text:
Monday, November 30, 2009
Pumpkin + Chocolate Chips
I have to thank Jennifer for tipping me off to this yummy, yummy recipe for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread. Super tasty & moist. It only took one day for my family to finish off a loaf. Jennifer says that it makes about 30 muffins which freeze nicely, so I may be making muffins the next go around. :)
Posted by Candace at 8:57 PM 3 comments
Labels: recipes
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Here are all the people on the Todd side of the family that we spent our holiday with. Good times.
And the big pie event. All of the grandkids on my side of the family (There are 13 of them) get together with my Mom to make pumpkin pies. Each kid makes their own mini pie. I was happy that my girls could be involved for the first time this year.
I have much to be thankful for. Number one is for sure my peeps. We are so blessed.
And the big pie event. All of the grandkids on my side of the family (There are 13 of them) get together with my Mom to make pumpkin pies. Each kid makes their own mini pie. I was happy that my girls could be involved for the first time this year.
I have much to be thankful for. Number one is for sure my peeps. We are so blessed.
Posted by Candace at 1:21 PM 2 comments
Labels: holidays
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Gingerbread Houses For Little Kids
I helped in Sadie's kindergarten class this morning because they were making gingerbread houses before their winter break. After today she doesn't go back to school until Jan 4th. We're all pretty excited to have her home during these fun holidays. Especially with the nice warm weather we're getting.
Anyway, these gingerbread houses were just so clever & perfect for little kids that I have to share. The teacher pre-made the little houses. She hot glued graham cracker pieces onto an empty milk box (you know the little ones they get with their cafeteria lunches). Then she hot glued the house onto the paper plate. That way the houses wouldn't fall over or collapse while they spread on frosting & put on all the candy pieces. Also with the house glued to the plate, they could carry their houses all by themselves a little more securely.
Posted by Candace at 4:08 PM 6 comments
Labels: kid crafts
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
9 Pairs
I made 9 pairs of cozy flannel pajama pants for the girls this weekend. 5 pairs for the big one & 4 pairs for the little one. All of the flannel fabric was from my mother-in-law's stash (except for the blue print....that was a purchase of mine from a while back). So these pants cost me very little to make. If saving money wasn't the objective here, I'd be all over this new Folksy Flannel from Anna Maria Horner. So pretty!
Flannel is going on sale at Joann's this Friday for $1.49 per yard. But it's a Friday doorbuster, so that's the only day to get this price. Just so you know...
Posted by Candace at 9:31 AM 7 comments
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Some goodies that I wouldn't at all mind getting for Christmas this year:
I'll keep my fingers crossed that a few of these are under my tree this year. What are you hoping for this year? Do share.
A gift certificate to Sew Mama Sew would be cool.
Just because I've never owned one & I think they're fun, a fondue set.
And if money was no option...a MacBook. :)
I'll keep my fingers crossed that a few of these are under my tree this year. What are you hoping for this year? Do share.
Posted by Candace at 1:05 PM 7 comments
Friday, November 20, 2009
I Just Want To Be Awesome
Sorry for my absence around this space lately. We've had a busy, busy week around here. Hopefully my posting will get a bit more interesting as I get ready to go full force with my Christmas crafting.
On an unrelated note, I've been doing some thinking lately....
I am a very self conscious person. I have lived my entire life worrying about what others might be thinking about me. Worrying that they are judging me based on this or that. Well, lately I just don't care anymore. I am happy with myself & the way I choose to live my life. I present myself in a way that reflects the principles & standards that are so important to me. If somebody else is judging me...that's their problem.
I'm wondering, did this come about because of my age? Has turning 30 made me feel like it's time to let all the worry go? Or is it being back in my home town? Does Las Vegas give me a confidence that I've never had before?
I think the real answer is just that I'm progressing for now. My insecurities could all resurface at any moment & I could very well go through another period of being too critical of myself & of others for perhaps thinking that I don't dress very cute or that maybe I should take better care of my body. Because I know they think that! I'm a mind reader after all.
Who knows. For now I'll just enjoy this moment for feeling good in my skin & proud of the person that I am inside & out. I hope that you all can take some time this weekend to think about all the things that make you great & all that you do to make the lives of your family & friends so wonderful. It's good to remember how loved we are....just the way we are.
Posted by Candace at 10:58 AM 12 comments
Labels: just me
Sunday, November 15, 2009
My sister-in-law, Lilia, is having a baby boy soon & I was invited to her baby shower yesterday. For her gift I decided to make the baby swaddler from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing For Baby book. I really am quite in love with that book...the projects, the layout, the photos. This is the first project that I've made for the book, but I want to make everything in it!
I used a soft homespun cotton for the outside (found in the red tag section at JoAnn's) & a mustard colored fleece for the lining. I think it's quite adorable. I'm pretty anxious to see a sweet little baby in it. For sure making this didn't help with my baby hunger issues at all.
Posted by Candace at 2:05 PM 13 comments
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Mixtapes Are For Lovers
Dylan has a guest post up over at Rachel's blog Smile & Wave today. He designed a free downloadable paper cd case for you all. Mix cds are such sweet, thoughtful gifts & super great especially for guys that are hard to buy for. Go check it out!
Posted by Candace at 10:09 AM 8 comments
Monday, November 09, 2009
Handmade + Local
Do you even want to get me going about buying handmade & local? I feel super strongly about both. For all of you in Vegas, there is a great opportunity coming up for both. I will be participating in the Behind the Picket Fence craft boutique with many other talented crafters. Come shop for holiday gifts & support your local economy & some hardworking artists rather than big corporations.
Mark your calendars. The show runs from Nov. 19th - Nov. 21st.
You can find more information about why buying handmade is so totally awesome right here.
And here's some info on why shopping locally is so cool right here.
One other note. You may have noticed that the prices for our posters have gone up recently. There's a reason for this. We've upgraded the paper that we're printing posters on. It's a bit thicker & a little textured & super nice.
Posted by Candace at 8:24 AM 3 comments
Labels: friend to the environment, shop update
Friday, November 06, 2009
Rock On
Sadie didn't have to go to school on Monday because of a staff development day so we decided to go take a little hike out at Red Rock. Actually Dylan decided that we should & I must say it was an excellent idea. The girls had a blast on our rocky little hike. Claire did not want to be carried at all. She wanted to navigate the rocks all on her own. Sadie was filthy by the end of it...sufficiently covered in dust.
I'm learning that it is important that we take advantage of this time with Dylan at home to make special outings as a family. It really was quite a simple day but hopefully our kids will remember it fondly.
And I am totally thrown off season wise by the weather here. Mid 80's all week makes my internal clock think it's summer time & I am not feeling any pressure to get holiday work done. Which makes me freak out whenever I look at the calendar & remember that it's actually November & the days are moving by quite quickly. Christmas will be here before we know it. We'll see if I'll be ready for it this year. For now I'll continue to wear a t-shirt & flip flops & try not to stress.
Posted by Candace at 9:16 AM 7 comments
Labels: family life
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
The Story of My Serger
Oh yes. I own a serger now & yes there is a good story behind it. Last month, just after we'd decided to move quickly to Las Vegas but before news had really spread that we were moving or why, my super dear friend Maria came for a visit. She said that she had an early birthday gift for me & wanted to bring it by. So when she & another friend Terri showed up with a rather large box, I was a bit confused. I opened the attached card & learned that this gift was from 13 awesome ladies & friends that I know from church. They had all pitched in to give me this serger! When I opened the box & saw it, I cried.
Whenever a holiday or birthday comes up, Dylan will ask me what I want. I always say "nothing". Then he asks me what I would want if money was no factor & I always say "a serger".
I cannot believe that these sweet ladies would do this for me. Little ol' me! I love this machine & I've already used it lots. I was so happy to have it to finish off the satin capes for my girls' Halloween costumes. What a mess they would have been without my serger! I am so grateful to Maria for the time she put into hunting this machine down & then for arranging for the group effort in purchasing it. And I am so thankful for all the dear friends that pitched in. They seriously made a little dream of mine come true.
Which reminds me...I have about a hundred thank you cards that I need to write. Which also reminds me...we have some new printable fabric stash note cards in the shop. Pay for the download once & then print them as many times as you need them!
Posted by Candace at 3:23 PM 17 comments
Labels: sewing, shop update
Monday, November 02, 2009
Razzle Dazzle
I'm guest posting over at the super cool Smile and Wave blog today. Go check it out! There's a giveaway involved. :)
Posted by Candace at 9:15 AM 2 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Online retailer sharing is Pinterest's game now. The social network provided the most shares in the ecommerce category with 41 percent, compared to 37 percent for Facebook and 17 percent for Twitter. Pinterest is also strong among travel and hospitality sites, following behind Facebook's 58 percent with 19 percent of all shared content.
"Pinterest's sweet spot really is in e-commerce. Pinterest users tend to pin items that they want to purchase later or that they've already purchased. A number of Gigya ecommerce clients cater to largely female audiences, and so does Pinterest, which could be one reason why Pinterest has such a heavy presence in e-commerce sharing," said John Eklaim, vice president of marketing at Gigya.
Facebook is still the dominant provider of social logins and shared content but other networks are gaining favor as users seek variety in their social activity.
According to new data from social media tools provider, Gigya, Facebook commands 52 percent of all social logins and 50 percent of all shared content. Gigya surveyed its pool of brand clients during the last quarter and found that Google is making notable gains as a social login provider, doubling from 12 percent to 24 percent of all social login activity on their respective sites.
"We're still seeing Facebook remain as the dominant login provider but Google is clearly making headway," Eklaim said.
"With the advent of Google+ sign-in, we believe that this trend will continue particularly because of the mobile over-the-air download features offered with Google+ sign-in," he added.
Facebook's position as a social login provider is even more profound among sites managed by education and non-profit organizations, online retailers, consumer brands, and travel and hospitality properties. Facebook was the go-to login provider for 81 percent of education and non-profit sites, 79 percent at online retailers, 67 percent of consumer brands and 57 percent of all travel and hospitality sites that use Gigya for social connectivity.
Media outlets and publishers bring in the most choice with Google+ and Yahoo attracting a respective 28 percent and 21 percent of login activity to Facebook's 44 percent.
"Facebook's share-of-logins in ecommerce was also somewhat surprising, especially compared to many other industries, but we also could see that change with the entrance of Amazon into the authentication space," Elkaim said.
The disparity that Gigya found between social logins and sharing reinforces the highly competitive landscape of social. There certainly is room and an appetite among users for multiple tools and social media providers that excel at different functions.
While Google+ is growing as a login provider, it is rarely used for social sharing. The company captures only 2 percent of all content shared among sites that use Gigya's tools. Twitter, on the other hand, shines as a social sharing tool, providing 24 percent of all activity and coming closest to Facebook's 50 percent among all providers.
"Users see networks like Facebook and Google+ as identity networks whereas Twitter is really about syndication and that falls in line with the essence of what those networks offer," Elkaim said. "Facebook and Google+ offer pretty robust profiles but that's not really what Twitter was designed for. Rather, the focus is on constant sharing, not as heavily tied to identity."
Twitter is particularly strong among consumer brands, media and publishing companies and, to a lesser degree, among e-commerce sites. Shares originating from sites managed by consumer brands were nearly split with 41 percent driven by Facebook and 38 percent via Twitter.
This article was originally published on ClickZ.
Related reading
Top advanced YouTube SEO tips to boost your video performance
YouTube is not just a social media platform. It's a powerful search engine for video content. Here's how to make the most of its SEO potential.
Social media: How does it affect SEO?
It's not the actual social activity that matters, but what happens as a result of that activity. Three ways to harness the power of social media for SEO.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Applied Private Music Instruction for
UGA Students for Academic Credit
YES, I would like to register for private music lessons at UGA for academic credit.
If you would like to register for private lessons NOT for credit, please contact the CMS office at 706-542-2894 or firstname.lastname@example.com for the correct registration procedure.
- All levels accepted—beginners welcome
- All band/orchestra instruments are offered, as well as classical voice, piano, classical guitar
- Earn UGA Academic Credit (1 hr. per semester) for 13 30-minute private lessons and additional instruction seminars. Courses may be repeated for a maximum of 4 credit hours in each course.
- Instructors are qualified UGA faculty and UGA teaching assistants in music.
- Students will be assigned to a teacher by the Community Music School staff about 1-week before lessons begin each semester.
- Following this assignment, lesson times will be arranged individually to meet your academic schedule.
- You must own, rent, or have access to your own instrument. (Athens-area businesses selling or renting musical instruments)
- Grades are assigned based on lesson attendance, practice time (minimum 3 hrs/week), and progress.
- Practice rooms are available on a limited schedule in the Hodgson School of Music Building; it is best if you have access to your own practice facilities
- The fee for these lessons is NOT covered by HOPE Scholarships, and cannot be paid through Student Accounts. Full payment via credit card using the link above is the first step in registering for the course.
- Important: remember that we need the card owner's name and address along with credit card information. This must be the name of the person who registered the card, and the address where the bills are received.
- Students can register for the lessons through the Add/Drop period each semester. Refunds will not be given once the Add/Drop period is over.
MUSI 1700 is private music instruction for UGA students in their 1st through 2nd year of undergraduate studies.
MUSI 3700 is private music instruction for UGA students in their 3rdthrough 5th year of undergraduate studies.
These private music lessons are offered through the UGA Community Music School, which includes a lesson charge of $350 for the semester. You must register in two ways: first by clicking "Yes" above and following the registration steps for the Community Music School (including paying the fee), and second through Athena for the UGA credit after receiving an email confirmation that you have been cleared to do so.


