawyer told her that she'd just have to go back to Mexico and fight her way back," Leslie said.
Rather than letting Maria return alone to a village in Mexico where she knew no one anymore, Leslie, Marbhely and Jesus accompanied her to the village she had left when she was 16. There was no family left there, no body they knew, only strangers.
Before they left, Maria contacted Ferrara for proof that the two younger children had been enrolled at Holy Cross, in part so that they could return to the U.S. with few hassles.
Leslie, who was still in school, had to return to Kansas City a week later.
"I didn't know what to do with myself when Marbhely and Jesus were still in Mexico," she said with a rueful laugh. "I was so used to getting them up and ready for school and taking care of them when my mom had to work or wasn't there, I just had no one and nothing to come home to."
Jesus returned to Kansas City shortly after Leslie. Marbhely came home at the end of September. Leslie was glad to see them.
"Now they are home and there is somebody to talk to and yell at. I'm not alone."
Marbhely liked Mexico but likes Kansas City more. "It was awesome and had some pretty cool cities, but the people were not so cool. I got to ride a donkey, which was cool. But there's a lot of crime there and it's better here."
Jesus was more succinct. "The village where mom lives now, Poz de Ibarra, is a little place with dirt roads. It's just not the same as the United States."
Marbhely said the village was in the center of a web of roads leading to a larger city.
"The houses are made of concrete and there are stores in the houses," she said.
After Leslie returned to Kansas City, she contacted Ferrara to see about getting her siblings back in the school. Ferrara said that when the children left at the end of the previous academic year, there remained unpaid tuition. As a matter of course, Catholic schools withhold grades when there is unpaid tuition or fees.
She worried about the two young teens so, following her conversation with Leslie, Ferrara worked out the past-due tuition issue with Marlon De La Torre, diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools, and re-enrolled Jesus and Marbhely.
De La Torre, who is of Hispanic heritage, said "Dignity tells me these children need an opportunity and we can offer it. They need assistance and if we can help, we'll help. Catholic social teaching says we should do what we can to help maintain the dignity of an individual. And that's what we try to do."
Leslie was relieved; she was concerned that Jesus, lacking a strong father-figure and without his mother's presence, might be ripe for recruitment by one of the more than 400 "community-based gangs" (gang members growing up on the same block, in the same area, or attending the same school) in Kansas City's central and northeast neighborhoods.
Ferrara said the gang recruiters, "Faganesque characters (as in the aging pickpocket recruiter in Dickens's Oliver Twist) go after and recruit children as young as fourth graders." The Kansas City Police Department Gang Squad estimates that 20 percent of gang members in the area are Hispanic, ranging in age from 12 to 49.
Ferrara described Jesus as "amazingly worthwhile, a beautiful kid whose only ticket to a future is Holy Cross."
Jesus said he liked computer classes best and is thinking about taking up karate classes.
Leslie added, "My mom enrolled them at Holy Cross and I want to keep them there to prevent Jesus from getting into a gang."
"Right," Jesus interjected. "It's always me and always my fault!"
Leslie said that when Jesus and Marbhely miss a homework assignment or something important, Ferrara calls her to let her know.
Leslie is attending nursing school at Penn Valley Community College and working full-time to support the three of them. An aunt and a family friend watch over the little family and give them advice and rides to and from school if needed. Maria's second oldest child, a mother of two toddlers, Daniel and Ezekiel, helps with rides and stays with Jesus and Marbhely when she can. When they are at home, they stay in the house, a little afraid of street gangs and other not so nice people that venture into the area. The house is small, but immaculately kept.
Marbhely gives Leslie credit for taking care of them and keeping the family together, but she misses her mother.
"Even when I hate my sister and she gets on my nerves, I know she's doing it for a reason. But it's just not the same. We call mom and she calls us to make sure we're doing our homework and watering her plants, but she's not here to get on our nerves like other moms. I miss her a lot."
Father Joe Cisetti, pastor of Holy Cross, Ferrara, De La Torre and their teachers do their best to shield the little family from the instability, isolation, fear and depression that often follows the departure of a parent.
Father Cisetti provided a Thanksgiving dinner for the little family a few weeks ago with donations from friends and parishioners.
"It was very nice," Leslie said "You know, sometimes I am overwhelmed. I know I have a lot on my shoulders but who else is going to do it? I may have had to grow up too fast, but mom sacrificed to get us what we have and to keep Jesus and Marbhely in school. I want to keep things the ways she wanted them. I don't want to be a failure in her eyes. We just have to be strong and keep God on our side."
De La Torre and the Catholic Schools Office are planning to help with their Christmas.
Leslie put up a small tree and hung stockings nearby. The three young people said they were going to their sister's house for Christmas. "We feel that family is more important than presents this holiday," she said.
De La Torre said, "Maria did not do anything inherently wrong. She was here legally, then someone stole her purse and the system got her."
Leslie nodded, "My mom is a good person with kids and grandbabies. She was on top of things."
According to immigration attorney Suzanne Gladney, a person who is forced to leave the United States, either voluntarily as Maria did or deported, is eligible to return to the United States assuming they can be legally admitted. A sibling or child who is over the age of 21 and a legal resident, naturalized citizen or American- born, may apply for their re-admission. If the person has no family, an employer may apply.
"My mom is going through the process," Leslie said. "She is doing paperwork and waiting for interviews. It's going to take a while.
"We hope to go visit her in Mexico in January or February."
In the meantime, if there are children under the age of 18 left behind who are eligible for public benefits, they can get them, Gladney said.
The three young people don't talk too much about the situation they are in, because as Marbhely said, "It brings that horrible week all back."
Leslie said, "We were just shaking, not sleeping or eating. We didn't want our mom to go."
De La Torre said, "These are just regular people who are trying to make it. This kind of thing happens more often than we know.
"We just have to have hope."
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Bishop Finn's Christmas Column
Wishing you God's Blessing for a Wonderful Christmas
Advent is quickly coming to an end. Whether we are fully prepared or not Our Lord comes, born into the world, and we celebrate His birth as the beginning of our salvation.
The Church has two greatest feasts: Christ's birth at Christmas, and His death and Resurrection at Easter. The joyful prospect of God coming among us and uniting Himself to mankind in the Incarnation is what makes the redemption at Easter so powerful. Jesus Christ does not merely win the victory of life over death for our sakes. This is true enough and would be sufficient. But Christ, in a way, carries us with Himself through life, through death and into the resurrection. This is the act of Divine love: that God wanted to be with us so completely that He united humanity and divinity in one divine person, His Son Jesus Christ.
In order to accomplish this God called and invited the Blessed Virgin Mary to give Christ His flesh and blood. Mary consented, and is therefore rightly regarded as God's cooperator in the Incarnation. She is the "mediatrix" or intermediary of the Incarnation. God made her a necessary part of the way he would redeem us. He could have decided to send Christ in a different way, but as St. Paul teaches us, "When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman." (Gal 4:4)
This is not merely poetic language. The Church clearly embraced this mystery from the beginning, and within the first centuries of her existence, she would proclaim Mary, "Mother of God." This relationship between Mary and Jesus endures even now, such that St. Peter Damien (11th century) would write in one of his sermons, "This same body of Christ that the most blessed Virgin brought forth, which she nourished in her womb, wrapped in swaddling clothes and brought up with motherly care: this same body, I say, and none other, we now perceive without any doubt on the sacred altar."
God's closeness to humanity was no mistake. It was His merciful decision. It is evident in the very way by which He wanted to redeem us – in utter unity and love. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." (Jn 1:14). He loved the fallen world, and pursued us in the full realization that in many ways we would continue to reject Him by our sins.
Pope Pius XII, in his encyclical Mystici Corporis, explains how Christ fully knew His Church from the beginning and still loved us.
"The loving knowledge with which the Redeemer has pursued us from the first moment of His Incarnation surpasses all the powers of the human mind; for by means of the beatific vision, which he enjoyed from the time he was received into the womb of the Mother of God, He has for ever and continuously had present to Him all the members of His Mystical Body and embraced them with His saving love."
As we celebrate the love of God for us at Christmas, we pray that we also will be able to see each other and love each other more and more as God does. May God purify us in this way so that when we receive His Body and Blood in the "Christ Mass" we will be more fit to welcome the Savior of the world.
Blessed Christmas to you all! May the Lord grant us peace and unity in the New Year.
OSV Updates USF Story
Monday, December 15, 2008
Two Rips From My News Feed
1. Jeffrey Overstreet posts a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer on Advent:
"A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes ... and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent."
See Jeffrey's journal, his most excellent movie reviews and buy his books here.
2. The Bishop of Little Rock, Most Rev. Anthony Basil Taylor posts a recent confirmation homily in which he explains the gifts of the Holy Spirit and why youth need them, excerpt:
Wisdom which helps us value the things of heaven regardless of what our friends think, which is certainly a big issue in adolescence,
Understanding which enables us to grasp the truths of religion like in Dignitas Personae, or for that matter, my pastoral letter on the human rights of immigrants,
Counsel which helps us see the best practical way to serve God in our own particular life, seeking the common good and not just our own perceived self-interest,
Fortitude which strengthens our resolve to resist temptation, including the temptations of the flesh which are so difficult during adolescence…and beyond, and the fortitude to overcome other obstacles as well,
Knowledge which helps us see the path to follow and recognize dangers to our faith,
Piety which leads us to a deeper prayer life that fills us with more and more love and affection for God, and confident eagerness to serve him, and
Fear of the Lord which means always seeking God's approval, not human approval, obeying God's law especially when to do so is difficult, for instance when God's law conflicts with unjust human laws, fear of God rather than fear of man.
Lots more in that homily, including particularly interesting thoughts on John the Baptist. Facebook users can "friend him" and get all his homilies in English and Spanish.
Friday, December 12, 2008
"¿No soy tu Madre?"
Mensaje a la Parroquia de La Santa Cruz
Misa de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe – Diciembre 12 del 2008
Reverendísimo Robert W. Finn
Obispo de Kansas City-San José
Queridos amigos en Cristo,
Saludos y mis más fervorosos deseos en esta Fiesta Solemne de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe!
Estoy muy contento y lleno de paz al estar aquí con ustedes. Siento que nuestra Madre nos está diciendo, este día, las palabras que ella dijo a San Juan Diego:
"¿No soy tu Madre?"
"¿No estás bajo mi sombra?"
"¿No estás por ventura en mi regazo?"
A pesar de los desafíos de nuestro tiempo, sabemos que Nuestra Madre Bendita está con nosotros. Debemos mantener nuestra fe Católica como el centro de nuestra vida. Si hacemos esto sabemos que podemos vivir en la paz de nuestro Señor, aun cuando tenemos dificultades.
Les pido en este día que se unan conmigo para renovar su dedicación a dos necesidades muy especiales en nuestra sociedad.
La primera es la importancia central del matrimonio y la familia. Procuren ayudarse a crecer en la unidad y el amor rezando juntos: durante las comidas, rezando el rosario, y asistiendo a Misa juntos todos los domingos y los días de obligación. Cuando nuestras familias son lugares de oración, nos mantendremos fuertes y unidos.
Segundo: les pido que recen y trabajen para la protección de la vida humana. Bajo el amparo de Nuestra Madre, la Virgen de Guadalupe, estaremos determinados ha hacer todo lo que podamos para proteger la vida y eliminar el aborto en nuestro país. Esta es una alta prioridad.
Como Obispo de la Diócesis de Kansas City-San José, les pido su ayuda en estas dos importantes áreas, y prometo que haré todo lo que pueda para proveer para sus necesidades espirituales. Mi agradecimiento para el Padre Cisetti, Padre Arnulfo, Padre Brendan, Padre Kriski, y otros sacerdotes quienes sirven en sus parroquias, y a Diana Matous y nuestra Oficina Diocesana del Ministerio Hispano.
Estoy muy complacido por la gran asistencia a esta Misa y por su gran entusiasmo en esta Fiesta de María.
Que Nuestro Señor los bendiga ahora y siempre: El Padre +; el Hijo +; y el Espíritu Santo +. Amen.
Message to Holy Cross Parish
Mass of Our Lady of Guadalupe –
Most Reverend Robert W. Finn
Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph
Dear friends in Christ,
Greetings and prayerful best wishes on this Solemn Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!
I am very happy and full of peace to be with you. I feel as though our Mother is saying to us today the words she spoke to St. Juan Diego:
"Am I not your Mother?"
"Are you not under my shadow and protection?"
"Are you not under my mantle, and in the fold of my arms?"
Despite the challenges of these days, we know Our Blessed Mother is with us. We must keep our Catholic faith at the center of our life. If we do this we know we can live in our Lord's peace, even when things are difficult.
I ask you today to join me in renewing your dedication to two very special needs in our society.
One is the central importance of marriage and the family. Seek to grow in closeness and love by praying together: at meals, through the family rosary, and attending Mass together every Sunday and holyday. When our families are places of prayer, we will remain strong and united.
Second: I ask you to pray and work for the protection of human life. Under the patronage of Our Mother, the Virgin of Guadalupe, we must be determined to do all we can to support life and eliminate abortion in our country. This is a high priority.
As bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, I ask your help in these two very important areas, and I promise you that I will do all I can to provide for your spiritual needs. I am thankful to Father Cisetti, Father Arnulfo, Fr. Brendan, Fr. Kriski, and our other priests and all who serve in your parishes, and to Diana Matous and our Diocesan office of Hispanic Ministry.
Thank you for coming in such great numbers and with enthusiasm on this Feast of Mary.
May our Lord bless you now and always: The Father +; the Son +; and the Holy Spirit +. Amen.