text:
Everything I've tested works out of the box for me: NVIDIA graphics, webcam, audio, wireless, and most of the multimedia keys. Running an up-to-date Arch Linux.
Popular Guides
View more guides at Linux Wiki Guides
This is a template for a guide to running Linux with the Acer Aspire 5520 laptop.
This guide is intended to provide you details on how well this laptop works with Linux and which modules you need to configure. For details on how to actually install and configure the required modules have a look at our guides section for distribution specific instructions.
If you would like to edit this page please first view our Editing Guidelines.
|Acer Aspire 5520
|AMD Athlon 64 X2
|15.4" WXGA Widescreen
|1GB to 4GB
|Optical Drive
|NVIDIA Geforce 7000M
|Ethernet, Acer InviLink 802.11bg
|Optical Drive
|56K Modem
|Not Tested
|Not Tested
|Card Reader
|ExpressCard Slot
|Not Tested
Install went smoothly.
Used Envy to get graphics drivers.
Had some trouble with the wifi.
Found these (http://forumubuntusoftware.info/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1278) instructions to be best. Used Wifi Radar to get connected after wireless showed up in my network drivers.
You can enter a summary of how well the Acer Aspire 5520 works with Linux here.
Mesin CTCP
Mesin digital printing
Mesin printing digital
Mesin cutting sticker
Mesin fiber laser
Mesin cutting laser
Mesin laser cutting
Gentong kayu
Informasi mesin advertising
Mesin digital printing outdoor
Mesin digital printing indoor
Supplyer mesin digital printing
Usaha digital printing
Mesin digital print
Alat digital print
Jual mesin CTCP
Jual kaca mobil
Jual mesin cutting laser
Everything I've tested works out of the box for me: NVIDIA graphics, webcam, audio, wireless, and most of the multimedia keys. Running an up-to-date Arch Linux.
HELP HELP HELP I am having problems with the sound on my pc, no volume, when i put the drivers in it gets near end then error and rolls back, i have also downloaded drivers audio realtec and this does the same, how do i get sound on my pc?
I also installed kubuntu 8.10 kde 4.1 on Acer Aspire 5220. Everything seems okay, but maybe the window manager is a bit sluggish. I use fvwm myself, so it surely feels slower than that. I didn't use gkrellm to get a constant visibility to CPU consumption.
I used aptitude to install linux-backports-modules-$SOME_VERSION to get the ath5k driver for wireless. In addition to that I needed to blacklist two modules, but no complicated configuration or compiling anything was necessary.
I did have a few problems when I changed the wireless modem, as the 5520 had problems finding the second wireless network. However, waiting a bit and fiddling w/the ethernet cable made it somehow visible, and for now it works okay. If you google "ath5k linux-backports-modules", it seems that there may be open bugs pending. I didn't look into it.
I'm quite sure that the computer would fly w/fvwm compared to kde4, which seems like an incredible waste of performance, but I have to say that it looks kind of nice.
I got 4GB memory on Turion TL-58 64×2. Typing from it with Ubuntu 64-bit 8.10.
Memory only shows less than 4GB.
MemTotal: 3797356 kB
MemFree: 2344232 kB
Buffers: 80116 kB
Cached: 570512 kB
SwapCached: 0 kB
Loaded with Restricted driver on nVidia and Wifi drivers. Add 2 lines to /etcmodprobe.d/blacklist.
blacklist ath_hal
blacklist ath_pci
Then reboot it, lsmod shows ath5k loaded and iwconfig works just fine.
Is it possible to get dualhead monitors on this?
Can QuickCam and bluetooth have issues?
dba@dba-laptop:/etc/modprobe.d$ dmesg | grep -i blue
[ 28.482550] Bluetooth: Core ver 2.13
[ 28.482853] Bluetooth: HCI device and connection manager initialized
[ 28.482862] Bluetooth: HCI socket layer initialized
[ 28.523393] Bluetooth: L2CAP ver 2.11
[ 28.523410] Bluetooth: L2CAP socket layer initialized
[ 28.564950] Bluetooth: SCO (Voice Link) ver 0.6
[ 28.564967] Bluetooth: SCO socket layer initialized
[ 28.604057] Bluetooth: RFCOMM socket layer initialized
[ 28.604745] Bluetooth: RFCOMM TTY layer initialized
[ 28.604756] Bluetooth: RFCOMM ver 1.10
[ 28.617299] Bluetooth: BNEP (Ethernet Emulation) ver 1.3
[ 28.617316] Bluetooth: BNEP filters: protocol multicast
$ hcitool scan
Device is not available: No such device
hey plz tell me how to get wireless connection with linux on acer aspire 5520, i got double boot, windows vista home and the newest linux.
Also having problems with overheating, the machine then shuts down automagically. Now experimenting with the noapic as bootoption.
Processor : Works (speed scaling also)
Screen : Works (with nvidia drivers)
HDD : Works
Optical Drive : Works
Graphics : Works (with nvidia drivers)
Sound : Works
Ethernet : Works
Wireless : Does not works out-of-the-box, installed madwifi atheros driver, and works, connecting via wicd package
56K Modem : Not tested
USB : Works
Firewire : Not tested
Card reader : Works
ExpressCard Slot: Not tested
I have installed kubuntu 8.10 kde 4.1 on acer aspire 5520.I had to use wicd to get wireless.Now I have been haveing trouble with high cpu caused by plasma.It uses 40 to 50%.Sometimes peaking at 80+%.Causes overheating,I havn't been able to find out why this is.But I will continue to work on it.