text:
Write a News Story
Meet a Pioneer Pilot
Amelia Earhart Home
Back to
Story List
Missing Pilot
By: Ryan S.
Florida, Age 13
Amelia Earhart left New Guinea on July 3,1937 and was never seen again. Nobody ever figured out where she went and her current location. She intended to fly around the world, but never made it. The world may never know what has happened to Amelia Earhart.
Back to
Story List

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Harmar AL215 is an affordable solution for quick and seamless vehicle transfers of light power chairs or power scooters. This single-axis lift easily installs in the back of your auto. It automatically lifts ands lowers your power chair or power scooter, while you manually guide its rotation during transfers. Additionally, the Harmar AL215's integrated, offset post design allows for power chair or power scooter docking from the side of your vehicle.
Find 101 Mobility Near You:


text:
Description:HP NC510F PCI Express Multifunction Gigabit Server AdapterPart Number(s)
Option Part# 414126-B21
Spare Part# 414158-001
Overview:The NC510F is a x 8 PCI Express (PCIe) 10 Gigabit Ethernet SR (10GBASE-SR fiber optic) network solution offering the highest bandwidth available in a ProLiant Ethernet adapter. This high-performance multifunction server adapter is capable of supporting TOE (TCP/IP Offload Engine) accelerated iSCSI (Internet Small Computer System Interface) and RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) over a single network connection. The TOE accelerated iSCSI and RDMA multifunction features are planned for future near-term releases for both Linux and Windows operating systems. Available with both half and full height brackets to support a wide range of ProLiant servers the NC510F is ideal for a host of demanding applications meeting the needs of the next generation datacenter.


text:
Be the first to review this product
Any additional products shown in this image are not included in the scope of delivery.
Be the first to review this product
Spark plug box
Part No. 24850-000
In order to guarantee the best service possible, we make use of cookies. By using our services you agree to the privacy policy.
The Wunderlich web shop and app will still be available for you to use during our move!
During our plant holidays from 21/09/2019 up to and including 29/09/2019, we will be relocating our company headquarters to our new location at the Innovationspark Rheinland (IPR), in Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Str. 6-8 in 53501 Grafschaft-Ringen. From 30/09/2019, we will be personally available to you as usual at our new exhibition space and shop.
We are happy to accept your order via our web shop or via our Wunderlich-App. We ask that you factor in a little more time than usual for your order to be delivered while we complete the move, as we will also be relocating our warehouse during this time. We assure you that we will ship your order as quickly as possible!
As a small gesture for your patience, we will be including our new, thoroughly practical multifunctional cloth with every order during the relocation phase.
You can find further information on our new location here: www.hinundweg.wunderlich.co.uk
Thank you for your understanding and your custom
Your Wunderlich Team


text:
Jim Kress Wrote: There are so many grammatical mistakes in this leaflet [about Jews in Ukraine] that it could fool only non-Russian speaking people about its authenticity. I found few mistakes in one word in the very first sentence. It is unacceptable to ignore the fact of so many grammatical mistakes in the "official document" for a large multiple media publications.Before jumping to emotional conclusions, people have to cool down and realize that their ignorance of another nation's culture, history, and language should not be used by our government and their lackey media as an excuse to justify the involvement of NATO or UN "peacekeeping" military in conflicts happening overseas, thousand miles away from our borders, and basically none of our business. - Why Not Arm the Jews In Ukraine?
Dear Comrade "Jim,"
Your familiarity with Russian, your awkward prepositional phrasing and your dropping of the indefinite article "a," make me suspect that you are a non-native speaker of English.
You seem to be arguing that Vladimir Putin isn't responsible for the situation in Ukraine on the basis of a pamphlet that has grammar problems.
Getting past the fact that anti-Semites generally aren't known for their perfect diction and their impeccable grammar, the point of the article was to remind everybody that regardless of who put out the pamphlet, Vladimir Putin is the guy who's responsible for the unrest in Ukraine.
I for one am not ignorant of Russia's culture, history and language.
I have studied Russian literature, language and history since I was 19 years old.
That's 30 years of experience.
So let me say this-- if you're Russian-- on the basis of my own observations about Russia's culture history and language: You owe the rest the world a big freaking apology.
And I'm not just talking about the tasteless joke that is Vladimir Putin, the guy who couldn't run the Olympic Games.
Do you know how many people died in the 20th century because of Russian idiocy? Seriously, name one Russian accomplishment that has helped the world since y'all killed the Czar and his family, who by the way, was one of the finest Russians your country ever produced.
Don't get me wrong: I love the Russian people. I hate the pimps and ignoramuses like you who've exploited them, starved them, beat them, killed them and manipulated them for 1000 years.
As R.J. Rummel wrote: "[T]he Soviet Union appears the greatest megamurderer of all, apparently killing near 61,000,000 people. Stalin himself is responsible for almost 43,000,000 of these."
That leaves another 18 million by Russians of other regimes. And you want to assign some moral equivalency to wars like Iraq and Afghanistan?
But guess what?
Your guy, Obama, won't be president forever.
And while the world is weary of war, that didn't stop the United States of America from standing up against Hitler, who as an anti-Semite, had his own grammar problems with the German language. And it didn't stop us from standing up against the Soviet Union for 45 years.
And by the way, as Robert Conquest has observed, Stalin, who was a non-native speaker of Russian, and also a Jew hater, had problems with the case endings of Russian words.
I hereby reserve the right of my country to kick the crap out of petty little tyrants like Vladimir Putin regardless of the state of America's ignorance about other countries.
I'm glad Americans are often ignorant about other countries.
Other countries suck.
Hoorah! for America!
And boo for ignorance wrapped in a Russian wrapper.
Maybe for Easter you guys can start off with apologizing to the rest of the world for the atrocities you've already committed.
Fabien Wrote: These neocons are almost funny (after it's not my life at stake, nor his). They just armed the fascist from Wester Ukraine (and they are the real deal) and now they want to arm the jews. And we, the cheeps, get all exited for a UFC fight! - Why Not Arm the Jews In Ukraine?
Dear Comrade Fabien,
What you call neocon used to be known as foreign policy and national security policy.
Under your definition of neocon, Franklin Roosevelt was a neocon, Harry Truman was a neocon, Dwight Eisenhower was a neocon, Jimmy Carter was a neocon, Ronald Reagan was a neocon.
Why don't libertarians like you concentrate on the real work of Libertaria by making pot legal everywhere first, because that seems to be working out very well for everybody.
And leave the defense and foreign policy arrangements to those of us who understand the constitutional duty of our federal government to protect us from all enemies foreign and domestic.
In any event, you hardly comprehended the article: My call to arm the Jews is a rhetorical call. I'm pointing out that Mr. Obama has no problem with an activist foreign and defense policy, as long as it acts upon those groups he favors.
Having said that, if there was some way for me to get arms in the hands of Jews in Ukraine, as president of the United States I would consider it a not bad option; certainly a better option than American soldiers fighting there.
LibertarianSoldier Wrote: First, if you ever say, "But alas...", consecutively, you're illiterate, as this writer begins a paragraph! That's like saying, "however, but..." How do you read past that? - The Recovery is Dead
Dear Comrade Libertarian,
So, it's kind of like calling yourself a libertarian soldier, right?
Why would libertarians need soldiers anyways? Isn't the whole idea of libertarianism that people should be free did make their own choices? Isn't the whole idea of soldiers that they should compel people to do things they would otherwise not do?
Philosophically wouldn't it be better if you called yourself "LibertarianKiosk"? Or "LibertarianPamphletDispenser"? Or LibertarianWebsiteThatNoOneShouldEverBeForcedToVisit"?
LibertarianSoldier I think is an admission that you're not really a libertarian.
I will admit that the phrase "But, alas…" has a certain antique or Victorian element to it.
That's because I'm not very fond of modern writers. Like William Manchester, my writers tend to come more from the Victorian school, the Golden age of great literature.
Your criticism indicates, however, but-- ha, ha!-- that you're not familiar with the actual definition of the word "alas". It's an expression of weariness or unhappiness. Merriam Webster says it is "used to express sadness, sorrow, disappointment."
So one could render the expression as "But sorrowfully, while more money is the Democrat recipe for success in everything…."
That would just sound silly though.
So real writers, like Shakespeare and and Lewis Carroll, use the phrase "But alas," as in: 'But, alas, Caesar must bleed for it" and "but, alas for poor Alice!"
I will let you, Comrade Kiosk, decide which author wrote which line.
johninohio Wrote: What's the unemployment rate in China? What's the national income growth rate in China? What is the growth rate of industrial automation? - The Recovery is Dead
Dear John,
Wait a second: What's the price of tea in China?
You mean like that?
para_dimz Wrote: I don't get it. Ransom never explained what extra hiring would do. My assumption, which is what caused the I don't get it moment is that there is huge unmet demand. Is there? And why would any company forgo tapping into it? - The Recovery is Dead
Dear Comrade Para,
There isn't a huge unmet demand. But there are ways that companies could intrinsically grow revenues by hiring people.
These are being passed by because the risk of hiring people, and the expense of hiring people is far greater than it has been in the past.
If you were an employer and you knew that an employee that you hired today could cost 40% more in the near future, why would you hire somebody?
You wouldn't, unless business was so robust that economically it would be hard to lose on the proposition.
Clearly in this economy that's not the case.
So companies are doing things that make more sense and take less risk.
With the very inexpensive money being offered by Wall Street right now through the Fed, companies are taking the opportunity to refinance debt, to buy back stock, and other balance sheet gimmicks that help them at the margins.
Bost100 wrote: You obviously are one BIG MORON spewing lies and fox propaganda. Do, write something meaningful that truly has a positive influence on this country instead always whining and criticizing. Grow f****ing up!-- The War on Federal Bureaucrats Opens at Bundy Ranch
Dear Comrade Bost,
Oh my gosh!! Alas!! What a liar you are!! Alas, I've lost like 22 pounds.
So yeah, go ahead and call me a moron, but calling me big is where I draw the line.
Memo to the liberal: I don't speak for Fox News, and they don't speak for me.
I probably haven't watched FoxNews, or CNBC, or MSNBC in 10 years.
Not once.
Unlike you, who probably watches FoxNews every day. Otherwise, empirically, how do you know they are lying?
I know liberal brains lack the processing power to compute irony, but I find it ironic that you would simultaneously call someone names and use a dirty word while demanding that they grow up.
NRMLUNIT Wrote: Bundy doesn't own the land and, never has. The USA has held this land in trust for "we the people" since Nevada became a state in 1864. The land in question was overused for grazing to the point that it was being destroyed. To put a stop to the destruction The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 became law. The privilege (not right) was controlled. The BLM was created in 1948 and took over the management of grazing. The vast majority pay their fee's, including Bundy until 1993.That is when he stopped paying and became a freeloader. He went to court twice and, lost. He should have been in jail a long time ago. The BLM has handled this poorly. !-- The War on Federal Bureaucrats Opens at Bundy Ranch
Dear Comrade Limpet
I actually don't know the ins and outs, the rights and wrongs, of the Bundy case.
But for those people who condemn the Bundys as lawbreakers, let me say this: That guy with the fruit stand in the Middle East, he didn't have the proper license to be operating a fruit stand.
And so they shook him down every day.
Until one day he had had enough. And so he doused himself in gasoline and lit himself on fire.
There's probably something illegal about setting yourself on fire too.
And the legalists who would split hairs on these issues, obviously didn't read the article.
I wasn't taking a side. I was merely observing that at a certain point citizens get tired of being shaken down by their own government.
And sometimes citizens get so tired that they light themselves on fire, or they form themselves into a posse to stop the federal government, or they dress up like Indians and throw tea into Boston Harbor.
Illegal? Yeah. All of it.
But rebellion, by its very definition, is illegal.
And don't ever confuse illegal with immoral.
Terry1350 Wrote: Russia, a gas station masquerading as a country! They can be outmanuvoured, but it takes something Obama doesn't have. Imagination and Guts.-- Obama's Peace is Hell, Baby
Dear Terry,
Best ever! "Russia: A gas station masquerading as a country."
It was almost the headline.
David4 Wrote: In fairness, at the beginning of the article, 'The Gilded Age' was written by Mark Twain AND Charles Dudley Warner. Again, it was Warner who said "Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." Twain quoted it and many people mis-attribute it to Twain. --Dirty Harry Got Richer in 2008...and You Didn't
Dear David,
Name one other thing Charles Dudley Warner ever did. I mean besides ruining Mark Twain's book. The part I quoted from the book, The Gilded Age, that was all Twain.
Moc5 wrote: If you have not already seen it, you will find this story interesting: http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-2014/Chicago-crime-rates/
Dear Moc5,
Thanks for the link. I've been following the story in the Chicago Tribune, but I forwarded the link to our associate editor Michael Schaus, and he wrote it up. Thanks again for sending it.
Robertb wrote: Oh comeon . This screed does noteven rise to the levelof B.S. I don't know where to beginin showing howludicrous it is . Sarah Palin is a complete and utter imbecile ! She's incapable of saying anything true or intelligent,yetmillions ofgullible right-wing Americans still take her seriously .Unbelievable ! She's Moose-olini ! The awfulthing is that Ted Cruz ,Michel Bachmaann, Rick Perry , Louie Gohmert andother GOP morons areeven worse, if this could be imagined .This country is doomed ofthe GOP elects a president in 2016 .l Forget about Muslims . Who needs them to destroy America when we have the Christian Taliban in our own back yard? --Sarah Palin is Right: Obamacare Death Panel Real; Disguised as the Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee
Dear RobertB,
Oh, but, Alas poor Yorick!
I knew him, Horatio: a fellow
of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy:
Where be your gibes now? your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment,
that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one
now, to mock your own grinning? quite chap-fallen.
Now get you to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let
her paint an inch thick, to this favour she must
come; make her laugh at that. Prithee, Horatio, tell
me one thing.
HORATIO: What's that, my lord?
HAMLET: Where the hell did you learn to spell?
That's it for this week,