text:
A helpful article from the Desiring God Blog: Mondays are notoriously difficult for pastors. If you are not a pastor, pray for your pastor today as you read through this post. If you are a pastor, listen to the words of pastor Jared Wilson as he describes the structure of his Mondays, along with the personal challenges he faces as another week begins. Here's what he writes:
The fatigue begins for me as soon as the sermon is done. More often than not, I have "left it all out on the field." But the gathering is not over. There are people to greet, visitors to meet, often times theological questions to answer and short counseling sessions to conduct. Many times there are impromptu meetings or executive decisions to be made.
At Middletown Springs Community Church, we enjoy Soup Sunday in the fellowship hall from the weekend after Thanksgiving until Easter every year. I am an introverted personality, which does not mean I don't enjoy being with people or that I'm not good at interacting with people, only that it is work to do so. Extroverts tend to fill up in social settings; introverts tend to empty. . . .
Many pastors take Mondays off because of the Sunday hangover. I do not. It is my worst day, so I refuse to give it to my family. Instead I work through it. It is a slog. Monday morning is when the email inbox and telephone mailbox are thickest. Monday morning is when people still have questions or concerns or criticisms about Sunday. (They are starting their week full, remember? They came to church for the pick-me-up, and most of them got it.) Like everybody else on Monday mornings, pastors are taking stock of what all must be accomplished in the week ahead. But Sunday was not a day of filling up for pastors, but pouring out.
On Monday mornings I enter my office and find that, like Sisyphus, the stone I spent the week previous pushing up the hill lay at the bottom again, ready for another go. Monday morning I must pastor. But what kind of must?
I am faced with this challenge: will I shepherd under compulsion, or willingly as God would have me?
My first instinct is to make my shepherding contingent on my energy level. But really, my ability to exercise oversight willingly flows from my vision. No, not a vision for an "awesomely bold" church — at least, not at first — but of my God and for the flock of God that is among me.
How we see God on Monday morning will affect whether we oversee his church willingly or under compulsion. And how we view the people in our church will affect whether we oversee them willingly or under compulsion.
Our omnipresent Savior is waiting for me in the office on Monday morning. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," he says (Matthew 11:28). I am plum tuckered on Monday morning. Ample temptation to wallow. But Jesus promises rest. I may be a shell of a pastor at this time each week but God is no less God. His might is no less mighty. His gospel is no less powerful. His reach is no less infinite. His grace is no less everlasting. His lovingkindness is no less enduring.
My first thoughts on Monday mornings are to my fatigue and all I must do, but I must push them into thoughts of Christ, all he is and all he has done. There lies the vision that compels my will.
The content in this excerpt was originally delivered in a message for pastors ("The Pastor's Justification") and will appear in Jared's future book by the same name. This excerpt is pulled from the first draft and is posted on the DG blog by permission of the author.


text:
"I never doubted that I would be a good mayor," said Ed Koch, with a self-satisfied smile. "I never did."
It was Tuesday night, and the documentary "Koch," written and directed by my old friend Neil Barsky, was having its premiere at the Museum of Modern Art. In his late 80s, the former New York mayor looked his age in the film, but he was still very sharp and quite funny — and as needy as he'd always been for public attention and approval. As Ed Koch matter-of-factly uttered those words, early in the movie, the audience, full of former staff aides, political loyalists and New York movers-and-shakers, chuckled knowingly. Throughout his political life, Koch's ego had never been far from the surface. It says here that his egotism is part of what made him a great mayor.
Koch had planned to be in the audience Tuesday night. He had cooperated fully with Barsky and had given a few interviews in the run-up to the premiere. He was clearly looking forward to basking in the spotlight again. But earlier that day he had been admitted to the hospital. By Friday, he was dead. Is it tasteless to say he couldn't have planned a better promotional campaign? Probably. But Koch himself would have laughed at the joke. Which was another thing about him: He was probably the last mayor of New York to have a sense of humor.
Like Koch, Barsky was born in the Bronx. A former Wall Street Journal reporter and hedge fund manager, he was in college when Koch was first elected mayor. About 10 years ago, he told me, he had driven around the South Bronx, an area he hadn't ventured into in decades. He was stunned to see, as he put it, that "I couldn't find any of the old burned-out buildings" that he recalled from the 1970s. "They had all been replaced with real housing."
Affordable housing was a big part of Koch's legacy, Barsky realized; indeed, under Koch, the city spent $5 billion on housing, more than the next 50 American cities combined. The memory of that tour of the South Bronx stuck with him. When Barsky closed his hedge fund to become a filmmaker, Koch was an obvious subject.
Which is not to say the film is a big wet kiss. Yes, it gives plenty of credit where it is due: Koch's sound financial management brought the city back from the brink of bankruptcy. He helped New York regain its confidence. He took on the transit union. He began the process that led to the renewal of Times Square and other areas of the city. He reduced the rampant crime that had created such a climate of fear in New York.
But Barsky is also cleareyed about his foibles. Koch's lack of empathy. His contentious and at times ugly relationship with the black community. His slowness to react to the AIDS crisis. Barsky tackles the rumors that Koch was a closeted gay man, asking him point-blank about his sexuality. "None of your business," replied Koch, in somewhat more pungent language. (Many gay activists are convinced that Koch didn't do more during the AIDS crisis because he was uncomfortable with his own sexuality. But the totality of Koch's record — he was a leader in pushing for gay rights — suggests otherwise, at least to me.)
What was most striking about "Koch," however, was the extent to which, for Hizzoner, it was always about, well, Ed Koch. He needlessly picks fights, calling people "schmucks" and "idiots" when they disagreed with him. He takes actions designed to win him praise in the media. One of his former aides recalls him saying, after reading the paper, that nothing of note had happened that day. What he meant was that he wasn't mentioned. "How'm I doin'?" wasn't just a trademark phrase; it was an expression of a deep psychological need. On the other hand, if that is what drove him to spend $5 billion on new housing, who can complain?
A few days after the "Koch" premiere, I went to see "Fiorello!," a 1959 musical about another great New York mayor, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, which is having a short run at City Center. LaGuardia was also an egotist, who loved "the people" more than he did people, who reformed city government yet who also had a profound need to be at the center of every orbit he entered.
Indeed, the same can largely be said of our current mayor, Michael Bloomberg, whose view of himself as a Great Man doing a Great Job is so ingrained that, according to The New York Times, he has tried to recruit someone he thinks has sufficient stature to succeed him.
New York's three greatest mayors were also three of its great egotists. It's no accident.