text:
Session 2–Getting Started
February 21, 2012 | Leave a Comment
Wednesday, February 22, 4:30-6:30 PM, CTLR, Library 225
What are we doing?
- We will answer frequent PWT questions.
- You will practice a 15 minute-version of the 30 min. tutor session
- We will explore online resources for tutors and mentors.
- Always bring your training folder to all training sessions.
Who must attend?
All new Peer Writing Tutors must attend.
Writing and Academic Mentors now working as Peer Writing Tutors must attend.
Trained Peer Writing Tutors must attend this session or Session 3.
Writing and Academic Mentors now attached to First-Year Seminars must attend this session or Session 3.
Make-up sessions are only for those who have received prior approval. Bring your folder to every session


text:
The good news is that there is a natural way to detoxify: the amazing microalgae chlorella. And we've got the very best chlorella: raw, non-GMO and extensively tested to be free of any contamination.Chlorella has been scientifically proven to help mitigate heavy metal toxicity. One study found that "continuous BP [chlorella (parachlorella beijerinckii)] intake accelerates the excretion of MeHg [methylmecury] and subsequently decreases tissue Hg [mercury] levels."2
The power of chlorella to combat heavy metals is not limited to mercury. Another study found that chlorella helps the body rid itself of cadmium, concluding that "when exposed to Cd (cadmium), chlorella is an appropriate source which counteracts heavy metal poisoning."3
One study observed that chlorella produced "a significant radio-protective effect" against both acute and chronic radiation damage.5 Another study found that chlorella increased survival rates among mice who were irradiated with lethal doses of gamma rays, concluding that "stem cells in the bone marrow and spleen of mice (CFUs) increased, as did their survival after irradiation."6"Daily necessity! These are my fave brand of chlorella, always super fresh. I take them daily and up my intake whenever I'm travelling or exposed to increased radiation." – Natasha
"Very satisfied so far! Best chlorella tablets I've tried!" – Keisi
Our chlorella is also the most powerful strain of chlorella, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, boasting an abundance of nutrients such as chlorophyll (which gives it that beautiful emerald green color), vitamin A, iron, zinc, B vitamins and 66% protein by weight!
Last but definitely not least, our chlorella contains no binders or fillers. It's just pure chlorella in tablet form that you can chew out of the bag, blend in smoothies, or simply swallow with water. It's a super easy way to detox!
"I've been eating this chlorella for a couple of months to cleanse myself while at the same time re-mineralize my body. My energy levels are high all day and I sleep better at night. Love this stuff!!" – Anthony
"Works great! Satisfied with this product. High quality as compared with other chlorella on the market." – Jennifer
1 – Mercury: Health Effects." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2013.
2 – "The influence of Parachlorella beyerinckii CK-5 on the absorption and excretion of methylmercury (MeHg) in mice." Uchikawa, T. Journal of Toxicological Science, Jan 2011.
3 – "Effect of Chlorella intake on Cadmium metabolism in rats." Ewha Womans University, South Korea, 2009.
4 – "Fukushima Radiation Hits 'US West Coast.'" DNA, topinfopost.com, December 29, 2013.
5 – "Evaluation of radioprotective action of a mutant (E-25) form of Chlorella vulgaris in mice." Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, 1993.
6 – "The radioprotective effects of aqueous extract from chlorococcal freshwater algae (Chlorella kessleri) in mice and rats." Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, 1989.
Sunfood's "Natural Solutions" does not promote or suggest natural cures, natural healing or natural remedies for any disease, disorder or ailment thereof. This information should be treated as educational material gathered and discovered from various studies, clinical trials and customer reviews. It is designed to encourage healthy lifestyles, and independent conclusions in regards to natural products and alternative health choices. It is best to consult with your healthcare practitioner before attempting any form of natural cure, natural healing or natural remedy to any health issues.


text:
L3-10 is the surviving male from the first cohort that was released. In the spring of 2011 he left the White Lake marsh with three other birds and moved north to rice fields in Evangeline Parish. The group of four birds stayed at that location for several months before moving southwest into Jeff-Davis Parish. Not too long after this move #3-10 separated from the other three birds though we don't know if he chose to leave them or if he got left behind or chased away. Although initially puzzling and a tad bit sad that he was by himself it turned out to be a good thing. That fall two of the three birds he had previously been with were shot and killed and the third bird disappeared at the same time of the shooting incident under suspicious circumstances. Had he been with them he might have been killed as well.
L4-11 is a female from the second cohort of birds released in LA. After food was discontinued at the release pen in March of 2012, L4-11 remained in the marsh with seven of the other birds until early July when they all left and flew north. Seven of the birds flew north to Avoyelles Parish but for unknown reasons #4-11 separated from them in Jeff-Davis Parish. The location where she spent the summer and fall was within ~5-10 miles of both #3-10 and 'The Trio', a group of three 2011 birds who had left the marsh several months before her.
With three groups of birds (two groups consisting of only a single bird) so close to each other I figured it was just a matter of time before they found each other and joined up and in October 2012 that's what started to happen. #3-10 moved a few miles south and found 'The Trio'. He attempted to join them and while they would tolerate his presence at a distance if he came too close they would chase him away. Nevertheless, he was persistent and kept hanging around in the same area, often the same field, but always at a distance. Then in December 2012 #4-11 flew south and joined the loose group of four. She and #3-10 instantly paired up and though all five birds were often seen together they would also sometimes split into separate groups: 'The Trio' and 'The Pair'.
As spring arrived there seemed to be more a little more animosity between 'The Pair' and 'The Trio' at times. This is totally normal; #3-10 was almost three years old and the rest of the birds were almost two. They were starting to show more adult behavior and be more territorial and less tolerant of other birds – even birds they had previously associated with.
In late February a local farmer reported that he thought the cranes had built a nest in one of his crawfish fields; he indicated he had seen them pulling and piling up vegetation and that he had even seen one of the birds laying on the nest. I had seen the birds just a few days earlier and they didn't appear to be tending to a nest but I made arrangements to meet with him and see what he was referring to. Sure enough when we arrived #3-10 was standing on the platform but soon wandered off to forage. #4-11 took his place and stood on the platform for several minutes before wandering off to join her mate. After the cranes had moved away several coots got up onto the platform and the cranes didn't pay any attention. This indicated that although the pair has built the nest platform they were not defensive of it. If they had eggs or if #4-11 was going to lay eggs they would have defended the nest, not walked away from it, and certainly never let other birds get up on it!
Several weeks later, in mid-March, while checking on 'The Trio' and 'The Pair' I observed 'The Pair' actively building a new nest platform in a different field and that is what is shown in this video clip. The bird on the left, #3-10, appears to be standing on the start of a nest platform and pulling up and adding more vegetation to the existing platform. #4-11 also displays this nest building behavior, by pulling up vegetation and moving it/tossing it behind her, even though she is not actually at the nest. As with the previous nest the birds did not remain tied to or defensive of this nest and actually moved out of the area several days after this video was taken.
#4-11 was not quite two years old at the time they were building these nests, really too young to produce eggs but this behavior is a step in the right direction and very typical of young, newly paired birds. We hope to see more of this from additional birds in the future.
Update written by Sara Zimorski, video taken by Ron DeRoche


text:
I used to cruise a lowrider
A firme '63 Bel Air
Everything was original
Except the hydros
I even took the pilgrimage
To Espanola, New Mexico
The lowrider capital of the world
And I got respeto for my ranfla
I remember when I was a Cholo
With the creases in my kackies
Razor sharp
My Pendelton buttoned at the top
And those corduroy bedroom slippers
You remember those Chopos!
And that grease I put in my hair
Tres Flores
That shit kicked my hair back
Just right
Every night
And it never completely washes out
But that's not what being Chicano is all about
Then I learned my Chicano history
El Movimiento,
The walkouts
The boycotts
The riots
The resistance
And I was pissed that I wasn't taught all this in school!
But I still hadn't figured out
What being Chicano is all about
Then I became a militant Chicano
With my fist in the air
Trying to conquer the establishment
I started spelling the word "Xicano" with an "X"
Because that's the way the Mexica would have spelled it
I stood at the pinnacle of the pyramid of the sun
And I was ready to throw myself to the bottom
For any cause
But I still hadn't figured out what being Chicano is all about
Then I finally accepted my meztiaje
That means I have the blood of
Flowing through my veins.
From the Conquistadors and the Moors
To the Azteca and the Tolteca
I could see the class and regalness of the Spaniard
Like the Tragic beauty of the bullfight
And the precision and discipline of flamenco
But I also put my hand in the soil
And I felt mother earth
La tierra
I pray to the four directions
And I understand the harmonious balance
Of duality
But I still hadn't figured out what being Chicano is all about
I never got a tattoo teardrop
Or Mi Vida Loca tattooed
Between my thumb and finger
I never did a driveby or
Spraypainted my placa on the wal
But that has nothing to do with what it means to be
Chicano is the fire that feeds my soul
It's blood of my ancestors running through my veins
It's the passion in my heart
Chicano is the love for mi familia
Chicano is the love for mi cultura
Chicano is the love for mi raza
It's about having respeto
It's about being humble
But knowing when to fight!
Chicano is the
That's inside me
That moves me
Motivates me
Makes me who I am
My name is
Manuel Gonzalez
And I am


text:
Our office has been chock-full of New Year's resolutions, and if you're anything like us, we know you made your own wish-list. We've heard it all: "Have more sex," "make more money," "get vajazzled" (and no, that wasn't the same person who wants more loving). But, in all honesty, the beginning of the 2011 dream sounds like it's going to be eerily similar to past—to get in shape! This perennial and pesky promise (bikini body by June...say that three times fast) isn't always cheap, unless you want to roll out a sit-up mat in your living room. Lucky for you, gyms seem to have caught on to the annual craze and are offering a veritable surfeit of deals to make that transition to the locker room just a little bit easier (on the wallet, at least). To make working out even more unavoidable, we canvassed the city for the best places to get lean for less. You know what that means: no more excuses!
Click through to see NYC's 11 best gyms—and 11 amazing deals—to get in shape for 2011!


text:
Pasadena, CA @ The Ivory Suite
- The Ivory Suite 803 Meridian Ave South Pasadena, CA, 91030 United States (map)
626 799 2991
Source:: http://www.theivorysuite.com/
EVENTS and TRUNK SHOWS
If you are unable to attend one of our trunk shows or do not live close to one of the retail boutiques representing our brand, please contact us for ordering and any custom veiling requests.
Bridal Salons, Bridal Boutiques, bridal gowns, Bridal Stores, Bridal jewelry, bridal veils, wedding jewelry, wedding veils, bridesmaids jewelry, bridesmaids accessories, bridal accessories, wedding accessories, wedding fashion, bridal gowns, bridal accessories, bridal necklaces, bridal earrings, bridal bracelets, bridal crowns, bridal tiaras, bridal fascinators, bridal headpieces, bridal sashes, bridal belts, wedding gowns, wedding necklaces, wedding fashion, bridal fashion, wedding jewelry, accessories, jewelry, bridal circlets, bridal diadems, bride's fashion, bride's accessories, bride's jewelry, bride's necklaces, bridal hair ornaments, wedding hair ornaments, blusher veils, cathedral veils, embellished veils, rhinestone veils, veiling, bridal veiling, wedding veiling, tulle, lace veils, vintage veils, vintage jewelry, antique bridal jewelry, rhinestone bridal jewelry, cage veils, circular veils, double layer veils, trimmed veils, cascade veils, simple raw cut veil, pencil edged veils, silk satin edged veils, silk corded veils, metallic ribbon veils, organza ribbon, Swarovski beading, New York Market, New York Bridal Market, Bridal Accessory designer, embroidered veils, lace mantilla veils, mantilla, lace mantillas, Swarovski rhinestones, Swarovski rhinestone veils, French net veils, ivory veils, white veils, diamond white veils, champagne veils, cream veils, silk white veils, tulle veils, Juliet veils, Juliet style veils, waterfall veils, wide cut veil, gathered veils, Justine M Couture.
Gorgeous bridal veils, accessories and jewelry. The Justine M Couture Collection of bridal jewelry, accoutrements and veils, is crafted from the absolute finest elements available in the world: Sterling Silver, precious gold fill, luxurious fabrics, authentic Swarovski crystals and unique vintage elements culled from many shores all brought together to be designed and fashioned by hand in America to create the finest Bridal Accessory line available.
Justine M Couture LLC | 337 South Cedros Ave, Suite A, Solana Beach CA 92075, CA


text:
JPMorgan in 2012 paid CEO Jamie Dimon $18.7 million
NEW YORK The CEO of JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Jamie Dimon, received $18.7 million in compensation last year, according to regulatory documents the country's largest bank filed Friday.
That's 19 percent less than Dimon received in 2011, when his $23 million pay package made him the highest paid bank CEO in the country.
- JPMorgan lowers boom on fees from payday lenders
- Will "London Whale" swallow JPMorgan CEO Dimon?
- JPMorgan Chase investors seek to split CEO, chairman
JPMorgan had already said that it would dock Dimon's pay, largely because the bank took a $6 billion loss from a complex derivatives trade that went bad last year.
In January, the bank's board said it would slice Dimon's pay in half, lowering it to $11.5 million. But nearly all of that pay cut came from a reduction in his incentive compensation, which takes three years until it is fully vested.
Earlier this month, a Senate committee issued a scathing report on JPMorgan that spread the blame for the trading loss to the bank's key executives, including Dimon.
Calls from investors for Dimon to give up the job of board chairman have intensified, but the bank defended Dimon's dual role. "The Board has determined that the most effective leadership model for the Firm currently is that Mr. Dimon serves as both Chairman and Chief Executive Officer," the board said in a statement.
Dimon, 57, has led the New York bank as president and CEO since Dec. 31, 2005. He was appointed chairman the following year.
His compensation included $1.5 million in salary, stock awards worth $12 million and options of $5 million. His pay package also counts $64,437 for his personal use of aircraft and $68,379 for guarding Dimon's residence.
Unlike previous years, Dimon didn't receive a cash bonus in 2012.
The Associated Press formula calculates an executive's total compensation during the last fiscal year by adding salary, bonuses, perks, above-market interest that the company pays on deferred compensation and the estimated value of stock and stock options awarded during the year. The AP formula does not count changes in the present value of pension benefits. That makes the AP total slightly different in most cases from the total reported by companies to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The value that a company assigned to an executive's stock and option awards for 2012 was the present value of what the company expected the awards to be worth to the executive over time. Companies use one of several formulas to calculate that value. However, the number is just an estimate, and what an executive ultimately receives will depend on the performance of the company's stock in the years after the awards are granted. Most stock compensation programs require an executive to wait a specified amount of time to receive shares or exercise options.