text:
Assessment |
Biopsychology |
Comparative |
Cognitive |
Developmental |
Language |
Individual differences |
Personality |
Philosophy |
Social |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |
Social psychology: Altruism · Attribution · Attitudes · Conformity · Discrimination · Groups · Interpersonal relations · Obedience · Prejudice · Norms · Perception · Index · Outline
An opinion survey or opinion poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by asking a small number of people a series of questions and then extrapolating the answers to the larger group within confidence intervals.
The first known example of an opinion poll was a local straw vote conducted by The Harrisburg Pennsylvanian in 1824, showing Andrew Jackson leading John Quincy Adams by 335 votes to 169 in the contest for the United States Presidency. Such straw votes—unweighted and unscientific— gradually became more popular, but they remained local, usually city-wide phenomena. In 1916, the Literary Digest embarked on a national survey (partly as a circulation-raising exercise) and correctly predicted Woodrow Wilson's election as president. Mailing out millions of postcards and simply counting the returns, the Digest correctly called the following four presidential elections.
In 1936, however, the Digest came unstuck. Its 2.3 million "voters" constituted a huge sample; however they were generally more affluent Americans who tended to have Republican sympathies. The Literary Digest did nothing to correct that bias. The week before election day, it reported that Alf Landon was far more popular than Franklin D. Roosevelt. At the same time, George Gallup conducted a far smaller, but more scientifically-based survey, in which he polled a demographically representative sample. Gallup correctly predicted Roosevelt's landslide victory. The Literary Digest soon went out of business, while the polling industry started to take off.
Gallup launched a subsidiary in the United Kingdom, where it correctly predicted Labour's victory in the 1945 general election, in contrast with virtually all other commentators, who expected the Conservative Party, led by Winston Churchill, to win easily.
By the 1950s, polling had spread to most democracies. Nowadays they reach virtually every country, although in more autocratic societies they tend to avoid sensitive political topics.
Sampling methodsEdit
For many years, opinion polls were conducted mainly face-to-face, either in the street or in people's homes. This method remains widely used but in some countries telephone polls, which can be conducted quickly and cheaply, have become more popular, although response rates for phone surveys have been declining.[1] Some polling organisations, such as YouGov and Zogby use Internet surveys, where a sample is drawn from a large panel of volunteers and the results are weighed to reflect the demographics of the population of interest. This is in contrast to popular web polls that draw on whomever wishes to participate rather than a scientific sample of the population, and are therefore not generally considered accurate.
The wording of a poll can include bias, accidental or not. For instance, the public is more likely to indicate support for a person who is described by the caller as one of the "leading candidates". Neglecting to mention all the candidates is an even more subtle bias, as is lumping some candidates in an "other" category.
In the 21st Century, as more telephone customers are using only cell phones, accusations are rising that land-line polls are less scientific.[2]
Potential for inaccuracyEdit
Sampling errorEdit
All polls based on samples are subject to sampling error which reflects the effects of chance in the sampling process. The uncertainty is often expressed as a margin of error. The margin of error does not reflect other sources of error, such as measurement error. A poll with a random sample of 1,000 people has margin of sampling error of 3% for the estimated percentage of the whole population. A 3% margin of error means that 95% of the time the procedure used would give an estimate within 3% of the percentage to be estimated. The margin of error can be reduced by using a larger sample, however if a pollster wishes to reduce the margin of error to 1% they would need a sample of around 10,000 people. In practice pollsters need to balance the cost of a large sample against the reduction in sampling error and a sample size of around 500-1,000 is a typical compromise for political polls. (Note that to get 500 complete responses it may be necessary to make thousands of phone calls.) [1]
Nonresponse biasEdit
Since some people do not answer calls from strangers, or refuse to answer the poll, poll samples may not be representative samples from a population. Because of this selection bias, the characteristics of those who agree to be interviewed may be markedly different from those who decline. That is, the actual sample is a biased version of the universe the pollster wants to analyze. In these cases, bias introduces new errors, one way or the other, that are in addition to errors caused by sample size. Error due to bias does not become smaller with larger sample sizes. If the people who refuse to answer, or are never reached, have the same characteristics as the people who do answer, the final results will be unbiased. If the people who do not answer have different opinions then there is bias in the results. In terms of election polls, studies suggest that bias effects are small, but each polling firm has its own formulas on how to adjust weights to minimize selection bias. [2]
Response biasEdit
Survey results may be affected by response bias, where the answers given by respondents do not reflect their true beliefs. This may be deliberately engineered by unscrupulous pollsters in order to generate a certain result or please their clients, but more often is a result of the detailed wording or ordering of questions (see below). Respondents may deliberately try to manipulate the outcome of a poll by e.g. advocating a more extreme position than they actually hold in order to boost their side of the argument or give rapid and ill-considered answers in order to hasten the end of their questioning. Respondents may also feel under social pressure not to give an unpopular answer. For example, respondents might be unwilling to admit to unpopular attitudes like racism or sexism, and thus polls might not reflect the true incidence of these attitudes in the population. In American political parlance, this a phenomenon is often referred to as the Bradley Effect. If the results of surveys are widely publicised this effect may be magnified - the so-called spiral of silence.
Wording of questionsEdit
It is well established that the wording of the questions, the order in which they are asked and the number and form of alternative answers offered can influence results of polls. Thus comparisons between polls often boil down to the wording of the question. On some issues, question wording can result in quite pronounced differences between surveys. [3] [4] [5] This can also, however, be a result of legitimately conflicted feelings or evolving attitudes, rather than a poorly constructed survey. [6] One way in which pollsters attempt to minimize this effect is to ask the same set of questions over time, in order to track changes in opinion. Another common technique is to rotate the order in which questions are asked. Many pollsters also split-sample. This involves having two different versions of a question, with each version presented to half the respondents.
The most effective controls, used by attitude researchers, are:
- asking enough questions to allow all aspects of an issue to be covered and to control effects due to the form of the question (such as positive or negative wording), the adequacy of the number being established quantitatively with psychometric measures such as reliability coefficients, and
- analyzing the results with psychometric techniques which synthesize the answers into a few reliable scores and detect ineffective questions.
These controls are not widely used in the polling industry.
Coverage biasEdit
Another source of error is the use of samples that are not representative of the population as a consequence of the methodology used, as was the experience of the Literary Digest in 1936. For example, telephone sampling has a built-in error because in many times and places, those with telephones have generally been richer than those without. Alternately, in some places, many people have only mobile telephones. Because pollers cannot call mobile phones (it is unlawful in the United States to make unsolicited calls to phones where the phone's owner may be charged simply for taking a call), these individuals will never be included in the polling sample. If the subset of the population without cell phones differs markedly from the rest of the population, these differences can skew the results of the poll. Polling organizations have developed many weighting techniques to help overcome these deficiencies, to varying degrees of success. Several studies of mobile phone users by the Pew Research Center in the U.S. concluded that the absence of mobile users was not unduly skewing results, at least not yet. [7]
An oft-quoted example of opinion polls succumbing to errors was the UK General Election of 1992. Despite the polling organisations using different methodologies virtually all the polls in the lead up to the vote (and exit polls taken on voting day) showed a lead for the opposition Labour party but the actual vote gave a clear victory to the ruling Conservative party.
In their deliberations after this embarrassment the pollsters advanced several ideas to account for their errors, including:
- Late swing
- The Conservatives gained from people who switched to them at the last minute, so the error was not as great as it first appeared.
- Nonresponse bias
- Conservative voters were less likely to participate in the survey than in the past and were thus underrepresented.
- The spiral of silence
- The Conservatives had suffered a sustained period of unpopularity as a result of economic recession and a series of minor scandals. Some Conservative supporters felt under pressure to give a more popular answer.
The relative importance of these factors was, and remains, a matter of controversy, but since then the polling organisations have adjusted their methodologies and have achieved more accurate predictions in subsequent elections.
Polling organizationsEdit
There are many polling organizations. The most famous is the Gallup poll run by The Gallup Organization.
Other major polling organizations in the United States include:
- Harris Poll
- National Opinion Research Center
- Opinion Factor
- Nielsen Ratings
- Pew Research Center
- Zogby International
In the United Kingdom, the most notable pollsters are:
- MORI. This polling organisation is notable for only selecting those who say that they are "likely" to vote. This has tended to favour the Conservative Party in recent years.
- YouGov, an online pollster.
- GfK NOP
- [8] Oxford Research Group
- Populus, official The Times pollster
In Australia the most notable companies are:
- Newspoll - published in News Limited's The Australian newspaper
- Roy Morgan Research - published in the Crikey email reporting service
- Galaxy Polling - published in News Limited's tabloid papers
- AC Nielsen Polling - published in Fairfax newspapers
In Canada the most notable companies are:
In New Zealand the most notable polling organization is:
- DigiPoll - published in New Zealand Herald TVNZ -"Marae" and "Tagata Pasifika"
In Nigeria the most notable polling organization is:
In India the major polling organizations are:
1. C - fore 2. A.C Nielsen - Org 3.TNS
All the major television networks, alone or in conjunction with the largest newspapers or magazines, in virtually every country with elections, operate polling operations, alone or in groups.
Several organizations monitor the behaviour of pollsters and the use of polling data, including the Pew Research Center and, in Canada, the Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy.[9]
The best-known failure of opinion polling to date in the United States was the prediction that Thomas Dewey would defeat Harry S. Truman in the 1948 U.S. Presidential election. Major polling organizations, including Gallup and Roper, indicated a landslide victory for Dewey.
In the United Kingdom, most polls failed to predict the Conservative election victories of 1970 and 1992, and Labour's victory in 1974. However, their figures at other elections have been generally accurate.
By providing information about voting intentions, opinion polls can sometimes influence the behaviour of electors. The various theories about how this happens can be split up into two groups: bandwagon/underdog effects, and strategic ('tactical') voting.
A Bandwagon effect occurs when the poll prompts voters to back the candidate shown to be winning in the poll. The idea that voters are susceptible to such effects is old, stemming at least from 1884; Safire (1993: 43) reported that it was first used in a political cartoon in the magazine Puck in that year. It has also remained persistent in spite of a lack of empirical corroberation until the late 20th century. George Gallup spent much effort in vain trying to discredit this theory in his time by presenting empirical research. A recent meta-study of scientific research on this topic indicates that from the 1980s onward the Bandwagon effect is found more often by researchers (Irwin & van Holsteyn 2000).
The opposite of the bandwagon effect is the Underdog effect. It is often mentioned in the media. This occurs when people vote, out of sympathy, for the party perceived to be 'losing' the elections. There is less empirical evidence for the existence of this effect than there is for the existence of the Bandwagon effect (Irwin & van Holsteyn 2000).
The second category of theories on how polls directly affect voting is called strategic or tactical voting. This theory is based on the idea that voters view the act of voting as a means of selecting a government. Thus they will sometimes not choose the candidate they prefer on ground of ideology or sympathy, but another, less-preferred, candidate from strategic considerations. An example can be found in the United Kingdom general election, 1997. Then Cabinet Minister, Michael Portillo's constituency of Enfield was believed to be a safe seat but opinion polls showed the Labour candidate Stephen Twigg steadily gaining support, which may have prompted undecided voters or supporters of other parties to support Twigg in order to remove Portillo. Another example is the Boomerang effect where the likely supporters of the candidate shown to be winning feel that s/he is "home and dry" and that their vote is not required, thus allowing another candidate to win.
These effects only indicate how opinion polls directly affect political choices of the electorate. Other effect can be found on journalists, politicians, political parties, civil servants etc. in, among other things, the form of media framing and party ideology shifts.
See alsoEdit
- Attitude measures
- Confidence interval
- Deliberative opinion poll
- Exit poll
- Ochlocracy
- Push poll
- Online and phone-in polls
- All-Russia Center for the Study of Public Opinion
- European Survey Research Association
- British Polling Council
- Asher, Herbert, 1998: Polling and the Public. What Every Citizen Should Know, fourth edition, Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.
- Bourdieu, Pierre, "Public Opinion does not exist" in Sociology in Question, London, Sage (1995)
- Bradburn, Norman M. and Seymour Sudman. Polls and Surveys: Understanding What They Tell Us (1988)
- Cantril, Hadley. Gauging Public Opinion (1944)
- Cantril, Hadley and Mildred Strunk, eds. Public Opinion, 1935-1946 (1951), massive compilation of many public opinion polls from US, UK, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere.
- Converse, Jean M. Survey Research in the United States: Roots and Emergence 1890-1960 (1987), the standard history
- Crespi, Irving. Public Opinion, Polls, and Democracy (1989)
- Gallup, George. Public Opinion in a Democracy (1939)
- Gallup, Alec M. ed. The Gallup Poll Cumulative Index: Public Opinion, 1935-1997 (1999) lists 10,000+ questions, but no results
- Gallup, George Horace, ed. The Gallup Poll; Public Opinion, 1935-1971 3 vol (1972) summarizes results of each poll.
- Glynn, Carroll J., Susan Herbst, Garrett J. O'Keefe, and Robert Y. Shapiro. Public Opinion (1999) textbook
- Irwin, Galen A. and Joop J. M. Van Holsteyn. Bandwagons, Underdogs, the Titanic and the Red Cross: The Influence of Public Opinion Polls on Voters (2000).
- Lavrakas, Paul J. et al eds. Presidential Polls and the News Media (1995)
- Moore, David W. The Superpollsters: How They Measure and Manipulate Public Opinion in America (1995)
- Niemi, Richard G., John Mueller, Tom W. Smith, eds. Trends in Public Opinion: A Compendium of Survey Data (1989)
- Oskamp, Stuart and P. Wesley Schultz; Attitudes and Opinions (2004)
- Robinson, Claude E. Straw Votes (1932).
- Robinson, Matthew Mobocracy: How the Media's Obsession with Polling Twists the News, Alters Elections, and Undermines Democracy (2002)
- Rogers, Lindsay. The Pollsters: Public Opinion, Politics, and Democratic Leadership (1949)
- Traugott, Michael W. The Voter's Guide to Election Polls 3rd ed. (2004)
- James G. Webster, Patricia F. Phalen, Lawrence W. Lichty; Ratings Analysis: The Theory and Practice of Audience Research Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000
- Young, Michael L. Dictionary of Polling: The Language of Contemporary Opinion Research (1992)
Additional Sources
Walden, Graham R. Survey Research Methodology, 1990-1999: An Annotated Bibliography. Bibliographies and Indexes in Law and Political Science Series. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., 2002. xx, 432p.
Walden, Graham R. Public Opinion Polls and Survey Research: A Selective Annotated Bibliography of U.S. Guides and Studies from the 1980s. Public Affairs and Administrative Series, edited by James S. Bowman, vol. 24. New York, NY: Garland Publishing Inc., 1990. xxix, 360p.
Walden, Graham R. Polling and Survey Research Methods 1935-1979: An Annotated Bibliography. Bibiographies and Indexes in Law and Political Science Series, vol. 25. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., 1996. xxx, 581p.
External linksEdit
- "Use Opinion Research To Build Strong Communication" by Frank Noto
- Public Agenda - Nonpartisan, nonprofit group that tracks public opinion data in the United States
- National Council on Public Polls - An association of polling organizations in the United States devoted to setting high professional standards for surveys
|This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).