text:
Good Luck!
You're going to need it with these decorators.
Wow, first last week's "KKKake", and now this. Well, there's nothing like an unintentionally racist cake to spice up a send-off party, I always say.
I'd say this cookie cake has a "good lack" of proper spelling and handwriting abilities. Yeesh. Stay in school, kids!
Blair G., Kimmie S., Amanda B., & Sarah G., I wish you excellent fortune.
- Related Wreckage: That's Way Better Than "Good"


text:
Kinston senior Josh Dawson has always played for an Eastern Regional championship yet each year it�s like he�s never been.
FAYETTEVILLE � Kinston senior Josh Dawson has always played for an Eastern Regional championship yet each year it�s like he�s never been.
That kid-in-a-candy-story enthusiasm comes from loving his teammates and the way they work together, and it was evident following the Vikings� 63-44 win over Bunn in the semifinals on Thursday.
�Man, I love my teammates!� Dawson exclaimed. �When we�re all making plays and we�re all going in there and rebounding, we�re a hard team to beat.�
It�s been that way all season � a group of guys who play well together and love doing it � and it�s a big reason why Kinston (26-2) is one win away from playing for back-to-back state championships.
The Vikings will face Fairmont, which rallied from 16 down in the fourth quarter to knock off Jacksonville Northside 65-62, at 4 p.m. today in the regional championship.
Balance on both ends of the floor has been Kinston�s recipe for success and it worked yet again against the Wildcats (23-7).
Sophomore Brandon Ingram had a team-high 17 points while Dawson filled up the stat sheet with 14 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Jeremy Taylor added 12 points and Denzel Keyes had an off-night shooting with only nine points but he grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
That scoring balance outshined Bunn offensively, which had only one player in double figures � DeShawn High, who scored a game-high 24 points. No other Bunn player scored more than six.
�We shot over 50 percent and had only eight turnovers, so I�m proud of my guys,� Kinston coach Perry Tyndall said. �Overall, we were extremely efficient on the offensive end. � We got stops and took high-efficient shots, which helped us out a lot.�
Kinston faces a team today in Fairmont (25-5) that trailed by as many as 21, was down 57-41 to start the fourth quarter yet scored the game�s final 19 points, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Kwinton Hinson to stun the Monarchs.
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.


text:
Hobby Lobby aims for Obamacare win
The evangelical owners of Hobby Lobby made a fortune selling crafts supplies and made headlines fighting government-mandated birth control coverage. They're also using their billions to sell the American public on the literal truth of Scripture — through a public school Bible curriculum, a huge museum around the corner from the Smithsonian and public forums on the faith of the Founding Fathers.
The Green family may be best known in secular circles for their lawsuit against Obamacare, a high-stakes — and highly political — case that could undercut the administration's goal of setting minimum standards for health care coverage. By the end of this month, the Supreme Court will decide if the federal government can force the Greens to include methods of contraception they deem sinful as part of employees' health insurance.
Story Continued Below
The pending Hobby Lobby ruling has thrust the Greens into the national spotlight, but the family's mission is far bigger than a single court case. The Greens are spending hundreds of millions on a quiet but audacious bid to teach a wayward nation to trust, cherish — and heed — the Bible.
( From POLITICO Magazine: Big Money, the Koch Brothers and Me)
They're building a huge museum dedicated to the Bible a few blocks from the Mall in Washington , with as much public space as the National Museum of American History. They've financed a lavish traveling exhibit as well, complete with a re-created Holy Land cave, a "Noah's Ark experience" for kids and animatronic characters such as William Tyndale, who was burned at the stake for daring to translate the New Testament into English.
The Greens are sponsoring scholarly study of the Bible and hosting forums such as a recent panel on faith's role in shaping early America, which they hope to package for national broadcast.
Most provocatively, they've funded a multimillion-dollar effort to write a Bible curriculum they hope to place in public schools nationwide. It will debut next fall as an elective in Mustang High School, a few miles from Hobby Lobby's Oklahoma City headquarters.
A draft of the textbook for the first of four planned yearlong courses presents Adam and Eve as historical figures and introduces God as "faithful and good," "gracious and compassionate" and "an ever-present help in times of trouble." A list of "curses for disobeying the Lord" warns of defeat, fever and "disaster and panic in everything you do."
( Also on POLITICO: Iowa GOP takeover: The implications for 2016)
Hobby Lobby founders David and Barbara Green and their three adult children — sons Steve and Mart and daughter Darsee Lett — have donated generously to Christian institutions over the years, but these projects are on another scale entirely. A source close to the family estimates the museum alone will end up costing as much as $800 million, including the acquisition of thousands of ancient artifacts.
The family, with a net worth that Forbes estimates at $5 billion, has not flinched from the price or scaled back its vision.
"Our goal … [is to] reintroduce this book to the nation," Steve Green, president of Hobby Lobby, said last spring before the National Bible Association. "This nation is in danger because of its ignorance of what God has taught. We need to know it. And if we don't know it, our future is going to be very scary."
The family's vision is beginning to stir concern, not just among the American Civil Liberties Union and atheist groups such as the Freedom From Religion Foundation, but even from some Bible scholars.
The plans that have been made public so far — including the high school curriculum — seem aimed at portraying Scripture as historically accurate and an unequivocal force for good, said John Kutsko, executive director of the international Society of Biblical Literature, the oldest and largest organization dedicated to biblical scholarship.
( Also on POLITICO: The fall of teachers unions)
That approach fails to incorporate the latest scholarship, acknowledge that the Bible has also played a role as a tool of oppression or recognize different religious viewpoints, Kutsko said.
"It's a simple, superficial, literal reading of the Bible," Kutsko said.
In his view, that's inappropriate both in a public high school and in a private museum that "by virtue of being adjacent to the Mall gives the impression that it's almost a national museum," he said.
Supporters, however, say they are confident the Greens will focus on scholarship rather than salvation in their public outreach.
The family does proselytize quite publicly three times a year, taking out full-page ads in newspapers across the country every Christmas, Easter and Independence Day. The ads celebrate the power of faith and direct readers to a toll-free number for Need Him Ministry, a global initiative to bring nonbelievers to Jesus.
If the goal of the museum were evangelizing, "I can assure you, I would not be involved," said Harry Stout, a professor at Yale Divinity School who has consulted on the museum. "They're really interested in getting it right."
( LISTEN to POLITICO Pro's Procast: Your guide to Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby)
Stout sees one motive above all in the family's work. The Greens, he said, "are really smitten with the Bible."
The Greens are not your typical tycoons.
David Green, the son of a pastor, launched the company that would become Hobby Lobby in a garage in 1970, backed by a $600 loan. The arts-and-crafts chain now has more than 600 stores and some 16,000 full-time employees and brings in more than $3 billion a year in sales. David Green remains the CEO.
Faith is at the foundation of the business. Stores play Christian music and are closed on Sundays. The Greens have steadily raised their starting wage, to $15 an hour for full-time workers, to reflect their belief, centered in their faith, of the dignity of all people. The company's first principle, posted on its website, is "honoring the Lord in all we do …"
Given that credo, Steve Green has said he felt he had no choice but to sue over the Affordable Care Act's mandate that health insurance cover a full range of contraceptives. The Hobby Lobby plan covers most birth control, but Green has said he cannot in good conscience help employees pay for IUDs or emergency contraceptives because he believes them to be tantamount to abortion.
Mother Jones magazine has reported that Hobby Lobby covered some of the disputed methods of contraception in its health insurance plan until 2012, when the family began considering a lawsuit. The magazine also reported that Hobby Lobby contributes to an employee 401(k) plan with investments in pharmaceutical companies that make the IUD, emergency contraceptives and drugs used during abortions.
The Greens declined an interview request; a spokeswoman said their attorney had advised them not to talk publicly until after the Supreme Court ruling.
In a video interview posted online by The Heritage Foundation, Steve Green said the family sued to uphold religious freedom. "We just felt like our hands were tied and that the only option we had was to sue the government, saying that this isn't fair, that you require us to do something that violates our conscience," he said.
The Supreme Court has heard one other challenge to the ACA. In 2012, on a 5-4 vote, the justices upheld the "individual mandate" — the requirement that most Americans obtain insurance or pay a penalty.
Friends describe the Greens as reluctant plaintiffs who shun the spotlight. They shun most of the perks of wealth, too. They're not major political donors. Aside from the lawsuit, they generally don't weigh in on national debates. Those who know them unfailingly describe them as humble, gracious and reserved. Even their corporate headquarters is exceedingly modest.
Family members "genuinely see themselves as servants," said Wes Lane, who runs a faith-based civic organization in Oklahoma City.
The Greens have not been splashy in their philanthropy, either.
The family has quietly given away tens of millions of dollars to Christian colleges and churches. They saved a faltering Oral Roberts University after a scandal with a gift of more than $70 million, gave a 170-acre ranch to pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church and have donated land and money to countless other Christian ministries, without fanfare.


text: So I recently had the pleasure of meeting a guy named Dave Stroncek. His wit impressed me but even more so was his eye for photography. Not only is he co-owner at The Muscle Car Guys (check out the Facebook page), he enjoys jumping into his car and heading out to take pics of whatever it is that strikes him as interesting. No need to say more. The pics speak for themselves. Enjoy!