text:
Refine your search above, or browse our full list of tv shows, movies, and video games.
200,700 songs
64,400 artists
90,300 episodes, movies and games
The Internet's best source for music from TV and movies since 2005
Copyright 2019 Tunefind LLC. All rights reserved. Song previews courtesy of Apple Music, iTunes and Spotify.


text:
As Ice Cube once said, today was a good day.
In this chapter of the storied rivalry, the Packers imposed their superior wills in a dominating win over the Bears at Lambeau today. It was evident from the beginning of the game that Ryan Grant and the offensive line decided this week they were really going to do it. Some great space was created and RG definitely took advantage, treating the Bears defense like the tackling dummies they are. With 200 yards on the ground total (145 from Grant), it was by far the best running game of the season.
And when things are working that well with the running game, you can expect some tasty opportunites through the air. Rodgers was very effective, finishing really only with one mistake onto another 100+ rating. He and others will probably have to ice their faces tonight – there was an awful lot of smiling near the end of the game. It's good to be on top. Trust me, I work for the Ranter.
As if things couldn't get any better, I even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp: Minnesota 13, Tampa 19. I got to say it was a good day.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Bears 3, Packers 37. Bears Embarrassed!
3 comments:
...and it read Colin Cole's a pimp.ReplyDelete
The whole bar cheered when Devin Hester fell over after he bounced off of Cole while Cole was just standing on the sideline. His look of incredulity when they threw a flag was priceless.
"What?! What?! I was just standing here, he ran into me. It should be a personal foul on him."
Haha, that was a great moment and I happen to agree with Cole! I also loved it when Hester pulled his ballerina spin during a kick return and just got pummelled.ReplyDelete
Ryan Grant was pretty pimpish today.ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Google requires us to state we use third-party advertising, who may use information (not including your name, address, email, or phone) about your visits to provide ads of possible interest. For more information or to opt out, click here.


text:
An Austrian anthropologist recently released a study on what features we find most appealing on our cars' faces.
As you might assume, the study is intended to give auto designers a peek into the heads of Mr. and Mrs. Consumer. While a study can tell us what kind of face we prefer on our cars, it can't tell us what a car's face says about the driver.
That's why I'm here. Behold:
1. The Angry Face.
The above-mentioned survey concluded that 'angry' faces, like on a BMW, topped the list of attractive traits. The further the stock market slides, the angrier these owners are.
2. The Startled Face.
The Mini Cooper always looks surprised to be where it is. Especially when it ends up at Costco and the driver needs to load in a weeks' worth of groceries.
3. The Sad Face.
Some cars try to look luxurious, but end up looking like the sad kitten from Shrek. Owners of this droopy-lidded Jag are sad they didn't wait for the newly introduced XF.
4. The Aggressive Face.
Designers were going for a look that demands authority of the road. What they got were owners who demand authority of themselves, and need a car to suit the image.
5. The Happy Face.
When a car smiles at you, you just have to smile back. Even when the driver is applying lipstick, talking on her cell phone and sipping a non-fat caramel macchiato.
6. The Confused Face.
"Are we designing a tug boat or a car? Oh an SUV? OK, well this should still work." Luckily the owners get to sit behind this car's face, and drive in a state of blissful unawareness as the rest of us just shake our heads.
What does your car's face say about you?


text:
CirrusC2 needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 26 designs submitted by 11 freelance designers.
We need a new corporate identity that conveys the passion we have for teaching people salsa & latin dance.
Salsa Connection (or Salsa Connection Dance Studio)
Current website is at http://www.salsaconnection.com.au
If possible, the shades of blue & orange on the current website should be used. Must look good with a black background, but hopefully will be able to be adapted to work with other background colours for use on T-Shirts, embroidered products, etc.
Here are some of our youtube videos which may be useful for inspiration : http://www.youtube.com/user/SalsaConnection
- Must strongly communicate the passion we have for dancing, and for teaching dance - in particular salsa & latin styles.
- Suggested black background, with blue & orange
- True corporate identity that is able to be used in multiple formats (embroidery, shirts, posters, website, business cards, etc)
- Tagline desirable, but not essential - if so, should instill some / all of these ideals : technique, fun, excellence, individuality, style, passion, our salsa 'family' ... "Where students are encouraged to achieve their best by learning from the best"
- Must include business name in short or long form (Salsa Connection, or Salsa Connection Dance Studio)
- Stylish, clear, professional, viable for national and even international markets - modern & edgy
- Would prefer a logo with impact
- Image should be of a precise, styled move if possible
- Nothing soppy or flowery
- The typical 'lady falling into the mans arms' type of dancing image often equated with ballroom dancing
- latin dancing does not mean Jamaican or Caribbean themes
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
Accessibility tools
Service tools
Language selector
Navigation path
Left navigation
Additional tools
European Commission
Press release
Brussels, 26 September 2012
Commission launches strategy to boost growth and jobs in cultural and creative sectors
The European Commission today presented a strategy to unlock the full potential of the cultural and creative sectors in the EU to boost jobs and growth. These sectors, which include companies and other organisations active in architecture, artistic crafts, cultural heritage, design, festivals, film and television, music, performing and visual arts, archives and libraries, publishing and radio, already account for up to 4.5% of GDP and up to 8.5 million jobs in the European Union. But the creative and cultural sectors also face major challenges stemming from the digital shift and globalisation, as well as from a high fragmentation of markets along cultural and linguistic lines. Access to finance remains a major difficulty.
The Commission's new strategy aims to increase the competitiveness and export potential of these sectors, as well as to maximise their spill-over benefits for other areas such as innovation, ICT and urban regeneration. The Commission is calling for a range of actions to promote the right conditions for the cultural and creative sectors to flourish. They focus on skills development, access to finance, promotion of new business models, audience development, access to international markets and improved links to other sectors.
"Europe's cultural and creative sectors are not only essential for cultural diversity; they also contribute a great deal to social and economic development in our Member States and regions. At the local and regional level, strategic investments in these sectors have often delivered spectacular results, as exemplified by many European Capitals of Culture. They also produce important spill-over effects, as well as enhancing a dynamic image of an attractive and creative Europe which is open to cultures and talents from across the globe," said Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth.
The strategy, outlined in a document entitled "Promoting cultural and creative sectors for growth and jobs in the EU", envisages a series of policy initiatives and the promotion of a modern regulatory environment. The Commission also wants to encourage stronger partnerships between different policies, in particular culture, education, industry, economic affairs, tourism, urban and regional development, and territorial planning. It also plans to mobilise EU funding to increase support for the sectors, notably through the proposed €1.8 billion 'Creative Europe' programme for 2014-2020 and through Cohesion Policy funds.
According to the 2010 European Competitiveness Report and other sources, the cultural and creative sectors account for between 3.3% and 4.5% of GDP and employ between 7 and 8.5 million people. Evidence collected at European, national, regional and local levels confirms the economic importance of the sectors, which have shown a relative resilience in the current economic downturn.
Independent research has shown that firms spending twice the average amount on creative inputs are 25% more likely to introduce product innovations. Other spin-offs include a positive impact on tourism, fashion and high-end industries as well as traditional manufacturing industries.
For more information
Communication: Promoting cultural and creative sectors for growth and jobs in the EU
Follow Androulla Vassiliou on Twitter @VassiliouEU
Side Bar


text:
The big comic publishers have a long history of whipping up gimmicky storylines in bids for attention, news coverage, and a corresponding boost in sales ("Superman, is he really dead?"). Marrying a popular couple is a good one; see 1987's marriage between Peter Parker (better known as Spider-Man) and Mary Jane. Over on the DC side nearly a decade later, there was Superman (alive and well!) and Lois Lane dropping the enduring-yet-bizarre love triangle with alter ego Clark Kent and finally tying the knot. These things are never destined to last, of course—witness the somewhat desperate backtracking on Marvel's part to erase Spider-Man's marriage.
Looking to stir up some of that juicy publicity again in 1992, Marvel skipped the marriage route, let the tired, massive character crossover events take a break for once, and instead decided to out one of its characters as gay. The spotlight fell on mutant hero Northstar, a member of Canadian team Alpha Flight, and an on-and-off-again X-Men teammate. This wasn't exactly a shock to anyone who followed the character—there had been sly nudges and winks aplenty for a while (including a strangely aborted AIDS storyline), but a comic book hero holding a press conference (the action takes place in Alpha Flight #106) to announce his sexuality generated plenty of real world press, as, one imagines, Marvel would have hoped.
This storyline appeared a year before Don't Ask, Don't Tell—the United States policy on gay men and women serving in the military—a particularly relevant piece of real world legislation when it comes to talking about someone who isn't straight putting their life on the line to save people, be they fictional or otherwise. At this time there was no Will & Grace putting gay characters into the mainstream and Ellen DeGeneres hadn't made television history by coming out (in character) in an airport. Comics like Frank Miller's Batman: Year One or Neil Gaiman's The Sandman were slowly breaking down the popular perception of comic books as purely a children's medium, but the notion of a gay hero was still one that generated plenty of ink and controversy. (That's right, ink—this was 1992.)
The early '90s were also the peak of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) generating its own headlines. ACT UP activists had tried to hijack the set of the CBS Evening News the year before. The storyline of Alpha Flight #106 revolved around a baby dying of AIDS, and it felt relevant that a superhero would hold a press conference to discuss his sexuality.
It was likely no coincidence that the character Marvel chose to come out was a mutant. Much has been made of the parallels between the struggle for gay civil rights in the real world and the fictional portrayals of mutants fighting for equality and stepping out of their own closet. Themes of distrust and fear of the other are familiar—the neighbor who might look like you but inside is somehow different, people who feel like outsiders inside of a society that at best isn't always welcoming and at worst reacts with unveiled hatred and violence. Media event or not, Marvel was directly speaking to that connection, and it was a somewhat risky move on its part; the public might not have been ready for it.
To Marvel's credit, it stuck with it. Northstar wasn't destined to be the solo gay mutant, though less was made of more minor players like the New Mutants' Karma being revealed as a lesbian. Rather than being a storyline driver it was simply part of the normal fabric of the fictional world.
Fast forward twenty years, and Marvel decides to pull two tricks out of the old playbook. In May 2012 it announced that Northstar was going to marry his boyfriend Kyle. They live in the state of New York, where gay marriage is legal in both the real and comic book worlds, so why not? The story was broken on "The View" and picked up a predictable amount of press. It wasn't the same, though. Rather than staking out a controversial stance ahead of the curve of popular opinion and riding the waves of its own making, Marvel found itself instead playing catch-up to the headlines of the day. Don't Ask, Don't Tell has been repealed. The media is full of openly gay characters. Support for gay marriage in the United States has passed the 50% mark. The president, gearing up for a tough election fight, felt that the political calculus was safe enough to throw his support behind gay marriage.
Nevertheless, the grab for headlines was on, and DC, not content to watch Marvel from the sidelines, announced its own gay hero on June 1st, and this time it was not a minor player from a second-string team like Alpha Flight, but rather Green Lantern himself (albeit from its alternate EARTH 2 universe). Green Lantern is still a household name. People who couldn't tell you who Northstar is for a million dollars would happily take that cash if the question was about that guy with the green power ring. That said, this is still second-string Green Lantern, alternate universe Green Lantern, and it feels a bit like a cautious play, as if DC doesn't want to gamble with the identity of the "real thing".
Cynics might ask, are DC and Marvel truly championing civil rights and equality, or is this purely a grab for headlines and comics sales? Perhaps society has come to the point where the answer can be both. Gay marriage is still a political hot potato and a controversial topic in the ballot booth, but it's mainstream enough that you can reliably bank on it as part of your marketing strategy. Witness JC Penny celebrating the strength of gay families in the face of a threatened boycott. When giant corporations who can turn a movie into a billion dollars in less than three weeks are in the mix, everything is calculated, yes, but it's almost a sign that you've made it when you're even a line on the spreadsheet.
We'd be remiss not to point out that indie comics have tackled ideas like this for decades, and have long been more comfortable addressing issues like sexuality head on. This isn't really a commentary on sexuality in the comic medium itself, but more about the big dogs who play it safe.
It's also important to note that no matter how calculated or cynical these ploys might be, there are gay comic readers out there who have never seen themselves reflected in the main heroes of Marvel or DC. Even if slightly hedged, a major character like Green Lantern coming out is a chance to catch a glimpse in that mirror, something straight readers have been unconsciously able to take for granted since they first opened a mainstream comic book.
Is it a sign that mainstream comic books have truly grown up? Maybe. We're still talking about men and women with superpowers flying around in spandex. There's always going to be a childish heart there, no matter how much grit and sexuality you try to pile on top of it. It is more likely that a natural progression is once again occurring, where what was controversial is mainstreaming and simply being reflected just a little ahead of its time. That's something the best fantasy writing accomplishes. As celebrated science fiction writer William Gibson once noted, "The future is already here—it's just not evenly distributed."


text:
Post Tagged with: "what's on for floraide 2016"
Floriade 2016
/ Blog
Celebrate the burst of joy the warmer months bring with Canberra's Floriade 2016. Book Now! Commission Free! Floriade 2016 Promises to be bigger and better! Don't want to pay extravagant prices on impersonal hotel accommodation? You do not have to! […]Continue reading


text:
Is an Au Pair Right for Your Family?
It's important to examine your specific family circumstances to determine whether an au pair is the right type of child care for your family. You might decide to consider hiring an au pair in lieu of day care centers, nannies, or babysitters if you
Would like to expose your family to a new culture.
Are interested in providing a cultural experience for a young foreign woman.
Are prepared to house and feed a live-in child care provider.
Are willing to follow the rules set forth by the U.S, Information Agency regarding au pair employment.
Require child care no more than 10 hours each day and no more than 45 hours in one week.
Are prepared to compensate the au pair based on the Fair Labor Standards Act as interpreted and implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Can host an au pair for 12 months with the possibility of 6-, 9-, and 12-month extensions.Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/olga_sweet
Au pair definition
Au pair literally means "on the par" in French. Hiring an au pair differs from hiring a nanny in that the au pair lives with you and becomes an extended member of your family.
Au pair is French for "on the par." This means that when you hire an au pair, you are really bringing someone in your home that will be another member of your family. Au pairs come from foreign countries, while nannies are from the United States. The Au Pair Program was initiated in 1986 by the United States Information Agency (USIA) as a cultural exchange program with a child care component.
Au pair description
The typical au pair is usually female, young, and serves as an extended member of your family. She is not from this country, and since she isn't with her family, the host family serves as her surrogate family.
Instead of treating her as a domestic servant, host families typically involve the au pair in all of their family activities, including dining with them, taking them on family trips, and including them in most family activities.
Au Pair qualifications
Sponsors of au pairs who come to this country are required to ensure that the au pairs are prepared to serve in your family as the primary child care provider by
Ensuring the au pair is between the ages of 18 to 26 years old.
Making sure the au pair speaks proficient English.
Ensuring that the au pair completes at least six hours of academic credit or the equivalent in a U.S. post-secondary educational institution.
Properly screening both the au pair and the host family.
Providing the au pair with orientation and program information before she leaves her home country for the United States.
Providing the au pair with child development training and child safety training before she is placed with the host family.
Ensuring that the au pair can provide up to 10 hours each day and/or 45 hours each week of child care.


text:
Teatro alle Tese
Arsenale, Castello
30122 Venice VE
In the heart of the monumental area of the Arsenale, the Tese Cinquecentesche (the warehouses where the sails were stretched in the 16th Century) are made up of four buildings connected by large arches.
The Tese Cinquecentesche host the Teatro alle Tese, that opened in 2000: a flexible space conceived for theatre and music productions as well as meetings, with a seating structure that can be assembled and taken down, a stepped incline (18 cm rise) for a total of 160 seats, to be added to the 248 seats on the ground level in front of the stepped structure. A partially permanent stage (16 meters wide by 6 meters deep) with an electrical system covering the entire available space, with electrical power connections of up to 100 kw and a central control panel positioned in the central Tesa of the four that compose the overall space of 2650 sq.m, divided by large stone arches.


text:
Posted on April 2, 2012 at 6:04am 0 Comments 0 Likes
I read an excellent post recently which I featured on my weekly round up a few weeks back. It was so on my wavelength that I've thought about the topic a lot since reading it. The author wrote about how she was running in to constant critism about allowing her son to have long hair, and people using this as a reason to say she would 'make him gay'.
As the mother to a very happy 19 month old little boy, this is an arguement I am already used to having and something that makes me…
Posted on March 20, 2012 at 5:00pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
I've been struck down by something recently. It's had a really powerful affect on me, it's pulled the rug from underneath my feet and made me feel, well a bit like I'm on some sort of drugs (well what I imagine drugs to feel like as the only drugs I've…
Posted on March 18, 2012 at 6:27am 0 Comments 0 Likes
After reading an article yesterday about how often you should bathe your child, I started to think about our own bath time routine. Joshua is 18 months old now and since he was a few weeks old we have given him a bath every night, without fail. In fact the only time he's missed his night time bath is on the odd occassion when we've had no hot water (thanks to a crumby boiler!).
Bath time is important not just for the obvious cleanliness reasons but for Joshua it's a change of…
Posted on February 29, 2012 at 3:21pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
I know I risk getting things thrown at me for saying this but trust me I do appreciate it fully, so please refrain from hating me quite so much...Joshua has always been a very good sleeper. I've said this before and I do…
Thanks for adding me to your friends contact looking forwrd to share lots of information with you
Welcome to MBC - I just started following your blog! I have a daugther just a little older than your son, they are amazingly fun and curious creatures!
-Pamela, InspiredbyFelicity.blogspot.com
Hi there and welcome from The Girlz Korner in upstate New York where you'll find light, witty and rather entertaining articles on every topic imaginable from beauty, health, fashion, parenting, sex and everything else in between. So if you get a chance to kick back and exhale, if only for a brief moment, we'd love to have you. Hope you enjoy your stay :) http://www.thegirlzkorner.com
Welcome to MBC! We are glad to have you here. We look forward connecting more with you here. I'm a Super Mama who has a family friendly blog. I also have a weekday blog hop called Exposure 99%.Come find out for yourself! This weekday blog hop helps you get more dedicated readers and blog followers. Hope you link up weekly. If you have any questions about how to link up do not hesitate to let me know.
Visit me @ One moment in time, I'll sure return the love :-)
Kindly stop by at Giveaway Junkies on facebook and become a member which you will benefit..
Hope to see you there :-))


text:
Something from nothing: reading between the lines of military records
While General Editor of the Biographical Database of Australia, Carol Baxter examined all the Muster Books and Pay Lists for Governor Macquarie's 73rd Regiment of Foot, which served in New South Wales between 1810 and 1814. By examining the records of all the soldiers, rather than simply looking for information about an individual soldier, she made the astonishing discovery that she could determine a huge amount of information about the lives of the rank and file even when the lists themselves included no information against a particular soldier's name. This seminar will reveal how you too can read between the lines of your own ancestors' military records.
- 45/60 minutes – Powerpoint presentation
- Location:
- Category:
- Login to post comments


text:
100% Cotton
Machine wash cold with like colors, dry low heat
High quality art printing. Sold and Fulfilled by Amazon.
Free Returns – 2 Days Shipping – Buy 3 Shirts To Get FREE SHIPPING. Buy Now!
Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
I Never Dreamed I'd Grow Up To Be Super Cool Mom Of Awesome Dentist Graphic Tee. gift for mom, funny shirt for mommy, mother's day shirt, best gift for your mom, christmas gift for your family, christmas gift for mom. Get yours Now!