text:
NHL Star Dustin Penner -- Actress Wife Files for Divorce
NHL Star Dustin Penner Actress Wife Files for Divorce
L.A. Kings goal scorer Dustin Penner's aspiring actress wife has filed for divorce ... and TMZ has learned it's her SECOND failed marriage to a pro hockey player.
Her name's Jessica Welch -- don't bother looking up her IMDb profile -- and she was married to former NHL star Richard Zednik from 2005-2009 ... the guy who accidentally got his throat slit with a skate in 2008. The couple had one daughter together.
Two years later in 2011, Jessica married Dustin -- who won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007.
Now, Jessica has filed for divorce AGAIN in L.A. County Superior Court -- citing "irreconcilable differences." Dustin and Jessica have no children together.
Watch your sticks, boys.
Waiting for your permission to load the comments.


text:
2-3 Tbs butter or... margarine
3 large sweet onions or 4 medium white or yellow onions
2 c. shredded Swiss cheese (8 oz.)
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted**
2/3 c. milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
8 or so slices of French bread
**You can substitute cream of mushroom soup for cream of chicken to make vegetarian.
Slice onions and try not to cry. With this many onions, its hard.
Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat, and add onions. Saute onions until clear, a little brown is ok. In a shallow 2 qt. casserole pan, layer onions, 2/3 of cheese and pepper to taste.
In a sauce pan, heat soup, milk, and soy sauce, stirring to blend. Pour soup mixture in a casserole and stir gently to mix. Top with bread slices. Bake at 350 uncovered for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, top of bread should be nice and toasted.
Push bread slices under the sauce and top with the remaining cheese
Place casserole back in oven and finish baking for 15 more minutes.
Enjoy your day!!


text:
|Statement by Ambassador Wang Guangya On the Report of the High-level Panel
|27 January 2005
Mr. President,
China appreciates and welcomes the comprehensive report submitted by the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change. The report sums up, from a strategic perspective, the experiences of the UN since its inception, analyzes the major security threats and challenges facing the States today and puts forward many constructive initiatives and ideas on the revitalization and reform of the Organization that deserve serious consideration by all. The report will certainly make an important and positive contribution to the preparations for the coming Summit of the UNGA, the promotion of multilateralism and the strengthening of the role of the UN.
Mr. President,
The report advocates a new security consensus and a deep engagement to strengthen collective security systems. We believe that this is of special and positive significance. Today, the concept of security is becoming more complex. No State can stand wholly alone. Interdependence among countries has deepened and their interests are intricately intertwined and no State can enjoy absolute security in isolation from the others. Under the circumstances, only the adoption of a new security concept that emphasizes "mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation", strengthened international cooperation and reliance on collective action will enable us to effectively respond to new challenges.
The security threats and challenges we face are complex in nature and varied in form. As the core of the collective security system, the UN has a special responsibility and a unique role to play in safeguarding the common security of States and in preventing and curbing common threats. The enhancement of the capacity and authority of the UN is a must for the common security of the international community, and it is also a principle that lies at the heart of the Panel's report.
Mr. President,
The report pointed out that common development is the indispensable foundation of a new collective security system and that it is necessary for States to view the question of development from a security strategy perspective. We believe that this is a highly relevant point. Terrorism and the proliferation of WMDs are security threats to the international community; but so are poverty, diseases and environmental degradation, and the threats posed by the latter are no less serious. We should attach equal importance to all types of threats and challenges and not stress one over or at the expense of another. At the present time, what most concerns the developing countries is finding effective solutions to development problems and realizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In this respect, North and the South share equal responsibilities and the UN also has an indispensable role to play. As to the policy initiatives put forward by the Panel, we should, in combination with the consideration of the report on the Millennium Project, translate broad ideas into concrete actions and seriously address the common concerns of the developing countries. This is also one of the criteria against which we can test North-South solidarity and judge the success of the coming Summit in September.
Mr. President,
The report rightly points out that the front-line actors in dealing with all the threats we face continue to be individual sovereign States. Sovereign States have the primary responsibility of protecting their own citizens. The purposes and principles of the UN Charter should continue to be safeguarded and the rights and responsibilities of sovereign States continue to be respected. We believe that this is an important guideline. After the end of the cold war, inter-State disputes have given way to more and more internal conflicts. The UN must pay attention to this new phenomenon, finding new remedies to effectively help the countries concerned to end the conflicts, with particular emphasis on timely assistance in serious humanitarian crises. Meanwhile, it is also necessary to realize that in view of the often complex causes of internal conflicts, it is inadvisable to make hasty judgment that the State concerned is unable or unwilling to protect its own citizens and rush to intervene. The basic principles of sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs of other States as stated in the Charter have to be strictly respected. The matter should be carefully judged and handled by the Security Council in view of the specific circumstances. In deciding on coercive actions, the Security Council should exercise particular caution and deal with situations on a case-by-case basis and not by any hard and fast rules.
We wish to emphasize here that China has always advocated the peaceful resolution of international disputes and opposes the use or threat of force in international relations. Unwarranted use of force can only contribute to further turmoil in the world. "Anticipatory self-defense" or "preventive use of military force" is not advisable; the use of force must be authorized by the Security Council. We endorse the view that Article 51 of the Charter needs neither rewriting nor reinterpretation. As to the five basic criteria of legitimacy listed in the report for the authorization of use of force by the Council, we believe that in view of the differences in the causes of crises and their circumstances, it would not be easy, in theory or actual operations, to form criteria that are universally applicable to all situations. This is a major question that warrants further in-depth study.
Mr. President,
The report also contains many proposals on UN reform aims at improving the overall capacity of the Organization as well as its efficiency. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has also stated on many occasions his hope of making this year the "year of UN reform", so that it can address the new threats and challenges more effectively and strengthen multilateralism. The core mission of the UN is to safeguard world peace and promote common development. The UN machinery includes the General Assembly, Security Council, ECOSOC, the Secretariat and many subsidiary organs. We believe that UN reform should be all-round. Achievements should be made in both the security and development aspects of the reform.
The Panel's report offers two models for expansion of the Security Council. Both of them, in our view, are mainly general ideas that need to be fleshed out in detail in various respects. We are ready to discuss them further with all sides. It is also our view that the discussion by Member States of this question should not be confined to these two models; the concerns raised and other possible proposals voiced by various parties all deserve to be studied and considered carefully. As vital interests of all States are at stake in the question of Council expansion, it should be carefully and thoroughly examined in the spirit of seeking common ground while reserving differences, adhering to the principle of achieving a consensus and avoiding ramrodding insufficiently thought through proposals or setting artificial time limits.
The report further proposes the establishment of a "Peace-building Commission" under the Security Council. This is an innovative idea that is conducive to promoting States in giving priority attention and input to post-conflict peace-building and thus enhancing inter-agency communications and coordination in this regard. Details of this proposal still need to be carefully worked out to ensure that it is genuinely feasible and generally acceptable to all.
Mr. President,
In its last recommendation, the report pointed out that all Member States should rededicate themselves to the purposes and principles of the Charter and to applying them in a purposeful way, matching their political will with the necessary resources. This is something with which we fully associate. We are also of the view that this should serve as a guiding principle and important objective in our future deliberation of the report and for the preparatory work for the September Summit.
These are some of our general comments. The report contains a wide arrange of specific recommendations in the field of infectious diseases, environment protection, transnational organizational crime, counter-terrorism, peacekeeping operations and non-proliferation of WMDs, we are of positive view towards most of these recommendations and stand ready to continue to exchange views in depth with all sides on them.
Thank you, Mr. President.