text:
McCarthy solid in five-inning stint vs. White Sox
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Andre Rienzo was scheduled to pitch for the White Sox during Saturday's 6-4 loss to the D-backs at Camelback Ranch.
He just didn't realize how quickly the team would need him.View Full Game Coverage
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Andre Rienzo was scheduled to pitch for the White Sox during Saturday's 6-4 loss to the D-backs at Camelback Ranch.
He just didn't realize how quickly the team would need him.View Full Game Coverage
Starting pitcher Jose Quintana exited after two batters when he took a Gerardo Parra line drive off his left shin. Rienzo allowed both of those runners to score but settled down to give up just one run over three innings, also coming in the first, but striking out five. Rienzo struck out the side in the second, fanning Henry Blanco, Justin Greene and A.J. Pollock.
"Stuff like that happens and a guy like Rienzo comes in and that's probably as good as I've seen him since he first came up," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura. "So it was. An opportunity arises for a guy to get in there and throw quite a few innings, and he looked good."
While the White Sox were dealing with an injury to their starter, Brandon McCarthy pitched well for five innings against his former team. The right-hander yielded two runs on six hits, striking out two and not issuing a walk.
Both of those runs and four of those hits came in the third, when Jordan Danks and Tyler Flowers singled, Carlos Sanchez doubled and Alejandro De Aza singled to score two without an out. A double play where Conor Gillaspie struck out swinging and Sanchez was thrown out at the plate on the back end of a double steal helped McCarthy escape further damage.
"Not as sharp as my first couple times out, but I was able to get some rhythm back [in the last inning]. Overall it was good. Just a spring day," said McCarthy. "Everybody knows what I do; there's no creating new things. It's just emphasizing getting my rhythm, getting my command there, making sure my delivery's where I want it to be and then the results should follow."
The White Sox got to J.J. Putz, another former White Sox hurler, in the sixth inning for two runs after Putz retired the first two hitters. Avisail Garcia followed with a standup triple to right-center, Paul Konerko walked and Alexei Ramirez singled to score Garcia. Danks lined a single to left and Konerko beat the throw home to tie the game.
Arizona scored its three in the first on Chris Owings' run-scoring single and a two-run double from Andy Marte. The D-backs added another in the fifth off reliever Scott Downs, who was making his White Sox Cactus League debut. Downs allowed a solo homer to Pollock.
The D-backs took the lead in the ninth off Deunte Heath, who allowed back-to-back singles before Tuffy Gosewisch doubled home both runners.
Up next: The D-backs return to Salt River Fields on Sunday to host the Padres at 1:10 p.m. MST. Minor Leaguer Bo Schultz will get the start, but after him will be a slew of Major League relievers who are expected to play significant roles this season for Arizona. David Hernandez, Josh Collmenter, Addison Reed and Brad Ziegler are all set to appear. Paul Goldschmidt, who served as the club's designated hitter Saturday, is scheduled to return to the field for the first time since Wednesday.
Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Merk's Works, and follow him on Twitter @scottmerkin.


text:
Exclusive CSI: NY First Look: Why Does Lindsay Suspect Danny?
Nov 9, 2012 12:33 PM EST
It's all fun and games on Friday's CSI: NY, which pays homage to the classic board game Clue. But the show also has a little fun with fan-favorite couple Danny and Lindsay.When an inter-office practical joke leaves Lindsay (Anna Belknap) with huge bl… Read more


text:
(credit: Thinkstock)
Texting while driving is considered the most distracting driver behavior, increasing crash risk by 2,300 percent. Yet it is also one of the most difficult behaviors to curtail, especially among young, first-time drivers.
A recent article in Minnesota Public Radio News caught our attention, so we thought we'd pass along some of it here, along with two tips of our own.
Texting while driving is a major distraction
As parents, there are some things that you can and should do to help your teen be a safer and more responsible driver. Take note of these ten tips to help your teen stop texting and driving.
- Be a good example. Whether you realize it or not, your young teen who's of driving age is watching you like a hawk every time you're behind the wheel. If you engage in distracted driving behavior such as texting or talking on your cell phone, don't think your actions are going unnoticed. The best solution is to display the kind of behavior that you want your teen to model when driving. This may take some practice and discipline on your part, especially if you have been guilty of texting and driving or talking on the cell phone and driving in the past. Maybe you never gave it much thought until your child reached driving age. Now is a good time to start acting responsibly so your children pick up on it.
- You make the rules. You are the parents, after all, so what you set down as the family rules regarding acceptable driving behavior should have an impact. Your children should know that there are consequences for breaking the rules, especially the one about texting while driving. Think carefully what those consequences will be and be sure to discuss them with your children so there are no misunderstandings about what will be okay and what is absolutely unacceptable.
- Observe your teen driving (with you in the car). One of the best ways to know how your teen behaves behind the wheel is to be a passenger in the car and watch how he or she handles situations. Spend as much time as possible with your teen during the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) phase and gently correct any bad habits.
- No reading or sending texts at stop lights. Your teenage driver may be under the mistaken impression that it's okay to dash off a quick text or read an incoming text when stopped at a traffic signal. Make it very clear to them that this is against the law as well as being extremely unsafe behavior.
- Have your teen watch a video of the aftermath of teen texting and driving. Nothing says how dangerous texting while driving can be like a video that shows the tragic aftermath. While the human carnage, thankfully, isn't visibly displayed, the wreckage and interviews with survivors and the injured should be enough to get the message across that this is extremely dangerous behavior.
- Check out apps to monitor your teen in the car. Sometimes this kind of "snooping" is reasonable and acceptable. Look into apps that allow you to lock out texting and cell phone use when driving as well as those that permit you to view your teen's cell phone activity. Let your teen know that you will be monitoring their behavior. They'll be more likely to abide by the rules.
- Insist they leave the phone in the trunk or back seat (unavailable). You can't expect your teen to leave the house without their phone, but you can insist that while they are behind the wheel that the phone stays in the trunk or in the back seat. If it is unavailable to them, they're less likely to use it. Of course, if the phone is in the car, it needs to be turned off or muted. An app that plays an automatic message that says the person is driving and will get back to them later is an excellent solution.
- Talk about how you'd feel if they died. This suggestion may sound a bit extreme, but like watching the video of the aftermath of texting and driving, it gets the point across.
- Ask if that text is worth dying for. The tendency for teens to instantly respond to an incoming text is tough to overcome. But the truth is that it is only a message that can wait. Be direct and ask your teen if that text – any text – is worth dying for. This sobering thought should help them think better about texting behind the wheel.
- Take away driving privileges for breaking the rules. Remember those rules you laid down about driving behavior? They're only as good as your willingness to back them up when your teen breaks them. The consequences for violating the rules have to be significant – and you have to enforce them. For example, teens cherish their mobility. If they text and drive, a logical penalty is to take away driving privileges for a certain period of time. That will get their attention, if nothing else will.
This article originally appeared on The Car Connection.


text:
A letter from Gloria Allred details the full sexual harassment allegations against former HP CEO (and current Oracle president) Mark Hurd. And some specifics lead us to believe he may be a pickup artist — or at least an aspiring one.
The letter was disclosed Thursday, more than a year after Hurd's departure from HP (which the company said was precipitated not by harassment but by his falsification of expense reports), because a court ruled that it did not contain trade secrets and thus was not subject to disclosure laws. As a result, we can now read former HP employee Jodie Fisher's account of Hurd's attempted seduction. And some sections are surprisingly familiar! Especially this bit: while in Madrid with Fisher on business, Hurd allegedly "stopped at an ATM and showed her that [his] checking account balance was over a million dollars to impress her." The old giant-ATM-receipt technique is an old pickup artist trick, as explicated in this unintentionally hilarious video — less-wealthy PUAs are advised to use fake ATM receipts to give the impression of wealth, but Hurd was lucky enough to have the real thing. Let's see what other techniques he tried.
The PUA website Fastseduction.com explains, "Kino (from 'kinesthetics') is touching. In general, mammals like to be touched, and females in particular usually really like it." She site adds that women will generally be uncomfortable with said touching and fail to reciprocate, but that men should press on. Hurd allegedly adopted a similar strategy — when Fisher (reluctantly) visited his hotel room, he put his arm over the back of the chair where she was sitting and twice "accidentally" touched her breast.
Says Fastseduction,
Push/pull can be described simply through the following phrase: "I like you…I don't like you…Wait, I think I like you….Nahh, I don't like you….Actually, now that I think about it, I like you! Well…I'm not sure…"
By constantly giving approval (pulling) and then taking it back (pushing), you're leaving ambiguity in your communication and driving the woman crazy.
Allred's letter accuses Hurd of the following:
At times you would behave professionally seemingly "getting" that she was not going to have sex with you. At other times, not, and you would relentlessly attempt to cajole her into having sex with you.
In a 2004 Times article, Neil Strauss wrote, "neither a compliment nor an insult, a neg holds two purposes: to momentarily lower a woman's self-esteem and to suggest an intriguing disinterest." In her letter, Allred wrote,
One of your last dinners was at Craft in Century City where you confessed that you felt like you could spend the rest of your life with her. You said you would have to see how the chemistry was in bed [...]
Here's where Hurd's game went off the rails, though — he then allegedly told Fisher that chemistry wouldn't be a problem because he "tried hard." Negging is supposed to make women work for pickup artists' approval, but Hurd appeared to be working — unsuccessfully — for Fisher's. Allred alleges that Hurd offered Fisher money and favors; pickup artists pride themselves on getting women to buy them drinks. Allred says Hurd begged Fisher for sex, or even a hug; pickup artist David D'Angelo says men should never appear needy. If Hurd was a pickup artist, he wasn't a very good one. Last year, Fisher stated that Allred's letter, which hadn't yet been released, contained many inaccuracies — it's not clear what they were, or which of her accounts of Hurd's behavior is the true one. Whatever the case, the scandal is a good reminder to PUAs everywhere: avoid practicing your creepy techniques on your employees.
Letter Airs Harassment Claims Against HP's Ex-CEO [CBS]
"Uncomfortable Dance": Here's the Sexual Harassment Letter That Got Mark Hurd Fired [AllThingsD]


text: Do you value professionalism and punctuality? Do you want to work with the best pros in the HVAC industry? Then you could be a candidate for One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning®. If you are an individual who values a rewarding career and would like your customers to be genuinely satisfied, you may be a match for our team.


text:
Moderators: Minimalist, MichelleH
Round shot (or solid shot, or a cannonball, or simply ball) is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.
Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron. It was used as the most accurate projectile that could be fired by a smoothbore cannon, used to batter the wooden hulls of opposing ships, fortifications, or fixed emplacements, and as a long-range anti-personnel weapon.
Return to Show us your photos of archaeological sites!
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
It started out an ordinary enough morning. I was on vacation in London with Ruth Reichl and two other girlfriends, and naturally we'd planned our day around where we wanted to eat. For breakfast, we went to the Toe Path Cafe, an adorable little place I'd read about, and I did what I always do when I go out for breakfast: I scanned the menu for eggs. When I saw a frittata, I ordered it, having no idea that it was going to be nothing short of life-altering. Life-altering in terms of my egg-making and egg-eating life, anyway.
I love eggs. With the exception of eggs that have been boiled so long they have a gray rim around the yolk and the terrible, recently popular, slimy 90-degree egg, which I hope never to have to see again, I love eggs almost any way they're cooked. I love properly hard-cooked eggs. I love fried eggs. I love poached eggs and soft scrambled eggs. And I love the French tradition of an omelet and salad for dinner.
Being the Italophile that I am, I wanted to love frittatas, but they were one of my least-favorite egg preparations, along with the Spanish tortilla. The way I'd always had both egg dishes, they were so thick that, to ensure cooking them all the way through, you had to cook them in an oven until they were dry and spongy. I ordered the frittata that day at the restaurant because it was the only egg on the menu, and I'm sure glad I did.
When the server put it down, my immediate reaction was: These are the most beautiful eggs I've ever seen. We all looked at it and then looked up at one another in awe. It defied all of our frittata expectations. First of all, it was not a slice, but a whole, round thing that covered the entire plate. The toppings were scattered beautifully over the surface, so it was like my pizzas, only with eggs in place of crust. And it was thin, so the eggs were cooked like perfectly soft-scrambled eggs, only flat. In that sense, it was like an omelet that hadn't been folded.
It was a complete reinvention of the form, or so I thought. What I didn't know is that this might be similar to the original frittata, which, deriving from the word "friggere," was cooked on the stove top in a skillet. Since reinventing is what I do best, I was a little disappointed that I hadn't thought of this method of cooking eggs myself, but I was also excited to have a new way of looking at one of my favorite foods.
This summer, at my house in Italy, where I do the majority of my home cooking (here in Los Angeles when I am not working, I'm either trying new restaurants or visiting favorite standbys), I got to work on "my" new frittata concept. Just as with pizza crust and mozzarella — both of which are neutral bases — the possibilities for the eggs seemed almost endless. I played with topping combinations, serving the them to friends and houseguests one at a time, the way you do with pancakes when you have little kids.
And when all my guests had gone home and I had the rare week in my house alone, I made frittatas for dinner, for myself. Whether I'd copied someone else's idea or revived the old Italian way of cooking eggs, I didn't know. But where eggs for dinner can feel as if you've just thrown something together to satisfy your hunger, as I sat outside at the table of my little stone house, listening to the sounds of the villagers walking into town and the chiming of the bells, with this beautiful plate-size creation, an arugula salad and a glass of wine, in front of me, I felt as if I had thrown a dinner party for one.


text:
Farmingdale State - 71, Old Westbury - 70 (F/OT)
Old Westbury, N.Y. - Farmingdale State junior forward AJ Matthews (Brooklyn, N.Y.) tied the game at 60-60 and forced overtime after he converted a layup with only three seconds remaining in regulation. Matthews was fouled in a tie game with one second left on the clock in overtime and hit 1-of-2 free-throws leading the Rams to a 71-70 victory.
Tied 49-49 with 6:28 remaining Old Westbury (9-8, 6-4) used a 9-0 run spanning the next 1:33 to open up a 58-49 advantage. The Rams (13-4, 9-1) answered with a 6-0 run as Matthews converted a layup and free-throw and senior guard Dyshaun Flournoy (Brentwood, N.Y.) connected on a 3-pointer.
Old Westbury held a 59-55 lead until freshman forward Ibrahim Johnson (New York, N.Y.) made a layup off the pass from Flournoy and converted the free-throw to cut the deficit to 59-58 with 1:44 to play. Freshman guard Joshua Hill (Brooklyn, N.Y.) increased the Panthers lead to two, 60-58, after hitting 1-of-2 at the free-throw line. Matthews sent the game to overtime as he scored the tying layup off Joshua Smith's (Deer Park, N.Y.) pass with only three seconds left in regulation.
Old Westbury scored the first six points in overtime to quickly take a 66-60 lead. Flournoy cut the deficit in half as he was fouled on a 3-point attempt and converted all three free-throws. After an Old Westbury offensive foul, Flournoy tied the game at 66-66 with a 3-pointer off the feed from Smith. After a Panthers layup tied the game at 70-70 with 11 seconds remaining, Matthews was fouled with one second left on the clock and converted 1-of-2 leading the Rams to a 71-70 victory on the road.
Farmingdale State was led by Matthews who scored a game-high 22 points and added 15 rebounds. Flournoy scored 13 points, while Smith tallied 11 points and added a game-high six assists.
Senior center Tavon McNair (Brooklyn, N.Y.) recorded a double-double with 21 points and 21 rebounds, while junior guard Kerel Mitchell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored 20 points for Old Westbury.
The Rams next will host Mount Saint Mary in a conference game on Saturday, January 28th at 3:00 p.m.


text:
British lawmakers vote in favor of gay marriage bill championed by PM David Cameron
LONDON British lawmakers on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill to legalize same-sex marriage championed by Prime Minister David Cameron, despite strong opposition from within his Conservative Party.
In a first House of Commons vote, lawmakers voted 400 to 175 in support of the legislation. There was majority support from the left-leaning Labour Party and Liberal Democrats party, but around half of the Conservative lawmakers rejected the proposals or abstained.
The bill will have to go through more detailed parliamentary debates and a vote in the House of Lords, where a vote in favor is likely given the strong support Tuesday. If it becomes law, the proposed bill would enable same-sex couples to get married in both civil and religious ceremonies, provided that the religious institution consents.
The bill would also allow couples who had previously entered into civil partnerships to convert their relationship into a marriage.
Earlier, Cameron - who did not attend a Parliament debate ahead of the vote - said passing the bill is "an important step forward" for Britain.
"I am a strong believer in marriage. It helps people commit to each other and I think it is right that gay people should be able to get married too," he said. "This is, yes, about equality. But it is also about making our society stronger."
Officials have stressed that all religious organizations can decide for themselves if they want to "opt in" to holding gay weddings. However, the Church of England, the country's official faith, is barred from performing such ceremonies.
That provision aims to ensure that the Church, which opposes gay marriage, is protected from legal claims that as the official state religion it must marry anyone who requests it.
Currently same-sex couples only have the option of a civil partnership, which offers the same legal rights and protections on issues such as inheritance, pensions, and child maintenance.
Supporters say that gay relationships should be treated exactly the same way as heterosexual ones, but critics worry that the proposals would change long-standing views about the meaning of marriage. Some Conservatives also fear the proposals would cost the party a significant number of votes in the next election.
"Marriage is the union between a man and a woman, has been historically, remains so. It is Alice in Wonderland territory, Orwellian almost, for any government of any political persuasion to seek to come along and try to re-write the lexicon," Conservative lawmaker Roger Gale said.
If passed, the bill's provisions would come into effect in 2015. They apply only to England and Wales - there are no plans for similar legislation in Northern Ireland. Scotland is considering introducing a similar bill.
CBS Radio's Vicki Barker reports from London that Tony and Barry Drewett-Barlow have been in a civil partnership for seven years. They are devout Christians who want a Christian wedding.
"For Barry and I it's about being able to stand up in front of the altar in our local church and say our vows," Tony said, "not only to each other and in law, but also in the eyes of God -- and that's a really important step."