text:
Looking to liberate the movies in your DVD collection from the confines of their plastic-and-metal prison so you can enjoy them on your iPhone, iPod, iPad and Apple TV? Well look no further, all you need is some free software and to follow a few steps.
Step One: Install the software
In order to rip a DVD with HandBrake, you'll need to download the free software. If you have a Mac with a Core 2 Duo or later processor, make sure to get the 64-bit version of the software. It will speed up your ripping times over the 32-bit version of HandBrake. Note that the latest version of HandBrake, 0.9.5, is Intel-only. If you still have a PowerPC-based Mac, you can still download version 0.9.4.
And because HandBrake no longer includes the libraries needed to decrypt commercial DVDs (you should only rip DVDs that you've purchased), you'll also need to install the equally free VLC media player. To get the 64-bit benefits from HandBrake, you'll need to have a 64-bit version of VLC as well. The standard download is a Universal Binary and contains both 32- and 64-bit code for Intel Macs, if you want to save some disk space, you can download the specific VLC package for your situation.
Step Two: Insert a DVD and pick what to rip
Now insert your DVD into your Mac's DVD drive and launch HandBrake. By default, the app will launch a dialog box and have you select the DVD mounted on your Mac, choose it and click Open. HandBrake will then scan the DVD for the titles it contains, which can a few minutes. Once the scan is complete, click on the box next to Title and from the popup menu that appears, choose the longest title.
If you encounter a DVD with 99 titles of almost the same length, you've run into a copy protection scheme meant to thwart ripping. In that case, launch Apple's DVD Player application, navigate to the main feature, choose Go -> Title from the menu bar, and find the title with a check mark next to it. Choose that title in HandBrake and continue.
If there are several items you want to convert, all the episodes on a TV show DVD for example, you can select one, give it a unique name in the File area, click the Add To Queue button and then repeat the process for each item until they've all been added to the encoding queue (you'll want to adjust your encoding settings prior to adding the items to the queue, however, which I'll discuss in the next step).
Note that DVD ripping is a constant cat-and-mouse game, with content providers regularly updating their copy protection schemes to prevent copying, and HandBrake/VLC trying to provide access to the latest discs. Which is a long way of saying that HandBrake may not work with every DVD. If all else fails, you may need to spend money on a different DVD-ripping application for better results.
Step Three: Choose a preset
Now that you've selected the title to rip, you'll need to choose your encoding settings based on the device(s) on which you plan to view the content. Although you can tweak every aspect of encoding, HandBrake includes handy presets that make it much easier.
If the Presets Drawer isn't already open, click on the Toggle Presets button at the top of the HandBrake window (or press command-T). In the drawer, you'll see three sets of presets: Apple, Regular and Legacy. In most cases, you can just focus your attention on the Apple section. There you'll find Universal, iPod, iPhone & iPod Touch, iPhone 4, iPad, AppleTV and AppleTV 2.
If you want to watch your movie on the latest iPhone, for example, choose iPhone 4 for the best quality settings that will work on that device. The same goes for other devices, based on their playback restrictions. The Universal preset is helpful if you want a file that will work on all current Apple devices.
If you're ripping TV show episodes, you'll have to pick your settings for each file before adding it to the queue. To speed up the process, you can set a preset as your default. Highlight the preset you want, then at the bottom of the Preset Drawer, click the gear icon and choose Make Default from the drop-down menu.
Step Four: Tweak your settings
Once you've picked your preset, there are a few settings you might want to pay extra attention to, depending on your specific needs.
Many TV shows you'll find on DVD are interlaced, that is, shot as a series of half frames of even lines and odd lines, which can lead to jagged video when viewed on your computer or portable device. To overcome this, HandBrake can deinterlace while it rips to make things smooth. To find out if your DVD has interlaced video, click the Preview Window button in HandBrake and scroll through the still images for signs of interlacind jagginess.
If that doesn't tell you enough, choose a time from the Duration (Sec) popup menu you see when your cursor is floating over the Preview window, and then click Live Preview. HandBrake will encode a short section of your video with the current settings and then play it back so you can examine the video more closely. If you see signs of interlacing, click the Settings button (in the same window) and it will open up a new window called Picture Settings.
Click the Filters tab, and made sure the slider between Decomb and Deinterlace is to the right. In the drop-down menu next to Deinterlace, choose Fast and then redo the preview to see if that makes a difference. If not, you can try Slow or Slower to see how much work is needed.
Altering or removing audio tracks is a great way to reduce the size of your finished file. Click on the Audio tab, and look at the audio tracks your preset has selected to include. There may be language tracks you don't need, or if your Apple TV isn't connected to a surround sound audio system, you may want to remove a 5.1 channel audio track or downmix it to stereo, for example.
If your movie is in a foreign language, or you have a hearing impairment and need to read the closed captions when you watch, HandBrake's Subtitles tab is the place to look. There you can find whatever subtitle or captioning data comes on your DVD and decide which ones you want to include in your ripped file.
Typically, subtitles must be "burned into" your file, meaning you can't turn them on or off, whereas closed captioning data is added as a separate text track that you can choose while watching in QuickTime, for example. You can also add an external .srt text file for the movie if you have it (one you downloaded, say).
When you're all set, click the Start button and go take a nice walk, depending on the length of the files and the speed of your computer, it can take a while to transcode the video.
Step Five: Tag your movie with metadata
While this last step is very much optional, adding cover art, cast, summaries and the like will make your movies or TV shows look and act a lot more like those purchased from the iTunes Store.
There are several applications that can look up metadata online and add it to your files. Rodney Kerstetter's free MetaX is designed specifically for that purpose (and HandBrake even has an option to send completed rips to MetaX directly), but Chris Marrin's free Video Monkey and Jendrik Bertram iFlicks are video-encoding applications that can also be used just to add metadata. Whichever software use, once you're done just add the movie to your iTunes library and it'll then ready to transfer (or stream) to your devices.


text:
Tuesday Queens Intermediate Co-ed Open Play
**You Must Sign-Up On-Line In Advance***
Join Big City Volleyball in Queens LIC for Co Ed Open Play Tuesday evenings from 7:00pm – 10:00pm at LIC YMCA.
Who Can Participate:
Intermediate to Advanced Adult (21+) players only! Players must be able to handle a free ball, pass accurately, serve consistently and play bump-set-spike vball rather than just retuning the ball to the other side of the court. (In Big City that's Divisions 3, 4 & 5). If you cannot do the above, you will be asked to leave. You don't have to currently play in the league to participate.
32-23 Queens Blvd, Long Island City
Tuesday Evenings
7:00pm - 10:00pm
How Much:
$17 per session On-line in advance
Only players who register on-line will be guaranteed a spot.
Players who pay at the door will not be given a spot to play until all on-line registered players have been checked in and then only if space permits.
Players who pay in advance will lose their spot if they arrive after check-in is complete.
Players can register in advance as many people as they like per session.
Players can Register in advance for as many sessions as they like.
*Must be 21 years old to participate.
*Only 48 spots per session.
How It Works
Each court will have up to three teams of 8 players. games will be to 21 points rally scoring. Players will sub in on dead balls. If a team wins two games in a row they must sit one game.
Big City prides itself on friendly competition. Please play fair and maintain respectable behavior towards your teammates and opponents. Call your own violations! (Nets, Sets and Out Balls). If you are rude in any manner or raise your voice you will be asked to leave and not allowed to participate again.


text:
Cynthia DeFelice
When I was a child, I never would have guessed that I would become a writer. But I did love to read, and I loved when my mother read to me and my brothers and sister. She read to us every night, acting out the voices of the characters in books with great enthusiasm. She passed along her love of language, and I'm sure it's because of her that I eventually became a children's author.
I read everything I could myself, too: Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books, comic books, MAD magazine, and so much more. My favorites were books that made me feel as if I were part of the story. Every summer vacation started with a trip to the drugstore, where we could pick out our own books for summer reading. I loved picking out my books, putting my nameplate in them, and deciding which one to read first.
I didn't become a writer until I was 36 years old. I had been an elementary school librarian, where it was my turn to read out loud to children, like my mother had done for us. I loved seeing their faces captivated by a good story, eyes wide and mouths hanging open. If only I could write a story to make them look like that, I thought . . .
So I gave it a try, and I did it! Now I have written 11 novels and 13 picture books, and I love what I do. I love creating a character out of thin air, and feeling that character come to life beneath my fingers on the computer keyboard. I love writing a book that I would have loved to read when I was a child. I love hearing from children that something I wrote touched them in some way, making them laugh or cry, or think and feel something special.
Writing the trilogy about Allie Nichols, "ghost magnet," was great fun. I was able to combine my love of spooky tales, dogs, and stories of family and friendship. Both Mr. Henry and Hoover were based on real characters. Mr. Henry is like my own 6th grade teacher, Henry Hermann, and I was crazy about him! He was wise and compassionate, like Mr. Henry in the book. Hoover was a real golden retriever, the "first child" of very good friends of mine. She was a beautiful dog with a winning personality. She was also very pampered, getting her own bag of popcorn every night! Sadly, she died of cancer when she was 6. My friends were devastated, but they are happy that Hoover lives on in my books.
I hope my books delight and entertain and help readers understand a little bit more about what it is like to be someone else and feel their emotions.


text:
All Bar One Ludgate Hill
A member of the chic city bar brand established in 1994, All Bar One showcases eclectic European cuisine and an impressive stock of beers and wines. An extensive wine display showcases a wine stock just shy of 70 bottles, while the diverse menu offers delicious sharing platters and world tapas, succulent hand-pressed burgers and signature main courses. A relaxed, vibrant hideaway, All Bar One is perfect for after-work drinks, or a crowd-pleasing dinner.
|Average main course
|£9.00 per diner
|Average food spend
|£23.00 per diner
Venue Details & Map
All Bar One Ludgate Hill
- Address
44-46 Ludgate HillLondonGreater LondonEC4M 7DE
- Telephone:
- +44 2072489156